Peyton Thomas is an elite runner and PhD student in Marine Biology at the University of Northern Carolina Wilmington. She ran a PR of 2:42:54 to place 78th at the US 2020 Olympic Marathon trials, and was the only American born black female to start. She qualified for the trials at CIM, which was her first road marathon. She has also run the Bigfoot 40 miler, a sister race to the Bigfoot 200 miler. Peyton is driven in all that she does, and this engaging conversation covers a range of topics including the following:Running the Olympic Marathon TrialsThe support and community at the Olympic TrialsHer growing awareness of being a role model and impacting the communityHer experiences of racism growing up, and speaking out about injusticesHaving difficult conversationsGrowing up in a predominantly white neighbourhoodHer love of marine biology and the specifics of her studyClimate change and how that affects marine life she studiesWhat running means to her and future running goalsReflections from the COVID 19 lockdown____EPISODE LINKSRun Grl InterviewThe Walking SharkRun Duo PodcastPeyton's InstagramPeyton's LinkedInPeyton's UNCW ProfilePeyton's Atlanta 2020 Profile____SPONSORJanjiJanji is a Boston based running apparel company. Their mission is to explore, connect and give back through running, a philosophy that drives every decision. Janji craft globally inspired running apparel, guided by places and people around the world. They create functional and beautifully designed apparel for wherever your running adventures take you. Janji believes in social responsibility, and leads by example. Janji understands water is a human right, and gives 2% of every single purchase, to support clean water projects in the countries that inspire their seasonal lines. Community is a core value of Janji, which is reflected in the Janji Collective. A one-time membership cost of $50 gains you a lifetime 15% discount, exclusive singlet, and access to Janjis community of like-minded people. Your membership fee is then used solely in supporting Janji’s aforementioned clean water projects. Full details about the Janji Collective and how to sign up are on Janji.com/ROO.runningonom10 at checkout.To receive $10 of a pair of Janji shorts use the code: RUNNINGONOM10