Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara

From Boston to London Des and Kara are live again, this time with very special guests!
In this intimate conversation, Cynthia Erivo shares her journey into distance running, how she balances marathon training with a demanding creative career, and what's fueling her preparation as she heads into London 2026. She'll be joined on stage by Brooks pro marathoner Erika Kemp, her marathon coach, offering additional perspective on the training process, mindset, and work behind the scenes as race day approaches.
If you aren't familiar with Cynthia's work, she is one of a select group of people to be nominated for an Emmy, Tony, Grammy, and Oscar, so far winning all but the Oscar. She made her West End debut in the stage musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (2011) and her Broadway debut as Celie in the musical revival of The Color Purple (2015–2017). She expanded to films in 2018 with the crime thrillers Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale and then later Harriet (2019), Wicked (2024), and Wicked: For Good (2025).
Hosted live at the Brooks Hyperion House in the lead up to London Marathon weekend, this one-time event brings together honest storytelling, elite insight, and the global marathon community—live and unfiltered. Enjoy as you prep for the excitement of the London Marathon coming on Sunday!

Hot off the presses... it's another freshy fresh from Des and Kara. This was recorded just a few hours after Des ran 2:35 from the main field, and Kara finished commentating the world feed. So... the takes and reactions are as freshy fresh as they can be!
You get their thoughts on the races of the day with Korir and Lokedi both defending their titles, and Americans setting all sorts of records on this course. Plus, Des shares the details of her race pacing Ryan after bouncing back from MDS. She was the fastest woman in the main field and second masters on chip time, all with a beer cracked in Newton. Unbelievable running from her and what a day in Boston! Listen in and bask in the after glow with us!

"I may not be elite, but I will always be VIP." - Des Linden
That quote alone should be enough to suck you into this one. What a night in Boston!
Over 1,000 of you packed into the Berklee Performance Center near Boylston for a live taping of Nobody Asked Us with Des and Kara, presented by Brooks Running. Des and Kara delivered with an awesome night, breaking down the fields for the marathon, reminiscing on 2018, and giving you all of the motivation you need if you are racing yourself. This is a must-watch before Marathon Monday!

This episode was recorded on March 30th before Des left for Morocco. She is now in her 4th stage of the Marathon de Sables and absolutely crushing it across the Sahara. You can check the live results via the "LiveTrail" app. She's currently 4th overall female after 3 stages with the big 100K stage up next. The podium is within reach! Go Des!
In this episode, Des and Kara break down the start lists for the Boston Marathon and tell you what to expect at the front of the races - who are the favorites, who might win, and what to expect from the top Americans. They also talk Boston tactics and how those have evolved with the advent of super shoes. It's less than 2 weeks to Marathon Monday... let's go!
Note: Since the recording, Conner Mantz, Natosha Rogers, Megan Sailor, and Gabi Rooker have all withdrawn from the race.

Cue the latest running controversy because it had been a few weeks. 
But first (!), Kara and Des update you on their lives including the latest race from Colt, and of course, Des's final preparation for Marathon des Sables. She will soon be running self-supported across the Sahara desert. In fact, she lands in Morocco on the very day this episode posts. Go Des... we are ALL cheering for you!
Then if you missed it, Emma Bates posted on IG about getting "dropped" by UCAN (her nutrition sponsor) because of her pregnancy. Naturally, the world came to her defense, and now Emma is sharing more of her story on Ali Feller's podcast.
Kara is no stranger to this issue, so she and Des dig into it, raising some good questions on the topic as well as a host of related ones. The short answer is... it's complicated, as many things are for athletes that are contractors and not in-house employees. Overall though, more rights and support for pregnant athletes is needed, and Alysia Montaño and Allyson Felix are leading the way. If you want to help, then put your time, energy, and money behind their work!
Finally, we want to thank Lagoon for supporting the podcast (as well as Emma Bates even through her pregnancy)! Go take the quiz and get your pillow here: https://lagoonsleep.com/pages/lagoon-the-nobody-asked-us-podcast-from-kara-goucher-and-des-linden. Use code NOBODYASKEDUS for 15% off on your first purchase. 
Plus, get your tickets to the Boston live show here: https://www.berklee.edu/BPC/events/nobody-asked-us-with-des-kara. Use the following passwords to order:
Password for regular tickets: NAUBROOKS
Password for VIP meet and greet: NAUBROOKSBRC
We hope to see you all there!