NIKE XC Newsletter, #TheJourneytoCompete, A cross-country newsletter, Issue 16, January 23, 2026

#TheJourneytoCompete:

Your NIKE Cross-Country/Track & Field Newsletter, Issue #16,

January 23, 2026

Indoor season is on!

Maggi Congdon sets meet records in Mile and 800 meters at Washington Indoor Preview!

#TheJourneytoCompete is a celebration of all things athletics (cross-country and track and field), now focused on Indoor Track & Field, and a collaboration between #NIKErunning and #RunBlogRun.

We will publish #JourneytoCompete: Indoors weekly, on Fridays, from January 23, 2026, to March 15, 2026! To subscribe, send an email with your email address to: runblogrun@gmail.com.

We will sign you up!

We will post archived copies of the NIKE Newsletter at runblogrun.com and RunningNetwork.com.

Deep thoughts from Steve Prefontaine, Quote #16

Steve Prefontaine learned real fast that he had to really focus on being his best in high school. As a sophomore, Steve did not make the high school track state meet. The truth was, he should have, but it just did not work out. Steve was really bummed, but he focused and trained all summer, asking his coach for workouts and actually listening to his coach. It was a huge lesson for Steve Prefontaine.

Years later, Steve's college coach, Bill Dellinger, told this writer that one of the things that Coach Dellinger was impressed about with Steve was that he did not miss a day of training in all four years at the University of Oregon. It is all about consistency.

Steve Prefontaine raced indoors on many occasions, from the mile to the 2-mile. In 1973, at the Portland Indoor, Steve Prefontaine ran a then American record of 8:22.2. On February 17, 1974, Steve Prefontaine set his American indoor record of 8:20.4.

And our quote from Steve Prefontaine for week 16:

"You said I was weak. You said I couldn't do it. Thank you. You gave me everything I needed to prove you wrong." ~ Steve Prefontaine

Jeff Galloway, Steve Prefontaine, Don Kardong, and Paul Geis lining up for 1973 Portland Indoor 2 mile,

photo by Jeff Johnson, curated by Walt Chadwick

NIKE Training Tip #1 for Week 16!

Coach Juli Benson speaks on Training,

artwork by Mike Deering @theShoeAddicts for RunBlogRun

Important NIKE Tip # 1: Rest and Hydration sound simple, but they are key to your success as an athlete.

Remember these tips!

1. For every hard day, take an easy day. On easy days, go really slow, do not worry about the pace, and keep your pace relaxed. Talk during the entire run. It is the ONLY way for you to recover from a hard day!

2. Hydration is the key to your success. Hydration means eight glasses of water a day, at least! Watch soda (they slow down recovery), control the caffeine (it dehydrates) and carry your water bottle everywhere. Want to avoid injuries? Hydrate. Watch your urine. If it is dark yellow, you are dehydrated. Eat fruits and vegetables, green ones, and other colors as well.

Here is how Coach Juli Benson, NIKE NIL coach who advises many of NIKE NIL high school runners, talks about Rest and Hydration:

Watch

Learning from NIKE athletes!

How do you overcome challenges in your life that affect sport?

Learn from Amy Hunt, Katie Moon, Cordell Tinch, Ryan Crouser and

Cooper Lutkenhaus!

Amy Hunt, photo by Brian Eder @CameraAthletica

Amy Hunt, silver medalist at 200 meters, talks about juggling school and being a world-class athlete, and then moving to a new country, with a new coach, to be her best athlete!

Amy Hunt, Student Athlete, UK Style,

by Stuart Weir

This is the Stuart Weir Interview with Amy Hunt, Silver medalist at the 200 meters in Tokyo 2025.

Katie Moon, photo by World Athletics

Katie Moon won the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold and silver at 2024 Paris Olympics, after waking up sick! Katie Moon, one of our favorite NIKE athletes, lives in Oklahoma with her husband, who coaches crew! Katie Moon also took gold medalst in the Eugene 2022, Budapest 2023 and Tokyo 2025 World Champs! Here is how she told Stuart Weir about her experience in Olympics in Paris. It is a good lesson, as even Olympic gold medalists have to compete hard on the tough days!

Katie Moon recalls the 2024 Olympic pole vault final,

by Stuart Weir

Cordell Tinch, photo by Kevin Morris @KevMoFoto

Cordell Tinch, What happens when you want to give up the sport? Check out Cordell Tinch, who, thanks to his Mom and a friend, stayed with the 110-meter hurdles and won the Worlds in Tokyo last September! Now, he's getting ready to race on January 24 in Boston!

From the Factory Floors to World Champion, The Story of Cordell Tinch,

by Deji Ogeyingbo!

Ryan Crouser, photo by World Athletics

Ryan Crouser won the World Champs shot put title, his ONLY competition in 2025, as he was coming back from injuries! Ryan now has won shot put titles in 2022, 2023 and 2025! (Ryan also has won Olympic titles in the shot in 2016, 2021 and 2024!)

"Shot Putting is like Riding a Bike!" Ryan Crouser Talks About His Tokyo Win,

by Stuart Weir

Cooper Lutkenhaus, artwork by Mike Deering @theshoeaddicts for @runblogrun

What is it like for a high schooler to go pro as a NIKE athlete? Cooper Lutkenhaus, the World Junior record holder at 800 meters, is racing at Millrose on February 1!

Here's his Microclip on going pro, Interview by Larry Eder for RunBlogRun.

Watch

NIKE Training Tip #2 for Week #16!

Lining up for the 2025 NIKE Bowerman Mile, July 5, 2025,

photo by Brian Eder @CameraAthletica

Many high school milers make the mistake of running way too fast on lap 1. NIKE NIL Coach Juli Benson, who raced the 1,500m at the Olympics, says you have to train for laps 3 and laps 4. By training and controlling your pace in lap 3 and 4, you will have better success at the mile and 1,500 meters!

Here's the clip:

Discussing the Mistakes Often Made in the Mile Race by High Schoolers,

by Larry Eder

Watch

Need a Track & Field Spike?

Patrick Richie and Natalie Kile take RunBlogRun through the 2026 NIKE Track & Field Spike Line, photo by Mike Deering @theshoeaddicts

Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory,

photo by stadiumjourney.com

Will you make the standards for the NIKE Indoors?

The NIKE Indoors is March 12-15, 2026, at the NIKE Track & Field Armory in New York City!

Here's all that you have to know on the NIKE INDOORS!

https://nikeindoornationals.runnerspace.com/

Track and Field on TV

The New Balance Indoor GP is January 24, 2026. You can watch Jess Hull, Grant Fisher, two NIKE stars on NBC from 2.30-4.30 PM

on NBC!

Jessica Hull wins 3000 meters, 2024 NB Indoor GP, photo by Kevin Morris @KevMoFoto

Last year Grant Fisher and Cole Hocker dueled, with Fisher setting WR at 3,000m! This year they race over 2 miles!

Grant Fisher, Cole Hocker, Millrose Games 2025, photo by Kevin Morris @KevMoFoto

Millrose Games on TV! February 1, 2026, on NBC! Grant Fisher and Cole Hocker lead a fantastic 2 mile field!

EA Indoor meetings, January 19-25, 2026, artwork by European Athletics

23 European Indoor Meets, FREE LIVE Streaming in US! From January 19 to March 7, European Athletics is sponsoring

FREE LIVE Streaming via @YouTube and

www.european-athletics.com

Here's the link on the schedule:

Maggi Congdon, photo by Maggi Congdon

Did you see our ten training tips on making your season better from some of NIKE's best distance runners? Maggi Congdon, who is one

of our athlete interviews, just ran 4:27.77 at the Washington Indoor Preview! Then, Maggi came back and ran 2:00.93 for the 800m at

the same meet, establishing meet records for the MILE and 800m! Maggi competes for NIKE Swoosh TC in Flagstaff, AZ!

Here are the interviews:

Parker Wolfe, shown winning the 2026 USATF XC 10k champs on December 6, 2025,

photo by TrackTown USA

Back Issues for #TheJourneytoCompete: The NIKE Indoor Track & Field Newsletter, Back issues, 1-15:

artwork by Runnerspace/NIKE

You have just read the NIKE XCTF newsletter, issue #16, #TheJourneytoCompete, a newsletter celebration of all things athletics (cross-country and track and field). Have suggestions on what to cover?