710. Catching Up with Molly Seidel

Ali on the Run Show

"I really, truly, in the bottom of my heart want to keep doing this. But I need to figure out what my 'why' is in a more sustainable way rather than just ‘I want to win another medal because everyone tells me I need to win another medal.’"

In 2020, Molly Seidel ran her debut marathon at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon, finished second, and earned a spot on Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics. In 2021, she became an Olympic Bronze Medalist. The next few years included some highs — like running an American course record at the New York City Marathon — and a lot of lows, including injuries and mental health struggles. Last fall, Molly was on the upswing. She ran a personal best at the Chicago Marathon, which felt promising and encouraging heading into the 2024 Olympic Trials Marathon. Then: a shattered kneecap. Molly had to withdraw from the Trials, which was a devastating blow for her and for fans alike. In this unfiltered episode, Molly talks about how she's doing now, and how she's been doing over the past few months. She talks about making her "50K debut," and about why she wishes it weren't a big deal. Plus, a few fun games, drug testing talk, and Molly's message to this year's Team USA marathoners.

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What you’ll get on this episode:

• All about Molly’s run today – and drug testing talk (2:00)
• All about Molly’s 50K debut (8:55)
• All about Molly’s “busted kneecap”(13:30)
• Molly plays “Never Have I Ever,” PG version (16:00)
• What life on the run has been like since the Chicago Marathon (36:20)
• Molly’s message to Fiona, Emily, and Dakotah as they get ready to head to Paris for the Olympic marathon (41:30)
• What the rest of Molly’s year might look like on the run (48:35)
• Molly’s plans for Boston Marathon weekend (53:40)
• Molly plays “Mollygories” (56:00)

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