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

A relatively quiet weekend in track, though there’s still plenty to dig into with Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, and Preet Majithia.
In this week’s episode:
- Preet’s pandemic-era haircut savings
- McKirdy MicrOTQ recap: Kyle paced Thomas Knobbs to a 2:09.24 — the fourth-fastest Canadian of all time — then helped the women’s qualifying group
- The race start had a fascinating start: single-file starts, chip timing
- 14 men and 11 women earn Olympic Trials qualifying standards
- Sound Running 10K
- The 2027 Beijing 10K standard: Why World Athletics still hasn’t announced it?
- Maurie Plant Meet: Lachlan Kennedy beats Gout Gout again
- Claudia Hollingsworth beats world indoor champ Georgia Hunter Bell in the women’s 1500 — Is this the year she announces herself?
- Cameron Myers runs 3:30 and wins by a lot — why wasn’t he at World Indoors?
- Embrace debate: of Hollingsworth, Gout Gout, and Myers: Who has the best shot at Olympic gold in Brisbane?
- The Pure Athletics vs. Star Athletics tension is real and it’s good for the sport
- Josh Kerr and Project 222: 3:42 mile world record attempt at the London Diamond League on July 18th
- What happens if Cole Hocker breaks the record two weeks earlier at Pre-Classic?
- Albert Korir gets a five-year doping ban, Patrick Dever moves to the podium
- Conner Mantz scratches from the Boston Marathon
- Why Kyle is most impressed by Clayton Young’s altitude long run
- Cynthia Erivo will run the London Marathon after performing two shows of a one-woman Dracula the day before
- Harry Styles marathon watch
- Marileidy Paulino runs 2:04 in the 800, Dalilah Muhammad is very much not retired
- What’s coming on the podcast feed
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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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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can 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.⁠⁠⁠
XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

“This sport is built around big moments and I believe we can create one of those in July. This is one of the hardest world records in track and field and I’m not scared to say that I’m going after it. I can’t guarantee that I’m going to get it, but I’m going to do every single thing in my power. I have a great team of people around me and an amazing coaching staff that I think we’re going to get damn close if we don’t get it.”
My guest for today's episode is Josh Kerr: world champion, Olympic medalist, two-time world indoor gold medalist at 3000m. He’s now announcing the news that on July 18th at the London Diamond League, he’ll be taking aim at one of the sport's most iconic marks: Hicham El Guerrouj’s 3:43.13 mile world record, which has stood since 1999.
He and Brooks are calling the shot publicly with Project 222, with the goal of running the mile in 222 seconds. If you know Josh Kerr, that shouldn't surprise you. He's never been shy about big ambitions, he's coming off another global title indoors, and he says he feels healthy, sharp and ready. He's built this season around one clear target, giving one of track's oldest and most revered records the full respect it deserves. That means we have a specific date, a home crowd in London, a custom built one-off spike, multiple speed suit prototypes, and a full team effort aimed at running faster than anyone ever has over the mile.
In this conversation, Josh talks about why now is the right time for this attempt, what makes the mile world record so difficult to chase, how his training has evolved under coach Danny Mackey, and why he believes this attempt deserves a lot of publicity in the lead-up.
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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez
Guest: Josh Kerr | @joshhkerr
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr
____________
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can 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.⁠⁠
XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, and Preet Majithia reunite to break down the biggest storylines from the World Indoor Championships in Poland. Preet joins fresh off the ground (and freshly sick) after going solo on three daily pods from the venue.
In this week’s episode:
- Intro: Preet’s field report from Poland (gingerbread review included)
- The Atlanta saga resolved: World Athletics approves a 7-woman U.S. team for World Road Running Championships
- London Marathon’s plan to go to 100,000 finishers — bold move or marathon chaos?
- Biggest winner: Keely Hodgkinson’s Super Sunday — 800m gold + historic 4x400 split
- Is Keely the face of track and field right now?
- Audrey Werro: the most underrated performance of the weekend
- Zaynab Dosso & Georgia Hunter-Bell: two more big winners on the women’s side
- Men’s 800m: Cooper Lutkenhaus goes undefeated and earns the world’s attention
- Men’s 3K: Josh Kerr out-maneuvers Cole Hocker, celebrates accordingly
- The Cole Hocker tactics debate
- Men’s 1500m: Mariano Garcia pulls off the surprise of the championships
- Jordan Anthony wins 60m gold — and why the Anthony vs. Lyles rivalry needs to happen
- Jess Hull appreciation: 13 global championships and counting
+ More
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Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠@preet_athletics⁠ + Kyle Merber | @kylemerber
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
____________
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London 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, 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.
XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.⁠
OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can 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.⁠⁠⁠

Preet Majithia dives into the final day of action at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland.
Some of the biggest moments from day 3 include:
- 17-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus won his first World medal like a true pro, covering every move just right in the final of the World Indoor 800m to hold the lead and claim gold in 1:44.24. He became the youngest World Indoor champion in history.
- Keely Hodgkinson continued her unstoppable run through the competition to kick off 2026 with her first World Indoor title in the 800m, blasting a wire-to-wire 1:55.30 to blow away the field and set a championship record.
- Mariano García flexed his range and his lethal finishing speed to hold off World outdoor champ Isaac Nader and claim the victory in 3:39.63.
- Georgia Hunter Bell didn’t let a hot early pace faze her, as she turned her rival into a de facto rabbit and smoothly reeled her in to claim World Indoor 1500m gold in a speedy 3:58.53.
- Devynne Charlton showed she’s truly the master of the 60m hurdles, winning her third straight World Indoor title and equaling her own world record of 7.65.
+ More
____________
Host: Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠⁠
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
____________
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can 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.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

Preet Majithia breaks down the biggest moments and surprises from day two at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland.
A couple of today's highlights include:
- After getting beaten by Cole Hocker in his first race of the season at the Millrose Games two mile, Josh Kerr has the last laugh by outkicking Hocker and the field to win his third global title and second in the 3000m, running 7:35.56 ahead of Hocker’s 7:35.70.
- Nadia Battocletti finally got her golden moment in the 3000m, as the Italian used a 28.54 final lap to outkick Jessica Hull with Battocletti claiming her fourth global medal in 8:57.64.
- Khaleb McRae led for about 390 meters of the 400m final, but it wasn’t quite enough to hold off the late charge of Christopher Morales Williams, who closed best to win in a championship-record of 44.76.
- Lurdes Gloria Manuel had only won one 400m so far in 2026 heading into this weekend, but she clocked three straight indoor PBs in the three rounds of racing and won her first global title in 50.76.
+ More
____________
Host: Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
____________
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can 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.⁠⁠⁠⁠
XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.