Running News Daily

How Kenyan athletes are paid millions in the Richest Marathons in the World

For most elite marathoners, there is more at stake than just the glory of winning the race.

For these professional athletes, for instance, Eliud Kipchoge, there is a huge prize for crossing the finish line ahead of everyone in marathons such as Berlin, Boston, Bank of America Chicago marathons among many others. (The current exchange rate is 102 Kenya shillings to one US dollar.) 

Here we take a look at some of the top few marathons over the world that offer the highest prize money to athletes.

1. Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon.- The Dubai Marathon is the world’s richest marathon with the most expensive prize money of Sh.20 ($196,000US) million for first place winners and an additional Sh.10 ($98,000US) million for marathon world record bonus.

In January of 2008, the Dubai Marathon was the richest long-distance running event in history.

The winners received Sh.25 ($245,000US) million (more than double any prize money to that date) and a million-dollar offer from Dubai Holding if they set a world best according to the Standard Chartered Dubai marathon website

Getaneh Molla of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich won the 20th edition of the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon.

2. Boston Marathon.- The Boston Marathon is the oldest marathon in the world established in 1887 by a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The top male and female finishers each receive Sh.15 ($145,000US) million with second place earning Sh.7.5 million and third takes home Sh.4 million according to Boston Marathon official website.

According to Forbes, there is a bonus prize of Sh.5 million for breaking the world's best time and Sh.2.5 for breaking the course record.

The most rewarded Boston runner of all time was four times champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, a Kenyan runner who has earned a total of Sh.46.9 ($450,000US) million from the Boston race alone.

3. TCS New York City Marathon.- The first NYC Marathon was held in 1970, entirely in Central Park, with only 127 entrants, 55 finishers and a lone female racer, who dropped out because of an illness, according to TCS New York City Marathon website.

Today the TCS New York City Marathon prize purse totals a guaranteed Sh.70.5 ($670,000US) million. The men’s and women’s champion receive Sh.10million each, with an extra Sh.5 million for a time of sub-2:05:30 (men) and sub-2:22:30 (women).

4. London Marathon.- The first London Marathon, held on 29 March 1981, finished on Constitution Hill between Green Park and Buckingham Palace.

According to World Marathon majors today, the race winner earns Sh.5.5 million with second place taking home Sh.3 million

There are also financial rewards for finishing under certain times, with these differing for men and women.

 5. Bank of America Chicago Marathon.- This coveted race is a showcase of some of the top marathoners.

The prize money for winning the 2015 race was Sh.10 million, plus Sh.7.5 million if you set a course record and time bonuses (non-cumulative) of Sh.5.5 and below according to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon official website

6. The Berlin Marathon.- The race was founded in 1974 by a Berlin baker, Horst Milde, who combined his passion for running with a family bread and cake business

According to the Berlin Marathon official website, the prize money is as follows;

26.45 million-plus bonuses in 2018. Expected to be similar in 2019.

First place male: 4.6 million (10 deep) in 2018

First place female: 4.6 million (10 deep) in 2018

Bonuses of Sh.5million. Time bonuses available for 1st and 2nd places only Sh.3 million for first place sub-2:04:00 men, sub-2:19:00 women.

7. Seoul International Marathon.- Celebrating its 85th year running, the Seoul Marathon in South Korea is one of the most prestigious races.

The champion male and female finishers get to bring home Sh.8 million provided that they finish under 2:10:00 and 2:24:00 respectively Sh.4 million if they do not meet the target time) according to World Marathons.

According to the Seoul International Marathon, the world record bonuses are Sh.5million for men and Sh.3 million for women.

There is also a time bonus of Sh. million for sub-2:04:00 (male) and sub-2:18:00 (female); and other time bonuses amounting down to Sh. 500000

8. Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon.- Since the launch of the Marathon in 2003, only one winner has successfully defended their title. Every year the marathon produces new winners.

This year, the organizers increased the cash award for the 42km race prize money from Sh.1.5 million to Sh2million, according to the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon official website.

The half marathon price has also been increased to Sh300, 000 while the 10km race will see a cash award of Sh200, 000.

Tara Welling Shares Her Experiences as a Member of the Nike Oregon Project coached by Alberto Salazar

Two weeks ago, high performance coach/elite meet director Jonathan Marcus reached out to LetsRun.com to share his experiences with Alberto Salazar and the Nike Oregon Project. During the process of fact-checking that story, we contacted Tara Welling, who ran for the Oregon Project from 2012-14 (and later Marcus), who said she preferred to tell her story in her own words.

Throughout college, I dealt with an eating disorder, but it never spiraled out of control until the summer/fall of 2012, my first year with the Oregon Project. I was 23 years old and going through a tough personal time with my mom being diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. She lived alone and I felt a sense of guilt that I should not be leaving the country to follow my running dreams with the Oregon Project. I joined the group in Europe as they prepared for the Olympic Games. I was the only female and didn’t feel like I had anyone I could really open up with and talk to.

Tension was high and I wanted to be a great runner, but also wanted to be home with my family during this difficult time. When I joined the Oregon Project, I was 5-foot-4 and weighed around 100 lbs. During our time in Font Romeu and London, I dropped to around 88 lbs, stemming from my levels of stress and depression.

Alberto never weighed me during this time, but my weight loss was very apparent. I later learned that a teammate brought it up to Alberto during our time in Font Romeu. It wasn’t until after the Olympics that Alberto first talked to me about it. He said that he would get me all the help I needed.

Alberto set weight goals for me: first 95 lbs, then 98 lbs, and I would be allowed to race the USATF 5k and 10k road champs that fall if I hit those numbers. Alberto was very concerned about my weight and took me to the store to get high-calorie, nutrient-dense foods that would fuel me for my runs and help me gain healthy weight. I was told that when we got back to the States, he would help me get connected with a nutritionist, therapist, and doctors to keep me on track and help me get healthy, and I did eventually meet with a nutritionist and a therapist.

What hasn’t been made public yet is that my visit to Dr. [Jeffrey] Brown, in September 2012, was related to this process of helping me get healthy, including numerous tests that were done. Initially, this was something very difficult for me to share with USADA [during their investigation of Salazar and Dr. Brown] as it required reopening wounds which are still challenging for me to talk about. Until the USADA investigation, these details are something I hadn’t talked to anyone else about, outside of my parents and Alberto.

I ended up racing the 5k & 10k champs that fall and eventually found a steady weight. A little while later I was up to ~105 lbs and had been following my lifting program per our strength coach Dave McHenry and Alberto. I was then told my arms were getting too muscular and I needed to lose a few pounds. I stopped lifting heavier weights on my upper body and was limited to only bodyweight exercises so I didn’t have to “carry extra weight.” 

Alberto constantly said I should look like Kara Goucher and Genzebe Dibaba. He also said I should be 100 lbs with a low body fat percentage, but muscular. It was confusing and I found it mentally difficult when I had to lose weight and look like other runners when I was not them. It was a constant comparison battle. I was often weighed with the underwater scale and had body measurements done via skinfold measurement. I was never weighed publicly or in front of teammates, but Alberto was always present.

In summary, I felt like weight was certainly a focus and embedded into the training process. I did witness Alberto weighing other athletes and criticizing their weight (both men and women). For me, it wasn’t always “less is better” in terms of weight. I had a target weight that Alberto felt was “healthy” but also ideal for performance and he wanted to do everything to help ensure I was at that (which was 100 pounds in his mind).

I do wish things would have been different. I wish I sought more advice apart from the doctors and therapists that Alberto had available. At the time, I felt like I didn’t have a choice and I had to prove to him that I was getting healthy and gaining weight. I didn’t feel like I had much of a say and it was a “do-as-you’re-told” type of culture. But at the time, I felt that Alberto had my best interests as an athlete in mind, and I had no reason not to trust him.

I left the Oregon Project in the winter of 2014. By that point, I was solely working with [NOP assistant] Pete Julian as I felt he better understood how I responded to training. I was told that if I wanted to remain with the Oregon Project, I had to win the USATF Club Cross Country Championships in December 2014 and prove that I could compete at a high level. I placed second that year in Bethlehem, Pa., and I was not re-signed.

After leaving the Oregon Project, I later found the fun in training again and somewhat let go of an ideal race weight. I lowered my PRs in the 1500, 3k, 5k, 10k, and won two national road titles (15k and half marathon) before competing at the Olympic Trials in the 5k and 10k in 2016. I’d be lying if I said I was 100% recovered from my eating disorder and tendencies, but I’ve found ways to manage it much better.

Thomas Rivers Puzey won the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon for the second consecutive year

Thomas Rivers Puzey of Flagstaff took first place Sunday with a time of 2 hours, 28 minutes and 4 seconds, according to marathon organizers.

It was a shade slower than Puzey's winning time for the 26-plus mile contest last year: 2 hours, 25 minutes and 53 seconds.

Heather Bray from the Netherlands was the women's champion with a final time of 3 hours and 13 minutes.

In the half-marathon, Tyler Day and Brittney Feivor were the winners, with respective times of 1 hour, 3 minutes, 48 seconds and 1 hour, 13 minutes and 20 seconds.

The annual marathon closes the Las Vegas Strip to give runners free access and a big party for the weekend.

Walmsley and Simion take long course titles at World Mountain Running Championships

Jim Walmsley of the US and Cristina Simion (second photo) of Romania raced to victory in the long races as the World Mountain Running Championships concluded in Villa La Angostura, Argentina, on Saturday (16).

Walmsley covered the 41.5km course in 3:12:16 to beat Italy’s Francesco Puppi by nearly a minute. Simion clocked 3:49:57, beating Frenchwoman Adeline Roche by nearly two minutes.

The course, with a total ascent of 2184m, began in the centre of Villa La Angostura, a Patagonian city of about 12,000, with a road section, before heading north along a dirt track and into a dense forest. The first 2.5km were quite flat until an initial climb through the forest, quite steep in places. The runners had to endure a fairly high river crossing twice, which proved tricky for some.

The second part of the course then took runners on a long but gradual climb up to the Cerro Bayo ski station where the really difficult work began - the long, steep and arduous climb up to the summit of the snow-capped 1785m-high Cerro Bayo. Besides snow, they were forced to negotiate a technical ridge section before returning to a faster section which eventually led them back down to the finish line.

Both races were fast at the front. Walmsley forged an early lead but never managed to open much of a gap on Puppi, the 2017 WMRA long distance champion. Behind them, Hayden Hawks of the US, Spaniard Oriol Cardona and Jonathan Albon of the UK, this year's world trail running champion, took turns battling for position.

Marathon champion Mizuki Noguchi will be the first Japanese person to carry the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch

The Athens 2004 Olympic gold medallist, Mizuki Noguchi was heavily favored for the honor and her involvement was confirmed by organisers.

She will take the flame from a Greek runner after its traditional lighting at Ancient Olympia on March 12.

Judoka Tadahiro Nomura and wrestler Saori Yoshida, who have both won three Olympic gold medals for Japan, will also carry the Torch in Greece.

"I am very grateful to be a Torchbearer in Greece, which is a special place to me," said Noguchi. 

"I am also happy and thankful for this opportunity given to me. 

"It will have been 16 years since I first visited Greece for the Olympic Games Athens 2004.

"Appreciating the value of the Olympic Torch Relay, I will pass on the flame with my great memory from Athens 2004 and my hopes for the coming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games."

2020 Diamond League meetings have been confirmed

The Diamond League has released the 2020 Diamond disciplines, revealing which meetings will host which disciplines during the course of next season

As in previous years, the world’s top athletes will compete for points on the road to the final as they bid for a ticket to the Diamond League final and a shot at the Diamond trophy.

In each discipline, those who have picked up the most points will earn a starting place in Zurich on 11 September 2020 and the chance to be crowned Diamond League champion.

The 11th season of the Diamond League, which will commence in Doha on 17 April, is comprised of the 15 best track and field invitational meetings in the world.

The meetings form the top tier of World Athletics’ global one-day meeting competition structure and are spread across Asia, Europe, Africa and North America with US$8 million in prize money on offer across the series.

2020 Diamond League calendar

17 April – Doha, 10 May – China (city tbc), 16 May – Shanghai, 24 May – Stockholm, 28 May – Rome, 31 May – Rabat, 7 June – Eugene, 11 June – Oslo, 13 June – Paris

4 July – London, 10 July – Monaco, 16 August – Gateshead, 20 August – Lausanne, 4 September – Brussels, 11 September – Zurich

Munich approved for 2022 European Athletics Championships

Munich has been unanimously approved as the host city for the 2022 European Athletics Championships, the venue being the Munich Olympic Park in what will also be the 50th anniversary of the Munich Olympics.

For the second time they will also be staged as part of a multi-sport format, and will include European Championships in cycling, golf, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon. More sports may be added closer to the time.

Set for August 11th to August 21st, it follows a successful format introduced last year, when Berlin and Glasgow co-hosted the multi-sport format in 2018. The European Athletics Championships, staged at the Berlin Olympic Stadium, were the best attended in the history of the championships; across the two host cities, over one million spectators attended, attracting a television audience of more than 1.4 billion.

There will be a European Athletics Championships next year, 2020, set for Charlety Stadium in Paris, from August 26th to August 30th, just over three weeks after the Tokyo Olympics. As an interim championship, however, they won’t feature the marathon distances or race walk.

Eurovision Sport will again be the media rights partner for the Championships, ensuring extensive free-to-air coverage through EBU Member broadcasters and partners.

The majority of events and activities will take place in and around the Munich Olympic Park in order to create an extraordinary festival atmosphere that allows athletes from different sports to experience the event together and visitors to embrace multiple events.

Gidey smashes 15km world best at Zevenheuvelenloop (Seven Hills Run)

Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey smashed the world best for 15km at the Zevenheuvelenloop (Seven Hills Run) in Nijmegen, Netherlands, on Sunday (17).

Gidey, this year's World Championships 10,000m silver medallist, clocked 44:21, more than a minute better than the previous world best of 45:37 Joyciline Jepkosgei set in Prague two years ago en route to her first world record in the half marathon.

Covering the first five kilometres in a quick 15:09, the 21-year-old upped the pace over the next five kilometres, closing that stretch with a stunning 2:44 10th kilometre, to reach the 10km point in a remarkable 29:44. She slowed over the next two kilometres but shifted gears again in the waning stages, closing with kilometre splits of 2:49, 2:52 and 2:50. Her covered the last 10km in a stunning 29:12, the fastest 10-kilometre stretch ever produced under any conditions.

"I felt I was in good form in preparation for the (race) and my legs felt good all through the race," said Gidey, who rose to prominence in the U20 ranks after taking back-to-back world U20 cross country titles in 2015 and 2017. "I was quite surprised to see how much time I was able to get off the previous world (best) to be honest but I had great legs and it was a really nice race."

Stephen Kissa of Uganda won the men's race in 41:49 to become the seventh fastest ever over the distance.

Lonyangata and Melese regain Shanghai Marathon titles in the heat

Thirty-eight thousand runners from 85 countries and regions beat the heat to challenge their physical limits as the 2019 Shanghai International Marathon began at 7am on Sunday from the Bund.

About 25,000 took part in the marathon, while 6,000 were featured in the 10km race and another 7,000 in the 5.5km run. Kenya’s Paul Lonyangata and Yebrgual Melese of Ethiopia took the men’s and women’s title at the Shanghai International Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label road race, on Sunday (17).

The 26-year-old Lonyangata broke clear before 35km and led alone the rest of the way to hit home with a clocking of 2:28:11, 57 seconds shy of the 2:07:14 course record he set in the Chinese city in 2015.

“It has been five years since I run here last time,” Lonyangata said. “I noticed nobody had broke my course record so I came back to break it myself. But the weather was much hotter than five years ago.” 

The temperature was around 15c degrees when the race started but rose quickly. When the men’s leaders reached 20km 1:00:12, it was already near 20c (69F) degrees.

A group of 12 runners led the race to a fast pace in the early stages, reaching 5km in 14:57 and 10km in 29:58. When the leaders passed the 15km mark in 45:01 they were already 47 seconds ahead of the course record, and by 20km they were still six seconds ahead. 

But the pace slowed after 20km and when the last pace maker left the seven-runner leading pack, the leaders were 43 seconds behind the record time.

“I think the pacers stopped too early. One of the two pacers stopped after 11 kilometres and the other left by 25km. Because of the weather and the pace maker, I did not break the course record,” said Lonyangata, who decided to control the race with his own pace after 30km and pulled clear by 35 km before breaking the tape in style to celebrate his first marathon victory of the year.

Hassan El Abbassi of Bahrain, who set the Asian record of 2:04:43 last year in Valencia, finished second in 2:08:58, followed by Lmenih Getachew of Ethiopia with a clocking of 2:09:14.

Defending champion Yebrgual Melese also managed to confirm her favourite status in the women’s race although the wining time of 2:23:19 is more than two minutes slower than the 2:20:36 course record she achieved 12 months ago.

As the fastest entrant in the field with a personal best of 2:19:36 set last year in Dubai, the 29-year-old Melese was among a six-athlete leading group in the first half of the race. When she arrived at the 25km water stations in 1:24:12, only countrywoman Waganesh Mekasha managed to keep up with the chasers trailing 16 seconds behind.

After another four kilometres, the 27-year-old Mekasha began to fade gradually. Melese was leading by 14 seconds at 30km and kept widening the gap until wrapping up her fourth title over the classic distance.

Mekasha, a 2:22:45 performer, finish second in 2:25:37 while Ethiopia’s Obse Abdeta, 19, finished third in 2:27:47 in her marathon debut. 

IAAF Updates Website, Is Now Officially “World Athletics”

Welcome to the new World Athletics website, the place to come for all things about our wonderful sport. We’ll be bringing you new features about athletes and the sport, as well as making it easier to find the things we know you love.

From information about our events and news about our amazing athletes, to the rules of the sport, historical stats and features to inspire you to be active, it’s all here. Over the coming months, we’ll be adding more content and continuing to improve the organisation of the content.

The film ‘Bannister: Everest on the Track’ takes FICA Golden Achilles prize

The US-produced film Bannister: Everest on the Track has won the top prize, the Golden Achilles, at the second International Athletics Film Festival in San Sebastian.

The announcement was made on Saturday (9) after a week-long series of screenings in the Basque city and follows in the footsteps of Town of Runners which won in 2018.

This year’s winning film looks at the motivations that inspired Roger Bannister to his historic feat of being the first person to run under four minutes for the mile and puts it in a historic context of what it meant to the British public, coming as it did less than nine years after the end of World War II.

To quote from one of the reviews when the film was first released: “Everest on the Track is as much a historical study of Britain's psychological, if not almost physical, need for something – anything – to erase the woes of World War II as it is a fresh look at the quest for the first sub-4:00 mile, the heretofore deemed physically impossible.”

Among those interviewed during the documentary are Bannister himself, one of his pacemakers Chris Chataway, who was later to go on and break the 5000m world record, as well as US runner George Dole who competed in the famous race at Iffley Road while a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University.

Also interviewed are spectators on that day more than 65 years ago, 6 May 1954, when one of the most well-known feats in sporting history was achieved, as well as journalists and historians along with future world mile world record holders John Landy – with whom Bannister was in a long-distance duel to become the first man to go under the historic barrier – Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram.

Back to the beginning

“We first started thinking about the film in 2014 when there was the 60th anniversary of the four-minute mile,” said the film’s director Tom Ratcliffe, who was in San Sebastian to hear the announcement that his documentary had taken the top prize. “It’s a feat that has a heritage and legacy unlike any other in athletics and perhaps sport as a whole. Roger Bannister’s achievement is one that still resonates today.

“We were very lucky in so far as one of the first people we interviewed was Chris Chataway. He was wonderfully erudite, entertaining and enthusiastic even though he was very ill with lung cancer and sadly died not long after the interviews.

“Roger (Bannister) was a bit more reticent at first. Helpful, but reserved. I think he thought ‘Oh, it’s just another interview’, but once he saw an early version of what we were doing, he then relaxed and was very generous. He said to call him whenever I was in England and I went to his house several times to do some further interviews.

“The first full version came out in 2016 and then the film has been revised since then in 2018 to take account of Roger’s death. We had many wonderful interviews and it was a case of weaving them together into a coherent film.”

Olympic champion Vivian Cheruiyot is back in training after shaking off a recurrent tendon injury that has kept her off competition for over three months, but now is set for Valencia marathon

Cheruiyot, 36, has only run two races this year, as she finished second at the London Marathon behind compatriot and World marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei and won the Lisbon half marathon back in March.

She was due to a challenge for the Berlin marathon in September, but the injury stopped her. Now Cheruiyot believes she is back in form and will seek a good performance on her sixth marathon career in the Spanish city in Valencia on Dec. 1.

"I am back in training," said Cheruiyot on Friday. "The focus is to gauge the body and see good performance. The injury denied me a big opportunity in Berlin. It was frustrating after a lot of training, the injury flared up again."

The diminutive athlete has been seeking medication in Germany and Kenya and hopes her injury worries are over for the time being.

Cheruiyot will face strong opposition from Ethiopians Roza Dereje and Birhane Dibaba, both of whom have broken the two-hour-20-minute barrier for the distance.

Fellow Ethiopian Zeineba Yimer, who has clocked 65 minutes 46 seconds for the half marathon, makes her full marathon debut.

"At this stage of competition, there are no simple challenges. Everyone enters a race with the hope of winning. However, for me, I run my own race and my strength and inspiration is drawn from what I want to attain," she added.

Cheruiyot remains one of the top marathon women runners in the country and in contention to make the Kenya team to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

However, that will be dependent on her performance in Valencia and then next year in London.

Organizers of the Valencia marathon have also confirmed that the men's race will have former World Indoor bronze medalist Augustine Choge, who will be making his debut in the marathon. Choge had a false start in Chicago last year and pulled out after just 10km.

In Valencia, he hopes to make a new start in his quest to emulate his mentor and training mate World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge. Choge will battle it out with Ethiopians Getaneh Molla (2:03:34), Herpasa Negasa (2:03:40) and reigning champion Leul Gebrselassie (2:04:02).

In total, the men's race features 12 runners, who have run 2:06.00 personal best time and another 22 with a best time of two hours and 10 minutes.

At least US$2.5million in extra revenue will be made available for a comprehensive integrity programme for road running in 2020, under a new funding scheme announced by World Athletics and the Athletics Integrity Unit

World Athletics has today announced a schedule of more than 165 Label road events that will be held in 2020, including the first Platinum Label races.

Each race will contribute to the system approved by the World Athletics Council this year, by which the financial burden for out-of-competition drug testing is shared by all road race stakeholders – organisers, athlete managers and athletes.

Races will contribute according to their status: Platinum marathons $66,667, Gold marathons $15,000, Silver marathons $10,000 and Bronze marathons $5,000; Platinum road races $20,000, Gold road races $10,000, Silver road races $5,000 and bronze road races $2,500.

The list of Label events that will take place from January to September 2020 was released today. More races will be added when their race dates are confirmed. 

Their contributions, together with the fees managers pay for their athletes included in the testing pool – $500 for Gold status athletes and $1000 for Platinum – and the 1.5% levy on prize money that athletes agreed to contribute, make up the bulk of the fund. In all, that means some US$2.6 to 3.2 million in funding will be available in 2020. The programme, which includes out-of-competition testing, investigation and education, will be carried out by the Athletics Integrity Unit.

The list of Gold and Platinum status athletes for 2020, determined by their position in the world rankings, was also released today.

“This is a brilliant example of our key stakeholders coming together to protect the integrity of our sport,’’ World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon said. “I would like to thank our athletes, race directors and athlete managers for supporting this important scheme, which will greatly enhance the Athletics Integrity Unit’s efforts to ensure that all leading road runners are subject to a comprehensive anti-doping programme.’’

Under the previous system, the AIU and IAAF had funding to test just the first 50 athletes (the marathon and half marathon athletes) in the testing pool, which left an alarming shortfall in out-of-competition testing of athletes who compete on the rapidly expanding and increasingly lucrative road running circuit. World Athletics granted 103 races label status in 2017. That number grew to 114 in 2018 and 136 in 2019.

David Howman, Chairman of the Athletics Integrity Unit, said: “This is a great reflection on the commitment to integrity of the road running industry. It is encouraging that so many races, athletes and managers have signed up to make tangible financial contribution to address the challenges in a proactive manner. 

“With this new funding we will be able to put together a comprehensive integrity programme that will ensure that a level playing field can be enjoyed by all road runners. We are in advance stage of planning its implementation and this will begin with extensive education sessions this December in Ethiopia and Kenya, where a vast majority of the Platinum and Gold Label athletes are based.”

Platinum Label to debut in 2020.- The new Platinum Label races, first announced in 2018, will be introduced in 2020. Nine races have been granted Platinum status thus far, with up to three more late season races to be confirmed early next year.

Platinum Label races are required to have at least three athletes with Platinum Status, per gender, and at least four athletes with Gold Status (or higher) start the race and compete with a bonafide effort. (2020 Label Road Race regulations).

The number of Platinum Status athletes for 2020 will be fixed at 30 per gender and determined in a two-phase process. The first, based on positions in the world rankings on 15 October 2019, will include the top 19 ranked athletes in the 'marathon' event group, the top three ranked athletes in the 'road running' event group (excluding any athletes who acquired Platinum Status in the 'marathon' group) and the top ranked athlete in the '10,000m' event group (excluding any athletes who acquired Platinum Status in the 'marathon' and 'road running' event groups).

The second phase will add seven more athletes, per gender, based on positions in the world rankings on 28 January 2020: the top four ranked athletes in the 'marathon' group, the top two in the 'road running' group and the top one in the 10,000m event group who had not yet achieved Platinum Status.

World Athletics Platinum Label events, Tokyo Marathon, Nagoya Women’s Marathon, Seoul Marathon, BAA Boston Marathon, Virgin Money London Marathon, Media Maratón de Bogotá, BMW Berlin MarathonBank of America Chicago MarathonTCS New York City Marathon

Grandma, Pamela Chapman Markl, 64, is breaking ultra marathons records

It’s not unusual to find Pamela Chapman Markle running anywhere from 80 to 100 miles each week. It’s just part of her long-distance race training as an ultramarathon runner, and the San Leon resident says she loves it.

“I enjoy the challenge physically and mentally,” said Markle. “It’s always a surprise to me to see how the body will adapt to what you demand of it.”

At 64 years old, Markle is persevering in a passion that pushes her to the limit. And the demands for ultramarathon running — races that go beyond typical marathon length of 26.2 miles — can be tough.

“My current running schedule is very hectic,” said Markle, who runs one long weekend run of up to 25 miles. “Stretching has become a necessity with my aging, and also some strength work.”

Races often range from 50 to 200 miles, with some lasting for an undetermined distance requiring more from 24 to 48 hours. The courses can be varied from cross-country trail races to repeating single loops on a track.

Most of the races that Markle has completed have been between 50 and 150 miles and last up to 48 hours. She has run almost 40 ultramarathons in the last 10 years.

“I have run nine ultramarathons since January 2019, and I have more to complete this year,” said Markle, who works as a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

Preferring to run by herself rather than in crowds, Markle doesn’t train with a running group and has no time in her schedule for the traditional marathons and 5Ks.

“I am disciplined enough to run alone and love it,” said Markle, who’s also careful to manage her nutrition for running.

Her hard work is paying off. Markle is breaking race records in her age division and earning recognition, including running one of the fastest times of 21 hours and 29 minutes in her age group at a 100-mile road race in Florida.

Markle set another record at the MadCity 100K in Wisconsin, where she won the USA Track & Field National Champion for her age group. She also set records in her age group for the Badwater 135 race, a course that covers 135 miles non-stop across California terrain.

Chris Kostman, who organizes the Badwater series of ultra running races, said Markle is redefining what’s possible for runners as they age.

“She has broken the women’s 60-plus age group record during each of the four consecutive Badwater 135 races she’s competed in,” Kostman said. “Her performances are plain to see, and we all stand in awe of Pamela.”

She became interested in distance running a decade ago when a surgeon who she knew ran ultramarathons encouraged her to give running a try. Her first race was called the Rocky Raccoon and 100 miles long. Markle trained for nine months.

“I didn’t train properly and had quite a few injuries,” said Markle, who has three daughters and eight grandchildren. “I decided to do another race with a different training program. Then I got hooked.”

Another Nike Runner, Amy Yoder Begley says Coach Criticized Her Body

Less than a week after runners Mary Cain and Kara Goucher accused their former Nike Oregon Project coach, Alberto Salazar, of mental and physical abuse, another woman has come out with her own allegations.

Amy Yoder Begley was an Indiana state-champion runner before joining the Nike team in 2007. Within months, she was targeted by Salazar for her weight, as Cain was. According to the New York Times, Salazar demanded she be leaner, tried to control her relationships with her teammates, and complained about her laugh being annoying.

Yoder Begley says Salazar frequently flip-flopped in his criticism of her. “If I had a bad workout on a Tuesday, he would tell me I looked flabby and send me to get weighed,” she said. “Then, three days later, I would have a great workout, and he would say how lean I looked and tell me my husband was a lucky guy. I mean, really? My body changed in three days?”

Salazar accused Yoder Begley of not following her nutrition plan and made other comments about her body. “He was obsessed with her butt,” Goucher told the Times. “He would always talk about how it was hanging out of her shorts.”

The allegations were also confirmed by Steve Magness, Salazar’s assistant coach from 2011 to 2012. “I remember Salazar saying something like, ‘Her ass was hanging out of her uniform,’” he recalled to Sports Illustrated. “In that moment, he added, ‘I’m done with you. I’m tired of fighting this weight issue. We’re done.’ Amy countered by saying she hadn’t gained any weight. Alberto said he didn’t care what her weight said. ‘I know you’ve gotten bigger.’ There was this conversation on if her jean sizes had gone up because her butt was bigger. It was the most bizarre thing ever.”

Cain made similar allegations against Salazar, saying he had pressured her to maintain an extremely low weight, which caused her to break several bones, stop getting her period, and develop disordered eating that led to suicidal thoughts. Salazar addressed the allegations in a statement to Sports Illustrated:

My foremost goal as a coach was to promote athletic performance in a manner that supported the good health and well-being of all my athletes. On occasion, I may have made comments that were callous or insensitive over the course of years of helping my athletes through hard training. If any athlete was hurt by any comments that I have made, such an effect was entirely unintended, and I am sorry. I do dispute, however, the notion that any athlete suffered any abuse or gender discrimination while running for the Oregon Project.

Meanwhile, Nike has said an investigation into the accusations is underway.

The 11th Annual 2019 Humana Rock N Roll Las Vegas Marathon Marathon and Half is this weekend

The 2019 Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & Half Marathon is Nov. 16-17, giving runners the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run under the lights on the famed Las Vegas Boulevard. Serving as the only private event to shut down the Las Vegas Strip at night, the Marathon and Half will host 35,000 participants of all levels.

The weekend of festivities will be punctuated by an unforgettable performance from GRAMMY-nominated and Multi-Platinum singer/songwriter, Kesha when she takes to the Finish Line Festival stage on Saturday night following the 5K presented by Brooks.

With visitors coming from around the country and the globe, Las Vegas will enjoy an influx of participants, their family and friends all enjoying the world-class food options, staying in the luxury hotels, and partaking in the myriad of entertainment options that the city has to offer. With last year’s event generating an economic impact of $214.6 million for the city of Las Vegas, this year’s event looks to build on that and continue to showcase why it is one of the premier running events in the world.

With 35,000 participants, 68 percent of whom are first time visitors to Las Vegas, filling out an approximate 110,000 hotel room nights when paired with family, friends, and supporters, the event will have the city buzzing. In addition, through the Rock This Town charitable program for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, local Las Vegas charitable groups will be the beneficiary of grant funding. As part of the best-in-class running series, the course at the 2019 Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon gives participants of all abilities a unique opportunity to run The Strip at night, touring iconic Las Vegas landmarks such as the ‘Welcome to Las Vegas’ sign, the Bellagio Fountains, and downtown Las Vegas before a stunning finish in front of the Volcano at the Mirage Hotel & Casino.

The event will start on Saturday night at 6 p.m. with the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas 5K presented by Brooks followed by the 10K, half marathon and the marathon distances on Sunday evening. 

Course record-holders Yebrgual Melese and Paul Lonyangata, will return to the Shangai Marathon this weekend

Ethiopia’s Melese won comfortably last year, taking more than a minute off the course record with 2:20:36.

A past winner of the Houston and Prague marathons, Melese set a PB of 2:19:36 when finishing third in Dubai last year, but her form in 2019 hasn’t been quite so good. The 29-year-old finished 11th in Tokyo in March in 2:31:40 but last month clocked a promising 1:09:02 at the Lisbon Half Marathon.

Fellow Ethiopian Waganesh Mekasha is another title contender. The 27-year-old reduced her PB by more than three minutes to finish fourth in Dubai in January in 2:22:45 and went on to clock 2:23:19 at the Yellow River Estuary International Marathon in Dongying seven months ago.

The Ethiopian contingent also includes Fantu Jimma, a 32-year-old with a PB of 2:26:14 set four years ago in Xiamen. It will be Jimma’s fourth marathon of the year, having won in Wuhan in 2:28:25 and finished third in Xiamen and Lanzhou. She was also victorious at the Changzhou West Taihu Lake Half Marathon last month.

Lonyangata is among the main favorites in the men’s race. The 26-year-old Kenyan set his PB of 2:06:10 when winning the 2017 Paris Marathon, the first of two victories in the French capital. He set the Shanghai course record of 2:07:14 in 2015 and has a season’s best of 2:07:29, set when finishing third in Paris.

Bahrain’s Hassan El Abbassi is another top contender. The 35-year-old, who set his marathon PB of 2:04:43 in Valencia last year, is the 2014 Asian Games 10,000m champion and 2018 Asian Games marathon silver medalist. More recently he finished seventh in the marathon at the World Championships in Doha in 2:11:44 but is still in pursuit of his first international marathon title.

Kipsang Kipkemoi will compete in China for the first time in his career. The 29-year-old Kenyan clocked his PB of 2:08:26 in Seville in 2017 and came close to that in April when he finished second in Madrid with 2:08:58. Sunday’s race will be his fourth marathon of the year as he has also competed in Mumbai and Cape Town but didn’t better 2:10 on either occasion.

Other sub-2:10 runners in the field include Kenya’s 2011 world silver medalist Vincent Kipruto and Ernest Ngeno, a 2:06:41 performer who finished second in Shanghai two years ago.

All eyes will turn to the Following crowning of Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon winners Lelisa Desisa and Ruth Chepngetich as Marathon Runners of the Year

The 2019 ‘Best Marathon Runner’ award was made to both Desisa and Chepngetich by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) at the end of a year that saw them both add Marathon World Championship titles to their already impressive CVs.

But it was on the flat and fast streets of Dubai that Desisa of Ethiopia and Kenya’s rising star Chepngetich first made their marks in the record books - just two of a growing number of world-class distance runners to launch their careers in the emirate.

Making his marathon debut in Dubai in 2013, Desisa won in 2.04.45, while in January 2019 the diminutive Chepngetich produced one of the best women’s performances of all time as she stormed to victory in 2:17:08, now the fourth fastest in history.

"Over the past ten years or so, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon has consistently produced race winning times that rival and often exceed the Marathon Majors," said Event Director Peter Connerton.

"The city is now firmly recognised as hosting one of the fastest routes in world athletics. Established elite athletes as well as up-and-coming runners are always keen to take part in what is the first major event of the new year. With the benign weather conditions, excellent road surfaces and a flat course, the athletes know they can target a personal best and even a new course record in Dubai."

While the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon has been held in various parts of the city - with race routes that have included both the Sheikh Zayed Road and Downtown Dubai - in recent years the race has settled on a home stretching out along the city’s Jumeirah Beach Road in the west with a finish in the shadow of the seven-star Burj Al Arab Hotel.

Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the 2020 event is expected to see more than 30,000 runners sign up to take part.

The race - the 21st in the event’s history - will again see the runners compete in the same location with competitors spread across three races, namely a 4km Fun Run, the hugely-popular 10km and the traditional Marathon distance itself.

An ancient Greek cup, believed to be approximately 2,500 years old, that was awarded to the winner of 1896′s first modern Olympiad marathon has been returned to Athens

A millennial-old Greek artifact is finally back home. The ancient chalice had been presented to Spyros Louis, the Greek-born marathon winner, in the late 19th century.

On Wednesday, Greece’s Culture Ministry explained that the 6th century B.C. vessel was considered lost for decades until it was rediscovered in 2014, as part of the University of Muenster’s collection.

After the ornate black-and-brown cup, which depicts two runners, was brought to the attention of the university, it agreed to return the vessel, which had been part of a private German collection bought in 1986, reported The Associated Press.

A statement from the agency stated that the double-handed cup proved “beyond any doubt” that it was the same one given to Louis 123 years ago.

The vessel was showed off at a Wednesday ceremony at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, where it will be exhibited for three months before being permanently displayed at a museum in Olympia, the site of the ancient games.

Louis, a water carrier with no formal athletic training, became a national legend after his unexpected victory in the marathon — viewed as the most Greek of Olympic disciples — in Athens.

For his win, in which the 23-year-old runner bested 16 competitors, Louis also received a silver cup and silver medal.

Manchester Road Race director Jim Balcome Gets Major National Award

The director of the Manchester Road Race has been recognized nationally for his efforts to coordinate the Thanksgiving Day event.

Jim Balcome, the director and backbone of the Manchester Road Race for about four decades, has been recognized nationally for his efforts to coordinate the annual Thanksgiving Day run.

Balcome is known for his meticulous — and personal — approach to the annual Thanksgiving Day event and, last weekend, he was awarded the "Marathon Foto/Road Race Management RaceDirector of the Year Award," which is presented by MYLAPS Sports Timing.

The honor has been described by Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers as "the goldmedal of race directing," has been presented annually since 1987 to the nation's best race director. It is considered to be one of the most prestigious awards in the sport of road racing.

A committee comprised of race directors, athletes, media representatives, corporate executivesand club officials selected Balcome from a group of nominees who were judged on several factors,including overall ability, the reputation of the race, creativity, and organizational ability.

Balcome, 76, coined the race day phrase, "This is Thanksgiving in Manchester," and is known for making Manchester "a runners race" from the elite athletes kicking toward the tape down Main Street to the guy in the back of the 11,000-strong field kicking back in a bunny suit.

Balcome has served as the MRR's race director for 40 years. He's a past president of the Silk City Striders Running Club and competed in the road race for several years before being asked to lead its operations.

He's an Air Force veteran and retired Rockville High School teacher, guidance counselor and track coach who spends between 500 and 600 hours each year performing the "countless tasks" that are necessary to stage a major road race like the MRR, other race officials said.

Champion marathon runner Clara Simal keeps training while seven months pregnant

Champion marathon runner Clara Simal has refused to stop chasing her dream despite being seven months pregnant.

The 32-year-old architect from Madrid has continued to run, lift weights and stretch in the gym. Simal has urged other women to continue exercising while pregnant because “you will feel much better”.

“I can continue running during the pregnancy,” she told Spanish television channel Antena 3. “The doctor told me I can do exercise. Women should be encouraged to exercise during pregnancy because you feel much better…. Make sure the baby is never missing air. Your breathing should be good and you should feel comfortable.”

Simal has continued training for marathons, but has reduced the intensity of her sessions because she would get more tired than usual.

“I would get much more tired and my heart rate would be much higher,” Simal said.

Local media report that the 32-year-old plans to “train to the very last moment” that she can. Simal is keen to keep up the hard work after she won the Spanish marathon championship in 2017 and finished second in 2018.

“Athletic objectives will have to wait this season,” she wrote, when announcing her pregnancy on social media. “We are expecting a new little person in our family this Christmas that will be with us for our new objectives, and of course the rest of our lives.”

American runner Alysia Montano hit the headlines in 2017 when she competed in an 800m race while five months pregnant.

And Serena Williams was pregnant when she won the Australian Open in January 2017.

Joshua Cheptegei was born under an avocado tree, Cheptegei’s story is not merely a testament to his incredible ability but of the inspirational power of sport

Joshua Cheptegei was born under an avocado tree in Cheptendan, Kapchorwa. “The mothers those days were strong,” he jokes.

His favorite pastime growing up was swinging on the ropes of some “very big tree that was near our home. You could spend the whole day swinging.”

And his dream was to be a teacher, just like dad. Talent, however, has a way of messing up things, of overturning plans, reshaping destinies. Cheptegei, a would-be literature teacher is now a multi-millionaire superstar world athlete, on track to being one of the greatest sportsmen Uganda has ever seen.

Life is obviously the best imitation of art and Cheptegei’s story is scarcely believable even if its best chapters may be yet scripted. 

He is the reigning world cross country champion, and 5000m and 10,000m Commonwealth champion, 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships silver medalist and the fastest man over 15km ever recorded.

“I dream of becoming a world record holder in the 5000m, 10,000m and later the half marathon and maybe also the full marathon,” he says.

Can he do it? Perhaps the question is, who can bet against him?

Cheptegei’s story is not merely a testament to his incredible ability but of the inspirational power of sport.

One of nine children, Cheptegei was on the way to a normal, rain-soaked Sebei existence. With the modest earnings from his mother’s agriculture and the father’s teaching career, Cheptegei would have, in the best-case scenario, completed university and settled for a life as a Shakespeare expositor.

“My father wasn’t impressed when I first told him I wanted to become a professional athlete,” Cheptegei recalls.

“He wanted me to first finish school. That time I had just finished high school. I was due for a Bachelor’s degree in education. Dad wanted me to become a literature teacher”.

Cheptegei joined university but kept running, finishing second in the 2014 Inter-University Games. He also finished second in the national cross country championship, which he followed up by winning the World University Cross Country.

The breakthrough came at the U-20 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, where he won gold in the 10,000m.

The rewards Cheptegei was consequently invited to State House and received a car and sh20m from president Yoweri Museveni. It was the runner’s first big payday but certainly not biggest nor the last.

Subsequent victories in major world races, have seen Cheptegei etch towards the sh1b mark in career earnings. Imagine that!

“He is an extremely rich man,” said a top athletics official who once coached Cheptegei.

Barring any major injury setbacks, Cheptegei is poised to reap success from 5000m, 10,000m, world cross country, 10km, 15km and half marathon races for the foreseeable future. That means more prize money and sponsorship earnings not to mention government rewards and Police promotions.

And all of this because of the still oft-devalued path called sports.

“There is a need to support talent whenever it is realized,” Joshua counsels “Whether it is your child or any other person support them. It does not matter what sport it is. It is also the same for talents like music. Once you realize any talent invest in it.”

Kenyan Marathon world-record holder Eliud Kipchoge is among the five finalists named for the male athlete of the year

Eliud Kipchoge leads the nominees list, Kenya's marathon man, Eliud Kipchoge has made the list, as the 34-year old looks to bag his second IAAF Male World Athlete award in succession. In October 2019, Kipchoge became the first person on the planet to complete a full marathon in under two hours.

The Kenyan world record holder, who has also been labelled as the greatest marathoner in the history of the sport, completed the 'INEOS 1:59 Challenge' in October. In successfully completing the 9.6km circuit, the 34-year old became the first marathoner to break the two-hour barrier, thus writing his name in the history books. 

Eliud Kipchoge´s contenders.- Uganda’s Joshua Chepetegei, the 10,000m world champion was also one of the five finalists apart from Eliud Kipchoge.

Chepetegei won the World 10,000m title in a world-leading time of 26:48.36 and also won the Diamond League 5000m title. Americans Sam Kendricks and Noah Lyles are also up for winning the award. Sam Kendricks won the World Pole Vault title, clearing a world-leading 6.06m to win the US title.

He also won 12 of his 17 outdoor competitions, including the Diamond League final. Noah Lyles, meanwhile, has the world 200m and 4x100m titles to boast of, aside from running a world-leading 19.50 in Lausanne to move to fourth on the world all-time list. Lyles also won the Diamond League titles at 100m and 200m. 

Norwegian hurdler Karsten Warholm completes the list of the nominees for the Male World Athlete 2019 award. Warholm is undefeated indoors and outdoors at all distances, including the Diamond League final and the European Indoor Championships. He also clocked a clocked world-leading 46.92, the second-fastest time in history. 

Veteran Bernard Lagat and Chris Brown have both announced plans to hopefully compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Not too long ago, professional athletes rarely produced world-class results after they passed their mid-thirties and ventured into their forties. Today, however, athletes like Roger Federer and Serena Williams (both 38 years old), Tom Brady (42) and Tiger Woods (43) are proving that age is just a number, each continuing to find success in their sports. 

American Bernard Lagat and Chris Brown of the Bahamas are also looking to prove they’ve still got what it takes to compete with the world’s best, with both men recently announcing they will attempt to qualify for their sixth Olympic team each.

Chris Brown, a 400m runner, is 41 years old. He has competed at each Summer Games since Sydney in 2000, where he picked up a bronze medal in the 4 x 400m relay with the Bahamian team. The Athens Games were the only ones from which Brown has returned home without a medal. He and his teammates added three more in the 4 x 400m after Sydney, winning gold in London, silver in Beijing and another bronze in Rio. 

He currently coaches the Clayton State University track team in Georgia. His bio on the Clayton State track page reads that he joined the team “following a tremendous international career,” but Brown announced that he isn’t quite finished on the world stage. 

Brown told the Bahamian paper the Nassau Guardian that although he took a year off of competing since joining the Clayton State staff, he hasn’t stopped training. 

“My body is still active and ready to compete at any minute now,” he said. “I just try and maintain and keep my body consistent with what it has been doing.” 

From the 2008 to the 2016 Olympics, Lagat competed in the 5,000m. His focus is now on the marathon, a distance which he has only raced twice. His first shot at 42K was at the New York City Marathon in 2018, where he ran a 2:17:20. In July 2019, he travelled to Australia and set an American masters record of 2:12:10 at the Gold Coast Marathon. 

Lagat will be at the US Olympic Trials in Atlanta on February 29 to book his ticket for the 2020 Olympic marathon. If he makes the team, he’ll be 45 years old at the start line in Sapporo.  

Brown isn’t just looking for a fun, lighthearted Olympic finale–he wants to help the Bahamian team to continue their success in the 4 x 400m. If Brown makes the team, he could be running with Steven Gardiner, a fellow Bahamian who won the 400m world championship a month ago in Doha, who would be a huge addition to the already stellar cast of previous 400m runners from the Bahamas.

Bernard Lagat Like Brown, the 44-year-old Lagat has competed on the track of each Summer Olympics since 2000. Lagat won a medal in his first two Olympic appearances, taking a bronze in 2000 and silver in 2004, both in the 1,500m. At that time, he was competing for Kenya, where he was born and raised. In 2005, however, Lagat became an American citizen, and he has represented the U.S. ever since. 

Defending champion and course record holder Edward Cheserek will be back in 2019 to defend his title at the 83rd Manchester Road Race

Defending champion and course record holder Edward Cheserek has entered the 83rd Manchester Road Race, race officials announced Thursday.

Cheserek hails from of Flagstaff, AZ, by way of Kenya.

Cheserek, 25, won the annual Thanksgiving Day run last year in 14-degree weather with zero wind chills and set a new record for the 4.748-mile course with a time of 21:16. He sliced three seconds off the old mark of 21:19 that had stood since 1995.

"Edward Cheserek ran a super race under very difficult conditions last year," said Dr. Tris Carta, president of the Manchester Road Race Committee. "We are very pleased that he will be back this Thanksgiving to defend his championship."

Cheserek captured 17 NCAA running championships when he competed for the University of Oregon. He won the Carlsbad 5,000 Road Race in California this past April with a time of 13:29. Cheserek recorded a personal best time of 13:04.44 for 5,000 meters this summer during an outdoor meet in Belgium, and also placed third at the seven-mile Falmouth Road Race in 32:30.

The 83rd Manchester Road Race will be run at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28, 2019).

The 4.748-mile race is run on a loop course through Manchester's central streets and starts and finishes on Main Street, in front of St. James Church.

Jaxon Hindman is training for his next marathon, he’s a survivor, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2014

“The doctor called my mom back and when she came out again like 15 minutes later, she was just bawling,” recounted Hindman. “I didn’t really understand at the time. Her exact words at the time were ‘there’s something in your head that doesn’t need to be there.’”  

He underwent 30 radiation treatments and four chemo treatments before becoming cancer-free 6 months later.

That same year, Team Jaxon 2 was created, where his family ran the St. Jude race in his honor. From that point on, Jaxon wanted to run too.

With a 5K and two half-marathons under his belt, Jaxon got the okay from his doctor to finally run a marathon last year.

A smile comes to his face, when he’s asked how it felt to cross that finish line.

“Watching that, I started to tear up,” Hindman said. “It’s just so inspiring. I had my whole family beside the finish line holding my banner.”

Now the high school senior is a proud eagle scout and shoots competitive air rifle.

In December, he’s gearing up for St jude, another 26.2 miles.

“That’s been one of the biggest things for me to realize how much of an impact I have on other people being a patient and going out and running a full marathon.”

The motivation comes from patients like himself.  

“I’m running this race for them,” commented Hindman. “So I can’t quit now. They can’t quit either.”

Jaxon’s team has raised over $10,000 for St. Jude Hospital. 

However, he’s not stopping there. Jaxon has plans to study anesthesiology and return to St. Jude to help other patients in the future.

Gladys Burrill, the oldest woman to have competed a marathon has died at age 100

Gladys Burrill, the world record holder for the oldest woman to compete a marathon and a beloved supporter of the Honolulu Marathon, has died. She was 100.

Burrill died Thursday of natural causes in her sleep at her family’s home in Prospect, Ore., said her son Mike Burrill by phone Saturday from Oregon. She was living in a condo in Waikiki until July, when she became ill with pneumonia. After her health improved enough to travel, Burrill went back to Prospect where her family helped care for her.

Jim Barahal, president and CEO of the Honolulu Marathon, said Burrill’s world record put the spotlight on her, but she was popular in the marathon community because of her personality, enthusiasm, relentless positivity and deep faith.

Barahal said every time he saw her she greeted him with a giant hug and smile.

“It would always snap you out of what was stressing you out,” he said. “It was just a reminder of how to carry yourself through life.”

When Burrill set her marathon record at the age of 92, hundreds sent messages to marathon organizers saying Burrill, who became known as the “Gladyator,” encouraged them to try it as well, he said.

Barahal said every time he saw her she greeted him with a giant hug and smile.

“It would always snap you out of what was stressing you out,” he said. “It was just a reminder of how to carry yourself through life.”

When Burrill set her marathon record at the age of 92, hundreds sent messages to marathon organizers saying Burrill, who became known as the “Gladyator,” encouraged them to try it as well, he said.

Mike said his mother found herself after her husband died in 2008, becoming an icon in the marathon community. Every day, she wore Honolulu Marathon shirts and only shoes of companies that sponsored the race.

Even though she no longer ran marathons recently because of the physical toll, she would attend marathon clinics on Sundays to encourage other trainees, he said.

She remained mentally sharp until her death.

“She was full of love,” he said. “Anybody that would give her a moment, she would give them a hug.”

Edna Kiplagat, one of the world's top marathon runners plans to compete in the 2019 Manchester Road Race

One of the world's greatest marathon runners will compete at the 83rd Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day. Race officials announced Monday that Edna Kiplagat, who won the 26.2-mile event at the World Championships in 2011 and 2013, will return to Manchester after a two-year absence.

She finished fourth at the 2016 MRR with a time of 24:34.

Kiplagat, who turns 40 on Nov., 15, grew up in Kenya and recently relocated to the Boulder, Colorado area. She won the 2017 Boston Marathon, the 2014 London Marathon, and the New York City and Los Angeles Marathons, both in 2010. Kiplagat recorded her best time for the event in 2012 when she placed second behind Mary Keitany at the London Marathon in 2:19:50.

The mother of five children and a former police physical fitness instructor in Kenya, Kipligat was the runner-up at the Boston Marathon last April, and finished fourth in the marathon at the 2019 World Championships, which were held last month in Doha, Qatar.

Kiplagat will join Olympic silver medalist Sally Kipyego in a highly competitive womens elite field at the annual 4.78-mile Thanksgiving Day run through Manchester's central streets.

The 83rd Manchester Road Race is scheduled will take place on Nov. 28 at 10 a.m.

Marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei is one of five finalists for the Female World Athlete 2019 award

Last month the Kenyan broke Briton Paula Radcliffe's 16-year-old world record, running a time of 2hrs 14mins 04secs to win the Chicago Marathon.

Kosgei, 25, also became the youngest winner of the London marathon in April.

American Dalilah Muhammad, Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas and the Netherlands' Sifan Hassan are also up for the award.

Sprinter Fraser-Pryce won the world 100m and 4x100m titles in world-leading times of 10.71 and 41.44 in Doha, while Hassan broke the world mile record with a time of 4:12:33 in Monaco.

Triple-jumper Rojas won nine of her 12 competitions, including gold at the World Championships with 15.37m, while Muhammad set a new world record of 52.16 in the 400m hurdles in Doha.

Britain's world heptathlon gold medallist Katarina Johnson-Thompson missed out on the shortlist, having featured among the initial 11 nominees.

The male and female World Athletes of the Year will be announced live on stage at the World Athletics Awards 2019 in Monaco on Saturday 23 November.

Kenya's former world half-marathon record holder Abraham Kiptum has been banned for four years over an anti-doping violation

The Athletics Integrity Unit,  which oversees integrity issues in international athletics, including doping, had provisionally suspended the 30-year-old on April 26 for an Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) violation.

The passport uses blood tests to detect the likelihood of doping rather than testing for specific substances.

Kiptum's four-year ban commences from that date and all his results going back to Oct. 13, 2018 — including a half marathon world record (58 minutes and 18 seconds) that he had set in Valencia later that month — have been disqualified.

His time was five seconds better than the previous mark set by Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese in Lisbon in 2010.

Kiptum's compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor broke the world half-marathon record by 17 seconds in Copenhagen in September.

Kenya is known for its middle and long-distance running pedigree but has suffered damage to its reputation due to a number of doping violations in recent years.

Vicoty Chepngeno was the first across the finish line at the 16th annual Monterey Bay Half Marathon holding off the elite men who started nine minutes and five seconds behind her

Chepngeno, a Kenyan living and training in Grand Prairie, TX, covered the 13.1-mile course in 1:08:03, smashing the women’s course record by over a minute and half. As the race began Sunday morning, the 25-year-old made a clear break from her competitors and maintained a healthy lead throughout the race, clicking off 5:10 miles. Futsum Zienasellassie, 26, of Flagstaff, AZ took the top spot for the men in 1:02:33, logging the second-fastest men’s finish in the race’s history.

Still, he and the other male competitors were unable to catch Chepngeno as she neared the finish line. As the first runner across the line, Chepngeno collected an additional $3,000 on top of the $4,000 award for being the first female.

“I’m so happy to be here, and I love the people of Monterey,” said Chepngeno. When asked if she’d return next year to defend her title, Chepngeno replied, “Absolutely, I can’t wait to be back out on the beautiful course next year.”

Panuel Mkungo of Coon Rapids, MN took second for the men in 1:02:37, and Patrick Smyth of Sante Fe, NM took third in 1:02:39. Second female was Australian Milly Clark in 1:11:49, followed by 2017 women’s champion Monicah Ngige in 1:11:59.

The top eight runners in the men’s and women’s divisions competed for a total purse of $25,000 plus another $5,000 in total bonus money for the first three runners of either gender to finish.

Runners were met with ideal conditions with overcast skies and temperatures from the low-50s to 60s during the race. Roughly 6,700 participants set out along the 13.1-mile scenic course that includes historic downtown Monterey, Cannery Row, and the Pacific Grove shoreline and Asilomar State Beach to finish back in downtown Monterey near Fisherman’s Wharf.

“It was a spectacular day with many runners setting personal bests,” said Doug Thurston, Race Director. “We were so glad to welcome back thousands of runners from our canceled race last year and many new runners to our race along the beautiful Monterey Bay.”

The 2018 Monterey Bay Half Marathon was canceled the day before when shifting winds brought smoky and unhealthy air into the area from the Camp Fire.

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create beautiful running events that promote health and benefit the community. Under the brand are three individual race weekends: Big Sur International Marathon in April, Run in the Name of Love 5K and 2K in June, and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon, 5K and 3K in November.

49-Year-Old Ultrarunner Dave Mackey Won't Back Down

Dave Mackey was the first person to run the Leadville Trail 100 Run with a prosthetic leg

 The 49-year-old physician assistant spent those two decades putting together a stellar ultrarunning career, earning national championships in 50K, 50-mile, and 100K distances. He set the record for the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim run in 2007 and was named Ultrarunner of the Year twice by USA Track and Field. His only injury during that time was a rolled ankle in 2007 that made him rest for a few weeks.

“I’ve always been lucky with injuries,” Mackey says from his home in Boulder, Colorado. “Well, except for falling off a mountain.”

In 2015, Mackey was running 8,459-foot Bear Peak in the Rocky Mountains’ Front Range when he decided to scramble down a series of boulders off the backside of the summit. An experienced rock climber, he had taken the route plenty of times before. But during his descent, a boulder jostled loose, and he fell 50 feet, breaking his left tibia in eight places. For a year after the accident, Mackey and his surgeons were hopeful he would keep the leg. But after suffering constant pain from scar tissue and low-grade infections, it became obvious that it would never fully heal. Mackey says the decision to amputate was an easy one.

“It was about quality of life,” he says. In addition to being a dedicated ultrarunner, Mackey is also an accomplished adventure racer, skier, and mountain biker. “Keeping my leg would’ve held me back for years, if not my whole life,” he says.

“But I knew after the amputation I would run again. People do amazing things with one leg, or no legs for that matter.”

After the surgery, Mackey spent almost a year adjusting, learning how to walk and run again while also undergoing multiple fittings for his prosthetic leg due to shrinking muscles in the residual limb. But he wasn’t down for long. Less than two years after his surgery, Mackey completed the Leadman Series, a succession of six races over the course of a summer that includes the legendary Leadville Trail 100 Run and Leadville Trail 100 MTB.

“The vast majority of people who lose a leg never work again,” Mackey says. “They never establish the same mobility as they had before. I’m really fortunate, and I was motivated.”

Finishing the Leadman Series was just the beginning for Mackey, who has largely resumed his old routine since losing his leg. He runs every day with a blade prosthetic—there’s an 11-mile route he likes to knock out in the morning before sending his kids off to school—he mountain-bikes regularly, and he skis with his family during the winter. Although Mackey figures he’s half as fast on rocky trails now, it’s all relative. Last year he finished 12th in the Leadman Series, just over seven hours behind the series winner’s accumulated time for all six races. This year he ran the Leadville Trail 100 in 25 hours, 54 minutes, roughly six hours slower than his 2014 time.

Still, he placed 98th overall out of 841 runners and was the first runner to ever finish the race with a prosthetic leg. “The more technical the terrain, the slower I have to go,” Mackey says. “Rocks that are smaller than a fist are easy to work through, but with the baby-head-size rocks, the blade can roll more easily. I have to watch my steps more.”

Mackey also says he’s enjoying the training process more than he ever did before. “I just want to get out there and make the most of it,” he says.

“I’m more appreciative now of every individual run or ride. Or skiing with my kids. It feels so good. With the accident I had, I could’ve died.”

Recovery has been a fact of life since Mackey’s accident. He’s had more than 13 surgeries during the last four years. When I talk to him, he’s fresh off a three-hour mountain-bike ride, slowly working his way back into “normal” life after having two screws removed from his leg two weeks earlier. “It can be hard,” Mackey says. “Taking time off in your forties is different than taking time off in your twenties. You don’t necessarily bounce back like you used to. But this whole process has taught me patience. You have to stay patient so you don’t get hurt again. But if you’re motivated, you can come back.”

Although Mackey is still getting after it postaccident, his motivation to keep moving has changed slightly. At one time, pre-accident, it was pushing himself to the brink of collapse in order to win races and crush records. 

“You feel like a train wreck one moment, then an hour or two later you feel great, because your body cycles through it,” he says. But while he continues to love the physical challenge of ultras, it’s not the podium that motivates him these days. It’s the process itself.

“Being in the outdoors is what keeps me going,” Mackey says. “The longer the trail run, the more I get out of it. It takes energy to make it happen, but the net return of those runs gives me more energy for everything else. It gives me a better attitude, a better perspective. Being outside, moving, it’s like therapy.”

Shalane Flanagan Was Not Surprised by Alberto Salazar’s Ban

One of America’s greatest marathoners has retired to become a coach and a television commentator, and she is speaking her mind about her sport and her top sponsor.

Shalane Flanagan, the four-time Olympian and winner of the New York City Marathon in 2017, called it quits on her running career in October — sort of.

Flanagan, who is 38 and has long trained with Nike’s Bowerman Track Club, is moving into coaching and television work. She will serve as the color analyst for ABC’s telecast of the New York City Marathon on Sunday, and once that is done she will return to Oregon to help coach the elite women who call themselves the “Bowerman Babes.”

There are few women coaching at the highest levels of running, even for female runners, and fewer who can still keep up with the athletes they train. That’s the kind of coach Flanagan plans to be as she moves into the next phase of her career.

“My dream is to become a personal pacer,” she said in a phone interview last week, during which she discussed her decision to hang up her racing shoes, Nike’s connection to the latest performance-enhancing drug scandal and whether, as an analyst, she will criticize runners she is coaching.

So now you are becoming a coach officially. Is that a role you have been playing unofficially for a while?

"Prior to the last year I had always looked at myself as the elder on the team. A little motherly, maybe a bit bossy and mentoring to younger athletes. But ever since I finished my last race in New York a year ago I have known I wanted to coach, and I’ve been observing and watching more with a coaching eye than as a teammate. The last year has been a kind of informal internship," she said.

Why aren’t there more female coaches at the highest levels in track and field?

"I never thought of it as a gender position or role, but having in the last year been in an environment and the arena of the coaching world, it has opened my eyes. At the U.S. championships, there are very few women coaches in the warm-up area, or even agents. It definitely feels strange."

Your sponsor, Nike, which funds your training group, worked closely with Alberto Salazar, who has been suspended from the sport for actions he took as coach of the Nike Oregon Project. Has the company done enough to make you feel that other Nike athletes will not be tainted by all of this?

"They are currently looking at the situation. I am guessing that they are a bit shocked to some degree and they are going to evaluate how they format these teams in the future. It’s a big liability for them. It’s very complicated. I’m proud of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the efforts they put forth and their commitment to clean sport."

Were you surprised by what you read in the reports about the Oregon Project, that Nike’s chief executive, Mark Parker (who has since left that post), was kept in the loop through emails about experiments with performance-enhancing drugs?

"We train on the Nike campus, but we very much stick to our neck of the woods. We kind of quarantine ourselves. Once Jerry Schumacher broke off with Alberto in 2009, we’ve been very separated. That said, I’m surprised but not surprised by the situation that unfolded. I trained with Kara Goucher sometimes and I was privy to what she was going through, so I am not completely ignorant on the subject. As for Mark Parker’s interactions, I was unaware of those. (Goucher was one of the main whistle-blowers in the USADA investigation.)"

Will you run with the women you are coaching?

"I would love to pace someone like Shelby Houlihan to a 5K record attempt, or really any of our athletes. Being able to do that for them, that’s my motivation."

Did you ever have a coach like that?

"Jerry used to be able to hop in during some sessions. It made it so much more fun. When I was preparing for Boston I would make multiple trips and train on the course for multiple days. Jerry would get on and do workouts with me. I loved so much to have my coach give his body to help me attain my goals.

So what does Jerry say about you commenting on television about runners in your training group?

"Jerry would prefer I not commentate when I have athletes in races. I’m not sure I will change his mind on that aspect."

New York and Boston Marathon winner says everyone should run at least one marathon

When Meb Keflezighi ran his first competitive race in the seventh grade, his motivation was simple: to get a t-shirt for his school’s running club that his older brothers also wore.

Yet after running a mile in 5 minutes, 20 seconds, he discovered he had a unique talent. His teacher at the time told him, “You’re going to go to the Olympics.” And word in school quickly spread.

“I didn’t speak English at the time, but my picture by the gym made history,” said Keflezighi, who immigrated to the U.S. from Eritrea.

“They said, ‘Hey, here’s the fastest kid,’ and people started giving me high-fives,” he added. “And that was how my running started.”

Today, Keflezighi, 44, is the only runner to have won an Olympic medal, the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon. 

Before winning the New York City Marathon, Keflezighi faced a number of setbacks that led him to question whether he would ever be able to run again. That included a stress fracture in his hip that left him crawling on his hands and knees just to get around.

“I couldn’t stand up to bear weight, and I remember looking over the window of the city, because I couldn’t stand up,” Keflezighi said.

Around that time, his friend and fellow professional runner Ryan Shay died of a heart attack.

“You can’t compare when the guy you were sitting next to on the bus to the starting line passed away,” Keflezighi said. “That kind of puts life in perspective.”

Keflezighi, who was already an Olympic silver medalist, considered retiring. But something internally told him he was not done.

“What it taught me was to celebrate every personal best,” Keflezighi said. “Just to be able to run, you’re grateful when it’s not taken away from you.”

He set his sights on winning the New York City Marathon. In 2009, with a time of 2:09:15, he became the first American to win the race since 1982.

The challenges did not end there. In 2011, Nike declined to renew his contract. Though Keflezighi still had other sponsors, he relied on the shoe brand for the bulk of his financial support.

He went without a shoe contract until August of that year, when Skechers stepped up.

“They took a risk,” Keflezighi said. “They gave me a one-year contract.

“I said, I need more than that, but let’s see how it goes,” he added. “And it went really well.”

In 2012, Keflezighi made the U.S. Olympic team and placed fourth in the summer Olympics marathon. “Finishing fourth, that kind of sparked a little light in me to say, ’Hey, I can still win,” he said.

In 2014, he did win, coming in first in the Boston Marathon, with a time of 2:08:37. At the time, he was the first American man to come in first since 1983. The race was one year after the notorious bombing. To pay tribute to victims of that terror attack, Keflezighi wrote their names with marker in small letters on his bib.

“As a lead athlete, they tell you not to tamper with your bib, but I took a risk,” Keflezighi said. “I just wrote it with a Sharpie to give them respect and to draw inspiration from them.”

In 2017, Keflezighi retired at the New York City Marathon after running 26 marathons.

Today, he works to inspire other runners through the Meb Foundation, which works to help promote children’s health, education and fitness.

Last week, he was inducted into the New York Road Runners Hall of Fame, 10 years after his New York City Marathon win. And the lessons he has learned along the way inform his advice for other runners.

When Nike pulled their contract, Keflezighi still had the support of other sponsors. However, the loss of that income prompted the athlete and his wife to scale back financially.

They rented their home in San Diego and moved to Mammoth Lakes, California, to cut down on commuting costs. And for a long time, they had one car for the family.

“It’s not how much you make, it’s what you do with that money,” Keflezighi said. “You have to be a saver, and that’s what we try to do.”

Participating in races is a great way to increase your motivation. But nothing compares to running a full marathon, according to Keflezighi.

“I tell people you should do one marathon in your lifetime,” Keflezighi said. “After that, it’s optional.”

That’s because running that 26.2-mile distance can teach you things that running a half marathon or 10K or 5K race can’t, he said.

“If you can overcome those challenges to get ready for a marathon and get to that finish line, it changes your life,” Keflezighi said. “You are going to find something you never thought you were capable of doing.”

It’s important to stay focused on your goals, even when you are faced with setbacks.

“You go through ups and downs in life, and you go through ups and downs in training,” Keflezighi said.

With the sport often come injuries. The beauty of running, Keflezighi said, is you can scale down your efforts or cross train with another activity, such as swimming or biking.

“If you’re hurting, get healthy, refocus and set a new goal,” Keflezighi said.

The same goes for long-term achievements that you look to accomplish in life, he said. For those goals, it’s important to remember that one setback does not have to interfere with your progress over months or even years.

“Don’t give up on your dreams,” Keflezighi said.

Sapporo switch could come back to haunt IOC

The clash between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) over the marathon and race walk move to Sapporo played out last week as if it were scripted.

IOC Coordination Commission chair John Coates came cast as peacemaker. The Australian showered the TMG and Tokyo 2020 with praise for their preparations, while lauding the achievements of the Japanese team and organisers at the Rugby World Cup.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike performed impressively in her role, defending locals against foreign influence and insisting she would not pay for the mess created by the IOC. A victory on both counts.

The decision to move the events to Sapporo was never going to change. Even if the TMG had the option to keep the races, it would have been a risk to overrule the IOC’s warnings about heat on the off chance a major incident occurred involving an athlete.

The decision is a sad one, with Tokyo missing out on the opportunity to showcase the city’s landmarks to a worldwide audience and offer the residents of the capital city the chance to watch one of Japan’s favoured events for free.

Maybe, the IOC decision is the right one. Even if we set aside previous Olympic marathon and race walks being held under similar conditions, and the fact the IOC did not rush to protect the health of athletes when a year before Rio 2016 sailors and rowers were falling ill amid the pollution of Guanabara Bay.

If we take the view of Canadian race walker Evan Dunfee - one I share - that the IOC took the decision to protect their brand and avoid negative press, it could still be a fair reason to move the events.

Would it be a good thing for the sport of athletics to see athletes wheeled away from a course requiring medical attention, as they were at the World Championships in Doha, even if they are ultimately okay? Sure, athletes will push beyond their limits anyway, but it seems reasonable to try to mitigate risks.

It was suggested here that the looped course in Doha made it easier for athletes to receive medical support. Where the city circuit touring the sights of Tokyo would see resources more spread out.

The five Ps of "proper preparation preventing poor performance" apply here, with athletes having the responsibility to tailor their training to the conditions. But, equally, organisers could not respond by saying an athlete should have prepared better if something went awry.

A key question is whether the IOC should be the ones making this call, rather than an International Federation or medical experts.

There is little doubt, though, that the IOC has handled this badly.

Managing to annoy athletes, politicians and residents of a city at the same time is impressive - even for the IOC.

This is problematic for the IOC in both the short and long-term.

The most pressing issue is that there is no course in Sapporo yet for either the marathon and race walks, while financing remains unclear.

Athletes and National Olympic Committees will be required to adapt plans, which is likely to see additional support staff required to be brought to Sapporo, with the associated costs involved.

Currently, there is no concrete plan as to who picks up the cost of the move, other than knowing that the Tokyo Government will not be doing so. I wonder whether Sapporo’s hopes of the hosting the Winter Olympics in 2030 could enjoy a boost should they bail the IOC out of a hole here.

The IOC has agreed to examine and verify the money already spent by the TMG on heat countermeasures, such as special paving. Although the IOC has promised it will not walk away from obligations, there appeared to be a suggestion the Paralympic and proposed "Olympic Celebration Marathon" could be used to say Tokyo has received a legacy for their investment.

The TMG’s anger at the lack of consultation may just be a short-term issue. A sympathetic view is that the IOC realised the only way to force the switch to Sapporo was the take extreme action and give Tokyo no choice but to conform, given they knew organisers would fight tooth and nail otherwise.

The IOC may have decided it is better to take the heat now than at Games time - excuse the pun. The decision could yet leave them marinating in their own words for some time to come, given what it exposes about the IOC’s relationship with host cities.

If we rewind little over a year, the IOC dispatched Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi to Calgary to convince locals to support their 2026 Winter bid. The visit came at a time when the Winter Olympic bid race appeared to be threatening to collapse completely, with anti-Olympics campaigners driving the message that the IOC cannot be trusted.

I wrote at the time that Dubi had delivered a strong display for the IOC, where he fronted up on previous mistakes and insisted changes had been made. The message was clear: the IOC will act as a partner with host cities and work the Games concept around them.

"What has changed in the IOC from 2014 is our approach to the way we do the bidding, organise the Games and manage legacies," he said. "It is all about partnership, it is all about flexibility and finding the right solution for the hosts.

"The Games cannot impose to a city anymore; the Games adapt to a city.

"It means over the last two years, we had to look at our Host City Contract, every single article to make sure that flexibility is reflected in every single article. Every requirement has to live to local creativity to play.

"We do not have the final solution, we have local solutions."

It is hard to reconcile these words with this latest decision taken by the IOC.

Is taking a unilateral decision without consulting the host city really acting in partnership with them? Is taking free events from a host against their will not the IOC imposing its will on city? Is moving an event 800 kilometres from the host city really a local solution?

When asked about whether the decision was the IOC dictating to a host city, Coates suggested the Sapporo switch did not clash with their rhetoric.

"We have a Host City Contract and the Olympic Charter leaves a clear authority for the IOC to take decisions like this where it is necessary," he said. "I do not think that is at odds with the Agenda 2020 reforms in terms of flexibility.

"If you suddenly become aware of something, you have got to have the right to respond to that, as has happened here where we have had to act very quickly because of the experience of Doha."

While Coates and the IOC might believe that, the past couple of weeks will serve as evidence for critics that the leopard has not changed its spots.

The IOC claim they are a joint party with a host city, but their actions suggest that these are our Games, not yours.

After all, an Organising Committee repeatedly hailed as being the best prepared in Olympic history has been rewarded by being left scrambling for the past two weeks, unable to provide answers to a scenario they did not create.

Anti-Olympics campaigners will point to one of Japan’s most powerful politicians being overruled about a decision in her own city. Koike’s own quotes will be used as warnings for future hosts.

"We are receiving angry opinions about what being a host city really implies," she said earlier this week. "We consider it an unprecedented turn of events for the IOC to take such a proposal with no consultation or discussion with the host city beforehand."

The IOC may be right to move the marathon and race walk events.

However, I wonder whether their handling of the switch will have a wider impact than the decision itself.

KURGAT AND BAYARTSOGT VICTORIOUS AT NANJING MARATHON

Kenya’s Joseph Moses Kiptoo Kurgat and Munkhzaya Bayartsogt of Mongolia took the top honours at the fifth edition of Nanjing Marathon, an IAAF Bronze Label road race, on Sunday (10).

The 28-year-old Kurgat emerged victorious from a two-man duel in the last 10 kilometres to set a personal best of 2:13:04, stretching Kenya’s win streak in the men’s race to three years.

It is the first win of the year taken for the China-based Kurgat, who collected three marathon titles last year in the Chinese cities of Heyuan, Youyu, and Wuyuan respectively.

Fellow Kenyan David Kipkoech finished second once again, following his runner-up finish in Liupanshui four months ago. His 2:13:53 clocking is nearly two minutes faster than his previous PB of 2:15:47 achieved last year in Nairobi.

Alphonce Kibiwott took third in 2:15:30. The 26-year-old was also from Kenya with a clocking of 2:09:49 set at Rennes Marathon in 2016.

In the women’s race, Bayartsogt was even more dominant.

The 26-year-old grabbed the lead soon after the start and never encountered a serious threat throughout the race.

Although the Mongolian’s pace slowed in the final stages, the past winner at the Taipei, Gunsan and Ulaanbaatar marathons reached the finish in 2:35:40 for a 32-second victory.

Roman Mengistu of Ethiopia, winner of 2017 Agadir Marathon in 2:28:20, clocked 2:36:12 to finish second, while her countrywoman Tesfaw Etalem clocked 2:47:46 to settle for the third place, the first podium finish for the 24-year-old.

DEBUTANTE ZERAY TAKES SURPRISE VICTORY IN HEFEI

Debutante Ftaw Zeray of Ethiopia took a surprise win in the women’s race at the Hefei International Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Sunday (10).

The 22-year-old Zeray, who set a half marathon career best of 1:10:31 in Marugame, Japan last February, broke clear after 35km and surprised a field that included eight sub-2:30 runners to cross the line in 2:29:15.

It was her second victory in China after her win at the Anhui Dangshan Half Marathon in 2016.

Running under sunny skies with temperature ranging from 15 to 20 degrees, Zeray was in the lead group of six that covered the first 10 kilometres in 34:59. The leaders were trimmed to five after 15km and later cut to just three runners after 30km.

Zeray and her compatriot Gebeyanesh Ayele along with Kenya’s Agnes Kiprop, a 39-year-old veteran who boasted the fastest personal best in the field with a 2:23:54 clocking from 2011, stayed together for another two kilometres when the seasoned Kenyan could no longer keep with the pace of the younger legs.

Zeray and the 24-year-old Ayele, a 2:26:54 performer, then ran side-by-side until Zeray pulled clear after 35km and never looked back.

Ayele clocked 2:31:08 to finish second, her third podium finish to date, while Kiprop settled for third in 2:32:08.

In the men’s race, Ethiopian Yihunilign Adane celebrated his first marathon title since debuting over the classic distance in 2016, as the 23-year-old scored a 2:10:06 victory in the capital city of China’s Anhui Province.

The rising Ethiopian, who set a PB of 2:09:11 from a third finish in Beppu nine months ago, gained a hard-fought sole lead after 38km en route to a 52-second victory.

Mohamed Reda El Aaraby of Morocco, who will turn 30 on Tuesday, finished second in 2:10:58. Kenya’s Julius Tuwei, the fastest entrant with a 2:08:06 PB, trailed two seconds further behind to finish third.

The race saw a crowded leading group soon after the gun, before Chinese runner Liu Hongliang took the lead after 5km. The 2:15:22 performer was 13 seconds ahead at 10km in 30:25 but was gradually reeled in by the chasers and finally swallowed up by the pack near the 15km mark.

Ethiopia’s Abdela Godana then tried to push ahead in the next few kilometres, cutting the lead group to just four runners by 21km.

Tuwei seemed to lose his energy and began to drift back at 30km (1:32:19). But the Kenyan managed to fight back and caught the leaders before 35km, while the charges earlier seemed to cost too much from Godana as the 27-year-old faded away and out of the hunt.

After a series of unsuccessful mini-breaks from the leading trio, Adane finally pulled clear after 38km and went on to wrap-up the victory comfortably.

El Aaraby, the 10,000m gold medalist at the World Military Games in Wuhan two weeks ago, surpassed Tuwei in the home stretch to finish second.

Keter breaks the world 5k road record in Lille

Kenya’s Robert Keter upstaged a quality field to win the Urban Trail Lille 5km on Saturday (9), taking seven seconds off the world record* with his winning time of 13:22.

While organisers had hoped that Lille’s flat course would lend itself to a world record, many expected the likes of world U20 5000m silver medallist Stanley Waithaka, world U20 cross-country champion Milkesa Mengesha and world indoor 3000m finalist Davis Kiplangat to challenge the mark of 13:29.

No one, however, expected the unheralded Keter to sprint away from the field in the closing stages to triumph in a world record time.

Within the first five minutes a lead pack of 10 men, two of whom were pacemakers, had broken away. The group began to stretch out as they approached the half-way point after running the perimeter of Parc Jean-Baptiste Lebas.

Keter made his way to the front before the second pacemaker dropped out, but Waithaka, Kiplangat and 2014 Youth Olympic champion Gilbert Kwemoi were all close behind. Those four men began to pull away from the other athletes in the lead pack with less than a mile left to run.

There was a relatively tight turn at 4km as they looped back on to the Boulevard de la Liberte, but Keter got there first and started to up the pace for the final kilometre. He continued to pull away from his three compatriots and they were unable to match Keter’s finishing pace.

Keter turned into the Place de la Republique with a clear lead and crossed the finish line in 13:22. Kwemoi, Waithaka and Kiplangat followed a few seconds later, finishing in that order, all with an official time of 13:28 – one second inside the existing world record.

“I’m very, very happy,” said Keter. “The race was great, it was my first 5km road race.”

Mercy Jerop, just 17 years of age, made it a Kenyan double, winning the women’s race in 16:21. France’s Fanny Pruvost, 23 years Jerop’s senior, was a distant second in 16:47.

The 5km road distance was introduced as an official world record event in November 2017, with the inaugural record to be recognised after 1 January 2018 if the performances were equal to or better than 13:10 for men and 14:45 for women.

If no such performances were achieved in 2018, the best performances of 2018 (13:30 by Bernard Kibet and 14:48 by Caroline Kipkurui) would be recognised on 1 January 2019. Seven weeks into 2019, Julien Wanders and Sifan Hassan bettered those marks in Monaco by clocking 13:29 and 14:44, times that have since been ratified as world records. Two months later, Edward Cheserek equalled Wanders’ mark at the Carlsbad 5000.

Many athletes, however, have gone quicker than 13:22 before the 5km became an official world record event. The fastest time ever recorded for the distance remains Sammy Kipketer’s 13:00 clocking in Carlsbad in 2000.

Veteran Kenyan Komen wins Athens Marathon

Kenyan John Kipkorir Komen was the big winner of the 37th Athens Authentic Marathon on Sunday.

Komen, 42, crossed the finish line at the Panathenaic Stadium in the center of Athens in 2:16:34.

He did not manage to break the race's record at the 42km original course from Marathon city to Athens on a rainy day, but was cheered by thousands of spectators at the stadium which hosted the first modern Olympics in 1896, as well as along the route.

Kenya's Felix Kipchirchir Kandie holds the best time in the Authentic course since 2014, when he clocked 2:10:37.

Rwandan Felicien Muhitira, 25, ranked second, clocking 2:16:43, and Greek Konstantinos Gkelaouzos was third in 2:19:02.

A record 60,000 people from more than 120 countries and regions took part in the 42km course as well as the shorter 10km, 5km races and other parallel events, the organizing committee of the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS) said.

Among them were infants in strollers, entire families and white-haired amateur runners. The message of the Athens Marathon is that all participants are winners.

The race originates from the feat of Pheidippides who ran from the Marathon battlefield to Athens in 490 BC to announce Greeks' victory over the Persian forces and died from exhaustion.

This year all runners in the Marathon and shorter distances were presented with a new medal depicting the Marathon battle. The medal was designed by one of the greatest contemporary Greek artists, Alekos Fasianos. Enditem

There is prize money of $388,000 to be won at the second Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon to be held on December 6

The inaugural edition had 30 elite athletes in the fray and saw more than 10,300 people register for the event representing 121 nationalities.

There are prize money worth $388,000 to be won at the second Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon to be held on December 6 following the UAE's 48th National Day celebrations.

The winners for elite men's and women's race will each take home $100,000. The overall prize money is one of the world's biggest and set to attract best runners to Abu Dhabi, officials said.

Abu Dhabi Sports Council is organising the Capital's biggest community sports event. The inaugural edition had 30 elite athletes in the fray and saw more than 10,300 people register for the event representing 121 nationalities.

"Registrations for the event have started," Aref Hamad Al Awani, general secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said. "The number of participants is expected to rise this year. We hope to attract 15,000 runners. This shows the success of the inaugural event. The marathon has grown into a world-class event."

Even as the registration fees remain same as last year, there's a 30-per cent discount for those who sign up before May 31. There is also special package on offer for corporate entries.

Omar Suwaina Al Suwaidi, executive office director of ADNOC, revealed an all-new venue for the event village. ADNOC's campus next to its headquarters will host various fun activities.

"Our energy is the key to the UAE's prosperity. Wherever there is energy, you will find us, and that is why we are so proud to be the title sponsor. With this commitment in mind, many of you will have noticed that, during the past 12 months, the ADNOC corporate campus has been undergoing extensive renovations to create a best-in-class working environment for our employees, and an unrivalled guest experience for our visitors. From this year on, the ADNOC marathon fan village or ADNOC Energy Zone will be hosted within the grounds of our new campus, providing an enhanced experience for our athletes, their families, and the entire UAE community," Al Suwaidi said.

Apart from marathon elite race, there is family-friendly 2.5-km fun race, 5-km for starters and 10km for those looking to challenge themselves. 

World Champions Lelisa Desisa and Ruth Chepngetich named Marathon Runners of the Year by the AIMS

This year’s World Marathon Champions Lelisa Desisa and Ruth Chepngetich are the Marathon Runners of the Year. The runners from Ethiopia and Kenya respectively were honored at the AIMS Best Marathon Runner (BMR) Gala in Athens tonight. The Gala, which was shown live on Greek TV, was staged by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and the Hellenic Athletics Federation, SEGAS. On Sunday the 37th edition of the "The Athens Marathon. The Authentic" will take place on the original course with a record field of 20,000 runners.

Three further distinctions were awarded by AIMS on Friday evening in Athens: the French journalist Alain Lunzenfichter, for a long time a reporter with the sports newspaper L’Équipe, received the AIMS Lifetime Achievement Award. The AIMS Green Award went to the Xiamen Marathon in China and the Harmony Geneva Marathon for UNICEF received the AIMS Social Award.

Two outstanding personalities in the sport of marathon running were also honored at the Gala on Friday evening: Britain’s Ron Hill and Stefano Baldini of Italy. Hill won the 1969 European title on the Athens course and Baldini took the Olympic title here in 2004. 15 years after his Olympic triumph, the Italian will be running the Athens Marathon once again. “I hope I can enjoy the race since Athens is a very special place for me,” said Stefano Baldini.

“We are honored to have the best marathon runners in the world here in Athens, where the marathon as well as the Olympic Games of the modern era began, and honor them at the Gala,” explained the president of the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS) Kostas Panagopoulos. The AIMS president, Paco Borao from Spain, spoke in referring to both winners: “No-one will be in any doubt that these two World champions, who won in extreme weather conditions in Doha, deserve to be the Best Marathon Runners.”

Lelisa Desisa is the first Ethiopian to have received this award which was first made in 2013. The most recent recipient was Kenya’s Olympic champion and world record holder Eliud Kipchoge who was awarded the prize for the last four years in succession. During the relevant period for the AIMS Best Marathon Runner, Lelisa Desisa won the New York Marathon in November 2018, running an impressive 2:05:59 on the difficult course. After a second place in Boston in April the 29-year-old Ethiopian won the World Championships marathon gold in Doha, Qatar a month ago. “The Olympic marathon in 2020 is my dream,” said Lelisa Desisa. “I want to follow in the footsteps of Abebe Bikila and win the gold. I hope I can inspire a new generation of young athletes by my success.”

Ruth Chepngetich established herself among the world’s best marathon runners with two outstanding victories: First she took the Istanbul Marathon in November 2018 with 2:18:35 then became the third fastest woman ever at that time when she won in Dubai in January with 2:17:08. At the end of September the 25 year-old took the World Championship title in Doha in extreme weather conditions. “It is a great honor to receive this award in Athens, where the marathon was born. This is a lifetime event in my career,” said Ruth Chepngetich. Asked about the world record, which was recently lowered to 2:14:04 by fellow-Kenyan Brigid Kosgei the BMR winner said: "I believe it is possible for me too to break the world record if I train accordingly.”

Among the distinguished international guests from Sport, Politics and Culture at the Gala on Friday evening in Athens was Greece’s Minister for Development and Investment, Adonis Georgiadis. “I ran the marathon myself last year and have to say, it was a once in a lifetime experience. I recommend everyone to run this race. The Athens Marathon stands for fun, happiness and energy,” added the Minister.

Alberto Salazar Responds To Mary Cain's Allegations Of Abuse

In response to Mary Cain's accusations of physical and emotional abuse against her former coach, Alberto Salazar has provided a statement to The Oregonian's Ken Goe refuting Cain's claims.

“Mary’s father is a medical doctor, and both of her parents were deeply involved in her training, competition and health throughout the period she was coached by me. For example, Mary’s father consulted on medications and supplements Mary used during her time at the NOP. Neither of her parents, nor Mary, raised any of the issues that she now suggests occurred while I was coaching her. To be clear, I never encouraged her, or worse yet, shamed her, to maintain an unhealthy weight.”

Salazar writes: “Mary at times struggled to find and maintain her ideal performance and training weight."

Salazar told Goe that the Nike Oregon Project did employ a nutritionist and sports psychologist, contrary to what Cain has asserted.

Salazar also shared a text message that Cain sent him in April of this year.

“Thanks again so much for a great trip -- I’m excited to be working together again and I really want this. Haha got back to a chilly morning in NY and even skipped class just to prioritize training and recovery since that’s my No. 1.”

In a tweet thread this morning, Cain discussed her decision to reach out to Salazar then.Nike released their own statement on the matter, calling Cain's allegations "deeply troubling," while also pointing out that Cain had shown interest in rejoining NOP in April. The brand said they will launch an immediate investigation

Kenyan Daniel Muteti will be back in action in Greece as he seeks his first win in 2019 at the Athens Marathon on Sunday

Muteti who clocked 2:09:25 in Cape Town is eyeing fast time in the old Greek city but will have to contend with compatriot Rhonzas Kilimo in the quest to break the Athens course record of 2:10:37 set by Felix Kandie back in 2014.

A record 20,000 runners will line up on a course that is almost identical to the one used for the 1896 Olympic marathon.

"The fact that I am running here in Athens where the marathon began is special motivation for me," said Daniel Muteti on Friday.

"I have enough motivation to go for a fast time and I believe the weather will be good for me so that I may attain my goal. I know it is a short time to run two marathons in the span of two months, but I believe I have the strength to withstand the pressure," Muteti said.

Kilimo will be making debut at the distance after a running a half marathon in a personal best time of 60:49 minutes last year.

"I always wanted to run the full distance and have been delaying it. But I believe Athens will be the perfect stage for me to make another mark in my career and win a first marathon," said Kilimo.

Also in the field are John Komen, now 42 and who ran his best of 2:07:13 in 2011, Dominic Kangor (2:09:36), Chalu Gelmisa (2:12:38) and Felicien Muhitira (2:10:58).

Organizers admit they have concentrated more on the men's field this year than the women's, so Eleftheria Petroulak (2:44:01) and Sonia Tsekini (2:45:02) are the favorites. There will be no women representation from Kenya.

Women are not only finishing ultra marathon races they are winning some of them

According to conventional wisdom and most of the sport’s history, women should not win ultraendurance events — ever — when competing against men. But they are.

Three big wins in the past few months have put women’s performance in the longest and most difficult sporting events on the planet firmly in the spotlight. In September, American athlete Sarah Thomas, a cancer survivor, became the first person to swim the English Channel four times without stopping, spending 54 hours in the water and covering 134 miles. In August, German cyclist Fiona Kolbinger won the 2,500-mile nonstop Transcontinental Race across Europe and in January, British runner Jasmin Paris won one of the toughest running races there is, the Spine, a 268-mile jaunt across Britain’s backbone in winter, while breastfeeding her baby.

The proportion of women in ultramarathons was very low at the beginning of the ultrarunning movement. Records began for U.S. 100-mile ultramarathons in the late 1970s, and the proportion of women was basically zero. Now it’s steady at 20 percent. And not only are women running, but they’re winning. 

That’s a record for women in the sport. Still, some prominent ultra gatekeepers don’t think women’s participation will equal success across the board.

Women are winning increasingly frequently. Badwater, the Spine, the Moab 240 — the list of big ultramarathons women have crushed goes on, and it’s not just a matter of winning against a weaker male field than usual. When Paris won the Spine in January, running 268 miles from England to Scotland, she smashed the course record by over 12 hours.

Physically, men hold most of the cards: better V02 Max, which measures the rate at which your body can take in and use oxygen, larger hearts, larger muscle mass, better body mass index ratios and stronger and (usually) longer bones. But women do have some advantages: They’re more efficient than men at converting glycogen to energy. Glycogen is the secondary source of fuel used when glucose levels drop, so basically women can access and burn fat better. They also store fat better, itself an advantage because it means they can draw on those stores during punishing longer races.

Psychologically, too, men don’t have an obvious edge over women. Let’s start with pain: If you’re running long distances, you’re likely to experience pain. Despite a popular myth that women have a higher pain threshold than men, studies show that in fact women feel pain more quickly. This works to their advantage in ultras, as a quick response to pain means that they can locate and treat small problems like the onset of blisters early in the race. Also, when women feel pain, brain studies have shown that they mobilize emotion-processing parts of the brain to deal with it and so can train themselves to overcome it, whereas male brains more often use threat-control circuits, giving them increased adrenaline and awareness — but tiring them out faster.

“Science doesn’t really back up anecdotal theories about childbirth making women stronger endurance runners,” says psychologist and keen marathoner Sian Williams, but she adds that there is evidence that women can be better at pacing themselves. A 2015 analysis of more than 90,000 marathon results for 14 races suggested both sexes slowed by the second half, but men more so than women. The study, published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, suggested that men’s early burst of speed is linked to competitive behavior but causes issues in the latter part of the race. “Perhaps the psychology of ego and risk plays as much a part as physiology in lasting the distance,” Williams concludes.

That psychology of risk emerges also in the way the sexes handle sleep deprivation. Men have the physical advantage: They need less sleep than women by an average of 20 minutes. But men and women have diametrically opposed reactions to lack of sleep: Men’s behavior becomes riskier, and women’s more risk-averse — also an advantage in an ultramarathon, which requires alertness, night navigation and injury management. In what could be the clincher, women have been found to become more selfish and ego-driven with lack of sleep, mimicking typical male behaviors and increasing competitive will, which could give them a final push toward the end of an ultra.

Elisabet Barnes is a two-time women’s champion of the Marathon des Sables, a 251-mile race across the Sahara Desert. She’s also won ultras outright, including Australia’s Big Red Run. For her, the key is less about biology and more about attitude — such runs require “leaving the ego behind, planning all aspects of the race meticulously and having a spiritual presence, leveraging the elements and working with them … rather than fighting the harsh environment,” she says This, she notes, may be easier for female participants.

Though the men have a clear advantage physically, female behaviors can disproportionately benefit them in the long and tough races. That could come in handy for the top ultra women who are setting their sights on that “overall winner” title. Even in the iconic Barkley — where many female running luminaries have tried and failed — 2020 could be the year for that elusive female first.

More disturbing news about coach Alberto Salazar of the Nike Oregon Project and what about Nike’s founder and billionaire Phil Knight

There has been much talk about Alberto Salazar and the Nike Oregon Project lately but let's not forget about mister NIKE Phil Knight.  

Just this week teenage super star Mary Cain said her career was ruined by Salazar and Nike. She was mentally abused by coach Salazar when she was part of the Nike Oregon Project. Nike knew what was going on.  

Let’s not forget who Nike is. Phil Knight built Nike into the giant company it is today. He was running things day to day at Nike when the Oregon Project was started in 2001. I am sure he pushed coach Salazar to do whatever it took for their athletes to win races.

Phil Knight ran over a lot of people and companies as he built Nike. Today he is worth over 31 billion dollars and growing. Nike stock is trading near an all time high. I am sure their $250 racing shoes must be helping. A shoe that many feel should be ban. I am sure they did not have it tested or looked at by the world’s governing body (IAAF) before they released it. They just put it on the market. That’s the Phil Knight way. That’s the Salazar way.

I am not a fan of either men. Nor am I a fan of Nike. They tired to destroy my magazine Runner’s World in the early 80’s because I would not rate their shoe number one. This is another story I have told before.  

That’s in the past and I have moved on. But things that have been going on more recently can’t be overlooked.

Nike’s power is overwhelming. They think they can do whatever they want. They are still even supporting Salazar, a long-time friend of Phil Knight. Yet Salazar has been banned for four years for doping violations. Should have been a lifetime ban.

How can we continue to turn our back on this? We can’t. We can’t just continue to buy their shoes, making Phil Knight and family even richer.

In response to Mary Cain’s allegations of forced weight loss and public shaming by former coach Alberto Salazar at a now-disbanded Nike-supported running program, Nike has started an investigation into the matter.

When asked for comment regarding Cain’s allegations Friday, a Nike spokesman issued the following statement: “These are deeply troubling allegations which have not been raised by Mary or her parents before. Mary was seeking to rejoin the Oregon Project and Alberto’s team as recently as April of this year and had not raised these concerns as part of that process. We take the allegations extremely seriously and will launch an immediate investigation to hear from former Oregon Project athletes. At Nike, we seek to always put the athlete at the center of everything we do, and these allegations are completely inconsistent with our values.”

Cain’s also claimed that Nike needs to change because it “controls all the top coaches, athletes, races and even the governing body,” and there is a need for more women to be in charge.Nike response seems rather vague to me.  What do you think we should do? Thanks Mary Cain for sharing your story. That was very brave. 

Uganda´s Joshua Cheptegei will target 10K world record in Valencia

Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, the reigning world champion over 10,000m as well as cross-country, announced he will be looking to set a new world record at the 10K Valencia Trinidad Alfonso, to be held in conjunction with the Valencia Marathon on December 1.

Cheptegei already holds the world record in the 15K, which he set a year ago in the Netherlands, winning the Seven Hills race in Nijmegen for the fourth time, in 41:05. Cheptegei is 23.

In winning the 10,000m in Doha on October 6 in a world-leading 26:48.3, the Ugandan won his country’s first-ever gold medal in that event, though he also took gold in the 2018 Commonwealth Games over both 5,000m and 10,000m and set a new Games Record in the 10.

He is the only person besides the great Kenenisa Bekele to win both the world cross-country title and the world or Olympic 10,000m title in the same year (Bekele did it three times in a row–in 2003, 2004 and 2005).

The current 10K world record was set by Leonard Patrick Komon of Kenya at 26:44 at Utrecht in the Netherlands in 2010, and it was Komon who held the previous record in the 15K also.

Cheptegei is a member of the NN Running Team, which also includes marathon world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge and several of the men who paced him at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, where he successfully ran the marathon distance in 1:59:40.

Cheptegei has been nominated for IAAF Male Athlete of the Year, the first Ugandan to be honored in this way.

Zwift, the multiplayer online training and racing platform for cyclists and runners, proudly announces its new partnership as the Official Training Partner of the Los Angeles Marathon presented by ASICS

Zwift brings its training gamification concept to Los Angeles Marathon runners through a custom tailored 26-week training plan, weekly in-game group runs, and a series of virtual races.

The progressive 26-week training plan has been designed to help runners of all levels conquer both the Pasadena Half Marathon on January 19, 2020 and the Los Angeles Marathon’s iconic 26.2-mile Sea to Stadium course on March 8, 2020.

To access the Los Angeles Marathon training tools and events, runners need access to a Bluetooth-enabled smart treadmill or a traditional treadmill with a running shoe-based foot pod sensor like the Zwift RunPod and as part of the partnership Zwift is providing RunPods to all registered 2019/2020 LA Road Runner program members, the official training program of the marathon.

“By partnering with Zwift, we are offering runners a world-class training tool and a meaningful new avenue for social connection," said Murphy Reinschreiber, Chief Operating Officer. "With Zwift as our official training partner, more athletes than ever – regardless of where they live in the Greater Los Angeles Area or the world –  are able to best prepare for the epic running experience that is our Stadium to Sea course.”

Zwift will also hosting a series of Virtual Santa Monica Classic Races each month between now and March 2020. The virtual editions of the sold-out race, which took place on September 8, 2019, is the only remaining way for runners to earn the 2020 Conqur LA Challenge medal–– a top-tier accomplishment which required runners to complete all 3 of Conqur’s marquee events; Santa Monica Classic, Pasadena Half Marathon and the Los Angeles Marathon.

“For 35 years, the Los Angeles Marathon has helped hundreds of thousands of athletes achieve their goals, hand in hand with a long list of worthy charities,” says Eric Min, CEO and co-founder of Zwift. “We know that we can bring even more people together to train socially and discover the efficiencies and sheer fun of running on Zwift.”

Cancer charity raises more than $100 million at Boston Marathon

Boston Marathon runners participating on behalf of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute since 1990 have surpassed the $100 million fundraising mark.

The research center says more than $500,000 has already been raised by runners in next year’s race, putting it over the threshold.

Dana-Farber was one of the first charities allowed to use the Boston Marathon as a fundraiser.

More than 500 runners are expected to take part in the 2020 race as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. They are hoping to raise $6.25 million.

One hundred percent of the money raised from the team’s Boston Marathon runners supports promising cancer research in its earliest stages.

After last year’s cancellation, the big news heading into the weekend of the Monterey Bay Half Marathon is that the race is on for Sunday

“We’re just really excited to have the race this year after last year’s unfortunate cancellation,” said Doug Thurston, executive director and race director for the Big Sur Marathon Foundation. “We’re not affected at all by any of the wildfires in California.”

Officials canceled the race last year the evening before the event when shifting winds brought high levels of smoke from the Camp Fire in Butte County into the area causing unhealthy air quality on the Monterey Peninsula. The 3K and 5K races were held the day prior in moderate air quality.

“We’ve got great weather forecasts and we’re looking forward to a record number of participants,” Thurston said. “All events will be sold out, so it will be the largest race weekend in the 17-year history of our half marathon.”

The half marathon itself has reached its limit of 9,000 participants in past years, though more than 4,000 entrants to last year’s canceled race deferred their registration fees to this year’s race causing the capacity to be reached several months ago. Thurston said the Pacific Grove Lighthouse 5K, with a capacity of 2,000 entrants, sold out as well.

The weekend’s festivities begin with the Health and Fitness Expo opening up noon Friday at the Monterey Conference Center, giving entrants a chance to pick up their bib and race packet as well as providing information, services and the sales of merchandise. The races begin Saturday with the By-the-Bay 3K at 8 a.m. and the Pacific Grove Lighthouse 5K, both starting at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, at 8:30 a.m.

The Monterey Bay Half Marathon starts Sunday at 6:50 a.m. on Del Monte Avenue at El Estero before traversing the Monterey Peninsula’s coastline to Asilomar State Beach, where runners will turn around and head back.

The race is different from many others in that it has 15 waves of starters, which Thurston said spreads the field out to make for smoother running through some of the more narrow sections of the course. The waves are set based on predicted times when entering the races.

“It allows people to run with people of similar ability for more consistent pacing throughout the race,” he said, adding that the out-and-back nature of the course allows for everyone to watch as the elite racers catch up and pass the others.

The top finisher among the men and among the women will each win a $4,000 top prize. The elite women will get a nine-minute, five-second head start against the elite men. The top finisher overall will then get an additional $3,000 “Equalizer Challenge” bonus.

Thurston said race organizers appreciate the support of the community, including those who come out to cheer. In Pacific Grove, school groups and others line the course to watch and cheer on the competitors.

“The enthusiastic support of friends and family and the community can really help people get through the later miles of the race,” he said

Laura Muir will attempt to break the 1,000m world record when she races in the Indoor Grand Prix at Glasgow's Emirates Arena in February

Four-time European Indoor champion Muir, 26, broke the British and European marks in 2017.

She sits second on the all-time list behind Maria Mutola, who has held the record for the past 20 years.

"I can't think of a better way to begin 2020 than with a world record attempt in front of a home crowd," Muir said.

"I feel that going quicker that two minutes 30.94 seconds is a real possibility, and I can't think of a better place to go for the record than in Glasgow and at such a world-class event.

"I know all about the Glasgow crowd from the European Indoors this year and I know they will be crazy as ever, so the opportunity to achieve something as historic as a world record with them cheering me all the way is really special."

At her last event at the Emirates - earlier this year - Muir won 1500m and 3,000m gold at the European Indoor Championships.