Running News Daily

Canadian Kinsey Middleton is set to defend her title this Sunday at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Sunday is the 2019 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and Canadian Olympic Marathon Trials, and the Canadian elite lineup is killer. Kinsey Middleton is the defending champion, following her impressive 2018 run where she took the win in her marathon debut.

The Boise, Idaho native says that her build has been great, with more miles than ever before, and a broader variety of workouts. She jokes that she’s becoming accustomed to the marathon, or at least as accustomed as you can be for only having run one.

The runner lives at 800m altitude, surrounded by mountains (she has dual citizenship, since her mother is Canadian), so she has relatively easy access to higher altitudes for training purposes. She’s looking to run Olympic standard on Sunday (2:29:30) and sounds confident in her ability to do so.

Middleton’s race day plan is to wake up roughly three hours before the race, and have a coffee and peanut butter and jam on toast. After breakfast she’ll take 10 minutes to visualize her race day plan and put her feet up, then she’ll take the bus to the course.

The runner jokes that the funny thing about marathon warmups is how short they are. “They’re the shortest warmup ever, because you don’t want to take any energy away from your race. The bigger the race, the smaller the warmup.”

Middleton’s race plan is all about standard. “I am hoping that there’s a solid group of women to run with. I’ve talked to Malindi [Elmore] and Emily [Setlack] about the pace they’re trying to run. It’s better if we all run together.” The runner says that they’ll sort out pacing at the technical meeting, but her plan is to go out on 1:14 pace for the half. “You really want to negative-split a marathon, otherwise it doesn’t feel good,” she says, referring to the practice of running the second half of the race faster than the first half.

“I’m really confident about the time, because I think if your goal is to make an Olympic team, the time shouldn’t scare you, it should feel possible. It’s all about executing on the day.”

Middleton races for the Idaho Distance Project and is hoping to get its logo added to a plain black crop top. Her plan is to race in that black top, or if it’s cold, a black tank top and Asics shorts. For shoes, she’ll be wearing the green Nike Next%.  “I like the upper a lot better on the Next%. I didn’t like the knit upper on the Vaporfly as much. I have narrow feet, so my foot would move around in them.”

Kenya's Gideon Kipketer will lead the hunt for gold at this Sunday's Amsterdam Marathon in the Netherlands

Kipketer, who was fourth in Amsterdam last year, is yet to win a marathon this season.

He failed to finish the Tokyo and London Marathons, but hopes his return to the Dutch capital will be another chance to redeem himself.

Kenya´s Gideon Kipketer, Laban Korir and Jonathan Korir, the trio will, however, face stiff competition from Kenyan-born Kaan Ozbilen of Turkey - formerly known as Mike Kipruto Kigen - and Ethiopia's Mule Wasihun.

"The forecast is promising, with temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees, not much wind and comfortable humidity levels. A tight regime in terms of mid-course times won't work. We will have to tailor the strategy during the race," said race director Cees Pronk.

Last year, Kenya's Lawrence Cherono set a new course record, winning his first Amsterdam Marathon in 2:05:09, also establishing a new personal best time. He has since gone on to win in Boston and last weekend won in Chicago.

"I was thrilled with last year's win. It was a good race on a flat course and the crowd was great," said Cherono.

Jordan Hasay suffered an injury during the Chicago Marathon forcing her to drop out

Jordan Hasay suffered an injury while running the Chicago Marathon and couldn’t finish the race.  She had placed third at the Boston Marathon.  

Jordan said in an Instagram post that she was about two miles into the race when she “felt a sharp pain in (her) hamstring and had to stop.”

“I stretched and tried to go again but was unable to run,” Hasay, 28, wrote in the post. “The emotions are raw and new but already I know despite the sadness, it’s time to reset, refocus and gear up for the Olympic Trials in February and a big year in 2020.”

Before the race, Hasay had talked about trying to break the American marathon record of 2 hours, 19 minutes and 36 seconds, which was set by Deena Kastor in 2006.

Hasay’s appearance in April’s Boston Marathon came after a year in which she suffered two significant foot injuries, which forced her to withdraw from both the 2018 Boston and Chicago marathons.

Molly Huddle clams victory at Reebok 10K for Women clocking 31:50 on Monday

Molly Huddle, 35, of Providence, took home first place in the Reebok 10K for Women race held at Boston Common on Monday afternoon, finishing with a time of 31 minutes, 50 seconds.

Rounding out the top three were Iveen Chepkemoi, 22, and Emily Infeld, 29, each finishing within 30 seconds of Huddle.

Huddle was one of two top-10 finishers out of the age 30-39 division, along with Lauren Perkins who finished ninth.

In the wheelchair race, Alicia Dana, 50, took home first place in 18:47. She finished more than 25 minutes ahead of her competitor, 10-year-old Madelyn Wilson. 

A glacier on the Italian side of Mont Blanc is at risk of collapsing from melt linked to climate change and threatens UTMB Trails

One month after 2,300 runners toed the line at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, part of the course has been closed due to rapid glacial melt.

A glacier on the Italian side of Mont Blanc glacier is at risk of collapsing from melt linked to climate change. The Planprincieux Glacier sits on the Grandes Jorasses peak on the Mont Blanc massif above Courmayeur, Italy.  The small resort town is the halfway point for the UTMB and the starting point for the TDS and CCC races. 

Scientists have been using radar technology to monitor the glacier since 2013, and detected the accelerated melting via radar this summer. A summer heatwave is causing a lower chunk of the glacier to melt at a rate of two feet per day, according to glaciologist and alpinist Ulyana Horodyskyj, who has climbed Mont Blanc.

“The high air temperatures this summer have led to more melting and faster movement of the glacier down the mountain,” says Horodyskyj. “The glacier is always moving and always has a large crevasse, but this summer it’s melting faster and the crevasse is bigger.” The part of the glacier below the crevasse could break, and separate entirely. 

If it collapses, 250,000 cubic meters of ice could tear away from the mountain and crash into trails, roads and alpine refuges below. That impending danger has prompted road closures and evacuations. 

“For this region, in particular, the biggest impacts will be on tourism,” says Horodyskyj. 

Glacial melt could endanger trails like those on the UTMB course, and also affect local water supplies. Though it’s impossible to predict when exactly the glacier could collapse, the glacier’s speed has local officials and scientists concerned. 

“These phenomena once again shows that the mountain is going through a phase of strong change due to climatic factors. Therefore it is particularly vulnerable,” said the mayor of Courmayeur, Stefano Miserocchi, in a statement. 

Scientists have been monitoring thousands of glaciers across the Aosta Valley Region. Temperate glaciers, like the ones on Mont Blanc,  are essentially at melting point. Liquid water coexists with glacial ice, which makes them especially vulnerable to temperature variation caused by climate change. If greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate, alpine glaciers would shed half of their ice by 2050. They could lose over 80 percent of their ice by 2100, according to Horodyskyj. 

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte warned the United Nations General Assembly last week that this news just the beginning, and that Mont Blanc’s future “must shake us all and force us to mobilize”. 

Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi will run the Standard Chartered Marathon

Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi has praised world marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge for setting record after running 42 km in under 2 hours. 

In an interview with NTV on Tuesday, Wamatangi said that that he will complete the Standard Chartered Marathon in less than four hours. 

“I will run the Standard Chartered Marathon in under 4 hours,” he said. 

He noted that Kipchoge has inspired him greatly, adding that he is proud to be associated with him. 

He added that he fully supports local talent, adding that he will root for more projects for the youths who are talented in different areas of sports.

Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo also said that he will join the race in support of Wamatangi observing that Kipchoge has set an amazing record and he will forever be celebrated. 

“Kimani Wamatangi I like the way you called Eliud Kipchoge your colleague, I like the way people associate with success. To also associate with success; I will also run the Standard Chartered Marathon,” he said.

Kipchoge has since been nominated for the IAAF Male Athlete of the Year. Leaders from all over the world including former US President Barack Obama have congratulated him because of the good results he posted in Vienna, Austria.

Germany's Jan Frodeno won his third Ironman World Championship triathlon in a course record time in Hawaii on Saturday

Jan Frodeno won his third Ironman World Championship triathlon in a course record time in Hawaii on Saturday and continued German dominance of the men's event.

Frodeno, the 2008 Olympic champion, produced a good swim and then scorched the bike course to open a lead of more than two minutes starting the marathon run under a fierce sun on the Big Island.

The 38-year-old set a cracking pace from his very first step and inexorably extended his advantage, enjoying the luxury of being able to savor his achievement by walking across the finish line to add to his previous victories in 2015 and 2016.

Frodeno's unofficial time of seven hours, 51 minutes and 13 seconds was more than three minutes better than the previous record time set by compatriot Patrick Lange last year.

Frodeno said the time had been insignificant compared to the victory. "My legs are shattered," he said.

"I don't care about the record. It's a championship, the Wimbledon of our sport." 

American Tim O'Donnell also broke eight hours for a distant second place, while German Sebastian Kienle claimed third.

German men have won the past six years, with Lange (2017 and 2018) and Kienle (2014) also notching victories.

Lange pulled out during the bike leg on Saturday, reportedly suffering from a fever.

The Ironman comprises a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride and 42.2 km run.

The race was first held in 1978 to settle a friendly argument among Hawaiian endurance athletes as to who was the fittest.

Lois “Marge” Stroebel, age 101, crosses finish line at Ohio State 4 Miler

Amid the crowd of 15,000 walking and running across the campus Saturday, Lois “Marge” Stroebel, 101, of the Dayton area, completed the charity 4 Miler for the second year in a row, with help from her granddaughter and friends. She was the oldest participant in the race ending in Ohio Stadium, but nearly 200 of them were over 70.

When she reached the north end zone inside Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Lois “Marge” Stroebel rose from her wheelchair, shed the sleeping bag she’d been bundled into like the stuffings of a burrito, and, powered by her own determination, headed straight for the 50-yard line.

Now, she wasn’t exactly bee-lining toward the big “O” at the center of the field, and her gray Nike sneakers weren’t leaving any smoke trails, but give her a break. She is 101 years old, after all.

After walking those last 50 yards and crossing the finish line at the seventh annual Ohio State 4 Miler to cheers, high-fives and a special acknowledgement from M3S Sports Race Director David Babner (who mistakenly announced Saturday was her birthday, thought it was in September), Stroebel said she wasn’t even tired.

“I didn’t do anything but sit here,” she said with a laugh as she pointed to her posse. “They did all the work.”

This is the second year that Stroebel has completed the race, the largest of its kind in the country with 15,000 walkers and runners wending their way through the Ohio State University campus and ending up on the Buckeye football field. Stroebel and her granddaughter, Beth Kreger, travel from Vandalia, near Dayton, and Kreger’s friends and co-workers, Scott and Wendy Tharp, come from Lancaster to join in.

Scott Tharp ran the whole 4 miles pushing Stroebel in her transport wheelchair (that means it has small wheels) while his wife and Kreger ran interference.

“Look out! We’ve got Grandma!” they yelled as they zigged and zagged through the sea of people. “Beep beep. Grandma’s coming through!”

The small wheels on the transport chair meant it wasn’t the steadiest thing on the route. Scott Tharp said his hands were numb at the end of the race from gripping it so tightly to keep control.

“It was sure bouncy and bumpy,” agreed Stroebel, who seemed to not understand what all the fuss over her was about. She still lives alone, after all, and she cooks her own meals, dresses herself and never misses her regular bridge game. Until three years ago, she still golfed regularly.

She has been a rabid Ohio State football fan as long as she can remember. But last year when Kreger, a triathlete, suggested her Gram compete in her first-ever race at Ohio Stadium, it surprised her.

“Why, I thought she was crazy!,” Stroebel said of the idea. Now, she has two race medals in her collection. “We have a lot of fun.”

Everything you need to know about running the 2020 Berlin marathon

The fast, flat marathon is known for its record-breaking history

As the home of Kipchoge’s amazing world-record of 2:01:39, Berlin Marathon is known to be one of the fastest marathons in the world, with Kenenisa Bekele missing the world record by 2 seconds at this year's race. Here's what you need to know about entering the 2020 ballot.

When does the 2020 Berlin Marathon ballot open?

The 2020 Berlin marathon ballot opened on October 1 2019 and will remain open until 31 October 31 2019. With a limit of 44,000 runners, Berlin marathon spots are in high demand.  You will receive an email confirming your entry into the ballot straight away.

When will the 2020 Berlin Marathon take place?

The 2020 Berlin Marathon will take place on Sunday September 27 2020.

How much does it cost to run the 2020 Berlin Marathon?

If you are successful in the ballot, the registration fee for the Berlin Marathon is €125 which at the time of writing coverts to £110.13 or $150US.  

When will the ballot results be announced?

The results of the ballot will be released from November 27 2019 onwards.

How does the ballot work?

The Berlin Marathon uses the same entry drawing procedure as other marathon events at the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series.

In the single runners entry, you will be required to submit all your relevant data during the registration phase, including your payment details. If you are successful in the ballot, your card will be charged and it will not be possible to transfer or cancel your race entry, so make sure you’re 100% certain before submitting your entry. If you are not successful in the ballot, your payment information will be deleted.

How can you get a guaranteed place for the 2020 Berlin Marathon?

If you’re 100% sure you want to run next year’s Berlin Marathon, you can enter under a guaranteed starting spot. 

There are two options when it comes to getting a guaranteed place – entering with a tour operator, or getting a charity place. Tour operators offer race spots as part of a holiday package, which you can often pay for in instalments up to the race.

Similar to other major marathons, charity places are also available, giving you a guaranteed marathon place in exchange for fundraising for a good cause.

What are the Good for Age options at the 2020 Berlin Marathon?

Known as the ‘fast runners’ route, fast runners can secure a guaranteed place for the 2020 Berlin Marathon if they can prove they have finished an AIMS-certified marathon in the last two years (2017/2018) in a certain time. These times are as follows:

Male runners:

18-44 (DOB 2001-1975): under 2:45 hours

45-59 (DOB 1794-1960): under 2:55 hours

60 and above (DOB 1959 and older): under 3:25 hours

Female runners:

18-44 (DOB 2001-1975): under 3:00 hours

45-59 (DOB 1794-1960): under 3:20 hours

60 and above (DOB 1959 and older): under 4:10 hours

The ballot for fast runner places also opened on October 1 2019 and close on October 31 2019.

When will I get my number for the Berlin Marathon?

Similar to other marathons, you will be required to pick up your bib number at the Berlin Marathon expo, which will be open from Thursday September 24 2020 to Saturday September 26 2020. 

The course is not confirmed but most likely it will be similar to the course run in 2019 (photo).  

Enos Kales and Naomi Jebet from Kenya win the Paris 20km

The pace of the men’s race was aggressive from the outset. “It was really fast. I decided to let it go with some others French runners,” said Florian Carvalho afterwards. The Frenchman, third two years ago, then bridged the gap at about two kilometres into the race.

A group of 10 runners hit the 5km mark in 14:25, but the pace was irregular. Carvalho decided to take the lead after 10km, reached in 29:05, with eight other runners still in contention.

After the 15km mark, hit in 43:58, Enos Kales, who entered the race at last minute, made a big move. His compatriots Shewalem Yergalem and Joseph Mbatha as well as Ethiopia’s Getinet Mele Gedamu were able to stick to his stride as the French trio Carvalho, Michael Gras, and Nicolas Navarro struggled to sustain the pace.

In the closing stages, Yergalem and Mbatah couldn’t handle the pace and Kales broke off. At about the same time, Carvalho and Gras drew level with the chasers.

Kales held on for the win and crossed the line in 58:28, following a 14:30 last 5km section, as Carvalho finished second in 58:56, 16 seconds outside his time from 2017. “It bodes well for the Valencia Marathon, which is my main goal,” said Carvalho.

Gras managed to hold off Yergalem and Mbatha to round the podium in a personal best of 59:02.

In contrast to the men’s race, the women’s race set out at a relatively slow pace. Nine runners hit the 5km mark in 17:52, suggesting a possible finish time of 1:11:30, far from the results of past editions. The group, spearheaded by Kenya’s Naomi Jebet, ramped up the tempo during the next 5km section to reach the 10km checkpoint in 35:06.

With five kilometres to go (52:30 at 15km), there were still eight contenders for the win, including Jebet, Adawork Aberta, Chaltu Dida as well as the French pair Liv Westphal and Samira Mezeghrane.

Jebet made a big surge after 15km and only Dida and Aberta were able to follow her. Aberta then struggled to sustain the pace with two kilometres remaining, and Jebet sealed the win in 1:08:51, following a 16:21 5km section, the fastest of the race, six seconds ahead of Dida. Aberta finished third, 33 seconds adrift of the winner.

“I am very happy,” said Jebet, who clocked a half marathon PB of 1:08:08 last month. “I didn’t expect to win that race.”

It was a good day for American men at the Chicago Marathon as the top four ran under 2:11

The Chicago Marathon may not have gone well for 2017 champion and Olympic bronze medalist Galen Rupp, who dropped out just before the 23-mile mark. (He had been nursing a calf strain since mile  six and just could not handle the pain any longer.) But for many of the other American pro men, the cool temperatures, boisterous crowds, and fast course brought breakthroughs.

Four U.S. men ran under 2:11, six placed in the top 15, and many others set significant personal bests.

Working together in a pack, a group of more than a dozen stuck together through about the 35K mark, trading off leading duties because of the wind. 

They didn’t coordinate beforehand, exactly, but they shared a goal: “We were all interested in having a good American day,” said top U.S. finisher Jacob Riley, 31, who finished ninth in 2:10:36.

Riley is no newcomer to Chicago—he debuted at the distance here in 2014, when he ran 2:13:16 to place second American and 11th overall. At the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2016, he placed 15th, with a 2:18:31.

But he hasn’t toed a marathon starting line since. In fact, he’s undergone a near complete life upheaval. He left Michigan and the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project to move to Boulder, Colorado, where he now trains under coach Lee Troop. In 2018, he underwent Achilles surgery due to a condition called Haglund’s deformity—the same one that affected Rupp. 

Amidst all the challenge, he said, he definitely contemplated quitting. “At the same time, running has been kind of the constant in my life since I was in high school,” he said. “The idea of having all this other change and then not doing that as well was scary and just not worth it. 

After a slow, steady, return to running—he recalls Troop assigning him segments of one-minute jogs with nine-minute walk breaks—Riley raced again at the Boulder Boulder 10K in May, where he ran 31:20 and placed 25th. On Sept. 2, he ran 1:10:59 for 15th place at the USATF 20K Championships, which “felt terrible.”

“This is the first race where I've actually felt like the old me beforehand—or actually a better me, because I have two good Achilles now,” he said.

In his debut at the distance, 24-year-old Jerrell Mock ran 2:10:37 to place ninth, and second American. An All-American at Colorado State, Mock finished just out of contention to make the 10K final at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Though he graduated last year, he still lives and trains in Fort Collins, Colorado, and is coached by CSU’s Art Siemers.

This year, he ran 1:02:15 to place 13th—and third American—in his first half marathon, in Houston. His 59:43, ninth-place finish at the USATF 20K Championships last month gave him confidence lining up in Chicago.

Still, he didn’t know quite what to expect in the marathon, given the “horror stories” he’d heard about the later miles. “I was just waiting to get to that moment of darkness,” he said. But it never came. “The mile splits just stayed right on. And so when we got to 20, I was like—‘Man, I think, I think I might've gotten away with it.”

Both Riley and Mock are unsponsored and wore ZoomX Vaporfly Next% shoes during the race. “I bought into the hype,” Riley said, though he noted he’s open to experimentation if any sponsors should come calling. Mock expressed similar sentiments: “There’s a lot of companies that are coming out with the same kind of idea now,” he said. “I’d be interested to try some of those too.”

Parker Stinson, meanwhile, runs in Saucony—making him one of the few elites in the field not to sport bright pink on their feet. He denied that puts him at a disadvantage, noting that he broke the American record in the 25K—the 1:13:48 he ran in May’s River Bank Run—in the brand. 

Lawrence Cherono again made a last minute sprint to win the Chicago Marathon like he did in Boston earlier in the year

2019 Boston winner Lawrence Cherono made another last 400m sprint today in Bank of Chicago Marathon in a group of 4 athletes clocking 2:05:45.He was followed closely by Dejene Debela 2:05:46 and Asefa Mengstu 2:05:48.Mo Farah finished 8th in 2:09:58.

Lawrence has had a great form of consistent record of seven victories over 14 marathons.He crossed the finish line victoriously with arms in the air in celebration .He then knelt down on the ground and prayed.

The race started with Dickson Chumba leading the group cross the first mile at 4:42.The high speed forced runners to form two elite groups.The first pack consisted Chumba,Cherono,Debela,Bedan Karoki,Tura and Asefa Mengstu.The second pack was Mo Farah and Galen Rupp who came back after Achilles surgery. 

The Ieading group hit 5km  in 14:45 while Mo and Rupp did 14:47.At 10km ,the split was 29:27 and Mo and Rupp were already in the first group.Rupp started again dropping in the group followed by Mo Farah at 8 miles while the Dickson Chumba led team crossed it at 37:48.

At 15km, Karoki, Chumba, Cherono, Debela,Mengstu and Tura crossed it at 44:10.  At 21km, Chumba led it through with 1:02:14.

 Karoki up the pace to 25km in a group of six making it at 1:13:54.Chumba was back again in front but slightly struggling and led 30km at 1:28:58.This is the point where Chumba slowed and first group remain with 5 men.Debela charged and pushed hard making 35km split at 1:45:53 while Chumba struggled at 1:44:23.

 Debela who looked strong crossed 40km 1:59:08. At this point, the race was between four athletes.  The only thing to decide was final kick coz they were all running a tactical race.

At about 400m remaining, Lawrence Cherono made a surprise kick outshining the two Ethiopians and Bedan Karoki of Kenya. He finished with Debela in just a second behind.  Cherono is remembered for making a kick in Boston too to beat Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa.

The whole country of Kenya is buzzing with excitement as Brigid Kosgei smashed the world record in Chicago just 33 hours after Eliud Kipchoge clocked the first ever sub two hour marathon in Vienna

25-year-old Brigid Kosgei smashed the world record at the Bank of Chicago Marathon Sunday October 13.  She clocked 2:14:04 and she thinks 2:10 is possible.  

Brigid broke the 16 year old record set by Paula Radcliffe (in photo with Brigid) at the 2003 London Marathon where she clocked 2:15:25.  Many thought it was an untouchable record to beat.  

Bridid ran away from the field.  Second to cross the line was Yeshaneh clocking 2:20:51 and then Burka 2:20:55 both from Ethiopia.  Fourth was America’s Emma Bates clocking 2:25:27 a personal best.  

Through the help of pacemakers, Brigid crossed the first 5km in 15:28 at a projected time of 2:10.  Between 5km-10km, the pace dropped slightly but Kosgei was within the record time hence making 10km at 31:28 which was a projected 2:12:26 marathon time.

At 15 km the clock was 47:26 disabling Yeshaneh who was chasing from behind almost a minute behind.

From 15km to a half way ,the tempo went up again.  She passed  21km at 1:06:59 which was 66 seconds faster than Radcliffe's.

At this point, the projected time was 2:14:00.  The gap between her and Yeshaneh kept widening  to 2 minutes.  She then hit 25km in 1:19:33 with help of two pacers who did an incredible job. She hit 35km at 1:51:14 looking calmed, relaxed and comfortable.  At 40km Brigid looked easy Clicking 2:07:11.

The pacers finished their job and let Brigid Kosgei cross the finish line smiling in 2:14:04.  What a weekend for marathoning.  

The whole country of Kenya is buzzing with excitement.  Eliud Kipchoge clocked 1:59:40 in Vienna on Saturday and now Brigid Kosgei clocked 2:14:04 on Sunday.  

Russia is at risk of not being able to participate in the Tokyo Olympics due to possible doping violations

Vladimir Putin says Russia wants to leave its doping "shortcomings" in the past, even as it faces questions regarding data tampering.

The Russian president tells a televised sports conference that his country is complying with the World Anti-Doping Agency "to the fullest extent."

Russia met the October 9 deadline for responding to questions regarding “inconsistencies” in the data WADA investigators retrieved from a Moscow laboratory in January as part of a massive doping investigation.

The agency said its Intelligence and Investigations Team and independent forensic experts will analyze Russia’s response, adding that “no fixed timeline can be set for this” but that WADA is pursuing the matter “robustly and as quickly as practicable.”

Russia faces the prospect of being banned from next year’s Olympics in Tokyo after the World Anti-Doping Agency gave it three weeks to explain apparent inconsistencies in data from its Moscow laboratory or to suffer the consequences.

Sources close to the situation believe there is now a strong possibility Russia will be banned from the Olympic Games and it is not inconceivable such a punishment could also extend to competitions in any sport signed up to Wada’s code, including the football World Cup.

Stanislav Pozdnyakov, the president of Russia’s Olympic Committee, admitted the situation was “very serious” and could jeopardise Russia’s Olympic participation.

WADA lifted its ban on the Russian Anti-Doping Agency in September 2018, much to the anger of the wider global anti-doping community and athlete groups. Critics said the Russians had refused to accept the findings of the McLaren report that concluded its government was involved in a massive doping conspiracy.

Wada said it had to compromise in order to get the data from the Moscow lab, which it had wanted since 2015, in order to build cases against athletes suspected of being involved in a state-sponsored doping programme.

However, Wada’s board was told that investigators had also found inconsistencies between a data set passed to it by a whistleblower in 2017 and the evidence extracted in January.

Jonathan Taylor, chairman of Wada’s committee tasked with overseeing Russia’s compliance, told the New York Times the Russians needed to “pull a rabbit out of a hat” to avoid new penalties. “There were positive findings that were deleted; 

The Russian sports minister, Pavel Kolobkov, said the ministry would cooperate with Wada, adding that experts in the field of digital technology would be involved.

The chief executive of the US Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, who has repeatedly warned that Wada was being played by Russia, said he was unsurprised by the latest news.

“Let’s hope there are no secret backroom deals but that justice is finally served in an open, transparent and public manner,” he said. “The world, and especially clean athletes, have already been yanked around enough already.”

Brigid Kosgei Breaks the World Record at the 2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Kenyan Brigid Kosgei shattered a 16-year-old world record in the women’s marathon by 81 seconds, winning the Chicago Marathon in 2:14:04 on Sunday.

Paula Radcliffe had held the record of 2:15:25 set at the 2003 London Marathon. Kenyan Mary Keitany holds the female-only record of 2:17:01 from the 2017 London Marathon. Both Kosgei and Radcliffe, the only women to break 2:17, ran with men in their record races.

Radcliffe’s record was the longest-standing for the men’s or women’s marathon of the last 50 years.

Kosgei did it one day after Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a non-record-eligible event in Vienna. She won by a gaping 6 minutes, 47 seconds over Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh.

Kosgei, who won Chicago in 2018 and the London Marathon in April, came in highly favored. The 25-year-old tuned up with the fastest half-marathon ever by a woman (by 23 seconds) on Sept. 8 on a non-record-eligible course.

“2:10 is possible,” Kosgei reportedly said after Sunday’s record.

Jordan Hasay, the top U.S. woman in the field, crossed 5km at a slow 22:20 and registered no further timings. Hasay, who was coached by Alberto Salazar before his ban in a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency case, is one of several women in contention for the three Olympic spots at the Feb. 29 trials in Atlanta.

Kenyan Lawrence Cherono won the men’s race by one second over Ethiopian Dejene Debela in 2:05:45.

Galen Rupp, reportedly dropped out in the final miles. He began fading from the lead pack before the 10-mile mark in his first race since last year’s Chicago Marathon. Rupp, who was also coached by Salazar, is coming back from Achilles surgery.

Mo Farah, the defending champion and four-time Olympic track gold medalist, finished eighth in 2:09:58. He also dropped from the leaders before the halfway point.

Kosgei raced her way to an early lead, breaking far away from her pack and continuing on pace to break not just a course but the woman’s world record. 

Kosgei has literally been unbeatable in 2019.

Kosgei wowed fans in 2017 with a second-place finish, but she made an even bigger splash last fall when she won the race with third-fastest time in Chicago's history.

Keniaan Mutai wins 36th edition of the Eindhoven Marathon

The Kenyan Laban Mutai won the Eindhoven marathon on Sunday. He arrived solo at the Vestdijk in 2.06.40. Reuben Kerio came second, John Langat third.

Halfway the lead group came through in 1.02.37 much faster than the course director Marc Corstjens requested, 1.03.18.  At 30 kilometers they hit 1:29:15 and the 2.05 schedule was still firmly embraced. 

On the Oirschotsedijk behind the Herdgang it became clear that the Kenyans Laban Mutai, Reuben Kerio, Julius Tarus and John Langat would decide who would win the 36th edition of Marathon Eindhoven and that the course record was not yet feasible. Mutai released his countrymen one by one and improved his personal record from 2.07.38 to 2.06.40 in a windy Eindhoven.

Khalid Choukoud and Kim Dillen from Eindhoven were unable to run the Olympic limit at the marathon in Eindhoven. Dillen let the limit run early in the race, Choukoud finished in a time of 2.12.56. The limit for him was 2.11.30.

Kenya's Gilbert Yegon and Betty Chepleting will seek the victory at Eindhoven marathon

 Kenya's Gilbert Yegon and Betty Chepleting hope to break through and win a big city marathon when they line up at the Eindhoven marathon on Sunday in the Netherlands.

Yegon leads a quartet of Kenyan stars keen to crash the course record and boost their selection prospects to the national team ahead of next year's Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Yegon, a bronze medalist from the Stockholm marathon, is seeking his first win in 2019. Last year, Yegon won the Dusseldorf marathon and was fifth at the Singapore marathon.

"I hope to run a fast race and boost my personal best time. But the important thing is to win against a strong challenge from Ethiopian and Turk runners. However, my training has gone on well and will be looking forward to a good performance," Yegon said in Nairobi on Friday.

Leading the women's charge will be Chepleting, who hopes to bounce back from a poor showing in China's Dongfeng Wuhan marathon, where she was seventh in two hours, 34 minutes and 26 seconds.

"This will be my third race in 2019. I was seventh in Wuhan and failed to finish in Nagoya. I also won in Tunis in 2018 and hopefully, I will be able to overcome my challenges and fears to stage a good show in Eindhoven and win," said Chepleting.

Race Director Marc Corstjens believes they have top elite runners who can break the two hours and six minutes mark.

"Since 2014, winners of the Eindhoven marathon managed to complete the course within an average time of 2:06:26. But only if all conditions like the weather, are excellent. However, their finishing times ensure Eindhoven's marathon is among the ten fastest marathons in the world," Corstjens said.

On paper, the four Kenyans have the fastest time. Yegon has a fast time of 2:06:18 with Laban Mutai (2:07:38) and Reuben Keiro (2:08:12) in the men's race and Chepleting (2:31:18) in the women's race.

I think the 1:59 Challenge should have been a real race with 12 runners and with no pacemakers. I think Eliud, Kenenisa or someone else would have run better than 1:59:40 today

First of all, well done Eliud and your pacemaker team. You are an amazing runner. However, on reflection I wished this would have been a real race with a dozen runners racing on this same course. No pacemakers and the runners would pick up their own drinks at tables. If this had been done, I think we would now have a new real world record. And I think it would be faster than 1:59:40.

Pacemakers need to go. Eliud and Kenenisa plus ten others could have clocked some amazing times this morning. And all going for the win. Pay the winner two million if they break two and there you go. I am sure more than two million was spent on the pacemakers alone.

No prize money for second. It would be all about racing to win and to run under two hours.  No prize money for second and maybe only $100,000 if you win and don’t go under two hours. 

I watch every minute of this 1:59 Challenge. But I must admit I did get tired of watching the pacemakers lead Eliud through the course. Don’t get me wrong, these were amazing runners leading Eliud and I admire them all. But this needed to be a real race with the winner not known before the gun went off.

Irvette van Zyl is slowly regaining her form in time for the defence of her Soweto Marathon title

She proved this at the weekend when she ran a credible 34:40 to finish third in the Johannesburg leg of the Spar Women’s 10km Grand Prix Series.

That run ensured she finished as the best-placed South African and third overall in the six race Series. Only the invincible Helalia Johannes of Namibia and Ethiopia’s Tadu Naru got the better of her.

A tearful Van Zyl spoke of the joy at finally sorting out an injury that has troubled her for close on a decade thanks to an operation she had recently.

“It has been troubling me for seven years. I did not know what was happening with my left leg until someone found what was wrong and I did the operation.”

But she had to wait a while before going under the knife: “I waited for so long for the operation to happen. I had to wait during pregnancy as the doctors thought it would be too risky to do it at that time.”

While she has not fully recovered, Van Zyl is delighted to be back on the road.

“It is good to be running again although I am still not feeling well a 100 percent. The medication I have been taking is giving tough times.”

There were no signs of her being unwell on Sunday though as she raced into an early lead and set the pace for the initial two kilometres before the amazing Johannes took over.

“Helalia has been unstoppable this year setting new records wherever she runs. It has not been easy for us to compete with us, especially for me as I was recovering from the operation. But I think we ran great times, we are improving.

“Remember my operation was only three months back. But I am happy with my performance in the Johannesburg leg. I am also excited with podium finish.”

The Spar Series success has lifted her confidence for next month’s Soweto Marathon where she is not only the defending champion but also the record holder.

“Of course I would like to defend my title again this year,” she said.

Galen Rupp says he is focused on running the Chicago marathon and not on the Suspension of his coach Alberto Salazar

Below is a statement provided by Rupp’s agent Ricky Simms to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on behalf of Galen Rupp.

“First, as I’ve stated before, I am dedicated to clean sport and am completely against doping,” said Rupp.  “I have trained for over a decade to get where I am today and have worked extremely hard for every accomplishment in my running career.

“The panels’ decisions made it clear that neither I nor any Oregon Project athlete ever received any banned substance or were involved in any anti-doping rule violation.

“Since I first met and began working with Alberto 19 years ago, he has always put my health and well being first and has done the same for his other athletes.  I have personally seen him take great care to comply with the WADA Code and prevent any violations of any anti-doping rules.

“I understand he is appealing the decision and wish him success.  From my experience, he has always done his best for his athletes and the sport.

“Now, I am focused on the Chicago Marathon where I will be competing for the first time without my coach and friend.

“I will not comment further on this matter at this time.“

Mo Farah defended his reputation as he was bombarded with questions about his former coach Alberto Salazar

British Olympic champion Mo Farah defended his reputation ahead of the Chicago Marathon Friday, and suggested there was an "agenda" against him.

Farah was bombarded with questions about his former coach Alberto Salazar who has been banned for doping violations.

The Brit, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, worked from 2011 to 2017 with Salazar, who was given a four-year ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on Sept. 30.

Speaking for the first time since Salazar was suspended, he responded angrily to questions about his former mentor, with whom he achieved some of his best performances.

"It's very disappointing to see you guys going at it again and again, and headlines, 'Farah, Farah, Farah'," he told a news conference.

"There is a clear agenda to this. I know where you are going with it. I have seen it with Raheem Sterling and Lewis Hamilton.

"I am probably one of the most tested athletes in the world. I get tested all the time and I'm happy to be tested anytime, anywhere and for my sample to be used to keep and freeze it.

"I'll just say there's no allegation against me. I've not done anything wrong.

"If I tell you guys and talk to you guys and be nice to you, you'll still be negative. If I don't talk to you, you'll still be negative.

"I'm aware I can't win. You're already made up your mind what you're going to write -- that is a fact."

Asked if he regretted staying with Salazar, particularly after a 2015 BBC documentary made a series of allegations against the American, Farah said he had confronted his coach.

"I was out in Birmingham [England] racing, I pulled out [of] the race in 2015," he added. "I wanted some answers and I flew to Portland to get some answers from Alberto.

"Talked to him face-to-face and he assured me at the time, 'These are just allegations. This is not true. There are no allegations against you, Mo.' He promised me. And that hasn't been true.

"This is not about Mo Farah, this is about Alberto Salazar. I am not Alberto. I was never given anything. I am not on testosterone or whatever it is.

"At the time I never saw any wrongdoing when I was there. This allegation is about Salazar, not Mo Farah."

Eliud Kipchoge is now the first man to run 26.2 miles in less than two hours as he clocked 1:59:40 today

Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya and the current world record holder for the marathon made history today by running 26.2 miles in 1:59:40.  His splits were amazing.  His fastest kilometer was 2:48 and his slowest was 2:52.  At least 19 of his splits were 2:50 on the dot. 

He hit the first 5k in 14:13 with his pacemakers right out front.  He looked relaxed and smooth.  Just watching him gave me goosebumps because he makes it look so easy.

The course in Vienna, Austria was 90% flat and straight. The temperature was just under 50F and the humidity 90 percent at the start which was a little higher than expected.  But it did not have any visual effects on Eliud.  

Eliud said before the start, “I don’t know where the limits are, but I would like to go there.”

I did a poll on Facebook before the start and all but one person thought he could run sub two hours.  One thought he could run 1:55 but most thought 1:59 something.

No, this was not a race.  It is not a world record because he was the only one racing, he had drinks handed to him from a bike and he had pacers coming in and out. It was a challenge to see if it was possible for a man to run a sub two hour marathon.  And he did it.  

In watching the event it was distracting to always see the pacemakers out front until the end but they certainly did their job. It was almost like watching a new sport as the pacemakers came in and got in their formation.  

I would have rather have watched Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele battle it out in Berlin where I think one of them would have run sub 2:01 but I did enjoy watching this challenge.  Eliud made it look so easy to run 14:10 5k’s.  

Eliud was under an hour at the half way point and finished  very strong in 1:59:40.  The pacemakers helped Eliud run 2:50 kilometers on the dot from 33k to 40k.  

Then with about 500 meters to go the pacemakers let Kipchoge go and he sprinted to the finish line.    Shalane Flanagan who was one of the hosts of the You Tube broadcast said, “No way in my life time did I ever think I would see a man run a sub two hour marathon.”

We have now seen a man run a marathon in under two hours.  His wife Grace and their three children watched him race for the first time.  They were all smiles as was Eliud. 

Eliud Kipchoge is an Olympic Champion, world record holder clocking 2:01:39 at the Berlin Marathon last September and now the first man to cover 26.2 miles in under two hours.  

It has been one year since I had open heart triple bypass surgery says Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray

It’s been one year since my open heart, triple bypass surgery (Oct 12, 2018).  Some said it would take at least a year to recover and heal.  I didn’t believe them. 

I thought that was way too long and I’d be fully recovered within nine months.  Wrong! Now I believe them!  And, I am still not fully recovered or healed yet. 

However, I have done a few marathon distances and a bunch of road races this past year so I am very grateful for that and just happy to wake up every morning. 

I did have a stress test on Tuesday of this week.  The results were actually pretty good.  They said my aerobic capacity was back to normal but I still had work to do in terms of my anerobic threshold – ha, I probably didn’t need a stress test to tell me that! 

My continued labored breathing when running tipped me off to that.  But, the good news is that they say I can increase my intensity and my distance and begin to work much harder in that anaerobic zone (for me, above 137 heart rate). 

So, I now have three goals:  1.) Stay alive (which is sort of important to accomplish the next two goals).  2.) Improve my performances progressively with the hope that I can become even more fit and faster than I was a year ago.  3.) Continue to create awareness that “just because you’re fit doesn’t mean you are healthy” and to help saves lives.

My main message here to all my friends is “IF YOU FEEL SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!”   TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!

Lastly, good luck to all those doing the Chicago Marathon, the Ironman in Hawaii on Saturday or the BAA ½  this weekend!   I so wish I could join you, but that is what NEXT YEAR is all about!

(Photos:  After surgery, October 12, 2018 at Mass General Hospital.  Crossing the Boston Marathon this year.  Running in the Middlemiss Big Heart Celebrity Mile a year later - two weeks ago).

Eliud Kipchoge has an even better chance to break 2 hours in the marathon, according to scientists

A team of respected running scientists from Vienna, Boulder, Sacramento and Houston has just released a paper analyzing the marathon course Eliud Kipchoge will run Saturday morning in Vienna in the Ineos 1:59 Marathon Challenge. The paper concludes that the layout is only 4.5 seconds slower than what would be expected from a perfectly straight, perfectly flat course.

“Our simulation indicates that the Vienna course was well chosen for optimizing performance,” said the researchers in a paper entitled: The effects of course design (elevation undulations and curves) on marathon running performance: an a priori study of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna.

Kipchoge’s manager, Jos Hermens, recently told us that Kipchoge is in better shape than two years ago, and that he learned from the Nike event and will benefit from better handling of the pace car and his sports drinks.

Kipchoge hopes to run 1:59:xx early on Saturday, October 12 in Vienna in an unofficial, non-record-eligible time-trial similar to the Nike Breaking2 event he raced in May, 2017, on an auto track in Monza, Italy. There he hit halfway in 59:59, and snapped the tape in 2:00:25—the fastest running time ever for the 26 mile, 385 yard marathon distance.

Kipchoge’s performance in Monza did not count as an official world record, because he had a pace car, a large, rotating group of pacers, and received help with his drinks, among other violations of official IAAF competition rules. The Vienna race will follow suit in many ways, and likewise not be eligible for world-record status. That doesn’t lessen the excitement and intrigue among running fans.

Kipchoge and his INEOS sponsors are hoping that better weather and that loud spectator support will help him in Vienna. In Italy, he ran with temps in the upper 50s, slightly humid. According to weather forecasts, Vienna could be 5 to 10 degrees F cooler, with somewhat lower humidity. Wind was not an issue in Monza, and isn’t expected in Vienna.

The Vienna course begins on the Reichbruecke Bridge (over the Danube River; also the start of the annual Vienna Marathon) and drops 40 feet in the first 1.4K. It then enters Prater Park for four out-and-back 9.625K loops, mostly on the straight-as-an-arrow, pedestrian-only Hauptallee Road, in the shadow of the iconic Prater ferris wheel. This road has small up-and-down undulations of about 8 feet.

Importantly, the straightaways do not reverse direction with abrupt, momentum-killing U-turns. At both ends, Kipchoge and pacers will take longish, gentle “roundabouts.” One is called the Praeterstern and has a circumference of 870 meters. The other, the Lusthaus, has a circumference of 210 meters.

After the four loops of the Hauptallee and roundabouts, the course begins a fifth loop. This ends 2.3K later at the finish, which is a net 43 feet below the start.

The roundabouts are so easy to navigate that the science team estimates Kipchoge will lose only 0.5 seconds (at 4:34/mile pace) due to cornering. At Monza, they estimate he lost 1.5 seconds on the winding course.

They didn’t have enough data from Monza to estimate time lost to the slight ups-and-downs. In Vienna, this should amount to about 4 seconds.

Two weeks ago, a Danish group named Albatros Adventure Marathons tried to scoop the 1:59 effort with its “World’s Fastest Marathon” near Granada Spain. The open race started at 8,546 feet in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and dropped 6358 feet to the city finish. A little-known Kenyan named Antony Karinga Maina passed the halfway point in 59:30, but then slower to a winning 2:09:38. Four months earlier, Maina had run 2:22:38 in the Salzburg Marathon.

In recent years, a number of downhill marathons have appeared to help runners qualify for the Boston Marathon. The Revel marathon series includes a handful of marathons with elevation drops of 2000 to 4000 feet. Physiologists believe that long, steep downhills lead to debilitating quadriceps muscle damage, and that half as much drop might be better.

Nike has shut down the Oregon Project after Alberto Salazar was banned for four years for doping violations

Nike has shut down its elite Oregon Project (OP) long-distance running operation less than two weeks after head coach Alberto Salazar was banned for four years, a company spokesperson told CNN.

Salazar was banned for "multiple anti-doping rule violations" following a four-year investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Nike says it took the decision to wind down the OP as the situation has become an "unfair burden" on its athletes.

"Nike has always tried to put the athlete and their needs at the front of all of our decisions," a spokesperson told CNN.

"While the panel found there was no orchestrated doping, no finding that performance-enhancing drugs have ever been used on Oregon Project athletes and went out of its way to note Alberto's desire to follow all rules, ultimately Alberto can no longer coach while the appeal is pending.

"This situation including uninformed innuendo and unsubstantiated assertions has become an unfair burden for current OP athletes. That is exactly counter to the purpose of the team.

"We have therefore made the decision to wind down the Oregon Project to allow the athletes to focus on their training and competition needs. We will help all of our athletes in this transition as they choose the coaching set up that is right for them."

The Nike Oregon Project is a prolific training group that has produced some of the world's best athletes, including Mo Farah, who Salazar coached to four Olympic gold medals between 2011 and 2017.

Salazar, 61, and Jeffrey Brown, a consultant doctor for the NOP, were ruled to have trafficked testosterone, tampered with the doping control process and administered a banned intravenous infusion.

Nike told CNN it "will continue to support Alberto in his appeal," which has been taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

”Maybe this confirms that NIKE really did know what was going on and in fact might have been the moving force pushing Salazar to do some things he otherwise would not have done,” wonders Bob Anderson.  “However NIKE is too big of a powerhouse for us to ever know the real story.  Why would they close this program and leave many elite runners out in the cold?”  

Berlin resident Sigrid Eichner, 79, has run 2,200 marathons and she didn’t start running until age 40

Kathrine Switzer meets a lot of runners. The 261 Fearless founder (who was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with an official bib, back in 1967) travels the world, promoting women’s empowerment through running. But even she was shocked, during her visit to the Berlin Marathon last month, to meet a woman who has run 2,200 marathons which quite possibly is more than any other woman alive.

Born in 1940, Sigrid Eichner’s running began metaphorically–as an infant, she “ran” from Allied bombs, and from the Russians, with her family. Her passion for physical activity was born after the war, when, as a talented gymnast, she was sent to a boarding school for athletes. It wasn’t until she was a working mother of 40 that she started running, to take time for herself and escape domestic life (and possibly an unhappy marriage), according to one report.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, running became a way for her to explore the world.

When we tried to verify the number, we found her entry on the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) site, which shows 681 marathon results between November 29, 1981 and October 31, 2017, and includes the 2003 Niagara Falls Marathon and New York City Marathon during her only visit to North America.

(The ARRS site has been in limbo since the death of its driving force, Ken Young, in 2017.) The German ultramarathon site D-U-V.com lists between one and 23 ultra results for Eichner every year between 1981 and the present. It’s fair to say that Eichner has done more running than anything else, with the possible exception of breathing, during the last 40 years of her life.

Her children now grown, she admits she runs to escape loneliness. She has a literal curtain of race medals in her home, a room full of trophies from her younger days, and a closet full of race shirts.

It is sometimes suggested that people who race a lot must have money in order to afford the constant travel and race entries, but this does not appear to be the case for Eichner, most of whose races nowadays are in her native Germany.

She favors hostels over hotels, and has occasionally slept on the floor of the race expo to save money. Last year she spent just over 3,000 euros ($3310US) on 88 races, including travel and accommodation. She spoke of contacting the Guinness World Records organization in the hope of attracting a sponsor, but so far there is no official Guinness record.

She is rarely injured, though one report says she was once badly hurt in a car accident, and now has four screws in her back.

Occasionally running multiple marathons in a single weekend, Eichner says, “The first 30 minutes are the hardest.”

Organizers of the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 have presented the official medals that will be handed out to finishers of the mass race

Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 registration for the mass race opened in May and 10,000 runners have already signed up.

The finisher medal is thick, precisely designed and crafted in a compass shape. The front of the medal shows the recently revealed event logo with a drop of amber – treasure of the Baltic Sea region – sunk in the face of each finisher medal. On the reverse, there is a contour of Poland with some space in which to engrave a name and race result.

But the best feature of the medal is on the inside. Once opened, a working compass mechanism is revealed – a nod to Gdynia as ‘the city of dreams and sea’ and Poland’s window to the world.

“More than 10,000 runners from nearly 50 countries have already registered and our goal is to make them leave Gdynia with the best possible experience and memories,” said Wojciech Szczurek, Mayor of Gdynia. “I do hope our finisher medal will be proudly hung in many running trophy collections all over the world.”

Together with the finisher medal presentation, the local organising committee also launched the official event website: worldathleticshalfmarathon.com/gdynia2020/

Registration for the event has been open since 1 May on SlotMarket.pl. The current entry fee is 170 PLN and includes a bib, a timing chip, insurance, medical care, official t-shirt and a finisher medal. The starting kit can be supplemented with add-ons, including accommodation, finisher photos, cancellation insurance and medal engraving that can be ordered directly while signing up for the race.

Frenchmen Florian Carvalho and Hassan Chahdi and Felicien Muhitira of Rwanda look to be the favorites at the Paris 20 km race

Frenchmen Florian Carvalho and Hassan Chahdi and Felicien Muhitira of Rwanda look to be the favorites at the Paris 20 km, an IAAF Silver Label road race, whose 41st edition will be held on Sunday.

With no previous winner on the start line, the 2019 edition will crown new champions in both races.

Carvalho and Chahdi, both in the build-up for their upcoming appearances at the Valencia Marathon on 1 December, should be at the front. Their goal will be to succeed Morhad Amdouni, the last French winner of the race who took the title in 2016.

Chadhi finished third in 59:51 last year, 1:38 behind winner Samuel Tsegay of Eritrea. Chahdi’s best 2019 performance was a marathon personal best of 2:09:55 set in Seville in February.

Carvalho also set a new marathon best this year, clocking 2:12:53 in Paris. He also clocked 29:00 over 10km in June, finishing 1:42 ahead of Chadhi, who is expected to be in better shape on Sunday.

Muhitira should have a role to play. The Rwandan was runner-up at last year’s edition, finishing 12 seconds adrift of Tsegay. He should have been the favorite but he finished a distant 22nd in the marathon at the World Championships one week ago (2:16:21). The speed of his recovery will be a key factor in Sunday’s race.

Nicolas Navarro, who improved his marathon PB this year to 2:11:53 will also be in the running for the podium, as well as Haile Ibrahimov of Azerbaijan.

Other French runners expected to contend include marathoner Benjamin Malaty and Michael Gras. Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot set the men’s course record of 57:19 back to 2005.

On the women’s side, the defending champion Ophélie Claude-Boxberger, who competed in the 3000m steeplechase in Doha, won’t defend her title. 

In her absence Susan Kipsang Jeptoo appears to be one the main favorite. She has a 32:14 10km season’s best in 2019. Liv Westphal, third last year, should be her main rival.  

Chaltu Negasa, who knows the race well, Kenyan Joyline Koima as well as French runners Samira Mezeghrane Saad and Alice Finot, who finished fourth and fifth respectively, last year, should be in the running for the podium. Not to be discounted is Mekdes Woldu from Eritrea. 

The women’s course record is held by Kenya’s Rose Chelimo, who ran 1:05:01 in 2014. 

About 30,000 runners are expected to enter the race on Sunday.

Despite Injury, Navy Veteran Michael Frank Still Plans To Cross the Finish Line at the Marine Corps Marathon

Michael Frank is raising funds to help support a veteran’s charity says he won’t let a recent stumble stop him from crossing the finish line.

Michael Frank is preparing for his 8th straight run in the Marine Corps Marathon, set for October 27th in Washington D.C. However, the Navy veteran says while on a lunchtime training run, he tripped, fell, and rolled, fracturing his left shoulder socket in the process.

He called it a “minor break” that only requires his arm to stay in a sling for six weeks. And while he can’t do any additional training until a follow-up x-ray on October 21st, he says the orthopedist said he should be able to jog/walk the Marine Corps Marathon.In light of that, he’s revised his goal for the event from a 4 hour 30 minute finish to just finishing the marathon.

As he has for the past seven years, Frank is running for the Semper Fi Fund, which benefits combat wounded, critically ill, and catastrophically injured members of all the armed services.

While many of the immediate needs of the veteran might be being met, the Semper Fi Fund specializes in helping with the ancillary needs. Frank says the fund is one of only two A+ rated veterans charities.

Despite the medical setback, he’s still doing what he can, including a fundraiser October 10th at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Howell. 

The 35th Anniversary edition of Army Ten-Miler is this Sunday

The 35th Anniversary edition of Army Ten-Miler (ATM) is this Sunday, Oct. 13 at 8:00 a.m. EDT in Washington, DC. The 10-mile road race starts and finishes at the Pentagon, traversing a scenic course that takes the 35,000 runners through downtown Washington, D.C.

Race Weekend officially kicks off this Friday, Oct. 11 with the ATM Expo presented by Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU), at the DC Armory (2001 E. Capitol St., SE), offering deals on clothing, shoes, accessories and other health and fitness items. All runners must collect their bib and race packet at packet pick-up which takes place during the ATM Expo. There is no packet pick-up on Sunday/race day.

Free and open to the public, the ATM Expo highlights include Interactive Military Displays, presented by the U.S. Army Special Operations Recruiting Battalion (SORB) booth and on the lawn outside of the DC Armory.

SORB displays will feature the debut of ARMYCON’s live eSport gaming tournament, helicopters, 18-foot simulator trailer, Special Operations equipment and more. Open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Oct. 11-12, the Expo is accessible by Metrorail, taking the Blue, Orange or Silver Line and exiting at the Stadium/Armory Station, or, by car, park for free in Lot 3 at the Armory. U.S. Military or Civilians with CAC/USID may access the Expo at 8:30 a.m. both days.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will open Metrorail one hour early, at 7:00 a.m., on race day. Runners and spectators are advised to utilize the Trip Planner function at www.wmata.com to plan their trip to the Pentagon City Metro Station. 

The forecasted ideal temperatures will aid fast times at Chicago Marathon however it could be windy

Chilly, blustery weather is in store in Chicago on Sunday as tens of thousands of runners take to the streets for the city's annual marathon.

Around 1.7 million spectators are expected to line the course, which weaves it way through 29 neighborhoods in downtown Chicago.

A repeat of the weather from last's year marathon is not expected, when around 0.50 of an inch of rain fell throughout the day.

"A brief shower can't be completely ruled out. However, it will be dry for much of the day," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Babinski said of this year's event, adding that there would be a mix of clouds and sun throughout the day.

Any shower that may move over the area should be light and brief, lasting less than 15 minutes.

The bigger story is likely to be the cool, windy conditions on tap for Sunday.

"Temperatures at the start of Sunday's Chicago Marathon will be in a range that most long-distance runners consider 'ideal', or in the middle to upper 40s," Babinski said.

Temperatures will be near the day's high of around 54 degrees Fahrenheit by the time the last of the racers cross the finish line during the afternoon hours. Chicago's average high for Oct. 13 is 64.

A west-southwesterly wind of 15-25 mph will be a crosswind for the runners for a majority of the course, but also a headwind and tailwind at times during the second half of the race.

While the tall buildings in the city can act as a buffer against the winds, they can also create a wind tunnel effect, causing winds to increase in between the skyscrapers.

The wind will act to make it feel even chillier than the actual air temperature. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures are forecast to be in the middle to upper 30s F throughout the morning hours, which will require coats, hats and perhaps even gloves and scarves for spectators.

Light layers will be appropriate attire for race participants. This includes a long-sleeve, moisture-wicking shirt, a windproof running jacket, running pants and/or tights.

Scotiabank Toronto marathon switches from Gatorade to Nuun Endurance for their marathon event

Nuun has been updating its various sports hydration products, and Nuun Endurance, designed specifically those expecting to be out on the course for more than 90 minutes, will replace Gatorade at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon’s water stations on October 20.

Some commercial sports drinks contain a lot of sugar, artificial dyes and unnecessary chemicals–things that more health-aware athletes are trying to get away from, since they do nothing to improve either performance or health (and may do the opposite). Nuun unveiled its new Sport product earlier this year, and now endurance athletes in Canada can enjoy Nuun Endurance, formulated with their specific needs in mind.

According to Nuun, “as more research into hydration science demonstrated the ineffectiveness of traditional sports drink formulas, runners demanded healthier options with cleaner ingredients designed specifically to hydrate for high-intensity activities.”

Formulated as a powdered mix rather than a tab, Nuun Endurance is non-GMO and Informed Sport certified (Informed Sport is a third-party quality assurance program for sports nutrition products), kosher, vegan and gluten-free–which means you can rest assured there’s no funny stuff in your hydration product. It comes in four flavors: Mixed Berry, Citrus Mango, Lemon Lime and caffeinated Strawberry Lemonade, and is available in 16-serving tubs or single-serving packets. (The Strawberry Lemonade flavor contains 25 mg of caffeine derived from organic green coffee beans.)

Nuun Endurance’s delivers just enough electrolytes to optimize hydration, and its low sugar content is designed to minimize the potential for gastric distress.

Amanda Evans is ready for Hartford half marathon after using running as therapy

he is back in the house where she grew up. Her 4-year-old daughter Nell sleeps in her old bedroom.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to turn out, Amanda Evans said last week, sighing.

Her grandmother was a single mom and so was her mother. Now Evans is one as well. She left her now-ex-husband on a cold January night at midnight almost five years ago. Nell was 11 days old.

The past four years haven’t been easy for Evans, 35, of East Haven. But Nell is thriving, curious and outgoing, Evans started running more seriously, has lost 85 pounds and is competing in her first race, the half marathon of the Eversource Hartford Marathon Oct. 12 in Hartford. She is part of the marathon’s Aiello Inspiration team.

“For a long time, I didn’t have health insurance so [running] was free therapy in a way,” Evans said. “It gets me outside. It gave me the chance to do something that was really only for me at a time when it seems like everything else I do is for other people — other peoples’ kids, my kid, my family.”

Evans works part-time at the Branford Family Resource Center, organizing playgroups and pre-school activities. She and Nell live with her grandmother, who also works part-time. She watches Nell when Evans goes out to run.

Evans had been running on and off since college. She tried a Couch to 5K program but couldn’t quite get past a certain level and would stop.

“I had this book called ‘Run Your Butt Off,’” she said. “I had tried the Couch to 5K over and over but there was one particular week, it was like run eight minutes, walk for five then it went to something like run for 12 minutes and for some reason, I couldn’t do it. This program was quite a bit slower. I managed to kind of successfully get through it and I ended up running a half hour straight.”

“I just kept increasing the distances I was doing,” she said. “I run outside. I don’t have access to a treadmill. I just kept bumping up the mileage. I lost a lot of weight. I didn’t start trying to lose weight until Nell was almost a year. I think if I had braved getting on the scale earlier my total would probably be closer to 100. I had to work up the courage to: This is where I’m going to start.

Coach Brendan Cournane will be running his 100th marathon in Chicago this weekend

This year's Chicago Marathon will be a marathon milestone for one runner. He has ran in marathons all over the world, but this Sunday will mark his 100th trek.

Over the years Brendan Cournane has run thousands of miles on the lakefront running path while training for various marathons.

"What better place," Cournane said. "World class city, world class marathon and it's my hometown."

Cournane is one of only a few hundred people to run a marathon on all seven continents, including one in China where part of the course was on the Great wall, and Africa. He has even done a marathon in Antarctica, where he had to run twice after hypothermia forced him to drop out the first time.

He's also run all six major marathons which include, Chicago, Boston, New York, London, Tokyo and Berlin.

On top of it all, he's also run marathons in all 50 states.

Cournane's list of marathon achievements is long, but he said Chicago remains his favorite place to run.

He said he wasn't a runner in high school or college, and was in his 40's when he started to get serious about marathon running.

"My very first marathon I swore I'd never do it again," said Cournane, who is just a month out from his 66th birthday.

Once he got over that first undertaking he decided to coach other runners, both in person and virtually.

"It's having fun. It's working with others, seeing the benefit I can make in other people's lives," Cournane said.

Cournane said he's got a lot more time for running since retiring from practicing law last year, but has no plans to retire from running anytime soon.

"I don't know if I'll run another marathon but there are still races I want to run," he said.

Carmelita Jeter was named the international event ambassador for the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon

Carmelita Jeter holds the record for the second-fastest timing in 100m (10.64 seconds) behind Florence -—Joyner, who passed away in September 1998.

The 39-year-old became the fastest woman alive when she won the 100m race at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix in 2009. The sprinter clinched gold in the 4x100m relay, silver in the 100m event and bronze in the 200m event at the 2012 Olympic Games.

“It’s an honor for me to be a part of this most prestigious half marathon, as its event ambassador. Running is the best form of exercise, as it boosts one’s mind and body. It’s amazing to see amateurs focus on running technique and train with passion, for a fitter lifestyle,” said Jeter.

Apart from the Olympic medals, Jeter has won three golds at the World Championships and two golds at the World Athletics Final. The sprinter has clinched a silver at the World Championships, World Indoor Championships and World Relay Championships. Jeter has three World Championships bronze medals to her name as well.

On bringing Jeter as the event ambassador, Vivek Singh, Jt. MD, Procam International said, “Every year, we have the honor of having legendary athletes as the International Event Ambassador.”

“This year is special to us as we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Delhi Half Marathon and it is a matter of pride for us, to have the fastest woman alive join in the celebrations. Carmelita Jeter is both an achiever and a huge inspiration. We are elated to have her on board for ADHM 2019, to inspire our ever-growing number of participants.”

After an illustrious career, Jeter retired from competing in track and field events in 2017.

Ukrainian Sergey Bubka was confirmed IAAF Senior Vice President at the 219th IAAF Council Meeting in Doha on Tuesday

It was the first Council Meeting that included the members who were elected on to Council at last week’s IAAF Congress.

This will be Bubka’s third term as Vice President, having held the role from 2007-2011 and from 2015-2019.

In other decisions made at today’s Council Meeting, Antti Pihlakoski was reappointed to the AIU Board Appointments Panel and Abby Hoffman was reappointed to the AIU Board.

Voting is currently open for the IAAF Athletes’ Commission elections. The names of the six elected members of the commission will be announced before the end of the championships. The Council may also appoint up to six further people to be Athletes’ Commission members to help ensure diversity of representation.

Once the Athletes’ Commission has been finalised, the Chairperson and one other member – one male and one female – will be full voting members of the IAAF Council.

Ethiopian Seifu Tura is the latest addition to the Chicago Marathon

Bank of America Chicago Marathon officials have announced several changes to the elite field for Sunday’s race, including Getaneh Molla and Herpasa Negasa’s withdrawal from the race.

The runners, who both hail from Ethiopia, had the two best personal-records among the men’s field, but neither will participate in Sunday’s race.

Race organizers did announce that a pair of new runners will join the field, including Seifu Tura, the Ethiopian racer who set a blistering career best time in the Dubai Marathon in 2018, crossing the line in 2:04:44.

While that result was only good for seventh in the race, Tura did win the 2018 Milan Marathon in Italy and the 2018 Shanghai International Marathon in China, giving him a pair of quality victories that he’ll look to build upon in Chicago.

Also added to the field is Ethiopia’s Dejene Debela. The 24-year-old set a personal best time of 2:07:10 in the Eindhoven Marathon in the Netherlands back in 2017. He is the defending champion at the Xiamen International Marathon in China, posting a time of 2:09:26 in the race earlier this year.

He also won the Beijing Marathon in 2018 and is currently the 45th ranked marathon runner in the world, according to the IAAF.

Course Record Holder Meskerem Assefa returns to defend women’s title at Mainova Frankfurt Marathon

Last year’s women’s champion and course record holder Meskerem Assefa will return to run the Mainova Frankurt Marathon while another world-class Ethiopian distance runner will also be on the start line on October 27.

Tsegaye Mekonnen, the junior men’s world record holder in the marathon is set to race in the men’s division.  In addition to these new recruits to the elite line-up, two more athletes will be joining them in the race for top prizes: Kenya’s Olympic bronze medallist in the 5,000m in 2008, Sylvia Kibet and last year’s German champion Fabienne Königstein.

About 14,000 runners are expected to complete the field in the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon which is an IAAF Gold Label race, the highest category in road racing.

“If weather conditions are right, we have a good chance for very fast races," said the race director Jo Schindler.

A year ago Meskerem Assefa set a course record of 2:20:36 despite windy conditions which was also her personal best. The 34-year-old has the potential to target a sub-2:20 time for her latest appearance in Frankfurt. She may well have company in this challenge since the Kenyan Valary Aiyabei has a best of 2:20:53, only 17 seconds slower than Meskerem’s course record in Frankfurt.

Sylvia Kibet can also be expected to produce a considerable improvement on her fastest time. The 35-year-old won in Rabat in Morocco in April, setting a personal best of 2:25:52. Her pedigree for the marathon includes impressive speed over shorter distances on the track which helped her win two silver medals over 5,000m in the 2009 and 2011 World Championships and an Olympic bronze for the same distance in 2008.

Another newcomer to the women’s race in the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon is Fabienne Königstein, better known as Fabienne Amrhein. The 26-year-old made her breakthrough last year, improving to 2:32:34 to win the women’s title in Düsseldorf, followed by becoming the top German finisher in 11th place in the European Championship Marathon in Berlin. 

Tsegaye Mekonnen is a runner with enormous potential. In 2014 the Ethiopian was the shooting start of the international marathon scene, running, as an 18-year-old, an unofficial junior world record in Dubai on his debut at the distance of 2:04:32 (the IAAF does not record official marathon world records for juniors).

Since then Tsegaye Mekonnen’s progress has been restricted by a succession of injuries. He also suffered misfortune when making his Frankfurt debut in 2014, recovering from a fall during the race but subsequently dropping out. 

J&A Racing is proud to welcome the BayPort Credit Union as the title sponsor of the Surf-n-Santa 5 Miler

J&A Racing is proud to welcome the BayPort Credit Union as the title sponsor of the holiday-themed race, the Surf-n-Santa 5 Miler presented by Bon Secours In Motion.

This partnership embraces all the elements that make the holiday season magical: community, wellness celebration, and lasting memories.

“Here at BayPort, we are committed to both financial and physical wellness. That is why we are excited to be the title sponsor of this year’s Surf-n-Santa 5 Miler in Virginia Beach.

With more than 4,400 race participants, this event is an excellent opportunity for us to be part of a fun and meaningful experience benefiting an important cause that is open to the entire Hampton Roads community,” said BayPort Credit Union’s President/CEO Jim Mears.

BayPort Credit Union’s purpose and philosophy has always remained faithful to people helping people. They are committed to developing long-term prosperity for our communities by committing to their members’ financial well-being.

That viewpoint and the resulting culture makes them a natural supporter of the Surf-n-Santa 5 Miler. This holiday themed race is all about the long-term prosperity of individuals and families by encouraging them to create the healthy habit of movement while creating holiday memories.

The ninth annual BayPort Credit Union Surf-n-Santa 5 Miler presented by Bon Secours In Motion will be held on December 14-15, 2019 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Kenyan Brigid Kosgei has set her sights on a second straight Chicago Marathon title

Kenya's Brigid Kosgei will on Sunday return to Chicago eyeing to be third time lucky as she battles to defend the marathon title she won last year.

Kosgei, 25, was second in 2017 on her debut, but she made an even bigger splash last year when she won the race with the third-fastest time in Chicago's history of 2:18:35.

While Kosgei, the seventh fastest woman in the history of marathon running, has been unbeatable in 2019, American marathon debut record holder Jordan Hasay and 2018 Paris marathon champion Betsy Saina should make for an exciting trio up front.

"The Chicago marathon is a tough race. I struggled up to my maximum, and then I won," said Kosgei on Tuesday ahead of her departure to Chicago.

Kosgei has literally been unbeatable in 2019, and her dominance extends to winning a 10-kilometer race, three half marathons, a 5km, and the London marathon.

"I was happy I have been able to run well this season. It has not been easy," she added.

Kosgei has won the Honolulu marathon twice and finished eighth in Boston at 2:31:48. Overall, she has finished first or second in nine of her ten career marathons. But she is aware the past record will only count on paper and her legs have to do the actual fight for her to retain her title and boost her chances of leading Kenya team to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

"I would like to compete in the Olympics. But there are hurdles to be cleared before thinking of the Olympics. For now, winning in Chicago will be important and then we will see how 2020 turns out," she added.

Saina, the former Paris marathon runner says she has returned to shape after injury concerns that limited her cruise in Boston in April. Saina, a 2016 Olympian in the 10,000m, enjoyed a flash of brilliance in the marathon when she won the 2018 Paris marathon in 2:22:56.

After spending her career on the track, she experienced a rocky transition to the marathon in 2017, failing to finish both the Tokyo and New York City marathons. However, she delivered in Paris and a few months later, she finished eighth in Frankfurt at 2:24:35.

This year, she finished 10th in Boston at 2:30:32 and defended her title at Japan's Marugame half marathon clocking the best time of 1:07:49.

The men's field includes four-time Olympic gold medalist and defending Chicago marathon champion, Mo Farah, Olympic marathon bronze medalist and 2017 Chicago marathon champion Galen Rupp and 2015 Chicago marathon champion, Dickson Chumba.

Throw in Boston marathon champion Lawrence Cherono and the quartet will certainly be spoilt for a fight as they seek to improve the course record on Sunday.

Nuns Stephanie Baliga and Alicia Torres are set to run Chicago Marathon to raise money to help the poor in West Humboldt Park

Two Chicago nuns are raising money to pay for renovations to their church building in Chicago's West Humboldt Park neighborhood.Sister Stephanie Baliga and Sister Alicia Torres are fundraising to pay for renovations to the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels School building, which provides weekly food pantries, as well as storage and distribution of clothing and household good for West Humboldt Park residents.

The sisters are leading a team of 85, which include several priests.

The nuns visited the ABC7 studio on Wednesday to talk about their fundraising drive.

“Jesus asked us to be able to help our neighbor and treat others the way we want to be treated,” Baliga said. “And we believe that’s what we’re doing here in West Humboldt Park, being able to bring the hope of Christ through the love of Christ to a neighborhood that’s in much despair and difficulty and incredibly difficult circumstances.”

“We’re trying to bring the presence of Jesus to this neighborhood that needs a lot of hope, and a lot of love,” Baliga said.

Now, Baliga has merged her passion for running with her love of God to serve her community.

When the fatigue inevitably kicks in, and the finish line beckons during the 26-mile run Oct. 14, she’ll draw inspiration from within.

“All of the work that we’re doing is for the greater glory of God, so when we’re running, and it starts to hurt, we’ll make that last charge to not slow down for the mission and for Jesus.”

The cosmic shift in Baliga’s life started with an identity crisis.

As a University of Illinois distance runner, she measured her self-importance on her running and academic achievements.

But when she broke her foot sophomore year, she was forced to reevaluate who she was.

“I started to contemplate my life,” she said. “Who am I? What am I doing? My main identity could not be running anymore.”

It took Baliga a few years to figure out exactly what God was asking her to do, she said. But soon after graduating college in 2010, she joined the Franciscans of the Eucharist of Chicago at the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels.

Dez O'Connor, could be banned from future events if he continues to push his daughter around in races

Dez O'Connor, 35, from Plymouth, Devon, (UK)  likes to run in charity races and for the last three years has been taking his daughter Elsie, three, with him in a specially designed pushchair.

But he has now been left seething by a letter from the organizers of a charity 10K run, Britain's Ocean City Running Series, raising safety concerns.

In the letter, they said that although no action would be taken for his previous races, he would be banned if he tried to compete with the pram again.

The letter said Dez was in breach of rules and a safety hazard to other runners and Elsie.

Hundreds of people have signed a petition supporting Dez and calling for the ban to be reversed.

Dez, a firefighter and scaffolder, said: 'They said it was against the rules of UK Athletics, but we spoke to them and they said there was no rule and it was down to organizer discretion.

'I asked what the risk was but they wouldn't tell me, they wouldn't let me look at the risk assessment. I asked if we could put in control measures but they just ignored me.

'They said it was against the rules and that's all they would say on the matter.'

Because of the letter, Dez decided not to run in the Plymouth 10K over the weekend but took part in a training run the day before.

He added: 'I have run the half marathon with Elsie three times. After I did the last half I got an email saying if I ran with the pram again I would be banned.

'If they're worried about space I'll start from the back, I've been doing this for years and most people are very receptive.'

Eliud Kipchoge and his technical team are expected to land in Vienna Tuesday for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge this weekend

World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge and his technical staff are expected to land in Vienna Tuesday morning ahead of the “INEOS 1:59 Challenge” this weekend.

The Olympic marathon champion was Monday night treated to the affluence that one of Great Britain’s richest persons, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is accustomed to.

Kipchoge left for Vienna aboard Sir Jim’s Gulfstream G280, which was flown by two pilots from his British base to fly Kipchoge to the Austrian capital.

The jet, valued at $24.5 million, has got Kenyans on social media talking about Kipchoge's attempt to become the first man to run the 42-kilometer distance in under two hours this weekend.

"Eliud Kipchoge" is like a human machine. Pride of Kenya and the son of the Land. There is Mursik waiting for you Legend. Know that you inspire many across the board."

"The fact that Eliud Kipchoge is attempting the INEOS 1:59 record affirms his place in the annals of athletics history. The attempt alone is enough, the victory would be a bonus. He is no longer running against man, he is running against time."

"No longer running against other men, he's running against time. INEOS1:59. KENYA is proud of you Eliud kipchoge. See you on 12th Oct 2019."

Leonard Langat won the Cardiff Half Marathon clocking 59:30, taking 73 seconds off the course record for the IAAF Silver Label road race on Sunday

Langat produced a strong sprint finish to pip fellow Kenyan Shadrack Kimining, the winner in Cardiff in 2016, by a mere two seconds.

Langat’s winning time of 59:30 was just 12 seconds shy of his lifetime best, while long-time race leader Kimming was rewarded with a 10-second PB to finish second in 59:32.

There was a group of 10 athletes in the leading pack at 5km (14:06) and this was cut to four by 10km (28:05). Kimining led for much of the next 10 kilometers as he led Langat and defending champion John Lotiang through 15km (42:15) and 20km (56:34).

Kimining tried to push up the steep incline coming off Roath Park Lake up to Cathays Cemetery, but Langat refused to be shrugged off. He stayed on the shoulder of his rival before making his move coming down the finishing straight.

“I was feeling comfortable behind Shadrack and I pushed on in the final 500 meters,” said Langat. “I kept the pace up right to the finish because I was feeling so strong.

“I always feel strong when I am running happy and that is down to the fantastic training group I have in Kenya. This is a wonderful course and I am sure that someone could run faster than 58 minutes on it in the future.”

“I am happy to have run a PB and I think this is one of the fastest courses on which I have ever run,” said Kimining. “It is a bit like the event in Ras Al Khaimah.”

There was also a dramatic finish in the women’s race as Kenya’s Lucy Cheruiyot and Ethiopia’s Azmera Abreha ran side by side down the finishing straight, with another Kenyan, Paskalia Kipkoech, not far behind.

In the end, Cheruiyot’s strength carried her to victory, although both she and Abreha were given the same times, 68:20. Kipkoech was a further five seconds behind in 68:25.

Jonathan Kotter for the second year in a row won the St. George Marathon

The 43rd edition of the St. George Marathon saw a windy morning with fast breezes and even faster times.

Thousands made their way down from Central Junction and through Veyo all the way down to Vernon Worthen Park in St. George to test themselves against the elements and themselves.

Jonathan Kotter won the men's side of the marathon for the second year in a row, finishing with a time of 2:18:06, while three-time St. George Marathon winner Aaron Metler finished second in 2:19:45.

"The weather overall was great because it was very cool which is perfect for marathon running and dry which is nice," Kotter said. "There was a nice tailwind for about five minutes and then we had a headwind so it was swirly a little bit."

Kotter is no stranger to the course after winning with a faster time of 2:16:17 in rainy conditions last year.

"Winning is always super fun because St. George is arguably the most competitive race in Utah so anytime you can win is a lot of fun because there's a lot of good runners out there," Kotter said.

Metler, who won the race in 2010, 2014 and 2015, crossed the line in second place this year as the highest local finisher.

As a St. George resident, he says this race is always been special for him no matter where he finishes.

"Living in this community and being the local guy is an unforgettable experience," Metler said. "I run it every year for the crowd, the people here and the community. It's the best marathon."

On the women's side, Sylvia Bedford not only won for the second year in a row but set a women's course record in the process with a time of 2:34:18.

Bedford smashed Deeja Youngquist's previous women's record of 2:36:06 set in 2007 by almost a full two minutes.

"It felt so nice to get the course record, that was kind of my goal and I was happy that the win came along with that so it felt awesome," Bedford said. 

Bedford has improved both her times and results each year she has run the marathon, going from eighth place in 2016 to fourth place in 2017 to winning in the last two years and finishing with a course record this year.

Still, she says that this year's race was a little difficult for her coming down towards St. George for the final few miles.

Dominic Ondoro of Kenya won the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday for a record-breaking fourth time

Dominic Ondoro of Kenya won the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday for a record-breaking fourth time, unprecedented in the 38-year history of the race from Minneapolis to St. Paul.

Ondoro, who also holds the record for fastest time in the race, came in at 2 hours, 12 minutes, 23 seconds.

Two Minnesotans finished the race in the top three: St. Paul native Danny Docherty, now of Minneapolis, came in third in the men’s race in 2:15:55. In the women’s race, Dakotah Lindwurm of Burnsville placed second  in 2:32:49.

In the men’s race, Denis Chirchir of Kenya was second in 2:13:50.

Julia Kohnen of Florissant, Mo., won the women’s race in 2:31:29. Coming in third was 2014 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon runner-up Heather Lieberg at 2:34:07.

In a press release sent out by event organizers, Ondoro, who has won the marathon four times in five attempts, including 2015, 2016 and 2017, said he had hoped to break his record but his back “rebelled.”

“I was running easily, but around 20K, I felt something in my (lower back), so no record,” he said. “I hope next year I can try my best. It’s exciting. I like the way the people here interact with us. They cheer us very well.”

Kohnen was pleased to win her first Twin Cities race, saying, “It’s a really good feeling to have a fast time under my belt now. The weather plays a huge factor, and we couldn’t have gotten luckier today. It’s so fun; the neighborhoods are absolutely gorgeous.”

Kenyan runner Hillary Kipsambu won the 96th International Peace Marathon in Kosice clocking 2:09:33

This was Kenya's 11th victory in a row and the 17th triumph of a runner from this country at the Košice marathon, which is the oldest one in Europe, the SITA newswire reported.

Altogether, about 14,500 runners competed in the marathon, the regional Korzár daily wrote.

Apart from the laurel wreath, Kipsambu also received a financial reward of €12,000 since he finished the race in under 2:10 hours. However, he did not break the record of his fellow countryman Lawrence Kimaiya from 2012, who finished the race in 2:07:01 hours.

Shumet Mengistu of Ethiopia came second (2:10:50), followed by Tsegay Tuemay of Eritrea (2:11:02). African runners have dominated the marathon since 2005, Korzár wrote.

“I wanted to improve my personal record of 2:07:20 from last year’s autumn marathon in Amsterdam, but nobody could do it with such a wind,” Kipsambu said after the race, as quoted by SITA.

Several other participants complained about the weather, too. The last time there was such bad weather during the marathon was in 1998, according to meteorologists.

A record was broken in the women’s category. The winner, Ethiopian Sichala Kumeshi Deress, finished the race in 2:26:01. Last year’s winner Miliam Ebongon of Kenya crossed the finish line in 2:27:16.

“I was in good form, so the wind didn’t bother me,” Kumeshi Deress said, as quoted by SITA.

However, she added that if there hadn't been any wind, she may have been able to finish around 2 hours and 23 minutes.

Second placed Chemtai Rionotukei from Kenya (2:33:27), followed by another Kenyan, Joan Jepchirchir Kigen (2:34:05).

Kallin Khan, 22, Claims Victory At Portland Marathon on Sunday

For 22-year-old Kallin Khan, Sunday’s race wasn’t even close.

From mile five all the way to the finish line, Khan led the pack of more than two thousand runners participating in the Portland Marathon. Another 3,600 opted for Sunday’s 13-mile route.

“Everyone was telling me I had a big lead,” Khan told reporters a few minutes after being crowned Sunday’s winner. “I was confident through the finish line.”

It took Khan, a Chicago native, just over two hours, 25 minutes to finish the course, which took runners through the city’s four quadrants. A second place winner would not be announced for another 20 minutes. That’s when Kunitaka Imaizumi, a student at the University of Oregon, sprinted over the finish line.

Khan said he’s been working toward the victory since moving to Portland two months ago, running more than a hundred miles each week with the Bowerman Track Club. He hopes to soon qualify for the Olympic trials, a feat that would require him to shave six minutes off his Sunday time.

First place for the women’s division – and third place overall – went to Jamie Gibbs, an analytics director at Nike, who ran the route in two hours, 48 minutes.

There were no Olympic-level runners in Sunday’s event, according to Jared Rohatinsky, the CEO of Brooksee, a Utah-based race producer which oversaw the event for the first time.

The former race and route were scrapped in 2018 after lackluster attendance and a state investigation into the finances of the then-marathon director. A long city search for a new producer meant marathon registration didn’t open until this spring. Typically, the schedules of Olympic-caliber athletes are booked a year and a half in advance, Rohatinsky explained.

In past statements, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a runner himself, had said he hoped the new company would energize turnout and turn Portland’s marathon into “a world-class event worthy of a host city that’s known for running.” Wheeler came in 883rd at Sunday’s event.

Runners interviewed Sunday agreed that the new course, which moved runners through some of Portland’s most beloved areas, had taken a turn for the better after decades of lingering too long in the more industrial parts of town.

The IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha attendances were a disaster and will impact Qatar's chances of ever hosting an Olympic Games

The empty Doha stadium at the World Athletics Championships has scuppered Qatar's chances of landing an Olympic Games for at least 20 years, bidding experts believe.

The tiny Middle East nation was previously beaten by Tokyo to next summer's games, and has hinted it could launch renewed bids for either 2032 or 2036.

However, one source close to the International Olympic Committee said dismal attendances for the athletics is seen a "disaster" for any potential application.

Michael R Payne, the former marketing director of the IOC, also told the Daily Telegraph that poor local interest would be a "red line".

"In terms of the Olympics, I'd go straight back to the drawing board," he said. "Clearly the first question is going to be 'why would the hosting of our championship be any different'. It's such a fundamental red line to cross. There is an issue of respect for the athletes. How do they feel having trained all their lives for this? Clearly something has gone very wrong. For an Olympics, expectation would probably be now that you would see one or other Middle East country coming forward before Qatar."

The athletics had sent a "very negative signal as to Doha's ability to host any major event", Payne added. Qatar was controversially awarded football's 2022 World Cup, but FIFA insists there is enough local interest across the region to ensure any local allocations of tickets sell out.

On Sunday night Denise Lewis was among leading figures in athletics to criticise organisers after eventual silver medalist Dina Asher-Smith ran sprint finals in front of rows of empty seats in the 40,000-capacity stadium. Payne, who now works as a consultant strategic adviser, said the athletics had illustrated the dangers of building "empty cathedrals". 

He added. "You can build the greatest stadiums, you can have unlimited budgets to do incredible ceremonies and make it all work, but you do need to have to people in the stadium," he said. "I think it is incomprehensible for athletes in any sport to compete in their world championships in front of an empty stadium.

"It sends a terrible image and I'm sure the television ratings will be negatively impacted. At the end of the day, what's the point of building big stadiums for the people in the country - it's an empty cathedral."

Speaking on the BBC,  2000 Olympic heptathlon champion Lewis said the IAAF has "let down" the athletes competing in the Qatar capital city. "I can't deny, I walked into the stadium and thought 'is this the World Championships?'' Lewis said.

Lelisa Desisa wins the marathon at the IAAF World Athletic Championships in Doha

Lelisa Desisa added a world marathon gold to the silver he won in Moscow six years ago as he and teammate Mosinet Geremew headed an Ethiopian one-two on the Corniche in conditions that were significantly more forgiving than those that had seen a slew of women marathoners pulling out on the opening day of the championships.

Desisa clocked a season’s best of 2:10:40, with Geremew four seconds back. Bronze went to Kenya’s Amos Kipruto, who finished in 2:10:51, with Britain’s Callum Hawkins clocking 2:10:57 to repeat his fourth placing from the 2017 World Championships marathon in London.

With the temperature at about 29C (84F), and humidity at about 48%, the two Ethiopians were part of a group that caught up with early breakaway leader Derlys Ayala of Paraguay just before halfway point and maintained enough energy to push on to glory in the final kilometre.

They left in their wake Kenya’s Kipruto, who had also been a part of the long-time leading group, and Hawkins, whose massive mid-race effort brought him into the lead group of three with only a couple of kilometres to go.

The effort to get there, however, cost the Briton dearly, and he had to accept his second successive fourth place in this event following the London running two years ago.

In the interim, Hawkins hit the headlines when he collapsed in the heat of the Gold Coast when he was only a mile or so away from what looked like a runaway win at the Commonwealth Games.

On this occasion he maintained his effort to the line, although that seemed little consolation to him in the immediate aftermath.

So Desisa went one better than he had in 2013, although the action that earned him most renown that year was his gesture in donating his Boston Marathon winning medal back to the city in sympathy with the bombing that took place near the finish line nearly three hours after he had passed it.

"It was hot, but I prepared perfectly for this race," said Desisa, who won the New York City Marathon last year. "I am very tired. But after I took silver in Moscow, this time I kept my power better.”

Zersenay Tadese, Eritrea’s five-time world half-marathon champion, led the lead group for much of the second half of the race before dropping to sixth place in 2:11:29.

One place above him, in 2:11:09, was South Africa’s Stephen Mokoka, who had also taken the responsibility for the lead for long periods.

Ayala, who had run a personal best of 2:10:27 only two weeks earlier in Buenos Aires, dropped out very soon after the halfway mark – one of 18 who failed to finish from the field of 73.