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

“Dathan said: you didn’t run it perfectly, but the way you competed tells us your ceiling might be much higher than we even thought when we recruited you.” My guest for today’s episode is Ryan Ford: a member of the On Athletics Club roads squad who just ran 2:05:46 at the 2026 Boston Marathon, finishing among the top Americans in one of the fastest and deepest fields the race has ever seen. Twelve months ago, Ryan ran 2:08:00 at Boston in 2025 in what was his breakthrough performance, the race that landed him his On sponsorship and got him training under Dathan Ritzenhein and Laura Thweatt. He came back to the same city, the same course, and went two and a half minutes faster. What makes Ryan’s story compelling beyond the result is the trajectory. He was a 14:07 5K runner out of college at UT Martin, transferred to Iowa State, chopped 30 seconds off that in a COVID extra year, joined Zap Fitness, paced Clayton Young to a 2:08 in Chicago before he’d even debuted in the marathon himself, and has been on a straight upward line ever since. In this conversation, we talk about the training block that built this performance — the aggressive long runs with Joe Klecker on the dirt roads of Boulder, the Scottsdale camp that reset the build, and the race plan Dathan drew up for a day everyone knew was going to be fast. Ryan also walks us through the key tactical moments on the course and shares what Dathan told him after the race about just how high his ceiling might actually be. ____________ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez Guest: Ryan Ford | @ryanford_chevy Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠

“When I crossed the line and saw 2:24, I was actually in shock that I’d still managed a PR given how bad I felt. David [Roche] looked at my GPS file and said being able to bring yourself back from those depths is a sign of a real marathoner.” My guest for today’s episode is Amanda Vestri. We just had the Brooks pro marathoner on a few weeks ago and talked about how she is one of the most exciting young American marathoners in the sport right now. Now, in just her second marathon, she finished 15th overall at the 2026 Boston Marathon in 2:24:49. She PR’d by nearly a minute from her debut in New York last November. She is coached by David and Megan Roche and by her own admission is only just getting started. In this conversation, Amanda is refreshingly honest about a race that was both a personal best and a disappointment. She says the downhill-specific preparation was lacking and explains exactly what she plans to do differently in her next shot. We talk about what it was like to run alongside Jess McClain and Susanna Sullivan in the early miles and the deeply emotional moment of watching Jess close on the big screen at mile 23 while Amanda herself was hurting badly. David Roche wrote after the race that Amanda is made of different stuff and that when it happens, every young runner is going to think about running like her. This conversation goes a long way toward explaining why he believes that. ____________ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez Guest: Amanda Vestri | @a_vestri Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠

“You can’t just say from nowhere that you’re going to podium. My bib number was 15, which means there were 14 faster than me on paper. What you can do is read your body during the race. In Boston this year, once it started unfolding, I just knew everything was clicking.” My guest for today’s episode is Zouhair Talbi. This is his second time on the show this year. We had him on in January after his victory at the Houston Marathon in 2:05. On Monday at the Boston Marathon, he finished fifth overall in 2:03:45, became the top American in the race, and broke Ryan Hall’s American course record that had stood since 2011. He did it in regular prescription glasses, after back-to-back marathon blocks with barely ten days off between each, and after a training build that included a half marathon PR at the NYC Half while still in the middle of a full training load. Zouhair was born in Morocco and grew up there before coming to the United States, where he now trains in Colorado Springs with coach Scott Simmons. CITIUS MAG first covered him at the Trials of Miles Texas Qualifier in February 2021, and this performance at Boston was a long time in the making. In this conversation, he takes us inside the lead pack on race day, explains what it felt like to run next to John Korir and read the field in real time, and shares his honest thinking about what it will take to go from 2:03 to being a genuine contender at the 2028 U.S. Olympic Trials and beyond. He also speaks directly and thoughtfully about what it means to represent the United States, and what he wants his son — born here, growing up here — to see when he watches his father compete. ____________ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez Guest: Zouhair Talbi | @zouhairathle Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order. WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠

“The biggest takeaway after writing the book was: I really believed in myself this whole time. For a long time, I thought of Ryan as a hero of my story. But I realized I’m actually the hero of my own story. I hope everyone feels that way.” My guest for today’s episode is Sara Hall — a 2:20 marathoner, the former American record holder in the half marathon, and the runner-up at the 2020 London Marathon, which remains the best performance by an American woman in that race since Deena Kastor’s win in 2006. She has been competing at the highest level of the sport for more than two decades, and somehow, at 43, she is running more marathons than ever. Sara just ran the Boston Marathon in 2:31:55 — her fifth marathon in six months — and one day after crossing that finish line, her debut memoir hit shelves. It’s called For the Love of the Grind, published by St. Martin’s Press. If you’re expecting a highlight reel of an athlete’s greatest moments, you’re going to be surprised. Sara goes into the doubt, the disordered eating, the ego, the psychedelics, the cost of ambition on the people she loves most, and what it actually took to keep believing in herself through two decades of professional running — through missed Olympic teams, the adjustment to the wave of super shoes hitting the sport and long injury stretches. The book opens with London 2020 — 21 loops outside Buckingham Palace, alone in the wind and rain, thinking about dropping out — and it uses that moment as a lens for everything that came before it and everything that followed. It is honest in ways that will catch you off guard and it makes the case that longevity in this sport is not just a physical story. It is a mental, emotional, and spiritual one, too. In this conversation, we talk about the writing process — her goals when she set out to do it, the imposter syndrome, and the decision to publish the book while she’s still competing rather than waiting for the career to be over. We get into her six-marathon stretch, what went so wrong in Boston after 16 miles of feeling great, and what it meant to watch her daughter Hana cross that same finish line on the same day. ____________ Buy “For the Love of the Grind: A Memoir” here. Find Sara’s upcoming book events here. ____________ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠ Guest: Sara Hall | @sarahall3 Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠ ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠⁠ XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

Chris Chavez is back from Boston and joins Preet Majithia to break down one of the most historic days in Boston Marathon history with near-perfect racing conditions, a course record, five men under 2:04, and a dominant back-to-back title defense. But first, the guys knock out a loaded week of track results before getting to the marathon. On the sprint side: Noah Lyles opens in 19.91, Elaine Thompson-Herah returns to the 100 with a 10.92 in her first race at the distance in nearly two years, Michael Norman makes his comeback, and Gabby Thomas heads to Ethiopia chasing sub-11 in a headwind. In the NCAA, Simeon Birnbaum breaks the collegiate 1500m record at Hayward Field with a 3:31, and Jane Hedengren breaks the outdoor 5000m record at Bryan Clay with a 14:50. World Athletics rejected 11 applications for transfers of allegiance, including Roje Stona, Jaydon Hibbert, Brigid Kosgei, and Favour Ofili, all linked to Turkey’s pay-for-play recruitment scheme. On the Boston Marathon: John Korir runs 2:01:52 for a course record, negative splitting with a 60:02 second half. Alphonce Felix Simbu out-sprints Benson Kipruto on Boylston for second. Zouhair Talbi runs 2:03:45, the fastest ever by an American citizen on any course, with Charles Hicks running 2:04:35 in just his second marathon. We explain the record confusion. On the women’s side, Sharon Lokedi defends her Boston title, running a 14:48 split from 35K to 40K to put the race away — a segment faster than her own 5K track PB. Jess McClain is top American again, this time covering moves instead of waiting to pick off the dead. And the Americans had their best collective day in recent memory, with Annie Frisbie, Carrie Ellwood, Elena Hayday, Kodi Kleven, and Amanda Vestri all posting big personal bests. We also debut our way too early U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials Power Rankings. You can read our Boston Marathon recap here. ____________ Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

"The fact that I let myself just enjoy that last year — I think that was my biggest takeaway. It's one of the most lucid, last 200-meter memories of a race that I've ever had." My guests for today's episode are Jess McClain and Kenny Krotzer, recorded live at the Brooks Hyperion House in Boston ahead of the 2026 Boston Marathon. Jess was the top American at Boston last year and is back to chase a podium finish in a field she believes Americans can land on. Kenny is a senior innovation footwear developer at Brooks with over a decade at the company and five years focused entirely on racing product — and, as it turns out, a Stanford classmate of Jess's. The centerpiece of the conversation is the Brooks Hyperion Elite 6 and Kenny pulls back the curtain on what's driving the current super shoe arms race. He talks about the relentless pace of foam development, what's changed across the last three iterations of the Hyperion Elite, and what Brooks has on the drawing board for 2027, 2028, and beyond. The conversation also covers Jess's build into this Boston, which followed a similar structure to last year. She talks about what happened in Atlanta (going off course in a race she was about to win), how she processed it in about a day, and why the fourth-place finishes of the last couple of years have actually sharpened her conviction rather than shaken it. On goals: Jess is direct. She wants to make the 2028 Olympic team, and working back from there means podiums at world majors and taking the first American spot. She's not writing her goals on her mirror. She's just training toward them with a consistency that has made her one of the more reliable and beloved figures on the American marathon scene. ____________ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez

Chris and Preet Majithia break down the biggest stories from the first full weekend of the 2026 outdoor season and then preview the 2026 Boston Marathon. Discussed in this episode: – Gout Gout runs 19.67 in the 200m — is it legit? – The wind theory explained – Cam Myers goes sub-3:30 to announce himself as a global 1500m force – Jess Hull’s controversial 1500m disqualification and defiant 5000m win – Crippa and Demise close historic splits at the Paris Marathon – Paris Marathon bans single-use cups and bottles — good idea or race disruptor? – Jakob Ingebrigtsen to miss the early Diamond League season – Kip Keino Classic preview: Wanyonyi moves up to the 1500m – World Athletics announces standalone World Marathon Championships in 2030 – Boston Marathon preview: Lokedi, Korir, and the Americans to watch ____________ Mentioned in this episode: ⁠Brooks Hyperion House: Boston Marathon - Schedule of events⁠ ____________ Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

“The fact that I’m getting to the starting line totally healthy is the biggest win in my eyes. As I said before for New York, I was not healthy going into that race. I had been dealing with so many things that were physically hurting me in runs and workouts. So the fact that I'm still enjoying training up to this point has been a huge win. If I can compete for a top three American finish in this field, I'll be very happy with that.” My guest for today’s episode is Amanda Vestri. This is a really exciting moment in her career because we’re catching her right at the beginning of a very promising transition to the marathon. We previously had her on the podcast after she was taking to the half marathon so we have a good amount to catch up on. Last fall, she made her debut at the New York City Marathon and ran 2:25 for ninth place. It was a performance that, on paper, was impressive. But when you understand the full context, it becomes even more so. She tells us that she went into that race undercooked, dealing with lingering injuries, and still found a way to grind through the final miles and come away with a result that showed she belongs at this level. Now ahead of Boston: She’s healthy, she’s stronger, and she’s training with a new level of intention under coach David Roche. You’ll get some specifics on the training and coaching switch. We’re talking 200+ grams of carbs on long runs, dialing in recovery, and learning how to actually finish workouts feeling strong instead of just surviving them. There’s also been a shift in environment by moving to Florida to be closer to family, leaning on that support system, and building a routine that allows her to handle the demands of marathon training while still enjoying the process. Amanda is someone who has always raced with a lot of heart, but now she’s learning how to pair that with patience, discipline, and a longer-term view of what her marathon career can become. She’s building in the marathon with intention. In this episode, we talk about her New York debut, what’s changed in this build, the role of fueling and recovery, and what success looks like heading into Boston, where her goal isn’t just a time, but to compete, race smarter, and see how far she can go when everything finally clicks. ____________ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez Guest: Amanda Vestri | @a_vestri Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠ XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia break down one of the first weekends of the early 2026 outdoor season. Discussed in this episode: – Intro: Magic Boost at the Florida Relays – Sha’Carri Richardson wins the Stawell Gift and goes viral – The “fastest woman alive” discourse explained – Collen Kebinatshipi runs 9.89 in the 100m twice – Max Thomas runs 9.90 at the Florida Relays – Kishane Thompson’s world 150m best in Miramar – Jane Hedengren breaks the collegiate 10,000m record in her debut – Parker Valby vs. Jane Hedengren: the comparison debate – Agnes Ngetich’s 28:58 and the gap at the top of the women’s 10K – Jimmy Gressier smashes the European 5km record in Lille – Nadia Battocletti misses the European 10km record by one second – Noah Lyles and Junelle Bromfield’s wedding ____________ Mentioned in this episode: Brooks Hyperion House: Boston Marathon - Schedule of events ____________ Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠⁠⁠ XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

“I’m just a regular guy who has put years and years of work in and it finally paid off… If you keep working at it, the sky is the limit. I only ran 30:50 for the 10K in college and now I’m running 2:09 for the marathon. If you like people who put their nose to the grindstone and don’t quit on their dreams, then I’m probably the guy to root for.” My guest for today’s episode is Turner Wiley. If you’re looking for one of the most relatable stories in American marathoning right now, he might be it. Turner didn’t come through the sport the traditional way. No NCAA titles, no national team buzz. He was a Division II runner at Seattle Pacific who never qualified for nationals. He was the kind of athlete most people assume fades out of the sport after college. But he didn’t. He kept showing up, kept building, and kept believing that the marathon might eventually unlock something bigger. Fast forward a few years and he’s now a 2:09 marathoner, the runner-up at last December’s Marathon Project, and a Brooks sponsored athlete heading into Boston — all while working a full-time job at Seattle Children’s Hospital and raising a newborn at home. Turner is the guy waking up at 5 a.m. to get his first run in before work. He’s logging 130–140 mile weeks, mostly solo, pushing a stroller on second runs, and stacking years of consistent, unflashy training until it finally clicked. In this conversation, we talk about that slow burn of development — from blowing up in his debut marathon in Paris, grinding through the club system in Seattle, to breaking through with a 2:09 at The Marathon Project. We get into what it looks like to chase elite performance without making running your entire identity, how fatherhood has reshaped his perspective, and why he genuinely believes his best racing might still be ahead of him. This is the next episode in a series of interviews that we’re doing with Brooks marathoners in the lead-up to the Boston Marathon. Stay tuned as we announce our schedule of events with Brooks out of the Hyperion House. We’ll have a shakeout run on Saturday morning at 8 a.m., a live chat with Jess McClain, and more. ____________ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez Guest: Turner Wiley | @turner_wiley93 Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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. XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order. OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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 missed out on keeping my top ten at a World Major streak when I ran New York. That was my biggest regret: walking away having lost the streak. I want to get back into that rythmn of being in the top ten. I'd love to find myself with 5K or 8K to go feeling like I'm still competing for one of the top spots." My guest for today’s episode is Susanna Sullivan. She's one of the most consistent marathoners in the United States and someone who’s coming into Boston with good momentum from 2025. Her last year was anchored by a fourth-place finish in Tokyo, which was a breakthrough on the world stage. She executed, competed, but didn’t fully believe she was in the race for a medal until later on. Now she heads into Boston with what she describes as her first truly intentional build for this course. She’s focused on hills, especially the downhills, and tailored specifically to the demands of racing Boston. Add in a 1:08 half marathon PR earlier this year, and it’s clear the fitness is there. In this episode, we talk about that Tokyo breakthrough, the mindset shift that’s followed, what she learned from a demanding 2025 season, and why this Boston build feels different. ____________ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez Guest: Susanna Sullivan | @susannasullivan4 Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠ XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

“I want everyone I coach to run super fast, but when I really think about their races, I’m thinking more about what I want them to experience when they’re racing. I feel like that’s still got to be the same for me too. When I have those experiences that are good and I know what running can be, the times and places take care of themselves.” CJ Albertson is back on the show. Regular listeners know that he’s always one of the most fascinating, unconventional, and honest voices in American marathoning. We last had him on the podcast in 2024. He’s a 2:08 marathoner, a World Championships team member last year, always captivated us because he does things his own way – whether that’s leading major marathons from the gun, stacking up race after race, or embracing a style of training that looks somewhat different from almost anyone else at his level. Right now, what’s most interesting about him is trying to understand what’s happening under the surface. Because coming into this Boston Marathon build, CJ has been dealing with something he’s spent years trying to figure out: a physiological disconnect where his body just isn’t responding the way it should. He believes it’s chronically low and inverted cortisol levels so his energy systems aren’t firing properly. Right now, he’s been balancing the reality of trying to train and race at a world-class level while feeling like your body is operating at half capacity. By his own admission, his workouts often look average compared to those of other elite runners. But when it comes time to race 26.2 miles, he finds a way to compete and extract the absolute most out of whatever fitness he has on the day.In this conversation, we go deep into that — what it feels like when your body won’t respond, how he’s working with Brooks to better understand his physiology, and why he’s choosing not to force things as he looks toward the long game of 2028. We also talk Boston and what six appearances on the course have taught him, how he’s adjusting his approach this year, and why success might have less to do with the clock and more to do with actually enjoying the race again. This is the first in a series of interviews that we’re doing with Brooks marathoners in the leadup to the Boston Marathon. Stay tuned as we announce our schedule of events with Brooks out of the Hyperion House. We’ll have a shakeout run on Saturday morning at 8 a.m., a live chat with Jess McClain and more. ____________ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez Guest: CJ Albertson | @cjalbertson  Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. 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.⁠⁠ XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

A relatively quiet weekend in track, though there’s still plenty to dig into with Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, and Preet Majithia. In this week’s episode: - Preet’s pandemic-era haircut savings - McKirdy MicrOTQ recap: Kyle paced Thomas Knobbs to a 2:09.24 — the fourth-fastest Canadian of all time — then helped the women’s qualifying group - The race start had a fascinating start: single-file starts, chip timing - 14 men and 11 women earn Olympic Trials qualifying standards - Sound Running 10K - The 2027 Beijing 10K standard: Why World Athletics still hasn’t announced it? - Maurie Plant Meet: Lachlan Kennedy beats Gout Gout again - Claudia Hollingsworth beats world indoor champ Georgia Hunter Bell in the women’s 1500 — Is this the year she announces herself? - Cameron Myers runs 3:30 and wins by a lot — why wasn’t he at World Indoors? - Embrace debate: of Hollingsworth, Gout Gout, and Myers: Who has the best shot at Olympic gold in Brisbane? - The Pure Athletics vs. Star Athletics tension is real and it’s good for the sport - Josh Kerr and Project 222: 3:42 mile world record attempt at the London Diamond League on July 18th - What happens if Cole Hocker breaks the record two weeks earlier at Pre-Classic? - Albert Korir gets a five-year doping ban, Patrick Dever moves to the podium - Conner Mantz scratches from the Boston Marathon - Why Kyle is most impressed by Clayton Young’s altitude long run - Cynthia Erivo will run the London Marathon after performing two shows of a one-woman Dracula the day before - Harry Styles marathon watch - Marileidy Paulino runs 2:04 in the 800, Dalilah Muhammad is very much not retired - What’s coming on the podcast feed ____________ Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠ + Kyle Merber | ⁠@kylemerber⁠ Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠⁠ XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

“This sport is built around big moments and I believe we can create one of those in July. This is one of the hardest world records in track and field and I’m not scared to say that I’m going after it. I can’t guarantee that I’m going to get it, but I’m going to do every single thing in my power. I have a great team of people around me and an amazing coaching staff that I think we’re going to get damn close if we don’t get it.” My guest for today's episode is Josh Kerr: world champion, Olympic medalist, two-time world indoor gold medalist at 3000m. He’s now announcing the news that on July 18th at the London Diamond League, he’ll be taking aim at one of the sport's most iconic marks: Hicham El Guerrouj’s 3:43.13 mile world record, which has stood since 1999. He and Brooks are calling the shot publicly with Project 222, with the goal of running the mile in 222 seconds. If you know Josh Kerr, that shouldn't surprise you. He's never been shy about big ambitions, he's coming off another global title indoors, and he says he feels healthy, sharp and ready. He's built this season around one clear target, giving one of track's oldest and most revered records the full respect it deserves. That means we have a specific date, a home crowd in London, a custom built one-off spike, multiple speed suit prototypes, and a full team effort aimed at running faster than anyone ever has over the mile. In this conversation, Josh talks about why now is the right time for this attempt, what makes the mile world record so difficult to chase, how his training has evolved under coach Danny Mackey, and why he believes this attempt deserves a lot of publicity in the lead-up. ____________ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez Guest: Josh Kerr | @joshhkerr Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠ XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, and Preet Majithia reunite to break down the biggest storylines from the World Indoor Championships in Poland. Preet joins fresh off the ground (and freshly sick) after going solo on three daily pods from the venue. In this week’s episode: - Intro: Preet’s field report from Poland (gingerbread review included) - The Atlanta saga resolved: World Athletics approves a 7-woman U.S. team for World Road Running Championships - London Marathon’s plan to go to 100,000 finishers — bold move or marathon chaos? - Biggest winner: Keely Hodgkinson’s Super Sunday — 800m gold + historic 4x400 split - Is Keely the face of track and field right now? - Audrey Werro: the most underrated performance of the weekend - Zaynab Dosso & Georgia Hunter-Bell: two more big winners on the women’s side - Men’s 800m: Cooper Lutkenhaus goes undefeated and earns the world’s attention - Men’s 3K: Josh Kerr out-maneuvers Cole Hocker, celebrates accordingly - The Cole Hocker tactics debate - Men’s 1500m: Mariano Garcia pulls off the surprise of the championships - Jordan Anthony wins 60m gold — and why the Anthony vs. Lyles rivalry needs to happen - Jess Hull appreciation: 13 global championships and counting + More ____________ Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠@preet_athletics⁠ + Kyle Merber | @kylemerber Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ____________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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. XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.⁠ OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠⁠