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

For the final episode of Trials Talk with Chris and Kyle, we dissect the wildest hour of track and field on U.S. soil in a while. In the men’s 5,000m, Paul Chelimo toyed with the field and won a scorcher of a race in 13:26 ahead of Woody Kincaid and Grant FIsher. We had a bit of a weather delay where the meet was postponed due to extreme and record-setting heat. We had a world record in the women’s 400m hurdles where Sydney McLaughlin took .26 seconds off Dalilah Muhammad’s previous mark. Athing Mu did her thing with the second-fastest U.S. women’s 800m mark of all-time to win the women’s 800m over a loaded field. Ajee Wilson and Raevyn Rogers snuck in behind her for the other two spots to Tokyo. As if anything could follow those up, we saw one of the best 1,500 meter duels in recent history with Cole Hocker defeating the reigning Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz. Noah Lyles closed out the show with a world-leading time in the men’s 200m of 19.74. TUNE IN AND LISTEN TO TRIALS TALK WITH CHRIS AND KYLE. Our daily podcast from the Olympic Trials is presented by Tracksmith. We’re excited to partner with Tracksmith, an independent running brand fueled by a deep love of the sport. They celebrate the amateur spirit and seek to inspire the personal pursuit of excellence. Tracksmith is pleased to be supporting 30 Olympic Trials qualifiers in Eugene, including athletes across 14 disciplines, as part of their Amateur Support Program. Check out Tracksmith's essentials for racing and training - including the Strata kits their Trials athletes are racing in this week - at Tracksmith.com/CITIUS and use code CITIUS to receive 10% off any order until the last day of the trials, June 27th.

28 Juni 202135min

Saturday's action at the U.S. Olympic Trials featured incredible sprints action so Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber and Dana Giordano get together to recap all of it. Grant Holloway gave Aires Merritt's 110m hurdles world record (12.80) a scare by running 12.81 in the semifinals before coming back to win it all in the final. Rai Benjamin became the second-fastest man of all-time in the men's 400m hurdles with a casual 46.83m win. Gabby Thomas ran 21.61 to become the second-fastest 200m runner of all-time behind FloJo. We also touch on the master class by Emily Sisson to win the women's 10,000m in an Olympic Trials record in 80+ degree heat. TUNE IN AND LISTEN TO TRIALS TALK WITH CHRIS AND KYLE. Our daily podcast from the Olympic Trials is presented by Tracksmith. We’re excited to partner with Tracksmith, an independent running brand fueled by a deep love of the sport. They celebrate the amateur spirit and seek to inspire the personal pursuit of excellence. Tracksmith is pleased to be supporting 30 Olympic Trials qualifiers in Eugene, including athletes across 14 disciplines, as part of their Amateur Support Program. Check out Tracksmith's essentials for racing and training - including the Strata kits their Trials athletes are racing in this week - at Tracksmith.com/CITIUS and use code CITIUS to receive 10% off any order until the last day of the trials, June 27th.

27 Juni 202157min

Ben Blankenship joins Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber for a candid conversation about how he managed to get to the U.S. Olympic Trials men's 1,500m starting line after suffering a stress fracture in his tibia with seven weeks to go until the Olympic Trials. Blankenship details how he was able to piece together any fitness to be able to show up on the starting line and attempt to make his second Olympic team. He made it through the first round with a 3:42 to squeeze into the semifinal as the last time qualifier. He ran 3:46 in the semifinal and was eliminated. As you'll learn in this episode, this is far from the end for Blankenship. On Instagram, he wrote: "I watched the 2012 Trials from afar; I vowed that if I ever earned the opportunity to compete, I’d always show up. It’s the Olympic Trials." TUNE IN AND LISTEN TO TRIALS TALK WITH CHRIS AND KYLE. Our daily podcast from the Olympic Trials is presented by Tracksmith. We’re excited to partner with Tracksmith, an independent running brand fueled by a deep love of the sport. They celebrate the amateur spirit and seek to inspire the personal pursuit of excellence. Tracksmith is pleased to be supporting 30 Olympic Trials qualifiers in Eugene, including athletes across 14 disciplines, as part of their Amateur Support Program. Check out Tracksmith's essentials for racing and training - including the Strata kits their Trials athletes are racing in this week - at Tracksmith.com/CITIUS and use code CITIUS to receive 10% off any order until the last day of the trials, June 27th.

27 Juni 202135min

Fresh off his 3rd place finish at the Olympic Trials steeplechase, Mason Ferlic, joins Chris, Kyle and Nick on the podcast to celebrate his newly booked trip to Tokyo. The group discusses his journey from the University of Michigan to getting dropped from his professional contract and to eventually finding a home with Tracksmith, both as an athlete and employee. Ferlic peels back the curtain to share his insights as to why he believes the importance of a balance between running, work and the rest of his life led him to this career highlight. Based out of Ann Arbor and training with the Very Nice Track Club, he is surrounded by the all-time great young American miler, Hobbs Kessler and one of the best veterans to ever do it, Nick Willis. This magic formula worked -- it is sending Mason Ferlic to the Olympics! TUNE IN AND LISTEN TO TRIALS TALK WITH CHRIS AND KYLE. Our daily podcast from the Olympic Trials is presented by Tracksmith. We’re excited to partner with Tracksmith, an independent running brand fueled by a deep love of the sport. They celebrate the amateur spirit and seek to inspire the personal pursuit of excellence. Tracksmith is pleased to be supporting 30 Olympic Trials qualifiers in Eugene, including athletes across 14 disciplines, as part of their Amateur Support Program. Check out Tracksmith's essentials for racing and training - including the Strata kits their Trials athletes are racing in this week - at Tracksmith.com/CITIUS and use code CITIUS to receive 10% off any order until the last day of the trials, June 27th.

26 Juni 202132min

Val Constien finished third in the steeplechase finals here at the U.S. Olympic Trials and returns to the podcast to dissect her race and the biggest moment of her career while also looking ahead to the Tokyo Olympics. TUNE IN AND LISTEN TO TRIALS TALK WITH CHRIS AND KYLE. Our daily podcast from the Olympic Trials is presented by Tracksmith. We’re excited to partner with Tracksmith, an independent running brand fueled by a deep love of the sport. They celebrate the amateur spirit and seek to inspire the personal pursuit of excellence. Tracksmith is pleased to be supporting 30 Olympic Trials qualifiers in Eugene, including athletes across 14 disciplines, as part of their Amateur Support Program. Check out Tracksmith's essentials for racing and training - including the Strata kits their Trials athletes are racing in this week - at Tracksmith.com/CITIUS and use code CITIUS to receive 10% off any order until the last day of the trials, June 27th.

26 Juni 202123min

There were a few surprises in the semifinals of the middle distance events during Day 6 of the U.S. Olympic Trials, with high school phenom Hobbs Kessler and 3:49 miler Johnny Gregory getting eliminated in the semifinals of the men’s 1500, and NCAA champion Sage Hurta going down in a hard fall in the women’s 800. At the end of the day, six new Olympians were named in the men’s discus and men’s steeplechase, including a friend of the CITIUS MAG pod Mason Ferlic. Kyle and Chris are re-joined by Mac Fleet and David “chaser of steeples” Melly to break down all the action and make some bold takes for Sunday’s finals. TUNE IN AND LISTEN TO TRIALS TALK WITH CHRIS AND KYLE. Our daily podcast from the Olympic Trials is presented by Tracksmith. We’re excited to partner with Tracksmith, an independent running brand fueled by a deep love of the sport. They celebrate the amateur spirit and seek to inspire the personal pursuit of excellence. Tracksmith is pleased to be supporting 30 Olympic Trials qualifiers in Eugene, including athletes across 14 disciplines, as part of their Amateur Support Program. Check out Tracksmith's essentials for racing and training - including the Strata kits their Trials athletes are racing in this week - at Tracksmith.com/CITIUS and use code CITIUS to receive 10% off any order until the last day of the trials, June 27th.

26 Juni 202148min

Emma Coburn and Courtney Frerichs went 1-2 in the women's 3,000m steeplechase as many expected but it was the battle for the third spot that came down to a dramatic finish between Val Constien and Leah Falland. Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber and Mac Fleet discuss all of the action from Day 5 at the U.S. Olympic Trials live from Eugene, Ore. In this episode, we discuss the men's 1,500m semifinal that didn't take anything out of the favorites, surprising cuts in the women's 800m, another big night for Team Throwvacs and much more... TUNE IN AND LISTEN TO TRIALS TALK WITH CHRIS AND KYLE. Our daily podcast from the Olympic Trials is presented by Tracksmith. We’re excited to partner with Tracksmith, an independent running brand fueled by a deep love of the sport. They celebrate the amateur spirit and seek to inspire the personal pursuit of excellence. Tracksmith is pleased to be supporting 30 Olympic Trials qualifiers in Eugene, including athletes across 14 disciplines, as part of their Amateur Support Program. Check out Tracksmith's essentials for racing and training - including the Strata kits their Trials athletes are racing in this week - at Tracksmith.com/CITIUS and use code CITIUS to receive 10% off any order until the last day of the trials, June 27th.

25 Juni 202153min

Fresh off his 3rd place finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials 10k, Joe Klecker joins hosts Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber and Nick Willis for a conversation about his race and the training that got him there. After graduating from Colorado University, the 7x All-American remained in Boulder to be coached by fellow Buff legend, Dathan Ritzenhein. Since then he has achieved personal bests in ten straight races and a berth to Tokyo in the eleventh. The vision for the On Athletics Club was created and built around Klecker. In its first year as a professional club, the new group has burst onto the scene and solidified its presence — first domestically and now on the world stage. This is an episode bursting with genuine questions of curiosity as Joe shares workout details that took our breath away. Hear what went into his build-up, both mentally and physically, that prepared him for his big breakout in what will certainly be one of your favorite listens yet. TUNE IN AND LISTEN TO TRIALS TALK WITH CHRIS AND KYLE. Our daily podcast from the Olympic Trials is presented by Tracksmith. We’re excited to partner with Tracksmith, an independent running brand fueled by a deep love of the sport. They celebrate the amateur spirit and seek to inspire the personal pursuit of excellence. Tracksmith is pleased to be supporting 30 Olympic Trials qualifiers in Eugene, including athletes across 14 disciplines, as part of their Amateur Support Program. Check out Tracksmith's essentials for racing and training - including the Strata kits their Trials athletes are racing in this week - at Tracksmith.com/CITIUS and use code CITIUS to receive 10% off any order until the last day of the trials, June 27th.

23 Juni 202142min