Running News Daily

Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen is already looking ahead to 2026 with one of the boldest ambitions in track and field — to break world records in the 1500 meters, the mile, and the 5000 meters.

In an interview shared by Chris Chavez on X (formerly Twitter), Ingebrigtsen revealed his mindset and meticulous approach to choosing the perfect time and place to chase history.

“I hope to break the world records in the 1500 meters, the mile, and the 5000 meters. If I can do that, I’ll be happy. I’ll have to pick out some meets and dates where I have the best chance to make a good attempt,” he told Norway’s VG.

Ingebrigtsen and his wife are already mapping out potential race venues, with Monaco, Paris, Silesia, and Oslo among the leading candidates. Each of these meets has seen lightning-fast performances and could provide the ideal setting for record-breaking runs.

How he stacks up right now:

The world record for 1500 meters is 3:26.00, set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1998. Ingebrigtsen’s personal best is 3:26.73.

The world record for the mile is 3:43.13, also held by El Guerrouj from 1999. Ingebrigtsen’s personal best is 3:43.73.

The world record for the 5000 meters is 12:35.36, set by Joshua Cheptegei in 2020. Ingebrigtsen’s personal best is 12:48.45.

While Ingebrigtsen’s personal bests are already within striking distance of both El Guerrouj’s legendary middle-distance marks and Cheptegei’s long-distance record, breaking all three in one season would be unprecedented.

A Legacy in Motion

At just 25, Ingebrigtsen has already cemented himself as one of the most dominant and versatile athletes in modern track history. From his Olympic gold to multiple World and European Championship titles, his consistency and competitiveness have made him the face of a new generation of runners.

However, much of the 2025 season was disrupted by injury. An Achilles tendon issue forced him to withdraw from major meets and limited his racing calendar. Despite the setback, his ambition remains undimmed.

A sweep of these three world records would not only elevate his legacy but also redefine the limits of what’s possible across middle and long-distance running.

As he carefully plans his record attempts, the world will be watching — because when Jakob Ingebrigtsen sets his mind on something, history often follows.

In a recent episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast, host Chris Chavez sat down with the illustrious Sifan Hassan to delve into her remarkable performances at the 2024 Paris Olympics and her future aspirations in marathon running.

Reflecting on the Paris Olympics:

Hassan achieved an extraordinary feat in Paris, securing bronze medals in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events before clinching gold in the marathon with a time of 2:22:55, setting a new Olympic record. She shared insights into the rigorous training and mental fortitude required to compete across these diverse events, emphasizing her relentless pursuit of excellence.

Aiming for Marathon Milestones:

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, Hassan expressed her ambition to push the boundaries of women’s marathon times. Inspired by Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, Hassan is contemplating the possibility of running a marathon under 2:10. She stated, “Maybe, it takes me longer to work hard to achieve it… We will now try and hit the thing.” This goal reflects her desire to explore the limits of female endurance and performance.

Upcoming Challenges:

Hassan is set to compete in the 2025 London Marathon, returning to the city where she made a victorious marathon debut in 2023. She acknowledged the increasing competitiveness of women’s marathon running, particularly in light of recent record-breaking performances, and is eager to test herself against a formidable field.

Mental Resilience and Training Philosophy:

Throughout the conversation, Hassan highlighted the importance of mental strength in her training regimen. She humorously remarked, “I think my brain is so scared of me,” underscoring the psychological challenges inherent in elite athletic performance. Her approach combines rigorous physical preparation with a focus on mental resilience, enabling her to tackle multiple demanding events successfully.

This insightful discussion offers a comprehensive look into Sifan Hassan’s past achievements and future goals, shedding light on her exceptional versatility and determination in the realm of distance running.

 

Last night was the deadline for athletes to declare their event for the 2023 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will take place in Eugene from July 6-9. At USAs, athletes are allowed to enter multiple events and then make a decision about which event(s) they wish to contest once entries are in, which allows those who’ve achieved multiple qualifiers to be strategic about where they want to concentrate their efforts. The top three in each event who meet the qualifying standards for the World Athletics Championships will go on to represent the United States in Budapest in August.

Reigning World champions have a “bye” to the next year’s Worlds, which means the country they represent gets to send four athletes, not three. Similarly, reigning Diamond League and World Athletics Continental Tour champs earn a bye, but if there is both a World and other champion in the same event, their country still only gets to send one extra athlete.

These complex rules lead many American World champions to make interesting choices about what events they wish to contest at USAs and how hard they want to push while still in the middle of the championship season.

MEN’S SPRINTS

– 100m world champion Fred Kerley has the bye to the world championships and will only run the 200m. Last year, he qualified for the World Championships in the 200m with a third place finish behind Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton. He injured his quad in the semifinal of the 200m and was unable to run the 4x100m relay for Team USA. Kerley has a season’s best of 19.92 from his win at the Doha Diamond League.

– 200m world champion Noah Lyles has the bye to the world championships and will only run the 100m. He ran a season's best of 9.95 in his outdoor opener in April. The last time he ran the 100m at a U.S. Championship, he finished seventh at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials final.

– 400m world champion Michael Norman is declared for the 100m and 200m at the U.S. Championships. He ran a wind-aided 10.02 (+3.0m/s wind) at the Mt. SAC Relays in April. He has not raced since a last place finish in the 200m at the Doha Diamond League in 20.65 on May 5.

WOMEN’S SPRINTS

– Sha’Carri Richardson is running the 100m and 200m. She is looking to qualify for her first World championship team. Her season’s best of 10.76 from her victory at the Doha Diamond League is the second-fastest performance in the world this year. Her season’s best of 22.07 from the Kip Keino Classic at altitude in Nairobi is No. 4 on the world list.

Only Gabby Thomas’ 22.05 from the Paris Diamond League is faster this year by an American woman. Richardson, the 2019 NCAA champion, attempted the double at USAs in both 2019 and 2022, where her highest finish was 8th in the 100m in 2019. She has yet to make a U.S. final in the 200m.

– Reigning U.S. champion Abby Steiner is only running the 200m despite qualifying in both the 100m and the 400m as well. She just ran her season’s best of 22.19 to win the NYC Grand Prix.

– As previously announced, 400m hurdles Olympic champion, World champion and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is running the flat 400m. She plans to make a decision after the U.S. Championships whether she will run the flat 400m (if she qualifies) or defend her 400m hurdles title in Budapest.

– NCAA record holder Britton Wilson, who ran 49.14 to become No. 4 on the U.S. all-time list, will only run the 400m and not the 400m hurdles. She hurdled at last year’s World championships and participated in the 4x400m relay.

MEN’S DISTANCE

– This year’s men’s steeplechase team should have a new look. 2016 Olympic silver medalist Evan Jager is not entered in the steeplechase. He has raced just once this outdoor season. Hillary Bor, the reigning U.S. champion who also owns the fastest steeplechase time by an American this year in 8:11.28, broke his foot earlier this spring and will miss the U.S. Championships. This is the first U.S. team he has missed since 2015. The top returner is Benard Keter, who made the Olympic team in 2021 and the World team in 2022, but he is only the fifth-fastest entrant by seed time.

– For the first time, 2021 U.S. 5000m champPaul Chelimo is entered in both the 5000m and the 10,000m. Chelimo, the 3x global medalist at 5000m, has typically only focused on the shorter event, but after his 27:12.73 performance at the Night of the 10,000m PBs in the U.K. earlier this season, he has decided to contest both events. He’s seeded No. 4 by qualifying time in both events behind Grant Fisher, Woody Kincaid, and Joe Klecker (all also double-entered).

WOMEN’S DISTANCE

– 800m Olympic and world champion Athing Mu entered the 1500m, as previously announced with coach Bobby Kersee. She has the bye to the world championships in the 800m. Her personal best of 4:16.06 is well outside the automatic standard of 4:05.00 and was achieved outside the qualifying window for the championships, but USATF rules allow for significant discretion in accepting entries from the Sports Committee chair.

– Josette Norris and On Athletics Club coach Dathan Ritzenhein have decided to focus solely on the 5000m. Norris ran 14:43.36 at Sound Running’s Track Fest in early May. That’s the second-fastest time by an American woman on the year behind her teammate and training partner Alicia Monson’s 14:34.88 at the Paris Diamond League. Monson is entered in both the 5000m and 10,000m after choosing to only contest the 10,000m last year.

– NC State’s NCAA record holder Katelyn Tuohy will only run the 5000m. Tuohy qualified for NCAAs in both the 1500m and the 5000m but ended up only running the 1500m after an uncharacteristically disappointing performance in the final.

– The Bowerman Track Club’s Elise Cranny has declared for the 1500m, 5000m and the 10,000m. The first round of the women’s 1500m is 19 minutes before the final of the 10,000m on Day 1 of the competition, so Cranny will likely scratch one or more events at a later point.

 

 It’s not every day that the 18th place finisher in a race steals the headlines but Newbury Park High School senior (CA) Lex Young highlighted the first night of the LA Grand Prix by breaking the U.S. high school 5000m record in 13:34.96. U.S. road 5K champion Abdihamid Nur won the race in a personal best of 13:05.17 and locked up his World Championship qualifying standard.

What you need to know:

– The previous high school record of 13:37.30 was set just three weeks ago by Connor Burns at Sound Running’s Track Fest. He broke Galen Rupp’s record of 13:37.91, which had stood since 2004.

– This should not come as much of a surprise after Young ran 13:43.95 last year. He didn’t have the best start to the year after finishing the 2022 cross-country season injured and then finishing third in the 5000m at New Balance Nationals Indoor in 14:00.64. Young has raced sparingly this outdoor season but took a big step forward with a 13:44.83 at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 14. He called his shot and publicly announced he was going after Burns’ record in the leadup to Friday night’s race.

What told him in training that this was possible:

“The times kept on getting faster and the effort kept on feeling easier, where I knew with the training progressing in the same way, I’d be ready by now.”

On racing a majority of the race solo:

“I knew it would be pretty darn fast but I thought there would be more people in that 13:30-13:40 range. So when everyone was still together at a mile and I was dropping off, I had to take a couple of breaths and think, ‘I’m falling off the back but it’s not because I’m dying but if I keep on going with them, I don’t want to dig myself down into a deeper hole.’ They were going really fast. They went like 4:17, which is faster than I need to go for the record. I wanted to be a bit more conservative.”

On what it’s like being a high school star in the social media era, where performances are under a bigger microscope and open to more criticism:

“When I produce the content, it motivates other people to try and do what I’m doing. Ultimately that is so worth it. People come up to me and they tell me how much it’s inspired them and that means so much. No matter how much people will hate or people who comment and doubt, I will always keep producing the content because I know how much it can help people as other people’s content has helped me.”

Other highlights from the LA Grand Prix:

– Emily Lipari won the women’s 5000m in 15:08.87 for her second-best career performance. She closed with a 69.34-second final lap.

– Team New Balance Boston’s Emily Mackay won the women’s 1500m in a personal best of 4:07.03. She spoke about what she’s learned in her first full year as a pro.

– Kieran Lumb notched a personal best of 3:35.99 to outkick NACAC champion Eric Holt in the men’s 1500m. He discussed his decision to turn professional and sign with On.

– Under Armour Mission Run Baltimore’s Ahmed Jaziri won the men’s 3000m steeplechase in 8:17.64 – just barely missing the World Championships qualifying standard.

– Former Colorado Buff Madie Boreman took 10 seconds off her personal best to win the women’s steeplechase in 9:22.99. She is now being coached by Julie Benson and could be a contender for the U.S. team.

– Craig Engels won his first race of the year with a 1:47.32 in the men’s 800m. He took three months off due to a torn calf and Achilles injury.

– Laurie Barton of the Brooks Beasts won the women’s 800m in 2:02.54.

----

Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.

 A run for records will take place at the Publix Atlanta Half Marathon next week where some of the world’s best runners will attempt to complete the fastest half marathon ever run in the state of Georgia. This year’s elite field features eight men who have run faster than the current men’s record of 1:00:36 and four women who have run faster than the women’s record of 1:08:22. Both times were set at this event in 2022.

Nicholas Kosimbei will return to Atlanta to defend his title and his record. The 26-year-old from Kenya dominated last year’s race which was held in the driving rain, winning by more than two minutes. Fellow Kenyans Raymond Magut and Goeffrey Koech who placed second and third respectively last year are also returning. Magut boasts a personal best of 1:00:00 while Koech has broken the one-hour mark with a career best of 59:36. Koech won his most recent half marathon, the B.A.A.Half Marathon in Boston last November.

“I love the course in Atlanta,” said Kosimbei. “I am looking forward to returning and my goal is to break my own course record.”

Other top contenders include Tsegay Kidanu (Ethiopia, 59:39),  Josphat Tanui (Kenya, 59:40), Phenus Kipleting (Kenya, 1:00:08) and Bethwell Yegon (Kenya, 1:00:57), the runner-up at the 2021 BMW Berlin Marathon.

With last year’s winner Dorcas Tuitoek not returning in 2023, a new face will break the tape to win the women’s title. The fastest woman in the field is Kenya’s Cynthia Jerotich. Jerotich was a dominant force on the roads from 2013 to 2016, setting a half marathon personal best of 1:06:04 and winning a silver medal at the World Half Marathon Championships in 2016. Jerotich stepped away from racing in 2017 and gave birth to three children before returning to competition last year. At 33, she will be looking to return to the form that saw her winning road races around the world including some of the most prestigious events in the United States. 

Jerotich will face Helah Kiprop, the winner of last year’s Copenhagen Marathon and the runner-up at the Frankfort Marathon. Kirprop, a 2016 Olympian from Kenya, has a half marathon personal best of 1:07:39. Also among the fastest in the field are 2017 Houston Half Marathon winner Veronica Wanjiru (Kenya, 1:07:58) and Vibian Chepkirui (1:08:02). Chepkirui won the Vienna Marathon last year in a course record time of 2:20:59.

Athletes in the 2023 Publix Atlanta Half Marathon will be competing for a $22,000 prize purse including a first place prize of $4,000. There is an additional $2,500 bonus for the male or female winner who sets the course and Georgia all-time record. Full elite fields can be found below. The race will be streamed live on Atlanta Track Club’s YouTube page with commentary from Chris Chavez, Carrie Tollefson and Ali Feller. 

About Atlanta Track Club                                                

Atlanta Track Club is a nonprofit committed to creating an active and healthy Atlanta. Through running and walking, Atlanta Track Club motivates, inspires and engages the community to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

With more than 30,000 members, Atlanta Track Club is the second largest running organization in the United States. In addition to the AJC Peachtree Road Race (peachtreeroadrace.org) – the largest 10K running event in the world, the Publix Atlanta Marathon, PNC Atlanta 10 Miler and Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, Atlanta Track Club directs more than 30 events per year. Through the support of its members and volunteers, Atlanta Track Club also maintains a number of community initiatives including organizing and promoting the Kilometer Kids youth running program to metro Atlanta youth, honoring high school cross country and track and field athletes through Atlanta Track Club’s All-Metro Banquets and supporting the Grady Bicycle EMT program. For more information on Atlanta Track Club, visit atlantatrackclub.org.

One of the world’s best-known professional running clubs has found a new name after the Nike Oregon Project was abolished, coincident with the four-year ban of ex-head coach Alberto Salazar. The new name, Union Athletic Club, was announced on the Elevation Om YouTube page and confirmed by Chris Chavez on Twitter on Thursday.

After Salazar’s dismissal, the group remained intact through the past three years under coach Pete Julian.

Julian is currently the coach of many of the world’s top athletes, such as Suguru Osako, Shannon Rowbury, Raevyn Rogers, Jessica Hull, Donovan Brazier and Craig Engels.

He spent three years coaching at Washington State University before moving to the Oregon Project in 2012, where he was the assistant coach to Galen Rupp, Matt Centrowitz, Mo Farah and Canadian record holder Cam Levins.

The 2021 NCAA indoor 800m champion and Australian Olympian Charlie Hunter will be the newest member of the group.

Union Athletic Club is based out of Oregon and sponsored by Nike Running.

Happy Thanksgiving to our neighbours south of the border. In celebration of the holiday season, the Tokyo Olympic marathon bronze medallist Molly Seidel dusted off the feathers of her turkey suit she used to run a 10K time trial last Thanksgiving at the Berbee Derby 10K in Fitchburg, Wis. Although she was one minute slower than her previous time, she officially set the record for ‘fastest known turkey’, running 35:34 for first place in the 10K.

Many Seidel fans were wondering if she would once again dress up like a turkey this year, as she kept it as a secret to her followers until a few days ago, where she announced that she would run another 10K trot, but this time at an official race. The race she chose was the Berbee Derby 10K in Fitchburg, Wis., which is an hour outside of her hometown of Brookfield, Wis. Averaging 3:33 per kilometre in a turkey suit certainly deserves recognition.

The 27-year-old has been on a tear this year, winning a bronze medal in her Olympic debut. She also was the top American female finisher at the 2021 New York Marathon and set an American women’s course record along the way, despite having two broken ribs.

Last year, she ran the turkey trot virtually for one of America’s largest road races, the Peachtree 10K. A few weeks back, Seidel revealed on Chris Chavez’s CITIUS MAG podcast that she will be gearing up to run in the marathon at the World Championships in Eugene, Ore in July 2022.

Manzano has made every U.S. national team for the World Championships or Olympics from 2007 to 2015. What has been some of his challenges of his career? In 2016, he battled pneumonia and it impacted him for a long time. When you have a career as long as his, there are plenty of highs and a few lows. Could we ever see him race a 5,000m? How did he target and approach the American record after running 3:30 at age 30? Manzano’s style has always been to creep up and maneuver his way to the win on the last lap, does he have to change that due to his longevity? Chris Chavez at CITIUS MAG Podcast spoke with Leo recently.