Nikki Hiltz

Chris Chavez, Aisha Praught-Leer, Eric Jenkins and Anderson Emerole unpack all the action from Day 2 of Grand Slam Track: Kingston.

Kenny Bednarek — Mr. 2x Olympic Medal, now Mr. Slam Champion — swept the short sprints and made it look easy. 100m? Win. 200m? Win. $100k? Yes please. Not bad for a weekend in Jamaica.

Gabby Thomas? She didn’t just win. She leveled up. A massive 400m PR (49.14!) — behind only a world-leading time from Salwa Eid Naser — locked down the Women’s Long Sprints crown. Two races. One trophy. Another six-figure payday.

But it wasn’t just the Americans cleaning up. Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain edged out the 400m crew to win the Men’s Long Sprints Slam. Diribe Welteji outkicked Nikki Hiltz to take the Women’s Short Distance title in a spicy 1500m.

And oh yeah — there was that absolutely loaded men’s 1500 field where 800m Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi stepped up in distance and beat the entire Paris medal stand.

Tonight was the night that we believe fans started to rock with the brand-new league format. Fast, fresh, and fun. It’s a modern take on track with real stakes — and real checks — on the line.And it’s only Day 2.Let’s talk about the money. The medals. The matchups. And why this might be the shake-up the sport’s been waiting for.

Chris Chavez, Aisha Praught-Leer, Eric Jenkins and Anderson Emerole recap all the action from Day 1 of Grand Slam Track: Kingston

Highlights include:

– Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone captured the victory in the Women's Long Hurdles 400m Hurdles in 52.76 winning the race by nearly two seconds.

–Alison dos Santos defeated Jamaican favorite Roshawn Clarke to win the Men’s Long Hurdles 400 Meter Hurdles in 47.61.

–Nikki Hiltz set a new personal best and a world-leading time in the Women’s Short Distance 800 Meters in 1:58.23. They edged out Deribi Welteji by .06 seconds in what was a thrilling finish that saw six of the eight runners in the field break 2:00.

– Gabby Thomas made history as the first-ever Grand Slam Track race winner in the Women's Long Sprint 200m in 22.62.

– Kenny Bednarek ended the evening with a victory in the Men’s Short Sprints 100m.

“I also learned that I just love working with athletes who truly have that passion about seeing how good they can be. The outcome isn't as important to me as I thought. It's just, ‘Let's go see how good we can be and see where that lands us...’ Stepping away from college and taking this really windy journey to where I am now, I've been able to work with all different levels of athletes and it's been equally rewarding to those who run their first mile without stopping all the way to the world stage. It's been a non-conventional path, but I've been loving it.”

My guest for today’s episode is someone who’s seen—and shaped—American middle-distance running from just about every angle. Juli Benson was a 1996 Olympian in the 1500 meters, a world-class competitor in her own right, and now she’s one of the most respected coaches in the sport.

Over the past two decades, Juli’s coaching journey has taken her from college programs like Georgetown, Air Force, and Penn to working with World Champions, Olympians, and emerging pros. She coached Jenny Simpson to her gold medal at the 2011 World Championships. She guided Kevin Sullivan back to the global stage. And today, she’s the coach behind Nikki Hiltz, helping them chase a 2028 Olympic dream of their own.

In this episode, we get into it all:

 – What makes Nikki tick and how their partnership is evolving

 – The differences between coaching NCAA athletes vs. pros

 – How Juli learned to balance intensity with recovery—the hard way

 – Her reflections on being a woman in the coaching world before there were many to look up to

 – And what it’s like now to see coaches like Shalane Flanagan, Diljeet Taylor, and Laurie Henes rise to national prominence

We also talk about Juli’s time at Air Force, the unique challenges of coaching across every level of the sport, and what it’s meant to mentor everyone from Olympic finalists to first-time runners.

This is a conversation about resilience, evolution, and quiet excellence—and it’s one of my favorite coaching deep-dives we’ve done yet.

Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Juli Benson | julibensontraining.com

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Jason and Kevin discuss Josh Hoey, Nikki Hiltz, Hobbs Kessler, Shelby Houlihan, Grant Holloway and all the other news makers from this year's USATF Indoor Championships. Then, the guys chat about Jacob Kiplimo possibly breaking two hours in the marathon, a trio of boys going sub four minutes in the mile and the state of track and field on television.

Today on group chat, we have Lindsey Hein, Kofuzi, Peter Bromka, and Tommie Runz.

Episode Rundown:

Nikki Hiltz on a tear this weekend

Dawn Harper Nelson as a commentator

Grand Slam Track versus Indoor World Championships

Gate River Run this weekend

USA Half Marathon Championships

Tommie’s high volume training

Kofuzi’s adventures in Morocco

Thank you to our sponsor:

Cure Hydration

Curehydration.com/relay and use the code “relay” for a discount

On today’s show, we have a lot to talk about. Josh Hoey just ran 1:43.24 for 800 meters—indoors. That’s the second-fastest time ever run indoors, behind only Wilson Kipketer. We’ll break down what this means for the American 800m scene, how he’s addressed skepticism that inevitably comes with a performance like this and whether Hoey is suddenly a legitimate outdoor medal contender.

Hobbs Kessler doubled at USAs, taking both the 3000m and 1500m titles like it was just another weekend at the track. We’ll talk about what impressed us the most about Kessler's double, how the men’s middle distances are shaping up for 2025 and why it was OK for Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker to skip out.

And then there’s the "rivalry" that was quickly dispelled by the athletes – Nikki Hiltz vs. Shelby Houlihan. Just a few years ago, Houlihan was untouchable. Then came the four-year ban, and now, she’s back—and already battling for the top spot. In the 3000m, Houlihan got to the front, squeezed the pace, and dared anyone to come with her. And Nikki Hiltz? They came with her. And then passed her. In the final strides of the women’s 3000m, Hiltz outkicked Houlihan, officially stamping themselves as America’s best championship racer in the middle distances.

Plus, we’ll get into the results of the sprints and why the 2025 World Indoor Championships in Nanjing might be one of the weirdest global meets we’ve ever seen—between withdrawals, travel logistics, and a US team that’s missing some of its biggest stars.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠ 

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

KETONE-IQ: Level up your training with Ketone-IQ – a clean shot of energy with no sugar or caffeine. Or try the new Ketone-IQ + Caffeine, combining 5g of ketones with 100mg of green tea caffeine for a smooth, sustained boost. It’s used by pro runners like Des Linden and Sara Hall. Proven to enhance endurance, focus, and recovery, ketones are 28% more efficient than glucose. No crashes, no bonking—just next-level performance. Take the shot. Feel the difference. Save 30% off your first subscription order & receive a free six pack of Ketone-IQ with ⁠KETONE.com/CITIUS⁠.

OLIPOP: BuzzFeed just came out with an article that recently named Olipop "the best overall soda for flavor" — and with a lineup that includes classic root beer, vintage cola and cherry vanilla, it's easy to see why. ⁠Try Olipop today and save 25% on your order using code CITIUS25 at checkout at DrinkOlipop.com.⁠