Gemechu won by 23-seconds in his debut while Hirpa won a close race with her training partner and defending champ Dera Dida by 5 seconds (Dida had a big lead with a kilometer to go, but struggled with cramps). In the 10k race, Gemene Tunku edged out Chaltu Diriba (both timed at 31:03) with Eilish McColgan third (31:14) and Yassir Ech Chaachoui (28:20) won the men's race.
He won the 10k course by about 8 seconds in 29:42. The women's race only had 12 runners and Carrie Ellwood came out on top in 34:22. Oregon freshman Jack Meier and Foot Locker 3rd placer Zariel Macchia won the U20 races.
The 1500 is full of news as Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen are going at it again and Timothy Cheruiyot has a new coach.
Kerr says it's good Jakob didn't sign up for Grand Slam Track in the 800/1500 group as watching him run an 800 would be like watching "a deer on ice." When asked for comment, Jakob responded, "The day he contributes to world record racing, I'll take him seriously. But only then."
*Jakob Ingebrigtsen wants YOUR input into his 2025 racing schedule
Conner Mantz and Clayton Young remain inseparable, Hellen Obiri chases a three-peat, and Eliud Kipchoge's quest to win every major appears to be dead.
It's our first full pod for 2025 and we've got our big predictions for 2025 and then hear from 2024 breakout performers Bryce Hoppel and Georgia Bell.
UK Athletics has been charged with manslaughter over the death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei. Keith Davies, the head of sport for the 2017 World Para-athletics Championships, has also been charged with "gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety at work act offence" in relation to Abdullah Hayayei's death - he was killed when a metal cage fell on him while training in 2017.
From novice fans to running diehards, there was something for everyone (except perhaps Brits and Norwegians) to enjoy about one of the greatest middle distance races ever run.
In one year, Bell has gone from begging meet organizers to be let into the field to headlining one of indoor track's most glamorous races. Americans Nikki Hiltz, Emily Mackay, and Elise Cranny are also in the Wanamaker field.
Mann was also a former WR holder in the 440 yard hurdles and 400H.
Click through for videos of the incident. Kerley has been charged with "battery on a police officer...resisting an officer without violence and disorderly conduct."
We actually hand out six awards in this piece - overall Athlete of the Year, Runner of the Year, and Distance Runner of the Year - but Chebet swept all three for the women, edging out SML. For the men, our Runner of the year goes to Grant Holloway over Rai Benjamin and our Distance Runner of the Year is Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
From world records to unlikely breakthroughs to one very strange session of Kenyan parliament, Jonathan Gault recaps the highs and lows of running in 2024.
The LRC crew has it's annual 2024 trivia challenge and takes a look at an incredible year of track and field.
You can watch the final 90 second above. The performance of the day came from 2:05:12 marathoner Yohei Ikeda "who dominated the Second Stage with a 1:01:48 for 21.9 km, 59:33 half marathon pace." He's going for the Japanese 60:00 half-marathon record in February.
Chebet took 19 seconds off the previous record, which she set at the same race last year, to cap an all-time great 2024 season during the she won world xc, two Olympic golds and became the first to break 29:00 on the track and 14:00 on the roads.
LA2028 is hiring and most of the jobs pay over 100k At this point in 2020, Paris 2024 had 379 employees while LA 2028 is much leaner, with less than 180.
Jasmines Jones and Nico Young are our guests and before them we break down the latest in the running world.
GST signed Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone & Gabby Thomas as Racers, but many of the sport's biggest names such as Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson have yet to commit to the series.
In what might have been his final annual year-end media call, Coe raved about SML and talked about his love of XC. As for SML, he said he's "only seen one performance in an Olympic stadium to rival that" and that was Rudisha in 2012. Coe's tenure as World Athletics president could end next year if he is elected as IOC president.
Rai Benjamin delivered on all fronts in 2024 and was snubbed in the Athlete of the Year voting, but the things missing on his resume now are the world record and a 42-second relay split.
Non Distance News:
The elite-only race that was held in December 2020 during the COVID pandemic is returning in 2025 with room for 500 fast amateurs. Same lightning fast course in Chandler, AZ, but the race will be open to elites and non-elites (a non-elite marathon on Saturday and elites on Sunday). The site says the non-elites will be "treated like pros" and Rosario hopes the pro race is "the deepest, fastest marathon in the United States."
*MB: Return of the Marathon Project.
After earning his first global medals in 2024, Fisher is not content to rest on his laurels. "There were two guys better than me in both events," Fisher says. "So there's still a carrot out in front of me." Plus his coach Mike Scannell explains how they will attack the 2025 season, including Grand Slam Track.
America's best miler will race America's best long-distance runner at 3,000 meters in one of the crown jewels of the 2025 indoor season.
Double Olympic medalist and American record holder at 3000, 5000, 10,000m Grant Fisher joins us to announce he's running the Millrose Games 3000 vs Olympic gold medallist Cole Hocker and then to discuss his 2024 campaign and plans for the future.
Just before Blanks chases a 5,000m pb and collegiate record in what is likely his final NCAA race at Boston University on Saturday, he told LetsRun about the key session of his 2024 XC season -- one he described as "probably the best workout I've had so far in my career."
Almost 11 years after founding NAZ Elite, Rosario is leaving for a new venture. A number of athletes are also leaving the team, including Aliphine Tuliamuk, Krissy Gear, and Kellyn Taylor.
The 2023 world half marathon champ missed Kelvin Kiptum's debut record by just 12 seconds. Ethiopia's Megertu Alemu, who was 2nd in London last year and 3rd in Chicago (4th in London this year), won the women's race. Kenenisa Bekele was with the leaders through halfway and in the top 10 at 30k but ended up a DNF.
Hear from the repeat NCAA XC champ.
But before we switch over to indoor track, we had a few final thoughts to share about the 2024 NCAA XC championships, including explaining why track is not the same as cross country, revealing the top-20 finisher who called his shot on the LetsRun messageboard, letting you know about two runners who did something on Saturday that hasn’t been done since Matthew Centrowitz, before we give you a way-too-early look ahead to 2025 NCAAs.
The Tyreek Hill race may be coming together. Lyles has interesting comments on Grand Slam Track, the 100 vs the 200 and whether the sport of track and field wants to change. *Podcast here
BYU won its second title in the Diljeet Taylor era as Alabama's Doris Lemngole moved up one spot from last year to win the crown.
Graham Blanks joined the Gerry Lindgren, Steve Prefontaine and Conner Mantz club of repeat American winners as the year of Ed Eyestone continued with a BYU victory.
Last year, nine Kenyan men and a record seven Kenyan women earned All-American honors at the NCAA XC champs. The total could be even higher at this year's meet. We explain the reason behind the trend and wonder if there should be an age limit. Is it fair to have a 28-year-old freshman join the team who has a PR faster than the American record?
NCAA track and field/XC is about to be radically changed. Roster caps are coming -- are you ready for a max of 10 people on a men's SEC roster? But the opportunity to give out way more scholarships is also coming. Will the net change be great or catastrophic, leading to the "the slow death of men's track & field" as one SEC coach worries.
(link updated) He broke the previous record of 41:05 which was set by Joshua Cheptegei at this same course in 2018 and then tied by Kiplimo here last year.
*MB: Jacob MF Kiplimo!
Simpson and Centrowitz, who both 1st medalled in 2011 and retired in 2024, leave the sport as two of the faces on the Mt. Rushmore of American 1500m running after piling up a combined eight medals at global championships. And despite not ever finishing in the top 3 on the yearly 1500 list (Simpson's best was 4th, Centro's 9th), they will be remembered as two of the better milers of their generation.
Rowberry began as a pacer and errand boy at the Nike Oregon Project but has since coached Hassan to six medals across the last two Olympics. He dives into their relationship and why he's looking to expand his training group -- and land a coaching contract from a shoe brand.
Expanding the number of world marathon majors to nine is an absurd idea unless the majors make one simple change that will instantly keep them being compelling, elite sporting events.
Your latest American stars share their insights.
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.
