The Hardest Finish Line: Grieving and Growing Beyond Your Running Years with Dimity McDowell (Episode 271)

The Hardest Finish Line: Grieving and Growing Beyond Your Running Years with Dimity McDowell (Episode 271)

From Hit Play Not Pause by Hit Play Not Pause

April 22, 2026 · 59 min · Episode 271

About this episode

Dimity McDowell discusses the emotional challenges of transitioning away from running in midlife and how to cope with the loss.

In running, we celebrate grit, determination, pushing through pain, and crossing the finish line—whatever it takes. It shines on Instagram, but what does it really cost women in midlife and menopause who may be bogged down by endless injuries? How do we process it and find what's right for us? Sports like running are more than something we do. They become who we are, who our friends are, what our lives revolve around. When we can't do them anymore, there's enormous loss—and all the stages of grief. Longtime runner, Another Mother Runner co-founder, and author of The 27th Mile , Dimity McDowell joins us to unpack it all—including her "calling it quits marathon," mental matrix for decisions, and how to replace all that running gave you when it comes to an end. Before focusing her career on running, Dimity McDowell was a sports journalist, holding staff positions at Self, ESPN: The Magazine , and Sports Illustrated for Women . She co-authored three running books and co-founded Another Mother Runner, an inclusive community for all female runners, with Sarah Bowen Shea. The author of The 27th Mile: How to Smooth the Rough Transition Out of Your Running Years , she has finished…

People in this episode

Host: Selene Yeager

Guest: Dimity McDowell

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Another Mother Runner

Books & works: The 27th Mile

Places: Denver, Ironman Coeur d'Alene, Pike’s Peak Half Marathon

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