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

Chris and Preet Majithia break down the biggest stories from the first full weekend of the 2026 outdoor season and then preview the 2026 Boston Marathon.

Discussed in this episode:

– Gout Gout runs 19.67 in the 200m — is it legit?

– The wind theory explained

– Cam Myers goes sub-3:30 to announce himself as a global 1500m force

– Jess Hull’s controversial 1500m disqualification and defiant 5000m win

– Crippa and Demise close historic splits at the Paris Marathon

– Paris Marathon bans single-use cups and bottles — good idea or race disruptor?

– Jakob Ingebrigtsen to miss the early Diamond League season

– Kip Keino Classic preview: Wanyonyi moves up to the 1500m

– World Athletics announces standalone World Marathon Championships in 2030

– Boston Marathon preview: Lokedi, Korir, and the Americans to watch

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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. 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.

“The fact that I’m getting to the starting line totally healthy is the biggest win in my eyes. As I said before for New York, I was not healthy going into that race. I had been dealing with so many things that were physically hurting me in runs and workouts. So the fact that I'm still enjoying training up to this point has been a huge win. If I can compete for a top three American finish in this field, I'll be very happy with that.”

My guest for today’s episode is Amanda Vestri. This is a really exciting moment in her career because we’re catching her right at the beginning of a very promising transition to the marathon. We previously had her on the podcast after she was taking to the half marathon so we have a good amount to catch up on.

Last fall, she made her debut at the New York City Marathon and ran 2:25 for ninth place. It was a performance that, on paper, was impressive. But when you understand the full context, it becomes even more so. She tells us that she went into that race undercooked, dealing with lingering injuries, and still found a way to grind through the final miles and come away with a result that showed she belongs at this level.

Now ahead of Boston: She’s healthy, she’s stronger, and she’s training with a new level of intention under coach David Roche. You’ll get some specifics on the training and coaching switch. We’re talking 200+ grams of carbs on long runs, dialing in recovery, and learning how to actually finish workouts feeling strong instead of just surviving them.

There’s also been a shift in environment by moving to Florida to be closer to family, leaning on that support system, and building a routine that allows her to handle the demands of marathon training while still enjoying the process.

Amanda is someone who has always raced with a lot of heart, but now she’s learning how to pair that with patience, discipline, and a longer-term view of what her marathon career can become. She’s building in the marathon with intention.

In this episode, we talk about her New York debut, what’s changed in this build, the role of fueling and recovery, and what success looks like heading into Boston, where her goal isn’t just a time, but to compete, race smarter, and see how far she can go when everything finally clicks.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez

Guest: Amanda Vestri | @a_vestri

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.

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

____________

Mentioned in this episode:

Brooks Hyperion House: Boston Marathon - Schedule of events

____________

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

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’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.