Assefa Limps Home in 2:11, Hedengren Upset, Josh Kerr 2:12 1000m

Tigst Assefa was on world record pace at the Berlin Marathon before an Achilles injury derailed her final two kilometers. She still limped home in 2:11:04, the third-fastest women's marathon ever, and underwent surgery within hours.

Would Assefa broken Ruth Chepngetich's drug-tainted 2:09:56 world record? Is the new Adidas shoe the new "mechanical doping"?

In the NCAA, New Mexico upset number-one Oklahoma State at the Cowboy Jamboree behind 27-year-old freshman Pasanjo Kitonga while BYU's Jane Hedengren suffered a rare defeat. Is is a sophomore slump?

Josh Kerr released footage of a 2:12.66 1,000-meter time trial that would rank fifth all-time, fueling further argument about whether this was the greatest mile season in history.

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LINKS

• LetsRun.com Week That Was
• Josh Kerr 1,000m Time Trial (YouTube)
• Blueberry Study — International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
• Mile WR vs Marathon WR
• LetsRun.com Forum — letsrun.com/forum

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 Intro and Episode Preview
• 03:22 Berlin Marathon: Assefa's Heartbreaking World Record Attempt
• 10:26 Is the Women's Marathon World Record Legitimate?
• 13:23 Could Assefa Have Run 2:09 Clean?
• 19:09 The Adidas Super Shoe Advantage
• 19:58 Berlin Men's Race: Guye Adola Wins at 35
• 23:13 Berlin Pacing Strategy Debate
• 25:21 Selemon Barega's Marathon Future vs. Cheptegei
• 32:52 Are Adidas Shoes the New Mechanical Doping?
• 34:08 NCAA Cross Country: New Mexico Upsets Oklahoma State
• 36:54 International Runners and the NCAA Debate
• 39:08 Jane Hedengren Loses at Cowboy Jamboree
• 47:21 Is Jane Hedengren's Sophomore Slump Real?
• 51:42 Doping, Paula Radcliffe, and the 2:15 Debate
• 54:41 I Think Jane, in Terms of Racing, Should Learn to Relax
• 55:14 Mile vs. Marathon: Which World Record Is Better?
• 60:07 Josh Kerr's 1,000-Meter Time Trial Breakdown
• 63:40 Can Josh Kerr Run 1:42 for 800 Meters?
• 69:07 El Guerrouj Never Ran the 800 and Other Mysteries
• 75:27 Kerr's Brooks Deal, Blueberry Doping, and Podcast Tangents
• 79:30 Thailand's Sprint Sensation and Asian Games Language Drama
• 82:47 America's Sports Silo Problem
• 86:42 Fix the Marathon Broadcast and Closing Thoughts

Contact us:

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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.