Watching the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon on television, from New Zealand, Rod Dixon expressed a “nostalgic” admiration for the way Andreas Almgren runs, especially over the last metres. The former runner highlights the impact of that finish and draws a parallel with the feeling fans experience, setting the emotional tone of his remarks.
Dixon then makes a comparison with a Yogi Berra quote, saying that the scene reminded him of something déjà vu. He directly links the image to the New York marathon and the idea that you find the same sensations. The comparison is used to present Almgren as the trigger for a familiar emotion for running enthusiasts.
The point is grounded historically with the reminder of the 1983 rain-soaked New York City Marathon, where Dixon mentions a key moment in the race. He explains that at 26 miles, he catches up with and overtakes Geoff Smith, described as “gutsy” and from Great Britain, to claim a victory he deems dramatic in marathon history. Dixon thus mirrors two situations without saying they are identical.
To back up the comparison between the two athletes, Dixon asks the “running geeks” to look at the “range breakdowns”, that is, the distance-by-distance split with precise times. He cites in particular Rod Dixon’s performances over 800 m, 1500 m, the mile, 2 miles, 3000 m, 5 km, 10 km, the half and the marathon (NYC), then those of Andreas Almgren, including figures such as 2:06:01 on the marathon (NYC).
Finally, Dixon ties the discussion to a view of career and method, saying that similarities between the eras outweigh the differences. He says he does not want to be drawn into a “hypothetical” age duel with Almgren, mentioning the existence of training, nutrition and the “super shoes” of our era. He then claims that expertise across several distances helped him conquer the marathon, and ends with the idea that “A Miler’s kick does the trick!”.
