He was already serving a two-year ban until 2026 for three whereabouts failures, but now his ban will go until 2028 after he was found to falsify travel documents to try to explain away his missed tests.
Katir's Ban Gets Extended
Seb Coe Meets With The Media For His Year End Review
In what might have been his final annual year-end media call, Coe raved about SML and talked about his love of XC. As for SML, he said he's "only seen one performance in an Olympic stadium to rival that" and that was Rudisha in 2012. Coe's tenure as World Athletics president could end next year if he is elected as IOC president.
On The Boards
On The Boards
Team New Balance Boston News
The other finalists were Maia Ramsden of Harvard and Jaida Ross of Oregon.
*MB: Parker Valby Will Win Bowerman
More NCAA News
- Leo Neugebauer wins men's Bowerman The other finalists were Caleb Dean of Texas Tech and Christopher Morales Williams of Georgia.
- A detailed look at the 6 Bowerman finalists
- New Mexico is thrilled to have gotten 2023 world jr xc champ Ishmael Kipkurui “One of the best recruits in the world right now has chosen to come to University of New Mexico and add to our great history of elite distance runners – that’s a big statement about what we’re building here with this program," said UNM Head Coach Darren Gauson.
*MB: Why in the world would Ishmael Kipkurui go to New Mexico? Shouldn't he have gone to something like Arkansas and gotten $$$$? - MB: Court rules that years at Juco don't impact your NCAA eligibility This is INSANE. The NCAA needs a hard age cap - period.
News That Passed Our Human Vetting Process
- MB: RIP: The "small giant with a golden arm" - Klaus Wolfermann - '72 javelin Olympic gold medallist and WR holder dies at 78
- MB: Toni Reavis: Athlos 2024 proved promising so why didn't Michael Johnson team up Alexis Ohanian
- Runner's World's 8 best running moments of 2024 From 800,000+ applying to run the London marathon, to Cole Hocker's Olympic gold, to Jasmin Parris finishing the Barkley Marathons.
- Track and field outside the Olympic stadium? It could happen in LA 2028
- Dyestat's final girls xc rankings NXN champ Jane Hedengren is not surprisingly #1 while Footlocker champ Elizabeth Leachman is #2.
- Dyestat's final boys xc rankings - Foolocker champ Tamirat Gavenas is #1 NXN champ Charlie Vause is #2.
A legend speaks
Rai Benjamin delivered on all fronts in 2024 and was snubbed in the Athlete of the Year voting, but the things missing on his resume now are the world record and a 42-second relay split.
Non Distance News:
- World Athletics offers 25 athletes year-round protection on some of their social media platforms, using artificial intelligence, after they were identified as highly targeted individuals for abuse during major events. The good news is this is a tiny problem. Of 1.4 million posts they analyzed, only 254 accounts were "verified to have sent abusive or threatening content have been escalated to the relevant platforms" and only "two serious cases" were "highlighted to authorities after the accounts had been identified and evidence gathered."
- NFL's 7th best rusher in 2024 Chuba Hubbard was a former Canadian youth track star He ran 10.55 at World Youths way back in 2015 at age 15. “Track and field was my first sport and my first love,” Chuba Hubbard told Canadian Running. “It was always the sport I thought I’d have a future in, until I went to university.”
- Rhasidat Adeleke pinpoints areas of improvement for next year - strength "I was doing a lot more of the short (spring) training and that initially didn’t necessarily work out with the strength part when I came to my 400 meters because in 2023 you know I ran my race very differently."
More Distance News Of Note
The elite-only race that was held in December 2020 during the COVID pandemic is returning in 2025 with room for 500 fast amateurs. Same lightning fast course in Chandler, AZ, but the race will be open to elites and non-elites (a non-elite marathon on Saturday and elites on Sunday). The site says the non-elites will be "treated like pros" and Rosario hopes the pro race is "the deepest, fastest marathon in the United States."
*MB: Return of the Marathon Project.
- RW: Runners Are Asking: Is My Agent Worth The Fee? There is a trend of veteran runners, including Clayton Young, Des Linden and Olympic Marathon Trials 4th placer Jess McClain, going off on their own and negotiating their own contracts rather than giving 15% to an agent. Parker Valby used her father, Kyle Valby, as her agent and he says that after she signed with New Balance he heard from 17 athletes (collegians and pros) asking about representation.
- New Study Finds That Super Spikes Help Less At "Faster Average Running Speeds" Not surprising considering we've seen a way more dramatic shift in elite times at the longer distances than the 800m.
- MB: Olympic 800m Silver Medalist Marco Arop Wins Half-Marathon In 1:11:16 Arop says he's been running about 30 miles a week.
LRC Podcast
Olympian Hobbs Kessler joins us to discuss his breakout 2024 season and 2025 plans. He's followed by Mr. USA Gold Rai Benjamin as both athletes joined us from the Global Athletics Media Summit.
Meet The Next President Of USATF
Vin Lananna's term as president is up and Clausen beat 1992 Olympic triple jump champion Michael Conley in a vote, 56.7% to 43.3% earlier this month. Although this has not been publicly announced by USATF themselves, possibly because there was a protest filed over the result. Clausen served on the board of directors of USATF from 2014 to 2018 and is currently the general counsel of Tickets.com. Here is an article from before the election where Clausen says he will "hold [Max Siegel] accountable." Let's hope so.
Looking Ahead To Early 2025 Indoor
- Keely Hodgkinson Going For The Indoor 800m WR At The "Keely Klassic" On February 15 In Birmingham The indoor WR is 1:55.82 set by doper Jolanda Čeplak’s on March 3, 2002 (the day Hodgkinson was born). Hodgkinson's PBs are 1:54.61 outdoors and 1:57.18 indoors.
*MB: Keely Klassic Feb 15 WR Attempt
*Jenny Meadows: "We now know how Keely can get the world record" - AW Keely Hodgkinson’s coaches believe that she is showing the form in training to potentially challenge both the world 800m indoor and outdoor records.
- Olympic Silver Medalists Katie Moon And Daniel Roberts Announced For Millrose Games In The PV And 60
NCAA / HS News
- USTFCCCA CEO Sam Seemes Gives Speech Warning Coaches About The Challenges Facing Track And Field Seemes: "Let me be blunt," Seemes said. "Our sports are under siege. Not in some distant future, but right now. The threats are real and immediate: Shrinking opportunities for student-athletes. Vanishing budgets. Disappearing scholarships. Reduced coaching positions. Complete program elimination. Replacement by sports perceived as more valuable. ... Nothing is guaranteed anymore. Our sport's place in collegiate athletics is not a birthright." *Full Speech Transcript
- MB: Kenya's Ishmael Kipkirui - 2023 U20 world XC champ, 8:09 2 mile, 13:05 - signs with New Mexico He graduated high school in November and arrived in Albuquerque on Saturday.
- Sadie Engelhardt Will Forgoe Her Senior High School Outdoor Season To Race Open/Pro Races
*MB: Sadie Englehardt gives up High School eligibility and will run in race with Pros and college athletes
BBC Sports Awards
- Keely Hodgkinson Wins BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Award She beat out teenage darts sensation Luke Littler to become the first track athlete to win the award since Mo Farah in 2017.
- Mondo Duplantis Voted BBC World Sports Star Of The Year He won the award over the other shortlisted athletes, Sifan Hassan, gymnast Simone Biles, basketball player Caitlin Clark, wheelchair racer Catherine Debrunner and swimmer Leon Marchand.
- Keely Hodgkinson's Coaches Trevor Painter And Jenny Meadows Win BBC Sports Personality Coach of The Year Award
- The Guardian's Sean Ingle: "Keely Hodgkinson: Free Spirit And Cold-Blooded Killer In Super Spikes"
- Seb Coe Places Keely Hodgkinson Among All-Time British Greats Coe: "Yeah, she’s up there. I would be hard pushed to place any female athlete significantly above her in the history of our sport in the last 50 years."
Indoor Track News
- February 2: Parker Valby Making Her Pro Debut In The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 3000m; Jake Wightman In The 1500m Noah Lyles, Julien Alfred, Grant Holloway were announced for the sprints.
*MB: Parker Valby Pro Debut February 2 in Boston
- Purdue's Cameron Miller Runs 32.43 For 300m, #6 On The Collegiate All-Time List
- Many At Wisconsin Not Happy With Lack Of Plans For Indoor Track After 68-Year-Old Building (The Shell) Was Demolished Last August The indoor track was demolished to make way for a new football training building. Plans for the track team to have somewhere to train in the interim fell through and the plans for the new indoor track (a three-lane 305m track around the exterior) have been mocked as "more appropriate for a health club" than a D1 track team. *2nd article
- Seattle University Cuts Men's And Women's Indoor Track Plus they're phasing out sprints, jumps and throws in outdoor as those athletes graduate and will go to distance only.
UK News
- MB: Olympic triathlon champ Alex Yee to debut at 2025 London Marathon He wants to run in the 2:07-2:10 range.
- Keely Hodgkinson Talks Ahead Of BBC Sports Personality Award: How Life Has Changed Since Winning Gold, The 800m WR And Going For A Fast 1500m Hodgkinson recounts going to a fashion show and meeting Giorgio Armani, explains her new Olympic tattoo, and says she wants to win gold at Euro Champs, World Indoors and World Outdoors in 2025.
- UK Athletics Gets 8% Budget Cut From UK Sport Ahead Of LA 2028 Games Funding was cut from $28.3 million to $26.1 million. 44 out of 46 sports received the same more more funding for this next Olympic cycle; track was just one of two sports to get their funding cut.
*2nd Article Explaining The Huge Cut To Funding For Coaches As an example, Keely Hodgkinson's coach Trevor Painter had his funding cut by 62.5% as they cut the base pay plus removed bonus for having athletes who medal at the Olympics. - British Hammer Champ Jake Norris On His Plans For 2025: "We want that A standard so that they can’t say no." Norris was one of the British athletes controversially left off the Paris Olympic team despite receiving an invite from World Athletics based on his world ranking.
- BBC Sports Personality Betting Odds Have Keely Hodgkinson At 3/10
- Former Heptathlon Olympic Champ Jessica Ennis-Hill Makes Case For Who She Thinks Should Win BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Award Spoiler alert, she chose a fellow track athlete in Keely Hodgkinson.
American Distance Results
- MB: Olympic Steeplechase Silver Medalist Kenneth Rooks Wins USATF Club XC Championships He won the race by 29 seconds over Aidan Reed. Allie Buchalski won the women's race and team titles went to Roots Running Project for the men and Minnesota Distance Elite for the women. *Results
- MB: Cole Boone Runs 2:23.68 for 1000m (#5 on HS All-Time List)
- MB: Paul Chelimo Runs 2:18:08 At The Malaga Marathon (10th Place) This is his first marathon finish after DNFing his debut at the Olympic Trials. Kenya's Vincent Kigen won the race in 2:08:05. *Results
- USATF Junior Olympic XC Champs Recap
International Distance Results
- MB: Cameron Myers Runs 7:41.11 To Win 3000m At Zatopek 10 Jack Rayner (28:26) and Rose Davies (32:21) won the Aussie 10,000m national titles. *Results
*MB: 15yr Old Sam Ruthe runs 8:06.56 to break his own World Age Group Record 13th place in the race won by Cam Myers in 7:41. - Nibret Melak (62:32) And Winfridah Moraa Moseti (70:01) Win Bangsaen21 Half Marathon In Thailand Pre-race favorite and 57:69 man Alexander Mutiso Munyao was a close runner-up in 62:34. In the women's race, Olympic marathon silver medalist Tigist Assefa was supposed to race, but didn't appear in results so was either a DNS or DNF. *Results
- Uganda's Stephen Kissa And Ethiopia's Sutume Kebede Win Tata Steel Kolkata World 25K Kissa beat out defending champ Daniel Ebenyo by 4 seconds.
- MB: 8 guys DQd at thai national 10km race - shoe stack height? First and third place were reportedly DQ'd after a protest about their shoes.
- Spain's Nassim Hassaous And Carolina Robles Win World Athletics XC Race In Venta de Banos
Foot Locker Saturday
She ran 17:31.1 to hold off a challenge from Victoria Garces (17:39.90) and become the first since Claudia Lane in 2017 to win back-to-back titles. *DyeStat Recap
Gavenas, the top returner from last year, ran 15:23.90 to Gonzalez's 15:27.40. *DyeStat Recap
Fisher Speaks
After earning his first global medals in 2024, Fisher is not content to rest on his laurels. "There were two guys better than me in both events," Fisher says. "So there's still a carrot out in front of me." Plus his coach Mike Scannell explains how they will attack the 2025 season, including Grand Slam Track.
More Distance News
- Toni Reavis reconfigures marathon excellence in 2024 - "2:07:45 in 2024 is the new 2:09:59 for men from 2017" For the women, the improvement is even more stark - 2:15:59 is the equivalent of 2:19:59 in 2017.
- Konstanze Klosterhalfen was thrilled to win silver at Euro XC and is inspired by Battocletti "It’s insane to see what a jump she did in the last two years.To know where she was two years ago and now, she has an Olympic medal, it definitely gives me confidence that it could be me."
- Eliud Kipchoge on how to stay healthy - run... every day "Make sure that you train your mind and muscles to run every day. That’s the easiest way to keep away the injuries. The more you run the more you become fit and keep your mind strong."
- A record 160,000 applied for the 2025 Chicago Marathon - acceptances went out Thursday
- Entry lists for Hakone Ekiden are out There are 3 teams with a 10-man 5000 m average under 13:45 led by 2024 Hakone winner Aoyama Gakuin University in 13:40.07.
Non-Distance News
- Quincy Wilson and Alana Reid are Athletics Weekly's U20 AOY The Jamaican Reid made the bold move to move to the US and train with Sha'Carri Richardson under the tutelage of Dennis Mitchell and while she did win U20 100m gold she didn't close to her 10.92 pb (1.0) as her sb was just 11.09 (1.2).
- 2019 discus world champ Yaimé Pérez is now a contestant on Telemundo network's "Exatlón" all-stars program "The reality show tests the physical and mental abilities of its participants through challenging circuits, with a prize of $200,000 for the winner."
US Distance News
- FloTrack has filmed a Workout Wednesday of Parker Valby training with New Balance "She’s a wonderful young lady and she’s fitting in great," said coach Coogan. Looking for a last minute Xmas gift? Buy Coogan's workout book.
- Liam Murphy (13:10) and Marco Langon (13:14) finally knocked Sydney Maree off the top spot of the Villanova 5000 list after 45 years Maree ran 13:20.6 to win NCAAs way back in 1979.
- DyeStat: 10 Boys To Watch At Foot Locker Cross Country Championships 2024
- DyeStat: 10 Girls To Watch At Foot Locker Cross Country Championships 2024
- WR holder Tobi Amusan allegedly taking instructions from Usain Bolt's coach Glen Mills to revive her career
News from UK
- A look at Athletics Weekly's 12 covers in 2024
- Georgia Bell to compete in 28th race of season on New Year's Eve She'll run the 5km at Battersea Park. We too wouldn't want the year to end if we improved our 1500 pb by 13.59 seconds and won Olympic bronze.
- London Marathon purchases 3rd round of carbon removals This is on top of the £26 fee they charge all international runners to offset them flying to the race.
Get Your Millrose Tickets Now
America's best miler will race America's best long-distance runner at 3,000 meters in one of the crown jewels of the 2025 indoor season.
LRC Podcast
Double Olympic medalist and American record holder at 3000, 5000, 10,000m Grant Fisher joins us to announce he's running the Millrose Games 3000 vs Olympic gold medallist Cole Hocker and then to discuss his 2024 campaign and plans for the future.
Week That Was
The last super busy weekend of the year was full of action from all over the globe and we break it down for you.
Distance News
- Steeplechasing Is A Family Affair For Kenya's World U20 Champ Edmund Serem Serem's brother, Amos, won the title in 2021 after they were both strongly encouraged and supported by their father who actually chose the steeple as their event. The older brother has the faster PB for now (8:02 vs 8:15). Edmund: "Every time my brother and I are in the same race, he usually performs very well. I don't know if it is because he doesn't want me to beat him or because he feels stronger when I am around him, but I still look forward to racing against him.”
- Grand Slam Track Signs Multi-Time Global Medalist Hagos Gebrhiwet Gebrhiwet was 5th in the 5000m in Paris. Sprinters Alexi Holmes, Oblique Seville and Sasha Zhoya were also announced as the latest GST signees.
- The Women's Marathon WR Is Now Officially Sub-2:10: World Athletics Ratifies Ruth Chepngetich's 2:09:56 They also ratified WRs for Beatrice Chebet (10,000m, 28:54) and Mondo Duplantis (PV, 6.25m).
Field Event News
- Jamaica's Olympic Discus Champ Roje Stona Is Trying Out For The NFL Stona previously participated in Arkansas' pro day and minicamps with the New Orelans Saints and Green Bay Packers and scouts said he had the skill set to try out as a defensive end and tight end.
- Even Mondo Duplantis Isn't Trying To Save The Field Events “If I had to be brutally honest, I think of myself as a pole vaulter first over being a field eventer. The pole vault is a bit different from everything else. Of course, I want the field events to get the respect and the attention that I think they deserve, but I can’t help but make pole vault the priority. I just want to keep trying to put it in the limelight... "
- Olympic Pole Vault Champ Nina Kennedy Shares Awkward Conversation She Had On A Plane Someone misheard her and thought she went to the Olympics for "pole dancing."
Sprint Stuff
- Jamaica's 9.81 Man Oblique Seville Thinks He Can Crack Into The Top 5 All-Time List The current #5 is Justin Gatlin at 9.74.
- Usain Bolt On Gout Gout: "He looks like young me."
- The Guardian Asks "What's Next?" For Gout Gout His next race will be the Queensland state titles in March.
- 15-Year-Old Divine Iheme Runs 6.76 For 60m He dropped his PB from 6.94 to 6.76, moving closer to Mark Lewis-Francis' under-18 British Record of 6.69.
Some More Year-End Awards
- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Masai Russell And Quincy Hall Win USATF Wing Awards For Paris Olympic Performances McLaughlin-Levrone was named the most dominant American track and field athlete of the Games, Masai Russell got the Breakthrough Performer award and Quincy Hall the Most Inspirational Performance honor.
- Norwegian Decathlete Sander Skotheim Wins World Athletics Fair Play Award For 2024 Skotheim's "fair play moment" was from the Paris Olympics where he continued the competition despite being out of the contention for a medal when he no-heighted the pole vault.
*MB: Why is it ok to skip remaining events in Decathlon if one event goes badly and you won't medal?
Distance News
Blanks previously had a NIL deal with New Balance.
- Tsegay Weldlibanos (2:07:35) And Calli Hauger-Thackery (2:24:28) Shatter CIM Course Records CJ Albertson was runner-up in 2:10:06. *Results
*MB: CJ Albertson 2:10:06 at CIM - what’s holding him back - Keely Hodgkinson Nominated For BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Hodgkinson is one of the favorites to win the award (there are six nominees) and if she does, she'll be the first track athlete to win it since Mo Farah in 2017.
Madness at BU
Strand (7:30.15) and Wolfe (7:30.23) are now #4 and #6 on the all-time US list (including outdoor times) as the top four finishers all broke the NCAA record. *Race finish
Blanks ran under the World Championship standard in what may have been his final race for Harvard as Lemngole (14:52.57) just held off Hilda Olemomoi (14:52.84) and just got under Parker Valby's old indoor collegiate record of 14:52.79.
- ETHAN MF STRAND and PARKER MF WOLFE
- Blanks 12:59.89
- Jesus christ Bosley! Ruined race for graham
- OFFICIAL 2024 BU Dec. Indoor THREAD (Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener) \
- Have ya seen Yaseen? 3K: 7:34 & 5k: 13:22 Double.
- Graham Blanks REVEALS the KILLER workout that let him know he was ready to repeat as NCAA XC champ
- Are Wolfe and Strand the new Teare/Hocker of the NCAA?
Euro XC Champs
Ingebrigtsen broke away from the pack with less than a kilometer to go and won comfortably by 8 seconds over Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa. Spain won the team title with just 18 points.
Battocletti came in 11 seconds ahead of Germany's Konstanze Klosterhalfen to become the first woman to win European XC titles at the U20, U23 and senior level. Battocletti also lead Italy to their first women's team title.
NXN
Hedengren broke Tuohy’s previous course record of 16:37.8 and came in well ahead of Victoria Garces (17:13.4) and Elizabeth Leachman (17:13.7). Last year's winner Addy Ritzenhein was 5th (17:15.3). Denver won the team competition after finishing 3rd last year.
Niwot won with 70 points over American Fork (96), the second lowest score in meet history. Vause won in 15:28, two seconds ahead of TJ Hansen.
More Weekend Distance Action
- Japan's Jumpei Yamaguchi And France's Floriane Hot Win Gold At IAU 100k World Championships Hot defended her title from the last edition in 2022, while Yamaguchi improved on his previous 2nd place finish. Yamaguchi won in 6:12:17 (5:59 pace) while hot finished in 7:08:43 (6:54 pace).
- Tyler Daillak, Cassidy Armstrong Win Foot Locker West Titles
- Kenya’s Samwel Chebolei Masai And Uganda's Loice Chekwemoi Win At Great Chepsaita XC Meet In Eldore
- Miu Saito Moves Up To #8 On Japan All-Time Steeple List With 9:45.62 At Edion Distance Challenge She won the race by almost 35 seconds.
Kalakaua Merrie Mile in Hawaii
For the 1st time, an entrant in the women's division won the overall race where the biological females started 32-seconds ahead of the men but Hiltz downplayed the fact they made history. "Fun fact. I actually don't identify as a woman. I'm nonbinary... so a woman still hasn't won this race," said Hiltz.
It's Outdoor Track Season in Australia
Gout Gout is now #2 all-time on the World U18 list behind Erriyon Knighton's 19.84.
Podcasts
We made the Friday 15 available to everyone as part of our Cyber Week sale. (And PSA Grand Slam Tickets are now on sale).
- LRC Triathlete Morgan Pearson Targeting 1 Hour Mark at Houston Marathon Our main pod earlier in the week.
Blanks = NCAA XC x 2
Just before Blanks chases a 5,000m pb and collegiate record in what is likely his final NCAA race at Boston University on Saturday, he told LetsRun about the key session of his 2024 XC season -- one he described as "probably the best workout I've had so far in my career."
Links We Found Interesting
- Video interview with new Aussie marathon record holder Andy Buchanan who "felt the magic" of the Valencia course What's crazy is that while he broke the Aussie record by more than a minute (2:07:31 to 2:06:22), he was in the third and final pace group in Valencia.
- How has Kenneth Rooks' life (and James Corrigan's) changed since winning Olympic silver? Find out here “I get to talk to a lot more people now. More people like to hear my story because they’ve been inspired,” says Rooks.
- Want to Live Longer? You Better Start Moving—All Day Long. In Outside, Alex Hutchinson writes about an interesting new study.
*MB: Study: Want to live longer? Move or die. The amount of exercise you get is more important than your age or even a cancer diagnosis - 4 years ago, she was a hobby jogger, now she's the Canadian XC runner-up
- Nike Pegas surpasses Hoka Clifton as Strava's #1 daily trainer for 2024 What do you think of these shoes? Reveiw them at our shoe review site - BetterRunningShoes.com.
- Are you an annoying Strava user?If you only post your best workouts or hide your rest intervals, you may fit the definition.
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Mondo Duplantis will return to the site of their WRs - Silesia DL - in 2025 They both set WRs in Poland last year. The meet is in August (earlier we said April).
- The ‘Road to Tokyo 25’ online tool has launched They are hoping to get 50% from ranking and 50% from standard.
- 16-year-old sensation Gout Gout looking to break Australian under-18 100m record of 10.27 in Brisbane this weekend.
Big Changes at HOKA NAZ Elite
Almost 11 years after founding NAZ Elite, Rosario is leaving for a new venture. A number of athletes are also leaving the team, including Aliphine Tuliamuk, Krissy Gear, and Kellyn Taylor.
- RW: Major Changes Coming to Northern Arizona Elite "It’s basically everybody that’s old [is not being renewed] if we want to put it bluntly,” Taylor said. “It’s literally, there’s nobody older than 28 on the team now."
- Ben Rosario Resigns as Executive Director, Veteran Marathoners Reportedly Won’t Get New Contracts in 2025
- Ben Rosario's public farewell statement
- MB: NAZ Elite - Major Changes Coming in 2025
Interesting Administrative News
- NY Times: Did you know a defecting Chinese doctor told WADA Chinese swimmers were doping with TMZ and then 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive but weren't banned
- Seb Coe does not see Grand Slam Track as a threat to World Athletics , hopes it succeeds - “We should be comforted that we have created a landscape where people think it’s worth investing in our sport,”
- World Athletics changes race walk distances from 20k to half-marathon and 35k to full marathon
- Botswana athletics administration is in chaos
Olympic/Admin News
- Australian Man Who Tried To Disrupt The Men's Olympic 100m Fined $8,440 He wasn't successful in making it to the track, but the he was the reason the start was delayed. He's apparently done this at sporting events across the world. Maybe it's time to put him in jail?
- Vladimir Putin Cancels Plans For "Friendship Games" When Russia was banned from the Olympics they announced they would relaunch the "Friendship Games" which were first held in 1984 by the Soviet Union when they boycotted the Los Angeles Olympics.
- South Africa Will Formally Launch Its 2036 Olympic In February They would be the first African country to host the Olympics.
- Alan Abrahamson Breaks Down Conflict Between IOC And World Olympians Association: "IOC Empire Threatens World Olympians With Death Star"
- Reuters: IOC Prepares For A New President After A High At The Paris Games The election will be in March 2025. Fingers crossed it's Seb Coe.
- WADA Presidential Election Will Be This May
- Sri Lanka's Olympic Committee In Danger Of IOC Ban Due To Ethics Violations
Week That Was
Our weekly recap is back with a vengeance. In it, we rave about how much better Africa is at the marathon than the mighty USA, wonder if it's bad that AOY awards are now nothing more than popularity contests and rave about 40+ runners.
- Discussion: Sara Hall breaks American Masters Record
- Who is Biya Simbassa? 2:06:53 for #4 American all-time in Valencia
- Edward MF Cheserek- 2:05:24
- A 13:42, 28:26 Australian just ran a 2:06:22 marathon
Valencia Marathon
The 2023 world half marathon champ missed Kelvin Kiptum's debut record by just 12 seconds. Ethiopia's Megertu Alemu, who was 2nd in London last year and 3rd in Chicago (4th in London this year), won the women's race. Kenenisa Bekele was with the leaders through halfway and in the top 10 at 30k but ended up a DNF.
- Biya Simbassa 2:06:53 for #4 American all-time in Valencia
- Official 2024 Valencia Marathon Live Discussion Thread
- Sabastian Sawe 2:02:05 Marathon Debut! Next Kelvin Kiptum? Two Hour Marathoner? Sawe is now the #5 man in history and the 2024 world leader. The times were quick as two guys broke 2:03, 10 broke 2:05 and 30 broke 2:10. Megertu Alemu won the women's race in 2:16:49 as three broke 2:19
- Edward MF Cheserek- 2:05:24 If Cheserek were American, he'd be the American record holder at 13.1 and 26.2.
- Edward Cheserek Is Working On His US Citizenship, But It May Take 5+ Years
- shoe companies have ruined running
Graham Blanks Podcast
Hear from the repeat NCAA XC champ.
End-Of-Year Awards
- Photo Of Sifan Hassan And Tigist Assefa Colliding During The Woman's Marathon At The Paris Olympics Wins WA Photo Of The Year Award The photographer Michael Steele has been a sports photographer since 1986 and worked for Getty Images since 1999.
- USATF Wins World Athletics Member Federation Award The award "recognizes a Member Federation that has distinguished itself in its accomplishments throughout the year and, as a result, positively contributed to the growth and profile of the sport. " *USATF article
- USATF Chief Operating Office Renee Washington Wins World Athletics Woman Of The Year Award They say Washington won the award in part for her promotion of gender equality including expanded maternity support for athletes. *USATF article
- Keely Hodgkinson's Coach, Trevor Painter, Wins World Athletics 2024 Coaching Award He and his wife, Jenny Meadows, also coach Olympic 1500m bronze medalist Georgia Bell and 4x400 bronze medalist Lewis Davey.
Cool Story From NCAA XC
The story of what happened to Habtom Samuel's shoe shows the best of the running community.
Podcast
LRC Podcast NCAA Recap + World Treadmill Champs?, Grand Slam & Ultimate Athletics champs updates
A Final Look at NCAA XC
But before we switch over to indoor track, we had a few final thoughts to share about the 2024 NCAA XC championships, including explaining why track is not the same as cross country, revealing the top-20 finisher who called his shot on the LetsRun messageboard, letting you know about two runners who did something on Saturday that hasn’t been done since Matthew Centrowitz, before we give you a way-too-early look ahead to 2025 NCAAs.
Noah Lyles Speaks to LRC
The Tyreek Hill race may be coming together. Lyles has interesting comments on Grand Slam Track, the 100 vs the 200 and whether the sport of track and field wants to change. *Podcast here
NCAA Women
BYU won its second title in the Diljeet Taylor era as Alabama's Doris Lemngole moved up one spot from last year to win the crown.
NCAA Men
Graham Blanks joined the Gerry Lindgren, Steve Prefontaine and Conner Mantz club of repeat American winners as the year of Ed Eyestone continued with a BYU victory.
NCAA Talk
- The Offficial 2024 NCAA D1 XC Championship Thread
- When BYU starts recruiting Africans, its over for everyone else
- NCAA XC 2024 is ruined
- Why is BYU so dominant?
- NAU women are the biggest failures of all time
- James Corrigan did NOT finish in BYU's top 5
- Dave Smith is a bad coach
- USA USA USA! AMERICAN BORN TEAMS WIN NCAA XC 2024
- Who is that Furman guy?
Paywalls Lifted
Last year, nine Kenyan men and a record seven Kenyan women earned All-American honors at the NCAA XC champs. The total could be even higher at this year's meet. We explain the reason behind the trend and wonder if there should be an age limit. Is it fair to have a 28-year-old freshman join the team who has a PR faster than the American record?
NCAA track and field/XC is about to be radically changed. Roster caps are coming -- are you ready for a max of 10 people on a men's SEC roster? But the opportunity to give out way more scholarships is also coming. Will the net change be great or catastrophic, leading to the "the slow death of men's track & field" as one SEC coach worries.
More Distance Results
(link updated) He broke the previous record of 41:05 which was set by Joshua Cheptegei at this same course in 2018 and then tied by Kiplimo here last year.
*MB: Jacob MF Kiplimo!
- France’s Etienne Daguinos Sets European 10k Record With 27:04 In Lille He broke the previous record by Jimmy Gressier by 3 seconds. World 1500m bronze medalist Narve Gilje Nordas was 5th in a Norwegian record of 27:31. Kenya's Christine Chesiro won the women's race in 29:56. *Results
*MB: Etienne Daguinos, 24, France, destroys the Africans with 27:04/10km
- From Last Weekend: Courtney Olsen Breaks Women's 50 Mile Record At The Tunnel Hill 50 Mile In Illinois She ran 5:31:56 (6:38 pace) to take more than 8 minutes off the previous record from 1991.
- 19-Yr-Old Kazura Munakata Breaks Japan U20 Record To Win Ageo City Half Marathon In 61:38
Jonathan Gault pays tribute to two legends
Simpson and Centrowitz, who both 1st medalled in 2011 and retired in 2024, leave the sport as two of the faces on the Mt. Rushmore of American 1500m running after piling up a combined eight medals at global championships. And despite not ever finishing in the top 3 on the yearly 1500 list (Simpson's best was 4th, Centro's 9th), they will be remembered as two of the better milers of their generation.
Tim Rowberry Interview Highlights
Rowberry began as a pacer and errand boy at the Nike Oregon Project but has since coached Hassan to six medals across the last two Olympics. He dives into their relationship and why he's looking to expand his training group -- and land a coaching contract from a shoe brand.
World Marathon Majors Soon Will Be Dead....... Unless
Expanding the number of world marathon majors to nine is an absurd idea unless the majors make one simple change that will instantly keep them being compelling, elite sporting events.
Your latest American stars share their insights.
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
