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Quote Of The Day

“I have always drawn a distinction between runners and racers

"Runners produce fast times in controlled environments—behind pacemakers, within a defined rhythm, insulated from disruption. They are like actors executing a script.

"Racers win competitions, especially major ones where split‑second decisions and risk can create reward or devastation. The difference is not primarily physical. It lies in how an athlete responds when fatigue impairs judgment and uncertainty crowds out clarity. Racers are like improv comics, reading the room, sensing opportunity before it’s visible.”

‒Toni Reavis writing about the difference between time trialing and racing in an article where he criticizes the WA marathon rankings for not properly recognizing the difference between the two.

Rome is Thursday
Rome is Thursday

The sprints are totally loaded as Melissa Jefferson-Wooden faces Julien Alfred at 200m in her 2026 opener while Noah Lyles, Jordan Anthony, Letsile Tebogo, and Marcell Jacobs headline a star-studded 100m. But the mid-d and distances also include Nadia Battocletti, Georgia Hunter-Bell, Nikki Hiltz, Abbey Caldwell and Donavan Brazier.

This Week's Pod

Yared Nuguse earned his fifth Diamond League victory, Kenny Bednarek ran a world-leading 19.69, and Frederik Ruppert became the first non-African-born man to break 8:00 in the steeplechase. We discuss Nuguse's historic streak, whether Cam Myers is on a world record trajectory, and what to expect when 17-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus makes his Diamond League debut against Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Marco Arop.

On The Boards
On The Boards
Recent HS News - NC 4x4 DQ Overturned
More HS News

In 1976, the 1st 4 x 880 was held at the Illinois state meet. People are still talking about it 50 years later It was historically fast and competitive.

Random Links that a human found interesting
Coburn Q&A

Beset by injuries over the last few years, Coburn's 9:23 in LA on May 23 was her first steeple finish since August 2023. The 10-time US champion discusses life as a mom, training with Parker Valby, and what still motivates her at age 35.

HOKA Festival of Miles On Thursday Night

4:30.0 miler Ellery Lincoln is the favorite in the girls race as she faces Abigail Hennessy (4:35.87) and former NXN champ Addy Ritzenhein. Craig Engels and Christina Aragon lead the pro races.

Distance News - Jakob Update
Miscellaneous
Keely Speaks
European Track Action From The Weekend
New Training Talk Live Series

As we move to LetsRun.com second quarter century, we want to give you more reasons to visit the site daily. So we have launched a Live Training Talk series. Marius Bakken was the perfect first guest as this website was founded to try to spread the gospel of aerobic/threshold-based training, which Bakken has helped spread across the globe better than anyone. Catch it on demand as an SC Member. *Purchase book

Road News - Kwizera Runs Crazy Fast 10k In Madrid

According to the timing site, Kwizera went out in 13:14 for the first 5k and then sped up to come in way ahead of his 26:54 PB and the 26:31 WR on the record-ineligible course. *Results
*MB: Rodrigue Kwizera, Burundi, runs 26:01 10km in Madrid today!

Rabat DL

Yared Nuguse won his 5th career Diamond League, a record for an American distance runner, taking down world champ Isaac Nader in the process. Soufiane El Bakkali (7:57.25) won a fast men’s steeple as Germany’s Frederik Ruppert (7:57.80) became the first non-African-born man under 8:00.

History Was Made Over The Weekend

Blaskowski, who won 11 individual DIII crowns and is in his first year as a member of Dennis Mitchell's Star Athletics group in Florida, went from 10.05 to 9.89 in one race and is now the tied for #2 in the world. Update: And a day later, Germany's Frederik Ruppert became the first white guy to ever break 8:00 in the men's steeplechase.*Full 100m video

    Cam Myers is on fire

    The Australian teen smashed his 800m PB by more than three seconds, remained undefeated in 2026, and now owns a faster 800 PB than Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr, Yared Nuguse, and Niels Laros. *Race video

    Phenom Polls

    Will Cam Myers break the 1500 or mile WR in 2026?

    Your vote has been counted. Thank you!

    Will Cam Myers ever break the 1500 or mile WR in his career?

    Your vote has been counted. Thank you!

    Who is most likely to break the 1500 or mile WR in 2026?

    Your vote has been counted. Thank you!
    NCAA Regionals

    She's only behind Athing Mu's 1:57.73 record from 2021. Jallow also anchored Arkansas' dominant 3:21.83 4x400. Washington State's Rosemary Longisa had the fastest 1500m with 4:07.38 as 11 women went under 4:10, BYU's Taylor Lovell dominated the steeple in 9:38 and Betty Kipkore won her 5000m heat in 15:14.28 ahead of Pamela Kosgei (15:17.63); Jane Hedengren won her 5000m heat in 15:17.93. In the sprints, USC's Brianna Selby lead the 100m with 10.83 (#7 NCAA all-time) and Oregon's NCAA champ Aaliyah McCormick ran 12.44 in the 100H (#7 NCAA all-time).
    *MB: Sanu Jallow runs 1:57.74 at regionals. Collective yawn from Letsrun

    • NCAA East: Florida State's Shenese Walker (10.88) leads six women under 11 seconds in 100m Alabama’s Doris Lemngole surprisingly skipped the steeple and just ran the 5000m where she won by 28 seconds with an outdoor PB of 15:08. In the 800m, North Carolina's Makayla Paige won her 800m heat in 1:58.98 over Clemson's NCAA indoor champ Gladys Chepngetich (1:59.09). Florida's Alida van Daalen highlighted the field events with 69.31m in the discus (#3 NCAA all-time).
    NCAA Regionals Saturday

    10 years ago, 17 of the 24 (70.8%) men's NCAA 10,000 qualifiers hailed from the USA. This year, it's just 5 of 24 (20.8%). Women's Update: For the women, 10 years ago also 17 of the 24 (70.8%) qualifiers were American. This year, it's down to 10 of 24 (41.7%) while the Kenyan numbers have gone up sixfold, from 2 (8.3%) to 12 (50%).

      Bydgoszcz
      • Bydgoszcz World Continental Tour: US's Jamal Britt highlights with 13.10 victory in the 110H Poland's Klaudia Kazimierska won the women's 1500m in 3:59.99 while Switzerland’s Valentina Rosamilia took the 800m in 2:00.73 after a fall from race leader Jemma Reekie. On the men's side, 2023 world bronze medalist Ben Pattison took the 800m (1:45.58) and Croatia’s Marino Bloudek (3:58.52) the 1500m. Hungary's Luca Kozák won the women's 100H in 12.66 over US's Alaysha Johnson (12.75).

      Will Emmanuel Wanyonyi break the 800m WR in 2026?

      Your vote has been counted. Thank you!
      Wednesday / Thursday NCAA Regional Highlights

      The freshman sensation has already run 10.77 this year. Sha'Carri's NCAA record of 10.75 may be on borrowed time.

      Will Rudisha's WR Fall in 2026?

      Wanyonyi has already tied David Rudisha for the most sub-1:42s in history (seven) and is the same age (21) as Rudisha when Rudisha first broke the WR. With no Worlds or Olympics on the calendar this year, could Wanyonyi follow in Rudisha's footsteps in 2026?

      It's Harder To Qualify For Worlds Based on Time But People Will Still Chase Indoor Times

      You can no longer get a time qualifier at BU (or any indoor meet) but that doesn't mean people won't be chasing times indoors in a major way. There is a big loophole that World Athletics didn't fix -- indoor times are worth way more than outdoor times on the scoring tables.

      Random, But Interesting
      Father Time is Undefeated - Cherish Your Health
      • NY Times: Former WR holder in decathlon Russ Hodge dies at 86; an Olympian, like his mother "Russell the Muscle" was 9th in the decathlon at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the same position his mother Alice Arden had finished in the high jump at the 1936 Berlin Games. They were the first mother-son duo to go to the Olympics for the USA. Hodge, who admitted to steroid usage in the 1960s when they weren't illegal, remains the only decathlete to achieve a startling combination: He sprinted 100 meters in 10.2 seconds and threw the shot put more than 60 feet.
      • Lessons from a 90-year-old world record holder Giuseppe Damato holds both the 90+ world marathon (4:30:30) and half-marathon records (2:07:36) and his routine is refreshingly simple. He usually heads out for relaxed 10- to 15-kilometre runs with a group of friends, most of whom are decades younger and doesn't follow a structured trianing plan.
      • Mary Moraa reveals she was hospitalized due to a medical condition after finishing 7th at Worlds. "I almost threw in the towel a while ago owing to a medical condition but am glad that it has been fully addressed. I experienced general weakness and dizziness at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.”
      Administrative News

      8 women in the field have run 31:00 or faster including American Weini Kelati.

      Time Flies When You Are Having Fun

      Webb's record of 3:53.43 is now 25 years old. Jim Ryun's record of 3:55.3 lived for 36. *Race video

      Mid-D Teen Phenoms Past & Present In The News
      New World Qualifying Standards

      The standards are way harder than ever -- 1:43.00 in the men's 800, 3:30.00 in the 1500 -- as World Athletics targets 40% of qualifiers by standard and 60% by rankings. Plus athletes can no longer hit the standard on 200m indoor tracks like Boston University.

      Podcast

      Parker Valby returned with a 14:49 PB at LA Track Fest, World Athletics unveiled controversial new standards that effectively ban BU indoor marks from Worlds qualification, and NBC News reporter Andrew Greif joined us from Las Vegas to discuss the Enhanced Games after organizers “expected multiple world records to happen, and it just didn’t happen.”

      Sub 2 happened

      Sabastian Sawe stunned the world with his 1:59:30 marathon in London to earn runner of the month honors. Jane Hedengren (two NCAA records) and Vincent Mauri (2:05:54 at the Glass City Marathon) were honorable mention.

      Road News
      Upcoming Action
      Catching Up On Some Other Recent Results
      Olympic News
      Interesting Distance News
      Post-Enhanced Games News
      Bolder Boulder 10k
      International Distance Results

      LA Track Fest

      Enhanced Games

      The inaugural Enhanced Games debuted in Las Vegas with athletes allowed to use performance-enhancing drugs, but the sprint results were surprisingly underwhelming. Fred Kerley won the men’s 100m in 9.97, while both track winners claimed they competed clean.

      Xiamen DL

      Masai Russell ran the 2nd fastest 100m hurdle ever as 18-year-old Yan Ziyi threw the #2 javelin ever. Uganda's 2020 Olympic champ Peruth Chemutai fell short in her steeplechase WR attempt, but got the win in 8:51.06 (8th fastest performance of all-time) over Paris Olympic champ Winfred Yavi (8:51.54). Ethiopia’s 2022 world U20 champ Addisu Yihune beat Germany’s Mohamed Abdilaahi in the 5000m (12:57.32 to 12:57.90) and Australia’s Abbey Caldwell outdueled Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom in the 1500m (3:57.26 to 3:57.79), with US's Emily Mackay taking 3rd (3:58.13). Alison dos Santos topped WR holder Karsten Warholm again, taking the 400H 46.72 to 46.82. Other sprint highlights included world champ Collen Kebinatshipi dipping under 44 seconds to win the 400m (43.92), Shericka Jackson over Shaunae Miller-Uibo in the 200m (21.87 to 22.04) and Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala in the 100m (9.94).

      Cole Hocker Update

      Hocker still owns a house in Blacksburg and will visit for training stints, but is spending more time in the Pacific Northwest. He will open his 2026 season on June 14 with the 3,000m at the USATF LA Grand Prix.

      Athlos Updates

      The meet be held on September 18 at StoneX Stadium in North London, a rugby stadium has a listed seating capacity of 10,500, though Athlos is currently only selling tickets to one side of the stadium. A manual count of all seats on that side was just over 2,900, with roughly 1,000 of those tickets being available for purchase currently. Sha'Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, Tara Davis-Woodhall, Masai Russell and Marileidy Paulino are all scheduled to compete in both meets.

      Athlos is doubling from one to two meets in 2026 and prize money will go up even more (2.7X). The new location will be London according to Sportico.

      Must Read

      Midway through Marius Bakken's new book The Norwegian Method Applied, Robert Johnson had an epiphany and asked himself, "Is there any human on planet Earth who is better suited to write a training book than Dr. Bakken?" He doesn't think so. This is a must-read. Read it, then join the SC so you can ask Bakken a question during our live interview with him on June 1 at 1 p.m. ET. *Purchase book

      Weekend interview

      Fresh off his 3:32.79 1500, Villanova star Marco Langon joins the LetsRun podcast to discuss Penn Relays, Simeon Birnbaum, going pro, and why he thinks running the NCAA 1500 would be “pretty fucking dumb.”

      Grant Holloway update

      Our Jonathan Gault reached out to Holloway's camp for an update yesterday and a day later we have an update. Holloway did not race indoors for the first time in his career in 2026. He said he tore his hamstring in March and did not announce a timetable for his return, though he is entered in the Pre Classic on July 4.

      Rojo On NPR

      NPR radio devoted one hour to what made sub-2 possible. Was it the athlete, the shoes, nutrition, etc?  Full transcript at the link above or you can listen to it on your favorite podcast player.

      Too Good To Be True

      Sawe's 1:59:30 was real, but analysis from LetsRun.com and German timing ace Helmut Winter reveals his 24th mile was almost certainly slower than 4:12. The race's official timing company has told LetsRun it has removed the time for mile 24 from its list of splits to prevent confusion.

      Post-London News

      Want to go behind the scenes of human history? Adidas has released a new 12-minute documentary, "Chasing Sub 2," following Sebastian Sawe’s monumental 1:59:30 run at the London Marathon. Narrated by the legendary Haile Gebrselassie, the film explores the fusion of supreme talent, relentless hard work, and cutting-edge lab technology that broke one of the sport's most iconic barriers.
      *MB: Adidas releases 12-minute short film chronicling Sabastian Sawe’s historic sub-2-hour marathon 

      Meet Vinny Mauri

      Neal, who coached Mauri at Notre Dame from 2023-25, said he thought he might be able to break 2:08 in Toledo based on the training Mauri had done before the race. "We kind of always knew if he could ever stay healthy, he’d be real dangerous.... He’s just a tremendous kid and has worked his butt off for this."

      The Myth Of The Sub-2-Hour Marathon

      13-years ago, Rojo wrote the original The Myth Of The Sub-2-Hour Marathon and claimed we were nowhere close to a sub-2 and that we likely wouldn't see it in his lifetime. Well now that it has happened and everyone on the Internet is dunking on him, how does he feel? He's not backing down and claims the logic of his original column was right on the money.

      Post-London Analysis

      How in the world did Sabastian Sawe turn was looked to be a 2:01 race into a historic 1:59:30 marathon world record? Did adidas' new 3.4 ounce shoe -- the Adios Pro Evo 3 -- tip the scales? What about the wind?

      London Marathon

      Sebastian Sawe has run a 59:01 second half in London to break the 2:00 barrier and Yomif Kejelcha in the greatest marathon ever run. What. A. Race.

        Assefa successfully defended her title and lowered her own women's-only world record to 2:15:41, prevailing in a tactical battle that saw an unprecedented three women break the 2:16 barrier.

        Free for everyone

        Cooper talks about his undefeatead indoor season, his "just send it" mentality, what's on tap outdoors and what it's like being a world champion walking the halls of his Texas high school.

        The Marathon Project is BACK (sponsored post)

        The Marathon Project has announced a major schedule change for this year's event. The Amateurs and Professionals will now compete together in a 400-person race on Saturday, December 12. The move is designed to amplify the atmosphere and increase the intensity with more athletes, fans, and energy on the flat, fast, loop course in Chandler, AZ. According to race organizers, "The overwhelming feedback we received from last year was that the participants loved being treated like pros. Now they'll get to race with the pros as well. It's a logical next step for us." Press Release here

        The Latest LRC Exclusives
        The Latest LRC Exclusives

        We asked Jonathan Gault to try to find out what many of the top pros are up to.

        Richardson, who was charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree assault after shoving boyfriend Christian Coleman at the SeaTac airport, and prosecutors agreed to postpone the case for two years when it would be dismissed as long as she met certain criteria, including "no criminal law violations."

        Josh Kerr 222 podcast

        Josh Kerr is chasing Hicham El Guerrouj’s mile world record his way, choosing a packed London Diamond League over a controlled time trial and insisting on “my race, my rules.” Kerr discussed his world record attempt and most recent world title over Cole Hocker on the LetsRun.com podcast.

        Johh Kerr swears by power-to-weight training to improve his speed – here’s how and why you should do the same 'My gym coaches have done a really good job of finding where my weaknesses are. I need to create more power. My goal is that my power-to-weight ratio needs to be good.

        Your opinion counts

        We'd love to know a little more about you and how we can improve Letsrun.com.

        Meet Fotyen Tesfay

        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 winners of our prediction contests

        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.

        LRC Exclusive

        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.

        Best of the LetsRun.com Track Talk Podcast
        Best of the LetsRun.com Track Talk Podcast

        Your latest American stars share their insights.

        Three legends of the sport.

        One of the greatest US runners ever.

        We chatted with Frank on the 50th anniversary of his Olympic Marathon gold

        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.

        LetsRun.com Pro Coaches Tour
        LetsRun.com Pro Coaches Tour

        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
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        Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
        Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
        LetsRun Classics
        LetsRun Classics

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