The 2026 Chicago Marathon is stacked with storylines. On the men's side, Vinny Mauri, a former shoe store employee who ran 2:05 alone at Toledo, has gone viral for jaw-dropping treadmill workouts at Planet Fitness, fueling American record hopes. Rojo sparks heated debate by arguing the US has zero legitimate marathon title contenders despite record depth. The women's field is historically loaded with 12 sub-2:20 runners, led by former world record holder Brigid Kosgei and two-time Boston winner Sharon Lokedi, who's running her first flat marathon. The crew also breaks down Jacob Kiplimo's chances, weather concerns that could derail fast times, and whether super shoes benefit women more than men.

🎁 🎧 Get a 2nd LetsRun podcast every week + bonus content. Join the Supporters Club: https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe

🏃 BetterRunningShoes.com. Find the best super shoes, great deals, and review the shoes you're running in. Check out betterrunningshoes.com for deals like the Alphafly 3 for $200 ($95 off) and the Puma Mag Max Nitro for $100.

LINKS

• How Fast Can Strava Legend Vinny Mauri Run at the Chicago Marathon? (LetsRun.com)
• BetterRunningShoes.com
• LetsRun.com Supporters Club
• LetsRun.com Homepage
• Fast Women by Alison Wade (Substack)
• Message Board Thread: Women's vs Men's Marathon World Record Gap
• Vinny Mauri's Strava Training
• LetsRun.com YouTube Channel
• Trent Stellingwerff, Canadian exercise physiologist

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 Chicago Marathon Week
• 02:26 Chicago Storylines and Favorites
• 05:59 Women's Race Preview
• 09:28 Weather and Race Conditions
• 14:49 Emma Grace Hurley's Marathon Debut
• 18:50 Rojo's Hot Take on US Marathoners
• 24:31 American Marathon Depth Debate
• 31:40 Olympic Marathon History and US Prospects
• 36:13 John Kellogg Analyzes Mauri's Training
• 41:30 Mauri's Training: Can It Translate?
• 44:00 The American Record Quest
• 49:53 Kiplimo and the Elite Men's Field
• 54:00 Women's World Record and Super Shoes
• 59:20 Looking Ahead to Chicago Weekend

CONTACT

Contact us:

Email: podcast@letsrun.com Call or text: 1-844-LETSRUN (1-844-538-7786)

ABOUT THE LETSRUN.COM PODCAST

Since 2000, LetsRun.com has been the independent home of elite running. Described by the New York Times as the "influential website that serves as something of a superego for American running," the podcast is the weekly deep dive into the world of track and field and elite distance running.

The show is hosted by LetsRun.com co-founders Weldon Johnson, a 2-time Team USA member, and Robert Johnson, a former Cornell coach who helped pace the marathon world record, along with award-winning senior writer Jonathan Gault. Together they move beyond PR headlines to provide insider reporting and unfiltered debate serious fans rely on.

Tigst Assefa was on world record pace at the Berlin Marathon before an Achilles injury derailed her final two kilometers. She still limped home in 2:11:04, the third-fastest women's marathon ever, and underwent surgery within hours.

Would Assefa broken Ruth Chepngetich's drug-tainted 2:09:56 world record? Is the new Adidas shoe the new "mechanical doping"?

In the NCAA, New Mexico upset number-one Oklahoma State at the Cowboy Jamboree behind 27-year-old freshman Pasanjo Kitonga while BYU's Jane Hedengren suffered a rare defeat. Is is a sophomore slump?

Josh Kerr released footage of a 2:12.66 1,000-meter time trial that would rank fifth all-time, fueling further argument about whether this was the greatest mile season in history.

🎁 🎧 Get a 2nd LetsRun podcast every week + bonus content: Join the Supporters Club — https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe

LINKS

• LetsRun.com Week That Was
• Josh Kerr 1,000m Time Trial (YouTube)
• Blueberry Study — International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
• Mile WR vs Marathon WR
• LetsRun.com Forum — letsrun.com/forum

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 Intro and Episode Preview
• 03:22 Berlin Marathon: Assefa's Heartbreaking World Record Attempt
• 10:26 Is the Women's Marathon World Record Legitimate?
• 13:23 Could Assefa Have Run 2:09 Clean?
• 19:09 The Adidas Super Shoe Advantage
• 19:58 Berlin Men's Race: Guye Adola Wins at 35
• 23:13 Berlin Pacing Strategy Debate
• 25:21 Selemon Barega's Marathon Future vs. Cheptegei
• 32:52 Are Adidas Shoes the New Mechanical Doping?
• 34:08 NCAA Cross Country: New Mexico Upsets Oklahoma State
• 36:54 International Runners and the NCAA Debate
• 39:08 Jane Hedengren Loses at Cowboy Jamboree
• 47:21 Is Jane Hedengren's Sophomore Slump Real?
• 51:42 Doping, Paula Radcliffe, and the 2:15 Debate
• 54:41 I Think Jane, in Terms of Racing, Should Learn to Relax
• 55:14 Mile vs. Marathon: Which World Record Is Better?
• 60:07 Josh Kerr's 1,000-Meter Time Trial Breakdown
• 63:40 Can Josh Kerr Run 1:42 for 800 Meters?
• 69:07 El Guerrouj Never Ran the 800 and Other Mysteries
• 75:27 Kerr's Brooks Deal, Blueberry Doping, and Podcast Tangents
• 79:30 Thailand's Sprint Sensation and Asian Games Language Drama
• 82:47 America's Sports Silo Problem
• 86:42 Fix the Marathon Broadcast and Closing Thoughts

Contact us:

Email: podcast@letsrun.com Call or text: 1-844-LETSRUN (1-844-538-7786)

ABOUT THE LETSRUN.COM PODCAST

Since 2000, LetsRun.com has been the independent home of elite running. Described by the New York Times as the "influential website that serves as something of a superego for American running," the podcast is the weekly deep dive into the world of track and field and elite distance running.

The show is hosted by LetsRun.com co-founders Weldon Johnson, a 2-time Team USA member, and Robert Johnson, a former Cornell coach who helped pace the marathon world record, along with award-winning senior writer Jonathan Gault. Together they move beyond PR headlines to provide insider reporting and unfiltered debate serious fans rely on.

Emma Grace Hurley joins the podcast after the race of her life: a 66:23 half marathon PB at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, good for fifth place and a historic team silver medal for the US women. She breaks down her race strategy, the chaotic Atlanta trials where she was led off course in the final mile, and why she chose the half marathon over the 5K.

With her Chicago Marathon debut just two and a half weeks away, Hurley opens up about her sub-2:20 fitness, carb fueling strategy with Never Second, and the unconventional path that took her from an unremarkable college career at Furman, where she never qualified for NCAAs in track, to becoming the #3 American half marathoner of all time.

🎁 🎧 Get a 2nd LetsRun podcast every week + bonus content. 50% Off 1st year with code GOAT50

Join the Supporters Club — https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe

https://www.letsrun.com/subscribeWant a better running shoe? Check out BetterRunningshoes.comhttps://www.letsrun.com/subscribe

https://www.letsrun.com/subscribeTIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 Welcome & Copenhagen World Half Marathon Recap
• 04:42 Chasing A Medal & Team Silver In Copenhagen
• 08:56 The Atlanta Trials Controversy & Road To Copenhagen
• 14:11 Balancing Copenhagen & Chicago Marathon Buildup
• 17:16 Time Goals & The Sub-2:20 Question
• 21:33 Marathon Training Surprises & Carb Fueling
• 28:11 From Furman To IT Job To Pro Running
• 34:04 Finding Her Niche On The Roads
• 37:00 Following Coaches To Indianapolis & ASICS Origin Story
• 42:29 Laid Off & Going Full-Time Pro
• 46:01 Consistency, Daily Routine & Sleep Habits
• 51:55 Mileage Progression & Chicago Marathon Preview

Contact us:

Email: podcast@letsrun.com Call or text: 1-844-LETSRUN (1-844-538-7786)

ABOUT THE LETSRUN.COM PODCAST

Since 2000, LetsRun.com has been the independent home of elite running. Described by the New York Times as the "influential website that serves as something of a superego for American running," the podcast is the weekly deep dive into the world of track and field and elite distance running.

The show is hosted by LetsRun.com co-founders Weldon Johnson, a 2-time Team USA member, and Robert Johnson, a former Cornell coach who helped pace the marathon world record, along with award-winning senior writer Jonathan Gault. Together they move beyond PR headlines to provide insider reporting and unfiltered debate serious fans rely on.