Chicago week! Aisha is fresh off a hair appointment and attempting to preserve the blowout via silk pillowcases, a sleeping rod, and the full Jason-from-Halloween night routine. Eric completed a ten-mile run this week. The live show is in five days. There is a lot more to discuss.

In this week's episode:

– Chicago live show is on Friday, October 9th, sold out: Put your name on the waitlist in case of drops. Under Armour is supporting the show. Sharon Lokedi is the guest and she's racing Chicago for the first time. She has won two Bostons and debuted with a New York win, and is going for a fast time on a flat course for the first time in her career. Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/off-the-rails-live-in-chicago-presented-by-under-armour-tickets-2002158580210

– The hair appointment and the Korean beauty deep dive

– Voicemail: A formal grievance on the ATHLOS London red carpet from a listener from the Rail Rider collective calls in to say Eric should have been on that red carpet, Air Force Ones, gold chain, the whole thing. He is the cult leader. He represents the gang. What happened?

– Marathon update — Eric's current situation: Ten miles was the long run this week. Eric needs: a baggie of Zalt (tryzalt.com, code OTR10, 10% off, stacks with everything), lots of gels, Vaseline, nipple band-aids, phone as life alert. He is going to be running with a Santa Sack.

– NYRR's brand ban

– We need a CITIUS MAG technical meeting for a pre-race pasta party technical meeting to go over race day logistics.

– Chicago forecast: 77 degrees.

– Caller Abby's proposal voicemail: She ran 2:56 at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, broke three hours, and got engaged that same afternoon — the family that had "come to watch the race" was actually there for the proposal.

– Aisha's Proposal Story

– Revisiting Tigst Assefa's Berlin Marathon win and the Achilles question: She won in 2:11:04, the third-fastest women's marathon ever, on what turned out to be a progressively rupturing Achilles.

– Voicemail: A listener's daughter asks to drink the shower water. Also: This caller saw an Instagram ad saying Nike AlphaFly and Vaporfly users who suffered injuries may be entitled to significant compensation. Is this a real class action?

– The Execution Attempt on Christa Pike: Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike was halted after she survived the administration of pentobarbital.

– The Cornell Seven: 7 former and current members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell University accused of sexually assaulting a female student at their fraternity house in October 2024.

– Cross-country runner hit by a falling tree in Allentown, Pennsylvania

– Voicemail: Fat Bear Week; Jury duty after breaking three in Berlin; The Sisterhood of the Traveling Flag; Anonymous voicemail about Will Leer

🍉 This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM
🛒 Get your Off The Rails merch here: https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/

🍫 This episode is brought to you by Unhinged.

Try their chef-crafted bar with the caffeine of an espresso in it. 11–14g protein, 7–8g fiber. No crash. Try them today. Promo code CITIUS20 for 20% off all orders at AlwaysUnhinged.com

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

A nor'easter that didn't deliver brought Eric Jenkins to the microphone slightly dehydrated, slightly tired from a night with the boys, running a maximum of four miles this week, and with a 3:30 marathon goal that may have shifted to four hours or something in that vicinity. The episode goes extremely Off the Rails from the start. Buckle up.

Discussed in this episode:

– Eric's marathon update: He is running. Four miles is the current long run. The 3:30 goal may have shifted.

– Chicago live show is sold out! Waitlist available for those who missed out. Check it out here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/off-the-rails-live-in-chicago-presented-by-under-armour-tickets-2002158580210?aff=oddtdtcreator

– The Avengers and Disney Channel original movies rankings

– The Strait of Hormuz is still closed and Iran was offered a seven-day plan. Trump said it was unacceptable.

– CNN headline: "Kash Patel Defends Removing Bestiality as Automatic Disqualifier for FBI Applicants." Both hosts process this live.

– An update on the Lindsay Clancy case: Mistrial declared, one holdout juror. The holdout is being attacked online.

– Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, and the shaved head: Macklemore spoke out in support of Palestine at a show. Robert Kraft's venues made clear they wouldn't host the tour with Macklemore opening. Ed dropped Macklemore. Macklemore donated over a million dollars in tour earnings to Palestinian organizations. Ed apologized emotionally at a concert and shaved his head.

– Berlin Marathon results: Tigst Assefa wins in 2:11:04 — third-fastest women's marathon ever. Won by almost six minutes. Was on world record pace deep into the race but faded slightly in the final kilometers.

– Chicago Marathon preview:

Men's highlights: Jacob Kiplimo (2:00), Amos Kipruto (2:01), Bashir Abdi (2:03), Charles Hicks (2:04), Clayton Young going for the American record, Vinny Mauri (self-coached, ASICS just signed him, soloed 2:05 on a bike path), Galen Rupp + more. The American record is genuinely in play with this field on a favorable day.

Women's highlights: Twelve women sub-2:20 in the field. Bridget Kosgei returns to where she broke the marathon world record. Sharon Lokedi with her PR of 2:17:22, going for a flat course time — genuinely going after something new after dominating on Boston and New York's hilly profiles.. Emma Grace Hurley is coming off a massive Copenhagen half just three weeks ago.

– Josh Kerr time trial dropped:

– Voicemails: A caller from Hawaii asks about the handicap format, world record potential, and other distances that might work in a handicap race like the Merrie Mile; Gabby in Burlington asks whether either host ever wished they'd had a rehearsal for a moment in their running career; Christina in Oakland wore her This Gig Is Hell cap to a playground meetup with fellow parents; A caller says she is running a spite marathon from a recent divorce and was invited to the NYRR gala the Thursday before the New York City Marathon and wonders if she can go without a plus one.

– Coming up: Chicago Marathon and the live show. Eric's training this week. Cycling World Championships results.

🍉 This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Perfect for long runs, hot days, post-race, or the day after a wedding. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM
🛒 Get your Off The Rails merch here: https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

Both hosts just off planes. Aisha has a girls' weekend voice situation — no sexy raspy, just middle school puberty cracking. Eric went to Athlos London for 48 hours, did not walk the red carpet, and ate approximately four bacon sandwiches.

Discussed in this episode:

– Eric at Athlos London — the full debrief: 48 hours. Tate Modern Museum. Saint Paul's Cathedral (almost broke down from the beauty). Camden neighborhood. No red carpet — didn't have the right fit, a decision Aisha processes audibly in real time.

– Athlos race highlights: Sha'Carri Richardson, women's 100m, 10.8; Keely Hodgkinson wins the women's 800m in 1:56 in a Nike speed suit (the big fashion moment of the meet); Claudia Kązmierska wins the women's mile for three big ones in a row + more

– Chris and Kari are having a baby: The CITIUS MAG overlords are growing by one. Both hosts are genuinely thrilled and genuinely aware that as soon as this baby talks, their jobs are in jeopardy. A baby with Chris Chavez's curiosity and Kari's musical ability and on the CITIUS MAG mic within six months: they are cooked.

– The Emmys: Drama series: The Pit wins big. The Diplomat is one of Aisha's favorite shows ever. Comedy: Widows Bay wins — Eric has seen it, recommends it, it's on Apple TV.

– Mitch McConnell memes

– Boulder dog guardianship law: In Boulder, you are not an owner of a dog. You are a dog guardian. City ordinance.

– Marathon training — Eric's update: Calves at approximately 82%. Running is scheduled for this week. He will be the most undertrained person on the start line of the New York City Marathon.

– World Road Running Championships, Copenhagen:

• Agnes Ngetich — new women's half marathon world record, 65:15

• Andreas Almgren — men's half marathon win, European record 58:06

• Men's road mile — Robert Farken’s biggest win

• Women's road mile — Agathe Guillemot of France wins

• Men's 5K — Jakob Ingebrigtsen gets upset

• Women's 5K —Likina Amebaw with three consecutive major wins to end the season

• American women's half — Emma Grace Hurley, Weini Kelati, Jess McLean go 5-6-7: First time three Americans have broken 67 minutes in the same race. Emma Grace moves to approximately third on the US all-time list.

• The World Athletics website replay package: Aisha watched the whole thing at 2x speed on the plane and notes that World Athletics has a clean, well-curated replay package on their website that goes: full race, a bit of the celebration, interview with the winner, next race. Tight and polished. Nobody needs to hunt for bootleg streams.

– The Nike Elite camp story: Content warning: This story involves an allegation of sexual assault at the Nike Elite camp on Fourth of July weekend, involving two high school athletes.

– Off the Rails Live, Chicago — October 9th: Free tickets drop Thursday, September 24th at noon Eastern. Set an alarm.

– Voicemails: Non-runner filing whereabouts for their sport wants to know how to handle camping and backpacking; Jess from Arizona on Keely doing Femke's makeup in the call room and Rai and Dos Santos doing rock-paper-scissors in the semis to determine the finish order; Michaela from Brooklyn who ran a group long run with her run club, slowly realized a woman who looked familiar was someone who had ghosted her cold on Hinge.
📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

🍉 This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Perfect for long runs, hot days, post-race, or the day after a wedding. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Eric Jenkins and Aisha Praught-Leer are back for a Monday edition of Off the Rails (sorry for the one-day delay). Aisha is fresh off her broadcast debut on the Fifth Avenue Mile, Eric is packing for London and there's a full weekend of World Ultimate to unpack.

Discussed in this episode:

– Aisha's big girl broadcast: Her first capital-J-O-B TV gig on the Fifth Avenue Mile stream alongside Carrie Tollefson. 10,000 buttons in the truck, 98% humidity, no hair and makeup, and a Monica Geller hair situation that grew an inch every 15 minutes. Self-graded an A for effort, B for execution.

– Fifth Avenue Mile recap: Jemma Reekie wins in a course record 4:13.9 for her third Fifth Ave title. Marco Langon takes the men's race over Jake Heyward, Adam Spencer and Stefan Nillessen, then delivers the post-race interview heard around the world — an F-bomb, a shit and an ass on live TV while Ali Feller tries to hold it together. Nobody warned the truck there was a loose cannon coming.

– World Ultimate delivered: A polished first-year event that felt championship-esque — no prelims, straight to the good stuff. Aisha dares to ask whether we even need the 10-day World Championships anymore.

– Free Mondo: His theme song performance did not go well, and it wasn't his fault. Eric presents his PR fixes.

– Beers with the boys: Mondo and Alison dos Santos both had one post-race agenda item.

– AI is going to kill us all by 2030

– The Hyrox poop incident: A competitor in China had an accident mid-race and kept going. The venue had to be torn down. Eric may or may not be consulting for Hyrox on a poop rule.

– Men's 5000m at World Ultimate: No pacers, still sub-13. Jakob's best kick in years, sit-and-kick is apparently fine when it's the 5K. Jakob vs. Cole, continued.

– Men's 1500m: Josh Kerr closes in a 1:47 last 800 for what's now a business-as-usual win. Josh Kerr's betting odds had him 13th in a field of 12.

– Women's 1500m: Klaudia Kazimierska runs away from Georgia Hunter Bell in 3:57.55 — breakout star of the year, back-to-back wins over the Diamond League Final and World Ultimate.

– Men's 800m: Marco Arop takes it out honest and it takes a Djamel Sedjati kick from the depths of hell to catch him.

– Women's 800m: Audrey Werro, Keely Hodgkinson and Femke Bol go 1:55.8 / 1:56.2 / 1:56.7.

– Quick hits: Kenny Bednarek's 19.52, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden's 21.47 double into a headwind, Rai Benjamin's 400/400H double, Alison dos Santos' crown earring (a listener also wants to discuss the minion earring), Gabby Thomas' leading question about coaches with suspensions, and the field events finally getting the storytelling they deserve.

– Athlos London preview: Eric will be eating beans on baked potatoes and minced beef pies with green sauce because British food TikTok has taken over his algorithm.

– World Road Running Championships, Copenhagen

– Voicemails: Someone swiped left on Eric on Hinge in 2021 because of too many running pictures; Harry Styles' MSG residency ends October 31 and the rumor is he's running NYC on November 1. Do you abandon your race plan to get pictures with him?What are your comfort shows?

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

🍉 This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Perfect for long runs, hot days, post-race, or the day after a wedding. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Aisha Praught-Leer and Eric Jenkins are back for Labor Day weekend, both in new Off the Rails merch, planning a crew neck, and eight weeks from the New York City Marathon.

Discussed in this episode:

– Marathon training — Eric's current status: Eight weeks out. Biking heavily while reintroducing the calf to running. Eric is on a bicycle.

– Dejon Love — the 49ers scam: A man who posed as a San Francisco 49ers player for multiple years, posting beach workout videos in a football helmet and employing a teenage "money man" as his business partner, stole approximately $1.3 million from women through romance and investment schemes.

– US Open weed-smoking drama: Players including Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have spoken about people smoking weed courtside and influencers being loud during serves.

– Lindsay Clancy — mistrial declared: Jury of nine women and three men deliberated seven days after five weeks of testimony. Told the judge by note on Friday: we cannot reach a decision. Mistrial.

– RIP Gloria Steinem

– Brussels Diamond League recap

• Men's 1500m — Cam Myers wins

• The post-race drama — Jakob Ingebrigtsen vs. Cole Hocker

• The implication for World Ultimate: Josh Kerr is sitting back, loving all of this drama. Cole is in Budapest. Jakob is in Budapest. Yared is in Budapest. Josh is in Budapest. The men's 1500 is going to be the race of the year.

• Women's 800: Audrey Werro 1:54.75, Femke Bol 1:54.81.

• Women's 1500: Klaudia Kązmierska wins in 3:54.05.

• The TikTok: Dos Santos, Masai Russell, and Jacoby Tharp did a group TikTok dance at the Diamond League final. Three world record holders, one TikTok.

– Clayton Young going after Connor Mantz's American marathon record in Chicago:

– Voicemails: Jill from Atlanta planning to attend the 2028 Olympic Trials in Eugene with husband and two young kids; Alex from Chicago wonders about a retired athlete drug testing loophole; Charlie's post-collegiate cross country question; Daniel from Austin on comment sections and the audiobook stolen valor debate

This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Perfect for long runs, hot days, post-race, or the day after a wedding. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM

Aisha Praught-Leer and Eric Jenkins record on the last day of August, which emotionally already feels like fall because the bear is back at the Leers'. Eric just came off the Fairgrounds 5K and Mile in Maine.

Discussed in this episode:

– The bear is back and bolder: Same bear, or so the North Boulder neighborhood assumes. Will had had a stiff spicy marg and was deep in a pleasant summer walk vibe. Cell phone camera reveals two beady eyes. They back up. The bear doesn't leave. Neighbor kid in an electric Volkswagen gets flagged down: "Boy, it's a big one."

– Eric's predators in New Hampshire: Bears (less intense than Colorado). Fisher cats (weasel family, mean, would eat a small dog). Great white sharks now coming north as the Atlantic warms — Seacoast New Hampshire and Maine waters are apparently attractive to them now.

– Fairgrounds 5K and Mile, Portland Maine: Horse racing track, approximately 800 meters around.

– Aisha explains that she cannot swim: She is very dense. She goes straight to the bottom like an anchor.

– Marathon training — Eric's update: Something is off in his foot and ankle. He pushed his long run. He is still clean. He is not ready to be coached. He's going to lean heavily on the New York crowd energy and his training partners.

– Banned substances sidebar: Aisha opens up more about the IVF journey in this context — fertility medications that stimulate ovulation are very much on the banned list, and the experience of taking them gives you genuine visceral understanding of why they're banned.

– Dolly Parton passes away at 80: After a brief battle with cancer. Icon, philanthropist, advocate, great all-around human.

– Usain Bolt proposes: Thirteen years, three kids (a daughter and twin sons), and during his fortieth birthday celebration, he finally put a ring on it.

– Mondo's latest music: "Location" slaps

– The robots: Lightning and friends. They can sprint but cannot stop — they run full speed into the padded wall at the finish line and become a dust cloud of metal.

– Zurich Diamond League — two world records in the hurdles: Alison Dos Santos, 45.80 — men's 400 hurdles WR + Masai Russell, 12.09 — women's 100 hurdles WR

– Cole Hocker gets his first Diamond League victory: Classic Cole race. On the rail. Gets a bit boxed. Refuses to leave. The lane opens on the inside, Cole passes through, wins.

– Femke Bol's training paces — the internet discourse: Preet interviewed Femke and she shared her training paces. Long runs at 5:30 per kilometer (8:51 mile pace). Threshold at 4:30 per kilometer (7:14 mile pace).

– Women's 800m at Zurich: Audrey Werro 1:53.70 — third fastest performance ever. Femke Bol 1:54.71 personal best. Georgia Hunter-Bell 1:55 season's best.

– Parker Wolfe wins the Zurich 3000m for second fastest 3K ever by an American: Graham Blanks immediately behind him for the American 1-2. Over Cam Myers, who was probably the pre-race favorite. Parker Wolfe just has it. He's a winner.

– PSA — ATHLOS New York is cancelled

☎ Voicemails: Jack from Dublin asks what's the craziest thing you've seen at a start line; Lucy from Philadelphia shares her experience from four weeks on a murder trial; Katie and Emily from Vermont asked about favorite high school cross country memories; someone else calls with a competitor-turned-friend question

🛒 Get your Off The Rails merch here: https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

Aisha Praught-Leer and Eric Jenkins discuss all the week's happenings including the half marathon world record being broken, the Silesia Diamond League and some updates on Eric Jenkins' marathon training.

Discussed in this episode:

– Eric's marathon build — current status: Ten miles. High 8:30 average. Ninety minutes. First double-digit run in possibly two years.

– Yomif Kejelcha, half marathon world record, 56:51: Set at the Buenos Aires Marathon. Took 21 seconds off Kiplimo's 57:20 from Lisbon in March. Was checking his watch the whole race, fully aware. Post-race quote included the phrase "full of beans" — not a fueling strategy, a British idiom meaning full of energy and enthusiasm, which neither host had ever encountered before.

– Harry and Meghan moving back to the UK: Short-term, up to six months, keeping the Montecito mansion. Nobody knows why.

– Tupac murder trial: Dwayne Davis, accused of the 1996 drive-by shooting, has pleaded not guilty. Conspiracy theories about Diddy resurfacing.

– Lindsay Clancy case: Duxbury, Massachusetts. Pleading not guilty by reason of insanity — postpartum psychosis and a combination of medications. Mother-in-law testified in her defense that she was begging for help beforehand. Husband has since remarried. Netflix series incoming.

– Casey Musgraves and the disco balls: She opened her tour perched atop giant testicle-shaped disco balls.

– Diamond League recap: Ethan Strand wins the men's 1500 in a loaded field featuring Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Cole Hocker; American men went 2-3-4 in the Lausanne 5000m (Parker Wolf, Nico Young, Graham Blanks); Tsige Duguma wins the women's 1500 with a last-50m burst that nobody saw coming; El Bakkali gets beaten in the steeple for the third time in four years; Marco Arop goes out in 48.5 through 400 meters in the men's 800 and goes for the world record — doesn't get it but the bravery is noted; Rai Benjamin's flat 400 is real; Femke Bol is getting exponentially better every race in the 800m

– Why changing your running form is harder than it sounds: Aisha shares her drill philosophy from her days with coach Mark Rowland

– New York City Marathon elite field announced

– Jenny Simpson speaks publicly: Diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy — scar tissue in the heart causing an arrhythmia.

– Voicemails include: A former shot-putter explains why throwing is the objectively superior sport; best competition roommates; and some surprises from Eric and Aisha's Wikipedia pages.

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

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⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

Listening to “Off The Rails with Eric and Aisha” while running may result in uncontrollable laughter, side stitches, funny looks from strangers, and the occasional trip hazard due to snort-laughing mid-stride. Proceed with caution—and maybe stretch your abs beforehand. Use caution when wearing earbuds in public places—people will wonder if you’re okay. You are. You’re just having a really good time.