Running News Daily

Team USA delivered a remarkable display of depth in the men’s 5,000m at the World Ultimate Championships, placing five athletes among the top seven in a tightly contested race.

Cole Hocker led the American charge, finishing second in 13:00.05. The Olympic champion was followed closely by Parker Wolfe, who crossed the line third in 13:00.13, just eight hundredths of a second behind his compatriot.

Nico Young added another strong performance in fifth, clocking 13:00.26, while Grant Fisher finished sixth in 13:00.34. Graham Blanks completed the remarkable American showing, taking seventh in 13:00.40.

The closeness of the finish made the American performance even more impressive. The five Team USA athletes were separated by just 0.35 seconds, underlining the extraordinary level of competition within the American distance-running ranks.

It was also a striking combination of established experience and emerging talent. Hocker and Fisher have already established themselves among the leading American distance runners, while Wolfe, Young and Blanks represent the strength of the next generation pushing their way onto the global stage.

Although Team USA did not sweep the medals, having five runners inside the top seven was a powerful statement of collective strength. It demonstrated that American distance running possesses not only individual stars but also remarkable depth capable of challenging at the highest international level.

For Hocker, Wolfe, Young, Fisher and Blanks, the result adds another significant chapter to their seasons and provides a glimpse of the growing competitiveness of the United States in the 5,000m. With such a tightly packed group performing at the front of a major championship race, American distance running has plenty of reason for optimism.

The road to Los Angeles 2028 will once again run through Eugene, Oregon.

USA Track & Field and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee have announced that the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field will return to Hayward Field from June 17–22, 2028, giving Eugene the distinction of hosting the prestigious selection meet for a sixth consecutive Olympic cycle.

For a venue that has become synonymous with American track and field, the announcement represents another chapter in Hayward Field’s remarkable Olympic Trials legacy. Eugene previously hosted the Trials in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021 and 2024, and will now stage the event once again as America’s finest athletes battle for places on the U.S. team headed to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The 2028 edition will also introduce a significant change to the traditional format. Instead of the eight-day competition used at recent Trials, the main track and field meet will be compressed into six consecutive days, reflecting athlete feedback and the need for a more efficient selection process with the Olympic Games beginning less than a month later.

The men’s and women’s 10,000 meters, along with the decathlon and heptathlon, will not be contested as part of the main six-day Trials. Their Olympic team selection will take place earlier in the spring, with the dates and locations to be announced separately.

That scheduling adjustment is particularly important because athletes selected in Eugene will have only a short window to recover, prepare and travel before track and field competition begins at the Los Angeles Olympics. The LA28 track and field programme is scheduled for July 15–24 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Eugene’s return also reinforces its extraordinary status within American athletics. Few venues in the world carry the same history, atmosphere and emotional connection to track and field as Hayward Field, where Olympic dreams have been decided repeatedly over the past two decades.

And while the spotlight will ultimately be on the athletes who make Team USA, the road to Los Angeles will begin with another unforgettable week in TrackTown USA — where careers can be transformed, dreams can be fulfilled and the smallest margins can decide who wears the American colors on the Olympic stage.

The countdown to Los Angeles 2028 has officially gained another major milestone. Hayward Field is ready to welcome America’s best once again. 

At just 18 years old, Tate Taylor has transformed the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene into the stage for one of the most extraordinary sprint performances in the history of the competition.

The American speedster completed a remarkable championship treble, winning gold in the men’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay as Team USA closed the championships in spectacular fashion.

Taylor began his assault on the sprint titles with victory in the 100m, producing a superb 9.94 seconds to establish himself as the fastest man in the field and add a World U20 title to his rapidly growing list of achievements.

He then returned to Hayward Field for the 200m, where he delivered an even more emphatic statement. Taylor stormed to gold in 19.83 seconds, setting a new World Athletics U20 Championships record.

The performance placed him just 0.16 seconds behind the world U20 record of 19.67 set by Australia’s Gout Gout earlier this year. It also completed Taylor’s historic 100m-200m double, making him the first American man to achieve the feat at the World U20 Championships.

But Taylor was not finished.

In the men’s 4x100m relay, he was handed the baton for the anchor leg with another piece of history within reach. The American quartet delivered a sensational performance, crossing the finish line in 38.16 seconds to set a new world U20 record.

Taylor produced a powerful closing leg to bring the United States home, adding a third gold medal to his collection and helping cap a championship that had already established him as one of the brightest young sprinting talents in the world.

His three victories have now placed him in a rare category in World U20 Championships history. At only 18, Taylor leaves Eugene not simply as a triple champion, but as the central figure in one of the defining performances of the 2026 championships.

The significance of his achievement is even greater when viewed alongside the progression he has made throughout the season. Before arriving at the U20 championships, Taylor had already announced himself on the senior international stage by winning the 200m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in a personal best of 19.75 seconds.

Now, after three races, three gold medals and two championship/world U20 records, Taylor has written his name into the history of the competition.

Eugene was supposed to be a championship for the next generation.

Tate Taylor made it his own.

The United States produced a memorable night of sprinting at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, as Tate Taylor and Mia Maxwell captured the men's and women's 100 metres titles to complete a remarkable American clean sweep in one of track and field's most prestigious junior competitions.

Taylor announced himself among the world's brightest young sprinters with a breathtaking performance in the men's final, powering away over the closing metres to clock a wind-legal personal best of 9.94 seconds. The outstanding run made him the only athlete in the field to break the 10-second barrier and confirmed his status as one of the fastest teenagers in history.

Jamaica's Gary Card claimed the silver medal in 10.05 seconds after a strong race, while South Africa's Marko Ferreira secured bronze in 10.16, completing a highly competitive podium. Despite a closely contested opening half of the race, Taylor's explosive finishing speed proved decisive as he surged clear to take the world junior crown in emphatic fashion.

The women's final delivered another thrilling contest, with Mia Maxwell holding her composure under immense pressure to secure the title in 11.14 seconds. Jamaica's Shanoya Douglas mounted a determined late challenge but settled for silver in 11.17, while Italy's Kelly Ann Doualla Edimo earned bronze after crossing the line in 11.27.

The victory capped an unforgettable championship for the Maxwell family. After progressing impressively through the rounds, Mia delivered when it mattered most, while her twin sister, Mariah Maxwell, also reached the final and finished fifth, underlining the family's exceptional sprinting talent on the global stage.

The double triumph marked a dominant evening for Team USA, which swept both 100m gold medals before a home crowd in Eugene. With Taylor producing a historic sub-10-second breakthrough and Maxwell demonstrating remarkable composure in a world-class women's final, the pair provided another glimpse of the exciting future of American sprinting.

The road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games will officially begin in St. Louis after USA Track & Field (USATF) and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced the Missouri city as the host of the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon.

Scheduled for March 25, 2028, the event will serve as the first Olympic team selection competition for Team USA ahead of the LA28 Games. The top three male and female finishers will be in position to secure Olympic berths, provided they meet the required qualifying standards set for the Games.

The selection marks a significant victory for St. Louis, which beat out Phoenix in the bidding process and will now stage one of the most prestigious events on the American distance-running calendar.

The decision also carries historic significance. St. Louis hosted the 1904 Olympic Games, including the first Olympic marathon ever contested on U.S. soil. More than a century later, the city will once again take center stage in American marathon history.

Organizers have unveiled an ambitious course that blends tradition with innovation. The race is expected to begin near Washington University, the site of the 1904 Olympic Stadium, before winding toward downtown St. Louis. Along the route, athletes will pass some of the city's most recognizable landmarks, including the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium, before making a dramatic finish inside Energizer Park, home of Major League Soccer club St. Louis CITY SC.

The stadium finish is expected to create a unique atmosphere unlike anything previously seen at a U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Organizers project a crowd of approximately 20,000 spectators inside the venue, potentially making it one of the most memorable finishes in the event's history.

The St. Louis Sports Commission will lead the local organizing effort, working alongside Go! St. Louis and other community partners to deliver the championship.

Weather conditions could also play a favorable role for competitors. Historical climate data suggests temperatures in St. Louis typically range between 48°F and 62°F around late morning in March, offering potentially ideal racing conditions for elite marathoners chasing Olympic dreams.

Fans across the country will be able to follow the action live, with NBC set to broadcast the event beginning at 11 a.m. CDT.

While excitement surrounding the venue announcement is high, questions remain regarding Olympic team qualification procedures. For the third consecutive Olympic Marathon Trials, uncertainty exists over whether the first three finishers across the line will automatically earn spots on Team USA. The current World Championships qualifying standards of 2:06:00 for men and 2:23:20 for women are substantially faster than previous Olympic benchmarks, creating an additional challenge for athletes seeking selection.

USATF officials, however, remain optimistic that the rapid progression of American marathon performances will allow athletes to meet the demanding standards. The federation also continues discussions with World Athletics in support of maintaining a straightforward first-three-across-the-line selection system.

With its rich Olympic heritage, iconic landmarks, and a groundbreaking stadium finish, St. Louis is poised to deliver one of the most anticipated and memorable U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in history as America's best distance runners battle for their place on the road to Los Angeles 2028.

USA Track & Field has officially announced a formidable roster for the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships, set to take place on September 19–20 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Featuring a blend of American record holders, global finalists, and rising distance-running stars, Team USA heads into the championships with ambitions of challenging for medals across the mile, 5K, and half marathon events.

Leading the American charge are three national record holders whose presence immediately elevates the strength of the squad. From the road to the track, the United States has assembled one of its deepest and most versatile teams in recent years, reflecting the continued rise of American distance running on the global stage.

The women’s half marathon selection, however, comes with unusual circumstances following dramatic scenes at the USATF Half Marathon Championships. With just over a mile remaining in the race, the lead vehicle veered off course, unintentionally directing several athletes away from the official route and creating widespread confusion among the contenders.

As a result, USATF confirmed that official team scoring for the championships will be restricted to American record holder Weini Kelati alongside the three athletes directly affected by the course error — Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat.

Despite crossing the line as the top three finishers at the national championships, Molly Born, Carrie Ellwood, and Annie Rodenfels were granted entry to the world championships through a special World Athletics exception. While the trio will be eligible to compete in Copenhagen, they will not qualify for medals or prize money. Their performances, however, will still count toward official world ranking points — an important detail in the buildup to future global competitions.

Kelati’s inclusion provides a major boost for the American women’s squad. The Eritrean-born star has rapidly become one of the most dominant distance runners in U.S. history, and her record-breaking performances continue to redefine American standards in road racing.

On the men’s side, Conner Mantz headlines a dangerous half marathon lineup that also features Wesley Kiptoo, Hillary Bor, and Ahmed Muhumed. Mantz has developed into one of the world’s premier road racers in recent seasons, and his aggressive racing style could make him a serious podium threat on the streets of Copenhagen.

The 5K teams also bring considerable firepower. Karissa Schweizer and Courtney Frerichs will spearhead the women’s challenge, while Drew Hunter and Dylan Jacobs line up for the men. Both squads combine championship experience with tactical versatility, qualities that will be crucial in the fast and unpredictable nature of road racing championships.

In the mile events, American middle-distance depth is once again on full display. Addy Wiley and Gracie Hyde will represent the women, while global star Yared Nuguse leads the men alongside Vincent Ciattei. Nuguse, already established as one of the finest milers in the world, arrives as one of Team USA’s biggest medal hopes.

With a roster packed with proven performers and emerging talent, the United States appears determined to make a major statement in Copenhagen. The championships promise two days of intense competition, and Team USA will arrive carrying both momentum and expectation as the world’s best road runners converge in Denmark.

Full Team USA Roster – 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships

Women’s Half Marathon

1. Weini Kelati

2. Jess McClain

3. Emma Grace Hurley

4. Ednah Kurgat

5. Molly Born

6. Carrie Ellwood

7. Annie Rodenfels

Men’s Half Marathon

1. Conner Mantz

2. Wesley Kiptoo

3. Hillary Bor

4. Ahmed Muhumed

Women’s 5K

1. Karissa Schweizer

2. Courtney Frerichs

Men’s 5K

1. Drew Hunter

2. Dylan Jacobs

Women’s Mile

1. Addy Wiley

2. Gracie Hyde

Men’s Mile

1. Yared Nuguse

2. Vincent Ciattei

The thin air of Boulder once again delivered a dramatic spectacle as the 2026 BOLDERBoulder 10K lived up to its reputation as one of the world’s most demanding road races. Held during the annual Memorial Day celebrations, the Men’s International Pro 10K unfolded at a relentless pace, with elite athletes battling altitude, fatigue, and each other before an electric stadium finish.

At the heart of the action was Kenya’s Patrick Kiptoo Kiprop, who delivered a commanding performance to capture the title in a brilliant 28:35. Running with authority from the early stages, Kiprop controlled the race with remarkable composure and speed, eventually breaking away to secure an emphatic victory against a world-class field.

Kenya’s dominance was further reinforced by Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, whose trademark consistency earned him second place in 29:06. Ebenyo stayed within striking distance throughout the contest and ensured a memorable one-two finish for the East African powerhouse nation.

The home crowd had plenty to celebrate as American runner Aiden Reed fought bravely to claim third place in 29:17. Backed by loud support inside the packed stadium, Reed produced one of the strongest performances of his career to secure a podium finish for Team USA.

Beyond the podium battle, the race showcased exceptional international depth. Morocco’s Mohammed El Youssfi, Japan’s Kiyoto Hirabayashi, and Eritrea’s Amanuel Mesel all delivered impressive runs in the brutal conditions.

Top 10 Finishers — Men’s International Pro 10K

1. Patrick Kiptoo Kiprop (KEN) — 28:35

2. Daniel Simiu Ebenyo (KEN) — 29:06

3. Aiden Reed (USA) — 29:17

4. Casey Clinger (USA) — 29:33

5. Graydon Morris (USA) — 29:35

6. Mohammed El Youssfi (MAR) — 29:48

7. Andy Wacker (USA) — 29:51

8. Athanas Kioko (KEN) — 30:05

9. Kiyoto Hirabayashi (JPN) — 30:14

10. Amanuel Mesel (ERI) — 30:17

Mexico also produced a determined and spirited showing. Julio Alberto Ortiz Ponce led the Mexican contingent with an admirable 18th-place finish in 31:28, closely followed by Luis Vázquez in 19th. Hesiquio Flores added to the team’s strong collective effort with a gritty performance of 33:00.

The 2026 edition of the BOLDERBoulder once again proved why it remains one of the most iconic road races in global athletics. From the punishing altitude to the breathtaking sprint into the stadium, the event delivered an unforgettable celebration of endurance, international rivalry, and elite distance running excellence.

On March 30, 2024, the rugged terrain of Belgrade, Serbia, once again reminded the world why cross country running remains one of the purest tests of human endurance. Amid the mud, relentless pace, and unforgiving conditions of the World Cross Country Championships, Emmanuel Bor of Team USA crossed the finish line in 25th place—far from the podium, yet deeply embedded in the essence of what the sport truly represents.

Cross country is not merely about medals or headlines; it is about resilience carved through suffering, about the quiet battles fought far from the spotlight. In Belgrade, Bor embodied that truth. Each stride across the uneven course reflected years of discipline, sacrifice, and an unyielding commitment to excellence. There are no shortcuts in this arena—no guarantees of glory—only the raw confrontation between ambition and adversity.

“Nothing comes for free,” the old sporting mantra echoes, and in races like these, its meaning is laid bare. The history of greatness is not written solely by champions, but also by those who dare to endure, to push beyond limits, and to honor the pursuit itself. Bor’s performance stands as a testament to that enduring philosophy.

In the grand narrative of cross country, every finisher contributes to the story. And on that day in Belgrade, Emmanuel Bor reminded us that even beyond the podium, there is dignity, purpose, and a quiet kind of greatness reserved for those who refuse to stop chasing their dreams.

On a captivating night of elite distance running in San Juan Capistrano, Southern California, the women’s 10,000 metres at The TEN delivered a spectacle defined by precision pacing, resilience, and breakthrough performances. Under ideal racing conditions, a competitive field rose to the occasion, producing fast times and a historic milestone that will echo far beyond the track.

At the front of the race, Felicia Pasadyn executed a composed and authoritative performance to claim victory in 32:04.17. Representing Saucony, Pasadyn demonstrated remarkable control throughout, positioning herself perfectly before unleashing a decisive surge in the closing stages. Her winning time not only secured the top spot but reaffirmed her growing stature in the American distance running scene.

Close behind, Callie Hughes of Team USA Minnesota, competing in Puma, delivered a determined effort to finish second in 32:27.39. Hughes showcased both strength and tactical awareness, holding firm under pressure to secure a well-earned podium finish.

However, one of the most defining moments of the night came from Guatemala’s Viviana Aroche, who produced a performance of historic significance. Finishing third in 32:35.19, Aroche shattered her own national record and set a new Central American benchmark, improving on her previous mark of 32:45.91. Her run was a testament to progression, courage, and the expanding global depth of women’s distance running.

Further down the field, several athletes delivered strong and consistent performances, contributing to the race’s overall depth and quality. The tightly contested competition highlighted the continued rise of emerging talent alongside established names.

Top 10 Finishers – Women’s 10,000m

1. Felicia Pasadyn – 32:04.17

2. Callie Hughes – 32:27.39

3. Viviana Aroche – 32:35.19

4. Claire Green – 32:57.88

5. Allie Kieffer – 33:20.11

6. Olivia Borowiak – 33:20.62

7. Mariel Salazar Tapia – 33:38.08

8. Erika Priego – 34:15.19

9. Dana Feyen – 34:18.86

10. Lisa Goodin – 34:36.96

As the lights dimmed on another memorable edition of The TEN, the women’s 10,000 metres stood out as a celebration of endurance, ambition, and breakthrough achievement. From Pasadyn’s commanding victory to Aroche’s record-shattering run, the race captured the essence of modern distance running—global, fiercely competitive, and relentlessly evolving. It was a night that not only rewarded excellence but also inspired the next wave of athletes to chase faster times and greater dreams.

In a landmark decision shaped by both circumstance and principle, USA Track & Field (USATF) has confirmed that World Athletics has granted the United States an exceptional expansion of its women’s half marathon squad for the World Athletics Road Running Championships set for September in Copenhagen.

The ruling follows a controversial episode at the USATF Half Marathon Championships, where leading contenders Jessica McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat were mistakenly directed off course during the race—an error that significantly altered the competitive outcome. In response, USATF lodged a formal appeal, advocating for fair recognition of the affected athletes.

World Athletics’ decision to allow a one-time expansion reflects a rare but decisive intervention aimed at preserving competitive integrity on the global stage. The revised Team USA roster now features a blend of those impacted by the incident and the top performers from the national championships.

Joining McClain, Hurley, and Kurgat are Molly Born, Carrie Ellwood, and Annie Rodenfels, all of whom secured their places through their championship results. A seventh and final spot will be awarded based on world rankings as of May 5, completing a uniquely expanded lineup.

While the United States will field seven athletes in the women’s half marathon, only four will be eligible to contribute to the official team standings in Copenhagen, with the remaining three competing in non-scoring roles. Nonetheless, every athlete on the start line will have the opportunity to gain valuable World Athletics ranking points, adding further competitive significance to the race.

Beyond its immediate impact, this decision sends a powerful message about fairness and athlete protection in elite sport. It not only restores opportunity to those affected but also strengthens Team USA’s competitive depth heading into one of the year’s premier road running events.

As the championships approach, the United States will arrive in Copenhagen with more than just an expanded roster—it will carry a renewed sense of purpose, determined to turn an unfortunate setback into a defining moment on the world stage.

What happened at the USA Track & Field Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta earlier this month was unprecedented—and the solution announced Wednesday is just as unusual.

After three leading athletes were directed off course by a lead vehicle, World Athletics has approved expanding the U.S. team for the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen this September from four to seven athletes.

Jessica McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat—who had clearly separated themselves from the field before the error—will now be allowed to compete. They join race winner Molly Born, along with Carrie Ellwood and Annie Rodenfels, while a seventh athlete will be selected based on world rankings in May.

But the decision comes with significant limitations.

USATF confirmed that four athletes will be designated as “scoring” team members, while the remaining three will compete as “non-scoring” entrants. Those non-scoring athletes are expected to include McClain, Hurley, and Kurgat—the very runners who were in position to win before being led off course.

Under the rules, non-scoring athletes:

• will wear a distinct team kit

• will not factor into team scoring

• may not form a pack with scoring athletes during the race

USATF said it will fund prize money for the non-scoring athletes, but they will not be eligible to compete for official team results or podium honors.

“From the moment this happened, our focus was on doing right by the athletes,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel. “Jessica, Emma Grace, and Ednah had clearly separated themselves in the race and we are sorry they did not get to celebrate their accomplishment by breaking the tape. On behalf of everyone at USA Track & Field, I want to thank World Athletics. Their council and leadership are committed to a fair and athlete-centered solution that preserves the integrity of competition while recognizing the reality of what occurred in Atlanta.”

The events in Atlanta unfolded amid confusion on the course, including an incident involving an injured police officer. Veteran commentator Tim Hutchings noted that under those circumstances, it was understandable that the athletes followed the lead vehicle without realizing they had been taken off course.

The expanded team gives the three athletes a path to the world stage—but not the one they earned on race day.

Instead of lining up as full members of Team USA, they will compete under restrictions, separated from scoring teammates and removed from official results. It is a solution that acknowledges the mistake, but stops short of fully restoring what was lost.

The Atlanta race will not be remembered for who won—but for how three athletes at the front of a national championship were denied their moment, and how even an expanded team could not completely make it right.

The first rays of dawn slice through the towering skyline of New York City, and the streets surrounding Central Park, the iconic venue of the NYC Half Marathon 2026, hum with anticipation. On Sunday, March 15, 2026, fans and runners alike converge on the city’s most famous park, flags waving and cameras clicking, hearts racing in sync with the city’s heartbeat. Volunteers adjust barricades, photographers focus their lenses, and the world’s fastest men stretch with a mix of calm and tension—the calm before the storm. From the leafy loops of Central Park to the bridges spanning the East River, the city seems to hold its breath, ready to witness history.

The air is thick with excitement. Coaches give last-minute instructions; elite athletes exchange polite nods and steely glances, each calculating pace, strategy, and the perfect moment to strike. Sirens echo faintly in the distance, signaling the approaching race vehicles, while the smell of morning coffee mixes with the cool March air. Somewhere high above, the first light glints off glass towers, reflecting the golden promise of competition. In this city of dreams, ambitions, and grit, every step matters—and the men’s elite field of the NYC Half Marathon 2026 is about to prove it.

Race Schedule – Men’s Elite

Date & Venue: Sunday, March 15, 2026 – Central Park, New York City, USA

New York (EDT): 7:00 AM

Kenya (EAT): 2:00 PM (+7 hours from NYC)

Japan (JST): 8:00 PM (+13 hours from NYC)

Thailand (ICT): 6:00 PM (+11 hours from NYC)

Australia Sydney/Melbourne (AEDT): 10:00 PM (+15 hours from NYC)

USA Pacific (PDT): 4:00 AM (−3 hours from NYC)

Champions, Contenders, and Rising Stars

At the heart of this high-stakes drama is Abel Kipchumba of Kenya, last year’s champion, whose lightning-fast 58:07 PB from Valencia 2021 has runners and fans alike holding their breath. Kipchumba returns to defend his crown, but the field has grown stronger, faster, and hungrier than ever.

Challenging him will be Daniel Ebenyo of Kenya, bronze medalist at the 2026 World Cross Country Championships, Grant Fisher of the United States, two-time Olympic bronze medalist making his half marathon debut, and Rory Linkletter of Canada, Canada’s national record holder. Each brings a unique blend of speed, endurance, and tactical cunning that could turn any mile into a decisive moment.

Team USA brings an extraordinary depth of talent, including Galen Rupp, Ryan Ford, Alex Maier, Zouhair Talbi, and Joe Klecker, promising a race filled with high stakes, strategic surges, and perhaps a new record etched into the streets of Manhattan.

Men’s Elite Field – NYC Half Marathon 2026

Athlete

Country

PB / Notable Performance

1. Abel Kipchumba

  Kenya

  58:07 (Valencia 2021)

2. Daniel Ebenyo

  Kenya

  59:04 (Manama 2022)

3. Adriaan Wildschutt

  South Africa

  59:13 (Valencia 2025)

4. Patrick Kiprop

  Kenya

  59:14 (Houston 2026)

5. Mohammed El Youssfi

  Morocco

  59:21 (Houston 2026)

6. Alex Maier

  United States

  59:23 (Houston 2026)

7. Galen Rupp

  United States

  59:47 (Ostia 2018)

8. Ryan Ford

  United States

  59:48 (Houston 2026)

9. Sondre Nordstad Moen

  Norway

  59:48 (Valencia 2017)

10. Rory Linkletter

  Canada

  59:49 (Houston 2026)

11. Patrick Dever

  United Kingdom

  1:00:11 (Houston 2025)

12. Zouhair Talbi

  United States

  1:00:41 (NYC Half 2024)

13. Rui Aoki

  Japan

  1:00:45 (Ageo 2025)

14. Shunsuke Kuwata

  Japan

  1:00:48 (Ageo 2025)

15. Tsegay Tuemay Weldlibanos

  Eritrea

  1:00:50 (Houston 2018)

16. Alex Masai

  Kenya

  1:00:51 (Houston 2026)

17. Jack Rowe

  United Kingdom

  1:00:53 (Copenhagen 2025)

18. Joe Klecker

  United States

 1:01:06 (Houston 2025)

19. Peter Lynch

  Ireland

  1:01:15 (Houston 2025)

20. Camren Todd

  United States

  1:01:23 (Houston 2026)

21. Hendrik Pfeiffer

  Germany

  1:01:28 (Larne 2025)

22. Benjamin Preisner

  Canada

  1:02:25 (Houston 2025)

23. Jacob Thomson

  United States

  1:02:26 (Riga 2023)

24. Joel Reichow

  United States

  1:02:30 (Duluth 2023)

25. Max Turek

  Canada

  1:02:45 (Boston 2024)

26. Haftu Knight

   United States

   1:02:47 (Chicago 2025)

27. Matthew Leach

   United Kingdom

  1:02:57 (Houston 2020)

28. Nick Hauger

  United States

  1:03:06 (NYC Half 2025)

29. Kieran Tuntivate

  Thailand

  1:03:19 (South Shields 2025)

30. Turner Wiley

  United States

  1:04:04 (Hardeeville 2021)

31. Owen Ritz

  United States

  1:04:34 (RBC Brooklyn Half 2024)

32. Evan Sherman

  United States

  1:04:51 (Indianapolis 2025)

33. Charlie Lawrence

   United States

  1:05:07 (Houston 2022)

34. Grant Fisher

   United States

  Debut

35. Gulveer Singh

  India

  Debut

The starting gun cracks through the morning calm. The elite men surge forward, every stride a blend of power, precision, and daring. The NYC Half Marathon 2026 at Central Park unfolds like a living story—each mile a chapter, each sprint a dramatic twist. Legends may rise, records may fall, but one thing is certain: Manhattan will witness an unforgettable morning of speed, endurance, and sheer determination.

Under the bright lights and electric tension of the national stage, 17-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus delivered a performance far beyond his years, capturing the men’s 800 meters title at the USATF Indoor Championships in a stunning 1:46.68.

In a race stacked with seasoned professionals and established names, the teenage sensation refused to be intimidated. Instead, he ran with authority—composed through the early laps, patient in positioning, and fearless when it mattered most. As the bell rang and the field tightened, Lutkenhaus surged with conviction, driving down the homestretch and powering through the tape to secure a national crown in emphatic fashion.

His winning mark of 1:46.68 was not merely a personal triumph; it was a statement. At just 17, Lutkenhaus demonstrated tactical maturity and raw speed that signal a future brimming with possibility. The indoor oval, often unforgiving and tactical, demands precision and resilience. On this stage, he showed both.

Behind him, the competition was fierce. Sean Dolan of Atlanta TC claimed second in 1:47.16, while Isaiah Harris followed closely in 1:47.22. Olympic finalist Isaiah Jewett crossed in 1:47.55, just ahead of Brannon Kidder (1:47.57). Joe Waskom rounded out the top finishers in 1:48.48. In such a tightly contested field, margins were razor-thin—yet Lutkenhaus stood clear when it counted.

Beyond the medal and the time, the victory carries broader significance. Lutkenhaus has already expressed his ambition to represent Team USA on the international stage, with Poland looming as his next target. For a young athlete balancing youth with elite expectations, this triumph marks the beginning of a compelling new chapter.

The roar at the finish line was more than applause for a race well run—it was recognition of emerging greatness. In a discipline where experience often reigns supreme, Cooper Lutkenhaus has rewritten the script, proving that age is no barrier to excellence.

If this performance is any indication, American middle-distance running has found its next standard-bearer.

Weini Kelati’s upward trajectory in global distance running has reached another defining moment. The 2024 Olympian and American half marathon record holder has officially announced that she has signed with Nike, a move that signals both recognition of her rise and confidence in what lies ahead.

Kelati shared the news on her social media two days ago, writing: "I am excited to announce that I will be continuing my running journey with the support of Nike. I can't wait for this new chapter of my career. Looking forward to incredible years ahead." The statement reflects both her enthusiasm and focus as she steps into this next stage.

Kelati has steadily built her reputation as one of the most consistent and versatile road racers representing the United States. Most recently, she competed for Team USA at the World Cross Country Championships, adding another major international appearance to a résumé that continues to grow in depth and prestige. Her ability to transition seamlessly between cross country and road racing has become one of her standout strengths.

The timing of the announcement aligns perfectly with her competitive calendar. Kelati is set to line up at the Barcelona Half Marathon on February 15, one of Europe’s fastest and most competitive road races. The event offers an ideal stage for an athlete in peak form, and all eyes will be on how she performs against a deep international field.

Kelati enters Barcelona carrying the confidence of history. She holds the American half marathon record with a time of 1:06:09, set at the Houston Half Marathon, a performance that not only rewrote the national record books but also confirmed her status among the world’s elite over the distance. That run showcased her trademark combination of patience, strength, and a devastating late-race surge.

Signing with Nike marks a new chapter, but the story remains familiar: steady progression, big-race composure, and relentless ambition. With her record-breaking form and this new partnership, Kelati’s journey promises to be watched closely by fans worldwide, as she continues to push the limits of American distance running.

Tokyo, September 13, 2025 – The men’s marathon at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, set for Monday, September 15, has all the makings of a showdown that feels like déjà vu for fans of road racing in the Japanese capital.

Much of the World Championships route mirrors the Tokyo Marathon course, and so too does the field. The top three finishers from March’s Tokyo Marathon — Tadese Takele and Deresa Geleta of Ethiopia, along with Kenya’s Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich — headline the lineup. They also hold the three fastest times in the world this year among those entered, giving the race a sharp competitive edge.

Adding to the depth, Emile Cairess of Great Britain, who placed fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, is set to challenge again in Tokyo. Defending world champion Victor Kiplangat of Uganda and 2023 Budapest silver medallist Maru Teferi of Israel add to a field packed with medal contenders.

The United States will also be represented with a strong trio: Clayton Young, CJ Albertson, and Reed Fischer. While Americans are not among the pre-race medal favorites, each brings international experience and competitive credentials. Young in particular has emerged as one of the fastest U.S. marathoners in recent years, and Albertson is known for aggressive pacing that could shake up the race dynamics. Fischer adds depth and consistency, giving Team USA multiple chances for a top-10 finish.

With multiple men entered who have run under 2:05, the pace promises to be ambitious. Whether it leads to a record will depend heavily on conditions. Tokyo has been under a heatwave alert, and organizers have moved the start time up by 30 minutes to help offset the temperatures. Still, if the weather cooperates, Tamirat Tola’s World Championships record of 2:05:36, set in Oregon in 2022, could be under serious threat.

All signs point to a thrilling clash — a familiar course, a world-class field, the Americans ready to test themselves against the best, and the possibility of history being rewritten in Tokyo.

The world of middle-distance running witnessed a seismic moment on August 3rd, 2025, as 16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus delivered a performance for the ages in the men’s 800 meters at the USA Track & Field Championships. Competing against seasoned veterans, the high school phenom not only secured a runner-up finish but shattered expectations — and records.

Lutkenhaus clocked a stunning 1:42.77, smashing his personal best by over three seconds. That time established a new U18 world best, making him the fastest 800m runner ever under the age of 18 and the sixth-fastest in the world for the 2025 season.

“I don’t know if there’s words for it right now, but just… made the team,” said an overwhelmed Lutkenhaus after the race, moments after realizing he had secured a spot on Team USA’s roster for the upcoming World Athletics Championships 2025.

The teen’s expression at the finish line spoke volumes. Raw disbelief mixed with triumph as he absorbed what he had just accomplished. “I wasn’t supposed to make the team,” he admitted. “A lot of people didn’t think I’d even make the finals.”

But Cooper Lutkenhaus did more than make the finals—he rewrote the script. His breakthrough performance has catapulted him from rising talent to global contender. At just 16, he’ll now compete on the world stage, representing the United States in Tokyo later this year.

The performance underscores a growing trend in American middle-distance running: young athletes are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible—and doing it earlier than ever before.

The world will be watching closely as this Texas teen steps onto the biggest stage in athletics. If August 3 was the day the world learned his name, the rest of 2025 may be when he defines it.

Eugene, Oregon – The stage is set for another electrifying weekend at iconic Hayward Field, as the Toyota U.S.A. Track & Field Outdoor Championships take place this Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, airing live on NBC and Peacock.

Some of the sport’s biggest stars will be headlining the meet, including Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Noah Lyles, two of America’s premier track and field athletes.

McLaughlin-Levrone, the reigning Olympic and World Champion in the 400m hurdles, is returning to the national spotlight after a strategic training and race schedule this season. Known for her graceful power and impeccable technique, Sydney has already redefined what’s possible in her event—shattering the world record multiple times. Fans are eager to see whether she’ll contest the 400m flat or return to the hurdles in Eugene.

On the men’s side, all eyes are on Noah Lyles, the reigning World Champion in the 100m and 200m. Lyles has made it clear he’s aiming for greatness this year, with both Olympic gold and world records on his radar. His recent performances on the Diamond League circuit suggest he’s peaking at the right time.

Distance Running Update: Eyes on the 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m

The distance events promise fierce battles and major implications for Team USA selection.

In the men’s 1500m, all eyes will be on Yared Nuguse, who owns one of the fastest times in American history. He’ll be challenged by Cole Hocker, who famously stormed to an Olympic team spot in 2021, and NCAA standout Hobbs Kessler, who continues to climb the ranks.

The women’s 1500m will feature Nikki Hiltz, Emily Mackay, and Sinclaire Johnson, with Hiltz in standout form after their impressive road mile performances this season.

In the 5000m, American record holder Woody Kincaid will take on Grant Fisher, who’s back after injury and hungry to reclaim his place at the top. The women’s 5000m will include Elise Cranny, Karissa Schweizer, and Parker Valby, in what could be one of the most tactical races of the meet.

The 10,000m has already been contested earlier in the season, but the championship weekend will set the tone for the athletes’ final preparations ahead of international competition.

As always, Hayward Field brings the best out of American distance runners—expect fireworks as the fields chase not only titles, but Olympic dreams.

Catch the action live on NBC and Peacock.

Event: Toyota U.S.A. Track & Field Outdoor Championships

Location: Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon

Broadcast: Saturday & Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on NBC & Peacock

Jamaica is back—and in a big way. With just weeks until the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025, the top three times in the men’s 100 meters all belong to Jamaican sprinters:

Kishane Thompson – 9.75

Bryan Levell – 9.82

Oblique Seville – 9.83

It’s a stunning sweep that echoes the glory days of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, and Yohan Blake. Once again, Jamaica is asserting sprinting dominance on the global stage.

But the Americans aren’t backing down.

 The U.S. Response

Christian Coleman, the 2019 World Champion and indoor world record holder, remains a serious contender. While he hasn’t cracked the 9.80 mark this season, his raw speed and big-meet experience can’t be ignored.

Then there’s Noah Lyles, the reigning 100m world champion from 2023. Lyles opened 2025 focused more on the 200m and Olympic buildup, but he’s expected to peak at the right time. He holds a personal best of 9.83, and if he gets the start right, he can be deadly in the final 30 meters.

Fred Kerley and Trayvon Bromell are also in the mix, both capable of sub-9.90 performances when healthy and locked in. Their challenge now is to stay consistent as the season progresses.

The Rivalry is Back

Tokyo 2025 could deliver one of the most thrilling 100-meter finals in recent memory:

• Three Jamaicans in peak form.

• Four Americans with world-class credentials.

• African stars like Omanyala and Tebogo chasing their first world title.

It’s a global showdown that brings back the tension and electricity of the Bolt-Gatlin era—only this time, the Jamaicans aren’t chasing; they’re being chased.

As World Athletics put it: “JAMAICA TO THE WORLD” — but America might have something to say about that.

London, July 19, 2025 – In a race that lit up the track with historic speed, Sinclaire Johnson delivered a breakthrough performance, setting a new American and North American record in the mile with a time of 4:16.32 at the London Diamond League.

Johnson finished fourth overall in a blazing-fast women’s mile, one of the deepest in history, but her mark carved out a place in the record books. She broke the previous American record of 4:16.35 set by Nikki Hiltz in 2023—improving it by just three hundredths of a second.

“It was a race where everything clicked,” Johnson said afterward. “I knew the field would be fast, and I just focused on hanging on and staying composed.”

The field was stacked with some of the world’s most elite, and the pace was relentless from the gun. While the win went to Faith Kipyegon, who once again demonstrated why she’s one of the greatest milers of all time, Johnson’s run signaled that American middle-distance running is thriving on the global stage.

This wasn’t just a personal best—it was a statement.

A Career on the Rise

Johnson, 26, has long been considered a top-tier talent in the 1500m and mile, but this performance confirms she’s entering her prime. She previously won the 2022 U.S. Outdoor 1500m title and has represented Team USA at multiple World Championships, but this is her first American record.

With the World Championships in Tokyo less than a month away, this performance couldn’t have come at a better time. Johnson now heads into the final stretch of the season as the fastest North American miler in history and a legitimate contender for a podium finish in Tokyo.

At just 17, Quincy Wilson had the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to represent Team USA at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing. He could have stood shoulder to shoulder with Olympians, tested himself against the world’s best, and made his international debut on one of track and field’s biggest stages.

But Wilson said no.

Instead of flying to China, the high school junior stayed home in Maryland—and focused on his homework.

Yes, you read that right. The teenager who stunned crowds with a jaw-dropping 43.99 anchor leg at the Penn Relays—one of the fastest relay splits ever recorded in high school—chose to prioritize his studies. “School comes first,” Wilson posted on Instagram. And just like that, the rising sprint star reminded everyone that discipline isn’t just about medals. Sometimes, it’s about knowing when not to chase one.

What Has He Done Since?

Plenty. Wilson didn’t fade after passing on the global spotlight—he’s continued to rise, one breakthrough at a time:

• Set the high school track world on fire with a 43.99 anchor at the 2024 Penn Relays, helping Bullis School (MD) break national records.

• Became the youngest athlete in history to win the All-Met Athlete of the Year four years in a row.

• Ran 45.76 indoors and 44.20 outdoors, setting U18 world bests and defeating professional-level athletes in senior-level finals.

• Earned Olympic gold in the men’s 4x400m relay in Paris 2024—competing in the heats, becoming the youngest male U.S. track athlete to medal at the Games.

• Maintained academic excellence while continuing to dominate both indoor and outdoor circuits, staying true to his commitment to graduate with his class at Bullis in 2026.

Why This Story Matters

Quincy Wilson’s decision to delay international glory for academics wasn’t just impressive—it was instructive. In an age when young athletes are often rushed into the limelight, Wilson’s path is a reminder that long-term greatness is built with patience, intention, and maturity.

• He didn’t chase headlines—he earned them.

• He didn’t sacrifice school for sport—he’s mastering both.

• He’s not rushing to be great—he’s building it brick by brick.

A Lesson for Every Runner

Whether you’re chasing a PR, a national title, or just personal progress, Wilson’s journey offers a powerful takeaway:

• Run your own race. Don’t let hype or pressure pull you off course.

• Respect the process. Like training, growth takes time—and consistency.

• Play the long game. True success is sustainable, not rushed.

Wilson has already achieved what most runners only dream of. But more importantly, he’s doing it his way—with humility, focus, and incredible perspective.

As the world buzzes about what he could’ve done on that global indoor stage, Quincy Wilson is still just getting started.

And he’s doing it on his terms.

USA Track & Field has officially announced its six-member marathon team for the 2025 World Athletics Championships, set for September 13–21 in Tokyo, Japan. This global event brings together the top track and field athletes from over 200 countries, with the marathon races scheduled for the final weekend and expected to be among the most anticipated events of the Championships.

With a challenging course, warm and humid conditions, and the return to a city steeped in marathon history, Tokyo 2025 is shaping up as a true test of strategy, stamina, and speed. Team USA’s roster features a mix of proven veterans and breakthrough performers, all poised to take on the world.

USA Men’s Marathon Team

Clayton Young headlines the team following a standout 2:07:04 performance at the 2025 Boston Marathon. After placing 9th at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Young’s Boston result marked a significant leap forward and positioned him as a top contender in Tokyo.

Joining him is CJ Albertson, known for his bold tactics and relentless pacing. He set a personal best of 2:08:17 in Chicago and brings a fearless approach to championship racing.

Reed Fischer rounds out the men’s trio, earning his spot through consistent performances and a 2:10:14 finish in Chicago. His steady progression and racing smarts add valuable depth to the squad.

USA Women’s Marathon Team

Betsy Saina, the fastest U.S. marathoner this year with a 2:19:17 at the Tokyo Marathon, leads the women’s lineup. The former Kenyan Olympian, now representing the U.S., brings international experience and high expectations into this championship season.

Susanna Sullivan has been one of America’s most consistent distance runners, clocking a 2:21:56 in Chicago and placing high in multiple national events. She’s known for her tactical strength and steady pacing.

Erika Kemp, a former track standout, continues her successful transition to the marathon with a personal best 2:22:56 from Houston. Her rise in the U.S. distance scene adds fresh energy to the team.

Marathon Schedule – World Championships, Tokyo 2025

• Women’s Marathon: Saturday, September 14 at 8:00 AM JST

• Men’s Marathon: Sunday, September 15 at 8:00 AM JST

The marathon course will take runners through central Tokyo, starting and finishing at the National Stadium. The route is expected to be spectator-friendly but physically demanding, with rising humidity levels adding to the challenge.

This will mark Tokyo’s second time hosting the World Championships (after 1991) and its first major global track event since the 2021 Olympic Games.

Spotlight on Clayton Young

Clayton Young continues to build momentum on the world stage. After placing 9th at the Paris Olympics, his 2:07:04 in Boston this spring confirmed his place among America’s elite. That time ranks as one of the fastest ever by a U.S. marathoner and reinforces his role as a leading medal hopeful.

In announcing his selection, Young wrote:

“I am honored… 101 days. Let the build begin.”

Now with major championship experience and peak form, Young will lead Team USA’s charge in Tokyo.

Why This Year Matters

• Historic Depth: For the first time, Team USA sends multiple sub-2:08 men and three sub-2:23 women to a World Championship marathon.

• Olympic Implications: Performances in Tokyo could shape strategies and selections for Los Angeles 2028.

• Global Showdown: With defending champions, Olympic medalists, and national record holders from around the world competing, the marathon fields will be among the strongest ever assembled.

Team USA’s marathon lineup for the 2025 World Championships reflects both strength and balance. With Clayton Young and Betsy Saina leading the charge, and a deep roster behind them, the Americans are ready to compete at the highest level.

As Tokyo prepares to welcome the world, this year’s marathon is more than a race — it’s a proving ground for the next generation of distance legends.

Ed Eyestone Has Spent Four Decades Shaping American Distance Running—As a Champion and Coach

Ed Eyestone posted this right after this year's Boston Marathon, "Proud of my boys Conner Mantz and Clayton Young who scored big PRs in yesterday's Boston Marathon finishing in 4th and 7th! Shout out to Rory Linkletter for his big PR finish in 6th! 3 BYU Cougars in the top 7! Way to go lads!"

From setting records on the roads to building one of the strongest distance programs in the NCAA, Ed Eyestone has dedicated his life to distance running. A two-time Olympian and the long-standing head coach at Brigham Young University (BYU), Eyestone has left his mark on every level of the sport—and he’s still adding to his legacy.

A Decorated Athlete Turned Mentor

Ed's running career began with dominance in the collegiate ranks. At BYU, he won an astonishing five NCAA individual titles, including the prestigious “Triple Crown” in 1985—claiming national championships in cross country, the 5,000 meters, and the 10,000 meters. Only three others have ever achieved this feat.

His elite career continued on the roads, where he represented the United States in the marathon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics (29th place) and again at the 1992 Barcelona Games (13th place). Along the way, he posted personal bests of:

• Marathon – 2:10:59

• 10,000m – 27:41.05

• 5,000m – 13:32.52

He was named U.S. Road Racer of the Year five times and ranked among the top American marathoners for over a decade.

Coaching BYU to National Prominence

Since joining BYU’s coaching staff in 2000—and becoming head coach in 2013—Eyestone has built the Cougars into one of the most respected programs in the country.

In 2019, he led BYU to its first NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country Championship, a long-awaited breakthrough fueled by strong depth, smart tactics, and years of strategic development. His teams regularly place in the top 10 nationally, both in cross country and on the track.

He’s coached more than 30 All-Americans and continues to develop runners into world-class competitors. His athletes consistently credit him for his calm presence, scientific approach, and deep understanding of racing.

In 2024, he was named NCAA Mountain Region Coach of the Year—an honor that reflects his enduring relevance and success in a constantly evolving sport.

The Conner Mantz Era

One of Eyestone’s most prominent pupils is Conner Mantz, a BYU standout who has quickly become one of the best marathoners in U.S. history.

Under Eyestone’s coaching, Mantz won back-to-back NCAA Cross Country titles in 2020 and 2021. Since turning pro, Mantz has continued working with Eyestone, now serving as his professional coach.

• 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion

• 8th place finisher at the Paris Olympic Marathon

• Set the American half marathon record (59:17) in 2025

• Ran 2:05:08 at the 2025 Boston Marathon, the second-fastest time ever by an American on the course

Eyestone's steady mentorship remains a driving force behind Mantz’s rise. Their relationship—rooted in trust, precision training, and shared values—has helped elevate Mantz to the top of the international marathon scene.

Clayton Young: From NCAA Champion to Olympic Marathone

Another testament to Eyestone’s coaching prowess is Clayton Young, who has risen from collegiate success to international acclaim under Eyestone’s guidance.

• 2019 NCAA 10,000m Champion at BYU

• 2023 Chicago Marathon: 2:08:00, securing Olympic qualification

• 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials: 2nd place, earning a spot on Team USA

• 2024 Paris Olympics: 9th place finish with a time of 2:08:44

• 2025 Boston Marathon: Personal best of 2:07:04, finishing 7th

Young’s journey has been marked by resilience and determination. After undergoing knee surgery in early 2023, he made a remarkable comeback, achieving personal bests and representing the U.S. on the Olympic stage. His analytical approach to training, combined with Eyestone’s mentorship, has been pivotal in his success.

A Lasting Legacy

Now in his early 60s, Ed Eyestone continues to shape the future of American distance running. His fingerprints are on championship banners, personal bests, and Olympic dreams.

From 2:10 marathons to NCAA titles and Olympic breakthroughs, Eyestone’s impact spans generations. Whether you’re looking at his own performances or those of his athletes, one thing is clear—Ed Eyestone is one of the most influential figures in the history of American distance running.  

In just over a year, Taylor Roe has gone from a promising collegiate standout to one of the brightest stars in American distance running. Her 2025 campaign has been nothing short of historic—national titles, American records, and international recognition are stacking up fast for the 24-year-old from Lake Stevens, Washington.

From Washington to the NCAA Podium

Roe began her running journey in Lake Stevens, where she collected nine individual state titles in cross country and track. At Oklahoma State University, she continued to shine, winning the NCAA Indoor 3000m title in 2022 and placing second at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Her final collegiate season in 2024 saw her finish third in the 10,000m and sixth in the 5,000m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Breakout Year on the Roads

Turning pro in mid-2024 with Puma, Roe wasted no time making her mark. She won the USATF Half Marathon Championships in March 2025 in a personal best of 1:07:22. The win not only earned her a national title but also secured her a spot on Team USA for the World Athletics Road Running Championships.

Rewriting the Record Books

Just a month later, Roe delivered one of the most impressive road racing performances in recent memory. At the USATF 10 Mile Championships in Washington, D.C., she became the first American woman to break 50 minutes for the distance, finishing in 49:53 which is the world best for in an all woman race.   On her way to the win, she also set new American records for the 10K (30:56) and 15K (46:24), earning her USATF Athlete of the Week honors.

Breaking down the world best time ever for ten miles in an all woman's race: Looking Ahead

Taylor Roe’s rise has been fast, fierce, and inspiring. As she builds on this foundation, fans of American distance running have plenty to be excited about. With her blend of speed, endurance, and race-day poise, Roe is now firmly on the radar for global championships and Olympic teams. At just 24, she’s entering her prime years with the momentum of a seasoned veteran. If 2025 is any indication, she could soon be the face of American distance running.

Taylor Roe’s 2025 Highlights

• USATF Half Marathon Champion – 1:07:22 (March 2025)

• USATF 10 Mile Champion – 49:53 (April 2025)

• American Records:

• 10K – 30:56

• 15K – 46:24

• 10 Miles – 49:53

• Selected for Team USA – World Athletics Road Running Championships

Taylor Roe’s rise has been fast, fierce, and inspiring. As she builds on this foundation, fans of American distance running have plenty to be excited about.

Clayton Young is proving that intelligence and endurance go hand in hand. The 31-year-old American distance star has emerged as one of the most consistent and compelling marathoners on the scene today—blending mechanical precision from his engineering background with grit, faith, and family support.

From BYU to the Big Stage

Born in Clovis, California, and raised in American Fork, Utah, Young’s rise began at Brigham Young University, where he studied mechanical engineering and starred on the track. He capped off his college career by winning the 10,000 meters at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

After graduation, rather than settling into a full-time engineering career, Young negotiated a flexible part-time role with Stryker Corporation so he could pursue running at the highest level. That decision proved pivotal.

Setbacks and Breakthroughs

In 2023, Young faced a major challenge—knee surgery. Many athletes would have struggled to return, but he was back racing just seven months later. His comeback culminated in a 2:08:00 personal best at the Chicago Marathon, earning him a spot on Team USA for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

At the Olympic Trials, Young placed second in 2:09:06, just behind training partner Conner Mantz. Then, on the streets of Paris, he delivered a standout performance, finishing 9th overall in 2:08:44—the fastest Olympic marathon time ever by an American.

He kept the momentum rolling in 2025, clocking 2:07:04 at the Boston Marathon to finish 7th overall and solidify his status as one of the top U.S. marathoners.

Powered by Partnership

Young trains in Provo, Utah, under BYU coach Ed Eyestone alongside Conner Mantz, forming a dynamic duo that’s pushing the limits of American marathon potential. Their disciplined training, built on shared values and competitiveness, has raised the bar for what’s possible.

“We thrive off each other’s energy,” Young has said. “It’s not about beating each other—it’s about being better together.”

Beyond the Clock

Young is also a devoted husband and father, living in Springville, Utah, with his wife Ashley and their two daughters. He shares his journey through a behind-the-scenes docuseries, Beyond the Hill, and connects regularly with fans through social media—offering insights into his workouts, mindset, and family life.

His ability to balance elite competition with a grounded personal life has made him a fan favorite and a role model for aspiring runners.

What’s Next for Clayton Young?

With the 2025 World Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in view, Clayton Young is entering his prime. His mix of tactical intelligence, physical preparation, and inner resolve is setting a new standard for American marathoners.

He’s not just chasing fast times—he’s building something bigger.

On a chilly morning in Atlanta, runners took to the streets for the USATF Half Marathon Championships on March 2, 2025, battling for national titles and a chance to represent Team USA at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in San Diego this September. With fierce competition and fast times, Taylor Roe and Alex Maier emerged as the day’s champions.

Roe Breaks Away to Claim First National Title

Taylor Roe made a statement in the women’s race, surging ahead in the final miles to secure victory in 1:07:22. The Durham, North Carolina, standout, representing PUMA Elite, held off a strong challenge from Emma Grace Hurley, who finished second in 1:07:35. Amanda Vestri of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, rounded out the podium with a solid 1:08:17.

With their top-three finishes, Roe, Hurley, and Vestri secured their spots on Team USA for the World Championships in San Diego.

Top Five Women:

1. Taylor Roe (Durham, NC) – 1:07:22

2. Emma Grace Hurley (Indianapolis, IN) – 1:07:35

3. Amanda Vestri (Blowing Rock, NC) – 1:08:17

4. Jessica McClain (Phoenix, AZ) – 1:08:37

5. Emily Venters (Salt Lake City, UT) – 1:09:03

Maier Holds Off Late Challenge to Take the Men’s Crown

In the men’s race, Alex Maier delivered a strong performance, crossing the finish line in 1:00:48 to claim his first USATF Half Marathon title. The Chapel Hill runner, also representing PUMA Elite, stayed composed as Shadrack Kipchirchir of Colorado Springs pushed hard in the final stretch, finishing just 10 seconds back in 1:00:58. Hillary Bor made it a tight battle for second and third, clocking 1:00:59.

Maier, Kipchirchir, and Bor will now represent Team USA at the World Championships, where they’ll take on some of the world’s best in San Diego.

Top Five Men:

1. Alex Maier (Chapel Hill, NC) – 1:00:48

2. Shadrack Kipchirchir (Colorado Springs, CO) – 1:00:58

3. Hillary Bor (Colorado Springs, CO) – 1:00:59

4. Ahmed Muhumed (Flagstaff, AZ) – 1:01:03

5. Andrew Colley (Blowing Rock, NC) – 1:01:09

All Eyes on San Diego

With the USATF Half Marathon Championships in the books, the focus now shifts to the World Athletics Road Running Championships in San Diego this September. The newly crowned national champions, along with the other top finishers, will have the opportunity to take on the best distance runners from around the globe. If their performances in Atlanta are any indication, Team USA will be ready to make an impact on the international stage.

Zariel "Z" Macchia, an 18-year-old senior at William Floyd High School in Suffolk County, New York, continues to make headlines as a standout talent in American distance running. Her achievements both on and off the track demonstrate her exceptional dedication and potential.

Macchia recently defended her title at the USATF U20 Cross Country Championships in Lubbock, Texas, completing the 6-kilometer course in 21:46 and winning by an impressive 11-second margin. This marked her second consecutive U20 national cross-country title, solidifying her reputation as one of the top young runners in the country. In recognition of this victory, she was named USATF Athlete of the Week.

Beyond athletics, Zariel excels academically and was named the News 12/Bethpage Federal Credit Union Scholar Athlete of the Week. This prestigious accolade, awarded to only 30 student-athletes across Long Island during the 2024-25 school year, included a $1,000 scholarship.

Macchia has also achieved numerous other milestones, including representing Team USA's U20 squad internationally, earning five All-American honors, and securing multiple state championships. She has twice been named Gatorade's New York Girls Cross-Country Player of the Year.

A well-rounded individual, Zariel maintains an A average, serves as captain of her school's science bowl team, and has contributed to her community by establishing an ecological center and tutoring peers. She is committed to balancing her academic and athletic pursuits as she prepares to run cross-country and track at Brigham Young University while pursuing a degree in electrical engineering.

Zariel Macchia'd dedication, work ethic, and remarkable achievements make her a rising star in the world of distance running and a role model for aspiring athletes.

Conner Mantz's journey from a young running enthusiast in Utah to an American record holder is a testament to his unwavering dedication and exceptional talent. Born on December 8, 1996, in Logan, Utah, Mantz's early passion for running set the stage for a remarkable career in long-distance running.

Mantz's affinity for running became evident at a young age. At just 12, he completed his first half marathon, igniting a fervor for the sport. By 14, he impressively finished a half marathon in 1:11:24, maintaining an average pace of 5:26.8 minutes per mile. During his time at Sky View High School in Smithfield, Utah, Mantz distinguished himself as a three-time All-American at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. His prowess also earned him a spot on Team USA at the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China, where he placed 29th in the junior race, leading the team to a commendable sixth-place finish.

Choosing to further his running career and education, Mantz committed to Brigham Young University (BYU), turning down offers from institutions like Princeton and Furman. Before starting at BYU, he took a two-year hiatus to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ghana. Upon his return in 2017, Mantz redshirted his first year, laying a solid foundation for his collegiate career. Under the guidance of coach Ed Eyestone, Mantz clinched back-to-back NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships titles in 2020 and 2021, solidifying his reputation as one of the nation's premier collegiate runners.

Transition to Professional Running

Turning professional in December 2021, Mantz signed with Nike and quickly made his mark. He won the USA Half Marathon Championships in Hardeeville, South Carolina, with a time of 1:00:55. The following year, he debuted in the marathon at the 2022 Chicago Marathon, finishing seventh with a time of 2:08:16. This performance was the second-fastest marathon debut by an American, just behind Leonard Korir's 2:07:56.

Olympic Pursuits and Notable Performances

In 2024, Mantz's career reached new heights. He won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, securing his spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Despite facing a two-inch tear in his quad during preparations, Mantz showcased resilience, finishing eighth in the Olympic marathon. Post-Olympics, he continued to impress, placing sixth at the 2024 New York City Marathon.

Breaking the American Half Marathon Record

On January 19, 2025, at the Houston Half Marathon, Mantz etched his name into the record books. He completed the race in a staggering 59:17, breaking Ryan Hall's 18-year-old American record of 59:43 set in 2007. This achievement not only shattered the long-standing record but also made Mantz the first American in seven years to run a sub-60-minute half marathon.

Looking Ahead

Conner Mantz's trajectory in long-distance running is a blend of early passion, collegiate excellence, and professional triumphs. As he continues to push boundaries and set new standards, the running community eagerly anticipates his future endeavors, confident that Mantz will remain a formidable force on both national and international stages.

In a live recording of The CITIUS MAG Podcast in New York City, U.S. Olympian Joe Klecker confirmed that he is training for his half marathon debut in early 2025. He did not specify which race but signs point toward the Houston Half Marathon on Jan. 19th.

“We’re kind of on this journey to the marathon,” Klecker said on the Citizens Bank Stage at the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon Expo. “The next logical step is a half marathon. That will be in the new year. We don’t know exactly where yet but we want to go attack a half marathon. That’s what all the training is focused on and that’s why it’s been so fun. Not that the training is easy but it’s the training that comes the most naturally to me.”

Klecker owns personal bests of 12:54.99 for 5000m and 27:07.57 for 10,000m. In his lone outdoor track race of 2024, he ran 27:09.29 at Sound Running’s The Ten in March and missed the Olympic qualifying standard of 27:00.00.

His training style and genes (his mother Janis competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in the marathon and won two U.S. marathon national championships in her career; and his father Barney previously held the U.S. 50-mile ultramarathon record) have always linked Klecker to great marathoning potential. For this year’s TCS New York City Marathon, the New York Road Runners had Klecker riding in the men’s lead truck so he could get a front-row glimpse at the race and the course, if he chooses to make his debut there or race in the near future.

The Comeback From Injury

In late May, Klecker announced he would not be able to run at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in June due to his recovery from a torn adductor earlier in the season, which ended his hopes of qualifying for a second U.S. Olympic team. He spent much of April cross training and running on the Boost microgravity treadmill at a lower percentage of his body weight.

“The process of coming back has been so smooth,” Klecker says. “A lot of that is just because it’s been all at the pace of my health. I haven’t been thinking like, ‘Oh I need to be at this level of fitness in two weeks to be on track for my goals.’ If my body is ready to go, we’re going to keep progressing. If it’s not ready to go, we’re going to pull back a little bit. That approach is what helped me get through this injury.”

One More Track Season

Klecker is not fully prepared to bid adieu to the track. He plans to chase the qualifying standard for the 10,000 meters and attempt to qualify for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. In 2022, after World Athletics announced Tokyo as the 2025 host city, he told coach Dathan Ritzenhein that he wanted the opportunity to race at Japan National Stadium with full crowds.

“I’m so happy with what I’ve done on the track that if I can make one more team, I’ll be so happy,” Klecker says. “Doing four more years of this training, I don’t know if I can stay healthy to be at the level I want to be. One more team on the track would just be like a dream.”

Klecker is also considering doubling up with global championships and could look to qualify for the 2025 World Road Running Championships, which will be held Sept. 26th to 28th in San Diego. To make the team, Klecker would have to race at the Atlanta Half Marathon on Sunday, March 2nd, which also serves as the U.S. Half Marathon Championships. The top three men and women will qualify for Worlds. One spot on Team USA will be offered via World Ranking.

Sound Running’s The Ten, one of the few fast opportunities to chase the 10,000m qualifying standard on the track, will be held on March 29th in San Juan Capistrano.

Thoughts on Ryan Hall’s American Record

The American record in the half marathon remains Ryan Hall’s 59:43 set in Houston on Jan. 14th, 2007. Two-time Olympic medalist Galen Rupp (59:47 at the 2018 Prague Half) and two-time U.S. Olympian Leonard Korir (59:52 at the 2017 New Dehli Half) are the only other Americans to break 60 minutes.

In the last three years, only Biya Simbassa (60:37 at the 2022 Valencia Half), Kirubel Erassa (60:44 at the 2022 Houston Half), Diego Estrada (60:49 at the 2024 Houston Half) and Conner Mantz (60:55 at the 2021 USATF Half Marathon Championships) have even dipped under 61 minutes.

On a global scale, Nineteen of the top 20 times half marathon performances in history have come since the pandemic. They have all been run by athletes from Kenyan, Uganda, and Ethiopia, who have gone to races in Valencia (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Ras Al Khaimah (UAE), or Copenhagen (Denmark), and the top Americans tend to pass on those races due to a lack of appearance fees or a stronger focus on domestic fall marathons.

Houston in January may be the fastest opportunity for a half marathon outside of the track season, which can run from March to September for 10,000m specialists.

“I think the record has stood for so long because it is such a fast record but we’re seeing these times drop like crazy,” Klecker says. “I think it’s a matter of time before it goes. Dathan (Ritzenhein) has run 60:00 so he has a pretty good barometer of what it takes to be in that fitness. Listening to him has been really good to let me know if that’s a realistic possibility and I think it is. That’s a goal of mine. I’m not there right now but I’m not racing a half marathon until the new year. I think we can get there to attempt it. A lot has to go right to get a record like that but just the idea of going for it is so motivating in training.”

His teammate, training partner, and Olympic marathon bronze medalist Hellen Obiri has full confidence in Klecker’s potential.

“He has been so amazing for training,” Obiri said in the days leading up to her runner-up finish at the New York City Marathon. “I think he can do the American record.”

American Courtney Olsen continues to make her mark on ultrarunning history, this time provisionally setting a women’s 50-mile world record of 5:31:56 at the Tunnel Hill 50 Mile in Vienna, Illinois, on November 9, 2024.

The previous record of 5:40:18 was set in 1991 by the iconic American ultrarunner Ann Trason. Olsen’s effort resets the world record by 8 minutes and 22 seconds.

Her performance represents an average pace of 6:39 per mile (4:08 per kilometer) over 50 miles (80.47 kilometers). Wow!

The Tunnel Hill 50 Mile is run as a double out-and-back on the Tunnel Hill State Trail, a rails-to-trails trail composed mostly of dirt. The event and trail are named after the tunnel through which the trail passes and was the location of a new men’s 50-mile world record in 2023. It is a USA Track & Field-certified course, and the event has an International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) Gold Label. The IAU governs the 50-mile distance for world records, and will be responsible for ratifying the record.

The 37-year-old hails from Bellingham, Washington, and appears to be amidst a big year in racing. Earlier in 2024, she took third at the Comrades Marathon. She’s also on Team USA, set to compete at the IAU 100-Kilometer World Championships in December, 2024. In 2022, the last time the 100k world champs took place, Olsen finished fourth and ran 7 hours and 15 minutes. Her marathon PR appears to be 2:36:21.

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.”

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.”

After months of trash talk between Olympic and world 100m champion Noah Lyles and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill about who would win in a 100m race, the debate will finally be settled. According to a report in Ad Age, both athletes have committed to a race organized by actor and America’s Got Talent host Terry Crews.

The competition will be part of “Super Serious on Sight”–an elimination-style tournament between Olympic runners and pro athletes co-founded by Crews. Super Serious did not reveal the date of the high-profile race, but it would presumably be after the 2024 NFL season and before the 2025 summer track season .

“I wouldn’t beat him by a lot, but I would beat Noah Lyles,” the NFL player said after the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 30-year-old is known for being one of the fastest players in pro football and comes from a track and field background. Hill represented Team USA at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona, winning gold in the men’s 4x100m relay and bronze in the 200m, with a personal best of 20.54 seconds.

In response, during an interview with NBC Sports, Lyles said he didn’t know who Hill was, referring to him only by his nickname, “Cheetah.”

“What’s the Cheetah guy from football, what’s his name? I can’t remember his name,” Lyles said. “What’s the football player who thinks he’s fast name?”

Lyles has a history of being overconfident while mocking other athletes–the 27-year-old also pretended he didn’t know who Team Canada was (in the men’s 4x100m relay) ahead of the Paris Olympics, where Canada brought home gold.

After months of trash talk between Olympic and world 100m champion Noah Lyles and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill about who would win in a 100m race, the debate will finally be settled. According to a report in Ad Age, both athletes have committed to a race organized by actor and America’s Got Talent host Terry Crews.

The competition will be part of “Super Serious on Sight”–an elimination-style tournament between Olympic runners and pro athletes co-founded by Crews. Super Serious did not reveal the date of the high-profile race, but it would presumably be after the 2024 NFL season and before the 2025 summer track season .

“I wouldn’t beat him by a lot, but I would beat Noah Lyles,” the NFL player said after the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 30-year-old is known for being one of the fastest players in pro football and comes from a track and field background. Hill represented Team USA at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona, winning gold in the men’s 4x100m relay and bronze in the 200m, with a personal best of 20.54 seconds.

In response, during an interview with NBC Sports, Lyles said he didn’t know who Hill was, referring to him only by his nickname, “Cheetah.”

“What’s the Cheetah guy from football, what’s his name? I can’t remember his name,” Lyles said. “What’s the football player who thinks he’s fast name?”

Lyles has a history of being overconfident while mocking other athletes–the 27-year-old also pretended he didn’t know who Team Canada was (in the men’s 4x100m relay) ahead of the Paris Olympics, where Canada brought home gold.

Lyles announces engagement to Junelle Bromfield

In other Noah Lyles news, on Sunday, the 27-year-old announced his engagement to fellow Olympic sprinter Junelle Bromfield. The celebrated sprinter went all out with the setup–posts on social media showed a rose-petal-covered walkway, with friends and family in attendance. In his post, Lyles wrote “To My Future Wife I Will Love You Forever.”

The walkway was surrounded by bouquets of flowers and sparklers, and led to a heart-shaped sign lit with the words “Will you marry me?” The popular couple’s posts on social media have received overwhelming support and congratulatory messages from fellow international track sensations.

The pair has been dating for two years after meeting through social media, and share a passion for track. Lyles, who is known for his bold personality, holds Olympic gold in the 100m and two bronze medals in the 200m. Bromfield, 26, won a bronze medal for Team Jamaica at Tokyo 2020 in the 4x400m relay.

Here’s how Liza Corso made the podium at the Paralympic Games by making her bike and swim workouts as intense as her running regimen.

Leading up to the 2024 Paralympic Games, Liza Corso was pedaling furiously on a stationary bike parked on the patio of her condo in Nashville, Tennessee. In the brutal summer heat, the two-time Paralympian closed her eyes while visualizing the women’s 1500-meter final.

She imagined the purple track at Stade de France and the uniforms of competitors she’s faced before in the T13 classification (athletes with vision impairment). With pop music blaring in her headphones, Corso pedaled faster in anticipation of the biggest race of her career.

On August 31, Corso’s visualizations finally came to fruition. After spending six weeks cross-training while healing a stress fracture in her left femur, the Lipscomb University senior earned bronze in 4:23.45, just over a second behind two-time Paralympic champion Tigist Mengistu of Ethiopia and silver medalist Ezzahra El Idrissi of Morocco. After the race, the athlete from Newmarket, New Hampshire, shared on Instagram she only ran eight miles over the course of six weeks in the lead-up to the event in a brutal buildup that tested her mentally and physically.

So, how did the 21-year-old pull off winning a Paralympic medal while healing from an injury and not being able to run? In an interview with Runner's World, Corso shared the many highs and lows of the cross-training regimen that helped her safely prepare for a standout performance on the world stage.

July 1-July 26: Processing the Injury

About three weeks before the U.S. Paralympic Trials on July 18-20, Corso started feeling pain in her left quad. She went to see the doctor and got an MRI in the area where her quad meets her hip, which showed she had tendonitis. After recovering from a stress fracture in her tibia during the indoor track season earlier this year, the diagnosis was a relief for Corso. “I didn’t want tendonitis, but I was scared of something [in the] bone so I was like, this is the best case scenario. I can keep running through it,” she said.

Though the pain continued to get worse leading up to the national championship in Miramar, Florida, Corso still managed to compete in the women’s 1500 meters and earn a spot on Team USA. But with the pain intensifying, Corso

Though Corso struggled to feel like she was building the same level of fitness, seeing her heart rate reach 160 beats per minute for 90-minute sessions and hover between 175 to 180 for hard workouts ended up being a source of encouragement. “My coach said, ‘Your heart doesn’t know the difference between if you’re running or if you’re biking,’” Corso said.

Late July to August 31: Monitoring the Pain

In the first two weeks after the Paralympic Trials and following her diagnosis, Corso’s main priority was to walk pain free. Working with her physical therapist, she focused on limiting any weight-bearing activity, using crutches when she wasn’t cross-training for the first three days post-diagnosis. While gradually using the crutches less and less, Corso was able to walk pain free without them about two weeks after the diagnosis.

Corso also incorporated blood flow restriction (BFR) into her training. The method involves the application of a cuff (tourniquet) proximally to the muscle that is being trained. The cuff is inflated to a specific pressure with the aim of blocking the blood vessels. The idea is to help strengthen muscles and promote healing, Corso said. She usually put the

“To be able to prove to myself that I didn’t let those [negative thoughts] win, and I chose the harder path—to keep a positive mindset and work through some pretty lonely and draining cross-training sessions—it all ended up being worth it,” she said.

Looking back on her experience this summer, Corso hopes other runners can find their own hard-fought victory amid the healing process, knowing how powerful team support and mental tools can be in difficult situations.

With Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars well underway, we’re seeing Olympic athletes like Team USA rugby star Ilona Maher and gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik (aka “pommel horse guy”) tear up the stage in a new way. Eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard and two-time Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola are also surprising the audience with their stellar footwork in a very different type of competition. It makes us wonder—which track athletes would dominate the dance floor?

In Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) history, 12 elite athletes have been crowned champion and taken home the Mirrorball Trophy—but the only track and field athletes who have participated in the show are former U.S. 100m world record holder Maurice Greene and American sprint hurdler (and bobsledder) Lolo Jones. Considering how much track and field athletes enjoy their celebratory dances (sometimes walking the fine line between celebrating and showboating), we think these five personalities would thrive in the ballroom.

Usain Bolt

We all know our favourite world-class sprinter’s signature victory pose became iconic for a reason–Usain Bolt knows how to make a statement. He became the 100m and 200m world record holder after coming from a 400m background, proving that he can be good at everything he tries. The confidence and vibrant energy Bolt brought to every track event throughout his career makes us certain he’d bring that same spirit to the dance floor.

If knowing Bolt’s captivating and charismatic personality when performing in front of a crowd isn’t already enough, here’s a video of him samba dancing after a press conference at Rio 2016. Clearly, he’s already a pro.

Alysha Newman

Canada’s Alysha Newman went viral for her celebratory dance after winning the bronze medal in the women’s pole vault at Paris 2024. The Canadian record holder cleared the bar, faked an injury–and started twerking. That’s exactly the energy they’re looking for when screening world-class athletes for potential dance skills. The technical expertise required in pole vaulting also gives Newman an edge when it comes to executing lifts or more challenging moves.

Newman got both positive and negative attention on social media from the victory twerk, but stayed confident and was true to herself–once again demonstrating that she is a qualified candidate for the show.

Noah Lyles

We’re sure the first person that came to mind when thinking of an athlete with a television personality was Team USA’s Noah Lyles. The 27-year-old, already a star on Netflix’s docuseries Sprint, exudes confidence and drive in each and every race he appears in. To say that Lyles is a competitive athlete might be an understatement–the 100m and 200m sprinter has quickly become popular for his bold moves even before races, in an attempt to rile up the crowd.

We’ve also seen this Olympic champion and six-time world champion dancing on TikTok. A character like Lyles could win over the audience on DWTS, and with those kinds of moves, he might even be a contender for the trophy.

Sha’Carri Richardson

Another major sprint personality we simply cannot leave out is Sha’Carri Richardson of the U.S. As you may know, the cast on DWTS gets dressed up glamorously for each show, and Richardson is the definition of glam. With her hair, nails, and lashes on race day, we know the 24-year-old would fully embrace the sparkly, embellished outfits worn during DWTS performances. Look good, feel good—right? Not to mention, like Lyles, this 100m world champion exudes confidence in every performance, a quality that would take her far in the ballroom.

Aaron Brown

Canada’s four-time Olympian Aaron Brown is not only a newly-minted Olympic gold medallist, but also an influencer. The 100m and 200m sprinter posts a mix of inspirational and humorous videos on his YouTube channels–showing off his fun and driven personality. With the current DWTS cast using TikTok and Instagram as a platform to build a fan base and earn more votes, Brown earns extra points as a potential candidate for already being experienced in that domain. We’ve yet to see his dancing abilities put to the test, but if put up against a rival like Lyles, we’re sure we can expect nothing but sensational moves from the four-time Canadian Olympian.

Honourable mention: Jakob Ingebrigsten

If he can bring these moves back, you can expect a nomination from us to get Ingebrigtsen on the next season.

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.”

Newly-crowned Olympic champions from Paris 2024 don’t just win bragging rights–national Olympic committees (NOC) or national governments from around the globe reward the achievements of their star athletes with a cash prize.

With the expenses that go into being an elite athlete, these funds can go a long way in supporting their athletic endeavours and encouraging further successes in sport. The prize pot isn’t standardized between countries, so how much they earn is highly dependent on the athlete’s nationality. 

In Canada, an Olympic gold medallist is rewarded CAD 20,000 through the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Athlete Excellence Fund. The same achievement pays significantly better across the border–Team USA’s NOC offers CAD 47,100 to their champions from Paris 2024. Other nations present athletes with prizes other than cash, such as livestock, property, services, cars or food.

Nations like Botswana, which saw their first Olympic gold medal in history in Paris, acknowledge the significance of the monumental achievements to the development of sport and accessibility of resources in the country–going as far as giving the entire nation a half-day holiday on Aug. 9 to celebrate their newly-minted 200m Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo. 

For the Paris 2024 Games, World Athletics became the first international governing body to compensate Olympic champions with a cash prize, promising the first-place finishers in each track-and-field event a whopping USD 50,000 (CAD 68,172) to take home alongside their gold medal and nation’s prize pot. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden, offer no reward for their athletes who bring home an Olympic gold medal

Matt Carpenter’s record stood for 19 years.

In his first 100-mile race of his career, trail runner and coach David Roche took down a legendary record in the sport. On Saturday, the 36-year-old broke Matt Carpenter’s storied Leadville 100 course record from 2005, winning in 15:26:34—over a 16-minute improvement of the record.

Roche won the men’s race by 30 minutes, on the dot. Adrian Macdonald was second in 15:56:34, and Ryan Montgomery placed third with a time of 16:09:40. In the women’s race Mary Denholm dominated, winning in 18:23:51. Zoë Rom took runner-up honors (21:27:41) while Julie Wright rounded out the podium in 21:48:57. 

The Leadville course is notoriously difficult, primarily due to its situation at high altitude. The town of Leadville, Colorado—where the race starts and ends—sits at 10,119 feet above sea level. The “Race Across the Sky” covers more than 18,000 feet of vertical gain and at its highest point, runners reach an elevation of 12,600 feet. (For context, “high altitude” is generally considered to begin around 5,000 feet above sea level.)

Roche went out aggressively and built a sizable cushion on Carpenter’s record of 15:42:59. At the halfway mark, Roche was ahead of course-record pace by over 25 minutes, according to iRunFar. By the 87.4 mile split, the gap had decreased to 15 minutes, but it was enough of a buffer for Roche to maintain. 

After the race, Roche posted on Instagram recapping the feat and noting some prerace nerves.

“I put a big scary goal out there early this year: chasing the historic 15:42 Leadville 100 course record by one of the GOATs, Matt Carpenter,” he wrote. “Approaching my first 100 miler, though, I’m not sure I truly believed. I kept joking about where I’d drop out and what my order would be at the Leadville Taco Bell.”

While Roche is an accomplished trail runner, he’s historically had the most success at shorter distances, like the half marathon and 50K. In 2014, he was named the 2014 USATF Sub-Ultra Trail Runner of the Year, and he’s represented Team USA internationally.

Roche, along with his wife, Megan, are well-known in the running community for their coaching business and podcast: Some Work, All Play (SWAP). According to its website, SWAP’s professional roster includes athletes like mountain running world champion Grayson Murphy, three-time Barkley Marathons finisher John Kelly, and steeplechaser/mountain runner Allie Ostrander.

Noah Lyles has faced a challenging week in the media, especially after winning bronze in the men’s 200m at the 2024 Paris Olympics and attributing his loss of the gold (and silver) to contracting COVID-19. (Many found this unconvincing.) One of his critics is NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who didn’t hold back on his opinion of Lyles’ abilities, confidently stating that he could beat the new Olympic 100m champion in a race.

During a pre-season interview on YouTube’s Up and Adams Show, Hill shared his thoughts on Lyles: “Noah Lyles can’t say anything after what just happened to him. For him to lose like that and still say we’re not world champions in our sport? Come on, bruh. Just stick to what you know, and that’s track.”

Hill went on to say he would beat Lyles in a race (although he did not specify the distance). “I wouldn’t beat him by a lot, but I would beat Noah Lyles.”

Hill, who goes by the nickname “Cheetah,” is renowned for being one of the fastest players in professional football. While his focus has been on football for most of his life, he comes from a track and field background. Hill represented Team USA at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona, winning gold in the men’s 4x100m relay and bronze in the 200m (20.54).

Although Hill hasn’t made a return to track and field since, he did race over 60 metres at the 2023 USATF Masters Indoor Championships, clocking 6.70 seconds. His time ranked him 213th in the world for the men’s 60m event last year. In contrast, Lyles won a world championship silver medal in the 60m at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, with a time of 6.44 seconds—trailing only American Christian Coleman, the world record holder in the 60m event.

Hill has admitted in multiple interviews that he doesn’t plan to return to track anytime soon, making a showdown with Lyles unlikely. Even so, the numbers speak for themselves: Lyles’ 100m winning time of 9.79 seconds in Paris is half a second faster than Hill’s personal best of 10.19 seconds. While Hill’s times are impressive for someone not competing professionally, the likelihood of him beating Lyles without a few years of focused training seems slim.

"I wouldn’t beat him by a lot, but I would beat Noah Lyles," said Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill

Noah Lyles has faced a challenging week in the media, especially after winning bronze in the men’s 200m at the 2024 Paris Olympics and attributing his loss of the gold (and silver) to contracting COVID-19. (Many found this unconvincing.) One of his critics is NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who didn’t hold back on his opinion of Lyles’ abilities, confidently stating that he could beat the new Olympic 100m champion in a race.

During a pre-season interview on YouTube’s Up and Adams Show, Hill shared his thoughts on Lyles: “Noah Lyles can’t say anything after what just happened to him. For him to lose like that and still say we’re not world champions in our sport? Come on, bruh. Just stick to what you know, and that’s track.”

Hill went on to say he would beat Lyles in a race (although he did not specify the distance). “I wouldn’t beat him by a lot, but I would beat Noah Lyles.”

Hill, who goes by the nickname “Cheetah,” is renowned for being one of the fastest players in professional football. While his focus has been on football for most of his life, he comes from a track and field background. Hill represented Team USA at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona, winning gold in the men’s 4x100m relay and bronze in the 200m (20.54).

Although Hill hasn’t made a return to track and field since, he did race over 60 metres at the 2023 USATF Masters Indoor Championships, clocking 6.70 seconds. His time ranked him 213th in the world for the men’s 60m event last year. In contrast, Lyles won a world championship silver medal in the 60m at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, with a time of 6.44 seconds—trailing only American Christian Coleman, the world record holder in the 60m event.

Hill has admitted in multiple interviews that he doesn’t plan to return to track anytime soon, making a showdown with Lyles unlikely. Even so, the numbers speak for themselves: Lyles’ 100m winning time of 9.79 seconds in Paris is half a second faster than Hill’s personal best of 10.19 seconds. While Hill’s times are impressive for someone not competing professionally, the likelihood of him beating Lyles without a few years of focused training seems slim.

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.”

After the U.S. men’s 4×100 relay team botched a baton handoff that led to their disqualification in Friday’s Olympic final, track and field legend Carl Lewis labeled the performance “completely unacceptable” as he called for an overhaul of the USA Track and Field program.

“It is time to blow up the system,” Lewis, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist, posted on X on Friday. “This continues to be completely unacceptable. It is clear that EVERYONE at [USA Track and Field] is more concerned with relationships than winning. No athlete should step on the track and run another relay until this program is changed from top to bottom.”U.S. athletes Christian Coleman and teammate Kenny Bednarek collided during the first exchange, which was deemed to have taken place outside the exchange zone and led to the team’s disqualification. The disastrous handoff put the Americans significantly behind, and the team — which also included Kyree King and Fred Kerley — finished seventh before being DQ’d.Canada won gold while South Africa took silver and Great Britain claimed bronze.

The United States, meanwhile, failed to earn a medal in the event for the fifth consecutive Olympics despite entering as the presumed favorites. They were the fastest qualifiers and the U.S. took gold in its last major international meet at the 2023 World Championships.

“Obviously, it’s a little disappointing, especially for America,” Coleman said after the race. “We wanted to bring it home. We knew we had the speed to do it.The United States has not won a medal in the men’s 4×100 relay since 2004, when Shawn Crawford, Justin Gatlin, Coby Miller and Maurice Greene won silver at the Athens Olympics. Team USA’s last Olympic gold in the event was in 2000 with Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams, Brian Lewis and Greene.

Lewis posted on X ahead of the race suggesting the coaches should be held responsible if the U.S. failed to medal.

“If [Team USA] wins all relays tomorrow, you talk to the athletes,” he wrote on X on Thursday. “If something happens and they do not sweep. ONLY talk to the coaches. Yes, I said it!!!”

The U.S. women, with Sha’Carri Richardson as the anchor, won gold in the 4×100 relay on Friday at Stade de France. It was the United States women’s 12th Olympic gold medal in the event.

The young American fulfilled his dream of Olympic gold on Friday, while Brazil's dos Santos repeated his bronze-medal performance from Tokyo.

The top two finishers from Tokyo 2020 traded podium positions in an electrifying 400m hurdles final at the Stade de France on Friday, as American Rai Benjamin unseated the defending Olympic champion, world champion and world record holder, Karsten Warholm of Norway. Benjamin, the silver medallist from Tokyo, took gold in a season’s best 46.46–well ahead of Warholm’s 47.06, while Alison dos Santos of Brazil repeated his bronze medal performance from Tokyo 2020 in 47.26 seconds.

Warholm, in lane 7, had Benjamin in his sights in lane 8, and gained ground on the American through the first turn, but couldn’t quite make up the stagger. By the home stretch, Benjamin was pulling away, leaving Warholm behind.

Having medalled at the last four major championships in the event, dating back to the 2019 World Championships in Doha, the 26-year-old Benjamin was one of the favourites for gold on Friday; he had the fastest time in the world this year (46.46). Warholm, Benjamin and dos Santos are the three fastest men ever in the 400m hurdles event. Warholm set the world and Olympic record of 45.94 in an empty stadium in Tokyo three years ago.

In May, the hurdler stirred controversy when he stated his intention not to wear a race bib on his uniform at the Olympics. (Race bibs are required to identify athletes as per World Athletics rules; clearly someone must have talked him out of it, since he was most definitely wearing race bibs at these Games; not wearing one would earn him a disqualification.)

Team USA had another standout night on the track, despite a disappointing loss to Team Canada in the men’s 4x100m relay. The American women redeemed the night by taking gold in the women’s 4x100m relay final.

Lyles revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19 two days before the men's 200m final.

Noah Lyles’s dream of winning four gold medals at the Paris Olympic Games is over. After sprinting to a bronze medal in the men’s 200m final on Thursday night, Lyles revealed that he had tested positive for COVID-19 just two days prior. As a result, he has decided to end his Olympic Games early and will not compete for Team USA in the relay events.

During the 200m final, Lyles burst out of the call room with energy, taunting his competitors. However, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana dashed his hopes of an Olympic sprint double by setting an African area record of 19.46 seconds to win gold. Kenny Bednarek from Team USA took silver in 19.62 seconds, while Lyles settled for bronze, marking his second consecutive Olympic bronze in this event with a time of 19.70 seconds.

Last Sunday, Lyles had won gold in the men’s 100m in 9.79 seconds. However, four days later, he revealed that he felt winded after the 200m final, collapsing and gesturing for water before leaving the track in a wheelchair. Lyles explained that he woke up feeling terrible at 5 a.m. on Tuesday and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. Despite contracting the virus, he remained determined to compete in the final.

Lyles told reporters he had spent the last two days trying to stay hydrated and quarantined in his room.

In a post-race Instagram message, Lyles congratulated Tebogo and Bednarek, acknowledging that this was not the Olympic experience he had envisioned. He came to Paris hoping to become the first men’s sprinter to win four Olympic golds (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay). Unfortunately, Lyles will miss the 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals, leaving Team USA without its fastest sprinter. Lyles concluded the post by saying that he believes the team can still win gold without him

French newspaper Le Monde reported last month that there are no mandatory, preventative COVID-19 measures being implemented at the Summer Games.

American Gabby Thomas was too good for everyone as she eased to 200m Olympics gold medal as Julien Alfred settled for silver.

American Gabby Thomas claimed Olympics gold in the women’s 200m after destroying the field in Paris on Tuesday.

With newly-crowed Olympics 100m champion Julien Alfred and Briton Dina-Asher Smith in the race, there was formidable competition for Thomas but she made it all look too easy when the gun went off.

Thomas took off well and never looked back, commanding the race as she beat her rivals by a massive gap to claim her first Olympics gold medal.

The 27-year-old had won bronze at the 2020 Olympics before finishing second at the 2023 World Championships but with defending champion Elaine Thompson-Herah and world champion Shericka Jackson missing, she took full advantage.

Thomas clocked 21.83 seconds for victory with Alfred winning silver in 22.08 as American Brittany Brown completed the podium with a bronze medal in 22.20.

It completed a great year for the American who can now look forward to team glory in the 4x100m relay with Team USA.

Lyles was pushed to another personal best by Jamaican Kishane Thompson, who took silver in a photo finish.

The men’s 100m final was a race for the ages on Sunday as the double world champion, Team USA’s Noah Lyles, took the gold medal in a blazing 9.79 seconds, but it was not without a nail-biting photo finish. Lyles was pushed to run the fastest time of his career by Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, the fastest man in the world over 100m this year, who also ran 9.79 and was awarded the silver medal. Fred Kerley of the U.S. took the bronze medal in a season’s best 9.81 seconds.

Akane Simbine of South Africa was fourth with a new national record of 9.82, leaving the defending Olympic champion, Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy, languishing in fifth place, with 9.85. Canada’s Andre De Grasse, the two-time Olympic bronze medallist, did not make the final, finishing fifth in his heat of the semi-final earlier on Sunday.

Men’s 100m final results

Noah Lyles (USA) 9.79 PB

Kishane Thompson (Jamaica) 9.79

Fred Kerley (USA) 9.81 SB

Akani Simbine (South Africa) 9.82 NR

Lamont Marcell Jacobs (Italy) 9.85 SB

Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) 9.86 NR

Kenny Bednarek (USA) 9.88

Oblique Seville (Jamaica) 9.91

Lyles took his personal best down another two hundredths of a second in the race, having just run 9.81 at the London Diamond League on July 20.

Lyles’s coach, Lance Brauman, said he predicted Lyles would run a PB in the final: “I know his fitness level, and I was pretty confident he was going to run a PB, I have for the past three weeks. It was just a matter of, was he going to run a big enough PB to win the race?” 

The American said earlier this summer that his goal is to earn four medals at the Paris Games, i.e., the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay. Time will tell whether he can make good on his goal; the men’s 200m heats are scheduled for Monday, Aug. 6, with the 4x100m relay heats going on Thursday, Aug. 8, and the 4x400m on Friday, Aug. 9.

Athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place from Aug. 1-11. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and PUMA Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.

These motivating words from Olympians—and the stories behind them—can help you get through any tough run.

For all the drama it contained—including a fall by defending Olympic champion Athing Mu—the final of the women’s 800 meters at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials was over in less than 2 minutes.

But for Allie Wilson, time stood still. “Everything, any mantra I’ve ever talked about, was rapid-fire flying through my brain,” she told Runner’s World. “‘Try to get top three.’ ‘Pass one more person.’ ‘1 percent.’ I was so calm, cool, and collected, like I’ve never felt before.”

Buoyed by these confidence-boosting claims, Wilson placed second in a personal best 1:58.32 to earn a spot on Team USA.

She credits this flow state to her work with Bianca Martin, a mindset coach currently studying for her master’s degree in sport and performance psychology. Since meeting three years ago, the two have worked on many psychological aspects of performance. One of the most important, Wilson says, has been replacing negative thoughts with neutral or positive ones.

She’s far from the only track and field Olympian to use this approach to performance psychology. Many use spoken or written affirmations—statements that challenge negative thoughts and reinforce positive emotions—as well as mantras, a few words that might be repeated during a workout or race.

Here are the powerful phrases that got Wilson, 1500-meter champion Nikki Hiltz, and champion heptathlete Anna Hall to their first Olympics in Paris this summer. While mantras and affirmations tend to work best when they’re personal, you might find inspiration from their examples for your own big goals.

Looking for inspiration?

Swipe through the deck to find a mantra that resonates with you today!

Looking for inspiration?

Swipe through the deck to find a mantra that resonates with you today!

Allie Wilson’s Mantras“Just another race.”

Yes, the stakes at the Trials—and, before that, at the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque in February—were higher than at most meets. But Wilson realized the more she kept her mindset and routine consistent, the better she performed.

“I’m running two laps around the track—that’s what I do every weekend,” says Wilson, a Nike athlete. “Why am I going to go berserk over it and start doing things all differently than I would, or freaking out? It’s the same thing at the end of the day; I’ve done it a million times.”

“I can win.”

In the days before the indoor championships, Wilson found herself nervously telling Martin she knew what was going to happen. Just like at every other major competition, she’d likely give it her all but come up just short. Martin stopped her and ordered her to say the opposite instead: “I can win.”

Wilson hesitated, but Martin insisted. “I would sit there and I wouldn’t speak for 10 seconds. And eventually, I would say it,” Wilson says.

Thanks to all that practice, it didn’t take nearly as long for the thought to surface during the race itself. “When it got really hard, all of a sudden, I was like, ‘Oh my god, I can win it,’” Wilson says—and she did, in 2:00.63.

“1 percent.”

With competition like Mu, who’s also the American record holder, in the race at the team trials, Wilson knew winning would take a fast time. And she wasn’t sure she could keep the pace—though her personal best was 1:58.09, in 2022, she’d only run one race faster than 2 minutes since that summer.

Martin had her calculate what time would result if she ran just 1 percent faster than her best time this season. Wilson figured out it was 1:59 with a few milliseconds. “That struck a chord with me. I was like, ‘Wow, 1 percent is so little, but it makes such a big difference,’” she says. After that, she told herself: “Even when you think you’re trying your hardest, try 1 percent harder.”

“Why not you?”

Thanks to all the work she’d done in the lead-up, Wilson says she had fewer negative thoughts during the Trials than she used to. But she still couldn’t help but express a few doubts. When she did, Martin reminded her that any three women in the final could go to the Olympics. “Why not you?” she asked Wilson.

“That was probably the one I was using on the starting line the most,” Wilson says. “I told myself, it could be any combination of three. I only have to beat six people and then I could be one of them.”

Allie Wilson’s Mantras

“Just another race.”

Yes, the stakes at the Trials—and, before that, at the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque in February—were higher than at most meets. But Wilson realized the more she kept her mindset and routine consistent, the better she performed.

“I’m running two laps around the track—that’s what I do every weekend,” says Wilson, a Nike athlete. “Why am I going to go berserk over it and start doing things all differently than I would, or freaking out? It’s the same thing at the end of the day; I’ve done it a million times.”

“I can win.”

In the days before the indoor championships, Wilson found herself nervously telling Martin she knew what was going to happen. Just like at every other major competition, she’d likely give it her all but come up just short. Martin stopped her and ordered her to say the opposite instead: “I can win.”

Wilson hesitated, but Martin insisted. “I would sit there and I wouldn’t speak for 10 seconds. And eventually, I would say it,” Wilson says.

Thanks to all that practice, it didn’t take nearly as long for the thought to surface during the race itself. “When it got really hard, all of a sudden, I was like, ‘Oh my god, I can win it,’” Wilson says—and she did, in 2:00.63.

“1 percent.”

With competition like Mu, who’s also the American record holder, in the race at the team trials, Wilson knew winning would take a fast time. And she wasn’t sure she could keep the pace—though her personal best was 1:58.09, in 2022, she’d only run one race faster than 2 minutes since that summer.

Martin had her calculate what time would result if she ran just 1 percent faster than her best time this season. Wilson figured out it was 1:59 with a few milliseconds. “That struck a chord with me. I was like, ‘Wow, 1 percent is so little, but it makes such a big difference,’” she says. After that, she told herself: “Even when you think you’re trying your hardest, try 1 percent harder.”

“Why not you?”

Thanks to all the work she’d done in the lead-up, Wilson says she had fewer negative thoughts during the Trials than she used to. But she still couldn’t help but express a few doubts. When she did, Martin reminded her that any three women in the final could go to the Olympics. “Why not you?” she asked Wilson.

“That was probably the one I was using on the starting line the most,” Wilson says. “I told myself, it could be any combination of three. I only have to beat six people and then I could be one of them.”

Anna Hall’s Mantras“You’re one of the best athletes in the world—act like it.”

Hall has a history of winning. She’s claimed two NCAA titles and two previous national championships in the heptathlon, which involves seven different running, throwing, and jumping events.

But she broke her foot during the 2021 Trials, taking her out of contention for the Tokyo Games. And then, just this past January, she had knee surgery. The tight timeline for her return made it challenging to stay confident, and the first few weeks she was back at practice post-surgery, she would feel frustrated and cry frequently.

One night, she went home and took a step back. She asked herself: “How would the person who is where I am in sport act throughout this injury? How would they show up every day motivated and ready to go?” Her coaches noticed her mindset was more positive and even her body language improved, says Hall.

“I can, I will, I must.”

Hall has kept a journal ever since 2022, when she was returning from her foot injury. She typically writes in it a few times a week. Sometimes, she jots down technical cues that help her remember how she wants to feel when she’s tossing a shot put (“slide, twist, lift, HIT”) or leaping over hurdles (“tall tight shoulders down”).

But she also includes affirmations like this one, taken from her jumps coach in Florida, Nic Peterson. Hall uses it during every meet to remind herself not only of her own determination, but also the team behind her. The day of her last event the Trials, the 800 meters, it’s written three times on the top of a page of her journal, followed by the statement: “Today I will become an Olympian.”

“Prove them wrong.”

For all her winning, Hall prefers an underdog mentality. “No matter how much I’m favored to win something, in my head, I’m like, ‘Somebody thinks I’m not supposed to win this,’” she says.

This time, she had a concrete example: Early in the season, as she was regaining her post-injury footing, a prominent track and field competition ranked Hall third in early predictions for the Trials. Hall understands why they’d do that, but she still used it as fuel to outperform their projections.

“We are so back.”

The day after the Trials, Hall immediately picked up her journal again to acknowledge all she’d accomplished. In addition to a gold medal and a trip to Paris, the victory had given her a powerful mindset shift.

No longer was she questioning whether she was ready to compete after surgery—she’d done so, successfully. She’ll keep that feeling and phrase in mind, and in her journal, at the Games, where she hopes to be in contention for the win.

Anna Hall’s Mantras

“You’re one of the best athletes in the world—act like it.”

Hall has a history of winning. She’s claimed two NCAA titles and two previous national championships in the heptathlon, which involves seven different running, throwing, and jumping events.

But she broke her foot during the 2021 Trials, taking her out of contention for the Tokyo Games. And then, just this past January, she had knee surgery. The tight timeline for her return made it challenging to stay confident, and the first few weeks she was back at practice post-surgery, she would feel frustrated and cry frequently.

One night, she went home and took a step back. She asked herself: “How would the person who is where I am in sport act throughout this injury? How would they show up every day motivated and ready to go?” Her coaches noticed her mindset was more positive and even her body language improved, says Hall.

“I can, I will, I must.”

Hall has kept a journal ever since 2022, when she was returning from her foot injury. She typically writes in it a few times a week. Sometimes, she jots down technical cues that help her remember how she wants to feel when she’s tossing a shot put (“slide, twist, lift, HIT”) or leaping over hurdles (“tall tight shoulders down”).

But she also includes affirmations like this one, taken from her jumps coach in Florida, Nic Peterson. Hall uses it during every meet to remind herself not only of her own determination, but also the team behind her. The day of her last event the Trials, the 800 meters, it’s written three times on the top of a page of her journal, followed by the statement: “Today I will become an Olympian.”

“Prove them wrong.”

For all her winning, Hall prefers an underdog mentality. “No matter how much I’m favored to win something, in my head, I’m like, ‘Somebody thinks I’m not supposed to win this,’” she says.

This time, she had a concrete example: Early in the season, as she was regaining her post-injury footing, a prominent track and field competition ranked Hall third in early predictions for the Trials. Hall understands why they’d do that, but she still used it as fuel to outperform their projections.

“We are so back.”

The day after the Trials, Hall immediately picked up her journal again to acknowledge all she’d accomplished. In addition to a gold medal and a trip to Paris, the victory had given her a powerful mindset shift.

No longer was she questioning whether she was ready to compete after surgery—she’d done so, successfully. She’ll keep that feeling and phrase in mind, and in her journal, at the Games, where she hopes to be in contention for the win.

Nikki Hiltz’s Mantras

“I am capable.”

Hiltz, the Lululemon-sponsored runner who won the women’s 1500 meters in a meet-record 3:55.33, began journaling in 2023 as part of a New Year’s resolution. One part of that has been writing down affirmations like this one, followed by specific workouts and races that offer data points to back them up.

For example, Hiltz won their semifinal with the fastest time of all the heats, 4:01.40. Although that was their personal best time less than a year ago, at the Trials, “it felt like 6/10,” they wrote—far from an all-out effort. And a month before, they ran 3:59 at the Prefontaine Classic, despite doing a hard double-threshold workout the same week.

“You’re going to perform how you practice.”

In addition to a written journal, Hiltz uses the Notes app to jot down motivating, calming, or confidence-boosting sentiments. Inspiration can come from anywhere—sometimes it’s a coach or sport psychologist, but in this case, it’s from Netflix’s docuseries America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

Hearing the coach say it to the cheerleaders before a performance—reminding them to “just go out there and do what you’ve already been doing”—caused Hiltz to think about how all their hard work in training would translate into success when it mattered.

“I have all the tools.”

Hiltz headed into the finals particularly confident of their ability not only to run fast, but to shift gears and kick hard. In their journal, they wrote that they thought they were now capable of accelerating off a 3:57 pace.

And that’s exactly what happened—after Elle St. Pierre led for the first three laps in 3:08.77, Hiltz swung wide and surged in the final 100 meters to take the win. “Every time I’ve written something like that in my journal, it kind of comes true,” Hiltz says. “That’s the power of putting it out to the world.”

“Respect everybody, fear nobody.”

Hiltz knew the field in the 1500 meters was deep, and that multiple athletes could run faster than 4 minutes. But they didn’t let that rattle them.

They’ll carry that approach over to the Games, too. Exactly a week after the Trials, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon broke her own world record in the event, running 3:49.04—and Australia’s Jess Hull stuck with her, finishing in a new national record of 3:50.83.

While it would be easy to find this intimidating—and in moments, Hiltz does—their mental work allows them to quickly see the flip side. “We’ve all beat Jess Hull at some point or another,” they say. “Jess doing that was badass and impressive, and she’s inspiring me to go out at a faster pace than I ever have before.”

That ability to reframe is exactly why Hiltz—along with Hall and Wilson—say they’ll keep using affirmations and mantras as they head into their big races in Paris.

“When you’re on the starting line of the Olympic final, no one’s doing anything more or less than anyone else. We all have incredible coaches, and we’ve done incredible training,” Hiltz says. “What’s going to separate us from each other is the belief and the mental stuff.”

Nikki Hiltz’s Mantras

“I am capable.”

Hiltz, the Lululemon-sponsored runner who won the women’s 1500 meters in a meet-record 3:55.33, began journaling in 2023 as part of a New Year’s resolution. One part of that has been writing down affirmations like this one, followed by specific workouts and races that offer data points to back them up.

For example, Hiltz won their semifinal with the fastest time of all the heats, 4:01.40. Although that was their personal best time less than a year ago, at the Trials, “it felt like 6/10,” they wrote—far from an all-out effort. And a month before, they ran 3:59 at the Prefontaine Classic, despite doing a hard double-threshold workout the same week.

“You’re going to perform how you practice.”

In addition to a written journal, Hiltz uses the Notes app to jot down motivating, calming, or confidence-boosting sentiments. Inspiration can come from anywhere—sometimes it’s a coach or sport psychologist, but in this case, it’s from Netflix’s docuseries America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

Hearing the coach say it to the cheerleaders before a performance—reminding them to “just go out there and do what you’ve already been doing”—caused Hiltz to think about how all their hard work in training would translate into success when it mattered.

“I have all the tools.”

Hiltz headed into the finals particularly confident of their ability not only to run fast, but to shift gears and kick hard. In their journal, they wrote that they thought they were now capable of accelerating off a 3:57 pace.

And that’s exactly what happened—after Elle St. Pierre led for the first three laps in 3:08.77, Hiltz swung wide and surged in the final 100 meters to take the win. “Every time I’ve written something like that in my journal, it kind of comes true,” Hiltz says. “That’s the power of putting it out to the world.”

“Respect everybody, fear nobody.”

Hiltz knew the field in the 1500 meters was deep, and that multiple athletes could run faster than 4 minutes. But they didn’t let that rattle them.

They’ll carry that approach over to the Games, too. Exactly a week after the Trials, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon broke her own world record in the event, running 3:49.04—and Australia’s Jess Hull stuck with her, finishing in a new national record of 3:50.83.

While it would be easy to find this intimidating—and in moments, Hiltz does—their mental work allows them to quickly see the flip side. “We’ve all beat Jess Hull at some point or another,” they say. “Jess doing that was badass and impressive, and she’s inspiring me to go out at a faster pace than I ever have before.”

That ability to reframe is exactly why Hiltz—along with Hall and Wilson—say they’ll keep using affirmations and mantras as they head into their big races in Paris.

“When you’re on the starting line of the Olympic final, no one’s doing anything more or less than anyone else. We all have incredible coaches, and we’ve done incredible training,” Hiltz says. “What’s going to separate us from each other is the belief and the mental stuff.”

On the opening day of track and field at the Paris Olympics, the U.S. has already set the stage for the incredible performances to be expected over the next week. Team USA’s mixed 4x400m relay knocked down the first world record of the competition on Aug. 2–in heats. The squad demolished their own previous world by more than a second–clocking 3:07.41.

Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown were tasked with securing a top three finish in their heat in the relay. They went above and beyond to take down the country’s previous world record in the event, 3:08.80, set at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

Team USA won the entire round by more than three seconds, with France as the next-fastest team, finishing in 3:10.60 in front of their home crowd. Four other teams in the heat achieved new national records.

“I’ve gotten quite a few practices in over the last few days and we’ve just gotten better,” Shamier Little told media after running the second leg for the Americans. “We’ve got great chemistry.” Both of the next-fastest qualifying times for the final came from their heat.

The mixed 4x400m relay final will take place on Aug. 3 at 2:55 p.m. ET.

Athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place from Aug. 1-11. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and New Balance Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.

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.

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.”