This week on Conversation Pace with FRE, we sit down with Sarah, Sophie, Taylor, Courtney, and Kristyn to recap the California International Marathon. It was a historic day in Sacramento. Fifty-five women and fifty-two men qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials, and the race also served as the USATF Marathon Championships. We talk about the strategies they use to get through tough moments, what it feels like to run a personal best by ten minutes, and what it is like to share the course with Courtney Dauwalter.

Today we chat with Lin Gentling, one of the most respected leaders in American ultra-running, about the behind the scenes postponement of the 50k World's.

Lin is a veteran athlete, coach, race director, and international team leader whose career spans more than three decades. Her service to the sport is exceptional.

A former elite athlete herself, Lin was the 1991 TAC (now USATF) National 100K Champion, a member of the 1991 and 1992 USA National 100K Teams competing at the World Challenge, and a multi-time USATF National Age-Group Marathon Champion (2007, 2008; 3rd in 2009).

Her leadership footprint is extraordinary. Lin served as President of the American Ultra Running Association (1997–2000) and later became the IAU Americas Representative (2012–2018). Within USATF, she has been a long-time member, including service on the Executive Masters Committee, the MUT Executive Committee, and the Minnesota Association Board, where she chaired the MUT Committee. Since 2009, she has also served as a USATF Liaison to National Championships.

Perhaps nowhere is her commitment more visible than in her role as a USA National 100K Team Leader. Lin has led U.S. teams at World Championships and World Cups across more than 25 international events from Belgium to Japan, Russia to Qatar, South Korea to India, and beyond, shaping generations of American ultrarunners. She has also led U.S. 50K National Teams in Romania and India.

Beyond competitive ultrarunning, Lin’s influence extends across coaching, athlete development, and community leadership. She is a long-time race director, a coordinator and coach for the Rochester Running Club’s marathon training programs, and a sports psychology consultant for high school, collegiate, and individual athletes.

A scholar as well as a practitioner, Lin holds a BA in Biology and Psychology from St. Olaf College (with honors) and an MA in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Psychology from the University of Minnesota.

From world stages to local communities, Lin Gentling has dedicated her life to advancing endurance sport and developing athletes.

Anne-Marie Blaney is a decorated distance runner and 2024 University of Central Florida Hall of Fame inductee. She has established herself among the most consistent and competitive athletes on the national stage. She has earned standout results across multiple disciplines, including a 4th-place individual finish and team title, at the 2017 and 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships.

In international competition, Anne-Marie represented the United States at the 2019 World Athletics Cross Country Championships, finishing as the third American. She continues to compete at the highest level, running her PR of 2:29:25 at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. She also finished in 2:31:32 at Boston 2023 and was 9th American.

A four-time Olympic Trials qualifier (twice in the 10k and twice in the marathon), Anne-Marie is fully committed to pursuing her athletic career at the most elite level, with her sights set on the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. She trains daily while serving as both team captain and social media coordinator for the Brooks Hansons Distance Project, who she currently trains with in Michigan.

We talked about:

Stoke Nut Butter: https://stokeperformance.com/pages/about

and Forward Focus Running where Anne-Marie coaches: http://www.forwardfocusrunning.com/about-coach-anne-marie.html

On IG:

Follow Anne-Marie: @amblaney

Follow Front Range Elite: @front.range.elite

Registered dietician, endurance athlete, coach and host of Your Diet Sucks podcast Kylee Van Horn shares insights on fueling for a big marathon build, recovery from Haglund's surgery, red flags for underfueling and why your PR starts on your plate.

On IG:

Follow Kylee: ⁠@flynutrition3⁠

Follow Your Diet Sucks: ⁠@yourdietsuckspod⁠

Follow Front Range Elite: ⁠@front.range.elite

We love a good race recap, especially when it’s a big one! Rachael just ran a huge PR at the Indy Half Marathon, and we get to hear all about it- race strategy, training insights, mindset, and what’s next.
The last time Rachael joined us for a dedicated update was back in Episode 9, so go give that a listen if you want to hear how much she’s grown as an athlete and how her perspective has evolved since then. One thing that never changes: her love for her community- and it always shines through.
Enjoy the chat!

Follow Rachael on Instagram @rachaelrudel

Annmarie Tuxbery currently trains in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, as part of ZAP Endurance. She has been with the team since December 2022, with future plans to be determined as ZAP concludes at the end of the year. Annmarie began her running career in high school at Northwestern Regional 7 in Connecticut (2012) before competing for three years at Bryant University in Rhode Island (2016). After college, she joined the USATF Connecticut team Milford Road Runners, where she primarily raced on the USATF Connecticut road circuit.

In 2021, Annmarie became a member of the Craftsbury Green Racing Team, which allowed her to expand her racing beyond Connecticut and Rhode Island. The team’s remote model provided both flexibility and a strong sense of connection. She joined ZAP Endurance at the end of 2022.

Annmarie has competed in two Olympic Marathon Trials, finishing 35th with a five-minute personal best in 2020 and 62nd in 2024. She has placed in the top ten twice at the USATF 20K Championships (2018 and 2021) and twice at the USATF 25K Championships (2022 and 2024). In 2024, she set personal bests in both the half marathon (1:11:58 at the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon) and the marathon (2:30:04 at CIM).

Outside of running, Annmarie works full-time as a statistical analyst at Warren Rogers Associates, where she has been employed since 2016. She also coaches athletes online and assists twice a week with a youth running group in Boone, North Carolina.

You can follow Annmarie on Instagram @annmarietuxbury

This week we welcome back Rachel Conhoff. Rachel Conhoff is an Assistant Cross Country and Track Coach at Indiana State University. She recently earned her master's degree in Exercise Science and is beginning her PhD this year at Penn State University. Her research focuses on female athletes, specifically how the menstrual cycle impacts sleep, mood, and performance. In this episode, we talk about Rachel's journey as a coach and how her running experiences have shaped her research interests.

From high school standout to Olympic Trials marathoner, today’s guest has built a career defined by endurance and purpose. A former Boston University star with multiple conference titles and NCAA qualifications, she’s gone on to earn top-10 finishes at USATF Championships, represent Team USA at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country Run, and compete in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. We are honored to sit down and chat with her as she begins her next OTQ pursuit!

Beyond racing, she’s a dedicated coach and advocate, guiding athletes from the 800m to 100 miles while using her platform to champion LGBTQ+ youth and outdoor access. Her Colorado Trail FKT fundraiser and Orlando Youth Alliance campaign have raised thousands for causes she cares about deeply. An outdoor enthusiast and natural leader, she continues to bring heart, grit, and purpose to everything she does.

You can follow Rosa on Instagram @rosamoriello