"Running is for everyone and that's so important for me as a person. One of the coolest things about the marathon is you could be running on the same course as people breaking world records. You have trained differently but you have put so much of yourself into it. You're not running a marathon alone – your spouse, children, co-workers or friends know that you've been training really hard and given up a lot to make it to the start line, push through the marathon and get to the finish. That's truly really important to me...Finding running looks different for everyone."

In less than four years of marathoning, Gabi Rooker has been a rising star for the U.S. Last year, she was the fourth American at the 2023 Chicago Marathon with an impressive 2:24:35 personal best. She went on to finish 19th at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

With a background in competitive gymnastics, Gabi has taken to the roads super well since her marathon debut in 2021. She spent time elevating her training as part of the Dreamweaver program, which was a program created by Nike to support female athletes aiming for the Olympic Trials qualifying time of 2:37 – .all while balancing her career as a physician assistant in Minneapolis. The performance in Chicago was so good that she signed a pro contract with Nike ahead of the Olympic Trials.

In this episode, we unpack her race in Orlando but also how she’s adjusted to a part-time role as a physician’s assistant and being a professional runner. She shares a bit about her training and preparation heading into Chicago and what part of her story has resonated with the masses.

Time Stamps:

3:10 - How her current marathon build compares to previous builds.

4:13 - How her life changed after her breakout race at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

6:30 - Switching to part-time work, finding an agent, signing with Nike.

9:27 - Her progression from her marathon debut in 2021.

11:25 - How Nike’s Project Dreamweaver aided her improvement.

15:29 - Her training camp in Texas prior to the 2024 Olympic Trials.

20:57 - What her race plan + expectations were heading into the Trials.

23:13 - The support she experienced while racing at the Trials.

26:13 - Biggest takeaways from the Trials.

28:22 - How being a former gymnast has helped her running career.

31:17 - Training professionally in Minnesota.

33:30 - Her race plan heading into the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

35:13 - Goals for Chicago.

36:24 - Parting messages to those who hope to follow in her footsteps.

37:41 - Being inducted into UW La Crosse’s Hall of Fame.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

LEVER MOVEMENT: Elevate your running with the LEVER system, just like Olympian Eilish McColgan. Reduce impact on your joints, boost your training volume, and recover faster with this portable, easy-to-use treadmill system. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Save 20% with code CITIUS20 at LEVERMOVEMENT.COM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

💻 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUSMAG.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more podcasts, articles, videos and more. Track and field storytelling all in one place⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

🎙️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or comment/follow on Spotify.

🎥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/CitiusMag/⁠⁠

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia break down the first edition of the women’s-only track event, Athlos NYC. They recap the meet’s prize money structure compared to Diamond League meets and Grand Slam Track and share how Athlos may impact the pro scene in coming years. They also unpack some of the event’s unique elements, like the interactive broadcast, fashion show walk-ins, and smaller bib sizes.

You can read our full Athlos recap on CITIUSMAG.com here.

Time Stamps:

1:53 - Athlos overview.

3:31 - Broadcast: what made it unique + how it’s helping grow the U.S. audience for track.

9:00 - Breaking down the meet’s prize money structure.

13:13 - Diamond League responding to increased prize money from Athlos.

15:03 - How Grand Slam Track’s schedule will stack up with the DL season.

21:44 - More highlights: athlete experience, NYC ads, fashion show walk-ins.

23:31 - How Athlos is creating more track and field stars.

25:17 - Men’s vs. women’s pro contracts in track and field.

26:26 - Smaller bibs, breaking down the 100mH controversy, events recap.

30:08 - Pros and cons of hosting in Icahn Stadium.

32:53 - Parting thoughts on the first edition of Athlos.

Hosts:

Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Preet Majithia | @prm_32 on X

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

NEW BALANCE: Experience the perfect blend of comfort and performance with the New Balance SC Trainer v3. Ideal for marathon training, it offers a firmer, more responsive ride with enhanced cushioning. Whether it's easy runs or uptempo workouts, the SC Trainer v3 has you covered. Discover more at NewBalance.com/Running.

LEVER MOVEMENT: Elevate your running with the LEVER system, just like Olympian Eilish McColgan. Reduce impact on your joints, boost your training volume, and recover faster with this portable, easy-to-use treadmill system. ⁠Save 20% with code CITIUS20 at LEVERMOVEMENT.COM⁠.

OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

💻 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUSMAG.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more podcasts, articles, videos and more. Track and field storytelling all in one place⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

🎙️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or comment/follow on Spotify.

🎥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/CitiusMag/⁠