The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show

"When I go and talk in schools and you've got these negative issues, you want to portray the positivity of 'Wow. This is such a great thing to be involved in running, sport and events.'  Even though it's frustrating, you want to put that positive message out. You want kids to get involved. You want to celebrate being together as runners. When I look back at my career, yes, I am frustrated at what my career could have been but that's the same for so many athletes...You just have to think, 'Yeah, but I've traveled all over the world. I've met amazing people. I've competed at Olympic Games. Aren't I a lucky person to have had that?' That's kind of the message I want to take forward as well. Of course, I'm gutted about people who cheat but you want to think about the positives of our sport as well. There's still work to do." Jo Pavey is a five-time Olympian for Great Britain. She is the 2007 world championship bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters after finishing fourth but then getting upgraded to the podium following a re-test of the anti-doping samples that found Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey had tested positive for a banned steroid. However, the upgrade didn't happen for 10 years so it really did affect the course of her career. We talk about that and how she continued to press forward with her doubts for years. She is also the 2014 European champion in the 10,000 meters, which she says is the other proudest moment of her career because it came at 40 years old and as a mother. She just celebrated her 48th birthday and has plans to continue racing so you'll get to learn more about the keys to her longevity. It was fun to sit down with Jo alongside my recurring co-host Kyle Merber before we commentated at the Saucony Fast Future 10K in Essen, Germany. 👟 Mark your calendars for September 28th when you can snag a pair of the limited-edition Endorphin Pro+ on Saucony.com. It’s super limited. until then, check out Saucony’s current lineup, including the Endorphin Pro 2 and the Endorphin Speed 2, another plated fan-favorite for speed work and tempo runs. Read more about the shoe here. 📈 Hustle Clean is a mission-driven self-care brand for the active lifestyle. It was created by athletes for high performers that want to do more and be more without compromise. The Hustle Clean Body Wipe is an extra-large, durable, full-body wipe designed to remove sweat, dirt, and body odor in moments when a shower is optimal but not possible. Products are safe on sensitive skin, hypoallergenic, paraben-free, & infused with aloe vera, vitamin E, & witch hazel. Hustle Clean is sold nationwide in Walmart, Target, & Amazon. CITIUS MAG Podcast listeners get a deal and get 10% off all their products, if you visit HustleClean.com and use discount code CITIUS. HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG

"I want to point out that while I’m relaying the advice to be patient like I’ve been given from Meb, Ritz, Ryan Hall, Deena and Des to be patient. It’s still hard to be patient. You want to see the good tune-up races and the good workouts because...I don’t want to go to New York and be in the pack at 15 miles and when there’s a strong move, I run smart and I pick off a few guys over the last few miles of the race and I finish fifth to 10th. I’ve done that. I know how to do that. I want to be fit enough that I can cover a 4:40 mile going up First Avenue and I can be in that pack and I can sit in that race. That’s what motivates me." I believe this is the third time Jared Ward has come on the show. His first time was in Feb. 2019 and then he was on last fall before he ran in the London Marathon. Now he’s back as he gets ready for the New York City Marathon and also runs in the Saucony Future Fast 10K in Germany that you can watch next Wednesday at 2 pm ET on the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel.  Jared has raced sparingly since he ran at The Marathon Project last December so we get the details on that, how he’s worked his way back into shape after taking time off to help his wife with their newest baby and his big goals – which include the podium in The Big Apple. I appreciated this episode because Jared and I talk about what that comeback has felt like for many people during this pandemic. I just recently posted to Instagram how initially I was planning to go to the Chicago Marathon and try and break three hours but I’m just not quite there yet. I’m still shaking off the pandemic rust. So if you’re one of those people who has been hoping to get back on the string of hitting PRs and sometimes training is going right but the results aren’t coming immediately, I’m right with you and Jared’s got some good advice. 👟 Mark your calendars for September 28th when you can snag a pair of the limited-edition Endorphin Pro+ on Saucony.com. It’s super limited. You’ll also get to see the shoes in action in a special test event taking place in Germany on Sept. 22, which you’ll be able to watch LIVE on the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel and will feature commentary by me and Kyle Merber. We’re getting your favorite announcing duo back together. And until then, check out Saucony’s current lineup, including the Endorphin Pro 2 and the Endorphin Speed 2, another plated fan-favorite for speed work and tempo runs. Read more about the shoe here. 📈 Hustle Clean is a mission-driven self-care brand for the active lifestyle. It was created by athletes for high performers that want to do more and be more without compromise. The Hustle Clean Body Wipe is an extra-large, durable, full-body wipe designed to remove sweat, dirt, and body odor in moments when a shower is optimal but not possible. Products are safe on sensitive skin, hypoallergenic, paraben-free, & infused with aloe vera, vitamin E, & witch hazel. Hustle Clean is sold nationwide in Walmart, Target, & Amazon. CITIUS MAG Podcast listeners get a deal and get 10% off all their products, if you visit HustleClean.com and use discount code CITIUS. HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG

"That's honestly been the biggest change I made this year: Just mentally being so much more prepared, so much happier and just felt ready with myself. I wasn't really focused on what anyone else was doing. I knew I was ready. I think there were a few big things we worked on. I have such a perfectionist nature. It was super innate probably and then I grew up in a sport that just sort of cultivated that in gymnastics. The whole premise of the sport is perfection. We really tackled that. We realized it wasn't just in terms of running that trait was coming out. It's probably been my whole life. Whenever I get into a scenario, especially in training, where someone is pushing the pace or it's playing out differently than I think it should be, what tools do I have or what can I do to handle that vs. going into a panic mode – which is what was starting to happen pretty frequently." Olympic and world championship steeplechase silver medalist Courtney Frerichs re-joins the show. The last time she was on was in 2018 after she broke the American record in 9:00.85 at the Monaco Diamond League. This was recorded in August just after she became the first American woman to run under nine minutes in the steeplechase.  In 2019, she had what she believes to be a disappointing season that ended with a sixth-place finish at the World Championships just two years after taking silver behind Emma Coburn.  When the pandemic wiped away the 2020 outdoor season, she didn’t do a steeplechase workout at all. She took a break from training for the event and then had an injury in December. You’ll learn more about that and also how the two steeplechase races before the Olympic Trials set the blueprint for one of the best performances by an American at the Tokyo Olympics.  In Japan, she took the lead after a kilometer into the race and tried holding on but was passed in the final lap by Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai. Frerichs ended up with silver, which is the best performance by a female steeplechase at the Games since the event was added in 2008. You’ll be put in her shoes for that race and hear about Shalane Flanagan’s text message to her before the race + much more.  At the Pre Classic just a few weeks later, she lowered her American record to 8:57.77 and then took third at the Diamond League final in Zurich after we recorded. 👟 Mark your calendars for September 28th when you can snag a pair of the limited-edition Endorphin Pro+ on Saucony.com. It’s super limited. You’ll also get to see the shoes in action in a special test event taking place in Germany on Sept. 22, which you’ll be able to watch LIVE on the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel and will feature commentary by me and Kyle Merber. We’re getting your favorite announcing duo back together. And until then, check out Saucony’s current lineup, including the Endorphin Pro 2 and the Endorphin Speed 2, another plated fan-favorite for speed work and tempo runs. Read more about the shoe here. 📈 Hustle Clean is a mission-driven self-care brand for the active lifestyle. It was created by athletes for high performers that want to do more and be more without compromise. The Hustle Clean Body Wipe is an extra-large, durable, full-body wipe designed to remove sweat, dirt, and body odor in moments when a shower is optimal but not possible. Products are safe on sensitive skin, hypoallergenic, paraben-free, & infused with aloe vera, vitamin E, & witch hazel. Hustle Clean is sold nationwide in Walmart, Target, & Amazon. CITIUS MAG Podcast listeners get a deal and get 10% off all their products if you visit Hustle Clean.com and use discount code CITIUS.

"I want to be top American at a World Marathon Major. I want to take that step forward. It's taken me a lot longer to get to that point. That's just how it goes sometimes with surgeries, setbacks and there not being that many opportunities...Boston is hard though." Welcome back to the podcast, Parker Stinson. The last time he was on this show, he was getting ready to run the 2018 Chicago Marathon and still had a bit of work to prove himself as a pro runner on the roads following his successful career at the University of Oregon. After a coaching switch from Brad Hudson to Dathan Ritzenhein, Parker seemed to find a bit of that spark that he needed and had a strong 2019 campaign that included running a 25K American record of 1:13:48 and then a 2:10.:53 marathon in Chicago that fall.  Unfortunately, he had to scratch from the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials due to an injury - which he’ll talk about in this episode and then underwent knee surgery in 2020. The road back hasn’t been easy but Parker peels back the curtain on that process and why he’s ready to give it a go at the Boston Marathon. Is a possible rivalry brewing with Scott Fauble?  Parker will be one of the elite athletes at the Endorphin Pro+ showcase, which will be a 10K in Germany that will be streamed live on the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel with me and Kyle Merber on the mic. 👟 Mark your calendars for September 28th when you can snag a pair of the limited-edition Endorphin Pro+ on Saucony.com. It’s super limited. You’ll also get to see the shoes in action in a special test event taking place in Germany on Sept. 22, which you’ll be able to watch LIVE on the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel and will feature commentary by me and Kyle Merber. We’re getting your favorite announcing duo back together. And until then, check out Saucony’s current lineup, including the Endorphin Pro 2 and the Endorphin Speed 2, another plated fan-favorite for speed work and tempo runs. Read more about the shoe here. 📈 Hustle Clean is a mission-driven self-care brand for the active lifestyle. It was created by athletes for high performers that want to do more and be more without compromise. The Hustle Clean Body Wipe is an extra-large, durable, full-body wipe designed to remove sweat, dirt, and body odor in moments when a shower is optimal but not possible. Products are safe on sensitive skin, hypoallergenic, paraben-free, & infused with aloe vera, vitamin E, & witch hazel. Hustle Clean is sold nationwide in Walmart, Target, & Amazon. CITIUS MAG Podcast listeners get a deal and get 10% off all their products, if you visit Hustle Clean.com and use discount code CITIUS. HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel

“There’s so many stories and testimonies of amazing women in track and field – men and women. We should definitely shine a light on everybody because everybody has a story. Everybody has been through a lot. You never know who can relate to those stories as well. I’m a big advocate of showing a light on everyone.” Teahna Daniels is a professional sprinter for Nike, who had a breakout season in 2021 to run 10.83 at the Prefontaine Classic, which ties her for No. 14 on the all-time U.S. list. This has been a season where Sha'Carri Richardson has been the No. 1 U.S. female sprinter in all of the headlines but why not spread the love and the attention on some of the women who are also running fast behind her. Teahna is No. 2 for the United States in the U.S. In this episode, you’ll learn about her upbringing in Florida, where she lit it up as a high schooler. She went on to run at Texas, where she won an NCAA title in the 60-meter dash. As a professional, she was the 2019 U.S. Champion and went on to finish 7th at that year’s world championships in Doha. Two years later, she made her first Olympic team and also took 7th in the 100 meter final (where she was the only American woman). She was a member of the Team USA 4x100 meter relay squad that took silver. We unpack all of that + her first-hand perspective as to what’s happening right now in the sprints that FloJo’s world record of 10.49 may be in jeopardy. 📈 Support for this episode comes from WHOOP. WHOOP is offering 15% off with the code “CITIUS” at checkout. Go to WHOOP and enter CITIUS at checkout to save 15%. Sleep better, recover faster and run faster. Get to the start line healthy with WHOOP.  https://join.whoop.com/citiusmag 📈 Hustle Clean is a mission-driven self-care brand for the active lifestyle. It was created by athletes for high performers that want to do more and be more without compromise. The Hustle Clean Body Wipe is an extra-large, durable, full-body wipe designed to remove sweat, dirt, and body odor in moments when a shower is optimal but not possible. Products are safe on sensitive skin, hypoallergenic, paraben-free, & infused with aloe vera, vitamin E, & witch hazel. Hustle Clean is sold nationwide in Walmart, Target, & Amazon. CITIUS MAG Podcast listeners get a deal and get 10% off all their products, if you visit Hustle Clean.com and use discount code CITIUS. ✍️ FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 📧 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel

One-on-one with Eliud Kipchoge. The two-time Olympic gold medalist in the marathon. The 26.2 world record holder. The only person in history to get under two hours for the marathon. A legend of the sport.  You may have seen some other podcasts out there with little mini-episodes for 15 min with him but this was the real deal. I got the chance to sit down with Kipchoge in Eugene for just an open conversation on life after winning another gold medal, where he goes from here, what his thoughts are on the greatest of all-time debate and much more. 📈 Support for this episode comes from WHOOP. WHOOP is offering 15% off with the code “CITIUS” at checkout. Go to WHOOP and enter CITIUS at checkout to save 15%. Sleep better, recover faster and run faster. Get to the start line healthy with WHOOP.  https://join.whoop.com/citiusmag 📈 Hustle Clean is a mission-driven self-care brand for the active lifestyle. It was created by athletes for high performers that want to do more and be more without compromise. The Hustle Clean Body Wipe is an extra-large, durable, full-body wipe designed to remove sweat, dirt, and body odor in moments when a shower is optimal but not possible. Products are safe on sensitive skin, hypoallergenic, paraben-free, & infused with aloe vera, vitamin E, & witch hazel. Hustle Clean is sold nationwide in Walmart, Target, & Amazon. CITIUS MAG Podcast listeners get a deal and get 10% off all their products, if you visit Hustle Clean.com and use discount code CITIUS. ✍️ FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 📧 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel

"Initially, when I found out I broke down. I honestly went Hulk mode on a wall in the village. My room wall was torn out with a steel beam. It’s got a couple of dents in it. I went crazy. I'm not gonna lie. As I thought about how happy she was in those moments – She was actually with Athing Mu’s high school coach and Tara Davis’ mom in Orlando having the time of her life. So I think about her smile and her love and all the things and lessons that she gave me and taught me and how happy she would be for me in this moment. I really find a lot of peace in it.  I feel like you really find the true beauty of life in those high and low moments. Because just as high as I was, I went just as low as I went so fast." Raven Saunders and I recorded this while she was in attendance at the Prefontaine Classic and popped by The Magic Boost tent. We traded a couple of messages over Twitter about how we wanted to make this interview happen for a while because she’s one of the funniest personalities in the sport and the throws deserve more love. The last time people may have seen her on TV was twerking shortly after winning a silver medal in the shot put at the Tokyo Olympics. You could have also seen her on the news since she raised her arms in an X to protest racial and social injustice in America. Just a few days later, her mother, Clarissa, passed away. Raven decided to take a short break from social media. In this episode, we touch on it all as well as where she sees the conversation around athlete mental health going from here since she’s been very outspoken about her own past struggles. 📈 Support for this episode comes from WHOOP. WHOOP is offering 15% off with the code “CITIUS” at checkout. Go to WHOOP and enter CITIUS at checkout to save 15%. Sleep better, recover faster and run faster. Get to the start line healthy with WHOOP.  https://join.whoop.com/citiusmag ✍️ FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 📧 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel

Justin Gatlin trains with Sha’Carri Richardson under coach Dennis Mitchell and is a polarizing figure in his own right, having served two doping bans during his long career. Since the early 2000s, Gatlin has been a world-class sprinter with a Jamaican rivalry of his own and battled Usain Bolt at several global championships. I caught up with him in the mixed zone at Hayward Field (which is why the audio isn't as clear) to briefly chat about how long he plans to continue going but also what it’s like to watch Sha'Carri come up as the next sprints star for the United States. He knows what it's like to be in the media spotlight and public’s crosshairs, where Sha'Carri found herself after her last-place finish at the Pre Classic behind the Jamaican sweep of the podium and Elaine Thompson-Herah’s 10.54 No. 2 all-time mark. 📈 Support for this episode comes from WHOOP. WHOOP is offering 15% off with the code “CITIUS” at checkout. Go to WHOOP and enter CITIUS at checkout to save 15%. Sleep better, recover faster and run faster. Get to the start line healthy with WHOOP.  https://join.whoop.com/citiusmag ✍️ FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 📧 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel

"I don't want my motivation to be other people. There's part of me that realized that's what I was leading up to the trials. I want to be more than a mullet and a mustache. I want to be more than just making teams." Shortly after finishing second in the Prefontaine Classic men's international mile, Craig Engels sat down in the Magic Boost tent to briefly chat about how he's found fun in the sport after finishing fourth at the Olympic Trials in the men's 1,500 meters and missing the Tokyo Olympics by one spot. He addresses the recent rumors that he may be contemplating retirement.  We kept this conversation fairly short since we'll likely record a much longer episode in person, if Craig competes at the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City in September. 📈 Support for this episode comes from WHOOP. WHOOP is offering 15% off with the code “CITIUS” at checkout. Go to WHOOP and enter CITIUS at checkout to save 15%. Sleep better, recover faster and run faster. Get to the start line healthy with WHOOP.  https://join.whoop.com/citiusmag ✍️ FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 📧 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel

"For me, it's about always looking at my next race as my next big chance and always trying to prove myself at my next big chance." This conversation with Karsten Warholm took place in October 2020. This is a never-before-heard interview that was supposed to run online as a Q&A but never ended up finding a right time to get published so it stayed in my archives for a bit. So this all before he became the world record holder and Olympic champion by running 46.70 at the Oslo Diamond League in July and then an incredible 45.94 at the Tokyo Olympics.  We touch on the world records, his progression as a star and what his expectations were for 2021, talking with Edwin Moses, watching Kevin Young and much more.  Knowing what we know now, it’s really cool hearing his thoughts just months ago about taking down a long-standing world record. 📈 Support for this episode comes from WHOOP. WHOOP is offering 15% off with the code “CITIUS” at checkout. Go to WHOOP and enter CITIUS at checkout to save 15%. Sleep better, recover faster and run faster. Get to the start line healthy with WHOOP.  https://join.whoop.com/citiusmag ✍️ FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG or Hit us on Venmo @CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 📧 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel