Episode 686: Elena Hayday’s 2:24 Boston Breakthrough and the Road to the Olympic Trials

This episode is sponsored by Kava Haven, Batch, Goodr, and Tailwind Nutrition. I’m excited to share this conversation with Elena Hayday, who just ran 2:24:45 at the Boston Marathon to finish as the sixth American woman in a massive breakthrough performance. This episode is a crossover with Road to the Trials, the podcast I co-host with Peter Bromka and Matt Chittim, and it’ll also air over there next Monday. Peter joins me for this conversation as we talk with Elena about the jump from 2:30 to 2:24, what clicked for her in Boston, and why she’s quickly becoming one of the most exciting marathoners to watch in U.S. distance running. Elena runs for Minnesota Distance Elite and is currently studying neuroscience as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. We talk about balancing school and training, qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Trials at Grandma’s Marathon, and what she’s learning as she continues leveling up in the marathon. She’s thoughtful, grounded, incredibly tough, and I think you’re going to love getting to know her story. Topics Discussed Elena Hayday’s breakthrough 2:24:45 performance at the 2026 Boston Marathon Chasing faster marathon times after years of near-misses and setbacks Recovering from stomach issues at the 2025 New York City Marathon Working with a dietitian and realizing she was severely under-fueling on protein Balancing elite marathoning with a neuroscience PhD program Joining Minnesota Distance Elite and training under Chris Lundstrom Learning to train and race alongside athletes like Dakotah Popehn and Annie Frisbie Building confidence through higher mileage and more individualized training Why Elena wants to become more aggressive and competitive in races Navigating the emotional side of fully committing to running at a professional level Signing with an agent and stepping more fully into the professional side of the sport Future goals including representing Team USA and chasing faster marathon performances Training the gut for marathon fueling and learning to absorb 90g of carbs per hour Books, Movies, TV &amp; Media Mentioned Project Hail Mary Noah Kahan Netflix documentary Thank you to our sponsors:  BatchBatch is a Wisconsin-based wellness brand creating small-batch, science-backed CBD and THC products designed to help with stress, sleep, and overall balance. Their formulas are developed in-house using high-quality hemp and third-party testing for consistency and transparency. Go to hellobatch.com/another and use code “Another” for 30% off your order! Tailwind Nutrition<br data-start="876"