Recent Mentions
Olympic middle-distance star and Massachusetts native Heather MacLean makes her debut on the show, ready to break down her latest success on the track.
Heather, a Tokyo 2021 Olympic runner, started 2025 with a bang–winning the mile race at the Indoor Grand Prix in Boston in February, smashing a 4:23.32 while setting a meet record.
Later that month, Heather ran at the Last Chance National Qualifier at BU, running a dazzling 4:17.01 mile, a new record for her. This makes her the fourth-fastest women indoor mile runner ever.
Heather followed all of that up with a 1500m appearance at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, where she finished seventh with a time of 4:04.45.
Heather’s resume is sparkling to say the least: she came in third in the 2020 Trials to earn her spot in the 1,500m in Tokyo; she was a 2022 US Indoor 1,500m champion and 1,500m World Finalist; and has PRs of 3:58.3 in the outdoor 1,500m and 1:58.7 in the 800m.
Heather, who is now a member of the New Balance Boston team run by coach Mark Coogan, grew up in Peabody, Massachusetts and ran for the University of Massachusetts. She holds the 800m, 1,000m, 1,500m women’s records at the school, and became the first woman from UMass to earn NCAA D-1 All-American honors in cross country in 2017.
In today’s conversation, Heather walks me through her recent successful indoor season, how her self-awareness and self-belief have propelled her forward, what she wants to accomplish in the years to come, inside her training, and much more.
I've looked up to Heather for years, so it was a pleasure to have the chance to speak with her and learn from her! Take the time to listen.
Tap into the Heather MacLean Special.
If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.
Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen.
If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!
S H O W N O T E S
-BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run
-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run
-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ
-My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en
-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz
Show notes46m
The 2025 U.S. Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta delivered fireworks, with PUMA Elite’s Alex Maier and Taylor Roe claiming national titles and locking in their spots for the World Road Running Championships. Roe’s late-race surge past Weini Kelati underscored Oklahoma State’s pipeline of elite talent.
Meanwhile, indoor track is officially in chaos mode. Heather MacLean ran 4:17.01 for the mile, which also unknowingly broke the U.S. indoor 1500m record. Nico Young continued his meteoric rise, clocking 12:51.56 for 5000m—second-fastest by an American ever. Yared Nuguse chased the mile world record but settled for 3:47.22. Also at BU – Graham Blanks broke 7:30 in the 3K and Aidan McCarthy ran a historic 1:45.19 in the 800m.
With NCAA Indoors, World Indoors, and outdoor season approaching fast, the distance scene is more competitive than ever. Tune in as we break it all done.
Bonus: Harry Styles ran 3:24 for the Tokyo Marathon.
Show notes1h 4m
Heather MacLean is a returning guest on the show and she was in Raleigh, North Carolina (where I live) for the Sir Walter Mile this week. So we got to record this interview in person, which is always exciting!! Heather runs with Team New Balance Boston. She ran in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 in ... more »
Show notes44m
Did you miss us?!
The U.S. Olympic Trials are back and better than ever in the second half of the 8-day program, with incredible drama, upsets, and underdog stories across the board.
The race of the day (and perhaps the week?) was the women’s steeplechase, where a fast early pace and a topsy-turvy final lap ended with a whole slew of personal bests and rewriting of the record books. Tokyo Olympian Val Constien ended up on top thanks to a phenomenal final 400m, running 9:03.22 to PR by 11 seconds and land at #3 on the U.S. all-time list. Constien had ACL surgery last year and after a long road back is better than ever.
We got our first peeks at the 400m hurdles crew, and the main takeaway from the first round is that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Rai Benjamin are looking like world beaters out for an easy jog. McLaughlin-Levrone in particular shut it down entirely over the final two laps and still ran 53.07, the third-fastest performance in the world this year behind her own season’s best and Femke Bol’s world lead.
Speaking of first looks, Erriyon Knighton doesn’t seem to have missed a step as he ran his first 200m in four months, cruising through the first round with a 20.15 just behind Noah Lyles’s 20.10 in an earlier heat. And a stacked final is set for the 5000m, where reigning U.S. champ Abdi Nur takes on two of the three members of Team USA in the 10,000m, the 1500m Trials champ, and two NCAA champs.
The middle-distance rounds will continue to get more and more cutthroat, with the women’s 1500m featuring Elle St. Pierre, Heather MacLean, Cory McGee, Emily MacKay, Elise Cranny, Nikki Hiltz, Sinclaire Johnson, and more heading to the semis and Olympians Bryce Hoppel and Clayton Murphy looking ready to once again do battle in the 800m.
Show notes1h 33m
Heather MacLean shoots her shot at a Dunkin sponsorship and shares the email she wrote to the Dunkin marketing team. She also shares how she celebrated making her first Olympic team and World Indoor team. This is the fifth installment in our 'Best of 2022' mini series, highlighting the top stories and most listened to moments of 2022.
Don't miss out on our huge holiday giveaway! To enter the giveaway, sauce us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and DM proof to @the_beer_mile or email us at podcast@beermile.com
-- Listen to the full episode with Heather MacLean: Beer Mile Podcast Ep76 with Heather MacLean
-- Cop yourself the Beer Mile Beanie
------------
Use code BEERMILE for 20% Off at MANSCAPED.COM
Use code BEERMILEPOD for 20% off at KNOCKAROUND.COM
Use code CROBERTSON20 for 20% Off at Athletic Brewing Beer
Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/beermile
Merch: https://thebeermile.org/collections/beer-mile
Subscribe to Beer Mile Media on YouTube
------------
Topics
- 0:00 Introducing Heather MacLean
- 3:59 Big Holiday Giveaway
- 4:48 Heather MacLean
- 24:23 Outro presented by MANSCAPED and KNOCKAROUND
------------
Subscribe to Beer Mile Media on YouTube
Social
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Instagram
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Facebook
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Twitter
- Follow Beer Mile Media on TikTok
- Join the Beer Mile Strava Club
Show notes26m
Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber hosted a live show with athletes from Pints and PRs Night at the NYRR RunCenter ft. The New Balance Run Hub. It was a night of free drinks, food and New Balance swag for those in attendance. We had the chance to kick it with some of the stars of Team NB. Watch on YouTube or listen to our night of fun interviews and pre-race banter.
Special guests for this live show: Emma Coburn, Cory McGee, Heather MacLean, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot and Adel Mechaal.
Special thanks to New Balance Running and New York Road Runners!
Pro races will be on Sunday from 12-1 p.m. EST. You will be able to watch the live on NBC.
On Sunday night, we will be going live sometime after 7 p.m. EST on the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel for some end-of-season interviews with the athletes. Subscribe to the channel and don’t miss out.
Read our full race preview here: https://citiusmag.substack.com/p/2022-fifth-avenue-mile-preview
Show notes1h 23m
Julie-Anne moved to Boston from Canada to go all-in on professional running with Team New Balance Boston this past year. She holds a 14:57 5000m personal best and competed at the Tokyo Olympics, representing Canada. She reflects on her move to the US and discusses what it likes to train with the powerhouse NB women's group, which includes Elle Purrier St. Pierre, Heather MacLean, Millie Paladino, Sarah McDonald, Katrina Coogan, and Síofra Cléirigh Büttner.
Julie-Anne is coming off a stress reaction in her tibia, which she got at the most inopportune time before World Champs this year. We talk about her return to training a bunch of other topics, including halloween costumes, living a minimalist lifestyle, her taste in guys, Jack Harlow, the NB Boston facility, US vs Canada culture differences, cooking, piano, and more.
Get uncut/uncensored and bonus content, plus show your support for the show by joining us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/beermile
Watch the video version on Spotify or YouTube: https://youtu.be/jPXp8KgZEWg
Grab yourself some goodies:
- Use code BEERMILEPOD for 20% Off sunglasses at KnockAround.com
- Try Athletic Brewing Beer. Use code CROBERTSON20 for 20% Off
- Get official Team USA Beer Mile swag here: https://thebeermile.org/collections/beer-mile
Help us grow the show:
- Sauce us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
- Join our Patreon for exclusive, uncut and uncensored content + big giveaways: https://www.patreon.com/beermile
- Subscribe to Beer Mile Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/beermilemedia
Social
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Instagram
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Facebook
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Twitter
- Follow Beer Mile Media on TikTok
- Join the Beer Mile Strava Club
Show notes1h 28m
Heather MacLean joins the show to reflect on the 2022 World Indoor Track World Champs in Belgrade, her comeback from surgery, making her first Olympic team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, why she deserves a Dunkin Donuts sponsorship, her affinity toward crystals, and a whole lot more. If you know a Dunkin Donuts exec, spread the word so we can land Heather this Dunkin sponsorship she so badly deserves.
Video version: https://youtu.be/G-BavcCIYF4
Brought to you by MANSCAPED: Use code BEERMILE for 20% Off + Free Shipping at MANSCAPED.COM
Try Athletic Brewing Beer. Use code CROBERTSON20 for 20% Off
Topics
- 0:00 Intro
- 9:45 Welcome Heather MacLean
- 11:05 Traveling home and 2022 season plans
- 13:45 Reflecting on the 2022 World Indoor Track Championships in Belgrade, Serbia
- 18:20 How Heather trains for championship racing
- 20:15 The importance of mental strength and prepping for the 2022 US and World Outdoor Champs
- 23:25 Olympic Rings tattoos
- 26:35 Dunkin Donuts sponsorship manifestation
- 32:35 Story behind Heather’s Twitter handle
- 34:15 Heather’s Dunkin habits and drink of choice
- 39:55 Heather’s letter to Dunkin to ask for a sponsorship
- 42:30 Growing up with 7 kids in the family
- 44:45 Crystals
- 52:15 Energy Vortexes in Sedona
- 54:37 Claddagh Ring
- 55:35 Dating a non-runner
- 57:15 Working at a beer garden after college while training to get a pro running contract
- 1:01:45 Heather’s surgery and recovery
- 1:15:25 Listener questions
- 1:21:00 Celebration after making the Olympic team
- 1:23:00 Celebration after making the Indoor World Team
- 1:25:30 Heather’s biggest weakness
Help us grow the show:
- Sauce us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
- Join our Patreon for exclusive, uncut and uncensored content + big giveaways: https://www.patreon.com/beermile
- Subscribe to Beer Mile Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/beermilemedia
Social
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Instagram
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Facebook
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Twitter
- Follow Beer Mile Media on TikTok
- Join the Beer Mile Strava Club
- Follow Chris on Strava
- Follow Chris on Instagram
- Follow Adam on Strava
- Follow Adam on Instagram
Show notes1h 42m
Drunk hot takes from this weekend in running you didn't know you needed to hear. Friends of the pod stepped up and performed this weekend: Natosha Rogers on the roads, Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker getting the 5000m standard on the track, Bryce Hoppel gets bronze, Isaiah Harris guts it out for Team USA, Heather MacLean and Josette Norris run strong in the 1500m. Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Galen Rupp go home devastated.
Brought to you by MANSCAPED: Use code BEERMILE for 20% Off + Free Shipping at MANSCAPED.COM
Try Athletic Brewing Beer. Use code CROBERTSON20 for 20% Off
Help us grow the show:
- Sauce us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
- Join our Patreon for exclusive, uncut and uncensored content + big giveaways: https://www.patreon.com/beermile
- Subscribe to Beer Mile Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/beermilemedia
Social
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Instagram
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Facebook
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Twitter
- Follow Beer Mile Media on TikTok
- Join the Beer Mile Strava Club
- Follow Chris on Strava
- Follow Chris on Instagram
- Follow Adam on Strava
- Follow Adam on Instagram
Show notes1h 13m
Heather MacLean recently made her first Olympic team this summer in the 1500m for Team USA! She runs for Team New Balance Boston and is coached by Mark Coogan. She is from Massachusetts and went to the University of Massachusetts. That 1500m for the Olympics this summer was a really hard team to make so ... more »
Millie Paladino of New Balance Boston joins the beer mile boys to reflect on making the 5000m final at the US Olympic Trials. We dive into her running career thus far and go behind the scenes of the NB Boston team, getting the scoop on who would be best at the beer mile, putting together a reality TV show, and what it's like being teammates with Olympians Elle Purrier, Heather MacLean, and Siofra Buttner.
We are also joined by Michael Sack, our first listener cameo. He shed lights on his beer mile training that led him to a 6:34 PB, gives his stonk picks, and reviews some brews. Mr. Sack found a loophole in our system for requesting guests for the show and ended up Venmoing us @beermile to request himself as a guest. Absolute mastermind.
This episode is presented by MANSCAPED. Use code BEERMILE for 20% + Free Shipping at MANSCAPED.COM
Enter our giveaway for free BeerMile.com Swag:
- Give a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or share the Beer Mile Podcast on your Insta story. Send us a DM with a screenshot on Instagram to @The_Beer_Mile: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beer-mile-podcast/id1535570203
Help us grow the podcast:
- Support the show: https://anchor.fm/beer-mile-media/support
- Subscribe to Beer Mile Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/beermilemedia
Drop Us A Line
Leave us a voice message and we will include it on the show: https://anchor.fm/beer-mile-media/message
Social
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Instagram
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Facebook
- Follow Beer Mile Media on Twitter
- Follow Beer Mile Media on TikTok
- Join the Beer Mile Strava Club
- Follow Chris on Strava
- Follow Chris on Instagram
- Follow Adam on Instagram
- Follow Adam on Strava
Gear
- Canon EOS M6 Mark II
- Rode VideoMic Pro+
- GoPro MAX 360
- GoPro Hero 9
- Tascam DR-40X Audio Recorder
- Microphone: Blue Snowball Mic
- Green Screen: LinoStudio Green Screen
- Video/Audio Editing: Adobe Premiere Pro
Brought to you by: beermile.com
The Beer Mile Podcast is co-hosted by Chuggernauts Chris Robertson and Adam Shurson. Chris is a Beer Mile World Champion and Record Holder and Adam is the engineer extraordinaire behind beermile.com
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beer-mile-media/supportShow notes1h 45m
Carrie chats with 2020 Olympian Heather MacLean! They talk about her races at the trials, being away from her family who couldn't attend the Trials, struggling with feeling like she belongs, being grateful, not being afraid to ask for support, and so much more!
Show notes44m
Heather MacLean joins the podcast after making her first Olympic team with a third place finish in the women's 1,500m final in 4:02.09. Her teammate Elle Purrier St. Pierre took the win in 3:58.03 and Cory McGee took the second spot in 4:00.67. The race truly lived up to the hype and Heather shares a bit of her approach and game plan for it.
Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber go through the shocking men's 800m where Clayton Murphy took the win in 1:43.17 and reminded the world just how good he is. They also try to make sense of how Donavan Brazier finished last.
We also discuss the women's 5,000 meter final where Elise Cranny and Karissa Schweizer put together a Bowerman 1-2 and pulled Rachel Schneider to join them on their first Olympic team.
+ Much more...
TUNE IN AND LISTEN TO TRIALS TALK WITH CHRIS AND KYLE. Our daily podcast from the Olympic Trials is presented by Tracksmith.
We’re excited to partner with Tracksmith, an independent running brand fueled by a deep love of the sport. They celebrate the amateur spirit and seek to inspire the personal pursuit of excellence. Tracksmith is pleased to be supporting 30 Olympic Trials qualifiers in Eugene, including athletes across 14 disciplines, as part of their Amateur Support Program.
Check out Tracksmith's essentials for racing and training - including the Strata kits their Trials athletes are racing in this week - at Tracksmith.com/CITIUS and use code CITIUS to receive 10% off any order until the last day of the trials, June 27th.
Show notes58m