“Especially after 36K, I was telling myself, ‘Even if they speed up, I have to go deep today…’ I was telling myself, ‘This is my moment.’”
My guest for today's episode is Abdi Nageeye, whose journey in 2024 could only be described as redemption at its finest. The Dutch marathoner and 2021 Olympic silver medalist who just three months ago grappled with his appointment after withdrawing late in the Olympic marathon in Paris, roared back to claim the biggest victory of his career at the TCS New York City Marathon.
In a thrilling showdown against one of the strongest fields in race history, Nageeye deployed patience, strategy, and a powerful finishing kick to secure his first World Marathon Major title in 2:07:39 seconds, making history as the first Dutchman and the first European since 1996. To win the New York City Marathon from his self coach training in Eldoret to a race plan honed by years of experience on the course, Abdi turned heartbreak into triumph.
We dive into his reflections on Paris, his mental and physical preparation for New York City, and what this victory means for him moving forward. But first, you'll also hear a never before released interview with Abdi from my trip to Kenya in June 2023, where we discussed a bit more of his backstory and upbringing from being born in Somalia to settling in the Netherlands as a refugee and spending time in Syria before finally being adopted by a Dutch family.
I initially planned for this to be released last fall, but didn't have a chance to, but I'm now glad it's finally out. It's fun because towards the end of that first interview, I asked him what he wants to accomplish and he finally gets it done. Part one is my interview with him in Kenya and then part two is my interview with him reflecting on New York.
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Abdi Nageeye | @abdinageeye on Instagram
Time stamps:
2023 Interview live from Eldoret, Kenya:
3:37 - Reflecting on training
5:02 - Why he likes to train in new places, what he enjoys about training in Kenya
9:05 - His backstory + stories from growing up
18:10 - Why he considers Africa to be his home
20:33 - Being embraced by the Netherlands
22:06 - Why shifting to the roads panned out so well for him
25:49 - What he learned from training with athletes like Eliud Kipchoge
28:20 - Future goals for his running career
2024 Interview after winning the NYC Marathon:
34:51 - How training has been going since the NYC Marathon
38:17 - What life has been like since our first interview in 2023
41:00 - Current training setup
43:28 - Paris Olympics marathon experience
47:55 - Thoughts after dropping out of the Olympic marathon
54:44 - NYC Marathon race breakdown
59:03 - The final miles of the race
1:01:03 - Thoughts when Tamirat Tola was closing on him and Evans Chebet
1:02:36 - The point when he knew he was going to win
1:06:13 - Emotions after crossing the finish line
1:08:12 - Looking ahead to future races
1:11:18 - Reflecting on his marathon career so far
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Tamirat Tola is an accomplished long-distance runner from Ethiopia, specializing in the marathon and 10,000 meters. He has achieved significant success on the international stage, including winning the bronze medal in the 10,000 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics and becoming the World Marathon Champion in 2022.
Abdi Nageeye is a Dutch long-distance runner known for his prowess in marathon events. He gained international recognition by securing a silver medal in the marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Nageeye has represented the Netherlands in multiple international competitions, showcasing his endurance and strategic race execution.
Eliud Kipchoge is a renowned Kenyan long-distance runner, primarily competing in marathon events. He is considered one of the greatest marathon runners of all time, holding the world record for the marathon with a time of 2:01:39, set at the 2018 Berlin Marathon. Kipchoge also gained global attention by completing a marathon distance in under two hours during the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in 2019, though it was not an official world record due to controlled conditions. He has won numerous major marathons, including the London and Berlin Marathons, and is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the marathon (2016, 2020).
