Citius Mag Podcast

“If I had even one race like one of my many races this year in another year, I would have been like, “This year was phenomenal because I had that one really good race.’ This year felt like every race but one went very well. Every race, I ended up like, ‘I can’t believe I just did that’ or, ‘That was awesome!’ Things maybe weren’t perfect, but a lot of my races were close to perfect and that was special to me.”My guest for today’s episode is Conner Mantz, the new American record holder in the marathon.On a crisp October morning in Chicago, Mantz ran 2:04:43, smashing Khalid Khannouchi’s 23-year-old mark and becoming the fastest American ever over 26.2 miles. It’s a record that survived generations of greats from Meb Keflezighi to Ryan Hall to Galen Rupp but Conner Mantz, the soft-spoken racing assassin, made it real.If you’ve caught all of Conner’s post-marathon recap podcast episodes that we’ve done on this show, you’ll notice that he carries the same naïve faith that once made him think he could win NCAA tit

What. A. Day. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo and Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa unleashed two of the fastest marathons in history in Sunday’s Chicago Marathon. Kiplimo’s 2:02:23 makes him the seventh-fastest man ever and he did it in only his second career marathon. Feysa’s 2:14:56 announced her arrival as one of the five fastest women of all time with a perfectly paced negative split.Behind the fireworks, storylines kept coming: Kenya’s Amos Kipruto and Alex Masai rounded out the podium, while Conner Mantz lit up home soil fans with a North American record of 2:04:43. On the women’s side, Megertu Alemu and Magdalena Shauri joined Feysa in a flurry of personal bests. It was a good day to run fast. For more reactions and parting thoughts from Chicago, you can read our recap here. You can also catch the replay of our watchalong here.____________Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠@preet_athletics on Instagram⁠⁠Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠_________

Join CITIUS MAG hosts Eric Jenkins, Karen Lesiewicz, Paul Hof-Mahoney and Mac Fleet as they break down the biggest storylines of the 2025 Chicago Marathon. Some of the topics the crew dives into include:- What to expect for weather and the course- Who to watch in both the men's and women's elite fields- Top American men and women who are looking to shake things up - Race winner predictions - Top American predictions - Predictions on what Conner Mantz will run + More ____________For more:Read: Chicago Marathon preview articleListen: Chicago Marathon preview podcast____________Hosts: Eric Jenkins | @_ericjenkins on Instagram, Karen Lesiewicz | @karen_les on Instagram, & Paul Hof-Mahoney | @phofmahoney on InstagramProduced by: Mac Fleet | @macfleet on Instagram & Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSHOKA: We’re takin’ over Happy Camper Chicago (Old Town) with HOKA during the Chicago Marathon festivities. On Sunday morning, we’ll be posted up as part of the

Our guest today is Faith Kipyegon, the greatest 1500m runner the sport has ever known. In Tokyo, she won her record fourth World Championship 1500m title — seven global golds in this event including her three Olympic golds. It is a reign that now stretches over four years and twenty-two straight victories.In Tokyo, that 1500m final was also a masterclass performance. She led from the gun and never looked back and ran 3:52.15 to win by nearly three seconds, the largest margin of any of her global titles. It was Faith at her purest: precise, patient, untouchable.In this episode, we talk about how Kipyegon continues to perfect the impossible by breaking world records three years in a row and racing not for dominance but for legacy. She’s won everything there is to win, yet somehow, it feels like she’s still getting better. Faith Kipyegon has redefined what greatness on the track looks like.You can watch the full interview with Faith Kipyegon here.____________Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia preview all the storylines, athletes, and matchups to watch at the 2025 Chicago Marathon this Sunday.We dive into the top contenders in both the men’s and women’s fields, share our predictions, and highlight a few sleeper picks and dark horses who could shake things up. We also break down which American runners to keep an eye on and take a closer look at the full elite start list to give you a better sense of what to expect on race day.We also preview ATHLOS, which returns to NYC this Friday with a stacked lineup. We run through the top athletes competing, the events we’re most excited about, and what fans should know heading into the meet. ____________Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠@preet_athletics on Instagram⁠Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSHOKA: We’re takin’ over Happy Camper Chicago (Old Town) with HOKA during the Chicago Marathon festivities. On Sunday

“Probably 20, hopefully 24 miles, I'm working with people. But then somewhere between the last 10K and the last two miles, it's going to be a race with whoever is around me. You never know how these races play out, but hopefully I'm going to see people in front of me, I'm going to catch them…and place as high as I can. That's how I see this race playing out: I'm in a pack for 18 to 20 or 24 miles and after that I'm hawking down people.”My recurring guest is back – Conner Mantz is back before he takes on one of the longest-standing marks in American distance running: Khalid Khannouchi’s 2:05:38 American record in the marathon. It’s been 23 years since anyone has touched that time and if there’s an American ready to rewrite the standard, it’s Mantz.He’s already run faster — 2:05:08 this spring in Boston — but because that course isn’t record-eligible. Chicago will be his chance to make it official.As we’ve unpacked on this show all throughout the year, it’s been a breakthrough year f

“The one thing I reminded myself of and something my coach has been telling me all year is this: Don’t feel like you have to be anybody else. What you’ve been doing has been working for you. Continue to do that. If you’ve been being Melissa all year and you’ve been winning all year, what else do you need to do? Just go out there and be yourself.”My guest for today’s episode is Melissa Jefferson-Wooden — the 25-year-old from Georgetown, South Carolina who just pulled off one of the rarest feats in track and field: the golden sprint triple crown.At the World Championships in Tokyo, Melissa won the 100, the 200, and was part of the Team USA team that took gold in the 4x100m relay — becoming the first American woman ever, and only the second woman in history after Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, to sweep the sprints at a single Worlds.Her winning times — 10.61 in the 100m and 21.68 in the 200m — weren’t just dominant; they cemented her as the fourth-fastest woman of all time and within striking distance of Flo-Jo’s worl

“You almost need to just have this fearlessness towards it. You can absolutely look at what each of the athletes have done and put them up on a pedestal, but you almost have to be like, ‘They’ve done that, but I’m going to try and do this today.’”My guest for today’s episode is Jessica Hull, who just earned her second straight global medal with a bronze in the 1500m at the World Championships in Tokyo. Hull went toe-to-toe with the greatest of all time, Faith Kipyegon, hanging on until the final 200 meters before battling all the way to the line to secure her spot on the podium.Last year was obviously a dream season for Jess — an Olympic silver medal, a 2000m world record, a 3:50 personal best. This year, she didn’t always hit the same highs, but she raced with consistency, courage, and adaptability, proving she’s a contender in every scenario. In Tokyo, she left it all out there, fending off a charging Nelly Chepchirchir to hang on for bronze in 3:55.16. A repeat of the disastrous tie-up that happened in the

“A year ago, I just wanted to get on that team. The goals changed as the season went on. Things progressed and then it was like: you’re sixth in the world and you’re still hungry for more. That’s a really encouraging spot to be in.”My guest for today’s episode is Josette Andrews, who just finished sixth in the 5000m final at the World Championships in Tokyo, one of the best global finishes by an American woman ever in the event. Josette’s run caps off a season that’s been nothing short of STRONG.From making her first outdoor U.S. team in Eugene with a gutsy third-place finish, to racing Diamond Leagues in Brussels and Zurich, to standing on the line in Tokyo ready to take on the best in the world, she’s tested herself all throughout and come away with impressive results each time.We’ve had Josette on the show multiple times in the past and it’s always felt like she was on the cusp of a breakthrough on the global stage. This year she put it all together. Today we talk about her path in 2025, what clicked so we

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia hit some superlatives and awards for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo including:- Best Race- Best sprint performance- Biggest breakthrough- Best field event- Biggest what if- Biggest upset- Best comeback- Best sportsmanship- Most disappointed to get silver (and happiest to get silver)- World record most likely to be broken in 2026- Fan favorite medal+ More____________Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | @preet_athletics on InstagramProduced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSASICS: The Megablast is the Mega Man of the Blast lineup. Armed with ASICS’ latest foam innovation, FlyteFoam Turbo Squared, it’s 33% bouncier and 10% softer than before. That means every stride feels effortless—whether you’re out for an easy shakeout, stacking long miles, or testing race pace. The lightweight woven upper keeps your foot locked in, the rocker geometry smooths out transitions, and the AsicsGrip outsol

“This is the moment I’ve been training three years for. There’s been three years of a lot of hard work and hard times to get to this. This is the thing in my mind, that dream and goal that’s kept me going. Once I put that into perspective, it was a lot easier to ride that wave of momentum into Worlds.”Our guest today is Angelina Napoleon — the 20-year-old NC State steeplechaser who just capped off a super impressive and long outdoor track season.In Tokyo, Angelina made her World Championships debut, ran 9:18 in the heats to advance, and then came back with a 9:17 in the final to finish ninth overall — and as the top American in the women’s steeplechase. That finish crowns a year where she lowered her PB from the 9:50s all the way down to 9:10, finished third at NCAAs, and proved she belongs on the global stage.What stands out about Angelina isn’t just the times, it’s her perspective: she left Tokyo proud, grateful, and already hungry for more. She talked about staying calm in the chaos, adapting to challenges

“That’s where I feel the most free: crossing the line. Running out on the track is one thing, but crossing the line doing what you set out to do with the stadium going crazy — I just want to live in that moment.” My guest for this episode is Olympic 1500m champion and now 5000m World champion Cole Hocker — fresh off one of the most thrilling redemption stories of these World Championships.Days after being disqualified in the 1500m semifinals, Cole still came back and left Tokyo with a gold medal. He went from 12th at the bell to first at the line, closing in a ridiculous 52.6 final lap and 25.5 last 200 to win in 12:58.30. With that kick, he joins Bernard Lagat and Bob Schul as the only American men ever to win a global title at 5000 meters, and he’s now on the short list of legends who have captured gold in both the 1500 and the 5000 on the world stage.In this episode, we go through his whole World Championship experience. Cole talked a lot about wanting to end this championship on his own terms — and he did

“I wanted to be calm, relaxed, and confident that I belonged here… Maybe I didn’t get the outcome that I wanted, but I hit my goal of being calm, trying to stay low emotion, and float, follow, and relax — all of the words that I said to myself. I’m really proud of how I navigated that race.”Please welcome back to the show – the one and only Nikki Hiltz. And what a year it’s been! Just a season after finishing seventh at the Paris Olympics, Nikki stepped onto the line at the World Championships in Tokyo and delivered the best outdoor global finish of their career: fifth in the 1500m. They ran 3:57.08, the top American in the final, and held their own in a race where Faith Kipyegon, Dorcus Ewoi, and Jessica Hull all ran sub-3:56 for medals.Yes, it’s easy to get caught up in the medal talk that we pushed throughout the championships. That’s what we do as pundits to talk about the sport. But for Nikki, it wasn’t about the outcome as much as the process: staying calm, engaged, and believing in their plan lap after

“This is the moment I’ve been training three years for. There’s been three years of a lot of hard work and hard times to get to this. This is the thing in my mind, that dream and goal that’s kept me going. Once I put that into perspective, it was a lot easier to ride that wave of momentum into Worlds.”About two months after we caught up with Sage Hurta-Klecker after making her first U.S. team, she's back on the CITIUS MAG Podcast to recap her experience at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Sage made it count. After sneaking into the 800m final as the last qualifier, she unleashed a fearless performance, dropping nearly two full seconds off her PB to finish fifth in the final in 1:55.89. This made her the third fastest American of all-time and now sits behind legends like Athing Mu and Ajee Wilson. She's finishing the year with 12 outdoor 800s and 12 sub-two performances. Sage proved that she belongs among the very best in the world and you'll hear in this episode that the 800m is where she

“In years past, I just imagined myself as a hurdler and long jumper who sometimes did the hep. I just didn’t like doing the hep. I finally accepted that this is what I do. This is what I can be really good at. It just shifted my mindset. The medal confirmed what I already knew and I see how much room there is to grow.”Taliyah Brooks came up CLUTCH in the second day with three PBs to notch a personal best of 6,581 points to tie for the bronze medal and move to No. 8 on the U.S. all-time list. This is her second World Championship medal in 2025 after earning a bronze in the pentathlon at the World Indoor Championships back in March.____________Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest: Taliyah Brooks | @love_tbrooks on InstagramProduced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠____________PRESENTED BY ASICSFor the third consecutive year, CITIUS MAG is proud to partner with ASICS for our global championship coverage. With their support, we’re able to bring you

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins and Anderson Emerole as they recap all the highlights from Day 9 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.Here’s a full summary of day eight at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, covering all key results and storylines:USA Sweeps Relays & Sets Records:Women’s 4x100m – Gold & Sprint Treble for Jefferson-Wooden- Melissa Jefferson-Wooden joins Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as the only women to win the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m at the same World Championships. USA clocked 41.75 to edge Jamaica (41.79), with Germany (41.87) earning bronze. The race also marked Fraser-Pryce's farewell, as she earned a final medal before retirement.Men’s 4x100m – Dominant World Lead- Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, Courtney Lindsey, and Christian Coleman ran 37.29 WL. Canada (37.55) took silver, Netherlands (37.81 NR) claimed bronze.Women’s 4x400m – Championship Record- Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone anchored with a 47.82 split, bringing the team home in 3:16.61 CR. Beat their own 1993 record. Jama

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins, Anderson Emerole, and Mitch Dyer as they recap all the highlights from Day 8 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.Here’s a full summary of day eight at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, covering all key results and storylines:Distance Doubles: Chebet & Perez Repeat Gold Feats- Beatrice Chebet (KEN) – 5000m Champion- Added to her 10,000m gold, replicating her Olympic double from Paris 2024. Outsprinted teammate Faith Kipyegon in the final lap of a tactical race.800m: Wanyonyi Breaks Championship Record- Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) – 800m Gold- Won in 1:41.86, a new championship record and world lead.- Historic depth: All top 8 broke 1:43 – never done before.Heptathlon: Anna Hall Ends 32-Year Drought for USA- Anna Hall (USA) – Heptathlon Champion- First US woman to win this title since 1993.- Dominated from event two; ended with 6888 pointsRelay Heats: Drama & National RecordsMen's 4x400m:- Botswana leads with 2:57.68.- USA and Kenya to re-run due to interf

Join Chris Chavez, Eric Jenkins, Anderson Emerole and Mitch Dyer as they recap all the highlights from Day 7 at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Some of today's highlights include champions holding their ground as Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Femke Bol, Noah Lyles, Pedro Pichardo, and Rai Benjamin each struck gold.Jefferson-Wooden completes sprint double- Five days after her 100m win, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden added the 200m title in a world-leading PB of 21.68, becoming the eighth-fastest woman of all time.- She outran defending champ Shericka Jackson and a late-surging Amy Hunt (GBR), who earned silver in 22.14. Jackson held on for bronze in 22.18.Bol defends 400m hurdles title- Femke Bol ran a commanding race to defend her 400m hurdles world title in 51.54, the fastest major championship time of her career.- USA’s Jasmine Jones grabbed silver with a PB of 52.08.- Emma Zapletalova (SVK) took bronze in a national record of 53.00 — just the second Slovak woman to ever win a world medal.Pichardo strikes

At only 26 years old, Camryn Rogers had already created a legacy in the women’s hammer throw that few could match. Winning a World title in 2023 and an Olympic title in 2024, she had emerged as the most consistent championship performer in the midst of the best era in the event’s history.On Monday, she took the next major leap in her career, becoming the fourth woman to break the 80 meter barrier and the third to win three or more global titles. Her 80.51m second-round effort secured gold in Tokyo, moved Rogers up to No. 2 on the all-time list, and decimated one of the best fields ever assembled by nearly three full meters.After receiving her medal, Rogers sat down with Paul Hof-Mahoney to open up on the emotions of an iconic victory, her experiences with some of the sport’s biggest legends, keys to her consistency in an event defined by inconsistency, and so much more.____________Host: Paul Hof-Mahoney | @phofmahoney on InstagramGuest: Camryn Rogers | @rogers_camryn on InstagramProduced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠

It’s not unreasonable to say that no one could’ve predicted this podium. That’s not to say that Isaac Nader, Jake Wightman, and Reynold Cheruiyot aren’t all medal-worthy contenders in their own rights, just that the series of circumstances that had to stack on top of one another to make this particular outcome happen was highly improbable.Without Jakob Ingebrigtsen to assume the role of pacemaker, the field hit 400 meters in a relatively pedestrian 59.45, and each successive second that the tempo lagged injected a little extra variability into the last lap. No one saw Kerr’s untimely calf injury coming: the Scotsman is remarkably consistent in global finals, with his lowest finish of the decade being sixth in 2022. And heading into the last lap, one measly second separated the top 12 contenders.Nader and Wightman are both known for their footspeed, and the race was set up perfectly for them to take advantage. In particular, Wightman has looked like a rejuvenated runner throughout these championships after mis