Jeff Purdom

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

Me: World record, 72 hot dogs in 10 minutes Joey Chestnut.

5YO: Why?

Wise beyond his years.

[Steve Magness @stevemagness]

It's the Jim Ryun beating Snell moment.

Cooper defeats the Olympic and World Champion.

The best 800m runner on the planet right now is a high school kid. Simply phenomenal.

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

Guys...he is not even a senior in high school yet! This is unbelievable.

[Jonathan Gault @jgault13]

Cooper Lutkenhaus now has more Diamond League wins in the last four days than every American men’s mid-d/distance runner in history apart from Yared Nuguse and Donavan Brazier.

[Chris Chavez @ChrisChavez]

“WE MIGHT BE GOING SUB-TWO?!”

This is epic.

[Cris “Poob Subscriber” @XcCris]

Ladies and gentlemen.

Introducing Vincent Mauri. He just ran 2:05:54 at the Toledo Marathon.

SOLO.

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

So the new Adidas shoes seem like they are pretty good.

[Jonathan Gault @jgault13]

Reminder that Sabastian Sawe's sponsor adidas spent $50,000 for him to be drug-tested out of competition as much as possible in 2025 and are doing the same thing in 2026.

Today in London, he became the first man to break 2:00 in an official marathon.

https://t.co/SXvTc6LXu4

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

@pntrack I love this piece from @BStulberg on what toughness truly is. https://t.co/VSOqrkGyt5

[George Kittle @gkittle46]

Let’s go Hawkeyes !!! Elite 8!!!

[Rosie Langello-Hodgens @RosieLangello]

I mean, wow

[Brad Stulberg @BStulberg]

Norway consistently wins the most medals at the Winter Olympic Games, with a population of just 5.6 million people.

A big part of their success is how they treat youth sports—and it’s the opposite of what we do in the US. Here’s what we can learn from Norway:

1. Scorekeeping:

In the US: Youth sports tend to be hyper competitive even at early ages. Leagues almost always keep score.

In Norway: Scorekeeping isn’t even allowed until age 13.

Removing winners and losers keeps the focus on the process not outcomes. It keeps kids engaged longer because it minimizes pressure (and tears) and maximizes fun, learning, and growth. The goal isn’t to win a third grade championship. It’s to love sport and keep playing.

2. Trophies:

In the US: If you give everyone a trophy, you’re creating snowflakes who will never gain a competitive edge.

In Norway: Whenever trophies are awarded, they are handed out to everyone.

If getting a trophy makes young kids feel good, we should give them trophies. Maybe they’ll come back and play again next year!!

As for the creation of snowflakes with no competitive edge—Norway’s athletes are tough as nails and all they do is win.

3. Prioritizing Fun:

In the US: Far too often, the goal is to win.

In Norway: The national philosophy is “joy of sport.”

Youth sports in the US are driven by adults, ego, and money. Youth sports in Norway are driven by fun.

Only half of kids in the US participate in sports. The number one reason they drop out: because they aren’t having fun anymore. In Norway, 93% of kids participate in youth sports. Fun is the foremost goal.

4. Playing Multiple Sports:

In the US: There’s pressure to specialize early and play your best sport year round.

In Norway: Try as many sports as you can before specializing as late as college.

Norway encourages kids to try all types of sport. This reduces injury and burnout and increases all-around athleticism. It also helps promotes match quality, or finding the sport you are best suited for as your body develops, which is impossible if you commit to a single sport too early.

5. Affordability

In the US: There is increasingly a pay-to-play model with high fees for leagues, equipment, and travel. This excludes many kids from playing.

In Norway: It’s a national priority to keep youth sports affordable and therefore accessible for all.

Kids aren’t priced out, which creates opportunities for everyone to participate (and develop into athletes), regardless of their parents’ income level.

We could learn a lot from Norway:

In the US, 70% of kids drop out of youth sports by age 13. This not only diminishes an elite-athlete pipeline, but it also destroys an opportunity for healthy habits and all the character lessons kids can learn from sport.

In Norway, lifelong participation in sport is the norm. The goal isn’t to have the best 9U team. It’s to develop the best athletes. Those are two very different things. And Norway has the gold medals to prove it.

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

Someone has played the original Techmo Bowl. #ExtremeDropBack

[Chicago Bears @ChicagoBears]

CALEB WILLIAMS YOU ARE RIDICULOUS

📺: NBC

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

@reEVOLUTIONath I am adding sauna 3 days a week, trying to go right after my run.

[University of Iowa Alumni @uiowaalumni]

Tate to Holloway. Fifty-six yards. No time left. HAWKS WIN!!

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

@davidmellyruns Not to mention that IU basketball was mentioned for the first time this season. Small town Indiana would have been hoops obsessed in the 1980s.

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

@Predamame What is it *overtraining for?

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

Some people may use Maurten, I am thinking I may go Walgreens for my next race.

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

Who posts their @Strava Year in Review before their run on December 31st? Why?

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

Just wait until they play the Vikings...I mean the Steelers...I mean the Eagles...
9-3
1st place
Chicago Bears!

[Jeff Purdom @jpurdom]

@CptBuffaloney At least I would have been smooth.