Running News Daily

THE MOST REMARKABLE aspect of the fastest marathoner in history is how unremarkable—and how accessible—his training is. Eliud Kipchoge has the best resources in the world at his disposal, but rather than relying on treadmills that cost more than a Lexus or recovery devices worthy of NASA missions, he follows simple training tenets that maximize how he recovers, what he eats, his mindset, and the conditioning he does after his runs. 

1. SLEEP LIKE YOUR RUN DEPENDS ON IT

ELIUD KIPCHOGE SLEEPS up to 9 hours at night, often also taking an hour-long midday nap. Most of us don’t have the time or the 120-mile weekly workload to clock that much shut-eye, but we can still benefit from Kipchoge’s sleep hygiene cues. 

At least 30 minutes before bed, he turns off or puts down all electronics. The habit reduces his exposure to blue light, known to delay the release of melatonin, leading to a decrease in sleepiness, says Kannan Ramar, MD, past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Then, instead of scrolling through social media (he prefers Facebook), Kipchoge winds down by reading at least two chapters of a book.

“If I have enough sleep, my body and my mind are free of stress and ready to go with the programs,” says Kipchoge. 

While you’re asleep, your body is doing more than resting. Crucially, your pituitary gland releases growth hormone, which helps your muscles repair and grow, says Ramar. 

Most runners don’t need a nap if they consistently get the recommended 7 to 9 hours, Ramar says. But when you don’t hit that target, naps can help counter short-term sleep loss and provide an energy boost for a late-day run, Ramar adds. He suggests a 20-minute doze between noon and 3 p.m. to relieve fatigue. Napping longer than 20 minutes can leave you feeling groggy due to entering a deep-sleep state, Ramar says. 

2. REVIVE SORE MUSCLES WITH AN ICE BATH

TWICE A WEEK, Kipchoge takes a 10-minute plunge in his camp’s ice baths to aid his postrun recovery. It may not be pleasant, but studies find that cold water immersion (CWI) therapy like Kipchoge’s ice bath is effective. “Most research shows that over 48 hours, athletes have reported an improvement in DOMS [delayed onset muscle soreness] and sometimes corresponding improvements in strength and/or flexibility,” says Rebecca Stearns, PhD, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut. 

Cold water reduces the body’s temperature, which narrows the blood vessels. This flushes metabolic waste from inflammation out of muscles to speed recovery, says Stearns. Water temperature between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes is cold enough to produce results, she adds. 

You can set up an ice bath at home by filling a tub halfway with cold water. Then, depending on your tap temperature, add one to three 5-pound bags of ice. Stearns suggests trying CWI once or twice a week and checking with your physician to make sure you don’t have any contraindications for doing ice baths. 

“It’s very intense. It’s not for everybody,” Kipchoge says. “You need to learn to relax and learn to absorb pain.” 

3. UPGRADE YOUR DIET WITH PROTEIN

KIPCHOGE HAS ALWAYS maintained a highcarb diet, but after running 2:00:25 in Nike’s 2017 Breaking2 project, he began working with exercise biochemist Armand Bettonviel to improve his nutrition and further push his performance. Bettonviel, who develops nutrition plans for elite athletes, sought to up Kipchoge’s protein intake to aid his recovery as well as help to build and maintain his lean muscle. 

“I’ve noticed a difference since I started to be serious about nutrition,” Kipchoge says. “Recovery is very fast, I have a lot of energy.” 

While Kipchoge’s exact protein intake is confidential, Bettonviel suggests runners aim for 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. For a 150-pound runner, that’s 102 to 136 grams. 

Kipchoge’s meals feature Kenyan staples like ugali (a cornmeal porridge), potatoes, rice, chapati (a wheat flatbread), managu (an iron-rich leafy green), beans, whole-fat milk, eggs, chicken, and beef. Meat is only served about half the week, so to hit his protein goal Kipchoge drinks mala, a local sour milk, says Bettonviel. Every 6 ounces has about 7 grams of protein, making it comparable to kefir found in most stateside dairy aisles. 

Bettonviel also introduced a high-protein porridge to the camp menu (Kipchoge eats it with fruit after training) made with whey protein and teff, an ancient grain that offers 10 grams of protein per cooked cup. You can DIY by mixing a half scoop of protein powder with whole-grain teff—stocked at many grocery stores and sold on Amazon—and cook it similarly to oatmeal. Alternatively, Kodiak Cakes makes oatmeal with whey protein and 12 grams of protein per serving. 

4. MEDITATE TO BUILD MENTAL STRENGTH

KIPCHOGE IS AN especially mindful runner, says his coach Patrick Sang. While training and racing, he focuses on his breath and his movements, and aims to minimize outside distractions. It’s a skill that helps him embrace the pain and challenges of a marathon. 

Mindfulness—a practice of focusing your awareness on the moment, with a kind and curious attention in a nonjudgmental attitude—can benefit any runner, says Corrie Falcon, director of mindfulness-based training for athletes at the University of San Diego Center for Mindfulness. Resting your attention on elements of a present moment, like your breath, heartbeat, or even a drip of sweat, can prevent you from getting caught in an inner dialogue mid-training or competition that may unravel your focus. 

“In moments of high stress before or during a race, mindfulness has been shown to reduce the production of stress hormones, reduce blood pressure and heart rate, improve emotional regulation, and promote relaxation in the body,” says Tara Zinnamon, PhD, a neuroscientist and meditation teacher. 

Kipchoge credits his focused, spartan lifestyle for developing mindfulness, but it can also be cultivated through a consistent mindfulness routine. Even just 12 minutes of guided meditation five days a week for one month can be effective, says Amishi Jha, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. 

If guided meditation seems outside your comfort zone, Falcon recommends a strategy you can try while running. She describes it as a “sense practice.” Run in silence. For two minutes, focus on what you see, then focus on sound, followed by what sensations you feel, and then smell. “And when you have a thought, label it ‘thought’ or ‘thinking’ and return to the present moment experience through the senses,” says Falcon.

5. BUILD BONUS ENDURANCE ON A BIKE

TO BOOST HIS training volume without increasing his risk of a running injury, Kipchoge rides a stationary bike for an hour twice a week after his runs. 

Cycling is a concentric (shortening) muscle-contraction activity, which is easier for muscles to recover from, says Colorado-based coach Bobby McGee, who has worked with runners and triathletes (including Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen) for more than three decades. In running, the primary loading is eccentric (lengthening), which is more demanding and damaging. 

“A one-hour endurance run is limited by leg fatigue, not heart and lung fatigue. A two-hour ride doubles the cardio conditioning but has minimal leg-muscle damage,” says McGee. 

Kipchoge spins at an easy pace, which he says also helps reduce muscle soreness. “Cycling is a far more effective recovery modality than an easy run, especially for bigger runners with a slower cadence,” says McGee. He recommends cycling no more than twice weekly and for less than 20 percent of your overall training time. 

Jakob Ingebrigtsen brought his remarkable 2026 season to a fitting close on home soil, winning the men’s street 1500m at the inaugural Runfest Norway in Sandnes on Friday.

Competing in front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd, the Olympic and world champion took control of the race from the early stages and maintained his authority through the finish, stopping the clock at 3:40.7.

Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen followed in second in 3:43.3, while Sigurd Tveit completed the podium in 3:47.8.

The unusual street race added another dimension to the occasion, with 273 runners taking part on the same road and sharing the course with one of Norway’s most accomplished distance runners. For the recreational participants, it offered a rare opportunity to compete alongside Ingebrigtsen in an event that brought elite athletics and mass participation together.

The victory also provided a fitting final chapter to a season that began with significant uncertainty for Ingebrigtsen. After undergoing major Achilles surgery in February, the Norwegian was forced to miss a substantial portion of the summer campaign as he worked his way back to full fitness.

His return, however, quickly developed into another championship-winning chapter. In Birmingham, Ingebrigtsen captured European 5,000m gold before adding another major title at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, where he won the 5,000m.

Those performances transformed what could have been a disrupted season into another year defined by championship success and a determined return to the highest level.

Now, with the Sandnes victory added to his 2026 record, Ingebrigtsen closes the year exactly where it began in spirit — overcoming adversity, rebuilding his form and once again competing at the front.

From Achilles surgery in February to major championship victories and finally a 1500m win before his hometown crowd, the Norwegian has given his 2026 season a memorable final scene.

Olympic 100m hurdles champion Masai Russell has announced her engagement to longtime partner Robert “Robbie” Springfield, adding a major personal milestone to the remarkable journey of one of America’s leading track and field stars.

Russell shared the news with her followers, revealing that Springfield had proposed and that she had accepted. Reflecting on their relationship, the Olympic champion described him as her best friend and expressed her excitement about spending the rest of her life with him.

The couple’s relationship dates back to their college years at the University of Kentucky, where both were student-athletes and competed in track and field. Russell established herself as a standout hurdler, while Springfield competed in the long jump, giving them a shared understanding of the demands, sacrifices and pressures that come with pursuing success in athletics.

Springfield has since transitioned from competition into coaching. A former collegiate long jumper, he is now part of the coaching staff at Morehead State University, where he works with the programme’s sprinters and jumpers.

Their relationship has developed alongside Russell’s rise to the top of the sport. The defining moment of her career came at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she captured gold in the women’s 100m hurdles, securing her place among the sport’s Olympic champions.

Away from competition, Springfield has remained a familiar part of Russell’s journey, sharing in the demanding periods of training and competition that accompanied her pursuit of Olympic success. Their connection has consequently grown from a college athletics relationship into a long-term partnership.

The engagement now marks another significant chapter for Russell, this time away from the track. After reaching the pinnacle of her sporting career in Paris, the 100m hurdles champion is beginning a new phase of her personal life alongside a partner who has been part of her journey since their university days.

From competing on the same collegiate stage to building a future together, Russell and Springfield’s story has evolved alongside two careers shaped by track and field. The Olympic champion will now balance this new personal chapter with her continuing ambitions in athletics

The women’s race at the 2026 TCS Amsterdam Marathon is shaping up to be one of the most competitive editions in recent years, with a deep international field set to take on the fast Dutch course on Sunday, October 18.

At the centre of the contest will be four Ethiopian athletes who have already broken the 2:20 barrier, creating the prospect of a fascinating battle for victory and a possible assault on the course record of 2:16:52.

Defending champion Aynalem Desta will return to Amsterdam looking to retain her title after producing the biggest performance of her career at last year’s 50th edition. Desta won in a personal best of 2:17:37, establishing herself among the leading marathoners in the field and setting the benchmark for this year’s contenders.

Standing in her way will be fellow Ethiopian Meseret Belete Tola, a former Amsterdam champion who knows exactly what it takes to succeed on the course. Belete Tola captured the 2023 edition in 2:18:21, and her return adds another layer of experience and proven quality to an already formidable lineup.

The field also includes Mestawut Fikir Truneh, who arrives with an impressive marathon pedigree. Truneh finished runner-up at the 2024 Berlin Marathon in 2:18:48, demonstrating her ability to compete at the highest level on one of the world's major marathon stages.

Completing the quartet of sub-2:20 Ethiopians is Buze Diriba, whose personal best of 2:19:34 places her firmly among the leading contenders. With four athletes possessing credentials below 2:20, the race is likely to develop into a tightly contested battle from the opening kilometres.

The depth extends well beyond the leading quartet. Desi Jisa Mokonin, representing Bahrain, Yeshi Kalayu Chekole of Ethiopia and Nazret Weldu Gebrehiwet of Eritrea have all established themselves as serious marathon competitors with performances approaching the 2:20 mark.

Another major name to watch is Abeba Aregawi, the former 1500m world champion representing Sweden. Aregawi has successfully transferred her talents to the marathon and made headlines earlier this year by setting a Swedish national record of 2:23:12 on her debut. Her presence adds another intriguing dimension to an already high-quality field.

Amsterdam’s marathon course has consistently provided an opportunity for elite athletes to produce fast times, and this year’s women’s lineup has the depth to turn the race into a genuine test of both championship racing and outright speed.

With four athletes already inside 2:20, two former Amsterdam champions returning to the start line and several other accomplished marathoners ready to challenge them, the battle is expected to remain open deep into the race.

The ultimate target will be the Amsterdam women’s course record of 2:16:52. Whether the leading contenders can threaten that mark remains to be seen, but the quality assembled for October 18 ensures that the record will be firmly in the spotlight when the race reaches its spectacular finish inside the Olympic Stadium.

The 2026 Valencia Half Marathon is shaping up to be a thrilling contest of speed, endurance and tactical brilliance, with some of the world’s finest road runners set to converge in Spain on October 25.

Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo and Alex Matata will be among the leading contenders, facing a formidable Ethiopian challenge spearheaded by Jemal Yimer and Tadese Worku. The field also features Rodrigue Kwizera, who boasts the fastest personal best among the leading entrants at 58:16.

Ebenyo arrives with a personal best of 59:04, placing him firmly among the athletes capable of sustaining a demanding pace over the 21.1-kilometre distance. Matata, who owns a 59:11 best, adds further Kenyan strength, while Andrea Kiptoo brings another sub-60-minute credential to the race.

Yimer has already established himself as one of the fastest athletes in the field with a 58:33 personal best, while Worku has clocked 58:35. Kenya’s Owen Korir, with a best of 58:58, further underlines the remarkable depth of the men's lineup.

Valencia Half Marathon 2026 Entries

1. Rodrigue Kwizera (Spain) — 58:16

2. Jemal Yimer (Ethiopia) — 58:33

3. Tadese Worku (Ethiopia) — 58:35

4. Owen Korir (Kenya) — 58:58

5. Daniel Ebenyo (Kenya) — 59:04

6. Alex Matata (Kenya) — 59:11

7. Andrea Kiptoo (Kenya) — 59:11

8. Thierry Ndikumwenayo (Spain) — 59:42

9. Said Mechaal (Spain) — 1:00:24

10. Adel Mechaal (Spain) — 1:02:30

Kwizera, who finished second in Valencia last year, leads the field on paper and will be seeking another standout performance on the famously fast Valencia course. With several athletes carrying sub-60-minute credentials, the race has the ingredients for an aggressive battle from the opening kilometres.

Beyond the headline names, the men’s field is deep and highly competitive, bringing together a strong collection of experienced international athletes with proven ability over the half-marathon distance. With so much quality packed into the lineup, the race promises an intriguing battle in which tactics, endurance, positioning and finishing speed could all play a crucial role in determining the eventual champion.

Yet personal bests will count for little once the gun goes off. The title could ultimately be decided by patience, positioning and the ability to respond when the pace begins to rise in the closing stages. Every surge, every tactical move and every second saved could prove decisive on the road to the finish.

With Kenya, Ethiopia and Spain represented by athletes of exceptional quality, Valencia promises a high-octane men's showdown in which the leaders are likely to be separated by only a handful of seconds. The final kilometres could provide the defining moments of a race packed with speed, ambition and anticipation.

On October 25, the question will be simple: who has the strength to command the streets of Valencia and claim the coveted half-marathon crown?

 

April 19, 1982. The Boston Marathon unfolded under unusually warm, sunny conditions, and by the closing stages, the race had become a private battle between two very different American runners: Alberto Salazar, already one of the biggest names in distance running, and Dick Beardsley, the Minnesota runner who had emerged as a serious marathon contender.

For roughly nine miles, from the Newton Hills toward the finish, Beardsley did much of the leading, with Salazar tucked close behind. Neither man could shake the other. They ran deep into Boston locked together, trading surges and refusing to surrender an inch as the crowds along the course grew louder.

Salazar finally made his decisive move with less than a mile remaining. He opened a small gap, but Beardsley refused to disappear. The Minnesota runner chased him through the final streets, closing again as they approached the finish.

Then came the final sprint.

Salazar held his form and reached the finish first in 2:08:52, with Beardsley only two seconds behind in 2:08:54. It was an extraordinary result: both men broke 2:09 in the same Boston Marathon, and both shattered the previous course record.

The race became known as the “Duel in the Sun,” and it remains one of the most celebrated head-to-head battles in Boston Marathon history. Beardsley had not won, but his performance established him as one of America's elite marathoners.

For Salazar, however, victory came at an enormous physical cost. Immediately after crossing the finish line, he collapsed and required emergency treatment, including several litres of intravenous saline. The combination of heat, dehydration and an all-out effort had pushed his body to the limit.

Salazar's marathon career would never again produce quite the same kind of performance. His celebrated 1981 New York City Marathon victory had produced what was initially considered a world record, although the course was later found to be short. His Boston triumph therefore became one of the defining victories of his career.

Beardsley's story would take an even more difficult turn. Injuries disrupted his career, and after returning to the highest level, he suffered a devastating farm accident in 1989. Further accidents, surgeries and severe physical pain followed, eventually leading to a long battle with painkiller addiction.

He eventually overcame that struggle and transformed the darkest chapters of his life into a story of recovery, resilience and redemption.

That is what makes the 1982 Boston Marathon more than a two-second victory.

For one extraordinary afternoon, Salazar and Beardsley produced a marathon duel in which neither man was willing to give way. One crossed the finish line first. The other finished only two seconds behind him.

Two seconds separated them at Boston. Decades later, their legendary duel remains one of the greatest chapters in marathon history.