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

Disclaimer: Both Chris and Kyle were watching the Knicks when multiple big track performances happened, so some of the detail recall is shakier than usual. No regrets.
Discussed in this episode:
– Knicks NBA Champions: Chris and Kyle grew up as New York sports fans, and CITIUS MAG as a company exists in part because the two bonded over the Yankees and Knicks.
– Cooper Lutkenhaus beats Emmanuel Wanyoni in Oslo, 1:42.08: Photo finish — 1:42.08 to 1:42.09. World lead. Personal best. At 17 years old, he has now beaten the Olympic gold medalist and the Olympic silver medalist in the same 2026 season. His 2026 unbeaten record: six finals, six wins.
– Ja'Kobe Tharp, 12.75 world record (110m hurdles prelim): The least surprising collegiate record of the weekend — it was coming — but the world record was genuinely shocking.
– Adaejah Hodge, 10.63 (+1.9) in the 100m prelim: Breaks Sha’Carri Richardson’s collegiate record of 10.75. Moves to #5 all-time globally, behind only Flo-Jo, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. Also runs 21.68 in the 200 final for the collegiate record (breaks Abby Steiner’s 21.8 from 2022).
– Habtom Samuel, 5K/10K double: Light work. His kick is on another level from the current NCAA field. Marco Langon made a brave move at 400 to go and was humbled for it — not his fault, it’s just that Haptam had a whole other gear.
– Jaiden Reed, 19.63 (200m): Breaks Walter Dix’s NCAA record that had stood since 2007. Most surprising record of the weekend.
– Simeon Birnbaum, 3:36.05 (1500m): Second place was 1.13 seconds behind. Wire to wire. He broke the 25-year curse: no athlete who broke the NCAA mile or 1500 record had also won the title that same year. Birnbaum did both. Kyle gives his hypothetical 2026 World Championships team if one existed.
– Jane Hedengren: Third in the 10K, ninth in the 5K — after being bedridden with illness all week, disclosed after her 10K race.
– LA Grand Prix | Parker Valby wins the 5K in 14:39, a 10-second personal best from her 14:49 opener three weeks ago. She’s now ninth on the US all-time list, ahead of Molly Huddle and Jane Hedengren. We set the over/under on 14:27.5 for this season.
– Looking ahead: Ostrava on June 16th (Noah Lyles vs. Gout Gout in the 150, Tebogo vs. Gout Gout in the 200 — the more interesting race). Portland Track Festival this weekend. FBK Games in Hengelo. Stay tuned to CITIUS MAG channels for results, analysis, and commentary.
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Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠ + Kyle Merber | @kylemerber
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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VELOUS: VELOUS makes recovery footwear designed to help runners bounce back faster between sessions. Their sandals feature Tri-Motion™ Technology: a technical three-density foam system and contoured footbed engineered to cushion impact, support your arches, and help your toes stretch and relax on every step. Run. Recover. Repeat. with VELOUS! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 20% off your VELOUS order with code CITIUSMAG20 at checkout including FREE Shipping!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Three more collegiate records fell on the final day of the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, bringing the total for the most insane week anyone has ever seen to nine.
Dejanea Oakley and Adaejah Hodge, who are roommates for the week, both smashed the NCAA records for 400m and 200m, respectively, putting up 20 points for the eventual team champion Georgia Bulldogs. Oakley covered one lap in 48.79, while Hodge bounced back from a 100m defeat to run 21.68.
After missing Athing Mu’s collegiate record by just .01 at Regionals, Sanu Jallow of Arkansas made sure there were no questions about the fastest half-miler in NCAA history, winning the 800m national title in 1:56.85.
At the conclusion of 21 events, Georgia managed to put 50 points on the board to sweep the indoor and outdoor season titles.
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Host: Paul Hof-Mahoney | ⁠⁠@phofmahoney⁠⁠
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Another pair of collegiate records fell inside Hayward Field on Friday night at Day 3 of the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Alabama’s Samuel Ogazi cemented himself as the greatest quarter-miler to ever grace the NCAA, winning the 400m title in 43.38 — becoming the fourth-fastest man ever in the process. LSU’s Jaiden Reid broke 20 seconds under legal conditions in the 200m for the first time, and got way under 20 seconds. His 19.63 broke Walter Dix’s NCAA record that had stood for nearly two decades.
Simeon Birnbaum delivered a thrilling 1500m victory in front of a home Hayward crowd, pulling away down the home straight with enough cushion to celebrate to his heart’s content. Habtom Samuel dashed Marco Langon’s title hopes by completing the 5K-10K double, while Colin Sahlman cemented one of the best season in collegiate distance running history with an 800m title to end his NCAA career.
A disaster-filled 4x100m saw Tennessee come out on top of a race that only five teams finished, while a ridiculously fast 42.99 anchor leg from Georgia freshman Jonathan Simms led the Bulldogs on an incredible comeback to 4x400m glory.
When the dust settled and the points were tallied, the Arkansas Razorbacks came out on top, completing the season sweep for head coach Doug Case after he took over for Chris Bucknam at the end of the cross country season. The Hogs scores 56 points, seven ahead of the runner-up Dogs of Georgia.
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Host: Paul Hof-Mahoney | ⁠⁠@phofmahoney⁠⁠
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Georgia freshman Adaejah Hodge did her best to put Ja’Kobe Tharp’s historic hurdles race out of viewers minds today on Day 2 of the NCAA NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In the 100m, Hodge shattered Sha’Carri Richardson’s collegiate record with a 10.63 clocking, becoming the fifth-fastest woman ever in the process. A few hours later, she scorched the track again, leading all 200m qualifiers in 21.96, equalling the fastest single-day double in history.
In the 10,000m final, Iowa Stare freshman Mercyline Kirwa pulled off an incredible upset over Pamela Kosgei and Jane Hedengren, closing in 61.84 to win the NCAA title for the Cyclones. Hedengren, who finished third, will race again in Saturday’s 5000m final.
The women’s 800m prelims featured the fastest rounds we’ve ever seen, with 1:59.93 being required just to make the final. All of the 1500m favorites qualified, setting up the final we’ve all been waiting for. Akala Garrett, Aaliyah McCormick and Dejanea Oakley all posted fast qualifying times ahead of Saturday’s finals.
In the field, Amanda Moll established a new collegiate record in the outdoor pole vault at 4.84m, while Axelina Johansson (Shot put) and Alyssa Jones (Long jump) both notched championship records on their way to a title. Ben Barton (Decathlon), Elisabet Rut Runarsdottir (Hammer), and McKyla Van der Westhuizen (Javelin) all earned wins as well.
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Host: Paul Hof-Mahoney | ⁠@phofmahoney⁠
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

My guest for today’s episode is Agnes Ngetich: the 10,000m world record holder on the road, the reigning World Cross Country champion, and one of the most compelling athletes in distance running right now. She is 25 years old. She grew up in rural Kenya, lost her father to cancer at 10, and spent much of her adolescence working on farms and carrying bags of charcoal to help feed her family. She missed school to earn money. She showed up to race barefoot and hungry anyway.
A coach named Ruth Bundotich saw something in her at 14 and opened a door. From that point, the progression has been relentless: junior titles in Kenya, an African Championships silver, a World U20 bronze, and then the slow build toward the longer distances where she now lives.
In 2024 in Valencia, she ran 28:46 for 10 kilometers on the road — the first woman ever under 29 minutes — a record she had to earn three times: once on a course that turned out to be 25 meters short, once in atrocious weather in Lille where she fell eight seconds shy, and finally in Valencia where it was made official. In January 2026, she won the World Cross Country title in Tallahassee by 42 seconds — the second-largest winning margin in the history of the event.
Last weekend here in New York, she came back after getting hypothermia at the United NYC Half in March and ran a course record 30:07 at the Mini 10K, blasting the first mile in 4:47 and pulling away from Hellen Obiri before the race was even a kilometer in.
In this conversation that we recorded while she was in town, we dive into her childhood, the coach who changed her life, getting to the point of running world records, her World Cross Country dominance, what she thinks of the marathon and more.
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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠
Guest: Agnes Ngetich | @jebet.agnes
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠@jasminefehr⁠
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OLIPOP: Raspberry Sherbet is a limited-edition, nostalgic new flavor that blends tangy raspberry with creamy vanilla. Every can of Olipop contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. 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.⁠⁠