Brooke Starn: From Med School Miles to a 2:35 Olympic Trials Qualifier

About this episode

Brooke Starn discusses her journey to becoming a 2:35 Olympic Trials qualifier while balancing a demanding medical career.

Brooke Starn is proving that high-level marathoning and a career in medicine can coexist, even if it takes creativity, flexibility, and a lot of early mornings. A former standout at Harvard and UC Davis, Brooke’s path to the Olympic Trials qualifier has been anything but linear. After debuting with a surprise win at the San Francisco Marathon, she balanced medical school, residency, and marathon training while steadily chipping away at the OTQ standard. In this episode, Brooke shares how her love for running started early, how injuries and COVID shaped her collegiate career, and how she transitioned from track and cross country into the marathon. She walks through key races like Berlin, Boston, and Chicago, and what she learned from both breakthroughs and setbacks along the way. The conversation dives deep into what it actually looks like to train at a high level while working 60–70 hour weeks as a pediatric resident. Brooke explains how she builds mileage around an unpredictable schedule, why she prioritizes effort over strict pacing, and the unconventional strategies that help her get in long runs, including post-24-hour shifts powered by caffeine and momentum. She also…

People in this episode

Hosts: Peter Bromka, Lindsey Hein, Matt Chittim

Guest: Brooke Starn

Topics covered

• marathon training
• medical career
• Olympic Trials qualifier
• running community
• balancing work and sport
• injuries and setbacks
• high-level athletics

Keywords

• marathon
• Olympic Trials
• medical school
• running
• training
• residency
• injuries
• New York City
• Central Park Track Club
• high-level athletics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard, UC Davis, Central Park Track Club

Places: San Francisco, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, New York City

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