Ali on the Run Show28 Aug 2025

830. Emily Venters, Training for her 26.2-Mile Debut at the 2025 Chicago Marathon

"Everything I'm doing is new. It feels like I'm going into the unknown, which is scary."

Emily Venters is officially one to watch on the U.S. women's distance running scene. The Nike-sponsored pro trains with Ed Eyestone's group in Utah, and this fall, she'll make her 26.2-mile debut at the Chicago Marathon. In this conversation, the five-time NCAA All-American talks about the road to the marathon, which hasn't always been easy. She talks about struggling in college, and debating leaving the sport altogether. She talks about dealing with injuries and disordered eating, and about having OCD. Plus, what it's like training alongside Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, and Keira D'Amato; how it's felt hitting 100-mile weeks; and whether Emily is has her sights set on taking down Fiona O'Keeffe's American debut record in the marathon. This Monday, Emily will race the USATF 20K Championships in New Haven.

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In this episode:

All about Emily's run today, and how she's feeling heading into USATF 20K Championships this weekend (3:40)
How Emily is feeling about her first marathon build (5:45)
Why the marathon, why now, and why Chicago? (12:55)
Emily's recap from the 2025 U.S. Track & Field Outdoor National Championships 5K (22:15)
What Emily was like as a kid, and how she became a runner (25:00)
From Boise State to CU Boulder to the University of Utah: inside Emily's injury-riddled collegiate running experience, and what helped her finish her collegiate career on a high, healthy note (32:00)
Emily's experience with OCD, and how it shows up on the run (41:25)
How Emily became a professional athlete (48:25)

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