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

The World XC Championships return to the U.S. for the first time since 1992, with Saturday’s races in Tallahassee offering a chance to reignite global attention on the best distance runners in the world.

How to watch: The races will be broadcast on Peacock (starting at 9:35 a.m.) and will be televised on CNBC (starting at 10 a.m. ET).

Schedule (All times ET):

• 9:45 a.m. – Mixed 4x2K Relay
• 10:20 a.m. – Women’s U20 6K Race
• 10:55 a.m. – Men’s U20 8K Race
• 11:35 a.m. – Women’s Senior 10K Race
• 12:20 p.m. – Men’s Senior 10K Race

You can read our full race preview here.

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Mixed Relay Preview:

Favorites: Kenya w/ Reynold Cheruiyot

Challengers:

• Australia (Jessica Hull, Olli Hoare)
• France (Agathe Guillemot)
• USA (Sage Hurta-Klecker, Ethan Strand)
• Morocco's NCAA stars
• Kenya has won 3 of 4 editions since 2017.

Senior Women’s Race:

Star Power Dip: No Beatrice Chebet (pregnancy), no Olympic or World medalists from 5000m/10,000m entered.

Top Teams:

• Kenya: Agnes Ngetich leads (14:01/28:46 PBs); Maurine Chebor debuts
• Ethiopia: Loaded with U20 grads like Senayet Getachew, Asayech Ayichew
• Uganda: Joy Cheptoyek, Sarah & Rebecca Chelangat return
• USA: Led by Weini Kelati; Schweizer, Kurgat, Izzo in the mix
• Wild cards: Megan Keith, Lauren Ryan

Senior Men’s Race:

Deepest Field Post-COVID: 145 entrants

Title contenders:

• Jacob Kiplimo: Two-time champ, fresh off 2:02:23 marathon win
• Ethiopia: Berihu Aregawi + rising star Biniam Mehary
• Kenya: Daniel Ebenyo returns; Weldon Langat, Robert Koech support
• France: Jimmy Gressier headlines strong squad

Team USA Outlook:

• Potential for medal with Graham Blanks, Nico Young, Parker Wolfe, Rocky Hansen
• U.S. last medaled in 2013 (silver)

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ASICS: When you move your body, amazing things happen to your mind. Lace up and feel the good vibrations. Check out all of ASICS’ latest running shoes and gear here.

OLIPOP: Olipop is a better-for-you soda that puts 6-9g of fiber in every single can. This winter, Olipop's holiday cans are back featuring their Yeti Trio. Olipop is a smart, simple way to add more fiber to your day. No recipes, no resolutions, no salads required. Whether you’re team Vintage Cola, Crisp Apple, or Ginger Ale, bundle up, pour yourself a can, and sip on some fiber. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia break down the 2026 calendar in track and field how certain athletes are targeting specific events in the lead-up to the debut of the World Ultimate Championships. Plus: Gut reactions to the release of the 2026 World Cross Country Championship entries and how the Valencia 10K isn’t the only event taking talent away.

Chris and Preet are then joined by Anderson Emerole, Mac Fleet, Paul Hof-Mahoney, and David Melly to share their boldest predictions in 2026 including news/cultural topics, performance-related predictions, and then World Ultimate Championships predictions.

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Hosts: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez⁠⁠⁠⁠ + Preet Majithia | ⁠@preet_athletics + Mac Fleet | @macfleet + Paul Hof-Mahoney | @phofmahoney + David Melly | @chaserofsteeples + Anderson Emerole | @atkoeme

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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WAHOO: The KICKR RUN responds to you: run faster, it speeds up. Ease back, it slows down. It's called the run-free mode – no buttons, just running that actually feels like running. The Wahoo KICKR RUN turns those long indoor miles into something you actually look forward to. Add in a quiet motor, a buttery smooth belt, and speeds up to 15 MPH, it's the closest thing you can get to an outdoor run without dealing with the ice, wind, or darkness. ⁠⁠⁠Learn more at Wahoofitness.com and unlock a special offer when you use code CITIUS⁠⁠⁠.

OLIPOP: Olipop is a better-for-you soda that puts 6-9g of fiber in every single can. This winter, Olipop's holiday cans are back featuring their Yeti Trio. Olipop is a smart, simple way to add more fiber to your day. No recipes, no resolutions, no salads required. Whether you’re team Vintage Cola, Crisp Apple, or Ginger Ale, bundle up, pour yourself a can, and sip on some fiber. ⁠⁠⁠Visit DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia unpack the people who made track and field special in 2025. Categories include:

– World Record of the Year
– Performance of the year
– Athlete of the year
– Most entertaining athlete of the year
– Social media Moment of the Year
– Heartbreak Moment of the year
– Coach of the Year
– Best event of the year
– Marathon of the year
– Celebration of the year
– Breakout athlete of the year
– Late career resurgence of the year
– Doping bust of the year
– Retirement of the year

Chime in via the Spotify comments section to share your thoughts on these categories.

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

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

NOMIO: Made with 80% broccoli sprout juice, 15% lemon juice, and 5% sugar, Nomio activates your body’s natural defense systems to reduce lactate, speed recovery, and enhance muscle adaptation. Take one 60 ml shot three hours before training or racing and feel lighter, stronger, and more resilient. Available at The Feed — use code CITIUS15 for 15% off | ⁠⁠https://thefeed.com/collections/nomio⁠⁠

WAHOO: The KICKR RUN responds to you: run faster, it speeds up. Ease back, it slows down. It's called the run-free mode – no buttons, just running that actually feels like running. The Wahoo KICKR RUN turns those long indoor miles into something you actually look forward to. Add in a quiet motor, a buttery smooth belt, and speeds up to 15 MPH, it's the closest thing you can get to an outdoor run without dealing with the ice, wind, or darkness. ⁠⁠Learn more at Wahoofitness.com and unlock a special offer when you use code CITIUS⁠⁠.

OLIPOP: Olipop is a better-for-you soda that puts 6-9g of fiber in every single can. This winter, Olipop's holiday cans are back featuring their Yeti Trio. Olipop is a smart, simple way to add more fiber to your day. No recipes, no resolutions, no salads required. Whether you’re team Vintage Cola, Crisp Apple, or Ginger Ale, bundle up, pour yourself a can, and sip on some fiber. ⁠⁠Visit DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.

“That is the fun part for me – being able to be pushed to my limits, be out there doing it with other strong women, working off each other, and having a great coach and support staff. That’s so fun to me: the really, truly hard work. There’s just so much I love about this sport and this team, but that’s definitely how I would describe this first semester so far. It’s just been so much fun. I’m really looking forward to building with this team and just continuing to work hard and make some memories.”

My guest for today’s episode is Jane Hedengren, and if the last few months are any indication, we’re watching the very beginning of something special. She is one of the biggest breakout stars of 2025.

Just two weeks after finishing runner-up at the NCAA Cross Country Championships as a true freshman at BYU, Jane stepped onto the track in Boston and ran 14:44.79 for 5,000 meters, shattering the collegiate record — indoor and outdoor — and immediately vaulting herself to No. 2 on the U.S. all-time list indoors.

Jane came out of high school as one of the most decorated prep distance runners ever, becoming the first high school girl to break 15 minutes for 5,000 meters and setting nine national high school records along the way. She arrived at BYU this fall, dominated her collegiate cross country debut, won conference and regional titles, and then went toe-to-toe with Doris Lemngole at the NCAA Championships, finishing second on the biggest stage.

In our conversation, Jane talks openly about gratitude, patience, and keeping expectations from overshadowing the joy of competition. She reflects on how her training has become more intentional under Coach Diljeet Taylor, why fueling more has been a game-changer, and how learning to race with a level head has helped her grow faster — and happier — at the same time.

We also look ahead to the Millrose Games, where she’ll line up in the 3,000 meters against Lemngole — a race that puts Katelyn Tuohy’s 8:35.20 collegiate record firmly on watch — and what it means to develop inside a program that prioritizes long-term growth over short-term results.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠

Guest: Jane Hedengren | ⁠@janehedengren on Instagram⁠ 

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

NOMIO: Made with 80% broccoli sprout juice, 15% lemon juice, and 5% sugar, Nomio activates your body’s natural defense systems to reduce lactate, speed recovery, and enhance muscle adaptation. Take one 60 ml shot three hours before training or racing and feel lighter, stronger, and more resilient. Available at The Feed — use code CITIUS15 for 15% off | ⁠https://thefeed.com/collections/nomio⁠

WAHOO: The KICKR RUN responds to you: run faster, it speeds up. Ease back, it slows down. It's called the run-free mode – no buttons, just running that actually feels like running. The Wahoo KICKR RUN turns those long indoor miles into something you actually look forward to. Add in a quiet motor, a buttery smooth belt, and speeds up to 15 MPH, it's the closest thing you can get to an outdoor run without dealing with the ice, wind, or darkness. ⁠Learn more at Wahoofitness.com and unlock a special offer when you use code CITIUS⁠.

OLIPOP: Olipop is a better-for-you soda that puts 6-9g of fiber in every single can. This winter, Olipop's holiday cans are back featuring their Yeti Trio. Olipop is a smart, simple way to add more fiber to your day. No recipes, no resolutions, no salads required. Whether you’re team Vintage Cola, Crisp Apple, or Ginger Ale, bundle up, pour yourself a can, and sip on some fiber. ⁠Visit DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.

“One of the things we talk about on our team is if everyone is giving 51% or more and never taking more than 49%, your ecosystem is always going to be in balance. But if everyone isn’t willing to give more than 49% and they’re always taking more than 51%, then the ecosystem is never going to be in balance. We just try to keep an environment where people are waiting for other people to go to the bathroom, giving each other rides, taking turns at the lead, doing the little things. 

My guest for today's episode is coach Dena Evans of the Peninsula Distance Club, one of the most experienced, influential, and quietly impactful leaders in American distance running. What happened at CIM just doesn't come out of nowhere. It was the product of more than 25 years of coaching spent moving between youth athletes, post-collegiates, pros, and learning how to build something that lasts.

Along the way, Coach Evans has worn just about every different hat that this sport has to offer. She was the women's head coach for Team USA at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, she’s served on nearly a dozen international team staffs over the past two decades, and she currently sits on the USATF Women's Long Distance Running Committee after years of leadership across track and across country. At the center of all of it is the Peninsula Distance Club, a post-collegiate team that she founded in 2007 – and that she still leads today.

It's a grassroots operation built on belief, patience, and also community, so if you're feeling generous, you can support them at the link here. Before PDC, Coach Evans was at Stanford from 1999 to 2005, where she led the Cardinal to a national cross country title and was named the NCAA Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2003. During that time, she coached many of the athletes that you've heard on this show or seen us cover.

In this conversation, we trace the long arc from that quiet moment at CIM to the very beginning where she was growing up in multiple sports, the influence of coaches like Vin Lananna and coach Frank Gagliano, and what she's learned by spending so much time with athletes in the often overlooked post-collegiate phase.

Coach Evans has seen the sport from nearly every angle. She's built her career patiently, deliberately, and with deep care.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠

Guest: Dena Evans | @dizneena on Instagram

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

NOMIO: Made with 80% broccoli sprout juice, 15% lemon juice, and 5% sugar, Nomio activates your body’s natural defense systems to reduce lactate, speed recovery, and enhance muscle adaptation. Take one 60 ml shot three hours before training or racing and feel lighter, stronger, and more resilient. Available at The Feed — use code CITIUS15 for 15% off | https://thefeed.com/collections/nomio

WAHOO: The KICKR RUN isn’t just another treadmill; it’s a complete rethink of indoor running. With Dynamic Pacing, it automatically adjusts to your stride—no buttons, no breaking form, just pure running freedom. Its Terrain Simulation makes the deck feel like a track or trail, while lateral tilt mimics real-world conditions so you’re always prepared for race day. So whether you’re chasing your first half-marathon finish, a marathon PR, or your next trail adventure, the KICKR RUN is built to help you Run Your Run. Check it all out at WahooFitness.com and use code CITIUS at checkout.

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.