Running News Daily

Seoul marathon champion Sylvester Teimet of Kenya hopes for victory at Hangzhou marathon

Former Seoul marathon champion Sylvester Teimet of Kenya on Wednesday vowed to beat defending champion Azmeraw Molalign Bekele of Ethiopia in this Sunday's Hangzhou Marathon in China. Teimet, 34, who settled for fourth spot in last year's race, clocking 2:10:59, holds one of the fastest personal best times among the elites who will be racing in Hangzhou, an IAAF bronze level road race. The Kenyan holds a personal best time of 2:06:49, which he set when winning the Seoul Marathon in 2010. During his 11-year-long career, the experienced Kenyan has also collected titles in Shanghai and Gyeongju. He set the course record in Shanghai International Marathon of 2:09:01 in 2012 before compatriot Paul Lonyangata improved it to 2:07:14 in 2015. Sunday's race in Hangzhou will be his third in China this year, after he placed seventh at the Yellow River Estuary International Marathon in Dongying in May and second at the Taiyuan Marathon in early September. "I love running in China. I have rested enough and believe I have the strength to go for the win in my third marathon this year. There are several top names to expect, but I always focus on my own strength and strategy to win the race," Teimet said in Nairobi. (11/01/2018) ⚡AMP

When Tsepo Mathibelle won the Soweto Marathon last year it changed his life, he wants to repeat

2017 Soweto Marathon winner Tsepo Mathibelle is back in the country and ready to defend his Old Mutual Soweto Marathon title. His win last year was one of the highlights of his career clocking 2:19.50. On Sunday, the target is on his back with numerous rivals gunning for the title. "So far things are going the way I want them to in terms of my physical and mental readiness," Mathibelle said. "I have made a few changes in my training program.  This marathon requires a bit of speed to be able to break away at the 20km mark." He said his victory in 2017 and the R220000 ($15,190US) prize money changed his life in a number of ways and did enhance his training. "I was able to buy a car and am now able to travel to faraway places to train at high altitude. So, I am better prepared this year... before I used to struggle," he said. The 27-year-old will dedicate this year's race to his father, Molefi, who passed away earlier this month. (11/01/2018) ⚡AMP

Kenya's Lydia Cheromei is ready to return and win the women's title at the Shanghai Marathon

Kenya's veteran road racer Lydia Cheromei is hopeful her return to the Shanghai International Marathon on November 18 might see her strike gold. The 41-year-old had to settle for silver last year, but started 2018 on a high note, winning in Rabat in a time of 2:28:48. Two weeks ago, she was seventh in the Lisbon half marathon. Now she has returned home to Eldoret to continue her training before heading to China. "I loved the fans and the challenge I received in Shanghai last year," said Cheromei. "On returning to China I want to win like I did at the 2017 Lanzhou Marathon. I know the caliber of opposition in Shanghai will be tough, but that is what inspires me." Cheromei will be up against former Commonwealth Games marathon champion Flomena Cheyech, who has shaken off a foot injury and is back in contention. "I have been out of competition for a long time because of the injury I picked up in Japan. But it has since healed and I am back in competition. Shanghai is the next stop for me in November, and hopefully I will be able to run well and win gold," said Cheyech. (10/31/2018) ⚡AMP

Bjørn Tore Taranger broke the 24-hour treadmill world record averaging 8:49/mile pace

Norwegian ultrarunner Bjørn Tore Taranger, 39, has broken the 24-hour treadmill record. Earlier this month Taranger ran 264.5K (164.3 miles), more than three kilometers better than the previous record, which was set by Luca Turrini of Australia last year. It translates to an average pace of 5:26 per kilometer (or 6.8 miles per hour which is 8:49/mile pace), maintained over 24 hours. Before going for Turrini’s record, Taranger first surpassed the Norwegian treadmill-running record of 240K. The heavily tattooed ultra runner plays the drums in a punk band when not setting extreme running records. Taranger’s record-breaking run took place in Bergen, Norway (Taranger’s home town) on October 11-12.  Taranger's achievement was more impressive since he was only 10th place in the 24th World Championships in Belfast in 2017, where he ran 257.6 km. “I knew I had it in me, I was not in doubt,” Taranger said after he recorded the new world record, "I knew that as long as I managed to get in my nutrition, follow the plan with the wonderful people here who have supported me throughout the night. That was awesome!,” dagdag pa niya. That was awesome !, "he added.   (10/31/2018) ⚡AMP

A group of Japanese doctors warm that heat could be deadly at 2020 Olympic Marathon

The warning is the latest in a chorus of concern about how extreme heat could affect several sporting events at the Olympic games, particularly after Tokyo sweltered through a record heatwave this year. A group of Japanese doctors on Wednesday (Oct 31) urged Olympic organisers to start the Tokyo 2020 marathon as early as 5.30am, saying failure to do so could "lead to deaths" from heatstroke. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo 2020 organisers have acknowledged the concerns and already moved the marathon start time up 30 minutes to 7.00am, with competitive walking starting even earlier. But the Japan Medical Association and the Tokyo Medical Association said that was insufficient because most of the course would still be run in heat levels that were dangerous, and under which physical activity should be halted. "We are seriously concerned about it," Kimiyuki Nagashima, a senior official with the Japan Medical Association told reporters Wednesday. "If the risk of heatstroke is high for not only athletes but also staff members and the audience, there will be a rising demand for emergency services, which will have serious impact on medical institutions and regular patients." (10/31/2018) ⚡AMP

Kenya's Daniel Wanjiru will face defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor at the New York City Marathon

Daniel Wanjiru and defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor are ready to battle it out at the 48th Annual New York Marathon on Sunday. Former London Marathon champion Daniel Wanjiru will face Kamworor and Festus Talam in what is expected to be a competitive race from the Ethiopian athletes. Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola (2:04:06) leads his compatriots Lelisa Desisa (2:04:45) and Shura Kitata (2:04:49) in a bid to wrestle victory from the Kenyan contingent. Kamworor, who has been training in Kaptagat, clinched the title last year after clocking 2:10:53 three seconds ahead of Wilson Kipsang while Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa came in third with a time of 2:11:32. Wanjiru, who has been training in Kerugoya, will be making his debut in the race and is optimistic that he will run well and win. (10/31/2018) ⚡AMP

The Run Internacional - The U.S. - México 10K, canceled due to the caravan's expected arrival

The Run Internacional - The U.S. - México 10K, has been canceled due to the caravan's expected arrival. The popular race begins in El Paso and ends in Ciudad Juárez and is showcased as a symbol of binational unity. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) always has been very supportive of this binational event and is a critical stakeholder in making this happen. You may have heard that a caravan of Central American people is on its way to the U.S.-Mexico border. Based on the need of resources, CBP has requested we postpone this year’s race to a later date in the next few weeks. A new date will be announced soon.  (10/30/2018) ⚡AMP

Callum Hawkins will make his return to marathon racing at the Fukuoka Marathon

Hawkins has been named in the elite men’s field that includes Ethiopia’s Yemane Tsegay, who has a 2:04:48 personal best, Kenya’s Vincent Kipruto (2:05:13 PB), and Eritrean duo Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (2:07:46 PB) and Amanuel Mesel (2:08:17 PB). In April, the Scottish athlete was on course for victory at the Commonwealth Games marathon on the Gold Coast, Australia, when, overcome by the heat, he lost control of his body and fell over in the closing stages. The 26 year-old has bounced back as expected and most recently clocked a 61:00 half marathon in Valencia, where he finished first European. “Things are on the up. 61:00 today in the Valencia half,” said Hawkins post-race on Instagram. “Not exactly what I wanted from the race but the legs are almost back.” At the 2017 edition of the Fukuoka Marathon, Norway’s Sondre Nordstad Moen took victory in a European record time of 2:05:48. (10/30/2018) ⚡AMP

Mexico's Juan Luis Barrios is training with Bernard Lagat as they get ready for the New York Marathon

Mexico's Juan Luis Barrios and American Bernard Lagat have competed against each other at the highest level, but that doesn't keep them from training together for the New York Marathon. Bernard Lagat is a five-time Olympian, an American record holder and five-time world champion in distances from 1,500 to 5,000 meters. He's also a fine foodie. Come dinner time, that means a lot to Juan Luis Barrios. "Lagat is the chef," Barrios says. "He's really good in the kitchen." Since August, Lagat, Barrios, a two-time Olympian for Mexico, and Abdi Abdirahman, a four-time U.S. Olympian, have been training partners and housemates in Flagstaff, Arizona, as they get ready for Sunday's New York City Marathon. There the trio will find a strong field including Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor, who is the defending champ. The three have found they have similar easygoing personalities and taste in food. Lagat and Barrios often yield to Abdirahman when they go out to eat, though, because when he finds a restaurant he likes, he sticks with it. Lagat jokes he's "a snob" and playfully suggests his friend won't even go anywhere for coffee but the one little spot he has visited for years. For Lagat, Barrios and Abdirahman, Flagstaff stays also mean time spent talking, eating, going out for coffee and watching TV before and after long days of training. Lagat, who will make his marathon debut at New York at the age of 43, calls Barrios and Abdirahman his brothers. He and Abdirahman, 41, first met when they competed against one another in the Pac-12 in the late 1990s and have been training together in Flagstaff since 2002. All three became friends in 2012 when Barrios made Flagstaff his base before the London Games. "I have the same conditions for training, altitude," says Barrios, 35, of his home in Mexico City. "But I don't have these kind of training partners." (10/30/2018) ⚡AMP

National record holder Yuta Shitara and Yuki Kawauchi are running the Fukuoka Marathon

The best year in Japanese men’s marathon history is drawing to a close, and with it the chances for them to qualify for the new MGC Race 2020 Olympic trials are running out. The Dec. 2nd Fukuoka International Marathon features one of the best Japanese fields ever assembled, with ten Japanese men under 2:10 since 2016. Half marathon national record holder Yuta Shitara, 2018 Boston Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi, 2017 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon winner Kentaro Nakamoto, Hayato Sonoda and Yoshiki Takenouchi, make up the list of those already qualified for the MGC Race, Shitara running a marathon for the first time since his now-former national record 2:06:11 in Tokyo in February and Kawauchi hoping to turn things back around after a string of bad races since Boston. Those with a realistic chance of qualifying off the two-race average include 2017 Gold Coast Marathon winner Takuya Noguchi, who missed it by seconds at this year’s Gold Coast, recent sub-2:10 men Kohei Ogino, Yuma Hattori and Jo Fukuda, and a trio who finished together just over the 2:10 mark in Tokyo this year, Asuka Tanaka, Hiroki Yamagishi and Daichi Kamino. There’s a good number of others on the list who ran well in 2015 and 2016 and will be hoping to get back on board in Fukuoka, including sub-2:10 teammates Takuya Fukatsu, Fumihiro Maruyama and Satoru Sasaki , and given the depth of Japanese men’s marathoning and the tendency for dark horses to post seemingly out-of-nowhere breakthroughs like Taku Fujimoto, earlier this month in Chicago there’s almost no limit to who else could have their day. Twins Hiroshi and Takashi Ichida would make a lot of people happy if they finally broke through in Fukuoka. Both 100 km world record holder Nao Kazami, and 100 km silver medalist Takehiko Gyoba, are also in the race. It being a nominally international marathon, Fukuoka also has its usual small contingent of overseas runners perfectly positioned to pace the Japanese men to times in the 2:07 to 2:08 range and to lend a little shine to the race with their medals. 2011 world championships silver medalist Vincent Kipruto tops the list with a 2:06:14 in Berlin last year, with 2015 world champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie and past Fukuoka champ Yemane Tsegay. (10/30/2018) ⚡AMP

Gene Dykes is getting faster every year - My Best Runs Exclusive Profile Part Two

My Best Runs Exclusive Profile Part Two.  Gene Dkyes is only the second man in history over the age of 70 to run a marathon under three hours. He has done it twice.  He ran 2:58:28 at the Rotterdam Marathon and then he clocked 2:55:18 in Toronto Oct 21. 

Only Ed Whitlock have run faster.  Gene Dykes was born in 1948 in Canton, Ohio. 

All of his PR's from 200 miles to 1500m (accept for the 5k) have been set in the last year. He has a B.A. in chemistry and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Cornell University in 1978.  

He has been married since 1982 and they both moved to Philadelphia from Ithaca, New York in 1993.  After his Toronto Marathon we asked Gene about his race strategy. 

"I’m a slave to my GPS watch while running a race," says Gene.  "I nearly always run negative splits on any race shorter than a marathon, and I’m rarely more than a minute or two slower in the second half a marathon. 

I consume far fewer calories before and during a race than most runners seem to."  How about your weight?  He thinks the  "Two seconds per pound per mile is a rule that is awfully important.  Keeping weight down for a major race is the hardest part of training. 

It’s especially hard when I use the “See Food” diet.  I’ll eat just about anything, especially when I see it." 

In 2017 he was only one of 13 to complete the Triple Crown of 200's and he was the oldest finisher in each of them.  

In August he ran the 206.5 mile Bigfoot 200, September was the 205.5 mile Tahoe 200 and October was the 238 mile Moab 240.  In 2018 he won ten USATF National Championships from 1500m on the track to 100 mile on the trail.  So what is ahead for Gene?  

 "Having turned 70 this year, I decided that I would spend the year chasing records and national championships and forego many of the big ultra races that I really love. 

I still have one national age group record to topple which I expect to happen at the Philadelphia Half Marathon in November.  Having come up just 34 seconds short of beating Ed Whitlock’s venerable M70 age group record in the marathon, you can be sure that I’m making plans on another attempt within a year. 

I’m keeping those plans secret, though," Gene told My Best Runs.  In the meantime Gene has signed on to the Run The World Challenge 3 team.  

Gene is at the top of the 70 plus world and don't you get the feeling he is going to be setting a lot more records? (Photo taken at the USATF National Outdoor Championships in Spokane)

(10/29/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Meet the new Half Marathon World Record Holder Abraham Kiptum, My Best Runs Profile

Abraham Kiptum was born September 15, 1989 and is from Nandi county (Kenya) the same county as marathon world record holder Eliud Kipcoge.  He also comes from the same village as former world marathon champion Martin Lel.  The 29-year-old, Abraham Kiptum ran the fastest half marathon ever on Sunday October 28 clocking 58:18 taking five seconds off Eritrean's Zersenay Tadese world record 58:23 set in 2010 in Lisbon. Abraham trains in Kaptagat and Kapsabet and started training for elite running about five years ago after getting inspired by former elite marathon star Martin Lel. Kiptum ran in primary and high school but wasn’t that serious.  It was just part of the culture.  The world record holder, with long and fast legs, journey to greatness started April 24, 2016 in Madrid when he clocked 61:52 in the half marathon, then he ran 61:26 in Casablanca placing first. His next break through was on September 16, 2018 in Copenhagen when he finished second clocking 59:06 and finally yesterday the world record in the Valencia ahalf marathon.  He had been running incredible well on Kenya soil.  In 2017 he ran two fast 10000m clocking 27:19 and 27:44 at high altitude in Eldoret. On October 15, 2017 he ran 2:05:26 at the Amsterdam Marathon.  Kiptum gain further confidence and knew he would give the world record a try when he ran and won on July 2018 the second edition of the Kabarak University half marathon clocking 62:02 on Kenya soil.  For the Half Marathon in Valencia on Sunday Kiptum was on his toes leading the pack at 5km clocking 13:56 and then 28:02 at 10km.  But after a short distance the tall champion with long and fast strides upped the pace to 2:44km/min and he went on to win and set a new world record.  The cheers and excitement from the crowd helped him bolt fast because he was aware the record was in his reach.  He moved easily to the finish line crossing with unbelievable joy. He said “I cant believe it, I am over the moon.  Obviously I knew I was in a good shape because I set a pb last month in Copenhagen but I was eager to run in Valencia. I was confident of improving on my best."  When asked when he started to move fast, he said, ”I realized the race slowed down between the 9th and 10th km, so I decided to step up the pace and go for everything.”  (10/29/2018) ⚡AMP
by Willie Korir reporting from Kenya

Bernard Lagat, the second fastest 1500m runner of all time, will debut at New York City Marathon

Bernard Lagat, at the age of 43, with two Olympic medals and five world titles to his name would have every reason to walk away from his beloved sport feeling proud. Instead, he wants to achieve more.  The 2018 New York City Marathon will be Lagat’s debut at the distance.  The Kenyan American has the second best record in history at 1,500 meters. Today, this nationalized Kenyan American athlete in 2004 is best known for all the achievements he has achieved at an age when many others have long since retired from the world of athletics. But the truth is that Bernard Lagat has earned the respect of all fans of athletics for their brands in recent years and for still running at an elite level at age 43. Lagat is the American record holder in the 1500m and mile indoors, as well as the 1500m, 3000m, and 5000m outdoors, and is the Kenyan record holder at 1500m outdoors. Lagat is the second fastest 1500m runner of all time, behind Hicham El Guerrouj. Lagat is a five-time Olympian, having competed in the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 games, and is a thirteen-time medalist in World Championships and Olympics including five gold medals. Going into the Rio Olympics with the age of 41, in the 5000m, he finished 5th among 16 starters (10/29/2018) ⚡AMP

Runners were forced to wade through ankle-deep water at the Venice marathon, Yuki Kawauchi finished seventh, in 2:27:40

Venice Marathon runners were left wading through ankles-deep water after high tides flooded the course.   Competitors were undeterred by the tricky conditions for the marathon on Sunday with water inches deep in some places. Witnesses described the conditions as “insane” and some suggested it had turned the marathon into a swim.   One runner Andrew Chessell joked that he "should have hired a gondola". The flooding was caused by acqua alta, which is the high tide from the Northern Adriatic Sea.    Despite the difficult conditions, Mekuant Ayenew Gebre of Ethiopia managed to pull off the win today, finishing in 2:13:22. The Ethiopian runner entered the race with a 2:09:00 personal best from the Prague Marathon in 2017. Second place went to Kenyan plumber Gilbert Kipleting Chumba in 2:13:49, and third place to Stephen Kiplimo in 2:13:56. Yuki Kawauchi of Japan finished seventh, in 2:27:40 in the diffult conditions.  This was Kawauchi’s 87th marathon of his career, and 10th marathon race this year but not a sub 2:20 he had wanted.    (10/29/2018) ⚡AMP

Ethiopia’s Meskerem Assefa breaks course record at Frankfurt Marathon

Having finished on the lower steps of the podium at last year’s Mainova Frankfurt Marathon, Ethiopia’s Meskerem Assefa and Kelkile Gezahegn topped the podium at this year’s edition of the Frankfurt Marathon on Sunday. In a high-quality women’s race in which the first seven athletes finished inside 2:23, 33-year-old Assefa triumphed in 2:20:36 to take 25 seconds off the course record set by compatriot Meselech Melkamu in 2012. Ethiopian athletes swept the women’s podium as Haftamnesh Tesfay finished second in 2:20:47, also inside the previous course record, and Bedatu Hirpa placed third in 2:21:32. After a thrilling duel, Gezahegn won the men’s race by just four seconds from Kenya’s Martin Kosgey, clocking 2:06:37. Marathon debutant Alex Kibet was third in 2:07:09, while Mark Kiptoo took 48 seconds off the world M40 masters best with 2:07:50 for sixth place. Assefa wins battle of the Ethiopians, leading a group of 12 women reached the half-way point in 1:09:55, it was obvious that something special was possible. The group was on course for a sub-2:20 finish and although weather conditions were far from ideal, the leading women maintained the swift pace until late in the race. Their 30-kilometer split of 1:39:30 suggested a sub-2:20 time was still possible, but the group later faced a stiff headwind for several kilometers and their pace suffered slightly. At 35 kilometers there were still five women in the lead group: Ethiopians Assefa, Tesfay, Hirpa and Dera Dida as well as Kenya’s Betsy Saina, the Paris Marathon champion. Saina struggled in the closing stages and eventually finished eighth. Hirpa and Dida also dropped back, leaving Tesfay and Assefa to battle for victory. It was only in the final kilometer when Assefa, who finished third in Frankfurt last year, moved ahead and build a decisive lead before going on to win by 11 seconds in 2:20:36. “I did not really feel the wind,” said Assefa, a former 1500m specialist. “I prepared for Frankfurt for five months because I wanted to run 2:22 and win the race. Now I had to run a little bit quicker for first place.” (10/29/2018) ⚡AMP

Asefa Bekele from Ethiopia won the 2018 men's Dublin Marathon

Ethiopia's Asefa Bekele won the 2018 men's Dublin Marathon while his fellow compatriot Mesera Dubiso won the women's race. Over 20,000 participants turned out for the annual race with Bekele coming home in a time 2:13:23 with Dubiso crossed over the finishing line in a time of 2:33:48 to take the women's title. Meanwhile, there was a strong Irish representation in the field with Mick Clohisey of the Raheny Shamrocks club claiming the Irish Athletics National Marathon, finishing in a time of 2:15:57. It was the fastest time to win the National title since 1991. The Dublin man placed sixth overall. Cork native Lizzie Lee took third place in the women's race and finished in an impressive time of 2:35:04 after winning the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon earlier this year. She also claimed the Irish Athletics National Marathon title in the process. Lee said: "An Irish woman on the overall podium, I am thrilled with that. I am thrilled with the time, I am thrilled with the place and I know my little girl is out there somewhere I can’t wait to give her a hug. I needed redemption after Berlin. "I felt like the last few miles got away from me. I am absolutely over the moon. I am a Mum of two small girls and I work full time. "Running is my hobby and I am on a podium with two Ethiopian girls.  I am thrilled,"  said Lizzie Lee with a smile. (10/29/2018) ⚡AMP

Jeffrey Stein won the 43rd Marine Corps Marathon, a first marathon win for this public defender

Two months ago, Jeffrey Stein had no idea that he’d be participating in — let alone winning — the 43rd Marine Corps Marathon. Mired in a trial that required his full attention, the 32-year-old Washington DC resident and public defender was only able to carve out time to run during his daily commute to and from the Archives building. “When you’re in trial, you usually can’t train, and you can’t run because you’re in trial 24/7,” Stein said after Sunday’s race, which brought almost 21,000 runners to its course. “I bought a run commute backpack, which let me run to and from work. No marathon-specific training, but it allowed me to keep a baseline fitness.” Those five-mile runs were all Stein needed to come out on top, as he notched his first career marathon victory with an official time of 2 hours 22 minutes 49 seconds. California resident and Navy Lieutenant Patrick Hearn crossed the finish line 37 seconds later to claim second place, while Navy Lieutenant Commander Will Christian of Chesapeake, Va., came in third in 2:24:23. (10/29/2018) ⚡AMP

I can’t believe it. I am over the moon says Abraham Kiptum after clocking 58:18 a new world record

Zersenay Tadese's eight-year-old half marathon world record of 58:23 has been broken. 29-year-old Abraham Kiptum from Kenya, who ran 59:09 in Copenhagen last month, clocked 58:18 in Valencia this morning, October 28.  The Medio Maratón de Valencia Trinidad Alfonso is a IAAF Gold Label road race.   On a perfect day (a slight wind and 52F, 11C), the race opened according to the plan with the main pack passing the opening five kilometers in 13:56. By 10K, the pace had dropped slightly as the 15-man lead pack went through that checkpoint in 28:02. But shortly afterwards the long-legged Kiptum broke away from the rest of the pack with incredible ease and began to cover each kilometer in a stunning 2:44. The 15K split of 41:40 was just seven seconds slower than Tadese’s equivalent split from his world record run – suggested that Kiptum was on course to break his PB of 59:09.  Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer was still just two seconds behind Kiptum.  Boosted by the crowd and fully aware that he was close to world record, Kiptum kept on pushing hard to open a margin over the Ethiopians in second and third. The Kenyan reached 20K in 55:18 to take three seconds off Tadese’s previous world best of 55:21 set on his way to his world half marathon best of 58:23 in Lisbon eight years ago. Having covered the second 10K in 27:16, Kiptum strode home in 58:18 to bring the world record back to Kenya.   “I can’t believe it, I’m over the moon,” said 29-year-old Kiptum. “Obviously I knew I was in good shape because I set a PB last month in Copenhagen but I was eager to run in Valencia because it’s one of the flattest circuits I’ve ever run and I was confident of improving on my best. “In the race I slowed down between the ninth and 10th so I decided to step up the pace and go for everything.” (10/28/2018) ⚡AMP

Gene Dykes is currently the world's top 70 Plus runner - My Best Runs Exclusive Profile Part One

Gene Dykes is the world's best runner in the world currently seventy plus. "One of my 'secret' training methods for marathons is to run a lot of ultras," Gene told My Best Runs in this exclusive profile.

"I’ll begin training for Boston in January, and to kick it off I’ll run a 50-miler in January and both a 100-miler and a 200-miler in February. During March I’ll convert that training base into marathon speed." 

Sounds wild and unconventional but it has been working for 70-year-old Gene Dykes from Philadelphia..."It was thought by many of us that Canada's Ed Whitlock's records were way beyond reach," says lifelong runner and Runner's World and My Best Runs founder Bob Anderson. 

"At age 73 Ed became the first 70 plus runner in the world to run the marathon under three hours."  In 2004 73-year-old Ed Whitlock clocked an amazing 2:54:48 at the Scotiabank Tornonto Waterfront Marathon. 

No one ever had run a marathon that fast 70 plus. The late Ed Whitlock was in a league of his own until now.  At the same marathon this year on October 21, 70-year-old Gene Dykes clocked 2:55:18. 

My Best Runs wanted to find out more about this new super star, a runner who has set PR's at all distances (other than the 5k) over the last year from 1500m to 200 miles. How did Gene discover running? 

"It’s probably more accurate to say that I discovered running twice," said Gene. "The first time, when I was about fourteen, it just kind of popped into my head to run three miles to the house of a girl I was interested in.  After about a mile and a half, I had to walk for a bit.  I was really disgusted with myself, and I swore I would never again resort to walking on a run. 

"I actually kept this promise, until I started doing trail races, of course, where there are lots of good reasons to walk now and then." 

After this he ran track in high school for a couple of years. "In my senior year I thought I was pretty good when I dominated the 2-mile run in my county.  That notion was quickly dispelled when I ran track in college and I was totally blown away by the competition.  For the next four decades, I would stay in jogging shape much of the time, but it never occurred to me to race because it had been firmly impressed upon me that I wasn’t a very good runner," Gene remembers. 

He rediscovered running in 2004 at the age of 56 after a six year layoff because of a torn hamstring... "A golfing acquaintance told me he had a running group and that I should join him sometime.  A classic case of falling in with a bad crowd.  They encouraged me to run some races with them, and discovering that I wasn’t half bad, my running career was born," Gene told us. 

So how important is running to Gene?  "It started out as an activity I looked forward to on weekends, and it slowly took over as my main hobby.  Probably starting around 2011 when I ran my first adventure race and started training for Comrades (56-mile race in South Africa) it became way more than just a hobby.  While it will never quite reach the point of being 'all-consuming.' I suppose you would be forgiven for thinking that, considering that I’ll have done 38 races in 34 weekends this year." 

The obvious next question was, tell us about your training.  "For about nine years I just stumbled my way through training.  I did lots of long, slow runs with occasional track workouts.  I gradually improved, and I was having a lot of fun, but I was worried that my best days were behind me when I fell miserably short of a new marathon PR at the 2013 Toronto Marathon. 

"Swallowing my pride and opening my wallet, I hired a coach.  What a life changing decision that was!  In just five months I went from a half decent runner with modest goals to a runner capable of competing at the highest levels. Training now consists of fewer miles, but harder workouts and fewer rest days," says Gene. 

He has set PR's in the last 12 months from 200 miles down to the 1500m.  He clocked 98 hours, 10 minutes 22 seconds for 200 miles, 23:41:22 for 100 miles, 1:26:34 for the half marathon and 5:17 for 1500m. 

In 2018 he won ten USATF national championships. His 2:57:43 clocked at this year's Rotterdam Marathon was a world single age record until he bettered it in Toronto.  

Gene says, "I’m particularly fond of having won championships at both track 1500 meters and trail 100 mile this year.”  In part two Gene talks about his diet, going after more records, dealing with injuries and a lot more.  Coming tomorrow October 29 on My Best Runs.          

(10/28/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Kangogo and Tanui are set to take on the Venice Marathon

Kenyans Philip Kangogo and Angela Tanui are gearing up for another conquest at the Huawei-sponsored Venice Marathon on Sunday in Italy. Kangogo will be up against Venice course record holder John Komen (2:08.13) as he targets to hit two birds with one stone. "Records are there to be broken. I feel I have run faster and if the weather and competition is right, I will be the new champion and set a new course record. I can run two hours and seven minutes," said Kangogo. The 27-year-old Kangogo clocked his 2:08:16 career best at the 2015 Barcelona Marathon and believes he has gone over his worst time as he nursed an ankle injury and is ready to return to winning form. "Venice will provide the platform to announce my return to high level competitions. I want to win here and go on to impress in other cities to be able to make the cut in the Kenyan team," Kangogo said. "We have the World Championships and Tokyo Olympics coming up and the road to the Olympics starts in Venice," he added. Racing too will be Japan’s Yuki Kawasaki, the 2018 Boston Marathon winner. The title favorite in the women's race is Kenyan Angela Tanui, who clocked 2:26:31 in Vienna last year and has a half marathon best of 1:07:16. The leading European runner is Croatia's Nikolina Sustic. (10/27/2018) ⚡AMP

Doctors told Anais Maniere she’d never walk again is running the Dublin marathon

A woman who was warned by doctors that her incurable disease would confine her to a wheelchair for the rest of her days is aiming to prove her medical team wrong by running this weekend's Dublin Marathon. Anais Maniere, a Dublin-based nurse, was diagnosed last year with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a little-known rheumatological condition that leaves sufferers with constant pain and stiffness from the neck down to the lower back. In the case of Maniere, the symptoms were at one stage so severe that everyday actions like walking, dressing, driving, and sleeping became extremely challenging. And doctors warned the 28-year-old to expect things to go from bad to worse, telling her she would be in a wheelchair in her thirties. However, determined Anais, whose courage has earned her a prestigious Lord Mayor's medal nomination, has vowed to push herself through the pain barrier this weekend and not only complete the Dublin Marathon, but run the entire, grueling course. She said, "I've suffered from pains since when I was a child, but it wasn't until January of last year when I was diagnosed, and at the beginning of this year things got really bad, and it was hard for me to walk, stand up or even be static. "I was also told by a doctor at the time that I'd be in a wheelchair in my thirties, and that was horrible to hear. It upset me, but I'm determined to prove that doctor wrong. "In February I started a new treatment and things have improved. Although this condition can't be cured, it's about controlling the pain and learning to live as normal a life as possible." (10/27/2018) ⚡AMP

Kenya’s Edith Chelimo wants to fly Kenya’s flag high at this year’s Valencia Half Marathon

In the absence of defending champion and world record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei and compatriot Fancy Chemutai, Kenya’s Edith Chelimo will look to fly Kenya’s flag high at this year’s Media Maratón de Valencia Trinidad Alfonso on Sunday.  

Jepkosgei set a world record at last year’s race and in her absence, organizers were looking to lure Chemutai to step up, but the latter was forced to withdraw due to injury earlier this week.

Chelimo however will be looked at as a huge contender having run a 1:05:52 career best set last year in Cardiff, and a season’s best of 1:07:13 from Houston earlier this year. Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba should also be a factor.

The 24-year-old clocked 1:06:50 in Houston where she beat Chelimo. Her compatriots Gudeta Bekelech, who was eighth at last year’s World Championships, set a PB of 1:07:03 last month in Copenhagen. Gelete Burka, who claimed the 2008 world indoor 3000m title in Valencia, is also in the field. The 32-year-old has enjoyed a successful transition to road events, with solid 2:20:45 and 1:08:18 personal bests in the marathon and half marathon.

Other Kenyans on show include Diana Kipyogei (1:07:55), Caroline Rotich (1:08:52) and Risper Chebet (1:09:24) with Eritrea’s Yeshi Chekole (1:09:13) also aiming for a top-five spot.  

(10/26/2018) ⚡AMP

Tirunesh Dibaba wants to win the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Half Marathon

Ethiopian champion, Tirunesh Dibaba, is all set to try her hand on the half marathon course at the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll® San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon on December 2. In addition, 2018 Boston Marathon Champion, Des linden, and 2014 Boston Marathon Champion, Meb Keflezighi, are set to participate in race weekend festivities. Keflezighi will pace the 1:40 half marathon group while Linden will run alongside the winners of the Brooks Run Together contest. All three will make appearances throughout the weekend’s festivities including the press conference on Friday, November 30 and Saturday’s 5K and 10K on December 1, as well as meet & greets with runners and spectators. Widely regarded as one of the best female distance runners of all time, Dibaba is a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist representing Ethiopia. Dibaba won gold in 2008 games in Beijing, China in the 5000m and 10,000m distances as well as in 2012 games in London in the 10,000m race. She is a nine-time World Champion and holds the World Record in the 5000m with a time of 14:11.15. Dibaba was the 2017 Chicago Marathon Champion winning the 40th edition of the race. She has a personal best in the marathon of 2:17:56 which is the fifth fastest of all time and boasts a 1:06:50 personal best in the half marathon. (10/26/2018) ⚡AMP

Sarah Sellers has changed her training schedule getting ready for the New York City Marathon

Sellers narrowed her focus on the fall marathon season. After debating between a few large races, she decided to run the New York City Marathon. “I think New York will be the most competitive field I’ve ever been around,” she said. Her buildup for the November 4 race has been a bit different than Boston, chiefly because of a change in her work schedule. Instead of working 10-hour shifts at the hospital five weekdays in a row, she now takes off either Thursday or Friday, which allows her to do a weekly hard workout during the day rather than squeezing it in before or after work. To log her weekly mileage—which peaked at around 105 miles—Sellers still has to double up most days, which means running at 4 a.m. and after 7 p.m. on the days she works. On her dark morning and evening runs, Sellers said she brings lights to make herself visible to cars. Sometimes she runs with another local marathoner, Katie James, but she’s most often alone on the streets and trails of Tucson. On her easy days, she runs with music, wanting to drown out the haunted howls of coyotes. “I’d rather hear my music and not know what’s going on around me,” she said. (10/26/2018) ⚡AMP

BethAnn Telford has not let Brain Cancer get in the way of her running the Marine corps Marathon

BethAnn Telford has 15 medals from previous Marine Corps Marathons.  The 2005 medal is very special to her. “It wasn’t great bling at the time, but to me, that’s my gold medal,” said Telford. That’s because the year before, Telford fought for her life. While running the Marine Corps Marathon in 2004, Telford first noticed something wasn’t right at mile 19.  “I felt a pop in my head, almost like I was in an airplane and I had to clear my nose or my head,” said Telford. “I started to act like I was drunk and my gait was off. I did finish the race however,” she remembers.  Things didn’t improve when she went to work the following day. Telford found herself walking into furniture that had been there for years and taking the wrong train home. “There was something wrong,” said Telford. Telford’s doctors told her she had brain cancer. The lifelong athlete full of fight was put to the ultimate test: a battle for her life. Soon after, Telford underwent surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. “I had to learn to run, walk and talk again, and deal with skills that were taken away,” Telford said. “But I was determined.” Telford returned to her hometown in Pennsylvania to recover. A few months later, she decided to participate in a 5K in her community. Her father followed her along the course and toward the finish line, cheering her on. “I started to hear him yell like when I was in high school or the hockey field, ‘Beth run! Run Beth!’ and then I knew I was going to be okay,” Telford said. “I ran and finished that 5K.” She hasn’t looked back since. “I thought if I can finish this 5K, I know that I can lace up in October right after my brain surgery and make sure that I get into the Marine Corps Marathon where this all started,” said Telford. “It wasn’t going to be fast, but I was determined that course wasn’t going to get me.” She ran in the Marine Corps Marathon again in 2005, and has run it every year since then. (10/26/2018) ⚡AMP

Yuki Kawauchi felt ashamed of his performance in Chicago but has arrived in Venice with one thing in mind

2018 Boston Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi arrived in Venice, Italy today.  He wrote on Facebook, " I arrived in Venice today.This city is so beautiful. I will run Venice Marathon on Sunday. This will be first race in Italy for me. I heard venetian tiramisu is very delicious.I am looking forward to eat tiramisu after race since it is my most favorite cake. I want to run good race."  On October 20 he ran a 20k race clocking 1:00:48, good enough for second place.  Yuki was very disappointed in his performance at the Chicago Marathon.  Afterwards he called his 2:16:26 19th place finish an embarrassment.  He said he was ashamed and hung his head.  This was his 82nd sub-2:20 marathon. He has run more sub-2:10 marathons since 2011 than the entire running population of the United States put together.  He averages about 11 marathons per year while most of his rivals run two.  He said before the Chicago Marathon that his goal was to destroy the status quo, to show people a different way to approach running and life.  Earlier this month he posted, "I come to win (the Venice Marathon) and I can not wait to do it because, in addition to running, I would like to taste Italian cuisine... Food and marathon will make this weekend unforgettable," says Yuki.    (10/25/2018) ⚡AMP

Kenyan runners are looking at running well again at the Valencia Half Marathon this weekend

Kenya's Pauline Korikwiang, 30, is returning to Spain hoping to win the Valencia Half Marathon in her second attempt on Sunday. She won the Bucharest Half Marathon clocking 1:10:07 in May and she hopes she has the energy to win in Spain. She leads five other Kenyans in the race including Edith Chelimo, Risper Chebet, Diana Chemutai, Mary Wacera (the world half marathon bronze medalist) Caroline Rotich and Ines Chenonge. "I have done well in training and am certain to do well in Valencia. This is part of my preparations for the World Championships, where I hope to do well in the 10,000m race," Korikwiang said on Thursday. The Kenyans will have to face stiff challenges from the Ethiopian delegation led by Kajela Diriba, Helen Tola and Gelete Burka. In the men's race, defending champion Abraham Cheroben of Bahrain will strive to defend his title against an elite team of 30 athletes with 14 of them having run under 60 minutes. Cheroben won last year's race clocking 59:11. The Kenyan challenge will be led by Jorum Okombo Lumbasi (58:48), Solomon Yego (58:44), Mangata Ndiwa (59:09), Abraham Kiptum (59:09) and Josphat Boit (59:19) with the Ethiopian brigade led by Yemal Yimer (59:00), Belihu Berta (59:51) and Getaneh Molla (60:18).   (10/25/2018) ⚡AMP

Adriele Silva hopes to be the first double amputee to finish the New York City Marathon

Adriele Silva, 31, from Brazil looks forward to crossing the finish line of the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 4, 2018. A spokesperson for the New York Road Runners believes she will be the first female double amputee to complete the full New York City Marathon. “I hope to inspire people when they see me run and challenge them to go after things that seem unachievable,” said Silva, who will be running her first full marathon. “Where I come from, people often look down on you for having a disability, but I don’t think about that. When I face a challenge, I look for ways to overcome it. I see the possibilities, and that keeps me going.”  Silva’s road to the New York City Marathon began in 2012, when she went to a hospital in her hometown of Jundiai, outside of São Paulo, Brazil, after feeling severe pain. Having received pain medications, she was sent home. Overnight, her situation worsened. She returned to the hospital the next day to find out that her problem was serious — a kidney stone had clogged her urinary tract and caused an infection. Within hours, Silva was in an induced coma. For 20 days she remained comatose, her body fighting a losing battle against the bacteria. During that time, the infection led to a lack of blood circulation in her legs. To save her life, doctors had only one choice: to amputate her legs. They brought her out of the coma to get her consent to proceed with the amputation. When she was finally cleared of the infection after 64 days, the now bilateral amputee left the hospital to go and learn to live again. “Before the amputation, I had no desire to run,” she says. “After it happened, I started getting more interested. I wanted to become normal again.” Since then, Silva has taken up running, cycling, swimming, and other sports. She has participated in 20 running races in Brazil and in China, where she completed the Great Wall Half Marathon in 2018. (10/25/2018) ⚡AMP

Galen Rupp will miss the spring marathon season following left foot surgery after his fifth-place finish in the Chicago Marathon

Galen Rupp is the only US man to break 2:11 in the marathon over the last three years.  He has been the top U.S. marathoner since debuting at 26.2 miles at the February 2016 Olympic Trials. He won that race in Los Angeles, then took bronze in Rio (adding to his 2012 Olympic 10,000m silver medal). Rupp then finished second at his first city marathon in Boston in 2017 and won Chicago later that year. He was one of many dropouts at this year’s Boston Marathon, with the worst weather in the oldest annual marathon’s recent history. Rupp’s surgery last Friday was related to an Achilles injury that forced him to withdraw before the Sept. 16 Copenhagen Half Marathon and flared up near the end of the Chicago Marathon — Haglund’s Deformity, a bony bump on his heel that caused the tendon to fray, according to the Oregonian.  (10/25/2018) ⚡AMP

70-year-old Gene Dykes has been named USATF Athlete of the Week

Gene Dykes from Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania set an American masters 70-74 record in the marathon to earn USATF Athlete of the Week.

Dykes, 70, won the 70-74 age group in the WMA Marathon Championships at the Scotiabank Toronto Marathon, running 2:55:18 to take more than two minutes off his own American record. He was also only 30 seconds off the world 70-74 best, set by Canadian legend Ed Whitlock. Dykes and Whitlock are the only two men over 70 to have broken three hours in the marathon. 

Gene wrote this on FB before the race, "On Sunday I will be running the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and the big goal is to beat one of the most revered marathon records on the books - Ed Whitlock's M70-74 age group record of 2:54:48, which he ran in 2004 at the ripe old age of 73. 

If all goes well, it will probably be a nail-biter. I've been training hard for about eight weeks and training has gone well."

(10/25/2018) ⚡AMP

Thousands took to the streets at night in the Greek coastal town of Thessaloniki

Thousands of runners took to the streets of Thessaloniki, Greece’s last week to test their limits in the 7th International Thessaloniki Night Half Marathon. More than 18,000 participants, including long distance athletes, Olympic and Paralympic champions, people with disabilities, running enthusiasts and youngsters from 56 countries tried their luck in the 21.1km half marathon, the 5km Health Running Race and the 5km Power Walking Race.  Kenya’s Sammy Kipngetich was the winner of the 7th International Thessaloniki Night Half Marathon, crossing the finish line at the city’s famous White Tower in 1:06:09, followed by compatriot Hosea Kimeli Kisorio in 1:07:10 and in third place, Greece’s Giorgos Menis, with a time of 1:07:55. Rania Rembouli came in first in the women’s category with a new record at  1:14:30, followed by Vivian Jerope Kemboi from Kenya clocking 1:17:39, and Foteini Dagkli-Pagkoto in third place with a time of 1:20:47. (10/24/2018) ⚡AMP

Kenya's Brimin Kipkorir will compete at the more lucrative Athens Marathon instead of Nairobi

Kenya's champion Brimin Kipkorir has withdrawn from Sunday's Nairobi International Marathon and will instead compete at the more lucrative Athens Marathon on November 11. Kipkorir, who clocked a time of 2:12.39 in winning last year's event, said he has been forced to choose between the two races and believes he has more to prove in Greece. "I have great respect for the Nairobi Marathon; it opened the way for me. Now that I have another chance to run in Athens, it is better I take the chance. There are many Kenyans who can run in Nairobi and even beat my time," he said in Eldoret on Monday. However, Kipkorir disclosed that he has been battling an ankle injury, which he picked up in training back in April. But he believes it has gone past its worst stage and will be ready to show the world that he is among the contenders for the title. "I had an ankle injury, but it has healed and I am targeting a podium finish in Athens. I have battled with the ankle injury since April, but am now at my normal fitness and back in training," he said. (10/24/2018) ⚡AMP

Abraham Cheroben will battle it out with at least 14 other sub one hour runners at the Valencia Half Marathon

Defending champion Kenyan-born Abraham Cheroben of Bahrain will battle it out with 30 elite athletes, with at least 14 having run in less than an hour, at the upcoming Valencia Half Marathon.  Cheroben is aiming to retain the crown he won last year in 59:11. Among the elite field is a host of Kenyans led by two times Family Bank Half Marathon champion Jorum Okombo Lumbasi (58:48), Solomon Kirwa Yego (58:44), Mangata Ndiwa (59:09), Abraham Kiptum (59:09) and Josphat Boit (59:19) the pace maker, who guided Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge to break the world marathon record in Berlin. (10/24/2018) ⚡AMP

Sam Smith who has autism loves the feeling of playing ice hockey and running the Marine Corp Marathon

There is nothing quite like hitting the ice says Sam Smith. He is number 99 on the Washington Ice Doges hockey team. “You can’t walk away from it,” he said, as he put on his helmet. “Once you step on the ice with skates and you’re a hockey player, hockey is your life.” He’s played for the Washington Ice Dogs, a special needs ice hockey team, for 20 years. “It feels good to be on the ice. It feels good to score goals,” he said, smiling.  Another awesome feeling, he says, is crossing the finish line at the Marine Corps Marathon. “This will be Marine Corps Marathon number six for me!” This year, he’s running alongside teammate Elias Tsakiris and two of their coaches.  Smith and Tsakiris, who both have autism, are running to raise money for their team. “I think it shows their leadership abilities,” said Stacie Manger, Communications Director. “I think it shows how much this team means to them. And I think it shows how much they want the community to believe in them, too.”  (10/24/2018) ⚡AMP

Lizzie Lee will lead the Irish charge at the Dublin Marathon on Sunday

Lizzie Lee, Mick Clohisey and Gary O’Hanlon are expected to lead the Irish charge at the Dublin Marathon on Sunday, October 28.  Lee finished 29th in the marathon at the European Championships in August, will face Remalda Kergyte of Lithuania, Caroline Jepchirchir of Kenya, and Ethiopian duo Motu Gedefa and Mesera Dubiso. Kergyte, has a personal best of 2.35.13, while Jepchirchir won this year’s Belfast Marathon. Lee has a personal best of 2:32.51 from Berlin in 2015 and last competed in the Dublin Marathon in 2006. The Olympic marathoner has shown good form this season, setting a new personal best of 1:13:19 at the World Half Marathon Championships in March.  The Irish national title will be a battle between Lee and fellow Olympian Caitriona Jennings who placed second in the 2017 National Championships. (10/24/2018) ⚡AMP

Dan Jones will go head-to-head with Russell Bentley at the Snowdonia Marathon

This year returning champion Dan Jones will go head-to-head with 2016 winner Russell Bentley in what promises to be a great battle on the roads of Snowdonia, as both will want to make it to the top of the podium once again. Bentley has been rounding into some great form after completing the Berlin Marathon in September, finishing second at the Chester Marathon in early October and running a season’s best half marathon time of 1:08:26 in Manchester last weekend. Jones will be equally tuned-up for Snowdonia. The Team Bath man has had some solid autumn performances and after finishing second to Bentley in 2016 he returned to take the title in emphatic style last year. Gary Priestley will make Snowdonia his debut marathon and with a personal best half marathon of 1:08:23 the Salford Harrier will also look to challenge for honors next weekend. An interesting entrant in the men’s race is Julius Mwangi. The Kenyan runner was a 2:15 marathoner back in 2004, but has not raced much the last couple of years. (10/23/2018) ⚡AMP

Gene Dykes is only the second person 70 plus to run a sub three hour marathon

70-year-old Gene Dykes, of Philadelphia, only missed breaking Ed Whitlock‘s 70-74 age group record of 2:54:48 at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon yesterday by 34 seconds. Dykes is still the only other person in the world besides Whitlock to run a sub-3 marathon at the age of 70. It happened the first time earlier this year at the Rotterdam Marathon on April 8, just a few days after Dykes turned 70 on April 3. He ran 2:57. “My daughter contacted an Amsterdam newspaper and they splashed my picture on the front page,” Dykes said, joking that “you can get anything you want if you have a lot of chutzpah.” Dykes sets a string of records and it happened again Sunday (Oct 21), with Dykes’ 2:55:18 finish at Scotiabank, just shy of Whitlock’s record. Dykes only took up marathon running at age 58, and he only started breaking records last year, when he broke seven USATF age-group records in a single track race: the 15K, 10 mile, 20K, 25K, 30K, 20 mile, and 2-hour records. Also last year, he was one of only 13 people to run the “triple crown” of 200-mile trail ultramarathons, consisting of the Bigfoot 200, the Tahoe 200, and the Moab 240. And he was the oldest finisher in each. (10/23/2018) ⚡AMP

Allie Kieffer won the Toronto Waterfront Half as she gets ready for the New York Marathon

Allie Kieffer won the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon Sunday clocking 1:12:44. Kieffer made a name for herself when she was the second American woman to cross the finish line at the 2017 New York City Marathon. After New York she trained in Kenya for seven weeks racking up 110 miles per week. Kieffer will be running the New York Marathon again in a couple of weeks. She most likely used her race in Toronto as a tune-up for New York. Second place female went to Reneta Plis in 1:13:58, and third place to Claire Sumner in 1:14:24. In the men’s race Will Norris took the win in 1:05:30, followed by Chris Balestrini in 1:05:47 and third place went to Lee Wesselius 1:07:21. The highlighted event was the marathon. Kenya’s Benson Kipruto, 27, was the overall winner clocking 2:07:21, with Mimi Belete of Bahrain winning the women’s marathon and breaking the course record of 2:22:43.  Cam Levins set a new Canadian's national record clocking 2:09:22.    (10/23/2018) ⚡AMP

Count down to the third Run The World Global Run Challenge

The little country of Palau had a lot to celebrate after finishing 5th in the Run The World Global Run Challenge 2 that concluded October 12.  

Palau's team leader Aaron Salvador posted in the RTW Feed, "This is now the fruit of our labors, those sweats, early morning runs, long runs and running under the rain/heat of the sun are all worth it." 

He himself ran and logged 378 miles during the 44 day event.  Miles ran and logged in Palau totalled 1,187.  Team members only ran more miles in the countries of United States, Kenya, India and South Africa. 

Palau is located in the western Pacific Ocean.  There are mountain and sandy beaches on its east coast and grassy fields surrounded by palm trees in the north.  Current population is just under 22,000.  Aaron and team will be competing again in the up-coming RTW Challenge 3 starting October 29. 

"Our team from around the world is being put together now," says Bob Anderson Team Caption.  "We have runners of all abilities on our team.  Current and past elite runners make up our team as well as runners who have just started running.  All ages run and walk with us from age 11 to age 74." 

34-year-old team member Carmen Gair from South Africa wrote, "RTW Challenge 2 motivated me to log more mileage than I have ever done before in a similar time frame. I can’t wait to see what Challenge 3 brings. Absolutely love being part of this wonderful running community."  

62-year-old Kiranpal Singh Dhody from India will be participating for the third times says, "I love running for fitness...I try to push myself to get good timings in competitions and get podium finishes. The RTW Challenge helps me push myself."  

RTW Challenge 3 starts October 29.  It is easy to participate.  Just run, race or walk and then log these miles (k's) into your My Best Runs account.  

South Africa team leader Lize Dumon posted,  "I haven't realized how precious this RTW community has become to me. It is like an extended running family...It has become a place where I learn so much about running from reading everybody's posts and a place of immense encouragement... bring on Challenge 3."  

This event was created by 70-year-old Bob Anderson who founded Runner's World when he was 17 and published it for 18 years.  "I hope you will join our team," says Bob.  "Sign up by October 29 or join us along the way."      

(10/22/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

On her debut Eilish McColgan won the Great South Run

Eilish McColgan followed in her mother's footsteps to win the Great South Run on her debut in the event. The 27-year-old, running competitively over 10 miles (16km) for the first time, clocked a time of 54:43 to take victory, beating Steph Twell and reigning champion Gemma Steel. McColgan's mother Liz won the event twice - in 1995 and 1997. In the men's race, Chris Thompson became the first athlete to win the event for a third time. Thompson also beat his previous best time, the 37-year-old finishing in 46:56. McColgan said: "I'm so happy. That was such a strange experience. I didn't know what to expect and to be honest that was probably what helped in a way. "My mum said to me 'Don't look at your watch, don't look at times, just be competitive and race the other girls', and that's what I did today. (10/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Trevor Van Ackeren won the Runner's World Half Marathon for the second time

Trevor Van Ackeren of Bethlehem on Sunday won the Runner's World Half Marathon in Bethlehem, Penn clocking 1:08:01, placing first for the second year in a row. Leigh Sharek of Brooklyn, N.Y., won the women’s race clocking 1:17:53. The three-day Festival featured live music, a fitness expo, a dog race and a kids' race. (10/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Canada’s Cam Levins breaks Jerome Drayton’s national marathon Record in Toronto

Cam Levins had the marathon debut of his life Sunday (Oct 21) at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, crossing the finish line in 2:09:22 and breaking Jerome Drayton’s Canadian national record of 2:10:09 in the process. That record comes with a $43,000 (CAD) payday–$1,000 for every year the record has stood. Levins finished fourth . Kenya’s Benson Kipruto, 27, was the overall winner clocking 2:07:21, with Mimi Belete of Bahrain winning the women’s marathon and breaking the course record of 2:22:43.  Cam was certain a record was within his grasp at the 40K mark. The final two kilometers went by so fast for him that it seemed like a sprint. “It was pretty much a blur, especially the last half-kilometre,” Levins said. “Everything was flying by at that point."  The 29-year-old from Black Creek, B.C., did his best to focus on the finish line where his wife, Elizabeth, mother, Barb, and father, Gus, were waiting.  He eclipsed a national record by former long-distance champion Jerome Drayton – and by a substantial 44 seconds.   “It is such an old record, it is nice to be the one to take it down,” Mr. Levins said. “It’s a good one to check off the list." (10/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Evan Gates and Laurie Knowles were the winners at the PNC Atlanta 10 miler

Brisk fall weather and enthusiastic crowd support welcomed 6,500 participants for the sixth annual PNC Atlanta 10 Miler & 5K at Atlantic Station. Runners and walkers explored west Midtown, Buckhead and Midtown neighborhoods then enjoyed their accomplishment with a post-race celebration. Evan Gates of Durham, North Carolina, blazed the way for the men in the 10 Miler, finishing in 51 minutes, 30 seconds, more than four minutes ahead of second-place finisher Jack Bordoni (54:45). A graduate student at Duke University, Gates was in town for a biomedical engineering conference and decided to run the race on a whim. “The win was a perfect cap to put on the end of my weekend,” Gates said in a news release. “I’ve had a great time with great food now a great race.” A modest description of his performance, as Gates broke the tape more than five minutes faster than last year’s winner. On the women’s side, Atlanta Track Club Elite member Laurie Knowles took her fourth event win of the year in 58:33. Knowles also won the Northside Hospital Atlanta Women’s 5K, Atlanta’s Finest 5K and the Braves Country 5K in 2018 alone. Preparing for a marathon in coming weeks, she implemented today’s run as part of her training regimen. (10/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Bereket Alem kidanu of Ethiopia wins the Atlantic City Marathon

Bereket Alem Kidanu, an Ethiopian living in New York City, liked his first visit to Atlantic City on Sunday, and there was no one in his way blocking the view. Alem Kidanu, 33, of Addis Ababa, won the 60th annual Atlantic City Marathon by well over two minutes in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 23 seconds on the Boardwalk at Michigan Avenue. The win was his fourth marathon victory.  Karen Lockyer, 40, of Austin, Texas, was the women’s champion in 2:55:28, earning her third marathon win. (10/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Whitney Black and Steven Phillips crossed the finish line together and they get married during the race

The plan was, as reported earlier, that this couple would start off as boyfriend and girlfriend and be married by the time they finished a marathon Sunday.  The couple, Whitney Black and Steven Phillips started the 41st Detroit Free Press/Chemical Bank Marathon together single. When they crossed the finish line together 4 hours and 47 minutes later, Whitney and Steven Phillips were officially husband and wife. The Grand Rapids-area couple became the first to get married during the Detroit marathon. The annual event has been the setting for several marriage proposals, but never before had anyone tied the knot in the middle of the race. The bride and groom were among the 25,307 people registered for this weekend's lineup of races.  (10/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Tsehay Gemechu breaks the course record at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon

The pre-race publicity for the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2018 focused on a duel between Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba and Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgogei, quite rightly considering their careers and 2018 racing records, but Dibaba’s compatriot Tsehay Gemechu hadn’t read the script and flew to a course record of 1:06:50 on Sunday October 21.  Gemechu, running her first half marathon, took four seconds off the nine-year-old previous record for the IAAF Gold Label Road Race, set by Kenya’s Mary Keitany in 2009, to take the $27,000 (US) first prize in one of the  richest half marathon in the world. In a race full of drama and surprises, the 20-year-old Ethiopian outsprinted the world record holder Jepkosgei in the final few hundred metres, the latter taking second place in 1:06:56, with Ethiopia’s Zeineba Yimer running a strong final five kilometres to take third in 1:06:59.  In the men’s race, Andamlak Belihu started the Ethiopian success story in the Indian capital on Sunday with an assured run over the final third of the race, having pushed the pace from just after the halfway point. At 15km, passed in 42:41, four men were together – Belihu and his fellow Ethiopian Amdework Walelegn, Kenya’s Daniel Kipchumba and Eritrea’s Aron Kifle – but soon Belihu pushed again and only Walelegn could follow him. The two 19-year-olds stayed together, although Belihu always looked the more comfortable and confident, until the final 250 metres when the eventual winner turned the screw again and crossed the line in 59:18 with Walelegn finishing four seconds behind him in 59:22. “After finishing second last year, I came here determined to win and I was looking at the course record (59:06 by Ethiopia’s Guye Adola in 2014) but the pacemakers in the first half of the race didn’t do a good job,” said Belihu, despite the fact that the leaders were taken through 10km in 28:01. “As for next year, I’m not going to move up to the marathon just yet. I have the World Cross Country Championships and 10,000m on the track at the world championships next summer as my targets,” he added. Kipchumba and Kifle also broke the hour in Delhi with 59:48 and 59:50 in third and fourth respectively, to emphasise the depth and quality of the race and potential for running quick times on the course. (10/21/2018) ⚡AMP

Lawrence Cherono shattered the course record at Amsterdam Marathon

Kenyan’s Lawrence Cherono shattered the course record at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, clocking 2:04:06 at the 43rd edition of this IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday October 21. Running in nearly ideal conditions with cloudy skies and very light winds - Cherono clipped more than a minute from the 2:05:09 course record and lifetime best he set last year. The 30-year-old also broke the Netherlands' all-comers record of 2:04:27 set by Duncan Kibet in Rotterdam in 2009. A lead group of 14, including Cherono and Kenenisa Bekele, sped through the opening five in 14:33 and 29:08 through ten, in range similar to the 14:29 and 29:01 splits that propelled Eliud Kipchoge to his world record run in Berlin last month. The leaders reached 15 in 44:03 and 20k in 59:00, well inside the 59:52 course record pace that guided Cherono last year. When the half was reached in 1:02:11, 11 men still remained in contention.  But after 25 kilometers (1:13:48) the lead group slowly began to unravel. The last remaining pacesetter, Edwin Kiptoo, completed his chores just before the 30 -mark, with Bekele, Özbilen and Alamirew falling back soon thereafter. Cherono switched gears near the city's Filmmuseum before pulling away for the decisive victory. "I am happy with my race," said Cherono, whose performance squalled the fourth fastest run of 2018. "Today the weather that was very good: little wind and an ideal temperature. That made it possible to run harder this year. My goal was to run 2:04 and that worked." Wasihun and Deksisa were next, clocking 2:04:37 and 2:04:40 respectively, also under the previous course record. There was good depth behind them. Kipketer was fourth in 2:06:15, Özbilen fifth in 2:06:24 and Laban Korir sixth in 2:06:33. Abate (2:06:47) and Jonathan Korir (2:06:51) also broke 2:07. Bekele meanwhile didn't finish, dropping out near his hotel at about 40 from where he chose to walk back to his room. (10/21/2018) ⚡AMP

Indian long distance runner Nitender Singh Rawat is determined to produce his best performance at the Delhi Half Marathon

Rawat was the fastest among Indian runners along with fellow Indian Army athlete G. Laxmanan at last year's event. But a technical issue placed Rawat at the overall seventh position ahead of Laxmanan. I have been training hard for the last five to six months for this year's marathon. I am confident of registering a better time than last year and improving my overall standing," Rawat told reporters.  When asked about his rivalry with Laxmanan, Rawat chose to play it cool. "I have forgotten all about last year. I am only thinking about Sunday's race," he said. Thonakal Gopi, who took gold at the Asian Marathon Championships last year, will be another Indian to watch out for this year. Gopi, who was the fastest Indian at the Mumbai Marathon earlier this year, is also confident of a good performance. "My life saw several changes after the 2016 Olympics. Since then I have trained hard and improved my timings. I have learnt a lot since then. I want to win more international medals," he said.     (10/20/2018) ⚡AMP

Jerome Drayton's Canadian marathon record of 2:10:09 has stood for nearly 43 years

 Jerome Drayton's mark of 2:10:28 from the 1975 Fukuoka Marathon is the current national Canadian record. Drayton, who lives in Toronto, is 73 years-old now. "Two-ten is obviously a good time," remarked two-time Canadian Olympic marathoner Reid Coolsaet, who came close to Drayton's record at the 2015 BMW Berlin Marathon where he ran 2:10:28. Speaking at a press conference here this morning in advance of Sunday's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon he added, "[But], especially after Eliud Kipchoge's record (2:01:39) we need a faster national record. With guys like Cam stepping up to the marathon, it's just a matter of time before it goes." "Cam," of course, is Cameron Levins, the 29 year-old Canadian Olympian who holds the national record of 27:07.51 for 10,000m. A former Nike Oregon Project athlete who now represents Hoka One One, Levins will be making his long-awaited marathon debut here this Sunday. He'll be running primarily for the Athletics Canada national title, but with a CAD 43,000 bonus (USD 32,800) on the line for taking down Drayton's mark, the record is definitely on Levins's mind. His 10,000m best is equivalent to a 2:06:38 marathon by using one popular conversion formula. "I'm in great shape," Levins told the media here today, looking relaxed in a hooded sweatshirt, his hands folded in his lap. "I'm ready to attack the Canadian record." Levins, who was notorious for running exceptionally high mileage during his NCAA career at Southern Utah University, stuck with a high-mileage diet for this race, too. He estimated that he averaged 168 miles (270 kilometers) per week, splitting his time between his sea level home in Portland, Ore., and the high altitude of Cedar City, Utah, where he lived and trained in college. He said he adapted well to marathon training after an uncertain start. "I was a little nervous about getting into the new kind of training," Levins told Race Results Weekly. "I mean, I'm into it now. I know I'm going to do more beyond this. I can see it becoming, just, what I do." But first, he had to get through Sunday's race. Long-time race director Alan Brookes has assembled one of his best elite fields led by two-time race winner Philemon Rono of Kenya (2:06:52 PB), 2012 Olympic Marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda (2:06:33), 2017 Seoul Marathon runner-up Felix Kandie of Kenya (2:06:03), and New Zealand record holder Jake Robertson (2:08:26). Levins, who said he will run with the second group, made sure he put enough long runs which included very specific goals. As a track runner, his long runs were mostly just for adding miles, he said, at an easy pace. (10/20/2018) ⚡AMP

Jeffrey Redfern won the 18th annual Baltimore Running Festival

Redfern, an attorney for a non-profit organization, took the lead at mile 21 and finished the marathon in 2:30:26. He participated in last year’s marathon as a tune-up for the New York Marathon, but did not finish to save his legs. On the women’s side, Julia Roman-Duval of Columbia captured her first marathon title in 2:47:42. The astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore ran the marathon as a training run for the California International Marathon/USATF National Championship on Dec. 2. Last year’s men’s winner, Jordan Tropf, and women’s champion, Silvia Baage, did not return to repeat as marathon winners. Runners were greeted with favorable conditions Saturday morning. The overnight rain ended and temperatures were in the mid-50s as the marathon began. (10/20/2018) ⚡AMP