This is my daily chat with #RunBlogRun viewers and track fans on track & field!
Hey, Campers!
This is Coffee with Larry for Wednesday, November 25, 2024.
Omius is the official cooling technology partner of RunBlogRun
Coffee with Larry is sponsored by OMIUS, the cooling technology company.
OMIUS makes hats, visors, and headbands with cooling pods. These pods keep you cool when moistened with water every 30-45 minutes.
Omius hat with cooling cubes, photo courtesy of Omius.
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Our topics:
1. I interviewed Hobbs Kessler, Bryce Hoppel, Noah Lyles, Jasmine Jones, Nico Young, and Rai Benjamin in Vegas for a few days. Thanks #Global Athletics.
2. Special thanks to sister Lou for hosting me over the weekend and getting to see my great nephew Nolan, neice Tess and nephew Zach.
3. Marathon race Expos are losing their stature as essential meeting places within the running community. Excessive prices have pushed many brands to hold pop-ups outside convention centers, decentralizing events and devaluing the races.
4. Grand Slam Track has announced that its first meet will be held in Kingston, Jamaica, a city that loves track and field! GST told us they will announce all four sites for 2025 this week! Next will be Miami, Florida, Philadelphia, Pennyslyvannia and Los Angeles, CA!
5. I tried the 361 brand for the first time, and I really like the shoes. The number of brands that produce solid running shoes continues to grow!
6. NIKE NXN has begun with the NXN Heartland races. Nov 16 and Nov 23 are huge days for the NXN regionals. You can find all you need to know at www.runnerspace.com
7. The Sound Running Cross Country Champs, sponsored by #BrooksRunning, was held on November 21, 2023. Watch for our coverage. Check out results at www.soundrunning.com
Champs, sponsored by Brooks, photos by Kevin Morris
8. NCAA Div 1 XC was held at Zimmer Cross Country Course on November 23, 2024. Here’s our column on BYU women: https://www.runblogrun.com/2024/11/byu-women-bounce-back-to-claim-ncaa-cross-country-title-doris-lemngole-takes-individual-victory.html?swcfpc=1
9. Congrats to BYU for winning both the women’s (coached by Diljeet Taylor) and men’s (Ed Eyestone is the coach) for the first time since Colorado in 2005. Here’s piece on Men’s BYU win: https://www.runblogrun.com/2024/11/blanks-repeats-byu-shines-in-a-historic-championship.html?swcfpc=1
10. Well done to Mick Byrnes, Director of Wisconsin Cross Country, who hosted the #NCAA XC Division 1. A.J. Harrison took great care of the on-site and remote media at the NCAA Champs. Wisconsin men took 4th!
10. 2024 Midwest FootLocker regional, presented by HOKA, November 30, 2024; registration can be found here: https://footlockercc.com/midwest/
11. 2024 South FootLocker regional, presented by HOKA, November 30, 2024; registration can be found here: https://footlockercc.com/south/
12. 2024 NorthEast Footlocker regional, presented by HOKA, November 30, 2204, registration can be found here: https://footlockercc.com/northeast/
13. 2024 West FootLocker regional, presented by HOKA, December 7, 2024, registration can be found here: https://footlockercc.com/west/
14. Grand Slam Track is doing a great job! Love their releases!
15. Few talk about Ruth Chepnegetich and her fantasyland run in Chicago. My current thoughts are that Ruth ran with supershoes, outrageous pacing (legal), great weather, and she ran 2:09:56. It is still fantasyland to me, but Ruth put it all on the line.
October 13, 2014
Chicago,
Illinois, USA, photo by Kevin Morris
16. Brooks Running has been a sponsor of our platforms since 1990. First, American Athletics, American Track & Field, then RunningNetwork, and now, RunBlogRun. We encourage you to check out this focused running brand at
17. Remember, the #DubaiMarathon is January 12, 2025; Free Streaming will be available; register at www.dubaimarathon.org
17. Remember to catch one of the fastest half marathons in the world; the #RAKHalfmarathon is February 1, 2025. For free Streaming, register at www.rakhalfmarathon.com
18. The First indoor meeting in North America, the #NBIndoorGrandPrix, will be held at the TRACK at New Balance on February 2, 2025. www.nbindoorgrandprix.com
19. Fantastic interviews with #HobbsKessler, #BryceHoppel, #NoahLyles, #NicoYoung, #JasmineJones and #RaiBenjamin.
18. #NoahLyles and I got into some fascinating discussions on the nature of professional track and field.
20. #RaiBenjamin was intriguing. His discussion of the 4x400m must be heard and watched, and his view of pro track and field is quite different from Noah’s.
21. #NIcoYoung was so much fun to interview! What a great story on the 10,000m in Paris. Thanks, Nico!
22. This is my first time interviewing #JasmineJones; she was a blast!
23. #NoahLyles is always a great interview; there is much to discuss from the Trials and Paris!
24. #HobbsKessler has excellent stories to tell; seeing him doing that is fantastic!
25. #BryceHoppel had fascinating stories about the Men’s 800 meters!
26. Thanks to #CoachLanceBrauman for his stories on sprinters’ care and development!
27. Special thanks to Matt McCarron, who busts his butt to make these interview days work. And thanks, as always, to Jorge Torres, Matt Turnbull, and Mark Wetmore. #GlobalAthletics gets it; to build the sport, you must provide access.
28. The NCAA Cross Country program, sponsored by USTFCCCA, was well done. However, there were glitches at the end of the Women’s 6k and Men’s 10k.
29. European Cross Country is Sunday, December 8, 2024. Thanks to European Athletics, you can watch LIVE in North America for FREE!
See you soon at our next
Coffee with Larry!