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

“It goes without saying that we want to go for at least a medal and maybe even the gold medal [at the World Championships]. We don't really speak about that; it's just about being at my best level in the final. I would call that our goal. Whatever result is connected to that depends on so many factors and that's why we don't really speak about, ‘We want to be first there,’ but more about the whole process.”

Every so often, a young runner bursts onto the scene not just with talent, but with a presence that makes you believe you're watching the next big star take shape in real time. Niels Laros is that runner right now. At just 20 years old, the Dutch phenom has gone from a precocious prospect to Diamond League champion and now even being the name on everyone's lips as the favorite for the World Championships in the 1500m in Tokyo.

He's rattling off consistent victories this summer, he put together a historic 800m and 5000m double at the European U23 Championships, he had an epic Bowerman mile victory over Yared Nuguse that we haven't forgotten, and most recently, a Diamond League title in Zurich where he unleashed yet another sizzling final 100m in 12.5 seconds to clock a 3:29.20 – a Dutch national record and personal best.

Again and again, Laros has shown the defining quality of today's 1500m champions: the ability to close off a fast pace. His final 100m stacks up against anything that we've seen from Josh Kerr or Cole Hocker that they've produced in their gold medal runs.

But Laros's story isn't just about times and trophies; it's about timing and arriving in peak form as the global landscape in the 1500m shifts. With Jakob Ingebrigtsen sidelined by injury and his rivals Cole Hocker and Josh Kerr searching for their best in 2025, Laros has positioned himself right now as the man to beat. We talk about his rise, the confidence that comes with winning big races, and what it means to carry the weight of expectations heading into Tokyo.

____________

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠

Guest: Niels Laros | @niels.laros on Instagram 

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

Mentioned in this episode…

- Paris Olympics men’s 1500m final

- Zurich Diamond League men’s 1500m

- Brussels Diamond League men’s 1500m

- Prefontaine Classic Bowerman Mile

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠

Chris Chavez and Mac Fleet break down the biggest winners and losers from the Diamond League final in Zurich. Some of the top highlights from the meet include…

- Brittany Brown makes the most of her second shot at the World team by winning the 200m final in a season’s best 22.13.

- Niels Laros solidifies his spot as the top dog in the 1500m with an undeniable victory over world leader Azeddine Habz, world junior record holder Phanuel Koech, and 2019 World champion Timothy Cheriyot, running 3:29.20 to also claim the Dutch national record by 0.03 seconds.

- Audrey Werro thrills the home crowd in Switzerland with a huge win and national record in the 800m, as she and Georgia Hunter Bell both dip under 1:56 for the first time in their careers, with Werro holding onto the edge with 1:55.91 to 1:55.96.

- Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi had to go to the well to stay ahead of Max Burgin on the homestretch of the 800m, but in the end he had just enough in the tank to take the win in 1:42.37 to Burgin’s 1:42.42.

- World champ Noah Lyles and Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo battle for every step of the 200m, with Lyles just beating his rival by inches in the end, 19.74 to 19.76.

- Olympic 100m champ Julien Alfred doesn’t look like she’s missed a step after withdrawing from two Diamond Leagues earlier this month with a hamstring issue, holding off a strong challenge from Tia Clayton to take the title in 10.76.

____________

Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠ + Mac Fleet | @macfleet on Instagram

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mentioned in this episode…

Watch: ⁠Zurich Diamond League Final Interviews⁠

Listen: ⁠Nikki Hiltz On Their Career-Defining Season To Repeat As National Champion, Winning A Diamond League, And Heading To The World Championships As A Medal Threat⁠

Listen: ⁠Record-Breaking 16-Year-Old Cooper Lutkenhaus On His Decision To Turn Professional & Sign With Nike⁠

Listen: ⁠Kenneth Rooks On His “Rollercoaster” 2025 Season And His Hopes For The World Championships In Tokyo⁠

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop’s limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide.⁠ ⁠You can check out all of their flavors and get 25% off your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.⁠⁠

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠

“It’s holding onto the fact that truly anything can happen. That's why I'm a fan of the sport. I love watching upsets happen. I love watching dragons get slayed and things like that. It's exciting! I think no matter what, I'm just going in to try to run a 1500 that I'm proud of and let the outcome be the outcome. That's not the focus; the focus is just doing the thing I love.”

Three straight U.S. outdoor titles, a Diamond League victory, and a season that has firmly established Nikki Hiltz as America’s standard-bearer in the 1500m.

Earlier this month at Hayward Field, they did exactly what we’ve come to expect: poised in the pack, patient when the laps slowed, and then — with 100 meters to go — devastating to the competition. A 58-second last lap sealed a third consecutive national title and another ticket to the global stage.

If we go beyond the results on the track, this year brought about quite a bit of change. Nikki underwent contract talks to start the year and stuck with Lululemon. They switched up their coaching setup and started working with Juli Benson. All of this while privately recovering from top surgery, which they revealed just recently. Many of these things would seed doubt in an athlete, but Nikki has not skipped a beat.

Most recently, the Brussels Diamond League proved that — another perfectly timed kick down the final straight to reel in Australia’s Linden Hall and score their first-ever Diamond League win in 3:55.94, making history as the first American in seven years to win a 1500m on that stage.

Now, Hiltz heads to Tokyo as more than a national champion. I firmly believe they’re a medal contender. Consistent, battle-tested, and dangerous when the race is decided late.

We talk about the evolution behind this season, the mental battles of change and competition, and how Hiltz has grown into thinking about themselves as not just one of America’s best, but one of the world’s.

____________

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠

Guest: Nikki Hiltz | @nikkihiltz on Instagram

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

Mentioned in this episode…

Listen: Nikki Hiltz’s 2025 USA Track & Field Outdoor National Championships 1500m Recap - Ali on the Run Show

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop’s limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide. ⁠You can check out all of their flavors and get 25% off your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.⁠

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠

This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia give an event-by-event preview of the Diamond League Final in Zurich set for August 27-28. They also recap the top performances, highlights, and biggest track news from the weekend. We'll be back to unpack all the action in Zurich on Thursday after the meet wraps up.

____________

Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠ + ⁠Preet Majithia | @preetmajithia on Instagram⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠

Mentioned in this episode…

Read: Record-Breaking 16-Year-Old Cooper Lutkenhaus Goes Pro, Signs With Nike Ahead of World Championships

Subscribe: ⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter ⁠

Listen: ⁠The Paulie Throws Podcast⁠

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop’s limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide.⁠⁠⁠ ⁠You can check out all of their flavors and get 25% off your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.⁠⁠⁠⁠

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time.⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠

Cooper Lutkenhaus, the 16-year-old high school star who shattered his own U.S. 800m high school record and broke the 800m U18 world record with a 1:42.27 runner-up finish at last month’s U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, has opted to forego all of his remaining high school and collegiate eligibility to turn professional and sign a contract with Nike.

The decision comes before he is set to race the 800m at the World Championships in Tokyo next month and makes history as the youngest American ever to represent the U.S. at a World Championship.

“I’m just super excited and blessed for the opportunity,” Lutkenhaus tells CITIUS MAG. “To be able to run professionally at such a young age is not very common, so to be represented by the best brand is very exciting.”

Lutkenhaus will remain enrolled at Northwest High School in Texas, where he’s beginning his junior year. He is represented by Ray Flynn and Flynn Sports, who have also represented top high school stars over the past 30 years, including Alan Webb and Drew Hunter. He will continue being coached by Northwest head cross country and track coach Chris Capeu. Classes started on Aug. 13th.

Lutkenhaus is the fourth-fastest American in U.S. history at 800m (behind American record holder Bryce Hoppel, 2019 World champion, and 2025 U.S. champion Donavan Brazier and 2025 World Indoor champion Josh Hoey) and No. 18 on the World all-time list. He is the sixth-fastest man in the world in 2025.

Listen to previous episodes here:

Cooper Lutkenhaus Interview: https://apple.co/4oRrS9f | Spotify

Chris Capeau Interview: https://apple.co/4m3BnzH | Spotify

Read our full news story here: https://citiusmag.com/articles/cooper-lutkenhaus-signs-nike-contract-turns-professional-before-world-championships-2025

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop’s limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide.⁠ ⁠You can check out all of their flavors and get 25% off your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.⁠⁠

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠