September 26, 2025
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"That’s where I feel the most free: crossing the line. Running out on the track is one thing, but crossing the line doing what you set out to do with the stadium going crazy — I just want to live in that moment."
My guest for this episode is Olympic 1500m champion and now 5000m World champion Cole Hocker — fresh off one of the most thrilling redemption stories of these World Championships.
Days after being disqualified in the 1500m semifinals, Cole still came back and left Tokyo with a gold medal. He went from 12th at the bell to first at the line, closing in a ridiculous 52.6 final lap and 25.5 last 200 to win in 12:58.30. With that kick, he joins Bernard Lagat and Bob Schul as the only American men ever to win a global title at 5000 meters, and he’s now on the short list of legends who have captured gold in both the 1500 and the 5000 on the world stage.
In this episode, we go through his whole World Championship experience. Cole talked a lot about wanting to end this championship on his own terms — and he did exactly that. Today, we dive into how he kept the faith through setbacks, how he found that gear when it mattered most, and what it means to cement his place among the greats.
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Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Cole Hocker | @colehocker on Instagram
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | @jasminefehr on Instagram
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Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and on Feb. 15th, 2025 finally broke five minutes for the mile.
