Rudel wins USATF 20K title, Chelagat banned four years
Rachael Rudel took her first national title at New Haven while McKirdy Trained called the missing live results comical, and the AIU handed Kenya's Caren Chelagat a four-year ban.
The big stuff
Rudel and Hicks win USATF 20K titles, Thailand's Tuntivate wins the race
Rachael Rudel won her first USATF title at the Faxon Law New Haven Road Race, running 1:04:58 for 20K, 29 seconds off the course record and more than a minute clear of the field. Charles Hicks took the men's U.S. title but finished second overall to Oregon Track Club teammate Kieran Tuntivate, who represents Thailand and ran 58:03 to win by 3 seconds. McKirdy Trained said a USATF championship with no tracker and no live results is comical, and that local 5Ks do better.
Definitely top three was my goal," she said. "It's a pleasant little surprise when you get the title.
Not having tracker or live results… in this day and age… at a @usatf championship… is comical.
Shoes, gels and gear
Reviewers pick Clifton Pro over Clifton 11, Craft Atmosfär too soft for speed
The Run Testers ran the Hoka Clifton 11 ($155, 279g) against the new Clifton Pro ($165, 272g), both on a 42mm heel and 34mm forefoot (stack height, how much foam is under the foot), and both reviewers picked the Pro. The difference is the foam: the Pro uses a supercritical EVA they say gives "a softer, springier edge," and one reviewer called it "one of the best cushioned shoes out there really from any brand." Separately, kofuzi tested the Craft Atmosfär 1, a $190 daily trainer with a 51mm stack and 6mm drop that weighs 242g in his US men's 9, and says it works for recovery and easy runs but turns too soft when he tries to run fast.
The Clifton Pro is the clear winner for me this year
for 10 pounds or 10 dollars more, I think that's an upgrade worth making to get the Pro version of the shoe.
the shoe becomes a little bit too soft for speed, and I felt like I was putting a lot of energy into the shoe to try and run quickly, and I wasn't getting a lot of it back out
Rules, records, business
AIU bans Kenya's Caren Chelagat four years for norandrosterone
The Athletics Integrity Unit (the body that handles doping cases in athletics) banned Caren Chelagat of Kenya for four years from 17 July 2026 for presence or use of norandrosterone (a banned steroid marker), with her results from 3 May 2026 onward disqualified. Sage Canaday's take: a lot of these drugs are about recovery, and if you recover faster you train more, which is performance enhancing.
The AIU has banned Caren Chelagat (Kenya) for 4 years from 17 July 2026 for Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Norandrosterone) DQ results from 3 May 2026.
Yeah if you can recover at a faster rate you can train more and that’s performance enhancing!
Quick hits
Magness says training volume is the best predictor of world-class running
Steve Magness posted that volume of training is the best predictor of world-class performance in runners, and coach Jason Fitzgerald shared it. Our read: not a new idea, and nobody in the sources pushed back.
Thomas Nobbs takes 114 to 120g of carbs an hour, targets Chicago PR
Zach Bitter's podcast with 2:09 marathoner Thomas Nobbs covers his move from a 2:19 debut to 2:09, very long long runs, and high-carb fueling at 114 to 120 grams an hour. Bitter calls Nobbs one of the best public examples of run slow to run fast, and says Nobbs is targeting a 2 to 3 minute PR at Chicago.
One Reddit poster says Skechers told them the Aero Elite lands October 1
One r/RunningShoeGeeks poster says they half jokingly asked Skechers on Twitter when the Aero Elite would release and got October 1 as the answer. The poster admits they have not seen the date anywhere else, and nobody else in the sources confirms it.
Kauai Marathon and Half cancelled the day before the race for a storm
David Monti reports the Kauai Marathon and Half Marathon were cancelled due to an impending storm, with organizers releasing a statement the day before the race. No word in the sources on refunds or a make-up date.