2:24 Marathoner Gabi Rooker Ahead Of 2024 Chicago Marathon | Olympic Trials Reflection, Progression From College Gymnast To Professional Running

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 Nov 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 Nov 202417min

“We’re kind of on this journey to the marathon. The next logical step is a half marathon. That will be in the new year. We don’t know exactly where yet but we want to go attack a half marathon. That’s what all the training is focused on and that’s why it’s been so fun. Not that the training is easy but it’s the training that comes the most naturally to me.” My guest for today's episode is U.S. Olympian Joe Klecker of the On Athletics Club. He joins us with some news that he’s gearing up for his half marathon debut in early 2025 after a challenging comeback from injury. Joe is back and looking to tackle a new distance with a keen eye on Ryan Hall's American record in the half marathon. While his 2024 outdoor season was sidelined by a torn abductor, he's now fully focused on the 13.1 mile distance. He doesn't say it, but I think all signs point that it will likely be at the Houston Half Marathon in January, which is traditionally perfect weather and very fast. And while he's not quite ready to step away from the track just yet, Joe is already embracing the marathon mindset and this is one step forward to getting to the full distance with a personal best of 12:54 for 5K and 27:07 for 10K.  Joe's incredible speed and dedication are setting him up for a strong entry into the longer distance. So in this episode, we'll hear about his approach to injury recovery, his plans for that debut, all with the guidance of his coach Dathan Ritzenhein and the support of his training partner and Olympic medalist, Hellen Obiri. He also shares why he's hoping for one more team on the track.  Many thanks to New York Road Runners for allowing us to host this conversation in front of an audience at the Citizens Bank stage at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠ Guest: Joe Klecker | ⁠@joe_klecker on Instagram ⁠ Time stamps: 3:43 - Getting to ride on the lead vehicle at the NYC Marathon  5:21 - Thoughts on racing the marathon himself in the future.  5:19 - Thoughts on teammate Hellen Obiri’s build leading into NYC  7:09 - Details on Hellen’s workouts 9:30 - Coming back from injury this summer  11:04 - How his training has evolved since graduating college  12:16 - Future races on the calendar  15:03 - Going after the half marathon American record  17:14 - OAC’s team culture  22:30 - What keeps training exciting  23:37 - How he approaches his future career in the marathon  24:34 - Why track and the marathon feel like different sports  25:48 - Overrated/underrated: training methods 32:51 - Goals for 2025 34:29 - Why now is a good time to shift to the marathon  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.

11 Nov 202437min

“I think as I run more and more and get more miles on my legs, I'll be able to hang with that lead pack later and later. But I stuck to my guns. I didn't really have a race plan going in other than taking the first few miles to feel it out. Then really just believing that I belonged in that lead pack for as long as I could hang with them.” My guest for today’s episode is Jess McClain, who just wrapped up a heck of a year with an eighth-place finish at the New York City Marathon, running 2:27:19 and finishing as the second American. It was Jess’s first World Marathon Major, and she showed incredible grit, moving steadily from 11th to 8th in the final miles and securing a spot among the top marathoners in the world. As we’ve explored on this show with her in January, Jess’s journey to the marathon stage has been anything but typical. A former Stanford standout who took a hiatus from professional running, she’s reemerged with stunning results. Earlier this year, she finished fourth at the Olympic Marathon Trials, making her the alternate for Team USA and nearly earning a spot at the Paris Olympics. She’s since signed with Brooks and built a strong racing resume, including wins at the USATF Road 10K Championships and a second-place finish at the USATF 20K Championships. Today, we’ll dive into her self-coached approach, her bold comeback, and what drives her heading into 2025. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Jess McClain | @jesstonn Previous episodes with Jess McClain: Jess McClain On Signing With Brooks Running (Again) + Deciding To Return To The Track Jess McClain After Finishing Fourth At The 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (2:25:46) + How She Did It Self-Coached and Unsponsored | Race Recap  Time stamps: 3:15 - Reflections on her 8th place finish at the NYC Marathon 5:58 - Rediscovering her love for racing 8:03 - Why she decided on racing NYC as her fall marathon  10:34 - Details on her training throughout her build  13:34 - Importance of being grounded outside of running  16:31 - How her training setup has evolved + what she wants to change next  19:39 - How she strikes the balance between working and training 24:01 - Nerves before the race  27:35 - Starting line + first few miles 29:37 - Story about accidentally reversing her bibs 35:49 - Thoughts when the big move was made during the race  43:07 - Feelings after crossing the finish line 45:38 - Looking ahead to future marathons  49:01 - Thoughts on racing a track 10K next year 51:16 - Overrated/underrated: training methods 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.

8 Nov 20241h 3min

“I’m not in charge of how fit those guys are. No matter how hard I work, they could be working harder, they could be doing something better, they could be more talented. I was trying to take that out. My main goal in this race was just to execute. Execute my race plan, make sure I ran a race that afterward I felt good about. I think I did really well for most of the race.” My guest for today's episode is Conner Mantz, the American Marathoner who just capped off an extraordinary year by setting an American course record at the New York City Marathon. He placed 6th overall in 2:09:00. Conner was the top American as usual and he showed us his relentless competitiveness. He pushed through a conservative start and a fierce mid-race surge led by Evans Chebet, the 2022 New York City marathon champion, that splintered the rest of the field. Conner hung tough and ultimately finished with the fastest closing mile among all of the runners in the top ten. In his young marathoning career, Conner has already established himself as the top American in Boston, Chicago, the Olympic Trials and an 8th place finish at the Olympics. Now he's setting his sights on closing the gap between being the best in America and being among the best in the world. In this episode, we dig into his journey, his strategic approach under coach Ed Eyestone's “deploy, enjoy and destroy” race plan, and how he handles a little bit of friendly competition with training partner Clayton Young. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠ Guest: Conner Mantz | ⁠@connermantz on Instagram⁠ Time stamps: 4:03 - Why he wasn’t satisfied with his performance at the NYC Marathon 5:46 - What would’ve made it a satisfying race  7:43 - Overall fitness heading into the race 8:17 - Best workouts leading into the race  13:07 - Going after the half marathon American record at the Houston Half in 2025 16:09 - Pre-race chat with coach Ed Eyestone: deploy, enjoy, destroy 19:30 - Responding to moves during the race  25:40 - Sharing bottles during the race, Evans Chebet makes his move  34:19 - Clayton catching up to him, snapping back into the race, final few miles 42:40 - Feelings after crossing the finish line  47:27 - Grading his marathons throughout 2024 52:50 - Looking ahead to spring marathons  54:35 - Future training plans with Clayton  58:53 - Thoughts on joining Grand Slam Track as a challenger 1:03:34 - Overrated/underrated: training methods 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.com⁠OLIPOP: 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.

7 Nov 20241h 13min

“I like having new goals and challenges. The marathon feels like almost a different sport. It's like a second career. It’s breathed a lot of life into my training, just having fresh goals all the time.” My guest for today's episode is Sara Vaughn, who just delivered a standout performance at the New York City Marathon where she finished as the top American in sixth place overall running 2:26:56 in a year marked by comebacks. The 38 year old mother of four wasn't about to let a tough season slow her down after battling illness and dropping out of the Chicago Marathon. Just three weeks ago, Sara decided to make a quick pivot and set her sights on New York and it paid off massively. In this episode, she shares a bit about her untraditional journey to the starting line and how she balances elite competition with her family life. We talk about her remarkable rebound, her plans to keep pushing forward and what drives her as a professional runner and mother. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Sara Vaughn | @smevaughn on Instagram Time stamps: 3:09 - Initial reflections from the NYC Marathon 5:01 - Having to drop out of the Chicago Marathon, shifting her focus to the NYC Marathon 6:14 - What her goals were for Chicago, how those goals changed for NYC  8:40 - When things started to click for her in training 10:29 - How her training has changed since starting to work with coach Alistair and Amy Cragg 11:52 - What’s kept her in the sports for so long 15:37 - Racing her daughter Kiki in an 800m 21:12 - What her goals were on the day of the NYC Marathon 22:57 - Thoughts when the big move was made at 1st Ave 24:37 - Reflecting on Jenny Simpson’s marathon 27:58 - Hardest part of the race  28:49 - Crowds during the final part of the race  33:46 - Feelings after crossing the finish line  36:16 - Going after the 2025 World Championships team  36:50 - Answering listener questions 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.

6 Nov 202442min

“[Coaching] is fulfilling, but it also sincerely does make me better. It makes me a better athlete. Miguel (Marin), just the way that he wanted to get better as a person and as a runner. He was a young person, didn't have life figured out and was still trying to figure himself out. I'm still trying to figure myself out. Just seeing him put the effort into himself that he did. There were so many times that made me be like, ‘I can do this. I can be better and improve upon things about myself and my emotional stability, my mental stability.’ All these things improve just by the relationship that we had.” My guest for today’s episode is CJ Albertson. Just three weeks after setting a personal best of 2:08:17 at the Chicago Marathon, CJ came into the New York City Marathon and delivered another stellar performance, finishing 10th in 2:10:57. CJ's year has been nothing short of extraordinary—top American at both the Boston and Chicago Marathons, a 5th-place finish at the Olympic Trials, and now, another top-10 finish in New York. No American had ever run sub-2:11 marathons so close together, but CJ isn't one to shy away from a challenge. We'll talk about his mindset, his breakout year, and his relentless pursuit of faster times. Plus, CJ also shares a bit about how he was running in memory of Miguel Marin, who was one of his athletes who ran track and cross country at Clovis Community College. The 22-year-old died in a car crash over the weekend. A GoFundMe has been set up to assist with his family’s expenses. You can find the link to it here. Plus, we do our overrated/underrated segment on training elements with CJ to close out the show. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: CJ Albertson | @cjalbertson on Instagram Time stamps: 3:24 - Reflections on his past year of marathoning 8:07 - Which of his marathons was the most satisfying this year  10:14 - How he approached racing both the Chicago and NYC marathons 13:10 - Factors that led to his improvement 15:13 - Hopes for what’s next in his career 22:25 - Race breakdown: 1st Ave 24:51 - Race breakdown: 5th Ave 28:32 - Thoughts on how to close the gap on becoming top American  30:24 - How he hopes to continue improving  36:30 - Race weight + fueling strategy while racing  41:08 - Going after the 2025 World Championships team  50:02 - Reflecting on Miguel Marin, his athlete who just passed away 56:40 - Answering listener questions  1:02:02 - How coaching others makes him a better athlete 1:04:24 - Overrated/underrated: training methods 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.

6 Nov 20241h 26min

“You never know which build you're pulling from on race day. The most recent build is the most important build and indicator of what you can do on race day, but there's no reason why you can't be pulling from the Paris build, the Chicago build, and the Olympic Trials build. Fitness stacks over years and that lifetime fitness is just getting really, really big for me. I tried to lean into that. I think I did alright.”  Within the past 14 months, Clayton Young and his training partner Conner Mantz have become synonymous with performing in high stakes marathon racing, finishing neck-and-neck at four marathons. Now, most recently at the New York City Marathon, Clayton crossed the finish line in an impressive seventh place finish just 21 seconds behind Conner Mantz, clocking 2:09:21. This year has been nothing short of remarkable for Clayton, from the Olympic Marathon Trials to the Paris Olympics and now New York. We've got episodes with him after each one of those. We decided to keep the tradition alive as we dive into how New York City played out and reflect on Clayton's emotional and triumphant year in marathoning. Plus, we get to thinking about what's next in 2025. Time stamps: 3:46 - Returning to training post-marathon 5:51 - Reflection coming off the NYC Marathon  8:18 - His build leading into NYC: overcoming his achilles injury 11:56 - Pre-race plans with Coach Ed Eyestone 15:19 - Thoughts on the depth of the men’s field 18:57 - Breaking down the first part of the race  22:19 - What happened after crossing the Queensboro Bridge  32:01 - Tracking power (watts) during the race  36:04 - “What ifs” from the race  38:01 - Looking ahead to trying to qualify for the World Championships marathon  42:17 - Future training plans with Conner Mantz  48:08 - How this year transformed his running career  51:10 - Being in the midst of the good ol’ days  56:50 - Underrated/overrated  Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Clayton Young | @_clayton_young_ on Instagram 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.

6 Nov 20241h 9min