Coffee with Larry, Twelve Athletes who enthralled us in 2023, and should go to new heights in 2024 on their Roads to Paris!

This is my daily chat with #RunBlogRun viewers and track fans on all things track & field!

This is #CoffeeWithLarry for Friday, December 29, 2023.

SPAR European Athletics Cross Country Championships News: Battocletti in, is Gressier?

2025 Fall Cross Country & Racing Season, December 3, 2025, Week 14, Day 5, Friday is an easy day!

#TheJourneytoCompete, Interview #4: Drew Bosley, Swoosh Track Club, explains it all, racing indoors, racing cross-country, Drew Bosley, former NAU star, talks cross-country!

Our topics;

1. A story to read on NIKE having a cyclical slump, and
cutting $2 billion in costs, plus rumored layoffs. Want to depress a workforce? Get word out about layoffs during Holiday! Great planning there! https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2023/12/nike-seeks-2-billion-in-cost-savings-over-3-years-confirms-significant-layoffs.html

2. Our 12 Athletes who we enjoyed 2023 and look forward to in #RoadToParis2024

A. Femke Bol, European superstar, two golds at World Champs, Budapest 2023.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – MARCH 04: Femke Bol of the Netherlands celebrates alongside Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands after winning the Women’s 400m Final during Day 2 of the European Athletics Indoor Championships at the Atakoy Arena on March 04, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

B. Sha’Carri Richardson, her year was 2023, and what will she do in 2024. One of my favorite interviews in 2023.

Sha’Carri Richardson, USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Hayward Field, University of Oregon, July 6-10, 2023, photo by Kevin Morris

C. Noah Lyles, three gold medals, his 100m story is still amazing to believe, credit to Lance Brauman, Noah Lyles, his team, and adidas.

Noah Lyles, adidas Atlanta City Games, photo by Kevin Morris

D. Faith Kipyegon, 3 world records, 2 golds, Faith is a great story and a wonderful athlete. I want to see Faith and Gudaf duel over 5000 meters.

Faith Kipyegon, photo by Brian Eder for RunBlogRun

E. Katie Moon. One of the nicest human beings and one of the toughest athletes, always a smile and thoughtful comments. Olympic gold, WC gold.
F. Ryan Crouser, WR holder, shot put, indoor and outdoor, bass fisherman, great guy, wonderful at interviews.
G. Karsten Warholm. The Viking of the hurdles. Olympic gold, WC gold, 3x, WR holder, and thoughtful interviews will be huge stories in Paris.
H. Mondo Duplantis, the genius of the pole vault, hopes he’s around for 3-4 more Olympics, kind person, a tough competitor, and has a great story.

Mondo takes MUNICH 2022, photo 2 by Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/Munich22.

I. Josh is probably the most important story out of Budapest, frustrating that many do not get the focus of Kerr and his coach, Mackey. Watch him in Paris.
J. Rai Benjamin, the amazing story of overcoming absolute
shit. His win in Oregon at Pre was life-changing, watch Warholm vs. Benjamin in #Paris2024.

Rai Benjamin took down the entire field in Eugene in the 400m hurdles, setting an MR Of 46.39, photo by Brian Eder for RunBlogRun.

K. Sydney McLaughlin Levrone, Sydney, and Femke should be a huge story in 2024. Will she stay in sport after 2024?
L. Yared Nuguse, a talented miler. Yared can win an Olympic medal in Paris 2024!
3. The Dubai Marathon is less than two weeks away, www.dubaimarathon.org, on January 7, 2024.
4. NB Indoor Grand Prix is February 4, 2024.
5. The Astana Indoor Meeting is on January 27, 2024, the first World Indoor Tour Gold in Asia!
6. The Olympic Trials marathon is on February 3, 2024, in Orlando.
7. US Indoors is Feb. 16-17, 2024, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, www.usatf.org.

See you tomorrow for #CoffeewithLarry.

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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