Helloooo and happy Friday! And if you’re one of the 256 new subscribers this week, welcome 🫂 to your new favourite running newsletter (or so I hope!)

This week’s edition of RunLetters includes an inspiring video about Yomif Kajelcha (who you may never have heard of, but after watching the video, you’ll tell your running friends about him)and a hilarious runner to follow (Jessica). We also talk a bit about the Austin (Half) Marathon, Suunto’s new headphones and …

Last week, I asked which shoe brand you all prefer. I’ve never seen so many responses come through. Turns out the RunLetters crowd prefers ASICS!

Before we start this edition, let’s see where you’re all located:

Vote to see where others live! The poll is anonymous.

Alright, let’s dive in ⤵️

You may have never heard of Yomif Kajelcha. However, this Ethiopian distance runner is arguably one of the most gifted and versatile long-distance athletes on the planet. He’s former world record holder in the indoor mile and the half marathon, competitive at every distance from the mile to the marathon, and yet somehow, nobody's talking about him.

This beautifully made documentary from Sessou Studios explains why. Kajelcha keeps losing. Not badly or embarrassingly, but narrowly. A photo finish lost by 1/100th of a second to Jakob Ingebrigtsen. A marathon debut at London 2026 where he ran 1:59:41 (a performance that would normally break the internet), except Sebastian Sawe crossed the line 11 seconds earlier.

It’s almost tragic. But it also makes sense, because Kajelcha is not losing to one dominant rival but to different specialists all running the best race of their lives.

Watch it. You'll be rooting for him by the end.

I wish I could call Jessica a friend of mine. Or at least, seeing her Instagram content, that’s how I feel.

Her feed is full of humorous posts that are bound to make your day a little bit better. I’ve added some of my favourites down below, but you should definitely go check her out yourself and hit that follow button.

The registration for one of Murica’s coolest city (half) marathons has opened: the Austin Marathon. Not a world major, but we all know that other races can be just as much fun (if not more). It takes place on February 14, 2027 (the perfect Valentine’s Day Date?!).

Austin is one of the few cities I’ve been to in the US, and it was a vibe. Also, this race shows up year after year on my feed, and that’s for a reason: the crowd is wild. You can expect plenty of cheering support along the course.

The medal is also pretty epic: a Texas-style belt buckle.

I’ve been looking at getting some new running headphones for a while now, as my cheap ones from Amazon are starting to give up (they won’t charge, which isn’t ideal, haha).

Being completely honest with you, they’ve served me well. Especially at the price point I bought them at.

But I’m ready to level up. Some of my friends have open-ear earbuds for their runs, and I’ve been interested in getting something similar. With these types of headphones, you can get good audio without blocking out the world around you, which, especially on trails, can be handy. That’s when the Suunto Spark caught my eye.

I like their design and how the headphones sit “around” your ear. At just under 9g, I bet you barely feel them.

Besides that, according to their website, the battery life stretches to 36 hours total, which is very decent (better than what I’ve got now, haha). They're also rated IP55 for sweat and water resistance.

So… if you, like me, are on the hunt for some new headphones, give these one a little peek!

For those of us located in Europe (or who would love to travel to Italy!), the registrations for the Naples half marathon just opened! A friend of mine ran this last year and was very positive about it. Perfect to combine with a pizza-carb-load and maybe a trip down the coast thereafter?

You could also easily combine this with a few days in Rome (simply take the 1-hour train!).

The date for this race is February 21, 2027. You can find out more here and register here (current price €45).

That’s it for this week. I’m off to make some more YouTube videos, help at a local HOKA event tomorrow, work on some coaching schedules, and a bunch more. And, of course, go for a couple of sweet (sweaty) sunny runs!

Here’s to a great weekend ahead ☀️

Caroline

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P.S. If you are running the Copenhagen, Cardiff or Valencia half marathon this autumn, then check out this page.