The XC Podcast

Host Alex Cyr is joined by Eugene, Oregon correspondent Caela Fenton, and together they will each draft their fantasy team for this weekend's U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials. DISCLAIMER: This podcast was recorded before Shelby Houlihan tested positive for a banned substance and was handed a four year ban. We also recorded before Evan Jager pulled out of US Trials due to injury.

On this week's episode, I chat with Kitchener, Ontario's Ben Flanagan, who lives and trains in Virginia as part of the Reebok Boston track club. The 26-year-old Flanagan has forced his way into the consciousness of Athletics Canada's Olympic team selection committee by posting solid results across in the 5,000m and 10,000m this year. Most recently, Flanagan set a new 5,000m PB of 13:20 at Tracksmith's Platinum PT qualifier in Boston last week, winning the race in the process. Ben and I talked about how he hopes to punch his ticket to Tokyo, high mileage vs low mileage, Ben's fascination with Utah, what it felt like to beat Ben True, and more.

Today's guest on The XC Podcast is Canadian marathon record holder and Hoka One One athlete Cameron Levins. Last week, some would have called the best Canadian athlete without Olympic standard. Then, on Sunday, with just a week remaining in the Olympic marathon qualification period, that changed. Between raindrops and nine time zones away from his residence in Portland Oregon, Levins won the S7 marathon in Loipersdorf, Austria in a time of 2:10:14 - comfortably under Olympic standard of 2:11:30. In this episode the 32-year-old takes Alex Cyr through his latest race in great detail, he shares the wise advice American track star Jenny Simpson gave him back in 2012, and at one point he admits to having a soft spot for Korean dramas.

Welcome to "The Rings," a weekly update on all things about the upcoming Olympics, brought to you by The XC. This week, we talk all about Canada's Olympic marathon squad — who we think will be selected, including Cameron Levins, who qualified in dramatic, last-minute fashion over the weekend in Austria, of all places. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter at thexc.org Host: Alex Cyr

Welcome to the kick-off episode of The Rings, a weekly podcast and newsletter updating you on all things related to the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, including who's qualified, who hasn't, and other storylines as they break. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter, as The Rings will go out each Monday straight to your inbox, along with a link to this podcast. On this week's pod, just days after winning the 5,000m at USATF’s Golden Games in Walnut, California in a personal best of 15:02, Julie-Anne Staehli chats with Alex Cyr about what went through her mind as she smashed Olympic standard of 15:10. The 27-year-old runner from Lucknow, ON also shares her thoughts about how she developed from a strong varsity runner into an Olympic-level athlete. Host: Alex Cyr Guest: Julie-Anne Staehli

The Kipper is back! Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle react to Eliud Kipchoge's triumphant (if perhaps highly choreographed) return to marathon dominance. They look at all the action from the NN Mission Marathon event in The Netherlands, including the surprisingly fun storylines that unfolded behind Kipchoge's comfortable 2:04 win, and the implications the event will have on the Olympic picture.

Eliud Kipchoge will be racing on a converted airport in the Eastern Netherlands Sunday morning (at 2:30 a.m. ET). Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle break down what to expect, what's not yet known, and the each make their bold predictions for Kipper and the gang. And check this feed on Sunday for our instant reaction pod right after the race wraps up! Follow us on social @theXCorg Subscribe to the newsletter at thexc.org

Hosts Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle discuss what's known (and unknown) about next week's NN Mission Marathon, which has been moved to the Netherlands. They then break down a pair of impressive world records, and why one of them won't count in the end. Follow the The XC on social: @thexcorg And subscribe to our newsletter at thexc.org

It's been a year of almost no real races for many of us, so this week Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle chat about the races they've missed and why they've missed them; then they are joined by contributor John Lofranco to do a sort of fantasy draft, where they each pick one of the following in order to create their post-pandemic bucket list: a marathon, a track event, an ultra/trail or cross-country race, a non-marathon road race and "wild card" pick. A few pretty legendary races get left on the board!

The Top 5 Running Show is back. This week, we take a look at a more intimate and autumnal Boston Marathon, Chris Thompson's UK Olympic Trials triumph, high schooler Hobbs Kessler's mind-bending two miler, and ASICS' attempt at creating two new "Vaporfly Killers" Each week, two of our contributors or special guests face off in The XC's Top 5 Running Show, dissecting five stories from the week in the world of distance running and track and field. They offer their best and hottest takes in order to score points.

In an extraordinary move to make sure the 2021 Tokyo Olympics indeed happen, the IOC and the organizing committee have announced that foreign fans (and volunteers) will not be permitted to attend the Games. How will this decision alter how the athletes experience the Olympics, and what will it be like for viewers around the world watching a one-third capacity stadium during, say, the 100m finals? Hosts Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle break it all down, and speculate on what will be different at this Pandemic-era Games.

On this week's episode of The XC's Top 5 Running Show, our panelists discuss a wild week of NCAA action, plus the IOC's plan to offer China's vaccine to Olympians. Each week, two of our contributors or special guests face off in The XC's Top 5 Running Show, dissecting five stories from the week in the world of distance running and track and field. They offer their best and hottest takes to the host, Michael Doyle, who rewards them in points. The panelist with the deepest knowledge and hottest takes will emerge from this five-lap sprint of ideas the victor. The prize? We give them the mic atop the podium to tell us something important or exciting they want to share with you. And seven days of bragging rights, of course.

Today's guests on The XC Podcast are both in quarantine, they are both fighting for a spot on the Canadian Olympic team, and they were both wearing the same new balance t-shirt. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot and Julie-Anne Staehli join host Alex Cyr from their respective homes in Edmonton, Alberta and Lucknow, Ontario. Julie-Anne recently broke the Canadian indoor two mile record at the New Balance Grand Prix in Boston, running 9:22.66. Charles, meanwhile, recently ran a near-PB in the 1,500m of 3:39.64, making of him a front runner for a spot on the metric mile start line at these upcoming games. The three had a in-depth conversation and covered a wide range of topics. You can find them in the show notes below. Show Notes: 6:30 - Should athletes have to self-isolate for 14 days upon returning to their home country? 16:30 - Julie-Anne breaks down her Canadian indoor two-mile record-setting race 23:00 - Why CPT decided to go race in Europe during COVID-19 25:30 - The importance of World Athletics points in qualifying for races 33:00 - How CPT has found health in this past year 36:00 - How Julie-Anne kept training at a high level despite a race-less year 38:30 - CPT's good relationship with ASICS and his move to New Balance 43:30 - Julie-Anne's and CPT's relationship with Instagram 56:00 - Putting a price tag on one's athletic career 66:00 - How Julie-Anne and CPT plan to make Canada's Olympic team 68:00 - CPT, who is an athlete representative at Athletics Canada, breaks down the qualification system, and the rationale for giving the eventual winners of the Olympic trials a golden ticket to Tokyo.

The XC's Top 5 Running Show is back. This week, Jakob Ingebrigtsen catches a break, Yohan Blake wants nothing to do with a COVID-19 vaccine, and athletes reckon with the power of the Nike Dragonfly spikes. Host: Michael Doyle Guests: Alex Cyr, Justin Horneker

Each week, two of our contributors or special guests face off in The XC's Top 5 Running Show, dissecting five stories from the week in the world of distance running and track and field. They offer their best and hottest takes to the host, Michael Doyle, who rewards them in points. The panelist with the deepest knowledge and hottest takes will emerge from this five-lap sprint of ideas the victor. The prize? We give them the mic atop the podium to tell us something important or exciting they want to share with you. And seven days of bragging rights, of course. This week panelists Alex Cyr and Justin Horneker break down: Tokyo's organizing committee chairman resigns The state of North America's Olympic Trials Nike's new too-good-to-be-true Dragonfly track spike, and two jaw-dropping times run in them And, finally, we crown the king and queen of the 2021 indoor track season, so far We’ll be pushing this show out both as a podcast on The XC’s feed each Monday, and as a video on our YouTube and IGTV channels, at around 7 p.m. ET. So be sure to follow us @thexcorg and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

In this episode of the Top 5 Running Show pits defending champion Justin Horneker against show veteran and nerd runner Alex Cyr. In this episode, they debate: Who took home the Prickly Pear? The American Track League - a saving grace, but too soon? The father-son 4-minute mile club - which duo did it best? Colleen Quigley leaves world famous training group - good move? And finally, what is the Super Bowl of running? Each week, two of our contributors or special guests face off in The XC's Top 5 Running Show, dissecting five stories from the week in the world of distance running and track and field. They offer their best and hottest takes to the host, Michael Doyle, who rewards them in points. The panelist with the deepest knowledge and hottest takes will emerge from this five-lap sprint of ideas the victor. The prize? We give them the mic atop the podium to tell us something important or exciting they want to share with you. And seven days of bragging rights, of course. We’ll be pushing this show out both as a podcast on The XC’s feed each Monday, and as a video on our YouTube and IGTV channels, at around 7 p.m. ET. So be sure to follow us @thexcorg and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Host: Michael Doyle Guests: Alex Cyr, Justin Horneker

Today's guest on The XC Podcast is Andrea Seccafien, one of Canada's most accomplished distance runners who now trains in Australia. Seccafien, a 2016 Olympian from Guelph, Ontario now trains under coach Nic Bideau with the Melbourne Track Club. In 2019, she became the fourth Canadian woman to dip under the 15-minute barrier for 5,000m and three months after that, she set a new Canadian half-marathon record of 69:38. The 30-year-old is currently navigating the highs and lows of the pandemic in Australia, which involved a 111 day lockdown last summer, followed by a nearly COVID-free fall and winter. Through it all, she's built some great fitness. She recently competed in a road 10k and set a personal best time of 31:45. In this episode, Alex Cyr asks Seccafien about her current training, how she clawed out of a nasty injury cycle in 2018, how life in the Southern Hemisphere is different than in North America, and how she used baking to keep her mental health in check during a long lockdown. Host: Alex Cyr Guest: Andrea Seccafien

Each week, two of our contributors or special guests face off in The XC's Top 5 Running Show, dissecting five stories from the week in the world of distance running and track and field. They offer their best and hottest takes to the host, Michael Doyle, who rewards them in points. This week's topics: The Gamestop Reddit mastermind was a near 4-minute miler! Will the NCAA ban wavelight technology? HBO's Real Sports takes a look a the Nike Oregon Project scandal The American Track League is pulling all-star talent The 2021 Florida Summer Olympics? The panelist with the deepest knowledge and hottest takes will emerge from this five-lap sprint of ideas the victor. The prize? We give them the mic atop the podium to tell us something important or exciting they want to share with you. And seven days of bragging rights, of course. We’ll be pushing this show out both as a podcast on The XC’s feed each Monday, and as a video on our YouTube and IGTV channels, at around 7 p.m. ET. So be sure to follow us @thexcorg and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Host: Michael Doyle Panelists: Andrew Cruickshank, Justin Horneker

Last week, amid a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Japan, reports in The Times of London stated that the Japan government privately concluded that the 2021 Olympic games be cancelled due to the Coronavirus. That led to immediate pushback from the IOC and Japan's own Olympic committee, and the Japanese government, which called the reports “categorically untrue.” Organizers and I.O.C. officials have said that no further postponement is possible and that if the Games do not proceed in the summer of 2021 they will be canceled, which would be the first time the Games have been scrubbed since World War II. Hosts Michael Doyle and Alex Cyr speculate about the logistical and financial feasibility of the 2021 Olympics, how the IOC could use this trying year as a springboard for a better Olympic model, and what changes in sports, customs and traditions would make the Games better for 2021 and beyond.

Each week, two of our contributors or special guests face off in The XC's Top 5 Running Show, dissecting five stories from the week in the world of distance running and track and field. They offer their best and hottest takes to the host, Michael Doyle, who rewards them in points. The panelist with the deepest knowledge and hottest takes will emerge from this five-lap sprint of ideas the victor. The prize? We give them the mic atop the podium to tell us something important or exciting they want to share with you. And seven days of bragging rights, of course. This week's topics: What is going on with the Tokyo Olympics? Heartbreak, as a 100K world record is missed by just 12 seconds The London Marathon is going big this October Racing is back, sort of And one running streak for the ages We’ll be pushing this show out both as a podcast on The XC’s feed each Monday, and as a video on our YouTube and IGTV channels, at around 7 p.m. ET. So be sure to follow us @thexcorg and subscribe to our YouTube channel. This week: This third episode of the Top 5 Running Show pits two of The XC's regulars against each other: Alex Cyr and Andrew Cruickshank.

Amid a lingering pandemic, social unrest and persistent wildfires, Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, the holder of six national records and a new member of Nike's Bowerman Track Club, is quietly growing stronger in Portland, Oregon. Today, host Alex Cyr talks with DeBues-Stafford about her move to the U.S. and first months with her new club, her transformation from top Canadian runner to international medal threat, her thoughts on how the 2021 Olympics can safely take place (if they happen at all), why she's not on Strava, and why she is getting the short end of the stick with her new coach Jerry Schumacher's "Jerry Miles." Host: Alex Cyr Guest: Gabriela DeBues-Stafford

Each week, two of our contributors or special guests face off in The XC's Top 5 Running Show, dissecting five stories from the week in the world of distance running and track and field. They offer their best and hottest takes to judge Michael Doyle, who rewards them in points. The panelist with the deepest knowledge and hottest takes will emerge from this five-lap sprint of ideas the victor. The prize? We give them the mic atop the podium to tell us something important or exciting they want to share with you. And seven days of bragging rights, of course. We’ll be pushing this show out both as a podcast on The XC’s feed, and as a video on our YouTube and IGTV channels, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for our weekly schedule @thexcorg Our Top 5 topics this week include: Beloved brand Tracksmith gets publicly criticized, and running Twitter responds in force Will North American marathon great Cam Levins qualify for the Tokyo Olympics? An Olympic gold medallist could get banned eight years for being MIA; is the "whereabouts" rule fair? Is this Florida teen the next Usain Bolt? What would you rather: train for a 100-miler or an Ironman? Hosts: Alex Cyr, Andrew Cruickshank, Michael Doyle

Cameron Levins is one of the best marathoners in North America. But at the onset of an Olympic year, he finds himself in an unimaginable situation — Levins has yet to qualify for the Tokyo Games, and he's only got one shot left this spring. Not only that, but his ambitions to run much faster than his Canadian national record of 2:09:25 (run in his debut marathon) have perhaps led him to fail in his three subsequent attempts at the distance. Now, with all three Olympic team spots occupied for the Canadian marathon squad, Levins is forced to do something truly special just to make it back to the Games. Hosts Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle break down Levins career thus far, look at his triumph and struggles in the marathon, and ask pointed questions about the extraordinarily gifted and ambitious marathoner's performances, his options for locking up a spot on the Tokyo start line, and what happens to his career and legacy if he misses a second straight Games. Be sure to read our Sunday Long Read all about Levins' career, entitled, "Cam Levins Has One Chance Left at Redefining His Legacy." You can get that story and others right in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter at thexc.org Follow us on social @thexcorg

For more than a year now, we have been producing our Top 5 podcast, which explores what we feel are the five most important stories of the week. As a new year’s resolution, we challenged ourselves to take the concept of the weekly round-up, or “yesterday’s news tomorrow,” and make it a bit more compelling. So, behold: The XC Top 5 Show, the competition that pits two washed up varsity runners turned journalists against each other in order to score meaningless points! Each week, two of our contributors or special guests face off, dissecting five stories from the week in the world of distance running and track and field. They offer their best and hottest takes to judge Michael Doyle, who rewards them in points. The panelist with the deepest knowledge and hottest takes will emerge from this five-lap sprint of ideas the victor. The prize? We give them the mic atop the podium to tell us something important or exciting they want to share with you. And seven days of bragging rights, of course. We’ll be pushing this show out both as a podcast on The XC’s feed, and as a video on our YouTube and IGTV channels, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for our weekly schedule. This week: The inaugural Top 5 Challenge pits two of The XC's regulars against each other: Alex Cyr and Andrew Cruickshank. In this episode, they debate: 1- A new study about carbon plated shoes indicates that they give its users a 1-2% speed boost (and not the advertised 4%). Still, is it time to freeze the old records and start a Supershoe Era Records Page? 2- IOC committee veteran Dick Pound said that Olympic athletes should have priority access to COVID-19 vaccines, so that the Olympics can take place. Is that the right thing to do? 3- Journeyman pro track runner and elite Tweeter Kyle Merber retires. What does this mean for the track world's middle class? 4- Canadian marathoner Trevor Hofbauer signs multi-year deal with Saucony. Is it a good move? And now that other brands are catching up to Nike, is elite running's sponsorship landscape changing? 5- Usain Bolt just released a song called “Living the Dream,” which features a singer called NJ, who appears to be doing most, if not all, of the singing. Does Bolt ever drop a bar in this song, and does he have a future in the world of music? Watch the show on IGTV Monday nights: instagram.com/thexcorg

Today, The XC Podcasts takes a dive at the weird and growing world of Running Youtube. Alex Cyr chats with Josh Kozelj, a writer from Vancouver, Canada whose work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, The CBC and Canadian magazine The Tyee. He's also run 14:37 for 5,000m. This week Kozelj wrote a story about the common joys, fears and challenges of the running Youtuber. In it, he interviewed Morgan McDonald, a professional runner for Under Armour who just started his own channel. The story comes out tomorrow on our website, but today Josh and Alex chat about why so many runners are getting into Youtube lately, despite the inherent vulnerability and distraction to training that comes with a popular channel. Host: Alex Cyr Guest: Josh Kozelj

Today's guest is varsity athlete and co-host of the Keep It Running Podcast Courtney Hufsmith. She's an accomplished track and field athlete who has represented Canada internationally, but today Alex Cyr talks with her about an entirely different challenge Hufsmith faced during the Pandemic: a social media detox. Last spring, the University of Saskatchewan runner was injured and found herself way too invested in what her peers were up to with training on Instagram. She began to realize that her relationship to social media wasn't healthy, so she decided to do something drastic. On Jan. 1, Hufsmith had gone 100 days without using any of her social media platforms. Here, she shares what she's learned, how she now feels about these platforms and their effect upon an athlete. Host: Alex Cyr Guest: Courtney Hufsmith Listen to Hufsmith's podcast, Keep It Running Podcast, live each Friday: https://www.instagram.com/keepitrunningpodcast/

The narrative over the past week has been that we all can't wait to just flush 2020 down the metaphorical toilet and move on with our collective lives into 2021, which can't possibly be worse than what we just went through. This would suggest that in making a year-end wrap-up list of "winners and losers" that the latter category would be remarkably easy to assemble, while identifying those who "won 2020" a touch tricky. Certainly, we all lost in a sense in 2020 (don't worry, we cover that). But a number of people (and companies) thrived in these uncertain times. We unpack how and why certain runners and brands somehow "won the Pandemic," while others struggled (and one in particular downright failed its people). Subscribe to our Sunday Long Read newsletter: thexc.org Follow us on social @thexcorg

We close out the year with our picks for our top 5 most important, entertaining or just downright jaw-dropping stories from one eventual year in the world of track and distance running. Hosts Alex Cyr, Andrew Cruickshank and Michael Doyle each select their five picks, which include the drama at the London Marathon, how the Pandemic inspired a record number of incredible performances (including one hell of an ultramarathon), and the aftershocks of the cancellation of, well, almost everything. Thanks for listening to our (nearly weekly) Top 5 Podcast over the past year! We'll be back in 2021 with a slightly modified format, which should be a lot of fun! Keep an eye out in this feed or over at The XC's Top 5 feed for that! Subscribe to our newsletter at thexc.org And follow us on social @thexcorg

Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle each offer five guesses of what might happen in the running world in these next 12 months. Pretty much none of Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle's running and non-running predictions for 2020 came true, but that has done little to deter them from peering into their cloudy crystal balls once again, and try their best to provide foreshadowing for next year's biggest stories. Here, they predict a breakthrough in North American distance running, a summer and fall at once riddled with modified races and peppered with world-beating performances, a possible uprising of a new marathon king, and more. Subscribe to our newsletter at thexc.org And follow us on social @thexcorg

Laura Dickinson of the Keep It Running Podcast interviews father, future doctor, and recent winner of The Marathon Project, Martin Hehir.Hehir was a national champion at Syracuse University, and he now trains with the Reebok Boston Track Club. Coming off a sixth place finish at the US Olympic marathon trials, he ran an impressive 2:08:59 marathon last weekend to win the Marathon Project. Check out the Keep It Running podcast's weekly live interviews, each Friday on their IGTV: https://www.instagram.com/keepitrunningpodcast/ Follow us on social @theXCorg And sign up for our newsletter at thexc.org

Hosts John Lofranco and Michael Doyle unpack who came and won big at The Marathon Project, one of the most intriguing elite marathons, well, maybe ever. And of course, they each also select three big losers on the day — those who had something at stake and failed in some capacity. They discuss, sponsored athletes vs. working-class stiffs, (future) Olympians, Hoka (yes, the shoe company), and Cam Levins. Follow us on social @TheXCorg And subscribe to our newsletter at thexc.org

Last weekend, six Canadians travelled to Chandler, AZ to race in The Marathon Project, each with the goal of running fast enough to eventually be named to the 2021 Olympic team. As the qualification deadline of May 31 approaches, and as an increasing number of spring races get cancelled, Sunday's race was seen as an indispensable opportunity to run faster than the Olympic standards of 2:11:30 and 2:29:30. No Canadian took better advantage of it than Ben Preisner and Natasha Wodak, our two guests on this episode. Wodak raced to fifth place and a personal best time of 2:26:19. It's the second fastest time in Canadian history and, for now, it's probably enough to secure the Team Canada's third roster spot (for a full breakdown of how a runner can qualify for Canada's Olympic marathon team, follow this link.) In the first segment of this podcast, Wodak - the Canadian 10,000m record holder who had not raced a marathon since 2013 - talks to Michael Doyle about the overcoming the fear and uncertainty of that last 10K in a marathon, and holding it together to do something extraordinary. Afterwards, Alex Cyr talks with Ben Preisner, the 24-year-old first-time marathoner who shocked nearly everyone by posting an eighth place finish and the fourth-fastest marathon ever run by a Canadian. His time of 2:10:17 also makes him the second fastest Canadian runner this Olympic period behind only Trevor Hofbauer. Barely 24 hours after his feat, Preisner reflects on what went through his mind when he pulled away from other Canadians, how he remained calm while running faster splits than ever before, when exactly he knew that he was on route for a career-changing PB. Subscribe to our newsletter at thexc.org And follow us on social @thexcorg

The Marathon Project delivered on its promise — it was a wild, consequential and highly entertaining way to cap off 2020. The XC's Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle pivot from watching the race to provide their immediate reaction to what just went down in the Arizona desert: Sara Hall's stunning performance, Martin Hehir's all-time risky (and brilliant) second half, and the significant Olympic marathon implications for Team Canada. Plus, we go deep on what happened to Cam Levins, and what it means for his near future. Follow us on social @thexcorg And sign up for our weekly newsletter at thexc.org

The Marathon Project, featuring many of the best marathon runners in North America, takes place this Sunday. There's a lot at stake on the 4.26-mile loop in the Arizona desert: Olympic dreams, big breakthroughs and maybe even an American marathon record? Hosts Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle have been heavily covering every aspect of the race all week long in what we've dubbed "Marathon Project Week." In this pod, they break down all the key storylines, big numbers to watch out for, what the weird course is like, what went into putting on this Pandemic-era race, how to watch and who we think will win. Be sure to follow us live on race day, starting at 9:30 a.m. ET. We'll be doing a live video podcast on YouTube, Facebook and our Twitter feed, covering the event through the whole race. Follow us on social @thexcorg And subscribe to our newsletter at thexc.org

Over the course of the summer, as team sports figured out a way to safely get back playing games, NAZ Elite coach Ben Rosario realized that the distance running community needed to become proactive. With mass participation races being cancelled across the world, Rosario's athletes needed a goal, particularly runners like Scott Fauble and Kellyn Taylor, who missed qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team, but wanted another shot at a marathon before the end of 2020. Another one of Rosario's athletes, Canadian Rory Linkletter, was also in an interesting situation — he needed an opportunity to run a high-quality, sanctioned marathon in the hope that he would qualify for his national Olympic team next summer. Rosario saw an opportunity to set up a special, elite-only race. It would give his athletes and others something to strive for at the end of one very bad year, and perhaps provide an opportunity for a few international elites to qualify for the Olympics. In a text to friend and agent Josh Cox, The Marathon Project concept was born. The XC's Michael Doyle talks with Rosario about how the race came together, how big a deal the event has become to both North American elite distance runners and the community as a whole, the importance of making a marathon entertaining, and why he thinks something special is going to happen on Sunday. Follow us on social @thexcorg Subscribe to what we do at thexc.org And be sure to check out our live video pod on race day, Sunday, Dec. 20. We'll start streaming on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Our guest today is Kinsey Middleton, the 2018 Canadian marathon champion who trains out of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. This weekend, she hopes to better her PB of 2:32:09 and earn a spot on Team Canada at the 2021 Tokyo Games. The team will be hard to crack for the 28-year-old, as four Canadian women already have Olympic standard. But Middleton is a proven performer. Just two years ago, she surprised everyone — and maybe even herself — by winning her first-ever Canadian marathon title. Since then, however, there have been ups and downs: she PB'd in the half-marathon earlier this year, but then she got shoulder surgery and had to spend most of the summer in recovery mode. Despite that, Middleton now appears to be in the best shape of her life, and has flirted with 2:26 marathon pace in recent workouts. Here, she talks about recovering from surgery, rushing through a marathon build, and why she thinks Canadian women are running faster than ever. Follow all our coverage of The Marathon Project at thexc.org And follow us on social @thexcorg

Vancouver track runner Justin Kent is one of those relentlessly positive people who found a way to see the Pandemic as an opportunity to reinvent himself. He decided to try a half-marathon, and ran so fast that he qualified for the Canadian national team for the World Athletics Half-Marathon Championships. And when Canada pulled its team on the eve of the race due to concerns over health safety, Kent hit Vancouver's iconic Seawall and ran 62 minutes for 21.1K. That's when he and his coach started thinking about the marathon — and about the 2021 Olympics. Kent chats with host Michael Doyle about what he anticipates from his first-ever marathon, which will be one of the strangest debut experiences a runner could ever have. Kent will be running the elite-only Marathon Project race in Arizona, and will be trying to dip under 2:11:30. Check out our regular content over at thexc.org and follow us on social @thexcorg

Contributor Justin Horneker discusses his reporting on the racism and sexism with the organization that owns the New York City Marathon. Horneker spoke with the anonymous group behind the Instagram account #RebuildNYRR. Ultimately, NYRR's CEO, Michael Capiraso, was forced to resign earlier this month. Read Horneker's feature story, "Inside the New York Road Runners's Broken Culture" on our site: https://thexc.org/michael-capiraso-resignation-new-york-road-runners-nyc-marathon/ Follow us on social @thexcorg

This week, we interview runners who are gearing up for The Marathon Project, a race in Chandler, Arizona that doubles as an qualifier for the 2021 Olympic Games. It's probably going to be the fastest North American marathon of 2020, and it happens on Sunday, Dec. 20. Our guest today is Ben Preisner, a recent NCAA alumnus turned elite half-marathoner. The 24-year-old started hitting his stride right around the time that the world shut down. A 63:08 half-marathon in the fall of 2019 got him a spot at the 2020 London Marathon, but when the race was postponed, he decided to test his fitness the old fashion way - with a time trial. His solo 2:15:24 marathon debut turned many heads, and this weekend, he finally gets to test his fitness in an official setting. But Preisner said he wouldn't be happy with another 2:15 - he is aiming to dip under the Olympic standard of 2:11:30. Here we talk about how the young Canadian has been preparing for the race of his life. Be sure to follow us on social @thexcorg and check out all our Marathon Project coverage at thexc.org

Our coverage of Sunday's Marathon Project in Arizona continues with... the man, the myth, the Canadian marathon running legend: Cameron Levins. Levins says he will be racing for the win on Sunday, but also plans on breaking his own Canadian national marathon record of 2:09:25 in the process. Oh, and that will no doubt confirm his return to the Olympics after a nine year absence. In this podcast, host Michael Doyle speaks with Levins, who is already in Arizona waiting for race day. They discuss his surreal and tough experience running the London Marathon in October, his quest to be a world-beating marathoner, and the jaw-dropping workouts he's done in prep for The Marathon Project. It's Marathon Project week at The XC, where we are going deep on the event, including daily podcasts and a live pod on race day, Dec. 20, starting at 9:30 a.m. ET. on our YouTube channel, Facebook page and on Twitter. Be sure to follow us on social @thexcorg and sign check out all our coverage over at thexc.org

This week, we interview runners who are gearing up for The Marathon Project, a race in Chandler, Ariz., that doubles as an qualifier for the 2021 Olympic Games. It's probably going to be the fastest North American marathon of 2020, and it happens on Sunday, Dec. 20. Our first guest is Rory Linkletter, a 24-year-old Canadian-American, and second-time marathoner. Last fall, he raced to a 2:16:42 in his marathon debut. Linkletter, a professional runner for Hoka One One and NAZ Elite, hopes to dip under the Olympic standard of 2:11:30 on Sunday. That sounds like a stretch, until you consider that he's run the second fastest half-marathon in Canadian history earlier this year in 61:44, and it's clear from his Strava profile that he is ready to run much faster than 2:16. Here, Linkletter tells us what The Marathon Project is all about - he lives in Flagstaff, so he has the inside scoop. We also chat about his preparation for the race, his decision to let his hair grow until he makes an Olympic team - it's already down to his shoulders - and his experience living with fellow Canadian Olympic hopeful Cam Levins for 5 weeks this fall. We hope you enjoy the conversation. Be sure to catch our Marathon Project coverage throughout the week. We will have a few more runners on to chat prior to the race, and we are preparing a live viewing experience of the race itself on Sunday, Dec 20.

Natasha Wodak is running her first marathon in over seven years this weekend in Arizona, at the elite-only Marathon Project race. Host Michael Doyle talks with the Canadian 10,000m record holder about her decision to try the marathon once again, the peculiar circumstances around this race, and what it's actually like to stand at the start line at the Olympics. It's Marathon Project Week at The XC! Leading up to the Dec. 20 race, we'll be talking with those racing in this special event, and covering it from a variety of angles. And be sure to watch our live video podcast on our YouTube, Facebook and Twitter feeds on race day, starting at 9:30 a.m. ET, as we break down the race and provide updates of all the action. Follow us on social @thexcorg And subscribe to our newsletter at thexc.org

Note: It's been a while since we released our Top 5 stories of the week pod, which has it's own feed, so we thought we'd share it here as well, just so you could find it! Please consider subscribing to the The XC Top 5, as we'll be podding weekly as we get running back in the near-ish future. Enjoy the show! Alex Cyr, Andrew Cruickshank and Michael Doyle are back for a round up of the most intriguing, jaw-dropping and entertaining stories from the week in the world of running. Here's a snapshot of what to expect: 1. An unreasonably fast new half-marathon WR 2. One of the All-Time Greats debuts over 21.1k 3. U.S. Olympic Trials champion Aliphine Tuliamuk is 31 weeks pregnant Canadian Ben Flanagan makes half-marathon debut 4. Canadian Ben Flanagan makes half-marathon debut 5. Top Canadian Athlete Trophy co-awarded to soccer and football player, Moh Ahmed left out of conversation Make sure to hit up our new site, thexc.org for more regular content Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thexcorg/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thexcorg/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thexcorg The XC merch: https://cottonbureau.com/people/the-xc

Michael Doyle talks with regular contributor John Lofranco about his impassioned op-ed on our site that Canadian track star Mohammed Ahmed isn't getting the respect he deserves in 2020 for his all time 5,000m performance during the Pandemic at a low-key time trial in Portland, Oregon in the summer. Lofranco offers up some clever comparables of other top tens in the big team sports for further perspective on just how big a deal Ahmed's stature should be, and why maybe running doesn't get any respect in mainstream sports media coverage, particularly in non-Olympic years. Be sure to follow The XC: Twitter.com/thexcorg Facebook.com/thexcorg instagram.com/thexcorg And subscribe to our newsletter at our new home: thexc.org

The Diamond League, track's most prestigious series of international events, faced an existential crisis even before the pandemic hit. Today, World Athletics, which controls the League, announced sweeping changes to the structure of the league. The XC's hosts Alex Cyr and Michael Doyle unpack these changes, and ask the question: is this really going to change anything for the fate and popularity of track? Be sure to follow visit our new home thexc.org We're now posting videos of most of our pods on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN-vy4dKS0q9hRrTpG6XyEw And follow us: Twitter.com/thexcorg Instagram.com/thexcorg Facebook.com/thexc.org

Today Alex Cyr is joined by two fit, restless, potential future Olympians. John Gay has represented Canada in three separate international competitions since early 2019, including the world athletics championships in Doha late last year in the 3,000m steeplechase — that's especially impressive considering the world has been shut down for nine of these past 24 months. Kieran Lumb is the 2019 Canadian U Sports cross-country champion, and as of February, the Canadian U-23 record holder in the indoor 3,000m. Both were in great fitness when COVID sent the world into lockdown in March, so they decided to essentially quarantine together in a cabin to keep some sort of momentum going. Just last week, they got to prove their post-lockdown fitness over 10,000m, where Lumb stopped the clock at 28:17, and Gay at 28:18. Both trailed the winner, 2016 Olympian Luc Bruchet, by milliseconds. Today John, Kieran and I talked about that race, but also about venturing into the world of professional running, about dealing with a busy school schedule, about making a push for the Olympics, and at one point, John tells his dad that he loves him. Really sweet listen until the end. I had fun recording this conversation, and I hope you enjoy.

Just because we won't have a national cross-country championships this year, doesn't mean we can't dream about how the race would have played out. The XC's Alex Cyr and Evan Ubene, a.k.a. the Twitter presence known as Not Trackie and host of the Running Hot Takes podcast, decided to see who could build the best fantasy cross-country team, in place of getting to watch Canada's best distance runners race in Abbotsford, B.C. this fall. Here are the rules, which are similar to a typical pro team sports fantasy draft: They each must build a classic cross-country team of seven women and seven men, totalling 14 picks each. They can draft in whatever manner they wish. They each have 45 seconds to make their pick. And it is a "snake draft," meaning that the order goes: Team A, Team B, Team B, Team A, Team A..." etc. for 28 total rounds. And the first pick in the 2020 ACXC Fantasy Draft goes to... Follow Not Trackie: https://twitter.com/runninghottakes And listen to his pod here: runninghottakes.podbean.com And be sure to visit our website for more stories, podcasts and opinions all about distance running: https://thexc.org/ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thexcorg/ Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thexcorg/ Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thexcorg The XC merch: https://cottonbureau.com/people/the-xc Check out The XC for well-reported, well-told and unbiased running content: https://thexc.org/

Back in March, Canada's fastest female marathoner, Malindi Elmore, wanted to know if any shoe could deliver the results that the Nike Vaporfly Next% was producing for runners around the world. Nike's controversial new design included a carbon plate and super light foam that was helping runners lop minutes off their marathon times, including Eliud Kipchoge's marathon world record. But Elmore had no allegiance to the Swoosh, and as a free agent she wanted to know if other brands could actually compete. Elmore had just set Canadian national record of 2:24 in the Vaporfly, but wasn't sponsored by Nike (and was actually buying the shoes herself in order to gain the benefit they provided). As COVID was shutting down the world around her, she quietly took her Nikes into a lab along with a new carbon plated competitor by Saucony, called the Endrophin Pro, in order to see if any other shoe could match the Vaporfly. The results will no doubt change many minds about which shoes to wear for that first post-pandemic breakthrough marathon. Host Michael Doyle talks with Elmore about her curious experiment.

Last year, we produced a regular podcast called The U - it was a look into Canada's varsity running scene. The podcast, much like the entire university athletics circuit, entered hibernation in the spring, around the time COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. But this week, we are bringing it back. After all, had sports not been cancelled, the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships would be happening this weekend. Here, our two guests tell host Alex Cyr how training is going, how they both overcame pretty serious injuries, and who they think would have won the U SPORTS race this year, had it taken place. Aside from the running fodder, Hufsmith talks about why she chose to embark on a 100-day social media hiatus, Lutz talks about the time he met Scottish singing superstar Lewis Capaldi, and the trio shares what they each think about American media franchise High School Musical. Follow us @TheXCorg And visit our new home: thexc.org

Amid the doldrums of the Pandemic, a Texas Uber driver and former University of Wisconsin track runner named Ryan Craven channeled his love and longing for cross-country running into his other passion: 3D design and coding. The result is the aptly named "XC Video Game" (not affiliation with what we're doing here at The XC). Alex Cyr couldn't resist reaching out to Craven to ask him about his digital love letter to the sport. Be sure to read the full story at our new home, thexc.org And follow us on social @theXCorg

In this week's Top 5 pod, we break down the following stories: 1. Michigan becomes hub for pro running events Over the last week, Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project hosted two major races in Shelby Township, Michigan, which produced world class fields: The Michigan Pro Half-Marathon and the Michigan Pro Ekiden. 2. Syringes found in Olympic champion Taoufik Makloufi’s equipment bag Algerian 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Taoufik Makloufi has found himself in an incriminating situation. 3. Courtney Dauwalter wins Big at Big’s Backyard Ultra Last week, in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, U.S. ultra runner Courtney Dauwalter ran 283 miles/456 km to claim the 2020 Big’s Backyard Ultra. The annual event requires runners to complete one 4.16667 mile (or 6.7km loop) every hour. The event continues until only one runner is standing. To win, Dauwalter ran 68 loops, tying the record set in 2018 by Johan Steele of Sweden. 4. Is this 60-year-old Irish guy our greatest living marathoner? 60-year-old Irish marathoner Tommy Hughes clocked another world record this week. The former Olympic marathoner already held the world record for fastest combined marathon for a father and son (take note that Hughes ran the faster of the two times) and the over-60s half marathon world record (1:11:09, run in September at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon). He can now add the over-60s marathon world record to his list of accolades. Running in the Down Royal Marathon, Hughes took six minutes off the previous record clocking 2:30:02. Be sure to follow us on our social channels @theXCorg And visit our new home for all of our content: thexc.org