On Saturday, Emma Grace Hurley, 26, won the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon, running 1:08:26 in her debut at the distance. She dominated the race, winning by 1:50 and setting a course record. It was her first victory at the pro level. One week earlier, she finished third at the USATF 5K Championships in New York City, which helped her clinch the 2024 USATF Running Circuit title.
Hurley, who lives in Indianapolis and is a member of the Heartland Track Club, spoke to Fast Women the day after her race. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You mentioned it was a surprise to you that you were making your half marathon debut. How much of a surprise are we talking?
I started thinking about [it] in the airport going to New York City [for the USATF 5K Championships]. And I didn’t decide to do it until six days before the race.
What led you to start thinking about it?
I plan really far ahead, and I want to run very well in the half marathon next year. I felt like I had some questions about what was working and what wasn’t. At the [USATF 20K Championships] this year, I kind of fell apart in the last two miles, and I wanted to have another crack at that kind of a race. With having such big goals in the distance next year, while I was fit and healthy, I wanted to have a day to learn.
So what did you learn?
I learned that [my past struggles] were probably more related to fueling than fitness. Instead of taking my gel in the last couple of miles, which was probably dumb, I took it just before halfway. And I learned that I like [the half marathon].
What kind of time did you think you could run going in? What was the plan?
The plan was a little loose. We’ve just been doing 5K work over the last month or so. I thought I could run under 70, but I wasn’t sure how far under. I wanted to be right around 5:15 pace for most of it. (She averaged 5:13/mile.) I found myself in a pack of guys and around 5K I asked them what they were trying to run. They were like, “Oh, 68 minutes or so.” I was like, “Oh crap, I might have messed this up, but we’re here, so let’s just go for it.” So I was very pleasantly surprised.
Did anything interesting happen during the race?
At one point, a couple of the [men] in the group asked me, “Do you realize Sara Hall is behind you? Is this a good idea?” And I was like, “Yeah, I know. I’m nervous about that.” And at one point, one guy was like, “We’re way ahead of course record pace.” I just thought it was really sweet how supportive they were. Honestly, other than that, the race was uneventful, in a good way.
You mentioned you’ve been focusing on the 5K, but do you generally do the kind of training that would prepare you well for a half?
I think so. I usually run around 75–80 miles per week, which is lower than what a lot of people do, but I still have one long run in there that’s like 18–20 miles every week. So just keeping that in there really helped with being able to run the way I did yesterday.
Did it feel special to run a local race?
That was so fun. Honestly, more people cheered for me by name than I was expecting, which was kind of nice. Because I feel like I’m still a little bit under the radar in terms of like, I’ve been second or third in a lot of things, but I haven’t won, and I haven’t been around for as long. So at most races, no one really knows who I am, which is both a good and a bad thing. But yeah, there were a lot of people cheering for me out there. It’s just nice to be in your home city and have people supporting you. I’m also so grateful that they let me in only six days before the race.
When you say you have big goals in the half marathon, what are you thinking about?
I just would love to run the half marathon at World Road Championships next year. That’s been a big goal in the back of my mind for a couple years now. So I just wanted to make sure that going into March, I’m ready to be at my best, and I’ve left no stone unturned in terms of being able to show up on that day. (The 2025 World Athletics Road Running Championships will take place September 26–28 in San Diego. The event includes a mile, 5K, and half marathon. The selection race for the half will take place on March 2 in Atlanta.)
Do you want to start doing more long races in the future? And what are your thoughts on the marathon?
When the longer races have gone well for me, I’ve felt so at home in them, and have really, really loved them. But part of the risk of those races is they’re fewer and farther between and, because it’s a longer way, more can go wrong. So that scares me a little. But when they go well, I really have so much fun. I definitely have marathon FOMO, and I’m really excited for when the time is right, but I’m not sure when that will be yet. I’ll probably never not run some 5Ks and 10Ks here and there. They’re just fun. But I definitely have more goals in the longer distances.
Did you stay in New York City for the marathon? And did it make you want to run one more?
I did, yes. I was in the grandstands. I’ll be honest, some people look amazing finishing and I’m like, “Yes, I want to do that.” And some people look like they’ve really been through an ordeal. But honestly, it’s so impressive. So yes and no. My best friend was in town to run the [Indy Monumental Marathon] and I was very excited watching the finish. So after two weeks in a row of being at marathon finish lines, I would say it was a mostly positive experience.
Congratulations on winning the USATF Running Circuit! Was that something you set out to do at the beginning of the year?
I don’t like to run track and I don’t run the marathon yet. Past the World Cross Country Championships in March, with it being an Olympic year, I just didn’t have that big goal that a lot of people who run marathons or track did. So [the USATF Running Circuit] was something to keep me going. And, just to be transparent, some of the [circuit] money is being reallocated to the [World Road Running Championships] selection events next year. So it made sense to go for it this year.
A lot of the same people show up to the races, so we have a fun little group that did a lot of the ones in the fall, especially.
The last time we talked, you hadn’t announced your Asics sponsorship yet. How has that affected your running?
I genuinely think that their shoes are the best on the market. As someone who’s had lower leg and feet issues for years, I don’t remember the last time I’ve had an entire pain-free year. Obviously I’m getting good care here and I take care of myself, but it also has to come back to the shoes. And everyone at the brand that I’ve interacted with has been really supportive.
And was this the end of your season?
Yes. I’m going to take probably a week [off]. I’m going to altitude for the first time in January and I probably won’t race again until the half marathon in Atlanta. I really want to go all in on that and just make sure I’m as prepared on the day as I can be.
