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

“I haven’t really taken the time to appreciate it yet. I think if you had told me on the front end that was going to happen, I would have been floored. But now I’m just like, okay, I gotta refocus on marathon training.”

My guest for today’s episode is Emma Grace Hurley and since we last had her on in May, a lot has happened. She went to Copenhagen last weekend and finished fifth at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in a personal best of 1:06:23, an American record for an all-women’s race. She also helped the United States women’s team claim the silver medal — a result that, going into the day, wasn’t even on anyone’s radar. The team went 5th, 6th, and 7th with her, Weini Kelati, and Jess McClain all finishing within 30 seconds of each other, and the photo of the three of them at the finish is one of those American women’s distance running moments that we want to blow up into a poster.

In 19 days, she runs the Chicago Marathon for her debut at the distance. So there was no easing into the post-Copenhagen glow, no week off, no victory lap. She got home, got drug tested, and went back to training.

Emma Grace is an ASICS athlete who trains under Andrew and Amy Begley at Heartland Track Club in Indianapolis. She came into this season as the American record holder at 8K, won the USATF 10-Mile title at Cherry Blossom, and finished second at the USATF 5K Championships in her own city. The Copenhagen team silver was the chapter that closed out the Atlanta misdirection story from March, where she was one of the three athletes who was sent off course in the closing mile of the US half marathon championships and ultimately earned her spot in Copenhagen through the special exception World Athletics granted.

Discussed in this episode:

– Copenhagen hasn’t settled in yet
– Why Chicago
– The two-marathon plan before the Olympic Trials
– Coach Andrew Begley’s training philosophy
– The Jenny Simpson’s quote that she carries
– The heat disruption in Indiana this Summer
– What the Mini 10K taught her
– What Falmouth taught her
– The Copenhagen race plan — and where it went sideways
– The photo at the finish line with Jess McClain
– American women’s distance depth
– The Copenhagen post-race chaos
– Andrew’s assessment post-race
– The women’s-only record bonus
– What she doesn’t know she doesn’t know
– How to cheer for her in Chicago
– Why she’s a little sad marathon training is almost over

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OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. 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.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra’s lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra’s Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don’t just run. Vanish. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to ⁠⁠AltraRunning.com⁠⁠ and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase.⁠⁠⁠⁠

SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia recap the World Road Running Championships, the ATHLOS London experience and some news on the future cities hosting the World Championships. Plus: Some big personal news.

Discussed in this episode:

– CITIUS MAG baby: Chris and Kari announced their pregnancy the day before recording. Baby due February 2027.

– Nairobi gets the 2029 World Championships — the first senior global outdoor championship on the African continent, in the country that has produced more all-time greats than arguably any other. They’ve invested heavily in renovating the Kasarani Stadium. The altitude is roughly 5,500-6,000 feet — slightly higher than Boulder.

– Munich 2031: Strong choice. Europeans 2022 in Munich was widely regarded as one of the best championships many attendees had seen. Germany has hosted World Championships before (Berlin 2009).

– Athlos London — Preet’s first-time assessment: The vibe was much closer to what he’d hoped World Ultimates would feel like

– Keely’s all-black Nike speed suit was stunning up close — the aerodynamic studs were coloured in a rainbow and changed colour in the light. Keely spoke clearly about the work that went into it and confirmed: it is within the current rules.

– Women’s mile: Agathe Guillemot (France) wins in 4:22 over Frewenyi Hilou. Fearless racing, earned gold after finishing fourth at both World Indoors and Europeans this year.

– Women’s 5K: Likina Amebaw (Ethiopia) wins in 14:41. Third major win to close the season: second at DL final, won World Ultimates, won World Road.

– Men’s 5K — biggest upset of the weekend: Dawit Seare from Eritrea — who Jakob had already passed — rallies in the final fifty meters and catches him at the line. Seare wins in 12:56. Jakob second in 12:59.

– Women’s half marathon — Agnes Ngetich, world record 65:15: Goes with the lead before 3K and turns it into a race for silver and bronze. Wins by 50 seconds (the cross country title in Tallahassee was by f42).

– US women team silver: Emma Grace Hurley, Weini Kelati, Jess McClain go 5-6-7 — first time three Americans have broken 67 minutes in the same race

– Emma Grace Hurley, 66:23: PB by 72 seconds. Women’s-only American record. Moves to number three on the US all-time list. She is in the 2028 Olympic marathon trials contender bracket — before she has run one. Chicago debut: 2:19-2:20 on the table?

– Men’s half marathon — Andreas Almgren, European record 58:06: First European to win the half marathon World Championships since 1996. He is very fit. New York marathon field just got significantly more complicated.

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. 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.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra’s lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra’s Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don’t just run. Vanish. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to ⁠⁠AltraRunning.com⁠⁠ and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase.⁠⁠⁠

SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠.

Once I crossed the finish line it was more like relief. You always know you can do it, but once you finally do it you’re like: okay. Now we’ve got that check mark. Now we’re on to the next thing.”

Kenny Bednarek is the first man in history to win both the 100 and 200 meters at a single World Ultimate Championships, which he did in Budapest last week. Two gold medals, roughly 30 seconds of combined running, and a $300,000 payday.

Kenny has been one of the most decorated sprinters in the world for several years — two Olympic silver medals in the 200, a world championship silver, and a personal best of 19.52 that puts him among the fastest 200 runners in history. But individual gold at a global championship had not happened yet.

This season had one overriding goal — set before World Ultimates existed on the calendar — and it was not about times. It was about executing when it counts. He opened his 200 season in 19.69, confirmed it was automatic, then pivoted. At the Silesia Diamond League in Poland he ran 9.87 and felt he had more. He carried that into Budapest. Two days before the 100 final, the block starts were clicking so cleanly that he turned to us at the press conference and said: watch the 100. He knew.

In this conversation, we go deep on all of it — what the championship finally felt like after years of silver, what two years of training next to Christian Coleman did to his start, what he had to unlearn about those final twenty meters where the form used to break down, why he thinks Budapest was a 9.7 race in warmer conditions, the world record conversation he almost never has out loud, what he wants World Ultimates to keep, and why he thinks the sport grows when people see who these athletes actually are.

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. 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.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra’s lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra’s Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don’t just run. Vanish. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to ⁠⁠AltraRunning.com⁠⁠ and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase.⁠⁠

SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠.

Olympic silver medalist Sandi Morris joins us in Budapest after winning her first outdoor global title in pole vault, closing out a rollercoaster season with a 4.90m clearance. Sandi talks about the long road from collecting outdoor silver medals to finally getting her gold, working with new coach Brooke Rasnick, and why she believes she's only getting started.

She also breaks down the strategy behind her winning jump, including switching to bigger poles and making split-second decisions with her coach in the middle of the competition. Plus, she explains why she passed 4.85m, how she knew the door was open when Hana missed at 4.90m, her plans for LA 2028, and more.

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Stay tuned for more coverage from the World Ultimate Championships and make sure you’re subscribed to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG YouTube channel ⁠⁠⁠⁠so you don’t miss any of our interviews. Follow along on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠, and subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive our daily recaps.

Nikki Hiltz joins Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber live from Budapest after finishing third in the 1500m at the World Ultimate Championships, the highest finish of their career at an outdoor global championship.

Nikki reflects on a huge 2026 season that included wins at Millrose Games and the Pre Classic, a dramatic U.S. Championships victory, and taking third at World Ultimates. They break down the 1500m final, Georgia Hunter Bell's late move, and their battle to the finish with Klaudia Kazimierska.

Plus, Nikki talks about their mental growth, racing with confidence, time trials, and why they're ready for a much-needed break after one more race in London this weekend.

____________

Stay tuned for more coverage from the World Ultimate Championships and make sure you’re subscribed to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG YouTube channel ⁠⁠⁠⁠so you don’t miss any of our interviews. Follow along on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠, and subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive our daily recaps.