Jess McClain on Her 2nd Place NYC Marathon Finish

Jess McClain finished second at the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. In the last two miles she came back from no man’s land, ran every tangent through Central Park and passed Hellen Obiri in the final steps before the finish line.

Michael Doyle and Alex Cyr sit down with Jess to go through the race. She explains the moment she decided top five wasn’t good enough, why she’d “rather die than get fourth again,” and how she stayed calm when Obiri and Sheila Chepkirui pulled away at 36K. She also tells them about Tracy Morgan crying at the start line.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:30 Life after NYC and Tracy Morgan’s start-line tears
04:40 When top five wasn’t good enough
08:15 Running the tangents: breaking down the final two miles
13:40 Why a low-mileage approach works for Jess
17:46 Training with David Roche: gear shifts, downhills and doubles
20:46 Plans for 2027: 10K, half marathon and pacing
21:59 Olympic Trials, Paris and getting taken off course
29:40 Curiosity over fear: Jess’s mindset shift
32:32 Super shoes, the Hyperion Elite prototype and life back home

Michael's article:
marathonhandbook.com/jess-mcclain-hellen-obiri-nyc-marathon-tangents

Thanks to Brooks for helping set up this interview.