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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Patrick Redford

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 1: Gabby Thomas, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, and Tamari Davis compete in the women's 100m race at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania on June 1, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Track And Field

Michael Johnson’s Track Start-Up Declares Bankruptcy

Barry Petchesky

Chris Robinson of the United States stands at the finish line after competing in the Men's 400 Meters Hurdles during the third leg of the Grand Slam Track series at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on May 31, 2025. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto)

Life's Rich Pageant

Hurdler Wins 400-Meter Race Despite His Dick And Balls Falling Out Several Times

Tom Ley

A woman wearing Save Girls Sport hat records a video of transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley (not pictured) during the girls long jump at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at Moorpark High School on May 24, 2025 in Moorpark, California.

Youth Sports

It’s A Great Time To Be A Pathetic Loser

Samer Kalaf

A photo finish of the 100-meter at the 2024 Olympics, with Noah Lyles winning.

Olympics

Noah Lyles Wins The 100-Meter Gold By A Skin Cell

Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and has written for The Guardian, The Second Serve, The Athletic, and other publications.

Owen Lewis

The Great Outdoors

I Hate Running. I Miss Running.

Michael is a writer who has worked with The Atlantic, The New Yorker, WIRED, Vox, The New York Times, and other publications. His first book, The Other Olympians, which uncovers the stories of several European athletes who transitioned gender in the 1930s, is now available for purchase.

Michael Waters

Helen Stephens running in the 1936 Olympics

Olympian Helen Stephens Suffered Through An Anti-Queer Panic That Still Reverberates

Dennis Young is the news editor at Front Office Sports.

Dennis Young

Amy Cragg from Portland, Oregon, celebrates at the finish line after winning the US Women's Marathon Olympic Team Trials with a time of 2:28:27 in Los Angeles, California on February 13, 2016. Highlighted Joanna Zeiger behind her, who finished last, the image is a GIF and zooms into her

At The Olympic Trials Marathon, DFL Means Pain Over Regret

Figure Skating

Gymnastics

Swimming

Table Tennis

A runner (2nd R) looks at his watch as he stands at the start line during the 2015 Shanghai International Marathon in Shanghai on November 8, 2015. Shanghai marathon kicked off in the morning of November 8, with 35,000 runners starting their race from the Bund, local media reported.

Negative Splits

Embrace The Second-Dumbest Running Watch You Can Find

A white man in running gear clutching his right quad while laying on the sidewalk.

‘Limits’ Is Funnier Than Any Movie About Running Has A Right To Be

Kelvin Kiptum celebrates after winning the Chicago Marathon

Freak Athletes And Freakier Technology Have Tamed The Marathon

Sha'Carri Richardson celebrates her 100-meter final win at the 2023 track and field world championships.

American Track Now Has Its Most Electric Sprinters In Years

Dave McKenna

Somali sprinter Nasro Abukar Ali jogs to the finish line.

Sprinter’s Slothful Stroll Scandalizes Somalia

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

Bunch of people dressed like Rocky, woman standing on a blue car talking to them

They Can’t Take The “Rocky Run” Away From Us

A wide shot of the Penn Relays at Franklin Field

At Penn Relays, It’s About The Vibe

Joasia Zakrzweski runs in the Taipei 48-Hour Run, holding a UK flag

Ultra Runner Rides In Car During Race, Finishes Third, Uploads Data To Strava

Laura Wagner

Lead Runner Collapses During NYC Marathon Amid Record-High Temps

TOPSHOT - Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge crosses the finish line to win the Berlin Marathon race on September 25, 2022 in Berlin. - Kipchoge has beaten his own world record by 30 seconds, running 2:01:09 at the Berlin Marathon. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)

Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Own Marathon World Record. No Not That One, The Other One

EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 24: Tobi Amusan of Team Nigeria crosses the finish line in the Women's 100m Hurdles Final on day ten of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 24, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

A Maddening Attempt To Figure Out Why So Many Runners Broke Records In One Event At The Track World Championships

Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99

Diana Moskovitz

Allyson Felix of Team United States competes in the Women's 4x400m Relay heats on day nine of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 23, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.

I Will Miss Watching Allyson Felix Run

EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 18: Athletes in the Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final run around a cameraman on the track on day four of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 18, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Hey Man … You Can’t Be Here

Fred Kerley leans over the line to win the 100m Final at the World Athletics Championships

Fred Kerley Moved His Speed Down, And It Worked

David Roth

Mondo Duplantis setting an outdoor pole vault world record in Stockholm on June 30.

Please Enjoy Some Mondo Duplantis

Adam Conover is a comedian, writer, and television host. His new series&nbsp;The&nbsp;G Word&nbsp;is out now on Netflix.&nbsp;

Adam Conover

A photo of comedian Adam Conover after he finished the LA marathon.He's wearing a yellow marathon tank top, with a medal around his neck. He's making a "this sucked" face and giving the bird. There's also a receipt showing the fees the marathon charged him for participation. In the background wallpaper, there's scattered $100 bills.

What The Hell Happened To The LA Marathon?

BELGRADE, SERBIA - MARCH 20: Grant Holloway of The United States USA, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde of France FRA and Wilhem Belocian of France FRA compete during the Men's 60 Metres Hurdles Final on Day Three of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 2022 at Belgrade Arena on March 20, 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Grant Holloway Is A Hurdler To Watch

Competitors psych themselves up before the race starts

Nobody Finished The Barkley Marathons, Yet Again

Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.

Nicholas Russell

Running Towards Nothing

Lauren Theisen

The U.S. Men’s Relay Woes Continued

Ryan Crouser throws. Dan McQuaid insert photo. Dan McQuade insert photo.

An Interview With Throwing Expert Dan McQuaid, By Me, Dan McQuade

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Sha'Carri Richardson reacts after competing in the Women's 100 Meter Semi-finals on day 2 of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials.

Well This Is Stupid As Hell

This photo taken on May 22, 2021 shows rescuers assisting people who were competing in a 100-kilometre cross-country mountain race when extreme weather hit the area, leaving at least 20 dead, near the city of Baiyin in China's northwestern Gansu province. - China OUT (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Extreme Weather At Ultramarathon In China Kills 21 Runners

Smith contesting the 2020 half marathon championship.