Advertise on podcast: The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show

Fifty years ago, 2,000 runners lined up for the first five-borough New York City Marathon. The city was on the brink of bankruptcy. Nobody knew if spectators would show up. The race was supposed to be a one-time bicentennial celebration. In this special episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast, George Hirsch (chairman emeritus of New York Road Runners) takes us inside the decisions, personalities and unlikely bets that made it happen. We revisit how Ted Corbitt, George Spitz, Percy Sutton, the Rudin family and Fred Lebow helped bring the race to life, and how Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers gave it star power. Along the way: secret appearance fees, Rodgers’s borrowed soccer shorts, unexpected crowds and a decades-old debate over stairs that may or may not have happened. It’s the story of how New Yorkers took a chance on their city and created a race that changed marathoning forever. Produced by: Chris Chavez of CITIUS MAG + Joe Kaiser and Remo Wakeford of Three Piece Films Special thanks: George Hirsch and Bill Rodgers for their time, and for remembering it all, give or take a staircase. Additional thanks to New York Road Runners for their help with archival photos and videos. Music: Artlist. The Marathon Book: If you liked this story, there are a lot more like it in my upcoming book, The Marathon Book. Follow @themarathonbook on Instagram for updates, including when the pre-order link goes live.

More than 50,000 runners will take on the five boroughs on Sunday, Nov. 1, and the professional races are shaping up to be fascinating. In this episode, we discuss: - Defending champion Benson Kipruto looks to become the first man to win back-to-back NYC titles since Geoffrey Mutai. - Andreas Almgren makes his marathon debut after winning the World Half Marathon Championships in a European record of 58:06. - American record holder Conner Mantz returns to the marathon after a year disrupted by two sacral stress fractures. - Zouhair Talbi arrives with a 2:03:45 personal best from Boston and unfinished business in New York. - Hellen Obiri looks to capture her third NYC Marathon title, with 2024 champion Sheila Chepkirui among her biggest challengers. - Jess McClain, Annie Frisbie and debutant Weini Kelati lead a deep American women’s field. + More We’ve broken down the defending champions, top contenders, American storylines, and everything you need to know before race day. Watch live on ESPN2 beginning at 8 a.m. ET. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com. OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

“I think podium is a goal for sure. There was this moment where a lot of us were saying it without saying it. It’s time that just happens.” My guest for today’s episode is Jess McClain, who spent the 2024 New York City Marathon largely self-coached and in her own words, “going off vibes.” She stood at a press conference just feet away from Sharon Lokedi and Hellen Obiri and thought she hadn’t prepared well enough to even hang with those women when the race started. A cab ride to the airport with her husband Connor followed. A cold DM to David Roche a few weeks later. It’s been two years of work since. Since then, every marathon has taught her something specific. At Worlds in Tokyo, she redlined further from the finish than she wanted to and fought mental demons in the distance for the first time. At Boston in 2026, she set the American course record and learned to get excited about gear shifts rather than afraid of them. Sharon Lokedi dropped 4:40s on Heartbreak Hill and Jess took it as a lesson. At Copenhagen, a split-second fueling decision at the second bottle station accidentally dropped her off the chase pack, and she ran miles in no-man’s-land into a headwind at 5:03-to-5:05 pace to post 5K and 10K PRs and a 1:06:53 half personal best in 7th place overall. Six days out from the 2026 New York City Marathon, Jess is back. We get into the full build — the Chicago vs. New York decision, how this training block compares, the honest acknowledgment that her mileage is lower than most of her competitors and why that’s fine. And we get to the moment that gives this episode its headline. When NYRR announced Jess in the field, she was quoted as thinking bigger than top American. I asked her to define that. Her answer came without hesitation. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.

“If I can close the gap a little bit more each time, one day I can win the race. I’m here for the long term.” My guest for today’s episode is Zouhair Talbi — and if you’ve been following American marathon running this year, you already know the name. We had him at No. 2 in CITIUS MAG’s Way Too Early 2028 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon Power Rankings. He ran 2:03:45 at the Boston Marathon in April, finishing fifth overall, breaking Ryan Hall’s 15-year American course record. He is now days out from the TCS New York City Marathon, where he has unfinished business. The 2023 New York was Zouhair’s second marathon. He went out with Tamirat Tola’s record-setting group, covered the surge, and by 34 kilometers his body had completely shut down — from 4:40 pace to 6:30, unable to go faster, pulling off the road. He describes it as one of the biggest experiences of his career. He was back in the hotel within the hour, already thinking about what he’d do differently. What he did differently was build, patiently and systematically, over the three years since. This block was his longest since turning to the marathon — five months from Boston to New York, with seven weeks at or above 130 miles, two of his fastest 40K long runs in training, and a Great North Run win in 59:47 that gave him the fitness signal he needed heading into the final phase. In this conversation, we go through the full build — what changed from the Boston block, how he is thinking about New York’s decisive moves or where in the race he is visualizing it. We also get into the dynamic of racing Conner Mantz, the Andreas Almgren wildcard, and a broader look at Olympic qualifying. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.

“I don’t live to run. I run to live. And the decision was: let’s just both stay home.” My guest for today’s episode is Conner Mantz — the American record holder in the marathon and for the first time on this podcast, a dad. He is days out from the TCS New York City Marathon, where he will race for the first time since breaking the record in Chicago last October. The twelve months in between have been the hardest of his career. Here is what happened. He ran 2:04:43 in Chicago, felt great, went for a flush jog the next day, and then spent the following eight months navigating two sacral stress fractures. It knocked out his entire spring. US Cross Country, World Cross, Boston — all watched from home. He returned to action this summer and most recently raced World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen in September. He ran a bit over his head and blew up badly and finished twelfth. He is now in the best shape he has been in since the record. Not carrying fitness from a long peak — coming into it. His biggest workouts actually have come 10 to 15 days out. In this conversation we go through the injury timeline, what he should have done differently, watching Boston from home and what he thought he’d run. He’s open about the complicated emotions of watching Clayton Young chase his record in Chicago, what he saw up close in Andreas Almgren’s training that floored him and what will make for a good day in New York. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.

“Going into my first one, we played it pretty safe. We really wanted to work on strength and didn’t touch much work faster than 5:00/mile pace. Then going into Boston, we pushed the envelope a little bit — like, okay, we’ve got one on the board, let’s go for a big one.” We’re kicking off our pre-NYC Marathon interviews and my guest for today’s episode is Joe Klecker — an Olympian, 2026 Boston Marathon top-ten finisher, and in eleven days, a returning TCS New York City Marathon competitor. He ran 2:05:56 at Boston in the spring, which puts him in the conversation with everyone we’ve been talking about this fall, and he goes into New York off what he described to me as his best training block yet. There were seven weeks above 130 miles and a peak at 135. This is a training-heavy discussion for the freaks. I think the part I enjoyed the most was thinking through with Joe on his theory of what a former 5K and mile specialist has to do to actually become a marathoner from the inside out? That was him. He’s spent the last two marathon builds trying to rewire his physiology for an event that is fundamentally different from everything he trained for across the first fifteen years of his running life. He ran 60:02 at the NYC Half in the spring. He shares basically all of it on Strava and through his Suunto posts on Instagram. So for the training obsessives, we talk mileage, the fueling evolution from New York to Boston to now, what he wants to fix from last year’s race, how he thinks about the OAC internal competition with Patrick Kiprop and Ryan Ford, who are all set to race alongside him. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.

LA28 OLYMPIC MARATHON QUALIFICATION DETAILS ARE HERE. World Athletics has outlined how athletes can qualify for the 2028 Olympic marathon: - Qualification window: Nov. 1, 2026 – April 30, 2028 - 70 quota places per gender (down from 80 in Paris) - Entry standards to be finalized in December - Top 5 at a Platinum Label marathon counts toward the entry standard - World Rankings will help fill the remaining places - March 19, 2028: Top 55 on the filtered quota list are locked in That last date is especially important for Team USA. It’s six days before the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in St. Louis, meaning the Americans could have all three men’s and three women’s Olympic quota places secured before race day. We broke down the rules, the Boston Marathon wrinkle, potential qualifying standards and why we feel better about the U.S. avoiding a repeat of the 2024 qualification headache. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠⁠ WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.

“I’ve watched too many Chicago Marathons. I’ve been in too many Chicago Marathons. My experience in this race is unparalleled right now — and it felt good when it mattered on Sunday.” Clayton Young is the top American at the 2026 Chicago Marathon, now officially the second-fastest American in history on a record-eligible course with a 2:05:23. He did it on a hamstring with a 12-centimeter tear that his doctor had recommended four weeks of rest for. The race itself was one of the more dramatic in recent American marathon history. Vinny Mauri went to the front at 15K, dropped the pacers, and made a genuine bid for something bigger — at 30K he had 38 seconds on the rest of the Americans and was on 2:04 pace. Then it was his hamstring that started talking. He stopped several times to stretch in the final miles, the chase pack caught him. Charles Hicks surged hard trying to catch Mauri after the pacers stepped off, and Clayton simply followed before making his big move with a  4:38 mile. Clayton was chasing Connor Mantz’s American record of 2:04:43 the whole time since he he called that shot publicly weeks ago — and it didn’t happen. But he ran his fastest time ever, finished seventh overall in a field that included the likes of Amos Kipruto and Jacob Kiplimo… again, he did it all while managing a torn hamstring he’d been babying for a month. He called it one of the best marathon performances of his career. I agree. We discuss: – The night-before meeting with Coach Eyestone– The chaos of those Mauri miles– The moment he decided to throw down– The faith that carried him through four weeks nobody could have scripted– What comes next for the hamstring, the spring, and 2027+ More ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠ WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.

"I’m coming away happy with taking a big swing at it. It’s better to hit the wall early than in March of ’28 or at something that matters a little bit more.” My guest for today’s episode is Vinny Mauri. And Sunday’s Chicago Marathon was exactly as exciting as you hoped it would be thanks to him. At 15K, running 2:04 pace in his first world major, Vinny looked around, decided that was too conservative, and made a move for something he described as “astronomical”. He led the Americans by 38 seconds at 30K. He was on American record pace at mile 21. And then the hamstrings started talking, he had to stop and stretch about six times in the final ten miles, and he finished tenth in 2:06:45. He also still managed to walk away with the U.S. 30K record. Vinny is 25 years old, still self-coached, still working at Second Sole in Niles, Ohio, now signed with ASICS, and now in two marathons has run 2:05 and 2:06 — one alone on a bike path and one in the lead pack of the Chicago Marathon where he spent the first nine miles fist-bumping his competition (who maybe didn’t hit him back) and making faces at his family on the sidelines. He says his third marathon will be a little different. He said so himself on Strava that he’ll plan to take it a bit more seriously. People who don’t know him might read that as disrespect for the distance. People who do know him understand it’s the opposite. In this conversation, we discuss: – The weekend vibe he and his girlfriend set for themselves the moment they landed in Chicago– The start tent energy– The Strava post that previewed everything– The green light moment at mile nine when he decided to go– The stops to stretch and what he was calculating each time– The moment Clayton and Charles caught him and he waved them on– What he’s actually going to change for the next block.– We also get into the four hours in the drug testing room and his belated celebration for it all ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠ WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.

I always want to take it in and appreciate it because I feel so lucky to get to have those moments. And I know it takes a village.” Emma Grace Hurley ran 2:20:47 at the 2026 Chicago Marathon on Sunday — the fastest marathon debut by an American woman in history, breaking a record that stretches back to Deena Kastor in 2001 and runs through Kara Goucher, Jordan Hasay, and Fiona O’Keeffe. She finished seventh overall on a warm day where most of the lead women finished minutes off their goal times or didn’t finish at all. She did it mostly alone aside from the miles shared with her pacemaker Caleb Kerr. If you’ve been following Emma Grace’s year — the 8K American record in Chicago in March, the USATF 10-Mile title at Cherry Blossom, the Copenhagen team silver — none of this is entirely surprising. But it is also only her first marathon, and she is already the sixth-fastest American woman in history at the debut. We discuss: – The feelings from race day and the aftermath– Her Debrief with Coach Andrew Begley and Race Takeaways– How she fueled for this one– What made Chicago feel different– The baby steps that got her here– Thinking back to her half marathon and marathon debut– Race day execution– The cameraman, the watch, the finish– Izzi Batt Doyle and the “American Battle” confusion– The Champions dinner and meeting Joan Benoit Samuelson– Ranking her American records– The U.S. debut record and the lineage from it– The press conference word game+ More ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠ WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.

Chris and Preet are back to break down the biggest highlights from the Chicago Marathon yesterday, including: – After finishing second in 2025, Amos Kipruto claimed his Chicago title in 2:01:09, tying Eliud Kipchoge for No. 5 on the all-time list. – Reigning champion Hawi Feysa and two-time Chicago champion and former world record holder Brigid Kosgei went out hard, covering the opening 10K in 31:04 (2:11:05 pace). – Sharon Lokedi’s marathon career is a picture of consistency. Her runner-up finish in Chicago came with a three-minute PB of 2:14:07 and moved her to No. 8 on the all-time list.  – There was plenty of hype around Emma Grace Hurley’s marathon debut, to which we contributed with a pre-race podcast and workout video. Given her fifth place finish at last month’s World Road Running Championships half marathon and her 2026 season as a whole, the excitement was warranted.  – Another seventh-place finish for Clayton Young! This time, he ran a huge PB of 2:05:23 to finish as the top American at a World Marathon Major for the first time in his career. – Charles Hicks rolled the dice in pursuit of the top American spot and still came away with a 2:05:35.  – All things considered, Mauri’s 2:06:45 for tenth was a great performance.  – Galen Rupp is so back. At 40, he ran 2:06:55 to finish as the fourth American, just 48 seconds off his lifetime best of 2:06:07 from Prague in 2018. I wasn’t out on the course enough Sunday to judge how much the humidity affected the race, but it’s wild to think he might have come even closer to his PB in better conditions. – Kieran Tuntivate put together a remarkably steady race to finish in 2:08:01. He went through halfway in 1:03:41 and ran the second half in 1:04:20 for a 39-second positive split. – Izzi Batt-Doyle took two minutes off her PB and jumped from fourth to first on the Australian marathon all-time list. + Lots more ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠

“If I could teleport back a thousand times over, I’d probably make the same decision without the knowledge I have today. But going forward into every race, I’ll have that knowledge.” Twelve months ago, Charles Hicks had never run a marathon. Since then he’s raced three of them: sixth in New York, seventh in Boston, and yesterday in Chicago, eighth in 2:05:35. That’s the third-fastest time ever by an American on a record-eligible course. He was second American in all of them. He’s 25 years old and still technically in his rookie year at the distance. Chicago was a strange, thrilling race. It was the warmest marathon Charles has run. Vinny Mauri broke away at Mile 9 and went chasing the American record or something bigger. When the pacers stepped off at 30K, Charles and Clayton Young had to decide whether to sit in the pack and settle for second American, or roll the dice and try to go get him. He went. He caught Vinny. Then, with three miles to go, Clayton dropped a 4:38 mile and it was enough to seal Charles’ fate for another runner-up American finish. What I love about this conversation is that Charles doesn’t hide from any of it. He explains the tactical mistakes made but why he’d probably make the same call again. He puts us inside his shoes for the first 60 minutes of the men’s American race that we never got to see on TV. We talk about the lessons taken from this one and more. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠

My guest for today’s episode is Anthony Rizzo — three-time All-Star, 2016 World Series champion with the Cubs, and as of Sunday morning, a marathoner. He is running the Chicago Marathon for the first time, on the tenth anniversary of that World Series title, in support of the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, with a goal of raising a million dollars for pediatric cancer research. Anthony was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 22, beat it, and played 12 more seasons of Major League Baseball. He signed up for Chicago after watching his wife Emily run New York in 2023, got inspired, pulled in former teammate Jake Arrieta as a running partner, and has spent the last several months discovering that distance running is, in his words, a whole underground world he never knew existed. In this conversation we talk about what drew him here, what training actually looked like, getting plugged in with Brooks, and what he wants to find out about himself when it gets hard on Sunday.

My guest for today’s episode is Adriaan Wildschutt — a NAZ Elite athlete, South African national record holder in the half marathon, and as of Sunday, a marathoner. He makes his debut at the Chicago Marathon four days from now, which means he is currently listed last on the start list. He has no marathon personal best. He is completely fine with that. Adriaan grew up in South Africa, playing rugby, cricket, and soccer before discovering running in tenth grade. He came to the US on a scholarship to Coastal Carolina — recruited by Zola Budd — and later transferred to Florida State to compete in the ACC. He spent his post-collegiate career on the track, made the Paris Olympics in 2024, and then had to make a decision: where does a runner who keeps getting dropped in the final 150 meters of a 1500 actually belong? Everyone around him had been saying marathon for years. He decided they were probably right, and with the LA Olympics two years out, he didn’t have time to ease into it. His transition has moved quickly. A 59:13 half marathon debut in Valencia — a South African national record. A win at the NYC Half in March. A pacing assignment at the Cape Town Marathon where he was supposed to step off at 35K, instead dropped the field by 30 seconds before the wheels came off at 33K, and came away with exactly the experience he needed: proof of the engine, clarity on the work still required. He goes into Chicago planning to run with the American record group at 2:04 pace. The South African marathon record is 2:05:36. He’s not ruling out a podium. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠

The Chicago Marathon goes Sunday on a course that has produced a world record or an American record every year since 2022. Defending champions Jacob Kiplimo and Hawi Feysa return, and multiple men in the field have openly said they’re chasing Conner Mantz’s American record. The weather: 59°F with a 54°F dew point at 7 a.m. local, rising to 64°F and a 57°F dew point by 9. Manageable for the elites, warmer than ideal for records. The margin for error shrinks as the race goes on. The men’s favorite: Kiplimo has a 2:00:28 PB from London — a minute faster than anyone else entered, and faster than Kiptum’s old world record, in a race he finished third. He’s skipped a tune-up this year after opening with a 58:29 half before winning Chicago in 2:02:23 last fall. The women’s race: Brigid Kosgei returns to the site of her 2:14:04 world record for the first time since 2019, off a resurgent year — wins in Shanghai (2:16:36) and Tokyo (2:14:29), where she beat Feysa. Plus: We unpack the intense races for top American on the men’s and women’s side. How to Watch – TV: NBC5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago; Streaming: NBC Sports NOW, NBC Chicago channel on Peacock Full preview to come in the CITIUS MAG Newsletter. You can subscribe here. ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠