The following episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the New York Road Runners Center as we honored some of the local runners who will be competing at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta on Feb. 28.

For those who may not be as familiar with the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, the top three finishers at the race will represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. In order to compete at the Trials, men have to run a marathon in 2:19:00 or faster. Women need to run a marathon in 2:45:00 or under. More than 200 men and 400 women have hit the mark. New York City is expected to field one of the strongest contingents of runners, especially on the women's side.

Our guests for this episode:

Brendan Martin of the New York Athletic Club

Brendan is a Smithtown, New York native who ran at Columbia University and helped the team win an Ivy League conference cross country title in 2009. After graduating, he took to the roads as a member of the Hansons-Brooks team and debuted with a 13th place finish at the 2012 Boston Marathon. He ran 2:18:28 at the 2013 Fukuoka Marathon and qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2016 with a personal best of 2:16:28 at the California International Marathon. He lowered that to his current personal best of 2:15:30 at Grandma's Marathon in June 2015. He qualified for this year's Olympic trials with a 2:16:26 at the 2018 Berlin Marathon. When he's not running, he's a physical therapist at Finish Line Physical Therapy.

Distance Project's Lauren Perkins

Lauren is the Chief Operating Officer at Great Oaks Foundation. Lauren ran 2:42:55 at the 2018 Chicago Marathon and finished as the 18th American woman across the finish line that day. In 2019, she finished second in her first trail marathon at the 2019 North Face Endurance Challenge in Massachusetts and then ran 2:43:40 at the 2019 New York City Marathon. She was previously nominated for New York Road Runners' Runner of the Year (30-34).

Central Park Track Club's Jenny Donnelly

Jenny is a senior manager in marketing insights at strategy at Glossier. She ran cross country and track at Yale and made her marathon debut in 2013 with a 3:12. Her qualifier for the trials came at last month's California International Marathon, where she ran 2:44:36 for a 15-minute personal best. She spoke with Outside Magazine about her close call and also recently appeared on the Ali on the Run Show alongside her mother.

Support for this episode comes from FICS NYC (206 West 23rd Street, 3rd Floor) a fitness recovery and wellness studio. They have curated the top fitness recovery and wellness machines and combined them with classic techniques to elevate each individual’s pursuit of natural performance and overall physical and mental wellbeing. FICS will concierge you through their modalities and provide you a space to relax, recov

John Connelly

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