Citius Mag Podcast

"The pleasure of being a coach is you get to bear witness to the process of what goes on behind-the-scenes. The fans only get to see what people do for a performance, but you get to know what's actually going on, the ups and downs... It makes those great moments mean even more." NAZ Elite's Head Coach Jack Mullaney joins us live in New York to reflect on his first year with the team. Jack shares what he loves most about coaching, his philosophy, what the transition was like going from coaching at the college level to pro level, and what's ahead for the team. The race kicks off on Sunday, November 3rd with the women’s race starting at 8:35am E.T. and the men following at 9:05am E.T. (Don’t forget to set your clock back an hour the night before!) The race will be streamed nationally on ESPN and locally on ABC. You can read our full NYC Marathon preview here. CITIUS MAG is proud to partner with HOKA for our coverage of the 2024 NYC Marathon.

The final World Marathon Major of 2024 is almost here! In a banner year for road running, it’s hard to imagine how anything could top the Olympics, a historic Chicago, or even the early thrills of the U.S. Trials, but NYC has assembled a field full of living legends, rising stars, and fascinating narratives primed to end the year on a high note. Three 2024 Olympic medalists are hitting the five boroughs: Olympic champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia, silver medalist Bashir Abdi of Belgium, and bronze medalist Hellen Obiri of Kenya. Obiri and Tola also happen to be the reigning NYC champions, and Obiri will be trying to win the Boston-New York double for the second straight year. Five other former NYC champions are in the mix (three men and two women), plus a pair of stacked U.S. fields vying to produce top-10 overall finishes… or even higher. Here’s a compilation of our interviews from the NYC Marathon press conference, including Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, Hellen Obiri, Dakotah Popehn, Jenny Simpson, Sharon Lok

The final World Marathon Major of 2024 is almost here! In a banner year for road running, it’s hard to imagine how anything could top the Olympics, a historic Chicago, or even the early thrills of the U.S. Trials, but NYC has assembled a field full of living legends, rising stars, and fascinating narratives primed to end the year on a high note. Three 2024 Olympic medalists are hitting the five boroughs: Olympic champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia, silver medalist Bashir Abdi of Belgium, and bronze medalist Hellen Obiri of Kenya. Obiri and Tola also happen to be the reigning NYC champions, and Obiri will be trying to win the Boston-New York double for the second straight year. Five other former NYC champions are in the mix (three men and two women), plus a pair of stacked U.S. fields vying to produce top-10 overall finishes… or even higher. The race kicks off on Sunday, November 3rd with the women’s race starting at 8:35am E.T. and the men following at 9:05am E.T. (Don’t forget to set your clock back an hour

Chris Chavez and Isaac Wood are back for another NCAA cross country recap episode. As championship season approaches, we recap the last few regular season meets: Pre-Nationals, Dellinger Invite, Princeton Classic, and Arturo Barrios. We break down the top teams and individual performances over the past few weeks and share our predictions for who to watch for as the NCAA Championship gets closer. Time Stamps: Women | Recap + Predictions  1:58 - What to make of the newest rankings. 4:48 - BYU’s rise to the top.  7:42 - Washington is making a jump to podium ranking. 9:30 - West Virginia’s breakout performance.  11:42 - Thoughts on NAU + NC State. 13:37 - Florida State’s underrated performance.  16:22 - Could the Utah women be a podium-contending team?  20:09 - Princeton Classic recap. 22:03 - Individuals to watch: Pamela Kosgei and Doris Lemnogole. Men | Recap + Predictions 26:42 - OSU’s dominance.  28:52 - Arkansas’ standout performance at Pre-Nats. 30:39 - Dellinger recap + BYU closing the gap on OSU. 36:05 -

U.S. Olympians Jasmine Jones and Shamier have signed with Grand Slam Track ahead of the professional track league’s inaugural season in 2025. Jones wrapped up her senior year at USC with the NCAA indoor 60m title and NCAA outdoor 400m hurdles title. She ran personal bests in the 400m hurdles four times in the year, which culminated with a 52.29 performance for fourth place in the Olympic final – just .14 seconds shy of a medal. Little is a two-time World Championship silver medalist in the 400m hurdles. At the Paris Olympics, she was part of the world-record setting mixed 4x400m relay and earned a silver medal in the mixed 4x400m final. She also led off the women’s 4x400m relay in the final with a 49.48s split before the team won gold in 3:15.27 – the second-fastest 4x400m relay of all-time. In this episode, Anderson Emerole chats with Jones and Little to reflect on their experiences at the Olympics, break down why they signed with the league, why they’re excited for it, and what they’re looking forward to mo

"I’m actually very excited to sign with Grand Slam Track because I really enjoy racing. Time trialing is fun and all, but I’ve run 12:50 in the 5K, and there’s only so much of a difference between 12:40 and 12:50. I figure at this point in my career, it’s not the world record, I just want to compete and I just want to race." Two-time Guatemalan Olympian and national record holder Luis Grijalva has signed with Grand Slam Track ahead of the professional track league’s inaugural season in 2025. Grijalva joins Grand Slam Track as the third Racer in the “long distance” category that will contest the 3000m and 5000m at each respective Slam. He will be joined by 5000m Olympic silver medalist Ronald Kwemoi and 5000m and 10,000m Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher. Grijalva finished fourth in the 5000m at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships and ran a personal best of 12:50.58 at the Oslo Diamond League in May. He owns a 3000m personal best of 7:29.43 from the 2023 Prefontaine Classic and finished third in the 3000m

2x Olympian and Canadian record holder Natasha Wodak is set to take center stage at the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. The 42-year-old Canadian record holder returns to Toronto to race the marathon for the first time in 11 years and she's targetting her first-ever national marathon title. She has had a rollercoaster journey over the past 18 months from attempting to qualify for Paris 2024 but falling short. Despite these challenges, she’s coming off a strong year and now she's approaching the TWM with a new mindset, enjoying the chance to race in front of family and friends without the pressure of Olympic standards. With a personal best of 2:23:12, Wodak’s goal is to secure the Canadian title. Hear about the various chapters of her running journey, her love for training, and how she’s embraced the marathon’s challenges with resilience and determination. LIVE from the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon Expo! Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Karen Lesiewicz | @kare_les on Instagram S

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia recap episodes five and six of the Ingebrigtsen brothers’ new documentary series, "Ingebrigtsen - Born To Run.” Episodes five and six close the loop on the series by highlighting the brothers’ showing at the Norwegian and European Championships. We also share our critiques on Diamond League press conferences and share our thoughts on some of the editorial choices for the series.  Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram Preet Majithia | @prm_32 on X Time Stamps: 0:25 - We’re on Reddit! 2:17 - Overview of episode 5. 3:05 - Dynamic between Jakob and Henrik.  4:19 - Jakob at press conferences + why he would make a great sports journalist.  7:46 - Critique on Diamond League press conferences. 14:02 - European Championships recap. 17:15 - Jakob leaving for his workout while Elisabeth was in labor.  23:36 - Norwegian Championships recap. 27:06 - Episode 6: Beef between Jakob and  Narve Nordas. 31:23 - Why wasn’t the Monaco DL 1500m highlighted? 38:56 - Ingebrigtsen family a

One year after the late Kelvin Kiptum obliterated Eliud Kipchoge’s previous world record by 34 seconds, running an almost unfathomable 2:00:35, Ruth Chepngetich topped that. Her astounding time of 2:09:56 is one of the greatest running performances in history, makes her the first woman to run under 2:10 in a marathon, and lopped one minute and 57 seconds off Tigist Assefa’s old world record. On the men’s side, Kenya’s John Korir notched his first-ever World Marathon Majors victory in 2:02:44. (What a time for the sport of marathoning we’re in right now, where a 2:02 showing is basically a footnote!) Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram Preet Majithia | @prm_32 on X Time Stamps: Ruth Chepngetich: 1:31 - Breaking down her 2:09:56 world record 9:40 - More on her running history + Chicago victory  13:52 - Stats + analysis on her record Skepticism surrounding Chepngetich’s world record: 19:01 - Training factors 22:27 - Potential for doping 25:48 - Chepngetich being questioned in the press conference

"We’ll see what happens. We’ll all find out on Sunday.” A brief chat with Keira D'Amato, Emma Bates and Sara Hall before the 2024 Chicago Marathon. Unfortunately did not have the time to catch Betsy Saina. From our race preview on CITIUSMAG.com: The American showdown may become a chase for Emily Sisson’s American record, as three of the five fastest women in U.S. history will be on the start line alongside 2021 Chicago runner-up Emma Bates, Chavez’s pick to take down the record. Keira D’Amato, who held this record for just under nine months in 2022, will be racing 26.2 miles for the first time since moving to Utah to train with coach Ed Eyestone. We won’t know until Sunday exactly what her and Eyestone’s race plan looks like, but don’t be surprised if she’s in the mix for the top American crown. 2024 U.S. leader Betsy Saina, whose fifth-place finish in Tokyo in 2:19:17 was a huge leap forward, figures to be a prominent player as well. 2016 Olympic 1500m champion Matthew Centrowitz is set to be pacing this p

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia preview the top athletes to watch for at the 2024 edition of the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 13th. We break down the men’s and women’s elite fields, the top Americans to keep an eye on, and why the women’s American marathon record may be under threat.  Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram Preet Majithia | @prm_32 on X Time Stamps: 0:56 - Recap of the 2023 Chicago Marathon. 4:32 - Biggest marathon successes throughout the fall of 2023.   7:06 - Women’s elite field preview. 15:02 - Elite American women preview. 23:16 - Context on pre-race interviews with elite marathoners. 25:50 - Matthew Centrowitz pacing the women’s American record.  29:14 - Men’s elite field preview. 35:35 - Elite American men preview. 38:53 - Parting thoughts on the Chicago Marathon. Mentioned in this episode… Listen: Betsy Saina’s episode on the CITIUS MAG Podcast after she ran 2:19:17 at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon. Read: Keira D’Amato and Matthew Centrowtiz training together to prepare fo

“It was an overwhelming feeling of emotion. I had put London in a box in the corner of my heart, had shielded it up, stored it away. In the weeks since, it's been trying to unpack a lot of those feelings and the gratitude that 12 years later, there’s actually justice coming.” Russian middle-distance runner Tatyana Tomashova may be stripped of her 2012 Olympic 1500m silver medal after being found guilty of a second anti-doping violation and being banned for 10 years. American Shannon Rowbury, who originally finished sixth in the 1500m Olympic final at the London Olympics, may receive the bronze medal after three women ahead of her have been disqualified for anti-doping offenses.  The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced an arbiter determined Tomashova is now banned for 10 years and lost all her results from June 21, 2012 to Jan. 3, 2015 after her out-of-competition drug test samples from June 2012 and July 2012 were re-tested and come back positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Tomashova initially

21-year-old Muzala Samukonga won Zambia’s only medal at the Paris Olympics, which was the country's first since the 1996 Games in Atlanta. He rose to prominence at the 2022 Commonwealth Games when he stormed to gold in 44.66 and beat out Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith, who took silver in Paris. There isn’t a ton on the internet on Samukonga so that’s why it was nice when our very own Anderson Emerole had the chance to chat with him in Brussels just after he signed a contract to join Grand Slam Track as a 200m/400m racer in 2025. It’s life-changing money for Samukonga, who came from nothing. You’ll hear from him and his coach Douglas Kalembo on his poor beginnings and how he’s become one of the best 400m runners in the world. You can read more about Samukonga and all of the other recent Grand Slam Track Racer signings at CITIUSMAG.com SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS LEVER MOVEMENT: Elevate your running with the LEVER system, just like Olympian Eilish McColgan. Reduce impact on your joints, boost your training volu

 We actually recorded this while we were in Paris but had to keep it under wraps for a bit. This was just a few days after Alison Dos Santos earned his second Olympic bronze medal in the men’s 400m hurdles. He went on to win the 2024 Diamond League title and finished the year with a personal best of 46.29, which puts him at No. 3 on the all-time list behind Karsten Warholm and Rai Benjamin. We talk a bit about the state of the men’s 400m hurdles. His experience in Paris and his excitement around becoming the first South American athlete to sign with Grand Slam Track. He will be contesting the 400m and 400m hurdles four times per year at the four Slams in 2025 for the inaugural season of Michael Johnson’s professional track league. You can read more about Dos Santos and all of the Grand Slam Track recent signings over at CITIUSMAG.com. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS LEVER MOVEMENT: Elevate your running with the LEVER system, just like Olympian Eilish McColgan. Reduce impact on your joints, boost your training volume,

"Running is for everyone and that's so important for me as a person. One of the coolest things about the marathon is you could be running on the same course as people breaking world records. You have trained differently but you have put so much of yourself into it. You're not running a marathon alone – your spouse, children, co-workers or friends know that you've been training really hard and given up a lot to make it to the start line, push through the marathon and get to the finish. That's truly really important to me...Finding running looks different for everyone." In less than four years of marathoning, Gabi Rooker has been a rising star for the U.S. Last year, she was the fourth American at the 2023 Chicago Marathon with an impressive 2:24:35 personal best. She went on to finish 19th at the U.S. Olympic Trials. With a background in competitive gymnastics, Gabi has taken to the roads super well since her marathon debut in 2021. She spent time elevating her training as part of the Dreamweaver program, whic

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia recap the third and fourth episodes of the Ingebrigtsen brothers’ new documentary series, "Ingebrigtsen - Born To Run.” Episode 3 focused on Henrik and Filip’s families and personal development. Episode 4 explored Jakob and Josh Kerr’s rivalry and how it unfolded over the 2024 season. We wrap up with what we’re looking forward to most in episodes 5 and 6. Time Stamps: Episode 3 2:38 - The focus on Henrik and Filip’s personal development 4:50 - The toll of the brothers’ intense training  6:37 - Spotlight on Henrik’s wife  7:19 - Jakob’s season opener at Pre Classic  9:21 - The episode’s focus on family Episode 4 10:49 - Overview + Jakob vs. Josh Kerr at the Pre Classic Press Conference  14:03 - Jakob vs. Josh rivalry timeline  19:25 - Who started the rivalry?  22:42 - The problem with the rivalry  25:38 - Remainder of episode 4 + what to look forward to in next episodes  Mentioned in this episode… Listen: Keeping Up with the Ingebrigtsens | Recapping 'Ingebrigtsen - Born To Run,

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia break down the first edition of the women’s-only track event, Athlos NYC. They recap the meet’s prize money structure compared to Diamond League meets and Grand Slam Track and share how Athlos may impact the pro scene in coming years. They also unpack some of the event’s unique elements, like the interactive broadcast, fashion show walk-ins, and smaller bib sizes.  You can read our full Athlos recap on CITIUSMAG.com here.  Time Stamps: 1:53 - Athlos overview. 3:31 - Broadcast: what made it unique + how it’s helping grow the U.S. audience for track. 9:00 - Breaking down the meet’s prize money structure. 13:13 - Diamond League responding to increased prize money from Athlos. 15:03 - How Grand Slam Track’s schedule will stack up with the DL season.  21:44 - More highlights: athlete experience, NYC ads, fashion show walk-ins. 23:31 - How Athlos is creating more track and field stars. 25:17 - Men’s vs. women’s pro contracts in track and field. 26:26 - Smaller bibs, breaki

Chris Chavez and Isaac Wood, CITIUS MAG's cross country expert and founder of The Wood Report (2012-2022), preview the 2024 NCAA cross country season. Join us for our predictions, analysis, and takeaways as the season gets underway, including: top teams and individual contenders to watch for, most improved programs, and lots more. Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Isaac Wood | @isaacew on Instagram  Time Stamps: Intro: 3:33 - Roster limits + scholarship changes; Impact of conference realignment on cross country.  Women's Preview: 7:28 - NC State vs. NAU for team title. 9:32 - NC State: how this year’s team compares to 2023.  13:41 - NAU: top returners, freshmen, transfers. 16:48 - Context on USTFCCCA rankings. 17:34 - Most improved teams: Gonzaga, Utah Valley, Providence. 23:00 - Teams with recent coaching changes to watch: UNC, New Mexico, Northwestern. 25:31 - Teams outside top 30 ranking to watch: Clemson, CBU. 27:21 - Podium contending teams: Notre Dame, Oregon, Washington.

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia dive into the first two episodes of the Ingebrigtsen brothers’ new documentary series, "Ingebrigtsen - Born To Run.” We break down how it builds off the "Team Ingebrigtsen" YouTube series from 2016-2021, discuss the notable absence of Gjert following his abuse allegations, highlight Elisabeth’s personality, and talk details on Henrik and Philip’s storylines. We wrap up with some of our hopes and expectations for the series. Time Stamps: 6:11 - Details on “Team Ingebrigtsen” YouTube series from 2016. 10:39 - Context for new series: “Ingebrigtsen - Born To Run.” 13:23 - Gjert Ingebrigtsen absent from series + context on situation.  22:49 - Elisabeth, Jakob’s wife: role + personality in the show. 28:21 - Jakob’s car collection. 30:00 - Pace lights installed at the brothers’ training stadium for practices. 32:06 - Henrik’s storyline + role in the show. 34:31 - Father theme throughout the first two episodes. 40:33 - Key parts of episode two: training in Flagstaff.  42

This week, Anderson Emerole and Preet Majithia recap the top performances at the Brussels Diamond League Final. They discuss everything from Faith Kipyegon and Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s dominance in the 1500m races to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s standout 400m/200m double in the invite sections. Anderson and Preet also break down Jakob’s half marathon debut two days after he won the Brussels Diamond League 1500m and share a few updates on Grand Slam Track. Time Stamps: 2:49 - Behind-the-scenes at the Brussels DL: mixed zone, post-meet party. 10:40 - Analysis on SML’s 400m/200m double. 20:24 - Women’s 100m: Julien Alfred ends her season victorious. 25:34 - Men’s 1500m: rematch among top contenders. 29:35 - Recapping the rest of day one. 37:34 - Women’s 400mH: Femke Bol back on top. 41:12 - Men’s 200m: Kenny Bednarek breaks through + Letstile Tebogo’s rise to stardom.  47:21 - Recapping the rest of day two. 48:15 - Women’s 1500m: Faith Kipyegon’s dominance + what’s next for her. 54:47 - Jakob’s half marathon debut in