How Max Siegel and USATF handled Chattanooga's Olympic Marathon Trails bid is far different than how they handled giving out a "six-figure, no-bid contracts to Indianapolis marketing firm Matchbook Creative, a marketing firm that previously billed itself as 'a Max Siegel company.'"
Kipyokei got a longer ban for providing fake "hospital" documentation trying to explain her failed drug test. 2017 Paris Marathon winner Purity Rionoripo also received a 5-year doping ban from the AIU. She too, along with another Kenyan, Betty Wilson Lempus, was caught tampering with evidence to try and avoid a ban
Ronoh crushed his previous 2:07:01 PB and won the race by over four minutes. Olympic 7th placer Eunice Chumba won the women's race in 2:20:41 over World Champs 6th placer Angela Tanui (2:21:12) and 2015 world marathon champ Mare Dibaba (2:21:25).
USATF board member Jim Estes had a consulting role with Chattanooga, which he disclosed to USATF from the beginning. Even though he informed USATF and recused himself from board discussions around the Marathon Trials, USATF disqualified Chattanooga's bid because of Estes involvement. This seems to fall on USATF for not handling the conflict of interest issue from the start, instead allowing it go on for many months until the point they disqualified the board's favored choice, giving Orlando the Trials by default.
Coe didn't share full details about the new event but said a focus will be on prize money and keeping the spotlight on the stars during the off year of 2026.
The Friday 15 is our 2nd podcast every week only for Supporters Club members. (The podcast this week was an hour if you're worried about paying for only 15 minutes:))
The Christmas lull in running is almost here but last week was a good one in terms of action. We break it down for you including the richest half-marathon in the world in Saudi Arabia which with little fanfare paid women and men equal prize money and where women were allowed to race in shorts.
In addition to our weekly audio recap and debate, Clayton Murphy joined the show for a nearly hour-long chat to talk about his career, the return of Akron xc, and how his first-born son has made it home for Christmas despite being born at 28 weeks.
Great News: Akron brings back Cross Country
The board recommended that Chattanooga, TN host the Trials, but the national office chose Orlando, FL instead. The reason why is unclear and those involved in the process are declining to comment. This is reminiscent of a similar controversy from the 2016 Marathon Trials when when the men's and women's long distance running committees recommended Houston, but Max Siegel overrode them and chose Los Angeles.
After Ross missed his third test he altered an automatic email “allegedly confirming an update made to his whereabouts information," but when questioned he admitted he faked it
Thankfully Rudisha was not seriously hurt and no one was killed in the light aircraft crash.
Super fast times, the fastest men's second half ever, the fastest debut ever (men's and women's race) and controversy - the rabbits didn't go with Beriso when she dropped Gidey. Valencia had it all. Kiptum and Beriso are now both #3 on the world all-time lists. Letesenbet Gidey set a women's debut record in 2nd in 2:16:49. Final Recap.
Hocker won the individual men's title for the OTC while BAA's Bethany Hasz beat out Natosha Rogers (Hansons-Brooks) for the women's title by one second.
NAU edged Oklahoma State on the tie breaker as Charles Hicks outlasted Nico Young.
Katelyn Tuohy ran down a game Parker Valby to get the win and help lead NC State to the win over the New Mexico pack.
Teshome Mekonen became a US citizen in August and beat Conner Mantz by a minute earlier this year at the NYC Half. Learn about his story from Tigray to Harlem.
For nearly 40 years, the NYC Marathon has been known for being a trailblazer that paid its male and female athletes the same prize money. Sadly, that changed on Sunday. Guess what sex dominated the new non-binary gender division at Sunday's 2022 New York City Marathon? Olympian Mara Yamauchi joins Robert Johnson in this guest column.
What will the course be like? What type of weather can we expect? We break it down for you.
The good news is the Brazilian star is recovering well after going to the hospital. His agent explains what he thinks happened.
Engels says he enjoyed his time with UAC but needed to train in a place where he either had consistent training partners or a coach with him every day.
Instead of just complaining about anti-doping it's time to try and do something about. Submit your best anti-doping proposals.
And have the Kenyans found a new super drug? Kipyokei is one of 10 athletes in the last two years to test positive for the same substance, triamcinolone acetonide, a drug once used by Lance Armstrong and Brad Wiggins. Why are they suddenly all testing positive for it now?
Allegations regarding the Huntington University track and field team where Nick Johnson used to coach and his wife Lauren Johnson now coaches continue to come out thanks to the great reporting by David Woods and continue to get more grim. Two national champions for Huntington claim their coach gave them unknown injections and have asked that their national titles be invalidated. One claims she was raped by Nick. Police reports show Nick, who had already pled guilty to a felony after admitting to impersonating a University of Oregon staffer so he could take a teen recruit on a trip where the teen told police many sexual acts took place, has admitted to having sex with two other athletes and his wife admitted she didn’t tell anyone at Huntington as she didn’t want them to lose their jobs. She’s now the head coach. If that’s not bad enough, there are now allegations of PED usage. Did PEDs cause the Johnsons to leave the Oregon Track Club?
The series used the elites to build themselves up as the majors in our sport but now is forsaking the pros once the image is established. In the process, they just screwed Eliud Kipchoge out of $200,000 after the fact as the cut is effective immediately. Wow.
And he ran his marathon PB to boot.
We paid one of the top sports scientists in the world to analyze the Shelby Houlihan doping case and CAS ruling. He has 2 pieces for us, the piece above is an opinion piece where he answers our questions. In a 2nd more technical piece, Ross goes through the CAS decision step by step and outlines in clear terms exactly what Houlihan argued and why he thinks CAS ultimately (correctly) ruled against her.
Your latest American stars share their insights.
Keira D'Amato, the new American record holder in the marathon, was joined by Deena Kastor, who held the record for 15 years.
Sisson was the guest on the LetsRun.com Track Talk podcast after she became the first American to go sub 67 in the half marathon on a record-eligible course. Podcast highlights above. Full pod here.
Woody Kincaid joined us after he broke the American record indoors at 5000. He talks above why he left the Bowerman Track Club. Podcast highlights and link to full podcast here.
Coogan's New Balance Boston team had 3 Olympians in 2021 and 2022 could be the biggest year yet for the program with 2 new additions and the TRACK at New Balance coming on March 1st.
Danny Mackey has taken the Brooks Beasts from an unproven club to the Olympic podium in its first decade.
Dathan Ritzenhein is the first of the top pro coaches to sit down and talk about his club heading into the 2022 campaign.
