Citius Mag Podcast

With the 2025 World Athletics Championships starting on September 13th, we're unpacking the biggest storylines, some of our top picks, and athletes to watch for in each track event. We’ll be dropping the second part of our preview podcast with the rest of the events later this week. Be sure to subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter to get each of our written previews sent to your inbox and follow along our socials for lots more content to get you excited about Tokyo!Time stamps:21:46 - Women’s 10,000m33:37 - Women’s marathon48:58 - Men’s 10,000m1:03:55 - Women’s 100m1:07:17 - Men’s 100m1:14:14 - Men’s marathon1:18:09 - Men’s 3000m steeplechase1:22:08 - Women’s 100m hurdles1:25:50 - Women’s 1500m1:34:04 - Men’s 110m hurdles1:38:10 - Women’s 3000m steeplechase1:44:00 - Men’s 1500m ____________Mentioned in this episode:Subscribe: CITIUS MAG NewsletterSave: Our full schedule in Eastern timeListen: TOKYO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS THROWS PREVIEW + PICKS (With Beau Throws)Watch: Sprint events preview via The Final Leg

“It goes without saying that we want to go for at least a medal and maybe even the gold medal [at the World Championships]. We don't really speak about that; it's just about being at my best level in the final. I would call that our goal. Whatever result is connected to that depends on so many factors and that's why we don't really speak about, ‘We want to be first there,’ but more about the whole process.”Every so often, a young runner bursts onto the scene not just with talent, but with a presence that makes you believe you're watching the next big star take shape in real time. Niels Laros is that runner right now. At just 20 years old, the Dutch phenom has gone from a precocious prospect to Diamond League champion and now even being the name on everyone's lips as the favorite for the World Championships in the 1500m in Tokyo.He's rattling off consistent victories this summer, he put together a historic 800m and 5000m double at the European U23 Championships, he had an epic Bower

Chris Chavez and Mac Fleet break down the biggest winners and losers from the Diamond League final in Zurich. Some of the top highlights from the meet include…- Brittany Brown makes the most of her second shot at the World team by winning the 200m final in a season’s best 22.13.- Niels Laros solidifies his spot as the top dog in the 1500m with an undeniable victory over world leader Azeddine Habz, world junior record holder Phanuel Koech, and 2019 World champion Timothy Cheriyot, running 3:29.20 to also claim the Dutch national record by 0.03 seconds.- Audrey Werro thrills the home crowd in Switzerland with a huge win and national record in the 800m, as she and Georgia Hunter Bell both dip under 1:56 for the first time in their careers, with Werro holding onto the edge with 1:55.91 to 1:55.96.- Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi had to go to the well to stay ahead of Max Burgin on the homestretch of the 800m, but in the end he had just enough in the tank to take the win in 1:42.37 to Burgin’s 1:42.42.- World cha

“It’s holding onto the fact that truly anything can happen. That's why I'm a fan of the sport. I love watching upsets happen. I love watching dragons get slayed and things like that. It's exciting! I think no matter what, I'm just going in to try to run a 1500 that I'm proud of and let the outcome be the outcome. That's not the focus; the focus is just doing the thing I love.”Three straight U.S. outdoor titles, a Diamond League victory, and a season that has firmly established Nikki Hiltz as America’s standard-bearer in the 1500m.Earlier this month at Hayward Field, they did exactly what we’ve come to expect: poised in the pack, patient when the laps slowed, and then — with 100 meters to go — devastating to the competition. A 58-second last lap sealed a third consecutive national title and another ticket to the global stage.If we go beyond the results on the track, this year brought about quite a bit of change. Nikki underwent contract talks to start the year and stuck with Lululemon.

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia give an event-by-event preview of the Diamond League Final in Zurich set for August 27-28. They also recap the top performances, highlights, and biggest track news from the weekend. We'll be back to unpack all the action in Zurich on Thursday after the meet wraps up.____________Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠ + ⁠Preet Majithia | @preetmajithia on Instagram⁠Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠Mentioned in this episode…Read: Record-Breaking 16-Year-Old Cooper Lutkenhaus Goes Pro, Signs With Nike Ahead of World ChampionshipsSubscribe: ⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter ⁠Listen: ⁠The Paulie Throws Podcast⁠____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop’s limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide.⁠⁠⁠ ⁠You can check out all o

Cooper Lutkenhaus, the 16-year-old high school star who shattered his own U.S. 800m high school record and broke the 800m U18 world record with a 1:42.27 runner-up finish at last month’s U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, has opted to forego all of his remaining high school and collegiate eligibility to turn professional and sign a contract with Nike. The decision comes before he is set to race the 800m at the World Championships in Tokyo next month and makes history as the youngest American ever to represent the U.S. at a World Championship.“I’m just super excited and blessed for the opportunity,” Lutkenhaus tells CITIUS MAG. “To be able to run professionally at such a young age is not very common, so to be represented by the best brand is very exciting.”Lutkenhaus will remain enrolled at Northwest High School in Texas, where he’s beginning his junior year. He is represented by Ray Flynn and Flynn Sports, who have also represented top high school stars over the past 30 years, including Alan Webb and

"Going into Tokyo, as long as I get back to those basic things that helped me be successful in the past, I'm going to be just fine. I can focus on the process, get back to running my race, focus on what I need to do each lap in different circumstances and scenarios, have fun, and not put too much pressure on myself." My guest for today's episode is Olympic silver medalist Kenneth Rooks. However, he hasn't quite looked like that this entire season. It left many wondering if last year's Olympic silver medalists had slipped from his form. But back at Hayward Field just a couple weeks ago in his element, Rooks gave the answer. He was calm through the opening kilometers of the U.S. Championship final, unhurried as the laps ticked by. He moved up lap after lap until he was finally leading – and he never gave that lead back.A 59-second last lap sealed his third straight U.S. Championship title in 8:26.56, fending off his training partner Dan Michalski and veteran Bernard Keter. Rooks officially punched his ticket to

“The overarching message that I think Sean has with this book is that whatever ‘it’ is, go for it. If this is your thing and you give it all you’ve got and don’t limit yourself to what’s been done and what’s been possible, the sky’s the limit on what you can do.” Today's guest is someone whose work has shaped how we understand running at its most human level through writing about running. Chris Lear is the author of Running with the Buffalos, a book that for many is the gold standard of distance running storytelling.Two decades ago, Chris embedded himself with the University of Colorado's cross country team during one of its most dramatic seasons, and what turned out was a story of triumph, tragedy, and relentless pursuit that became a cult classic for runners everywhere. Now Chris is back with one of the most anticipated running books: Beyond Fast - the story of coach Sean Brosnan. It's written with Sean Brosnan and NBC News' Andrew Greif.Brosnan's journey is an unlikely one from BMX trac

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia are back to dive into all of today's action from the Lausanne Diamond League as well as recent doping news in the track and field world.Some of the biggest highlights from Lausanne include...- After a year off racing, Keely Hodgkinson won her second Diamond League in five days, this time setting a 1:55.69 meet record.- Josh Hoey once again continued to surprise, this time with a huge finish to win the 800m over Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi in 1:42.82.- Oblique Seville won a soaking-wet 100m in 9.87, with Noah Lyles finishing second in his second-straight Diamond League in 10.02 just ahead of Ackeem Blake (also 10.02).- In her first race since signing her On NIL deal, NCAA champ Doris Lemngole ran away with the steeplechase win in a torrential downpour, clocking a 9:16.36 worth 8 points in the league standings to give herself a good shot at qualifying for the DL final with only one race.____________Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia dive into the biggest moments from the Silesia Diamond League, recap the NACAC Championships, break down more changes in world rankings, and lots more.Some of the top performances from Silesia include…- In her first 800m in over a year, Olympic champ Keely Hodgkinson picked up right where she left off, clocking a world-leading 1:54.74 to win by nearly two full seconds.- Faith Kipyegon took a strong crack at the highly-suspect world record in the 3000m, and while she fell just short of Wang Junxia’s 1993 mark of 8:06.11, her 8:07.04 run was the second fastest performance in history.-Yared Nuguse won the 1500m in 3:33.19, claiming his fourth Diamond League 1500m victory and solidifying his spot in the final where he’ll have a shot at a wild card entry to Worlds.-Kishane Thompson turned the tables on Noah Lyles in their first 100m matchup since the Paris Olympic final, leaning at the line to equal the 9.87 meet record, just ahead of Lyles’s 9.90 in second. U.S. champ Ke

“It was just a matter of showing up and putting out whatever I had that day – and fair enough, that was my day! I don’t know how it happened. I didn’t expect to win. Nobody knew I was there, nobody was thinking about me. Even after the Rabat [Diamond League], I was shocked by myself!”A few months ago, Jonah Koech wasn't even supposed to be in the race. His Diamond League debut was meant to be an 800m in Rabat until a late field change bumped him out. The backup plan was to race the 1500m, an event where his personal best was 3:37.But that night in Morocco, Koech ran the race of his life, moving from 13th to 1st over the final lap, dropping a six second personal best of 3:31 and delivering one of the most improbable victories in Diamond League history. And if Rabat was the warning shot, then Eugene was the exclamation point at the U.S. Championships in just his seventh career 1500m as a pro.Koech closed in 12.49 seconds for the final 100m, nearly all of it in lane two, to win in a U.S. championship record

“This year, with all the challenges and setbacks, gave me a lot of confidence in that I was still able to come out and deliver and make this team. I have a lot of confidence from experience and just knowing that no matter the circumstances, I'm able to stay focused and get the job done; just focus on myself and what I need to do to be the best runner I can be. That’s where I draw my confidence from.”My guest for today's episode is Emily Mackay. In the 1500m, the margin between heartbreak and a ticket to the World Championships can be a lean, a lunge, or a fraction of a second. For Emily, it was the last 100m at Hayward Field, stride for stride with her former training partner Heather McLean, both fighting for the third and final spot to Tokyo. Mackay pulled ahead in that final stretch and stopped the clock at 4:04.38 for third place behind Nikki Hiltz and Sinclaire Johnson and secured her place on Team USA for Tokyo.It's been less than a year since Mackay qualified for her first Olympics — a break

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia unpack the top highlights from the Gyulai István Memorial in Budapest earlier today, from Oordegem, Belgium on Saturday, and more of the biggest shakeups in rankings that took place over the weekend. We preview everything you need to know about the Silesia Diamond League, including the top athletes competing, matchups to follow, and records to watch for. We also dive into the latest drama in the track and field world, break down the qualification process for the World Championships, explain how the Diamond League wild card process works, and lots more.____________Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Preet Majithia | @preetmajithia on InstagramProduced by: Jasmine Fehr | @jasminefehr on InstagramMentioned in this episode…Subscribe: Sign up for NordVPN using our affiliate link hereSubscribe: CITIUS MAG Newsletter Listen: The Paulie Throws Podcast____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop’s limited edition SpongeBob ca

“Every year the top three resets. It doesn’t matter what you did the previous year. If you need any more evidence than this 1500 final, then I don’t know what to tell you. Everything is so cutthroat. Just getting on that top three was a big relief. I know that the big peak is coming in September, so I can live with this for now. Now I know where I’m at exactly.”My guest for today’s episode is Cole Hocker, who is no stranger to championship moments. But even Olympic champions can go through droughts. Since winning gold in Paris last summer, Hocker hadn’t claimed a single 1500 or mile final — 0-for-8 — in a year that’s tested his patience, his poise, and his place in one of the most ruthless eras of middle-distance running.But in 2025, Hocker has also been focused on something new in taking on the 5000m. On Sunday, in the biggest 5K win of his career, he stormed down the Hayward Field homestretch to take the U.S. title in 13:26.45 — closing in 51.76 for the last lap, 25.69 for the final 200, and outkicking Olym

“I thought I had missed my moment last year. I didn’t want that to define me, but I didn’t want to put way too much pressure on this year, because it wasn’t going to make up for last year. It was really hard. But in the last month, I said, ‘We’re going to go for it. We’re going to put our ego to the side and see what happens.’”Sage Hurta-Klecker knows heartbreak. In her first U.S. Championships in 2021, she fell and broke her wrist. In 2023, she finished a painful fourth in the 800m, just one spot shy of making the team. Last year, she was fifth after getting tangled in the ripple effects of a fall by Athing Mu. Even indoors this year, she was again one place away from qualifying for a world championship team.But this past weekend at Hayward Field, Hurta-Klecker rewrote the script. Charging down the final straight in the women's 800, she leaned hard for the finish line and went down hard after crossing it. She stopped the clock at 1:59.48 to edge out 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials champion Nia Akins by just fou

“The other part is that he loves it. He doesn’t miss. A ton of people are—to be cliche—talented, but they don’t do the things to maximize their talent. So how is he there? Because he’s doing everything to at least give him the chance to maximize his talent. Do we know it’s going to be 1:42? No, we don’t know that. We have no clue what it is… He’s doing the things it takes to see how good he can be—and he loves finding out what that looks like.”My guest for today's episode is Chris Capeau, the coach behind one of the most remarkable performances in American track history. As the head distance coach at Northwest High School in Texas, Capeau found success with his middle distance programs. Even before that at other Texas high schools, he was a bit of a journeyman in coaching at various universities and learning from other accomplished coaches in the sport.But this summer, the spotlight found him after 16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus stunned the track world with a 1:42.27 in the men's 800m at the U.S. Champ

“With 200 to go, I felt really strong. I wasn’t really burning yet. With about 120 to go coming off the curve, I saw everybody right there. I was like, ‘I feel amazing!’ The crowd all stood up and it was super electric. I was like, ‘I have a shot now.’”My guest for today's episode is Cooper Lutkenhaus, the 16-year-old Texan who just ran one of the most astonishing races in American track and field history at the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Cooper placed second in the men's 800m in 1:42.27 — a U18 world record, a three second personal best, and the fourth fastest time ever run by an American. He finished just behind Donovan Brazier, the former world champion who made his own remarkable comeback. Cooper was in 7th place with 150m to go. He stayed calm, executed his race plan, and closed in a blistering 12.48 seconds over the final 100m, surging into second and nearly catching Donovan Brazier at the finish line. This was a performance that defied age, experience, and expectations, and announced

“The biggest mindset coming off of Paris was that because I had made the biggest final there is, it was a message to me that no matter who’s on the track, you deserve a lane. I belong here and I’ve proven myself. That message was definitely something that I carried into my senior year: just knowing that I belong here. That was very powerful for me.”My guest for today's episode is Savannah Sutherland, a 21 year old Canadian hurdler who just made history in more ways than one, hailing from Borden, Saskatchewan. Savannah was named a finalist for the Bowerman, which is the highest honor in NCAA track and field, awarded annually to the most outstanding collegiate athletes in the sport.She's the first Canadian female track athlete to ever reach the finalist status. I recently made an appearance on the CBC's Trackside show where I revealed that as a Bowerman voter, I already casted my vote. Savannah was ranked #1 for me.She put together a jaw-dropping season at Michigan. She didn't just win her secon

The next time someone complains that track and field is boring, tell them about August 3, 2025.Today's epic conclusion to the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships were so packed to the gills with drama that it extended beyond the start and finish lines. You want rivalries? Got ‘em. Records? check. Emotions? Certainly. Controversy? You bet.After finishing a surprise third in the 1500m, the event that delivered an Olympic title, Cole Hocker found redemption in the 5000m, where he closed off a slow early pace in an astonishing 51.76 seconds to win his first U.S. title in the longer event. NCAA champion Roisin Willis won her first U.S. senior title in the 800m a few steps after national leader Addy Wiley got tripped up.Two World champions weren’t even present for their event finals: Grant Holloway qualified for the 110m hurdles final but, for the third time in his career, leaned on his wild card entry to Worlds and skipped the last round of racing. Sha’Carri Richardson missed qualifying for the final of the 200m

Over and over again during the course of today’s program, the same question came up: “What just happened?!”Heading into a stacked men’s 1500m final, everyone assumed that two spots were spoken for by the two Olympic medalists in the field — Paris champion Cole Hocker and third-placer Yared Nuguse — and that the battle was for the third spot. But teams aren’t made on paper; you still have to run the race.Nuguse kept everyone honest early, taking the field through 400 meters in 56.23, but he didn’t manage to thin out the field enough by the final lap and would have to settle for fifth in 3:31.34. Hocker got under his meet record from last year’s Olympic Trials with a 3:30.37 finish… but that was only good for third place, as two new contenders, Ethan Strand and Jonah Koech, hit the front in the homestrech and never looked back, with Koech winning his first U.S. title in 3:30.17.The women’s 1500m was a little bit more predictable, but it was nevertheless thrilling to watch Nikki Hiltz extend their victory streak