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What's Good?

Sunday's racing recap, Ozempic op-eds, Pop-Tart taste-testing, and more food and fitness / technology news

Audrey Watters

13 Oct 2023 — 3 min read

Happy Friday! What's good?

Sunday was a remarkable day for running. Multiple records were broken in Chicago, where 23-year-old Kevin Kiptum set a new world's record for the marathon: 2:00:35. The two-hour marathon threshold — once thought to be an impossible barrier to break — seems assured to fall soon. (Of course, Eliud Kipchoge, the previous world record holder, has already run 26.2 miles in under two hours, but not during an officially-sanctioned race.) Sifan Hassan ran the race in 2:13:44 — a course record and the second fastest marathon ever for a woman. Catherine Debrunner also set the course record in the women's wheelchair competition, finishing in 1:38:44. Marcel Hug broke the course record — his own — for the men's wheelchair competition, coming in at 1:22:37. Des Linden, who just turned 40, set the American masters record by running 2:27:35. Jeannie Rice, 75, broke the women’s masters world record in the 75-79 bracket with a time of 3:34:32. Gene Dykes, also 75, set an American marathon masters record in his age bracket with a time of 3:17:01. Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel finished eighth overall with a personal best of 2:23:07. (The profile of Seidel in Runner's World is worth reading.)

Meanwhile, I ran the Staten Island Half Marathon with a personal best of 1:51:19, coming in 39th in my age group.

Reminder: it doesn't actually matter how fast you ran. If you laced up for any distance, at any pace, under any circumstances, you're a star. It takes a lot of determination to show up. And while I think we can applaud the fastest among us, we can also work to make the sport — all sports, ideally — a place where everyone is welcome and all bodies at all speeds feel safe.

Elsewhere in running news: The Washington Post profiles non-binary runner Cal Calamia (who ran Chicago in 2:48:00) and argues they have changed the sport, having gained an exemption for their use of testosterone from the U.S. Anti-Doping agency. "I Ran While Pregnant," Stephanie Bruce relates. "The Internet Had Thoughts." The Wall Street Journal on the cancellation of the Twin Cities Marathon: "On Your Marks, Get Set—Wait, It’s Too Hot." "My first marathon was canceled," writes Teddy Amenabar. "I ran 26.2 miles anyway."

In other sports news: Simone Biles. GOAT. When in doubt, profile the team mascot, I guess? More thoughts on the NFL / Taylor Swift nexus. "How Much Yoga Does It Take to Be a Human Cannonball?" asks The Wall Street Journal. A lot? (Be sure to check out this week’s Second Breakfast podcast, with yogi Margarita Smith.)

Meanwhile, in the realm of the health and wellness hustle: The Washington Post looks at "How Red-State Politics Are Shaving Years Off American Lives." "The Company That Defined Dieting Is Sorry It Told Us to Have More Willpower." (That'd be Weight Watchers, FWIW.) Christine Yu has part 2 of her analysis of the International Olympic Committee's recent statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). In case you were looking for THE op-ed on Ozempic, Tressie McMillan Cottom wrote it: "Ozempic Can’t Fix What Our Culture Has Broken." The latest Maintenance Phase podcast episode is also on Ozempic. (I haven't listened yet.) I've noticed lots of new narratives about the drug — "Ozempic Is Making People Buy Less Food, Walmart Says" is one example. I'm sorry, what?! I think it's worth considering two key thing before getting swept up in the hype — particularly hype that this is somehow transforming the economy/the food industry/the weight loss industry/healthcare etc: 1) Ozempic is outrageously expensive. 2) it's an injection. For those two reasons alone, it's not close to the miracle/revolution that some folks are presenting it as. Just because some rich white people are thinner doesn't mean everything has changed, yo. Indeed, read Tressie to see why the narratives (and realities) surrounding the drug are anything but radical.