After a formal request by USATF CEO Max Siegel, World Athletics has agreed to give USATF 7 spots instead of 4 at the World Road Running Championships in September. This will allow the three women led off course during the USATF Half Champs, Jessica McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat, to race as well as the women who officially earned their spot. As part of the exception, only 4 of the athletes will count in the team scoring and USATF will cover all expenses for the additional entries.
The group of vendors who had threatened to sue GST reached a deal that will see them get paid about 14% to 15% of what they’re owed from GST. However, under this new plan, athletes will only get 70% of what they are owed. (The original plan would have seen athletes get 85% of what they are owed, but vendors only 1.5%.)
She hurt her Achilles training on the treadmill six weeks ago and hasn't recovered in time to race next month.
Lutkenhaus won gold at the age of 17 years, 93 days, younger than any individual men's gold medalist at not just World Indoors, but World Outdoors and the Olympics as well.
Hodgkinson set a championship record of 1:55.30 to win the 800, then ran the fastest split on the 4x400 (50.10) less than an hour later as her training mate Georgia Hunter Bell won gold in the 1500. Plus a look at why the meet was a TOTAL DISASTER for Africa. Africa had won at least one gold in each of the last 19 editions, and at least two golds in every edition since 1995. Yet in Torun, African athletes didn't just fail to win a distance gold; they failed to win a medal -- of any color -- in any event. Hell, Africa didn't even produce a finalist in the men's 1500.
Kerr won his second world indoor title in three years in 7:35.56. Hocker was way back with one lap to go and came on strong, but was too far behind to catch Kerr. He nipped France's Yann Schrub at the line by .01 with 7:35.70 for silver. Yared Nuguse was 5th (7:37.08). Italy's Nadia Battocletti (8:57.64) won a tactical women's final ahead of the USA's Emily Mackay (8:58.12) and Australia's Jessica Hull (8:58.18).
Josh Kerr wins a tactical 3000m showdown over Cole Hocker, Cooper Lutkenhaus runs the fastest World Indoors 800 semifinal since 1997, and Emily Mackay earns silver — we break down all the action from Day 2 in Toruń.
Lutkenhaus, who won his 800m semi comfortably in 1:44.29 -- the fastest time at World Indoors in 29 years -- will try to become the youngest medalist in the history of the World Indoor Championships on Sunday.
Anthony only gave up football to go all-in on track last fall. Now, at 21, he is a world champion, and his 6.41 pb on Friday is tied for #4 on the all-time list
Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr, & Yared Nuguse reunite...and steeple world champ Geordie Beamish is running too. Race on Peacock/ NBC Sports Network
Americans Nikki Hiltz, Gracie Morris, and Nathan Green all made the final but 2025 bronze medalist Luke Houser missed out.
Lutkenhaus looked smooth in taking 2nd in his first-round 800m heat and is on to Saturday's semis but Tobias was DQ'd for a lane violation. Plus learn about the drug-testing mishap that had US sprint star Jordan Anthony racing the 60 with a web of kinesiotape on his arm.
Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr, & Yared Nuguse reunite...and steeple world champ Geordie Beamish is running too.
Lutkenhaus would be the youngest World Indoor medalist ever should he make the podium in Poland, but he will have plenty of competition, led by Belgium's Eliott Crestan.
Tesfay, who has a half-marathon best of 63:21 (#3 all-time) is the latest star in the group of famed Ethiopian coach Gemedu Dedefo, who has now coached five of the 11 fastest female marathoners in history.
The US had entered teams in every event of every previous World Relays save 2021, when the US did not send any athletes at all.
World indoors are this week. The LetsRun.com prediction contest team for Worlds is set. Meet the winners from the USAs contest and some of our other recent contests as well. They highlight the best of LRC.
Enter a random drawing to win a free Aletheia Run sensor. Run stronger, avoid injury, and understand why.
Hodge was given a two-year doping ban, but had it reduced by 7 months seemingly for informing on her now suspended Montverde Academy coach, Gerald Phiri. This reduction made her eligible to compete this indoor season and she scored 18 points for Georgia at NCAA Indoor Champs (the Georgia women won the meet by 9 points).
Mantecon surged past Abdinasir Hassan on the final turn to win by 0.79 seconds. 4 races (5000m, 2-mile, DMR, mile), 4 golds and over 7 miles of racing.
*MB: Marcelo Mantecon incredible at Nike indoor nationals
Grant Fisher’s half marathon debut did not go as planned at the 2026 United NYC Half. The indoor 3000m and 5000m world record holder ran with the lead pack early but faded badly over the final 5K to finish 14th, while South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt won the race in his second-ever half marathon. Hellen Obiri won the women's race in 66:30 over Sharon Lokedi (67:10). Emily Sisson was the top American in 6th (69:06).
(link fixed) The third-fastest half marathoner in history (63:21) was going for Ruth Chepngetich's 2:09:56 WR, following her two male pacemakers through the half in 65:05. She was still within striking distance at 40k, going through on pace for 2:10:17, but faded a bit at the end. Uganda’s Abel Chelangat won the men’s race in 2:04:57.
Olympian Wilson was pushed to the line by Jayden Deleon with Wilson getting the win 45.37 to 45.38. Caleb Winders (1:48.83) and Paige Sheppard (2:04.25). NXN champ Jackson Spencer anchored his team (Herriman UT) to the 4xmile win in 16:58.10 (#3 on the all-time list).
*MB: Quincy Wilson runs 45.37 indoors... and almost loses
BYU freshman Hedengren front-ran an 8:36.61 in the 3k to crush Parker Valby's meet record and complete the 3k/5k sweep while Nielsen (4:40.06) won a tactical mile final.
Ja'Kobe Tharp (7.32 in 60 hurdles) and Garrett Kaalund (19.95 in 200) both broke NCAA records while Colin Sahlman won a controversial 3000 after Habtom Samuel was DQ'd.
They did this for the 5k and 3k awards. The runners protested but Rowan won the team title by 1.
BYU freshman Jane Hedengren dominated the NCAA 5000 over the final stages, winning in 15:00.12 and closing the final kilometer in 2:46.24 to break the field and get her first NCAA title and victory over Alabama's Doris Lemngole.
Colin Sahlman powered NAU to its first NCAA DMR title, the Oregon woman made up for last year, and Habtom Samuel won the 5000 on Day 1 of the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville.
Day 1 Video: Video of Da 1 Races Video of Jane Hedengren's impressive NCAA 5000m win and all the Day 1 distance finals.
Zang had a huge 35 second PR to run 9:42 for 3200m last week, but before that she hadn't even broke five minutes for a mile or 1600m. She dominated this race, winning over Abigail Hennessy (9:52.55) and NXN champ Natasza Dudek (9:52.77).
*MB: WOW! HS Senior Katy Zang runs a 3200 in 9:42!
Grant Fisher gave his thoughts on his half marathon debut at the NYC Half, explaining his strategy, and how the race could shape his future on the roads.
Fisher will battle ten sub-60 men in his road race debut in Sunday in NYC. "I'm chasing more of a feeling than a time or a place... I'm the rookie now."
Unsponsored. Living in Tokyo. Dropped a 2:07:14. Dreams Do Become Reality.
Competing at the Mondo Classic, Mondo thrilled the hometown fans. Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen, formerly of Princeton was 2nd at 6.0 m.
In addition to his Olympic exploits, he was a 4-time NCAA champion for Villanova, as he the won the Mile in back-to-back years (1957, 1958) to go along with titles in the 1500 meters in 1956 and the 880 yards in 1958.
Vendors are seeking court approval to sue Johnson and Winners Alliance (its primary investor) for $25 million. Their filing says, "Shockingly, Mr. Johnson elected to secretly prefer himself over the athletes and other, non-insider creditors" by making a half million dollar payment to himself after the Philly meet, before the LA meet's cancellation was announced. They claim he did this "while at the same time feigning to the public that he was selflessly looking to advance the interests of the athletes."
By now you've probably seen the viral video clip of the CRAZY close LA Marathon finish. What you probably haven't been seen is the video of what happened a quarter mile earlier that made it all possible. Will the ASICS LA Marathon do the right thing and make Kenya's Michael Kamau financially whole?
Update: The LA Marathon has confirmed that the margin of victory was .18, not .01.
Lagat is the only Kenyan man with the 2026 World Indoors standard, but was not part of the initial team named by Athletics Kenya last week because he was provisionally suspended. Will he be allowed to compete.
This takes 10 seconds off Yomif Kejelcha’s official world record from 2024, but falls short of the 56:42 Kiplimo ran in Barcelona last year, but was not ratified. Ethiopia’s Tsige Gebreselama defended her title in the women’s race with 64:48
Lagat, an Iowa State alum who trains in Flagstaff with Dark Sky Distance, is appealing to CAS and hoping to have his provisional suspension lifted so he can compete for Kenya at World Indoors from March 20-22.
USATF said it considered naming Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat to the Worlds team but has "serious concerns" about the long-term precedent it would set by ignoring its selection procedures. It has sent an alternate proposal to World Athletics but said the proposal is contingent on a vote by the World Athletics Council on March 18-19.
The Grand Slam Track bankruptcy just heated up. A new filing claims Bill Ackman's Winners Alliance wasn't just backing the league but was effectively acting as GST's de facto CFO, and is "one of, if not the, primary reason the Debtor has failed." The creditors committee is asking a judge to reject the plan outright, which would have seen athletes paid 85% of what they are owed while other vendors received just 1.5%. Winners Alliance told The Athletic the claims are "an invention with no basis in the record."
We now why there was chaos on the streets in Atlanta on Sunday. Just five minutes before the first runners came by, a police officer was struck by a vehicle a block away from the intersection in which athletes made the wrong turn. Atlanta TC said that caused other officers to leave their posts to attend to him -- and as a result, cones which were meant to direct runners straight were never laid out so that emergency vehicles could come through. Thankfully, the officer is ok and the Atlanta Track Club is going to pay out $39,500 in extra prize money to make the impacted racers whole.
Since he stopped racing in the middle of the 2025 cross country season for Iowa State, Seth Clevenger has taken DIII by storm. The Rowan University athlete is the DIII leader in three events. But following the release of a video of an alleged EPO order, multiple former teammates told LetsRun.com that Clevenger said he took banned substances in 2025 while at Iowa State and admitted as such to the coaching staff. The situation raises questions about a potential hole in the NCAA’s anti-doping policy. We investigate how a star could allegedly admit to banned drug use and remain eligible to compete.
On Friday, Jakob—who was still in California—showed up at Gunn High School and ran 8k with the high schoolers at track practice.
Cole Hocker is ready for the Millrose 2-mile showdown, a fast mile in 2 weeks, and world indoors. Plus he responds to Jakob Ingebrigtsen's comments about Paris.
Video of Sha'Carri Richardson pleading not to be taken to jail for excessive speeding has been released.
Fisher was the guest on the LetsRun.com Track Talk podcast.
From 600m to 5,000m, there have now been six world indoor records by four separate American men over the last 12 months. Jonathan Gault asks, "What explains it?"
St. Pierre won her first track race since the Paris Olympics by outkicking Linden Hall in the 3,000. Myers looked incredible in the men's 3,000. And Lyles got the pre-race attention but lost the 300 to Jereem Richards.
Hoey called his own shot before the race and then backed it up, breaking Wilson Kipketer's 1:42.67 that had stood since 1997. And he was paced by his brother Jaxson.
Kesler exploded past Grant Fisher in the final 125 and got the WR thanks to a 26.31 final 200 and 13.02 final 100.
Cooper Lutkenhaus started 2026 in fine form with a 1:45 win in New York. Meghan Hunter went sub 2 in the 800 (Ajee Wilson 2:00.92), Wilma Nielsen won the mile at Katelyn Tuohy faded. *Race video
Discuss: UPDATE: Cooper Lutkenhaus DESTROYS pro field. Opens in 1:45.23!!!
Cole Hocker opened his indoor season in stunning fashion at the Hokie Invitational, running 4:52.92 to break the American 2,000m record of Bernard Lagat, which Cooper Teare tied in 2nd place, as George Couttie smashed the collegiate record in 3rd. The Olympic champion now turns his attention to a loaded Millrose Games 2 mile featuring Grant Fisher, Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman, Parker Wolfe, and more.
He finished runner-up to Sam Tanner (3:53.36), breaking Cam Myers' previous record. *Race Video
In an exclusive with the NY Times, Fisher says he wants to run 13.1 to see if he might run 26.2 in LA.
Midway through 2024, Brazier had begun to accept he may never race again; in 2025, the former world champ returned faster than ever. Hear from Brazier and coach Mike Smith about how he pulled off one of the sport's greatest comebacks.
The 2026 Boston Marathon elite fields are out and we break it down for you. From a US perspective, the fields are sensational, but what top pros from Africa are entered? Benson Kipruto vs John Korir leads the way for the men. Does American Fiona O'Keeffe have a shot for the win? *Full fields
The 1980 and 1981 World XC champ gives a passionate defense of cross country. He also admits he is concerned about the state of World XC given the lack of support from several federations and the three-year gap until the next championships in 2029 but is hopeful it can be added to the Winter Olympics: "If they can have breakdancing in the Summer Olympics, then we can certainly have cross country in the Winter Olympics."
World XC in the USA was amazingly fun to attend. How do we transform World’s Greatest Footrace into a spectacle / event that tens of thousands want to attend? How can we make it our sport's version of the Kentucky Derby - or maybe the grass version of the London Marathon?
XC legends Kenenisa Bekele & Beatrice Chebet were in Tallahassee as was Cooper Lutkenhaus, who left with the LetsRun.com flag.
More World XC News
USATF confirmed that St. Louis (who hosted the women's Trials in 2004) and Phoenix (who have never hosted) are the only two bidders for the 2028 Trials.
Jacob Kiplimo put on a show and won his third title by 18 seconds as Ethiopia took the team title. The US led by Parker Wolfe (12th) was 4th.
A big thank you to the big crowd that turned out for the LetsRun party to celebrate the American running community at World XC.
The NCAA has done a lot of stupid things over the years but this has to to appear near the top of the list. They have stripped all remaining eligibility for NCAA D3 XC runner-up (and 2:12 marathoner) Mohammed Bati, who works a full-time job 5 days a week at an assisted living facility from 11 pm to 7 am while attending school and running track/XC. His sin? The local community came together and raised $6k for him.
Art and Linda Kranick built a dynasty at Saratoga Springs as they won 3 national titles and 28 NY state federation titles. Many runners RAVED about them. Many also HATED them. Banning them for life even though one of them is dead seems the definition of administrative over reach. SafeSpot has a policy not to ban dead people. Does USATF even know Art Kranick is dead?
After three years with Kersee that included an American record in 2023, a devastating injury in 2024, and a failure to make the US final in 2025, Mu-Nikolayev has left Kersee and moved from LA to Dallas.
The Kenyan 800m star has largely disappeared since winning Olympic and world titles in 2021 & 2022. And the physiotherapist who treated him twice a day, every day for 6 months leading up to the Olympics is worried for him. "We’ve been trying to help him, but he hasn’t been willing to receive the help."
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Evan Jager retired this week and then sat down with LetsRun.com for his most candid interview ever. He opened up about the Paris fall, the Olympic silver, the Fancy Bears leak, and the tension between Alberto and Jerry that shaped parts of his career.
Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson, runner, best-selling author, and host of “The Most Interesting Thing in A.I.", just ran over three hours in the marathon for the first time in 20 years. He joins LetsRun Friday to talk running, life, and his new book The Running Ground. If you'd like a book for free, just join our Supporters Club. Click for more info.
Somehow Justin Rinaldi transformed Josh Hoey, who couldn't break 1:47 for 6+ years, to a 1:42.01 world indoor champ and DL winner. How has he been rewarded? With a pink slip. Rojo thinks it's hard to think of a dumber decision than this but then again Jerry Jones once did fire Jimmy Johnson.
After disagreements on training philosophy, Justin Rinaldi will no longer be coaching Hoey despite engineering one of the greatest turnarounds in American middle distance running history, taking Hoey from 1:47 to 1:42 and World Indoor champion in two years. Plus get the inside scoop on a key workout Hoey overcooked before USAs.
Nick Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, joins the LetsRun.com Podcast to talk about his new book The Running Ground, how he ran 2:29 at 44, his late father, and why he still checks LetsRun every day.
The US achieved its most successful relay medal haul since the introduction of the mixed 4x400 with four golds and a silver at the 2025 Worlds. We asked Woodson about Team USA's performance in Tokyo. Plus we asked USATF about what really happened with Rai Benjamin, who said he went out on the town the night before the men's 4x400 final.
After five coaches, six states, and hundreds of hours of listening to the LetsRun.com Track Talk Podcast, steepler Dan Michalski will make his World Championship debut in Tokyo. He dedicated his runner-up finish at USAs to the grinders who keep going without a big shoe contract. "They know the grind, they know what it’s like to fight through injuries, what it’s like to feel like you have the talent to make a team and keep coming up short," Michalski says. "This is for them, in a sense."
XC Racing 2 is now out and free to play on ios and android and in this version you get to race the famed Detweiller Park course in Illinois.
In Beyond Fast, Sean Brosnan, with Chris Lear and Andrew Greif, traces the unlikely rise of Newbury Park High School from an overlooked program to a distance-running powerhouse. Packed with behind-the-scenes stories, training insights, and cultural shifts, the book shows how Brosnan and his athletes rewrote the high school record books.
From BMX to building the greatest HS team ever, Sean Brosnan tells us how he did it at Newbury Park, plus what really went on at UCLA, and what’s next. Don’t miss this one.
We've run the numbers by comparing Lutkenhaus's run against every other age-16 world record, and the data is clear.
Jonah Koech wasn't even supposed to be in Sunday's 1500. As they approached the bell, he was in 13th out of 17. A lap later, he was the champion. He is just the third American man to win a Diamond League 1500/mile and the first runner sponsored by Under Armour to win a DL race. His 3:37.27 pre-race pb is also the slowest of any man to win a DL 1500/mile.
For five years, Hoey cylced through coach after coach but barely improved from his 1:47.67 high school 800m pb. Learn why he moved around so often -- and why he never gave up. Part I of JG's 7,000+ word feature.
*MB: Josh Hoey profile by JG
The US indoor 1500m/3000m champion overhauled his fueling in workouts before the 2024 season. Now he swears by his routine.
In the span of one week in February, runners broke five world indoor records and every American men's middle-distance record from 800m to 5000m. Jonathan Gault spoke to some of America's top athletes and coaches to find the reasons behind all of the fast times.
From novice fans to running diehards, there was something for everyone (except perhaps Brits and Norwegians) to enjoy about one of the greatest middle distance races ever run.
Just before Blanks chases a 5,000m pb and collegiate record in what is likely his final NCAA race at Boston University on Saturday, he told LetsRun about the key session of his 2024 XC season -- one he described as "probably the best workout I've had so far in my career."
Your latest American stars share their insights.
Keira D'Amato, the new American record holder in the marathon, was joined by Deena Kastor, who held the record for 15 years.
Sisson was the guest on the LetsRun.com Track Talk podcast after she became the first American to go sub 67 in the half marathon on a record-eligible course. Podcast highlights above. Full pod here.
Woody Kincaid joined us after he broke the American record indoors at 5000. He talks above why he left the Bowerman Track Club. Podcast highlights and link to full podcast here.
Coogan's New Balance Boston team had 3 Olympians in 2021 and 2022 could be the biggest year yet for the program with 2 new additions and the TRACK at New Balance coming on March 1st.
Danny Mackey has taken the Brooks Beasts from an unproven club to the Olympic podium in its first decade.
Dathan Ritzenhein is the first of the top pro coaches to sit down and talk about his club heading into the 2022 campaign.
