Parker Valby returned to outdoor track in style, running a 14:49 PB to win the women’s 5000 at LA Track Fest in her first professional outdoor race in nearly two years. We break down what it means for Valby moving forward, whether Josh Kerr’s 1:44 PB signals mile world record fitness, and what to make of Donovan Brazier’s season opener.
We also dive into World Athletics’ shocking new qualifying standards for the 2027 World Championships, including the effective banning of BU indoor marks for qualifying purposes and whether the changes could undermine one of the best meets in the sport: the US Olympic Trials.
NBC News reporter Andrew Greifco-author of Beyond Fast with Chris Lear and Sean Brosnan, joined us from Las Vegas to discuss the inaugural Enhanced Games after covering the event for NBC News.
“I covered this as sort of a spectacle that a lot of people felt very strongly for or against….They expected multiple world records to happen, and it just didn’t happen.” — Andrew Greif
“The greatest thing about our sport in the United States is the dream of the Olympic Trials.” — Weldon Johnson
Listen the podcast in the player below or here on your favorite podcast app.
In this episode
- 00:00 Sponsor and Supporters Club Plug
- 01:09 Intro and Episode Preview
- 06:29 LA Track Fest: Biggest Winners and Losers
- 07:08 Parker Valby’s Triumphant Return
- 11:57 Is Parker Valby’s 14:49 Good Enough?
- 15:11 Most Disappointing Performances
- 18:22 Men’s 800: Brazier, Kerr, and Kessler
- 22:51 Hobbs Kessler’s Ceiling and Parker Wolfe’s Rise
- 27:14 Josh Kerr’s 800 PB and Mile World Record Talk
- 42:14 2027 World Championship Standards Are Insane
- 45:39 BU Indoor Track Banned for Qualifying
- 53:01 Will These Standards Kill the US Trials?
- 68:38 The Enhanced Games Recap
- 69:19 Andrew Greif Joins: Inside the Enhanced Games
- 74:39 The Money That Lured Athletes Out of Retirement
- 77:28 The Spectacle in Las Vegas
- 82:55 Why Clean Athletes Competed at the Enhanced Games
- 88:11 Did the Drugs Actually Work?
- 98:19 Father Time Is Undefeated
- 103:44 Doping in the NCAA and Closing Thoughts
Links
Coming Monday: Marius Bakken joins LetsRun Training Talk Live
On Monday, June 1 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, former Norwegian star Marius Bakken joins LetsRun.com Training Talk Live for an in-depth discussion on training and the evolution of the Norwegian method.
Bakken trained with legends like Peter Coe, spent time training in Kenya, and helped popularize many of the concepts now associated with modern Norwegian training.
Supporters Club members can join live and ask questions.
📖 Get Bakken’s new book here:
The Norwegian Method Applied
🏃 Join the Supporters Club today:
Get a second podcast every week, bonus content, exclusive features, and a super soft T-shirt when you join annually.
Use code GOAT50 to save 50% off your first year.
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