Coffee with Larry, Episode 827, December 22, 2025, Some awards stuff, Noah Lyles, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden!

Coffee with Larry, December 22, 2025, Episode 827, Awards

This is #CoffeewithLarry for Episode 827, December 22, 2025.
#CoffeewithLarry is sponsored by #BrooksRunning, #VerilyStoryworks, #NIKE, and #OOFOS!

1. Dubai Marathon, a long-time sponsor, is back! The Dubai Marathon is celebrating its 25th anniversary on 1 February 2026! Register at www.dubaimarathon.org! If you can not run the 2k, 10k, or marathon, you can watch the streaming LIVE coverage, sponsored by www.ASICS.com on February 1 in the US, watch for updates at www.runblogrun.com !

Buta Gemechu en route to his win at 2025 Dubai, photo by Giancarlo Columbo/Dubai Marathon

2. Congrats to Noah Lyles on winning the Jesse Owens Award.

Noah communicates, New Balance Indoor Grand Prix
Track & Field meet
February 2, 2025
Boston,MA USA, photo by Kevin R. Morris

3. Congrats to Melissa Jefferson-Wooden for winning the JJK Award!

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden made history, after her 200m win, photo by Brian Eder for RunBlogRun

4. The NXN, now in its 20th year, was FANTASTIC! Watch the replay at www.NIKECrossNationals.com ! Held on 6 December, Jackson Spencer and Natasza Dudek, with Niwot setting the boys’ low score record (61) and Wayzata winning the girls team, 142-147 (against Niwot).

Natazsa Dudek, Blair Bartlett go one, two, NXN Girls Championships race, December 6, 2025, NXN, photo by Brian Eder @cameraathletica for RunBlogRun

5. The #BrookXC championships saved the legacy of the #FootLockerXC. In its first year, the BrooksXCNationals had great races, with Jackson Spencer becoming the first boys winner of both NXN and Brooks (formerly Foot Locker), since 2009, that was Lukas Verzbicas! On the girls’ side, Natasza Dudek won both NXN and Brooks XC, the first girl to EVER do that in the same year! Learn more about Brooks at www.soundrunning.com

6. RAK Half Marathon, where I will be in February is February 14, 2026, learn more at www.rakhalfmarathon.com !

7. Dubai Marathon has a new presenting sponsor, www.ASICSrunning.com ! (ASICS Middle East) for 2026-2028.

8. Robert Johnson on www.Letsrun.com made comments on www.Citiusmag.com and their pending IOU from Grand Slam Track for $272,000.

10. Great performances by USATF XC events in Portland!

11. Learn more about the Legacy of #JimThorpe at www.Republic.com and www.VerilyStoryworks.com !
See you on the next episode of #CoffeewithLarry, Episode 828!

12. Please check out the issues 1-12 from Brooks on Coaching, https://www.runblogrun.com/2025/12/the-brooks-run-guide-a-brooks-coaching-newsletter-back-issues-1-12-fall-winter-2025.html?swcfpc=1

Jaeyln Willians, third place, Brooks Cross Country Championship Final
San Diego, CA, USA
December 13, 2025, photo by Kevin Morris for Brooks XC.

13. NIKE does a cross-country newsletter with Runblogrun, here’s the link to our interviews with SWOOSH Track club athletes! https://www.runblogrun.com/2025/12/thejourneytocompete-cross-country-cross-country-training-tips-from-the-members-of-the-swoosh-track-club-flagstaff.html?swcfpc=1

14. Some honest thoughts on advertising and marketing, learning from Letsrun.com and our transparency on marketing and advertising!

15. Make sure that you check out www.OOFOS.com, they are all about All Day Recovery!

#running, #crosscountryrunning, #NXN, #BrooksXc, #DubaiMarathon, #RAKHalfMarathon, #ASICSruning, #Verilystoryworks,

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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