Running News Daily

Seattle Marathon returns in person with new course and COVID measures

The Seattle Marathon will be held in person for the first time since the pandemic began, this Sunday with COVID-19 protocols in place. This year’s marathon and half-marathon races feature a new course that is less likely to affect Seattle traffic but will offer less room for runners to spread out.

The course doesn’t start and finish at Seattle Center or take as many of the scenic roads as it has traditionally. Runners will instead toe the starting line at Gas Works Park and run mainly along the I-5 express lanes and on a segment of the Burke-Gilman Trail in Northeast Seattle.

Participants of the half-marathon will make a U-turn on the trail after mile 10. Those running the full 26.2 miles will go on to do a loop around Magnuson Park, between miles 12 and 16, before reaching their own U-turn just past Matthews Beach Park.

The I-5 express lanes will close between 4:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Parts of North Northlake Way, Sixth Avenue Northeast, Northeast 40th Street and Seventh Avenue will close starting at 5:55 a.m., with all roads expected to be fully open by 2:30 p.m., according to the event website.

Gas Works Park, Magnuson Park and the Burke-Gilman Trail will remain open to the public while runners are on the course. The Gas Works Park parking lot will be closed.

Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of the event are required to participate. Runners must also wear masks while gathering at the starting line in Gas Works Park and after finishing the race. The event is scheduled to start at 6 a.m.

The annual Seattle Marathon, the oldest marathon in the Pacific Northwest, was first held in 1970. Last year the race was virtual due to the pandemic, making this year’s in-person event a welcome return.

Molly Seidel sets an official FKT for fastest known turkey

Happy Thanksgiving to our neighbours south of the border. In celebration of the holiday season, the Tokyo Olympic marathon bronze medallist Molly Seidel dusted off the feathers of her turkey suit she used to run a 10K time trial last Thanksgiving at the Berbee Derby 10K in Fitchburg, Wis. Although she was one minute slower than her previous time, she officially set the record for ‘fastest known turkey’, running 35:34 for first place in the 10K.

Many Seidel fans were wondering if she would once again dress up like a turkey this year, as she kept it as a secret to her followers until a few days ago, where she announced that she would run another 10K trot, but this time at an official race. The race she chose was the Berbee Derby 10K in Fitchburg, Wis., which is an hour outside of her hometown of Brookfield, Wis. Averaging 3:33 per kilometre in a turkey suit certainly deserves recognition.

The 27-year-old has been on a tear this year, winning a bronze medal in her Olympic debut. She also was the top American female finisher at the 2021 New York Marathon and set an American women’s course record along the way, despite having two broken ribs.

Last year, she ran the turkey trot virtually for one of America’s largest road races, the Peachtree 10K. A few weeks back, Seidel revealed on Chris Chavez’s CITIUS MAG podcast that she will be gearing up to run in the marathon at the World Championships in Eugene, Ore in July 2022.

Toronto woman sets Guinness World Record at L.A. Marathon

On November 7 at the L.A. Marathon, Toronto-based runner Bridget Burns set the record for the fastest marathon dressed as Michael Jackson. This brings her total number of Guinness World Records up to seven since she set her first one dressed as a boxer in 2014.

Running in costume

Burns was introduced to costume running when she was an extra in a Nike commercial, where she saw someone running in a banana outfit in her hometown of London, Ont. Costume running hadn’t really taken off in London, but when she moved to Toronto she began to see more people dressing up at local road races, including Canada’s joggling sensation and multiple Guinness World Record-holder, Michal Kapral. “I was inspired by him,” she says.

Burns chooses her costumes based on what interests her, and it was her love of the Rocky movies that inspired her to dress up as a boxer for her first record attempt at the 2014 GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon, which she ran in 3:52:27. She also has an interest in exotic animals and zoos (she has three parrots of her own and one domesticated pigeon), so for her second record, she dressed as a zookeeper at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon later that year in October, where she ran 4:08:17.

She went on to set four more records, including the fastest half-marathon dressed in an animal costume (which has since been broken), the fastest half-marathon in motocross gear (2:14:34), the fastest half-marathon dressed as a zookeeper (2:04:46) and she was part of a group who set the record for the largest number of runners to complete a 10 kilometre run in 24 hours this September. “If there’s something I find interesting, I’ll see if anyone has a record in that and then I’ll attempt it,” she says.

A record-setting run in L.A.

“Over the summer I downloaded some Michael Jackson on my iPod, and wondered if anyone had set a record in that,” says Burns. She found out that one person had done it before but no entry to the Guinness World Record was conducted, so she decided to give it a shot.

Her attempt was successful, bringing her total up to seven, but this one had a few more challenges on the way. Burns battled a bad case of bursitis in her knees for two months before the race, requiring her to take Prednisone for two weeks to decrease inflammation to allow her to run. Prior to the marathon, she worked five night shifts in a row (Burns works the night shift at the Etobicoke HomeSense so she can train during the day and be home with her 10-year-old daughter), went immediately to the airport and took a seven-hour flight to Los Angeles.

Aside from her costume, she packed only a couple of pairs of socks and underwear, her toothbrush and a map and travel book about the city. Despite her knee issues, she still managed to finish the race in 5:07:18 and set the record for the fastest marathon dressed as Michael Jackson.

More records on the horizon

For her next Guinness World Record attempt, Burns has her eyes on the 2022 Philadelphia Half Marathon, where, fittingly, she’ll be running dressed as Rocky Balboa. If the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is bringing the GWR program back again, she says she’ll likely do something for that as well, but she hasn’t decided which record she’ll attempt yet.

In the meantime, keep your eyes open for Burns at your next road race, because you never know — she may go running by as your favourite film character.

How Weather Affects Your Body

Want to know what the weather is going to look like? Ask your knees.

This spring saw two historic “bomb cyclones” sweep across the country. On top of the problems caused by blizzards, high winds, and severe storms, these weather systems also made for a lot of achy knees as barometric pressure bottomed out. It’s not a myth: active weather patterns, and low-pressure systems in particular, have a noticeable effect on our bodies, including joint pain, headaches, and even the occasional induced labor.

Joint pain is the most widely known effect weather has on your body. Our joints are full of fluid that allows bones to glide across one another without grinding together. This fluid is susceptible to changes in atmospheric pressure as weather systems come and go. Higher air pressure feels better on your joints. Lower air pressure means that there’s more pressure inside your joint than outside of it, causing those joint fluids and surrounding tissues to expand, leading to nagging aches and pains.

Cooler air temperatures can also make your joints feel stiffer by thickening the fluid in your joints and tightening up the tissues around them. This makes your discomfort even worse when you’re in the midst of a winter storm with low pressure. Everyone is susceptible to it, but the effects are more pronounced in people who have arthritis or existing joint injuries. Retirees don’t just move to the Sun Belt for golf and lower taxes. The warmer, calmer weather helps soothe aches and pains. 

Our sinuses and ears are also sensitive to changing weather conditions. As anyone who’s ever suffered from a severe cold can attest, these cavities in our head are prone to internal pressure increases that lead to intense and sometimes even debilitating pain. Just like our joints, lower air pressure can increase the relative pressure in our head and lead to sinus pain and earaches.

The effect weather can have on headaches is a little muddier, because the stressors and triggers that instigate each episode vary from person to person. Some people who suffer from headaches are incredibly sensitive to small changes in weather, and an approaching storm system can lay them up for a day or more. Others can soldier on through even the worst conditions without so much as a dull throb. The American Migraine Foundation says that some studies have found a correlation between migranes and drops in atmospheric pressure and air temperature, as well as increased humidity, which can trigger pain in people who suffer from this intense form of headaches.

We often hear reports of a “baby boom” occurring in communities that have endured a hurricane about nine months after it makes landfall, but a sudden drop in air pressure, like you would see during a hurricane or major winter storm, can induce labor for some pregnant women in the storm’s path. Several Japanese doctors conducted a study of their patients over a seven-year period and found that there was a significant relationship between a drop in air pressure and patients experiencing their water breaking or a “spontaneous delivery.”

Extreme temperatures can also take a hefty toll on our body, especially when combined with aggravating factors such as humidity and wind. Despite the misplaced cynicism of people who think they’re fake numbers meant to hype people up, the summertime heat index and wintertime wind chill are two important measurements that tell you how safe it is to venture outdoors unprotected.

The heat index tells us how much hotter it feels due to the amount of moisture in the air. Our bodies cool off through the evaporation of sweat. Less sweat evaporates from our skin when the humidity ticks up on a hot day. This process prevents us from cooling off effectively, which can quickly lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. A humid, 90-degree afternoon can cause problems for you quicker than a 90-degree day that’s dry as a bone.

Wind chill, on the other hand, tells us how much colder a winter day feels when you add in the effect of the wind. Human skin cools off much faster on a cold and windy day than it would if the wind wasn’t blowing. This allows frostbite and hypothermia to set in quicker than you would otherwise expect given the raw air temperature. 

Despite the different ways weather affects your body, you definitely can’t catch a cold because of the weather. Both the cold and the flu are caused by viruses contracted from another person. You have a better chance of contracting the cold or flu during the winter months since viruses live longer in colder, drier weather—conditions that also weaken our immune systems and drive us into close proximity indoors. Cold weather can give you a runny nose, chills, and a headache, all of which mimic symptoms of viruses, but the cold itself can’t give you a cold.

Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie and Feyisa Lilesa ready to join Tigray war

Ethiopian Olympic heroes Haile Gebrselassie and Feyisa Lilesa say they are ready to go to the front line in the war against rebel forces.

Their announcement comes after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said he would go to the front to lead the war.

Tigrayan rebels say they are advancing towards the capital Addis Ababa.

The UK has urged its nationals to leave Ethiopia immediately, saying the fighting may move closer to Addis Ababa in the coming days.

The rebels earlier this week said that they had taken control of Shewa Robit, a town about 225km (140 miles) north-east of Addis Ababa. There is no independent confirmation of the claim.

Communication Minister Legese Tulu said the military has had "many successes" since Mr Abiy's decision to lead the battle, and victory was "so close".

Earlier, Gebrselassie, 48, was quoted by state television as saying: "I am ready to do whatever is required of me, including going to the front line."

Gebrselassie is regarded as a legend in Ethiopia, and his comments were seen as an attempt to rally public support behind the war effort.

During his 25-year career as an athlete, he claimed two Olympic gold medals, eight World Championship victories and set 27 world records. He announced his retirement from competitive running in 2015.

Expressing his support for the war, Feyisa, 31, was quoted by the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation website as saying that he was ready to draw inspiration from the "gallantry of my forefathers" and go to the front line to "save my country".

The athlete won the marathon silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

He became famous for holding up his crossed wrists as if they were shackled to draw global attention to the crackdown on demonstrators demanding political reforms in Ethiopia.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) was the dominant party in government at the time. Following the protests, Mr Abiy became prime minister and the TPLF lost the grip on the country it had held for 27 years.

It later retreated to its stronghold of Tigray, from where it launched a rebellion last November after a huge fall-out with Mr Abiy over his reforms.

The war has created a massive humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands dead, forcing millions from their homes, and several hundred thousand in famine-like conditions as aid agencies battle to get food in war-affected areas.

The African Union is leading efforts to find a negotiated end to the fighting, but neither side has committed to talks.

The TPLF are advancing towards Addis Ababa on the A2 highway.

On Tuesday, Germany and France advised their citizens to leave Ethiopia.

The prospect of some of Ethiopia's most venerated sporting figures heading to the front lines to fight captures something profound and powerful about the mood in Addis Ababa and beyond.

At a time of intense crisis, many Ethiopians are clearly rallying behind their flag and prime minister, and are keen to play their part in galvanising public support for a military campaign that has suffered undeniable setbacks in recent months, though much remains in dispute in terms of casualty figures and battlefield momentum.

It is clear many people see the military threat posed by the TPLF and their assorted allies as an existential one for Ethiopia.

Added to that is a profound dislike of the TPLF itself, which stems from its decades heading an authoritarian national government. But there is more to it than that.

The prime minister has sought to portray his country as a victim, not just of Tigrayan aggression, but of a vast international conspiracy designed to weaken Ethiopia and punish it for, allegedly, challenging Western colonial interests on the continent.

Western media are portrayed as enthusiastic backers of that conspiracy theory - one which appears to have gained widespread credibility in a country struggling to explain how the rebel group could have made such startling headway.

Drills on Hills – a different kind of hill workout for runners

In the November 2021 issue of Canadian Running, strength and conditioning coach Jon-Erik Kawamoto presents a challenging new hill workout for runners.

Beyond jogging and sprinting up the hill, the workout incorporates exercises not usually seen in the context of hill running, and they’re guaranteed to take your hill training to another level.

Runners who routinely do A, B and C skips, carioca drills (also known as grapevines) and strides as part of their warmup for a speed workout will enjoy applying these tried-and-true exercises to their hill training. They add a level of interest and challenge that will spice up your hill workouts and, when done consistently, significantly benefit your running power.

Ideally, the exercises should be done on a gradual incline (i.e. not too steep, so as not to risk injury) for about 30 seconds each, before carefully jogging back down to get ready for the next exercise. (As Kawamoto points out in the video, these exercises should not be combined with downhill training, due to the increased stress of the eccentric loading incurred when running fast downhill.)

Shelby Houlihan starts GoFundMe page to fund her legal fight

Five months after receiving a four-year ban from competition, American 1,500m and 5,00m record-holder Shelby Houlihan has started a GoFundMe page and website asking for support to help pay for the legal fees she’s incurred while fighting her case. She has set a goal for $300,000, and is asking her supporters to spread the word about what she calls “the injustice of the situation.”

A brief recap

In December 2020 Houlihan tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and in June 2021, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) handed her a four-year ban from the sport. After the ban was announced, she made a public statement on her Instagram page stating her innocence and claimed the positive result was due to contaminated meat she ate in a burrito from a food truck on the day of the test.

Houlihan appealed the ban and attempted to prove her innocence, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the ruling against her. The entire 44-page CAS decision was made was released in early September, which included the following statement:

“The Athlete’s explanation that the 19-NA in her sample resulted from her consumption of the meat of an uncastrated boar simply cannot be accepted. The explanation presupposes a cascade of factual and scientific improbabilities, which means that its composite probability is (very) close to zero.”

As a final effort to fight her ban, Houlihan has since announced that she plans to appeal her case to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

Her bid for help has drawn mixed reviews from running fans. Those who believe in her innocence have been eager to support her cause, but detractors are arguing she should accept her ban and move on.

Many more have wondered why someone who is supposedly still backed by Nike requires financial assistance, and have speculated that the brand may be backing away from the situation, but the chatter is largely hearsay, since neither Houlihan nor Nike have made any public statement regarding their relationship. Houlihan’s case will not be brought before the Swiss Tribunal until 2022.

Kenmore’s Liam Hilbert who first ran Turkey Trot at age 9 wins annual race

When Kenmore’s Liam Hilbert says it’s a lifelong dream to win a YMCA Turkey Trot, he isn’t kidding.

Hilbert has run the trot for 15 consecutive years in what has become a family tradition, but he’s only 23. His first one was at 9 years old.

He now has that victory after winning Thursday’s 8K race in 24 minutes, 43 seconds.

After a year in which the in-person field was restricted by Covid-19 protocols, more than 12,000 runners and walkers took to Delaware Avenue for the 126th edition of what is billed as the longest consecutively run footrace in North America.

University of Wisconsin runner and Nardin graduate Danielle Orie topped the women’s field in 27:57. Orie was home for Thanksgiving break after running in the NCAA Division I Championships last weekend.

Hilbert is a former Monsignor Martin champion in the 1,600 meters and 3,000 meters at St. Joe’s and went to run at the University at Buffalo. He was the Mid-American Conference outdoor champion in the 10,000 meters last spring.

Hilbert ran the race with his uncle, James Waldron, with whom he had run the his first few Turkey Trots.

“My family was there to cheer me on,” Hilbert said.

Buffalo’s Thomas Appenheimer was second in 24:27, followed by Steven Haagsma of Gowanda (25:00), Rush’s Brennan Root (25:09) and Rochester’s Paul Suflita (25:28). Appenheimer runs at Canisius College and finished 11th in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships last month. Haagsma is a former Division III runner at Calvin College in Michigan.

For Orie, it’s been a busy fall in her first year at Wisconsin.

Orie ran for Penn as an undergraduate and transferred in the spring as she pursues her law degree. She finished 25th in the Big Ten Championships and then 22nd in the Great Lakes Region championship to qualify for the NCAAs. She finished 112th, covering the 6K in 20:34.2. Wisconsin finished 12th in the nation.

Sarah Danner of Gowanda was second in 28:21, followed by Pittsburgh’s Margo Malone in 28:38, Alexandra Cadicamo in 28:58 and Glenwood’s Aileen Hoak-Lange in 29:16.

Hoak-Lange, in her 29th consecutive trot, was the top woman in last year’s event as she was selected among 125 in-person runners.

Kenyans Titus Ekiru and Judith Jeptum Korir dominate in Abu Dhabi

Judith Jeptum Korir and Titus Ekiru landed a Kenyan double at the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon, winning by significant margins at the World Athletics Elite Label road race on Friday (26).

The heat and humidity put paid to any truly fast times, so the course records remained intact. But Korir and Ekiru maintained their highly consistent career record over the marathon, winning in 2:22:30 and 2:06:13 respectively.

Korir, a former winner in Belgrade, Venice and Izmir, was part of a five-woman pack during the early stages, passing through 10km in 33:24. By the time the half-way point was reached in 1:10:27, just three women – Korir, 2009 world 10,000m bronze medalist Wude Yimer and Olympics seventh-place finisher Eunice Chumba – remained at the front.

Shortly after, Korir started to pull away from Yimer and Chumba. She reached 30km in 1:40:04, almost two minutes ahead of her closest pursuers and still on schedule to break the course record of 2:21:11, and by 40km her lead had grown to almost four minutes.

The conditions finally started to take their toll on Korir in the closing stages as her pace dropped, but by that point she had a comfortable margin and everyone else in the field were similarly feeling the effects of the heat. Korir crossed the line in 2:22:30, smashing her PB by more than four minutes. The 24-year-old, who earlier this year set a half marathon PB of 1:06:24, has now notched up four marathon victories from six races.

Chumba held on for second place in 2:26:01 while Uganda’s Immaculate Chemutai came through to take third in 2:28:30.

Ekiru, who was competing for the first time since setting a world-leading 2:02:57 in Milan in May, set out confidently in the hope that he could challenge the course record of 2:04:40. Once the last of the pacemakers had dropped out at 15km, reached in 44:21, Ekiru upped the tempo and reached the half-way point in 1:01:46 with just defending champion Reuben Kipyego by his side.

The Kenyan duo ran together for a few more kilometers before Ekiru started to run away, and by 30km Ekiru’s lead had grown to about 100 meters. Although Ekiru’s pace dropped in the closing stages, like women’s winner Korir, his lead was insurmountable and he won by more than a minute-and-a-half, crossing the line in 2:06:13. The 29-year-old has now won seven of the eight marathons he has completed.

Tanzania’s 2017 world bronze medalist Alphonce Felix Simbu overtook Kipyego with about four kilometers to go and took second place in 2:07:50. Kipyego held on for third in 2:08:25, finishing 21 seconds ahead of two-time world champion Abel Kirui.

Ben Flanagan wins 85th Manchester Road Race, Weini Kelati wins women's race and sets new record

What a dominating performance by Weini Kelati!

The 24-year-old runner native of the African country of Eritrea shattered the course record with a time of 22 minutes 55 seconds to win the women’s division of the Manchester Road Race. Kelati, who lives in Flagstaff, Ariz., finished 18th overall.

“It’s amazing!” Kelati told FOX61 News after crossing the finish line on Thursday morning. “The energy … When I hear the people cheering, it helps me to run fast.”

Kelati, who won the women’s national 5K road championship in New York City on Nov. 6, started off the race strong. She quickly got away from the pack in the women’s division and ran the 4.748 miles practically by herself.

She beat the previous course record of 23 minutes 57 seconds in the women’s division – set by Buze Diriba in 2017 – by more than a minute.

Second place in the woman’s race was Keira D’Amato from Midlothian, Virginia. Edna Kiplagat from Longmont, Colorado rounded up the top three.

“Thank you to the people cheering for us,” Kelati said. “It’s amazing.”

In the men’s race, winner Ben Flanagan, 26 of Canada, clocked in at a time of 21 minutes 23 seconds, beating second-place Leonard Korir by more than 12 seconds.

Flanagan, who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, took the lead after the Highland Street hill, at about the 2-mile mark, and ran alone the rest of the way.

“I feel amazing,” he told FOX61 News after the race. “I knew I was in pretty good shape, but this time of year, you really don’t know what to expect, it’s so early in training. So, to come out here and take the win at a historic race like this is a huge privilege. I am so happy.”

He was about six seconds off the pace of the course record for the men’s division (21:15) set by Edward Cheserek in 2018.

Flanagan, who is a two-time winner of the Falmouth Road Race (2019, 2021), was running his second Manchester Road Race. He is the first Canadian male to win since Christian Weber in 1990.

Sam Chelanga, the 2013 Manchester winner, won the King of the Hill title at the top of Highland Street hill. He came in third overall.

“You do it right here (in Manchester),” Flanagan said of the crowds. “It was electric. As soon as I took the lead, the last two miles, the crowd just fueled me the whole time … it was so exciting.”

More than 8,700 runners hit the racecourse this year. The race was held virtually last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers and races around the world

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at My Best Runs with staff in Los Altos California, Bend Oregon, La Piedad Mexico, Thika Kenya and Chandler Arizona. Enjoy your day and be sure to get in a good run. Bob Anderson and team.  

It is also a special day because my Grandson Bear (second photo) ran his first race today.  A 1k race in Redmond.  Remember your first race? 

We received many emails from US races today. This one from the San Francisco Marathon caught our eye and we wanted to share it.

"Today on Thanksgiving Day, we want to express our endless gratitude to our runners. From those that run our race to the friends and family that support you, each and every one of you is important to us. After a whirlwind few years, we are grateful that we are once again back as a community doing what we love to do, RUN!

Soak in every moment surrounded by your loved ones, remember to be grateful for a body that is capable and the community that shares your passion.

The SF Marathon Staff and Family."

Kenyan David Rudisha hints at comeback in athletics after successful surgery

David Rudisha has disclosed he is set to make a comeback in athletics after undergoing a successful surgery on Saturday.

The 800 m, 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics champion stated that he had undergone a successful surgery on his left leg and will make a return to the track since July 2017.

"I am glad that on Saturday i had a successful surgery of removal of an implant on my left leg that has been there for the last one year and a half. At least i will be back soon doing some running," Rudisha said.

Rudisha's career has been characterised by injuries that denied him opportunities to represent Kenya at major global competitions such as the 2019 World Championships and the 2020 Olympic Games.

The world record holder had earlier revealed he was set to retire soon after the 2020 Olympic Games after a four-year hiatus but had to shelve the idea after he injured his back and twisted his ankle prior to the global event.

Rudisha is regarded as one of the most accomplished 800-meter athletes after his sensation record time of 1:40:91 at the 2012 London Olympics, going on to become the first runner to break the 1:41 time barrier.

He also broke his own record of 1:41:01 that he had set back in 2010 during the Rieti Diamond League meeting.

New research shows the nutrition requirements of men and women aren't the same

Over the last few decades, a lot of research has gone into nutrition and how it affects running performance. Unfortunately, the majority of that research has been done on males, and it is only recently that sports scientists have begun looking specifically at the nutritional needs of female athletes. Not surprisingly, these requirements do differ from those of their male counterparts. Much more research needs to be done, but here’s what we know so far.

Males vs. females

Thanks to their higher levels of testosterone, male runners tend to have more muscle mass and a lower body fat percentage. They also typically have a higher VO2 max than female runners. This 2009 study explains that on average, women have six to 11 per cent more body fat than men because of their higher levels of estrogen, which reduces the body’s ability to burn energy after eating. This results in more fat storage around the body, presumably to prime women for childbearing.

Muscle tissue is more active than fat tissue, and so the more muscle you have, the more calories you need to sustain yourself. Because females typically have higher amounts of body fat and less muscle mass, they typically require fewer calories than males, even outside of the context of running. Throw running into the mix, and you begin to see even more difference between the nutritional needs of male and female athletes.

Vitamins and minerals

Female runners need to pay particularly close attention to three nutrients: iron, calcium and vitamin D. Of course, these are important for male athletes as well, but the female menstrual cycle can affect the status of these nutrients, and throw them out of whack if you’re not careful.

Iron is required for the transportation of oxygen throughout the body and for energy production, and a deficiency can negatively impact your performance, energy levels, recovery and immune function. Females are at greater risk of iron deficiency as a result of menstruation, so their requirements are higher than males’. The recommended daily intakes of iron are as follows:

Males 19-70+: 8 mg/day

Females 19-50: 18 mg/day

Females 50+: 8 mg/day

Female athletes also tend to be at a greater risk for lower bone density than male athletes, which means they need to pay more attention to both their calcium and vitamin D intake. While the calcium recommendations for the general population are the same for men and women (1,000 mg to 1,200 mg/day, depending on your age), a recent study recommended that females who are at risk for lower bone density should consume 1,500 mg/day to optimize their bone health. Studies have also shown that women tend to have a lower vitamin D status, and since it is not widely available in the diet, supplementation may be necessary. Dosage recommendations vary, so female runners should talk to their doctor or dietitian before adding a supplement to their daily routine.

Females can forget fasting

In May we spoke with Dr. Stacy Sims, who explained that female physiology makes women much better at regulating their metabolisms based on how much or how little they eat. For this reason, she says fad diets (like paleo or keto) and fasted training can work well for men, but is more stressful for female bodies than beneficial, and should be avoided. She recommends that women always eat before a workout (even if it’s just a small snack) and that they concentrate their carbohydrates around their workouts to improve performance and kickstart the recovery process.

Eat protein

Yes, protein is important for both male and female athletes, but new research suggests that physiological changes throughout their menstrual cycles may impact female athletes’ protein needs. Although more research is needed in this area, new recommendations encourage women to increase their protein intake during the follicular phase (day 1-16), because this is the time when estrogen levels are rising, which creates an anabolic (muscle-building) effect. During this time, female runners should aim to consume 1.6 grams of protein per kg of body weight each day.

Don’t skimp on the calories

This holds true for both male and female athletes, although female athletes tend to run the risk of under-fuelling more than males. As an athlete, there is little value in trying to add more protein to your diet, eat according to your menstrual cycle (for females) or do anything to optimize your micronutrient status if you’re not meeting your basic energy needs. At the end of the day, the most basic requirement for your body to run well is to have enough energy, so skimping on calories will prevent you from reaching your full athletic potential.

Josh Sloan, who lives with Down Syndrome ran 20 kilometers weekly for two months, raising over $20,000 for charity

Many kids look up to professional athletes as role models, but for the 27-year-old Surrey, B.C., runner Josh Sloan, it was the person who taught him how to run. Six years ago, Sloan lost his former teacher, role model and friend Debbie Kovacs to cancer. Last week, Sloan completed his goal of running 100 miles in two months as a tribute to his teacher, raising over $20,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Sloan set a goal of running 20 kilometers each week. He began to gain a following as members of the local Surrey fire department and friends and family of Kovacs joined him.

Kovacs first taught Sloan when he was in Grade 2 and continued to teach him for six years at Surrey’s Simon Cunningham Elementary School. Kovacs played an instrumental role in Sloan’s life, teaching him how to read, write, and most importantly, how to run cross-country.

She helped Sloan fall in love with the sport, which eventually led him to Surrey’s regional Special Olympics. Sloan continues to run with the help of his sisters, keeping Kovacs’ spirit alive, singing a song they sang together on runs (“We Are the Champions” by Queen).

All the proceeds from Sloan’s fundraiser will support myeloma cancer research and programs. Donations can still be made on his fundraising page on the Canadian Cancer Society website.

Drew Hunter and Weini Kelati Will lead fields for Thursday’s Manchester Road Race

The elite fields for Thursday’s Manchester Road Race in Manchester, Conn., have been finalized, race organizers reported this morning.  The classic Thanksgiving Day race, founded in 1927, will return to its usual 4.748-mile, hilly loop with the start and finish on Main Street after being held virtually last year.  Among the hundreds of “Turkey Trots” to be held in the United States on Thursday, Manchester is the only event with a truly top-class elite field.  Organizers expect 8,700 runners to answer the starter’s gun at 10:00 a.m. EST.

“Our elite runner coordinator, Jim Harvey, has done a brilliant job of assembling excellent fields of elite runners for our return to Main Street and the celebration of our 85th Manchester Road Race this year,” said Dr. Tris Carta, president of the Manchester Road Race Committee, through a statement.  “It is going to be a very exciting road race.”

The women’s contest will feature an interesting match-up between USA 5-K champion Weini Kelati and 2:22 marathoner Keira D’Amato.  Both American women will be running Manchester for the first time.

Also likely to contend for the win are Kenyans Edna Kiplagat, the two-time world marathon champion, and Monicah Ngige, most recently fourth at the Boston Marathon.  Also entered are Britain’s Amy-Eloise Markovc, the 2021 European indoor 3000m champion, and Americans Taylor Werner, the 2019 NCAA Championships 5000m runner-up, and Katie Izzo, fourth at the 2019 NCAA Championships in the 10,000m.  In all, ten women have track or road 5-K personal bests under 16 minutes.  Kiplagat was the Manchester winner in 2019.

Drew Hunter, the newly-crowned USA 5-K road running champion, leads the men’s field and will be making his Manchester debut.  Hunter’s biggest challengers will likely be 2:07 marathon Leonard Korir, veteran Sam Chelanga, and two-time Falmouth Road Race champion Ben Flanagan, a Canadian.  A total of 14 men have sub-14:00 5000m personal bests.

Thursday’s race has a generous $47,800 prize money purse, and the top-3 men and women will receive $7,000, $4,000 and $3,000, respectively.

Behind the elites, 75 year-old Amby Burfoot will run Manchester for the 59th consecutive year (he ran virtually in 2020 using the race’s traditional course).  Burfoot, the 1968 Boston Marathon champion, won the Manchester Road Race nine times from 1968 through 1977.  Should he finish the race on Thursday he will earn sole ownership of the record for most total Manchester finishes at 59.

Thursday’s races will be broadcast on the Connecticut Fox affiliate, Fox 61.  Their coverage will be streamed live and free globally at fox61.com at 10:00 a.m. EST.

The complete elite fields are below with 5000m personal bests.

WOMEN

–Weini KELATI (USA), 14:58.24

Amy-Eloise MARKOVC (GBR), 15:03.22

Aisling CUFFE (USA), 15:11.13

Taylor WERNER (USA), 15:11.19i

Katie IZZO (USA), 15:13.09i

Monicah NGIGE (KEN), 15:16 (road)

Edna KIPLAGAT (40+/KEN), 15:20 (road)

Sarah INGLIS (GBR), 15:24.17

Fiona O’KEEFFE (USA), 15:31.45

Tristin VAN ORD (USA), 15:53.44

Emeline DELANIS (FRA), 16:02.54

Keira D’AMATO (USA), 16:09.86

Annmarie TUXBURY (USA), 16:17.45

Emily SETLACK (40+/CAN), 16:26.31

Whitney MACON (USA), 35:36 (road 10-K)

MEN

–Sam CHELANGA (USA), 13:04.35i

Leonard KORIR (USA), 13:15.45

Drew HUNTER (USA), 13:17.55

Ben FLANAGAN (CAN), 13:20.67

Donn CABRAL (USA), 13:22.19

Jordan MANN (USA), 13:27.68i

Blaise FERRO (USA), 13:31.54

John DRESSEL (USA), 13:36.29

Alex OSTBERG (USA), 13:42.44

Mo HREZI (LBA), 13:42.80

Matt McCLINTOCK (USA), 13:47.68

Alfredo SANTANA (PUR), 13:48.10

Joey BERRIATUA (USA), 13:49.16

Julius DIEHR (USA), 13:56.79

Tai DINGER (USA), 14:09.41

Brendan PRINDIVILLE (USA), 14:10.96.

Elite runners all set for strong competition at the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon

Abu Dhabi Sports Council have welcomed the elite athletes as they arrived in the UAE to compete in the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon on Friday

The international athletes were welcomed at a conference held at Abu Dhabi Sports Council - including Titus Ekiru, Reuben Kiprop Kipyego, Abel Kirui, Eunice Chumba, Sharon Cherop and Alemu Megertu. Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Andrea Trabuio, Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon Race Director and Federico Rosa, Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon Athlete Manager were also in attendance.

During the event, additional top-ranking athletes were also confirmed to join the race, all vying for the top spot in the third edition of the Abu Dhabi Marathon, including Barnabas Kiptum, Philemon Rono Cherop, Abdi Asefa Kebede, Shumi Dechasa Leche and Thomas Kiplagat, bringing the total to 35 elites runners confirmed. Spectators can expect an exciting showdown on race day with star athlete, Reuben Kiprop Kipyego, returning to the capital to defend his crown, following his win in 2019.

Al Awani said: “The Abu Dhabi Marathon has undoubtedly established itself for its great community value and accompanying events as the ideal competition for top runners from across the world to compete in, as well as an added attraction for community members to partake in. As we celebrate the milestone Year of the 50th, we welcome all participants taking part in this world class event, which will see 12,000 participate, as established by our set capacity. We are confident that Marathon will see more world records broken and look forward to celebrating those achievements.”

Ekiru added: “I am happy and proud to be in Abu Dhabi and I cannot wait to compete in the race on Friday. My overall goal is to beat my personal best and I am aiming for record time of 2:02:00. The course this year is fast and flat, so I am confident I can achieve this goal.”

The event village has aleady opened its doors, allowing visitors to experience a variety of sporting and family entertainment. The village will be open until the race day, welcoming visitors from 5am to 1pm.

Over 12,000 participants of all ages have signed up for the run on Friday.

Good pain vs. bad pain: how do you know which is which?, Spot the differences to prevent injuries

Running is hard work, which means that sometimes, it’s going to make your body hurt. While a certain amount of pain or soreness is expected and normal, it can also indicate the presence of an injury. How do you know which is which? Distinguishing between good pain and bad pain isn’t always easy, but following these guidelines can help you make sense of the two to prevent injuries.

What is good pain?

The term “good pain” sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s important to remember that in this case, it doesn’t truly refer to pain, but rather the soreness and fatigue brought on by exercise. That burning feeling you get in your legs near the end of a hard run can be classified as good pain, as can the DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness) you might feel the day or two after a tough workout.

There are two main characteristics of good pain that tell you it’s not a problem: duration and symmetry. Good pain should resolve itself either as soon as you stop the activity, or, in the case of DOMs, within two or three days after your workout. Soreness that lasts longer than that indicates that you may have done too much, or the workout was beyond your current fitness level. Good pain should also be felt on both sides of the body. After a hard run, you should feel equally as tired in your left leg as your right, for example.

Good pain also shouldn’t restrict your ability to go about your daily tasks to an extreme degree. Yes, you may have trouble sitting down after doing some heavy squats, or walking down stairs might be tough after a marathon, but if you’re completely unable function, you’ve done too much.

When good goes bad

Recognizing when pain is becoming problematic is an important step in preventing an injury from getting worse, or materializing in the first place. If you’re not sure if the pain you’re feeling is something you should be worried about, ask yourself these questions:

Where is the pain? Pain or discomfort on only one side of the body, for example, is an indication that something’s not right. You could have a muscle imbalance or strength discrepancy from one side to the other that could lead to an injury. If this is the case, it’s worth talking to a physiotherapist or sports doctor who works with runners to figure out what’s going on before it gets worse.

Does the pain persist? If your pain doesn’t dissipate after 24 hours, or if it returns every time you run for three consecutive runs, it’s time to cut back on your mileage and intensity and seek out some help.

How painful is it? Pain or discomfort that’s a four out of 10 or more shouldn’t be ignored. Pain that’s less than that should still be monitored, but once it starts to get more intense, it’s time to call it quits and get some help. Tightness should be evaluated in the same way, because often a tight muscle that you can’t seem to relax is a precursor to an injury.

Is it forcing you to change your gait? Runners will often try to push through an injury by changing the way they run to protect the injured area, which can lead to injuries in other parts of the body. If any pain is forcing you to change your stride, it’s become too much and requires attention.

Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie and Feyisa Lilesa ready to join Tigray war

Ethiopian Olympic heroes Haile Gebrselassie and Feyisa Lilesa say they are ready to go to the front line in the war against rebel forces.

Their announcement comes after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said he would go to the front to lead the war.

Tigrayan rebels say they are advancing towards the capital Addis Ababa.

Germany and France have become the latest countries to advise their citizens to leave Ethiopia, amid an escalation in the civil war.

On Tuesday, US envoy to the region Jeffrey Feltman warned that tentative diplomatic progress towards ending the conflict was being jeopardised by alarming developments on the ground.

The rebels earlier this week said that they had taken control of Shewa Robit, a town about 225km (140 miles) north-east of Addis Ababa. There is no independent confirmation of the claim.

Communication Minister Legese Tulu said the military has had "many successes" since Mr Abiy's decision to lead the battle, and victory was "so close".

With Mr Abiy gone to direct the war effort, his deputy, Demeke Mekonnen Hasse, had taken charge of routine government business, a spokesman was quoted by state-linked media as saying.

Mr Abiy's announcement has bolstered recruitment for the army, with hundreds of new recruits attending a ceremony, marked by patriotic songs, in Addis Ababa on Wednesday.

Communication Minister Legese Tulu said the military has had "many successes" since Mr Abiy's decision to lead the battle, and victory was "so close".

Earlier, Gebrselassie, 48, was quoted by state television as saying: "I am ready to do whatever is required of me, including going to the front line," he said.

Gebrselassie is regarded as a legend in Ethiopia, and his comments were seen as an attempt to rally public support behind the war effort.

During his 25-year career as an athlete, he claimed two Olympic gold medals, eight World Championship victories and set 27 world records. He announced his retirement from competitive running in 2015.

Expressing his support for the war, Feyisa, 31, was quoted by the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation website as saying that he was ready to draw inspiration from the "gallantry of my forefathers" and go to the front line to "save my country".

The athlete won the marathon silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

He became famous for holding up his crossed wrists as if they were shackled to draw global attention to the crackdown on demonstrators demanding political reforms in Ethiopia.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) was the dominant party in government at the time. Following the protests, Mr Abiy became prime minister and the TPLF lost the grip on the country it had held for 27 years.

It later retreated to its stronghold of Tigray, from where it launched a rebellion last November after a huge fall-out with Mr Abiy over his reforms.

The war has created a massive humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands dead, forcing millions from their homes, and several hundred thousand in famine-like conditions as aid agencies battle to get food in war-affected areas.

The African Union is leading efforts to find a negotiated end to the fighting, but neither side has committed to talks.

The TPLF are advancing towards Addis Ababa on the A2 highway, having previously said they had taken Kemise.

The prospect of some of Ethiopia's most venerated sporting figures heading to the front lines to fight captures something profound and powerful about the mood in Addis Ababa and beyond.

At a time of intense crisis, many Ethiopians are clearly rallying behind their flag and prime minister, and are keen to play their part in galvanising public support for a military campaign that has suffered undeniable setbacks in recent months, though much remains in dispute in terms of casualty figures and battlefield momentum.

It is clear many people see the military threat posed by the TPLF and their assorted allies as an existential one for Ethiopia.

Added to that is a profound dislike of the TPLF itself, which stems from its decades heading an authoritarian national government. But there is more to it than that.

The prime minister has sought to portray his country as a victim, not just of Tigrayan aggression, but of a vast international conspiracy designed to weaken Ethiopia and punish it for, allegedly, challenging Western colonial interests on the continent.

Western media are portrayed as enthusiastic backers of that conspiracy theory - one which appears to have gained widespread credibility in a country struggling to explain how the rebel group could have made such startling headway.

2021 California International Marathon is looking for more volunteers

Thousands of runners are preparing for the California International Marathon, which takes place in less than two weeks. This year there’s a shortage of volunteers to pull off the massive event, race organizers said.

More than 10,000 runners from across the state and country participate in CIM. For the past 38 years, the event has relied on volunteers to power the race.

The Sacramento Running Association needs about 2,500 volunteers to fill all the necessary tasks on race day. Some school groups and clubs have had to pass due to their own COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Scott Abbott with the Sacramento Running Association said the race may be early in the morning but it’s “real exciting.”

“Whether it's working outdoors, doing aid stations, being a course monitor, helping load buses, even working out at the expo on Friday and Saturday — there are so many opportunities to get involved and be part of this event,” Abbott said.

Four reasons to do strides after a workout

Strides provide many benefits. After a long, easy run they can help loosen up your legs to increase your range of motion, work on your turnover and improve your form. Before a workout, they can prime your body for some faster running. There are also benefits to doing strides after a workout. Not convinced? Check out these four reasons you should include strides in your post-workout routine.

After a tempo run or interval session where you’ve been running slower than your goal race pace, strides provide an opportunity to run at or near race pace when your body’s systems are already fatigued. This is a great segue into doing more work at race pace later on, without undue strain. It also helps you practice running fast on tired legs, which will come in handy on race day when you’re trying to kick to the finish line.

1.- Activate fast-twitch muscle fibres

Strides enable you to call up your “fast-twitch” fibres while in a state of physical and mental fatigue. The aerobic aspect of the workout already created a small amount of glycogen depletion in both your slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibres, recruiting the fast-twitch fibres when they’re already in a glycogen-depleted state improves the aerobic conditioning of those fibres, which will also help you spend more time at that pace later on in your training.

2.- Kickstart recovery

By briefly re-activating your muscles and your circulatory system after your heart rate has already begun to come down, you can help your muscles to take up lactate more efficiently. This is a great way to kick-start the recovery process after a short-to-medium-length workout.

3.- Spend more time at race pace

By doing warmup strides and cooldown strides, you end up adding quite a bit of time spent running at a higher intensity without really feeling it. For example, if you do four to six 100m strides before your workout and another four to six after, you’re adding 800m to 1,200m of faster running to your workout without taxing your system that much more. This can help improve race pace efficiency without undue struggle.

4.- When not to do post-workout strides

Strides after a short-to-medium-length workout of moderate to high intensity are worthwhile, but following a long, high-intensity workout (like a VO2 max workout, for example, or any session that involves a lot of time spent at race pace), they may not be as helpful. In these scenarios, you’ve already done a lot of work at race pace or faster, and doing more would be overkill.

Mumbai Half Marathon will return to action after two-year coronavirus-enforced gap

After a coronavirus -enforced gap of two years, the Ageas Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon will be held on December 19, the organizers said on Tuesday.

The event organizers NEB Sports said it will get all the permissions and clearances to recommence their various marathons across the country.

Several new protocols will be in place for the race this year, including mandatory vaccination or RT-PCR negative tests, staggered starts, packed breakfasts, sanitisers and disposable masks to make it safe for everybody, race director Nagaraj Adiga said in a release.

"The organizers intend to limit the numbers based on permissions from the government. We are very close to reaching our target already. Registrations are, however, open till December 4," he added.

Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is the brand ambassador of Ageas Federal Life Insurance, said that focus on fitness has increased manifold after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

"Since the pandemic began, the focus on fitness has increased manifold, and people have realised the importance of an active and healthy lifestyle," said Tendulkar.

The half marathon has a new home this year in the form of Wings Sports Centre, at reclamation in suburban Bandra, and the event races include the biggie, the half-marathon (21.1 km), the 10K and the 5K.

Italy's Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs challenges Usain Bolt to charity race

Italy's Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs has challenged Usain Bolt to a charity team sprinting contest after the retired Jamaican said he could have won the blue riband race in Tokyo.

Bolt told AFP in an interview last week that it was frustrating to watch the delayed 2020 Games from his home in Jamaica as his male countrymen flopped and Jacobs, a relative unknown before the Olympics, claimed a shock victory.

The 35-year-old Jamaican, the world record holder over 100m with a best of 9.58 seconds set back in 2009, said Jacobs' winning time of 9.80sec in Tokyo was still within his reach despite having hung up his spikes in 2017.

Jacobs, who has not raced since winning the coveted sprint gold, turned to social media on Monday to challenge Bolt, the winner of eight Olympic gold medals and an 11-time world champion.

"You are my hero, so thanks for the hat's off!" said Jacobs, born in the United States to an American father but raised in Italy by his Italian mother.

"But you also said you're sure you'd win, so I'm up for the challenge!

"How about starting with a charity capture the flag? You bring your team and I'll bring mine!"

Capture the flag, or "rubabandiera" as it is known in Italy, is a schoolyard game played by children in which two teams race to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base", and bring it safely back to their own base.

Everything you need to know for the 85th Manchester Road Race

The 85th Manchester Road Race (MRR) is almost here and runners from all over the country are lacing up their running shoes.

The race was forced to be held virtually in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But with vaccinations, and efforts made by the state and race officials, the race will happen in person for the 2021 race.

Here's what you need to know:

How to Watch

The race will be held on Thanksgiving Day. 

FOX61 and CW20 will broadcast the race entirely. Fans who cannot make it out to Manchester on the day can watch it live on TV or stream it on FOX61.com, FOX61 News App, ROKU and Amazon Fire TV apps and on the FOX61 Youtube page from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

The race will be rebroadcast in its entirety on CW20 starting at 4 p.m. 

The race will start at 10 a.m. sharp. It will begin and end on Main Street at Oak Street. From there, runners will head onto Charter Oak Street where they will hit the first mile.

At the second mile, runners will head onto Highland Street before turning onto Porter Street where they will hit the third and fourth mile. 

The length of the course is 4.748 miles. 

COVID-19 Safety Measures

With COVID-19 still impacting the community, race officials have implemented safety measures.

Officials strongly urged everyone participating to be fully vaccinated before race day, which includes athletes, volunteers, and fans. 

Additionally, officials mandated that all of the elite runners, many of whom are coming from out of state, provide proof of vaccination. 

Masks must be worn at all of the MRR indoor events and on shuttle buses transporting runners and spectators to the race. 

The MRR canceled its indoor Spaghetti Supper and Charlie Robbins Luncheon this year due to the mask requirement. 

While masks are not required outdoors, race officials are asking runners, volunteers, and spectators to still wear masks and follow social distance protocols as much as possible at the race and all the associated events.

Elite Runners

Sam Chelanga, winner of the 2013 MRR, and Edna Kiplagat, who won the women's title at the 2019 race, will return this year.

Other world-class male athletes who have entered this year’s 4.748-mile Turkey Trot include Ben Flanagan, who won the Falmouth Road Race in August and finished eighth at the 2019 MRR; Drew Hunter, the 2019 USA indoor two-mile champion who won the national 5K road championship in New York City on Nov. 6; and Olympian Donn Cabral, who was second at the 2015 MRR and has had seven top-10 finishes in Manchester.

Cabral, a graduate of Glastonbury High School who was the NCAA champion in the steeplechase when he competed for Princeton, was the fastest runner (23:00) in last November’s Virtual Manchester Road Race.

Weini Kelati, who won the women’s national 5K road championship in New York City on Nov 6th with a time of 15:18, and Monicah Ngige, the fourth-place finisher at this year’s Boston Marathon who had a fourth-place finish here in 2018 (25:02), are also expected to make strong showings in the women’s race.

Be ready for the 126th Annual YMCA Turkey Trot

There are still spots left to participate in the 126th Annual YMCA Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day in Buffalo. 

Race organizers say there a few spots remaining, but they believe they will reach the 12,000 capacity before Thanksgiving.

The 8k course begins on Delaware Avenue in North Buffalo and finishes downtown near the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. 

Pre-race packet pickup will take place Monday, Nov. 22 through Wednesday Nov. 24 at the Independent Health Family Branch Y located at 150 Tech Drive in Amherst near the ECC North Campus.  

Runners can pick up their packets daily between 10:00 am and 7:00 pm on those days.  It is recommended to pick up your packet prior to race day.  

However, if you can't pick up your packet, before the race, you can pick it up on Thanksgiving Day between 7:00 am and 8:30 am at the Delaware Family YMCA.

If you cannot run in person, you can participate in the virtual Turkey Trot between Thursday, Nov. 25 and Sunday, Nov. 28. 

As always, in-race participants are invited to take part in the Annual Costume Contest before the event. Contestants need to be ready to take the stage in front of the Delaware Family YMCA at 8:25 a.m. Prizes will be awarded for best group and individual costumes. 

Proceeds from the YMCA Turkey Trot help fund Y programs that empower youth and improve community health.

If you are participating, you are asked to remember to bring your ID, wristband and mask during the race. 

What really causes running injuries?

Every year, about half of all runners will experience an injury that will sideline them for at least a few days, if not longer. Running too much, doing too much high-intensity work, not stretching enough or not doing enough strength training have all been touted as potential reasons why a non-contact sport would have such a high injury rate, but is this really the case? Recently, Canadian researchers did a deep dive into injury data and determined that we may know less about injury cause and prevention than we think we do.

The team of researchers included Jean-Francois Esculier, a physiotherapist and medical professor at the University of British Columbia and Chris Napier, Athletics Canada physiotherapist and author of Science of Running. They analyzed data from 36 studies that included a total of 23,047 runners to look for trends in running-related injury research. More specifically, they were looking for associations between injuries and training parameters, such as distance, duration, frequency and intensity, as well as recent changes to those parameters.

Not surprisingly, the researchers found that the three most frequently injured body parts were the knee (25.8 per cent), foot and ankle (24.4 per cent) and lower leg (24.4 per cent). What they didn’t find was a consistent association between any one training parameter and injuries. “Overall, there was conflicting evidence about the association between weekly running distance, duration, frequency, intensity or specific changes in training parameters and the onset of RRIs (running-related injuries),” they said in their conclusions.

What can a runner do?

With no clear-cut culprit behind running injuries, it’s difficult to make any definitive recommendations when it comes to increasing mileage or intensity, changing up your training or even rehabbing or preventing an injury. Even well-accepted rules like “don’t increase your mileage by more than 10 per cent per week” hold less clout when you realize that increasing mileage may not be the reason your knee is sore.

So what is a runner to do? As much as it’s tempting to want to come up with over-arching rules for weekly mileage, training intensity and other parameters, the truth is, running injuries are so highly individual that many runners (half of all us, it seems) are going to fall through the cracks of those broad strokes and end up with an injury at some point.

Until we know more about what leads to injuries, runners need to be constantly listening to their bodies to notice when things don’t feel quite right. When something does start to bother you, don’t ignore it until it becomes a major problem. Back off the intensity and take a few days off if you need to.

If a few days of rest don’t take care of it, make an appointment with a physiotherapist or other sports medicine practitioner, who can help you find the root cause and come up with an action plan to get you back in the game.

Norah Jeruto and Rodrigue Kwizera triumph at Cross de Italica

Kenya’s Norah Jeruto and Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera secured victories at the Cross Internacional de Itálica on the outskirts of Seville in what was the fifth World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting of the season, held (21) on a cloudy but dry day.

Right from the start of the women’s 7.9km contest, Jeruto took command of the race and led a quartet that included compatriot Beatrice Chebet, Ethiopia’s 5km world record-holder Senbere Teferi and recent Atapuerca winner Rahel Daniel. Margaret Chelimo, the defending Cross de Italica champion and world 5000m silver medallist, was a few seconds adrift of the leaders within the first few kilometres.

While Jeruto and Chebet took charge of the pacing duties, Teferi and Daniel ran at the back of the lead pack. Just before the halfway point, Chelimo made contact with the lead group and moved to the front alongside Chebet and Jeruto. Daniel, meanwhile, began to lose contact after the fourth kilometre as the race became a duel between the Kenyan trio and Teferi.

Half way through the final circuit, Teferi couldn’t live with the pace being set by Chelimo and Jeruto. Chebet lost ground on her compatriots in the final kilometre, leaving Jeruto and Chelimo to battle for victory.

It briefly seemed as though the long-legged Chelimo would reel in the long-time leader, but Jeruto, who this year clocked a world-leading 8:53.65 in the steeplechase to move to third on the world all-time list, found an extra gear in the home straight to win marginally ahead of Chelimo, herself two seconds clear of Chebet.

The men’s 10.1km event began at a moderate pace, set by the Spanish duo of Carlos Mayo, a 27:25.00 10,000m performer, and the 40-year-old Ayad Lamdassem, a creditable fifth at the Tokyo Olympics in the marathon. Shortly before the third kilometre, world U20 3000m champion Tadese Worku moved to the front to whittle down the leading group to six other men: fellow Ethiopian Nibret Melak, Uganda’s Thomas Ayeko, Eritrea’s Aron Kifle, Kwizera, Mayo and Abdessadam Oukhelfen.

The first significant move came some 15 minutes into the race when Kifle, the winner in Atapuerca last weekend, put in a surge to leave Ayeko and the Spaniards behind within a matter of seconds. Kifle and Worku then took turns at the front with Melak and Kwizera tucked behind.

Throughout the closing loop, Worku tried to shake off Melak, Kwizera and Kifle, but Kwizera was able to stick to the teenager’s relentless pace. After negotiating the tricky final bend, Kwizera overtook Worku with relative ease to take the biggest win of his career so far in 28:33, one second ahead of the defending champion Worku, while Melak secured third spot in 28:42, seven seconds clear of Kifle.

“Winning the Itálica permit is incredible for me,” said 22-year-old Kwizera, who finished 11th at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships. “I’m doing very well this cross country season and hope to maintain this. I feel very comfortable in cross country races but I also would like to improve my career bests on the track (13:34.65 for 5000m and 28:21.92 for 10,000m).”

China's ultramarathon tragedy and the survivors threatened for speaking out

When Zhang Xiaotao woke up he was in a cave and somebody had lit a fire to keep him warm. He had no idea how he'd got there.

Zhang's frozen unconscious body had been found by a passing shepherd who'd wrapped him in a quilt and carried him over his shoulders to safety. He was one of the lucky ones.

In May this year, 21 competitors died at an ultra-running event in northern China hit by extreme weather conditions: hail, heavy rain and intense gales caused temperatures to plummet, and nobody seemed prepared for it.

Only a small number felt comfortable talking about what happened - and some have been threatened for doing so.

The sun was out on race day in Baiyin, a former mining area in China's Gansu province. Some 172 athletes were ready to run 62 miles (100km) through the Yellow River Stone Forest national park.

The organisers were expecting good conditions - they'd had mild weather the previous three years. They had even arranged for some of the competitors' cold-weather gear to be moved forward along the course so they could pick it up later in the day.

But soon after Zhang arrived at the start line, a cold wind began to blow. Some runners gathered in a nearby gift shop to take shelter, many of them shivering in their short-sleeved tops and shorts.

Zhang started the race well. He was among the quickest to reach the first checkpoint, making light work of the rugged mountain trails. Things started to go badly wrong just before the second checkpoint, some 20km into the course.

"I was halfway up the mountain when hail started to fall," he later wrote in a post on Chinese social media. "My face was pummelled by ice and my vision was blurred, making it difficult to see the path clearly."

Still, Zhang went on. He overtook Huang Guanjun, the men's hearing-impaired marathon winner at China's 2019 National Paralympic Games, who was struggling badly. He went across to another runner, Wu Panrong, with whom he'd been keeping pace since the start.

Wu was shaking and his voice was trembling as he spoke. Zhang put his arm around him and the pair continued together, but quickly the wind became so strong, and the ground so slippery, that they were forced to separate.

As Zhang continued to ascend, he was overpowered by the wind, with gusts reaching up to 55mph. He'd forced himself up from the ground many times, but now because of the freezing cold he began to lose control of his limbs. The temperature felt like -5C. This time when he fell down he couldn't get back up.

Thinking fast, Zhang covered himself with an insulation blanket. He took out his GPS tracker, pressed the SOS button, and passed out.

Closer to the back of the field, another runner, who goes by the alias Liuluo Nanfang, was hit by the frozen rain. It felt like bullets against his face.

As he progressed he saw somebody walking towards him, coming down from the top of the mountain. The runner said it was too cold, that he couldn't stand it and was retiring.

But Nanfang, like Zhang, decided to keep going. The higher he climbed, the stronger the wind and the colder he felt. He saw a few more competitors coming down on his way up the mountain. His whole body was soaking wet, including his shoes and socks.

When he finally did realise he had to stop, he found a relatively sheltered spot and tried to get warm. He took out his insulation blanket, wrapping it around his body. It was instantly blown away by the wind as he'd lost almost all sensation and control in his fingers. He put one in his mouth, holding it for a long time, but it didn't help.

As Nanfang now started to head back down the mountain, his vision was blurred and he was shaking. He felt very confused but knew he had to persist.

Halfway down he met a member of the rescue team that had been dispatched after the weather turned. He was directed to a wooden hut. Inside, there were at least 10 others who had decided to withdraw before him. About an hour later that number had reached around 50. Some spoke of seeing competitors collapsed by the side of the road, frothing at their mouths.

"When they said this, their eyes were red," Nanfang later wrote on social media.

Zhang, meanwhile, had been rescued by the shepherd, who'd taken off his wet clothes and wrapped him in a quilt. Inside the cave, he wasn't alone.

When he came to, about an hour later, there were other runners also taking refuge there, some of whom had also been saved by the shepherd. The group had been waiting for him to wake up so they could descend the mountain together.

At the bottom, medics and armed police were waiting. More than 1,200 rescuers were deployed throughout the night, assisted by thermal-imaging drones and radar detectors, according to state media.

The following morning, authorities confirmed that 21 people died, including Huang, who Zhang overtook, and Wu, the runner he'd kept pace with at the start of the race.

A report later found that organisers failed to take action despite warnings of inclement weather in the run up to the event.

As news of the deaths broke on social media, many people questioned how the tragedy could have happened. Some competitors, such as Zhang and Nanfang, chose to write about their experiences online to help people understand what it was like.

But Zhang's post, written under the name 'Brother Tao is running', disappeared shortly after it was published.

When Caixin - a Beijing-based news website - re-uploaded his testimony, a new post appeared on the account a week later, begging the media and social media users to leave him and his family alone.

It later transpired that Zhang had suspended his account after people questioned his story. Some accused him of showing off for being the sole survivor at the front of the pack, others had sent him death threats.

"We don't want to be internet celebrities," he wrote online, adding that the man who saved him had also faced pressure from the media and "other aspects".

"Our lives need to be quiet," he wrote. "Please everyone, especially friends in the media, do not disturb me and do not question me."

The survivors weren't the only ones to find themselves put under pressure.

One woman, who lost her father in the race, was targeted with social media abuse on Weibo after questioning how her father was "allowed to die". She was accused of spreading rumours and using "foreign forces" to spread negative stories about China.

Another woman, Huang Yinzhen, whose brother died, was followed by local officials who she claimed were trying to keep relatives from speaking to each other.

"They just prevent us from contacting other family members or reporters, so they keep monitoring us," she told the New York Times.

In China it's typical for relatives of those who have died in similar circumstances - where authorities face blame - to have pressure placed on them to remain silent. For the government, social media attention on any possible failings is not welcome.

A month after the race, in June, 27 local officials were punished. The Communist Party secretary of Jingtai County, Li Zuobi, was found dead. He died after falling from the apartment in which he lived. Police ruled out homicide.

Short presentational grey line

The Baiyin marathon is just one of many races in a country that was experiencing a running boom. Its tragic outcome has brought the future of these events into question.

According to the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA), China hosted 40 times more marathons in 2018 than in 2014. The CAA said there were 1,900 "running races" in the country in 2019.

Before Covid hit, many small towns and regions attempted to capitalise on this by hosting events in order to bring more tourism into the area and boost the local economy.

After what happened in Baiyin, the Chinese Communist Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection accused organisers of some of the country's races of "focusing on economic benefits" while they are "unwilling to invest more in safety".

With Beijing's hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics just months away, China has suspended extreme sports such as trail running, ultramarathons and wingsuit flying while it overhauls safety regulations. It is not yet clear when they will restart. There have been reports that not even a chess tournament managed to escape the new measures.

But without events like these, people wishing to get involved, perhaps even future star athletes, are finding themselves frustrated. In some cases, as Outside Magazine points out, athletes could take matters into their own hands, venturing into the mountains without any regulation whatsoever and putting themselves at risk.

Mark Dreyer, who runs the China Sports Insider website, wrote on Twitter: "If this incident has removed the top layer of the mass participation pyramid - as seems likely - there's no telling what effect that would have at the lower levels.

"The long-term effects of this tragic - and avoidable - accident could also be significant."

Top fields gather for Cross Internacional de Italica

The Cross Internacional de Italica in Santiponce on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Seville – the fifth Gold standard meeting in the current World Athletics Cross Country Tour – always boasts a mouth-watering line-up, and this year’s race on Sunday (21) is no exception.

The men’s 10,092m contest features one of the most promising distance runners, Ethiopia’s Tadese Worku, who was the last victor here in January 2020. The 19-year-old is the current world U20 cross country and 3000m champion, has recently shown impressive form with a 26:56 clocking at a 10km road race in Herzogenaurach and should be tipped as one of the favourites. He will be joined by his fellow Ethiopian Nibret Melak, a 12:54.22 5000m performer this year.

They will face stiff opposition from the whole Atapuerca podium, as Eritrea’s Aron Kifle, Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera and Uganda’s Joel Ayeko will also be in contention. The latter’s compatriot Thomas Ayeko, Burundi’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Eritrea’s Yemane Hailesilassie should also rank in the top 10 on Sunday.

Spanish hopes rest on the European U23 cross country bronze medallist Abdessamad Oukhelfen. The 22-year-old has proven to be in fine form at this early stage of the season, with third and fifth-place finishes in San Sebastian and Atapuerca respectively. Watch out too for Carlos Mayo, who also made the top 10 in Atapuerca and will be aiming to match that feat here.

Eritrea’s Rahel Daniel Ghebreneyohannes managed an upset victory in Atapuerca last weekend, defeating a mighty Kenyan armada featuring Beatrice Chebet, Margaret Chelimo and Norah Jeruto who were second, third and fourth-place finishers respectively there following a tight and intriguing finish. The four of them will clash again over 7910m on Sunday and the battle for the win promises to be epic.

Reportedly, the unheralded Eritrean competed in Atapuerca wearing two right shoes, but despite that disadvantage she got the better of a world-class line-up and will be eager to prove her victory was no fluke.

Daniel’s top performance is a 14:55.56 5000m clocking from Hengelo last June, but she couldn’t advance to the final at the Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, the Kenyan triumvirate holds impressive backgrounds. While Chelimo is the reigning world 5000m silver medallist and defends her victory in Santiponce last year, Jeruto boasts the third fastest ever time in the 3000m steeplechase thanks to a 8:53.65 performance. As for Chebet, the 2018 world U20 5000m champion was runner-up behind Chelimo in 2020 and narrowly beat Chelimo and Jeruto in Atapuerca.

Another Kenyan, Eva Cherono, was eighth at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships and will make her second outing this autumn after a winning 19:17 clocking over four miles in Groningen last month.

To add more quality to Sunday’s field, organisers also announced the late addition of Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi. The 26-year-old came sixth at the Tokyo Olympics over 5000m and bettered her lifetime best for the distance to an impressive 14:15.24 this season. Teferi will be aiming to regain her 2017 win here and seems ready to do so after her 14:29 overwhelming victory and outright women's world 5km record of 14:29 in Herzogenaurach in September.

The most remarkable Europeans on show will be Turkey’s Yasemin Can and Italy’s Nadia Battocletti; the former having claimed four consecutive European cross country titles and the latter having finished just outside the top 10 in Atapuerca.

Previous winners in Santiponce include Kenenisa Bekele (2003, 2004 and 2007), Fernando Mamede (1984 and 1985), Paul Kipkoech (1987 and 1988), Paul Tergat (1998 and 1999), Moses Kipsiro (2008 and 2009), Leonard Komon (2010 and 2011), Linet Masai (2010 and 2012) and Paula Radcliffe (2001), among others.

Weather forecasters predict a rainy day and a temperature of 18ºC by the time of the event.

Purrier St Pierre and Hocker headline Millrose mile fields

Organisers of the Millrose Games have confirmed that US 1500m champions Elle Purrier St Pierre and Cole Hocker will contest the WHOOP Wanamaker women’s and men’s miles at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in New York on 29 January.

Purrier St Pierre is the second-fastest woman in history for the indoor mile, having clocked a North American record of 4:16.85 at the 2020 Millrose Games. Earlier this year she set a North American indoor record of 9:10.28 for two miles, taking her to third on the world indoor all-time list, and then won at the US Trials in a meeting record of 3:58.05. She went on to place 10th in a high-quality Olympic final in Tokyo.

Like Purrier St Pierre, Hocker was also in flying form during the 2021 indoor season. He clocked an indoor mile PB of 3:50.55, moving him to eighth on the world indoor all-time list and making him the fastest teenager in history for the indoor discipline. One month later, he won the mile/3000m double on the same day at the NCAA Indoor Championships. He went on to win the outdoor NCAA 1500m title and the US 1500m title before placing sixth in the Olympic final in a PB of 3:31.40.

Kiplimo breaks world half marathon record in Lisbon

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo broke the world record* at the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday (21), clocking 57:31 at the World Athletics Label road race.

The world half marathon champion won by more than two minutes and took one second off the previous world record set by Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie in Valencia last year.

Kiplimo, who finished third in the 10,000m and fifth in the 5000m at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year, passed through the first 5km in 13:40, having already dropped the rest of the field.

By the time he reached 10km in 27:05, he had a lead of about one minute over the chase pack and was well on schedule to break Kandie’s world record.

Kiplimo passed through 15km in 40:27, the fastest time ever recorded for the distance and indicative of a sub-57-minute finish. With no nearby competitors to work off, Kiplimo’s pace dropped slightly in the closing stages, but he managed to just finish inside the world record, crossing the line in 57:31.

Ethiopia’s Esa Huseyidin Mohamed finished second in 59:39, just ahead of compatriot Gerba Beyata Dibaba, who was given the same time for third place. The top nine men all finished inside 60 minutes.

The women’s race was a close affair as Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu won in 1:06:06 from Kenya’s Daisy Cherotich (1:06:15) and Joyce Chepkemoi (1:06:19).

Leading results

Women1 Tsehay Gemechu (ETH) 1:06:062 Daisy Cherotich (KEN) 1:06:153 Joyce Chepkemoi (KEN) 1:06:194 Hiwot Gebrekidan (ETH) 1:08:005 Vibian Chepkirui (KEN) 1:08:026 Ethlemahu Sintayehu Dessi (ETH) 1:08:167 Yitayish Mekonene Agidew (ETH) 1:08:188 Jess Piasecki (GBR) 1:09:449 Tsige Haileslase Abreha (ETH) 1:10:3110 Debash Kelali Desta (ETH) 1:11:01

Men1 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) 57:312 Esa Huseyidin Mohamed (ETH) 59:393 Gerba Beyata Dibaba (ETH) 59:394 Hillary Kipkoech (KEN) 59:415 Ibrahim Hassan (DJI) 59:416 Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) 59:487 Antenayehu Dagnachaw (ETH) 59:488 Edmond Kipngetich (KEN) 59:499 Isaac Kipsang (KEN) 59:5210 Solomon Berihu Weldeslassie (ETH) 1:00:00

The United Airlines NYC Half will be held March 20, 2022 after being cancelled in 2020 and not held in 2021 due to the pandemic

New York Road Runners (NYRR) has announced the return of the United Airlines NYC Half on March 20, 2022, after being cancelled in 2020 and not held in 2021 due to the pandemic.

Next year’s race will get back at full scale with an expected field of 25,000 runners – marking the first NYRR race to return to its traditional field size. The event is one of the organization’s signature races taking a 13.1-mile run from Brooklyn to Manhattan.

“In early March 2020, the United Airlines NYC Half was one of the first mass sporting events to be cancelled during the onset of the pandemic,” said Kerin Hempel, CEO, NYRR.

“We are extremely excited for the glorious return of this popular race. It will be reflective of our city’s vigour and serve as a defining moment as we bring our races back to full scale.”

The course showcases New York City’s historic landmarks, popular parks, views from the Manhattan Bridge, and diverse neighbourhoods. Starting at Prospect Park in Brooklyn the race passes Grand Army Plaza, the United Nations, Grand Central Terminal, and Times Square, before ending near the TCS New York City Marathon finish line in Central Park.

Additionally, the race will host hundreds of children taking part in the Rising New York Road Runners youth event featuring a 1,500m out-and-back course on Seventh Avenue in Times Square.

The 2022 United Airlines NYC Half field will consist of both guaranteed and non-guaranteed entrants. Runners can receive guaranteed entry through a variety of methods, e.g., for NYRR members who complete four qualifying events in 2022 and have an active membership by the last qualifying event.

Non-guaranteed applicants can register for a chance to run through the entry drawing. The application period for all guaranteed entrants and the entry drawing for non-guaranteed entrants opened at 13:00 EST on November 18 and closes at 23:59 EST on December 1.

The drawing for non-guaranteed applicants will take place on December 8, and runners will be notified of their entry status.

Three hip abductor exercises to prevent injuries

Your hips play an important role in your running mechanics, and runners with weak hips are at a higher risk for several injuries, including IT band syndrome, hamstring tendinopathy, achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis and patellofemoral pain syndrome (a.k.a. runner’s knee).

These four exercises target the hip abductors to improve your running mechanics so you can run faster and farther without getting injured.

What do your hip abductors do?

The primary hip abductor muscles are your gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae. These three small muscles are responsible for lifting your leg to the side of the body. When you’re running, the abductor muscles on your stance leg are responsible for lifting up the non-stance side of the hip without allowing your hip to drop significantly to one side. These muscles are easy to overlook, and runners often ignore them until they have an injury. By incorporating the following exercises into your regular routine, you can take care of many common runner injuries before they happen, so you have no interruptions in training.

Side plank with hip hike

This exercise targets your abs, shoulders and hip abductors. The key to doing these correctly is to ensure your legs are in line with your trunk, and not migrating forward, which will miss your abductor muscles. If doing these from your feet is too hard at first, do them from your knees, bending them at 90 degrees and making sure you can draw a straight line from your knees to your head. Aim for 10-20 repetitions.

Standing hip hike

This exercise targets your gluteus medius. Stand on a low step, with one foot suspended in the air. Slowly drop your hip so your foot is reaching for the floor, then hike that hip up into the air. Your opposite leg should stay straight the entire time. Aim for 10-20 repetitions.

Offset walking lunge

Holding a weight in one hand, keep your core tight as your perform regular walking lunges, trying not to lean to the side where you’re holding the weight. The hip abductors are worked the most when the weight is opposite to the lunging leg. Do 10-15 reps with the weight in one hand, then switch hands and do 10-15 more.

Why Running Doesn’t Suck

MY JOURNEY to loving running was a tortuous one. It began at my small high school in Portland, Oregon, where the cross-country coach, often too short on athletes to field a competitive team, would poach members of the soccer team for important races. During my junior year, I was one of those reluctant recruits, and over the course of a half-dozen races I learned two lessons. The first was that I was reasonably fast but would never be a podium threat. The second? That running sucks.

I realize that statement doesn’t exactly square with the headline of this essay, but bear with me. After 25 years of lacing up my foam-cushioned shoes and heading out the door nearly every morning, I think I’ve collected a decent amount of wisdom about the sport, the most important of which is that you can’t skip over the part of running that sucks. You can learn to move through the discomfort of pushing yourself physically and the boredom of traveling the same neighborhood route for the 50th time, but on some level, on most days, there are long stretches during which even a slow jog can feel more like work than play. This is especially true when you’re just starting out, and it’s why a lot of people give up—or never fully commit in the first place. Who wants to subject themselves to that kind of suffering?

It’s a fair question, but with an undeniable answer: A lot of us. There are 55.9 million runners in the U.S. alone, according to market-data firm Statista. You see us on the streets every morning during your commute, and you should definitely join us. Ask a hundred runners why they’re out there and you’ll get close to a hundred different reasons. Motivation is a very personal thing. But there are a few common themes that keep people in the game, despite the suckitude.

Running is the key to unlocking a life of adventure. The fitness base it builds translates to nearly every outdoor sport, from hiking to climbing to surfing. If you can run, almost everything else is easier.

Running has essentially no barriers to entry. There isn’t any expensive gear required. You can run in a cheap pair of Chuck Taylors and jorts. Or go barefoot if you like. No one in the running community cares if you’re wearing a simple cotton T-shirt or a $95 moisture-wicking performance top.

Even if you think you’re not a runner, you are. Maybe it’s been years, but you almost certainly know how to run. If you’re looking to start out, just run 100 yards down your block. Slowly. If that’s when it begins to suck, that’s OK. Walk for the rest of your “run.” Tomorrow try 150 yards. Congratulations—you’re now a runner. You don’t have to bag a marathon to call yourself that.

A good soul-cleansing run is accessible anywhere, at any time. Your running shoes won’t get a flat tire. Your daily run doesn’t depend on fresh snow or good surf. You can run when it’s zero degrees and when it’s 100 degrees. And you can set out from any front door—whether that’s your house or the hotel you’re staying at in Midtown Manhattan.

Those are the practical reasons to take up running. But here’s the truth: most of us, including me, learned to love running because it’s a drug. The so-called runner’s high—a shot of endocannabinoids that kicks in after 30 minutes or so—is real. It’s also free and healthy for everyone. String together a few runs and you’ll probably feel it. String together a few weeks’ worth and it will start to alter your brain chemistry. I know this because on the days I run, I have less anxiety, think through problems clearly, and remain unflappably optimistic. On the days I don’t run? Best to keep your distance. That’s what really motivates me to run every day, and why I think everyone else should, too. It’s why I can tell you that while there are things about running that will always suck, they don't really matter—that pushing through the suffering to achieve a goal, whether two miles or 26.2, is worth it. Because running will change your life.

Judy Sheppard took up running in her seventies – and has even completed an ultramarathon

AS FAR AS 76th birthday presents go, an entry into a 50K ultramarathon is fairly unconventional. But that’s exactly what Judy Sheppard, now 78, received from her daughter Liz Sheppard. More remarkably, she completed it and, at the time of writing, was preparing to run the London Marathon having achieved a Good For Age (GFA) place.

Liz has form with this kind of thing, having encouraged her mum to join her on a half marathon in Cyprus back in 2016. Judy, 72 at the time and with no previous running experience, didn’t think that she would be up to it but decided to find out. She was – and she’s been running ever since.

‘I got addicted to it,’ she says. ‘After a race, I get such a sense of achievement that I’ve done it at my age. And because there aren’t many runners in my age group, I’ve won a lot of trophies. It gives me a buzz to know I can do it.’

Speaking about the previously mentioned birthday present, Race to the Stones, Judy says: ‘The first 20 miles went quite well, but then it all went downhill. I felt a bit tired and sick, but I did at least finish it.’ A pretty standard ultramarathon experience, then, albeit infinitely more impressive given her age.

So what’s the secret to Judy’s current remarkable running success? ‘Most people are winding down in their seventies, but I’ve always been energetic as I have to take the dogs walking,’ she says. Alas, it seems that her four-legged friends do not make for the best running companions. ‘There’s no way I would run with them as they’d be dragging me into the bushes!’

She’s keen to encourage more septuagenarians to take up running, too, and believes that you’re never too old to get active. ‘Just go for it,’ she says. ‘I honestly didn’t think I’d be any good at running. If anybody in their seventies wants to run but thinks that they can’t do it, well, they can. Because if I can do it, anybody can.’

To date, Judy has run three marathons and an ultramarathon, all accompanied by her daughter, who says that running has helped bring them even closer together. ‘It’s given us a real bond,’ says Liz. ‘I think it’s amazing what she’s doing. You don’t get a lot of runners doing marathons and beyond in their late seventies. Mum is so determined. Once she fell over at the start of the race but got back up and made it to the finish. I think she is a real inspiration to older runners.’

Along with her new collection of finisher’s medals, Judy has also found a ready-made group of friends, many of whom are part of the Slinn Allstars, the running group she joined in 2017. ‘They’re fantastic and very inclusive,’ says Judy. ‘I never imagined I’d get the support I’m getting. I have a top with my name on it when I’m racing and have found a lot of people cheering me on.’

Like many others, Judy had to make do without any crowd support for the past 18 months as Covid kiboshed all big city races. Having secured a GFA place for London back in 2018, she had to requalify last year for the virtual London Marathon. ‘I scraped it!’ she says. ‘It was absolutely tipping down all day. The GFA time for women of my age was 6:15, and I think I ran 6:14.’

Liz’s London Marathon journey hasn’t been quite so lucky, though. Having secured a charity place for this year’s event, she had planned to run with her mum, but a badly sprained ankle put paid to that. ‘I’d hoped it would have healed by now, but there’s been very little progress,’ she says. ‘It’ll be my mum’s first big race without me. I feel bad, but I also know that she’ll have a great adventure.’

This may, however, be the end of their mother-daughter marathon running. ‘I think London will be my last marathon,’ says Judy. ‘I’ve heard it’s so well supported – the atmosphere and everything – so it’s something I wanted to experience, but I’ll concentrate on 10Ks and half marathons after this.’

Liz isn’t convinced by this retirement talk, though. ‘No way! She says that, but I know what she’s like. She’ll definitely do it again.’

It would make for quite an 80th birthday present, after all.

New and familiar faces vie for JFK 50-Mile Titles This Weekend

This weekend's JFK 50-Mile in Hagerstown, Maryland, will see Thanksgiving-like temperatures between the 20s and 40s, in keeping with many past editions of the race. But that's where the similarities between the 2021 JFK and previous races end.

Over 1,000 athletes will descend upon Hagerstown on Saturday with every possibility that a new champion will be crowned in both the men's and women's races. 

On the men's side, the most recent champion to return to JFK is David Riddle, who won in 2011. It might be 10 years since his victory, but he's fresh off a win at the Super Bull Trail Championships 50K in Wooster, Ohio and has won Alabama's Mountain Mist 50K a whopping nine times, most recently this January.

JFK has a brand-new course record set last year by Hayden Hawks (a blistering 5:18:40), and a stacked field of lesser-known names will see how close they can come. Ultra newcomer Adam Peterman, who was second at this year's Pike's Peak Marathon and won the Speedgoat 50K in July, will look to make his mark on the men's field. The top returner is Anthony Kunkel, who was fourth last year. Other names to watch include Ben Quatromoni, who won the Kilkenny Ridge 50-miler in September and the Algonquin 50K in February; Jared Bassett, who won the Rogue Gorge 50K in October; and Sean Van Horn, fresh off a second-place finish at the Grand Traverse 40-miler and third at the 2020 Javelina Jundred 100-mile. 

But it's on the women's side where things get really interesting. Like the men, the women have only one of the past two decades' champions returning in the form of Devon Yanko, who claimed the crown in 2009. Yanko is also one of nine women in the field to have raced in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials back in February 2020. Others from that road marathon include Sarah Cummings, Anna Kacius, Sarah Biehl, Starla Garcia, Jeanne Mack, Rachel Viger, Karen Dunn and Caitlyn Tateishi.

nna Mae Flynn will make her JFK debut this year. The 2019 champ at both the Speedgoat 50K and the Lake Sonoma 50-Mile will be one of a slew of athletes chasing Ellie Greenwood's course record from 2012 of 6:12:00. Also watch for Kimber Mattox and Kristina Randrup. Mattox won the 15-mile Smith Rock Ascent in Oregon in May (where she was 5th outright) as well as the 2020 Way Too Cool 50K. Randrup won the American River 50 Mile in California in May by nearly an hour, and was third at the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile in September. 

And the stories at JFK won't end with those vying for the win. Watch for Carolyn Showalter, who will be looking to extend her record of 34 JFK finishes. The 67-year-old also holds two other JFK records: she's tied for most wins by a woman with six AND most consecutive finishes with 22, a streak she held from 1982-2003.

No matter what, one thing is for sure: this year's JFK will be one of a kind.

Camille Herron breaks course record at Javelina Jundred 100-miler

The 19th annual Javelina Jundred took place this weekend in Arizona’s McDowell Mountain Regional Park, and Camille Herron won the women’s race and placed fourth overall, setting a new course record in the process of 14:03:23. Arlen Glick of Ohio won the men’s race in 13:14:51, his ninth win at the 100-mile distance since his first one in 2018.

The 100-mile course is made up of five loops run on the Shallmo, Pemberton and Cinch trails and features rolling single track through the Sonoran Desert. There is also a 100 km event in which runners complete three loops, as well as a single loop race, called the Jackass 31K. Each loop climbs slowly from the start to the finish, for a total elevation gain of about 1,580 feet (457m) for each loop.

Herron set a strong pace right from the start line and didn’t let up for the entire race, creating a nearly 10-minute lead by the 22-mile mark. She crossed the finish line fourth overall, more than 90 minutes ahead of the next-best woman, in 14:03:23. This time smashes the previous course record of 14:52:14, set by Devon Yanko in 2015. Idaho’s Brittany Peterson, who was the fourth woman at Western States in June, managed to stay within 30 minutes of Herron for more than half of the race, but was not able to keep up that pace all the way to the finish, taking second place and eighth overall in 15:47:23. Tessa Chesser of Arizona rounded out the women’s podium in 10th overall in 16:25:05.

Woman sets Guinness World Record for running the most consecutive marathons

When lockdown began in March 2020, Alyssa Clark, an ultrarunner from Burlington, Vt., was living in Italy, where everyone was directed to stay inside. She hopped on her treadmill and decided to run a marathon every day until the lockdown was supposed to end — a period she thought would be only two weeks. Fast-forward more than three months, and the 28-year-old ended up logging a total of 95 consecutive marathons before, ironically, the COVID-19 virus forced her to stop.

March 31 was Clark’s first marathon of the challenge, and she wasn’t able to move her runs outside until the beginning of May. She had already completed 25 consecutive marathons when she learned the Guinness World Record for women was 60 marathons in 60 days, so she decided she could surpass that mark. She set her sights on 75 marathons in 75 days, which she accomplished on June 13.

Canadian Running caught up with Clark last June, when she was 64 marathons into her journey. At that time, the marathons had begun to take their toll. “This started out being really fun, and it’s getting less fun now,” she said to us.

Despite this, she continued lacing up her shoes every day for another 31 days. Clark completed most of her marathons in about four hours, sometimes faster when she was feeling good, sometimes slower if the weather was bad. During that time, she and her husband moved from Italy to Panama City Beach, Florida.

Eventually, she decided to set her sights on 100 marathons in 100 days. In early July, however, Clark noticed the marathons had gotten significantly more difficult, but she wasn’t sure why. She had begun experiencing tightness in her chest while she was running, and doctors diagnosed her with an upper respiratory infection. Finally, on July 4, after 2,489 miles, 95 marathons and 95 days, Clark decided the best decision for her health was to call it quits. Two weeks later, it was confirmed that she and her husband had contracted the COVID-19 virus.

Being only five marathons away from hitting 100, Clark was disappointed to have to stop, but was thankful she was able to continue as long as she did. “Marathons at 100 degrees. Marathons in the middle of the night. Marathons on treadmills alone. Marathons with the best friends and company of which I could ask. Thousands of messages of love and support. A journey I will remember forever,” she wrote on her Instagram page.

Finally, more than a year after she completed her last marathon, Clark had her world record ratified by Guinness, and her name is officially in the books as the one to beat. In an interview with CNN, she said she’s not looking to break another world record because of the lengthy, tedious process required to have the first one ratified, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have more goals on the horizon. Up next, she will attempt to set a new FKT on the Pinhoti Trail, which stretches 335 miles from Alabama to Georgia.

A former athletics coach John Lees has been handed a lifetime ban from the sport for misconduct towards athletes

John Lees, who coached athletes who represented Great Britain at senior level, appealed against a five-year sanction issued in February.

But an independent appeal committee, chaired by Jane Mulcahy QC, found him guilty of five charges relating to his misconduct towards athletes.

An additional two charges were admitted by Lees, who was based in Edinburgh.

The panel concluded: "We are left with the view that [Lees] habitually behaved inappropriately, had disregard for the rules and, as we have already noted, had no idea of boundaries."

Scottish cross-country champion Mhairi Maclennan was one of the athletes to testify against Lees.

Waiving her right to anonymity, she said: "For me, today marks what I hope to be the end of a very long journey.

"This experience has certainly tested me in ways I never imagined possible. I'm immensely proud of all the athletes that have spoken up in this case, and I stand with all athletes, past and present, from our group.

"I hope that our story helps to change the narrative and sets a precedent that athletes will no longer suffer in silence."

Lees had appealed against the decision in February to ban him from coaching and also against the length.

On Thursday, charges against Lees were found proven by the appeal panel of sexual touching, making a sexualised comment to a female athlete, endangering an athlete's safety by "causing injury by administering a chiropractic adjustment" and providing chiropractic adjustments while not being appropriately qualified.

The further charges admitted by Lees related to massaging an athlete at his home address when she was under 18, and making inappropriate and sexualised comments to athletes in his training group.

UK Athletics' (UKA) submission to the appeal panel said: "[Lees] has shown a blatant disregard for the rules and an insistence on doing things his way... he could not even acknowledge that what he did was wrong."

The panel concluded that his conduct was "very serious".

It added: "Further, we are very troubled by his attitude and his continuing failure… to take any responsibility or to accept his conduct was wanting in any way.

"Our unanimous view is that [his] conduct and failure to accept any need for change renders him untrustworthy and unsuitable to work as a UKA licensed coach now or in the future.

"We have therefore decided that the appropriate sanction is the permanent withdrawal of [his] UKA coaching licence."

Mark Munro, the interim chief executive of UK Athletics, added: "We are pleased with the decision by the panel. Athletics cannot tolerate the type of behaviour highlighted in this case.

"This decision shows that welfare is at the front and centre of UK Athletics' concerns and at the heart of what we stand for."

Top fields gather for Cross Internacional de Italica

The Cross Internacional de Italica in Santiponce on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Seville – the fifth Gold standard meeting in the current World Athletics Cross Country Tour – always boasts a mouth-watering line-up, and this year’s race on Sunday (21) is no exception.

The men’s 10,092m contest features one of the most promising distance runners, Ethiopia’s Tadese Worku, who was the last victor here in January 2020. The 19-year-old is the current world U20 cross country and 3000m champion, has recently shown impressive form with a 26:56 clocking at a 10km road race in Herzogenaurach and should be tipped as one of the favorites. He will be joined by his fellow Ethiopian Nibret Melak, a 12:54.22 5000m performer this year.

They will face stiff opposition from the whole Atapuerca podium, as Eritrea’s Aron Kifle, Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera and Uganda’s Joel Ayeko will also be in contention. The latter’s compatriot Thomas Ayeko, Burundi’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Eritrea’s Yemane Hailesilassie should also rank in the top 10 on Sunday.

Spanish hopes rest on the European U23 cross country bronze medalist Abdessamad Oukhelfen. The 22-year-old has proven to be in fine form at this early stage of the season, with third and fifth-place finishes in San Sebastian and Atapuerca respectively. Watch out too for Carlos Mayo, who also made the top 10 in Atapuerca and will be aiming to match that feat here.

Eritrea’s Rahel Daniel Ghebreneyohannes managed an upset victory in Atapuerca last weekend, defeating a mighty Kenyan armada featuring Beatrice Chebet, Margaret Chelimo and Norah Jeruto who were second, third and fourth-place finishers respectively there following a tight and intriguing finish. The four of them will clash again over 7910m on Sunday and the battle for the win promises to be epic.

Reportedly, the unheralded Eritrean competed in Atapuerca wearing two right shoes, but despite that disadvantage she got the better of a world-class line-up and will be eager to prove her victory was no fluke.

Daniel’s top performance is a 14:55.56 5000m clocking from Hengelo last June, but she couldn’t advance to the final at the Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, the Kenyan triumvirate holds impressive backgrounds. While Chelimo is the reigning world 5000m silver medalist and defends her victory in Santiponce last year, Jeruto boasts the third fastest ever time in the 3000m steeplechase thanks to a 8:53.65 performance. As for Chebet, the 2018 world U20 5000m champion was runner-up behind Chelimo in 2020 and narrowly beat Chelimo and Jeruto in Atapuerca.

Another Kenyan, Eva Cherono, was eighth at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships and will make her second outing this autumn after a winning 19:17 clocking over four miles in Groningen last month.

To add more quality to Sunday’s field, organisers also announced the late addition of Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi. The 26-year-old came sixth at the Tokyo Olympics over 5000m and bettered her lifetime best for the distance to an impressive 14:15.24 this season. Teferi will be aiming to regain her 2017 win here and seems ready to do so after her 14:29 overwhelming victory and outright women's world 5km record of 14:29 in Herzogenaurach in September.

The most remarkable Europeans on show will be Turkey’s Yasemin Can and Italy’s Nadia Battocletti; the former having claimed four consecutive European cross country titles and the latter having finished just outside the top 10 in Atapuerca.

Previous winners in Santiponce include Kenenisa Bekele (2003, 2004 and 2007), Fernando Mamede (1984 and 1985), Paul Kipkoech (1987 and 1988), Paul Tergat (1998 and 1999), Moses Kipsiro (2008 and 2009), Leonard Komon (2010 and 2011), Linet Masai (2010 and 2012) and Paula Radcliffe (2001), among others.

Weather forecasters predict a rainy day and a temperature of 18ºC by the time of the event.

Four tips for winter speedwork

Safety comes before speed not only in the dictionary but also in winter running.

As temperatures get colder and the snow begins to fall, it makes finding a location for winter speedwork can be challenging. When the ground is covered with snow and ice, runners need to be extra cautious.

Here are a few things to consider when doing speedwork in the snow.

1.- Run in daylight

If the sun is out, go run out(side). It’s easier to see slippery and icy areas up ahead during the daytime. Vehicles have no excuses not to see you running. If you can’t make it out for a run during the day, find a location or route that is well-lit and free from heavy traffic.

2.- Choose a nearby route

Safety comes before speed not only in the dictionary but also in winter running. Unless you have the time to shovel a running track, you should find a road or path near your home that’s well-lit, plowed, and free from traffic. For example, if you are doing six reps of 500 meters, you should look for a plowed 200 to 1,000m loop and use that street as a track. Finding a loop will help you relax during your workout and not worry about the conditions as much.

3.- Consider using traction devices

Snow traction devices will help reduce slipping and improve your stride efficiency in the snow. Your body can tense up when running on a slippery surface, which can cause unusual soreness in your stabilizer muscles. The point of wearing traction devices is to give you more stability. This will make it easier to increase your speed and control. 

4.- Shorten your stride 

One thing that will change when running on the snow is your technique. It is important to shorten your stride and to keep your centre of gravity lower to have more control over the surface.

There is no need to make running harder than it is, and doing speedwork during the winter can be a rewarding experience for many who have upcoming spring and summer races. Having a plan to run safely will help you get the best results out of your winter training.

Geoffrey Kamworor, Lawrence Cherono and Guteni Shone confirmed for Valencia Marathon

Valencia will once again become the epicentre of the running world on December 5, when it holds the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso EDP, a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label race that in 2021 wants to continue making history by breaking records.

And to achieve this, it will count on some of the best athletes in the world including Geoffrey Kamworor, Lawrence Cherono and Guteni Shone.

Kamworor, winner of three world half marathon titles and two world cross-country titles, is eager to improve on his 2:06:12 PB, set on his debut at the distance back in 2012. Since he had to withdraw from the Tokyo Games due to injury, the two-time New York Marathon champion from Kenya has been preparing exclusively and conscientiously to achieve a great result in Valencia.

Cherono is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics. The 2019 Boston and Chicago champion will return to the scene of his 2:03:04 PB, a time which makes him the fastest in the field.

Herpasa Negasa, the 2019 Dubai runner-up, and 2019 Valencia winner Kinde Atanaw are the other sub-2:04 performers in the field.

Ethiopia’s Andamlak Belihu, who finished fifth over 10,000m at the 2019 World Championships and at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships, will be making his marathon debut. The 22-year-old’s PBs of 26:53:15 for 10,000m and 58:54 for the half marathon point to a potentially fast time for the full marathon distance.

Although no one in the women’s field has a PB faster than 2:20, organisers are hopeful that barrier will be broken again in Valencia for the third year in a row.

Guteni Shone came close to that mark last year when finishing second in Dubai with 2:20:11. Fellow Ethiopian Azmera Gebru is also less than a minute shy of the barrier, thanks to her 2:20:48 PB from the 2019 Amsterdam Marathon.

Kenya's 2018 Prague Marathon champion Bornes Chepkirui, Ugandan record-holder Juliet Chekwel and three-time Rome Marathon champion Rahma Tusa of Ethiopia are also in the field. Marathon debutante Dorcas Tuitoek is also one to watch.

“This year’s marathon is extremely competitive, as we like it in Valencia,” said elite athlete coordinator Marc Roig. “I don’t rule out a sprint finish in both the men’s and women’s races – in fact, I’m counting on it. The athletes know that Valencia offers one of the best courses for achieving personal best times. And this, with the level of runners we have, can easily translate into several athletes breaking the course record. By how much? We will see on December 5.”

Boston Athletic Association says that all 24,000 Qualifying Applicants For 2022 Boston Marathon Will Be Accepted

For the first time since 2013, the “cut-off” time for Boston Marathon eligibility is 0 minutes and 0 seconds.

All 24,000 applicants for the 126th Boston Marathon will be accepted, pending verification of their qualifying times, the Boston Athletic Association announced Thursday. Those who submitted applications during the 2022 Boston Marathon registration window from November 8-12 will be accepted into the April 18th race.

“I am delighted to share that everyone who applied with a valid qualifying time will be joining us for the 126th Boston Marathon,” said Tom Grilk, President and CEO of the B.A.A. “It will be a historic return to Patriots’ Day and I am pleased to welcome this dedicated group of qualifiers back to the roads of Hopkinton to Boston on the third Monday in April for the first time in three years.”

The B.A.A. is currently in the process of verifying and confirming all qualifying time submissions.

Applicants will receive official notice of acceptance by early December, once their qualifying time has been approved and credit cards are successfully charged. Athletes who have been officially accepted into the race will also receive more information on the process to provide proof of vaccination or request a medical exemption.

Applicants are asked not to send additional qualifying information to the B.A.A., unless specifically requested by a B.A.A. official.

The 126th Boston Marathon will feature a field size of 30,000 participants, and all athletes must be fully vaccinated in order to participate in the race.

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala and six other Kenyan athletes left the country Wednesday night for the 2021 Dubai Run

The run, dubbed "Run with the Champions", will see participants among them the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, take part in 5km and 10km races along the iconic Sheikh Zayed superhighway on November 26.

The 2021 Dubai Run is among several activities lined-up for the seven athletes who will represent Kenya at the Expo 2020 Dubai.

The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (Keproba), who will manage Kenya's pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai, aim to use to showcase Kenya as a destination for investment, sports, and tourism.

Apart from Omanyala the other Kenyan athletes include double 3,000m steeplechase Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi, former 800m world champion Janeth Jepkosgei, 2013 London Marathon winner Priscah Jeptoo, 2021 Berlin Marathon first runner-up Bethwel Yegon, Jonathan Kiplimo Maiyo, who set a personal best time of 2:04:56 at the 2012 Dubai Marathon, and 2010 Nagpur half-marathon winner Hellen Nzembi.

Omanyala will be the leader of the athletes’ delegation. Omanyala, who will do the 3km at the Expo run, shared his excitement at representing Kenya at the Expo.

"I am privileged to be among great athletes like Ezekiel Kemboi and Janeth Jepkosgei to promote our country through a fun and engaging initiative as this one," Omanyala told Nation Sport.

"Other than showcasing the best of my country, I also hope to learn from other countries," he added.

Omanyala is currently on a break before starting his busy 2022 season in February that will see him compete in the World Indoor Championships, Kipkeino Classic, Diamond League, Continental Tours, African Championships, World Championships, and the Commonwealth Games in six months.

The run will start at the Kenyan pavilion and, it will have three courses - 3km, 5km, and 10km routes.

Jepkosgei said she cannot wait to showcase the best of Kenyan agriculture and tourism.

"I am excited by my role at Expo. I look forward to telling the world about our peaceful and hospitable country, the good quality of our agricultural products and, our enchanting tourist attraction sites," the 37-year old, who has taken up coaching athletes, said

The Expo 2020 Dubai was initially scheduled to take place from October 20, 2020, to April 10, 2021, but it was cancelled due to Covid-19.

"Our athletes are our greatest ambassadors. Their presence at the Kenya Pavilion will boost our effort to market Kenya as a destination for investment, sports, and tourism," Keproba CEO Dr. Wilfred Marube said at the flag-off ceremony for the Kenyan athletes held at a Nairobi hotel on Wednesday.

Philadelphia marathon weather forecast will be perfect for runners

Sunday morning is expected to dawn chilly and dreary. In other words, what it might be like if a whole lot of runners were running the atmosphere.

Based on two comprehensive studies by researchers who did some serious legwork, weather conditions for Sunday’s Philadelphia Marathon should be near ideal, with temperatures ranging from 39 to 44 degrees during the race, riding a negligible breeze.

The forecast for Saturday morning’s half marathon has a distinctly more December feel, and in fact it might be the coldest morning of the season with temperatures below 30 at race time. But they will recover quickly and be in the mid-30s by the time people reach the finish line.

“That’s perfect as far as I’m concerned,” said Seth Weiss, head of the Philly Runners club and who plans to be among the 10,000 participating in Saturday’s race. “On the cold side of perfect, but I prefer cold over hot.”

And get this: The National Weather Services lists the precipitation probability Saturday at 0%, with puny winds of 2 to 3 mph.

The only remotely possible blemish Sunday, when another 10,000 will be running, would be a “sprinkle” borne on weak — as in 1 to 3 mph — easterly winds, said Paul Walker, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc. But the weather service lists the chances of any precipitation of 0.1 inches or more at 2%.

And for marathoners, the sun should be no sweat, with skies forecast to be around 80% cloud-covered.

Good timing

Weather is a wild card, but it has never canceled the race, and as long as the Philadelphia Marathon is held on the third weekend of November, extreme heat is unlikely to be an issue — that’s unless the climate system goes kablooey.

Normal lows this time of year are close to that performance sweet spot, around 40.

But that wasn’t what the organizers had in mind when this all started 27 years ago, said Jennifer Sherlock, the event’s spokesperson.

One consideration was the fact that it was the weekend before the holiday season kickoff, she said. The likelihood of generally favorable running weather has turned out to be a collateral benefit.

Other spring and fall marathons, one would think, would be similarly inoculated against heat. The Boston Marathon, for instance, is held the third week in April, when it’s been known to snow up there. However, Boston marathoners suffered through brutal heat in 1975 and 2012.

Said Weiss, “I definitely don’t know anybody who would prefer 80-plus degrees and high humidity.”

There will be a preliminary cap of 10,000 in-person runners for the full 26.2-mile marathon, a 10,000 cap on the half marathon, and around 3,500 for the 8K race, for a total of about 24,000 in-person participants.

Kenyan Mercy Cherono credits parents for long career in athletics

The 2014 Commonwealth Games 5,000m champion Mercy Cherono has described her father as a pivotal pillar in her athletics career since her junior heydays. 

Cherono said her father's frequent advice has helped her avoid pitfalls that many athletes experience in the course of their careers. 

"The first thing is to trust in God. The second is to have a strong relationship with parents. I have been very close with my father and he has been advising me, alongside my mother, ever since I was a junior runner. Up to now, I still consult him on various issues and that is why I have not had challenges with rogue coaches," Cherono said. 

The 2013 world 5,000m silver medalist subsequently advises athletes to love themselves first as well as to remain close to their old folks if they are to excel. 

"You need to respect yourself first and place a high value on what you do. You also need to trust in God, respect your parents as well as the coaches. If you do this, then you will be able to shield yourself from such unscrupulous individuals," she said. 

Cherono further advocated for gender equality in the athletics coaching sector to mitigate cases of sexual harassment of female athletes by male coaches. 

"If you look at the South Rift for example, majority of the coaches are male. We need to empower more ladies to become coaches. I believe they are better placed to mentor the young athletes and guide them on what to do right to avoid falling prey to rogue coaches," added the 2010 World Cross Country junior champion. 

Regarding upcoming competitions, Cherono has set sight on next year's major competitions and plans to compete in the ongoing national cross country series. 

"I feel it would be a good opportunity for me to get in shape in preparation for next year," she said. 

Cherono was among hundreds of athletics stakeholders who showed up in Kericho County for a consultative meeting with Athletics Kenya as part of face-to-face discussions on the issues ailing the sport. 

Speaking at the same event, athletes' representative in Kericho, Peter Cheruiyot, concurred with Cherono's sentiments, noting that male athletes are also undergoing harrowing times due to wrong relationships. 

"The ladies have decided to be more vocal about it but the men choose to remain silent. Many are struggling with the management of family affairs back home. It is a tough act balancing between career and family needs, which often collide," Cheruiyot said. 

He urged AK and other stakeholders to impart the importance of education onto young athletes at the grassroots rather than wait until their careers are so far gone. 

"Those who cannot afford fees should be assisted so they can balance between education and career. We have the Olympics 800m champion (Emmanuel Korir) who is in the US but is often available to compete in local races back home," he said. 

Four keys to beating someone who’s faster than you

In a race situation, it makes sense that the person with the fastest personal best would win, but as we’ve seen time and time again, things don’t always play out this way. If you’re slower on paper than the runner standing next to you, that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to cross the finish line behind them every time.

Whether you’re trying to break the tape or simply beat the guy next to you, use these tactics to get ahead of your competitors in your next race.

Draft

If the conditions on race day are less than ideal (think wind, rain, etc.), your opponent likely won’t be running quite as fast as they would on a better day. This is where your opportunity lies: tuck in behind them and do your best to stay close, so they do all the work heading into the wind for you. That will tire them out while saving you some energy, which you can take advantage of at the end of the race to surge past them for the win.

Use the hills

If the course is technical with a lot of hills, often all it takes is some smart racing to take down faster opponents. Instead of trying to run the same pace on the ascents as you are on the flats, like most people (and likely your opponent) will, try to maintain your effort level and stay relaxed so you don’t over-exert yourself as you climb the hill. You will probably get passed on the hill when you do this, but don’t worry: because you didn’t use up all your energy on the uphill, you’ll have enough in the tank to accelerate over the top and use the downhill to make a move, rather than needing it to recover from the ascent. If the course has multiple hills, you can use this strategy over and over, watching as your opponents gradually fall back as you charge confidently forward.

Blind corners

Throwing a few surges into a race can help give you an edge over your competitors, and combining a surge with a corner will give you even more of an advantage. To make a corner work to your advantage, try to get ahead of your opponent as you approach the turn, then accelerate around the bend, continuing at the pace for another 20 to 30 metres. When the other runners turns the corner, you will be much farther ahead of them than they thought, which might cause them to give up, thinking you’re too far ahead to catch.

Go out hard and break their heart

This is arguably the riskiest play on this list, but it works if you know you’re fit and your rival isn’t quite in race-ready shape. The idea is simple: as soon as the gun goes off, go out at a pace you know you can’t maintain, but you know your opponent can’t, either. If they’re competitive enough, they’ll go with you, and all you have to do is wait until they drop off the pace. From there, try to maintain that pace for another couple of minutes to create a large enough gap that they’ll give up, thinking you’re going to keep going at that pace.

Then, gradually start to slow down to a more manageable speed. You likely won’t achieve a new PB running with this strategy, but if your goal is simply to win, then it’s a solid plan.

Kenya´s Titus Ekiru joins stellar cast for Adnoc Abu Dabhi Marathon

Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and ADNOC have announced the addition of another top athlete to the elite category to join the exceptional line-up of world-class athletes in the third edition of the Abu Dhabi Marathon.

With a personal best time of 2.02.57, Kenyan-born Titus Ekiru, is currently ranked as the world’s fifth best in the men’s marathon history.

His career highlights include first place in the 2021 Milano Marathon, 2019 Honolulu Marathon, 2018 Mexico City Marathon and 2017 Seville Marathon.

The upcoming Bronze Label race will see eight additional elite athletes vying for the top spot at the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon.

The line-up includes some of the world’s top-ranking athletes such as Reuben Kiprop Kipyego, Abel Kirui, Barnabas Kiptum, Philemon Rono, Eunice Chumba, Betelhem Moges, Vivian Kiplagat and Alemu Megertu.

Leading up to the race, from November 22-25, a race village will be hosted at the ADNOC HQ Campus, welcoming participants and supporters with photo opportunities, family entertainment and a dedicated race pack collection area.

The race is open from six to 70-year-olds and runners of all fitness levels.

Running before work? Follow these advices if you are considering becoming a morning runner

Running in the early morning is a great way to ensure your run doesn’t get replaced by other commitments later in the day, and for many runners, it’s their only option to fit it around their work and family schedules. Still, forcing yourself out of bed before the sun comes up and while everyone else is asleep can be challenging, and running before work does take some planning.

If you’re struggling to fit your runs into your daily schedule and are considering becoming a morning runner, follow these tips to make your morning routine a breeze.

Get ready the night before

You’ll likely be a bit groggy when you get up in the morning, so make your routine as brainless as possible by preparing as much as you can the night before. Set out your gym clothes next to your bed to avoid having to rummage through your drawer for socks at 6 a.m., and even have the clothes you need for work ready to go also. If you’re planning on having a sip of coffee before heading out the door, have your coffee maker prepped and ready so all you have to do is hit start (or even better, get one with a timer that allows you to set it to come on before you get up, so it’s ready when you walk into the kitchen).

Have a snack

If you’re often hungry when you first wake up, have a quick bite to eat, like a banana, a granola bar or something else that’s small and easy on the stomach, before you go for your run to stave off the hunger pangs until you get back. In fact, recent research suggests that female runners are better off having something small before a morning run than running in a fasted state.

Make a plan

Before you go to bed at night, you should already know what route you’re going to run, what type of run you’re doing (are you going for an easy run or is something faster on the schedule?), what playlist you’re going to listen to (if you enjoy music while you’re running) and anything else that requires a decision. Again, this saves time by preventing you from having to think too hard in the morning.

Go to bed early

If you’re getting up early for a run in the morning, don’t stay up until 1 a.m. watching Seinfeld reruns. Set a bedtime alarm to remind you to shut off the screens and begin making your way to bed, so you can get a good night’s sleep. It can be hard to force yourself into that routine initially, but your body will thank you when that alarm goes off the next morning.

Don’t hit the snooze button

This is often the hardest part for a lot of runners, but when that alarm goes off, resist the urge to hit the snooze button. If you have to, put the alarm far enough away from your bed to force you to get out of bed to turn it off. Once you’re on your feet, the rest is a lot easier.

South African Caster Semenya cleared to compete until Swiss court ruling

Caster Semenya will be allowed to compete without restriction until the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland has passed judgment on a new IAAF ruling.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the IAAF could implement a regulation that would require Semenya to take medication to lower her testosterone levels in order to compete against women in track events ranging from 400 meters to a mile.

However, the two-time Olympic 800 meters champion has continued to challenge the ruling and lodged an appeal in Switzerland last week.

The 28-year-old asked the Swiss Federal Supreme Court to set aside the decision in its entirety.

It has now been confirmed that the IAAF must suspend its implementation of the regulations until the Swiss Supreme Court, which will receive submissions from the body, has made a ruling.

Semenya, who ruled out retiring after winning the 800 at the Diamond League event in Doha last month, two days after the CAS ruling was announced, will be able to compete for the time being.

"I am thankful to the Swiss judges for this decision," she said in a statement released Monday. "I hope that following my appeal I will once again be able to run free."

Dorothee Schramm, Swiss counsel for Semenya, said: "The Swiss Supreme Court has granted welcome temporary protection to Caster Semenya. This is an important case that will have fundamental implications for the human rights of female athletes."

Jamaican Usain Bolt thinks he could have won 100m gold at Tokyo Olympics

Sprint legend Usain Bolt said he could have emerged from retirement to win a fourth straight Olympic 100m title in Tokyo this year, insisting the winning time was within his reach.

Bolt, 35, told AFP that it was frustrating to watch the delayed 2020 Games from his home in Jamaica as his male countrymen flopped and Italy's Lamont Jacobs claimed a shock victory.

"I really missed it. I was like, I wish I was there," he said in an interview at the Dubai offices of his sponsor PepsiCo on Sunday.

"Because for me, I live for those moments. So it was hard to watch."

Bolt dominated sprinting for a generation, winning eight Olympic gold medals and only losing a ninth when his 2008 4x100m relay team-mate Nesta Carter failed a retrospective drugs test.

The first Olympic 100m final since the great showman's departure was a subdued affair, with Jacobs clocking 9.80sec at a Covid-emptied Tokyo National Stadium.

"My coach said something to me at the end of my career. He said, 'People are not getting faster. I was getting slower.' I never looked at it that way," said Bolt.

"And it's the facts because a lot of guys don't really get faster. Because I have pushed the barrier so far and then I started going backwards time-wise, so for me 9.80 was possible to get done."

But Bolt, who has dabbled in football and music since retiring, said it was "all about motivation" when he was considering a potential comeback in Tokyo.

"For the Olympics, it was gonna be different," said the father of three.

"I always show up ready because I think this is the highest level, but I've already done everything in the sport so it was all about motivation."

'Lightning Bolt' loses sparkle

With a rueful shake of the head, Bolt said it was "not looking good" for Jamaica's men's sprinters after they failed to reach the Tokyo 100m final and were fifth in the 4x100m relay.

And he said none of the current athletes looked capable of beating his 100m and 200m world records of 9.58 and 19.19, rarely threatened since he set them in 2009.

"I don't think I've seen anybody in this generation right now which I personally feel will break the records," he said.

"So I think I have a couple more years before somebody will actually break my world records."

Bolt, instantly recognisable worldwide, said he'd "love" to help World Athletics promote the sport and had approached its leader, Sebastian Coe, about a formal role.

But he said he had no designs on the presidency.

"No, I don't want that job. That's a lot of stress and a lot of work," he said.

He added that he would "definitely" have taken the knee to protest against racism on the Tokyo podium, where it was banned under International Olympic Committee rules.

"I understand what it's about. Racism, we've been through it so I understand the necessary aspect of it and what is needed," he said.

But he revealed that after years of striking the 'Lightning Bolt', his signature pose was beginning to grate.

"Sometimes it gets a little bit, I wouldn't say annoying. But I understand that I've done it to myself," he said with a chuckle.

"People really enjoy it and it's for the fans, you know. I mean, it's a picture that they will treasure forever.

"So for me, I'm not always happy doing it, but I do it anyways because it's for them and it makes them happy."