In this episode of Hurdle, Emily sits down with professional ASICS runner Emma Grace Hurley, fresh off her record-breaking performance as the top American woman at the Chicago Marathon. Hurley shattered the American women’s marathon debut record with a stunning 2:20:47 finish.

Emma Grace shares the nontraditional trajectory of her running journey—from throwing discus and playing volleyball in middle school to navigating uncertainty as a pro athlete and relocating to Indianapolis to train under coach Andrew Begley. She reflects on the standout mindset that carried her through 26.2 miles with a genuine smile, how she embraces the power of resting and getting "unfit" between training blocks, the importance of running for a team, and her big dreams looking ahead toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Trials.

IN THIS EPISODE

• From Multi-Sport Athlete to Distance Runner: How Emma Grace transitioned from field events, sprints, and volleyball to catching the distance running bug late in middle school and high school.

• The Record-Breaking Marathon Debut: Breaking down her 2:20:47 debut at the Chicago Marathon, setting a goal to finish in the top 10, and why she smiled through the first half of the race.

• Navigating Career Uncertainty: The anxiety and life lessons learned when her coaches moved, leading to her transition to Indianapolis and finding stability on and off the roads.

• The Art of Intentional Recovery: Why resting, having quiet days between high-intensity workouts, and allowing herself to get "unfit" between blocks makes her stronger in the long run.

• Advice from Distance Legends: Lessons taken from conversations with legends Joan Benoit Samuelson and Deena Kastor about finding your own path, training independently, and prioritizing rest.

• Roads Over Track & Future Dreams: Why road racing suits her mindset better than track events, the power of running for a team, and looking toward LA 2028.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

• "God has had a plan since the beginning and everything has worked out ahead of me like exactly the way it's supposed to."

• "Where my brain feels the most quiet is when I'm on a run... it's almost like the most restful time, at least mentally." 

• "I've never had so much fun. I feel like I smiled the whole first half, which is just kind of crazy." 

• "I'm not afraid to hurt, and I think that's a good life skill, too... it's a really applicable skill to be able to just hang in there and grind." 

• "What's 30 minutes of hurting in the grand scheme of things? It's not that bad... it is all temporary and it goes by, and then you're fine."

SOCIAL
@emmagracehurley
@hurdlepodcast
@emilyabbate
@iheartwomenssports

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