Citius Mag Podcast

"When Elle races in a championship, I always say, ‘You want to be in the race with 400m to go for a shot at making the team or winning. Just give yourself a shot.’ Because you can’t control what other people are doing and you don’t know how the chips are going to fall. I was really confident she was going to be there with 400m to go. I was just watching her closely. I watched her chop her steps a couple of times and was thinking, ‘Gosh. She’s just chomping at the bit.’ I didn’t know she was going to beat (Gudaf) Tsegay because she’s run 14:00. But, (Elle’s) an animal." This is an episode of Office Hours with Kyle Merber and Mac Fleet kicking back and chatting with coach Mark Coogan of Team New Balance Boston. We had a chance to just catch up with him at The TRACK at New Balance on our recent visit to Boston for New Balance Nationals and the NCAA Indoor Championships. At this year’s World Indoor Championships, he was trackside to watch Elle St. Pierre win gold in the 3000m and Emily Mackay take bronz

“This is a different moment in my career compared to any other one in the past because I’ve suffered a major disappointment. It’s up for debate if I should’ve taken a break after the Trials and reset but, man, I didn’t feel like I could stop. All of this training is in me and this motivation to show the world the hard work I’ve put in. I didn’t take this journey lightly. I really care about making this transformation from middle distances to the longer stuff. I just really wanted to keep going.” 20 minutes of catching up with Olympic medalist and world champion Jenny Simpson before she takes on the NYC Half on Sunday. It is her first race since unfortunately dropping out of her marathon debut at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Orlando last month. We chat a bit about her lessons from that race, whether she would’ve done anything differently and how she’s taking that into her next few races. Moments before we did this interview, the BAA announced Jenny has been added to the Boston Marathon field for April 15 – alon

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 Best of Boston: Presented by Kyle

"Cherish the people around you. Coming to Stanford and having such an amazing team has made such a difference for me in the sport and just how I view it...This sport is tough. Some days it's so rewarding and you feel like you're on top of the world but then other days, it crushes you. Having that great support system and realizing that's the best thing you can gain from the sport. I've won a lot of races but at the end of the day, the people I've met and the friends I've made is most important." Stanford sophomore Roisin Willis, the 2023 NCAA indoor 800m champion and a New Balance NIL athlete, caught up with Kyle Merber to chat about how her first two years of college have gone and her hopes for preparing for a second U.S. Olympic Trials run. She was previously a guest on the show as a high school senior when she won the 2022 New Balance Nationals indoor 800m title. Host: Kyle Merber | ⁠@kylemerber on Instagram⁠ Guest: Roisin Willis | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@roisin.willis on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

"I am so hungry. As soon as I finished the race, I said, 'I know I can do better. I know I raced wrong.' I need to go back to how I raced in high school. Even in high school, if I didn't get out front in an 800m, I didn't win. For outdoor, I need to race the way I race best." Georgetown freshman Tinoda Matsatsa, the NCAA 1000m record holder and a New Balance NIL athlete, chatted with Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber while at New Balance Nationals Indoor in Boston. Matsatsa was just coming off an appearance at the NCAA Indoor Championships, where he didn't make it out of the semifinals but shares what he took away from his freshman indoor campaign. He ran a personal best of 1:46.87 for 800m, which was the eighth-fastest in the country. He also shares a little bit of news on which country he has decided to represent interationally. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host: Kyle Merber | ⁠@kylemerber on Instagram⁠ Guest: Tinoda Matsatsa | @ti

"With the NCAA, you just never know. You always have someone coming around...It's cool to see. People get to have their moments every season. There are highs and lows. It's sweet to see so much change between the athletes." While at New Balance Nationals Indoor in Boston, Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber caught up with 2023 NCAA Cross Country Champion Graham Blanks. Unfortunately, he had to miss the indoor championship season due to injury but has returned to running ahead of the 2024 outdoor campaign. He shares his thoughts on Nico Young's breakout to break Graham's indoor 5000m record and what it's like racing while hot. Plus, why this is one of the most competitive eras in collegiate track and field. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host: Kyle Merber | @kylemerber on Instagram Guest: Graham Blanks | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@graham_voted_for_pedro on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

CITIUS MAG's Anderson Emerole reports from the 2024 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at The TRACK at New Balance in Boston as NAU's Nico Young and Florida's Parker Valby win both the 3000m and 5000m titles, Valby sets the new 5000m collegiate record in 14:52.79, Texas Tech's Terrence Jones wins both the 60m and 200m, Arkansas wins the women's team title, Texas Tech wins the men's team title, and more. For more interviews from the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, head over to the CITIUS MAG Youtube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLixhfI1IO8angV1gwf4gvFHkQJw-t53_N&si=oBbuzO4qLx4_0jDK SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

A month after dropping out of the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials after about 21 miles, Betsy Saina made the decision to enter the 2024 Tokyo Marathon and it paid off massively. Saina put together a very short two-week build-up and ended up finishing fifth in 2:19:17. It was a PR by more than two minutes and moved her to No. 3 on the U.S. all-time women's marathoning list behind Emily Sisson and Keira D'Amato. In this episode, we talk about how she made the decision to race Tokyo, how she structured the training for it and why she believes her coach saying that she's got the fitness to run 2:17 someday soon. Plus, why she's got her sights set on representing the United States at the 2026 World Championships in Tokyo. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest: Betsy Saina | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@sainabetsy on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ Time Stamps: 4:03 - How she’s feeling coming off her 2:19 performance at the Tokyo Marathon.  6:13 - Her training heading into Tokyo + more on her r

"We're here to medal. We worked so hard and no one worked harder than any of us. You just have to do it on the day. I think we all did it and it's so cool – obviously, it's indoors and sure there's an asterisk because it's not the Olympics or World Outdoor Champs, but it's a race when it matters. It's a championship. There are medals on the line and we are so competitive. We're going to run fearless. We're going to be like Hobbs Kessler, who is 20 years old and led that whole thing or Emily (Mackay) in her first world champs and she's like, 'F**k it. I'm just going to take the lead.' We're going to make bold moves. We're gonna be really hard to beat. And I think that's the momentum we're taking into outdoors. That's a statement we're making." This is Nikki Hiltz's fifth time on the show. Our last interviews came after last summer’s World Championships in Budapest and also after they broke the U.S. outdoor mile record at

CITIUS MAG's Anderson Emerole reports from Glasgow, Scotland with a recap of Day 3 of the World Indoor Championships. – Team USA earned FOUR medals in the 1500m as New Zealand's George Beamish and Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu came away with victories but Nikki Hiltz, Emily Mackay, Cole Hocker and Hobbs Kessler all came away with medals. – Bryce Hoppel clocked a world-leading 1:44.92 to improve upon his bronze medal from 2022 to win gold in the 800m final. Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma claimed gold in the 800 – just ahead of Team GB's Jemma Reekie. – Tara Davis-Woodhall and Monae Nichols went 1-2 in the women's long jump. – Bahamian Devynne Charlton broke her own 60m hurdles world record to claim her country's first-ever gold medal in the 800m – There was controversy over Noah Lyles being named to the 4x400m relay team and then they came away with a silver medal as Belgium's Alexander Doom kicked down Team USA in the closing meters. Lyles split 45.68, which was the third-fastest of the

CITIUS MAG's Anderson Emerole reports from Glasgow, Scotland with a recap of Day 2 of the World Indoor Championships. – Elle St. Pierre became the first U.S. woman to win the World Indoor 3000m title as she kicked down 10,000m world champion Gudaf Tsegay to claim gold. The win comes just 364 days after giving birth last March. – 1500m world champion Josh Kerr got the 3000m world title on home soil – just .61 ahead of Yared Nuguse, who earned his first global championship medal. – Femke Bol lowered her own indoor 400m world record to 49.17! – Grant Holloway extended his nine-year winning streak in the 60m hurdles to claim his second World Indoor Title + more

CITIUS MAG's Anderson Emerole reports from Glasgow, Scotland with a recap of Day 1 of the World Indoor Championships. – 60m world record holder Christian Coleman clocked the fastest time in the world this year with a 6.41 in the final to beat 100m and 200m world champion Noah Lyles by three hundredths to flip the results of their one-two finish from the U.S. Indoor Championships. – Kudos to Jamaica's Ackeem Blake on getting the bronze medal in the 60m final – Olympic and World Champion Ryan Crouser finally won his first world indoor title to finally complete his gold medal set for the shot put. – Femke Bol looks unstoppable after the first two rounds of the women's 400m. Karsten Warholm said he's racing himself into shape ahead of the final. – Distance race recap of some wild 800m and 1500m heats. – Canadian Sarah Mitton won the women's shot put with a 20.22-meter throw. Chase Jackson ended up with a bronze medal after injuring herself + more

CITIUS MAG contributor Anderson Emerole is in Glasgow to bring you tons of interviews, updates and insights from the 2024 World Indoor Championships taking place from March 1-3. He breaks down: Men's 60m: Noah Lyles vs. Christian Coleman Men's 3000m: Getnet Wale vs. Selemon Barega vs. Josh Kerr vs. Yared Nuguse Women's 3000m: Gudaf Tsegay vs. Lemlem Hailu vs. Laura Muir vs. Elle St. Pierre vs. Jessica Hull Women's 60m: Aleia Hobbs vs. Julien Alfred Men's 400m: Karsten Warholm's odds Women's 400m: Can anyone stop Femke Bol? Men's 60m hurdles: Will Grant Holloway's undefeated streak continue? Women's 60m hurdles: Can world record holder Devynne Charlton continue her hot streak for her first global championship medal? Men's pole vault: How high will Mondo Duplantis go? Men's Shot Put: Can Ryan Crouser get the elusive world indoor title?

Rory Linkletter is a Canadian marathoner for PUMA. He just ran 2:08:01 at the Seville Marathon to get under the Olympic qualifying standard. He is in a good position to get selected by Athletics Canada for Paris. Canadian record holder Cam Levins has already been selected for the team and assuming no one else runs faster than Rory in the next two months, he’ll be set to go to his first Olympics. Rory was a standout runner at BYU and then turned professional in 2019. He spent some time with HOKA NAZ Elite before choosing to leave the team in 2022 and has been working with Ryan Hall in Flagstaff, Arizona. In this episode, you’ll hear all about why the training has worked so well. He shares a bit about Ryan’s coaching and training philosophy. Plus, I try to start some trash talk between Rory and Conner Mantz or Clayton Young – his former teammates. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest: Rory Linkletter | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rory_linkletter on Instagram⁠⁠⁠ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

"When I ran the Cherry Blossom (10 Miler), it was very windy. And what I did in that time (46:11), I felt like I could have sustained that pace for a while. Plus the environment – the wind, the temperature was very cold… Based on the training I was doing, my coach felt like I could go under 60 (minutes). We've been planning on just getting a solid half, and then a really fast half. It's really in my mind. So hopefully. Hopefully, after the track season this year I can find a really fast (half marathon) and try to get the American record there." Hillary Bor is a two-time U.S. Olympian in the steeplechase and the third-fastest American steeplechaser in history. He is preparing to make his half marathon debut at the United Airlines NYC Half on March 17. This is a highly-anticipated half marathon debut since Bor ran 46:11 last year to break Greg Meyer’s American record of 46:13 for 10 miles at the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler. Even with his track success, he’s taken well to the roads. In this episode

“I feel like that's why I got so emotional after that race – because this was the first time where I performed to my standards when it mattered. And that's such a big relief off my shoulders now, especially going into the Olympic year. It always felt a little phony for me to be like, ‘I'm going to make this team,’ or ‘I'm going to do this,’ because it hadn't happened yet. And now it has. And now I know that I can do it when it matters most.” Allie Wilson just won the U.S. Indoor Championships 800m title in Albuquerque, New Mexico for her first career national crown. With the victory, she also qualified for the World Indoor Championships taking place in Glasgow, Scotland next month. This will be her first time on a U.S. national team for a global championship. For Allie, the victory comes after a series of shortcomings at national championships. She was sixth at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. She was fourth at the 2022 U.S. Championships. Last year was a rollercoaster year where she only rea

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: – US Indoor Championships: Let the record show 

"I was in Atlanta (for the 2020 Olympic Trials) watching on the sidewalks. Here, I was a player in the race. And now it's just focusing on 2028 and just continuing to get better each and every day. That's been my focus since I started running – just being faster today than I was yesterday and just checking off all those boxes to do that. Focusing on the process makes the outcome not easy to get over, but it makes it more bearable knowing how far you've come and how far you still have to go." My guest for today’s episode is Zach Panning – a marathoner for the Hansons Brooks Distance Project. He just finished sixth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando but that doesn’t tell the full story. He went for it and found himself at the front of the race by Mile 5 and led for about 17 miles of the whole thing. Eventually, Conner Mantz and Clayton Young pulled away and Panning was left on his own to fend off a challenge from a charging Elkanah Kibet, Leonard Korir and CJ Albertson. Those t

This is The Lap Count newsletter by Kyle Merber, as read by Chris Chavez. Join more than 17,000 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 Tragic Loss of Kelvin Kiptum

"For the longest time, my definition of mental toughness was being in the call room and not being scared and not being nervous. As I get older, I think mental toughness or mental resilience is being scared, being nervous, but knowing you're mentally robust and that you can handle these stressful situations. And trusting your fitness is there, trusting yourself and your instincts, that all the pieces are there and it's not going to fail. It's okay to be nervous." It's been almost three years since Hobbs Kessler joined the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Back in 2021, he was a high school phenom out of Michigan before turning pro ahead of the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. Now, he's the world champion and world record holder in the road mile. We caught up just two days after he ran 3:48.86 to finish second in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games to become the second-fastest American man in history. In this episode, he opens up about his training and adjustments he's made – including not run