Grief Is a Long Run: Finding Purpose in the Hard Miles with Emma Zeiger

Emma Zeiger knows a lot about doing hard things and finding meaning in them.

After losing her dad when she was nine, Emma eventually found community through Experience Camps, a free camp for children who have lost a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver. That experience helped inspire Ghosted by Grief, her podcast and community built around making hard conversations easier to have.

Now, after two marathon attempts were derailed by health issues and surgeries, Emma is training for the New York City Marathon while raising money for Experience Camps through her “Grief Is a Long Run” campaign. The idea: grief, like running, isn’t linear. Mile six can feel impossible and mile 19 can feel easy. You just have to keep moving.

Emma and Jonathan talk about grief, finding community through endurance sports, the pressure we put on ourselves, and learning to accept what our bodies can do. Ultimately, it’s about doing hard things, finding joy along the way, and making those hard things a little less lonely for someone else.

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