This week on The Running Story, Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth break down the five biggest stories in the running world including a scary medical emergency involving one of the greatest track runners of all time, a jaw-dropping performance from an eighth grader, a Dutch marathon canceled over a fake paramedic scam, and why Berlin 2026 is shaping up to be the most anticipated marathon of the fall season. Chapters: 0:00 Intro — Top 5 Running Stories of the Week 1:27 Harry Styles Donates to Charity Runner Lawrence Dennis 5:15 8th Grader Luke Surface Runs World Best 5K (14:25) at Hayward Field 8:16 Dutch Sneak Marathon Canceled — Fake Paramedic Scam Exposed 12:32 Tigst Assefa Returns to Berlin to Chase the Women's Marathon World Record 20:40 Jenny Simpson's Medical Emergency at Sir Walter Miler — Latest Update 23:58 The Running Story Is Getting Its Own Podcast Feed

The 2027 London Marathon has officially confirmed it will become a two-day event and Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth are breaking it all down in an emergency episode of The Running Story by Marathon Handbook. On Saturday, April 24th and Sunday, April 25th, 2027, London will host 100,000 runners across two days on the same course, making it the largest marathon event in history and the biggest fundraising event in UK sporting history. Chapters: 0:00 — Breaking news: London Marathon goes to two days 1:09 — What's confirmed: dates, format, course & ballot details 2:26 — Why London made this move (1.33M applicants) 5:19 — The logistics challenge & why it's framed as a one-off 7:26 — Unanswered questions: charity bibs & international quotas 9:08 — Elite field pressure after the historic sub-2 hour marathon 9:57 — A landmark moment for women's marathon coverage 12:03 — Elite wish lists: who needs to race London 2027 13:46 — The money behind running two World Marathon Major days 15:00 — One-and-done or permanent? Jessy's take 16:26 — Will New York, Chicago & other majors follow? 19:13 — Audience question & wrap-up

A 13-year-old from Utah just broke a mile world record that had stood since 1973. Plus: Olympic triathlon gold medalists are hitting the track, a runner completed every single street in Chicago, Yomif Kejelcha could break the half marathon world record in Buenos Aires and the marathon lottery crisis is getting very real. Chapters: 0:00 — Intro & show announcements 2:53 — Story 1: 13-year-old Angelina Alder breaks 53-year-old mile world record 5:13 — Story 2: Olympic triathlon champions Alex Yee & Cassandre Beaugrand go to the track 7:35 — Story 3: Joabe Barbosa runs every street in Chicago (4,000 miles in 680 days) 12:00 — Story 4: Yomif Kejelcha targets half marathon world record in Buenos Aires 15:40 — Story 5: The marathon lottery crisis — Copenhagen, London & what's next 20:38 — Outro

It's official, and it's historic: the Cape Town Marathon has been named the 8th Abbott World Marathon Major — the first ever on the continent of Africa. In this surprise emergency episode, Michael Doyle and news editor Jesse Carveth break down the announcement the running world saw coming but couldn't stop talking about (00:37). They walk the full eight-major calendar from Tokyo to New York (01:28), make the case for why Africa was long overdue given that roughly 80% of the world's top 50 marathoners come from the continent (02:23), and explain what the new eight-star medal — and the provisional star for 2025 and 2026 entrants — means for star chasers (03:26). From there, the guys trace Cape Town's meteoric rise from ~16,000 to nearly 30,000 runners (03:59), revisit the brutal 2025 cancellation when severe winds stopped the race roughly 90 minutes before the gun (04:50), and unpack the 2027 ballot — open June 10, closing June 24 — including the decision to reserve two-thirds of entries for African runners (05:55). They dig into the Sanlam sponsorship extension (07:20) and ask the question on everyone's mind: with London drawing 1.4 million applicants, could Cape Town become the single hardest World Marathon Major to get into (08:20)? The conversation gets into the real reason so few races can join the club — the staggering cost of becoming a major, with even Valencia admitting it can't afford the leap (09:32) — plus entry prices (~$220 international vs. ~$48 local), Kipchoge's role as the ultimate ambassador, and how Cape Town defines its own character as a major (11:06). Finally, Michael and Jesse debate whether expansion waters down the brand or makes it truly global (16:18), and look ahead to Shanghai as the near-certain 9th major and the race for the 10th — South America, India, or the Middle East (19:30). They close on the big question: how long can the running boom keep this snowball rolling (22:31)? New episodes of The Running Story drop every Monday afternoon.

This week on The Running Story, Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth dig into five stories you need to know about: from a politically charged threat to two iconic American road races, to a milestone 22 years in the making, to an elite marathoner trading the roads for a near-vertical mountain race. Chapters: 0:00 — Intro & New Independent Podcast Feed Announcement 2:42 — Story 1: Trump Golf Course Threatens Marine Corps Marathon & Cherry Blossom 10 Miler 6:19 — Story 2: Darren Wood Completes 1,000 Parkruns (a World First!) 10:10 — Story 3: California International Marathon Doubling to 40,000 Runners in 2027 13:46 — Story 4: Rory Linkletter's Elite Trail Debut at Broken Arrow Ascent 17:57 — Story 5: Running Speed Dating in Wales

A packed week in running. Michael and Jessy cover five big stories including a time that would have rewritten the record books and an exclusive from the CEO of one of the world's best marathons. 0:00 Intro & Jessy's Unbound Gravel 200 3:00 10K in 26:01 — The Fastest in Human History (Unofficial) 5:30 Yomif Kejelcha Signs With Valencia Marathon 6:30 Exclusive Interview: Valencia CEO on the Appearance Fee & World Record Bid 10:08 Could Valencia Become a World Marathon Major? 13:30 Boulder Boulder DQ Controversy Explained 16:59 Was the Runner Warned? The Anonymous Tip 19:00 Bashir Abdi's Race Was 200 Meters Short 24:45 Claire Elms, 62, Sets Age Group World Record for 1500m 27:08 Outro & What's Coming Next

Thomas Watson fills in for Michael Doyle this week as he and Jessy Carveth run through five stories dominating the running world right now — from a doping controversy that broke the internet to a heartwarming marathon moment featuring the sport's greatest athlete. Cape Town Marathon emerged as one of the most significant races of the year, not just for the performances on the day but because it represents Cape Town's final year as a World Marathon Majors candidate. Muhammad Esa took the men's title in 2:04:55 — a new course record by nearly three and a half minutes — while Dara Deida won the women's race in 2:23:18. Eliud Kipchoge, competing in Africa for the first time, finished 16th in 2:13:29 as part of what's being called his world tour. The real highlight for Thomas and Jessy? Kipchoge's wife completing her first marathon, with Kipchoge waiting at the finish line. The Cam Hanes vs. Sage Canaday controversy is the most talked-about story in running right now, and for good reason. Elite ultra runner Sage Canaday filed a tip with USADA against 58-year-old podcaster, bow hunter, and social media figure Cam Hanes, after Haynes ran a 2:39 at the Oregon USATF Marathon Championship — a PR by 13 minutes at age 58 — while having publicly acknowledged using BPC-157, a peptide banned under the WADA code. Thomas and Jessy explore the nuance: should the rules apply equally at age group level? Is enforcement even realistic? And what does a 2:39 at 58 tell us about the future of peptides in recreational sport? The Enhanced Games took place in Las Vegas on the night of May 24th. Billed as the "Doping Olympics," the multi-sport competition promised record-breaking performances from athletes using banned substances under medical supervision — and backed by million-dollar prize money. The reality was less dramatic: self-proclaimed clean athletes won most events, just one world record was broken (in swimming), and 250,000 live stream viewers were left with more questions than answers about the event's future. Thomas and Jessy also note the organization's business model — an online supplement store selling the same substances the athletes use — and ask what that means for the enterprise. A Charlotte high school sprinter was disqualified from the anchor leg of the 4x400 relay at the North Carolina State Track and Field Championships after raising his hand and holding up five fingers — ruled as unsportsmanlike conduct. The call wiped out 10 team points and cost his school the overall state title. The video spread to nearly 8 million views on X. Thomas and Jessy unpack the two separate conversations the internet is collapsing into one: was the rule fairly applied, and should the rule exist at all? Emma Bates has signed with NeverSecond as a nutrition partner. This comes months after Bates very publicly fell out with her previous sponsor, alleging she was dropped because she was pregnant — a claim the sponsor disputed. With Bates currently around six to seven months pregnant and not racing this year, Never Second's decision to sign her is being read as both a statement of values and a smart strategic play as the brand looks to expand from trail/ultra/cycling into road running. Chapters: 0:00 – Intro & Jessy's Impromptu 10K (Third Place in Belgium!) 3:36 – Story 1: Cape Town Marathon – Kipchoge, Course Records & World Marathon Majors 9:02 – Story 2: Cam Hanes vs. Sage Canaday – Running's Biggest Doping Controversy 18:06 – Story 3: Enhanced Games Las Vegas – Did the "Doping Olympics" Deliver? 23:56 – Story 4: High School Sprinter Disqualified for Raising Hand at NC State Championships 29:18 – Story 5: Emma Bates Signs with NeverSecond After Sponsor Controversy 32:29 – Wrap-Up

The fall marathon season is already taking shape and Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth are here to break it all down. On this episode of The Running Story, the team runs through the five biggest stories from the past week in running. In this episode: The Soweto Marathon prize-money scandal — six months after the November 2025 race, the winners are still owed roughly $15,000, runners-up about $7,000, and the South African government is now threatening to step in. We unpack the broken sanctioning process, why the doping-results excuse fell apart, and the criminal charges that could be coming for the organizers. Mason Wright runs 1,000 miles on a Utah high school track — 18 days, 13 hours, 11 minutes, roughly 4,000 laps, and only the third person in history to finish the distance on a track. We talk about the mental load, the nerve damage by halfway, and where this fits next to Yiannis Kouros and Ned Brockman. The fall marathon field is set up early: Sabastian Sawe is officially racing the Berlin Marathon on September 27, Yomif Kejelcha is heading to Valencia on December 2 (with a $1 million-euro world-record bonus on the line), and Jacob Kiplimo is reportedly bound for Chicago. Who are we more excited to watch? Can either of them run sub-2 again without the other one in the race? A 15-year-old girl dies at the Leiden Half Marathon — and the conversation about minimum age limits in distance running comes roaring back. We get into how she was able to enter a 16+ race, the differences between European and North American bib pickup and ID checks, and why this debate shouldn't need a tragedy to happen. Sports scientists name the GOATs — a team of 16 researchers, published in Sports Medicine, used Olympic medals, world championship titles, world records, and record longevity to rank running's greatest. Usain Bolt and Faith Kipyegon take the top spots. We debate the men's and women's top five (Bekele, Johnson, Gebrselassie, Nurmi; Dibaba, Fraser-Pryce, Hassan, Ottey), the apples-to-oranges problem of comparing sprinters to marathoners, and the glaring omissions of Eliud Kipchoge and Kelvin Kiptum. Plus: Jessy's impromptu 5K podium ("Running Revenge Vol. 2"), and a preview of the new Alex Cyr / Alexis podcast dropping into this feed soon.