The Biggest Running Stories of 2025: Grand Slam Track Collapse, Harry Styles’ Marathon & What's Next

The Marathon Handbook Podcast breaks down the biggest stories in running from the second half of 2025. From the collapse of the Grand Slam Track League and unpaid athletes, to Harry Styles’ sub-3 marathon, the rise of Conner Mantz, the debate over Sydney as a World Marathon Major, and unforgettable moments from Tokyo Worlds, Chicago, Berlin, New York, and Valencia — we cover it all. Hosts Michael Doyle, Alex Cyr, Katelyn Tocci, and Jessy Carveth debate scandals, elite performances, marathon majors, trail legends like Kilian Jornet, Courtney Dauwalter’s marathon pivot, and what these stories mean for runners heading into 2026. This is a no-holds-barred year-in-review for track, road, and trail running. This episode is presented by Momentous. Use promo code MARATHON for up to 35% off your first order: ⁠livemomentous.com Time-Stamped Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & 2025 Year-in-Review Setup 01:45 – Rise & Collapse of the Grand Slam Track League 08:30 – Athlete Pay, Bankruptcy & Trust Issues 15:55 – Sydney Marathon Becomes a World Marathon Major 27:50 – Tokyo World Championships: Best Performances & Grades 46:10 – Trail Worlds: Jim Walmsley & Katie Schide 48:20 – Berlin Marathon: Heat, Sawe & Harry Styles’ Sub-3 54:10 – Chicago Marathon: Kiplimo, Conner Mantz & American Records 01:07:00 – Are World Marathon Majors Getting Too Big? 01:10:30 – Kilian Jornet’s 14ers Project 01:12:10 – Courtney Dauwalter’s Marathon Experiments 01:19:30 – New York City Marathon: Records & Kipchoge’s Farewell 01:32:45 – Enhanced Games Controversy 01:38:30 – Valencia Marathon: Fastest Race in the World? 01:42:20 – Should Valencia Be a World Marathon Major? 01:44:30 – Biggest Running Story of 2025 (Final Takes) 01:50:00 – Closing & What’s Next for 2026 📩 Questions about training, race previews, or to send us your hot takes? Email us at podcast@marathonhandbook.com. 🎤 Leave us a voice memo for our mailbag episodes: marathonhandbook.com/podcast 📸 Instagram: @marathon.handbook 📘 Facebook: @marathonhandbook 📰 Join 265,000+ runners getting our daily newsletter: marathonhandbook.com/newsletter 👍 Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments. 🎧 Audio version available wherever you get podcasts + watch the video version on Spotify. 📺 Subscribe on YouTube for weekly running deep dives. #RunningPodcast #Marathon #TrackAndField #RunningNews #MarathonMajors #running #marathon #EliteRunning #TrailRunning #HarryStyles #Kipchoge #ConnerMantz