When 7 of the 8 guys in a race run huge PBs, it's fair to ask what made it possible and wonder if it is repeatable. The article says there was "swirling diagonal breeze". Two things can be true at once. 1) Gout Gout is a big talent 2) The race was run in unicorn conditions.
*MB: Jonathan Gault says you have to "wonder a bit" about Gout Gout's 19.67 as the top 5 all PBd by at least .21 - Do you agree?
*Tate Taylor's coach say Gout needs to do it twice or at least come close to it in Europe
Jakob Update
- MB: Jakob Ingebrigtsen's agent says he won't race before July That means no Bislett Games on June 10, but European Championships in Birmingham (August 10-16) are still an option if recovery goes well.
On The Boards
On The Boards
US Road Action
Morris lost the overall race to Morocco's Mohammed El Youssfi by just one second while Hurley finished 3rd in the race won by Ethiopia's Asayech Ayichew in 50:37. *Results
*MB: Cherry Blossom discussion thread
- Drew Hunter (13:47) and Canadian Olympian Simone Plourde (15:30) win Carlsbad 5000 Plourde mentioned that she knew her surge at the end based on when her watch beeped. "When we hit 4K, my watch beeped. Yeah, my watch is in kilometers, because I’m Canadian. Then I knew it was only 1K left, and that’s when I decided to make my move."
- MB: Allie O wins Statesman Cap 10k
International Marathon Results
- Ethiopians Guye Idemo Adola (2:03:54) and Mekidas Shimless (2:18:56) win at the Rotterdam Marathon; Hilary Bor runs 2:08:40 Adola beat a competitive field which saw the top-4 finish within 30 seconds of each other. US's Bor ran a big 2:08:40 PB for 10th place. Shimles won the women's race by over 2-minutes and broke the 14-year-old course record. *Results
*Sawan Barwal breaks Shivnath Singh's 48-year-old Indian national marathon record in debut at Rotterdam Barwal finished 20th in 2:11:58 to break Singh's 1978 record by 2 seconds. - Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa (2:05:18) and Ethiopia's Shure Demise (2:18:34) win Paris Marathon Crippa won a tight men's race by 5 seconds where the top-6 all finished in the 2:05 range. Demise set a CR to win the women's race by 34 seconds.
Australian Champs
Gout ran 19.67 (+1.7m/s) to set an Australian national record and Erriyon Knighton's 19.69 world U20 record. He had a surprise challenge from Aidan Murphy who set a huge 19.88 PB (previous best was just 20.41) to also break the previous national record. The showdown with Lachlan Kennedy never materialized as Kennedy was a last minute scratch after winning the 100m in 9.96 on Saturday. In distance action, Jess Hull returned from her 1500m fall to win the 5000m in 15:13, Abbey Caldwell beat Claudia Hollingsworth in the 800m (1:58.57 to 1:58.91) and Peter Bol took the 800m in 1:45.60.
Arcadia
Simeon Birnbaum's meet record of 8:34.10 is history thanks to Spencer who did much of the early leading and then had as sensational final 200. In the end, Spencer ran an 8:31.80, with a 56.59 last lap - the only boy under 60. He went 4:20.00 - 4:11.80. Watch the race above - we've cued it to start at the bell. For the 2nd year in a row, 55 boys broke 9:00. Abigail Hennessy won the girls race in 9:50.84.
*MB: Jackson Spencer 8:31.80 with a 56.59 last lap!!!
- Quincy Wilson (45.48) breaks Michael Norman's (45.51) meet record at Arcadia
- Girls sprints: Rosary, CA runs No. 2 4 x 100 all-time (44.23) They broke a 22-year old state record in the process.
- Union Catholic girls break SMR national record (3:47.35)
- Servite boys continue dominance with #4 all-time 4x200 relay
- MB: Jackson Spencer wants to 8:30 at Arcadia this weekend - Can he do it?
- MB: Jackson Spencer’s 47.8 relay split
- MB: Anyone think it's crazy these HSers are flying to meet after meet. Oregon Relays, Florida Relays, Arcadia, etc.
- MB: Guys from 39 different states have broken 9:00 at Arcadia. Here's the list of the 11 who haven't done it
Assorted Distance News
- MB: Marco Langon outkicks Rocky Hansen with a 53 second last lap in Duke Invite 5000m (13:28.43 to 13:29.53) *Results
- MB: SUNY Geneseo's Ryan Hagan runs 3:38.67 DIII record in Bucknell 1500m Hagan crushed his previous 3:43.50 PB as well as the 3:40.06 DIII record with a 55 second last lap. *Results *Video
- USTFCCCA: The record collegiate women still can’t solve: Jenny Simpson’s 3:59.90 Simpson's 1500m is the oldest in the women's collegiate record book.
- MB: Sam Ruthe has a stress fracture Ruthe posted on Strava that he got a fibula stress fracture during his rest week from playing soccer.
- Flotrack looks back at some of the biggest moments in Boston Marathon history Meb Keflezighi coming back and winning in 2014 after the 2013 bombing was definitely one of the most memorable
Australian Champs
He returned from his dominant 1500m win on Friday to take the 5000m ahead of Seth O'Donnell (13:12.42) and Morgan McDonald (13:12.43).
*MB: Morgan McDonald takes 3rd in the 5k at Australia Championships
- MB: Update: Claudia Hollingsworth reinstated as Australian 1500m champion Athletics Australia said, "A request for a rerun of the 1500m is not feasible at this championships, but the Australian Athletics high-performance department and selection committees will review its status as a selection race."
- Lachlan Kennedy breaks 10-second barrier again to win Australian Champs 100m He tied his 9.96 PB to dominate the race. He said he will wait and see how he feels before deciding on whether he'll race against Gout Gout in the 200m on Sunday.
- MB: Jess Hull withdraws from the 800 and will make 5000m decision Sunday morning Hull pulled out of Saturday's 800m and will go for a run Sunday morning before deciding if she'll race the 5000m on Sunday afternoon.
- Claudia Hollingsworth gives statement after winning her 800m heat on Saturday "You never like to see any athlete go down, but it was a fair race. ... There’s no bad blood from my end and I’m sure there’s not from her. We respect each other a lot and I definitely am willing to reach out for sure and make sure she’s OK."
LetsThrow
Finally after 42 years, the most controversial mark in the U.S. record books is gone. Sam Mattis launched a 72.45m bomb in Ramona to take down Ben Plucknett’s steroid-tainted record, but given the massive "Ramona wind", should this record have an asterisk* attached to it like Plucknett's?
Friday 15
Cam Myers put on a sick display becoming the 2nd man ever to go sub 3:30 in a race and lead gun to tape. Meanwhile Claudia Hollingsworth had one of the fastest last laps ever in a 1500m but was DQd for taking out Jess Hull. Friday 15 podcast + video of the 1500s.
LRC Track Talk
Simeon Birnbaum is having a breakout NCAA year, finishing 2nd at NCAAs, but he's not interested in being second or even running fast. "No one cares about second or third… go win something."
More Distance News
- Norwegian team doctor tells press that Jakob Ingebrigtsen has suffered no setbacks in his comeback but people need to be patient "Patience is demanding. But he is doing the job. There have been no relapses, and the training has gone according to plan," said the doc.
*MB: Jakob Ingebritsen update - on track, but needs time - Keely Hodgkinson will run her 1st Diamond League 400m in Rome
- Marathon superfan propopsed after his girlfriend ran Tokyo - he didn't live to see her run Boston
- Hong Kong Marathon considering new course, 2-day format after attracting 74,000 runners That's 74,000 over the 10k, half and full.
Australian Champs
Hull was taken out from behind by Claudia Hollingsworth. Total chaos as it looked like the 4th best runner ended up as your winner. In the men's 1500, Cam Myers was PHENOMENAL yet again, running 3:29 from the front.
- MB: Cameron Myers solos 3:29.85 to win the 2026 Australian 1500m title! Myers is on fire.
- MB: Lachlan Kennedy makes history, runs 9.96 (+0.2) in heats to become 1st Aussie to go sub-10 on home soil
- MB: (Un)Official Athletics Australia/Running Australia chat
- Jessica Hull may potentially go for crazy 800, 1500, 5000 triple at Aussie Champs She's entered in all 3 but will take it one race at a time. To complete the feat, Hull would have to back up in the 5000m just 30 minutes after the 800m final.
The Latest LRC Exclusives
The Latest LRC Exclusives
We asked Jonathan Gault to try to find out what many of the top pros are up to.
Richardson, who was charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree assault after shoving boyfriend Christian Coleman at the SeaTac airport, and prosecutors agreed to postpone the case for two years when it would be dismissed as long as she met certain criteria, including "no criminal law violations."
Josh Kerr 222 podcast
Josh Kerr is chasing Hicham El Guerrouj’s mile world record his way, choosing a packed London Diamond League over a controlled time trial and insisting on “my race, my rules.” Kerr discussed his world record attempt and most recent world title over Cole Hocker on the LetsRun.com podcast.
Johh Kerr swears by power-to-weight training to improve his speed – here’s how and why you should do the same 'My gym coaches have done a really good job of finding where my weaknesses are. I need to create more power. My goal is that my power-to-weight ratio needs to be good.
Doha Postponed
The meet is moved from May 8th to June 19th "should conditions allow" due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Because of the later date and hot conditions in Qatar, the meet was also moved to the 2019 World Champs stadium which is temperature regulated.
- MB: Doha Diamond League moved to Friday, June 19, 2026
- More DL News Prefontaine Classic will feature women's mile this year with Faith Kipyegon as star attraction It's the first time they've ever had a women's mile while part of the DL.
- More Upcomiong Mile News MB: Yared Nuguse to run Drake Relays road mile on April 21 (top 2 qualify for Road Mile champs).
Distance News
- DyeStat: Jude Ritzenhein's talent on display already at Niwot Ritzenhein says he's enjoying being on the team with his older sister, 2024 NXN champion Addison, and that he wants to go for the 4:09.11 freshman mile record (he ran 4:11.77 at last weekend's Oregon Relays).
- Emily Sisson is ready to make her Boston debut in 1.5 weeks Sisson hasn't historically been great at hills and comes into Boston after failing to be the 1st American at a world marathon major in her career in NYC
- Two-time Tokyo Marathon champion Birhanu Legese (2:02:48) leads field for the Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday 2:19:56 runner Mekides Shimeles is in the women's race.
- Clare Elms becomes oldest woman ever to run a sub-18 minute 5k The 62-year-old Brit ran 17:48 (17:45 chip time) to crush her previous 18:15 W60 record.
Sprint Stuff
- Inside Noah Lyles and Junelle Bromfield's "magical" Georgia wedding The wedding combined American and Jamaican cultures and included multiple outfits and a famous gospel singer. *Vogue article
*MB: Noah Lyles got married - A look at what Yohan Blake is up to in retirement The joint second fastest man of all-time has his own brand of purified water, opened a retaurant called The Butcher's Barrel in Florida and says "coaching is not on my mind."
- Western Jamaican principal rips Jamaican politicans for inadequate track and field facilities “Our politicians are shameless. They are at Champs in prime seats but have done little to develop facilities in communities and schools for sports development.... Western Jamaica’s athletes do not have one sport facility to host a decent track meet or a football game, and these unconscionable politicians are cheerleading as if they had anything much to do with the successes. Just shameless!"
- Jamaica's Shanoya Douglas completes CARIFTA sprint triple with record-breaking 22.11 She won the 100m in 11.13, anchored Jamaica to 4x100 victory and her 22.11 victory in the 200m broke her own Jamaican U20 record and is tied for #3 with Allyson Felix on the all-time U20 list. Bermuda's Miles Outerbridge won the men's U20 100m in 10.21. Jamaica dominated the overall medal table for the 48th time since the meet started in 1972.
- Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Letsile Tebogo announced as ambassadors for the World Athletics Kids' Athletics Day next month
Collegiate News
- T&F News' NCAA women's formchart #1 - They have Georgia ranked #1, well ahead of Florida and Oregon They also have top-10 event-by-event rankings.
- LSU men #1 in NCAA outdoor rankings Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech are ranked 2-4.
- Texas women and Georgia women a close 1-2 in outdoor NCAA rankings BYU and USC are 3-4
- 2026 Hakone Ekiden champion Aoyama Gakuin University launches women's ekiden team with goal of "stopping the declining numbers in the sport" The coach, who guided the men to their 2nd 3-peat this year, cited stats that some of Japan's girls' high school records are over 20 years old and that participation numbers are way down, 40% over the last 10 years in at least one case.
RIP
- RIP former WADA president and IOC vice president Sir Craig Reedie, 84 The former British international badminton player also served as chairman of the British Olympic Association and along with Seb Coe, helped London win the bid to host the 2012 Olympics.
- Driver arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter in death of runner during the Florida Half Marathon
- RIP former LSU head track coach Joe May, 93 May was head coach at LSU from 1964-76.
- RIP former World Athletics vice president Lou Dapeng He was vice president in 1999 (back when it was the IAAF).
World Championships Shake-up
The marathon will still be part of the 2027 and 2029 World Champs, but after that it will be it's own standalone championships with men and women competing in alternate years. Athens is expected to be the first host.
The Week That Was
Jane Hedengren's dream freshman campaign continued but we pump the brakes on the hysteria. Plus Jimmy Gressier is back in GREAT form and we try to make sense of Sha'Carri Richardson's big win at the Stawell Gift. And will Gabby Thomas ever break 11.00?
This Weekend's Track Action
Richardson overcame the 10m handicap to win the famous 120 meter race on grass in Australia, becoming just the third woman to win the race from the scratch position. She edged Australian 19-year-old Charlotte Nielsen by .05. On the men's side, Australian Olufemi Komolafe won (Christian Coleman went out in the semis). *Video of Richardson's win
- Jamaica’s Olympic and world 100m silver medalist Kishane Thompson runs 150m world best at Miramar Invitational Thompson ran 14.92 to break the previous world best of 14.97 set by Linford Christie in 1994. Zimbabwe’s Olympic and world 200m finalist Tapiwanashe Makarawu was also under the old record with 14.96. Jamaica's Tia Clayton won the women's race in 16.87. Jamaicans also won slightly wind aided 100m races with Ackeem Blake running 9.84 (2.2m/s) and Lavanya Williams 10.99 (2.6m/s). Two-time world 400m bronze medalist Sada Williams beat two-time world 200m champ Shericka Jackson in the 300m with 36.23.
- US's Max Thomas wins Florida Relays 100m in 9.90 (#2 in the world this year) Georgetown's Tinoda Matsatsa (1:46.17) and South Carolina's Salma Elbadra (2:00.62) won the 800s. South Carolina's Josiah Wrice took the 400m in 44.96.
- Gabby Thomas opens her season with 11.00 win at Texas Relays She tied her 100m PB despite the cold and wet conditions. *Video
- HSer Mariah Maxwell beats the collegians in the 200m at Texas Relays with wind-aided 22.25 (+3.8) Andrew Jones won the 110H in 13.15 (#2 on the HS all-time list). Tarleton State's Victoria Cameron won the collegiate 100m in an NCAA leading 11.01.
- Niwot boys and girls run nation-leading DMRs at Oregon Relays The boys team ran 9:53.16 and the girls 11:33.22 (#16 all-time) with Addison Ritzenhein anchoring in 4:42.
- Sha'Carri Richardson easily wins her heat on day 1 of at Stawell Gift She won the 120m handicap race on grass starting from scratch (no handicap) to advance to Monday's semi-final. Christian Coleman also won his heat running from scratch. *Overhead video of Richardson's run
Can The Federal Government Fix The NCAA?
The order was welcomed by NCAA president Charlie Baker who said they are working on trying to get a bipartisan agreement through Congress that will help with some of the NCAA's issues. The order also states that the NCAA should create policies that prevent schools from cutting scholarships or other opportunities for women's and Olympic sports in order to pay their athletes. Schools that don't follow the executive order could lose federal funding, however it seems unlikely that this order will hold up in court.
Japan Running News
- Japan indoor 3000m and 5000m record holder Keita Sato joins Swoosh TC The 22-year-old will move to the US to be coached by Mike Smith later this month.
- Recent 2:07:14 marathoner Ethan Shuley runs 13:57 in his first ever track 5000m He finished 6th place at the Setagaya Time Trials meet in Tokyo.
*LRC Archive: Who is Ethan Shuley: Unsponsored and Unknown, Ethan Shuley Runs 2:07:14 Marathon, Now the 6th Fastest American Ever - Brian Kipyegon wins Kanto Region University D1 Half Marathon title in 61:23
- Japanese weekend track round-up
Previous Track Action: Hdengren Breaks 10k CR
Kosgei (30:49.99) also got under Parker Valby's old record of 30:50.43. Jane ran a BIG negative split of something like 15:33-15:13.
*Full Jane Hedengren 10,000 CR race video
- More Highlights from Stanford Habtom Samuel won the men's 10,000 in 27:30. Oregon’s Simeon Birnbaum ran an NCAA leading 13:19 in the 5,000m with a 56.46 final lap.
- MB: Lutkenhaus 3:46 1500 at Stanford
- Niwot milers highlight Oregon Relays with Addison Ritzehein (4:45.73) and Rocco Culpepper (4:05.95) getting the wins Culpepper lead a Niwot 1-2-3 in the mile, beating his teammate by just .02. Freshman Jude Ritzenhein was 11th in 4:11.77.
*MB: Niwot - 4:05, 4:05, 4:08, 4:11 in the same race
*Video interview with Addison Ritzehein *Culpepper *Jude Ritzenhein - Dillon Mitchell moves to #5 on the all-time world U18 list with 10.10 at Texas Relays The time also puts him #10 on the HS all-time list and fastest sophomore ever. In the 100 hurdles, Andrew Jones ran an all-conditions HS record of 12.97 (+2.8). *Video
- Texas freshman Abigail Wolfe of Jamaica stuns with a 11.01 100m (+2.8) at Texas Relays She didn't even make the final at SECs indoors and has an official 100m pb of 11.59.
- Camryn Dailey breaks age-14 world 200m record with 22.73 at Florida Relays She broke her own record, finishing 2nd behind two-time Olympic champ Shaunae Miller-Uibo (22.44). Quincy Wilson won the 400m in 45.97.
- MB: Is she back? Shaunae Miller-Uibo runs 22.44s (0.5) at Florida Relays - her best time since 2022.
- Mirmar Invitational Preview: Shericka Jackson vs two-time world 400m bronze medalist Sada Williams and Britton Wilson in the 300m
- MB: Live Friday Night: Stanford Invite
On The Roads
- World 10,000m champ Jimmy Gressier breaks his own European record with 12:51 at the Urban Trail de Lille 5k; World U20 XC champ Marta Alemayo wins women's race in 14:15 Gressier was just a bit off Berihu Aregawi’s 12:49 WR. Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune was runner-up in 12:54; Narve Gilje Nordas ran broke the Norwegian record with 13:10 in 7th.
*MB: EUROPEAN RECORD - 5k road
- World XC champ Agnes Ngetich (28:58) and 19-year-old Ethiopian Khairi Bejiga (26:51) win Urban Trail de Lille 10k Ngetich was just 12 seconds shy of her own WR. Italy's Nadia Battocletti finished 4th in 30:08, missing the European record by 1 second.
LetsRun.com's Reach Is Worldwide - Our Stories are Being Reprinted World Wide
It's great to see the major media outlets paying attention the NCAA's lax anti-doping efforts during one of the biggest weekends for NCAA sports.
We were just trying to have some fun but were making social commentary at the same time. If you missed the April 1 homepage, catch up here.
Talk about a talent
(link fixed) The first was with a +0.8 wind and the second was with a +1.2 wind. He's the 4th man ever to break 10 in the 100 and 44 in the 400. *WA article
Previous Weekend Track Coverage
- World & Olympic hammer champ Camryn Rogers opens her 2026 season in style with N. American record in hammer She improved her PR from 80.51 to 81.13. The WR is 82.98. *Video
*Camryn Rogers' journey from unhoused to Olympic champion - Oregon Relays is full of HS talent - 10 storylines
- 10 top boys competing at Oregon Relays Eddie Bruner Jr., Wyland Obando, Mana Voss, Quinn Sullivan, Hunter Robbie, Rocco Culpepper, Sutton Flint, Simon Rosselli, Luke Barrick, Yevhen Zhmailo.
- 10 top girls competing at Oregon Relays Aster Jones, Clara Adams, Sophia Castañeda, Kjirsten Ludeman, Addy Ritzenhein, Cassidy Armstrong, Sophia Rodriguez, Anna Schneidler, Addison Kleinke, Kimberly Beard.
- Rocco Culpepper interview before Oregon Relays
- Bermuda discus thrower Tiara DeRosa breaks discus national record three times on same day Her best mark was 51.03.
Josh Kerr wants the world record & was pumped to beat Cole Hocker
Full podcast out today for Supporters Club members. Free to everyone on the weekend.
How Nike lost its way / Interesting MB Talk
- MB: How Nike Lost Its Way - Nike Stock Free Falling Today - Nearly 15% nose dive today from an already price once thought rock bottom. There are two simple theories on the MB for the decline. One says, "it is falling due to low demand in China, simple as that." The other says Nike used to inspire the world with winners but don't now: "Prefontaine, Jordan, Woods, Serena Williams, Cristiano Ronaldo were winners. Look at Nike now: Colin Kaepernick, Dylan Mulvaney, Naomi Osaka. Are these people winners?"
- MB: Grant Fisher appears on The Runna Podcast and a MB poster reads the tea leaves and predicts Grant will for the AR in the 5,000 in Paris on June 28th And in the thread, Rojo loses his mind as several posters talk about Grant going for 5,000 and 10,000 WRs.
Interesting
- Franklin Field will host the Penn Relays soon - Remembering when "it was a place where Philadelphia’s high society went to see and be seen" Lots of firsts have occurred at Franklin Field. In October 1895, it became the first field where a scoreboard was used during a college game. The first college football game was broadcast from there in 1940.
- MB: Blind man will run Brighton Marathon next week thanks to Meta Smart Glasses
- Sha'Carri Richardson and Christian Coleman have arrived in Australia and are excited for the Stalwell Gift When Richardson was asked by her agent if she wanted to do the race, it's said she replied something like: “You know, I’ve always liked Australia – they have those funny animals and nice beaches. Aren’t the Olympics down there soon?” *Australian Athletics on Richardson/ Coleman
- Jamaican HS coach had his car stolen from National Stadium while he was coaching at The Champs You can donate to GoFundMe for Clarendon College's Crystal Chantiloupe at this link.
- April 1 is signing day in Japan - Collegiate marathon NR holder Asahi Kuroda and 1,500m/5,000 NR holder Nozomi Tanaka have new homes Kuroda has joined GMO after graduation while Nozomi Tanaka rejoined the Toyota Jidoshokki women's team after having left it to pursue a solo pro career as a New Balance athlete.
- Welsh record holder Freya Jones' javelins have been broken in transit just four months before the Commonwealth Games
News of Note
- Cooper Lutkenhaus gets a feature in The Guardian: At 17, Cooper Lutkenhaus is the youngest world champion in track and field history – and potentially USA’s poster boy for LA28 LRC friend Sean Ingle has the story.
*MB: The British press falls in love with Cooper: Lutkenhaus is promoted as face of 2028 LA Games in The Guardian *MB: Cooper Teare vs Cooper Lutkenhaus: who has more TALENT?
*MB: Cooper Lutkenhaus 400/1,500 potential - MB: Cooper Lutkenhaus to make Diamond League debut in 800m in Stockholm on June 7th This is kind of surprising as we assumed USATF would do everything they could to get him to run at the USATF Grand Prix at Texas A&M on June 6th, which is close enough for him to drive to.
- TFN names its male indoor Athletes of Year - Mondo (world), Jordan Anthony (USA), Colin Sahlman (NCAA), Quincy Wilson (HS) Wilson lowered his indoor 400m HS NR from 45.66 to 45.37, but that only won NBIN by 0.01.
- TFN names its female indoor Athletes of Year - Keely Hodgkinson (world), Chase Jackson (USA), Jane Hedengren (NCAA), Mia Maxwell (HS) Did you know Jackson was the only American woman to win gold at World Indoors?
- Grant Holloway didn't compete indoors but he will outdoors as he's confirmed for showdown with Cordell Tinch & Daniel Roberts at Pre on July 4th
- Doha Diamond League in doubt due to Middle East conflict Organizers say the May 8th meet is "currently scheduled to go ahead as planned," but they are "also exploring alternative options." They say they will make a final call by early April.
Did you Miss our April Fool's Page
We must admit it was stellar. *Catch up here
Secret Doping Ban?
The AIU defended its decision to keep Hodge's ban a secret, saying "announcing her case earlier could have jeopardized the other investigation." Hodge led Georgia to the NCAA title just weeks after her doping ban was ended.
Distance News
- World 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier chasing the 12:49 road 5k WR at the Urban Trail de Lille on April 4 Gressier said, "I don’t know if I’ll succeed, but I know I’ll do everything I can to reach the very top. I’m careful about what I eat, I go to bed early, I stay well hydrated, and I think only about running. Nothing else can distract me! That’s my mindset. I’m chasing the holy grail."
- Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee will pace fellow Brit Emile Cairess at the London Marathon Yee is repaying the favor from when Cairess helped pace him through 21 miles at the Valencia Marathon last year (Yee ran 2:06:38).
- MB: Aaron Sahlman 1:48 800 meter. Is he back? He finished 5th in the race won by Arizona State's Dayton Carlson in 1:45.57 at Messa Community College.
- MB: Canadian Thomas Nobbs wins McKirdy MicrOTQ Marathon in 2:09:24 The top 15 broke the 2:16 marathon trials standard with 12 of them in the 2:15:xx range. On the women's side, Canadian Dayna Pidhoresky won in 2:31:09 with the top 12 under the 2:37 OT qualifying time.
- Japan announces their half-marathon team for the World Road Running Championships They have four men who have run in the 60-minute range and their fastest woman has run 69:14.
Non-Distance News
- British sprinter Adam Gemili retires; joins Premier League club Chelsea as a part-time speed coach The 32-year-old had a great career which included winning 2014 European 200m gold and 2014 Commonwealth Games 100m silver. He is one of only three Brits to run under 10 seconds in the 100m and 20 seconds in the 200m (9.97/19.97 PBs) and he narrowly missed out on global medals, finishing 4th in the 200m at the 2016 Olympics and the 2019 Doha Worlds
- Recommended Read: The Independent has a good interview with Adam Gemili where he talks about his career, Olympic regret and his new coaching job Talking about missing out on an Olympic medal in 2016 he said, "I was fourth at the Olympics in Rio by three thousandths of a second. It takes longer to blink."
*Adam Gemili reveals only race he will go back and watch - MB: 97 year old Earl Fee runs 48.89s for 200m to set new age group WR
- Olympic Silver Medalist Sandi Morris to Join Drake Relays Athletes Hall of Fame
- USATF Winter Long Throws National Championship recap Multiple world champions and Olympians competed.
Happy April Fools!
- MB: Albert Korir headlines class of Rowan University commits
- MB: Official 2026 LRC April Fools Thread You can check out our 2026 April Fools page here.
- MB: How old were you when you realized April Fools Day was lame?
- MB: This is the only site on the internet that is enjoyable on this day
- FloTrack: Penn Relays 2026 add 800m hurdles to track schedule
- GamesBids.com: IOC rejects $9.5 billion offer for rights to host 2036 Olympics
- MB: ROJO RUNS MARATHON IN 2:59:59
- MB: Nice try Rojo..
RIP To A British Olympic Legend
- Athletics Weekly: Farewell to Mary Rand, Britain's original golden girl The first ever female British Olympic champion passes away at age-86. She won long jump gold at the Tokyo 1964 Games as well as silver in the pentathlon and bronze in the 4x100m.
- The Independent: Mary Rand: Britain’s original golden girl who knocked back Mick Jagger When asked if he could go on a date with anyone the Rolling Stones lead singer apparently chose Rand.
- BBC: Mary Rand - the trailblazing Olympic champion
- The Guardian: Mary Rand, first British woman to win Olympic athletics gold, dies aged 86
Mantz Out Of Boston
Mantz's statement read, "Unfortunately, my fitness has not progressed well enough for me to be able to race the upcoming Boston Marathon at my best." Mantz had planned on running US and World XC Champs, but got injured back in November and had to pull out and had a long road to recovery, only posting his first workout in mid-February.
Mantz Injury Timeline:
This week's pod
Josh Kerr is going all-in on a 3:42 mile world record attempt. We break down his chances, recap Shelby Houlihan’s 10k win at The TEN, and dive into the bizarre Berlin Half Marathon pacing controversy.
NCAA / HS News
- Dathan Ritzenhein's son, Jude, runs 4:10.95 for 1,600m at 5,200 feet altitude as a high school freshman He finished 2nd behind teammate Rocco Culpepper (son of Olympians Alan and Shayne Culpepper) who won in 4:09.66.
*MB: (9th grader) Jude Ritzenhein - 4:10.95 1600m at Niwot Invitational (@altitude) - First NCAA outdoor rankings of the year has LSU men #1 Texas Tech, Minnesota and Michigan are ranked 2-4.
- Women's NCAA outdoor rankings also has LSU and Texas Tech 1-2 Duke and Georgia are ranked 3-4.
- Ole Miss' Tarik O’Hagan and the Arkansas women's 4x400 highlighted last week's early outdoor NCAA action O’Hagan threw 77.62m in the hammer to move to #11 on the NCAA all-time list while the Arkansas women ran 3:22.06 (#5 NCAA all-time).
- USTFCCCA program of the year mid-year update The Oregon men and women are currently leading after NCAA Indoor and XC championships with just outdoors to go.
Doping News
Korir tested positive in three separate out-of-competition tests in Kenya. His results since October have been disqualified, including his third place finish at the 2025 NYC Marathon. He received a one-year reduction in his ban for admitting to the violations.
*MB: BREAKNG NEWS: Albert Korir Gets 5 Year Ban
- French heptathlete Auriana Lazraq-Khlass suspended for whereabouts violations She won silver at the 2024 European Championships.
FLAGSTAFF COACHING CLINIC is Loaded (SPONSORED POST)
The FLAGSTAFF COACHING CLINIC will feature Diljeet Taylor, Marius Bakken, and Mike Smith, as well as Greg McMillan and Ben Rosario. Mental performance consultant Shannon Thompson is also scheduled to speak. The clinic, sponsored by Nike and Final Surge, will take place in Flagstaff from July 13-15 with opportunities to meet athletes from the Nike Swoosh Track Club, run on the beautiful Flagstaff trails, and learn from some of the world’s best coaches. Space is limited so sign up today here.
Jamaica Boys' and Girls' Champs In The books
- Full Meet Recap: World U20 200m bronze medalist Shanoya Douglas stars at Jamaican Boys' and Girls' Champs Douglas won the girls' 17-18 100m in 10.98 and doubled back in the 200m with a national U20 record of 22.36. Riquelme Reid won the boys' 16-19 100m in 10.12. Another highlight was 15-year-old Jason Pitter winning the class 2 400m with a championship record 45.76.
- Jamaica Observer: Jamaica College boys and Edwin Allen girls secure Champs team victories It was Jamaica College’s 23rd boys’ title and Edwin Allen's 11th girls’ title. Jamaica College beat Kingston College 345 to 282 points while Edwin Allen won over Hydel, 338.5 to 259.5.
- Kingston College alum were a popular vendor at the Champs, selling KC merchandise to support the school They sold tons of items including women's leggings even though it's an all-boys school
The Ten
Shelby Houlihan never challenge Alicia Monson's American record after the first mile, but won her 10,000m debut at The TEN in 30:50.10 while Mohamed Abdilaahi broke Germany’s national record (26:56.58) in a tight men’s race.
Weekend Road Action
- Burundi's Rodrigue Kwizera wins Prague Half-Marathon in 58:16 course record Kenya's Caroline Makandi Gitonga won the women's race in 66:16.
- Kenya's Andrea Kiptoo wins Generali Berlin Half-Marathon in 59:11 after his pacemaker steps aside in the final strides Pacemaker Dennis Kipkemoi was also timed at 59:11, but let Kiptoo cross first as this was apparently his first race outside Kenya and he didn't fully understand the "race protocol." World marathon silver medalist Amanal Petros finished 3rd in a German national record 59:22. Ethiopian Likina Amebaw won the women's race in 65:07 over Kenya's Daisilah Jerono (65:21).
- Kenyans Alex Nzioka Matata (59:11) and Miriam Chebet (66:27) win at the Yangzhou Half Marathon in China Matata now has the three fastest half marathon times ever recorded on Chinese soil.
Josh Kerr Going For El G's Mile WR
Hicham El Guerrouj’s 3:43.13 record was set back in 1999 and Kerr is currently 6th on the all-time list with 3:45.34. Kerr is leaving no stone unturned in this attempt with new shoes and speed suit from Brooks designed specifically for him and he's even choosing his own pacers. Talking about running the mile in 222 seconds, Kerr says, "I’m not afraid to tell you my goals. And I’m not afraid to fail. It’s a fast record. There’s a reason it has stood since 1999. ... I actually think, because it has stood for so long, it’s the most important track and field world record to go after right now."
- MB: Josh Kerr Announces Project 222 Targeting 3:42 Mile World Record at London DL
- Josh Kerr says it was "a non-negotiable" to go for the mile WR in the UK "I think that's massively special. It's time to bring the mile world record home."
Maurie Plant Meet
It's the second fastest time of his career (his PB is 3:29.80 from last year) and he dominated the race coming in over 7 seconds ahead of world indoor bronze medalist Adam Spencer. In the women's race, Aussie Claudia Hollingsworth beat world indoor 1500m champ Georgia Hunter Bell 4:01.30 to 4:01.52.
- MB: Cam Myers runs solo 3:30
- Lachie Kennedy upstages Gout Gout to win Maurie Plant Meet 200m Running in the pouring rain, Kennedy finished in 20.38 to beat Gout's 20.43. This after Kennedy won the 100m earlier in the meet in 10.03.
- Wide World of Sports: "Report of a rift between Jessica Hull and Australian Athletics 'fabricated', 'bizarre' and a 'shame'" A report published earlier in the week said Hull wasn't racing at the Maurie Plant Meet because of a "thawing in the relationship" between Hull and Australian Athletics. But Hull's father and coach strongly denied there was any truth to the report and said she wasn't racing Maurie Plant because she needed to recover from World Indoors.
Better Late Than Never
Athletes will have to take a one-time SRY gene screening test which will block transgender and DSD (difference in sexual development) athletes from competing in the women's category. IOC president Kirsty Coventry said, "At the Olympic Games even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe."
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Recommended Read
- Chengdu marathon bans runner who took hundreds of energy gels and ran with them in a plastic bag
- Chengdu marathon bans runner who did the splits mid-race for 2 years She “committed obstructive fouls during the race, affecting the safe participation of other runners,” the Sichuan Athletics Association said in a statement.You can see a picture of her splits here.
- Recommended Read The Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Interview: From Dunbar, South Carolina (population 923) to the fastest woman in the world. Barely recruited out of hs, she's had quite a ride to the top.
- London's big for 2029 World Championships may be derailed as West Ham has rights to the stadium so Keely Hodgkinson takes a shot at West Ham "The GB team will bring back more medals to that stadium than West Ham have seen in their entire history," said the world record holder.
- MB: Slew of NC State stars past and present are running the 5000 at Raleigh Relays this weekend Katelyn Tuohy, Elly Henes, Sadie Engelhardt, Hannah Gapes & Angelina Napoleon are all in the 5000. In the 10,000, Hilda Olemomoi is running. In men's action, Michigan's Trent McFarland and Harvard's Ferenc Kovacs may clash at 1500.
A Ridiculous Solution To The USATF Half Wrong Turn Debacle
After a formal request by USATF CEO Max Siegel, World Athletics has agreed to give USATF 7 spots instead of 4 at the World Road Running Championships in September. This will allow the three women led off course during the USATF Half Champs, Jessica McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat, to race as well as the women who officially earned their spot. As part of the exception, only 4 of the athletes will count in the team scoring and USATF will cover all expenses for the additional entries. On this week's Track Talk podcast, we explained why we think this is a ridiculous decision.
More Road Racing News
- London Marathon may be a two-day 100,000 entrant for one year only in 2027 We have no idea why ‘Double London Marathon’ would take place next year. If you are going to do it, do it for the 50th. Have 50,000 women on day 1. 50,000 men on day 2.
- Polls reveal Seb Coe might be London's next mayor if he runs Most Londoners have said they don't want Sadiq Khan to run for a 4th term.
Controversy And Negative News
- MB: Emma Bates says UCAN dropped her after telling them she was pregnant; they say it was before Fueling company UCAN's statement read, "The partnership decisions for 2026 were made in September 2025 as a part of regular business planning and before any knowledge of her pregnancy. We made an effort to continue working with Emma under a new agreement, but she ultimately chose not to move forward with that option."
- At World Indoors, organizers gave Cooper Lutkenhaus's medal to Keely Hodgkinson by mistake
- Tanzanian Olympic marathoner Jackline Sakilu handed 10-year suspension for microdosing scheme The doping appeared to work as she ran a huge 2:21:27 pb in 2024 at age 37 after having a 2:37 pb as recently as 2021.
- US 60H champ Alia Armstrong given warning after testing positive three days before World Indoors USADA officials accepted her explanation that the substance was for medical purposes, but she didn't know she needed a TUE. The decision is controversial as in the past, other athletes, including Allie Ostrander, were banned and had results annulled after similar failed tests.
- South Florida track coach Darius Tremayne Lawshea gets 50 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old The victim said Lawshea had sex with her three times back in 2010 and other athletes have made similar allegations.
Indoor Season Is Over, Get Ready For Outdoor
- MB: Shelby Houlihan making 10,000m American record attempt at the Ten on Saturday The American record is 30:03.82 by Alicia Monson from this meet in 2023. Houlihan has never run a professional 10,000m, but according to Jack Daniels' VDOT, her 14:23 PR would be worth a 29:52. The 14:45 season best she ran last year would be worth 30:37. Jess McClain is also in the field.
- Georgia Hunter Bell opening her outdoor season this weekend at the Mauri Plant Classic in Melbourne, Australia She'll race the 1500m against Aussie sub-4:00 runners Sarah Billings, Abbey Caldwell, Linden Hall and Claudia Hollingsworth.
- Kip Keino Classic will be held Friday night, not Saturday afternoon for 1st time in 2026 Organizers think it will juice tv ratings. "In the evening it is actually much better. Especially when it comes to the TV production…and also the TV viewership. It is during the evening when the viewers are at home."
- Kip Keino Classic will have wavelight for 1st time in 2026
- Josh Kerr to compete in Emsley Carr Mile at London Diamond League (July 18)
- Noah Lyles to headline the Rome Diamond League 100m (June 4)
- Global sprint champions announced for Xiamen and Silesia DL meets Olympic champ Quincy Hall, world champ Collen Kebinatshipi and DL champ Jacory Patterson will race in the Xiamen 400m on May 23. Olympic champ Julien Alfred vs world champ Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in the Silesia 100m on August 23.
- Mondo Duplantis will jump lakeside at the Lausanne DL in August The pole vault will be an out-of-stadium event, on the shores of Lake Geneva.
World Indoors Leftovers
- Video: Pole vaulter wipes out heptathlete at World Indoor Champs Brazil heptathlete Jose Fernando Ferreira was hit by a stray pole during the 1000m. He eventually got up and finished the race, but in a distant last place.
- Josh Kerr celebrated his 3000m win by copying Cole Hocker's "night night" gesture from Millrose Hocker said, "I can’t even be that mad. I flexed him at Millrose. All I can say is at least come up with your own celebration. But I’ll remember that one, for sure."
- What was the arm strap Josh Kerr was wearing when he won World Indoor 3000m gold? It is the Amazfit Helio Strap which gives "health insights such as continuous real-time heart rate measurements and sleep statistics." Amazfit is one of Kerr's sponsors.
- Keely Hodgkinson's training group has branded her "Keely 2.0" this year She says she feels reconnected to her "fearless" 19-year-old self and is making up for lost time.
- The Guardian's Sean Ingle: "Cycling, crystals and cutting-edge science: the secrets of Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell’s success"
*The Telegraph: Secrets behind GB’s golden girls: Cycling, staggering splits and beating male athletes - Jessica Hull after double medal, but no gold at World Indoors: "I know my time is coming."
*MB: Jess Hull appreciation? - After winning World 1500m gold Josh Kerr thought he "was untouchable and would never lose again" He continued, "But sport is brutal and Tokyo reminded me that athletics doesn't owe me anything, regardless of how hard I work and the sacrifices I make. Winning gold at a major championships is maybe something I took for granted for a little bit, so this one was really special.
- World Athletics shares stats and highlights from World Indoor Champs The US topped the medals table with five gold, seven silver and six bronze medals. There were more than 20,000 spectators with both the Saturday and Sunday evening sessions sold out. 323 female atheltes received SRY gene screening tests.
Latest GST News
The group of vendors who had threatened to sue GST reached a deal that will see them get paid about 14% to 15% of what they’re owed from GST. However, under this new plan, athletes will only get 70% of what they are owed. (The original plan would have seen athletes get 85% of what they are owed, but vendors only 1.5%.)
London Update
She hurt her Achilles training on the treadmill six weeks ago and hasn't recovered in time to race next month.
Day 3 @ 2026 World Indoors
Day 3 @ 2026 World Indoors
Lutkenhaus won gold at the age of 17 years, 93 days, younger than any individual men's gold medalist at not just World Indoors, but World Outdoors and the Olympics as well.
Hodgkinson set a championship record of 1:55.30 to win the 800, then ran the fastest split on the 4x400 (50.10) less than an hour later as her training mate Georgia Hunter Bell won gold in the 1500. Plus a look at why the meet was a TOTAL DISASTER for Africa. Africa had won at least one gold in each of the last 19 editions, and at least two golds in every edition since 1995. Yet in Torun, African athletes didn't just fail to win a distance gold; they failed to win a medal -- of any color -- in any event. Hell, Africa didn't even produce a finalist in the men's 1500.
Cooper Race Video & MB Talk
- MB: World Indoor Championships Day 3 Discussion Thread + Live Reaction Show at 4 pm ET When Worlds came to a close, we broke it down for you live from Poland and coach Chris Capeau joined the LRC Track Talk show to tell you how Cooper Lutkenhaus won gold at age 17.
- Cooper MF Lutkenhaus is World Champ He ran like a seasoned veteran. WHAT. A. RACE. Watch it above in the video player. Need a VPN for a US IP? Use the VPN we use.
*Lutkehaus talks to LRC post-race - Keely She dominated the 800 and then came back with the fastest split in the 4 x 400.
- Thoughts on Devynne Charlton WR seemingly out of nowhere? She equalled the 60mh WR.
- Nikki MF Hiltz Bronze! And a PR too.
- Is Cole Hocker the worst tactical distance runner in the world over the past 6 years?
- Emily Mackay Deserves a THREAD!
- Hull deserves a DQ She most definitely didn't get a DQ and left with two medla.s
- Cooper Lutkenhaus Will Break Josh Hoey's WR Tomorrow
- Who has the better all-time resumé: Mu or Keely?
- Ben Pattison will humiliate Cooper in the final
World Indoors Final Day Non-Distance Recaps
- USA breaks championship record in men's 4x400m (3:01.52) They were just .01 off the world indoor record. Belgium was a distance silver in 3:03.29.
- Team USA wins women's 4x400m gold 3:25.81 to Spain's 3:25.85. Keely Hodgkinson raced for GB raced less than an hour after winning 800m gold and had the fastest split of the race (50.10).
- The Netherlands' Sofie Dokter beats out US's world hepathlon champ Anna Hall in World Indoor Pentathlon Hall ran a 2:06 800m, but it wasn't enough as she lost, 4888 points to 4860 points.
- New Zealand's Tom Walsh wins shot put gold with final round throw of 21.82m US's Jordan Geist (21.64m) and Roger Steen (21.49m) took silver and bronze.
- Bahamas' Devynne Charlton equals her own WR (7.65) to win 60H gold
- GB's Molly Caudery regains her world indoor PV title with 4.85m The event had record depth for an indoor meet with nine women clearing 4.70m.
- Portugal's Gerson Baldé wins surprise LJ gold with 8.46m Greece's two-time Olympic champ Miltiádis Tentóglou finished back in 6th (8.19m).
- Portugal’s Agate De Sousa wins World Indoor LJ with 6.92m
- USATF recap: Golden hat trick for Team USA on final day
- World Athletics final day PM short event-by-event recaps
*Final day AM event-by-event recap
Day 2 @ 2026 World Indoors
Day 2 @ 2026 World Indoors
Kerr won his second world indoor title in three years in 7:35.56. Hocker was way back with one lap to go and came on strong, but was too far behind to catch Kerr. He nipped France's Yann Schrub at the line by .01 with 7:35.70 for silver. Yared Nuguse was 5th (7:37.08). Italy's Nadia Battocletti (8:57.64) won a tactical women's final ahead of the USA's Emily Mackay (8:58.12) and Australia's Jessica Hull (8:58.18).
Josh Kerr wins a tactical 3000m showdown over Cole Hocker, Cooper Lutkenhaus runs the fastest World Indoors 800 semifinal since 1997, and Emily Mackay earns silver — we break down all the action from Day 2 in Toruń.
Lutkenhaus, who won his 800m semi comfortably in 1:44.29 -- the fastest time at World Indoors in 29 years -- will try to become the youngest medalist in the history of the World Indoor Championships on Sunday.
- Discussion: Lutkenhaus just jogged a 1:44.2 The teen was SENSATIONAL in his semi.
- World Indoor Championships Day 2 Discussion Thread
- Real test for Cooper LUTKENHAUS in semifinal Try again doubters.
- Ben Pattison will humiliate Cooper in the final
- Wiley is top US runner She has made the final.
World Indoor Day 2 Field Recaps
- Switzerland's Simon Ehammer breaks WR to win heptathlon gold He scored 6670 to break the record US's Ashton Eaton set at the 2012 World Indoor Champs by 25 points. Talking about Eaton, Ehammer said, "I cannot even count how many times I've watched Ashton Eaton compete in the decathlon and heptathlon. I learned a lot from him and now I have broken his world record. I've already spoken to him on the phone. It was a pleasure. It's incredible."
- Mondo Duplantis soars to 6.25m championship record to win fourth world indoor pole vault title
- Cuba's Pérez Hernández retains world indoor triple jump title with 14.95m
Meet Fotyen Tesfay
Tesfay, who has a half-marathon best of 63:21 (#3 all-time) is the latest star in the group of famed Ethiopian coach Gemedu Dedefo, who has now coached five of the 11 fastest female marathoners in history.
The winners of our prediction contests
World indoors are this week. The LetsRun.com prediction contest team for Worlds is set. Meet the winners from the USAs contest and some of our other recent contests as well. They highlight the best of LRC.
LRC Exclusive
Since he stopped racing in the middle of the 2025 cross country season for Iowa State, Seth Clevenger has taken DIII by storm. The Rowan University athlete is the DIII leader in three events. But following the release of a video of an alleged EPO order, multiple former teammates told LetsRun.com that Clevenger said he took banned substances in 2025 while at Iowa State and admitted as such to the coaching staff. The situation raises questions about a potential hole in the NCAA’s anti-doping policy. We investigate how a star could allegedly admit to banned drug use and remain eligible to compete.
Your latest American stars share their insights.
American Record Holders
American Record Holders
Keira D'Amato, the new American record holder in the marathon, was joined by Deena Kastor, who held the record for 15 years.
Sisson was the guest on the LetsRun.com Track Talk podcast after she became the first American to go sub 67 in the half marathon on a record-eligible course. Podcast highlights above. Full pod here.
Woody Kincaid joined us after he broke the American record indoors at 5000. He talks above why he left the Bowerman Track Club. Podcast highlights and link to full podcast here.
Coogan's New Balance Boston team had 3 Olympians in 2021 and 2022 could be the biggest year yet for the program with 2 new additions and the TRACK at New Balance coming on March 1st.
Danny Mackey has taken the Brooks Beasts from an unproven club to the Olympic podium in its first decade.
Dathan Ritzenhein is the first of the top pro coaches to sit down and talk about his club heading into the 2022 campaign.
Best of Jon Gault
Best of Jon Gault
Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
LetsRun Classics
LetsRun Classics
