My favorite meet on the circuit⏱

Lap 70: Sponsored by HOKA Summer Mile Club

Log Miles. Earn Prizes. Start Strong. Celebrate your summer training with HOKA by joining the Summer Mile Club campaign and begin tracking your mileage to unlock your FREE HOKA bucket hat and other swag and prize offerings! Why miss out on this opportunity when you’re already laying a base for your next cross country season? Register now to start earning! #HOKASummerMileClub

Ask not what your country can do for you… 🇺🇸

This is a brutal sport, and perhaps no event is more unforgiving than the marathon. But that’s why it makes for such compelling narratives. Each elite race can be an Oscar-worthy drama with a 2:00-2:20 run time (although all movies should be 90-minutes long), and if well presented, should include plenty of engrossing backstory.

If there is one person that fans would have loved to see return to the world stage this summer in Eugene, it’s Molly Seidel. That bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics catapulted her name into the global conversation, but Molly’s popularity into a whole new stratosphere as well, thanks to her candid interviews and inspiring journey, that felt remarkably relatable and yet otherworldly.

Unfortunately for those hoping for another installment in the MCU (Molly Cinematic Universe), Seidel shared this week that due to a tough build up, which has included a sacral stress reaction and navigating the arduous TUE process for ADHD medication, that the World Championships are no longer on her schedule.

Enter Keira D’Amato.

Swapping out qualified athletes for alternates happens on occasion, but the way things have played out here offers a quick glimpse into the challenges of the marathon selection procedure. The original team was offered their spots after the New York City Marathon on November 7th, 2021 — the actual race is July 18th, 2022. On the track, the athletes are already in peak form and only have to maintain it for a few more weeks before representing the US. On the roads, eight months and thousands of miles might as well be a lifetime.

That said, if you need to tap in your alternate, there is hardly a better person than the American record holder in the event. With only two weeks' notice, there might be some concern that a late entry doesn’t have enough time to find fitness, but that just won’t be an issue for Keria. In May, D’Amato finished second at the USATF 25k Championships, then finished third at the Mini 10k as the top American in a stacked field. And just over a week ago she won the BAA 10k — she is ready to go, at least for the shorter stuff.

But as anyone who’s run one will tell you — probably loudly, and repeatedly — the difference between racing a 10k and a marathon is 20 miles. So to gear up D’Amato canceled her plans to race at the Peachtree Road Race and opted instead for a 22 mile long run at 5:55 pace, which included 10 miles of tempo work at 5:12 pace. I have praised Keira’s old school approach before, and that’s not because she is 37-years-old. Under the guidance of coach Scott Raczko, she has never been afraid to race any distance, anytime or anywhere — fitness is fitness.

The Mondo Diamond League 🇸🇪

Is there anything… Sweder… than breaking a world record at home?

Ask Mondo Duplantis. He just soared to a new world record* of 6.16m at the Stockholm Diamond League meet last week.

Why the asterisk, you ask?

Although this is the highest anyone has ever vaulted outdoors, it is technically not a world record because World Athletics recognizes indoor performances in the pole vault, too. You may remember Mondo clearing 6.20m indoors at the World Championships.

Now, I have an elementary understanding of the pole vault that is mostly based in theory, but that hasn’t stopped me from popping off about any other topic before, so let’s get into it! There are certain advantages vaulters find indoors that are not afforded outdoors. For one, there is obviously no wind, which creates for a much more controlled environment and in a game of millimeters, that matters. Additionally, there is the advantage of extra springy runways like we saw in Belgrade. However, on the other side of the coin, athletes are generally in better shape come the outdoor season, and a gentle tailwind can make for some added speed on the approach.

Sergey Bubka, Renaud Lavillenie, Steven Hooker, Chris Nilsen and many other men have their personal bests from the indoor season — again, I don’t understand enough to have a fully developed opinion on whether that’s grounds to separate indoor and outdoor world records… I’m just letting you know!

In the women’s 800m, the potential of a USA Big 3 sweep just became a little bit more difficult. Up until this weekend, the most likely disruptor to the Mu-Wilson-Rogers trifecta was Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, given her 1:55.88 PB, Olympic silver medal, and previously undefeated season at the distance. But Mary Moraa proved that her 1:57.45 at the Kenyan Trials was no fluke when she held off Keely to win Stockholm in 1:57.68. The thing that makes Moraa such an interesting contender is not only that she is improving quickly, but she has the 400m speed too, as her personal best is 50.82 from two weeks ago.

In the men’s 3000m, the story of the day was trying to figure out who Domnic Lobalu is and how he beat Jacob Kiplimo, running 7:29.48. Lobalu is originally from South Sudan, but competed as a refugee at the 2017 World Championships, where he ran 3:52 for 1500m. He is now based out of Switzerland, but due to visa issues is unable to travel outside the country to compete without special permission. Although Lobalu has run 1:01:01 in a half marathon, this 3000m was far and away the best performance of his track career. Sadly, unless there is something going on behind the scenes that no one told The Lap Count about, Domnic won’t be at the World Championships not just because of the complications surrounding travel, but he hasn’t hit a standard.

Peachtree 10k 🍑

I once referred to Bolder Boulder as the best 10k road race in the country and boy did I hear about it from my Georgia subscribers. The Peachtree Road Race was started by the Atlanta Track Club in 1970 and is now the largest 10k in the world with 60,000(!) participants and more knocking down the door to get in. This being the south, in the summer, and all, the Fourth of July tradition can get steamy, but that doesn’t stop top runners from around the world from running fast.

3Rhonex Kipruto, the course record holder (27:01), returned to win again in 27:26, eight seconds ahead of Kibiwott Kandie, the former half marathon WR holder. On the women’s side, Senbere Teferi was definitely the favorite heading in given her undefeated road season which includes victories at the NYC Half, Mini 10k, and BAA 5k, but it was closer than expected! Kenya’s Irine Chepet gave the Ethiopian star a good scare as both crossed the finish-line at 30:49.

I don’t have a particularly close connection with the Atlanta Track Club outside of openly and constantly declaring them my favorite and the most underrated team in the US. The main reason why is right here… they’re not an elite team dependent on sponsorship dollars to make it run. They’re a full-fledged organization with a functional business model that is actively growing the sport from the youth, to community, to professional divisions. Can you believe they haven’t sent me a t-shirt yet? 😉

The Morton Mile ☘️

With the World Championships in Eugene this summer, the annual exodus of American distance runners to Europe didn’t really take place. Hell, even before the last couple years of Covid-complicated summers, the overseas middle-distance mass migration had started to lose momentum.

There’s a much better domestic circuit for Americans now than there was even a decade ago. And admittedly, a lot of the non-Diamond League European circuit races would treat you like crap, hardly pay out any travel or prize money, and then line you up to race a bunch of guys you’d spent the entire year racing against back home in the States. That wasn’t the case with the Morton Games — my absolute favorite meet on the circuit.

I definitely agree with there being a need for more domestic opportunities. For one, the logistics are much easier and oftentimes less expensive. Additionally, from a shoe contract perspective, the visibility at home is probably “worth” more. But when I think about any regrets that I might have from my career, one of the biggest is that I didn’t take even more advantage of my travel budget or the willingness of certain meet directors to fly me across the world. Now a married man with a child and a career, there aren’t quite as many chances to pop over to Sweden to do a quick 800 and eat some meatballs — why didn’t I do that race when I was 25 and able?

After spending much of my rookie spring injured, I felt like I was finally coming around after the 2014 US Championships. I was unsponsored and without an agent, but took a chance and sent some emails to meet directors and booked a one way ticket to Ireland. Fortunately, it paid off immediately. I won the Cork City Sports mile in 3:56 for my first personal best at the distance in four years. Then three days later, I made my way to Dublin for the Morton Games, where I took two more seconds off, going 3:54 in Santry.

One of the most popular features of the track there is that the Clonliffe Harriers clubhouse sits at the 200m mark. In addition to locker rooms and showers, it also houses a beautiful pub with a great view and walls full of track memorabilia. After an abbreviated cool down, all the athletes head up for pints of Guinness and to start a night of festivities that inevitably ends at Coppers. There are a few good reasons why two days later I ran 4:06 in Letterkenny…

Now when describing my previous life to co-workers, I think of when I was sitting in the Leuven square drinking a Stella I bought for a Euro and trying to figure out what race I should do next. It was the best possible way to spend my 20s, and the opportunity cost of the money spent vs. money won all seems negligible now. I had some good races, but I made some great memories.

While running fast makes up most of the roving athlete’s job, there are other factors that might make a particular meet a good one to beg one’s way into. For instance, the Morton Mile was always important to me because I got to race in front of family and friends. (I learned the hard way that it was better to make the trip down to my wife’s family farm after the race, rather than before. As a native Long Islander, performing even mild manual labor for a pre-meet might as well be my kryptonite.) And as a track fan, the appreciation that the Irish have for the whole sport, but the mile in particular, made these meets an even bigger draw.

Even if there were fewer Americans in the field than normal this year, the meet still delivered an incredible show with brilliant announcing and the first Irishman in Andrew Coscoran to win the mile since 2004. Convincing athletes to stop worrying about the clock and focus on winning is easier with 52 years of history behind it. But having your name etched alongside the likes of Kip Keino, John Walker, Steve Ovett, and Eamonn Coghlan is something that pacing lights could never give you. I was so close…

In partnership with WCH OREGON 22

Team USA put on a show at the USATF Outdoor Championships in qualifying for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22. In two weeks the best athletes in the world will be heading to Oregon, but are you? The likes of Ryan Crouser, Sydney Mclaughlin, and Noah Lyles will be competing in our backyard at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon – but Team USA needs our support! Cheer on the greatest American track and field athletes as they fight for global titles on home soil July 15-24.

Yakima Mile 🍎

To those with a pronounced east coast bias, prior to the first running of the Yakima Mile, the city was best known as the hometown of the fictional character iCarly’s grandfather. But a few years ago the race began with the promise of good crowds and great paydays to attract the heaps of talent based in the Pacific Northwest. Turns out that was a pretty foolproof plan!

On the women’s side, Union’s Ella Donaghu out-leaned Katie Camarena in 4:31.6 for the $5,000 prize purse. However, lovers of good, honest prize purses will want to turn their attention to the $10,000 that Sam Prakel got for his 3:50.5 mile — there was a Washington State Mile record bonus.

There were lots of athletes sitting at home who could’ve contended to run a sub 4:21/3:51 mile that didn’t show up to Central Washington. If you’re not in Europe for the life experience or to impress your brother-in-law by struggling to herd a thousand sheep, and you’re not chasing ten thousand dollars, what are you even doing?

Probably waiting for a time trial situation with no financial gain to be had, where you won’t go with the rabbits and then blame the 12 other guys in the field for not doing anything.

Quick 4 second sprint

1. If I told you there was a 16-year-old kid scaring Usain Bolt’s age group records, you might assume he was from Jamaica, or the US, or another conventional sprinting powerhouse. You would probably not guess he’s from Thailand. That’s because for a country of 70 million people, the 200m national record was only 20.68 until Puripol Boonson showed up! In Kazakhstan he broke the overall Southeast Asian record, posting a 20.19 (+1.7), just a bit shy of Bolt’s 20.13 from 2002. Boonson may be a Thai generational talent, but he isn’t alone. In second place was his countryman and fellow teenager, Soraoat Dabbang, who ran 20.54 at 19-years-old.

2. Cuba’s Reynier Mena turned heads this weekend when he followed up his 9.99 (+1.6) with a 19.63 (+1.2) later that day in Switzerland. Mena’s 200m time now is the Cuban National Record and 10th fastest time ever…BUT we will not be seeing him in Eugene to face off against Lyles and Knighton as he is in the process of switching his allegiance to Portugal.

3. The Sri Lankan national 100m record fell at the hands of Yupun Abeykoon with his 9.96 (+1.6). And we will continue to stan for any country that isn’t traditionally an athletics powerhouse, but now has a breakthrough star! Quick, somebody forward this newsletter to all 20+ million Sri Lankans, who surely are now big track nerds.

4. Are you old enough to remember when Wade Van Niekerk broke the 400m world record in lane 9 at the Rio Olympics? Then you’ll be glad to know that he appears to be returning to form, after opening his season in 44.58 to win the American Track League. He is the last man to have beaten Steven Gardiner over a single lap — that was in 2017.

Catching up with Lindsay Flanagan

It isn’t often that an American wins the Gold Coast Marathon — in fact, Lindsay Flanagan is the first to ever do it. Entering the 2022 season, Flanagan’s personal best had been a few years old coming from the Chicago Marathon (2:28:08) in 2018. But in April, the former University of Washington standout ran 2:26:54 in Paris, and she kept the good times going with another personal best of 2:24:35 to break the tape in Australia. I quickly caught up with her as she was enjoying a well-deserved vacation and some rest down under.

You had a solid spring of racing, highlighted by a 1:09:50 at the NYC Half Marathon and a 2:26:54 PB in Paris. Did you come into this past weekend knowing that you were due for such a breakthrough performance in the full?

I felt like I was in the shape of my life before Paris in April and thought I would run a bit quicker there. Of course, it was great to PR given the tough course and separate women’s start, but I left that race a bit dissatisfied.

I knew I had a bigger PR in me, but, to be honest, wasn’t sure exactly where my fitness was at coming into Gold Coast. Training hadn’t gone perfectly in this shortened build up (but when does it?!) and even though the effort was there, a lot of my workouts were quite a bit slower with the summer heat. I even requested a slower pace than 1:12 through halfway. But my coach reassured me I would be fine — I’m glad I listened!

So, given all of that, I’m thrilled with Sunday’s performance and think that my pre-Paris fitness carried over really well. I had no idea what my final time would be, as I wasn’t checking splits while out on the course, so to make that final turn and see 2:24 on the clock was amazing.

Of all the races out there, why did you choose to run the Gold Coast Marathon? How did you like running a “smaller” race in comparison to some of the Majors that you have done in the past like Boston or Chicago?

I decided on Gold Coast last December when Benita [Willis] and I were discussing my 2022 race schedule. I was coming off a pretty ugly and disappointing fall marathon and knew it was time to mix things up to bring some excitement back. With the trials still two years away, we decided this was the year to take some risks and run 3 marathons. I had heard great things about the half at Gold Coast, so knew the full would be a well run event and a good opportunity to run fast. It’s also an asics race and I wanted to represent them well.

Gold Coast is a smaller marathon, about 5,000 runners, but I really liked the ‘low key’ environment. I love the Majors but it was nice to have minimal obligations before and I felt like I got to know the race staff, organizers, and other athletes well.

What do you most attribute to your two big personal bests in the marathon this year? I know you have started working with a new coach, Benita Willis, so what’s been working so well?

I attribute my recent PRs to consistency and being able to handle more volume and true marathon sessions. Until relatively recently, I was probably training more like a 10k runner, with mileage in the mid 90s and lower volume speed/tempo sessions. I’m actually quite happy I did this type of training for so long because had I been doing the volume and workouts when I started running marathons at 25 years old that I am now at 31, I’m not sure what my improvement would be like.

Benita has been a fantastic coach and has really gotten me out of my comfort zone with longer sessions. She is quite knowledgeable and was an incredible athlete herself — she ran 2:22, won World Cross Country… the list of her accomplishments could go on and on — so I absolutely trust the training she gives me. We’ve been on the same page since day one and, most importantly, get along really well.

There is a lot of advice out there for athletes who need to bounce back after bad races. But it can also be challenging to keep things going after finishing a great race. How do you keep this momentum when running is going well and everything is clicking?

This was marathon number 14 and it’s taken quite a few tries to get it right. There’s been a lot of heartbreak which makes good races like this one so much sweeter. I’m able to keep the momentum going by remembering how fortunate I am to do this for a living. I mean I’m currently vacationing post-race in Australia?! I am also an incredibly driven and competitive person, like most athletes, and am never fully satisfied with a performance. I’m always looking for ways to improve and get more out of myself while competing, which means not being afraid to take on big challenges and step on more start lines.

Rapid Fire Highlights 🔥

• Canada’s Marco Arop ran 1:43.61 in Edmonton to win by three seconds for the third fastest time in the world this year. The 800 has been considered “wide open” but it’s not for a lack of fast running.

• Famed podcaster Morgan McDonald returned to the track in his first race since the Olympics, winning the Sound Running 1500 in 3:39.09. Vincent Crisp ran a personal best to take the 800 in 1:45.03.

• Jessica Hull broke the Australian National Record in the mile running 4:19.89 in a small tune-up race in Portland ahead of the World Championships. There was also a well-deserved 1500m enroute personal best (4:03.03) for Eleanor Fulton, who took over rabbiting duties after Sinclaire Johnson stepped off.

• The World Half Marathon Championships in Yangzhou, China, that were supposed to take place in November 2022 have been formally canceled.

• Yulimar Rojas will not be eligible to compete in the long jump at the World Championships because her mark was set wearing her triple jump spikes, which include an added 5mm of sole cushion. This sport sometimes…

• Cathal Doyle returned after his dive at the Morton Games to win the Cork City Sports mile in 3:56.35 with a broken wrist and fractured elbow. He reportedly said, “just tape it up, it’ll be grand.” Sarah Healy ran 8:46.14 to win the 3000m to set the Irish U23 record, and also took quite the spill at the finish line.

• Rumors were being published as fact that Kentucky star and US 200m champion, Abby Steiner, signed a $2M/year deal with Puma. Although this isn’t farfetched given Andre De Grasse had reportedly signed a multi-year deal worth $11.25M back in 2015, Steiner came out with a statement dismissing the narrative. This has once again reignited the conversation about NDAs in the sport and how that lack of open source knowledge is another barrier to athlete’s having any power in their careers.

• The legendary Bill Squires of the Greater Boston Track Club passed away this week at 89. He coached Beardsley, Rodgers, Salazar, Meyer, and other top marathoners. He once said in a Runner’s World profile from 11 years ago: “My hope is that when I drop there’ll be five or six guys around the United States who say, ‘You know, that friggin’ guy knew what he was doing.’ I have improved every athlete I’ve ever coached. Every one! Even the wackos.” He definitely knew what he was doing.

Thank you to HOKA Summer Mile Club for supporting this week’s newsletter! Make sure to sign up and get your iconic bucket hat for free, all for the low cost of tracking your miles.