Olympic Trials qualifier.

Elite 15 Hyrox athlete.

Most athletes spend their entire careers chasing excellence in one sport. Alyssa McElheny is doing it in two.

In this episode, Alyssa shares her journey from spending more than a decade chasing an Olympic Trials qualifier to becoming one of the fastest Hyrox athletes in the world. We talk about finding the sport she was built for, balancing elite marathoning and hybrid racing, and why success often comes from leaning into your strengths rather than forcing a path that isn't meant for you.

We also dive into racing across Europe, dealing with pressure when everything is on the line, the lessons learned from years of marathon training, and how a two-minute penalty ended up changing the course of her season.

It's a conversation about patience, resilience, self-belief, and what can happen when preparation finally meets opportunity.

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Chapters

00:00 What Is The Secret? OTQ + Elite 15 Hyrox
03:13 The Accidental Path Into Hyrox
07:37 10 Years Chasing An Olympic Trials Qualifier
15:20 The Advantage Of Being The Underdog
24:17 Can You Be Great At Both?
32:12 The Threshold Effect: High Rocks Training Benefits
33:15 Comparing Endurance Sports: High Rocks vs. Marathon
37:11 Training Challenges: Overcoming Weaknesses in High Rocks
38:18 The Art of Photography: Capturing Athletic Momentselite
39:07 Culinary Adventures: Food and Travel in Competition
41:18 Traveling with Purpose: Balancing Competition and Exploration
44:22 The People Behind The Performance
52:07 All Eyes On Hyrox Worlds

Follow Alyssa:

Instagram: instagram.com/alyssamcelheny/


Follow The People Run Podcast:

Instagram: instagram.com/thepeoplerunpodcast/

Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube: The People Run Podcast

Music: instagram.com/mech__beats/