Bobbi Gibb, CJ Albertson, Amby Burfoot LIVE in Boston

We recorded LIVE at Trident Booksellers on Newbury Street the weekend of the 2026 Boston Marathon. The Marathon Handbook crew — Michael Doyle, Katelyn Tocci, and Alex Cyr — sit down with three legends of the sport of running.

We start with a wild first-person recap of Alex's elite 5K on Boston weekend (spoiler: he chased a sub-14 with a missing shoe bag and a lot of grit), then dig into the biggest storylines of Boston Marathon weekend 2026 — the American elite field, the Nike "Runners Welcome, Walkers Tolerated" Newbury Street controversy, and the ongoing evolution of the Boston Marathon expo.
Then we welcome the woman who changed the sport forever.

🏃‍♀️ BOBBI GIBB was the first woman to run and finish the Boston Marathon — in 1966, 1967, and 1968 — at a time when women were told they were "physiologically incapable" of running 26.2 miles. Bobbi shares the full story: falling in love with the race in 1964, traveling the country alone in a VW microbus, the rejection letter from the BAA, hiding in the bushes in Hopkinton wearing her brother's Bermuda shorts, the Wellesley scream tunnel, bleeding blisters down Boylston, meeting the Governor at the finish, and why she believes love — and truth — will always set people free.

🏆 AMBY BURFOOT, 1968 Boston Marathon Champion and Marathon Handbook Editor at Large, joins to help interview Bobbi, set the historical record straight, and share a few incredible stories of his own (including how many carbs and fluids he took during his winning '68 Boston run — the answer will surprise you).

🏃‍♂️ CJ ALBERTSON, 6x Boston Marathon runner, 50K world record holder, and indoor marathon record holder, breaks down his famously unorthodox training — the homemade plywood sauna, bricks under the treadmill, 120 grams of carbs per hour, leading Boston for 21 miles in 2021, and how he plans to attack the last five miles of Boston on Monday.

We close with a fan Q&A covering recovery, training partners, voice memos mid-race, rest days, carb-loading, favorite pre-race dinners, and the best thing a partner can do during marathon training.

If you love the history, the science, and the soul of the Boston Marathon, this is the episode.

Chapters:
00:00 Cold Open: Alex Cyr's Sub-14 Chase in the Elite 5K
01:30 2026 Boston Marathon Vibe Check: An American Year?
05:48 Nike's "Runners Welcome, Walkers Tolerated" Newbury Street Drama
07:39 Why the Boston Expo Moved to Newbury Street
11:18 Alex's Full Elite 5K Race Recap (The Missing Shoe Bag)
17:34 Photo Evidence: Did Alex Break 14:00?
19:46 Introducing the First Woman of Boston: Bobbi Gibb
23:24 Bobbi's Origin Story: Falling in Love with Running in 1964
29:25 The BAA Rejection Letter: "Women Are Physiologically Incapable"
32:35 Race Day 1966: Bermuda Shorts, Bushes, and Making History
37:58 The Wellesley Scream Tunnel
40:17 The Finish, Governor Volpe, and a Wake-Up Call to the World
43:36 Setting the Record Straight: Bobbi Gibb vs. Kathrine Switzer
47:21 Bobbi's Legacy: Love, Freedom, and Ending the War Between the Sexes
50:23 The Bobbi Gibb Sculpture at Mile Zero in Hopkinton
53:04 Introducing CJ Albertson: 50K World Record Holder
55:22 Leading the 2021 Boston Marathon for 21 Miles
58:13 Homemade Saunas, Bricks & CJ's Unorthodox Training
01:03:12 Staying Injury-Free While Racing Five Marathons a Year
01:04:19 Mastering Boston: CJ's Plan to Attack the Last 5 Miles
01:06:51 How to Run Downhills Fast (Without Blowing Up)
01:09:37 Where Runners Can Actually Gain an Edge in the Marathon
01:12:24 Long Runs, Volume & CJ's Workout Philosophy
01:16:00 Heart Rate, Metrics, and Training on Feel
01:18:35 Gratitude, Faith, and What CJ Is Looking Forward to Monday
01:24:13 Advice for First-Time Boston Marathon Runners
01:26:36 Audience Q&A Begins
01:28:15 How CJ Recovers From Hard Races
01:30:26 The Training Partner He'd Pick From Any Era
01:32:29 Voice Memos Mid-Race: Helpful or Gimmick?
01:36:14 Why CJ (A Coach) Writes His Workouts on the Fly
01:37:43 Speed Round
01:41:46 Amby's Zero Carbs, Zero Fluids 1968 Boston Win
01:42:05 Favorite Pre-Race Dinners
01:42:31 Thank Yous & See You Monday