Ep 195 Brittany Charboneau: One Bad A** Mother Runner
The Rise and Run podcast recently welcomed back Brittany Charbonneau for her sixth appearance on the show. Brittany is known as “The Funny Runner.” She is a professional trail and mountain runner. She holds the distinction of being the only person to win all four races during a Disney Dopey Challenge weekend. Her return to the podcast after a year marked a significant new chapter in her life – motherhood.
The episode begins with an introduction from Laura Ann at Springtime Surprise. If you’d like to introduce an upcoming episode, please reach out to us on our social media. You can also email us, or leave us a message on our hot-line (727-266-2344).
Motherhood and Mountains: Pro Runner Brittany Charbonneau Returns
Professional trail runner Brittany Charbonneau joins us for a heartfelt, inspiring, and fun conversation about her journey through pregnancy, motherhood, and returning to competitive racing. Four months after giving birth to her son Hugo following a 27-hour labor and C-section, Brittany shares the emotional and physical realities of balancing elite athleticism with new motherhood.
What makes this episode particularly special is Brittany’s candid discussion about how her sponsor, North Face, defied outdated industry standards by renewing her contract during pregnancy and providing exceptional support for her comeback. “They signed me for multiple years,” Brittany reveals, noting that they’ve even helped ensure her family could travel with her to competitions. This represents a powerful shift in how female athletes are supported through motherhood.
Brittany offers practical wisdom for expecting or new mom runners, emphasizing the importance of listening to your body rather than adhering rigidly to training plans. Her decision to stop running at five months pregnant initially felt like failure, but she now recognizes it as one of her wisest choices. “Having that time off gave me perspective,” she explains, describing how pregnancy hiking actually built strength that’s benefiting her current mountain racing.
Perhaps most compelling is Brittany’s discussion of how motherhood has transformed her mindset as a competitive athlete. After years of “imposter syndrome,” she’s approaching races with newfound confidence and joy, even planning banana tattoos for an upcoming race as a nod to her “little monkey” at home. Her story reminds us that sometimes our greatest performances come when we release our grip on perfectionism and embrace the journey.
Charity Spotlight Queens Centers for Progress
We are joined by Shuan Caruana of Queens Centers for Progress. He lets us know about his charity organization. He explains what it does. He also tells us how you can run Marathon weekend with this charity.
The Race Report Sponsored by Stoked Metabolic Coaching
In The Race Report Spotlight, we are joined by Jennifer and her husband George. They were at Yellowstone National Park to be part of the Yellowstone Half Marathon weekend. Where they ran the Bison double which is a 5k on Friday and half on Saturday. We hear all about the beautiful scenery and the Elevation change in this race.
Show Links
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Brittany’s Links
Funnyrunner26.2 Instagram
The Funny Runner Website
Brittany’s Coaching
QPC Queens Centers for Progress Charity Bibs
Mix Tape 2025
Rise and Run Links
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Runningwithalysha Alysha’s Run Coaching (Mention Rise And Run and get $10 off)
Sponsor Links
Magic Bound Travel
Stoked Metabolic Coaching
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