'Twas the day before ⏱

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What a scary situation

It’s impossible to know what an athlete is dealing with in his or her personal life. Fans see the results and a smattering of curated social posts, but we don’t know the whole story. In what was a fantastic and horrifying article, ESPN shared some of what 2016 Olympian, Emily Infeld, has had to deal with off the track these past few years. What started as a series of unsettling and bizarre messages quickly spiraled into something even darker, as her stalker escalated to sending her packages and directly threatening her safety. Despite having a protective order against him, the situation became even more terrifying when he eventually moved near Emily’s home in Portland. Feeling unprotected by local law enforcement — among many other parties — Emily bounced around the country, fearing for her life and in March, she went public with the situation in an Instagram post. It wasn’t until June that her stalker was finally taken into custody where he is potentially facing five years in prison.

Unless you’ve lived through something similar, it’s almost inconceivable to imagine how difficult it must have been to train and compete while constantly looking over your shoulder. And—especially as a man, it’s just as easy to momentarily forget what so many women go through on even the most standard of runs — when running through a public park in the middle of the day can be met with violating catcalls, or worse. The most disappointing aspect of Infeld’s harrowing tale is how the system failed her time and time again. And if she, a public figure with the backing of Nike, struggled to get the necessary help from authorities for years, then where does that leave others in similar positions who lack similar resources.

It is a testament to how incredible a person Emily is that she would feel for her stalker — a former runner himself, who’s struggling with mental health issues following repeated instances of brain trauma, and who — in his own way — has been ignored by the system as well. Fortunately, Emily can now focus on her happiness and her season and has already bettered a 9-year-old 1500m personal best by running 4:05 this summer and an outdoor 5k PB of 14:54. A happy runner is a fast runner!

3:49.26 😈

Based on the amount he has been posting on the internet, it’s no secret that Matt Centrowitz is fit. For a pre-Tokyo tuneup he announced that he’d be attempting to take down one of the most coveted American Records, Alan Webb’s 3:46.91 mile. While Centro came up short, there are plenty of positives to take away from this. First off, he won! Imagine how embarrassing it would have been to lose a race named the ‘Centro Mile.’ But the 2nd place finisher, Sam Prakel, who is a 3:50 miler in his own right can be used for a reference point as to just how hard it is to go out in 1:51: he faded to 3:57 after a 65 second final lap. For comparison, when Webb set the record, he came through in 1:53, which also made it possible for his rabbit to tow him through 3 full laps. In Centro’s case, he had to do it all alone for the final 600m.

In addition to this being his first time under the 3:50 barrier, it’s the fastest an American has run since 2007. With 10 days until the 1500 heats begin in Tokyo, this was the perfect tuneup for a face-off against Timothy Cheruiyot, who is notorious for making things honest. We were given hints during the broadcast that Centro’s training has gone exceptionally well since the Trials. And now’s the time for that fitness to solidify. Although it goes against logic, racing a mile will actually freshen the legs up. It forces you to back off for a few days and is also generally easier to recover from than most workouts. The coolest part of this event was how many fans showed up on such short notice — more than there will be in Tokyo.

Let it rain 💸

We probably could’ve timed the announcement of The Victory Lap a little better, huh? Didn’t know we’d be competing against Stephen Schwarzman to see who could help athletes more. (In fairness, I think the $2.4 million dollars of grants he gave away last week might be a smaller percentage of his net worth ($32B) — but it’s not a contest!)

For the uninitiated, the USATF Foundation is not the same thing as USATF. It is a separate non-profit that was established in 2002 to ‘attract and guide funds to new and innovative track & field programs, with an emphasis on providing opportunities for youth and elite athletes.’ In short, there are a lot of wealthy benefactors in the sport who want to see American T&F athletes succeed. Because our business model is full of holes, these supporters are Italian Renaissance level patrons of the arts. And at the top is the chairman and CEO of the Blackstone Group acting as a Medici-like figure. Schwarzman ran track himself in high school, but was inspired by Morgan Uceny’s heartbreaking fall at the 2012 Olympics to get more involved.

Of course we all wish that it wasn’t necessary to annually inject 115 of the country’s best athletes with cash infusions worth $8k-$30k. But for so many of the top athletes, especially those performing outside the marquis money making events, these grants have become a dependable and growing source of income. It would be disappointing to know how many recipients don’t have a shoe contract worth the same amount. Now the next step is finding ways to invest this money in self-sufficient and sustainable businesses that can help the sport grow to where it doesn’t need the aid from non-profits.

How can we utilize funding to create more of it? No really, this is a question. Please tell me!

Interested in supporting athletes? Subscribe to our premium newsletter, The Victory Lap to read exclusive interviews with elites to put more money in their pocket! On Friday morning we will be publishing a conversation with the former Buff, Maddie Alm. Now training with Team Boss, she is coming off qualifying for the 5k final at the Olympic Trials, but as a Registered Dietician we can promise there will be plenty of good nutrition advice along the way!

Yinz see this in the City of Bridges? 🌉

The Steel City is home to the Liberty Mile — one of the most underrated races of the summer season to everyone except those who have run it. First off, the prize money is excellent. Sinclaire Johnson received $5k for the win and her time of 4:26 was worth a $2k bonus for the course record. But it’s not just about the money. It’s also an exceptionally well-run and well-supported event, with many general participants enthusiastically sticking around to cheer on the pros through the streets of downtown Pittsburgh. It’s one of those races that make athletes feel like the D-list celebrities that they are. Run P3R hosts this race in addition to numerous other road races and is transforming Pittsburgh into a can’t-miss city into a runner’s destination (there are trails!). Mimicking in the success of the NYRR, the Atlanta Track Club and telecom companies, there is power in bundling. It’s easier to sell sponsors on multiple events instead of a one off and the more people who run in the ‘regular’ races, the more opportunities there are to showcase elite talent.

On the men’s side it was Vincent Ciattei who took down runner-up Colby Alexander to win in 3:58, after a strong final push. In what would be a huge surprise given his impressive 1:46/3:34 personal bests, this was actually the first professional win of Vince’s career (more to come!). But in less shocking news, Craig Engels stole the show on the podium by ceremoniously chugging a beer from his awarded 12-pack.

Gunnar shot his shot ☄️

How is this even an event? Given how insane you have to be to run this race in the first place, I’d say it’s a miracle when anyone who runs the steeplechase lives past 50. Is there any video of him going over barriers? I want this to be me— 93 years old and still fit enough to rock half tights in public.

What an emotional roller coaster 🎢

Luis Grijalva just graduated from Northern Arizona, signed with HOKA ONE ONE and with new personal bests of 3:35/13:13 was supposed to be getting on his flight to Tokyo to represent his native Guatemala. But there was one issue — his DACA status. He came to the United States when he was just 1-year-old and is not permitted to travel internationally except for humanitarian, educational or employment reasons. There was a temporary social media and regular media uproar while Grijalva was forced to wait until the 11th hour to learn if his request for a travel waiver would be approved. Fortunately on Monday justice prevailed and Luis was granted the exception. Now, he’ll have two countries cheering for him at the Olympics and while his adopted home may not have the privilege of seeing him in the red, white and blue, think of the impact his representation at the games might have on those in Guatemala. He will be the country’s only track athlete (there are 6 race walkers competing) and the first to compete in the Games since 2000.

Fun Fact: In 2000, Guatemala had an individual fail to advance in the rounds of the 100m running 10.54. But their 4x100 ran 39.34 (.08 from the semi-finals).

As seen on TV 📺

One of the most enjoyable parts of watching T&F on television is yelling at it. But in what was bad news for old track curmudgeons, the Olympic Trials broadcast was actually good. Runner’s World did some investigating and found out why — there’s a former athlete producing for NBC. Betsy Riley was a pentathlete at Notre Dame and with a long career working in live television, she “gets it” from both perspectives. Viewers need to be engaged with captivating stories and context is everything, even for knowledgable, dirhard fans of the sport. The key moments in a race should never be missed. These are the segments that need to be broken down and reviewed — split-screen is essential. Small, simple changes can go a long way. And as we watch other sports at the Olympics, we should recognize the questions we are asking then realize others are looking for those same answers during track broadcasts. The technology and graphics can elevate the sport and make for in-depth analysis both before and after the race. That’s not dead time — it’s an opportunity to answer 3 key questions:

1) How does everyone expect the race to go?

2) What do various athletes want to happen instead?

3) Why did the winner ultimately win?

There’s more to a race than just who ran the fastest. Tell the audience that part.

Hey, this is a track newsletter! 🏊‍♂️🚴‍♂️🏃‍♂️

I’ve watched enough triathlons (now two!) to know that the running part is where the winning happens. Despite a transparent uniform, Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt closed out the full day of exercising with an incredible 29:36 10k. If Lukas Verzbicas’s sub-4 minute mile as a high schooler couldn’t convince you to appreciate the running abilities of triathletes than maybe this can: He kicked away from eventual silver and bronze medalists, Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde, who have both run a 13:29 5k on the track. On the women’s side it was Bermuda’s Flora Duffy who closed out the race in a dominant 33:00. And from the United States, it was exciting to see former Syracuse University XC/Track athlete, Katie Zaferes, come away with the bronze. So next time you get beat by a triathlete at a local race, don’t feel bad — they’re training much harder anyway!

Sisson’s workouts 🤷‍♀️

This is a great piece on Emily Sisson detailing her comeback after the marathon to get back on the track. The world needs more articles that aren’t dumbing down the content, but add legitimate insight. But these workouts: 9 x 1k @ 2:55!!! 2 x 4 mile @ 5:12!!! I know sub-4 milers who couldn’t hit these times.

The Best “Value” Bets in Olympic T&F

(Disclaimer: The Lap Count fully supports gambling assuming it is legal where you live. If it is not legal where you live, you should write your local state legislator and Venmo your friends in states where it is legal to place bets for you. All the below odds can be found on DraftKings or FanDuel.)

Men’s Steeplechase - Benjamin Kigen (+800)

Kenya has won this event every year since 1984. Although Kigen finished 3rd at their trials to Leonard Bett (+650) and Abraham Kibiwott (+600), he was on his way to potentially winning Monaco, but miscalculated how many laps he had left due to an early bell. There’s no clear favorite in this event, but history says betting on all 3 Kenyans will payout well.

Men’s 400 - Stephen Gardiner (+300)

The 2019 World Champ from the Bahamas doesn’t lose often. Since 2017 it has only happened once (not counting two DNFs) and that was when he came in 2nd at the World Champs to Van Niekerk, who has had a tumultuous ride since.

Men’s 800 - Clayton Murphy (+800)

This race is full of opportunity with every athlete having positive odds. The 2016 bronze medalist was invincible at the Trials, but has since looked flat as he’s been racing and working out on a mini-European tour. He has proven his ability to race rounds and on the big stage — I don’t think he’s looking for less than gold here.

Men’s 1500 - Josh Kerr (+4000)

This is the money bet. If you want to buy yourself a new house, then bet the one you’re in now. He posted a solo 3:31 this season, showing that he can run hard from the front — and then he edged out 3:28 man, Jake Wightman at the British Champs closing in 51.0 This week he time trialed an 800 going 55.x—50.x to run 1:46.3 before coming back with another 36-second 300 after. Let’s all get rich together!

Men’s 200m - The Field

These are value bets and not necessarily who I think is going to win. For example, I think Noah Lyles (-190) will win. But he has not been so dominant that I’m not looking at De Grasse (+450) and Bednarek (+500). A fun bet would be on the past two NCAA champs, Joseph Fahnbulleh (+2200) or Divine Odururu (+2800). This is an unbelievable stat, but Africa has NEVER won a men’s or women’s Olympic 100m or 200m. Liberia and Nigeria have two young stars right now with an outside chance.

Women’s 800m - Raevyn Rogers (+2900) and Ajee Wilson (+1300)

It sort of feels like there was an error made somewhere, right? The 2019 World Championship silver and bronze medalists are long shots! With the pair having run 1:57 this season and given their recent success on the international stage, this is THE value bet of the Olympics.

Women’s Marathon - Ruth Chepngetich (+600)

The 2019 World Champion set the WR of 64:02 at the Istanbul Half Marathon in April and appears to be fit and healthy heading into Tokyo (according to a deep-dive on social media). Yes, Brigid Kosgei (-135) is rightly the favorite considering her 2:14 WR and the four victories in London and Boston, but this is the marathon where anything can happen and we are looking for buried treasure!

Women’s Pole Vault - Katie Nageotte (+225)

It’s too bad there aren’t odds on Katie medaling because I’d bet every quarter I could find under the cushions of my grandparent’s couch. For a favorite who has jumped above 4.90 multiple times this year, this is too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Women’s Discus - Valarie Allman (+280) and Jorinde Van Klinken (+370)

Although Cuba’s Yaime Perez (+250) is the defending World Champion, Allman and Klinken are the only athletes who have thrown over 70m this year. When comparing their respective consistency, the American has the better median toss, but Klinken has not lost this year. Does that stat matter in the field?

Women’s Long Jump - Brittney Reese (+350)

Brittney Reese is a 7x World Champions and the 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist. She jumped 7.13m to win the Olympic Trials and her trajectory is pointing straight up, but the best reason to bet on her is she’s awesome and fun to root for!

Introducing: Torch Talk 🎙

The daily podcast from the Olympic Trials had such a positive reception from listeners that we are bringing it back for Tokyo. I will once again be teaming up with Chris Chavez on the Citius Mag Podcast feed to breakdown all the action. But this time we will be joined by our friend, current professional runner and host of More Than Running with Dana Giordano…Dana Giordano!

Don’t know when/where/how to watch? Dipen Shah created a spreadsheet for a full-breakdown HERE that will give you all the information that you need!