C Tolle Run

Minnesota Distance Elite's Cailie Hughes has made her mark on the shorter distances, competing in both the 5,000m and 10,000m at USA Nationals, where she finished fourth in the 10,000m. A former All-American at Iowa State and now a professional runner for Puma, Cailie recently won the City of Lakes Half Marathon and is ready to take on a new challenge, the New York City Marathon! Cailie joins Carrie to discuss why she's ready to make the jump to the marathon, why the timing and race felt right, and how having familiar faces on the course could benefit her debut. She also shares the positive mindset behind her ambitious goals for the marathon, why the course excites her and what she's most looking forward to as she takes on 26.2 miles for the first time. Running has always been a part of Cailie's life, from racing around Kansas as a child with her father as her coach to meeting her husband through the sport. But when she's not training or racing, she knows how to slow down and enjoy time with family. Get to know Cailie as she prepares for the biggest race of her career so far!

Olympian and Minnesota native Dakotah Popehn just had a great day at the Chicago Marathon where she crossed the finish line with a new PR (2:24:00) and finished as the second American! Fresh off the race, Dakotah joins Carrie to break down her marathon experience, from the moments when everything clicked and the points when she had to dig deep. With years of training and racing behind her, Dakotah also reflects on how her approach to training has evolved, how the strong performances of American women in distance running have inspired her, and what excites her most about the future of the sport. But Dakotah is much more than a fast runner. She's also an author and gives us the inside scoop on her upcoming book, You Think This Hurts?, coming out in June. Dakotah has plenty to celebrate and even more to look forward to!

Over the last few years, HOKA NAZ Elite athlete Adrian Wildschutt has established himself as one of the best distance runners in the world. The South African record holder across multiple distances finished 10th in the 10,000m at both the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2025 World Championships, and most recently won the United Airlines NYC Half. Now, Adrian is taking on a new challenge: the marathon at the Chicago Marathon. Adrian joins Carrie to talk about why he chose Chicago for his marathon debut, how his training has gone, and what he's hoping to accomplish on race day. They also look back at his NYC Half victory and discuss why that performance may have been a sign of what's to come in Chicago. Adrian shares his journey from growing up in Ceres, South Africa, to his successful collegiate career at Coastal Carolina and Florida State University, and his rise to the world stage. He also opens up about the mindset that has helped him find success, his goals beyond Chicago, and his upcoming autobiography set to be released in October. From his roots in South Africa to the biggest stages in the sport, Adrian's story is one you won't want to miss.

It’s been a fantastic year for newly signed Puma runner Elena Hayday and with the Chicago Marathon on the horizon, she’s hitting her stride at exactly the right time! Elena had a breakthrough performance at the Boston Marathon this spring, running 2:24:45 to finish 13th overall, and recently added another impressive result with a second-place finish at the USATF 20K Championships. But Elena is so much more than a professional runner. She’s also pursuing a PhD in neuroscience while training at an elite level. In this episode, Elena breaks down her research, how it influences the way she approaches her own training, and how she balances the demands of academics and professional running. Carrie and Elena also look back at her journey into running, how her time with Minnesota Distance Elite helped shape her into the athlete she is today, and the big goals she has for the future.This episode is brought to you by Tailwind Nutrition. Please Visit tailwindnutrition.com and use code TOLLE20 for 20% off your order.

Rachael Rudel is having one heck of a season! Fresh off her first national title at the USATF 20K Championships, Rachael has earned the opportunity to represent Team USA in the half marathon at the 2027 World Road Running Championships in China. But getting to this point wasn't always easy. Along the way, Rachael has navigated a medical misdiagnosis, an eating disorder, injuries, and discovering that she carries the BRCA1 gene. Through it all, she's continued to push forward, balancing a full-time job with training and always finding the fun in the sport she loves. In this episode, Rachael recaps her championship-winning race (including some of her running quirks), and opens up about her journey, the mental strategies that have helped her overcome adversity, her approach to health and training, and what's next in her running career. This is an honest and inspiring conversation about resilience, health, and finding your way forward when the path doesn't always go as planned.This episode is brought to you by Tailwind Nutrition. Please Visit tailwindnutrition.com and use code TOLLE20 for 20% off your order.