Cole Hocker

He said it was his to lose. Then he went out and made sure of it.

Josh Kerr is back on The Running Effect, and this time he's not limping off a global stage. He's walking out of Toruń with gold, and already calling his next shot.

At the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Kerr reclaimed the 3000m title he first won two years ago in Glasgow. He ran a 7:35.56, the second-fastest winning time in World Indoor Championships history. 

February brought his return: a 2-mile against Cole Hocker at Millrose, a second-place finish that felt more like reconnaissance than defeat. He knew what was coming.

Before Toruń, he called the title his to lose. On March 21, he backed it up, settling patiently, surging at the bell, making himself the target, and winning by 0.14 seconds.

Now the next target is on the clock.

Project 222. On July 18 at the London Diamond League, Kerr will attempt to break Hicham El Guerrouj's mile world record of 3:43.13, a mark that has stood since 1999. The goal: 222 seconds flat. A 3:42 mile. His current PB of 3:45.34 is the British record and sixth all-time. Two seconds separates him from history. 

Tap into the Josh Kerr Special.

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word“PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. 

If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W  N O T E S 

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run  

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

A relatively quiet weekend in track, though there’s still plenty to dig into with Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, and Preet Majithia.
In this week’s episode:

- Preet’s pandemic-era haircut savings

- McKirdy MicrOTQ recap: Kyle paced Thomas Knobbs to a 2:09.24 — the fourth-fastest Canadian of all time — then helped the women’s qualifying group

- The race start had a fascinating start: single-file starts, chip timing

- 14 men and 11 women earn Olympic Trials qualifying standards

- Sound Running 10K

- The 2027 Beijing 10K standard: Why World Athletics still hasn’t announced it?

- Maurie Plant Meet: Lachlan Kennedy beats Gout Gout again

- Claudia Hollingsworth beats world indoor champ Georgia Hunter Bell in the women’s 1500 — Is this the year she announces herself?

- Cameron Myers runs 3:30 and wins by a lot — why wasn’t he at World Indoors?

- Embrace debate: of Hollingsworth, Gout Gout, and Myers: Who has the best shot at Olympic gold in Brisbane?

- The Pure Athletics vs. Star Athletics tension is real and it’s good for the sport

- Josh Kerr and Project 222: 3:42 mile world record attempt at the London Diamond League on July 18th

- What happens if Cole Hocker breaks the record two weeks earlier at Pre-Classic?

- Albert Korir gets a five-year doping ban, Patrick Dever moves to the podium

- Conner Mantz scratches from the Boston Marathon

- Why Kyle is most impressed by Clayton Young’s altitude long run

- Cynthia Erivo will run the London Marathon after performing two shows of a one-woman Dracula the day before

- Harry Styles marathon watch

- Marileidy Paulino runs 2:04 in the 800, Dalilah Muhammad is very much not retired

- What’s coming on the podcast feed

____________

Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠ + Kyle Merber | ⁠@kylemerber⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

WAHOO: With the Wahoo KICKR RUN, you can simulate the exact Boston or London Marathon course right in your own home. You can also use the run free mode, which uses sensors to automatically match the belt speed to your stride. No buttons, no interruptions, no breaking your flow.⁠ ⁠When you use code CITIUS at checkout, you'll also get a free KICKR Headwind Smart Fan. Check it out today at wahoofitness.com.⁠

OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠

XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

Die Hallen-WM in Toruń ist Geschichte – und was für eine. Cooper Lutkenhaus wird mit 17 Jahren der jüngste Weltmeister in der Geschichte der Leichtathletik, Keely Hodgkinson läuft in 1:55.30 auf Championship-Rekord, Yann Schrub verpasst Bronze im Fotofinish um 0.01 Sekunden – und Deutschland geht leer aus. Felix und Max zerlegen die Rennen, ordnen die deutsche Bilanz ein (ohne Panik, aber ehrlich) und schauen voraus: Am Wochenende steht mit The Ten in den USA und dem Berliner Halbmarathon das erste echte Highlight der Straßen-Saison an. Amanal Petros auf Europarekord-Kurs. Drei deutsche Männer beim 10.000m-Rennen des Jahres. Und Max mittendrin – als Pacer im B-Lauf.

👉 MNSTRY ist auch 2026 wieder der Nutrition-Partner vom Auslaufen Podcast! Jetzt mit unseren Codes sparen:

AUSLAUFEN15 - 15% off Running Bundle
MNSTRY26A50 - 50% off Tasting Box for MNSTRY Week 29.3.26 bis 5.4.26 (new customers only)

👉 Hier geht es zum Mnstry Shop

00:00 Intro

00:30 Felix' 5km-Fitness-Check: 16:08 – was war, was geht noch

04:00 Max im Trainingslager Flagstaff: Letzter Update vor The Ten

05:00 Max als Pacer? Die Chaos-Story hinter seiner Startnummer

10:05 Ministry-Sponsor-Block: Power Carb Heat, Recovery Shake, Immun-Stick

15:10 Keely Hodgkinson: 1:55.30, Championship-Rekord – und danach noch 400m-Staffel

19:00 Keely als Vorbildfigur – Körperbau, Stärke, Frauenlaufsport

23:00 Cooper Lutkenhaus: Mit 17 Jahren jüngster Weltmeister aller Zeiten

28:00 3000m Männer: Josh Kerr, Cole Hocker, Yann Schrub – das Fotofinish

32:00 Nadia Battocletti: Warum sie zu wenig Aufmerksamkeit bekommt

34:00 1500m: Mariano García, Georgia Hunter Bell35:00MWR der Woche: Keely, Lutkenhaus, Battocletti

35:20 Deutsche Bilanz Hallen-WM: Ehrliche Analyse ohne Panikmache

43:00 Strukturproblem DLV: Fehlende Veteranen-Ebene

47:00 Deutsche Halbmarathon-DM Frankfurt: Ringer, Pfeiffer, Antonia Schiel

53:00 Zum Timing der DM-Rennserie: 10km, HM, Marathon

53:55 Preview: The Ten – Amanal Petros auf 27:21-Rekord-Kurs?

58:45 Lisa Merkel beim The Ten: Frauen-10.000m

01:02:00 Berliner Halbmarathon Preview Männer: Petros, Lobalu, Simon Boch

01:03:00 Berliner Halbmarathon Preview Frauen: Amebaw, Esther Pfeiffer krank?

01:16:40 Quizfrage: Robert Farken beim Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne

01:19:00 Tobi Tend-Segment aus Südafrika

Preet Majithia breaks down the biggest moments and surprises from day two at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland.

A couple of today's highlights include:

- After getting beaten by Cole Hocker in his first race of the season at the Millrose Games two mile, Josh Kerr has the last laugh by outkicking Hocker and the field to win his third global title and second in the 3000m, running 7:35.56 ahead of Hocker’s 7:35.70.

- Nadia Battocletti finally got her golden moment in the 3000m, as the Italian used a 28.54 final lap to outkick Jessica Hull with Battocletti claiming her fourth global medal in 8:57.64.

- Khaleb McRae led for about 390 meters of the 400m final, but it wasn’t quite enough to hold off the late charge of Christopher Morales Williams, who closed best to win in a championship-record of 44.76.

- Lurdes Gloria Manuel had only won one 400m so far in 2026 heading into this weekend, but she clocked three straight indoor PBs in the three rounds of racing and won her first global title in 50.76.

+ More

____________

Host: Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Olipop’s Tropical Punch tastes like a vacation in a can. It has the perfect balance of pineapple, passionfruit, mandarin, and apple. You get that nostalgic fruit punch flavor, but way more crisp and way more refreshing. Every can contains their Olismart blend, which includes ingredients designed to support digestive health and help feed your gut microbiome. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠

XENDURANCE: When you finish a hard workout, the work isn't actually done. That's when recovery starts. Xendurance Protein is designed specifically to help your body recover, rebuild, and get stronger after training. It combines four different types of protein, so your body gets both fast absorbing protein for immediate recovery and slower release protein to support muscle repair over time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check it out at Xendurance.com and use code CITIUS for 25% off your first order.

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia break down a chaotic weekend in American track and field headlined by a lead vehicle disaster at the USATF Half Marathon Championships and a slate of big results at the USATF Indoor Championships.

Discussed:

– The 2026 USATF Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta were thrown into chaos when a lead vehicle guided the top women off course in the final mile with Jess McClain holding a big lead at the time. Molly Born, who stayed on course, won in 69:43. McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat all filed appeals immediately after.

– USATF’s jury of appeals acknowledged the course was inadequately marked but said it had “no recourse within the rulebook” to alter the results, which was a ruling that drew widespread backlash. Atlanta Track Club CEO Rich Kenah took full responsibility.

–  Because the race served as the selection event for the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, the wrong turn didn’t just cost the leaders prize money but also potentially cost them spots on Team USA. The selection situation is a tangled mess with no clean fix under current rules.

– Cole Hocker won the men’s 3,000m in a blanket finish in 7:39.25. Young missed the World Indoor team by .01 to Yared Nuguse after drifting off the rail in the home straight.

– Emily Mackay won the women’s 3,000m in a five-second personal best of 8:30.01, outkicking Elle St. Pierre in the final stretch for her first US title.

– Hocker and Yared Nuguse then faded to 5th and 4th in Sunday’s 1500m, won by former UW teammates Nathan Green and Luke Houser.

– 17-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus went 5-for-5 as a professional, winning the men’s 800m in 1:46.68 with a tactically sharp performance.

– Nikki Hiltz extended their US title streak to eight, winning the women’s 1500m in 4:11.34.

– Jordan Anthony won the men’s 60m in 6.45, beating Trayvon Bromell and Noah Lyles.

Plus: Tokyo Marathon recap, the Louis Hinchcliffe NCAA return and the Iowa State/Seth Clevenger doping investigation.

____________

Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@preet_athletics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: A blast from the past, Olipop’s Shirley Temple combines smooth vanilla flavor with bright lemon and lime, finished with cherry juice for that nostalgic grenadine-like flavor. One sip of this timeless soda proves some flavors never grow old. Try Shirley Temple and more of Olipop’s flavors ⁠⁠⁠⁠at DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.

You may recognize Cole Hocker from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where he captured gold in the men’s 1500 meters and set a new Olympic record. He is also the 2025 World Champion in the 5000 meters. He’s stayed on top ever since, most recently taking the win at the prestigious Millrose Games. With a lighter summer season ahead, Cole sits down with Carrie to catch up on life, covering everything from training and racing to making music and how even the best handle their nerves. As THE best in the world over the past two years, Cole opens up about his mindset, how he keeps the fire alive, and the role faith plays in sustaining a long, successful career. Balancing elite competition with genuine fun, Cole proves there’s something in his journey that everyone can learn from.