LetsRun.com's Track Talk: The Home of Running and Track and Field

It's the final pod before Christmas and we've got a packed episode! Evan Jager joins us at 52:45 to put a bow on his incredible career. The Marathon Project 2.0 results are in — Priscah Cherono wins the women's race at age 45 in a 2+ minute PB, while JP Flavin takes the men's title and Turner Wiley runs 2:09 as an unsponsored father working full-time with D2 college PRs. Ben Rosa becomes the youngest person in history to break 4:00 in the mile and 2:10 in the marathon in the same year. Plus: World Cross Country team announcements from France and Ethiopia, the Emily Venters/Evelyn Kimboy NCAA controversy and what it reveals about FERPA, and our full exit interview with Evan Jager reflecting on his incredible steeplechase career — the 2015 Paris fall, Olympic silver, the Oregon Project split, Fancy Bears, and his new job with Nomio in Sweden. 🎁 Holiday Gift Idea: Give a LetsRun.com Supporters Club Gift Membership for $67 or get the USAXC shirts. https://shop.letsrun.com/ Or join yourself at LetsRun.com/subscribe — use code LETSRUN67 for $67/year or $6.76/month. Links: Marathon Project Results Marathon Project Experience Thread Emily Venters/Evelyn Kimboy Discussion Thread World XC Course Preview Shop LetsRun - New USA XC Shirts, or Give Supporters Club as a gift Timestamps: 00:00 Intro & Holiday Gift Plug 01:06 Introductions, Patriots/Ravens talk, Christmas cards 04:01 Weldon's Central Park run 08:06 Marathon Project Women's Race — Priscah Cherono wins at 45 12:12 Marathon Project Men's Race — JP Flavin , Turner Wiley , Ben Rosa 18:34 Ivy League Runner of the Week: Ben Rosa 21:14 Blue Collar Runner of the Week: Turner Wiley 25:38 Marathon Project viability discussion 28:54 Paul Chelimo marathon pr (2:10:55) 31:58 World Cross Country Preview — France & Ethiopia teams 41:21 Emily Venters/Evelyn Kimboy NCAA controversy 46:21 RoJo's FERPA rant 52:15 EVAN JAGER INTERVIEW START 53:28 Impact on American distance running 54:57 Reflections on retirement 59:54 Turning pro at 19 with Jerry Schumacher 65:30 The brutal first year with Bowerman 70:23 Alberto Salazar & Oregon Project history 75:55 Transition to steeplechase 83:42 The iconic 2015 Paris Diamond League fall 99:49 Rio Olympics silver medal 107:22 2018 injury and career derailment 110:45 Fancy Bears leak response 116:58 Thoughts on Shelby Houlihan 124:34 How he wants to be remembered 127:59 The hair evolution 131:19 Rapid fire: Best kicker ( Ezekiel Kemboi ), greatest rival ( Conseslus Kipruto ) 136:12 New job with Nomio in Sweden 141:29 His daughter's athletic future Shop LetsRun - New USA XC Shirts, or Give Supporters Club as a gift Contact us: Email [email protected] or call/text 1-844-LETSRUN podcast voicemail/text line. Spread the word to a friend. Find out more at http://podcast.letsrun.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/letsrun/2fab0394-d64b-4a0b-83ed-dd7765949544

Rosario breaks down the 2025 men's and women's races for you. It's Sunday morning at 9:15 am ET. Get the new shirt here: The LetsRun.com Store 🎁 Holiday Gift Idea: Give a LetsRun.com Supporters Club Gift Membership for $67: link Or join yourself at LetsRun.com/subscribe — use code LETSRUN67 for $67/year or $6.76/month. Contact us: Email [email protected] or call/text 1-844-LETSRUN podcast voicemail/text line. Want a 2nd podcast every week? And savings on running shoes? Join the LetsRun.com Supporters Club today for exclusive content, a bonus weekly podcast, shoe savings, and more. Cancel anytime .https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe Check out the LetsRun.com store. https://shop.letsrun.com/ We've got the softest running shirts in the business. Thanks for listening. Please rate us on your podcast app and spread the word to friend. https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe?from=public https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe?from=public Find out more at http://podcast.letsrun.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/letsrun/458dc0a6-dad2-4618-bb0c-274ae7f7bbba

It's mid-December and the running news keeps coming! Grand Slam Track filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — we dig into the creditor list, the shocking $272K owed to Citius Mag, and what it reveals about the league's spending. On Friday, we broke the news that Athing Mu has left coach Bobby Kersee and moved to Dallas — what's next for her? Plus race recaps from the Brooks XC Championships, the Kalakaua Merrie Mile in Hawaii, and European Cross Country in Portugal. 279.26 we're joined by Yared Nuguse, who previews his quest for a fourth straight Wanamaker Mile title at the Millrose Games on February 1st. Can he break the world record in the indoor mile again? 🎁 Holiday Gift Idea: Give a LetsRun.com Supporters Club Gift Membership for $67: link Or join yourself at LetsRun.com/subscribe — use code LETSRUN67 for $67/year or $6.76/month. Shop LetsRun: Get your USA World XC gold shirts and more at shop.letsrun.comhttps://shop.letsrun.com/ Links: Millrose Games / Wanamaker Mile Tickets Grad Slam Track Bankruptcy & Creditors List Article The Athletic: Grand Slam Track Fundning Breakdown Athing Mu Leaves Bobby Kersee Article Brooks XC Championships Results European Cross Country Results Euro XC finish video that Jon got 1 million views on Kalakaua Merrie Mile Results The Marathon Project Info LetsRun Supporters Club Gift subscription LetsRun Suporters Club subscription for yourself Shop LetsRun Timestamps: 00:00 LetsRun Holiday Merch Plug — Shop.LetsRun.com 01:27 Introductions 03:00 Grand Slam Track Bankruptcy — Creditor list breakdown, athletes owed money 03:23 Flashback: Jonathan Gault's question to Michael Johnson in Jamaica 05:44 Citius Mag paid $272K by Grand Slam Track — Disclosure controversy 08:07 Grand Slam's financial relationship with media outlets 11:37 Athlete Appearance Fee Analysis — Reverse engineering what stars were paid (Sydney McLaughlin, Gabby Thomas, Josh Kerr, etc.) 15:23 How much did Grand Slam actually raise and spend? 19:42 Production costs & other creditors — $3M to TV production, $690K for graphics 24:55 Athing Mu Leaves Coach Bobby Kersee — Moved to Dallas, no new coach announced 26:06 LetsRun Supporters Club plug — Emergency podcast for members 28:36 Speculation: Is Athing Mu retiring? Pregnant? Finding a new coach? 31:46 Top Coach Candidates for Athing Mu — Justin Rinaldi, Chris Catton, Chris Cappo 35:27 Training group concerns for Mu in Dallas 38:36 Brooks XC Championships Recap — Jackson Spencer wins boys, Natasha Dudek wins girls 39:54 NXN vs. Footlocker/Brooks — Do we need two national championships? 45:02 Purpose of dual national championships debate 49:25 Jakob Ingebrigtsen Skips European Cross Country — Injury concerns 53:11 European Cross Country Recap — Jimmy Gressier vs. Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Nadia Battocletti wins women's 55:31 Jonathan's viral tweet of the men's finish 57:51 Nick Griggs (Ireland) & Innes Fitzgerald (UK) — Rising young stars 61:19 Kalakaua Merrie Mile Recap — Josh Hoey wins men's (3:55), Sinclaire Johnson wins women's (4:21 American Record) 65:43 Analysis: Hoey, Hobbs Kessler, Yared Nuguse, Nico Young, Ollie Hoare 71:43 Women's Mile: Sinclaire Johnson dominates Nikki Hiltz 75:23 USA Indoors 1500m Preview — Could be one of the greatest races ever 77:08 The Marathon Project Preview — Paul Chelimo's marathon debut 79:26 Interview: Yared Nuguse — Wanamaker Mile preview, going for 4th straight title 83:00 Will Yared step up to the 2-mile at Millrose? 85:13 Reflecting on the 2025 season — Highs and lows 87:40 Changing tactics for USAs 90:05 Thoughts on the World Championship 1500m Final 92:12 Was Cole Hocker's DQ fair? 95:49 Indoor Season Plans — Targeting the 1500m at World Indoors 97:53 Training dynamics with Geordie Beamish 100:26 Racing the Merrie Mile in Hawaii 102:43 Goals for the 2026 Season — 5K attempt, mile record chase 108:06 The collapse of Grand Slam Track — Yared's perspective as an athlete 115:12 Yared Nuguse on coming out publicly — Reaction from Notre Dame, Ethiopian community, and the running world 121:52 Closing & Holiday Gift Plug — Shop.LetsRun.com Contact us: Email [email protected] or call/text 1-844-LETSRUN podcast voicemail/text line. Spread the word to a friend! Find out more at http://podcast.letsrun.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/letsrun/932c4f60-cade-4ce4-a055-bf17d9ee0318

🏃 Presented by Aletheia Run The wearable that helps you run stronger, avoid injury, and know why. Get a free trial (just pay shipping) and save 10% for a year with code LETSRUN10: https://www.aletheia.run/start-my-free-trial Fresh off his victory at the US Cross Country Championships, Parker Wolfe joins the LetsRun.com Track Talk podcast. The 2024 NCAA 5,000m champion and now US Cross Country champion discusses his transition to professional running with Nike's Swoosh Track Club in Flagstaff, training alongside Nico Young, his goals for World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, and the incredible depth of American distance running. Plus: teammate trash talk with Ethan Strand, the injury that cost him his NCAA title defense, and why he thinks Team USA can medal at World Cross. Aletheia Run sponsored our US Cross Country coverage this week. Developed by sports scientists in Eugene after two decades of research, it's the only device that gives you a force portrait of your running form, detecting issues invisible to the naked eye. Personalized drills, targeted feedback, and real insight into your biomechanics. Try it free & save 10% with code LETSRUN10 https://www.aletheia.run/start-my-free-trial 🎁 Holiday Gift Idea: Give a LetsRun.com Supporters Club Gift Membership for $67: Click here Or join yourself at LetsRun.com/subscribe — use code LETSRUN67 for $67/year or $6.76/month. Parker Wolfe tshirts Timestamps: 00:00 Aletheia Run 00:20 Gift the gift of LetsRun.com 00:48 Aletheia Run - Run Smarter, Try for Free with code LETSRUN10 02:06 Introduction: Parker Wolfe, 2024 NCAA Champion & US Cross Country Champion 04:28 Training approach: Strength-based, minimal sharpening 06:08 Winning the National Title - Was he surprised? 08:51 Training with Nico Young at Swoosh Track Club 12:02 Future pro rivalries - Competing with teammates for team spots 14:57 Teammate trash talk with Ethan Strand 17:33 Life in Flagstaff - Roommates with Ethan Strand and Liam Murphy 19:23 What he didn't love about college teams 22:01 Moh Ahmed update - Training with the Canadian star 23:05 World Cross Country goals - Team medal potential 25:55 Make the case: Why fans should go to Tallahassee 28:17 The comeback: Six weeks of training to USAs 29:37 Fifth Avenue Mile - The perfect way to end the season 30:36 Physical therapy family - Both parents are PTs 32:27 The altitude-born advantage - Denver native 34:13 ACC Championship incident with Rocky Hansen 36:17 Turning pro with Nike - Why he chose Swoosh Track Club 38:21 Coach Mike Smith's creative training approach 39:21 Video games & free time - Madden, Fortnite, and movie nights 41:34 Bill Belichick at UNC 43:04 2026 Season Strategy - Millrose two-mile, fast 5K 44:02 World Ultimate Championships consideration 46:39 Depth of US distance running - Grant Fisher, Nico Young, Cole Hocker, Graham Blanks 48:22 Americans winning Diamond Leagues - The new normal 50:35 Parker Wolfe t-shirts plug 51:11 Aletheia Run outro 52:06 Give the gift of LetsRun Contact us: Email [email protected] or call/text 1-844-LETSRUN podcast voicemail/text line. Spread the word to a friend. Find out more at http://podcast.letsrun.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/letsrun/751a31c1-d108-45f0-81a6-c5ae1be777ac

We break down the massive breaking news that Olympic 800m champion Athing Mu has parted ways with coach Bobby Kersee and relocates\d to Dallas. Plus: Stanford NCAA champion Roisin Willis turns pro early, and Weldon Johnson joins late from all the way out on the West Coast. 🎁 Holiday Gift Idea: Give a LetsRun.com Supporters Club Gift Membership for $67: https://shop.letsrun.com/collections/all/products/gift-supporters-club-membership Or join yourself at LetsRun.com/subscribe — use code LETSRUN67 for $67/year or $6.76/month. Links: Breaking News: Athing Mu Parts Ways with Coach Bobby Kersee Official Message Board Discussion on Athing Mu Roisin Willis Turns Pro Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Emergency Podcast 00:53 Breaking News: Mu leaves Kersee 01:50 Athing Mu's career recap: From Olympic Gold to recent struggles 03:33 Analyzing the 2024 season & "disastrous" results 05:59 The move to Dallas: Who will coach her? (Chris Kapo? Local college coaches?) 10:14 Bobby Kersee's reaction: "I loved her attitude" 13:38 Was it burnout, health, or coaching fit? 17:48 Roisin Willis turns pro early 19:30 Weldon Johnson joins the show 23:23 Join the Letsrun.com Supporters Club for $67 a year of $6.76 a month with code LETSRUN67. Join yourself here G ift subscriptions here Contact us: Email [email protected] or call/text 1-844-LETSRUN podcast voicemail/text line. Spread the word to a friend. Find out more at http://podcast.letsrun.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/letsrun/4ce3389c-4409-45c3-a229-b11f726a4e92