Running--State of the Sport

The recent USATF National Championship Meet in Eugene was outright spectacular in all ways. It even had action off the track, as well as sensational races on the Hayward Stadium oval.

More than anything else, everyone's talking about one middle-distance event already being called the "greatest of all time" by many observers. Amby and George dissect that race, from start to finish.

The other races, from 100 meters to 10,...

This week at “Running: State of the Sport,” George and I decided to skip the usual interview guest so we could spend more time on some really big and important recent news. We start, of course, with the just revealed doping offense of 2:09:56 Chicago Marathon (2024) winner Ruth Chepngetich.

We also discuss and analyze: Faith Kipyegon’s “Breaking4” effort; Beatrice Chebet’s new world record for 5000 meters (13:58.06); the incredible ...

In our new podcast, Rich Kenah, CEO of the Atlanta Track Club, discusses the upcoming Peachtree 10K, the Grand Slam Track series, and the trials and tribulations of hosting a U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, as Atlanta did so sensationally in 2020. 

Kenah is a past Olympian at 800 meters, and a former athlete agent, who once worked with Michael Jordan, the basketball star when he wasn't organizing track meets, or ironing out detail...

Thomas Panek is blind, a frequent marathoner, and President and CEO of Lighthouse Guild, a national nonprofit providing services to the visually impaired. Panek is the first person with vision loss to lead Lighthouse Guild.

In addition to running marathons tethered to human guide runners, he has finished the New York City Half Marathon with a team of guide dogs. He is also working with Google engineers to develop a phone app that ca...

David Roche is producer of one of the world’s most popular podcasts, “Some Work, All Play,” with his cohost and wife, Megan. He’s also a contender to win the Western States 100 Miler at the end of June. That’s a rare combination.

His back story is even more amazing. A little more than a year ago, Roche was seriously injured when struck by a car while bicycling a favorite road near Boulder, CO. At that time, the Duke Law School grad ...

In this episode, we chat with Alistair Cragg, coach of the highly successful Puma Elite Running team based in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. Cragg was a 3-time Irish Olympian with a lifetime best of 13:03 for 5000 meters. His wife and co-coach, Amy Hastings Cragg, represented the U.S. in the 2016 Olympic Marathon after winning the Olympic Marathon Trials that year. 

In February, 2024, Puma runner Fiona O'Keeffe won the...

In this episode of "Running: State of the Sport," Lisa Weidenbach Rainsberger reflects on her Boston Marathon win 40 years ago in 1985. She also traces the amazing arc of her running career from All American swimmer to college track star to youthful marathon standout.

Lisa is widely known for her three consecutive fourth-place finishes in the Olympic Trials Marathon, but she doesn’t shed any tears over these disappointment...

In this episode of the podcast "Running: State of the Sport," hosts Amby Burfoot and George Hirsch interview John Cahill, a remarkable centenarian runner who shares his inspiring journey from starting to run at age 62 to completing marathons in his 70s and 80s. He ran a 3:05 marathon at 72 and continued to race into his 90s.

Cahill discusses his early life, health challenges, and the joy of running, emphasizing the importa...

In this episode, we explore the inspiring journey of Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, in 1966. She shares her experiences of training, the journey to Boston, and the emotional impact of crossing the finish line, all while challenging societal norms and advocating for women's rights in sports.

Gibb also discusses her journey beyond running--including her artistic endeavors and the challenges she faced as a...

In this episode, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bill Rodgers's first Boston Marathon win in 1975. Bill reflects on his early struggles, the pivotal moments that reignited his passion for running, and the significance of community in the sport.

In particular, he discusses his memorable 1975 Boston Marathon victory, the evolution of marathon running, and the challenges he faced during his Olympic journey. He also shares per...

In this engaging podcast episode, Jackie Gaughan, a rising star in the marathon running scene, shares her journey, insights, and experiences in the sport. From her impressive performance at the 2024 California International Marathon to her reflections on the Olympic Trials, Gaughan (just 25) discusses her training strategies, the balance between her running career and a full-time job, and the influences that have shaped her as an a...

In this episode of Running State of the Sport, hosts Amby Burfoot and George Hirsch chat with Ray Flynn, a former elite miler and current athlete manager. They discuss Flynn's extensive career in athletics, his experiences at the Olympics, the evolution of athlete management, and the current state of doping in the sport. 

Flynn shares insights on the upcoming (Feb. 8) Milrose Games, the significance of the Wanamaker Mile, and h...

In this episode, hosts Amby Burfoot and George Hirsch talk with Edwin Moses, a legendary figure in track and field. During his competitive career, he won 122 consecutive 400 meter hurdles races--a streak that lasted almost 10 years, and is unlikely ever to be beaten.

The conversation includes Moses's significant contributions to sports beyond the track, including anti-doping efforts and social change through the Laureus World Sport...

In this conversation, Susanna Sullivan reviews the highs and lows of her running in 2024. This includes missing the Olympic Marathon Trials in February due to an injury and Covid ... then bouncing back in October with a big marathon PR of 2:21:56 in Chicago. Sullivan has been improving steadily for a handful of years, but that Chicago performance catapulted her to the uppermost rungs of American marathon running. She'll begin her 2...

Daniel Romanchuk is one of the world's top wheelchair racers. This fall, he won the New York City Marathon and, a week later, the BAA Boston Half Marathon. He set a course record in the latter event.

In August, Romanchuk entered 5 events in the Paris Paralympics, winning gold in the 5000 meters and bronze in the marathon.

Born with spina bifida--a not-fully-formed spine--Romanchuk spent his early years trying to keep up with two ol...

Ted Metellus is race director of the TCS New York City Marathon. In many ways, he’s a miracle maker. How else do you get 50,000+ runners from midtown Manhattan to Staten Island, and then back again (on foot) to finish in Central Park? Especially when they come from so many different countries and speak different languages?

Metellus seems almost born to the position he holds. Raised in New York City with Haitian-heritage parents, he...

Some think Jessica McClain was the "tough luck kid" of 2024. After all, she finished 4th in both the Olympic Marathon Trials and the Olympic Track Trials 10,000. And fourth is the worst position, right? McClain herself doesn't see things that way. 

Excited about her life, her work, and her running, she sees the past 10 months as evidence that she's on a great path: happy, healthy, running strong.  And she thinks it's a sustainable...

Carey Pinkowski is the longest serving race director of a World Marathon Major race, having taken the helm at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon way back in 1990. Before that, he was an elite runner with personal bests ranging from 4:01 in the mile to 2:20:43 in the marathon.

This year's Chicago is just three weeks away on Sunday, October 13. As always it will feature a big and star-studded field of runners.

In his three-plus...

Mike Scannell coached Grant Fisher to two bronze medals (5000 and 10,000 meters) in the Paris Olympics--a feat no American runner had achieved previously. Which brings up a good question: Who is Mike Scannell?

Turns out he is a forever-friend of Grant Fisher's family, and coached Fisher to 2 Footlocker XC Championships victories back when Fisher was a Michigan high schooler. Then he sat back and watched Fisher run 4 years at St...