
Betsy Saina After Running 2:19:17 At The Tokyo Marathon, Now Third-Fastest American Woman Ever | Race Recap and Reflection
A month after dropping out of the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials after about 21 miles, Betsy Saina made the decision to enter the 2024 Tokyo Marathon and it paid off massively. Saina put together a very short two-week build-up and ended up finishing fifth in 2:19:17. It was a PR by more than two minutes and moved her to No. 3 on the U.S. all-time women's marathoning list behind Emily Sisson and Keira D'Amato. In this episode, we talk about how she made the decision to race Tokyo, how she structured the training for it and why she believes her coach saying that she's got the fitness to run 2:17 someday soon. Plus, why she's got her sights set on representing the United States at the 2026 World Championships in Tokyo. Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Betsy Saina | @sainabetsy on Instagram Time Stamps: 04:03 How she’s feeling coming off her 2:19 performance at the Tokyo Marathon.06:13 Her training heading into Tokyo + more on her race at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.09:12 When things went wrong for her in the U.S. Trials.11:13 Why she decided to race another marathon so quickly after the Trials.16:56 Her training between the Trials and Tokyo.22:18 Breaking down the last half of her race in Tokyo.27:48 Chasing after the American marathon record in Tokyo.29:54 Celebrating after the race + her post-race reflections.34:38 How her training has changed since becoming a mother.42:26 Her plans for future racing. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 🍊 OLIPOP is a prebiotic soda with only 2-5g of sugar that is good for your gut health. – and it's delicious. Use code CITIUS25 for 25% off non-subscription orders. Learn more at https://DrinkOlipop.com (click the link or use our promotional code for the discount) 👟 NEW BALANCE has officially launched the long-anticipated FuelCell SC Elite v4, including upgrades that focus on the details that are vital for athletes to perform to their best this year. The shoe was designed to excel in both innovative technology and all-around comfort that lasts through 26.2 miles. Check it out here: https://www.newbalance.com/pd/fuelcell-supercomp-elite-v4/ 🩴 VELOUS RECOVERY FOOTWEAR is the active recovery footwear brand that is designed to help you Restore, Revive and Reenergize before and after you train. They are launching two new styles to their recovery mix for Spring ‘24. The Active Slide and Active Flip collection. Enjoy a 20% discount by entering the code: CITIUSMAG20 at checkout at VelousFootwear.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 💻 Visit CITIUSMAG.com | Our brand-new website hosts tons more podcasts, articles, videos and more. Track and field storytelling all in one place. 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel
8 Mar 202445min

Nikki Hiltz After Earning A Silver Medal At The 2024 World Indoor Championships | Race Recap & Reflections
"We're here to medal. We worked so hard and no one worked harder than any of us. You just have to do it on the day. I think we all did it and it's so cool – obviously, it's indoors and sure there's an asterisk because it's not the Olympics or World Outdoor Champs, but it's a race when it matters. It's a championship. There are medals on the line and we are so competitive. We're going to run fearless. We're going to be like Hobbs Kessler, who is 20 years old and led that whole thing or Emily (Mackay) in her first world champs and she's like, 'F**k it. I'm just going to take the lead.' We're going to make bold moves. We're gonna be really hard to beat. And I think that's the momentum we're taking into outdoors. That's a statement we're making." This is Nikki Hiltz's fifth time on the show. Our last interviews came after last summer’s World Championships in Budapest and also after they broke the U.S. outdoor mile record at the Monaco Diamond League. The hot streak has continued into 2024. Last month, Hiltz won the U.S. Indoor Championships for the second consecutive season. And just this past weekend, they ran two personal bests at the World Indoor Championships to earn a silver medal in the 1500m final. Ethiopia’s Freweyi Hailu earned gold in 4:01.46. Hiltz came in less than a second behind her for the third-fastest indoor 1500m performance in U.S. history. Team New Balance Boston’s Emily Mackay finished third for bronze. The U.S. had a super strong showing at the World Indoor Championships. We topped the medal table with 20 total medals. Seven of those medals came in middle distance events – including four in the 1500m between Hiltz, Mackay, Cole Hocker and Hobbs Kessler. In this episode, Nikki recaps their whole trip to Glasgow, the learnings from another World Championship experience, the statement made by American middle distance runners and how their outlook shifts to the outdoor season now. Read our recap of World Indoors here: https://citiusmag.com/articles/2024-world-indoor-championships-winners-losers Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Nikki Hiltz | @nikkihiltz on Instagram SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 🍊 OLIPOP is a prebiotic soda with only 2-5g of sugar that is good for your gut health. – and it's delicious. Use code CITIUS25 for 25% off non-subscription orders. Learn more at https://DrinkOlipop.com (click the link or use our promotional code for the discount) 👟 NEW BALANCE has officially launched the long-anticipated FuelCell SC Elite v4, including upgrades that focus on the details that are vital for athletes to perform to their best this year. The shoe was designed to excel in both innovative technology and all-around comfort that lasts through 26.2 miles. Check it out here: https://www.newbalance.com/pd/fuelcell-supercomp-elite-v4/ 🩴 VELOUS RECOVERY FOOTWEAR is the active recovery footwear brand that is designed to help you Restore, Revive and Reenergize before and after you train. They are launching two new styles to their recovery mix for Spring ‘24. The Active Slide and Active Flip collection. Enjoy a 20% discount by entering the code: CITIUSMAG20 at checkout at VelousFootwear.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 💻 Visit CITIUSMAG.com | Our brand-new website hosts tons more podcasts, articles, videos and more. Track and field storytelling all in one place. 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel
6 Mar 202439min

World Indoor Championships Day 3 Recap: United States Wins 11 Medals on Final Day (Bryce Hoppel! Tara Davis-Woodhall! Nikki Hiltz! Cole Hocker! Emily Mackay! Hobbs Kessler! + More)
CITIUS MAG's Anderson Emerole reports from Glasgow, Scotland with a recap of Day 3 of the World Indoor Championships. – Team USA earned FOUR medals in the 1500m as New Zealand's George Beamish and Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu came away with victories but Nikki Hiltz, Emily Mackay, Cole Hocker and Hobbs Kessler all came away with medals. – Bryce Hoppel clocked a world-leading 1:44.92 to improve upon his bronze medal from 2022 to win gold in the 800m final. Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma claimed gold in the 800 – just ahead of Team GB's Jemma Reekie. – Tara Davis-Woodhall and Monae Nichols went 1-2 in the women's long jump. – Bahamian Devynne Charlton broke her own 60m hurdles world record to claim her country's first-ever gold medal in the 800m – There was controversy over Noah Lyles being named to the 4x400m relay team and then they came away with a silver medal as Belgium's Alexander Doom kicked down Team USA in the closing meters. Lyles split 45.68, which was the third-fastest of the American team. – Mondo Duplantis claimed yet another gold in the men's pole vault. + more 🔜 We'll be sharing Anderson's daily recaps and dispatches from Scotland on the CITIUS MAG Podcast feed and YouTube channel. Keep tabs on the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel as we have tons of interviews from the mixed zone there. We'll be sharing live updates on Twitter/X; Instagram and Threads all throughout the weekend.
4 Mar 202414min

World Indoor Championships Day 2 Recap: Elle St. Pierre Is A World Champion, Josh Kerr Gets His Crown On Home Soil, Grant Holloway Defends His Crown, Femke Bol WR!
CITIUS MAG's Anderson Emerole reports from Glasgow, Scotland with a recap of Day 2 of the World Indoor Championships. – Elle St. Pierre became the first U.S. woman to win the World Indoor 3000m title as she kicked down 10,000m world champion Gudaf Tsegay to claim gold. The win comes just 364 days after giving birth last March. – 1500m world champion Josh Kerr got the 3000m world title on home soil – just .61 ahead of Yared Nuguse, who earned his first global championship medal. – Femke Bol lowered her own indoor 400m world record to 49.17! – Grant Holloway extended his nine-year winning streak in the 60m hurdles to claim his second World Indoor Title + more 📰 You can read our full preview of all the sprints, distance and field event action here: https://citiusmag.com/articles/world-athletics-indoor-championships-preview-athletes-storylines-matchups-to-watch 📆 All the action concludes Sunday, March 3. Most finals will be between 2 pm and 5 pm E.T. A full timetable of events can be found here. 💻 The whole championships is streaming live on Peacock (subscription required). The only live TV window will be Sunday, 2-5 pm E.T., on CNBC. You can find a full streaming/TV schedule here. 🔜 We'll be sharing Anderson's daily recaps and dispatches from Scotland on the CITIUS MAG Podcast feed and YouTube channel. Keep tabs on the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel as he'll be uploading tons of interviews from the mixed zone there. We'll be sharing live updates on Twitter/X; Instagram and Threads all throughout the weekend.
3 Mar 202419min

World Indoor Championships Day 1 Recap: Christian Coleman vs. Noah Lyles Round II Lives Up To The Hype, Ryan Crouser Completes His Gold Medal Collection
CITIUS MAG's Anderson Emerole reports from Glasgow, Scotland with a recap of Day 1 of the World Indoor Championships. – 60m world record holder Christian Coleman clocked the fastest time in the world this year with a 6.41 in the final to beat 100m and 200m world champion Noah Lyles by three hundredths to flip the results of their one-two finish from the U.S. Indoor Championships. – Kudos to Jamaica's Ackeem Blake on getting the bronze medal in the 60m final – Olympic and World Champion Ryan Crouser finally won his first world indoor title to finally complete his gold medal set for the shot put. – Femke Bol looks unstoppable after the first two rounds of the women's 400m. Karsten Warholm said he's racing himself into shape ahead of the final. – Distance race recap of some wild 800m and 1500m heats. – Canadian Sarah Mitton won the women's shot put with a 20.22-meter throw. Chase Jackson ended up with a bronze medal after injuring herself + more 📰 You can read our full preview of all the sprints, distance and field event action here: https://citiusmag.com/articles/world-athletics-indoor-championships-preview-athletes-storylines-matchups-to-watch 📆 All the action continues Saturday, March 2 and wraps up Sunday, March 3rd. American fans better get used to waking up early, as the first events each day kick off at 5 am E.T., but most of the finals are relatively easy to watch as the afternoon sessions each day are between 2 pm and 5 pm E.T. A full timetable of events can be found here. 💻 The whole championships is streaming live on Peacock (subscription required), but unfortunately, the only live TV window will be Sunday, 2-5 pm E.T., on CNBC. You can find a full streaming/TV schedule here. 🔜 We'll be sharing Anderson's daily recaps and dispatches from Scotland on the CITIUS MAG Podcast feed and YouTube channel. Keep tabs on the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel as he'll be uploading tons of interviews from the mixed zone there. We'll be sharing live updates on Twitter/X; Instagram and Threads all throughout the weekend.
2 Mar 202410min

World Indoor Championships Preview: Head-to-Head Matchups to Watch
CITIUS MAG contributor Anderson Emerole is in Glasgow to bring you tons of interviews, updates and insights from the 2024 World Indoor Championships taking place from March 1-3. He breaks down: Men's 60m: Noah Lyles vs. Christian Coleman Men's 3000m: Getnet Wale vs. Selemon Barega vs. Josh Kerr vs. Yared Nuguse Women's 3000m: Gudaf Tsegay vs. Lemlem Hailu vs. Laura Muir vs. Elle St. Pierre vs. Jessica Hull Women's 60m: Aleia Hobbs vs. Julien Alfred Men's 400m: Karsten Warholm's odds Women's 400m: Can anyone stop Femke Bol? Men's 60m hurdles: Will Grant Holloway's undefeated streak continue? Women's 60m hurdles: Can world record holder Devynne Charlton continue her hot streak for her first global championship medal? Men's pole vault: How high will Mondo Duplantis go? Men's Shot Put: Can Ryan Crouser get the elusive world indoor title? 📰 You can read our full preview of all the sprints, distance and field event action here: https://citiusmag.com/articles/world-athletics-indoor-championships-preview-athletes-storylines-matchups-to-watch 📆 All the action kicks off on Friday, March 1st and wraps up Sunday, March 3rd. American fans better get used to waking up early, as the first events each day kick off at 5 am E.T., but most of the finals are relatively easy to watch as the afternoon sessions each day are between 2 pm and 5 pm E.T. A full timetable of events can be found here. 💻 The whole championships is streaming live on Peacock (subscription required), but unfortunately, the only live TV window will be Sunday, 2-5 pm E.T., on CNBC. You can find a full streaming/TV schedule here. 🔜 We'll be sharing Anderson's daily recaps and dispatches from Scotland on the CITIUS MAG Podcast feed and YouTube channel. Keep tabs on the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel as he'll be uploading tons of interviews from the mixed zone there. We'll be sharing live updates on Twitter/X; Instagram and Threads all throughout the weekend.
29 Feb 202410min

Rory Linkletter After Running 2:08:01 At Sevilla Marathon, Hits Olympic Qualifying Mark | Race Recap + Reflection
Rory Linkletter is a Canadian marathoner for PUMA. He just ran 2:08:01 at the Seville Marathon to get under the Olympic qualifying standard. He is in a good position to get selected by Athletics Canada for Paris. Canadian record holder Cam Levins has already been selected for the team and assuming no one else runs faster than Rory in the next two months, he’ll be set to go to his first Olympics. Rory was a standout runner at BYU and then turned professional in 2019. He spent some time with HOKA NAZ Elite before choosing to leave the team in 2022 and has been working with Ryan Hall in Flagstaff, Arizona. In this episode, you’ll hear all about why the training has worked so well. He shares a bit about Ryan’s coaching and training philosophy. Plus, I try to start some trash talk between Rory and Conner Mantz or Clayton Young – his former teammates. Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Rory Linkletter | @rory_linkletter on Instagram SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 🍊 OLIPOP is a prebiotic soda with only 2-5g of sugar that is good for your gut health. – and it's delicious. Use code CITIUS25 for 25% off non-subscription orders. Learn more at https://DrinkOlipop.com (click the link or use our promotional code for the discount) 🎽 Bandit is a performance-running brand based in Brooklyn, New York. They also just relaunched their Membership, a program that enhances your relationship with Bandit via early access, discounts, and exclusive events/gear/content/you-name-it. Get 20% off the Membership (and any product if it's your first order) by using code Citius20. HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 💻 Visit CITIUSMAG.com | Our brand-new website hosts tons more podcasts, articles, videos and more. Track and field storytelling all in one place. 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel
26 Feb 202451min

Hillary Bor To Make Half Marathon Debut In NYC Half; Still Going For Third Olympic Team In Steeplechase
"When I ran the Cherry Blossom (10 Miler), it was very windy. And what I did in that time (46:11), I felt like I could have sustained that pace for a while. Plus the environment – the wind, the temperature was very cold… Based on the training I was doing, my coach felt like I could go under 60 (minutes). We've been planning on just getting a solid half, and then a really fast half. It's really in my mind. So hopefully. Hopefully, after the track season this year I can find a really fast (half marathon) and try to get the American record there." Hillary Bor is a two-time U.S. Olympian in the steeplechase and the third-fastest American steeplechaser in history. He is preparing to make his half marathon debut at the United Airlines NYC Half on March 17. This is a highly-anticipated half marathon debut since Bor ran 46:11 last year to break Greg Meyer’s American record of 46:13 for 10 miles at the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler. Even with his track success, he’s taken well to the roads. In this episode, Bor talks about his hopes for a career on the roads, why he thought Ryan Hall’s 59:43 American record could be attainable, when he’s thinking about the marathon and why his training group under coach Scott Simmons has him set up for success. He also has unfinished business on the track as he looks to make his third Olympic team this summer for Paris. Hillary also shares some of his own story coming from Kenya from an accomplished running family, his NCAA career at Iowa State and then joining the U.S. Army before his running career took off. Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Hillary Bor | @bor.hillary on Instagram Time Stamps: 4:21: Sharing about battling injuries in 2023. 5:15 - Why he’s choosing to race at the NYC Half Marathon. 7:15 - His upcoming plans for racing on the roads and track. 8:25 - How he broke his foot while racing in Rabat. 10:12 - Details on his injury recovery. 10:59 - How his injury impacted steeplechase training. 12:16 - His transition from the track to the roads. 14:59 - Aspirations for the American half marathon record. 15:50 - What his weekly training structure looks like. 17:03 - His plans for the 2024 Olympic Trials. 18:31 - Thoughts on his steeplechase competitors. 21:39 - Thoughts on the U.S. steeplechase scene. 25:34 - Mindset on closing speed at Diamond League races. 27:30 - His family’s history with running. 34:33 - His relationship with his brother. 35:54 - Mindset on his accomplishments. 37:46 - What he’s most excited about this year. 40:10 - What running was like growing up in Kenya. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 🍊 OLIPOP is a prebiotic soda with only 2-5g of sugar that is good for your gut health. – and it's delicious. Use code CITIUS25 for 25% off non-subscription orders. Learn more at https://DrinkOlipop.com (click the link or use our promotional code for the discount) 🎽 Bandit is a performance-running brand based in Brooklyn, New York. They also just relaunched their Membership, a program that enhances your relationship with Bandit via early access, discounts, and exclusive events/gear/content/you-name-it. Get 20% off the Membership (and any product if it's your first order) by using code Citius20. HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 💻 Visit CITIUSMAG.com | Our brand-new website hosts tons more podcasts, articles, videos and more. Track and field storytelling all in one place. 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel
22 Feb 202441min