The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia break down one of the first weekends of the early 2026 outdoor season.

Discussed in this episode:

– Intro: Magic Boost at the Florida Relays

– Sha’Carri Richardson wins the Stawell Gift and goes viral

– The “fastest woman alive” discourse explained

– Collen Kebinatshipi runs 9.89 in the 100m twice

– Max Thomas runs 9.90 at the Florida Relays

– Kishane Thompson’s world 150m best in Miramar

– Jane Hedengren breaks the collegiate 10,000m record in her debut

– Parker Valby vs. Jane Hedengren: the comparison debate

– Agnes Ngetich’s 28:58 and the gap at the top of the women’s 10K

– Jimmy Gressier smashes the European 5km record in Lille

– Nadia Battocletti misses the European 10km record by one second

– Noah Lyles and Junelle Bromfield’s wedding

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Mentioned in this episode:

Brooks Hyperion House: Boston Marathon - Schedule of events

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Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London Marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, no breaking your flow.⁠⁠ ⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.⁠⁠

OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠

XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

“I’m just a regular guy who has put years and years of work in and it finally paid off… If you keep working at it, the sky is the limit. I only ran 30:50 for the 10K in college and now I’m running 2:09 for the marathon. If you like people who put their nose to the grindstone and don’t quit on their dreams, then I’m probably the guy to root for.”

My guest for today’s episode is Turner Wiley. If you’re looking for one of the most relatable stories in American marathoning right now, he might be it. Turner didn’t come through the sport the traditional way. No NCAA titles, no national team buzz. He was a Division II runner at Seattle Pacific who never qualified for nationals.

He was the kind of athlete most people assume fades out of the sport after college. But he didn’t. He kept showing up, kept building, and kept believing that the marathon might eventually unlock something bigger.

Fast forward a few years and he’s now a 2:09 marathoner, the runner-up at last December’s Marathon Project, and a Brooks sponsored athlete heading into Boston — all while working a full-time job at Seattle Children’s Hospital and raising a newborn at home.

Turner is the guy waking up at 5 a.m. to get his first run in before work. He’s logging 130–140 mile weeks, mostly solo, pushing a stroller on second runs, and stacking years of consistent, unflashy training until it finally clicked.

In this conversation, we talk about that slow burn of development — from blowing up in his debut marathon in Paris, grinding through the club system in Seattle, to breaking through with a 2:09 at The Marathon Project. We get into what it looks like to chase elite performance without making running your entire identity, how fatherhood has reshaped his perspective, and why he genuinely believes his best racing might still be ahead of him.

This is the next episode in a series of interviews that we’re doing with Brooks marathoners in the lead-up to the Boston Marathon. Stay tuned as we announce our schedule of events with Brooks out of the Hyperion House. We’ll have a shakeout run on Saturday morning at 8 a.m., a live chat with Jess McClain, and more.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez

Guest: Turner Wiley | @turner_wiley93

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London Marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, no breaking your flow. ⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.

XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠

"I missed out on keeping my top ten at a World Major streak when I ran New York. That was my biggest regret: walking away having lost the streak. I want to get back into that rythmn of being in the top ten. I'd love to find myself with 5K or 8K to go feeling like I'm still competing for one of the top spots."

My guest for today’s episode is Susanna Sullivan. She's one of the most consistent marathoners in the United States and someone who’s coming into Boston with good momentum from 2025.

Her last year was anchored by a fourth-place finish in Tokyo, which was a breakthrough on the world stage. She executed, competed, but didn’t fully believe she was in the race for a medal until later on.

Now she heads into Boston with what she describes as her first truly intentional build for this course. She’s focused on hills, especially the downhills, and tailored specifically to the demands of racing Boston. Add in a 1:08 half marathon PR earlier this year, and it’s clear the fitness is there.

In this episode, we talk about that Tokyo breakthrough, the mindset shift that’s followed, what she learned from a demanding 2025 season, and why this Boston build feels different.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez

Guest: Susanna Sullivan | @susannasullivan4

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London Marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, no breaking your flow. ⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.

OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠

XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

“I want everyone I coach to run super fast, but when I really think about their races, I’m thinking more about what I want them to experience when they’re racing. I feel like that’s still got to be the same for me too. When I have those experiences that are good and I know what running can be, the times and places take care of themselves.”

CJ Albertson is back on the show. Regular listeners know that he’s always one of the most fascinating, unconventional, and honest voices in American marathoning.

We last had him on the podcast in 2024. He’s a 2:08 marathoner, a World Championships team member last year, always captivated us because he does things his own way – whether that’s leading major marathons from the gun, stacking up race after race, or embracing a style of training that looks somewhat different from almost anyone else at his level.

Right now, what’s most interesting about him is trying to understand what’s happening under the surface.

Because coming into this Boston Marathon build, CJ has been dealing with something he’s spent years trying to figure out: a physiological disconnect where his body just isn’t responding the way it should. He believes it’s chronically low and inverted cortisol levels so his energy systems aren’t firing properly. Right now, he’s been balancing the reality of trying to train and race at a world-class level while feeling like your body is operating at half capacity.

By his own admission, his workouts often look average compared to those of other elite runners. But when it comes time to race 26.2 miles, he finds a way to compete and extract the absolute most out of whatever fitness he has on the day.
In this conversation, we go deep into that — what it feels like when your body won’t respond, how he’s working with Brooks to better understand his physiology, and why he’s choosing not to force things as he looks toward the long game of 2028.

We also talk Boston and what six appearances on the course have taught him, how he’s adjusting his approach this year, and why success might have less to do with the clock and more to do with actually enjoying the race again.

This is the first in a series of interviews that we’re doing with Brooks marathoners in the leadup to the Boston Marathon. Stay tuned as we announce our schedule of events with Brooks out of the Hyperion House. We’ll have a shakeout run on Saturday morning at 8 a.m., a live chat with Jess McClain and more.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez

Guest: CJ Albertson | @cjalbertson 

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London Marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, no breaking your flow. ⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.

OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠

XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

A relatively quiet weekend in track, though there’s still plenty to dig into with Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, and Preet Majithia.
In this week’s episode:

- Preet’s pandemic-era haircut savings

- McKirdy MicrOTQ recap: Kyle paced Thomas Knobbs to a 2:09.24 — the fourth-fastest Canadian of all time — then helped the women’s qualifying group

- The race start had a fascinating start: single-file starts, chip timing

- 14 men and 11 women earn Olympic Trials qualifying standards

- Sound Running 10K

- The 2027 Beijing 10K standard: Why World Athletics still hasn’t announced it?

- Maurie Plant Meet: Lachlan Kennedy beats Gout Gout again

- Claudia Hollingsworth beats world indoor champ Georgia Hunter Bell in the women’s 1500 — Is this the year she announces herself?

- Cameron Myers runs 3:30 and wins by a lot — why wasn’t he at World Indoors?

- Embrace debate: of Hollingsworth, Gout Gout, and Myers: Who has the best shot at Olympic gold in Brisbane?

- The Pure Athletics vs. Star Athletics tension is real and it’s good for the sport

- Josh Kerr and Project 222: 3:42 mile world record attempt at the London Diamond League on July 18th

- What happens if Cole Hocker breaks the record two weeks earlier at Pre-Classic?

- Albert Korir gets a five-year doping ban, Patrick Dever moves to the podium

- Conner Mantz scratches from the Boston Marathon

- Why Kyle is most impressed by Clayton Young’s altitude long run

- Cynthia Erivo will run the London Marathon after performing two shows of a one-woman Dracula the day before

- Harry Styles marathon watch

- Marileidy Paulino runs 2:04 in the 800, Dalilah Muhammad is very much not retired

- What’s coming on the podcast feed

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Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠ + Kyle Merber | ⁠@kylemerber⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London Marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.⁠

OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠

XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.