Jess McClain Before The 2026 Boston Marathon And Why She Thinks Americans Are Built To Podium

"The fact that I let myself just enjoy that last year — I think that was my biggest takeaway. It's one of the most lucid, last 200-meter memories of a race that I've ever had."

My guests for today's episode are Jess McClain and Kenny Krotzer, recorded live at the Brooks Hyperion House in Boston ahead of the 2026 Boston Marathon. Jess was the top American at Boston last year and is back to chase a podium finish in a field she believes Americans can land on. Kenny is a senior innovation footwear developer at Brooks with over a decade at the company and five years focused entirely on racing product — and, as it turns out, a Stanford classmate of Jess's.

The centerpiece of the conversation is the Brooks Hyperion Elite 6 and Kenny pulls back the curtain on what's driving the current super shoe arms race. He talks about the relentless pace of foam development, what's changed across the last three iterations of the Hyperion Elite, and what Brooks has on the drawing board for 2027, 2028, and beyond.

The conversation also covers Jess's build into this Boston, which followed a similar structure to last year. She talks about what happened in Atlanta (going off course in a race she was about to win), how she processed it in about a day, and why the fourth-place finishes of the last couple of years have actually sharpened her conviction rather than shaken it.

On goals: Jess is direct. She wants to make the 2028 Olympic team, and working back from there means podiums at world majors and taking the first American spot. She's not writing her goals on her mirror. She's just training toward them with a consistency that has made her one of the more reliable and beloved figures on the American marathon scene.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez