RunningStateOfTheSport: March 2024

Dave McGillivray Interview

In this podcast, George Hirsch and Amby Burfoot talk with Dave McGillivray, who has run the last 51 Boston Marathons in a row, most of them while also serving as Boston's race course director. That meant he couldn't start his run from Hopkinton until everyone else had finished theirs at Copley Square.

On April 15, he will be aiming for his 52nd consecutive finish.

Sometimes that seems like the least of McGillivray's endurance achievements. He has also finished 9 Ironman Triathlons, several Coast To Coast runs, and a 24-hour pool swim, during which he covered 27 miles. Most of these efforts were undertaken to raise funds for various New England charities.

On April 15th, for the first time since the 1980s, McGillivray will be running with the main pack of Boston entrants. He'll start the first several "waves," then walk back to join a son and daughter in mid-pack. This time he's supporting his own charity, the Dave McGillivray Finish Strong Foundation (link below) that seeks to "inspire and empower" New England youth.

Before speaking with McGillivray, George and Amby discussed the Barkley Marathons, where Jasmin Paris became the first female runner to finish the grueling, 100+ mile forest scramble in Tennessee. The event, and Paris's success, were covered by the NYTimes, BBC, and many other media.

This led to a discusion of why ultra endurance events get so much attention. George said he thought it was due to the female angle--that we are at an important historial turning point when women athletes are finally getting their due. He mentioned that Caitlin Clark is probably the most heavily covered collegiate basketball player in this year's NCAA championship playoffs.

Along the same lines, Amby recalled the recent success of Netflix's movie about Dyana Nyad. He also noted the recent 10,000 meter track performances of Grant Fisher, Nico Young and Waini Kelati. At The Ten, all met the qualifying times for this summer's Paris Olympics.

After the interview, Amby said he was impressed with the way McGillivray shared his triple-bypass heart surgery with the running public to raise public awareness.

George noted that McGillivray was anything but an instant success in the marathon. He dropped out of his first, and nearly quit his second at the 21 mile mark in 1973. At that point, he thought of his grandfather's belief in him, and picked himself off the sidewalk to complete the last 5 miles.

And he hasn't missed a Boston finish since then.

To keep up with Dave McGillivray, you can follow him on Instagram. To support the Dave McGillivray Finish Strong Foundation, go here.

Where to find “Running: State of the Sport”

Use your smartphone to download podcast apps from Apple, Spotify, Audible, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for “running state of the sport.”

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

"Running: State of the Sport" is brought to you by MarathonHandbook.com and RunLongRunHealthy.com. Marathon Handbook is the world’s leading marathon website, with a special focus on trustworthy running information and free, runner-tested training plans for all ability levels.

Run Long, Run Healthy is Amby’s weekly newsletter with the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners.

Audio engineering by BJ McGeever.

Clayton Young Interview

In this podcast, George Hirsch and Amby Burfoot talk with Clayton Young, who recently finished second in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida. Since Young had run a sensational 2:08:00 in last fall's Chicago Marathon, he is now fully qualified for this summer's Olympic Marathon in Paris.

In the Marathon Trials, Young gained a lot of attention for the pair of shades he elected to wear all weekend, and also for his innovative use of a fluids bottle within a metallic bottle that also provided refreshingly-cool caps en route.

In the last several miles, he looked better than his training partner Conner Mantz. Indeed Young several times swerved close to the cheering crowds to egg them on, and to see if he could find an American flag to carry to the finish. Yet in the final yards, he let Mantz edge ahead of him to break the tape.

In this interview, Young admits that he could have won the race if he wanted, and that he later agonized for a short time over his decision. He wondered if he had made a mistake.

In the end, he says, the "joy of the moment" was more important than winning the marathon.

Before speaking with Young, George and Amby discuss some important recent news stories including: George's trip to the Barcelona Marathon, the great double wins by Parker Valby and Nico Young in the NCAA indoor championships, and Camile Herron's world-record-setting 6-day race in California during which she covered 560 miles.

After the interview, George noted the growing list of successful marathon runners from Brigham Young University. He was

struck that "the runners have a deep appreciation for each other, and for everyone else who contributes. They've built something special that combines the best of team, family, and community ... and it's really powerful."

Amby was impressed with Young's self-confessed "runner nerdiness," and tried to convince him to wear a bro-bra in Paris--one filled with energy gels and ice packs.

To keep up with Clayton Young, you can follow him on Instagram.

Where to find “Running: State of the Sport”

Use your smartphone to download podcast apps from Apple, Spotify, Audible, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for “running state of the sport.”

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

Run Long, Run Healthy is Amby’s weekly newsletter with the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners.

Audio engineering by BJ McGeever.

Sara Hall Interview

In this podcast, Amby and George talk with Sara Hall, who recently finished fifth in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Sara, who's married to former marathon star Ryan Hall, has perhaps the longest running resume of any U.S. distance star.

She won the first of 4 California state championships in 1997, and the Footlocker XC Champs her senior year in high school. Since then she has starred at Stanford, on the track, and in the marathon, where she has a personal best of 2:20:32.

In her fifth place finish at the Marathon Trials (2:26:06), Hall set an American masters record for the distance, eclipsing the time Des Linden ran last fall in Chicago.

Sara didn't begin her marathon career until 2015--the same year she and Ryan adopted 4 Ethiopian sisters, and welcomed them to their home in Flagstaff, Arizona. How she managed to combine marathon training and racing with raising four young daughters who didn't speak English ... well, it's another one of those inspirational stories about female marathon runners.

Before speaking with Sara, George and Amby discussed some of the recent biggest news in running. This included results from the Glasgow World Indoor Championships, where Scotsman Josh Kerr and American Elle St. Pierre won exciting 3000-meter titles.

They also reviewed results from the Tokyo Marathon, where Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan were expected to win, but didn't. That changes the outlook for the Paris Olympic Marathon in August.

To keep up with Sara Hall, you can follow her on Instagram.

Where to find “Running: State of the Sport”

Use your smartphone to download podcast apps from Apple, Spotify, Audible, Pandora, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for “running state of the sport.”

With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.

Run Long, Run Healthy is Amby’s weekly newsletter with the newest, most scientific, and most useful training advice for runners.

Audio engineering by BJ McGeever.