Molly Seidel on Her Western States Debut & the Ego Death of Being a Rookie
About this episode
Molly Seidel is an Olympic bronze medalist, a professional marathon runner, and as of this year, a for-real trail runner. She made her Western States debut in 2026, led the field for the first 50-plus miles, unraveled at Michigan Bluff, and spent the next 12 hours finding a reason to keep going that had nothing to do with competing. She crossed the finish line after 24 hours and called it one of the most fulfilling things she's ever done.
This conversation covers all of it — the first half, the second half, what she learned from each, and why the experience changed her more than winning would have.
Topics covered:
- What went wrong at Western States and why she kept going
- The ego death of being a rookie after winning an Olympic medal
- Whether trail can save itself from becoming what road racing already is
- The people in her corner — Kelly Newland, Cliff, Steph Howe
- What she'd say to the Molly of 2021 and 2024
- OCC and Havelina coming up this fall
Stay connected:
Support our sponsors:
Training Peaks
The coaches behind UTMB winners and the athletes you've heard on this show are all using the same platform — and that's not a coincidence. Get 20% off Training Peaks premium with code FTLR!
Boulderthon
Whether you're hunting for a PR or just looking for an excuse to visit Colorado in early fall, Boulderthon has a race for you. Register at Boulderthon.org and use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the Half or the Full.
Precision Fuel & Hydration
Precision Fuel & Hydration's new Watermelon Chew was developed with trail ultrarunner Rachel Entrekin to help athletes combat flavor fatigue while fueling long efforts. Shop at Precision Fuel & Hydration and use code LongRun26 for 15% off your order at precisionhydration.com
Go Brewing
This episode is brought to you by Go Brewing, a small family-run brewery outside Chicago making non-alcoholic IPAs, lagers, and hazies that actually taste like beer, with most cans under 60 calories and no added sugar, so try favorites like the Jab Jab Grapefruit IPA, New School Sour Berry, or Baller Melon at gobrewing.com and use code FTLR2026 for 20% off your first order.