Running News Daily

2024 Valencia Marathon Elite Fields Announced: Sisay Lemma, Kenenisa Bekele and Amane Beriso Headline

Race organizers for the Valencia Marathon have announced the elite fields for the 2024 edition of the race on Dec. 1.

The field is headlined by 2024 Boston Marathon champion Sisay Lemma returning from injury after withdrawing from the Paris Olympics. He will be challenged by his compatriot and all-time great Kenenisa Bekele, who finished second in April’s London Marathon and 39th at the Paris Olympics at 42 years old.

Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe, who boasts a half marathon personal best of 58:05, and Daniel Mateiko, who has also run 58:17 for the half, are the most intriguing debutants.

On the women’s side, 2023 World champion Amane Beriso headlines the field with her 2:14:58 personal best from the 2022 Valencia Marathon, which puts her at No. 6 on the all-time list. Her fellow countrywomen Megertu Alemu (2:16:34) and Hiwot Gebrekidan (2:17:59) are the only two other women under 2:18.

American Sara Hall will be running her fourth marathon of the year. Biya Simbassa, who has a personal best of 2:10:34 and was 11th at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February, is heading to Spain for his third career marathon.

Here’s a list of the notable men who are running…

Men’s Elite Field

 Kenenisa Bekele – 2:01:41

 Sisay Lemma – 2:01:48

 Birhanu Legese – 2:02:48

 Deresa Geleta – 2:03:27

 Guye Adola – 2:03:46

 Gashau Ayale – 2:04:53

 Tadesse Abraham – 2:05:01

 Alphonce Simbu – 2:05:39

 Sondre Moen – 2:05:48

 Samwel Fitwi – 2:06:27

 Andamlak Belihu – 2:06:40

 Maru Teferi – 2:06:43

 Shokhrukh Davlyatov – 2:07:02

 Richard Ringer – 2:07:05

 Zerei Kbrom – 2:07:10

 Iliass Aouani – 2:07:16

 Samuel Barata – 2:07:35

 Héctor Garibay – 2:07:44

 Ibrahim Chakir – 2:07:48

 Mohamed El Talhaoui – 2:08:03

 Peiyou Feng – 2:08:07

 Dani Mateo – 2:08:22

 Lahsene Bouchikhi – 2:08:36

 Abderrazak Charik – 2:08:37

 Andy Buchanan – 2:08:58

 Weldu Negash Gebretsadik – 2:09:14

 Therence Bizoza – 2:09:18

 Yohan Durand – 2:09:21

 Mohamed Chaaboud – 2:09:21

 Simon Boch – 2:09:25

 Yimer Getahun – 2:09:27

 Bukayawe Malede – 2:09:28

 Emmanuel Roudolff – 2:09:34

 Yohanes Chiappinelli – 2:09:46

 Stephen Scullion – 2:09:49

 Paulo Paula – 2:09:50

 Peter Herzog – 2:10:06

 Bart van Nunen – 2:10:16

 Felicien Muhitira – 2:10:17

 Dieter Kersten – 2:10:22

 Arkadiusz Gardielewski – 2:10:31

 Bjorn Koreman – 2:10:32

 Abbabiya Simbassa – 2:10:34

 Hicham Sigueni – 2:10:37

 Johannes Motschmann – 2:10:39

 Patricio Castillo – 2:10:40

 Jorge Blanco Alvarez – 2:10:49

 Archie Casteel – 2:10:49

 Yongzheng Huang – 2:10:49

 Jakoub Labquira – 2:10:50

 Alejandro Jiménez – 2:10:54

 Juan Luis Barrios – 2:10:55

 Thijs Nijhuis – 2:10:57

 Iraitz Arrospide – 2:10:59

 Christian Zamora – 2:11:02

 Nicolás Cuestas – 2:11:03

 Edward Cheserek – 2:11:07

 Kamil Jastrzebski – 2:11:09

 Necho Tayachew – 2:11:21

 Richard Douma – 2:11:21

 Linus Rosdahl – 2:11:30

 Mohamed El Ghazouany – 2:11:48

 Thomas do Canto – 2:11:51

 Hesiquio Flores – 2:11:57

 Ahmed Elhassouni – 2:12:12

 René Cunéaz – 2:12:48

 Mario Bauernfeind – 2:12:49

 Patrik Wageli – 2:12:58

 Jason Pointeau – 2:13:00

 Adam Lipschitz – 2:13:01

 Joris Keppens – 2:13:18

 Alexis Godefroy – 2:13:32

 Pierre Denays – 2:13:34

 Sebastian Sawe – Debut

 Daniel Mateiko – Debut

 Matthew Kimeli – Debut

 Dillon Maggard – Debut

Here’s a list of the notable women who are running…

 Amane Beriso – 2:14:58

 Megertu Alemu – 2:16:34

 Hiwot Gebrekidan – 2:17:59

 Tiruye Mesfin – 2:18:47

 Stella Chesang – 2:20:23

 Sara Hall – 2:20:32

 Majida Maayouf – 2:21:27

 Evaline Chirchir – 2:22:11

 Chimdesa Kumsa – 2:22:13

 Isobel Batt-Doyle – 2:23:27

 Malindi Elmore – 2:23:30

 Sofia Assefa – 2:23:33

 Fionnuala McCormack – 2:23:58

 Jessica Stenson – 2:24:01

 Gerda Steyn – 2:24:03

 Laura Hottenrott – 2:24:32

 Camilla Richardsson – 2:24:38

 Kaoutar Boulaid – 2:25:03

 Clara Evans – 2:25:04

 Fatima Azzaharaa Ouhaddou – 2:25:30

 Laura Luengo – 2:25:35

 Susana Santos – 2:25:35

 Moira Stewartova – 2:25:36

 Marie Perrier – 2:26:19

 Tereza Hrochová – 2:26:38

 Zhanna Mamazhanova – 2:26:42

 Aleksandra Brzezinska – 2:27:20

 Solange Jesus – 2:27:30

 Paola Bonilla – 2:27:38

 Nora Szabo – 2:28:25

 Jane Bareikis – 2:29:00

 Becky Briggs – 2:29:06

 Alice Wright – 2:29:08

 Roberta Groner – 2:29:09

 Molly Gravill – 2:29:45

 Monika Jackiewicz – 2:29:51

Event organizers announced the race will move forward as scheduled despite severe flooding and more than 200 deaths in the Valencia province. In a statement, organizers announced fundraising plans to aid the city and those affected by the recent storms and flooding.

You Have No Idea How Gross Your Water Bottle Is. Here’s How to Clean It.

As an active person, staying hydrated is one of your top priorities. Cleaning your water bottle should be high up on your to-do list, too, but for many of us—let’s be honest—it’s not.

This makes for a humbling (and gross) reality check when you go for a drink, glance down at your mouthpiece, and are forced to reckon with a film of mystery gunk that has collected there since the last time you washed it.

Due to busy schedules, forgetfulness, and a lack of extra tumblers, water bottles get nasty quickly. Although we love the sustainable choice of reusing one, that commitment requires some care-taking to avoid illness and maintain good water-bottle hygiene.

Below, experts dig into the dirty details and share their tips for keeping your water bottle safe and sanitary, no matter how many sweaty hikes or shared sips it endures.

What Types of Bacteria Are Lurking in Your Reusable Water Bottle?

According to the Water Quality Association, a not-for-profit organization in the water treatment industry, all drinking water contains microbes or heterotrophic microorganisms, a catch-all term for types of bacteria, mold, or yeast.

A September 2024 survey that swabbed water bottles found that the most common bacteria in reusable bottles were associated with antibiotic-resistant, hospital-acquired infections like pneumonia and meningitis (which can be fatal), and food poisoning, which comes with symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.

The survey also concluded that Americans’ reusable water bottles, on average, contain 20.8 million CFUs of bacteria—about 40,000 times more than you’d typically find on a household toilet seat.

Exactly what type of invaders your water bottle collects depends on if it has a screw top with nooks and crannies for germs to stow away in, whether or not you share your bottle with others, or if you use it for anything other than water, like coffee or sports

Sugary beverages, in particular, leave behind nutrients for bacteria to feed on and multiply.

Drinking from a Dirty Bottle Can Make You Sick

If you don’t clean your water bottle properly, all kinds of bacteria can start to grow. Ingesting water from an unclean bottle can result in gastrointestinal or respiratory issues, says Qinchun Rao, a professor of Food and Nutrition at Florida State University.

How to Tell When Your Water Bottle Is Dirty

Acceptable levels of heterotrophic organisms, also known as heterotrophic plate counts (HPC), vary by country. The Environmental Protection Agency’s HPC standard for any given drinking water sample is less than or equal to 500 colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL).

When your water surpasses that threshold, and/or other bacteria strains are introduced to the mix—like when a water bottle goes uncleaned after a workout—water safety is called into question.

You won’t always be able to tell how dirty your water bottle is. That’s a big reason cleaning them falls by the wayside: they “look” clean.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, more noticeable signs of contamination are visible mold spots, an unpleasant smell, cloudy water, or an off-putting taste.

Instead of waiting for it to show signs of grime, just get into the practice of cleaning it daily at a minimum.

However, if you fall behind and skip a few days, remain on the lookout for a tell-tale layer of dark slime known as a biofilm. It’s something that you will likely have to remove your lid and peek inside to notice, especially if it’s only

How to Clean Your Water Bottle

“Treat your water bottle like a utensil,” says Mitzi Baum, the CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness. If it’s dishwasher safe, she strongly recommends running it through a wash cycle.

Below are some more expert tips for water bottle washing.

Clean Your Water Bottle After You Purchase It

When you’ve bought your ideal water bottle, don’t race to use it. Baum says it’s important to clean and sanitize it with hot water before your lips ever touch it—because who knows how dirty its journey to the store was.

Wash Your Water Bottle Daily, and Do a Good Job

Rao recommends washing the bottle with warm, soapy water, especially if you use it frequently or for beverages other than water. (Reader: just rinsing the bottle under some running water doesn’t qualify as cleaning it.)

Clean Your Reusable Straw with a Small, Long Brush

Flushing the narrow spout with water won’t cut it. This is especially the case if your straw is plastic because, as Wu notes about plastic water bottles, they are most easily scratched and, therefore, more likely to harbor bacteria.

Regardless of material, straws are small and compact, making them the perfect hiding

If You Have a Water Bladder, Give It a Similar Treatment

Your hiking water reservoir can be treated like a giant water bottle. Soak it in hot, soapy water or use a cleaning tab, like the Bottle Bright Cleaning Tablets, scrub the inside (including the narrow drinking hose, which will require a slim, straw-cleaning brush), drain it, and rinse it well before refilling for the next adventure. During the soak stage, make sure to also fill the hose with cleaning solution.

Narrow-Neck Bottles Require Attention to Detail

Professor Wu points out that bottles with narrow necks make thorough cleaning difficult. Cleaning one efficiently might take a slender bottle-cleaning brush or, more simply, a soft sponge that’s easy to manipulate around its curves without missing any spots.

Don’t Forget to Wash the Outside

“People often carry their water bottle throughout the day and rest it on various surfaces,” says Dr. Mieses Malchuk, a board-certified family physician in North Carolina, like, for example, in a sweaty duffel or on a musty tree trunk. For that reason, cleaning the outside of your bottle with the same soapy water method matters.

The easiest way to keep your water bottle clean

2024 USATF 5K: Ahmed Muhumed And Annie Rodenfels Win

Annie Rodenfels went back-to-back while Ahmed Muhumed claimed his second US title of the year at the 2024 USATF 5K Road Championships on Saturday morning in Central Park. Rodenfels, who runs for the B.A.A. High Performance Team, broke away from Emily Venters and Emma Grace Hurley in the final mile to win in 15:20.

Muhumed, who won the US 8k road title in July and was the runner-up here last year, dropped the field with a hard move at 2 miles and held off a late charge from Sam Prakel to win in 13:38 to Prakel’s 13:39.

Top 10 results

Men

1. Ahmed Muhumed, HOKA NAZ Elite 13:38

2. Sam Prakel, adidas 13:39

3. Brian Barraza, Roots Running Project 13:42

4. Kirubel Erassa, unattached 13:44

5. Hillary Bor, HOKA One One 13:45

6. Anthony Rotich, US Army 13:48

7. Drew Bosley, unattached 13:49

8. Afewerki Zeru, McKirdy Trained 13:52

9. Abbabiya Simbassa, Under Armour 13:57

10. Morgan Beadlescomb, adidas 13:59

Women

1. Annie Rodenfels, B.A.A. 15:20

2. Emily Venters, Nike 15:25

3. Emma Grace Hurley, Asics 15:31

4. Bailey Hertenstein, Nike 15:32

5. Susanna Sullivan, Brooks 15:36

6. Abby Nichols, HOKA NAZ Elite 15:41

7. Paige Wood, HOKA NAZ Elite 15:41

8. Taylor Roe, Puma 15:43

9. Natosha Rogers, Puma 15:45

10. Molly Born, Puma 15:47

Rory Linkletter adjusts to new coach ahead of TCS New York City Marathon

Canadian marathoner Rory Linkletter is preparing for the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 3 with a new coach and a renewed focus. After his previous coach, Ryan Hall, decided to step away from coaching following the Paris 2024 Olympics, Linkletter was forced to seek new guidance with less than 10 weeks to go until the race.

For Linkletter, his Paris Olympic marathon was a mix of pride and disappointment. He was proud to represent the red and white at an event he had always dreamed about competing at, but he felt his race was underwhelming. “I feel like I didn’t show my best,” Linkletter said on his 47th-place finish (2:13:09). 

Linkletter told Canadian Running his preparation for Paris centred heavily on mastering the challenging course and hills: “I felt like I needed to get strong and run hills, but at the end of the day, it’s always the fittest man who wins,” he says. “I got too far away from speed and power.”

He took a week off after Paris and then dove back into training, focusing on his next challenge–the 2024 New York City Marathon. During his time off, Linkletter was taken by surprise when Hall announced he would be stepping back from coaching. “I was shocked. It was all so sudden,” Linkletter admits. “If you knew Ryan, you wouldn’t be surprised, but I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.”

New beginnings 

Balancing the post-Olympic blues with the sudden coaching transition wasn’t easy, but Linkletter says he’s the most motivated to train when he’s disappointed.

The 2:08:01 marathoner initially created his own training plan for NYC, and reached out to a few people he trusted for feedback. One of those was Jon Green, coach of U.S. Olympic marathon bronze medallist Molly Seidel. “We met up, had a conversation, and he said he’d be happy to help me get to NYC,” Linkletter says. “By the time we met again, he had mapped out a plan for me. I liked what he had.”

Green is someone Canada’s second fastest marathoner has long respected, going back to their days racing against each other in the NCAA—Linkletter competing for Brigham Young University (BYU) and Green for Georgetown. Now, as a coach-athlete duo, they’re working to fine-tune Linkletter’s strengths for the NYC Marathon in his home of Flagstaff, Ariz.

Moving forward

Training in Flagstaff has become a constant for Linkletter. He’s found a home in the high-altitude environment, which is known for its ideal training conditions. “I love it here,” he says. “It’s one of the best, if not the best, places to train.” With the NYC Marathon on the horizon, Linkletter is content in Flagstaff, but remains open to exploring options that will best prepare him for the future. “Paris was awesome, but I want to be there again in L.A. 2028 and be the best version of myself,” he says.

By then, Linkletter will be 31 years old—what he believes will be his prime—and he’s determined to make every year count as he builds toward the goal.

A cold, hard look at extreme winter races

Winter is when races careen from the cosy, coddling courses of autumn into a forbidding tundra that both terrifies and exhilarates. It’s in this frozen landscape that the most extreme races are forged—competitions that take things to unsettlingly unconventional extremes, like sporting the scariest name or boasting the largest field of hungover revellers.

From a race season positively steeped in superlatives, here’s a sampling of extreme cold-weather races that boast the most—for reasons silly and chillingly serious—and strategies for making the most of them.

THE WILDEST

Polar Bear Marathon

Nov. 23, 2024

Churchill, Man.

Distances: 21.1 km, 42.2 km, 50 km

albertmartens.com

An event where vehicles tail runners in case a polar bear wanders onto the course truly deserves the title of winter’s wildest race. Beginning from Churchill, Man., the course takes participants along the coast of Hudson Bay for a challenge that balances breathtaking beauty with physical and mental rigour.

“A few times there have been polar bears right on the road where they run,” says race director Albert Martens. “However, we do provide safety for the runners, escorting them with a vehicle. Often the Canadian Rangers are out and assist us, as well.”

As challenging as this event is, the joys of the race aren’t to be outdone by the hardships. “One of the highlights of the run is the beautiful sunrise at the start overlooking Hudson Bay, and the post-marathon banquet, where the runners get to know each other better,” says Martens. He adds that one of the “swag bag” items runners receive is a polar bear carved out of soapstone. Although signups for this year’s event were set to close Oct. 1, it’s a race worth keeping in mind

THE BOOZIEST

Santa Will Run for Beer 5K-ish

Dec. 7, 2024

Bethlehem, Pa.

Distance: “5K-ish”

runsignup.com/Race/PA/Bethlehem/SantaWillRunforBeer5Kish

When it comes to combining Santa and suds, this race really raises the bar. Suit up in your best Kris Kringle costume and simultaneously work up and quench your thirst as you race between more than a dozen drinking establishments. The order you hit the bars in is up to you, but you’ve got three hours to stop at them all before raising a celebratory glass with your fellow runners at Molly’s Irish Grille and Sports Pub.

Speed counts—the first 24 runners at each location get a free beer—but so does presentation, so don’t skimp on style when putting together your Santa look. “Don’t go easy on your costume,” suggests Rochelle Romeo Kane, managing director of Run Lehigh Valley, which organizes the race. She also recommends mapping out your “beer strategy” beforehand: “Are you more of a ‘run fast and hit the close bars’ or ‘go for the early long-haul’ kind of runner? Either way, come with your plan and know it will change!” Runners must be at least 21, but it’s a race that

THE JOLLIEST

Santa Shuffle Fun Run & Elf Walk

Dec. 7, 2024

British Columbia: Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Langley

Alberta: Edmonton, Calgary

Saskatchewan: Regina

Manitoba: Winnipeg

Ontario: Hamilton, Kemptville, Kingston, Ottawa, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Whitby

Quebec: Montreal

Prince Edward Island: Charlottetown

Nova Scotia: Halifax

Newfoundland and Labrador: St. John’s

Additional virtual events

Distances: 1 km, 5 km

santashuffle.ca

What started in 1990 as a fundraiser by Running Room members to support Salvation Army programs in Edmonton has become a countrywide celebration of seasonal giving, as legions of speedy Santas are unleashed from start lines coast to coast. Santa Shuffle races, which continue to benefit the Salvation Army, boast the most Santas in Canada’s winter-running scene, but also pull in plenty of reindeer, elves and assorted festive fashionistas. Clever costuming pays at the events, with prizes for the best individual, group and pet get-ups (see the event website for details).

THE PRICIEST

Antarctic Ice Marathon

Dec. 13, 2024

Union Glacier, Antarctica

Distances: 21.1 km, 42.2 km

icemarathon.com

With a registration fee approaching $30,000, the Antarctic Ice Marathon isn’t a race you’ll enter on a whim, but the experience it offers is as rich as its price tag, and it’s sure to earn a spot on many runners’ bucket lists. You’ll be whisked by jet from Punta Arenas, Chile, to Union Glacier in the Antarctica interior, within a few hundred kilometres of the South Pole. Although aid stations, snowmobile support and medical personnel will be available, completing either the event’s marathon or half-marathon will take plenty of self-motivation; as race organizers point out, there won’t be any crowds to cheer you on—not even penguins venture this far south. Runners should also note this race can be as unpredictable as it is unforgettable. “The Antarctic Ice Marathon presents a unique challenge with its extreme cold and unpredictable weather,” says race director Becca Pizzi. “We advise runners to prepare for low temperatures and be ready for sudden shifts in conditions. Proper layering and mental resilience are key to tackling this unforgettable race.”

THE HEAD-POUNDINGEST

The 18th Hangover Hike

Jan. 1, 2025

Dewsbury, England

Distances: 15 km, 27 km, 34 km

ldwa.org.uk/TheIrregulars/W/2112/hangover-hike.html

An event that gives a refreshingly honest nod to the realities of New Year’s revelry, the Hangover Hike in northern England encourages hikers and runners to get an early and (mostly) sober start to 2025. The New Year’s Day run/hike around the rural roadways, hills and hiking trails of the town of Dewsbury (about 15 km south of Leeds) will ease participants into the challenge ahead with tea and toast at registration. The event’s three hikes—15 km with just over 300 m of ascent, 27 km with about 520 m of climb and 34 km with almost 550 m of ascent—start and end at The Leggers Inn. The Irregulars group of the Long Distance Walkers Association, which organizes the event, puts it succinctly: “A brisk walk or run, a breath of fresh air, a wee dram en route and a hair of the dog at The Leggers. What better way to start the new year?”

THE LOOPIEST

Frozen Falcon

Jan. 12, 2025

Falcon Beach, Man.

Distance: As far as you can go in eight hours

ontheedgerunning.com/home/frozenfalcon

Looped courses can help take the sting out of daunting distances by breaking down the kilometres into bite-sized chunks. The Frozen Falcon’s 6.5-km course at Falcon Trails Resort in southeastern Manitoba is the perfect length to keep your run manageable without it becoming monotonous, but be aware of the course’s unique challenges: “This race is run on groomed trails, however, after a few laps the snow can become a little like sugary mashed potatoes,” cautions race director Joel Toews. “Get working on that lower-leg strength! Also, you’re going to head into the yurt each loop, where there is food and a wood stove. It’s pretty cosy, so don’t get sucked into the comfort. Get back out there as soon as possible.”

THE SCARIEST-SOUNDING

Hypothermic Half Marathon

Vancouver: Jan. 19, 2025

Edmonton: Feb. 2, 2025

(A planned second Edmonton event was not confirmed before publication.)

Kelowna, B.C.: Feb. 9, 2025

Halifax: Feb. 16, 2025

Calgary: Feb. 23, 2025

Winnipeg: Feb. 23, 2025

Additional virtual events

Distances: 10 km, 21.1 km

hypothermichalf.com

The Hypothermic Half Marathon is no walk in the park, but this intimidating-sounding series of winter races has a bark that’s worse than its frostbite. That’s due in large part to the warmth and hospitality shown by volunteers and supporters during and after the races. There are other ways to stay toasty at the Hypo Half, however—at last year’s event in Edmonton, local runner David Eliuk sported 120 T-shirts in a bid to set a new world record for the most T-shirts run in a half-marathon. He achieved the feat, but was bested by American Dan Harvey—who donned 127 shirts at an event a few months later—before Eliuk’s record could be ratified.

THE LONGEST

Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra

Feb. 2–14, 2025

Teslin, Yukon

Distances: 340 km, 640 km

arcticultra.de/home

This race could be a contender for the most extreme in several categories—winds whip up with unfathomable force while temperatures can plummet to -40 C—but its length is what really makes it a standout. Starting from the village of Teslin and finishing in the town of Faro, the ultra’s shorter race totals 340 km, while the main event (including a 150-km route out and back from Faro) adds up to an eye-watering 640 km. Competitors can tackle these either on foot or skis or by mountain bike.

“Many races with these kinds of distances are organized in stages,” says race director Robert Pollhammer. “In our race, athletes are on the go day and night, sometimes up to an average of 20 hours per day.” He cautions that sleep deprivation can be dangerous in such an extreme environment and emphasizes the importance of having a strong race strategy.” While cautioning that the race isn’t for everyone, he says, “If you like the cold, the vastness of nature and being in a race with a family-like atmosphere, the

THE LARGEST (LATITUDINALLY)

6633 Arctic Ultra

Feb. 27 to March 8, 2025

Eagle Plains, Yukon

Distances: 120 miles (193 km), 380 miles (612 km)

6633ultra.com

Canada’s most northerly winter foot race, the 6633 Arctic Ultra (named for the latitude of the Arctic Circle in the Yukon—66 degrees, 33 minutes north) tests the ambitious and adventurous in a gruelling trek across two Canadian territories. Beginning in Eagle Plains, Yukon, runners who tough it out will cross the Arctic Circle to finish lines in the Northwest Territories hamlets of Fort McPherson (193 km) and Tuktoyaktuk (612 km).

Blistering wind and cold make the 6633 one of the most physically punishing races on Earth—but the competition’s mental challenge is greater still, according to race co-director Stuart Thornhill. “The mental fatigue experienced and resilience required cannot be underestimated,” Thornhill says. “Our athletes experience long periods of isolation in the dark and extreme cold, leading to extreme hallucinations.” Sticking to script, he says, is key to success at the 6633: “Those who make it through have a plan which they follow, eating when they need to, sleeping when they need to. They don’t get caught up racing someone else and breaking their plan. I have seen people who have been at the back of the pack for most of the race and have come in the top three finishers, because they stuck to what worked best for them.”

THE SPICIEST

Chilly Half Marathon

March 2, 2025

Burlington, Ont.

Distance: 21.1 km

raceroster.com/events/2025/84601/2025-chilly-half-marathon

The Chilly Half Marathon is a cold-weather race that throws some serious heat. While most of the events on this list aren’t really built for racking up personal bests, the course through downtown Burlington and along Lake Ontario’s western shore is perfect for burning rubber. “This will be the 29th year of the fun, fast, flat race that welcomes 4,000 runners to downtown Burlington,” says Kelly Arnott, co-CEO and co-owner of race organizer VR Pro Inc.

An event that marks the start of the spring road-running season in eastern Canada, the Chilly Half is just as popular for its post-race revelry as for its scenic, zippy course. Spectators and runners can shake off the March chill by coming together for a bowl of piping hot chili. “If it is a chilly day, we will warm you up with a bowl of hot Stagg Chili following the great race,” says Arnott.

THE MOST ENDURING

Around the Bay Road Race

March 30, 2025

Hamilton

Distances: 5 km, 10 km, 15 km, 30 km, additional virtual events

bayrace.com

Launched in 1894—three years before the Boston Marathon—Hamilton’s storied Around the Bay Road Race is North America’s oldest long-distance running event. More than a testing ground for generations of runners, Around the Bay is itself something of an endurance feat. Despite some challenging obstacles (in recent years organizers have had to switch up the course due to renovation and construction projects in the city), the 30K run around Hamilton Harbour remains a cultural focal point for the local community and favourite destination race for runners worldwide. Race-day weather has been known to swing wildly from warm and sunny one year to blizzard-like the next, so the best way to prepare is to be consistent in training, suggests race director Anna Lewis. “Keep to your training schedule even on bad weather days, because you never know what the weather will be like on race day,” she says, adding that wisely managing effort is also key to negotiating tougher terrain near the end of the race. “Don’t go out too fast, so

FROZEN FEATS

Here are some extreme winter exploits that have earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Coldest marathon

By its name alone, the Siberian Ice Marathon seems a convincing contender for the world’s coldest marathon—and it’s not just hype. Temperatures as low as -39 C were recorded at the 2001 race in Omsk, Russia. While it’s the coldest marathon recognized by Guinness, organizers of the Pole of Cold Marathon in Oymyakon (also in Siberia) reported the mercury crashing to -55 C at its most recent event on Jan. 12, 2024.

Fastest half-marathon barefoot on ice/snow

Not content to set this record by running a bone-chilling half-marathon barefoot in 1:50:42, Josef (Joska) Šálek added an extra dash of shivery showmanship by running the distance in nothing but shorts. The Czechian set the record on a course in his home country on Feb. 18, 2024.

Fastest marathon by a female dressed as Santa

From snowmen to ice-cream cones, there’s no end to the cold- and winter-centric costumes runners will don to break records, but most of these attempts are made in spring or fall. Hand it to British runner

WINTER RACE TIPS FOR FIRST-TIMERS

Don’t dress just for the start line

As tempting as it is to bundle up while waiting for your race to start, things can heat up pretty quickly once you’re on the move, and overheating can sap your performance and enjoyment of the race. If temperatures are dry and above freezing, dressing as though it’s 10 C warmer than it really is will keep your engine running cool as you hit your stride. On colder, windier days, dress in layers that can easily be discarded or passed off to a supporter on the sidelines.

Show up fully charged

The energy demands on your body when racing in colder temperatures aren’t significantly different from those of any other time of year, so there’s no need for drastic changes to your pre-race fuelling. The same can’t be said of your running tech, however. Plummeting temperatures can be a big drain on the battery capacity of your watch, headlamp and heart rate monitor, even during shorter races. Make sure the devices you rely on are fully charged; don’t assume the GPS that saw you to the end of a summer 5K on a 15 per cent

Hurricane Helene Devastated This Running Hotbed. Professional Athletes Are Helping Rebuild It.

“We had no idea the gravity of what was coming,” said Olympian Abbey Cooper.

On a typical Tuesday, Abbey Cooper usually tackles a threshold workout before leading practice as the coach of a youth cross-country team in Boone, North Carolina. 

Last week, the 2016 Olympic 5,000-meter runner was working as a volunteer, answering phones at her church, Alliance Bible Fellowship. For hours, the new mom helped survivors of Hurricane Helene obtain generators and other necessities in the wake of a natural disaster. 

When Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm on September 26, it created a 500-mile path of destruction across the southeast. Homes were washed away, roads were destroyed, and electricity was wiped out in communities across six states, where the death toll has risen to 227. Many are still unaccounted for or missing, according to The AP. 

In the rural mountain towns of western North Carolina, the hurricane decimated communities with unrelenting rain and devastating floods. And emergency response was made more difficult due to hundreds of damaged roads and downed bridges. 

Now as people begin to recover and rebuild, several elite runners in Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina, are taking major steps to give back and raise awareness for the organizations working tirelessly to support those in need. From cleaning up trails to delivering meals and disaster kits, professional and collegiate athletes who train in the area are providing critical aid and urging others to help in recovery efforts. 

“We had no idea the gravity of what was coming”

Cooper, her husband, Jacob, and their 20-month-old daughter, Mercy, live in a valley about 15 minutes from downtown Boone. In the days leading up to the storm hitting their town on Friday, September 27, a downpour descended on the area. At the height of the storm, Cooper remembered seeing waterfalls flowing off the hill and rushing toward their house. 

Though they had to dig a trench to reroute water that was flowing into their garage, there was minimal damage done to the Coopers’ home. Cooper said they were lucky. One of their neighbor’s homes located next to a creek was destroyed, but the owner made it out safely. “All of us were really humbled. We had no idea the gravity of what was coming,” she said. 

They lost power and water, relying on a portable camping stove and water filter to sustain them at home for three days. The couple considered driving to their friend’s house in Raleigh but decided to stay after the power was turned back on. 

Tristin Van Ord Colley had a similar terrifying experience at her home in Blowing Rock, located about eight miles from Boone. The professional marathoner, who runs for Zap Endurance, was in her apartment when a tornado hit the street behind her complex on Wednesday, September 25. Without receiving any warning of the tornado, the Appalachian State University alum and her husband, fellow pro runner Andrew Colley, took shelter last minute in a room without windows. The next day, the rain started to pick up. By Friday, it became catastrophic. 

Tristin said Andrew was watching a teammate’s dogs across town when water started flooding into the house. With the water rising rapidly and the electricity still on, Andrew fled with the dogs in his car and drove to their apartment. Tristin said he was forced to avoid road closures and drive through deep water as the storm progressed. “If [Andrew] had waited any longer, I’m not sure he would’ve been able to make it,” she said. 

Though the basement of their apartment building flooded up to four feet, the water didn’t reach their unit on the second floor. After the power went out—and didn’t turn back on for nine days—Tristin and Andrew braved the few roads that were open but riddled with fallen trees, to drive to her mom’s house in Chapel Hill. 

Recovering and rebuilding

Once they stabilized at home, Abbey and Jacob started volunteering with local relief efforts led by the Red Cross and Samaritan’s Purse in partnership with their church. Jacob, who works as the Associate Athletics Director for Sports Psychology and Mental Wellness at Appalachian State, is making deliveries to families in need and serving meals at the university. Abbey is assisting with administrative

“The people of Appalachia I feel are forgotten about a lot…Being someone who was extremely lucky in this situation, it’s hard for me to watch this community that I’ve grown to love so much crumble because of poverty and maybe not being prepared or not warned,” she said, while noting the messaging about the severity of the storm could have been better communicated in advance. 

“It’s important to have eyes on this area and have people recognize that these people here matter too.”

Zap Endurance elite coach Peter Rea and his family are doing their part by volunteering at local churches and public schools, which have become distribution centers for aid since the hurricane hit. Rea, his wife—cofounder of Zap Endurance Zika Rea—and their two children are helping people get necessities, like diapers, toothpaste, bottled water, blankets, and hot meals in the aftermath of their homes getting destroyed. 

The Rea family home saw minimal damage in Blowing Rock compared to other communities sitting at lower elevation, but four Zap runners were flooded from their houses, he said. Several of the athletes stayed with Rea immediately after the hurricane. They had to run on treadmills because the team’s primary training venue, Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, was severely damaged from the storm. 

“There are just hundreds of trees down in the national park on all of the carriage trails that we run on,” Rea said. “A couple of our rolling dirt loops are completely flooded out. There’s lots of housing destruction on the road because it’s right next to the Watauga River, which went 12 feet over its banks.”

Most of the team left Blowing Rock and Boone to continue their respective training blocks in their hometowns. Though the team is displaced right now, Rea has encouraged the athletes to stay connected as they pursue their running goals from afar. “We’re trying to impress upon them to be excited about getting out the door everyday, and go out of your way to create community when you’re back home,” he said. 

Rea is hoping the athletes will be able to

A portion of the trail clean-up effort is being led by the cross-country team at Appalachian State. Seeing the widespread damage prompted the men’s and women’s squad to pick up trash blown onto the paths they utilize every day, said Appalachian State women’s distance coach Annie Richards. 

“As a distance runner, you’re out running the trails or running around town, you really have a unique connection to the place,” Richards said. “In some ways, it’s harder because a lot of the trails that we’ve been running on have been really impacted by the storm, but also I think our team has been able to really understand the scope of the disaster.”

Last week, the team volunteered to sort through donations and build disaster relief kits, which included items to help people kill mold in their home caused by water damage. Richards said they plan to do more volunteer projects while the team is in season for cross-country this fall. 

Though the community has received aid from different organizations in town and around the country—Cooper said she got “chills” when she saw hundreds of camper vans belonging to volunteers who traveled many miles to assist—there’s a long period of recovery ahead. 

“The people of western North Carolina have never seen anything of this magnitude,” Rea said. “Anything people can do to help is greatly appreciated.”

To learn more about Hurricane Helene relief efforts and different ways to give back, visit the following nonprofit organizations recommended

The Best Marathon Racing Shoes (2024)

After a year of testing, we've identified 12 marathon shoes that will boost your performance and make the race more enjoyable

While training undeniably has the biggest impact on your marathon performance, there’s one more thing you can do to ensure you’re ready to give your best on race day: invest in a pair of marathon racing shoes.

An effective marathon racing shoe can help reduce the repeated impact that miles after miles put on your legs while allowing you to get more energy out of each footstrike. Even more importantly, the right marathon racing shoe will provide you with a platform that is stable and cushioned enough to carry you through 26.2 miles in security and comfort. We’ve spent the last year rigorously testing every option on the market to help you easily pick the perfect pair for you.

Seven years after the debut of the first super shoe, the thick-stacked, carbon-plated racers are ubiquitous at the front of every marathon and increasingly common among runners in the pack looking to optimize their performance. These shoes have been lab-proven to improve running economy by a few percentage points, making it easier to maintain a faster pace. Runners also report that, when running in a super shoe that complements their stride, they experience less muscular fatigue as well.

These are some of the super shoes that our testers found most comfortable and effective at marathon pace, but your experience may vary (as we found when we had three testers compare 16 super shoes. Every super shoe boasts some sort of ultralight, hyper-responsive foam with an embedded, curved carbon-fiber plate—but each delivers a surprisingly unique ride. You’ll have to experiment to find one that gives you wings.

See our “How to Choose Marathon Shoes” section at the bottom of this article for more guidance on whether you should consider a super shoe and how to select a pair that works for your stride.

Designed specifically for marathons, the Alphafly set a new standard as the fastest marathon shoe ever when Eliud Kipchoge wore them while breaking the 2-hour barrier in a staged marathon, clocking 1:59:40.2 in October 2019.

Now, in its third iteration, the Alphafly 3 continues to dominate as the ultimate marathon racing shoe. Designed with Nike’s Air Zoom Units in the forefoot and a PEBA-based midsole, our more competitive, efficient testers praised the Alphafly 3 for its bouncy, energy-efficient ride.

Subtle adjustments to the shoe’s geometry, including a wider footprint and carbon fiber plate, paired with repositioned Air Zoom Units and strategically sculpted midsole, give the Alphafly 3 a distinctly different feel from its predecessor. These changes effectively address some of the issues found in the Alphafly 2, which many felt was heavy and clunky compared to the original.

The new Alphafly 3 is surprisingly nimble, weighing in as the lightest Alphafly to date. Even running as fast as 5k pace, I found the Alphafly responded quickly, encouraging a fast turnover. That said, it may be too sharp of a tool for some runners, as those who require a stable stance may find it a bit wobbly, especially in the heel.

The redesigned Atomkit 3.0 upper is about as race-y as you can get—extremely light and airy. Though a bit tough to put on because of its tightly woven mesh (like previous models), the new upper is highly breathable and secure, with sawtooth laces that stay tied tight throughout the marathon. You can read our full Alphafly 3 review and how it compared to other racers in our .

A stark contrast to On’s previous carbon fiber racing shoe, the firm-feeling Cloudboom Echo, the Cloudboom Strike is soft, bouncy, and fun to run in. Runners who can maintain their balance on what is a fairly unstable platform are rewarded with a lively, highly cushioned ride that’s comfortable and responsive, making it ideal for long-distance efforts.

The secret to the Strike’s sweet ride lies with the insole. On swapped out the traditional Strobel (a thin layer connecting the upper to the sole) and sockliner for a thick, removable layer of high-energy PEBA foam, thus increasing the amount of performance-enhancing foam underfoot. The result is a legal racer with cushioning that feels like it exceeds the World Athletics’ maximum stack height.

The smooth, ultra-cushioned ride is surprisingly quick for such a thick shoe, responding nimbly even when exceeding 5k pace. The shoe accommodated both long-striding testers and those who prefer to turn over faster.

The Cloudboom Strike fit runs long enough that you might consider sizing down by half a size. However, the one-piece mesh upper, which breathes well and effectively repels moisture, easily cinches down for a secure foot hold. You can read our full Cloudboom Strike review.

The Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris gives runners the best of both worlds—a highly energetic, cushioned feel and a stable ride. Super shoes’s tall, thick midsoles often create a wobbly sensation, forcing your stabilizing muscles to work harder to maintain balance.

The key to the Metaspeed Sky Paris’s stability is its wide base under the forefoot, coupled with an updated, wider carbon fiber plate. This makes the Metaspeed Sky Paris an excellent choice for beginner, intermediate, or unstable runners who want to enjoy the benefits of super shoe technology while still having a supportive, predictable platform. One back-of-the-pack tester noted that the broad base provided a “smooth ride, and the running dynamics worked extremely well with my foot and my own personal gait.”

The shoe’s stability, however, doesn’t compromise its stride-lengthening performance for experienced, efficient marathoners. Testers found that the Metaspeed Sky had the ability to work well for a wide range of runners and paces.

The shoe also has a new, more pliable and comfortable mesh upper and midsole foam that’s approximately 8 percent lighter and, Asics says, has an 8.2 percent better energy return over the previous model. The best part: The shoe got nearly an ounce lighter, making it one of the lightest marathon-racing options. You can read more about the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris in our .

The groundbreaking adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 shatters the mold as the lightest super shoe ever made, weighing nearly 2 ounces less than the next lightest super shoe. Yet from the outset, I was amazed that a shoe this light could have this much cushioning.

The Pro Evo 1’s rocker is long and aggressive, curving up to a high toe spring (elevation of the toe box). Initially, at well-below marathon speeds, it felt forced and unnatural. However, once I picked it up to around marathon pace and my toes engaged with the steep curve, I sensed a smooth rolling action that energetically pushed me forward. I believe marathoners averaging seven-minute miles or faster will see the most benefit from these.

Besides being the lightest super shoe on the market, the Evo 1 also claims the title of the most expensive. That, coupled with initial talk of the shoe only working for a single marathon, makes the Evo 1 a big investment. Our test pair, however, lasted nearly 200 miles before the midsole showed signs of wear. While not every runner can expect similar durability, those with an efficient stride should enjoy everything the Evo 1 has to offer much longer than a single marathon. You can read our full review and durability test.

The challenge with super-soft, highly responsive cushioning in super shoes is that they often lack stability, demanding an efficient stride to maintain control as they first squish, then bounce back strongly, magnifying forces—whether propulsive or unbalanced. For runners seeking a more stable carbon fiber shoe without losing the performance benefits, the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 offers a firmer underfoot feel than most.

Instead of the heavily cushioned sink and trampoline-like bounce of many of today’s super shoes, the nitrogen-infused DNA Flash V2 midsole is extremely responsive, pushing back against the foot immediately and ready to pounce on the pace when needed. That lively firmness, combined with a curved carbon fiber plate embedded in the rockered midsole, gives the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 a smooth, stable, and forward-propelling ride.

In terms of fit and feel, Brooks nailed the basics. The thin, breathable mesh upper perfectly embodies a racing shoe’s ideal—minimalistic, with a secure midfoot lockdown that makes you feel firmly in control.

These are not for you if you prefer a highly cushioned, springy running experience. However, if you feel bounced around by most super shoes and want a firmer-feeling shoe that offers a good mix of stability and fast-rolling performance, the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 is the shoe you’re looking for. You can read more about the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4.

With a ride that feels like bouncing on a pogo stick, the Hoka Cielo X1 delivers unmatched spring with every stride. Designed with two layers of über-responsive PEBA foam separated by a winged carbon fiber plate and a severe, heel-to-toe rocker profile, testers marveled at how much fun these shoes were. One tester described running in them as “feeling effortless,” adding, “It almost feels like you’re cheating when you’re wearing these shoes.”

However, a few testers had mixed reactions to the shoe’s prescriptive geometry. The stiff platform and aggressive rocker design seemed most effective for a midfoot strike and within a narrow pace range, specifically around six to eight minutes per mile for our testers.

Another knock concerned the shoe’s stiff, ribbon-like shoe laces. Nearly every tester commented on how difficult it was to get a tight, dialed-in knot. Still, if you can get past the less-than-ideal lacing—or choose to swap them out entirely—and are comfortable in the pace range sweet spot, the ride is worth it and could deliver a fun, fast marathon.

Cielo X1 clocks in at a hefty 9.3 ounces for mens size 9 and for womens size 10, making it the heaviest super shoe on the market. Thanks to the high-energy foam, however, we still found it held its own in the super shoe pack when it came to performance. You can read more about the Hoka Cielo X1.

Unfortunately, there are not a ton of options when it comes to highly cushioned zero drop racing shoes. Fortunately, the only option is a really good one. Now in its second iteration, the Altra Vanish Carbon 2 features three more millimeters of softer, more flexible underfoot cushioning heel to toe. Embedded in the soft, nitrogen-infused, TPE-based midsole is a full-length carbon fiber plate that adds a bit of stabilizing and propulsive stiffness without feeling controlling.

The Vanish Carbon 2’s midsole doesn’t have as dramatic a trampoline sensation as some other marathon racing shoes, but it delivers a smooth, cushioned ride that’s hard to beat. Even as someone who typically struggles with zero-drop shoes, I found the Vanish Carbon 2 enjoyable and surprisingly easy to run in, thanks to the high stack and rockered profile. Testers said the low heel helped increase their cadence and kept them more on their toes.

Despite not having a ton of structure, the lightweight, breathable mesh upper does a surprisingly good job of securing your midfoot while your toes have room to splay in Altra’s signature wide toe box. You can read more about the Altra Vanish Carbon 2.

When it comes to replicating the performance benefits of road super shoes for the trail, shoemakers have struggled to achieve the same level of success. The adidas Terrex Speed Ultra is a standout exception. Designed with one of the most aggressive rockered profiles on a trail running shoe, the Terrex Speed Ultra feels awkward initially, almost like you’re walking downhill.

However, once you get accustomed to the unique profile that wants to push you forward, you’re rewarded with a propulsive ride unlike any other trail running shoe. Inside, the high-performance TPEE (Thermoplastic Polyester Elastomer) midsole incorporates a four-pronged, slightly flexible PEBA-based rod system, providing extra stiffness to the soft foam without creating instability on technical terrain. While it manages well on groomed or rocky sections, like most highly cushioned trail shoes, it’s not designed for prolonged precise technical maneuvering.

Staying true to its race-ready design, the upper is razor-thin and slightly padded to keep weight at a minimum. The quick-drying synthetic material, combined with a gusseted tongue and sawtooth lacing that bites like a threatened rattlesnake, provides excellent midfoot lockdown. The only drawback is the unstructured heel counter, which can cause some heel lift if the laces aren’t pulled extra tight. You can read our full review of the Adidas Agravic Terrex Speed Ultra.

Not everyone wants or needs a super shoe when covering 26.2 miles. Here are some top options without a rigid carbon-fiber plate, sorted with consideration for specific needs and preferences.

Supershoes’ tall, highly cushioned soles create an unstable and wobbly platform, especially for beginner runners who spend more time in contact with the ground than their faster counterparts. Plus their rigid, curved plates dictate how the foot rolls, and are tuned to be optimal for fast, efficient runners.

Puma’s Deviate Nitro 3 combats these issues by combining two foams, a softer one closer to the foot with a firmer one closer to the ground, separated by a semi-flexible carbon-fiber composite plate. This design offers most of the cushioning and propulsive benefits of a super shoe, without the instability or the prescriptive stride control.

What sets the Deviate Nitro 3 apart most, however, is its remarkable ability to deliver a smooth ride at any pace. There’s nothing restrictive about the shoe—it adapts to your running speed and performs effortlessly, making it double as a great everyday trainer as well as a racing shoe.

Keeping comfort in mind, the upper features an engineered knit mesh with moderately padded heel collar. Testers felt the fit was true to size with a small amount of stretch throughout the upper to accommodate foot swelling or irregularities, such as bunions. The stretchy laces received mixed reviews, as one found he needed to keep tightening them to feel secure during the run. You can read our full review of the Puma Deviate Nitro 3.

When the Saucony Tempus first came out, we were blown away by its ability to control the soft, unstable nature of a PEBA midsole without taking away its high-energy, performance-enhancing benefits. Keeping everything the same underfoot, but adding a better fitting, more breathable mesh upper, the Tempus 2 continued to wow us with its supportive, yet lively ride.

The combination of soft, bouncy PEBA foam and a firmer EVA frame that uniquely wraps over and under the high-performance core helps guide the foot into a more stable position, making it perfect for beginners, or any runner, who may struggle with foot alignment, particularly during a long and exhausting marathon. The moderate stack height of 33mm in the heel and 25mm in the forefoot strikes a perfect balance—not so thick and cushioned that you can’t push off effectively, yet not so thin that it compromises comfort. The dual foam midsole, without a plate, provides ample underfoot protection while still allowing for a good sense of ground feel and accommodates any stride pattern.

The main drawback is that it’s relatively heavy for a racing shoe (while light for a trainer). Weighing 9.4 ounces for men and 8.2 ounces for women, it’s the heaviest shoe on our list. However, if you prioritize stability and want to tap into the performance benefits of PEBA in a supportive but not prescriptive shoe, this is still the top choice on the market.

Known for its wide toe box designs, Topo has mastered the balance of offering plenty of space for your toes while ensuring a secure midfoot lockdown. One of only four shoes in this roundup without a plate in the midsole, the Topo Specter 2 delivers a more natural and flexible experience than your stiff-plated super shoe or super trainer. A generous layer of Pebax foam underfoot is tuned firmer than usual, but still delivers its signature bouncy ride. One tester described the midsole as “firm and springy with a lot of response,” adding, “the shoe feels airy and fast with the perfect balance of stiffness versus flex.”

Testers found the Specter 2 incredibly versatile. It delivers the same ease and comfort on easy run days as it does on uptempo runs or races, thanks to its highly cushioned, responsive, and adaptable sole, and low overall weight.

Where the shoe truly stands out, however, is in its fit. One tester said about Topo shoes, “They’ve gone from being one of my least favorite brands to offering some of the best-fitting shoes I’ve tested.” The wide toe box isn’t just for runners with wide feet. Even our runners with regular-width feet appreciated the extra space, once they got used to their toes having room for their natural positioning and splay.

As foams have evolved to be increasingly lighter, marathon racing shoes are getting thicker and more cushioned. Rather than allowing your foot to react to the ground and move naturally, these thick-soled shoes blunt the underfoot feel and dictate how your foot moves through the gait cycle to various degrees. While this works well for some runners, others prefer a more minimalist ride.

If you’re the kind of runner who finds today’s cushioned shoes cumbersome and as restrictive as a stiff suit of armor, look no further. The Topo Cyclone 2 is a free and flexible lightweight racer that lets your foot control the shoe, not the other way around. Testers described the ride as “nimble” and “flexible” with a “slipper-like” feel.

The Cyclone 2’s Pebax midsole delivers the soft feel and springy response of a super shoe, but the comparatively thin stack height (28mm/23mm) keeps the squish and bounce moderate, and lets you feel the ground under the cushioning. You won’t find a plate embedded in the flexible midsole; instead there’s a slight rocker profile to help smooth the transition from stance to toe-off.

We’ve always found Topo Athletic makes some of the best-fitting shoes on the market, and the Cyclone certainly follows suit. A tailored midsection with excellent lockdown gives way to a roomy anatomical toe box. You can read our full review of the Topo Cyclone 2

There are a few factors beginner runners should consider before choosing a carbon fiber shoe. First, most carbon fiber running shoes are designed with fast, efficient runners in mind. Studies have shown that slower runners get less improvement in their running economy from the shoes, and the shoes actually make running harder for a significant number.

If you have developed solid mechanics, you may benefit from a carbon fiber shoe. However, if your form is still a work in progress, the stiffness of the carbon plate and the hyper-responsiveness of the foam could actually magnify poor mechanics, reduce your performance, and increase the risk of injury.

Additionally, every carbon fiber shoe is built differently—the placement and shape of the carbon plate, geometry of the midsole and properties of the foam all are different, model to model. This means no two carbon plated shoes will run exactly the same. It’s important to match your individual gait to a carbon fiber shoe by testing several options for the one that feels the best. In general, beginners should be cautious and make sure they’re fully comfortable in carbon fiber shoes before racing in them.

Our exhaustive testing process involves evaluating every marathon racing shoe on the market, sometimes as long as over a year, with input from more than 20 experienced wear-testers. They each fill out a detailed testing questionnaire evaluating key points such as fit, comfort, cushioning, and speed. The completed questionnaires are compiled and combined with testing feedback from lead tester Cory Smith, who brings over a decade of experience testing running shoes for Outside. Shoes that excel in specific areas are then ranked and categorized in relation to their strengths.

Cory Smith, a former Division One runner at Villanova University, has been running since the mid-1990s. With over a decade of experience testing and reviewing running apparel and shoes for publications like Outside and Runner’s World, he continues to compete as a masters athlete, boasting a masters personal best of 4:31 in the mile at the age of 44. He consistently logs 30 to 40 miles per week on roads, trails, and the track.

.Those looking for a low-profile, flexible ride with some support might consider the Brooks Hyperion 2 GTS, which has a moderate stack height (31.5–23.5mm), responsive cushioning, and gently guides the gait with firmer, raised sidewalls alongside the rearfoot.

After dedicating countless hours to marathon training, it’s just as crucial to invest time and effort into choosing the right running shoe for race day. Unlike your everyday trainer, a marathon racing shoe must strike a balance between providing enough stability to maintain your form over 26.2 miles and offering sufficient cushioning to protect your legs from the constant impact, while not weighing you down or holding you back. Here’s what you must consider when buying the ideal marathon racing shoes.

As running shoes become thicker and softer, they can start to feel unstable and wobbly. This instability forces the stabilizing muscles in your feet and legs to work harder, which can lead to premature fatigue and even injury. To prevent this, it’s crucial to choose a marathon racing shoe that provides a stable enough platform for your stride, ensuring consistent support throughout the race, even when you grow tired and your stride becomes less efficient. Stability is built into a marathon racing shoe by using embedded plates, firmer midsoles, a widened base, and a more structured heel counter and rearfoot hold.

Cushioning refers to the perceived underfoot firmness of a running shoe. While cushioning levels are a matter of personal preference, wearing softer running shoes during the marathon can be beneficial. One 2022 study with 32 recreational runners found that wearing highly cushioned running shoes improved performance by 5.7 percent and reduced oxygen consumption by 3.2 percent during incremental treadmill tests. However, runners must balance cushioning benefits with stability and propulsion needs.

Given the length of the marathon it’s crucial to make sure your marathon racing shoes fit well. Since over the course of the 26.2 miles your feet may swell, you should make sure you have enough room in the toe box to accommodate this swelling. A good general rule of thumb is to make sure you have at least a thumb’s width of space between your longest toe and the front of the shoe. You should be able to wiggle your toes without them bumping up against the front of the shoe. While you want space for your toes to splay, the upper should hold your foot securely around the heel and instep.

While this is a highly debated topic, the current thinking is to limit the amount of time spent training in carbon fiber plated shoes. These shoes are built with a thick, highly cushioned, and unstable platform, and a rigid rocker profile. Unlike more flexible running shoes that allow your foot to move naturally, carbon fiber shoes dictate the way your feet strike the ground and roll forward, potentially altering your natural gait, which can lead to injury. In addition, the powerful bounce magnifies any instability, causing more stress on your muscles, tendons, and joints. Ideally, limit your carbon-plated shoes to race day and a few speed sessions. Super trainers—with the same high-end foams but more flexible plates—can be a great alternative for weekly speed sessions or fast-finish long runs.

The length of marathon racing shoes varies on a runner’s weight, stride efficiency, and model of shoe. Typically, lighter runners who have an efficient stride will realize longer shoe lifespans, while heavier runners who spend more time on the ground will see less. Generally speaking, you should get somewhere around 100 to 200 miles from your marathon racing shoes before the midsole begins to decompress. Visual cues, such as worn down outsole, uneven midsole compression, or holes in the upper, can be your best indicator of it being time to replace your marathon shoes. Outside of that, I’ve found if you start to question whether it’s time to replace your shoes, it’s usually time.

Masai, Kiptanui spearhead Kenya's charge at Frankfurt Marathon

The 2021 Chicago Marathon second runner-up Eric Kiptanui and Beijing 2008 Olympics 10,000m bronze medalist Linet Masai will spearhead Kenya’s charge at the Frankfurt Marathon set for October 27.

Race organizers anticipate a turnout of 12,000 participants, with expectations of a thrilling, fast-paced competition.

“We are looking forward to another high-class race that will certainly hold one or two surprises. After having the fastest race in the event's history last year in terms of the two winning times added together, we are excited to see what will be possible on October 27,” said race director Jo Schindler.

During last year’s race, Brimin Kipkorir sealed the title in 2:04:53 ahead of Ethiopian duo of Mulugeta Asefa (2:06:47) and Guye Idemo (2:07:44).

In the women’s elite race, Ethiopia’s Buzunesh Getachew (2:19:27) beat Winfred Moseti (2:20:55) and Sharon Chelimo (2:22:07) to the title.

Kiptanui enters the race with an impressive resume, including half marathon victories in Berlin (58:42) and Lisbon (1:00:05) in 2018, and Barcelona in 2019 (1:01:04).

In the marathon, he boasts a title from the Xiamen and Tuscany Marathon in 2021 (2:05:47-PB). He also secured runner-up finishes in Dubai 2020 (2:06:17) and Chicago 2021 (2:06:17).

His other accolades include a victory at the 2017 Madrid 10k Road race (27:34).

His main rival will be Ethiopia’s Herpasa Negasa, who finished second at the 2022 Seoul Marathon.

Negasa holds a personal best of 2:03:40 set during the 2019 Dubai Marathon where he placed second behind compatriot Getaneh Molla (2:03:34).

The Ethiopian’s accolades include runner-up finishes at the Hengshui 2018 Marathon (2:09:14), Lyon 2015 (2:10:17) and a second runner-up finish at the 2018 Warszawa Marathon (2:11:46).

In the women’s race, Masai will face a stern challenge from 2022 Berlin Marathon third-place finisher Tigist Abayechew.

Masai brings a rich trophy cabinet that includes bronze from the Beijing 2008 Games in the 10,000m (30:26.50) and a world title in the same event from the 2009 Berlin World Championships (30:51:24).

The 34-year-old is also a gold medalist from the 2007 World Cross Country Championships and a three-time silver medalist from Amman 2009, Bydgoszcz 2010 and Punta Umbria 2011.

In the full marathon, Masai holds a lifetime best of 2:23:46 from the 2018 Amsterdam Marathon where she finished fifth.

Abayechew holds a best of 2:18:03 she set during the Berlin Marathon, where she placed third behind Rosemary Wanjiru (2:18:00) and Tigst Assefa (2:15:37).

Eisa runs championship record to retain world U20 5000m title in Lima

On a cool, crisp evening in the Peruvian capital on Tuesday (27), Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa turned up the heat on her rivals to successfully defend her 5000m title, the highlight of the first day of action at the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24. 

Eisa’s winning time of 14:39.71 carved more than 28 seconds off the championship record set by Genzebe Dibaba, which had stood since 2010, and brought her home well clear of her compatriot Mekedes Alemeshete. The two broke away from the field from the outset and alternated pace-setting duties, passing 2000m in 5:58.59 with a 40-meter lead. 

By 3000m, reached in 8:57.28, they’d built a 70-meter lead and from there it only extended, with Eisa breaking clear of her compatriot with three and a half laps to run and lapping most of the field to hand women’s 5000m gold to Ethiopia for the eighth time in the last nine editions.

“I'm very happy with this win and to achieve a championship record after the Olympics,” said Eisa, who finished seventh in the 5000m in Paris. “I wanted to be a champion, I have wanted this for months.” 

Alemeshete followed her home in 14:57.44, with Uganda’s Charity Cherop getting bronze in a PB of 15:25.02. 

The men’s 5000m proved a very different race, with some early moves proving inconsequential and the final boiling down to a sprint finish, with seven clustered together at the bell. As the contenders hit full speed on the final turn it was Kenya’s Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi who soon took flight like a bird, soaring to victory in 13:41.14 ahead of Ethiopia’s Abdisa Fayisa (13:41.56) and Uganda’s Keneth Kiprop (13:41.73). 

Australia reigned supreme in the mixed 4x400m final, their quartet of Jordan Gilbert, Bella Pasquali, Jack Deguara and Sophia Gregorevic controlling the race and hitting the line comfortably in front in an Oceanian record of 3:19.27. Poland claimed silver in 3:20.44 with China coming through strongly for bronze in 3:21.27 courtesy of a big final leg from Liu Yinglan. 

In the men’s shot put, it was no surprise to see gold go to the Netherlands for the first time in 24 years, but it wasn’t the thrower many were expecting, with Dutch U20 record-holder Yannick Rolvink – who topped the entry lists by more than a metre – finishing fifth with 19.88m.

It was his teammate, Jarno van Daalen, who shone brightest, the 18-year-old adding 36cm to his lifetime best with his opening round effort of 20.76m. That was a mark no one else could match in the subsequent rounds, though South Africa’s JL van Rensburg came close, launching a PB of 20.74m in the final round for silver. Germany’s Georg Harpf took bronze with 20.28m. 

With four events completed in the heptathlon, Croatia’s Jana Koscak tops the standings with 3536 points, the 2022 European U18 champion adding to her 13.80 hurdles performance and 1.81m high jump earlier in the day with a 12.01m shot put and 25.12 200m in the afternoon session. 

Second overnight is Switzerland’s Lucia Acklin, who rocketed up the standings during the latter part of the day after throwing 13.42m in the shot put and clocking a PB of 24.42 in the 200m. That leaves her on 3472 points. Australia’s Mia Scerri sits third with 3385, closely followed by Czechia’s Adela Tkacova who is fourth with 3351, aided by her season’s best of 24.14 in the 200m.

"It's been a long day, but I'm happy," said Koscak. "I ran a solid 200m, a good high jump, but the hurdles and shot put could have been a little better. It's been a long process because I've been travelling a lot, with climate changes, times zones. This is the World Championships so I'm not going to complain."

In the women’s 100m semifinals, Jamaica’s Alana Reid was highly impressive when winning in 11.44 (-0.3m/s), easing off the gas far from the line to beat Nigeria’s Justina Tiana Eyakpobeyan (11.56) and Aleksandra Stoilova of Australia (11.58), who also advanced. Kishawna Niles of Barbados and Britain’s Nia Wedderburn-Goodison were the quickest qualifiers, both clocking 11.39 in the first semifinal ahead of South Africa’s Viwe Jingqi (11.49). Germany’s Chelsea Kadiri won the third semifinal in 11.52 ahead of Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands (11.59). 

Thailand’s Puripol Bonsoon, who finished fourth in this event two years ago, was the quickest qualifier for the men’s 100m final, clocking 10.30 (-0.6m/s) in the semifinals to edge South Africa’s Bradley Nkoana by one thousandth of a second. Jamaica’s Gary Card qualified in third with 10.39.

Deandre Daley of Jamaica powered to victory in the first semifinal in 10.34 (-0.9m/s) with Japan’s Naoki Nishioka taking the second automatic spot in 10.43. South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza recovered from an early stumble to win the third semifinal in 10.33 (-0.2m/s) ahead of Britain’s Teddy Wilson (10.35) and China’s He Jinxian (10.36), who also advanced. 

China’s Wang Xiaobo led the way in men’s javelin qualification, launching 73.83m with Slovenia’s Tom Tersek next best with 73.37m ahead of Germany’s Oskar Janicke (73.02m). Ukraine’s Illia Saievskyi was the only other thrower to surpass the 72.50m automatic qualification mark.

In women's pole vault qualification, the automatic qualifying mark of 4.25m wasn't necessary and four athletes cleared 4.10m with faultless performances. One vault was all it took for USA's Molly Haywood to make the final as she entered at 4.10m and cleared that first time. She'll be joined by athletes including Estonia's Miia Tillmann, Australia's Tryphena Hewett and Austria's Magdalena Rauter.

The women’s 3000m steeplechase heats saw a dominant performance from race favourite Sembo Almayew who coasted to victory in 9:30.59 ahead of Kenya’s Diana Chepkemoi and Uganda’s Nancy Chepkwurui (9:49.06). Ethiopia’s Firehiwot Gesese eased to victory in the other heat in 10:00.96 ahead of Uganda’s Loice Chekwemoi (10:01.85) and Kenya’s Sharon Chepkemoi (10:07.59). 

In His First 100-Miler, David Roche Demolishes the Legendary Leadville 100 Course Record

Matt Carpenter’s record stood for 19 years.

In his first 100-mile race of his career, trail runner and coach David Roche took down a legendary record in the sport. On Saturday, the 36-year-old broke Matt Carpenter’s storied Leadville 100 course record from 2005, winning in 15:26:34—over a 16-minute improvement of the record.

Roche won the men’s race by 30 minutes, on the dot. Adrian Macdonald was second in 15:56:34, and Ryan Montgomery placed third with a time of 16:09:40. In the women’s race Mary Denholm dominated, winning in 18:23:51. Zoë Rom took runner-up honors (21:27:41) while Julie Wright rounded out the podium in 21:48:57. 

The Leadville course is notoriously difficult, primarily due to its situation at high altitude. The town of Leadville, Colorado—where the race starts and ends—sits at 10,119 feet above sea level. The “Race Across the Sky” covers more than 18,000 feet of vertical gain and at its highest point, runners reach an elevation of 12,600 feet. (For context, “high altitude” is generally considered to begin around 5,000 feet above sea level.)

Roche went out aggressively and built a sizable cushion on Carpenter’s record of 15:42:59. At the halfway mark, Roche was ahead of course-record pace by over 25 minutes, according to iRunFar. By the 87.4 mile split, the gap had decreased to 15 minutes, but it was enough of a buffer for Roche to maintain. 

After the race, Roche posted on Instagram recapping the feat and noting some prerace nerves.

“I put a big scary goal out there early this year: chasing the historic 15:42 Leadville 100 course record by one of the GOATs, Matt Carpenter,” he wrote. “Approaching my first 100 miler, though, I’m not sure I truly believed. I kept joking about where I’d drop out and what my order would be at the Leadville Taco Bell.”

While Roche is an accomplished trail runner, he’s historically had the most success at shorter distances, like the half marathon and 50K. In 2014, he was named the 2014 USATF Sub-Ultra Trail Runner of the Year, and he’s represented Team USA internationally.

Roche, along with his wife, Megan, are well-known in the running community for their coaching business and podcast: Some Work, All Play (SWAP). According to its website, SWAP’s professional roster includes athletes like mountain running world champion Grayson Murphy, three-time Barkley Marathons finisher John Kelly, and steeplechaser/mountain runner Allie Ostrander.

WAGANESH MEKASHA RETURNS TO TCS TORONTO WATERFRONT MARATHON

Ethiopian marathon star Waganesh Mekasha has unfinished business at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and returns with the intent of achieving victory in this World Athletics Elite Label Race, October 20th.

A year ago she went toe to toe with her compatriot Buze Diriba finishing one second behind Buze’s winning time of 2:23:11. Second place on that occasion was bittersweet.

“Yes it is frustrating to lose by a second,” she admits. “I prepared well and wanted to take the course record. Unfortunately it did not happen. I thought if we had a strong pacemaker I would win that race because at 35km I was so comfortable.

“I had to go all out and sprint to make the podium. If the girls helped me I wanted to push from 35 km after the pacer dropped out.”

Waganesh has known Buze since they were both members of the Ethiopian junior team competing at the 2011 World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain. On that occasion Waganesh finished 4th overall to help her country win the gold medal while Buze was 10th.

“We are not friends and we do not train together; but we see each other in different training locations,” Waganeshsays of their relationship.

Aside from missing out on the $20,000 first place prize money - she collected $10,000 for second - Waganesh’srecollections of her initial visit to Toronto are all positive. 

"Toronto is such a beautiful city,” she declares. “The crowds are amazing and we had a beautiful racing experience.

“The race was fantastic but the pacers did not do as we needed. After 35k I wanted to push but the (other two) ladies did not help. That’s why we three had to finish in a sprint.”

The third-place finisher on the day was another Ethiopian, Afera Godfay, who finished in 2:23:15. The four seconds separating the top 3 was an anomaly in marathon racing and made for a dramatic finish although, clearly, Waganesh has another perspective.

Waganesh was able to explore downtown Toronto on her first visit albeit while keeping close to her hotel so as not to expend unnecessary energy.  A shopping excursion to a nearby mall was one outing she prioritized - to buy clothes for her children.

“I did go shopping to buy clothes for my children. And I did see my friends (Canadian residents),” she confirms.

Like most Ethiopian runners she runs to help support her family which is comprised of her two young children, Benjamin, 7, and Amen, 4 and her husband, Anwar Arega.

“I want to give them a better opportunity,” Waganeshexplains. “But I do not encourage them to be a runner. I want them to do what they enjoy.

“My husband is always on my side. He drives me to training, cooks me food and, if necessary, he acts as my physio. Generally he is always there to help me push beyond my limit.”

Along with her training partners and, under the guidance of legendary Ethiopian coach Getamesay Molla, she has already begun her buildup for Toronto Waterfront. Her personal best marathon remains the 2:22:45 she ran at the 2019 Dubai Marathon. Could this be the year she surpasses it?

Experience counts immensely in marathon racing and at the age of 32 she has plenty. On her first visit to Canada she was the 2023 Ottawa Marathon champion. More recently, on February 25th of this year, she won the Osaka Marathon in 2:24:20. 

Like many athletes who have raced Toronto Waterfront she continues to eye the course record of 2:22:16 set by Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai in 2019.

“I know the course now and want to come back stronger,” she declares. “If things go as I wish and, if we have a strong pacemaker, I will do my best to break the course record and run fast and win the race. I do believe i will run faster than that (record).”

Asked about her running future she is clear: “Age is a number, I do believe I will have another ten years ahead.”

Winfred Yavi's Bahrain heavily sanctioned by World Athletics following multiple accounts of doping scandals

Bahrain have been heavily sanctioned by World Athletics over doping scandals which will heavily impact their athletes, including Kenyan-born Olympic champion Winfred Yavi.

The World Athletics Council has approved a series of corrective actions against the Bahrain Athletics Association (BAA) following historical breaches of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (ADR). 

This decision comes after an 18-month investigation by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which uncovered serious violations linked to doping practices within the BAA.

The investigation was triggered by doping infractions involving two Bahraini athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where both were found guilty of homologous blood transfusions. 

Additionally, it was discovered that the BAA had employed a coach between 2019 and 2021 who was banned from the sport for prior anti-doping violations.

Acting negligently and recklessly in relation to doping, thereby damaging the reputation of World Athletics and the sport as a whole.

Failing to conduct proper due diligence when hiring athlete support personnel, which increased the risk of doping within the national team.

In response, the BAA admitted to the charges and has cooperated with the AIU throughout the process. As a result, the following sanctions and corrective measures have been imposed:

1.Restricted Participation: The BAA's involvement in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo 2025 will be limited to a maximum of 10 athletes, a move that could impact stars like Winfred Yavi and others.

2.12-Month Ban: The BAA will be barred from participating in any other World Athletics Series events for a period of 12 months starting from June 1, 2024.

3.Transfer Freeze: The BAA will not be allowed to apply for transfers of allegiance or recruit any foreign athletes until 2027, marking a significant shift in the association’s recruitment strategy. Yavi is one of many athletes who were recruited from other countries.

4. $7.3 Million Investment: The BAA is required to invest up to $7.3 million over the next four years in measures aimed at addressing doping and integrity issues. This includes the implementation of a detailed strategic plan and operational roadmap (SPOR), developed in coordination with the AIU, to overhaul the federation’s governance and management practices.

5. Establishment of a National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO): Bahrain will establish a WADA-compliant NADO, fully funded by the government until at least 2026. This organization has already been operational for a year, marking a significant step forward in managing doping risks.

6. Talent Development Academy: The BAA will create and fund a talent academy focused on nurturing local athletes, signaling a shift towards developing homegrown talent rather than relying heavily on foreign recruits.

7. AIU Costs: The BAA will cover the AIU’s costs associated with the investigation and the supervision of the SPOR implementation.

David Howman, Chair of the Athletics Integrity Unit, praised the BAA’s leadership for their cooperation and proactive steps in addressing the federation’s failings.

 “The BAA, to its great credit, has displayed genuine contrition about its past wrongdoings and commitment to change,” Howman said. He highlighted the establishment of a new NADO in Bahrain as a particularly significant achievement for clean sport.

Despite the BAA's past shortcomings, the AIU acknowledged that the federation's senior leadership was not involved in deliberate rule breaches and expressed satisfaction with the outcome, which aims to balance punitive measures with the goal of fostering real change within Bahrain's athletics landscape.

As Bahrain's athletes, including World Champion steeplechaser Winfred Yavi, prepare for the upcoming international competitions, the repercussions of these sanctions will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the nation’s athletic programs.

Jackson wins gold at World Masters Athletics championships

Charles Jackson’s first time overseas was a golden trip. 

He flew to Gothenburg, Sweden last week and will return Tuesday as a world champion. He won the gold in the 100-meter dash at the World Masters Athletics Stadia Championship, running in the 35-39 age group. 

“I feel honored and humbled,” Jackson said. “Honored because of the experience around other people from all over the world with the same passion and goal. Humbling to know the work that it gook to get here. I was not seeded as the top runner, so taking gold was amazing.

“(I enjoyed) seeing the 8,000 athletes from all over the world with the same passion that I had and seeing all the athletes from different countries coming together in peace and unity.”

 His world title was a photo finish. He had a strong start in the finals Thursday but the rest of the field started to catch up in the final meters. When he crossed the finish line in 10.91 seconds, he still wasn’t sure if he had won.

 He thought France’s Florent Ribet had beat him to the coveted medal, but Jackson won by a hundredth of a second.  “The start is my specialty,” Jackson said. “I have been to six regular national championships in the 60-meter dash, so I’m very explosive out of the blocks.

“My plan was to react to the gun and drive out as I usually do. My form began to break down at the end and that’s when the other guy began to come. But I held on for dear life. The times are not special at all, but the eight-hour time difference, the injury setback and the rounds take a toll. That’s why I was just so ecstatic that I persevered through adversity. The other guys were telling me that I won it, but I didn’t believe it until I saw it.”

Back in January, the Molo Middle School physical education teacher tore the meniscus and suffered a bone bruise in his right knee. 

“It was believed that I would not be able to recover from it fully and especially for Worlds,” Jackson said. “January, February and March I was limping and in pain.

“With much prayer and dry needling, I recovered enough to train at the end of April, so in June I ran two track meets and just prepared for Worlds.”  He conserved energy in the first preliminary round to win his heat at 11.33 seconds and fifth overall. In the semifinals, he dropped to 10.96 and was second in his heat behind the top qualifier for the finals, Kenya’s Ibrahim Muyah Makonjo (10.72).

Mankonjo was third in the finals at 10.97.  “When running rounds, I adjust according to the field of runners in my heat. So if I’m running and the other guys are behind me, I don’t have to run so hard because I have another round to run. “

 He had hopped to medal in the 200 as well but finished fifth in that even at 22.55 on Monday. He also was part of the sixth-place 4×100 relay team (43.90) on Saturday.  Jackson, a five-time champion in the 100 (3) and 200 (2) at the USA Track and Field Masters Outdoor Championships, doesn’t plan to attend the next WMA outdoor championship in South Korea in 2026 but will go to the WMA indoor championship in Gainesville, Florida, in March of 2025 to compete in the event he considers his specialty, the 60-meter dash.

Leadville 100 sees long-standing course record fall

This year's edition of "the race across the sky" saw history-making performances on both the men's and women's sides

Leadville 100, known as the “race across the sky” for its stunning vistas as it traverses the Colorado Rockies, has been a staple in the ultrarunning community since its inception in 1983. This year’s event saw blistering performances in both the men’s and women’s races, with popular coach and author David Roche taking 16 minutes off the long-standing course record, and women’s race winner Mary Denholm recording the second-fastest time ever at the event.

The 100-mile race has runners climbing nearly 4,800 metres of elevation gain over rugged mountain trails, and runners begin and end in Leadville, Colo.

Women’s race

Denholm took off hot and dominated the competition from start to finish. By the halfway point, she had built an insurmountable 50-minute lead. She crossed the finish line in 18:23:51, securing the second-fastest time ever recorded for the women’s race, just short of legendary Ann Trason’s mark of 18:06:24, set in 1994. Denholm was followed by fellow American runners Zoe Rom in 21:27:41, and Julie Wright in 21:48:57.

Alberta’s Ailsa MacDonald and Molly Hurford of Ontario were initially in contention for podium positions, but both faced challenges that saw them taking DNFs. Hurford left the race after suffering a badly sprained ankle, and MacDonald after dealing with unrelenting gut issues.

Men’s race

Like Denholm, Roche set a fast pace from the start and built on his lead throughout the race. His time of 15:26:34 took more than 16 minutes off the previous course record, set by Matt Carpenter in 2005. He was followed in by U.S. ultrarunners Adrian Macdonald in 15:56:34, and Ryan Montgomery in 16:09:40.

Pete Kostelnick, a well-known ultrarunner famous for completing the fastest transcon run of the U.S. in 2016 (42 days, six hours and 30 minutes), made a remarkable return to running earlier this year after recovering from a severe car accident that resulted in multiple pelvic fractures. In May, Kostelnick finished the Cocodona 250, followed by Badwater 135 only a few weeks ago; he finished Leadville 100 in 24:30:18.

Calgary’s Reiner Pauwwe took the 28th overall position (24th man) in 22:16:59.

Why Eliud Kipchoge will still be at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 following dissapointment in Paris

Kipchoge has confirmed he will be involved in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics following his unprecedented setback in Paris last Saturday that forced him to withdraw.

Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya's legendary marathon runner and two-time Olympic gold medalist, has set his sights on a new chapter after returning home from the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

While the world had high expectations for another podium finish, Kipchoge’s focus has now shifted from competition to inspiring the next generation of athletes and the wider public.

Widely celebrated for his resilience and unparalleled achievements in long-distance running, Kipchoge spoke candidly about his future during a recent interview.

Despite the challenges and the outcome in Paris, Kipchoge emphasized his excitement for the future, particularly with an eye on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

"As an athlete, I will be at the Olympics in another capacity to inspire hope and optimism not just in my country and continent, but across the entire world," Kipchoge stated, as quoted on Citizen Digital. 

While he has confirmed that he will not be competing, Kipchoge’s presence at the 2028 Olympics will be one of inspiration rather than competition.

“The future of the marathon in Kenya is bright; it is only a matter of molding the next generation and guiding them on what is needed to excel,” Kipchoge stated on Olympics. Com. His reflections underscore his belief in Kenya’s potential to continue producing world-class marathon runners.

“I will not go into coaching. I have many other things to do. I will travel around the country motivating people,” he revealed, signaling a shift from his active role in competitive sports to one centered on inspiration and mentorship.

Kipchoge's return from Paris marked a moment of introspection for the marathon icon. Having dominated the sport for years, he has now decided to step away from global running competitions.

 Kipchoge's legacy as a marathon legend is undeniable. Over his career, he has participated in approximately 20 world marathons, securing 15 victories. His 2019 world record of 1:59:40 in Vienna remains unchallenged, a testament to his extraordinary talent and dedication.

However, as he steps off the track, Kipchoge is determined to continue making an impact, this time through motivation and mentorship.

Team USA destroys mixed 4×400 world record in heats

On the opening day of track and field at the Paris Olympics, the U.S. has already set the stage for the incredible performances to be expected over the next week. Team USA’s mixed 4x400m relay knocked down the first world record of the competition on Aug. 2–in heats. The squad demolished their own previous world by more than a second–clocking 3:07.41.

Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown were tasked with securing a top three finish in their heat in the relay. They went above and beyond to take down the country’s previous world record in the event, 3:08.80, set at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

Team USA won the entire round by more than three seconds, with France as the next-fastest team, finishing in 3:10.60 in front of their home crowd. Four other teams in the heat achieved new national records.

“I’ve gotten quite a few practices in over the last few days and we’ve just gotten better,” Shamier Little told media after running the second leg for the Americans. “We’ve got great chemistry.” Both of the next-fastest qualifying times for the final came from their heat.

The mixed 4x400m relay final will take place on Aug. 3 at 2:55 p.m. ET.

Athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place from Aug. 1-11. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and New Balance Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.

Olympic Track and Field Stars Are Wearing Luxury Watches. Why?

IN TRACK AND FIELD, tenths (and even hundredths) of a second can make or break a race. Performance depends on extremely precise measurements and time rules all. So it makes sense that luxury watch brands would look to those athletes as natural billboards, placing their timepieces on the wrists of some of the sport's top performers.

When Noah Lyles, the fastest man in the world, settled into the blocks for the 200-meter finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, 4.5 million viewers tuning in via NBC and Peacock could see the glint of the sun off what appeared to be a $50,000 Omega watch.

Wearing this type of timepiece during a 19.53-second sprint is clearly a flex, since “there’s no performance reason for [these athletes] to wear luxury watches,” explains Aaron Rapf, the founder and CEO of Advantage Sports Marketing Group, a sports agency that connects brands with athletes.

Runners are no stranger to pricy performance watches (a high-end Garmin can cost upwards of $900), and luxury watch companies are increasingly aligned with elite runners to “connect their company values to the sports landscape—which is one of the last bastions of true culture,” he adds. “If you want to be in a moment where you attract millions of people’s eyeballs at one time, it’s sports.”

These race day cameos are part of a more subtle approach to marketing, says Pierre-Loïc Assayag, CEO and co-founder of Traackr, an influencer marketing software company. “In the past, luxury brands were more focused on the product and the luxury associated with that product,” he says. “Now, these companies are taking the top athletes and putting them in front of their target audience, or one close to it, to demonstrate by proximity that ‘we are the precision brand’ or ‘we are the endurance brand.”

The kind of maneuvering uses a third party—one that’s fast, flashy, and accomplishing amazing feats—to craft an image the brand wants audiences to respond to. And by choosing athletes as brand champions, companies deftly align themselves with the hallmarks of high performance: precision, prestige, innovation, exclusivity, heritage, and craftsmanship.

In the past, those buzzwords were more likely to call to mind country club-esque activities (think: tennis or horseback riding) or auto racing, where the traditional consumer has been very upper class, living a high-cost lifestyle. But as culture skews more towards sport, health, and wellness, leaning into the popularity of running opens companies up to a new class of consumers, says Jessica Quillan, a luxury fashion brand and content strategist. “Track and field seems more accessible, because even though these athletes are performing at a super elevated level, anyone can go out and run,” she explains.

By association, watches become a more accessible form of wearable luxury. You may not wear one to train or on race day like the elite, sponsored atheltes, but a sporty aesthetic can translate into your everyday life; post-run, you can still swap your COROS smartwatch for a sleek, sporty timepiece from a brand like Omega (which happens to sponsor the Diamond League, an annual series of pro track and field competitions). And though you may not be ready to buy a five-figure watch now, these companies are playing the long game; by connecting themselves with major players in sport, they’re hoping to build brand recognition and loyalty among potential future customers.

The Watch Brands Olympic Runners Are Wearing

For those looking to upgrade their Garmin—now or as a future reward for finally achieving that personal best—these are a few of the luxury watches your favorite track and field stars have been sporting.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who will represent Team USA in Paris again after breaking her own World Record in the 400-meter hurdles in June, has been sponsored by Tag Heuer since 2021.

Tag Heuer is often considered the Cadillac of luxury watches, and McLaughlin-Levrone’s preferred watch, the Connected Calibre E4, is closest to the average runner’s GPS smartwatch: It operates on Wear OS by Google; has a 1.28-inch AMOLED display with crisp resolution; houses a heart rate sensor, barometer, and compass; and holds a 24-hour charge, including a one-hour sports session. The basic model, which includes a rubber strap, starts at $1,250.

Olympic bronze medalist Josh Kerr is a double World Champion—in the 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter—which made him a natural representative for Swiss watch brand Longines, the official partner and timekeeper of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Kerr, who is not currently working with Longines, recently ran a 3:45.34 in the Bowerman Mile, a historic and prestigious race held annually at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, OR, to set a new world-leading time in the event and a new British record. Back in 2022, Kerr wore the-limited edition HydroConquest XXII Commonwealth Games, a sporty steel dive watch with an automatic caliber, or engine, one-directional ceramic bezel, luminescent indices and hands, and an anti-reflective coating for crystal clear readability in any situation.

In addition to their Paris 2024 partnership, Omega is the official sponsor of the Diamond League (an annual series of elite track and field competitions) and counts Noah Lyles—one of the biggest personalities in track and field—as an ambassador. Lyles, who earned a bronze medal in the 200-meter race at the 2020 Tokyo Games and has his sights on breaking Usain Bolt’s records in the 100- and 200-meter races, wears Omega’s iconic Speedmaster Moonphase.

This style was introduced in the 1980s, but the latest model—an oversized, steel-on-steel timepiece—was the first to earn a Master Chronometer certification thanks to a self-winding engine designed to withstand temperature fluctuations, water immersion, and electromagnetic frequencies. The timepiece can also hold up to the shock that comes with covering 100 meters in less than 10 seconds (when it's on Lyles's wrist, at least).

Sprinter Dina Asher-Smith is the fastest British woman on record, with two Olympic bronze medals from the 4 x 100-meter relay to her name. She’s also no stranger to luxury partnerships, having previously modeled for Louis Vuitton, Valentino, and Off-White, and has been working with Hublot since 2018. Asher-Smith has promoted a variation on Hublot’s flagship model, the Big Bang One Click, which starts at $14,200.

Its smaller face was designed for slimmer wrists, and uses the brand’s patented “One Click” fastening system so wearers can swap out the straps for other colors or materials. The sporty, semi-skeletonized hands balance out flashiness of the diamonds on the bezel, and a self-winding caliber packs plenty of power into the compact timepiece.

Ahead of what she says will be her final Olympic Games, Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce—the most decorated athlete in 100-meter history—announced a partnership with Richard Mille. Fraser-Pryce wears the RM 07-04 Automatic Sport, the first women’s sports watch from the McLaren of watch brands, which retails at $185,000 (it’s the same watch Nafi Thiam, a double Olympic champion from Belgium, wore while setting a new pentathlon world record in 2023). The skeletonized aesthetic is housed in a compact case with rigid finishings for shock-resistance, and the button on the side allows the wearer to switch between winding, neutral, and time setting modes for the crown. While it would be nearly impossible to read during a race, at 36 grams it’s lighter than most standard running watches.

Bix 7 Notebook: Samuelson, Keflezighi collect more Bix hardware

The four legendary runners who appeared at various Quad-City Times Bix 7 events this week all made it through the grand 50th-anniversary race just fine.

In fact, two of them came away with awards.

Joan Samuelson, who has won four Bix 7 women’s championships and 15 masters titles, was the winner of the women’s 65-69 age group and she did it in record time — 50 minutes, 47 seconds. She now holds the women’s course record in four age groups — 50-54, 55-59, 60-64 and 65-69.

Meanwhile, two-time Bix 7 champion Meb Keflezighi added the men’s 45-49 age group championship to his resume on Saturday.

Keflezighi said he wasn’t really sure he was going to push himself in the race, but with the crowd cheering and urging him on, he couldn’t help himself. He covered the course in 41:37.

At one point, Keflezighi encountered a man who told him he’d had dreams of running the race with him.

“Then he took off, but I caught up with him and said ‘Let’s make your dreams come true,’’’ Keflezighi said.

Bill Rodgers, who won the Bix in 1980 and 1981 and has run it every year since, finished Saturday's run in a time of 1:19:46.

Two-time Olympic medalist Frank Shorter, who like Rodgers is 76, did the two-mile Quick Bix. But he said he still had a great time, marveling at how many times little kids breezed past him along the way.

At one point, a mother with a small daughter who Shorter estimated to be 5 or 6, came up alongside him. The mom told the girl to just go ahead and take off if she wanted. She’d see her at the finish line. The girl turned on the jets and took off.

“You could almost see the vapor trail,’’ Shorter joked.

Age-group records: Samuelson wasn’t the only person to set a course record for their age group.

It also was accomplished by Lucas Hollingshead of Elkhart, Ind., in the men’s 15-under division (37:41) and Richard Kutzner of Clear Lake, Iowa, in the men’s 80-84 (1:04:10).

And for the first time, the Bix 7 had 85-over divisions so the winners there obviously established records. The winners were Dave Zimmer of Long Grove, Iowa, and Norma Mullins of Moline.

Another Hird win: The first runner across the finish line in the Prairie Farms Quick Bix was a familiar face.

Zach Hird, a former Alleman High School runner who now lives in Naperville, Ill., won the Bix 7’s two-mile alternative in a time of 9 minutes, 48 seconds.

Hird won the Gregg Newell Trophy as the top local finisher in the seven-mile race in both 2018 and 2019.

The first female finisher in the Quick Bix on Saturday was Jennifer Douglass of Assumption, Ill.

Unbreakable Glass: Bryan Glass knows his Bix history well. Already a five-time master's champion, Glass put his name in the same breath as one of the Bix legends with a strong race Saturday.

At the age of 50, Glass finished the seven miles in 38 minutes, 21 seconds, becoming just the second runner 50 or older to run the race in under 40 minutes. The first? Bill Rodgers.

Glass was only 11 seconds off the 50+ record set by Rodgers — who ran 38:10 back in 1998.

"It was my goal for the last year, knowing that I could do it, I knew I could. Now, I ran faster than I ever thought I could do today, but I think it was just God giving me the ability to be prepared today, and I went for it."

Glass has a long history of running. He was a state champ at Geneseo and went to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He's also a member of the Springfield Road Runners Club Hall of Fame.

This is another accolade Glass has to be proud of.

"It's emotional because you work so hard for so many years," Glass said. "I never thought I'd get to the point where I'd have a chance to put my name up with Bill Rodgers. Now I know he's above anything I would ever beat, but to know that I'm in that same class in some sense in my home area, makes me so proud."

A rare Bix triple: Credit to recent Bettendorf High School graduate Maya Williams for giving it her all during the 50th QCT Bix 7 week. The standout sprinter pulled off a rare double on Thursday, running two races in the Brady Street Sprints — winning the open women's race and anchoring the Bulldogs' relay team to the high school girls' title.

Just for good measure, she figured she would jump into Saturday's 7-miler. Making that decision Friday evening didn't give her much recovery time. She posted a 1:18.21 clocking on Saturday.

RRCA honors: The Bix 7 served as the national championship race for the Road Runners Club of America on Saturday, which meant a little additional hardware for some runners.

In addition to men’s champion Wesley Kiptoo and women’s champion Raechel Chebet, Samuelson was honored as the women’s 60-over champion and Glass as the men’s 50-over champ.

Other honorees were Artur Mueller of Davenport, men 40-over; Jess Hruska of Dubuque, women 40-over; Kate Maurer of Urbandale, Iowa, women 50-over; and Rick Torres of Elizabethtown, Ky., men 60-64.

Weather vane: Saturday's weather for the race was nearly perfect. At race time, it was 68 degrees with a manageable 81% humidity. It was just the 18th time in 50 events that the race started with a temperature under 70 degrees.

Making her mark: Paityn Noe, last year’s Bix 7 high school girls’ top finisher, came back this year and had another solid race.

The University of Arkansas freshman from Huxley, Iowa (Ballard High School), was the seventh women’s finisher, clocking a time of 38 minutes, 34 seconds, just 2:13 behind winner Rachael Chebet.

In May, she finished second in the SEC Championships 10,000-meter run, clocking a 33:57.35. She also finished fifth last fall in the SEC cross country meet, running 19:43.7 for the 6,000-meter race.

Enjoy the day: Maggie Montoya, who was the third female overall finisher in Saturday’s Bix 7, enjoyed her first run through the streets of Davenport with 16,586 other people.

“When you’re surrounded by this mass of people, it brings you back to racing a marathon and being around people,” she said after finishing in 37:13. “It was nice to be back in that atmosphere.

“… There’s something about being surrounded by so many people that really adds to the event. It was fun being back out on the roads again.”

13-minute start: How long does it take for 16,587 to cross the starting line? The group of runners dressed as Elvis Presley, who almost always bring up the rear of the pack, finally got to the starting line when the race was 13 minutes old.

A Lifetime Journey of Fueling Mistakes

It's helpful to know what your stomach can tolerate before a run—even that backfires sometimes.

During the 2023 New York City Marathon, Runner’s World set up shop in an empty storefront on West 57th Street with Adidas and hosted three days of inspiring talks, shakeout runs, and shoe demos.

Because of a last-minute cancellation by one guest speaker, I was called in to talk about nutrition. This was bound to be interesting. See, around the office, I’m known for doing things in unconventional or even questionable ways. I’ll go on long runs without any water or gels. At lunch, I’m more likely to grab McDonald’s or a gas station hoagie than a salad. Sometimes it works—sometimes it doesn’t. But I know the sage advice this magazine dispenses, even if I don’t heed it in my daily running life.

For the duration of the nutrition panel, I did as instructed. But purely for your entertainment, I offer a sampling of questionable fueling strategies and gastronomical gaffes that I have jotted down in my training log over the past couple of decades.

In case it’s not clear by now: You’re better off not following my example!

A new marathon PR! By nearly 5 minutes. Wasn’t sure what was going to happen today, really. I hadn’t slept well the last few nights. Plus, I ate a brisket sandwich for dinner and Pepto-Bismol for dessert last night.

10/15/2014 Seven Miles: 

Note to self: Buffalo chicken pizza is a no-go if running after work. Great run with G.H., but I had some stomach issues 2 miles from the end and had to jump into the bushes. Not fun. The run, however, was.

9/20/2009 Adirondack Marathon: 

One to forget. I was moving along well and was in second place overall for the first 22 miles. But had trouble keeping fluids down today and couldn’t keep it together when I got warm on the front half of the course. Maybe I shouldn’t eat a sausage sandwich at midnight before the race next year.

5/5/2017 Taco Mile: 

I spent $129 at Taco Bell today. Filled 2 Ikea bags. Eat a taco, run a lap, repeat. That was fun. I was slow. But it was still a lot of fun.

10/11/2021 Boston Marathon: 

Had lots of support out there. Frank gave me his mimosa at mile 18. 

5/20/2020 Seven Miles: 

Burping up the egg and pork roll sandwich I ate for lunch. Whoops.

6/16/2017 Beer Mile: 

Fourth lap, beer going down good, but I started laughing when Kit yakked. I nearly did myself, but spewed a mouthful of beer, earning myself a penalty lap. Damn.

12/2/2019 Four Miles: 

Got a late start to the day, but sneaked out for a lunch run. A good snowfall. Stopped at Burger King on my way back home. 2 for $6 Whoppers. Yay.

2/4/2024 19 Miles Long Run: 

Felt hungry when I ran past a 7-11, so I stopped in for a donut (and Gatorade).

11/10/2017 Five Miles: 

Ate a chicken Caesar wrap too late in the day. Vomited a little on the Brooklyn Bridge and nearly pooped my tights. Oof. 

12/21/2015 Seven Miles: 

We went to Joe’s Shanghai for a work holiday lunch. 1:30 reservation means I burped up dumplings for 7 miles after work. Not fun.

Are You Drinking Water Wrong? According to Researchers, You Probably Are

Here’s how to hydrate for better performance.Here’s how to hydrate for better performance.Staying hydrated seems simple enough—drink water when you’re thirsty and stop when you feel like you’re done, right? Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that, especially for runners. 

That’s because not understanding the complicated equation of race distance and intensity combined with water and electrolyte intake can ruin a long run or race, not to mention have serious health repercussions. Drink too little and your ability to power through your workout suffers; drink too much and you can get sidelined by nausea and frequent pee breaks. 

And even though you might first worry about dehydration for those summer runs, researchers found that the newer you are to running and the slower you run, the more likely it is that you will drink too much water while racing. (We’ll talk more about this later.)

To that end, much of the research demonstrates that mastering the art of hydration when you run isn’t as simple as it seems. Keep reading to find out if you drink water the wrong way—and how to drink water right.

6 Ways You Drink Water Wrong and 6 Ways to Drink Water Right

❌ Wrong Way: Gulping water during a race

✅ Right Way: Sip as you run

It’s okay to slow a little to make sure you’re getting in your fluids during a race, but gulping water at each aid station can ultimately slow you down and also lead to an upset stomach.

That’s because drinking too much water too quickly overloads the stomach, causing it to rapidly stretch. This can lead to discomfort and potential nausea, Justin Mullner, M.D., a board-certified primary care sports physician with the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute in Florida tells Runner’s World.

Take small sips of water (or electrolyte drink) every 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the temperature and intensity of the run.

Combining a run with too much water is even more likely to cause nausea. That’s because intense exercise directs blood flow away from the stomach and toward the muscles, causing digestion to slow down. “So you put a bunch of water in there and the stomach really can’t handle it effectively and efficiently,” Mullner says.

A better strategy is to take small sips of water (or electrolyte drink) every 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the temperature and intensity of the run. “This approach helps maintain a steady level of hydration and prevents the stomach from becoming overly full,” Meghan Kennihan, a RRCA- and USATF-certified running coach, tells Runner’s World.

❌ Wrong Way: Drinking from a dirty water bottle✅ Right Way: Regularly clean your bottle

Your trusty water bottle is always there when you need it. Sadly, constant use means you’re probably getting more than water. Unless you regularly clean your water bottle—which means daily according to Mullner—you could be getting a dose of bacteria or even mold.

Every time you put your mouth to the water bottle and use your hands to open and close it, you transfer bacteria that can make its way inside. The moist environment inside your water bottle provides an optimal breeding ground for bacteria and mold, especially if you live in hot, humid areas. If left unchecked, the bacteria and mold can continue growing, potentially causing you to experience symptoms similar to food poisoning (such as stomach pain or cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting), per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with mold sensitivities can have a flare-up of allergy symptoms.Ideally, you’d wash out your reusable bottle—whether plastic, stainless steel, or glass—with soap and warm water each time, Mullner says. “It’s even more important if you’re using the bottle every single day or drinking beverages other than water,” he says. Mixing electrolyte powders or adding a sports drink to your bottle, for example, means more material for bacteria.Signs your bottle could use a good scrubbing include visible residue, a funny or foul odor, or changes in how things taste, Mullner says.

❌ Wrong Way: Waiting too long to hydrate before a run or race✅ Right Way: Start early

When preparing for a long run or race, many runners forget to hydrate until they’re practically toeing the starting line, “which is a bad idea because it doesn’t give the body enough time to absorb and utilize the fluids,” Kennihan says.

Staying well-hydrated in the days leading up to your long run or race can help you perform well, avoid feeling overly full, and reduce restroom stops. Be especially diligent about drinking water starting the day before a long run or race, and check your urine color to be sure you’re getting enough. “Really dark yellow is a sign that you’re not well-hydrated,” Mullner says. “Ideally, it has a slight tinge of yellow.”

Drink 16 to 20 ounces of water about 2 to 3 hours beforehand and then another 8 to 10 ounces 20 to 30 minutes before running.

Individual fluid needs vary. However, a general guideline for the day of the event is to drink 16 to 20 ounces of water about 2 to 3 hours beforehand and then another 8 to 10 ounces 20 to 30 minutes before running, Kennihan says. You may need to adjust your intake according to your body size, run distance, and outside temperature.

❌ Wrong Way: Drinking too much water on long runs✅ Right Way: Balance electrolyte intake with water

It’s critical to drink enough water during long training runs and races. However, drinking lots of water, and only water, can lead to overhydration, meaning you have too much water in your body.

Hyponatremia is an extreme version of overhydration, and occurs when sodium levels in the blood are lower than recommended, leading to muscle cramps, headaches, nausea and vomiting, low energy, and confusion, per the Cleveland Clinic. Normally, your body keeps your electrolytes in balance by taking the minerals from the foods you eat and filtering the excess through your urine. However, intense exercise causes electrolytes (particularly sodium) to be quickly lost through sweat, and hot, humid temperatures only accelerate this loss, per the American College of Sports Medicine. 

It's not just new runners who tend to overhydrate. At the other end of the spectrum, 41 out of 63 finishers at an ultramarathon also finished with mild or severe hyponatremia, according to a 2019 Frontiers in Nutrition study.

Take in electrolytes in addition to water if you’re running for longer than 60 minutes or in hot, humid temperatures. Drinking water without replacing electrolytes dilutes the remaining electrolytes (again, sodium in particular) in your blood. “You can potentially get yourself into trouble with hyponatremia,” Mullner says.

To prevent an electrolyte imbalance, take in electrolytes in addition to water if you’re running for longer than 60 minutes or in hot, humid temperatures. Bring an electrolyte drink, some gels, or another electrolyte supplement.

❌ Wrong Way: Drinking a pure sports drink✅ Right Way: Water it down

Sports drinks offer a convenient delivery system for carbs and electrolytes while running. Still, many runners prefer to water things down.

“Many sports drinks are too concentrated, leading to stomach cramps and nausea. Diluting them can still provide the necessary electrolytes and carbohydrates without overwhelming the stomach,” Kennihan notes.

The optimal ratio of sports drink to water depends on your preferences and the makeup of your drink. Mullner suggests diluting your sports drink to the point where it’s most palatable for you.

Diluting sports drinks can still provide the necessary electrolytes and carbohydrates without overwhelming the stomach.

The exception: Don’t dilute a sports drink that contains carbohydrates if you’re using it for energy purposes. “Some sports drinks have carbs in there to help extend the amount of time you can perform, and if you’re trying to absorb carbs better, you would have it with some electrolytes,” Mullner says. Adding water can cut down on how many carbs you get per sip, limiting performance benefits.❌ Wrong Way: You don‘t know about your med’s side effects

✅ Right Way: You read labels and talk to your pharmacist

Some over-the-counter and prescription medications can affect an athlete’s hydration, says Kennihan. NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, can reduce blood flow to the kidneys, which can impair their ability to conserve water and electrolytes, potentially leading to dehydration, especially during prolonged physical activity like running. 

Similarly, diuretics, which are prescribed for conditions such as hypertension and edema, increase urine production and promote the excretion of water and electrolytes from the body. Increased urine output can lead to a significant loss of fluids and electrolytes, making it easier for runners to become dehydrated, particularly in hot and humid conditions or during long-distance runs. 

Likewise, antihistamines can reduce saliva production and increase the risk of dry mouth and dehydration, while laxatives can cause increased bowel movements and fluid loss.Lastly, stimulant medications, such as those used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), can increase sweating and fluid loss, potentially leading to dehydration if fluid intake is not adequately maintained.

Bottom line: As a runner, remember that hydration is as much a part of your performance as actual time on your feet. 

The authors of a 2019 article published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism recommended that runners develop a “personalized and practiced race plan” to optimize their fluid and carbohydrate intake based not only on their distance and intensity, but also taking into account their body composition, as well as the weather and other race conditions, such as refueling stations, at each event.

8 Things You Need to Know About the Paris Olympics—Plus How to Watch

The biggest sport at the Paris Olympic Games will be held on August 1-11. And while it’s the oldest Olympic discipline, a lot will be new about track and field this year.

A lot has changed in the last 100 years. Feathers, jazz, and radios are out. Mom jeans, T-Swift, and TikTok are in.

(We don’t make up the rules.)

Dirt tracks have been replaced by vibrant shades of bouncy mondo. Leather shoes cower next to featherlight carbon-plated spikes. Scouts sprinting along marathons, calling in the action by telephone to announcers projecting the information to spectators sitting in the stands, have been put out of business by helicopters and motorcades livestreaming the race on TV.

But one thing hasn’t changed: the 2024 Olympic Games will be held in Paris, France—where they were held for the last time exactly 100 years ago. And once again, track and field will be the star of the show.

(Sorry, break dancing and skateboarding.)

Here’s what you need to know about track and field, or what the rest of the world calls “athletics,” at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on August 1-11.

Of the 10,000 athletes from 206 nations competing in 329 events at the Paris Olympic Games, 1,800 of them will be in the 48 events of track and field. That makes track and field by the numbers the biggest of the 32 sports.

It’s a fitting designation for a historic sport that traces its roots back to about 200 B.C. in Ancient Greece and the birth of the Olympics. Then, men (yes, just men) competed in sprints, the long jump, discus, and javelin to celebrate human potential  and to honor the gods.

Those events are all still contended today (plus a whole lot more that would make the Ancient Greeks—and many of our contemporaries, for that matter—scratch their heads, like the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 20K racewalk), giving special import to this sporting discipline.

In addition: unlike say, soccer or basketball, which have the Football World Cup and the NBA Finals, the Olympics represents the pinnacle of the sport for track and field. For all the disciplines within track and field, from the 100 meters, to hammer throw, to the decathlon, there is no higher honor than winning Olympic gold.

It’s been a long, arduous road since Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, famously said that the point of the Olympics was “the solemn and periodic exaltation of male athleticism…with the applause of women as reward.”

At the 1900 Olympics, also in Paris, 22 women defied Coubertin’s dream and competed in a total of five events: croquet, equestrian, golf, sailing, and tennis. They made up a minuscule 2.2 percent of the 997-person field. This year, thanks to tireless work starting with the International Olympic Committee, the Paris Olympics will be the first to (basically) achieve gender parity.

Of the 329 medal events, 157 will be contested among men, five more than the 152 for women. (There are also 20 mixed-gender events, including the mixed-gender 4×400-meter relay on the track and the mixed-gender marathon race walk relay.) But within the 32 sports, 28 are gender equal—including, for the first time, track and field.

The devil is in the details, and if we’re putting true parity paramount then there’s still some work to go. Even within track and field, the men still compete in the decathlon (10 events) while the women compete in the heptathlon (seven). And then there’s everyone on the team beyond the athletes themselves: in Tokyo three years ago, 13 percent of coaches were women—and that’s up from 11 percent in Rio in 2016. A quarter of National Olympic Committees give less prize money to women gold medalists than men.

Speaking of prize money, track and field is breaking barriers this Olympics by becoming the first sport to give out prize money. Gold medalists in both women’s and men’s races will win $50,000, with relay teams splitting that pot four ways. In total, that’s $2.4 million that World Athletics will be coughing up to foot the bill, a sign of change for how the Olympics have bloomed from an exhibit of amateurism to full-blown commercialization.

Notably, this prize money is less than World Athletics hands out at the World Athletics Championships, which awarded gold medalists $70,000 in Budapest last summer. World Athletics intends to extend prize money to silver and bronze medalists at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

That prize money from World Athletics remains separate from prize money awarded by some national federations—including the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which will award $37,500, $22,500, and $15,000 to Team USA gold, silver, and bronze medalists, respectively, in Paris.

Paris vowed to make this Olympics the greenest ever, building as little new infrastructure as possible and using the city’s iconic landmarks as venue backdrops instead. Rather than build dazzling new stadiums which quickly fall into disuse and disrepair after the Games—as we’ve seen at previous Olympics—Paris opted to revamp existing infrastructure, some of it dating back to the last Olympic Games here in 1924.

The Stade de Yves-du-Manoir, the main stadium of the 1924 games which hosted among other things track and field, has a new 1,000-seat grandstand and will host the field hockey events.

The pastel-colored high-rise apartments of the Olympic Village, where many athletes stay during the Games, add a splash of color to Seine-Saint-Denis, the poorest area not only in Paris, but the country. Water pumped from deep below the earth cool the apartments made from a mix of wood and concrete (although many delegations have requested AC units nonetheless) and the avenues outside are made from a permeable pavement composed of crushed seashells that cool the streets by allowing water stored underneath the ground to evaporate on hot days.

This initiative has also fast-tracked cleaning up the famously romantic and infamously gray city. Paris has built 250 new miles of bike lanes, continued to expand its Metro network, allegedly cleaned up the Seine, and planted 300,000 new trees.

Track and field will be held on France’s biggest stage, quite literally. Built for the 1998 Football World Cup, Stade de France seats more than 80,000, making it the largest stadium in France. It’s home to the French national football (soccer) and rugby teams as well as the country’s biggest concerts.

As you’ve probably seen by now, the track has been resurfaced to purple for the Games. The shade is reminiscent of lavender, a homage to both the creativity of the 2024 Olympics and to the ash-colored track at the 1924 Olympic Games across the city.

If you’ve watched track and field meets in the past, you may have been confused why some athletes names’ appear with a big “Q” or a little “q” on the scoreboard after the preliminary and semi-final rounds.

If that’s you, don’t stress. In the spirit of second chances, and well, simplicity, the Paris Games are doing away with this system (for the most part).

For the first time ever, individual track events ranging from the 200 meters to the 1500 meters (including hurdles races) will include a “repechage” round. Athletes in the preliminary round who do not automatically qualify for the semi-final will have an opportunity to race their way into the next round through this additional heat, the entomology of which comes from repêchage, or “second chance” in French.

Under this new format, events will have four rounds: preliminary, repechage, semi-final, and final. This guarantees that every athlete competing in the 100 through the 1500 will have the opportunity to race twice. The number of athletes who will advance out of the repechage to the semi-final varies depending on the event.

The repechage round replaces the former system, in which athletes advanced by running the fastest in their heats (Q), plus the next best getting in on time (q).

The 100 meters already has an additional round of preliminary heats, and the distance events (3,000-meter steeplechase, 5,000, and 10,000) require adequate time to recover, so these events will be conducted without the repechage round.

Expanding on the theme of gender equality at the Paris Olympics, the marathon route pays homage to a pivotal moment in women’s history during the French Revolution: the Women’s March on Versailles. The roughly 160 competitors in the men’s and women’s races (as well as the citizen’s race, Paris 2024 Marathon Pour Tous) will follow in the footsteps of roughly 7,000 Parisian women and men who marched from Paris to Versailles on October 5-6, 1789 to demand bread and arms. (It worked: King Louis XVI finally agreed to sign the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens that day.)

Just like those disgruntled Parisians 235 years ago, runners will start at Hôtel de Ville, the city hall in the center of Paris, and will make their way on foot to the Palace of Versailles about 12 miles to the west. Along the way, runners will pass through nine districts of the Île-de-France, against a backdrop of the City of Light’s most iconic landmarks, parks, and forests, including the Place de Concorde, Rue de Rivoli, Tuileries Garden, and, of course, the Louvre.

In addition to being steeped in history and splendor, the course will be particularly grueling for a road race: the middle section packs some kickers that add up to over 1,430 feet of climbing and descent, with a maximum grade of 13.5 percent. Throw in some heat and humidity and we’re in for two unpredictable, action-packed events.

You may be wondering why race walking, in which competitors basically try and cheat as much as possible without getting caught, is an Olympic discipline. We are, too. Just watching race walkers swing those hips along at 6-minute per mile paces seems injury-inducing. But hey, three-on-three basketball, badminton, and trampoline are in the Olympics, too, so who are we to judge.

But judging is in fact a critical component of sport. Race walking rules stipulate that competitors must keep one foot on the ground at all times, to the point where any loss of contact is not visible with the naked eye. In other words, the rules are basically begging athletes to cheat and run without getting away with it. In addition, the lead leg must remain straight until that leg passes under the body. Using just the naked eye, that is, no technology whatsoever, judges monitor competitors to try and uphold these regulations.

For the first time since the discipline became an Olympic event in 2000, race walking will provide gender-equal medal opportunities. There will be a men’s and women’s 20K race, as well as a marathon-distance mixed-gender relay, which will replace the men’s 50K.

In a highly unique format, the mixed-gender relay will see 25 teams of one man and one woman each. They’ll complete a marathon-distance race broken up into four 10K chunks, with each competitor racing twice (man, woman, man, woman).

Perhaps the greatest improvement from the 1924 Olympic Games is that we can watch it all without even being there. NBC Universal, the American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that owns the media rights to the Olympics, is planning to air more than 7,000 hours of total coverage of the Paris Olympic Games. Track and field coverage will be broadcast on the NBC, USA, and E! TV networks and streamed on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app, and NBC Sports app.

The action kicks off with the men’s and women’s 20K race walk on August 1, and concludes with the women’s marathon on August 11. In between, enjoy a nine-day action-packed feast on the track at Stade de France. Find the full track and field schedule of events here and the full track and field viewing schedule here.

Morning viewing sessions on August 2-9 will commence at 4 A.M. ET, and medal events will be shown on NBC’s tape-delayed prime time broadcast. Don’t worry, you can watch them live, too! Peacock, the streaming service of the Olympics, will stream every sport and event.

Those willing to sacrifice some sleep can catch the men’s marathon coverage live beginning at 2 A.M. on August 10 on USA Network, Peacock, and the NBC Sports app, while the women’s marathon will be shown live beginning at 2 A.M. on August 11.

Transgender athletes will have more restrictions in Paris

Transgender women must have transitioned before the age of 12 to be eligible for the women’s category, to “prevent any potential biological advantage from male puberty”.

Transgender athletes will face more restrictions at the Paris Olympics compared to previous events. This is due to the recent regulation by numerous international federations that female athletes must have completed their transition before the age of 12 to avoid unfair advantages. 

With this decision, the Paris 2024 Olympics has stricter rules and  regulations regarding transgender athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD).

There have also been increased regulations for transgender athletes ahead of the Olympics, with many who have previously competed in international events, now unable to do so.

The Olympics in the French capital is set to make history as the first gender-equal games, with 50 per cent of the medals going to women, a first in the history of the event. There has been a rising interest in transgender athletes, with concerns that transgender women have an unfair advantage over fellow competitors, and a number of federations have strict guidelines.

The International Olympic Committee, which oversees the Games, does not have specific rules or regulations and instead includes 10 guiding principles. The governing body also states that “each international federation is responsible for setting eligibility rules for its sport, including the eligibility criteria that determine qualification for the Olympic Games”.

The guidelines require transgender women to have transitioned before the age of 12 to be eligible for the women’s category, to prevent any potential biological advantage from male puberty.

The sports affected by this rules

The guidelines from the IOC have been adopted by World Athletics and Fina, swimming’s governing body.Cycling follow these guidelines for women’s categories but also allow for an “open” category which has replaced the current “men’s category” to allow transgender athletes to compete.

World Rowing allows those who transitioned before puberty to be eligible, and one of their criteria is for the testosterone concentration to be less than 2.5 nmol/L for a period of at least 24 months, while rugby has followed the IOC guidelines. Triathlon, tennis and archery however require testosterone levels to be below a certain limit to allow athletes to compete. Other sports allow transgender athletes to compete on a “case by case” basis.

Transgender and non-binary athletes at the Paris Olympics

Laurel Hubbard competed in the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first openly transgender athlete to do so, and finished last in her competition group, and also Will be there in this edition. Nikki Hiltz is transgender and non-binary and uses the pronouns “they/them”, but has always competed in the female category, and will be representing USA at the upcoming Olympics. They set a US trials record in the 1500m to earn a place on the Olympic squad.

Quinn, a Canadian non-binary footballer, has also been chosen to represent their nation at the Olympic Games. The midfielder, who plays for Toronto, has always competed in female categories.

But there are other athletes that got out of the Games because of the new rules like the american BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe, who had been hoping to compete in Paris before the UCI, cycling’s governing body, changed its regulations and put an end to her hopes. She had qualified for Tokyo 2020 as an alternate.

Halba Diouf’s dream was also ended by World Athletics’ new regulations, effectively barring the Senegalese-born French sprinter from competing in Paris. Swimmer Lia Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win a US college title in 2022, but lost a legal case against World Aquatics for her right to compete. The American remains barred from competing in the female category.

The Research on Beetroot Supplements and Exercise Is Kind of Awesome

But let's get to the root of the actual science.

SUPPLEMENT MAKERS ADVERTISE that their powdered beets support your heart and make workouts easier.

Beetroot powder is available as a standalone product, though it also pops up in a bunch of other supplements, such as pre-workout energy boosters and heart health chews, as an added ingredient.

Supplement companies claim beetroot powder boosts energy, increases athletic performance, and promotes heart health by improving blood pressure and circulation. Often, these companies will cite beets’ ability to boost nitric oxide, a molecule that helps blood vessels expand and contract. 

Let's get to the root of those claims.

What Is Beetroot Powder?

IT'S BEETS, BUT in powder form.

And know that beets, as in the root vegetable, are good for you—no debate there. “Beetroot contains two types of bioactive constituents, betalains (which give the purple color) and nitrate (which also occurs in similar amounts in some other common vegetables, like celery and lettuce),” says Kirsten Brandt, Ph.D., senior lecturer at the Human Nutrition & Exercise Research Centre at the UK’s Newcastle University. Betalains have heart-protecting properties, and your body converts nitrate into nitric oxide to help regulate your circulatory system and reduce inflammation. 

More good news: These compounds stay mostly intact when beets undergo processing into powder or even juice. Concentrations vary by beet variety and processing method, but research suggests both powders and juices can both hold onto in those beneficial compounds. (Fun fact: Often, beetroot powder is just freeze-dried beet juice). 

What Is Beetroot Powder Good For?

IN SUPPLEMENT FORM, beets might:

Moderately Reduce Blood Pressure

A study review published in Frontiers in Nutrition showed that people who consumed beetroot juice daily for anywhere from three to 60 days reduced their systolic blood pressure by five more points than the control group. The reason: Nitric oxide helps blood vessels relax.

Make Hard Workouts Easier

A study review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports and Nutrition suggests that beetroot juice supplements might boost power and improve performance during high-intensity exercise. Again, nitric oxide comes into play by helping your muscles maintain phosphocreatine, a building block that otherwise depletes during a hard workout. Beets also improve the release and use of cellular calcium to help you contract muscles faster.

Improve Muscle Recovery

A study review published in Sports Health suggests that a few days of beetroot supplementation can speed recovery from post-workout muscle soreness. One theory is that nitric oxide reduces muscle inflammation and aids regeneration.

Assist Your Memory

In a recent study in the European Journal of Nutrition, people who consumed three grams of chewable beetroot powder tablets 90 minutes before taking memory tests scored 21 percent higher on a test of short-term memory than they did after taking a placebo. A beet-induced boost in nitric oxide might increase cerebral blood flow, temporarily boosting brain power, the researchers say.

So the benefits of beets are promising, but don’t get too excited yet: Beet supplement studies have small numbers of participants (just five to 80 in the studies cited above) and lack the rigor of drug trials, says Brandt. (A phase III drug trial would likely have 1,000+ participants.)

That means it’s hard to generalize the results and conclude whether the benefits shown in these supplement studies would apply to all or most of the population, including you.

And don’t count on beetroot supplements to save your heart in the long run. There’s no evidence that the acute benefits of beetroot powder, for your heart or elsewhere, add up over time.

Without high-quality long-term studies, any claims implying long-term benefits can’t be verified. And since the good-for-you compounds in beets can’t be patented, “there is little economic incentive for the industry to carry out large well-controlled trials,” says Brandt.

Should You Take Beetroot Supplements?

YOUR BEST BET is eating more beets in their whole vegetable form, says Brandt. 

Whole beets contain beneficial fiber, which some supplements lack. Now if you hate the taste or can’t bear the chore of peeling beets, the powder can be an easy substitute–just make sure you consume other foods rich in fiber, like whole grains, says Brandt.

What Should You Look for in a Good Beetroot Supplement?

WHEN SHOPPING FOR beet powder, avoid capsules and opt for a loose powder or chewable option instead. The process of converting nitrate to nitric oxide begins in your mouth, thanks to an assist from bacteria on your tongue, says Brandt. Capsules bypass this process and land further down in your digestive tract. And skip antibacterial mouthwash before you take your beets—it can interfere with nitrate’s conversion to nitric oxide, she says.

Who Should Not Take Beetroot Supplements?

AVOID BEETROOT SUPPLEMENTS if you already have hypotension and don’t need your BP to go any lower. And steer clear of beetroot powder if you know you have a high risk of kidney stones, because beets contain a lot of stone-forming oxalate.

If you have high BP and already take medication for it, talk to your doctor before buying a beet supplement. If it works, your doctor might need to adjust your medication, says Brandt. 

How to Keep Tick Bites from Ruining Your Summer

More people in the U.S. are being diagnosed with tick-related diseases every year, but we don't have to let that stop us from getting outdoors.

At home in Brooklyn, New York, my wife and I have discovered ticks on our dog, a pit-boxer mix who lacks the wherewithal to notify us of such an intruder. A few weeks ago, I found a tick—luckily, before it bit—on my arm while visiting Oakland, California. Outside editors have been coming across the disgusting creatures in northern New Mexico, northern Virginia, and coastal Massachusetts.

A decade ago, my little sister contracted Lyme disease in high school, so I have always been paranoid about tick bites. And with growing tick populations, ever more tick-related diseases, and a flurry of headlines about both, I’m sure I’m not alone.

There are hundreds of species of ticks, but the one to be most concerned about in the United States is Ixodes scapularis. The hard-body tick, also known as the blacklegged tick or deer tick, is a vector for a handful of diseases, including Lyme. “It causes far and away the most trouble in terms of health,” says Dr. Peter Krause, a senior research scientist with a specialty in epidemiology and infectious diseases at Yale Medicine.

Ticks are experiencing a largely unwanted glow-up in our current times. The largest vector-borne disease today is still Lyme, says Alison Hinckley, epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Vector-Borne Diseases in Fort Collins, Colorado. She cites a 2021 estimate based on insurance records that shows 476,000 Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year, which can cause headaches, muscle aches, joint swelling, severe fatigue, and even neurological symptoms. (As a point of comparison, only about 2,000 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever are reported each year in the U.S.) The reasons for the rise in Lyme range from deer populations to climate change. It’s enough to make me consider trading my hiking boots for gym trainers.

But if we stay inside, the bugs win. So we spoke to some experts to learn why ticks are prospering, what we can do about it, and how to continue to exercise outside safely. The good news? You can take precautions no matter your outdoor sport of choice, and finding a tick doesn’t have to be a five-alarm emergency.

According to the CDC, there are ticks in every state, though different species (carrying different diseases) proliferate in different environments. For instance, the lone star tick, named for a white spot on its back, is often found in Texas, and the brown dog tick thrives in Arizona. Lyme hails from Krause’s home state of Connecticut—it was named for the town of Old Lyme, in the state—but he might also encounter wood ticks and brown dog ticks, which can both transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever. It’s not very common, he says, but the disease can cause fever, nausea, muscle pain, and a host of other scary symptoms. Despite its name, the lone star tick can also be found in Connecticut (it’s prevalent elsewhere on the East Coast, too, and in the southeastern and south-central United States), and can transmit an infection that leads to Alpha-gal Syndrome, which sometimes causes a permanent allergy to red meat. And that’s just one state. Another tick-borne disease, Babeosis, used to be called “Nantucket fever,” because one of the first cases in America was found on the nearby Massachusetts island in 1969. The Gulf Coast, American dog, and winter ticks transmit different pathogens around the country. You can see what ticks live in your state on the CDC website.

Still, the majority of tick-borne illnesses in the United States are Lyme disease. Ticks have a three-stage life cycle, Krause explains. As larvae, ticks feed on small mammals like mice. If these mammals are carrying Lyme-causing Borrelia bacteria, the tick is now infected and can transmit the disease. The “bloodmeal” (yum!) allows the larvae to molt into its next stage, when it is known as a nymph. At this point, if a nymph feeds on a human, the human will become infected.

Climate change is a major factor in the rise in tick diseases. Ticks need temperate, moist climates—they’ll die if it’s too hot, cold, or dry. Global warming, Krause says, is increasing tick habitat, with more areas becoming warm and humid. Given the southern states are experiencing hot, dry weather, they might have a temporary decrease in tick populations, but that hasn’t yet been shown, he says.

As a point of proof, Krause points to our northern neighbor. Canada was not historically home to Lyme-carrying tick populations, but now sees many cases of Lyme each year, due to both climate change and tick migration. Deer ticks, predictably, travel on the backs of deer and other furry creatures, but they can also attach to birds, Krause says, allowing them to establish a new colony hundreds of miles away.

The second factor that might be fueling today’s tickflation is deer distribution. Adult ticks use deer as all-you-can-eat mating hotels, and a single deer can host hundreds of ticks, Krause explains. “Wherever deer are, there are a lot more ticks than there would be without deer,” he says.

There is some agreement from across the pond. Dr. Lucy Gilbert is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow with a focus on ecology, environmental change, and infectious disease ecology, along with evolution and diversity. Her research strongly suggests that the boom in deer distribution and abundance is a greater factor in the proliferation of ticks (though not necessarily Lyme disease) than climate change.

Lyme disease cases surged by 69 percent in 2022, according to the CDC. But even as data collections gets more efficient, there are still likely many cases missed. As STAT News reports, “There are a lot more cases of Lyme disease in the country than are ever reported to the CDC.”

The increase in disease incidence, Gilbert says, may be related to deer and climate change. Additional factors could be better awareness from the public and doctors identifying tick-related diseases, paired with an increase in outdoor recreation.

The simple answer is that activities that put you in tick habitat—long grass or forests with dense shrubs—will be higher risk than sports that don’t. Hiking and running in the woods increase the likelihood that you’ll encounter a tick. Even short grass, like you’d find on a baseball field or soccer pitch, can carry ticks, Krause says. Something on a hard court, like basketball, would be very low-risk.

The CDC recommends staying away from thick vegetation, high grass, and leaf litter and to “walk in the center of trails when hiking,” to avoid brushing up against grass or other plants where ticks might be hanging out.

Riding a bike on a trail might be lower-risk than running it, says Krause, because ticks will have greater difficulty reaching you from the grass, and cyclists are more likely to stay in the center of the trail. Walking may also be safer than trail running, as you’re more likely to avoid brushing any grasses in places with sharp turns, Krause says.

Dr. Kevin DuPrey, a sports medicine specialist, wrote a 2015 article about Lyme disease in athletes for Current Sports Medicine Reports, and he also has firsthand experience. When running cross-country at University of Delaware, Duprey contracted Lyme disease. Before he was diagnosed and treated, he’d experienced mid-race fatigue—to the point of wanting to lie down and nap during the middle of a competition.

Today, as a precaution, DuPrey tries to avoid overgrown trails especially from mid-May through August, when the transmission rate is highest for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. He’ll check himself for ticks after running, or even mid-run if he’s in an overgrown area.

He recommended bug spray with DEET to repel ticks, but also offered a clothing tip: light-colored threads can make it easier to spot ticks on your body.

The CDC also recommends using EPA-registered insect repellents (like OFF! Active Insect Repellent I), wearing loose-fitting clothing, and treating your gear with permethrin, an insecticide that should not be applied directly to your skin. The organization even has chat bots to help you find effective repellents (they recommend something with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone) and assessing tick bites.

“In general, DEET, if used as prescribed, is safe,” Krause says. You wouldn’t want to apply it to a small child if they’re going to lick their skin, he says, but considers it safe overall when used as directed. If ingested, it can cause serious side-effects including seizures, according to the National Pesticide Information Center. But aside from a chance of skin irritation, it’s safe to apply topically. Permethrin, which is only suitable for application to gear and clothing, has more safety concerns, says Krause.

When you head back inside, Hinckley recommends you check your clothing and gear for ticks. Then, using a mirror, check your entire body, particularly under your arms, in and around ears, inside your belly button, the backs of your knees, your hair, between your legs, and around your waist. Then, take a shower as soon as possible.

Hinckley also encourages good tick hygiene for pets. Preventative products like topicals, chews, and collars can help, and she advises manual pet-downs for ticks after time outside. This isn’t just for your pets sake—ticks can take a pitstop on your four-legged roommate before making their way to you.

It’s understandable that you might freak out if you find a tick, especially if it’s attached. But if you find it early—within 36 to 48 hours—DuPrey say, the chance of Lyme disease transmission is actually very low.

If you’re uncertain how long it’s been since you were bitten, he advises seeking professional medical advice, especially if you were bit during the summer months, find a circular rash, or experience flu-like symptoms. If caught early, both Krause and Duprey says, Lyme and other tick-borne diseases can be treated with antibiotics.

As an expert who’s closely studied ticks and tick-borne diseases, Gilbert praises the media’s coverage in highlighting tick awareness and Lyme disease. But she says there is sometimes “too much scare-mongering and exaggerating the outcomes of Lyme disease.” While noting that some people progress to chronic Lyme disease, which can be debilitating, the vast majority of people who contract Lyme do not develop a long-term illness.

Gilbert has heard about certain tick-removal techniques like applying Vaseline, olive oil, or burning them off your skin, but her advice is simple: “This is not a good idea!” Instead, she recommends gently plucking the tick off of your skin by its mouth, using fine tweezers or tick tools (available at veterinary clinics, pharmacies, and online) which won’t squash the tick. If you do find a tick, take a picture before you dispose of it, so you can show it to a doctor in the event you need to visit one.

For disposal, the CDC recommends putting the bug in alcohol, a sealed bag, tape, or a soon-to-be-flushed toilet. The CDC also has resources that can help you decide what to do after a tick bite.

People with immunocompromising conditions are at greater risk for tick-borne infection, Krause says, and should exercise additional caution. As a historical example, he notes when Babesia (the parasite that causes Babesiosis) took over Nantucket, an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine advised people who didn’t have a spleen avoid buying land on Nantucket. (The spleen, which helps fight infection, is crucial in warding off Babesiosis.)

The best path forward might be to channel an anti-Robert Frost mentality. If you’re going to choose a path to hike, run, or a bike, choose a well-worn one, and stay in the center of it. And I’m not sure if Frost wrote a poem about this, but check your body, take a shower, and throw all your clothes in the dryer when you get back inside.

Lucia Stafford demolishes 30-year-old Canadian record in 2,000m

At her very first Diamond League in Monaco on Friday, Canada’s Lucia Stafford obliterated the 30-year-old Canadian record over the 2,000m distance. Her time of 5:31.18 beat Angela Chalmers’ previous record of 5:34.49 by almost three seconds.

The 2,000m isn’t commonly run, so many of the elite athletes in the field jumped at the chance to set new records, including Australia’s Jessica Hull. The race was set up for Hull to challenge the world record of 5:21.56 set by Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi at the World Continental meet in Zagreb, Croatia in 2021. With the help of three different athletes who shared the job of pace-setting, Hull finished with a time 5:19.70–the fastest 2,000m in history–with exactly two seconds to spare.

In the same race, Cory Ann McGee‘s time of 5:28.78 betters the former North American record of 5:32.70, which Stafford also snuck under.

This sixth-place finish at her very first Diamond League marks Stafford’s first outdoor national record. She already holds the North American indoor 1,000m record of 2:33.75.

Arop runs season’s best

After getting passed in the final 100m stretch of his race, Marco Arop, the reigning world champion in the men’s 800m, finished sixth with a time of 1:42.93–also bettering his season’s best.

Making his Diamond League debut, 19-year-old Christopher Morales-Williams also took sixth place in his 400m race. Although his time of 45.11 is not nearly his fastest of the season, he’ll have the chance to compete against these world-class athletes at the Olympic Games in Paris next month.

Two-time Olympic pole-vaulter Alysha Newman took fourth place in her event earlier in the day, jumping a season’s best of 4.76m. She jumped her previous season’s best of 4.75m to take the win at the Canadian Olympic Trials in Montreal earlier this month.

How Many Carbs Are in Spring Energy, Really?

This fruit-based energy gel, once touted for its high-carb intake and low volume, contains about a third of calories than advertised, multiple independent nutritional analyses suggest

For the past 10 years, Spring Energy has provided endurance athletes with energy gels, and more recently drink mixes, made from “real” foods. Athletes looking for wholesome alternatives to more traditional sugar-based gels made in a lab have flocked to Spring’s smoothie-like gels made with fruit and basmati rice.

While Spring products are more expensive than many gels, many athletes have found the tradeoff for high-quality, real food fuel that goes down easily on the run to be worth it. Until now.

After skepticism about the actual contents of Spring’s gels began brewing late last year, it turned into a full-blown controversy this week.

In January 2021, Spring Energy released a game-changing gel, Awesome Sauce. In collaboration with coaches and runners Megan and David Roche (who taste-tested and named the flavor), the applesauce, basmati rice, and sweet potato-based gel was designed to provide endurance athletes with a whopping 180 calories per 54 gram packet.

This high-carb alternative became especially enticing when a study was published in April 2022 reporting that ultrarunners should consume 240 to 360 calories (60-90 grams of carbohydrates) per hour. It’s no surprise that Awesome Sauce (sold at $5 a gel), with its small but surprisingly mighty nutritional content, initially flew off the shelves. It seemed too good to be true.

After several third-party lab tests, that appears to be the case.

In late 2023, runners took to Reddit to discuss their doubts in Awesome Sauce’s nutritional facts, which were printed on the packaging and stated on Spring Energy’s website. Though it’s unclear who first performed a concrete test on the gel, two months ago, Liza Ershova, a Reddit user who uses the username “sriirachamayo”, posted in a thread called “False nutritional info on Spring Energy gels.” Ershova allegedly performed a test “in an environmental chemistry lab” and found that the dry weight of Awesome Sauce is 16g instead of the stated 45. She hypothesized that, “If all of those grams are carbs, that corresponds to about 60 calories, not 180.”

On May 17, German endurance sport speciality shop Sports Hunger released a video stating that they, too, had Awesome Sauce gels tested by a third party, and allegedly found that each packet contains 16g of carbs instead of the 45g that Spring Energy claimed.

“The maker of Spring Energy assures us that they will rework their manufacturing process to ensure that they will again reliably achieve their high numbers that they declare to have,” a Sports Hunger representative says in the video. “We hope that this is really going to happen because we believe that natural food for many of our customers is a great alternative to the regular gels.”

On May 28, ultrarunning coach Jason Koop, who coaches elite athletes sponsored by Spring Energy, posted an Instagram Reel saying that he’d paid for Spring Energy Awesome Sauce to be tested by a third party, RL Food Laboratory Testing in Ferndale, Washington. The results showed that the gels tested contained 76 calories and 18g of carbs. The lab results can be found on Koop’s website. Koop declined to be interviewed for this article.

Other runners have also come forward after attempting to replicate the gels with varying degrees of Awesome Sauce’s ingredients: organic basmati rice, organic apple sauce, apple juice, yams, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, sea salt, and cinnamon—and could not achieve the gel’s original volume of 54g. Their experiments suggest that it’s impossible to fit all of those ingredients into the small Awesome Sauce package while achieving the stated nutritional content.

On May 22, the Ershova shared Spring Energy’s response to their experiment on Reddit: “Our analysis supports the accuracy of our product labeling. However, we will reevaluate to make sure our data is accurate. Although we hoped your experience with our products would have been wholly satisfactory, we recognize that individual needs can vary. Given the wide variety of options available across different brands, we are confident you will find the right product that suits your specific requirements.”

Four days later, on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, Spring Energy sent out an email to newsletter subscribers stating:

“In early May we submitted Awesome Sauce for third-party caloric and biomolecular analysis. Although the results indicated that on average our products deliver the designed nutrition value, we have recognized weaknesses in our processes and ingredients which can introduce unwanted variations in some batches.To mitigate those variations in our small batch production, we decided to modify some of the formulations, revise and innovate processes, and re-evaluate ingredient sources. These changes will bring higher quality and more consistency to our products. Enhancements of our products aimed to stabilize their nutrition values are on the horizon, and within the next few weeks, you’ll see the results of our efforts. A new and improved version of Awesome Sauce will soon be available.”

The internet outrage ballooned swiftly.

“‘On average’ – if someone has a beat on where I can grab packets of Awesome Sauce at 75g of carb per pack to allow for the average of their product to be 45g overall, hit my inbox,” @aidstationfireball posted on X. “Excited to taste the new, re-formulated, $7 gels they’ll replace these with.”

David and Megan Roche, the Boulder, Colorado-based running coach couple who collaborated with Spring Energy on Awesome Sauce, discussed the backlash on their podcast. They weren’t involved in the chemical composition and makeup of the gel, they claimed. Rather, they simply proposed the concept of a high-carb gel to their friend Rafal Nazarewicz, the founder and CEO of Spring Energy. They stated they understand the public’s outrage, and Megan added that they “didn’t really use it” during their runs because she didn’t feel that her body was responding to the energy it was supposed to provide.

In addition, the Roches stated on their podcast that they have quietly harbored concerns about Awesome Sauce for years, and while they did not explicitly tell their athletes not to use it, they made a point of promoting other gels instead. (The Roches currently have a financial partnership with The Feed, the online warehouse that sells a wide variety of sports fuel, including Spring Energy.)

David elaborated in a lengthy Instagram post on May 29: “It’s sad and infuriating that the nutrition was wrong, and we are thankful to the really smart people who figured it out on Reddit (including an athlete we coach who started the initial thread). When we described concerns to Spring, we were assured that the nutrition was correct and they followed all FDA regulations. We left the Spring sponsorship years ago, and we never received compensation for proposing the name/doing taste testing (outside of the $200 per month that we both received during the sponsorship). Since then, we have publicly directed athletes to other options for high-carb fueling, while hoping to be a source of love and support in the community. Our podcast covered our concerns as soon as the German lab testing indicated that we wouldn’t be risking making defamatory statements about a business without substantial evidence.”

While concerns around Awesome Sauce instigated this investigation, it’s not the only flavor under scrutiny. Koop sent additional Spring Energy gels, Canaberry (named after professional ultrarunner Sage Canaday) and Hill Aid, to the lab for testing. The results indicated that both of these flavors also contain fewer calories than stated on their nutrition labels.

The lab results showed that the batch of Canaberry that was tested contains 10g of carbs (versus the stated 17g), and the Hill Aid sample contains 10g of carbs (versus the stated 20g).

Koop also paid for Gu Chocolate Outrage to be tested. The results were consistent with the nutrition facts. All three of these reports can also be found on Koop’s website.

These vast discrepancies between Spring Energy’s reported nutrition facts and the lab results raise the question: which gels can be trusted?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA), most running gels fall under the category of “dietary supplements”, which don’t have to be approved before being sold. However, the FDA requires that all dietary supplements have nutrition information clearly marked on a product’s packaging (including serving size, number of servings, and ingredients) and periodically inspects manufacturing facilities to confirm that products meet the labeling requirements. The FDA also reviews product labels for accuracy.

“Dietary supplements are regulated by the FDA, but much of our role begins after products enter the marketplace. In fact, in many cases, companies can produce and sell dietary supplements without even notifying the FDA,” the FDA states on their website.

The FDA allows nutrition labels to have an inaccuracy margin of up to 20 percent—for reference, based on multiple lab results, Awesome Sauce’s caloric content is about 57 percent less than what the label says.

Sports psychologist and ultrarunning coach Krista Austin works with some of the top endurance athletes in the world, and is best known for training Meb Keflezighi to  his 2009 New York City Marathon win. She recommends several products out on the market to her ultrarunner athletes, as well as suggestions that might work with a person’s individual plan. Typically, she suggests that athletes rotate gel flavors to avoid flavor fatigue, which can impact an athlete mentally and derail performance. So if a certain brand is proven to work well for an athlete, she says, use a variety of flavors.

“I usually use high molecular weight carbohydrates, but the thing is, they’re not as sweet as other sports nutrition products out there,” says Austin, who owns a consulting business providing sport performance services to Olympic and professional athletes as well as military and industry personnel. “So what we’ll do is we might throw in another gel like the Awesome Sauce to help give them that sweet component. It’s just in their arsenal.”

She says, in general, her athletes who have consumed Awesome Sauce have had positive experiences, but that because these gels were just one part of the fuel plan, that muddies the waters a bit. In addition, the potential lower calorie count of this gel may make it easier to digest. However, Austin recalls that one of her clients was taking in one Spring Energy gel (multiple flavors) every hour in her ultra, but found herself so hungry that she needed to eat a lot of the food provided at aid stations on the course, too.

“She was a smaller ultrarunner, and I thought it was interesting that she was taking in all these calories,” Austin says. “She was using Spring Energy gels, and I now I’m thinking, ‘Maybe this is why she needed all the additional food on the course, too, because she wasn’t getting what we thought she was.’”

Ultramarathon dietician Julie Shobe is surprised and disappointed in the news about Awesome Sauce. “My clients and myself bank on the efficiency of the gel being easy and light to carry,” she says. “Underfueling within a long run can create acute symptoms like low energy, nausea, or brain fog. Ultrarunners find themselves in dangerous situations on long runs and races, and are often in remote areas, so unintentionally underfueling could have negative consequences.”

Austin says runners can still rely on information they’re receiving about endurance fuel, but that it’s always possible there are, as Spring Energy suggests, bad batches. She’s leaning toward this being the reason for the nutritional inaccuracies (keeping an open mind that more information can come out) because she’s had experiences with bad batches of gels in the past, where the product tasted off and she brought it to the attention of the brand, who confirmed it was an error on their part.

By May 30, Spring Energy had removed Awesome Sauce from its website, although it can still be purchased in the All Inclusive and Vegan Spring sampler packs. There, Awesome Sauce is described as, “our best-seller, has been created for all carb lovers who want to fuel in a healthy way, with wholesome products free of added sugars!”

Nashville Running Company owner Lee Wilson has made the decision to take Awesome Sauce,  Canaberry, and Hill Aid off store shelves. “It came down to the integrity of it,” Wilson says. “After the other flavors came out with the test results, we decided we can’t sell it.”

Nashville Running Company crew member Eric May added that this whole ordeal is disappointing, especially because the gel was so popular in the community.

“We used to have people come in when we got shipments and walk out with boxes of them,” May says. “It’s a bummer.”

He adds that a few customers have remarked that they still really enjoy Awesome Sauce and will keep using it.

“How a company reacts to the issue tells you a lot about them, and the fact that they’ve taken down their product, it means they’re probably doing their homework to see what’s going on,” Austin says. “I would say, give them a chance to rectify the situation.”

Sabrina Stanley, a pro ultrarunner from Silverton, Colorado, has used Awesome Sauce frequently in the past, but says she stopped eating it when she felt she was taking in three times what she should be consuming to keep hunger at bay. She adds that though it’s a huge disappointment that athletes thought they were buying a gel under the impression it was a different product, the company is the only party at fault.

“Professional athletes aren’t responsible for making sure the nutrition label is correct,” Stanley says. “They are often sub-contracted to give opinions and help promote a product in hopes of making a few extra dollar to continue doing what they love. They aren’t in the lab developing the product and writing the nutrition label, like the consumers, they are trusting the hired them to do their due diligence.”

On May 29, Spring Energy released an official statement on its Instagram, with Nazarewicz saying they’ve identified weaknesses in the manufacturing process, and that only some batches were accidentally made with varying nutritional values. Nazarewicz apologized and stated Spring Energy is introducing changes to its process and hopes to continue its mission toward making real food performance products.

“Spring Energy has admitted to inconsistencies in their product and also said in a recent IG post this was not intentional or malicious,” Shobe says. “However, to be this far off from your stated nutrition label deserves some major inspection. The whole thing made me question not only the integrity of their products but the nutritional labels of other products. Why, as a dietician, didn’t I become more suspicious of Awesome Sauce in the first place?”

This Runner Learned the Importance of Easy Days After Trying to Train Hard for Too Long

“Running has made me a better thinker—I’m able to solve problems when I’m on a run, and often find new and creative solutions to or perspectives on something that’s bothering me."

I played sports (baseball, basketball, lacrosse) growing up, but running was always used as a form of punishment. I didn’t understand the people who “enjoyed” running or would willingly run. I also didn’t want anything to do with running because I was too scared to lose any of the muscle I worked so hard to put on. (I picked up weightlifting in college.)

That’s when running became the perfect escape for me physically and mentally. Some of my best thoughts came from mid-afternoon runs around the suburbs of Irvine, California. While I realized that I wasn’t cut out for med school, I will say that my personal statement would have been a lot worse had I not gotten some creative inspiration on my runs.

When I first started running, I didn’t really know how to run—so I downloaded the first (good) app I could find—the Nike Run Club app. I really liked it because they had in-app coaches to help guide you through the run, plus tips on how to gauge my intensity proved helpful.

Prior to that, I would just run as fast as I could for three to four miles with zero periodization on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis. I didn’t do any races, but I did a self-imposed “5K every day” challenge in November 2020. The goal was to get faster by the end of November. I went out and ran a 5K every day at max effort, expecting to get faster by day three. Instead, I had a pretty big regression, so it wasn’t the best training method for me. 

I think most beginners think that doing more of the same thing will get them to become better, when in reality periodization is what actually compounds progress the most. I thought I needed to be running at a high intensity daily. It took me two years until I realized that I only needed a few max effort sessions per week, and to simply focus on making my hard days hard and easy days easy. 

I’ve also noticed that many former high school/college athletes get into running and their biggest Achilles’ heel is making easy days just as hard as hard days, and I totally get that. Running three miles at a 10-minute pace when I know I can be cooking some sub-seven-minute miles is not something my brain nor body were used to when I started.

In 2020, I decided to run an impromptu half marathon, which was my proudest running moment. To the Allen who had never hit double-digit mileage in one run, 13.1 miles was simply a mythological number.

For that run, I hadn’t followed any real training beforehand, nor did I have any gels or water (biggest mistake I made that day). It was just me, my phone, some AirPods, and my new bright orange Nike AlphaFlys. Needless to say, my first half marathon ended with me cramping and locking up outside of the Chipotle that was less than a mile from my house. I wouldn’t run more than 10 miles again until March 2022. 

I almost entirely stopped running in April 2021 when I got back to the gym. However, running found me again when I signed up to participate in the Birthday Series’ 131-mile Relay Race from Montauk, New York to Times Square in June 2023. I ran 25 to 30 miles in the race. I went from running ten to 20 miles a week inconsistently (from March to May 2023) to 50-plus miles a week later that summer. 

Most recently, this past April, I ran my first marathon—the Big Sur International Marathon. I was doing well and on target for a 3:15 marathon until my entire body started cramping at the end of mile 22 and my split went from a 7:30 pace to a 15-minute pace. I remember getting to a 1.5-mile enclave (from mile 23 to 24) and that was the longest 1.5 miles of my life. 

Those miles were never ending, which was such a juxtaposition since the miles before it felt like they were just breezing by. I remember fully stopping and thinking to myself: “I might have to lie down in this bush,” because my legs were writhing in pain from the cramps. 

At the peak of training for that marathon, I was running five days a week in Central Park and logging 50-plus miles on the rolling hills, but this still wasn’t enough to get me fully acclimated to the rolling hills of Big Sur!

But, I am definitely ready for more races in the future. I plan to run Big Sur in 2025, as I will be seeking some redemption, but I’d also like to do shorter races in between.

At this point in my life, I enjoy yoga, Pilates, running, powerlifting, and bodybuilding. Overall though, running has made me a better thinker—I’m able to solve problems when I’m on a run, and often find new and creative solutions to or perspectives on something that’s bothering me. For that, I’m grateful!

But then things changed when I didn’t have a chance to go to the gym in 2020, so I finally gave running a chance. I was also caught in the post-grad bubble of despair, and I wasn’t sure where my life was heading, so running seemed like a good way to pass the time. 

My entire undergrad experience was defined by pre-med courses and a little more than 2,000 hours of sports medicine internship. Naturally, applying to graduate/medical schools was the obvious choice, but really I was applying because it was the only socially acceptable form of procrastination. (A pretty poor use of time considering some of the med school applications felt more like a job than the jobs I was working.) 

During that time, I had lost two part-time jobs: demoing energy drinks at various gyms around Los Angeles and modeling. So, I was back living at home with no job, spending some 10 hours a day (wish I was kidding) on trying to craft the perfect personal statement for my med school application. I really just needed to do something for my body.

These tips have made my running journey a success:

1. Take it easy

I never liked running up until a few years ago, because I always equated “running” to “sprinting” because that was the punishment we had if we missed too many free throws in a game or missed a ground ball during lacrosse practice.

It was when I joined a run club a year ago that I realized running is not just sprinting, and can be an enjoyable, social activity with or without the presence of others.

2. Be okay with failure

You can do everything correctly during training and still not get the desired results. The benefit of running is that you can make mistakes without any major or lasting consequences. You can then try to apply that philosophy to other areas of your life. 

3. Develop an athlete mentality

Whether or not you were an athlete growing up, the deal you make with yourself when you start running is that you become an athlete. If you want the opportunity to improve then you must start treating yourself with respect—like with good nutrition, rest, and health check-ups. Whether you want to run faster, further, more frequently, or just be able to start running at the drop of a hat, you need to give your body the respect it deserves, because running can quickly expose the holes in your health. 

4. Invest in good shoes

Get a decent pair of shoes that can handle lots of mileage. Don’t get the most expensive shoe you see online thinking it will make you a better runner—because while it might feel that way, those effects are inflated. 

5. Enlist support

Follow a program, an app, a coach, or find a running buddy. If none of those suit you, join a run club! Run clubs really help making running enjoyable with the added benefit of having built-in accountability. You likely know when and where the run is and all you have to do is show up. (One run club I like is Endorphins Running.) 

6. Keep an open mind

If you are trying to better yourself and your health, keep an open mind when trying new things. If you think of your health more as a philosophy instead of a rigid set of rules, you will learn that you can start to take ideas from the things you enjoy and mold your own version of health that’s sustainable.

Allen’s Must-Have Gear

→ Normatec 3 Legs: I use these after every long run and occasionally before bed. It just feels really good to get your leg squeezed after a hard workout and it usually forces me to relax (which is great before bedtime).

→ Mito Red Light: I try my best to do everything I can to prevent injury. I’ll use my red light device at home on any areas that’ve been nagging me, as well as a few focus areas as a way to warm up. I typically do five minutes on each leg before a long run.

→ Hoka Mach 6: These have been my workhorse shoes the past few months (almost at 200 miles already on a pair). Love them for track workouts and long runs. They just get the job done.

German Hendel dominated the Mattoni Ceske Budejovice Half Marathon

This year’s half marathon in České Budějovice was newly held under the brand Mattoni Running Festival. The winner was German Sebastian Hendel. Among the women, Ukraine’s Maryna Nemchenko triumphed, improving the European record. Patrik Vebr and Hana Homolkova were the best Czech runners, which carries the World Athletic Road Race Label.

The race

The winner in the České Budějovice Half Marathon was Sebastian Hendel from Germany. From the start he was in a large lead pack, but before the halfway point he was running alone. Hendel ran the South Bohemia half marathon well and on pace to break the European record. However, he missed it by half a minute, finishing in the time of 1:03:38.

“I’m really happy that my winning streak in RunCzech races continues. I tried to break the time under one hour and three minutes. It was good at the tenth kilometre, but as time went on it got worse and my legs were hurting. It was a great experience, I enjoyed my first start in České Budějovice,” said Hendel. “When I was running back to the square, many people were cheering my name. It was a really great atmosphere,” added Hendel.

The second place went to Italian Daniele D’Onofrio, and third was Ukrainian Mykola Mevsha, who improved his personal best significantly. The best Czech runner was Patrik Vebr (1:08:38), bettered Petr Pechek and Tomáš Křivohlávek.

“Although I don’t really like to run races in training pace, I chose this strategy for today. My coach and I decided to do it mainly for health reasons and also because of the upcoming track races. But the overall assessment is positive and I am glad that especially my health is holding up,”  Vebr summed up.

The fastest woman was Maryna Nemchenko from Ukraine, who ran a significant part of the race alone trying to catch some men to help her pace. “If I had run with another female competitor, it would have been easier, running alone is hard. I always tried to catch up with whoever was ahead of me, I’m satisfied,” Nemchenko assessed after the race.

The Ukrainian surpassed the best European race time of Tereza Hrochova from 2022 by half a minute. Her compatriot Nataliya Semenovych finished second, while Moldova’s Lilia Fisikovici finished third. Hana Homolkova succeeded in a close battle between the Czech competitors, beating Aneta Císařová. Tereza Jagošová finished third.

The Research on Beetroot Supplements and Exercise Is Kind of Awesome

Beetroot powder is available as a standalone product, though it also pops up in a bunch of other supplements, such as pre-workout energy boosters and heart health chews, as an added ingredient.

Supplement companies claim beetroot powder boosts energy, increases athletic performance, and promotes heart health by improving blood pressure and circulation. Often, these companies will cite beets’ ability to boost nitric oxide, a molecule that helps blood vessels expand and contract. 

Let's get to the root of those claims.

What Is Beetroot Powder?

IT'S BEETS, BUT in powder form.

And know that beets, as in the root vegetable, are good for you—no debate there. “Beetroot contains two types of bioactive constituents, betalains (which give the purple color) and nitrate (which also occurs in similar amounts in some other common vegetables, like celery and lettuce),” says Kirsten Brandt, Ph.D., senior lecturer at the Human Nutrition & Exercise Research Centre at the UK’s Newcastle University. Betalains have heart-protecting properties, and your body converts nitrate into nitric oxide to help regulate your circulatory system and reduce inflammation. 

More good news: These compounds stay mostly intact when beets undergo processing into powder or even juice. Concentrations vary by beet variety and processing method, but research suggests both powders and juices can both hold onto in those beneficial compounds. (Fun fact: Often, beetroot powder is just freeze-dried beet juice). 

What Is Beetroot Powder Good For?

IN SUPPLEMENT FORM, beets might:

Moderately Reduce Blood Pressure

A study review published in Frontiers in Nutrition showed that people who consumed beetroot juice daily for anywhere from three to 60 days reduced their systolic blood pressure by five more points than the control group. The reason: Nitric oxide helps blood vessels relax.

Make Hard Workouts Easier

A study review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports and Nutrition suggests that beetroot juice supplements might boost power and improve performance during high-intensity exercise. Again, nitric oxide comes into play by helping your muscles maintain phosphocreatine, a building block that otherwise depletes during a hard workout. Beets also improve the release and use of cellular calcium to help you contract muscles faster.

Improve Muscle Recovery

A study review published in Sports Health suggests that a few days of beetroot supplementation can speed recovery from post-workout muscle soreness. One theory is that nitric oxide reduces muscle inflammation and aids regeneration.

Assist Your Memory

In a recent study in the European Journal of Nutrition, people who consumed three grams of chewable beetroot powder tablets 90 minutes before taking memory tests scored 21 percent higher on a test of short-term memory than they did after taking a placebo. A beet-induced boost in nitric oxide might increase cerebral blood flow, temporarily boosting brain power, the researchers say.

So the benefits of beets are promising, but don’t get too excited yet: Beet supplement studies have small numbers of participants (just five to 80 in the studies cited above) and lack the rigor of drug trials, says Brandt. (A phase III drug trial would likely have 1,000+ participants.)

That means it’s hard to generalize the results and conclude whether the benefits shown in these supplement studies would apply to all or most of the population, including you.

And don’t count on beetroot supplements to save your heart in the long run. There’s no evidence that the acute benefits of beetroot powder, for your heart or elsewhere, add up over time.

Without high-quality long-term studies, any claims implying long-term benefits can’t be verified. And since the good-for-you compounds in beets can’t be patented, “there is little economic incentive for the industry to carry out large well-controlled trials,” says Brandt.

Should You Take Beetroot Supplements?

YOUR BEST BET is eating more beets in their whole vegetable form, says Brandt. 

Whole beets contain beneficial fiber, which some supplements lack. Now if you hate the taste or can’t bear the chore of peeling beets, the powder can be an easy substitute–just make sure you consume other foods rich in fiber, like whole grains, says Brandt.

What Should You Look for in a Good Beetroot Supplement?

WHEN SHOPPING FOR beet powder, avoid capsules and opt for a loose powder or chewable option instead. The process of converting nitrate to nitric oxide begins in your mouth, thanks to an assist from bacteria on your tongue, says Brandt. Capsules bypass this process and land further down in your digestive tract. And skip antibacterial mouthwash before you take your beets—it can interfere with nitrate’s conversion to nitric oxide, she says.

Who Should Not Take Beetroot Supplements?

AVOID BEETROOT SUPPLEMENTS if you already have hypotension and don’t need your BP to go any lower. And steer clear of beetroot powder if you know you have a high risk of kidney stones, because beets contain a lot of stone-forming oxalate.

If you have high BP and already take medication for it, talk to your doctor before buying a beet supplement. If it works, your doctor might need to adjust your medication, says Brandt. 

Why the "Norwegian Method" Training Craze Is Here to Stay

In a highly anticipated race at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic, Jakob Ingebrigsten pitted his revolutionary "Norwegian method" of training against some of the best milers in the world.

The “Mile of the Century”—of the twentieth century, that is—was a duel between John Landy and Roger Bannister at the 1954 Empire Games in Victoria. The two men were, at the time, the only two sub-four-minute milers in the world: Bannister had beaten Landy to the punch by 46 days, but Landy was the reigning world record holder. Their end-of-season clash was as heavily anticipated as any heavyweight boxing duel. Landy led until the final bend, at which point he famously glanced over his left shoulder at precisely the moment that Bannister surged past on his right.

The mile of the current century, at least in terms of pre-race hype and intriguing storylines, took place on Saturday at the Prefontaine Classic track meet in Eugene. It was a gigantic multidimensional grudge match between Jakob Ingebrigsten, the blunt-speaking Norwegian wunderkind who won the 2021 Olympics at the tender age of 20 and whose training methods have sparked wholesale upheaval in the endurance world, and almost every runner who has beaten him or come close to it in recent years—most notably Josh Kerr, the Scotsman who upset him at last summer’s World Championships and has been engaged in an increasingly testy war of words with him ever since.

What gave the race an extra layer of significance, beyond the usual battle for personal supremacy, was that clash of training ideas. Ingebrigtsen is the foremost exponent of what has come to be known as the “Norwegian method” of endurance training. Its hallmark is carefully controlled workout intensities, pushing just hard enough to stimulate adaptation without incurring fatigue that would compromise the next workout. In Ingebrigtsen’s hands, that involves twice-a-week double threshold sessions: workouts like ten times a kilometer with one minute recovery in the morning and evening, with regular ear pricks to check lactate levels and keep the intensity in the right zone, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

A similar approach has also taken Norwegians to the top of the podium in other sports like triathlon and cross-country skiing, and athletes from other countries have begun emulating it. Norwegian-style training is “the big, sexy thing,” as U.S. miler Hobbs Kessler put it. It might even be “the next step in the evolution of distance running training,” as a group of sports scientists suggested in an academic paper last year (which I wrote about here). It’s very hard to do controlled studies of entire training philosophies, as opposed to specific workouts. So the best litmus test, I suggested, would be clashes on the track leading up to the Paris Olympics. Saturday in Eugene was the first such test.

Sexy new things don’t stay sexy and new forever, and it’s fair to say that some of the shine of Norwegian training has worn off since last year. The most notable reputational hit was Kerr’s 1,500-meter win at last summer’s World Championships, kicking past Ingebrigtsen in the final lap after the Norwegian had led most of the race. One loss could be blamed on bad luck, but that made three times in a row: another Scottish runner, Jake Wightman, had outkicked Ingebrigtsen in strikingly similar fashion at the 2022 World Championships, and Ethiopian star Samuel Tefera did the same at the 2022 World Indoor Championships. That starts to look like a systemic flaw in the training approach. While Ingebrigtsen was carefully monitoring his moderate-intensity threshold intervals, Kerr and Wightman and Tefera were presumably ripping off all-out sprints—and they had a racing gear that he seemed to lack.

In Eugene, a rabbit led the field through a quick first half-mile. When he stepped off, it was Kenyan runner Abel Kipsang who pushed onward, with Ingebrigtsen following patiently behind. This was already a surprise: Ingebrigtsen is usually the one pushing the pace. Then, with a lap and a half still remaining, it was the fast finisher Kerr who surged into the lead and made an early bid for victory. Each man, it seemed, was playing the other’s game. The last lap ticked by in slow motion, Kerr unable to pull away and Ingebrigtsen unable to close the gap. That’s how it finished: Kerr in 3:45.34, Ingebrigtsen in 3:45.60, and then seven more men under the once-impregnable 3:50 barrier. In 11th place was Cam Myers, a 17-year-old from Australia, with a time of 3:50.15—two seconds faster than Ingebrigtsen himself ran at Pre as a 17-year-old in 2018.

It would be as foolish to give up on Norwegian training based on a few individual losses as it would be to anoint it the “next step” on the basis of a few individual wins. But if Ingebrigtsen keeps losing, that’s going to reinforce doubts about whether his approach is as effective for head-to-head racing as it is for time trials. There are plenty of caveats: for example, an Achilles injury disrupted Ingebrigtsen’s training for several months over the winter. But there are also other questions. What has happened to his older brothers Henrik and Filip? Both were world-class milers in their own right, but both have been struggling in recent years, as have other prominent Norwegian athletes like Olympic triathlon champion Kristian Blummenfeld, raising questions about the sustainability of the Norwegian approach.

And then there’s the fact that, despite all the hype about the mile, the real marquee event at Pre turned out to be the women’s 10,000 meters, where Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet became the first woman to dip under 29 minutes with a world-record clocking of 28:54.14. Kenyan runners (and their Ethiopian rivals) have been at the top for so long that it’s easy to take their dominance for granted. When I was in college in the 1990s, we were all fascinated by “the Kenyan Way.” That was the subtitle of Toby Tanser’s 1997 book, Train Hard, Win Easy. The secret, of course, was that there was no secret. There was a famous (and almost certainly apocryphal) anecdote about a Kenyan coach who was asked what separated his top runners from the merely good ones. All of them had grown up running to and from school each day, he explained; the champions also went home for lunch.

Part of the current fascination with the Norwegian training method is the suggestion that there is, in fact, a secret—a quantifiable formula, expressed in milimoles per liter of lactate in your blood, to optimize your training, rather than simply an admonition to work hard. But that’s a reductive view of what Ingebrigtsen and his Nordic peers are aiming for. The underlying philosophy of Norwegian training is that a harder workout isn’t always a better one, because it will take too long to recover from. This is hardly a new insight, but in the great merry-go-round of training fads, it was perhaps overdue for a resurgence.

In fact, the original Mile of the Century had a similar subtext. Bannister was the light-training amateur who ran on his lunch hour; Landy was a workout hero with “an insatiable appetite for interval running,” as Bannister wrote. “The great contrast in our training methods was not lost of the Press.” Bannister won the race, but it’s Landy’s training approach that proved to be more influential on subsequent generations. As Ingebrigtsen’s final showdown with his rivals in Paris looms, that’s worth remembering: even if he loses, and even if we decide that lactate meters are unnecessarily complicated, we might still have something to learn from his unorthodox training.

Boston Athletic Association names field of professional athletes for 2024 Boston 10K

The Boston Athletic Association announced Wednesday the professional fields for the 2024 Boston 10K, which will be held on Sunday, June 23.

American Olympic marathoners Emily Sisson and Clayton Young will race the new and enhanced course that features scenic views of the Charles River and finishes at Boston Common.

Making his American road racing debut is world-number one ranked road racer Sabastian Sawe, of Kenya, and returning is defending Boston Half champion Abel Kipchumba. 2024 Boston Marathon runner-up Sharon Lokedi and two-time Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat headline the women’s field, while Para Athletics Division winners Marko Cheseto Lemtukei, Atsbha Gebremeskel and Kelly Bruno will compete two months after finishing April’s marathon.

“The Boston 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital kicks off the summer running season,” said Jack Fleming, the president and CEO of the B.A.A. “We’re eager for participants to take on the new course, which will run along the Charles River, over two historic bridges, and across the Boston Marathon finish line before finishing at Boston Common. Leading the way are some of the fastest and most accomplished athletes to race 6.2 miles, some doing so as a tune-up for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Sisson and Young locked up their spots on Team USA’s Marathon roster in February, both finishing second in their respective women’s and men’s races. Sisson returns to the Boston 10K after placing second in 2022 and fourth in 2023, while this will be Young’s first B.A.A. event.

From Kenya are Lokedi and Kiplagat, racing in Boston two months after placing on the podium at the 128th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America. Lokedi is currently the alternate for Kenya’s Olympic Marathon team, and Kiplagat has twice finished runner-up at the Boston 10K. Joining them among international competitors are last year’s Boston 10K second-place finisher Stacy Ndiwa (Kenya), Cherry Blossom 10 Mile champion Sarah Chelangat (Uganda), 2022 Beach to Beacon 10K winner Fantaye Belayneh (Ethiopia), and 2021 Olympic 10,000m sixth place finisher Irine Cheptai (Kenya). Mercy Chelangat, an NCAA Cross Country and 10,000m champion from Kenya, and 2022 Boston Half third-place finisher Hiwot Gebremaryam (Ethiopia) are entered as well.

From the USA is 2015 Boston Marathon champion Caroline Rotich, B.A.A. High-performance team member Abbey Wheeler, 2024 USA 15K third-place finisher Emily Durgin and former American 10,000m record holder and U.S. Olympian Molly Huddle.

The men’s international field is headlined by Sabastian Sawe, the top-ranked road racer in the world and the 2023 World Athletics Half Marathon champion. Sawe, of Kenya, has run 26:49 — fastest in the field — and will be making his American road racing debut.

From Kenya are Boston Half reigning champion Abel Kipchumba, 2023 Falmouth Road Race winner Wesley Kiptoo, and 17-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek. Also from Kenya is Alex Masai, third in 2023.

Beyond Clayton Young, American men on the starting line will include recent USA 25K national champion Diego Estrada, 1:00:02 half marathoner Teshome Mekonen, and B.A.A. High Performance Team member Josh Kalapos. Kalapos finished 17th at February’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon.

Hermin Garic returns in the men’s wheelchair division as a two-time defending champion, timing 22:44 last year. He’s joined by Michelle Wheeler, a top entrant in the women’s wheelchair division, who was runner-up last year.

In the Para Athletics Divisions, Brian Reynolds — who set a world record 41:09 at last year’s event for T61-64 Classification (lower-limb impairment) is back with sights on the podium again. Marko Cheseto Lemtukei and Kelly Bruno — each of whom won the T62-T64/T42-T44 Division at the 128th Boston Marathon — will compete, as well as Atsbha Gebremeskel, the two-time Boston Marathon T46 (upper limb impairment) Para Athletics Division champion. More than 25 athletes will participate in the Para Athletics Divisions and Adaptive Programs at this year’s Boston 10K. Nearly $20,000 — an event record — in prize awards are available to top-three finishers across Vision Impairment (T11-T13), Upper Limb Impairment (T45-T46), Lower Limb Impairment (T61-T64), Coordination Impairment (T35-T38) classifications.

The Boston 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital will be the second event of the 2024 B.A.A. Distance Medley, a year-long series featuring the Boston 5K (April), Boston 10K (June), and Boston Half (November). While open registration is sold out, limited spots are still available through Brigham and Women’s fundraising team.

Caster Semenya determined to fight on against DSD regulations

Double Olympic 800-meter champion Caster Semenya appeared at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Wednesday to continue her challenge against World Athletics regulations that female athletes with differences in sexual development (DSDs) medically reduce their testosterone levels.

The ECHR ruled in July 2023, by a majority of four votes to three, that Semenya's original appeal to a Swiss Federal Tribunal against the regulations had not been properly heard.

But the Swiss, encouraged by World Athletics, have appealed that verdict to the ECHR Grand Chamber for a final and definitive decision. A verdict is expected in the coming months.

"This is an important day in my journey as a human being and athlete. It has been a long time coming," Semenya told reporters.

"The outcome of this case is very important. You need to pave out a way for young women so they don't face the injustice, the scrutiny of being judged, being dehumanized and being discriminated (against).

"I don't think this is about my career. It is about me being an advocate for what is right, to voice out for those who cannot fight for themselves."

Should Semenya be successful it will open up the possibility of a fresh challenge to the regulations that effectively ended her running career, though she says her fight is now for future generations.

"I hope that the court's decision will pave the way for all athletes' human rights to be fiercely protected, for once and for all," she added.

Under the World Athletics rules, female athletes with differences in sexual development (DSDs) must lower their level of testosterone to below 2.5 nmol/L for at least six months to compete. This can be done medically or surgically.

Athletes competing in events between 400 meters and a mile must keep their levels below 2.5 nmol/L for 24 months.

World Athletics have denied there is any attempt to discriminate in their regulations.

"World Athletics has only ever been interested in protecting the female category. If we don’t, then women and young girls will not choose sport. That is, and has always been, the Federation’s sole motivation," the sports body said in a previous statement to Reuters.

"We remain of the view that the DSD regulations are a necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of protecting fair competition in the female category as the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Swiss Federal Tribunal both found, after a detailed and expert assessment of the evidence."

Clara Evans, Jake Smith and Innes FitzGerald are among the entries for Sunday’s big race at Cardiff 5K

Jake Smith, Dewi Griffiths and Kadar Omar will head the men’s fields at the Cardiff 5km Race For Victory on Sunday May 5, whereas Clara Evans, Jenny Nesbitt and Innes FitzGerald top the women’s start lists, writes Alex Donald.

The ever popular community event held in the leafy Whitchurch suburb of the Welsh capital incorporates the 2024 Welsh 5km Championships and will host teams from the Midlands, North, South and South West of England, along with a team from North Wales and one representing the UK Armed Forces.

Smith (13:59) dipped under 14 minutes with victory here in 2022 and has competed three times so far in 2024 with his best performance a 29:25 clocking at the 10km Valencia Ibercaja in January.

Griffiths (13:43) and Omar (14:02) faced off a week ago with Omar finishing 14 seconds ahead over 10km in Newport. The former also completed a 2:12 marathon at Seville in February.

Richard Allen (13:51) is a former world duathlon champion and a former record-holder at the popular Podium 5km in Barrowford. More recently the Leeds man won the 2023 Trafford 10km.

Jonathan Hopkins (13:54) returns as a previous winner here, claiming the Welsh title on that occasion in 2018. The Swansea man has dipped under 14 minutes on several occasions in the past and most recently in 2021 at Barrowford.

A further challenge is expected from track man James Heneghan (14:35) and the 2023 Nos Galan 5km winner Ben Reynolds (14:05).

Welsh marathon record-holder Clara Evans (15:49) is the defending champion here and is in great shape, recently proven by a 70:11 clocking on a windy day at the Berlin Half Marathon and with a 31:53 PB in third place at the Trafford 10km.

Evans is joined by training partner and clubmate 2019 UK Inter-Counties cross-country champion Jenny Nesbitt (15:41) who set her PB at the recent Podium 5km Festival in Leicester.

Further Welsh interest sits with Emily Kearney-Haggard, who finished second at the Mid-Cheshire 5km last weekend in a new best of 15:44 and 2023 Cardiff 10km champion Alaw Evans (16:33).

European under-20 cross-country champion Innes FitzGerald overcame Nesbitt at the Cardiff Met Open Meeting over 3000m in January. The Exeter Harrier will make a 5km road race debut in Cardiff but has a parkrun best of 16:02 from January.

Molli Lyons (16:47) is another promising young athlete in action, finishing 15th here last year but since making her Great Britain & Northern Ireland team debut at the European Cross Country Championships in Brussels.

Hamburg Marathon: Benard Koech and Irine Cheptai win men's and women's titles

Defending champion Bernard Koech and fellow Kenyan Irine Cheptai won the Haspa Marathon Hamburg with world-class times. Koech crossed the line in a brilliant 2:04:24 and clocked the eighth fastest time in the world this year. Missing his own course record and PB by just 15 seconds Koech became the first man to successfully defend the title in Hamburg since Julio Rey of Spain in 2006. Ethiopia's Haymanot Alew took second with 2:05:30 and Philemon Kiplimo of Kenya was third in 2:05:37. There was a thrilling duel in the women's race. Irine Cheptai won the battle and produced one of the fastest marathon debuts in history with 2:18:22. Fellow Kenyan Winfridah Moseti smashed her PB with 2:18:25 for second place. These are the second and third fastest times in the history of the race. Ethiopia's Gotytom Gebreslase took third with 2:21:19.

Organizers registered a record entry number of 38,210 athletes for the 38th edition of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg. This includes races at shorter distances. 15,000 marathon runners were among the entries. “It was a superb race which produced some of the fastest times ever in Hamburg. However for many athletes conditions became tough when it suddenly warmed up strongly during the race,” said Chief Organizer Frank Thaleiser.

For long periods of the race the leading group was on course to break the course record of 2:04:09 which Bernard Koech established a year ago. After a 1:28:14 split time at 30k the last pacemaker dropped out and then Koech took off, immediately leaving behind Haymanot Alew, Philemon Kiplimo and fellow-Kenyan Ronald Korir. Koech covered the next 5k section in a breathtaking 14:17 and when he went through 35k in 1:42:31 it looked like he might finish in around 2:03:30. “But then I had a difficult section and because of that I missed the course record,” Bernard Koech explained later. “But this is sport, I am not at all disappointed. It was a great race and I might well come back again next year.” For the second time since 2022 four athletes ran sub 2:06:00 in Hamburg.

Germany's Sebastian Hendel finished in a strong tenth place with a huge PB of 2:08:51. The 28 year-old had a personal record of 2:10:14 before and now became the ninth fastest German marathon runner ever.

For over 30 kilometers Gotytom Gebreslase, the Marathon World Champion from 2022, ran together with Kenyans Irine Cheptai and Winfridah Moseti in the leading group. However with 10k to go the Ethiopian dropped back. With the leaders out of sight her dream of competing in the Olympics probably vanished. In the end Gotytom Gebreslase finished a distant third in 2:21:19. The battle for victory continued right into the home straight. Then the 2017 World Cross Country Champion Irine Cheptai opened a small gap and crowned her strong marathon debut with a win in 2:18:22. She was three seconds ahead of Winfridah Moseti. The two Kenyans managed to run the second half quicker than the first (69:44) and placed themselves on positions eleven and twelve in the 2024 world list.

“I never expected to win the race. I had hopes to maybe finish second or third,” said Irine Cheptai. “Perhaps I can now run between 2:14 and 2:15 in my next marathon. I would like to run here in Hamburg again next year.” In seventh place Argentinian Daiana Ocampo was the only athlete in Hamburg to achieve Olympic qualification. There was very bad luck for Katharina Steinruck once more. The German, who hoped to break her mother's PB (Katrin Dörre-Heinig, the Olympic bronze medalist from 1988, ran 2:24:35 in Hamburg 25 years ago), had to side step at a refreshment point when a pacemaker stepped into her way. She then collided full speed with a drinks table, fell and had to give up injured shortly after that. This happened shortly before the half way point and she had been running 2:23 pace. Rabea Schöneborn was the best German with 2:35:07 in 13th place.

Results, Men:

Bernard Koech KEN 2:04:24

Haymanot Alew ETH 2:05:30

Philemon Kiplimo KEN 2:05:37

Ronald Korir KOR 2:05:41

Tsedat Ayana ETH 2:06:40

Oqbe Ruesom ERI 2:06:50

Brimin Misoi KEN 2:07:06

Getaneh Molla ETH 2:07:38

Martin Musau UGA 2:08:42

Sebastian Hendel GER 2:08:51

Women:

Irine Cheptai KEN 2:18:22

Winfridah Moseti KEN 2:18:25

Gotytom Gebreslase ETH 2:21:19

Jackline Cherono KEN 2:21:40

Aminet Ahmed ETH 2:23:27

Cynthia Limo KEN 2:25:10

Daiana Ocampo ARG 2:26:24

Kidsan Alema ETH 2:26:50

Ayantu Kumela ETH 2:27:19

Neheng Khatala READ 2:28:37

World-class fields will go for course records and target Olympic qualification in Sunday’s Haspa Marathon Hamburg

Kenya’s defending champion and course record holder Bernard Koech, who tied his personal best with 2:04:09 a year ago, is back while Gotytom Gebreslase, the World Champion from 2022, is the favorite in the women’s race.

The Ethiopian, who has a PB of 2:18:18, wants to secure the third spot for the Paris Olympic race in Hamburg. Fellow-Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw holds Hamburg’s course record of 2:17:23. Late entry Nienke Brinkman will also try to qualify for Paris. The Dutch runner is the bronze medalist from the European Championships in Munich in 2022.

Organizers of Germany’s biggest and fastest spring marathon have registered a record total of 38,210 runners. Among them are 15,000 athletes who will compete in the classic event. “If all goes well on Sunday and the pacemakers run a bit more even and slightly faster we could see similar results to last year. I am curious to see if Gotytom Gebreslase manages to qualify for Paris and if she is able to break the course record. But even a sub 2:20 time is something special since we only have one so far,“ said chief organizer Frank Thaleiser, who introduced an additional bonus of 20,000 Euros for the course records. All runners – men and women – who finish inside the course records share this amount. If there would be one man and three women who clock faster times than the previous records they would each receive 5,000 Euros. “This way we want to encourage the runners in a leading group to go for a fast time after the last pacemaker has dropped out,“ explained Frank Thaleiser.

“Training was going well and compared to last year in Hamburg I have reached the same level. So if the weather conditions are fine then a fast time is possible,“ said Bernard Koech. It is highly unlikely that he could still be selected for the Olympic marathon, but he said: “I will give everything and if they should select me then I will be ready.“ Bernard Koech is one of seven runners in the race who feature personal bests of sub 2:05:00. While Ethiopia’s Getaneh Molla is the fastest on the start list with 2:03:34 he has not reached such times in recent years.

Brimin Misoi and Philemon Kiplimo are tipped to be among the strongest challengers for defending champion Koech. Both have done very well on German roads in the past. Misoi has won the Frankfurt Marathon twice in a row. When he defended his title last autumn the Kenyan improved to 2:04:53 despite windy and rainy conditions. He now intends to run faster in Hamburg. “I ran the Paris Marathon at the beginning of April. But because of breathing problems I dropped out and then decided to go for Hamburg,“ said Misoi. It was in Berlin last year, where Philemon Kiplimo improved to 2:04:56 and finished eighth in a very competitive race. “German roads are good for me, so I am looking forward to Sunday. I want to run with the leading group and improve my time,“ said Kiplimo, who has a superb half marathon PB of 58:11.

“We are planning a pace in the region of the course record, may be slightly faster. Additionally there will be a really big group of probably 25 athletes who will target the 2:08:10 Olympic qualifying time“, said Hamburg’s Elite Race Coordinator Jurrie van der Velden of Jos Hermens’ Global management. “We are not quite sure yet, but the women’s leading group might run a pace somewhere between 2:16 and 2:18. There is a group as well which targets Olympic qualification, running sub 2:26:50 pace.“

“It is my goal to qualify for the Olympics on Sunday,“ said Gotytom Gebreslase, who surprisingly won her debut marathon in Berlin in 2021, then went on to become World Champion in the following year and took the silver medal at last year’s global championships in Budapest. Jurrie van der Velden explained that the Ethiopian federation usually selects the two fastest runners during the qualifying window and then picks the athlete who performed best at major championships as long as that athlete confirms good form. When Gebreselase ran the Nagoya Marathon in March she did not finish. “I got stomach problems during the race and dropped out after 35k. Then I trained well and decided to run in Hamburg. I am in good form now and want to run sub 2:18 here. Perhaps I can attack the course record. I would think such a performance should be enough to get selected,“ said Gotytom Gebreslase.

Nienke Brinkman joined Hamburg’s elite field at short notice. The European bronze medalist from 2022 has still not achieved the qualifying time for the Olympics. She ran her PB of 2:22:51 in 2022, but that was outside the qualifying period. A year ago Brinkman clocked a fine 2:24:58 in Boston, but this course is not record eligible and results do not count as qualifying times. However it is a far easier task for Brinkman to achieve qualification in Hamburg than for Gebreslase. Reaching the qualifying standard of 2:26:50 should be enough for the former Durch record holder.

A debutant could well be in the mix for at least a place on the podium: Irine Cheptai is the World Cross Country Champion from 2017. “I started preparing for my marathon debut in January and training went very well. I think I will go with the second group on Sunday,“ said the Kenyan who has already run a very fast and promising half marathon time of 64:53.

Among a number of German runners Katharina Steinruck is probably the one who could produce the national highlight in Hamburg. She improved to 2:24:56 this winter and now hopes to break the family record: It was exactly 25 years ago when Katrin Dörre-Heinig, the bronze medalist of the 1988 Olympic marathon in Seoul, won the Hamburg Marathon with 2:24:35. For many years this remained the German marathon record. “It is my aim to break my Mum’s record and it would be great if I could do it in Hamburg,“ said Steinruck.

Bernard Koech hoping to retain Haspa Marathon title and pocket millions of prize money set aside

Defending champion Bernard Koech has plans to successfully defend his title and walk away with the millions set aside as prize money for the top finishers.

Defending champion Bernard Koech hopes to defend his Haspa Marathon Hamburg title on Sunday, April 28 as he also chases the hefty prize money set aside for top finishers of the race.

Koech broke the course record last year after cutting the tape in 2:04:09 and he returns to the 38th edition of one of Germany’s greatest road races, with eyes set on the prize.

The Kenyan opened his season with a win at the Harmonie Mutuelle Semi de Paris and he looks to continue the winning streak in the streets of Hamburg.

As he returns to one of his favorite courses, the 36-year-old will also be fighting for the millions of prize money up for grabs, since the event is a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race. As per World Athletics, the minimum prize money for winners in such an event is about Ksh 4 million.

The athletes who finish second and third will walk away with about Ksh 2 million and Ksh 1.3 million respectively with those who finish fourth and fifth will bag Ksh 672,500 and Ksh 538,000 respectively.

The runners who finish sixth, seventh, and eighth will also be smiling to the bank after pocketing about Ksh 403,500, Ksh 269,000, and Ksh 134,500 respectively.

Meanwhile, Koech will face opposition from Getaneh Molla who has a Personal Best time of 2:03:34. He achieved the impressive time when winning his marathon debut in Dubai in 2019. Samwel Mailu will also be in the mix with Abraham Cheroben, who competes for Bahrain, will also be competing.

The women’s marathon has attracted Ethiopia’s Gotytom Gebreslase, the former World Champion from Eugene. Gebreslase was the runner-up at last year’s global championships in Budapest and has a personal best of 2:18:11. With this time she is the fastest woman ever entered into the field.

“We have made a really strong development in recent years. In the past two editions, there were three course records and world-class times.

“Now we have assembled another great field and it is quite possible that the course records come under threat once again,” said the chief organizer of Germany’s biggest spring marathon, Frank Thaleiser as per Watch Athletics.

Gotytom Gebreslase added to Hamburg field

Gotytom Gebreslase, the World Champion from Eugene 2022, has been added to the strong elite field of Sunday’s Haspa Marathon Hamburg.

The Ethiopian was runner-up at last year’s global championships in Budapest and has a personal best of 2:18:11. With this time she is the fastest woman ever entered into the Haspa Marathon Hamburg.

In the men’s race Bernard Koech returns to Hamburg as the defending champion. The Kenyan broke the course record last year with 2:04:09. Organisers expect to register a total of more than 35,000 runners for the 38th edition of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg. Over 14,000 of them are marathon runners.

“We have made a really strong development in recent years. In the past two editions there were three course records and world-class times. Now we have assembled another great field and it is quite possible that the course records come under threat once again,“ said the chief organiser of Germany’s biggest spring marathon, Frank Thaleiser.

Gotytom Gebreslase, who sensationally won her marathon debut in Berlin in 2021, hopes to still qualify for the Olympic Games. However because of the extraordinary strong competition for the three places she would probably have to smash the course record of 2:17:23 set by fellow-Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw two years ago. Nine Ethiopian women have run sub 2:17:00 during the qualifying period, which was supposed to end on 30th April but has now been extended by World Athletics to 5th May.

Getaneh Molla heads an impressive men’s start list on which seven athletes have personal bests faster than 2:05:00. The Ethiopian ran his PB of 2:03:34 when winning an impressive marathon debut in Dubai in 2019. However he has not run as fast again since then. In contrast course record holder Bernard Koech has already run sub 2:05 on three occasions. While fellow Kenyan Samwel Mailu had to cancel his start because of an injury, a debutant could be in for a surprise: Former Kenyan Abraham Cheroben, who competes for Bahrain, has a world-class half marathon PB of 58:40.

The Surprising Way Air Hunger Limits Your Endurance

The fitter you get, the more likely you are to feel that you can’t get enough oxygen during hard exercise

Our lungs and airways are “overbuilt,” according to exercise physiologists. Though we gasp and pant during heavy exercise, that’s not what actually slows us down. Instead, the bottleneck is the heart’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to the muscles, or the muscles’ ability to make use of that oxygen. That’s why the heart and muscles get bigger and stronger in response to training, while the lungs stay the same: we already suck in more oxygen than we’re able to use.

Or maybe not, according to a new study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise that takes a fresh look at what it means to be out of breath. It turns out there are different subtypes of breathlessness. Your chest might feel tight; or your breathing muscles might feel overworked; or you might feel that you can’t get enough air in. That last one, sometimes called “air hunger” or (more scientifically) “unsatisfied inspiration” is usually associated with lung conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But the new study finds that about a third of healthy adults experience air hunger during all-out exercise—and it’s the fittest people who are most susceptible.

The study, led by researcher (and accomplished mountain runner) Jordan Guenette and graduate student Olivia Ferguson of the University of British Columbia, reanalyzed earlier results from lung-function tests completed by 321 healthy adults between the ages of 19 and 40 in labs at the University of British Columbia and McGill University in Canada. Among the tests was an incremental cycle to exhaustion, after which subjects were given a list of 15 phrases that described subjective sensations of breathlessness and asked to pick which ones applied to them.

Four of the phrases corresponded to air hunger: “I cannot get enough air in,” “I cannot take a deep breath in,” “My breath does not go in all the way,” and “I feel a need for more air.” Those who picked at least three of those four phrases were classified as having air hunger. Healthy adults usually associate breathlessness with the perception that their breathing muscles are working really hard, rather than with air hunger. But to the surprise of the research team, 34 percent of the subjects fell into the air hunger category.

Air hunger doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re truly short of oxygen—but it feels that way, which is enough to create problems. There are two distinct dimensions of breathlessness: the sensory experience (what it feels like) and the affective/emotional response (how you react to that feeling). Air hunger is a sensory experience, but it’s tightly linked to a negative emotional response. No one likes to feel that they can’t get enough air in. In patients with lung disease, the feeling of air hunger is a major deterrent to exercise even when it doesn’t directly compromise exercise capacity.

To figure out if the same thing happens in healthy adults, the subjects were also asked to rate the discomfort in their legs on a scale of zero to ten, do the same for breathing discomfort, and make as estimate of how much their decision to give up in the exercise test was due to leg and breathing discomfort, respectively. Sure enough, breathing discomfort was higher in the air hunger group, and about half of them said that it played a part in their decision to quit, compared to less than 30 percent in the non-air hunger group.

One sign that this breathing discomfort wasn’t all in their heads is that the air hunger group had stronger markers of “critical inspiratory constraints” (CIC)—that is, limitations on their ability to breathe more deeply. When your body detects that carbon dioxide levels in your blood are rising, it automatically triggers deeper breathing to flush out the carbon dioxide and get more oxygen in. But if you have CIC, you’re at a point where it’s hard to inflate your lungs any further, so there’s a mismatch between your desire to inhale and your ability to do so. Sure enough, the people in the air hunger group had several indicators of more severe CIC. For example, they had a smaller peak inspiratory capacity (the maximum volume of air they could inhale), and a smaller increase of inspiratory capacity during exercise.

The next question is what determines who suffers from air hunger and CIC. One difference between the groups is that those with air hunger had, on average, higher VO2 max by 1.5 percent, and reached a higher peak power output by 3.4 percent. They were also breathing faster at exhaustion (50 breaths per minute compared to 47) and sucking in more air (120 liters per minute compared to 116). “Contrary to popular belief,” Guenette points out, “exercise training doesn’t improve lung capacity.” So one version of the story is that fitter people can push themselves harder for longer, but their lungs aren’t equipped to handle the higher load, so they’re more likely to approach their breathing limits.

On the other hand, while the differences in VO2 max are statistically significant, they’re pretty subtle. Could there be other factors that dictate who suffers from the feeling of air hunger—something in the structure of the lungs or the strength of respiratory muscles? Is it a function of how the brain and central nervous systems respond to a given level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood? None of this is clear yet, and neither is the crucial question of whether there’s anything you can do about it. There’s been a lot of research over the years about the idea of training your breathing muscles (including some by Guenette), and one of the theories is that any performance benefits are more about changing your subjective response to the feeling of breathlessness rather than actually delivering more oxygen to your muscles. That might be one way of combating the feeling air hunger; another possibility is the asthma medication salbutamol, which Guenette hopes to study further.

For now, what I take from this study is that I need to rethink one of my standard pieces of advice to beginner runners. Feeling out of breath is one of the dominant sensations when you first start running, but I’ve always assured people that it’s a feeling you get used to, and not something that really limits your performance. It turns that, for at least some people, that’s not true. My sense is that the recent hype about “better breathing” has far outpaced the evidence, but it’s clear that we still have a lot to learn.

France aims to make Paris Olympics mosquito-free

In an effort to prevent the spread of mosquito-born viruses, France is aiming to make the 2024 Paris Olympics mosquito-free.

If you thought the Olympic flame would just be burning citronella, it won’t. According to local news, the French government and the Paris Olympic organizing committee have hired a company to install 15 traps over a one-hectare area of “green and shady, humid areas” of the city next month. This is to stop virus-carrying tiger mosquitoes from disrupting the Paris Olympics, which will attract millions of visitors.

Over the last decade, the Asian tiger mosquito has inhabited western Europe, posing a significant health risk by transmitting diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. The government and committee see the mosquitos as a potential public relations nightmare to what is proposed to be the most digital Olympics ever. With the Games just four months away, experts are worried that a bite from a tiger mosquito could even jeopardize an athlete’s ability to compete.

An entomologist and expert on mosquito-borne diseases, Didier Fontenille, told Inside The Games: “If you have dengue, you’re not going to jump over any hurdles. The host cities and especially the Olympic Village must be kept mosquito-free.”

An entomologist and expert on mosquito-borne diseases, Didier Fontenille, told Inside The Games: “If you have dengue, you’re not going to jump over any hurdles. The host cities and especially the Olympic Village must be kept mosquito-free.”

Tiger mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water. The government is pushing locals to help fight the insect war by cleaning up dirty water from outdoor flower pots or trays.

Paris will also deploy thousands of anti-insect systems citywide to slash mosquito numbers and ensure a successful, bug-free Olympics.

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

Dina Asher-Smith, Katarina Johnson-Thompson opt out of World Indoor Championships to focus on Olympics

Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson are among a group of Team GB athletes who have opted out of competing in the World Indoor Championships to focus on their preparations for the Olympics.

Other athletes who have chosen not to compete include Zharnel Hughes and Keely Hodgkinson as they focus on the summer.

That leaves Josh Kerr and Laura Muir to top the bill in Great Britain's squad for the World Indoor Championships.

World 1500m champion Kerr will race in the 3000m in Glasgow next month as he kicks off his own preparations for the Olympics in Paris this summer.

Fellow Scot Muir, who won 1500m silver at the Tokyo Games, will also run in the 3000m at the championships which run from March 1-3.

Mbappe to join Real in 'most expensive free transfer in history'

Transfer Centre LIVE! Brighton recruitment chief accepts Chelsea offer

How Odegaard's change of role has helped unleash Arsenal

Klopp confirms Jota set for 'months' out of action

Why PL is still favourite for extra CL spot

Qatar Open LIVE! Murray closing in on first win of 2024

Everton points deduction appeal: What's going on?

Mic'd Up: Why Newcastle were awarded penalty despite Schar offside

Crucial F1 testing ahead as rivals seek first clues in Red Bull chase

The Rashford-Barkley press which has gone viral

Molly Caudery (pole vault), Morgan Lake (high jump) and Jemma Reekie (800m) are also included in the squad.

Paula Dunn, Olympic head coach, said: "We are pleased to be announcing such a strong team and I am looking forward to seeing how the team perform on the world stage.

"We had a thrilling National Championships where athletes secured their places for the team in Scotland and it was fantastic to see a number of athletes stepping up when it counted.

"This is a really exciting squad that includes global medallists as well as athletes who will be hoping to make an impact on the world stage for the first time.

"Once World Athletics have finalised the final road to Glasgow rankings later this week, those athletes who have the required ranking and have met the UKA requirements outlined in the selection policy will be announced and we look forward to confirming our home championship team for next month."

Cranberries may boost running performance, Canadian study reveals

Beyond their reputation as a Thanksgiving side dish, cranberries are emerging as potential game-changers for athletes seeking a performance boost. A recent study out of Montreal’s Concordia University delved into the impact of cranberry extract on runners’ time-trial performance and lactate response after exercise, with exciting results. Here’s what you need to know.

Cranberries: a superfood for athletes?

Cranberries, often hailed for their vibrant color and tart flavor, pack a powerful punch when it comes to a health-elevating organic compound called polyphenols, and boast the highest levels among fruits and vegetables. For runners, the magic lies in polyphenols’ ability to combat exercise-induced free radicals.

When you engage in vigorous physical activity, your body produces free radicals—unstable molecules that can wreak havoc on cells and tissues. While the free radicals are natural byproducts of exercise, an excess can lead to oxidative stress, potentially impacting performance and recovery.

Polyphenols are renowned for their antioxidant capacity, which raises the question: can cranberries protect against exercise-induced free radicals and, in turn, enhance performance?

The study

A team of researchers conducted a study involving 14 athletes, aged 18–40 years old, who regularly performed at least five hours of endurance training per week, to investigate the effects of cranberry extract (CE) on time-trial performance and lactate response post-exercise.

The participants underwent testing at baseline, two hours after an acute CE dose, and four weeks after daily supplement consumption. Key performance indicators included a 1,500-meter race and a 400-meter race, with scientists measuring oxygen changes in leg muscles using near-infrared spectroscopy (a method that shines light into the body and observes how different tissues respond based on their oxygen levels).

The study revealed that chronic cranberry supplementation over 28 days led to improved aerobic performance during the 1,500-meter time trial. The benefits were not observed after a single dose, emphasizing the significance of consistent consumption. After 28 days of cranberry supplementation, muscle reoxygenation rates were significantly faster compared to baseline, suggesting that the antioxidant properties of cranberries may contribute to enhanced oxygen utilization, a crucial factor in endurance.

The takeaway

The study’s results suggest that cranberry supplementation may have ergogenic effects, particularly in improving physiological markers of performance during both short- and long-distance running. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a weekend warrior, the cranberry’s potential benefits might just add a delightful twist to your running journey.

Kerr and Muir head host nation team for Glasgow

World champion Josh Kerr and Olympic silver medalist Laura Muir are among the athletes selected to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24.

World leader Molly Caudery is also on the host nation team for the event taking place at the Glasgow Arena from 1-3 March.

Kerr, who won world 1500m gold at the World Championships in Budapest last year, will contest the 3000m. Olympic 1500m silver medallist Muir, who claimed 1500m silver and 3000m bronze at the 2018 World Indoor Championships, will also race the 3000m in Glasgow.

Caudery heads to the event as the current world leader in the pole vault following her 4.85m PB clearance at the UK Indoor Championships on Saturday.

They will be joined in Glasgow by athletes including Jemma Reekie, who sits second on this season’s top list with the 1:58.24 she ran to win the national 800m title on Sunday, plus 60m hurdlers Cindy Sember and David King, high jumper Morgan Lake and sprinter Jeremiah Azu.

The full team will be confirmed once world rankings places have been finalised.

British team for Glasgow

Women

400m:Laviai Nielsen

800m: Isabelle Boffey, Jemma Reekie

1500m: Georgia Bell, Revee Walcott-Nolan

3000m: Laura Muir

60m hurdles: Cindy Sember

High jump: Morgan Lake

Pole vault: Molly Caudery

4x400m: Hannah Brier, Hannah Kelly, Jessie Knight, Laviai Nielsen, Lina Nielsen, Ama Pipi

Men

60m: Jeremiah Azu

1500m: Callum Elson, Adam Fogg

3000m: Josh Kerr

60m hurdles: David King, Tade Ojora.

Doha Marathon; Uganda’s Solomon Mutai won the elite men’s race and Kenyan long-distance runner Valary Jemeli Aiyabei in the women’s elite race

Solomon Mutai of Uganda emerged victorious in the top men's race of the 2024 Doha Marathon presented by Ooredoo on Friday morning. The bronze medalist from the 2015 Beijing Athletics World Championship finished the 42-kilometer event in two hours, twelve minutes, and forty-eight seconds. He finished ahead of Mesfin Negus of Ethiopia (2:13:12) and Awet Habte Ghebrezghiabher of Eritrea (2:13:00).

In the women's elite event, Kenyan long-distance runner Valary Jemeli Aiyabei triumphed. With a timing of 2:23:38, the seasoned marathoner—who has taken home gold in marathons at Barcelona, Belgrade, Valencia, Prague, Beijing, and Frankfurt—added Doha to her list of accomplishments.

Rediet Daniel Molla of Ethiopia placed third in 2:26:25, while her countryman Joan Kipyatich came in second in 2:23:45.

On that day, almost 13,000 competitors competed in a variety of races across varying distances. There were races in the full, half, 10 km, 5 km, and 1 km distances.

This year's tournament featured 25 participants from across the world and the Olympics.

The races began at 6.15 a.m. at the Hotel Park and ended at the starting point after taking a gorgeous course along the magnificent Corniche.

A total of QAR 500,000 in prize money was awarded to the victors of the Ooredoo Doha Marathon.

How to increase your weekly mileage with minimal effort

When trying to add to their weekly mileage totals, a lot of runners jump immediately to longer long runs and bigger workouts. But this may actually do more harm than good. For a number of reasons, lengthening your warmup and cooldown are likely the safest, and easiest, ways to add extra mileage. 

First, the warmup and cooldown are done at a slow, easy pace. If there’s anything we’ve learned from runners like Eliud Kipchoge or Molly Seidel, it’s that you have to run slow to run fast. These runners do up to 80 per cent of their mileage at a very slow pace, which helps them run more without increasing the stress on their bodies. By increasing the length of your warmup and cooldown, you’re increasing the time you spend on your feet without stressing your body with more hard running.

Second, it’ll help you better prepare your body for your workout. If you’re like a lot of runners, you probably cut your warmup and cooldown a little bit short in favour of just getting the workout done. We get it–sometimes you just want to get on with it, and when you’re tired from a hard workout, cooldowns can feel like cruel punishment. But they are both important aspects of training, since they help prepare your body for the work ahead (the warmup) and helping kick-start the recovery process (the cooldown) so you’ll be ready for your next speed session.

Finally, the warmup and cooldown are a great place to add mileage because, other than the extra time put in, you’ll hardly notice the change–it’s like free mileage! Simply start by adding five minutes more of easy jogging on either side of your workout (on workout days), and you can gradually continue to add to your warmups and cooldowns in this way until you’re satisfied with your weekly mileage total. While it sounds like a small amount, the extra kilometers add up.

You’re not doing workouts, you say? If you have race goals, at some point you should be doing speedwork. There are many ways to gradually introduce speedwork without getting injured. (But if you’re really not ready, you can still increase your weekly mileage by simply adding five minutes to the start and end of your runs.)

Molly Seidel withdraws from Olympic Marathon Trials due to injury

Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel announced she is withdrawing from Saturday’s U.S. marathon trials for the Paris Games due to a knee injury.

Seidel, 29, said in a video posted Thursday that she suffered a knee injury a month ago, couldn’t run on it and got an MRI that revealed a broken patella and a partially torn patella tendon.

“I have done everything in my power over this last month to try and get myself to the (starting) line,” she said. “I’ve had just the most incredible physios and doctors doing everything in their power to help me. I’ve been cross-training my (butt) off, but ultimately I got to this week, and my knee had not healed up enough, and I knew that I could not race a marathon hard on it in its current state without really, really injuring myself.”

The trials are Saturday at 10 a.m. ET from Orlando, airing live on Peacock with coverage on NBC, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app at noon.

Four years ago, Seidel placed second in the trials in her marathon debut to make the three-woman Olympic team.

After the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the Tokyo Games by one year, Seidel finished third in the Olympic marathon held in Sapporo.

She became the third U.S. woman to win a marathon medal after Joan Benoit Samuelson, who won the first Olympic women’s marathon in 1984, and Deena Kastor, the 2004 bronze medalist.

After Tokyo, Seidel dealt with a hip injury and anemia, plus took time to focus on mental health after an eating disorder relapse.

Then last Oct. 8, Seidel finished a 26.2-mile race for the first time in two years. She was the second-fastest American woman at the Chicago Marathon, running a personal best and re-establishing herself as a prime candidate to make the Paris team of three at trials.

Seidel is the second contender to withdraw in the lead-up to trials.

Emma Bates, the third-fastest U.S. female marathoner of 2023, bowed out Jan. 7, saying then, “There’s just not enough time to be where I need to be.”

The field still includes three of the four fastest American women in history — American record holder Emily Sisson, former American record holder Keira D’Amato and Sara Hall, No. 4 on the all-time list.

Plus, former Iowa State teammates Betsy Saina (the fastest American in 2023) and Aliphine Tuliamuk (Tokyo Olympic Trials winner).

7 Legit Benefits of Running At Night—And How To Do It Safely

It was around mile two of the Joshua Tree Half Marathon that I started to hear animals I couldn’t see. Was that a horse? I wondered (and hoped). The daylight was officially gone.

But I realized that as spooky as night running might be, it also creates an eerie kind of magic. Lights twinkled in the valley below the hilly path I was climbing, but all around me it was pitch black, aside from the few feet of sandy trail that each runner’s headlamp illuminated. With nothing else to see, all I had to focus on were my own footsteps and my breath—and how I could race through the desert as quickly as possible.

Amie Dworecki, B.S., M.A., MBA, Amie Dworecki, B.S., M.A., MBA, is a running coach and founder of Running With Life. 

Brad Whitley, DPT, physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in Seattle 

Marnie Kunz, CPT2, USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach 

Most long-distance races take place in the morning, but this half marathon starts right around sunset. Because the scenery of the course is a tad monotonous, the race organizers embrace the adrenaline rush you can get from running under the stars.

I joined as part of a press trip sponsored by Nathan Sports, Skechers, and Swiftwick. The experience reminded me that even when the days are short during the winter and pushing your pace after the sun goes down becomes the norm, night running can be its own unique adventure.

The more I looked into running at night, the more advantages I found—even if you need to take a few extra safety precautions when you’re lacing up.

The perks of running at night

What are the main benefits of night running? Here are a few of the top reasons to get in a nocturnal workout.

1. The temperature is cooler

Earlier in the day before the Joshua Tree race, I’d been cowering from the heat anytime the sun touched my skin. But once it was dark out, the desert air got so cool that my sweat-wicking T-shirt barely had any work to do.

As it turns out, temperatures around 40° Fahrenheit are ideal for long-distance running, largely because our hearts don’t have to work quite as hard to pump our blood to cool us down, according to a May 2012 study in PLOS One.

Even if the mercury doesn’t get quite that low after dark in a hot or humid climate, night running after sunset (or, alternatively, heading out before sunrise) is clearly the way to go to nab those cooler running temperatures.

2. Your body’s more ready to run

Running shortly after rolling out of bed can sometimes feel like wading through molasses. It’s no surprise why: You’ve just been lying stationary for hours, so your body temperature and mobility aren’t exactly ideal.

3. It might feel easier

The dark can be a secret weapon for runners. One August 2012 study in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology on optic flow (our perception of our movement in relation to our surroundings) suggested that because we can’t see as far in the dark, we feel like we’re going faster because close objects seem to pass by more quickly than those in the distance.

Even though your watch might not record any speedier miles, running in the dark can be a helpful confidence boost when you get the sense that you’re zooming along.

4. Night running can help you sleep

How can running at night affect your sleep quality? Despite rumors to the contrary, there’s some evidence to suggest evening runs might actually help you get deeper zzzs.

An October 2018 meta-analysis in Sports Medicine found that as long as you finish running more than an hour before your bedtime, it most likely won’t mess with your sleep quality. Instead, it could actually help you spend slightly longer in those restorative deep sleep stages.

Anecdotally, some people say they also seem to fall asleep faster.

That’s something to experiment with, according to certified running coach Amie Dworecki, CPT. Everybody’s different, so you might need to find out what works best for your own circadian rhythm.

5. You’re likely better fueled

Eating can be tricky for morning runners—you’ll run better with some food in your stomach, but if you don’t give yourself enough time to digest, you might run into GI issues.

At night, though, you should be fairly well-fueled from noshing all day, Dworecki says. Just be sure to have a snack to top off your carbohydrate stores before heading out the door, says certified running coach Marnie Kunz, CPT.

6. It’s more peaceful

Depending on where you run, during the day you might feel like you’re playing Frogger with traffic and pedestrians, dogs, and baby strollers. At night, most of those hurdles typically fade away.

“It's really almost a meditative experience because of the quiet and solitude,” Dworecki says. “It can really add relaxation to your running.”

7. You have more options

Because you’re less likely to have a certain time you need to be back by at night than you would in the morning, it’s easier to choose your own adventure based on how you’re feeling. You can add a couple extra miles if you feel like it, or end early and walk home instead.

Running at night vs. morning: How to choose

Many runners swear by their morning miles. But obviously, the a.m. hours aren’t the only time to run. How do you know whether night or morning runs will serve you best?

For some people, it’s purely logistical: The best time to get in a run is whenever you can run. But if you have a choice, it might help to pay attention to the natural ups and downs in your energy levels.

“If you're a night person, you can actually feel better or more energetic if you're running in the evenings,” Dworecki says. Or, she adds, you might be able to use running to give yourself an energy boost at a time when it would typically dip.

If you’re someone who needs camaraderie to lace up, one of the benefits of night running is you’re more likely to find a group run to join after the work day, or convince a friend to join you for a few social miles.

Even if you’re alone, night running can also give you more of a thrill than the chore-like approach you might take to morning runs.

“It's kind of an adrenaline rush running at night sometimes,” Kunz says.

On the other hand, running in the morning can be safer because there’s typically more people on the street, and more daylight means you’re more visible to cars.

Running first thing in the morning can also make you more consistent—even if you get stuck working late hours or friends convince you to head out for a happy hour, your workout will already be done.

Safety precautions for night running

1. Make sure you have enough light

Unless you know you’ll be running in a well-lit area, you’ll need to bring or wear your own running lights, Dworeck says.

I ran the Joshua Tree Half Marathon with the lightweight Nathan Sports Neutron Fire RX 2.0 Runner’s Headlamp, which securely attached to my forehead, and gave me 250 lumens of light in any direction I turned. Although it took me a little while to find the right spot on my forehead so it didn’t slip or bounce, once I did, I forgot it was even there.

If the thought of wearing a light on your head doesn’t sound appealing, you can also opt for a chest lamp or carry your own small flashlight. There are even have lights you can put on your shoes or your gloves, Dworecki says.

2. Stay visible to cars

Before the race, I was sent Nathan’s Laser Light 3 Liter Hydration Pack, which has a genius double-duty design that gives you a place to stash water as well as lights on the back in case you’re running anywhere there might be cars.

If you don’t have actual lights on your body, at least be sure to wear bright reflective gear so drivers can easily see you. Light-up reflective vests aren’t your only option—these days, many pieces of running gear stylishly incorporate reflective details, and there are even several reflective running shoes.

3. Consider leaving your headphones at home

Night running probably isn’t the right time to zone out to a podcast. Because you won’t be able to see as well, it helps to keep your other senses sharp.

“Watch your use of headphones just to be aware of what's around you,” Dworecki says.

4. Let someone know where you are

Although running when the streets are quiet can feel less stressful than during busier, noisier parts of the day, empty roads or trails can also be dangerous.

“Let someone know where you're going or share your run so they can track you,” Kunz says.

Apps like Strava let you proactively send your location to select contacts in real time. Alternatively, you can choose to stick to sidewalks or a track where you know other people will be out and about.

How to motivate yourself to run at night

After a long day, forcing yourself to get off of your warm couch and out into the dark doesn’t always sound super appealing. Kunz suggests making a promise to yourself to simply run 10 minutes—it’s just a little exercise snack that doesn’t feel like too much pressure.

“You know you can turn back, but once you're out the door, usually you'll feel okay and just keep running,” she says.

Dworecki adds that for some people, it’s easier to run right from their workplace. When I was training for an ultramarathon, for instance, I used to run home four miles from my office every night so that I didn’t waste half an hour commuting on the subway—my commute was my run (and it only took slightly longer). Then, once I stepped in the door, I could just relax without having to convince myself to leave again.

It can also be helpful to make night running more social by joining a group run or turning it into a date with a friend to catch up after work.

“[It] makes your run more fun and it gives you some accountability,” Kunz says. Even running with a dog can help a night run feel less lonely.

FAQ

1. Do I need a light to run at night?

If you’re going on trails or areas without ample street lamps, you’ll want to bring your own light source with you to make sure you can see where you’re going and what you’re about to step on. The most popular option among runners is a headlamp.

2. Can running at night help in managing stress?

Running is always a good stress release—the extra blood flow to our brain triggers a release of dopamine and endorphins, sometimes leading to the famous “runner’s high.” These benefits might be especially welcome at night.

“It's a great way to kind of blow off steam at the end of the day, and help unwind and relax before going to sleep,” Kunz says.

3. Is it bad to run at 10 p.m.?

Sometimes the only chance you have to fit in a workout is after many people go to bed. Dworecki says that sometimes when she’s struggling with insomnia, she might head out for a run around 1 a.m.

Just know that working up a sweat with intense exercise, like running vs. walking, for instance, will raise your heart rate pretty high, so be sure to give yourself enough time (at least an hour) to wind down after you're finished so it doesn’t mess with your sleep.

No matter when you get back home, do a cooldown, take a hot shower, eat some food, and settle in for the night knowing you’ve gotten all those longevity benefits and health perks.

Paul Chelimo is set to make marathon debut at Olympic Trials

Paul Chelimo, an Olympic 5000m silver and bronze medalist, will make his marathon debut at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Feb. 3 in Orlando.

“Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of running a marathon… The day has come- this is it!” was posted on his social media Friday.

Chelimo, 33, qualified for the marathon trials by running a 1:02:22 half marathon last April 2, safely quicker than the 1:03:00 minimum to get into the field.

He didn’t publicly commit to racing the marathon trials until now. He could still contest the track trials in June.

“Let’s start by Orlando... then we will see!” Chelimo’s agent wrote in an email when asked about track trials.

At marathon trials, the top three finishers on Feb. 3 are likely to make up the team for Paris. Since Chelimo has never raced a marathon, he also must run 2:11:30 or faster to hit a minimum qualifying time for Olympic eligibility.

Chelimo made five of the last six Olympic or world outdoor championships teams on the track in the 5000m. He won Olympic silver in 2016 and bronze in 2021, the latter being the lone U.S. men’s distance medal at the Tokyo Games.

Now, he joins a recent list of American global track medalists to move up to the marathon after Kara Goucher (2007 World 10,000m silver), Shalane Flanagan (2008 Olympic 10,000m silver), Galen Rupp (2012 Olympic 10,000m silver) and Bernard Lagat (world 5000m medals in 2007, 2009 and 2011).

Jenny Simpson, a world champion and Olympic bronze medalist at 1500m, also plans to make her marathon debut at the Feb. 3 trials.

Rupp made the 2016 Olympic marathon team in his debut at the distance at those trials. Molly Seidel did the same for the Tokyo Games. Each won a bronze medal in their first Olympic marathon.

Rupp, eyeing a fifth Olympics, headlines the men’s trials field along with Conner Mantz, the fastest American marathoner in 2022 and 2023 going for his first Games.

For Betsy Saina, the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon Presents a Chance to Represent Her Son

For much of last year, Betsy Saina had a plan. She would race the Chicago Marathon in October, eager to run alongside Emma Bates (who placed fifth at last year’s Boston Marathon in a new personal best of 2:22:10) in pursuit of breaking Emily Sisson’s American record of 2:18:29, set the previous year at that same race.

Saina, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen who represented Kenya in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro—she placed fifth in the 10,000 meters 30:07.78—had reason to be confident. Last spring, she set a new personal best of 2:21:40 with her fifth-place finish at the Tokyo Marathon, which wound up being the fastest marathon by an American woman in 2023 and made her the eighth-fastest U.S. female marathoner of all-time, solidifying her position as a top U.S. Olympic marathon team contender.

The Chicago Marathon had assured Saina’s agent, Tom Broadbent, that she was in for the race. But when the elite field was announced in August, Saina learned she had not been accepted, which not only threw a wrench in her fall training plans, but made for a lot of stress as she was planning her U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials buildup.

“I was shocked and spent three days looking at myself and trying to find any mistakes I made to not make the field, especially after running 2:21 in Tokyo,” Saina says. “I had never been rejected from a race before, and never got a response or an explanation as to why I didn’t make it. Being denied to run in Chicago honestly was one of the most disappointing things I’ve experienced in my career.”

Saina looked into entering the Berlin Marathon the following month, but had no such luck getting in with it being so late in the game. She was ultimately accepted into the Sydney Marathon (which shares its sponsor, ASICS, with Saina) on September 16. Unlike Chicago—with its fast, flat course that ended up having ideal racing conditions with temperatures in the 40s—Sydney has a hilly course and race-day weather was on the hotter side, with a starting temperature of 68 degrees.

Despite the conditions, Saina proved herself once again, winning the race in 2:26:47. This sealed her confidence as she began to look ahead to the Olympic Trials in Orlando on February 3. If she’s one of the top three finishers in the women’s race in Florida, she’ll earn a spot on the U.S. team that will compete in the marathon at the Paris Olympics on August 11.

“Challenges make people strong, and running a good marathon on a harder course made me come back feeling motivated,” she says. “[Even though it wasn’t the faster time I originally wanted], it didn’t stop me from being a better version of myself.”

Transcendent Transplant

Despite her impressive performances in 2023, Saina has remained largely under the radar in terms of media coverage and fan predictions leading up to the Trials in Orlando, similarly to what fellow Kenyan-born marathoners Aliphine Tuliamuk and Sally Kipyego (both of whom made the last Olympic marathon team) experienced in 2020. The lack of attention relative to her competitors hasn’t fazed Saina, however.

“I know how to deal with pressure, having been in the sport since 2013, so as long as my training is going well, I don’t pay too much attention to what people say,” Saina says. “I’m just more excited to see many of the U.S. women [who are also] my friends, like Emily Sisson, Sara Hall, and Keira D’Amato, and to be racing so many amazing U.S. athletes for the first time.”

Saina’s result in Tokyo was only about a minute faster than her debut at the distance at the 2018 Paris Marathon, which she won in 2:22:56 (after dropping out of the 2017 Tokyo and New York City Marathons). It was also a confidence boost for Saina because it was also her first marathon since giving birth to her son, Kalya, now two, in December 2021, after previously running 2:22:43 and 2:31:51 at the 2019 Toronto Waterfront and Honolulu Marathons, respectively.

Saina—who originally came to the U.S. to attend Iowa State University where she trained alongside Tuliamuk and was a three-time individual NCAA champion and 11-time NCAA All-American—has remained in her hometown of Iten, Kenya, for the majority of the time since having her son, as her husband, Meshack Korir, is a doctor completing his postgraduate education there.

Although Saina became a U.S. citizen in late 2020 and has a home base in Colorado Springs, she made the decision to return to Kenya to have additional family support and childcare as she worked to come back from pregnancy and childbirth to prepare for the Olympic Trials, which she’ll return for just a few days before the race. Saina also keeps busy managing a couple of guesthouses, which she regularly rents out to visiting athletes and tourists. She also works with Cross World Africa, a nonprofit that sponsors underprivileged children in pursuing secondary and higher education.

“Before I came from Kenya, my family was struggling and we had to fundraise for my flight ticket to come to the U.S. Being here has changed my family in a different way—I have two sisters who are now nurses in the U.S., and my parents can now more easily fly to visit us, and while it is not where I began running, the U.S. where I began competing at such a high level,” she says. “My son also gives me so much motivation and is my inspiration. When I see him, I see beauty in myself and see myself getting better when I’m running. So I am excited both to compete and represent my son, and to hopefully wear the U.S. uniform because it has so much meaning for me.”

Back in Iten, Saina has been training in a group with personal pacemakers alongside 2019 New York City Marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei, which she describes as game-changing for her progress in the marathon. Both Saina and Jepkosgei, who is also the former world-record holder in the half marathon and Saina’s best friend from high school, are coached by Jepkosgei’s husband, Nicholas Koech.

“Sometimes you will train with people who don’t want to help someone else get better, but [Jepkosgei], who has run 1:04 [in the half marathon] and 2:17 [in the marathon] is unique in that she has sacrificed a lot, which I don’t think a lot of women will ever do for each other, and I don’t think I would either,” Saina says. “But she has been pushing me a lot since the first day I joined her, and I think that’s the reason I came back and I’ve had better races. I have someone to chase and it’s like competition in training, but in a good way.”

American Original

Saina returned to the U.S. twice last year, to race the USATF 25K Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan, (where she took the win in 1:24:32 for her first U.S. title, narrowly beating D’Amato) and to be inducted into Iowa State’s Athletics Hall of Fame in September. Saina had planned to do some shorter U.S. races, including the Bolder Boulder 10K in May and the NYRR Mini 10K in June, following her national championship title in the 25K. However, she ultimately decided she couldn’t bear to be away from her son any longer.

“As a mom, when you’re away, you are so worried because you’re like, ‘How is he doing right now? How can I handle the pressure, being away from him?’” Saina says. “This year, it’s really different for me because the only race I want to travel to without Kalya is the Olympic Trials. He is growing now and getting better, so I want to travel with him afterward to compete in the USATF circuit. That’s the biggest goal for 2024, to travel with my son.”

Later this year, Saina hopes to also run the April 7 Cherry Blossom 10-Miler in Washington, D.C., the Mini 10K on June 8 in New York City, and a fast spring half marathon to pursue the current American record (which was broken yet again by Weini Kelati on January 14 in Houston), before running another marathon in the fall. In the meantime, she noted that she is especially eager to compete in one of the deepest fields ever assembled for the Trials.

Although Bates withdrew from the Trials, Saina figures to be one of the favorites in Orlando along with Sisson, Hall, Tuliamuk, D’Amato, and Seidel. However, Lindsay Flanagan (ninth in last summer’s world championships), Sara Vaughn, Susanna Sullivan, Gabriella Rooker, Dakotah Lindwurm, and Nell Rojas are all sub-2:25 marathoners, and thus top contenders, too.

“The U.S. is no longer small and non-competitive. Look at Molly Seidel. She got bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, and I remember when Amy [Cragg] was a bronze medalist at the 2017 World Championships. If you put that in perspective, it has changed even more right now compared to that time,” she says. “The competition [to make the U.S. team] is no longer as easy as the way some people [thought], and I’m super excited to be competing with a lot of solid women. There is no difference between the U.S. and other countries right now—it’s not just to go compete at the Olympics; they’re going to compete for the medals, just like other countries.”

Cooper Teare And Weini Kelati Win 2024 USATF Cross Country Titles

Weini Kelati and Cooper Teare earned convincing victories at the 2024 USATF Cross Country Championships, held on Saturday at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Va. Running just six days after setting an American record in the half marathon in Houston, Kelati took off just after 4k and destroyed the field, running 32:58.6 for the 10k course to win by 37.3 seconds — the largest margin of victory since Aliphine Tuliamuk‘s 48.2 in 2017.

Teare took a different approach, staying patient as former University of Colorado runner turned Olympic triathlete Morgan Pearson pushed the pace during the second half of the race. Teare was the only one to go with Pearson’s move at 8k and made a strong move of his own at 9k that allowed him to cruise to victory in 29:06.5. 2020 champion Anthony Rotich of the US Army was 2nd in 29:11.6 as Pearson hung on for 4th. Teare’s training partner Cole Hocker was 12th in 29:52.3.

The top six finishers in each raced earned the right to represent Team USA at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, on March 30. Kelati’s coach/agent Stephen Haas told LetsRun last week that Kelati plans to run there while Teare’s agent Isaya Okwiya said Teare’s plans are still TBD.

High school junior Zariel Macchia of Shirley, N.Y., won the women’s U20 race in 20:31.0 for the 6k course; Macchia previously won the title as a freshman in 2022. Notre Dame freshman Kevin Sanchez won the men’s U20 title in 24:07.1 for the 8k course.

Cooper Teare shows his range with impressive victory

Teare was the 2021 NCAA 5,000m champion at the University of Oregon and has shown that his range extends both up and down the distance spectrum. Teare is the NCAA mile record holder at 3:50.39 and was the 2022 US champion at 1500 and now he is the US cross country champion. That sort of range has become increasingly common on the international level but in the US, it’s rare for a 1500 guy to run USA XC, let alone win it. Teare is the first man to win US titles at both 1500 meters and cross country since John Mason in 1968, and even that comes with a caveat as the US championships were separate from the Olympic Trials back then. Before Mason, the last guy to win both was Abel Kiviat (cross country in 1913, US mile title in 1914). You all remember him.

On the women’s side, Shelby Houlihan, since banned for a doping violation, won USA XC and the US 1500 title back in 2019.

Teare’s coach Ben Thomas told Carrie Tollefson, who was calling the race for USATF.TV, that the aim of this race was just to see where his fitness was at against a top field. Clearly, it’s very good. In his first race since leaving the Bowerman Track Club after the 2023 season, Teare, wearing a bright pink undershirt beneath his Nike singlet, ran with the lead pack until Morgan Pearson began to string things out just before entering the final 2k loop. As opposed to Pearson, who was giving it all he could to drop the field, Teare looked relaxed and in control, and at 9k he eased past Pearson into the lead before dropping the hammer to win comfortably. It was a smart run and an impressive display of fitness.

Teare may also have slayed some demons from his last cross country race in 2021, when he crawled across the finish line in the final meters. Now he’s gone from 247th at NCAA XC to a national champion.

Teare’s plans for the rest of the winter are up in the air. He will run in a stacked 2-mile at Millrose on February 11 against the likes of Grant Fisher and Josh Kerr before competing at USA Indoors a week later. World Indoors could be an option if he makes the team — as could World XC, if he wants it. No matter what he chooses, Saturday’s run was a great way for Teare to kick off the Olympic year.

Weini Kelati demolishes the competition

On paper, Kelati, who runs for Under Armour’s Dark Sky Distance team in Flagstaff, was the class of this field. The only question was whether she would be recovered from racing hard at last weekend’s Houston Half Marathon, where she set the American record of 66:25. The answer was a definitive “yes” as Kelati, after running with the leaders for the first 4k, dropped a 3:05 5th kilometer to break open the field. From there, her lead would only grow to the finish line as she won by a massive 37.3 seconds over runner-up Emma Hurley.

Kelati was not at her best heading into last year’s World XC in Australia as she had missed some time in the buildup due to injury. She still managed to finish a respectable 21st overall. Her aims will be much higher for this year’s edition in Belgrade.

Kelati also made some history with her win today. She’s the first woman to win Foot Locker, NCAA, and USA cross country titles.