Grandma’s Marathon: A World-Class Event With Small-Town Charm And Fast Times
Grandma’s Marathon is named for a local restaurant that ponied up $600 in 1977 to sponsor the event and has held the title in perpetuity. Good investment!
Author: Kyle Merber
Kyle Merber is a professional runner for HOKA One One and the New Jersey*New York Track Club. He has run 3:34/3:52 but prefers those facts are not mentioned in his bio because he wants his writing to be judged independently. He tweets occasionally @TheRealMerb.
The State of Athlete Sponsorship In Track and Field
Sponsoring a track and field athlete is not an act of charity, it’s a business decision by a brand trying to sell a product.
High School Championship Meets, Explained
It can be a confusing time to be a high schooler deciding whether to run New Balance Nationals, Nike Nationals, Brooks PR or Adidas Outdoor Nationals.
Get to Know Washington’s NCAA 1500m Champion Joe Waskom
Washington’s Joe Waskom peaked at the right time. He on Pac-12s, qualified for NCAAs and won the 1500m title in 3:45.58 to cap off his sophomore season.
Embrace Debate: How World Athletics’ Rankings Weigh College Meets
Should the NCAA Track and Field Championships be worth more toward an athlete’s World Athletics rankings? Embrace debate.
Discover Your Own Ways You Can Make A Positive Influence In The Sport
Track and field’s problem is not a lack of talent or entertainment — it’s a lack of effective marketing.
Interview: Will Sumner On Becoming The Third-Fastest High School 800m Runner
Will Sumner, who set the high school national records indoors at 500m and 600m, ran 1:46.53 for 800 meters this weekend in Nashville.
Interview: Sinclaire Johnson Joins The Sub-4 Club
Sinclaire Johnson knocked almost five seconds off her 1500m personal best from 2019 to run 3:58.85 – the seventh fastest ever by an American.
Why Princeton Track and Field Belongs Among The Best
Princeton track is sending 16 athletes to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Here’s why they belong among the best in the country.
We Are In The New ‘Greatest Generation’ Of High School Track
Being a novice and performing like a veteran is one of the main reasons we hold stellar prep performances in such high regard
Cade Flatt Is Chasing The Ghost of Michael Granville’s 800m High School Record
Cade Flatt will try to break Michael Granville’s high school boys 800m record of 1:46.45 when he races at Trials of Mile Track Night NYC.
Lee University’s Christian Noble Turns Pro Ahead of NCAA Championships, Signs with Team New Balance Boston
Lee University star & NCAA Division II record holder Christian Noble has turned pro and sign with New Balance to train under Mark Coogan.
Emily Sisson Breaks U.S. Half Marathon Record In 1:07:11
Emily Sisson proved that she is back into pre-having-COVID form by setting a new American Record in the half marathon — 1:07:11.
Atlanta Track Club’s Allie Wilson Continues Progressing Ahead of U.S. Championships
Allie Wilson fell at the finish line before breaking the tape but got enough of her body across to clock a world-leading 1:58.18 800m PR.
What Would Gary Martin Do?
In a world full of high school sub-four milers, a weekend highlight was seeing Pennsylvania’s own Gary Martin chase the mark all by his lonesome on a windy day at Franklin Field.
Sage Hurta: I’m Going To Try Really Hard To Get Where I think I Can Go
At the 2022 Penn Relays, Sage Hurta finally crossed onto the other side of the two-minute barrier with her 800m winning time of 1:59.76.
What To Make Of The On Athletics Club’s 4xMile Record Attempt
The 4xMile record has stood for so long because it’s hard for a team to have four guys who are fit and healthy at the same time.
18-Year-Old Erriyon Knighton Puts Usain Bolt’s Record Under Threat
The world record of 19.19 might be under threat, but being Usain Bolt is not. And that’s OK if you’re 18-year-old Erriyon Knighton.
Interview: Garrett Heath Seamlessly Moves From The Track to The Trails
At the Canyons 25K, Garrett Heath made his debut on the trails and won the race by over a minute. Not a bad start!
Yalemzerf Yehualaw Takes Down Another Record, Clocks Fastest Marathon Debut
Yalemzerf Yehualaw’s marathon debut of 2:17:23 is 93 seconds faster than Paula Radcliffe’s first crack at the distance.
How Christian Noble Became The Best Distance Runner in Division II
If you have ever seen Kyle Merber hyping up Lee University or Christian Noble on social media and wondered why, here’s a little backstory.
What To Make Of The Oregon 4xMile Record Attempt
While it isn’t necessarily fair to put the burden of popularizing the sport on a few athletes, it is equally as understandable for fans to be upset that the biggest names constantly find ways to not line up against one another
The Delaware Mile Challenge Delivers With Sam Parsons Making History
Native Delawarean Sam Parsons delivered the first sub-four mile on his home state’s soil with a 3:58.17 mile on his old high school’s track.
Gabriela DeBues-Stafford Leaves The Bowerman Track Club
Gabriela DeBues-Stafford explains why she decided to leave the Nike Bowerman Track Club and move back to Canada.
How To Improve The USATF Half Marathon Championships
I still believe that there exists a way to restructure the sport to better cater to an enthusiastic audience, but it starts with eliminating some opportunities — that’s an investment in the future.
Natalie Cook Breaks High School 5000 Meter Record In 15:25.93
Natalie Cook, the Oklahoma State-bound star from Flower Mound (Texas), has been at the top of her game all year.
Get To Know Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Champion Susanna Sullivan
Susana Sullivan took home the victory in what was her 7th try at the race. Now 31 & a 5th grade teacher, Sullivan is running the best she ever has.
Chasing Longevity
There isn’t a secret formula of mileage, speed & intensity to ensure longevity but here’s how to harness and make talent + ambition last.
Fighting the Federation: Ernest John Obiena vs. PATAFA
How in the world did Ernest Obiena manage to vault 5.91m a couple weeks ago amidst all this stress and distraction?
India’s World Leader: Introducing Avinash Sable
There is a new Indian star in the making — this time on the track. Get to know Avinash Sable before he becomes an international star.
Don’t Be Mad At Cooper Teare And Cole Hocker For Running Fast
While it’s not ideal to see Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker run a 5000m time trial in Stanford. It’s not their fault that they decided this would be their schedule.
Meet Your Heroes: Connecting Today’s High School Stars With Pros
Being part of the festivities at New Balance Nationals, that early spark that drove us all to a lifelong obsession with this sport was everywhere, and it was contagious.
Inside The World Athletics Athletes’ Commission: Interview With Aisha Praught-Leer
Learn more about the World Athletics Athletes’ Commission and the role athletes play in making changes to the sport.
NCAA Championships of the World: 2022’s Biggest Winners
A look at the biggest winners of the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Birmingham, Alabama.
Eliud Kipchoge Is The Greatest Of All-Time: There Is No Debate
With 2 Olympic gold medals, 9 major marathon victories and perhaps the greatest PR “stunt” in our sport’s history, it is impossible to dispute Eliud Kipchoge’s status as the greatest to ever do it.
Mondo Duplantis Highlights On SportsCenter, Please!
Track and Field Twitter blew up when ESPN shared a pole vault video. The catch is that it wasn’t Mondo Duplantis’s new world record of 6.19m
Grant Fisher Interview After His 10K American Record: ‘Kind Of A Surreal Feeling’
How far things have come the past 12 years: When Grant Fisher crossed the finish line, Solinsky would have had another 195m to go.
Fast Times With Friends
After watching the women’s 1,5000m final at the U.S. Indoor Championships, Kyle Merber examines what it’s like racing your closest friends.
Catching up with Ashland’s Trevor Bassitt After His U.S. Indoors 400m Win
Ashland University’s Trevor Bassitt will race the 400m at the World Indoor Track and Field Championships after winning his first U.S. title.
Hannah England’s Transition To The Commentary Booth
There’s a new announcer in town and she’s really good at it. Behind Hannah England’s transition to the commentary booth.