Jess McClain After Finishing 8th At The 2024 NYC Marathon (2:27:19, No. 2 American) | Race Recap

“I think as I run more and more and get more miles on my legs, I'll be able to hang with that lead pack later and later. But I stuck to my guns. I didn't really have a race plan going in other than taking the first few miles to feel it out. Then really just believing that I belonged in that lead pack for as long as I could hang with them.”

My guest for today’s episode is Jess McClain, who just wrapped up a heck of a year with an eighth-place finish at the New York City Marathon, running 2:27:19 and finishing as the second American.

It was Jess’s first World Marathon Major, and she showed incredible grit, moving steadily from 11th to 8th in the final miles and securing a spot among the top marathoners in the world.

As we’ve explored on this show with her in January, Jess’s journey to the marathon stage has been anything but typical. A former Stanford standout who took a hiatus from professional running, she’s reemerged with stunning results. Earlier this year, she finished fourth at the Olympic Marathon Trials, making her the alternate for Team USA and nearly earning a spot at the Paris Olympics. She’s since signed with Brooks and built a strong racing resume, including wins at the USATF Road 10K Championships and a second-place finish at the USATF 20K Championships.

Today, we’ll dive into her self-coached approach, her bold comeback, and what drives her heading into 2025.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Jess McClain | @jesstonn

Take this interview on-the-go in podcast form ⤵️

SPOTIFY:

APPLE PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-citius-mag-podcast-a-running-track-and-field-show/id1204506559

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