The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show

The World XC Championships return to the U.S. for the first time since 1992, with Saturday’s races in Tallahassee offering a chance to reignite global attention on the best distance runners in the world.

How to watch: The races will be broadcast on Peacock (starting at 9:35 a.m.) and will be televised on CNBC (starting at 10 a.m. ET).

Schedule (All times ET):

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Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia break down the 2026 calendar in track and field how certain athletes are targeting specific events in the lead-up to the debut of the World Ultimate Championships. Plus: Gut reactions to the release of the 2026 World Cross Country Championship entries and how the Valencia 10K isn’t the only event taking talent away.

Chris and Preet are then joined by Anderson Emerole, Mac Fleet, Paul Hof-Mahoney, and David Melly to share their boldest predictions in 2026 including news/cultural topics, performance-related predictions, and then World Ultimate Championships predictions.

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Hosts: Chris Ch...

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia unpack the people who made track and field special in 2025. Categories include:

– World Record of the Year
– Performance of the year
– Athlete of the year
– Most entertaining athlete of the year
– Social media Moment of the Year
– Heartbreak Moment of the year
– Coach of the Year
– Best event of the year
– Marathon of the year
– Celebration of the year
– Breakout athlete of the year
– Late career resurgence of the year
– Doping bust of the year
– Retirement of the year

Chime in via the Spotif...

“That is the fun part for me – being able to be pushed to my limits, be out there doing it with other strong women, working off each other, and having a great coach and support staff. That’s so fun to me: the really, truly hard work. There’s just so much I love about this sport and this team, but that’s definitely how I would describe this first semester so far. It’s just been so much fun. I’m really looking forward to building with this team and just continuing to work hard and make some memories.”

“One of the things we talk about on our team is if everyone is giving 51% or more and never taking more than 49%, your ecosystem is always going to be in balance. But if everyone isn’t willing to give more than 49% and they’re always taking more than 51%, then the ecosystem is never going to be in balance. We just try to keep an environment where people are waiting for other people to go to the bathroom, giving each other rides, taking turns at the lead, doing the little things. 

My guest for today's episode is coach Dena Ev...

Our guest for today’s episode is one of the most exciting sprinters in the world right now. Julien Alfred is the reigning Olympic champion in the 100m, a World Indoor champion in the 60m, and the athlete who is rewriting history for St. Lucia on the biggest stages in track.

On February 1st, 2026, Julien will return to The Armory in New York City to headline the women’s 60m at the Millrose Games — the same track where she ran a meet record back in 2024 before going on to win world and Olympic gold.

Our conver...

In this week’s episode, Chris, Mac and Preet discuss:

– Grand Slam Track declares for bankruptcy

– Our partnership with them and being owed $272K

– The impact of the bankruptcy declaration and the athletes

– Recapping the European Cross Country Championships

– Athing Mu has parted ways with coach Bobby Kersee

– Highlights from the Merrie Mile and Honolulu Marathon weekend

– Interview with Ben Rosario ahead of the Marathon Project this weekend (1:35:34)

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Mentioned in this episode...

Listen: An Update On The State of CITIUS MAG + Sum...

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia unpack all the biggest highlights from this weekend in the running world:

- US Cross Country Championships Recap – Who made Team USA for Tallahassee?

- Valencia Marathon Recap | Joyciline Jepkosgei – 2:14:00 (Course Record, World Lead) + John Korir – 2:02:24

- California International Marathon (CIM) Highlights | Molly Born and Futsum Zeinesellassie take the wins + 54 women and 52 men earned 2028 OTQs.

- BU Season Opener (Indoor Track) | Josh Hoey breaks the indoor 1000m world record. Jane Hedengren runs 14:44 to become #2 US indoor all-time, #11 in world history.

- World Athletics announces some r...

“As much as I wanted to win – what I really was after, what really drove me was finding out how good I could be. And it turns out I did. I found out how good I could be. I had a four or five-year stretch where seventh place in Boston was as good as I could be and 2:09:02 and 2:08:52 – right in that range was as fast as I could run. So, I found out. And it wasn’t good enough to win a major, but it was fun. It was a lot of fun to find out.”

My guest o...

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia are back at it to preview the USATF Cross Country Championships in Portland this Saturday as well as the Valencia Marathon on Sunday. They also unpack the L.A. 2028 Olympics schedule, dive into some of the updates surrounding Grand Slam Track's financial situation, and lots more.

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Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@preet_athletics on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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NOMIO: Made with 80% broccoli sprout juice, 15% lemon juice, and 5% sugar, Nomio activates your body’s natural defense systems to reduce lactate, speed recovery, and enhan...

“I've been thinking about it for a while… It was pretty apparent. I think because I'm very happy with how my career went, it made the decision easy. Realizing that I'm not in the mix for making teams anymore, I didn't want to keep running just to try to make USAs year in, year out. I felt good about everything and it felt like the right time.”

Evan Jager, a two-time Olympian for Team USA, is ending his professional track career at the age of 36. Jager is the most decorated U.S. steeplechaser in history, winning Olympic bronze...

The 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships delivered on the hype! Isaac Wood and Paul Hof-Mahoney recap all the biggest takeaways from an action-packed morning in Columbia, Missouri, including:

- Women’s individual champion: Defending champion Doris Lemngole puts her championship experience to use, running 18:25.4 to win over Jane Hedengren’s 18:38.9.

- Men’s individual champion: New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel runs 28:33.9 to finally get his individual cross country victory after finishing runner-up last year.

- Women’s team champion: Hannah Gapes and Grace Hartman’s 5th and 6th place finishes lead NC State to the team win...

“You get these really unique matchups that you probably wouldn’t get in the lead-up to a championship, but you can in a lead-up to Millrose because people are looking to race and have some fun.” - Grant Fisher

Buckle up because one of the greatest indoor matchups that we've ever seen is officially coming back to the Armory. Today's episode is all about a rematch that we already have to look forward to in 2026. Cole Hocker and Grant Fisher are stepping back onto that 200m track at the Armory for the 2026 Millrose Games. This time, for a 2-mi...

Chris Chavez and Isaac Wood preview the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships set to take place in Columbia, Missouri this weekend.

- The NCAA Cross Country Championships are Isaac’s Super Bowl

- Key Regional performances and takeaways

- The Case For and Against NC State, BYU, Florida, New Mexico, Notre Dame and Oregon on the women’s side

- The Case For and Against Oklahoma State, Iowa State, New Mexico, Syracuse, Virginia and Oregon on the men’s side

- Is this Jane Hedengren’s title to lose?

- Can...

“My biggest thing has been remembering that I’m not Dathan, I’m not Kelsey, but that’s why I was hired. The three of us all have very different experiences, we bring different things to the table, and we’re just hoping to give the athletes this well-roundedness in support and resources... That’s the really cool part about what OAC is doing. We’re trying to help this next wave of incredible athletes maximize what they’re capable of and it’s okay that we all do that differently.”

My guest for today's episode is Laura Thweatt, the f...

“I had worked too damn hard to get back to the line to just accept defeat and sit there and not even finish the race. I didn’t even have to think about it. I just got straight back into it… I think it was a bit of a blessing in disguise since I didn’t know what my fitness was like coming in. I thought it was decent, but this was almost an extra test of, ‘Can you fall in the last lap and still make the final? Then alright, you must be pretty fit!’ I tried to take it in a...

“Sometimes you have these workouts on paper that look pretty intimidating. To be able to get them done and feel strong towards the end of them is always an exciting feeling. Obviously you don’t always nail it, but doing things that maybe you haven’t done before or that you’re not quite sure if you can do is always exciting.”

My guest for today's episode is Fiona O'Keefe: the reigning U.S. Olympic Trials champion and now the fastest American woman ever on the New York City Marathon course. She's also someone who's showing us what it lo...

“I've heard over and over that you have to respect the distance. I kind of understood that, but you need to experience it to have respect for it and the emotional waves that you go through during it. I had heard that and it made sense to me, but the true understanding of that hit later. That was humbling a little bit. It’s not an easy race. You can't fake a marathon.”

My guest for today's episode is Kylie Mantz. If that name sounds familiar, yes, she is the wife of CITIUS MAG Podcast regular and U.S. m...

The 54th New York City Marathon is in the books, and what a race it was. Nearly 60,000 runners took to the streets of the Big Apple, and near-perfect weather conditions meant that times were fast and racing was fierce.

We got to witness both historically-fast and historically-close races, as three women broke the 22-year-old course record and the men’s race was decided by a photo finish, the smallest margin in the race’s history. Hellen Obiri is now a two-time champ—winning first in 2023 and again in 2025—and Benson Kipruto claimed his fourth World Marathon Major title by mer...

“[The marathon] rewards people that are patient, consistent, and build up strength. I’ve got a good engine, so late in the race I feel like my cardio holds up very well. As long as the body holds up, it’s going to be a good day!”

My guest for today’s episode is Joel Reichow, who could be viewed as a surprise story of the New York City Marathon and the top American finisher in 2025.

In a race packed with Olympians and pros backed by some of the biggest brands in running, Joel — a 32-year-old un...

The 54th running of the New York City Marathon is shaping up to be a great one. The women’s race features four of the most exciting road racers on the scene today, all duking it out for claim to the title of world’s top active marathoner. The high-quality men’s field looks wide open, and the masters battle between two of the sport’s GOATs is sure to keep things interesting. And you can always count on the million-plus spectators lining the streets of all five boroughs to bring unmatched energy to the race.

With a foreca...

Hillary Bor will be making his marathon debut in Sunday's New York City Marathon. He is taking great confidence from a healthy training block and a runner-up finish at the US 20K Championships, where he ran 56:32 for No. 2 on the U.S. all-time list. He stopped by the HOKA Flagship Store on 5th Avenue in New York City to discuss his preparation for the race.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Guest: Hillary Bor | @bor.hillary on Instagram⁠

Produced by: Mac Fleet | ⁠@macfleet on Instagram⁠ + Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Jessica Warner Judd suffered a tonic clonic seizure at the European track and field championships in 2024 and stuggled with symptoms in early 2025. She decided to leave the track to focus on making her marathon debut in New York City. She stopped by the HOKA Flagship Store on 5th Avenue to discuss her preparations for the race.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

Guest: Jessica Warner Judd | @jesswarnerjuddxx on Instagram

Produced by: Mac Fleet | @macfleet on Instagram + Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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HOKA: CITIUS MAG is proud to par...

Patrick Sang — the coach behind Eliud Kipchoge, Faith Kipyegon and many other Kenyan stars — reflects on humility, intuition, and the unseen architecture of greatness from more than two decades of coaching. In this wide-ranging interview that we recorded from the NN Running Team Pop Up in New York City (15 E 40th Street), Sang discusses his role as a coach, teacher, mentor, and friend to some of the best in the world, the lessons on longevity and how he’s taking great inspiration from Kipchoge’s career to foster in Faith Kipyegon’s future success on the roads.

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Host...

New York City gears up for its biggest day of the year — the 2025 NYC Marathon. The race is as tough and electric as the city itself, and this year’s field is stacked.

Men’s Preview:

- Abdi Nageeye defends his title.

- Legends Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele aim for one last battle.

- Rising U.S. stars Biya Simbassa, Joe Klecker, and Hillary Bor chase world-class competition.

Women's Preview:

- Olympic champ Sifan Hassan has stolen the show as the headliner

- Past NYC win...

“My big mantra for the whole weekend is to just execute. Just do what we’ve done in practice and this is going to work. I haven’t thought about kicking into the park or anything like that because that’s going to take care of itself if I execute mile 22. And if I execute mile 21, that’s going to make mile 22 better. Just working from the start, if I execute each bottle station and each section of the course, I think it’s going to be very positive."

My guest for today’s episode is Joe Klecker — a 20...

“When I crossed that finish line and ripped my shirt off, I was like, ‘Yeah!’ That was one of my best moments… It was a dream come true, something that I’ve been wanting for years. I’ve dreamt about that moment and I finally got that moment!”

Our guest today is Oblique Seville — the new 100-meter world champion and the man who brought Jamaica back to the top of men’s sprinting. On a humid night in Tokyo in September, Seville ran 9.77 to win his first global title, the fastest championship final in six years, and the first for a Ja...

Marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich has been banned for three years by the AIU following her admission to an Anti-Doping Rule Violation regarding the presence and use of Hydrochlorothiazide, a banned diuretic and masking agent in doping. The announcement from the AIU was made public on Thursday morning.

Chepngetich broke the women's marathon world record in 2:09:56 at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. She is the 2019 World Champion and three-time winner of the Chicago Marathon.

The AIU shared that Chepngetich was tested 15 times out of competition and four times in competition in 2024. After she broke the world rec...

The NCAA Cross Country season just got real — and Jane Hedengren stole the show. In her college debut, the BYU freshman dominated Pre-Nats, running 18:42.3 to shatter the Gans Creek course record by 25 seconds.

In this episode, we break down Hedengren’s historic win, her incredible high school resume, and what it means for BYU’s title hopes heading into NCAAs. We also dive into everything from Grace Hartman’s Nuttycombe victory, New Mexico’s big statement on the men’s side, and the rising stars shaping the 2025 NCAA XC season.

Catch all the analysis, storylines, and bold pre...

*Note: The first few minutes of Ben's interview were cut due to audio issues. The audio quality improves throughout the interview.

Canadian distance runner and Olympian Ben Flanagan is finally making his marathon debut at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon this Sunday. Fresh off his 2024 season that included his Olympic debut in the 5000m, Flanagan opens up about the challenges of transitioning to the marathon, including an injury-shortened build in 2025. He’s focused on winning the Canadian Championship and using this race as a launching pad for his marathon future.

Jon Green, Flanagan's coach, also joins us...

“If I had even one race like one of my many races this year in another year, I would have been like, “This year was phenomenal because I had that one really good race.’ This year felt like every race but one went very well. Every race, I ended up like, ‘I can’t believe I just did that’ or, ‘That was awesome!’ Things maybe weren’t perfect, but a lot of my races were close to perfect and that was special to me.”

My guest for today’s episode is Conner Mantz, the new American record holder in the marathon...

What. A. Day. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo and Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa unleashed two of the fastest marathons in history in Sunday’s Chicago Marathon. Kiplimo’s 2:02:23 makes him the seventh-fastest man ever and he did it in only his second career marathon. Feysa’s 2:14:56 announced her arrival as one of the five fastest women of all time with a perfectly paced negative split.

Behind the fireworks, storylines kept coming: Kenya’s Amos Kipruto and Alex Masai rounded out the podium, while Conner Mantz lit up home soil fans with a North American record of 2:04:43. On the women’s side, Megertu...

Join CITIUS MAG hosts Eric Jenkins, Karen Lesiewicz, Paul Hof-Mahoney and Mac Fleet as they break down the biggest storylines of the 2025 Chicago Marathon. Some of the topics the crew dives into include:

- What to expect for weather and the course

- Who to watch in both the men's and women's elite fields

- Top American men and women who are looking to shake things up

- Race winner predictions

- Top American predictions

- Predictions on what Conner Mantz will run

+ More

Our guest today is Faith Kipyegon, the greatest 1500m runner the sport has ever known. In Tokyo, she won her record fourth World Championship 1500m title — seven global golds in this event including her three Olympic golds. It is a reign that now stretches over four years and twenty-two straight victories.

In Tokyo, that 1500m final was also a masterclass performance. She led from the gun and never looked back and ran 3:52.15 to win by nearly three seconds, the largest margin of any of her global titles. It was Faith at her purest: precise, patient, untouchable.

...

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia preview all the storylines, athletes, and matchups to watch at the 2025 Chicago Marathon this Sunday.

We dive into the top contenders in both the men’s and women’s fields, share our predictions, and highlight a few sleeper picks and dark horses who could shake things up. We also break down which American runners to keep an eye on and take a closer look at the full elite start list to give you a better sense of what to expect on race day.

We also preview ATHLOS, which retu...

“Probably 20, hopefully 24 miles, I'm working with people. But then somewhere between the last 10K and the last two miles, it's going to be a race with whoever is around me. You never know how these races play out, but hopefully I'm going to see people in front of me, I'm going to catch them…and place as high as I can. That's how I see this race playing out: I'm in a pack for 18 to 20 or 24 miles and after that I'm hawking down people.”

My recurring guest is back – Conner Mantz is back before he takes on one of t...

“The one thing I reminded myself of and something my coach has been telling me all year is this: Don’t feel like you have to be anybody else. What you’ve been doing has been working for you. Continue to do that. If you’ve been being Melissa all year and you’ve been winning all year, what else do you need to do? Just go out there and be yourself.”

My guest for today’s episode is Melissa Jefferson-Wooden — the 25-year-old from Georgetown, South Carolina who just pulled off one of the rarest feats in track and field...

“You almost need to just have this fearlessness towards it. You can absolutely look at what each of the athletes have done and put them up on a pedestal, but you almost have to be like, ‘They’ve done that, but I’m going to try and do this today.’”

My guest for today’s episode is Jessica Hull, who just earned her second straight global medal with a bronze in the 1500m at the World Championships in Tokyo. Hull went toe-to-toe with the greatest of all time, Faith Kipyegon, hanging on until the final 200 meters before battling all t...

“A year ago, I just wanted to get on that team. The goals changed as the season went on. Things progressed and then it was like: you’re sixth in the world and you’re still hungry for more. That’s a really encouraging spot to be in.”

My guest for today’s episode is Josette Andrews, who just finished sixth in the 5000m final at the World Championships in Tokyo, one of the best global finishes by an American woman ever in the event. Josette’s run caps off a season that’s been nothing short of STRONG.

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia hit some superlatives and awards for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo including:

- Best Race

- Best sprint performance

- Biggest breakthrough

- Best field event

- Biggest what if

- Biggest upset

- Best comeback

- Best sportsmanship

- Most disappointed to get silver (and happiest to get silver)

- World record most likely to be broken in 2026

- Fan favorite medal

+ More

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Hosts: Chris...

“This is the moment I’ve been training three years for. There’s been three years of a lot of hard work and hard times to get to this. This is the thing in my mind, that dream and goal that’s kept me going. Once I put that into perspective, it was a lot easier to ride that wave of momentum into Worlds.”

Our guest today is Angelina Napoleon — the 20-year-old NC State steeplechaser who just capped off a super impressive and long outdoor track season.

In Tokyo, Angelina made her World Championships debut, ran 9:18 in...

“That’s where I feel the most free: crossing the line. Running out on the track is one thing, but crossing the line doing what you set out to do with the stadium going crazy — I just want to live in that moment.” 

My guest for this episode is Olympic 1500m champion and now 5000m World champion Cole Hocker — fresh off one of the most thrilling redemption stories of these World Championships.

Days after being disqualified in the 1500m semifinals, Cole still came back and left Tokyo with a gold medal. He went from 12th at the bell...

“I wanted to be calm, relaxed, and confident that I belonged here… Maybe I didn’t get the outcome that I wanted, but I hit my goal of being calm, trying to stay low emotion, and float, follow, and relax — all of the words that I said to myself. I’m really proud of how I navigated that race.”

Please welcome back to the show – the one and only Nikki Hiltz. And what a year it’s been! Just a season after finishing seventh at the Paris Olympics, Nikki stepped onto the line at the World Championships in Tokyo and del...

“This is the moment I’ve been training three years for. There’s been three years of a lot of hard work and hard times to get to this. This is the thing in my mind, that dream and goal that’s kept me going. Once I put that into perspective, it was a lot easier to ride that wave of momentum into Worlds.”

About two months after we caught up with Sage Hurta-Klecker after making her first U.S. team, she's back on the CITIUS MAG Podcast to recap her experience at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.  Duration: 01:09:35

“In years past, I just imagined myself as a hurdler and long jumper who sometimes did the hep. I just didn’t like doing the hep. I finally accepted that this is what I do. This is what I can be really good at. It just shifted my mindset. The medal confirmed what I already knew and I see how much room there is to grow.”

Taliyah Brooks came up CLUTCH in the second day with three PBs to notch a personal best of 6,581 points to tie for the bronze medal and move to No. 8 on the U.S. a...

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins and Anderson Emerole as they recap all the highlights from Day 9 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

Here’s a full summary of day eight at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, covering all key results and storylines:

USA Sweeps Relays & Sets Records:

Women’s 4x100m – Gold & Sprint Treble for Jefferson-Wooden

- Melissa Jefferson-Wooden joins Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as the only women to win the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m at the same World Championships. USA clocked 41.75 to edge Jamaica (41.79), with Germany (41.87) earning bronze. The race also marked...

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins, Anderson Emerole, and Mitch Dyer as they recap all the highlights from Day 8 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

Here’s a full summary of day eight at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, covering all key results and storylines:

Distance Doubles: Chebet & Perez Repeat Gold Feats

- Beatrice Chebet (KEN) – 5000m Champion

- Added to her 10,000m gold, replicating her Olympic double from Paris 2024. Outsprinted teammate Faith Kipyegon in the final lap of a tactical race.

800m: Wanyonyi Breaks Championship Record

- Emma...

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins, Anderson Emerole and Mitch Dyer as they recap all the highlights from Day 7 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Some of today's highlights include champions holding their ground as Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Femke Bol, Noah Lyles, Pedro Pichardo, and Rai Benjamin each struck gold.

Jefferson-Wooden completes sprint double

- Five days after her 100m win, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden added the 200m title in a world-leading PB of 21.68, becoming the eighth-fastest woman of all time.

- She outran defending champ Shericka Jackson and a late-surging Amy Hunt (GBR), who earned silver...

At only 26 years old, Camryn Rogers had already created a legacy in the women’s hammer throw that few could match. Winning a World title in 2023 and an Olympic title in 2024, she had emerged as the most consistent championship performer in the midst of the best era in the event’s history.

On Monday, she took the next major leap in her career, becoming the fourth woman to break the 80 meter barrier and the third to win three or more global titles. Her 80.51m second-round effort secured gold in Tokyo, moved Rogers up to No. 2 on the all...

It’s not unreasonable to say that no one could’ve predicted this podium. That’s not to say that Isaac Nader, Jake Wightman, and Reynold Cheruiyot aren’t all medal-worthy contenders in their own rights, just that the series of circumstances that had to stack on top of one another to make this particular outcome happen was highly improbable.

Without Jakob Ingebrigtsen to assume the role of pacemaker, the field hit 400 meters in a relatively pedestrian 59.45, and each successive second that the tempo lagged injected a little extra variability into the last lap. No one saw Kerr’s u...

It’s not unreasonable to say that no one could’ve predicted this podium. That’s not to say that Isaac Nader, Jake Wightman, and Reynold Cheruiyot aren’t all medal-worthy contenders in their own rights, just that the series of circumstances that had to stack on top of one another to make this particular outcome happen was highly improbable.

Without Jakob Ingebrigtsen to assume the role of pacemaker, the field hit 400 meters in a relatively pedestrian 59.45, and each successive second that the tempo lagged injected a little extra variability into the last lap. No one saw Kerr’s u...

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins, Anderson Emerole and Mitch Dyer as they recap all the highlights from Day 6 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Some of today's highlights include:

McLaughlin-Levrone Claims the 400m Throne

- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone delivered another historic performance on the Tokyo track, winning the women’s 400m in a Championship Record of 47.78 — the second-fastest time in history.

Botswana’s Breakthrough: Kebinatshipi Wins Men’s 400m

-In one of the championship’s most powerful performances, Collen Kebinatshipi stormed to gold in 43.53, a national record and the 10th-fastest time ever.

Men’s...

Clayton Young is carving out a reputation for consistency on the sport’s biggest stages and was the top American marathoner at the World Championships in Tokyo.

Young fought through chaos — an early false start, a massive pack that stayed bunched past halfway, even a fall at 14 kilometers where he was clipped from behind and hit the pavement. He bounced right back, gave a thumbs up to the cameras, and rejoined the leaders. For nearly 40 kilometers he was right there, stride for stride with the world’s best, before the brutal late pace broke the field apart.

I...

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins, Anderson Emerole and Mitch Dyer as they recap all the highlights from Day 5 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Some of today's highlights include:

Shock 1500m Gold: Nader Times It Right: Isaac Nader delivered a major upset in the men’s 1500m, emerging from a crowded finish to take the title in 3:34.10 — just 0.02 seconds ahead of Jake Wightman.

Steeplechase Queen: Cherotich Strikes Gold: Faith Cherotich, a two-time global bronze medallist, finally stood atop the podium in the 3000m steeplechase with a blistering championship record of 8:51.59.

In the Rounds: Spri...

A year ago in Paris, Grace Stark made her Olympic debut and finished fifth in the 100-meter hurdles. It was a taste of the big stage and a “delayed but not denied” moment, as she put it. In Tokyo, she delivered on that promise.

Stark stormed to a bronze at the 2025 World Championships with a time of 12.34 seconds. In one of the deepest fields in championship history — featuring Olympic champion Masai Russell, world record holder Tobi Amusan and reigning champ Danielle Williams — Stark emerged as the only American to reach the podium and just edged out Russell to claim...

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins, Anderson Emerole, Mitch Dyer, and Paul Hof-Mahoney as they recap all the highlights from Day 4 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Some of today's highlights include:

1500m: Kipyegon Claims Fourth World Title

- Faith Kipyegon continued her dominance, clocking 3:52.15 to secure her fourth straight world title at 1500m.

- Teammate Dorcus Ewoi ran a massive personal best of 3:54.92 to take silver.

- Jessica Hull of Australia added to her breakthrough season with a 3:55.16 performance to earn bronze.

Hammer Throw: Katzberg’s Monster Throw Breaks Re...

For 80 meters, Kishane Thompson looked like the man to beat. Exploding out of the blocks in the men’s 100-meter final at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, the Jamaican sprint sensation surged into the lead, his long, fluid strides daring the field to catch him.

But just as in Paris a year ago, the closing meters would tell the story. This time it wasn’t Noah Lyles, but his countryman Oblique Seville who reeled him in. Thompson crossed the line in 9.82 seconds, securing the silver medal behind Seville’s blistering 9.77 – the fastest global final since 2019.

For Thom...

Sometimes the most coolest moments in sport arrive by accident. When Julia Paternain crossed the finish line of the Tokyo World Championships marathon, she wasn’t thinking about history and she wasn’t even sure the race was over. Yet in that instant of disbelief, she had just given Uruguay its first-ever World Championships medal.

In just her second marathon, the 25-year-old stunned the world with a fearless run, climbing from 15th place at halfway to finish third in 2:27:23 behind legends Tokyo Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and former world record holder Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia. For...

The World Athletics Championships marathon in Tokyo was always going to be a test of patience, heat management, and guts and two American women rose to the occasion.

For over an hour, Susanna Sullivan was the story of the race. A sixth-grade math teacher from Virginia, she surged to the front by 5K, running alone through the streets of Tokyo with nothing but the sticky, humid air and a clock for company. By halfway, she had built a 63-second lead on the pack of global stars behind her. And when they finally came for her, Sullivan didn’t...

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins, Anderson Emerole, Mitch Dyer and Paul Hof-Mahoney as they recap all the highlights from Day 3 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Some of today's highlights include:

Mondo Duplantis Breaks World Record (6.30m)

- Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.30m to set his 14th world record

- Secured his third straight world title

- Vault came on his third and final attempt, capping an electric evening

- Historic depth: First time seven men cleared 5.90m+ in a single competition

- 2nd: Emmanouil Karalis (GR...

Valarie Allman has known the joy of Olympic gold. Twice. She’s stood atop the podium in Tokyo and Paris. She’s held world leads and set marks that haven’t been seen since the 1980s. But until now, one medal had eluded her.

In Tokyo once again, which was the site of her first Olympic triumph, Allman finally became a world champion. With a 69.48-meter toss, she claimed her first global title, winning by the largest margin in 18 years. It was a performance that broke open the event, stamped her dominance with a 29-meet win streak, and ma...

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins, Anderson Emerole, Mitch Dyer and Paul Hof-Mahoney as they recap all the highlights from Day 2 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo as five first-time individual gold medalists were crowned.

Key Highlights from Day 2:

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden – Women’s 100m Champion

- Time: 10.61 (Championship Record)

- Context: Broke the previous championship record and tied the fastest time ever at a global championship (Elaine Thompson-Herah’s 2021 Olympic record).

- Margin of Victory: 0.15 seconds — second-largest in meet history.

- Podium: Jefferson-Wooden (USA) – 10.61 CR, Tina Clayton (JAM) – 10.76 PB, Julien A...

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins, Anderson Emerole, Mitch Dyer and Paul Hof-Mahoney as they recap all the highlights from Day 1 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

Among the top stories:

🥇 Crouser Returns with Golden Comeback

- Ryan Crouser (USA), world record-holder and three-time Olympic champion, won his third world title in the men’s shot put.

- He threw 22.34m in his first competition in a year after an elbow injury.

- Uziel Munoz (MEX) took silver with a national record of 21.97m.

- Leonardo Fabbri (ITA) secur...

With the 2025 World Athletics Championships starting today, we're unpacking the biggest storylines, some of our top picks, and athletes to watch for in each track event. You can find the first part of our preview that dives into each track event from the first six days of the championship here.

Be sure to subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to get our daily recaps sent to your inbox and follow along our socials for lots more content throughout the World Championships!

Time stamps:

15:48 - Men’s 400m 

20:35 - Women’s 400m 

2...

With the 2025 World Athletics Championships starting on September 13th, we're unpacking the biggest storylines, some of our top picks, and athletes to watch for in each track event. We’ll be dropping the second part of our preview podcast with the rest of the events later this week.

Be sure to subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to get each of our written previews sent to your inbox and follow along our socials for lots more content to get you excited about Tokyo!

Time stamps:

21:46 - Women’s 10,000m

33:37 - Women’s mara...

“It goes without saying that we want to go for at least a medal and maybe even the gold medal [at the World Championships]. We don't really speak about that; it's just about being at my best level in the final. I would call that our goal. Whatever result is connected to that depends on so many factors and that's why we don't really speak about, ‘We want to be first there,’ but more about the whole process.”

Every so often, a young runner bursts onto the scene not just with talent, but with a presence that makes yo...

Chris Chavez and Mac Fleet break down the biggest winners and losers from the Diamond League final in Zurich. Some of the top highlights from the meet include…

- Brittany Brown makes the most of her second shot at the World team by winning the 200m final in a season’s best 22.13.

- Niels Laros solidifies his spot as the top dog in the 1500m with an undeniable victory over world leader Azeddine Habz, world junior record holder Phanuel Koech, and 2019 World champion Timothy Cheriyot, running 3:29.20 to also claim the Dutch national record by 0.03 seconds.

“It’s holding onto the fact that truly anything can happen. That's why I'm a fan of the sport. I love watching upsets happen. I love watching dragons get slayed and things like that. It's exciting! I think no matter what, I'm just going in to try to run a 1500 that I'm proud of and let the outcome be the outcome. That's not the focus; the focus is just doing the thing I love.”

Three straight U.S. outdoor titles, a Diamond League victory, and a season that has firmly established Nikki Hiltz as America’s standard-bearer in the 1...

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia give an event-by-event preview of the Diamond League Final in Zurich set for August 27-28. They also recap the top performances, highlights, and biggest track news from the weekend. We'll be back to unpack all the action in Zurich on Thursday after the meet wraps up.

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Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠ + ⁠Preet Majithia | @preetmajithia on Instagram⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠

Mentioned in this episode…

Read: Record-Breaking 16-Year-Old Cooper Lutkenhaus Goes Pro, Signs With Nike Ahead of World Championsh...

Cooper Lutkenhaus, the 16-year-old high school star who shattered his own U.S. 800m high school record and broke the 800m U18 world record with a 1:42.27 runner-up finish at last month’s U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, has opted to forego all of his remaining high school and collegiate eligibility to turn professional and sign a contract with Nike.

The decision comes before he is set to race the 800m at the World Championships in Tokyo next month and makes history as the youngest American ever to represent the U.S. at a World Championship.

"Going into Tokyo, as long as I get back to those basic things that helped me be successful in the past, I'm going to be just fine. I can focus on the process, get back to running my race, focus on what I need to do each lap in different circumstances and scenarios, have fun, and not put too much pressure on myself."

My guest for today's episode is Olympic silver medalist Kenneth Rooks. However, he hasn't quite looked like that this entire season. It left many wondering if last year's Olympic silver medalists had slipped from...

“The overarching message that I think Sean has with this book is that whatever ‘it’ is, go for it. If this is your thing and you give it all you’ve got and don’t limit yourself to what’s been done and what’s been possible, the sky’s the limit on what you can do.”

Today's guest is someone whose work has shaped how we understand running at its most human level through writing about running. Chris Lear is the author of Running with the Buffalos, a book that for many is the gold standard of distance runnin...

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia are back to dive into all of today's action from the Lausanne Diamond League as well as recent doping news in the track and field world.

Some of the biggest highlights from Lausanne include...

- After a year off racing, Keely Hodgkinson won her second Diamond League in five days, this time setting a 1:55.69 meet record.

- Josh Hoey once again continued to surprise, this time with a huge finish to win the 800m over Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi in 1:42.82.

- Oblique Seville won a soaking-wet 100m i...

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia dive into the biggest moments from the Silesia Diamond League, recap the NACAC Championships, break down more changes in world rankings, and lots more.

Some of the top performances from Silesia include…

- In her first 800m in over a year, Olympic champ Keely Hodgkinson picked up right where she left off, clocking a world-leading 1:54.74 to win by nearly two full seconds.

- Faith Kipyegon took a strong crack at the highly-suspect world record in the 3000m, and while she fell just short of Wang Junxia’s 19...

“It was just a matter of showing up and putting out whatever I had that day – and fair enough, that was my day! I don’t know how it happened. I didn’t expect to win. Nobody knew I was there, nobody was thinking about me. Even after the Rabat [Diamond League], I was shocked by myself!”

A few months ago, Jonah Koech wasn't even supposed to be in the race. His Diamond League debut was meant to be an 800m in Rabat until a late field change bumped him out. The backup plan was to race the 1500m...

“This year, with all the challenges and setbacks, gave me a lot of confidence in that I was still able to come out and deliver and make this team. I have a lot of confidence from experience and just knowing that no matter the circumstances, I'm able to stay focused and get the job done; just focus on myself and what I need to do to be the best runner I can be. That’s where I draw my confidence from.”

My guest for today's episode is Emily Mackay. In the 1500m, the margin between heartbreak and a tick...

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia unpack the top highlights from the Gyulai István Memorial in Budapest earlier today, from Oordegem, Belgium on Saturday, and more of the biggest shakeups in rankings that took place over the weekend. 

We preview everything you need to know about the Silesia Diamond League, including the top athletes competing, matchups to follow, and records to watch for. We also dive into the latest drama in the track and field world, break down the qualification process for the World Championships, explain how the Diamond League wild card process works, and lo...

“Every year the top three resets. It doesn’t matter what you did the previous year. If you need any more evidence than this 1500 final, then I don’t know what to tell you. Everything is so cutthroat. Just getting on that top three was a big relief. I know that the big peak is coming in September, so I can live with this for now. Now I know where I’m at exactly.”

My guest for today’s episode is Cole Hocker, who is no stranger to championship moments. But even Olympic champions can go through droughts. Si...

“I thought I had missed my moment last year. I didn’t want that to define me, but I didn’t want to put way too much pressure on this year, because it wasn’t going to make up for last year. It was really hard. But in the last month, I said, ‘We’re going to go for it. We’re going to put our ego to the side and see what happens.’”

Sage Hurta-Klecker knows heartbreak. In her first U.S. Championships in 2021, she fell and broke her wrist. In 2023, she finished a painful fourth in the 800m, just...

“The other part is that he loves it. He doesn’t miss. A ton of people are—to be cliche—talented, but they don’t do the things to maximize their talent. So how is he there? Because he’s doing everything to at least give him the chance to maximize his talent. Do we know it’s going to be 1:42? No, we don’t know that. We have no clue what it is… He’s doing the things it takes to see how good he can be—and he loves finding out what that looks like.”

My guest for today's epi...

“With 200 to go, I felt really strong. I wasn’t really burning yet. With about 120 to go coming off the curve, I saw everybody right there. I was like, ‘I feel amazing!’ The crowd all stood up and it was super electric. I was like, ‘I have a shot now.’”

My guest for today's episode is Cooper Lutkenhaus, the 16-year-old Texan who just ran one of the most astonishing races in American track and field history at the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Cooper placed second in the men's 800m in 1:42.27 — a U18 world record, a three second per...

“The biggest mindset coming off of Paris was that because I had made the biggest final there is, it was a message to me that no matter who’s on the track, you deserve a lane. I belong here and I’ve proven myself. That message was definitely something that I carried into my senior year: just knowing that I belong here. That was very powerful for me.”

My guest for today's episode is Savannah Sutherland, a 21 year old Canadian hurdler who just made history in more ways than one, hailing from Borden, Saskatchewan. Savannah was named a finali...

The next time someone complains that track and field is boring, tell them about August 3, 2025.

Today's epic conclusion to the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships were so packed to the gills with drama that it extended beyond the start and finish lines. You want rivalries? Got ‘em. Records? check. Emotions? Certainly. Controversy? You bet.

After finishing a surprise third in the 1500m, the event that delivered an Olympic title, Cole Hocker found redemption in the 5000m, where he closed off a slow early pace in an astonishing 51.76 seconds to win his first U.S. title in the lo...

Over and over again during the course of today’s program, the same question came up: “What just happened?!”

Heading into a stacked men’s 1500m final, everyone assumed that two spots were spoken for by the two Olympic medalists in the field — Paris champion Cole Hocker and third-placer Yared Nuguse — and that the battle was for the third spot. But teams aren’t made on paper; you still have to run the race.

Nuguse kept everyone honest early, taking the field through 400 meters in 56.23, but he didn’t manage to thin out the field enough by the final...

Heading into yesterday’s U.S. 100-meter finals, Kenny Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden were already among the best in the world at what they do.

And then they got better. Both Bednarek and Jefferson-Wooden are Olympic medalists and U.S. leaders in the sprint events, and both athletes have been running fast all year. In the 100m finals, however, they ascended to a new level, one everyone knew they were capable of, but was still fantastically impressive to watch come to fruition.

Bednarek picked up the first U.S. title of his career — despite being a two-ti...

Emily Infeld is one of those runners you can’t help but root for. The gritty but unflappably kind veteran of the sport has been kicking around USAs since 2010, and though she’s had plenty of success along the way, including winning World bronze in 2015 and making the Rio Olympic team, she’s never won a national title on the track — before yesterday.

In recent years, Infeld has been defined by a series of injuries and coaching changes, leaving Bowerman Track Club in 2022 and shifting sponsors to Brooks. She made her most recent World team in 2022 but struggled...

The first day of USAs delivered a little bit of everything regardless of your taste, showcasing track’s shortest and longest events a few hours apart as reigning World champions Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson cruised through the 100m prelims and two first-time champions were crowned in the 10,000m.

The stakes weren’t exactly high in in the opening rounds of the 800m, where six of the eight entrants in each heat were guaranteed a spot in the semifinal, but nevertheless all eyes were on 2021 Olympic champ Athing Mu-Nikolayev as she races her way back into national con...

Chris Chavez and Mac Fleet are back on the podcast to give an event-by-event preview of the top athletes, matchups, and storylines to watch at the USATF Outdoor Championships this week. Stay tuned for tons more preview content across our platforms and follow along our socials for comprehensive coverage starting Thursday.

Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠ + Mac Fleet | @macfleet on Instagram⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠

Mentioned in this episode…

Save: USATF Outdoor Championships schedule

Save: Info on our New Balance group runs

Subscribe: C...

Entries for the 2025 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships closed at midnight on Tuesday. The national championship—which will determine Team USA for the World Championships in Tokyo—will start on July 31st.

Chris Chavez and Mac Fleet hop on the podcast to break down the top contenders, most surprising entries, and key matchups to watch for in Eugene next week. We'll have preview newsletters and podcast episodes coming your way over the next week—stay tuned!

Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Mac Fleet | @macfleet on Instagram

Produced by: Jasmine...

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia unpack the biggest highlights from the London Diamond League last weekend. Some of the top performances include:

- Phanuel Koech continued his meteoric rise with a victory over defending World champ Josh Kerr, winning the 1500m in 3:28.82. Kerr was 2nd in a SB of 3:29.37.

- Gudaf Tsegay made history in the most daring way possible, taking the women’s mile out in 59 seconds to solo a 4:11.88, an Ethiopian record and the second fastest time in history behind Faith Kipyegon’s world record.

- Jessica Hull became only the eigh...

“My view on running is that it’s the simplest sport — but the fact of that simplicity opens up the possibility that if you think about it deeply and use it deeply in your life, it can be a tool to help you understand the really important and complicated stuff.”

By day, Nick Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic shaping the future of journalism. By early morning and often late evening, he's pounding the pavement between his Brooklyn home and Manhattan office, logging miles that many of us would consider as workouts. But somehow at age 49, he's sti...

Chris Chavez and Mac Fleet are back on the podcast to break down everything you need to know about marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich's provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit after her positive test for Hydrochlorothiazide on March 14th.

Hydrochlorothiazide can be used to mask the presence of banned drugs. The AIU notes she had an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL in urine.

The positive test was reported to the AIU on April 3rd. She was notified and interviewed in person by the AIU in Kenya on April 16th. Chepngetich withdrew from this...

This week, Chris Chavez and Mac Fleet share the biggest highlights from the Monaco Diamond League, break down the top storylines to watch for heading into USAs, and preview the London Diamond League this Saturday.

Highlights from today's episode:

- Top results from the Monaco Diamond League: men's 800m, men's 200m, women's 1000m, and women's 100m.

- Mac Fleet’s prognosis on Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s season picked up by Norwegian media + updates on Jakob’s injury 

- Thoughts on the men’s 800m ahead of USAs: Josh Hoey, Donavan Brazier, Hobbs Kessler, B...

“It just takes time, having people on the team with a bit of experience, and seeing people do it well. It’s definitely building and I’m excited to see what they do over the next few years. I have to leave, but one win shows them that we can keep on winning. Hopefully we get our own little streak!”

My guest for today's episode as we continue our Washington Huskies takeover is Sophie O'Sullivan. The University of Washington senior got it done — an NCAA 1500m title capping off a strong collegiate career. For the daughter of Olympic si...

This week, Chris Chavez and Mac Fleet break down the top athletes and must-watch storylines heading into Thursday’s Monaco Diamond League — from a loaded men’s 800m field with world record potential to Noah Lyles’ highly anticipated return from an ankle injury. We also share our takeaways from Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Athing Mu’s performances at the Prefontaine Classic and dive into the latest on Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s injury comeback.

Mentioned in this episode...

Read: Monaco Diamond League 2025 Preview: 800m World Record Under Threat + More Storylines To Watch

Listen: PREFONTAINE CLASSIC RECAP - BEATRICE C...

Chris Chavez and Mac Fleet break down all the top performances, world records and biggest moments from the 50th edition of the Prefontaine Classic.

A few highlights include:

- Faith Kipyegon broke her own world record in the 1500m to win her SEVENTH Prefontaine 1500m title in 3:48.68.

- Beatrice Chebet took the women's 5000m world record under 14 minutes, pulling away from Gudaf Tsegay and Agnes Ngetich over the final 200m to break the tape in an unbelievable mark of 13:58.06.

- Niels Laros shocked the world with a come-from-behind victory in the...

We’ve got a LOADED slate of guests for a special 4th of July LIVE show from Oregon ahead of tomorrow’s 50th edition of the Prefontaine Classic. Guests featured in today’s show include:

“I’d been working so hard for this and had so much conscious energy going into winning this title and putting it all out there — my last attempt, last ditch effort. We’ve got to just win this thing. You could see it after in the photos. I was almost crying. I was so relieved, so happy, and so proud of the work that I’ve done.”

My guest for today's episode is Nathan Green. In one of the most tactical and tightly contested NCAA 1500m finals in recent memory, Nathan Green emerged with more than just a lean at th...

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia share their reactions and analysis on Faith Kipyegon's sub-four minute mile attempt at Nike's Breaking4 event in Paris. We also preview each event and the top athletes and matchups to watch for at the Prefontaine Classic this Saturday on July 5th.

Mentioned in this episode...

Listen: Off The Rails With Eric And Aisha: We Need To Talk About Chris Robinson’s Wardrobe Malfunction, Faith Kipyegon’s Sub-4 Attempt + Voicemails From Listeners

Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | @preetmajithia on Instagram

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U.S. Olympian, 6x NCAA champion and Team New Balance professional Parker Valby sits down for a wide-ranging, laidback one-on-one interview with Olympic gold medalist, U.S. high school 400m record holder and Team New Balance NIL star Quincy Wilson. Kick back, crack open a kombucha, and have a few laughs as they connect over life on and off the track.From favorite moments in Paris to handling pressure and social media madness, Parker and Quincy talk everything from screen time to school grades, the wild world of TikTok, and what it’s like to be part of the Ne...