Erika Kemp put it all together on Sunday—a feat athletes make look simple, but it’s anything but easy. In just her second marathon finish, Erika delivered an extraordinary performance at the Houston Marathon, clocking a 2:22:56. Shattering her previous personal best by 11 minutes, she secured second place and comfortably surpassed the World Championship standard of 2:23:30. Her strength and composure at the finish highlighted her hard work, relentless determination, and the meticulous training that has shaped her journey as a professional athlete.
In the latest episode of Unexpected Curves, Erika joined Heartbreak's newest hire, Marielle Hall, for a conversation about how the places we live and train influence athletic performance. As someone whose concept of "home" is constantly evolving, Erika shared invaluable insights into the emotional, social, and cultural dimensions of choosing where to train.
Catch the episode now to hear Erika’s thoughts on balancing performance with place.
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Unexpected Curves is a weekly podcast hosted by Marielle Hall, diving into the big ideas surrounding women’s sports. As a runner, athletics will be front and center, but sometimes you have to go outside the lane to see the bigger picture. No topic is off-limits, and we'll be taking a lot of left turns to find the right answers. Nothing wrong with a few curves 😉. Tune in every Thursday for new episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.