On this week's pod we take one final look at the Chicago Marathon. Did Vinny Mauri throw away an American record? Is adidas changing the sport? And has NCAA cross country gone too far with international recruiting? We debate it all on the latest Track Talk Podcast.
This week's podcast
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Which American Marathoner do you want to be?
On The Boards
On The Boards
Week That Was
Who won and who lost Chicago? Amos Kipruto entered rare air, Galen Rupp ran 2:06 at 40, Vinny Mauri inspired thousands, Clayton Young proved the doubters wrong, Emma Grace Hurley toughed it out and the race broadcast cut away from history for a corporate sponsor interview. Plus the foreign invasion of NCAA women's xc is complete.
Irish Distance News
- Oregon signs 21-year-old Irish 3:52/13:05 man Nick Griggs Griggs, who ran professionally for Puma from 2022 to 2026, is expected to have three years of eligibility with Oregon. Talking about why he wants to run in the NCAA he said, "A lot of guys come out of the NCAA and go on to be Olympic and World medalists."
*MB: Former Puma Pro Nick Griggs sign with Oregon
- European Indoor 3000m champ Sarah Healy leaving the M11 Track Club (Keely Hodgkinson's group coached by Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows) She joined the group in 2022 and says, "That was definitely the right move for me, obviously I developed a lot."
- Ireland's Nichola Sheridan was thrilled to set a big 4+ minute PB to finish 3rd at the Melbourne Marathon this weekend in 2:29:13
Marathon News
- The Guardian's Sean Ingle asks what can be done about Ruth Chepnegetich's women's marathon world record? The short answer: nothing. There is no legal avenue to remove it off the books since she tested positive after she set the record. Lance Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles despite not being convicted of doping while competing, but apparently that was an odd case because he could have contested that sanction, but chose not to.
- What were the fastest shoes at the Chicago Marathon? Both Amos Kipruto and Hawi Feysa won wearing the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, but a lot of the top runners were also wearing the Nike Apex.
- Interesting watch: Form analyst Jae Gruenke looks at Tigst Assefa in Berlin and past races to show she's been compensating for her right Achilles for years
What an absurd, thrilling day for American distance running. Vinny Mauri dropped a 14:28 5k split before stopping to stretch his hamstring multiple times, Clayton Young ran 2:05:23 on a torn hamstring, Charles Hicks ran 2:05:35 in his third major, and 40-year-old Galen Rupp ran 2:06:55. Jonathan Gault breaks down the American men's performance in Chicago.
Hawi Feysa survived a blistering early pace and threw down a 5:00 final mile to outduel Sharon Lokedi (2:14:07) and take the 2026 Chicago Marathon crown in 2:13:33. Plus, Emma Grace Hurley toughed it out and debuted in 2:20:47 to smash the US marathon debut record. Full recap, results, and LetsRun quick takes.
Amos Kipruto absorbed Jacob Kiplimo’s blistering sub-2:00 marathon pace between 20k and 30k, and then broke the Ugandan star over the final 10k, and storming home in a 2:01:09 pb. Behind them, 25-year-old Vinny Mauri threw down a bold, solo American record attempt before seizing up late, leaving Clayton Young (2:05:23) to claim top American honors on a torn hamstring while 40-year-old Galen Rupp ran 2:06:55. Full recap, splits, and analysis.
Outside Chicago Articles
- Galen Rupp broke the American masters record by more than 3 minutes in Chicago Talking about being healthy Rupp said, "This is the first time in years that I fully trusted my body. I wasn’t thinking about my back or my hip or all these things that have been such big problems. And you know, trust is something you can't always force."
- Clayton Young shares the mental trick he used to run a 4:38 between mile 23 and 24 in Chicago Young: "Before I knew it, I gapped Charles (Hicks) a little bit, and he closed. I was like, ‘Okay, well, I'm going to count to 100 seconds, press as hard as I can, see where I'm at in 100 seconds.’ ...Sometimes you bargain with yourself and you’re saying, ‘I can’t cover this move, but I can cover this move for 100 seconds.’ ...It’s way easier to do something for 100 seconds than know that I have to do this for six more miles or 10K or whatever it is."
- Izzi Batt-Doyle broke the Australian marathon record with a 2+ minute PB in Chicago She ran 2:20:38 for 6th place, paced by her fiance most of the way.
- How did the celebrities/notables do in Chicago? Des Linden ran 3:10 as she builds up for an upcoming 100 mile trail race, former first daughter Chelsea Clinton ran 3:47:55 and two retired Chicago Cubs players ran 4:30 and 5:34.
Chicago MB Talk
Watch the race live and hear the Letsrun.com commentary on the watch along. *Full Results
- MB: Amos MF Kipruto! 5th all time, 2:01:09 Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa won the women's race in 2:13:33. Emma Grace Hurley was the top American in 7th (2:20:47).
- MB: KING RUPP IS BACK 2:06:55 at the age of 41 (4th American in Chicago).
- MB: Vinny Mauri goes home DEVASTATED 10th in 2:06:45. Mauri hit full send on an AR attempt but had to top several times to stretch.
- MB: Clayton Apology Thread Despite running on a torn hamstring, he still ended up as the top American in a big pb of 2:05:23 (7th place).
- MB: I'd rather have Vinny's race than Clayton's Vinny broke free of the American pack with a 14:28 5k from 20 to 25k and led them by 38 seconds at 30k before fading late.
- MB: Calling my shot: I’m running 2:06:xx Sunday in Chicago Patrick Cullen hit halfway in 63:41 but blew up and ran 2:17:17.
*MB: I failed, and I’m sorry to everyone I let down - MB: Mauri’s BONK once and for all proves treadmills are only a FACSIMILE OF RUNNING
- MB: What will Mauri do next?
- MB: Truett Hanes 2:23 in Chicago
2026 Chicago Marathon Prediction Contest OPEN Until Halfway Mark of Race Give us your Chicago Marathon predictions and you could win some great prizes.
Kipchoge FTW In Melbourne
This was Kipchoge's third stop on his marathon on every continent world running tour. Afterward he said, "I believe that my body is still peaking – still able to compete with the next generation. The oldest athlete is still competing but I am happy to run with the gen Zs." New Zealand’s Camille French won the women’s race in 2:28:25.
Weekend XC: Nuttycombe
New Mexico scored 59 points to beat #6 Colorado by 34 points while West Virginia won 66-111 over #13 ranked Florida while #3 NAU was third (130 points) and #4 New Mexico fourth (157 points). Individual wins went to Colorado's Meshack Kipruto (22:30) and Florida's Judy Chepkoech (19:19) with just over one second separating 1-4 in the men's race (last year's NCAA runner-up Rocky Hansen was 4th in 22:31).
*MB: Nuttycombe - Official 2026 Nuttycombe Discussion Thread
- Simeon Birnbaum, Diana Cherotich lead Oregon sweep at Dellinger Invite Birnhaum dominated in 23:05, comfortably ahead of his roommate, Connor Burns (23:32). Cherotich won the women's race in 19:31 ahead of teammate Juliet Chrubet (19:42). Oregon also easily took both team titles. *Result
- High School: Ellery Lincoln, Yosuke Shibata win Rose City Championship Invite titles
Chicago 2001
A long-lost VHS broadcast of the 2001 Chicago Marathon surfaced on YouTube this week. LRC co-founder Robert Johnson rewound the tape to revisit the day he was hired to "protect" and "guide" Catherine Ndereba to a 2:18:47 world record 25 years ago. Two Olympic champions had plenty to say about his running form. *Video of Rojo getting dropped
Prediction Contest
Give us your Chicago Marathon predictions and you could win some great prizes.
Just 12 months ago, the American record had stood unbroken for 23 years, Charles Hicks had never run a marathon, and no one had heard of Vinny Mauri. A lot has changed since then. Could the AR go down in Chicago for the second year in a row? Jonathan Gault breaks down the American men's field in Chicago.
Kosgei, who ran 2:14:29 to win Tokyo in March, returns to Chicago for the first time since her 2019 world record to face 2-time Boston champ Sharon Lokedi, who is racing a rabbitted marathon for the first time while World Half Marathon fifth-placer Emma Grace Hurley leads the American charge.
Hamstring tears, jaw surgeries, 65:30 women's half splits, and a DoorDash courier calling his shot: what the elites told LetsRun on Friday in Chicago.
One of these six men will win the 2026 Chicago Marathon. Sorry, none of them are American.
A Look Back At Chicago 2001
25 years ago in Chicago, Catherine Ndereba made history with a women's marathon world record of 2:18:47 with a little pacesetting help from LetsRun.com's Robert Johnson. In the men's race, the rabbit, Ben Kimondiu, played an even bigger role as he stunned the great Paul Tergat and won the race.
Clayton Young Update
Can an elite marathoner run 2:04 on a 12 cm hamstring tear? Clayton Young thinks so. Medical experts, coach Ed Eyestone, and Young himself break down the science, the risks, and why he's still chasing the American record in Chicago. "It can feel good, it can look good in an MRI, but it’s the unknown, you don’t know how it’s going to respond in the later stages of a race," said chiropractor Josh Glass.
Non LRC Chicago Coverage
- Watch out Maurten, McDonald's has a new marathon drink and they are giving it out free in Chicago - Pickle Boost
- Chemnung targets first marathon win in Chicago Chemnung has run under 2:20 in both of her career marathons, ran 4:01 to win the Barcelona Half in February, was 2nd in Boston in April, and won the Kenyan 10,000 champs on the track in June.
- No man has repeated in Chicago since Sammy Wanjiru in 2009 and 2010, Jacob Kiplimo plans on changing that He tells the NY Time his mileage has increased to 140 during his highest week, up from 125 for London.
- Emma Grace Hurley watched runners stagger home at the warm 2022 NYC Marathon and it scared her off from the marathon
- Three Canadian men to watch at the 2026 Chicago Marathon - Ben Flanagan (2:15:39), Thomas Fafard (2:10:29), Thomas Nobbs (2:09:25). Not sure why the article doesn't talk about Rory Linkletter - a 2:06 Canadian marathoners.
- Here are the celebrities running the 2026 Chicago Marathon Former Chicago Cubs Jake Arrieta & Anthony Rizzo may be the most famous unless you count Des Linden.
- Why Runners can’t stop buying marathon merch - even when they hate the design Race apparel isn’t always pretty, but the work behind it makes it impossible to avoid buying it.
NCAA XC is Heating up
LRC intern Brendan Gomez shares 10 thoughts on the 2026 NCAA XC season and Friday's Nuttycombe Invitational, including impressive runs from the Alabama & New Mexico men, questions about the Iowa State women, and rebuilds at Stanford and Arizona.
- MB: Nuttycombe - Official 2026 Nuttycombe Discussion Thread.
- DyeStat preview: #5 Oregon men, #7 Oregon women set for Dellinger Invitational
- USTFCCCA: 10 storylines to follow at Nuttycombe
- Rocky Hansen interview before his season debut at Nuttycombe
- Chris Solinsky interview before his 1st Nuttycombe as Wisco coach
Sprint News
- Arkansas football notebook: Why star sprinter Jelani Watkins chose to go all in on track When you win the 100 and 200 at SECs and run 9.95 /19.87, you truly are one of the best in the world. “I really think it's more about his love of track and field than it really was about football,” men’s track coach Doug Case said of Watkins’ decision. “Track is something he's had great success at, and he really just wanted to focus on it at this time. In the long term, I think he felt that that's where he needed to go and the direction he needed to go.
- 20-year old Bayanda Walaza of South Africa missed 5 months due to a hamstring injury and then quitely came back and won his last 5 races and ran 9.89 twice
Marathon News
The field for the US championship race will be limited to 20 women and 20 men, but Chicago is expanding their "High Performance Program" to 300 to allow more runners in the race who are chasing the 2028 Trials qualifying standard.
- European Athletics: From "Zátopek to Hassan: 10 races that changed European marathon running history" Ahead of Andreas Almgren's marathon debut, European Athletics takes a look back at some of the most interesting marathon debuts in European history, starting with Emil Zátopek who won Olympic gold in his marathon debut at the 1952 Helsinki Games (after having already won the 5000m and 10,000m).
- German trio Amanal Petros, Richard Ringer and Samuel Fitwi lead men's field for the October 25 Frankfurt Marathon Petros is the reigning European champion and has a 2:04:33 PB. The women's race is lead by Ethiopia’s Zeineba Yimer (2:18:47 PB) and US's Betsy Saina (2:19:17 PB).
Random International News
- Jamaica's former 100m WR holder Asafa Powell entering the coaching world He doesn't have any kind of official position yet as the Instagram post says Powell is "accepting coaching enquiries worldwide as a high performance consultant through Doyle Management."
- 10 things you might not know about the Netherlands' European discus champ and NCAA record holder Jorinde van Klinken She actually went undefeated in the discuss in the NCAA. She was in the US for three years and won the NCAA discus title three times (plus second in the shot put twice).
- Medals unveiled for 2027 European Indoor Champs The design features a large V crossed with a track. The V stands for victory and also for the host city, Valencia.
Doping News
- WADA president Witold Banka visits Kenya, talks to Kenyan President William Ruto about anti-doping and being a "clean" and "credible" host for 2029 Worlds Banka said Kenya has shown interest in having its own anti-doping lab, but that it's unlikely to happen in time for 2029.
- MB: It Finally Happened: USADA Bans an Influencer The 49-year-old triathlon influencer, Erin Oprea, got a 5-year ban after testing positive for multiple substances.
- USADA holds symposium on substance detection; working to improve detection of peptides, hormones and growth factors
- 3 athletes were provisionally suspended after failing drug tests at the Asian Games Included Kazakhstan's mid-d runner Aiana Bolatbekkyzy.
Women's Distance Profiles
- DyeStat profile on New Hampshire high schooler Maddy Lane who had a big breakthrough to win the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in California last month Lane definitely won the genetic lottery as her parents are two-time Foot Locker XC champion Erin (Sullivan) Lane and two-time Olympic Trials 5000m 4th placer Matt Lane.
- MileSplit: "The Hull Story: From 60th at Pac-12s to an Olympic Podium" Jessica Hull's steady progression as a runner is exemplified by her Pac-12 XC finishes: 60th, 27th, 11th and then 2nd her senior year.
- BBC profile on Kenya's Commonwealth Games mile 5th placer Naomi Korir and her struggle with the medical condition, fistula The condition caused Korir uncontrolled leakage of urine, forcing her to stick to shorter distances when she was younger, like the 100 hurdles. But after three surgeries, her condition was corrected and she made her first global championship at this summer's CWG
Big Life News
- MB: Emily Sisson is pregnant She is due at the end of March. Congrats to her and her husband!
- Grant Holloway ties the knot Congrats to the happy couple
Track Talk Podcast
Vinny Mauri’s wild training and American record hopes headline Chicago. John Kellogg says Mauri’s unconventional approach reminds him of Arthur Lydiard, while Jacob Kiplimo, Brigid Kosgei, and Sharon Lokedi lead loaded elite fields.
- Olympic marathon silver medalist (2:03:36 PB) Bashir Abdi pulls out of Chicago with injury He suffered a small tear in his calf during his last training session in Flagstaff.
Olympic News
- IOC lists seven countries as "interested" in bidding for the 2036 Olympics They are Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, South Korea, South Africa and Turkey.
- Official Olympic YouTube account accidentally leaks Brisbane 2032 Olympic logos A caption read, "The Brisbane 2032 Emblems are inspired by the spirited cockatoo – a symbol of Australia’s unique wildlife and playful heart!"
- BBC: South Africa wants to host the first African Olympics The South Africa proposal would host the Games between three cities - Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg
NCAA XC
- NC State and BYU women stay ranked 1-2 in updated NCAA XC coaches' poll NAU and New Mexico swapped places at 3-4 and Iowa State is #5. *Regional Rankings
- No changes to the top-13 ranked teams in updated NCAA XC coaches' poll New Mexico stays the unanimous #1 with Iowa State, OSU, Alabama and Oregon ranked 2-5. *Regional Rankings
- Celebrating 20 Years of Oregon's Bill Dellinger Invitational The 20th edition of the race honoring the longtime Oregon coach is on Friday.
Week That Was
Jakob Ingebrigtsen wrapped up an improbable 2026 comeback with a home double, Aidan Troutner shows once again that "talent doesn't go away" by breaking a 1986 championship record at the US 10k, and why you'd rather get 2nd at World Juniors than win gold. Plus talent doesn't go away, but it does get hurt.
Random Running News
- Chinese fitness influencer got caught cutting the course on a bike after posting a PR at the Berlin Marathon She "ran" a 4:53:46 PR after getting a ride on a bike somewhere around the 38k mark. After getting caught, she admitted to cheating and Brooks China terminated their partnership with her.
- Runners had to beat the qualifying standard by 5:17 to make the cutoff for the 2027 Boston Marathon This time is 43 seconds stricter than the cutoff for the 2026 race and meant more than 8000 qualified runners didn't get in.
- A New Zealand full-time lawyer ran an ultramarathon every day for 1000 days Shannon-Leigh Litt ran more than 31 miles a day totalling more than 32,000 miles over the 1000 day period. She would run in the mornings before work, sometimes having to start at 1AM after just three or four hours of sleep.
More Road News
- MB: Elite fields released for the Valencia Half Marathon on October 25; Rodrigue Kwizera targeting Andreas Almgren's 58:06 European record The Burundian-born Kwizera has a 58:16 PB he set in March and was granted Spanish citizenship in May. The field also includes Tadese Worku (58:35), Jemal Yimer (58:33), Owen Korir (58:58) and Daniel Ebenyo (59:04). On the women's side, Yalemzerf Yehualaw has the fastest PB at 63:51 and this will be her first race since coming back from having a baby. Tsigie Gebreselama (64:21) is the next fastest.
- Victor Shitsama (2:12:20) and Lilian Chebii (2:25:26) win Twin Cities Marathon Leo Goodman (49:14) and Elizabeth Klecker (57:33) won the 10 mile. 39-year-old four-time US road mile champ Heather Kampf was runner-up in the 10 mile in 58:38. *Results
- World Athletics: London Marathon earns platinum recognition for sustainable delivery – first road race to gain ABW Standard's top level
2026 Athletes Of The Year
- World Athletics announce nominees for World Athlete of the Year 2026 The 20 finalists (10 men, 10 women) include 5 distance runners: Josh Kerr, Sabastian Sawe, Tigst Assefa, Agnes Ngetich and Audrey Werro.
- The three finalists for the Men's European Athlete of the Year are all jumpers Mondo Duplantis, Italian HJer Gianmarco Tamberi and Greek LJer Miltiadis Tentoglou.
- Audrey Werro, Nadia Battocletti and GB sprinter Amy Hunt are the finalists for the Women's European Athlete of the Year
- European Athletics: "10 of the biggest moments of the 2026 outdoor season" We assume these are in no particular order because Josh Kerr's mile WR is around the middle of the list.
USATF 10k Championships
Troutner won in a sprint finish where just 5 seconds separated 1-6. Dillon Maggard was runner-up in 27:41. Venters dominated the women's race by almost a minute with Kassandra Parker (31:57) and Allie Ostrander (32:02) finishing second and third.
More International Road Action
- Ethiopians Khairi Bejiga (27:01) and Asefu Abreha (30:16) win tRUNsylvania 10K Both races came down to sprint finishes with Bejiga beating Nibret Kinde by just one second and Abreha getting an upset win and big PB to come in three seconds ahead of Aynadis Mebratu.
*France's Meziane Benhammou runs 28:39 to set new European under-18 best at tRUNsylvania 10K
- Kenyans Gideon Kiprotich (59:34) and Joyciline Jepkosgei (65:40) win Cardiff Half Marathon Jepkosgei, a former NYC and London Marathon champion, set the CR to beat out Ethiopia's Wede Kefale by 14 seconds while Kiprotich came in 44 seconds ahead of CR holder Yismaw Dillu.
Jakob Wins Home Double
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen wins second race in two days at hometown Runfest Norway He won the 5k in 13:26, two seconds ahead of former world U20 3000m champ Andrea Fjeld Halvorsen (who was also second to Jakob in the 1500m on the first day).
- MB: Jakob Ingebrigtsen breaks Norwegian 1500m road record A Norwegian 1500m record was guaranteed as a road record didn't even exist before today. Jakob won in 3:40.7 over 2024 world junior 3k champ Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen (3:43.3).
Chicago Is Next Sunday / Vinny Mauri is A Workout Legend
From logging 36 miles in a day at 4:56 pace on Planet Fitness treadmills to dropping a solo 2:05 debut in Toledo, the formerly unheralded Vinny Mauri has already produced one of the wildest years in American distance running history. With the Chicago Marathon one week away, can he actually break Conner Mantz's American record?
- MB: Over / under 2:04:43 in Chicago - After CRAZY training block, will Vinny Mauri break the American record in Chicago
- Friday 15: Vinny Mauri’s Insane Chicago Training, Jakob Ingebrigtsen & Chicago Preview
More from LRC on Mauri:
- Q&A: Vinny Mauri's college coach Chris Neal on his 2:05 marathon breakthrough - LetsRun.com
- Unheralded American Vincent Mauri runs 2:05:54 at Glass City Marathon in Toledo - LetsRun.com
- MB: 2:05 marathoner Vinny Mauri signs with Asics ahead of Chicago Marathon
- MB: Mauri trains like Ron Clarke did. It works.
- MB: My friend used the Mauri training model. In one month, his marathon went from 2:56 -> 2:31. He said key is the 45mile session.
Non-Distance News
- Recommended Read: Very interesting profile on GB's former two-time Olympic decathlon champion, Daley Thompson Some great insights on Thompson's career like how he was still relatively poor and sleeping on floors and couches even after his first Olympic gold, how he made a lot of money on the infamous Daley Thompson’s Decathlon video game, and how he might never get a knighthood because he wore a shirt calling Carl Lewis gay and made a joke about having Princess Anne's babies.
- Mondo Duplantis to skip the 2027 indoor season to focus on recovery Duplantis lost for the first time in three years this past season at the Stockholm DL and he pulled out of the DL final in Brussels with tightness in his leg. He said, "I am making this decision to give my body the recovery and preparation it needs so that I can perform at my peak when I return to competition."
- World U20 400m champ Jayden DeLeon turns pro, skips the NCAA after signing with LSU earlier this year
NCAA XC
- Top-ranked NC State women dominate Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational They put five in the top 13 to beat #7 ranked Notre Dame 39 to 84. NC State's Hannah Gapes got the individual 5k win in 15:22, beating Indiana freshman Katy Zang by 17 seconds. # 15 ranked Notre Dame won the men's team title with their five in the top 11. Notre Dame's Daelen Ackley won in 22:54. *Results
*MB: Joe Piane Invite - MB: Arkansas freshman Braelyn Combe wins Chili Pepper XC after being 100m back with a half mile to go She ran 15:59.0 to outkick UT Arlington's Dorcas Jepkosgei by .1. The Arkansas women and Texas men won the team titles. *Results
*MB: Arkansas men only ran 2 scrubs at Chile Pepper
- Reigning D2 champions Wingate win Paul Short men's team title They put their top-5 in the top-20 to score 58 points to beat Penn State (129 points). Penn State' Nick Sloff won the in 23:59. On the women's side, Liberty won the team title and Pittsburgh's Maureen Cheruiyot got the individual win in 19:47 (6k). *Results
*MB: Paul Short Races (Besides open and d1) cancelled due to heat Apparently 80 degree temps inundated the local hospitals. Anyone remember when World xc was held in 90 degree temps with over 60% humidity?
A Look at the Nation's #1 HS Team
Christ School's coach Randy Ashley knows what he's doing and after Rocky Hansen starred there, they've been getting a ton of transfers. 6 of their top 7 are transfers.
- Mary Ngugi is pumped to return to Chicago next week where she broke 2:20 for the 1st time last year at age 36
- Toni Reavis hops in the time machine and remembers the first Boston 10k for Women that took place 50 years ago It was called the Bonne Bell 10K in year 1 and a 17-year-old Lynn Jennings got the win. Toni Reavis provided commentary thanks to walkie-talkies as cell phones didn't exist.
- NCAA XC: Joe Piane Invite, Paul Short Runs are this weekend - NCAA Results
Marathon Analysis
If the clean women's world record in the marathon ends up being under 2:10, does that make any sense? When Ruth Chepngetich did it, Amby Burfoot said it had to be doping. Across standard distance events, the women's world record is consistently 10% to 11% slower than the men's. A sub-2:10 shrinks that gap to 8.8%. Can male pacers and supershoes explain the discrepancy?
More Marathon News
- Good Read: 25 years ago: 9/30/2001 - Olympic champ Naoko Takahashi became the 1st woman to break 2:20 in the marathon in Berlin after doing 40-mile long runs Her 2:19:46 record lasted one week as Catherine Ndereba ran 2:18:47 a week later in Chicago. In many ways, she was ahead of her time as she had her own masseuse, chef, and even social media following (700,000 people each week read the comic strip written about her) before there was social media. She also had her own special drink that came from hornets.
- Clayton Young reveals he's got a 12 cm tear in hamstring but he's still doing 20+mile runs, double thresholds at 4:30 pace and racing Chicago The injury flared up at the end of the Great North Run.
*MB: Clayton Young Announces American Record Attempt at Chicago. Update: He's torn his hamstring (but still doing Chicago) - Sabastian Sawe: "I know it's possible to run under 1:59," - and talks about why he wants to prove he's clean.
Nike Responds To adidas / Administrative News
- MB: Nike release new top of the line supershoe - The Apex It "features zero-drop geometry with a 40-millimeter stack height in both the heel and forefoot, creating a balanced ride designed to keep runners feeling supported through every mile" and amazingly "delivers up to 40% more energy return than Alphafly 3 in a men's size 10. "
- MB: Nike releases starter/discount supershoe - Swooshfly costs $145 and has similar performance but at half the price The average marathoner takes 55,000 steps per marathon. Kipchoge takes 28,000. Should they be wearing the same shoe? Nike doesn't seem to think so.
- NCAA women's poll: NC state still on top, Ok State moves up to #8 from #15
- New Mexico takes over #1 spot in NCAA rankings, Arizona gets ranked for first time in 20 years
- Kenya signs deal with Croatian city of Varaždin, aiming to get good at sprints/jumps/throws before home Worlds. Under the agreement, Kenyans "will relocate to Varaždin — a historic sporting hub in northern Croatia — for extended, multi-season training camps designed to bridge the transition from winter training into the summer competitive season. The primary objective is to give Kenyan athletes structural access to the world-class training facilities and high-level European competition circuits they have historically lacked at home. Technical expertise from Croatian clubs " and Blanka Vlašić will occur. This is a giant waste of money. If they are any good, the NCAA will find them.
- Omanyala expands his grassroots sprint program to St Joseph’s Boys Kitale
- Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer and Annik Kälin have been confirmed as the winners of the 2026 World Athletics Combined Events Tour, c The Combined Events Tour counts each athlete’s best three performances across the series and at major championships, converting them into result scores using World Athletics’ scoring tables. Indoor and outdoor performances can count. Ehammer and Kälin each receive a US$30,000 prize as tour winners.
Hoey Update
Hoey, who has not raced since setting the indoor 800 WR in January, developed a stress fracture in his lower left leg in the summer but has been cleared to resume training.
This Week's Podcast
Tigst Assefa’s world record bid ended with an Achilles injury, Jane Hedengren suffered a rare loss, and Josh Kerr revealed a stunning 2:12.66 1,000m time trial.
Star Mid-D News
- European Athletics: 10 things you might not know about Jakob Ingebrigtsen Jakob actually broke 4 minutes in the first mile race he ever ran (3:58.07 at 16-years-old) and he competed in the steeplechase at his first World Championships (London 2017). Outside of running, he apparently likes collecting Pokemon cards and one of his favorites is a "Charizard gold card."
- Journalist asks why there isn't trash talking in the women's 800m like the men's 1500m between Jakob Ingebrigsten, Josh Kerr and Cole Hocker Asked about it, Hodgkinson said, "I think I just have a lot of respect for the people that I compete against. The persona on the track and off the track is just different — once it’s over, I’m done with it. I think Jakob is hilarious... but I think when you’re not in it, it’s funny. I wouldn’t want to be involved."
- World Athletics profile: Ultimate champion Audrey Werro, a lion on the track Werro says her "claws-out" celebration pose this year came from her childhood when her father urged her "not to be shy, but to be a lion" when she stepped on the track.
Road Running News
- Tigst Assefa undergoes surgery on "completely destroyed" Achilles Assefa finished the Berlin Marathon despite having to limp the final 2k due to an Achilles injury at the end of the race. Her agent said, "She completely destroyed the tendon at the end ...so that was a disaster because maybe (if) she had stopped, (it) was not so bad, but she ran 2km with the problem." Assefa was immediately flown to Munich after the race to complete the "very complex surgery" and it will be a long road to recovery (her agent says "maybe" she can start running again in three months).
- Funny: A game of rock, paper, scissors was used to determine when the elite men's and women's races would be for next year's two-day London Marathon Sabastian Sawe played against women's wheelchair world record holder Catherine Debrunner to decide who would get the traditional Sunday race day. In best of three, contest, Debrunner got a win with paper over Sawe's rock and then after a couple of ties, scissors to cut Sawe's paper. So the elite men will race on Saturday, April 24 and the elite women on Sunday.
- GB Olympian Megan Keith wins Baxters River Ness 10k in 31:24
- Former WR holder Joyciline Jepkosgei leads field for the Cardiff Half Marathon on Sunday The 64:13 runner's main competition will be Wede Kefale (65:20). Gideon Kiprotich (58:49) leads the men's race.
More Links That Made The Cut
- Asian Games in the books: Winfred Yavi completes distance triple, winning the 10,000m, steeple and 5000m She won the 5000m on the final day in 15:10.18, pushed to the line by Japan's Nozomi Tanaka who ran 15:11.65. Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew completed the 5000m/10,000m double, winning the 5000m in 13:30.79 ahead of Japan’s Tomonori Yamaguchi (13:31.43). China's Zhang Jiale highlighted the final day field events with 78.27m in the hammer.
- 2027 Kip Keino Classic to serve as World Championships test event Meet director Barnaba Korir said, "The President and CEO of World Athletics insisted that the Kip Keino Classic for next year must meet their standards."
- LA 2028 Olympic flame will travel through all 50 states It will start where the US last hosted the summer Games, in Atlanta.
NCAA XC Rankings
- New Mexico men take over top spot in NCAA XC coaches' poll after defeating top ranked OSU Iowa State moved up to #2 and OSU dropped from its #1 spot to #3. Alabama and Oregon stay 4-5. *Regional Rankings
- NC State stays #1 in latest NCAA XC coaches' poll; BYU moves up to #2 New Mexico dropped to #3 and NAU and Iowa State are ranked 4-5. *Regional Rankings
- T&F News' NCAA XC preview - men's top 10 teams They have OSU ranked over New Mexico and Iowa State, but this was before last weekend's meets.
- T&F News' NCAA XC preview - women's top 10 teams They have Iowa State ranked #1 over NC State.
- MileSplit: 10 things we learned from last week in college XC Includes some D2 and D3 analysis as well as D1.
Distance Talk On The Boards
- MB: Shelby Houlihan finishes runner-up at Beer Mile World Classic, losing in a three-way sprint finish Elizabeth Laseter ran 5:56.1 to Houlihan's 5:56.9. Houlihan closed way faster (62 seconds for her final lap compared to Laseter's 71 seconds), but ran out of room.
- MB: Kerr 2:12.66 1k at altitude - wow This was a time trial from before the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Running at 5300 feet elevation closed his last 400m in 51.35 to run 2:12.66 for 1000m.
- MB: Allie Ostrander making her marathon debut at CIM in December
- MB: RIP Pat Clohessy: 1961 and 1962 NCAA champ + former coach of Rob de Castella
- MB: 2:05 marathoner Vinny Mauri signs with Asics ahead of Chicago Marathon
Q&A / Podcast With A Rising American Star
Emma Grace Hurley discusses her 66:23 fifth-place finish at the World Half Marathon Championships, Team USA’s silver medal, her Chicago Marathon debut, and how she went from 51st at NCAA XC and a software job to one of America’s best road racers.
Week That Was
In Berlin, Tigst Assefa was well on her way to reclaiming her marathon world record before a late-race injury forced her to limp home in 2:11:04. Should the clean women's WR actually be under 2:10? (Statistically speaking, the answer is no). Plus 35-year-old Guye Adola won the men's race while #2 New Mexico's 27-year-old freshman helped the Lobos take down #1 Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Plus former teen phenom Jane Hedengren, who turned 20 last week, gets beat and current teen phenom Sam Ruthe goes to altitude.
More Recent Results
- Former European XC champ Gemma Steel wins English Masters Cross Country Championships
- Jack Kavanagh (13:50) and Melissa Courtney-Bryant (15:40) win UK 5k Road Championships
- Niwot HS boys and girls sweep team titels at Desert Twilight Dathan Ritzenhein's son, Jude, was second for the team in 6th.
- South American Games recap: Ronal Longa and Orangy Jimenez complete triple sprint crown; Valentin Soca and Micaela Levaggi win distance double Peru's Levaggi’s won the 1500m, 5000m and also finished 3rd in the steeplechase. Uruguay’s Soca also won the 1500m/5000m double. Both Longa and Jimenez took gold in the 100m, 200m and a relay. *Results
- World Athletics XC Tour season starts in Sweden with the TCS Lidingöloppet Sweden swept the 30k titles thanks to Ebba Tulu Chala and Evelina Henriksson, but Burundi's Egide Ntakarutimana and Francine Niyomukunzi took the 15k races.
Doping News
- 2:04 Kenyan marathoner (58:11 half-marathon) Philemon Kiplimo Kimaiyo gets 2-year doping ban Kimaiyo tested positive for a banned diuretic and claimed he was taking his wife's mediation.
*MB: 2:04 Philemon Kiplimo busted
- French Olympic 100H silver medalist Cyrena Samba-Mayela suspended for whereabouts violations She faces a ban of up to two years.
Assefa went the whole race on pace to break Ruth Chepngetich's tainted 2:09:56 mark, passing halfway in 64:57 and 40k in 2:03:00 (2:09:45 pace), but then she started limping in the final mile and slowed to a 2:11:04 victory. She also dominated the race by almost 6 minutes. On the men's side, nine hit halfway in 61:01 and seven were still in contention at 30k, but Adola came out on top to repeat the title he first won in 2021. Gemechu Diriba was runner-up in 2:03:19. Olympic champ Selemon Barega was 5th (2:04:58). *Results
*Video of final 6 mins of women's race
- Assefa skipped awards ceremony, will have Achilles surgery on Monday
- MB: Official 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon Live Discussion Thread
- MB: Wait, Assefa LIMPED to a 2:11 ???
- MB: Top Americans at 2026 Berlin Marathon The top 3 US men all PRd including Charlie Sweeney who ran 2:09:33. Rebecca Schmitt was the lone US elite to PB (2:27:38 -17th).
- MB: What do ALL of the podium finishers in Berlin have in common? Adidas supershoes
- MB: Elise Cranny's boyfriend broke 2:10 at Berlin
- MB: That didn't last long. Kenenisa Bekele is OUT of Berlin with a left Achilles injury
ONLYFans - NIL For Adults?
Facing life without a major shoe or apparel sponsor following her 2024 Wikipedia controversy, world champion ultrarunner Camille Herron has found an unconventional way to fund her competitive career: launching an OnlyFans account as an adult creator.
JG Shares His Final Thoughts on World Ultimates
WA staged a new meet with a bunch of bells and whistles, from the dyed-black infield to win probabilities. But the action on the track, which was electric, is what made Budapest a big success.
Ultimate Champs Videos
Did you miss the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship? We've gathered all the NBC Sports track replays, from the $150k distance showdowns to the sprints and relays, in one spot so you can catch up on every race.
LRC Our favorite photos of world's best track and field athletes chasing $150K prizes at the Ultimate Championship See some of the stunning images from Budapest.
- MB: Ultimate Championship - Day 3
- MB: Kerr runs 1:47.79 last 800m in 3:29.35 1500m - fastest ever in sub 3:30 race? Kerr wins over Cam Myers as US goes 3-5 with Hobbs Kessler, Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse.
- MB: Cam Myers Impressive Last 200m
- MB: Hobbs MF Kessler
- MB: Hocker washed
Jenny Simpson Update
- MB: Jenny Simpson does in-depth hour and a half interview about her near death experience Simpson talks to ultra endurance athlete and podcaster Rich Roll about almost dying from cardiac arrest at a track meet last month, her inherited heart condition and her recovery and life since.
What does it mean to be a competitive runner?
Learn about My Olympic Coach, a Miami training group where a 2:11 marathoner, a former NFL player, and 4-hour marathoners train side by side.
How to Run Fast
RunCCG co-founders Chris Catton and Tim Goldsack may have coached more fast high school runners than anyone else on Planet Earth. In Part VII of the Summer of LetsRun, we conduct a Q&A with the two online private coaches of high school runners. What is the No. 1 mistake most high school runners make? What is their No. 1 piece of advice? Plus, DT hits a lifetime-high 65 miles as he gets ready for his senior season.
Previous Summer of LetsRun Articles:
- Article VI: LRC: Strava Doesn’t Lie: How to avoid overtraining during Summer XC base building
- Article V: LRC: How Fast Should You Run on Your Tempos? LetsRun.com Summer XC Threshold Pace Calculator Unveiled
- Article IV: LRC Why Weight Training is Vastly Overrated for Cross Country Runners
- Article III: LRC: How much mileage is too much for a high school cross country runner?
- Article II: LRC Summer training 101: How to build mileage without getting hurt
- Article I: LRC Summer of LetsRun: How Good Can You Become with Real Training?
Training Talk
The Supporters Club embargo has ended! Watch our full Training Talk video interview with Marius Bakken - the godfather of the double threshold Norwegian Method - or read the highlights of our discussion on double threshold, super shoes, and lactate control. Even if you watched it live, you'll want to read this as it has been updated with a bonus emailed Q&A.
- MB: The Full Marius Bakken Interview: The Norwegian Method, double threshold, and bridging the gap to Africa
- MB from 2002: Kenya vs. USA Back in 2002, Bakken started a thread on LetsRun.com wondering why the US wasn't nearly as good as Kenya in distance running. That question is basically the same one he opened his book with.
- Buy Bakken's new book
Help Us Make a Better Running Shoe Site
We need your shoe reviews.
LetsRun Forum Flashback
No carbon plates. No Strava. Barely any mid-race fuel. We asked longtime LetsRun posters how they trained and raced before modern running technology took over—and the answers were hilarious, humbling, and occasionally horrifying, and showed how much the sport has changed.
Aletheia - the sensor & app to help you run better has improved (sponsored)
Aletheia Run has launched a completely redesigned app built from runner feedback, featuring adaptive training, 170+ strength and mobility exercises, leave-phone-behind tracking, and performance insights. LetsRun readers can get a 30-day free trial plus 10% off their first year with code LETSRUN10.
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
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
- Related - From The Archives: LRC From Norway to Flagstaff: How Double Threshold Training Is Taking Over the World
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?
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
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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.
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
One messageboard poster describes the above interview as the "best interview I've ever seen." More Budapest interviews here.