This is the track that never ends ⏱

Lap 12: Sponsored by Stoke Performance

Looking for optimal pre-run fuel and the perfect snack? Stoke is a multi-nut & seed butter formulated to offer a wider variety of nutrients than what’s found in traditional single nuts butter. Created by and for runners, our goal was to ditch the pre-run peanut butter for elite fuel. Our new flavor, Coffee Macadamia Nut, just dropped!

Use discount code ‘TLC’ for 15% off your order — And follow @StokePerformance!

Tweet your ideas 💡

First off, why does the CEO of USATF not have a blue checkmark on Twitter? Secondly, this is a great idea from 3x Olympic gold medalist, Tianna Bartoletta, and with an asking price of only $500/week it’s beyond doable. The unheralded athlete of the week award is a great opportunity for a fan vote to help create some exposure and appreciation for standout performances. But more importantly, this whole interaction had me thinking about how little visibility the most powerful man in American T&F currently has and the potential ways that could be addressed. Tianna is one of many well-intentioned USATF members (and elite athletes) who has spent some time brainstorming solutions to the many various problems our sport faces. My modest proposal is a quarterly town hall where we (the people) can ask questions and receive updates about the various happenings around the federation. And although I am nervous to introduce more competition to the newsletter game, a monthly mail-bag would be an enticing platform for connecting with USATF member 1403148155. (I assume this isn’t like my social security number and it’s ok to share?)

Get back soon! 👑

It was obvious immediately that something terrible had happened during the Ostrava Golden Spike last week. Christian Taylor, the double-defending Olympic gold medalist in the triple jump ruptured his achilles during the competition and will miss the Tokyo Olympics. Two weeks ago, I shared his work in founding the Athletics Association, an organization built with the intent of helping advance the rights of athletes. Never is there a greater need for support and infrastructure for athletes than during their time on the sidelines. T&F is a great representation of the world at-large, when things are going well, everyone wants to pay for your meal. (Isn’t it ironic that those with the biggest travel budgets are the ones getting flown to meets and being put up in hotels?) As we all wish Christian a speedy recovery in hopes that he can return to Eugene for the World Championships, I’d imagine his time will be well spent fighting for future generations of athletes, who might face similar hardships.

Introducing Mo Katir (and the ASICS super shoe) 👠

Mohamed Katir — So hot right now! The Spaniard is in the middle of a breakout year that has seen his previous slats of PBs, 3:36/7:44/13:50, totally obliterated and rewritten as 3:33/7:35/13:08. The first Diamond League of the year was marked by cold, wet and windy conditions, which is apparently standard-fare for Gateshead (it’s in the north of England, you ignorant American!). The second meet will be held this Friday in Doha with temperatures expected to be 225% hotter — it’s like different video game levels. Anyway, Katir stalked 12:51 5k-er, Nicholas Kimeli, for 12 minutes before running even faster, celebrating hard and yelling, ‘¡Mamá, te quiero!’ into the camera. Meanwhile, somewhere in Kobe, Japan, a boardroom of ASICS executives burst into tears as their new fancy spikes (that don’t have spikes and are presumably named after a cloud) were validated, meaning they could delete the drafted tweet granting permission to their athletes to wear whatever they want (re: Nikes).

Know someone who needs a little extra T&F coverage during this Olympic year?

Do we blame the streets?

The 400m WR holder and Olympic champ, Wayde van Niekerk, pulled up a few meters before the finish of the 200m at the adidas Boost Boston Games. All of South Africa held its collective breath for a moment as we awaited to see if it was a serious injury. This comes the same week that defending world champion, Steven Gardiner, collapsed within spitting distance of the finish to snap his 992 day long undefeated streak. As the trials and Olympics approach, athletes are walking the tightrope between fitness and health. To be the best, you must take calculated risks, but to compete on the big stage you also have to make it there in one piece. The concept behind having a “street meet” is a fun and innovative way to engage fans and theoretically a curious passerby. I’ve long championed these spectacles for field events in particular as they are often exiled to the outer rings of the circus. Now I’m not blaming the elevated track that WvN ran on for his injury— I’m just saying the thought crossed my mind. It’s worth noting that the 100 and hurdles run down Boylston Street on a puzzle piece track that was held together by duct tape gets the category ‘A’ distinction by World Athletics, yet the Trials of Miles/Sound Running meets, received an ‘F’. Money talks!

Is this a categorical imperative?

Maybe we have different definitions of what a spectator is? It’s incredible how consistently bad the decision making of those at the helm of the Olympics can be. There is still time for exceptions to be made for nursing mothers who shouldn’t have to choose between an Olympic dream and their family, so here’s hoping that happens, because of now, how is this a discussion? Seems like the moment this issue crosses your desk as a rational person you would just say, ‘of course Aliphine can bring her child with her.’ And then rather than The Washington Post having to focus a column’s worth of attention to a potentially heartbreaking conundrum, that ink could be dedicated to how her buildup and training is going postpartum. Maybe even talk about the actual event? The mainstream media loves to do human interest stories, but it’s rare to see any analysis or predictions of substance. Unfortunately that doesn’t get clicks. Trust me, I write an extremely niche newsletter.

The high schoolers steal the show! 🤘

The third and final stop on the Trials of Miles tour came to New York this past weekend where Icahn stadium played host to numerous Olympic Trials qualifiers. Although much of the hype was for the Chavez vs. Gladwell showdown, the performance of the evening to high schooler, Roisin Willis. Her 2:00.78 bested World Champion Sifan Hassan’s winning time from the “A Heat” and eclipsed Athing Mu’s 16-year old age group record. If there’s a downside to Willis running so well, it’s that less attention was given (this is my fault and an apology) to Juliette Whittaker, a junior, who ran 2:01.34 and Sophia Gorriaran, a HS sophomore, who ran 2:02.93. Mary Cain’s 1:59.51 national record, which previously seemed untouchable, has got to be looking nervously over its shoulder. The best predictor of success in T&F is if your parents were good, and Roisin’s mother, Breeda Dennehy-Willis, represented Ireland at the Sydney Olympics. It’s also a great predictor as to what every article/announcer will talk about for the next 15 years.

ROCKET MAN 🚀

What’s more classically Olympic than tossing a spear nearly one hundred meters across a battlefield? Johannes Vetter’s 94.2m launch in Ostrava is over 6 meters further than the next best competitor has thrown this year. Ordinarily, his closest competitor would have been Magnus Kirt, but the 2019 World Champion from Estonia suffered a surgery-requiring shoulder injury. Without looking at any statistics to back up this claim, javelin throwers seem to deal with more health issues than any other event. The violence that goes into every throw is astonishing to watch. Each attempt starts with the athlete basically charging towards a brick wall before pulling the emergency brake to stop on the dime, all the while hyperextending hteir elbow, just to top it all off. It’s a full body collision that Vetter is the best in the world at. It’s practically inevitable that John Hamm will fly to Germany and recruit him — an arm like that? Made to play baseball.

Slow but definitely not Bor(ing) 🏇

Look at the size of that bib! It’s rare to see an American at the front of any Diamond League distance races, but 8:08 dude and 2016 Olympian, Hillary Bor, looked good up there. If you think his 8:30 victory didn’t break any records, then you’d be wrong — it was the slowest race winner since the series inception in 2010 by 10 seconds. Running fast won’t be an issue for Bor come the Olympic Trials as he broke 8:10 three times in 2019, however, the story gets interesting when you consider Isaac Updike and Mason Ferlic both out-kicked him last month in Eugene. How these three contenders each respond to the pressure of the big stage and late season Pacific Northwest allergies could determine who makes the team.

Gentleman, scholar and umbrella guy ☔️

It can be confusing to non-track athletes why we are all friends with our competitors. The short answer is that we spend a lot of time together, share an appreciation for each other’s accomplishments, and ultimately we are in control of our own destiny since there isn’t much in the way of ‘defense’ being played. It’s not uncommon for half of a 1500 field to warm up as a group. After every decathlon, the whole field jogs a victory lap together and on the runway jumpers are regularly starting slow claps for one another. Isn’t it a beautiful thing? (Although, really it’s no wonder so much of high school is spent arguing about whether or not ours is really even a sport.) Now we can add the pole vault to the long list of T&F events where the line between rivalry and chivalry are muddled. After Mondo Duplantis shielded Sam Kendricks from the elements between jumps, the act was reciprocated when Sam laid down his jacket for Mondo to cross a puddle. The world champion, Kendricks, who also serves as a first lieutenant in the US Army Reserve, narrowly defeated the world record holder whose 23-game winning streak was snapped. And once again, nice guys finish last (ok, he was 2nd).

RACE OF THE WEEK

Cancel the Olympics — It ain’t getting better than four 90+ Japanese guys ganging up to run an 8:49 mile and being brave enough to do so in white shorts.

TRACK WATCH

Since one of my major goals in writing this newsletter is to connect the fans (and wannabe fans) to the sport and its storylines, it seems like a good use of space to share upcoming meets.

Doha Diamond League - Friday 12-2pm (NBC Sports and Peacock)

Portland Track Festival - Friday 6:30 PCT // Saturday 4:00 PT w/ Professionals at 6:45 PT ($5.99 PPV - Proceeds go to athletes)

Platinum PT Qualifier - Saturday 6pm ET (FREE STREAM)