Matthew Centrowitz 10 Years After Rio: Olympic Gold, Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr & the Golden Age of the 1500m

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EPISODE SUMMARY

On the 10-year anniversary of Matthew Centrowitz's iconic Olympic 1500-meter gold in Rio, the 2016 champion joins Jonathan Gault and Weldon Johnson to reflect on the race that changed American distance running.

Centro reveals why the final was so slow, breaks down the decisive inside move that won him gold, and explains why winning left him struggling for motivation.

The trio dives into Cole Hocker's unorthodox tactics, Josh Kerr's 3:42 mile, the unprecedented parity in the men's 1500, and Centro's new life—including a Chicago Marathon side bet with Evan Jager and Kyle Merber. The episode closes with an epic trivia showdown.

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LINKS

• Matthew Centrowitz's 2016 Olympic 1500m Final

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 Rio Olympic 1500m Audio from NBC
• 01:05 Aletheia.Run Sponsor
• 02:09 Start of Podcast: The 10-Year Anniversary of Rio Gold
• 03:38 Blessing and a Curse: Life After Winning
• 09:02 How Mainstream Was the Olympic Gold?
• 14:28 Contracts and Fame in Track and Field
• 19:02 Breaking Down the Rio 1500 Final
• 21:53 The Patent Move and a 450-Meter Kick
• 25:45 Why the Race Was So Slow
• 27:07 Behind the Scenes: The Brazil Soccer Delay
• 30:37 Unprecedented Parity in the Men's 1500
• 34:28 Will Fast Championship Racing Continue?
• 39:01 Josh Kerr's 3:42 and the Depth of the Event
• 42:45 Cole Hocker's Tactics Analyzed
• 49:43 Centro's Relationship with Hocker
• 53:48 Ben Thomas's Unorthodox Training System
• 56:57 Life After Running: What Centro Is Doing Now
• 57:52 Chicago Marathon Side Bet with Jager and Merber
• 64:57 Trivia Warm-Up: Centro's Career
• 64:57 Centro's Dad and the 1976 Olympic Trials
• 68:10 From NCAA Races to Daegu Bronze
• 76:02 The Heartbreaking 2012 Olympic Fourth Place
• 77:25 General Track and Field Trivia
• 78:06 Women's 1500 Debut and Distance Firsts
• 82:11 Sub-Eight Steeple and Mo Farah's Losses
• 85:46 Centro vs. Galen Rupp at Pac-10s
• 88:13 Racing Kerr, Jakob, and the Motorcycle Story
• 94:01 Kip Keino's Olympic Legacy
• 94:58 1500 Meter Legends Lightning Round
• 99:06 Mile and 1500 Barrier Breakers
• 100:56 Final Question: First Sub-3:30 1500m

CONTACT

• 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.