Running News Daily

Do you ever have this type of internal dialogue? 

"Today, my legs were 'heavy' in the first couple of miles, but this was to be expected after a quicker run yesterday and training through last weekend's race. I know this is the last 'long' run before tapering into next week's race and freshening up - these heavy, fatigued runs are just part of the course. While I may have felt a little 'leggy,' especially in the early stages, the run was mainly on trails from thereon, thus much more forgiving on my slightly weary legs." 

This is an example of lived body fatigue and heaviness.

A recent book chapter analyzes endurance and 'endurance work' in women's cross country and trail running. What is termed 'endurance work' (in sociology) conceptualizes endurance in a specific way as cognitively, physically, and interactionally lived. The research focuses on the lived experience and social production of endurance in trail and cross-country running. 

The chapter "Endurance and the Production of 'Endurance Work' in Women's Cross-Country and Trail Running," by Prof. Jacquelyn Allen-Collinson and Dr. Patricia C. Jackman, was published in the new book, Contemporary Meanings of Endurance: An Interdisciplinary Approach. The book investigates the concepts of endurance from various schools of thought. This includes the lived experiences of mundane daily activities to physical performances.

The research utilizes a theoretical approach and analyzes data from three autoethnographic and autophenomenographic research projects on distance running. "Autoethnography is where the researcher analyzes their own experiences of the culture," explained Dr. Patricia Jackman. "Autophenomenography is where the researcher analyzes their own experience of a particular phenomenon, such as their lived experience in an activity like running." 

Autoethnography is a research approach, grounded in anthropology, and has grown considerably in the social sciences in recent decades. Autophenomenography, in contrast, is a relatively novel approach that focuses on the researcher's direct, lived experiences of a phenomenon, such as trail running, to generate rich, detailed data from the perspective of an 'insider.'

The thinkpiece explores various experiences of endurance that may differ between individuals and may manifest themselves at different times (i.e., your experience of running up a hill may vary from running 100 miles).Endurance and Endurance Work 

What is endurance? For premier female trail runner, Maude Mathys, of Switzerland, "Endurance is an ability to sustain a constant rhythm, concentration, repeated action, which sometimes seems easy, but sometimes difficult." 

The authors loosely define endurance as what it means to keep going while facing adversity, discomfort, fatigue, and pain. It is a process to be learned - and relearned - over time through effort and training. 

As mentioned, 'endurance work' conceptualizes endurance as mind-body, and interactionally lived. "Endurance work involves an approach to how mind-body-environment connections shape our sensory experiences," the authors explain. "To undertake distance running demands that physiological endurance is developed through physical training." As such, the cognitive and the physical are inextricably intertwined. Prof. Allen-Collinson emphasizes that such endurance of mind-body is never achieved once and for all, but rather is provisional, contingent, and can become eroded. The Study

The researchers analyzed two forms of running: cross-country and trail running. Cross-country encompasses multi-terrain running in rural or countryside areas, while trail running encompasses running in natural environments, including mountains, deserts, forests, or countryside, and both forms seek minimal possible contact with paved or asphalted surfaces. 

The study explores endurance as cognitively, physically, and interactionally lived and communicated through endurance work. The mind-body linkage is central to understanding endurance, as distance runners must learn to endure physiologically and psychologically.

The authors explore the direct, physical, and mental experiences of endurance as lived in their running lives.

In analyzing their experience of endurance in running, the researchers analyzed data from three research projects on running, undertaken over many years. The researchers systematically recorded their experiences through field notes, daily training logs, reflective notes, and taped daily training, and also rehabilitation, during the processes of training, and also being injured and recovering. They identified two key themes in their analysis of the experience of endurance: 1) Pain and Discomfort; and 2) Fatigue. Pain, Discomfort, and Fatigue 

Pain and discomfort are central elements of experience in endurance running. As runners, we learn and develop our own ways of knowing how to distinguish between the discomfort of niggles and the type of pain that merits medical treatment. As such, discomfort and pain are often normalized and even glorified in endurance cultures. This is often considered a given - or prerequisite - following the effects of considerable training volumes.

A key component of endurance work draws on the accumulated knowledge of different kinds of pain and injury, enabling us to identify these, and then draw on the willingness, to persist through such niggles. 

The data reveal that runners engaged in discussions, with themselves, co-runners, and the wider running community, about the nature of the pain or discomfort. Enduring the discomfort of manageable injuries is often a pragmatic and necessary strategy.

Runners learn over time and experience how to distinguish between good and bad pain. We understand how to discern and tolerate forms of pain and discomfort. Such knowledge and practice are often shared resources within distance running cultures. 

Additionally, as runners, we become more attuned to fatigue, engaging in meaning-making around the sensations of fatigue while learning how to cope and endure tiredness of mind and body. Such fatigue - of mind and body - also constitutes an essential part of the experience in the endurance work of distance runners. 

Feelings of fatigue can have favorable implications for our running. While adapting to general fatigue, it is generally accepted as routine to progress. However, expending high levels of energy can be detrimental if combined with under-fueling and can spill over into Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).

With experience, runners learn to endure various levels of fatigue. "Part of this cognitive and corporeal knowledge encompasses the ability to detect and identify subtle, nuanced variations in the nature of our fatigue, and also to communicate these to co-runners and others, as part of endurance work," the authors explain. 

To continue running while experiencing fatigue, runners often rely on embodied memories of enduring similar experiences. The mental experience of running fatigued becomes embedded in our minds. To extrapolate this idea, the researchers portrayed analytically their fatigue levels. 

"For us, as for many endurance runners and athletes, it can seem as if the muscles themselves hold memories of this fatigued modus operandi, and somehow feel 'instinctively' that they will be able to endure, to keep going through the run," the authors explain.

'Endurance work' involves social agency, and is an active, ongoing, social, and reflexive form of work that often requires mindful engagement with both the physical and social worlds. Endurance is embedded in our consciousness. Endurance itself has to be worked at, for it is contingent, and part of an ongoing body project never achieved once and for all. Endurance can begin to decay when endurance practices start to fall out of use. Endurance must be learned over time and with experience, cognitively and physically, and sometimes it must be re-learned. Simply put, endurance is plastic, and can be learned and enhanced over time.

Theory in Practice

It is important to note that the study's authors have charted their endurance experiences over many years. Their accounts should not be seen as rigidly dogmatic, capturing the essence of endurance, unlike classical 'generalizable' results that may apply to a broad population.

Their research findings may or may not apply to your experiences. The resonance is the important thing. "We provide an account, and it may be the case that this will resonate with people," explained Dr. Jackman. "The main question we pose to readers is: does this resonate with you? Did it speak to you? Did you find yourself nodding your head (in agreement)?"

Ethiopia’s Fotyеn Tesfay Haylu delivered one of the most remarkable women’s half-marathon performances ever seen on American soil on Sunday, powering to a commanding victory at the 2026 Buenos Aires Half Marathon in Argentina in 1:03:57.

Running with exceptional confidence and strength, Tesfay took control of the race and produced a superb solo performance to rewrite the event record. Her breathtaking run also carried historic significance, as she became the first woman to break the 64-minute barrier for the half marathon in the Americas, producing what is being celebrated as the fastest women’s half-marathon performance ever recorded on the continent.

The Ethiopian star was in a class of her own, crossing the finish line more than a minute clear of Turkey’s Nevin Can, who finished second in 1:05:06. Another Turkish athlete, Selin Can, completed the podium in third place with 1:05:11, as the leading trio all produced strong performances on the fast streets of Buenos Aires.

Kenya also featured prominently in the top positions, with Irene Jepchumba Kimais taking fourth in 1:06:04, followed by Sheila Chepkirui in fifth with 1:06:13. Magaret Akidor Ngathike finished sixth in 1:06:46, while fellow Kenyan Deborah Samum claimed seventh place in 1:08:32.

Brazil’s Nubia de Oliveira Silva was eighth in 1:11:13, while Argentina’s Sofia Luna and Dahyana Juarez rounded out the top 10 with times of 1:11:21 and 1:11:28, respectively.

Top 10 Women – 2026 Buenos Aires Half Marathon

1. Fotyеn Tesfay Haylu (Ethiopia) – 1:03:57

2. Nevin Can (Turkey) – 1:05:06

3. Selin Can (Turkey) – 1:05:11

4. Irene Jepchumba Kimais (Kenya) – 1:06:04

5. Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya) – 1:06:13

6. Magaret Akidor Ngathike (Kenya) – 1:06:46

7. Deborah Samum (Kenya) – 1:08:32

8. Nubia de Oliveira Silva (Brazil) – 1:11:13

9. Sofia Luna (Argentina) – 1:11:21

10. Dahyana Juarez (Argentina) – 1:11:28

For Tesfay, it was far more than a race victory. Her 1:03:57 performance was a statement of extraordinary quality, combining speed, endurance and remarkable solo running to produce a landmark result in Buenos Aires. In a race that will be remembered for years to come, the Ethiopian did not simply win—she redefined what was thought possible for women’s half-marathon running in the Americas.

Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha produced one of the most extraordinary performances in road racing history on the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina, reclaiming the half marathon world record with a sensational 56:51 performance at the 2026 Buenos Aires Half Marathon.

The former world record-holder delivered a breathtaking exhibition of speed and endurance to take 29 seconds off the previous pending mark of 57:20, set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo and takes a huge chunk from his own former official world record. Kejelcha's new performance is pending the standard ratification procedures, but if officially ratified, it will return the world record to the Ethiopian star and mark another remarkable chapter in the evolution of the event. 

Kejelcha's achievement is particularly significant because the 57-minute barrier had already been broken before. Jacob Kiplimo had previously run under 57 minutes, clocking 56:42 that was not ratified demonstrating that the once-unthinkable barrier was possible. Kejelcha, however, has become the second man to run under 57-minute barrier who now returns to the top of the all-time rankings with another historic performance in Buenos Aires.

The Ethiopian's race was remarkable not only for the final time but also for the way he built his performance. He covered the opening five kilometres in 13:44 before reaching 10km in 27:18. Rather than slowing, Kejelcha accelerated through the middle stages, passing 15km in 40:39 and 20km in 54:02 as he continued to push the limits of elite road racing.

By the time he reached the finish line, Kejelcha had completed the race at an extraordinary average pace of approximately 2:42 per kilometre, producing one of the most astonishing sustained efforts ever witnessed in distance running. His stunning run sent a powerful message to the athletics world and further strengthened his status as one of the most formidable distance runners of his generation.

Behind the record-breaking champion, Ethiopia completed a dominant clean sweep of the men's podium. Tadese Worku Gebresilase claimed second place in 59:18, while Bereket Nega Batebo secured third in 1:00:17, giving Ethiopia a memorable one-two-three finish in the Argentine capital.

Kenya’s Jonathan Kipkoech Kamosong finished fourth in 1:00:20, followed by compatriot Simon Maywa in fifth with 1:00:55. Argentina’s Ignacio Erario gave the home supporters plenty to celebrate with an impressive sixth-place finish in 1:00:57, breaking the one-hour barrier in front of an enthusiastic local crowd.

Dillon Kipyeko of Kenya finished seventh in 1:01:07, with Robert Kiprop Koech eighth in 1:02:01. Mexico’s Julio Ortiz Ponce took ninth place in 1:03:17, while Colombia’s Jimmy Gómez completed the top 10 in 1:03:34.

The Buenos Aires Half Marathon will now take its place in the history books as the scene of a truly extraordinary breakthrough. For Kejelcha, this was more than just another victory. It was a spectacular return to the top, reclaiming a world record he had previously held and once again rewriting the limits of the half marathon.

The 56:51 performance remains pending ratification, but Yomif Kejelcha's run has already delivered one of the defining moments in the history of road racing.

Kenya delivered another commanding display of distance-running excellence at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon, with Isaia Lasoi leading a memorable Kenyan clean sweep of the men's podium in a race packed with world-class performances.

Lasoi emerged victorious after a thrilling battle at the front, crossing the finish line in a superb 58:26 setting a new course record. His winning performance underlined his strength and speed over the half-marathon distance, but he was made to work all the way by fellow Kenyan Daniel Mateiko, who finished just three seconds behind in 58:29 after an electrifying duel for the title.

The contest between the two leaders produced one of the standout moments of the race, with both athletes pushing deep into elite territory as they fought for victory. In the end, Lasoi found just enough to secure the win, while Mateiko's narrow defeat highlighted the remarkable depth and quality of Kenya's leading distance runners.

Vincent Kipkorir completed the Kenyan sweep, taking third place in 1:00:38 to ensure that all three places on the podium belonged to Kenyan athletes. Samwel Chebolei added further Kenyan strength to the results, finishing fourth in 1:01:01, while Amos Langat was also among the leading finishers.

The international field featured several prominent names. Australia's Jimmy Whelan produced a strong run, while Ethiopia's Yismaw Dillu featured among the front group. American marathon star Galen Rupp also delivered a notable performance, clocking 1:01:29 in another competitive outing for the experienced distance runner. Former world-class track and road athlete Edward Cheserek was also among the top finishers.

Lasoi's 58:26 victory, however, was the defining performance of the day. Together with Mateiko and Kipkorir, he gave Kenya a perfect podium and another emphatic reminder of the country's extraordinary strength in elite road running.

The Antrim Coast Half Marathon once again provided a fast, competitive stage for some of the world's finest distance runners, but when the decisive moments arrived, it was Kenya that owned the podium.

One of the most iconic milestones in the history of ultramarathon running is drawing closer, with entries for the historic 100th edition of the Comrades Marathon set to open on Tuesday, 25 August 2026.

The Comrades Marathon Association has officially announced a detailed entry process for the 2027 race, which will unfold in three stages and give runners around the world the opportunity to secure their place in what promises to be one of the most significant editions ever held of The Ultimate Human Race.

The announcement followed the official launch of the 2027 Comrades Marathon on Wednesday, 19 August, when the centenary campaign, “The Greatest Story Ever Run,” was unveiled alongside a special logo created exclusively for the landmark 100th edition.

The launch also revealed several major highlights for the Centenary Race. The historic event will take place on Sunday, 13 June 2027, and will be a Down Run, with 28,000 places available. The entry process will include a ballot, while the race will offer a record R8.919 million in prize money. Organisers have also set an ambitious goal of raising R10 million for the Amabeadibeadi charities, adding an important charitable dimension to the centenary celebrations. One of the defining moments of the launch was the unveiling of the special Centenary mark, created to commemorate this extraordinary milestone in the history of the race.

The entry process begins on 25 August at 10:00 a.m. SAST, when entries open for Green Number runners, Yellow Number runners and Amabeadibeadi charity entrants.

The next phase follows on 2 September at 10:00 a.m. SAST, when entries open for Comrades Marathon Association members. This window will remain open for 72 hours or until the available entry allocation is filled, with places offered on a strictly first-come, first-served basis.

For general entrants, the process will move to a ballot system. General entries open on 9 September at 10:00 a.m. SAST, with runners able to enter the ballot until it closes on 22 September at 4:30 p.m. SAST. The ballot draw is then scheduled to take place on 23 September.

Several other crucial dates will shape the road to the historic race. The substitution period will run from 15 to 31 March 2027, while 3 May 2027 is the final deadline for runners to submit their qualifying performances, seeding information and other required entry details.

To qualify for the 2027 Comrades Marathon, runners must complete a 42.2km marathon in under five hours between 15 June 2026 and 3 May 2027.

The journey will finally culminate on Sunday, 13 June 2027, when thousands of runners are expected to line up for the historic 100th edition of the Comrades Marathon.

The 2027 race will represent a remarkable moment for the legendary South African ultramarathon. For more than a century, the Comrades Marathon has captured the imagination of runners and spectators with its extraordinary test of endurance, determination and human spirit. Its centenary edition will celebrate the generations of athletes who have faced its demanding roads, conquered its challenges and helped build one of the world's most respected endurance events.

For runners dreaming of becoming part of this historic occasion, the road to Comrades 2027 is now clearly marked. From the opening of entries in August 2026 to race day in June 2027, every deadline will matter.

The Greatest Story Ever Run is preparing for its most historic chapter yet.

American sprint standout Sam Blaskowski is taking steps toward an international future with Poland after uncovering a powerful connection to his family's ancestral homeland.

The 23-year-old sprinter, who has established himself as one of the fastest Americans of his generation with a personal best of 9.89 seconds in the 100 metres, has begun the process of obtaining Polish citizenship with the aim of eventually representing Poland in international competition.

Blaskowski's connection to the country traces back through his great-grandparents, Franciszek and Julian Błaszkowski, who emigrated from Poland to the United States in 1905. Their journey more than a century ago has now opened an unexpected new chapter for their descendant, whose athletic ambitions could soon carry the Błaszkowski name back onto the international stage under Polish colours.

The sprinter has already received support from the Polish Athletics Association as he works through the citizenship and eligibility process. Should his transfer of allegiance be completed, Blaskowski could become a significant addition to Poland's sprint programme.

His credentials certainly make the prospect an exciting one. In addition to his sub-10-second speed over 100 metres, Blaskowski owns a personal best of 19.93 seconds in the 200 metres, demonstrating the kind of versatility that could prove valuable both individually and in Poland's 4x100m relay squad.

For Blaskowski, however, the move is about more than simply changing national colours. It represents an opportunity to reconnect with his family's heritage while pursuing his ambitions at the highest level of the sport.

With his sights set on becoming part of Poland's international sprint team and competing for relay medals, Blaskowski's journey from discovering his Polish roots to potentially representing the country of his ancestors could become one of the most fascinating allegiance stories in world athletics.

A century after Franciszek and Julian Błaszkowski left Poland for America, their family's story may now be coming full circle—this time at full sprint.