This Week In Track & Field: John Korir’s Boston CR, Zouhair Talbi Runs Fastest Marathon Ever By An American, Sharon Lokedi Goes Back-To-Back + World Athletics Shuts Down Turkey’s Medal Shopping

Chris Chavez is back from Boston and joins Preet Majithia to break down one of the most historic days in Boston Marathon history with near-perfect racing conditions, a course record, five men under 2:04, and a dominant back-to-back title defense. But first, the guys knock out a loaded week of track results before getting to the marathon.

On the sprint side: Noah Lyles opens in 19.91, Elaine Thompson-Herah returns to the 100 with a 10.92 in her first race at the distance in nearly two years, Michael Norman makes his comeback, and Gabby Thomas heads to Ethiopia chasing sub-11 in a headwind.

In the NCAA, Simeon Birnbaum breaks the collegiate 1500m record at Hayward Field with a 3:31, and Jane Hedengren breaks the outdoor 5000m record at Bryan Clay with a 14:50.

World Athletics rejected 11 applications for transfers of allegiance, including Roje Stona, Jaydon Hibbert, Brigid Kosgei, and Favour Ofili, all linked to Turkey’s pay-for-play recruitment scheme.

On the Boston Marathon: John Korir runs 2:01:52 for a course record, negative splitting with a 60:02 second half. Alphonce Felix Simbu out-sprints Benson Kipruto on Boylston for second. Zouhair Talbi runs 2:03:45, the fastest ever by an American citizen on any course, with Charles Hicks running 2:04:35 in just his second marathon. We explain the record confusion.

On the women’s side, Sharon Lokedi defends her Boston title, running a 14:48 split from 35K to 40K to put the race away — a segment faster than her own 5K track PB. Jess McClain is top American again, this time covering moves instead of waiting to pick off the dead. And the Americans had their best collective day in recent memory, with Annie Frisbie, Carrie Ellwood, Elena Hayday, Kodi Kleven, and Amanda Vestri all posting big personal bests.

We also debut our way too early U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials Power Rankings.

You can read our Boston Marathon recap here.

____________

Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London Marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, no breaking your flow.⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠

OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.