“I think it’s wide open. I think it’s hard to compete when you know that people have been at that level and they know what it takes to be at that level. That’s one thing that’s super hard about it. When you've been there before, you know it’s a little bit easier to get back there because you’re like, “OK. I know exactly what I need to show up and how I can do it.” But I haven’t been thinking about the big ‘few’ quite as much as maybe in 2021 when I was just starting to run the 800m at this level. I want to sort of like rely and think about ‘Who am I as a runner?’ as opposed to trying to play w ..read more

"The way I run is my biggest strength but I also think it’s pretty entertaining and I want to be remembered not just for winning but for how I win races. I want people to think like this race is going to be entertaining because he’s in it." 2024 1500m World Indoor Champion George Beamish, who was also just named to New Zealand's Olympic team for Paris in the steeplechase, finally makes his debut on The CITIUS MAG Podcast. He is coming off the best season of his career. In 2023, coach Dathan Ritzenhein decided it was time to go all-in on the steeplechase and it was a season-long experiment. He ..read more

Chris Chavez and Anderson Emerole unpack the first big weekend in track and field as the Diamond League and Continental Tour kicked off. In this week's round-up of performances, they discuss: Xiamen Diamond League – Mondo Duplantis’ 6.24m world record and what it could mean for the rest of the season – Gudaf Tsegay nearly breaks the 1500m world record with a 3:50.30; Did the women’s 1500m suddenly get more interesting? – Torrie Lewis beats Sha’Carri Richardson in the 200m; Is there reason to be concerned? – Marco Arop vs. Emmanuel Wanyonyi needs to be a thing to bring back the men's 800m to pr ..read more

"I was surprised and really proud people were chanting 'USA!' just like they were last year chanting my name. And I’m like they 'Do know I’m not gonna win this right?' But there was so much excitement. I feel like they really wanted it for me and still believe I could do something really special on that day so that was huge. When you’re completely crumbling and people are still in awe of you that’s wild, that’s again what makes Boston a unique and special place." My guest for today’s episode is Emma Bates fresh off another top American finish at the Boston Marathon in 2:27:14. For much of the ..read more

“The biggest learning experience was definitely Worlds. I feel like the other races are races I’ve done a lot before and I know how they go. Worlds was something I’ve only really done one other time. A big thing I wanted to take away from Worlds was just framing my mindset in a way that’s ‘You are as good as you think you are. You just have to go out there and act like it.’ … I gained a lot of success really quickly so it’s been a bit surprising. I’m trying to focus on who I am as a runner and where I’m supposed to be in a race.” Yared Nuguse, the American record holder in the mile, claimed hi ..read more

“When I was running the race, I really didn’t have a time in mind. I knew when I crossed that line that it was going to be a decent time…When I looked at the time, that was not what I was expecting to see there. That was pretty surreal. I’m super, super grateful.” Texas A&M junior Sam Whitmarsh popped onto our radar with a 1:44.46 at LSU’s Battle on the Bayou meet on March 30th, which moved him to No. 7 on the all-time collegiate list.  When we put the call out on the CITIUS MAG team for bold predictions for the 2024 season, Kyle Merber predicted that Whitmarsh would make the U.S. Oly ..read more

Mary Ngugi-Cooper has been a formidable force in the Kenyan marathon scene within the past decade. Mary's journey is not just about her remarkable achievements on the roads; it's about her unwavering commitment to empowering women through the sport she loves. In the wake of a tragic loss that shook the running community to its core, Mary took action by responding to the heartbreaking murder of Agnes Tirop by founding Nala Track Club in October of 2022. Named after the Swahili word for a powerful, successful woman, Nala Track Club is a sanctuary for female athletes.  But it's more than jus ..read more

This is The Lap Count newsletter by Kyle Merber, as read by Chris Chavez. Join more than 16,000 people who stay up-to-date with all the thrilling action and biggest stories in the world of track & field – delivered right to your inbox every Wednesday morning. Subscribe at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://thelapcount.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ In this week's newsletter: – Boston Marathon — Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner ? – Parker Valby Takes Her First Crack At The 10K ? – A World Record in the Field of Dreams ? – Team USA Uniforms Make Major Splash ? – The Future of the Diamond League in the USA ..read more

We’re opening up The CITIUS MAG Podcast to have ANYONE join us to share their Boston Marathon stories. It’s going to be a rapid-fire, live podcast recording where we don’t know the guests and just want to connect and hear cool stories from the community ..read more

Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber and Eric Jenkins will preview all of the top athletes and storylines to watch for the men's and women's elite races at the 2024 Boston Marathon. Evans Chebet, Hellen Obiri, Emma Bates, Sharon Lokedi, Zouhair Talbi, Gabriel Geay, Des Linden, CJ Albertson, Jenny Simpson, Sara Hall are among the notable stars competing at the historic race. We will also share our picks at the end of the show. HOW TO WATCH THE RACE ON TV: All the Marathon Monday action gets underway on April 15th with pro races beginning at 9 a.m. The professional men’s field starts at 9:37 am E.T. and th ..read more