Parker Valby returned to the outdoor track in style, running a PB of 14:49 to win the women’s 5000 at the LA Track Fest in her first professional outdoor race in nearly two years. We break down what it means for Valby moving forward courtesy of Josh Kerr 1:44 PB marks world fitness record over a mile, and thoughts on Donovan Brazier’s season opener.
We also dive into World Track and Field’s surprising new qualifying standards for the 2027 World Championships, including the effective ban on indoor BU marks for qualifying purposes and whether the changes could hurt one of the best meets in the sport: the US Olympic Trials.
NBC News Reporter Andrew Greifco-author Beyond Fast with Chris Lear and Sean Brosnan, joins us from Las Vegas to discuss the inaugural Enhanced Games after covering the event for NBC News.
“I cover this as a spectacle that a lot of people either love or hate… They expected a lot of world records to happen, but it didn’t happen.” —Andrew Greif
“The greatest thing about our sport in the United States is the dream of the Olympic Trials.” — Weldon Johnson
Listen to the podcast in the player below or here on your favorite podcast app.
In this episode
- 00:00 Sponsor and Supporter Clubs
- 01:09 Intro and Episode Preview
- 06:29 LA Track Fest: Biggest Winners and Losers
- 07:08 Parker Valby’s Triumphant Return
- 11:57 Is 14:49 Parker Valby Good Enough?
- 15:11 Most Disappointing Performance
- 18:22 800 Men: Anglo, Kerr, and Kessler
- 22:51 Hobbs Kessler’s Ceiling and the Rise of Parker Wolfe
- 27:14 Josh Kerr’s World Record 800 PB and Mile talk
- 42:14 2027 World Championship Standards Crazy
- 45:39 BU Indoor Track Prohibited for Qualifying
- 53:01 Will These Standards Kill Trials in the US?
- 68:38 Improved Game Recap
- 69:19 Andrew Greif Joins: Inside Enhanced Games
- 74:39 Money That Lures Athletes Out of Retirement
- 77:28 Spectacle in Las Vegas
- 82:55 Why Clean Athletes Compete in Enhanced Games
- 88:11 Do the Medications Really Work?
- 98:19 Father Time is Invincible
- 103:44 Doping in the NCAA and Closing Thoughts
Link
Next Monday: Marius Bakken joins LetsRun Training Talk Live
On Monday, June 1 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, former Norway star Marius Bakken join LetsRun.com Training Talk Live for an in-depth discussion of training and the evolution of the Norwegian method.
Bakken trained with legends such as Peter Coe, spent time training in Kenya, and helped popularize many of the concepts now associated with modern training in Norway.
Supporters Club members can join directly and ask questions.
📖 Get Bakken’s new book here:
Norwegian Method Applied
🏃 Join the Supporters Club today:
Get a second podcast every week, bonus content, exclusive features, and a super soft t-shirt when you join every year.
Use code GOAT50 to save 50% on your first year.
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