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

“With 200 to go, I felt really strong. I wasn’t really burning yet. With about 120 to go coming off the curve, I saw everybody right there. I was like, ‘I feel amazing!’ The crowd all stood up and it was super electric. I was like, ‘I have a shot now.’”

My guest for today's episode is Cooper Lutkenhaus, the 16-year-old Texan who just ran one of the most astonishing races in American track and field history at the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Cooper placed second in the men's 800m in 1:42.27 — a U18 world record, a three second personal best, and the fourth fastest time ever run by an American. He finished just behind Donovan Brazier, the former world champion who made his own remarkable comeback. 

Cooper was in 7th place with 150m to go. He stayed calm, executed his race plan, and closed in a blistering 12.48 seconds over the final 100m, surging into second and nearly catching Donovan Brazier at the finish line. This was a performance that defied age, experience, and expectations, and announced Cooper as the future of American middle distance running.

In this episode, we get into it and try to answer the main question: how did this happen and who is Cooper? It wasn't just a great race for a high schooler; it was a great race, period.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠

Guest: Cooper Lutkenhaus | @cooper.lutkenhaus on Instagram

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

Mentioned in this episode…

Watch: USATF Championships Men’s 800m final

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop’s limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide. ⁠You can check out all of their flavors and get 25% off your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.⁠

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠

“The biggest mindset coming off of Paris was that because I had made the biggest final there is, it was a message to me that no matter who’s on the track, you deserve a lane. I belong here and I’ve proven myself. That message was definitely something that I carried into my senior year: just knowing that I belong here. That was very powerful for me.”

My guest for today's episode is Savannah Sutherland, a 21 year old Canadian hurdler who just made history in more ways than one, hailing from Borden, Saskatchewan. Savannah was named a finalist for the Bowerman, which is the highest honor in NCAA track and field, awarded annually to the most outstanding collegiate athletes in the sport.

She's the first Canadian female track athlete to ever reach the finalist status. I recently made an appearance on the CBC's Trackside show where I revealed that as a Bowerman voter, I already casted my vote. Savannah was ranked #1 for me.

She put together a jaw-dropping season at Michigan. She didn't just win her second NCAA title in the 400m hurdles, but she obliterated the NCAA record too with a time of 52.46 seconds, becoming the second woman in NCAA history to go under 53 seconds. The record that she broke previously belonged to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

Savannah broke her own Canadian record, climbed to the 9th fastest of all time, and last year she even took 7th place in the Olympic final in Paris. In this episode, we chat about how she got so good at this event, her hopes and expectations for this summer's World Championships in Tokyo, and so much more.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Savannah Sutherland | @sav.sutherland on Instagram

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop’s limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide. You can check out all of their flavors and get 25% off your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠

The next time someone complains that track and field is boring, tell them about August 3, 2025.

Today's epic conclusion to the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships were so packed to the gills with drama that it extended beyond the start and finish lines. You want rivalries? Got ‘em. Records? check. Emotions? Certainly. Controversy? You bet.

After finishing a surprise third in the 1500m, the event that delivered an Olympic title, Cole Hocker found redemption in the 5000m, where he closed off a slow early pace in an astonishing 51.76 seconds to win his first U.S. title in the longer event. NCAA champion Roisin Willis won her first U.S. senior title in the 800m a few steps after national leader Addy Wiley got tripped up.

Two World champions weren’t even present for their event finals: Grant Holloway qualified for the 110m hurdles final but, for the third time in his career, leaned on his wild card entry to Worlds and skipped the last round of racing. Sha’Carri Richardson missed qualifying for the final of the 200m by 0.01 seconds, but her training partner Melissa Jefferson-Wooden added a second U.S. title to her resume with a personal-best 21.84 run.

Behind Jefferson-Wooden and runner-up Anavia Battle, who’s having a helluva season of her own, the last spot on the 200m team couldn’t have been tighter. The three women who represented Team USA at the Paris Olympics were all credited with a 22.20 finish, meaning the critical result came down to one thousandth of a second as Gabby Thomas (22.197) barely beat out Brittany Brown (22.198) and McKenzie Long (22.199).

And yet somehow, that wasn’t even the most dramatic 200m race of the day. In the men’s final, Noah Lyles defended his title over Kenny Bednarek in a world-leading 19.63 to Bednarek’s 19.67, but a little post-race shoving and strongly-worded jawing occurred in plain sight of the TV cameras and Hayward fans. It’s safe to say that Lyles and Bednarek are friendly rivals — except for the friendly part.

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Hosts: ⁠⁠Chris Chavez⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Eric Jenkins⁠⁠, Aisha Praught-Leer, Paul Hof-Mahoney⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Anderson Emerole⁠⁠

Produced by: ⁠⁠Mac Fleet⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Jasmine Fehr⁠⁠

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Find everything you need to know about the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships here:

Listen: Day 3 Recap Show

Listen: Day 2 Recap Show

Listen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Day 1 Recap Show⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Read: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Distance preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Sprints + hurdles preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Throws + heptathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Jumps + decathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠

__________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Olipop is a prebiotic soda that tastes like a throwback to your favorite childhood drinks, but it's loaded with benefits that your body will thank you for. Each can has 2-5g of sugar, 6-9g of fiber, and a science-backed formula designed to help you support your digestive health. They've got plenty of flavor options like Classic Root Beer, Crisp Apple, Grape, Cream Soda and wild hits like Peaches and Cream. You can grab Olipop at Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart or you can go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DrinkOlipop.com and use promo code CITIUS25 at checkout for 25% off all of your orders⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Over and over again during the course of today’s program, the same question came up: “What just happened?!”

Heading into a stacked men’s 1500m final, everyone assumed that two spots were spoken for by the two Olympic medalists in the field — Paris champion Cole Hocker and third-placer Yared Nuguse — and that the battle was for the third spot. But teams aren’t made on paper; you still have to run the race.

Nuguse kept everyone honest early, taking the field through 400 meters in 56.23, but he didn’t manage to thin out the field enough by the final lap and would have to settle for fifth in 3:31.34. Hocker got under his meet record from last year’s Olympic Trials with a 3:30.37 finish… but that was only good for third place, as two new contenders, Ethan Strand and Jonah Koech, hit the front in the homestrech and never looked back, with Koech winning his first U.S. title in 3:30.17.

The women’s 1500m was a little bit more predictable, but it was nevertheless thrilling to watch Nikki Hiltz extend their victory streak to an increasingly improbable six U.S. titles with a 4:03.15 win and a blistering 58-second last lap. 

Whether it’s a surprise victory, an unprecedented time, or a tight battle for the last qualifying spot, Hayward Field was delivering plot twists left and right. And with nothing but finals on the docket for the final competition session, get ready for a lot more where that came from.

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Hosts: ⁠⁠Chris Chavez⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Eric Jenkins⁠⁠, Aisha Praught-Leer, Paul Hof-Mahoney⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Anderson Emerole⁠⁠

Produced by: ⁠⁠Mac Fleet⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Jasmine Fehr⁠⁠

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Find everything you need to know about the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships here:

Listen: Day 2 Recap Show

Listen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Day 1 Recap Show⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Read: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Distance preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Sprints + hurdles preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Throws + heptathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Jumps + decathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠

__________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Olipop is a prebiotic soda that tastes like a throwback to your favorite childhood drinks, but it's loaded with benefits that your body will thank you for. Each can has 2-5g of sugar, 6-9g of fiber, and a science-backed formula designed to help you support your digestive health. They've got plenty of flavor options like Classic Root Beer, Crisp Apple, Grape, Cream Soda and wild hits like Peaches and Cream. You can grab Olipop at Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart or you can go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DrinkOlipop.com and use promo code CITIUS25 at checkout for 25% off all of your orders⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Heading into yesterday’s U.S. 100-meter finals, Kenny Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden were already among the best in the world at what they do.

And then they got better. Both Bednarek and Jefferson-Wooden are Olympic medalists and U.S. leaders in the sprint events, and both athletes have been running fast all year. In the 100m finals, however, they ascended to a new level, one everyone knew they were capable of, but was still fantastically impressive to watch come to fruition.

Bednarek picked up the first U.S. title of his career — despite being a two-time Olympic medalist, he’s heretofore always been overshadowed by the Noah Lyleses and Christian Colemans of the world. But not today: Today was Kenny’s day. He decisively dispatched an extraordinarily strong field and clocked the first wind-legal sub-9.80 of his career with a 9.79 victory, leading a field where the top five finishers ran under 9.90.

Jefferson-Wooden continued doing what she’s done all year: win. But despite consistently beating the competition, Melissa has been plagued by unhelpful winds all year — either over the legal limit for a tailwind, or blowing in her face and slowing her down. Finally, she got favorable race conditions at just the right time, and the results were astonishing: a 10.65 victory, the fifth fastest in history, tying the likes of Shericka Jackson, Marion Jones, and Sha’Carri Richardson on the all-time list.

Everywhere you looked, really great athletes were outperforming the past versions of themselves. Eugene may be 50 miles or so from the Pacific Ocean, but Hayward still felt like it was feeling the effects of rising tide in the sport, with Americans in all disciplines are forced to step up their game to new levels just to have a shot at competing with the rest of the world.

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Hosts: ⁠⁠Chris Chavez⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Eric Jenkins⁠⁠, Aisha Praught-Leer, ⁠Paul Hof-Mahoney⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Anderson Emerole⁠⁠

Produced by: ⁠⁠Mac Fleet⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Jasmine Fehr⁠⁠

__________

Find everything you need to know about the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships here:

Listen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Day 1 Recap Show⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Read: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Distance preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Sprints + hurdles preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Throws + heptathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Jumps + decathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠

__________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Olipop is a prebiotic soda that tastes like a throwback to your favorite childhood drinks, but it's loaded with benefits that your body will thank you for. Each can has 2-5g of sugar, 6-9g of fiber, and a science-backed formula designed to help you support your digestive health. They've got plenty of flavor options like Classic Root Beer, Crisp Apple, Grape, Cream Soda and wild hits like Peaches and Cream. You can grab Olipop at Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart or you can go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DrinkOlipop.com and use promo code CITIUS25 at checkout for 25% off all of your orders⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠⁠⁠⁠