Asahi Kuroda, Japan's collegiate record holder in the marathon (2:06:05), had an absolutely stunning run on Friday's 5th stage at the Hakone Ekiden. The Mountain Stage is legendary for its more than 2,000 feet elevation gain (it goes up nearly 3,000 feet before coming down a bit) and Kuroda destroyed it. By our calculations, he ran the equivalent of 57:30-58:00 for the half-marathon, destroying the segment record by nearly 2 minutes. *Brett Larner
*Official 2026 Hakone Ekiden Live Discussion Thread + Free link to "the best sports broadcast in the world"
2026 Hakone Ekiden - The Most Watched Distance Race on Planet Earth
2026 Hakone Ekiden - The Most Watched Distance Race on Planet Earth
Father Time Is Undefeated
- 50 years ago, he was an Olympian. At 80, he’s just as happy to finish last. Jeff Galloway, who invented the run-walk method, nearly died when his heart stopped recently for 4.5 minutes. But he hasn't given up on the sport and is still looking to make history.
*MB: Olympian Jeff Galloway's heart stopped for 4.5 minutes, but he's still trying to be 1st to run a marathon in 8 straight decades - It's Toni Reavis' birthday and he pens the following column: "There's no mastering age" "So, enjoy your youthful exuberance, you fleet‑footed youngsters. Because the road ahead isn’t paved with cheering crowds and shiny medals. It’s a slow, steady trudge toward the inevitable realization that “Blowin’ in the Wind” isn’t just a Dylan classic —it’s the soundtrack to your increasingly labored breathing," writes Reavis who wonders why 40+ runners are called Masters. Masters of what that is good?
- 2-time World XC champ appears to be pregnant and will miss all of 2026 Posting on Instagram, Chebet wrote, "Our hearts are full and can’t wait for this next chapter of life…..see you in 2027! "
- Canadian Running's top 10 trail stories of 2025
On The Boards
On The Boards
He proposed to fellow Stanford alum Sarah Walker, who has run 2:03 for 800m.
New Year's Eve/Day Results
The most popular annual race on planet earth has begun with course record falling in the first two stages. Brett Larner has written that NTV's broadcast of the race is the 'best sports broadcast in the world.' *TV stream
- GMO wins first national title at era-changing 2026 New Year Ekiden Brett Larner writes that the "most mind-blowing run" came from Japan's Hibiki Yoshida who he says has "the same kind of energy as Conner Mantz." Yoshida passed 23 people on his leg to move his team into first on the 21.9k section, breaking the CR by 39 seconds and running the equivalent of a sub-59 minute half-marathon.
- 19-yr-old Innes Fitzgerald breaks parkrun record with a 15:27 She bettered the previous best time of 15:31 by Melissa Courtney-Bryant from 2022 by four seconds.
- Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw wins the Cursa dels Nassos 5k in 14:23 (tied for #5 all-time) in Barcelona Portugal's Jose Carlos Pinto won the men's race in 13:10. The race was supposed to be a European record attempt by Spain’s Euro XC champ Thierry Ndikumwenayo, but he finished back in 3rd (13:22).
- Three-time world half champ Geoffrey Kamworor wins San Silvestre Vallencana 10k in 27:42 Spain's Marta Garcia won the women's race in 31:12.
- Joe Wigfield (13:37) and Tokyo Olympic 800m finalist Alex Bell (15:24) win at the Friday Nights Under the Lights x Mizuno 5K in the UK on New Year's Eve There was also a W60 age-group world best from Clare Elms who ran 18:15.
- Sweden’s Emil Danielsson (13:38) and Rwanda’s Florence Niyonkuru (15:26) win Trier Silvesterlauf 5k
- Scott Beattie (13:59) and Izzy Fry (15:49) win Hogmanhoway 5k in the UK on New Year's Eve
- 17-year-old Brit Tom Webb breaks UK under-18 road 10k record with 29:45 at the Telford 10k
World XC Bummer
The double Olympic and world champion was initially named as reserve for the team after not competing at the Kenyan championships, but now won't compete in Tallahassee (no reason is given).
- MB: 2-time World XC champ Beatrice Chebet OUT of World XC
- Multiple global medalists feature on Kenya's team for Tallahassee 26 World half silver medalist Daniel Ebenyo, who won the Kenyan Trials and was 6th at 2023 World XC leads the men's team while the women's team has road 10k WR holder Agnes Ngetich (bronze at 2023 World XC).
2025 Year End Podcast
We take one big look at the crazy track and field year.
Other Distance News
- Dyestat's top 25 moments of 2025 - Guess what #1 was Cooper Lutkenhaus's 1:42 topped the list for them. If you consider Brazier won the race, which they don't even mention, it's a worthy candidate.
- Hartford Courant: How do two recent Olympic Marathon Trials qualifiers rank among the all-time fastest Connecticut runners? This is a list of runners who ran their times while living in Connecticut. Fastest on the list is Tim Ritchie with 2:11:56 from 2017, but 1968 Boston Marathon winner Amby Burfoot is still #4 on the list with 2:14:28.
- University of Nebraska recruits 22-year-old (on paper) 1:45.6 (at altitude) 800m Kenyan Shadrack Chilia
- 65 minute half RW writer shares his 6 rules for running in 2026 A valuable tip for the winter is "overdressing > underdressing." He also suggests walking up hills when "you’re not feeling it."
The 2nd fastest Brit ever will run her 2nd marathon a month as she just won Honolulu after dropping out of Chicago. Future American Zouhair Talbi (2:06:39 pb), the 2024 Houston champ, leads the men's field.
Goodbye 2025, Hello 2026
- World Athletics: 10 things to look forward to in 2026 No Olympics or Worlds Outdoors this year, but we don't have long to wait until World XC in the US and World Athletics will host their first "Ultimate Championship" this summer.
- World Athletics 2025 review: relays Another dominant year for the US winning all but one relay at worlds (the men's 4x400) and even that one we probably should have won.
- The Guardian: "Gout Gout turns 18 as whirlwind year ends amid high hopes for even faster 2026" Gout won the 200m Australian national title and made the semis at Worlds.
- A list of the 20 European records that went down in 2025 February was a good month with Jakob Ingebrigtsen's 3:45.14 indoor mile in Lievin and Jimmy Gressier's 12:54.92 runner-up finish to Grant Fisher in Boston.
- European Athletics' month-by-month 2025 review
- InsideTheGames praises Kristy Coventry's first six months as IOC president Seb Coe would have been better.
- A look at the most popular Athletics Illustrated articles of 2025 It shows you the power of google.
- India is the most doped country for the third consecutive year, Kenya most doped in the sport of athletics
- Andre De Grasse receives Order of Canada Canada’s most decorated male Olympian, sprinter Andre De Grasse, has been named a Member of the Order of Canada, which recognizes outstanding achievement by Canadians.
RIP
- Former OSU head coach Dick Weis passes away at age-87 Weis coached at OSU from 1983 through 2009, producing 86 All-Americans, nine NCAA champions and two Olympians.
- Remains of missing triathlete Erica Fox found in Santa Cruz after shark spotted with human body in its mouth The 55-year-old was found still wearing a “shark band” on her ankle (an electromagnetic device that is supposed to ward off sharks).
2025 Awards / Recaps
- Paula Radcliffe awarded with an OBE for services to sport in the King's New Year Honors list
- Mondo Duplantis wins another AOY award: AIPS (International Sports Press Association) Best Male Athlete of 2025 The AIPS Best Female Athlete of the Year award went to Spanish soccer player Aitana Bonmati with Beatrice Chebet 2nd in the voting and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 4th.
- DyeStat's 25 most captivating moments and athletes of 2025 HSer Cooper Lutkenhaus running 1:42.27 to place second at USAs was #1 on their list.
- DyeStat's favorite photos of 2025 from photographer John Nepolitan
- World Athletics 2025 review: relays Another dominant year for the US winning all but one relay at worlds (the men's 4x400) and even that one we probably should have won.
- Double world medalist Nadia Battocletti and world LJ champ Mattia Furlani named Italian athletes of the year Battocletti won world 10,000m silver and 5000m bronze while 20-year-old Furlani won the LJ at both world indoor and outdoor champs, becoming the youngest ever world outdoor LJ champion.\
- World high jump bronze medalist Angelina Topić named Serbian Sportswoman of the Year (all sports)
- European U23 110H gold medalist Enzo Diessl and 2025 javelin world leader Victoria Hudson named Austrian Athletes of the Year
- World Athletics 2025 review: not running
New Year's Road Action
- Yomif Kejelcha and Nadia Battocletti cap off their 2025 with victories at the BOClassic 10k/5k in Bolzano, Italy Battocletti won the 5k in 15:51 to complete her BOClassic hat-trick while Kejelcha ran a course record 27:42 to beat out last year’s winner Telahun Haile Bekele (27:47).
- Everything you need to know about the 2026 Hokone Ekiden Brett Larner writes, "The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back." This is Japan's Super Bowl and will be watched by millions (over 55 million watched last year's race).
- Josai University wins close three-way battle to take Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden national title
GST Update
- Bankruptcy filings show Michael Johnson to remain as Grand Slam Track head, but Winners Alliance essentially owns the league GST has had to borrow more money from Winners Alliance just to operate through its bankruptcy.
*MB: Winners Alliance may emerge from bankruptcy as 100% owner of Grand Slam Track
End Of Year Action
- World 1500m champ Isaac Nader steps up in distance to win the 10K Sao Silvestre de Lisboa in 28:33 His girlfriend, double European indoor medalist Salome Afonso, won the women's race in 32:55
- Japan New Year Ekiden preview The corporate men's national championship race is on January 1st.
- Preview: Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden on December 30 This is the national championship race for Japan's collegiate women.
Yr in Review Podcast
In a special yr end bonus podcast for our SC members, Rojo gives you his biggest story lines of the year. For the women (at least for Americans), it was the year of Jane Hedengren. On the men’s side, Cole Hocker’s 5000 gold finished off a wild Worlds where African born men won zero distance golds on the track, which hadn’t happened since the very first Worlds in 1983. Plus in 20 years, will we be talking about GST’s demise? And is the suspension of the coaching legends Art & Linda Kranick justified? What about NCAA D3 runner Mohammed Bati?
2025 Recaps
- World Athletics 2025 review: cross country Burundi's Rodrigue Kwizera and Italy's Nadia Battocletti were the top ranked XC runners for the year.
- Japan Running News' 10 most-read stories of 2025 #2 on the list was an article about Matt Fox getting arrested for drug smuggling in Japan.
*MB: Matt Fox arrested in Japan for drug smuggling - World Athletics 2025 review: multi-event US's Anna Hall and Germany's Leo Neugebauer topped the rankings and the medal stand at Worlds.
High School News
- US Marine Corps Holiday Classic recap: Quincy Wilson runs 32.94 for 300m (just short of his 32.87 PB) Natalie Dumas ran 2:07.73 to win her season opening 800m.
*MB: Quincy Wilson lane violation??? - An inside look at some of the training from NXN/Foot Locker champ Jackson Spencer's undefeated XC season One of Spencer's sharpest mid-season workouts was 3 sets of 1x800, 2min jog, 1x400 with 4 minute jog between sets where he averaged 2:10 for the 800s and 60 seconds for the 400s on grass.
European News
- Spain's European XC champ Thierry Ndikumwenayo making a European road 5k record attempt New Year's Eve at the B100 Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona Jimmy Gressier has the current record at 12:57 while Ndikumwenayo has the Spanish record at 13:08 (but he's ran 12:47 on the track).
- World 1500m champ Isaac Nader's girlfriend was on the Euro XC mixed relay with him Nader and Salomé Afonso’s helped bring hosts Portugal home the silver medal.
- German national champions Florian Bremm (13:55) and Elena Burkard (16:05) win Aschau Pre–New Year’s Eve Run 5k
- Long jumper Andreas Trajkovski named North Macedonia Track AOY To be the top athlete of the year in North Macedonia you have to finish 8th at the European Indoor Champs and not make Worlds.
- Switzerland's European champ Angelica Moser and Greece's world silver medalist Emmanouil Karalis announced for Perch'Xtrem pole vault meet in France on January 30 US's Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Chris Nilsen will also compete.
Post-Christmas Headlines
- MB: Congrats! Donavan Brazier got married last week His wife is a pro soccer player.
- Italy's Tokyo Olympic 100m champ Marcel Jacobs is trying to "find that spark again" before committing to a run at the 2028 Games Jacobs has struggled with injuries only made one global outdoor final (he was 5th at the Paris Games) since he won the Olympics in 2021.
- Runner's World writer explains why Christmas is his favorite day of the year to run "There’s something special about lacing up when most people stay in."
- RIP Ukrainian hammer and coaching great Anatoliy Bondarchuk, 85 Bondarchuk won the 1969 European and 1972 Olympic hammer titles and was the first to break the 75m barrier.
More 2025 Review
- World Athletics caps record economic year, citing a $586 million impact Seb Coe said, "On average, our return is four times our investment, although in some cases, such as the outdoor World Championships in Tokyo, it was five. This represents a notable increase in impact compared with previous events."
- Who retired in 2025? We lost some good ones including Evan Jager and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
- World Athletics 2025 review: Jumps
- World Athletics 2025 review: Throws
This is Disgraceful
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.
Another controversial ban
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?
World XC Will Be Happening in 2 Weeks
- Recommended Read: How Bob Braman, Amanda Heidecker (née Quick) and many others turned Tallahassee swamp into a fitting host for World XC The race is supposed to bring Tallahassee $4.3 million to the region through tourism and economic impact. Did you know each FSU football game brings in more than $100 million?
- Daniel Ebenyo says Team Kenya is ready for World XC: "The training has been great, and we have been shown every obstacle that shall be there. The team is ready to compete with discipline, humility and hard work. We urge all Kenyans to pray for us so we can bring it home.” Ebenyo, who won WC silver in the 10,000 in 2023, somehow won the Kenyan Trials just two weeks after running the Chicago Marathon.
- World Athletics Tallahassee 2026 course preview
Marathon News
- Toni Reavis reminisces about the good old days of the 1st running boom when Bill Rodgers was a rock star
- Do marathons damage your heart? Decade-long scientific study finally settles the debate They say for recreational runners the answer is no, but "some studies have found signs of scarring in the heart – called fibrosis – in athletes who have trained at very high volumes for many years."
- Eliud Kipchoge: Kenyan marathoner says he's not retiring, he's evolving
Pics?
At least 4 T&F athletes make the cut including Gout Gout and Sifan Hassan.
Upcoming Indoor Action
- Doris Lemngole, Jane Hedengren, and Josette Andrews will duke it out over 3000m at the Millrose Games on February 1 Katelyn Tuohy's 8:35.20 collegiate record will definitely be under threat (Hedengren's recent 14:44 5000m is worth an 8:28 on VDOT calculators).
*MB: Doris vs Jane Millrose 3000
- High school national champion Natalie Dumas will run her first 800m of the season at the Armory on December 27 Dumas (2:00.11 PB) will face Abigail Robisky who ran a 600m freshman class record (1:33.6) earlier this month. Quincy Wilson is in the 300m.
- World and European U20 heptathlon champ Jana Koščak is making an attempt at an U20 world indoor pentathlon record on December 28
- The three 2025 European 60m medalists will have a rematch at ISTAF Indoor Berlin on March 6 Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji, Netherlands' Nadine Visser and Poland's Pia Skrzyszowska.
- Greece pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis will open his season at the Orlen Cup on January 25
Distance News
- Two LSU teammates break three-legged mile world record LSU roommates Trenton Sandler and Hugh Carlson ran 5:34.29 to take 4 seconds off the previous record. Sandler has a 3:48 1500m PB and Carlson a 3:53.
- MB: Charlie Lawrence beats Jim Walmsley’s 100k AR by about 2 minutes Lawrence ran 6:07:10 (5:54 pace) to move to #2 on the world all-time list.
- GB's Innes FitzGerald writes about playing Hungry Hippos with Nadia Battocletti and vegan Christmas
- MB: Kenenisa Bekele DNFs Guangzhou Marathon in China
- Lucy Nduta (10k - 31:49) and Margaret Akidor (half-marathon - 67:52) win at Sanyo Ladies Road Race in Japan
- World Athletics 2025 review: Middle and long distance *Steeple *Road Running
The Marathon Project
The leaders hit 30k on 2:08:05 pace but faded late as the Flavin, the former NC State runner now running for Hansons-Brooks, got the win out of the second pack. 45-year-old Priscah Cherono of Kenya, who won world championship bronze in the 5000 way back in 2007, led the women's race throughout and won in a new pb of 2:25:17.
*MB: Official 2025 Marathon Project Live Discussion Thread
- Pre-Race: LRC Ben Rosario Pod - The Marathon Project 2.0 Ben broke down the elite men’s and women’s fields and talked why any serious runner looking for a PB should run the race. Can you say - super fast course, perfect weather, personal bottle service and free super shoes?
Coe Speaks
The nomination of Femke Bol as a finalist in 2025 over Beatrice Chebet and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden sparked outrage among fans. Coe also weighed in on World XC in Tallahassee, Grand Slam Track, and the World Ultimate Champs in his end-of-year media call.
- Seb Coe contrasts GST to World Athletics new Ultimate Championships "This isn’t something that can be a happy accident or, ‘It’ll be okay on the night.’ This isn’t the management of just sort of hope that it is going to work. We’ve got a team of over 20 people who, at this moment, are working on that. And they’ll work through Christmas on it. We will do everything we possibly can to make sure we move the sport in the right direction."
- Seb Coe says World Athletics will have to "police the calendar" more in the future after GST
“Over the next few years there are going to be lots of different and new things, and I welcome that. But it has to be suffused in a realistic proposition that you have stuff that is fireproof. It’s got to be sustainable.”
GST Update
New bankruptcy filings reveal that Grand Slam Track owes millions for TV production, million to athletes including $356,250 to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and $272,915 to Citius Mag for coverage and related services
- Discussion: Grand Slam Track's debts revealed
- The Telegraph: "Failure of Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track risks shredding his reputation" An anonymous agent said, "It’s been incredible – he’s gone from the supposed savior of the sport to being talked about like he’s the worst person. One thing that shocked me was how some people turned unbelievably quickly. It seems that he had more enemies than I was aware of.” On a more positive note, agent Paul Doyle said even at 50% pay, some athletes still earned more than previously in their careers, "So, although there is a bad taste in their mouth, they haven’t been as completely irate as you may expect."
- The Independent: GST owes Josh Kerr $218,000
Two LRC Exclusives On The 2021 Olympic 800m Champions
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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LRC Prediction Contest
LRC Prediction Contest
Valencia Marathon is Sunday
- Olympic Triathlon champ Alex Yee is pumped for one final attempt for a fast marathon before returning to triathlon next year He ran 2:11:08 in London but his watch told him he can run 2:05 in Valencia. He recently ran a 61:29 in the half.
- Fukuoka & Hofu marathons are in Japan this weekend but Suguru Osako (with a new tatoo) is in Valencia The first 6 men in both Fukuoka and Hofu will qualify for the MGC as long as they break 2:09. Osako must break 2:06:30 to qualify.
- John Korir hunts redemption (and a smart race) in Sunday's Valencia race after running foolishly in Chicago "I will run a tactical race; I will not go out hard in Valencia,” he said "My target in Chicago was to run under 2:01. But in Valencia, I am going for the win,” he added.
Jager Q&A for Supporters Club Members
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.
- World Athletics' article on Evan Jager's retirement A good rundown of the highlights of his long career.
Message Board Q&A
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.
Marathon Analysis
Did you know everyone who has won a women's major since the start of 2022 has a pb under 2:18? Have we already found the heir to Eliud Kipchoge?
O'Keeffe Had A Great NYC
O'Keeffe ran with the leaders through 19 miles and finished 4th in 2:22:49, the fastest time by an American woman in NYC by almost two minutes.
Josh Hoey parts ways with yet another coach
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.
- MB: Breaking: Josh Hoey has parted with Justin Rinaldi, the man who took him from 1:47 also-ran to 1:42 World Champ!!
- LRC How Josh Hoey Went from Also-Ran to World Indoor Champion, Part I: A Coaching Odyssey
- LRC How Josh Hoey Went from Also-Ran to World Indoor Champion, Part I: Going All-In With Justin Rinaldi & The Fast 8 Track Club
Great listen/read
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.
Doping Bust?
In the latest update, Iowa State has confirmed that none of the suspended runners were in their top 7 but cited FERPA regulations and won't name the suspended runners. It appears that in a separate incident, their #3 runner was arrested last week for leaving the scene of a traffic accident.
LRC Q&A
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.
Paywall lifted
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."
Chicago Marathon
Kiplimo and defending champ John Korir hit full send on this one and went for it. They ran the fist 5k in 13:58 (1:57:52 pace). They hit halfway on world record pace (60:16) and the next few miles were even faster than that pace. By 30k (1:25:31 - 2:00:16 pace), Kiplimo was all alone. Still on WR pace at mile 22, he slowed a lot late however and had to settle for the #2 time in Chicago history. Tokyo 3rd placer Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia (2024 Frankfurt champ) had a big day as she lowered her pb from 2:17:00 to 2:14:56. It was a tough day for the American women. Natosha Rogers was 6th in 2:23:28. *Full race broadcast
IF you are going to play a video game, play this one
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.
Random Links A Human Found Interesting
- Melissa Jefferson-Wooden goes on CNN after triple gold and says she's not satisified “There are so many things out there that I’ve accomplished this year. But there’s so many more things that I do want to accomplish.”
- Former Yale swimmer, who had her leg bitten off by a shark, is running NYC marathon She quickly joined the Paralympic ranks and won Paralympic silver.
- Former Queen's Park Rangers star Don Shanks, 73, will run the New York marathon on November 2 to raise money for Alzheimers
- NYC is experiencing a 2nd running boom & some are unhappy about it In 2019, it took an average of 121 days for an N.Y.R.R. race to sell out. This year, races have sold out in an average of four days.
- NYRR claims running boom $934 million for the local economy in the fiscal year through March That’s up 58% from the comparable period five years earlier and they say last year’s marathon alone generated $692 million.
Hocker is the second American distance man to win multiple global golds, the third to win a global 5,000 title, and just the fifth from any country to win global titles in the 1500 and 5,000 after Paavo Nurmi, Hicham El Guerrouj, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and Bernard Lagat.
- Bring out the brooms: Kenya sweeps the women’s distances. Odira STUNS the world 1:54.62 as Keely gets the bronze
- COLE HOCKER 5000M CHAMPION Hocker has a SENSATIONAL last lap. He was way back and ran a 52 to win in 12:58.
- Was Cole Hocker’s 52.62 last lap tonight the fastest ever in a sub-13:00 5000?
- Rai Benjamin said he had a late night out before the 4x400: "I was pretty much done, you know, so I had a pretty late night if you can imagine."
- Grant Fisher is passed his prime
- Cole Hocker will win 2025 Tokyo 5000m
- Sage Hurta Klecker 1:55.89
Cole Hocker won 5000m gold in Tokyo ahead of Isaac Kimeli and Jimmy Gressier. Nico Young and Grant Fisher ended up 6th and 8th. Jakob Ingebrigtsen was 10th. The Kenyan women’s unreal meet continued and Cole Hocker was GOLDEN yet again. We broke it down for you live from right after it ended.
- AW: Lilian Odira's surge takes her to shock world 800m gold Odira came out of nowhere to give Kenya a sweep of the women's distance medals, passing favorite Keely Hodgkinson in the final meters to win in 1:54.62. Hodgkinson's teammate Georgia Hunter Bell also passed her to take silver in a photo finish, 1:54.90 to Hodgkinson's 1:54.91.
Sean Brosnan & Chris Lear & Andrew Greif's book is here
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.
Sean Brosnan Podcast
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.
Data doesn't lie
We've run the numbers by comparing Lutkenhaus's run against every other age-16 world record, and the data is clear.
Who?
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.
How Josh Hoey Rose To The Top Of The World
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
- Part II: SC How Josh Hoey Went from Also-Ran to World Indoor Champion, Part II: Going All-In With Justin Rinaldi & The Fast 8 Track Club Hoey's career had stagnated until connecting with Rinaldi in 2023. Within minutes of seeing him train in-person, Rinaldi knew he was special: "I said, if I can’t get this guy to run 1:44, there’s something wrong with me."
Stop Obsessing Over Your Diet
The US indoor 1500m/3000m champion overhauled his fueling in workouts before the 2024 season. Now he swears by his routine.
The Record Books Are Getting Rewritten In 2025
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.
One More Look at a Legendary Race
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.
Blanks = NCAA XC x 2
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.
American Record Holders
American Record Holders
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.
Best of Jon Gault
Best of Jon Gault
Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
LetsRun Classics
LetsRun Classics
‒Jeff Galloway, inventor of the run-walk method, talking about his desire to become the first person to run a marathon in 8 straight decades of life. This one would come after his heart stopped beating for 4.5 minutes.
MB: Olympian Jeff Galloway's heart stopped for 4.5 minutes, but he's still trying to be 1st to run a marathon in 8 straight decades