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.
Our Weekly Recap
Our Weekly Recap
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
NCAA XC
New Mexico, lead by Pasanjo Kitonga's individual win, put 4 in the top 6 to beat OSU, 28 points to 44. The BYU women put 6 in the top 10 to win the team title with 32 points to OSU's 64. OSU's Billah Jepkirui won in 19:24 with Hedengren finishing third in 19:32. *Results
*MB: Jane Hedengren 2026: finish 3rd at Cowboy Jamboree, fine or not?
- #4 ranked Alabama men and #10 ranked Alabama women sweep Princeton Meadows Challenge The men beat #9 ranked Syracuse 42 to 68. Alabama also took both individual wins thanks to Rodgers Minatum (22:59) and Caren Kiplagat (19:12). *Results
- Arkansas men hold off Tennessee to win Grans Creek title #16 ranked Arkansas got the win 69 to 75 over Tennessee. #26 ranked Missouri won the women's team title and Arkansas' Ernest Cheruiyot (22:32) and Arkansas' Isca Chelangat (18:58) got the individual wins.
*MB: d2 school (Colorado School of Mines) beats A teams from Ole Miss, Missouri, FSU, Texas, etc - #20 ranked Virginia women win Lakfront title ahead of #24 Minnesota and #12 Northwestern On the men's side, Arizona beat Michigan by just 3 points. Tulane's Bernard Cheruiyot (22:37) and Arizona's Mercy Chepkemoi (19:02) got the individual wins
On The Boards
On The Boards
Asian Games
- Thailand's Puripol Boonson completes Asian Games sprint double with 19.88 victory in the 200m The equals the Asian record. This after he won the 100m in 9.90 two days earlier. Olympic champ Winfred Yavi completed the steeple/10,000m double by winning the steeple in 9:04.36 ahead of Kazakhstan’s 2022 world champ Norah Jeruto (9:06.82). Bahrain got 1500m and 400m golds from Nelly Korir (4:04.50) and Salwa Eid Naser (49.20).
- Asian Games opening days recap: Chinese 17-year-old Chen Yujie wins women's 100m in 11.06 Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew defended his 10,000m title in 28:27 while Olympic steeplechase champ Winfred Yavi won the women's race in 32:39.
- MB: Puripol Boonson, 20, runs 9.95 in 1st round, 9.91 in semis and 9.90 in final.
European Road Action
- Two weeks after blisters forced her to withdraw from the Great North Run, Eilish McColgan wins London 10,000m in 31:50 Kadar Omar Abdullahi won the men's race in 29:20.
- Cameron Boyek (4:02) and Kate Axford (4:23) win Westminster Mile in London
- European 10,000m Cup winner Elżbieta Glinka breaks Polish half record with 68:47 at the Gdansk Half-Marathon
- Lili Anna Vindics-Tóth breaks Hungarian record to win Warsaw Marathon in 2:24:48 Kenya's Stephen Kibor won the men's race (2:09:19).
2028 Olympic Trials
No official contract has been signed yet, but USATF and Mt. SAC are expected to come to an agreement soon with Mt. SAC director of public affairs. saying, "They’ve (USATF) requested we host four events and we’re determining if it’s practical for us." Mt. SAC was supposed to host the 2020 Olympic Trials, but USATF ended up switching it to Eugene.
Big NCAA Showdown
Track season is over. It's time to focus on NCAA XC. The #1 OK State men face #2 New Mexico and #5 Oregon on their home course, while Jane Hedengren leads #3 BYU against #2 New Mexico in one of the first major meets of the 2026 XC season.
- Ed Eyestone and Missy Rock (née Buttry) talk about how NCAA xc has changed - Cross country then and now Rock was the first woman to win three NCAA xc titles (at Division III Wartburg from 2002 to 2004).
*MB: Ed Eyestone: Thanks to the internet, you no longer need an elite coach.
College XC MB Talk
- MB: Meets this weekend - Sean Earl Lakefront Invite, Gans Creek Classic, Cowboy Jamboree, Princeton Meadows Challenge. Who you got #1 Ok State, #2 New Mexico
- D2 school beats A teams from Ole Miss, Missouri, FSU, Texas, etc
- New Mexico staff can't actually coach
- Top D2 Adams state faces off against elite D1s Saturday... can they beat any?
- How to Watch Gans Creek Classic
- NC State Woman’s XC rebuild
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.
*MB: Camille Herron new ‘endeavor,’ hinting heavily at OnlyFans –
Berlin Previews
Berlin wants its world record back. Can Tigst Assefa actually run 2:09 on Sunday? Organizers are billing this as a world record attempt, though Assefa (2:11:53 pb) has only said she is hoping for a pb. Plus 9 American elites will race.
- Berlin will be European champ Alisa Vainio's 7th marathon in the last year but she's got big goals "My aim is to improve my personal best and hopefully run under 2:20," said Vainio who has a 2:20:39 pb. The race comes just six weeks after she won the European title in Birmingham and only 15 days after she won the Finnish title. She'll also run the Valencia Marathon on December 6 already in her diary.
Gabriel Geay (2:03:00) and 2021 Olympic 10k champ Selemon Barega lead the men's field which is the first Abbott World Marathon major since 2024 to not have at least one sub-2:03 guy in it.
The Track Seasons Isn't Actually Quite Over Yet
The WC semifinalist from last year is the only man from SE Asia to ever have broken 10.00. His pb comign in was 9.94. And he ran 9.90 in the final despite having a terrible start.
*MB: Why are all of the competitors at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan being introduced to the crowd only in English?
- Brett Larner's Asian Games preview The Games are being held in Japan for the 1st time in 32 years.
- Alison dos Santos wins South American Games 400m in 44.61 as both men's and women's 400 records fall dos Santos broke the Games record in both the prelims (44.99) and final with the latter time being the fastest time ever recorded on Argentinean soil. In the women's 400, Chile’s Martina Weil ran 50.45 victory to break the 32-year-old Games record of 51.31 held by her mother (Colombia’s Ximena Restrepo).
- Alison dos Santos had a dream year in 2026 including a 45.80 WR, but he's still convinced he can go faster Friend of Letsrun, Cathal Dennehy catches up with the world record holder who now trains in Clermont, Florida. "We're far from our limit," said Dos Santos. "The time that I run and say, 'This is my limit,' you're not going to see me next season. I'm excited to be able to run 45.8 now, but I'm looking forward to running 45.6, 45.4. I can't give you a number, but I know it can be faster."
- Australian sprinter Rohan Browning retires at age 28 He won CG 4 x 100 gold but is best known for running 10.01 and making the 2021 Olympic semis.
Interesting Reads
- Q & A with new Canadian half-marathon record-holder Jadyn Keeler The former North Dakota runner, who was sixth in the NCAA 10,000 this spring, destroyed Andrea Seccafien’s previous national record of 1:09:38 by running 1:08:03 to place 16th. She plans to move up to the marathon in the spring.
- MB: Scientific study: Blueberry doping - eating LOTS of blueberries - could cut your marathon time by 4.2%
- Where is Jordan Díaz? The mysterious and prolonged disappearance of Olympic triple jump champ Since winning Olympic gold, the Cuban-born Spanish star has fired his coach and agent and recorded a single legal jump. ABC reports he's in the process of trying to move to US to train under Kansas State's Travis Geopfert, the coach of Olympic long time champion Tara Davis, but has seen having visa issues.
- The Times: Amy Hunt is a self-proclaimed “academic badass and track goddess" - “Are you not entertained?” Learn all about Britain's biggest sprint star who is trying to become the first Cambridge alum sin Jon Ridgeon to win a world championship individual medal.
Bye Bye Summer
Heat training has long been used to prepare for hot races, but new research suggests it may also improve endurance performance in cooler conditions. We look at how it works, what the science says, and who might benefit.
Flagstaff may empty out when the pros head to Europe, but the running doesn’t stop. Each summer, high school and college runners arrive for altitude training, iconic trails, group runs, and a community built around the sport.
Sprint News
Sam Blaskowski, the fastest white sprinter in US history, has left the world's top sprint group after a video from when he was in high school resurfaced of him saying the N-word. "There are no excuses to use this type of language ever....To anyone I hurt, then and now, near and far. I hear you, I see you and I am sorry," said Blaskowski.
Distance News
- After winning World XC and World Half gold, Agnes Ngetich says the track will be her focus in 2027 “I am coming back to track races in 2027 because there is a World Championships,” Ng'etich said. “It is my dream to win a gold medal on the track. It is the only one I am missing.”
- World Athletics Cross Country tour starts this weekend in Sweden and the DL runner-up in the 5000, Egide Ntakarutimana (12:46 pb), will be there
- MB: Want to run faster in your next marathon? Focus on subgoals, DO NOT distract yourself or remind yourself why you are running
- Looking to boost your VO2 max at 50+? Experts explain the training changes you need to get faster in later years
- Citius points out the depth of times dropped a lot in 2026 vs 2025 In 2025, 45 men broke 10.00. This year 35 did it. In 2026, 17 broke 3:30. This year, it was just 5. In the women's 1500, 25 broke 4:00 versus 36 in 2025.
The World's journalists aren't sure what to make of Jakob Ingebrigtsen
Split views on Nike
- Can Nike’s new ‘supershoe’ give it a much-needed win? The beleaguered sportswear giant is hoping its Alphafly 4 model will add some shine to one of the few bright spots in its portfolio: its running category.
- High ranking exec at British retailer says Nike turnaround is only a matter of time "Much as there's a lot of talk about Nike, it's still the most popular brand out there and it's still a very strong brand," Dominic Platt, JD Sports' chief financial officer, told Reuters after the group published first half results on Wednesday. "We think they're doing absolutely the right things."
- MB: Phil Knight gives $1 billion to Univeresity of Oregon - Will he leave anything to USATF or World Athletics? We absolutely think the head of WA and USATF 100% should be reaching out to him.
- Nike's super foam company - Zotefoam - looking to cut 100 jobs from the foam factory in London that has helped break 20 WRs and move the production overseas
Our Weekly Written Recap - Our Weekly Podcast Comes out Tmw
In Copenhagen, Andreas Almgren, Agnes Ngetich the US women and Dawit Seare made history and we make sense of it. Plus Athlos headed to London, NCAA xc got underway and Americans swept the 100k world titles.
Podcast:
Some sensational and shocking performances at World Road Running Champs. Vinny Mauri is going nuts with is training. What are our final thoughts on Athlos? Plus what about the alleged Sam Blaskowski racial slur video.
Distance News
- Good Read: The Guardian's Sean Ingle shares ten training lessons from Jakob Ingebrigtsen Ingebrigtsen shares some interesting insights into his training philosophy including why he likes double threshold and the treadmill, how training on trails and grass is "pointless" and taking days off can actually increase injury risk.
- Niels Laros reveals he had Achilles surgery 4 weeks ago He posted on Instagram: "The injury that lead to the DNF in Tokyo last year and unfortunately kept me off the track more often than on it in this year is (hopefully🤞🏻) fixed. The surgery went well, and now the real recovery has begun."
- New York City Marathon is changing the course for first time in 15 years The small adjustment happens in the Bronx between miles 20 and 21 and if anything, should make the race slightly faster as runners will have to take two fewer turns (5 instead of 7). The reason for the change is the race made it very hard for locals to access a grocery store and laundromat that were boxed off on the old route.
- Kenyans Bethwel Kibet Chumba (2:08:28) and Rebecca Kangogo Chesir (2:23:36) win Buenos Aires Marathon
- Nadia Battocletti announced for Cross Internacional de Italica on November 8t
Hosting News
- Athletics Kenya president Jackson Tuwei: "The work starts now. We have been allowed and respected to host this championship. What is remaining now is the work, and that work starts now for 2029." The first World Athletics inspection team will be visiting Kenya within the next two weeks to assess the competition venues and other facilities.
- The 2028 European Championships will have a record $4 million in prize money Prize money will go eight places deep with winners getting $34,000.
- South Korean 20236 Olympic bid delayed as they consider a co-hosting bid with Jeonbuk and Seoul
NCAA / HS XC News
- No changes to men's top-6 rankings in latest NCAA coaches' poll OSU stays the unanimous #1 ahead of New Mexico, Iowa State and Alabama. *Regional Rankings
- NC State and New Mexico women stat 1-2 in updated NCAA coaches' poll BYU and Iowa State flipped spots at 3-4. *Regional Rankings
- T&F News' men's individuals NCAA XC preview Rocky Hansen is the only American ranked in the top-10, but he is #1.
- T&F News' women's individuals NCAA XC preview No surprises, they have Jane Hedengren ranked #1. They have Iowa State's Mercyline Kirwa, New Mexico's Pamela Kosgei and NC State's Hannah Gapes ranked 2-4.
- MB: 5 Latta sisters all commit to BYU
- MB: Golf cart nearly wipes out spectators at HS XC meet (Video). How wet is too wet? When should a HS xc meet be cancelled?
Sad News: RIP To These Two Trail Runners
- Norwegian elite trailer runner Ida Amelie Robsahm dies after failling while hiking one of Norway's most famous and challenging summits The 30-year-old placed 4th at the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships and ran 2:29:57 in her marathon debut at the 2025 Valencia Marathon. She reportedly fell "several dozen meters" and was picked up by a rescue helicopter, but was unable to be saved.
- Family gives update on missing Canadian trail runner Kalie McCrystal; local authorities have called off the search McCrystal went missing while doing recon for a record attempt on the Matterhorn in the Alps. The family released a statement saying, "Everything we now know suggests she fell while descending. This is not the outcome any of us had hoped for, and it is very difficult to accept."
*MB: Athlete Kalie McCrystal missing
Random Running News
- Former Scottish paratrooper sets 90-year-old world best for 10k Running the race with his daughter and grandson, the 90-year-old Ian Winship ran 64:37 (10:24 pace).
- Runner's World: "Suddenly, your local 5K costs $50. Where on Earth is the money actually going?" Race directors say that they registration prices are going up because of the rising costs of holding the event.
- Hyrox athlete who soiled herself during event apolgizes and forfeits her win Australian Joanna Wietrzyk said, "Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track. I recognize that I should have made a different choice."
*MB: Is this the beginning of the end of Hyrox?
NCAA XC
- Eastern Kentucky's Brighter Jepchumba wins the battle of the freshman against Indiana's Katy Zang at John McNichols Invite Jepchumba beat Zang 19:14.0 to 19:15.7 for the 6k course. Florida's Kelvin Cheruiyot won the men's race in 23:20.7 over Elsingi Kipruto (23:22.0) and Tayvon Kitchen (23:23.1). The BYU men and NAU women dominated the team competitions. *Results
*MB: Congrats to Katy Zang and Tayvon Kitchen on being top NCAA student-athletes today in Terre Haute
- #4 ranked Alabama men and #11 ranked Alabama women sweep Southern Showcase Alabama got individual wins from Dismus Lokira (23:08) and Caren Kiplagat (15:41). The swept 1-5 to take a perfect 15 points team score.
- Iowa State men, Minnesota women win College titles at Roy Griak Invitational Boise State's Brian Kiprotich (23:40) got the individual win as Iowa State went 2-5. Minnesota's Isabelle Schmitz won the women's 6k in 19:44.
*HS recap: Sioux Falls Lincoln boys, Harrisburg girls make it a South Dakota sweep at Roy Griak Invite
- USTFCCCA weekend round-up Florida State swept the team and individual titles at Apalachee Regional Park. Hudson Betts won the men's 8k in 24:28 and Rylee Blade the women's 6k in 20:39.
World Road Champs
World Road Champs
30 years of African dominance at the World Half Marathon Championships are over! Sweden's Andreas Almgren unleashed a devastating kick to clock a 58:06 European record in Copenhagen, giving him the win over Nicholas Kipkorir and Joshua Cheptegei. Plus, Conner Mantz, who ran aggressively early on and went through 10k with the leaders in 27:53 (58:50 pace), led the American men to a team bronze.
Just like at World Cross, Agnes Ngetich once again destroyed a world-class field, but she had to dig deep to get the $50,000 bonus for the women-only WR, which she got by 1 second. Behind her, Emma Grace Hurley (1:06:23 American women-only record), Weini Kelati, and Jess McClain went 5-6-7 to secure an unexpected team silver for the United States.
Saturday in Copenhagen
Ingebrigtsen was leading with 100m to go before Seare pulled the shocker, 12:56 to 12:58. On Athletics Club teammates Robert Farken (3:51.80) and Yared Nuguse (3:52.33) went 1-2 in the mile. Agathe Guillemot (4:22.74) and Likina Amebaw (14:41) won the women's titles. *Video Highlights
- OFFICIAL THREAD: World Road Running Championships, Day 1 The men's 5k had an air of inevitability to it as Ingebrigtsen slowly worked his way up through the field befre taking the lead very late, only to get beat in the final 50.
- Wow Wow Wow: That didn't go according to script - Jakob Ingebrigtsen BEATEN at Road 5k, collapses to ground aftewards
- Ostrander 12th at worlds road 5k
More Weekend Action
- Ryan Sullivan, Hannah Allgood set course records to win the Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile They each take home $20,000 for first place, but the race caught a lot of attention for announcing that they will give $100,000 to the winners in 2027 and 2028.
*MB: 100 mile race = $100,000 1st place prize - European 100m champion Romell Glave closes season with a 9.97 100m victory at World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet in Poland Maciej Wyderka won the 800m in 1:43.65, just .35 off the 25-year-old Polish national record.
- Sander Skotheim wins deacthlon and Nafissatou Thiam the heptathlon at the Decastar multi-event meeting in Talance Skotheim won with 8630 points after coming back from third place after day 1 to win by just 31 points over US's Hakim McMorris. For Thiam, her 6482 point victory is her first completed heptathlon since she won Olympic gold at Paris 2024.
- Sweden’s Martin Nilsson and Italy's Arianna Dentis win World Mountain Running World Cup race in the Beskid Mały mountains in Poland
2026 Athlos
2026 Athlos
Alexis Ohanian’s women's-only ATHLOS meet invaded London and the stars for the most part delivered big wins.
- The Guardian: Keely Hodgkinson shows off Catwoman style to steal Athlos London event
- Official 2026 Athlos London Live Discussion Show
- What in the world is Keely Hodgkinson wearing
- Athlos Games sexualising women
- Can we talk about all of the people who are NOT at Athlos - No Audrey Werro, Femke Broeders-Bol, MJW, Julien Alfred, & more
World Road Running Preview
Two years after his infamous Copenhagen Half blowup, Jakob Ingebrigtsen returns to Denmark chasing road 5K gold. Plus, Conner Mantz makes his championship return after a brutal injury layoff, Yared Nuguse looks for his first global title in the mile and Andreas Almgren looks to become the first non-African to win the half in 30 years but he'll have to deal with Johsua Cheptegei. Plus Agnes Ngetich seems unstoppable. Here is what to watch this weekend.
Mantz Comeback
After setting the American record of 2:04:43 in Chicago last fall, Conner Mantz felt much better than normal. He paced his wife in a marathon a month later. Two sacral stress fractures followed. Now, a father and back running healthy, America's top marathoner is ready to test his wheels at the World Half in Copenhagen.
Athlos Pre-Meet
In May, Alexis Ohanian went on national television and said that Athlos was ready to launch, touting a $2.1 million purse and international expansion. While Athlos London is going ahead on Friday, the abrupt cancellation of the New York meet and questions over attendance and TV viewership numbers show that building a sustainable pro track league takes much more than great vibes. Will this be a thriving series meet in the years to come or are we starting to get Grand Slam Track vibes?
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.
Shocking Allegations
The lawsuit alleges that that a teenager was “forcibly and without provocation violently raped” in a hotel room provided by Nike for the Nike Elite Program held at Nike’s headquarters over the July 4 weekend. The lawsuit then says the claimant was urged to say the attack was consensual, then required her to make a written statement and her parents were “not allowed to review or read.” The alleged victim was treated at a local hospital. Plaintiffs allege they later learned the alleged assailant had “disciplinary issues” and was in the process of being removed from the program when the alleged attack occurred.
Everyone Gets Old, Is This Bekele's Last Hurrah?
- Berlin Marathon: European marathon Champion Alisa Vainio and Kenenisa Bekele added to Berlin Marathon field Bekele, 44, hasn't finished a marathon since the Paris Olympics.
- MB: RIP Roscoe Divine - 1967 NCAA runner-up in 1,500 to Jim Ryun - has died The 1970 graduate of Oregon was America's 16th sub-four miler and finished second at the NCAA Championships in the 1,500 meters behind Jim Ryun in 1967. Divine was famously one of the only runners to defeat Steve Prefontaine at Hayward Field and did it several times.
Outside Coverage for World Road Champs
- WA Men's 5k preview: Jakob Ingebrigtsen the clear favorite for the men's 5k at World Road Running Champs The field also includes Jimmy Gressier, Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune (12:54) plus US's Drew Hunter.
- WA: Women's 5k preview: Ultimate Championship winner Likina Amebaw leads field against countrywoman Aleshign Baweke and Kenya's Caroline Nyaga Courtney Frerichs and Karissa Schweizer will represent the US.
- WA Men's mile preview: Yared Nuguse takes on Vincent Ciattei, Robert Farken, Jake Heyward, Andrew Coscoran and Oliver Hoare
- WA Women's mile preview: Addy Wiley takes on DL 5000m champ Freweyni Hailu The field also has Aussies Sarah Billings and Linden Hall and Gracie Hyde for the US.
- WA Men's half preview: Stacked field includes Joshua Cheptegei, Andreas Almgren, Nicholas Kipkorir and Daniel Ebenyo
- Joshua Cheptegei is excited to representing Uganda for 1st time since winning Paris Olympic gold, is pumped to be back in Denmark. “Denmark holds a special place in my heart since my World XC title at Aarhus 2019. Grateful for the opportunity and excited. Let’s go!” added the 30-year-old.
- WA Women's half preview: World XC champ Agnes Ngetich is the strong favorite Her strongest challenger is probably 2023 World XC silver medalist Tsigie Gebreselama. Weini Kelati leads Team USA.
- Athletics Weekly's World Road Running Champs preview
- Drew Hunter's final U.S. workout before 2026 World Athletics Road Running Champs - Workout Wednesday
Banned Runners Past & Present
- MB: Shelby Houlihan lands her first shoe contract since doping ban, signs with Skechers A LetsRun messageboard correctly said this was happening in May, but it's finally official.
- 2019 Tokyo champ and 2:18 marathon Ruita Aga suspended for methylprednisolone and for tampering Aga won Tokyo in 2019 and also has been top 3 at 5 other world marathon majors (But not since 2019 as she's been mainly running lower tier races). She's run 2:18 3 different times, including most recently in Xiamen in 2025 which she also won this year. Her nephew Addisu Gobena won in Sydney this year.
Random, But Interesting
- New Balance sues Kiprun - claims Kiprun's K looks to much like the New Balance N(pic)
- ‘Why can’t it be 100 times more popular?’: Ohanian aims high with women’s Athlos meeting “You can’t go anywhere without seeing joggers, runners and run clubs,” he says. “London is a hotbed for it; the US, too. It is such an accessible sport. So why can’t it be a hundred times more popular? Or even a thousand times more popular?”
- Chris Solinsky is making his mark at Wisconsin: 1st act - taking the cell phones away for xc camp!!
- Jason Henderson: Did the Ultimate Championship actually work? Henderson thinks they did, "The event had gone so well that it was difficult to conjure up any hard questions [for Seb Coe at a media breakfast]."
- Kyle Merber agrees: "The World Ultimate Championships was simply a fantastic track and field competition."
- Haile G says Kenya getting Worlds is a win for all of Africa “To the ones who voted for Nairobi, you also indirectly voted for Africa. Thank you…great job. We now have two years to prepare and let’s work together and host a very wonderful competition,” Gebreselassie said.
- Before ultrarunning was cool, there was Al Howie By any measure, Howie’s running career was extraordinary. His life was anything but simple. The Scottish-born Canadian battled alcoholism and mental health struggles throughout his life, and running became both a vehicle for his remarkable achievements and a way to cope with the demons he carried off the road. Howie died in 2016. Wednesday would have been his 81st birthday—and the re-release of In Search of Al Howie, Jared Beasley’s biography of the enigmatic ultrarunner, offers a timely chance to revisit a story that isn’t always heard in Canadian running. In 1991, he entered the Sri Chinmoy 1,300-mile race in New York City, finishing in 16 days and 19 hours, improving on his own world record.
- Military dignitaries greet Sedjati as he returns to Algeria after World Ultimate triumph
News From Jamaica
- Jamaican sprinter Jonielle Smith talks about how she had breakout year at age 30 Prior to this year, Smith had never gone under 11 seconds in the event. However, she managed to dip under the mark six times including a 10.89 pb at Pre. She was 4th at World Ultimates.
- Edwin Allen coach Leon Powell rejects restructuring plan Powell, who coached Bryan Levell in HS, has refused the new plan where the girls coach took over as head coach.
Week That Was
Here is everything that mattered in the running world last week including a Josh Kerr - Roger Bannister comparison, a woman beating a man's American record, and 2026 HYROX Beijing/ 1996 Boston Marathon comparison.
Mid-D News
- December's 2026 Kalakaua Merrie Mile will offer $15,000 1st place purse + $20,000 WR bonus This year's race is scheduled for December 12th.
- 2023 world camp Mary Moraa only ran 2:08 this year, but she's unfazed "After the World Championships in Tokyo, I fell sick. I came back home and continued getting treatment until June, when the doctors gave me a clean bill of health,” she said.
- Masters Stars Rick Lee and Michael Cook add to sensational seasons at Fifth Avenue Mile Lee, 65, captured the 65-69 division by nine seconds in 5:06, a time faster than that of the men’s 60-64 champion and all but the winner in the 55-59 bracket. Likewise, Cook, 85, took the 80-and-up grouping by 13 seconds in 8:04, faster than all but three of the 43 runners in the 75-79 division.
Assorted Distance News
- Asbel Kiprop says he was drugged and robbed at a nightclub in Eldoret He didn't give specific details, but says he slept until 3PM the next day.
- Half-marathon in NJ goes on despite flooded course Article includes video of runners wading through sections of waist deep water.
- MB: UW-Platteville suspends men's D3 XC team for hazing
- MB: Sad News: 20-year-old runner killed by lightning in Florida
Kenyan News
- BBC: How Kenya won its bid for 2029 World Athletics Championships They lost their bid for 2025 largely due to their facilities, but they're going to upgrade the Kasarani Stadium before 2029. Kenya also has a huge "passionate fanbase" with 68% of Kenyans surveyed by World Athletics rating their interest in track and field as "high." Track is the second-most followed sport in Kenya after soccer
- The Independent: Kenya has a doping crisis – so why has it been awarded the World Athletics Championships? 148 Kenyan athletes are currently serving doping bans - the second highest only behind India. And this writer argues, "Kenyan athletes will be more motivated than ever to reach the top of the sport over the next three years."
- Two-time Boston Marathon champ John Korir says he's working towards a sub-2 hour marathon at December's Valencia Marathon Korir won Valencia last year in 2:02:24 and also ran a 2:01:52 at wind-aided Boston and will be up against Yomif Kejelcha at Valencia 2026. Korir says he's running 155 to 167 miles a week in training.
- Kenya serving as training ground for junior Refugee Team ahead of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games
Russian News
- Banned race walk coach Viktor Chegin still reportedly coaching athletes (translated) Chegin is supposed to be banned for life for doping his athletes, but has been seen at training camps and has reportedly been abusing his athletes, verbally and physically.
- Seb Coe says World Athletics' position on Russia won't change and he'd personally go to court to defend it Coe: "Our position hasn't changed. This isn't about politics or passports, it's about the integrity of competition."
- Russian Athletics head rips Seb Coe, says Coe hates Russia personally. "It is very clear that he has something personal," said Boris Yaryshevsky.
World Champs Come To Kenya
This will be the first time worlds has been in Africa, although Kenya hosted the World U18 Championships in 2017. This will be Germany's third time hosting; they last hosted in 2009 in Berlin (where Usain Bolt ran his 9.58 and 19.19 world records).
- MB: Wow… Nairobi (1600m altitude) selected as 2029 worlds host city
- The Guardian: London snubbed in favor of Nairobi for 2029 World Athletics Championships London was seen as the frontrunner to host 2029, but it is thought that the battle with West Ham over whether they could use the London stadium hurt the bid.
Random Non-Running News
- British sprinter Amy Hunt criticizes Sydney Sweeney nude sports betting ad Hunt said, "When we're trying to provide role models for young people and young women in sport, we really want to show that it's about what your body can do, not so much what it looks like."
*MB: Sydney Sweeney's nude ad a 'step backwards' for women's sport: Olympian | ABC NEWS - Hyrox apologizes for allowing race to continue after athlete soils herself Footage of the woman went viral online, leading many to bash Hyrox over hygiene concerns. Hyrox races are indoor competitions where athletes alternate between running a kilometer and then doing fitness exercises.
*MB: Is this the beginning of the end of Hyrox?
Does Ultimate Champs Count?
Should they award medals at World Ultimate Champs?
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Great North Run
Talbi competed for Morocco at the Paris Olympics, but became a US citizen in 2024. He won here by 14-seconds over Kenya’s Alex Mutiso. The US also had Casey Clinger in 4th (61:36) and Clayton Young in 7th (62:04). Kosgei dominated the women's race by over 2 minutes. GB's Eilish McColgan DNF'd with another blister issue.
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
Fifth Avenue Mile
Jemma Reekie ran away with her third Fifth Avenue Mile title, breaking the women’s course record, while Marco Langon won his race debut in 3:45.0.
- LRC Notes: Athletes speak their minds on Jakob-Hocker feud & Elise Cranny shares her future plans Interviews with athletes discussing the Jakob Ingebrigtsen-Cole Hocker controversy, Cranny's plans, and Olli Hoare’s shoe troubles.
Josh Kerr closed his final 800 meters in a sensational 1:47.79 to hold off Cam Myers and win the World Ultimate 1500m in 3:29.35, completing his personal “Kerr Slam” and cementing his status as the world’s best miler.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s 21.47 was officially the fourth-fastest women’s 200m ever. But after adjusting for wind and altitude, it ties for the fastest ever, and the cool conditions make the case even stronger that it may have been the greatest women’s 200m ever run.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ran a historic 21.47, Kenny Bednarek completed the sprint double, Djamel Sedjati won the 800m, and Brandon Miller capped his breakthrough 2026 season with another 1:42.
Werro Stays Perfect
Werro won all 10 of her 800m finals in 2026, including times of 1:53.70, 1:53.80, and 1:53.98 -- the three fastest times by any woman since 1983.
Non-Distance Results
- WR holder Alison dos Santos wins World Ultimate 400H title with 45.98 (the third fastest time ever) Rai Benjamin took his second runner-up finish of the championship in 46.40 ahead of Karsten Warholm (46.78).
- Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi puts on a show to take HJ with 2.37m world lead US's JuVaughn Harrison took second with 2.30m.
- US's Jasmine Jones times peak to perfection with Ultimate 400H title in 52.45 Coming into this meet, she had only won one other race this year. Former Olympic champ Dalilah Muhammad ran the last race of her career finishing 4th in 53.11.
- Senegal's Saly Sarr wins women's TJ on opening jump with 15.06m
- Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage caps breakthrough season with 91.09m javelin victory
- Team USA takes mixed 4x400 by over a second over Team GB Since there wasn't also a men's 4x400 and women's 4x400, we guess that makes this event a little bit less of a gimmick than usual.
World Ultimates Day 2
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek swept the 100m titles on Day 2 of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, while Klaudia Kazimierska won a thrilling women’s 1500 over Georgia Hunter Bell and Nikki Hiltz. And Collen Kebinatshipi went for it and dominated the men's 400.
More Ultimate Champs Recaps
- Botswana’s world champion Collen Kebinatshipi runs race of his life to win Ultimate 400m (43.39 PB) Rai Benjamin was second in 44.15 in the first part of his 400m/400H double.
- Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino caps perfect year with 49.07 400m win It was her 12th straight win over 400m.
- US's Sandi Morris wins her first global outdoor pole vault title She won on cleared 4.90m to win on countback over US's Hana Moll.
- Greece's Olympic champ Miltiadis Tentoglou wins super tight long jump with 8.35m Bulgaria's European indoor champ Bozhidar Saraboyukov was a painfully close runner-up with 8.34m. World indoor heptathlon champion Simon Ehammer took 3rd (8.07m).
- Japan's Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi wins javelin with 68.92 national record (joint #10 on world all-time list) China’s 18-year-old Yan Ziyi, who is #2 on the world all-time list, only threw twice for some reason, but took 2nd with 68.05m.
Day 1 Ultimate Champs Coverage
Seven months and five days after Achilles surgery, Jakob Ingebrigtsen (12:59.24) proved his championship 5000 greatness yet again, crushing Cole Hocker and an incredible US squad (2-3-5-6-7) to capture the inaugural World Ultimate 5,000m crown. *Race video
Outside coverage of Ultimates
- NY Times: Why the World Athletics Ultimate Championships is ‘unashamedly’ aimed at TV
- NY Times: Jakob Ingebrigtsen has rebuilt himself and reignited the men’s 5,000m
- Tharp (12.94, -0.6) times finish to perfection to win Ultimate 110m hurdles title
- Russell (12.22, +0.1) maintains reign to take 100m hurdles title in Budapest
- Mahuchikh (1.99) soars to Ultimate high jump title back in Budapest
- Duplantis (6.20) remains pole vault king with Ultimate win in Budapest
- Iapichino (6.90) earns first global victory with Ultimate long jump title in Budapest
- Hummel (81.46) upsets the favourites to become Ultimate hammer champion in Budapest
- USA (39.64) triumphs in mixed 4x100m in Budapest
Day 1 MB Talk
- OFFICIAL World Ultimate Championships Day 1 Thread
- HOLY JAKOB ARE YOU KIDDING ME
- ALL of the GREATEST 5k runners in the history of our great nation just got DOG-WALKED by Jakob Ingebrigsten
- Jonathan Gault asked the question every track fan was thinking - KOs Jakob with "honourable way to run the 1500" (but he doesn't do this in the 5k) question!
- Jakob's interview with NBC shows a cultural difference
- Henrik Ingebrigtsen: I hope he doesn't run 1500 meters. I've booked a plane ticket home for him, and I hope he uses it
- LOL just watched the new world championchip 5000m video on youtube
More Day 1 MB Talk
- Jakob should just sit and kick on Kerr
- Men's 5k at the Ultimates: A lame race? Far from it. It was amazing.
- Cole Hocker posts video about what happened at the DL Final
- Video:Should Graham Blanks have channelled his inner Phanuel Koech against Jakob? He completely crumbled when he had Jakob boxed
- Gabby Thomas's strange mid-season hiatus
- Can we talk about Werro racing dirty?
- Josh Kerr calls his shot: "I’m not going to lose," & takes dig at Jakob? "If you race a bunch, you’re going to have ..."
- 5000m World Ultimates Prediction Thread
- Leah MF Starkey 16:03 at the Ocean County ParkRai Benjamin doubling in the 400m/400m hurdles in Budapest
World Athletics Admin News
- Russia blames their continuing suspension on Seb Coe Russian Athletics Federation Executive Director Boris Yaryshevsky accused Coe of having a "personal grudge" and being personally responsible for their ongoing ban. Agree or disagree with the ban, he's probably not wrong that if there were a different WA president, Russia might already be reinstated.
- Russian deputy prime minister confirms their athletes can compete in 39 Olympics sports - BUT track isn't one of them Earlier this year Seb Coe said, "The original decision remains on the sanctions that protect the integrity and fairness of our competitions, with no tangible movement towards peace negotiations having materialized." Russia has appealed this decision with CAS.
- Logo, mascot and slogan unveiled for Beijing 2027 World Champs The mascot is called Jingyan and "is centered on the idea of the swallow returning to its nest after 12 years, symbolizing the return of the World Championships to Beijing (Beijing hosted in 2015)." The event slogan is "Each Step Counts."
- World Athletics is investing "historical levels of funding directly into the sport" This via direct prize money and more competitions. Their 2025 Annual Report says they had a big jump from 7,791 registered competitions in 2024 to 9,067 in 2025.
Olympic News
- New study says nearly 6000 homeless people might need to be relocated for the 2028 Olympics
- WADA moving towards independent testing for major events like the Olympics This rather than testing falling on the host country. One would think this would have been a change in the immediate aftermath of the Sochi Winter Games Russian doping scandal 12 years ago, but we guess better late than never.
- Four-time Olympic race walk champion Robert Korzeniowski is running for president of the Polish Olympic Commitee This after their former president was arrested in a cryptocurrency investigation.
Fifth Ave Mile Pre-Race
The men's race has Drew Hunter, Olli Hoare, Jake Heyward, Cooper Teare, Stevan Nillessen, Gary Martin and Marco Langon. The women's race includes Jemma Reekie, Kayley DeLay, Courtney Frerichs, Heather MacLean, Elise Cranny and Melissa Courtney-Bryant.
- MB: 5th Avenue Mile entries
- GB's Jemma Reekie glad to be ending on a high note after "a really tricky season" She sustained a concussion from a fall while racing in Poland in May and she says that affected her training for two months. She wasn't happy with the way her track season went, but she set the European road mile record at 4:23.25 on Sunday and is hoping to win for a third time at the Fifth Avenue Mile this weekend.
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.
Sorry Oregon
After publishing an article urging World U20 3,000m sensation Emmanuel Kiprono to choose the NCAA, LetsRun.com has learned the 17-year-old Kenyan signed with adidas and agent Eric Lilot back in 2025.
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.
Our Weekly Recap
Yomif Kejelcha took back the half marathon world record with a staggering 56:51 in Buenos Aires, but did he really close the final 1.1 km at 4:04 mile pace? Plus, Marileidy Paulino and Collen Kebinatshipi continue two of the best 400m campaigns in track & field history, and quick hits on Ethan Strand and Femke Broeders-Bol.
Time Flies When You're Having Fun
On the 10-year anniversary of his unforgettable Olympic 1500m gold in Rio, Matthew Centrowitz joins LetsRun for a special edition of our Track Talk Podcast. He breaks down the Olympic race, discusses Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr and today’s golden age of the 1500m, and caps things off by taking on our own Jonathan Gault in a track & field trivia showdown.
NCAA XC is about to start
Could Oregon win its first men's XC title since 2008 thanks to a new Irish recruit? How will Iowa State rebound from a turbulent 2025 season?
NYC Marathon Field
Olympic champion Sifan Hassan returns after finishing 6th last year. Two-time champ Hellen Obiri and defending men's champ Benson Kipruto are back, while Conner Mantz chases his first podium finish at a major. US half marathon record holder Weini Kelati makes her long-anticipated debut while Andreas Almgren is also debuting after his dominant Euro 10k win. The race is Nov. 1.
Week that Was:
Andreas Almgren dominated the men's 10,000 at Euros in a way no one else has for decades and Mark English made history by becoming the oldest Euro 800 winner and Ireland's first individual male gold medalist.
6 Day Olympic Trials Head to Eugene
USATF is condensing the Trials into six days (the shortest Trials since 1964), moving the 10,000m and multi events elsewhere, with a quick 23-day turnaround from the Trials (June 17-22) to the Olympics (July 15-24)
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
Jonah Koech says he's innocent
Hours after accepting a reduced 3-year ban for blood doping, 2025 US 1500m champion Jonah Koech told a LetsRun visitor on Instagram that he "didn't take anything." Plus, USADA explains a 3-year testing gap, and Ethan Strand and Hobbs Kessler react to the doping that cost one of them a US title and another a World championship spot.
Help Us Make a Better Running Shoe Site
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World U20s Day 1
Kibet led the last 1600 and won the 5000m in 13:28.27 over his countryman Nehemiah Kipngeno (13:30.09), closing in 4:06 and 57.26. Uganda’s world XC bronze medalist Charity Cherop won the women's 5000m in 15:03.88, well ahead of Ethiopia's Shito Gumi (15:07.91). In the 100m, the big names (Tate Taylor, Jamaica's Gary Card, Mia and Mariah Maxwell and Jamaica's Shanoya Douglas) all advanced to the final (Taylor with 10.06 and Mia Maxwell with 11.13 had the fastest times). In the mixed 4x400m, the US ran a record time of 3:15.31. The only field final on day 1 was the women's shot put, won by Brazil's Alessandro Borges.
- World Athletics: Three things to follow on day two in Oregon
- Twin sprint stars Mariah and Mia Maxwell talk about sibling rivalry Mia: “It's honestly not as difficult as people may think."
*Video of Mia cheering on her sister during the 100m semis - World U20 Day 1 morning recap Uganda’s Shafeck Murungi (1:46.64) and Japan’s Rin Kubo (2:03.27) had the fastest times in the heats of the 800m.
- Register Guard: Poor air quality doesn't cloud opening day of World U20 meet Smoke from regional wildfires led to poor air quality on day 1 with an AQI of 237 ("very unhealthy").
- LRC 2026 World U20 Preview: Tate Taylor vs. Gary Card & Odey-Jordan in 100m, Quincy Wilson's Big Test, and Distance Stars to Watch World U20s return to Hayward Field! The USA's Tate Taylor (9.92/19.75) vs. Jamaica's Gary Card (9.93/20.28) should be a great battle in the men's 100/200, while Quincy Wilson (44.10) vs. Jayden DeLeon (44.52) is the marquee matchup in the 400. Plus can Americans Paige Sheppard (2:00) and Claire Stegall (4:04) medal in the 800/1500?
- MB: Official 2026 World U20 (aka World Jrs) Live Discussion Thread
Summer Reading Series
We look at three training books that go beyond workout logs, covering training philosophy, performance science, and the psychology of pushing your limits.
2026 Commonwealth Games
14 days after his 3:42.66 World Record, Josh Kerr looked like the best miler on the planet as he DESTROYED Cam Myers, Jake Wightman, Timonthy Cheruiyot and others with a 52 last lap. Rojo hosted a live watchalong party for the men's 800 (where UA Baltimore's Navasky Anderson won) and men's mile and Kerr's coach Danny Mackey joined the show to talk about Kerr's big win. Mackey told us what workouts Kerr has been doing since his WR and what the odds are he goes for the 1500 WR. The video above is cued to start when Mackey joined the show.
- MB: Official final day of Commonwealth Games live discussion thread - Kerr, Wightman, Myers!!! (+Live watchalong party at 3:50 )
- MB Kerr vs Myers: Who wins the CWG Mile?
- MB: OFFICIAL: 2026 Commonwealth Games 7/27-8/1 Glasgow, Scotland
- Pre-Race: LRC Can Anyone Stop Josh Kerr? Cam Myers and Jake Wightman Take Aim in a Commonwealth Mile for the Ages
- Commonwealth Games Final Day Recap: Abbey Caldwell leads an Australia 1-2-3 in the women's mile Caldwell ran 4:39.31 to beat out teammates Jessica Hull (4:39.86) and Claudia Hollingsworth (4:40.20). Kenya's Matthew Kipsang denied Australia's Ky Robinson a double gold by taking the 5000m in 13:23.61 to Robinson's 13:24.70. Jamacia's Navasky Anderson took the men's 800m in 1:45.33 over Aussie Luke Boyes (1:45.93) and Kenya's defending champ Wyclife Kinyamal (1:46.12).
Big NCAA News
Texas has signed 25-year-old Kenyan Dennis Kipkogei, a 59:11 half marathoner who will enter the NCAA as a freshman and an immediate contender for the 2026 cross country title.
Q&A
Hicks, who ran 2:04:35 in Boston in April, will run the Chicago Marathon in October and says he has a "North Star" of trying to eventually hit 150 miles per week in his marathon career. Plus, how he convinced coach Jerry Schumacher to drop "Jerry miles" for his marathon training.
Runner of the Month
No woman had run under 1:54 in the 800m for nearly 43 years until Audrey Werro did it twice in June. Could the world record be next for the LetsRun.com June Runner of the Month?
This Week's Podcast
Cooper Lutkenhaus capped a near-perfect season, Nikki Hiltz won a ninth straight US title, and marathoner Charles Hicks joined us to explain his plan to build toward 150-mile training weeks.
Brosnan Is Back
Former Newbury Park high school coaching legend Sean Brosnan is back in the NCAA ranks as the new distance coach at USC. We caught up with Brosnan to discuss why he chose a program without a men's cross country team, what really happened with his NCAA show-cause penalty, and we even asked him who is more talented - Colin Sahlman or Nico Young?
On March 28th, Josh Kerr called his shot and told the world what he'd do on July 18th and he went out and did it. Tim Hutchings called it the "ballsiest world record in the history of middle-distance racing" and we have to agree. Incredible. Recap coming. *Full Race Video
The 24-year-old has now PRd by nearly a full second to crush the field. He has now won 4 straight 800s. It was the start of an amazing day for the Brooks Beasts and coach Danny Mackey. *Full Results
*Brandon Miller is going to kick some @$$ One messageboard predicted a big run from Miller yesterday.
London DL Messageboard Talk
- Official Josh Kerr goes for the mile world record - 2026 London Diamond League discussion thread
- Josh Kerr Apology Thread
- JOSH MF KERR 3:42.66 - KING OF THE MILE!!!!
- Josh Kerr wants more: "I was hoping on my best day I could be [3:]40-41....I think the 1500 world record is within my grasp!!!"
- What is Jakob doing right now?
- Which world record is more impressive: 3:42.66 Mile or 7:17.55 3000m?
- What happened to Birnbaum?
- Why was Kerr’s mile given a special stagger/cone start? —- Not a good look.
- Kerr has a zero percent chance of breaking the WR. Here's why.
- Nike is in complete shambles
- Kerr GOAT Allegations
- John Kellogg GENIUS prediction appreciation thread
- Josh Kerr lives in Alburquerque full time NOT seattle with the Brooks Beasts
- Does Kerr’s WR Prove That El G Was a 1:46 Guy After All?
- Is Brooks Beasts the new meta?
- Brandon Miller is going to kick some @$$
- WA scoring tables - how does Kerr's 3:42 compare to the strongest WRs
- Discus: Is Setting the Mile WR Better than Winning Olympic 1500 gold?
- Hicham El Guerrouj changes his Instagram bio: "Current world record holder in the 1500 meters."
Looking Back At El G's Mile Record
Before Josh Kerr’s London record attempt, we revisit how Hicham El Guerrouj ran 3:43.13 in Rome, with near-perfect pacing, ideal conditions, and Noah Ngeny pushing him all the way to the finish. What could El Guerrouj run today?
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.
Summer Reading Series
Four running books that will deepen your appreciation for the sport, from the inside story of an NCAA championship team to the race to break the four-minute mile.
Summer of LetsRun - Article V
One underappreciated key attribute that most accomplished distance runners have is restraint. This week, we unveil the LetsRun.com tempo pace calculator to make sure you don't go too hard, too soon and ruin your summer.
*MB: LetsRun.com Summer Tempo / Threshold 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?
If a young runner has 30 minutes of free time, there are about 5 different ways they can productively spend that time: Sleep more, run more, socialize, study or lift weights. We explain why weights are the least important item on the list.
The Summer of LetsRun.com - Meet the high school XC phenom we are coaching who has jumped from 10 miles per week to 11 miles per day
The sub-10 HSer that we are coaching this summer has already gone from 10 miles per week to 11 miles per day and already doing workouts like 3 x 2 mile. Can we save him from himself and Coach ChatGPT? We hope so as he has two things you can't coach - desire and talent.
Train Smarter - Share This with The HS and College XC Runners you know
Train Smarter - Share This with The HS and College XC Runners you know
A sub-10 high school 3200 runner who barely runs (8-10 mpw) recently emailed us about summer training. We decided to help him out and also decided we'd share the wisdom with the masses. Cross country is a summer sport that's played out in the fall and we are giving you the keys to training properly this summer.
Discussion: Tips for increasing mileage over the summer or in a base phase?
Amazing Story
Two-time Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and 18 minute 5k highs school runner, Tyler Andrews, explains how double-threshold training and pure running fitness helped him climb from Everest Base Camp to the summit in a record 9:55.
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
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
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
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.
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.