TORCH TALK DAY 1: JOSHUA CHEPTEGEI FINALLY GETS HIS 10,000M GOLD, GRANT FISHER TAKES BRONZE! TEAM USA BREAKS THE MIXED 4X400M WORLD RECORD + FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE REPECHAGE ROUNDS | LIVE FROM PARIS

“The pieces were there – but getting them to mesh and come together, we had to embrace the imperfect. We had to have these women realize that if you're scared of something, the only way to get over that fear is to conquer it. That was what this championship was for a lot of the women.  My guest for today's episode is Diljeet Taylor, Head Coach of BYU’s women's cross country and track team. She's one of the most inspiring leaders in the sport. Coach Taylor just wrapped up a storybook season by guiding BYU to the 2024 NCAA Cross Country women's team title. It's their second national championship under her leadership and the program's sixth overall. This victory wasn't just about redemption. It was about resilience one year after a devastating 14th place finish at NCAAs – the lowest moment of her coaching career. Coach Taylor and her team embraced the imperfect, leaned into their depth, and executed when it mattered most. From butterfly mantras to pajama parties to brilliant race strategies, Coach Taylor proved that with belief and preparation, anything is possible. In today's conversation, we talked about BYU’s incredible turnaround, her approach to coaching All-Americans and building a winning culture, and why this year was a testament to her mantra, ‘Embrace the imperfect.’ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Diljeet Taylor | @diljeetdosanjhtaylor on Instagram Time stamps: 3:33 - Reflections coming off BYU’s team title at NCAAs  5:03 - Finishing 14th at the 2023 Championship to winning in 2024 8:47 - What she said to her athletes after NCAAs last year  10:16 - How her coaching style has changed 12:27 - Lexy Halladay-Lowry’s progression + working through an injury to finish 14th 14:22 - What the evening was like with the team the night before NCAAs 21:03 - Why the team got off social media the month leading up to NCAAs 23:06 - “The Night Before Nationals” book 25:46 - Frank Gagliano’s impact on her as a mentor  26:55 - Overcoming last year’s disappointment at NCAAs 29:12 - Goals and expectations heading into this year’s race  34:05 - How the race played out  37:27 - How the team celebrated winning  42:38 - Looking ahead to next year’s team  45:01 - What she hopes her legacy will be 48:49 - Connecting with other female coaches  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

2 Joulu 202452min

“The only magic thing about running is consistency. Consistent competence equals eventual excellence. That's kind of my mantra. So we try to stay healthy so that we can be consistent. We just keep on getting the miles in, getting the workouts in, and over time, good things happen. What was special about 2024? Who knows other than having the right athletes in the right position, the right belief and faith in their parts and goals, and going, ‘Hey, maybe we can do this.’” My guest for today’s episode is BYU director of track and field and cross country Ed Eyestone, the architect of one of the greatest years ever for American distance running. From Olympic medals and top-10 marathon finishes to NCAA titles, 2024 was nothing short of historic for Coach Eyestone and his athletes. Just this weekend, Ed capped it all off by leading the BYU men to their second NCAA cross country title in six years, holding off a stacked field at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course. It’s been a dream season for Eyestone, whose year began with Conner Mantz and Clayton Young finishing 1-2 at the Olympic Marathon Trials and ended with BYU completing a historic NCAA sweep—both the men’s and women’s teams claiming national titles for the first time since 2004. We dive into Ed’s coaching strategies, his reflections on this monumental season and how he’s built a culture of resilience and excellence at BYU. From the roads to the track to the grass, no one’s had a better 2024 than Ed Eyestone, and we can’t wait to hear his take on how it all came together. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Ed Eyestone | @edeyestone on Instagram Time stamps:  3:30 - Returning to campus after BYU won the NCAA XC Championship team title 5:13 - Feelings and emotions after winning the NCAA team title 7:16 - Strategy + plan for the men heading into the race  10:54 - Using a whiteboard during the race to communicate with the team 12:29 - Using olive oil to stay warm during the race 14:18 - Backstory on the affirmations notecard on his arm during the race  19:25 - Similarities between the men’s and women’s programs at BYU 23:23 - Why everything clicked for the team in 2024 27:53 - How the 2024 season was a dream come true  30:44 - His process-oriented coaching philosophy  33:19 - What the team got up to in the final days before the race  36:48 - Casey Clinger’s impact on the team + how going on missions affects training 42:42 - How his coaching style has changed + how he structures workouts 45:56 - Thoughts on upcoming changes to the NCAA SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

25 Marras 202453min

Harvard senior Graham Blanks successfully defended his NCAA Division I cross country championship on Saturday, winning the 10,000-meter race in 28:37.2, narrowly edging New Mexico's Habtom Samuel. BYU became the first school since 2002 to win both men's and women's team titles at the same championship. Men's Championship Blanks' Victory: Blanks is the 13th runner in history to defend his title, cementing his legacy on the Thomas Zimmer course. BYU's Team Triumph: The Cougars scored 124 points for their second men's title, led by Casey Clinger's 6th-place finish and Creed Thompson's 12th. All BYU scorers placed in the top 50. Team Standings: Iowa State (137 points) finished second, followed by Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Northern Arizona. Defending champion Oklahoma State placed eighth. Women's Championship Doris Lemngole: The Alabama runner won the 6,000-meter race in 19:21, improving on her runner-up finish from last year. Pamela Kosgei of New Mexico was second in 19:27.8. BYU Women Dominate: The Cougars scored 147 points to win their sixth title, with Lexy Halladay-Lowry finishing as the top scorer in 14th place overall. Team Standings: BYU edged out West Virginia, with Providence, Northern Arizona, and Oregon rounding out the top five. Defending champion NC State finished eighth. Historical Context BYU’s sweep marks the first dual-team victory since Colorado’s achievement in 2002, highlighting their depth and dominance. Blanks joins an elite group of repeat champions in the 86-year history of the NCAA men's cross country race. The Big Picture BYU's historic team wins and standout performances from Blanks and Lemngole underscore the competitiveness and unpredictability of collegiate cross country’s biggest stage.

23 Marras 202430min

For the third time in three months, the cross country world will descend upon Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday, and the stakes couldn’t be any higher. 31 men’s teams and 31 women’s teams punched tickets last weekend and a handful of star individuals round out each field. Both team races feature heavy preseason favorites looking to reclaim their top spots after late season losses, while both individual races are deep at the top with a handful of runners eyeing national titles. Fans are planning to pack the course in Madison, and they could be treated to a picture perfect setting with snowfall potentially in the forecast. More information on how to watch the meet, with ESPNU coverage kicking off at 9:30am E.T. Below we break down all four races, with a few sleeper picks to keep an eye on amidst the chaos that is NCAA cross country. You can read our official preview here: https://citiusmag.com/articles/ncaa-division-1-cross-country-championships-2024-preview

22 Marras 202440min

“Especially after 36K, I was telling myself, ‘Even if they speed up, I have to go deep today…’ I was telling myself, ‘This is my moment.’” My guest for today's episode is Abdi Nageeye, whose journey in 2024 could only be described as redemption at its finest. The Dutch marathoner and 2021 Olympic silver medalist who just three months ago grappled with his appointment after withdrawing late in the Olympic marathon in Paris, roared back to claim the biggest victory of his career at the TCS New York City Marathon. In a thrilling showdown against one of the strongest fields in race history, Nageeye deployed patience, strategy, and a powerful finishing kick to secure his first World Marathon Major title in 2:07:39 seconds, making history as the first Dutchman and the first European since 1996. To win the New York City Marathon from his self coach training in Eldoret to a race plan honed by years of experience on the course, Abdi turned heartbreak into triumph. We dive into his reflections on Paris, his mental and physical preparation for New York City, and what this victory means for him moving forward. But first, you'll also hear a never before released interview with Abdi from my trip to Kenya in June 2023, where we discussed a bit more of his backstory and upbringing from being born in Somalia to settling in the Netherlands as a refugee and spending time in Syria before finally being adopted by a Dutch family. I initially planned for this to be released last fall, but didn't have a chance to, but I'm now glad it's finally out. It's fun because towards the end of that first interview, I asked him what he wants to accomplish and he finally gets it done. Part one is my interview with him in Kenya and then part two is my interview with him reflecting on New York. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Abdi Nageeye | @abdinageeye on Instagram Time stamps: 2023 Interview live from Eldoret, Kenya: 3:37 - Reflecting on training  5:02 - Why he likes to train in new places, what he enjoys about training in Kenya  9:05 - His backstory + stories from growing up  18:10 - Why he considers Africa to be his home  20:33 - Being embraced by the Netherlands  22:06 - Why shifting to the roads panned out so well for him  25:49 - What he learned from training with athletes like Eliud Kipchoge  28:20 - Future goals for his running career  2024 Interview after winning the NYC Marathon: 34:51 - How training has been going since the NYC Marathon 38:17 - What life has been like since our first interview in 2023 41:00 - Current training setup  43:28 - Paris Olympics marathon experience  47:55 - Thoughts after dropping out of the Olympic marathon  54:44 - NYC Marathon race breakdown  59:03 - The final miles of the race  1:01:03 - Thoughts when Tamirat Tola was closing on him and Evans Chebet 1:02:36 - The point when he knew he was going to win  1:06:13 - Emotions after crossing the finish line  1:08:12 - Looking ahead to future races  1:11:18 - Reflecting on his marathon career so far  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

19 Marras 20241h 13min

Chris Chavez and cross country expert Isaac Wood are back to recap conference weekend and preview each regional meet going down across the country this Friday. Join us for our thoughts and predictions on who will qualify for the big dance in Madison, Wisconsin on November 23rd.  You can listen to our last NCAA cross country season check-in episode here. Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Isaac Wood | @isaacew on Instagram  Time stamps: 1:51 - Conference weekend recap  4:34 - Isaac’s biggest takeaways from conference weekend 5:31 - Wake Forest’s men’s team looking strong heading into Regionals 6:59 - Big 12s men’s recap: thoughts on BYU, OSU 11:39 - Big 12s women’s recap: thoughts on BYU, West Virginia 16:05 - Oregon women looking to become a title contender  17:45 - Projected top teams at NCAAs 20:52 - Explanation on how to qualify for NCAAs 22:36 - Auto-qualifiers + at-large predictions: men 30:05 - Auto-qualifiers + at-large predictions: women 35:10 - Regions to pay most attention to on Friday SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

13 Marras 202438min

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia review the second season of the Netflix documentary series, SPRINT. We share our thoughts and analysis on all four episodes and break down the top storylines throughout the season. You can listen to our review of the first season of SPRINT here. Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Preet Majithia | @prm_32 on X Time stamps: 1:22 - Season 2 overview: cast, notable athletes missing  3:42 - Season 1 highlights  Episode 1: ALL AMERICAN 5:32 - Noah Lyles 10:21 - Fred Kerley 13:10 - Christian Coleman  15:40 - Gabby Thomas, Dennis Mitchell’s pro group  17:57 - Little focus on athletes’ personalities outside of track  19:48 - Highlights of episode 1 Episode 2: CHANGING OF THE GUARD 20:35 - Jamaican storylines 22:23 - Kishane Thompson, Oblique Seville  25:53 - Shericka Jackson  31:27 - Julien Alfred Episode 3: GOING FOR GOLD: PART 1 33:45 - Series shifts to the Olympics 37:00 - Marcell Jacobs  39:01 - Sha’Carri Richardson, Melissa Jefferson, TeeTee Terry   44:10 - Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 48:17 - Shericka Jackson  50:24 - Julien Alfred Episode 4: GOING FOR GOLD: PART 2 56:32 - Men’s 100m final  1:02:19 - Kenny Bednarek 1:03:50 - Letsile Tebogo 1:05:10 - Men’s 200m: Noah Lyles getting COVID 1:08:36 - Women’s 200m: Gabby Thomas, Julien Alfred 1:11:32 - How the series ends + U.S. men’s 4x100m relay Final takeaways: 1:14:39 - Parting thoughts and final rating  1:17:53 - What comes next + will there be a Season 3?  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

13 Marras 20241h 24min

“What made me sign on is just how it was pitched: the fastest people in the world. There’s not many leagues that sign you on as contracted racers. That’s new. And I like to be a part of change.” Grand Slam Track has confirmed that Kingston, Jamaica will be one of four cities that will play host to the action in the professional track league's inaugural season. In 2025, the first slam will be held at the national stadium at Independence Park on April 4th, 5th and 6th. Back in June when the league was first announced, Los Angeles was one of the four cities that was announced, but Kingston is the first city confirmed with dates. This is the same stadium that hosts the Racers Grand Prix and the same stadium that is packed for five days when it hosts the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships in March. Grand Slam Track’s events will take place over three days with athletes racing twice. Athletes will receive points for their finishing position in each race and then the athlete with the highest points total after both events will win the slam and the $100,000 grand prize. So what does this mean for the league? Grand Slam Track will have a host city where the Diamond League has not tapped into with one of the most devout track and field fan populations in the world. The fandom around the sprints is a national tradition from the high school to the Olympic level and the league has already invested in Jamaican talent with three Jamaican racers in Roshawn Clark, who will contest the 400m and 400m hurdles; Ackera Nugent, who will run the 100m and 100m hurdles; and Rushell Clayton, who will run the 400m and 400m hurdles. So to get excited about the league and the first slam in Jamaica, we caught up with two-time world championship medalist Rushell Clayton at the Grand Slam Track Racer Summit in Los Angeles. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Rushell Clayton | @rushellclayton on Instagram Time stamps: 6:04 - Excitement for racing in Kingsport for GST 8:06 - Why she decided to sign on with GST 9:32 - When the 400m hurdles event rose to a new level  10:27 - What led to her 5th place finish at the Paris Olympics 12:30 - Chasing after a new 400m PB 13:05 - Thoughts on her competitors  14:21 - Goals for 2025 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

12 Marras 202417min