LetsRun.com co-founder Robert Johnson loved these so much - he bought 6 pairs. You can also get the $250 super shoe that Sharon Lokedi won Boston in for $118.98.
Shoe Deal
Noah Ngeny's 1000m WR of 2:11.96 has stood since 1999, but Emmanuel Wanyonyi could threaten it in his 1000m debut. Plus Gabby Thomas v. Julien Alfred v. Adaejah Hodge in the women's 200 and Faith Kipyegon v. Agnes Ngetich v. Birke Haylom in the women's 3000.
LRC Podcast
Nikki Hiltz shocked Faith Kipyegon, Tate Taylor ran 19.75, Brandon Miller topped Cooper Lutkenhaus, and Sha'Carri Richardson vs. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden got spicy, plus what about Josh Kerr's world record attempt? The LetsRun crew breaks down it all down.
Sha'Carri vs MJW rivalry is starting to heat up
The last two 100m world champions have been training partners for three years, but rarely in form at the same time. Now that both are in top shape, American sprint fans could be in for a fun summer in 2026 as something has to give. Only one of them can come out on top.
On The Boards
On The Boards
Distance News
- MB: Habtom Samuel announces that he is going pro The multi-time NCAA champion has one more semester before he graduates from New Mexico, but will forgo the rest of his eligibility.
- Good T&F News Q&A with Cole Hocker from before Pre They touch on a lot of topics including the injury that had him take 5 weeks off after World Indoors, his progression in running and working on strength, saying, "I’d like to see how good I can get my 15 if I can run 12:45 (for 5000m), something in that area."
- MB: Gjert Ingbrittsen throws in the towel! (stepping down as a coach) No word on what Narve Gilje Nordås will do now for his coaching situation.
- RW: "She was the first woman to break 5 minutes in the mile. But history hardly noticed." And Runner's World didn't even put her name in their headline. (She is Diane Leather and while it's true that women's running didn't receive proper recognition at the time, a woman running sub-5 is not equivalent to a man running sub-4. World Athletics' scoring tables say a 4-flat for a man is worth about 4:36 for a woman.)
- Twin Cities Marathon moves to slightly later start date due to try to avoid warmer temperatures The 2023 race was cancelled at 5:30AM on the morning of because of hot weather concerns. So they are now moving the race from early October to mid-October starting in 2027.
Olympic News
- IOC lift Olympic ban on Russia Russia has been banned since 2023 because of their invasion of Ukraine, but now the IOC will allow Russian athletes back in the fold, although they said they will continue to "not organize IOC events in Russia or invite Russian government or state officials to its events." World Athletics said a few days ago that will continue its ban of Russian/Belarusian athletes.
- Ukraine denounces IOC decision to lift Russia suspension
- IOC denies Olympic team status to Greenland and Faroe Islands Denmark had requested that its territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, be allowed to compete independently at the Olympics. The Olympic Charter says for a country to have an independent team they have to be "an independent state recognized by the international community."
Assorted GB News
- Families and fans are complaining about the high prices of tickets for the London DL BBC's analysis found that tickets costing $127 for London only cost $11 for Rome, $18 for Monaco and $24 in Eugene.
- Georgia Hunter Bell, Amy Hunt, Katarina Johnson-Thompson lead England Commonwealth Games team
- GB 110 hurdler Sam Bennett is pumped to be on Team England for the CWG after being "plagued with injury" the last nine years Bennet won UK Champs in 13.41 last month.
- GB's Clare Elms sets world W60 3000m record with 10:28.76 (5:37 pace) in London
- RW: Kate Middleton climbed 3 mountains in 24 Hours with more than 10,000ft of elevation gain The Princess of Wales completed Britain’s National Three Peaks Challenge which covers 23 miles over three mountains in Scotland, England and Wales.
- Northern Ireland sprinter Lauren Roy omitted from CWG team for skipping NI Championships to race at NCAAs instead The Tarleton State sprinter made it to NCAAs in the 200m, but didn't make the final.
RIP To A Legendary Coach
As the co-founder of the MVP Track Club, Francis coached many of Jamaica's all-time best sprinters over the last two decades, including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Asafa Powell, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson.
International Action
- Haftu Strintzos breaks Australia marathon record with 2:06:20 to win the Gold Coast Marathon He broke the record set by Andy Buchanan two years ago in Valencia by two seconds. Ethiopia's Almaz Kebebe won the women's race in 2:24:53.
*MB: New Australian Marathon Record by Haftu Stritznos 2:06.20 - Francesco Pernici breaks 53-year-old Italian 800m record with 1:43.60 at the Meeting Stanislas Nancy Marcello Fiasconaro had the previous record at 1:43.7 from 1973 which was a WR at the time.
- Japan's Shumpei Tomita (60:52) and Australia's Isobel Batt-Doyle (67:29) win Gold Coast Half-Marathon in Australia
- US's Chris Nilsen wins Fly Athens pole vault meet with 5.91m Finland’s Wilma Heltelä won the won for the women with 4.81m.
- Italy's world indoor champ Andy Diaz Hernandez leaps TJ world lead of 17.72m in Barletta, Italy
- Kenyans Richard Omaya Atuya and Ruth Gitonga Mwihaki win Grossglockner Mountain Run in Austria
GOAT GB Mid-D Runner News
- Josh Kerr says he spends 12 hours a day inside his bedroom which he's converted to an altitude chamber Kerr also shares some insights into his training including a big workout he recently ran which was 4x800 where he ran 1:59, 1:59, 1:50.51 and closed with 1:49.9.
*MB: Josh Kerr – I spend 12 hours a day in my bedroom altitude chamber
- Keely Hodgkinson posts picture from medical room with her cut up knees after her fall in training Hodgkinson's knees were heavily bruised and cut for the Pre Classic and she says she was barely able to walk earlier days before the race.
- Good Read: Athletics Weekly: Last month was the 45th anniversary of Seb Coe's 1:41.73 world record run which still stands as the British record Coe shares a bunch of interesting anecdotes from that night, including how the scoreboard initially said Carl Lewis broke the 100m WR earlier in the night (so the crowd was suspicious at first that Coe had actually done it) and how Coe kept 1:41 up on the watch his team manager timed him on until the day the battery died.
*MB: Sebastian Coe Ran 141.73 On This Day 45 Years Ago
Pre Classic is Friday / Saturday
Pre Classic is Friday / Saturday
Nikki Hiltz shocked Faith Kipyegon to end the Kenyan's five-year unbeaten streak in the mile, while 18-year-old Tate Taylor stunned Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo by running 19.75 into a headwind. We break down the five biggest takeaways from a memorable Fourth of July at the Prefontaine Classic.
- 2026 Prefontaine Classic Saturday Afternoon Thread + Live Reaction Show at 6 pm ET We'll be breaking it all down for you when the meet ends.
- Nikki MF Hiltz takes down Kipyegon
- Gout who? Tate Taylor TAKES DOWN men's 200m field at Pre. He runs 19.75 into a -0.9 headwind!!
- Keely Hodgkinson Won’t Win Ever Again
- the rabbit just ran 53 seconds in the women's 800m with pacing lights
- Official: How many winners will cross the finish line before Leigh Diffey announces their name?
- CAN COOPER TEARE PLEASE NEVER DO THAT AGAIN
- Cooper Lutkenhaus lost the race but he aced the post-race interview
- No Australian has ever won the Bowerman mile. Until now!! Cam Myers FTW!!! 3:46.06!!
- Can Sahlman save the Pre DL
Pre Friday
Cooper Lutkenhaus lost his first 800 as a pro as Brandon Miller stayed red hot at the Prefontaine Classic. Parker Wolfe impressed by beating Grant Fisher in the men's 2-mile and Liam Murphy captured the mile.
- MB: Official 2026 Prefontaine Classic Friday Night Thread
- Cooper Lutkenhaus's First Loss
- Atmosphere at Pre (Friday night) was awful. Update: OP says Saturday's atmosphere was AMAZING!
- Cooper Lutkenhaus lost the race but he aced the post-race interview
- Niels Laros OUT of 2026 Bowerman Mile
- CAN COOPER TEARE PLEASE NEVER DO THAT AGAIN
Admin News
- World Athletics reaffirms ban on Russia and Belarus over Ukraine War Seb Coe said, "We presented options for the Council to consider on this matter, however the original decision remains on the sanctions that protect the integrity and fairness of our competitions, with no tangible movement towards peace negotiations having materialized."
- A group of DI basketball players filed a lawsuit against the NCAA over its new eligibility rules; judge's ruling expected this week The athletes whose eligibility ended in 2026 are suing to be granted a 5th year after the NCAA decided to not apply the new rules retroactively to athletes graduating this year.
- Adam Smith hired as new head coach at William & Mary Smith has been the distance coach at Ole Miss since 2022.
*MB: William & Mary XC will be an NCAA Contender Again!!! Big Time New Coach Hired! - Full notes from World Athletics Council Meeting WA set the time schedule for the 2026 Road Running Championships with an early start: women's 5k at 6:10AM and men followed at 6:35AM.
Doping News
- Refugee athlete Dominic Lokolong Atiol gets 8-year doping ban He failed an out-of-competition test in 2024 and then faked documentation to try and get out of it. After a two-year investigation, the AIU finally banned the 3:50 1500m / 1:57.9 800m runner. Time well spent.
- India is planning on changing its laws to make doping athletes a criminal offense The athletes themselves won't be charged criminally, but the suppliers and traffickers of the drugs will be. If anyone needs harsher anti-doping laws, it's India; they've topped the AIU's list of worst doping offenders for years.
- US coach and former sprinter Monzavous 'Rae' Edwards gets two-year anti-doping suspension Edwards was part of the Marvin Bracy-Williams case and apparently introduced Bracy-Williams to a doctor for doping. Edwards received a reduced ban for "providing important assistance to the federal investigation."
Peachtree Road Race
Kiprop beat out Nicholas Kipkorir by 4 seconds and Gebreselama finished one 1 second ahead of Melknat Wudu. No American men made the top-10 and Sydney Vaught was the top American woman in 9th (32:18).
More Pre-Pre News
Lincoln is the daughter of former US steeplechase record holder Daniel Lincoln (8:08 PB) and former miler and NCAA 3000m champ Sarah Schwald (4:04 1500m PB). They didn't push their daughter into running, but with genes like that, maybe it was inevitable? Lincoln placed 8th in the pro 1500m on Friday night at Pre with a 4:07.06 PB and still has another year of HS before she goes to Oregon to run Jerry Schumacher. Schumacher is a close family friend and Schwald says he "was the first (non-family) person to hold her as a baby when I brought her home from the hospital."
LRC NCAA Features
The NCAA transfer portal has changed college track & field, but what actually happens when an athlete enters the portal? From transfer windows and coach contact to scholarships, roster spots, and academic credits, here's everything to know about the portal.
The seven NCAA coaches LetsRun.com spoke to are largely in favor of the new rules, but we explain why, in the short term, college distance running could see an even greater influx of older international talent, and how there will soon be a free-for-all for Ivy Leaguers.
Random Distance News
- Vincent Mauri runs a sub-2:20 marathon (5:18 pace) on a Planet Fitness treadmill The shock 2:05 marathoner from the Glass City Marathon in April logged the training run on Strava, showing a progression from 5:33 pace at the start down to a 4:50 pace finish.
- World marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir will headline next month's Sydney Marathon Also in the field is four time Olympic track medalist and four time world champion Vivian Cheruiyot.
- RW: Could Boston, Chicago or NYC follow London's example and become 2 day marathons? When asked about it, Boston and Chicago seemed unlikely candidates to try it while NYC declined to comment. NYC has gone back and forth with London over the title of world's largest marathon every year, but with 100,000 in 2027, London will put that title out of reach.
- GB's Clare Elms extends her record as world's oldest woman to break five minutes for 1500m with 4:57.30 at the age of 62 and six months She was jut half a second short of her own world W60 record.
- Japan announces team for World Athletics World Road Running Championships
Admin News
- Supreme Court rules that states can exclude male athletes from girls’ and women’s sports teams The ruling involved cases challenging laws in Idaho and West Virginia. In response to the ruling, the West Virginia governor said that it, "defended a simple principle most Americans instinctively understand: that women’s sports exist to provide women and girls a fair opportunity to compete and succeed."
*MB: Supreme Court BANS men from women’s sports - Ja’Kobe Tharp and Adaejah Hodge win Bowerman Award fan vote Tharp also won the USTFCCCA membership vote while Nebraska thrower Axelina Johansson won that for the women.
- Munich receives financial backing to bid for the 2029 or 2031 World Championships
- Denmark asks the IOC to recognize Greenland and the Faroe Islands as independent Olympic teams The Olympic Charter defines a country as an "independent state recognized by the international community" which would disqualify Denmark's request. There are exceptions such as Puerto Rico and Bermuda, but they were grandfathered in after the rule was put in place.
More Pre News
- Irealnd's Rhasidat Adeleke will run her first 400m in 12 months at Pre The Irish record holder ended her season early last year due to injury and has raced three times in 2026, but not over her preferred distance.
- Video: Full Prefontaine Classic press conference (Friday nigh athletes)
- MileSplit: Four top high schoolers will compete at the Pre Classic #3 all-time high school miler Ellery Lincoln (4:27.65) is in the 1500m on Friday and Tate Taylor in the 200m on Saturday. Cooper Lutkenhaus and Jackson Spencer also compete on Friday.
- Register Guard: Looking back in photos at 50 years of Prefontaine Classic
Marco goes pro
The brash, unapologetic Langon, who PBs rank in the top 4 in NCAA history in the 1500, 3000, and 5000 and is on a single-minded quest to be the best, is thrilled to have remained loyal to the brand that took a chance on him and gave him an NIL deal when his family really needed it. He will make his debut in the Diadora kit in the 2-mile at the Pre Classic on Friday.
*MB: Breaking: Marco Langon gets his bag (of cash) - Goes pro, signs with Diadora.
- MB: Gary Martin to Brooks Beasts “A big part of it was finding the right environment, the right people, and the right team that I was excited to be a part of.”
- NCAA 800m champ and record holder Sanu Jallow-Lockhart joins Brooks Beasts
- 110H NCAA champ and WR holder Ja'Kobe Tharp goes pro with adidas
Sprint Stuff
Competing in Austria, he first ran a slightly wind-aided 9.84 (2.3 m/s) in his heat and then won the final in 9.67 with a 4.1 m/s tailwind (400m WR holder Wayde van Niekerk was 3rd in 9.83). Usain Bolt is the only man to run faster with his 9.58 WR and also a 9.63 from London 2012.
*MB: Marcel Jacobs just ran 9.67 (+4.1) - making him the 2nd fastest human in history (windy)!!!
- Noah Lyles trash talks Trayvon Bromell online after losing at the Paris DL last week At the finish in Paris, Bromell looked to the inside as he won and Lyles perceived this as a taunt, posting online, "Carefully there (Trayvon). The last person who did this to me didn’t even make the podium next time we met." (Lyles was referencing when Jamaica's Oblique Seville stared him down at the 2024 Racers GP and then finished 8th at the Olympics while Lyles took gold.)
- New 110H WR holder Ja'Kobe Tharp announced for Silesia DL on August 23
- GB's two-time Olympic medalist (4x100) Asha Philip retires at 35-years-old
Elite HS News
Before the weekend, we picked New Balance Nationals as the stronger meet. After watching Nike, New Balance, and the impact of the USATF U20 Championships, we've changed our minds. Here's why Nike gets the edge.
Melanie Doggett is the newest Gatorade Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year, but how have previous winners turned out? We revisited the last 14 award years to see who became NCAA champions, Olympians, and world-class pros—and who didn't.
Peachtree Is Saturday
We get you ready for the 57th Peachtree in Atlanta which will take place on the USA's 250th birthday. The elite women's field is led by Medina Eisa and Loice Chemnung, while the men's field also includes Ryan Ford, Hagos Gebrhiwet, Nicholas Kipkorir, Dawit Seare and Tadese Worku.
Pre Classic Message Board Talk
- MB: Send It: Cooper Lutkenhaus is going to break the American Record at Pre on Friday.
- MB: Birnbaum Off List for Bowerman Mile
- MB: Predictions for Bowerman Mile
- MB: Prefontaine Classic Men's 2 Mile (2026)
- MB: Shelby in Pre 2 mile
- MB: NO VALBY in pre 2 mile and no one is complaining?!?
- MB: How many records can Lutkenhaus break at Pre on Friday night?
NCAA / HS News
- Zacchaeus Brocks named Gatorade Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year Brocks won USATF U20 Champs 110H last month and broke the 17-year-old high school record with 12.98. He was surprised with the award by 2012 Olympic 110H silver medalist Jason Richardson.
- MB: DIII 1500m champ and record holder Ryan Hagan transferring to Virginia Tech
- Bowerman Award men's finalists announced The three finalists are Habtom Samuel, Auburn's 110H WR setter Ja'Kobe Tharp and Alabama sprinter Samuel Ogazi.
- Bowerman Award women's finalists announced They are Georgia sprinters Adajah Hodge and Dejanea Oakley and Nebraska thrower Axelina Johansson.
- MileSplit gives the state-by-state breakdown of how you qualify for States
Post-Western States
- Good Read: Molly Seidel shares details from after tough first 100 miler at Western States Seidel had high hopes for her first 100 miler and was in the top-10 women after the halfway point, but started to fall apart in the race's second half and it became a herculean effort just to make it to the finish. At the 90 mile mark she was showing signs of hypothermia and had to take a nap in a sleeping bag with hot water bottles so she could warm-up and continue.
*MB: Molly Seidel fans go home devastated. Seidel finishes 9 hours, 1 minute, 22 seconds behind winner. - iRunFar post-race interview with women's champion, Jenn Lichter
- iRunFar post-race interview with men's champion, Vincent Bouillard
- 2026 Western States had the highest finish rate in the race's history with 87% Good weather led to historically fast times with the 10th place women's finisher running a time that would have won 43 of the previous 46 Western States.
Recent International Results
- World Athletics recap: First ever Pan American Championships in the books in Colombia Cuba’s Daily Cooper set a PB by almost two seconds to win the 800m in 1:56.10 and also won the 1500m the day before. Sprinters took advantage of the high altitude with Colombia’s Ronal Longa setting a South American 100m record of 9.85 and Puerto Rico’s José Figueroa winning the 200m in 19.87.
- Cornell and UPenn beat Oxford and Cambridge at 2026 Transatlantic Series meet Cornell and UPenn teamed up to win this international dual meet that dates back to 1894, sweeping the men's and women's competitions.
- World champ Leo Neugebauer (8573 points) and Switzerland's Annik Kälin (6819 points) win at Ratingen multi-event meet
- Olympic champ Miltiadis Tentoglou leaps 8.39m at Piraeus Street Long Jump in Greece
RIP
- New Zealand shot put and discus Olympian Les Mills passes away at age 91 Mills competed at four Olympic Games and won five Commonwealth Games medals including discus gold in 1966.
- Respected British hurdle coach and George Tymms passes away was known for coaching British hurdle star Alan Pascoe who won European 400H gold in 1974
High School Phenoms - Where are they now?
Melanie Doggett is the newest Gatorade Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year, but how have previous winners turned out? We revisited the last 14 award years to see who became NCAA champions, Olympians, and world-class pros—and who didn't
Paris DL
Paris DL
It's been scorching hot in Europe in recent days but today the track was on fire as three Diamond League records were broken in the opening 50 minutes. 12:21 am ET: Article updated with even more analysis. You can watch LetsRun’s post-meet reaction show, recorded in two parts, by clicking below: *Part I *Part II.
Western States 100
Run in historically favorable conditions, the Western States 100 saw both course records fall as Vincent Bouillard clocked 13:46:15 and Jenn Lichter ran 15:28:05. Four men bettered Jim Walmsley’s old record, with three breaking the 14-hour barrier for the first time. In the women's race, Lichter, who was once found homeless on the streets of Bogotá, broke Courtney Dauwalter’s mark by just 1:28 in her 100-mile debut.
- Recommended Read: "Jenn Lichter's family was torn apart by drug cartels. Now she's a Western States 100 champion." As a child, Lichter and her siblings were homeless on the streets of Colombia before they ended up in an orphanage and then adopted by an American family in Wisconsin. There, she became a runner to help deal with the trauma of her past.
*MB: Jenn Lichter profile
- Official 2026 Western States live discussion thread
- Walmsley Drops out of WSER 100
- Molly Seidel fans go home devastated. Seidel finishes 9 hours, 1 minute, 22 seconds behind winner.
- If Molly Seidel wins Western States she will be the greatest American female distance runner ever
More Weekend Results
- French marathon record-holder Mekdes Woldu comes out on top in three-way sprint finish at tRUNsylvania International 10K Cluj She won in 32:21 ahead of Uganda’s world XC silver medalist Joy Cheptoyek (32:21) and Ethiopia’s Meselech Alemayehu (32:22). Kenya’s Cyrus Kimaiyo won the men's race in 28:22.
- Ukraine's European indoor high jump champion Oleh Doroshchuk equals 2.33m world lead on home soil at the Vitaly Lonskiy Memorial street event
- World decathlon champion Leo Neugebauer and world leader Annik Kälin are the overnight leaders after day 1 of the Ratingen multi-event meet
Assorted Distance News
- Josh Kerr thinks he's on pace to break Hicham El Guerrouj’s mile record at the London DL next month Kerr: "Everything's going extremely smoothly. When you call your shot this far in advance, obviously there's a lot of things that can happen, and we're still three weeks or so out from it, but I couldn't ask to be in a better spot for it."
- MB: ADAM MF GOUCHER IS BACK, BABY The 2000 US Olympian ran 20:38 at the William A. Irvin 5k (part of Grandma's Marathon weekend), placing 2nd in the 50-54 age group.
- MB: 27 year old 3:32 runner transferring to Iowa State Justine Kipkoech is transferring from Colorado where this past year he qualified for NCAA Indoors in the mile and ran 13:24 for 5000m in the spring.
- FloTrack workout video with Cooper Lutkenhaus This was Lutkenhaus' final hard workout before his two recent Diamond League victories. The prescribed workout was 4 sets of 1x300m, 1x200m and then 2x200m faster at the end. He ran between 40 and 42 on the 300s and 26 to 27 on the 200s. Then 24 and 23 seconds for his final two 200s.
- Laura Muir will race the 5000m for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games The 33-year-old miler is stepping up in distance for these Games. The rest of the Scottish team is highlighted by Josher Kerr and Jake Wightman in the mile and Eilish McColgan in the 10,000m.
The Latest Feature from Jonathan Gault
John Korir and Sabastian Sawe didn't just break course and world records at the Boston and London Marathons this spring. They did it by registering two of the fastest closes in the history of marathon running. Find out how.
Zagreb / Other Track Results
- Zagreb recap: US's Nathan Green wins 1500m in 3:32.46 France’s Jordan Terrasse took the men’s 800m in 1:44.77 and Ethiopia's Ngisti Molla stayed in the race after pacing the women's 3000m, winning in 8:44.75. In the sprints, Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah won the 100m in 10.91 and Andre De Grasse (19.95) and Shaunae Miller-Uibo (22.19) took the 200s. US's Jamal Britt ran 12.98 to take the 110H. Olympic champ Thea LaFond highlighted the field event action with 15.25m in the TJ (the best jump in almost four years).
*MB: Nathan Green Wins Again Continental Tour in Croatia - 19-year-old Brit Phoebe Gill wins Zagreb 800m in 1:59.18
- Sweden’s Louise Ekman clears 1.94m to win in Czechia
More Ultra News
She never ran high school or college track, wasn't sponsored until last year, and now she's LetsRun.com's May Runner of the Month after one of the greatest performances in ultrarunning history.
Great News
We have good news to share. Jenny Simpson, the greatest 1500m runner in US history, has been released from the hospital.
Pre Classic is July 4th
You can see pics of the new gear here. If you thought they might do an innovative red, white and blue to celebrate the USA's 250th birthday on July 4th, you'd be mistaken.
- LRC: HS freshman Melanie Doggett named Gatorade National Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year Doggett, who only turned too young to try out for World U20s as she only turne 15 three weeks ago, had quite the NON as she won the 100m in 11.18 and 200 in 22.48, equaling Tamari Davis’s frosh-class record.
- The NCAA has compiled a list of every DI indoor and outdoor track and field individual event champion since 1980
If a young runner has 30 minutes of free time, there are about 5 different ways they can productively spend that time: Sleep more, run more, socialize, study or lift weights. We explain why weights are the least important item on the list.
A Former WR Holder Gets A 7 Yr Ban
The 57:32 man "was provisionally suspended in March 2025 for refusing to provide a sample and was later charged with an additional violation of tampering or attempted tampering with doping control.... The AIU analysis of his phone and financial records showed multiple calls and payments linked to a nurse, with 11 transfers identified in the 12 months prior to the test after coordination with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya."
Is ____ Update?
Three of America's best middle-distance runners are MIA in 2026. Koech was one of the most unlikely US champions in history last year and now his two coaches from last year nor his agent from last year have any idea where he is.
No More 26-Year-Old Freshman
Now athletes have up to five years to compete as long as they start "no later than the academic year after their 19th birthday." These rules go into affect until fall 2027, so current athletes and athletes enrolling in the fall 2026 have the option to compete under the old rules (4-years of eligibility, no age-limit) or get an extra 5th year of eligibility.
Dreams become reality
In 2015, American Evan Jager came oh so close to sub-8 in the steeple. Now, more than a decade later, Germany's Frederik Ruppert has made history and become the first non-African to break 8:00. How did he do it? Ruppert shares all on how he achieved a dream that even he thought would never happen: "I came to a point where I thought it’s not possible."
Podcast
The latest edition of our Track Talk podcast is out. Does the chaos at the Kenyan champs explain why they are struggling at the global stage? Niels Laros is back and is our Bowerman mile favorite. Where is Athing Mu and Jonah Koech? Plus high praise for Jayden Deleon, Timothy Cheruiyot and Rosemary Longisa.
Mid-D News
- Alysia Montaño upgraded to Olympic 800m bronze 14 years later The IOC has finally reallocated the 2012 London medals for the women's 800m and Montaño will finally receive her medal at the 2028 LA Olympics. She initially finished 5th in 2012, but was upgraded to bronze after doping bans for Russians Mariya Savinova and Yekaterina Poistogova (now Turkey's Yekaterina Guliyev).
- Reynold Cheruiyot says 7:26 3k in Shanghai wrecked him but he's feeling better now “I think the weather conditions in China affected me. When I returned to Kenya, I fell sick, and my body felt very heavy. But I thank God that I have recovered well and I am now doing okay,” he added.
- Josh Kerr explains why he includes fasting in his diet Kerr actually has his own nutritionist and chef who does his shopping and cooking for him. He says the fasting "encourages the body to utilize fats during that easy run and also just helps to keep me lean."
- British trio Keely Hodgkinson, Georgia Hunter Bell and Phoebe Gill (who ran 1:57.86 at 17-years-old) will go head-to-head in London DL 800m Hodgkinson has already talked about how this will be her attempt at the 1:53.98 WR. Could be an even better race if they added Audrey Werro to the field.
- MB: Jackson Spencer Announced To Pre 'B' Mile
- GB's Max Burgin set for rematch with Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi in London DL 800m Burgin beat Wanyonyi when they raced last month at the Rabat DL.
Wilson Dethroned?
Deleon nearly beat Wilson indoors and now has done it outdoors. Deleon also is taller and has better 200m speed. Is he now the #1 US 400m prospect in the HS ranks? Also did you know none of the 10 fastest 400m US highschoolers have ever medaled individually at the Worlds or Olympics?
2026 Hengelo
The two Dutch stars delivered in front of the home crowd on Sunday. Plus American Sam Prakel has won the 1500. Recap includes both 800m race videos.
Is Sha'Carri back or was this a Gout Gout windy situation?
Is Sha'Carri back or was this a Gout Gout windy situation?
It was Richardson's 10th career wind-legal sub-10.80 clocking and her first since she ran 10.71 to win the US Olympic Trials almost exactly two years ago (June 22, 2024).
The Summer of LetsRun.com - Meet the high school XC phenom we are coaching who has jumped from 10 miles per week to 11 miles per day
The sub-10 HSer that we are coaching this summer has already gone from 10 miles per week to 11 miles per day and already doing workouts like 3 x 2 mile. Can we save him from himself and Coach ChatGPT? We hope so as he has two things you can't coach - desire and talent.
Random But Interesting
- RW: These are the 8 fastest soccer players at the World Cup #1 on their list is the Netherlands' Micky van de Ven who clocked a speed of 23.23 mph which they say is "the fastest PL data recorded since tracking began in 2021."
- RW: Man becomes first person to run every street in Chicago Joabe Barbosa covered the more than 4000 miles over a 680 day time period, including dangerous neighborhoods, a 50k loop around O'Hare International Airport and once sleeping on an outside bench overnight to get more running on the next morning.
- SpaceDaily: Some studies/athletes report that a plant-based diet can help recovery from hard workout
Train Smarter - Share This with The HS and College XC Runners you know
Train Smarter - Share This with The HS and College XC Runners you know
A sub-10 high school 3200 runner who barely runs (8-10 mpw) recently emailed us about summer training. We decided to help him out and also decided we'd share the wisdom with the masses. Cross country is a summer sport that's played out in the fall and we are giving you the keys to training properly this summer.
Discussion: Tips for increasing mileage over the summer or in a base phase?
Drug Ban
- Former two-time world champion Gudaf Tsegay gets 4-month doping ban Tsegay provided evidence that the substance she tested positive for was prescribed to treat a diagnosed medical condition, but WADA rejected her application for a retroactive TUE. She received a lesser ban for cooperation and because she would have received a TUE if she had requested it in advance.
*MB: Gudaf Tsegay banned for 4 months
Amazing Story
Two-time Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and 18 minute 5k highs school runner, Tyler Andrews, explains how double-threshold training and pure running fitness helped him climb from Everest Base Camp to the summit in a record 9:55.
Aletheia - the sensor & app to help you run better has improved (sponsored)
Aletheia Run has launched a completely redesigned app built from runner feedback, featuring adaptive training, 170+ strength and mobility exercises, leave-phone-behind tracking, and performance insights. LetsRun readers can get a 30-day free trial plus 10% off their first year with code LETSRUN10.
New Training Talk Live Series
As we move to LetsRun.com second quarter century, we want to give you more reasons to visit the site daily. So we have launched a Live Training Talk series. Marius Bakken was the perfect first guest as this website was founded to try to spread the gospel of aerobic/threshold-based training, which Bakken has helped spread across the globe better than anyone. Catch it on demand as an SC Member. *Purchase book
Time Flies When You Are Having Fun
Webb's record of 3:53.43 is now 25 years old. Jim Ryun's record of 3:55.3 lived for 36. *Race video
Must Read
Midway through Marius Bakken's new book The Norwegian Method Applied, Robert Johnson had an epiphany and asked himself, "Is there any human on planet Earth who is better suited to write a training book than Dr. Bakken?" He doesn't think so. This is a must-read. Read it, then join the SC so you can ask Bakken a question during our live interview with him on June 1 at 1 p.m. ET. *Purchase book
- Related - From The Archives: LRC From Norway to Flagstaff: How Double Threshold Training Is Taking Over the World
The Myth Of The Sub-2-Hour Marathon
13-years ago, Rojo wrote the original The Myth Of The Sub-2-Hour Marathon and claimed we were nowhere close to a sub-2 and that we likely wouldn't see it in his lifetime. Well now that it has happened and everyone on the Internet is dunking on him, how does he feel? He's not backing down and claims the logic of his original column was right on the money.
Post-London Analysis
How in the world did Sabastian Sawe turn was looked to be a 2:01 race into a historic 1:59:30 marathon world record? Did adidas' new 3.4 ounce shoe -- the Adios Pro Evo 3 -- tip the scales? What about the wind?
The Marathon Project is BACK (sponsored post)
The Marathon Project has announced a major schedule change for this year's event. The Amateurs and Professionals will now compete together in a 400-person race on Saturday, December 12. The move is designed to amplify the atmosphere and increase the intensity with more athletes, fans, and energy on the flat, fast, loop course in Chandler, AZ. According to race organizers, "The overwhelming feedback we received from last year was that the participants loved being treated like pros. Now they'll get to race with the pros as well. It's a logical next step for us." Press Release here
Josh Kerr 222 podcast
Josh Kerr is chasing Hicham El Guerrouj’s mile world record his way, choosing a packed London Diamond League over a controlled time trial and insisting on “my race, my rules.” Kerr discussed his world record attempt and most recent world title over Cole Hocker on the LetsRun.com podcast.
Johh Kerr swears by power-to-weight training to improve his speed – here’s how and why you should do the same 'My gym coaches have done a really good job of finding where my weaknesses are. I need to create more power. My goal is that my power-to-weight ratio needs to be good.
Your opinion counts
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Meet Fotyen Tesfay
Tesfay, who has a half-marathon best of 63:21 (#3 all-time) is the latest star in the group of famed Ethiopian coach Gemedu Dedefo, who has now coached five of the 11 fastest female marathoners in history.
The winners of our prediction contests
World indoors are this week. The LetsRun.com prediction contest team for Worlds is set. Meet the winners from the USAs contest and some of our other recent contests as well. They highlight the best of LRC.
LRC Exclusive
Since he stopped racing in the middle of the 2025 cross country season for Iowa State, Seth Clevenger has taken DIII by storm. The Rowan University athlete is the DIII leader in three events. But following the release of a video of an alleged EPO order, multiple former teammates told LetsRun.com that Clevenger said he took banned substances in 2025 while at Iowa State and admitted as such to the coaching staff. The situation raises questions about a potential hole in the NCAA’s anti-doping policy. We investigate how a star could allegedly admit to banned drug use and remain eligible to compete.
Your latest American stars share their insights.
American Record Holders
American Record Holders
Keira D'Amato, the new American record holder in the marathon, was joined by Deena Kastor, who held the record for 15 years.
Sisson was the guest on the LetsRun.com Track Talk podcast after she became the first American to go sub 67 in the half marathon on a record-eligible course. Podcast highlights above. Full pod here.
Woody Kincaid joined us after he broke the American record indoors at 5000. He talks above why he left the Bowerman Track Club. Podcast highlights and link to full podcast here.
Coogan's New Balance Boston team had 3 Olympians in 2021 and 2022 could be the biggest year yet for the program with 2 new additions and the TRACK at New Balance coming on March 1st.
Danny Mackey has taken the Brooks Beasts from an unproven club to the Olympic podium in its first decade.
Dathan Ritzenhein is the first of the top pro coaches to sit down and talk about his club heading into the 2022 campaign.
Best of Jon Gault
Best of Jon Gault
Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
LetsRun Classics
LetsRun Classics
