Sean Grossman: Chasing the OTQ for 2,303 Days

Sean Grossman: Chasing the OTQ for 2,303 Days

From Road to the Trials by Peter Bromka, Lindsey Hein, and Matt Chittim

May 14, 2026 · 56 min · Season 4

About this episode

Sean Grossman shares his journey of chasing the Olympic Trials qualifier for over 2,300 days, discussing his experiences and challenges along the way.

Sean Grossman’s road to the Olympic Trials qualifier was anything but straightforward. After years of near misses, injuries, tough marathon lessons, and balancing elite training with a full-time career in construction management, he finally broke through with a 2:15 at the McKirrdy Micro Marathon after 2,303 days of chasing the OTQ. In this episode, Sean reflects on growing up on Long Island, running at the University of Miami, and gradually building himself into one of New York City’s top amateur marathoners. He shares what it was like stacking marathon cycles after the New York City Marathon, learning how to finally race the final 10K well, and navigating the mental grind of the McKirdy Micro Marathon’s repetitive looped course. Enjoy! Thank you to our sponsors: Precision Fuel and Hydration helps athletes take the guesswork out of fueling by breaking performance down into its essential components: carbohydrates, fluids, and sodium. Their science-backed approach allows runners to dial in each variable independently, making it easier to troubleshoot training issues and race-day execution. With extensive educational resources and practical tools, Precision supports athletes who…

People in this episode

Hosts: Peter Bromka, Lindsey Hein, Matt Chittim

Guest: Sean Grossman

Topics covered

  • Olympic Trials qualifier
  • marathon training
  • athlete journey
  • mental resilience
  • running injuries

Keywords

  • Olympic Trials
  • marathon
  • running
  • training
  • New York City Marathon
  • athlete
  • construction management

Sponsors

Precision Fuel and Hydration, Wahoo

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Miami

Places: Long Island, New York City

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