Send us Fan Mail
Carrie Bradshaw did the impossible and she just set a world record for it.
Carrie, a 45-year-old mom of two, aka on Instagram as "Bionic Runner Babe" for her titanium hips, defied medical odds to set the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon by a female with bilateral hip replacements, clocking 3 hours, 42 minutes, and 31 seconds at the 2026 Houston Marathon.
Diagnosed with congenital bilateral hip dysplasia in 2021, Carrie endured constant pain and was told by most surgeons she'd never run again, yet found hope in Dr. Gregory Stocks, who supported her return to racing after her hip replacements in November 2022 and April 2023.
A pre-surgery veteran of over 60 half marathons and 10 full marathons with a personal best of 3:09, Bradshaw completed the Boston Marathon in 2025—just two years post-surgery—as her "victory lap," and her Houston time qualified her for Boston 2027, where she aims to chase her old PR.
In this episode, Carrie shares:
🌀How she decided to go the unconventional route of getting her hips replaced at such a young age for this surgery
🌀What her return to running looked like
🌀Her experience being coached by MEB!
🌀The advice she wants other injured runners to hear and
🌀How her decision to not give up on her dreams is changing lives around the world.
I’m thrilled for you to listen to this remarkable journey which will remind you to never let anyone else dictate your limits.
THANK YOU, SPONSOR!:
💗PREVINEX natural & EFFECTIVE SLEEP supplement. Save 15% with code WHITNEYSLEEP.
💗 GOODR functional, fashionable, fun, and affordable eyewear. Save $10 off at goodr.com/motherrunners.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:03 — “Doctors said I’d never run again”
0:31 — “Bilateral hip replacements and marathon comeback”
1:30 — “Lessons for injured runners”
11:45 — “Why emotional healing matters in injury recovery”
23:56 — “Diagnosis: congenital hip dysplasia”
28:14 — “Bone on bone and choosing surgery”
39:33 — “PRP, pain, and the decision to replace her hip”
45:36 — “What hip replacement recovery actually looks like”
55:47 — “Meb’s coaching approach after surgery”
68:16 — “Advice for injured runners: grieve, research, advocate”
Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.
