Cheptegei set an Olympic record of 26:43.14 as the top six all finished within a second and the top 13 all broke 27:00 -- easily the most ever in one race.
Archived Homepage For August 03, 2024
Archived Homepage For August 03, 2024
Men's 10k Final
What a start to the Olympic Track and Field action.
Friday MB Talk
- Official Olympics Day 1 Friday Evening Session Thread: Men's 10,000m Final, Women's 800, 5000 More
- GRANT MF FISHER MEDALS
- STANDING OVATION FOR GRANT AND NICO
- Is Grant Fisher Amerian Indian?
- NICO MF YOUNG 26:58 IN THE OLYMPIC FINAL
- Grant Fisher is Canadian-Born, Not Native to America
- Never thought I'd say this: I thought Fisher was going to win it
- Josh Kerr is THIN!
- Uodate: Nordås to Kerr in the interview zone: "You can beat my countryman"
- Has Fisher surpassed Rupp as the American distance GOAT?
- US distance runners will come back with ZERO medals
- Thank you Peacock!!!
- Yomif Kejelcha CANNOT perform when it matters
- The Greatest 10000m of All-Time
- After best 10k in Oly history: could Farah have won the race?
- Kincaid needs to go to longer distances
Faith Kiypegon and Keely Hodgkinson got underway and 5 of the 6 American women advanced in the women's 800 and 5000.
On The Boards
On The Boards
Feldspar plans to revolutionize the running track and they are the proud sponsor of the LetsRun Paris coverage.
All 3 Americans advanced in the 1500 while Sha'Carri Richardson made it through in the 100m prelims.
- Day 1 Discussion: Olympics Day 1 Live Thread: Morning Session, Men's 1500m Heats, Women's 100
- The 1500 final is over before it even starts, the gold is already Kerr's
- Josh Kerr from 10th to 1st in 1 200 thanks to 25.9 200
- Hobbs Kessler got COVID at Wild Duck: "You've got to watch out for the Wild Duck. It will get you"
- Nordås to Kerr in the interview zone: "Beat my countryman"
- Jakob was condemned by TV commentator for fist pumping
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen - Confidence or Disresepct?
- AUSTRALIAN 1500M RUNNERS GO HOME DEVASTATED. Incorrect. Repechage round.
- Rough morning for OAC
We have boots on the ground in Paris and Jonathan Gault's first two days in Paris included trips to see Simone Biles, Carlos Alcaraz, and Léon Marchand and offered a reminder of how fans can elevate the Olympic experience. Jonathan writes about the loudest sporting event he's ever attended.
*MB: Boots on the ground in Paris: Jonathan Gault just attended the loudest sporting event of his life at the Olympics .
The largest track and field bettor on planet earth, who like all really smart people is a LRC SC member, recently hired Jonathan Gault and Robert Johnson to come up with Olympic odds for every track event at the Paris Olympics. We now have permission to share our odds with his fellow Supporters Club members.
Seb Coe said WA is exploring a joint proposal to have cross country and cyclocross share a course at the 2030 Winter Olympics in France. Plus Coe shares his thoughts on Grand Slam Track.
Non LRC articles
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen shows up at press conference wearing a mask as he doesn't want to get sick He also said it's hard to consider Kerr his rival.
- Josh Kerr remains on a mission and doesn't respond to Jakob Ingebrigtsen saying that Kerr “is known as the Brit who never competes.”
*Kerr: "I’ve had a very smooth camp and I’m coming in really confident, I’m surrounded by the right people."
*Coe: "It really could be a race for the ages.” - Jake Wightman pulls out of the Olympics with hamstring injury
- World record holder Mayer out of decathlon with thigh injury
- Dyestat: 10 storylines to follow in Paris From Jakob vs Kerr to Mondo and Quincy.
- Reynold Cheruiyot says Kenyans will work together in 1500 final
- Sifan Hassan: 'My biggest goal is to complete the event, rather than the medal.' - LetsRun.com
- Loud and proud track and field enters Olympic fray full of star quality After winning a record 10 medals in Budapest, the Brits are pumped for Paris as is the whole sport of track and field.
- The Guardian: ‘Fast, expensive … fancy’: How Sha’Carri Richardson revived her Olympic dream
The Latest LRC Previews
The Latest LRC Previews
Hodgkinson recently became the 6th fastest woman in history and leads the world by one second.
A record 11 men have broken 1:43 this year, including three under 1:42. Is Djamel Sedjati the new king of the event or can Emmanuel Wanyonyi or someone else take him down in Paris?
In Tokyo, we had two races for the ages. Will history repeat itself in 2024? McLaughlin-Levrone comes in off a world record at the US Olympic Trials, while Benjamin is 2-0 vs Warholm since losing at Worlds last year.
Mid-D News
- Thanks to his improved strength, Cole Hocker isn't ruling anything out in Paris In this feature by David Woods, Hocker talks about the WR and being unbeatable.
*MB: Cole Hocker: "If I stay healthy, I don’t think anyone can beat me. Definitely not in America" - MB: More drama in Norway: Narve Nordås training buddy says he's been bullied and discriminated against. Nordas' dad chimes in - LetsRun.com
- Sedajti admits he's got more than Olympic gold on his mind - he wants Rudisha's 800m WR
- A knee injury kept him from making the Worlds final last year, but now Tim C is feeling great heading into Paris. Cheruiyot talks to ESPN Singapore.
- Josh Kerr: "If it was going to be easy, then not many people would watch."
- Vincent Ciattei ran the race of his life at the Trials....and still ended up 4th
- The Latest Sweat Science column by Alex Hutchinson: The Latest Running World Records Are Unfair The title is kind of misleading as the article doesn't state that.
- Over the weekend: Johnny Gregorek (3:59.96), Micaela DeGenero (4:34.57) win Guardian Mile in windy conditions DeGenero beat Heather Maclean. *Results
- After you watch the Olympics on Friday, you can also watch the Sir Walter Miler with Heather Maclean and Craig Engels
Female Stars Pick Their Events
Jackson pulled up injured in a 200m race earlier this month. Jamaica's 11.03 woman Shashalee Forbes will take her place in the 100m.
*MB: Shericka Jackson out of the 100m
- Sifan Hassan announces she'll go for 5k, 10k, marathon triple The 1500 doesn't make sense as it's the night after the 10,000 and the night before the marathon.
- Update: Gudaf Tsegay WILL RUN 10,000 in Paris and triple Her husband initially said she was not going to do it but may have been playing games with the federation. This is GREAT news for the US 1500 hopefuls.
Non Olympic News
2025 Worlds Will Be Here Before You Know It
- World Athletics releases qualifying standards and schedule for 2025 Worlds which will end with 4 x 100, not 4 x 400 We have good news to report - the Weldon Johnson Rule - has been accepted. Additionally, the women's 10,000 standard is no 30:20 and the # of xc qualifiers in the 10,000 has been reduced from 8 to 3.
*New standards *2025 timetable
*MB: The Weldon Johnson Rule has been adopted. World Champs will now end with 4 x 100, not 4 x 400 starting in 2025
Non-Distance News
- Noah watch out:Reigning Olympic 100m champ Marcell Jacobs declares: 'I'm in the best shape ever.'
- AFP: Brash, brazen, brilliant. American sprint duo Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson will look to live up to their billing as Olympic 100m favourites
- Many ex Cal throwers will star in Paris Camyrn Rogers is the reigning hammer throw world champ whileMykolas Alekna is the men's discus throw WR holder.
Not everyone can go to Paris
Not everyone can go to Paris
Christina Clemons found herself without a sponsor prior to the Olympic Trials and on her own created a unique partnership with Doritos. She talks about that, missing Paris, and being a mom.
This Week's Pod
We break down the first distance action in Paris and chat with Drew Hunter.
The 1st women's distance final doesn't take place until day 4 (Monday) but the race should be worth the wait as we are living in the era of the women's distance freak. That is meant as a compliment, because freakish is the only way to describe what women like Faith Kipyegon, Gudaf Tsegay, and Sifan Hassan have been doing in the last five years. It's not just that the trio have run fast -- they have combined to break eight world records in that span -- it is that they have been redefining what is possible for women's distance runners.
Ingebrigtsen is trying to join Seb Coe as the only men to win two Olympic 1500 titles. Americans Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse both have legit shots at a medal.
Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei has won 3 global 10,000 titles on the track but he's never won the Olympic 10,000. Can he get the job done in his final track Olympics? If not, is Jacob Kiplimo the new king or will it be one of the Ethiopians? Does Grant Fisher have a shot?
From Grant Fisher to Whittni Morgan, Rojo breaks it down for you with 13 of the 33 US Olympians given a less than 1% chance of a medal.
More Olympic News
The press normally focuses their attention on the fastest Olympians. We turn ours to the slowest. Who were the slowest people who got in on world rank and how slow were they? Plus did you know there are two US Olympians who wouldn't be Olympians in 2024 if they were British?
- Sports Illustrated Predicts No Golds For Jamaica In Paris, But 15 Medals They have SAFP getting 100m silver and Shericka Jackson 200m silver. *Full Medal Prediction List
- Jessica Ennis-Hill Predicts Gold For Keely Hodgkinson And Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Heptathlon) In Paris
- Event-By-Event Japan Olympic Preview
- Word Athletics Olympic Previews: Pole Vault *HJ *LJ *TJ *SP *Javelin *Discus *Hammer
Non-Track Olympic News
- Olympic Men's Triathlon Postponed At Last Minute Due To Pollution In The The Seine River So much for the Paris mayor's publicity stunt swim to prove it wasn't a concern for the Olympics.
- MB: Australian Gold Medalist Swimmer Bashes Conditions In The Olympic Village She blamed not breaking the WR on the eco-friendly conditions in the Olympic village. Many athletes have complained about the small cardboard beds, food and no AC.
- Video: Aussie Athlete Tests Out Durability Of "Anti-Sex" Beds In Olympic Village Another Aussie athlete posted a video showing and complaining about the "rock solid" mattresses.
- Why The Brownlee Brothers Aren't Competing At The Paris Olympics It will be the first time since 2004 that Team GB did not feature one of the brothers on their Olympic triathlon squad.
- Cool Surfing Photo/Video From The Olympics
- Controversy Over Reaction To Women's Volleyball Players Wearing Pants In Paris
- Chants Of 'Heil Hitler Shouted At Israel Olympic Soccer Game
- Fencer Wins Ukraine's First Medal Of Olympics
Previous Olympic News
- SAFP admits it hasn't been a great year but her last month has been good and she's optimistic at her 5th Olympics “Preparations-wise, honestly, it wouldn’t have been the way I wanted it this year but, ultimately, I felt like I had a good training session last month, and I think that has been really good for me. So, I am always one of those persons who believes that experience will work,” said the 37-year-old who "withdrew from her first race outside Jamaica at the World Athletics Continental Tour meet in Lucerne, Switzerland, on July 16 due to slight discomfort during warm-up."
- Noah Lyles: "I am the guy who wants to move past being track-famous...I want people to... realise I'm a cool guy too." Lyles knows he needs Olmpic golds to achieve his off the track goals.
- Mo Farah predicts that Eliud Kipchoge won't win marathon gold He says a "new guy" will win it.
- Track and Field News Top 10 Olympic Women's Predictions *Men's
We've Lost Two Amazing Coaches & Men
- British coaching legend John Anderson dies aged 92 - coached Dave Moorcroft to 13:00 5000 WR & Liz McColgan win Olympic 10,000m silver in 1988.
- MB: RIP: Washington coaching legend Tracy Walters - coached Gerry Lindgren in HS - has died at 93 It sure seems like he was an amazing guy who also influenced Lee Evans and Don Kardong. He even had the guts to quit NCAA coaching after finishing 3rd at NCAA xc in his one and only year of college coaching.
Michael Johnson has some competition
Recommended Read Q&A with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian whose 1st women's only track meet ATHLOS NYC will be in NYC on Sept 26 He views women's track like he did women's soccer a few years back - as a huge investment opportunity. Faith Kiypegon and Gabby Thomas will be there and "Grammy Award winning artist Megan Thee Stallion will headline during the evening, D-Nice will DJ and each athlete will get their own walk-on song." First place: $60,000.
- Tamberi lost his wedding ring while doing flag duties during opening ceremony, pens letter to apologizing to wife but notes ring ‘will remain forever in city of love'
- Josh Kerr is not lacking in confidence: "I’m the best in the world. This is the best system, I have the best coaches and I’m looking to go to war.”
- Filip Ingebrigtsen (and Henrik) will be in Paris with Jakob Originally, it was said they woldn't be accredited but Filip "will have access to the training track, the warm-up track and the participant village."
- Timothy Cheruiyot says he's getting fitter each day
- Colin Jackson says it will be very hard for Grant Holloway to break the WR in Paris "It's really difficult to break world records at the Olympic Games. It's really difficult," said twice world champion Jackson. "Grant will have to run hard to win the title. It's not going to be easy for him. So when you have that added pressure to him, then it's kind of difficult."
- Jamaica Gleaner: The time is now for Seville who just saw Usain Bolt's doctor Seville reveals he had a few tiny niggles so he went to "Healing Hans" in Germany - the same doc who used to help Bolt - and now he's good to go.
Weekend Interview Podcast
Taylor won 2 Olympic gold medals in his career and 4 world titles. He reflects back on his great career, talks about overcoming adversity, eternal optimism, the butterfly effect, and the future.
Supporters Club only: Drew Hunter Podcast On His Resurgence in 2024 and the Future "I just wanted to be a great runner again. That's all I focused on this year. The work was put in this year. " We released this to SC members only along with Christian Taylor. (Don't miss out on being one of the last people to sign up today at 50% off with code GOAT)
Previous Distance Links
- Recommended Read Josh Kerr gets huge feature in The Times: For Kerr and Brooks Beasts, the 6-year plan has always culminated in Olympic gold in 2024 A good read on the reigning 1500 world champ.
- Mt SAC course will be totally changed and made easier We aren't fans of this as generations will not longer be able to compare times as Poop-Out Hill will not be part of the course.
- Coaches have "had enough" over UK Athletics selection policy
- Josh Kerr posts ominous message on social media: "Before Tokyo, no one knew my name. After Budapest, everyone did. Paris has always been the pinnacle." In The Times article, it says the Brooks Beasts approached him in college and told him he'd be the Olympic champ in 2024 if he signed with them.
- Keely H's coach Trevor Painter says she'll run 1:53 before she retires, but he's most pumped that she's thriving once again “We’re starting to see the old Keely again,” he smiles. “She has definitely come to terms with things. She is a lot bubblier, happier and effervescent again.”
- After big PB, Keely H doesn't want to talk about Olympic gold: "I would just go back to basics and take it race by race, get the job done each round and then go from there."
- Sisay Lemma drops out of Olympic marathon Lemma's agent Gianni Demadonna has confimred to LRC that Lemma, who was many people's favorite thanks to his wins in Valencia and Boston, is out with an injury. NYC champ Tamirat Tola will replace him.
- Whittaker sisters find comfort in going to Paris together as Olympians Juliette (Stanford) made it in the 800 while Bella (Penn) made it in the 4x400 relay pool.
- Filip Ingebrigtsen's wife gives birth to baby #2 It's been quite a week for the pop star.
LRC Previews The Biggest Events
Is Lyles the next big US Olympic star or is he the Tyson Gay of 2024? The battle for the fastest man on Earth could come down to the world champion Lyles and the 23-year-old Jamaican Thompson, playing the role of Usain Bolt in 2008, appearing in his first global championship.
Richardson is seeking to become the first American to win the women's Olympic 100 since Gail Devers in 1996. Can St. Lucia's Julien Alfred or any of the Jamaicans stop her?
Oh baby, we can't wait for this one. Kipchoge vs Bekele on an epic course as he seeks a historic 3-peat. Plus how will the field handle one of the toughest courses in professional marathoning history and could the runners be running sub-4 pace after mile 19 as it's so downhill?
Olympic News
- Phones are no longer banned on podium - Every Olympian is going to be given a Galaxy Z Flip6 which they can take on the medal stand
- Many Nike Olympians in Paris will be wearing "Electric Pack" shoes 55 shoes in the collection all feature ostrich print and Nike’s Total Orange color in their design.
- Olympic mind Games: 10 ways athletes try to gain a psychological edge Routines and superstitions to celebrations, The Guardian takes a look.
- AP: Before the opening ceremonies an Olympic-sized fight erupts among anti-doping officials, and it's just getting started
Who wins the 2024 men's Olympic marathon?
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Where does Eliud Kipchoge finish in the 2024 Olympic marathon?
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Carlson, previously the distance coach at Tennessee, will replace the legendary Mark Wetmore, whose contract was not renewed this summer after 29 years in charge in Boulder.
*MB Sean Carlson to Colorado Official.
It's Time To Get Pumped For The Olympics
Before today, the Ingebrigtsens were solely known for their athletic process. Now they have a single that is incredibly catchy. Listen/watch by clicking on the youtube embed.
*MB: Ingebrigtsen brothers release incredibly catchy Olympic music video (listen here + full lyrics)
How 'Juiced' Will The Paris Track Be?
- For centuries, purple was the color of royalty, now it's the color of the Paris Olympic track which may be super fast In designing it, Mondo has been "focusing on the dynamic connection between the track and a new generation of shoes." The head of Athletics for Paris 2024 says, "The feeling when you come on the track is that it’s light, it’s bright, and there’s a wish to run fast."
- 3 years ago, 14-yr-old Phoebe Gill stayed up to 2 am to watch Keely Hodgkinson win a medal, now she might win one herself.
*Hard to believe but British 800m champ Phoebe Gill was 5 years old when Britain hosted the Olympics “She’s such a lovely person,” she said. “She spoke to me after the trials and I was trying not to fangirl because I’ve been looking up to her for so long. To see she’s in such great form makes me really excited to run alongside her.” - Jake Wightman isn't running the 800 just for a participation trophy - he wants to do well "It's not a consolation, it's a good opportunity still to show that I can be competitive on the global stage over this distance now."
- 2023 NCAA mile runner-up Isaac Basten joins BAA High Performance team
Olympic Pod with Ato Boldon
Olympic mania is officially here and Ato Boldon joined us @57:51 to break down the sprint action in Paris. Trust us you don't want to miss this one as Ato was FANTASTIC.
Sprint News
- Kishane Thompson declares: "I can run way faster." WA takes a look at where the world's fastest man came from.
*Former Jamaican 800m NR holder Neville Myton, who had a great eye for spotting talent, "predicted in 2018 that Thompson would become one of the greatest sprinters of all time." - Freddie Crittenden is #2 in the world this year and almost always ranked top 10 yet he still doesn't have a shoe sponsor so he needs your help Donate to his GoFundMe so his parents and 7 siblings can watch him in Paris.
- 9.86 man Micah Williams transfers from Oregon to USC for grad year
- Remembering past Australian Athletics greats: Was Shirley Strickland the greatest Aussie ever? Strickland was the first woman to ever repeat as Olympic champion in track (80m hurdle sin 1952 and 1956)
Olympic News
- Laura Muir is feeling confident heading into the Olympics "So to break my British record that I ran winning silver, and to do it in the city that the next Olympics is going to be held in… it was just a 'this is meant to be' moment. "It was really special, and to run the fastest I've ever ran just ahead of the Olympics was perfect and such a big confidence boost. "I'm just going to go into the Games in the best shape I've ever been in."
- Neil Gourley admits that he thought about hanging them up after missing 2021 Olympics and also admits he was a few pints deep the last time he was in Stade de France
- WADA is still pissed that USADA criticized its actions with the Chinese swimmers and will take the United States Anti-Doping Agency to the Independent Compliance Review Committee next month Any country wanting to compete in or stage an international sporting event must be compliant with the anti-doping code, meaning if the review went against the US it would have to forfeit participating in and hosting the Olympics."
- NY Times: What do Olympians eat for breakfast? Six Paris-bound athletes share how pancakes, Pop-Tarts and mid-game Skittles power their training.
Olympic News
- King Charles let course measurers into Windsor Castle recently to help prove that 1908 Olympic marathon really was 26m, 385yds In the late 1990s, it was remeasured and said that the course was 174 yards short but that's not true as the start line was incorrect. King Charles is now thinking about permanently marking the original start line.
- The Paris Olympics were supposed to be AC-free until the rich nations bitch and moaned And Paris finally gave in and let the US and others rent portable units.
*MB: Put an *asterisk next to all American medals in Paris? They'll have AC in Paris while Kenya, Ethiopians & Ugandans my not - St. Lucia has never won an Olympic medal - that's likely to change this year with Julien Alfred
- History lesson to everyone under the age of 40: Before his 1996 glory, Michael Johnson flamed out of the 200 in 1992 as a huge favorite due to food poisoning
- Kenya head to Olympics after a scourge of doping positives
More Olympic News
- Chariots of Fire has been re-released and re-reviewed in honor of 100th annniversary - "superbly watchable" Everyone who hasn't seen the movie should watch it before Paris 2024. Parents, it's a great way to get your kids into the Olympic spirit.
- Carl Lewis is a Marcell Jacobs fan: "He's definitely one of the top guys I really like."
- Warholm ready to rip vest open at Paris Olympics
- Ryan Crouser looking for an unprecedented 3-peat in shot put but he lost in London DL
- British Olympic team is majority female (52.6%) for 1st time ever And yet the article is primarily about the author complaining that "it’s estimated that a mere 6% of all research performed on endurance athletes has been done on women."
Olympic Track 11 Days Away
Noah Lyles and Grant Holloway could become legends with Olympic gold in Paris; with a loss, they'd go down as runners who could not win on the sport's biggest stage.
The betting markets make it clear, Noah Lyles is definitely not the favorite for the Olympic 100m. Kishane Thompson Is
Mid-D News That Passed Our Human Vetting Process
- With Keely H leading the way, how many golds will Britain win in Paris? Way more than normal as Molly Caudery, Keely Hodgkinson and Matthew Hudson-Smith are all world #1s and Josh Kerr is the reigning World Champ. Britain has won no Golds since Mo Farah.
- Keely Hodgkinson is having fun and ready to win gold Hodgkinson says she prepares for a race rather as she does for a night out. She also reveals her weekly mileage (35 mpw+ lots of cross training) and that she likes a fine glass of wine.
- Faith Kipyegon is going for 3-peat in 1500 as a mom and if she wins it will be two golds as a mom and 1 as not She also raves about Kipchoge. “I don’t know how to express it, he’s just a unique athlete,” Kipyegon says. “I have grown as an elite athlete and as a person. To be alongside Eliud all of the time and to hear what he’s saying about motivation and about hard work … I think it has really changed my mindset and changed my goals,” she says.
- Former World Cup footballer George Mills is super proud of his 1500/5000 Olympian George But he says being an atheltics dad is way tougher than being a football dad.
*MB: George Mills' dad: "Watching athletics is the worst on the planet." - Q&A with US 800 hope Bryce Hoppel who raves about his coach "Coach (Whittlesey)’s like the mastermind behind it. He obviously has his Ph.D. and knows the science behind it, and he knows what he’s doing. So, I’ve always kind of had that blind faith of, like, ‘Man, like, this guy’s special and he’s going to do what needs to be done to get me where I’m going.’"
- Timothy Cheruiyot remembers the first time he ever got on a plane to go to World Relays And we remember when the 19-year-old went out in 51.9 in a 1600!! The craziest relay leg we've ever seen.
Non-DIstance News
- Wonderful video: McKenzie Long does it for her mom who died earlier this year Watch it above. "I wasn't ready to let everything go (when she died), because I knew, I knew my8 would not want me to do that... She would haunt me."
- A look at how the Japanese Olympians did in their final pre-Paris races One highlight was the 100mh NR by Mako Fukube (12.69).
- Ethiopia only won 4 medals in Tokyo, wants more in Paris
- Olympic organizers reveal that only heptathlon and decathlon athletes will be allowed to use the iconic Stade de France dressing room that World Cup champs used "Organisers hope that by making it available to just the 25 decathletes and 25 heptathletes in Paris – out of 1,810 athletes overall – it will inspire France’s world record‑holder, Kevin Mayer, to win a decathlon gold medal. And, as a result, will spark renewed interest in athletics in France."
- Stephen Francis rips coach David Riley for botching Jamaica's men's 4 x 400 qualification: "Mr. Riley doesn’t even know what he is talking about or doing,”
- The LA Times goes to Flagstaff to see what makes it so special They spend nearly 3,000 words examining the magic of the birthplace of LRC and a place that was sacred for Native Americans.
- Interesting Read: Comparing the 1924 to 2024 Olympics Did you know the 1924 track was 500m in circumference and there were no medal ceremonies? The medals were shipped by mail.
- Faster, higher, stronger: How the Paris 1924 1500 runners would do against today's Olympians A century of data shows how a deeper gene pool, better diets and fancy sneakers have made humans run faster. How much improvement is left?
- Who were the first Africans at the Olympics? The disturbing story of two 1904 marathon runners The Olympics were hosted by the World's Fair in St. Lous and before running in the marathon the two black South Africans first competed in the “athletic events for savages” that was in the World's Fair.
*MB: The 1st black Olympians from Africa in 1904 first competed in the “athletic event for savages” featuring the tree climb - 40-years after settling for Olympic 100mh silver, Shirley Strong still refuses to watch the race
- Euro U18s have concluded: Full meet recap College coaches, you can see compiled results here.
Field Event/Multi News
- TJer Christian Taylor has retired - A look back at his AMAZING career Taylor won his first Worlds in 2011 and and then won 5 of the next 6 global championships including two Olympic titles. Sadly achilles troubles kept him from competing in any more Olympics and limited to only 1 more Worlds. “I just strived to be the best athlete I can be,” said Taylor after his final performance in Gainesville where he finished fifth with 16.14m. “I just want to be a good person and a good role model. I couldn’t have asked for a better career or a better journey.”
- MB: Brynn King never vaulted higher than 13-11" at Duke, Now she's going to the Olympics at 15-6 after transferring to DII Roberts Wesleyan There's not doubt that Rick and Jenn Suhr know what they are doing when it comes to the pole vault. They were hoping she'd be an All-American to start the year. In somewhat related news, Sandi Morris isn't going to the Olympics but don't tell that to NBC Chicago.
*MB: NBC Chicago puts out 30-minute Paris Olympic feature on Sandi Morris who isn't even going to the Olympics - Netflix's 'SPRINT" is getting lot of attention but new documentary Daley: Olympic Superstar is this summer’s quiet hit It of course focuses on former decathlon start Daley Thompson.
- A look back at how from 1990 through 2000, VISA sponsored the USA/VISA Decathlon Team It all happened after coaches Henry Marra and Fred Samara cold-called Visa.
- Two-time world champ Katarina Johnson-Thompson reveals uncertainty over fitness before Olympics here she's never medalled She thinks she's over her injury problems. “All the signs are there that I’m coming into shape. That’s all I can ask for. I’m just praying I can take that into the heptathlon."
Saturday's US Action
The biggest news of all was that Sifan Hassan didn't run. Katelyn Tuohy dominated the 5k and literally popped champagne after she won in 15:07 and Nikki Hiltz had a nice double running 1:59/4:04 in the span of an hour. Whittni Morgan (4:02.59) edged Karissa Schweizer (4:02.79) in the 1500 in the battle of US 5000 Olympians *Dyestat recap
*MB: Katelyn Tuohy is back folks!!!!! Wins Sunset Tour 5k in 15:07!!!
*MB: Nathan Green, get ready: 25-year-old 3:32 guy Justin Kipkoech expected to enroll at Eastern Kentucky this fall
*Dyestat: Hiltz did double duty to get ready for rounds in Paris: "The whole point of rounds is just pushing through it when it’s uncomfortable. Having the 1:59 in your legs definitely was uncomfortable for the whole 1,500." “I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s 3:55 (to make the Olympic Final),” Hiltz said.
On The Roads: Ahmed Muhumed (22:26) and Rachel Smith (25:40) win US 8k road titles Muhumed edged Isai Rodriguez by 1 second with Hillary Bor third while Rachel Smith won by 18 seconds.
London DL
Do we have new Olympic favorites in the men's and women's 400? Is Grant Fisher in trouble after getting outkicked by Dominic Lobalu? Plus Niels Laros wins despite losing to Olli Hoare and more. *Race videos
*Lyles is pumped to have run a big pb in front of a big crowd: "I live for the biggest moments, the more eyes the better I perform"
*UA Dark Sky's Edwin Kurgat is pleased to have run a pb for 3rd behind Fisher in London
- OTB: Official 2024 London DL Live Discussion Thread - London DL Was Spectacular - Hodginson and Hudson-Smith Break British Records and World Leads, Noah Lyles PRs and More
- KeelyMANIA is just getting started!
- Keely Hodgkinson - 6th Fastest of All Time!
- London women's 800 …. Wow
- Am I Alone In Thinking That Grant Fisher Will Win The 2024 Olympic 10000m?
- London DL Mile Fall
PUMA American Track League Concludes
The 16-year-old Wilson ran a time that would have won the last two world titles while Mu went out in 57.15 but had nothing in the last 100 in a race won in 1:58.19. In other action, unheralded 33-year-old Emmanuel Matadi ran 9.93 to win the 100 (+1.2) and Josh Hoey (1:44.22) beat Clayton Murphy (1:45.01) in the 800 and two-time Olympic and 4-time World champ Christian Taylor jumped for the last time in the men's tripe jump. You can watch the whole meet for free by clicking play above or see these links for certain races:
*M200 Video *M400 video *W800 Video *Full meet replay
- Watch: Christian Taylor Makes The Final Jump Of His Career At The Holloway Pro Classic Taylor announced he would be retiring after not making Team USA for Paris (he was 10th in the triple jump at the Trials). He ends his career #2 on the all-time list, with two Olympic golds and four world titles.
- Skyler Franklin Runs 51.03 (3rd Place) To Move To #3 On The Prep All-Time List At Holloway Pro Classic 400m
- OTB: Official PUMA American Track League's Holloway Pro Classic Discussion Thread - Knighton, Mu & Wilson
- QUINCY MF WILSON 44.20!
- Athing Mu DID NOT want to be at this meet
- Athing Mu needs to change her coach ASAP
- Wiley beats Mu by 1.5 seconds in 800 today
Josh Kerr has gone all in
- Good BBC feature on Josh Kerr's meticulous Olympic preparations - "The three and a half minutes that has been years in the making" Jake Wightman, who shared a room with Kerr in Tokyo, admits he thought it was over the top. "I would say the description of him living like a monk is accurate," said his coach, Danny Mackey.
*MB: Kerr, his fiancee and Danny Mackey have all given up alcohol for 3 months to get ready for Paris - How hard would it be for you? - Josh Kerr on Jakob wanting to be the GOAT: "He can have all the other distances but he can’t have the 1500."
Distance News
- Parker Valby Says She Isn't Used To Being Recognized In Public Yet "This morning, I was in Whole Foods, and the cashier was like, 'Bring home the gold!' I was like, 'Uh, sir, I’m not going for gold. I’m just happy to be here."
- Jasmin Paris’s Signed Barkley Marathons Racing Top Up For Auction For Charity In March, Paris became the first woman to finish the famous Barkley Marathons 100 mile ultra.
- National HS Trail Championships Are Next Weekend
- How many 60+ records is Tommy Hughes going to break? A LOT. Can you imagine running 2:30 at 60 or 2:36 at 64.
- A dad is running all 6 marathon majors in memory of his son who died of brain cancer “Any time my mind starts going off and the sadness gets to me, I put on my trainers, and it clears my head,” said the Dad.
Sprint News
- Linford Christie is now the feature of a new a 90-minute film for BBC One With unprecedented access and never-before-seen archive, the film takes a deep dive into the former Olympic champion's complicated legacy.
- Jeff Demps is super impressed by Kishane Thompson "“It look easy to him, you know…he’s just so strong, like so explosive bro...Oh, this kid special.”” Demps is the 2010 NCAA 100m champ who also played in the NFL.
Field Event News
- Ryan Crouser Says He's Been On An "Upward Trend" Since The Trials After Coming Back From Two Debilitating Elbow Injuries This Year Crouse is self-coached so admits he has no one else to blame and thinks he overtrained a bit, not wanting to accept that he might not be able to train at 31 the same way he did at 25.
- Italy's World HJ Champ Gianmarco Tamberi Almost Completely Healed From His Recent Hamstring Tear He says he's been doing three therapy sessions a day.
- A Brief Look At The Origin Of The Discus Throw And Preview Of What The Competition At The Paris Games Might Look Like The discus was one of the original five events contested at the ancient games and was also part of the first modern Olympics in 1896.
- Canada's World Decathlon Champ Pierce LePage Out Of Olympics With Injury He suffered a herniated disc in April and hasn't recovered.
- Sandi Morris Talks About "The Worst Day Of Her Life" When She Snapped Her Pole And Got Injured At The Tokyo Olympics Morris says, "My whole career I've probably taken 15,000 to 20,000 jumps, and I've broken four poles. It's really, really rare."
- Athletics Weekly Preview/Prediction For The Decathlon And Heptathlon At The Paris Games
Euro Under-18 Champs
- Laura Frličková Wins Slovakia's First Ever Gold Medal At The European Under-18 Championships In The 100 Hurdles
- Cian Crampton Wins Ireland's First Ever Field Event Medal At Euro U18 Champs With Bronze In The Discus
- Enni Virjonen Takes Charge In Euro U18 Heptathlon With Monster Javelin Throw
- World Under-18 Leads Highlight Throwing Finals At Euro U18s
General Olympic News
- World Athletics Looks Back At The 1924 Paris Olympics And What Has Changed Since Then There were four events at Paris 1924 that won't be at Paris 2024 - cross country (individual and team), the 3000m team race, 10,000m race walk and the pentathlon.
- Runner's World: The 18 Most Striking Moments From the Olympic Trials, Captured on Camera
- List Of Athletes Competing In Paris With Ties To Oregon
- Some Are Upset That France Is Banning Its Female Athletes From Wearing A Hijab At The Paris Games France has rules against showing religious symbols during sporting events.
Sprint Stuff
- US 400m Champion Quincy Hall Fires Back At Noah Lyles Over 4x400 Relay Comments Lyles wants to run the 4x400 in Paris and when he gave his optimal US squad, he left Hall off the team. Hall responded on social media with, "(Noah Lyles) I don’t bother nobody but my blocks ready anytime you feel like you can beat me in the 400 you was talking (too) much on my name on (your) little podcast. I don’t do the little slick comments and remarks I line up.”
- Harvard Grad Gabby Thomas Is Very Into The Science And Technical Aspect Of Sprinting She thinks Flo-Jo's 200m WR is in reach this year in Paris.
- Grant Holloway Looking For Redemption In Paris After Silver Medal In Tokyo Left "A Sour Taste"
- GB Sprinter Daryll Neita Says She Wants To "Destroy" Her Countrywoman, Dina Asher-Smith Neita: "We are racing each other week in week out and yet we want to destroy each other, we’re not friends during the year."
- GB's 2011 World 400H Champ Dai Greene Retires At Age-38 Greene hadn't raced since 2021, but apparently had been trying to return to competition. He won Euro Champs and the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and then Worlds in 2011, but injuries derailed his career.
- RIP Aussie 1956 Olympic 4x400 Silver Medalist Kevan Gosper, 90
More Weekend Action
- Hillary Bor, Diego Estrada, Isai Rodriguez Lead Men's Field For USATF 8k Champs On Saturday The women's race has Jenny Simpson, Rachel Smith, Natosha Rogers and Stephanie Bruce.
- European U18 champs have started and 16-year-old British sprinter Joel Masters is a name you might want to remember He's run 5.73 for 60m and 10.40 for 100m. AW repors that "since the inaugural European U18 Championships eight years ago, the likes of Keely Hodgkinson, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Rhasidat Adeleke, Max Burgin and George Mills have all competed at it."
Distance News
2022 London champ Amos Kipruto (2:03:13) and 2023 Berlin runner-up Vincent Ngetich (2:03:13) lead the somewhat shallow men's field where Daniel Ebenyo will debut while Tokyo champ Sutume Kebede (2:15:55) is the women's headliner.
*MB: 2024 Chicago Marathon Elite Field (Amos Kipruto/Vincent Ngetich | Ruth Chepngetich fastest entrants + Daniel Ebenyo debut)
- When Eliud Kipchoge started running, all he wanted to do was get good enough to get on a plane to race in Europe, soon he'll for a spot in history at an Olympics there. The article says Kipchoge has explained away his poor Tokyo marathon run as being the result of him nor sleeping for days.'
- Coach Patrick Sang wants Eliud Kipchoge to win third Olympic marathon title in Paris to make history and portray "longevity in a different perspective"
- Josh Kerr says if you guaranteed him Olympic silver right now he'd turn it down
- Teen 800 stars will lead Japan to U20 champs in Peru Rin Kubo is the senior NR holder at 1:59.93 while Ko Ochiai isn't that far off as he's run 1:45.82.
Non-Distance News
- MB: An "Absolute Disaster" as NBN winner and Euros U-18 favorite Odey-Jordan eases up and is knocked out of 200 (amazing video) Watch the video above. Kids, do not replicate that at home. Run through the line.
- Be inspired: In 2021, Freddie Crittenden kissed the Eugene track thinking he was done, now he heads to the Olympics ranked #2 in the world
- Grant Holloway's mom & dad talk about their son's Olympic prospects "THE goal is simple. The goal is gold. Of course, Grant has a chip on his shoulder. There is no secret he was favorited to win in 2021 but it wasn't his season... It's time for his gold medal," said mom.
- 19-yr-old TJ star Jayden Hibbert jumps into Olympics with KFC deal
- Paul Tergat expects Kenya to win "at least" 5 golds in Paris They won four in Tokyo and their most ever is six in 2016 and 2008. We know they've got at least 2 due to Kiypegon.
- HJer Lamara Distin signs with PUMA The 3-time NCAA champ in the HJ for Texas A&M is also the Jamaican record holder at 2.00m.
1500 News
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen won't have an accredited coach with him in Paris as neither Filip nor Henrik made the team and thus weren't accredited In the past, they have been by his side as athletes but didn't make it this year. Additionaly, now there is some worry that Jakob will be distracted as his wife went on social media and admitted it's hard being a mom and she's often in tears:
*MB: Jakob's Ingebrigtsen's returns to social media posts video saying she's often in tears as a new mom and it's super hard - Jessica Hull reflects on the 5 key milestones of her career and admits she was initially stunned by her 3:50 in Paris "In the moment (after her 3:50.83 1500m in Paris) I was absolutely stunned. I was like, ‘what have I done? I can’t believe this!’ But as I have reflected, I can see the steps that led to it. I have ticked all the boxes in training, I have trained hard and consistently, and I have been healthy for a long time. My last major injury was in 2020, so I have put four years of work together."
- Ciara Mageean has 'unfinished business' with Olympics The 30-year-old, who has never made an Olympic final, was 4th at Worlds last year and won Euros this year. She was only 10th in Paris and Monaco but a medal is very much a possibility for her.
More Distance News
- Learn about the 1924 Olympic xc race - “probably the most spectacular Olympic race ever witnessed" and the last xc race ever run at the Olympics as there were fears multiple runners had died in it And making it even better is the fact that behind Paavo Nurmi's gold, the bronze medallist was Robert "Earl" Johnson.
- MB: Meet the greatest Olympic distance runner you've never heard of - LRC, I proudly introduce you to 1924 Olympian Robert Johnson *Race video
- Jake Wightman is excited for the 800m at the Olympics as if he wins gold it will prove him as an all-time great "It probably has more implications for my career that I’m doing the 800. If I run as well over this as I would have hoped to over 1500, it will mean an even greater career as I’ll have shown I can do it over multiple events. So I’m excited," said the Scot.
This Week's Pod
We break down Jakob's 3:26, and Jess Hull's WR, span the globe and then part 2 of our talk with Matthew Centrowitz where he reflects on his amazing career.
Week That Was
Plus how about some love for 16-year-old Rin Kubo who made history by become the first Japanese woman to break 2:00 in the 800 - or did she?
The Latest on A Very Important Anti-Doping Case
Asinga, who ran 9.89 and 19.97 last year, says he tested positive for the banned substance GW1516 due to a contaminated batch of Gatorade Recovery Gummies that he got from Gatorade at an awards ceremony. The gummies were falsely marked with the NSF Certified for Sport label which would mean they were contaminant free but have since tested positive for G1516. The AIU didn't buy it, banning him for four years & suggesting Asinga or someone close to him doctored evidence to cover up his doping.
Olympic Tattoos
From Kara Goucher to Clayton Murphy, Evan Jager to Andrew Wheating, dozens of US Olympians have the Olympic rings on their body. Here are their stories.
Michael Johnson's Plan
The league has signed up Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who has only run 4 Diamond Leagues in her life, to commit to doubling at 4 meets a year. There will be six event groups per sex (no field events) with 48 athletes getting base contracts to double in all four meets (one in LA, other locations TBD). Winners of the combined events scoring will get $100k per meet down to $10k for 8th. The first meet is scheduled for April 2025. What's surprising is the events groups are totally siloed off. So with this format, Michael Johnson would never have faced his 200m rivals Frankie Fredericks or Ato Boldon in the 200 as Johnson would be in the 200/400 group and Boldon/Fredericks in the 100/200 group. So Sydney will never face Marileidy Paulino or Athing Mu in the 400 as they'll be in the 200/400 and 800/1500 groups while she'll be in the 400h/400 group.
RIP
Competing against legends Kipchoge Keino and Ron Clarke in the 1964 Olympic final in Tokyo, Schul used a 38.7-second final 300m to win an iconic gold medal. His daughter confirmed his death to LetsRun.
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10 Years With LRC
This weekend's Prefontaine Classic marks 10 years since Jonathan Gault's first meet for LetsRun.com. He reflects on what he learned from his first trip to Eugene to cover David Rudisha and Galen Rupp in 2014.
- MB: We celebrate Jonathan Gault's 10 years at LetsRun.com!! Show your appreciation by signing up for the Supporters Club today as all $$ this week go directly to him.
Time Flies When You Are Having Fun
After a decade with LetsRun.com, Jonathan Gault counts down his 10 favorite races he has seen in-person. Usain Bolt, Matthew Centrowitz, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen all make appearances - who claims the #1 spot?
Other Links That Passed Our Human Vetters
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to run the 400m hurdles for the first time since August 2022 next weekend at Edwin Moses Legends Meet
- Kenny Bednarek is very thankful for his mom who adopted him and 3 others + reveals he wants to meet Usain Bolt to pick his brain
- Serbian long jumper Ivana Spanovic has won gold everywhere but the Olympics - can she do it at age 34 in her 5th Olympics
The King is Back at the Olympics
Twenty years after his first Olympic gold and 12 years after his last Olympic appearance, Bekele will return to face Eliud Kipchoge on the sport's biggest stage in Paris.
RIP Kelvin Kiptum
In just three races, Kiptum turned the marathon world upside down, setting a world record, and running the three fastest second halves ever in a marathon. Jonathan Gault recaps his life and career.
- MB: RIP: Marathon WR Kelvin Kiptum has died in a car accident at the age of 24
- MB: Kelvin Kiptum's final 2 training sessions - 35km long run on Thursday, 18.6 km fartlek on Saturday
- MB: Kiptum's father: "Strange people looked for him 4 days before his death" Kiptum's father says the four men said they were from the State House, but could not produce identification to prove it. He now wants the Kenyan government to investigate.
BetterRunningShoes.com Presents
We present to you the LetsRun.com Shoe Awards for 2023. What is the best shoe of 2023, the supershoe of 2023, the newcomer of the year and more?
Everyone's still looking for an edge
Kelvin Kiptum, Faith Kipyegon, Keely Hodgkinson and everyone in the OAC are among the stars who experimented with Maurten Bicarb System in 2023 ($65 for 4 doses). The big question: does it work? (paywall lifted)
BetterRunningShoes.com
We think most of you could guess the #1 brand, but the #2 might be a surprise. We break down the most popular brands overall, and for road, trail, and racing.
Paywall lifted!
Paywall lifted!
The Latest JG Feature
What links Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the NAU cross country team, and Sebastian Coe? Double threshold training, which is having a moment in 2023. Note, most of this article is behind our SC paywall for 72 hours (until Saturday).
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
