Running News Daily

New Zealand's first Ultra staged Run starts on Sunday

The Alps 2 Ocean Ultra (New Zealand's first ultra-staged race) will see 130 runners from 15 countries on the start line looking towards a finish in Oamaru seven days later after covering 316-kilometres following the off road Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail for much of the journey. Race director Mike Sandri says, "This run will not be easy and you will be pushed to your limit. You will get tired, sore, hungry and may even get the odd blister - all those things that go with ultra-stage running. But at the same time, I guarantee when you get back home and have recovered, you will have loved it and most importantly have met some amazing people." (02/22/2018) ⚡AMP
Epic Running Adventures

The Diacore Gaborone Marathon is now offering a 1 Million Pula Prize

In an unprecedented move, Diacore Gaborone Marathon (about 10 miles from the South African border) kicks off the year with a groundbreaking reward, calling on the fastest runners worldwide. It is with great enthusiasm that Diacore announces that 1 million pula ($105,000US) will be up for grabs for the first runner to complete the 42.2km Marathon in under 2 hours and 08 minutes. This is a monumental move as it will not only put the current Diacore Gaborone Marathon 42.2km record of 2 hours and 17 minutes into contention, but is also sure to attract elite runners from across the world. (02/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Dean Wight will be running his 27th Comrades Marathon

The name, Dean Wight, is synonymous with running and the man behind that name has organized copious running events and this year will run the Comrades Marathon as an ambassador for the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust. The Gillitts, South Africa resident said his journey into the world of running began when he was invited to attend a fun run when he was 11 years old. From that single race, his passion and love for the sport has grown in leaps and bounds. Dean has run 26 Comrades Marathons, 117 standard marathons and 51 ultra marathons. (02/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Andy Bell dropped 100 pounds and now is training to run Boston at 7:30 pace

About 5 1/2 years ago, Andy Bell was taking medication for his blood pressure, cholesterol and anxiety. He looked at the scale and saw it read 265 pounds. Bell's wife, suggested running in the SMT Turkey Trot — a Thanksgiving Day 5K. “To be honest, I thought that was really stupid," Bell said. "I didn’t know why anyone would want to run on Thanksgiving morning.” In the 5 1/2 years since that first 5K, Bell has run 100 Spartan Races. He lost 100 pounds, then put on 15 of pure muscle. He picks out one medal in particular, from the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton. The 2016 race was one of the first qualifying events for the 2018 Boston Marathon. The man who once couldn't run two minutes is now planning to run Boston at a 7:30 per mile pace or better. (02/22/2018) ⚡AMP

This will be my 25th year running the Carlsbad 5000 March 25

“I first ran the Carlsbad 5000 in 1994,“ says Bob Anderson “I was 46-years old and what attracted me to the race in Carlsbad, California was three things. First, there were multiple races (start times) for different age groups (Including men 40 plus). They even had a separate elite race featuring some of the world’s best runner. Second, the city of Carlsbad is a real gem. Third, the super fast course that Steve Scott set up...This will be number 25 for me, running in the 70-74 age group this year. I have run as fast as 17:08 in 1997 and as slow as 42:12 in 2010 when I walked it after fracturing two ribs two days earlier. But I bounced back the next year and ran 19:53 at age 63.” Bob and his wife Catherine drive down from Los Altos each year on Friday to relax and enjoy the town. (02/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Inma Zanoguera Former UT basketball player set for Sahara Marathon

Zanoguera isn’t sure what she’ll get out her first marathon. The basketball player has eagerly awaited this moment, and now it’s just days away. Though she’s returned to UT for graduate school, she has tirelessly trained since the summer. But she’s not just passionate because it’s a challenge — it will be unmistakably challenging, especially given that the race is in the Sahara Desert. Zanoguera is bringing awareness to a refugee issue in Tindouf, Algeria, that turns out to affect her far more personally than she ever grew up wanting to know. “The thing about the truth is that it always comes out,” Zanoguera said. “If you don’t find it, it’ll find you and it’ll eat you alive.” (02/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Do Runners Even Need to Replace Electrolytes?

Pretty much any sports drink you can find on the market will have three main ingredients: water, sugar, and electrolytes....When we talk about “electrolytes,” we’re primarily referring to sodium ions, which make up the bulk of the non-water content of your sweat. Sodium is what makes your sweat taste salty, and it’s the primary constituent of the electrolytes lost in sweat. Some potassium is lost in sweat as well, but potassium losses are about one-tenth of sodium losses. According to traditional logic, if you’re losing electrolytes in your sweat, you need to replace them with a sports drink. Some people have even suggested that rehydrating without replacing electrolytes lost in sweat can lead to hyponatremia, a dangerous medical condition where the sodium levels in your blood are too low. But scientific research paints a different picture. Although electrolytes are indeed lost in sweat, they are at a lower concentration in sweat than in blood. So as you sweat more and become dehydrated, the sodium levels in your body rise, as the fractional losses of sodium have a concentrating effect. (02/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Amid the chaos she escapes the business of life to run...It gives her peace

Balancing a life of motherhood and elite athletic training is no small task. With a husband, four children and a job, Suzi Swinehart has had to learn the art of balance as her time gets split between training, award ceremonies, sports events, homework help, children bickering, cleaning, grocery shopping and cooking. The Fort Wayne, Ind woman is an ultra runner and runs 80 to 100 miles per week. On top of rigorous training, she takes care of her family and works part-time as a behavior therapist. “There are days when my brain just spins and spins,” she says. “It can be extremely stressful.” Amid the chaos, time seems to slow when Swinehart escapes the business of life to run. “It's like therapy for me,” she says. “It gives me peace.” As an ultra runner, she recently participated in a 24-hour running event. She ran 128 miles – 28 miles farther than her personal record and two miles farther than her goal of beating the men's record for that course. (02/22/2018) ⚡AMP

This study found that runners live 3.2 years longer compared to non-runners

A study suggests the risk of premature death goes down when running shoes are laced up.

“We found that runners had a 3.2 years longer life expectancy, compared with non-runners,” said researchers in an article titled Running as a Key Lifestyle Medicine for Longevity, published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Reporting that runners have a 25 to 40 per cent reduced risk of premature mortality, the researchers — who hail from Harvard Medical School, Iowa State University, Hartford Hospital, University of South Carolina and University of Queensland School of Medicine — noted that running protects against cardiovascular disease and cancer, two leading causes of death in developed countries.

(02/21/2018) ⚡AMP

Kipsang's brother will be one of his pacemakers on Sunday

"I missed out on the world record narrowly last year (Tokyo Marathon) and I want to see if I can be able to achieve that time on Sunday with my pacemakers," Wilson Kipsang said Monday before his departure to Japan.

Interestingly, Kipsang’s brother, Noah Kiprotich will be among the pacemakers for Sunday’s race. Kiprotich, who has been training alongside Kipsang, is optimistic that he will be able to help his brother lower the course record.

“I’m privileged to be among the top cream of pacemakers in Tokyo and our mission is to help my brother lower the course record and if possible break the world record time,” he said, after a training session with Kipsang. Kiprotich, 29, has been participating in road races and has a personal best of 60:25 achieved at last year’s Udine Half marathon triumph in Italy.

(02/21/2018) ⚡AMP

Plogga is a hot new trend for Runners in Sweden to help save the planet

Founded in 2016 by Swedish environmentalist Erik Ahlström, plogga involves organized running groups equipped with gloves and garbage bags picking up garbage while out on a jog. It is a way to clean up our streets and prevent our oceans from being filled with plastic and garbage. Everyone can help since it’s as easy as picking up a piece of plastic on the side of the road while getting your daily exercise. “For years I have tried to change a behavior that I think is a sign of an unhealthy society without respect for each other, and that is littering. The solution is simple,” says Erik Ahlström, the founder of Plogga. “Sounds like a good way to keep our trails and sidewalk clear of trash. Maybe do a regular workout first or last and do this as a cool down or warm up OR just do a Plogga,” says Bob Anderson. (02/21/2018) ⚡AMP

Allison Macsas qualified for 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials on tough course

“Winning the Austin Marathon for the second time was even more magical than the first,” said Alison Macsas. “The amount of hometown support coupled with a deeper field and cool weather helped me feel stronger than I had thought possible, and ended with an OTQ which was a huge surprise! The entire event was incredibly well-executed and I can’t think of a more rewarding place to win a marathon than here in Austin.” The highlight of the day featured Allison Macsas qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials on the revamped marathon course, finishing in 2:43:11, in front of family and friends. (02/21/2018) ⚡AMP

World's Women-only Nagoya Marathon Elite Field is very strong

The Nagoya Women's Marathon is the largest women-only marathon in the world, one with a long history as an elite race and adapting to the times with a mass-participation field of 20,000. The last few years it has seen a series of dynamic, high-level performances by top Japanese women, from Sairi Maeda's 2:22:48 in 2015 to the 2:23:19 to 2:23:20 sprint finish battle between Tomomi Tanaka and Rei Ohara in 2016 to Yuka Ando's stellar 2:21:36 debut and teammate Mao Kiyota's 2:23:47 breakthrough last year. Maeda, Ohara and Kiyota all return this year to face the Kenyan trio of Lucy Kabuu, Valary Jemeli and Flomena Cheyech Daniel. (02/21/2018) ⚡AMP

When I first saw the Boston Marathon in 1964 I fell in Love and I ran it in 1966

In 1966 23-year-old Bobbi Gibb from Massachusetts laced up a pair of boy’s running shoes, sprang from some bushes in Hopkinton, Mass., and proceeded to set a record that can never be beat. She was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. And she did it in defiance of race officials who proclaimed women were incapable of running any such distance. In fact, she and all women were banned. Today, hundreds of thousands of women finish marathons regularly and while they may not even be aware of it, they owe something to Bobbi. She is now in her 70's, has written a book Wind In The Fire and a movie by the same name is under development by Yarrow Kraner. (02/21/2018) ⚡AMP

It is never to late to run your first Marathon says 72-year-old Breast cancer survivor

You could say passion for sport runs in the Liptak family, from former Crows footballer Matthew to personal trainer Anna. Now the siblings’ mother, 72-year-old Margaret Liptak, is taking on her biggest fitness challenge of all — attempting her first marathon at the New York City Marathon in November. The 42km route will be a big challenge for Mrs Liptak, but her daughter Anna will be there every step of the way. She says crossing the finish line with Anna would be “just wonderful.” “That is really my main inspiration. I am not sure I’ll be able to complete it ... but I am hopeful.” Mrs Liptak is no stranger to challenges, having overcome breast cancer following a diagnosis a few years ago. (02/21/2018) ⚡AMP

I liked the way I felt after finishing a run and have never missed a day in nearly 38 years

Lois Bastien of Pinellas Park, Florida, who is 81, has run at least one mile everyday for 37.85 years (13,823 days as of today), which is the longest female streak in the US.

"It wasn't a conscious decision, nor a New Year's resolution," she says. "I was just being a good mom and supporting a daughter who wanted to make her high school cross country team. That was 37 years ago," says Lois, now a great-grandmother.

"I've just been at it every day since." Her then-teenage daughter developed knee problems and had to stop running.

"But I liked the way I felt after finishing a run, full of vigor and glad to be alive, so I kept going. It is just part of my daily routine," Lois says.

(02/20/2018) ⚡AMP

After seven week break Kawauchi runs another sub 2:12 marathon - his 26th

After a seven-week break from the marathon, Yuki Kawauchi scored his third-straight marathon win, second-straight course record and came just shy of a third-straight negative split as he ran a completely solo 2:11:46 to take almost six minutes off the Kitakyushu Marathon course record.

Following up on negative split wins at December's Hofu Yomiuri Marathon and January's Marshfield New Year's Day Marathon, the latter a course record by half an hour, Kawauchi was on his own in Kitakyushu the whole way.

After a 1:05:51 split at halfway he slowed slightly finishing the second half in 1:05:55. Along with the course record, Kawauchi extended his record for most career sub-2:12 marathons to 26 as he continues to prepare for the Boston Marathon.

(02/20/2018) ⚡AMP

Kenya’s Francis Kiplagat was killed late Monday in grisly road accident

Kenyan Athlete Francis Kiplagat was among those who perished in a tragic road accident along the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway late Monday night. The athletes were travelling back to Eldoret after spending the day in Nairobi processing travel visas to compete abroad including the Paris half marathon. Kiplagat, 28, is credited with nine career victories by the Association of Road Running Statisticians, with lifetime bests of 14:58 (5km), 29:45 (10km), 62:49 (Half Marathon) and 2:15:57 (Marathon). (02/20/2018) ⚡AMP

Top eight America’s Cities for Trail Running - number eight is NY Central Park!

You don’t have to go far to hit these sweet trails 1. Santa Fe, New Mexico The Dale Ball Trails 2. Boulder, Colorado with more than 200 miles of trails 3. Madison, Wisconsin winding around and between four lakes 4. Austin, Texas with 19,000 acres of parks 5. Ann Arbor, Michigan Potawatomi Trail offers up 17.5 miles of trails 6. Washington, DC 2,000-acre Rock Creek Park 7. Nashville, Tennessee Warner Park Trails system 8. New York, New York No, that’s not a misprint, there are dozens of miles of trails in Central Park. Trail Running at it's best. (02/20/2018) ⚡AMP

Could Running at Night Make You Faster?

While the piqued pace may be a nighttime illusion, some research suggests evening workouts are indeed more energy-efficient, powerful, and allow for higher endurance compared to morning workouts . But how? Studies chalk this up to circadian rhythms and the fact that our body’s metabolism, mood, appetite, and other functions peak at different times of day. Similar research suggests that lung function, alertness, and flexibility are also enhanced in the evening (02/20/2018) ⚡AMP

Boston bound Dan has fought cancer twice and believes good health is a gift

Dan O’Connell has fought cancer twice and expects to battle it again. Believing every day of good health is a gift, he’s driven to run the 2018 Boston Marathon as a member of Massachusetts General Hospital’s Emergency Response Marathon Team. The 50-year-old will raise money to support the hospital’s emergency care and disaster relief and preparedness efforts. As a lieutenant firefighter and paramedic for the Dennis (Massachusetts) Fire Department, Dan wants to help Mass General because he has an understanding of and appreciation for the hospital’s treatment of critically injured patients. (02/20/2018) ⚡AMP

Ultra-marathon man ready to run the Toughest Foot Race On Earth

In just 2 months, Evan Laframboise will be taking part in the Marathon des Sables in Morocco, an infamous challenge which was dubbed the ‘toughest foot race on earth’ by the Discovery Channel. The ultra-marathon covers 155 miles (250 km) over 6 days and requires runners to be self-sufficient, meaning competitors must carry all their own food, equipment and clothing. The participants are only supplied with rationed water and a bivouac – a temporary tent or cover used by soldiers and mountaineers – to sleep under every night. Laframboise said he wants to raise $7,000 for the local charity Variety, which supports children and their families living in Jersey who are sick or disabled. (02/20/2018) ⚡AMP
Epic Adventures

73-year-old Larry Macon has completed 2,021 Marathons

Larry Macon, has completed 2,021 marathons so far, and averages about a hundred a year. Those numbers seem pretty mighty to most, but Macon is unfazed by his own accomplishments. "Oh it's no big deal," he said. "They think I'm deranged, but hey, I don't disagree with them."All of it started with a lie he told to his friends."They said, 'hey Larry, what'd you do this weekend?' I hadn't done a daggone thing. But I looked down at the newspaper and I said, 'oh, I'm preparing for a marathon.' That lie led him to Gulfport on Monday. He was one of dozens of runners participating in the Gulf Coast Series for Mainly Marathons, which consists of five races in five states in five days. (02/20/2018) ⚡AMP

83-year-old Grandmother training for the London marathon!

Jean Harcourt is 83-years-old, this great-grandmother has decided to train for the London marathon. Jean hasn’t chosen to do a marathon to tick it off a list or feel smug about her accomplishments. She decided to start training as a way to cope with the sudden death of her brother Danny, who passed away of a heart attack in October 2016. After reading an article that advised doing something that seems impossible to help with the loss of a loved one, Jean settled on a marathon, having run one 14 years before and thought ‘never again’. She started training in June last year, starting by jogging for just a minute a day. She’s now running 36 miles a week. (02/20/2018) ⚡AMP

Dealing with the elements in the winter months

Experts say there are solid reasons to brave the elements and exercise outside in the winter months. You may weigh less after a grueling summer run that drains your body of fluids, but you burn more calories running the same route in cold weather because your body must work harder to stay warm....”Eyeing the frost outside,” says Tanya Isch Caylor, “I wonder if I’m wearing enough layers. But when I finally hop out and mention the cold to my sister, she shrugs. “It’s not that bad,” she says. “There’s no wind.” And just like that, I stop shivering — proving, once again, that when it comes to winter running, the proper mindset is the equivalent of an extra layer of clothing.” (Photo: A runner plowing through a snow drift during the Huff 50k Trail Race) (02/19/2018) ⚡AMP

Something you might not know about Marathon WR Holder Paula Radciffe

DID YOU KNOW? Paula Radcliffe may be defined by her incredible accomplishments in the marathon but there is little doubting the significance the half marathon played, and more specifically the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, in her success over the iconic marathon distance. A little over six weeks after the bitter disappointment of finishing fourth in the 10,000m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the British distance runner opted to enter her first IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in the Mexican port city of Veracruz. Just two weeks earlier, Radcliffe had impressed on her half marathon debut running a European record of 1:07:07 at the Great North Run. Yet it was to be her display in blazing temperatures in Veracruz, where she secured her first global title. “I enjoyed the race so much and was very proud to win a global title,” says Radcliffe of her victory 18 years ago. “It reinforced in my mind the decision we had made to move towards the roads." (02/19/2018) ⚡AMP

Ethiopian´s Meseret Defar, To Make Marathon Debut In Tokyo

2-time Olympic 5000m champion Meseret Defar of Ethiopia will make her marathon debut at the Tokyo Marathon on February 25th. Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar is the leading name in the women’s field. A winner of 2 Olympic 5000m titles, 2 world 5000m titles and 4 world indoor 3000m titles, the 34-year-old has spent the past few years – when not injured or pregnant – making a gradual transition to the roads. She has won three half marathons on US soil and finished second at the 2013 Great North Run in 1:06:09. With track PBs of 8:23.72 for 3000m, 14:12.88 for 5000m and 29:59:20 for 10,000m, athletics fans will be keen to see what Defar manages on her marathon debut. (02/19/2018) ⚡AMP

Mother of four wins her third straight half marathon - Little Rock is next

Tia Stone, a 39-year-old mother of four children, captured her third straight women's overall title Sunday morning in the 11th annual Run the Line half-marathon. The Searcy, Ark., runner, who placed fourth overall, completed the 13.1-mile course in 1 hour, 25 minutes, 46 seconds. "This race is like a good practice run for me." said Stone, who will be running in the Little Rock Marathon in two weeks for the third straight year. "It was my dad that got me interested in running because he was a runner where I grew up in southeast Florida," she said. "I ran relays in high school as well as college." For Stone, Sunday's half marathon was just a warm up for a full marathon in Little Rock (02/19/2018) ⚡AMP

Man Wants to run a marathon in every European country to help his friend with M.E.

Over 4,800 people applied for the Malta Marathon - but for one man from the UK, this marathon is much more than a test of his endurance. "I’ve completed 14 marathons so far (UK, Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Greece, France, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Netherlands and Slovenia) with 15 left to go," he said. That's why Mike is currently running around Europe to complete 29 marathons to help raise money and awareness for biomedical research to find a cure for M.E. It was 10 years ago when Mike Harley's best friend Ian was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, or M.E. this is the only way I feel I can help him, by running marathons," said Mike. (02/19/2018) ⚡AMP

Is North Korea’s Kim Jung using the Olympics to spread his propaganda?

The IOC will facilitate participation by North Korean athletes in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as it did at the Winter Olympics in South Korea, IOC President Thomas Bach says. “We have always applied strict political neutrality, and the same will be done for Tokyo 2020,” Bach said Friday. “North Korea decided to take part in the Winter Olympics despite soaring tensions over its nuclear weapons and missile programs. This reply was posted on the Japan Times website, “ They should be banned... I'm sure that murderer Kim Jung is willing to pay plenty for an international stage for his propaganda. A North Korean watchdog group posted, “North Korea may have sent an official delegation of athletes, Kim Jong-un’s sister, and a large group of identically dressed female “cheerleaders” to the 2018 Winter Olympics, but an ordinary citizen of the communist country has yet to have access to any coverage of the events.” North Korea sent 22 athletes to Pyeongchang as part of a charm offensive after months of bellicose rhetoric and provocative missile launches. (02/18/2018) ⚡AMP

Kirui knows that every runner will want to beat him at this year’s Boston Marathon

Kenya's Geoffrey Kirui has cut short his holiday to start preparations so that he can be in the form of his life to defend the Boston Marathon title. Kirui said he is determined to win a second Boston Marathon title.

"I know it will not be easy this year because every runner will want to beat me. Winning a second Boston Marathon title attracts me," Kirui told KweséESPN.

The 2018 Boston Marathon (April 16) is going to have one of the best fields ever. The 24-year old who is training in the Kenyan town of Eldoret, said that he embarked on a training programme that worked wonders last year and he believes it will help him be in the best form.

"It is always very tough winning a Marathon title for two straight years, but I am very determined and hungry to make this happen," he added.

Kirui said he decided not to think about the Commonwealth Games and opted out because his key focus is winning the Boston Marathon again.

(02/18/2018) ⚡AMP

Understanding the limits of the Human Body

Once we believed the secret to optimal performance came from the muscles, the lungs, the heart. Then, we were told that it’s all in our head, and we just need to push through the pain. The truth is that “the brain and the body are fundamentally intertwined,” writes Alex Hutchinson, a fitness journalist (with a doctorate in physics) who competed for the Canadian national team as a runner. To understand the limits of the human body, you have to consider them together... One of the biggest surprises came when I was looking into limits of hydration and heat. Alberto Salazar almost died a few times after races. People always say it was because he didn’t drink enough. After the 1982 Boston Marathon (Duel in the Sun) his body temperature was something like 88 degrees...In running, you breathe hard and you think that oxygen is a limiting factor...From a physiological perspective, it is not because I am out of oxygen, it’s because my carbon dioxide levels are too high and are triggering a warning system in me. But these guys are able to ignore the warning system and just keep going. (02/18/2018) ⚡AMP

Women’s course record crushed at Black Canyon100K by over an hour

Ailsa MacDonald won the Arizona trail race in 8:53:33, the second fastest time outright on the day behind the overall winner Tim Freriks, who clocked 8:12:06. The St. Albert, Alta. resident crushed the women’s course record, slicing more than an hour of the previous best time, 10:06:31. Courtney Dauwalter, the second woman overall, also dipped under the previous course record clocking 9:18:33. The Black Canyon 100K follows the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail and extends between Spring Valley to New River, Ariz. The 100K course features 2,100m of elevation gain and 2,712m of elevation loss along the route. (02/18/2018) ⚡AMP

On Sunday Kipyokei ran the Fastest women’s half marathon ever recorded on Mexican soil

Kenya’s Diana Chemutai Kipyokei established a Mexican all-comers’ record of 1:10:00 at the 32rd Guadalajara Half Marathon IAAF Bronze Label road race on Sunday (18). With temperatures hovering at about 55F 24-year old Kipyokei set out an aggressive pace from the beginning, covering the first part of the race at 3:20-per-kilometre pace. Having passed through five kilometres in 16:09 and 10 kilometres in 32:19, she went on to stretch her advantage to about 700 metres by the end, eventually winning in 1:10:00. Her time is the fastest half marathon ever recorded on Mexican soil by a woman. (02/18/2018) ⚡AMP

USA’s 2016 World Mountain Champion is Pan American x-country Champion

USA’s Joseph Gray and Connor Jeffery, Canada’s Brogan MacDougall and Ecuador’s Carmen Toaquiza were the winners at the Pan American Cross Country Championships in San Juan Opico, El Salvador, on Saturday (17). Joseph Gray led the USA charge in the men’s elite 10km race over a two-kilometre loop course at an equestrian site. Donning the US uniform for the third time in a continental cross-country race, the 33-year-old Gray found an extra gear to finally rise to the top of the podium, following a seventh-place finish at the inaugural 2015 Pan American event in Colombia. Gray, the 2016 world mountain-running champion, completed the distance in 30:02, three seconds ahead of Maiyo. Team USA won the team title. (02/18/2018) ⚡AMP

Being hit by a truck didn’t stop this Marathoner from qualifying for Boston two weeks later

Lucy McCausland has always enjoyed the challenges of running a marathon. The 63-year-old McCausland was at the start of the Five Points of Life Marathon a year ago. Because she was there at all.

There, ready to run, instead of being home in bed or laid up in a hospital or, well, even somewhere worse. A little more than two weeks earlier, a routine training run came to an abrupt and frightening end when she was struck by a truck that ran through a stop sign.

The impact sent McCausland sprawling onto the hard asphalt, injuring her back and head. “I thought he saw me, but he didn’t,” she says.

She was sent to the emergency room, where she underwent tests to determine the severity of her head injury. There were some anxious moments before the doctors came back with some good news.

“I took it as a motivation thing. I was just so lucky... I ran within 17 seconds of the time I wanted, which got me into Boston Marathon this April,” she said.

(02/17/2018) ⚡AMP

His Doctor Calls Him a Diabectic Superhero after running 223 Miles

Crossing the finish line of a 223-mile relay race as a solo runner is quite an accomplishment very few athletes achieve in a lifetime. Add Type 1 diabetes to the mix, and it seems like a feat nearly impossible. Nearly. Don Muchow (56) completed Texas' Capital to Coast Relay, spanning from Austin to Corpus Christi, in October as a solo participant. Muchow said he was attracted to running because "It was cheap and easy to do, and there were not that many ways to do it wrong," he said. His doctor calls him a "mutant diabetic superhero." In the last 12 months in addition to relay he ran solo, he also did a full Ironman and a 100 mile ultra marathon. (02/17/2018) ⚡AMP
Epic Running Adventures

Kipsang looking at running a flying fast time at Tokyo Marathon

Kenyan's Wilson Kipsang said on Friday he is confident he is going to retain his title and improve on the course record he set in his victory last year at the Tokyo Marathon. Organizers have also said the course has been changed and is flatter and faster. "Don't be surprised if the world record went down in Tokyo. I have my eyes on the target. Winning Tokyo Marathon in a flying fast time," Wilson Kipsang said. His main competition is Tesfaye Abera from Ethiopia whose best time is 2:04:24 and Feyisa Lilesa, the Olympic marathon silver medalist and Dickson Chumba. (02/17/2018) ⚡AMP

This Ethiopian runner career was cut short when he was tortured for peacefully protesting

Demssew Tsega Abebe was a famous marathon runner in Ethiopia and was expected to be on his country’s Olympic team. But his career was cut short when he was tortured for peacefully protesting his government’s policies. His heels and feet were so severely lashed he could not run for more than a year. He fled to the Washington area in 2016, and he has been trying to bring his wife and two children to the United States ever since, in part to get medical care for his 5-year-old son, Dagmawi, who cannot speak. Until today, Abebe had never met his 2-year-old daughter, Soliyana, as his wife was pregnant with her when he fled. Last week, Abebe learned that his family had won a humanitarian immigration petition to join him. (02/17/2018) ⚡AMP

Helen Davies competitive running bug is still there after having two sons

Eight years ago, Helen Davies represented her country not once, but twice, over the marathon distance at major athletics championships. Now she is back on the marathon trail, after starting a family. She has two sons, Kingsley (aged five) and Hector (aged three), who occupy most of her time, but the competitive running bug is still there. That was reflected in her comeback marathon last year, when she won the Brighton Marathon in 2:42:37 (finishing 15th overall), and her recent victory at the Great Bentley Half-Marathon in Essex (1:15:51). She hopes to win Brighton again this year, “I’m running better than I was at this time last year,” explained Davies. (02/17/2018) ⚡AMP

It´s Not Too Late To Get Running for Eugene Marathon Weekend

Runners will be flooding the streets of Eugene and Springfield in late April, taking part in the Eugene Marathon weekend. It's not too late to start training for this year's races, especially the 5K or even half marathon. The Eugene Marathon is less than three months away. The three distances to choose from in this year’s race weekend are 26.2 miles, 13.1 miles, or 3.1 miles. "The half-marathon or 5k is still a great option for people that have some experience with running or walking but that hasn’t officially started a training program yet,” says assistant race director Ian Dobson. (02/17/2018) ⚡AMP

Their new hobby is Speed mountaineering and long-distance trail running.

After learning the basics of mountaineering from the Spokane Mountaineers while at college in Spokane, Cyrus and Niles Desmarais have embraced mountain running. The twins often spend hours ascending and descending imposing peaks that might take other climbers a day or more. But, they loved to run. And they loved the mountains. So, Cyrus convinced his brother to start a new hobby. Speed mountaineering and long-distance trail running. “I just got tired of doing multiday mountain trips,” Cyrus said. “And I was like, ‘what if we become better runners and I teach Niles some of these mountain skills he needs to learn.’ We could have a lot more fun.” (02/17/2018) ⚡AMP

adidas To Release New Versions Of the Ultra Boosts

SHOE NEWS: adidas has introduced the Ultra Boost and Ultra Boost X as a part of their Energy From The Ground Up campaign. In the Ultra Boost, the ventilation holes of the original Ultra Boost return to the upper across the foot’s key sweat zones – the cage and forefoot. Combining this with a newly developed PrimeKnit composition, designed for reduced stretch to provide runners with a prime fit and additional support, the Ultra Boost is a truly unique proposition. Ultra Boost and Ultra Boost X are available on adidas.com for $180 starting Feb. 21 and in adidas stores worldwide starting Feb. 28. (02/17/2018) ⚡AMP

Horrible heat and mayhem take out 18 runners on 298km non-stop ultra marathon

Searing heat changed the 298-kilometre non-stop Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC) from a difficult task into an impossible one for most the field on Friday, as 18 of the 28 runners dropped out before reaching the end of the Wilson trail. Runners take on the MacLehose, Wilson, Hong Kong and Lantau trails, participants have 60 hours to reach the end of the Lantau trail to be deemed “finishers”, and 75 hours to be called “survivors”. (02/17/2018) ⚡AMP
Epic Runnling Adventures

He was lucky to be choosen twice in four tries to run the Tokyo Marathon

The Tokyo Marathon has more than 320,000 applicants each year. And of those applications, only 35,000 are selected to participate in the race. That means, each year nearly 300,000 applicants are left disappointed. The Feb. 25, 2018 version of the marathon is no different. Hundreds of thousands of runners will be sitting at home, while the lucky few get to run through Tokyo. But 49-year-old Kiochiro Sakaki won’t be sitting at home. He was one of the lucky ones that was chosen to run – again. Sakaki was lucky enough to be chosen to run in 2009 and now again in 2018. So, with roughly 1 in 10 odds of being selected, Sakaki has been chosen twice in four tries. (02/16/2018) ⚡AMP

How fast do you need to run to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials

The qualifying standards for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon are subject to amendment by the IAAF. The window to qualify for the marathon is: September 1, 2017 to January 19, 2020. Or to qualify for the marathon running a half marathon September 1, 2018 to January 19, 2020. There will be two groups and here are the qualifying times: Men 2:15 for group A and 2:19 for group B. Or 1:04 for half marathon for group B. Women 2:37 for group A and 2:45 for group B. Or 1:13 half marathon for group B. Only gun time count. (02/16/2018) ⚡AMP
2020 Olympic Trials

The first Ironman was held in 1978 40 years ago

The first Ironman was held in 1978 in Oahu, Hawaii Ironman is beginning the “40 Years of Dreams” campaign in celebration. Throughout the course of the 2018 Ironman and Ironman 70.3 event series, the campaign will be rolled out in a variety of ways, leading up to the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii on October 13. On February 18, 1978, 15 dreamers set out on the shores of Oahu, HawaiI, to complete what was thought to be the impossible – swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles, totaling 140.6 miles in a single day, as they looked to put an end to the argument of who were the best athletes in the world – swimmers, cyclists, or runners. (02/16/2018) ⚡AMP

Batten goal is to qualify for the US Olympic Marathon Trials in Austin

Caitlin Batten is a physical therapist from Charleston, SC. She is a relative latecomer to competitive running, Batten did not start running until after she graduated from college. Though she competes in races of all distances, the marathon is definitely her favorite distance. Her goal is to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. She recently ran the Chicago marathon, but had a bit of a shoe mishap at mile 16 and ended up running 2:51. The 2020 Olympic Marathon qualifying times are for women 2:37 group A and 2:45 group B. For men 2:15 for group A and 2:19 for group B. (02/16/2018) ⚡AMP

This will be a great experience for the kids at the Greater Manchester Marathon

Kids can now take part in this year’s Greater Manchester Marathon with a special one-mile race. The event has been created for five to 11-year-olds. Race organisers, Xtra Mile Events, expects up to 1,000 children to take part in the Family Mile on April 8. Nick Rusling, CEO of the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half Marathon, said: “We are thrilled to introduce the Family Mile, which gives kids the chance to really feel involved in the excitement of the race. “We have set up a great experience for young runners – the course starts and finishes at the same places as the official marathon does which makes it even more exciting, especially at the finish line.” (02/16/2018) ⚡AMP
Kids Running

Ethiopia team ready for IAAF Trinidad Alfonso World Half Marathon Championships

Ethiopia’s fastest man and woman over 13.1 miles this year have been named on the national team for the IAAF Trinidad Alfonso World Half Marathon Championships Valencia 2018. Men: Dawit Fikadu, Betesfa Getahun, Getaneh Molla, Jiksa Tadesse, Jemal Yimer Women: Ruti Aga, Meseret Belete, Bekelech Gudeta, Zinash Mekonnen, Zeineba Yimer (02/16/2018) ⚡AMP
Ethiopia Running