Running News Daily

New Zealand Olympians to get early access to Covid-19 vaccine

Olympic athletes eligible to jump the queue for Covid-19 vaccine on compassionate grounds or to compete in events of "national significance", says New Zealand's minister responsible for response to coronavirus.

Athletes representing New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics later this year will be able to apply to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they depart.

Chris Hipkins, the minister responsible for New Zealand's response to the global health crisis, said people would be eligible to jump the queue for the vaccine on compassionate grounds or to compete in events of "national significance".

The latter category would include Olympians, Paralympians and the national cricket team, who will be travelling to Britain to play India in the final of the ICC World Test Championship in June.

"The key yardstick here is people travelling in an official capacity and ensuring their participation is in our national interest," Hipkins told reporters.

"They will have to make an application and it will depend on what sort of events they are participating in, to whether they fit the national interest criteria.

New Zealand has been one of the most successful countries at containing the virus and started the second round of its vaccine rollout for border and quarantine workers last week.

New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) secretary-general Kereyn Smith, who had lobbied for Olympians to be vaccinated early, said the announcement would be a relief to many athletes who were "hanging on the edge of their seats".

"It's not mandatory but we feel it's a very positive and important step in keeping our athletes safe," she told Radio New Zealand.

Covid-Safe Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Planned for October 3

The 2021 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon is scheduled to take place as a reduced-size, COVID-safe event on Sunday, October 3, race organizer Twin Cities In Motion announced. The race, which was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, will limit marathon participation to 4000 runners, and COVID-safety measures will be in place throughout the event.

Registration for the 2021 marathon and other Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend events will open on Thursday, April 8. The marathon race runs from downtown Minneapolis to the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul.

“We’re optimistic about our ability to host an in-person event this fall,” Twin Cities In Motion Executive Director Virginia Brophy Achman said. “Our team has consulted medical and crowd science experts and worked closely with relevant public agencies to get to this point. That work will continue until race day as we properly calibrate the event to this fall’s public health situation.”

Participants can expect to see changes in the event from previous editions. While plans will be modified to match conditions later in the year, Twin Cities In Motion is telling participants to expect:

• Reduced field sizes in all marathon weekend races

• Mask-wearing requirements except while racing

• Social distancing requirements across the event weekend

• Spectating discouraged and spectator access limited in certain areas

• Reduced touchpoints when possible

“While there will be noticeable differences from pre-COVID days,” Brophy Achman said, “we plan to do all we can to maintain the spirit and energy of the event despite the constraints. The power of the event lies in the thousands of personal achievements that culminate at our finish line, and we’re excited to return those moments to our participants’ lives after all they’ve endured.”

The return of the event to streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul will also reestablish an important fundraising platform for dozens of local nonprofits who use the marathon to raise money and awareness of their organizations. Runners raised more than $1 million at the last in-person edition of the race in 2019.

“The TCM team is pleased to be preparing for an in-person race, because it’s the work we love to do,” Twin Cities In Motion President Dean Orton said.

“But we know the event is an important annual event in our community and we’re excited to be bringing back all the meaningful elements marathon weekend offers – from youth fitness to volunteer opportunities, from economic impact to the unique fundraising platform we offer.”

Registration for the marathon will be conducted online through the Twin Cities In Motion website, tcmevents.org, beginning at 10:00 a.m. CDT on April 8. Registration will also open for the following Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend events:

• Medtronic TC Family Events

• TC 5K, presented by Fredrikson & Byron P. A.

• TC 10K

Those events take place at the State Capitol grounds on Saturday, October 2. Registration will also open for the TC Loony and TC Ultra Loony Challenges – where runners participate in the TC 5K and TC 10K prior to running either the 10 mile or marathon the following day. The registration drawing for the Medtronic TC 10 Mile held on October 3 will be open in mid-summer.

More than 25,000 runners participated in the 2019 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend, including more than 7,000 marathoners and more than 13,000 10 milers.

The most remarkable line-up has been announced for Istanbul Half Marathon

Organizers of the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon have announced the most remarkable line-up in the history of this World Athletics Elite Label road race, to be held on 4 April.

Having staged a successful edition under intense measures against Covid-19 in September last year, the event is now set to host a limited number of 4000 participants on its traditional date of the first Sunday of April.

The race will see the long-awaited clash of the reigning and former world record-holders over the distance. Kibiwott Kandie of Kenya, now the world’s fastest half-marathon runner, improved the time set by his compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor in Valencia in December, bringing down the world record to 57:32 from 58:01. Kamworor, who has three World Athletics Half Marathon Championships gold medals under his belt, will be back on the roads following his recovery from surgery after he was hit by a motorcycle in June last year.

The two Kenyans will be joined by two sub-59 minute runners in Amedework Walelegn of Ethiopia, the Istanbul Half Marathon record-holder who won in 59:50 in 2018, and Uganda's Stephen Kissa, who made his debut over the distance in February 2020 and finished the year with a time of 58:56. Kenya’s Leonard Barsoton, sixth at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia last year, will also be one of the fastest athletes on the start line.

Home hopes in Istanbul will be led by Kaan Kigen Ozbilen, who holds the national record with 59:48. Aras Kaya, European cross country champion in 2019, will also be a strong contender in the event that incorporates the National Half Marathon Championships.

The women’s field is equally as strong. Kenya’s marathon world record-holder Brigid Kosgei and the women-only half-marathon world record-holder Peres Jepchirchir, plus the second fastest female half-marathon runner of all time Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia, will head the line-up.

Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, the race record-holder and the reigning world marathon champion, will be a co-favorite in the race along with Joan Chelimo Melly.

The European women-only record-holder Melat Kejeta from Germany will also be on the start line on 4 April. The home crowd expects Kejeta’s record to be challenged by Yasemin Can.

Kamworor, Kandie, Kosgei and Yehualaw had been among the athletes set to race at the Ras Al Khamimah Half Marathon in February before it was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Karla Del Grande, 67, has been named female athlete of the decade by World Masters Athletics

Toronto’s Karla Del Grande, a 67-year-old sprinter with multiple masters world records to her name, has been named the Female Athlete of the Decade (2010 to 2019) by World Masters Athletics (WMA).

Nominated alongside five other women who have run, jumped and thrown their way into the WMA record books, Del Grande was selected as the best of them all, adding yet another accolade to her already lengthy resume. 

As outlined on the WMA website, to be nominated for the Athlete of the Decade awards, athletes had to have broken a WMA record and won a WMA Championship in at least two different age groups in the previous decade. Del Grande checked these boxes many times over, as she set a whopping nine world records (five outdoor, four indoor) between 2010 and 2019 and won multiple gold medals at the world championships. 

Competing outdoors in the 2010s, Del Grande set the 100m and 200m world records in the W60 and W65 categories, and she added a W65 400m world best as well. Indoors, she ran to 60m (W60), 200m (W60 and W65) and 400m (W65) world records.

Additionally, Del Grande owns an incredible 17 Canadian indoor masters records and 12 national outdoor records, some of which date back to the early 2000s when, at the age of 49, she first began competing in masters athletics. 

This is not the first time Del Grande has been honoured as a masters athlete. In 2018 and 2019, the WMA named her the Female Sprint Athlete of the Year, and again in 2019, the NCCMA (North American, Central American and Caribbean Masters Athletics) gave her overall Female Athlete of the Year honours. She has also been inducted into the Ontario and Canadian Masters Athletics Halls of Fame. 

At 67, Del Grande still has a few years left in the W65 division to better her own world records, and while the 2020s have only just started, it shouldn’t be a surprise if she’s nominated for Athlete of the Decade once again come 2030. 

Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) will host its Tokyo Olympics track and field trials in the Dutch city of Hengelo in June

EAF President Derartu Tulu Thursday announced that besides the track and field trials being held in the eastern Netherlands city, Ethiopia will also hold trials to pick its Olympic marathon teams in Zurich, Switzerland, on May 2.

The Hengelo trials will run on June 6 and 7 and will feature events from the 800 to 10,000 meters at the Blankers-Koen Stadium which will be hosting FBK Games, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series.

Over 90 Olympic track probables, along with 20 coaches, have been in residential training in three different hotels across Addis Ababa from November 3 last year.

Golden Jubilee championships.

Before the Hengelo trials, these elite athletes will feature in the six-day, 50th Ethiopian national athletics championships to be held in Addis Ababa from April 6 to 11.

The Golden Jubilee national championships will have prize money and will be broadcast live as part of EAF's Olympics countdown.

There has been a tug-of-war between Ethiopia's athletics federation and the country's Olympic committee over preparations for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Reports from Addis Ababa indicate that the athletes will now move into one hotel, starting today, "so that it's good for the team spirit."

Sources within Ethiopian athletics yesterday indicated that EAF is expected to take over all the preparations "because the Olympic committee has failed to honor its commitments for the last four months."

Zurich time trials

EAF's highly-respected President Tulu is Africa's first black female Olympic champion, winning gold in the 10,000 meters at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.

Ethiopia were initially scheduled to hold their marathon trials on April 4 at home, but the arrangements were met with protests from the athletes, prompting the switch to Zurich where a 35-kilometer time trial is planned instead of a full, 42-kilometer race.

How to increase your running stamina

Whether you’re an elite marathon runner or starting week 3 of a 5K program, running further and faster are two common training goals for people of all fitness levels.

While there’s no hard and fast rule or “one best way” to boost running stamina, there are some general guidelines you can follow that will help you perform better while staying injury-free.

How to increase stamina

To increase your stamina, you need to have a working definition of what it is. The easiest way to understand stamina in relationship to running, according to Steve Stonehouse, NASM-CPT, USATF certified coach, director of education for STRIDE, is to think of it as your body’s ability to sustain effort for a long period of time.

In general

1. Start slow and tackle small steps

Even if you feel ready to bump up your distance or speed, it’s a smart idea to go slow and aim to make incremental gains in your training program. This is especially true if you’re new to a regular running schedule.

If you’ve been averaging 4-mile runs, don’t bump it up to 7 miles. To avoid injury and burnout, go up in small steps, such as increasing by 1 mile each week.

“Progress should be over many weeks, allowing time for recovery, but getting harder and harder,” Harrison explains.

2. Add strength training

If you’re not already doing resistance training workouts, then you need to add them to your running program.

Performing strength training exercises at least 2 to 3 days a week can help improve running economy, according to a review of literature from the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

3. Commit to training

You have to be consistent with your training to increase running stamina.

“Training needs to progress from less total training and less intense training to more total training volume and more intense sessions,” says Harrison.

If your running workouts don’t progress in volume or intensity over the course of months, there will be no progression.

4. Alter rest times and intervals

Other than simply increasing the number of miles you run each week, Stonehouse says he likes to limit recovery time between intervals, while also increasing the intensity of the running intervals. Both are great steps toward building stamina.

However, he does point out that the recovery period both during the workout and after is critical, especially when it comes to avoiding injuries.

5. Sprint interval training

Sprint interval training is a type of high-intensity training used in many sports like running to help boost stamina and speed.

In fact, a 2017 studyTrusted Source found that six sessions of sprint interval training improved the running performance, both endurance and anaerobic, in trained runners.

The intervals of work performed are at 100 percent of your effort, or all-out sprints. The rest periods are longer to help with recovery.

6. Train for your distance

The distance or time of the intervals will be relative to the race distance you’re training for, according to Stonehouse.

For example, if you’re training for a marathon, “speed work” may consist of mile repeats. But if the training is for a 1,600-meter or 1-mile race, the speed work may be repeats of 100 meter, 200 meter, or 400 meter distances.

7. Slowly increase weekly mileage

The overall goal for a beginner should be to slowly increase mileage while getting stronger with resistance training. Following a training plan can help beginners build stamina and endurance while reducing the risk of injury.

8. Increase running volume

Running 1,600 meters or 1 mile may not seem too difficult, but if you’re racing against the clock, every second counts. And when you consider that a mile or 1,600 meters is an aerobic event, Harrison says you have to be incredibly fit to run it faster.

The best way to get incredibly fit, he says, is to run lots of miles per week, and progressively increase them over time.

9. Stay hydrated

While hydration may not be a specific training strategy, it does affect your ability to increase stamina.

Since you lack the cooling effect of the air flowing by your body when you run on a treadmill, Harrison recommends using a fan or running in a facility with air conditioning.

“Running in 70-degree temps with no airflow on a treadmill is more like running in 85-degree temps outdoors,” he explains.

That’s why hydration before, during, and after your workouts is so important. For longer sessions, consider consuming carbs and electrolytes while exercising.

Dunkin’ will serve as the official coffee and donut of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon

 Pittsburgh runs on Dunkin’ is taking on a whole new meaning this week, as P3R and Dunkin' team up for the DICK'S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon. Through this collaboration, Dunkin’ will serve as the official coffee and donut of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, to keep runners of STEEL fueled throughout their training, and help them celebrate after their runs. 

Dunkin’ will kick off the 2021 DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon weekend with a special black and gold Pittsburgh Marathon donut at participating local Pittsburgh locations, so runners and fans alike can join in to celebrate the virtual weekend of events. The donut will feature vanilla flavored icing with black and gold sprinkles and will be available at participating Dunkin’ locations April 30 through May 2, 2021. 

“We are always excited to participate in collaborations that furthers our strong connections with the local community, ” said Anthony Braun, COO and CFO of Heartland Restaurant Group, a Dunkin’ franchisee. “We are thrilled to keep the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon participants running on Dunkin’.”

Dunkin' is the world's leading baked goods and coffee chain, serving more than 3 million customers each and every day. Dunkin’ offers more than 30 varieties of donuts as well as dozens of premium beverages, bagels, breakfast sandwiches and other baked goods.

“Teaming up with Dunkin’ is important to us because we know that coffee and running go hand-in-hand,” said P3R VP of Partnerships & Runner Experience, Caroline Fitzgerald. “Dunkin’ is the perfect place to fuel-up pre-run, and to celebrate post-run.” 

Eugene Marathon Is Offering Medals Made of Wood

Organizers of the Eugene Marathon, which typically finishes at Hayward Field, were able to procure some of the old steps from the east grandstand, and those steps are being refashioned into race medals for this year’s virtual marathon and half marathon, scheduled for April 23 through 25. Next year’s event medals will feature the old Hayward wood as well.

Race director Ian Dobson told Runner’s World the organization submitted a proposal to the University of Oregon in order to get his hands on the antique steps. When approved, he then filled his truck and moved the wood to the race’s storage facility. Dobson also had them tested to make sure they didn’t contain any lead paint. (They didn’t.)

In the past, the race medals had come from overseas, which is the industry standard. For this, the race’s staff selected a local designer for processing and fabricating. “For the whole project, we were able to keep everything local,” Dobson said.

The medals are being made from the interior wood of the grandstand; they might look new, because that section of wood was unweathered by nearly a century of rain, wind, and snow. To maintain a connection to their historic past, the medals will be cut in the same proportion as the former Hayward Field steps.

Additionally, the unusual medals are driving participation for this year’s race, which will be virtual—for the second year in a row—in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dobson said fewer than 100 spots remain for the marathon ($75) and about 500 spots remain for the half marathon ($60).

Race packets—including shirts, numbers, and medals—will go out before the race to everyone who signs up. So technically, there’s nothing stopping memorabilia collectors from registering in order to get the medal, even if they have no intention of doing the race.

Dobson’s not worried, though. “We trust the running community,” he said.

Sebastian Coe warns Italy not to be on wrong side of history following Schwazer doping clearance

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has warned Italy to not be on the "wrong side of history" after a court cleared Olympic race walking champion Alex Schwazer of doping in a criminal case.

An Italian court in Bolzano ruled last month that urine samples belonging to Schwazer, who was given an eight-year ban before the Rio 2016 Olympics, were "highly likely" tampered with.

The criminal court case was dismissed after the court stated it was possible that the sample was tampered with to show up a positive result.

Schwazer was given the lengthy ban as it was his second doping offence, having previously served a three-and-a-half year suspension for testing positive for erythropoietin before the London 2012 Olympics.

The Italian has not disputed results of that first test.

He did claim he was a victim of foul play related to his second ban, which was handed to him following a sample from January 1 2016.

It had initially given negative results, but a new analysis revealed traces of steroids.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) gave the Beijing 2008 50-kilometre race walk champion an eight-year ban for his second offence, but after the Italian court ruling, Coe criticised its decision.

"We do resolutely reject any attempt by the athlete or any individuals associated with the athlete to undermine or seek to annul the final CAS ruling," said Coe in a press conference.

"It was an award based on what can be best described as far-fetched manipulation theories."

The ruling in Bolzano has led to a suggestion that Schwazer could appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

CAS rejected an appeal from Schwazer to overturn his lengthy ban in August 2016 and the Swiss Federal court upheld CAS' ruling when the Italian later appealed to it.

Schwazer was stripped of a World Race Walking Team Championships title won in Rome in 2016 as a result of the second anti-doping violation.

"I don't want Italy to be on the wrong side of history here," added Coe.

"The Athletics Integrity Unit and World Athletics stand absolutely by the position they've taken.

"The issue is clearly one that is exercising Italy and it is important that we remain very firm and very resolute here.

"I don't want Italian track and field to be tainted, I just hope that people recognise that this is an important issue and history will be unkind."

General Entry for Tokyo Marathon 2021 is now open

Tokyo Marathon 2021 General Entry started from today, Monday, March 22 at 10 a.m. The entry will be open until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31. The Tokyo Resident Entry is only available through the Japanese page.

Entries made through the English page will not be subject to the Tokyo Resident Entry, even if the registered address is in Tokyo.

Any information pertaining to the Tokyo Resident Entry will only be available in Japanese.

*The selection result is scheduled to be announced in mid- April 2021 on "My Entry".

*The selection is not based on first-come basis.Once the entry exceeds the field size, the selection will be made by drawing.

Due to heavy access, loading may be slow. In such cases, please wait for a while and try again.

2021 Austin Marathon's half marathon, 5K races approved as in-person for April

Austin's running scene will get back on track in late April, with the 2021 editions of the Austin Half Marathon and 5K receiving approval from city officials.

Both events were approved through the City of Austin's new special event permitting process. The events, which were originally scheduled for February 14, will now happen on April 25.

Part of the event plan includes a capacity limit for both events, which organizers say is a 53% reduction from years past. 6,500 participants will be able to take part in the half marathon, while 500 will be able to take part in the 5K.

Austin's running scene will get back on track in late April, with the 2021 editions of the Austin Half Marathon and 5K receiving approval from city officials.

Both events were approved through the City of Austin's new special event permitting process. The events, which were originally scheduled for February 14, will now happen on April 25.

Part of the event plan includes a capacity limit for both events, which organizers say is a 53% reduction from years past. 6,500 participants will be able to take part in the half marathon, while 500 will be able to take part in the 5K.

"The 2021 Austin Half Marathon, an event that represents Austin’s commitment to health, has also shown a commitment to COVID-19 safety," said Don Hastings, Austin Public Health Assistant Director for Environmental Services. "The Austin Marathon team has worked creatively over several months to re-invent this signature event in a way that emphasizes the health and safety of its participants and our community."

In addition to the capacity limitations, the event plan calls for a number of other COVID-19 mitigation practices, including reducing the density of runners at the starting line and along the course, enhanced sanitation protocols, an elimination of mass gathering activities, and discouraging spectators from attending.

More details on the 2021 events are available online.

2021 Shamrock Marathon was a success but with most runners participating virtually

For the last 48 years, there’s been a sea of green at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront as the Shamrock Marathon took place. The 2020 race was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, it was back, but for most runners, in a virtual sense.

“It’s still hurting. We’ve got a long climb up, but we feel this is the start and through the support from all the runners, we’ll get through it,” said J&A Racing co-owner, Jerry Frostick.

This year, almost 4,000 people ran “virtually” on their own and about 2,400 chose to run a J&A course at the Oceanfront.It was a scene that Frostick says was emotional.

“It’s unbelievable. I think what we were hoping to get was the positivity and momentum that — if we keep behaving, and doing what we’re supposed to be doing, and the vaccines are coming out — then, we’re coming back. I don’t mean just J&A and the Shamrock Marathon, but us as a community,” said Frostick.

The runners, were all smiles, like one family who missed the event and has been a part of it since 2018.Runners Steve and Rebecca Vennettilli say they participate every year, and even the kids run. They say it’s been a long time coming, but now there’s a light and the end of the tunnel.

“When it was cancelled last year, we thought that was it. And now, actually looking back, we can get through it. We can get back to this point,” said Steve Vennettilli.

Scheduling casts doubt over Miller-Uibo's bid for 200-400m Olympic double

Bahama’s Shaunae Miller-Uibo has hit out at athletics chiefs over the scheduling of races that could derail her hopes of becoming the first runner to claim a 200-400 metres Olympic double in 25 years.

The women’s 400m semi-finals at this year’s Tokyo Games are scheduled to take place two days before the final, as compared to the men’s event, which has an extra day’s gap.

An overlap of the 200m and 400m races also mean Miller-Uibo, who won gold in the 400m at the Rio Olympics five years ago, will have to run twice on successive days if she wants to secure the double, while the men will only have to do so once.

The 26-year-old, who aims to emulate Michael Johnson, Marie-Jose Perec and Valerie Brisco-Hooks, said the Bahamas Olympic Committee’s request to amend the schedule had been rejected.

“As much as I wanted a new title in the 200 metres, I also wanted to defend my Olympic one,” Miller-Uibo told The Times. “The guys have an opportunity where their events don’t clash and so all we were asking for was an opportunity to double.

“With the guys they had a two-day break between the 400m semis and final. Had they opened that up for the girls then it would have been fine.”

Miller-Uibo said she was almost certain to ignore the 400m, shifting her focus to the shorter distance and a potential battle with Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith.

“She’s a great competitor,” Miller-Uibo said. “I think we’ll bring the best out of each other.”

Miller-Uibo’s comments come days after World Athletics announced a series of pledges to “further advance the role of girls and women” in the sport.

Yang smashes world 20km race walk record with 1:23:49

Yang Jiayu chopped 49 seconds off the world record to win the 20km race walk in 1:23:49* at the Chinese Race Walking Championships in Huangshan on Saturday (20).

The 2017 world champion made a break in the first kilometre and passed through 5km in 20:55. She reached half way in 41:52 with a comfortable lead over world and Olympic champion Liu Hong and then gradually increased her pace in the second half.

After going through 15km in 1:02:44, she covered the final five kilometres in 21:09 to cross the line in 1:23:49, finishing 38 seconds ahead of Liu.

Liu's 1:24:27 runner-up clocking was also inside the previous world record of 1:24:38, set by Liu in La Coruna in 2015.

“My goal for the race was to break the world record,” Yang told Xinhua. “I walked in a very fast pace at the early stages. Then my coach told me to slow down a little bit and stay in a relatively comfortable pace. The last three kilometres was the most difficult part which was a challenge for my body.”

World silver medallist Qieyang Shenjie was third in a PB of 1:24:45, securing her spot on China’s Olympic team as the race served as a trial event for the Tokyo Games.

It’s the first 20km race in which more than one woman has finished inside 1:25:00. In a race of exceptional depth, 2015 world silver medallist Lu Xiuzhi finished fourth in 1:25:51 and world bronze medallist Yang Liujing was fifth in 1:25:59. The first 10 athletes finished inside the Olympic qualifying standard of 1:31:00.

On a landmark day for Chinese race walking, Asian Games champion Wang Kaihua won the men’s 20km event in a national record of 1:16:54, a performance that moves the 27-year-old to third on the world all-time list, just 18 seconds shy of the world record.

Olympic silver medallist Cai Zelin finished just ahead of Zhang Jun to take second place, both men recording 1:17:39 to move to equal third on the Chinese all-time list. 21-year-old Cui Lihong just missed out on a top-three spot but was rewarded with a big PB of 1:17:52 to become the eighth-fastest Chinese man in history. It’s just the second time in history in which four men have finished inside 1:18 in a 20km race.

Olympic hopes ready to bloom at Kew Gardens

Marathon runners and race walkers are poised for thrilling and richly symbolic races on March 26 in Kew Gardens

If athletes taking part in the Müller British Athletics Olympic Marathon and 20km Walks Trials in Kew Gardens this month need to focus their minds on what is at stake, they merely need to glance to the side of the course during their race.

The event on March 26 coincides with ‘Sakura season’ – the time of year when cherry blossom trees come into bloom. Not only will it provide a picturesque back-drop but it is the national flower of Japan and a timely reminder to the runners that their efforts on the roads of south-west London could see them win a ticket to Tokyo.

Tom Bedford, the race director, describes it as an amusing twist of fate. It certainly was not in anyone’s mind when the Borough of Richmond venue was chosen ahead of Manchester, Dorney Lake and various horse and motor-racing courses to host the Olympic trials.

Instead, the main requirements were a fast, flat and sheltered course that can help athletes nail Olympic qualifying standards, plus the reliability factor of a venue during such an uncertain pandemic-hit period.

Marathon runners will tackle one small lap followed by 12 big laps, therefore passing the cherry blossom trees and Japanese gardens a dozen times. Organisers have worked in recent months with course measurer Hugh Jones to iron out some of the mild corners on the route, which means the course is not just aesthetically pleasing but fast too.

Bedford is certainly happy with the progress made and points to one particular straight that is almost an entire metric mile in distance.

Contenders like Steph Davis have already checked out the course and Bedford describes it as “more of a flat road relays kind of course” such as the well-known circuit used at Sutton Coldfield for road relays “as opposed to the kind of course you get in big city marathons”.

This is partly because the path is only about four metres wide in places. However, with small fields and multiple pacemakers to ensure the going is quick through the first 30km in order to achieve qualifying times of 2:11:30 and 2:29:30, this should not be an issue. Plus, the course includes none of the inclines that the well-known Sutton Coldfield course contains.

“Our intention has been to make it as fast as possible,” says Bedford. “My advice to athletes is that they just switch off and go to sleep for an hour and follow ‘the train’ and then get ready to go when the pacemakers drop out.”

Amusingly the event also has an unofficial mascot, which Bedford discovered at Kew Gardens recently with AW photographer Mark Shearman. ‘Eric the peacock’ (see below) is a Richmond resident although runners will be hoping he doesn’t stray on to the course on race day.

On a more serious note, Bedford has been helped by his father, Dave, the former London Marathon race director with organising the event. Among other things Bedford Jnr was based in Portugal during the winter and fell ill with coronavirus in January, so his dad stepped into help primarily with technical areas.

The duo have also worked closely with staff at UK Athletics such as competitions and events director Katie Brazier during what has inevitably been a tricky few months due to the pandemic. Was there a particularly bad moment when the race was in doubt?

Bedford says shortly after Christmas when the virus began to surge and hospitals were in danger of being over-run was a worrying time. The Richmond Runfest, which was due to be held at the same venue on the Saturday and Sunday following the trials events on Friday, was postponed until mid-May. Apart from this, the organisers have been keen to give the Olympic hopefuls a near-definite goal to work toward.

“It’s been tough for athletes and they have my utmost respect for how they’ve managed to get themselves through this with everything from problems seeing physios to not even having a national endurance coach in charge during the winter,” says Bedford.

Spectators will not be allowed on race day, but each runner will be permitted one Tour de France-style ‘soigneur’ to help with their drinks. After the mild controversy relating to the British trials for the European Indoor Championships not being streamed, British Athletics are this time showing the action from Kew Gardens while there is still the possibility BBC may show the races too.

This will be the first time for 40 years that a British Olympic marathon trial has been staged as a standalone race in a similar style to the US Olympic trials. In 1980 the AAA Championships and trial for the Moscow Olympics took place in Milton Keynes. It was won by Ian Thompson in 2:14:00 from Dave Black and Andy Holden as 195 men finished. Yet from 1983 onwards the national championships and trials have been part of the London Marathon and the battle for selection is often a ‘race within a race’ with television struggling to capture the action.

There are also obvious comparisons with the standalone US Olympic marathon trials that have taken place in recent years in Atlanta (2020), Los Angeles (2016), Houston (2012) and New York (2011) with the latter, in the city’s Central Park, on a similar multi-lap course to the one we will see in Kew Gardens.

“There is such an appetite for this event,” Bedford enthuses. “I’ve always been a fan of the American trials system. The men’s race will be great on March 26 but the women’s race is going to be an absolute cracker as there are so many top runners in it. And if the athletes can make it as competitive as I think it’s going to be then this kind of trials race could become the norm.”

The venue has great history, too, with the Borough of Richmond being something of a home to British distance running. Not only does the area feature popular training areas of Bushy Park, Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common but it was birthplace of the London Marathon and parkrun.

In the race for Olympic selection, runners and race walkers will finish in front of Kew Gardens’ iconic Palm House glass building. The most symbolic feature, though, will surely be the cherry blossom trees that they will pass on a long winding road that will end, for some, on the streets of Tokyo.

Will There Be Fans at the Hayward Field Olympic Trials? After 2020, holding the event at all will be a victory in itself

Compared to other pandemic-inspired dystopias, the rise of the avatar sports fan wasn’t horrible, so much as mildly depressing. The NBA’s Disneyland bubble (and recent All-Star game) had “virtual bleachers” where viewers could glimpse their spectral selves on screen. Then there was the strange analog equivalent where people paid $100 for the privilege of attending the Super Bowl as a cardboard cutout. In an era of increasing atomization, these images felt like a vision of a nightmare future where yet another in-person communal experience had been phased out. Last March, when asked about the prospect of competing in an empty arena, LeBron James’s initial response was, essentially, forget it. “If I show up to an arena and there ain’t no fans in there, I ain’t playing,” he said.

For track and field athletes, on the other hand, one could make the obvious joke that competing without spectators—as many runners did last year—would be business as usual. But even as having vacant seats at major championships remains a recurring issue for the sport, there are still places where, in pre-pandemic times, one could reliably find an infectious mass enthusiasm for watching fit people chase each other around the oval. In the United States, the most obvious example is, of course, Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, which is slated to host its fourth consecutive Olympic Trials in June. The venue’s combination of historical significance and high-energy fan base have always given it a special aura, colloquially referred to as the “Hayward Magic.” Even for those who don’t buy into the idea that occult forces might be wafting through the air of the Pacific Northwest, the quadrennial spectacle of the Trials at Hayward has delivered some big-time moments—starting in 1972 when Steve Prefontaine broke the American record in the 5,000-meters to punch his ticket to his first, and only, Olympic Games.

“This is a very special place for people who are really passionate about running,” says Eugene resident and two-time Olympic Trials champion Nick Symmonds. At the 2008 Trials, Symmonds was the first finisher in the famous “Oregon sweep” of the men’s 800-meters, where all podium spots were claimed by Eugene-based runners—to the roaring delight of the home crowd. While some have argued that it would be “better for the sport,” if U.S. track and field were less Oregon-centric, there’s no question that Hayward’s reputation for track fanaticism is justified. “At Hayward, you can have 10,000 people watching an early-season college dual meet,” Symmonds told me. According to a 2018 survey by the University of Oregon Foundation, the average attendance for weekday and weekend track meets at Hayward over the previous five years was 6,146 and 6,259 spectators, respectively. Those are impressive numbers for U.S. track and field. Symmonds told me that, as a professional, he had raced in national championships at other big venues across the country, like Des Moines and Sacramento, and likened the experience to competing in a “ghost town.” As he put it, “There was no one in the stands there to watch other than mom and dad.”

Unfortunately, the lingering reality of the pandemic might mean that even the Hayward Field Olympic Trials are destined for ghost town status. With fewer than 100 days to go (the Trials are scheduled to take place June 18th through 27th), it’s still uncertain whether spectators will be allowed to attend. COVID infection rates might be dropping as vaccines become more widely available, but the likelihood of packed stands by early summer seems remote.

“We are certainly hopeful that we will have fans at the Olympic Trials, but we are far from certain that that is going to be the case,” Michael Reilly, the CEO of TrackTown USA, the local organizing committee for the Trials, told me. Reilly generously pointed out that infection rates in Oregon had been “increasingly good.” Although the state is not yet allowing spectators at sporting events, Reilly said that his team was working with co-organizers like the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USA Track and Field to apply for an exemption to submit to the governor’s office.

For now, the idea is to plan for a scenario in which fans will be allowed to attend with appropriate safety measures—testing, masks, social distancing, etc. (Reilly told me that it was still too soon to say whether the vaccine could play a role in any safety protocols.) “We are building operating plans that anticipate that spectators will be at the Trials,” Reilly told me. “If, for whatever reason, we can’t have fans, we will be prepared to go either way. Fortunately, many of the operations of the event, as it relates to conducting a track and field competition, really don’t depend on whether there are spectators.”

In a tantalizing irony, Hayward last year completed an extensive renovation that more than doubled its max seating capacity to 25,000. (The permanent seating capacity for the new facility is listed at 12,650, but it can be expanded to accommodate larger crowds.) The project, which is estimated to have cost around $270 million, transformed a relatively quaint facility into an opulent mega-stadium that includes a ten-story tower, a “hydrotherapy room,” and an on-site barbershop.

So far, the only athletes who have gotten to experience this architectural epiphany are members of the University of Oregon’s track and field team, leading Eugene’s Register Guard to posit that Hayward 2.0 is currently “little more than the most spectacular collegiate training facility in the nation.” As the paper reports, the university is hoping to host outdoor track meets later in the spring, culminating in the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which are scheduled to take place the weekend before the Trials.

Should both of these events end up happening without any spectators there’s still the silver lining that, hey, at least they weren’t canceled. And while it might be tempting to assume that all athletes prefer to race in front of a packed house, that, of course, isn’t necessarily the case. Molly Huddle, who won the women’s 5,000 and 10,000-meters at the 2016 Trials and will be looking to make her third Olympic team this June, told me that the first time she competed at a Hayward Trials in 2008, she was so stimulated by the crowd energy that she ended up running poorly. She says she had to consciously “de-sensitize” at subsequent Trials in order to run well enough to make the team. “It will probably not feel like Hayward, because of the new stadium and because there are no knowledgeable, dedicated fans there like there always are,” Huddle says about the prospect of competing at a spectator-less Trials. “Usually, I just try and pretend it’s just a mid-season meet to take the pressure off. So it will be easier to do that.”

Meanwhile, the organizing committee for the Tokyo Games has yet to decide on whether overseas fans will be allowed to attend. (According to a press release from the International Olympic Committee, a decision is expected in the coming weeks.) To be honest, it’s hard to imagine that there will actually be a ban on international visitors—not least because the Japanese government and the city of Tokyo reportedly spent more than $1.25 billion on the new Japan National Stadium—but, if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s to never say never.

Registration Now Open for a Safe, Socially Distanced AJC Peachtree Road Race

This year will be a limited-capacity, two-day event held in-person and virtually on July 3-4. The in-person event in Atlanta will implement strict COVID-19 safety measures. Atlanta Track Club members receive guaranteed entry and priority choice of preferred race day. Non-members enter by lottery and race day preference will be accommodated as spots remain. The Club invites people to join/renew membership before registering to immediately receive their guarantee. 

Kiplimo set to star at Campaccio cross country

Reigning world half-marathon champion Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda will be in the spotlight at the 64th edition of the Campaccio in San Giorgio su Legnano when the first leg of the World Athletics Cross Country Permit series takes place on Sunday (21).

The popular Northern Italian cross-country race was originally scheduled for its traditional 6 January date, but it was postponed until the end of March due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. For the first time in its long history, the Campaccio will be held in spring.

Kiplimo won the world half-marathon title in Gdynia in 58:49 last October and ran the second-fastest time in history over the 21.1km distance with 57:37 in Valencia last December. The 20-year-old also set PBs on the track last year, clocking 7:26.64 in the 3000m in Rome and 12:48.63 in the 5000m in Ostrava. In 2019 he won the world cross-country silver medal in Aarhus. In the build-up to the Campaccio, Kiplimo dominated the men’s race at the Italian Cross Country Club Championships in Campi Bisenzio near Florence in rainy conditions.

Kiplimo will race against his younger brother Oscar Chelimo, who won the BOclassic 5km World Athletics Label road race in Bolzano last December. In 2018 Chelimo finished seventh in the 5000m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere and won the 3000m at the Olympic Youth Games in Buenos Aires. One year later, the 19-year-old won the world under-20 cross-country bronze medal in Aarhus and finished fifth in the 5000m at the African Games in Rabat. 

Another Ugandan runner in the line-up is 2017 and 2018 world mountain running silver medallist Joel Ayeko.

Last year’s surprise Campaccio winner Mogos Tuemay will return to San Giorgio su Legnano to defend his title. The Ethiopian runner set his 10,000m PB in Hengelo in 2019 with 27:23.49 and finished 18th at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus in 2019.

The top Italian runner is Eyob Faniel, who broke Stefano Baldini’s national marathon record with 2:07:19 in Seville last year. Faniel improved Rachid Berradi’s long-standing Italian half-marathon record with 1:00:07 at the Tuscany Camp Half Marathon in Siena at the end of February. Faniel also won the 2019 BOclassic road race and equalled Daniele Meucci’s 10km national record with 28:08 at the San Silvestre Vallecana in Madrid last December.

“I have always used cross-country competitions as preparation for the marathon,” said Faniel. “I finished ninth in 2017 and 10th in 2018 in my previous two appearances at the Campaccio. This year I am in different form, as I trained for shorter distances to prepare for the half-marathon. The turning point in my career was my win at the Boclassic in Bolzano in 2019.”

Faniel will battle for top place among Italian runners against Iliass Aouani, who won the national individual cross country title in Campi Bisenzio last week. Aouani, who graduated in engineering at the Syracuse University in New York, finished fourth at the 2019 World University Games in Naples in the 10,000m and equalled the national indoor mile record with 4:00.07 last year in Boston. 

Other Italian runners to watch out for are Yohanes Chiappinelli, who won the European bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase in Berlin in 2018, plus 2017 European indoor 3000m finalist Yassin Bouih, 2019 world mountain running silver medallist Cesare Maestri and 2017 world mountain running gold medallist Francesco Puppi.

In the women’s race, Lilian Kasait Rengeruk from Kenya will be bidding to win the Campaccio title for the second time, three years after her triumph in 2018. Rengeruk won the world cross country bronze medal in 2017 and finished fifth in the 5000m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha with her PB of 14:36.05. 

Rengeruk will take on Winfred Mutile Yavi, who finished fourth in the 3000m steeplechase in Doha and won the past two editions of the Cinque Mulini Cross Country Permit race in San Vittore Olona in 2019 and 2020. Yavi clocked a world all-time best in the indoor 2000m steeplechase with 5:45.09 in Lievin last February. 

The line-up also features Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu, who finished sixth at the 2019 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus. 

Nadia Battocletti leads the Italian contingent. Battocletti won two consecutive European under-20 cross-country gold medals and the European under-20 silver medal in the 5000m in 2019. The daughter of former Italian cross-country star Giuliano Battocletti finished sixth in last year’s edition of the Campaccio. She won her first national senior cross-country title in Campi Bisenzio last weekend after being sidelined by an injury problem at the end of January.

The other top Italian runners are Ludovica Cavalli, who won the Italian under-23 titles in the 1500m and 5000m last year and in the 3000m indoors in 2021, plus 3000m steeplechase specialist Martina Merlo (PB 9:41.06).

“Despite the restrictions due to the global pandemic, we managed to put together a world-class field. We are proud to announce that the special guest will be fresh European 60m champion Marcell Jacobs, who will offer his support for all athletes,” said Campaccio Technical Director Marcello Magnani.

Claudio Pastori, President of the local Unione Sportiva Sangiorgese, said: “We are determined to organise the Campaccio race this year. It is important to give a message of hope to the younger generation in this difficult period.”

Emily Sisson and Clayton Young winners at Gate River Run

Emily Sisson started fast and never looked back.

On a blustery, windy Saturday morning in Jacksonville, Sisson turned in a dominant effort to win the 44th Gate River Run in dominant fashion.

Sisson, a professional runner who competes for New Balance, was superb in her first 15K. She built a lead not long into the Gate and stretched it throughout. Clayton Young, the men’s winner, didn’t have nearly the buffer as Sisson. He overcame a bunched pack in the final mile and won by two seconds in 43 minutes, 52 seconds.

Sisson finished in 48:09, nearly a minute in front of Lindsay Flanagan. It was the fifth-fastest women’s time in the race history.

Sisson was coming off of a personal-best 14:55.82 in the 5K at the Sound Running Invite earlier this month in Los Angeles, but a 15K was not a distance in her wheelhouse.

“I wanted to run pretty aggressively from the start. With the win, that was kind of an unexpected element so I had to run a bit off field,” Sisson. “It was such an amazing field. They did a great job putting this on. I had a great time.”

Sisson’s win earned her $10,000, and she picked up an extra $5,000 for being the first person across the finish line with the five-minute equalizer bonus.

“The only part I found really tricky was the last bridge at the end,” I was going up into the wind on it and I felt like I was nearly walking,” Sisson said. “Then we had the downhill to the finish so that was nice.”

John Raneri led at the 5K split, but that 18-second margin dissipated by the time the Hart Bridge. Young, in a pack of runners at the Green Monster, slowly began chipping away inside that final mile and a half. A newcomer to the race, Young said that he didn’t know when to start his final kick until he saw the finish line not far in the distance.

Young pulled away in the final mile and turned in a 43:52. He was two seconds in front of Abbabiya Simbassa (43:54). The top 11 men’s finishers were stacked together and separated by just 23 seconds. The race’s 2019 winner, Shadrack Kipchirchir was third in 43:55. Last year’s winner, Frank Lara finished seventh in 44:02.

“They don’t call it the Green Monster for nothing. I was surprised there was such a pack at the top of that gigantic overpass,” Young said. “I hadn’t done this last mile before so I didn’t know when to make my move but I saw the finish line and I was like, now or never, and so I made my move and just didn’t look back.”

A maximum of 10 Russian track and field athletes will be able to compete at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics

Ten Russians to compete in Tokyo Olympic as World Athletics restored its Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) scheme after a council meeting.

The council has decided to allow ANAs “to start competing again, subject to a cap of 10 for the Olympic Games”, said Rune Andersen, chair of the Russian Taskforce overseeing the country’s reinstatement efforts.

The ANA scheme allows Russian competitors who meet strict anti-doping criteria to participate in global track and field events, but under a neutral flag and in neutral clothing.

World Athletics temporarily suspended the ANA scheme in November 2019 as part of the suspension of the Russian athletics federation (RusAF) reinstatement process following charges by the track doping watchdog Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) that RusAF helped cover up missed tests by Russian high jumper Danil Lysenko.

That decision meant that there were no Russian athletes at this month’s European indoor championships in Torun, Poland.

There had been 29 Russians competing as ANAs at the Doha world champs in September/October 2019, winning two golds, three silvers and one bronze medal.

No winners in 2021 Barkley Marathons

Only 15 people have finished the Barkley in the past 35 years.

Officials said the Barkley Marathons were over at around 4:30 p.m. on Friday. They said that there were no winners.

Keith Dunn said that runners dropped out as temperatures were expected to drop overnight.

A single marathon usually goes for around 26 miles, but not the Barkley Marathons. It takes participants through a 100-mile unmarked, off-trail course through Frozen Head State Park instead.

On Thursday, runners took off and started the event. The marathons have fans all around the world, but only 15 people have finished it in the past 35 years. There were no finishers in the 2020 marathons after the COVID-19 pandemic closed Tennessee State Parks, effectively canceling the race.

Runners have 60 hours to finish the 100-mile race. There is no online registration and participants must figure out how to apply through word-of-mouth.

"After a bride memorial for the members of the Barkley family who no longer are with us, the cigarette was lit at 3:04 a.m.," said Keith Dunn, an official with the race.

They must also find books on the course and tear out the page corresponding with their race number to prove they ran a full loop. They are given a new race number for each loop.

Officials said that the Morgan County Cattleman's Association provides food for participants to purchase through the race, and the Morgan County Tourism Alliance offers field guides for runners. They are designed by locals and explain fauna and flora in the area.

Runners are also issued a standard watch set to the race time, and no other watches are allowed. This year's watch was an analog pocketwatch.

Dunn also said that one person dropped out of the race five and a half hours into the race. He also said that this year's marathons feature more newcomers than veterans, because of travel restrictions.

A documentary was also made about the race in 2014 — The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young.

Former top tennis pro runs David Goggins's 4 x 4 x 48 ultra challenge

James Blake, an American retired professional tennis player who climbed as high as fourth in the world rankings in his career, recently completed ultrarunner David Goggins‘s 4 x 4 x 48 Challenge. Blake has been running for a few years, and since retiring from professional tennis, he has competed in a few races. The 4 x 4 x 48 was unlike any running event the former tennis pro had ever attempted before, though, and he was understandably exhausted after the two-day challenge.

4 x 4 x 48

The 4 x 4 x 48 Challenge is simple to explain, but far from easy to complete. Participants run four miles (6.4K) every four hours for 48 hours. This works out to 48 miles (77K) and a lot of short naps (or very little sleep at all) in two days. Goggins has turned this into an official event, and the 2021 edition ran from March 5 to 7.

“Goggins, thank you. I just finished my 4 x 4 x 48,” Blake said in a video he posted to Twitter. “Thank you for coming up with this challenge and putting me to the test. I dug deep plenty in my career to win tennis matches, but nothing like this.”

Blake said he had “no real rest, no real sleep” over the course of the 48-hour event. He added that he questioned himself during each of the 12 four-mile legs, but he pushed through those tough moments and and eventually made it to the finish two days after he started.

Not a new runner

While this was Blake’s first time running the 4 x 4 x 48 Challenge, it wasn’t his first time completing a running event of any kind. After retiring from tennis in 2013, he got into running, and in 2015, he ran the New York City Marathon. He crossed the finish line in 3:51:19.

In 2020, Blake ran 21.1K in the virtual NYC Marathon as part of a relay with running legend Meb Keflezighi. The pair of former professional athletes teamed up to raise funds for a couple of charities. Blake ran to support his own charity, the James Blake Foundation, which raises money for cancer research, while Keflezighi ran for the NYRR Team for Kids.

7 things not to do on a run

1. Don’t stop because your watch dies

We get it, it’s super annoying when you’re out for a run and your watch conks out, but that’s no reason to walk home. A lot of people like to say, “Strava or it didn’t happen,” meaning that if your run isn’t on Strava, you might as well have skipped the workout altogether. Here’s a little secret, though: even if you can’t upload your run to Strava or track it on your watch, it’s still worth doing. There might not be documentation of the work you’re putting in, but your body doesn’t care about that, and as long as you continue to train, you’ll get faster.

2. Don’t run sick

If you’re sick, take a few days off and rest. Running while sick could make you more tired than you already are, and that could turn a two-day cold into a week-long illness. It’s unfortunate that you’ll have to miss a few days of training, but if you don’t rest now, you’ll probably end up missing even more days later.

3. Don’t race in training

Running with other people can be a great motivator, but don’t get too obsessed with who’s faster in training. If you push yourself too hard, whether on easy days or during speed sessions, you could end up injured. Training is not the time to let your ego cloud your judgment (well, there’s really no good time to let that happen), and if you do, your training session could turn into a race with your running buddies. This might be fun in the moment, but it could ruin you for future training sessions and real races.

4. Don’t train without a goal

Whether your goal is to run a PB, to be active a certain number of days each week or anything else, it’s good to have something to work toward. If you don’t go into your runs without a specific goal in mind, it will get easier and easier to skip training sessions.

5. Don’t eat something new before a run

In training and racing, don’t try eating something new before you go out for your run or during your run. This is especially important in racing, but it’s even worth keeping in mind during training, too, as a new food before your workout could ruin your session. Stick to the foods you normally eat before or during training to avoid any stomach issues mid-run.

There is an exception to this rule. If you want to work a new food into your pre- or mid-run nutrition plan, then you of course have to test it out in training. Be very intentional about this and try testing it on easy runs to start, then add it to workouts before making it part of your race plan. The last thing you want is surprises at the track or on the race course.

6. Don’t forget to go to the washroom

Speaking of surprises, always go to the bathroom before your run. Even if you don’t think you have to go, please, just try. This has always been important, but it’s especially necessary now, as many public washrooms are closed due to the pandemic. Be safe. Avoid surprises.

7. Don’t hog the trail

If you’re on a trail, share the space with everyone else. Remember that there are other people out there, so be aware of your surroundings. If you see someone coming or hear movement behind you, make room and let them pass. No one likes a trail hog.

International spectators to be barred from entering Japan for Olympics

International spectators will not be allowed to enter Japan for this summer’s Olympic Games amid public concerns over coronavirus, organisers said on Saturday, setting the stage for a drastically scaled-back event.

Some 600,000 Olympic tickets purchased by overseas residents will be refunded, as will another 300,000 Paralympic tickets, Toshiro Muto, the chief executive of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee told a news conference.

He declined to say how much the refunds would cost.

The Olympic Games were postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the outbreak has chilled public opinion toward the event, both organisers and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga have vowed to press ahead with the Games.

The decision on international spectators will “ensure safe and secure Games for all participants and the Japanese public,” Tokyo 2020 organisers said in a statement following five-way talks that included the head of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, and the Tokyo governor.

“People who are involved in the Olympics in some way may be allowed to enter the country, whereas regular visitors will not be able to,” Tokyo 2020’s Muto said.

He said costs for hotel cancellations would not be covered. Organisers may also consider cutting the number of staff members who will participate in the Games.

The Games are scheduled for July 23 to Aug. 8, and the Paralympics from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5.

Media polls have shown that a majority of the Japanese public are wary about letting in international spectators to watch the Games as the country grapples with the tail-end of a third wave of the pandemic.

STRIPPED-DOWN GAMES

A stripped-down Games means the government will not get the tourism boom it had long counted on. Japan has grown increasingly reliant on foreign tourists, particularly from Asia, to bolster its weak domestic economy.

Like other countries, it has seen tourism unravel with the pandemic and its hotels and restaurants have been hit hard.

Saturday’s decision did not cover local spectators. Muto said organisers will decide next month on caps for spectators in venues.

“It’s very unfortunate,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said of the decision on international spectators, speaking to reporters after the meeting.

But she added that the conclusion was “unavoidable” given that the main priority for holding a successful Games would be the health of the athletes and the Japanese public.

Kyodo news service earlier reported that organisers were leaning towards barring overseas volunteers from helping at the Games.

Sources told Reuters earlier this month that the Japanese government had concluded it will not be able to allow spectators from abroad.

Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by William Mallard, David Dolan and Frances Kerry

Usain Bolt says that, the best thing about his life is being able to give back, as he donates 150 laptops to schools

The Usain Bolt Foundation focuses on children at the basic and primary school level.

IN A bid to help Jamaican youngsters with their education during the pandemic, the greatest sprinter of all time – Usain Bolt – has shown his generosity once more.

The Usain Bolt Foundation has made a donation of 150 laptops to schools in rural Jamaica. Several schools will benefit from this initiative, valued at forty thousand USD (US$40,000).

The legend’s official website reports that the eight times Olympic champion said that these initiatives through the Usain Bolt Foundation are pivotal to honour his commitment in ensuring that the children of Jamaica benefit from his hard work.

Bolt said: “The best thing about my life is being able to give back, especially to the children.  The current global pandemic has forced many children to do only online classes and highlights the need for technology in schools.  We will keep working to provide much needed equipment and support the education of the next generation.”

The Usain Bolt Foundation focuses on children at the basic and primary school level.  It continues to impact children across the country and that its caring hands will continue to ignite hope and assist, where possible.  Last year, the Usain Bolt Foundation donated printers and other supplies to twenty-one (21) Early Childhood Institutions in rural Jamaica and seven schools in his home parish of Trelawny received computers or tablets.

Bolt became a father himself last summer when he and his girlfriend, Kasi J Bennett, welcomed their child. The couple named their baby, Olympia Lightning Bolt, her first and middle name a nod to the sprinter’s career, signature celebration and record-breaking speed.

Just after the new arrival, via a post on Instagram, Bolt, 33, said: “Now we have started a new chapter together with our daughter Olympia Lightning Bolt I look forward to what the future will bring for us but be reassured that I will be the rock for this family.”

Olympia shares her name with the daughter of another Olympic champion. Tennis player Serena Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, officially named their daughter Alexis Olympia but refer to her simply as Olympia.

2021 Tokyo Marathon plans to go ahead in October with reduced field of 25,000

The organizers of the Tokyo Marathon held a special board meeting Mar. 19 to discuss plans for staging this year's race on Oct. 17. As a measure to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the decision was made to reduce the field size from 38,000 to 25,000 participants. The race's slogan will be "The Day When Tokyo Once Again Becomes One." Entries will be open Mar. 22 to 31.

Rough guidelines were also established for the process by which the final decision on whether the race can go ahead will be made. If a state of emergency is declared within a month prior to the marathon, it will be cancelled at that time. "Holding a safe and secure event is our number one priority," commented an official.  International entries will be accepted.

Because the 2020 edition of the race was held with only elite athletes, mass-participation runners were given the option of transferring their entries to either the 2021 or 2022 editions. Roughly 7,000 people opted to run 2021, meaning about 18,000 further entries will be accepted. Part of the course will be changed, and there will also be an uncertified 10.7 km run.

This year's Tokyo Marathon was originally scheduled for Mar. 7, but amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis organizers decided last October to postpone it., prioritizing holding it close to its usual capacity over holding it on-schedule with a drastically reduced field again.

Because Tokyo was rescheduled for October when elite marathons are scheduled to take place around the world and Japanese athletes are in the middle of ekiden season, it is expected that there will be problems with attracting elite athletes from abroad and within Japan. Race director Tadaaki Hayano commented, "With the Paris Olympics on the horizon I hope that young athletes and newcomers will come into sight." With Kengo Suzuki (Fujitsu) having set a new men's national record at the Lake Biwa Marathon last month at age 25, hopes are high for a race where the next generation will shine.

Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo is set to star at Campaccio cross country the first leg of the World Athletics Cross Country Permit series takes place on Sunday

Reigning world half-marathon champion Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda will be in the spotlight at the 64th edition of the Campaccio in San Giorgio su Legnano when the first leg of the World Athletics Cross Country Permit series takes place on Sunday.

The popular Northern Italian cross-country race was originally scheduled for its traditional 6 January date, but it was postponed until the end of March due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. For the first time in its long history, the Campaccio will be held in spring.

Kiplimo won the world half-marathon title in Gdynia in 58:49 last October and ran the second-fastest time in history over the 21.1km distance with 57:37 in Valencia last December. The 20-year-old also set PBs on the track last year, clocking 7:26.64 in the 3000m in Rome and 12:48.63 in the 5000m in Ostrava. In 2019 he won the world cross-country silver medal in Aarhus. In the build-up to the Campaccio, Kiplimo dominated the men’s race at the Italian Cross Country Club Championships in Campi Bisenzio near Florence in rainy conditions.

Kiplimo will race against his younger brother Oscar Chelimo, who won the BOclassic 5km World Athletics Label road race in Bolzano last December. In 2018 Chelimo finished seventh in the 5000m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere and won the 3000m at the Olympic Youth Games in Buenos Aires. One year later, the 19-year-old won the world under-20 cross-country bronze medal in Aarhus and finished fifth in the 5000m at the African Games in Rabat. 

Another Ugandan runner in the line-up is 2017 and 2018 world mountain running silver medallist Joel Ayeko.

Last year’s surprise Campaccio winner Mogos Tuemay will return to San Giorgio su Legnano to defend his title. The Ethiopian runner set his 10,000m PB in Hengelo in 2019 with 27:23.49 and finished 18th at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus in 2019.

The top Italian runner is Eyob Faniel, who broke Stefano Baldini’s national marathon record with 2:07:19 in Seville last year. Faniel improved Rachid Berradi’s long-standing Italian half-marathon record with 1:00:07 at the Tuscany Camp Half Marathon in Siena at the end of February. Faniel also won the 2019 BOclassic road race and equalled Daniele Meucci’s 10km national record with 28:08 at the San Silvestre Vallecana in Madrid last December.

“I have always used cross-country competitions as preparation for the marathon,” said Faniel. “I finished ninth in 2017 and 10th in 2018 in my previous two appearances at the Campaccio. This year I am in different form, as I trained for shorter distances to prepare for the half-marathon. The turning point in my career was my win at the Boclassic in Bolzano in 2019.”

Faniel will battle for top place among Italian runners against Iliass Aouani, who won the national individual cross country title in Campi Bisenzio last week. Aouani, who graduated in engineering at the Syracuse University in New York, finished fourth at the 2019 World University Games in Naples in the 10,000m and equalled the national indoor mile record with 4:00.07 last year in Boston. 

Other Italian runners to watch out for are Yohanes Chiappinelli, who won the European bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase in Berlin in 2018, plus 2017 European indoor 3000m finalist Yassin Bouih, 2019 world mountain running silver medallist Cesare Maestri and 2017 world mountain running gold medallist Francesco Puppi.

Eliud Kipchoge ready for Hamburg Marathon redemption

Kenyan Olympic champion and marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, is hoping to return to the top of the podium at the NN Hamburg Marathon on April 11 to redeem his stature following his shock London defeat last year.

The distance running star will be featured at the elite-only marathon for those looking to secure an Olympic qualifying time after few chances to compete in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Kipchoge saw his 10-marathon winning streak ended at the 2020 London Marathon on Oct. 4 but has had the time to recover and build back up at his training camp in Kaptagat, Kenya.

He will be running in Germany to gauge his shape ahead of a planned Olympic title defense in the summer.

"My number one goal is to run a beautiful race in Hamburg. A beautiful race will give people hope. It is another step that we are on the right track to normality," Kipchoge who ran the standing 2:01:39 world record at the 2018 Berlin Marathon tweeted on Thursday.

According to his management, NN Running, the Rio 2016 gold winner is hoping to reignite his marathon supremacy at the city where he made a victorious debut over the distance in April 2013.

"Hamburg has a lot of memories for me, it was my first exposure to the marathon and I remember thinking I didn't know what would happen at 25km, 30km, 35km and 40km. That memory of 'will I hit the wall' is still there. It was the beginning of my life in the marathon," Kipchoge told the NN Running website on Wednesday.

The impressive 2:05:30 win at the 2013 Hamburg Marathon sparked off a career switch from track running that yielded 11 wins in 13 marathons started for the Kenyan.

Prior to London 2020 where he clocked 2:06:49 for eighth, Kipchoge's only other loss at the distance came at the 2013 Berlin race where he was beaten to second by compatriot Wilson Kipsang who ran a then world record of 2:02:32.

Kipsang has since been banned for four years for Whereabouts Rules violations.

"Winning there gave me confidence that I could run the marathon and it played a big role in my career. Now I am running Hamburg again in a very different situation. We have very few races globally and it is a good opportunity to test myself, run well and offer hope to the world," Kipchoge remarked.

On Oct. 12, 2019, he became the first man to cover the classic 42.192km marathon distance in under two hours at the specially arranged INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria where he stopped the timer at 1:59:40.

However, like every other sportsperson around the world, Kipchoge was affected by the pandemic, admitting to NN Running that life has been "very hard."

Forced for several months to stay within his compound because of restrictions on movement implemented by the Kenyan government to control the virus, it was not an easy period for the first man in history to run a sub-two-hour marathon.

He spent the lockdown months by organizing a food distribution drive in partnership with several local companies and individuals to feed other affected runners who have not been as fortunate as him.

"It was really hard to go training and not mix with people to fight the virus. I am happy to have since resumed training with the team, but we continue to make sure we do so safely within the protocols because the virus is still with us.

"Life has been hard but that is the way of the world - we need to get through it but I think we are on the right track to a brighter future," the three-time London marathon winner underscored.

After suffering an untimely ear blockage, Kipchoge suffered his first marathon defeat in seven years in London but insists he is in "great mental and physical shape" and is looking forward to competing on the streets of Hamburg.

World Athletics Council opens Tokyo 2020 door for Russian athletes

World Athletics Council today agreed to reinstate the Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) scheme, suspended since last March, allowing individual Russian competitors to qualify for this summer’s scheduled Tokyo 2020 Games.

The scheme - which allows Russian athletes who meet anti-doping criteria to take part in international competition - was suspended in March last year following the latest scandal involving the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF), which has been banned since November 2015 following the revelations of state-sponsored doping.

Rune Andersen, the World Athletics' Russia Taskforce chairman, said that Russian athletes would be able to apply for ANA status immediately, but there will be a cap of 10 athletes for the next Olympics and at World Athletics Championships.

He added that this was dependent on RusAF continuing to satisfy the requirements agreed for their eventual return.

RusAF faced expulsion from World Athletics last year for obstructing an anti-doping investigation into world indoor high jump champion Danil Lysenko and failing to pay outstanding fines.

After missing its July 1 payment deadline RusAF stood on the brink, but a last-minute intervention by Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, who made an "unconditional" offer to pay the outstanding fine of $6.31 million (£4.52 million/€5.28 million), saved them.

On March 1 this year a final plan for the reinstatement of the RusAF was unanimously approved by the World Athletics Council following the recommendation of Andersen.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe warned at the time that the initial approval was "not the end but the beginning of a long journey, with an incredible amount of work for RusAF to do to rebuild trust."

Reflecting upon the original creation of the ANA scheme earlier this month in a Sports Law Q&A podcast, Coe told British lawyer Jonathan Taylor: "I didn’t for all sorts of reasons want to visit the sins of the parents upon the children in our Russia challenge.

"What in simple terms does that mean?

"If I could identify clean athletes that were untainted but in a tainted system then my responsibility was to try and find a construct that would allow them to compete.

"That’s where we got our Authorised Neutral Athletes from, and many of them have maintained international competition in the last few years.

"They don’t have the panoply of uniforms and national anthems but most of them are just relieved to be competing."

One Russian track and field athlete was able to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympics under the recently instituted ANA scheme - long jumper Darya Klishina.

Runners will turn their neighborhood streets green for the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle

The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle, one of the city’s most celebrated running events, is set to kick off in neighborhoods across Chicago and around the world this weekend. For more than four decades, runners have participated in this popular road race to commemorate the start of the outdoor running season and continue the city’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

This year’s virtual race will continue the tradition as runners compete in a variety of distances from Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 21. 

“We’re thrilled to see so many runners continue the tradition of the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle in a new and unique way this year,” said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. “As a past participant, I know the energy and excitement the Chicago running community brings to this event and while we can’t be together this year, we look forward to returning to the streets of downtown very soon.”

More than 8,000 participants, including seven past champions, are expected to bring the spirit and celebration of the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle to their own communities this weekend. While this classic road race is known for its 8K run, Shufflers will also have the opportunity to participate in the 2-Mile Walk or The Mile.

Participants can download a personalized digital event bib number and will have access to a unique finisher certificate once they submit their event results.

Registered participants are also invited to add some extra excitement and competition to their race weekend experience by competing in The Deloitte Team Competition. The Team Competition is a fun way to bring the camaraderie of race day to running clubs, groups of friends, and corporate teams during this unique time. Teams will be scored in one of five divisions based on the average finish times submitted by the team over the weekend.

In addition to the run and walk, event organizers are also excited to launch a virtual Health & Fitness Expo.

The digital marketplace will feature event partners and exhibitors offering the public an opportunity to explore the latest in running footwear, apparel and nutrition.

Individuals still interested in taking part in the 2021 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle can sign up today through 11:59 a.m. (Central Time) on Sunday, March 21. The cost of an entry is $30 for United States residents and $55 for participants residing outside of the United States.

For additional information on the 2021 event, visit shamrockshuffle.com.

Laura Muir believes that the delay of the Tokyo Olympics could help her chances of winning medals

Laura Muir says she is more robust ahead of Tokyo Olympics; the 1500m British record holder opted to not compete at the European Indoor Championships to focus on the outdoor season and Olympics in July.

British middle-distance runner Laura Muir believes delaying the Olympics has given her a better chance of glory.

The British record holder over 1500 metres insists she is now more "robust" ahead of the rescheduled Games in Tokyo this summer.

Her 2019 season was disrupted by calf and Achilles problems when she finished fifth in the 1500m at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, despite running her second-fastest time.

But, after the enforced delay amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the double European Indoor 1500 and 3000m champion has reaped the benefits.

"I'm certainly in a better position than had the Olympics been last year," Muir told the PA News agency.

"As much as it was disappointing for everything to be postponed, the overall picture has worked out for me, luckily.

"It's helped me, I had a lot of issues heading into Doha and off the back of it, the issue with my Achilles, and I wasn't in spikes for a number of weeks.

"This time last year I was just getting back into things but now I'm in a much stronger position than I was. Luckily having the last year we were able to build on things to make me more robust.

"We've incorporated more strength and conditioning into training, specific areas which I'm targeting. You don't want to fatigue yourself too much but if there was an area where I was weaker I could strengthen it so I'm not so susceptible."

Muir, 27, finished seventh in the 1500m at Rio 2016 after slipping out of medal contention with 200m left.

This year she has focused on training and her only indoor race came in the World Indoor Tour Lievin in February where she set a new British 1500m indoor record of three minutes 59.58 seconds.

Muir opted not to compete at the European Indoor Championships in Poland this month for a second defence of her titles to focus on the outdoor season and Olympics.

Sebastian Coe claims he went out of his way to keep competitive options open for differences in sexual development athletes

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has defended the decision his Federation took over athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD), claiming he had sought to keep competitive options open in the female category even though a different alternative may have been open to him.

The World Athletics rules, which went into effect in 2019, cap athlete testosterone levels in women’s events from the 400 metres through the mile for athletes with DSD such as South Africa’s Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya.

World Athletics said that no female athletes would have a level above the cap - five nanomoles per litre - unless they had a DSD or a tumour, and that in the case of athletes in the DSD category testosterone-suppressing medication would need to be taken in order to bring levels into the agreed range.

Semenya has lost appeals at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland against the World Athletics regulations over the past two years.

But earlier this month the South African Government’s Department of Sport, Arts and Culture pledged R12 million (£576,600/$803,000/€671,500) to help her appeal to the European Court of Human Rights against her testosterone ruling.

Speaking in a Sports Law Q&A podcast, Coe told British lawyer Jonathan Taylor: "If I’m being hard-nosed about it, if I’d stuck simply to the definitions around biology then I would probably have got support for preventing those athletes from competing at all in a female category,

"I didn’t want to do that."

Coe added: "So finding the right level of controllable testosterone over a period that allowed them to compete at those distances was for me absolutely in alignment with every philosophy, every principle that I went into the sport for.

"But then you get the next challenge about human rights.

"I am very acutely conscious of human rights.

"But the question I then ask is whose human rights are we talking about here?

"Are we talking about the millions of girls that enter athletics and want to feel that they are competing at least on a level footing, do I have a concern about them?

"Yes I do.

"But I also wanted to preserve that in a way that didn’t stigmatise and cause hurt to other athletes.

"It was a difficult decision to make.

"The easier decision would frankly have been to have sat there and done nothing at all, which if I’m being honest is where pretty much the most of sport has gone now.

"We have a similar challenge around transgender and our policy there was in large part driven and in alignment with what we have done around DSD.

"So you don’t come into any sport at the level I chose to get elected at and think you are going to make a lot of friends.

"You do have to do what you think is in the best interests of the sport and possibly that judgement is made way beyond the term that you are serving."

Referring to the decision taken in 2016 to ban Russian athletes competing in the wake of the scandal over organised doping in that country, Coe added: "I know that the approach we took about Russia didn’t leave us in a position of unalloyed joy with other sporting organisations out there.

"When we all went to the Rio Games you could feel the icy blast about what we’d done.

"But I don’t want athletics to ever be on the wrong side of history."

One of the legends of the Boston Marathon Dick Hoyt dies at 80

Boston Marathon legend Dick Hoyt, has died at the age of 80, his family confirmed to WCVB.

Hoyt passed away in his sleep Wednesday morning, according to longtime Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray.

For close to 40 years, Dick Hoyt was a fixture of the marathon course, pushing his son, Rick, a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, from 1981 until 2014.

“The message is: Yes, you can. There isn’t anything you can’t do as long as you make up your mind to do it," Dick Hoyt told WCVB in 2016. "There is no ‘No’ in the Hoyt vocabulary.”

In addition to Boston, the pair competed in more than 1,100 marathons and triathlons.

"We are tremendously saddened to learn of the passing of Boston Marathon icon Dick Hoyt. Dick personified what it means to be a Boston Marathoner, finishing 32 races with son Rick. We are keeping his many family & friends in our prayers," the Boston Athletic Association said in a statement after news of his passing.

Hoyt was a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard for more than 30 years.

Originally planning to retire after the 2013 race, Dick Hoyt returned in 2014 to honor those killed and injured in the Boston Marathon bombings. Team Hoyt was stopped at the 25-mile mark when the explosions halted the event.

A bronze statue of Dick and Rick Hoyt was dedicated near the Marathon's start line in Hopkinton in 2013. Dick Hoyt served as the Grand Marshal of the race in 2015.

Twelve cities from around the globe have expressed interest in hosting the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in 2023

The strong international interest in hosting this new event, which will combine elite and mass races in a unique format, is a ringing endorsement of a festival concept designed to unite the international road running community. 

The creation of the World Athletics Road Running Championships, incorporating the World Half Marathon Championships, was approved by the Council in December, and cities around the world were asked to indicate their interest in hosting the event.

The 2023 event will include elite races over both 5km and the half marathon, accompanying mass races, and a week-long festival of supporting events, including parkrun events across the host city, a global running conference, health and fitness expos and clinics.

Potential hosts will have to submit formal bids by 1 June and the World Athletics Council will select the host city in July.

World Athletics Continental Tour

The World Athletics Council has approved a greatly expanded Continental Tour calendar for 2021, including 85 Gold, Silver and Bronze meetings, after the new international series was launched successfully last year.

Despite the challenges created by the pandemic, 29 Continental Tour meetings were held last year, including seven Gold meetings (of the 10 that were originally scheduled).

This year’s calendar includes 15 Gold meetings, with two in Africa following the addition of a second meeting to join Nairobi, and three Gold meetings to be held in the United States. The venues for the new meetings will be confirmed shortly.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe welcomed the commitment of meeting directors and Member Federations across the six continental Areas to create new competition opportunities for the athletes.  

“We wouldn’t have chosen to launch a new global athletics tour on the eve of a pandemic, but the Continental Tour proved to be such a strong concept that it thrived even in these adverse circumstances,’’ he said.

“The tour has expanded substantially in 2021, and we’re delighted that it has been embraced so enthusiastically across the world. I’m particularly pleased to see that the US has stepped up to stage three Gold meetings as well as at least nine other Silver and Bronze meetings. These will provide new and vital competition opportunities and prize money for athletes and strengthen our sport both in the USA and internationally. We see the expanded US calendar as an early legacy of the decision to take our flagship event, the World Athletics Championships, to Oregon in 2022.

“We will continue to drive innovation and boost the competition opportunities available to our athletes around the world, with our immediate focus on the World Athletics Relays Silesia 2021, to be held in Poland in just six weeks’ time.”  

Competition dates

The Council confirmed the dates for the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships, which will be held in Cali, Colombia from 2-7 August, 2022, and the 2023 World Athletics Indoor Championships, which will be held in Nanjing, China from 17-19 March, 2023. 

Running improves your brain function

Having a brain block at work? Going out for a mid-day run may have more effects on your brain than just a psychological break in the day. 

While the immediate benefit of running, the release of dopamine and other endorphins, is oh-so-good for a stressed-out brain, recent studies have shown running causes more profound, long-lasting changes to brain function. Curious researchers are working hard to uncover how and why aerobic exercise stimulates the brain. 

Running to Remember

Two studies this year, published only a week apart, showed that aerobic exercise improved memory.

One of the studies, from the American Academy of Neurology, looked at 206 adults before and after a six-month exercise program. By the end of the program, the participants saw blood flow to the brain increase by 2.3 percent on average, which is what the researchers believe led to a 5.7 percent improvement on executive function tests and 2.4 percent improvement on verbal fluency. 

“Our study showed that six months’ worth of vigorous exercise may pump blood to regions of the brain that specifically improve your verbal skills as well as memory and mental sharpness,” said study author Marc Poulin in a press release.

Other study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, also looked at blood flow to the brain, but over a year’s worth of aerobic exercise. The exercise group saw a remarkable 47 percent improvement in their memory scores. However, these were among individuals who had memory issues to begin with, which could account for the more staggering results. 

Osteocalcin, a hormone, is another reason memory can be improved by running, among many other incredible functions it helps with.

Brain Health and Brain Function is Boosted

One study that came out of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology found an association between cardiorespiratory fitness and the brain’s ability to produce N-acetyl aspartic acid (NAA). According to Tartar, NAA is a marker of exactly how active the brain is. 

“A central question raised by this work is whether we can modify NAA through physical activity and fitness interventions, providing an effective method to enhance cognitive performance and brain health across the lifespan,” said researcher Ryan Larsen in a press release. 

At the Kavli Institute for the Brain and Mind in California, they’re looking at how running improves motor skills, starting with mice. One of their studies, published in Nature Communications, examined how mice running on a wheel over the course of a week performed better on several tests for motor skills, including walking quickly along a balance beam or staying on a rotating rod. The researchers believe that the type of plasticity they saw in mice brains can easily be translated to humans. By incorporating running, athletes may see performance enhancement in other areas that require fine motor skills.  

There are many other ways that scientists know that exercise can improve brain function. But they still don’t know why. “We can look at the after effect and see if somebody exercises for a few months, we can start to see changes in their cognitive functioning,” says Dr. Tartar. “They have better attention, better executive function, but we really want to see how.”

There are several chemical reactions that are set off by running and exercise that prove that brain health is better off, but the ‘why’ is still yet to be determined. Dr. Tartar would like to find the mechanisms behind things like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Irisin. 

She calls BDNF, a protein released during muscle activity, food for the brain. It supports neuron survival and health, while promoting overall neural health and cognition. Irisin is a hormone secreted from muscles during exercise that also promotes neural health and cognition. But exactly how these proteins and hormones work needs further study to be truly understood. 

Remember that hormone, osteocalcin? It also plays a role in emotion, by increasing serotonin and dopamine, and it’s been shown to decrease anxiety and depression.

Anecdotally, psychologists have known for years that exercise boosts mood by having study participants self-report their feelings. But with the combined efforts of exercise scientists and neuroscientists, there is data from the brain that corroborates that. 

Athletes have reacted to Nike's pregnancy announcement

Decorated Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix calls it "beautiful and heartbreaking".

Nike’s latest advertisement is receiving mixed reactions from athletes and sports fans on social media. The ad, which includes the caption, “To every mother, everywhere: you are the toughest athlete,” features several clips of pregnant women and mothers participating in sports, and appears to be the company’s way of showing their support to pregnant athletes.

While the ad is a step in the right direction for the company, many athletes, including Allyson Felix, Kara Goucher and Alysia Montaño, are criticizing Nike for not acknowledging their past treatment of pregnant female athletes.

In 2019, Felix, Goucher and Montaño publicly criticized Nike for its treatment of sponsored athletes during and after pregnancy, and they called the company out for having no pregnancy protections in their contracts. Since then, Nike has announced a new pregnancy policy that protects female athletes from pay reductions for 18 months surrounding pregnancy. This new ad showing support for pregnant women is a welcome change and a step in the right direction, and while many athletes are supportive of it, they are pointing out one thing it’s missing: an apology.

Felix was among the first to express her opinion, which she shared in a Twitter thread. She began by praising the ad for its content, calling it powerful and saying it celebrates mothers and reminds them that they are athletes. She goes on to encourage her followers to watch the ad, but for a different reason.

“I agree with every word in this ad,” she said in a Tweet. “I also think you should watch this ad so that you will hold Nike accountable for it.”

She continues by saying that the ad was hard to watch, given her personal experience as a formerly Nike-sponsored athlete. She points out that it was she, along with several other athletes, who pushed Nike to support athletes’ maternity — a fact the ad fails to mention. Felix calls the ad “beautiful and heartbreaking,” saying that while it celebrates all the right things, it ignores the struggle it took to get to this point.

Goucher echoed Felix’s statements in a response to her thread, saying she appreciates the ad’s sentiment, but this level of support was not a reality for her or dozens of other mother runners.

“Acknowledging the way we were treated and receiving an apology (let alone the money withheld from us) would go so far,” she added.

Montaño added her comments in an Instagram post, saying while she is grateful for all the positive changes happening in the world of women’s sports, it is infuriating to watch Nike seemingly dismiss the past and fail to apologize for the experiences of past athletes.

“Yes. We want Nike to sponsor athletes and support them through pregnancy, and thereafter, but we want them to acknowledge the fight and the struggle that it took to get them to make a change,” she said. “We DO NOT WANT them to use our women to make money and while doing so forcing their athletes that have been mistreated to post advertisements as a way of sweeping their struggles under the rug.”

She goes on to highlight the work of other companies, organizations and brands who have a history of supporting women, including her own nonprofit, &Mother, and her partner brand, Cadenshae. Montaño concludes by saying that she and other athletes welcome Nike’s desire to support female athletes, but says they must rectify their former actions if they wish to do that.

Many others on Twitter and Instagram are commenting with support for the athletes, while also acknowledging the beauty and the power of the ad. This new ad by Nike is exactly the type of imagery we need to see, but coming on the heels of controversy over their treatment of pregnant athletes, it comes across as disingenuous to those who are familiar with the backstory.

Tips for running in March

The weather this month can get weird — here's how to deal with it.

We’re about half-way through March, and depending on where you live, you’re (hopefully) beginning to see the first signs of spring. Of course, in some parts of Canada, winter is still in full-force, in others, April showers have already begun, and some places seem to experience all four seasons in one day.

This can make it pretty hard to figure how to prepare properly for a run, so here are our best tips for running during a Canadian March.

Check the weather

In the summer, you can safely assume it’s going to be hot and dress for the occasion. In the winter, you pretty much always know you’re going to need a hat, gloves and at least a couple of layers of clothing. The same cannot be said about March. As we gradually make the transition into spring, the temperature from one day to the next can vary significantly, so always check the weather before heading out so you know what you’re in for.

Consider more than just the temperature

Ambient temperature is important, but if that’s all you look at, you might be in for an unwelcome surprise once you get outside. For example, 10 C on a sunny, windless day will feel very different than 10 degrees on a rainy day with gusting winds, so always pay attention to the ‘feels like’ temperature, wind, rain and any other factors that might affect your run.

Watch out for wind

Not only can wind make your run feel a lot colder, it can also make it more dangerous. Strong winds can blow things like tree branches, recycling or garbage bins and other loose items onto your path as you’re running, so if you choose to go running on a particularly windy day, make sure you stay vigilant, and avoid running through a residential neighbourhood on garbage day.

Dress for the rain

A rainy run in the middle of July can be a refreshing relief from the constant heat, but rain in March is just downright cold. If you’re running in the rain this month, make sure you invest in a good water-resistant jacket to keep you from getting soaked, and don’t hang around in your wet clothes too long once your run is over.

Check the trail conditions

With the weather starting to warm up and the days starting to get longer, many runners will be itching to get back on the trails. If you decide to do this, try as best you can to get an idea what the trail conditions are like before you head out.

As the ground starts to thaw, the trails could be pretty slick, and at this time of year, a warm few days followed by another cold snap can make them icy as well. Additionally, if you start out on the trails and the conditions are looking treacherous, you’re better off turning around and trying again another day.

The 44th annual Gate River Run will take place this weekend with little changes prompted by coronavirus pandemic

Race Director Doug Alred said the race will be a little different this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re going to have a lot of social distancing guidelines in place,” Alred said.

The field is limited to 8,000 runners for the 15K. There will also be two different start lines. One start line will be at the corner of Duval and A. Phillip Randolph streets. The second start line will be at the corner of Adams and A. Phillip Randolph streets. The runners will merge just before the Main Street Bridge. Masks are required except while running.

“It’s requiring a lot more things,” explained Alred about the preparations. “We’ve been doing some smaller races and we’ve been kind of using some of the guidelines that we would use at the River Run and see how they go, so those things have worked really well.”

Despite the changes, Alred said runners will still feel a sense of tradition.

“We’re going to have hands on the course. Most of the water stations will still be there, they’ll be run a little bit differently, and the finish line is going to look exactly the same,” said Alred. “As long as people cooperate and wear their mask when they’re supposed to, I think it’ll go great. It’ll be a safe event for everybody, and most people who come will feel like this is a traditional run.”

The Gate River Run said it is expecting one of the best elite fields in recent years because of the limited number of races last year.

Bernard Lagat wants to stay with Wildcats after impressive first year on staff

Bernard Lagat had been called a lot of different things: Olympian. All-American. World champion. At Washington State, his alma mater, he is simply “Lagat,” which translates to legend in any language.

A few weeks ago, Lagat was called something totally unfamiliar: Coach.

“I feel like I’m still an athlete, so when someone would say ‘Hey, Coach,’ I sometimes wouldn’t respond,” Lagat says with a laugh. “But then it was, ‘Oh, wait, that’s me.’”

Lots of prominent Tucson athletes have become coaches: Terry Francona, Adia Barnes, Steve Kerr, Stacey Iveson. But few broke into the coaching business like Lagat, the 46-year-old five-time Olympian who moved to Tucson 19 years ago and soon won the 1,500-meters silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

A few days before Thanksgiving, Lagat was named the interim cross country coach at Arizona, replacing his coach of 25 years, James Li, who chose to retire; Li recently moved to Shanghai, where he now coaches elite distance runners.

Until that day, Lagat’s only coaching was that of his son, Miika, a freshman at Rincon/University High School, and a few of Miika’s friends interested in running. But Miika has since become an emerging tennis prospect and Lagat’s coaching days appeared to be over.

The timing couldn’t have been better. For the first time since his Olympic debut in 2000, Lagat is not absorbed by trying to qualify for the Summer Games. He doesn’t view his quick introduction to coaching as anything related to his title of interim coach.

Asked if he would like to be hired as Arizona’s full-time cross country coach, Lagat didn’t hesitate.

“I would, I’d like this to be long term,” he says. “Funny, if you had told me about this even a year ago — if you asked if I could see myself coaching — I’d be like, ‘Ah, no.’ But that has changed 100%. I would love to continue. The job grows on you. I want to see my relationships with the athletes grow.”

Four smart ways structuring your routine can Increase focus

Generally speaking, the focus is the ability to collect and direct your attention. Those who have an excellent focus are typically very successful. This typically applies to academic accomplishment, different work results, athletic performance, skill acquisition, and many other things.

Now, it seems like these days it’s pretty hard to have a good focus. Many studies have shown that an average individual has attention that normally lasts about eight seconds. This is not good news. Even a goldfish has a longer attention span.

People should work on enhancing it because when they do, they become much more productive and manage to do every single task for a particular day. If you’re dealing with this issue and you’re not sure how can you improve it, here are some tips that are very helpful!

Wake up earlier

A lot of research has been done on Presidents and CEOs of companies, and what these studies often show is that these successful and driven people often have many traits and habits in common, and one of them is waking up early. HuffPost co-founder and power-woman Ariana Huffington, Facebook creator and informal leader of the online world Mark Zuckerberg, and business magnate Richard Branson are all early-risers. As the author of this Inc.com article notes, “The average U.S. individual wakes up between 6:00 and 7:30 a.m., which means when I’m up at 5 a.m., I have a good one to two hours before my phone starts buzzing.” Imagine the productivity you could have during all that quiet time. Even if you start the day slowly with a cup of coffee and the morning paper or you enjoy have a bit of music playing in the background to offset the silence, you’ve still got quite a head start on the competition. You can also be more productive if you leave this time for exercise, as you won’t be able to come up with the many excuses that often go with sweat sessions that come later in the day. The brain children behind innovative San Diego-based beach accessory company Slippa make sure to get up to surf every morning before they start their day, as that’s how they clear their heads.

Now, we’re not saying that this will be an easy transition for you if you’re used to sleeping later but give yourself a gradual transition and watch the magic happen.

This one goes hand in hand with #1, as it’s easier to get up early day in and day out if you keep a regular routine. There have been numerous studies that show the health benefits of getting the proper amount of sleep each night, and that starts with going to bed and getting up around the same time as much as possible.

Meditate More

If you’re not a yogi or someone who goes to therapy on the regular, you might think this sounds like a lot of self-help bunk. But the harsh life reality is that you’re going to be thrown a lot of curveballs, and meditation will help you to be centered enough to handle them with no (or few!) problem(s). One of the biggest misconceptions about meditation is that it takes a long time and, if you’re already worried about your productivity and focus, this might seem counterintuitive. All you need to do is download a meditation app to realize that sessions can range anywhere from five minutes to over an hour. On top of the increase in focus, meditation has been shown to reduce stress, lessen the effects of aging, and increase happiness. Say it with us: “Ommmm…”

Eat Well and Exercise

You might think, “Duh,” in reaction to seeing this recommendation, but you’d be surprised by how many people let these things go by the wayside in the name of getting things done. But the thing is that all of these things are cyclical in that you might feel like you need more time to dedicate to your business so you neglect these things, but neglecting these things can lead to poor focus and energy levels, which leads to decreased productivity. Take the time to shop well at the grocery store to keep your body running at its best, and even if it’s just a daily 20-minute HIIT routine, you’ll reap the benefits ten-fold.

None of these suggestions on routine changes to increase focus is reinventing the wheel, but implementing these small tweaks will mean big improvements in your life.

Australian athlete Corey Philpott tows 1.5-ton truck 42K to complete World’s Strongest Marathon

Australian athlete Corey Philpott recently completed a challenge dubbed the “World’s Strongest Marathon” in a suburb of Sydney. Philpott travelled 42.2K while towing a 1.5-ton Ford Ranger pickup truck behind him, finishing the haul in 16 hours, 12 minutes and beating the car-pulling marathon world record by more than an hour.

World’s Strongest Marathon

As Philpott wrote on Instagram, he first learned about the World’s Strongest Marathon when he saw British athlete Ross Edgley complete the challenge in 2016. Edgley pulled a 1.5-ton Mini Countryman around a Formula One race track in the U.K., and although this piqued Philpott’s interest, he didn’t think it was a challenge he would ever attempt. 

“It always seemed like an awesome concept to me but I never ever thought I was fit enough or had the courage to put it out into the universe and say I’m going to give it a crack,” Philpott wrote. Then COVID-19 hit, and Philpott decided to try it out after all. 

“One night, I had just finished watching a video of Ross on YouTube,” he wrote. “Once that video finished, I walked out to the lounge room to my parents and told them in 2021 I will be completing the World’s Strongest Marathon.” For added accountability, Philpott announced his plans on social media, and from there, he had no choice but to power forward. 

As Philpott told 7News Australia, he trained for eight months, and his schedule consisted of weight training, regular runs and car-towing practice. “I’d start at about one or two in the morning [and] get four or five hours [of] training in before work.” 

When Edgley ran his marathon, it took him more than 19 hours to cover 42.2K. In 2019, an Oregon resident named Justin True beat Edgley’s time, pulling a 1.5-ton Suzuki SUV the length of a marathon in 17 hours, 36 minutes. Philpott lowered the record once again, beating True’s time by one hour, 24 minutes. 

While Philpott admitted that he wanted to break the world record and use the World’s Strongest Marathon to launch his athletic career (he describes himself as a “hybrid athlete” on his Instagram page), the challenge was much more than just a chance to get his name in the news. He turned the event into a fundraiser for ChildSafe Australia, an organization that is dedicated to supporting children and putting an end to child sexual abuse. 

This cause is close to Philpott’s heart, as he said his wife was abused as a child, and she continues to struggle today. “The whole time [during the marathon], I was just thinking about my wife,” he told 7News. “That’s what brought me to raise awareness for ChildSafe.” 

2021 Boston Marathon set at 20,000 runners field size

The selection process will remain consistent with prior years: applications and qualifying times submitted next week will be verified and ranked based on the amount of time an athlete has run under their respective qualifying standard.

The qualifying window opened on Sept. 15, 2018. Any valid qualifying time run on or after that date may be used to submit a Marathon registration application.

The B.A.A. says that achieving a qualifying time does not guarantee acceptance into this year's race. Since 2014, some runners who have met their qualifying standard were unable to be part of the field due to the surge of interest in the race.

That year, nearly 2,000 runners were shut out because a cutoff time of 1 minute, 38 seconds faster than qualifying times was set to allow a cap of the field.

The number of runners who missed the cutoff time of 4:52 for the 2019 Marathon grew to 7,384, leading to the B.A.A. to make qualifying times 5 minutes faster.

Because of the coronavirus, the B.A.A. last March decided to move the 2020 edition from its normal Patriots Day slot to Sept. 14. On May 28 last year, the Hopkinton-to-Boston race was scrapped entirely for the first time and the 124th Marathon became a virtual event.

The race was last run in 2019, when the entry field was 30,234.

Registration for this year's race will begin next Tuesday at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. Registration is not first-come, first-served and applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Eastern on Friday, April 23.

In prior years, registration was held over the course of two weeks, with the fastest qualifiers registering first. Due to the shorter timeline this year, all qualifiers may register at any point during the registration week window.

Anyone interested in running for a member of the Boston Marathon Official Charity Program may apply to a team beginning on Tuesday, April 20.

For the second year in a row, the B.A.A. is also hosting a virtual Boston Marathon. The event will take place over race weekend (Oct. 8-10), and will be open to the first 70,000 registrants.

Registration for the virtual race will open on Tuesday, March 30 at 10 a.m. Eastern through the B.A.A.’s Athletes’ Village. Applicants who are not accepted into the in-person Boston Marathon and want to run virtually will have the opportunity to register for the virtual event.

Semenya has received financial backing in bid to overturn World Athletics' ruling

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya has received a significant financial boost in her bid to overturn World Athletics' rules to allow her to compete in her favored events at this year’s Tokyo 2020 Games.

The South African Government’s Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has pledged R12 million (£576,600/$803,000/€671,500) to help Semenya appeal to the European Court of Human Rights against her testosterone ruling, according to newspaper The South African.

The funding pledge comes after Athletics South Africa asked the department to support Semenya’s quest to defend her 800 meters Olympic title.

Semenya is hoping to reverse a rule that would force her to take testosterone-suppressing medication to compete in her best events.

The World Athletics’ rules, which went into effect in 2019, cap athlete testosterone levels in women’s events from the 400m through the mile for athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD).

World Athletics said that no female athletes would have a level above the cap - five nanomoles per litre - unless they had a DSD or a tumor.

Semenya has lost appeals at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland against the World Athletics regulations over the past two years.

Last month South Africa’s Government confirmed it was planning to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

Yesterday, Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa pledged to help fund Semenya’s efforts when answering parliamentary questions.

"The department has also been approached by the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO) after they received a letter from the Commission for Gender Equality, which expressed interest in the matter and requested support from the Government to co-ordinate solidarity against World Athletics Female Athletes Classification Regulations," Mthethwa said in a report by The South African.

Mthethwa also said the Government had communicated with DIRCO to sponsor a resolution at the Human Rights Council.

"The hope that the appeal at the European Court of Human Rights may be successful is largely informed by this development and as a Government renowned for the protection and promotion of human rights, we should take an interest in the matter, moreover because our own shining star, Ms Semenya, is being targeted," added Mthethwa.

World Athletics has consistently said the rules are necessary to ensure female athletes can participate on fair and equal terms.

Semenya will be supported by a legal team led by Norton Rose Fulbright lawyers Gregory Nott and Patrick Bracher in Johannesburg, as well as Christina Dargham in Paris.

London based barristers Schona Jolly and Claire McCann, and Toronto-based lawyers James Bunting and Carlos Sayao are also part of Semenya’s legal team.

"I hope the European Court will put an end to the longstanding human rights violations by World Athletics against women athletes," said Semenya.

"All we ask is to be allowed to run free, for once and for all, as the strong and fearless women we are and have always been."

Social media is changing track and field for the better

Unlike sports such as basketball, football, hockey and soccer, track has never attracted the same attention in terms of viewership and, of course, money. Every four years when the Olympics come around, the world gets excited about the sport, but as soon as the closing ceremonies wrap up it fades into the background. With many of the big track meets only available on expensive subscription services like Runners Space and Flo Track, even fans of the sport have trouble accessing meet coverage — that is, until recently.

Social media, most notably YouTube, has transformed the sport of track and field over the last few years, with coverage of more and more high-level track meets becoming available on the free platform, and an increasing number of athletes and teams using it to promote themselves and give fans an inside look into their lives and training. In a recent YouTube video, several athletes, including Canada’s Justyn Knight, reflected on the change and how they think it is helping the sport progress.

“Involving social media in the sport does nothing but uplift it,” said Knight. “Our generation is in a social media time where it does nothing but make you more money and spread awareness on whatever your cause might be or bring awareness to your team.”

The other athletes in the video echoed Knight’s statements, adding that providing free spaces where fans (particularly young fans) can access content and keep up with their favourite runners creates more excitement around the sport, which ultimately helps brands (and therefore the athletes they support) make more money and improves the sport overall. New Zealand runner Nick Willis also commented on the differences he sees in the sport now compared to when he began his career 20 years ago, noting that social media has allowed smaller, more grassroots meets to flourish.

“Before, the highest-level athletes wouldn’t want to show up to meets that didn’t have any prize money [or] that weren’t on NBC or ESPN,” he said. “It’s good that those things are part of the sport but … it’s cool to be a part of both sides and having done the sport at the high level for 20 years it’s actually rejuvenating for me at the end of my career to be in more community-based events.”

He added that these smaller meets, where athletes pay their own entrance fees and put in a seed time, create a more level playing field for runners, and also allow fans to be a part of the business structure of the sport, in a way. The more people that log onto the YouTube channel to watch the meet, the more sponsors the meet is able to get, generating more revenue to help athlete cover their expenses and to allow meet organizers to put on other, similar events.

Social media in general, whether it’s YouTube, Instagram or TikTok, gives elite runners an opportunity to market themselves, to promote their personal brands and to connect with fans in a way that athletes of previous generations were unable to do. It provides greater access to the sport for fans of all ages, particularly young fans, which will help to inspire and motivate the next generation of elite runners. Running may not ever generate the same level of sports mania as football or hockey, but these changes will help the sport to grow by generating more support for athletes hoping to compete at a high level.

The Long Run Prepares Your Body to Run More Efficiently No Matter the Distance

Going the extra mile(s) can help you run more efficiently at every distance—even if you dread it sometimes.

Ah, long runs: We love to hate ‘em. Or maybe we love to love ‘em—depends on who you ask. Either way, the long run is the cornerstone of any half marathon or marathon training plan, but it can be equally important to your 5K and 10K training. No races on your calendar? No problem. A long run can still be beneficial for your overall fitness and mental health.

But if you don’t understand the long run, you may miss out on all of the magic it has to offer. So we put together this ultimate guide to one of the best training tools you have in your arsenal.

What’s the point of the long run?

The benefit of running long—regardless of the distance you’re training for—is the aerobic gain you’ll make during those miles. “Long runs force the body to become more and more efficient,” says Ben Rosario, head coach and founder of the HOKA NAZ Elite team in Flagstaff, AZ. “The heart learns to pump higher amounts of blood with each stroke, which then carries more oxygen to the body.”

Aerobic (or endurance) running also strengthens your slow-twitch muscle fibers, which can fire repeatedly with minimal fatigue (compared to fast-twitch fibers, which are used during short, explosive efforts but fatigue more quickly). These fibers are also important because they’re full of capillaries, mitochondria, and myoglobin (an iron- and oxygen-binding protein), all of which are crucial to getting a steady supply of oxygen and energy to the muscles.

“Long runs force the body to create new capillaries, giving the oxygen a smoother and faster path to the mitochondria—a.k.a. the ‘power plant’ of the cells—where energy is produced and stored. And when we run for long periods of time, the size of those mitochondria increases, allowing them to produce and store more energy,” explains Rosario.

One of the other major benefits of the long run is how it teaches your body to use fat as fuel over carbs, says Joe McConkey, a Boston-based exercise physiologist and USATF-certified running coach. “That allows you to be more efficient with your different forms of energy, so you can run faster without depleting your reserves.”

Translation: The long run prepares your body to run more efficiently no matter the distance—even in a short race, when you need energy to be produced and oxygen sent throughout the body fast.

And you can’t overlook the mental angle: To prepare for the psychological challenge of racing for hours, you have to train for hours. Even if you’re not racing, a long run offers your mind the chance to tap into the ever-elusive runner’s high, and research shows running can boost your mood and improve your mental health.

What to Watch Out for On a Long Run

A long run is, inherently, long. And the more time you spend on your feet, the more stress you put on your body. “The long run does ask a lot of our muscles, tendons, and ligaments due to the duration of exercise required for a run to be considered ‘long’,” says Rosario. 
​

Generally, your cardiovascular system adapts to changes more quickly than your musculoskeletal system. So if you start running long before your body is prepared to run long, you could put yourself at an increased risk for injury, including overuse injuries like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, runners’ knee, iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome, and shin splints.

“If you’re experiencing any little niggles or asymmetries before the long run, the long run will only make those worse with the thousands and thousands of steps you’re putting on your body,” says McConkey. It’s super important to listen to your body and, if you feel like something is off during the long run, acknowledge that it may be more major than you think. “The only sensations you should feel during a long run are a slight challenge aerobically as it gets longer, and general fatigue or a sort of bilateral soreness,” he adds.

Gear You Need for a Long Run

Running is a pretty simple sport in terms of gear, but when you start clocking over 60 minutes, there are some important things you’ll want with you beyond a good pair of shoes.

The most important addition is a way to carry fuel and hydration, whether that’s a running belt, a handheld water carrier, or a pack.

How Long Should Your Long Run Be?

There’s a huge amount of variation in how long a long run should be, depending on the type of runner you are.

Some coaches suggest long runs cover one-and-a-half to two times the distance of what you consider a normal-length run. Most experts, like Jack Daniels, agree that a long run be about 20 to 25 percent of your overall weekly mileage. So if you’re running 40 miles per week, your long run will be 8 to 10 miles.

“I typically don’t like the long run to be more than twice the length of a regular recovery run,” says McConkey (in general, recovery runs last about 25 to 40 minutes). According to the Road Runners Club of America, a long run technically isn’t a “long run” unless it’s over 90 minutes, so the exact distance depends on your running pace.

But your long-run distance becomes more specific if you’re training for a certain distance. Remember: You need to go further (and slower) in order to run faster at shorter distances. Most experts recommend working up to the below peak long run for each distance:

5K: 5 to 6 miles for beginners; 10 to 12 miles for intermediate/advanced

8K/10K: 6 to 10 miles for beginners; 12 to 14 for intermediate/advanced

Half marathon: 12 to 13 for beginners; 16 to 18 for intermediate/advanced

Marathon: 18 to 22 for beginners; 18 to 30 for intermediate/advanced

Yes, some of those distances are longer than the race itself. “But logging those miles shows you’ve spent enough time at sub-max speeds to allow the necessary aerobic adaptations to happen,” he explains.

How Fast Should Your Long Run Be?

No matter the distance, your long run should be run at an easy pace, says McConkey. We will repeat: easy pace! What does that translate to? It’ll be different for every runner, but an easy pace should fall on the lower end of the rate of perceived exertion scale. Your heart rate should be 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, and you should be breathing naturally and able to hold a conversation effortlessly.

"I advise people to run as slow as possible, as long as it’s mechanically comfortable,” McConkey explains. “I challenge people to not look at pace until they’re done, but just focus on something comfortable. You shouldn’t feel like you’re doing slow-motion single-leg squats; there should still be some spring to your step.”

That pace is going to change as your fitness changes. “When you develop more strength and running efficiency, you’ll be able to run faster at the same RPE or heart rate,” says McConkey.

For shorter distances, long runs can generally be slow and enjoyable, says Rosario. But half marathoners and marathoners should approach their long runs with a little more structure. “Half marathoners and marathoners, in my opinion, should be adding faster-paced running into most of their long runs: things like alternating fast-pace and medium-pace miles, surging for two minutes at the beginning of each mile, or simply running the last 5K of their long run really fast,” says Rosario. This is important, because it helps train your legs to get used to running fast even with lots of miles on them—and that will help at the end of races.

How to Recover From a Long Run

You may run your long run at an easier pace, but the sheer amount of time you’re spending on your feet warrants more rest and recovery.

For starters, “the quicker an athlete can replenish after a long run, the sooner they will recover,” says Rosario. “Shoot for a mix of carbs and protein, preferably at a 4:1 carbs to protein ratio—that particular ratio has been shown in labs to be the most effective at replenishing muscle glycogen stores and thus limiting muscle damage.”

McConkey recommends taking the day off after a long run. “Instead of running, just walk around for 20 to 30 minutes and spend 10 minutes on a foam roller to open up your body,” he says. “Those two things can really expedite recovery.” In fact, foam rolling was shown to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness while enhancing muscle recovery in a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training. 


As for other trendy recovery modalities, do what feels good to you. Compression boots can also lead to recovery benefits, a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found. Ice baths were shown to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness in a scientific review by researchers at the Cochrane Library. And massage helped reduce pain intensity in runners’ quads in a study from the Journal of Physiotherapy.

Most importantly, prioritize a good night’s sleep—new research from the International Journal of Sports Medicine argues it may be the single most important factor in exercise recovery. After all, that’s where the real recovery magic happens, when your body truly has time to rest and rebuild.

There’s a New Running Team, Angel City Elite, and It Wants to Increase BIPOC Representation in the Sport

“We didn’t want to simply educate and represent only ourselves, we want to do this for people who don’t have a voice.”

There’s a new elite running team, and it’s working toward bridging the diversity gap in the sport.

Angel City Elite is a Los Angeles-based team of five women who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). The group—Sabrina De La Cruz, Andrea Guerra, Valerie Sanchez, Grace Gonzales, and Grace Graham-Zamudio—is determined to not only perform well, but be a voice in the running industry and community.

The team of women, all of whom are marathoners, is sponsored by Brooks Running, and each athlete will receive Brooks team gear and shoes, and have incentive bonuses in their contracts along with a travel budget. De La Cruz, Guerra, and Gonzales are coached by De La Cruz’s husband, Andres; while Sanchez and Graham-Zamudio will continue to work with their current coaches. All will continue to work full-time jobs on top of competing at an elite level.

“I’ve had this idea for years but was scared because I didn’t know how to start it,” De La Cruz, 31, a 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier with a PR of 2:41:16, told Runner’s World. “Right after college, I did see the lack of representation in the sport whenever I would travel to races. About two years I go, I did feel stereotyped when I went to other states. So that’s when I knew, I need to create this team.”

This was especially apparent to De La Cruz at the Olympic Marathon Trials where only handful of runners were BIPOC, and it inspired her to reach out to the other four women, all of whom are marathoners living in the Los Angeles area. Guerra (who has a marathon PR of 2:42:15), Sanchez (2:42:38), and Gonzales (2:41:52) also qualified for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials.

Each runner brings a different story to the team. Sanchez, 30, is Mexican-American and a friend of De La Cruz’s from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). Gonzales, 31, is part Chicana and part indigenous Mexican, who mentors the team and teaches them about her culture. Guerra, 30, moved to the U.S. from Mexico when she was six years old. Graham-Zamudio, 27, is the youngest in the group and already a leader. 

In the spring and summer of 2020, the women created a plan for their team, including mission statements and a clear vision. They didn’t want to just simply exist as a team that only runs and competes. They also wanted to be proactive in bridging the diversity gap in the sport.

“We didn’t want to simply educate and represent only ourselves, we want to do this for people who don’t have a voice,” De La Cruz said. “That’s really huge for us. Not only empowering each other, but empowering others by doing the work on our end to make running more inclusive.”

This part of their mission, in addition to the talent of each team member, caught Brooks’s attention. Julie Culley, a 2012 Olympian who started as the sports marketing manager for Brooks last August, said this was one of the first projects she worked on with Brooks.

“What made this so significant was these were five women who were already connected by location, they already do some training together, but beyond trying to get the most out of themselves was their unification on trying to change the landscape of the sport,” Culley told Runner’s World. “The callout that’s happened in the last year to focus on elevating voices and inviting more people in. They want to get the most out of themselves, but they want to do more than that. You just can’t not fall in love with that.” 

The logistics starting a team—becoming an LLC, setting up a bank account, receiving nonprofit status—has taken several months. Brooks is paying for incorporation fees, logo creation, web hosting (you can find the team website here), and other requirements for creating and supporting the team.

When asked about team goals, De La Cruz’s passion for community comes flying out and running almost takes a backseat. She shares idea after idea of actions she wants to take, such as using social media channels and a podcast to amplify voices and tell others’ stories. Additionally, she wants to connect with local run clubs, shops, and crews like Blacklist LA, creating a L.A.-based group run for all races, genders, and ages, and even going to local high schools, when the pandemic ends, to help kids apply for college and federal student aid (FAFSA).

“When I was growing up, I was lucky to have my mom,” De La Cruz said. “She was the first one out of her whole family to attend college. She helped me, but I also had friends who had no idea how to apply for school or FAFSA. My mom helped all of the kids in my high school because many parents didn’t know how to apply for college. This is the education and resource we want to bring to and be in the community.” 

The team’s race schedule is still up in the air because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the women are looking forward to doing races ranging in distances from the 10K to the marathon all over the country to share their message and mission. 

“I actually started to cry last week,” De La Cruz said. “I feel so supported and happy Brooks is helping us. It’s something we needed. Some of us with our backgrounds, we don’t have much money. It’s nice to have this help, and we want to keep building on this and help the next generation. I don’t want this team to be here for three years. It’s here for years to come we can help generation after generation.”

The move comes as a few teams have popped up in recent months. Back in August, the On Athletics Club debuted in Boulder, Colorado, and just this week, a Puma group was announced in North Carolina.

For now, there’s a lot of work still to be done, and Angel City Elite has the boundless vision and potential to make a vast change in the sport and the Los Angeles community for years to come. 

Sara Hall, motivated by motherhood and marathons

For athletics fans, Sara Hall is probably best known for her stunning marathon performances of 2020: the finishing kick to end all finishing kicks in London, where after 26 miles of hard running in the miserably grey and cold rain, she unleashed a stunning sprint gear, and hurtled past world champion Ruth Chepngetich to finish second. It was so impressive it achieved the ultimate 2020 accolade of becoming a meme. Then, just a few months later, there was her brilliant performance at the Marathon Project in Arizona, clocking another PB of 2:20:32 for the win and to become the second fastest marathon runner in US history.

But if all this was an unexpected late career renaissance for Hall, and an astonishing turnaround after the heartbreak of a DNF in the Olympic marathon trials, her personal story might be even more extraordinary. In October 2015 she and her husband Ryan went to bed one night as a couple, and woke up part of a family of six. The couple had adopted four Ethiopian sisters: Hana (15), Mia (13), Jasmine (8) and Lily (5) and brought them back to their home in the US.

“It was kind of surreal,” says Hall. “I felt like I was acting in a sitcom, playing the part of a suburban mom. All of a sudden I was driving them to school in our big old family car.” Of course, in reality the process was actually far from sudden – the couple had long had associations with Ethiopia, with many friends in the country, and had always enjoyed training there. Even once they had made the decision to adopt in Ethiopia and met the girls, they took their time. “We spent a lot of time in Ethiopia training, and we would visit the girls during that time. So we'd built a lot of trust with them and really got to know them. I think that really helped everyone's adjustment, but it was a surreal time for sure.”

For their daughters, the culture shock of moving to the US must have been huge. “They didn’t know any English when we met,” agrees Hall. “I learned their language – Amharic – and we were teaching them English in the orphanage on our visits. But when we put them in school in the US we didn't know if that would even work because they'd never been to school before. My 15-year-old was starting eighth grade having never been to school for a day in her life. But she – they all – just immersed themselves in it and I think that really helped them.”

In fact, for those who like to ponder the effects of nature vs nature, Hall’s eldest daughter Hanna is quite the study. Now a freshman at Grand Canyon University in Arizona, she is a three-time state champion and clearly a prodigious talent. Her sister Mia has also recently started running more seriously, and the girls both now join Sara for runs. Yet when the Halls first met their daughters, none ran so much as a single step. The orphanage where they had lived for three years was their entire world, and though they were cared for, opportunities for sport were non-existent.

“They definitely knew of their country’s running heroes, though,” recalls Hall. “They had seen some races on TV and when we told Hana that we were both runners, she said: ‘Oh I want to be a runner!’ That was cool because otherwise I think I would have wondered if it was, you know, kids trying to get their parents approval by doing the things they love.”

Of course, with a pedigree like Hall’s – not to mention husband Ryan’s 59:43 US record-holding half-marathon and 2:04:58 marathon – the girls clearly have big running shoes to fill. And, as with many parents, finding the right line between pushing and easing off has been tricky for the Halls.

“I think I’m still figuring that out, and I like to talk to other people whose parents ran, about their experiences,” she says. “When you see a kid has a talent, you want to be able to communicate to them: ‘Look, if you want to be good at this, you could be’, but also kind of leave it up to them, too. I think distance running takes a lot of internal drive to be good at it, and I think for me, that always came from within. I’ve always felt like if they have that fire, I will fan that flame – but I want to see their own fire for it first.”

Her two youngest daughters have yet to find what fuels their own fires, and that is absolutely fine with Hall. “There’s lots of different reasons to do sports, like just for fun,” she says. “Jasmine, who is 13, did cross country for two seasons and was undefeated, but was very much just seeing it as fun and hasn’t run for the last couple of years. I started myself in basketball and soccer and I think that’s actually a better way to become a good runner anyway, to do those sports early on. There’s just not as much pressure with team sports, and you learn teamwork.

“Typically, the professional athlete, everything’s kind of revolving around you – you’re eating, and sleeping, and training, and everything outside of training is all about rest, minimising energy expenditure at all costs,” muses Hall. “But then you become a parent and that's out the window. You can't just go into energy conserve mode – you're constantly tuning in with them and like, and seeing what they're needing.” Little surprise, then, that when the couple initially adopted the girls, Hall expected it to signal the end of her top-flight career.

Instead, that, and the move up to the marathon distance, seems to have revitalised it. So, did her new family life actually prove a new source of fuel for that fire? She laughs: “I think I’ve been able to improve despite it, definitely not because of it! It’s been difficult. That’s why I share stuff, because I think on the outside it could look like it’s been really easy but it hasn’t, by any means.

“I never thought I would want to do this with kids, just be torn in different directions. Having talked to other families who had adopted older kids, they’d all had a really difficult road, really life-altering for the family. And I was willing for these kids, willing to walk that road with them, do what they needed to heal from the trauma they've been through. But it turned out that wasn't really the case with them, they have just handled everything really remarkably so far. So it allowed me to continue to do what I'm doing”.

And that, these days, is quite definitely 26.2 miles, as fast as she can. “I’ve just loved marathon training. I think I should have been doing this a long time ago,” says Hall. “I just found my body had a lot of room to grow my aerobic capacity. Each build-up I'm able to add in more and absorb it better and so even though I'm getting older, I feel like I'm kind of young as far as the marathon goes. Maybe starting the marathon later just allowed me to have more mileage in my tyres.”

These days, Hall also has to contend with nerves from her daughters’ races as well as her own. Fortunately, she says she doesn’t suffer too badly for them. “But I do get really excited,” she adds. “I’m sprinting around the course trying to cheer for them 20 times!” But it’s important to Hall that her daughters also learn how to fail – and see her do it, too. “I think it’s really powerful for them to see me do something that makes me come alive – and see me fail and pick myself back up again after the biggest failure of my career – and train through a pandemic and then have the best race of my career. That’s the kind of stuff you want to instil in your kids and they learn more through watching you than from what you say.”

The girls certainly have two incredible role models to watch at home. And while she may not be at the Olympics, Hall’s marathon journey is far from over, she confirms. “I think I have some unfinished business there,” she says, “and I'm really looking forward to having some World Marathon Majors back in their normal glory, with the whole field.”

And if she can kick like she did in London on a miserable day with an elite-only field and no spectators, then surely with fair conditions, and the cheers of the crowd behind her, a sub-2:20 and that US record is well within her grasp.

Kenyan runner convicted of doping offense in criminal court

A female runner became the first athlete in Kenya to be convicted of a doping offense in a criminal court on Friday.

Distance runner Florence Jepkosgei Chepsoi, who finished second at the 2019 Jakarta Marathon, was sentenced to one year of community service after she was found guilty of presenting false documents and lying to the Kenyan anti-doping agency at a hearing.

She changed her plea to guilty having initially pleaded not guilty when she was first charged in court last year.

Kenya criminalized doping offenses in 2016 in the midst of a stream of drug scandals among its world-renowned distance runners. The East African nation updated its anti-doping laws late last year.

Chepsoi was initially charged with doping by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya in 2017 after testing positive for the banned steroid prednisolone at a race in China. When she appeared before a tribunal, she presented documents she claimed were from a hospital as part of her defense. ADAK found the documents were forgeries and Chepsoi had never been treated at the hospital, leading the anti-doping body to push for her to be prosecuted in a criminal court.

It’s rare for an athlete to face criminal charges for doping offenses, although Chepsoi is not the first worldwide.

Criminal prosecutors normally target people such as doctors and other support staff who facilitate doping in what they refer to as doping conspiracies rather than the athletes themselves. The World Anti-Doping Agency recommends athletes do not face criminal prosecution for doping.

The United States passed a law in December that criminalized doping conspiracies and allows U.S. prosecutors to go after doping schemes at international events in which Americans are involved as athletes, sponsors or broadcasters. The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act was named after Grigory Rodchenkov, the former Moscow lab director who helped uncover state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes.

However, the Rodchenko Act makes clear that individual athletes are not subject to prosecution.

ADAK said more athletes would “face the law” for doping in the coming days. Four other Kenyan athletes are facing criminal charges for doping offenses.

Kamata and Kobayashi Win National University Half Marathon Titles

Even windier and warmer than in Nagoya, the airfield runway in Tokyo's western suburbs offered no shade or shelter to the men and women competing in the National University Half Marathon Championships Sunday in Tachikawa, keeping times slower than usual and more people in the race late.

In the men's race, Koki Kamata (Hosei Univ.) repeated his run on the Hakone Ekiden's First Stage back in January, kicking hard to drop a pack in the final straight for the win in 1:03:00. Hakone champ Komazawa University's star first-year Mebuki Suzuki was 2nd in 1:03:07 with Yoshinori Shimazaki (Koku Gakuin Univ.) 3rd in 1:03:08 a step ahead of teammate Kota Fujiki and Komazawa 4th-year Ayumu Kobayashi, 4th and 5th in 1:03:09. Kamata, Suzuki and Shimazaki all scored places on the Japanese team for this summer's Chengdu World University Games.

The women's race was even closer up front. 2020 National University Women's Ekiden champion Meijo University teammates Narumi Kobayashi and Yuna Arai worked together to put pressure on 2019 World University Games half marathon gold medalist Yuka Suzuki (Daito Bunka University). In the final kilometers Arai dropped off, but it came down to a photo finish between Kobayashi and Suzuki. Both clocked 1:14:36, with Kobayashi given the title and Suzuki 2nd. Arai was 9 seconds back in 3rd in 1:14:45 to join Kobayashi and Suzuki on the Chengdu team. Suzuki will have a rare opportunity to defend as gold medalist in Chengdu, assuming the Games happen.

Matsuda Wins Windy Nagoya in 2:21:51

Going ahead where every other race its level has canceled or postponed, the Nagoya Women's Marathon went off as planned with an elite race, mass-participation field of 5,000, and 9,000 more in the accompanying half marathon. Strong winds reported as high as 14 m/s along the course held back the kind of times organizers had hoped for, but that didn't stop 2020 Osaka International Women's Marathon winner Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) from taking a serious swing at the women-only national record of 2:20:29 set in Nagoya last year by Mao Ichiyama (Wacoal).

Matsuda, 25 km national record co-holder Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku), 2:24:52 runner Mao Uesugi (Starts) and debuting Ikumi Fukura (Otsuka Seiyaku) were the only ones to go out with a quartet of pacers on sub-2:20 pace. By 13 km that was down to only one pacer, half marathon great Rosemary Wanjiru (Starts), and just after hitting halfway in 1:10:23 only Wanjiru and Matsuda were left.

Matsuda stuck with Wanjiru until the pacer stepped off at 30 km, but while she tried to match Ichiyama's closing speed her time drifted slower and slower as she battled the winds. Bearing down in the home straight to the indoor finish she crossed the line in 2:21:51, just 4 seconds off her best from Osaka last year, gutted, weeping and apologizing on-camera for not having run faster. Her coach Miwako Yamanaka, 4th placer at the 2002 World Cross Country Championships, said post-race, "I know she was really focused on time, but this morning when I saw the conditions I told her that today was about the win, not time. I give her a 100%." Matsuda countered, "She's being too generous."

Completely alone for the last 20 km of the race, Sato held on for 2nd in 2:24:32, just over a minute off her debut last year but a quality time given the wind. The debuting Natsumi Matsushita (Tenmaya) came up from the 2nd pack to narrowly take 3rd in 2:26:26 with the next three finishers all within 30 seconds of her. Despite the conditions three other first-timers besides Matsushita made it under 2:30, and six women inside the top 25 ran PBs. Tokyo Olympic team alternate Rei Ohara (Tenmaya) was only 18th in 2:32:03, with Rio Olympian Mai Ito (Otsuka Seiyaku) 25th in 2:38:07 and London World Championships team member Mao Kiyota (Suzuki) 26th in 2:38:47.

Further back, women's 60+ world record holder Mariko Yugeta (Saitama OIG) likewise struggled with the wind, coming up short of her goal of breaking her own record of 2:52:13 from Osaka in January but adding another sub-3 to her resume with a time of 2:54:31 for 70th overall in her 110th marathon finish.

And behind her, thousands more women did what millions of others worldwide can still only dream of doing, crossing the finish line of a major marathon run through the downtown streets of a big city. Barring any resulting spike in infection numbers later this month, Nagoya was a beacon of hope that this fall will see all those who could only watch from a distance this time get their chances on the streets of Boston, London, Tokyo, and the world's other major cities.