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LetsRun.com's Track Talk: The Home of Running and Track and FieldAuthor: LetsRun.com
LetsRun.com's weekly podcast where we go behind the scenes of the professional running, marathoning, and track and field world. If you want a second podcast every week join out Supporters Club https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe Language: en-us Genres: News, Running, Sports, Sports News Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Matthew Centrowitz 10 Years After Rio: Olympic Gold, Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr & the Golden Age of the 1500m
Thursday, 20 August, 2026
🏃 The perfect product to improve your running form Aletheia Run is a wearable running sensor that analyzes your form and gives personalized correction drills. Use code LETSRUN10 for a free 30-day trial and 10% off your first year: https://www.aletheia.run/start-my-free-trial EPISODE SUMMARY On the 10-year anniversary of Matthew Centrowitz's iconic Olympic 1500-meter gold in Rio, the 2016 champion joins Jonathan Gault and Weldon Johnson to reflect on the race that changed American distance running. Centro reveals why the final was so slow, breaks down the decisive inside move that won him gold, and explains why winning left him struggling for motivation. The trio dives into Cole Hocker's unorthodox tactics, Josh Kerr's 3:42 mile, the unprecedented parity in the men's 1500, and Centro's new life—including a Chicago Marathon side bet with Evan Jager and Kyle Merber. The episode closes with an epic trivia showdown. 🎁 🎧 Get a 2nd LetsRun podcast every week + bonus content: Join the Supporters Club — https://www.letsrun.com/subscribe LINKS Matthew Centrowitz's 2016 Olympic 1500m Final TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Rio Olympic 1500m Audio from NBC 01:05 Aletheia.Run Sponsor 02:09 Start of Podcast: The 10-Year Anniversary of Rio Gold 03:38 Blessing and a Curse: Life After Winning 09:02 How Mainstream Was the Olympic Gold? 14:28 Contracts and Fame in Track and Field 19:02 Breaking Down the Rio 1500 Final 21:53 The Patent Move and a 450-Meter Kick 25:45 Why the Race Was So Slow 27:07 Behind the Scenes: The Brazil Soccer Delay 30:37 Unprecedented Parity in the Men's 1500 34:28 Will Fast Championship Racing Continue? 39:01 Josh Kerr's 3:42 and the Depth of the Event 42:45 Cole Hocker's Tactics Analyzed 49:43 Centro's Relationship with Hocker 53:48 Ben Thomas's Unorthodox Training System 56:57 Life After Running: What Centro Is Doing Now 57:52 Chicago Marathon Side Bet with Jager and Merber 64:57 Trivia Warm-Up: Centro's Career 64:57 Centro's Dad and the 1976 Olympic Trials 68:10 From NCAA Races to Daegu Bronze 76:02 The Heartbreaking 2012 Olympic Fourth Place 77:25 General Track and Field Trivia 78:06 Women's 1500 Debut and Distance Firsts 82:11 Sub-Eight Steeple and Mo Farah's Losses 85:46 Centro vs. Galen Rupp at Pac-10s 88:13 Racing Kerr, Jakob, and the Motorcycle Story 94:01 Kip Keino's Olympic Legacy 94:58 1500 Meter Legends Lightning Round 99:06 Mile and 1500 Barrier Breakers 100:56 Final Question: First Sub-3:30 1500m CONTACT Email: podcast@letsrun.com Call or text: 1-844-LETSRUN (1-844-538-7786) ABOUT THE LETSRUN.COM PODCAST Since 2000, LetsRun.com has been the independent home of elite running. Described by the New York Times as the "influential website that serves as something of a superego for American running," the podcast is the weekly deep dive into the world of track and field and elite distance running. The show is hosted by LetsRun.com co-founders Weldon Johnson, a 2-time Team USA member, and Robert Johnson, a former Cornell coach who helped pace the marathon world record, along with award-winning senior writer Jonathan Gault. Together they move beyond PR headlines to provide insider reporting and unfiltered debate serious fans rely on.
