Today in Running History

Today is Monday, August 18, 2025 and on this day in 2004, Greek sprinters Katerina Thanou and Kostas Kenteris withdrew from their events at the Olympics in Athens after faking a motorcycle crash to avoid drug testing.    In this episode, we'll learn more about the two disgraced athletes and the crazy idea they came up with in an attempt to bypass the doping tests they knew they would fail.    This...

Today is Sunday, August 17th, 2025 and on this day in 2015, Turkish runner Asli Cakir Alptekin was finally stripped of the gold medal she had cheated her way to winning at the women's 1,500m final at the 2012 London Olympics.    In this episode, we will learn more about Alptekin and the FIVE other women who finished in the top 9 of that race (which has been called the dirtiest in track history) wh...

Today is Saturday, August 16th, 2025 and on this day in 2008, Jamaican phenom Usain Bolt set the current world record for the 100 meters at the Olympics in Beijing.    In this episode, we talk about Bolt’s origins as a runner, his path to Beijing, and the races that made him a legend.   Today is also #SaltySaturday, which means that this episode is sponsored by SaltStick. The summer heat is not go...

Today is Friday, August 15, 2025 and on this day in 2016, Emma Coburn became the first American woman in history to earn a medal in the steeplechase at the Olympics.    In this episode, we will discuss the history - or should I say "horsestory" - of this event, learn about the doping scandals that tainted the first 2 iterations of the women's Olympic steeplechase in 2008 and 2012, and then hear ho...

Today is Thursday, August 14th, 2025 and on this day in 2020, after Covid had cancelled nearly every in-person international track competition for 5 months, Ugandan runner Joshua Cheptegei set the world record in the 5,000m at the Herculis Meet in Monaco.    In this episode, we'll hear about Cheptegei's background, how the Covid pandemic derailed the entire world of professional athletics, and how...

Today is Wednesday, August 13th, 2025 and on this day in 1977, Minnesota runner Dick Beardsley ran his first marathon - the Paavo Nurmi Marathon in Hurley, Wisconsin.    In this episode, we'll hear about that marathon and the 12 that followed, with each one faster than the last. This 13-marathon PR streak earned Beardsley a spot in the world record book, and Dick Beardsley himself joins Today in R...

Today is Tuesday, August 12th, 2025 and on this day in 1975, New Zealander John Walker became the first human in history to run a mile faster than 3:50.   In this episode, we'll hear about the stray animal that kickstarted Walker's running career as a child, how the fateful race played out on that summer evening in Sweden, and the embarrassingly American error I made during my research. It is #Tat...

Today is Monday, August 11th, 2025 and on this day in 1984, American athlete Carl Lewis won his fourth gold medal of that year's Olympics, a feat no American had repeated since Jesse Owens in 1936.   In this special pod-ception episode, we welcome Kyle Walker from the Back of the Pack Podcast to talk all about Carl Lewis, and what made his quadruple gold so significant. Check out Kyle's podcast he...

Today is Sunday, August 10th, 2025 and on this day in 1984, American Mary Decker and South African Brit Zola Budd collided during the 3,000m final at the Olympics in Los Angeles, leading to Decker dropping out and Budd fading to 7th place.  In this episode, we’ll discuss the backgrounds of both Decker and Budd, learn how the race and fall played out, and then pivot from heartbreak to victory as I...

Today is Saturday, August 9, 2025 and on this day in 1936, American athlete Jesse Owens won his fourth gold medal at the Olympics in Berlin.   In this episode, we'll learn more about Owens' background, which four events he won at the 1936 Olympics, and how his treatment did - and didn't - change as a champion Black athlete when he returned to the US.   Today is also #SaltySaturday, which means tha...

Today is Friday, August 8th, 2025 and on this day in 1915, Samuel Stoller was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. In this episode, we’ll hear about Stoller’s background, meet his would-be teammate, Marty Glickman, and learn how the two were barred from competing in the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany because they were Jewish. It is #FueledFriday, which mean's that today's episode is sponsored by Fuel Goods! T...

Today is Thursday, August 7th, 2025 and on this day in 1948, American high jumper Alice Coachman became the first Black woman from any country to win an Olympic gold medal in any event, setting a new Olympic record in the process.   In this episode, we'll learn about Coachman's childhood in the segregated south, discuss her incredible decade-long high jump career, and hear what makes the Olympic r...

Today is Wednesday, August 6th, 2025 and on this day in 1958, 5 men ran a mile in under 4 minutes, with the winner setting a new world record of 3:54.3 In this episode, we learn about those 5 men - Herb Elliott, Ronnie Delany, Murray Halberg, Merv Lincoln, and Albie Thomas - plus Billy Morton, the man who made the race possible, and whose legacy led to the annual Morton Games, still held in that v...

Today is Tuesday, August 5th, 2025 and on this day in 1936, Tidye Pickett competed for Team USA in the 80 meter hurdles at the Olympics in Berlin, making her the first Black woman to compete in any Olympic event.   In this episode, we welcome back Maggie Mertens, author of "Better, Faster, Farther" to discuss Tidye Pickett and Louise Stokes, the first 2 Black women to qualify in the Olympics in 19...

Today is Monday, August 4th, 2025 and on this day in 2012, Team Great Britain won 3 gold medals within a 44-minute span during the London Olympics.   In this episode, we will hear about these 3 athletes and their respective events - Jessica Ennis in the heptathlon, Greg Rutherford in the men's long jump, and Mo Farah in the men's 10,000 metres - and learn what makes "Super Saturday" such a signifi...

Today is Sunday, August 3rd, 2025 and on this day in 1992, British sprinter Derek Redmond refused to drop out of the 400m Olympic final in Barcelona, after tearing his hamstring mid-race.   In this episode, we will examine this iconic moment of humanity at the Olympics, from the original injury, to Redmond limping toward to the finish, to his father, Jim Redmond, making his way down from the stand...

Today is Saturday, August 2nd, 2025 and on this day in 1928, 9 women competed in what would be the first and only Olympic 800 meter race for women until 1960.   In this episode, we speak with Maggie Mertens, author of the 2024 book "Better, Faster, Farther", in which she covers this exact race in detail. Maggie and I discuss the facts of the race itself versus how it was covered by the media, and...

Today is Friday, August 1st, 2025 and on this day in 1932, Eddie Tolan beat Ralph Metcalfe during the Olympic 100 meter final in the first race determined by photo finish.   In this episode, we'll learn more about both of these athletes, examine the cutting edge technology that determined made it possible to declare a winner, and hear how Tolan became the first Black man to win 2 Olympic gold meda...

Today is Thursday, July 31st, 2025 and on this day in 1987, 5 runners set out to compete in the first ever Badwater Ultramarathon.   In this episode, we'll discuss the origins of "the world's toughest footrace" that runs from Death Valley to Mount Whitney, learn why the first 3 editions were 11 miles more than the current 135 miles, and then speak with Eleanor Robinson, the woman who won that firs...

Today is Wednesday, July 30, 2025 and on this day in 1958, champion decathlete Daley Thompson was born in London.   In this episode, we'll learn a bit about Thompson's background - including the 9 years he went undefeated, his 4 world records, and 2 Olympic gold medals - and then sit down for a conversation with Thompson himself. This episode and every single other was edited and produced by my go...

Today is Tuesday, July 29, 2025 and on this day in 2002, Canadian Renaissance Man Suresh Joachim set the world record for the furthest distance run on a treadmill in 48 hours.   In this episode, we will learn about a few of the 72 Guinness World Records that Joachim has set since 1996 - including the furthest distance run while carrying a brick, the furthest distance traveled within 24 hours while...

Today is Monday, July 28, 2025 and on this day in 1928, the Olympic Games in Amsterdam began. These were the third and final for Finnish legend Paavo Nurmi.   In this episode, we will discuss Nurmi's first two Olympic appearances and the 9 medals he won between them; learn about his fellow Finn, sometimes teammate, and frequent rival, Ville Ritola; and hear how Nurmi's final Olympic races played o...

Today is Sunday, July 27, 2025 and on this day in 1952, Czechoslovakian runner Emil Zátopek became the first and only athlete in history to win the 5,000m, 10,000m, and marathon within one Olympic Games. In this episode we'll hear about Zátopek's first Olympic appearance 4 years earlier, discuss how his 1952 triumphs played out at the Olympics in Helsinki, and learn who also won gold just 10 minut...

Today is Saturday, July 26, 2025 and on this day in 1913, legendary Canadian marathoner Gerard Cote was born in a small town outside of Montreal, Quebec. In this episode, we will hear about Cote's humble beginnings, discuss some of the 264 races he ran during his 20-year career - including 4 Boston Marathon wins - and learn about the one course record he purposely refused to beat. It's #SaltySatur...

Today is Friday, July 25, 2025 and on this day in 1908, Wyndham Halswelle was the only man to run the Olympic 400m final; this remains the ONLY walkover in Olympic history.   In this episode, we will hear about the controversial events during the initial final, and learn why the other competitors refused to show up for the re-race. This episode was edited and produced by my good friend and confida...