Amanda Martin on Winning Eugene and Learning How to Trust the Marathon

About this episode

Amanda Martin discusses her breakthrough win at the 2026 Eugene Marathon and her journey to trust the marathon after years of challenges.

Amanda Martin joins Road to the Trials after a massive breakthrough at the 2026 Eugene Marathon, where she ran 2:34 and won the race after years of chasing the Olympic Trials standard through injuries, setbacks, burnout, and some truly brutal marathon experiences. Amanda shares her long road from swimming and Division III running to chronic stress fractures, cross-training marathons on the elliptical, collapsing in races, and wondering if the marathon would ever actually click for her. She talks openly about grief after losing her father, the pressure she put on herself for years while chasing a time goal, and how moving to Utah and training around athletes like Kiera D’Amato helped completely reshape her mindset around racing. The conversation dives deep into marathon fueling, sports anxiety, learning how to race without obsessing over pace, and why covering her watch during Eugene may have changed everything. Amanda also reflects on the surreal feeling of finally running strong over the final 10K of a marathon, crossing the finish line at Hayward Field victorious, and realizing the goal she had carried for nearly eight years had finally become real. Thank you to our sponsors…

People in this episode

Hosts: Peter Bromka, Lindsey Hein, Matt Chittim

Guest: Amanda Martin

Topics covered

• marathon training
• sports anxiety
• personal growth
• race strategy
• overcoming injury

Keywords

• Eugene Marathon
• marathon fueling
• sports anxiety
• Kiera D’Amato
• chronic stress fractures

Sponsors

Precision Fuel and Hydration

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Eugene, Utah, Hayward Field

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