Running is a massive participation sport. About 50 million Americans (or 15 percent of the U.S. population) participate in some form of running, according to a 2020 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

Yet very few elite runners are true household names these days. Sure, there might be some stories that capture the world’s attention, usually around the Olympic Games, but overall there is a disconnect between running for yourself and being a true fan of the sport.

Our guest on today’s episode of the Run to the Top Podcast is out to change that. Chris Chavez is a writer for Sports Illustrated and is the founder of Citius Mag, a track and field media triumvirate of podcast, blog, and YouTube channel.

Chris’s mission with Citius Mag is to share and grow the passion for track and field into a thriving community. What’s even more interesting is that Citius Mag has grown from a way for Chris to report more on the sport, to becoming one of the leading media players in track and field. And he’s not even 30.

In this episode, we talk about:

• why track and field is such a great spectator sport and why it falls short creating fans
• how better storytelling and new ways to reach audiences is changing that, and
• Coach Claire also asks him about his viral stunt last year racing Malcolm Gladwell, another literary track and field nerd, in the mile.

This was such a fun conversation and if you are not already a fan of track and field, this just might change your mind.

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