The World Athletics Ultimate Championships start Friday in Budapest and the LetsRun.com Prediction contest makes them more interesting.
2026 World Ultimates
2026 World Ultimates
Josh Kerr has run zero 1500s in 2026. Yet with an indoor world title, a 3:42.66 mile world record, and Commonwealth gold already in the bank, he can cap off an iconic year on Sunday in Budapest and complete the 'Kerr Grand Slam' with a win at World Ultimates. Kerr explains his ultra-selective racing strategy, throws shade at runners who over-race (Jakob?), and coach Danny Mackey reveals the rest of the workout that included a jaw-dropping 48.41 400 rep.
*MB: Josh Kerr calls his shot: "I’m not going to lose," & takes dig at Jakob? "If you race a bunch, you’re going to have long-term injury problems, I think."
With $150,000 to the winners, the stars have shown up and Budapest is loaded. We break it down for you.
Is Audrey Werro vulnerable? Can Keely Hodgkinson or Femke Broeders-Bol pull the upset? Our full women's mid-d and distance preview + Rojo's picks for Budapest.
On The Boards
On The Boards
Jenny Simpson Update
- MB: Jenny Simpson does in-depth hour and a half interview about her near death experience Simpson talks to ultra endurance athlete and podcaster Rich Roll about almost dying from cardiac arrest at a track meet last month, her inherited heart condition and her recovery and life since.
Sprints / Jumps
- Tara Davis-Woodhall ends her season after suffering severe concussion in car crash She posted on social media, "This one hurts. I'm sad, disappointed and just hurt by all of it. I know this has to be part of my story. There has to be a reason for this. I'll never questions God's path for me. I will be back. Just a hitch in my giddy-up."
- World Athletics looks at "the science of sprinting" with experts sharing some interesting insights Former world sprint medalist and coach Craig Pickering: "Remarkably, step frequency does not vary as much between runners – or between elite athletes and the wider population ...If you get a five-year-old or a 50-year-old and an elite athlete, even Usain Bolt, they generally take about 4.5-5 steps per second. That seems to be how many steps humans take, that doesn’t change a lot. The main area to get faster is how big those steps are and a 2.5m stride length is what you see in the best athletes, and that’s where they basically get the advantage."
- Strange Times: World Athletics has a Roblox track and field game featuring Usain Bolt They are using the video game to promote the Ultimate Championships.
- A missed result: Australia's Eleanor Patterson beat high jump WR holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh in Germany last week Patterson cleared 2.02m to Mahuchikh's 2.00m.
- Bulgarian TJ champ Gabriela Petrova highlights Serbia Athletics Meeting with 14.10m victory
USATF 20K Champs
Rudel won by over a minute in 1:04:58 while Hicks actually finished second to his Oregon Track Club teammate, Kieran Tuntivate. Tuntivate, who represents Thailand, ran 58:03 to beat Hicks by 3 seconds.
- MB: Faxon 20k race. Tuntivate wins and gets $0. Charles Hicks 2nd, gets $9000. 🧐🤔 Tuntivate knew he wasn't eligible for prize money as this was a US championship.
XC Season Is Here
- XC Weekend Round-Up: BYU's Jane Hedengren and Tayvon Kitchen start seasons with wins at the Utah Valley Invitational Both dominated their races, Hedengren running 15:08 to win by 33 seconds and Kitchen running 13:21 to win by 30 seconds. At the Sam Bell Invitational, Indiana freshman Katy Zang won her collegiate debut in a course record (12:36 for 4k).
Jakob News
- MB: Norweigian media is reporting that Jakob Ingebrigtsen isn't racing the 1500m, just the 5000m, at the Ultimate Championships The media outlet, Dagbladet reports: "According to what Dagbladet understands, it is unlikely that Ingebrigtsen will compete in the 1500 meters. In that case, the announced duel against Josh Kerr will be canceled."
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen sorry for calling 1500m rivals "losers" but maintains Cole Hocker "acted cowardly" Ingebrigtsen said, "I shouldn’t have called anyone losers. I apologize for that. It was beneath me, regardless of the adrenaline and emotions. But I stand by what I said about Cole and his team acting cowardly." Ingebrigtsen also responded to Hocker’s agent Ray Flynn calling him "whiny" and said "Cole and I talked it through after the race."
*MB: Update: Jakob sorta apologizes for DL final interview
*MB: Jakob TRASHES Cole in athletes lounge interview / Ingebrigtsen: I Was "Racing Against a Bunch of Cowards"
Brussels Diamond League Final
Audrey Werro stayed unbeaten outdoors with a 1:54.75 win over Femke Bol, while Birhanu Balew closed a 12:45 5,000 with a stunning 53.4 final lap and Jerry Schumacher coached Klaudia Kazimierska ran 3:54.05 to win the 1500.
- MB: 2026 Diamond League Final Day 2 Discussion Thread
- Audrey Werro Went to the WELL one too many times She didn't look great but she remained undefeated outdoors.
- Blanks 12:47 PB! He did PR but African took the top 4 places let by one of the most sensational closes every by Birhanu Balew who won in a WL 12:45.70.
- Klaudia Kazimierska 3:54.05 DOMINATION of DL final. What a race. The former Oregon Ducks was sensatoinal and is your new world leader.
- what has happened to Grant Fisher? he's getting dropped in races He was 9th of 10 in 12:59.
- El Bakkali gets rocked in Belgium The young Ethiopian Godana beat him yet again in an 8:08 race.
- Tsige Duguma entered the DL final as the world leader. All she had to do to make it to World Ultimates was finish. She was a DNF
Road Running News
- Good Read: Athletics Weekly looks back at when three of the all-time greats, Kenenisa Bekele, Mo Farah and Haile Gebrselassie all duked it out over over half-marathon in 2013 It turned out to be an epic race at the 2013 Great North Run with Bekele making a big move a little over 1000m out and holding off Farah's kick by one second, 60:09 to 60:10. Gebrselassie did a lot of the early work, but couldn't close with the other two and finished 3rd in 60:41.
- World Athletics ratifies Jacob Kiplimo's 57:20 half-marathon WR There were questions over why Kiplimo's record was taking so long to ratify and some wondered if it would be rejected again, but it's finally been approved. Although it's already been broken by Yomif Kejelcha's 56:51 in Buenos Aires. World Athletics also ratified Emmanuel Wanyonyi's 2:11.83 1000m WR and Ja’Kobe Tharp's 12.75 in the 100H.
*MB: For some reason, Jacob Kiplimo's 57:20 half WR still hasn't been ratified by World Athletics - Is this actually newsworthy in 2026? Peruvian Olympian Cristhian Pacheco wins Mexico City Marathon in 2:10 without a fancy GPS watch Many men have run much faster marathons before GPS watches were even a thing.
Weekend Distance Results
- MB: Marco Langon runs 3:52.83 to win road mile in Dusseldorf He won by a full second with Adam Spencer runnerup in 3:53.83. GB's Jemma Reekie won the women's race in 4:23.25 over US's Gracie Hyde (4:26.10). Canada's Moh Ahmed (13:14) and Kenya's Celestine Biowot (15:17) won the 5ks. *Results
- Eilish McColgan wins Big Half in London after being out 5 months with injury She won 1:10:54, which is way slower than her PB, but she says she hadn't even ran 13 miles in training since coming back from her injury. Kadar Omar Abdullahi won the men's race in 61:51.
- Kenya's Patrick Kipnegeno wins his 4th title at the Vertical Nasego World Mountain Running Race; Germany's Nina Engelhard wins women's race in Italy The Vertical Nasego is a shorter (4.2k) straight uphill race while the Trofeo is longer (21.5k) and rolling.
*Kenya's Philemon Kiriago wins Trofeo Nasego in course record; Ruth Mwihaki Gitonga takes women's title
Day 1 in Brussels
Cam Myers (3:30.14) edged Phanuel Koech (3:30.18) for the win as American Ethan Strand (3:30.50) was 3rd and Jakob Ingebrigtsen criticized his opponents for failing to follow the pacer. Emmanuel Wanyonyi (1:41.80) dominated the 800, Freweyni Hailu took the women's 14:35.20, Oblique Seville won the 100 (9.90, +0.1), Ja'Kobe Tharp's dream season continued (13.03, -0.2), Faith Cherotich (8:51.61) won the steeple, and more. *Results
- MB: 2026 Diamond League Final Day 1 Discussion Thread
- Jakob TRASHES Cole in athletes lounge interview / Ingebrigtsen: I Was "Racing Against a Bunch of Cowards" Jakob gave at least two very spicy post-race interviews.
- What To Think Of Jakob's Comeback?
- Cole Hocker going for a BIG PB at Brussels final?
- Collen Kebinatshipi
Sprint Stuff
- Karsten Warholm skipped the DL final in Brussels over financial dispute (translated) Warholm said, "They haven't been able to come up with an offer that is competitive, and then I don't think it's worth running the final. ... It is reportedly the event that makes the most profit of all the events on the calendar. So you have to ask yourself if it is right that they take the profit at the expense of us athletes."
- Karsten Warholm talks about how it felt to lose his 400H WR to Alison dos Santos last week at the Zurich DL "You get down to earth pretty quickly. ... If you want the sport to evolve, records are always going to be on borrowed time, but it’s a bit sad because it was part of me for five years."
- Shericka Jackson ends her season after injury last month Jackson was helped off the track by medical staff after pulling up in the Lausanne DL 200m last month.
- Gout Gout's manager gives an update on his return from injury His manager said, "Recovery is going well and according to plan. He’s working through all the various programs well, and he’ll be racing in the Australian season. He’s in really good spirits."
Not Everyone Will Be In Brussels and Budapest
Battocletti is passing up a likely $150,000 payday to end her season at a home meet in Italy.
Brussels DL Previews
Historically, an American mid-d and distance runner hardly ever wins the Diamond League title, but the likes of Cole Hocker, Ethan Strand, Yared Nuguse, Nikki Hiltz, and Graham Blanks have a chance to add to that total in Brussels.
- World Athletics Brussels day 1 preview: "Diamond League reaches climax with Ultimate places up for grabs" An interesting non-DL event is Jimmy Gressier trying to break Mo Farah's one-hour world record (21.33k, 4:31 pace)
- WA day 2 preview: "World record holders return to track for Diamond League finale" Alison dos Santos and Masai Russell are both back on the track after breaking hurdles WRs in Zurich.
- Top storylines to watch at the Brussels DL final A stacked men's 100m has Oblique Seville, Trayvon Bromell, Christian Coleman, Akani Simbine, Lachlan Kennedy.
- Brussels "ones to watch" on day one Can Manolo Karalis challenge Mondo Duplantis in the PV again?
- Brussels "ones to watch" day 2 Hana Moll is a late bloomer this season, securing qualification to Brussels with back-to-back wins in Lausanne and Zurich.
- MB: Cole Hocker going for a BIG PB at Brussels final?
- MB: Full DL Finals Starts Lists (mostly) Out
Distance News
- MB: Clayton Young announces American record attempt at the Chicago Marathon Young ran his 2:05:41 PB at the 2026 Boston Marathon (his PB on a record eligible course is 2:08:00 from Chicago 2023). Conner Mantz's AR is 2:04:43.
- Euro XC champ Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal is running the half-marathon at World Road Running Champs this month just 5 months after giving birth She gave birth to a baby girl on May 9th. This will be her first race since August 2025.
- MB: Gary Martin wins 1500m in Serbia in 3:33.53
- Femke Broeders-Bol says she thought it would take her 2 years to get to this level in the 800m Talking about what she can improve she said, "I think pretty much in everything except speed! My speed is very good for an 800m runner. My endurance is very bad and I think the tactical part is still something I need to learn."
- Preview of this weekend's World Mountrain Running Cup races at teh Vertical Nasego and Trofeo Nasego in Italy
Sorry Oregon
After publishing an article urging World U20 3,000m sensation Emmanuel Kiprono to choose the NCAA, LetsRun.com has learned the 17-year-old Kenyan signed with adidas and agent Eric Lilot back in 2025.
Our Weekly Written Recap
A 46-year-old Kenyan woman wen out in 67:59 in Sydney where Addisu Gobena & Peres Jepchirchir took the titles down under, Hans Troyer sparks a littering debate at UTMB, Athlos cancels its NYC meet, and did you know Cam Myers has raced in every single month in 2026? Plus Femke Broeders-Bol barely breaks 9:00 on her easy days.
- MB: Did Hans Troyer just litter during CCC?
- MB: Lauren Gregory Wins UTMB OCC in Debut – Crazy Tight Finish (video)
- MB: ATHLOS NYC CANCELLED – LONDON IS STILL HAPPENING
- MB: Who needs Parker Valby? Nike signs six sororities to endorsement deals
- MB: Femke Bol says her threshold pace is just 6:58/mile pace (4:20 per km), easy days 8:51/mile (5:30 km)
Admin News
- Seb Coe thinks track will remain the #1 Olympic sport Coe: "There are only two truly global sports, one is football and one is athletics. ...I'm very optimistic about the future of the sport. I've never been more optimistic about the future of the sport. Whoever my successor is, they are inheriting a very much stronger sport than I inherited. I'm absolutely sure that the sport will continue to grow. I know it will remain the number one Olympic sport."
- "The mysterious 'Dr Toi'" (aka Paul Askew) sentenced to 6 months in prison for conspiracy to supply banned drugs to US Olympic sprinter He was sentenced under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act (RADA).
*LRC Archive: One of the world’s fastest men missed the Olympics because he was serving a secret doping ban — and his coach turned him in - This is robbery: Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon cancels race 7 months out and refuses to give refunds This isn't a case of a race spending all the entry money and then cancelling the day before because of a hurricane. The race is 7 months away and they are cancelling because "general interest and registration for the event is lower than expected."
- BBC: Concerns raised over two-day London Marathon impact All the inconveniences of the marathon (road closures, parking restrictions, etc.) will now stretch over two days instead of one.
XC Season Is Here
- NCAA.com: The 5 biggest questions entering the 2026 cross country season The NC State women have won four of the last five women's XC Championships ...will they keep the dynasty going?
- Defending champs OSU come into 2026 season ranked #1 in pre-season NCAA XC coaches' poll OSU returns 3 of their top 5 after winning with one of the lowest scores in NCAA history. New Mexico, Iowa State, Alabama and Oregon are ranked 2-5. *Regional Rankings
- NC State women start season ranked #1 in NCAA XC coaches' poll Makes sense considering they won in 2025 and return all of their top-5. New Mexico, Iowa State, BYU and Oregon are ranked 2-5. *Regional Rankings
USATF Indoors Come Home
The meet will be held at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Indianapolis hosted the inaugural IAAF World Indoor Championships at the Hoosier Dome in 1987, but this will be the first time Indianapolis has hosted US Indoor Champs.
Jakob Updates
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen confirmed for Diamond League 1500m final in Brussels on September 4 This will be Ingebrigtsen's third DL 1500m of the season after he finished 4th in Silesia and 5th in Zurich.
- MB: Jakob Ingebrigsten running 5k at World Road Running Championships Full Norwegian team is listed here. Narve Gilje Nordås is also racing the 5k.
The Runner's Summer Bookshelf #3
Nike’s roots in running run deep. Two books, Bowerman and the Men of Oregon and Shoe Dog, show how Bill Bowerman, Phil Knight, and the Oregon running culture helped create a company that would go on to reshape the sport.
Should Kiprono Turn Pro?
Kenya still produces some of the world’s best young distance runners, but too many fail to match that success as seniors. After Emmanuel Kiprono’s stunning 7:28.28 at World U20s, intern Simon argues his best path to fulfilling that potential runs through the NCAA and the University of Oregon.
The Sydney Marathon
Ethiopia's 2023 Dubai champ Addisu Gobena, just 21, was your men's winner in a course-record 2:04:42 as the top 7 men broke the course record, while 2021 Olympic and 2025 world champ Peres Jepchirchir won the women's race by nearly four minutes in 2:18:31, but the timing site showed a world record by Michael Sawas for nealry 2 hours after the race. American Ethan Shuley was also mistakenly greeted with the finish tape despite not being the first Australian.
*Top 50 Results *WA Recap of Sydney: Gobena breaks course record while Jepchirchir dominates in Sydney
Weekend Track Action
- MB: Cam Myers runs 3:30.96 to win ISTAF Berlin 1500m over a stacked field Robert Farken was runner-up in 3:31.73. Narve Gilje Nordas was 5th (3:33.21), Marco Langon 6th (3:33.41). *Race Video *Results
*ISTAF Berlin recap: US's Chase Jackson breaks American shot put record with 21.02m She's only the second woman in 14-years to break the 21 meter mark. Germany’s 3-time European steeple champion Gesa Felicitas Krause won the 2000m steeple in 5:56.79. - Nadia Battocletti breaks Italian 1500m record with 3:57.54 in Bellinzona US's Addison Wiley was second in a 3:58.96 PB. France swept the 800s with Louey Ouerrat (1:43.57) and Renelle Lamote (1:58.55) taking the wins. Nigeria's Kayinsola Ajayi won the 100m in 9.91 over Ronnie Baker (9.94) and Akani Simbine (9.95). US's WR holder Ja’Kobe Tharp won the 110H in 13.15 and discus WR threw 71.50m to beat Olympic champ Roje Stona (68.14m).
- Jamaica's Rajindra Campbell threw a NR 22.59m to move to joint #13 on the world all-time discus list at the Grand Prix Brescia In Italy US's Bradley Franklin beat Cordell Tinch in the 110H, 13.10 to 13.25. Tobi Amusan won the 100H in 12.56. GB's Yusuf Bizimana (1:44.02) and Olympic 4th placer Shafiqua Maloney (1:58.03) won the 800s; Ireland's Sophie O’Sullivan was runner-up with a big PB of 1:58.60.
*MB: Gary Martin 4th in 1500m in Brescia, Italy (3:33.29) Adam Spencer won the race in 3:32.32.
- Sam Ellis wins Monmouth Mile in 3:55.30 as top-11 go sub-4
UTMB
- American Ben Dhiman dominates UTMB to become the first runner to break 19 hours Dhiman won by more than 30 minutes in 18:16:29 for the 108 mile ultra on the Mont Blanc mountain range. The course covers 33,000 feet of vertical gain and loss and goes through parts of France, Italy, and Switzerland. Dhiman is just the second American man to win the race.
*MB: Ben Dhiman destroys the UTMB course record - Athletics Weekly UTMB recap: France's Blandine L'Hirondel's wins women's race
Legal News
- BBC: Three more former British athletes convicted in Morocco as part of Leon Baptiste sexual assault case Two-time Commonwealth silver medalist hurdler Will Sharman and two former bobsled athletes were convicted of participating in the enticement of a minor who was a prostitute. Police raided their villa after the girl accused Baptiste of not paying the money she was promised. A bunch of other people were prosecuted as well, even a waiter at the nightclub they met the girl
- Germany's European 200m champ Owen Ansah requests hearing to fight against the 4-year ban proposed by the German National Anti-Doping Agency Ansah says that he was already late for a flight to Monaco when testers arrived, so couldn't provide a sample. This all happened over a month before the European Championships, but for some reason was still allowed to compete.
- Karmelo Anthony denied new trial in track meet stabbing murder Anthony's lawyers argued that his rights were violated during the original trial, but this was rejected.
Worth A Read
- Good Read: The Times interviews Josh Kerr about his mile WR, doping, his rivalry with Jakob, his relationship with his wife and more Kerr shares a lot of interesting anecdotes including advice from his dad when he was losing races as a kid about how "no one remembers the under-13 champion" and the story of how he met his wife on his first day at the University of New Mexico. They went on a date the next day, but ended up staying friends for two years first because Kerr still "had some growing up to do." Talking about doping, Kerr says, "Our sport is riddled with it."
- Interesting Read: Fortune: "Nike brought back a 32-year veteran to save the $60B brand. Two years later, its turnaround is still a ‘long, hard slog’" In 2024, Elliott Hill came out of retirement to take over as Nike CEO and try and turn the company around. Despite improvements in some areas, Nike stock recently hit a 12-year low and regaining their former dominance seems a long way off, if they can do it at all.
*MB: Nike stock hits 12 year low
Athlos NYC Cancelled
Details of Sawe's injury
Sabastian Sawe's agent told LetsRun that after Sawe experienced discomfort in a physiotherapy session last week an MRI revealed a slight stress fracture in his right tibia.
UTMB
- US's Lauren Gregory wins UTMB OCC 60K race in epic battle with UK's Naomi Lang Over 60k and more than 6 hours, it came down to a sprint finish with Gregory winning by 3 seconds.
*MB: Lauren Gregory Wins UTMB OCC in Debut - Crazy Tight Finish (video) - MB: Veteran ultra runner Jeff Browning had a heart attack at TDS UTMB The 55-year-old was 16k from finishing the 145k race, but had to be airlifted out to the hospital.
What does it mean to be a competitive runner?
Learn about My Olympic Coach, a Miami training group where a 2:11 marathoner, a former NFL player, and 4-hour marathoners train side by side.
RIP
- RIP: China's former high jump WR holder Zheng Fengrong, 89 Zheng set the WR at 1.77m in 1957. She was the first Chinese athlete to set a WR in track and the first Chinese woman to set a WR in any sport. However, she never got to compete at the Olympics as China didn't participate in the summer Games during the peak years of her career.
- RIP: 1964 US race walk Olympian Jack Mortland, 91
Zurich DL
Zurich DL
What an amazing track meet. Two world records, two wins by American men in the 1500 and 3000, Audrey Werro and Femke Bol both PR, Emmanuel Wanyonyi surpasses David Rudisha for most career sub-1:42s and MJW runs fast but gets beat by Julien Alfred.
- 2 WRs fell in Zurich in 1995 as well: LRC Archive 25 Years Later: A Look Back At One of the Greatest Nights in Distance Running History
What. A. Meet. The Brazilian took .14 off Karsten Warholm's iconic 45.94 WR from the 2021 Olympic final in Tokyo. Then Masai Russell broke the 100h WR by running 12.09 (0.0). Also Julien Allred ended MJW's win streak in the 100m and Parker Wolfe led an American 1-2 in the 3000. Cole Hocker won his first DL. And Wanyonyi 1:41.76 WL!!
Masai Russell smashed Tobi Amusan’s 100m hurdles world record with a 12.09 in Zurich, extending her unbeaten 2026 season and raising the question of whether she can become the first woman to break 12 seconds.
Zurich MB Talk
- MB: Official Zurich Diamond League Live Discussion Thread
- MB: Wavelights set for WR pace in both men's and women's 800
- MB: Parker WOLFE takes down Zurich 3000. Blanks 2nd. Myers 3rd. He's offiically the top US 3k/5k guy not named Cole Hocker.
- MB: COLE MF HOCKER!
- MB: Jakob is no longer SPECIAL
- MB: dos SANTOS - 45.80 - SMASHES 400h WORLD RECORD!!!!
- MB: Massi Russell, WORLD RECORD.
- MB: Is Isaac Nader the most fraudulent 1500m champion over the past 10ys?
- MB: Why did Bol Give up her position to werro?
World Ultimates Are Coming
Which Americans are in line to qualify for the World Ultimate Championships? We tell you here. The US is currently projected to have 15 qualifiers across the men's and women's 800, 1500, and 5000, the most of any country. And that doesn't include Yared Nuguse, who should enter the quota after Thursday's 1500 in Zurich.
Sprint Stuff
- Karsten Warholm raises concerns with jam packed end-of-season schedule Warholm said, "It’s chaos. The schedule after the European Championships is a mess. ...In the long run, track and field needs to figure out how to schedule the Diamond League Final and the Ultimate Championship. Obviously, you don’t need both. ...It’s pretty much the same group of athletes competing, but there could be two different winners in the events at the Diamond League Final and the Ultimate Championship; yet both will still be champions. From a storytelling perspective, that makes it difficult. I don’t think even track and field fans are keeping up."
- Usain Bolt to play for Sunday league soccer team in the UK with retired former pro players Bolt is a big soccer fan and briefly tried to have a pro career after he retired from track.
- Norway 19-year-old Anthony Johnsen sets European U20 110H record with 13.35 Johnsen's time beats the 13.44 that GB's two-time world champion Colin Jackson ran at the 1986 World U20 Champs.
- World Athletics "what's your ultimate?" Q&A with Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Her "ultimate movie" is Transformers.
- World Athletics "What's your ultimate?" Q&A with Olympic 400m champ Marileidy Paulino She says her "ultimate movie" is Swatt.
RIP
- RIP: GB's 1964 Olympic steeplechase silver medalist Maurice Herriott dies at 86 Herriott won silver ath the 1964 Tokyo Games in an 8:32.4 PB.
- Italy's 1960 Olympic 200m champion Livio Berruti dies at 87 He won in 20.5 seconds to become Europe's first Olympic 200m champion at his home Games in Rome.
- MB: RIP Dolly Parton
Our Weekly Recap
Yomif Kejelcha took back the half marathon world record with a staggering 56:51 in Buenos Aires, but did he really close the final 1.1 km at 4:04 mile pace? Plus, Marileidy Paulino and Collen Kebinatshipi continue two of the best 400m campaigns in track & field history, and quick hits on Ethan Strand and Femke Broeders-Bol.
Some Interesting Running History
- "A senseless piece of chivalry" - Runner's World looks back at when John Landy gave up a chance at the mile WR to apologize to a competitor he accidentally spiked On the third lap, Ron Clarke was tripped and fell down causing Landy to jump over him and spike his arm. Immediately afterwards, Landy turned back to say sorry to Clarke and ask if he was all right. Despite giving up 30 meters on the rest of the field doing this, Landy came back to win the race in 4:04.
- RW: Japanese marathoner Shizo Kanakuri vanished during the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Marathon and then finished it 54 years later Kanakuri got lost during the race and ended up on a rural farmhouse. The Swedish family there fed him and let him spend the night, but organizers thought he had just vanished. He made it back to Japan, but in Sweden it was a "decades-long unsolved mystery" and made him famous.
Kerr vs. Jakob
Neither had a qualifying world ranking, but World Athletics bent its own rules to add a 13th man and ensure track's fiercest rivalry headlines the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships. Here’s why Seb Coe & Co. made the right call.
Silesia Sunday (10am -12 eastern)
Strand (3:30.77) earned his first DL win as Hocker was 3rd in 3:31.16 and Ingebrigtsen 4th in 3:31.19. MJW (10.78, +0.7) won the loaded women's 100m over Julien Alfred (10.83) and Sha'Carri Richardson (10.96). Other impressive winners included Oblique Seville (9.83. +1.4), Collen Kebinatshipi (43.59 MR), and Mykolas Alekna, who set a DL record in the men's discus (72.58 m).
*Ethan Strand (3:30.77) wins Silesia Diamond League - Full Race Video
- Official Live thread (Live reaction podcast at noon eastern after meet)
- Calling it now - Ethan Strand will be the 2028 Olympic 1500m Champion
- Ethan Strand WINS Silesia DL defeating Cole H & Jakob I
- Jakob's Silesia post race interview
- Jakob ready to test his legs for Silesia ?
- Congrat Phanuel Kipkosgei KOECH (19) second place Silesia, positive result for the future
- Collen Kebinatshipi
Road Action - Kejelcha Half WR
Kejelcha took 29 seconds off the 57:20 set by Jacob Kiplimo in Lisbon in March, although the time is still slower than the 56:42 Kiplimo ran in Barcelona, but wasn't ratified due to him running too close to the pace car. Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay won the women's race in 63:57. Ethiopia's Girmawit Gebrzihair won won the women's race in 66:12. *Athletics Weekly recap
*MB: Kejelcha 56:51 in Buenos Aires
*MB: For some reason, Jacob Kiplimo's 57:20 half WR still hasn't been ratified by World Athletics
- MB: Galen Rupp runs 61:29 at the Antrim Coast Half-Marathon He finished 9th place in the race won by Kenya's Isaia Lasoi in 58:26. Edward Cheserek was 10th, although the results list him with a faster time than Rupp (61:27).
More Doping News
- MB: US sprinter Aleia Hobbs gets 6-month doping ban Hobbs said she used an in-home saline infusion to self-treat flue-like symptoms, but she did not qualify for a TUE.
- France's Olympic 100H silver medalist Cyréna Samba-Mayela is facing a two year ban after three whereabouts failures
Random But Interesting
- Mondo Duplantis releases song for World Athletics Ultimate Championships The song is titled, "Gold" and he will perform it live at the close of the Ultimate Champs. You can check out the music video here.
- Chinese robot runs 100m faster than Usain Bolt’s world record The robot called Lightning covered 100m in 9.32 seconds. Lightning also ran faster than the half-marathon WR in April, running 50:26 at the Beijing Half. Crazy range.
- Sydney Marathon accidentally puts the wrong stadium on their finisher medals They etched a design of the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany instead of Sydney's Allianz Stadium.
Lausanne Diamond League
Lausanne Diamond League
Parker Wolfe, Nico Young, & Graham Blanks ran well in the 5k, but Bahrain's Birhanu Balew got the win. Broeders-Bol broke the 34-year-old Dutch record to run 1:55.41 but just missed out on the wind behind Werro's 1:55.33.
- WA full meet recap: Mondo Duplantis wins thrilling PV battle with Manolo Karalis They were neck-and-neck up until Duplantis cleared 6.21m to get the win. It was the first time two men jumped higher than 6.10m in the same competition. Duplantis also took failed two attempts at what would have been a new WR of 6.32m.
- 2026 Lausanne Diamond League Official Thread
- 5000m: Balew crushes the Americans - they leave Lausanne DEVASTATED The top 3 Americans did quite well actually as they all broke 13:00 and placed 2-3-4. Fisher was just 11th.
- The Rise of Parker Wolfe
- Grant Fisher Dilemma - Make the Switch Already!
- Parker Wolfe vs Graham Blanks vs Nico Young vs Grant Fisher in 5000 at Lausanne Diamond League- prediction contest
- Grant Fisher's "Summer of PRs" Project
- Jakob ready to test his legs for Silesia 🔥
Jenny Simpson Update
(link fixed) Simpson explained that back in June she went into cardiac arrest multiple times and was diagnosed with a rare inherited heart condition (ARVC). She says that her diagnosis "means it would be dangerous" to return to running. She said she'll share more details in an interview on CBS Saturday Morning on August 22nd and on the Rich Roll Podcast in September.
Time Flies When You're Having Fun
On the 10-year anniversary of his unforgettable Olympic 1500m gold in Rio, Matthew Centrowitz joins LetsRun for a special edition of our Track Talk Podcast. He breaks down the Olympic race, discusses Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr and today’s golden age of the 1500m, and caps things off by taking on our own Jonathan Gault in a track & field trivia showdown.
NCAA XC is about to start
Could Oregon win its first men's XC title since 2008 thanks to a new Irish recruit? How will Iowa State rebound from a turbulent 2025 season?
NYC Marathon Field
Olympic champion Sifan Hassan returns after finishing 6th last year. Two-time champ Hellen Obiri and defending men's champ Benson Kipruto are back, while Conner Mantz chases his first podium finish at a major. US half marathon record holder Weini Kelati makes her long-anticipated debut while Andreas Almgren is also debuting after his dominant Euro 10k win. The race is Nov. 1.
Week that Was:
Andreas Almgren dominated the men's 10,000 at Euros in a way no one else has for decades and Mark English made history by becoming the oldest Euro 800 winner and Ireland's first individual male gold medalist.
6 Day Olympic Trials Head to Eugene
USATF is condensing the Trials into six days (the shortest Trials since 1964), moving the 10,000m and multi events elsewhere, with a quick 23-day turnaround from the Trials (June 17-22) to the Olympics (July 15-24)
How to Run Fast
RunCCG co-founders Chris Catton and Tim Goldsack may have coached more fast high school runners than anyone else on Planet Earth. In Part VII of the Summer of LetsRun, we conduct a Q&A with the two online private coaches of high school runners. What is the No. 1 mistake most high school runners make? What is their No. 1 piece of advice? Plus, DT hits a lifetime-high 65 miles as he gets ready for his senior season.
Previous Summer of LetsRun Articles:
- Article VI: LRC: Strava Doesn’t Lie: How to avoid overtraining during Summer XC base building
- Article V: LRC: How Fast Should You Run on Your Tempos? LetsRun.com Summer XC Threshold Pace Calculator Unveiled
- Article IV: LRC Why Weight Training is Vastly Overrated for Cross Country Runners
- Article III: LRC: How much mileage is too much for a high school cross country runner?
- Article II: LRC Summer training 101: How to build mileage without getting hurt
- Article I: LRC Summer of LetsRun: How Good Can You Become with Real Training?
Training Talk
The Supporters Club embargo has ended! Watch our full Training Talk video interview with Marius Bakken - the godfather of the double threshold Norwegian Method - or read the highlights of our discussion on double threshold, super shoes, and lactate control. Even if you watched it live, you'll want to read this as it has been updated with a bonus emailed Q&A.
- MB: The Full Marius Bakken Interview: The Norwegian Method, double threshold, and bridging the gap to Africa
- MB from 2002: Kenya vs. USA Back in 2002, Bakken started a thread on LetsRun.com wondering why the US wasn't nearly as good as Kenya in distance running. That question is basically the same one he opened his book with.
- Buy Bakken's new book
Jonah Koech says he's innocent
Hours after accepting a reduced 3-year ban for blood doping, 2025 US 1500m champion Jonah Koech told a LetsRun visitor on Instagram that he "didn't take anything." Plus, USADA explains a 3-year testing gap, and Ethan Strand and Hobbs Kessler react to the doping that cost one of them a US title and another a World championship spot.
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World U20s Day 1
Kibet led the last 1600 and won the 5000m in 13:28.27 over his countryman Nehemiah Kipngeno (13:30.09), closing in 4:06 and 57.26. Uganda’s world XC bronze medalist Charity Cherop won the women's 5000m in 15:03.88, well ahead of Ethiopia's Shito Gumi (15:07.91). In the 100m, the big names (Tate Taylor, Jamaica's Gary Card, Mia and Mariah Maxwell and Jamaica's Shanoya Douglas) all advanced to the final (Taylor with 10.06 and Mia Maxwell with 11.13 had the fastest times). In the mixed 4x400m, the US ran a record time of 3:15.31. The only field final on day 1 was the women's shot put, won by Brazil's Alessandro Borges.
- World Athletics: Three things to follow on day two in Oregon
- Twin sprint stars Mariah and Mia Maxwell talk about sibling rivalry Mia: “It's honestly not as difficult as people may think."
*Video of Mia cheering on her sister during the 100m semis - World U20 Day 1 morning recap Uganda’s Shafeck Murungi (1:46.64) and Japan’s Rin Kubo (2:03.27) had the fastest times in the heats of the 800m.
- Register Guard: Poor air quality doesn't cloud opening day of World U20 meet Smoke from regional wildfires led to poor air quality on day 1 with an AQI of 237 ("very unhealthy").
- LRC 2026 World U20 Preview: Tate Taylor vs. Gary Card & Odey-Jordan in 100m, Quincy Wilson's Big Test, and Distance Stars to Watch World U20s return to Hayward Field! The USA's Tate Taylor (9.92/19.75) vs. Jamaica's Gary Card (9.93/20.28) should be a great battle in the men's 100/200, while Quincy Wilson (44.10) vs. Jayden DeLeon (44.52) is the marquee matchup in the 400. Plus can Americans Paige Sheppard (2:00) and Claire Stegall (4:04) medal in the 800/1500?
- MB: Official 2026 World U20 (aka World Jrs) Live Discussion Thread
Summer Reading Series
We look at three training books that go beyond workout logs, covering training philosophy, performance science, and the psychology of pushing your limits.
2026 Commonwealth Games
14 days after his 3:42.66 World Record, Josh Kerr looked like the best miler on the planet as he DESTROYED Cam Myers, Jake Wightman, Timonthy Cheruiyot and others with a 52 last lap. Rojo hosted a live watchalong party for the men's 800 (where UA Baltimore's Navasky Anderson won) and men's mile and Kerr's coach Danny Mackey joined the show to talk about Kerr's big win. Mackey told us what workouts Kerr has been doing since his WR and what the odds are he goes for the 1500 WR. The video above is cued to start when Mackey joined the show.
- MB: Official final day of Commonwealth Games live discussion thread - Kerr, Wightman, Myers!!! (+Live watchalong party at 3:50 )
- MB Kerr vs Myers: Who wins the CWG Mile?
- MB: OFFICIAL: 2026 Commonwealth Games 7/27-8/1 Glasgow, Scotland
- Pre-Race: LRC Can Anyone Stop Josh Kerr? Cam Myers and Jake Wightman Take Aim in a Commonwealth Mile for the Ages
- Commonwealth Games Final Day Recap: Abbey Caldwell leads an Australia 1-2-3 in the women's mile Caldwell ran 4:39.31 to beat out teammates Jessica Hull (4:39.86) and Claudia Hollingsworth (4:40.20). Kenya's Matthew Kipsang denied Australia's Ky Robinson a double gold by taking the 5000m in 13:23.61 to Robinson's 13:24.70. Jamacia's Navasky Anderson took the men's 800m in 1:45.33 over Aussie Luke Boyes (1:45.93) and Kenya's defending champ Wyclife Kinyamal (1:46.12).
Big NCAA News
Texas has signed 25-year-old Kenyan Dennis Kipkogei, a 59:11 half marathoner who will enter the NCAA as a freshman and an immediate contender for the 2026 cross country title.
Q&A
Hicks, who ran 2:04:35 in Boston in April, will run the Chicago Marathon in October and says he has a "North Star" of trying to eventually hit 150 miles per week in his marathon career. Plus, how he convinced coach Jerry Schumacher to drop "Jerry miles" for his marathon training.
Runner of the Month
No woman had run under 1:54 in the 800m for nearly 43 years until Audrey Werro did it twice in June. Could the world record be next for the LetsRun.com June Runner of the Month?
This Week's Podcast
Cooper Lutkenhaus capped a near-perfect season, Nikki Hiltz won a ninth straight US title, and marathoner Charles Hicks joined us to explain his plan to build toward 150-mile training weeks.
Brosnan Is Back
Former Newbury Park high school coaching legend Sean Brosnan is back in the NCAA ranks as the new distance coach at USC. We caught up with Brosnan to discuss why he chose a program without a men's cross country team, what really happened with his NCAA show-cause penalty, and we even asked him who is more talented - Colin Sahlman or Nico Young?
On March 28th, Josh Kerr called his shot and told the world what he'd do no July 18th and he went out and did it. Tim Hutchings called it the "ballsiest world record in the history of middle-distance racing" and we have to agree. Incredible. Recap coming. *Full Race Video
The 24-year-old has now PRd by nearly a full second to crush the field. He has now won 4 straight 800s. It was the start of an amazing day for the Brooks Beasts and coach Danny Mackey. *Full Results
*Brandon Miller is going to kick some @$$ One messageboard predicted a big run from Miller yesterday.
London DL Messageboard Talk
- Official Josh Kerr goes for the mile world record - 2026 London Diamond League discussion thread
- Josh Kerr Apology Thread
- JOSH MF KERR 3:42.66 - KING OF THE MILE!!!!
- Josh Kerr wants more: "I was hoping on my best day I could be [3:]40-41....I think the 1500 world record is within my grasp!!!"
- What is Jakob doing right now?
- Which world record is more impressive: 3:42.66 Mile or 7:17.55 3000m?
- What happened to Birnbaum?
- Why was Kerr’s mile given a special stagger/cone start? —- Not a good look.
- Kerr has a zero percent chance of breaking the WR. Here's why.
- Nike is in complete shambles
- Kerr GOAT Allegations
- John Kellogg GENIUS prediction appreciation thread
- Josh Kerr lives in Alburquerque full time NOT seattle with the Brooks Beasts
- Does Kerr’s WR Prove That El G Was a 1:46 Guy After All?
- Is Brooks Beasts the new meta?
- Brandon Miller is going to kick some @$$
- WA scoring tables - how does Kerr's 3:42 compare to the strongest WRs
- Discus: Is Setting the Mile WR Better than Winning Olympic 1500 gold?
- Hicham El Guerrouj changes his Instagram bio: "Current world record holder in the 1500 meters."
Looking Back At El G's Mile Record
Before Josh Kerr’s London record attempt, we revisit how Hicham El Guerrouj ran 3:43.13 in Rome, with near-perfect pacing, ideal conditions, and Noah Ngeny pushing him all the way to the finish. What could El Guerrouj run today?
LetsRun Forum Flashback
No carbon plates. No Strava. Barely any mid-race fuel. We asked longtime LetsRun posters how they trained and raced before modern running technology took over—and the answers were hilarious, humbling, and occasionally horrifying, and showed how much the sport has changed.
Summer Reading Series
Four running books that will deepen your appreciation for the sport, from the inside story of an NCAA championship team to the race to break the four-minute mile.
Summer of LetsRun - Article V
One underappreciated key attribute that most accomplished distance runners have is restraint. This week, we unveil the LetsRun.com tempo pace calculator to make sure you don't go too hard, too soon and ruin your summer.
*MB: LetsRun.com Summer Tempo / Threshold Calculator unveiled.
- Article IV: LRC Why Weight Training is Vastly Overrated for Cross Country Runners
- Article III: LRC How much mileage is too much for a high school cross country runner?
- Article II: LRC Summer training 101: How to build mileage without getting hurt
- Article I: LRC Summer of LetsRun: How Good Can You Become with Real Training?
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.
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.
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?
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
We'd love to know a little more about you and how we can improve Letsrun.com.
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
The 3rd slide above shows the collision. Davis-Woodhall says "I’m lucky and blessed to be alive right now, and no life-threatening injuries"