The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show

USATF OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS | DAY 4 REACTION SHOW: DONAVAN BRAZIER IS BACK, NOAH LYLES & KENNY BEDNAREK BEEFING + COLE HOCKER BEATS GRANT FISHER

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 by 0.01 seconds, but her training partner Melissa Jefferson-Wooden added a second U.S. title to her resume with a personal-best 21.84 run. Behind Jefferson-Wooden and runner-up Anavia Battle, who’s having a helluva season of her own, the last spot on the 200m team couldn’t have been tighter. The three women who represented Team USA at the Paris Olympics were all credited with a 22.20 finish, meaning the critical result came down to one thousandth of a second as Gabby Thomas (22.197) barely beat out Brittany Brown (22.198) and McKenzie Long (22.199).And yet somehow, that wasn’t even the most dramatic 200m race of the day. In the men’s final, Noah Lyles defended his title over Kenny Bednarek in a world-leading 19.63 to Bednarek’s 19.67, but a little post-race shoving and strongly-worded jawing occurred in plain sight of the TV cameras and Hayward fans. It’s safe to say that Lyles and Bednarek are friendly rivals — except for the friendly part.__________Hosts: ⁠⁠Chris Chavez⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Eric Jenkins⁠⁠, Aisha Praught-Leer, Paul Hof-Mahoney⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Anderson Emerole⁠⁠Produced by: ⁠⁠Mac Fleet⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Jasmine Fehr⁠⁠__________Find everything you need to know about the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships here:Listen: Day 3 Recap ShowListen: Day 2 Recap ShowListen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Day 1 Recap Show⁠⁠⁠Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Distance preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Sprints + hurdles preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Throws + heptathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Jumps + decathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠__________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Olipop is a prebiotic soda that tastes like a throwback to your favorite childhood drinks, but it's loaded with benefits that your body will thank you for. Each can has 2-5g of sugar, 6-9g of fiber, and a science-backed formula designed to help you support your digestive health. They've got plenty of flavor options like Classic Root Beer, Crisp Apple, Grape, Cream Soda and wild hits like Peaches and Cream. You can grab Olipop at Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart or you can go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DrinkOlipop.com and use promo code CITIUS25 at checkout for 25% off all of your orders⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠⁠⁠⁠

USATF OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS | DAY 3 REACTION SHOW: JONAH KOECH UPSETS FIELD TO WIN 1500M, NIKKI HILTZ WINS 8TH U.S. TITLE

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 to an increasingly improbable six U.S. titles with a 4:03.15 win and a blistering 58-second last lap. Whether it’s a surprise victory, an unprecedented time, or a tight battle for the last qualifying spot, Hayward Field was delivering plot twists left and right. And with nothing but finals on the docket for the final competition session, get ready for a lot more where that came from.__________Hosts: ⁠⁠Chris Chavez⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Eric Jenkins⁠⁠, Aisha Praught-Leer, Paul Hof-Mahoney⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Anderson Emerole⁠⁠Produced by: ⁠⁠Mac Fleet⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Jasmine Fehr⁠⁠__________Find everything you need to know about the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships here:Listen: Day 2 Recap ShowListen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Day 1 Recap Show⁠⁠⁠Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Distance preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Sprints + hurdles preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Throws + heptathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Jumps + decathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠__________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Olipop is a prebiotic soda that tastes like a throwback to your favorite childhood drinks, but it's loaded with benefits that your body will thank you for. Each can has 2-5g of sugar, 6-9g of fiber, and a science-backed formula designed to help you support your digestive health. They've got plenty of flavor options like Classic Root Beer, Crisp Apple, Grape, Cream Soda and wild hits like Peaches and Cream. You can grab Olipop at Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart or you can go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DrinkOlipop.com and use promo code CITIUS25 at checkout for 25% off all of your orders⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠⁠⁠⁠

USATF OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS | DAY 2 REACTION SHOW: MELISSA JEFFERSON-WOODEN 10.65! KENNY BEDNAREK 9.79! 800M STUNNERS

Heading into yesterday’s U.S. 100-meter finals, Kenny Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden were already among the best in the world at what they do.And then they got better. Both Bednarek and Jefferson-Wooden are Olympic medalists and U.S. leaders in the sprint events, and both athletes have been running fast all year. In the 100m finals, however, they ascended to a new level, one everyone knew they were capable of, but was still fantastically impressive to watch come to fruition.Bednarek picked up the first U.S. title of his career — despite being a two-time Olympic medalist, he’s heretofore always been overshadowed by the Noah Lyleses and Christian Colemans of the world. But not today: Today was Kenny’s day. He decisively dispatched an extraordinarily strong field and clocked the first wind-legal sub-9.80 of his career with a 9.79 victory, leading a field where the top five finishers ran under 9.90.Jefferson-Wooden continued doing what she’s done all year: win. But despite consistently beating the competition, Melissa has been plagued by unhelpful winds all year — either over the legal limit for a tailwind, or blowing in her face and slowing her down. Finally, she got favorable race conditions at just the right time, and the results were astonishing: a 10.65 victory, the fifth fastest in history, tying the likes of Shericka Jackson, Marion Jones, and Sha’Carri Richardson on the all-time list.Everywhere you looked, really great athletes were outperforming the past versions of themselves. Eugene may be 50 miles or so from the Pacific Ocean, but Hayward still felt like it was feeling the effects of rising tide in the sport, with Americans in all disciplines are forced to step up their game to new levels just to have a shot at competing with the rest of the world.__________Hosts: ⁠⁠Chris Chavez⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Eric Jenkins⁠⁠, Aisha Praught-Leer, ⁠Paul Hof-Mahoney⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Anderson Emerole⁠⁠Produced by: ⁠⁠Mac Fleet⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Jasmine Fehr⁠⁠__________Find everything you need to know about the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships here:Listen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Day 1 Recap Show⁠⁠⁠Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Distance preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Sprints + hurdles preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Throws + heptathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Jumps + decathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠__________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Olipop is a prebiotic soda that tastes like a throwback to your favorite childhood drinks, but it's loaded with benefits that your body will thank you for. Each can has 2-5g of sugar, 6-9g of fiber, and a science-backed formula designed to help you support your digestive health. They've got plenty of flavor options like Classic Root Beer, Crisp Apple, Grape, Cream Soda and wild hits like Peaches and Cream. You can grab Olipop at Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart or you can go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DrinkOlipop.com and use promo code CITIUS25 at checkout for 25% off all of your orders⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Emily Infeld After Winning Her First National Title At 35 Years Old | LIVE from Eugene

Emily Infeld is one of those runners you can’t help but root for. The gritty but unflappably kind veteran of the sport has been kicking around USAs since 2010, and though she’s had plenty of success along the way, including winning World bronze in 2015 and making the Rio Olympic team, she’s never won a national title on the track — before yesterday.In recent years, Infeld has been defined by a series of injuries and coaching changes, leaving Bowerman Track Club in 2022 and shifting sponsors to Brooks. She made her most recent World team in 2022 but struggled at last year’s Olympic Trials, finishing sixteenth in the 5000m, and generally speaking, a performance like that from a then-34-year-old at the end of an Olympic cycle tends to lead to retirement announcements.But Infeld is no quitter, and her race performance — a 31:43.56 10,000m victory outkicking 2023 champ Elise Cranny — showed her grit more than anything else.Hosts: ⁠⁠Chris Chavez⁠⁠ & ⁠Aisha Praught-Leer⁠Guest: ⁠Emily Infeld⁠Produced by: ⁠⁠Mac Fleet⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Jasmine Fehr⁠⁠__________Find everything you need to know about the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships here:Listen: ⁠⁠Day 1 Recap Show⁠Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠Read: ⁠⁠⁠Distance preview⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠Sprints + hurdles preview⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠Throws + heptathlon preview⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠Jumps + decathlon preview⁠⁠⁠__________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Olipop is a prebiotic soda that tastes like a throwback to your favorite childhood drinks, but it's loaded with benefits that your body will thank you for. Each can has 2-5g of sugar, 6-9g of fiber, and a science-backed formula designed to help you support your digestive health. They've got plenty of flavor options like Classic Root Beer, Crisp Apple, Grape, Cream Soda and wild hits like Peaches and Cream. You can grab Olipop at Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart or you can go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DrinkOlipop.com and use promo code CITIUS25 at checkout for 25% off all of your orders⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

USATF OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS | DAY 1 REACTION SHOW: NICO YOUNG BEATS GRANT FISHER, EMILY INFELD WINS

The first day of USAs delivered a little bit of everything regardless of your taste, showcasing track’s shortest and longest events a few hours apart as reigning World champions Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson cruised through the 100m prelims and two first-time champions were crowned in the 10,000m.The stakes weren’t exactly high in in the opening rounds of the 800m, where six of the eight entrants in each heat were guaranteed a spot in the semifinal, but nevertheless all eyes were on 2021 Olympic champ Athing Mu-Nikolayev as she races her way back into national contention following a devastating fall in the final of last year’s Trials. So far, so good as Mu-Nikolayev picked up a heat win in a season’s best 2:00.06… but the job gets harder from here, with competitors like Sage Hurta-Klecker, Addy Wiley, Ajee’ Wilson, and defending champ Nia Akins looking strong.The 10,000m finals weren’t blazing fast at first — they rarely are — but their conclusions were as dramatic as racing gets. Two first-time national champions were crowned, but their stories couldn’t be more different: For Nico Young, it was the ascendance of a 23-year-old wunderkind who’s done little but thrive since turning pro last summer. He took down reigning champ and Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher thanks to a 3:57.03 final 1600m and a 27-second final 200m. For Emily Infeld, however, her victory served as long-awaited just desserts for the 35-year-old workhorse who medaled in the event a decade ago, when Young was in middle school.While there were few surprises in the prelims, the outcomes in the finals were certainly unexpected. Let that be a reminder as you tune in and follow along over the next few days that anything can — and will — happen.__________Find everything you need to know about the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships here:Subscribe: ⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠Read: ⁠Distance preview⁠Read: ⁠Sprints + hurdles preview⁠Read: ⁠Throws + heptathlon preview⁠Read: ⁠Jumps + decathlon preview⁠__________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Olipop is a prebiotic soda that tastes like a throwback to your favorite childhood drinks, but it's loaded with benefits that your body will thank you for. Each can has 2-5g of sugar, 6-9g of fiber, and a science-backed formula designed to help you support your digestive health. They've got plenty of flavor options like Classic Root Beer, Crisp Apple, Grape, Cream Soda and wild hits like Peaches and Cream. You can grab Olipop at Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart or you can go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DrinkOlipop.com and use promo code CITIUS25 at checkout for 25% off all of your orders⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠⁠⁠⁠