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PODCAST

Road to the Trials

Peter Bromka, Lindsey Hein, and Matt Chittim

Co-hosts Matt Chittim, Lindsey Hein, and Peter Bromka interview every 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier along with a wide-ranging group of industry professionals in preparation for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

sports running

All Episodes

01:01:36

James McKirdy: Starting a Journey to an OTQ

Road to the Trials ·

2025/09/23

In this episode, hosts Matt Chittim, Peter Bromka, and Lindsey Hein sit down with legendary coach James McKirdy, the founder of McKirdy Trained. Over the past decade, McKirdy has built one of the most recognizable and influential coaching groups in the U.S., guiding dozens of athletes to Olympic Trials Qualifiers and shaping the way amateur runners approach high-level performance. Known for his passion, direct style, and ability to break down complex training concepts into simple, actionable advice,

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00:38:50

One Second to Spare: Mike Duggan on CIM, Trials, and...

Road to the Trials ·

2025/09/16

Host Matt Chittim and co-host Peter Bromka sit down with marathoner Mike Duggan to relive his one-second OTQ at CIM on the final day of the window and the chaos of gun time versus net time. Duggan shares lessons from a rough Berlin attempt and jet lag, the power of Jeff Cunningham’s Austin training group and why Chicago is next. He talks pack dynamics, late-race mindset, and how that approach carried him to a strong day in Orlando. This is a candid look at chasing the standard then and now, and what

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00:57:16

Jeff Cunningham: The Long-Term Approach to Building...

Road to the Trials ·

2025/09/11

Co-hosts Peter Bromka and Matt Chittim sit down with elite coach Jeff Cunningham to unpack the multi-year, step-by-step process of developing athletes for the U.S. Olympic Trials. The conversation explores how to structure seasons for steady progression, what differentiates first-time Trials qualifiers from veterans, and how clear communication and buy-in drive consistent training. This conversation digs into balancing volume, intensity, and recovery to improve performance while limiting injury

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00:44:48

Dakotah Popehn: “Why Not Me?” From D2 Walk-On to...

Road to the Trials ·

2025/09/09

On this episode of Road to the Trials, Olympian Dakotah Popehn shares her journey from Division II walk-on to placing third at the 2024 Olympic Trials and finishing 12th in Paris. She talks about the belief and consistency that carried her rise, the heat prep that made Orlando feel almost routine, and the big goals she’s chasing next—including a PR attempt in Chicago this fall and another shot at the Olympic team in 2028. Still coached by Chris Lundstrom, Popehn brings a mix of hard mileage,

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00:56:18

Jared Ward: Lessons From a Legend

Road to the Trials ·

2025/09/02

Road to the Trials welcomes Olympian Jared Ward, fresh off a year in the UK completing an MBA, for a focused conversation on sustainable high-performance training and mindset. Jared explains how he’s reframed workouts as stimulus for long-term adaptation, what he learned from the 2016 Trials and sixth place in Rio, and why he’s still chasing meaningful goals while balancing family life and health.Topics include: returning to Utah’s training group and coach Ed “Easy E” Eyestone, managing Hashimoto’s,

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00:40:43

Theresa Hailey: Two-Time Trials Qualifier Aims for a...

Road to the Trials ·

2025/09/02

Join us as we dive into the inspiring journey of Theresa Hailey, a dedicated marathoner who has qualified for the Olympic Trials twice. In this episode, Theresa shares her experiences overcoming injuries, her mental strategies for racing, and her goals for the future. Discover how she balances her passion for running with her new role as a foster parent.SponsorBig shout-out to the best coaching platform in the business - V.O2. V.O2 was built from the foundation of a scientifically-validated training

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00:29:09

Welcome to Season Four - Three Hosts, Every Single...

Road to the Trials ·

2025/09/01

Welcome to Season Four of Road to the Trials!This will be the most epic season yet as we look to interview every qualifier to the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles as well as plenty of industry professionals along the way. Our expanded goal is matched by our expanding team! We now have three co-hosts - Matt Chittim, Lindsey Hein, and Peter Bromka.We are thrilled to be your central hub for everything related to the Olympic Marathon Trials. This season, we're diving deep into the stories,

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00:26:22

Ep. 21 - Sara Vaughn: Boston Marathon Recap

Road to the Trials ·

2023/05/11

Unfortunately for Sara Vaughn, the 2023 Boston Marathon didn't playout anywhere close to how she imagined it going. Sara decided to step off the course around mile 15 and that is where her race ended. In this episode, Sara provides of a full analysis of what went wrong, her thought process during the race, and how she is handling the disappointment that comes with a DNF.

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00:40:27

Ep. 20 - Dani Moreno: Road Marathon Debut at Boston...

Road to the Trials ·

2023/04/28

In our latest Boston Marathon recap, we hear from Dani Moreno. This race wasn't merely a chance to experience Boston, this was Dani's first road marathon and a full-fledged attempt to break 2:37 and grab an Olympic Trials qualifying time. That's a lot to handle but Dani was ready. As one of the best sub-ultra trail runners in the world, she spoke about the atmosphere at Boston and how it compares to UTMB and the world's best trail scenes. Dani takes us through the race as she set

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00:41:24

Ep. 19 - Nell Rojas: Boston Marathon Recap

Road to the Trials ·

2023/04/24

At last week's Boston Marathon, Nell Rojas went up against some of the world's best after a less-than-ideal build and did her thing. Nell ran a 2:24:51, a personal best, which was good for 14th overall and 3rd American. Two weeks before Boston, Nell finished 3rd at Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (USATF Championship). In this episode we detail the training that led to these performances as well as the race tactics and details that defined them. Nell displays her trademark candor and good humor in

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00:27:16

Ep. 18 - Nico Montañez: Boston Marathon Recap

Road to the Trials ·

2023/04/21

Nico Montañez finished the Boston Marathon in a time of 2:10:52 which was good for 13th overall and the 5th American. A fantastic finish that left Nico wanting more. In this episode he details nearly every mile of the race, the moves that were made, who he ran with, gaps in the second group, and what he thought may have limited his performance in the final miles.

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00:53:12

Ep. 17 - CJ Albertson: Boston Marathon Recap

Road to the Trials ·

2023/04/20

Our first Boston Marathon recap starts with CJ Albertson. CJ ran a gutsy race that proved to far more impactful that his 12th place overall finish (4th American).We dive into all of it while talking at length about his well-crafted IG post detailing his experience: "2:10:33- 12th place at the Boston MarathonOn paper, a mediocre result. With analysis, a poor result- with a 62:20 1st half split, then fading hard for a 68:13 2nd half.But this race was special. For awhile now, it’s been difficult

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00:49:37

Ep. 16 - CJ Albertson: Boston Marathon Preview

Road to the Trials ·

2023/04/12

Our final Boston Marathon preview episode before race day is with CJ Albertson. This will be CJ's third Boston after clocking a 2:11 and a 2:10 in 2021 and 2022. In this episode CJ details his atypical 6-8 week build, his feelings on racing/race strategy, his detailed thoughts on tapering (or lack thereof) including a somewhat spicy 21 mile run on Monday, and his thoughts on using ketone esters in training and on race day.

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00:31:08

Ep. 15 - Nico Montañez: Boston Marathon Preview

Road to the Trials ·

2023/04/12

Nico Montañez is back on the show to give us a full preview of the upcoming Boston Marathon. First we dive into his 2022 experience that left Nico, who was as fit as he'd ever been, navigating emergency dental surgery and running on antibiotics. Then Nico details his training over the past six weeks, how he is approaching race day strategy and tactics, and his favorite pre-race movie. Oh, and of course we talk about his all new mustache.

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00:37:56

Ep. 14 - Dani Moreno: Boston Marathon Preview

Road to the Trials ·

2023/04/11

Our Boston Marathon previews continue with Dani Moreno. Dani, one of the top sub-ultra trail runners in the world, is gearing up for Boston in a way that is truly unique. Not only is a road marathon not her forte, but her home of Mammoth Lakes, CA has had historic snowfall that pushed nearly all of her running onto the treadmill. Despite the atypical build, Dani nearly nabbed an OTQ time at the Ventura Half Marathon several weeks ago. In this episode she details her recent training, her spectacular

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00:35:24

Ep. 13 - Sara Vaughn: Boston Marathon Preview

Road to the Trials ·

2023/04/07

The Boston Marathon is around the corner and we are kicking off our preview episodes with Sara Vaughn. Sara details what types of training she prioritized in over the last two months, non-running challenges she's had to work through, her pre-race logistics and mindset, and her difficulty choosing a race day shoe (two great options that can't decide between!).

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00:27:47

Ep. 12 - Jereny Rivera: Shorter Races and Long-Term...

Road to the Trials ·

2023/03/31

Jereny is back on the show for her second appearance this season. Since her first episode, and running 2:47 at the Houston Marathon, she has done some shorter races in the Orlando area. In this episode, Jereny continues to share her open and honest feelings about her training, how she approaches it mentally, and how she reacts during a race when things aren't going well. Jereny also open us about what this process means to her in the short term and long term. Finally, Jereny discusses what

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01:00:35

Ep. 11 - Nico Montañez: Training Breakdown and 7th...

Road to the Trials ·

2023/03/24

In our second conversation with Nico Montañez, Nico shares an amazing amount about training and racing. First, Nico does a nearly 30 minute breakdown of his recent training heading into the United Airlines NYC Half and the upcoming Boston Marathon. In the second half of the podcast Nico discusses his 7th place performance, and 2nd U.S. finisher, at the stacked United Airlines NYC Half. It was a freezing day in which Nico ran well against some of the world's best. It was a clear sign that his

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00:38:03

Ep. 10 - Carmen Graves: Top 10 at USATF 15k Champs...

Road to the Trials ·

2023/03/15

In our second episode with Carmen Graves she details a recent breakout performance - top 10 at Gate River/USATF 15k Championships. As always, the field was loaded with stud endurance athletes. As Carmen said afterwards, "I think I’m officially a long distance runner now." Carmen details this important race, the strategy she used, and the training that led to this breakout performance. In the second half of the episode Carmen details her thoughts on only 3% of American distance runners being

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00:47:37

Ep. 9 - CJ Albertson

Road to the Trials ·

2023/03/09

In our last intro episode of Season 3 we meet with CJ Albertson. CJ is simultaneously one of the best marathoners in the United States and one of the most interesting. He finished 7th at the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials and has run exceptionally well at several marathons since then, including a 2:10 at Boston. CJ has also set the 50k world record twice, most recently last fall. In this episode, CJ talks about where running fits into his life, he gets up for races while working hard to develop that

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