Track and field's biggest names on the track, in the coaching ranks and within the industry sit down and open up in-depth to share brilliant insights and vivid snapshots from their professional/personal accomplishments and experiences in the sport. Hosted by CITIUS MAG founder Chris Chavez. The show was named one of "The Best Running Podcasts" by Runner's World. ▶ Visit https://CITIUSMAG.com ▶ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CitiusMag ▶ Instagram: https://instagram.com/citiusmag ▶ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CitiusMag ▶ Patreon: https://patreon.com/citiusmag
“Especially after 36K, I was telling myself, ‘Even if they speed up, I have to go deep today…’ I was telling myself, ‘This is my moment.’”
My guest for today's episode is Abdi Nageeye, whose journey in 2024 could only be described as redemption at its finest. The Dutch marathoner and 2021 Olympic silver medalist who just three months ago grappled with his appointment after withdrawing late in the Olympic marathon in Paris, roared back to claim the biggest victory of his career at the TCS New York City Marathon.
In a thrilling showdown against one of the strongest fields in race history, Nageeye deployed patience, strategy, and a powerful finishing kick to secure his first World Marathon Major title in 2:07:39 seconds, making history as the first Dutchman and the first European since 1996. To win the New York City Marathon from his self coach training in Eldoret to a race plan honed by years of experience on the course, Abdi turned heartbreak into triumph.
We dive into his reflections on Paris, his mental and physical preparation for New York City, and what this victory means for him moving forward. But first, you'll also hear a never before released interview with Abdi from my trip to Kenya in June 2023, where we discussed a bit more of his backstory and upbringing from being born in Somalia to settling in the Netherlands as a refugee and spending time in Syria before finally being adopted by a Dutch family.
I initially planned for this to be released last fall, but didn't have a chance to, but I'm now glad it's finally out. It's fun because towards the end of that first interview, I asked him what he wants to accomplish and he finally gets it done. Part one is my interview with him in Kenya and then part two is my interview with him reflecting on New York.
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Abdi Nageeye | @abdinageeye on Instagram
Time stamps:
2023 Interview live from Eldoret, Kenya:
3:37 - Reflecting on training
5:02 - Why he likes to train in new places, what he enjoys about training in Kenya
9:05 - His backstory + stories from growing up
18:10 - Why he considers Africa to be his home
20:33 - Being embraced by the Netherlands
22:06 - Why shifting to the roads panned out so well for him
25:49 - What he learned from training with athletes like Eliud Kipchoge
28:20 - Future goals for his running career
2024 Interview after winning the NYC Marathon:
34:51 - How training has been going since the NYC Marathon
38:17 - What life has been like since our first interview in 2023
41:00 - Current training setup
43:28 - Paris Olympics marathon experience
47:55 - Thoughts after dropping out of the Olympic marathon
54:44 - NYC Marathon race breakdown
59:03 - The final miles of the race
1:01:03 - Thoughts when Tamirat Tola was closing on him and Evans Chebet
1:02:36 - The point when he knew he was going to win
1:06:13 - Emotions after crossing the finish line
1:08:12 - Looking ahead to future races
1:11:18 - Reflecting on his marathon career so far
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OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com.
Chris Chavez and cross country expert Isaac Wood are back to recap conference weekend and preview each regional meet going down across the country this Friday. Join us for our thoughts and predictions on who will qualify for the big dance in Madison, Wisconsin on November 23rd.
You can listen to our last NCAA cross country season check-in episode here.
Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Isaac Wood | @isaacew on Instagram
Time stamps:
1:51 - Conference weekend recap
4:34 - Isaac’s biggest takeaways from conference weekend
5:31 - Wake Forest’s men’s team looking strong heading into Regionals
6:59 - Big 12s men’s recap: thoughts on BYU, OSU
11:39 - Big 12s women’s recap: thoughts on BYU, West Virginia
16:05 - Oregon women looking to become a title contender
17:45 - Projected top teams at NCAAs
20:52 - Explanation on how to qualify for NCAAs
22:36 - Auto-qualifiers + at-large predictions: men
30:05 - Auto-qualifiers + at-large predictions: women
35:10 - Regions to pay most attention to on Friday
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com
OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com.
Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia review the second season of the Netflix documentary series, SPRINT. We share our thoughts and analysis on all four episodes and break down the top storylines throughout the season. You can listen to our review of the first season of SPRINT here.
Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Preet Majithia | @prm_32 on X
Time stamps:
1:22 - Season 2 overview: cast, notable athletes missing
3:42 - Season 1 highlights
Episode 1: ALL AMERICAN
5:32 - Noah Lyles
10:21 - Fred Kerley
13:10 - Christian Coleman
15:40 - Gabby Thomas, Dennis Mitchell’s pro group
17:57 - Little focus on athletes’ personalities outside of track
19:48 - Highlights of episode 1
Episode 2: CHANGING OF THE GUARD
20:35 - Jamaican storylines
22:23 - Kishane Thompson, Oblique Seville
25:53 - Shericka Jackson
31:27 - Julien Alfred
Episode 3: GOING FOR GOLD: PART 1
33:45 - Series shifts to the Olympics
37:00 - Marcell Jacobs
39:01 - Sha’Carri Richardson, Melissa Jefferson, TeeTee Terry
44:10 - Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
48:17 - Shericka Jackson
50:24 - Julien Alfred
Episode 4: GOING FOR GOLD: PART 2
56:32 - Men’s 100m final
1:02:19 - Kenny Bednarek
1:03:50 - Letsile Tebogo
1:05:10 - Men’s 200m: Noah Lyles getting COVID
1:08:36 - Women’s 200m: Gabby Thomas, Julien Alfred
1:11:32 - How the series ends + U.S. men’s 4x100m relay
Final takeaways:
1:14:39 - Parting thoughts and final rating
1:17:53 - What comes next + will there be a Season 3?
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com
OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com.
“What made me sign on is just how it was pitched: the fastest people in the world. There’s not many leagues that sign you on as contracted racers. That’s new. And I like to be a part of change.”
Grand Slam Track has confirmed that Kingston, Jamaica will be one of four cities that will play host to the action in the professional track league's inaugural season. In 2025, the first slam will be held at the national stadium at Independence Park on April 4th, 5th and 6th.
Back in June when the league was first announced, Los Angeles was one of the four cities that was announced, but Kingston is the first city confirmed with dates. This is the same stadium that hosts the Racers Grand Prix and the same stadium that is packed for five days when it hosts the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships in March.
Grand Slam Track’s events will take place over three days with athletes racing twice. Athletes will receive points for their finishing position in each race and then the athlete with the highest points total after both events will win the slam and the $100,000 grand prize.
So what does this mean for the league? Grand Slam Track will have a host city where the Diamond League has not tapped into with one of the most devout track and field fan populations in the world. The fandom around the sprints is a national tradition from the high school to the Olympic level and the league has already invested in Jamaican talent with three Jamaican racers in Roshawn Clark, who will contest the 400m and 400m hurdles; Ackera Nugent, who will run the 100m and 100m hurdles; and Rushell Clayton, who will run the 400m and 400m hurdles.
So to get excited about the league and the first slam in Jamaica, we caught up with two-time world championship medalist Rushell Clayton at the Grand Slam Track Racer Summit in Los Angeles.
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Rushell Clayton | @rushellclayton on Instagram
Time stamps:
6:04 - Excitement for racing in Kingsport for GST
8:06 - Why she decided to sign on with GST
9:32 - When the 400m hurdles event rose to a new level
10:27 - What led to her 5th place finish at the Paris Olympics
12:30 - Chasing after a new 400m PB
13:05 - Thoughts on her competitors
14:21 - Goals for 2025
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com
OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com.
“We’re kind of on this journey to the marathon. The next logical step is a half marathon. That will be in the new year. We don’t know exactly where yet but we want to go attack a half marathon. That’s what all the training is focused on and that’s why it’s been so fun. Not that the training is easy but it’s the training that comes the most naturally to me.”
My guest for today's episode is U.S. Olympian Joe Klecker of the On Athletics Club. He joins us with some news that he’s gearing up for his half marathon debut in early 2025 after a challenging comeback from injury.
Joe is back and looking to tackle a new distance with a keen eye on Ryan Hall's American record in the half marathon. While his 2024 outdoor season was sidelined by a torn abductor, he's now fully focused on the 13.1 mile distance. He doesn't say it, but I think all signs point that it will likely be at the Houston Half Marathon in January, which is traditionally perfect weather and very fast. And while he's not quite ready to step away from the track just yet, Joe is already embracing the marathon mindset and this is one step forward to getting to the full distance with a personal best of 12:54 for 5K and 27:07 for 10K.
Joe's incredible speed and dedication are setting him up for a strong entry into the longer distance. So in this episode, we'll hear about his approach to injury recovery, his plans for that debut, all with the guidance of his coach Dathan Ritzenhein and the support of his training partner and Olympic medalist, Hellen Obiri. He also shares why he's hoping for one more team on the track.
Many thanks to New York Road Runners for allowing us to host this conversation in front of an audience at the Citizens Bank stage at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo.
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Joe Klecker | @joe_klecker on Instagram
Time stamps:
3:43 - Getting to ride on the lead vehicle at the NYC Marathon
5:21 - Thoughts on racing the marathon himself in the future.
5:19 - Thoughts on teammate Hellen Obiri’s build leading into NYC
7:09 - Details on Hellen’s workouts
9:30 - Coming back from injury this summer
11:04 - How his training has evolved since graduating college
12:16 - Future races on the calendar
15:03 - Going after the half marathon American record
17:14 - OAC’s team culture
22:30 - What keeps training exciting
23:37 - How he approaches his future career in the marathon
24:34 - Why track and the marathon feel like different sports
25:48 - Overrated/underrated: training methods
32:51 - Goals for 2025
34:29 - Why now is a good time to shift to the marathon
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com
OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com.
“I think as I run more and more and get more miles on my legs, I'll be able to hang with that lead pack later and later. But I stuck to my guns. I didn't really have a race plan going in other than taking the first few miles to feel it out. Then really just believing that I belonged in that lead pack for as long as I could hang with them.”
My guest for today’s episode is Jess McClain, who just wrapped up a heck of a year with an eighth-place finish at the New York City Marathon, running 2:27:19 and finishing as the second American.
It was Jess’s first World Marathon Major, and she showed incredible grit, moving steadily from 11th to 8th in the final miles and securing a spot among the top marathoners in the world.
As we’ve explored on this show with her in January, Jess’s journey to the marathon stage has been anything but typical. A former Stanford standout who took a hiatus from professional running, she’s reemerged with stunning results. Earlier this year, she finished fourth at the Olympic Marathon Trials, making her the alternate for Team USA and nearly earning a spot at the Paris Olympics. She’s since signed with Brooks and built a strong racing resume, including wins at the USATF Road 10K Championships and a second-place finish at the USATF 20K Championships.
Today, we’ll dive into her self-coached approach, her bold comeback, and what drives her heading into 2025.
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Jess McClain | @jesstonn
Previous episodes with Jess McClain:
Jess McClain On Signing With Brooks Running (Again) + Deciding To Return To The Track
Time stamps:
3:15 - Reflections on her 8th place finish at the NYC Marathon
5:58 - Rediscovering her love for racing
8:03 - Why she decided on racing NYC as her fall marathon
10:34 - Details on her training throughout her build
13:34 - Importance of being grounded outside of running
16:31 - How her training setup has evolved + what she wants to change next
19:39 - How she strikes the balance between working and training
24:01 - Nerves before the race
27:35 - Starting line + first few miles
29:37 - Story about accidentally reversing her bibs
35:49 - Thoughts when the big move was made during the race
43:07 - Feelings after crossing the finish line
45:38 - Looking ahead to future marathons
49:01 - Thoughts on racing a track 10K next year
51:16 - Overrated/underrated: training methods
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com
OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com.
“I’m not in charge of how fit those guys are. No matter how hard I work, they could be working harder, they could be doing something better, they could be more talented. I was trying to take that out. My main goal in this race was just to execute. Execute my race plan, make sure I ran a race that afterward I felt good about. I think I did really well for most of the race.”
My guest for today's episode is Conner Mantz, the American Marathoner who just capped off an extraordinary year by setting an American course record at the New York City Marathon. He placed 6th overall in 2:09:00. Conner was the top American as usual and he showed us his relentless competitiveness.
He pushed through a conservative start and a fierce mid-race surge led by Evans Chebet, the 2022 New York City marathon champion, that splintered the rest of the field. Conner hung tough and ultimately finished with the fastest closing mile among all of the runners in the top ten.
In his young marathoning career, Conner has already established himself as the top American in Boston, Chicago, the Olympic Trials and an 8th place finish at the Olympics. Now he's setting his sights on closing the gap between being the best in America and being among the best in the world.
In this episode, we dig into his journey, his strategic approach under coach Ed Eyestone's “deploy, enjoy and destroy” race plan, and how he handles a little bit of friendly competition with training partner Clayton Young.
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Conner Mantz | @connermantz on Instagram
Time stamps:
4:03 - Why he wasn’t satisfied with his performance at the NYC Marathon
5:46 - What would’ve made it a satisfying race
7:43 - Overall fitness heading into the race
8:17 - Best workouts leading into the race
13:07 - Going after the half marathon American record at the Houston Half in 2025
16:09 - Pre-race chat with coach Ed Eyestone: deploy, enjoy, destroy
19:30 - Responding to moves during the race
25:40 - Sharing bottles during the race, Evans Chebet makes his move
34:19 - Clayton catching up to him, snapping back into the race, final few miles
42:40 - Feelings after crossing the finish line
47:27 - Grading his marathons throughout 2024
52:50 - Looking ahead to spring marathons
54:35 - Future training plans with Clayton
58:53 - Thoughts on joining Grand Slam Track as a challenger
1:03:34 - Overrated/underrated: training methods
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.comOLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com.
“I like having new goals and challenges. The marathon feels like almost a different sport. It's like a second career. It’s breathed a lot of life into my training, just having fresh goals all the time.”
My guest for today's episode is Sara Vaughn, who just delivered a standout performance at the New York City Marathon where she finished as the top American in sixth place overall running 2:26:56 in a year marked by comebacks.
The 38 year old mother of four wasn't about to let a tough season slow her down after battling illness and dropping out of the Chicago Marathon. Just three weeks ago, Sara decided to make a quick pivot and set her sights on New York and it paid off massively.
In this episode, she shares a bit about her untraditional journey to the starting line and how she balances elite competition with her family life. We talk about her remarkable rebound, her plans to keep pushing forward and what drives her as a professional runner and mother.
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Sara Vaughn | @smevaughn on Instagram
Time stamps:
3:09 - Initial reflections from the NYC Marathon
5:01 - Having to drop out of the Chicago Marathon, shifting her focus to the NYC Marathon
6:14 - What her goals were for Chicago, how those goals changed for NYC
8:40 - When things started to click for her in training
10:29 - How her training has changed since starting to work with coach Alistair and Amy Cragg
11:52 - What’s kept her in the sports for so long
15:37 - Racing her daughter Kiki in an 800m
21:12 - What her goals were on the day of the NYC Marathon
22:57 - Thoughts when the big move was made at 1st Ave
24:37 - Reflecting on Jenny Simpson’s marathon
27:58 - Hardest part of the race
28:49 - Crowds during the final part of the race
33:46 - Feelings after crossing the finish line
36:16 - Going after the 2025 World Championships team
36:50 - Answering listener questions
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com
OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com.
“[Coaching] is fulfilling, but it also sincerely does make me better. It makes me a better athlete. Miguel (Marin), just the way that he wanted to get better as a person and as a runner. He was a young person, didn't have life figured out and was still trying to figure himself out. I'm still trying to figure myself out. Just seeing him put the effort into himself that he did. There were so many times that made me be like, ‘I can do this. I can be better and improve upon things about myself and my emotional stability, my mental stability.’ All these things improve just by the relationship that we had.”
My guest for today’s episode is CJ Albertson. Just three weeks after setting a personal best of 2:08:17 at the Chicago Marathon, CJ came into the New York City Marathon and delivered another stellar performance, finishing 10th in 2:10:57.
CJ's year has been nothing short of extraordinary—top American at both the Boston and Chicago Marathons, a 5th-place finish at the Olympic Trials, and now, another top-10 finish in New York. No American had ever run sub-2:11 marathons so close together, but CJ isn't one to shy away from a challenge. We'll talk about his mindset, his breakout year, and his relentless pursuit of faster times.
Plus, CJ also shares a bit about how he was running in memory of Miguel Marin, who was one of his athletes who ran track and cross country at Clovis Community College. The 22-year-old died in a car crash over the weekend. A GoFundMe has been set up to assist with his family’s expenses. You can find the link to it here.
Plus, we do our overrated/underrated segment on training elements with CJ to close out the show.
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: CJ Albertson | @cjalbertson on Instagram
Time stamps:
3:24 - Reflections on his past year of marathoning
8:07 - Which of his marathons was the most satisfying this year
10:14 - How he approached racing both the Chicago and NYC marathons
13:10 - Factors that led to his improvement
15:13 - Hopes for what’s next in his career
22:25 - Race breakdown: 1st Ave
24:51 - Race breakdown: 5th Ave
28:32 - Thoughts on how to close the gap on becoming top American
30:24 - How he hopes to continue improving
36:30 - Race weight + fueling strategy while racing
41:08 - Going after the 2025 World Championships team
50:02 - Reflecting on Miguel Marin, his athlete who just passed away
56:40 - Answering listener questions
1:02:02 - How coaching others makes him a better athlete
1:04:24 - Overrated/underrated: training methods
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com
OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com.
“You never know which build you're pulling from on race day. The most recent build is the most important build and indicator of what you can do on race day, but there's no reason why you can't be pulling from the Paris build, the Chicago build, and the Olympic Trials build. Fitness stacks over years and that lifetime fitness is just getting really, really big for me. I tried to lean into that. I think I did alright.”
Within the past 14 months, Clayton Young and his training partner Conner Mantz have become synonymous with performing in high stakes marathon racing, finishing neck-and-neck at four marathons. Now, most recently at the New York City Marathon, Clayton crossed the finish line in an impressive seventh place finish just 21 seconds behind Conner Mantz, clocking 2:09:21.
This year has been nothing short of remarkable for Clayton, from the Olympic Marathon Trials to the Paris Olympics and now New York. We've got episodes with him after each one of those. We decided to keep the tradition alive as we dive into how New York City played out and reflect on Clayton's emotional and triumphant year in marathoning. Plus, we get to thinking about what's next in 2025.
Time stamps:
3:46 - Returning to training post-marathon
5:51 - Reflection coming off the NYC Marathon
8:18 - His build leading into NYC: overcoming his achilles injury
11:56 - Pre-race plans with Coach Ed Eyestone
15:19 - Thoughts on the depth of the men’s field
18:57 - Breaking down the first part of the race
22:19 - What happened after crossing the Queensboro Bridge
32:01 - Tracking power (watts) during the race
36:04 - “What ifs” from the race
38:01 - Looking ahead to trying to qualify for the World Championships marathon
42:17 - Future training plans with Conner Mantz
48:08 - How this year transformed his running career
51:10 - Being in the midst of the good ol’ days
56:50 - Underrated/overrated
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Clayton Young | @_clayton_young_ on Instagram
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com
OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com.
In a fitting theme for the city of Broadway, the 53rd edition of the New York City Marathon was all about breakout stars finally getting their time in the spotlight. Both winners of the men’s and women’s elite races in NYC are frequently recurring characters near the front of major races, but neither had completed a signature performance before today.
Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won their first World Marathon Major titles by defeating fields full of former NYC champs, with Nageeye outkicking 2022 champ Evans Chebet down the homestretch and Chepkirui beating 2023 champ Hellen Obiri at her own game with a late surge through Central Park.
Time stamps:
Women’s race:
2:10 - Breaking down Sheila Chepkirui’s win
5:03 - Hellen Obiri talking a big game + reflecting on her career
13:20 - Kudos to Vivian Cheruiyot for her third place finish
16:10 - Sara Vaughn’s top American performance
19:42 - More top results: Jess McClain, Sharon Lokedi, Kellyn Taylor, Tristan Van Ord, Dakotah Popehn
22:38 - Reflecting on Jenny Simpson’s career
Men’s race:
26:47 - Breaking down Abdi Nageeye’s win
31:24 - Evans Chebet’s performance, 30th career marathon
33:18 - More top results: Albert Korir, Tamirat Tola
35:19 - Conner Mantz and Clayton Young’s races
39:45 - Kudos to CJ Albertson
More thoughts:
44:27 - 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials
48:40 - Valencia Half Marathon recap
54:50 - What’s ahead on the CITIUS MAG Podcast
56:18 - Sydney Marathon becoming the newest World Marathon Major
Mentioned in this episode:
Watch: NYC Marathon Watchalong
Read: Parting Thoughts From The 2024 NYC Marathon: Abdi Nageeye and Sheila Chepkirui Win + More
Listen: Jenny Simpson Reflects on Her Career from High School to 2019, Shares 2020 Plans and Hopes
Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Isaac Wood | @isaacew on Instagram
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