ABOUT THIS EPISODE
The 2026 Chicago Marathon is stacked with storylines. On the men's side, Vinny Mauri, a former shoe store employee who ran 2:05 alone at Toledo, has gone viral for jaw-dropping treadmill workouts at Planet Fitness, fueling American record hopes. Rojo sparks heated debate by arguing the US has zero legitimate marathon title contenders despite record depth. The women's field is historically loaded with 12 sub-2:20 runners, led by former world record holder Brigid Kosgei and two-time Boston winner Sharon Lokedi, who's running her first flat marathon. The crew also breaks down Jacob Kiplimo's chances, weather concerns that could derail fast times, and whether super shoes benefit women more than men.
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LINKS
- How Fast Can Strava Legend Vinny Mauri Run at the Chicago Marathon? (LetsRun.com)
- BetterRunningShoes.com
- LetsRun.com Supporters Club
- LetsRun.com Homepage
- Fast Women by Alison Wade (Substack)
- Message Board Thread: Women's vs Men's Marathon World Record Gap
- Vinny Mauri's Strava Training
- LetsRun.com YouTube Channel
- Trent Stellingwerff, Canadian exercise physiologist
TIMESTAMPS
- 00:00 Chicago Marathon Week
- 02:26 Chicago Storylines and Favorites
- 05:59 Women's Race Preview
- 09:28 Weather and Race Conditions
- 14:49 Emma Grace Hurley's Marathon Debut
- 18:50 Rojo's Hot Take on US Marathoners
- 24:31 American Marathon Depth Debate
- 31:40 Olympic Marathon History and US Prospects
- 36:13 John Kellogg Analyzes Mauri's Training
- 41:30 Mauri's Training: Can It Translate?
- 44:00 The American Record Quest
- 49:53 Kiplimo and the Elite Men's Field
- 54:00 Women's World Record and Super Shoes
- 59:20 Looking Ahead to Chicago Weekend
CONTACT
Contact us:
Email: podcast@letsrun.com Call or text: 1-844-LETSRUN (1-844-538-7786)
ABOUT THE LETSRUN.COM PODCAST
Since 2000, LetsRun.com has been the independent home of elite running. Described by the New York Times as the "influential website that serves as something of a superego for American running," the podcast is the weekly deep dive into the world of track and field and elite distance running.
The show is hosted by LetsRun.com co-founders Weldon Johnson, a 2-time Team USA member, and Robert Johnson, a former Cornell coach who helped pace the marathon world record, along with award-winning senior writer Jonathan Gault. Together they move beyond PR headlines to provide insider reporting and unfiltered debate serious fans rely on.
