🏃 Welcome to Your Weekly Endurance Briefing

Welcome to your weekly endurance briefing, courtesy of Marathon Journal. Each Monday, we bring you the latest news, stories, race reviews, and gear insights from the world of running and endurance sports.

INTERVIEWS & FEATURES

1. A Chicago Recap with Dakotah Popehn

Fresh off her incredible performance as the second American woman across the finish line at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, elite marathoner Dakotah Popehn sat down with us for an exclusive Q&A.

She opens up about battling 60-degree heat, managing a cranky hamstring nerve with teammate and pacer Rory Linkletter, and the exact visual grounding techniques she uses when a race gets dark at mile 21. Plus, she gives us an insider preview of her upcoming memoir, You Think This Hurts.

👉 [Read the Full Interview on Marathon Journal →]

SUSTAINABILITY & TECH

2. Inside Chicago’s Cupless Hydration Pilot: 122,000 Cups Saved

Is the humble paper cup finally on its way out at World Marathon Majors? At the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, over 32,000 runners utilized four Culligan self-serve water refill stations, eliminating 122,048 single-use paper cups and dispensing over 3,800 gallons of filtered water on course.

To see if cupless hydration actually works at sub-3 or sub-4 marathon pace, Marathon Journal staff member Federico Burger ran 26.2 equipped with a HydraPak soft flask. Not only did he experience seamless, 3-second refill pit stops, but he also walked away with a brand-new Personal Record.

We break down the operational numbers, real-world gear ergonomics, and what happens when World Marathon Majors shift toward a sustainable future.

👉 [Read the Full Chicago Marathon Hydration Breakdown on MarathonJournal.com]

SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY

3. The Myth of "Mental Toughness" (And What to Use Instead)

If you've ever heard a coach yell "just be mentally tough" mid-race and wondered what you're actually supposed to do with that advice, you aren't alone. In this week's feature, we break down an eye-opening session from sports psychologist Dr. Megan Cannon, PhD, recorded live at Dirt Camp in the Berkshires.

Dr. Cannon explains why "mental toughness" is essentially a meaningless buzzword and reframes sports psychology as literal strength and conditioning for your brain. Learn how to master the equation of Emotion Regulation + Attention Regulation, implement the Three Ps of mental performance (Present Focus, Productive Focus, and Process Orientation), and use simple environmental tricks—like painted thumbnails and water bottle cues—to keep your head where your feet are when the miles get hard.

👉 Read the full article on Marathon Journal | 🎧 Listen to the companion podcast episode

REVIEWS

4. Skechers Aero Elite: Skechers First Super Shoe Arrives

Skechers has officially entered the flagship race day arena with the release of the Skechers Aero Elite. Built as a pure super shoe for everything from 5K speed bursts to 26.2 marathon efforts, the Aero Elite combines a 40mm stack of HYPER BURST PRO supercritical foam with a full-length carbon-infused Quantum Plate and HYPER ARC geometry. Weighing a featherlight 5.4 oz (153g) in a Women's 8.5 with a 4mm drop, this $225 racer delivers explosive energy return and fluid turnover. We put it to the test on the road to see if it deserves a spot on your race day calendar.

👉 [Read our full, unfiltered breakdown at MarathonJournal.com]

5. Shokz OpenRun Pro 2: Safety, Comfort, and Air Conduction Bass for Distance Runners

When you are logging long mileage on open roads and busy trails, situational awareness is non-negotiable. The new Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 solves the runner's dilemma by pairing bone conduction for clear vocals with dedicated air conduction speakers that fire deep bass directly into your ear canal without any cheekbone buzzing. Weighing a weightless 1.07 oz (30.3g) with 12 hours of battery life and IP55 sweat resistance, this $179.95 headphone features convenient USB-C charging and a zero-bounce titanium frame. We put it through rigorous road testing to see how its hybrid open-ear design handles heavy traffic and long training blocks.

👉 [Read our full, unfiltered breakdown at MarathonJournal.com]

6. 910 Nineten Geist Elite X: Indonesian Innovation Meets Carbon-Plated Speed

When an emerging international brand challenges the global super-shoe establishment, it demands attention. The new 910 Nineten Geist Elite X pairs a responsive 38mm heel stack with high-rebound supercritical foam and a full-length carbon fiber Skyplate. Weighing in at a featherlight 6.3 oz with a 6mm drop, this elite race-day weapon delivers explosive energy return, an ultralight lockdown upper, and competitive pricing. We put it through rigorous road testing to see how its global pedigree handles the ultimate test of marathon pacing.

👉 [Read our full, unfiltered breakdown at MarathonJournal.com]

Keep running. Keep exploring. Keep reading Marathon Journal.

Letty Lundquist,