It’s hard to say what the most exciting event on the schedule is, but the program is sandwiched by a pair of interesting head-to-head battles. In the 100m hurdles, Olympic champion Masai Russell takes on fellow Wildcat and former Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, as well as reigning World champion Danielle Williams of Jamaica. In the 1500m, Faith Kipyegon will match up against Gudaf Tsegay in Tsegay’s first race since her Olympic triple that also featured a shoving match between the duo during the 5000m final. The two have since made amends, but it’s always exciting to watch the first- and third-fastest women in history in the event do battle.

Wake up early for some seriously fast marathoning: Sunday kicks off the second half of the World Marathon Majors circuit with the Berlin Marathon, which sends off its elites at 8:50am local time a.k.a. 2:50am Eastern Daylight Time (or a sensible 11:50pm on the West Coast!). If you thought Boston was a big deal, keep in mind that Berlin, at 58,000 or so participants, is nearly twice the size.

Neither the men’s nor women’s defending champion is on the start list, so we’ll see a new name atop the podium in both races. On the men’s side, seven of the last eight editions of the race have been won by either Eliud Kipchoge (five times) or Kenenisa Bekele (twice, plus a third-place finish in 2021), but both athletes had terrible days in Paris and their respective retirements seem increasingly imminent. Along with the tragic death of world record holder Kelvin Kiptum in February, the throne of World’s Greatest Marathoner is conspicuously empty at the moment, and many of the men on the start line will be vying to take a seat. The most intriguing contender is Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie, who’s “only” run 2:04:48 but is the former world record holder in the half at 57:32 and is brimming with potential.

On the women’s side, the rising star of the moment is Ethiopian Tigist Ketema, who’d never run a marathon before 2024 but has now run the fastest debut ever (2:16:07 in Dubai) and finished seventh in London against a crazy-stacked field. The flat, fast course of Berlin (which has seen two world records in the last two years) could produce another historic time from Ketema, Kenyan Rosemary Wanjiru, or even someone like former 1500m world record holder Genzebe Dibaba, if they play their cards right. Well worth an early alarm and a few missed hours of sleep!

Tailgate your favorite cross-country meet: Even if racing cross-country isn’t for you, the fall race schedule offers plenty of opportunity to pack a picnic, crack a beer, and enjoy the fresh air before madly sprinting across a golf course, cornfield, or college campus in chaotic bursts to scream in the faces of your favorite harriers as they suffer through a muddy, hilly team battle. Take a page from the College Gameday – just because the marquee races are over in less than an hour of running time doesn’t mean you can’t make your XC fandom an all-day social event full of music, friendship, and, if you’re feeling particularly confident, the subtle and sophisticated art of body painting.

Speculate wildly about the future: An important element of all major sports is filling the offseason with gossip, rumors, and hypotheticals about the futures of your favorite pro athletes. With an Olympic cycle coming to an end, we’re guaranteed to see changes aplenty as the biggest stars of 2024 land their next big brand deal and the also-rans consider going to grad school. With contracts commonly coming to an end with calendar years, we’re sure to see exciting realignments of training groups, sponsor affiliations, and coach-athlete pairings designed to shake things up for the coming season.

We already know that Nike is making big news in the coaching space. Will we look back on Paris as the end of an era for some of the biggest names of the last decade in track and field? Some athletes, like British vaulter Holly Bradshaw, have already announced their retirement, while others, like 3x Olympic hammer throw champion Anita Wlodarczyk and former 400H world record holder Dalilah Muhammad, have said that Paris would be their final Olympics but that 2024 may not be their last year competing. And then, of course, there’s the equally-important athletic tradition of major stars retiring, then un-retiring, then retiring again, so if your favorite star says goodbye, keep in mind that history has shown there’s always an opportunity to return if the circumstances (and money) are right.

So don’t let our Olympic-centric mediaverse fool you into thinking that fall is a quiet time for the sport. There’s plenty to look forward to in the days, weeks, and months to come – you might just have to pack a few extra layers or adjust your internal clock to enjoy the fun.

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