Running News Daily

“It was running or Zumba,” says James Duncan of Montreal (not his real name), when asked why he started running. Back in 2018, when he first experienced symptoms of depression and anxiety, a friend suggested he take up a new activity. He was attracted to running as an individual sport without too much pressure: “No one expects me to win, so it seemed like a good option,” he says. But Duncan quickly discovered he could do more than he thought, so he registered for his first 5k race. “It gave me a sense of achievement, some sort of purpose,” he says. “It forced me to get up on days when I just wanted to stay in bed.”

Cut to June 2020, when Duncan proudly ran his first unofficial (and entirely unplanned) half-marathon – in the middle of the night. Getting up at 3:30 a.m. after a bout of insomnia, he went out for a quick run to watch the sunrise over the St. Lawrence River, and had his first runner’s high: “It just felt good,” he says. “So I kept running.”

Is runner’s high what kept him running over the past two years? Duncan is clear: “To be honest, that’s only ever happened to me once. Running gives me a way to stop thinking about everything else for a while. When I run, I just focus on my breathing. It’s almost like meditation. And the social connections I got from being part of a running group also really helped me.”

Although thousands of people have taken up running for the first time during the pandemic, COVID has put a damper on group running, so the mental-health boost from socializing with other runners has been absent for most people over the past year. This has given rise to a particularly COVID-specific type of mental distress: loneliness. A recent Angus Reid survey found that almost a third of Canadians report suffering from loneliness and social isolation – and this figure rose 10 per cent between October 2019 and October 2020. (Those reporting that they had “a good social life” dropped from 55 per cent to 33 per cent during the same period – and there are probably a fair number of runners among those numbers.)

With the prospect of a gradual return to normality thanks to vaccination, runners are tentatively signing up for races (where they can find them) and reconnecting with their groups, while solo runners whose motivation to train never flagged are cheered by the approach of spring. Research has repeatedly demonstrated the many mental health benefits of running and exercise, and that has never been truer than now.

But running obviously isn’t a guarantee against anxiety, depression or loneliness. Runners of all levels struggle with mental health issues, while also experiencing running as a mood-booster, at least some of the time. Elite athletes like Canadian ultrarunner Rob Krar, U.S. runners Alexi Pappas, Amelia Boone and Molly Seidel have shared their experiences with anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and eating disorders in an effort to reduce stigma, and their candour has led to recognition of the need for dedicated support. And while mental performance coaches have for decades helped pro athletes deal with negative mental habits that impede performance, there’s a difference between mental performance and mental health; psychotherapists are only recently becoming an essential part of the team as well. This was brilliantly demonstrated in April last year as Canadian sports groups and associations united to create a dedicated mental health task force to support athletes after the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. All of which raises the question: if elite professionals, who spend a large portion of their days training, are experiencing anxiety and depression, is exercise really as beneficial for mental health as we thought?

The relationship between running and mental health is both subtle and complex. Multiple studies have demonstrated the crucial role of exercise in well-being. Sport psychology expert, Olympian and dean of the University of Calgary’s faculty of kinesiology, Penny Werthner, says, “Movement is critical for both mental and physical health. There are physiological and neurological changes that occur when we move, when we run and become fitter.” Achieving running milestones (which, depending on the individual, may mean anything from simply getting out the door to setting a new marathon PB) can boost confidence and motivation, foster a sense of accomplishment and improve self-esteem – all of which boost mental health. But it’s only part of the picture: “I would argue that exercise and movement can always help,” says Werthner, “and it would be wise to incorporate them into a treatment plan, along with other treatments, such as cognitive behaviour therapy.”

HOW NEW RUNNERS CAN BENEFIT

If you’re a new runner who’s embraced the sport because you’ve heard of its widely touted mental health benefits, it may not be quite that simple. It may take time to build up the fitness that will allow you to reap any significant mental health benefit. (One study found that running at a moderate pace for 30 minutes produces a much higher increase in the neurotransmitters known as endocannabinoids, which researchers believe may be more responsible for running’s mood-boosting properties than endorphins, than either walking or running at maximum intensity – and it may take some time for a non-runner to be able to run continuously for 30 minutes.) Obviously, the risk for new runners is taking on too much too soon, which is likely to deprive them of any mental health benefit they might have derived from running because they are sidelined with an injury. Werthner suggests reaching out to a trainer or coach to get started in a way that’s appropriate to your fitness level and goals.

Another pitfall for new runners is that running can very easily become a chore, adding nothing to one’s mental health (and possibly compromising it). For running to make you happy, it should be carefree and liberating (as it is for Duncan). It doesn’t mean having to run a marathon – by all means, start training for a marathon if all of the following are true: you’re healthy, that goal excites you and you have support for it from the people in your life whom it may impact. Marathon training and recovery are time-consuming. Most plans recommend starting with some 5k, 10k and half-marathon races to build a base of fitness, which generally means putting off marathon training until you’ve been running for at least six months to a year. Don’t compare yourself to others you see on social media, posting about their running accomplishments, and remember that there are no shortcuts to athletic greatness – elite athletes have years of training (and plenty of failures) behind them.

Whether you start with a few minutes of running and walking or a more ambitious regimen, check in with yourself regularly. “The best gift you can give yourself is to be aware of your own needs,” says Kim Dawson, mental performance consultant and professor at Ontario’s Wilfrid Laurier University.

EXPERIENCED RUNNERS: BALANCE IS KEY

Experienced runners who decide to take on a new running goal may also be at risk of biting off more than they can chew, says Dawson, who suggests runners think carefully about the possible mental health implications of a new training plan: “Be aware of what you are sacrificing,” she says. “Choose a running program that fits your lifestyle and allows for a healthy amount of training, while giving you room for growth in other areas of your life, such as your professional development, social connections and emotional well-being.” While often challenging, running should still be fun, at least most of the time. Regularly ask yourself whether you still look forward to getting out for a run. If not, it may be time to take the intensity down a notch or find a challenge more suited to your current state of mind.

DEALING WITH INJURY

Healing an injury can be a long, emotionally difficult process that sometimes involves giving up short-term goals, such as a much-anticipated race. That is likely to have an impact on your mental health, at least in the short term. The pandemic certainly hasn’t made dealing with injury easier. Being forced to take a break from a much-enjoyed activity is hard enough; doing it without the mood-boosting brain chemicals provided by alternative forms of exercise at facilities that aren’t accessible during lockdown can make recovery that much more difficult. Once again, Dawson suggests focusing on the other areas of your life that bring you joy. It also helps to seek out a supportive friend, or possibly a mental health professional, with whom to talk about the situation.

WHEN RUNNING IS PART OF THE PROBLEM

Finding balance may be a particular challenge for pro runners, for whom training is the biggest part of their daily life. Canadian half-marathon record holder Andrea Seccafien is from Guelph, Ont. but lives and trains in Melbourne, Australia. For Seccafien, feelings of isolation during the first lockdown in 2020, when she couldn’t work out with her teammates and she was a long way from home, were compounded by anxiety about the virus. That impacted her performance, which led to further anxiety, which led to the decision to take a month-long break from the sport last May. “I so badly wanted this to be a physical problem,” Seccafien told Canadian Running in January 2021, adding that she was prepared to deal with an iron or thyroid deficiency. But healing a mental health injury is no different than healing a running injury, and the solution usually isn’t more running, but its opposite – rest. (And treatment by a trusted health professional.)

Alexi Pappas, who was raised in the U.S. but hopes to run for Greece at the Tokyo Olympics, has a similar story, which she tells in her recent book, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas. Pappas’s mental health took a nosedive after the 2016 Olympics, where she competed in the 10,000m, setting a new national record for Greece. Instead of taking a well deserved and much needed vacation before setting new goals for the next Olympic cycle, she felt compelled to continue training. And after getting a distribution deal for her first film, Tracktown, she felt pressure to produce another film. There were also deeper psychological issues having to do with her mother’s death by suicide when Pappas was a young child, and she spiralled into insomnia and depression. It was a year before her father finally persuaded her to seek treatment, which was ultimately effective.

Professional athletes have the added pressure of having their performance tied to their livelihood, but recreational runners are not immune to overdoing it to the point of burnout. “The key,” says Dawson, “is to maintain a holistic identity. And this is valid for everyone, professional athlete or not. You are a person first, who happens to run.” It’s important to keep developing other areas of your life, which may include time with family, building a career or pursuing another hobby that you’re passionate about.

Duncan, for his part, still runs four to five times a week and regularly attends therapy sessions. “It’s not a magic pill,” he says of running. “You have to find out what works for you. But it’s definitely been an adventure. You never know where you’re going to end up.” He smiles. “Could be on a riverbank, watching the sun rise at 6 a.m. after running 21 kilometres.”

With just three days remaining until the BMW Berlin Marathon, anticipation is building for another spectacular edition of one of the world’s fastest marathon races.

The 52nd edition of the race will take place on Sunday, September 27, with a deep international field set to take on the famously fast streets of the German capital.

Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay is among the leading names in the men’s race, bringing a personal best of 2:03:00 to Berlin. His mark, set in Valencia in 2022, places him among the fastest marathoners in the elite field. However, Ethiopia’s legendary Kenenisa Bekele has since been added to the field with a 2:01:41 personal best, meaning Geay is not the fastest entrant on paper.

The men’s field also features Getaneh Molla (2:03:34), Guye Adola (2:03:46), Shura Kitata (2:03:59), Kenya’s Erick Sang (2:04:30) and Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega (2:05:00), setting the stage for an exceptionally deep contest.

For Bekele, however, this return to Berlin carries a significance that goes far beyond the start list. The last time the Ethiopian legend stood on the Berlin start line was in 2019, when he ran 2:01:41—just two seconds outside the then-world record of 2:01:39. Had he gone two seconds faster, Bekele would have become the only athlete in history to simultaneously hold the world records for the 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres and marathon.

Bekele returns to Berlin on Sunday at the age of 44. His most recent race was the New York City Marathon in November, where he did not finish. Berlin, however, holds a special place in his marathon career. He claimed his first Berlin Marathon victory in 2016 and has won the race twice. He also owns the masters world record of 2:04:15, set in London last year.

He will not be the favourite in this year’s race, particularly after Sabastian Sawe was ruled out with a stress fracture. Adola, Molla, Kitata and Geay lead the field on paper, but Bekele’s presence adds another layer of intrigue to a race already packed with established marathon talent.

For Bekele, Berlin is more than another marathon. It is the course where he came closer than anyone to achieving a piece of distance-running history that remains untouched. Some athletes retire from the sport. Some retire toward one course. Bekele is running the second kind of retirement.

In the women’s race, all eyes will be on Tigst Assefa as the Ethiopian superstar returns to the course where she produced one of the most remarkable marathon performances in history. Assefa clocked 2:11:53 in Berlin in 2023, setting a world record at the time and establishing a course record that still stands.

Assefa, a two-time Berlin Marathon champion, will face defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru, who returns to the German capital looking to retain her title. Wanjiru won the 2025 edition in 2:21:05 after previously finishing second in Berlin in 2022 in 2:18:00. Her personal best of 2:16:14 came at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon.

Wanjiru’s challenge will be particularly intriguing given the depth of the Ethiopian contingent. Bedatu Hirpa enters with a 2:18:27 personal best, followed by Dera Dida at 2:18:32, Zeineba Yimer at 2:18:47, Bosena Mulatie at 2:19:00, Misgane Alemayehu at 2:19:08 and Bekelech Gudeta at 2:19:39.

Kenya will also have another strong presence through Evaline Chirchir, whose 2:20:33 personal best places her among the leading women on the start list.

The Berlin Marathon’s reputation for producing fast times adds another layer of intrigue to an already stacked field. With a flat course, long stretches of uninterrupted running and a history of world records, the German capital has consistently provided elite athletes with the ideal conditions to test the limits of marathon performance.

Beyond the headline names, the race will also offer an opportunity for several contenders to make their mark on one of the biggest stages in road running. With experienced marathoners and ambitious challengers sharing the start line, the battle for the podium is expected to unfold at a demanding pace from the opening kilometres through the final stages of the race.

With Assefa returning to the scene of her historic 2023 run, Wanjiru arriving as the defending champion and a deep international cast lining up across both races, Berlin is once again set for a weekend of world-class marathon racing.

Three days out, the stage is set. The fast Berlin streets are waiting.

Kenyan distance runner Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi is set to make his long-awaited marathon debut at the 2026 TCS Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday, October 18, stepping up to the 42.195-kilometre distance for the first time in what promises to be a high-quality international field.

Lasoi arrives in Amsterdam with an impressive credential over the half marathon, having clocked a personal best of 58:10. His transition to the marathon will therefore be one of the major storylines to follow as he takes on a distance more than twice as demanding as the half marathon.

The 26-year-old Kenyan will face a formidable lineup that includes several athletes with marathon personal bests below 2:05. Leading the field is compatriot Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba, the defending champion and current Amsterdam course-record holder after his 2:03:30 victory last year. Kipchumba will return to the Dutch capital looking to defend his title and challenge his own record.

Ethiopia's Haymanot Alew is another major name on the start list, boasting a 2:03:31 personal best from Berlin in 2024, just one second outside Kipchumba's Amsterdam course record.

His compatriot Tsegaye Getachew will also return to a race where he has enjoyed considerable success. Getachew won the Amsterdam Marathon in 2022 and 2024 before finishing second last year in a personal-best 2:04:18.

The field also features Ethiopian marathoner Lemi Berhanu, who owns a personal best of 2:04:33, while Israel's Maru Teferi brings a 2:04:44 personal best set in Valencia in 2024.

With the Amsterdam course known for its fast profile and the race carrying a World Athletics Platinum Label, the stage is set for another potentially fast edition. The marathon starts at the Olympic Stadium, with the course taking runners past landmarks including the Rijksmuseum, along the Amstel River and through Vondelpark before returning to the Olympic Stadium for the finish.

For Lasoi, however, the focus will be on answering one intriguing question: how will his exceptional half-marathon speed translate over the full marathon distance?

His debut will provide the first major indication of his potential at 42.195 kilometres, while placing him alongside an experienced group of elite marathoners capable of producing world-class performances.

The confirmed names currently include Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi, Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba, Haymanot Alew, Tsegaye Getachew, Lemi Berhanu and Maru Teferi, setting up a fascinating international contest in Amsterdam on October 18.

At 103 years old, Germaine Smith has delivered an extraordinary reminder that age does not have to stand in the way of pursuing remarkable goals after completing the Fox Cities Half Marathon in Wisconsin in an impressive time of 2:04:40.

Smith captured attention with her inspiring performance, beginning the race in a wheelchair before getting out and completing part of the 13.1-mile course on foot. Her determination to keep moving forward made her achievement particularly memorable, turning an ordinary race day into a powerful story of perseverance and resilience.

The centenarian's finish was about far more than the time displayed on the clock. At an age when many people have long since stepped away from physically demanding activities, Smith demonstrated a remarkable willingness to remain active and embrace the challenge of completing a half marathon.

Her participation in the Fox Cities Half Marathon offered a powerful reminder that running and movement can remain meaningful at every stage of life. While the race brought together athletes pursuing personal records and competitive goals, Smith's journey stood out for the determination and courage behind her finish.

Completing 13.1 miles at 103 is an extraordinary accomplishment, and her decision to cover part of the course on foot made the moment even more special.

Smith's remarkable achievement is a celebration of the human spirit, showing that the finish line is not always about speed, but also about determination, courage, and the willingness to keep moving forward.

Her story also highlights the inclusive spirit of distance running, where participants of different ages and abilities can share the same course while pursuing their own personal goals. For Smith, the experience was a reminder that taking part in a race can be just as meaningful as competing for a podium position.

At an age when every milestone carries a special significance, Smith's accomplishment offers an uplifting message to people of all generations. Her journey demonstrates that determination and a love for physical activity can continue to inspire others, regardless of age or athletic background.

Beyond the finish line, her achievement serves as a source of encouragement for anyone who has ever questioned whether they are too old to take on a new challenge. Smith's remarkable effort shows that personal victories come in many forms and that the courage to participate can be just as powerful as the achievement itself.

At 103, Germaine Smith has shown that the joy of taking on a challenge has no age limit.

The TCS New York City Marathon is set for a small but significant change to its iconic 26.2-mile course, with runners facing a revised section in the Bronx between Miles 20 and 21.

For 15 years, every New York City Marathon runner passed through the exact same stretch of the Bronx around Mile 20, navigating a short loop that surrounded a neighborhood supermarket and a 24-hour laundromat for much of race day. This November, that familiar loop will disappear.

New York Road Runners (NYRR) is making its first course change to the marathon in 15 years. Instead of looping near East 140th Street, runners will head north on Alexander Avenue, turn onto Third Avenue and then cut south on 138th Street toward the Madison Avenue Bridge.

The adjustment removes two turns from the Bronx section, reducing the number from seven to five. While that may sound insignificant for a race covering 26.2 miles, the change comes at a point when runners are already deep into the marathon and every turn, road surface and change in rhythm can become more noticeable.

However, the primary reason for the change is not to make the course faster or help runners shave seconds from their finishing times.

Bronx resident Jennifer Alicea told The New York Times that the previous route made it extremely difficult to reach her only nearby grocery store on marathon day. NYRR's Metellus, who grew up in the Bronx, described the affected blocks as food deserts and saw the course's required recertification as an opportunity to address the problem.

The timing also carries added significance. This year marks 50 years since the New York City Marathon expanded beyond Central Park in 1976, becoming the five-borough race that has since grown into one of the world's most famous marathons.

The route will still cover the same 26.2 miles through New York's five boroughs, but the Bronx experience will be slightly different. For elite athletes, two fewer turns could mean a smoother rhythm during the crucial closing stages. For thousands of recreational runners, the bigger difference may be felt by the communities living along the course rather than on the race clock.

The New York City Marathon has long been celebrated not only for its elite competition but also for the connection between the race and the communities it passes through. The latest adjustment reflects that relationship, showing how even an established course can evolve while preserving the character of the event.

So, two fewer turns, the same five boroughs and the same 26.2 miles — but potentially one less headache for residents of the Bronx.

For runners taking on New York this November, the question remains: will you even notice those two fewer turns when you reach Mile 20? 

Alison dos Santos carries visible scars on his forehead and parts of his body, but behind them lies a remarkable story of survival that has become an important part of his journey in athletics.

When he was just 10 months old, the Brazilian suffered severe third-degree burns after boiling oil spilled onto him. The accident left permanent scars and could easily have changed the course of his life before it had even begun.

He survived the ordeal, and as he grew older, the scars became a visible reminder of an accident he had endured as a baby. For much of his childhood, they also brought unwanted attention and insecurity. But eventually, athletics gave him something far more powerful: confidence, purpose and an opportunity to define himself through his talent rather than his scars.

That transformation took him all the way to the world's biggest sporting stages.

Dos Santos announced himself among the world's elite 400m hurdlers with an Olympic bronze medal at Tokyo 2020, clocking 46.72 seconds. In 2022, he reached another milestone by becoming world champion, confirming himself as one of the leading figures in an event that had entered an extraordinary era.

Two years later, he added another Olympic bronze medal in Paris, continuing to establish himself among the very best 400m hurdlers on the planet.

Then came Zürich.

On August 27, 2026, dos Santos delivered the race that changed his place in history. He stormed to 45.80 seconds, breaking Karsten Warholm's five-year-old world record of 45.94 and becoming the first man in history to run under 46 seconds twice.

The moment carried another layer of significance because Warholm was in the race. The Norwegian had established the previous world record in the unforgettable Tokyo Olympic final in 2021, a race in which dos Santos himself had won bronze. Five years later, the Brazilian returned to the same record-breaking narrative — this time as the man rewriting history.

But dos Santos was not finished.

Just over two weeks after his historic run in Zürich, he travelled to Budapest for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, where the world's leading 400m hurdlers assembled for another highly anticipated showdown.

On September 13, dos Santos once again stood at the centre of the action. He produced another extraordinary performance, winning the men's 400m hurdles in 45.98 seconds and successfully defending his position at the top of an event filled with heavyweight names.

Rai Benjamin finished second in 46.40, while Warholm took third in 46.78. Dos Santos had once again beaten two of the athletes most closely associated with the modern history of the 400m hurdles.

The 45.98 also made him the first athlete to break 46 seconds twice, while ranking as the third-fastest performance ever recorded in the event at the time. His world record of 45.80 remained firmly at the top.

His latest victory therefore added another remarkable chapter to a season that had already produced a world record and a string of elite performances. Dos Santos has combined speed, consistency and resilience to turn 2026 into one of the defining seasons of his career.

And perhaps that is what makes his story so compelling. The hurdles he clears today are visible to the world, but some of the hardest obstacles he has overcome were faced long before he ever entered a stadium. His scars tell the story of what happened to him as a child; his achievements tell the story of what he chose to become.

The scars never disappeared. Neither did the determination of the boy who survived them.

Today, Alison dos Santos is not defined by the accident that marked his childhood. He is defined by the athlete he became — an Olympic medallist, a world champion, a world-record holder and now the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate champion in the 400m hurdles.

From surviving a devastating accident as an infant to standing on the highest level of his event, Piu has spent his life clearing hurdles — long before he ever started racing over them.