Coffee with Larry, December 20, 2025, Episode 826, All About Brooks XC, the Tragedy of Grand Slam Track!

Coffee with Larry, December 20, 2025, Episode 826, all about Brooks XC, the tragedy of Grand Slam Track!

This is #CoffeewithLarry for Episode 826, December 20, 2025.
#CoffeewithLarry is sponsored by #BrooksRunning, #VerilyStoryworks, #NIKE, and #OOFOS!

2026 Winter Middle Distance Training (800m-5,000m), Monday, February 3, 2026, Week 5, Day 2, Tempo Day is Tuesday!

From Hocker’s Breakthrough to Myers’ Arrival, Millrose delivers again

#CoffeewithLarry, Episode 844, February 3, 2026, Dubai Marathon sweeps by Ethiopia, Superb Millrose Games, off to Madrid for Madrid Indoor Meeting!

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 !

ASICS is official sponsor of Dubai Marathon, from 2026-2028! photo by ASICS and Dubai Marathon

2. Some deep thoughts on #PEETSCoffee! www.peetscoffee.com

3. My love of the Brooks Christmas sweater from a few years ago! Special thanks to Derek Lactoan and Garrett Heath! #Brooksrunning

4. The NXN, now in its 20th year, was FANTASTIC! Watch the replace 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).

Teams line up, 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 XC (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

The Girls Championship race, photo 1, Brooks XC Championships, presented by Fleet Feet, photo by Kevin Morris for Brooks XC

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.

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

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 824!

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

Julian Florez, Brooks Run Guide #9, artwork by

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

Yusuf Bizimana, SWOOSH Track Club, November 22, 2025, photo by Larry Eder @runblogrun

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

15. Special added story: Story about how Reebok Running (John Rogers, Mike Roche) saved my fingers!

Sydney Maree ad, from Reebok, was on back cover of Runner’s World for two years

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

OOFOS Club +, the ultimate in comfort recovery, photo by OOFOS

17. The raging tragedy of Grand Slam Track. The tragedy is about all the athletes, vendors and staff who will be screwed. MJ took some chances that he did not have a checkbook for, and he is now at the kindness of possible debtors in possession. The bankruptcy will be ugly and public.

The 3000m finish! Grand Slam Track Meet 2
Miramar, Florida, USA
May 2-4, 2025, photo by Kevin Morris

#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."

View all posts