Running News Daily

For over 100 years San Francisco has hosted the Bay to Breakers

Attire on Sunday at the Bay to Breakers ranged from a Hot Cheetos bag outfit to shark and bovine costumes -- to proudly worn birthday suits -- as thousands of runners raced across San Francisco in the annual Bay to Breakers footrace from the city’s eastern side to Ocean Beach .

With attendance for the 7.5-mile race rebounding from pandemic doldrums, organizers reported 17,000 registered runners, up from 12,000 last year. The walkers, runners and revelers started off at 8 a.m. from Main and Howard streets near the Embarcadero and filled the streets westward, chugging up the Hayes Street Hill and racing through Golden Gate Park to the shore. 

Colin Bennie of San Francisco won first place and completed the race in 35 minutes and 49 seconds (photo).  The fastest women was Sarah Anderson, who finished in 43 minutes and 2 seconds.

At the halfway mark Sunday, near Fell and Broderick streets, the scent of sizzling bacon-wrapped hot dogs and pop music blaring from speakers filled the air as families and onlookers cheered from the sidelines. As is customary, most runners were in wacky costumes, including the likes of a furry Elmo suit and bee and duck attire.

Among the numerous “centipede” runner teams was one group dressed in a Golden Gate Bridge outfit. Other participants were naked, wearing only hats and tennis shoes in 55-degree weather. For most, the idea was not to win the race, and many racers stopped to take a break and photos with their friends or gobble down hot dogs.

“It’s just such an iconic San Francisco event,” said Seth Cotterell, who donned a Hamilton-inspired dress, pearl necklace, black dangly earrings and black sneakers. It was his first time back running Bay to Brakers since he first ran it nearly 20 years ago, he said. 

Although C.J. Timloy did not sign up for this year’s race, she dressed up anyway in a Where’s Waldo costume to get in the spirit. Timloy, her wife and a friend trekked from the Mission District to the Panhandle park for a picnic, grabbing a front-seat view of the race.

“We just love to party and take part of the festivities,” Timloy said, adding that she grew up attending the race because her parents ran it. Her mother, she said, always dressed up as a hula dancer.

 Timloy said she plans to run the race next year.

The Breakers have run yearly since 1912, pausing only in 2020 and 2021 as a pandemic precaution.

Bay to Breakers is an annual footrace in San Francisco, California typically on the third Sunday of May. The phrase "Bay to Breakers" reflects the fact that the race starts at the northeast end of the downtown area a few blocks from The Embarcadero(adjacent to San Francisco Bay) and runs west through the city to finish at the Great Highway(adjacent to the Pacific coast, where breakers crash onto Ocean Beach). The complete course is 7.46 miles (12 km) long.

Course records

Men: 33:31 (2009)Sammy KitwaraWomen: 38:07 (2010)Lineth Chepkurui

Very little if any prize money is now paid to the winners. 

 

(05/21/2023) Views: 898 ⚡AMP

10 ways to start running even if you kind of hate it

Runners love to hate their sport. Here’s advice for how to get past the pain and make running more fun.

Are you a runner who hates running?

It turns out, a lot of runners don’t love the actual running part of their sport. Running can conjure up memories of pain and punishment from high school sports. It can feel like a chore. Even avid runners who love the sport have had periods where their motivation wanes. One popular search on Google: “How do you start running when you hate it?”

Brendan Leonard, an outdoor adventure writer who runs ultramarathons, said that when strangers learn he’s a distance runner, they often tell him that they hate running, to which Leonard replies, “I hate running, too, man. It’s not that fun.”

And yet, running is one of the most popular forms of exercise with nearly 8 million people around the world signing up to compete in races each year. Running can be cathartic, and people who do it often feel a sense of accomplishment.

The Washington Post asked readers, “Do you hate running but want to do it anyway?” More than 100 people responded with stories of their love-hate relationship with running. Here’s their advice.

Go slower. You can even walk sometimes.

You don’t have to go fast. You don’t even have to run the whole time.

Cody Townsend, a 39-year-old professional skier, found running boring and painful. His endurance coach, Sam Naney, told him to slow down and alternate jogging for 30 seconds and walking for 30 seconds — a run-walk-run training method popularized by Olympian Jeff Galloway.

Townsend ran-walk-ran for 20 minutes several times a week for about four to six weeks. In the beginning, that meant he was running a 12- to 13-minute mile pace.

“If you can run and have a conversation with someone, then you're at the correct pace,” Townsend said. “And once I learned that, that’s what was the key catalyst to improving and then learning to love running.”

Expect the struggle. Embrace the boredom.

The struggle of running is a shared experience with every other runner, from beginner to elite marathoner.

In his book, “I Hate Running and You Can Too: How to Get Started, Keep Going, and Make Sense of an Irrational Passion,” Leonard recommends giving yourself permission to struggle. Running takes time. It requires practice. You need the proper shoes and gear, which can be found at specialty running stores.

Another common refrain from people who don’t like running is that it’s boring. Leonard, 43, agrees. But to him, “Boredom is fertile. It’s a great place to put yourself to actually think, as opposed to something that’s commanding your attention every few seconds.”

Make a game out of it

Mika McDougall, who is married to Christopher McDougall, the best-selling author of “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen,” realized that she needed extra motivation to run during the frigid winter days of Lancaster County, Pa.

She noticed that in a nearby neighborhood, residents had set up free libraries in their front yards. She started to organize her runs around them. By the end of her runs, she would have a pile of books to take home. She would also drop books off.

“I wanted to vary it up to entertain myself, because you can kind of get into a routine and get bored,” said McDougall, who has since moved to her home state of Hawaii, where the weather is warmer. “It was a fun way to plan the afternoon and get rid of junk around the house.”

Run with a personal coach in your ear

Listening to a running podcast or guided running app during your run is like having a personal coach by your side. You can search for a variety of apps for runners of all levels.

Jess Mullen, 39, an administrative assistant in Philadelphia, says that running is “always a slog.” Listening to the NHS Couch to 5K podcast has helped. The episodes distract her from pain and offer reminders about form and breathing. The podcast is “a completely judgment free, nurturing way into running,” Mullen said.

Mullen’s cousin, 34-year-old Emily Kane, of Philadelphia, runs with Peloton’s guided workouts. “You kind of feel like you’re not by yourself,” she said.

Run with music or entertainment

Music, audio books and podcasts can also serve as entertainment and distraction on a long run. “At low to moderate intensities of running, the reduction in the rates of perceived exertion is around 10 percent” while listening to music, said Costas Karageorghis, a professor at Brunel University in London and author of the book, “Applying Music in Exercise and Sport.”

“It encourages dissociation, which means that runners are not so aware of the fatigue related symptoms from the organs and from the working muscles,” Karageorghis said.

The sweet spot for music tempo is between 120 beats per minute for a low intensity run and 140 beats per minute for a high intensity run.

Look for headphones with “bone conduction technology” and an open-ear design so you can listen to music but still hear traffic and stay aware of your surroundings.

Head to the trails

Trail running allows a change of scenery and an escape into nature. It also gives you “permission to slow down,” said Mike Crowley, 59, of Conshohocken, Pa., who has competed in multiple 100-mile races, including the Eastern States 100 in Waterville, Pa.

“It’s not as monotonous,” Crowley said. “The environment is more appealing and changes through the season. The community of trail runners is very welcoming and a fun group to be a part of.”

The American Trail Running Association (ATRA) lists dozens of trail-running events in the United States every month.

Keep chasing the runner’s high

Not everyone experiences the runner’s high the same way, but research suggests the feeling has to do with endocannabinoids, which are the natural versions of THC and CBD.

“When we say runner’s high, we mean kind of a euphoric effect that some but not all people experience after a bout a physical activity, and also reductions in pain and anxiety and stress,” said Hilary Marusak, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. “An acute bout of exercise, whether it’s running or cycling or swimming — or even yoga — was associated with an increase in levels of circulating endocannabinoids.”

Leonard, the outdoor adventure author, starts feeling the runner’s high after 40 to 50 minutes into a run. “It takes a lot of work to get to a point where running is relaxing,” he said.

Practice breathing

A common question beginners ask is how to breathe. Heather Knight Pech, a running coach for McKirdy Trained, said one of the first thing she tells her clients is to slow down their pace.

One breathing exercise Knight Pech recommends to warm up before running is box breathing — inhaling and pausing for three to five seconds before exhaling through the mouth and pausing for three to five seconds. The 60-year-old competitive marathoner practices it before running and going to bed.

While running, Knight Pech suggests inhaling through the nose and mouth but exhaling deeper out of the mouth. The key is slowing it down and avoiding short and shallow breathing. “You do not want to be breathing short,” she said. “And if you are breathing short, that probably means you’re in some sort of stress.”

Find your running community

A number of runners noted that the running community — during training and at race day events — can make running more fun. The Road Runners Club of America offers a comprehensive list of U.S.-based running groups.

Matt Lindner, a 39-year-old Chicago marketing manager, ran high school cross-country and tried to get back into the sport at various points in his adult life with little success. “For me, there was just no point going out on a run when I could sit at a bar and drink beers,” Lindner said.

On a whim, Lindner signed up to run the 2017 Chicago Marathon for charity. He joined the Chicago Area Runners Association, a nonprofit organization with more than 11,000 members. Lindner credits the group for keeping him accountable and reigniting his passion for running.

Pick a fun, weird or quirky race

Running doesn’t have to be all business. In France, runners can sign up for the Marathon du Médoc, a 26.2-mile race through scenic vineyards with over 20 wine-tasting stops along the way. In San Francisco, the Bay to Breakers 12K race routinely draws tens of thousands of participants, many of whom are in costume. Every January, Walt Disney World in Orlando hosts a marathon weekend that includes a 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon.

Instead of signing up for a prestigious, big city race, 35-year-old Alex Quevedo of Irvine, Calif., chose the Star Wars Half Marathon in 2015. He wore a Stormtrooper tank top with white shorts for the race.

“There was a casualness to it,” he said. “There was more community.”

(10/15/2022) Views: 555 ⚡AMP

2022 Carlsbad 5000 Announces Its Elite Field

eigning champion and 17-time NCAA All-American Edward Cheserek headlines men’s race; Olympians Kim Conley and Dom Scott lead women’s elite fields

36-Year Southern California Running Tradition Returns with over 6,000 runners on Sunday, May 22

One by one, America’s most famous road races have returned after being waylaid by COVID. The Boston Marathon, Peachtree Road Race, New York City Marathon.

Familiar images unfolded. Runners excitedly talked to friends and strangers in corrals. Spectators delivering high-fives. Medals draped around necks.

Bolder Boulder, Bay to Breakers, the Los Angeles Marathon.

Come Sunday, the last of the United States’ iconic road races returns after a three-year pandemic hiatus when the Carlsbad 5000 presented by National University celebrates its 36th running. Over 6,000 runners and joggers will enjoy the splash of the surf and clean salt air along the traffic-free Pacific Coast Highway 101, then sipping brews in the Pizza Port Beer Garden.

“I’m excited to return to the Carlsbad 5000,” said reigning champion Ed Cheserek of Kenya. “Last time in 2019 was a lot of fun and after everything our running community has been through since then, I’m really looking forward to being back at the beach in sunny Southern California.”

The Carlsbad 5000 is renowned as “The World’s Fastest 5K” and the moniker was earned.

Sixteen world records have been set on the seaside course, plus a slew of national records and age group bests. Olympic gold medalists Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar and Eliud Kipchoge have run Carlsbad.

So have U.S. Olympic medalists Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi. Keflezighi, the San Diego High product and only male runner in history to win the Boston and New York City marathons, plus an Olympic medal, is now co-owner of the race.

“The San Diego community is very proud of the fact that Carlsbad hosts the world’s most famous 5k race,” said San Diego Track Club coach Paul Greer, a former sub-4-minute miler. “We’re proud of the race. And local runners are endeared by the fact that Meb is involved in the event because he’s one of our own.”

Many people deserve credit for the Carlsbad 5000’s success. Chief among them are Tim Murphy, the race’s creator, Steve Scott, the former American mile record holder who designed the course, and the late Mike Long, the beloved man who built relationships with African athletes and recruited them.

When the race was first held in 1986, the 10K and marathon were road racing’s popular distances. The 5K was considered a casual fun run.

“That’s how innovative Tim was,” said Scott. “He was going to start something when there wasn’t anything there.”

Scott not only designed the course. He won the first three races.

Another plus for The ’Bad: the race fell perfectly on the calendar, with the elite runners being in peak fitness after running the World Cross Country Championships.

“The world records were produced by the quality of the fields and the expectations of running fast,” said road racing historian and announcer Toni Reavis.

It may have been three years since the Carlsbad 5000 was held live (there was a virtual race in 2020), but all the charms will be back Sunday. The custom beer garden IPAs, the ocean views, the left-hand, downhill turn onto Carlsbad Village Drive, and the sprint to the finish.

The race’s official charity is the Lucky Duck Foundation, a local non-profit dedicated to fighting homelessness in San Diego County.

“Homelessness is San Diego’s number one social issue right now, and I couldn’t be prouder to partner with Lucky Duck Foundation as an official charity of the Carlsbad 5000,” said Keflezighi.

As in the past, the Carlsbad 5000 will feature a series of age-group races, starting with the Men’s Masters at 6:55 am, the Women’s Masters at 8:00 am, Open Men at 9:15 am, Open Women at 10:08 am, Junior Carlsbad Kids Mile at 11:20 am, Junior Carlsbad Kids Half-Mile at 12:13 pm, Elite Men at 1:20 pm and Elite Women at 1:23 pm.

The morning-long races create a cheering audience for the pros.

“That’s the other thing that made the elites run fast,” said Reavis. “The crowds.”

So after a three-year pause, the Carlsbad 5000 is back. For why the race continues to maintain its iconic appeal, Reavis said, “It’s those ocean breezes, the lapping waves, the laid-back lifestyle. It is perfect for this little Southern California town which gets transformed into a race course.”

For a complete race day schedule and more, visit Carsbad5000.com.

— Elite Rosters Follow —

Elite Men

Bib Number , Name, Country, Career Highlight, Birthday

1. Edward Cheserek, KENYA, Defending Champion . 17x NCAA Champion, 02/02/1994

2. Kasey Knevelbaad, USA – Flagstaff, 13:24.98 5000M(i) Personal Best,  09/02/1996

3. Reid Buchanan, USA – Mammoth, 2019 Pan American Games 10,000m Silver, 02/03/1993

4. Jose Santana Marin, MEXICO, 2019 Pan American Marathon Silver Medal, 09/03/1989

5. Eben Mosip, KENYA, Road 5k Debut, 12/31/2002

6. James Hunt, GREAT BRITAIN, 4-time Welsh Champion, 04/28/1996

7. Dennis Kipkosgei, Kenya, 2021 Philadelphia Broad Street 10 Miler Champion, 12/20/1994

8. Sean Robertson, USA, Butler University Athlete, 09/16/2001

9. Tate Schienbein, USA – Portland, 2013 U.S. Junior Steeplechase Champion, 04/04/1994

10. Hosava Kretzmann, USA – Flagstaff, AZ, 14:15 5000m PB, 09/02/1994

11. Dylan Belles, USA – Flagstaff, AZ, 2X Olympic Trials Qualifier, 05/16/1993

12. Dylan Marx, USA, San Diego’s Fastest Marathoner, 01/14/1992

13. Steven Martinez, USA – Chula Vista, 2x U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier, 09/15/1994

14. Spencer Johnson, USA – San Diego,  14:39.09 (2022 Oxy Distance Carnival), 03/20/1995

15. August Pappas, USA – San Diego, 14:05 PB, Big Ten Indoor Track Champs, 04/10/1993

16. Dillon Breen, USA – San Diego, 14:43 Virtual Carlsbad 2020, 09/01/1992

17. Dante Capone, USA – San Diego, Phd Student at Scripps Institute, 11/07/1996

18. Jack Bruce, AUSTRALIA, 13:28.57 5000m Best on Track, 08/31/1994

Elite Women

Bib Number , Name, Country, Career, Highlight, Birthday

20. Kim Conley, USA, One of America’s best 5000m runners, 03/14/1986

21. Dominique Scott, SOUTH AFRICA, Two-time Olympian, 05/24/1992

22. Grace Barnett, USA – Mammoth, Silver at 2021 USATF 5k Championships, 05/29/1995

23. Carina Viljoen SOUTH AFRICA, 5k Road Racing Debut, 04/15/1997

24. Ayla Granados, USA – Castro Valley, 15:53 Personal best, 09/18/1991

25. Biruktayit Degefa, ETHIOPIA, 2022 Crescent City 10k Champion, 09/09/1990

26. Andrea Ramirez Limon, MEXICO, 2021 National 10000m Champion, 11/05/1992

27. Claire Green, USA – San Francisco, NCAA All-American, 05/12/1996

28. Caren Maiyo, KENYA, 5k Road Debut. 7th At 2022 Houston Half Marathon, 04/17/1997

29. Nina Zarina, RUSSIA, California resident, 3rd at the 2021 LA Marathon, 03/17/1987

30. Emily Gallin, USA – Malibu, Finished 4th 2022 LA Marathon, 10/30/1984

31. Lauren Floris, – USA – Oak Park, 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier, 07/07/1990

32. Sara Mostatabi, USA – Los Angeles, 09/27/1993

33. Ashley Maton, – USA – Toledo,    16.37 PR at U.S. Road 5k Championships, 11/20/1993

34. Judy Cherotich. KENYA, 16:50 PR

35. Lindsey Sickler, USA – Reno, 16:59 PR, 09/05/1997

36. Megan Cunningham, USA – Flagstaff, 15:53 Track Best 5000M, 03/01/1995

37. Jeannette Mathieu, USA – San Francisco, 2020 Olympic Trials Qualifier, 04/19/1990

38. Bre Guzman, USA – San Diego, 17:37 5k/ 36:00 Road 10k PR, 10/30/1992

39. Aubrey Martin, USA – San Diego, 17:33 5k /1:19 Half Personal Best, 10/10/1997

40. Chloe Gustafson, USA – San Diego, Division II – NCAA All-American, 11/10/1992

41. Sammi Groce, USA – San Diego, 2021 Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Winner, 04/29/1994

42. Kristi Gayagoy, USA – San Diego, 17:06 PR

43. Annie Roberts, USA – San Diego, 16:58 5k, 07/10/1996

44. Alexa Yatauro, USA – San Diego, 17:40 5k, 10/18/1995

45. Jessica Watychowicz, USA – Colorado Springs, 15:47.51 5000m Track PB, 02/27/1991

 

About the Carlsbad 5000

The Carlsbad 5000 annually attracts amateur, competitive and professional runners from around the world. The 36th running of the iconic race will take place on the weekend of May 21-22, 2021. The inaugural 1986 event helped establish the 5K as a standard road running distance, and today, the 5K is the most popular distance in the United States. Throughout its history, the Carlsbad 5000 has seen 16 World records and eight U.S. records, as well as numerous national and age group marks.  Race day begins at 7:00 am with the Masters Men (40 years old and over), the first of seven races to take place on Sunday. The “Party by the Sea” gets started as soon as the first runners cross the finish line with participants 21 and older celebrating in the Pizza Port beer garden with two complimentary craft brews and runners of all ages rocking out to live music on the streets of the Carlsbad Village. Further information about the Carlsbad 5000 can be found online at Carlsbad5000.com and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

(05/20/2022) Views: 1,094 ⚡AMP
by Running USA

Photos of the best costumes at San Francisco's Bay to Breakers race

San Francisco runs at a different speed than other cities. It also usually runs in costumes.Nearly every year since 1912, the city has celebrated Bay to Breakers, a 12-kilometer run that begins at Howard and Main streets and concludes at Ocean Beach.

But like most San Francisco traditions, there's a whimsical element involved, with the actual run taking a backseat to antics and partying along the route and a fashion show of costumes. Although the race does award some prizes, Bay to Breakers is more about the spirit than the finish times.

Although seemingly all fun and games, this year's race was mired by a few surprising controversies. The chair of Capstone Event Group, which organizes the race, gave money to divisive political candidates. And initially the organizers refused to give prizes to non-binary racers, a policy which was recanted after widespread blow back.

Regardless of those issues, the event was back in full force after a two year absence, with thousands of runners enjoying the cool, foggy weather.

 

(05/15/2022) Views: 941 ⚡AMP

Kenny Moore one of the great story tellers of American sport for decades has died

Kenny Moore, a former University of Oregon distance runner, two-time Olympian, journalist and author, died Wednesday in Kailua, Hawaii. He was 78.

Kenny's wife, Connie Johnston Moore, would like to share this message with you and with others, written from their long-time Hawaiian home:

"Kenny found his opening this morning. It was about 7.  He was already pretty distant and peaceful and then his breathing stopped. It was a very loving time for me with him. I think he knew he could leave with this morning being our last sunrise. I know you are sad but be grateful for him. It was his time and it was a relatively easy letting go I think for him. I hope you can spread the word for me. Take your time. Just love Kenny, love love love him. We were all privileged to know him and have him in our life. Peace and Love to you and everyone in Eugene."

From his 2019 Induction into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum

As an athlete, Kenny Moore found himself right in the middle of some of those great stories while putting his own stamp on running and track and field greatness.

He was known as ‘Ken’ Moore when he graduated North Eugene high school and arrived at the University of Oregon.  He would letter three years each in track and cross country.

Always a versatile distance runner, Ken was a three time All-American on the track, with three more top national finishes in the 3-mile, 5,000 meters and the steeplechase.  Moore was a 1963 cross country All-American and was part of back-to-back teams that finished 2nd in the nation.

As a post-collegiate racer, he flexed his muscle at greater distances, winning the 1967 US Cross Country Championship and dominating the demanding Bay to Breakers road race in San Francisco.  Ken won the 12K monster six consecutive years from 1968-1973.

In 1970, Moore placed second in the prestigious Fukuoka International Marathon with a loop-course American record and personal best time of 2:11.36.

Moore competed on the biggest stage of all twice. He finished 14th in the marathon at the Mexico City Olympics then qualified again in 1972, finishing dead even with training partner Frank Shorter.  Shorter would take the gold and glory on the final day of the Munich games in the shadow of the terrorist attacks.  Moore just missed the podium, finishing 4th.

These experiences and these times provided extensive material for the writer who would become known as Kenny Moore.  In 25 years at Sports Illustrated, Moore told the big stories, championed the protection of amateur athletes and co-wrote the definitive biography of the enigmatic Steve Prefontaine that inspired the film “Without Limits”.  Moore has also written a biography of his Oregon coach, the legendary Bill Bowerman.

His activism helped win the freedom of imprisoned Ethiopian marathon champion Mamo Wolde.

KENNY MOORE - Athlete and Writer R.I.P.

(December 1, 1943 to May 4, 2022)

(05/04/2022) Views: 1,339 ⚡AMP

Joan Ullyot a pioneer for women’s running has died

Women’s Running Pioneer Joan Ullyot Dies at 80

She started running at age 30 and was instrumental in lobbying for the women’s marathon to be included in the Olympic Games.

Dr. Joan Ullyot, whose running achievements and medical expertise made her a major pioneer of women’s running, died on June 18, at her home in Snowmass Village, near Aspen, Colorado. She was 80. The cause was a heart attack. 

Ullyot’s book, Women’s Running, published in 1976, was the world’s first on the subject, and she was a leader as a writer, speaker, medical scientist, activist, and role model for all women who begin to run relatively late in life, in her case at 30. 

Growing up in Pasadena, California, Ullyot went to Wellesley College, but at that time she was so uninterested in running that she never troubled to watch the Boston Marathon go by. A talented linguist, she aspired to the Foreign Service, until she learned that women diplomats were not permitted to marry. Switching to medicine, she attended the Free University of Berlin, and entered Harvard Medical School, becoming one of its early women graduates. 

She held a fellowship in cellular pathology at the University of California, married, and had two sons, before growing discontent with her 30-year-old body.

“I was the ultimate creampuff. If I could become an athlete, anyone could do it,” she is quoted as saying in Running Encyclopedia. 

She gave credit for her venturing into running to Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s seminal book Aerobics, and to assistance from the family black lab, who towed her up the local hill on her experimental first runs, as she told Gary Cohen in an extensive 2017 interview.  

Her first race was San Francisco’s iconic Bay to Breakers, and within a few months she had run her first marathon, placing 13th at Boston in 1974, only the third time the race was officially open to women. Quickly, Ullyot began applying her varied intellectual skills and high energy to the totally new field of women’s running. 

Within two years, she was winning races like Lilac Bloomsday in Spokane and Hospital Hill Run in Kansas City, representing the U.S. as both a marathoner and interpreter at the International Women’s Marathons in Waldniel, Germany, writing articles and columns for Runner’s World and Women’s Sport and Fitness, and traveling the world as a groundbreaking speaker. 

“I talked all around the country on the same ticket as George Sheehan and Joe Henderson. It was great fun,” she said in the Cohen interview. 

Absorbed in this new area of knowledge, she switched her medical specialty from pathology to exercise physiology. In 1976, only three years after she took her first running steps, she had researched and published Women’s Running with the World Publications division of Runner’s World. 

She sold the idea to editor Joe Henderson and publisher Bob Anderson as a way of dealing with the numerous queries she was receiving, as a Runner’s World columnist, from new women runners. The book was a bestseller, and she followed with Running Free (1980; her own story plus profiles of runners such as Sister Marion Irvine) and The New Women’s Running (1984). 

Ullyot’s own racing continued to progress, as she followed Arthur Lydiard’s training principles with guidance from U.S. marathoner Ron Daws. She ran Boston 10 times, winning the masters race in 1984, at age 43, with a 2:54:17. She won 10 marathons outright, and finally broke 2:50 at age 48, with her 2:47:39 personal record on the time-friendly St. George Marathon course. 

She chose her races like her wines, with catholic enthusiasm, and was a loyal supporter of San Francisco’s local DSE (Dolpin South End Runners) events as well as eagerly taking international opportunities with the Avon Circuit and extending her active career through ultraracing. 

Her medical standing made her an important advocate for women’s distance running in the years of lobbying and protest that led ultimately to the inclusion of all women’s events in the Olympic Games. 

“Her research was presented…to the International Olympic Committee by the Los Angeles Olympic Committee before the vote to include the women’s marathon in the 1984 Games,” said former world record holder Jacqueline Hansen in an online tribute this week. That credit is also given in the citation for Ullyot’s induction into the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Ullyot and her second husband, scientist Charles Becker, moved in the early 1990s to Snowmass. She coached the Aspen Runners Club for about 10 years from 1993, and kept in shape by biking until a nearly fatal crash. In her later years, she focused on walking. 

Many tributes this week have recalled her high intelligence and zest for life. 

“In the weeks leading to her unexpected death, Joan was characteristically high energy and had a blast,” wrote her son Ted Ullyot.

“In the 1970s, as we all worked to break down the myths that restricted women from running, Joan was our medical beacon, a feisty example of transformation from zero to 2:47 marathon, and an unstoppable personality, bigger than life, opinionated at the top of her mighty lungs, and with an unstinting appetite for fun and capacity for wine,” said Kathrine Switzer. 

Ullyot also sustained her lifetime devotion to travel, reading, and friendships. These included many who were her competitors and collaborators in the 1970s and ’80s, years when their pioneering generation created, advocated, fought for, and left strong the visionary new sport of women’s road running.

(06/23/2021) Views: 1,318 ⚡AMP
by Runner’s World (Roger Robinson)

The next Bay to Breakers held in San Francisco is now scheduled for August 22, 2021

Bay to Breakers, which had optimistically been rescheduled from May to September this year and then cancelled, has now been conservatively pushed well past its usual spring running time to next August. 

"Straight Pride," as SFist has always liked to call the annual costumed footrace across the city, was one of many casualties of the pandemic, but being an outdoor activity, organizers thought maybe it could still happen this fall — kind of like organizers of Coachella did back in the spring, and we know how that turned out.

Registration recently opened for next year's Bay to Breakers, which, at present, is scheduled for Sunday, August 22, 2021 — a couple of weeks after the currently scheduled Outside Lands weekend, and right around the time people will be collecting and dusting off costumes for a very different event, Burning Man.

And as organizers reminded fans on Facebook on Monday, today is actually the last day for an early-bird special — if you register for Bay 2 Breakers by midnight, you'll get 50% off the regular price. Individual runners can register for $39.99 today, and "centipede" tickets for 13 to 15 runners are going for $519.87 — but runners will have to be attached by bungee cords or some other "safe" mechanism.

(11/04/2020) Views: 1,190 ⚡AMP

The 109th San Francisco Bay To Breakers has been postponed to September 20

Like so many races beng cancelled and postponed, this was a tough decision.  The race organizers posted this, "Following further discussions with the City and County of San Francisco surrounding the escalating COVID-19 outbreak, we have made the decision to postpone Bay to Breakers to September 20, 2020.

"The health and safety of our participants, staff and volunteers is our utmost priority, and we are grateful to the City for their flexibility and assistance in selecting this new date to ensure this legacy event takes place for the 109th consecutive year.

“Bay to Breakers is more than just a race. This event was started in 1912 to unify a recovering San Francisco community following a devastating earthquake. For more than a century, it has represented the strength and resilience of the Bay area, while serving as a celebration of diversity and community for participants and spectators alike,” said John Kane, CEO of Capstone Event Group.

“We look forward to continuing this legacy and celebrating the next chapter of Bay to Breakers with everyone on September 20.”

"All existing 2020 Bay to Breakers registrations will be automatically transferred for the new date. No action is needed on your part.

"Refunds will not be offered. If you are unable to make the new date, you have the option to defer your 2020 registration to the 2021 race."

(03/23/2020) Views: 1,494 ⚡AMP
by Race Organizers

Everything you need to know about the 2019 Bix 7 men's field

Last year, for the first time ever, a male runner from Ethiopia won the Quad-City Times Bix 7, overcoming the legion of Kenyan runners who always populate the field.

This year it might be time for a break-through from another African nation: Tanzania.

Gabriel Geay, a 22-year-old runner from the country directly to the south of Kenya, must be regarded as one of the favorites to prevail in the annual 7-mile jaunt through the streets of Davenport.

He already has had a phenomenal year on the U.S. road racing scene, winning the Lilac Bloomsday 12k and Bay to Breakers 12k in May and crossing the finish line first in the Utica Boilermaker 15k little more than a week ago. He also had top-five finishes in perhaps the two biggest 10ks around: The Peachtree Road Race and Bolder Boulder.

Geay first came to U.S. as a 19-year-old in 2016 attempting to run Olympic qualifying times for 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters. He narrowly missed in both but decided to stick around and run a few road races, and claimed his first big victory at Peachtree. He came back the following year to win Bolder Boulder and Lilac Bloomsday.

With the withdrawal of three-time Bix 7 champion Silas Kipruto from the field, there now is only one runner entered in the men’s field who has competed in the Davenport race as an elite invitee.

Kenya’s Kenneth Kosgei placed 12th in his only visit here a year ago.

Kipruto was seeking to break the Bix 7 record for most top-five finishes by a men’s runner — he has done it six times — but he informed race officials last week that he would not run because of a lack of fitness.

The Bix 7 men’s championship has been won seven times by a runner named Korir.

John Korir won a record five times (in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004) and Leonard Korir did it twice (2013 and 2015).

This year’s race will include Kenya’s Dominic Korir. Korir (no relation to the previous Bix champs), who may be better suited to the hilly course than almost anyone.

Dominic Korir trains at high altitude in Colorado Springs and in April he won the Horsetooth Half-marathon, a race that begins with a grueling 1.8-mile climb up something called Monster Mountain.

It sounds even more imposing than the Brady Street Hill.

Jarius Birech will be among the most experienced Kenyans in this year’s Bix 7 field.

He’s just not that experienced in races in which he isn’t required to leap over hurdles and bound across small pools of water. Birech, 26, was the top 3,000-meter steeplechase runner in the world in 2014, winning the African championships and taking the silver medal in the Commonwealth Games that year. He twice has run the steeplechase under eight minutes, a feat that’s only been accomplished 38 times in history.

But he just now is starting to become more involved in events other than the steeplechase.

He has shown promise, however. Birech won a major cross country race in Italy earlier this year and also won the Crescent City Classic 10k on a very flat course in New Orleans.

(07/26/2019) Views: 2,016 ⚡AMP

Three-time Bix 7 men’s champion Silas Kipruto is coming back to the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in hopes of making a little more history

The three-time Bix 7 men’s champion will be joined in the 45th annual race through the streets of Davenport by a deep women’s field that includes two former champions, the second fastest female runner in the race’s history and a world record-holder in two events.

Kipruto already is among the most successful runners in the history of the race, which is scheduled this year for July 27. The 34-year-old native of Kenya not only won the Bix 7 in 2011, 2012 and 2016, but he has finished in the top five on three other occasions.

His half dozen top-five finishes equal the most ever by a male runner in the race, tying Meb Keflezighi, Bill Rodgers, John Korir and Lazarus Nyakeraka.

Kipruto is one of 17 African runners in the preliminary men’s elite field assembled by elite athlete coordinator John Tope — 13 from Kenya and two each from Eritrea and Tanzania.

Besides Kipruto, male runners to watch include Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay, who won both the Lilac Bloomsday 12k and the Bay to Breakers 12k in May; Kenya’s Edwin Mokua, a top-three finisher at both Bloomsday and Bay to Breakers; Kenya’s Leonard Barsoton, who was first in the African Cross Country championships in 2014 and second in the African Games 10,000 meters in 2015; and Emmanuel Kiprono, Kenya’s 10,000-meter champ in 2013.

(07/24/2019) Views: 2,056 ⚡AMP
by Kevin E. Schmidt

Gabriel Geay was the overall winner of the 108th annual Alaska Air Bay to Breakers clocking 35:01 for 12K

108 years of tradition hit the streets of San Francisco Sunday morning.

Gabriel Geay is the overall winner of the 108th annual Alaska Air Bay to Breakers with a time of 35:01, organizers announced via the Twitter account for the race.

The Bay to Breakers winner spoke with KTVU reporter Sara Zendehnam after crossing the finish line, saying “the course is tough, there’s a big hill, downhills.” 

The female division winner was Carlone Rotich, with a time of 39:28.

Tens of thousands braved the wet weather to participate in the annual event.

Race officials said it’s the first time in 14 years it rained hard on race day, but that didn’t stop runners from putting their unique costumes on display.

Victoria Macias and her friends dressed up as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Badar Ginsburg.

They put a lot of thought into their costumes, “We’ve been planning this since October. We wanted to dress up as a strong female figure,” said Macias.

While runner Eugene Asuncion’s decision was last minute, “Went to Party City had some left over Halloween things on clearance and I said, ‘How about some avocados?’”

From the start line where tortillas were thrown in the air to the finish line, the energy and excitement was felt all throughout the city.

“It was epic. We had so much fun,” said runner Shamra and Andrew Martin.

The morning 12K race started near the Embarcadero and finished at the Great Highway.

(05/20/2019) Views: 1,923 ⚡AMP

Run The World Challenge 2 Profile: Sheldon Gersh says that running has the same priority as eating and sleeping for him

73-year-old Sheldon Gersh partiicipated in the first Run The World Challenge and has taken on the second one too.  The Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley has worked there for 47 years, he loves to travel with his wife and one thing he always finds time to do is run. 

So how did it all begin? He played soccer for Oregon and running was a necessity to survive the miles covered in practices and games.  "In the off season I would run to stay fit," says Sheldon.  "Once college was completed, I knew that I was going into the army and I needed to be very fit." 

He handled army training well and says "it was a piece of cake."  The summer before he entered the army, he ran with a high school cross country team which was ranked number one that year. 

"I ran the years I was in the Army, including my adventure in Vietnam."  Once he left the army he continued to run.  "It made me feel so good. I thought about playing adult soccer but it was such a hastle to get together a team." 

At the same time he had a friend that made him a bet that he had to finish in the top half and under an hour in his first Bay to Breakers road race in San Francisco.  "I ran almost everyday plus played soccer with a team I coached," he remembers. 

"I won the bet."  For Sheldon running has the same priority as eating and sleeping.  "Most people don’t look at it that way but I do. Running is extremely important to me, not much can prevent me from doing it, definitely not the weather," he says. 

Two highlights?  Running the Boston marathon back in the 70's and placing in the top 100 at the Bay to Breakers (12k) clocking 43 minutes. He also says, "I had a goal when I turned 60 to run a mile under six minutes. 

A friend, Rich stiller trained me."  Sheldon ran 5:47.  He wants to continue running forever but says he "doesn't want to overdo it. I just think running makes you feel better. I look at so many people who look and act much older than me.  I feel like they are my parents," he says. 

He keeps fit by doing more than one activity a day. He also swims, does boxing and spins.  "My long term goal is to continue running forever," says Sheldon Gersh. 

(08/31/2018) Views: 1,945 ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Gabriel Geay is the hottest road racer in the US right now will be racing Crazy 8s Saturday

Crazy 8s race organizers announced Tuesday that Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay and Kenyans Isaac Mukundi, Cleophas Ngetich and Linus Kiplagat have committed to race Saturday in downtown Kingsport. Geay is on a hot streak, recently winning the BAA 10K over a stacked field that included defending Crazy 8s champ Teshome Mekonen and previous 8K world record-holder Stephen Sambu. Geay followed that with an impressive win at the Boilermaker 15K this past Sunday, once again outracing Mekonen to the tape. “Geay is arguably the hottest road racer in the U.S. right now, and we are very excited he has decided to come to Kingsport,” said Crazy 8s co-director Hank Brown. “He might just be the first runner from Tanzania to win Crazy 8s. That would be pretty cool.” He’ll have plenty of competition in Mukundi, Ngetich and Kiplagat. Mukundi, who finished second in the 2016 Crazy 8s, has won such major races as the Bay to Breakers 12K (twice), Bolder Boulder 10K and Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile. His 10K personal record is a sizzling 27:45. Ngetich is a past winner of Crazy 8s, clocking 22:28 to win in 2015, and has 13 victories over his road-race career. Kiplagat owns victories this year at the Cleveland Marathon 10K, Cotton Row 10K, in which he broke the course record, Orange Classic 10K and the Monumental Mile. The starting line will once again be stocked with superstars from around the globe, all going for The Regional Eye Center $10,008 World Record Bonus — which goes to the first runner to break the existing 8K world-best time, currently 21:45. The winner will claim the Teleperfomance $5,000 Dash For The Gold. “It should be another fast race,” Brown said. “Even though the record is tougher this year, we’re still going after guys who think they can break it. All we can do is shoot the gun and see what happens.” (07/11/2018) Views: 1,872 ⚡AMP

This group that became 80 runners accepted my 500 mile June 6 Challenge

Yesterday, June 6, was Global Running Day.  A day celebrating running.  It is exciting to have our own day, celebrating what many of us do daily or at least regularly. 

Among other things the day is about inspiring people.  At noon the day before I had just finished doing my daily run-to-lunch few miles. 

I was enjoying an avocado toast and the best ice tea in town before heading back to the office.  Knowing that Global Running Day was the next day, I was thinking that My Best Runs needed to do something.  

I knew there were already a lot of well thought out programs taking place June 6.  I decided, on the spot, that we would do something just for the fun of running.  We would run our challenge like a road race back in the 1970's.  

Since we needed to get the word out quickly, we would use my Facebook account to reach people.  I would record everything by hand.  Making things more interesting,  I was flying down to our MBR/Ujena office in Mexico in the middle of the day Wednesday.  (I would be out of touch for nearly five hours.) 

There would be no entry fee and no prizes.  There would be no official results.  It was all about running.  We would not be raising money for a cause.  Each of us would run on June 6 and log in miles on my FB account. 

Just to see if we could do it, my goal was for our group to run at least 500 miles June 6 and hopefully have 100 participants   Everyone had to post their miles by midnight. 

In the end, 80 people posted 560.12 miles for our My Best Runs Global Running Day 500 Mile Challenge.  We did it.  We showed the world that a group of people can come together (with no notice) from all over the world and run the equivalent distance from San Francisco to San Diego. 

All types of runners from slow to fast joined our challenge.  I am very proud of each and every participant but I would like to mention some of our gang here. 

We had two time Boston Marathon winner (Geoff Smith) post 10.5 miles, Co-owner of Worlds Marathons Malin Andersson from Sweden posted 6.2 miles, Bertrand Newson who heads up a popular bay area running group (2L2Q) posted 8.45 miles and Willie Korir from Kenya posted the most miles with 22.5.  Verity Breen posted the most miles for a female hitting 19 miles and Boston Marathon historian Tom Derderian ran 5 miles.  The youngest female to win Bay To Breakers (age 11) who ran her first marathon at age 5 Mary Etta Britano now 55  posted 10 miles.

Julie who we met at the front desk of our hotel in Paris ran 5 miles, Ram VenKatraman who heads up a major running group in Mumbai, India ran 4.69 miles and super ultra-marathon star Michael Wardian ran 12.5 miles.  Phil Camp who among other things won the 4th annual Marine marathon (1979) posted 8.3 miles.

Roger Wright used to weigh 278 pounds a few years back before he started running marathons logged 13.5 miles and ultra runner since the early 1970's superstar Frank Bozanich ran 9 miles. Joshua Holmes Ultra runner and Run It Fast founder posted 2 miles.

Brent Weigner who has run more marathons in more countries than anyone posted 1.5 miles, and the list goes on and on. 

One common thing about our group of 80 runners is that everyone loves running.  Until our next challenge! Run on...  I ran 6.6 miles which I thought was only fitting.  This was our first Run The World Challenge. 

(06/07/2018) Views: 2,519 ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Mary Etta Boitano's Mother smashed the world 5K record for 94-year-olds

My 94 year old mother just grabbed the women’s world age group record in the 5k for 94 year olds. She smashed the world record held by Betty Ashley from Tampa, Florida set in February of 2016. In this picture, she is nearly half way to the finish line and going strong. I am so proud to call her my momma. She will turn 95 in July and there are more distance records she can now chase. Check out the web site at ARRS.net. We are just now hoping the course was certified and from what we heard, it was.  Her time was 1:13:24.9 at the 2018 Marin Greek Festival Walk and Run held Saturday May 19th.  (Editor's note: Mary Etta has run over 150,000 miles and has been running races since she was four.  She ran 50 marthons before she was 12.  In 1973 she was the overall winner at the Dipsea.  She was 10.  She won the Bay To Breakers and many other races.  Her mother has always been so proud of her daughter and now they can celebrate this world record together.)  (05/21/2018) Views: 2,020 ⚡AMP
by Mary Etta Boitano Blanchard

Bay To Breakers saw Kenya’s Cheboi win again while Jane Kibii wins the women’s race

Kenya's Philemon Cheboi repeated as the winner of the men's race at San Francisco's Bay to Breakers on Sunday morning, while Jane Kibii took home the top spot for the women.  Cheboi came in with a time of 35:41 while Tanzania's Gabriel Geay came in second (36:04) and United States runner Aaron Braun finished third (36:45). Kibii came in with a time of 40:27 and had a bit fun posing for the cameras after her run. Times were slower this year because of the headwind most of the way.  (05/20/2018) Views: 2,008 ⚡AMP

Love it or hate it, The 107th annual Bay to Breakers is this Sunday in San Francisco

Love it or hate it, Bay to Breakers is a San Francisco staple and is returning on Sunday — costumed runners, half-naked dance parties and all. The 12k-course, or almost 7.5 miles, goes from downtown to Ocean Beach, passing through distinct areas like Hayes Valley, Golden Gate Park, and the Sunset.

If you’re looking to get out of your usual neighborhoods with runners in tutus, inflatable donuts and dressed as a Bloody Mary along the way, this is the place to do it. Whether you’re running, participating without actually running, people watching, or just trying to avoid the madness, here are some things to know about Bay to Breakers this Sunday: 

1. Runners can show up at 6 a.m. but will make their break from the bay starting at 8 a.m. The race starts off at Howard and Main streets. The route largely uses Howard, Hayes, and Fell streets before taking up John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park and ending at Ocean Beach. 

2. The starting line just a couple blocks from Embarcadero station, where BART and Muni will be shuttling people in and out.  Because of the street closures, the SFMTA warns that there are only two options to cross the flow of runners is the Embarcadero and Crossover Drive, which is the road in Golden Gate Park linking 19th and 25th avenues. 

3. Weather - Jackets may not be feasible with some wacky costumes but it would come in handy. It’s expected to be windy, partly cloudy and with temperatures in the low 60s.  

(05/18/2018) Views: 1,851 ⚡AMP
by Ida Mojadad/ SF Weekly

40 Years Ago the first Centipede crossed the finish line at the Bay To Breakers

Bay to Breakers features a special team division called "centipedes."  Dwayne "Peanut" Harms and Doug Peck came up with the idea and were members of the first-ever "Pede," all members of the UC Davis men's track team, ("Aggies").   A special division of the 12K race was created in which 13 runners are connected as a unit with a "Head Pede" out front which is the leader of the centipede.  An additional runner, a floater, usually the team captain, is allowed to run along untethered to pace the team or substitute for a drop out runner. Despite the novelty, the centipede race is very competitive.  The record for men which is very fast was set in 2012.  Team Linkedin (photo) clocked 36:44, which is 4:55 per mile.  The same year the Impala Racing Team posted 46:37 for the women's record.  The Bay to Breakers is the official site of the World Centipede Running Championships which is now sponsored by Saucony.  Dwayne Harms wrote, "On May 14, 1978, at the 68th running of the Bay to Breakers, the world’s first Centipede was unveiled to the public. We quickly rolled out the Centipede in front of a crowd of other runners about 30 minutes before the race.  I clearly remember how other runners and spectators that were in the area had cheered, laughed and made jokes about the Centipede once we had all gotten in our proper positions and donned our antennae and feelers. These people had no idea what this group of crazy UCD distance runners were about to do. They had never seen anything quite like it. It was not only weird, but also crazy and fun." Peanut continued, "Now, 40 years after our first UCD Aggie Centipede, I still find it hard to believe that this fun-loving group of runners I trained with, raced with and socialized with for so many years at UCD put together the idea to run in the world’ first Centipede which has now become so famous."  (05/17/2018) Views: 2,635 ⚡AMP

The crazy Bay To Breakers 12k with it's costumed runners, elites and centipedes is May 20

The Bay to Breakers (BTB) is one of the most popular footraces in the United States. On May 18, 1986 the annual 12K race in San Francisco drew 110,000 participants. 

The Guiness Book of World Records recognized it as the world's largest footrace until October 10, 2010 when an event in Malina had 116,086 participants. The BTB route is typically dotted with various local bands performing.

In February 2009, SF city officials and race sponsors announced changes to the race regulations.  The regulations included an official ban on floats, alcohol, drunkenness and nudity.

The changes were made to address the concerns of San Francisco residents along the route, who say the race has gotten out of hand in recent years.

Many Bay Area residents said the changes would destroy much that has made the race a national treasure for most of the last century...

The first BTB was run January 1, 2012.  American's men won every year until Australian's Chris Wardlaw won in 1976 clocking 37:28.  Runners from Kenya have dominated since 1991, winning 25 times out of 27.  The course record is held by Kenya's Sammy Kitwara set in 2009 when he clocked 33:31. 

The first women to official run was Frances Conley in 1966.  She clocked 1:00:07.   Six-year-old Mary Etta Boitano won in 1969 clocking 1:01:12.  Mary also won in 1974, 1975 and 1976.  Her best time was 43:22 (1974) which was the course record until Laurie Binder broke it in 1979 clocking 43:07. 

The women's course record was set in 2010 when Kenya's Lineth Chepkurui clocked 38:07.  The one runner who won the most times was Kenny Moore who won six times in a row between 1968 to 1973. His best time being 36:39 (1972). 

Moore ran in the Olympic marathon at both Mexico City and Munich, finishing fourth in 1972.  After his running career, Moore became a journalist and screenwriter. He had a twenty-five-year career covering athletics for Sports Illustrated.   

Alaska Airlines Bay to Breakers is a race built by the people. Since 1912, Over 2 million costumed runners, walkers, elites and centipedes have completed the iconic 12K journey from the San Francisco Bay to the breakers on Ocean Beach. 

(05/10/2018) Views: 3,271 ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson