Galen Rupp

Biya Simbassa took many American track and field fans by surprise on Sunday morning when they awoke to results from the Valencia Marathon and saw that the 31-year-old notched a personal best by nearly four minutes to run 2:06:53. The performance was good for 17th place in the race but moved him to No. 4 on the U.S. all-time list.

Only Khalid Khannouchi (2:05:38), Galen Rupp (2:06:07) and Ryan Hall (2:06:17) have run faster.

Back in 2022, we paid a visit to Flagstaff, Ariz. for a video featuring Simbassa and also recorded a podcast episode detailing his career path from being born in Ethiopia, moving to the United States in 2007 and then going through the school system. He started running in high school in Minnesota and then continued his development at Iowa Central Community College before transferring to Oklahoma. 

After graduating, he was coached by Scott Simmons in Colorado Springs before signing a pro contract with Under Armour to be part of the Dark Sky Distance Project with coach Stephen Haas. In 2023, Simbassa started working with Hall as his coach. The partnership lasted until this summer before Hall decided to step back from coaching. Simbassa worked with Ian Carter (a McKirdy Trained coach, who also was coached by Hall) for the Valencia Marathon build-up.

CITIUS MAG spoke with Simbassa on Thursday afternoon to get details on how the performance came about.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Biya Simbassa | @simba_runner

Time stamps:

3:19 - Reflections coming off the Valencia Marathon 

5:12 - Processing the Olympic Marathon Trials 

6:59 - Thoughts on whether he could’ve made the Olympic team

8:17 - When he knew the marathon was his event

11:15 - Feelings after not making Olympic team

13:00 - Why he races so often

17:14 - Thoughts on Ryan Hall stepping away as his coach

18:27 - Ian Carter becoming his new coach

19:42 - Why he landed on racing Valencia

20:39 - Goals and expectations heading into Valencia

23:55 - How he stayed composed after the halfway split 

27:12 - Valencia course + atmosphere

30:13 - Shoe choice for the race

32:00 - Fueling throughout the race 

33:44 - Plans for what’s next 

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Galen Rupp is one of the greatest American Distance Runners of all time. He won a Silver Medal in the 10,000 in the Rio 2016 Olympics and a Bronze Medal in the Marathon in the Tokoyo 2020 Olympics. He is also the 2017 champion of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. He’ll be on the ... more »

“After the (2012) Olympics, it just was such a big boost because for so long you're scrapping and fighting. I was 5th, 6th, 7th in a lot of these races and I kept saying, ‘This is going to be the year I'm going to get over the hump.’ For it to finally happen was just such a big moment for me, for my own confidence. After that I knew that I belonged and could really compete with all these guys.”

2x Olympic medalist and 12x U.S. champion Galen Rupp joins us live in Eugene to catch us up on life since the Olympic Marathon Trials in February. Galen reflects on his favorite races from his career, his experience competing for the University of Oregon, what his training was like during the peak of his career, the support he’s received from his wife and family, how he stays looped into the running community, and what it’s been like recovering from surgery a few months ago. Hear more of Galen’s updates in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast.

Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Mitch Dyer | @metchosketch on Instagram

Guest: Galen Rupp

_________

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Today on the podcast is Ryan "Plop" Johnson! 

Ryan graduated from The United States Air Force Academy last spring. Ryan currently serves as a 2nd Lieutenant in The United States Air Force in Colorado Springs. During his years at the academy, Ryan contributed greatly to the program both through his leadership and performances, leading them to top finishes at the NCAA meets. Most notably, in 2022, Ryan was an NCAA XC All-American, placing 28th. 

Ryan holds PRs of 8:00 (3k), 13:45 (5k), 28:20 (10k), and recently ran 62:31 at the 2024 Houston Half-Marathon where he beat Galen Rupp. 

In today's conversation, Ryan takes me through life as a 2nd Lieutenant, the balance of working and training, his years at the academy, the culture of AFXC, his future ambitions in the sport, why he runs, and so much more!

I loved this one. Ryan was super open about his journey and what goes into his life, making today's conversation super intriguing and inspiring. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did having it!

Tap into the Plop Special. 

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching "The Running Effect Podcast." 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. 

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo 

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Today on the podcast is a man who is a leader in his field of work and making the best in the world even better. 

His name is Paul Mackinnon, and he's known for working with athletes like Galen Rupp and many BTC athletes.  

For some background on Paul, he lived a sporting life as a semi-professional hockey player for 15 years, playing in Australia and Europe, allowing him access to high-performance programs, athletes, and coaches around the world. Since retiring, he has developed The Balanced Runner coaching business to help athletes. The philosophy was developed largely by Lex Anderson in Canberra and further refined by Paul over close to a decade of practicing as a professional running technique coach. 

In today's episode, we go through Paul's work and answer some of the most commonly asked questions in regard to running form and biomechanics. 

This episode was awesome, and a privilege to pick the brain of someone who is stellar in their field of work.

Tap into the Paul Mackinnon Special

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching "The Running Effect Podcast." 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. 

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo 

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The Olympic Marathon Trials are complete and what a day it was! W are kicking off the next 2-3 weeks of Trials coverage with an amazing person and story. Josh Kalapos was the last seed at the Trials with a quallifying time of 2:18:00. He qualified for the race without a second to space. Then Josh did the improbable - he finished 17th (only one spot behind returning champ Galen Rupp). Not only that, this former DIII runner called his shot, telling the D3 Glory Days podcast two weeks before the race that he'd being going out with the leaders in an effort to make the podium. In this episode we hear Josh detail this amazing story and hear his views on elevating unheralded college runners and being one of the few Asian-American runners in the field. Sponsors ASICS - Check out my favorite footwear brand, and the NEW Novablast 4, at www.asics.com. V.02 - Become a faster runner and/or better coach in 2024 with V.O2. Download V.O2 in the app stores or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vdoto2.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about leveraging the world-renowned VDOT training paces in your running. Use code "rambling" to get 20% off the product of your choice and get a free trial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heading into the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials, the consensus was that there was no consensus: Anyone could make the team.

And the races delivered big time, with topsy-turvy place changes and unexpected finishes on both the men’s and women’s side. In the men’s race, Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, the top two seeds in the field, did come away with the top two places, but the surprising news was who wasn’t in the mix, as two sub-2:09 seeds – Scott Fauble and Sam Chelanga – dropped out and reigning champion Galen Rupp struggled to a 16th-place finish.

Before Clayton Young’s 2:08:00 breakthrough in Chicago last fall, the ASICS runner’s marathon career had gotten off to a fairly rocky start. Young debuted in Atlanta in 2020 but only managed a 2:29:46 for 136th place, and in his first Chicago the following year, he was on track for a top-10 finish before falling only 300 meters from the finish line and losing 3 minutes and 5 places. Along the way, he’d picked up a few wins at shorter road races including a pair of national titles in 2023, but it wasn’t until last fall when he entered the conversation of potential Olympic contenders.

Young, who trains with Mantz in Utah, had a smoother buildup than his training partner (who dealt with a stress reaction in November) and seemed to be the most in control of all the leaders at each point in the race. He’s gotta get bonus points for sportsmanship as well, offering his training partner a pull from his water bottle after Mantz missed one of his own and hyping up the crowd even as he got passed in the final few strides.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

Host: Kyle Merber | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kylemerber on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: Eric Jenkins | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ericjenkins_ on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Guest: Clayton Young | ⁠⁠⁠@_clayton_young_ on Instagram

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On Saturday, Feb. 3, Orlando will host the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. The top three men and women who have met the qualifying standards and criteria will be named the U.S. Olympic team for the Paris Games.

This race features the first head-to-head matchup over the marathon distance by American record holder Emily Sisson and former record holder Keira D'Amato. Five of the six members of the 2020 Olympic team are back as Galen Rupp, Molly Seidel, Aliphine Tuliamuk, Jake Riley and Abdi Abdirahman return to try and make another team. Conner Mantz and Scott Fauble remain two of the most consistent American men of the last Olympic cycle. CITIUS MAG's team (Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber, and Eric Jenkins) will preview all the top storylines and athletes to watch. Read our full previews for the elite races: https://citiusmag.com/ Show presented by HOKA | Stay up to date on the latest news and promotions from HOKA. Check them out here: https://www.hoka.com/

Today we have a fun a wide ranging conversation that focuses on Emma Bates's injury announcement, Top-10 U.S. Men's Marathoners Family Feud, Kofuzi and elite's running Houston, and the impact (or lack thereof) of the Olympic Marathon on professional careers.

We has also have some wild tangents that include vacuum YouTube, New Year's Day races, and race selection dogma.

This episode features Kofuzi, Peter Bromka, Marcus Brown, and Matt Chittim.

Chapters

3:00 - The Tradition of New Year's Day Runs

4:00 - The Fascinating World of Vacuum YouTube

19:00 - Kofuzi's Houston Half-Marathon Preview

36:00 - Elite Runners Participating in the Houston Half

41:00 - Expectations for Galen Rupp

46:00 - Unheralded Runners to Watch Out For

50:00 - Top-10 U.S. Men's Marathoners Family Feud

54:00 - Discussion on Emma Bates' Injury

59:00 - Importance of the Olympics in the Running Community

1:03:00 - Potential Emma Bates Silver Lining

Episode 8 of The Call Room With Connor Burns & Simeon Birnbaum! In this episode, Connor recaps the craziest race of his career, where he played rock-paper-scissors mid-race, Simeon talks through his hamstring strain, and they both go through their recent training and workouts. Is there beef with L&L, coaches, and Galen Rupp? You'll have to listen to find out! This episode is yet another great one. I hope you all enjoy it!

ABOUT THE CALL ROOM: Introducing The Call Room With Connor Burns & Simeon Birnbaum. 

The Running Effect will document their season in-depth this outdoor track season. Each week, Connor and Simeon will pull back the curtain and show you how they train physically and mentally and handle failure, adversity, and the ups and downs that ensue this season. 

Connor Burns ran 3:58.83 in the mile last June, becoming the first high schooler from Missouri to break the four-minute barrier. He is also a reigning national champion in the 3200m and became the fifth-ever high schooler to break four minutes in the mile indoors by running 3:59.11. Most recently, Connor became a national champion indoors in the 2-mile by running 8:43.24. Connor has committed to run for The University of Oregon this fall. 

Simeon Birnbaum is the first sixteen-year-old in America to break four minutes in the mile. He did this by running a 3:59.51 while winning a national title in that same race. Simeon also holds a personal best of 1:50.12 in the 800m. Simeon holds the South Dakota state records in the 3200m, 1600m, and 800m. Simeon has committed to run for The University of Oregon this fall. 

This season Connor and Simeon are chasing history; we are here to document it in a historic and unprecedented fashion. Over the coming months, Connor and Simeon will dive deep into their outdoor campaign leading into big invitationals, state championships, national record attempts, and national meets. We will go into their training, racing, mindset, and answer your questions along the way!

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." 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. If you really enjoy the podcast, consider sharing it on social media to spread the word!

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

-FESTIVAL OF MILES: ⁠https://festival-of-miles.runnerspace.com/⁠

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

-Connor's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connor_burnsy/?hl=en

-Simeon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simeonbirnbaum/?hl=en

Many people want to be good at something. Very few put in the work to be good. My guest today on the podcast Wes Shipsey is someone who puts in hours of work each day in order to reach his potential. In his words, “You get out what you put in.” That’s the reason behind his 80-mile weeks and absurd workouts like 20x400 in an average of 61 seconds. Wes also ran his state meet with a fever of 103 degrees. I looked up the definition of dedicated and a picture of Wes came up. 

Not only is Wes fast, but very well-spoken. I was very impressed with his in-depth responses to my questions and insight into his career so far. Wes currently attends Central Catholic high school, the Alma Mater of Galen Rupp. Keep your eyes out for Wes in the coming year as he chases after history. 

Please like, subscribe, and share with your friends if you enjoyed today’s episode! You can also give us a five-star review on Spotify and support the sponsors who support us Liquid IV & Stoke Performance (: 

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Less than 24 hours ago, Lex Young, a junior in high school, ran the second-fastest 5k ever by a US high schooler. Lex ran 13:43.95 putting him #2 all-time right behind the legend Galen Rupp. He did this at Sound Running's "Track Meet". I thought it'd be a cool idea to get his immediate thoughts post-race and got him back on the podcast! We do a deep dive into the race last night. From his intentions going into the race to mentally willing himself forward when the lactic hit to his post-race stomach struggles. This fifteen-minute recap of this historic race is well worth listening to! If you want to help us out please like, subscribe, and share. You can also give us a five-star review on Spotify!  SHOW NOTES Lex's Instagram: https://instagram.com/lex_young_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= L&L YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/c/LLexandleovloggs My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en