Running News Daily

Naples Daily News Half Marathon is ready for Sunday with COVID-19 protocols in place

A couple thousand runners, shoulder to shoulder, eagerly waiting for the start. 

That's been the scene at the start of every Naples Daily News Half Marathon until Sunday.

And Mitch Norgart is just fine with that. The president of Gulf Coast Runners, which runs the event, is simply happy there will be a 2021 NDN Half Marathon, no matter what it looks like.

"We're just thankful," Norgart said, pointing as much to the important fundraising for the organization's youth development the Half Marathon creates as to the chance for runners to participate.

Like anyone trying to stage an event during the coronavirus pandemic, the half marathon has taken layers upon layers of planning to keep runners safe. In previous years, it was to keep them safe from things like traffic on the streets of Naples. Now it's entirely something different.

"We have three people that are 10 feet apart start every five seconds," Norgart said. "We can actually start 1,000 people in 15 minutes and keep all of these people at least six feet apart throughout the entire starting process. They have to keep a mask on up until they start the race.

"We hit them with hand sanitizer  and a mask and a bottle of water once they cross the finish line. There are no tents, no massage therapy like in previous years or things like that. They get a bag with a banana, orange and a power bar. We ask them to leave the premises."

"We had to give the City of Naples a 10-bullet point outline of how we're going to conduct the races," Norgart said. "We got approval from city council based upon us meeting with Pete DiMaria, who's the fire chief. He's also in charge of emergency command.

"We met with them and the police department, the fire department, and city manager, deputy city manager, and community events."

That race with 150 runners went off well. Gulf Coast Runners hired a videographer who had a drone and a photographer to document the start of the race so they could research how it all went, and also share that with the city. 

"We really wanted to prove, not just to ourselves, but to our members and most importantly our powers-that-be at the city, that we could safely stage a race," Norgart said.

For elite runners, there's a different mandate. They must have two negative tests within seven days of the race. And they will line up at 6:55 a.m., ahead of the usual 7 a.m. en masse start. The other reason for that is USATF goes by a gun time, not a chip time. Norgart is well aware of some of the financial situations of runners, so Gulf Coast Runners is offering to cover the cost of the second of the two COVID-19 tests.

"They have to provide us with the proof (of the negative tests)," Norgart said. "Each one of the tests have to be 48 hours apart."

Because runners are generally health-conscious, and Gulf Coast Runners has been very communicative regarding the procedures, Norgart isn't that concerned that protocols will not be followed. Nevertheless, race marshals, volunteers, and even some city police will be on hand to make sure they are. The city also has a mask mandate.

"They are dedicated athletes who, if they want to race a Gulf Coast Runners race ... they know what's expected of them and they risk being disqualified, and they know that," he said. 

(01/14/2021) Views: 1,312 ⚡AMP
by Greg Hardwig

Prize Money in major races like the Boston Marathon should be awarded based on Gun Time

The weather at this year's Boston Marathon was horrible.  Many elite runners and others just could not handle these conditions and did not finish.  For the first time I can remember, several female runners that started in wave one placed. 

With all the pressure of the media, the B.A.A. is going to hand out cash awards based on chip timing.  This year's race should be looked at as unique and I do endorse the B.A.A. decision. 

But to change things in the future would not be a good idea.  Chip timing works for age-group but most major road races use gun time to award prize money. 

In fact, gun time is the only time accepted by both USA Track & Field and the International Association of Athletics Federation. 

David Monti, publisher of Race Results Weekly, wrote Sports Day, "To score an elite race based on chip times is both rare and risky.  It's risky, because it is possible for an athlete to purposely start well behind the elites, say five minutes, then compete for prize money clandestinely and out of view. 

“It's very possible that the first man or woman to break the tape will not actually be the race winner if the race is scored on chip time. How would that look?" 

We also know that there are people who cheat.  It is much easier to keep track of the smaller elite fields than a field of thousands.  I think we do need to stick with gun time in the future for the overall top open places.     

(05/04/2018) Views: 3,115 ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Co-Stars of Fixer Upper Chip and Joanna Gaines Silo District Marathon in Waco is set for Sunday

Co-Stars of Fixer Upper, Chip Gaines and his wife, Joanna, met Gabrielle Grunewald last fall in Central Park. Gabe is a professional mid-distance runner who’s been fighting a rare cancer since 2009.

She convinced Gaines that he could train for a marathon in about six months. Grunewald also shared how she's battled adenoid cystic carcinoma since 2009. Gabe’s story left such a mark on Chip that he quickly moved past his goal of running a marathon to actually hosting one in Waco as well. 

He and the Magnolia team created Sunday's event the Silo District Marathon to benefit Grunewald's Brave Like Gabe Foundation, which raises funds for research on rare cancers.

"I didn't want to spend another second standing on the sidelines," Gaines wrote in a Jan. 10 blog post announcing the event. "Given what she's gone through, I didn't have any excuse not to give this a shot."

He invited his social media followers to join him.  100% of the profits from the race will be donated to the Brave Like Gabe Foundation in order to further the much-needed research on rare cancers.

It is our honor to come alongside Gabe and others with similar diagnoses to find answers, solutions and, ultimately, cures. Also thinking of the runners as well, the race will present $88,000 in prize money to the top three overall men and women in the half and the full.

The overall marathon winners will receive $15,000 and the half champions will earn $10,000.  The prize money is going to be given out based on chip time and not gun time.  Hopefully the best time will be the first person to cross the finish line too.  

(05/04/2018) Views: 3,118 ⚡AMP

How fast do you need to run to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials

The qualifying standards for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon are subject to amendment by the IAAF. The window to qualify for the marathon is: September 1, 2017 to January 19, 2020. Or to qualify for the marathon running a half marathon September 1, 2018 to January 19, 2020. There will be two groups and here are the qualifying times: Men 2:15 for group A and 2:19 for group B. Or 1:04 for half marathon for group B. Women 2:37 for group A and 2:45 for group B. Or 1:13 half marathon for group B. Only gun time count. (02/16/2018) Views: 2,171 ⚡AMP
2020 Olympic Trials