Happy Friday! This is the second edition of Track Snacks – a short show taking you into the weekend where Chris Chavez and a fellow CITIUS MAG staffer share the story of an athlete who they're excited about right now that you can expect to see compete at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (July 15–24, 2022).
In this episode, The Lap Count editor-in-chief Kyle Merber joins the show to geek out about the stardom of Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei. He is the reigning Olympic champion in the 5000m, the reigning 10,000m world champion and the world record holder in the men's 5000m and 10000m. Just two years ago, Cheptegei boosted his international profile by breaking Kenenisa Bekele's world records in the 5000m and 10000m in 2020. He has already stated his intention that he will be looking to lower his 5000m world record at the Prefontaine Classic. We dive into how his progression has also lifted up Ugandan distance running and why we think we may be seeing the greatest distance runner of all-time in his prime.
Track Snacks is presented by Hayward Magic. Everyone knows how much all of us in the CITIUS MAG family love track & field, and how much we enjoy sharing that love with you all. Well, we’ve got a few big love-sharing ideas in the works and it all takes place in Eugene, Oregon this summer. Hayward Field will be the home to the Prefontaine Classic, the USATF Outdoor Championships and the World Athletics Championships. We'll be there and you should be too. Visit https://citiusmag.com/summerofhayward/ for all the information on dates and tickets.
Intro music: "Believe In Yourself" by Norm Cotone