#53 - Jess McClain Is Thinking Bigger: Boston, World Champs & NYC

#53 - Jess McClain Is Thinking Bigger: Boston, World Champs & NYC

September 6, 2026 · 1h 11m

About this episode

Jess McClain discusses her evolving mindset and goals in professional running after her success at the Boston Marathon.

Jess McClain is back on Out & Back, and a lot has changed since her first visit. After finishing as the top American and setting the American course record at the Boston Marathon, Jess says the conversation has shifted. Being the top American is still meaningful, but now she wants to see herself as a factor internationally and start thinking about podiums. Jess joins Jacob and Rory from Flagstaff as she prepares to represent Team USA at the World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen before turning her attention to the New York City Marathon. They talk about her close second-place finish at Falmouth, how her mindset around marathon training has changed, the gear-shifting workouts that used to intimidate her, and why she actually turned around for a bottle during Boston. They also get into clean sport and drug testing, balancing professional running with a life and career outside of the sport, and Jess's new role as a small part owner of The Marathon Project. Plus, Jess shares what she wants out of Copenhagen, including why an American record isn't out of the question, even if racing the people around her comes first. Support our Sponsors: Meteo Pace: Be prepared for race…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jacob Thomson, Rory Linkletter

Guest: Jess McClain

Topics covered

Keywords

Sponsors

Meteo Pace, AquaOmega

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Team USA, The Marathon Project

Places: Boston, Copenhagen, New York City

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