You might recognize Madi from our TikTok and Instagram reels—but there’s a lot more behind the miles you see on screen. A University of Washington alum, Madi raced middle distance, building a competitive foundation that still shows up in how she trains and races today.⁠
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When she’s not working full-time at her family business or getting in her runs around her hometown of Whistler, Madi’s working on the social media team at Hettas—bringing a real, behind-the-scenes look at what it means to train, push, and show up consistently.⁠
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And recently, she took that mindset to one of the biggest stages in running. After months of training, Madi lined up and ran the Boston Marathon last Monday—putting her experience to work over 42.2K.

Read Pickups below ⬇️

How does running make you feel?

Running makes me feel happy and helps me relieve stress. One of my favourite things about running is that you can do it anywhere. All you need is a pair of shoes, and you can head out before work, after work, or my favourite going for a run to explore when visiting new places.

Name a woman who inspires you.

My Nana. She was the first person in my family, to my knowledge, to run multiple half and full marathons — all while raising my dad and his sisters and running our family business.

What's something you thought you couldn't do, but did?

Run a marathon. As a middle-distance runner in university, I honestly never saw myself running a marathon and enjoying it. In college our 6K cross country race’s felt long.

What song gets you fired up before a run?

The Business by Tiësto. I used to play it every warm-up in university.

Any races on your bucket list?

Boston was at the top of my list — it's such a historic race and being part of it was even more special and inspiring than I imagined.

How would you celebrate a new PB?

A good meal with the people who supported me through training. Nothing fancy — just good food and great company.

You're at peak difficulty of a workout, race, or run — what one thought keeps you going?

Gratitude. I've dealt with a lot of injuries over the years and there were stretches where I couldn't even head out for an easy 5K. Now, when things get really hard in a workout, I think back to those times and remind myself how lucky I am to be able to push my body and run without pain.

Which Hettas are you currently training in?

I train in the Alma Cruise. I've been running in Hettas since fall 2025 and did the majority of my Boston training in the Alma Cruise from easy runs – tempo workouts to long runs. I also wore the Alma Speed for some faster sessions and hill workouts. I love the support that they give me especially during this marathon training block.

What made you decide to take on your first major marathon, and what kept you pushing through the hard training days?
During my marathon build, what kept me going on the tough days — even when I was managing an angry Achilles — was visualizing my future self on that start line in Boston. I knew that no matter how hard I trained, the race was still going to be hard. But I wanted to arrive with a level of fitness that would allow me to truly enjoy the marathon.

You competed in middle distances in university and have now tackled one of the most famous 26.2 mile races — what was the biggest mental shift?
After competing in the 800, 1500, and cross country in the NCAA, I think the biggest shift post-collegiately was just wanting to have a goal again — something I'd been used to my entire athletic life. I still wanted to push my body, but in a completely new direction. Honestly, the Boston Marathon wasn't even on my radar until about a year and a half ago. It wasn't until I ran my first marathon that I thought about how incredible it would be to be part of such a historic race. That curiosity snowballed into a goal, and then into reality.

For anyone who hasn't raced Boston — explain what the energy was like in the city and on the course.
The energy in Boston leading up to race day and on Marathon Monday was unlike anything I've experienced. You couldn't walk 50 metres without spotting someone in a Boston Marathon jacket heading out for a shakeout or decked out in full running kit. The sense of belonging and community throughout Boston over the weekend was unlike anything I’ve experienced on a race weekend.

The race experience itself was just as special. From boarding the bus to Hopkinton and immediately striking up a conversation with a new friend and sitting together for over an hour — you could feel the nerves, but even more than that, the excitement and deep sense of accomplishment everyone carried.

From the start line in Hopkinton to the finish line in on Boylston — the roar of people cheering never stopped, gifting us runners with an overwhelming amount of motivation and inspiration to keep running hard.

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