#CoffeewithLarry, Episode 824, All about cross-country, NIKE Cross Nationals and Brooks XC, Diane Leather, and a Mike Fanelli story

Coffee with Larry , 15 December 2025, Episode 824, the domestic cross-country season is over (except for the Worlds) , Euro XC champs, BrooksXC, USATFXC, deep thoughts! plus Celebrating Diane Leather!

This is #CoffeewithLarry for Episode 824, December 15, 2025.

2025-2026 Active Recovery from Cross-Country, December 30, 2025, Week 3, Day 2, A third week of rest, Tuesday is the second day of the week.

The 2025 Brooks XC Championships, presented by Fleet Feet Sports, Results and the BIG STORY

The 2025 Brooks XC Regional Championships (November 29-December 6, 2025), presented by Fleet Feet Sports, Midwest, SouthEast, NorthEast, West

#CoffeewithLarry is sponsored by #BrooksRunning, #VerilyStoryworks, #NIKE, and #OOFOS!

1. Dubai Marathon, a long-time sponsor, has its 25th anniversary marathon 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!

Seiji Hori
President at ASICS Arabia FZE signs Presenting sponsor contract for Dubai Marathon with Race Director, Peter Connerton, photo by Dubai Marathon

2. 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).

Pump it up! NXN Girls Championships race, December 6, 2025, NXN, photo by Brian Eder @cameraathletica for RunBlogRun

3. 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

Natasza Dudek takes the win, Brooks Cross Country Championship Final
San Diego, CA, USA
December 13, 2025, photo by Kevin Morris for Brooks XC

4. Thinking of Diane Leather, first woman to break five minutes for the mile way back in 1954, https://www.runblogrun.com/2025/06/celebrating-the-71rst-anniversary-of-diane-leather-breaking-the-5-minute-mile-barrier-by-peter-john-l-thompson.html

Diane Leather, first women under 5 minutes in mile, 1955, photo by British Athletics/Getty

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

Alex Matata wins the 2025 RAK Half Marathon, photo by Giancarlo Colombo for Ras AL Khaimah

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

7. You can watch replay of Brooks XC on www.flotrack.com !

8. Great performances by USATF XC events in Portland!

9. Learn more about the Legacy of #JimThorpe at www.Republic.com and www.VerilyStoryworks.com !

10. Special thanks to NIKE for their continued support! Learn more at www.nikerunning.com

11. Spoke of SPAR European Athletics Cross Country Champs, check out stores and video clips at www.european-athletics.com

See you on next episode of #CoffeewithLarry, for Episode 825!

#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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