Houston Half Marathon Shockers, Burrito League Chaos & Records Fall Worldwide | The Running Story

The Running Story is Marathon Handbook’s weekly running news recap, breaking down the biggest stories from across track, road, and ultra running. This week, hosts Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth unpack a wild start to the running year: a historic Houston Half Marathon debut by Habtom Samuel, a big breakthrough performance by a new American marathon star, a grassroots “Burrito League” replacing the Chipotle Strava Challenge, Beatrice Chebet stepping away from the track, a controversial ultra runner attempting a massive endurance stunt, and European records falling at the Valencia 10K. From elite marathons and Olympic implications to Strava segments, ultra running drama, and world-class performances, this is everything runners need to know — in one place. 00:00 Intro 00:45 Houston Half Marathon Shockers 02:55 American & Canadian Breakthroughs 03:30 Women’s Houston Half Highlights 04:10 Houston Marathon – Women’s Race 05:20 Houston Marathon – Men’s Race & Olympic Implications 06:50 The Burrito League Explained 10:15 Beatrice Chebet Steps Away in 2026 12:35 Who Fills the 5K & 10K Void? 13:45 Mission America & Ultra Running Controversy 16:50 Valencia 10K Records Fall 18:55 European Record Performances Breakdown 20:55 Final Thoughts 📅 New episodes every Monday 🎙️ Available on YouTube & the Marathon Handbook Podcast feed