Running News Daily

Man Breaks World Record For Fastest Barefoot Half Marathon Run On Ice

Josef Šálek of Czechia ran 1:50:42 in freezing temperatures, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.

Josef Šálek is the proud new Guinness World Record holder for the fastest half marathon completed barefoot on ice/snow, a feat he accomplished in 1:50:42 clad in nothing but a pair of short tights and an ecstatic grin. The Czech therapist, lecturer, and personal development coach bested the previous record of 2:16:34 set by Dutch runner Wim ‘The Iceman’ Hof in 2007.

It’s not his first world record either. In 2023, the fitness enthusiast proved his extreme abdominal strength by holding a plank for 9 hours, 38 minutes, and 47 seconds, besting the previous record by more than eight minutes. 

The new record for the fastest barefoot half marathon on ice was set on an open circuit in a valley near the highest mountain in Czechia (previously referred to as the Czech Republic), measured by a professional surveyor. 

Technically, Šálek’s preparation for the record began back in 2013, before he even became a runner. He started hosting workshops where he would walk barefoot over hot coals and glass shards. “I needed to show people how to manage their fears and lack of self-confidence in practice,” he wrote on his website. 

Then in 2017, after going through a breakup and struggling with unhealthy eating and alcohol and cigarette use, he decided to try running. It provided a distraction from his heartbreak. 

“My communication with my body developed strongly,” he wrote, “and after only a few months I had the need to run barefoot and half-body. Since then, I regularly run several tens of kilometers or marathons year-round barefoot.” 

In the two weeks leading up to his official record attempt, Šálek submerged his feet in a tub of ice everyday. The night before, the course froze over and it appeared that it wouldn’t be possible for Šálek to run that day after all, but after volunteers raked the ground, the athlete was able to embark on his mission to embrace the pain cave.

On the course, Šálek zigzagged and adapted his running pattern to keep from slipping on the ice. It was by no means easy—picture running an 8:27/mi average pace over sharp, slick ice whilst barefoot and scantily clad—but thanks to his training and mental fortitude, Šálek conquered his goal, and made it to the finish line with a broad smile on his face. The Guinness World Records official adjudicator, Pravin Patel, was on site to announce Šálek’s successful attempt and to hand him his certificate.

After his abdominal plank world record, Šálek told an interviewer, “I knew that in my case it’s not about demanding physical training, but rather about mastering the process… about my mindset.” One of the mental techniques he practiced was acceptance; he embraced the difficulty of the exercise. Making peace with the physical discomfort probably went a long way in helping him towards his new superlative on the ice as well.

Athletes at This Summer’s Paris Olympics Won’t Have Air Conditioning

An innovative cooling system to combat climate change will be used instead. Eliud Kipchoge says he’s on board.

During the summer, Paris—a city known for sparse air conditioning—can become extremely hot. With thousands of Olympic athletes set to hit the city this summer in late July and August, Paris hopes to tackle the problem of keeping them all cool with an underground solution.

Games organizers plan to install a water-cooling system underneath the Olympic Village to bring relief from the heat without needing air conditioning systems, a move aimed at battling global warming.

“I want the Paris Games to be exemplary from an environmental point of view,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said last year. Hidalgo hopes to help combat climate change with a plan to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make Paris carbon neutral by 2050.

One of the plan’s biggest fans is two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge. The Kenyan runner has been vocal regarding environmental justice, climate change, and the greater impact of global warming.

“It’s a good thought, because we all need to reduce our carbon,” Kipchoge told the AP.

Kipchoge called on his fellow athletes to reduce their carbon footprint during training, competition, and everything in between, saying, “We are all going to go through the same scenario.”

In 2013, Kenyan officials pointed to climate change affecting their athlete’s training and subsequent performance in the previous year’s Olympic games.

For the duration of the games, from July to September, the village, just north of Paris, will be home to more than 15,000 athletes and officials and 9,000 Paralympians. Plans include turning the village into an eco-friendly, zero-carbon residential neighborhood as soon as 2025.

To combat the intense summer heat in France, a geothermal energy system will cool the athlete apartments in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb. This technology utilizes natural resources and is expected to reduce carbon impact by 45 percent compared to traditional air conditioning systems. The system will maintain a temperature below 79 degrees Fahrenheit during the night, even in the event of a heatwave, according to Laurent Michaud, the director of the Olympic and Paralympic Villages.

Organizers conducted tests in top-floor rooms facing south with direct sun exposure on two sides. They also factored in wind directions and Seine water temperature and collaborated with France’s national weather agency to forecast temperatures accurately.

“Despite outdoor temperatures reaching [106 degrees Fahrenheit], we had temperatures at [82 degrees Fahrenheit] in most of these rooms,” Michaud told the AP. “In other rooms, we clearly had lower temperatures.”

Michaud says the buildings are also built with special insulation to retain the coolness obtained overnight. Athletes must follow basic rules like keeping window blinds closed during the day to maintain a cool temperature inside.

With the special technology in place, Hidalgo says she is against athletes bringing their own air conditioning with them—aside from those with special needs—although they are technically allowed to bring them.

“I can assure you that we will not change course and that there will be no changes to the construction program of the village regarding air conditioning,” Hidalgo said. 

Popstar Lil Nas X runs NYC Half in high-tops

There were over 25,000 finishers at Sunday’s NYC Half Marathon, and one of the more notable ones was American popstar Lil Nas X, who did not make headlines by his finishing time, but by the shoes he wore during the race.

Lil Nas X, who entered the race under his real name, Montero Hill, finished the half in two hours and 32 minutes. What made his time impressive was that he ran that time in a pair of designer Coach high-top sneakers.

American running photographer Joe Hale tweeted a photo of Lil Nas X crossing the finish line in the high-tops, then proceeded to ask him what shoes he was wearing. The singer responded, “Some random pair of Coach shoes I always exercise in, so I decided why not [wear them].”

Although the Coach-branded high-tops won’t be making our list of “the best running shoes to go the distance in 2024,” Lil Nas X was incredibly proud of his result, posting “Hey, at least I made it,” to his Instagram story, where he was seen leaving the race in a wheelchair. We can only imagine how rough his shins must be feeling on Monday morning.

The 24-year-old singer, who won a Grammy Award for his massive hit “Old Town Road“ in 2020, might have some potential in the half once HOKA, On, or New Balance hooks him up with a pair of high-cushioned running shoes. Maybe, we will see him challenge the two-hour mark in his next half.

Although the Coach-branded high-tops won’t be making our list of “the best running shoes to go the distance in 2024,” Lil Nas X was incredibly proud of his result, posting “Hey, at least I made it,” to his Instagram story, where he was seen leaving the race in a wheelchair. We can only imagine how rough his shins must be feeling on Monday morning.

The 24-year-old singer, who won a Grammy Award for his massive hit “Old Town Road“ in 2020, might have some potential in the half once HOKA, On, or New Balance hooks him up with a pair of high-cushioned running shoes. Maybe, we will see him challenge the two-hour mark in his next half.

Canada’s Tristan Woodfine finished sixth overall in 63:50, one spot ahead of Ethiopian distance legend Kenenisa Bekele. Woodfine is training for the 2024 Boston Marathon on April 15.

World Athletics to raise marathon standards for 2025 World Championships

The men's standard is expected to go up to 2:06:30, and the women's standard will be 2:23:30

On Tuesday, the marathon entry standards for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo were leaked to social media, and the men’s and women’s marathon qualification marks seem to be getting a lot tougher.

The women’s marathon entry standard is expected to be increased by three minutes and 20 seconds, to 2:23:30, from the previous 2:26:50 mark for the Paris Olympics. With the number of female athletes recording sub-2:20 times, most expected to see an increase in the women’s standard.

The men’s marathon standard is expected to see an increase of one minute and 40 seconds, to 2:06:30, from its previous mark of 2:08:10. Only 91 athletes have hit this new mark in the Paris Olympic qualifying window (November 1, 2022 to April 30, 2024). Sixty-five of those 91 athletes are Kenyan and Ethiopian.When the women’s marathon entry standard was released for the Paris Olympics, World Athletics intended for a near 50/50 split in runners hitting the entry standard and the rest of the field qualifying via the World Athletics rankings and points system. The number of women who will qualify on points for the Paris Olympics will be zero, with 82 women of the (soft cap) of 80 spots hitting the Olympic standard of 2:26:50.The new standard of 2:23:30 is a mark only two Canadian female marathoners have surpassed (Natasha Wodak’s Canadian record of 2:23:12 from the 2022 Berlin Marathon and Malindi Elmore’s 2:23:30 from Berlin in 2023). One hundred and fifteen female athletes have run under this mark in the Paris Olympic qualifying window, with the top mark being Tigist Assefa’s world record of 2:11:53 in Berlin. Even though Elmore’s mark equalled the Tokyo WC qualifying mark in September 2023, her time will not get her into the 2025 World Championship marathon, since the qualifying window did not open until November. 

Only four North American men have ever run under the proposed 2025 World Championship standard: Canada’s Cam Levins (2:05:35–Tokyo 2023) and three Americans: Khalid Khannouchi (2:05:38–London 2002), Galen Rupp (2:06:07–Prague 2018) and Ryan Hall (2:06:17–London 2008).World Athletics’ tougher standards come with the organization’s goal to create a dual pathway of qualification, with 50 per cent of athletes qualifying through entry standards and the remaining 50 per cent qualifying through World Rankings and its points system.

Brigid Kosgei fires warning to London Marathon rivals after impressive ‘warm up’ in Lisbon

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei has put her rivals on notice ahead of next month’s London Marathon after warming up for the race with a dominant performance at the Lisbon Half Marathon.

Brigid Kosgei is gearing up for a triumphant return to the London Marathon on April 21, following an impressive victory at the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday.

Kosgei, a former world marathon record holder, used the Lisbon race as a tune-up for the upcoming London Marathon and demonstrated her exceptional form by clinching victory in commanding fashion.

Despite narrowly missing the course record, Kosgei showcased her dominance by clocking a remarkable time of 1:05:51, securing the win with a lead of over three minutes ahead of her closest competitor.

The 30-year-old athlete surged into the lead past the halfway mark and maintained an unrelenting pace, leaving her rivals struggling to keep up.

While Kosgei had hoped to lower her personal best in the half marathon, she nonetheless proved too formidable for the rest of the field. Ethiopian Bosena Mulatie finished in second place with a time of 1:09:00, followed by Kosgei's compatriot Tigist Mengistu in third place with a time of 1:09:14.

Having previously triumphed in the London Marathon in 2019 and 2020, Kosgei is determined to rectify her fourth-place finish in 2021. Her dominant performance in Lisbon serves as a promising indication of her readiness for the upcoming challenge in London.

"This was a preparation for London Marathon next month,” said Kosgei. “I'm really happy, I appreciate what I have run today [Sunday]. Thanks to organisers, I appreciate what you have done"

The victory in Lisbon held special significance for Kosgei, who celebrated her win with her two children at the finish line.

"I'm feeling very happy, because I csme with my kids. They celebrated with me when I won the race. They were really, really happy for what I did," she added

As she sets her sights on the London Marathon, Kosgei's stellar form and determination sets the stage for an exciting and competitive race in April, where she will undoubtedly be one of the top contenders vying for victory.

Mark Armstrong: Mind games and tapering for Manchester Marathon

For those training for a spring marathon taper time is almost here.  

Tapering typically involves significantly reducing the intensity and distance you run in the final two to three weeks of training. 

Time for a much needed break for your body from the hard training of the past few months. It also involves a huge mental battle gearing up to the big day... Have I done enough? Do my goals need adjusting? Am I even fit enough to run this race?  

This mental game is even tougher when you are hit with illness and have injury niggles during your block and that is what has happened at Armstrong HQ in the past few weeks at a key phase in both mine and my wife Alison’s training blocks.  

Training at a key time has been disturbed, runs rescheduled or abandoned. Marathon paced sections that should have built confidence (and fitness) substituted for easy runs or bike sessions.  

Thankfully, the virus I had after the Cambridge Half Marathon has gone and I’m feeling a lot better. However, the calf that I tweaked towards the end of that event is still grumbling. 

I’m having to be very careful on runs and build it back up again, which isn’t ideal, but I’m at least grateful to be able to run again. 

What that means for the Manchester Marathon in just over three weeks’ time, I don’t know. 

I explored the possibility of deferring my entry but I’m not quite ready to admit defeat yet.  

I know the fitness I built at the start of the year is largely still there; I just need to get my body in a position to execute a decent race. 

I’ve had to temper down goal times a little but perhaps that’s a good thing. I’ve over-reached before and it hasn’t ended well – one of those occasions being at Manchester in 2018!  

I’m trying not to lose sight of why I entered this training block, namely to build fitness and make better life choices and I have already walked away with new 10K and half marathon PBs during this block.  

I am also aware of others who have had to make the tough decision that a spring marathon is a step too far if they want to stay in the running game.  

There is a noticeable relief for those runners who have chosen to defer or target another race. To those in that position, the training done to this point is never wasted, all those training runs are banked, more positive decisions are made surrounding nutrition and recovery and I know all too well that being out for months with an injury, particularly over those glorious summer months, is too steep a price to pay for one marathon.  

For those doubting whether you have done enough, now is the time to look back at that training diary and celebrate your successes. Those tough runs you completed when you didn’t really have time in horrible conditions; don’t give missed sessions any kind of thinking time. 

I also try to recognize that thought processes aren’t always rational during the taper. This is the period when we are most tired and our brains are trying to keep us safe and in our comfort zone. Anyone that has run a marathon before will tell you - ‘Maranoia’ is real. 

The excitement, nerves, an unhealthy obsession for checking weather forecasts, discovering niggles you hadn't previously noticed and avoiding anyone with so much as a sniffle within a five-mile radius. It’s all part of the process and we are in the final stages now.  

Good luck to those running Wymondham 20 this Sunday. This sold out event will see many of the 600 runners completing their final long ahead of the marathon.  

The possibility is there- Usain Bolt discusses chances of Noah Lyles breaking his 200m world record

The world's fastest man Usain Bolt has opened up on the possibility of Noah Lyles breaking the 200m world record this season.

The world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, has for the first time opened up about the possibility of three-time World champion Noah Lyles breaking his 200m world record.

Bolt set the 200m world record of 19.19 at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany where he also set the 100m world record of 9.58, with both records yet to be broken.

However, Lyles, the third-fastest man over the half-lap race wants to shatter the world record and make history this year. Lyles has become very vocal about going after the record and Bolt believes that the American is capable of breaking the record if he works on some things.

In an interview, the multiple Olympic champion admitted that there is a lot of competition in the 200m with the rise of other sprinters like wunderkind Letsile Tebogo and Erriyon Knighton, who are also forces to reckon with.

However, he admitted that it takes a lot of work to break a world record and if Lyles has to do it, he needs to put in more effort.

“I think the guys are really doing well and it’s intense…it’s not going to be easy because I think Noah feels like it was easy running two events but it wasn’t.

“I’ve said it before and I’m going to repeat that it’s never easy running back-to-back events and then going to break a world record because the body runs out of energy.

“I think the possibility is there because he came close to the world record at the World Championships.

“I feel like if he corrects a few things that I won’t say, he could get better because the possibility is there. I won’t tell you how to break the world record,” he said in an interview.

Lyles’s Personal Best time at the moment stands at 19.31 and he explained how he has been thinking about the 19.19 set by Bolt.

In a recent interview with CNN, Lyles said: “He was the fastest man ever to do it and soon, it’ll be me. When it was time to show up, he showed up, he got it done. I’m kind of more the guy who likes to assert his dominance throughout the whole year.”

Kenyans Leonard Langat and Vibian Chepkirui will return to defend their Vienna Marathon titles

Kenyans Leonard Langat and Vibian Chepkirui will return to defend their Vienna Marathon titles, while there are three men on the start list who have broken 2:06 and five women featuring personal bests of sub 2:25.

With regard to these personal records it will be strongest line-up in the history of the Vienna City Marathon which will see its 39th edition next week. Including races at shorter distances more than 31,000 runners have registered for Austria’s biggest running event, a World Athletics Marathon Label Road Race.

Kifle had a fine year in 2021: He was third in Enschede, 14th in the Olympic marathon in Sapporo and then 6th in Valencia, where he ran his PB. With his personal record the Eritrean is a little faster than Vienna’s course record of 2:05:41 by Ethiopia’s Getu Feluke in 2014. 

Abdi Fufa of Ethiopia is the third athlete in Vienna’s line-up who has run sub 2:06. A year ago he was second in Siena’s elite only race with 2:05:57.

It looks a tough task for Leonard Langat to defend his title in the Austrian capital. The Kenyan improved to 2:09:25 in Vienna last September. But with this PB he is only the eighth fastest athlete on the start list.  

Unfortunately there were a number of cancellations from elite runners recently. Among them are Mekuant Ayenew and fellow-Ethiopian Derara Hurisa, who had originally crossed the line first in last year’s Vienna City Marathon. However he then had to be disqualified for wearing illegal racing shoes and Leonard Langat became the winner. 

The fastest runner on the women’s start list is Caroline Kilel, who ran 2:22:34 when she took the Frankfurt Marathon back in 2013. While the Kenyan did not reach these sort of times recently there are other athletes who showed promising last year.

Defending champion Vibian Chepkirui may only be number five on the list with her PB of 2:24:29. However she did run this time last September in Vienna in very warm conditions.

Afterwards the Kenyan said that she could have been at least two minutes faster in more suitable conditions. Chepkirui could be capable of attacking the course record of fellow-Kenyan Nancy Kiprop who was the winner in 2019 with 2:22:12. 

Kenya’s Ruth Chebitok and Ethiopia’s Sifan Melaku are number two and three on Vienna’s start list with PBs of 2:23:29 and 2:23:49 respectively.

Sheila Jerotich of Kenya is a contender for victory as well. She took the Istanbul Marathon in November, improving to 2:24:15.

“We are very happy that we were able to surpass the mark of 30,000 entries. Compared to our comeback race in September 2021 this is a nice step forward. We feel the enthusiasm of the runners,“  said Kathrin Widu, the General Manager of the Vienna City Marathon.

There has never been an Eritrean winner in the history of the Vienna City Marathon which had its first edition back in 1984. This may change next week though since the two fastest entrants are from this country: Goitom Kifle and Oqbe Kibrom feature personal bests of 2:05:28 and 2:05:53 respectively.

Four quick quality workouts for busy runners

Training for an important race, but running short on time? Even the most dedicated athletes occasionally find themselves scrambling to fit quality training sessions in between life commitments. Here are four short but efficient workouts you can pull off during your lunch hour, and still manage to have a quick shower.

Short and sweet tempo session

Whitney Heins, coach and founder of The Mother Runners, schedules this one for the athletes she coaches when they need the most bang for their buck.

Warm up with 5-10 minutes of easy running.

Run 20 minutes at a moderately hard effort (you should be able to speak in short sentences, but you wouldn’t want to have a conversation).

Cool down with 5-10 minutes of easy running.

If you have more time, Heins suggests lengthening the tempo part of the run up to 30 minutes, or doing 2 by 20-minute intervals with a 2-minute rest in between.

Hill repeats

Even if you’re not training for a hilly race, a hill session is a great way to get your heart rate up fast and your legs working hard.

Warm up with 10-20 minutes of easy running.

Find a moderate-grade hill that is at least 200 meters long.

Run 5-12 repeats at a hard, sustained effort. Adjust your effort depending on the length of your hill—if the hill is only 200 meters long, run it at a 5K effort. For a longer hill, aim for a 10K effort—find a tough pace, but one that you can maintain up the entire hill.

Run downhill at a very easy pace to recover.

Cool down with 10 minutes of easy running.

Sub-race pace session

This is a great marathon-prep workout, but if you’re training for a different distance, simply adjust the race pace accordingly.

Warm up with eight minutes of easy running.

Run 4 x 1 mile at 10–20 seconds faster than your goal marathon race pace, with 45 seconds recovery jog after each interval.

Cool down with eight minutes of easy running.

Race pace repeats

This workout is a favorite of Luke Humphrey, coach and author of Hansons Marathon Method. As you gain strength, Humphrey suggests limiting recovery time to one minute.

Warm up with 10 minutes of easy running.

Run 5 x 5 minutes at marathon pace, with a 2.5-minute recovery jog between repeats.

Cool down with 5 minutes of easy running.

Remember to take an easy running or recovery day after any hard workout or speed session (even a short one).

Haspa Marathon Hamburg: Defending champion Bernard Koech returns

Defending champion and course record holder Bernard Koech will return for the 38th edition of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg on April 28th. The 36-year-old Kenyan, who improved the course best to 2:04:09 last year, will face very strong opponents in Germany’s major spring marathon. Samwel Mailu of Kenya and Ethiopia’s Abdisa Tola, who both produced breakthrough performances in 2023, will challenge the defending champion. In Martin Musau there will be another former winner of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg returning to the race: The Ugandan was the winner in 2021.

“After consecutive course records, we can look forward to another high-quality men’s race. Bernard Koech, Samwel Mailu, and Abdisa Tola are all capable of running world-class times on the fast course. We are happy that these three have chosen Hamburg for their spring marathon,“ said chief organizer Frank Thaleiser, who expects a total of around 12,000 marathon runners on 28th April. Online registration for the race is still possible at: www.haspa-marathon-hamburg.de

“I am looking forward to returning to Hamburg. Last year’s victory was a perfect comeback performance for me because I had problems for some time and there were the Corona lockdowns as well,“ said Bernard Koech, who tied his two-year-old personal best of 2:04:09 last year in Hamburg. However, after achieving his biggest career victory in that race the Kenyan was unlucky when he ran the Amsterdam Marathon in autumn. An injury forced him to drop out of the race. Looking ahead to his Hamburg return Bernard Koech said: “Although I broke the course record last year I believe that I can still run faster in Hamburg.“

A fast pace should suit Samwel Mailu, who wants to improve his personal best. The Kenyan newcomer, who is already 31 years old, stormed to a sensational course record of 2:05:08 despite warm weather conditions at the Vienna Marathon last spring. Later that year he produced another exceptional performance. Added to the Kenyan team at very short notice Samwel Mailu took the bronze medal at the World Half Marathon Championships in Riga, Latvia. “I chose Hamburg for my spring marathon because of the fast course. Hopefully, I can improve my current 2:05 personal best to 2:04,“ said Samwel Mailu.

Twenty-three-year-old Ethiopian Abdisa Tola will be another top contender on 28th April. The younger brother of Tamirat Tola, the World Marathon Champion from 2021 and current New York Marathon winner, ran a stunning marathon debut a year ago: Abdisa Tola won the competitive Dubai Marathon in 2:05:42.

Besides Bernard Koech there will be another runner in the elite field who has already won the Haspa Marathon Hamburg: Martin Musau of Uganda took the race at 2:10:15 in 2021, when the fields were much reduced due to the pandemic. It was last year in Hamburg when Musau improved to a fine 2:08:45 and finished in seventh position.

Olympian Army major gets ready for 250km ultramarathon

Two-time Olympic rowing champion and Army major Heather Stanning is ready for her next challenge.

Alongside a famous face, she is set to take on the Marathon des Sables, an extraordinary race and adventure that's been taking place in the southern Moroccan Sahara since 1986.

Forces News caught up with her in Cyprus during training.

This event is the ultimate ultra race and certainly not for the faint-hearted – which is probably why Maj Stanning said 'yes' when asked if she would take part.

The Marathon des Sables sees competitors race 250km over six days, self-sufficient and in the Sahara desert.

Maj Stanning's team is made up of three other British Army personnel and TV personality Judge Robert Rinder.

Maj Stanning said: "Why am I doing it?

"The Army Benevolent Fund approached me and said 'It's our 80th year, we want to do a big challenge, raise awareness and raise some money, will you do this challenge for us?'.

"I was like 'Oh absolutely' and then they told me, I was like 'Oh wow, that is a challenge'."

"I've been training since before Christmas, just gradually building up," Maj Stanning explained.

"For me, the biggest thing is staying in one piece and not getting injured.

"I may not be doing loads and loads of miles every week, but it's just gradually building up.

"It's time on my feet. Quite honestly, I will probably walk the majority of it. And that's probably where us in the military will do quite well.

"Let's not think we are all going to be ultra runners and break some records. It's about getting to the finish line."

Practicing yoga breathing can make you a faster runner, new study says

Recent research sheds light on an unexpected ally in the quest for improved running performance: yoga breathing techniques. According to a new study published in the International Journal of Exercise Science, integrating yoga breathing practices into a runner’s training regimen can lead to significant enhancements in overall performance.

Researchers discovered that incorporating specific breathing exercises derived from yoga can yield remarkable results. By harnessing the power of controlled breathing techniques, runners can tap into a deeper reservoir of oxygen, improve respiratory efficiency and enhance endurance capacity..

The study

The study had experienced runners of various fitness levels, both male and female, who were enlisted to explore the effects of three specific yoga breathing techniques: Dirgha (breath awareness), Kapalbhati, and Bhastrika (high-frequency yoga breathing). Over three weeks, participants received instruction in these techniques, while a control group received no instructions.

Before and after the instruction period, both groups underwent running tests on a laboratory treadmill, maintaining a prescribed rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Remarkably, after the yoga breathing instruction, participants demonstrated a significant improvement in running pace while maintaining the same RPE as before. In contrast, the control group showed no change in pace.

Pranayama to power performance

The concept of using yogic breathing isn’t entirely new—past studies have demonstrated the profound impact of pranayama, or yogic breath control, on respiratory muscle function. Through regular practice of pranayama techniques, runners can strengthen the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, leading to more efficient oxygen uptake and utilization during exercise. This translates into better aerobic capacity, reduced breathlessness and prolonged endurance during long-distance runs.

How to get started

Dirgha Pranayama (three-part breath)

Inhale deeply, filling your belly, ribcage and chest with air. Exhale slowly, releasing the breath from your chest, ribcage and belly. Repeat for several rounds, focusing on smooth, controlled breathing.

Kapalabhati

Sit with a straight spine and take a deep inhale. Exhale forcefully through your nose by quickly contracting your lower abdomen. Follow each exhale with a passive inhale. Repeat this rhythmic pattern for several cycles, maintaining focus on the breath.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen shares go-to 10K workout for every runner

This workout is a staple in Ingebrigtsen's training regimen and a cornerstone for building speed and fitness for 5K or 10K races.

On Wednesday, Olympic and world champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen announced his new partnership with the sports wearable brand Coros and shared a challenging yet effective 10K workout.

Coming off an Achilles injury this past year, Ingebrigtsen revealed that he is now building volume as he targets his goals for the big 2024 season. This workout is a staple in Ingebrigtsen’s training regimen and a cornerstone for building speed and fitness for 5K or 10K races.

Workout

Two sets of 12x400m (24 reps total) with 30 seconds of rest between reps, at a pace corresponding to your goal race pace. (Take three minutes of rest between the first and second set).

To prepare your body for the workout, start with a 10- to 20-minute warmup followed by a few strides to prime your body for the intensity ahead. After completing the workout, finish with a 10-to 20-minute cool down to aid recovery.

Purpose of the workout

Ingebrigtsen says this session is a valuable tool for becoming more comfortable with race pace in training for both the 5K and 10K distances. He emphasizes the importance of matching intensity with your goal pace to achieve optimal results. The workout is strategically designed to stress the body without inducing excessive fatigue, allowing runners to maintain speed and effort throughout the session.

The workout may seem daunting on paper, but Ingebrigtsen assures that it is fantastic for any runner, and offers a few tips to help you conquer it. “1) Start slow: If you’re new to this workout, begin with fewer repetitions and shorter breaks to gradually build endurance and speed. 2) Focus on hitting paces: Aim to reach your desired pace early in the session and maintain it evenly throughout. Avoid the temptation to increase pace with each repetition. 3) Adapt and progress: Over time, gradually increase the number of repetitions and pace to challenge yourself.”

Regardless of your experience level, Ingebrigtsen believes his 10K-oriented workout can benefit anyone pursuing faster times. “It is a race-pace simulation,” Ingebrigtsen told Coros. “By breaking the 10K distance into manageable repetitions, runners can simulate race conditions and enhance their ability to sustain that pace over longer distances.” While it may not be the key workout each week, Ingebrigtsen describes it as “smart,” because it stresses the body without introducing too much fatigue. “Due to the short break, you’re still not getting enough rest to recover, but are still getting enough to maintain speed and effort.”

If 24 reps of 400m seem like too many, or if a 10K or half-marathon is not your focus, Ingebrigtsen recommends breaking down the workout into shorter reps, while keeping the rest the same.

Irvette van Zyl to bring tough competition in Two Oceans Marathon

Irvette van Zyl is one of those athletes who wear their heart on their sleeve. With her, what you see is what you get. And what you hear her say, she always means.

This week when she spoke about her excitement at being able to run the Total Sports Two Oceans Marathon, the Hollywood Running Club athlete resembled a kid in a sweet shop. And with good reason too, for Van Zyl endured the pain of watching last year’s race on the sidelines due to injury.

She hated not being part of the race. Understandably so, for the year before she had smashed the 56km Mother City ultra as she dipped below Frith van der Merwe’s record from 1989 that had previously been thought of as unbreakable. Incredibly, despite her fantastic -3:30:31, Van Zyl was not the winner in 2022, that honour belonging to that South African road-running machine called Gerda Steyn -3:29:45.

As she looked ahead to next month’s (April 13) race during the announcement of Hollywood’s team for the World’s Most Beautiful Marathon, Van Zyl revealed just how tough it was for her not being able to race last year.

“Being on the other side seeing them race, it was really hard. When the finish tape was broken my heart broke into so many pieces. It was so hard that day, but I am glad to be back in the race and I am looking forward to doing well. If I win Two Oceans I am gonna start drinking again,” she laughed.

“But it should not be an obsession. Hopefully I can give someone tough competition. And you all know who that someone is.”

She did give Steyn competition back in 2022 when the two of them ran under Van Der Merwe’s record from 1989.

“I knew going into 2022 that I had done a 50k, and I had a plan to run a 3:30. I knew it was possible and it went good on the day, but it was just not good enough. Gerda levelled that record and I was a part of it. It was an interesting race but unfortunately just three kilometres longer for me,” she said before letting out that piercing laugh of hers.

While she will be out for glory, Van Zyl is just glad to be back running, having felt the pain of being out due to injury.

“I value my running now more than I did before after it was taken away from me for so many months. It felt like the injury would not heal and I was never coming back. Hopefully

I still have a few years in me to run. If injury comes, you never know if it will be the end. So I am going to enjoy it race for race, as if it was my last because you never know if it will be the last.”

And she considers herself very blessed to be running for a supportive club.

“I am a happier athlete now, and I am very pleased with the support I got from Hollywood during my long-term injury. They were good and helped me come back because they are interested in the human being. They just want us to be the best that we can be. They know I am not a running machine and now I can enjoy my running game again.”

She will enjoy it even more if she wins Two Oceans next month.

Ethiopia’s Alemtsehay Asefa suspended by AIU

Ethiopia’s long distance runner, Alemtsehay Asefa has been provisionally suspended by Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for the whereabouts failures, which is a violation of the World Anti-doping Rules.

The 25 year-old who is the double Taipei Marathon champion has been issued with the Notice of Allegation.

Plant-based perfection: super snacks for runners

These nutritious and easy-to-make snacks are perfect grab-and-go fuel for busy days.

Whether you already enjoy a plant-based diet, are curious about trying more plant-based nutrition or are simply looking for some fast, healthy snacks for pre or post-run, we’ve got you covered. Runners can successfully fuel with a variety of different styles of eating, but plant-based nutrition is becoming more popular among elite athletes and regular runners—the shift in eating is credited with lowering inflammation levels, improving cardiovascular health and preventing diseases like Type 2 diabetes. Here are a few delicious recipes to fuel your next run.

Sweet Potato and Oat Muffins

Enjoy these delicious sweet potato and oat muffins as a nutritious snack before or after (or during) your run. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or store in the freezer.

Ingredients

1 cup mashed sweet potato (about 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed)1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar1/4 cup almond milk (or any plant-based milk)1 tsp vanilla extract1 cup whole wheat flour1 cup rolled oats1 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp baking soda1 tsp ground cinnamon1/4 tsp ground nutmeg1/4 tsp saltOptional: 1/4 cup chopped nuts or seeds for added texture

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C) and grease a muffin tin or line with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed sweet potato, applesauce, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. If using, fold in chopped nuts or seeds. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Scott Jurek’s Rice Balls (Onigiri)

These are a favourite of ultrarunning legend Scott Jurek, from his book Eat & Run.

Ingredients

2 cups sushi rice4 cups water2 teaspoons miso3–4 sheets nori seaweed

Directions

Cook the rice in the water on the stovetop or using a rice cooker. Set aside to cool.

Fill a small bowl with water, and wet both hands so the rice does not stick. Using your hands, form ¼ cup rice into a triangle. Spread ¼ teaspoon miso evenly on one side of the triangle. Cover with another ¼ cup rice.

Shape into one triangle, making sure the miso is covered with rice. Fold the nori sheets in half and then tear them apart. Using half of one sheet, wrap the rice triangle in nori, making sure to completely cover the rice.

Repeat using the remaining rice, miso and nori.

Chickpea flour mini quiches

Enjoy these tasty protein-packed mini quiches warm, or wrap them up and eat them on the go.

Ingredients

1 cup chickpea flour1 cup unsweetened almond milk1/2 cup diced vegetables (spinach, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc.)1/4 cup nutritional yeast1 tsp baking powderSalt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C) and grease a mini muffin tin. In a bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, almond milk, nutritional yeast, baking powder, salt and pepper until smooth.

Stir in diced vegetables, and pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the tops are set. Let cool slightly before removing from the tin. Enjoy warm or at room temperature for a protein-packed snack on the go.

More Than 100 Professional Athletes to Race Boston 5K

Fast fields featuring Olympians, Paralympians, rising stars, and recent B.A.A. event winners will take center stage at the Boston 5K presented by Point32Health and B.A.A. Invitational Mile on Saturday, April 13. The deepest professional field in race history will include more than 100 accomplished athletes from 19 nations, set to square off for prize money and awards in the open, wheelchair, and Para Athletics Divisions. 

“More than 40,000 athletes will take part in B.A.A. races across Boston Marathon weekend,” said Jack Fleming, President and Chief Executive Officer of the B.A.A. “Saturday’s Boston 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile fields feature some of the fastest American and international stars, many who are aiming to compete at the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris.”

A new champion will be crowned and the stage is set for another close race at the Boston 5K. Ben Flanagan (Canada), Edwin Kurgat (Kenya), and Alex Masai (Kenya) – all top-five finishers a year ago – will return. They were at the front of an exciting finish a year ago that saw the top 13 men come across the line within ten seconds of the winner.

Top Americans Cooper Teare, Zach Panning, and Drew Hunter look to be at the front of the field. Teare is the reigning U.S. club cross country national champion, while Panning led a majority of February’s USA Olympic Team Trials – Marathon and Hunter is a former national champion indoors at 2 miles. B.A.A. High Performance Team members Eric Hamer and Barry Keane will be racing their hometown event.

Also on the start line will be Ben Kigen, an Olympic steeplechase bronze medalist in 2021; Simon Koech, last year’s Diamond League winner in the steeplechase; and Merhawi Mebrahtu, the 5,000m World Junior Championships silver medalist. Ethiopians Getnet Wale and Addisu Yihune are the two fastest men in the field, having gone sub-13:00 on the track for 5,000 meters.

Leading the women’s field is USATF 5K National Champion and B.A.A. High Performance Team member Annie Rodenfels. Joining her are 2024 Team USA Olympic marathoner Dakotah Lindwurm, former American marathon record holder Keira D’Amato, perennial top-American Boston Marathoner Nell Rojas, as well as Team B.A.A. runners Abbey Wheeler, Bethany Hasz Jerde, and Megan Hasz Sailor.

Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat, the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile champion in 2023, and Mercy Chelangat, a former NCAA Cross Country and 10,000m winner, are both entered. Reigning B.A.A. Half Marathon champion Fotyen Tesfay of Ethiopia also comes back to Boston seeking another win.

In the wheelchair division, course record holder and six-time Boston Marathon champion Marcel Hug (Switzerland) will square off against Americans Daniel Romanchuk and Aaron Pike. Brazil’s Vanessa de Souza – the 2018 Boston 5K winner – is the women’s wheelchair division favorite. Perennial Para Athletics Division contenders El Amine Chentouf (T12, vision impairment), Brian Reynolds (T62, lower-limb impairment), and Marko Cheseto (T62, lower-limb impairment) will vie for prize money and podium placings. This will be the largest professional Para Athletics Division field in event history.

Nearly 10,000 participants will take part in the Boston 5K, serving as the first race of the 2024 B.A.A. Distance Medley series.

KRISSY GEAR LOOKS TO REPEAT IN B.A.A. INVITATIONAL MILE

Krissy Gear earned a hard-fought B.A.A. Invitational Mile win last year and now comes in with the target on her back as defending champion. Four of the top five finishers from 2024 return, including Susan Ejore (Kenya), Jazz Shukla (Canada) and Taryn Rawlings (USA). Micaela Degenero, the 2022 NCAA Indoor Mile champion, and 4:23.94 Helen Schlachtenhaufen are entered as well.

Massachusetts high school standout Ellie Shea will take on the professionals. The Belmont High School student-athlete finished 10th at last year’s B.A.A. Invitational Mile.

Massachusetts native and 3:52.94 miler Johnny Gregorek leads the men’s field of competitors. Melkeneh Azize of Ethiopia, the world junior champion at 3000m in 2022, and Harvard’s Vivien Henz, a national champion in Luxembourg, will each make their B.A.A. road racing debuts.

In addition to the professionals, student-athletes from each of the eight cities and towns that make up the Boston Marathon route will compete in a Scholastic Mile and Middle School 1K.

Kenyan athletes Lagat Ivyne and Rutto Asbel secure the victories in women and men's category at the Run Rome The Marathon

The marathon of Rome, which took place today among the wonders of the eternal city, was a record-breaking event and dedicated to water. The Acea Run Rome the Marathon, in fact, is the first marathon dedicated to water and water saving. The 2024 edition was won by the Kenyans Asbel Rutto, in the men's competition, and Ivyne Lagat, in the women's competition.

The men's podium was completed by the other two Kenyans Brian Kipsang and Sila Kiptoo, while the Kenyan Lydia Simiyu and the Ethiopian Emebet Niguse finished second and third. Deputy general manager operations Giovanni Papaleo presented the award for Acea.

This year the Marathon has chosen "run for water" as its hashtag, to underline the profound connection that unites sport and water and the importance of water resources in protecting people's health and the health of planet Earth.

Along the over 42 kilometers of the race, Acea guaranteed many refreshment points, with around 60 thousand liters of water available to the athletes and over 100 thousand biocompostable glasses, with a view to the circular economy. It was a record race for the number of participants, for the number of foreigners and blessed by the record of the route.

The Rome marathon took place in one of the richest cities in the world in history and art but also in fountains and aqueducts, therefore an ideal place to affirm water as the identifying theme of one of the most important running events at a national level and international.

At the starting line this morning, over 19 thousand registered for the marathon alone, more than 40 thousand people who also ran the "Acea Run4Rome" solidarity relay and the 5 kilometer "Fun Run" city race. Four records have been achieved since the 2024 edition: record number of participants for an Italian marathon, record number of foreign participants, over 10, the record number of official pacers in the race, 200 of which over 100 foreigners from 15 nations and finally the record number of group training sessions, Get Ready, which were 5 in Rome and over 30 around the world, including the United States and Canada. A race route over 42 km long, renewed compared to last year, which from the historic center, starting and finishing on Via dei Fori Imperiali, crossed various points of the capital, among the wonders of the city.

Last kilometer, the arrival is thrilling, tears and heart pounding, the time needed to complete the Colosseum tour for the second time, which the marathon runners have achieved a spectacular finish line on the Imperial Forums with the Colosseum behind them which will also dominate in a unique souvenir photo in the world.

Ethiopia's Dinkalem Ayele and Kenya's Brigid Kosgei became victorious at the 33rd Lisbon Half Marathon

After covering the race's more than 21 km in 01:00.36 hours, Dinkalem Ayele emerged victorious, surpassing German competitor Amanal Petros by 20 seconds and Kenyan Dominic Kiptarus by three seconds.

Brigid Kosgei finished the women's race alone in 1:05.51 hours, crossing the finish line in front of the Belém Cultural Center in the Belém neighborhood. Ethiopia's Bosena Mulatie, who placed second with a timing of 1:09.00 hours, and Tigist Menigstu, who finished 14 seconds ahead of her country mate, completed the women's podium.

In front of her two kids, Kosgei who seemed to be warming up for next month’s women showdown at the London Marathon was in ecstasy and confirmed her status, sealing the win before the 10km mark to finish with a comfortable on the streets of Lisbon for the World Athletics Elite Label road race.

“This was preparations for London Marathon next month. I am happy and I appreciate what I have ran today. I am also grateful to the organizers for a good race,” Kosgei said.

The 2024 Lisbon Half Marathon included competitors from several nations, and over 30,000 people enrolled for the weekend's events, 10,000 of which were foreigners.

Hope for Geoffrey Kamworor and Alexander Mutiso as Kenenisa Bekele expresses London Marathon uncertainty

Geoffrey Kamworor and Alexander Mutiso might have to worry less about Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bakele at next month’s London Marathon after he admitted he is far from ready.

Ethiopian long-distance running legend Kenenisa Bekele has voiced doubts about his potential success in the upcoming London Marathon following his seventh-place finish at the New York Half Marathon on Sunday.

Bekele clocked 1:03:59 for seventh place in a race won by Kenya’s Abel Kipchumba, who timed 1:00:25, with Morocco’s Zouhair Talbi (1:00:41) and Ethiopian Yemane Haileselassie (1:01:37) completing the podium.

The race was part of Bekele’s pre-London preparations but he looked to have bitten more than he could chew in the streets of New York.

Reflecting on the challenges encountered during the New York race, Bekele acknowledged the demanding nature of the course and emphasised the need for additional preparation to assess his fitness levels.

"The course was tough. This race was important to see how my shape is so I think I need more preparations," Bekele remarked.

Despite his determination to excel in the London Marathon on April 21, Bekele admitted that he is still in the process of building up his form and fitness for the upcoming challenge.

"I am still on the build-up because my big goal is success in London but this race was important to see my shape so I think I need more preparations," he explained.

Acknowledging the importance of both time and positioning in the London Marathon, Bekele emphasised his commitment to being fully prepared for the prestigious event.

"Not only time but the position is really important in London. I think I will be ready. I have a couple of weeks to prepare and try to be ready to do something," he asserted optimistically, despite his reservations.

As Bekele looks ahead to the London Marathon, he faces the challenge of fine-tuning his preparation and performance to meet the high expectations set for himself.

The Ethiopian great will be up against a formidable cast in London that includes Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor, two-time New York Marathon champion and second in London last year, and Alexander Mutiso, who finished second in Valencia last year.

He also has Ethiopian compatriots Tamirat Tola, the New York Marathon champion, and Mosinet Geremew, the seventh-fastest man in history.

This is also part of the two-time Berlin Marathon champion’s preparations towards the Olympics although he still not sure if he will make Ethiopia’s marathon team to the Paris Games.

“They can select based on time, and position is also very important,” Bekele said when asked about his chances of making the Olympics team.

“It will depend on the competitors and they have their own method of selection. There are many Ethiopian marathoners so they have their own plan. I think my chance is 50-50 so I have to try my best.”

Bekele has been to London six times, managing second place in 2017 after third a year earlier, but could only finish sixth in 2018 and fifth in 2022. He, however, had a setback in 2020, when he was forced to withdraw with a calf injury, before failing to finish last year’s race.

Grovdal, Kipchumba Take Victories At United Airlines NYC Half

Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal and Kenya’s Abel Kipchumba won this morning’s hilly and chilly United Airlines NYC Half in 1:09:09 and 1:00:25, respectively.  Grøvdal, 33, a three-time European Athletics cross country champion, became the first European woman to win the race since Britain’s Mara Yamauchi in 2010. 

Kipchumba, 30, last November’s B.A.A. Half-Marathon champion in Boston, was the race’s ninth Kenyan male champion over its 17-year history.  Both athletes won $20,000 in prize money.

The two dozen women in the elite field were in no hurry to establish a fast pace when the race set off from Prospect Park in Brooklyn just after sunrise.  Calli Thackery of Great Britain, recently named to her country’s Olympic Marathon team, was the early leader and a pack of seven went through the 5-K checkpoint in a gentle 17:07.  Grøvdal was in that pack along with Kenya’s Gladys Chepkurui, Edna Kiplagat and Cynthia Limo; the Netherlands’ Diane Van Es; and Switzerland’s Fabienne Schlumpf.  The two top Americans, Des Linden and Jenny Simpson, were five seconds back.

The next five kilometers would be critical.  As the leaders ascended the Manhattan Bridge to cross the East River, the pace became too difficult for Thackery, Van Es and Schlumpf who all slid back.  At the 10-K mark on the Manhattan side (33:26) the race was down to four: Grøvdal, Chepkurui, Kiplagat, and Limo.

Limo, the reigning Honolulu Marathon champion, was next to lose contact after Chepkurui pushed the pace up the FDR Drive along the East River. By 15-K, Limo was nearly 20 seconds behind and would finish a distant fourth in 1:11:54.

Grøvdal Comes Back

But Grøvdal was also hurting.  In the tenth mile (17th kilometer) as the race went up Seventh Avenue past Times Square, Grøvdal began to lose contact with Chepkurui and Kiplagat.  It looked like she would finish third for the third year in a row.

“I was so tired then,” Grøvdal told reporters.  “Just thinking, it’s third this year also.  But then, I don’t know.  I just tried to don’t get the gap too big.  Suddenly, I was just behind them again.”

The final seven kilometers of this race are particularly tough.  The race climbs about 30 meters from 15-K to the finish, and the finish straight itself is uphill.  Grøvdal knew the course well and was ready.

“Then something in me just, OK, now it’s the finish,” Grøvdal explained.  “It’s 3-K left, so I was planning to have a strong finish the last 2-K and I did that.”  She added: “I just went for it.”

The men’s race began much more aggressively than the women’s.  By the 5-K mark (14:23) Kipchumba and Morocco’s Zouhair Talbi had already reduced the lead pack to four.  Along for the ride were two Olympic steeplechasers, American Hillary Bor and Eritrean Yemane Haileselassie.  The four stayed together through 10-K (28:38), but then Kipchumba and Talbi began to trade surges.  That kind of racing was too punishing for Haileselassie, who drifted off the pace.  Bor, running in just his first half-marathon, hung on.

“I wanted a fast race and I think the same for him,” said Talbi, who is observing Ramadan and had to fast in the days leading up to today’s race.  “He (Kipchumba) wanted to push… so both of us keep pushing from the start.  I pushed until the end, basically.”

By 15-K (42:54) Bor was 12 seconds back and Haileselassie was 32 seconds in arrears.  It would be either the Kenyan or the Moroccan who would take the victory today.  Kipchumba was determined and recognized Talbi as a formidable opponent.

“Today was not easy,” Kipchumba told Race Results Weekly.  “The guy was strong.”

Kipchumba finally shook off Talbi in the race’s final stages, leading by 10 seconds at 20-K (57:18) and, ultimately, 17 seconds at the finish.  His time of 1:00:25 was the fastest since 2017 when the race was held on a different –and much easier– course from Central Park to lower Manhattan.

“I tried my best; I won the race,” Kipchumba said.  “(With) three kilometers remaining I said it’s time to win.”

Talbi was second in 1:00:41, and Haileselassie passed Bor in the final kilometer to take third in 1:01:37 to Bor’s 1:01:47.  Another American, Reed Fischer, rounded out the top 5 in 1:03:06.

Dominic Ngeno, Stacy Ndiwa celebrate after winning 2024 L.A. Marathon

Upon breaking the tape on a pristine St. Patrick’s Day morning in the City of Angels, Dominic Ngeno dropped to his knees and kissed the ground in celebration of winning the 39th Los Angeles Marathon.

The 26-year-old Kenyan separated from countryman Cosmas Kiplimo with a little more than three miles to go on the 26.2-mile route that started at Dodger Stadium and ended on the Avenue of the Stars in Century City. Ngeno prevailed by five seconds in 2:10:20 — almost three minutes faster than last year’s winner, Jemal Yimer of Ethiopia.

“I watched the race the last couple of years and my coach gave me a plan in training,” Ngeno said. “I wanted to go 2:08 but it was a little humid the last three kilometers and that reduced our speed. In my mind it was about setting the right pace.”

Ngeno clocked a personal-best 2:07:26 to place third at the Eindhoven Marathon in the Netherlands in October and was ninth in 2:11:23 at the Milan Marathon in Italy in April. Ethiopian Markos Geneti set the L.A. Marathon men’s record of 2:06:35 in 2011, but Sunday was about the Kenyans — Ngeno, Kiplimo and Stacy Ndiwa, who repeated as the women’s winner in a personal-best 2:25:28.

“Last year I didn’t know the course but this year I prepared well for the hills and the weather was better,” said the 31-year-old Ndiwa, who pulled away from runner-up Volha “Olga” Mazuronak in the last mile to win by 20 seconds and shave 5:32 off last year’s effort. Ndiwa received an additional $10,000 for winning the Marathon Chase.

“People cheered us from the start until the last minute,” she said. “At 40 kilometers I increased my pace. I was worried [Mazuronak] would catch me.”

Askale Merachi of Ethiopia set the women’s record of 2:24:11 in 2019.

The elite women started on time at 6:43 a.m. and were supposed to have a 17-minute head start in the Marathon Chase, a feature unique to the L.A. Marathon in which the first runner to reach the finish line, either male or female, is awarded a $10,000 bonus. Due to a miscommunication, however, the men were sent off at 6:55, only 12 minutes behind the women, lessening the drama of the “battle of the sexes.”

In 13 previous Chase competitions the women won the race-within-a-race nine times, but their “early” start enabled Ngeno and Kiplimo to overtake the top three women in Mile 22. However, Ndiwa was still declared the winner because the men would not have caught her had they started on schedule.

“When the men passed us and I saw who they were I thought ’no problem!’ ” Ndiwa said.

“She trains not far away and we see each other on the track a lot,” Ngeno said of his fellow winner. “Last week, we wished each other the best. We’re proud to have won.”

The L.A. Marathon debuted in 1986 and a Kenyan has won the men’s race eight times and the women’s race six times since 2015.

Mazuronak, who finished fifth in the Olympics twice, was running her first marathon in three years. In September, the 34-year-old from Belarus relocated to Irvine with her son and gained membership in USA Track & Field after not being able compete as a result of her protesting election fraud in her native country.

Kejelcha goes No.3 all time with 26:37 10km in Laredo

World indoor mile record-holder Yomif Kejelcha stormed to a 26:37 10km win in the northern Spanish town of Laredo on Saturday (16). 

With that performance at the World Athletics Label event, the Ethiopian 26-year-old achieved the third-fastest men's 10km of all time. Only Rhonex Kipruto with his world record of 26:24 set in Valencia four years ago and Berihu Aregawi with his 26:33 run in Laredo last year have gone faster.

Racing under ideal weather conditions on a 15ºC windless afternoon, Kejelcha was perfectly paced by his fellow Ethiopian Addisu Yihune, himself the reigning world U20 5000m champion. They went through the opening kilometres at a steady 2:38 pace, the tempo needed to attack the world best.

Meanwhile, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei travelled a few metres behind in the company of his own pacemaker, his compatriot Naman Kipyeko, but the world 5000m and 10,000m record-holder began to lose ground some six minutes into the race. By the third kilometre, Kejelcha became a virtual victor as he had built a seven-second gap on the Ugandan, with 7:54 and 8:01 their respective times at that point.

Despite being well on schedule to challenge the world record, Kejelcha overtook Yihune before reaching the fourth kilometre and from then on it was a solo run by the two-time world indoor 3000m champion, who went through halfway in a promising 13:10. Cheptegei ran nine seconds in arrears in the company of Yihune. 

Over the second half, Kejelcha maintained a frantic rhythm in the 2:38/2:40 per kilometre range to increase his advantage on Cheptegei.

Over the closing two kilometres, Kejelcha could not maintain the pace on his own and despite his huge effort he romped home 13 seconds shy of the coveted mark and four seconds off the Ethiopian record. As for Cheptegei, the 27-year-old finished in 26:53, his third-quickest time and 15 seconds slower than the then world record of 26:38 he set in Valencia in December 2019. 

Surprisingly, the 20-year-old pacemaker Yihune completed the race in a massive lifetime best of 27:28.

“I came to Laredo to break the world record but it was not possible,” said Kejelcha. “I felt some discomfort in my hip around the eighth kilometre and could not maintain my speed.”

As for Cheptegei, the Olympic 5000m champion confirmed his main goal was to get the Olympic 10,000m standard of 27:00 and he expressed his happiness at having reached that target two weeks before he competes at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade.

Klosterhalfen prevails 

Held alongside the men’s race, the women’s event featured Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen as the favourite. The European 5000m champion dropped out during her last race, the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, three weeks ago and was trying to bounce back in Laredo with the main target of getting the qualifying time for the 10,000m at the Paris Olympics (30:40). 

Running in a group alongside male athletes, the 27-year-old started at a brisk pace and covered the opening kilometres at a tempo of around 3:00 per kilometre to go through halfway in 15:07, well on schedule for her target. Kenya’s Purity Gitonga travelled in second, five seconds back, and Spanish 3000m steeplechase record-holder Irene Sanchez-Escribano was third in 15:32.

Over the second half of the race all the main contenders slowed down their speed as Klosterhalfen began to falter dramatically inside the closing kilometre. That saw her lose any chance of achieving the entry standard for Paris but she still achieved a PB of 31:07.

Gitonga finished runner-up in 31:24 and Sanchez-Escribano ran a massive lifetime best of 31:35 for third.

Yimer and Wereta secure Ethiopian double in Seoul

Jemal Yimer prevailed after a sprint finish in the men’s race, while Fikrte Wereta claimed a clear women’s race win to secure an Ethiopian double at the Seoul Marathon on Sunday (17).

It was a first World Athletics Platinum Label road race win for both athletes, two-time world half marathon fourth-place finisher Yimer continuing his marathon journey with an almost three-minute PB of 2:06:08 and Wereta also running a lifetime best of 2:21:32.

The men’s race saw a big group remain together until after 30km, when Yimer formed part of a breakaway group of seven. The 27-year-old had been happy to sit back in the pack up to that point, passing 10km in 29:43 and 20km in 59:54.

The pace remained consistent as he reached 25km in 1:14:37 and 12 athletes were still running together at the 30km mark, hit by the leaders in 1:29:35.

Yimer’s compatriot Guye Adola, the 2021 Berlin Marathon champion, had looked in control to that stage, as he and Kenya’s Mike Kiptum Boit continued to switch the lead. But Adola couldn’t maintain the pace and he was among the athletes to drop back over the next couple of kilometres.

A group of seven forged ahead and six athletes remained together as 35km was reached in 1:44:27.

Yimer still had four others for company as he hit 40km in 1:59:19 alongside his compatriot Balew Yihunie Derseh plus Boit and his Kenyan compatriots Edwin Kiptoo and Rhonzas Lokitam Kilimo.

But after doing much of the leading, Boit could only watch as Kilimo, Kiptoo and Yimer strode ahead.

Timing his kick to perfection, Yimer waited until the final corner to make his move. Glancing over his shoulder, he left Kilimo and Kiptoo behind and punched the air as he crossed the finish line.

He won in 2:06:08, with Kilimo a second behind him and Kiptoo a further second back.

Boit held on for fourth place in 2:06:20, while Derseh was fifth in 2:06:22.

In the women’s race, a nine-strong group running alongside male runners was on sub-2:20 pace for the opening kilometres but the tempo eased as the leaders reached 10km in 33:28, led by Kenya’s Celestine Chepchirchir.

Bahrain’s Desi Jisa Mokonin, looking to regain a title that she won in 2019, also took turns at the front and led as 15km was reached in 50:25 and 20km was passed in 1:07:29.

The main contenders remained together as an eight-strong group hit 30km in 1:41:05 and like in the men’s race, it was at around this stage that a significant move was made.

Jisa and Wereta were joined by Kenya’s Visiline Jepkesho and Ethiopia’s Betelihem Afenigus Yemer in a breakaway group and Wereta looked comfortable as she took her place at the front, with her challengers in single file behind her.

Wereta, Jisa and Yemer passed the 35km mark together in 1:57:42, with Jepkesho 11 seconds back at that point, and then Wereta attacked. She had built a lead of 23 seconds by 40km, passed in 2:13:54, as she was chased by Jisa (2:14:17), Yemer (2:14:43) and Jepkesho (2:15:01).

Wereta continued to stretch her lead and had an advantage of 47 seconds by the finish, which she crossed in 2:21:32. 

Jisa secured the runner up spot in 2:22:19, while Jepkesho passed Yemer in the closing stages to claim third place – 2:22:52 to 2:23:20. Ethiopia’s Yebrgual Melese was fifth in 2:23:43.

Gebreselama and Fisher win as records fall in San Juan Capistrano

Tsigie Gebreselama set a US all-comers' record to win the women’s 10,000m, while Grant Fisher topped a deep men’s race to triumph at The TEN, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event, in San Juan Capistrano, California, on Saturday (16).

Hitting the Olympic standards for Paris – 27:00.00 for men and 30:40.00 for women – was the aim for many athletes in San Juan Capistrano. A total of eight athletes managed it in the men’s race and four achieved it in the women’s.

Leading the way in that women’s race was Ethiopia’s world cross country silver medallist Gebreselama, who improved her PB to 29:48.34 to move to ninth on the world all-time list.

The 23-year-old won the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in a PB of 1:05:14 three weeks ago and returned to the track to dip under 30 minutes for 10,000m for the first time, also becoming the first woman to break that time barrier on US soil.

Gebreselama, the fourth-place finisher in the World Road Running Championships half marathon in October, had been the only athlete to go with USA’s Alicia Monson from the start but when Monson struggled to maintain the pace, Gebreselama took over at the front and Monson later dropped out.

Chasing the Olympic standard in a group further back, USA’s Weini Kelati led the way and clocked a PB of 30:33.82 to finish second. She was followed by Lauren Ryan, who ran 30:35.66 to improve Benita Willis’s 20-year-old Australian record, and Britain’s Megan Keith, who ran 30:36.84 on her 10,000m debut.

Rachel Smith finished fifth in 31:04.02 and Karissa Schweizer sixth in 31:04.80.

In the men’s race, North American record-holder Fisher led one of the deepest 10,000m races in history as he sprinted into the lead in the closing stages to win in 26:52.04. 

His 21-year-old US compatriot Nico Young followed him over the finish line in a US collegiate record of 26:52.72 and the next six were also under the Olympic entry standard.

Andreas Almgren ran a Swedish record of 26:52.87 to finish third, while Canada’s Mohammed Ahmed was fourth in 26:53.01, Eritrea’s Habtom Samuel was fifth in a PB of 26:53.84, Adriaan Wildschutt was sixth in a South African record of 26:55.54, USA’s Woody Kincaid was seventh in a PB of 26:57.57 and Kenya’s Edwin Kurgat was eighth in a PB of 26:57.66.

Should marathoners do sprint work?

There are many misconceptions about sprinting, and one of them is the belief that marathoners shouldn't include sprinting in their training.

If you’re a marathoner, incorporating fast-twitch sprint work into your training regimen might seem counterintuitive. However, contrary to popular belief, adding just five to 10 reps of 50-metre sprints to the end of your runs once or twice a week can significantly enhance your running efficiency and strength.

Integrating a small amount of sprint work can improve your neuromuscular co-ordination, leading to enhanced running mechanics and increased running economy. This economy that we speak of is especially beneficial during the later stages of a race, when fatigue starts to kick in and your form starts to deteriorate. Sprint work targets fast-twitch muscle fibres, helping bolster overall leg strength and power per stride, which will translate to your ability to maintain faster paces. 

Adding this little training hack into your routine could be the easiest path to becoming a faster distance runner. However, adding sprint training to your marathon build can come with risks, as it places considerable stress on muscles, tendons and joints. So without proper preparation or execution the risk of injury increases. Therefore, implementing a thorough warm-up and gradually progressing to the speed you’re trying to hit on your first few reps is imperative to mitigate these risks.

Despite the name, sprints don’t necessarily entail going all-out. Many runners, including sprinters, rarely reach race speeds during practice sessions, due to the taxing nature of maximal effort, which can elevate the risk of injury. Instead, sprint training typically occurs at around 60-80 per cent of your maximum speed.

If you’re looking for an alternative to sprints, short hills can also do the trick. These 30-second hill inclines can serve as an excellent way to add more speed and efficiency into your marathon preparation while enhancing strength and power.

Just because we are telling you sprint training is helpful, remember to not stray too far from the norm. It’s important to find a balance between sprint work and other essential components of marathon training, such as long runs, tempo runs and recovery mileage. Sprint sessions should not replace these foundational elements, but rather serve as a training supplement component to enhance your performance.

Brigid Kosgei sets lofty ambitions at Lisbon Half Marathon as big bonus awaits

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei is keen to make history at the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday as she seeks to use the race to tune up for next month’s London Marathon.

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei is keen to break her half marathon personal best during the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday.

The former marathon world record holder is using the Lisbon Half Marathon to gauge her level of preparedness for the London Marathon set to take place on April 21 and she feels she can lower her half marathon personal best of 1:04:49.

"I'm really happy to be here again. I wanted to run this race because I want to test my speed for London Marathon in April,” Kosgei said on Friday.

“I come here to see how my body respond. I'm feeling good, I'm happy, did a good preparation. The course is very fast and I hope to have a good race on Sunday. If the weather is good, I will try to break my personal best in half marathon.”

The 30-year-old is no stranger to the Portuguese capital having won the 2016 Lisbon Marathon but she will come up against a stellar field on Sunday, in want has been termed the fastest half marathon in the world.

Seeking to upstage her is compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot, the 2018 London Marathon champion, whose last race was the Valencia Marathon in 2019 when she finished fourth.

There are also Kenyans Betty Chepkemoi, Pauline Esikom and Vivian Melly, Ethiopia’s Bosena Mulatie, fourth at the 2023 Istanbul Half Marathon and Senayet Getachew, the 2023 Junior World Cross-Country champion, who will be keen to upstage her.

The men’s field has attracted 10 athletes with the best marks under one hour. Abraham Kiptum will be returning and he is the biggest highlight, with a personal best of 59.09.

He will face a stern test from Ethiopians Solomon Berihu (59.17) and Dinkalem Ayele (59.30), but also compatriots Brian Kwemoi and Bravin Kipkogei Kiptoo (both with 59.37).

American Leonard Korir, third in the last month's US Olympic Marathon Trials, will also be in the race.

Korir achieved the needed spot in the podium, but not the time to guarantee the place in Paris. That's why he chose Lisbon to try to run a fast time, and maybe break the American record (59:43).

"I heard so many good things about the race, I heard that it's super fast. There were some guys that run fast here, like Jacob Kiplimo. I wanted to run something faster, and I told myself 'let me try to go to Lisbon',” said Korir.

“I heard the organisation is very good, the course is very nice. I just want to see if I can run a quick time, to see how my body feels before running a marathon in the near future,” added the 37-year-old American.

Lisbon Half Marathon oragnisers have set aside a €150,000 (Ksh22,044,775) bonus for new world records with the times to beat being 57:31 set by Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, at this same race in 2021, and 1:02:54 by Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey in Valencia.

Competitive fields look to make a statement in Seoul

Ethiopia’s Guye Adola and Bahrain’s Desi Mokonin are among the athletes who will be looking to make a mark when they compete in the Seoul Marathon, this year’s sixth World Athletics Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (17).

While Adola competes in Korea for the first time, Mokonin has the benefit of race experience, as she returns to an event that she won in 2019.

Adola has the fastest PB among the entries, thanks to the 2:03:46 he ran to finish second when making his marathon debut in Berlin in 2017. The 2014 world half marathon bronze medallist returned to win in Berlin in 2021, running 2:05:45 for the third-fastest time of his career so far.

He is back in marathon action for the first time since October, when he placed third in Frankfurt after finishing runner-up in Paris in April.

There are a number of athletes who will want to challenge him in Seoul, where the men’s field features another six sub-2:06 athletes. The course record stands at 2:04:43, achieved by Mosinet Geremew in 2022.

Kenya’s Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba has won each of the four marathons he has completed so far, most recently winning the Shanghai Marathon in November in a PB of 2:05:35, but he withdrew when defending his Xiamen Marathon title in January.

His compatriot Solomon Kirwa Yego finished third in Shanghai in a PB of 2:05:42 and then placed eighth in Xiamen, while Joel Kemboi Kimurer ran his PB of 2:05:19 in Milan in 2021 and Laban Kipngetich Korir clocked his best of 2:05:41 in Amsterdam in 2022.

Ethiopia’s Derseh Kindie will be looking to build on the PB of 2:05:51 he set in Valencia in December and he’ll be joined on the start line by his compatriots Gebru Redahgne, who finished second in the 2022 Barcelona marathon in 2:05:58, and world half marathon fourth-place finisher Jemal Yimer.

China’s Feng Peiyou and Olonbayar Jamsran of Mongolia will be among those seeking Olympic qualification.

Ethiopia’s Yebrgual Melese is the quickest in the women’s field when it comes to PBs with the 2:19:36 she ran in Dubai in 2018, but the 2015 Chicago Marathon runner up’s last recorded result was a fifth-place finish in the 2020 Xiamen Marathon.

She’s the sole sub-2:20 runner in the women’s race but she will be joined by four others who have dipped under 2:22.

Those include Mokonin, who won the 2019 Seoul Marathon in 2:23:44 and clocked her PB of 2:20:47 in Doha just over a year ago. She ended 2023 with a 2:22:29 performance to finish seventh in Valencia.

Kenya’s Celestine Chepchirchir opens her 2024 campaign after having raced four marathons last year, topped by the 2:20:46 she ran to finish fourth in Valencia. Like Mokonin, she has previously raced in Seoul and it is where she recorded her PB of 2:20:10 set in 2022, when she finished fourth.

She lines up alongside her compatriot Janet Ruguru, who set a PB of 2:23:00 to finish second in Beijing in October and placed third in the Daegu International Marathon in the April.

Sisay Meseret Gola followed her 2:20:50 PB performance in Seville in 2022 with two 2:22 marathons in 2023 – in Osaka and Amsterdam. She withdrew from this year’s Osaka Women's Marathon in January but now returns to action in a field that also features her Ethiopian compatriot Fikrte Wereta, who ended 2023 with a win and a PB in Shenzhen, clocking 2:22:07.

Former Mongolian record-holder Munkhzaya Bayartsogt will be among those hoping to put themselves in the running for a place at the Paris Olympics.

The course record of 2:18:04 was set by Romania’s Joan Chelimo Melly in 2022.

Leading entries

Women

Yebrgual Melese (ETH) 2:19:36

Celestine Chepchirchir (KEN) 2:20:10

Desi Mokonin (BRN) 2:20:47

Sisay Meseret Gola (ETH) 2:20:50

Visiline Jepkesho (KEN) 2:21:37

Fikrte Wereta (ETH) 2:22:07

Sintayehu Tilahun (ETH) 2:22:19

Janet Ruguru (KEN) 2:23:00

Margaret Agai (KEN) 2:23:28

Sifan Melaku (ETH) 2:23:49

Munkhzaya Bayartsogt (MGL) 2:28:03

Marina Khmelevskaya (UZB) 2:29:28

Ayano Ikeuchi (JPN) 2:33:29

Men

Guye Adola (ETH) 2:03:46

Joel Kemboi Kimurer (KEN) 2:05:19

Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba (KEN) 2:05:35

Laban Kipngetich Korir (KEN) 2:05:41

Solomon Kirwa Yego (KEN) 2:05:42

Derseh Kindie (ETH) 2:05:51

Gebru Redahgne (ETH) 2:05:58

Mark Kiptoo (KEN) 2:06:00

Felix Kandie (KEN) 2:06:03

Mike Kiptum Boit (KEN) 2:06:08

Ashenafi Moges Weldegiorgis (ETH) 2:06:12

Edwin Kiptoo (KEN) 2:06:52

Kibrom Desta Habtu (ETH) 2:07:05

Balew Yihunie Derseh (ETH) 2:07:12

Timothy Kipkorir (KEN) 2:07:53

Rory Linkletter (CAN) 2:08:01

Feng Peiyou (CHN) 2:08:07

Rhonzas Lokitam Kilimo (KEN) 2:08:08

Olonbayar Jamsran (MGL) 2:08:58

Huang Yongzheng (CHN) 2:10:49

Gantulga Dambadarjaa (MGL) 2:11:18

Jemal Yimer (ETH) 2:11:31

Evans Kipchumba (KEN) debut

The Iditarod Is Embroiled in a Controversy Over Moose Guts

Officials with dogsledding’s biggest race say a star musher broke the rules. His infraction: improper removal of moose innards. 

What’s the weirdest rule in endurance sports? A few come to mind:

Regulations governing the New York City Marathon explicitly forbid runners from pooping on the pavement at the starting line. Article 7.01-G of the Ironman Triathlon rulebook prohibits nakedness in transition areas. And don’t get me started on the wackadoo bylaws enforced by pro cycling’s governing body, the Union Cycliste International, which govern the minutiae of oh so many aspects of bike racing, from the height of an athlete’s socks to the size and shape of his or her ugly helmet.

But in all my time covering professional outdoor competitions, I’ve never come across anything like Rule 34 in the regulations governing Alaska’s Iditarod, the Tour de France of dogsledding. The law, titled “Killing of Game Animals,” is below:

In the event that an edible big game animal, i.e., moose, caribou, buffalo, is killed in defense of life or property, the musher must gut the animal and report the incident to a race official at the next checkpoint. Following teams must help gut the animal when possible. No teams may pass until the animal has been gutted and the musher killing the animal has proceeded. Any other animal killed in defense of life or property must be reported to a race official, but need not be gutted. 

Yes, the Iditarod requires you to disembowel the big mammals that you kill along the way. Not only that—officials will scrutinize the efficacy of your job gutting the animal in question.

At the moment, there’s a brewing controversy about the Iditarod’s Rule 34—specifically, whether or not a star athlete gutted a moose the right way.

The race kicked off this past Sunday, March 3, and mushers embarked on the 1,000-mile trip from the town of Willow, near Anchorage, to Nome, near the arctic circle. On Monday, news circulated that five-time winner Dallas Seavey had a terrifying encounter with a moose shortly after leaving a checkpoint in the town of Skwentna. Attacks by moose and other large mammals are rare, but do occasionally happen in sled dog racing. In 2022, a musher named Bridgrett Watkins was trampled by a bull just days before her rookie start in the Iditarod. In 1985, Susan Butcher was attacked while leading the Iditarod—the animal killed two of her dogs as she attempted to fight it off with an axe.

According to a report by the Associated Press, Seavey said the moose attacked his team at about 1:30 A.M. on Monday morning. It became entangled in his harness and sled and injured a female dog named Faloo so badly that she eventually had to be transported back to Anchorage. Seavey pulled out a handgun and shot the moose dead. “It fell on my sled, it was sprawled on the trail,” Seavey told an Iditarod Insider television crew. “I gutted it the best I could, but it was ugly.”

That’s where things get interesting. On Wednesday, March 6, the Iditarod announced that its panel of judges had issued Seavey a two-hour time penalty—a massive time gap in a race that’s sometimes decided by an hour or two. The reason for the sanction? Seavey did a substandard job of removing the animal’s innards. The race clarified exactly what gutting entails. “By definition, gutting: taking out the intestines and other internal organs of (a fish or other animal) before cooking it,” the race said in a public statement.

According to the investigation, Seavey spent about ten minutes at the kill site before mushing his dogs 11 miles to the next checkpoint, where he informed officials about the moose kill and also dropped off his injured dog (according to a Facebook post, Faloo is OK!). A race communique said officials eventually retrieved the moose carcass, properly processed it, and will distribute the meat as food.

Seavey’s kennel published a diplomatic statement on Facebook after the ruling: “As members of Team Dallas we are thankful for the guidelines and officials who make this race possible. Each race is riddled with its own set of challenges and part of being a great musher is being able to navigate them.”

Back to this unorthodox rule. I think most normal people can understand the need to ban runners from pooping on the asphalt, and even to prohibit triathletes from displaying their uncovered nether regions during a race. But what’s the deal with cutting open a dead animal in sled dog racing? An Iditarod employee who answered the race’s general phone line reminded me that the Rule 34 simply reflects Alaska state law. I hunted around the state’s rules and regulations and came across Statue 16.30.010, titled Wanton Waste of Big Game Animals and Wild Fowl.

It is a class A misdemeanor for a person who kills a big game animal or a species of wild fowl to fail intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence to salvage for human consumption the edible meat of the animal or fowl. 

Turns out the weirdest rule in endurance sports is an extension of a pragmatic law. A full-grown moose can weigh up to 1,600 pounds, which can feed a lot of human beings. Improperly handling the intestines from one can spoil the meat. And the Iditarod employee I spoke to emphatically said that removing the entrails from an animal of that size takes much longer than ten minutes.

Whether or not the two-hour penalty keeps Seavey from attaining win number six is yet to be seen. The two-hour penalty will be added to Seavey’s mandatory 24-hour rest later in the race. On Wednesday, he passed the Idtarod’s official halfway point in Cripple, Alaska in first place, nursing a 47-minute lead on Nicolas Petit of Big Lake, Alaska. Seavey needs to gain an hour and 14 minutes between Cripple and Nome to win.

This Teen Ultrarunner Wants to Take on the World's Most Prestigious Races

Last November, 17-year-old Sebastian Salsbury received an email reminder. He had 13 days to decide about entering the race lottery for the 2024 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, regarded as one of the most prestigious trail events in the world. 

Rules stipulate that each lottery applicant must be at least 18 years old on race day. On January 20, Salsbury will finally meet the age requirement, five years after he technically ran a qualifying time to enter the lottery for the first time.

It's been a goal he's been progressing toward for years. In 2020, when Salsbury was 13, he completed the Black Canyon 100K in Arizona in 15 hours 49 minutes and 32 seconds, well within the 17-hour time limit necessary to qualify for the Western States lottery. 

"It's hard to put that experience into words," Salsbury says. "It was one of the most beautiful courses I've ever been on. That race made me feel like I was doing the right thing in my life." 

Starting Young

Salsbury, who grew up in Santa Barbara, California, was attracted to the trails at a young age. Throughout his childhood, his parents often brought him to nearby trails to hike. The hikes gradually transitioned into jogs, and Salsbury's relationship with the outdoors continued to grow. The mountains, he says, were a playground.

Though Salsbury played basketball, football, and soccer growing up, his love for running took over. He quit the other sports after junior high school to minimize risk for injury, he says, and to dedicate more time to running.

A few years after Salsbury's entry into racing-his first was a local 5K on the road when he was four-he ran the Santa Barbara Red Rock Trail Run. Despite being just nine, he kept up with his father for all 28 miles. The following year, for the Santa Barbara Nine Trails, Salsbury traversed 35 miles with nearly 12,000 feet of vertical gain from the Jesusita trailhead to Romero Canyon trailhead and back, again alongside his father, a road marathoner.

Next, Salsbury entered the Black Canyon 100K in Arizona. He recalled the point-to-point race as one of his most difficult running experiences to date. 

"I was basically crying," Salsbury remembers, adding that his hydration vest kept digging into his ribs. "I loved the feeling of working hard and going through really low moments and overcoming them. I crave it."

Supported for the last 20 miles by his coach at the time, Tyler Hansen, Salsbury crossed the finish feeling both defeated and uplifted. The Black Canyon race gave him the confidence to continue challenging himself in ultrarunning.

"My best friends don't understand," Salsbury says about the pursuit of ultras, which he envisions including some of the most technically demanding and prestigious races in the world: the Western States 100 in California, Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc through the French Alps, as well as the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run in Colorado. Salsbury admits that running disrupts his social life, and also that he doesn't mind the solitude the sport necessitates. In fact, he welcomes it.

"I like the feeling of being alone in the mountains," Salsbury says. "It's a great way to free your mind."

Given that he is still a teen-the average age of trail runners is in the mid-30s-Salsbury has not been immune to negative comments over the years. "It's not cool at all to hate, but I can still see where someone would be coming from, seeing a kid doing all that stuff," Salsbury says. "There are going to be people that troll and hate for no reason. That's just life."

A Purposeful Progression

The training required to undertake ultras is out of this world for a typical high school runner. To ensure he's programming himself with sufficient miles without overloading his still-developing body, Salsbury sought the guidance of his longtime role model, pro trail runner Hayden Hawks. The two met when Salsbury was 14, and their camaraderie clicked naturally.

"I had lots of mentors help me at a young age in my running journey, and I felt the responsibility to do the same with Sebastian," says Hawks, 32. "We have taken a patient and gradual approach, developing strength, speed, and a foundation that will help him build into the longer distance races at an older age."

Hawks has coached Salsbury for the past two years, carefully mapping out a plan that tallies 50 miles weekly spread across six days. Salisbury complements the mileage with a combination of hiking, mountain biking, and intervals on an indoor bike as part of his cross training. Three days a week, he does strength exercises at Varient Training Lab in Santa Barbara. To fit it all in so he could have ample opportunity to train and compete, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Salsbury enrolled in West River Academy, an online private school program.

"I have zero regrets," Salsbury says. "The opportunity that it's given me to travel with my family and run and be able to guide my days how I want and learn at my own pace, I'm grateful for that."

The online program lasts up to three hours a day, which is "a lot less than standard high school," Salsbury chuckles. In 2022, he researched computer engineering and built a computer from scratch. This year, as part of the online curriculum, he's learning to speak German in addition to researching for a project about coffee and sustainability, which he is especially interested in as a part-time certified barista. Salisbury works at a local coffee shop twice a week. 

So far, he's enjoying the unique balance of online learning and ultrarunning. "I like to keep myself busy," he says. "I've always had this next-level energy. Obviously it goes into running, but it's who I am as a person." 

His days are hardly routine compared to the average high schooler. On a recent Thursday, Salsbury started the day with a three-minute cold plunge before he spent the remainder of the morning packing running shoes, thermal layers, his COROS watch, and a heart rate monitor ahead of a four-day trip to Boulder, Colorado, to train with a friend at altitude.

Living at sea level in Santa Barbara, Salsbury doesn't often have the opportunity to run at altitude beyond twice a year, mostly "just a vacation with my family where I get to do some running," he says.

As much as he has run over the years, Salsbury says he's been fortunate to never have had any serious injuries. This year, a growth spurt of eight inches led to severe shin splints, and Salsbury, who is now 6-foot-4 and 162 pounds, took four months off from running.

Now, life is back to business as usual. Salsbury is planning ahead. His next race is the La Cuesta Ranch 25K in San Luis Obispo, California, in late January. After he graduates from high school in June 2024, he wants to pursue a running career ideally full-time, though he hasn't stated when he aims to turn professional. 

"I've always had the intention to be one of the greatest ultrarunners in the world one day. That will continue to be my goal," Salsbury says. "I want to leave a positive impact on the sport and be an inspiration to other athletes of any age, but obviously the youth because that's how I grew up. People can judge and say whatever they want, but I do want to be the best of all time."

Local bakery saves the day at Scotland's Half Marathon Championships

The Scottish Half Marathon Championships in Inverness, Scotland, faced a challenging situation when their race medals and T-shirts were delayed due to the recent militant attacks on container ships in the Red Sea. At the last minute, a local bakery came to the rescue, supplying the race with more than 4,000 finisher biscuits.

In a social media post on Feb. 27, the race said: “Due to unforeseen shipping delays resulting from Houthi rebel attacks on container ships in the Red Sea, we regret to inform you that finisher medals and half-marathon finisher T-shirts will not be available at the finish line on March 10.” The attacks in the Middle East had prompted major shipping companies to reroute their container ships around South Africa, delaying the shipment containing the race’s T-shirts and medals.

This year’s race boasted record numbers, selling out with a total of 4,240 participants across the half-marathon and 5K distances. With no finisher medals, and with the race facing the uncertainty of what to provide athletes, Harry Gow Bakery in Inverness stepped up to ensure every runner experienced the sweet taste of success upon crossing the finish line.

“We are thrilled to offer something unique to the Inverness Half Marathon and 5K this year with our commemorative biscuits,” said Fraser Gow, the director of Harry Gow Bakery. “The biscuits were specially crafted to reflect the medal design with the event logo.”

While race organizers expect the medals and T-shirts to reach each finisher by the end of March, many runners expressed satisfaction with the alternative. “It’s exactly what we needed after completing the race,” one participant wrote on Facebook. “It’s as satisfying as a traditional medal. Maybe next time we’ll have edible T-shirts,” another participant joked.

Several finishers also said they hoped to see the finishing biscuits return next year. Regardless, this initiative serves as excellent PR and marketing for the local bakery.

Is hiring a running coach worth it in 2024?

As we approach the spring and summer race season, thousands of runners, both new and experienced, will look for guidance to achieve their training goals. Finding a running coach can be challenging, with price being one of the pivotal factors for many. Hiring a coach often comes with a high cost, especially when compared to alternative options available through Garmin Coach or AI technology, which don’t. 

Before diving into a critique of traditional coaching methods, it’s important to clarify that my intention is not to discredit personal running coaches. As a coach myself, I recognize their value, especially for beginners who need assistance in improving their running form, back-and-forth support/communication, and most importantly, to be held accountable to chase their goals. Similarly, on the other end of the spectrum, elite athletes aiming for world-class performances require personalized attention and around-the-clock communication to optimize their training and results.

My concern lies with the costs associated with one-on-one coaching. With free or more affordable alternatives available, the high fees of traditional coaches can be prohibitive. In Toronto, for instance, local coaching prices range from $100 to upwards of $500 per month, which can pose a significant financial barrier for many runners, especially those who are new to the sport who might not know better. 

While training for any distance demands dedication, AI platforms like ChatGPT or Garmin Coach offer accessible, straightforward training plans for a fraction of the cost. I asked AI to generate a very standard weekly program for a 4:00:00 marathon, tailored to someone who works full-time and has very little running experience, but has done a few 5K’s. The AI platform provided me with an eight-week progressive training plan, beginning with four sessions per week, with a gradual increase to six runs per week by weeks six and seven.

Although I get AI-generated plans have their limitations, such as a lack of personalization and consideration for recovery, it offers a viable no-cost alternative beyond traditional personal coaching. Other free platforms like Garmin Coach are even better, leveraging personal data analytics to tailor training recommendations based on your sleep, recovery levels, heart rate variability and stress. While Garmin Coach requires an initial investment in buying a physical GPS watch, it is more cost-effective in the long run compared to hiring a coach to ultimately do the same thing and attend some of your workouts for $300/month–plus, your relationship with the watch will last a little longer.

Before you hire a coach, take some time to write down your goals and what type of guidance you need to achieve your objective. If you are just looking for some framework or minor guidance, there are plenty of affordable options online to help point you in the right direction.

London Marathon: Rachel Hodgkinson nervous ahead of first elite start

Distance runner Rachel Hodgkinson says being able to compete in next month's London Marathon as an elite athlete has made her nervous.

The 31-year-old was the second fastest British woman in last year's London Marathon having not started as part of the elite athlete's cohort.

She has since won gold at the Tokyo Marathon and finished fifth in the IAU 50km World Championship.

"Just getting there is an achievement," she told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"I'm excited and also quite nervous.

"Last year I came second for the British women, so I already knew at that point that I probably wouldn't be able to run with the masses and with the men again. So I knew I'd be making that step up into the women's only race.

"It was a shock last year when I came in second because I didn't start with the elite women. I didn't know I was in second, I only found out when I crossed the line that some of the elite women had dropped out."

With Olympic qualification for this summer's Games out of reach and question marks over the future of the Commonwealth Games, Hodgkinson's competitive aims have been pushed to the distant future.

"I'm not going to make the Olympics this year but they come around every four years so why not go again and have a shot?" she added.

"The Commonwealth Games is in question at the minute and may or may not happen. I'd like to represent England as I haven't done that, but that's generally some shorter distance stuff and speed is not necessarily my strength. I'm an endurance runner but we'll see.

"I could easily go down the ultra running line and step up to 50km or 100-milers."

Four spicy tempo run workouts to build unstoppable endurance

Gearing up for a big race, but nervous about what that sustained tough effort will feel like? Adding some tempo workouts to your training can build confidence and help you maintain that speedy pace on race day.

Colorado-based coach Laura Norris, host of the “Tread Lightly” podcast, explains on her website that while tempo runs are one of the most commonly prescribed workouts, “they can be one of the trickiest workouts for runners to pace.” Here are some tempo workouts to incorporate into your running routine, no matter what your distance goals are.

What is a tempo run?

“A tempo run is a continuous, moderate to moderately hard effort,” Norris says.”Some variations do break the tempo run into longer intervals with short rest, but the intervals are longer and the effort remains in the moderate intensity zone.” Tempo pace can vary, but short tempo runs are often done close to your one-hour effort (think 10K pace), while longer ones can be done near marathon pace. Tempo sessions build aerobic fitness and discipline.

“The benefits of tempo workouts extend beyond physiological adaptations,” Norris says.”For many runners, pacing moderate intensities such as half-marathon or marathon pace requires practice. Tempo runs teach you how your race pace should feel.”

1.- 5K tempo

Begin with a 10-20 minute easy warm up run.

Run 20 minutes tempo at a one-hour race effort, followed by 3-4 minutes of easy recovery.

Run 4-6 x 1 minute at 3K-5K effort, with 1 minute recovery jog between repeats.

Cool down with 10 minutes of easy running.

2.- 10K tempo

Warm up with 10-20 minutes of easy running.

30-minute progressive tempo: first 25 minutes at 1-hour race effort, then 5 minutes at 30-40 minute race effort

Cool down with 10-20 minutes of easy running.

3.- Half-marathon tempo

Warm up with 10-20 minutes of easy running.

Run 15 minutes at half marathon pace followed by a 3-minute recovery jog.

Next, run 4 x 1.5 minute at 10K pace with a 1 minute recovery jog after each rep; take a 3 minute recovery jog, and finish things off with 15 minutes at half-marathon pace.

Cool down with 10-20 minutes of easy running.

4.- Marathon tempo

Warm up with 10-20 minutes of easy running.

Run 8-12 kilometers at marathon effort, on terrain similar to your race (hilly if training for a hilly marathon or flat if preparing for a flat course).

Cool down with 10-20 minutes of easy running.

Make sure to follow any hard workout or training session with a recovery day or a couple of days of very easy running.

Edna Kiplagat to fight for top honors at NYC Half Marathon

Double world marathon champion, Edna Kiplagat will lead a stellar team of deep elite women at the 18th edition of the New York City Half Marathon scheduled for Sunday (17) in New York City.

The 44 year-old who is the oldest athlete to grace this event, comes to this race with the second fastest time on paper of 1:07.52 that she got last year at the Houston Half Marathon.

Kiplagat who is also a four time world major marathon winner will have to get past the two-time U.S. Olympian and Boston Marathon winner Des Linden and Rio Olympics 1500m bronze medallist, Jenny Simpson.

Other title contenders include former European 10,000m bronze medallist, Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal, who is also the fastest athlete on paper with a time of 1:07.34, world marathon bronze medallist, Fatima Gardadi, and Canadian marathon record holder Malindi Elmore.

The race organisers have assembled this strong team to target the race course record of 1:07.35 set eight years ago by Molly Huddle of United States.

LEADING TIME

21KM WOMEN

Karoline Grøvdal (NOR) 1:07.34

Edna Kiplagat      (KEN) 1:07.52

Malindi Elmore    (CAN) 1:10.11

Des Linden           (USA) 1:10.34

Jenny Simpson     (USA) 1:10.35

Fatima Gardadi    (MOR)1:10.28

The TEN Preview: Nico Young Debuts, Alicia Monson Chases AR, and Karissa Schweizer Returns

Saturday night’s races at The TEN in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., will play a significant role in determining who gets to represent the United States in the 10,000 meters at this summer’s Olympics in Paris. The 2024 Olympic auto standards are incredibly tough — only three Americans have ever run under the 27:00.00 men’s standard and only five Americans have hit the 30:40.00 women’s standard — and you can count the number of world-class track 10,000-meter races each year on one hand. That’s why Grant Fisher, Nico Young, Woody Kincaid, Joe Klecker, Abdihamid Nur, Alicia Monson, Karissa Schweizer, Emily Infeld, Weini Kelati, and many more will be heading to SoCal Saturday night.

Since its first edition in 2021, The TEN has become the place for Americans to run a fast 10,000. Fisher set the men’s American record here in 2022 while Monson set the women’s American record here in 2023 and will be looking to repeat the feat in 2024.

To watch the main events, you’ll have to stay up late — the top heat of the women’s 10,000 does not start until 11:58 p.m. ET with the men to follow at 12:35 a.m. ET. Before then, we’ll get appetizer with the men’s 1500 (10:05 p.m. ET), which features Olympic medalists Matthew Centrowitz and Evan Jager kicking off their 2024 seasons.

Matthew Centrowitz and Evan Jager have seen it all in running. They both graduated from high school in 2007 and made their first US teams as young guns — Jager as a 20-year-old in 2009, Centro at 21 in 2011. For much of the 2010s, they were among the very best in the world in their events, with Centro bringing home a gold medal from the 2016 Olympics and Jager a silver. Now Centro (34) and Jager (35) are the elder statesmen, trying to fend off a host of younger rivals and make one last Olympic team in Paris.

Both men will run their 2024 outdoor openers in the 1500 on Saturday (Centro did run a 3:59 indoor mile on January 27 while Jager ran the first 4k of a 5k in Boston on February 16 before dropping out). Which means it’s time for one of our favorite games: how fast (or slow) will Centro run?

Throughout his career, Centrowitz has established himself as one of America’s greatest ever milers by delivering when it counts. He made every US team from 2011 through 2021 and won three outdoor medals as well as the 2016 World Indoor title. Yet in the latter years of his career, Centro thrown out some stinkers to begin his seasons before working his way into shape. In 2021, he opened with a 3:40 1500 on March 6 followed by a 1:50 800 on April 10 but ended the year running a 3:49 mile and making the Olympic team. Last year, he went to Australia and ran 1:56 for 800 on February 11 and 4:06 for the mile on February 23 but was running 3:36 for 1500 by May and eventually made the US final (though he only finished 10th).

So if Centro runs poorly here, it’s not cause for total panic. Heck, the fact that both he and Jager — who missed most of the 2023 campaign with a foot injury — are healthy enough to be racing is a promising sign. But the American 1500 scene is also more competitive than when Centro last made a team in 2021. Tactically, there is no better US racer than Centro, but he’s up against a group of young studs that includes three medalists from this year’s World Indoors (Yared Nuguse, Cole Hocker, Hobbs Kessler) and a trio of NCAA champions from the University of Washington (Luke Houser, Joe Waskom, Nathan Green). Nuguse is the oldest of that group at 24 — a full decade younger than Centro. Centrowitz is facing an uphill battle to make Olympic team #4 but if he can run 3:36 or 3:37 here and stay healthy for the next three months, he could still have a shot.

As far as the man most likely to win here, Sweden’s Samuel Pihlström ran 3:35 in February and just finished 8th at World Indoors.

Women’s 10,000 (11:58 p.m. ET): Alicia Monson tries to become the first US woman under 30:00 as Karissa Schweizer returns.

Unlike almost every other athlete in this meet, Alicia Monson already has the Olympic standard thanks to the 30:03 American record she ran here last year. So why is she back for another crack?

Monson laid it all out in an interview with LetsRun.com back in December:

Basically, it was just what can we do that would make me feel the most ready for the Olympics? And I feel like that’s running a sub-30:00 10k. I guess the plan would be to break the American record again, but really it’s how fast can I run to feel the most prepared? Because obviously I’m running against people who can run very fast and [I need to] be prepared to run at a pace that feels easy to them and then kick off of it.

Monson was still with the leaders at the bell at last year’s World Championships and her 5th-place finish was the best of her career in a global final. But she finished nearly four seconds out of the medals and the competition will be fierce in Paris. The last three global 10k champions — Sifan Hassan (29:06 pb), Letesenbet Gidey (29:01 pb), and Gudaf Tsegay (29:29 pb) — occupy three of the top four spots on the all-time 10,000m list. The slowest of them, Tsegay, still has a pb 34 seconds faster than Monson’s.

Canadian marathoner Trevor Hofbauer to miss Paris Olympics due to injury

2020 Canadian Olympic marathoner Trevor Hofbauer will not be aiming for the final spot on the Canadian men’s marathon team. The 32-year-old revealed in a social media post that he will not be taking one more shot to make the 2024 Olympic Team, after injuring his Achilles tendon in training.

“After a disappointing outcome in Valencia, I was left looking at the stars for answers,” Hofbauer said on Instagram. “I was so upset that a great opportunity slipped through my fingers, and it was a hard pill to swallow, but I’ve been using it as motivation this winter to work towards one more shot at making the 2024 Olympic Team.

“Again, I’m looking up to the stars for answers after injuring my Achilles a couple of weeks ago. I will not be racing this spring, and for the first time in a long time, I will cheer on Team Canada from the couch. Luck plays a big role in making teams, and I feel like luck did not go my way this time. Also, thank you @saucony for being in my corner through this time.”

Hofbauer, a three-time Canadian marathon champion, represented Team Canada in the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he placed 47th, in 2:19:57. He is only one of four Canadian men to run under the 2:10 mark for the marathon, and his personal best of 2:09:51 from the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon stands as the sixth-fastest time in Canadian history.

The Burnaby, B.C., native gave qualifying for Paris a shot but came up well short of the men’s Olympic standard of 2:08:10 at the 2023 Valencia Marathon, finishing 175th overall, in 2:22:55—the slowest time of his career.

With the Olympic marathon window closing in less than 60 days, there are only two Canadian marathoners currently qualified for Paris (Cam Levins and Rory Linkletter). Ben Preisner, who also represented Canada in the marathon in 2021, is on the outside looking in—ranked 87th of 80 allotted spots. Preisner will likely need to run another marathon and hit the standard to move up in the rankings and punch his ticket to Paris.

Two other marathoners on the outside looking in are 2023 Canadian marathon champion Thomas Broatch and 2:10 marathoner Tristian Woodfine. Woodfine will be competing at the 2024 Boston Marathon, while Broatch eyes a late spring race after running 2:11 two months ago in Houston.

Unlock your jet-plane speed potential with a simple mental trick

The secret to picking up the pace when you’re tired and nearing the end of a race might be as simple as using a language cue, according to a study by Dr. Jason Moran, a sport and exercise scientist from the University of Essex, as reported by the BBC. 

“Run like a plane taking off”

Conducted at Tottenham Hotspur’s (soccer) youth academy, the study focused on 20 players aged 14 to 15 and explored the impact of different motivational directions during sprint training.

The surprising revelation was that positive analogies emphasizing the environment could boost performance by up to three per cent. Instead of instructing athletes to “extend your hips” or “drive your legs into the ground,” Moran recommended phrases like “run like a plane taking off” or “jump like the floor is lava.”

Moran’s insights suggest that directing attention away from the body toward the surroundings can enhance performance. “[When] they start to focus on their body, there’s a risk that you turn what should be an automatic process–something that’s done without thinking–into a non-automatic process,” explained Moran. He says that asking a player to “accelerate like a Ferrari” may create a more powerful mental cue for them, rather than simply telling them to run fast.”

Emphasis on “running toward”

Interestingly, the study found that phrases like “sprint like you’re being chased up a hill” were less effective than encouraging players to run toward something. This shift in focus led to a remarkable three per cent improvement in sprinting speed over a 20-metre distance. “The words we speak to athletes have a demonstrable and instant effect on their performance,” Moran told ScienceDaily.

While three per cent may seem small, Moran emphasized its significance, because the improvement was “instantaneous.” The study, published in the Journal of Sports Scientists, is a promising glimpse into the potential power of motivational analogies. However, with such a small sample size, further research is needed to validate the effectiveness of these phrases across diverse athlete populations.

Ferdinand Omanyala's track rival hoping to bounce back as he eyes Olympic title

Ferdinand Omanyala's Italian track rival hopes to make a grand return this season as he gears up to defend his Olympic title in Paris, France.

Ferdinand Omanyala’s track rival Marcel Jacobs had a poor run last season due to a bout of injuries but the Italian hopes to make a strong comeback this season.

Jacobs, the reigning Olympic champion made a few changes at the end of last season where he parted ways with his coach Paolo Camossi who guided him to the 100m title at the delayed 2020 Olympic Games.

At the time, Jacobs had yet to decide on his new coach but noted that he would be leaving Rome where he had been based. Last season, he competed in four 100m races and failed to clock a sub-10 in all four and also failed to win any of the 100m races.

His final race last season was the Memorial Borisa Hanžekovića in Croatia where he finished third and he hopes to bounce back this season as he gears up to defend his Olympic title.

The Italian has also skipped the indoor tour this season, a move that is unlike him since he is usually a frequent competitor during the indoor races.

As per World Athletics, Jacobs will head straight to the outdoor season where he intends to open his season at the Ostrava Golden Spike for the first time as he works towards the European Championships on home soil.

As per World Athletics, Jacobs will head straight to the outdoor season where he intends to open his season at the Ostrava Golden Spike for the first time as he works towards the European Championships on home soil.

Cheptegei and Kejelcha will seek the 10k World Record in Laredo

One more year, the Laredo 10k will once again bring together some of the fastest distance runners in the world looking to continue flying. The circuit of this Cantabrian town is among the flattest on the planet, a true 'oasis' for participating athletes to seek to beat their records.

In this 2024 edition, which will be held on March 16, the holder of the World Record of 5,000 and 10,000 meters will participate, it will be the main attraction for the race that will be held this coming Saturday.

The town usually goes all out with the race and creates a spectacular atmosphere to carry the runners along. Joshua Cheptegei, who has a personal best of 26:38 (Ugandan National Record), will have to deal with another 'beast' of the track and asphalt like Yomif Kejelcha, with a mark of 12.41 in 5,000 and 26.49 in 10,000. The Ethiopian has a very good time to beat his 10k PB, which is from 2013 (28:13). But he will not be satisfied with that alone and will try to battle Joshua for victory.

Klosterhalfen, in females

Former athlete Juan Carlos Higuero has reported that in the women's race there will be another reference from the world background such as the German Konstance Klosterhalfen. She has 31:01 in the 10,000 (German National Record) and 32:24 in the 10k. She also has a National Record in the 5,000.

Pamela Rotich headlines Los Angeles Marathon

Kenya’s Pamela Rotich will be the lady to watch at the 39th edition of the Los Angeles Marathon slated for Sunday (17) in Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Rotich who is the oldest and fastest athlete on the entry list, comes to this race with a life time best of 2:22.43 that she got two years ago at Daegu International Marathon, where she took the silver medal.

The 40 year-old will not have an easy time as she will face-off with Olga Mazuronak of Belarus who is the second fastest athlete on paper with a time of 2:23.54 that she got at the 2016 London Marathon where she finished in fourth place and the former Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medallist, Stacy Ndiwa of Kenya who holds a personal best of 2:31.00 that she got last year at the Chicago Marathon.

Another title contender is Olympian Silvia Paredes from Ecuador of personal best 2:40.58 and the 2015 Pan American Games marathon bronze medalist, Rachel Hannah from Canada who holds a personal best of 2:32.09 that she got at the 2016 Houston Marathon, where she finished in sixth place.

LEADING TIME

42KM WOMEN

Pamela Rotich       (KEN) 2:22.43

Olga Mazuronak   (BEL) 2:23.54

Stacy Ndiwa          (KEN) 2:31.00

Rachel Hannah      (CAN) 2:32.09

Silvia Paredes        (CAN) 2:40.58

The 31st edition of the KATA Monthly time Trial produced many world class performances today in Thika Kenya

It was a big day at KATA as we concluded the March time trial March 13 outside KATA in Thika Kenya.  Fredrick kiprotich won the 5 km race in 15:36 followed closely by Charles ndirangu who posted 15:45. Collins maina finished 5th in time of 17:14 lowering his personal best by more than 30 seconds. Likewise Jeremiah obura who finished 7th also posted a personal best of 17:22.  

Peter mwaniki took the victory in the Men's 10km race clocking 29:07. Raphael karita was indeed impressive in second place posting a personal best of 29:09 lowering his previous time by 11 seconds. Peter mburu finished 3rd and also posted a personal best of 29:17. Anthony Mukundi who finished 8th in a time of 31:01 also lowered his previous time by 28 seconds. But the day really belongs to Kelvin ragui who finished in 10th place in the time of 31:17   improving his personal best by more than two minutes.

64-year-old Charles ndirangu ran an impressive 38:17 10k.  This is a 90.38% age-grade score (International class).  Charles has been training with KATA since it was open.

The next KATA monthly Time Trial is set for April 17, 2024.

MEN 5k

1 Fredrick kiprotich 23 146 15:36

2 Charles ndirangu 23 415 15:45

3 Amos chirchir 24 250 15:51

4 Fred kamande 24 159 15:52

5 Collins maina 20 253 17:14

6 lewis mwangi 17 158 17:18

7 Jeremiah obura 19 417 17:22

8 peter Mukundi 24 435 17:25

9 Ismael mburu 23 133 17:29

10 Dennis mondo 20 143 18:41

11 Alex kamau 21 414 22:21

12 Isaak waweru 22 202 24:12

WOMEN 5k

1 Lois wambui 23 164 17:40

MEN 10k

1 peter mwaniki 26 490 29:07

2 Raphael karita 24 416 29:09

3 peter mburu 27 249 29:17

4 Zachary kirika 22 152 30:01

5 Job kamande 23 488 30:05

6 peter ndungu 24 162 30:54

7 John kuria 27 191 30:55

8 Anthony Mukundi 35 444 31:01

9 Levis kuria 23 418 31:07

10 Kelvin ragui 21 198 31:17

11 Charles ndirangu 64 251 38:17

WOMEN 10k

1 Kellen waithera 36 130 34:48

2 Susan njuu 36 160 37:14

KATA time trials for our sprint and middle distance runners held at the track in Thika.

5000m women.

Jecinta mwende :16:58

Virginia wanjiru. :17:10

1500m women.

Caren jepkemoi 4:40

Lilian musenya. 4:44

Gladys ngure. 4:38

400m men.

Felix kipngetich. 50:26

400m women

Emma wavinya. 56:20

100m men

Alvin mise. 10:94

Festus waita 10:98

Brian oyugi. 10:96

Philip kinyanjui. 12:01

100m women.

Shelmith rono. 12:44

200m men

Alvin mise. 22:20

Festus waita. 22:59

Brian oyugi. 23:57

Philip kinyanjui. 25:92

200m women

Shelmith rono. 26:70

Leonard Korir running Lisbon Half and Rotterdam Marathon to improve olympic chances

Leonard Korir, who finished 3rd at the US Olympic Marathon Trials on February 3, will run the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday in Portugal in an attempt to improve his world ranking and gain Olympic selection. His coach Scott Simmons also told LetsRun.com that Korir will run the Rotterdam Marathon on April 14. If Simmons runs the 2:08:10 Olympic standard in that race, he will clinch a spot in the Olympic marathon in Paris.

Simmons said Korir has recovered well from the Trials, where he ran 2:09:57 in Orlando. Rotterdam comes 10 weeks after the Trials.

“If you’re 100% prepared for the marathon, then you recover well,” Simmons said. “If you’re not prepared, even if you run well, then it takes a bit of time to come back. It was within two weeks and he was back to doing workouts.”

The question of whether USATF would allow Korir to run a spring marathon to chase the Olympic standard had been a matter of confusion both before and after the Trials. In a January 13 Zoom call ahead of the Trials (skip to 1:04:40 mark), USATF director of long distance running programs Amy Begley said that anyone who finished in the top 3 at the Trials would not be able to run a spring marathon.

“[The USATF Long Distance Running committees] decided that they wanted to send the best team to the Olympics and so they did not want anyone that was in the top three to go and try to run another marathon between the Trials and the Olympics to try to better their time to ‘chase the standard,'” Begley said in the call.

Then, two days before the Trials, USATF sent an email to competitors saying that an athlete would not be removed from the Olympic team for competing in a spring marathon as long as they had “met the qualification standards or have achieved the performance standard by the conclusion of the Trials.” The email was an attempt to clarify the situation but still left some athletes and coaches confused.

The selection procedure posted on USATF’s website states the following:

Please note, finishers at the Selection Event will not be permitted to “chase” the time qualifying standard following the Selection Event if they have not already met the Qualified Athlete standards or have achieved at least a 2:29:30 (women)/2:11:30 (men) performance during the Qualification Period as of the conclusion of the Selection Event.

But Korir had run under 2:11:30 by the end of the Trials, and there was nothing in the published selection procedure that prohibited him from chasing the time — despite what had been said on the Zoom call. In 2019, Simmons successfully appealed against USATF when the organization did not follow its published selection procedure for that year’s Pan American Games. He knew that the published selection procedure was what mattered, and that Korir would be allowed to chase the Olympic standard if he wanted — something Begley confirmed to Simmons after the Trials.

“It’s a matter of them not understanding their own selection procedures,” Simmons said. “At that point, by the end of the Trials, it was a contract that they couldn’t back out of, even if they wanted to.”

There are 17 weeks between Rotterdam on April 14 and the Olympic marathon on August 10, which Simmons believes is plenty of time to recover for the Games — indeed, it is common for athletes to run a spring marathon before the Olympics. The bigger challenge for Korir will be the cumulative fatigue of the Trials and Rotterdam — the Olympics would be his third marathon in seven months.

Looking to Lisbon: “For him to change his standing, it’s going to take a really good half marathon, a really remarkable half marathon”

Because Korir does not currently have the standard, Olympic status is currently in limbo. In order to be selected for the Games, he, or a third American besides Young or Mantz, needs to be in the top 80 of the Road to Paris list when the qualification period ends on May 5. Currently, Korir is the highest ranked American on the list in 71st*, though the list does not include universality spots that have yet to be awarded.

With only a few major spring marathons still to come, it is looking more and more likely that Korir will be at the Olympics. For Korir to be left out, 10 men would need to pass him in the next two months.

“As far as Paris, it’s looking really good for him,” Simmons said.

Still, Korir can increase his odds by moving up the Road to Paris list. And he can do that by running a fast half marathon.

Eritrean duo might eye two records at once in Vienna

Eritrean duo Nazret Weldu and Dolshi Tesfu head the current women’s start list of the Vienna City Marathon on 21st April, race organizers have announced.

Weldu and Tesfu, who are by some distance the fastest Eritrean women marathon runners in history, may be challenged by Kenyans Shyline Toroitich and Rebecca Tanui. There are hopes that the 41st edition of Austria’s major road race will see an attempt to break the course record, which currently stands at 2:20:59.

Including races at shorter distances, the organizers of the Vienna City Marathon expect to register over 40,000 entries for the 41st edition. Around 10,000 of them will be marathon runners. The Vienna City Marathon is a World Athletics Elite Label Road Race.

It took 19 years until the women’s course record of Italy’s late Maura Viceconte was finally broken in the Austrian capital in 2019. Kenya’s Nancy Kiprop improved the mark to 2:22:12. However Kiprop’s time lasted much shorter than Viceconte’s. In 2022 fellow-Kenyan Vibian Chepkirui clocked 2:20:59.

Nazret Weldu and Dolshi Tesfu have both already run faster than Vienna’s course record: 34 year-old Weldu clocked a national record of 2:20:29 when she took a very strong fourth place in the World Championships’ Marathon in Eugene in 2022. She won the Daegu Marathon in South Korea with 2:21:56 in the same year and then placed sixth in Boston in 2023 with 2:23:25. Competing in a hot World Championships’ race in Budapest last summer Weldu finished eighth with 2:27:23. Despite this series of strong performances Nazret Weldu still has not achieved the Olympic qualifying standard for Paris. She will want to make sure in Vienna that she runs fast enough to get into the Olympic race.

Dolshi Tesfu features a personal best of 2:20:40. The 24 year-old, who is just 1.56 m tall and weighs just 42 kg, ran this time in her debut marathon when she finished ninth in Valencia in 2022. During the race Dolshi Tesfu ran the first half in 68:53, which is by far the fastest half marathon time ever run by an Eritrean woman. Dolshi Tesfu then showed fine performances in her two marathons in 2023 as well: First she was runner-up in Rotterdam with 2:21:35 and then she finished 10th in a hot World Championships’ marathon in Budapest in August. She is already qualified for the Olympic marathon.

When Weldu and Tesfu will come to Vienna for the first time they could attack two records in one go: While the course record stands at 2:20:59 for the two athletes the national record of 2:20:29 would probably be even more significant.

There is an athlete on the start list with a sub 2:20 PB, but at the age of 43 Helalia Johannes is not expected to challenge for victory. The Namibian ran 2:19:52 in 2020 and holds the masters world record since then.

Two Kenyan women could be the main challengers for Weldu and Tesfu: Shyline Toroitich and Rebecca Tanui both know how to win a city marathon. Toroitich took the Enschde Marathon last year with a personal best of 2:22:45 while Tanui was the winner of the San Sebastian Marathon in 2022 with a PB of 2:23:09 and then also won in Venice last autumn. Tanui will have the advantage of knowing the course of the Vienna City Marathon since she was fourth here last year with 2:26:34 in warm weather conditions.

For Andrea Ramirez Limon the Vienna City Marathon presents the last chance to achieve qualification for the Olympic Games’ marathon this summer. The Mexican has a personal best of 2:26:34. However she ran this back in 2020, so it does not count as an Olympic qualifier for Paris. While the qualifying time is 2:26:50, Andrea Ramirez Limon would need a faster time to succeed since the Olympic race will have a limit of 80 starters.

Austria’s record holder Julia Mayer has achieved qualification since she was among the 64 pre-qualified athletes at the end of January with her PB of 2:26:43. She will be among a group of runners who target the Olympic qualifying standard.

Brigid Kosgei fine tuning for London Marathon at Lisbon Half Marathon

Former world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei will be keen to gauge her form at the Lisbon Half Marathon ahead of her return to the London Marathon.

Former world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei is the star attraction for the Lisbon Half Marathon, where she intends to have a great build-up for the London Marathon.

The 30-year-old will use the 21km race scheduled for Sunday, March 17 to gauge form and pace for the marathon that takes place in the capital city of England.

In addition to Kosgei, there will be other big names in the ladies' elite in Lisbon, with six more women with personal bests under 68 minutes.

Bosena Mulatie (65.46), Tigist Menigstu (66.20), and Betty Chepkemoi Kibet (66.37) will be hoping to stop Kosgei who suffered an injury last season and was forced to withdraw from the London Marathon.

Pauline Esikon (67.15), Vivian Melly (67.35) and Zewditu Aderaw Gelaw (67.25) are the other highlights beyond Kosgei.

The men’s field has attracted 10 athletes with the best marks under the hour. Abraham Kiptum will be returning and he is the biggest highlight, with a personal best of 59.09.

He will face a stern test from Ethiopians Solomon Berihu (59.17) and Dinkalem Ayele (59.30), but also compatriots Brian Kwemoi and Bravin Kipkogei Kiptoo (both with 59.37).

Meanwhile, several European athletes like the Norwegian Sondre Nordstad Moen (59.48), the Germans Amanal Petros (60.09) and Hendrik Pfeiffer (62.05), the Irish Stephen Scullion (61.08), Hélio Gomes and Rui Pinto have also confirmed participation. Brazilian Daniel do Nascimento, with a personal record of 61.03, will also be present, in what is his first race with Nike.

Confirmed! When serial track rivals Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen will face off

The date when a showdown between 1500m Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and 2023 1500m world champion Josh Kerr has been confirmed.

Serial track rivals Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen have both been confirmed as headliners for the Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic, the fourth leg of the Diamond League Meeting series happening in Eugene, USA on May 25.

The duo has been known to attack each other with the two-time World 5000m champion from Norway also attacking the Scot most of the time.

The Norwegian, from time to time has been on record, trash-talking his rivals including Kerr and he once referred to him as the guy next door.

In his recent interview Speaking to the UK Times, Ingebrigtsen noted that he believes his competitors are irrelevant and very inconsistent when it comes to the sport.

“I’m going to say my competitors are irrelevant in the way I see them all the same. One of the main issues is they are very inconsistent and that means my rivals are always changing.

“From 2017 I have had ten to 12 different rivals. It’s easier for them to have a rival in me but not as easy for me to have a rival in them,” Ingebrigtsen said.

After the Scot broke the two-mile indoor world record, the World 1500m silver medallist also made fun of him and noted that he would have beaten him blindfolded.

“I would have beaten him in that race, blindfolded… But it’s good that people run better than they have done before,” Ingebrigtsen said.

The duo now clashes at the Prefontaine Classic and Kerr will be debuting at the event. U.S. indoor and outdoor mile record holder Yared Nuguse will also be in the mix.

In last year’s race, Ingebrigtsen battled to the finish line with Nuguse with the Norwegian star winning in 3:43.73. Nuguse took nearly three full seconds off Alan Webb’s American record with a 3:43.97.

Rob Gronkowski named grand marshal for 2024 Boston Marathon

New England Patriots great Rob Gronkowski has been named grand marshal for the 2024 Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic Association announced Tuesday.

Gronkowski will also receive the 2024 Patriots' Award, presented to a person or organization who is "patriotic, philanthropic, and inspirational, and fosters goodwill and sponsorship." In addition to his athletic achievements, Gronkowski founded the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, which donated the funds to build Gronk Playground on the Charles River Esplanade.

"Giving back has always been a priority in my life," Gronkowski said in a statement. "When I first got to New England, Mr. Kraft and the Patriots Foundation ingrained in the team the importance of giving back to the community that gives back to us. And this community has supported me throughout my entire career. Now it's time for me to give back to help set others up for their own journey, especially the youth. This is why the Gronk Playground project is close to my heart. My family and I are honored to be able to give kids an awesome new space to play in the city.”

“We are honored to have Rob Gronkowski as part of our Boston Athletic Association's long-standing traditions and celebrations this year. The work that he has done and continues to do for the Boston Community exemplifies what we look to recognize with our Patriots’ Award," B.A.A. Director of Development Nicole Juri said in a statement. “Having him also serve as Grand Marshal on race day will bring a lot of added joy and excitement for the thousands of spectators who will be lining the streets from Hopkinton to Boston.”

Gronkowski will be honored at the B.A.A. Gives Back Celebration on April 13. In his role as grand marshal, he will be driven along the marathon course from Hopkinton to Boston, delivering the tropy to the finish line ahead of the athletes on race day on April 15.

Past recipients of the Patriots' Award include Robert and Myra Kraft and the New England Patriots, Red Auerbach and hte Red Auerbach Youth Foundation, the Boston Red Sox Foundation, Rick and Dick Hoyt, Joan Benoit Samuelson, David Ortiz, Tim Wakefield, Tedi Bruschi, Adrianne Haslet, Marty Walsh.

I want a medal in Paris, warning shots fired at Sha'Carri Richardson ahead of Olympics

Another sprinter has expressed her desire to bag a medal in the 100m and 200m at the Olympic Games, firing warning shots at Sha'Carri Richardson and her track rivals.

Julien Alfred has joined the cable of female sprinters who also want a share of the Paris 2024 Olympic cake.

Alfred, a young athlete from St Lucia, wants to make a name for herself and she also wants the world to know that her nation can produce great sprinters.

The 22-year-old has expressed her desire to win a medal at the Olympic Games, something she believes would make a great difference in her career and life.

Speaking to World Athletics, Alfred said: “I don’t really pay attention to the media but I do have a lot of supporters back home who give messages to my family and they transfer to me. I definitely want a medal in Paris – a gold, silver or bronze in the 100m and 200m.”

The path to an achievement like that is, however, filled with hard work and tedious, painstaking repetition. In addition to her start, Alfred has been focusing on improving her strength and technique.

Last year, Alfred set collegiate records to win the NCAA indoor 60m title in 6.94 and the 200m in 22.01, both times putting her second on the world all-time lists.

With another dominant sprint double at the outdoor NCAA Championships last June, she won the 100m in 10.72 and 200m in 21.73, closing out a magnificent collegiate career, then signed a professional deal with Puma.

Her goal at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary was to win a medal, but she did not achieve her targets, finishing fifth in the 100m and fourth in the 200m.

She started training alongside Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith late last year and also admitted that it has been a great step for her. “It’s competitive, which makes it fun. Iron sharpens iron,” she said.

Kenya's Winnie Jemutai issued with three-year ban for doping offence

Winnie Jemutai is the latest Kenyan athlete to join the list of shame after being provisionally suspended by the AIU for the Presence/Use of Prohibited Substance (Testosterone).

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has banned Kenyan middle-distance runner Winnie Jemutai Boinett for three years due to the presence and use of a prohibited substance, testosterone.

This decision follows the disqualification of Boinett's results since November 12, 2023 when she was provisionally suspended.

Boinett's suspension comes after a urine sample she provided in-competition at the XLI Cross Internacional de Italica in Seville, Spain, on November 12, 2023, tested positive for testosterone, a substance banned under the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) prohibited list.

Following the initial findings, Boinett admitted to the anti-doping rule violations and accepted the consequences, including the forfeiture of any medals, titles, points, prize money, and other prizes won since the date of the provisional suspension.

In a letter to the AIU dated March 5, 2024, Boinett stated, "I had injury. I went to different hospitals for treatment, I don't have exact documents showing exact medications that I went through I honestly accept that I break the anti-doping rules and am ready to face the consequences thank you."

This early admission and acceptance of sanction led to a one-year reduction in the originally asserted period of ineligibility, pursuant to Rule 10.8.1, based on Boinett's cooperation and acknowledgment of the violations.

Furthermore, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) have been granted the right to appeal against this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, should they find grounds to do so.

This provision ensures that all parties involved have a fair opportunity to present their case and seek justice through the appropriate legal channels.

Why Benson Kipruto is Kenya’s best bet for marathon gold at Paris 2024 Olympics

Pulse Sports details the reasons that make 2024 Tokyo Marathon champion Benson Kiptruto Kenya’s best bet for marathon gold at the Paris Olympics.

Tokyo Marathon champion Benson Kipruto appears to be the early favorite to win Kenya gold at the Paris Olympics given his recent form.

Kipruto is still basking in the glory of his win in Tokyo last week when he clocked 2:02:16 to break the course record ahead of countrymen Timothy Kiplagat (2:02:55) and Vincent Ngetich (2:04:18).

That was Kipruto’s fourth win in his last seven marathons, having also won in Prague and Boston in 2021 and Chicago in 2022. During that period, the 32-year-old has also not finished outside the top three, third in Boston in 2022 and 2023, as well as a second place in Chicago last year.

Looking at the provisional Team Kenya marathon team to Paris Olympics selected last December, only Kelvin Kiptum had better numbers, but the world marathon record holder is now deceased, which leaves Kipruto with a head start.

Kenya’s provisional squad of 10 had Kipruto, Kiptum, two-time Olympics champion Eliud Kipchoge, Ngetich, Timothy Kiplagat, Bernard Koech, two-time New York Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, Cyprian Kotut, 2022 London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto and Titus Kipruto.

With Athletics Kenya (AK) making their selection based on World Athletics Road to Paris Marathon Rankings, two-time Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet and Alexander Mutiso, third in Valencia in 2:03:29 on his debut in 2022, winner in Prague last year (2:05:09), before second place in Valencia 2023 (2:03:11) did not make the team.

Mutiso had not run Valencia when the team was unveiled while Chebet has been very consistent. After his marathon debut in 2013 in Seoul (2:11:26), Chebet has managed top four placings in all 15 marathons he has finished, including six wins and six runner-up finishes.

He won in Boston and New York in 2022 before defending his Boston title and he will be back again in April in a bid to make it three straight wins.

Athletics Kenya has yet to indicate if there will be alterations to the team in light of Kiptum’s demise, which could give Chebet or Mutiso a ticket to the Olympics, if they do well in Boston and London respectively next month.

If AK sticks to the original list, then Kipruto will be seen as the hot favourite given the recent form of defending champion Kipchoge.

Kipchoge finished a disappointing 10th in Tokyo after clocking 2:06:50, having come in as favorite following his win in Berlin last year (2:02:42) and the fact that he also won in the Japanese capital in 2021 (2:02:40).

However, his sixth place in Boston last year (2:09:23), which was blamed on the lack of pacemakers and the hilly course, and the latest in Tokyo prove that he is human after all, hence the need to look beyond him for gold in Paris.