Sinclaire Johnson

“You can't be someone who shies away from sticking your neck out. I tell our guys: ‘We are trying to win.’ I'll say it publicly. I will say it to anybody. Maybe that puts pressure on us. But life is pressure. Athletics is practice for life. You need to figure out how to handle pressure, how to handle stress, how to handle others’ expectations, your own expectations, and manage it”.

We continue with our office hours episodes as I sit down with Coach Dave Smith, one of the most accomplished coaches in NCAA cross country history and the architect behind Oklahoma State's dominance. Since taking the helm in Stillwater, Coach Smith has built a powerhouse program leading Oklahoma State to four NCAA men's cross country titles and a Big 12 record of 13 conference championships. He guided the Cowboys to a historic team performance at the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championship, scoring just 49 points, the third lowest winning total since 2000.

Coach Smith’s accolades don't stop there. He's a four-time National Coach of the Year, a Team USA coach on the world stage, and a leader of a program that has consistently produced NCAA champions, All-Americans, and world-class athletes like German Fernandez, Taylor Roe, Alex Maier, and Sinclaire Johnson.

In today's episode, we dive into his journey from athlete to coach, how he's cultivated a championship driven environment at Oklahoma State, what's next for his program, his athletes, and his take on the future of distance running in the NCAA and beyond.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram 

Guest: Dave Smith | @coach_dave_smith on Instagram 

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“But also in the back of my mind, and with talking to Craig [Nowak], was that I would have so much regret if I stopped now. I feel like I have not reached my potential and that’s the biggest thing that I want to do: be able to see how fast I can go and how far I can go.”

My guest for today's episode is Sinclaire Johnson. She's the 2023 U.S. 1500m champion, a two-time world championship finalist, and the sixth-fastest American woman in history at 1500m. Sinclaire has proven time and time again that she belongs among the best–not just in the United States, but also in the world.

But the road hasn't always been easy. 2024 was a year of highs and lows for her: a two-second personal best and a stunning 3:56 at the Olympic Trials final, but also a 4th place finish that left her just outside of the team for Paris. Adding in her two injuries that disrupted both her Trials buildup and her postseason, it's been a year of recalibrating. It's also been a year of reassessing and figuring out what comes next.

In this episode, we get into the emotional rollercoaster of the Trials, her decision to leave the Union Athletics Club, why she's taking full control of her training under the guidance of her fiancé, Craig Nowak. We also talk about what she's learned from years of navigating injuries, her new approach to staying healthy, and how she's setting herself up for success in 2025, starting with this weekend's U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠ 

Guest: Sinclaire Johnson | ⁠@sinclairejohnson on Instagram⁠

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

KETONE-IQ: Level up your training with Ketone-IQ – a clean shot of energy with no sugar or caffeine. Or try the new Ketone-IQ + Caffeine, combining 5g of ketones with 100mg of green tea caffeine for a smooth, sustained boost. It’s used by pro runners like Des Linden and Sara Hall. Proven to enhance endurance, focus, and recovery, ketones are 28% more efficient than glucose. No crashes, no bonking—just next-level performance. Take the shot. Feel the difference. Save 30% off your first subscription order & receive a free six pack of Ketone-IQ with ⁠KETONE.com/CITIUS⁠.

OLIPOP: BuzzFeed just came out with an article that recently named Olipop "the best overall soda for flavor" — and with a lineup that includes classic root beer, vintage cola and cherry vanilla, it's easy to see why. ⁠Try Olipop today and save 25% on your order using code CITIUS25 at checkout at DrinkOlipop.com.⁠

Back on the podcast is Sinclaire Johnson! 

Sinclaire holds PRs of 1:59 (800m), 3:56 (1500m), and 8:37 in the 3k. 

While running at Oklahoma State University, she was the 2019 NCAA Champion in the 1500m. She was the 2022 USATF Outdoor 1500m Champion where she then went on to place 6th at the 2022 World Championships hosted in Eugene, Oregon.

She is the 6th fastest US woman all-time in the 1500m.

Sinclaire runs for NIKE and announces on this podcast her new coach and training setup...

In addition to discussing this, Sinclaire walks me through her 2024 season, the setbacks she experienced, and lessons she learned from them, her approach to 2025 and beyond, and so much more!

I always have so many takeaways after my conversations with Sinclaire due to her openness and vulnerability when discussing her running. Take the time to listen to this one as I know it will bless you!

Tap into the Sinclaire Johnson Special.  

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The U.S. Olympic Trials are back and better than ever in the second half of the 8-day program, with incredible drama, upsets, and underdog stories across the board.

The race of the day (and perhaps the week?) was the women’s steeplechase, where a fast early pace and a topsy-turvy final lap ended with a whole slew of personal bests and rewriting of the record books. Tokyo Olympian Val Constien ended up on top thanks to a phenomenal final 400m, running 9:03.22 to PR by 11 seconds and land at #3 on the U.S. all-time list. Constien had ACL surgery last year and after a long road back is better than ever.

We got our first peeks at the 400m hurdles crew, and the main takeaway from the first round is that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Rai Benjamin are looking like world beaters out for an easy jog. McLaughlin-Levrone in particular shut it down entirely over the final two laps and still ran 53.07, the third-fastest performance in the world this year behind her own season’s best and Femke Bol’s world lead.

Speaking of first looks, Erriyon Knighton doesn’t seem to have missed a step as he ran his first 200m in four months, cruising through the first round with a 20.15 just behind Noah Lyles’s 20.10 in an earlier heat. And a stacked final is set for the 5000m, where reigning U.S. champ Abdi Nur takes on two of the three members of Team USA in the 10,000m, the 1500m Trials champ, and two NCAA champs.

The middle-distance rounds will continue to get more and more cutthroat, with the women’s 1500m featuring Elle St. Pierre, Heather MacLean, Cory McGee, Emily MacKay, Elise Cranny, Nikki Hiltz, Sinclaire Johnson, and more heading to the semis and Olympians Bryce Hoppel and Clayton Murphy looking ready to once again do battle in the 800m.

“I think the only time I thought about that American record was that last 100m because I was like, ‘You have to beat Elise no matter what. If you guys are going fast enough and you’re not in front of her, she’s going to get it.’ I think I barely outleaned her and ended up getting sixth. The results took forever to load and come up on the screen but when they did it was such a party because everyone set their national record. Seven of us were out there stoked. At this event, everyone is so happy for everyone. It’s cool to see the camaraderie. We know that if one of us is going to do well, we’re all going to rise to that.”

Nikki Hiltz is putting together one of the most impressive outdoor seasons.

Last month was an absolute triumph for Nikki, as they clinched the U.S. 1500m title, kicking to victory ahead of the likes of the 800m Olympic champion Athing Mu, U.S. Olympian Cory McGee and the reigning U.S. champion, Sinclaire Johnson. My interview with Nikki went viral after they dedicated the victory to the transgender community.

Now, Nikki is gearing up for their second career world championships. Back in 2019, in their very first season as a professional runner, they made it to the 1500m final. Since then, they've continued to progress and currently holding the U.S. titles in the indoor and outdoor 1500m, as well as the road mile.

Nikki took their momentum to Monaco, where they clocked a jaw-dropping 4:16.35, shattering Mary Slaney's American record that had stood tall since 1985. It was awesome to see so many national records fall in that race behind Faith Kipyegon’s world record.

In this conversation, we dive deep into their unforgettable performance at the U.S. Championship, that epic race in Monaco, and what they're looking forward to at the World Championships in Budapest next month. 

Nikki is not only a phenomenal athlete but an incredible human being as well. Their passion and dedication shine on and off the track, making them an absolute joy to root for.

Host: Chris Chavez | @Chris_J_Chavez on Instagram

Guest: Nikki Hiltz | @NikkiHiltz on Instagram

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This year's race is fundraising for Point of Pride, a nonprofit organization that provides financial aid and direct support to trans folks in need of health and wellness care

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I am absolutely thrilled to welcome onto the podcast the one and only Sinclaire Johnson!

Sinclaire was the 2022 US Champion in the 1500m and placed 4th at this year championships sending her to the World Championships next month in Budapest. She holds PRs of 1:59.90 in the 800m and 3:58.85 in the 1500. She runs for Nike's Union Athletics Club. In college, Sinclaire was an NCAA Champion in the 1500m. In high school, Sinclaire was a multi-time state champion in Flordia.

Over the past few months, Sinclaire has dealt with a plethora of setbacks that she shares in-depth about in this episode. I greatly appreciated her openness to talking about the darker side of the sport that all of us have experienced. Through hearing her story and journey in this sport, I'm so confident you'll walk away a better version of yourself and all the more motivated to tackle your dreams. We also discuss why running beef is good for the sport and what she'd cook for Gordon Ramsay for dinner.

This is one of my favorite episodes of all-time, perfect for your summer training, I hope you'll take the time to listen and enjoy it as much as we did having it!

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

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Here from John O'Malley, Shannon Thompson, Kelly Christensen, and Sinclaire Johnson.

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The CITIUS MAG team is back with its daily podcast covering the 2022 USA Track and Field Championships live from Eugene, Oregon. In this episode, Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, Dana Giordano, Katelyn Hutchison and Jasmine Todd unpack all of the biggest surprises from the first day of action including:

Women’s Javelin: How did Kara Winger get so clutch?

Men’s Pole Vault: Who is going to make this team?

Men’s Hammer Throw: Was this the biggest upset of the day?

Women’s Triple Jump: Can Keturah even miss?

Women’s 1500m: What does a 59-second last lap get you?

Men’s 1500m: Hold up, who made the team?

Men’s Steeplechase: Is everyone as happy for Evan Jager as we are?

Women’s 400m: Why did Talitha Diggs get all the good genes?

Men’s 400m: What can Michael Norman do at the World Champs?

Women’s 100m Hurdles: Can this US team sweep?

Women’s 400m Hurdles: SYDNEY BROKE THE WORLD RECORD!!!

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NCAA champion and current Union Athletics Club runner Sinclaire Johnson talks her travel adventures, her time at Oklahoma State, peanut butter ice cream, favorite foods to cook, growing up in Florida, advice for younger runners and more.

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Get to know Sinclaire Johnson and Vanessa Fraser of the Bowerman Track Club. The squad discusses clubbing, pro running, Bowerman Track Club, and they place some high stakes on a game of Flip Cup. The boys also get some conversation topics from Sinclaire's mom and have a few spicy questions up their sleeves. 

Watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/tFG-fTQf8nw 

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Here we are, Episode 3! This week we go over a lot of exciting things that happened last weekend from racing to drama. We also look forward to next weekend. Listen to the episode for more about:

• How I totally hate running in the winter but I'm in the best shape of my life.
• A new segment called "Beef of the Week." I started my own bit of beef, and we discuss other drama going on in our sport.
• Bowerman Track Club dominated last weekend... at their own meet?
• Long Jumpers are getting HEATED.
• New Balance Indoor Grad Prix is STACKED.

Tune in for all the deets. Follow us on IG @RunnersShuffled @GerardConnelly

See ya'll next week!

You won’t want to miss out on this episode were Sinclaire and I dive into how she started running, her quick success at the high school level, the ups and downs of her college career, and how in a span of one year she went from watching the 1500 meter finals at Nationals from the bleachers to winning her first National title which led to her becoming a Bowerman Babe ⚡️