Office Hours: Coach Juli Benson On Two Decades Of Working With Runners Of All Levels + U.S. Greats Like Jenny Simpson And Nikki Hiltz

Office Hours: Coach Juli Benson On Two Decades Of Working With Runners Of All Levels + U.S. Greats Like Jenny Simpson And Nikki Hiltz

“I also learned that I just love working with athletes who truly have that passion about seeing how good they can be. The outcome isn't as important to me as I thought. It's just, ‘Let's go see how good we can be and see where that lands us...’ Stepping away from college and taking this really windy journey to where I am now, I've been able to work with all different levels of athletes and it's been equally rewarding to those who run their first mile without stopping all the way to the world stage. It's been a non-conventional path, but I've been loving it.”

My guest for today’s episode is someone who’s seen—and shaped—American middle-distance running from just about every angle. Juli Benson was a 1996 Olympian in the 1500 meters, a world-class competitor in her own right, and now she’s one of the most respected coaches in the sport.

Over the past two decades, Juli’s coaching journey has taken her from college programs like Georgetown, Air Force, and Penn to working with World Champions, Olympians, and emerging pros. She coached Jenny Simpson to her gold medal at the 2011 World Championships. She guided Kevin Sullivan back to the global stage. And today, she’s the coach behind Nikki Hiltz, helping them chase a 2028 Olympic dream of their own.

In this episode, we get into it all:

– What makes Nikki tick and how their partnership is evolving

– The differences between coaching NCAA athletes vs. pros

– How Juli learned to balance intensity with recovery—the hard way

– Her reflections on being a woman in the coaching world before there were many to look up to

– And what it’s like now to see coaches like Shalane Flanagan, Diljeet Taylor, and Laurie Henes rise to national prominence

We also talk about Juli’s time at Air Force, the unique challenges of coaching across every level of the sport, and what it’s meant to mentor everyone from Olympic finalists to first-time runners.

This is a conversation about resilience, evolution, and quiet excellence—and it’s one of my favorite coaching deep-dives we’ve done yet.

Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Juli Benson | julibensontraining.com

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Chari Hawkins On Qualifying For The U.S. Olympic Heptathlon Team After A LONG Journey Since 2016 | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

Chari Hawkins On Qualifying For The U.S. Olympic Heptathlon Team After A LONG Journey Since 2016 | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

“Especially seeing people who were young and doing track now, to kind of be like, ‘Listen. You CAN do it, even if it takes you 20 years,’ because I’ve actually been doing track officially for 20 years.” Chari Hawkins joins us live in Eugene to share about her path to becoming one of the world’s best heptathletes. She chats with us about how she’s stayed patient while working her way to the top, the bond and sense of respect that she shares with other heptathletes, how she structures her season to optimize her world ranking, advice for younger athletes, and lots more. Hear more from Chari on her powerful story in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Hosts: Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Eric Jenkins | @_ericjenkins on Instagram Guest: Chari Hawkins | @_charihawkins on Instagram _________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

2 Heinä 202439min

Grant Holloway On Burying Ghosts Of Tokyo To Chase Gold In Paris + Why He Should Be A Bigger Star | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

Grant Holloway On Burying Ghosts Of Tokyo To Chase Gold In Paris + Why He Should Be A Bigger Star | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

“If you can't bet on yourself at the end of the day, then what the hell are you doing? I know if my life depended on it, I know I can show up… I can only lose to myself and that's when I'm not executing my race plan.” 5x world champion and world record holder Grant Holloway joins us live in Eugene after booking his ticket to another Olympic Games. Grant breaks down all three of his sub-13 performances in the Olympics Trials 110m hurdles, shares about his training group, his thoughts on Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track league, how he was able to regroup after the Tokyo Olympics, how he studies his competitors, and his perspective on the state of the men’s 110m hurdles in the U.S. Hear more from Grant and what’s ahead for him in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Katelyn Hutchison | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_kxnaomi on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Anderson Emerole | @atkoeme on Instagram  Guest: Grant Holloway | @flaamingoo_ on Instagram _________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

2 Heinä 202445min

Brittany Brown Decided To Go All-In On The 200m And It Paid Off To Qualify For Her First Olympics | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

Brittany Brown Decided To Go All-In On The 200m And It Paid Off To Qualify For Her First Olympics | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

“I feel like there’s moments where you’re like, ‘Should I go or should I not go?’ after such a big loss. Go. That’s the best time you can go and do something after a big loss. Let’s do it, let’s try again. The most important thing you can always do is just try again… Just because you had a loss doesn't mean you can’t pick yourself up and try again.”  World Championship medalist Brittany Brown joins us live in Eugene after qualifying for her first Olympic team. She never won an NCAA title and didn’t sign a pro contract out of college, but she continued to bet on herself and it paid off big time. Brittany shares about her perseverance through setbacks to get to this point in her career, other women who inspire her, how she uses her 400m training to help her grow stronger in other events, what her training group is like, and more. Hear more from Brittany and her incredible path to the Olympics in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Hosts: Anderson Emerole | @atkoeme on Instagram + Katelyn Hutchison | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_kxnaomi on Instagram Guest: Brittany Brown | @_brittanyshamere on Instagram _________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

2 Heinä 202419min

Weini Kelati Reflects On Winning An Epic 10,000m Final To Qualify For Her First Olympic Team | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

Weini Kelati Reflects On Winning An Epic 10,000m Final To Qualify For Her First Olympic Team | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

“Every time I felt like I was going to fall off, I said, ‘No, I’m not going to let it happen. Mentally I am way stronger than this…’ I talked to myself in the last minute. I said, ‘No. I am mentally struggling, this is not hard. I’ve been running a lot faster than this during practice, so I can do this.’ That helped me to come back again.” 2x U.S. champion Weini Kelati joins us live in Eugene after winning the Olympic Trials 10,000m and qualifying for her first Olympic team. Weini shares about why she went all-in on the 10,000m at the Trials, how she fine-tuned her training to prepare for the 10,000m, what she tells herself during the toughest parts of races, what it means to her to represent the U.S. at the Olympics, and what message she hopes to impart to the millions of people who will be watching her compete at the Olympics. Hear more from Weini and her path to the Paris Olympics in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Mitch Dyer | @metchosketch on Instagram Guest: Weini Kelati | @weini_kelati on Instagram _________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

2 Heinä 202417min

Kenny Bednarek On Qualifying For The US Olympic Team In The 100m & 200m; Facing Noah Lyles In Paris | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

Kenny Bednarek On Qualifying For The US Olympic Team In The 100m & 200m; Facing Noah Lyles In Paris | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

“After the 100, you could see I was really ticked off because I knew I should have won that and I lost it. But with the 200, there was a lot of upside and I was happy to see the performance because I was like, ‘Hey I was there and I let off the gas because I had to, but Paris is what matters and I know I'm going to be ready.” 2x Olympian and 3x World Championship Medalist Kenny Bednarek joins us live in Eugene after his runner-up finish in the Olympic Trials 100m – his first national team in the event. Kenny breaks down the 100m rounds at the Trials, his thoughts on who should be on the 4x100m relay, and more. Hear more from Kenny and what’s ahead for him in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Hosts: Anderson Emerole | @atkoeme on Instagram  Guest: Kenny Bednarek | @kenny_bednarek on Instagram _________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

2 Heinä 202421min

Freddie Crittenden On A Historic 110m Hurdles Final To Make His First Olympic Team While Unsponsored | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

Freddie Crittenden On A Historic 110m Hurdles Final To Make His First Olympic Team While Unsponsored | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

“It was a very, very low point and I feel like track wasn't loving me like I was loving it. I was ready to be done. Every athlete has their own story. Every athlete gets to a point where it's like, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this…’ Going through that, it's very motivational to be in a place like this. I never thought I would be here, I never thought I was going to be on an Olympic team.” Olympic Trials 110m hurdles runner-up Freddie Crittenden joins us live in Eugene after qualifying for the Paris Olympics. Freddie shares about the hardships he went through in 2021, where he almost quit the sport completely, and how he was able to build off those low points to become an Olympian. Freddie also shares about what it’s like training with Grant Holloway and how he was able to step up at the Olympic Trials when it mattered most. Hear more from Freddie and what’s ahead for him in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Hosts: Katelyn Hutchison | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@_kxnaomi on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Anderson Emerole | @atkoeme on Instagram  Guest: Freddie Crittenden | @freddiecrittenden on Instagram SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

2 Heinä 202426min

Galen Rupp Says He's Got Unfinished Business In The Marathon, Reflecting On The Best Races Of His Career | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

Galen Rupp Says He's Got Unfinished Business In The Marathon, Reflecting On The Best Races Of His Career | CITIUS MAG LIVE FROM EUGENE!

“After the (2012) Olympics, it just was such a big boost because for so long you're scrapping and fighting. I was 5th, 6th, 7th in a lot of these races and I kept saying, ‘This is going to be the year I'm going to get over the hump.’ For it to finally happen was just such a big moment for me, for my own confidence. After that I knew that I belonged and could really compete with all these guys.” 2x Olympic medalist and 12x U.S. champion Galen Rupp joins us live in Eugene to catch us up on life since the Olympic Marathon Trials in February. Galen reflects on his favorite races from his career, his experience competing for the University of Oregon, what his training was like during the peak of his career, the support he’s received from his wife and family, how he stays looped into the running community, and what it’s been like recovering from surgery a few months ago. Hear more of Galen’s updates in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast. Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Mitch Dyer | @metchosketch on Instagram Guest: Galen Rupp _________ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running

2 Heinä 202438min

TRIALS TALK DAY 10 FT. NIKKI HILTZ: SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN-LEVRONE BREAKS HER OWN WR; NIKKI HILTZ LEADS 8 SUB-4:00 IN EPIC 1500M FINAL; RAI BENJAMIN FIRES WARNING SHOT; BRYCE HOPPEL GOES 1:42

TRIALS TALK DAY 10 FT. NIKKI HILTZ: SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN-LEVRONE BREAKS HER OWN WR; NIKKI HILTZ LEADS 8 SUB-4:00 IN EPIC 1500M FINAL; RAI BENJAMIN FIRES WARNING SHOT; BRYCE HOPPEL GOES 1:42

Last one, fast one?! The final day of the Olympic Trials was one for the history books. In every. single. event. that took place on the tracks yesterday afternoon, the Olympic Trials meet record was broken. In multiple events, simply qualifying for Team USA meant you had to produce a performance that ranked in the U.S. top-10 of all time. 12.37 in the 100m hurdles, 3:56.75 in the women’s 1500m, and 1:44.12 in the men’s 800m were only good enough for fourth place. The mantra of “iron sharpens iron” normally applies to training groups, but it certainly also applies to American track and field right now. When being top 10 in the world is not a guarantee of being top 3 in the U.S., the choice is simple: you elevate your game or you go home. The afternoon began with the 5000m final, where last year’s U.S. champ Abdi Nur and this year’s 10,000m champ Grant Fisher treated the fans to an epic duel over the final few laps. It took a sub-4 1600m to break the rest of the field, and in the final strides, Fisher was able to re-pass Nur and get his second title of the week, the first time he’s completed the 10/5 double. Behind them, it was a similar battle for third between collegians Parker Wolfe and Graham Blanks, and it’s still not clear whether Wolfe or Blanks will end up on Team USA. Wolfe needs a few scratches in the world rankings ahead of him, and Blanks has the auto standard. In the men’s 800m, Bryce Hoppel won his sixth straight U.S. title (counting indoors), but he did it in the fastest time of his career, a 1:42.77. His training partner Hobbs Kessler snagged third and qualifies for both the 800m and 1500m, the first time an American man has done that since 1976. In the women’s 100m hurdles, you could throw a blanket over the whole field with two hurdles remaining, but it was Masai Russell who closed the best and clocked a 12.25, the good for #4 on the world all-time list. Rai Benjamin did Rai Benjamin things in the men’s 400m hurdles, cruising to a 46.47 world lead and meet record well ahead of the competition. The women’s 1500m was an absolute battle — more on that below. And then we closed the weekend with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. McLaughlin-Levrone is used to being the star of the show, and honestly her biggest competition is usually the shadow of her past self. In the 400m hurdles final she had the benefit of a fast-starting Anna Cockrell on her outside, who stayed even with the Olympic champ for the first three hurdles and kept the pressure on early. But the real difference was that, coming around the final turn, McLaughlin-Levrone didn’t shut it down like she normally does through the rounds, instead powering down the homestretch to an incredible new world record 50.65. For those keeping score at home, that’s the fifth time McLaughlin-Levrone has lowered the world record. When she started, the world record she was breaking was Dalilah Muhammad’s 52.16 from 2019, and now it’s an incredible 1.51 seconds faster. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. ⁠⁠⁠NewBalance.co⁠⁠⁠m/Running

1 Heinä 20241h 23min

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