Breaking the Tape

We are gearing up for the biggest mile race of the year so far this Saturday! 16 year old Sam Ruthe is due to challenge Olympic champion Cole Hocker at the Sound Invite on the JDL Fast Track. After his stunning 3:48 in Boston, is there a chance the teenager could take down Hocker and a strong field of pros? Check out my video previewing the race below:

https://youtu.be/aLshynrkFCw?si=1HBcL...

Hocker is the clear favourite having beaten the best two mile field on record at Millrose at the start of this month, destroying Josh Kerr and Geordie Beamish in New York and looking like he had plenty left in the tank. His early season time trials have been faster than ever before too, with his 2:16.30 1k last weekend two seconds quicker than he managed at this stage of the season in 2024 and 2025. Does this mean we are finally seeing a Cole Hocker willing to treat regular season races with the seriousness that he does championships, and perhaps chase some world records in 2026? The Sound Invite will be his first chance to show his intention to run fast times in distances that matter, and with the pace lights rumoured to be set at 3:46 flat, there’s every chance we will see that happen.

But Sam Ruthe has made this race much more complicated than it was intended to be. Added to the start list within minutes of his breakout race in Boston, his presence changes this from a Hocker procession to a potential banana skin. Losing to a 16-year-old would not be a good look, but after Ruthe’s performances this winter season, there is a small chance it could happen. With the fast times already in the bank, there is no need for Ruthe to push the pace here, and if he can gain a few percent from drafting behind Hocker and can hang on to 3:46 pace, then it might be a closer finish than their respective pedigrees would suggest. Ruthe ran a very impressive 1:45 800m to beat training partner Sam Tanner in January, and has been making 25 second 200m reps look easy in training, so his kick will be a threat even to the Olympic champion, and might just put Hocker in two minds about whether he sticks to the plan and forces the pace with the aim of a fast time, or sits back and maximises his chances of winning in a kick.

With more sub-3:50 milers in Sam Tanner, Festus Lagat and Vince Ciattei in the field looking to stake their claims, plus Hocker’s training partner Cooper Teare, it’s sure to be a fun race. Let me know how you think it will go, and see you after the race on Saturday for another race recap video😄

2 days ago | [YT] | 19

Breaking the Tape

Femke Bol is not wasting time! After announcing her switch to the 800m at the end of last season, she will race in the event for the first time in an indoor race in Metz on Sunday. This is exciting - she initially said that she would first race “when we see I’m ready, when we see I’ve trained all aspects and I’m not lagging behind anywhere.”

For her and coach Laurent Meuwly to already decide to attack a race then, shows she has taken to 800m training faster than many expected, and we can look forward to a big debut this weekend. The field isn't weak either. There are three 1:58 women racing, and everyone on the start line other than Bol has run sub-2 minutes.

So how fast will she run? I'm expecting something quick. Her coach claims she has run 1:23 for a 600m time trial in training, and this is already similar to the indoor world record in that event (Keely Hodgkinson's 1:23.41). Let me know what you think in the comments below😊

1 week ago | [YT] | 10

Breaking the Tape

Indoor Season kicks off properly this weekend! The Millrose Games is going to be epic, but first we have Sam Ruthe racing in Boston. Lining up alongside training partner Sam Tanner in a stacked mile field, we will likely see the fastest mile by a 16-year-old on US soil, and after his 3:53 last weekend, it's anyone's guess how fast he will go.

Look out for a recap on my channel soon after the race, and in the meantime, let me know how fast you think Ruthe might run this time out.

Link to the field for the race below:

lancer.trackscoreboard.com/meets/437/events/62/Fin…

2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 16

Breaking the Tape

The World Cross Country Championships are finally here! Which team do you think will win the men's race?

Questionable selections by the Kenyan federation make this perhaps the most open World Cross in years. With none of their 2024 winning team making it on the plane to Tallahassee, there is a huge opportunity for someone different to make their mark. Ethiopia will start as favourites, led by Berihu Aregawi, who finished 2nd last time out, and teenage sensation Biniam Mehary.

But there is real chance of a home victory, with the USA naming their strongest team for a long time, and Nico Young, Graham Blanks and trials winner Parker Wolfe heading up a group of athletes with the 5k and 10k times on paper to rival anything their competitors from East Africa can offer.

Jacob Kiplimo returns to defend his crown from 2023 and 2024, but without the backing of compatriot Joshua Cheptegei, it looks unlikely Uganda will be able to repeat their heroics of 2019 in Denmark.

The fight for victory is going to be enthralling viewing. Let me know if there is anyone you think I've missed, and look out for recap videos coming to my channel after the event😄

1 month ago | [YT] | 2

Breaking the Tape

Happy New Year Everyone! Thanks to everyone who has subscribed as I started out telling the stories of our favourite athletes in 2025. With so many top races to look forward to at the start of 2026 - World Cross Country, Millrose Games, World Indoors - I can't wait to document it all and keep putting out the videos. Looking forward to having you all along for the ride in the new year!

1 month ago | [YT] | 27

Breaking the Tape

On 29th October I posted the video below predicting that Alex Yee would run 2:06 at the Valencia Marathon. At the time, not even the man himself was talking about a time that fast, and most people didn't give him a chance. Turns out it was one of my better takes. Maybe I should give up the running videos and start doing triathlon ones instead...😆



https://youtu.be/nu5rtxYkvaI?si=2yYBE...



Looking forward to seeing what this means for Yee in future. The marathon at the 2029 World Champs as I suggested in the video, or maybe even a fun Triathlon / Marathon double at the next Olympics?🤞

2 months ago | [YT] | 25

Breaking the Tape

We are just over 24 hours away from the NCAA Cross Country Championships, and while we have some strong favourites for the individual races (see my video on Jane Hedengren linked below😊) the team titles are very much up for grabs! Who do you think will win on the women's side?

NC State

Won the difficult Southeast Region with three top 10 finishers (Hannah Gapes 2nd, Angelina Napoleon 6th, Bethany Michalak 8th) and a spread of 1:03, as they aim to get back to winning ways following their three-peat of Championship wins from 2021-2023.

BYU

The Cougars came up 2 points short of the Mountain Regional title, losing out to New Mexico despite Hedengren's heroics at the front of the race. They will need more out of their 4th and 5th runners if they are to triumph at Nationals.

Florida

Won the South Region title with a spread of just 46 seconds between their top five runners. Their consistency makes them a real threat, but will they have enough to challenge the top two?

Jane Hedengren vs Innes Fitzgerald video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZgcZ...

2 months ago | [YT] | 2

Breaking the Tape

With the season close to finishing, who do you think the best male runner of 2025 has been? We had some notable thrills and upsets at the World Championships, but there was a lot that happened outside of that too - some crazy performances on the roads from Sebastian Sawe and Jacob Kiplimo, enthralling storylines that built through the Diamond Leagues, such as Noah Lyles vs the Jamaicans in the sprints, and even Indoor World Records from Grant Fisher, Yared Nuguse and Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Putting out a few top options below and in the poll, but you might have your own ideas!

BUSANG COLLEN KEBINATSHIPI
Quiet throughout the year, but exploded into life when it mattered, running a top ten fastest time ever in both the Semis and Final of the 400m to take the title with ease, before coming back to run an iconic anchor leg in the 4 x 400m, overhauling American rival Rai Benjamin on the line. At 21 years of age, 2025 will likely only be the beginning.

EMMANUEL WANYONYI
The men's 800m is the strongest it has ever been, with multiple 1:41 runners, yet Wanyonyi has dominated them all this season, winning 6/8 races over the distant, discounting Championship rounds and Grand Slam Track. But the way he has raced has been most impressive, leading from the front almost every time, most notably in his World Champs gold medal winning performance, where he somehow held off a charging Marco Arop and Djamel Sedjati.

JIMMY GRESSIER
One of the most likeable men in distance running, Gressier had a World Champs to remember, with gold in the 10,000m (making him the first non-African born runner to win since 1983) and bronze in the 5000m. While considered upsets, his form throughout the season was strong too, with PBs from the 1500m to the Half Marathon, and big wins at the European Road Running Championships and the Diamond League Final.

JACOB KIPLIMO
Started the year with a bang, with statistically the greatest distance running performance of all time in Barcelona, where his 56:42 Half Marathon World Record was worth 1323 points on the World Athletics scoring tables. Excitement reached fever-pitch for his marathon debut in London, and while he was beaten by Sawe, 2:03:37 for second place was still a very solid debut. Going one better to claim top spot on the podium at Chicago in 2:02:23, while running under world record pace until 35km, shows he has a lot more to give in the event.

NOTABLE MENTIONS
Oblique Seville and Noah Lyles made strong cases for their performances in the sprints, Cole Hocker's redemption tour to win the 5000m at the World Championships was a special moment with potentially far-reaching consequences for the future of Championships 5k running, and Sebastian Sawe ran arguably the best marathon performance of all-time with his 2:02:16 in temperatures that reached 25 degrees celsius in Berlin.

3 months ago | [YT] | 10

Breaking the Tape

Thanks so much to everyone who helped me reach 1,000 subscribers today! It really means so much to have found support from all of you - I never dreamed when I started this channel that in less than two months we would reach this point. The interest in the videos and insightful and fun comments you all post has really made it worthwhile🙏

5 months ago | [YT] | 68

Breaking the Tape

The World Championships are finally here! The first track finals will be the 10000m races - who do you think will win the men's race on Sunday? Preview videos of most of the distance events are already live on my channel, and I'll post race breakdowns once they happen.

Ahead of the 10ks, why not build the hype with my newest preview video comparing Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet's chances in the 5000m (link below)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAuXf...

5 months ago | [YT] | 7