Archived Homepage For January 02, 2024
Archived Homepage For January 02, 2024
Distance News

Frerichs was with BTC for seven years during which she won an Olympic and World silver medal in the steeple. She will now be training with Alistair and Amy Cragg's group.

New Year Action

She broke the previous record of 14:19 set by Ethiopia’s Ejegayehu Taye at this race in 2021. Taye was in this race and finished 2nd in 14:21. The men's race was won by Switzerland’s Dominic Lobalu in 13:12.

RIP

Kiplagat was found stabbed in his car on a road near Eldoret. The car apparently hit a motorcycle which was used by the attackers to block him. Kiplagat represented Uganda at three Olympics, won 3000m silver at the 2008 world junior championships and had an 8:03 steeplechase PB.

2024 Will Start With A Bang In Japan
  • January 2-3: Hakone Ekiden Preview Brett Larner says the big story for the 100th running of the Hokone Ekiden is, "Can Komazawa University become the first school to win all three major university ekidens two years in a row?" Watch Day 1 here if you have a VPN.
  • New Year Ekiden Preview This is Japan's corporate men's national championships.
The 100th Hakone Ekiden is Jan 2-3 and 71% of Japanese Say They'll Watch
Other Recommended Reads
News From Africa
End of Year Stuff
Embed from Getty Images
Will Hassan make history in 2024?

Is she goes for the 5,000-10,000-marathon triple, she'll get at least one day off between every race while the quadruple would require her to run the marathon less than 12 hours after the 1500 final. Vote in our poll.
*MB: How many events will Sifan Hassan run in Paris? 

Nothing to See Here

Spanish Anti-Doping agency didn't ban several athletes who tested positive between 2017-2022 including marathon NR holder They came up with ingenious ways not to bring case like by sending notifications via mail and not email so the statute of limitations might pass. In the case of Majida Maayouf, who is the Spanish and Moroccan national record holder in the marathon, they retroactively gave her TUEs.
*MB: Major, ongoing, long-term doping scandal in Spain

Sprint / Jump News
The End Of 2023 Is Almost Here
This Week's Pod

In this week's podcast which Rojo secretly recorded without Jonathan or Wejo's knowledge, Robert shares his biggest surprises and disappointments from 2023, wonders if Evan Jager can have a Joe Flacco-type moment in 2024 and gets super excited Paris Olympic marathon where a sub-4 mile in the midst of it is much more likely than a sub-2 clocking. Plus what percent of top 3 finishers at USAs and Worlds repeat a top 3 finish the next year? Along the way, Yared Nuguse Krissy Gear, Lamecha Girma, Narve Nordas and Addy Wiley get some love while Cooper Teare gets a little heat.

Did you forget to get someone an xmas gift?
A Big Name Retires

Pierre-Ambroise Bosse has failed to recover from the surgery he had on his right thigh last year and says, "I no longer enjoy athletics. There is something unhealthy in this tendon, it's no longer there. The days go by, the Games are coming and at this rate, I will never be there. ...I bottled things up a lot. At first I did not dare to tell my loved ones so as not to hurt them. My mother's dream was for me to go to the Games in Paris. The end of my career is still hard to admit."

Let's hope the real Josh Kerr does the same

Click above for a video clip from a recent podcast where the "fake" Josh Kerr says he's a championship racer and will be at World Indoors.

More Distance News
Other News
UK News
More 2023 Year In Review
Japan Distance News
Not Many Races Around Christmas, But They're Still Running Parkruns
Sprints / Mid-Distance News
Miscellaneous
NCAA News
2023 In Review
Tokyo Gets 2 Big Names

Kipchoge set the CR in Tokyo in 2022 while Hassan is making her Tokyo debut.

Sub-30 Here We Come

Monson, who  set American records in the 3k, 5k, and 10k in 2023 and finished 5th in the 10k at Worlds, will open her 2024 season by running the 2-mile at the Millrose Games on February 11. She also reveals she'll skip World Indoors and World XC to try to become the first American woman to break 30:00 in the 10,000 at The TEN.

The LRC Awards Part II

From Sha'carri Richardson to Noah LylesSifan Hassan to Yared Nuguse, we honor the best and most entertaining athletes and races of 2023, and yes, of course, Jakob Ingebrigtsen makes the list.

*MB: The rest of the Letsrun Awards - WTF Performance of the Year, Breakthrough Performer of The Year, World Champs MVP, etc. 

2024 Will Feature World Indoor & World XC But Who Will Show Up

Wightman's coach (and father) Geoff tells LRC that Jake will not compete at World Indoors while Kerr's coach Danny Mackey explains why the world champ is considering skipping World Indoors. Plus World Athletics president Seb Coe weighs in.

WA Was Scared To Name 1 AOY, But We Have No Fear

Noah Lyles pulled off an incredible double, Mondo Duplantis and Ryan Crouser had record-breaking years, but there is no need to split this award: Kelvin Kiptum is our 2023 Men's Athlete of the Year. Faith Kiypegon (duh) wins our women's award.

The 2023 Bowerman Awards Go To.....

It's the first time ever that two international athletes won the Bowerman in the same year. Hibbert, the youngest winner and 1st Jamaican winner, jumped 17.54m indoors and 17.87m outdoors while Alfred set CRs in the 60 (6.94) nd 200 (22.01) indoors while running windy 10.72 in the 100 and 21.73 in the 200 outdoors.
*MB: Jaydon Hibbert's got SWAG and personality. Check out these videos from him winning the Bowerman

1500 Truth or Trash Talk?

Let the countdown to the Olympic 1500m final begin. It's only 240 days way. On a recent podcast, Kerr seemed to relish the fact he had the opportunity to point out that Ingebrigtsen has some flaws by saying, "He doesn't win a lot of non-paced races. I would love for him to be listening to this."

Supporter's Club Content

Norway is one of the few countries in the world where tax lists are made public so we now know to the penny how much their top track and field stars made in 2022. Find out here how much the Ingebrigtsens made in 2022 - Jakob, Filip, Henrik and Gjert. Plus Karsten Warholm, Narve Nordas and Karoline Grøvdal.

Big Savings at Nike

Big savings at Nike especially on the Nike Pegasus, the most popular Nike shoe on LetsRun.com.

    It's Official

    Tuohy has left the NCAAs after 3.5 years with 3 straight NCAA team titles and 4 NCAA individual titles.

    Good News

    We've got good news. USATF has told LetsRun that they will honor the order of finish at the Trials for men who have broken 2:11:30. Confusing language in USATF's selection criteria document had caused us to wonder if the order of finish at the Trials or world rank would determine the third US men's Olympic spot (if the US gets a third spot). But have they not thought of a doomsday scenario where Scott Fauble gets left off the team despite winning the Trials?

    Big USATF/Nike News

    It's the fifth straight year that Siegel made more than $1.2 million. USATF's says the large loss came from "planned expenses related to the 2022 World Athletics Championships."

    Everyone's still looking for an edge

    Kelvin Kiptum, Faith Kipyegon, Keely Hodgkinson and everyone in the OAC are among the stars who experimented with Maurten Bicarb System in 2023 ($65 for 4 doses). The big question: does it work? (paywall lifted)

    BetterRunningShoes.com

    We think most of you could guess the #1 brand, but the #2 might be a surprise. We break down the most popular brands overall, and for road, trail, and racing.

    Max Siegel's Contract Gets Extended and We're Not Happy About It

    Max has been the CEO since 2012. Max put USATF on sound financial footing by signing the 23-year Nike deal but there has been a lot of chaos with the organization during his tenure. The press release says his tenure has been "marked by record financial growth." Revenue actually declined from 2016 ($35.0) to 2021 ($33.7) but the press release talks about the budget being $40 million so perhaps 2022 (financials have not been released yet) was higher. Revenue was $21.9 million when he took over in 2012.

    *Watch LRC video expose of Siegel at 7 pm ET

    Winners

    Twoggle, the Shelby Houlihan defender, and a guy who took up the sport in 2016, were the big winners in our $200,023 Worlds Prediction Contest and take home some great Suunto watches.

    Kiptum's 2nd Half in Chicago Was Wild But Not As Wild As Initially Reported

    Kiptum's reported 4:21 19th mile and 4:18 22nd mile were the two fastest splits ever recorded in a marathon, but after an investigation by LetsRun.com, race organizers have confirmed discrepancies with those splits.

    Sick of Shoes that Break Down Too Soon?

    Running shoe construction has changed a lot in the last decade. Runners are still looking for more durable running shoes, but we take a look at some of the most durable shoes and what makes them stand out.

    Looking To Paris 2024
    Get a Better Running Shoe

    Stack heights on shoes are getting bigger and bigger. Runners are liking these shoes more and more. We try and make sense of the cushioning revolution.

    More Kiptum / Marathon News

    As running prepares for some of its biggest barriers to be broken in the coming years, guest columnist Stephen Lane argues it is time for World Athletics to take action.


      Fill out the LetsRun.com shoe survey and we will enter you into a drawing a free pair of shoes.

      Overall
      /10
      Comfort
      /10
      Cushioning
      /10
      Durability
      /10
      Appearance
      /10
      Value
      /10
      Better Running Shoes

      The ASICS SUPERBLAST tops the first LetsRun.com shoe rankings for everyday trainers. The shoe is a worthy winner as it is the epitome as to how super shoe technology has made its way over to everyday trainers. Asics and HOKA each put 3 shoes in the top 10.

      Ross Tucker Speaks

      After Assefa's WR, sadly doping allegations swarmed the Internet, but could it simply be the shoes? "I hate these shoes, and I truly wish the authorities had acted to prevent this entirely foreseeable situation," writes Ross Tucker.

      2024 Olympic Trials

      Eugene fatigue is real but don't tell that USATF. This will be the fourth straight US championships at Hayward Field and the fifth straight US Olympic Trials. Eugene paid them at least $3 million for the last Trials and we all know that USATF needs at least $3 million just to pay Max Siegel. Ridiculous.

      Ingebrigtsen Wants ALL of the WRs

      After his double victory at Pre, Ingebrigtsen shared advice for those attempting double threshold and why he believes he can break every WR from 1500 through the marathon.

      Better Running Shoes a Click Away

      Want to know what running shoes real runners like best? We've got some answers for you as our Better Running Shoe review site is now open to the public. Real reviews, from real runners, with data science.

      Max Siegel & USATF Are Getting Sued

      Estes lawsuit stems from USATF's decision to disqualify Chattanooga's bid for the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials because Estes worked as a consultant on Chattanooga's bid. The idea that Siegel cited that conflict of interest as a deal breaker is laughable to us considering "under (Max) Siegel’s watch, USA Track and Field has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of business to an Indianapolis marketing firm that once advertised itself as “a Max Siegel company.”

      XC Video Game

      The XC video game that former Wisco runner Ryan Craven spent time developing during much of the Covid lockdowns is now available to play on your phone and it's free!!

      Justyn Knight Joins The BTC

      The former NCAA star announced earlier today and he is now a Nike and BTC man. We talked to him before it was announced about why he made the move and what does he have think he has left in the tank?

      A legend speaks

      Michael Johnson was the guest on the LetsRun.com Track Talk podcast on the anniversary of his 19.32 double gold world record to share his thoughts on the sport and its current crop of stars.

      Karsten Warholm Q&A

      Recently Alex Geula sat down with Karsten Warholm and his coach, Leif Olav Alnes, at the IK Tjalve club in Oslo to understand Warholm's beginnings, his career, and the sprint side of Norwegian training.

      The Most Untalented 3:29 Guy Ever?

      Is Nordås the least talented runner to break 3:30 in history? He thinks so, "I can guarantee you I'm the slowest sub 3:30 guy in history." Text highlights from his appearance on the LRC Track Talk podcast.

      Paywall lifted!
      Paywall lifted!
      The Latest JG Feature

      What links Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the NAU cross country team, and Sebastian Coe? Double threshold training, which is having a moment in 2023. Note, most of this article is behind our SC paywall for 72 hours (until Saturday).

      How do you explain the ridiculous indoor distance times?
      Kipchoge loving the LetsRun Shirt in Berlin

      Your latest American stars share their insights.

      Three legends of the sport.

      One of the greatest US runners ever.

      We chatted with Frank on the 50th anniversary of his Olympic Marathon gold

      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
      Embed from Getty Images
      Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
      Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level