From Finish Lines to Foster Hearts

Summary

Jess McLain, pro distance runner and executive director of the Leg Up Foundation for foster youth in Phoenix, walks Rachel through running marathons at a 5:25-per-mile pace while running a nonprofit. The standout stories: getting fifth at the US Championships and qualifying for the Tokyo World Championships, being the alternate at Paris with five days notice and flying out anyway, plus the moment a little girl at the Children's Heart Gallery picked out a pink dress and just twirled because foster kids don't usually pick their own clothes.

Key takeaways

1. Follow your own intuition on the second job — Track-and-marathoning culture assumed pros couldn't also work. Jess took a part-time marketing job in 2015 alongside pro running and still consults for that client. Her career broadened, it didn't break.
2. Make the event feel bigger than the ticket — European track meets do this with beer gardens and side programming. Fans get more than the ticket's worth. American track has more dead air than basketball, and fans aren't buying dead air. Build around the sport, not just inside it.
3. The barrier to entry is the sport's product — Running boomed during COVID because the equipment is shoes. 55,000 ran the London Marathon last year, record-breaking again. The accessibility itself is the marketing.
4. Adaptability is the elite skill — 30 minutes before Boston, Jess realized she had loaded six caffeinated gels in her bottles instead of one or two. She mapped where they would be handed out, then stuffed gels in her shorts. The plan changed and she still ran first US woman.
5. A pink dress is the whole story — Phoenix has roughly 11,000 kids in foster care. At a Children's Heart Gallery event Jess watched a little girl twirl in a pink dress she had picked herself. Most of them don't get to. The point of the work shows up in moments that small.

Transcript

00:00 With over 33 years in the mobile bartending and service industry, he is the guy who brings the party and the joy. She's a seasoned event planner. Together we are Hot Mics, Cold Drinks and Untold Disasters.

00:27 This is the Event Talk podcast with Dave and Rachel.

00:31 Hi everybody. Thanks so much for joining. Today we are here with a coworker — we work a lot together. She has a side world that not many people know of in the event space, and vice versa for her other job. Jess McLain. Born and raised Arizona. Just got back from Oregon. In the world of track and field and running, there are world US Championships and the Olympic Trials. We just had the US Championships on the track last weekend. I got fifth place. A few years ago I would have been stoked with that.

01:40 The field for the 10,000m goes out to 24 women. The championship was the qualifier for the Tokyo World Championships, which start September 13th. I qualified in the marathon — 26.2 miles instead of 6.2 on the track. Goal pace for marathon — 5:25 per mile. Tokyo will be interesting. Supposed to be very hot and humid. Not crazy hilly compared to Boston or New York. You start on a downhill and come back up that downhill at the end. I got first in Boston for US women — first American, seventh overall.

03:22 Today's drink — recess watermelon mojito with mint and ice. Cheers, welcome to Event Talk. Very yummy. Nonalcoholic. Definitely watermelon and mint. Refreshing.

04:42 Jess is a phenomenal runner. Executive director of the Leg Up Foundation, formed by John Jay and Rich on 104.7 Kiss FM. Oversees all events with the foster community and Christmas Wish. I ran pro out of college. High school, college, went pro for four years. Pretty much hurt every 4-6 months for four years. Sign a pro contract and feel like you're not doing your job if you keep getting hurt. I went to Stanford, all my other friends had six-figure jobs and I'm here scraping together a pro running contract. Moved back here in 2019.

05:59 Took a step back from racing during the pandemic. Honestly thought I wasn't coming back. Met my husband Connor, got married. About six weeks before the Mesa Marathon I thought, "I should run a marathon before I turn 30." Signed up not thinking anything of it. Ended up running an Olympic Trials qualifying time. Got fourth at the US Trials in the marathon last year.

06:53 Husband Connor doesn't run yet. He's running his first marathon in a few weeks — competitive person. He's training to qualify for Boston. Football player growing up. Body had injuries and surgeries.

07:31 I'm 33. In the world of track that's old. Road running, I'm in my prime. At a track championship the younger kids — 23, 24 — are so hard on themselves, exactly like I was. Overthinking everything, saying no to everything else in life. You're going to wish you did things a little bit. Covid forced me to take a step back, which is really healthy.

08:50 I was alternate at Paris last year — to Paris. Olympic level — people think the Olympics is public, but they're not super public. Different tiers. Brooks running is my shoe company, based out of Seattle. At the world major marathons, Brooks will rent out a retail space — like Boylston Street in Boston. Brooks pop-up store. Shakeout runs, speaker panels, giveaways. So many micro events under the larger event.

09:55 Running boomed during Covid because it's accessible — you need shoes. Barrier to entry is low. Each year is a record-breaking year — 55,000 people running the London Marathon. The funny thing about distance running — friends always ask, "how are your knees?" If I didn't do anything, my body would break down faster.

11:05 In our sport we're like, "how can we make fans more interested in track and field?" Europe does it really well — track meet isn't just a track meet, there's a beer garden, fans get more than their tickets worth. How can you make it feel like an event? Track has more dead air than basketball or football. With track, that's something interesting to take.

12:40 The first run you ever did, you got third or fourth. Someone interviewed you after — "I'm not sponsored. I don't have a coach. I just run by myself." Then, "I'm executive director" — "you have a real job?" Track and marathoning used to be the perspective that you couldn't do much else. I just don't operate that way. I got a part-time marketing job in 2015 and I still do consulting for that client. I'm glad I followed my own intuition.

13:56 You do Children's Heart Gallery events. Christmas Wish. Bulk of our work happens in Q1, Q2, and Q4. June and July it's running ramp-up for track. I don't have time down. Running to me is "I get to do this" not "I have to."

15:00 What do you wish people knew about foster care? We have close to 11,000 kids in foster care in Phoenix. Hopefully it's down — 10,900 at the end of last year. Working for Love Pup, it's so much easier to raise money for dogs. With kids it's literally like a stuffed animal during the holidays changes their whole day. You can get involved in any capacity — donate, fingerprint clear, come volunteer. These kids are stripped from their home, taken to DCS's Welcome Center, get a doctor's appointment, dental, and then they're either in foster care or kinship care or right into a group home.

20:21 Memorable event — a little girl in a pink dress. They get to choose their clothes. She put on this pink dress and just twirled. The girls get their hair braided, the guys get the shapes and fades. Embodying that joy.

21:48 AV fails — pretty simple. Microphone's not working in the middle of a speech. The accessibility conference I did — up to five breakouts at any given point. I'd log in online to check that sound was coming through. Got the chatter in one breakout that sound wasn't coming in. Went to the AV team — switch on the back end. With breakouts make sure you have someone going into the rooms to double-check.

22:53 Funny story you can share publicly. Wholesome. Risk management chair of our sorority — had to make sure all the girls got home safely. Sober drivers, Uber and Lyft weren't a thing yet. Holiday party — CEO was offering some mushrooms. Photo booth photos — back in the day they gave you a disc. I have a disc I could use for blackmail favors.

27:09 Marathon fueling — gel packs. Elites have tables every 5K. You run and grab them. Practice bottle grabbing in the middle of your 20 mile. I was getting ready to race Boston. Maybe 1-2 of these gels are caffeinated because you need a boost. I went to take one before the race — I'd put six caffeinated gels in my bottles. Realized this 30 minutes before. I just had to know where they were handing out and stuff gels in my pants. Once you're in the sport long enough you're more adaptable.

29:25 Going to Japan — USA Track & Field called us a week ago briefing on food. Younger athletes are pretty particular — "I need this kind of food." I had a nutritionist — I don't care, I'll eat anything. A lot you plan for, a lot is out of your control. Learning how to be adaptable.

31:23 I got the call five days before the marathon at the Olympics last year — there's a chance one of the athletes may not race. Booked a ticket for the next day, flew to Paris. Chances diminished as I got there. Was a really good test — okay, I can get on the plane and not freak out. I would have run well, but I support the team.

32:11 Drama with sprinters — Noah Lyles and Kenny did the 100m. Noah's got this personality where he'll push your button. Finishes the last 10m of the race just staring Kenny down in second place. Distance runners don't do that. You see a lot more excitement in the shorter races. Drama is good for the sport.

34:38 Biggest lesson — running, like supply chain, is logistics with a dash of creativity. Never single-sourced — multiple vendors. Three words I live by: trust but verify. Evaluating a vendor from the first interaction. I have a knack for finding talent at bars. You can gauge someone in 100% — they're in it to help you succeed versus me, me, me. Communication's a big part of trust.

37:37 I'm a communication major. I cater my style to the other person's preference. If they're a texter, text. If email, email. I'm meeting someone where they're at. I leverage ChatGPT where possible. She is amazing in the event space right now. I will also always send an email — proof. Communication in events is changing.

39:09 Thank you for joining. Have fun running up in Flagstaff. Tune in — like, subscribe, all that.

40:01 Thanks for tuning in to the Event Talk podcast — Hot Mics, Cold Drinks and Untold Disasters where every event has a story. Until next time.