Citius Mag Podcast

"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 managed to get his personal best all the way down to 8:13 at the Monaco Diamond League and then put together one of the best performances of his career by finishing 5th in the World Championship final and third in the Diamond League final. Heading into 2024, he has a chance at the medals in the steeplechase. Mac Fleet and George talk about how he's developed in the event, his lethal Textbook George ki

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 prominence – Is the U.S. having a moment in the men’s high jump? Shelby McEwen wins in Xiamen, JuVaughn Harrison jumps a world lead at LSU – Paulino wins 400m and says this may be the year to break the 400m World record – Christian Coleman wins the 100m in only 10.13s ahead of Fred Kerley; another slow year for the 100m? Results from around the world – Courtney Lindsey beat Letsile Tebogo in a 200m at the Kip Keino

"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 first 20 miles, Emma led the pack with the confidence of a seasoned marathoner. You could not even tell that she was forced to heartbreakingly scratch from the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials due to a torn plantar. Before the race, she told me that she was confident in her fitness and believed she was back stronger than ever. Race day proved all of that. With every high-five exchanged and ever

“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 his first global championship medal with a runner-up finish for silver in the 3000m at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow last month. Nuguse will open up his 2024 outdoor campaign with the mile at the Penn Relays. He was also announced as one of the headliners for the Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on May 25th.  The former Notre Dame star is considered one of the favorites to represent th

“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. Olympic 800m team. Only U.S. champion and World Indoor champion Bryce Hoppel and 2023 NCAA champion Will Sumner ran faster than 1:44.46. The reason that people may not be as familiar with Whitmarsh is that his 2022 season was cut short as a freshman because he was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome –  a heart condition that leads to periods of rapid heart rate. In 2023, he was the SEC Championship runner-up and

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 just a club; it's a beacon of hope. Mary's vision extends beyond the finish line, providing not only a safe haven for young women to train but also covering housing and education costs for those in need. Additionally, Nala Track Club has pioneered a groundbreaking coaches training program, empowering women to lead and mentor the next generation of Kenyan athletes. Nike has come on board with the to assist wit

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 

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.

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 the pro women at 9:47 am E.T. Locally, the race will be viewable live on TV or online at WCVB-5. If you’re not in Massachusetts, the race will be shown live on ESPN2 with coverage beginning at 8:30 am E.T. READ OUR PREVIEW: https://citiusmag.beehiiv.com/p/2024-boston-marathon-preview-evans-chebet-hellen-obiri

This week in track and field, Chris Chavez and Anderson Emerole discuss: Kenya cutting down down on its list of athletes for their Olympic Marathon team selection (Find out who is in and who is out); some of the key performances of the Miramar Invitational in Florida; Abby Steiner raced for the first time since season-ending surgery last summer; Olympic silver medalist Christine Mboma is eligible to compete in the 100m and 200m. Topics discussed: – Athletics Kenya has trimmed down on its names for its potential marathon quad for the Paris Olympics. We are now down to five men and six women who are up for selection for the Games. – The Miramar Invitational lost its spice after Sha’Carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson withdrew from the meet in the days leading up to it but we still saw strong runs from Kenny Bednarek, Britton Wilson, Alaysha Johnson and Melissa Jefferson. – In her first race back from surgery to repair a bone spur in her heel that was pressing up against her Achilles, Abby Steiner ran 51.58 to

“All I want is to be healthy and train consistently. That’s literally it. I try to keep things as simple as possible. I have a lot of confidence in myself that if I’m there on the start line and I’m prepared, I’m going in and do my thing and do really well…Last year unfortunately was another year where I wasn’t able to do that. I do try and take stuff from those tough times. There’s a lot to be gained when times are tough.” We continue our mini-series with members of the On Athletics Club as Mac Fleet sits down with Morgan McDonald on a recent trip to Boulder. In this episode, we chat about how he navigated his comeback from injury in 2023 to be able to compete at the World Championships in Budapest and Riga. He’s played it a bit cautious with his approach to the indoor season but he’s ready to open up the 2024 outdoor campaign with the Australian National Championships. We also get his thoughts on changes he’d like to see in the sport, the success of OAC and much more. Host: Mac Fleet | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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: – BACK-TO-BACK JACKS 

“I think I’m ready for it. I’m excited for it. I have a lot of self-hatred, anger and adrenaline kicking in for this race. I know it’s just the beginning of my season…With this, it’s just about proving where I belong in Australian running and I have to back myself thinking I am in record holder in the event and I should act like it and train like it. I feel like we’ve been training smart and training well over the past few months. I’ve gone from a little confidence to a lot of confidence in about six weeks.” Australian Olympian and 1500m national record holder Olli Hoare unfortunately had to miss last year’s World Championships with a sports hernia and some swelling in the groin area. He had just run a personal best of 3:29.41 at the Oslo Diamond League but the pain was too much to race through. After some time off and some heavy cross-training, he rejoined his OAC teammates for workouts in the fall and will race for the first time this weekend at the Australian National Championships. In this episode, Mac F

"I've been to three Olympics and in two Olympics, I've gotten number two. I do believe if I will be one of them representing Kenya, it will be my biggest opportunity to show I've been doing this on the track but now I'm a marathoner. This time it will be that time to get that gold that I've been looking for so many years." The last time Hellen Obiri was a guest on the CITIUS MAG Podcast was way back in 2022 when she sat down with us at the World Championships in Eugene. That was just months before she made her marathon debut. Now, she’s one of the best in the world. Last year, she won the Boston and New York City Marathons to really showcase her potential over the 26.2 mile distance. In less than two weeks, she will attempt to defend her title in Boston and hopefully do enough to impress Athletics Kenya’s team of selectors who will announce their marathon team for the Paris Olympics following the spring slate of marathons. I believe she would be Kenya’s best chance at gold, espec

Sharing some of our bold predictions for the 2024 outdoor track and field season with potential upsets and possible world records to fall. Plus some thoughts on: – Gabby Thomas opens up with a 10.88 for 100m and then comes back and runs 22.08 for 200m less than 45 minutes later. – Quincy Wilson ran 45.19 at 16 years old to hit the U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying mark – Best relay performances of the weekend: Grant Holloway and Gainesville Elite runs 37.67 for the 4x100m | Dina Asher-Smith, Rhasidat Adeleke, Lanae Thomas and Julien Alfred run the fastest 4x200m ever outdoors in 1:27.05 (Julien Alfred was clocked at 20.8 for the anchor leg, which was the fastest since Marion Jones) – World 100m silver medalist Letsile Tebogo went 19.94 in his first 200m of the outdoor season.Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host: Anderson Emerole | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@atkoeme on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

"I am a little bit less experienced than some of these other runners that I'm going up against. And I was like, 'That's what's going to make me a better runner' is getting experience with both tactics and championship racing because it is different than just going out and time trialing... And I think that this indoors, especially at the World Championship, just proving to myself that I can hold my own in a tactical championship race gave me that extra bit of confidence I need going into this year. I feel like I finally proved to myself that I. I am good at tactical racing. Before I thought, 'Oh, maybe I'm just a fast runner, but I can't run a good tactical race.' And that's something that I was a little bit self-conscious about last year. Like, 'Oh! People think that I can't put it together when it really matters.' It's not really about what other people think but I just wanted to prove to myself that I can run a good race when it matters. And now

We've decided to bring back This Week In Track and Field. CITIUS MAG's newest contributor, Anderson Emerole (who heads The Final Leg YouTube channel) will co-host every week as we riff on the biggest news stories and results in track and field. In this week's show (since it was a slower week of results and news): – We introduce Anderson to our audience a bit more formally – Anderson shares a bit about his trip to Kingston, Jamaica for The ISSA Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships, which is known as Champs and is Jamaica's biggest sporting event. – What it was like interviewing Usain Bolt, Elaine Thompson-Herah and other stars – An early assessment of the men's and women's sprints scene Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host: Anderson Emerole | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@atkoeme on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

"I never had any problems with the workouts, but for me personally, I think it started to affect my mental and social side to where my relationship with running wasn't really happy. There was almost a nonexistent excitement for workouts and I was just kind of going through the monotony, but not enjoying it. And so changing it up, when you need excitement to love running again – being with VNTC guys lit that spark for me again. I am getting better at physical training and it's exciting with Hobbs. That guy's amazing and I just needed a new change of scenery." The kid from Midland, Texas went to the University of Kansas to chase some big dreams and now Bryce Hoppel is a World Indoor Champion. It was won with experience as much as it was with fitness. It happens in the blink of an eye that the rookie becomes the veteran, but now Hoppel is in the prime years of his career. I hadn’t yet given my congratulations to him so I reached out to hear how everything was being digested since Glasgow. H

“It’s just a really cool moment. You just never know what opportunities will arise and what full-circle moments will happen. I’m just happy that I took that tough call in 2019 to move back here and figure my life and self out to become the runner that I am today and to be welcomed back by Brooks. It’s a really cool opportunity. I’m stoked to be back.” Jess McClain (née Tonn) has signed a professional contract with Brooks Running a month after finishing fourth at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in a personal best of 2:25:46. McClain burst onto the marathoning scene winning the Mesa Marathon in Feb. 2022 and then securing a U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying mark of 2:29:25 at Grandma’s Marathon in June 2023. She has been coaching herself. Even after the signing, she will remain in Arizona and will still coach herself. McClain is the Olympic team alternate, which means if O’Keeffe, Sisson or Lindwurm were to get injured and unable to race in Paris, she would be called in as the replacement. Host: Chr

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: – The TEN heard ‘round the world