Running News Daily

Materials in new Nike Joyride running shoes put environmentalists on alert

Nike has taken the wraps off a new running shoe technology that it calls Joyride. This new type of cushioning uses an innovative approach to protecting a runner’s feet and legs, potentially delivering improved performance in terms of impact absorption, while also offering efficient energy return.

That translates to fresher, faster legs on long-distance runs, which should help prevent injuries and speed recovery. But it didn’t take long for the new product to catch the attention of environmentalists, who were quick to question Nike’s use of microplastics when creating this new product.

At the heart of Joyride is a newly designed midsole that has four distinct sections or “pods.” Those pods are each filled with thousands of tiny plastic TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) beads that have been created specifically to absorb impact. The size of the pod, and the number of beads that are inside of it, completely depends on its location.

For instance, the heel has a larger pod filled with thousands of the tiny beads, while the forefoot has a smaller number as less cushioning is needed there.

Nike says that Joyride will conform to the foot of the runner, giving a sense that the shoe was made specifically for their feet. If the marketing materials are to be believed, the shoes will offer a very comfortable and supportive ride, giving runners a sensation that is “almost like running on bubbles.”

The sports apparel and footwear manufacturer is so confident in the new technology that it will be rolling it out in new shoes over the next few weeks. The Nike Joyride Flyknit, which is a general purpose running shoe, went on sale for Nike Members on July 25 and will see a global release on August 15.

The decision to use microplastics in the creation of the Joyride system has raised eyebrows, with some questioning what happens to the TPE beads when the shoe is no longer in use or starts to break down.

It has become increasingly clear that those materials are finding their way not just into the ocean, but the air we breathe as well, creating a potential healt hazard for millions of people. Considering that running shoes should be replaced every 300 to 500 miles, the potential for a lot of Joyride shoes ending up in a landfill is high.

In response to the criticism of Joyride, Nike released the following statement:

“Nike is committed to creating a more sustainable future and protecting the future of sport. Like all athletic footwear, Joyride can be recycled through Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program and transformed into new products. We have also been actively exploring the source of microfibers and working with the sporting goods industry and other industries to understand the issue and identify long-term scalable solutions.”

Nike has indeed taken proactive steps to protect the environment, and the company is correct in reminding runners they should be recycling their shoes anyway. The Joyride doesn’t change that, even if its tiny beads are an unusual choice as a new form of cushioning.

Is Soaking in a Hot Tub Before and After running good for sore muscles?

Studies have shown that both heat and cold therapy can promote healing and prevent muscle damage following running. Your home spa offers the most immersive therapeutic opportunity available, especially now that you have the option to set your spa as a hot tub or a revolutionary cold tub.

Here are some tips for you:

Before you exercise, have a 10–20-minute hot tub soak.  This helps get the blood flowing and loosen up your muscles. Then, be sure to spend at least 10 minutes stretching out those warm muscles before you start your workout. (You could even do some gentle stretches while you’re in the hot tub.)

After you run, let your muscles and your heart rate cool down. Do a gentle walk. Then, take advantage of a hot tub session to help your mind and body relax and to stimulate the healing and recovery process.

Your hot tub can support you before and after your workouts if you follow these simple guidelines. Remember that one of the most important tips is to always be aware and stay in touch with your body’s cues.

If, for example, you’re feeling sore and inflamed right after a hard workout, give your body a bit of time to cool down before your soothing hot tub soak.

In some cases, it’s best to wait a day or two if an unusually intense workout leaves your muscles significantly inflamed. But in the days following that intense workout, your home spa can be just the thing to relax you when your muscles are tight and sore.

You are your body’s own best advocate. Consider that the time in between workouts is just as valuable as the workouts themselves. When we push ourselves to intentionally stress our muscles through exercise, we can’t avoid the necessary period of healing and regeneration—that’s what actually results in stronger muscles and an overall healthier body!

Your hot tub can be one of your best allies in the quest for personal fitness when you leverage it with awareness and intention.

This schedule has been shown to work:

Taking a short soak in your hot tub before you exercise can warm you up, and make your run feel more comfortable.

On a cold day it’s even more pronounced because the blood flow to your legs increases. Since you’re already warm and perspiring from soaking, make sure to stay hydrated.

Right afterwards. This is when you want to cool down. Your muscles are now inflamed. To limit blood flow and make them feel better, it’s time to apply ice or cold water. Conversely, adding heat will keep them inflamed, and continued sweating will further dehydrate you.

A day or two later. It takes a while to achieve the maximum benefits from soaking in your hot tub after you run…36 to 48 hours.

Inflammation is no longer an issue, and your damaged muscles can start to heal as a result of the increased blood flow. Now you’ll be able to enjoy the “other” relaxing benefits of soaking, like weightlessly floating, and rejoicing about your latest achievement.

Don’t forget…icing comes first…hot tubbing comes later.

Sunderland actress Anna Murray reveals how dad's cancer inspired her to take part in this year’s Great North Run

Grease musical star Anna Murray, 27, is preparing to run the half marathon from Newcastle to South Shields in September to raise funds for the Throat Cancer Foundation after her dad Michael, 59, was given the all clear.

The singer and actress, who is originally from Sunderland but now lives in London, told how watching her dad endure grueling cancer treatment had a devastating impact on her family.

Her dad Michael Murray, a financial advisor for a pharmaceutical company, was diagnosed with throat cancer aged 53 in October 2012 despite having never been ill his entire life.Anna said: “It came as a massive shock to all of the family.

My dad had never smoked a cigarette in his life and he was a really healthy, energetic man.

“He had a sore throat and went to the doctors but it didn’t seem to be going away so he went back and forth to the doctors for months.“By chance they put a camera down and they caught it.

”Michael was forced to undergo grueling chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment throughout the 2012 Christmas period – radiotherapy five days every week and chemotherapy every Friday for six exhaustive weeks.

Michael is been left without the ability to taste and suffers from a permanently dry mouth.Anna added: “He’s doing really well now but he’s been affected for life.

He had to be fed through a tube and it was awful to see the strongest man in our family so weak. “I found it awful emotionally and I really struggled with it and so did my brother. My mum, who is a nurse, became the backbone of our family.

”Kindhearted Anna will be joined by family friend Sally Harris to raise funds for the Throat Cancer Foundation when they both take part in the 13.1 mile run on September 9. Anna continued: “I’ve always wanted to do the Great North. It holds a special place in my heart and I’ve always wanted to run for this charity.”

The weather was an additional challenge at the Swiss Alpine Marathon

Adverse weather conditions presented additional challenges for the participants in this year's Swiss alpine Irontrail.

Bernhard Eggenschwiler from Aargau won the supreme discipline, the T88, on Saturday at the Swissalpine in Davos, in defiance of weather conditions and defending champion Tofol Castanyer. The women's trio Luzia Bühler triumphed.

The T88 have it all: From the start in St. Moritz the 84.9-kilometer course ran on an adventurous route via St. Moritz Bad, Stazerwald, Pontresina, Muottas Muragl, Samedan, Val Bever, Fuorcla Crap Alv, Bergün, Darlux, Alp digl Chant, Keschhütte and the Sertigpass to Davos.

The total height difference was 3640 meters incline and 3877 meters descent. Thunderstorm rains and hailstorms made the Irontrail torture on Saturday.

Irishman Tom McGrath who has been dubbed the real-life Forrest Gump has revealed how his love of running helped him beat a deadly booze addiction

Tom McGrath has ran six marathons in six days, completed several 1,000 mile ultra-marathons and was the first Irishman to do the Race Across America. The Fermanagh man went to New York in 1969 to play Gaelic football and decided to stay permanently.

He pursued his love of running there and took on the Race Across America just after getting married in 1977.  Speaking about the race in new documentary Every Five Minutes, Tom said, "That was my honeymoon. I got married on a Sunday and started running on a Monday. I did it in 53 days and seven minutes.”

And he didn't stop there, with his next challenge being a 1,000 mile marathon, completing this arduous run three years in a row.

In addition to this, Tom also won Ireland's first 24-hour race and ran six marathons in six days. But despite his incredible athletic success, publican Tom was struggling with alcohol addiction, only stopping drinking when he was not running.

He explained, “Alcohol abuse almost cost me my life.  I abused it to a point where I was given a week to live."

As it’s said in the documentary, "When Tom wasn’t drinking, he was running, and when he wasn’t running he was drinking."

In 2010, Tom became seriously ill and his life was hanging in the balance. It proved to be the wakeup call he needed to quit drinking. 

He revealed, "My wife and daughter got me into hospital when my eyes turned yellow. I didn’t realize that it was happening. The doctor told me I had a week or ten days to live if I didn’t stop drinking. He said to me, ‘I hope you’re here on time.’ ”

Tom, now 69, has been sober for nine years and is in good health. Having raised money for various charities over the years, Tom is planning on retiring from running soon after completing one more charity feat.

He will jog solo from Belfast to Dublin -running over a marathon each day - to raise funds for mental health charity Jigsaw. Along the way he will attend screenings of the Every Five Minutes documentary to share his story and raise awareness about addiction.

He says, “I want to show people that it’s possible to get through it. If they come along and see the documentary they’ll see a story of redemption, salvation, willpower, discipline and determination.”

27-year-old Ethiopian Tamirat Tola won the Bogota Half Marathon clocking 1:02:34

Bogota Half Marathon turned 20 years old and crowned as champions Ethiopian Tamirat Tola in the men's branch, with a figure of 1:02:34, and Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich in the women's branch, with a time of 1:10:39. In the male branch, the best Colombian was Miguel Amador, in the tenth position with 1:08:00.

The competition, as usual, was run with more than 42 thousand athletes enrolled in the male and female categories and in which only 9% of the competitors are professionals.

"I hope to return to this Half Marathon, the height makes it demanding but I want to go back for the record. I am very happy. I really like marathons, I took advantage of my speed and took advantage," said Tamirat Tola, after his victory.

Meanwhile, Ruth Chepngetich said that, "I am very happy and I felt the support of the people on the street. I want to go back and I liked being in Bogotá."

The Ethiopian runner was the dominator of the race, but could not beat his best mark and was close to Geoffrey Mutai's record with 1:02:20. However, the African adhered to his record the bogota half marathon victory, next to the World Cup in London 2017 and the Half Marathon of Prague and Dubai in 2017.

It should be noted that Tamirat Tola has been an expert in cross-country racing throughout his career. The Ethiopian was world runner-up in 2017 in the marathon test and also participated in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016, at which time he won a bronze medal in the 10,000 meters, being surpassed by the British Mo Farah, winner of the Gold and Kenyan Paul Tanui.

Canadian Anne Johnston sets women's record at 92nd annual Tely 10

The 92nd annual Tely 10 road race Sunday took runners 10 miles from Paradise to Bannerman Park in St. John's — and put Anne Johnston into the record books. Johnston broke the all-time women's record by over a minute, crossing the line in 54:24.

Sunday was Johnston's fourth Tely 10 win and she is fresh off an impressive Boston Marathon where she was the second fastest Canadian woman. "I had a real consistent year of training," she said. "Lots of miles, lots of hard work in the winter," she said.

About 4,000 people signed up to take part in the race according to the Newfoundland and Labrador Athletics Association, and there were two other women right at the front of the pack challenging Johnston.

Jennifer Murrin was the fastest woman in the race in both 2018 and 2017. She finished about 30 seconds behind Johnston on Sunday morning.

Kate Bazeley came in just over a minute later at 56:05. She was the previous record holder and has won the race on four occasions.

On the men's side, last year's champion Colin Fewer captured his 12th Tely win, finishing the race in just 49:49, shaving more than two minutes off his 2018 winning time. "I think that's where experience comes in," Fewer said just after crossing the finish line. "After 12 years, I'm not worried too much about the course."

New mom Allyson Felix qualifies for her 13th world championships at Doha

Allyson Felix, the most decorated track runner in world championship history with 16 career medals, made a very respectable comeback yesterday at the USATF Outdoor Championships yesterday, finishing sixth in the 400m final, qualifying her for the 4x400m relay pool for the 2019 world championships at Doha. It will be her 13th world championships.

Felix ran 51.94s in her first race back since having her baby last November. She made headlines a few months ago when she openly criticized her sponsor, Nike, for not supporting women athletes who choose to start a family, and followed that up with testifying before the US House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee on the maternal mortality crisis.

Though she had excellent healthcare and was in top physical condition, Felix suffered serious complications during her pregnancy and underwent an emergency C-section at 32 weeks.

She spent the next few months with her baby in the NICU before going public with her story in December 2018. Felix is still without a contract, and raced unattached this weekend.

Felix wasn’t the only mom commanding attention on the track this weekend. Nia Ali, who had her second baby last year, took second place in the women’s 100m hurdles, securing herself a berth on the American world championship team with a season’s best 12.55s. (The baby’s father is Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse, who finished second in the 100m at the Canadian nationals this weekend.)

Kenyans Leonard Barsoton and Joyciline Jepkosgei won Bix 7 on saturday

You can count Leonard Barsoton among those who was surprised at the way the Quad-City Times Bix 7 unfolded Saturday.

Barsoton came into the race with fairly modest expectations, hoping that maybe he could somehow sneak into the top three finishers. The 24-year-old native of Kenya didn’t really expect to leave all the other runners in his wake in the final two miles to win the 45th annual race through the streets of Davenport fairly easily.

But that’s what he did.

The race is over and the winners of the 2019 Quad City Times Bix 7 Road Race have been crowned.

"I’m so excited to be able to do this," Barsoton said. "If you can win Bix, you can win anywhere."

Thousands of runners hit the Davenport streets in the morning of Saturday, July 27th, but only a few could take home the victory in the 7-mile race.

In the men's race, Kenyan runner Leonard Barsoton broke a tight race and soared ahead to win with a time of 32:34. "This has shown me I can do more," Barsoton said. "To win Bix is a big accomplishment. This is a tough course." 

The women's race saw Joyciline Jepkosgei, also from Kenya, break a close two-person competition late in the game to take the gold in just over 36 minutes.

Kenyan Geoffrey Kirui says he is not under pressure to reclaim his title at the IAAF World Championships

Kirui has not won a marathon since he triumphed in London back in 2017. His last big city marathon was in Boston the same year, which earned him a slot in the Kenya team. But his barren spell is not disturbing him as he focuses on his title defense in Doha.

Owing to the high temperatures in Qatar, the marathon will be run at midnight, with temperatures still expected to be over 30 degrees Celsius. But Kirui is open to the challenge and says he will take it in his stride.

"I have been there before, and I know the weather is very hot so am preparing well for any condition. I will be in my best form, barring any injury in training. My focus is on the race 100 percent. It will be a little bit harder for my opponents to beat me because I have more experience now," said a bullish Kirui on Saturday in Nairobi.

Kenya's team of nine marathon runners will move to Eldoret for training, though Athletics Kenya is yet to name its overall coach.

"As the defending champion I know everyone will be aiming to beat me, but this time round I am even better prepared," added Kirui.

The reigning champion believes his main challengers will not come from Ethiopia, Uganda or the United States, who have piled more pressure on Kenyan athletes in road races. Instead, Kirui says his main challenge will come from within, as he lines up alongside compatriots Laban Korir, Paul Lonyangata, Ernest Ngeno and Berlin Marathon runner-up Amos Kipruto.

"The team is perfect and everyone has a good time, but this is the World Championship and we need to be aware of competition from others who are also doing well out there. But the Kenya team is strong and anyone can surprise you on his day," he added.

IAAF may stop Team Nigeria from competing in the Olympics, African Games and the World Championships over ‘missing’ $135,000

Thehh IAAF may have put the machinery in motion to stop Nigerian athletes from participating in this year’s African Games in Morocco, the World Athletics Championships in Doha, as well as the 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo following the country’s refusal to return the $135,000, which the IAAF mistakenly paid into AFN account two years ago.

The amount was said to have been paid by IAAF as part of its $15,000 annual grant to member federations for the year 2017. But instead of the $15,000, the IAAF mistakenly paid $150, 000 to the AFN. The IAAF accountants later discovered the error and subsequently asked AFN to refund the excess payment.

Former Secretary-General of AFN, Amaechi Akawo, confused about the amount, allegedly contacted his superiors at the sports ministry then, but soon after, the money ‘developed wings.’

In IAAF’s letter to the AFN on Tuesday May 13, 2019 made available to The Guardian, Jee Isram, Senior Manager, Governance, Member & International Relations Department wrote: “You were informed on March 14, 2018 by our CEO of a payment made by the IAAF to the bank account of your federation on May 17, 2017. A sum of $150,000 was transferred by the IAAF of which $135,000 was wrongly credited.

“We promptly notified you of this overpayment and followed up several written correspondences, as well as a meeting with you in November 2017 requesting that you reverse the bank transfer for the overpaid amount to no avail.

“On June 28, 2018, you informed us that the ministry of sports was ready to refund 50 percent of that amount and despite several telephone conversations the amount was still not paid.

While we were in Asaba in August 2018 during the African Senior Championships, we met with the minister of sports and the Permanent Secretary. We discussed about the return of the funds to the IAAF and until today we have not heard anything.

“We understand that the minister of sports will be stepping down soon and it is imperative that you arrange for the return of the full amount within two weeks at the latest. Failure to receive the funds back within that period, we will have no alternative than to apply appropriate sanctions against your Federation,” IAAF official said

The weather was perfect for this year’s San Francisco Marathon and Half Marathons

There is a new men’s champion at the San Francisco Marathon for the first time since 2016.

After Jorge Maravilla won the race in each of the last two years, Gregory Billington captured the 42nd edition of the event Sunday with a time of two hours, 25 minutes and 25 seconds. He averaged a blistering pace of five minutes and 33 seconds per mile, which put him ahead of Maravilla’s second-place time of two hours, 29 minutes and 28 seconds.

On the women’s side, Nina Zarina jumped out to an early lead and won without much drama with a time of two hours, 47 minutes and one second.

She completed the course well ahead of second-place finisher Eleanor Meyer (two hours, 52 minutes and 16 seconds) and the rest of the field. Zarina added another accomplishment to her 2019 resume after being named the female global champion at the Wings for Life World Run in Switzerland in May.

It appeared in the first portion of the race as if Maravilla would join her in the winner’s circle when he paced the field through the first 5.5 miles.

However, Billington pulled even by the halfway mark before turning on the jets and building a comfortable lead:

There would be no doubt from there, as the American maintained and added to his lead through the back half of the course and prevented Maravilla from three-peating in the Bay Area.

Billington, Zarina and the rest of the runners started at 5:30 a.m. PT at Mission Street and The Embarcadero on a 26.2-mile course, which is a Boston Marathon and Olympic time trials qualifying race.

The finish line was at Folsom Street and the Embarcadero but only after runners went past a number of San Francisco landmarks and neighborhoods. Runners went past the famous piers and Fisherman’s Wharf, through the Presidio, through Golden Gate Park, across the Golden Gate Bridge and past Oracle Park, where the San Francisco Giants play.

They dealt with a total elevation gain of about 1,175 feet in a city that is known for its hills, further testing their endurance and strength on a grueling course.

Ultra superstar Michael Wardian won the 52.4 mile Ultra (that’s two SF marathons).  Pictured with MBR  Director Bob Anderson who clocked 1:46:42 at age 71 for the second Half race good enough for first 65 plus. 

Indian’s Dharam Singh claims to be 121-years-old and is still running races

Dharam Singh says he was born October 6th, 1897 and has run more marathons than he can remember.  But is he 121? He does not have a birth  certificate but does have three forms of government issued ID. 

According to Robert Young of the Gerontology Research Group, only about 1,000 people have been verified as living past 110.  Of these people, only about 10 percent are male.  The number of people over 120 is even a much smaller number.  

However, Dharam Singh says himself he has no doubt that he was born in 1897.  (Click on the link to view the video and see what you think.) 

"When I was young, I used to run from my village to the neighboring village, which was about 600 to 700 meters away. I would run several laps. I did not know how to run then, the technique of it, but I did it on instinct," he says.

Today he gets up at 4 am and runs four kilometers daily.

To date, Gujjar has taken part in more than three dozen races in different parts of India. 

Singh has lost count of the number of marathons that he has run. However, he recollects running marathons in these cuties of India.  Allahabad, Nainital, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh, and claims to have run in 50 others. He says he ran his first marathon in 1970.

Running races over 90 is quite a feat by itself.  But running races over the age of 110?.  Well, that’s considered to be impossible.

Of course, that was until Dharam Singh made it into that age bracket.

It’s a bit hard to believe when so many people barely make it to 100 years old how he has managed to keep running?

Regardless of how old people believe Mr. Singh really is, it doesn’t discredit the root of his message. “Stay active, take care of your body, keep exploring, and if you’re given the chance to live out on the edges of your comfort zone, do it! These are simple concepts. Yet, they’ve gotten me pretty far,” he says.  

But if you’re at all concerned about the veracity of his age, don’t worry; there are still plenty of wise, powerful elders running around inspiring us.

Often, the best life advice comes from those who have lived so long and whose lives have just begun. There’s always simplicity to their advice.

In 2017, National Geographic did a special episode in their Explorer series investigating his life and success as a runner in such an advanced age.

When asked about his continued fitness, he says it is all about having a controlled diet. He has led a strict healthy lifestyle since childhood and gives credit to his balanced diet of self-prepared chutneys along with mineral water and lemon juice for his longevity. "I eat a strict and balanced diet and have no illness. I stopped eating ghee and other fatty items almost 40 years ago, neither do I drink or smoke," he said. He has been a strict vegetarian since birth.

Singh claims of being 121 years old has generated much controversy. While Gudha refers to his passport, voter ID Card and PAN card [a tax identification in India]—all stating 1897 as his year of birth, and all three government of India-issued valid identity documents—asserting he is 121 years old, he does not have a birth certificate to prove this age.

“Some have said he is not even 80 years old.  We may never know but it is inspiring to imagine that he could be over 110,” says lifetime runner and MBR Director Bob Anderson (71). 

Cancer Survivor Stephanie Moore is lacing up her shoes and training for the New York City Marathon

A Charlotte woman who spends most of her free time running ultra-marathons was sidelined after a stage four cancer diagnosis. Now, she's on the road to recovery and hopes to be ready in time to run the New York City Marathon this fall.

Stephanie Moore was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2018 after she felt persistent stomach pain. 

She took some time off for surgery and chemotherapy, but now she's lacing up her sneakers and training for the New York City Marathon. 

During the race, she'll be representing the Colon Cancer Foundation, and says she isn't letting the disease slow her down. 

"Especially when I'm lacking motivation, it's just...not today. I'm not going to let it beat me today," Moore says. "If I can just get out there and do one or two miles, great. I don't set a huge goal for myself other than just get out there. Get your shoes on, get dressed, get out there. And more often than not, once I get out there I feel good." 

As part of running for charity, Moore is raising money for the Colon Cancer Foundation. 

South Pacific Games gold medalist Avikash Lal won the Island Chill Suva Marathon

South Pacific Games gold medalist Avikash Lal won the Island Chill Suva Marathon today in a time of 2:47:35 seconds.

Kennol Narayan was second while Igo Sedor was third.

Victoria Domico was the first female to the finish line in a time of 3:58:57 seconds.

The Team Marathoin Mixed event was won by SMC Runners and while Ba Marathon took out the Male division and Naitasiri DS finished in the female category.

National 7s coach Gareth Baber was also part of the event along with Tavua College golden boy Yeshnil Karan.

Bone broth has anti-inflammatory properties that are great for runners

Bone broth is a stock made up primarily from the bones or connective tissue of an animal or fish. This broth has anti-inflammatory properties that are great for runners. 

You make bone broth by combining bones of your choice with vegetables, usually carrots, onions, garlic and herbs, and cooking for roughly 10 hours. Once cooked, the broth is filled with collagen which is the structural protein found in skin and other connective tissues.

Making bone broth is time consuming, but very cheap. Save the bones from your meat dishes and easily have a nutrient rich broth to add to other dishes or consume on its own. The broth is a staple in many anti-inflammatory diets.

Melissa Piercell, ND, says that health fads come and go, and bone broth may not be quite as incredible as we think. However, the ingredient still has its merits. 

Piercell explains that collagen is the connective tissue that makes up many things, including your joints. Healthy joints are key for runners. “The body has to have some sort of shock-absorbent. To some degree, we will all have osteoarthritis one day. Collagen is lovely for delaying that. You can add more to your diet through supplements, pills, powder or bone broth.”

 Piercell says that while bone broth on its own isn’t a complete protein, turning it into a soup, or adding it to a meal will surely add that final amino acid. 

On top of being good for joint health, Piercell says that bone broth is alkaline, meaning that it can reduce your body’s inflammation levels. “When your body becomes inflamed, it creates a more acidic environment. Alkaline foods, leafy greens or bone broth for example, can help to balance that acidic pH.”

Like most foods, bone broth isn’t a cure-all, but it is a healthy option to consider trying in your diet. 

Kenya drug cheats now to be blocked from all international competitions

The Kenyan government has backed a move by Athletics Kenya (AK) to block all cheats from representing the country in international championships.

Sports cabinet secretary Amina Mohammed said in Nairobi that for the country to reverse the damage doping has on its athletes, they must stop any elite runner banned for doping from competing in international races beyond the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Africa Games.

"We must stop them. Athletes must understand that once they fail doping test, its over for them, even if they serve their suspension from active competition, we will not allow them to leave the country to compete abroad," Mohammed said this week in Nairobi.

Kenya has had six cases of doping in the last seven months, joining over 50 athletes who have been banned since the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games including 2016 Rio Olympics marathon champion Jemima Sumgong, half-marathon world record holder Abraham Kiptum and former Olympic champion and three-time world title winner in 1,500m Asbel Kiprop.

Kenya is in Category A along with eastern African rivals Ethiopia, Belarus and Ukraine, described by the IAAF as "member federations majorly at risk of doping."

Mohammed said the move by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) to have athletes tested more before major athletics championships will also help eradicate the vice.

"Kenya is ranked in category A and athletes must go through stringent measures like three tests out of competition and one in competition prior to international competitions. We must support these measures hence we shall not allow dopers to go and shame this country again," said Mohammed.

Athletics Kenya (AK) president Jack Tuwei said Kenya has enough talent to win clean and no cheat should be allowed to put on the national jersey.

"For four years running, we have been on the watch list of IAAF. Last year that was upgraded because athletes don't want to listen to advice on anti-doping," he said.

Weather forced the Ultra Mount Fuji 102-mile course to be shortened

It happened again! Weather forced the Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji 165k (102-mile) course to be shortened. Looking back at recent years, UTMF missed an entire year, changed its course, had a year with an exceptionally short course, and changed what time of the year the race was held, but still, snow, ice, and low temperatures in the Shakushi Mountain area cut the race off this year.

Runners were held up at the last aid station reached before 3:00 p.m. that afternoon, though the top runners did finish the official distance prior to the cutoffs going into place.

Men Jing Liang (China) was there early, but as the late-race challenge–and the Tenshi Mountains–came on, pre-race favoriteXavier Thévenard (France) was simply too strong. Thévenard won in a convincing 19:36, and then Liang ran into trouble so much that he barely held off third-place Loren Newman (USA). Second- and third-place Liang and Newman finished in 20:39 and 20:40, only 36 seconds apart.

Generally when an American podiums at an Ultra-Trail World Tour race it’s a familiar name. I’ll admit though that Loren Newman’s is a new name.  Looking back before this breakthrough run, he was 17th at the 2015 Western States 100.

Deeper results included Tofol Castanyer (Spain), 12th in 23:18.

Among other Americans, Franz Van Der Groen, Coree Woltering, and Ryan Ghelfi were all stopped short of the finish. Van Der Groen reached 155k in 28:44, Woltering 140k in 28:07, and Ghelfi 127k in 17:32. With the early 17-hour time, though, perhaps Ghelfi stopped for reasons other than the weather cutoff?

The women’s race wasn’t that different from the men’s, what with a clear winner and then a much closer race between second and third. Fuzhao Xiang (China) won in 24:20, and was chased by Lou Clifton (Australia) and Kaori Asahara (Japan) in 25:50 and 25:55.

Everything you need to know about the 2019 Bix 7 men's field

Last year, for the first time ever, a male runner from Ethiopia won the Quad-City Times Bix 7, overcoming the legion of Kenyan runners who always populate the field.

This year it might be time for a break-through from another African nation: Tanzania.

Gabriel Geay, a 22-year-old runner from the country directly to the south of Kenya, must be regarded as one of the favorites to prevail in the annual 7-mile jaunt through the streets of Davenport.

He already has had a phenomenal year on the U.S. road racing scene, winning the Lilac Bloomsday 12k and Bay to Breakers 12k in May and crossing the finish line first in the Utica Boilermaker 15k little more than a week ago. He also had top-five finishes in perhaps the two biggest 10ks around: The Peachtree Road Race and Bolder Boulder.

Geay first came to U.S. as a 19-year-old in 2016 attempting to run Olympic qualifying times for 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters. He narrowly missed in both but decided to stick around and run a few road races, and claimed his first big victory at Peachtree. He came back the following year to win Bolder Boulder and Lilac Bloomsday.

With the withdrawal of three-time Bix 7 champion Silas Kipruto from the field, there now is only one runner entered in the men’s field who has competed in the Davenport race as an elite invitee.

Kenya’s Kenneth Kosgei placed 12th in his only visit here a year ago.

Kipruto was seeking to break the Bix 7 record for most top-five finishes by a men’s runner — he has done it six times — but he informed race officials last week that he would not run because of a lack of fitness.

The Bix 7 men’s championship has been won seven times by a runner named Korir.

John Korir won a record five times (in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004) and Leonard Korir did it twice (2013 and 2015).

This year’s race will include Kenya’s Dominic Korir. Korir (no relation to the previous Bix champs), who may be better suited to the hilly course than almost anyone.

Dominic Korir trains at high altitude in Colorado Springs and in April he won the Horsetooth Half-marathon, a race that begins with a grueling 1.8-mile climb up something called Monster Mountain.

It sounds even more imposing than the Brady Street Hill.

Jarius Birech will be among the most experienced Kenyans in this year’s Bix 7 field.

He’s just not that experienced in races in which he isn’t required to leap over hurdles and bound across small pools of water. Birech, 26, was the top 3,000-meter steeplechase runner in the world in 2014, winning the African championships and taking the silver medal in the Commonwealth Games that year. He twice has run the steeplechase under eight minutes, a feat that’s only been accomplished 38 times in history.

But he just now is starting to become more involved in events other than the steeplechase.

He has shown promise, however. Birech won a major cross country race in Italy earlier this year and also won the Crescent City Classic 10k on a very flat course in New Orleans.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen who set the Norwegian national 5,000m record of 13:02.03 says he plans to double at the World Championships in Doha

Jakob has proved before that he’s capable of doubling at a championship, as we saw last August, when he won both the 1,500m and 5,000m at the European Championships, becoming the youngest runner ever to do so.

The timing of the events works out well, as the 5,000m heats run on the first day of competition, with the subsequent heats and finals being spaced out by several days. Ingebrigtsen has faced the biggest names in track and field this season and fared extremely well.

This double at Worlds will be another good test for the young runner.

This year’s World Championship will be Ingebrigtsen’s first time facing the new kind of pressure that comes with a World Championship.

The U20 world record in the 5,000m is a shocking 12:43, and likely out of Ingebrigtsen’s grasp at this point. But the U20 1,500m world record of 3:28.81 is only two seconds faster than his current personal best, and something that could be his, in the right race.

The 18-year-old already holds the U20 indoor 1,500m record.

Toronto investor and philanthropist Miles Nadal purchased Nike’s historic 1972 ‘Moon Shoe’ at a public Sotheby’s auction for $437,500US

Sneaker history has been made.

The rarest pair of Nike running shoes in existence, not to mention one of “the most significant artifacts” in the history of the multi-billion-dollar brand has just been sold.

Toronto investor and philanthropist Miles Nadal purchased the Nike’s historic 1972 ‘Moon Shoe’ at a public Sotheby’s auction this week. 

The sale of the Moon Shoe set a world record for the most expensive sneakers ever sold at an auction, shattering the previous world auction record set in 2017 when a pair of signed Converse that Michael Jordan wore in the 1984 Olympic basketball final sold for USD $190,373, according to reports.

The Moon Shoe was one of the first pairs of sneakers designed by Nike co-founder and track coach Bill Bowerman for runners during the 1972 Olympic trials, according to Sotheby’s.

Bowerman was inspired to create the waffle sole traction pattern for the running shoes by experimenting with his wife’s waffle iron, pouring rubber into the mould to create the first prototype of the sole, Sotheby’s said.

According to the New York auction giant, this is one of only a handful of pairs is known to exist, making this a remarkable investment for Nadal.

According to Sotheby’s, the Moon Shoe got its name from the resemblance between the impression that the waffle pattern left in dirt and the famous tracks left on the moon by astronauts in 1969.

Each pair of runners was hand-cobbled by one of Nike’s first employees, Geoff Hollister, and due to the handmade quality, each pair is irregular and one of a kind.

Only about 12 pairs of the Moon Shoes were created, according to Sotheby’s, and less than that still remain today. This pair sold is the only pair known to exist in unworn, deadstock condition.

Earlier this month, Nadal purchased 99 other pairs of rare sneakers from Sotheby’s in a private sale for USD $850,000 as part of his “newfound passion for sneakers.”

Jake Robertson’s wife Magdalyne Masai wants to be in the top three at Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Magdalyne Masai’s performance at the Hamburg Marathon on 28 April earned her praise from around the world given that she had run a personal best of 2:26:04 and finished second in the highly competitive race.

Moreover, it earned her an invitation to this year’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on 20 October.

She will arrive in Canada’s largest city privy to useful knowledge of the city and the race as her husband, Jake Robertson of New Zealand, finished fifth here a year ago.

“I want to get a personal best and finish in the top three,” she said, speaking during a video call from her home in Iten, Kenya. “That is my aim. I want to be in top three. I think 2:23 or 2:22 is within reach.”

That would challenge the ‘family record’ held by her elder sister, Linet Masai, who ran 2:23:46 In her debut last year in Amsterdam.

‘Magz’, as she is affectionately known, comes from a family of runners. Linet was the 2009 world 10,000m champion while the eldest of the 10 Masai kids, Moses Masai, was the 10,000m bronze medalist at those same championships in Berlin. Another brother, Dennis Masai, won the 2010 World Junior Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick. A younger brother, Alex Masai, is currently running for Hofstra University in New York State.

It’s not difficult to see where her influences came from as she grew up in the Rift Valley of western Kenya where the altitude is roughly 2,500m above sea level.

“We moved a lot,” she says of her upbringing. “I was born in Mt. Elgon forest. After some point we moved to Kapsogom. Currently my parents are in Trans Nzoia district.

“I met Jake in Iten because my sister Linet was staying in Iten. I had come to start training in Iten as well and was staying with her.”

Robertson and his twin brother, Zane, had arrived in Kenya as teenagers fresh out of high school. Their intention was to live and train like the Kenyan runners they admired. He and Magdalyne fell in love and, after a six-year relationship, he famously proposed at the finish line of the 2017 Great North Run. Moments before, he had finished second to Olympic champion Mo Farah and Magdalyne finished fourth in the elite women’s race.

“So far in my training not only am I looking at time but also how I am feeling,” she explains. “Mostly I judge myself when we do long intervals on the roads. We run 4km at about 3:30 (per kilometre) pace. Then for one kilometre easier at 4:00 pace. We do that five times. If I finish that feeling like I can continue that’s when I know I am feeling good and ready to go." 

Magdalyne Masai may not have the fastest time among the elite women who will toe the line on 20 October, but she certainly will be prepared to run with the leaders. And nobody could be prouder than Jake Robertson if she achieves her goal of a top three finish.

Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya and Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba are ready to compete at the Bogota Half Marathon

The favorite in the Bogota Half Marathon women’s race is Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya, who started the year with a win in the Dubai Marathon, setting a course record with the No. 3 performance of all-time, 2:17:08. And just three months before that she shattered the course record at the Istanbul Marathon with a 2:18:35 performance.

Those performances elevated the Kenyan to No.1 in the IAAF’s world rankings in the marathon. Also an accomplished half marathoner, Chepngetich won the Istanbul Half Marathon this April in another course record, 1:05:30, making her the 11th fastest woman of all-time to rank her No.3 currently over that distance.

The main challenge to Chepngetich is likely to come from Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba, the marathon bronze medalist at the Rio Olympic Games and world champion over the distance in 2015. Also expected to feature at the front of the race are 2:21:37 marathoner Visiline Jepkesho of Kenya, recently announced as a member of the Kenyan squad for the Worlds Championships (along with Chepngetich), and Helalia Johannes of Namibia, who is undefeated in six major international competitions, all of which have seen her lower her own national records at 10km, the half marathon and full marathon distances.

Unlike the women’s race, the men’s competition doesn’t have one overwhelming favorite, and instead should see a tight battle between several evenly-matched competitors. The Ethiopian delegation is led by 20-year-old Betesfa Getahun of Ethiopia, the defending men’s champion, who last year became the youngest champion in the race history.

Next to him will be Feyisa Lilesa, the silver medalist at the Rio Olympic Games marathon and a former winner of this race and Tamirat Tola, a silver medalist in the 2017 World Championships marathon and a bronze medalist in the 10,000m in Rio.

The Kenyan challenge to this Ethiopian trio will be led by Lawrence Cherono, a 2:04:06 marathoner and the No. 5 athlete in the world presently at that distance. He is joined by two strong half marathon specialists, Wilfred Kimitei (59:40) and John Lotiang (1:00:09).

And rounding out the likely lead pack are Eritrean Samuel Tsegay, a past silver medalist at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, and Ugandan Abdallah Mande with a 1:00:14 lifetime best whose strong current form was illustrated by a 27:22 10,000m run just eight days ago.

Geoffrey Kamworor said that he is aiming to win gold at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar in October

After winning the 10,000m title at the Kenya Police Championships, Kamworor disclosed that he was eager to make it to make the cut for the national team for the World Championship.

"I have only one mission, to clinch my first ever gold at the World Championships. I have been longing for a gold medal in the track competition and when I won silver at the Beijing worlds in 2015, I thought I would step up to gold in London in 2017.

"However, it was never to be and Kenya still searches to break Ethiopia and Mo Farah's strong grip in the race. I am still motivated to go a step further and win gold," said Kamworor.

Kamworor, the two-time World Half Marathon champion, won in 27:50:65, followed by Josephat Bett 28:40:58, Joseph Kitum 28:40:74 and Mathew Kisorio 28:44:63.

Then he relinquished his title at this year's World Cross Country championships in Denmark. Kamworor went on to win the 10-mile Grand Prix race in Bern, Switzerland in May clocking 44:57, but has resumed training with the track competition in focus.

"Winning a bronze at the World Cross was a disappointment but I did my best. The event gave me good endurance for the season and I hope to reap maximum going to the World Championships. Today, I was gauging my strength to see whether I can return to track for the World Championships," said Kamworor.

Kamworor hinted that he will only compete at the Copenhagen Half Marathon in September in Denmark if he fails to make the team to World Championships.

Veteran runner Joe Ryan will run his 47th Tely 10, he won this race in 1969

““On Sunday, I will run my 47th Tely 10 — and 44th consecutive race — joining thousands of other runners and walkers in the morning as we journey eastwards from Octagon Pond in Paradise to Bannerman Park in the heart of St. John’s,” says Joe Ryan.

“I have witnessed many changes in the classic road race, the most obvious being the tremendous increase in the number of participants in recent years.

“On a recent Sunday morning, as I led a training run for a group of Tely participants over the Topsail Road course, a passing comment from one of the runners got me thinking back to my first Tely 10 so many years ago.

“The year was 1969, the date Oct. 12, much later than our now standard fourth Sunday in July. And instead of lining up in starting corrals on McNamara Road, as we will do for this year’s race, all seven or eight of us toed the starting line on King George V Track near Memorial Stadium.

“Yes, that’s right. The Telegram 10-Mile Road Race was held on an oval track — for the second consecutive year.”

At the age of 20, Joe Ryan won the 1969 Tely 10. Since then, he has run 46 Telegram 10-Mile Road Races, 21 of them under 60 minutes, with a personal best of 51:33

In addition to running the race, Ryan chaired the Tely 10 organizing committee for 10 years, from 1997-07, and authored a book, “The Tely 10 — A History of Newfoundland’s Premier Road Race” in 2002.

A provincial track and field Hall of Famer, Joe Ryan is a noted marathoner, having run 70 marathons to date, including Boston (12 times), New York (twice), Ottawa (five times), Honolulu (twice), Dublin (three times) and Athens, Prague, Reykjavik, Edinburgh, Bermuda, Paris, Vienna, Rotterdam and Toronto.

He is a retired teacher, and is now teaching and coaching runners.

Mumbai Marathon registrations for the 2020 marathon will open on July 26 and close on November 29

The Mumbai Marathon, in its 17th year, is scheduled to be held on January 19, 2020, the race organisers announced on Wednesday.

Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao signed up as the first participant for the marathon, which was first held in 2004 and since then has been an annual affair in the megacity.

Maharashtra ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar and Ashish Shelar were present on the occasion at the Raj Bhawan.

The registrations for the full marathon would open on July 26 and close on November 29, while registrations for the half marathon are to begin on August 1 and conclude on August 30, according to race organisers Procam International.

Rao, while making a mention of sprinter Hima Das who recently clinched five gold medals in various international meets, said that since coming to Maharashtra he has attended all editions of the Mumbai Marathon.

“The journey of Mumbai Marathon for the past 16 years has been truly spectacular. First and foremost, Mumbai Marathon has created health and fitness consciousness among the people. The Tata Mumbai Marathon has importantly created a level playing field for all,” the governor said.

Shelar, on his part, said that people can see from the marathon that Mumbai actually runs, in reference to the popular saying that Mumbaikars are always on their toes.

Shelar, who recently took charge as the sports minister, assured that there will be more participants for the coming marathon.

The organisers are aiming to get 50,000 participants for the race.

Three-time Bix 7 men’s champion Silas Kipruto is coming back to the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in hopes of making a little more history

The three-time Bix 7 men’s champion will be joined in the 45th annual race through the streets of Davenport by a deep women’s field that includes two former champions, the second fastest female runner in the race’s history and a world record-holder in two events.

Kipruto already is among the most successful runners in the history of the race, which is scheduled this year for July 27. The 34-year-old native of Kenya not only won the Bix 7 in 2011, 2012 and 2016, but he has finished in the top five on three other occasions.

His half dozen top-five finishes equal the most ever by a male runner in the race, tying Meb Keflezighi, Bill Rodgers, John Korir and Lazarus Nyakeraka.

Kipruto is one of 17 African runners in the preliminary men’s elite field assembled by elite athlete coordinator John Tope — 13 from Kenya and two each from Eritrea and Tanzania.

Besides Kipruto, male runners to watch include Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay, who won both the Lilac Bloomsday 12k and the Bay to Breakers 12k in May; Kenya’s Edwin Mokua, a top-three finisher at both Bloomsday and Bay to Breakers; Kenya’s Leonard Barsoton, who was first in the African Cross Country championships in 2014 and second in the African Games 10,000 meters in 2015; and Emmanuel Kiprono, Kenya’s 10,000-meter champ in 2013.

The opening ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games is just one year away

The last time that Tokyo hosted the Olympic Games is now 55 years ago, but the next time is just 365 days away as the Japanese capital commemorates one year to go to the 2020 Games opening ceremony.

When the Games came to Tokyo in 1964, 82 countries competed in athletics, no man had broken 10 seconds for 100m, the high jump was won with the straddle (men) and scissors (women) techniques and the longest women’s event was 800m. Abebe Bikila became the first man to win two Olympic marathon gold medals, Al Oerter won the third of his four consecutive discus gold medals and Betty Cuthbert won the first Olympic women’s 400m title to add to her 100m and 200m titles in 1956, completing a still unique sprint treble.

More than half a century later, athletics has changed and so has Tokyo but the Japanese city is preparing once again to welcome the world’s best athletes.

In the heart of Tokyo, the reimagined 1964 Olympic stadium, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is almost complete.

Swathed in greenery and featuring wooden lattice screens reminiscent of traditional Japanese temple design, the three-tiered stadium will become the stage for the world’s finest athletes to perform at their very best.

Like almost every aspect of the preparation for the 2020 Olympic Games, it will feature the characteristics of both tradition and regeneration. The Games venues are divided into two main zones in the Japanese capital: the Heritage zone (where athletics will take centre stage) and the Tokyo Bay zone, which represents modern Japan and will host the athletes’ village, the Main Press Centre and International Broadcast Centre, and an urban sports venue.

The Japanese intend to break with tradition in one respect, by placing the Olympic cauldron, not at the main stadium, but on the waterfront at the Yume-no-Ohashi Bridge, near the urban sports cluster.

A second temporary cauldron will be in place at the stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies.

The 1964 Olympic stadium which originally stood on this site and which borders the wooded gardens of Tokyo’s spiritual home, the Meiji Shrine, has been gutted and rebuilt as a modern, sustainable 60,000-seat stadium.

Fans and misting systems have been installed to cool the covered stadium by as much as 10C from  the outside temperature, the last seats are going in, the Mondo track is about to be laid and the Japan Sport Council is planning a grand opening with a full house on December 21 this year.

The stadium test event will be held on 5-6 May next year to ensure that the venue and officials are ready to welcome athletes from more than 200 countries.

By the time of the Games, the stadium will be a vertical garden, with plants fringing the covered walkways that encircle the building.

That will be the view of the stadium that the marathon runners will have as they approach at the end of 42 gruelling kilometres that will take them through both historic and modern Tokyo.

The marathon route starts and finishes at the stadium, passing the landmarks of Kaminarimon (the Thunder Gate, which is guarded by the deities of wind and thunder), the Imperial Palace, home of Japan’s new emperor Naruhito, Tokyo Station, the Zojoji temple, Tokyo Tower and the Nihombashi bridge.

Canadian record holder Rachel Cliff switches from marathon back to the track

Rachel Cliff has had an amazing 2019. The 31-year-old set a Canadian record in the marathon in March, running a 2:26:56 in her second-ever 42.2K.

She followed that race up with a very impressive track season, just missing out on the 10,000m world championship standard at Payton Jordan but hitting the 5,000m standard on Saturday at Heusden.

Cliff has always said that she wanted to have a proper track season this summer, and she’s making it happen. But it hasn’t been easy: “Changing from the track to the marathon, I did notice a difference in my strength and my speed,” she says. “The marathon gives you real confidence in your strength, but your speed can suffer. It’s been a lot tougher than it used to be to go fast. I can’t go out too hard any more, but I am very confident in my ability to hold a pace.”

The Canadian record-holder also says that while the marathon training has made speed a little more difficult, it has helped with her patience.

Cliff turned down the spot she was offered on the World Championship team earlier this year to compete over the marathon distance, hoping to be able to make the team on the track.

“The marathon is a big build and it would’ve meant that I couldn’t have the summer season on the track. It was kind of sad to say no to a world team, but it was the right decision for me.”

She continues, “I was really hoping to qualify in the 10K [for worlds], but those fast races are tough to come across.” Cliff was just shy of standard in the 10,000m but achieved standard just last week over 5,000m. She says if given the opportunity to run at worlds over the shorter distance, she would love to run. “In the short term I’m focusing on Pam Ams, but then we’ll see how nationals goes–if I end up making the worlds team or not.”

The Canadian women’s 5,000m is extremely competitive right now. Andrea Seccafien has been so consistent around 15:11 and looks like she’s ready for a big breakthrough, and Jess O’Connell is a very strong championship racer who always finds herself in the mix. Throw in Cliff, fresh off a great race in Europe, and you’ve got a very competitive field.

Cliff has traveled a ton this year. She ran her Canadian record in Japan and has also been to California and Europe for track races. She said flying is a real phobia of hers, but she’s getting better at unwinding. “My advice for pre-race travel is to try not to stress about the little things, for example, food.

Food is something that can really stress out an athlete, but long as you don’t have anything too extreme, you can really eat anything. For me I find that tofu and rice are two things you can get about anywhere in the world, so I’ve gotten used to eating those two foods.”

She says she takes the same approach with sleep. “Sleep when you can, and try and sleep enough, even if it’s at strange times. The only thing that matters is that you’re not sleep deprived.”

For this weekend’s championship, Cliff is really excited to watch the women’s 1,500m and 800m. “It’s been awesome watching Melissa [Bishop-Nriagu] come back from having a baby and also exciting to see the new crop of 800m runners come up. Lindsey Butterworth is running so well–that’s a race I’m really excited to watch.”

As for her own championship goals, she’s happy with where she’s at and excited to compete against a strong group of Canadian women. “Running the [world] standard in a track event after the marathon is something I’m very happy about. I’m so glad I can come back to the track after the marathon and still find my speed.”

Mo Farah wants to become the first runner to win six consecutive Simplyhealth Great North Run titles

The 10-time global gold medallist will return to the Great Noeth half-marathon in September.

Like last year, the 10-time global gold medallist will again use the event as part of his preparations for the Chicago Marathon, where he will defend his title on October 13.

At the 2018 edition of the Great North Run, Farah clocked 59:26 before breaking the European marathon record with his winning time of 2:05:11 in Chicago.

“I’m going to be giving it my best shot,” said Farah, on targeting a sixth victory. “Winning it once was special enough, to win it for the sixth time would be unbelievable.

“It was a massive part of my preparations for Chicago last year and it will be as important this year.

“The Simplyhealth Great North Run is one of my favourite races, it’s something that I always look forward to and I can’t wait to be back on that start line in Newcastle in September.”

Farah has a winning record dating back to 2014 on the famous 13.1-mile course between Newcastle and South Shields.

Only Farah and Tanni Grey-Thompson have won five consecutive Great North Run races in the event’s 39-year history, with Grey-Thompson’s last victory in the wheelchair event claimed 20 years ago.

The design of the medals for Tokyo 2020 has been unveiled

With one year to go until the opening of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the design of the medals has been unveiled.

The medals not only represent the greatest honor for the athletes who win them, but also an opportunity for Japan to showcase its culture and charm to the rest of the world.

To produce these valuable medals, Tokyo 2020 invited Japanese citizens to send in any small electronic devices, such as used mobile phones, to be recycled and used in the manufacture of the approximately 5000 medals.

Tokyo 2020 also launched a medal design competition, inviting the public to submit design ideas for the medals. From the procurement of the metals to the development of the medal design, the entire country of Japan was involved in the production of the medals for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

The medals resemble rough stones that have been polished and which now shine, reflecting the concept that in order to achieve glory, athletes have to strive for victory on a daily basis. The way the medals reflect patterns of light symbolises the energy of the athletes and those who support them.

“An Olympic medal is one of the most coveted items in existence,” says two-time Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton. “People spend decades, often agonising ones, working to obtain one. The life stories of so many are defined by the pursuit of these metal medallions, and those same stories are what inspire and bring millions of us together.

“The weight of a medal around your neck is always a good weight. And when an athlete at Tokyo wins a medal, the weight of it will not be from the gold, silver or bronze; it will be the weight of a nation. The awesomeness of this project makes me want to come out of retirement and compete for one.

“I have always been a fan of people who do things differently; of those who try to move the needle in a positive way. I am a fan of Tokyo 2020.”

Ethiopia´s Almaz Ayana hopes to be successful in Doha on September 28

The ability to overcome challenges appears to be part of Almaz Ayana’s DNA.

By working hard to climb to the summit of global distance running, despite hailing from a modest rural background, to triumphing in the 10,000m on her season’s debut at the IAAF World Championships London 2017, no challenge appears beyond the capability of the world and Olympic 10,000m champion.

Yet the latest task to return to full fitness after undergoing surgery on both knees is, arguably, Ayana’s greatest obstacle to date as she builds up for what she hope will be a successful defence of her world 10,000m title in Doha on 28 September.

Born the seventh youngest of nine siblings in western Ethiopia, Ayana first engaged in running when registering for a school race at about the age of 13 or 14.

Having no clue as to how she would perform, she recalled finishing “second or third” over 1500m but faced a significant obstacle to her progress.

“When I started racing there was a girl at my school who always finished number one,” explains the quietly-spoken and unfailingly polite Ayana. “I was afraid of that girl but somebody told me that I have to beat her. I listened to that person, beat that girl and later joined a project (a training group for beginners) in my local area.”

Encouraged by how hard work could reap rewards, she moved to Addis Ababa and joined the Defence Force Club. A coach there advised her to try the steeplechase and she quickly advanced to the international level. In 2010 she placed fifth in the steeplechase at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Moncton, Canada and later that year shattered the world U20 record with a stunning 9:22.51 for third in Brussels.

African and Continental Cup 5000m victories followed in 2014 but it was the 2015 campaign when Ayana emerged as a world-class star. In Shanghai she ran a blistering 14:14.32 performance to climb to third on the world all-times list – behind Dibaba and Defar – with the kind of fearless front-running performance which has become her signature.

Then at the World Championships in Beijing later that year, a blistering final 3000m of 8:19 enabled Ayana to quell the considerable threat of compatriot Genzebe Dibaba to bank 5000m gold inside the crucible of the Bird’s Nest Stadium.

In 2016 the Ethiopian then entered another realm by obliterating the 23-year-old world 10,000m record by more than 14 seconds with a jaw-dropping time of 29:17.45 to claim the Olympic title in Rio.

Rwandan runner Felicien Muhitira defended his French Marvejols-Mende half marathon title for a third consecutive time clocking 1:13:14

Rwanda international long distance and cross country runner Felicien Muhitira defended the French race Marvejols-Mende half marathon for a third consecutive time.

The Mountain Classic Athletics runner Muhitira, clocked the fastest time of one hour thirteen minutes and fourteen seconds ahead of Ugandan Ezekiel Chepkorom and Kenyan Bett Bernard in second and third position respectively.

Muhitira the Mountain Classic Athletics club athlete put on an impressive run to defend the title at the 47th edition of the annual event over the weekend in the men’s category, which he had won twice since last year.

The 22.4-kilometer race was contested by over 2,000 athletes from around the world.

It did not go well for the other Rwanda long-distance runner Gervais Hakizimana who finished far in the 18th position with a time of one hour twenty minutes and fifty-five seconds.

From France, the athlete will be heading to Japan where he will link up with other Rwandan for the preparations for Africa scheduled in Morocco.

Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has confirmed that she will be doing the sprint double at the IAAF World Championships of Athletics in Doha from September 28 to October 6

Shelly-Ann  be running the 200m at the 2019 Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru that starts this weekend.

The 32-year-old, seven-time world champion, was speaking with the British media after she destroyed a talented field of women in London on Sunday to clock her 14th time under 10.8s, the only woman to accomplish the feat.

She blazed to 10.78 to defeat Dina-Asher Smith, who ran a season-best 10.91 and Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast who was third in 10.96s. In was Fraser-Pryce’s third time under 10.8s this season having run a world-leading 10.73 at Jamaica’s national championships on June 21 and then 10.74 in Lausanne on July 5.

However, come the Pan Am Championships in Peru, she will turn her attention to the half-lap sprint.

“Right now I am just focused on the Pan Am Championships. I think I am running the 200s there so I am looking forward to that. I haven’t run a 200 in the longest time, the last time was at my national championships, so I am looking forward to getting because I am doubling at the World Championships,” said Fraser-Pryce who won the 200m as part of a three-gold medal outing at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.

Back then, she became the first woman in history to win gold medals in the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay since the World Championships began 36 years ago.

USA Olympic Trials Marathon has achieved the IAAF Gold Label Status

USA Track & Field (USATF) announced today that the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon, scheduled for February 29, in Atlanta, has been granted IAAF Gold Label status. That's a critical development because it means that the top-5 male and female finishers will automatically achieve 2020 Olympic Games qualifying marks, regardless of their finish times. As part of the Tokyo Olympic Games qualifying program unveiled by the International Association of Athletics Federations earlier this year, top-5 finishers at Gold Label marathons are given automatic Olympic Games qualifiers. As such, the six-athlete USA Olympic team in the marathon can be named with certainty on the day of the Trials with the top-3 male and female finishers nominated for the team.

In a press release, USATF said that "the announcement of the Tokyo 2020 Qualification System in March presented challenges to USATF and its partners as planning for marathon trials had begun well before the changes to the qualification system were announced." Those partners include the not-for-profit Atlanta Track Club, which will host the Trials, as well as NBC the network which will broadcast them. The Trials would be devalued for both of these parties if the team could not be named that day.

Right now only a handful of USA athletes have achieved the Olympic Games qualifying standards (2:11:30 for men and 2:29:30 for women since January 1, 2019). On the men's side, there are only two, Scott Fauble and Jared Ward who ran 2:09:09 and 2:09:25, respectively, at last April's Boston Marathon (they also finished in the top-10, which also confers qualifying status at any Abbott World Marathon Majors event). On the women's side there are nine: Emily Sisson (2:23:08), Jordan Hasay (2:25:20), Kellyn Taylor (2:26:27), Molly Huddle (2:26:33), Aliphine Tuliamuk (2:26:50), Des Linden (2:27:00), Nell Rojas (2:28:06), Roberta Groner (2:29:09), and Lindsay Flanagan (2:30:07/9th place at Boston). Those athletes lose the relative advantage of having a qualifying mark in advance of the race.

But, for most of the 181 men and 340 women who have qualified, according to a tally done by MarathonGuide.com, this announcement will be good news. Athletes can now approach the trials in the traditional way, with their focus only finish place and not on time. That's particularly important considering the difficulty of the Atlanta course which has a number of challenging hills.

"Hilly is an understatement," said Brogan Austin who won the men's division of an 8-mile test event held on part of the course last March. "I definitely have a new respect for this marathon. I only ran eight miles. I can't imagine doing four times that distance."

Amy Cragg, the winner of the 2016 Trials in Los Angeles, agreed. "It's going to be really, really tough," she told Race Results Weekly after winning the women's division of the test event last March. "We're going to send a good women's team, a really good women's team (to Tokyo). If you can get through this course, you're going to be ready."

Ethiopian quartet have set their sights on breaking the recent Kenyan dominance at the BMW Berlin-Marathon

Guye Adola, who finished second in an unofficial world record debut two years ago in Berlin, as well as Leul Gebrselassie, Sisay Lemma and Birhanu Legese all possess the potential to win the BMWBerlin-Marathon.

Gebrselassie, Lemma and Legese have each triumphed over the marathon distance in the past ten months, running top-class times and all have personal bests in the region of 2:04.

“We expect a men’s race with top performances. There’s not much likelihood of a world record attempt but the times are likely to be very fast. In addition, the battle for victory could be a thrilling one that may well last until the final few kilometres,” said the race director Mark Milde, who is still recruiting more top performers.

In the past ten years Ethiopian runners have only won the men’s title in Berlin on two occasions. Haile Gebrselassie won in 2009 and Kenenisa Bekele in 2016. Otherwise Kenyans have dominated, breaking the world record four times. The most recent occasion was last year when Eliud Kipchoge ran a sensational 2:01:39 but he will not be running this year.

Birhanu Legese is the one runner among the Ethiopian quartet who has won an Abbott World Marathon Majors race this year. The 24-year-old took the title in Tokyo in March with 2:04:48 in only the third marathon of his career. In 2018 he made a spectacular debut with 2:04:15 in Dubai which put him straightaway among the marathon world-class. Even so, his time was only good enough for sixth in an extraordinarily fast race. Legese has already won one big race in Berlin, emerging as the surprise winner of the city’s Half Marathon with 59:45 in 2015.

Two more of the quartet for Berlin on September 29 were in action in Dubai 2018 and ran their personal bests there: Leul Gebrselassie and Sisay Lemma. Gebrselassie is not related to the former marathon world record holder and multiple Berlin winner Haile, but has strong credentials of his own, finishing runner-up in 2:04:02 in the race in the United Arab Emirates 18 months ago. In December the 25-year-old confirmed his ability in setting a course record of 2:04:31 to win the Valencia Marathon. In April this year he finished eighth in London’s traditionally highly competitive field.

Sisay Lemma improved his best by a big margin to 2:04:08 to finish fifth in Dubai in 2018. At the end of last October the 28-year-old produced another fine performance to break the course record in Ljubljana with 2:04:58. Three years ago he was fourth in the BMW Berlin-Marathon with 2:06:56. He marked 2015 with victories in Vienna and Frankfurt marathons.

Guye Adola has every reason to have fond memories of Berlin on his return to the race. Two years ago the 28-year-old ran an unofficial world record debut to finish second in 2:03:46 – official world records for marathon debuts are not given. He even managed to put a superstar such as Eliud Kipchoge under pressure, leading until just before 40k from the Kenyan. Since that debut the Half Marathon World Championship bronze medallist in 2014 has struggled with injuries but Adola intends to put all that behind him at the BMW Berlin-Marathon this year.

Taking care of your feet is one of the most important things a runner can do

Here are some preventative measures you can take to prevent swelling in your feet as you rack up the miles.

Finding the correct form for your body while running is very important for keeping your run as low impact as possible. There is much debate about what type of strike on the ground is best for your foot and body when you run, but a lot of the conversation has resided on the agreement that it depends on your gait and body type what will work best for you.

If you are a beginner start out with an easy pace until your body becomes more used to the regular motion can help you to control the impact of your run on your body. Practicing different form techniques to see what feels best for your feet and body can help you learn what foot strike causes the least amount of discomfort for you during and after your run.

Wearing proper shoes is very important.  Make sure they fit your foot correctly. There are many types of running shoes out there that are suitable for varying needs. Going to a running shoe store and having a representative assess your gait and foot strike as you run can help to determine what the best shoe for you.

Finding footwear that is breathable and allows for your feet to remain cool as you run can help prevent foot swelling as well. 

Staying hydrated is without question one of the most important things you can do for all of your bodily functions. Our bodies are mostly made of water, and dehydration can occur easily when we’re spending our days sweating it out on a run. The average person needs anywhere from 2 to 2.5 liters of water daily, and if you’re an avid runner, chances are you need more.

Maintaining a balanced diet is essential to healthy living. As a runner, your food is your fuel, and keeping your energy up is important. If you are exhausted, so is your body, and so are your feet. Eating food that is low in sodium can help you to reduce swelling and bloating in your body overall. This includes your feet, which are the furthest point from your heart and need good circulation to stay happy and healthy.

Sodium rich foods are usually processed, and the salt is sneakily hidden amongst the ingredients in the nutrition facts section. Staying away from processed food will help keep your sodium intake low. Try snacking on nuts, fruits, and vegetables instead of grabbing a bag of chips and you’ll notice a difference in how your feet respond to your run.

Your feet have muscles groups like the rest of your body, and they must be properly strengthened to prevent injury and swelling. Using resistance bands or doing toe raises can strengthen weak feet, making them more resistant to the impact of your foot strike when running. Strengthening your feet will also help you improve your gait.

Rest is also important. Marathon running is something a lot of runners enjoy, some like to jog only, or participate in trail running through parks and mountainous areas. No matter where it is you like to run, making sure to take the time to rest your body can help prevent swelling and other complications from running.

Massaging your feet or foot soaks with Epsom salts are excellent ways to care for your feet. Taking the time to raise your legs after you run for 15 to 20 minutes can help improve circulation after a run, helping to prevent or reduce any swelling that might set in after a day of pounding the pavement.

Dathan Ritzenhein won the 2019 Humana Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon

Nearly 13,000 registered runners from age 12 to 81 took to the streets of the Windy City this weekend to participate in the 11th running of the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon.

With a renewed focus on the core pillars of great music in a community environment, runners of all athletic levels enjoyed the sights and sounds of Chicago.

The best-in-class running event kicked off on Sunday morning. The half marathon and 10K hosted runners from all 50 states and 38 countries taking off on a tour of Chicago. Both courses started in Grant Park taking runners on a scenic tour of downtown Chicago with epic views of the Chicago skyline, Lake Michigan, Chicago River and more. 

In the half marathon, Dathan Ritzenhein (Grand Rapids, Michigan) won the race with his first-place effort clocking a time of 1:04:27.

Colin Mickow (Naperville, Illinois) was second with a time of 1:05:22. Noah Corbett (Columbus, Ohio) followed in third place finishing in 1:11:03.

Kaylee Flanagan (Louisville, Illinois) was the women’s champion with a final time of 1:18:14 with Elizabeth Northern (Fort Worth, Texas) with a time of 1:21:44 and Kelley Gallagher (Buffalo Grove, Illinois) rounded out the podium in 1:24:02. In the 10K, Ryan Duffy (Chicago, Illinois) won the race with his first-place effort time of 37:11, Lucas Creek (Mapleton, Illinois) finished second at 37:19 and Scott Kandelman (Chicago, Illinois) finished third at 38:05.

Margarita Masias Guineo (Temuco, Chile) finished first for the females at 39:20, Marissa Lovell (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) at 42:25 and Allison Lampert (Indianapolis, Indiana) finished with a time of 42:33. Due to the continued excessive heat warnings which had been issued in the Chicago area over the past week and athlete safety being paramount, race officials made the decision to cancel Saturday’s 5K race which was a part of the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon event weekend.

Eight life lessons from one of America's best marathoners - Shalane Flanagan on How to Achieve Peak Performance

In 2017, on November 5, I watched the end of the New York City Marathon on television. I got chills as Shalane Flanagan crossed the finish line, becoming the first American woman to win the race in 40 years. I could only imagine the years of dedication, passion, and resolve behind that extraordinary moment.

(Editor Note - Shalane almost did not run the 2018 New York City Marathon because of pain in her patella tendons.  But she was glad she did run placing third.  Since then she has had surgery and her recovery is coming along well.  Brad spoke with Shalane in 2018 and her advice then is still very timely.)

Trust Your Training

“In the 24 hours prior to the New York race, I had a general calmness about me. I was equipped with fitness and a level of training I’d never achieved before. I didn’t feel worried because I knew deep down inside how prepared I was. I’ve always tried to get so fit that I can’t make a bad decision in my racing because my fitness literally won’t allow me to—it will just carry me. I guess what I’m saying is that the more confident you are in your training, the less nervous you’ll be on race day.”

Motivation Is Contagious

“My job is enhanced 100 percent if I’m surrounded by other like-minded athletes who are going to challenge me and hold me accountable to my goals. My teammates inspire me, and I thrive off their energy. I can literally look to my right and left and say to myself, ‘This woman is such a badass.’ I don’t think I’d still be running if not for my training partners. These women support me through both highs and lows.”

Age Is Only a Number

“Even though I’m 36, I decided to come back after New York because I finally felt the accumulation of all the work I’d put in over the past two-plus decades paying off. It’s like I was finally getting to the good stuff, coming around to the type of endurance runner I’d always wanted to be. I feel like I have more to give, and I’m excited by that. I’m in a major competition with myself. I want to explore my limits, to see what I’m fully capable of—and I think I still have a few special performances in me.”

Drive from Within

“When I was a kid, running gave me something to be good at, to build confidence and fit in. I liked the attention that came along with it. However, that’s not at all why I run now. I feel confident in who I am, and I run because I love it and want to pursue self-mastery.”

Skip the Diet

“People think eating healthy is bland and boring, but I want to crush that notion. You can eat exceptionally well, and it can be awesome and enhance your life. There is lots of disordered eating with young women. I want to show that, yes, you should try to eat very healthy, but you also need fat and you should derive enjoyment from great-tasting food. I’m not about diets or counting calories or measuring nutrients. That’s too obsessive.”

Don’t Overcomplicate Recovery

“Recovery, to me, means sleeping and eating well. If I’m not feeling recovered, I’ll sleep and eat more, and that usually does the trick. Maybe I’ll get a massage, but that’s it. I don’t use any fancy gadgets or anything like that.”

Go All In

“I like to go all in on one extreme for a period of time and then shift to another extreme. For me, this means going all in on running, and then taking a vacation where I go all in on things like family and other pursuits. It’s too hard—physically and mentally—to try to do everything at once.”

Have an Outlet

“Though I just said I like to go all in, I do think it’s important for all serious athletes to have a nonathletic outlet, too. For me, that’s cooking, which is like my therapy. It calms and relaxes me. I was an art major in school, so perhaps cooking is how I express that.”

Australian Sinead Diver says Never let others decide your fate

I was very sporty as a kid, but never dreamed I’d run at an Olympics for Australia. For a start, I’m Irish, and when I first came here it was on a one-year working-holiday visa in 2002.

I stumbled into running nine years ago, aged 33. And now, after a seventh placing in the London marathon, I’ve run a qualifying time for the Australian team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

I’m from a small town on the west coast of Ireland called Belmullet. At my local primary school, the focus was on academics. Sports just didn’t feature. However, outside of school I was very active.

I grew up on the coast and, although we didn’t have any organised sports in our town, I was constantly running around, cycling, swimming, climbing cliffs or playing soccer and basketball with friends.

Unfortunately, the secondary school I attended had the same outlook. Academics was the focus and sports were seen as something you did in your spare time.

The school was run by nuns and they discouraged girls from being involved in sports. We were, however, allowed to play basketball at lunchtime, so that became my passion for the next few years.

I studied PE and Irish Teaching at university. I was surrounded by so many sports but, at 17, the expectation was that you should already have discovered your sport.

There was very little opportunity to try other sports, as you were expected to be at a certain level already. The irony of this (given the age I started athletics) doesn’t evade me!

So my college years were spent socialising, partying, trying to make the basketball team (I was never really that good) and a little bit of study thrown in. It was fun and I made a lot of close friends but unfortunately athletics never featured.

I was vaguely aware of Sonia O’Sullivan, as I’d seen her race on TV a few times, but I had no appreciation of how phenomenal she really was.

Not being in the sport, her times meant nothing to me. I only realised after I started running how fast she actually was. One of Ireland’s finest ever athletes, who I am now lucky enough to call a friend and mentor.

After I completed my degree I went on to do a post-graduate in computing, as I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a teacher, and I’ve worked in IT ever since. 

I can understand how, after a long career in athletics, someone might lose that motivation especially after having achieved their goals.

There are so many parts of your life that are put on hold when training as an athlete. It can be a tough grind and there comes a time when athletics needs to take a back seat and the rest of your life continues.

I guess I’ve kind of done things in reverse, so I’m still 100 per cent motivated and absolutely loving it!

My age isn’t an issue with people I train with. That’s one of the reasons I love training with them. It just isn’t a factor.

They’re all a lot younger than me but they show me the same respect as anyone else in the group.

The 2019 Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend generated a total impact of over $21 million for the local Virginia Beach economy

The 2019 Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend was hosted in Virginia Beach on March 15-17. The Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, Anthem Shamrock ½ Marathon, TowneBank Shamrock 8K, and Operation Smile Shamrock Final Mile welcomed participants from all 50 states and multiple countries.

In total, there were over 45,000 runners, walkers and spectators that took part in the festivities.

“Events such as the Shamrock Marathon Weekend drive visitation to Virginia Beach during our shoulder season and boosts the local economy considerably while raising awareness that Virginia Beach is a year-round destination with many activities and experiences to enjoy,” said Brad Van Dommelen, Director of the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The economic study conducted by San Diego State University also determined that the event created over 14,000 total hotel room nights. It also generated $800,000 in taxes and fees and contributed $150,000 for its charity partners.

“Absolutely hands down the best race weekend ever! From the start til the after party, well organized! Our group of 20 will definitely be back,” said a 2019 participant.

The Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend returns for its 48th running on March 20-22, 2020

Margaret Kuras of Vanuatu wins half-marathon in socks, no shoes

Margaret Kuras, 20, of Vanuatu, a nation of Pacific islands between Australia’s eastern coast and Fiji, won the XVI Pacific Games half-marathon yesterday wearing white athletic socks without shoes. Her time was 1:29:55.

According to the Pacific Games News Service, she had won all the distance events in Vanuatu in bare feet before competing at the Games, which were held in Samoa. Kuras finished 15 seconds ahead of Dianah Matekali and Sharon Firisua of the Solomon Islands, in second (1:30:10) and third place (1:32:36).

It seems Kuras felt some pressure to wear footwear for the race, but donning socks was as far as she was prepared to go. “Wearing socks is a personal decision that I made because I had never run with shoes on before, so I didn’t feel comfortable running in shoes at these Games,” she told the news service. “When I tried the shoes on, my feet felt too heavy and I didn’t like it.

“I was nervous to run without shoes on, because I could see everyone else with shoes on, but I knew that wearing shoes was not an option for me if I wanted to win, so I chose to run with socks on instead. I know there are a lot of young people back home who have never run with shoes on, just like me.

“I would like to tell them that shoes and other gear are only there to help us be more comfortable when running, but they are not the reason why we win. Our talent, determination and hard work are the reason why we win.

“So I would like to encourage them not to be afraid to expose their talents so they can have the same opportunities that I was given.”

Kuras said her brother Sam, who was also running the half-marathon, slowed down to run with her and encourage her in the final metres of the race, for which she expressed gratitude. (No word on whether Sam was wearing running shoes.)

Kuras also won silver in the women’s 10,000m on Thursday.

How high-tempo training with elite Ethiopians helped Briton Tom Evans to place third at the Western States 100 this year

Tom Evans spent two months in Ethiopia training with elite marathon runners to prepare for this year’s Western States 100 mile ultra marathon. The training paid dividends as he finished third with the fastest ever time by a non-American runner of 14 hours, 59 minutes and 44 seconds.

“The slowest runner [in the Ethiopian running group], except for me, was a 2:08 marathoner,” the Briton said. “That made it very interesting. Their tempo runs were on dirt tracks with rolling hills, so were perfect for Western States.”

“They would run until they dropped and we were being followed by a car so they’d be picked up,” Evans said. “At first, because of the altitude, I was the first to drop out but I began to get used to the elevation.”

WSER100 is one of the most prestigious 100 mile races in the world. It takes place in California, starting at altitude before descending into deep, hot canyons. Jim Walmsley won this year’s race in a record 14:09:28.

The brutal tempo sessions in Ethiopia were fuelled by fierce rivalries, with runners motivated by the hope of being picked up by foreign agents and given the opportunity to race and earn money abroad.

“It’s almost becomes survival of the fittest,” Evans said.

The “sag wagon” that accompanied the runners was always a tempting respite from the sessions.

“You can drop out when ever you want,” he said. “So, it’s about how much you want it. It was really good mental strength training as they were always going fast and furious.”

Being in a new environment forced the former soldier to be more flexible in his attitude to training.

“You had no idea what was going to happen. I had kids throw rocks at me one day,” he said. “It was such a culture shock. I just had to deal with what was ahead of me day by day.”

Evans said he had learned from them the importance of strong contrasts between hard and easy sessions.

He felt not all of the training was relevant to his competition goals. The other athletes in the group were all preparing for marathons or half marathons, so their longest run was just two hours. Evans would sometimes head out for eight hours at a time.

“They thought I was absolutely mental,” he said. “They couldn’t get over how much volume I was doing. But they were fascinated. They really respected what I was doing.”

There were no coaches on hand to force runners on to the track or trail, but the total immersion experience meant they were not necessary.

“I became so attuned to my body. I was making decisions to drop out of sessions all based on feel,” he said.

Evans, who has won the CCC event at the Ultra Marathon du Mont Blanc (UTMB) week, could feel the effects of his training when he ran WSER100.

“I just felt so much more efficient,” he said. “So, at the end, I was still able to run hard.”

“For me, coming third in my first 100 miler was a best-case scenario,” Evans said. “I knew it was possible, I just didn’t know if it was probable.”

For now, Evans is going back to shorter races of about 50km to 100km, but he said the experience had “lit a fire” in him. 

“I definitely want to come back and see if I can improve my place, if not my time.”

Time for Runners to Reconsider Glucosamine?

A new study shows the inflammation-reducing supplement might benefit the heart as well as joints.

Many runners have used glucosamine and/or chondroitin supplements for decades, hoping to avoid or alleviate knee pain and other arthritis symptoms. Many stopped about 10 years ago when studies cast doubt on its effectiveness. Now a new study has determined that glucosamine sulfate may lower risk of heart disease and stroke by 15 percent or more.

Does that make glucosamine a two-fer? It’s too soon to know for sure. But what runner doesn’t want stronger joints and a more resilient heart? The two form the very foundation of any successful training and racing program. You need both.

The new heart study, published in the British Medical Journal, was conducted with British citizens enrolled in that country’s impressive U.K. Biobank database, which is being used in more and more health studies. Biobank allows epidemiologists to take a deep dive into data from a large number of subjects, and also to “slice and dice” groups while controlling for potentially confounding factors.

As Tulane University obesity researcher Lu Qi notes: “Biobank is one of the largest cohorts with sufficient power to perform analysis on the relation between glucosamine and disease outcomes.” Qi was senior author of the new report looking into cardiovascular issues.

His paper looked at nearly 500,000 healthy adults who were followed for an average of seven years. During that time, those who took a glucosamine sulfate supplement were 15 percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those who did not. Risk of fatal heart attack or stroke dropped by 22 percent.

Why? That’s not known for sure. However, Li speculates that it could be related to glucosamine sulfate’s anti-inflammation properties. Chronic inflammation contributes to arthritis, and many heart experts now believe it’s an important factor in cardiovascular disease as well. “Previous studies have suggested that glucosamine may affect inflammation status,” notes Li. “Of course, the evidence is preliminary and needs to be verified by more studies.”

Runner enthusiasm for glucosamine may have cooled since 2006–2010 when a series of papers based on GAIT (“Glucosamine condroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial”) found no convincing evidence for a lessening of arthritis pain. While the GAIT results produced no significant reduction from arthritis pain in the entire subject group, a subgroup with moderate to severe pain did gain a statistically significant degree of pain reduction. These subjects with more pain might be analogous to runners who subject their joints to heavy pounding week after week.

More recent Japanese studies continue to support glucosamine for joint health. A group from Tokyo’s Juntendo School of Medicine has been investigating glucosamine sulfate (alone, without chondroitin) in college athletes. One experiment followed 41 soccer players, half taking glucosamine sulfate, half a placebo.

After 12 weeks, the researchers compared the collagen health of the players. Those taking glucosamine exhibited no “type II collagen degradation” such as that often seen among endurance athletes. The authors concluded: “This confirms that glucosamine exerts a protective action on cartilage metabolism in endurance athletes.” Collagen is a fibrous, flexible protein that adds structure and strength to the joints.

Sure, soccer ain’t running. But it bears similarities, and forces the knees to stop and go, and torque, much more than running.

At any rate, it’s probably glucosamine’s safety profile that has made it so attractive to so many runners through the years. There seems little risk in trying glucosamine sulfate—at 1500mg to 2000mg a day—when your joints begin to protest your running program. (Several studies indicate it might take three months or so to feel the results.) And if glucosamine lowers chronic inflammation and makes your heart stronger, too, what’s not to like about that?

Russian track and field athletes are still the most tested for doping

Russian track and field athletes were the most tested for banned performance enhancing drugs in the first six months of this year compared to other sports, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) said in a report on Wednesday.

The report states that in the period between January and June included, a total number of 675 Russian track and field athletes underwent doping tests.

Russian track and field athletes remain to be in a particular focus of RUSADA since the All-Russia Athletics Federation (RusAF) is still trying to reinstate its membership status with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

According to RUSADA, Russian champion in 800m running Sergei Dubrovsky is the most tested athlete for doping in the country based on the results of doping tests of the first half of the year, according to which the 24-year-old runner underwent nine doping tests procedures within the stated period. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) still has not granted Dubrovsky a neutral status that allows one to participate in international events. 

The world’s governing body of track and field athletics suspended RusAF’s membership in late 2015 following a wave of anti-doping rules violations and put forward a host of criteria, which the Russian ruling body of track and field sports was obliged to implement in order to restore its membership in the global federation.

The IAAF, however, permitted clean athletes from Russia to participate in international tournaments under the neutral status of Authorized Neutral Athlete (ANA) until the membership of the RusAF was reinstated. IAAF’s previously issued neutral-status permissions for Russian athletes expired on December 31, 2018.

On December 18, 2018, the IAAF Doping Review Board approved an updated version of the Guidance Note for Authorized Neutral Athlete (ANA) status applications and sent the document to the RusAF.

The RusAF started accepting neutral status applications from the country's track and field athletes on December 19, 2018. The world’s governing athletics body has already granted neutral-status permits to 118 Russian track and field athletes.

Plenty of runners are qualifying for the 2020 Boston Marathon even though the time standards are five minutes faster across all age groups

Even With Tougher Standards, Plenty Of People Are Qualifying For Boston That makes it likely that not every applicant for the 2020 race will be accepted into the marathon during the annual September registration period.

Instead, runners will be facing what’s become an annual rite: guessing the “cutoff” time—how much faster than their qualifying times they had to be in order to gain entry into the race, because the race field is filled by the fastest runners first.

Last year’s cutoff was 4 minutes and 52 seconds. In all, 7,384 people who qualified were unable to get into the race.

For the past six years, as interest in qualifying for Boston has skyrocketed, not everyone who has qualified for the race has gotten in. The race accepts only about 24,000 time qualifiers. (Another 6,000 run for a charity or have another connection into the race that doesn’t require a qualifying time.) Tom Grilk, the BAA’s chief executive officer, told Runner’s World in February that the field size is unlikely to change soon and would require the cooperation of the eight cities and towns that the race passes through on its way from Hopkinton to Boston.

Race organizers had hoped that by tightening the qualifying times, fewer runners would be in the frustrating position of hitting the time needed for their age and gender but not gaining entry to the race.

“We adjusted the times last year, because we wanted to respond to runners and put more stringent qualifying times in effect for 2020, rather than wait longer and have even more runners achieve the standard but then be unable to be accepted due to field size limitations in 2020 and 2021,” a BAA spokesperson wrote in an email to Runner’s World.

Instead, the stricter time standards seem to have motivated potential Boston runners to train better and race faster. Some of the bigger qualifying races in the first half of 2019 have produced nearly the same number of qualifiers as they produced in 2018. Here’s a look at how some of the biggest feeder races into the Boston field have played out.

At the Boston Marathon this year, which every year qualifies the greatest number of people for the following year’s race, 8,883 bettered the time they needed for the 2020 race, according to data the BAA gave to Runner’s World. Last year, 9,254 hit the standard at Boston for the 2019 event. The decline is less than 4 percent.

Japanese Nozomi Tanaka missed the national record by miscounting her laps just misses national 3,000m record less than four seconds

This track season has seen a strange amount of mishaps. It started with Hagos Gebrhiwet miscounting his laps at the Lausanne 5,000m and was followed by Jonathan Jones missing the false start at the Monaco 400m and finishing the race.

The latest is from Japanese runner Nozomi Tanaka, who miscounted the laps in her national 3,000m record attempt on Wednesday. Japan Running News reported that with 800m to go (two laps) Tanaka broke away and opened up a sizable lead.

The runner said post-race, “It’s kind of embarrassing, but I lost count of the laps and thought I was on the last lap when I kicked. I didn’t have anything left after that.”

Tanaka finished in 8:48.38, under four seconds off of the national record of 8:44.40 set in 2002.

Jenny Simpson, one of the all-time greatest American runners, made a similar mistake in 2014 when she miscounted the laps in an indoor 2-mile, but still managed to come close to breaking the American record in the event.

World Championship finalist Lopez Lomong also fell victim to the lap miscount in 2012 at Payton Jordan, when he kicked too early but still held on to take the win in 13:11 over 5,000m.

Long Distance Legends Michael Wardian and Dean Karnazes are set for the inaugural MCM50K

The MCM50K is the first of its kind, an urban ultra in Arlington, Virginia and the nation's capital with all the same on-course benefits of a marathon. Event registration sold out in under one hour, attracting enthusiastic runners from all over the US and big names in running. When the runners cross the MCM50K finish line, it will make the event the largest ultra in the United States by nearly double the current record.

“More and more people are looking for what’s next after they’ve run a marathon, and I think this is it,” shares Wardian.

Wardian is hoping to add the MCM50K top finish to his already impressive resume, which includes finishing over 400 marathons and ultras with dozens of top finishes, three 50K and one 100K titles from US Track and Field championships. Wardian is known for outlandish running feats and being a positive character in the running community, most recently running the entire 90-mile Capital Beltway.

“It's an opportunity to put myself out there, have a great experience, get a chance to see even more of beautiful Washington DC, but also to try to get on the podium.” With over a dozen MCM finishes, Wardian hopes this is his time to grasp the lead sharing, “I’m super excited. The Marine Corps Marathon was my first big city marathon I ever did in my life and it’s been a really important part of my career. This is my opportunity to have another chance to win the event, especially with inaugural 50K, a distance I’m quite comfortable with.”

As a northern Virginia native, Wardian hopes to pull from his hometown advantage. “I have a lot of friends and fans who are going to be taking part in the event with me and family that'll be out on the course supporting.”

Standing next to Wardian at the start line will be friend and competitor, Dean Karnazes. “Dean and I have worked and traveled together for nearly a decade. I’m looking forward to hanging out and experiencing this together,” offers Wardian. “I’m sure he’ll be inspiring people to get out there and put their best foot forward.”

Karnazes is known for being a New York Times bestselling author, named one of TIME magazine’s “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World,” one of the fittest men on the planet according to Men's Fitness, and for accruing a wild list of incredible running accomplishments including running 50 marathons in all 50 states in 50 consecutive days.

“The two of us have a really interesting and very close relationship. It’ll be great to see him on the start line,” shares Karnazes. “Mike and I gravitate towards the same type of events, and from a competitive standpoint it’s unbelievable what he’s accomplished.”

Runners will get to interact with Karnazes during the ultra event. He looks forward to enjoying the ultra at a comfortable pace, taking in the inaugural event and connecting with his fellow runners. On the eve of the MCM50K, runners will have a special opportunity to interact with Karnazes and hear motivation from him at the Carbo Dining In. 

Runners will get the chance to interact with Wardian and Karnazes at the MCM50K start line and during their 30+ mile journey. Running an inaugural event is special, and running alongside a few of running idols makes it unforgettable.

An ultramarathoner won the Badwater 135 race through Death Valley, then proposed. (She said yes.)

Moments after he finished the 135-mile run from Death Valley to Mount Whitney, setting a record in the Badwater 135 race, Japanese ultra runner Yoshihiko Ishikawa dropped to one knee. The reason wasn’t fatigue or relief over the accomplishment. He was asking his girlfriend to marry him.

Ishikawa finished the race Tuesday in 21 hours 33 minutes 1 second, breaking Pete Kostelnick’s 21:56:32 mark, set in 2016.

The Badwater race, one of the most prestigious and grueling ultras, started Monday at Badwater Basin in Death Valley, the lowest elevation in North America, and ended at Whitney Portal, the trailhead to the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States.

The race covers three mountain ranges, with 14,600 feet of cumulative vertical ascent and 6,100 of cumulative descent, according to its website. An ultra is anything longer than the traditional 26.2-mile marathon.

After Ishikawa’s memorable finish and proposal (she said yes), there were plenty of tears.

Last year, Ishikawa, a 31-year-old engineer, won the Spartathlon, tracing the 153-mile route that Pheidippides ran before the battle of Marathon, in 22:54:40.

Patrycja Bereznowska of Poland was the women’s Badwater winner (and second to Ishikawa overall) with a time of 24:13:24 that was more than 90 minutes faster than the record set by Alyson Venti three years ago. Bereznowska also won the Spartathlon, in 2017.

German Katharina Steinruck will return to run the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon on October

For the 29-year-old her marathon comeback after an operation on her heel is the chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. The qualifying time is 2:29:30.

The organisers of the Frankfurt Marathon expect up to 14,000 runners to take part in the race, and places are still available.

Katharina Steinruck – still better known to many under her maiden name Katharina Heinig – is the first prominent female runner to be signed up for this year’s Mainova Frankfurt Marathon.

“We are very pleased that Katharina has decided to run in the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon again and we will offer her the best possible conditions to run an Olympic qualifying time,” says race director Jo Schindler.

“I am happy that we can present a top German runner who is also a local champion. Many Frankfurt citizens will identify with her, as she lives and works here in the city,” he adds.

“It is always something special to be able to run the marathon in your home town,” says Katharina Steinruck, who belongs to the police sports team of the state of Hessen. “I have lived in Frankfurt for 15 years and of course I have many friends and colleagues here who will come to cheer me on. I am already looking forward to the awesome atmosphere.”

In the previous two years Katharina Steinruck made a strong showing and achieved time of slightly under 2:30. In 2017 she unexpectedly became German women’s champion in 2:29:29 and came eighth. Despite a short training time after starting the Euro championship in August, in 2018 she reached the finish line in the Frankfurt Festhalle in 2:29:55.

After an operation on her heel last November Steinruck returned to running to win the 7.9km city run in Aschaffenburg in May. Looking forward she is now preparing for the race in her home town on 27 October. Currently she is training in the pre-Alpine Allgäu region of Bavaria.