Another big week in running news! Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth break down the wild weekend at the Western States 100 where Vincent Bouillard became the first man under 14 hours and Jen Lichter took down Courtney Dauwalter's course record in her 100-mile debut. Plus: new Backyard Ultra world records out of Russia, the first-ever marathon held inside an IKEA store, the IOC's new $10,000 athlete grant program, and Tokyo Marathon's record-breaking $170,000 prize purse.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro: Michael and Jessy swap continents
0:55 This week's top stories
2:11 Western States 100: Bouillard's sub-14-hour record
3:53 Jen Lichter's stunning 100-mile debut course record
8:00 Backyard Ultra world records broken in Russia
13:00 First official IKEA Marathon sells out
18:18 IOC's $10,000 athlete grants — hot take
23:44 Tokyo Marathon's record $170K prize purse and bigger field
27:40 Bonus: new podcast feed + Paris Diamond League recap

This week on The Running Story, Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth break down the five biggest stories in the running world including a scary medical emergency involving one of the greatest track runners of all time, a jaw-dropping performance from an eighth grader, a Dutch marathon canceled over a fake paramedic scam, and why Berlin 2026 is shaping up to be the most anticipated marathon of the fall season. Chapters: 0:00 Intro — Top 5 Running Stories of the Week 1:27 Harry Styles Donates to Charity Runner Lawrence Dennis 5:15 8th Grader Luke Surface Runs World Best 5K (14:25) at Hayward Field 8:16 Dutch Sneak Marathon Canceled — Fake Paramedic Scam Exposed 12:32 Tigst Assefa Returns to Berlin to Chase the Women's Marathon World Record 20:40 Jenny Simpson's Medical Emergency at Sir Walter Miler — Latest Update 23:58 The Running Story Is Getting Its Own Podcast Feed

The 2027 London Marathon has officially confirmed it will become a two-day event and Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth are breaking it all down in an emergency episode of The Running Story by Marathon Handbook. On Saturday, April 24th and Sunday, April 25th, 2027, London will host 100,000 runners across two days on the same course, making it the largest marathon event in history and the biggest fundraising event in UK sporting history. Chapters: 0:00 — Breaking news: London Marathon goes to two days 1:09 — What's confirmed: dates, format, course & ballot details 2:26 — Why London made this move (1.33M applicants) 5:19 — The logistics challenge & why it's framed as a one-off 7:26 — Unanswered questions: charity bibs & international quotas 9:08 — Elite field pressure after the historic sub-2 hour marathon 9:57 — A landmark moment for women's marathon coverage 12:03 — Elite wish lists: who needs to race London 2027 13:46 — The money behind running two World Marathon Major days 15:00 — One-and-done or permanent? Jessy's take 16:26 — Will New York, Chicago & other majors follow? 19:13 — Audience question & wrap-up