Sub-Two, Rojo on NPR, Felix's Comeback at 42, Drew Hunter, a Near World Record in Botswana
LetsRun.com's Track Talk: The Home of Running and Track and FieldShow Notes
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Sebastian Sawe's sub-two-hour marathon is still front and center, especially after RoJo's appearance on NPR's On Point, where he debated the moment's significance alongside Alex Hutchinson. This week, the crew digs deeper into the shoe science, unearthing Jack Daniels' 1982 weight study and running the numbers on the Adidas advantage over the Nike Alphafly. The World Relays in Botswana delivered a near-world-record men's 4x400 and South Africa's Lythe Pillay split a jaw-dropping 42.66. Allyson Felix announces an Olympic comeback at age 42, Drew Hunter and Karissa Schweizer win the US 5K Championships, and the running world mourns Parker Morse while pulling for Michael Sandrock.
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LINKS
RoJo on NPR's On Point with Alex Hutchinson and Meghna Chakrabarti
Sean Ingle reminds us Paul Tergat said sub-2:00 was impossible
5 Thoughts on World Relays
The Norwegian Method by Marius Bakken
RIP Parker Morse
Michael Sandrock battling for his life
Sean Ingle banned from Enhanced Games
Running with the Legends by Michael Sandrock
Rachel Bachman's Wall Street Journal article on the new Adidas super shoe
Howard Calvert: How I Ran a Sub-2:30 Marathon for the First Time as a 47-Year-Old
Gear:
Get the pink LetsRun shirt
The Norwegian Method by Marius Bakken
Running with the Legends by Michael Sandro ****
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Sponsor / Intro
01:02 RoJo's NPR Debut and Sub-Two Reactions
06:35 The Next Big Mainstream Running Moment
09:50 Super Shoes and the Science Behind Sub-Two
15:09 Jack Daniels' Weight Study and the Adidas Advantage
19:43 Tailwind, Doping, and What Made London Historic
21:35 Text Line Is Back, Supporters Club, and The Norwegian Method
24:51 World Relays Recap from Botswana
28:04 Lythe Pillay's Historic 42.66 Split
31:33 Altitude, Timing Debates, and Southern Hemisphere Edge
34:55 Elaine Thompson-Herah Returns to the Track
36:46 Should World Relays Bring Back Distance Events
39:25 Gabby Thomas Skips the World Relays
41:08 Allyson Felix's Olympic Comeback at 42
46:41 Allyson Felix's Legacy and the Aging Athlete Debate
52:31 Remembering Parker Morse and Pulling for Michael Sandrock
57:01 London Marathon's Two-Day Experiment and Travel Costs
61:49 RoJo's Old School Marathon Pitch
68:58 Enhanced Games, Night Marathons, and Shakeout Debates
71:50 US 5K Championships and Who Didn't Show Up
77:49 Outro and Announcements
CONTACT
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ABOUT THE LETSRUN.COM PODCAST
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.