Podcasts · The Marathon Podcast
#230 How a 777 Pilot Runs a 2:42 Marathon: Alex Orr on Training Around Flights, Jet Lag & the OTQ
· 1 h 07 min · S1 E230
Episode #230 How a 777 Pilot Runs a 2:42 Marathon: Alex Orr on Training Around Flights, Jet Lag & the OTQ
The Marathon Podcast is now proudly sponsored by Saysky Copenhagen. Use code TMP15 for 15% off at saysky.com.
Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN
Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb
How do you train for a 2:42 marathon while flying as an international airline pilot? In this episode of The Marathon Podcast, part of our series with Tracksmith’s Stamata team, Kristian talks with Alex Orr, a United Airlines pilot who flies the Boeing 777 and runs for Georgetown Running Club in Washington, D.C.
Alex is a 2:42 marathoner (set in Berlin) and a 1:15 half marathoner, and she is chasing an Olympic Trials qualifier. She explains how she plans every week around her flight schedule, why she protects her hard workouts at home, how she handles jet lag and cancelled flights, and what a normal training week looks like when she is gone for days at a time. We also talk about cockpit naps, recovery on layovers, and how she tells the difference between a tough day and a day to back off.
Alex shares the story of how she found her way back to running after stepping away from the sport, what she learned from two marathons that did not go to plan, and how being part of Stamata, led by Steph Bruce and supported by Tracksmith, has shaped her journey.
In this episode:
• How a 777 pilot fits in a marathon build • Planning workouts around flights, jet lag and delays • Joining Tracksmith’s Stamata team • Stepping away from running and finding her way back • From a 2:46 in Chicago to a 2:42 in Berlin • Learning from Indianapolis and Eugene, two marathons that did not go to plan • A 1:15 half marathon • A full training week, including VO2 sessions and long runs • Recovery, sleep and naps in the cockpit • Her next goal at CIM
Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Alex 01:07 Kristian’s training update 02:31 Welcome, and fitting running around flights 07:13 Who Alex is and how she got into running 08:05 Living the dream as a pilot and runner 08:57 Joining Tracksmith’s Stamata team 11:15 Flight schedules, bidding and training camps 13:13 Getting time off for races 14:52 Early years of running 18:15 Her coaches 19:49 Life after college 20:23 Losing her father 22:52 Coming back with GRC 24:29 The breakthrough in Chicago and 2:42 in Berlin 25:15 Grief and running 27:39 What running means to her 30:01 What drives her 31:51 Chasing the OTQ 32:42 Indianapolis and Eugene, and what went wrong 37:47 The 1:15 half marathon 39:11 Lessons from the marathon 41:42 A typical training week 46:39 Marathon pace work and long runs 50:04 Recovery, sleep and cockpit naps 52:08 International trips and training around them 56:14 Recovery data on work days 59:22 Running in layover cities 1:03:41 Next up: CIM 1:05:56 Outro
Alex on Instagram: @alexrunstheskies
Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick
Full episodes + the Boston 2025 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/@Warwickruns Follow my training journey on Instagram: @warwick.runs Music from Musicbed: MB01XPYH8ZYENVAMB0133EV2TCQFZY
Links in the notes 3
Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them. Explicit shows are for adult profiles only, and children’s profiles hear only children’s shows. More about this list.