LetsRun.com's Track Talk: The Home of Running and Track and Field

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World Cross Country returned to American soil for the first time in 32 years and Tallahassee delivered! We break down Jacob Kiplimo's dominant third title, Agnes Ngetich's historic 42-second victory margin, and why American men continue to struggle at World XC despite track success. Plus: The Cooper Lutkenhaus flag moment, Rojo's $500 marathon bet.

In Houston Habtom Samuel's debut was as success, 59:01 (course record), as four Americans broke 60 minutes (Alex Maier (59:23), Casey Clinger (59:34), Ryan Ford (59:48), Isai Rodriguez (59:57)), Rory Linkletter got the Canadian record (59:49), Taylor Roe became the 2nd fastest American ever (66.20) and American Zouhair Talbi ran 2:05:45.

Astacked Millrose two-mile field featuring Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr, Grant Fisher, (Wightman, Beamish, Strand, Blanks, Wolfe).

Plus, Andreas Almgren amd Brenda Jepchumba impressed in Valencia.

Links:

World Cross Country 2026 Coverage

LetsRun Forum Thread:
Why Are Americans Competitive on Track but Get Destroyed at World XC?

Craig Virgin Interview on YouTube

Cooper Lutkenhause gets LetsRun Flag

Houston Half Marathon coverage

Shop the World XC Shirts:
shop.letsrun.com

Show notes:

00:00 Start

00:24 World Cross Country Recap & Tallahassee Celebration

05:20 The Let's Run Meetup & Craig Virgin's Hope

06:23 Cooper Lutkenhaus & The Let's Run Flag Story

09:04 Athletes & Fans Unite at World Cross

13:02 The $500 Bet & Party Stories

15:18 Jacob Kiplimo & Agnes Ngetich Dominate

17:45 Kiplimo's Legacy & All-Time Greatness

21:20 Why Americans Struggle at World Cross

25:15 US Men's Disappointing Team Performance

28:36 Track vs Cross Country: Different Sports?

30:35 Theories on African Dominance in XC

33:52 Women's Race & Rising Stars (Marta Alemayo wins junior race)

38:30 Should World Cross Return to Tallahassee?

44:04 Australia Wins Mixed Relay Gold

59:05 Houston Half Marathon: Americans Go Sub-60 (Maier,Klinger, Ford, Rodriguez)

1:09:09 Rojo's $500 Marathon Bet Confirmed

1:10:22 Indoor Track Preview: Millrose & New Balance Indoor Grand Prix

1:17:50 Valencia 10K & Brenda Jepchumba's Breakthrough

1:24:38 Final Thoughts & Shoutouts

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🎉 Thank you Tallahassee! Thank you LetsRun Nation. Now is the time to join the best club in running The LetsRun.com Supporters Club https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe?from=public use code GOAT50 to save 50% off your first year. 🎉

The 2026 World Cross Country Championships are in the books! Live from the LetsRun party in Tallahassee we break down all the action from what was an incredible day for distance running with over 10,000 fans in attendance. East Africa strikes back with dominant performances across all individual races, while Australia claims a historic mixed relay gold. We recap Jacob Kiplimo's third consecutive senior men's title, Agnes Ngetich's dominant 42-second victory in the women's race, and Team USA's results. Plus: the Rocky Hansen controversy , special guest Ned Ryun (Jim Ryun's son) shares incredible stories including how his father received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Blair Bartlett's breakout performance as a high school junior in her first cross country season, Tyler Daillak's gutsy run finishing top American with one shoe, and a Cooper Lutkenhaus sighting at the course.

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Timestamps:

0:00 Than you &
join our club

01:25 Introduction & Event Recap

03:35 Senior Men's Race: Jacob Kiplimo Dominates

08:04 Team USA Men's Results led by Parker Wolfe

11:17 Rocky Hansen Controversy

19:50 Senior Women's Race: Agnes Ngetich Dominates

24:21 LetsRun Flag Bearers Join the Show

28:33 Team USA Women's Results

31:24 Graham Blanks

32:25 Ned Ryun: Jim Ryun's Son Joins the Show

38:55 Jim Ryun's Presidential Medal of Freedom Story

45:00 Junior Races & Blair Bartlett Breakout & Tyler Daillak with 1 shoe

50:07 Cooper Lutkenhaus Sighting & Wrap Up
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Sage Hurta Klecker joins us 77:51 to discuss her amazing 2025, this weekend's world cross country race, and her 2026 plans including a possible American record attempt at the Millrose Games. (Written highlights here)

We kick off 2026 with our annual 2025 Quiz,J ohnson vs. Johnson, testing the brothers' knowledge of the past year in running. Then we review our 2025 Bold Predictions (Robert nailed the Emmanuel Wanyonyi call!) and make our 2026 Bold Predictions, including hot takes on Quincy Wilson, Athing Mu, Cole Hocker, and Cooper Lutkenhaus. Plus: Hakone Ekiden TV ratings, Ethiopian athletes denied visas for World XC, Beatrice Chebet's pregnancy announcement, and an interview with Sage Hurta-Klecker ahead of World Cross Country and the Millrose Games.

🎟️ World Cross Country Party — Join us in Tallahassee! Township, 3-6 PM Saturday after the races. RSVP: [email protected]

🎽 World XC Prediction Contest — Enter before the race! Contest will be live by Wednesday!

👕 LetsRun Shirts — Almost sold out! Shop at shop.letsrun.com

Join the LetsRun.com Supporters Club at LetsRun.com/subscribe — get a free T-shirt and access to the Friday 15 Worlds preview podcast

Links:

Ethiopian visa rejections article

Beatrice Chebet pregnant/ missing world xc

Millrose Games tickets

Fast People Podcast (Sarah Lorge Butler)

Sage Hurta Klecker article

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & World XC Party Promo

06:14 Quiz: January — Women's Half Marathon Record Breakers

08:23 Quiz: February — Fisher & Nuguse World Records

09:43 Quiz: March — Hobbs Kessler's Fuel

10:54 Quiz: April — Boston Marathon Towns

13:31 Quiz: May — US Diamond League Winners

14:36 Quiz: June — NCAA Distance Titles

16:47 Quiz: July — Women's Marathon World Record

18:24 Quiz: August — First Time US Champions

20:06 Quiz: September — European World Medalists

23:22 Quiz: October — Josh Hoey's Six Coaches

26:12 Quiz: November — Sub-2:09 American Marathoners

30:38 Quiz: December — Brooks XC Championships

33:12 Quiz: Tiebreaker — Cole Hocker's 5K World Championship Time

36:11 Reflecting on 2025 Bold Predictions

40:32 News: Hakone Ekiden TV Ratings

44:40 BP Robert #1 — Quincy Wilson Won't PR in 2026

45:33 BP Jon #1 — Quincy Wilson World Leader in 400m

47:26 BP Weldon #1 — Cole Hocker Breaks Mile World Record at Pre Classic

51:07 BP Robert #2 — Athing Mu Won't Race in 2026

52:33 BP Jon #2 — Non-African Born Man Breaks 8:00 in Steeplechase

53:35 BP Robert #3 — Cooper Lutkenhaus Breaks 800m World Record

1:00:04 BP Jon #3 — Enhanced Games Won't Happen

1:01:48 BP Weldon #2 — Geordie Beamish Won't Win a Steeplechase

1:03:28 BP Weldon #3 — USA Wins the World Cup

1:08:40 News: Ethiopian Athletes Denied Visas for World XC

1:16:06 News: Beatrice Chebet Announces Pregnancy

1:17:51 Interview:
Sage Hurta-Klecker

1:25:31 Sage: 2025 Season & Breakthrough

1:28:59 Sage: Training Insights

1:37:45 Sage: Millrose Games 1000m

1:42:21 Sage: Pacing Faith Kipyegon

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🏃 Get your World XC shirts today Get your official World XC shirts before they're gone! Shop now at shop.letsrun.com

It's the final LetsRun.com podcast of 2025 — our Year in Review episode! What a year it was: Americans breaking world records, Cole Hocker winning 5K gold at Worlds, the rise and fall of Grand Slam Track, Donovan Brazier's incredible comeback, and 16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus running 1:42 for 800 meters. We hand out our awards for Race of the Year, Flop of the Year, Runner of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Person of the Year. Plus: the wild stat about non-African born men sweeping distance golds at Worlds, Faith Kipyegon's controversial sub-4 attempt, Fred Kerley's fall from grace, Erriyon Knighton's ban, and Sebastian Sawe's remarkable anti-doping gesture.

🎽 World XC Shirts: Get yours before the deadline! Two designs available at shop.letsrun.com

🎉 World XC Party: Join us at Township in Tallahassee, Saturday January 10th at 3:00 PM after the races!

Join the Supporters Club at LetsRun.com/subscribe

Links:

Discussion:What were your favorite moments of 2025?

Discussion: Who were the biggest losers of 2025?

World XC Shirts - shop.letsrun.com

Dan Michalski feature article

Shelby Houlihan pod

Evan Jager pod

Grand Slam Track bankruptcy thread

Timestamps:

00:00 World XC Shirts Promo & Party Info

02:04 Intro: 2025 Year in Review

02:43 Jane Hedengren & US Teen Stars

03:19 Rojo's "Friday 15" Solo Pod

05:01 Robert's Complexity & Ethiopian Guest

06:19 Unbelievable Events of 2025: A List

08:30 Rise of Non-African Born Distance Runners

17:39 Donovan Brazier's Comeback

20:05 Shelby Houlihan's Return

23:45 Evan Jager & The "Likely Doping" List

25:41 Cole Hocker: US Distance GOAT?

32:60 Jakob Ingebrigtsen's Indoor Double Gold

37:10 Grand Slam Track: Flop of the Year

47:46 Indoor World Records: Nuguse & Fisher

48:33 Hobbs Kessler's Tough Year

53:52 Race of the Year: US 800m Final

59:08 American Records & US Runner of the Year Debate

1:04:37 Faith Kipyegon's Sub-4 Attempt Controversy

1:12:52 Fred Kerley's Fall from Grace

1:15:53 Erriyon Knighton's Ban

1:23:34 Sebastian Sawe's Anti-Doping Gesture

1:28:20 Performance & Coach of the Year Awards

1:32:09 Person of the Year: Donovan Brazier

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It's the final pod before Christmas and we've got a packed episode! Evan Jager joins us at 52:45 to put a bow on his incredible career.

The Marathon Project 2.0 results are in — Priscah Cherono wins the women's race at age 45 in a 2+ minute PB, while JP Flavin takes the men's title and Turner Wiley runs 2:09 as an unsponsored father working full-time with D2 college PRs. Ben Rosa becomes the youngest person in history to break 4:00 in the mile and 2:10 in the marathon in the same year. Plus: World Cross Country team announcements from France and Ethiopia, the Emily Venters/Evelyn Kimboy NCAA controversy and what it reveals about FERPA, and our full exit interview with Evan Jager reflecting on his incredible steeplechase career — the 2015 Paris fall, Olympic silver, the Oregon Project split, Fancy Bears, and his new job with Nomio in Sweden.

🎁 Holiday Gift Idea: Give a LetsRun.com Supporters Club Gift Membership for $67 or get the USAXC shirts. https://shop.letsrun.com/

Or join yourself at LetsRun.com/subscribe — use code LETSRUN67 for $67/year or $6.76/month.

Links:

Marathon Project Results

Marathon Project Experience Thread

Emily Venters/Evelyn Kimboy Discussion Thread

World XC Course Preview


Shop LetsRun - New USA XC Shirts, or Give Supporters Club as a gift

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro & Holiday Gift Plug

01:06 Introductions, Patriots/Ravens talk, Christmas cards

04:01 Weldon's Central Park run

08:06 Marathon Project Women's Race —
Priscah Cherono
wins at 45

12:12 Marathon Project Men's Race —
JP Flavin
,
Turner Wiley
,
Ben Rosa

18:34 Ivy League Runner of the Week: Ben Rosa

21:14 Blue Collar Runner of the Week: Turner Wiley

25:38 Marathon Project viability discussion

28:54
Paul Chelimo
marathon pr (2:10:55)

31:58
World Cross Country
Preview — France & Ethiopia teams

41:21
Emily Venters/Evelyn Kimboy
NCAA controversy

46:21 RoJo's FERPA rant

52:15
EVAN JAGER INTERVIEW START

53:28 Impact on American distance running

54:57 Reflections on retirement

59:54 Turning pro at 19 with
Jerry Schumacher

65:30 The brutal first year with Bowerman

70:23
Alberto Salazar
& Oregon Project history

75:55 Transition to steeplechase

83:42 The iconic 2015
Paris Diamond League
fall

99:49
Rio Olympics
silver medal

107:22 2018 injury and career derailment

110:45
Fancy Bears
leak response

116:58 Thoughts on
Shelby Houlihan

124:34 How he wants to be remembered

127:59 The hair evolution

131:19 Rapid fire: Best kicker (
Ezekiel Kemboi
), greatest rival (
Conseslus Kipruto
)

136:12 New job with
Nomio
in Sweden

141:29 His daughter's athletic future
Shop LetsRun - New USA XC Shirts, or Give Supporters Club as a gift

Contact us: Email [email protected] or call/text 1-844-LETSRUN podcast voicemail/text line.

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