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

The road to LA28 just got faster. This week, Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia break down the new Olympic qualifying standards and what happens when more of the field is expected to get in through the world rankings. Which meets will matter most? How will NCAA athletes navigate the qualifying window? And what happens when an athlete qualifies through the rankings but their federation asks for more?

Discussed in this episode:

- Agnes Ngetich’s marathon debut in Valencia — What her speed over 10K and the half marathon suggests about her potential over 26.2 miles; how her aggressive racing style might translate & whether she could threaten the world record on debut.

- The Noah Kibet mix-up — How the world indoor 800m silver medalist was mistakenly identified in a Kenyan anti-doping notice, and why including World Athletics athlete IDs could help prevent another mix-up.

- Donavan Brazier’s coaching move — The 2019 world 800m champion’s return to Pete Julian and what the reunion could mean heading into 2027.

- The Beijing 2027 World Championships schedule — Which finals U.S. fans can catch in the morning, which event doubles are realistic, and how the mixed relays fit around the individual events.

- The LA28 Olympic qualifying standards — How much faster the marks have gotten, why more athletes are expected to qualify through world rankings, and which events will have smaller fields.

- What Olympic qualifying means for NCAA athletes — Which college meets can produce qualifying marks and how the qualifying window affects when athletes need to race.

- Where to earn ranking points — Why continental championships and meets such as the Pan American Games can matter as much as faster races on the international circuit.

- How federations select their Olympic teams — Why earning a place through the world rankings can still leave athletes subject to stricter selection criteria at home, with Great Britain and Sweden as examples.

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.⁠⁠⁠

OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We put out our first 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials power rankings right after Boston, about a week before Vinny Mauri ran 2:05:55 in his marathon debut at Glass City. Whoops. This time, we waited until after New York. Valencia is still on the calendar, so check back in a month and we might already have some explaining to do.

For this edition of the CITIUS MAG Podcast, I’m joined by Rory Linkletter of the Out & Back Podcast for a crossover episode. I spend my weekends watching these races and probably too much time scrolling through athletes’ Strava. Rory has trained with some of the contenders, raced others, and spent his college years at BYU alongside Clayton Young and Conner Mantz. Neither of us can remember either field being this deep. So we’re going 15 deep on each side again and working under the assumption that there will be three Olympic spots up for grabs in each race.

We had a hard enough time agreeing on 15. Good luck picking three.

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.⁠⁠

OLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

“The adversity I’ve been through, the people I met along the way, the situations I’ve been in because of all of that — they make me who I am today. Just trust the process, trust and have patience and faith, and don’t forget who you are. Do it your way.”

My guest for today’s episode is Jake Heyward, who finished fourth at the Commonwealth Games and fourth at the European Championships in 2026. As a competitor, he’ll tell you that fourth is the worst position you can finish. As someone who knows what the last four years actually looked like, those two results are something else entirely.

The injury that derailed everything started at the European Cross Country Championships in 2018 — an Achilles problem that the British medical system diagnosed as mid-portion tendinopathy and handed him a standard rehab program for. He rehabbed it for years.

He kept running through 2022 — the year he went 3:31 and believes he could have won a World Championship medal — and through the slow deterioration that followed, until 2024 when a doctor looked at the scans and said, for the first time, directly: you have to have surgery.

That was the last folks saw of him until this season. In his first full season back, he ran that 3:46 for the mile — in the race Josh Kerr broke the world record — split 3:31.8 for the 1500 along the way, finished runner-up at British Champs. He also ran 3:31 in Brussels. It was the comeback of the year.

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.⁠

“Me matching that move showed I was trained. At that point everyone is tired. To go from running fast to running very fast and still be there — that showed something. Small tweaks here and there can really put me in contention next time.”

My guest for today’s episode is Zouhair Talbi, who crossed the finish line of the 2026 New York City Marathon in sixth place for top American in 2:06:43.

We recorded this on Friday, November 6th while some of the mental replays of the race are still fresh.

Mostly, he’s thinking about that last mile. At 40 kilometers, Zouhair was in fourth place, six seconds off the lead. By the time he crossed the line, he’d given up two more spots and the Olympic qualifying standard along with them. What he’ll tell you is that he doesn’t regret any of it — not the surges, not going to the front, not the tactical decisions that defined the first 35 kilometers. What he does regret is that none of it worked the way he’d drawn it up.

We dive into all of the moves as well as what Andreas Almgren looked like when Benson Kipruto made his move at 37K. He puts us in his shoes for the last mile — fighting demons in fifteen-second increments, waiting for someone to crack, watching the Australian come by in the final four hundred with nothing left to answer.

He grades his 2026. And he shares a bit about the inspiration he got from watching Jess McClain achieve her runner-up finish in the women’s race.

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.⁠

What happens when the CITIUS MAG crew trades the marathon coverage for 26.2 miles together?

Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber and Mac Fleet recap the NYC Marathon CITIUS MAG Party Pack, from chaotic training buildups and Staten Island logistics to Brooklyn’s electric crowds and Matthew Centrowitz’s motivational speeches on the Queensboro Bridge.

We break down the 3:30 goal, the late-race suffering that split the group and the finish-line reunions that made it all worthwhile.

Plus, Mac’s marathon debut, a newfound respect for time on feet and how running with friends helped them fall in love with the sport again.

The only question now: What race is next?

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate your goal marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, and no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.⁠