Almgren Sensational, Jakob Upset, US Women Silver, Vinny Mauri's Strava, Athlos, Sam Blaskowski's Racial Slurs
LetsRun.com's Track Talk: The Home of Running and Track and FieldShow Notes
Andreas Almgren became the first non-African man in 30 years to win the World Half Marathon Championships, running 58:06 in Copenhagen and reigniting debate over whether he can contend at the New York City Marathon. The US women earned team silver with three runners in the top 10, Emma Grace Hurley, Weini Kelati, and Jess McClain all delivering stellar performances, while the US men took bronze.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen was stunned in the men's 5K by Eritrea's 21-year-old Dawit Seare, who is now headed to NAZ Elite. The hosts dissect Vinny Mauri's jaw-dropping Strava training logs ahead of the Chicago Marathon, debate whether Athlos is sustainable after its third edition in London, and close with Niels Laros' Achilles surgery and discussion of Sam Blaskowski's racist slurs.
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Links
World Half Marathon Recap & Analysis
Emma Grace Hurley — Atlanta Track Club Profile
Sam Blaskowski Videos from Erin Brown
LetsRun.com
LetsRun.com Forum
LetsRun.com Shop
Athlos
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro & Weekend Preview
06:45 Weldon's 1999 World Half Marathon Adventure
10:36 US Women's Team Silver at World Half Marathon
14:56 Agnes Ngetich Dominates & American Women Race Bravely
19:50 USATF Selection Policy & Conner Mantz's Return
25:24 Vinny Mauri's Insane Strava Training
29:19 Andreas Almgren Stuns at World Half Marathon
34:10 Can Almgren Contend at the New York City Marathon?
37:43 The Case Against Almgren in the Marathon
44:29 Almgren, Rupp & the New York Marathon Field
49:11 Almgren vs Mantz & the Non-African Gap
52:37 Is the Marathon Getting Shorter? Shoes & Fueling
54:30 Jakob Ingebrigtsen Stunned in Copenhagen
60:58 Dawit Seare: World Champion Headed to NAZ Elite
64:00 Drew Hunter's Record & Athlos Meet Review
67:05 Sha'Carri Richardson's Inconsistency Mystery
70:18 Athlos Broadcast: Too Much Dead Time?
75:10 Will Athlos Survive Past LA28?
78:46 Athlos Viewership & Can a New Track League Work?
84:03 Niels Laros Surgery & Sam Blaskowski Racism Scandal
88:40 Blaskowski's Training Group & the Path Forward
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Since 2000, LetsRun.com has been the independent home of elite running. Described by the New York Times as the "influential website that serves as something of a superego for American running," the podcast is the weekly deep dive into the world of track and field and elite distance running.
The show is hosted by LetsRun.com co-founders Weldon Johnson, a 2-time Team USA member, and Robert Johnson, a former Cornell coach who helped pace the marathon world record, along with award-winning senior writer Jonathan Gault. Together they move beyond PR headlines to provide insider reporting and unfiltered debate serious fans rely on.
More from LetsRun.com's Track Talk: The Home of Running and Track and Field
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The 2026 Chicago Marathon is stacked with storylines. On the men's side, Vinny Mauri, a former shoe store employee who ran 2:05 alone at Toledo, has gone viral for jaw-dropping treadmill workouts at Planet Fitness, fueling American record hopes. Rojo sparks heated debate by arguing the US has zero legitimate marathon title contenders despite record depth. The women's field is historically loaded with 12 sub-2:20 runners, led by former world record holder Brigid Kosgei and two-time Boston winner Sharon Lokedi, who's running her first flat marathon. The crew also breaks down Jacob Kiplimo's chances, weather concerns that could derail fast times, and whether super shoes benefit women more than men.
Tigst Assefa was on world record pace at the Berlin Marathon before an Achilles injury derailed her final two kilometers. She still limped home in 2:11:04, the third-fastest women's marathon ever, and underwent surgery within hours.
Emma Grace Hurley joins the podcast after the race of her life: a 66:23 half marathon PB at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, good for fifth place and a historic team silver medal for the US women. She breaks down her race strategy, the chaotic Atlanta trials where she was led off course in the final mile, and why she chose the half marathon over the 5K.