SML and Paulino ran an epic race. Haltway down the homestretch, Paulino nearly pulled even but SMl ahd responded as the two ran the second and third-fastest times ever behind Marita Koch's suspicious 47.60 world record. SML is the first athlete to win world titles in the 400 flat and 400 hurdles. Full race video is embedded
Plus the women's 800 heats were full of drama, a 21-year-old who needed a time quailifier to get out of the 400 won it, , Gout Gout only ran 20.36 and was eliminated, Shelby Houlihan thinks she can run under 14:20 and Curtis Thompson earned the US its first medal in the men’s javelin in 18 years.
Thursday MB Talk:
- World Champs - Day 6 - Official discussion thread
- US men’s mid-d and distance disaster continues. No one makes 800 final. Darn. 2019 world champ Donavan Brazier ran 1:43.82 by missed out by .02.
- Jessica Hull sent to semi SEMI FINAL!!!! She went down HARD but was advanced.
- Is Ireland’s Cian McPhillipps a surprise contender in the men’s 800? 1:43.18 NR FTW over Brazier in heat #2
- Noah on what his 19.51 in the semis means: “It tells me I was stupid enough to run 19.5 in the semi."
- Gout Gout talks after his 1st World Championships came to a premature end with a 20.36 200m
- New men's 5000m predictions This one is wide open.
On The Boards
On The Boards
What happened?!
Great Britain's Jake Wightman made the same move with 200m to do that he did to win the 2022 Worlds, but it came up just short this time as Portugal's Isaac Nader stunned everyone to win in 3:34.10.
- Official World Camps Day 5 Discussion thread - Women’s steeple and men’s 1500 finals
- What the F*** ISAAC NADER WORLD CHAMP. BRITS AND LAROS GO HOME DEVASTATED.
- JAKE MF WIGHTMAN 2nd PLACE SILVER
- Pay respect to the king - Jakob made this era
- Is Kerr OK? That looked like a calf pull?
- If Hocker were in the race, he would've won easily
- Did Robert Farken’s 6th place finish just prove that Cole Hocker should have been DQd? Would Beamish have won tonight’s 1500?
- In one year, will Niels Laros be everything Jakob dreamed of being - 1500 WR holder + unbeatable in championship 1500/5000s
We’ll find out if this might be possible later tonight.He finished 5th. - Why I Think Jake Wightman Will Win the 1500m Final: the “Finishing Jerk”
- WHAT JUST HAPPENED
Women's Steeple
In each of the last 5 seasons, Cherotich has set a new steeple pb and won a global medal (2 at the junior ranks). Now she's the best in the world. Is she on her way o being the GOAT?
Reaction Show
More From Tokyo
- USA's Katie Moon makes crucial final bar to win her third successive world pole vault gold She cleared 4.90m to beat teammate Sandi Morris' 4.85m. Morris has now been runner-up at five global outdoor championships (1 Olympics, 4 World Champs).
- Italy's Mattia Furlani becomes youngest men's long jump world champion with 8.39m victory
- AP Wednesday Recap: Portugal’s Isaac Nader is the out-of-nowhere winner of men’s 1,500 meters at world championships as US goes 1-2 in pole vault & Gout Gout advances in 200m
The Enhanced Games
Kerley was suspended in August for whereabouts failures. In a statement he said, "This now gives me the opportunity to dedicate all my energy to pushing my limits and becoming the fastest human to ever live."
- MB: Fred Kerley to Join Enhanced Games
- Seb Coe statement from February 2024 "There's only one message and that is if anybody is moronic enough to feel that they want to take part in that, and they are from the traditional, philosophical end of our sport, they'll get banned and they'll get banned for a long time."
- UK Anti-Doping warns the Enhanced Games could "Damage the integrity of world sport irrevocably"
GST / Michael Johnson Could Face Legal Trouble
Sources say that GST owes as much as $19 million and some athletes are planning to take legal action if they aren't paid by the end of the month.
- MB: Athletes threaten to sue Grand Slam Track
- Grand Slam Track denies Michael Johnson earned $2 million while athletes went unpaid A spokes person said, "The rumors that Michael Johnson has received $2m or profited in any way from Grand Slam Track are categorically false. In fact, Michael has actually put over $2m of his own money into the project."
Catching Up On Recent NCAA XC
- College XC Roundup: Alabama's Dismus Lokira, Caren Kiplagat Win At Southern Showcase Lokira won in 23:11 and Kiplagat in 16:18. The Alabama men took the team victory while Louisville won the women's race. The Virginia men and women swept the Virginia Invitational with individual wins from Justin Wachtel (23:52) and Gillian Bushee (16:39). The Syracuse men and Penn State women won at the PSU Spike Shoe Invy lead by individual wins from Assaf Harari and Florence Caron.
- Washington State's Evans Kurui wins Cougar Classic in speedy 22:22
- No changes to top 6 ranked men's teams in week 1 NCAA XC coaches' poll Iowa State, New Mexico, OSU and BYU are ranked 1-4. *Regional Rankings
- BYU and Oregon women stay 1-2 teams in week 1 NCAA XC coaches' poll New Mexico moved up to tied for #3 with NC State. *Regional Rankings
- Preview: #20 Ranked Minnesota Women Ready To Defend Home Course At Roy Griak #16 ranked Cal Baptist lead the men's field.
- USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Announced
Tuesday Worlds Recap Show
- MB: OFFICIAL World Champs - Day 4 LIVE Discussion Thread In the 800, Cooper Lutkenhaus was eliminated but Donavan Brazier and Bryce Hoppel moved on. Grant Holloway didn’t make the 110h final which was won by Cordell Tinch. SML ran a sensational 48.29 and Faith Kipyegon won her 7th global title with a masterful performance.
Tuesday Distance Recaps
Kipyegon joins Usain Bolt, Sergey Bubka, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Anita Włodarczyk as the only athletes to win seven global titles in one event. American Nikki Hiltz had their best championship finish ever but missed the medals in 5th.
16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus ran 1:47.68 for 7th in his World Championships 800m heat as teammates Donavan Brazier and Bryce Hoppel advanced.
Tuesday's non-distance action
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran 48.29 in Tokyo to break Sanya Richards-Ross’s American 400m record and moves closer to the 47.60 world record.
What a wild story.
- New Zealand's Hamish Kerr takes HJ gold after duel with South Korea's Sanghyeok Woo The Olympic champion Kerr had a clutch clearance at 2.36m to beat Woo's 2.34m. Afterward Kerr said, "Geordie (Beamish) and I won world indoor titles on the same day. He gave me a kick after his win last night, so I had to win, too. It's really cool to share our best moments together."
- Canada's Ethan Katzberg retain's his world hammer title with championship record 84.70m
More From Tokyo
- Cole Hocker makes statement on his 1500m DQ; Hocker’s agents (Flynn Sports) call officials "amateur" Hocker said, "Extremely disappointed not to get the chance to defend my 1500m title this year. As always, championships are unpredictable, but there’s no time to feel sorry for myself. Looking forward to the first round of the 5k this Friday."
- Mongolia had a 43-year-old marathoner compete in his 18th global championship in Tokyo Ser-Od Bat-Ochir ran 2:30:09 for 65th place. He has a 2:08:50 PB from 2014 and ran a 2:13:59 season's best earlier this year.
- Cooper Lutkenhaus talks after missing Worlds 800m semi-final, admits he still has "homework to do on this trip"
- Mondo Duplantis is using new "claw shoes" to help him break the pole vault WR The spikes have a unique hooked spike at the front. He says he only wears them when he's making a WR attempt because sometimes he cuts himself on the hook.
- World Athletics warns GB over Jeremiah Azu's "100% Jesus" headband Religious and political slogans are banned at the World Championships.
- Five things to watch on day five in Tokyo The men's 1500m final is at 9:20AM ET.
Olympic champion Cole Hocker was disqualified in the 1500m semi-final at Worlds for jostling after finishing 2nd. The U.S. has appealed the decision.
- Discussion: Cole DQ'd
Best kick in the world
Beamish had not won a steeple since his debut in April 2023, but launched an all-time kick to go from 11th to 1st on the last lap and deny Soufiane El Bakkali's bid for a fifth straight global title.
Monday Worlds Talk
- Cole DQ'd
- GEORDIE MF BEAMISH
- Rober Farken: The contact with Cole Hocker "wouldn't have made any difference" He said that initially but once he watched the replay he thought he was impeded.
- World Champs - Day 3
- Everyone apologize to Ritz NOW
- My hot take: Hocker's chances at gold just went up 1
- Cole Hocker: is this the worst season post Olympics for an OG winner?
- El Bakkali: is this a cultural thing?
- What are American marathoners getting wrong?
Day 3 Monday
In one of the best marathon finishes in history, Simbu ran down Germany's Amanal Petros and outleaned him at the line to win Tanzania's first-ever World Championships gold by hundredths as both men were credited with a time of 2:09:48.
More Worlds Coverage
Duplantis broke the WR for the 14th time in his career with a third-attempt clearance at 6.30m. Greece's Emmanouil Karalis took silver with 6.00m.
- Switzerland's Ditaji Kambundji produces the race of a lifetime to get 100H gold with 12.24 PB It was an upset win over WR holder Tobi Amusan (2nd in 12.29) and Olympic champion Massai Russell who finished outside the medals in 4th (12.44). US's Grace Stark took the bronze with 12.34.
- DyeStat profile: Nine-time US champ Sandi Morris has never won a global outdoor title, but is going for gold in Tokyo Morris has been silver four times outdoors (once at the Olympics and three times at Worlds).
- Julien Alfred withdraws from World 200m due to hamstring strain She said she felt the hamstring bothering her a little bit during warm-ups before she took 100m bronze on Sunday.
- Gout Gout says he is "ready to rumble" ahead of World Champs debut He admitted he has "a few butterflies" and is hoping he can make the semis and "even greater," make the final.
- Canada's Camryn Rogers throws #2 all-time (80.51m) to defend her world hammer title
- Medal hope Molly Caudery forced to withdraw from women's pole vault due to ankle injury The 2024 world indoor champion (ranked 4th in the world this year) hurt her ankle during her warm-up.
- Five things to watch on day 4 of World Champs Faith Kipyegon goes for her 4th world 1500m title.
Jimmy Gressier was the surprise winner of the 10,000m as Grant Fisher and Nico Young were left off the medal stand.
Jefferson-Wooden destroyed the field with a 10.61 championship record while Seville ran a 9.77 pb to defeat fellow Jamaican Kishane Thompson (9.82) as Olympic champ Noah Lyles was 3rd in 9.89.
- MB: TOKYO WORLD CHAMPS 2025 DAY 2 THREAD!!!!
- MB: Jimmy MF Gressier SHOCKS the world in the 10k - Americans are SHUT OUT of the medals.
- MB: Melissa Jefferson-Wooden 10.61 FTW at Worlds. DESTROYS FIELD. r
- MB: OBLIQUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oblique Seville silence the doubters. Jamaica 1-2 in 100m
Worlds Day 2
Olympic champ Jakob Ingebrigtsen failed to advance from the 1500m heats at Worlds. Neither dd Phaneul Koech orAzeddine Habz. We break it down.
Worlds Marathon
Just as she did at last year's London Marathon, Jepchirchir (2:24:43) outkicked Assefa (2:24:45) in a fierce final 400 meters as Uruguay's Julia Paternain (2:27:23), who ran in the NCAA at Penn State and Arkansas, was a shocking 3rd. American Susanna Sullivan (2:28:17) was 4th after leading at halfway.
Day 2 Talk:
- TOKYO WORLD CHAMPS 2025 DAY 2 THREAD!!!!
- Jakob post race interview translated
- Jakob doesn't make semi in 1500!
- My Unhinged Jakob Ingebrigtsen Take – The Era is Over
- Appreciate Jakob
- Heat 1: Kerr looks good, Strand in trouble? “That was f*%*{ing hard'
- Josh Kerr: ‘It’s my world 1500m title. If they want it they can come and get it’
- Jakob and Phanuel Koech out in last 1500m heat
- The 1500 today was the most brutal round one in history.
- Niels Laros smiles “heys guys, I’ll speak to you after the final, ok?”
- Habz has no explanation as to why he failed to qualify
- Habz is the Worst 3:27 guy of all time
- Marathon: Julia MF Paternain! 🇺🇾🥉
Chebet’s run which included a 27.11 final 200 was one of the highlights on day 1 in Tokyo, alongside an epic gut-it-out win from Ryan Crouser in the shot put (his fifth consecutive global title). There was a surprise in the men’s 100m where South Africa’s Gift Leotlela led all qualifiers by running a 9.87 personal best.
- Day 1 Official Day 1 2025 Worlds Discussion Thread
- Nadia MF Battocletti She got a 2nd straight silver.
- Conventional wisdom (and Kara Goucher's) take on how Tsegay should beat Chebet is dead wrong Rojo thinks trying to drop Chebet is insane. If you are Tsegay, you try to outsprint her as a 1500 runner.
- Beamish Will Medal at 2025 WC
- Jakobs interesting spike modification
Olympic silver medallist Kenneth Rooks didn't make the final, but Dan Michalski did and so did Geordie Beamish despite a fall on the final lap.
More World Champs Coverage
- Geordie Beamish had his face stepped on, but still got up to qualify for world steeple final Beamish fell while going over a barrier at the start of the last lap and was stepped on by another runner. But he sprang back up and kicked from 8th to 2nd place over the final 300m.
- Ryan Crouser seals world title hat-track after a year of injury Crouser hadn't competed since September last year, but came out and won his third consecutive world title with 22.32m.
- MB: Josh Kerr: ‘It’s my world 1500m title. If they want it they can come and get it’ Talking about his competition he said, “These guys have run well all season. That’s fantastic. But I beat Cole every time that I’ve raced him over 1500m this year. I don’t believe I’ve ever lost to Laros. And if you look at how my history has worked, I make a big jump at this time of the season. It’s one of those things where people get excited about the new shiny toys. It’s my title. If they want it, they can come get it.”
- USA retains world title with dominant mixed 4x400m display They won in 3:08.80, holding off the Femke Bol-anchored Netherlands (3:09.96).
- Five things to watch on day two in Tokyo The men's and women's 100m finals should both be great.
- Men's 35k race walk recap
- Women's 35k race walk recap
RIP To A Coaching Legend
Daniels had a prolific career as an athlete, coach and exercise scientist. He won two Olympic medals in the modern pentathlon, did exercise testing for various groups including Nike's Athletics West elite team in Eugene and held numerous coaching positions which included advising on the training of Jim Ryun while working with the 1968 US Olympic team and winning seven DIII women's national XC titles while at Cortland. And of course, he indirectly contributed to the coaching of thousands of high school and college athletes through his training book, Daniels’ Running Formula.
The Ultimate LetsRun Story In Our 25 Year History & One Of Our Favorite Jonathan Gault Features - Read It Now
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."
The Ultimate 10,000 Preview
Billy Mills shocked the world in Tokyo 61 years ago. Can an American win a second global 10,000 title in the same city 61 years later? This is the ULTIMATE 10,000 preview.
Who will win the 10,000 at the 2025 Worlds?
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Prediction Contest
Track’s biggest showdowns are here. Pick your podiums, win bragging rights, and maybe even a LetsRun Supporters Club membership in our $200,025 Worlds Prediction Contest.
The LetsRun.com prediction contest team for Worlds is set. Meet the three winners from the USAs contest and see how they pulled it off. Don’t forget to enter the Worlds contest next.
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
