This Is Not About Running, by Mary Cain

This Is Not About Running, by Mary Cain

From Running Book Reviews with Alan and Liz by Alan and Liz

June 1, 2026 · 1h 22m

About this episode

In this episode, we discuss Mary Cain's memoir and her experiences in the athletics system.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we talk with author, former professional runner for the Nike Oregon Project and current Irish national runner, and Stanford medical student Mary Cain about her memoir: This is Not About Running. We ask her about her youth, growing up in an abusive athletics system, training for Alberto Salazar as a high schooler. We also talk about her work with Atalanta NYC and The Athlete's Survivors' Assist, her growth and the many hats she wears as a survivor, leader, men...

People in this episode

Hosts: Alan, Liz

Guest: Mary Cain

Topics covered

  • memoir
  • athletics
  • survivorship
  • mental health
  • running
  • leadership

Keywords

  • Mary Cain
  • memoir
  • Nike Oregon Project
  • Atalanta NYC
  • survivorship
  • running

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nike Oregon Project, Atalanta NYC, The Athlete's Survivors' Assist

Books & works: This is Not About Running

Places: Ireland

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