Explore every episode of the podcast The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zouhair Talbi On His Top American Finish In 2:06:43 (U.S. Course Record) At The 2026 New York City Marathon | Race Recap + Reflections | 06 nov. 2026 | 00:51:17 | |
“Me matching that move showed I was trained. At that point everyone is tired. To go from running fast to running very fast and still be there — that showed something. Small tweaks here and there can really put me in contention next time.” My guest for today’s episode is Zouhair Talbi, who crossed the finish line of the 2026 New York City Marathon in sixth place for top American in 2:06:43. We recorded this on Friday, November 6th while some of the mental replays of the race are still fresh. Mostly, he’s thinking about that last mile. At 40 kilometers, Zouhair was in fourth place, six seconds off the lead. By the time he crossed the line, he’d given up two more spots and the Olympic qualifying standard along with them. What he’ll tell you is that he doesn’t regret any of it — not the surges, not going to the front, not the tactical decisions that defined the first 35 kilometers. What he does regret is that none of it worked the way he’d drawn it up. We dive into all of the moves as well as what Andreas Almgren looked like when Benson Kipruto made his move at 37K. He puts us in his shoes for the last mile — fighting demons in fifteen-second increments, waiting for someone to crack, watching the Australian come by in the final four hundred with nothing left to answer. He grades his 2026. And he shares a bit about the inspiration he got from watching Jess McClain achieve her runner-up finish in the women’s race. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. | |||
| How The NYC Marathon Made Us Fall In Love With Running Again: Our CITIUS MAG Party Pack | 04 nov. 2026 | 00:57:55 | |
What happens when the CITIUS MAG crew trades the marathon coverage for 26.2 miles together? Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber and Mac Fleet recap the NYC Marathon CITIUS MAG Party Pack, from chaotic training buildups and Staten Island logistics to Brooklyn’s electric crowds and Matthew Centrowitz’s motivational speeches on the Queensboro Bridge. We break down the 3:30 goal, the late-race suffering that split the group and the finish-line reunions that made it all worthwhile. Plus, Mac’s marathon debut, a newfound respect for time on feet and how running with friends helped them fall in love with the sport again. The only question now: What race is next? ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. | |||
| 2026 NYC MARATHON RECAP: ANDREAS ALMGREN SMASHES HIS DEBUT, SHEILA CHEPKIRUI WINS AGAIN; JESS MCCLAIN OUTKICKS HELLEN OBIRI FOR 2ND! | 03 nov. 2026 | 01:26:59 | |
Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia recap the elite races at the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, including: – Andreas Almgren won the marathon in his first race at the distance, the first open division man to debut and win in New York since Gebre Gebremariam in 2010 — and the first Swede to win any division in race history. The reigning world half marathon champion and European 10,000m champion sat with the lead pack through 25 miles before moving with a mile to go, holding off Yeman Crippa and Kamohelo Mofolo, who became the first athlete from Lesotho to podium here, on his 21st birthday. – Four Americans landed in the top 11 and all four ran the fastest times ever by Americans in New York, led by Zouhair Talbi’s 6th place finish in 2:06:43. – Sheila Chepkirui took her second title in three years in 2:24:36. The podium fight went to the final meters — Jess McClain came from behind to outsprint defending champion and course record holder Hellen Obiri for second. – McClain’s runner-up finish is her best at a Major and the first American woman on the New York open podium since Shalane Flanagan in 2018. – Three more Americans cracked the top 10: Carrie Ellwood in sixth (2:26:28), Weini Kelati in seventh (2:26:51) in her long-awaited debut, and Paige Wood in eighth (2:27:29). + More thoughts and takeaways from the day We also remember Olympian and European Champion Ciara Mageean who died at age 34 from cancer. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. | |||
| 50 Years Of 5 Boroughs: The Story Of The 1976 New York City Marathon | 28 oct. 2026 | 00:36:35 | |
Fifty years ago, 2,000 runners lined up for the first five-borough New York City Marathon. The city was on the brink of bankruptcy. Nobody knew if spectators would show up. The race was supposed to be a one-time bicentennial celebration. In this special episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast, George Hirsch (chairman emeritus of New York Road Runners) takes us inside the decisions, personalities and unlikely bets that made it happen. We revisit how Ted Corbitt, George Spitz, Percy Sutton, the Rudin family and Fred Lebow helped bring the race to life, and how Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers gave it star power. Along the way: secret appearance fees, Rodgers’s borrowed soccer shorts, unexpected crowds and a decades-old debate over stairs that may or may not have happened. It’s the story of how New Yorkers took a chance on their city and created a race that changed marathoning forever. Produced by: Chris Chavez of CITIUS MAG + Joe Kaiser and Remo Wakeford of Three Piece Films Special thanks: George Hirsch and Bill Rodgers for their time, and for remembering it all, give or take a staircase. Additional thanks to New York Road Runners for their help with archival photos and videos. Music: Artlist. The Marathon Book: If you liked this story, there are a lot more like it in my upcoming book, The Marathon Book. Follow @themarathonbook on Instagram for updates, including when the pre-order link goes live. | |||
| 2026 NEW YORK CITY MARATHON PREVIEW | 27 oct. 2026 | 01:43:08 | |
More than 50,000 runners will take on the five boroughs on Sunday, Nov. 1, and the professional races are shaping up to be fascinating. In this episode, we discuss: - Defending champion Benson Kipruto looks to become the first man to win back-to-back NYC titles since Geoffrey Mutai. - Andreas Almgren makes his marathon debut after winning the World Half Marathon Championships in a European record of 58:06. - American record holder Conner Mantz returns to the marathon after a year disrupted by two sacral stress fractures. - Zouhair Talbi arrives with a 2:03:45 personal best from Boston and unfinished business in New York. - Hellen Obiri looks to capture her third NYC Marathon title, with 2024 champion Sheila Chepkirui among her biggest challengers. - Jess McClain, Annie Frisbie and debutant Weini Kelati lead a deep American women’s field. + More We’ve broken down the defending champions, top contenders, American storylines, and everything you need to know before race day. Watch live on ESPN2 beginning at 8 a.m. ET. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. | |||
| Jess McClain On Why She’s Ready To Race For The New York City Marathon Podium | 27 oct. 2026 | 00:55:54 | |
“I think podium is a goal for sure. There was this moment where a lot of us were saying it without saying it. It’s time that just happens.” My guest for today’s episode is Jess McClain, who spent the 2024 New York City Marathon largely self-coached and in her own words, “going off vibes.” She stood at a press conference just feet away from Sharon Lokedi and Hellen Obiri and thought she hadn’t prepared well enough to even hang with those women when the race started. A cab ride to the airport with her husband Connor followed. A cold DM to David Roche a few weeks later. It’s been two years of work since. Since then, every marathon has taught her something specific. At Worlds in Tokyo, she redlined further from the finish than she wanted to and fought mental demons in the distance for the first time. At Boston in 2026, she set the American course record and learned to get excited about gear shifts rather than afraid of them. Sharon Lokedi dropped 4:40s on Heartbreak Hill and Jess took it as a lesson. At Copenhagen, a split-second fueling decision at the second bottle station accidentally dropped her off the chase pack, and she ran miles in no-man’s-land into a headwind at 5:03-to-5:05 pace to post 5K and 10K PRs and a 1:06:53 half personal best in 7th place overall. Six days out from the 2026 New York City Marathon, Jess is back. We get into the full build — the Chicago vs. New York decision, how this training block compares, the honest acknowledgment that her mileage is lower than most of her competitors and why that’s fine. And we get to the moment that gives this episode its headline. When NYRR announced Jess in the field, she was quoted as thinking bigger than top American. I asked her to define that. Her answer came without hesitation. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. | |||
| Zouhair Talbi Has Unfinished Business At The NYC Marathon + Chasing The Podium | 24 oct. 2026 | 00:56:38 | |
“If I can close the gap a little bit more each time, one day I can win the race. I’m here for the long term.” My guest for today’s episode is Zouhair Talbi — and if you’ve been following American marathon running this year, you already know the name. We had him at No. 2 in CITIUS MAG’s Way Too Early 2028 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon Power Rankings. He ran 2:03:45 at the Boston Marathon in April, finishing fifth overall, breaking Ryan Hall’s 15-year American course record. He is now days out from the TCS New York City Marathon, where he has unfinished business. The 2023 New York was Zouhair’s second marathon. He went out with Tamirat Tola’s record-setting group, covered the surge, and by 34 kilometers his body had completely shut down — from 4:40 pace to 6:30, unable to go faster, pulling off the road. He describes it as one of the biggest experiences of his career. He was back in the hotel within the hour, already thinking about what he’d do differently. What he did differently was build, patiently and systematically, over the three years since. This block was his longest since turning to the marathon — five months from Boston to New York, with seven weeks at or above 130 miles, two of his fastest 40K long runs in training, and a Great North Run win in 59:47 that gave him the fitness signal he needed heading into the final phase. In this conversation, we go through the full build — what changed from the Boston block, how he is thinking about New York’s decisive moves or where in the race he is visualizing it. We also get into the dynamic of racing Conner Mantz, the Andreas Almgren wildcard, and a broader look at Olympic qualifying. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. | |||
| Conner Mantz Opens Up On His Toughest Year Yet + His Comeback From Injury To The 2026 NYC Marathon | 23 oct. 2026 | 01:16:20 | |
“I don’t live to run. I run to live. And the decision was: let’s just both stay home.” My guest for today’s episode is Conner Mantz — the American record holder in the marathon and for the first time on this podcast, a dad. He is days out from the TCS New York City Marathon, where he will race for the first time since breaking the record in Chicago last October. The twelve months in between have been the hardest of his career. Here is what happened. He ran 2:04:43 in Chicago, felt great, went for a flush jog the next day, and then spent the following eight months navigating two sacral stress fractures. It knocked out his entire spring. US Cross Country, World Cross, Boston — all watched from home. He returned to action this summer and most recently raced World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen in September. He ran a bit over his head and blew up badly and finished twelfth. He is now in the best shape he has been in since the record. Not carrying fitness from a long peak — coming into it. His biggest workouts actually have come 10 to 15 days out. In this conversation we go through the injury timeline, what he should have done differently, watching Boston from home and what he thought he’d run. He’s open about the complicated emotions of watching Clayton Young chase his record in Chicago, what he saw up close in Andreas Almgren’s training that floored him and what will make for a good day in New York. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. | |||
| Joe Klecker On His 130+ Mile Training Weeks, 2:05 At The Boston Marathon + 2026 NYC Marathon Goals | 22 oct. 2026 | 00:56:08 | |
“Going into my first one, we played it pretty safe. We really wanted to work on strength and didn’t touch much work faster than 5:00/mile pace. Then going into Boston, we pushed the envelope a little bit — like, okay, we’ve got one on the board, let’s go for a big one.” We’re kicking off our pre-NYC Marathon interviews and my guest for today’s episode is Joe Klecker — an Olympian, 2026 Boston Marathon top-ten finisher, and in eleven days, a returning TCS New York City Marathon competitor. He ran 2:05:56 at Boston in the spring, which puts him in the conversation with everyone we’ve been talking about this fall, and he goes into New York off what he described to me as his best training block yet. There were seven weeks above 130 miles and a peak at 135. This is a training-heavy discussion for the freaks. I think the part I enjoyed the most was thinking through with Joe on his theory of what a former 5K and mile specialist has to do to actually become a marathoner from the inside out? That was him. He’s spent the last two marathon builds trying to rewire his physiology for an event that is fundamentally different from everything he trained for across the first fifteen years of his running life. He ran 60:02 at the NYC Half in the spring. He shares basically all of it on Strava and through his Suunto posts on Instagram. So for the training obsessives, we talk mileage, the fueling evolution from New York to Boston to now, what he wants to fix from last year’s race, how he thinks about the OAC internal competition with Patrick Kiprop and Ryan Ford, who are all set to race alongside him. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. | |||
| How To Qualify For The 2028 Olympic Marathon Revealed & Explained | 21 oct. 2026 | 00:50:36 | |
LA28 OLYMPIC MARATHON QUALIFICATION DETAILS ARE HERE. World Athletics has outlined how athletes can qualify for the 2028 Olympic marathon: - Qualification window: Nov. 1, 2026 – April 30, 2028 - 70 quota places per gender (down from 80 in Paris) - Entry standards to be finalized in December - Top 5 at a Platinum Label marathon counts toward the entry standard - World Rankings will help fill the remaining places - March 19, 2028: Top 55 on the filtered quota list are locked in That last date is especially important for Team USA. It’s six days before the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in St. Louis, meaning the Americans could have all three men’s and three women’s Olympic quota places secured before race day. We broke down the rules, the Boston Marathon wrinkle, potential qualifying standards and why we feel better about the U.S. avoiding a repeat of the 2024 qualification headache. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. | |||
| Clayton Young On His 2:05:23 PR And Top American Finish At The Chicago Marathon While Battling A Torn Hamstring | Race Recap + Reflection | 14 oct. 2026 | 01:04:00 | |
“I’ve watched too many Chicago Marathons. I’ve been in too many Chicago Marathons. My experience in this race is unparalleled right now — and it felt good when it mattered on Sunday.” Clayton Young is the top American at the 2026 Chicago Marathon, now officially the second-fastest American in history on a record-eligible course with a 2:05:23. He did it on a hamstring with a 12-centimeter tear that his doctor had recommended four weeks of rest for. The race itself was one of the more dramatic in recent American marathon history. Vinny Mauri went to the front at 15K, dropped the pacers, and made a genuine bid for something bigger — at 30K he had 38 seconds on the rest of the Americans and was on 2:04 pace. Then it was his hamstring that started talking. He stopped several times to stretch in the final miles, the chase pack caught him. Charles Hicks surged hard trying to catch Mauri after the pacers stepped off, and Clayton simply followed before making his big move with a 4:38 mile. Clayton was chasing Connor Mantz’s American record of 2:04:43 the whole time since he he called that shot publicly weeks ago — and it didn’t happen. But he ran his fastest time ever, finished seventh overall in a field that included the likes of Amos Kipruto and Jacob Kiplimo… again, he did it all while managing a torn hamstring he’d been babying for a month. He called it one of the best marathon performances of his career. I agree. We discuss: – The night-before meeting with Coach Eyestone ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. | |||
| Vinny Mauri After His 2:06:45 Chicago Marathon, The Early Move, The Hamstring Stops And Lessons Taken With No Regrets | 13 oct. 2026 | 01:13:20 | |
"I’m coming away happy with taking a big swing at it. It’s better to hit the wall early than in March of ’28 or at something that matters a little bit more.” My guest for today’s episode is Vinny Mauri. And Sunday’s Chicago Marathon was exactly as exciting as you hoped it would be thanks to him. At 15K, running 2:04 pace in his first world major, Vinny looked around, decided that was too conservative, and made a move for something he described as “astronomical”. He led the Americans by 38 seconds at 30K. He was on American record pace at mile 21. And then the hamstrings started talking, he had to stop and stretch about six times in the final ten miles, and he finished tenth in 2:06:45. He also still managed to walk away with the U.S. 30K record. Vinny is 25 years old, still self-coached, still working at Second Sole in Niles, Ohio, now signed with ASICS, and now in two marathons has run 2:05 and 2:06 — one alone on a bike path and one in the lead pack of the Chicago Marathon where he spent the first nine miles fist-bumping his competition (who maybe didn’t hit him back) and making faces at his family on the sidelines. He says his third marathon will be a little different. He said so himself on Strava that he’ll plan to take it a bit more seriously. People who don’t know him might read that as disrespect for the distance. People who do know him understand it’s the opposite. In this conversation, we discuss: – The weekend vibe he and his girlfriend set for themselves the moment they landed in Chicago ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. | |||
| Emma Grace Hurley On Her 2:20:47 Marathon Debut, American Debut Record At The 2026 Chicago Marathon | 13 oct. 2026 | 01:17:18 | |
I always want to take it in and appreciate it because I feel so lucky to get to have those moments. And I know it takes a village.” Emma Grace Hurley ran 2:20:47 at the 2026 Chicago Marathon on Sunday — the fastest marathon debut by an American woman in history, breaking a record that stretches back to Deena Kastor in 2001 and runs through Kara Goucher, Jordan Hasay, and Fiona O’Keeffe. She finished seventh overall on a warm day where most of the lead women finished minutes off their goal times or didn’t finish at all. She did it mostly alone aside from the miles shared with her pacemaker Caleb Kerr. If you’ve been following Emma Grace’s year — the 8K American record in Chicago in March, the USATF 10-Mile title at Cherry Blossom, the Copenhagen team silver — none of this is entirely surprising. But it is also only her first marathon, and she is already the sixth-fastest American woman in history at the debut. We discuss: – The feelings from race day and the aftermath ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow. When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. | |||
| 2026 CHICAGO MARATHON RECAP | 12 oct. 2026 | 01:19:12 | |
Chris and Preet are back to break down the biggest highlights from the Chicago Marathon yesterday, including: – After finishing second in 2025, Amos Kipruto claimed his Chicago title in 2:01:09, tying Eliud Kipchoge for No. 5 on the all-time list. – Reigning champion Hawi Feysa and two-time Chicago champion and former world record holder Brigid Kosgei went out hard, covering the opening 10K in 31:04 (2:11:05 pace). – Sharon Lokedi’s marathon career is a picture of consistency. Her runner-up finish in Chicago came with a three-minute PB of 2:14:07 and moved her to No. 8 on the all-time list. – There was plenty of hype around Emma Grace Hurley’s marathon debut, to which we contributed with a pre-race podcast and workout video. Given her fifth place finish at last month’s World Road Running Championships half marathon and her 2026 season as a whole, the excitement was warranted. – Another seventh-place finish for Clayton Young! This time, he ran a huge PB of 2:05:23 to finish as the top American at a World Marathon Major for the first time in his career. – Charles Hicks rolled the dice in pursuit of the top American spot and still came away with a 2:05:35. – All things considered, Mauri’s 2:06:45 for tenth was a great performance. – Galen Rupp is so back. At 40, he ran 2:06:55 to finish as the fourth American, just 48 seconds off his lifetime best of 2:06:07 from Prague in 2018. I wasn’t out on the course enough Sunday to judge how much the humidity affected the race, but it’s wild to think he might have come even closer to his PB in better conditions. – Kieran Tuntivate put together a remarkably steady race to finish in 2:08:01. He went through halfway in 1:03:41 and ran the second half in 1:04:20 for a 39-second positive split. – Izzi Batt-Doyle took two minutes off her PB and jumped from fourth to first on the Australian marathon all-time list. + Lots more ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. | |||
| Charles Hicks On His 2:05:35 At The Chicago Marathon (No. 3 U.S. All-Time On A Record-Eligible Course) | Race Recap + Reflections | 12 oct. 2026 | 00:35:05 | |
“If I could teleport back a thousand times over, I’d probably make the same decision without the knowledge I have today. But going forward into every race, I’ll have that knowledge.” Twelve months ago, Charles Hicks had never run a marathon. Since then he’s raced three of them: sixth in New York, seventh in Boston, and yesterday in Chicago, eighth in 2:05:35. That’s the third-fastest time ever by an American on a record-eligible course. He was second American in all of them. He’s 25 years old and still technically in his rookie year at the distance. Chicago was a strange, thrilling race. It was the warmest marathon Charles has run. Vinny Mauri broke away at Mile 9 and went chasing the American record or something bigger. When the pacers stepped off at 30K, Charles and Clayton Young had to decide whether to sit in the pack and settle for second American, or roll the dice and try to go get him. He went. He caught Vinny. Then, with three miles to go, Clayton dropped a 4:38 mile and it was enough to seal Charles’ fate for another runner-up American finish. What I love about this conversation is that Charles doesn’t hide from any of it. He explains the tactical mistakes made but why he’d probably make the same call again. He puts us inside his shoes for the first 60 minutes of the men’s American race that we never got to see on TV. We talk about the lessons taken from this one and more. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. | |||
| BONUS EPISODE: Chicago Cubs Legend & Former Yankees Star Anthony Rizzo Is Running The Chicago Marathon | 09 oct. 2026 | 00:14:35 | |
My guest for today’s episode is Anthony Rizzo — three-time All-Star, 2016 World Series champion with the Cubs, and as of Sunday morning, a marathoner. He is running the Chicago Marathon for the first time, on the tenth anniversary of that World Series title, in support of the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, with a goal of raising a million dollars for pediatric cancer research. Anthony was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 22, beat it, and played 12 more seasons of Major League Baseball. He signed up for Chicago after watching his wife Emily run New York in 2023, got inspired, pulled in former teammate Jake Arrieta as a running partner, and has spent the last several months discovering that distance running is, in his words, a whole underground world he never knew existed. In this conversation we talk about what drew him here, what training actually looked like, getting plugged in with Brooks, and what he wants to find out about himself when it gets hard on Sunday. | |||
| NAZ Elite’s Adriaan Wildschutt On His Marathon Debut And Aiming For The Podium In Chicago | 08 oct. 2026 | 00:53:01 | |
My guest for today’s episode is Adriaan Wildschutt — a NAZ Elite athlete, South African national record holder in the half marathon, and as of Sunday, a marathoner. He makes his debut at the Chicago Marathon four days from now, which means he is currently listed last on the start list. He has no marathon personal best. He is completely fine with that. Adriaan grew up in South Africa, playing rugby, cricket, and soccer before discovering running in tenth grade. He came to the US on a scholarship to Coastal Carolina — recruited by Zola Budd — and later transferred to Florida State to compete in the ACC. He spent his post-collegiate career on the track, made the Paris Olympics in 2024, and then had to make a decision: where does a runner who keeps getting dropped in the final 150 meters of a 1500 actually belong? Everyone around him had been saying marathon for years. He decided they were probably right, and with the LA Olympics two years out, he didn’t have time to ease into it. His transition has moved quickly. A 59:13 half marathon debut in Valencia — a South African national record. A win at the NYC Half in March. A pacing assignment at the Cape Town Marathon where he was supposed to step off at 35K, instead dropped the field by 30 seconds before the wheels came off at 33K, and came away with exactly the experience he needed: proof of the engine, clarity on the work still required. He goes into Chicago planning to run with the American record group at 2:04 pace. The South African marathon record is 2:05:36. He’s not ruling out a podium. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. | |||
| 2026 CHICAGO MARATHON PREVIEW | 06 oct. 2026 | 01:35:09 | |
The Chicago Marathon goes Sunday on a course that has produced a world record or an American record every year since 2022. Defending champions Jacob Kiplimo and Hawi Feysa return, and multiple men in the field have openly said they’re chasing Conner Mantz’s American record. The weather: 59°F with a 54°F dew point at 7 a.m. local, rising to 64°F and a 57°F dew point by 9. Manageable for the elites, warmer than ideal for records. The margin for error shrinks as the race goes on. The men’s favorite: Kiplimo has a 2:00:28 PB from London — a minute faster than anyone else entered, and faster than Kiptum’s old world record, in a race he finished third. He’s skipped a tune-up this year after opening with a 58:29 half before winning Chicago in 2:02:23 last fall. The women’s race: Brigid Kosgei returns to the site of her 2:14:04 world record for the first time since 2019, off a resurgent year — wins in Shanghai (2:16:36) and Tokyo (2:14:29), where she beat Feysa. Plus: We unpack the intense races for top American on the men’s and women’s side. How to Watch – TV: NBC5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago; Streaming: NBC Sports NOW, NBC Chicago channel on Peacock Full preview to come in the CITIUS MAG Newsletter. You can subscribe here. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. | |||
| Galen Coaches Kyle (Episode 2) | The Most Excited He’s Been Before A Race In A Long Time | 05 oct. 2026 | 01:14:03 | |
“I really haven’t been this excited heading into a race in a long time. And that’s all rooted in the training I’ve done.” Kyle Merber’s second conversation with Galen Rupp ahead of the Chicago Marathon comes with bittersweet news: Kyle is scratching. A jagged rock on the exit of a river after a good run turned into a trauma-induced plantar situation that worsened until Chicago was no longer feasible. He takes full responsibility and exonerates Galen completely. The coaching experiment, which produced some of Kyle’s best training since retiring, just ran out of luck in the final stretch. Galen, meanwhile, is entering race week as the most excited he’s been before a race in a long time. We discuss: – The taper and why flat legs are normal ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. | |||
| Vinny Mauri On The Treadmill Training That Has Everyone Talking Before His 2026 Chicago Marathon Debut + American Records Odds | 04 oct. 2026 | 01:16:00 | |
“Toledo was a debut effort. This is my debut race of the marathon. Those are two different things.” My guest for today’s episode is Vinny Mauri — and the last time we had him on, he had just run 2:05:53 in his marathon debut on a bike path in Toledo, Ohio, self-coached, without a pacer, without a shoe contract, and with no course clocks anywhere on the route. He looked up at the finishing clock expecting to see 2:09 and it said 2:05. He had no idea. A lot has happened since then. He signed a professional contract with ASICS. He hired Hawi Keflezighi as his agent. He kept his hours at Second Sole running store in Niles, Ohio, where he fits customers for shoes and occasionally gets asked by someone how training is going. He has not raced once. And he has built one of the more unconventional marathon training blocks any American professional has put together ahead of a world major — seven consecutive weeks of 26-plus mile long runs, a 138-mile peak week, a September day that became 45 miles on the treadmill at Planet Fitness, and an 86-mile stretch across three consecutive days that included 36 miles at 4:56 pace. The central question of the block was simple: how do you make 26.2 miles feel short? This conversation was recorded one week before the Bank of America Chicago Marathon — his first world major, his first race since Toledo, and the first time in his career he can honestly say he arrived at a start line healthy and ready. He is joining a field that includes Clayton Young, who has publicly committed to going after Connor Mantz’s American record, and Charles Hicks, who ran 2:04 in Boston this spring. Vinny’s position on the American record conversation is: There is an extremely high probability it gets rewritten on Sunday. In this conversation we get into: – Why Chicago ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. | |||
| This Week In Track & Field: Unpacking How Tigst Assefa Ruptured Her Achilles At 40K & Still Ran 2:11:04 (No. 3 All-Time) At The Berlin Marathon | 30 sept. 2026 | 01:11:44 | |
A lighter week of running action but a big performance out of Berlin needs some more context. Discussed in this episode: – Berlin Marathon — men’s race: Guy Adola wins in 2:02:51 in the absence of Sebastian Sawe (stress fracture to the right tibia ruled him out of all fall marathon options). – Tigst Assefa, 2:11:04, and the Achilles that didn’t quite hold: Assefa won Berlin in 2:11:04 for the third fastest women’s marathon ever. She was on world record pace through 40K. The projection was 2:09:44. At 40K the wheels came off. Her management’s statement says she first felt pain at 31K and suffered a severe injury — described as a complete rupture of the right Achilles — at approximately 40K. She completed the final 2.2 kilometers. Surgery followed on Monday. Recovery timeline: potentially up to seven months. We unpack: – The science debate on an Achilles injury – The medical opinion – Her Achilles history – The credibility question on if she would have broken Ruth Chepngetich’s world record – The Adidas additional AIU testing question – What’s next for the women’s marathon WR Also briefly touched on: – London Marathon’s two-day split — decided by rock, paper, scissors – NYC Marathon’s cheer zone rules – Boston Marathon cutoff time – Clayton Young hamstring reaction + More ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. | |||
| Clayton Young Reveals Hamstring Tear, Still Plans To Chase American Record At The 2026 Chicago Marathon | 29 sept. 2026 | 00:56:38 | |
“I called my shot. I’m confident in my ability to still chase the American record. I’ve already learned so much this build that it’s already been a success.” My guest today is Brooks professional marathoner and Suunto-supported athlete Clayton Young, joining us two weeks before the 2026 Chicago Marathon. Earlier this spring, Clayton finished 11th at Boston in 2:05:41 after a ten-week build that followed a significant injury and a change in sponsors. He’s spent months preparing for Chicago with a bigger goal in mind: chasing Conner Mantz’s American marathon record of 2:04:43. Part of that ambition came from watching Josh Kerr call his shot at the mile world record. Clayton took to heart the idea of creating the conditions for a breakthrough, and he’s written the same declaration in his journal every day: “I, Clayton Young, will break the American record on October 11th, 2026 at the Chicago Marathon.” But his tune-up at the Great North Run didn’t go as planned, and he had an MRI afterward. For the first time, Clayton shares the extent of the injury and what it means for Chicago. We also talk about the psychology of stating his goal publicly, the data behind his training decisions, how Coach Eyestone has adapted, and what Clayton makes of Chicago competitors Charles Hicks and Vinny Mauri. He explains why this race feels different from Boston—and what he wants spectators to yell when they see him on the course. We discuss: – The daily journal ritual – Having fun is a skill he has had to practice – Josh Kerr’s mile world record as the direct inspiration for calling his shot with the American record attempt – The contrasting psychologies with Charles Hicks – Dr. Craig Manning and the purpose of a goal – Abundant mentality on the field: Charles Hicks, Vinny Mauri and the rest of the young Americans entering this distance. There are only three Olympic Trials spots and only one American record, but this sport is growing and there’s enough for everyone. He’s actively working against the scarcity mindset and wants all of them to succeed. – Coach Eyestone’s adaptations to recent success by other runners – The data gathering from Commons Clinic, Stride, Suunto, Brooks Sports Research Lab – The build being the best training of his career– The injury and the first public disclosure of its extent – What it means for the 2026 Chicago Marathon – What he learned from The Great North Run – What to yell on course for him + More ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. | |||
| Ranking The Top 25 Track Athletes Of The 2026 Outdoor Season | 28 sept. 2026 | 01:03:30 | |
Unlike “normal” global championship years, this professional season ended with three championships of a sort: the Diamond League final, World Ultimate Championships, and World Road Running Championships. As its name implies, the “ultimate” championship feels like the closest thing we had this year to a be-all-end-all determination of who’s the best athlete in their respective events, but it’s easier to look at the calendar and suggest that success in other forays—whether it’s the European Championships, regular-season DL circuit, Commonwealth Games, or something else entirely—could mean the same or more than a trophy in Budapest. That made sorting out our year-end power rankings all the more challenging. How do you account for a steeplechaser who didn’t have the option of competing at WUC? Or a sprinter who ran really well, but didn’t necessarily face the same competition as a U.S. championship? When we first took on this assignment in June, World Indoors was the single biggest event on the schedule you could point to as evidence of championship mettle, and spillover good vibes from 2025 were still in the air. That’s no longer true. 2025, and even this year’s indoor season, are both increasingly distant memories. What have you (the top 25 athletes on the track and in the field) done for us lately? As always, there’s a healthy dose of subjectivity that goes into these rankings. How do you compare a single-event specialist against a more generalized sprinter or distance runner? How much does consistency over the regular season matter compared to winning when it “counts?” How much does the top-end talent of an event or event group like the women’s 800m or the men’s pole vault elevate a star who didn’t win all that much? How much should you weigh consistently beating a deep field of competition, like in the women’s 100m hurdles or men’s 100m? Top 25 Track Athletes of 2026: 25 – Femke Bol ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. | |||
| Charles Hicks On His Biggest Marathon Build Yet + What He Wants At The Chicago Marathon | 26 sept. 2026 | 01:04:09 | |
“I’ve allowed my brain to anchor on the fact that I can run 2:04. It’s physically possible — and that’s as good as it gets as a signal. Now let’s go find out what the trend looks like.” My guest for today’s episode is Charles Hicks and the last time we had him on was right after he ran 2:04:35 at the Boston Marathon. A lot has happened since then. His wife graduated law school. They got married. They went on a honeymoon. And then Charles moved out to Park City, Utah, to train at altitude for the first time in his career — no tent, no simulated environment, just real air at real elevation — for what will be his third marathon in less than a year. That third marathon is the Chicago Marathon, and Charles is going into it with a specific goal he’s been comfortable saying out loud: he finished second American in New York, second American in Boston, and now he wants to be first American in Chicago. The American record conversation is happening around him — Clayton Young has called his shot publicly — but Charles’s approach to it is characteristically his own. Beat the guy next to you. Let the record follow if it’s going to. In this conversation, he takes us through how Chicago has been on the plan since a text thread in 2024 where he and Jerry mapped out New York, Boston, Chicago in sequence; we get into some of his training and what organic altitude training has taught him about pacing discipline that sea-level training couldn’t and much more. He’s one of the most philosophical marathoners you’ll find. Discussed in this episode: – Organic altitude — why no tent in Park City – What altitude training actually teaches you – The timeline from Boston to Chicago – The goal for Chicago — first American, not the American record – “Anchor” versus “ceiling” — a key distinction – The mileage log for this block– Daisy-chaining — the philosophy behind the continuous training – The earache that set up the best workout of his career – What the taper feels like after 125-130 mile weeks – The Vinny Mauri subplot – The track work – Training alongside Cole Sprout and Kieran Tuntivate – The brain podcast on solo easy runs – Race day logistics + More ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. | |||
| How Klaudia Kazimierska Became The Breakout 1500m Star Of 2026 & World Ultimate Champion | 23 sept. 2026 | 01:23:13 | |
“The best athlete has short-term memory. After good races you push it away, and after bad races you just forget and move on.” My guest for today’s episode is Klaudia Kazimierska — the World Ultimate champion at 1500 meters and one of the biggest breakthrough stories in track and field this year. She is 25 years old, a Nike pro, and trains under coach Jerry Schumacher in Eugene, Oregon. Her past month is the type of season most athletes would dream of. Here is how September went for Klaudia. She broke the Polish national record early in the month at the Silesia Diamond League. Then she went to Brussels and won the Diamond League Final in 3:54.05 — a world lead, a meet record, and a Polish record again all in the same race. Then she came back a week later and won the World Ultimate Championship 1500 meter final. Then she capped her season in London with another victory over Hunter Bell. In those last three races, she earned $275,000 in prize money. In this one, we go back to Poland, where she started running once a week at eleven years old because her dad knew the coach, ran 4:07 at nineteen and thought the Tokyo Olympics were right around the corner, then went backward. In 2021, frustrated and looking for something new, she started the paperwork to transfer to Oregon — a process complicated enough that it took a year. She’s made the Olympic and World Championship finals in the last two years, but 2026 was really the breakthrough. Brussels was the first time she put herself in a position to win. Then Budapest was the second. We discuss: – The season that still hasn’t fully settled in highlighted by three wins in three weeks — Diamond League final (Brussels), World Ultimate Championships (Budapest), Athlos London. Total prize earnings: approximately $275,000. – Growing up in Poland – Representing Poland at sixteen — and who else was there – The road to the University of Oregon – The language barrier and the fear of not being herself – The training difference — Poland vs. Eugene – The four-year plateau at 4:07 – The Paris Olympic final — and why she cried on a day she ran a PB – What nobody knew about the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships – The torn hip labrum that almost ended 2025 before it started – The Tokyo World Championships and the first real glimpse of her kick – Pre-Classic as the tactical lesson that made Brussels possible – Brussels Diamond League Final— the shadow on the home straight: 3:54, the world lead. – Budapest — the gear shift, the last 50 meters, and knowing everyone else was hurting too. – London — finding the inside rail + What’s next ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app. | |||
| Emma Grace Hurley After 5th Place At The World Road Running Champs In 1:06:23 (No. 3 U.S. All-Time / Women’s-Only American Record) + Chicago Marathon Training & Goals | 23 sept. 2026 | 01:12:13 | |
“I haven’t really taken the time to appreciate it yet. I think if you had told me on the front end that was going to happen, I would have been floored. But now I’m just like, okay, I gotta refocus on marathon training.” My guest for today’s episode is Emma Grace Hurley and since we last had her on in May, a lot has happened. She went to Copenhagen last weekend and finished fifth at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in a personal best of 1:06:23, an American record for an all-women’s race. She also helped the United States women’s team claim the silver medal — a result that, going into the day, wasn’t even on anyone’s radar. The team went 5th, 6th, and 7th with her, Weini Kelati, and Jess McClain all finishing within 30 seconds of each other, and the photo of the three of them at the finish is one of those American women’s distance running moments that we want to blow up into a poster. In 19 days, she runs the Chicago Marathon for her debut at the distance. So there was no easing into the post-Copenhagen glow, no week off, no victory lap. She got home, got drug tested, and went back to training. Emma Grace is an ASICS athlete who trains under Andrew and Amy Begley at Heartland Track Club in Indianapolis. She came into this season as the American record holder at 8K, won the USATF 10-Mile title at Cherry Blossom, and finished second at the USATF 5K Championships in her own city. The Copenhagen team silver was the chapter that closed out the Atlanta misdirection story from March, where she was one of the three athletes who was sent off course in the closing mile of the US half marathon championships and ultimately earned her spot in Copenhagen through the special exception World Athletics granted. Discussed in this episode: – Copenhagen hasn’t settled in yet ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra’s lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra’s Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don’t just run. Vanish. Head to AltraRunning.com and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. | |||
| This Week In Track & Field: Agnes Ngetich Breaks The Half Marathon WR; Dawit Seare Upsets Jakob In The 5K; Emma Grace Hurley Is Coming + A CITIUS MAG Baby Is On The Way | 21 sept. 2026 | 01:34:24 | |
Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia recap the World Road Running Championships, the ATHLOS London experience and some news on the future cities hosting the World Championships. Plus: Some big personal news. Discussed in this episode: – CITIUS MAG baby: Chris and Kari announced their pregnancy the day before recording. Baby due February 2027. – Nairobi gets the 2029 World Championships — the first senior global outdoor championship on the African continent, in the country that has produced more all-time greats than arguably any other. They’ve invested heavily in renovating the Kasarani Stadium. The altitude is roughly 5,500-6,000 feet — slightly higher than Boulder. – Munich 2031: Strong choice. Europeans 2022 in Munich was widely regarded as one of the best championships many attendees had seen. Germany has hosted World Championships before (Berlin 2009). – Athlos London — Preet’s first-time assessment: The vibe was much closer to what he’d hoped World Ultimates would feel like – Keely’s all-black Nike speed suit was stunning up close — the aerodynamic studs were coloured in a rainbow and changed colour in the light. Keely spoke clearly about the work that went into it and confirmed: it is within the current rules. – Women’s mile: Agathe Guillemot (France) wins in 4:22 over Frewenyi Hilou. Fearless racing, earned gold after finishing fourth at both World Indoors and Europeans this year. – Women’s 5K: Likina Amebaw (Ethiopia) wins in 14:41. Third major win to close the season: second at DL final, won World Ultimates, won World Road. – Men’s 5K — biggest upset of the weekend: Dawit Seare from Eritrea — who Jakob had already passed — rallies in the final fifty meters and catches him at the line. Seare wins in 12:56. Jakob second in 12:59. – Women’s half marathon — Agnes Ngetich, world record 65:15: Goes with the lead before 3K and turns it into a race for silver and bronze. Wins by 50 seconds (the cross country title in Tallahassee was by f42). – US women team silver: Emma Grace Hurley, Weini Kelati, Jess McClain go 5-6-7 — first time three Americans have broken 67 minutes in the same race – Emma Grace Hurley, 66:23: PB by 72 seconds. Women’s-only American record. Moves to number three on the US all-time list. She is in the 2028 Olympic marathon trials contender bracket — before she has run one. Chicago debut: 2:19-2:20 on the table? – Men’s half marathon — Andreas Almgren, European record 58:06: First European to win the half marathon World Championships since 1996. He is very fit. New York marathon field just got significantly more complicated. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra’s lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra’s Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don’t just run. Vanish. Head to AltraRunning.com and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. | |||
| Kenny Bednarek After Making $300K Off 30 Seconds Of Racing To Win The 100m & 200m At World Ultimate Championships | 18 sept. 2026 | 00:43:13 | |
Once I crossed the finish line it was more like relief. You always know you can do it, but once you finally do it you’re like: okay. Now we’ve got that check mark. Now we’re on to the next thing.” Kenny Bednarek is the first man in history to win both the 100 and 200 meters at a single World Ultimate Championships, which he did in Budapest last week. Two gold medals, roughly 30 seconds of combined running, and a $300,000 payday. Kenny has been one of the most decorated sprinters in the world for several years — two Olympic silver medals in the 200, a world championship silver, and a personal best of 19.52 that puts him among the fastest 200 runners in history. But individual gold at a global championship had not happened yet. This season had one overriding goal — set before World Ultimates existed on the calendar — and it was not about times. It was about executing when it counts. He opened his 200 season in 19.69, confirmed it was automatic, then pivoted. At the Silesia Diamond League in Poland he ran 9.87 and felt he had more. He carried that into Budapest. Two days before the 100 final, the block starts were clicking so cleanly that he turned to us at the press conference and said: watch the 100. He knew. In this conversation, we go deep on all of it — what the championship finally felt like after years of silver, what two years of training next to Christian Coleman did to his start, what he had to unlearn about those final twenty meters where the form used to break down, why he thinks Budapest was a 9.7 race in warmer conditions, the world record conversation he almost never has out loud, what he wants World Ultimates to keep, and why he thinks the sport grows when people see who these athletes actually are. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra’s lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra’s Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don’t just run. Vanish. Head to AltraRunning.com and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. | |||
| Sandi Morris After Her First Outdoor Global Pole Vault Title At World Ultimates | Live From Budapest | 15 sept. 2026 | 00:25:12 | |
Olympic silver medalist Sandi Morris joins us in Budapest after winning her first outdoor global title in pole vault, closing out a rollercoaster season with a 4.90m clearance. Sandi talks about the long road from collecting outdoor silver medals to finally getting her gold, working with new coach Brooke Rasnick, and why she believes she's only getting started. She also breaks down the strategy behind her winning jump, including switching to bigger poles and making split-second decisions with her coach in the middle of the competition. Plus, she explains why she passed 4.85m, how she knew the door was open when Hana missed at 4.90m, her plans for LA 2028, and more. ____________ Stay tuned for more coverage from the World Ultimate Championships and make sure you’re subscribed to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our interviews. Follow along on Instagram, X, and subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to receive our daily recaps. | |||
| Nikki Hiltz After Taking Third In The World Ultimate Championship 1500m + Lessons From Racing | Live From Budapest | 15 sept. 2026 | 00:16:29 | |
Nikki Hiltz joins Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber live from Budapest after finishing third in the 1500m at the World Ultimate Championships, the highest finish of their career at an outdoor global championship. Nikki reflects on a huge 2026 season that included wins at Millrose Games and the Pre Classic, a dramatic U.S. Championships victory, and taking third at World Ultimates. They break down the 1500m final, Georgia Hunter Bell's late move, and their battle to the finish with Klaudia Kazimierska. Plus, Nikki talks about their mental growth, racing with confidence, time trials, and why they're ready for a much-needed break after one more race in London this weekend. ____________ Stay tuned for more coverage from the World Ultimate Championships and make sure you’re subscribed to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our interviews. Follow along on Instagram, X, and subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to receive our daily recaps. | |||
| Hana Moll On Her Runner-Up Pole Vault Finish At World Ultimate Championships + How She's Built Her Confidence | Live From Budapest | 15 sept. 2026 | 00:11:54 | |
Hana Moll joins Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber in Budapest fresh off her runner-up finish at the World Ultimate Championships. She talks about how she managed to keep her momentum going through her long season, including competing five times in less than a month, and why she chose to skip USAs for a month-long training block instead. Plus, she talks about balancing school with life on the professional circuit, why having friends and a strong community makes constant travel easier, her finance major, staying connected with her sister while competing around the world, and why she's looking forward to taking a break before turning her attention to 2027. ____________ Stay tuned for more coverage from the World Ultimate Championships and make sure you’re subscribed to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our interviews. Follow along on Instagram, X, and subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to receive our daily recaps. | |||
| WORLD ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 3 | Josh Kerr Takes 1500m Win, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden & Kenny Bednarek Sweep 100m/200m Titles, Djamel Sedjati Wins 800m + More | 13 sept. 2026 | 01:31:58 | |
Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber recap the final day of World Ultimates, including an American sprint sweep, a 45.98 in the 400m hurdles, and Josh Kerr adding a 1500m title to his mile world record. The biggest headlines: - Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek each leave Budapest with $300,000 after sweeping the 100m and 200m titles. MJW ran 21.47 in the women's 200m — the fourth-fastest time in history, into a 0.6 m/s headwind — to beat 2024 Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas (21.77). Only Florence Griffith Joyner's 1988 world record (21.34) and two Shericka Jackson runs have been faster. MJW also swept both events at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. - Kenny Bednarek won the men's 200m in a personal-best 19.52 — becoming the seventh-fastest man in history — beating 2024 Olympic gold medalist Letsile Tebogo. It's the same time Noah Lyles ran to win the 2025 World title in Tokyo. Bednarek said afterward: "Performance-wise and execution-wise, I give myself an A-plus." Two 200m Olympic silvers deep into his career, and the biggest race wins of that career came in Budapest. - Alison Dos Santos ran 45.98 to win the men's 400m hurdles — the third-fastest time in history, and just 0.18 off his own newly-set world record from Zurich two weeks earlier. Rai Benjamin was second in 46.40 (also doubling from the 400m final on Saturday). Karsten Warholm was third in 46.78. Dos Santos, Benjamin, and Warholm now own the 37 fastest times in the event's history. It is the deepest three-way rivalry in the sport right now. - Josh Kerr won the men's 1500m in 3:29.35, holding off Australia's Cameron Myers in his first major championship since breaking the mile world record on July 18. Americans finished third (Hobbs Kessler), fourth (Cole Hocker, the 2024 Olympic champion), and fifth (Yared Nuguse) all within three hundredths of each other. - Djamel Sedjati of Algeria won the men's 800m in 1:41.91, overtaking Olympic gold medalist Emmanuel Wanyonyi and then Marco Arop in the final 100 meters. Jasmine Jones took the women's 400m hurdles in 52.45 for the biggest win of her career — Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone did not race this season after having her daughter Savannah in July. - Plus the field events: Gianmarco Tamberi cleared 2.37m to beat JuVaughn Harrison in the high jump — the same height Tamberi and Mutaz Barshim cleared to share Olympic gold in Tokyo. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage won the men's javelin for the biggest track and field title in Sri Lankan history. The US won the mixed 4x400m relay (Chris Bailey, Alexis Holmes, Jacory Patterson, Aaliyah Butler). ____________ Stay tuned for more live coverage from the World Ultimate Championships in the days to come and make sure you’re subscribed to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our interviews. Follow along on Instagram, X, and subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to receive our daily recaps. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. | |||
| WORLD ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 2 | Melissa Jefferson-Wooden & Kenny Bednarek Win The 100m Titles, Audrey Werro Stays Undefeated In The 800m + More | 12 sept. 2026 | 01:08:05 | |
Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber recap a wild day 2 of the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship, including sprint finals, sub-44 history in the men's 400m, an American sweep of the 100m titles, and one of the deepest single days of racing the sport has seen in some time The biggest headlines: - Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek gave the United States a sweep of the 100m titles. Jefferson-Wooden ran 10.62 — one hundredth off her personal best from winning the 2025 World title — to beat Julien Alfred (10.74) and Sha'Carri Richardson (10.76). She now has just one 100m defeat since taking bronze in Paris, and stands as the fourth-fastest woman in history. Bednarek ran 9.85 to win the biggest individual race of his career, beating 2025 World champion Oblique Seville by five hundredths. Noah Lyles was out injured. Bednarek did the job the American men needed. - Collen Kebinatshipi of Botswana ran 43.39 in the men's 400m to win by 76 hundredths — the joint-fifth-fastest 400m in history. He has now broken 44 seconds on six occasions in 2026, the most for any athlete in a single year in the event's history. Rai Benjamin took silver in a race that was also the setup for his 400m hurdles semifinal roughly two hours later — one of the most demanding double-events attempts we've seen this year. - Audrey Werro capped an undefeated 2026 season with the women's 800m title in 1:55.88, winning by 38 hundredths over Keely Hodgkinson. Femke Broeders-Bol was there. Werro was the 33rd-fastest woman in history in June. She has spent the summer running the third, fourth, and fifth-fastest times in history behind Jarmila Kratochvílová's 1:53.28 from 1983. Now she's a champion of the biggest meet of the year, undefeated, and 22 years old. - Marileidy Paulino extended her own undefeated 2026 season with the women's 400m title in 49.07. She was in last place at 200 meters before running down the field. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the 2025 World champion in 47.78, did not race this season — she had daughter Savannah in July. - Sandi Morris earned the biggest outdoor pole vault title of her decade-plus career at 34 years old, clearing 4.90m to top Hana Moll on countback. Morris previously had silver medals at the 2016 Olympics and at the 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2025 World Championships. Five career silvers before this weekend. Now the first gold. ____________ Stay tuned for more live coverage from the World Ultimate Championships in the days to come and make sure you’re subscribed to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our interviews. Follow along on Instagram, X, and subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to receive our daily recaps. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. | |||
| Parker Wolfe After Finishing Third In The World Ultimate Championships 5000m + Rookie Season Reflections | Live From Budapest | 12 sept. 2026 | 00:22:07 | |
Fresh off his third place finish in the 5000m at the World Ultimate Championships, Parker Wolfe joins Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber to reflect on his first full year as a professional runner, from staying healthy and consistent for nearly the entire season to racing the best athletes in the world and learning how to put himself in the right position when the stakes are highest. We get into what changed for Parker after leaving the NCAA, including the more individualized strength and PT work with Swoosh TC and how being surrounded by teammates who are running fast has pushed everyone to another level. Parker also breaks down the long-term approach he learned from Coach Milt, his transition to Mike Smith, and why he believes there’s still more room to improve. Parker also takes us inside some of his biggest races of the season, including the tactical decisions that went into the World Ultimate Championships 5K, his growing confidence racing up front, and the race videos he watches to learn the tactics of his competitors. Plus, we talk about his plans to get into more 1500s next year, his dream of racing the London Diamond League 1500m, and why he thinks becoming a better 1500m runner could be the key to becoming one of the best 5K runners in the world. We also talk about the 2028 Olympic Trials, racing alongside a stacked group of American 5K talent, and whether Parker is already thinking about what could be next. ____________ Stay tuned for more live coverage from the World Ultimate Championships in the days to come and make sure you’re subscribed to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our interviews. Follow along on Instagram, X, and subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to receive our daily recaps. | |||
| WORLD ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 1 | Jakob Ingebrigtsen Beats Cole Hocker, US Sweeps The Hurdles With Masai Russell & Ja’Kobe Tharp + More | 12 sept. 2026 | 00:55:44 | |
We recap the historic opening day of the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship, track and field's newest global meet, with a $10 million prize pool that World Athletics is calling the richest in the history of the sport. The biggest headlines: - Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the men's 5000m in 12:59.24, going from fourth to first in the last 200 meters to beat Cole Hocker on his return to the 5000m. Hocker took silver in his first race at the distance since winning the 2025 World title. Parker Wolfe finished third. Nico Young was fifth. Grant Fisher sixth. Graham Blanks seventh. Five Americans in the top seven of a global 5000m final. It happened one week after Jakob and Hocker exchanged public words following the Diamond League Final. - Masai Russell won the women's 100m hurdles in 12.22 — two weeks after lowering the world record to 12.09 at the Zurich Diamond League. She's now on a 13-meet win streak dating back to placing fourth at the 2025 World Championships. Training partner Devynne Charlton was second for Bahamas. - Ja'Kobe Tharp added an Ultimate Championship title to his world record in the 110m hurdles, running 12.94 to edge 2025 World champion Cordell Tinch by one hundredth. The US took the top four spots in the men's 110m hurdles final even without Grant Holloway, who has been out all season with a March hamstring injury. - The US won the mixed 4x100m relay (Ronnie Baker, Anavia Battle, Courtney Lindsey, Kayla White) in 39.64 — two hundredths off the world record Jamaica set at the World Relays in May. The mixed relay debuts at the World Championships in 2027 and at the LA Olympics in 2028. - Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.20m to win the pole vault, then took three attempts at 6.32m in a bid for his 16th world record. Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the women's high jump to become the first athlete ever to hold Olympic gold, World Championship gold, world record, and Ultimate Championship gold simultaneously. Italy's Larissa Iapichino took the women's long jump for the biggest win of her career. Germany's Merlin Hummel won the men's hammer throw. - Plus prelims for Saturday's finals: 2025 World champion Collen Kebinatshipi of Botswana, Rai Benjamin, Chris Bailey, and Jacory Patterson all qualified for the men's 400m final. Marileidy Paulino led all women's 400m qualifiers. Rai Benjamin will race both the 400m final and the 400m hurdles semifinals on Saturday in what is one of the boldest double-events attempts of the year. All of the women's 800m favorites — Keely Hodgkinson, Audrey Werro, Femke Broeders-Bol — made Saturday's final. ____________ Stay tuned for more live coverage from the World Ultimate Championships in the days to come and make sure you’re subscribed to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our interviews. Follow along on Instagram, X, and subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to receive our daily recaps. | |||
| Wallace Spearmon On America’s Current Track Stars, The Lead Up To LA 2028 And World Athletics’ Innovations At Ultimate Champs | 11 sept. 2026 | 00:39:51 | |
Wallace Spearmon joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast live from Budapest to talk all things World Ultimate Championships, USATF, and the current state of the sport. The former world medalist breaks down the new 200m lane draft, why he’d happily take an outside lane, what Kenny Bednarek’s lane choice says about his race strategy, and why having the best athletes in the world all in one place could make for some of the most competitive rounds we’ve seen. He also shares what it was like competing in an era with “off years,” how the business of professional track has changed, and why he believes athletes today have more freedom to show their personalities. Wallace also gets into the entertainment side of track and field, from Noah Lyles’ willingness to stir things up to Sha’Carri Richardson’s unapologetic personality, the rivalries brewing across the sport and why track could benefit from embracing a little more trash talk. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about competition, personalities, rivalries, storytelling and where track and field is headed as we look toward LA 2028. ____________ Stay tuned for more live coverage from the World Ultimate Championships in the days to come and make sure you’re subscribed to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our interviews. Follow along on Instagram, X, and subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to receive our daily recaps. | |||
| 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Jeremy Wariner Reflects On His Career, Now Coaching Team USA’s 4x4 And The State Of The 400m | 11 sept. 2026 | 00:37:50 | |
Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber are coming at you live from Budapest with Team USA relay coach and 400m legend Jeremy Wariner. The Olympic and world champion looks back on his legendary career, from winning Olympic gold at just 20 years old to becoming one of the most dominant 400m runners of his generation. Jeremy gets into his race strategy, the brutal workouts that told him he was ready to run fast, racing alongside LaShawn Merritt, and why he never really needed to train for the 200m despite making U.S. Championship finals. He also breaks down how the 400m has evolved, whether modern spikes and technology would have made him faster, and what he thinks of the current crop of 400m stars, including Quincy Wilson and Rai Benjamin. Now a high school coach and member of Team USA’s relay staff, Jeremy also shares what he has learned from his longtime coach Clyde Hart, how he approaches coaching young athletes, and what it’s like managing rivalries and egos when athletes have to put everything aside to get the stick around. Plus, we get his thoughts on the growing mixed relays, Team USA’s battle with Botswana heading toward the 2028 Olympics, his Olympic medals and collection of glasses and uniforms, and whether he could still throw down a 400m if Team USA desperately needed him in 2028. There are also stories about dodging golf balls during practice, running 43-second 400s in workouts, and the one time he ran an 800m. ____________ Stay tuned for more live coverage from the World Ultimate Championships in the days to come and make sure you’re subscribed to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of our interviews. Follow along on Instagram, X, and subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to receive our daily recaps. | |||
| WORLD ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW | LIVE FROM BUDAPEST | 10 sept. 2026 | 01:15:16 | |
Let the grand experiment begin! The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships, first announced in 2024, are finally upon us and the streets of Budapest are full of track and field fans looking forward to three jam-packed days of action. Small, high-quality fields have been selected using a combination of world rankings and wild card selections, and the straight-final format (with no rabbits!) promises intriguing results. All year, rivalries have been created, reignited, or grown in intensity during a roller-coaster summer season, and for many, if not most, big stars, the WUC will be the final chapter in the 2026 storybook. We'll have boots on the ground in Hungary delivering live coverage, athlete interviews, and analysis in daily post-meet live shows. Make sure you’re subscribed and tuned in to the CITIUS YouTube channel as well as following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky for updates. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra’s lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra’s Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don’t just run. Vanish. Head to AltraRunning.com and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. | |||
| This Week In Track & Field: Jakob Ingebrigtsen Calls The Field Cowards & Starts Beef With Cole Hocker; Cam Myers & Klaudia Kazimierska Claim 1500m Titles; Audrey Werro Stays Unbeaten + More | 08 sept. 2026 | 01:34:42 | |
Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia are back to break down all the highlights from the Diamond League final in Brussels last weekend. Discussed in this episode: – Men’s 1500m: Cam Myers wins in 3:30 as the first Australian to win a Diamond League distance title. The race has been somewhat overshadowed by everything that followed it. Myers was boxed in behind Jakob and Phanuel Koech with 100 meters to go, found a gap when Koech drifted to lane two, and had the fastest final 100 of the field (12.8). – The controversy: In the mixed zone, Jakob Ingebrigtsen called the field — including himself — losers. He was specifically critical of Cole for bringing in a faster pacer (Christian Jackson) with a promise of 3:27 pace, and then nobody getting on it. – What happened next: Jakob later posted a partial apology and called his field of cowards comment wrong, but stood by his criticism of Cole and his team. This entire controversy is exactly why there should be no pacemakers at the Diamond League final. – Josh Kerr’s response: He waited a day, then posted himself running a 48.41 400m on Instagram with no context. His 3:42 world record and 1:44 800m shape from earlier this year makes him the clear favorite in Budapest. – Collen Kebinatshipi: Ran 43.40 to win the men’s 400m for his third Diamond League record of the season. Six Diamond Leagues, six wins, and five sub-44s for the most ever in a single season. – Emmanuel Wanyonyi won the men’s 800m for his fourth consecutive Diamond League title and ninth career sub-1:42. – Women’s steeple: Faith Cherotich ran 8:51 for her third Diamond League title. Doris Lemngole ran 8:52 for her third PB in four races and no. 6 all-time, beating Peruth Chemutai and Winfred Yavi. – 110m hurdles: Ja'Kobe Tharp won in 13.03. Cordell Tinch went down hard after clipping a hurdle. He posted afterward confirming no injury and cleared for Budapest. – Men’s 100m: Oblique Seville won in 9.90. He’s the World Ultimates favorite now that Noah Lyles has ended his season due to his injury from USAs. – Women’s 800m: Audrey Werro wins in 1:54.75, Femke Bol second in 1:54.81. Werro's undefeated season survives by six hundredths. Werro went out in 25.9, slightly paid for it in the close (29.8), but still held off Femke’s improving kick. – Women’s 1500m: Klaudia Kazmierska ran 3:54.05 for the world lead and her first Diamond League title. She took the lead at 200 to go and closed in 29.5. A year ago her PB was 3:59. – Men’s 5K: Berhanu Balew wins in 12:45 for a two second personal best. Graham Blanks placed fifth in a PB of 12:47. Nico Young took sixth in a season’s best 12:48. + More results from Brussels. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra’s lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra’s Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don’t just run. Vanish. Head to AltraRunning.com and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase. SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2. | |||
| This Week In Track & Field: Diamond League Final Preview; ATHLOS NYC Canceled; Sabastian Sawe Injured + World Ultimates Spots On The Line In Brussels | 02 sept. 2026 | 01:46:45 | |
The Brussels Diamond League final is coming up, World Ultimate Championships in Budapest is in nine days, and the season is headed toward its conclusion. Preet went from Zurich to Bellinzona for the last qualifying weekend, interviewed Coach Laurent Mewly (Femke Broeders-Bol's coach), and is heading to Brussels tomorrow. Discussed in this episode: – Nadia Battocletti runs 3:57 at Bellinzona — Italian 1500m national record. Her range of personal bests across the 1500m, 5K, and 10K is comparable to Hellen Obiri. – Gracie Morris — moves from Puma to Mike Smith's Swoosh TC group: Preet spoke to her in Bellinzona. She explained that the Puma group has become increasingly marathon-oriented (with Dorcas Ewoi as the one 1500m athlete staying). Morris didn’t want to wait for that transition, so she moved to Mike Smith and started doing double threshold. – Sydney Marathon results — second year as an Abbott World Major: Adisu Gobena wins the men’s race in 2:04:42, breaking the course record. He’s 21 years old, debuted at 19 in Dubai, and previously beat Conner Mantz at the Houston Half. Peres Jepchirchir wins the women’s race in 2:18:31 by nearly four minutes. – Athlos NYC — canceled: Statement from Alexis Ohanian cited athlete feedback. Laurent Meuwly posted a pointed response on Twitter: athletes who prioritized their welfare by declining lost the chance to compete at the London date too (because participation was tied to both), and that the realization came very late. + Brussels Diamond League Final preview. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra’s lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra’s Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don’t just run. Vanish. Head to AltraRunning.com and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase. | |||
| How Femke Broeders-Bol Became A 1:54 800m Runner | Inside The Training With Coach Laurent Meuwly | 31 août 2026 | 00:52:39 | |
Preet Majithia takes over the CITIUS MAG Podcast in today's episode to sit down with Laurent Meuwly, the head coach for sprints, hurdles, and relays at the Dutch Olympic Training Centre in Papendal. He’s been with the Dutch program since 2019, and the group he has built includes Femke Broeders-Bol, Lieke Klaver, and Nadine Visser, along with a rotating cast of international athletes, including world indoor 400m champion Lurdes Gloria Manuel and Australian sprint star Torrie Lewis. Under his guidance, Dutch relay teams have become a dominant force on the world stage, and his athletes have collected world titles, Olympic medals, and European and national records across the flat 400, the 400 hurdles, and now, in Femke’s first season of competition at the distance, the 800m. When Femke Broeders-Bol made the decision to move up to the 800 this season, it was Laurent who had already been thinking about this moment since he first started working with her. He actually talked her out of making the switch a year earlier. She wanted to go right after the Paris Olympics. He convinced her to stay in the 400 hurdles for one more season, win a second world title, and leave that chapter on a high note. Then came the transition. This interview was done one day after Femke ran 1:54.71, putting her within the top 10 on the all-time 800m list. Laurent is candid about everything: what he kept from Femke’s 400m hurdles training and what he changed, why her mileage stays around 60 kilometers a week, the mental adjustment of still being only halfway through the race after one full lap, and why the world record conversation will eventually shift from who breaks it to conversations about 1:52. Everyone’s been interested in the Femke 800m transition, and we’ve got the inside scoop here. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra’s lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra’s Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don’t just run. Vanish. Head to AltraRunning.com and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase. | |||
| Coach Chris Bennett On Writing “This Is About Running. This Is Not About Running.” | 30 août 2026 | 01:09:07 | |
“Running doesn’t want you to suffer. Running wants you to feel great and powerful. It’s just that we’re humans.” My guest for today’s episode is Coach Chris Bennett — Nike Running Global Head Coach, voice behind hundreds of guided runs on the Nike Run Club app, and now first-time author. His debut book is called *This Is About Running. This Is Not About Running.* — a title he decided on in 2007 when he adopted the mantra while coaching high school cross country at Christian Brothers Academy in New Jersey. Coach Bennett is one of the most distinctive voices in running because of the way he thinks about what running actually is and what it’s actually for. He’s a tremendous storyteller. In this one you’ll hear him tell the stories of he started off in coaching by sending cold emails to his old high school every year asking about a coaching job and kept sending them for nine straight years, expecting a no each time. Why he gets to mile 22 of marathon courses because that’s where doubt creeps in and nobody’s carrying you anymore, but he’s there to see people triumph. I’ve loved hearing him talk about how he watched Joan Benoit Samuelson win the 1984 Olympic marathon when he was a kid and it changed his life. He’s spent years telling abbreviated versions of that story before finally getting to put the whole thing on paper. Now he’s done it. The book has almost no numbers in it. Instead, the cornerstone of his philosophy is that the goal of coaching is to eventually make yourself unnecessary as a coach. You work your way down until the athlete doesn’t need you anymore. By the end of the book, he wants you to need him less. In this conversation, we get into a lot. We pick up from his last appearance on the show in 2020 on why the COVID running boom is structurally different from every previous one and why it didn’t end. He makes the case against screaming coaches and the phrase “no regrets.” He shares why he says “you’re going to suck less” instead of “you’re going to get better”. I ask what surprised him in the recording studio when he went to narrate the chapters about heartbreak. I also give him my review of the book and I hope he ends up using it on the Amazon page for it. You can buy a copy of it by following the link here. Support running books. Support the sport. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra’s lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra’s Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don’t just run. Vanish. Head to AltraRunning.com and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase. | |||
| 🚨 EMERGENCY PODCAST 🚨 – Two World Records Fall Within 40 Minutes At The Zurich Diamond League | Alison Dos Santos In The 400m Hurdles & Masai Russell In The 100m Hurdles | 27 août 2026 | 01:29:17 | |
Emergency podcast with Chris Chavez, Mac Fleet, and Anderson Emerole after the Zurich Diamond League produced two world records in the hurdles within 40 minutes of each other. – Alison dos Santos, 45.80 — men’s 400m hurdles world record: Takes 0.14 seconds off Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 from the Tokyo Olympic final — one of the most celebrated marks in the sport. Karsten was in the race to defend his own record and finished second in 46.69 — still among the fastest ever run and nowhere near enough. – Masai Russell, 12.09 — women’s 100m hurdles world record, 40 minutes later: Takes 0.03 off Tobi Amusan’s 12.12, with zero wind, and Amusan in the race (Amusan finishes second in a season’s best 12.23). – Parker Wolfe wins the men’s 3000m — American go 1-2 with Graham Blanks: Parker’s first Diamond League victory. Mac breaks down his style versus Cole Hocker’s. The Diamond League final might not suit Parker’s kick-dependent style, but he's a factor in a tactical World Ultimate 5000m final. – Cole Hocker wins the men’s 1500m in 3:31.71: 8th American to win a Diamond League distance race this year. – Women’s 800m — Audrey Werro wins in 1:53.70: Third fastest performance of all time. She let Femke Bol take the lead after the break, came to pass her around 300m out, Femke extended her arm and held her spot briefly, then Werro’s closing speed just overwhelmed the field. – The World Ultimate picture: Qualifying window closes Monday. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. | |||
| This Week In Track & Field: Yomif Kejelcha’s Half Marathon WR; Ethan Strand Wins Big In Silesia, Ingebrigtsen vs. Kerr Set For Budapest; Femke Bol Is Closing The 800m Gap + A Robot Goes 9.32 For 100m | 24 août 2026 | 01:42:56 | |
Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, and Preet Majithia are back with lots to unpack, including two Diamond Leagues, a half marathon world record, a robot, a Rupp record, and breaking news at the end of the episode. Discussed in this episode: – Yomif Kejelcha, 56:51 half marathon world record, Buenos Aires: Cuts 21 seconds off Jacob Kiplimo’s 57:20 from Lisbon in March (note: the Lisbon run hasn’t been formally ratified yet either). Kejelcha’s splits: 13:45 through 5K, 27:19 through 10K (19 seconds off world record pace), then he turns it on: 13:22 for 10K-to-15K, closes the final kilometer in 2:32. – Silesia men’s 1500m — Ethan Strand wins in 3:30, 11th to first: Cole Hocker third (3:31.17, first race since Pre Classic, seven weeks off), Jakob Ingebrigtsen fourth (3:31.19, ten days after winning the European 5K), Phanuel Koech second (3:31.14). Splits: 1:50.4 last 800, 54.3 last lap, 26.4 last 200 (13.2/13.2 for Ethan). Strand ran wide in lane two for much of the race, avoided the traffic that boxed Cole and Jakob, and had a clear line in the final 100. – Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s return to the 1500: Ten days since Europeans. Ran to the front from 600 to go, accelerated sharply in 13.7 for that section, closed at a level that wasn’t far off Ethan. – World Athletics Seb Coe Super Invites — Budapest 1500 expands to 13: Both Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen confirmed. World Athletics broke their own rule because the matchup was too good to keep from fans. – Silesia women’s 1500m — Tsigie Duguma wins in 3:55.06 (world lead, PB): Goes from fifth to first in the final 100 meters with her trademark last-50 burst. – Lausanne 5000m — Americans go 2-3-4: Birhanu Balew wins in 12:57. Parker Wolfe second in 12:58.2, Nico Young third in 12:58.3, Graham Blanks fourth in 12:59.16. Parker Wolfe is the best American 5K runner right now. – Lausanne men’s 800m — Wanyonyi wins in 1:42, first DL 800 victory of the year: Marco Arop went through 400 in 49.1 — deliberately trying to set up a world record attempt (Rudisha’s split was 49.2). – Lausanne women’s 800m — Audrey Werro wins in 1:55.33, Femke Bol second in 1:55.41: Femke sets a new Dutch national record (tying, then surpassing Ellen van Langen’s 1992 Olympic final mark). – Silesia women’s 100m — Melissa Jefferson-Wooden wins, 10.78: Extends unbeaten 100m streak to 10 races. – Rai Benjamin confirms the double at World Ultimate: Flat 400 on day one, 400H semis and final on days two and three. – The robot: Lightning, a humanoid robot built by smartphone maker Honor, ran 9.32 at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing — breaking Bolt’s world record of 9.58. – Galen Rupp, 61:29 at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon: US 40+ record. Ninth place overall. Fastest half he’s run in six years. – Looking ahead: Zurich Diamond League Thursday. Diamond League final in Brussels September 4-5. World Ultimate Championships September 11-13. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS VELOUS: VELOUS makes recovery footwear designed to help runners bounce back faster between sessions. Their sandals feature Tri-Motion™ Technology: a technical three-density foam system and contoured footbed engineered to cushion impact, support your arches, and help your toes stretch and relax on every step. They keep your feet and legs properly aligned after you put in all of those weekly miles. Run. Recover. Repeat. with VELOUS! Get 20% off your VELOUS order with code CITIUSMAG20 at checkout including FREE Shipping! OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. | |||
| Andreas Almgren On His Upcoming Marathon Debut In New York, A Dominant European 10,000m Championship And Seven Years Of Double Threshold | 21 août 2026 | 00:56:47 | |
“I’d rather do a race than a time trial as my first marathon. I went to New York during my off season last year just to see how it was. I got to feel the atmosphere and I was like: yeah, I want to do this.” My guest for today’s episode is Andreas Almgren, who is the newly-minted European 10,000m champion and soon-to-be a first-time marathoner. On November 1st he will run the New York City Marathon for his debut at the distance. He’s had a great past 12 months with four European records in that span: the 10K road in Valencia in January at 26:45 (puts him sixth on the world all-time list); the half marathon last October in 58:41 (the first European under 59 minutes); World Championships bronze in Tokyo last September, where he finished 0.25 seconds off gold; and a 5000m European record of 12:44 last outdoor season. He’s one of the best in the world right now. Andreas is 31. He grew up in Sweden playing wing-back at AIK, one of the biggest clubs in the Nordics, and only turned to running full-time after recurring injuries ended that path at 18. He won World U20 bronze in the 800m in Eugene in 2014 and looked like Sweden’s next great middle-distance runner — then spent four years with stress fractures, a broken navicular, a sacral stress fracture, missing more than he raced. In 2019, sitting on a stationary bike during rehab for that sacral fracture, he watched his friend Kalle Berglund make a world championship 1500m final using double threshold training. He copied it. He has been going up in distance ever since, and every time he steps up, he runs faster. He has been working toward the marathon for a while now. We dive into why he picked New York over Valencia, how his double threshold system has evolved over the last seven years, what it took to stay healthy the past two years, the training he is doing for the marathon right now and much more. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS VELOUS: VELOUS makes recovery footwear designed to help runners bounce back faster between sessions. Their sandals feature Tri-Motion™ Technology: a technical three-density foam system and contoured footbed engineered to cushion impact, support your arches, and help your toes stretch and relax on every step. They keep your feet and legs properly aligned after you put in all of those weekly miles. Run. Recover. Repeat. with VELOUS! Get 20% off your VELOUS order with code CITIUSMAG20 at checkout including FREE Shipping! OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. | |||
| This Week In Track & Field: Audrey Werro Takes Down Keely Hodgkinson Again, Femke Bol Shines Again, Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s Beef With Josh Kerr Still Alive + 2028 Olympic Trials Return To Eugene | 18 août 2026 | 01:23:38 | |
Chris and Kyle reunite for a European Championships wrap up that includes the women’s 800m race everyone came to Birmingham for, Jakob’s comments on Josh Kerr, Amy Hunt’s four gold medals, Andreas Almgren’s 10K performance and more. Discussed in this episode: – Audrey Werro wins the women’s 800m in 1:54.81 — a 44-year-old championship record: The race everyone wanted. Hodgkinson takes the front after the first bend, Werro goes wide on the back straight and takes the lead at 300m. First lap 56.45, 29.2 through 600, Werro opens the gap off the final turn, Hodgkinson closes half a meter — and that’s it. It is the only two sub-1:54 performances since the 1980s. Keely takes silver in 1:55.01 — also under the old record. No one else was within three seconds. Werro’s season: won all six outdoor races, PB from 1:55.91 to 1:53.80, four of the five fastest times in the world this year. – The semi controversy: Werro was clipped from behind and fell late in Thursday’s semi, hit the rail, was limping afterward. Officials correctly advanced her to the final. A lot of people argued she got a free semi and that argument is wrong. – On writing off Keely: That’s an overreaction. She set an indoor world record and an outdoor PB this season. She hasn’t been off a major podium in 12 straight championships. – The Femke Factor: 1:55.54 for bronze ties Ellen van Langen’s 34-year-old Dutch record from the 1992 Olympic final. She was the only athlete in the field to PB. – Jakob Ingebrigtsen says athletes skipping championships are “ruining” the sport: Three days after winning the European 5K in his first race in 11 months, Jakob told the BBC he was “very” disappointed Josh Kerr skipped the European Championships. His argument: championships exist so the best athletes compete, it’s not really for athletes to choose where they participate, and not showing up damages the sport. + More from European Championships including Georgia Hunter-Bell wins the European 1500m — her third major title of 2026: 4:07.78 in a slow, tactical final, gliding clear. Klaudia Kązmierska silver (4:08.80), Patricia Silva bronze (4:09.22) + Amy Hunt sweeps four golds: 100m, 200m, 4x100m, mixed 4x100m — an unprecedented haul. – 2028 US Olympic Trials: Hayward Field, June 17-22, six days: USATF confirmed Hayward Field for the sixth straight Trials. The bigger story is the format: six days, no rest days, the shortest Trials since 1964. Every Trials from 1992-2024 ran ten days. Why: SoFi Stadium is hosting both the July 14 opening ceremony and swimming, so LA28 flipped the calendar. Track runs July 15-24. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS VELOUS: VELOUS makes recovery footwear designed to help runners bounce back faster between sessions. Their sandals feature Tri-Motion™ Technology: a technical three-density foam system and contoured footbed engineered to cushion impact, support your arches, and help your toes stretch and relax on every step. They keep your feet and legs properly aligned after you put in all of those weekly miles. Run. Recover. Repeat. with VELOUS! Get 20% off your VELOUS order with code CITIUSMAG20 at checkout including FREE Shipping! OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. | |||
| Galen Coaches Kyle (Episode 1) | “Don’t Screw It Up For Me” | 14 août 2026 | 01:14:55 | |
The hardest part of marathon training is finding the time to marathon train. It depends who you are, but that excuse often works for me. Life is busy and there are plenty of reasons to be content with an easy 5-mile run before work each day, though do that for six months and you quickly realize that rather than progressing the fitness just continues to erode. Looking for some new motivation to get me out the door this summer, I decided that it was time to do another fall marathon. Nike approached CITIUS MAG and asked whether anyone on our team was interested in running this year’s race. I decided it was finally time to do the Chicago Marathon. Having done three marathons before, I have learned that each one comes with a new curriculum of education. Experience is valuable and that’s why I am going to be leaning in on arguably the greatest distance runner in American history, Galen Rupp, to help guide my training. In addition to having won two Olympic medals, Rupp also has a Chicago Marathon title to his name. Those are better accolades than mine, which is a 2:26 from the 2025 Houston Marathon. I’m hoping that with Galen in my corner to write workouts and give some regular advice that I can get that down. This is the initial consultation. Galen comes in cold on my training history. We work through a full marathon training philosophy and discuss: consistent mileage as the foundation of marathon training, the role of cross training, long run structure/distance, the two-week training block model, why I need to train my endurance more than my speed, the shoe rotation philosophy, Chicago’s pancake flat profile requiring no specific course prep, nutrition and gut training starting now, age and recovery at 35 vs. 40, the mental work of logging each session’s goals and reflecting after, and lastly the goal. ____________ Kyle’s Recent Training: May 25 — 5 x 1,000m @ 3:20 (5:22/mile pace) May 30 — 5K in 17:30 (5:38/mile pace) June 2 — 5 x 1,200m @ 3:58 (5:19/mile pace) June 9 — 10 x 800m @ 2:45 (5:32/mile pace) June 13 — 5 x 1 mile @ 5:17 June 16 — 3 x 2 miles @ 5:20/mile June 19 — 8 x 1,000m @ 3:18 (5:19/mile pace) July 1 — 7 x 1,200m @ 3:59 (5:21/mile pace) July 5 — 15 miles easy July 7 — 2 x 3 miles @ 5:26/mile July 10 — 15 miles, with 6 miles alternating @ 5:53 average July 13 — 10 x 30-second hills + 10 x 300m @ 53 seconds (4:44/mile pace) July 17 — 10 x 1,000m @ 3:17 (5:17/mile pace) July 19 — 16 miles, with 4 x 2 miles @ 5:50/mile July 21 — 4 miles @ 5:26/mile, then 3 x 1 mile @ 5:18 July 26 — 18 miles, with 8 miles @ 5:40/mile July 30 — 5 x (2K @ 5:26 pace // 1K @ 6:19 pace) Aug. 2 — 20 miles @ 6:28/mile Aug. 5 — 3 x 3 miles @ 5:21/mile Weekly mileage: A six-week progression from 62 miles to 72. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS VELOUS: VELOUS makes recovery footwear designed to help runners bounce back faster between sessions. Their sandals feature Tri-Motion™ Technology: a technical three-density foam system and contoured footbed engineered to cushion impact, support your arches, and help your toes stretch and relax on every step. They keep your feet and legs properly aligned after you put in all of those weekly miles. Run. Recover. Repeat. with VELOUS! Get 20% off your VELOUS order with code CITIUSMAG20 at checkout including FREE Shipping! OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. | |||
| Meet Jose Maresma: The Coach Building Josh Kerr’s Mind To Break The Mile World Record | 13 août 2026 | 01:18:14 | |
“Without that disappointment — could he have recalibrated, adapted, and trained as hard ashe did for the record? Sometimes our biggest disappointment becomes our biggest inspiration.” My guest for today’s episode is Jose Maresma — clinical exercise physiologist, sport psychologist, and the mental performance coach behind Josh Kerr’s mile world record. If you listened to our conversation with Josh or Danny Mackey over the last few weeks, you heard his name come up repeatedly — the whiteboard in Albuquerque, the instructions on race morning, 'what if it was easy.' Jose was the person on the other end of all of it. Jose has been working in performance psychology for 35 years, across Olympic sports, professional athletics, special forces, law enforcement, and corporate leadership. He started in the world of metabolic development, alpine ski racing, the Olympic Training Center, and kept running into the same bottleneck: the mind. His connection to Josh started not with Josh but with Josh’s wife, Larimar. She attended a talk Jose gave to scholar-athletes heading into medical school in 2019, came up afterward, and two years later texted him: my boyfriend is preparing for the Olympics — would you be open to working with him? Jose invited Josh to a cold plunge session the next morning. Ice pool, pickaxe, 32 degrees, dark outside. Josh dove in. Five years of work followed. In this conversation Jose walks us through all of it — the hero’s journey framework he built their relationship around, why he had Josh write 3:42 on dozens of pages with a blue pen, the 222-second cold plunge and what it was designed to do at a cellular level, what actually happens neurologically when an athlete goes deaf in a race, how the pacers were prepared with their own mental work, and more. He also closes with what any recreational runner heading into a weekend 5K can actually steal from all of this. You can find Jose on Instagram at @josevo2max or visit his website for more information on his work at the link here. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS VELOUS: VELOUS makes recovery footwear designed to help runners bounce back faster between sessions. Their sandals feature Tri-Motion™ Technology: a technical three-density foam system and contoured footbed engineered to cushion impact, support your arches, and help your toes stretch and relax on every step. They keep your feet and legs properly aligned after you put in all of those weekly miles. Run. Recover. Repeat. with VELOUS! Get 20% off your VELOUS order with code CITIUSMAG20 at checkout including FREE Shipping! OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. | |||
| This Week In Track & Field: Jakob Ingebrigtsen Is Back; Jonah Koech Gets Caught Blood Doping; Stroller Mile WR Tougher Than The Mile WR (?) + Highlights From U20s | 11 août 2026 | 01:35:39 | |
Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia are back at it with Preet coming to us live from the European Championships media center in Birmingham. Discussed in this episode: – Jakob Ingebrigtsen wins the European 5K in 13:15: First race in 11 months following surgery on the sheath around his left Achilles in February. At one point he was three seconds off the front in what appeared to be a dangerously strung-out single-file race. Nobody made it hard for him — a tactical mistake by the field. – What’s next for Jakob: He’s entered in the Silesia Diamond League (announced this morning). He’s also confirmed for the Zurich Diamond League, where he’ll face Cole Hocker and Isaac Nader. The World Ultimate Championship 1500m path has also been clarified. – European Championships women’s 800m heats — possibly the fastest in major championships history. Keely Hodgkinson leads from the front in Heat 1, clocks 1:57.28 looking completely in control. Audrey Werro and Femke Bol also advance. Semis: August 13th. Final: Friday August 14th at 9:46 PM UK time. – Other events to watch: Women’s 1500: Georgia Hunter Bell is the heavy favorite; Men’s 1500: Isaac Nader vs. Jake Wightman rematch; Men’s 800: Mark English has every European medal except gold; Men’s 10K: Gressier vs. Almgren + more. – European Championships stadium attendance concerns? – World Championships 2029 bids: Final bid presentations happening this Friday. Cities: London, Nairobi, Rome, Munich. Decision expected in September, possibly at the World Ultimate Championships. – US Olympic Trials 2028 — six-day format: Documentation is now out. – Jonah Koech — three-year ban for blood doping: USADA (not the AIU, notably) announced that Koech has accepted a three-year ban after his Athlete Biological Passport returned an adverse passport finding. He is stripped of his 2025 US 1500m national title. Ethan Strand is elevated to champion. – Guardian Mile stroller mile world record — Steven Biebelhausen, 4:17.7: Set at the Guardian Mile in Cleveland on Saturday on the Memorial Bridge. – U20 World Championships — top performances: Emmanuel Kiprono, 7:28 men’s 3K: Championship record. Missed Yomif Kejelcha’s U20 world record by 0.09 seconds; Tate Taylor, triple gold; Claire Stegall, women’s 1500m silver + more. – Coming up: Full European Championships recap next week. Falmouth road race this weekend. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS VELOUS: VELOUS makes recovery footwear designed to help runners bounce back faster between sessions. Their sandals feature Tri-Motion™ Technology: a technical three-density foam system and contoured footbed engineered to cushion impact, support your arches, and help your toes stretch and relax on every step. They keep your feet and legs properly aligned after you put in all of those weekly miles. Run. Recover. Repeat. with VELOUS! Get 20% off your VELOUS order with code CITIUSMAG20 at checkout including FREE Shipping! OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. | |||
| This Week In Track & Field: Commonwealth Games’ Biggest Winners, Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s Return, Women’s 800m Heating Up Again & World U20s Starts | 05 août 2026 | 01:20:52 | |
Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia are back to put a bow on the Commonwealth Games, preview what Josh Kerr does next, assess Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s return, dig into the road to World Ultimate Championships, preview U20 Worlds in Eugene, and cover several news stories that got buried. – The Commonwealth Games and its future: Glasgow stepped in as last-minute host after Victoria, Australia pulled out in 2023 citing runaway costs. The result: a smaller-scale games (ten sports instead of the usual 17-18, no road races or triathlon). The core value of the Games — small island nations competing on a multi-sport stage, home nations competing as Scotland/Wales/England/Northern Ireland rather than GB, a stepping stone between junior and Diamond League levels — remains intact. – Men’s mile: Josh Kerr gold, 3:54.12: Josh got boxed at 450 out and had to force his way clear, covering extra distance in the process. None of it mattered. His final lap: 53.61. Won by 1.14 seconds over Cam Myers (silver), Timothy Cheruiyot (bronze). Josh is definitively the best miler in the world. – What does Josh Kerr do next? Option A: Zurich Diamond League 1500m world record attempt; Option B: World Ultimate Championships 1500m, Budapest, September, Option C: Fifth Avenue Mile payday (Vote in the Spotify comments section) – Georgia Hunter-Bell wins women’s 800m, 1:59.51: Never really challenged. Georgia’s first Commonwealth medal. She now has the full set: Olympic medal, world championship medal, European medal, Commonwealth Games medal — all in the last three years. – European Championships women’s 800m, August 14th: Keely vs. Audrey Werro rematch: No data on Keely’s current fitness — she’s been quiet since London. Werro ran a 400m PB of 50.8 at the Swiss champs, jogged a 1:57 800 the same day, and is clearly sharp. – Australia’s generational Commonwealth Games: Torrie Lewis and Lachlan Kennedy in the sprints (Kennedy 9.85 national record silver in the rain). Abbey Caldwell, Jess Hull, Claudia Hollingsworth sweep the women’s mile 1-2-3. Cam Myers silver behind Josh in the men’s mile. Rose Davies 5K/10K double (first Australian woman ever). Ky Robinson medals in both distance events. – Kenya’s thinner-than-expected showing: The trend of Kenya’s elite distance runners prioritizing the roads is real. – Elise Thorner, women’s steeple bronze, 9:05: Personal best in difficult conditions — wind, rain, cold. Judged it perfectly. – Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s return — European Championships 5K, August 10th: First race since Tokyo World Championships. Post-surgery in February, no racing all summer. Entered in the 5K only as defending champion (no qualifying time required). – More news stories include: The Brazilian marathoner who went missing for 44 days; 59:11 half marathoner Dennis Kipkemoi Kipkogei to Texas; Oordegem nostalia after Abdihamid Nur and Alicia Monson run well there; – U20 World Championships, Eugene light preview ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS VELOUS: VELOUS makes recovery footwear designed to help runners bounce back faster between sessions. Their sandals feature Tri-Motion™ Technology: a technical three-density foam system and contoured footbed engineered to cushion impact, support your arches, and help your toes stretch and relax on every step. They keep your feet and legs properly aligned after you put in all of those weekly miles. Run. Recover. Repeat. with VELOUS! Get 20% off your VELOUS order with code CITIUSMAG20 at checkout including FREE Shipping! OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about! Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders. | |||