Windy City Snake Draft: Bold Picks, Spicy Predictions, and Running YouTube Takes

The Relay crew is back recapping everything from the 2024 Chicago Marathon weekend — from Conner Mantz’s near-perfect American record run to the grin heard ‘round the world from Jacob Kiplimo. The crew also covers:What it’s like spectating when your videos look like found-footage horror filmsThe announcer pronunciation debacles (Tosh vs. Tosh!)Mary Ngugi Cooper’s Nala Track Club and why she’s an international iconThe Chicago Marathon bottle chaos (and the award for smoothest grab)Lindsey’s future as the only person qualified to announce OTQs at the finish line

It’s Chicago Marathon week, and the Relay crew runs a full-on snake draft with five-person rosters and XC-style scoring. Matt hosts alongside Erika, Peter, Kofuzi, and Tommie Runz.

This week on group chat, we have Lindsey Hein, Matt Chittim, and Peter Bromka.Episode Rundown:Boulderthon recapTravel-to-race vs PR-chasing mindsetBoston Marathon cutoff talk and tightening standardsChicago Marathon expo plans and live show plugTrail and Ultra World ChampionshipsVKs, 200-mile races, and why they’re surprisingly watchableRoad to the TrialsFinn’s 100-Mile Wilderness FKT shoutoutJeff Cunningham’s marathon pod and current reads

As Relay's first-ever Team USA competitor, we couldn't resist the chance to dive deep with Erika into the whole experience, including the heat, humidity, ice hats, and pacing strategies. Sunglasses, after parties, and all things Tokyo.Running in the heat is TOUGH! But this was a fun one.If we missed anything leave a question in the comments and we'll ask Erika!

This week on group chat, we have Tommie, Kofuzi, Peter, Erika, and Marcus.Episode Rundown:The extreme Tokyo heat and humidity and how it affected athletes and fansMarathon experiences, aid station violations, and Susanna Sullivan’s raceStandout events: men’s and women’s steeplechase, women’s 800m, men’s 1500m, men’s 400 hurdlesMondo Duplantis and the pole vault world record momentsTeam USA relay handoff issues and practice debatesControversial DQs, rules enforcement, and racing tacticsFred Kerley, Kenny Bednarek, and Enhance Games controversiesPrize money delays and the frustrations for pro athletesLooking ahead to marathon season: Berlin, Chicago, New York

On this week's group chat, Matt Chittim, Peter Bromka, and Lindsey Hein break down all that has happened at the Tokyo World Championships so far!

Today on group chat, we have Lindsey Hein and Peter Bromka. Episode Rundown:Erika Kemp in Tokyo — Lindsey and Peter hyping up Erika’s marathon and her confidence, calling her a “crusher” and “pleasant surprise” on the show.Brooks’ identity shift — the back-and-forth about Brooks trying to go from “run happy” to “we’re serious now,” with the high school movie training montage analogy.Emily Infeld kick talk — Lindsey saying “she’s gonna outkick you” and Peter joking about Beatrice Chebet not letting her hang around.’90s 10K nostalgia — Peter’s rant about missing the days when athletes would “crash out from 3K out” and his VHS/YouTube Haile Gebrselassie & Paul Tergat clip reference.Parenting + 5K race story — Lindsey’s kids racing each other, her tough-love cheerleading (“I don’t have water, keep going!”), and Glenn’s mind games between brothers.

This week on group chat, we have Kofuzi, Peter Bromka, Tommie Runz, and a little bit of Lindsey Hein!Episode Rundown:UTMB week through a newcomer’s eyesSydney Marathon as the new MajorPre-race ritualsKipchoge now and nextContent + culture

Today on group chat, we have Erika Kemp, Lindsey Hein, and Matt Chittim.Topics we covered:Cooper Lutkenhaus goes pro at 16 and signs with NikeNIL deals, college eligibility, and the value of NCAA programs vs. professional contractsRisks and benefits of skipping the collegiate system (facilities, coaching, social/educational experience)Fall marathon fields announced (Chicago and New York), with key athletes and matchupsUTMB week preview: OCC, CCC, UTMB, and international trail running storylines

In this lively conversation, Lindsey Hein, Erika Kemp, Tommie Runz, and Peter Bromka discuss various topics ranging from recent running events to internet culture and memes. They share hot takes on food preferences, analyze Faith Kipyegon's performance from the Diamond League, the importance of points in track and field, and the dynamics of community track events. The conversation wraps up with reflections on the challenges of 5K and 10K races and personal anecdotes about their experiences in running, the pressures of performance in the age of social media, and the impact of social media on athletes' performance and mental health.