Peloton Instructor Races: 3 Joyful Finishes in 3 Cities

Jeffrey McEachern, Kirsten Ferguson, and Susie Chan chose joy over pace in Berlin, Chicago, and London

This weekend’s Peloton instructor races spanned three cities, and none of the three runners were chasing the clock. Jeffrey McEachern ran the BMW Berlin Marathon, Kirsten Ferguson finished the Chicago Half Marathon, and Susie Chan lined up at the Vitality London 10K. All three shared race day on Instagram, and all three landed on the same idea: joy over pace.

The distances ranged from 10 kilometers to a full marathon, but the Peloton instructor races shared a consistent thread. Each instructor treated the race as a celebration first and a performance second, and each made a point of saying so.

Jeffrey McEachern Makes Berlin a Celebration

Jeffrey ran the BMW Berlin Marathon on Sunday, September 27, in a red Peloton tank and bib 27071. His race came one day after the Peloton Berlin Marathon Shakeout Run he was scheduled to lead. Before the start, he gave himself a challenge: find out how much fun one runner can have over 42.2 kilometers.

His answer came as a list of the stats he says actually mattered:

• At least 500 high fives
• 9 nails painted along the way
• More dance breaks than he could count
• Rope skipping mid-marathon, a first for him
• 42.2 kilometers of smiling
• 0 minutes spent caring about the clock

Jeffrey said he had never danced that much during a marathon and called Berlin “the most fun I’ve ever had in a race.” A video from the course summed up his approach as joy over pace, capturing his part of the Peloton instructor races in a single frame.

The contrast with his first Berlin is notable. When Jeffrey ran the Berlin Marathon in 2023, he finished in 3:36:30. This year, the only numbers he shared were high fives and painted nails. That approach set the tone for the rest of the Peloton instructor races.

Kirsten Ferguson Earns Half Marathon Number Six in Chicago

Kirsten Ferguson took the Peloton instructor races to Chicago, finishing the Chicago Half Marathon for her sixth half marathon and celebrating with six medal emojis on Instagram. At the race expo, she held up bib 8162 and joked that she was off to collect more medals. Fellow Peloton instructors Selena Samuela and Ally Love were quick to cheer her on in the comments.

Her caption also looked ahead: “Chicago Marathon… you are NEXT!!!” Kirsten is running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 11, her second marathon. She has been sharing long training days along the way, including a 20-mile run she framed as a pretend race day to keep it fun. Her Chicago half, one of three Peloton instructor races this weekend, lands about two weeks before that start line.

Susie Chan Runs the Vitality London 10K to Celebrate

In London, Susie Chan added a third city to the Peloton instructor races at the Vitality London 10K, running alongside a group of friends. She said she had not raced the distance in years because 10Ks feel so defined by pace. This time, the goal was simply to celebrate.

Susie thanked Helen Thorn and Bryony Gordon for creating the moment and London Marathon for its hospitality. She described races as life-affirming events that fill her heart every time, and she closed with a message for anyone on the fence: “Go run a race. However you want to show up.”

The post fits a philosophy Susie has shared before. She has spoken about favoring steady, conversational running over speed work, and her part in the Peloton instructor races put joy over pace on a start line. Jeffrey and fellow instructor Mila Lazar both showed up in her comments.

Joy Over Pace Defines the Peloton Instructor Races

Three instructors, three countries, three distances, and no finishing times in any of their posts. The Peloton instructor races were less about results and more about how each instructor chose to experience the course, whether that meant rope skipping in Berlin, collecting medals in Chicago, or celebrating with friends in London.

Next up is Kirsten’s marathon in Chicago on October 11. For members training toward a fall race of their own, the Peloton instructor races offer a practical takeaway: joy over pace is a strategy, not a consolation prize, and every one of these finish lines counted.

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