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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 Contact us: Email [email protected] or call/text 1-844-LETSRUN podcast voicemail/text line. Spread the word to a friend. Find out more at http://podcast.letsrun.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/letsrun/229af53c-e8e7-4483-a029-7627a2df514a

🏃 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 Contact us: Email [email protected] or call/text 1-844-LETSRUN podcast voicemail/text line. Spread the word to a friend. Find out more at http://podcast.letsrun.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/letsrun/ea24f196-732f-4716-be6d-52dd121ee4f9

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. Spread the word to a friend. Find out more at http://podcast.letsrun.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/letsrun/2fab0394-d64b-4a0b-83ed-dd7765949544

Rosario breaks down the 2025 men's and women's races for you. It's Sunday morning at 9:15 am ET. Get the new shirt here: The LetsRun.com Store 🎁 Holiday Gift Idea: Give a LetsRun.com Supporters Club Gift Membership for $67: link Or join yourself at LetsRun.com/subscribe — use code LETSRUN67 for $67/year or $6.76/month. Contact us: Email [email protected] or call/text 1-844-LETSRUN podcast voicemail/text line. Want a 2nd podcast every week? And savings on running shoes? Join the LetsRun.com Supporters Club today for exclusive content, a bonus weekly podcast, shoe savings, and more. Cancel anytime .https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe Check out the LetsRun.com store. https://shop.letsrun.com/ We've got the softest running shirts in the business. Thanks for listening. Please rate us on your podcast app and spread the word to friend. https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe?from=public https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe?from=public Find out more at http://podcast.letsrun.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/letsrun/458dc0a6-dad2-4618-bb0c-274ae7f7bbba

It's mid-December and the running news keeps coming! Grand Slam Track filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — we dig into the creditor list, the shocking $272K owed to Citius Mag, and what it reveals about the league's spending. On Friday, we broke the news that Athing Mu has left coach Bobby Kersee and moved to Dallas — what's next for her? Plus race recaps from the Brooks XC Championships, the Kalakaua Merrie Mile in Hawaii, and European Cross Country in Portugal. 279.26 we're joined by Yared Nuguse, who previews his quest for a fourth straight Wanamaker Mile title at the Millrose Games on February 1st. Can he break the world record in the indoor mile again? 🎁 Holiday Gift Idea: Give a LetsRun.com Supporters Club Gift Membership for $67: link Or join yourself at LetsRun.com/subscribe — use code LETSRUN67 for $67/year or $6.76/month. Shop LetsRun: Get your USA World XC gold shirts and more at shop.letsrun.comhttps://shop.letsrun.com/ Links: Millrose Games / Wanamaker Mile Tickets Grad Slam Track Bankruptcy & Creditors List Article The Athletic: Grand Slam Track Fundning Breakdown Athing Mu Leaves Bobby Kersee Article Brooks XC Championships Results European Cross Country Results Euro XC finish video that Jon got 1 million views on Kalakaua Merrie Mile Results The Marathon Project Info LetsRun Supporters Club Gift subscription LetsRun Suporters Club subscription for yourself Shop LetsRun Timestamps: 00:00 LetsRun Holiday Merch Plug — Shop.LetsRun.com 01:27 Introductions 03:00 Grand Slam Track Bankruptcy — Creditor list breakdown, athletes owed money 03:23 Flashback: Jonathan Gault's question to Michael Johnson in Jamaica 05:44 Citius Mag paid $272K by Grand Slam Track — Disclosure controversy 08:07 Grand Slam's financial relationship with media outlets 11:37 Athlete Appearance Fee Analysis — Reverse engineering what stars were paid (Sydney McLaughlin, Gabby Thomas, Josh Kerr, etc.) 15:23 How much did Grand Slam actually raise and spend? 19:42 Production costs & other creditors — $3M to TV production, $690K for graphics 24:55 Athing Mu Leaves Coach Bobby Kersee — Moved to Dallas, no new coach announced 26:06 LetsRun Supporters Club plug — Emergency podcast for members 28:36 Speculation: Is Athing Mu retiring? Pregnant? Finding a new coach? 31:46 Top Coach Candidates for Athing Mu — Justin Rinaldi, Chris Catton, Chris Cappo 35:27 Training group concerns for Mu in Dallas 38:36 Brooks XC Championships Recap — Jackson Spencer wins boys, Natasha Dudek wins girls 39:54 NXN vs. Footlocker/Brooks — Do we need two national championships? 45:02 Purpose of dual national championships debate 49:25 Jakob Ingebrigtsen Skips European Cross Country — Injury concerns 53:11 European Cross Country Recap — Jimmy Gressier vs. Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Nadia Battocletti wins women's 55:31 Jonathan's viral tweet of the men's finish 57:51 Nick Griggs (Ireland) & Innes Fitzgerald (UK) — Rising young stars 61:19 Kalakaua Merrie Mile Recap — Josh Hoey wins men's (3:55), Sinclaire Johnson wins women's (4:21 American Record) 65:43 Analysis: Hoey, Hobbs Kessler, Yared Nuguse, Nico Young, Ollie Hoare 71:43 Women's Mile: Sinclaire Johnson dominates Nikki Hiltz 75:23 USA Indoors 1500m Preview — Could be one of the greatest races ever 77:08 The Marathon Project Preview — Paul Chelimo's marathon debut 79:26 Interview: Yared Nuguse — Wanamaker Mile preview, going for 4th straight title 83:00 Will Yared step up to the 2-mile at Millrose? 85:13 Reflecting on the 2025 season — Highs and lows 87:40 Changing tactics for USAs 90:05 Thoughts on the World Championship 1500m Final 92:12 Was Cole Hocker's DQ fair? 95:49 Indoor Season Plans — Targeting the 1500m at World Indoors 97:53 Training dynamics with Geordie Beamish 100:26 Racing the Merrie Mile in Hawaii 102:43 Goals for the 2026 Season — 5K attempt, mile record chase 108:06 The collapse of Grand Slam Track — Yared's perspective as an athlete 115:12 Yared Nuguse on coming out publicly — Reaction from Notre Dame, Ethiopian community, and the running world 121:52 Closing & Holiday Gift Plug — Shop.LetsRun.com Contact us: Email [email protected] or call/text 1-844-LETSRUN podcast voicemail/text line. Spread the word to a friend! Find out more at http://podcast.letsrun.com Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/letsrun/932c4f60-cade-4ce4-a055-bf17d9ee0318