Hurdle with Emily Abbate

Emily Abbate is a veteran journalist, certified running coach, and the kind of interviewer who makes guests say things they did not plan to share. Hurdle started as a running podcast but has grown into something broader -- a show about what it takes to overcome obstacles, featuring conversations with Olympic surfers, CrossFit athletes, fertility specialists, and makeup artists who happen to have incredible wellness stories. The show runs on two formats that complement each other well. Tuesday episodes are full-length interviews, typically 50 to 60 minutes, where Abbate sits down with accomplished women in sports, wellness, and creative fields. Friday episodes are her solo "5-Minute Friday" segments -- short reflections on burnout, boundary-setting, or a training tip she picked up during the week. Those Friday episodes often run closer to 10 minutes, and they have a personal, almost journal-entry quality that balances the more structured interviews. With 930 episodes, a 4.9 rating from 1,360 reviews, and distribution through iHeart Women's Sports, the show has built serious momentum without losing its intimate feel. Abbate is not afraid of vulnerable territory -- recent episodes include her own fertility journey and candid conversations about mental health struggles among elite athletes. She brings a journalist's instinct for follow-up questions and a coach's understanding of what actually matters in training. The show skews toward women in fitness and wellness, but the conversations are universally relevant. If you want stories about real people pushing through real challenges -- not the sanitized highlight reel version -- Hurdle delivers that consistently.