Running News Daily

Mary Moraa 'back to the grind' ahead of tough 2025 season

Mary Moraa has resumed training as she plans to defend her world title amid the rise of strong 800m runners including Keely Hodgkinson and Athing Mu.

Mary Moraa has resumed training ahead of a tough 2025 season where she has a huge task of defending her world title at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

The reigning world champion will battle for the title alongside very formidable 800m runners who have emerged this season. The Commonwealth Games champion lines up against Keely Hodgkinson, Tsige Duguma and Athing Mu alongside other 800m athletes.

Mary Moraa had a mixed season this year and she will be looking to work on the finer things so as to be ready next season. She was off to a great start to her season, winning the 400m at the African Games then anchored the 4x400m mixed relay team to a bronze medal.

The Kenyan 800m star then proceeded to claim the win at the Kip Keino Classic before reigning supreme at the Diamond League Meeting in Doha and finished second at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix and Prefontaine Classic.

Moraa then finished second at the Kenyan Olympic trials and then won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. She bounced back to take the win at the Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne and finished third in Silesia. She won the 600m in a world best time at the ISTAF 2024 and then claimed wins in Zurich and the Diamond League Meeting final in Brussels.

Mary Moraa rounded up her season with a second-place finish at the Athlos NYC. Going back into training, she hopes to polish a lot of things and bounce back stronger to maintain a winning streak in 2025.

“It's about time...back to the grind ?,” Mary Moraa shared in a post on her Facebook page, adding, “Nice morning cruise with Brandon and the gang after a deserved break.”

Her competitors are also not resting on their laurels with Keely Hodgkinson, the reigning Olympic champion, making it clear that she will be going for the world title since it’s one of the titles she has yet to win.

Her coaches, Jenny Meadows and Trevor Painter have also revealed that she will be attacking both the indoor and outdoor world records in the near future.

“There’s no silvers and bronzes, now we have to do gold all the way forward, we don’t want to take any backward step and I just hopefully think that Keely can dominate and we’ve got the indoor world record to go at and in the next couple of years we’ll go after the tough world record. I think she can do it,” Jenny Meadows said.

“If she’s got the leg speed to get closer to her rivals, then they can’t out strength her so it was magic. The indoor one is easier to get than the outdoor but we’ll have a crack of both and see what happens,” Trevor Painter added.

On her part, after a heartbreaking 2024 season marred with injuries and missing out on the Paris Olympic Games, Athing Mu has already started preparation for the 2025 season.

The former world champion noted that the World Championships are her major target for the season and she is working towards making it through the trials and then heading to Tokyo.

“Well, trackwise we have the World Championships in September next year and it’s in Tokyo…first of all I pray we make it through trials and then we make it to that race,” Athing Mu said.

“I feel like it’s going to be a circle moment for me because that’s basically where I started and then I had some highs and lows.”

Noah Lyles younger brother Josephus inspires young athletes in Nigeria

The American sprinter has inspired young athletes in Nigeria by donating running kits to help nurture their talents and pursue their dreams in athletics.

Noah Lyles’ younger brother Josephus Lyles has impacted the lives of young kids in Nigeria by donating running kits as he seeks to build his own legacy.

Through his foundation, Josephus Lyles donated important running gear including canvases, spikes, and other training kits. He made the donations possible through Nigerian athletics coaches Kayode Yaya and coach Osuagwu Chima.

The young kids from the HIT Athletics Club in Benin, Edo State-Nigeria will now train without difficulties thanks to Josephus. Coach Kayode Yaya, who coaches Nigeria’s long jump sensation Ese Brume, was in awe of the kindness show by Noah Lyles’ younger brother.

He explained that the young athletes will certainly be filled with joy following the gesture from the American sprinter and it is proof to them that they have a bright future when it comes to athletics.

"This donation means so much to our young athletes. Josephus’ generosity provides not only equipment but inspiration and hope. He has shown them that their dreams are within reach and that their hard work is recognized, even from across the globe,” Coach Yaya said.

Meanwhile, the donation will be looking to aid the young, talented athletes, who lack access to quality training equipment. This will help them nurture their talent and help them grow in the sport. Coach Yaya explained that the resources will place them in a better position to train with confidence and pursue excellence.

This season, Josephus Lyles missed the Paris Olympic Games as he finished outside the podium bracket in both the 100m and 200m at the US Olympic trials.

In the men’s 100m, he was eliminated in the semifinal after finishing fifth as his brother, Noah Lyles claimed the win. In the semifinal of the 200m, he finished fourth and could not proceed to the final. He rounded up his season in July and has been training since then in preparation for the 2025 season.

Josephus Lyles will be looking to follow in the footsteps of his elder brother Noah Lyles and make it to the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Athing Mu finally opens up on the pain of failing to make US team to Paris 2024 Olympics

Athing Mu reflected on her challenging season, marked by injuries and disappointment at the US Olympic trials, but remains hopeful, trusting in her faith for a major comeback.

Athing Mu has for the first time expressed her emotions after her unfortunate fall at the US Olympic trials earlier this season.

The former Olympic 800m champion got an injury earlier in the season and had to start her campaign at the US Olympic trials. She had been confirmed to open her season at the Prefontaine Classic but had to withdraw due to the injury.

Mu was off to a great start at the trials, finishing third in her heat before winning the semifinal. In the final, the unfortunate happened as she fell down and faded to a ninth-place finish. Athing Mu tried to bounce back at the Holloway Pro Classic but could only afford a fifth-place finish and ended her season there.

Speaking on the Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo show, Athing Mu pointed out that her season turned out awful and it was something she never expected. She was hopeful of defending her title but after the injury, reality started dawning on her that she might the Olympic Games.

However, she felt ready to get back to the track at the US Olympic trials and making it to the final was a confidence booster for her but things did not go as planned in the final.

“Olympic trials were a very tough time and I guess, just this whole in season part of the year has been really tough because a lot of things have happened, leading up and then post-Olympic trials. About six weeks before the Olympic trials, I tore my hamstring and that was the first thing we needed to heal from before going into the Olympic trials,” Athing Mu said.

“When that happened, I was still kind of hopeful about the Olympic trials but I didn’t know what was going to happen but the idea of going and winning was a little bit diminishing because I knew that healing a hamstring was a pretty tough injury to speed up.

“Making it to the Olympic trials was great and I gained a little bit of confidence throughout the rounds and then running the final, super unfortunate, I did not expect that to happen at all. I was absolutely distraught but finishing the race, I can’t really say,” she added.

After the Olympic trials, she dealt with a lot of emotions before finally getting back into training. After a few training sessions in Europe, she got another injury and could not continue with her season.

She revealed that having to end her season in such a way was devastating but she had to trust in her strong faith.

“I actually broke down a little bit and I didn’t know if I could do it and I decided to get myself together and just trust in what the LORD would do at the end of the season. when I went to train in Europe, I got another injury and knew this season was done,” she said.

Jenny Simpson is Retiring after the New York City Marathon and Starting a New Adventure

After concluding a stellar, 20-year career, the Olympic bronze medalist will embark on a 50-state running-infused van-life tour of the U.S. with her husband, Jason, in 2025

Jenny Simpson will go down in the annals of American running as one of the greatest of all time. No question about it.

So as she approaches what is likely the last elite-level race of her long and storied career at the November 3 New York City Marathon, she has nothing to prove, no one to impress, and no specific performance goal that she needs to attain to secure her legacy.

As a four-time global championship medalist in the 1500 meters—including a victory in the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, Diamond League title in 2014, and bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics—Simpson has long been destined to go down as one of the best runners in U.S. history.

Add to that three Olympic appearances, 11 U.S. titles, three NCAA championships, eight top-10 finishes in international championships, eight Fifth Avenue Mile victories, six NCAA records (in six different events), and two American records (in the 3,000-meter steeplechase), and Simpson will rank among American legends for decades to come.

The fact that she’s been earnestly training to finish her career with a strong marathon performance in New York City epitomizes much of what the 38-year-old runner from Boulder, Colorado, has been about during her 20-year career. She’s not necessarily going out on top—that, she says, would have entailed making the U.S. Olympic team in the marathon for the Paris Olympic Games. But she is going out on her terms: focused, tenacious, and relentless to the end. It’s an opportunity afforded to few athletes, and even fewer distance runners.

“When I say I’m feeling good, it’s that I’m really excited for New York and I feel like I have a really, really good sense about my ability to run well,” she says. “I’m not going into it saying I’m gonna set the world on fire and be the top American or run 2:25 on that course. But I just know as good as I feel and as good as the training has gone, I know I’m capable of having a good day, and, most importantly, I have peace about it all.”

But as this chapter of life closes for Simpson, another very exciting one is about to begin, and that one will include quite a bit of running, too. She and her husband, Jason, are planning to embark on a year-long tour of the U.S. in 2025 that will take them—and their two Jack Russell Terriers, Truman and Barkley—to all 50 states while living out a van-life adventure focused on immersing in America’s thriving running culture.

From participating in races and visiting national parks to running iconic routes like Rim to Rim across the Grand Canyon and discovering hidden trails, Jenny and Jason have said their goal is to capture the heartwarming and inspiring essence of the country through the eyes of runners.

“We want to experience the beauty of this country firsthand, meet the incredible people who call it home, and celebrate everything that makes the U.S. so special,” says Jenny Simpson, who has represented the U.S. on the world stage for nearly two decades. “Through this journey, we hope to show that America’s beauty is not just in its landmarks, but in its people and the unique places they live, run, and explore.”

Out of the Ashes

In December of 2021, a devastating wildfire ripped through the south end of Boulder County—including the communities of Marshall, Louisville, and Superior, where it burned more than 1,084 homes and killed two residents and more than 900 pets. Miraculously, it didn’t burn the Simpson’s house—a restored circa-1900 schoolhouse they bought several years ago that was less than a half mile from the fire’s origin—but the house did incur significant smoke damage that needed mitigating.

The Simpsons were displaced and spent several months living in an apartment with little furniture, which forced them to live a rather spartan lifestyle. While Jason was still able to work as a creative director for a design firm, Jenny’s contract hadn’t been renewed by New Balance, and she wasn’t sure what the future held.

During that time, she had been doing a weekly call with her sister, Emily, and Jason’s sister, Annie, to discuss the book Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life, a guide aimed at helping people to reimagine their professional and personal lives. It was through those discussions that Jenny came up with an idea of buying a Winnebago so she and Jason could drive around the country with Truman, who they rescued in 2020 just before the Covid lockdown. (They got Barkley about three years later.)

“My idea was that we can just drive around America and see the place that I’ve had stamped across my chest on my Team USA gear all these years,” she says. “I have been on Team USA, but I really want to know what that means. I’ve raced in some amazing places all around the world, but I really haven’t seen much of our own country. I want to go see the places and the people that I haven’t seen. And then I had this idea of doing a 50 states, 50 weeks tour.”

Jenny told Jason about the idea and he was interested from the start, but it was initially just a fun distraction while Jenny was battling injuries. Jason was so intrigued, though, that he started searching for information about vans online and indulging in YouTube content from a variety of van-life influencers. Eventually, Jenny was healthy and racing on the roads for Puma, ultimately with a quest to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.

A year later, they were still casually talking about the enticing “what if” possibilities of owning a van.

“So by 2023, we were like, ‘What do these vans look like? What do they cost? What kind of different layouts are best?” says Jason, 40, a 20-time marathoner with a 2:18:44 personal best. “And then I got really into the travel influencer YouTube videos and at some point told Jenny, ‘Hey, let’s just go look at them.’ And that led to looking at the timelines of: if we were to do this in 2024 or 2025, what would it take? It takes like a long time to build out the vans, and we are definitely not build-it-yourself van people.”

On Her Own Terms 

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Simpson’s career has been her consistency. She qualified for every U.S. national team on the track between 2007 and 2019. Not only did she put in the work and remain virtually injury-free during that time, but she also raced fiercely and rose to the occasion every single time without a single hiccup in any of her preliminary races. (She also made it to the 1500-meter final of the Covid-delayed U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021 at age 35 after what she admitted was a rough gap in competition during the pandemic.)

For most of that time, she was coached by her University of Colorado coaches Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs. They continued coaching her as she transitioned to road running over the past three years and ultimately to the build-up to the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Orlando, Florida. Although she had brief moments of success on the roads—finishing second in the U.S. 10-mile championship in 2021 and turning in a solid ninth-place, 1:10:35 effort in the Houston Half Marathon in 2023—the first injuries of her career disrupted her training and delayed her debut at 26.2 miles until the Olympic Trials.

Over the past three years, continuing to adhere to the rigid lifestyle needed to keep racing competitively was increasingly met at an internal crossroads of wondering when it would feel OK to retire and move on in life and what that would look like.

“Running the Olympics Trials and then running Boston, I would say those were not successful outings,” Simpson says. “I did the best that I could and I got as prepared as I could, but they weren’t what I had hoped for, neither of them were what I’m capable of. I’m really proud of how I ran in Boston because I ran entirely alone after mile 3, but that’s not how I wanted to end my career.”

After Boston, Jenny still wasn’t ready to retire. But she’d heard the chatter that suggested she could give up the ghost and not try to remain competitive on the roads, knowing her legacy was already secure. After she took some time off to recover and reflect, she knew she wanted to get back into training and target one more race on the biggest stage and settled on the New York City Marathon.

She parted ways with Wetmore and Burroughs in the spring and decided to train on her own, although she’s continually received subtle guidance from Jason, who qualified for and raced in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials in Atlanta. Although he has imparted bits of knowledge to help keep her balanced, Simpson has been following a training plan in her marathon buildup that she designed.

From Best in the U.S. to Across the U.S.

Casual interest in buying a van led to more in-depth investigation and, after what was an otherwise random training run on the dirt roads north of Denver last year, they passed an RV sales lot and decided to take a look. One thing led to another and they put down a small, refundable deposit that would hold a fully appointed 23-foot Winnebago Ekko during what was expected to be nearly a year-long wait until it was built and delivered.

Fast forward to 2024 and Jenny made her marathon debut on February 3 in Orlando, but it didn’t go at all as she had hoped. She had been running among the top 20 early in the race but  eventually dropped out at mile 18. She returned 10 weeks later to run a respectable Boston Marathon in mid-April (she placed 18th overall in 2:31:39 and was the fourth American finisher), and although her effort was commensurate with her inner drive—and some degree of success felt good—she still wasn’t ready to call it a career.

Finally, in April, several days before they were going to travel to Boston, the RV dealership called and told them the van had arrived and they had a week to consider buying it. At that point, Jenny was eager to run Boston to make amends for her Olympic Trials experience, but she was also physically and emotionally fried.

“And I was like, we’re doing it,” she says. “It was the perfect time in the perfect year. Because I was like, ‘I’ve got to get out of here. I’ve got to be done.’ It was killing me. I actually might perish in the middle of the Boston Marathon. I just was so burnt out, and so it was the perfect time for them to call and essentially say, ‘Do you want to drive away into the sunset?’ And I was like, ‘Yes, I do. I really do.’” 

Two days after the Boston Marathon, they paid the remainder of the balance on the van and picked it up, immediately sending them into daydreaming mode about where they wanted to go.

Although their plans are still being formulated, they intend to rent their house and hit the road with the charming dogs in January, officially starting their “Jenny and Jason Run USA” tour in Florida. Along the way, they plan to see numerous sights, host or join at least one fun run in every state, promote dog adoptions by publicizing local humane societies, and create a wide range of engaging social media content on their Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube accounts along the way. Given that their longest stint in the van so far was the six-day trip they took to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming early last summer, they know they’re going to have to learn on the fly and continually adapt. But that’s what an adventure is all about.

“I’ve been nothing but focused on running New York, but I am excited about what’s next,” Jenny said this week. “As I have been tiptoeing toward the idea of being retired from professional running, I don’t know that I’m going to be really great at it or that it’s going to come easily for me. That’s why it’s so wonderful to have a partner in life like Jason because I think he sees that, too. So our goal is to create a lot of time and space to figure that out. I think the year will be kind of interesting and fun and wild and I really don’t know how it’ll end up, and I think that’s really good.”

Approaching the End … and a Beginning

Simpson admits her post-Boston malaise contributed to her having an inconsistent summer of training, in part because she was listening to voices that suggested she should relax and not be so rigid in her approach. When she showed up to run the Beach to Beacon 10K in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, on August 3, she admits she wasn’t very fit, and, as a result, finished a distant 12th in 34:30.

“My Beach to Beacon race was just so bad that it was like validation to me that caring less and trying less doesn’t work for me ever in anything,” she said. “I’m just not that person. It works for some people, but that’s not who I am. I used to joke that when you show up to the track and someone asks, ‘How do you feel?’ I always thought to myself it doesn’t matter how I feel. It’s about doing the work. I always feel like it’s execution over emotion for me all the time and that I have a job to do. I know who I am and I know how I operate, and how I operate is great.”

Simpson got back to work immediately after that race, ramping up her weekly mileage to the 100-mile range in the high altitude environs of Colorado. She says she’s done more than half of her long runs between 8,500 and 10,500 feet, including runs on Magnolia Road above Boulder, Golden Gate Canyon State Park near Golden, and even a loop around the paved Mineral Belt Trail in Leadville.

Her return to rigidity and improved fitness helped bring mental clarity that not only convinced her that she’d be ready to run a strong marathon in New York City, but also brought the revelation that she was ready to admit it was her last race knowing it would allow her to retire on her own terms.

Two months after feeling flat in the 10K, she won the Wineglass Half Marathon on October 5 in Corning, New York, running a near-PR of 1:10:50 (5:24 per-mile pace) as she ran stride-for-stride to the finish line with Jason. (She broke the women’s finisher’s tape for the win, while he ran slightly to the side as the 12th-place men’s finisher and 13th overall.) Now she’s likely in sub-2:30 marathon shape, even though the hilly New York City Marathon course is as equally challenging as Boston in its own way. Jason, meanwhile, will race in the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K the day before the marathon, not only so he can track Jenny on Sunday and meet her at the finish line, but also because he’s running the California International Marathon on December 8.

2025 and Beyond

Simpson arrived in New York City on October 30 healthy, happy, and ready to run hard—definitely not the feeling of holding on for dear life that she felt going into the Olympic Trials and the Boston Marathon. She says she couldn’t be more excited to run through the city’s five boroughs to the finish line in Central Park that she hopes will come with a satisfying result, as well as the beginning of closure to her star-spangled career.

Who knows what’s next after that—Coaching? Law school? A corporate career with a shoe brand? The world seems to be her oyster, but for the time being the cross-country tour might be just what she needs most. She’s excited to detach a bit from the rigid schedule and identity she’s clung to for the past 20 years and enjoy the freedom of the open road. She knows it will be a complete departure from the essence of what she’s all about, and to that point, she’ll likely dig into planning and scheduling early next week even before she recovers from the marathon.

Although she admits she was intrigued while watching some of the top runners finish the Leadville Trail 100 this summer, she says she’s decidedly not interested in running ultras. (However, Jason might be, and Jenny says she’s been keen to pace and crew him.) She might get more into trail running, something she did a little bit early in her University of Colorado career. Or she might even return to road running, but she’s not thinking that far ahead. For now, she’s focused on racing in New York and then continuing to run in 2025—on the magical mystery tour that awaits—and beyond.

“I feel a lot of peace about it, but it’s not like I’m over running. I want to retire so I can do more running and to explore the beautiful country I raced for,” she says. “I wanted to be world class at the marathon, and I’m not. I gave it a good try, and now it’s time to try something else, and I just feel really good about it.”

Nelson, B.C., runner Matti Erickson becomes first Canadian athlete to sign collegiate deal with Nike

University of Oregon middle-distance runner Matti Erickson had a standout 2024 track season, making waves as one of Canada’s top up-and-coming 800m athletes. According to Citius Mag, the 21-year-old from Nelson, B.C. has become the first Canadian track athlete to sign a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal with U.S. sportswear giant Nike, marking a major milestone for Canadian athletes in the NCAA.

Erickson, who’s in his final year with the Oregon Ducks program, has proven his potential over the last three seasons by medalling in the men’s 800m at the Pac-12 championships each year. This deal with Nike allows him to continue competing at the collegiate level while earning compensation through his image and achievements.

This is an opportunity for NCAA athletes that wasn’t available until the NIL rule change in July 2021. While an NIL deal is more limited financially than a professional contract, it offers athletes the best of both worlds: a path to monetizing their name while continuing collegiate competition, plus a foot in the door if they turn professional after college. 

Just after his 2024 NCAA season ended, Erickson clocked a personal best of 1:45.74 at the Portland Track Festival, placing him as the ninth-fastest Canadian man over 800m in history. He followed this by finishing third at the Canadian Olympic Trials, only narrowly missing a spot on Team Canada for Paris, finishing behind Olympic silver medallist Marco Arop and rising star Zakary Mama-Yari.

Securing an NIL deal as an international student isn’t easy. Erickson navigated restrictions around earning income while on a student visa, finding a solution with the support of his coach and agent. His deal represents a breakthrough for other Canadian student-athletes seeking similar opportunities in the U.S. In September, Ceili McCabe of West Virginia University became the first Canadian runner to sign a NIL deal in the NCAA, inking a deal with Swiss brand On.

Faith Kipyegon to receive honorary doctorate degree from University of Eldoret

Faith Kipyegon to receive honorary doctorate from University of Eldoret for remarkable achievements in athletics

Triple Olympic Champion Faith Kipyegon is set to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Education from the University of Eldoret, a recognition that highlights her exceptional contributions to athletics and her inspiring career as a world-class runner.

 The honorary degree will be awarded to Kipyegon during the university's 13th graduation ceremony, scheduled for November 21, 2024.

“Kipyegon is an accomplished middle and long-distance runner and is the reigning 1,500-meter and mile world record holder. 

"Her most notable feat was becoming the first athlete to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 1,500 meters,” the university announced in a statement on Friday.

2024 has indeed been a landmark year for Kipyegon, as she claimed her third Olympic title in the 1,500 meters and broke world records in both the 1,500 meters and the mile, accomplishing these feats within a remarkable 49-day span. 

These achievements have earned her a nomination for the prestigious World Athlete of the Year 2024 award.

In addition to her records, Kipyegon also faced Olympic challenges, notably in the 5,000 meters race, where she was briefly disqualified for alleged obstruction of Ethiopia's world record holder, Gudaf Tsegay. However, the disqualification was successfully appealed by Kenyan officials, and her silver medal was reinstated.

She concluded her 2024 season on a high note, marking another year at the peak of global athletics. 

Entering the Olympic year, Kipyegon held titles as both the 1,500m and 5,000m World Champion and was the 1,500m world record holder. 

Though she began the season with uncertainty due to an injury, she quickly dispelled doubts by taking on 10,000m world-record holder Beatrice Chebet in the 5,000m race at Kenya’s National Olympic trials, winning with a time of 14:46.28.

Faith Kipyegon’s journey continues to inspire young athletes and cement Kenya's legacy in athletics. This honorary doctorate from the University of Eldoret is a tribute to her dedication, resilience, and historic accomplishments.

Bernard Ngeno headlines strong men's field for Boston Half Marathon

Thousands of athletes, including top contenders like Bernard Ngeno and Melknat Wudu, will compete in the Boston Half Marathon on November 10, with elites aiming for records and personal bests.

Thousands of athletes will be looking to make an impression at the Boston Half Marathon on Sunday, November 10.

The men’s race boasts four men who have clocked personal bests under one hour. Headlining the field will be Bernard Ngeno who has a personal best time of 59:07 minutes. Isaac Kipkemboi (Kenya, 59:17), Bravin Kiptoo (Kenya, 59:37) and American Leonard Korir are also some of the headliners of the field.

Bernard Ngeno is fresh from racing at the Principality Cardiff Half Marathon where he finished 15th. He is one of the most decorated road runners and has won eight international half-marathons. On his part, Leonard Korir has represented Team USA at two Olympic Games, including at the Paris Olympic Games.

Others confirmed for the event include Ben Flanagan of Canada and Yemane Haileselassie from Eritrea and they are both familiar with the roads. Flanagan finished second at the 2023 Boston 5K while Haileselassie was third at last year’s Boston Half Marathon.

Others confirmed for the race include Sam Chelanga who was third at the 2012 Boston Half Marathon and seventh last year. Daniel Mesfun finished 15th at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.

The women’s race is headlined by Ethiopia’s Melknat Wudu who is fresh from winning the 10km title and she will be back to make her half marathon debut. Wudu ran 31:15 to win the race and is a two-time World Junior Championships silver medalist on the track.

She will be up against fellow Ethiopians including Mestawat Fikir and Bosena Mulatie, the duo who finished second and third at last month’s Berlin Marathon.

Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat, Ethiopians Fentaye Belayneh and Mebrat Gidey, and Britain’s Calli Hauger-Thackery will also be in the race. Chelangat placed 12th at the 2024 Olympic 10,000m, while Belayneh was runner-up at the Boston Half Marathon in 2023 and she will be out to go one place better.

Gidey placed 10th at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships while Hauger-Thackery set a lifetime best 2:21:24 at the Berlin Marathon this year, finishing seventh.

“Nearly 9,000 athletes will take part in this year’s Boston Half, and at the front of the field will be fan favorites striving for event records and personal bests,” said Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the B.A.A.

“We’re eager to welcome competitors from more than 40 countries to the roads of Boston, ranging from the world’s best to those looking to complete their first half marathon.”

What the elites eat: Marathon Edition

Curious about what elite marathoners eat to fuel their peak performance? From carb-loaded pre-race meals to post-race burger feasts, here’s an inside look at what the elites eat before, during, and after a marathon.

As runners and human beings, we’re naturally curious, slightly nosy people. With information instantly available with the twitch of a finger across our iPhone screens, this curiosity has never been easier to satisfy. Plus, many of our favorite runners are more transparent than ever about their training blocks, pulling back the blinds through social media to show what it takes to be the best. Which is why we’re ever-fascinated by the race-related nutrition strategy of elite runners, who often perform at superhero-like levels.

We asked a few elite marathoners what they eat surrounding race day—pre-race dinner, pre-race breakfast, and post-race celebration—so you don’t have to.

Note: One sentiment echoed among all of the athletes interviewed was that their diets are personal and have gone through lots of trial-and-error to be finessed to their specifications. No lifestyle should be replicated exactly.

Jake Riley

35, Boulder, Colorado

About him: First American and ninth overall finisher in the 2019 Chicago Marathon (2:10:36). Placed second at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon (2:10:02); Finished 28th in Tokyo Olympics marathon (2:16:26). After a second round of double Haglund’s surgery in 2022, he’s back in top form and running the 2024 New York City Marathon on November 3.

The night(s) before a race:

“I start thinking about meals two nights out, and I go carb-heavy on both. For the first night, I like to have Thai food, usually a noodle dish, and a side of rice. The only thing I’ll really avoid is spice since I’ve had issues from it a couple times. The night before, I do pasta, usually a marinara (that’s what a lot of races provide for the elite athletes), but a good pesto sauce works well, too. I mostly stay away from the creamy sauces. I don’t like to get too much more specific—you never know exactly what’s going to be available, so I try not to make particular foods part of my routine.”

Race morning:

“Race mornings I’ll get up at least three hours before (I prefer four, but with 7 to 8 A.M. starts, that becomes a little counter-productive), I’ll go for a short walk with some skipping or something, just to get the body moving. My first choice for breakfast is oatmeal with peanut butter, honey, and a little fruit mixed in. And at least one, usually two cups of coffee. It’s not something to avoid, but I recommend making sure that you have more than just simple carbs (cereal, muffin, etc), I find that if there isn’t at least some protein, I start getting that ‘empty’ feeling during my warmup, and if that mixes with the adrenaline, I feel real queasy. If I’m taking gels, I take one on the start line, maybe five minutes before. I also like Generation UCAN, which I’ll sip as I’m going through my drills, maybe half an hour out.”

During the race: 

“I like to get my calories from gels and have just electrolytes in my bottles. Most major marathons provide drink stations every 5K, and I’ll drink about 8-10 oz of SOS per bottle (there can be splashing, and you never get it all out). I’ll take Roctane gels before every other drink station (every 30 minutes or so).”

Post-race meal: 

“Most races I want a hash—lots of potatoes with some eggs, bacon, cheese, and veggies all mixed up, but after marathons my stomach takes a while to settle down, so I’m more in a lunch mood. So my go-to post-race meal is a big bistro bacon cheeseburger, ideally with an onion ring and barbecue sauce, side of fries, and a beer. I mostly stay away from fried foods during a build up, but I always take at least a week off after a marathon and at this point, that beer and burger is almost a Pavlovian ‘vacation time’ signal for my whole body.”

Sara Hall

41, Flagstaff, Arizona

About her: She’s the fourth-fastest American woman in history based on her personal best (2:20:2) at the 2020 Marathon Project; Second-fastest American female half-marathon runner and former American record-holder (1:07:15). Most recently, she was 18th overall and the women’s master champion in the 2024 Chicago Marathon (2:30:12).

The night(s) before a race:

“Rice with chicken. I skip the veggies to not risk having to make a bathroom stop in the race.”

Pre-race breakfast: 

“Two scoops of UCAN energy powder with whey protein, and a little bit of almond butter.” Bonus, Hall credits her husband, Ryan Hall, as being the best coffee maker, brewing pour-over, medium roast coffee blended with butter.

During the race:

Ketone-IQ—peach flavored.

Post-race meal:

“My favorite post-meal race is Thai food. I’m usually eating a lot of boring food before the race, so I want something spicy and more flavorful after.”

Bonus—Lunch during training blocks:

“Two scoops of UCAN powder, two pieces of gluten-free bread with Kerrygold Butter.”

Nell Rojas

36, Boulder, Colorado

About her: Won the 2019 Grandma’s Marathon and finished ninth in the 2020 U.S. Women’s Olympic Trials Marathon in 2:30:39. She was the top American finisher in the Boston Marathon in 2021 (fifth, 2:27:12, ) and 2022 (10th, 2:25:57). In January, she placed ninth in the Houston Half Marathon in a new personal best of 1:08:52.

The night(s) before a race:

“I always have the same thing. Basically, a couple cups of white rice and a chicken breast is where I tend to fall. White rice is going to fuel the most carbs per serving. I used to mix up potatoes and white rice, but for me, I digest white rice well, I feel better, it’s easy to find, simple, and works well.

I don’t care about spices—and I’m usually not making it myself if I’m not at home. Typically, before races, there’s a pre-race dinner, and chicken is an option. I wouldn’t do any cream-based sauces. If it tastes good, great. If it doesn’t, great. I don’t care.”

Pre-race breakfast: 

“Typically it’s oatmeal with a tablespoon of peanut butter, a banana, and maybe honey. I’m not 100 percent satisfied with my pre-race meal, because sometimes it can feel a bit heavy in my stomach, because oatmeal does have some fiber. So I try to play around with things. Sometimes I’ll do a couple pieces of toast with a banana and peanut butter. I can switch between those two. Try to get 500-600 calories in, mostly from carbs, two-three hours before the race. Plus, I drink coffee with half-and-half.

Post-race meal:

“Immediately after the race, I honestly will grab whatever is available. Typically, after a race, we’ll be shuttled to a post-race holding area where you’re waiting, so there are usually refreshments there. I’ll slam Gatorade—anything with sugar and electrolytes. Maybe there’s my own bottle with Skratch in it. Banana, a protein shake. I’m pretty open, as long as it’s immediate.

And as far as later, it completely depends. I’m trying to do a better job at this—especially after a major marathon—but it kind of takes a while. You might get drug-tested, then shuttled back to your hotel, shower, then six hours later you’re like, ‘I need to eat.’ If it’s a marathon, I love a big burger with fries—the classic stuff, lettuce, tomato, onion, and tons of ketchup and mayo. That’s something my body would crave. Fries are my favorite food ever that I don’t typically eat during a marathon cycle.”

Laura Thweatt

35, Louisville, Colorado

About her: Finished sixth in the 2017 London Marathon (2:25:38), seventh in the 2019 New York City Marathon (2:28:23), eighth in the 2019 Chicago Marathon (2:29:06), eighth in the 2021 New York City Marathon (2:27:00). Most recently, an Achilles injury forced her to pull out of the 2024 Chicago Marathon days before the race.

The night(s) before a race:

“I do 72-hours of carb-loading. So, obviously, in the build to that, carbs are key. Three days out from the race is when I start it. It is always the same. The night before, I have pasta with marinara sauce, and I don’t do a lot of protein with that. I do love angel hair, that’s my go-to. I also like rigatoni. Plus, I’ll have some type of bread and salad.”

Pre-race breakfast: 

“The morning of, I always do a plain bagel and peanut butter with a banana. I’ve done that since high school. And I do an Americano with two shots. I eat that threeish hours out from the race.

During the race:

“I’ll take my first gel 15 minutes before the start of the race. I’ve been all over the place with what I take, but right now, Neversecond. Big fan of their Cola C30 gels. They worked wonders for me during this build. I had some stomach issues earlier in the build with long runs and couldn’t quite figure out what was going on, so I switched up my nutrition during, so never second has been a godsend.”

Post-race meal:

“After the race, it’s hard because usually my stomach is a mess. Not only did you just run really hard for two and a half hours, but you’re taking all this fuel during, so I have a really hard time eating solids immediately after the race. My choice if I can get it is soda. I’m not a big soda drinker, but after a marathon, all I want is a Coke, Sprite, or Ginger Ale. I’m always really thirsty when I finish.

Then later when I feel like eating, I always do a burger (stacked with all the fixings—sometimes adding bacon) and sweet potato fries with ranch. I never opt out of Ranch. Anything I can dip ranch in is a plus for me. And I order a Blue Moon. I’m not a beer drinker, but that’s what I want after a marathon.”

TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon elite field announced for 2024

We are just 10 days away from Canada’s largest race weekend: the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Since 2015, this event has also served as the annual Canadian Marathon Championships. This year’s race will feature everything from former champions and national record holders to rising stars looking to make their mark on the 42.2 km distance.

Here’s your cheat sheet for the men’s and women’s elite fields in Toronto.

Canadian men’s field

Andrew Alexander (Toronto): The 25-year-old former NCAA standout won the 2023 Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon in 62:44. He is coached by Matt Hughes, the Canadian record holder in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, and former Canadian marathoner Dave Reid. Alexander is aiming for a sub-2:10 finish at his hometown marathon.

Thomas Broatch (Vancouver): The reigning Canadian marathon champion. He was the first Canadian across the line last year in his marathon debut (2:16:25). Four months later, Broatch took another shot at the distance, lowering his personal best by more than four minutes at the 2024 Houston Marathon (2:11:54).

Justin Kent (Surrey, B.C.): This will be Kent’s first time competing at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. He ran his PB of 2:13:07 at the 2023 Prague Marathon, earning him a spot on Team Canada’s men’s marathon team for the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

Maxime Leboeuf (Gatineau, Que.): Leboeuf finished third at the 2022 Montreal Marathon in 2:24:25. He’s a former graduate of Queen’s University XC program and an avid cross-country skier.

Kieran McDonald (Halifax): McDonald will be making his marathon debut in Toronto. He ran his half-marathon best of 65:45 at the 2024 Houston Half Marathon in January.

Alex Neuffer (Stratford, P.E.I.): Neuffer ran his PB of 2:21:34 at the 2022 Boston Marathon, finishing as one of the top Canadians. He’s a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University’s XC program and a training partner of Kieran McDonald (see above). 

Thomas Nobbs (Vancouver): The 25-year-old will be running his second-career marathon in Toronto. He made his debut in Philadelphia last fall, running 2:19:13. Nobbs finished just off the podium at the 2024 Canadian 10K Championships, in 29:31. He also finished second at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Winnipeg in June.

Sergio Ráez Villanueva (Mississauga, Ont.): Ráez Villanueva has competed at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon for the last two years. He set his best of 2:18:04 here in 2022 (his marathon debut). Ráez Villanueva is self-coached and also coaches youth athletes in his hometown of Mississauga.

Tristan Woodfine (Cobden, Ont.): Coached by former Canadian Olympic marathoner Reid Coolsaet. Woodfine won the half marathon here in 2022. He has the fastest time among Canadian men in the field, with a PB of 2:10:39 from Houston earlier this year.

International men’s field

Elvis Cheboi (Kenya): Cheboi ran his personal best of 2:09:20 to win the 2023 Toronto Waterfront Marathon. (Reigning champion)

Mulugeta Uma (Ethiopia): Uma ran 2:05:33 to win the 2024 Paris Marathon in April. He has the fastest personal best in the men’s field.

Abdi Fufa (Ethiopia): Fufa finished just off the podium at the 2024 Dubai Marathon in January (2:06:23). He ran his PB of 2:05:57 at the Siena Marathon in 2021 (where he was second). The 29-year-old is looking for his first marathon win.

Hailu Zewdu (Ethiopia): The 29-year-old ran his PB of 2:06:31 at the Dubai Marathon in 2020. He has not broken 2:09:00 in his six marathons since.

Gizealew Ayana (Ethiopia): Ayana is the youngest elite athlete in the field–he’s only 21. He ran his PB of 2:07:15 to win the 2023 Paris Marathon in his debut at the distance.

Domenic Ngeno (Kenya): The 26-year-old is the fastest Kenyan marathoner in the Toronto field. He won the 2024 L.A. Marathon in March in 2:11:01. Ngeno’s PB of 2:07:26 was from a podium finish at the 2023 Eindhoven Marathon in the Netherlands.

Noah Kipkemboi (Kenya): A veteran of the marathon distance. The 31-year-old has competed at more than 10 marathons in his career. He podiumed at the Enschede Marathon earlier this year, with a time of 2:09:06. 

Brian Kipsang (Kenya): Kipsang arrives in Toronto fresh off a personal best at the 2024 Milan Marathon in March, where he placed second in 2:07:56. The 30-year-old has finished in the top five at three of his last four races. 

Abe Gashahun (Ethiopia): Gashahun has the fastest half-marathon personal best in the field of 59:46. He’s had success at shorter distances and cross country, but it hasn’t yet translated to the marathon. The 26-year-old ran 2:08:51 earlier this year in Saudi Arabia.

Sydney Gidabuday (U.S.A.): Former member of Adidas Tinman Elite Track Club in Colorado. Gidabuday made his marathon debut on Canadian soil at the 2023 Ottawa Marathon, where he finished ninth. His PB of 2:14:34 was run at the hilly NYC Marathon in 2023.

Yusuf Nadir (U.S.A.): Personal best of 2:15:27 from the 2023 Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn. He finished 25th at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February.

Aidan Reed (U.S.A.): Also made his marathon debut at the 2023 Ottawa Marathon–2:20:23. Reed ran collegiately at Southern Utah University, following in the footsteps of Canadian marathon record holder Cam Levins.

Canadian women’s field

Kate Bazeley (St. John’s, N.L.): The 40-year-old ran her PB of 2:36:35 in Toronto in 2019. Earlier this year, Bazeley represented Team Canada at the World XC Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Anne-Marie Comeau (Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que.): The 2018 Canadian (winter) Olympian ran her marathon best of 2:34:51 in Toronto last year, crossing the line as the second Canadian woman.

Asia Dwyer (Toronto): Dwyer ran her personal best of 2:42:45 at the 2023 Toronto Waterfront Marathon last fall. She told Canadian Running in an interview for the November/December 2024 issue of the print magazine that she is looking to smash her previous best.

Rachel Hannah (Port Elgin, Ont.): Hannah was the top Canadian finisher at the 2024 Ottawa Marathon in May. She won a bronze medal for Canada at the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto. She ran her personal best of 2:32:09 was at the 2016 Houston Marathon.

Liza Howard (Toronto): Howard told Canadian Running in an interview that her goal is to reach the podium and run a personal best. Howard ran her current personal best of 2:35:29 at the 2022 Chicago Marathon. She has unofficially broken the Canadian women’s 50K record, twice, in her marathon build for this race.

Erin Mawhinney (Hamilton): The 28-year-old runner will be making her marathon debut in Toronto. She is coached by two-time Canadian Olympian Reid Coolsaet. She broke the tape at the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon last year, running a PB of 1:13:50.

Melissa Paauwe (Calgary). Paauwe is carrying the pride of Calgary into Toronto. She ran her PB of 2:41:12 at the 2023 Chicago marathon, and finished as the top Canadian.

Leslie Sexton (Markham, Ont.): Sexton returns to Toronto to run her hometown marathon. She said she will be trying to qualify for Worlds in Tokyo next year. She set her PB of 2:28:14 at the 2024 Houston Marathon this year, but missed the Olympic standard by two minutes.

Natasha Wodak: (Vancouver) started her marathon career here in 2013 but has not returned until this year; has never won the championship. Her PB of 2:23:12 from the 2022 Berlin Marathon stands as the current Canadian record.

International women’s field

Waganesh Mekasha (Ethiopia): Has a personal best of 2:22:45  from the 2019 Dubai Marathon. The 32-year-old Ethiopian won the 2023 Ottawa Marathon and finished second in Toronto last fall, with a time of 2:23:12.

Afera Godfay (Ethiopia): Godfay finished third behind compatriots Buze Diriba and Mekasha (see above) last year. She has a personal best of 2:22:41 and has finished in the top five in four of her last five marathons.

Roza Dejere (Ethiopia): The 27-year-old Ethiopian has the fastest personal best in the women’s field (2:18:30). She finished fourth in the women’s marathon at the Tokyo Olympic Games. She comes to Toronto as a threat to the course record of 2:22:16, which was set in 2019.

Meseret Gebre (Ethiopia): Gebre hasn’t raced since Toronto last fall, where she finished seventh in 2:29:54. She set her PB of 2:23:11 to win the Barcelona Marathon in 2022.

Valentina Matieko (Kenya): One of two Kenyan women in the international elite field. Matieko comes to Toronto fresh off a personal best earlier this year at the Paris Marathon in April (2:24:21).

Lydia Simiyu (Kenya): Simiyu ran her PB of 2:25:10 earlier this year at the Rome Marathon. She served a six-month doping suspension in 2022 after she tested positive for chlorthalidone after the Poznan Half Marathon in Poland.

Rediet Daniel (Ethiopia): Two top-five finishes in her three professional marathon starts. The 24-year-old Ethiopian ran her personal best of  2:26:25 at the 2024 Doha Marathon in February.

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, to be held on Oct. 20, is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has also served as the Athletics Canada marathon championship and Olympic trials.

Six American runners to watch in the 2024 Chicago Marathon

Excitement is building for this year’s Chicago Marathon that takes place on Sunday 13 October. Once again, a stellar field has been assembled including some of the best American runners operating today. Read on to find out which US athletes will compete in the 2024 Chicago Marathon. 

It’s been seven years since the last American was victorious in the Chicago Marathon, with Galen Rupp crowned winner of the men’s race in 2017. In the women’s race, you need to go back almost 20 years to find the last US winner, when Deena Kastor became the first female American to claim victory on the streets of Chicago in almost a decade.

But with this year’s Chicago Marathon just days away, a strong group of elite American runners will take on the challenge of the 42.195km race, bringing with them experience, pedigree and the hopes of a nation as they battle for glory on home soil.

Read on to discover the top American athletes competing in the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

Top Americans in the 2024 Chicago Marathon women’s race

Keira D’Amato

Keira D'Amato, the former fastest female American runner of all time, has an exceptional track record in long-distance events. The 39-year-old still holds the fastest US women’s time in the half marathon at 1:06:39, set in the Gold Coast, Australia in 2023, while her best in the 42.195km race is an impressive 2:19:12, which she achieved in Houston in 2022.

This year, D’Amato will have speedy support by her side, as she revealed her pacer for the Chicago Marathon will be none other than Rio 2016 Olympic 1500m gold medallist Matthew Centrowitz. Can the addition to her race-day crew catapult D’Amato to glory in the Windy City? All will be revealed on Sunday.

Betsy Saina

Born in Kenya, Betsy Saina has since received her US citizenship and will be one of the favourites to hold the title of fastest American in this year’s Chicago Marathon women’s race. Saina became a mother in 2021 but has gone from strength to strength since then, becoming the fastest female American marathoner in 2023. While her dreams of making the Olympic team for Paris 2024 were not realised, she comes into this year’s Chicago Marathon showpiece with one of the fastest times among all US runners with a personal best of 2:19:17 set at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon.

Sara Hall

A fan favourite and former American marathon record holder, Sara Hall has vast experience in elite marathon running, which includes a third-place finish in the 2021 Chicago Marathon.

Perhaps her most memorable performance was in the 2021 London Marathon where she produced a stunning all-out sprint finish to claim second-place in Britain’s capital.

At 41 years old, Hall will be among the older members of the elite field but she is showing few signs of slowing down. She finished fifth in the 2024 Olympic marathon trials and in April this year ended the Boston Marathon as the second-fastest American finisher in a time of 2:27:58.

Top Americans in the 2024 Chicago Marathon men’s race

Zach Panning

During the US marathon trials for the last Olympics, Zach Panning sent the crowd into a frenzy with a courageous run where he led from the front for almost three-quarters of the race. Panning eventually fell off the pace to finish the trials in sixth place, with only the top three nominated for the team.

However, the fearlessness of the 29-year-old, who holds a personal best of 2:09:28, makes him one of the most exciting runners in the field.

Brian Shrader

Following his 10th-place finish in the 2024 London Marathon, Brian Shrader is back on home soil hoping to impress on the streets of Chicago, where he finished 11th last year in a personal best time of 2:09:46.

While a DNF in the Olympic trials shattered Shrader’s dreams of going to Paris 2024 he enters this race with real aspirations of finishing as the top American and perhaps challenging the front-runners in the elite men’s race.

CJ Albertson

Perhaps best known for his exploits over distances that trickle into the category of ultrarunning, CJ Albertson’s pace over the legendary 42.195km distance makes him one of the top three American men in the Chicago Marathon field.

The former world record holder over 50km enters Sunday’s race with a best marathon time of 2:09:53 set at the 2024 Boston Marathon, where he finished seventh.

Albertson finished fifth in the 2024 Olympic trials but his recent form shows just why he is one of the most talked-about US athletes operating in the marathon today.

What does “trust your training” really mean?

Learning to trust your training can boost your confidence and help you crush your next race.

Trust your training” is a phrase runners hear often, but what does it actually mean? We’re here to explain why trusting your training matters and how you can learn to do it.

For many, it’s easier said than done, especially when doubts creep in before a big race. Trusting your training isn’t just about following a plan or completing workouts; it’s about building confidence in the process and believing in yourself. Jeff Gaudette, a track and field coach and professional runner from Biddeford, Maine, recently shared how not trusting your training can sabotage even the best-laid plans, and his mistakes can help you succeed.

Have faith in your fitness

One of the biggest challenges runners face is doubting their own fitness, especially on race day. Gaudette recalls his own struggle before an important 10K race, when, despite months of solid preparation, he lost faith the night before his event. Looking at the list of elite competitors, his confidence evaporated. Instead of sticking to his strategy, he panicked and abandoned his plan mid-race, resulting in his slowest 10K finish ever.

The lesson here? Believe in the work you’ve put in. As Gaudette explains, to consistently perform well, “you need unwavering belief in your fitness and your race plan.” When doubts arise, don’t let others’ fitness or race-day nerves derail your strategy. Trust the miles you’ve logged, the hard intervals you’ve done and the plan you’ve created for race day, to bring you success.

Trust your training plan or coach

It’s not just your own fitness you need to trust—it’s your coach or training plan too. Many runners, as Gaudette notes, get caught in the trap of thinking more mileage or faster workouts will yield better results. But this mindset can backfire. After a disappointing race, Gaudette’s coach recommended he take time off to recover. Instead, Gaudette ignored the advice and kept pushing. The result? A string of poor performances and deep frustration.

The takeaway is clear: if you’ve committed to a coach or a structured training plan, trust the process. Runners often get distracted by advice from friends or online forums, but Gaudette reminds us that most reputable plans are backed by solid physiological principles. Overtraining or adding extra workouts is a recipe for disaster. Let go of the fear that you’re not doing enough and trust that your coach or plan is setting you up for success.

Believe in yourself

Perhaps the hardest part of trusting your training is trusting yourself. It’s easy to fall into the mindset of thinking that being tough means pushing through every run, even when your body is tired or on the verge of injury. But, as Gaudette learned the hard way, this mentality can be damaging. While preparing for the 2008 Olympic Trials, he ignored his body’s signals, trying to train through illness. Instead of taking time to recover, he kept pushing—and ended up too injured to perform well.

The lesson? “Trust yourself to listen to your body when it’s tired or injured,” says Gaudette. Recovery is as important as training, and taking a few days off won’t ruin your fitness. In fact, it’s a sign of mental strength to recognize when you need a break. Don’t become a slave to your training schedule—be flexible, and trust your body to guide you.

Trusting your training is more than just a mantra—it’s an essential part of running success, whether it’s believing in your fitness, your coach or yourself, having faith in the process will help you stay calm and focused when race day arrives. The next time you toe the line, remember: you’ve done the work, and now it’s time to trust it.

Emma Bates will return for the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

American marathoner Emma Bates will return for the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon after finishing 13th in last year's race.

Bates finished 13th in last year's Chicago Marathon, running 2:25:04. However, she partially tore her plantar fascia in the process of that race, setting her back and forcing her to withdraw from the U.S. Olympic Trials in February.

Bates' bounceback from her plantar fascia tear has been solid. She's run one race since then, finishing 12th in the 2024 Boston Marathon in April. She ran 2:27:14 and finished as the top American in the race.

This will be Bates' fourth Chicago Marathon of her career. She finished fourth in 2019, running 2:28:19. In 2021, she finished second, running 2:24:20.

Her marathon best comes from the 2023 Boston Marathon, where she ran 2:22:10; Bates is the second-fastest woman in Boston Marathon history.

'Taking my spikes off for the final time' – American sprinter Morolake Akinosun announces retirement at 30

Olympic gold medalist Morolake Akinosun announces her retirement at 30 after an illustrious career in track and field.

American sprinter Morolake Akinosun has announced her retirement from professional track and field at the age of 30.

The 2016 Olympic gold medalist and World Champion in the 4x100 meter relay bids farewell to a sport in which she has thrived for over a decade, leaving behind a legacy filled with victories, resilience, and a clear sense of purpose for her next chapter in life.

Akinosun, who earned international acclaim as part of Team USA's winning relay squad in the Rio 2016 Olympics, took to social media to confirm the news.

Akinosun, who earned international acclaim as part of Team USA's winning relay squad in the Rio 2016 Olympics, took to social media to confirm the news.

In a candid reflection on her career and her decision to retire, Akinosun shared that she felt a deep sense of peace about her decision following the 2024 Olympic Trials.

"Following the 2024 Olympic Trials, I had an overwhelming feeling and sensation immediately after that I was done. It felt so clear to me," she said as quoted by Citius Mag.

The Nigerian-born sprinter revealed that she prayed for clarity and soon found herself on a new path, meeting influential figures like Michael Johnson and Steve Gera.

Just a month later, she was headed to Paris to work as a consultant with Grand Slam Track and soon after joined the company full-time.

Akinosun’s track journey began with success at a young age, clinching gold medals in the 100 meters and 200 meters events at the 2011 AAU Junior Olympics.

She then ascended to the national stage as the 2013 USA Junior Champion in the 100 meters and silver medalist in the 200 meters.

Her collegiate career was equally groundbreaking, as she became only the second woman in history to score in four events at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in consecutive seasons.

Akinosun's true breakout on the global stage came when she won gold at the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto, setting the stage for her Olympic glory in 2016 and her World Championship triumphs.

She was part of the victorious 4x100m relay team at the 2017 World Championships in London and added a bronze medal from the 2019 World Championships in Doha to her extensive medal haul.

Despite her incredible success, Akinosun recognized early on the need to plan for life after track.

Outside of her athletic career she has already made a mark in the world of media and event management.

“I don’t know if anyone ever knows exactly what they want to do when they’re done,” Akinosun admitted.

“But I did start dabbling in other things to figure out what life could possibly look like for me post-track and field.”

Two-time Olympian Natasha Wodak to race TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

This will be the first appearance at the race in 11 years for the Canadian record holder.

Canada’s fastest-ever female marathoner, Natasha Wodak, has revealed her fall marathon plans. The Vancouver native, who is a two-time Olympian, will line up for the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Oct. 20, which doubles as both a World Athletics Elite Label event and the Canadian Marathon Championship. This will mark Wodak’s first appearance at this race in 11 years.

“I thought, Why don’t I go run the Canadian Marathon Championships in Toronto?” said Wodak. “I haven’t been there in 11 years, and that’s where I started this marathon journey. It’s an Asics event, I’m the Canadian record holder, and I haven’t won the Canadian Marathon Championship. I just really wanted to run in my country, surrounded by friends and family.”

Despite a challenging year where she missed qualification for the Paris Olympics, Wodak’s setbacks continue to fuel her world-class performances at 42. In 2023, she withdrew from the London Marathon after falling ill just days before the race, and later placed 15th at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she had hoped to achieve the Paris Olympic standard of 2:26:50. She also faced difficulties at the 2024 Houston Marathon, where a hamstring strain derailed her run. Although initially disappointed about not making her third Olympic team, Wodak was optimistic about the opportunities ahead.

“The Olympics is special for a reason—it’s very hard to get there!” she reflected. “I didn’t make it this time around, but I had a fun journey trying, and other doors have opened. I got to do the CBC broadcast for the women’s Olympic marathon, which was an amazing opportunity.”

Unsure of her fall racing plans, Wodak had initially considered targeting the national half-marathon record at the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon, but decided to switch to the full marathon after consulting with her coach, Trent Stellingwerf.

Winning the Canadian Marathon Championships could also help Wodak qualify for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo next September, by earning her World Athletics points. “If I win and run decently in Toronto, it’s really good points, and I might not need to run the standard (2:23:30),” she explained. “I could possibly run a marathon in Japan in early March.”

The qualifying window for the marathon at the 2025 World Athletics Championships opened on Nov. 5, 2023. So far, no Canadian athletes have achieved the women’s standard of 2:23:30 or the men’s standard of 2:06:30. Wodak holds the Canadian marathon record at 2:23:12.

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, to be held on Oct. 20, is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has also served as the Athletics Canada marathon championship and Olympic trials.

Hillary Bor sets national record at the New Haven 20K, Keira D’Amato wins women’s race

Two-time Olympian Hillary Bor fell in the U.S. Olympic Trials in the steeplechase and did not make it to Paris.

Neither did Keira D’Amato, who dropped out of the Olympic Marathon Trials after running with

Hilary Bor and Keira D'Amato won USATF national titles in the 20K Monday by winning the men's and women's races at the 47th Faxon Law New Haven Road Race.Bor finished the 20K (12.4 miles) race in 58 minutes, 9 seconds, while D'Amato crossed the finish line in 1:06:25.

Bor's time set the national championship record. He pulled away from Nathan Martin (58:26), Biya Simbassa (59:29) and Aidan Reed (58:31).

Bor, from Colorado, was a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic team and competed in the steeple chase.

D’Amato, from Virginia, also won the Faxon Law New Haven 20K in 2022 when she set the course record. She held off Jess McClain (1:06.50), Savanah Berry (1:07:03) and Annie Frisbie (1:07:19).  

Both earned the Ryan Shay Memorial Award, given annual in honor of the 2004 Faxon Law New Haven Road Race winner who died while participating in the 2007 Olympic Trials Marathon in New York City. The award is presented in recognition of Shay’s hard work and dedication to the sport, as well as longtime support of the New Haven Road Race, which he ran four times. 

Connecticut's top finisher in the male division was West Hartford's Grant O'Connor, who placed 23rd in 1:02:54. The top state performer in the female division was Glastonbury's Alyssa Natario, whose time of 1:14:41 was 13th.

Other Connecticut residents to place in the top 25 in the female division were: Fairfield's Megan Connolly, Wallingford's Katie Overstrum, Woodbridge's Laura Pierce, Manchester's Olivia Mondo, Colchester's Alayna Bigalbal and East Lyme's Rebecca Snielson

The race, which drew more than 5,000 participants, also included a 5K, half marathon, half marathon relay and kid's fun run.

Benjamin MacDonald of Susbury, Mass. won the half marathon in 1:10:01, with Tabea Themann of Hamburg, Virginia winning the female division in 1:18:11. Westport's Clare Kutnick was second in the division in 1:21:48.

Prospect's Colin Slavin won the 5K title in 15:31 for the men, while Milford's Courtney Kitchen won the female division in 17:46.

U.S. Olympians highlight field in 2024 Faxon Law New Haven Labor Day Road Race

Three U.S. Olympians highlight a competitive field set to run on Labor Day in the Faxon Law New Haven Road Race, the host of the USA Men's and Women's 20K Championship.

There's one Olympian competing in the women's field: Rachel Smith represented America at the Tokyo Olympics in the 5,000 meters and became this year's 15K National Champion.

Jess McClain finished fourth at this year's Olympic Trials Marathon.Virginia's Keira D'Amato leads the women's field. She set the course record when she won the race in 2022.

The 2021 race champion, Erika Kemp, will also be competing.

Moving over to the men's field, there are two runners with Olympic appearances. Woody Kincaid represented the U.S. in the last two Olympics. He ran the 10,000 meters in Paris and the 5,000 meters in Tokyo. This marks Kincaid's first 20K.

Hillary Bor is the other Olympian. He represented America in the 2016 Steeplechase. Another challenger will be Sam Chelanga, who has finished in the top three in five appearances in New Haven's 20K. Also competing is West Hartford's Ben Lanza, who is one of Connecticut's top distance runners.

The female and male 20K winners will receive the Ryan Shay Memorial Award. Shay passed away while participating in the 2007 Olympic Trials Marathon in New York City. The award is in recognition of Shay’s hard work and dedication to the sport, as well as longtime support of the New Haven Road Race.

"We're very excited about having many of the country's top runners compete in New Haven," said John Tolbert, Elite Athlete Coordinator in a release. "We have very deep Men’s and Women’s race fields. With a cool day, the men’s and women’s 20K American records could be in jeopardy.”

Labor Day is Sept. 2. The race will begin on the New Haven Green. The Kids Fun Run starts at 8:10 a.m. The 20K, Half Marathon and 5K all start at 8:30 a.m.

World half bronze medalist Kamulu and Tokyo olympic marathon trials winner Nakamura take humid Hokkaido Marathon

2018 World Half Marathon Championships bronze medalist Pauline Kamulu Kaveke and Tokyo Olympics marathon trials winner Shogo Nakamura survived tough conditions, 22˚C at the start with 82% humidity, sunny skies and almost no wind, to take the 2024 Hokkaido Marathon Sunday in Sapporo.

Both running their debuts, Kamulu and Shiho Tachizako ran steadily around 2:28-flat pace surrounded by a group of amateur men, staying together until just before 30 km when Tachizako started to fade. Kamulu struggled with the hot conditions late in the race and could only watch the clock as sub-2:30 slipped away, looking very tired as she crossed the finish line in 2:31:04.

Tachizako faded to 2:33:47 for 2nd, but even that was good enough to easily beat the rest of the field, with last year's 2nd-placer Ayano Ikeuchi 3rd in 2:35:26 in her third marathon so far this year.

Nakamura had said pre-race that he didn't care about time and was only focused on getting in the win, and that was exactly how he ran, ignoring the early action and staying near the front of the main pack until he made his initial move at 30 km.

That got rid of the pretenders, with only 2:08~2:10 men Takeshi Soma, Atsumi Ashiwa and Masaru Aoki, and 2:18 amateur Ryuichi Yoshioka getting back on board. Soma countered with an attack after 34 km, but Nakamura quickly reeled him back in and made his real move with 5 km to go.

Yoshioka was the only one to try to follow, but it was all Nakamura the rest of the way, scoring his first win since his Olympic trials victory in 2019 with a 2:15:36 for 1st. Yoshioka was elated in the home stretch with a 2:16:28 for 2nd, a 2-minute PB and the only runner male or female in the top 10 to PB. Nakamura's toughest competition still standing when he dropped his big move, Ashiwa out kicked Soma and Aoki for 3rd in 2:16:40.

Osaka Marathon winner Kiyoto Hirabayashi ran Hokkaido as a training run, jogging in to a 70th-place finish in 2:41:19. The next-fastest man on paper after Hirabayashi with a 2:07:58 win in Beppu-Oita in February, Japan-based Ethiopian Derese Workneh was a DNF near 30 km.

'What has he done to deserve it?' - Why Noah Lyles will not put up his Olympic gold medal in prospective challenge against Tyreek Hill

Lyles has dismissed the idea of betting on his gold medals as well as Hill's NFL rings, citing he is "not interested" as the war of words between the two over who is faster continue.

American sprint sensation Noah Lyles has firmly declined the idea of using his Olympic gold medal as a wager in a potential race against NFL star Tyreek Hill.

 Lyles, who recently clinched the gold in the 100 meters at the Paris Olympics, is open to racing Hill, but only on his terms—over the 100-meter distance, widely recognized as the definitive race for determining the fastest man on the planet.

The public feud between Lyles and Hill began after the Miami Dolphins wide receiver took aim at Lyles over comments he made in 2023, criticizing American sports leagues for referring to their champions as "world champions."

Hill, in an interview with Kay Adams, was quick to dismiss Lyles’ opinion, especially after the sprinter’s bronze medal finish in the 200 meters, where he tested positive for COVID-19 after the race.

“Noah Lyles can’t say nothing after what just happened to him,” Hill said during the podcast. “Pretend like he’s sick, I feel like that’s horseradish. So for him to do that and say that we’re not world champions of our sport, come on, bruh. Just speak on what you know about, and that’s track.”

Hill later escalated the tension by challenging Lyles to a 50-yard dash, boldly claiming he would come out on top. “I would beat Noah Lyles,” Hill asserted. “I wouldn’t beat him by a lot, but I would beat Noah Lyles.”

Lyles, however, was unimpressed by Hill’s challenge and made it clear during a Wednesday interview on the Dan Patrick Show that his Olympic gold medal is off the table.

“What has he earned to deserve that status?” Lyles asked rhetorically. “He plays football and is a great football player, but you do not get to jump the line because you think you are fast. There are tons of those people out there.”

When asked if he would be interested in one of Hill’s NFL rings as a wager, Lyles was dismissive. “I do not want a Super Bowl ring. I am very content with my Olympic medals,” he stated.

Lyles also doubled down on the conditions for any potential race, stating that it would have to be in the 100 meters or not at all. “Again, I’m not here to do gimmicks,” Lyles told NBC News. “You want to challenge me, ‘the world’s fastest man,’ if you want to challenge that, you have to challenge that in his event.”

Lyles further referenced NFL wide receiver DK Metcalf’s attempt to compete in the 100 meters, noting that Metcalf had the courage to face sprinters on the track in a legitimate event. 

In May 2021, Metcalf ran the 100 meters in 10.36 seconds at the USATF Golden Games and Distance Open, finishing ninth in his heat. While he didn’t qualify for the Olympic Trials, Metcalf’s effort was praised by Lyles as a serious attempt to prove his speed.

“Any time someone fast comes up, he would try to race them. If he really wanted to race people, he would’ve showed up like DK Metcalf,” Lyles said in a separate interview on Night Cap.

“The man [Hill] dodges smoke. I don’t got time for that. He’s challenging me. We’re racing in the 100, we can race. If he’s truly serious about it. If he’s truly serious about it, and I’m not talking about you’re just talking on the internet … you’ll see me on the track.”

US sprinter Erriyon Knighton haunted as AIU appeal decision on doping case

AIU appeals the decision clearing sprinter Erriyon Knighton of doping charges, questioning the ruling that allowed him to compete.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following the controversial decision to clear American sprinter Erriyon Knighton of any wrongdoing after he tested positive for the banned substance trenbolone earlier this year.

Knighton, 20, one of the rising stars in track and field, tested positive for trenbolone in March, a substance commonly used to promote muscle growth in livestock.

The positive test came as a shock to the athletics community, casting a shadow over the young athlete's burgeoning career.

However, in a ruling on June 19, an independent arbitrator determined that Knighton had "more than likely" ingested the substance through contaminated meat, which is legally used in beef production in the United States.

The arbitrator's decision cleared Knighton to compete in the United States Olympic trials in Oregon, where he went on to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

The ruling was met with mixed reactions, with some applauding the decision as a fair judgment, while others expressed concern over the potential implications for the sport's integrity.

In a statement that provided little detail on the specifics of the appeal, the AIU said:

"This appeal is against the decision of an arbitration tribunal in the United States that the Athlete established No Fault or Negligence after USADA brought charges against the Athlete for the Presence of epitrenbolone and Use of trenbolone."

The appeal comes after the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) chose not to impose a suspension on Knighton, attributing his positive test to contaminated meat.

This decision allowed the young sprinter to participate in the Olympic qualifiers, leading to his appearance at the Paris Olympics.

USADA chief executive Travis Tygart defended the ruling, stating, "Justice has been served following Knighton's clearance."

Despite this, the AIU's decision to take the matter to CAS indicates ongoing concerns about the integrity of the ruling and the broader implications for anti-doping efforts in athletics.

Adding to the controversy, Knighton’s behavior after the men’s 200-meter final at the Paris Olympics raised eyebrows.

Despite finishing fourth, Knighton was conspicuously absent from the mandatory mixed zone interviews with the media.

His absence was notable, especially when contrasted with his teammate Kenneth Bednarek, who won the silver medal and addressed reporters openly.

Even Noah Lyles, who had tested positive for COVID-19, made a masked appearance to discuss his experiences.

The athletics world now waits with bated breath as the case moves to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where a final decision will determine whether Knighton’s name will be cleared or if he will face sanctions that could derail his promising career.

This 31-Year-Old Runner Is a Mom and an Olympian

Buoyed by her faith, motherhood, and family, Marisa Howard never relinquished her dream of becoming an Olympian

As a young girl, Marisa Howard dreamed about becoming an Olympian one day. But her focus was on another Olympic sport, gymnastics. She had no idea what the 3,000-meter steeplechase even was.

She also had no idea she’d be a mom when the dream actually came true.

Over the last two decades, Marisa, 31, has gone through numerous highs and lows, near-misses, injuries, a lack of sponsor support, and joyful life changes—most notably giving birth to son, Kai, in 2022. But the steeplechaser from Boise, Idaho, never let go of the dream. Relying on her faith, a strong family support system, and the frugal but full life she shares with her husband, Jeff, the dream came true on June 27 with a third-place finish in the steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

After chipping away at her craft for three Olympic cycles,  Marisa ran the race of her life—finishing with a 15-second personal best of 9 minutes and 7.14 seconds—to earn a spot on Team USA.

Her dream of running for Team USA in the Olympics officially materialized on August 4 when she lined up to race in the prelims of the 3,000-meter steeplechase in Paris. She ran with the lead pack in her heat as long as she could, but with two laps to go she slid to seventh and finished in that position in 9:24.78, missing the chance to advance to the August 6 final by two places and about seven seconds.

“I think it just becomes a lot more real when you see people that have been kind of knocking on the door for years and finally break through. It’s like, ‘Wow, we’re human and we can do it.’ Dreams do come true,” Marisa said. “I was six or seven or eight years old when this Olympic dream was born, and I plan on competing until he’s that age, hopefully, to show him what it’s like to do hard things and chase your dreams. I think it’ll be cool in 10 years when I show Kai these videos and be able to tell him, “Look at what Mommy did when you were two.”

In between making the team in late June and arriving in Paris in late July, Marisa’s life returned to normal—as if being a mom with a 2-year-old is ever normal, or at least consistent, on a day-to-day basis. That month included rough bouts of stomach flu for her and her son, the continued day-to-day management of Kai with Jeff, juggling workouts with childcare help from family and friends, reestablishing normal sleep patterns for everyone, and of course, finalizing travel plans to get the family to Paris.

It all came with a humbling reminder of the perspective that has been the bedrock of Marisa’s postpartum revival as an athlete.

“The day after I qualified, we were driving back home to Idaho and we were all tired. Kai was exhausted and screaming in the car, and I told my husband, ‘He doesn’t care that I’m an Olympian, he just wants food and sleep and, really, I’m just mom,’” she said. “It’s humbling—there’s nothing more humbling than taking care of your sick baby—and I think as a parent, we’re humbled every single day, and we come up short sometimes despite doing the best we can, but I’m thankful that there’s grace and forgiveness. I think it makes those high moments so much sweeter.”

Marisa is part of a new wave of elite runners that aren’t putting their family plans on hold due to their career, and one of several moms who competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Stephanie Bruce raced the 10,000 meters just nine months postpartum after giving birth to her daughter, Sophia, in September 2023, while Kate Grace ran strong preliminary and semifinal 800-meter races to advance to the final of that event just 15 months after giving birth to son, River, in March 2023.

Elle St. Pierre gave birth to her son, Ivan, at about the same time, and returned to racing six months postpartum, finishing seventh in a speedy 4:24 at the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City. That was just the beginning for St. Pierre, who broke the American indoor record in the mile (4:16.41) in January then won the gold medal in the 3,000 meters at the indoor world championships in Glasgow in March. At the Olympic Trials, Pierre won the 5,000 meters and placed third in the 1500, qualifying for Team USA in both events, even though she declined the Olympic entry for the 5,000.

After Howard gave birth to Kai in late May 2022, she began doing pelvic floor therapy along with general strength training and some easy jogging. By the time she started running in earnest that fall, she was surprised at how quickly her aerobic fitness came back to her.

“What’s really surprised me is that I’m able to run paces that I never hit before pregnancy with the same amount or less effort,” she says. “My aerobic engine has just gotten so strong. You do see women come back stronger, but it’s a wide range of how long it takes them to come back. ”

When she returned to the track, she was aiming for a top-three finish at the 2023 U.S. championships to qualify for the world championships in Budapest. She made it to the final and was in third place with two laps to go, but just didn’t have the closing speed. However, she did get the Olympic Trials standard by clocking a near-PR of 9:22.73, demonstrating she was just as fast as her pre-pregnancy self despite limited training and two years away from racing.

By late 2023 and early 2024, Pat McCurry, Marisa’s coach since college, was able to add more volume and intensity to her training, setting up what he thought would be her best season yet. And while Marisa admittedly didn’t race as well as hoped in her races before the Olympic Trials, McCurry knew she was capable of great things.

“She was on a different level once we got back to that base fitness post-pregnancy, and I think that’s what’s paid off in massive fitness dividends,” said McCurry, who has coached Marisa on Idaho Afoot training group since 2015. “The racing didn’t look amazing from the outside. The training was spectacular. We were doing things in training since January that we’ve never done before—just the level of intensity and volume we were sustaining was stellar.”

Marisa picked up running at Pasco High School in Washington, and carried on with the dream at Boise State University. There, she also met Jeff Howard, a Boise State runner who held the school record in the 10,000 meters. But more important than their common athletic passion, they shared the same Christian values that were the foundation of her life. They married in the summer of 2013 just after he graduated. He eventually took a job as a high school teacher at a nearby school, while she blossomed into a three-time NCAA Division I All-American for the Broncos, notching a runner-up finish at the 2014 NCAA championships and fourth-place finish the following year as a senior.

After she graduated, she picked up a small sponsorship deal with women’s apparel brand Oiselle and set her sights on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials . She got injured and missed the trials that year. But Howard and her husband bought a house in Boise and started their family life in earnest. That added stability, along with the guidance of McCurry, who she began working with in 2016, allowed her to dig deeper into training and continue to make progress in the steeplechase, lowering her personal best to 9:30.92 at a race in Lapinlahti, Finland.

The Oiselle sponsorship evaporated after about three years but that didn’t seem to matter. She and Jeff were living frugally and loving life, especially because, by then, most of their family had moved to Boise. Marisa had two aunts who had lived in the area before she went to college, and Jeff’s parents moved to town shortly after they were married. Marisa’s parents, and later her best friend, Marianne Green, also picked up their roots and relocated to town.

The ensuing years brought a variety of highs and lows—several near-miss fifth place finishes at U.S. championships, a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games, a few injuries that delayed her progress, a  breakthrough eight-second PR in the semifinals of the 2020 Olympic Trials, and, of course, welcoming Kai into the world in 2022.

What makes Marisa’s situation especially challenging is that she’s run competitively without a traditional sponsor since 2017, more or less collectively bootstrapping the dream on her husband’s high school teacher’s salary and working part-time as a schol nurse and as a coach. (She will officially join the Boise State staff as an assistant coach after the Olympics.) She often stays with friends when she travels to races and says she’s grateful to the meet directors who have flown her out to race, put her up in hotels, and also paid her to pace races.

She also earned USATF Foundation grants and in 2022 was the recipient of a $10,000 grant to offset child care expenses from a program sprinting legend Allyson Felix organized through Athleta’s Power of She Fund and the Women’s Sports Foundation. Marisa competed at the 2024 Olympic Trials as part of the Tracksmith Amateur Support Program, which provides a small quarterly stipend, running apparel, and shoes to about 40 athletes in all disciplines of track and field.

“We’ve found ways to make it work. We drive used cars, and we refinanced in 2020, so thankfully our mortgage is very low,” she says. “So really a lot of my expenses are just shoes, a little bit of travel, coaching fees, gym fees, and things like that. But it does add up. But thankfully we live well within our means and are able to do it. As I’ve said before, the Lord always provides.”

But even with that support and her continued progress, Marisa entered the Olympic Trials as a dark horse contender to make Team USA. And that’s despite knowing that Emma Coburn and Courtney Frerichs, the top stars of the event for the past 10 years, were sidelined with injuries. She hadn’t run great in her races leading up to the trials, and her confidence was waning, McCurry says.

“I felt like not having a full contract [from a shoe sponsorship] had kind of eroded away at some of her confidence, and she was starting to have a little bit of imposter syndrome at races,” says McCurry. “We just had a really firm talk where I was like, damn it, you’re better than this,” he says. “Not we, not the training, you, Marissa Howard, are better than this.”

That pep talk was just what she needed. It helped remind Marisa about her bigger purpose, just as much as packing diapers, toys, and pajamas for Kai did before she and Jeff made the eight-hour drive to Eugene for the Olympic Trials.

In her semi-final heat at the trials on June 24, Marisa ran aggressively and finished second behind Gabbi Jennings in 9:26.38. After the race, she said she was looking forward to the final, but, for the moment, was most interested in making sure Kai got to bed on time.

Running with purpose and caring for her son emboldened her for the final, where she ran with conviction among the top five before moving into the lead briefly with a lap to go. In what was a thrilling final lap, Val Constien retook the lead and sprinted to victory down the homestretch in an Olympic Trials-record 9:03.22, followed by a surging Courtney Wayment (9:06.50) and a determined Marisa (9:07.14) as the top nine finishers all set new personal bests.

“My husband and I talk about competitive greatness: You want to rise to the occasion when everyone else is at their best. So it’s like, gosh, I was able to do it! I think a lot of it for me has always been about having my priorities in place. I’m a Christian first, and then a wife, and then a mom, and then a runner. And I think if I keep those in that line, that’s where I see success,” Marisa says.

“I’ve sat next to gold medalists and other high-level athletes in chapels before U.S. championship races and they’ve told me, ‘I’ve won that gold medal and it doesn’t fill that void in my heart.’ And just knowing that a medal or success isn’t going to change you, ultimately, you have to be secure in who you are. So just remembering where my priorities lie helps to kind of keep me grounded.”

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone smashes 400m hurdles world record, takes gold

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone overcomes Femke Bol in the final of the 400mH to succesfuly defend Olympic crown and smash own world record.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone once again proved her dominance in the 400 meters hurdles by capturing gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Thursday night.

The American track star not only claimed the top spot but also shattered her own world record with a remarkable time of 50.37 seconds, solidifying her legacy as the greatest 400m hurdler of all time.

In an intense final, McLaughlin-Levrone faced stiff competition from the Netherlands' Femke Bol, who had been unbeaten in her last 40 races leading up to the Games.

However, Bol could only manage a bronze medal finish with a time of 52.15 seconds, visibly disappointed by her performance and race tactics, which saw her go out too hard too soon. American Anna Cockrell took the silver medal, clocking a personal best of 51.87 seconds.

McLaughlin-Levrone, who celebrated her 25th birthday just a day before her triumph, became the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 400m hurdles, and only the fifth U.S. woman to secure gold in consecutive Olympic Games across any track and field event. Her victory was met with thunderous applause as she draped herself in the American flag, savoring the moment.

This latest achievement adds to McLaughlin-Levrone's growing list of accolades. She had previously set a world record of 50.65 seconds at the Olympic Trials in Oregon in June, but surpassed that mark with her stunning performance in Paris.

McLaughlin-Levrone’s journey to the top began at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where she made her debut at just 17 years old, becoming the youngest U.S. Olympian in track and field since 1972. Although she exited in the semifinals that year, her progression since has been nothing short of extraordinary.

In the lead-up to her gold-medal race, McLaughlin-Levrone appeared to be in peak form, breezing through the semifinals with a time of 52.13 seconds, the fastest among all qualifiers. Her victory in the final was not only a personal triumph but also a testament to her relentless pursuit of excellence.

With the women's 4x400m relay still ahead, McLaughlin-Levrone is expected to compete for another gold medal on Friday, further pushing the boundaries of what she and her competitors can achieve on the track.

American teen sprint star Quincy Wilson to make Olympic debut in relay

Quincy Wilson will reportedly lead off the U.S. men's 4x400m relay team in Friday's heats.

American teenage sprint sensation Quincy Wilson, the youngest track and field athlete at the Paris Olympics, is set to make his Olympic debut as he will reportedly lead off the U.S. men’s 4x400m relay team in Friday morning’s heats.

Wilson’s selection comes after he was notably left out of the USA’s mixed 4x400m team, a decision that drew criticism after the Americans had to settle for silver in the final, despite breaking the world record in the heats without him. The U.S. men’s 4x400m relay team will be strong favourites for Olympic gold, especially after Quincy Hall’s electrifying performance to win the men’s 400m gold on Wednesday at the Stade de France.

The 16-year-old from Maryland earned his spot in the U.S. Olympic team with a sixth-place finish in the men’s 400m at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June. This season, Wilson has shattered the U18 world 400m record three times, most recently lowering it to 44.20 seconds at the Holloway Pro Classic in Florida two weeks ago.

At just 16 years and 176 days old, Wilson became the youngest American male track athlete ever named to the U.S. Olympic Team, surpassing 200m sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who was 17 when he made the U.S. team for Tokyo 2020. Remarkably, Wilson, who just completed his sophomore year at the Bullis School in Potomac, Md., reportedly doesn’t even have his driver’s license yet.

The decision to have Wilson lead off the relay may have been driven by caution, as the U.S. Olympic relay coach Mike Marsh likely wanted to minimize the risk of a botched handoff, given his lack of prior relay experience on the international stage.

The first round of the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays will go on Friday morning at 11:05 a.m. local time (5:05 a.m. ET).

Faith Kipyegon ready for historic 1,500m Olympics hat-trick

Two-time 1,500 Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon will be seeking to become the first woman to win three titles in the same individual track event at the Olympics, when she lines up in the semifinals of the race on Thursday at the Stade de France.

The defending champion clocked (4:00.74) to finish fourth in heat two, behind winner Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji (3:59.73), Britain’s Georgia Bell (4:00.290 and USA’s Nikki Hiltz (4:00.42) yesterday.

The heats came barely 12 hours after Kipyegon successfully appealed to overturn her disqualification from the 5,000m after a mid-race altercation with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay in which both narrowly missed crashing onto the track.

Kipyegon grabbed silver in 14:29.60, finishing ahead of the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (14:30.61) as compatriot Beatrice Chebet grabbed gold in (14:28.56).

However, the track queen will have to be mentally fit in Thursday’s semis, to reach Saturday’s finals, following a drama packed Monday night 5,000m race finals.

“I feel fresh and ready for the semis, I am Faith and I participate in a good way and I believe in myself. It was a good race a lot of pushing up and down but all in all, it is finished and I focus on the 1,500m semis,” Kipyegon said.

Kipyegon who didn’t manage to talk to journalists after Monday’s drama didn’t want to dwell much on the matter.

“I just went to the village and took a nap knowing that I had another race the next morning. I was not disappointed but this is another distance altogether, I really thank Kenyans for the support and prayers as we continue pushing in the 1,500m,” Kipyegon said.

Having put Monday’s drama behind her, she goes to the semis not having lost in the 1,500m since 2021, with the historical third Olympic title beckoning.

The world champion must beat three of the five fastest 1,500m runners in history, including her Ethiopian rival Tsegay and Austraila’s Jessica Hull, to reach her dreams.

She will fly the Kenyan flag alongside compatriots Susan Ejore and Nelly Jepchirchir who also qualified for the semis.

The Kenyan star ended her 2023 track campaign with a 1,500m win at the Wanda Diamond League final in Eugene on 26 Aug 2023.

She ran 3:53.98 in the 1,500m and 14:46.28 for 5,000m in Nairobi, during the Kenyan Olympic trials.

Faith warmed up for the Olympics by breaking the world 1,500m record again at the Paris Diamond League meeting on July 7, 2024 after clocking 3:49.04

Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk is the only woman in the history of the games to ever claim a threepeat, as well as possessing the two fastest performances of all time in the hammer throw.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Wycliffe Kinyamal flawlessly sail to men's 800m semis as Koitatoi Kidali misses podium

Emmanuel Wanyoyi took a comfortable win in the men's 800m first round with Wycliffe Kinyamal finishing third as Koitatoi Kidali struggled to make an impact and he will be out to bid for a semifinal ticket in the repechage round.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Wycliffe Kinyamal and Koitatoi Kidali took to the starting line of the men’s 800m first round and did not fail to impress with their striking runs.

Marco Arop headlined the field and he secured a second position to sail through to the men’s 800m semifinal. He clocked a stunning 1:45.74 to cross the finish line behind Belgium’s Eliott Crestan who won the race in 1:45.51. Australia’s Peyton Craig completed the podium in 1:45.81.

Competing in the second heat, Botswanan sprinter Tshepiso Masalela completed the podium in 1:45.58 as Gabriel Tual won the race in 1:45.13. Mark English of Ireland finished an impressive second in 1:45.15. Kidali finished a distant fifth and will have to contest for the semifinal in the repechage round.

Competing in the third heat, Emmanuel Wanyonyi was flawless as he claimed the win in a time of 1:44.64 ahead of Catalin Tecuceanu who finished second in 1:44.80. Andreas Kramer completed the podium 1:44.93.

Djamel Sedjati led the qualifiers in the fourth heat as he crossed the finish line in a time of 1:45.84 as Great Britain’s Elliot Giles came in second in a time of 1:45.93. America’s Hobbs Kessler completed the podium in a time of 1:44.93.

Kinyamal sealed the podium competing in the fifth heat as he clocked a stunning 1:45.86 to cross the finish line. Great Britain's Ben Pattison won the race as South Africa's Edmund du Plessis finished a close second.

Heat six saw Spain's Mohamed Attaoui win the race as America's Bryce Hoppel came in second. Great Britain's Max Burgin completed the podium in the race.

Meanwhile, the Kenyan trio has been impressive this season, with Wanyonyi being the stand-out times with his impressive times in the build-up to the Olympics.

The world 800m silver medallist clocked the third fastest time since David Rudisha’s retirement at the Kenyan Olympic trials before Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati obliterated his time at the Diamond League Meeting in Paris.

He struck a world record in the men’s mile road to open his season in fashion. Wanyonyi also struck a win at the Kip Keino Classic.

Kinyamal has had impressive podium finishes in events and was looking to make an impact on the Olympic stage in his debut.

On his part, Kidali was a breakout athlete, making his first national team and he hopes to leave a mark on the Olympic stage. He has showcased his tactical run and is certainly a threat to his opponents going into the semifinal.

Olympic Track and Field Stars Are Wearing Luxury Watches. Why?

IN TRACK AND FIELD, tenths (and even hundredths) of a second can make or break a race. Performance depends on extremely precise measurements and time rules all. So it makes sense that luxury watch brands would look to those athletes as natural billboards, placing their timepieces on the wrists of some of the sport's top performers.

When Noah Lyles, the fastest man in the world, settled into the blocks for the 200-meter finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, 4.5 million viewers tuning in via NBC and Peacock could see the glint of the sun off what appeared to be a $50,000 Omega watch.

Wearing this type of timepiece during a 19.53-second sprint is clearly a flex, since “there’s no performance reason for [these athletes] to wear luxury watches,” explains Aaron Rapf, the founder and CEO of Advantage Sports Marketing Group, a sports agency that connects brands with athletes.

Runners are no stranger to pricy performance watches (a high-end Garmin can cost upwards of $900), and luxury watch companies are increasingly aligned with elite runners to “connect their company values to the sports landscape—which is one of the last bastions of true culture,” he adds. “If you want to be in a moment where you attract millions of people’s eyeballs at one time, it’s sports.”

These race day cameos are part of a more subtle approach to marketing, says Pierre-Loïc Assayag, CEO and co-founder of Traackr, an influencer marketing software company. “In the past, luxury brands were more focused on the product and the luxury associated with that product,” he says. “Now, these companies are taking the top athletes and putting them in front of their target audience, or one close to it, to demonstrate by proximity that ‘we are the precision brand’ or ‘we are the endurance brand.”

The kind of maneuvering uses a third party—one that’s fast, flashy, and accomplishing amazing feats—to craft an image the brand wants audiences to respond to. And by choosing athletes as brand champions, companies deftly align themselves with the hallmarks of high performance: precision, prestige, innovation, exclusivity, heritage, and craftsmanship.

In the past, those buzzwords were more likely to call to mind country club-esque activities (think: tennis or horseback riding) or auto racing, where the traditional consumer has been very upper class, living a high-cost lifestyle. But as culture skews more towards sport, health, and wellness, leaning into the popularity of running opens companies up to a new class of consumers, says Jessica Quillan, a luxury fashion brand and content strategist. “Track and field seems more accessible, because even though these athletes are performing at a super elevated level, anyone can go out and run,” she explains.

By association, watches become a more accessible form of wearable luxury. You may not wear one to train or on race day like the elite, sponsored atheltes, but a sporty aesthetic can translate into your everyday life; post-run, you can still swap your COROS smartwatch for a sleek, sporty timepiece from a brand like Omega (which happens to sponsor the Diamond League, an annual series of pro track and field competitions). And though you may not be ready to buy a five-figure watch now, these companies are playing the long game; by connecting themselves with major players in sport, they’re hoping to build brand recognition and loyalty among potential future customers.

The Watch Brands Olympic Runners Are Wearing

For those looking to upgrade their Garmin—now or as a future reward for finally achieving that personal best—these are a few of the luxury watches your favorite track and field stars have been sporting.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who will represent Team USA in Paris again after breaking her own World Record in the 400-meter hurdles in June, has been sponsored by Tag Heuer since 2021.

Tag Heuer is often considered the Cadillac of luxury watches, and McLaughlin-Levrone’s preferred watch, the Connected Calibre E4, is closest to the average runner’s GPS smartwatch: It operates on Wear OS by Google; has a 1.28-inch AMOLED display with crisp resolution; houses a heart rate sensor, barometer, and compass; and holds a 24-hour charge, including a one-hour sports session. The basic model, which includes a rubber strap, starts at $1,250.

Olympic bronze medalist Josh Kerr is a double World Champion—in the 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter—which made him a natural representative for Swiss watch brand Longines, the official partner and timekeeper of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Kerr, who is not currently working with Longines, recently ran a 3:45.34 in the Bowerman Mile, a historic and prestigious race held annually at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, OR, to set a new world-leading time in the event and a new British record. Back in 2022, Kerr wore the-limited edition HydroConquest XXII Commonwealth Games, a sporty steel dive watch with an automatic caliber, or engine, one-directional ceramic bezel, luminescent indices and hands, and an anti-reflective coating for crystal clear readability in any situation.

In addition to their Paris 2024 partnership, Omega is the official sponsor of the Diamond League (an annual series of elite track and field competitions) and counts Noah Lyles—one of the biggest personalities in track and field—as an ambassador. Lyles, who earned a bronze medal in the 200-meter race at the 2020 Tokyo Games and has his sights on breaking Usain Bolt’s records in the 100- and 200-meter races, wears Omega’s iconic Speedmaster Moonphase.

This style was introduced in the 1980s, but the latest model—an oversized, steel-on-steel timepiece—was the first to earn a Master Chronometer certification thanks to a self-winding engine designed to withstand temperature fluctuations, water immersion, and electromagnetic frequencies. The timepiece can also hold up to the shock that comes with covering 100 meters in less than 10 seconds (when it's on Lyles's wrist, at least).

Sprinter Dina Asher-Smith is the fastest British woman on record, with two Olympic bronze medals from the 4 x 100-meter relay to her name. She’s also no stranger to luxury partnerships, having previously modeled for Louis Vuitton, Valentino, and Off-White, and has been working with Hublot since 2018. Asher-Smith has promoted a variation on Hublot’s flagship model, the Big Bang One Click, which starts at $14,200.

Its smaller face was designed for slimmer wrists, and uses the brand’s patented “One Click” fastening system so wearers can swap out the straps for other colors or materials. The sporty, semi-skeletonized hands balance out flashiness of the diamonds on the bezel, and a self-winding caliber packs plenty of power into the compact timepiece.

Ahead of what she says will be her final Olympic Games, Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce—the most decorated athlete in 100-meter history—announced a partnership with Richard Mille. Fraser-Pryce wears the RM 07-04 Automatic Sport, the first women’s sports watch from the McLaren of watch brands, which retails at $185,000 (it’s the same watch Nafi Thiam, a double Olympic champion from Belgium, wore while setting a new pentathlon world record in 2023). The skeletonized aesthetic is housed in a compact case with rigid finishings for shock-resistance, and the button on the side allows the wearer to switch between winding, neutral, and time setting modes for the crown. While it would be nearly impossible to read during a race, at 36 grams it’s lighter than most standard running watches.

Olympic champion Donovan Bailey spills his Paris 2024 predictions

The Canadian men's 100m record holder is a huge Olympic fan

Like most Canadian track and field fans, 1996 Olympic champion and former 100m world record holder Donovan Bailey is eagerly awaiting the start of athletics at the Paris Olympics (the sprint events begin Friday). With a deep roster of Canadian athletes making their Olympic debuts or returning for another Games, Bailey has high hopes for breakthrough performances and trips to the podium, and he shared his top picks for the sprint events with us.

The Canadian 100m record holder has bumped watching the Olympics to the very top of his to-do list. Since sprinting runs in his blood, it’s no surprise he’s excited to watch the Canadian men’s and women’s 100m and 4x100m relay performances; he also looks forward to cheering on 2023 world champion Marco Arop as he aims to upgrade his 800m semi-final finish at Tokyo 2020 with a trip to the podium in Paris.

Men’s 100m predictions

The 100m prodigy isn’t certain where he should place his bets for who will take gold in the men’s 100m. He believes the two Jamaicans, Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville, should be favored, along with the reigning world champion, Noah Lyles. But Bailey suggests not overlooking Team USA’s Fred Kerley and the three Africans (Letsile Tebogo, Akani Simbine and Fernidand Omanyala).

“The match-up is going to be fierce,” Bailey says. Of course, we can expect him to be cheering the loudest for Canada’s Andre De Grasse, Duan Asemota and Aaron Brown.

Women’s 100m favorites

On the women’s side, he agrees that Sha’Carri Richardson is the obvious favorite, on paper. “My sentimental favorite would be Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce,” Bailey says. “She’s one of the greatest female sprinters, and one of the greatest ambassadors for our sport. It’s her last Olympics, so it would be great to see her win.”

Bailey expressed the most excitement for Quebec’s Audrey Leduc, even though she will likely have to run two personal bests to get through the 100m rounds. He believes the 25-year-old is still untested, and will face less pressure in Paris than she did at the Canadian Olympic Trials in June.

“She made running fast look so effortless.” Bailey says. “I think she’ll break the Canadian record, and if she puts herself in a good situation, maybe she’ll make the final and shock a lot of people. I think she’s going to do amazing.”

The wait is almost over. The men’s Olympic 1500 meters is almost upon us

The 1500 is always one of the crown jewels of the Olympic program, and the burgeoning rivalry between Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway and world champion Josh Kerr of Great Britain has sent anticipation levels through the roof in 2024. The last two global 1500-meter finals were unforgettable, and this year’s race is shaping up as an all-time classic after the two men have spent the last 12 months trading verbal barbs.

On the night of August 6 in the Stade de France, one of three things will happen:

1) Ingebrigtsen will win his second Olympic 1500-meter title at the age of 23, joining Seb Coe (1980, 1984) as the only man to repeat as champion.

2) Kerr will win gold, just as he did at last year’s World Championships, bringing Ingebrigtsen’s record in global 1500m finals to 0-4 since his triumph at the 2021 Olympics (with one being the 2022 World Indoors loss).

3) Someone else will win the title in one of the great Olympic upsets. Could it be 19-year-old phenom Niels Laros? Or perhaps two-time Olympic Trials champion Cole Hocker of the United States?

As long as the race isn’t marred by a fall — which has sadly become all too common in middle-distance races this year — it’s hard to envision a scenario in which this race is not totally awesome.

Andre De Grasse named Team Canada flag bearer for Paris 2024

Canada’s most decorated male Olympian, Andre De Grasse, has been chosen by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) to carry the flag for Team Canada at the Paris 2024 opening ceremonies on July 26. On Wednesday, the COC announced that De Grasse will carry the flag alongside women’s weightlifter Maude Charron. Both are defending Olympic champions in their respective events.

De Grasse has never carried the Canadian flag at an opening or closing ceremony, and Paris marks the third time he will represent Canada at the Olympic Games. He will again be a medal contender in the men’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. Despite this being his third Olympics, this will be his first time attending the opening ceremony.

When asked if he would do Team Canada the honor of serving as flag bearer, De Grasse’s response was: “That would be a dream come true for me. I never thought that opportunity would ever come, you know, because of course being in track and field, we never get a chance to really go to the opening ceremony. So I mean, I’m excited just to even go and now to be the flag bearer for the country! I’m speechless–I’m trying to get the words out.”

The Markham, Ont., native has won six medals at the last two Olympic Games (one gold, two silver, and three bronze). He is the only sprinter in the world to win an individual medal in the men’s 100m at the last two Olympic Games. His 200m gold medal finish at Tokyo 2020 was the first Canadian Olympic gold on the track in 25 years and the first in the 200m in 93 years.

The 29-year-old has been a consistent podium finisher at major championships, winning a medal in every Olympic and World Championship final he competed in from 2015 until the 2023 World Championships. He finished sixth in the men’s 200m world championship final in Budapest.

De Grasse has returned to top form this season, winning his first national 100m title since 2017 at the 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials in Montreal in late June. Two weeks later, he ran his fastest 200m time of the year at the Gyulai István Memorial Continental Tour meet in Hungary, clocking his first sub-20-second time since the Diamond League final in September 2023.

He will begin his Paris 2024 campaign in the men’s 100m heats on Saturday, Aug. 3, with the men’s 200m and 4x100m events coming later in the week.

American sprint legend reveals Olympic heartbreak from 1992 Barcelona food poisoning

Michael Johnson recalls a disappointing setback due to food poisoning during the 1992 Olympics, affecting his performance in the 200-meters

Before Usain Bolt rose to prominence, the world of track and field was dominated by Michael Johnson, a sprinter who dazzled the athletics scene with his speed and charisma.

Johnson, who captured four Olympic gold medals across three different Games, recently spoke about what he considers the most disappointing moment in his illustrious career.

The incident in question traces back to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a time when Johnson was at the pinnacle of his form.

Fresh off a gold medal win at the 1991 World Championship in Tokyo, Johnson was the favorite to clinch the 200-meter race at the upcoming Olympics.

However, an unforeseen bout of food poisoning just days before his first race jeopardized his chances.

“I had gotten food poisoning. So I was world champion, ranked number one in the world for two years, undefeated, and you know, a huge favorite to win the 200 meters at the Olympics,” Johnson recalled on High Performance podcast.

His condition arose shortly after a near world-record performance at the Olympic trials, where he had felt in the best shape of his life.

“It was about or so before I was competing," Johnson explained.

During this period, athletes typically reduce the intensity of their training to fine-tune their performance, a phase known as tapering.

"You’re in a taper mode where you’re basically just working on starts and very technical things,” he added.

When the Olympic races began, Johnson thought he had recovered, feeling fine at the starting blocks.

However, the reality of his condition became apparent as soon as the race started.

“Usually in a first round, I can just sort of run the first 100 meters of that 200 meters and I'm just kind of out," he said.

But this time, he found himself struggling unexpectedly, feeling as if he were "running in someone else’s body."

Despite winning his initial heat, the effort took a severe toll on him.

“I’m extremely weak and it takes everything. I win that race but just barely, and it took everything in me, and I knew immediately something's wrong,” he said.

His performance deteriorated further in the subsequent rounds and he ultimately failed to make the final.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Johnson described the experience as both disappointing and embarrassing.

“I knew of athletes who were world record holders, world champions that had the butt. That’s the one thing missing at that point," he lamented.

The Olympic gold in the 200-meters, which many had anticipated would be a mere formality for Johnson, remained elusive.

Johnson's resilience, however, is as legendary as his speed as he returned to win golds in later Olympics, including a memorable double victory in the 200 and 400 meters at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Yet, the sting of Barcelona remains a significant chapter in his career.

Looking back, Johnson appreciates the rarity of Olympic opportunities.

“One thing you know as an Olympic athlete, because the Olympics is every four years, not every year, you may never get back there. Most people make it to one Olympics. I was fortunate to go to three, but that’s rare,” he reflected.

Through his trials and triumphs Johnson's legacy as a sprinter continues to inspire athletes around the world.

His story is a poignant reminder of how even the greatest champions can face hurdles that test their spirit and resolve.

Snoop Dogg to carry Olympic torch at opening ceremony

With the Paris Olympic opening ceremony just days away, popular American rapper Snoop Dogg has been revealed as one of the final torchbearers of the Olympic flame ahead of Friday’s ceremony. Snoop Dogg, whose full name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., will carry the torch through the neighbourhood of Saint-Denis, according to the town’s mayor, Mathieu Hanotin.

Saint-Denis marks the final stop of the Olympic flame’s journey before it reaches the renowned Eiffel Tower, symbolizing the start of the global event. The rapper has already touched down in Paris, sharing his excitement with fans by tweeting a photo of himself in the Olympic host city on Tuesday, captioned: “U ready? Paris 2024 Olympics ya digggg!”

In addition to his role as a torchbearer, Snoop Dogg will provide regular reports and explore the city’s history and landmarks for prime-time shows on NBC and Peacock. His involvement will undoubtedly add some flair to the U.S. broadcast.

The D.O. Double G has been heavily involved with track and field this summer, also making an appearance at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., last month, where he did some play-by-play commentary on the 3,000m steeplechase and the 100m, plus ran an impressive 200m race in 34.44 seconds.

Snoop Dogg will be joined by French rapper MC Solaar and Ukrainian pole vault legend Sergey Bubka as they carry the Olympic torch around Saint-Denis (home to the Olympic stadium and aquatics centre). The torch relay is a historic Olympic tradition, and the Paris flame was first lit in April during a ceremony in Olympia, Greece, the home to the ancient Games. It’s been relayed across France over the past two months.

After the flame is lit, the opening ceremony will begin on the River Seine, where approximately 10,000 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team are expected. Canada’s flag bearer(s) have not yet been announced for the opening ceremony. According to the Canadian Olympic Committee, the announcement will come Wednesday morning.

Teenage sprint phenom lowers his U18 world record again

Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old American track and field phenom, has broken his U18 world record in the men’s 400m for the third time this year. On Friday night in Gainesville, Fla., Wilson ran his final race before heading to Paris to compete on Team USA’s 4x400m relay team, blazing to a jaw-dropping win in 44.20 seconds.

Wilson edged out 2020 Olympic relay gold medalist and 2023 U.S. champion Bryce Deadmon at the finish line by three-one hundredths of a second. His time lowered his previous personal best and world record by nearly half a second, making him the eighth-fastest sprinter in the world this year.

Earlier this month, Wilson became the youngest American male track athlete to be named to the U.S. Olympic Team at 16 and 176 days, surpassing 200m sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who made the U.S. Olympic team at 17 for Tokyo 2020. Wilson just finished his sophomore year (Grade 10) at the Bullis School in Potomac, Md., and reportedly doesn’t even have his driver’s license yet.

Regarding Wilson’s chances of racing in Paris, this record-setting performance complicates the decision for U.S. relay coaches for the 4x400m team. Currently, his time is the third-fastest among the six men on the team. Michael Norman, who is ranked behind Wilson on time, will likely be given the fourth spot ahead of Wilson since he finished ahead of him at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.

To keep Norman, Quincy Hall and Vernon Norwood fresh for the men’s 400m heats, semis and finals (+ men’s relay), we will likely see Wilson make his Olympic debut in the mixed 4x400m relay on Day 2 of the athletics program.

Ruth Chepng’etich, Joyciline Jepkosgei confirmed for 2024 Chicago Marathon

Ethiopians will challenge Kenyan stars Ruth Chepng’etich and Joyciline Jepkosgei at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, promising a thrilling race.

Two of Kenya's marathon luminaries Ruth Chepng’etich and Joyciline Jepkosgei have been confirmed to compete in the 2024 Chicago Marathon on October 13.

This news comes with a mix of excitement and high expectations as they prepare to face formidable Ethiopian opposition in a race that promises thrilling competition.

Chepng’etich, a two-time Chicago Marathon winner, returns to the Windy City with hopes of reclaiming her title.

She previously stunned the running world by clocking a phenomenal 2:14:18 in 2021, securing her a spot as the fourth fastest woman in marathon history.

Despite her non-selection for the Paris Olympics, Chepng’etich's record speaks volumes about her resilience and prowess.

Her participation in Chicago marks a significant step as she aims for a hat-trick of wins in a city that has witnessed some of her greatest triumphs.

On the other hand, Joyciline Jepkosgei, the 2019 New York City Marathon champion and a seasoned competitor with a personal best of 2:16:24, is no stranger to the pressures of big city marathons.

With victories in both New York and London, Jepkosgei's strategic racing and endurance will be key assets as she navigates the Chicago course alongside Chepng’etich.

However, the Kenyan duo’s ambitions will be tested by strong Ethiopian contenders, including Sutume Kebede the reigning Tokyo Marathon champion with an impressive personal best of 2:15:55.

Kebede's entry adds a layer of intensity to the race, setting the stage for a gripping showdown among some of the world’s elite marathoners.

Further adding to the international flavor of this year's Chicago Marathon are other Kenyan runners like Mary Ngugi-Cooper, who posted a 2:20:22 at the 2022 London Marathon, and Stacey Ndiwa, who recently finished with a time of 2:25:29 in Los Angeles.

The American contingent is led by Keira D’Amato, who has a personal best of 2:19:12 and is transitioning from her 10th place finish in the 10,000m at the U.S. Olympic trials to her first marathon of the season.

Sara Hall and Emma Bates who have shown strong performances in past Chicago Marathons will also return aiming to capitalize on their familiarity with the course and local support.

World champions to headline 2024 Chicago Marathon

As we inch toward the fall road racing season, the 2024 Chicago Marathon is the first Abbott World Marathon Major (AWMM) to announce its men’s and women’s elite list. Last year’s elite races in Chicago saw two course records and one world record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum—something that will be hard to beat. But the 2024 field does not lack talent or potential, with former world champion and fourth-fastest marathoner in history Ruth Chepngetich headlining the women’s field and world 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Ebenyo making his marathon debut in the men’s field.

The men’s race

Ebenyo has had a successful career on the track, winning multiple medals at World Championships and Commonwealth Games, but never individual gold. He is currently ranked by World Athletics as the top 10,000m runner in the world, holding a personal best of 26:57.80, which he set in 2023. The 28-year-old was not selected for the 10,000m by the Kenyan Olympic team for Paris 2024 after an eighth-place finish at the Kenyan Trials.

Although the Kenyan star has had success on the track, he has also flourished in his short career on the roads, winning silver in the half-marathon at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia. He holds a personal best of 59:04 for the half distance and a world best over 25 km (1:11:13).

Ebenyo’s potential over 42.2 km will be hard to predict; many people had high expectations for three-time world 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, but he struggled in his marathon debut last December in Valencia, clocking 2:08:59 for 37th place.

Joining Ebenyo in the men’s field is 2022 London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto, who has the fastest personal best in the field (2:03:13 from the 2022 Tokyo Marathon). Kipruto has podiumed at three of the six AWMMs and is known as one of the best tactical marathoners in the world. Chicago will be Kipruto’s first marathon since his seventh-place finish in Berlin last year.

The lone Canadian in the men’s field is Phil Parrot-Migas of London, Ont. This will be the third marathon of his career. He holds a personal best of 2:15:53, set in Hamburg in April.

The women’s field

At the 2022 Chicago Marathon, Chepngetich was on a world-record pace until the final kilometre, ultimately missing it by 14 seconds (2:14:18). This capped off her second-straight Chicago victory, following in the footsteps of her compatriot, Brigid Kosgei. Last year, Chepngetich was second to Sifan Hassan’s course record-setting run, in 2:15:37. Her personal best is the fastest in the field by a minute and a half, and with her experience on the flat and fast course, she’s going to be a tough athlete to beat come Oct. 13.

Besides Chepngetich, there’s a strong American contingent, consisting of three of the country’s top five fastest marathoners: Keira D’Amato, Sara Hall and Betsy Saina. D’Amato had a rough go at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, and was unable to finish, due to injury. Months later, she announced a coaching change and a planned move to Utah to train under distance running guru Ed Eyestone, the coach of U.S. Olympic marathoners Conner Mantz and Clayton Young. D’Amato, who will turn 40 in October, told Runner’s World she made the switch because she wanted a different perspective on her training and a chance to learn from someone new.

Saina comes into the race as the strongest American athlete, placing in the top five of her last three marathons, including a win at the 2023 Sydney Marathon. Sydney is currently a candidate to be added as the seventh AWMM, joining Tokyo, Berlin, London, Boston, Chicago and NYC.

Quincy Wilson: 5 things you need to know about America's youngest track Olympian

Five things you need to know about Quincy Wilson, a 16-year-old protege set to represent Team USA in the 4 by 400m of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

America's teenage sprint sensation Quincy Wilson has taken the track world by storm, setting records and captivating audiences with his speed and determination.

At just 16 years old, he has already secured his place in history as the youngest U.S.-born male to compete in track and field at the Olympics.

As he gears up for his debut on the Olympic stage, here are five crucial things you need to know about this extraordinary athlete as per NBC.

1. A prodigy from a young age

Quincy Wilson began his track and field journey at the tender age of eight. Growing up in Chesapeake, Virginia, Quincy quickly outpaced his peers, prompting his family to move to Potomac, Maryland, where he could benefit from a superior athletic program at Bullis School.

Despite his youth, Quincy has already shown a prowess that rivals seasoned athletes.

At just 16, he broke records that many would not dream of approaching until well into their careers.

He clinched his first national title at the 2023 New Balance Indoor Nationals in the 400m competing as the only freshman in the field.

2. A family of athletes

Quincy's athletic prowess is no coincidence; it runs in the family as parents, Monique and Roy Wilson, were both collegiate athletes.

Monique excelled in soccer and basketball, while Roy played football for the Naval Academy.

The influence of his family extends beyond just genetics. The Wilsons have been integral in providing support and guidance throughout Quincy's career, attending his meetings and ensuring he has the resources needed to succeed.

Quincy also draws inspiration from his older sister, Kadence, who runs track at James Madison University.

Watching her compete and train has fueled his desire to push his limits and strive for excellence, creating a healthy sibling rivalry that spurs both to greater heights in their respective athletic careers.

3. Breaking barriers and setting records

Quincy Wilson is not just competing; he is redefining what young athletes are capable of achieving.

His rapid ascent in track and field culminated in him becoming the youngest American male to secure an Olympic track and field bid, a testament to his extraordinary capabilities and the potential to shape the future of the sport.

His inclusion in the U.S. Olympic team, particularly in the 4x400m relay, is a significant achievement, positioning him as a key player on the international stage.

Quincy's record-breaking journey has been filled with notable highlights, including multiple AAU Junior Olympic Games titles and national titles.

These accolades have not only earned him recognition from his peers but also attracted attention from major sports brands, leading to an NIL deal with New Balance, making him one of the youngest athletes to sign such a contract.

4. Life beyond the track

Despite his rigorous training schedule, Quincy leads a balanced life. He is a typical teenager who enjoys video games, spending much of his free time playing popular titles like Fortnite and Call of Duty.

After his successful stint at the Olympic Trials in June, Quincy's first choice to unwind was to grab his headset and join his friends for a game of Call of Duty: Warzone.

This blend of normal teenage activities with his professional commitments provides Quincy with a much-needed outlet for relaxation and social interaction.

It helps him maintain a sense of normalcy amidst the high pressures of competitive sports, ensuring he remains grounded and focused.

Quincy’s interests also include a deep appreciation for his education. Attending Bullis School, he excels in his studies, understanding the importance of having a well-rounded life that balances sports with academics.

5. Looking toward the future

Quincy Wilson's debut on the Olympic stage captures global attention, with audiences anticipating standout performances from this remarkable young athlete.

His ambitions stretch beyond mere medal victories; Quincy is driven to motivate a new generation of athletes to passionately chase their dreams.

The path he has taken showcases a formula for success rooted in perseverance, familial support, and natural skill.

Quincy Wilson is more than just an emerging talent to keep an eye on; he stands as a dynamic force poised to reshape the limits of track and field for the foreseeable future.

Mary Moraa reveals what cost her glory at Tokyo Olympics as she seeks to make ammends in Paris

Mary has disclosed what cost her a medal at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and what she has done differently to ensure she is lethal in Paris.

Reigning world 800m champion Mary Moraa has disclosed what cost her a medal at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and what she has been doing in training to avoid a repeat of the same.

At the Tokyo Olympic Games, the reigning world champion was eliminated in the semifinal after she finished third.

The race was eventually won by Athing Mu, who will unfortunately not be defending her title after falling at the U.S. Olympic trials and ended up finish ninth in the final of the women’s 800m.

Speaking about her experience in Tokyo, the 24-year-old noted that she was yet to master how the 800m well and the event was more of a learning curve. However, at the moment, Moraa noted that she knows better and she has the skills when it comes to running the 800m from the preliminaries, to the semifinal and to the final and eventually win a race.

She added that the team has been training well and she has enjoyed the company of Vivian Chebet and Lilian Odira who will be making Olympic debuts, competing in the 800m.

“I reached the semifinal in 2020 and now my big target is to reach in the final and get a medal. We have been training well as a group, I, Lilian and Vivian have been working together in training and we pray that God gives us energy so that when we get to the Olympics, we are able to run well and get to the final and bring back medals,” Moraa said.

“In Tokyo, I had not mastered the art of running the 800m well but now I have the experience and I know how I can run and get to the final and get a medal,” she added.

Moraa faces tough opposition at the Olympic Games, going up against Briton Keely Hodgkinson who finished second in Tokyo. Nonetheless, she is not putting pressure on herself ahead of her Olympic return.

She will certainly be more confident, thanks to the gold medal she won at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Boilermaker Road Race: Women's 15K comes down to final steps as new champions crowned

Grace Nawowuna was crowned as the Boilermaker female 15K winner after edging Emmaculate Anya Achol at the finish line.

Nawowuna won by a margin of less than .2 seconds, with the two breaking the ribbon side-by side in 49:17.82 and 49:18.00. Both were born in Kenya and now run out of West Chester, Pennsylvania.

"In my mind, I didn't expect to win," Nawowuna admitted after the race.

Cynthia Jerotic Limo, a third Kenyan, was just over one second behind Achol at the finish, with defending champion Jesca Chelangat fourth, 17 seconds back.

Annamaria Kostarellis, a Rochester native from Arkansas, was the top American finisher in eighth place. She, too, was running the Boilermaker for the first time.

"I heard about (the Boilermaker) growing up," said Kostarellis. "When I thought about taking a trip back home, this seemed like an opportunity to represent Rochester."

Kostarellis added the Boilermaker to her schedule after she withdrew from the U.S. Olympic trials with an ill-timed injury; the former Baylor University runner had planned to compete in the 10,000-meter run. The Boilermaker experience did not disappoint.

"It was so exciting," she added. "I love the energy. I love the community.

"I hope (to return). Please have me back."

Timothy Cheruiyot reveals main aspect in training he needs to address before Paris 2024 Olympics

Timothy Cheruiyot has disclosed what he needs to work on after his second-place finish behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen at the Diamond League Meeting in Monaco.

Olympic 1500m silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot has disclosed the one thing he needs to work on before descending on the purple track at the Stade de France for the men’s 1500m at the Paris Olympic Games.

Cheruiyot has battled injuries in the past seasons but he has slowly been bouncing back and this season has been steady on him. He qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics at the Kenyan Olympic trials, finishing third in 3:35.90.

The 28-year-old, after finishing second at the Diamond League Meeting in Monaco, noted that he has to work on his speed endurance if he has to silence his serial rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

The Norwegian clocked a stunning 3:26.73 to join the club of legends with a win as Cheruiyot was forced to finish second in 3:28.71. Africa 1500m champion Brian Komen sealed the podium in 3:28.80.

The 2019 world champion was happy to be peaking at the right time, expressing his elation towards the time posted, just less than a month before the Olympic Games.

“The race was good, I am happy about my time and my position. The 1500m nowadays is a very competitive race with a lot of young guys coming up fast," Cheruiyot said in a post-race interview.

“So I am proud because I am peaking myself towards the Olympics. I need to work harder to keep up. I know that I can come back strong. I especially need to work on my speed endurance.”

In the 1500m, Cheruiyot opened his season with a second-place finish at the Diamond League Meeting in Doha before finishing fourth at the National Championships, clocking 3:40.23 to cross the finish line.

Cheruiyot also finished second behind Ingebrigtsen at the Diamond League Meeting in Oslo before the Olympic trials where he finished third. As he heads to the Paris Olympic Games, Cheruiyot hopes to improve on his silver medal won at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Lucia Stafford demolishes 30-year-old Canadian record in 2,000m

At her very first Diamond League in Monaco on Friday, Canada’s Lucia Stafford obliterated the 30-year-old Canadian record over the 2,000m distance. Her time of 5:31.18 beat Angela Chalmers’ previous record of 5:34.49 by almost three seconds.

The 2,000m isn’t commonly run, so many of the elite athletes in the field jumped at the chance to set new records, including Australia’s Jessica Hull. The race was set up for Hull to challenge the world record of 5:21.56 set by Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi at the World Continental meet in Zagreb, Croatia in 2021. With the help of three different athletes who shared the job of pace-setting, Hull finished with a time 5:19.70–the fastest 2,000m in history–with exactly two seconds to spare.

In the same race, Cory Ann McGee‘s time of 5:28.78 betters the former North American record of 5:32.70, which Stafford also snuck under.

This sixth-place finish at her very first Diamond League marks Stafford’s first outdoor national record. She already holds the North American indoor 1,000m record of 2:33.75.

Arop runs season’s best

After getting passed in the final 100m stretch of his race, Marco Arop, the reigning world champion in the men’s 800m, finished sixth with a time of 1:42.93–also bettering his season’s best.

Making his Diamond League debut, 19-year-old Christopher Morales-Williams also took sixth place in his 400m race. Although his time of 45.11 is not nearly his fastest of the season, he’ll have the chance to compete against these world-class athletes at the Olympic Games in Paris next month.

Two-time Olympic pole-vaulter Alysha Newman took fourth place in her event earlier in the day, jumping a season’s best of 4.76m. She jumped her previous season’s best of 4.75m to take the win at the Canadian Olympic Trials in Montreal earlier this month.

Vivian Chebet's story of luck from finishing fifth at Olympic trials to receiving late call up to women's 800m team

Vivian Chebet had already lost hope of making the Olympic team after finishing fifth at the Kenyan Olympic trials but luck knocked on her door and she will be flying Kenya's flag high in the women's 800m following new developments.

Vivian Chebet, the latest addition in the women’s 800m team to the Paris 2024 Olympics had already given up on her dream of making it to the global stage this season.

At the Kenyan Olympic trials, Chebet finished fifth and she knew there was no chance for her to compete at the Olympic Games in Paris, France.

However, Mary Moraa’s sister cousin, Sarah Moraa, who finished third, failed to attain the qualifying time before the deadline and was forced to pull out of the Games.

That is when Chebet, who never thought luck would visit her, received a call inquiring whether she would want to join Moraa and Lilian Odira to the Olympic Games.

She noted that the news came as a surprise to her, however, she had prepared well and was ready for the huge task that awaited her.

“It was surprise somehow because I was well-prepared to join the team and when we held the trials and I was number five, I knew that I had missed the golden opportunity,” she told the media on Thursday, July 11.

“After sometime, I was called and asked if I could join Odira and Mary and that’s when I was surprised because I had already surrendered,” she added.

Chebet had qualified for the Olympics via world rankings and this season, she had claimed a bronze medal in the women’s 800m at the African Games.

She added that training alongside Moraa, the reigning world champion, is a morale booster since she is able to learn a lot from her.

“Being with Moraa is a morale booster because at least we are able to rectify each other’s mistakes because no one is perfect. If I don’t run well, she comes and tells me and I also try and be of help to her. Training as a team is something very helpful,” she added.

Why Paris Olympic Games will be key for Omanyala career

The last time an African athlete scaled the Olympic podium in the sprints was in Atlanta in 1996 when retired Namibian great Frankie Fredricks won silvers in the men’s 100m and 200m finals.

It was a repeat of his exploits at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games, where he also won the silver double.

Ahead of the forthcoming Paris 2024 Summer Games, there is renewed optimism that a sprinter from the continent will medal either in the short or longer dash events considered to be the cream of track and field competition at the Olympics.

African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, the ninth fastest men’s 100m runner of all time, Botswana breakout starlet Letsile Thebogo and resurgent South African sprint king, Akani Simbine, have all enjoyed a solid start to the season and, more importantly, peaking at the right time.

Omanyala who holds the African record of 9.77 seconds, underlined his credentials when he won the Kenyan Olympic Trial in 9.79 which was until last week, the fastest time of the year.

Kishane Thompson, who won the men’s 100m in 9.77 at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Sunday, has supplanted Omanyala from the top of the 2024 world list, but considering the latter did it at Nairobi’s punishing elevation, there are reasons for the Kenyan to be optimistic of a medal in France.

Having burst onto the scene with his blazing time in 2021 at the height of the global pandemic, the 28-year-old, who has since won the Commonwealth and African men’s 100m, has established a reputation as one of the brazen and at times cocky top sprinter.

But that is all set to change as he prepares for his second Olympics after failing to make the final of the delayed Tokyo Summer Games.

Speaking to the media in Nairobi on Monday, Omanyala cut the determined figure of a man who is focused on the ultimate goal— not the showmanship side that has endeared him to millions of fans at home and abroad.

“Our sport humbles you; everybody who is anybody in the sport has lost a race at some point. With that, you understand that it’s not always about you winning; it’s about how humble you are; it’s just that.”

Biggest lesson

“It’s the biggest lesson that I have learned and I understand that there is pressure coming in, especially as we go to the Olympics. There are a lot of expectations,” the two-time African champion emphasised.

And indeed, lessons have been learned. In April, Omanyala had boldly predicted he would not allow American sprint heavyweight Kenny Bednarek, the Olympic 200m silver medallist, to beat him on his home track during the Absa Kip Keino Classic, the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event that went down in Nairobi.

As it turned out, Bednarek stepped down the distance to win in 9.91 as Omanyala (10.03) faded to fifth in front of a passionate home crowd, and later, the American posted a video on social media that threw shade at the Kenyan.

However, behind the scenes, the Commonwealth champion was adjusting to changing coaches, with Geoffrey Kimani, who was part of the Kenya 7s rugby technical bench, taking over at the start of the year.

Retreating quietly to his new training regime and running technique, Omanyala turned up for the Olympic Trials in June a man transformed and humbled.

“This year, I am not giving anybody any target; I am not going to promise anybody anything.”

Noah Lyles breaks U.S. Olympic Trials 200m record

The second (and final) weekend of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, held at Hayward Field in Oregon, continued to be electrifying, with heart-stopping finishes and records broken.

On Saturday night, six-time world champion Noah Lyles kept his Olympic sprint double dreams alive by blazing through the 200m in 19.53 seconds—the fastest time in the world this year, adding to his 100m win from last weekend. Lyles wasn’t the only runner in contention for first place, only overtaking Kenny Bednarek in the final meters to secure the win. Erriyon Knighton finished third to make his second Olympic team; he received a no-fault violation from USADA in early June, after testing positive for a metabolite of trenbolone during an out-of-competition drug test in March, allowing him to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials this week.

Lyles’s performance broke Michael Johnson’s long-standing U.S. Olympic Trials record of 19.66, set in 1996. Lyles will be hoping for redemption in Paris after a third-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, his only loss in the 200m at a major meet. “You claim you’re gonna go out there and win four medals, so the goal had to be win the 100m and 200m,” Lyles told media post-race.“Job is accomplished. I’m right where I need to be.

Kelati conquers the 10,000m

Weini Kelati secured her spot for the Paris Olympics by winning the women’s 10,000m in a thrilling, extremely close race on Saturday. Kelati, who was born in Eritrea but defected to the U.S. a decade ago to pursue a running career, showcased her strength and determination in a tight race that saw multiple lead changes in the final laps.

Kelati crossed the finish line first in 31:41.07, narrowly beating Parker Valby and Karissa Schweizer, who finished in 31:41.553 and 31:41.557 respectively. While Kelati has already run the Olympic standard of 31:40:00 and has clinched her place on the team, Valby and Schweizer will have to hope their performances were enough to get them to the Olympics through World Athletics rankings, a decision that won’t be finalized until June 7th.

Richardson doesn’t make the 200m cut

Sha’Carri Richardson’s bid for a sprint double in Paris ended with a fourth-place finish in the women’s 200m. Despite a strong start, Richardson was unable to maintain her speed in the final stretch, finishing behind Gabby Thomas, Brittany Brown and McKenzie Long.

Thomas, a bronze medalist in Tokyo and silver medalist at last year’s world championships in Budapest, crossed the line in 21.81 seconds. Richardson, secured her place in the 100m for the Olympics last weekend, when she won the women’s final in a new world-leading time of 10.71 seconds. In 2021, Richardson also won the 100m at the U.S. Olympic Trials, but tested positive for marijuana shortly after and was not allowed to compete; she’ll now make her much anticipated Olympic debut exclusively in the 100m, where she remains a favorite for gold.

Faith Kipyegon offers success tip to upcoming athletes

Faith Kipyegon has revealed the challenges of being a track athlete and how she manages to keep the focus ahead of the Olympic Games.

Double world record holder Faith Kipyegon has opened up on the struggles of running and disclosed how she manages to keep going through the tough times.

The three-time world 1500m champion explained that it’s not a smooth sailing and just like any other athlete, she faces hurdles in her pursuit for success but she does not allow challenges to pull her back.

She added that her main goal is to work hard and put in the effort as she looks to achieve the goals she has set. She is a testimony that nothing comes easy and from time to time, Kipyegon has also insisted on athletes working hard.

“It’s not a smooth sailing…it’s only that hard work and being patient is the most important thing. I know being patient and training hard will get me where I want to be,” the two-time Olympic champion said.

She opened her season at the Kenyan Olympic trials, where she punched the 1500m and 5000m tickets to the Paris Olympics, dominantly winning both races.

This comes after her final track race that was at the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League Meeting in Eugene in 2023. She intended to open her season at the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen but was forced to withdraw due to an injury setback.

The 30-year-old was then confirmed for the Prefontaine Classic but could not compete there due to the injury. After sealing tickets to the Olympics, she will be chasing history on the global stage, hoping to become the first woman to win three successive Olympic trials in the 1500m.

She will also be keen to win the 5000m gold medal, and etch her name in the annals of history. She made history at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary to win her third 1500m title and also claim top honours in the 5000m.

“It will be history to win the 1500m for the first time and focus on the 5000m…I know it will not be easy but I’m going to try and see what will be possible,” Kipyegon said.

Her next stop will be at the Diamond League Meeting in Paris, France, where she intends to have a great build up to the Olympics.

Moh Ahmed dazzles in Canadian 5,000m final with championship record

Canada’s greatest men’s distance runner, Moh Ahmed, had his hands full on Thursday night in the men’s 5,000m at the 2024 Bell Canadian Olympic Track and Field Trials in Montreal, with Quebec’s Thomas Fafard chasing the Olympic standard of 13 minutes and five seconds from the start. Ahmed stuck with the pace and dazzled as he won the men’s 5,000m title in a new championship record time of 13:10.99.

Ahmed’s finishing time is the fastest ever by a domestic athlete on Canadian soil, breaking the previous record by two seconds.

The men’s race went out at a 13-minute pace, with Fafard needing a time of 13:20 or faster to improve his Paris 2024 qualification spot in the rankings. He was paced by his teammate and newly crowned national steeplechase champion, Jean-Simon Desgagnés, for 2,000m. Once Desgagnés stepped off, Fafard kept the pedal to the metal but was unable to hold off Ahmed’s momentum in the final 1,000m.

“I love this racing style,” says Ahmed. “Thomas made it an honest race.”

Moh Ahmed signs the Air Canada ticket to Paris 2024 after winning the men’s 5,000m at the 2024 Bell Canadian Track and Field Olympic Trials. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

This is the 21st time in Ahmed’s career that he has finished a men’s 5,000m under the 13:12.00 mark—a feat every other athlete but Ahmed has only achieved six times. This is the second event he’s qualified for in Paris; he’s already been named to Team Canada in the 10,000m event.

Fafard crossed the line for second place ahead of Ben Flanagan in 13:18.02—the second-fastest time of his career. Flanagan rounded out the podium in 13:29.42. Earlier this season, Fafard missed the Olympic standard in the 5,000m by seven one-hundredths of a second, running 13:05.07. He currently sits inside the World Athletics Paris 2024 selection quota, but things can still change between now and when the window closes on Sunday, June 30.

The 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials has seen a giant spike in viewership, with their largest audience in 12 years

The first four days of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., have been nothing short of spectacular. We’ve witnessed triumph, world-record performances, as well as heartbreak, with TV ratings reflecting the excitement.

According to NBC, Sunday’s 100m final attracted an audience of 5.2 million people who tuned in to watch Noah Lylescompete against Fred Kerley and Christian Coleman.

Lyles equalled his personal best of 9.83 seconds to win the men’s 100m at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Photo: Kevin Morris

In a country with a population of 330 million people, 1.5 per cent of the viewership might not seem significant. However, this race was the most-watched track and field event in the U.S. since the Olympic Trials for London 2012. This bodes well for NBC, with the Paris Olympics (athletics portion beginning on Aug. 1) being the pinnacle of the track and field season later this summer.

Lyles won the 100m final with a personal best time of 9.83 seconds, earning his first U.S. men’s 100m outdoor title and qualifying for his first Olympics in the 100m event. Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek finished second with a personal best of 9.87 seconds. The 2022 world champion, Kerley, edged out Coleman to secure his spot on his second consecutive Olympic team, placing third in 9.88 seconds.

Olympic 800m champion Athing Mu out of Paris 2024 after falling at US trials

Olympic champion Athing Mu’s hopes for a repeat came crashing down on the first lap of the 800m final at the US Olympic trials on Monday.

Racing in the middle of the pack, Mu tangled with a bunched group of runners and went crashing to the ground before rolling on to her back. She got back to her feet and finished the race, but was more than 22 seconds behind the winner, Nia Akins, who took first place with a time of 1 minute 57.36 seconds.

The 22-year-old Mu was choking back tears as she headed quickly off the track and through the tunnel after the race. She did not immediately come through the media area for interviews.

The Olympic trials were Mu’s first meet of the year after dealing with injuries all season. She looked to be in good form in her first two rounds, but was out of the running in the final before the first 200m.

It was Exhibit A of the unforgiving format of the US trials, where the top three finishers make the Olympic team and past performances mean nothing.

“I’ve coached it,said told The Associated Press. “And here’s another indication that regardless of how good we are, we can leave some better athletes home than other countries have. It’s part of our American way.”

Kersee said Mu was clipped from behind and that a protest had been lodged. USA Track and Field did not immediately respond to queries about the status of the protest. Kersee said Mu got spiked, had track burns and hurt her ankle.

“She’s going to be licking her wounds for a couple of days,” Kersee said.

Mu could still go to Paris as part of the US relay pool; she was a key part of America’s gold-medal win in the 4x400m three years ago in Tokyo.After winning college, national, world and Olympic championships all before turning 21, Mu won a bronze medal at worlds last year and, afterward, conceded she needed a break from the pressure and demands that come with being tagged as one of track’s new stars.

“For sure, I wasn’t really happy to be there,” she told the Guardian when asked about her 2023 season. “Mentally, I just wasn’t really there. I just wasn’t present. I didn’t appreciate being there. I didn’t really enjoy what was happening to me.”

She has dominated the 800m thanks, in part, to a long, loping stride, and that may be what cost her in a race in which she came in as the favorite. Mu was racing on the outside in a tightly bunched pack and looked to be veering to her left toward Juliette Whitaker when she tripped, leaving three runners behind her flailing as they jumped over her.Mu is hardly the first athlete to suffer such misfortune. One of the more memorable and heartbreaking moments came eight years ago in the same event, when Alysia Montano, looking to return to the Olympics, was tripped up in the homestretch and stayed down on the track crying.

There was drama elsewhere on a busy night that included six finals.

The women’s 5000m came down to a 0.02sec difference with Elle St Pierre finishing in 14:40.34, just ahead of Elise Cranny. Both are going to the Olympics.

Vashti Cunningham, who had a combined 13 straight US indoor and outdoor titles coming into the week, won a jump-off for third to make her third Olympic team.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Quincy Wilson finished sixth in the 400m final with a time of 44.94, his third sub-45 race in three tries at the trials.

Now, he will wait to see if the US track team calls on him to be part of the relay pool.

“All I know is I gave everything I had,” he said. “I can’t be too disappointed. I’m 16, and I’m running grown-man times.”

After Double Knee Surgery, This Runner is Poised to Make Team USA for the Paris Olympics

Val Constien has surmounted obstacles along every step of her career—including a devastating knee injury just 13 months ago. Now the 28-year-old is a favorite to make her second Olympic team in the 3,000-meter steeplechase heading into the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials.

Val Constien started 2023 in the best shape of her life. She had been an Olympian in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics. And yet, she had no professional sponsorships.

Constien, then 26, had spent the several years after graduating from the University of Colorado in 2019 continuing to train for the steeplechase under her college coaches while working a full-time job mostly because she loved it, and partly because she was betting on herself that she could continue to progress to a higher level.

While studying environmental engineering at CU, Constien twice earned All-American honors in the steeplechase and helped the Buffaloes win a NCAA Division I national championship in cross country.  She then finished 12th in the steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. And yet the Boulder, Colorado-based runner hadn’t been able to attract a sponsorship deal from a shoe and apparel brand. She squeezed her workouts in before work, paid for her travel to races, and remained determined and hopeful.

But then, after winning a U.S. indoor title in the flat 3,000 meters in early 2023, she caught the attention of Nike, which signed her to a deal that would lead into the 2024 Olympic year. Finally, it was the break she’d be hoping for.

However, less than three weeks after signing the contract, while running the steeplechase in a high-level Diamond League meet in Doha, Qatar, Constien landed awkwardly on her right leg early in the race and immediately knew something was wrong. She could be seen visibly mouthing “Oh no!” on the livestream, as she hobbled to the side of the track out of the race.

It was a worst case scenario: a torn ACL in her right knee. That meant surgery and a long road back to running fast again.

“That was awful,” said Kyle Lewis, her boyfriend who was watching the race online from Boulder. “The doctors over there initially told her they thought it was a sprain, but she came home and two days later she got an MRI and found out that it was a completely torn ACL, and she was obviously very upset. That was only a couple of weeks after she signed the Nike deal. But that’s just kind of been like with Val’s whole career. Nothing has ever come easy to that girl.”

How Constien, now 28, returned to top form a year later to become one of the top contenders to make Team USA in the steeplechase heading into the June 21-30 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon—her preliminary race on June 24 will be only 398 days after her knee was surgically repaired—is a testament to the grit and confidence Constien possesses.

“It’s all just an extension of how tough I am and how willing I am to make hard decisions, and how badly I want it,” Constien said. “I love running. If I didn’t love running this much, I would’ve quit a long time ago.”

Constien had surgery last May 2023 at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, not far from where she grew up. But that also presented a challenging twist.

One of the most popular types of ACL reconstructions for athletes is called a patella tendon graft, in which the doctor cuts off pieces of bone from the patient’s tibia and patella and several strands of the patella tendon and uses those materials to replace the ACL. Usually those grafts are harvested from the same injured leg, but doctors determined Constien’s right patella had a bone bruise on it and wasn’t healthy enough to use. So instead, they grafted the replacement materials from her left leg. That meant undergoing surgery on both legs, rendering her recovery even more difficult.

For the first two weeks after surgery, she couldn’t stand up or sit down on her own. She had trouble moving around and even had to sit down to take a shower. It took a full month until she started to get comfortable enough to go on short, easy walks and start to regain her mobility.

“The first month post-op was really devastating,” she said. “I was in a lot of pain, and it was hot and I was uncomfortable. I’m glad he did it the way he did it, but it was a really, really challenging recovery.”

All the while, though, Constien never stopped thinking about getting back to racing and the prospect of what 2024 might hold. That’s what helped her make a huge mental shift two weeks after the surgery and refocus all of her energy into returning to peak form and chasing another Olympic berth.

That was obviously easier said than done, but Constien has grown used to working hard and battling adversity. Her college career had been disrupted by injuries and slow progress. She was overlooked by brands when she got out of school in 2019 and again in 2021 after she slashed 7 seconds off her personal best time to finish third at the U.S. Olympic Trials and earn a spot in the Tokyo Olympics. And after she ran two strong races in Tokyo—the first international races of her career—to make it to the final and place 12th overall.

Even when she’s been overlooked or discounted, Constien has always believed in her potential. And that’s why, after a year of hyper-focused dedication, she’s on the brink of making it back onto Team USA to compete in this summer’s Paris Olympics.

“I’ve told her many times, no matter what happens after this point, what a comeback it’s already been,” Lewis said. “But what’s amazing about her is that, after that initial rough part, when she wasn’t able to walk, she just did an incredible job of compartmentalizing and being focused. I never saw her get sad or upset. She was always just super clinical about everything and really happy.  It’s been incredible to watch.”

All last summer and fall, she continued building strength and began rejuvenating her aerobic strength—running more miles, getting stronger and getting faster. And that was amid working full-time doing quality assurance work for Stryd, a Boulder-based company that makes a wearable device to monitor running power and gait metrics. Heather Burroughs and Mark Wetmore, who have coached Constien since 2014, knew she had made considerable progress. But it wasn’t until early February that they began to realize the magnitude of her comeback.

“There was a point this winter, when she wasn’t running races, yet but she had some workouts that impressed me,” Burroughs said. “I wasn’t really worried about her ability to get fit enough the last four months, but it was whether her knee could handle the steeple work, especially the water jump.”

They never discussed that—because there was no point—and Constien went boldly into the outdoor season with her goal of breaking the 9:41.00 Olympic Trials qualifying standard. She started training outdoors in March and started her season by running a strong 1500-meter race on April 12 near Los Angeles (she won her heat in 4:12.27). But it wasn’t until May 11—roughly a year after she blew out her knee in Doha—that she ran her first steeple race.

At the Sound Running Track Fest, she ran patiently (with a smile on her face most of the way) just off the lead for the seven-and-a-half-lap race. She then unleashed an explosive closing kick to outrun Kaylee Mitchell down the homestretch and win in 9:27.22—securing her place in the Olympic Trials. That got her an invitation to the Prefontaine Classic, an international Diamond League meet on May 25 in Eugene, where she ran the best race of her life and finished fifth—and first American—in a new personal best of 9:14.29.

That put Constien at No. 7 on the all-time U.S. list. But more importantly, Constien closed hard after Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai had split the field apart en route to a world-leading 8:55.09, the sixth-fastest time in history.

“I’m more impressed by her comeback than she is, and it’s because I think she expected it,” Burroughs said. “It’s not that I didn’t expect it, but it was still improbable. But even now that she’s come back, she’s not impressed with herself at all. After the Prefontaine meet, I texted her about the race, and I got a five-word response—‘Let’s get back to work’—just very businesslike. She’s just dialed in and, to me, that says, ‘My big goal is yet to come.’”

For the last decade-plus, Emma Coburn and Courtney Freirichs have dominated the U.S. women’s steeplechase. They both suffered season-ending injuries this spring (broken ankle and torn ACL, respectively). Their absence leaves the event wide open for the likes of Constein, who is ranked second, and Krissy Gear, who enters the meet at the top seed (9:12.81) and as the defending national champion. But rising stars Courtney Wayment (9:14.48), Olivia Markezich (9:17:36), Gabrielle Jennings (9:18:03), and Kaylee Mitchell (9:21.00) are among several fast, young runners eager to battle for a spot on the Olympic team.

Constien knows she has two just goals to execute: run smart and fast enough to qualify for the finals on June 27, and then do whatever it takes to finish among the top three in that race.

Burroughs believes she’s as fit and as strong as she’s ever been, much improved since 2022, when she finished a disappointing eighth at the U.S. championships (9:42.96) while recovering from Covid. In fact, she’s even much better than her breakout year in 2021.

Over the past several weeks in Boulder, Constien has sharpened her fitness, including a final tuneup on June 12: a robust tempo run on the track with two hurdles per lap, which was preceded and followed by several fast 200-meter repeats. She’s also sharpened her perspective.

“There were definitely some dark times where I doubted myself and I doubted the process,” Constien said. “But I kind of just had to lock those thoughts away and just try to focus on the positive. And it’s really paid off.

“I never gave up when I didn’t have a sponsor and had to figure it all out on my own,” she added. “So tearing my ACL, yeah, that really sucks. That was really, really hard. But a part of me was like, ‘I’ve already done the hardest thing ever’ just by staying in the sport on my own. I look at it like, ‘I am the toughest person out here regardless of that ACL.’”

Confident Faith Kipyegon ready to double at Paris Olympics after impressing on day two of Kenyan trials

Winning the 1500m at the Kenyan Olympic trials has boosted Faith Kipyegon's confidence and she has disclosed plans to double in the 1500m and 5000m at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Three-time world 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon has impressed one more time on day two of the Kenyan Olympic trials, winning the 1500m and she has admitted it is a confidence booster for her to double in the 1500m and 5000m.

The double world champion clocked an impressive 3:53.98 to cross the finish line ahead of Nelly Chepchirchir who also qualified for the games, clocking 3:58.46 to cross the finish line.

Us-based runner Susan Ejore completed the podium, clocking an astonishing 4:00.22 to also qualify for the games.

Kipyegon was proud to share that the win is a confidence booster since she has been out with an injury and opening her season with a win and clocking such a fast time has encouraged her to double at the Olympics.

Before the race, her goal was to ensure she motivates others to join her in search for Olympic glory and she explained that her main aim was to ensure they run a faster race, something she was happy to have achieved and also pushed Chepchirchir and Ejore to hit the Olympic qualifying mark.

“I had not raced due to an injury but I thank God because I ran an incredible race today. I can declare that I’m going to double after this win because I have gained more confidence and I’m doing well. I’m ready to go and represent Kenya in the 1500m and 5000m.

“I see the team is very strong because we have worked together and we had talked before the race that we shall run a fast one. Today we wanted to run faster.

“After now, we are going to prepare for the Games and pray to God that we stay healthy and focus on the Olympics,” Kipyegon said after the race.

In her season opener at the Nyayo National Stadium on Friday, Kipyegon also outsmarted other world 10,000m record holder Beatrice Chebet to take the crown.

The two-time Olympic 1500m champion clocked 14:46.28 to cross the finish line as Chebet finished second in 14:52.55. Margaret Chelimo completed the podium, stopping the clock at 14:59.39.

JP Flavin and Erin Mawhinney Victorious at 2024 Under Armour Toronto 10K

JP Flavin rang up Under Armour Toronto 10K organizers last week and asked if there was a place in the event for him. His eleventh-hour plea came just before the race limit of 7,500 was reached. Lucky for him.

The 25 year old New Jersey native showed his gratitude by front running his way to a victory in 29:20 and in the process pulling top Canadian Andrew Davies to a new personal best of 29:25. Third place overall went to Lee Wesselius in 29:49 and the third Canadian was Rob Kanko in 30 minutes flat.

“I am very thankful they let me in the race,” said Flavin, a member of the Brooks Hanson Project based in Rochester Hills, Michigan. “I did really well. I kept 4:40 miles throughout, which was my plan.  It was fun.”

Midway through the race - the lead pack of seven runners reached 5K in 14:32 - he went to the front with the objective of breaking pre-race favorite Andrew Davies. 

The Sarnia native has been training in Vancouver, where he is a law student at the University of British Columbia. Earlier this year, he ran a personal best 10,000m on the track (28:34.63) and also finished 2nd in the NAIA (collegiate) national championships in that event, which caught the attention of his peers.

“I knew if I stayed with Andrew to the last two kilometres, odds are he would outkick me,” Flavin added. “So a little before 5K, I started picking it up. I wanted to use that long hill [at the Canadian Legion] to come hard off it.”

"When I made my move and started feeling bad at mile five, I could hear from the crowd; they were screaming his name a little bit.  So I knew I had to pay attention, stay on it, and not let up too much. I was able to grind and finish off strong.”

Davies was satisfied with his personal best. When Flavin made his move, he made an effort to maintain contact but could never close the gap.

"I was trying to cover it as best I could without risking blowing up at the end,” he revealed. “I couldn’t quite cover it. I stayed pretty close. I couldn’t catch him over the last two kilometres. He held that gap the whole way.”

Despite his earlier 10,000m success in the spring, Davies admitted he has lately been focusing on the 5,000m, the event he will race at the Canadian Olympic trials June 26-30 in Montreal. 

While the men’s race had its drama, the women’s race saw the same podium finishers as in 2023, although Erin Mawhinney’s title defence was emphatic. The 28-year-old Hamilton, Ontario, nursing consultant won by 25 seconds over Salome Nyirarukundo. 

Mahwinney’s 33:40 time was a pleasant surprise after she learned earlier in the year she was iron deficient.  

“This was the first race since February that I haven’t felt dizzy, so this is the first one in a while that has felt like that,” says Mawhinney, who was greeted at the finish by her coach, two time Canadian Olympic marathoner, Reid Coolsaet.

Respect for her competitors was evident in her further comments.

“At no point was I confident of winning,” she declared. “Salome is so talented, and I knew there was a good chance she would come flying by but someone yelled at me with a kilometre to go that I had a good gap. 

To run in the 33s, especially today, it's hotter and windier than last year, to run the same time as last year off much less training is great.”

Mawhinney also credited Toronto running coach Paddy Birch for helping her through the windy stretches along Lake Shore Boulevard. 

“I owe my life to Paddy Birch. He was sort of breaking some of the wind and pacing up to about 8K, so I didn’t have to think quite as hard about it,” she added. “He is much faster than me, but I think he was going for an easy run. He was (pacing me) on purpose when he was talking to me.”

Nyirarukundo, who competed for Rwanda at the 2016 Olympics, now lives in Ottawa. She complained about having an upset stomach last night and into the race morning.

“I was a little bit tired. This morning I had a problemwith stomach. Even now, I have it,” she said with a smile, “so I was struggling even to finish, but because I am a fighter, I just tried to finish. It was not bad.”

“I appreciate the organisers; they are very, very good to the elites. It is really good and I enjoy the people (on the course) who are cheering.”

Rachel Hannah, now recovered from her 3rd place finish in the Ottawa Marathon, was 3rd in today’s race. Her time of 34:10, almost a minute faster than her 2023 finish, pleased her.

Once again, the Under Armour Toronto 10K served as the Canadian Masters’ championships, with  Toronto’s Allison Drynan crossing the line first in the 45-49 age bracket, recording a time of 38:46. She finished just 8 seconds ahead of Miriam Zittel (40-44).

In the men’s master’s race, Bryan Rusche earned top honours with his 33:37 performance, and Brian Byrne of London, Ontario, finished next in 33:51.

Race director Alan Brookes was delighted with the sold-out event and pointed out that runners from nine provinces, two territories (the Yukon and the Northwest Territories), eighteen American states, and twenty countries enjoyed the day.

Ingebrigtsen, Cheptegei beware! Jacob Krop sets target after punching 5000m ticket to Olympic Games

Jacob Krop has sent a stark warning to Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Joshua Cheptegei, and other 5000m bound athletes after securing a ticket to the Olympic Games, following his relentless run at the Kenyan Olympic trials.

World 5000m bronze medallist Jacob Krop has promised to burn the midnight oil and ensure all the glory comes back to Kenya as he heads to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Krop secured a direct ticket to the global showpiece, thanks to his relentless pursuit of greatness at the Olympic trials where he managed to finish second in the 5000m, clocking an impressive 13:27.54 to cross the finish line behind Ronald Kwemoi who won the race in 13:27.20. Edwin Kurgat completed the podium, clocking 13:27.75 to cross the finish line.

He will team up with Kwemoi and Krop believes they have the ability to silence serial winner Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, defending champion Joshua Cheptegei and other opponents who have for long dominated the distance.

He disclosed that he moved to Japan and training there has been very effective since he has been able to work on certain areas of his training and he is now back.

“This is my first time to make the cut to the Olympic team and I want my fans to expect something good. To bring the medals back home, we shall practice teamwork and invest more time in training.

“Everything is possible and I know it’s not easy but we shall work hard in training and see how things work out. I went to Japan and my stay there had been great since they always give me ample time to even come back to Kenya and train,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kenya last won the Olympic gold medal over the distance at the 1988 Seoul Olympics where John Ngungi beat a strong field to claim the coveted prize.

During the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, no Kenyan made it to the podium as Cheptegei claimed the top honours with Canadian Mohammed Ahmed finishing second in the race as Kenyan-born American Paul Chelimo completed the podium.

As they head to the Olympics, Krop is aware of the tough opposition but he is sure anything is possible if they work hard and embrace team work.

What You Need to Know About the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials

From June 21-30, more than 900 runners, throwers, and jumpers will put it all on the line for a chance to compete for Team USA at the Paris Olympics

The U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials is a showcase of hundreds of America’s best track and field athletes who will be battling for a chance to qualify for Team USA and compete in this summer’s Paris Olympics. For many athletes competing in Eugene, simply making it on to the start line is a life-long accomplishment. Each earned their spot by qualifying for the trials in their event(s). The athlete qualifier and declaration lists are expected to be finalized this week.

But for the highest echelon of athletes, the trials defines a make-or-break moment in their career. Only three Olympic team spots (in each gender) are available in each event, and given the U.S. depth in all facets of track and field—sprints, hurdles, throws, jumps, and distance running events—it’s considered the world’s hardest all-around team to make. How dominant is the U.S. in the world of track and field? It has led the track and field medal count at every Olympics since 1984.

At the trials, there are 20 total events for women and men—10 running events from 100 meters to 10,000 meters (including two hurdles races and the 3,000-meter steeplechase), four throwing events (discus, shot put, javelin, and hammer throw), four jumping events (long jump, triple jump, high jump, and pole vault), the quirky 20K race walking event, and, of course, the seven-event heptathlon (women) and the 10-event decathlon (men).

(At the Olympics, Team USA will also compete in men’s and women’s 4×100-meter and 4×400-meter relays, plus a mixed gender 4×400, and a mixed gender marathon race walk. The athletes competing on these teams will be drawn from those who qualify for Team USA in individual events, along with alternates who are the next-best finishers at the trials.

There’s also the Olympic marathon, but the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon was held on February 3 in Orlando, Florida, to give the athletes enough time to recover from the demands of hammering 26.2 miles before the big dance in Paris.

Although some countries arbitrarily select their Olympic track and field teams, the U.S. system is equitable for those who show up at the Olympic Trials and compete against the country’s best athletes in each particular event. There’s just one shot for everyone, and if you finish among the top three in your event (and also have the proper Olympic qualifying marks or international rankings under your belt), you’ll earn the opportunity of a lifetime—no matter if you’re a medal contender or someone who burst onto the scene with a breakthrough performance.

The top performers in Eugene will likely be contenders for gold medals in Paris. The list of American stars is long and distinguished, but it has to start with sprinters Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles, who will be both competing in the coveted 100 and 200 meters. Each athlete won 100-meter titles at last summer’s world championships in Budapest and ran on the U.S. gold-medal 4×100 relays. (Lyles also won the 200) Each has been running fast so far this spring, but more importantly, each seems to have the speed, the skill, and swagger it takes to become an Olympic champion in the 100 and carry the title of the world’s fastest humans.

But first they have to qualify for Team USA at the Olympic Trials. Although Lyles is the top contender in the men’s 100 and second in the world with a 9.85-second season’s best, five other U.S. athletes have run sub-10-second efforts already this season. Richardson enters the meet No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 3 in the world in the women’s 100 (10.83), but eight other Americans have also broken 11 seconds. That will make the preliminary heats precariously exciting and the finals (women’s on June 22, men’s on June 23) must-see TV.

There are five returning individual Olympic gold medalists competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials with the hopes of repeating their medals in Paris—Athing Mu (800 meters), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (400-meter hurdles), Katie Moon (pole vault), Vallarie Allman (discus), and Ryan Crouser (shot put)—but there are more than a dozen other returning U.S. medalists from the Tokyo Olympics, as well as many more from the 2023 world championships, including gold medalists Chase Ealey (shot put), Grant Holloway (110-meter hurdles), Laulauga Tausaga (discus), and Crouser (shot put).

The most talented athlete entered in the Olympic Trials might be Anna Hall, the bronze and silver medalist in the seven-event heptathlon at the past two world championships. It’s an epic test of speed, strength, agility, and endurance. In the two-day event, Hall and about a dozen other women will compete in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin throw, and 800 meters, racking up points based on their performance in each event. The athletes with the top three cumulative totals will make the U.S. team. At just age 23, Hall is poised to contend for the gold in Paris, although Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson, the world champion in 2019 and 2023, is also still in search of her first Olympic gold medal after injuries derailed her in 2016 and 2021.

If you can find your way to Eugene—and can afford the jacked-up hotel and Airbnb prices in town and nearby Springfield—you can watch it live in person at Hayward Field. Rebuilt in 2021, it’s one of the most advanced track and field facilities in the world, with an extremely fast track surface, a wind-blocking architectural design, and 12,650 seats that all offer great views and close-to-the-action ambiance. Tickets are still available for most days, ranging from $45 to $195.

If you can’t make it to Eugene, you can watch every moment of every event (including preliminary events) via TV broadcasts and livestreams. The U.S. Olympic Trials will be broadcast live and via tape delay with 11 total broadcast segments on NBC, USA Network, and Peacock. All finals will air live on NBC during primetime and the entirety of the meet will be streamed on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com and the NBC/NBC Sports apps.

The Olympic Trials will be replete with young, rising stars. For example, the men’s 1500 is expected to be one of the most hotly contested events and the top three contenders for the Olympic team are 25 and younger: Yared Nuguse, 25, the American record holder in the mile (3:43.97), Cole Hocker, 23, who was the 2020 Olympic Trials champion, and Hobbs Kessler, 21, who turned pro at 18 just before racing in the last Olympic Trials. Sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who turned pro at age 16 and ran in the Tokyo Olympics at age 17, is still only 20 and already has two world championships medals under his belt. Plus, the biggest track star from the last Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, is aiming for her third Olympics and third Olympic gold (she won the 400-meter hurdles and was on the winning 4×400 relay in Tokyo), and she’s only 24.

Several young collegiate stars could earn their place on the U.S. team heading to Paris after successful results in the just-completed NCAA championships. Leading the way are double-NCAA champions McKillenzie Long, 23, a University of Mississippi senior who enters the trials ranked sixth in the world in the 100 (10.91) and first in the 200 (21.83), and Parker Valby, a 21-year-old junior at the University of Florida, who ranks fifth in the U.S. in the 5,000 meters (14:52.18) and second in the 10,000 meters (30:50.43). Top men’s collegiate runners include 5,000-meter runner Nico Young (21, Northern Arizona University), 400-meter runner Johnnie Blockburger (21, USC), and 800-meter runners Shane Cohen (22, Virginia) and Sam Whitmarsh (21, Texas A&M).

It’s very likely. Elle St. Pierre is the top-ranked runner in both the 1500 and the 5,000, having run personal bests of 3:56.00 (the second-fastest time in U.S. history) and 14:34.12 (fifth-fastest on the U.S. list) this spring. Although she’s only 15 months postpartum after giving birth to son, Ivan, in March 2023, the 29-year-old St. Pierre is running better and faster than ever. In January, she broke the American indoor record in the mile (4:16.41) at the Millrose Games in New York City, then won the gold medal in the 3,000 meters at the indoor world championships in Glasgow in March.

St. Pierre could be joined by two world-class sprinters. Nia Ali, 35, the No. 2 ranked competitor in the 100-meter hurdles and the 2019 world champion, is a mother of 9-year-old son, Titus, and 7-year-old daughter, Yuri. Quanera Hayes, 32, the eighth-ranked runner in the 400 meters, is the mother to 5-year-old son, Demetrius. Hayes, a three-time 4×400 relay world champion, finished seventh in the 400 at the Tokyo Olympics.

Meanwhile, Kate Grace, a 2016 Olympian in the 800 meters who narrowly missed making Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, is back running strong at age 35 after a two-year hiatus during which she suffered from a bout of long Covid and then took time off to give birth to her son, River, in March 2023.

No, unfortunately, there are a few top-tier athletes who are hurt and won’t be able to compete. That includes Courtney Frerichs (torn ACL), the silver medalist in the steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021; Alicia Monson (torn medial meniscus), a 2020 Olympian in the 10,000 meters, the American record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, and the fifth-place finisher in the 5,000 at last year’s world championships; and Joe Klekcer (torn adductor muscle), who was 16th in the Tokyo Olympics and ninth in the 2022 world championships in the 10,000. Katelyn Tuohy, a four-time NCAA champion distance runner for North Carolina State who turned pro and signed with Adidas last winter, is also likely to miss the trials due to a lingering hamstring injury. There is also some doubt about the status of Athing Mu (hamstring), the Tokyo Olympics 800-meter champion, who has yet to race in 2024.

Meanwhile, Emma Coburn, a three-time Olympian, 2017 world champion, and 10-time U.S. champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, broke her ankle during her season-opening steeplechase in Shanghai on April 27. She underwent surgery a week later, and announced at the time that she would miss the trials, but has been progressing quickly through her recovery. If both she and Frerichs miss the meet, it will leave the door wide open for a new generation of steeplers—including 2020 Olympian Valerie Constein, who’s back in top form after tearing her ACL at a steeplechase in Doha and undergoing surgery last May.

The U.S. earned 41 medals in track and field at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo—including 10 gold medals—which ranked second behind China’s 51. This year’s Paralympics will follow the Olympics from August 28-September 8 in Paris.

The 2024 U.S. Paralympic Trials for track and field will be held from July 18-20 at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida, and Paralympic stars Nick Mayhugh, Brittni Mason, Breanna Clark, Ezra Frech, and Tatyana McFadden are all expected to compete.

In 2021 at the Tokyo Paralympics, Mayhugh set two new world records en route to winning the 100 meters (10.95) and 200 meters (21.91) in the T-37 category, and also took the silver medal in the 400 meters (50.26) and helped the U.S. win gold and set a world record in the mixed 4×100-meter relay (45.52). Clark returns to defend her Paralympic gold in the T-20 400 meters, while McFadden, a 20-time Paralympic medalist who also competed on the winning U.S. mixed relay, is expected to compete in the T-54 5,000 meters (bronze medal in 2021).

Livestream coverage of the U.S. Paralympic Trials for track and field will be available on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, and the NBC/NBC Sports app, with TV coverage on CNBC on July 20 (live) and July 21 (tape-delayed).