
Christian Coleman On His Plan To Return To The Top Of The Sprints
"If you have to flip a switch, it's too late. I've been locked in. We've been training and going at it and we’re focused on the process. The biggest thing for me is staying healthy and staying patient. You can't do anything out of the ordinary. You can't do something that you haven't practiced or do something extra. It's just another year. This is what we do every single year. It’s the top of the year – there’s newfound energy, newfound opportunity. But it’s the same level of consistency, the same level of intensity. We just continue to do what we do." 60m world record holder Christian Coleman will return to the Armory in New York City on Feb. 11th to go for his third consecutive victory in the men’s 60m at the Millrose Games. Coleman is coming off a 2023 season in which he matched the world’s fastest 100m time of the year with a 9.83s victory at the Xiamen Diamond League in China last August. He was the runner-up in the men’s 100m at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships and went on to place fifth at the World Championship final in Budapest. He closed out the season by winning the men’s 100m Diamond League crown at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. You don’t hear Christian Coleman do too many longer interviews so it was a pleasure to chat with him as we reflect on 2023 and look toward 2024 – where you could make the case that he’s a gold medal favorite in the men’s 100m. He’s honest about the process of coming back from a whereabouts suspension that kept him out for 18 months and forced him to miss the Tokyo Olympics. We get a bit technical on what makes for a great 60m sprinter and how that converts to outdoors and the 100m. I touched on why he’s not as vocal about records and fast times as some of his competitors and much more. I think you’ll hear a side to one of the world’s fastest men that you haven’t heard before. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MILLROSE GAMES ⤵️ The Millrose Games is the sixth stop on the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold calendar. Livestream and television broadcast details will be announced in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more Millrose Games athlete announcements as the pro fields come together. Tickets to the 116th Millrose Games can be purchased online at millrosegames.org. For more information on all Armory Track events, visit armorytrack.com. 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) 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
5 Jan 202449min

Courtney Frerichs Leaves Bowerman, Beatrice Chebet Breaks The Road 5K WR, More Ideas To Fix Professional Track | The Lap Count
This is The Lap Count newsletter by Kyle Merber, as read by Chris Chavez. Join more than 15,500 people who stay up-to-date with all the thrilling action and biggest stories in the world of track & field – delivered right to your inbox every Wednesday morning. Subscribe at http://thelapcount.com/ In this week's newsletter: – Beatrice Chebet’s year goes out with a BANG 💥 – Copying tennis’s homework 📝👀 – Graham Blanks Signs with NB ✍️ – Personal Reflections on 2023 🥳 + more rapid-fire highlights from the past week You can read this week's newsletter here ➡️ https://www.thelapcount.com/p/solving-track SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 🥤 OLIPOP: New year, new you! At least that’s the promise you made to yourself before waking up with a hangover on Monday, right? Well, now that a couple of days have passed and your commitment to dry January is already waning, it’s time to invest in some OLIPOP. It’s the prebiotic soda with fiber and with as little as two grams of sugar in each can – a sip will have you feeling nostalgic for the days that your parents ordered you Shirley Temples as a special treat when you went out to eat. Wake up from tomorrow’s run with an extra pep in your step and some improved gut health thanks to OLIPOP. Use code CITIUS25 for 25% off non-subscription orders.
3 Jan 202418min

Rai Benjamin On How He Fell In Love With Cycling During The Offseason
"But there are not a lot of Black cyclists that ride, obviously. Justin Williams' whole thing is about getting more Black people on bikes and just people on bikes in general. It was awesome because I've never met those guys before and they knew nothing about me and it was completely welcoming and friendly. It's a great community. Everyone wants to help out. Everyone wants to invite you to these social rides. You're not just addicted to riding but more being in a setting with those people." We all know Rai Benjamin from the many global medals, but this interview is not about any of that. This fall I saw that the Mt. Vernon native had taken up a new activity, one that is most usually reserved for retired distance runners like myself. We caught up last week because I was intrigued to hear more about how and why the American record holder at the 400m hurdles had become such a serious cyclist during the off-season. You can read the full interview from The Lap Count newsletter here: https://citiusmag.com/articles/the-lap-count-rai-benjamin-interview-on-cycling Hosted by: Kyle Merber – @kylemerber on Instagram Guest: Rai Benjamin – @kingben 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) 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
20 Dec 202332min

Unpacking Josh Kerr's 61:51 Half Marathon, The Bowerman Winners Revealed, What Is A 25K World Record + Venta de Baños! | The Lap Count
This is The Lap Count newsletter by Kyle Merber, as read by Chris Chavez. Join more than 15,000 people who stay up-to-date with all the thrilling action and biggest stories in the world of track & field – delivered right to your inbox every Wednesday morning. Subscribe at http://thelapcount.com/ In this week's newsletter: – Kerr runs down a new half marathon PB 🏔 – THE Bowerman: Play for keeps 🏆 – New 25K WR… sorta, kinda, maybe not 🤔 – An American at Venta de Baños! 🇺🇸🇪🇸 + more rapid-fire highlights from the past week You can read this week's newsletter here ➡️ https://www.thelapcount.com/p/runner-cycling-pipeline SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix will be held on February 4, 2024 at The TRACK at New Balance, the state-of-the-art indoor track and field complex located across the street from New Balance's world headquarters in Brighton, Mass. Rest assured, the stars will be out as Gabby Thomas, Jake Wightman, and Noah Lyles have already been announced as starters. But that should come as no surprise – now in its 29th year, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix has played host to nine world records and 16 American records. The 2023 edition was the first time the event was staged at The TRACK and the crowd was buzzing with excitement from start to finish. Come see what the type is all about! Get your tickets here: https://www.nbindoorgrandprix.com/tickets/?utm_source=www.thelapcount.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-running-cycling-pipeline
20 Dec 202313min

Yared Nuguse On Returning To Defend His Wanamaker Mile Title At 2024 Millrose Games, World Record Possibility
"It feels like a goal that’s within my grasp of achieving. Not only am I stronger and smarter than I was last year, but I feel like I've come a long way and will be able to attack this race with a lot more confidence to chase the world record. When I went (to Millrose) for the first time, I was just chasing the American record. So I feel like changing that mindset, just seeing how far I've come, it feels like a very real possibility at this point." U.S. outdoor mile record holder Yared Nuguse will return to the Armory Track and Field Center in New York City for the 116th Millrose Games to defend his men’s Wanamaker Mile title. Last year, Nuguse made his Millrose Games debut and won and set a U.S. indoor mile record of 3:47.38. He barely missed the world record of 3:47.01 set by Yomif Kejelcha in 2019. Nuguse put together a career year in 2023 with a 7:28.23 for 3000m indoors (American record); a personal best of 3:29.02 for 1500m (the fastest performance by an American-born runner); 3:43.97 outdoor mile (an American record and the fourth-fastest performance in history; a victory at the London Diamond League 1500m and a fifth place finish in the 1500m final at the World Championships. Most recently, he ran 3:56.58 at the Merrie Mile in Honolulu to come just .45 seconds shy of breaking the road mile world record. The Millrose Games is the sixth stop on the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold calendar. Livestream and television broadcast details will be announced in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more Millrose Games athlete announcements as the pro fields come together. Tickets to the 116th Millrose Games can be purchased online at millrosegames.org. Hosted by: Chris Chavez – @chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Yared Nuguse – @yaredthegoose 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) 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
18 Dec 202330min

CJ Albertson Explains Why He Went To Mexico To Run 2:11:08 At The Baja California Marathon – One Week After Winning CIM
“I think I have a good shot, but it's also very competitive and a lot deeper than people realize. This is probably a 20-person race. You only hear about maybe five or seven names, but it's a lot deeper than that.” CJ Albertson is back on the CITIUS MAG Podcast just days after running 2:11:08 at the Baja California Marathon in Mexico this past weekend. The thing is – it comes a week after he ran and won the California International Marathon in 2:11:09. With the performance in Mexico, he got under the 2:11:30 mark making him eligible for selection for the U.S. Olympic Team with a top-three finish at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Instead of having to worry about a time in Orlando, he now just needs to finish in the top three. A reminder to the listeners trying to keep track of things – The U.S. currently has two spots guaranteed for Paris thanks to Conner Mantz and Clayton Young’s performances at the Chicago Marathon. The third spot will likely be unlocked in May based on World Athletics’ rankings. It’s a bit confusing but CJ talks a bit about it in the episode as well. We touch on his decision to run 3 marathons in 2:11ish over 40 days and why he believes his chances of making the team are better than ever. Plus, you have to hear about his infrared treadmill setup. Hosted by: Chris Chavez – @chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: CJ Albertson – @cjalbertson 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) 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
14 Dec 202347min

What Track Can Learn From The NBA's In-Season Tournament, World Athletics Fumbles Athlete Of The Year + The Best Of European XC Championships | The Lap Count
This is The Lap Count newsletter by Kyle Merber, as read by Chris Chavez. Join more than 15,000 people who stay up-to-date with all the thrilling action and biggest stories in the world of track & field – delivered right to your inbox every Wednesday morning. Subscribe at http://thelapcount.com/ In this week's newsletter: – Katelyn Tuohy turns professional ✍️ – Foot Locker is BACK 🏁 – Euro XC — Slop ‘em up! 💩 – CJ Albertson gets the B standard ✅ – Most Valuable Players 👨👩👧👦 – In-Season Tournaments for All! 🏆 + more rapid-fire highlights from the past week You can read this week's newsletter here ➡️ https://www.thelapcount.com/p/athlete-year SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 👟 Our mission at On is to ignite the human spirit through movement. Inspired by athletes. Powered by Swiss engineering. Move with us, and Dream On. We all know it’s harder to get out for a run in the cold, dark days of winter than at other times of the year. But if you can escape the duvet and resist the comfort of the couch, it’s always worth it. There’s a bigger sense of satisfaction after a winter run than after a workout in kinder conditions. It just always feels worth it. And if you’re training for a spring marathon or dedicated to a regular routine, then investing in winter running will pay off big time when the days finally get longer. Visit: https://www.on-running.com
13 Dec 202323min

Notre Dame's Olivia Markezich On Her Breakout 2023 – An NCAA Steeplechase Title, 4th at USAs, 3rd at NCAA XC And The 2nd-Fastest Indoor 3000m Time In NCAA History
"I approached that race with the mentality of just sticking my nose in it and trying to give it my all. I didn't have an idea of what place I wanted to be because that can add a bit of stress and anxiety on top of racing if you're set on getting a certain place. I just wanted to see what I could do, especially with being sick that week leading up to it." Notre Dame senior Olivia Markezich just ran 8:40.42 for 3000m at Boston University's indoor track, which is the second-fastest in NCAA history. It’s been a fantastic year for her. In the spring, she won the 2023 NCAA title in the steeplechase and then finished fourth at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She returned to South Bend for one more full year and capped her final cross country season with a third-place individual and fourth-place team finish for the Fighting Irish. She also signed an NIL deal with On earlier in the fall. I’d say she’s certainly a contender to make the U.S. Olympic team in the steeplechase and might even win the whole thing next June. In this episode, we chat about her rise in the NCAA ranks, how she found the steeplechase, why she returned for one more year, how she’s continually surprising herself in these races and her hopes with the Olympic Trials on the horizon. Hosted by: Chris Chavez – @chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Olivia Markezich – @oliviamarkezich 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)
12 Dec 202337min






















