Running News Daily

Kenyan Brigid Kosgei and Ethiopian Shura Kitata to defend London marathon titles

Kenyan world record holder Brigid Kosgei and Ethiopian Shura Kitata will defend their titles at the London Marathon in October, organisers said on Thursday.

Kosgei won silver in the women's marathon event at the Tokyo Games last weekend. The 27-year-old is aiming for her third consecutive London Marathon victory.

"Last year's win was very special, particularly given what the whole world was going through ... I hope to arrive again in very good shape and win for the third time," Kosgei was cited as saying in a statement from the organisers.

Kosgei set the women's marathon world record of 2:14.04 in Chicago in 2019.

Kitata, who pulled out of the Olympic Games marathon after suffering in the hot and humid conditions in Sapporo, said he was healthy and ready to return.

"I have set my mind on how I can run fast and better than last year and I'm looking forward to seeing if I can repeat the victory and make history in the race," the statement quoted 25-year-old Kitata as saying.

The London Marathon will be held on Oct. 3.

Vienna Marathon organizers do not expect any drastic rule changes that would limit outdoor events in the coming weeks

As things stand in Austria the Vienna City Marathon will go ahead on September 12. It is one month to go tomorrow and organizers do not expect any drastic rule changes that would limit outdoor events in the coming weeks.

Since July 1st the Austrian government has allowed all events to go ahead, no matter how many people are involved. The Vienna City Marathon could be one of the first major international marathons to take place since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Organizers, who are working closely with the city to provide the required hygiene concept, have today released a number of elite runners for the men’s event. Among those who will feature in Austria’s number one road running event are Uganda’s Solomon Mutai and Betesfa Getahun of Ethiopia, who has a personal best of 2:05:28.

It was in Vienna where Kenya’s Olympic Champion Eliud Kipchoge famously broke the two hour marathon barrier in October 2019 in a race co-organized by the same team that is in charge for the Vienna City Marathon. Almost exactly two years after this phenomenal performance by Eliud Kipchoge Vienna plans to stage a marathon again.

Adding races at shorter distances a total of 24,900 athletes have so far registered for the Vienna City Marathon, which will be spread over two days with some of the shorter events taking place on the Saturday. Online entry for this World Athletics Marathon Label Road Race is still possible until next Sunday.

“With their incredible performances and elegantly smooth running styles elite runners belong to the Vienna City Marathon. We are really happy that even in these extraordinary circumstances this year we will be able to present world-class sport on the streets of Vienna,” said Race Director Wolfgang Konrad.

Betesfa Getahun heads the current start list with a personal best of 2:05:28. The 22 year-old Ethiopian ran this time when finishing fourth in his marathon debut in Amsterdam in 2019. Since Vienna will only be his second marathon he will be eager to improve his PB. Among his rivals will be Kenyans Bethwell Rutto and Edwin Kosgei who clocked personal bests of 2:07:41 and 2:07:51 respectively in this year’s Siena Marathon. Solomon Mutai, who took a bronze medal in the 2015 World Championships’ marathon, will have the advantage of knowing the course when he returns to the Austrian capital. The Ugandan placed third in the Vienna City Marathon with a personal best of 2:08:25 in 2019.

A strong Japanese team will feature: Kento Kikutani improved his personal best to 2:07:26 this February in Otsu where he finished ninth. Yuta Koyama (2:08:46), Koki Yoshioka (2:10:13) and Daiji Kawai (2:10:50) are the other three Japanese who are currently in training for the race in Vienna.

Regarding mass participation organizers look ahead with confidence. “We are really happy with the interest runners are showing for our event. This is a great boost for all our activities. Two and a half years after the most recent Vienna City Marathon we are ready to go again.

When we organized smaller running events recently we already got a great response from the running community,” said Kathrin Widu, the Managing Director of the Vienna City Marathon. A recent anonymous survey among runners entered for the race showed that over 92.7% of them will compete in the Vienna City Marathon fully vaccinated.

What's next for Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge after Olympics?

Retirement is the last thing in the mind of Olympic marathon men's champion Eliud Kipchoge.

This came out clearly on Wednesday when the world record marathon holder arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi from Tokyo, Japan, where he had successfully defended his Olympic maratthon crown. 

In the race held last Sunday on the streets of Sapporo, Kipchoge claimed gold after timing two hours, eight minutes and 38 seconds to become only the third man to win consecutive marathon titles. 

Dutchman Abdi Nageeye bagged silver in 2:09.58, while Belgian Bashir Abdi settled for bronze in 2:10.00. 

Responding to questions from journalists moments after landing at JKIA, alongside 1500m silver medalists Timothy Cheruyot and marathoner Ruth Chepngetich, the 36-year-old remained non-committal on whether he would hang his boots after the triumph in Japan.

He gave the analogy of how parents who are blessed with a baby never plan for the next one immediately, saying he will announce his next plans in one-month's time. 

“I think it is good not to ask about retirement…When your wife delivered the first child, did you plan for the next one immediately?" Posed Kipchoge to a journalist, who responded in negation. 

Government officials who welcomed the athletes at the airport said the event was low key due to Covid-19 containment protocols which prohibit large gatherings. They said a ceremony will be held at a later day to celebrate all the athletes who made Kenya proud in Tokyo.

Kipchoge, who has earned the title G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) from his supporters due his unmatched success in athletics, said he is not bothered by the time he posted in Tokyo, noting that winning in the Olympics is to inspire people that everything is possible.

“We trained very well, participated in a good way and got the best results…To run in the Olympics is about humanity. It is about winning and showing the world that we as human beings can do it. It is not about how fast or slow you are,” said the father of three. 

The victory at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was Kipchoge’s 13th success in the 15 marathons he has raced in since 2013. He broke the world record in 2018 when he timed 2:01.39 in the Berlin Marathon.

About his future plans, Kipchoge reiterated that he will be nurturing talents. 

“I have a huge plan to inspire the youth and everybody in this world. I want to make running a Kenyan lifestyle. I want to make the young people to respect the sport, treat it like a real profession," he said.

2021 Tallinn Marathon will be going ahead in September

This September's Tallinn Marathon is still to go ahead, in-line with current coronavirus public event restrictions. Last year's event was cancelled.

While current restrictions limit outdoor event numbers to 12,000, provided checks are conducted, the full marathon entry list will be capped at 1,500 people, with the respective figures for the half-marathon and 10km race being 2,500 and 5,000.

Organizers of outdoor events with more than 100 participants are currently required to conduct coronavirus vaccination checks, either via proof of vaccination or proof of a recent, negative test result.

The event takes place September 11-12, with the full marathon on the second day.

Chief organizer Mati Lilliallik said that the plan is to hold a safe event for all, including local residents, and that no excessive risks will be taken, while routes will avoid the most densely-populated residential areas.

Registration is still open, Lilliallik said, though there is a clear and present risk that additional restrictions may be imposed by authorities between now and race day, or even that the event would need to be canceled.

Organizers say they are following national government, Tallinn City Government and Health Board (Terviseamet) regulations and recommendations at all times.

The half-marathon starts at 9 a.m. on September 11, the 10km race at 5 p.m., while the full 42.2-kilometer marathon starts at 9 a.m. on Sunday, September 12.

Cancellation or restrictions which cause too many issues for entrants will be followed by full refund or transferal of entry to the 2022 event, BNS reports, or alternatively entry into the virtual marathon – held for the first time last year – which runs throughout the entirety of September, i.e. participants get 30 days to complete the 42.2km on foot, either running or walking.

Last weekend brought around 2,600 triathletes to Tallinn, to take part in the annual Iron Man event.

US sprint star Cameron Burrell has dies at age 26 in an unexplained incident

Cameron Burrell, the fastest college athlete in the US and the son of Olympic gold medal-winning parents, died on Monday at the age of 26.

Burrell had become a national champion after winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) individual national championship in 100 metres in 2018 at the University of Houston, equaling his father Leroy Burrell’s accomplishment 28 years earlier.

Leroy Burrell, who is a track and field coach at the University of Houston and a gold-medal sprinter, said the family is going through “profound sorrow” over the death of his son.

“My family is extremely saddened with the loss of our son, Cameron, last night,” Leroy said in a release on Tuesday. “We are going through profound sorrow and ask that all of our friends, extended University of Houston family and the track and field community in the US and abroad allow us to gather with our closest family and friends. We are profoundly grief stricken, and thank everyone for the outpouring of prayers and support.”

The cause of Burrell’s death has not been revealed, but medical records accessed by TMZ indicate he died in a parking garage. Further details surrounding the death remain unknown.

The University of Houston announced his death on Tuesday while describing him as one of the university’s best track and field athletes.

“Words cannot express how we feel for Leroy, Michelle and their family. Cameron grew up around the Houston Athletics Department, worked hard and developed himself into one of our greatest Track and Field stars,” university athletics director Chris Pezman said in a release.

“To lose him so suddenly is tragic. We ask all University of Houston and track and field fans to keep Coach Burrell and his family in their thoughts and prayers.”

The sudden demise of a budding professional athlete has shocked those around him. He was believed by many to be following in the footsteps of his father and his godfather Carl Lewis, a legendary track star and nine-time Olympic gold medalist.

Burrell was a member of the Houston Cougars track and field team from 2013-18. In the same season he equaled his father’s accomplishment, the Atlanta native ran the anchor leg for the Cougars in a 4x100m relay team event, successfully defending its NCAA championship.

Former world marathon champion Geoffrey Kirui will lead stellar field for October's Boston Marathon

Geoffrey Kirui will be the man to beat at this year's Boston Marathon slated for October 11.

Kirui, who won the event four years ago, will be seeking to capture a second title on the famous street in Boston.

“Last year was a tough one for everyone. Boston is, for me, the exact right motivation and light at the end of the tunnel, as it will be for all returning champions and participants. This is the marathon where I feel at home, and I have big dreams for October,” Kirui said.  

Others to look for out are Lemi Berhanu from Ethiopia, best known for skipping across the Boylston Street finish en-route to winning in 2016. 

Yuki Kawauchi, winner of more than 30 international marathons and the Japanese record holder in the 50K, looks to become the first man from Japan since Toshihiko Seiko in 1987 to earn two Boston Marathon titles.

P3R and DICK’S Sporting Goods have signed a new multi-year partnership as title partner of the Pittsburgh Marathon weekend of events

DICK’S Sporting Goods Signs Multi-Year Partnership with P3R as Title Partner of the Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend of Events scheduled for April 29 - May 1, 2022.

“DICK’S Sporting Goods is a foundational partner of ours and makes this incredible weekend of events possible with their continued support,” said Troy Schooley, P3R CEO. “Our partnership is unique because DICK’S Sporting Goods understands the importance of our mission to encourage any and all to move with us, and through this partnership we get to see thousands of runners hit their next goal.”

Through this partnership, DICK’S Sporting Goods will continue to be the title partner of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend of Events. DICK’S also will continue to support and grow participation in Kids of STEEL, a free training program that motivates families and kids across more than 180 schools in Western Pennsylvania to get moving and make healthier choices.

“We are excited to continue to support the running community of Pittsburgh and this great event,” said Mark Rooks, DICK’S Sporting Goods Vice President of Community Marketing. “Our partnership with P3R allows us to support runners of all ages in our local community. Partnering together on the marathon and other programs, like Kids of STEEL, not only allows us to support our local community, but supports our mission of helping youth athletes participate in sports.”

Last year, the weekend of events introduced a second half marathon course exclusively for the Run for a Reason Charity Program that organizers were unable to execute due to COVID-19. In 2022, those runners who earned their way into this exclusive start line by fundraising $1,500 for an official charity of their choice will have the first opportunity to run this brand new course.

500 participants will experience the first ever start line in Shadyside, as well as a full red carpet experience, unique medal and special race day bib. Learn more about registering as a charity runner here.

It has been two years since the event was in person, and P3R, DICK’S Sporting Goods, as well as the entire Steel City, are excited to welcome runners back to the start line for 2022.

Runners will be able to register for the 2022 weekend of events starting August 11 at the current early bird rate of $95. Learn more at thepittsburghmarathon.com.

About DICK’S Sporting Goods

Founded in 1948, DICK'S Sporting Goods is a leading omni-channel sporting goods retailer offering an extensive assortment of high-quality sports equipment, apparel, footwear and accessories. As of July 31, 2021, the company operated 731 DICK'S Sporting Goods locations across the United States, serving and inspiring athletes and outdoor enthusiasts to achieve their personal best through a combination of its dedicated teammates, in-store services and unique specialty shop-in-shops dedicated to Team Sports, Athletic Apparel, Golf, Outdoor, Fitness and Footwear.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, DICK’S also owns and operates Golf Galaxy and Field & Stream specialty stores, as well as GameChanger, a youth sports mobile app for scheduling, communications, live scorekeeping and video streaming. DICK'S offers its products through a dynamic eCommerce platform that is integrated with its store network and provides athletes with the convenience and expertise of a 24-hour storefront. For more information, visit the Investor Relations page at dicks.com.

What side of the road should you run on?

Lacing up your running shoes and heading out for an early-morning run is not only an effective way to keep in shape, but it also helps clear your mind for the busy workday ahead.

Despite this activity's fitness benefits, you're putting yourself at risk if you aren't aware of your surroundings -- especially while running in a high-traffic area. Choosing the correct side of the road for your run increases your chance of staying safe.

Always Face Traffic

When running along the side of the road, the Road Runners Club of America recommends always running against traffic. Labeling the side you use as the right or left side depends on your direction, but the key is to always move in a direction so that oncoming traffic is headed straight toward you. Running in this manner gives you the ability to monitor approaching vehicles and quickly move away from the road if a vehicle is traveling quickly or too closely to the side of the road.

Running Considerations

Don't just assume that you'll be safe because you've chosen to run on the correct side of the road. Keep as far away from the lane as possible, be especially alert at intersections and low-visibility corners, and always stop at busy intersections and crosswalks. If you run with a partner or a group, run no more than two people wide. When you encounter an area with a trail or path adjacent to the road, use this area for increased safety.

Visibility

Ensuring you're visible when you run along the side of the road is always important, but it becomes even more crucial when you run in low-light conditions. Dress in clothing with reflective panels or stripes; if you don't have such attire, affix a reflective strip or blinking light to your body or carry a flashlight. Avoid the temptation to listen to music as doing so can affect your ability to hear approaching vehicles. If possible, find a trail or track on which to run at night or early in the morning instead of the road.

Running Health Benefits

Provided you run on the correct side of the road and take the necessary safety precautions, running can be a useful exercise to add to your fitness routine. The activity has numerous benefits, from building strong bones to burning calories to even uplifting your mood. Aerobic exercises such as running, when you perform them regularly, can contribute to a greater quality of life and even increase your life expectancy.

Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson will be targeting Paris 2024 gold

Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson has set her sights on upgrading her 800m silver in 2021 to gold at the next Olympics in Paris in three years' time.

The 19-year-old broke Kelly Holmes' British record en route to claiming second place in the 800m in Tokyo.

"I want to turn this into a gold one day, that's the long-term goal in Paris," she told BBC Breakfast.

"I'm just going to carry on doing what I am doing because that is what has got me here."

Hodgkinson began 2021 aiming to add a European junior gold to the youth title she won in 2018, however a first sub-two minute time in January followed by European indoor gold and an impressive victory in Ostrava made her re-evaluate her plans.

In June, she surged past Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie to defend the national title she won against a weaker field 12 months earlier and book her place on the plane to Tokyo.

"I didn't really think about the enormity of it," said Hodgkinson of her Olympic final.

"I was most relaxed in the final because you have made it there, it is more the heats and the semi-finals where you get nervous.

"I just wanted to enjoy it because that is the biggest stage I have been on."

Hodgkinson was beaten to gold by another 19-year-old - Athing Mu of the USA - and their rivalry seems likely to be witnessed for years to come.

"Athing is a lovely girl and a great athlete," added Hodgkinson on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"To have two 19-year-olds on the podium was quite something I think, it bodes for a very bright future.

"We all get on really well, they are lovely girls and we have the utmost respect for each other. I think we are just going to push each other on throughout the years."

Full steam ahead for Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

The organizers of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon have confirmed that the planning for the event is full steam ahead and that the plans have seen a major overhaul to ensure the safety of all participants.

“Following extensive consultations and detailed review with the City of Cape Town, Athletics South Africa and National Government, we developed and presented an extensive COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Plan for the event, and received their full support to go ahead with our planning of a safe and enjoyable race on October 17,” confirms Renee Jordaan, Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Race Director.

The risk mitigation plan includes several adjustments to this year’s event format.

Marathon entries will be limited to 12,000 runners only.

The Start will move from Beach Road to Fritz Sonnenberg Road, with participants joining their start batches on the Cape Town Stadium Forecourt.

A staggered start will see runners setting off in seeded batched groups, allowing for ample social distancing, between 06h15 and 06h50.

Seeding will be based on past race results, not limited to the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.

Runners’ finishing time will be calculated from mat-to-mat and not gun-to-mat.

The final cut-off is still six-and-a-half hours, and will be based on the last group of runners starting the race.

In order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, all runners and crew will undergo COVID-19 Antigen testing in the 72 hours prior to the race. Testing will be compulsory regardless of vaccination status, and free of charge. Runners will be tested at Cape Town Stadium before entering the Expo space to collect their race numbers. Antigen test results will be available within 15 minutes.

“Due to COVID restrictions, we are sadly required to cancel the 5km and 10km Peace Runs, but the good news is that these events will take place in virtual format, and runners can run the Peace Runs along their favorite running routes, no matter where they are. The all-new 46km Cape Town Trail Marathon and 22km Trail Run will still go ahead on October 16,” says Sanlam Cape Town Marathon General Manager, Barry van Blerk.

The 5km & 10km Virtual Peace Runs will be free of charge. Runners can simply enter via www.capetownmarathon.com to receive App Download instructions. All 5km and 10km Peace Run entrants will receive a refund, and an email with detailed instructions will be sent to all affected runners.

Says Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Chairman, Francois Pienaar: “After a trying 18 months, we are grateful for the support from our major stakeholders that allows us to work towards staging Africa’s only World Athletics Gold Label marathon and the ASA Marathon Champs. The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon attracts thousands of athletes from across SA, Africa and the globe, and has a significant economic impact on the city. Africa is our home. This is our Race. And we can’t wait to welcome all our runners to Cape Town in October.”

Runners still hoping to be part of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon must hurry, as the revised entry limits mean that the marathon field is already 50% full, and it is expected that the remaining entries will be snapped up fast. The 22km Trail Run is sold out, with limited entries still available for the Trail Marathon. Visit www.capetownmarathon.com for more information and to enter.

Belarus sprinter Krystina Timanovskaya did not go home from Tokyo but to Poland

Krystina Timanovskaya was being forced to return home early after publically criticizing her coaches. Fearing for her safety, she cried out for help.

While the last athletes left in the Olympic village have now returned to their home countries, Belarusian sprinter Krystina Timanovskaya has instead gone to Poland, after she was nearly forced home early for criticizing her coaches. Fearing for her safety, she called out for help from the IOC and from Japanese police, and on Wednesday she flew to Warsaw instead of returning home.

The situation began to unfold on Sunday, Aug. 1, one day before Timanovskaya was due to compete in the women’s 200m. After a couple of Belarusian athletes were deemed ineligible to compete, her coaches entered her in the 4 x 400m relay, an event the 24-year-old had no experience in. She complained about the situation in a video on social media, which led to criticism by the Belarus media, which claimed she lacked team spirit.

A report by the BBC says it wasn’t long after that that Belarusian officials arrived at the sprinter’s room, telling her to pack her bags. Reportedly, the order to send her home had come from “high up” in Belarus. In a news conference in Warsaw, Timanovskaya said her grandmother warned her not to return home “because on TV, they say a lot of bad words about you, that you have some mental problems.” Her parents also warned her not to return, telling her the citizens were being encouraged to write hateful messages about her on social media.

Fearing she may face punishment back home, she managed to use Google Translate to get help from Japanese officials at the airport and has now fled to Poland, where she has been granted a visa. Her husband has also fled to Ukraine and is expected to join her in Poland shortly. According to the BBC, Timanovskaya’s main concern now is the safety and well-being of her family, who are still in Belarus.

In an interview with Reuters, the sprinter said her coaches did not expect that she’d be able to approach police at the airport. “They think that we are scared to make a move, that we are afraid to speak, afraid to tell the truth to the whole world. But I am not afraid,” she said. “I am not of those people who are scared.”

She would, however, like to go home. “I would want to return to Belarus. I love my country. I did not betray it and I hope I will be able to return,” she said.

There were a few other Belarusian Olympians who had already been prosecuted or jailed, or who fled for publicly voicing their opposition to the country’s leader, Alexander Lukashenko, but Timanovskaya was not among them. According to the BBC, the IOC has started an investigation into the case, and already two Belarusian coaches have lost their Olympic accreditations for attempting to force Timanovskaya to leave the Games. The investigation is still ongoing.

How to prepare for your long run

Whether you’re training for an upcoming marathon or race or are just trying to reach a personal goal, running for long distances can be as challenging as it is rewarding. 

Training for a long-distance run is a serious commitment no matter your fitness level or current experience and should be a gradual process. We’ve provided some important considerations, exercises, and examples to help you train at your best!

Proper Running Form

There are entire blog entries dedicated to the do’s and don’ts of running, but the basics are pretty simple. 

When running, you’ll want to perform a full-body check-in, starting from the top. Your head should be level at all times, with your gaze cast directly in front of you. It’s OK to look around with your eyes, but your head should be upright and facing straight ahead. You should definitely avoid looking down at your feet, which creates poor neck alignment. 

You should also make sure that your shoulders aren’t hunched or slouched inward. Keep your shoulders open and allow them to move opposite from your feet: When your right foot comes forward, your left shoulder should come forward in turn. If you’re feeling tight in the shoulders, take a moment to shake out your arms and remember to relax.

Keep your arms close to your body with elbows bent at a 90-degree angle, moving in a chin-to-hip motion. Your arms should move smoothly back and forth at the shoulder as opposed to across your body, which can actually slow you down. You should also keep your hands relaxed, rather than balled into a fist.

Always remember that your core is the center of your power. You should be mindful of keeping your abs engaged and your spine lengthened, which is reinforced by keeping your head straight and your shoulders open.

Mentally checking your form while running can help maximize your energy output while avoiding injuries, especially toward the end of your run when a tired body is prone to losing form.

Training for a Long-Distance Run

As with any exercise, you should begin your training with a warmup and end with a cooldown. To start, you can gently swing your arms and legs one at a time, both back and forth and side to side. Shaking out your body and wiggling and swaying all of your limbs is also a good way to get the blood flowing and release tension.

You should end your cooldown with some light stretches to help avoid injury and keep your body loose for the next run. This should include not just your legs but your arms and back as well. Some good stretches to try are standing hamstring stretch, tricep stretch, cross-body shoulder stretch, side bend stretch, standing quad stretch, and hamstring/calf stretch.

If you’re a beginner runner, it’s important to be realistic with your goals. You won’t be ready to complete a 10K marathon in a matter of weeks. Even if you’re an advanced runner, it’s important to allow enough time to work up to your goal to avoid injuries and gradually increase your running length and duration.

Walk-Run Method 

If you’re a beginner runner, the walk-run method can be a good way to get you settled into a routine. All you need to do is separate your time between running and walking in intervals. 

You’ll want to start with shorter bursts of running buffered by longer periods of walking. A good set is to walk for one to two minutes, then run for 10 to 30 seconds. Keep this up for the duration of your run.

If this starting point is too intense for you, play with durations that work best for you while still providing a challenge. Inversely, if it’s not challenging enough, increase your running time to one to two minutes.

Interspersing your running with walking can reduce the likelihood of injuries while not being too overwhelming in intensity. 

Strength Training for Long-Distance Running

Running for long distances is a coordinated effort of both your cardiovascular and muscular systems. As such, strength training can be an important component in increasing the distance you’re able to run.

You’ll want to put an emphasis on exercises that target your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, and calf muscles to power your runs. Exercises such as squats (and its many variations), leg presses, and calf raises are good options for most fitness levels.

While a focus on the legs is obvious for running, it’s important to remember that running relies on the body as a whole. Not only is a stronger body more effective at running, but it also uses your oxygen and energy more efficiently.

Core workouts that target your abs and obliques, such as standard situps and their numerous variations, can help keep your foundation solid as you’re running. 

You should also include arm, shoulder, chest, and back workouts, such as pushups, pullups, and bench presses. 

Fueling Your Long-Distance Run

Your diet is also an important part of running. Providing your body with the vitamins and nutrients it needs will go a long way in helping you achieve a longer running distance. A small snack of carbohydrates and a little bit of protein consumed 15 to 60 minutes before a long run will help sustain your energy levels.  

You’ll also want to refuel with carbohydrates and proteins about 30 to 60 minutes after you return from your run. These are vital nutrients for muscle repair and recovery.

You’ll also want to maintain your hydration before, during, and after your run. Avoid sugary drinks or snacks and just stick with water. 

Whether you’re a beginner or have been running for years, there’s always room to increase your running distance. Be realistic with your expectations and set timeframes that support your goals in gradual increments. With proper training and a good diet, you’ll be able to run farther than you think, whether it’s one mile or a 10K.

French runner Morhad Amdouni defends himself after water bottle knocking over controversy in men´s marathon

There was a hugely controversial moment during the men's marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as France's Morhad Amdouni knocked over a row of water bottles and then picked up the last one. Amdouni was criticised on social media for his actions, but he has released a statement to defend himself.

French marathon runner Morhad Amdouni has defended himself after knocking over a row of water bottles at a rehydration station during the men’s marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, saying they were too “slippery” for him to pick up.

Amdouni sparked controversy when he appeared to deliberately knock over every bottle at the station before grabbing the last one for himself.

Amdouni, who finished 17th in the race, six minutes behind winner Eliud Kipchoge, was criticized on social media for unsportsmanlike behavior.

But he has released a statement defending his actions, along with a close-up video of him knocking over the bottles.

“To put an end to all the controversy from the video, I show this video to actually understand what happened.

“To guarantee freshness to the bottles, they are soaked in water, which makes them slippery. However, it is clear that I am trying to get one from the beginning of the row but they slip as soon as we touch them.”

The marathon was run in temperatures of 27 degrees and 30 athletes dropped out over the course of the race.

Kipchoge defended his marathon gold medal with an imperious display.

The 36-year-old Kenyan pulled clear with 10 kilometres to go to finish a full 80 seconds ahead of the Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye, crossing the line in 2:08:38.

Kipchoge is just the third man in history to win consecutive Olympic marathon titles, adding yet another record to a glittering career.

3-Country Marathon is on, in person say organizers

Organizers of the 3-Country Marathon have committed to going ahead with their race next month.

In a statement, they said: “For many, it will indeed be like their first time after this long, non-competitive break from the marathon. We want to support you in this premiere with a clear statement:

The Sparkasse 3-Country Marathon will take place on October 10, 2021. In reality. Not virtual. And all of this with the full range of services in a highly professional environment.”

Register and prepare! www.sparkasse-3-laender-marathon.at

Hassan and Warner among Tokyo 2020 Closing Ceremony flag bearers

More than 50 athletes from the sport of athletics will carry the flags for their nation at the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Sunday (8).

Ten days of competition, which included three world records, 12 Olympic records and 28 area records, came to a close with the men’s marathon on Sunday morning, with Kenya’s marathon great Eliud Kipchoge retaining his title.

Now his fellow Olympic gold medallists Sifan Hassan, Damian Warner, Pedro Pichardo and Peruth Chemutai will be among the flag bearers returning to Tokyo's Olympic Stadium as the 2020 Games come to a close.

For Hassan, the moment will cap an incredible performance in Tokyo, with the Dutch star having claimed an unprecedented medal treble of 5000m and 10,000m golds plus 1500m bronze over nine days.

“I am so happy and I cried during the medal ceremony,” the 28-year-old said after her 10,000m triumph on Saturday. “I actually realised that I am done, the Games are over.”

Warner’s victory had been secured on Thursday, when he became just the fourth man in history to break the 9000-point barrier to win the decathlon title. The Canadian’s 9018-point tally was one of the 12 Olympic records set at the Tokyo Games.

Portugal’s Pichardo, meanwhile, leapt to the triple jump title, setting one of the 151 national records achieved at these Olympics with his winning mark of 17.98m. In that same competition, the bronze medallist was world indoor record-holder Hugues Fabrice Zango and as a result, Burkina Faso became the 100th country to have won an Olympic medal in athletics.

For Chemutai, victory came in the 3000m steeplechase. Other medallists in Tokyo carrying their nation’s flag will be Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega, Grenada’s Kirani James, Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot and New Zealand’s Valerie Adams.

With the 2020 Games delayed a year due to the pandemic, athletes and fans now have only three years to wait until Olympic action returns in Paris in 2024.

Athletics flag bearers at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony

Listed in the order in which they will march. List correct at time of publication and may be subject to change.

Antigua and Barbuda (ANT) - Cejhae Greene (men’s 100m)

Andorra (AND) - Pol Moya (men’s 800m)

Italy (ITA) - Lamont Marcell Jacobs (men’s 100m and 4x100m)

Uganda (UGA) - Peruth Chemutai (women’s 3000m steeplechase)

Uruguay (URU) - Maria Pia Fernandez (women’s 1500m)

Ecuador (ECU) - Glenda Morejón (women’s 20km race walk)

Estonia (EST) - Maicel Uibo (decathlon)

Eswatini (SWZ) - Sibusiso Matsenjwa (men’s 200m)

Ethiopia (ETH) - Selemon Barega (10,000m)

Eritrea (ERI) - Nazret Weldu (women’s marathon)

Netherlands (NED) - Sifan Hassan (1500m, 5000m and 10,000m)

Guyana (GUY) - Emanuel Archibald (men’s 100m)

Canada (CAN) - Damian Warner (decathlon)

Gambia (GAM) - Ebrima Camara (men’s 100m)

Cuba (CUB) - Zurian Hechavarría (women’s 400m hurdles and 4x400m)

Grenada (GRN) - Kirani James (men’s 400m)

Kenya (KEN) - Timothy Cheruiyot (men’s 1500m)

Cote d'Ivoire (CIV) - Marie-Josee Ta Lou (women’s 100m and 200m)

Costa Rica (CRC) - Noelia Vargas (women’s 20km race walk)

Comoros (COM) - Fadane Hamadi (men’s 110m hurdles)

Congo (CGO) - Gilles Anthony Afoumba (men’s 400m)

Zambia (ZAM) - Sydney Siame (men’s 200m)

Djibouti (DJI) - Souhra Ali Mohamed (women’s 1500m)

Jamaica (JAM) - Demish Gaye (men’s 400m and 4x400m)

Sri Lanka (SRI) - Yupun Abeykoon Mudiyanselage (men’s 100m)

Saint Lucia (LCA) - Levern Spencer (women’s high jump)

Chinese Taipei (TPE) - Chen Chieh (men’s 400m hurdles)

United Republic of Tanzania (TAN) - Male Alphonce Felix Simbu (men’s marathon)

Czech Republic (CZE) Jakub Vadlejch (men’s javelin)

People's Republic of China (CHN) - Su Bingtian (men’s 100m and 4x100m)

Tuvalu (TUV) - Karalo Hepoiteloto Maibuca (men’s 100m)

Dominica (DMA) - Thea Lafond (women’s triple jump)

Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) - Andwuelle Wright (men’s long jump)

Namibia (NAM) - Beatrice Masilingi (women’s 200m)

New Zealand (NZL) - Valerie Adams (shot put)

Haiti (HAI) - Mulern Jean (women’s 100m hurdles)

Pakistan (PAK) - Arshad Nadeem (men’s javelin)

Panama (PAN) - Jorge Castelblanco (men’s marathon)

Bahamas (BAH) - Megan Moss (women’s 4x400m)

Paraguay (PAR) - Derlys Ayala (men’s marathon)

Barbados (BAR) - Tia-Adana Belle (women’s 400m hurdles)

American Samoa (ASA) - Nathan Crumpton (men’s 100m)

Virgin Islands, US (ISV) - Eddie Vovett (men’s 110m hurdles)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) - Amel Tuka (men’s 800m)

Botswana (BOT) - Anthony Pasela (men’s 4x400m)

Bolivia (BOL) - Angela Castro (women’s 20km race walk)

Portugal (POR) - Pedro Pichardo (men’s triple jump)

Honduras (HON) - Ivan Zarco Alvarez (men’s marathon)

South Africa (RSA) - Anaso Jobodwana (men’s 200m)

South Sudan (SSD) - Abraham Guem (men’s 1500m)

Republic of Moldova (MDA) - Andrian Mardare (men’s javelin)

Luxembourg (LUX) - Bob Bertemes (men’s shot put)

Rwanda (RWA) - John Hakizimana (men’s marathon)

Lesotho (LES) - Neheng Khatala (women’s marathon)

United States of America (USA) - Kara Winger (women’s javelin)

Running After 40: Time to Get Smart

As you get older, setting goals—and reaching them—will look a little different

Your forties: the decade when it all goes to hell. You get injured more. Your 5K time doubles. Recovery takes forever. At least that’s what everyone tells you will happen when you turn 40. And they’re (kind of) right. After 30, people can lose up to 5 percent of their muscle mass per decade, and VO2 max also tends to drop by 10 percent per decade. The result? Runners tend to get slower.

“You can expect to see a 1 percent decline in speed per year after you hit 40,” says Scott Murr, founder of the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training at Furman University. “And that assumes you’re training properly. If you’re not, you can expect bigger declines.”

But plenty of runners have been successful well into their forties, particularly endurance runners. “I was probably the most successful in my forties,” says Karl “Speedgoat” Meltzer, a professional ultrarunner best known for winning the most 100-mile trail races of any runner in history (38). But he wasn’t winning because he was becoming a faster runner as he aged. Instead he did it by running smarter. We’re not saying that by adhering to the following tips you’ll magically start winning 100s, but they will keep you running strong straight through your mid-life crisis years.

Welcome to the No Mistakes Zone

“Aging athletes have to adjust their expectations, otherwise they’ll get frustrated and potentially hurt,” Murr says. “I’m 57 years old. I can’t do what I could when I was 37 or 47. I can’t even run as fast as I could when I was 55.”

There are certain physiological truths that can’t be denied, but Pete Magill, a masters runner, coach and author of a series of books about running (including Build Your Running Body), says that training right can go a long way to improving performance as you age. “You can still do amazing things in your forties, but you have to do everything right,” Magill says. Loss of muscle mass, increasingly brittle connective tissue, and decreasingly dense bones are a recipe for injury. “When you enter your 40s, you’re in a no mistakes zone. You can’t go out the first day and run 30 minutes as fast as you can like you did when you were 20.”

Recover, Recover, and Recover Some More

The main reason masters runners get injured, according to Magill, is that they underestimate their need for downtime. “Our recovery requirements expand as we get older, and it’s hard for us to adjust,” Magill says. “We feel good and think we’re ready to run hard again, but feeling good is not a green light to push it.”

When you train hard too soon after a big day, you’re not giving your body the chance to finish rebuilding muscle, which is what makes you stronger and faster. “It takes more time than we think it does,” Magill says. “If you feel good two days after a hard run, wait a third day before doing a difficult workout again, otherwise eventually your body will break down.”

Meltzer didn’t start running ultras until he was 29 and he didn’t learn the importance of recovery until he was in his forties. “It took me a while, but I learned to run less and rest more,” Meltzer says.

But that doesn’t mean you should just sit on the couch. Magill says that runners need to adopt active rest—Meltzer, for example, gardens and hikes on down days. It also means incorporating mellower workouts into your training plan. “The trouble is that most runners turn every day into a medium day,” Magill says. “If you have difficult days, you have to have easy days. Most runners run their distance days faster than they need, which sabotages their hard workouts.”

Get Swole

Strength training will help combat that natural loss in muscle mass and bone density. Murr says there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for strength training, as long as you’re working all the major muscle groups.

Magill recommends a basic regiment that includes squats, deadlifts, and Nordic curls. It’s a program designed to strengthen your muscles in the way they’ll be used when you run to help prevent injury. 

“The best way to get fit is to train without interruption, without taking breaks for injuries,” Magill says. “Injuries sideline your ability to improve. If you can go a few years without an injury break, something magical happens; your body begins to function in a way you never thought possible. Everything reaches a peak.”

Chill the F—k Out

Meltzer is proof that runners can stay successful in their forties and beyond, and he says he didn’t personally change his goals as he aged. He still wanted to run long distances and for a long time he wanted to win races. He coaches a lot of masters runners who come to him with lofty goals, which he says is fine as long as they keep their aging bodies in mind while training for those goals.

“You can only get so much out of your body, but if you treat it properly you’ll get the most out of it,” Meltzer says, adding that treating your body properly often means runners need to learn how to relax. “I developed a better attitude about running as I got older. I realized that I’m a better runner when I’m doing what I enjoy. I like to be in the mountains and run up 3,000 vertical feet, so that’s how I train.” 

According to Meltzer, if masters runners need to change anything as they age, it’s in their mindset. Don’t be so hard on yourself. “Take it as it is. Enjoy it. Don’t get stressed about losing your speed in your forties,” he says. “Just enjoy what the decade brings you.”

30 runners DNF in Sapporo heat

It wasn’t as fast as we’ve come to expect, but from 30K in, there was never any doubt that Eliud Kipchoge was on his way to a repeat performance of his 2016 Olympic marathon win. He stepped on the gas and immediately started to put distance between himself and the rest of the small lead pack, crossing the finish line in 2:08:38, a minute and 20 seconds ahead of the next finisher. The race for silver and bronze was won by lesser known runners, Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands (silver, in a season’s best 2:09:58) and Bashir Abdi of Belgium, who crossed the line for the bronze medal two seconds later, in 2:10:00 (also a season’s best time).

With this win, Kipchoge joins the greats who have won back-to-back marathons at an Olympic Games. He is the third runner to do so – and in 2024, he will have the chance to become the only athlete ever to three-peat in the marathon.

Nageeye is one of Kipchoge’s training partners on the NN Running Team. This was his best marathon performance, in terms of finishing position; he has two top-10 finishes at the Boston Marathon (seventh in 2018 and eighth in 2016). The same is true for Abdi, who is a training partner of Mo Farah’s and paced Farah to his one-hour world record on the track in 2020. His best finish before today was seventh at the 2019 London Marathon.

Despite the heat, Canadians Ben Preisner, Trevor Hofbauer and Cam Levins had excellent races, Preisner in particular, who finished in 46th position, in 2:19:27), followed closely by Hofbauer in 48th (2:19:57). Preisner was in 73rd position at 5K and made steady progress as he made his way up throughout the race. Levins was in good shape through the first half, but was not able to maintain the pace, dropping to 72nd in 2:28:43 – a very respectable result, considering the high attrition rate.

Heat and humidity result in multiple DNFs

It was another hot, muggy morning in Sapporo for the final event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The lead pack consisting of Kipchoge, defending bronze medallist from 2016 and U.S. Trials winner Galen Rupp and 2019 world champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia, among others, set off at 7 a.m., settling into a comfortable pace of just over three minutes per kilometre. Jeison Alexander Suarez of Colombia maintained a position at or near the front for more than half of the race as athletes stuffed their hats with ice to keep their bodies as cool as possible.

Around halfway, Kipchoge was seen exchanging fist bumps with Daniel Do Nascimento of Brazil, but a short time later, Do Nascimento collapsed, then rallied, then dropped out. By halfway, 10 men had already left the course, including 2012 Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich, 2020 London Marathon winner Shura Kitata and Jack Rayner of Australia, who was one of Kipchoge’s pacers at INEOS 1:59. Sisay Lemma (third at Berlin and Tokyo marathons, with a PB of 2:03) appeared to be struggling soon thereafter. Galen Rupp led the pack briefly, but for the most part appeared willing to let others do the work at the front; he ended up finishing eighth. By 27K, the lead pack had dwindled to about 10, with Kipchoge, Rupp and Suarez leading; Japanese record holder Suguru Osaka was still in the lead pack, as was Desisa.

At 30K, Rupp dropped further and further off the pace. Amos Kipruto also dropped back (eventually joining the long list of DNFs), and the chase pack dwindled to 2019 Boston Marathon winner Lawrence Cherono, Ayad Lamdassem of Spain, Nageeye and Abdi. Osaka tried to come back to them, as Kipchoge stormed toward the finish line with a bounce in his step. Cherono ultimately finished fourth, Lamdassem fifth and Osako sixth.

Top 10 finishers

Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya)

Abdi Nageeye (Netherlands)

Bashir Abdi (Belgium)

Lawrence Cherono (Kenya)

Ayad Lamdassem (Spain)

Suguru Osako (Japan)

Alphonce Felix Simbu (Tanzania)

Galen Rupp (USA)

Othmane El Goumri (Morocco)

Koen Naert (Belgium)

The Unbelievable True Story of the Craziest Olympic Marathon-Only 14 men crossed the finish: one after hitchhiking, one after napping, and one—the winner—after drinking rat poison.

On a broiling, 90-degree August afternoon in 1904, 32 men dressed largely in white with leather belts gathered at Francis Olympic Field, a newly constructed stadium in St. Louis. Flanked by other men in suits and porkpie hats, they were about to compete in what would become the most infamous marathon in history. The event was part of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, also known as the 1904 World’s Fair. Within the crowd of dapper onlookers was the man in whose honor the stadium was named: David R. Francis, a former Missouri governor and president of the organizing committee for the Olympic Games. At 3:03 p.m. he fired the starting gun; so began the first Olympic marathon race on U.S. soil.

The race started with five laps around the track and a flurry of lead changes. Among the cast of largely American runners were three previous Boston Marathon winners. None of them would finish. In fact, only 14 men eventually completed the race: one after hitchhiking, one after taking a nap, and one—the eventual gold medalist—after drinking strychnine mixed with raw egg and brandy. Not only would the percentage of finishers rank as the lowest of any Olympic marathon, but the event itself would be marred by the racism that pervaded and even guided the 1904 Olympics and World’s Fair.

Frank Pierce from the Seneca Nation—the first Native American to compete in the Olympics—briefly took to the front. Pierce was followed closely by fellow Americans Arthur Newton, Thomas Hicks, and Sam Mellor. 

As the men made the third lap, another American, Fred Lorz, took a turn in the lead. Lorz, a bricklayer by trade, had the muscular build of a sprinter but had finished in the top five at the previous two Boston Marathons. Close behind, the race claimed its first casualty: The 1903 Boston champ, John Lordan, Irish-born but running for the United States, began vomiting and walked off the track to register the first DNF. 

Hicks, who’d finished second behind Lordan at Boston that previous year, passed Lorz to lead racers out of the stadium. Hicks purportedly made his living as a professional clown. Yet in the few surviving pictures of the race, Hicks appears to be the most serious man in St. Louis, standing uncomfortably straight at the start line with a near scowl.

Striding onto the dirt roads beyond Francis Field, the runners were greeted by red flags marking the route. The man responsible for those flags, along with much of the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, was James E. Sullivan, head of the Physical Culture Department for the World’s Fair. Sullivan intended to use the Games to showcase white American excellence through a series of events that ranged from the poorly executed, like the marathon, to the cartoonishly racist, like the fair’s Anthropology Days—a two-day Olympic-style competition during which nonwhite performers from the fair’s living anthropology displays competed in sports they’d never played before. The idea was to flaunt their athletic inferiority to the world. A headline in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Barbarians meet in Athletic Games,” made no bones about that intention.

Sullivan also designed the 24.85-mile race (26.2 became the standard in 1921) as an experiment to test his own exercise science theories. Chief among his beliefs was that of “purposeful dehydration.” Following the conventional wisdom of the time, Sullivan insisted that drinking (or eating) during exercise would only upset the stomach. Accordingly, there was only one water station on the course, near mile 12.

Three miles in, Newton, who’d won bronze just a day before in the steeplechase, held fifth, the same as his finishing position at the 1900 Olympic marathon. Hicks, the professional clown, fell back to seventh. And Albert Corey, a French-born, U.S.-representing marathoner who lived in Chicago and worked at a slaughterhouse, ran in ninth place. 

Trailing close behind were Len Taunyane and Jan Mashiani, both running their first marathon. The two members of South Africa’s Tswana tribe were the first Black Africans to compete in the Olympics. In fact, they were the only Black athletes to represent that nation until the end of apartheid 86 years later. Taunyane and Mashiani had no formal racing experience and were in St. Louis performing in the World’s Fair’s Boer War Exhibition. Taunyane and Mashiani had been message runners for the Boers and were part of a cast of hundreds that twice a day reenacted battles from the recent Second Boer War, between Dutch colonist Boers and the British Empire, in front of thousands of spectators. 

Leading the way out of the stadium was a vanguard of horsemen, riding ahead of the racers to clear the dry dirt roads. Right behind them, a motorcade of journalists, doctors, support teams, and race officials followed, producing a steady brown cloud that enveloped the runners for most of the course.

At six miles Newton led, with 1902 Boston champ Sam Mellor in pursuit on the dusty road. Behind them were Lorz and Félix Carvajal, a Cuban mailman who’d arrived at the race in a long-sleeve shirt, hat, pants, heavy shoes, and a notable mustache. (A helpful Samaritan assisted Carvajal in cutting his pants into shorts prior to the start of the race.) Carvajal had raised the money for his journey to America by running exhibitions in his native Cuba, but after gambling away his funds on a layover in New Orleans, he’d hitchhiked the rest of the way to St. Louis. Carvajal was among the favorites to win; however, he was also a loquacious man, frequently stopping for mid-competition banter with spectators.

Approaching the 10-mile marker, Fred Lorz, plagued by muscle cramps, flagged down a car (likely that of his coach) for a ride back to Francis Field. Carvajal also stopped, but to find a snack. According to some accounts, Carvajal ate rotten apples from an orchard along the road. One writer observed Carvajal playfully swiping peaches from spectators after they’d denied his request for fruit. Either way, Carvajal suffered from stomach cramps and lay down to take a short nap. 

At mile 12, the racers encountered the well that served as the lone water station. Sullivan had intended to test purposeful dehydration in the race by observing how athletes would perform in high-intensity work, on a hot summer day, with a limited amount of water available to drink. 

Undeterred by the fact that fewer than half of his marathoners finished, he’d later write a book, 1909’s Marathon Running, which reiterated his continued belief in the power of water abstinence. “Don’t get into the habit of drinking and eating in a marathon race; some prominent runners do, but it is not beneficial,” he wrote. 

Halfway through the marathon, Mellor was leading, with Newton and Hicks, respectively, in second and third place. Mellor had been the pre-race favorite. In addition to his Boston win, he’d podiumed there in 1901 and 1903, and he’d won the Pan American Exposition marathon in 1901, in 104-degree heat. But this time, Mellor’s pace slowed by mile 16 to combat cramping. By another account, he incorrectly believed he’d taken a wrong turn and tired himself out running backward on the course. In any case, he soon dropped out of the race. Hicks took the lead, with Newton trailing.

Hicks, now beyond the water station, began to grow desperately thirsty. He had two trainers following in a car, and he began to beg them for a drink of water. They refused, and instead gave his mouth and shoulders a sponge bath in an attempt to relieve the thirst without hydrating their athlete. 

Near mile 19, William Garcia, a racer out of San Francisco who was in fourth place at the time, collapsed. He likely experienced the closest brush with death of any marathoner that day. On the side of the road, he began coughing up blood and passed out before being discovered and taken to a hospital. The combination of heat, dehydration, and roughly two hours of running through dust clouds landed Garcia in surgery for a dust-lined esophagus and a torn stomach lining. 

Lorz, meanwhile, was feeling refreshed after riding in a car for 11 miles after his cramping episode. He decided to continue the last miles on foot, into the stadium, and across the finish line to claim victory in under three hours. Just as First Daughter Alice Roosevelt Longworth was crowning Lorz as the victor, a spectator revealed that Lorz had been driven along the course. Lorz defended his victory as merely a joke, but the stunt earned him a lifetime ban. 

As Lorz was explaining himself away, Hicks held the lead with roughly four miles remaining, but he continued to suffer from dehydration. His trainers, making history, decided to give him something stronger than a damp sponge. In the first recorded instance of performance-enhancing drug use in the Olympics, Hicks was fed a combination of egg whites and 1 milligram of strychnine sulfate. In high doses, this compound is used as rat poison. At lower doses, however, it is a stimulant and currently prohibited for in-competition use by the World Anti-Doping Agency. 

A ghastly Hicks continued, but his already mechanical form deteriorated and his pace slowed as he stopped to walk up a hill two miles from the finish. This earned Hicks a second dose of the strychnine mixture, plus a swig of brandy. It worked: Hicks picked up his pace to finish in 3:28. It was the slowest winning marathon time in Olympic history—by a 30-minute margin. 

Albert Corey finished second at 3 hours and 34 minutes, and 13 minutes later Newton took third place. Carvajal’s recovery nap delivered him to fourth place, while Len Taunyane (despite being chased a mile off course by a dog) took ninth and Mashiani was 12th. After the podium, no finish times were recorded (or they were lost), but finishers trickled in for hours.

Sullivan and his kind claimed the marathon as the evidence of racial superiority they sought—despite producing an event that was almost entirely stocked with white runners, many with coaches in tow. Charles J. P. Lucas, a physician and writer who traveled by car observing and assisting Hicks, wrote in his blandly titled book The Olympic Games 1904 that the marathon established “the stamina of the Caucasian race and the superior distance-running powers.” His book did not mention that while Taunyane and Mashiani finished ninth and 12th, their white South African teammate, Bertie Harris, never made it back to Francis Field.

The infamy of the race, however, set in quickly. Two days after its running, the Post-Dispatch dubbed it a “man-killing event” and reported that Olympic committee members were calling for its removal from future Games. Sullivan jumped on the bandwagon and quickly turned on the event, publicly decrying it and telling the paper “a 25-mile run...is asking too much of human endurance.”

Sullivan’s bid to end the Olympic marathon failed, and the event continued at the 1908 London Games—notably with only one 1904 competitor returning, mid-packer Sidney Hatch. Sullivan did have one perverse victory in 1908, though. In addition to being a white supremacist, he was also an outspoken misogynist, and as the head of the U.S. Olympic Committee he was able to bar American women from competing in London. But that was cold comfort for his racist side: To his chagrin, 1908 would also mark the first Olympic gold medal awarded to a Black athlete, John Taylor, who ran on the winning U.S. distance medley relay squad.

Hicks would never run another marathon. Like many of the athletes, including Taunyane and Mashiani, he practically disappeared from recorded history after the race. Corey returned to Chicago, racing annually in an early iteration of the Chicago Marathon and winning in 1908. Newton would compete in his third event of the Games four days later, taking gold in a four-mile team race that fielded just two teams. (Corey claimed another silver on the losing squad.) And Lorz’s lifetime ban would last less than a year—he later won the 1905 Boston Marathon.

Carvajal continued to travel for marathons. In 1905 he returned to St. Louis to take third in the inaugural All-Western Marathon. The following year, the Cuban government sent him to Greece for an Olympics-adjacent marathon only for Carvajal to disappear en route in Italy. After being presumed dead, complete with newspaper obituaries, he reappeared in Havana several months later and resumed racing. 

Eliud Kipchoge Wins Olympic Marathon Again, This Time In Tokyo

Eliud Kipchoge delivered a dominating performance in the Tokyo Olympics men’s marathon, pulling away from his competition after the halfway point and finishing 1 minute, 20 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands on a steamy day in Sapporo, Japan.

Kipchoge of Kenya, the world record holder in the marathon, is the first men’s repeat Olympic winner since Waldemar Cierpinski of the former East Germany in 1976 and 1980. Kipchoge finished in 2 hours, eight minutes, 38 seconds.

Nageeye clocked in at 2:09:58, and Bashir Abdi of Belgium finished third, in 2:10:00.

American Galen Rupp, who won bronze in the marathon at the Rio 2016 Games, finished eighth, more than three minutes back in 2:11:41.

Galen Rupp of the U.S. finished eighth in the Olympic marathon. 

After the 15-mile mark, Kipchoge, in front of the lead pack, turned and looked over his shoulder at Rupp and said something to him. Shortly after that, Kipchoge took off and began building his insurmountable lead.

NBC commentators said that Kipchoge seemed irritated with Rupp in the encounter.

“We saw Kipchoge get annoyed, which is so, so rare,” NBC commentator Kara Goucher said.

Rupp won the U.S. Olympic marathon trials in February 2020 and had targeted gold in Sunday’s race. He won silver in the 10,000 meters in London 2012 and bronze in the Rio 2016 marathon.

American Jacob Riley finished 29th, in 2:16:26, and American Abdi Abdirahman 41st in 2:18:27. Abdirahman, 44 years old and competing in his fifth Games, is the oldest U.S. runner to ever make the U.S. Olympic team.

The 36-year-old Kipchoge, competing in his fourth Olympics, entered the race with three medals: a bronze in the 5,000 meters in Athens 2004, silver in the 5,000 in Beijing 2008 and gold in the marathon in Rio 2016. He failed to qualify for Kenya’s team for London 2012.

Kipchoge famously broke the two-hour marathon barrier on a closed-course race in Vienna in October 2019, part of a years-long effort by Nike that included a new type of shoes. The thick-soled shoes with superlight cushioning and a carbon-fiber plate have spawned copycats, lowered finishing times and taken over the sport.

Kipchoge was so in command of the race that more than 10 miles in, he appeared to fist-bump with Brazil’s Daniel Do Nascimento.

Do Nascimento, in fourth place at the half-marathon mark, soon dropped out then crumpled onto the road.  

It was over 80 degrees with humidity over 70%. Runners shoved bags of ice down the backs of their singlets or tucked cooling packs under hats. More than two dozen runners didn’t finish the race.

Runners move past the Susukino district while competing in the men’s marathon.

Frank Shorter was the last American man to win the Olympic marathon, in 1972.

Since then, the gold has been won twice by the East German, three times by Kenyans (including twice by Kipchoge), twice by Italians, and once by an Ethiopian, a South African, a Korean, a Portugese and a Ugandan.

U.S. runner Molly Seidel was a surprise medalist in the women’s Olympic marathon Saturday, finishing in third to take the bronze.

Netherlands' Sifan Hassan won the 10,000m to seal her second gold and third medal of the Tokyo Olympics.

The 28-year-old, who had been seeking an unprecedented golden treble, had missed out on that feat when she took bronze in the 1500m but still takes home a hat-trick of medals after adding Saturday's gold to her 5,000m title.

Despite running three races in Tokyo's heat in the last few days, Hassan found an extra gear in the last lap.

She won in 29 minutes 55.32 seconds.

It had been a highly anticipated race with world champion Hassan pitted against Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey, who broke the Dutchwoman's world record in June, and it did not disappoint.

Hassan tucked in just behind the leaders and with about 3,000 metres remaining, she increased her pace to sit second behind Gidey.

On the final turn Hassan surged past the Ethiopian, who then faded further to take bronze after Bahrain's Kalkidan Gezahegne passed her to get the silver.

Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen takes 1,500m gold in Olympic record

In the last individual final on the track at Olympic stadium, the young Norwegian, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, has taken the gold medal, outkicking his Kenyan rival, world champion Timothy Cheruiyot in a furious race over the final 200m. Ingebrigtsen crossed the line in 3:28.33, an Olympic record surpassing the one set just a few days ago by Abel Kipsang, who finished fourth.

Cheruiyot took silver in 3:29.01. Great Britain’s Josh Kerr unleashed a monster kick to take the bronze medal, only 0.04 seconds behind Cheruiyot.

The field looked on race favorite and world champion to take the race out swiftly, and he did. The Australian, Stewart McSweyn, looked strong in third place in the first few laps, with Ollie Hoare and Team GB’s Jake Wightman following closely behind but they fell off as they reached the bell. With one lap to go, Cheruiyot took off, with Ingebrigtsen right on his heel, but ultimately he didn’t have enough left in the tank to secure the race.

This is Ingebrigtsen’s first Olympic medal in his Games debut. The Norwegian, who is only 20, has a prolific resume over the European circuit, finishing fourth in this event at the world championships in Doha in 2019.

This is the final day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The final events are the men’s 4x400m final and the men’s marathon.

Molly Seidel Shocks the World With Bronze Medal, as Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir and Brigid Kogei Go 1-2 in 2020 Olympic Marathon

In one of the most remarkable and unlikely runs ever by an American distance runner, Wisconsin native Molly Seidel earned a bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic marathon, running 2:27:46 in the heat of Sapporo on Saturday morning. Seidel established herself near the front of the race early, and remained there throughout. Late in the race, Seidel was in a battle for bronze with Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, but with three miles to go, Salpeter stopped running, leaving Seidel in bronze-medal position, which she protected to the finish line.

Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir, the world record holder in the women’s-only half marathon, pulled away from teammate Brigid Kosgei, the marathon world record holder, in the final two kilometers to take the gold in 2:27:20. Kosgei settled for the silver in 2:27:36, her first loss in her her last five marathons.

The story for American distance running fans was Seidel, running in only her third marathon of her life (her first was the Olympic Trials marathon in 2020 to get here). Seidel beat five sub-2:20 women. She entered the race with a 2:25:13 personal best and yet was in the conversation for the gold until the final 2k. She joined American running legends Joan Benoit Samuelson (gold in 1984) and Deena Kastor (silver in 2004), as the only American women to medal in the Olympic marathon.

The race

At race time, it was sunny and 76 degrees with 87% humidity, despite the race being moved up an hour because of the heat to start at 6 a.m. local.

As a result, the race went out slow, with 5K and 10K splits of 18:02 and 36:16 for the leaders (2:32:50 marathon pace at 10K). The lead pack remained about 40 or 50 women strong at the 10-kilometer split, but the effect of the heat was unmistakable, with women applying ice bags on themselves and running wide to get into the shade. By this point, US champion Aliphine Tuliamuk had fallen off the pace (she would eventually drop out).

From there, as the race advanced north on a slight downhill, it picked up. Honami Maeda of Japan took a few turns at the front, as did Americans Seidel and Sally Kipyego, but it was mostly shared. The next two 5K splits (17:31 and 17:41) were quicker and reduced the lead pack to less than 20 women by 20K. Zeineba Yimer, a 2:19 woman from Ethiopia, dropped out at the 17K mark.

The lead group went through halfway in 1:15:14, and the lead group was whittled down to 11 with Ethiopian contender Birhane Dibaba falling off the back.

Americans Seidel and Kipyego remained in the lead pack of 12 at 25K (Volha Mazuronak of Belarus rejoined the lead pack between halfway and 25k), which the women went through in 1:28:51 (2:29:47 pace). Ethiopian Roza Dereje Bekele (2:18:30 pb) and Salpeter (2:17:45 pb), along with the three Kenyans, were pushing the tempo slightly.

After that split, as the women continued to weave through the north Sapporo suburbs and Hokkaido University, racers started dropping off the lead pack like flies: first Kipyego, then Mazuronak and then a big casualty — Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya, the reigning world champ, falling back around the 29K mark.

Meanwhile at the front, Seidel led the entire 18th mile in around 5:26. The lead group of nine went through 30K in 1:46:03 (17:12 previous 5K, quickest of the race). The Japanese spectators pulled for their countrywoman Mao Ichiyama, who was still there.

The 30-35K split was the quickest of the race (16:54) and those five kilometers caused the biggest carnage: four women, including Ichiyama and Dereje, the final Ethiopian, dropped off the lead pack.

Now with the group down to five and less than five miles remaining, and Seidel continuing to run with confidence and share the lead with the two remaining Kenyans, the curiosity surrounding Seidel turned into a real possibility…could she snag a medal?

Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba dropped off just after the 35K mark, making it a four-woman race for three medals: Kosgei, Jepchirchir, Salpeter, and Seidel. Women with personal bests of 2:14, 2:17, 2:17, and 2:25. But in the summer Japan heat, the strongest women would win, not the fastest.

In the 24th mile, the Kenyans finally struck, Jepchirchir throwing in a surge and Kosgei covering it. They opened up a small gap on Salpeter and Seidel immediately, and Salpeter had a few meters on Seidel.Before one even had time to process whether Seidel’s fairytale quest for a medal was coming to an end, her fortunes changed drastically. At the 38-kilometer mark, Seidel caught Salpeter, who was still less than five seconds behind the leaders, but slowing slightly. Salpeter, however, was broken. Within a span of seconds she slowed to a walk and Seidel was into the bronze position, with the leaders still in her sights, Jepchirchir in front and Kosgei sitting on her.

At 40k, Jepchirchir and Kosgei were still together with Seidel only six seconds back, 31 seconds ahead of fourth place, comfortably in bronze position, barring a blowup. Seidel appeared to be closing on the leaders. Could she even get the silver or the gold?

Not quite. Jepchirchir had one final gold-medal move, dropping Kosgei just after the 40K split and quickly opening a 10-second gap. She would extend her winning margin to 16 seconds by running the final 2.195 kilometers at 5:23 pace.

Kosgei was fading slightly but so was Seidel. Both held their positions through the line, as Seidel could not quite summon the finish to get back to Kosgei and finished 10 seconds behind her in the bronze medal position.

Seidel yelled in delight as she crossed the finish line, while Kosgei looked slightly disappointed with the silver. The third American, Sally Kipyego, finished 17th in 2:32:53.

The temperature at the finish was 84 degrees with 67% humidity.

Are These $375 Trail Runners Worth It?

Dial your preferences and float over the trails with precise agility - as though your shoes were tailor made to fit not just you but also your local terrain, providing no-compromise performance. With options to adjust flex, fit, drainage and traction, the SL:PDX becomes quite literally the shoe for you. We found that Speedland delivers, with a shoe that let us run in complete comfort and with total confidence.

What's New

This is a completely new concept that uses modular components, crafted with the best of everything available on the market, to construct a no-holds-barred trail running experience. The founders applied decades of shoe development, absent the usual commercially-driven overrides, to orchestrate a performance shoe that is more "equipment" than "apparel" so that the user won't feel any hesitation running their best. A "small batch" approach to manufacturing - only 1,200 pairs are being made in the first run of production - guarantees an attention to detail that you can feel.

This Is the Shoe for You If

You consider your trail shoes to be an extension of your body and training and don't want to compromise. You spend so much time and effort directed at marginal performance gains that you are willing to invest the additional cost to purchase a shoe that will allow you to push the envelope - because it provides the best fit and performance, and allows you to be your best. And you like really nice-fitting shoes.

Testers were wowed by the performance of SL:PDX, even on non-Portland, Pacific Northwest trails for which the founders designed the shoe. The more technical the trail, the more the shoes showed off, whether on sandstone-riddled, dry mountainous singletrack, deep sand, rocky washouts, or even over "open prairie, thrashing through knee-high grasses with every step uncertain on the knobby tussocks." Whatever the terrain, testers raved, "They showed off in every context."One tester observed the shoe felt "like it was made just for me" and performed with "sure-footed agility" and "reliability" on a wide variety of surfaces. Glowed another tester: "They are the most comfortable, and probably most capable trail shoe I've ever worn."It wasn't any one quality that shined through, but rather, the combination of innovative aspects that came together to leave such positive impressions. The shoe's many options to personalize the stiffness, lugs and fit means it easily morphs into different rides, even allowing you to adjust some of the fit and feel on the fly. But, apart from the ability to customize, the premium materials and design make your feet smile.The upper is made of knit Dyneema, a Netherlands-based fiber that is reportedly 15 times stronger than steel, and, they say, gets its positive attributes through long-molecule chains and tight intermolecular bonding. Whatever that means, it feels both durable and comfortable, wrapping the foot in a stretchy mesh, while plush padding around the heel and multiple straps over the instep hold your foot securely.

Add to that the unique precision of not one, but two, BOA Fit System dials that secure the wrapping support straps - one for the lower part of the foot and the other for the upper. The dual BOA Li2 wheels let you literally dial-in the precise fit to optimize comfort and security for your foot shape and preferred hold on different parts of the foot. For the first time on a running shoe, these dials are also multidirectional, allowing you to either advance or back off tension click by click, which we found exceptionally useful for creating the right tension on each and for adjusting the fit on the run as terrain conditions changed or our feet got sweaty or swollen.The 3mm Michelin textile web outsole is both grippy and quick to shed mud, with aggressive  lugs that can be clipped to match your form and the terrain. You can also open drainage ports for runs with water crossings. The flexible sole wraps around underfoot terrain and provided excellent traction on firm or soft footing, wet or dry.

Inside, you step down into a contoured layer of Pebax foam - think super-shoe soft, bouncy and resilient - that serves as both sock liner and the top half of the midsole. Lying between it and the thin, flexible EVA bottom platform, you find a removable Carbitex carbon-fiber plate. Removable because it is stiff in one direction and flexible in the other, allowing you to easily flip it over and adjust the ride. The "stiff" side still flexes quite easily but provides a powerful, energy-return pop on toe off. Turn the plate over and you get more of a free-flex feel with the plate providing a bit of stability - or remove the plate completely if you prefer a more minimalist feel for the ground. Note: Unlike clipping off outsole lugs which is a permanent modification, you can flip these as often as you like to match the terrain or how you feel that day.

However they are configured, we felt sure-footed and swift in them. "My biggest impression was that I didn't need to hold back, because they made me feel confident in my landings and stability," said one tester. Another praised the ride for being "both close to the ground and completely cushioned - a remarkable combination of stability, balance, comfort and trail feel."

Downside? We did have a weed snag and pop a BOA dial out, releasing the tension - but to be fair, we were going through pretty thick stuff, and resetting the fit with a quick turn of the dial was far easier than retying a lace. Also in terms of fairness: no testers did a really long run in them yet, and if there is a weakness that might reveal it, as these shoes ride best when dancing over terrain at a good pace. But the Pebax foam will coddle your feet for as long as your stride will hold up and we're anxious to give it a go at the soonest opportunity.

A bonus: the upper is stitched to the sole, for durability and because this "Dyneema moccasin stitch" makes the shoe easier to recycle, given there is no toxic glue for sealants. Speedland keeps with the green theme (and color) through a give-back program that invests 10% of its profits to outdoor programs that will be selected with the help of its athletes.

Worth the price tag? That's hard for us to decide for you, but one tester bought a full-price pair for his significant other, and they will no doubt be the pair we reach for when heading off road in the coming weeks and months

Why The Rocky Mountain Slam Is The Toughest Race Series In Ultrarunning

Almost every year, Leland Barker creates trophies for runners who complete the Rocky Mountain Slam, an annual test of endurance, fitness, perseverance, altitude and logistics.

To claim one of Barker's trophies, a big hunk of chainsaw-cut wood burned with the athlete's name, date and races, runners must complete four out of five designated 100-mile trail races over a 3-month span. Since the first completed slam in 1999, it has been accomplished just 59 times by 30 runners. Some years, as many as eight runners have earned the prize. However in other years, it's been zero.

"It's definitely a feeling of accomplishment," says Andrew Barney, 44, of American Fork, Utah, who's done it four times. "I know a lot of runners who say they only run one 100 a year, and that's big enough for them."

The only runner who hasn't collected the big wooden trophy is Barker himself. He completed the Slam in 2003 but never gave himself the award.

"I meant to," he says, laughing. "I had a piece of wood saved to make an award for me and I never got around to making it."

That's just fine with him, though. The 59-year-old resident of Smithfield, Utah, has gotten all he's wanted out of the Slam-and more.

Barker is the race director of the annual Bear 100 Mile Endurance Run. The race, which crosses the Utah-Idaho border, was founded in 1999. Barker wanted a way to attract more runners to his race. He's not certain of the date, or who actually came up with the idea, but says the Slam sprouted from a discussion between himself, Roch Horton, Hans-Dieter Weisshaar and Errol Jones. The idea was inspired by the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, which has been around since the 1980s and challenges runners to complete the nation's four oldest and most prestigious 100-milers in a calendar year.

To complete the Rocky Mountain Slam, men and women have to finish four out of five annual races in the Rockies: the Bighorn 100 in Montana in June, the Hardrock 100 in Colorado in July, the Leadville Trail 100 in Colorado in August, the Wasatch Front 100 in Utah in early September and the Bear 100 in late September. Leadville and Wasatch are also part of the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning.

"We wanted the Bear to be the final race," says Barker.

It's an informal fellowship. Runners don't have to register, notify anyone of their intentions or pay any special fees. The only requirements are to finish the two mandatory races-Hardrock and Bear-along with two of the other three. Then, Barker recognizes those runners at the awards ceremony. They earn Barker's wood trophy and, sometimes, a T-shirt.

It's so informal that the first runner to complete the Rocky Slam in 1999 was grandfathered in. James Ballard of Montana ran the Hardrock, Leadville, Wasatch and Bear races the year before Barker and his buddies had even come up with the idea.

Nobody earned the Slam in 2000. Betsy Kalmeyer of Colorado was the lone qualifier in 2001. In 2002, no one earned the trophy. Then, in 2003, Barker was one of five slammers, a group that included Weisshaar, a 63-year-old from Germany who would go on to be a six-time slammer, the most ever.

"He was amazing," says Barker. "He was doing it when he was my age. I'm no longer doing 100-mile races. Actually, he was older than me when I started doing it. He didn't go real fast, he was one of the last finishers usually. But he really enjoyed doing 100-mile races. He'd come to the United States and do one every weekend all summer long."

Most judge Hardrock as the toughest race of a difficult bunch. "It's an amazing amount of climb and descent," says Barker.

In fact, it's more than 66,000 feet of elevation change at an average elevation of 11,000 feet. Each race has its challenges. Leadville is run at high altitude, with a 30-hour time limit. The Wasatch ("100 miles of heaven and hell," is its slogan) has big climbs and descents, as do the Bear and Bighorn. To Barney, the five races all share Rocky Mountain character of steep terrain, unpredictable weather, high altitude and beautiful scenery. He says there's a "ruggedness" of rocky trails.

"It's a lot of steep climbing," says Barney. "And all kinds of weather conditions. Even in summer, you can have snow. I've dealt with all kinds of conditions, from heat to downpours to blizzards."

Barney completed his first Slam in 2009 and his fourth in 2016. In a perfect scenario, he would probably do four of the Rocky 100 races every year. However, he could not get into the Hardrock race this year. But he did run Bighorn and will be doing Wasatch and the Bear.

That's one of the logistical challenges making the Rocky Mountain Slam more difficult. As the number of ultrarunners surges, races become more impacted and many adopt lotteries. Hardrock, Leadville and Wasatch now have lotteries. Bear and Bighorn fill up quickly, so it's important to register early.

Barney acknowledges that doing four 100-milers in a summer is physically challenging, especially in years when the Wasatch and the Bear are within a couple of weeks of one another.

But, like other ultrarunners, he loves the mountains, trail running and being with friends. He enjoys pursuing the Slam and the feeling of accomplishment. He admits getting "a sort of empty feeling" when he can't get into a race like Hardrock. Plus, there's a spiritual pull to running 100 miles through the wilderness.

"At Hardrock, in the middle of the night, I had a chance to just lay down and turn my light off and look at the stars at 13,000 feet," he says. "You don't get to do that very often. Just enjoying being out there and the moment, seeing sunrises and sunsets and sunrises again in the course of one race, it's somethingIt let's me think about my place in the world and the universe and where I fit in."

A British couple are completing every single Olympic event in 17 days for charity

Stuart Bates and Charlotte Nichols of the U.K. have set out to complete every single Olympic event over the 17 days the Games are taking place in Tokyo. They’re taking on this challenge to raise money for the Motor Neuron Disease Association (MNDA), and are calling it the “Spennylympics” in honor of Bates’ brother, Spencer (a.k.a. Spenny), who passed away from motor neuron disease

In order to complete this formidable challenge, Bates and Nichols will have to complete 96 events in 17 days, including the marathon, 10K swim and the 234K cycling road race. They’ll even be putting together a synchronized swimming routine — and we thought Sifan Hassan’s competition schedule was grueling!

Bates and Nichols share on their website that they were both excited and terrified to begin the challenge. “We share a passion for all sports and are by nature hugely competitive people (without the fitness or expertise to back it up!),” they add. “Although we have both previously completed fundraising events they have been nothing quite like the scale or magnitude of the Spennylympics.”

Their motivation, of course, is to raise as much money as possible for the MNDA, and they continue to say that the pain and sacrifice they will experience over these 17 days will pale in comparison to what those living with motor neuron disease experience on a daily basis. Still, the pain they’ve experienced during some of the events, notably the 50Km race walk, has been significant.

With only four days left in these Olympics Games, the pair have less than 10 events to go in order to complete the challenge. While they are close to the end, they’ve saved the marathon for last, which will be a monster hurdle to get over before officially finishing the Spennylympics. To keep up with their efforts, follow them on Twitter (@spennylympics) and Instagram, and if you’d like to support their cause, head over to their website to donate.

Tokyo Olympian runs fast 400m time in a baggy, oversized T-shirt

As the Olympics have transitioned into track and field from road cycling and swimming, there is a debate on Twitter on why all track athletes do not wear aerodynamic suits, as cyclists and swimmers do.

Bahamian 400m sprinter Steven Gardiner won the 400m semifinals in a speedy time of 44.14, which put him into Thursday’s final. 44 seconds for 400m is spectacular, but fans on Twitter were more impressed he ran that time while wearing an oversized Bahamas training T-shirt. Our sources did not confirm if he actually forgot his race singlet in the Athletes’ Village, or if he just prefers his sleeves flapping in the wind. Gardiner was the inspiration for the Twitter debate about the aerodynamics of sprinters’ racing kit. (Spoiler alert: we published this story the day before the 400m final, which Gardiner would go on to win in 43.85, wearing appropriate racing attire, but still an untucked shirt, not unlike many others.)

Aerodynamics refers to the concept of forces resulting in the motion of objects through air. The study of the motion of air around an object allows us to measure how gravity and resistance work while the object travels through it.

As we’ve seen, aerodynamics are very important to cyclists. Any stray fabric flapping in the breeze is potentially slowing them down. On a flat road, aerodynamics are by far the greatest barrier to a cyclist’s speed, accounting for 70 to 90 per cent of the resistance riders experience when pedalling. The only greater obstacle is climbing up a hill, as gravity far outweighs the effect of wind resistance. Over the past five years, there has been a major development in more stretchy, lighter and breathable fabrics for cyclists to slice through the air while competing at high speeds.

Technology is constantly evolving to benefit the athlete and allows them to operate at a high level of performance. At these Olympic Games, male and female athletes are given a choice on what they can wear during competition. In certain events such as the 10,000m, where you have to run 25 laps around the track, a majority of distance athletes will wear the classic singlet and shorts, due to their loose-fitting and comfortable feel for 30 minutes of high-intensity running. During a 10,000m race, speed does help, but cutting the air is less important, as most runners will reach a top speed of 25 km/h and will remain tucked into a pack for most of the race.

When Eliud Kipchoge broke the 2-hour marathon barrier at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Austria, scientists at Eindhoven University in the Netherlands analyzed wind formations when running at 21.2 km/h. They ended up proposing a special arrangement of runners who would pace around Kipchoge in order to lower his output of power against resistance, which ultimately allowed him to perform at a higher level. This formation is very similar to those in a bike peloton at the Tour de France. The athlete who takes the wind has to work harder than the athlete tucked in behind him.

Unfortunately, sprinting events do not have the luxury of pack-aided performance. When Usain Bolt set the 100m and 200m world records, he achieved his top speed of 45 km/h in a singlet and half tights. According to scientists, when a human reaches a speed faster than 40 km/h, 80 per cent of the human’s power output goes into overcoming air resistance and gravity. During his six gold medal performances in the 100m and 200m, Bolt never used the aerodynamic speed suit. Who knows what he could’ve run wearing 400mH champion Karsten Warholm’s Puma speed suit?

A few of the world’s top track athletes are beginning to transition to the speed suit to gain any aerodynamic benefits they can. Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Mohammed Katir of Spain, two of the fastest men on earth over the 1,500m and 5,000m distances this year, were both wearing one-piece speed suits during their Olympic heats. Newly crowned 800m gold medallist Athing Mu has been racing in wind-cutting suits since turning pro earlier this year. Clearly, science has proven wind-cutting technology can make a difference, but World Athletics, the governing body of track and field, gives each athlete a strict guideline on what can be worn during competition at the Olympic Games and World Championships:

According the World Athletes under rule 143 section 5 of World Athletics – competition and technical rules:

In short, this means that all athletes competing have to abide by the competition rules of their countries’ athletic governing body, which must abide by the rules and regulations set by World Athletics.

At these Games, men and women are given the choice of three options for competition; a singlet and short shorts, one-piece aero-speed suit, or (a combination of speed and comfort) a singlet and half tights – the best of both worlds. Women are offered one more option, with the crop top and short shorts.

As technology advances, the world’s best athletes continue to chase world records. The athletes will always lean towards wearing the lightest or fastest gear to give their performance a slight edge over competition. Who knows? Maybe the Sydney Olympics gold medallist, Cathy Freeman, was ahead of her time when she won the 400m in a head-to-toe speed suit.

Jamaican women win gold in womens 4x100m final

The Jamaican women brought out the big guns for the final of the 4x100m relay, and it paid off. Briana Williams ran the lead leg, handing off to Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce, then Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson (who also ran in the heats) for the win in a national record of 41.02. They edged out the USA, who took silver in a season’s best 41.45, anchored by Gabby Thomas (with a lot of ground being made up in the third leg by Jenna Prandini).

Great Britain came through for bronze in 41.88. It was the third time in four Olympics that these three nations have stood on the podium in this event, in various configurations of gold, silver and bronze.

There were a few moments of doubt over whether the Jamaicans might have been out of position in the first hand-off, but ultimately the result stood, and the team started celebrating. Switzerland ran well, with 100m finalists Ajla del Ponte and Mujinga Kambundji racing hard to put their team on the podium, but ultimately it wasn’t enough. Team Netherlands fumbled the handoff from lead Nadine Visser to Dafne Schippers, and their race was done.

Miller-Uibo gets gold in 400m final

The women’s 400m final netted another gold for defending gold medallist Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who also won five years ago in Rio, in a personal best and area record of 48.36, after some doubt about whether the schedule would allow her to double. (Miller-Uibo also ran the 200m, but didn’t make the final.) Marileidy Paulino took silver in a national-record-setting performance for the Dominican Republic of 49.20. Allyson Felix, who won silver in this event in Rio, earned the bronze in 49.46, her fastest time yet this year and an unbelievable 10th Olympic medal for the American.

Team USA redeems itself in the men’s 4x400m relay heats

The first heat of the men’s 4x400m was fast and furious, with Team USA running well after its disastrous 4x100m performance. Anchor Michael Norman crossed the line first, in 2:57.77, followed by Botswana (who ran their fastest man, Isaac Makwala, as their lead leg, a strategy that paid off for them) and Trinidad and Tobago as the last auto-qualifier from this heat. Italy and the Netherlands, in fourth and fifth, had to wait and see if they would advance, but both qualified through to the final in the end. All five saw times under three minutes, and this heat produced three national or area records – for Botswana, the Netherlands and Italy.

The second heat was almost as fast, producing two national records (but in the fourth and fifth finishers, India and Japan, who did not advance). Poland and Belgium dominated, with the Poles crossing the line first in 2:58.55. Jamaica finished third, all of them running under three minutes. Going through to Friday evening’s final are USA, Botswana, Trinidad and Tobago, Poland, Belgium and Jamaica.

Brigid Kosgei seeks Kenyan Olympic marathon redemption

World record holder Brigid Kosgei has the unenviable task at the Tokyo Olympics of restoring Kenya's image in the marathon, which suffered a huge dent after the 2016 Rio Games.

Compatriot Jemima Sumgong became the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic marathon gold in Brazil, but she subsequently tested positive for the endurance booster EPO and was banned for eight years.

Kosgei, who ran the fastest women's marathon of all time, clocking 2hr 14min 04sec in Chicago in October 2019, is eyeing a medal on Saturday in Sapporo to spare Kenyan blushes.

Organizers moved the marathons from the capital to avoid Tokyo's punishing summer heat but temperatures in Sapporo are currently in the 30s, which will make the race a tough challenge for the entire field.

"I know it wouldn't be easy winning the gold medal... but I will go out there and take my chances since this is my first Olympics," Kosgei told AFP.

Like so many athletes, Kosgei traveled to the Olympics after 18 disrupted months due to the coronavirus crisis.

"It is unfortunate that we didn't have many competitions to help us prepare us for the Games since the Covid pandemic led to many race cancellations," she said.

A late starter in the sport, Kosgei -- a mother of eight-year-old twins -- had a difficult time growing up in a large family of seven children to a single peasant mother in Elgeyo Marakwet in Kenya's Rift Valley.

Like many of the girls in her village, Kosgei saw athletics as a vehicle to help her escape a life of destitution.

Her first marathon was in Porto, Portugal, in 2015 when the 27-year-old made a dream debut, winning the event in 2:47.59.

- 'Sharing the limelight' -

Kosgei credits her coach Erick Kimaiyo, a former winner of the Honolulu marathon and a runner-up in the 1997 Berlin marathon, for believing in her and helping to nurture her raw talent at his Kapsait training camp situated outside Nairobi at over 9,600 feet (2,900 meters) above sea level.

"I had grown up listening about the great marathon achievements of Catherine Ndereba and Tegla Loroupe, but I didn't expect that I could one day be sharing the same limelight with them," Kosgei said.

"But it was Kimaiyo’s belief in me that helped to propel me and see myself succeeding as a champion marathon runner."

The mentorship resulted in two contrasting victories at the 2016 and 2017 Honolulu marathons, with the difference in winning times between the two events -- 2:31:10 and then 2:22:15 -- further illustrating the power of the forged partnership.

She has won the London marathon twice and set a half-marathon course record of 64min 28sec at the Great North Run in northeast England in September 2019.

However, having missed the 2019 Doha world championships, Kosgei is hoping the Covid-affected Olympics will provide the big stage for her -- and redemption for Kenya.

Kenyan Faith Kipyegon outkicks Hassan for Olympic 1,500m gold, sets Olympic record

On another hot, humid night in Tokyo, the match-up we’ve all been waiting for finally took place: defending Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya and the 5,000m gold medalist and world champion Sifan Hassan, who was attempting the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m triple crown, went head-to-head over the metric mile, but it was the U.K.’s Laura Muir who got between them, setting a national record of 3:54.50, while Kipyegon took home the gold in a new Olympic record of 3:53.11. Hassan had to settle for bronze, in 3:55.86.

Canadian track fans had their eyes on Toronto’s Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, who was competing in her first-ever Olympic final. She did not make it out of the heats five years ago in Rio, but this time around was a potential challenger for a medal. She ran a brave race, going out strong to lead the pack through the first 300m. Hassan took over, to bring the pack through the first lap in 62 seconds, while Stafford stuck with the lead group to stay in medal contention.

She looked strong coming into the bell lap, but in the last 300m Kipyegon kicked up the pace and DeBues-Stafford began losing touch with the top three runners, ending up in fifth in 3:58.93 behind Ethiopia’s Freweyni Gebreezibeher, a 20-place improvement from her Olympic debut.

While everyone was expecting the fight for gold to be between Kipyegon and Hassan, it was Muir who was the (delightful) surprise of the night. The U.K. runner ran the race of her life, passing Hassan in the final 200m to take the silver medal in a new personal best and national record.

Hassan’s third-place finish means she will not accomplish the unprecedented 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m triple crown, but she still has a chance of winning three medals of different colours, with the 10,000m final taking place on Saturday.

World record holder Joshua Cheptegei wins 5000m gold for Uganda

Joshua Cheptegei added the Olympic 5000m title to his world record in a race which was just short of achieving a Games best time.

The Ugandan was forced to settle for silver in the 10,000m, but made amends by winning the shorter distance in 12:58.15, less than half a second slower than the Olympic record set by Kenenisa Bekele in 2008.

Cheptegei finished ahead of Canada's Mohammad Ahmed and American Paul Chelimo to succeed Mo Farah as champion.

Britain's Andy Butchart fell off the leading pack with around 1000m to go, finishing 11th.

Cheptegei, who revealed he had been struggling with a heel injury heading into the Games, made sure he was near the front of the field right from the start.

But he will be thankful to his team-mate Jacob Kiplimo, who did much of the heavy lifting early on, setting a pace which always looked like it would dip below 13 minutes.

It was easily the quickest 5000m Olympic final since Bekele’s victory in Beijing 13 years ago, and Cheptegei looked to ease to victory when he took full control on the final lap. Ahmed finished well, but never appeared likely to overhaul his rival.

The victory makes the Ugandan, whose world record stands at 12:35.36, an Olympic and world champion, adding to his 10,000m win at Doha 2019

Dina Asher-Smith back to help 4x100m relay team set new British record at Tokyo Olympics

After tears and torment, Dina Asher-Smith could yet leave Tokyo with a gold medal after Britain’s 4x100m relay women ran the fastest heat at an Olympics, setting a national record in the process.

With Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot and Daryll Neita also producing strong performances the British team crossed the line in 41.55sec – faster than the gold-medal-winning times at all but two editions of the Olympic Games. Asher-Smith, whose Olympic ambitions for the 100m and 200m were knocked off course by a hamstring tear in June, believes more is to come from her and the team.

“After the 100m I did say there was no way I wasn’t going to be here for the 4x100m girls,” she said. “I only had one day off then my coach, John Blackie, had me back on the training track. Essentially, all I need is a few more weeks and sessions.

“He was saying if I had a few more days it would have been the 100m final, another week and it would have been 10.8. It’s one of those things where I’m chasing times. Give me a few more training sessions and I’ll be closer to where I’m used to being. There was no way I wasn’t going to be here.“But it is about me getting back on the training track and making sure I bring my absolute A game to this race.

“It would mean incredible things to everybody. We are the bronze medalists in Rio. It would be amazing for us to get another medal again, for all of us, for all of our lives, for all of our individual dreams and aspirations.”

Britain’s men also offered a glimmer of hope in what has been a disappointing Olympics in track and field by qualifying in second in their heat behind Jamaica in 38.02. With the US and South Africa bombing out, the men’s team of CJ Ujah, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty, and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake have set their sights high.

“We want nothing but gold,” said Kilty. “There is more in the tank. Easy, easy, no problem at all. We knew we were going to play it safe there.”

The US Olympic great Carl Lewis said the American team had done everything wrong as they came sixth in their heat in 38.10s.

“The passing system is wrong, athletes running the wrong legs and it was clear that there was no leadership,” said Lewis, who is now a coach at the University of Houston. “It was a total embarrassment, and completely unacceptable for a USA team to look worse than the Association of American University kids I saw.”

2022 Austin Marathon Will Offer Free, Personalized Finisher Video For All Participants

The 30th annual Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour will provide a free, personalized finish line video for all participants who cross the finish line on February 20, 2022. This video, valued at $19, is just the beginning of numerous amazing perks being put together to commemorate the anniversary. The commemorative video will be produced by FinisherPix. It’ll include finishers crossing the finish line and commemorative 30th-anniversary designs and footage.

“Runners are ready to create new memories on the streets of Austin and this free video will be a keepsake they’ll be proud to share,” said Stacy Keese, co-owner of High Five Events. “We’re excitedly preparing to celebrate our 30th year of running Austin and building this event into one of the top experiences in the world!”

The marathon distance will return for the 2022 Austin Marathon, owned and produced by High Five Events. It was not part of the rescheduled 2021 event based on the COVID-19 Mitigation Plan that allowed running to return to Austin earlier this year. Plans are also underway to bring back many elements that make the Austin Marathon one of the top event experiences in the world. This includes the full expo, expanded beer garden, live music at the finish line, and 3-block-long finish line festival.

“Austin Marathon is a beloved and well-known event that regularly provides a memorable experience for runners from all over the world,” said Robbie Little, Vice President, Event Services at Outside. “We’re excited to produce this video that we know will be seen by friends and family around the world.”

Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 35+ countries around the world. The start and finish locations are just a few blocks apart. They are within walking distance of many downtown hotels and restaurants. The finish line is in front of the picturesque Texas State Capitol.

The Austin Marathon is the perfect running weekend destination. Pricing is currently $129 for the marathon, $109 for the half marathon, and $59 for the KXAN Simple Health 5K. Additional FinisherPix photo packages can be purchased at a discounted rate during the registration process. 

Steven Gardiner won Olympic 400m gold to secure the Bahamas' first medal of the Tokyo 2020 Games

Gardiner, the current world champion over the distance, crossed the line in 43.85 seconds.

Colombia's Anthony Zambrano took silver, while 2012 champion Kirani James of Grenada won bronze, completing his full set of Olympic 400m medals, having finished second in Rio.

World record holder Wayde van Niekerk's reign as defending champion was over when the South African, who has struggled with injury over the past five years, finished fifth in the semi-finals on Monday.

In his absence, Gardiner produced a superbly balanced race, holding back as James and American Michael Norman went out hardest and then reaping the rewards as he stretched clear in the home straight.

"When the gun went off I stumbled a bit coming out but I recovered, I kept it moving, and with 200 meters to go I started to push a little bit. And 100 meters to go, I gave it all I've got," Gardiner said.

"I came across the line and saw my name on the big screen and I was in first place. I'm just happy."

Canada's Andre de Grasse wins 200-meter gold

Andre de Grasse of Canada has won the Olympic gold medal in the men's 200 meters five years after finishing second to Usain Bolt, ending a string of close calls for the 26-year-old.

De Grasse won in a national-record time of 19.62 seconds, holding off two Americans for the medals.

Kenneth Bednarek won silver in a personal-best 19.68 seconds, and 2019 world champion and race favorite Noah Lyles took bronze in 19.74. Erriyon Knighton, the youngest member of the U.S. men's track team at 17, placed fourth in 19.93.

De Grasse has now filled out a medal collection that was missing only a gold. He won bronze four nights earlier in the 100 meters to go with the third-place medal he took in Rio de Janeiro. He also won a silver in the 200 in Rio, when he famously challenged Bolt in the semifinal -- drawing a playful finger wag -- before being blown away by the Jamaican champion in the final.

Given all he has been through, it was no surprise when De Grasse revealed that he had been crying behind the bronze-colored shades he wore for the race.

"It's my first time being so emotional on the track," said De Grasse, the first sprint gold medalist for Canada since Donovan Bailey won the 100 at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. "I always thought I came up short winning bronze and silver, so it's just good to have that gold medal. No one can take that away from me."

Lyles made a mistake the night before in the semifinals, slowing down too far before the line, getting edged out for the two automatic spots and being forced to wait to see if his time would earn him a qualifying spot.

It cost him in the final. Forced to start in Lane 3, Lyles pushed out too quickly. He had the lead heading into the homestretch but had nothing more to give.

American and World Record Holder Keira D’Amato Confirmed For 2021 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile

World Record holder Keira D’Amato will be wearing a third hat throughout the upcoming Credit Union Cherry Blossom race weekend — that of race committee member. But her clear focus will be on improving upon the record setting 10-mile time of 51:23 that she ran at the Up Dawg Ten Miler in Washington DC’s Anacostia Park in a women’s only invitational race. The event was organized by the Credit Union Cherry Blossom race committee members last November at a time when mass participation road races had ceased and had been replaced by a tiny number of elite only “micro-events.” Keira’s time was ratified as the American record by USATF last December and as the World Record by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians in July. 

On September 12th, D’Amato will be joined on the starting line by many of the best American female distance runners as they race for the 2021 USATF 10 Mile Championships Presented by Toyota. The women will start at 7:18 a.m., while the elite men’s field will be sent off at 7:30 a.m. The early start for women removes any questions of pacing or other assistance by men and qualifies the winner for a single-sex women’s only record. When the U.S. men take off 12 minutes later, they, too, will be in pursuit of the 2021 USATF 10 Mile Championships as well as the men’s American 10 mile record of 45:54 set by Galen Rupp last fall. Rupp’s time bettered the American Record of 46:13 set by Greg Meyer at the 1983 Cherry Blossom. (Updated entries to both the men’s and women’s fields will be provided in mid-August and in the week leading up to the race.)

The prize pool for the 2021 USATF 10 Mile Championships totals $26,000 for men and women. An additional $10,000 bonus will be awarded if a man or woman breaks the American Records of sub-45:54 and sub-51:23 respectively (the bonus will be split if both the first American man and first American woman break the record). International elite runners will be part of the field competing for an additional $20,000 in prize money, and American runners can double-dip on American and International prize money if they finish in the top-10 overall. Should a World Record be set, there will be an additional $10,000 bonus paid (split if both the winning male and female break the record).

In other news, race organizers have confirmed that Metro will be providing the event with a special dispensation by opening at 5:00 a.m. on race day, three hours earlier than the usual Sunday morning opening time. This will make taking Metro to the event possible (riders will be required to pay the usual travel costs).

“Metro has truly provided a gift to all our runners and volunteers by initiating Sunday operations at 5 a.m., making it the best way to travel to and from the staging area on the Washington Monument Grounds,” said event director Phil Stewart. “We greatly appreciate Metro’s support to the DC-area community as everyone emerges from the pandemic. Metro has truly opened doors and made our lives better.”

Finally, registration for the 2021 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile and 5K Run-Walk will close on August 15th.

The 2021 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Runs mark the 20th year of title sponsorship by Credit Union Miracle Day. Since 2002, over $10 million has been raised for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, including $439,000 in 2020. Of that $439,000, $66,000 came from runners donating their entry fees instead of asking for a refund when race weekend in our Nation’s Capital was wiped out by Covid-19. 

About the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile:

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, organized by Cherry Blossom, Inc., a 501c(3) chapter of the Road Runners Club of America, is known as “The Runner’s Rite of Spring®” in the Nation’s Capital. The staging area for the event is on the Washington Monument Grounds, and the course passes in sight of all of the major Washington, DC Memorials. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a consortium of 170 premier children’s hospitals across North America. About one-third of the funds raised support Washington, DC’s own Children’s National (“Children’s Hospital”). The event also funds the Road Runners Club of America’s “Roads Scholar” program, designed to support up-and-coming U.S. distance running talent.

Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc., a consortium of credit unions and credit union suppliers in partnership with CUNA Mutual Group, PCSU and CO-OP Financial Services, is the title sponsor of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, 5K Run-Walk and Kids’ Run. Additional sponsorship comes from ASICS, Garmin Gatorade, Medstar Health and Potomac River Running.

The event is a proud member of the PRRO Circuit (PRRO.org), a series of major non-marathon prize money road races in Tampa, FL; Washington, DC; Spokane, WA; and Utica, NY. The circuit is committed to a drug-free sport and funds drug testing at all circuit events in compliance with the standards of international and U.S. drug testing authorities.

In addition to being sanctioned by USA Track & Field and the Road Runners Club of America, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Run has earned Gold Level Inspire Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport in recognition of its legacy of commitment to sustainability and thoughtful resource management. To learn more, visit www.cherryblossom.org and follow the event on social media @CUCB and #CUCB2021.

Molly Seidel will Run the Falmouth Road Race for Charity Tommy's Place

Organizers of the 49th annual ASICS Falmouth Road Race, one of America’s premier running events of the summer season, today announced that on the heels of her competition in Tokyo, U.S. Olympic marathon runner, Molly Seidel, will travel to Cape Cod to participate in this year’s race.

As part of her participation, Seidel will be the official race starter and then join the field as the very last runner. For every runner that she passes along the 7-mile course, Falmouth Road Race, Inc. will donate $1 to Tommy’s Place, a vacation home in Falmouth for kids fighting cancer.

The 2021 Olympic marathoner will run the ASICS Falmouth Road Race alongside her sister, Isabel, as a post-Olympic celebration.  

“We are very excited to have Molly Seidel join us in person for the 49th running of the ASICS Falmouth Road Race,” said Scott Ghelfi, president of the Falmouth Road Race, Inc. Board of Directors. “Over the years, we have been very fortunate to welcome so many accomplished runners to our race. We are honored that Molly has chosen to join us as part of her post-Olympic plans, while agreeing to start the race last to raise money for Tommy’s Place, named after our race founder, Tommy Leonard, to honor his legacy. It really doesn’t get much better than that. We wish her the best of luck in Tokyo and look forward to cheering her on during the women’s marathon on August 6 and to personally welcoming her to Falmouth for what we believe will be another incredible road race.”

Seidel’s running career accomplishments include: 

2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon, 2nd  

2019  Cape Cod Marathon “Half,” 1st

2018 USATF Cross Country Championships, 2nd

2018 USATF Road Running Championships 15K, 3rd 

2017 USATF Road Running Championships 5K, 2nd 

2016 NCAA Indoor Championships, 3000m, 1st 

2016 NCAA Indoor Championships 5000m, 1st 

2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships 10,000m, 1st 

The in-person running of the 49th annual ASICS Falmouth Road Race will take place on Sunday, August 15, 2021. In addition to this year’s in-person event, the 49th ASICS Falmouth Road Race will feature a virtual SBLI Kids At-Home Challenge and the race’s At-Home Edition, where participants will lace up their running shoes and go 7 miles in their own neighborhoods between August 7 – 14.

For nearly 50 years, Falmouth Road Race, Inc. has promoted health, wellness and pride in the community. In these unprecedented and uncertain times, the organization is striving to be consistent in its mission, continuing to provide its dedicated athletes, enthusiasts, and the community with an event to be proud of and one that supports people in need.

For more information on the ASICS Falmouth Road Race, please visit www.falmouthroadrace.com

USA's Sydney McLaughlin breaks world record at Tokyo

Sydney McLaughlin broke her world record Wednesday and won the Olympic 400-meter hurdles gold, finishing in 51.46 seconds in yet another close victory over U.S. teammate Dalilah Muhammad.

McLaughlin came from behind after the last hurdle to top the defending Olympic champion. Muhammad's time of of 51.58 also beat McLaughlin's old record of 51.9, set at Olympic trials last month.

Femke Bol of the Netherlands finished third.

For McLaughlin, it was a muted celebration. She sat on the ground, gave a serious look toward the scoreboard, got up and sanitized her hands, then accepted a congratulatory hug from Muhammad.

Amazing as it was, this world record didn't really surprise anyone.

McLaughlin and Muhammad have been trading the record, and the wins, for two years. Muhammad first broke the mark at U.S. Nationals in 2019, then lowered it again. to 52.16, at the world championships in Doha.

McLaughlin broke that record earlier this summer at Olympic trials, running her 51.90 to become the first woman to crack 52 seconds.

It felt inevitable that the mark would go down again on a fast track in perfect, hot-and-humid running conditions in Tokyo.

The day before, Karsten Warholm crushed his old world record, finishing the men’s race in 45.94, and runner-up Rai Benjamin’s 46.17 also beat the old mark.

It was a lot to live up to for the women, whose race was even more eagerly anticipated. They lived up to the hype.

Peruth Chemutai became the first Ugandan woman to win an Olympic gold medal in any sport when she triumphed in the women's 3,000m steeplechase on Wednesday

The 22-year-old clocked a time of 9:01.45 to finish over three seconds ahead of American silver medalist Courtney Frerichs with Kenya's Hyvin Kiyeng taking the bronze.

"I'm so happy and proud of myself. It was a good race - I enjoyed myself and I enjoyed the weather," Chemutai said, referring to the heat in Tokyo.

Chemutai's triumph was only the third Olympic gold won by Uganda in any sport -- after John Akii-Bua's 400m hurdles win in 1972 and Stephen Kiprotich's victory in the 2012 marathon.

She moved in front early in the race before Frerichs took the initiative with three laps to go, pulling away from the field.

But Chemutai responded to the challenge and overtook the American on the last lap before crossing the line 3.34 seconds ahead of her.

Frerichs became the second American woman to win an Olympic steeplechase medal after Emma Coburn, who claimed bronze in Rio in 2016.

Coburn fell with two laps left and finished 14th before being disqualified but her team mate Frerichs was delighted with her silver after nearly missing the Games due to illness.

"I was prepared to have to take it early and make it a hard race. It's really difficult to put yourself out there like that and I definitely had some fear to overcome but I knew I'd walk away with no regrets if I really laid it all out there," she said.

Kenyan world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech finished seventh, leaving her country still without a gold medal in the women's event.

Kenyans have dominated the Olympic men's 3,000m steeplechase, winning nine gold medals in a row before losing their crown to Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali in Tokyo.

Chepkoech said she was far from at her best physically.

"I have an injury and it was so tight. I didn't even react, it's painful," she said.

"My aim was to win the race, but because of the injury, my mind was not here. It was so painful.

"I have problems with two tendons and a hamstring, low back and the stomach. I got injured before our trials in Kenya and it has been so tight since, I tried to nurse it, but it couldn't respond," she added.

Bronze medalist Kiyeng had won silver in Rio.

17-years old, Erriyon Knighton just became the youngest ever man to qualify for the 200m final at the Olympics

What’s more, the American stormed his heat, cruising to victory and inspiring hopes of a medal on Wednesday.

Having registered 19.84 in June, the teenager is officially the fourth-fastest man in the field, making a place on the podium a genuine possibility.

Bolt’s legendary world record time of 19.19 is probably safe at these Games – but for how much longer?

The Jamaican, who won an astonishing eight gold medals over three Olympics, has already seen one of his many records broken by Knighton.

Earlier this year, the American ran 19.88 in the Olympic trials, setting a new junior world record for an Under-18 – which he has since broken himself.

The previous mark had stood for 17 years, set by a 17-year-old Bolt in 2004, which means we can loosely say that Knighton is faster than the Jamaican was at this age.

Moreover, Knighton was barely trying as he crossed the line at the trials, begging the question of what the American might be capable of if he sprints through the finish.

And if it’s not this year, many expect the youngster to step into the big shoes of Bolt one day in the future.

Knighton certainly has the personality to match the larger-than-life character that went alongside the Jamaican’s incredible achievements on the track.

Don’t forget, Bolt was 21 when he arrived at Beijing 2008 – and Knighton is already ahead of that iconic curve.

The wild and crazy men’s1500m at Tokyo Olympics

In heat one Belgium’s Ismael Debjani won to be fastest overall in 3:36.00 with a 53.4 last lap, just ahead of world champion Timothy Cheruiyot (3:36.01), Oliver Hoare (3:36.09), US trials winner Cole Hocker (3:36.16), Abdelatif Sadiki (3:36.23) and Michal Rozmys (3:36.28) who qualified automatically.

Rozmys had been six tenths of a second behind Kerr as he hit the straight but ran a 12.9 last 100m to the Scot’s 13.5 to catch him on the line, meaning the British champion missed out on automatic qualification by one hundredth of a second as he struggled in the closing stages.

Kerr said: “I was really frustrated with my positioning and there was some shoving and I made a hard move at 500m to go. Then, at 200m to go, I felt I was going to pay for this in the home stretch. I was just trying to stay focused and push all the way, but it just wasn’t a good run for me. I am fit and ready and I have had no problems. There are just no excuses for that. I just raced it badly.”

Kerr must have been relieved as heat two was run at nowhere near the same pace. The field ambled through 400m in 62.4 and 800m in 2:02.9, only really coming to life on the last lap as Kenyan Abel Kipsang covered it in 52.8 to win in 3:40.68.

Second was defending champion Matt Centrowitz (3:41.12), just ahead of Wightman (3:41.18) who ran his last 400m in 53.2 and 200m in 26.3. Also qualifying easily were Azeddine Habz (3:41.24), Samuel Zeleke (3:41.63) and Charles Grethen (3:41.92).

Marcin Lewandowski fell on the last lap and he jogged home but was added to the qualifiers by the judges after the event.

Wightman said: “It’s the most nerve-racking round, isn’t it? You’re worried you’re going to be embarrassed. I’m glad I managed to stay on my feet and get through. I had a smooth enough ride. I think I got a spike wound, had a few pushes but there was the fall which I’m glad I didn’t even notice until the end.

“The heats are the worst, because you’ve come all this way and no-one wants to get knocked out in the heat or expects to get knocked out in the heat, so you just want to get past and know how you are running to get through to the semi-final.”

The third heat was faster but, with six fastest loser spots, it did mean there would have to be 12 quicker than 3:36.29 for Kerr to exit and, in the end, there were only two.

The first lap was a slow 61.7 before Stewart McSweyn kicked on. The Australian completed the second lap in a lively 56.9 and the third in a top class 55.1, with only Heyward still in contact as the pair went through 1200m in 2:53.7 and 2:53.9, holding a big gap over the pack led by Robert Farken in 2:55.1.

Heyward passed McSweyn in the straight and won clearly in 3:36.14, having eased around his last lap in 55.9 and covered his last 1200m inside 2:50. Ethiopia’s Tedesse Lemi, who had been 12th at the bell, ran a 53.9 last lap to finish second in 3:36.26 and he had covered his last 1200m in 2:48.9.

McSweyn (3:36.39), Jakob Ingebrigtsen (an anonymous 3:36.49), Farken (3:36.71) and Adel Mechaal (3:36.74) completed the automatic qualifiers.

Double Olympic medallist Nick Willis (3:36.88), Andrew Coscoran (3:37.11), Ayanleh Souleiman (3:37.25) and Kenyan trials winner Charles Simotwo (3:37.26) qualified by time as they joined Kerr and Ignacio Fontes (3:36.95) as fastest losers.

Soufiane El Bakkali, who won the 3000m steeplechase title the previous day, was in contention until 200m to go but pulled out.

Heyward said: “I don’t think it could have gone much better. Safely through, that’s the main thing. You have to have a few scenarios, you have to be versatile. It could be fast, could be slow, so you’ve got to be ready for that. I think I always give my best performances in championships and I hope that showed a glimpse of what I can do.

“You can’t take anything for granted at the Olympics, you’ve got to be prepared for anything, and I was prepared to run super hard today, so that was my mindset going in. Luckily because I didn’t have to run that hard it felt quite comfortable, so it was good.”

BAA will Highlight Indigenous Runners At This Year's Marathon

The Boston Athletic Association says it will celebrate Native Americans during this year's Boston Marathon, which is being held on Indigenous People's Day.

The announcement comes after members of Brookline's Select Board criticized the BAA for scheduling the race on the holiday, also known as Columbus Day.

The BAA said in a statement that it will highlight indigenous people who have participated in past marathons and that it will work with Indigenous peoples' committees along the marathon route.

"As our planning to organize the road race progresses, we look forward to a continuing collaboration with many — including Indigenous Peoples groups — to best highlight the unique characteristics of this year’s October marathon," the BAA said.

Athing Mu wins gold for U.S. in women’s 800 meters

Athing Mu solidified herself as one of America’s brightest stars, winning gold in the Women’s 800 final on Tuesday.

Mu crossed the finish line in 1:55.21 seconds to capture the title. American Raevyn Rogers took bronze with a time of 1:56.81 Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson took the silver medal with a time of 1:55.88.

The 19-year-old Trenton, N.J. native whose parents came to the U.S. from Sudan, became the youngest American woman to win an individual Olympic track and field gold medal since Wyomia Tyus in the 100m at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Mu dominated the competition from the moment she stepped on the track in Tokyo. Mu posted a time of 2:01.10 in Round 1 and 1:58.07 in the semifinal, finishing first in both heats. 

She entered Tokyo as the gold medal favorite and set multiple collegiate indoor and outdoor records in the 800m, 400m and 4x400m relay as a freshman at Texas A&M and turned pro shortly before the Olympic trials in June.

Mu will now have her name written in the history books forever as an Olympic champion.

Norway´s Karsten Warholm breaks the 400m hurdles world record at the Tokyo Olympic Games

Nearly two and a half hours have passed since Karsten Warholm blasted across the finish line of the Olympic 400m hurdles final and the sporting world is still trying to grasp what it had witnessed at Tokyo's National Stadium on Tuesday (3) afternoon.

Thirty-three days ago, the Norwegian broke the world record in the event which had stood for nearly 29 years, clocking 46.70. This morning he won the most anticipated face-off of the 2020 Olympic Games by obliterating that mark with an unfathomable 45.94* performance to rip another 0.76 from his own world record.

Adequate superlatives don't yet exist to describe the magnitude of what the 25-year-old has just accomplished – world records over one lap of the track simply don't get smashed by the margin that Warholm managed to concoct this morning. For now, calling this the finest race in athletics history will have to suffice.

Indeed, all the more astounding is that Warholm had Rai Benjamin, his chief rival, for company for nearly those entire 45.94 seconds. Benjamin crossed the line in 46.17, itself an extraordinary performance that would have shattered the previous world record. Illustrating the race’s extraordinary depth, Alison dos Santos of Brazil finished a well-beaten third in 46.72, a performance that would have broken the world record just over a month ago.

Nearly three decades had passed before someone managed to chip 0.08 from Kevin Young's legendary mark set at the 1992 Olympics. Today's performance eclipsed that by nearly a full second, blasting the record into sub-46 territory, something utterly incomprehensible – until today.

Even Warholm looked at the scoreboard in disbelief as he powered down after crossing the line, his jaw dropping, eyes popping. The only obvious reaction was to rip open his singlet and let out a series of roars.

“It's so crazy,” Warholm said. “This is by far the biggest moment of my life.”

To the former, Benjamin concurred.

“I don’t think Usain Bolt’s 9.5 was better than this,” he said, referring to Usain Bolt’s 9.58 100m world record set in 2009.

The pair – Benjamin in lane five, Warholm in six – set off on an aggressive pace, marking clear distance on the field by the second hurdle. Warholm chiseled together a visible advantage by the third barrier and carried a clear lead into the final bend. But Benjamin didn't panic.

Warholm led as the pair entered the final straight, but wasn't gaining ground as they approached hurdle nine. Benjamin managed to chip away at the lead and nearly caught Warholm at the final hurdle, but that surge cost him, leaving him drained as he landed, unable to respond as Warholm began to pull away.

Runner’s nutrition highlights from the ACSM annual meeting

The American College of Sports Medicine (www.ACSM.org) is a professional organization with more than 17,400 members who are doctors, dietitians, psychologists, exercise physiologists, and other health professionals who work with athletic people. At ACSM’s 2021 Annual Meeting in June, members shared their knowledge and latest research. Here are just a few sports nutrition highlights that might be of interest to runners.

• Male cyclists often have weaker bones than runners, in part because they are not doing weight-bearing exercise. Bone loss has also been seen in NCAA male basketball players—as much as 6% bone loss in a year. Why? The decline might be related to calcium lost in sweat. Hence, runners who sweat heavily might be wise to consume more calcium-rich foods. Chocolate milk for a recovery drink?

• Weight-conscious runners who are Intermittent Fasting commonly skip breakfast. Breakfast skippers tend to be less physically active; they do not lose more body fat than breakfast eaters. No harm in fueling up for an active day!

• Whether you are a collegiate athlete, a CrossFit fan, or a gym rat, you can experience similar changes in body fat. No one exercise or exercise setting is superior to another. Hard work creates the desired results, regardless of where you train.

• Global warming means outdoor runners will be spending more time exercising in the heat—and that can take its toll on performance. To beat the heat, try pre-cooling your body by draping a towel dipped in ice water around your neck. You can also put ice packs on your thighs for 20 minutes. Dropping your body temperature pre-run can help you perform better during subsequent exercise.

• To reduce heat stress, up can also cool yourself from the inside out by consuming ice slurries before and during your run.

• Elementary school children at a soccer camp trained for two hours in the morning and again in the afternoon. In the morning, the fluid station was set up beside the pitch.  The kids drank too little. In the afternoon, the kids each brought a personal water bottle inside the pitch. They drank enough to replace sweat losses. That simple change helped safeguard these 2nd and 3rd graders. All summer athletes should have water readily available.

• Even national-level male soccer players can struggle to consume enough fluids. On Day One of urine testing, 90% of the players were significantly dehydrated. None were well hydrated. Continuously monitoring hydration status nudged the players to drink more fluids. If you are exercising in the heat, be sure to drink enough so that your first morning urine is not dark and smelly!

•  Parents: Keep your eyes open for eating disorders in your young athletes. Among 2,109 middle school runners (1,252 boys; 857 girls), 1.5% reported a clinical history of eating disorder, or they met the criteria for elevated dietary restraint. Compared to the “normal” eaters, the restrained eaters were more likely to skip meals (68% vs 6%), follow a vegetarian diet (55% vs 13%) and use dietary supplements (84% vs 25%). They also reported running slower and recovering slower. Youth athletes should be taught to focus on fueling to grow and perform—and stop skimping on food to be lighter or leaner.

• Spirulina is a popular supplement that has been shown to have antioxidant and performance enhancing properties. A study that involves muscle-damaging exercise suggests spirulina supplementation (6 grams/day) did not offer any benefits in terms of muscle performance or recovery from muscle damage.

•Not all athletes respond to ergogenic (energy-enhancing) sports supplements in the same way. A study with beta-alanine suggests differences in benefits were related more to sleep habits, motivation, nutrition, and training schedules – and less to the supplement itself. Hence, athletes are more likely to respond positively to a supplement if they create supportive lifestyles. No amount of supplements will compensate for an erosive lifestyle.

• To my dismay, nutrition is not always the winning edge. In the past five years, numerous track & field world records have been broken—not because of better nutrition but rather a new style of shoes that reduces effort. Regardless, I recommend you keep eating wisely and fueling well!

Kenya´s Olympic Steeple Streak Broken by Soufiane El Bakkali of Morroco

Two-time world medalist Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, fourth at the Rio Games, found an extra gear near the final water jump to claim men’s steeplechase gold, becoming the first non-Kenyan to win the event since 1980.

El-Bakkali won in 8 minutes, 8.90 seconds on a wet track at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. He finished well clear of Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia, who took the silver.

Benjamin Kigen claimed a bronze for Kenya after Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale, who was third heading to the final straight, fell. Wale struggled back to his feet and clung on for fourth.

The 25-year-old el-Bakkali was fourth at the last Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and on the podium at the last two world championships, but this was his first major title.

Kenya’s Conseslus Kipruto, the leading star of the steeplechase, didn’t defend his Olympic title in Tokyo after failing to make the Kenyan team at the national trials.

Siffan Hassan has won at the 5,000 meters and now looks to the 1,500 and 10,000

Six races in eight days on the Tokyo track? No problem, says Sifan Hassan, who overcame a Monday morning fall in the 1500m heats to win 5000m gold in the evening.

How about 24,500 meters of Olympic racing in the matter of eight days?

The Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan has said she’ll try it, competing in each of the 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m races at Tokyo 2020, a line-up rarely seen – especially in the hot conditions athletics runners are facing at these Games.

“For me it is crucial to follow my heart,” said Hassan in a press release. “Doing that is far more important than gold medals. That keeps me motivated and it keeps me enjoying this beautiful sport.”

Having already run on Friday (July 30) to qualify for the 5000m final, Hassan fell with a lap to go in Monday morning's 1500m first round, but picked herself up to win the heat!

Just 12 hours later, Hassan produced her famed finishing kick to take her first global title over 5000m and her first Olympic medal.

That may have been the hardest of three with the mile world record holder completing a 1500m-10,000m double at the 2019 World Championships.

See her full schedule below – and find out what other similar feats have been attempted in athletics in Games past, as you get to know the distance running star.

Born in Ethiopia in 1993, Hassan arrived in the Netherlands as a 15-year-old refugee in 2008. She split her time between running and studying to become a nurse.

She became a Dutch citizen in late 2013, which allowed her to represent the Netherlands in competition.

As early as 2011, Hassan began making her mark on the international stage, winning the Eindhoven Half Marathon that year. In 2013, she won the 3000m at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting in June.

At the 2014 European Championships in Zurich, Hassan took gold in the 1500m and a year later, she won bronze in the 1500m at the World Championships in Beijing, joining Dafne Schippers as the only Dutch athletes to win medals at the Worlds.

She had clearly established herself as one to watch ahead of Rio 2016, though injuries hampered her build-up to those Games, where she went out in the heats in the 800m but reached the final of the 1500m, where she finished fifth behind Kenya’s gold medalist Faith Kipyegon.

Has anyone tried such an Olympic programme before? Let’s compare it with two great long-distance feats at Olympic Games.

According to  The Guardian, Paavo Nurmi went for four at Paris 1924: Nurmi won the men's 1500m, 5000m, and 3000m team event – as well as two cross-country events – but “Finnish officials feared for his health and refused to let him race the 10,000m.”

The 1500, 3000 and 5000 happened over a span of just five days.

At Helsinki 1952, Czechoslovakia’s Emil Zatopek won the 5000m, 10,000m, and marathon (42km) – all in Olympic records. Those four races (a semi and a final for the 5000), took place over eight days.

After Rio, Hassan joined Alberto Salazar’s training group in Oregon, keeping her focus largely on the 1500m. She was fifth again (behind Kipyegon) in the 1500m at the 2017 World Championships in London and took bronze in the 5000m with another Kenyan, Hellen Obiri, winning gold.

In 2019, after a quiet season to start, she set a new mile world record at the Monaco Diamond League in 4:12.33.

At the World Championships in Doha, she entered the 10,000m having only ran the race competitively just once before. But Hassan closed down Letesenbet Gidey before sprinting clear on the last lap to take her first global title.

A week later, she showed her versatility by winning the 1500m to complete a unique double at Worlds.

After worlds, it was announced that her coach, Salazar, would be suspended from athletics due to doping allegations. Hassan denied any knowledge of wrongdoing.

She continued to perform at the top level after his suspension: She set the aforementioned mile world record in 2019, then ran the fourth fastest 10,000m ever before setting a new world record at that distance in June of 2021. (That record was broken two days later, by Gidey.)

Hassan will almost certainly fight it out with Gidey for gold in the 10,000, but the Dutch runner’s famed finishing kick gives her a great chance of adding the Olympic title to her world title.

Here’s a breakdown of Hassan’s potential schedule, having already advance through into the final of the 5000m on Monday night (Aug 2).

Fri 30 July 19:00 JST - 5000m semi-finals – Finished 1st, to reach final.

Mon 2 August 09:47 JST - 1500m round 1 - Finished 1st in heat despite falling, to reach semi-finals.

Mon 2 August 21:40 JST - 5000m final

Wed 4 August around 17:00 JST - 1500m semi-finals.

Fri 6 August 21:50 JST - 1500m final (if she qualifies)

Sat 7 August 19:45 JST - 10,000m final.

Here's everything you need to know about the Tokyo Olympics marathon

The men's Olympics marathon is traditionally held on the very last day of competition, with the women's race staged a day earlier. 

Both events will be starting early in the morning to avoid the heat, with the women running on Saturday, August 7 and the men racing on Sunday, August 8. 

Here's everything you need to know about the Tokyo Olympics marathon.

WHEN IS THE TOKYO OLYMPICS MARATHON? 

The women's race will be held on Saturday, August 7.

The men's race will be run on Sunday, August 8.

WHO IS RUNNING THE OLYMPIC MARATHON? 

There are a number of high-profile runners who won't feature in Tokyo, with Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele topping that list. 

It is still a packed field though, with defending Olympic champion and current world record holder Eliud Kipchoge set to run. 

Kipchoge will be joined on a formidable Kenyan team by Lawrence Cherono and Amos Kipruto.

Ethiopia will be represented by Lelisa Desisa, Shura Kitata and Sisay Lemma, while Rio 2016 bronze medalist Galen Rupp is back representing America. 

In the women's race, it's hard to go past world record-holder Brigid Kosgei of Kenya. 

Kosgei will be joined by 2019 marathon world champion Ruth Chepngetich and two-time world half-marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir in Kenyan colours. 

The Ethiopian trio of Birhane Dibaba, Roza Dereje and Zeineba Yimer will also be in the mix and are all capable of comfortably running under 2:20. 

RIO 2016 OLYMPICS MARATHON WINNER

Eliud Kipchoge stormed to a memorable victory in the rain in Rio, finishing ahead of Ethiopia's Feyisa Lelisa and American Galen Rupp. 

In the women's race, Kenyan Jemima Sumgong won gold in front of Eunice Kirwa and Mare Dibaba. 

The Truth About Alcohol And Endurance Sports

Just like Sunday brunch with friends and happy hour with coworkers, the post-run drink has become a uniting ritual for runners. An Instagram search for hashtags #willrunforbeer and #runforwine reveals thousands of photos of smiling, sweaty runners-many of them women-downing frosty pints of beer or clutching super-sized glasses of wine. Promotion for everything from casual neighborhood brewery runs and Rose 5Ks to large-scale destination races like the Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon only amplify the message: alcohol is a justifiable reward for hard-run miles, and alcohol and exercise go hand-in-hand for many.

Many of the races, like the Zooma series and Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend, explicitly bill themselves as girls' weekend getaways, complete with luxury accommodations, elaborate swag bags, and post-event parties with free flowing wine, beer, and other libations. In addition, much of the running merchandise targeted to women is branded with catchy, alcohol-related slogans like "Run All the Miles, Drink all the Wine" and "Will Run for Beer." Not to mention all the other ways alcohol and exercise are becoming entwined: think beer yoga and wine hikes; FitVine's collab with Barry's Bootcamp; Sunday sip and spins with mimosa bars post-spin class.

But just as women are closing the gender gap in road race participation, comprising just over 60% of all race finishers in 2019, recent studies also show that women are closing the gender gap when it comes to alcohol consumption-and not in a good way. According to a 2019 study, women in their late teens and early 20s now report drinking and getting drunk at higher rates than their male peers, and pandemic-related anxiety, depression and stress have only exacerbated unhealthy drinking patterns for many.

And while for most people, a celebratory drink with friends after a group run or at the finish line is no more harmful than a sugar doughnut or indulgent brunch, how did alcohol-a mood-altering drug-become such an integral part of a sport that promotes health and wellness?

Racing as an experience

Just as running's second wave in the late 1990s and early 2000s dramatically increased women's participation in the sport, it also increased demand for destination and experiential races. From the launch of the pioneering Rock 'n' Roll series in the late 1990s to the women-centric Zooma and Disney Princess events that followed in the early 2000s, races became bigger and bolder, with on-course live music, branded merchandise, elaborate medals, and themed post-race parties serving everything from hot chocolate and cheese to bacon, pancakes, and of course, alcohol.

These unique race experiences appeal to seasoned runners like Cara Turano of Portland.

"I used to be really happy with a cool medal or t-shirt, but you can only have so many medals and shirts," she explains. "Perks like finishing in a beer garden or bringing home wine glasses is a much more memorable experience."

Turano ran the Bordeaux Marathon a few years ago to celebrate her 35th birthday and honor her mom's passing.

"The race included 24 wine stops over 26.2 miles, and it was the most amazing, festive, and supportive experience with 10,000 runners from around the world, all in costume, running pretty slowly through rolling vineyards in the gorgeous South of France," she recalls, adding that destination races are "a great way to combine a passion for running with one for travel."

Similarly, Nina Santus, a board member of Athens Road Runners in Georgia, frequently travels to races, choosing an experience based on personal interests or connections to a specific cause.

"I ran the Marine Corps Marathon because my brother was in the Marine Corps," she explains. "I'm also a big wine person, so if I can find a race where I can run and see the vineyards and enjoy food and drink afterward, I will do it." Santus plans to run the Marathon du Medoc next fall and has run alcohol-centric races like the Dirty Spokes Chateau Elan Muscadine Run and the Ales for Trails Terrapin Beer 5K, closer to home.

"I don't participate in beer miles where you have to chug things or get sick or be drunk, but I do support the idea of food and beverage to help bring more folks out for camaraderie and the sport of running," she continues.

For race director Tes Sobomehin Marshall, founder of Run Social Atlanta, that camaraderie is baked into her company's mission. With runs and races that launch or end near local businesses ranging from breweries and restaurants to physical therapy studios, athletic-wear stores, and entertainment-focused venues like Top Golf, the company markets itself to "both the competitive runner and the 'I just want a shirt and a beer' person," explains Marshall.

When she first started organizing races in 2012, Marshall realized "people were coming and spending 30 minutes running the race, and then another two to three hours socializing after." She finds her laid-back, social, and neighborhood-centric approach to racing "more accessible to people who wouldn't otherwise run and more fun for people who've been running for a while."

Atlantan Audrey Ward, who started running earlier this year, appreciates low-key, social races.

"As a newer runner, just getting my shoes on and out the door can be intimidating," she says. "Having a good time with people who just like to run (and maybe to cheers with afterward) takes the pressure off what can be a super-competitive sport."

According to Santus, the 300-400 member Athens Road Runners keeps its events approachable to make runners like Ward feel included.

In addition to Saturday morning training runs and Wednesday morning track workouts, the group regularly runs to local breweries or restaurants with events branded as "Taco Tuesday" and also gathers informally for popsicles, beer, or fizzy waters.

The social activities are designed to make "everyone feel welcome, no matter their pace," and to "break down the illusion that all runners are snobby and fast," she explains.

Terri Huggins, a New Jersey-based writer and fitness instructor, understands that alcohol can be a powerful incentive to attract newcomers who may be intimidated by an unfamiliar sport or activity.

Whether a gym class or a road race, "including alcohol really helps with engagement, and one could argue that someone drinking after an event is far better than someone not working out at all," she says

But as road races ramp up again at the same time women report drinking more alcohol to cope with pandemic-related stressors like balancing work with child-rearing, caring for sick relatives, and a massive exodus from the workforce, should organizers moderate drink-related messaging?

Tracy Green, a sub three-hour marathoner from Louisville who took an extended break from drinking alcohol last year, says yes.

"We know thinking of exercise as punishment or as a response to negative body image can be mentally unhealthy, and we know that alcohol can make issues like depression and anxiety worse-so coupling those two things together at a race is probably not the best thing we could be doing for mental health," she explains.

And while Huggins imbibes on occasion, she says that "in a time when so many people are unaware of what it means to drink in moderation, people in the fitness industry have an obligation to educate their participants on how alcohol can affect recovery, sleep, and metabolism."

The experts agree.

According to Dr. George F. Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, for "people who are exhausted from running, mildly dehydrated, and have empty stomachs, one serving of alcohol could be much riskier than it seems"-especially if driving home after an event.

Even if booze is an integral part of your racing group or event, Koob suggests being mindful that many people "turn to exercise as part of recovery from an alcohol use disorder," and that "these folks might be uncomfortable or left out if other runners celebrate the finish of a race with alcohol."

Keeping alcohol in a separate area of an expo or finish line celebration is one way to offer libations without explicitly excluding those who don't drink, says Back on My Feet CEO Katy Sherratt. And since alcohol is hyper-present at road races, it can provide a "real-world scenario" for those with addictions to maintain sobriety, as long as they have a strong support network.

And even those who do drink alcohol on occasion may opt to skip the post-race beer in favor of healthier beverages, like recovery shakes and smoothies, kombucha, and sparkling water.

"Give me a fancy, fizzy mineral water after a hot race instead of a beer any day," says Green.

Professional runner and Olympian Molly Seidel enjoys non-alcoholic beers from Connecticut-based Athletic Brewing Company after a hard training session.

"I love that it's hoppy and actually tastes like an IPA, plus I get some good carbs out of it without alcohol impacting my training," she says.

The rapid growth in the non-alcoholic beer and spirits market, combined with growing interest in booze-free social movements like Dry January and Sober Curious, could be a unique opportunity for the racing industry to temper its alcohol-centric messaging.

And yes, a beer at the finish line is great, but as Dr. Koob puts it, "shouldn't completing the race be reward enough?"

Suspicious Fires Reported Along Olympic Marathon Course

A fire was discovered in Sapporo's Odori Park, start and finish point of the Tokyo Olympics women's and men's marathons. Smoke was seen coming from a stump in the park. Three days ago, another stump was found burning suspiciously in Nakajima Park near the marathon course's southernmost point.

Police received a call reporting the burning stump at around 10:00 a.m. on July 29. One of the people who helped put the fire out said, "The smoke was heavy and the fire wouldn't go out even when we poured water on it." Afterward the stump, located behind a public restroom in the Odori Park, appeared charred and blackened.

Several cigarette butts were found at the site, which is to host the Tokyo Olympic Games marathons on Aug. 7 and 8. On the evening of July 26 the other suspicious fire occurred outside the Hokkaido Prefectural Museum of Literature along the marathon course in Nakajima Park. A tree stump next to the sidewalk in front of the museum was found to be burning.

Jacobs stuns with Olympic 100m win as no one saw this coming

Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs, a former long jumper appearing in his first Olympics, stunned the field on Sunday (1) to claim the first men’s 100m gold medal of the post-Usain Bolt era.

Overlooked as a serious medal contender, the 26-year-old Jacobs clocked a European record of 9.80 to win Italy’s first ever Olympic 100m gold and claim the unofficial title of the world’s fastest man.

The Italian pulled in front after 60 meters and glanced to his right as he crossed the line in front of the USA's Fred Kerley, who took silver in a personal best 9.84, and Canada’s Andre De Grasse, who earned his second consecutive bronze in a PB of 9.89.

Three other runners also ran sub-10 seconds in the final: South Africa’s Akani Simbine finished fourth in 9.93, the USA's Ronnie Baker was fifth in 9.95 and China’s Su Bingtian was sixth in 9.98.

The pre-Olympic favorite, US champion and world-leader Trayvon Bromell, failed to qualify for the final.

In a race with no obvious favourites, Jacobs was still a major surprise.

The bald-headed, barrel-chested Italian did not come completely out of nowhere. He is the European indoor 60m champion and broke the Italian 100m record in May with a time of 9.95. But he chose the right time and place to announce himself on the world’s biggest stage.

“It’s a dream, it’s fantastic,” Jacobs said. “Maybe tomorrow I can imagine what people are saying, but today it is incredible.”

It was the first time since 2004 that gold in the marque event was won by someone other than Bolt, the Jamaican great who swept three consecutive 100m titles in Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro, as well as three straight 200m crowns.

Few would have predicted that the man to succeed Bolt on the top podium would be Jacobs, who became the first European to win the 100m at the Olympics since Britain’s Linford Christie in Barcelona in 1992.

Even his race rivals didn’t see Jacobs as much of a threat.

“I really didn’t know anything about him,” Kerley said.

De Grasse added: “I didn't expect that. I thought my main competition would have been the Americans, but definitely he came to play. He executed. He did his thing so congrats to him."

Jacobs is the first Italian to win a sprint event since Pietro Mennea took gold in the men’s 200m in 1980. And his time? The fastest in the men’s 100m by an athlete not from the US or Jamaica.

Jacobs’ victory capped a golden night for Italy, coming minutes after another Italian, Gianmarco Tamberi, shared gold in the men’s high jump with Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim. The two Italians embraced and celebrated together on the track.

“Being here together is something spectacular," Jacobs said. “I believe in him and I believed in myself.”

Jacobs’ story may not be known by the general public: He was born in El Paso, Texas, to an American father and Italian mother. He moved to Italy with his mother when he was one-year-old. Jacobs started out as a long jumper but, after a series of injuries, he changed to the sprints.

Signs that something special was about to happen in the final came earlier during the semifinals, which produced some stunning results, including a record-breaking heat in which three men ran under 9.85.

Su blazed to victory in the third heat in an Asian record 9.83 to become the first Chinese sprinter to reach an Olympic 100m final. Baker finished second with a personal best 9.83 and Jacobs was third in a European record 9.84. For good measure, Simbine clocked 9.90 to finish fourth in that heat.

Only twice previously had three men gone inside 9.85 in the same 100m race – the Olympic final in 2012 and the 2009 World Championships final in 2009.

Kerley (9.96) and Britain’s Zharnel Hughes (9.98) won the other two semifinals. Hughes was disqualified from the final after a false start.

Bromell missed out after finishing third in his heat in 10 seconds flat. He got off to a quick start and took the early lead but never found a second gear and was passed in the final metres by Nigeria’s Enoch Adegoke and Hughes.

There were signs that Bromell was not in medal-winning form a day earlier when he finished only fourth in his first-round heat in 10.05.

It was a stunning fall for Bromell, who had made a remarkable comeback to the top of the sport after tearing his achilles during the 4x100m relay at the 2016 Rio Games and being carried off the track in a wheelchair.

After two years out of the sport, Bromell worked his way back and established himself as the world’s top 100m sprinter. He clocked a world-leading 9.77 in June, the seventh-fastest time in history, then sealed his spot in Tokyo by winning the 100m at the US Olympic Trials in 9.80.

But since then he has not been his dominant self. Bromell’s 14-race winning streak was snapped when he finished fifth in Monaco in June in 10.01, his first race in Europe since 2016. He bounced back four days later with a victory in Gateshead, England, in 9.98 but still looked far from his best.

“I want to say thank you to everyone who's been with me on this journey,” Bromell said on Twitter on Sunday after failing to reach the Olympic final. “Lord knows how much I wanted to be in that final. BUT I walk away with a smile because I know I showed many that after four years out, you can still fight and make dreams come true.”

The day also marked the end of the Olympic career of Jamaica’s 31-year-old Yohan Blake, the 2011 world 100m champion who won silver at the 2012 Olympics and is a two-time Olympic relay gold medallist. Blake finished sixth in his semi-final in 10.14.

“Definitely my last Olympics,” Blake said. “You know track is not easy. I won't be ungrateful. I've gained a lot. I'm still the second fastest man in history, no one can take that away from me.”