Cole Hocker

Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, and Preet Majithia are back with lots to unpack, including two Diamond Leagues, a half marathon world record, a robot, a Rupp record, and breaking news at the end of the episode.

Discussed in this episode:

– Yomif Kejelcha, 56:51 half marathon world record, Buenos Aires: Cuts 21 seconds off Jacob Kiplimo’s 57:20 from Lisbon in March (note: the Lisbon run hasn’t been formally ratified yet either). Kejelcha’s splits: 13:45 through 5K, 27:19 through 10K (19 seconds off world record pace), then he turns it on: 13:22 for 10K-to-15K, closes the final kilometer in 2:32.

– Silesia men’s 1500m — Ethan Strand wins in 3:30, 11th to first: Cole Hocker third (3:31.17, first race since Pre Classic, seven weeks off), Jakob Ingebrigtsen fourth (3:31.19, ten days after winning the European 5K), Phanuel Koech second (3:31.14). Splits: 1:50.4 last 800, 54.3 last lap, 26.4 last 200 (13.2/13.2 for Ethan). Strand ran wide in lane two for much of the race, avoided the traffic that boxed Cole and Jakob, and had a clear line in the final 100.

– Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s return to the 1500: Ten days since Europeans. Ran to the front from 600 to go, accelerated sharply in 13.7 for that section, closed at a level that wasn’t far off Ethan.

– World Athletics Seb Coe Super Invites — Budapest 1500 expands to 13: Both Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen confirmed. World Athletics broke their own rule because the matchup was too good to keep from fans.

– Silesia women’s 1500m — Tsigie Duguma wins in 3:55.06 (world lead, PB): Goes from fifth to first in the final 100 meters with her trademark last-50 burst.

– Lausanne 5000m — Americans go 2-3-4: Birhanu Balew wins in 12:57. Parker Wolfe second in 12:58.2, Nico Young third in 12:58.3, Graham Blanks fourth in 12:59.16. Parker Wolfe is the best American 5K runner right now.

– Lausanne men’s 800m — Wanyonyi wins in 1:42, first DL 800 victory of the year: Marco Arop went through 400 in 49.1 — deliberately trying to set up a world record attempt (Rudisha’s split was 49.2).

– Lausanne women’s 800m — Audrey Werro wins in 1:55.33, Femke Bol second in 1:55.41: Femke sets a new Dutch national record (tying, then surpassing Ellen van Langen’s 1992 Olympic final mark).

– Silesia women’s 100m — Melissa Jefferson-Wooden wins, 10.78: Extends unbeaten 100m streak to 10 races.

– Rai Benjamin confirms the double at World Ultimate: Flat 400 on day one, 400H semis and final on days two and three.

– The robot: Lightning, a humanoid robot built by smartphone maker Honor, ran 9.32 at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing — breaking Bolt’s world record of 9.58.

– Galen Rupp, 61:29 at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon: US 40+ record. Ninth place overall. Fastest half he’s run in six years.

– Looking ahead: Zurich Diamond League Thursday. Diamond League final in Brussels September 4-5. World Ultimate Championships September 11-13.

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He said it was his to lose. Then he went out and made sure of it.

Josh Kerr is back on The Running Effect, and this time he's not limping off a global stage. He's walking out of Toruń with gold, and already calling his next shot.

At the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Kerr reclaimed the 3000m title he first won two years ago in Glasgow. He ran a 7:35.56, the second-fastest winning time in World Indoor Championships history. 

February brought his return: a 2-mile against Cole Hocker at Millrose, a second-place finish that felt more like reconnaissance than defeat. He knew what was coming.

Before Toruń, he called the title his to lose. On March 21, he backed it up, settling patiently, surging at the bell, making himself the target, and winning by 0.14 seconds.

Now the next target is on the clock.

Project 222. On July 18 at the London Diamond League, Kerr will attempt to break Hicham El Guerrouj's mile world record of 3:43.13, a mark that has stood since 1999. The goal: 222 seconds flat. A 3:42 mile. His current PB of 3:45.34 is the British record and sixth all-time. Two seconds separates him from history. 

Tap into the Josh Kerr Special.

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If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

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A relatively quiet weekend in track, though there’s still plenty to dig into with Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, and Preet Majithia.
In this week’s episode:

- Preet’s pandemic-era haircut savings

- McKirdy MicrOTQ recap: Kyle paced Thomas Knobbs to a 2:09.24 — the fourth-fastest Canadian of all time — then helped the women’s qualifying group

- The race start had a fascinating start: single-file starts, chip timing

- 14 men and 11 women earn Olympic Trials qualifying standards

- Sound Running 10K

- The 2027 Beijing 10K standard: Why World Athletics still hasn’t announced it?

- Maurie Plant Meet: Lachlan Kennedy beats Gout Gout again

- Claudia Hollingsworth beats world indoor champ Georgia Hunter Bell in the women’s 1500 — Is this the year she announces herself?

- Cameron Myers runs 3:30 and wins by a lot — why wasn’t he at World Indoors?

- Embrace debate: of Hollingsworth, Gout Gout, and Myers: Who has the best shot at Olympic gold in Brisbane?

- The Pure Athletics vs. Star Athletics tension is real and it’s good for the sport

- Josh Kerr and Project 222: 3:42 mile world record attempt at the London Diamond League on July 18th

- What happens if Cole Hocker breaks the record two weeks earlier at Pre-Classic?

- Albert Korir gets a five-year doping ban, Patrick Dever moves to the podium

- Conner Mantz scratches from the Boston Marathon

- Why Kyle is most impressed by Clayton Young’s altitude long run

- Cynthia Erivo will run the London Marathon after performing two shows of a one-woman Dracula the day before

- Harry Styles marathon watch

- Marileidy Paulino runs 2:04 in the 800, Dalilah Muhammad is very much not retired

- What’s coming on the podcast feed

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Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠ + Kyle Merber | ⁠@kylemerber⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Die Hallen-WM in Toruń ist Geschichte – und was für eine. Cooper Lutkenhaus wird mit 17 Jahren der jüngste Weltmeister in der Geschichte der Leichtathletik, Keely Hodgkinson läuft in 1:55.30 auf Championship-Rekord, Yann Schrub verpasst Bronze im Fotofinish um 0.01 Sekunden – und Deutschland geht leer aus. Felix und Max zerlegen die Rennen, ordnen die deutsche Bilanz ein (ohne Panik, aber ehrlich) und schauen voraus: Am Wochenende steht mit The Ten in den USA und dem Berliner Halbmarathon das erste echte Highlight der Straßen-Saison an. Amanal Petros auf Europarekord-Kurs. Drei deutsche Männer beim 10.000m-Rennen des Jahres. Und Max mittendrin – als Pacer im B-Lauf.

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00:00 Intro

00:30 Felix' 5km-Fitness-Check: 16:08 – was war, was geht noch

04:00 Max im Trainingslager Flagstaff: Letzter Update vor The Ten

05:00 Max als Pacer? Die Chaos-Story hinter seiner Startnummer

10:05 Ministry-Sponsor-Block: Power Carb Heat, Recovery Shake, Immun-Stick

15:10 Keely Hodgkinson: 1:55.30, Championship-Rekord – und danach noch 400m-Staffel

19:00 Keely als Vorbildfigur – Körperbau, Stärke, Frauenlaufsport

23:00 Cooper Lutkenhaus: Mit 17 Jahren jüngster Weltmeister aller Zeiten

28:00 3000m Männer: Josh Kerr, Cole Hocker, Yann Schrub – das Fotofinish

32:00 Nadia Battocletti: Warum sie zu wenig Aufmerksamkeit bekommt

34:00 1500m: Mariano García, Georgia Hunter Bell35:00MWR der Woche: Keely, Lutkenhaus, Battocletti

35:20 Deutsche Bilanz Hallen-WM: Ehrliche Analyse ohne Panikmache

43:00 Strukturproblem DLV: Fehlende Veteranen-Ebene

47:00 Deutsche Halbmarathon-DM Frankfurt: Ringer, Pfeiffer, Antonia Schiel

53:00 Zum Timing der DM-Rennserie: 10km, HM, Marathon

53:55 Preview: The Ten – Amanal Petros auf 27:21-Rekord-Kurs?

58:45 Lisa Merkel beim The Ten: Frauen-10.000m

01:02:00 Berliner Halbmarathon Preview Männer: Petros, Lobalu, Simon Boch

01:03:00 Berliner Halbmarathon Preview Frauen: Amebaw, Esther Pfeiffer krank?

01:16:40 Quizfrage: Robert Farken beim Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne

01:19:00 Tobi Tend-Segment aus Südafrika

Preet Majithia breaks down the biggest moments and surprises from day two at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland.

A couple of today's highlights include:

- After getting beaten by Cole Hocker in his first race of the season at the Millrose Games two mile, Josh Kerr has the last laugh by outkicking Hocker and the field to win his third global title and second in the 3000m, running 7:35.56 ahead of Hocker’s 7:35.70.

- Nadia Battocletti finally got her golden moment in the 3000m, as the Italian used a 28.54 final lap to outkick Jessica Hull with Battocletti claiming her fourth global medal in 8:57.64.

- Khaleb McRae led for about 390 meters of the 400m final, but it wasn’t quite enough to hold off the late charge of Christopher Morales Williams, who closed best to win in a championship-record of 44.76.

- Lurdes Gloria Manuel had only won one 400m so far in 2026 heading into this weekend, but she clocked three straight indoor PBs in the three rounds of racing and won her first global title in 50.76.

+ More

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Host: Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠

XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.