What Causes a Stitch When You Run? / Josh Kerr's Mile Dominance / Pogačar's VO2max of 100 / Another SA Schoolboy Doping Ban

What Causes a Stitch When You Run? / Josh Kerr's Mile Dominance / Pogačar's VO2max of 100 / Another SA Schoolboy Doping Ban

August 5, 2026 · 1h 17m

About this episode

The episode discusses the causes of stitches while running, highlights Josh Kerr's mile performance, and addresses doping issues in South African schoolboy rugby.

Become a Supporter of The Real Science of Sport , and you get ad-free listening, an Applied Science bonus show every week, plus a seat at the best conversation in sport. All for less than a decent gel. Show notes Josh Kerr, the Commonwealth Games, a stitch explained, the Tour de France Femmes, and yet another South African schoolboy rugby doping ban. In today's show: (00:00:38) We joked before Glasgow that this might be the last Commonwealth Games we ever see, and we were wrong. They survived in a cut-down, ten sport form , with India in 2030 and interest from Nigeria and New Zealand for 2034. We debate whether a smaller, cheaper games is actually the point rather than the problem , and what it means that the BBC's sub-one-million-pound bid was rejected, leaving Josh Kerr's mile watched by 200,000 people when Eilish McColgan's 10,000m in 2022 drew six million. (00:02:37) The performances, including Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon running 9.83 in apocalyptic rain, three women under 11 seconds, and Josh Kerr's utterly dominant 3:54 mile off a jogged first kilometre. With the fastest mile in history relative to his peers and a devastating kick, how does anyone actually beat him now, and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Professor Ross Tucker, Mike Finch

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC

Places: India, Nigeria, New Zealand, Glasgow

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