Ali on the Run Show

"I'm starstruck every time I'm at a track meet and I get to be side by side with some of these incredible athletes. That has not worn off and I don't think it ever will. And I hope it never does."
It's been a few years since Jay Holder has been on the Ali on the Run Show, and today he returns as USA Track & Field's Chief Content & Communications Officer. Jay talks about how he got the job a year ago, what the first year in the role has been like, and what impact he hopes to have on the organization, the sport, the athletes, and beyond. He reflects on his time going from New York City newsrooms to the Atlanta Track Club to being Executive Director of Running USA, and shares his advice for people looking to break into the running industry. Plus, his recap from this year's U.S. National Championships at Icahn Stadium in New York City, including what it took to get New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at the meet, and what it was like once he was on site. Jay lives in Severna Park, MD, with his wife, Lauren, and their two children.
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IN THIS EPISODE:
What's making Jay happy today, and how he found his local running group (3:20)
Jay shares his take on running streaks — including one of his own — and what's next on his race calendar (8:20)
The books, music, movies, and TV shows Jay is into right now (12:40)
Jay's lows from 2026 USAs (19:40)
What was the main feedback  or critique from this year's USAs? (23:30)
Jay's highlights from USAs, and how they got NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani at the meet (28:00)
On racing the New York Road Runners Team Championships 5-miler in Central Park during the meet weekend (41:00)
Who are the biggest stars in our sport right now? (45:35)
How Jay got the job as USATF CCCO (50:30)
What impact does Jay want to have on the sport? (56:30)
What does a Chief Content & Communications Officer do? (1:04:30)
On being starstruck at work (1:07:00)
What will LA 2028 look like for Jay? (1:13:00)
Jay's advice for people who want to work in the running industry (1:19:50)
On Jay's recent health diagnoses, and how he has processed them (1:23:45)
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"I am pro people and I am pro human rights."
It's surgery week! I had a prophylactic laparoscopic bilateral salpingo oophorectomy on Monday (I had my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed), and I'm trying very hard this week to rest and recover. Before going into surgery, though, I answered some listener questions here. This might be the longest, least cohesive Ask Ali ever. Sorry! A lot going on at the moment. Love ya!
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IN THIS EPISODE:
Work & career questions (2:10)
Motherhood & parenting questions (22:55)
Cancer questions (41:25)
Running questions (1:00:35)
Personal questions (1:18:50)
Follow Ali:
Instagram @aliontherun1
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SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"Being able to go into a race where you are a rookie, it opened me up to take chances I wouldn't necessarily take. In the marathon, I felt like I got so scared of failing that I was really hesitant to make any moves, try anything big, or go for it. It was like a protective thing. 'I just want to play it safe so I can race as well as possible but not risk anything.' I think with this one, I went into this with nothing to lose. I'm gonna go out and try to race as well as I can and race hard and I know I'll probably make mistakes, but so what?"
Earlier this year, Molly Seidel — the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon — went all-in on ultra running, earning a Golden Ticket to the prestigious 2026 Western States Endurance Run 100-miler. In this episode, Molly recaps her 100-mile debut, reflecting on the highs, lows, river crossings, and more. She finished the race in 24 hours, 29 minutes, and 27 seconds. She was the 28th woman to cross the line, and came in 141st out of 323 finishers. And we're joined by a special guest: Molly's girlfriend, Molly Reidy!
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IN THIS EPISODE:
How the Mollys are recovering from Western States in Wisconsin (2:00)
What's making the Mollys happy today (3:20)
How the Mollys met, and how Molly Reidy has learned about what it's like to date a professional runner (9:50)
What Molly Reidy is like when Molly Seidel is racing (21:55)
What Molly's Western States training was like, and how she prepared mentally for her 100-mile debut (31:20)
How Molly assembled her WSER crew (35:30)
Why Molly shaved her head before the race! (40:00)
All about the Western States race plan (43:20)
What the Western States start line was like, and how the early miles unfolded (45:00)
The halfway point: when things started to go south for Molly (58:30)
All about that final mile, and making it to the finish line (1:15:00)
Lessons learned from WSER 2026 (1:30:25)
What's next for Molly (1:36:40)
Follow Ali:
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SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"A lot of these things that seem like world-enders at the time can lead to bigger, better, happier things."
Alyssa McElheny had a dream: to qualify for the Olympic Trials Marathon. When the qualifying standard dropped from 2:45 to 2:37, she thought it would never happen. But after a quick cry, she decided not to give up on the dream. In November 2025 — after multiple failed attempts — Alyssa got her OTQ, running 2:34:28 at the Indy Monumental Marathon. Two weeks later, she made her Hyrox debut. She thought she would simply dip her toes into the now-trending "hybrid fitness" competition world. But a dip of the toe led to so much more. Last month — just seven months after her first mixed doubles event — Alyssa became the 2026 Hyrox Elite 15 World Champion. In this conversation, she talks about how she very quickly became the best in the Hyrox world. She talks about the pursuit of fun, she shares some common Hyrox misconceptions, and she talks about what's next. 
FOLLOW ALYSSA @alyssamcelheny
SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to get your hands on the beautiful, just-released, hot pink Ellipse Breathe sneakers. What a dream!
IN THIS EPISODE:
What the Hyrox aftermath has been like (2:50)
What's making Alyssa happy today, and what the Hyrox homecoming has been like (3:30)
Did Alyssa know — or at least believe — she could win it? (7:20)
What Alyssa's relationship with running is like right now (16:10)
How life has changed since becoming a World Champion (19:30)
What Alyssa was like growing up, on being diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at a young age, and how Alyssa eventually found marathoning (22:15)
"What in the side quest is happening right now?" (33:00)
Alyssa's Hyrox strengths and weaknesses (37:00)
Alyssa busts some common Hyrox misconceptions (43:20)
Will we see Alyssa on the Olympic Trials Marathon start line in St. Louis in 2028? (46:00)
On the pressure to stay at the top, and how the elite vibes compare at marathons vs. Hyrox (48:35)
What it was like to win Hyrox World Championships (1:01:10)
On Alyssa's career as a wedding photographer (1:04:20)
Follow Ali:
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SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!

"If the winner thinks that everyone's important, then goddamnit I must be right."
Rachel Entrekin arrived at the start line of the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon in May having already won the women's race twice. But as Rachel says, "You don't start and finish Cocodona as the same person." And this year, Rachel finished the race as a history-maker and record breaker. The women's defending champion became the first woman to win Cocodona outright. She finished the 253.3-mile race from Phoenix to Flagstaff — through the desert and the mountains, climbing more than 39,000 feet along the way — in 56 hours 9 minutes and 48 seconds. She finished seven hours faster than she did last year. She beat the entire men's elite field, and beat the existing course record by more than two hours. In this conversation, Rachel breaks down everything from her approach to training ("vibes-based") and her goals for Cocodona 2026 to her mid-race encounter with a very special woman and what the finish line was really like.
FOLLOW RACHEL @rachel__entrekin
SPONSOR: Lagoon. Click here to take Lagoon's 2-minute sleep quiz to see which pillow is right for you, and use code ALI at checkout for 15% off your next Lagoon order.
IN THIS EPISODE:
What's making Rachel happy today? (2:40)
What Rachel's Cocodona recovery has looked like (4:10)
How Rachel celebrated her birthday last week (10:00)
What it means to Rachel to be a "vibes-based runner" (11:00)
Why did Rachel's win have such a massive impact? (14:15)
What did it take to do what Rachel did at Cocodona this year? (20:45)
Rachel explains what she does, and what Cocodona is (22:40)
On "liking the person I am when it gets challenging" (28:20)
Running alone vs. with pacers — and a camera crew (36:10)
All about the Native American woman Rachel met on the Cocodona course (38:00)
How Rachel found running, and how eating disorder recovery changed her relationship with it (46:00)
All about the sleep situation at Cocodona (55:45)
Did Rachel wake up feeling like it was going to be a special day? (1:02:55)
"Someone's gonna win it. Why not me?" (1:05:25)
The sights and sounds of the Cocodona finish line (1:10:20)
All about the post-race shower! (1:16:00)
Follow Ali:
Instagram @aliontherun1
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SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!