Ali on the Run Show
915. Jess McClain's 2026 TCS New York City Marathon Recap
"It's a cool feeling, to feel like you belong somewhere. And I finally feel that way."
At last weekend's TCS New York City Marathon, Jess McClain stormed to a second-place finish, overtaking defending champion Hellen Obiri in the final steps of the race. (A tangent-running queen!) In this conversation, the beloved Brooks-sponsored pro breaks down every part of race weekend, from the omakase, the press conference, and the elite athlete tech meeting, to how she nabbed her first podium finish at a World Marathon Major. Plus, takeaways from the banner day in NYC, the moments she'll remember most, and what it means to "Just be Jess."
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IN THIS EPISODE:
- Jess's snapshot moment from the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, and what's making her happy right now (2:10)
- What Jess is consuming and is into right now (6:00)
- What life has looked like since finishing the marathon (9:40)
- Jess's key takeaways from running the New York City Marathon in 2024 (12:15)
- On flat vs. hilly courses (18:35)
- Reflections on NYCM training (20:00)
- On keeping it fun — and working in addition to running (27:15)
- How Jess spent the days in New York leading up to the marathon (34:00)
- What it's like at the elite athlete press conference and technical meeting (42:00)
- How Jess was feeling on race morning, what the bus ride out to Staten Island was like, and an emotional interaction with Tracy Morgan at the start (52:20)
- "Just Be Jess" (59:50)
- Jess breaks down her New York City Marathon run, borough by borough (1:01:45)
- What happened after Jess finished second at the marathon (1:11:50)
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