Episode 647: Aubrey Frentheway: 4th American at Chicago on Learning, Fueling, and Finding Confidence on the Marathon Journey

In this episode, I chat with Aubrey Frentheway, a rising American marathoner who finished 12th overall and 4th American at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, running 2:27. Aubrey also ran 2:27 earlier this year at Grandma’s Marathon, marking an impressive progression since her debut marathon last year in Chicago (2:35). She runs for Saucony, trains with Ed Eyestone’s group in Utah alongside athletes like Keira D’Amato, Emily Venters, and Makenna Myler, and teaches eighth-grade math part-time while balancing her professional running career.

Aubrey and I talk about what it’s like to jump to the marathon at such a young age, her transition from BYU and Coach Diljeet Taylor to training with Ed Eyestone’s team, and how she’s learned to master fueling after some hard lessons from her first marathon. She shares openly about her hamstring injury, her mindset through setbacks, and how she’s learning to love the process—especially the marathon training itself. We also chat about her classroom life, her dog (who’s very impatient during her recovery!), her husband’s support while he’s in PT school, and her plans for a spring marathon once she’s healthy again.

This is such an honest, down-to-earth conversation with an athlete who’s finding her rhythm and confidence in the professional world while keeping perspective and joy in the process.

Topics Discussed

• Aubrey’s progression from 2:35 to 2:27 in the marathon

• Joining Ed Eyestone’s training group and the team’s growing energy

• Balancing running with teaching middle school math

• Managing a hamstring injury and recovery process

• The highs and lows of marathon racing and mental waves mid-race

• Fueling lessons and working with a sports dietitian

• Transitioning from BYU and Coach Diljeet Taylor to professional training

• Learning from mentorship and teammates like Keira D’Amato and Courtney Frerichs

• Her love for marathon training and what’s next on her race calendar