The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show

“I thought I had missed my moment last year. I didn’t want that to define me, but I didn’t want to put way too much pressure on this year, because it wasn’t going to make up for last year. It was really hard. But in the last month, I said, ‘We’re going to go for it. We’re going to put our ego to the side and see what happens.’”

Sage Hurta-Klecker knows heartbreak. In her first U.S. Championships in 2021, she fell and broke her wrist. In 2023, she finished a painful fourth in the 800m, just one spot shy of making the team. Last year, she was fifth after getting tangled in the ripple effects of a fall by Athing Mu. Even indoors this year, she was again one place away from qualifying for a world championship team.

But this past weekend at Hayward Field, Hurta-Klecker rewrote the script. Charging down the final straight in the women's 800, she leaned hard for the finish line and went down hard after crossing it. She stopped the clock at 1:59.48 to edge out 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials champion Nia Akins by just four hundredth of a second.

This time, the fall didn't mean heartbreak; it meant joy, it meant redemption, and finally, it meant her first U.S. team and a ticket to the World Championships. “Don't let your narrative of the past limit your future,” she wrote afterward on Instagram. Sage did not, and now she's heading to Tokyo. We talk all about that race, the shortcomings along the way, and the overwhelming sense of relief to finally make a team.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠

Guest: Sage Hurta-Klecker | @hurtasage on Instagram

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

Mentioned in this episode…

Watch: USATF Championships Women’s 800m final

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“The other part is that he loves it. He doesn’t miss. A ton of people are—to be cliche—talented, but they don’t do the things to maximize their talent. So how is he there? Because he’s doing everything to at least give him the chance to maximize his talent. Do we know it’s going to be 1:42? No, we don’t know that. We have no clue what it is… He’s doing the things it takes to see how good he can be—and he loves finding out what that looks like.”

My guest for today's episode is Chris Capeau, the coach behind one of the most remarkable performances in American track history. As the head distance coach at Northwest High School in Texas, Capeau found success with his middle distance programs. Even before that at other Texas high schools, he was a bit of a journeyman in coaching at various universities and learning from other accomplished coaches in the sport.

But this summer, the spotlight found him after 16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus stunned the track world with a 1:42.27 in the men's 800m at the U.S. Championships. That time was a three second PR, a new U18 world record, the fastest time ever run by a high schooler, and the fourth fastest time by an American ever. More than that, it earned Lutkenhaus a spot on Team USA for the World Championships in Tokyo, making him the youngest man in history to compete at a global outdoor championships. It was a moment that defied logic, but it didn't happen by accident.

Capeau has been building upon a strong foundation established by Cooper's parents. A former NAIA marathon standout and collegiate coach with deep experience in building programs, Capeau brings a thoughtful athlete-centered approach that prioritizes trust, patience, and long term development. That philosophy has now helped produce a once in a generation talent and has rewritten what we thought was possible for high school middle distance running.

This conversation pairs well with our previous episode with Cooper. You can find it here. In this one, we try to make even more sense of the performance by speaking to the man who worked on making it happen day in and day out.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠

Guest: Coach Chris Capeau

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr |⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mentioned in this episode…

Listen: Cooper Lutkenhaus Breaks Down His 1:42.27 800m At 16 Years Old To Make History, Qualifies For The 2025 World Championships + Goals For Tokyo

Watch: ⁠USATF Championships Men’s 800m final⁠

_____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop’s limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide.⁠ ⁠You can check out all of their flavors and get 25% off your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.⁠⁠

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠

“With 200 to go, I felt really strong. I wasn’t really burning yet. With about 120 to go coming off the curve, I saw everybody right there. I was like, ‘I feel amazing!’ The crowd all stood up and it was super electric. I was like, ‘I have a shot now.’”

My guest for today's episode is Cooper Lutkenhaus, the 16-year-old Texan who just ran one of the most astonishing races in American track and field history at the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Cooper placed second in the men's 800m in 1:42.27 — a U18 world record, a three second personal best, and the fourth fastest time ever run by an American. He finished just behind Donovan Brazier, the former world champion who made his own remarkable comeback. 

Cooper was in 7th place with 150m to go. He stayed calm, executed his race plan, and closed in a blistering 12.48 seconds over the final 100m, surging into second and nearly catching Donovan Brazier at the finish line. This was a performance that defied age, experience, and expectations, and announced Cooper as the future of American middle distance running.

In this episode, we get into it and try to answer the main question: how did this happen and who is Cooper? It wasn't just a great race for a high schooler; it was a great race, period.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠

Guest: Cooper Lutkenhaus | @cooper.lutkenhaus on Instagram

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

Mentioned in this episode…

Watch: USATF Championships Men’s 800m final

_____________

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop’s limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide. ⁠You can check out all of their flavors and get 25% off your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.⁠

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠

“The biggest mindset coming off of Paris was that because I had made the biggest final there is, it was a message to me that no matter who’s on the track, you deserve a lane. I belong here and I’ve proven myself. That message was definitely something that I carried into my senior year: just knowing that I belong here. That was very powerful for me.”

My guest for today's episode is Savannah Sutherland, a 21 year old Canadian hurdler who just made history in more ways than one, hailing from Borden, Saskatchewan. Savannah was named a finalist for the Bowerman, which is the highest honor in NCAA track and field, awarded annually to the most outstanding collegiate athletes in the sport.

She's the first Canadian female track athlete to ever reach the finalist status. I recently made an appearance on the CBC's Trackside show where I revealed that as a Bowerman voter, I already casted my vote. Savannah was ranked #1 for me.

She put together a jaw-dropping season at Michigan. She didn't just win her second NCAA title in the 400m hurdles, but she obliterated the NCAA record too with a time of 52.46 seconds, becoming the second woman in NCAA history to go under 53 seconds. The record that she broke previously belonged to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

Savannah broke her own Canadian record, climbed to the 9th fastest of all time, and last year she even took 7th place in the Olympic final in Paris. In this episode, we chat about how she got so good at this event, her hopes and expectations for this summer's World Championships in Tokyo, and so much more.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Savannah Sutherland | @sav.sutherland on Instagram

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop’s limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide. You can check out all of their flavors and get 25% off your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.

NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠

The next time someone complains that track and field is boring, tell them about August 3, 2025.

Today's epic conclusion to the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships were so packed to the gills with drama that it extended beyond the start and finish lines. You want rivalries? Got ‘em. Records? check. Emotions? Certainly. Controversy? You bet.

After finishing a surprise third in the 1500m, the event that delivered an Olympic title, Cole Hocker found redemption in the 5000m, where he closed off a slow early pace in an astonishing 51.76 seconds to win his first U.S. title in the longer event. NCAA champion Roisin Willis won her first U.S. senior title in the 800m a few steps after national leader Addy Wiley got tripped up.

Two World champions weren’t even present for their event finals: Grant Holloway qualified for the 110m hurdles final but, for the third time in his career, leaned on his wild card entry to Worlds and skipped the last round of racing. Sha’Carri Richardson missed qualifying for the final of the 200m by 0.01 seconds, but her training partner Melissa Jefferson-Wooden added a second U.S. title to her resume with a personal-best 21.84 run.

Behind Jefferson-Wooden and runner-up Anavia Battle, who’s having a helluva season of her own, the last spot on the 200m team couldn’t have been tighter. The three women who represented Team USA at the Paris Olympics were all credited with a 22.20 finish, meaning the critical result came down to one thousandth of a second as Gabby Thomas (22.197) barely beat out Brittany Brown (22.198) and McKenzie Long (22.199).

And yet somehow, that wasn’t even the most dramatic 200m race of the day. In the men’s final, Noah Lyles defended his title over Kenny Bednarek in a world-leading 19.63 to Bednarek’s 19.67, but a little post-race shoving and strongly-worded jawing occurred in plain sight of the TV cameras and Hayward fans. It’s safe to say that Lyles and Bednarek are friendly rivals — except for the friendly part.

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Hosts: ⁠⁠Chris Chavez⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Eric Jenkins⁠⁠, Aisha Praught-Leer, Paul Hof-Mahoney⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Anderson Emerole⁠⁠

Produced by: ⁠⁠Mac Fleet⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Jasmine Fehr⁠⁠

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Find everything you need to know about the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships here:

Listen: Day 3 Recap Show

Listen: Day 2 Recap Show

Listen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Day 1 Recap Show⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Read: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Distance preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Sprints + hurdles preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Throws + heptathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Jumps + decathlon preview⁠⁠⁠⁠

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NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that’s ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠⁠⁠⁠