Simeon Birnbaum: "No One Cares About Second Place" - His Quest to Win NCAAs

Oregon's Simeon Birnbaum joins the LetsRun.com Track Talk podcast after off a breakout NCAA indoor season. The former South Dakota high school phenom - who left the high school ranks #2 all-time at 1500 & 3200/2-mile - finished second in the NCAA indoor 3,000m and reveals the tactical mistake that cost him the title. Birnbaum says the Habtom Samuel DQ was "pretty soft" and discusses how running fast means nothing, all that matters is winning titles. He opens up about choosing Jerry Schumacher over other programs, the injuires that derailed his early college career, Schumacher's strict no-Strava policy, the NIL landscape for track athletes, and why he picked Diadora over Nike.

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Timestamps

• 0:00 Start
• 2:43 Birnbaum's Breakthrough NCAA Season
• 3:18 What Cost Him The NCAA 3,000 Title
• 6:05 Birnbaum On The Habtom Samuel DQ
• 8:54 Balancing Oregon Travel And Classes
• 10:51 Outdoor Goals: NCAA Titles In The 1500 And 5,000
• 13:01 Long-Term Goals And LA 2028
• 13:33 Why He Chose Oregon And Jerry Schumacher
• 18:35 Adjusting To Jerry Schumacher's Training
• 20:39 How He Finally Stayed Healthy
• 27:28 NIL Deals And Choosing Diadora Over Nike

• 32:02 The Sunglasses Origin Story

• Email: podcast@letsrun.com

• Call or text: 1-844-LETSRUN (1-844-538-7786)

About The LetsRun.com Podcast

Since 2000, LetsRun.com has been the independent home of elite running. Described by the New York Times as the "influential website that serves as something of a superego for American running," the podcast is the weekly deep dive into the world of track and field and elite distance running. The show is hosted by LetsRun.com co-founders Weldon Johnson, a 2-time Team USA member, and Robert Johnson, a former Cornell coach who helped pace the marathon world record, along with award-winning senior writer Jonathan Gault. Together they move beyond PR headlines to provide insider reporting and unfiltered debate serious fans rely on.