Welcome to the Allie on the Run show.
I'm your host, Allie Feller, and this is where I talk with people who are doing exciting things on the run and beyond.
From professional athletes and celebrity runners to the everyday amateur and back of the pack runner.
We are here to celebrate everyone and anyone who enjoys a life on the run.
So, whether you're running towards something big or away from something that has been holding you back, I am here to hold your hand and help you pick up the pace.
What a weekend on the run.
Oh boy.
At Sunday's USA Track and Field Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta, the top three women, Jess McLean, Emma Grace Hurley, and Edna Kurgot, were led off course in the final mile of the race.
The three were on track to take the podium and to earn spots to represent the United States on a world championship team.
All signs at this point in the race were pointing to Jess Emma, Grace and Edna becoming Team USA ahead of the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen this September.
National titles, prize money, sponsor bonuses and, of course, the glory of breaking the tape and earning that moment were all on the line for these women.
Much has been said about this race, about the misdirection, and about the aftermath.
Molly Bourne ultimately broke the tape as Jess, Emma Grace and Edna clawed their way back into the mix.
But what happens now?
The one unanimous takeaway from that day in Atlanta is that no one feels good about how the day played out.
Certainly not the athletes.
But I think you'll also be hard-pressed to find anyone at USA Track and Field at Atlanta Track Club, or even fans in the running community who are thinking hey, that was a great, successful day of road racing.
My heart really goes out to Jess, Emma Grace and Edna, but also to Molly Bourne, Carrie Elwood and Annie Rodenfels, who became the official top three in the race and have all shared publicly that this is not how you want to make a world team.
So we can say a lot about all of it, but it only felt right to put the spotlight here on the athletes.
And so my guest today is Emma Grace Hurley, coming to us from her much-deserved post-race vacation in the Cayman Islands.
Emma Grace has a unique perspective on all of this.
She spent the early years of her running career competing as a member of Atlanta Track Club Elite and living in Atlanta.
She has served on committees for USA Track and Field.
She lives in Indianapolis now and she is coached by Andrew Begley, a former Atlanta Track Club Elite coach, who's married to Amy Begley, also a former Atlanta Track Club Elite coach, who now works for USATF.
So Emma Grace has a deeper understanding than most about how these various organizations work, about what goes into pulling off a road race of this scale.
And of course about what it is like being the athlete with so much at stake.
Emma Grace through it all is human sunshine.
She is a hell of a competitor.
She's also one of the sweetest people I've ever met.
I really appreciate her willingness to come on the show so soon after this emotional event to talk it all through with all of us.
So until we see how this all continues to play out, please welcome Emma Grace Hurley to the Alley on the Run show.
Emma Grace Hurley, big name in the news these days but, most importantly, Emma Grace Hurley loved supported, badass awesome.
I could go on and on about all the things that I and so many love about you.
And you're a trooper right now.
And I'm really looking forward to getting to chat with you and hear about what these past few days have been like for you.
But first, welcome back to the Allie on the Run show.
Normally, I'd say, how you doing?
We can start there.
How you doing?
Yeah.
Thank you so much.
No, I've I've been better.
Yeah, it's been a really, really tough couple of days.
I've never really been quite such a combination of stressed and sad, ever felt like i've gotten so many nice messages from so many different people and i'm trying to wade through them and um so, if anyone's listening that i haven't responded to, thank you so much, like it means a lot uh, but the inbox is full um, and i really but i in a good way, like i really really appreciate it all right.
Well, where in the world is emma grace hurley?
You are not home right now, which i love, so where are you?
What are you up to?
No, i'm on.
I'm at the cayman islands.
Um yeah no, i uh, my boyfriend and i came down following the race.
It was kind of like um, a really good week to come down.
His parents were already coming and i just have easy runs for the week so um, they offered us to come too and we're like yeah, sounds great, we'll be in atlanta direct flight.
Yeah, Okay.
So it was always the plan.
You were always going on vacation right after.
No, this wasn't like an emotional get me out of the country decision.
Like it was always the plan.
Yes.
Okay.
So how have you spent the day so far?
What fun things have you gotten up to in the sunshine?
So I went for a run this morning and then we went, or we sat by the pool for a while for him to finish his bike ride or whatever i don't even know if that's a bad way to put it his cycling, i don't know.
It took three hours, it was a really long time, um.
And then we went to lunch on the beach and then we went to another beach and looked at starfish.
Oh yeah, they were under the water.
I never seen one in person before.
That wasn't in an aquarium.
I've never seen a starfish in the wild, so now we can check that off the list, i guess.
Huge day.
How is your body feeling?
We've talked so much these past few days about you know all that went down in that race, but we're not really talking enough about the fact that you ran a hell of a race.
That was a big effort.
You ran it.
Well, how's your body feeling?
Yeah um, really bad.
Um, atlanta's are really okay, so the course is already hard.
And then the part coming out of the park, which is when you start going on steep climbs.
I don't need to give everyone like the most technical recap of the race, but there were two really steep climbs that were really tough last year.
That got pushed like somewhere between a mile or k and a.
So I'm really hurting still because there was just not enough time to recover between those.
I probably overextended myself on the first one, just remembering that I still felt good on them and just really underestimated how I could bounce back from that, even in race.
And then I'm just so sorry.
And it was a really long time to be out there.
Well, I normally to start these conversations on the show is I like to ask guests what's making you happy today?
And so I'll ask that question.
With the asterisk that says it's OK if you're just angry today and if you don't want to find the little glimmer of sunshine.
But is there?
Is there things?
Are there things that are helping, whether little big?
Are there things that are bringing out the sunshine today?
Yeah, I mean, one, the sun's out and just living in Indiana, I haven't seen the sun.
But there's these little chickens that are like running around the island and those are adorable and making me really happy.
Are you just chasing them on your runs or are they chasing you probably?
One looked me right in the eye this morning when it did its cock-a-doodle-doo and I just felt like we had a really big bond.
That's so cute.
It was really fun.
All right.
Well, let's get into all the things about the race this weekend, and let's start with your decision to run the race.
When did this come up on your race calendar?
Obviously it was a U.S. championship so that's a big deal.
For how long were you planning on running this race?
I mean forever.
This is the team that's like eluded me for years.
First in 2023, when I still lived in a.
I got offered a spot when they were just going down the world rankings list.
And I don't think I was necessarily in the top four, but I was, I guess, one of the ones right after that that got offered a spot.
And it was the first spot that I had been offered on a world championship team, because I still hadn't run cross-country yet in Serbia.
That was the following spring.
However...
My friend's wedding was the same day.
I was one of the maids of honors.
And I'm like, I'm 25 years old.
This is my first team.
I need to go to my best friend's wedding.
And I do not regret going to her wedding.
That was absolutely the right decision.
The fact that I even had the world ranking to get selected is crazy, because I had never run a half marathon before.
I'd only done like 10Ks and then I ran Cherry Blossom.
So I don't know how that happened.
But that was the first time.
And I...
25 year old brains like, oh, there'll be other teams.
Right.
And like fair.
But, you know, you're never guaranteed.
And I knew that like it wasn't a false sense of like, oh, like, you know, whatever.
But I turned it down and absolutely stand by that decision.
But it was a really like hard like moment to like get over that.
Like, oh, man, this could be so cool.
So on the day of her wedding, like I had an amazing time and didn't even think about it.
I actually don't even know if she knows this, so she might be finding it out now.
Congratulations on your wedding.
Well, I remember there were two of us in the wedding that are professional runners, the other being Gabby Jennings.
And there were like two kind of dates in that fall.
There was like Pan Ams and then this.
And I think that like those were two good weekends.
And then she rightfully so, because I had never run a half marathon like chose the weekend of World Road Runnings.
Um, so yeah, so it was all good.
Um, no, I did not think about it at all.
Uh, and she really tried to account for our schedule, so no fault on her end.
And she literally doesn't even know.
Um, but yeah, so that's the first one.
Then the second one was last year when I came to Atlanta I made the team and then I got canceled and that really stung because it was just important to me that I got that experience.
I love the half marathon, my favorite race so far.
I, you know, haven't gone beyond it.
I'm still having fun in it.
Um, but then, coming back this year, it was really important to make the team and actually compete.
That aged poorly because i was joking with connor nickel and greg hip in the tent before that i'm cursed and like.
I was like look like, if i make the team, it's gonna get canceled.
If i don't, people will go.
So i i, Basically what I'm saying is I'm the villain.
Which is really just funny to picture, because you're just like the literal sweetest person on the planet.
So, I mean, I would be all for you having a villain era.
I don't think this is it, though.
I don't think you're the problem.
I might be because me three years in a row or not three years in a row, three opportunities in a row.
But, yes.
Yeah.
All right.
So this was always the plan.
So this was always the plan.
This has been years in the making.
Okay.
So, going back to last year when you had earned that spot, can you talk a little bit about?
Do you remember finding out that the world championship race had been canceled?
Yes.
I mean, it's hard not to hear rumors of it.
I mean, so many people get so many little tidbits and I, I don't even know how the first person who told me knew.
Like I don't, I don't, Like I literally just heard from someone like running down the path, kind of thing.
And I'm like, what?
Then it turned out to be true.
And it was really hard.
I had heard more solid inklings, like, since then.
And yeah I, fortunately I um had a, you know, had a great opportunity to go run Valencia and said and I I loved that, but I would have loved the opportunity to compete at Worlds last year.
Um yeah, that was like really heartbreaking because it, you know, anytime you get to go represent um, you know, the United States and the running community here, it's really special and really means a lot to me.
And these are like kind of the moments that we dream of and that are kind of like career making moments.
And that was really tough to miss one.
And we only get so many years to do this.
So to have and it's so hard to make a U.S. team right now, like everyone is so good.
So just knowing that the opportunities and the years that we get to do it are, you know, not that many realistically was really tough.
What did you lose out on?
Obviously the experience of getting to compete at world championships.
That's.
That alone is huge.
But were there financial implications to not being able to go to that race?
No, no, there weren't any financial implications for me.
I mean, maybe, you know, you can't observe what didn't happen.
Like maybe I would you know, but I ran really well in Valencia.
I had already kind of maxed out the bonuses in that.
OK, good.
I don't know if I'm allowed to say things like I had gotten everything that I could have gotten out of the half marathon already that year.
So, no, it really didn't affect me beyond that.
I really wanted that world championship experience.
And honestly, Valencia is an amazing half marathon.
I still feel like I got a taste of that.
All right, so let's go to this past weekend in Atlanta.
Leading up to the race, how were you feeling?
Did you feel like, I'm ready to compete?
You were one to watch.
I feel like anytime people were talking about the fields and how stacked they were.
Emma Grace Hurley's name is right at the top of the list.
How were you feeling heading into the half?
Yeah, I was feeling amazing.
I did the exact same workouts both years. for the last two weeks.
And there were just measurable improvements from one year to the next.
And I was really, really excited to compete.
And obviously that doesn't mean you're guaranteed a spot, because probably most of the people.
That's the beauty and the terrible thing is we're all getting better.
We're all having to continue to raise the bar.
But I was feeling really, really good about where fitness was at.
And I was just excited to hopefully get to show that.
Yeah no, the overwhelming feeling that I had was just like really confident that I had the ability to be in the top three, if not pin 10, for the win.
You're also, in many ways, the hometown hero, coming back to Atlanta, where you've run for Atlanta track club and where you ran for so many years early in your professional career.
Does Atlanta, when you go now, does it feel like coming home?
Does it feel like you're a visitor?
What does it feel like returning to Atlanta?
It definitely feels like home, um and that's not a knock on Indy, because India also feels like home uh now um, but yeah, I know it's awesome and I I even feel like I have to build in some time for runs in the morning because I wanted to stop and I want to talk to everyone and catch up and I have like um, I hope they don't mind me saying this.
I have what I call in my head, my old man friends.
And they're all of these men who walk at the river in groups of three or four every morning.
And they love supporting me and my running and keeping up with it.
And one of them gets the newspaper with like from Boston, with like pictures from Falmouth in it, and he'll, you know, have that and it's like really very sweet.
Um, and then, beyond that, like I'll get like hellos from people like running at the river who might also be training to run in like the mass race for the half marathon and the marathon that no, I'm back.
So yeah, it's like everyone runs at the same place in Atlanta.
There is no variety.
Everyone go to the same place.
Um so uh yeah no, I love going back and seeing people and I was doing my hardest work out there actually, just in case it snowed on the day that that I wanted to guarantee I had a road, not a treadmill.
And so many people were giving me encouragement.
I was like running along the path, just like dying.
But a lot of people said good job and that they were cheering for me.
So I love yeah, I love going back just for the community.
So before any professional race, whether it is a US championship or not, there's a technical meeting, usually the day before the race.
What can you tell us about your favorite meeting?
Listen, I love a meeting.
I, my whole life, have just wanted to get invited to meetings when people are like this meeting could have been an email.
I'm like, or it could have been longer.
We could have hung out more.
So, yes, thank you for knowing that I love a technical meeting.
What do you remember about this one?
I'm, you know, especially interested in the narrative around like follow the pace card, no matter what.
Or, hey, here's the map with 30 turns.
Memorize it real quick.
What do you remember about this technical meeting?
Yeah, some things that stand out.
I mean, just...
I will point out the level of detail in an Atlanta track club meeting, technical meeting, is astounding.
But sometimes I do feel like very like simple things might get lost in the level of detail about little things.
But I will say, like we did have like a very detailed overview of like certain potholes on the course that might be problematic, and like where there was construction and why we went down a different road than last time.
Because the course changed like pretty.
I mean, there were parts of it that were the same, but it changed a lot.
We did see a flash of the course map just for anyone who's going after, especially Jess about memorizing it.
It's even really, it's like this big line on these like little tiny streets.
It's hard to even tell what street it's referring to.
And if you look like by the direction, by direction online, like some of the directions are continued straight, but there's like 30 years, there's like maybe around 30 turns, 25 to 30 turns, but like 40 separate directions.
And like, obviously they can't walk through that step by step.
But he did talk about you know directions at some point and he said the whole thing's a game of follow the leader unless you're the leader, and then you gotta figure it out.
I mean, I don't remember what he said after that, but I was like that really stuck out in my head the next day when I was like oh my gosh.
And you know, like it is what it is, but no, it was incredibly detailed though.
I feel like some, like just going through it turn by turn, and there was, you know we don't have, but we have like, at this spot, at this mile, there will be like X cone for like this pothole.
Who leads the technical meeting, Rich?
No.
Eric Hines, who I, I mean, I have a pretty long history with him.
He really helped me out a lot as a teenager.
But yeah, he leads, he leads the technical meetings.
Yeah.
And I think the technical part of race day.
Yes.
Okay.
All right.
So you go through the technical meeting.
What's for dinner?
What's pre-race dinner?
Well, they do offer dinner.
That said, the year before, my friend Lucy and I, who was racing the Tokyo Marathon while we were in the technical meeting, just being Indiana girls, we're just like, oh no, you go ahead.
And I think some people went through the line twice before we went once.
So we like barely had dinner.
And so I actually ate before the meeting and then just like nibbled on a breadstick.
So no one would think I was like that girl.
But like no, I had like a chicken, a whole, like chicken sandwich situation like in the Caesar salad before the meeting.
Okay.
So to recap.
You're in your villain era, but you let everyone through the dinner line twice before you ate anything.
Well, this was like the year before.
And I don't think everyone went through twice, but like definitely some people had gone twice before you went once.
We were just like no, we'll just like, sit here and, like you know, we don't need to add to the chaos.
And then like, yeah, not a villain.
No, we were, we were fine.
Yeah.
And obviously like I ran fine the next day.
Um, so it was okay.
Um, but this year I was like, no, I will provide for myself and like go early at a girl.
You take control of that situation.
All right.
What was the race plan?
What had you and your coach talked about and what were you looking to do?
We didn't really script it too much.
I think anytime I script things, I'm tempted to go with that plan when I think I am fairly intuitive.
I think one of the great benefits that I have of training alone there's a lot of costs but a lot of benefits is that I know exactly how my body feels at any point.
And I'm not like pushing to keep up with someone or maybe holding back because they might not be having as good of a day.
And so I have a really good judge of like, how I'm supposed to be feeling in a moment, or how it, how a certain pace affects me.
And just any, yeah.
So we just really wanted it to feel right in the moment, any moves that were being made, and something that I really wanted was to like, at least with a couple miles to go within my power, i wanted there to be like a pretty established three just to be able to enjoy the last like five to ten minutes um yeah, but that was no, really like.
That was something that like i really wanted, like i didn't care if i was in first or third, but i wanted to feel like i could like really enjoy that time um, but no other than that.
He was like.
I mean, he said like you don't need to try to win before mile 10 um Um, but 10 was kind of like the okay, don't like go to the well before then.
But whatever I needed to do or felt comfortable doing was fine.
And with that you know you described seeing the course map during the technical meeting as a longtime Atlanta native.
In looking at that.
How familiar did the streets, the turns like I'm trying to imagine?
I've lived in my town my whole life.
And if I saw a map like that, would I be able to say like, OK, that's on Courier Road?
And then I pop out like how how familiar did it feel to you?
So it's weird because it's, like, who knows, like, street?
Like, who knows that anymore?
Like, no one.
I just put it in Waze and just, like, go where Waze tells me.
That said, like being on the course, I mean even looking at the map, just like knowing where things are on a map I was pretty familiar with like miles three through, like nine-ish as like Just to drive around.
I will say that was in my year after college where I thought I was retired from running.
That really aged poorly.
But I was just having fun being a grown adult in a big city.
And then when I was training, I was having a very different kind of fun.
And it wasn't the kind of fun that took me to those places.
Yeah.
So I was pretty familiar with like that, like the midtown Atlanta area.
Um, but it's not like, aside from the actual part in peanut park, it's not like runnable.
Like I've never run any of it outside of this race, um, except for the part in peanut park.
All right.
You wake up on race morning, you break a nail while getting ready.
Like what?
Come on, bad omen.
Yeah, that was really tough.
Okay, it was already.
It was already like cracked a little, and then I was like putting on my bib and the oh no, an air pod just fell out um, and the, the safety pin like like flicked under it and flicked it off.
Yeah, it didn't, it didn't hurt me.
It was like the.
It was the between the dip powder and my nail, so it was fine, Okay.
So that didn't, does stuff like that get in your head on race day?
I don't like it.
I don't, I don't think I've not had my nails done.
Um, Oh gosh.
Since I was a senior in college, like that's a long time.
Like they're paper under here.
Um, Yeah, I don't like it.
That's my thing.
Everyone has their thing, and I'm.
I'm pretty low maintenance in a lot of ways, but my nails have to be done.
Yeah.
Okay.
I think I've only gotten my nails done once in my whole life.
And by done, I mean like a manicure, like they painted them.
I've never had more than just like my sad little fingernails.
It would make you so happy, but you can never go back.
That's the thing.
Like, can I maintain such a routine?
I don't know that I can.
I don't know that I'm that committed.
But you inspire me.
But you can also just go, like, sit there and listen to an audiobook.
Like, I mean, it depends on where you go.
But, like, if you get the sense the person doesn't want to talk to you.
Like, it's honestly, like, a lot of times where I go in Indiana, they have, like, a headphone in.
And I'm like, oh, like, I'm not being rude if I also put a headphone in.
And, like, I think that's preferential for, like, both of us.
But then when I go, like where I go in Atlanta, like my mom goes all the time and she's friends with them,
And it's, like, really fun to chat.
And, yeah.
All right.
I'll report back.
I'll let you know what I decide.
Who was on Team Hurley for the weekend?
Were family, friends, anyone in town to cheer for you?
My gosh.
Yes.
My parents were there, obviously.
Be a little weird if they didn't show up.
A lot of traffic.
Can't make it.
Yeah.
That was a point of contention because my dad really wanted to get a hotel room downtown the night before.
And my mom was like, no, the dogs.
And I was also like, no, the dogs.
Yeah, my coach Andrew was there.
My boyfriend was there.
And then I saw a bunch of dogs college teammates out on the course and I felt really bad because I wanted to see the one who's wedding that I was in um, and I actually had really wanted to catch up with them last week, but every day, like something felt like a little achy and like I was getting sick and I was like I'm literally going to be laying down or running um, so I felt bad that I didn't get to see them outside of race morning, but it was really um, every time I ran past them they would.
They just had like the craziest energy.
So that was really fun.
Um, and Andrew and Chandler rode around on little like scooters together.
I love that.
Yeah, I've I've never seen those who clicked.
It was really funny.
Was this their first time meeting?
No, they had.
Oh, it's very, very new, I will say that.
But they had had dinner the night before oh okay, so I mean, the weekend was their first time meeting.
I think it might have been.
He met Amy, but not Andrew.
What a great first date.
Scooting around, cheering.
I mean, yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, I think they had a really good time.
Yeah.
Until they didn't.
Until they didn't.
Well, and that is the thing, right, is that this day started out great in so many ways.
So let's go to the start line.
Mm hmm. getting ready, lining up at the start.
How are you feeling?
Can you give us some sights and sounds of downtown Atlanta on race morning?
Um, yeah, there's a lot of energy out there, uh, warming up.
I was getting a lot of like high fives from people.
And I mean, it's, it, I love like from the community perspective, I love being there.
Um, and then I was wearing a super suit for the or a super suit for first time.
It's really comfortable.
Um yeah, I was really excited.
I kind of tried it on as like a joke and I was like this is for track people, I'm never wearing this.
And then it was so comfortable and I was like I'm only wearing this, I love it.
So I'm really excited about it.
So that was a really fun experience.
Um yeah, it was super loud, a lot of energy.
Um, I never feel great warming up, but that's okay, I don't expect to.
I expect to feel like all of the feelings in my body feel like not great yet.
Um, the line for the porta potty was really long, so that was unfortunate.
Why was it long?
It's just yours is just for the.
Well, there's like nice.
So I think there were 93 people in the elite fields.
Like between the men's and the women's there were maybe like five porta potties, not enough.
Rerun the numbers.
Yeah, like that was really the only tricky bit, but other than that, like it was a really great warm-up experience and everything.
I mean it's hard to mess that one up.
Oh my gosh, I was excited, but it's also so.
Here's the thing.
Like I would have I had the fastest PR in the field and I hate that.
Like I hate, I want to have the second best or the third best, but not the best.
Um, so that was especially like knowing that there are other people in the race who are like, fully capable of doing that.
I was just like, this is so sick.
Can you talk more about that?
Why do you not want to be the fastest seed in the field?
Because I don't want people to think I should win and then not win.
And then it disappoints them.
Because even if I'm super happy.
Yeah, but look, I just don't want that to happen.
You're so villainous.
Listen to this.
I mean, my gosh, this woman is out for blood.
I'm just really out there to get you.
Yeah.
All right.
You're lined up at the start.
Let's talk about first couple of miles.
Sure.
Yeah, we were out slow.
It was really uncomfortable.
Were you kind of chomping at the bit?
Like, did you have to hold back because you're not supposed to go to the well till after mile 10?
So what what are you thinking at that point?
And who was kind of who do you remember as kind of controlling the pace early on?
Yeah, it was kind of I mean, different people were stepping up and trying to take it.
And I feel like I was constantly just like sitting right there, because I do find myself doing a lot of leading in races, because I'm just willing to.
And I feel like Jess also does.
And she was leading.
And like, I'm not saying that she was, you know, whatever.
We were running slow, though.
And that's not like just no one wanted to take it.
And it was just whoever like ended up in front.
But it wasn't that and um.
So finally, I think maybe around like 50, like 15 minutes, and I was like okay, if by 20 minutes you're still feeling this uncomfortable, it's gonna have to be more comfortable to just go to the front and start running what I want to um.
And so I waited and then, like I feel like 20 minutes on the dot, I just went to the front and was like okay, we're just Like I.
It might be a bad strategy, but I was feeling worse trying not to step on people than I was just like if we ran faster.
And I mean, you were never totally alone.
Edna was there.
Jess was there.
Jess was, Jess was behind you for a bit and then came back up.
So when you made that move, how much are you looking around to see like, are they coming with?
Yeah, I mean I did want to look around a little bit because again, something that I really wanted, if it was in my control, was to get down to three with somewhere in the last two or three miles, just just to be able to enjoy the feeling.
And again, like I didn't care where in the three I was and that was going to be an afterthought, if you know, fighting for the win was going to be something different after that was established, for me at least,
And so I was looking around, but I didn't so much be like, oh, like, you know, whatever.
How are people feeling?
I just wanted to know like, what was going on, how many people are still here, and it wasn't and my goal wasn't to break apart the field, it was just to feel comfortable um, whatever that meant, and did it.
Once you got to the front and could run at a pace that felt right for you, how'd you feel?
I felt until about like nine miles, nine or ten, I felt really really good.
Yeah, all right, bring us to miles nine and ten.
Yeah, so I'd kind of been in the front um, controlling the pace, for quite a bit.
And yeah, that's just when we were kind of on like those back to back hills and or maybe it was like nine through 11, but somewhere in there there was just two steep climbs back to back and that hurt really bad.
Um, and that's just when it really starts to get hard.
That's when we really start racing.
I kind of made a little bit of a harder move coming out of the park.
Um, just to like kind of see where people were at um but not like in the well um but yeah no we we were by that time we were three and we were really kind of like going at it at that point and it's you know the last 5k we can survive for 15 minutes but it was like it was hurting I kept having to tell myself that like my my brain quits before my body does and like just survive and like I was really talking myself through how many minutes were left and not miles because miles sometimes feels really long.
But when it's like, oh, it's 15 minutes, like whatever, it's 15 minutes.
That's fine.
That's one and a half all too well.
Like easy.
Yeah.
Like nothing.
We can do this.
So I just kept telling myself like counting down the minutes for me really helps.
So I just kept looking at the clock, counting down the minutes.
All right.
So let's go to that.
That turn the now infamous turn.
Where were you at, at this point in the race?
So Jess is out in front.
You're with Edna.
The two of you were quite close.
Jess was about 50 meters ahead of you.
So at this point and I really want you to just walk through what you remember but when Jess makes the turn where we later learned was supposed to go straight, she makes that turn following all the lead vehicles.
Could you see her at that point?
Was she in your line of sight?
Yes.
Yeah.
I'm not sure it was a full 50 meters either, because I watched a video someone sent and like it was maybe five seconds.
Like it was sizable, but it wasn't like oh, she's like, not saying she wasn't like definitely, but like she was still within like oh like, if we can really pick it up, we could you know unlikely, but she was still very much like.
Not literally, but you know what I mean.
And so, yeah, I have absolutely no hesitation.
It's all just a game of follow the leader.
And so, there was nothing to think about other than, okay, we have about 1,200 to go.
Let's find another gear for the last K. That was the only thought that was in my head.
There's no other thing that can go through your head at that point.
Can you imagine...
Or maybe 1500 to go, but it was less than a mile.
Oh, yeah.
It's also like to anyone who has said, you know, to know the course, whatever.
Imagine the lead vehicle, the vehicle with the clock, the vehicle with the officials the, the press vehicle, the camera.
Imagine all of them going one way and you're like no, I think I know this better and go like that would be crazy.
Literally.
At that point in the race I would never trust what I think I know more than what's being done in front of me.
That's insane.
Even if I had sat down and memorized all 40 directions, I'm not trusting my memory.
Yeah, crazy.
No way.
There's no thought.
There's no decision to be made.
The only decision to be made is what do I feel right now?
Can I get another year in the last K?
How do I ration my energy the last five minutes of this?
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So what happens next is hard for us viewers at home to comprehend, because as soon as they realized something was up, the cameras like pan to the ground.
We can't see anything at home.
It was mass confusion for everyone involved.
I want your perspective.
At what point did you realize something's up?
Did you see Jess?
Were people yelling?
What happened?
So I heard the sirens behind us.
I heard the sirens coming past us.
The sirens like lead vehicle sirens?
The police motorcycle sirens.
Okay.
I'm only thinking either there's an emergency going on before us that they have to clear before we get there, or there's an emergency elsewhere that they have to go to.
Nothing in my head is about that.
We went the wrong way, like it's all, like we're in a big city, like there's an emergency that they either need to get out of the way or go tend to.
That's not this.
Um yeah, I didn't realize that we were going the wrong way until we had like, already turned around, because even so, when we were turning on, I was like there must be something unsafe ahead.
But then I saw Jess's face and they had told her that we went the wrong way.
And I knew like when I saw her face.
Yeah.
So you the way that it worked out is because she was a bit ahead of where you and Edna were.
So she makes that hairpin turn and you immediately must turn around because you end up.
You're ahead of her then, as you're coming back.
We ended up turning when she got to us because again, like.
I'm following her.
Edna's following me.
I'm still thinking that what is going on is not that we went the wrong direction.
I'm thinking that it's there's an emergency and I'm not necessarily thinking we need to get back on the course.
I'm thinking like, I wonder what's going on.
So we did kind of like wait for her.
And then when we saw her face, we knew.
I don't want to speak for Edna, but I knew.
Yeah.
Were there any words exchanged either between the three of you runners or coming from those vehicles?
I honestly can't remember.
It was obvious we were frustrated, but I don't even remember if we said anything or if that was just like a given, or if there was body language.
Like I literally, that initial moment is like complete, like blacked out.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What do you remember about what happened next?
I remember getting back on the course and I mean like I just feel like I weigh like 500 pounds, like my feet are stuck to the ground.
Like I can't move.
Like you're trying to fight for every spot but there's like I didn't know how to get my body to respond and even get back to like racing.
Um, like I truly had no idea to do that and so I just wanted to stay on my feet and get to the line and um, not that like it doesn't matter to fight for every spot and to finish well um, but I didn't feel like I was able to give like a proper effort over the last bit.
Like I just wanted to stay on my feet and get to the finish line.
Um because ultimately, like What I finished like didn't matter, because it wasn't what I gave on the day.
So I was like, if I'm 20th, if I'm 25th, if I'm 10th, like I didn't think that we were still within striking distance of the top 10.
Like I had no idea.
I had no idea where we were in the race.
And I just was like obviously something bad happened, but like nothing good can come of it unless I crossed the line.
But I was running past people, some of whom, like I knew or that I'd seen out on, like out jogging in the weeks before and like I could see on a couple people's faces that they were just like sad and worried um, and you know, I'm sure they're they but like, but I could tell that like it was troubling to them and I was like it was troubling to me too.
Um yeah, so that made me a little sad, but I just felt like so deflated and that I couldn't move and that like the only thing I had to do was get to the finish line.
But at that point I haven't spoken to any of the other athletes who were in the race yet, but I'm so interested to hear if, for those other women, like as the three of you emerge from that turn and are back on the course, you know they were coming through at this point.
And it's like, yeah, I have no idea what they're doing.
Yeah.
Are they thinking like, wait, do I have to go down?
Is that an out and back?
Did something happen?
Like I'm so confused. interested.
And I'm assuming, you know, you're, you're still running quite quick.
You're in, you're running low fives.
I wasn't running very fast anymore.
I don't think, but it wasn't that steep of a drop off.
You weren't at like a conversational pace, but was there any, yeah.
Was there any interaction with any of your fellow runners between that point in the finish of like?
Where'd you come from?
Or like what?
No, there really wasn't.
I actually like almost came up on a few people.
Um, but then I was like, honestly, why?
Like they're about to sprint and like, I don't have it in me to do it.
Like, and I you know like I can.
I always do my best and even in workouts, if anything, I go too hard.
And at that moment, I, I didn't come up on anyone.
Like I didn't pass anyone.
I just was like, I need to just transport myself to the finish line.
I mean, I couldn't have done anything else.
So I didn't see anyone or talk to anyone.
You had controlled so much of the race at that point by going to the front and by running an effort that would help set you up for success.
And, you know, you get to mile 10 and it is... I mean, at this point, I think Carrie was still...
And there may be around mile 10, but I mean, ultimately it gets down to a top three.
Like it gets down to what feels like a pretty definitive top three that, barring an insane cramp or disaster, like we're looking at the team and I have to imagine that it felt like that for you.
And then in an instant that is impossible to remember now that goes away.
When did that register?
I don't think it like fully makes sense for a little bit.
And I do remember at some point we were still in the finish line area and I just like had to put my head down and start crying, and then it didn't stop for a really long time.
Um, but that was when I feel like I I think you realize what's happening in the race pretty quickly and you're upset and all of this.
But the implication of like no, it's not just one race, but it's months and it's choice to not do this because i had to work out the next day, or to leave early because i had to work out the next day.
And those aren't sacrifices, those are choices.
I can choose to stay somewhere, but i give up maybe like 10 of what i might get out of a workout.
Um, and it's those little choices that i think add up to make days like this possible.
That, in addition to all the work that it's like, i'm thinking about how I can do better and be better.
And what's you know?
A little like, like what's the best balance for me to balance being a person and an athlete for me to properly perform.
And it feels like that's just months of you know putting your head down and making the right choices, that that's been gone.
Also, workouts are hard.
I don't want to lose that this is such a privilege.
And I'm so grateful that I get to have this as my job.
That's such a privilege.
And it doesn't take away from all of the really hard work that goes into days like this.
And so it's not just the loss of that hour, but it's the loss of the months going into it.
Well, so much of the story these past few days has been the aftermath of everything that has played out since you crossed the finish line.
So you finish, you end up finishing 12th according to the, you know, official results.
So congrats.
You know, not bad.
I mean, it was a great field.
Yeah. you know, that's not terrible, but thank you.
Yeah.
With, with just a little extra credit on top.
So, you know, that, that picture and I wish I knew, was it a Kev Mo photo?
Yeah.
I think the one, the one you're talking about is Kevin Morris.
So it's of, of you and Edna and Jess standing right at the finish line.
And I mean, all three of you have this look on your face that is just what the hell just happened?
So can you talk a little bit about crossing the finish line and what you remember happening next and who you interacted with?
Yeah.
Um.
So I remember crossing the finish line and saw um Rob Mullet, who's very newly the director of long distance running for USATF, who is my neighbor.
Well, not literally my neighbor, but like lived like a mile away from me.
So I feel like I know him pretty well.
And I was like, what happened?
And he's like, he's just kind of like looks at me.
Not like it was not, you know horrible, really a hard moment.
And yeah I, I still didn't fully know, like what happened and why and all of that, but like I, I just knew that like uh, like it's not just about the team, it's about the moment as well and getting to like celebrate with your people, and like that didn't get to happen.
Do you remember interacting with Jess when she crossed the finish?
Yeah,
We walked over to, David Ponchi came, or I don't know, but like he was in the vicinity of where we were and we were like this is terrible.
Like whatever.
Um, he got probably some fun quotes.
I don't know.
I literally don't remember what we told him.
I hope it was nothing crazy, but, um, yeah, just so mad.
And he's obviously like a great advocate advocate for um athletes and always wants to tell people's stories.
So, Yeah, like, yeah, we were not happy.
I don't remember a lot other than crying, though.
Yeah, I remember at one point on the broadcast you know they they panned over and you were on the sideline.
I don't remember who you were talking to.
And they showed you and you were crying.
And I was like, it just like collective hearts were breaking for you because it's just.
No, that's so embarrassing.
No, it's I don't.
I don't think that is even one of the top 20 words or 30 or 50 I would use to describe that.
I think it's shows that like, these are humans that this just happened to.
This isn't just like a snafu at a race.
Like these are people's livelihoods and, and watching you work so hard.
It's just heartbreaking.
And I think that's one of the big sentiments to come out of this is like, no one's happy right now.
No one is celebrating.
No one feels good.
I also realized this morning, I was like, no clue who won the men's race.
I know and I feel bad for the men.
Yeah, like no one's talking about them, like they deserve to be celebrated.
You know what?
I actually also had this thought on my run today because I was like, did anyone win?
And I was like you know, the only person who can walk away from the weekend feeling like they won are those three guys.
It was Wesley Kiptu, Hilary DeVore and Amin Muhammad.
Yeah oh, good job.
I'm like they're so nice yeah, and they're all they all gave um, I don't know if they enter, but like I got a hug from I think all of them maybe only two, but I think all of them.
That was just like we're so sorry.
So they they acknowledge what was happening.
But I think that they should be getting more attention because they ran a great day or great race too.
Yeah, they did.
Well, congratulations to the top three men.
Race well run.
And of course, you know, my heart also goes out to Molly Bourne, who.
Horrible scenario for her.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Not again.
No one.
No one is particularly happy at this point.
Did you talk to Molly at all at the finish?
Did you get an opportunity to chat with her at all?
Maybe briefly.
I wish I remembered that stick out, like when someone was having like a quote-unquote, like official conversation.
Like I have good memory of that, but like the little moments in between are so fuzzy.
Um, I think she may, we may, have like said hello or good job or whatever, but like I truly don't remember.
So when did those official conversations start happening?
Yeah um, immediately we filed a protest.
Um, i mean, we started trying to file a protest before they even posted the results.
Um, did you know how to do that?
Like, how do you know how to do that?
Oh my gosh, no.
And also, kate flynn was there instead of ray, and sweet kate, like she's precious, she's gonna run the world.
I'm really convinced she's gonna run the world.
Ray's daughter yes um, she apparently had asked Ray that like Hey, like what happens if I have to file a protest?
Because it happens all the time in track.
And he really told her, no, like, don't worry about it.
Not on the roads.
So she, uh, I think called him and they like worded it.
I also filed my own just, you know, let's just, you know, get all the words out there.
Cause they wait there.
It's also supposed to cost a hundred dollars in it.
It didn't, um, which was really great of the people involved to like make that possible.
Um, and we all filed our protests and then, um, waited until the official review.
And what does that involve?
Just like explaining from your vantage point what happened during the race?
Yeah.
Just explaining that.
And then, um, I offered a solution, which was like also not going to make anyone happy.
But I was like, what if you took the results from the 15K mat?
Because we had a timing mat there, but obviously like so much happens.
But that's just like my dumb brain being like oh my gosh, we did have one split before anyone turned off course.
But, you know, obviously.
And then I looked and it had me winning and I was like, I don't like that anymore.
Yeah, uh.
So then you, you all, file these protests and the protests are declined by usatf.
How did you find that out?
Can you explain?
I think for those of us at home, like this is all a very foreign process, so can you explain a little bit to your understanding about the process, why it was declined and and what you were made to understand throughout this process?
Yeah, so i think i have um A little bit of like probably more knowledge than most, because in 2024 and 20 I don't know for two years I was the event representative for long distance running on the roads for USATF, or 2023 and 2024.
So I was in that role for two years.
So I know quite a bit about how things function on the roads and like what that looks like.
And unfortunately, at the course they're not able to do anything other than go by the letter of the law, which is like the really unfortunate part of what those people have to do.
They have no ability to do anything than go to the rule book.
Look at the rule which is, you know.
Part of the problem here is that like It's limited, but that's kind of besides.
The point for answering your actual question is that initially it goes to one person, the race referee and then it can go to a jury of appeals.
So our request was that something be made to where we could make the team based off of the events and going off course.
And we cited whatever rule is when like, a course is improperly marked or the LOS through, whether making sure the person in the vehicle knows the course, or making sure the course is probably marked like there's something that they did.
So anyway, our protest was initially denied because there's no ability to change results.
Ali, I cannot tell you how sad this moment was because I'm sitting there crying.
I've been crying for an hour straight.
It's not stopping anytime soon.
Like I'm still dehydrated.
But the person who had to make that initial ruling said is like a family friend of ours has like been to our house for like Thanksgiving.
Like I've known him since I was like 14.
Used to take me on trips with his team.
And cause I didn't have a very big team.
Like I would go on trips with like his like big cross country team.
Not like in the school season, but like if they did like a little indoor meet I would get to go with them, and has just been always like super so supportive of me, even though i wasn't an athlete at his school.
Like let me come racing as me even you know, because it was a really good race and we were in such a tiny school that we didn't go to very many good races.
Um, like just has done been in my life for such a long time and for him to have to be the one to make deny that request to us was like absolutely heartbreaking.
Um, And it was horrible to watch him have to do that.
And I'm glad he did because that was his job in that moment.
And for him to have to do anything else, even though I know he really wanted to, would have been to not do his jobs, even though it was heartbreaking.
And then obviously we were like, OK, jury of appeals.
So we handed in our things to him.
The same sheets to different people.
And it was Connor Nickel and Greg Hippen.
I don't remember who else.
And I hope I'm allowed to say who it was.
But I only want people to know that they did their jobs, because they're limited by the letter of the law.
And they upheld their protest that a rule was broken, holding Atlanta Track Club at fault for breaking that rule.
But there was no ability on their end to change the results.
And that was really, really heartbreaking.
And yeah, we actually...
They talked for a long time about it and I could tell that they wanted to do more, because we actually had all like, left the hotel and we're taking this from like a Zoom meeting in the car heading home or heading to the airport.
So I could tell that they really put a lot of time and thought into like if they were able to do more.
And unfortunately, like they're really limited in what they can do.
You're in such a unique position in all of this where you have a history with Atlanta Track Club.
So I imagine you know pretty much everyone there who's working this race and is part of the local organizing committee.
You have ties to USA Track and Field, having been a representative and also now being in Indy and having ties to that organization.
And so did that make things easier.
Easier or harder for you, knowing so many of the human individuals involved in the behind the scenes and in trying to solve or rectify or do something about the situation.
Yeah, it's it's made it really, really tricky.
Yeah.
And it's hard because it is so it's so uncomfortable in a lot of these scenarios.
But I do just think that a lot of people are piling on.
And just to be clear, Atlanta track club broker world rule on the rule books of USATF right now.
They did.
They have done everything that is within their power to do.
I think when people are saying like, oh, USATF sucks, that is.
It's hard because yes, and that the rulebook is limited, that they didn't have the rules to allow any other decisions to be made.
There was no reasonableness standard.
And you know if I'm going to be really the biggest criticism I have in this scenario is that there was no rule in place where, or no oversight of theirs on ensuring that the course is properly marked.
That's it is.
There's never needed to be, but if I'm being really, really critical, that would be a criticism.
Or at least one person in X car needs to have driven the course X amount of times before race day.
But that's just a hypercritical.
But the people in USATF at least in the long distance running side, I believe, are really good people who are doing everything they can that like have the best outcome that they can.
And it's been really tricky to see all of the hate that USATF is getting because yes, and that the rule book doesn't provide for this but no, and that the people are I mean I.
It sounds to me and feels to me that they're basically around the clock like racking their brains of what they can do to make this right.
Um, And I just really appreciate that.
Like, I felt so supported, not just by everyone, but like.
I wish they could just name me to the like, I selfishly wish that and I understand why they can't.
And I'm appreciative that they're spending so much time trying to find a way to do the best thing possible within the confines of their rules.
So where do things stand now?
And this comes with the asterisk that this could change.
You and I are talking on Tuesday afternoon.
This episode will be out on Thursday.
So this could all change in the next 36 hours.
But as of now, from your understanding, what's going on?
Yeah.
You just dropped an AirPod again.
I'm going to send you some Shox headphones and it'll never happen again.
Convenient.
No.
Yeah, I have no allegiance to Apple.
Yeah.
I believe that they're really trying to like find a way to make the most people happy.
I don't know what that's going to look like.
I don't think that we'll know for a few weeks, but I really believe that the most people feel happy because no one walked away from yesterday feeling or yesterday oh my gosh, Sunday feeling satisfied and like that we had run a race that we were proud of.
I mean, some people probably did yes but like, for six of us, we had a lot of confusion and it's also never fun to have a result that you don't feel like you earned.
Um, so I bit, but I do think that they're really working as hard as they can.
Yeah, I have to imagine it really sucks to be the reason a rule is made going forward like, but okay, and also like part of why I've wanted.
I hate causing a ruckus and I hate being confrontational.
Um, but I had the opportunity this winter to lift with some high school girls.
Yes, I'm wimpy, they're really strong.
Look, just overlook all of this.
Um, they're really strong.
It was really impressive.
Um, but something that's been going through my mind every time I think like oh like, I want to say this, but I like, I'm not confrontational.
I don't want to like ruffle any feathers.
I don't want to say the wrong thing is that like, I'm okay within this scenario.
I think that this is something that we're in a position with a platform to change.
Like, I think there's a lot of things that I could change. say that I have no platform to change.
But I think this is one and I don't mind ruffling a few feathers or not getting it 100 correct if those girls never have to go through this.
Oh, I love that.
So right now, is there a solution that you see that you would feel good about?
The only thing I can think of in the written selection procedures is if everyone declines until it gets to us.
But that is a horrible thing to say.
And I don't want anyone to decline a spot.
That's the only thing in the written selection procedures that would help.
But that's, again, a horrible thing to say.
I don't think there's anything that would make people happy.
Yeah, everyone's in a horrible spot because, by the way the procedures are written, like those girls have the spot and there's no like way to change that.
And I know they've all said they don't want to take it, but I'm really like if I could choose anyone to go that wasn't the three of us like I would be so proud to be represented by them.
So yeah, I don't know.
It's really tricky right now.
I don't see the best way, but I it has to be something better than this weekend.
And So after a big, relatively traumatic, I would say event, and certainly very emotional event, I feel like you're either so exhausted that you just absolutely crash or you cannot sleep.
Where are you at?
Nightmares.
I don't need to rehash the details of the nightmare because it's really bad.
But I had like the worst nightmare of my life last night.
So like kind of between not sleeping and like not sleeping well.
But no, I'm like wired.
So whenever like something comes to a conclusion, I feel like I'll have like, I'll be hibernating.
Are you talking to Jess and Edna at all throughout all of this?
A little bit.
I'm more trying to handle things with Rake um, because ultimately, like you know, I I a little bit, because we need to be united, but also, like it's, it's tough to be the person advocating for yourself.
So I'm letting Ray do a lot of the heavy lifting for me, which I'm right, so grateful for that's his job.
Let him do it yeah, and handle it yeah, Can you.
For the listeners at home, a lot has been said about what happens when you don't make a team and what is lost in that scenario.
What did you lose in the process of all of this?
So, given that I was sitting in second at the time, let's assume I stayed in second and ran what I went through?
The my watch tells me it was the half marathon.
The total loss all in was $25,000.
And that's prize money contract.
Um, yeah.
Um yeah, so like yeah and I don't.
I'm not motivated by money, I'm motivated by how good can I be and competing to the best of my ability, and that this is such a privilege.
And I also have bills.
And yeah, you know, it's just life.
Um, I will say A6 by the end of the day reached out to me and um had like really appreciate that.
They're wonderful people and have made me feel like really valued my whole time with them.
So I'm not surprised that that was their reaction.
And I'm, I'm really grateful.
So I will say like, it's, it's not a hundred percent loss, but it is, it is tough.
And I will say the Atlanta track club did say that they would make that hole.
The thing they can't give us back is the moment.
And that's really my driving factor, but help us pay the bills.
Um, you know that's not everything, but that that does.
You know, I don't budget based off of prize money and bonuses, but if I were to, that would have been tough, absolutely.
I mean, that's a, that's a tremendous loss and, like you said, maybe no loss bigger than that moment of crossing the line and rightfully making that team and knowing that you ran a hell of a race to make it happen, and I'm just so sorry that this is how the day played out.
It's just so, so unfortunate.
It wasn't your fault.
Don't apologize to me okay, don't say that you have, that you're weak because you're lifting and that high school girls are stronger than you.
Like we can play this game of hyping each other up.
Okay, I don't even want to say I'm weak.
They're just like really strong and I feel like I should be ahead of that by now and I'm not.
No, it's fine.
You're doing great.
You're doing amazing.
So I also hate to ask.
I hate to ask what's next, but just because runners do so often have their racing calendars to some extent planned out.
Had you planned anything for after this, or was the rest of the year hinging on whether or not you made this team?
Yes, I'm really excited.
Well OK, so my focus?
I guess i'm not that excited.
I have like the biggest smile on my face no um no, i am going to.
The thing that i can control right now is that the 5k selection is on may 2nd in indianapolis, which i was planning on running anyway.
I was like uh he he, like i shouldn't be good at this, but here i am showing up um, but no, i'm gonna like try to be good at it and get one of those two spots, just because that's the most controllable thing that i down and like asking people to help me without helping myself like this is what I can do to help myself is getting in 5k shape um, so we'll pivot training a little bit.
Uh, I was gonna do the race anyway, I just wasn't gonna train like I was doing a 5k um, but that's okay, That'll be fun.
But no, most immediately, I'm going to go run the Shamrock 8K in Chicago, which I don't even know if it technically has a pro field or not.
But I am so excited because my friends do it.
It has a really competitive... No, I do think it's a pro field, but it has a really competitive club race. and TBD if I can actually like switch my allegiance for a weekend to be on their club I would love to but I also don't want to force one of them like out of their team spots but there's a group in Indianapolis near me called Working Men's Track Club and I do like a lot of my easy runs at least with the girls who live around me and they're like really good so I it's just like so fun so they were all doing this race and I was kind of like haha and then of all people like rob mullet um we've been kind of like debating for a while like what's the first distance where i would like start to beat him um and if you don't know he's he also ran for andrew and amy at the atlanta track club back in the day back in the day like five years ago um and what's But was a 2016 Olympian.
So he's still like quite fit.
So we'll see who wins.
I told him that he's going to be crying at the end of it.
I'm going to love it.
Bury him by that.
No, I'm kidding.
I think he's going to crush me.
But no, I'm going because my friends are going.
Yeah, there's about like five girls that I run with almost every day that's on a workout.
So we're just having like a little girls weekend in Chicago.
That is so fun.
Friends weekend.
Cause boys will be there too, but you know, whatever boys, whatever.
I love that.
You're going to go out and probably go rip a really fast eight K, but also have fun and get to have like a fun, happy race day experience, because that's what I really want for you right now.
Yeah.
And look, there's going to be so many men ahead of me that good luck getting me off this course.
Like I will, I will not run any more than 8,000 meters.
Oh my gosh.
Emma Grace.
I, I love you so much.
I think I speak.
I know I speak for so many when I say that our hearts broke for you on Sunday and still now.
Um, Like so many, I don't have a perfect solution.
I don't have a solution at all.
But I want I want there to be one that you feel good about.
You and Jess and Edna ran amazingly.
And so did Molly.
Molly ran a great race, too.
But of course, just want to see.
We want to see something good come out of this if it can.
So just know that you're in so many of our thoughts.
And I hope you find many more starfish on the beach and in the wild and that you get to just bask in the sunshine and hopefully at some point this week get a good night's sleep.
Maybe tonight.
Maybe tonight.
Thank you so much.
I really appreciate it.
That's so nice.
Well, you are the best.
Thank you so much for doing this.
And I hope that the next time that we chat on the show it's with like a really exciting victorious race recap.
So as soon as that happens, which I'm sure will be soon, we'll run it back.
We'll do it again.
Oh, sounds good.
Thank you so much.
You're the best.
Thank you so much for being here for this episode of the Alley on the Run show with my guest, Emma Grace Hurley, such a fan of this woman.
Again, really just thinking of her, of Jess, of Edna, of Molly, of Annie, of Carrie, of everyone for whom these past few days have been incredibly stressful and emotional.
It has been really heartening to see the many ways that the running community has come together to really support these women and to cheer for them and to know that We're in their corner, whatever that looks like.
So thanks for being part of that.
You know, I really do believe the Allie on the Run show is the greatest community in the world.
You're the only reason that I'm still on Facebook.
It's because of the Allie on the Run Best Running Friends Facebook group, which is just the loveliest.
And If we ever get to a point where we just really cannot with Facebook anymore, what are we going to do?
We need each other.
Thank you for making that community what it is.
Thank you for making this community what it is.
I love you and I appreciate you.
I am Allie on the Run 1 on Instagram.
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