Plenty of observations, content, and opinions exist on how elite athletes should train, are training, and could train.
I would be remiss not to say that much of it is complete and utter nonsense.
As someone who has coached high school, community college, college, and club, and observed the coaches and elite athletes that I admire, I can say this: there is no secret sauce. However, there are attributes that all, or most, elite athletes have that show up in their training and racing.
One thing is consistency. Look at the important workouts; note the easy and recovery days. Note the core work; focus on hydration and nutrition. And notice how they use their footwear; is it equipment for a goal or is it the newest thing?
All these things matter; they add up to the big race day, and that is why Emma Grace Hurley has had such a superb year in 2026.
Emma Grace Hurley is trained by Andrew Begley, coach of the Heartland Track Club. When Amy Begley moved to Indianapolis to work with USATF, Emma moved there as well to be close to her coach. Amy and Andrew Begley had coached at the Atlanta Track Club for some years.
Emma started the year off with a fantastic 8k in Chicago. The Shamrock Shuffle is a spring rite in Chicago. More than 26,000 runners competed in the 8-kilometer race in the Windy City. Emma Grace Hurley took first in the women’s division, winning by 26 seconds with a 24:29 8k and breaking the 21-year-old American 8k record of Deana Kastor (24:36)!
The debut of Emma Grace Hurley over the marathon has been highly anticipated, and that wait is almost over!
Emma told RunBlogRun that her fave distance to race so far has been the half marathon.
Let’s see how she manages her debut marathon effort on Sunday! It could be very exciting!
#emmagracehurley, #chicagomarathon
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) October 10, 2026
Just a few weeks later, Emma Grace Hurley took the USATF 10-mile title at the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler, running 50:42 and finishing third overall in the women’s elite race on April 12, 2026.
On May 9, 2206, Emma Grace Hurley won the USATF 25k championships, running the course through the streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The course was 15.6 miles, and Emma won in 1:22:51.
Emma Grace Hurley continued to impress, racing the famed Falmouth Road Race on August 16, 2026, running the seven miles in 35:36 and placing fourth overall in a field of global women.
At the World Athletics road running championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, the US team, led by Emma Grace Hurley (5th), Weini Kelati (6th0, and Jess McClain (7th), took the silver team medal! Emma Grace Hurley took fifth with a PB of 1:06:23, Weini Kelati at 1:06:35, and Jess McClain at 1:06:53.
That incredible build-up gave Emma Grace Hurley the racing confidence she needed in Chicago. Emma ran with pacer Caleb Kerr through 30k. Her splits of 16:34 for 5k, 32:58 for 10k, and 69:50 at the half marathon showed an aggressive pace that held through 25k and 30k, which she hit in 1:39:23.
After that, her training and mental toughness allowed Emma to battle rising temperatures, humidity, and race fatigue to finish 7th among women overall in 2:20:47.
Emma Grace Hurley did a ton of interviews prior to the race in Chicago. My interview is right below. I liked her comments about it being her first race and how much she enjoyed racing the half marathon distance.
Where does Emma fit in the women’s marathon hierarchy for LA 2028? Emma Grace Hurley is already faster than Olympic champion and beast master, Joan Benoit Samuelson. She can run a sub-2:20 marathon in her next race.
Her racing toughness impresses me across distances. With her current racing fitness and savvy, I believe a 2:17-2:18 is in the near future. But that may not be the way she goes. She may race on tough courses to build her racing experience.
There are about a dozen women athletes in the U.S. right now that I count in the hunt for the LA 2028 team. I believe Emma Grace Hurley, Jess McClain, Weini Kelati, and Susanna Sullivan will be in the battle. There will be others, and some we have not even considered. That is what makes this a sport.
Mark my words, Emma Grace Hurley looks like she could be in the hunt for LA 2028, and then we will have to wait and see!
Emma Grace Hurley spoke, post race with media on her splendid debut of 2:20:47, a new US debut record! This is a fun interview, and Emma has many great races ahead of her!
Interview filmed by Larry Eder, #runblogrun
#emmagracehurley, #asics, #chicagomarathon https://t.co/vLPHm4zw75
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) October 11, 2026
