Running News Daily

Napoli City Half Marathon is not being held live because of COVID-19

2020 has been a very hard year that has changed our lives, with our passion for running and well-being growing even stronger during these difficult times. Two months before the Napoli City Half Marathon we were ready to recreate the images that characterized one of the most beautiful half marathons in Italy, with over seven thousand participants from sixty countries around the world.

We were ready to welcome runners who would have run our event for the first time and others, who, year after year, are running with us and showing their passion for Naples and its half marathon. 

We were ready to welcome them and their families and hear their stories as they get to know or rediscover our beautiful city; running the Twingo Relay and the Family Run & Friends with the children.

At the same time, as much as passionate and motivated we are to build, after careful consultations with local and international (political and sports) institutions, we have to announce that due to the public health situation we are forced to cancel the Napoli City Half Marathon, originally scheduled on 28 February, 2021.

The safety of the runners is of utmost importance and we were guided by this absolute priority for our organization. Irrespective of this unfortunate development, we will remain close to the runners, we wish to motivate them to keep on running and training, and we want to share our passion and commitment. 

We are working on a digital event (virtual race + virtual expo) that will be announced in the coming weeks. All runners who have already registered for the Napoli City Half Marathon 2021 will have the options to:

1) Transfer their registration to the Napoli City Half Marathon 2022 sending an email to info@napolirunning.com with subject “Transfer registration to Napoli City Half Marathon 2022”

2) Request a full refund of the registration by sending an email to info@napolirunning.com - with subject line "Napoli City Half Marathon refund". This needs to be done within February 28, 2021 at the latest. 

3) Register for the Napoli City Half Marathon Virtual Race and ask, if due, for a refund of the difference in price between the cost of registration for the Napoli City Half Marathon and the cost of registration for the virtual event.

In this case, please send us an email to info@napolirunning.com - with subject "Napoli City Half Marathon 2021 digital".

We are looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Agnes Keleti is the oldest surviving Olympic Champion and she will celebrate her 100th brithday

This coming Saturday (January 9), a remarkable woman - and significant sporting figure - is due to reach the landmark of her 100th birthday.

Ágnes Keleti is the oldest surviving Olympic champion, having won 10 medals for Hungary in gymnastics at the Helsinki 1952 and Melbourne 1956 Games, including five golds. It is understood that she plans a modest celebration at her house in Budapest.

What makes Keleti’s sporting distinction even more impressive is that she did not get an opportunity to compete in the Olympics until she was 31, with the Second World War having put paid to the proposed 1940 and 1944 Games and injury having cruelly robbed her of the chance to take part in the London Games of 1948.

But Keleti faced challenges of a more profound nature during the War. Had it not been for her bravery, resourcefulness and luck she might have suffered the same fate as her father and other relatives in being killed by the Nazis.

Keleti had taken up gymnastics at the age of four, and she joined the VAC Sports Club, the only Jewish club in Hungary. At 16 she had won her first national title - she would go on to add nine more. As such Keleti looked a sure bet to be in the Hungarian team for the 1940 Olympics that were due to be held in Tokyo.

The war intervened, however, and in 1941, with Hungary fighting alongside Germany and Italy as part of the Axis powers, Keleti - born Agnes Klein - was expelled from her gymnastics club for being Jewish and was forced to go into hiding with her family in the countryside.

As conditions grew even more dangerous for her, she survived thanks in part to assuming a false identity and working as a maid. In 1944, when the Nazis occupied Hungary, she hastily married fellow gymnast István Sárkány, believing that it would make her less likely to be sent to a labour camp. They divorced in 1950.

Keleti’s father and uncles were among the 550,000 Hungarian Jews killed in Nazi concentration camps, perishing after being sent to Auschwitz.

Her mother and sister went into hiding and were saved by Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who found a place for them in Budapest in a "Swedish house". Keleti, left on her own, bought the identity papers of a Christian girl and spent the rest of the war working as a furrier and as a maid for a Nazi-sympathising family in a small Hungarian village.

Later Keleti worked in an ammunition factory and in the household of a German general stationed in the Hungarian capital. She reportedly smuggled the general’s leftover food to her sister and mother once a week.

In the winter of 1944-1945, during the Siege of Budapest by Soviet forces, Keleti would go out in the mornings to collect the bodies of those who had died and place them in a mass grave.

After the war Keleti, a talented musician, played the cello professionally and resumed her gymnastics career. She qualified for the 1948 Olympics in London, but missed the competition after tearing a ligament in her ankle. Thus she had to wait until 1952, in Helsinki, to start her Olympic career.

Keleti earned four medals, including gold in the floor exercise, and the following year she won a world title on uneven bars.

Four years later in Melbourne, Keleti became, aged 35, the oldest female gymnast to win gold as she earned victory in three of the four individual event finals - floor, bar and balance beam - and brought her Olympic medal collection to 10.

On October 8 this year, Keleti also became the oldest living Olympic medallist following the death at the age of 100 of John Russell, who won an equestrian team bronze with the United States at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Russell had become the oldest living Olympic medallist on August 17 this year following the death of Sweden’s 1948 4x400m bronze medallist Folke Alnevik, who had been born 33 days before him.

Super foods for runners to maintain a healthy immune system

Every winter, immunity becomes an important topic of conversation as the temperatures drop and we enter cold and flu season. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, having a strong immune system has become even more crucial to maintaining health. While this will not guarantee that you won’t get sick (or get the coronavirus), it is still worth doing whatever you can to keep your body healthy.

We spoke with elite Canadian runner and registered dietitian Rachel Hannah to get her top food recommendations for runners who are looking to boost their immune systems and stay healthy this winter.

Plenty of brightly-colored fruits and vegetables

you´ve heard it before but it´s worth mentioning again: eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is a key component to maintaining a strong immune system, thanks to their antioxidant content. These nutrients improve the health of your gut microbiome, which plays a role in training your immune system and avoiding an excess inflammatory response to pathogens. 

Hannah recommends eating as many colours as possible, especially leafy greens, because that will ensure you get all the antioxidants and phytochemicals necessary for proper immune function. When it comes to fruit, berries are at the top of her list thanks to their high density of antioxidants. During the winter, fresh berries may not always be available, but frozen berries are just as beneficial, and can often provide more nutrients than the fresh variety in the off-season.

Probiotics

Runners will have to eat plenty of probiotic-rich foods because they help maintain a balanced composition of gut bacteria. Prolonged or intense training can disturb the gut and increase your risk for gastrointestinal (GI) problems, which will in turn affect your immune system. 

Hannah´s favorite food sources  of probiotics are yogurt and kefir, and she says that miso soup is a great choice for runners as well. Other probiotic-rich foods include buttermilk, tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha.

Whole Grains

Wholes grains including brown rice, wild rice, teff, barley and quinoa cannot be digested the same way other foods can. Instead, we rely on the microbiota in our digestive tract to break the fibre down into fatty acids.

These fatty acids help maintain our gut mucus barrier, which keeps pathogens out of our system. Hannah says that whole grains also contain important nutrients for immune health, and she recommends that all runners include them as a regular part of their diet.

Vitamin D

Hannah also points out the importance of vitamin D when it comes to immune health. While there are some food sources of vitamin D (such as fatty fish, fortified dairy products and fortified cereals), she explains that it is difficult to meet your daily requirement through food. For this reason, Hannah recommends runners take a supplement, since not only does it benefit your immune system, but vitamin D can help prevent other issues like fatigue, muscle pain, and stress fractures. Most health experts will recommend that adults 14 to 50 years old take 600 IU per day, however you should talk to your doctor to determine your specific needs, especially if you fall outside this age bracket.

Eating these foods will not guarantee that you won’t get sick, but they will reduce your risk of illness and improve your body’s ability to fight infections when they happen.

Kenya's half marathon record holder Kibiwott Kandie says he is shifting his focus to the 10,000m and looks to earn a ticket for this year's Tokyo Olympics

Kenya's half marathon record holder Kibiwott Kandie says he is shifting his focus to the 10,000 metres as he looks to earn a ticket for this year's Tokyo Olympics and help end his country's 53-year wait for a gold medal in the event.

Kandie smashed the half marathon world record by 29 seconds at the Valencia Half Marathon last month, finishing in 57 minutes and 32 seconds and breaking the previous record of 58:01 set by compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor in September 2019.

Kenya's last Olympic gold in the 10,000m came in 1968 when Naftali Temu triumphed in Mexico City, and Kandie is hoping to go one better than Paul Tergat and Paul Tanui, who won silver in 2000 and 2016 respectively.

"I have the drive to prove to the world that I can also perform in track, that is why I made a decision to compete in a 10,000m event with the aim of securing an Olympic ticket," Kandie told the Xinhua news agency.

"I will be more than happy to see the Kenyan flag being hoisted for the 10,000m in Tokyo.

"I know we, as a country, haven't posted the best results in 10,000m recently but I believe with team work and early preparations we will be able to achieve good results in the Tokyo Games."

The Tokyo Olympics are due to take place from July 23 to Aug. 8 after being pushed back by a year because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Italian sprinter 100m record-holder Filippo Tortu tested positive for coronavirus

 Italian 100m record-holder Filippo Tortu has revealed on social media that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

He wrote: "I recently took the rapid test and despite the preventions implemented, I tested positive...I proceeded to contact all the people with whom I remember being in contact in the last period; if you have not received my message and we have interacted, I ask you to pay close attention and take the test too.

I want to reassure you about my condition: I'm fine, but my priority is to keep all the people I've seen in the last period safe, and to observe the quarantine until I return negative." Writes La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The two-time Canadian marathon champion Trevor Hofbauer has officially joined the team at Saucony

On Wednesday morning, Saucony announced that it has signed Canadian marathon champion and Olympian-to-be Trevor Hofbauer as a sponsored athlete. The 2:09:51 Calgary-based marathoner was previously unsponsored, and the new partnership comes just seven months out from his Olympic debut.

Hofbauer qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with his win at the Canadian Marathon Championships (which doubled as the Canadian trials) in Toronto in 2019, where he ran his PB and the second-fastest time in national history.

Hofbauer joins fellow canadian marathoner Malindi Elmore on the Saucony team. Elmore, who signed with Saucony in November, is the national marathon record holder with a blazing-fast PB of 2:24:50 that she ran in Houston in early 2020. For Saucony, adding Hofbauer to the team was not a difficult choice.

His win in 2019 was the second Canadian marathon crown of his career, and he also won the national half-marathon championships in Calgary in 2018.

Hofbauer didn´t race in 2020 due to COVID-19, but he had a great run from 2017 to 2019, winning a Canadian championship each year. Now into 2021, he will be looking to get back to his winning ways with his new support crew as he works toward the Olympics. 

"I am honored to represent Saucony within the running community and at the 2021 Olympics,” Hofbauer said.

“The Saucony Canada team has made me feel extremely valued and their support goes a long way in allowing me to reach my full potential. Saucony’s commitment to sustainability, the Canadian running community, and their leadership are top-notch. I look forward to the future of our partnership together.”

Tokyo Olympics torch exhibition has been postponed to prevent spread of COVID-19

The exhibition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games across the greater Tokyo area has been postponed due to the worsening situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced on Thursday in a statement that the decision is made to "reduce the flow of people and the further spread of COVID-19."

The torches have traveled to 14 places since Nov. 2 and was scheduled to be exhibited on Thursday in Akiruno City. The exhibition will be postponed until January 29.

Other exhibitions may also be postponed since Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has declared a state of emergency in the Tokyo metropolitan area including Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, authorizing tougher measures to fight a resurgence in COVID-19 infections.

The state of emergency will be effective from Friday to Feb. 7, with measures including urging people to stay at home and calling for restaurants and bars to stop serving alcohol by 7 p.m. and close by 8 p.m.

Gyms, department stores and entertainment facilities will also be subject to shorter hours

World half marathon record holder Peres Chepchirchir seeks inclusion in Kenya's Olympic marathon team

World women's half marathon record holder Peres Chepchirchir harbors an Olympic dream after her successful but COVID-19 pandemic upended year which saw her claim three successive marathon podiums.

The 27-year-old Kenyan broke her own world record in the women's half marathon by crossing the line in 1:05:16 at the 2020 World Half Marathon championships in Gdynia, Poland, before ending the year with victory at the Valencia Marathon timing 2:17:16, a time that saw her move up to positive five on the all-time world women list.

"I had a very successful year in 2020 despite all the challenges brought about by COVID-19 pandemic, I'm glad I was able to compete. My new year wish is to see if Athletics Kenya can consider my performance and make an amendment on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics marathon team by including me in the squad," Chepchirir told Xinhua on Wednesday.

"I will love to compete at the Olympics; it will really make me a complete runner," she added.

Earlier in 2020, Athletics Kenya (AK) named world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei, world marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich, Vivian Cheruiyot, a winner of the Olympic 5,000m title in 2016 to the Olympic team.

The 2019 Frankfurt Marathon champion Valary Aiyabei and 2014 world half marathon bronze medallist Sally Chepyego were named as reserves.

The 37-year-old, Cheruiyot aims to compete at her fifth Olympic Games, a record tally for a Kenyan athlete.

However, Paul Mutwii, Athletics Kenya senior vice president and director of competitions told Xinhua that the federation will make some adjustments to the marathon team in order to send a strong squad to the Games which is scheduled for July 23 to Aug. 8.

"Definitely, there will be some changes to the marathon squad depending on the athletes' current form. In fact, in the coming weeks, I will be chairing the technique committee that will determine who will be drafted into the team then make the announcement," Mutwii said on Wednesday.

The world men's marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge, Lawrence Cherono, a two-time Amsterdam Marathon champion who also won in Boston and Chicago in 2019, and world bronze medalist Amos Kipruto, who has a best of 2:05:43 were named in the men's team.

Two-time Honolulu Marathon winner Titus Ekiru and 2016 world half marathon silver medalist Bedan Karoki were drafted reserves.

20-year-old Norwegian phenom Jakob Ingebrigtsen has already had an incredible career, but he's hungry for a lot more

In a video recently published by European Athletics, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen discusses his career so far and his hopes for the future. The multiple national and European record holder has had an amazing career so far, and he’s only 20 years old. This short video is a great chance to see the mindset of Ingebrigtsen, which is certainly a contributing factor to his many successes on the race course.

He outlines his goal for the future in the video, and while it is quite simple to explain, it will be far from easy for him to reach: he wants to be the fastest runner ever. 

In a video recently published by European Athletics, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen discusses his career so far and his hopes for the future. The multiple national and European record holder has had an amazing career so far, and he’s only 20 years old. This short video is a great chance to see the mindset of Ingebrigtsen, which is certainly a contributing factor to his many successes on the race course. He outlines his goal for the future in the video, and while it is quite simple to explain, it will be far from easy for him to reach: he wants to be the fastest runner ever. 

A family focus 

It’s easy to look at Ingebrigtsen and his older brothers Henrik, 29, and Filip, 27, both accomplished runners themselves, and think they have a natural talent for running. That certainly could be part of their success, but Ingebrigtsen doesn’t think so. “You’re not born with talent,” he says. Instead, he says it comes down to your effort and how much work you put into the sport. “When I was four, five, six years old, people said that I had more talent than them, but I’d already run maybe 10 times more than the people I was competing against.” 

Ingebrigtsen talks about his family’s focus, which is less on running and more on winning. From a young age, he watched his brothers run and he decided he had to beat them one day. After chasing them for years, he has accomplished that goal, as Ingebrigtsen has a faster PB than his brothers in every event he has raced in his career except for the mile (a race in which Filip and Henrik have both run faster than their younger brother). 

Hard to satisfy

Ingebrigtsen expects a lot from himself, and this mindset can leave him disappointed even when he performs well. He points to the 2017 European U20 Championships in Grosseto, Italy. “I don’t look back at Grosseto as a good championship,” he says. He fell in the 1,500m and couldn’t recover, ultimately finishing in eighth place. Even though he ran to a pair of gold medals in the 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase later on in the week, Ingebrigtsen still considers that campaign to be a negative experience. 

The following year, his father (and coach) asked him what his goals were for the season. Just 17 years old, Ingebrigtsen said he wanted to win at the senior European Championships. He says his father scoffed at him, telling him to be serious, but Ingebrigtsen wasn’t joking. His goal was to win gold, and that’s exactly what he did. Several months later, at the European Championships in Berlin, he ran to gold in the 1,500m and 5,000m, beating his brothers in both races. 

Inebrigtsen has had a legendary career already, and he’s still so young. Now just 20, he still has many years of running ahead of him, and although he has some incredible achievements to his name already, he says he wants a lot more. “My dream is to be as good a runner as I can be, to win as much as possible and to run as fast as possible,” he says. “I wouldn’t say that I’m 100 per cent satisfied if I’m not the fastest ever. I think I can go faster. But only time will tell if I’m able to.” It’s a big goal, but aiming to beat his older brothers when he was a young boy and to win at the European Championships as a 17-year-old were both lofty dreams, too, and he still managed to do both.

Senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Richard Pound claims prioritizing athletes for COVID-19 vaccine is the most realistic way of staging Tokyo 2020

Senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Richard Pound has claimed prioritizing athletes for the COVID-19 vaccine would be the "most realistic way" of ensuring the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games take place.

Uncertainty remains over whether year's Olympic and Paralympics in the Japanese capital will go ahead with less than 200 days to go before the event is due to open.

The Games were postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the health crisis seems to have worsened after the discovery of the new variant of the virus, thought to be up to 70 per cent more transmissible.

Host country Japan is one of the nations to detect the new variant and is now on the cusp of a state of emergency after reporting a record 5,307 daily coronavirus cases today.

There is hope the development of a number of COVID-19 vaccines will allow Tokyo 2020 to take place safely, however, with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine currently being administered in the countries such as the UK and the United States, while it is awaiting approval in Japan.

Pound denied prioritizing athletes for the COVID-19 vaccine to ensure the Games go ahead would cause a public outcry. 

"In Canada where we might have 300 or 400 hundred athletes - to take 300 or 400 vaccines out of several million in order to have Canada represented at an international event of this stature, character and level - I don't think there would be any kind of a public outcry about that," Pound told Sky News. 

"It's a decision for each country to make and there will be people saying they are jumping the queue but I think that is the most realistic way of it going ahead."

IOC President Thomas Bach has previously encouraged athletes to have a COVID-19 vaccination before Tokyo 2020 but insisted it would not be an entry requirement. 

He revealed the IOC was in talks with manufacturers and other health experts but said the organization would not jump the queue in front of those in greater need of a vaccination.

"We made it clear from the very beginning that the first priorities are for the nurses, medical doctors and everybody who keeps our society alive, despite the coronavirus crisis," Bach said during a visit to the Tokyo National Stadium in November. 

"These are the people who deserve to be the first ones to be vaccinated."

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8, with the Paralympics due to follow from August 24 to September 5.

Organizers plan to have a number of COVID-19 countermeasures in place should the Games go ahead.   

Ryan Hill has signed with HOKA ONE ONE NAZ Elite

Ryan Hill, the 2016 World Indoor silver medalist at 3,000 meters who has qualified for three US World Championship teams at 5,000 meters, has signed with HOKA ONE ONE Northern Arizona Elite on a multi-year deal. Hill, who turns 31 on January 31, spent the last seven years of his professional career under Jerry Schumacher as part of the Bowerman Track Club, which he joined after graduating from North Carolina State University in 2013.

The signing represents a significant change for Hill, who will now be based in Flagstaff and its 7,000 feet of elevation year-round as he chases his first Olympic team. Hill was 5th at the 2012 Trials and 6th in 2016, both in the 5,000 meters, and will remain focused on that event for the foreseeable future.

It’s also a big move for NAZ Elite, which continues to grow after signing a four-year extension with HOKA through 2024. Hill’s personal bests of 7:30 for 3,000 and 13:05 for 5,000 are significantly faster than NAZ Elite’s team records of 7:47 and 13:27.

“I’m very confident in the way we train and what that has produced for people at 5,000 meters,” says NAZ Elite coach Ben Rosario. “We just haven’t had a 5,000-meter specialist. Our athletes have gotten a lot better at 5,000 meters, and I think that will translate to someone like Ryan. It’s just, he’s starting off at a different point. And I think his ceiling in that event is different than Stephanie Bruce or somebody…I’m really excited about his ability to close. I love people who can close, like any coach. So my job becomes, hey, let’s just make sure we can get him strong enough to be there at 250m to go, because he’s shown time and time again that if he’s there, he’s very dangerous.”

NAZ Elite has built its reputation as a marathon-focused squad, but Rosario would also like the group to be competitive in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters on the track. That was already the case on the women’s side — Kellyn Taylor and Bruce finished third and fourth at USAs in the 10,000 in 2019. Now, with the additions of Hill and Tyler Day (13:16/28:04 pbs), he believes the men can make some noise in what is shaping up as a pivotal two years for American track & field.

“I view this like a general manager,” Rosario says. “There are different time periods where different things are really important, right? And in this country, an Olympic year is always very important on the track. But then I think next year, track is arguably just as important because the World Championships are in Eugene. So we wanted to have a presence on the track at 5,000 and 10,000 on both sides, men and women. And now I think we do.”

Hill and Nike parted amicably. Six days ago, the Bowerman Track Club posted a lengthy Instagram post announcing with “great sadness” that Hill, whom they called “irreplaceable,” would be leaving. Hill also went to Instagram to say it would be “incredibly hard to leave my lifelong friends, coaches, and some of the best teammates in the world. I’m ultimately very excited and motivated for my next opportunity.”

New event from Marine Corps Marathon, The Quantico Crucible 5km

Marine Corps Marathon has bucked the trend by adding a new event to their race calendar at a time when most of the established races are being side-lined.

The Quantico Crucible 5km on Saturday 17 April is an in-person event in which participants aged 10+ run the distance while besting three on-course challenges and then complete high intensity fitness drills.

The name and format of the event are a bow to a US Marine’s final challenge in recruit training, “The Crucible”, a 54-hour training exercise where recruits are broken down into squads before facing tasks that test their physical strength, skills and the values they learned throughout training.

Only those who make it through this challenge are handed their Eagle, Globe and Anchors, symbolising the completion of the gruelling journey to earn the coveted title of U.S. Marine.

The Crucible 5km will take place in the early evening at Marine Corps Base Quantico. Each runner will receive a keepsake 8-pound (3.6kg) sandbag to be used while completing some of the physical challenges.

The sandbags will feature the official event logo inspired by the gold stripes on red flash as seen in the rank insignia worn on Marine uniforms.

Registration opens on 6 January at www.marinemarathon.com. For USD 40 participants receive the official event shirt, bib and a finisher medal. Participants will be divided into small groups and runners may select from multiple start times beginning at 17.00.

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) has said there will be at least 100 athletes in the Tokyo Olympics this year

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) has said there will be at least 100  athletes in the Tokyo Olympics this year, months after the global showpiece was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

NOCK said on Monday there are already programs and enough training camps for adequate preparations. This will help athletes resume training and prepare for the residential training camp scheduled to take place in April.

The Kenyan team is in July expected to proceed to the international training camp in Kurume City, Japan for at least 14 days.

“We expect to take at least 100 participants to the games with an expectation a higher medal haul than ever before. We also seek to deliver the best-resourced team Kenya in history.

“We are well set and all processes activated to ensure that we deliver an athlete-focused, well managed, well-financed Olympic team as well as provide a memorable Olympic experience for all Kenya. Our resolve to deliver an exemplary Olympic experience is so strong, that our teams together with the Ministry of Sports, Art and Culture have been burning the midnight oil during the holidays to ensure that everything is set to go,” NOCK said in a statement seen by The Standard Sport.

The Paul Tergat-led body further vowed to continue supporting the qualified teams and those in the qualification process.

“NOCK in conjunction with IOC and ANOCA is providing scholarships to at least 15 athletes to help them prepare for Olympic games.

“Further, we are providing team preparation grants to the Volleyball Ladies team and the Rugby ladies team. All the teams currently in the qualification pathways will be supported by the Government and NOCK to ensure that they qualify for the games,” NOCK pointed out.

NOCK added that the Government has developed various programs aimed at empowering young athletes as they prepare to become global superstars.

“To promote youth development, we expect to roll out a sports science centre comprising of a high-performance centre for all national teams as well as a youth sports centre.

“These sports science centre will be instrumental in developing talents as well as improving the performance of our athletes and teams through advanced technical capacity and research,” said NOCK.

Tokyo 2020 organisers said in December that all 68 domestic sponsors for the Summer Olympics agreed in principle to extend their contracts for the delayed games, as growing COVID-19  infections in Japan overshadow the event.

Recent Japanese newspaper polls show two-thirds of the public believe the showpiece should be postponed again or cancelled altogether.

But Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has repeatedly said he is determined to hold the Olympics as proof that humanity has defeated the deadly virus.

Ethiopian marathon ace Birhanu Legese sets sights on Olympic glory

While the staggering marathon feats of Eliud Kipchoge and to a lesser extent Kenenisa Bekele have quite righty earned the bulk of media attention in recent years, it would be a little churlish not to also acknowledge the feats of Ethiopian marathon ace Birhanu Legese.

Standing at 1.68m the diminutive Ethiopian, an NN Running Team team-mate of Kipchoge and Bekele, has claimed four successive marathon podiums which have included back-to-back successes in the Tokyo Marathon, a second place finish in the 2019 Berlin Marathon - to advance to third on the all-time marathon lists - and more recently a third place finish in the 2020 Valencia Marathon.

For sheer marathon consistency few can currently match the 26-year-old athlete, who according to his coach, Getaneh Tessema, has the potential to make history.

“There is no doubt Birhanu is a quality athlete,” explains Getaneh. “I see that every day in training. If everything goes perfectly, I know he can achieve the same results as Kenenisa and Kipchoge.”

Legese, the third eldest of seven siblings, enjoyed his breakthrough performance at the 2012 10km Great Ethiopian Run when placing second in 28:41 behind 2016 Olympic 5000m bronze medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet.

He continued to make steady progress for the next couple of seasons: in 2013 he clocked a slick 27:34 for 10km on the road in Taroudant and the following year posted a 5000m track PB of 13:08.88 in Shanghai.

Yet it was on the roads where Legese has most excelled and in 2015 he further hinted at his exciting potential by winning both the Berlin (59:45) and New Delhi (59:20) half marathons.

Notable marathon debut

The following couple of seasons he enjoyed intermittent success with victory in the 2016 RAK and 2017 New Delhi Half Marathons yet all too often he was hampered by ongoing shin splints issues, which prevented him from consistently producing his best.

In 2018 Legese made his eagerly awaited marathon debut in Dubai, running an outstanding time of 2:04:15 for sixth. Yet still he craved more.

“I was pleased with the time but not with the position,” he explains. 

Stomach issues hampered his efforts later that year at the Chicago Marathon when he wound up tenth in 2:08:41 – more than three-and-a-half minutes behind race winner Mo Farah.

“I was in a lot of pain but I kept on going because I thought the pain would go away,” he recalls. “I was disappointed with the performance but as soon as I returned to training my disappointment disappeared.”

Tokyo win ushers marathon breakthrough

Unlike many elite Ethiopian athletes, Legese has chosen not to live in Addis Ababa but just north of the capital city in the town of Sendafa, where he lives with his brother, Gezahegne, and training partner Tariku Kinfu.

Away from the pollution of the city and living closer to his regular training routes has cut down his commute time to and from training and aided his rest and recovery with the consequence that he enjoyed a smooth build up to the 2019 Tokyo Marathon. 

Competing in wet and windy conditions in the Japanese capital he made his winning move just before 35 kilometres, kicking clear of former world half marathon silver medallist Bedan Karoki.

Despite the inclement weather he crossed the line first in 2:04:48 to record the second fastest time in the history of the race and claim a victory, which was pivotal to his career development.

“Winning Tokyo gave me the chance to be invited to other big races and it was a big confidence boost,” he explains. “Financially, it was also a big change for me.”

Sub-2:03 in Berlin

Bolstered by his first Marathon Majors victory and enjoying a trouble-free build up for the 2019 Berlin Marathon, confidence was high he could produce a red hot performance on the course commonly regarded as the fastest in the world.

“I hoped to break the world record that day and that is why I broke clear of the field at 25-k,” explains Legese. “But a few kilometres later I had a problem with my hip, I was feeling pain and that caused me to slow.”

At 38 kilometres he was caught and passed by race winner Kenenisa Bekele, who went on to record victory in 2:01:41 – within two seconds of Eliud Kipchoge’s world record mark. Legese battled on bravely to the finish and was rewarded with a time of 2:02:48 to elevate himself to third on the all-time marathon lists.

Although, understandably, a little frustrated with the hip he was delighted with the time.

“The performance was wonderful,” said Tessema. “It was a good time and finishing position and a very good race from Birhanu. Maybe, he could have waited until 35-k to make his move. If he had then maybe the result might have been different, but that is all with the benefit of hindsight.”

Successful Tokyo defence

Further sheen was added to his growing reputation in the Covid-restricted elite-only 2020 Tokyo Marathon, where the Ethiopian became the first man in history to claim back-to-back wins in the race, recording 2:04:15 despite sustaining a hip injury after just one kilometre and being forced to manage the issue for the remaining 41. 

“Birhanu considered dropping out at 35-k but he has a strong mind and kept on running the race,” explains Tessema, his long-time coach.

Launching his winning move at 38.5km he went on to claim a memorable victory and a place in Tokyo Marathon history.

Shortly after his triumph, however, and with the world in the tightening grip of a global pandemic, restrictions in Legese’s homeland led to several weeks without training for the Ethiopian marathon star.

Optimistic of making the Ethiopian team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics he later learned of the Games’ postponement and rescheduling to 2021.

“It was hard that they had to reschedule the Olympic Games but on the other hand, there was no choice,” he explains. “Everybody’s health and safety was the most important thing.”

This year the 39th annual Bayshore Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K will be transitioning to a virtual event

The Traverse City Track Club recently announced that the 39th annual Bayshore Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K will be transitioning to a virtual event.

After exhausting alternative formats to the 2021 event and keeping the health and safety of participants, volunteers and partners at the forefront, the Traverse City Track Club is canceling the traditional in-person event and offering its first-ever virtual option.

“To make this determination, TCTC has been monitoring developments in the running event industry, following the guidelines of local, state and national authorities and medical advisors, and listening to feedback from volunteers, participants and community partners,” says Lisa Taylor, executive director of Traverse City Track Club. “We did not take the decision to cancel the traditional in-person event lightly, and we thank everyone for their understanding and support.”

“MDHHS orders serve as our primary guide and after much thought and consideration, we do not suspect COVID-19 restrictions to be lifted until we are post-pandemic, meaning we’ve achieved herd immunity and the state has minimal new coronavirus cases’” says Dr. Jim Zeratsky, event medical director. “Vaccine production, distribution and acceptance could exceed expectations, but we think it is unlikely in time for the spring race.”

Virtual participants will receive a Bayshore Marathon short-sleeve technical T-shirt, a commemorative race bib and a finisher’s medal. Registration opens for the virtual event Monday, Jan. 11.

The cost of the virtual event will be $63 for the marathon, $60 for the half marathon and $30 for the 10K. Please note the Boston Athletic Association does not accept virtual times for Boston Qualification. Proceeds from the event will go to the Traverse City Track Club, which has donated more than $2 million to date in support of mission-related higher learning scholarships, community grants and planned giving.

Participants that had been registered for the 2020 in-person event and deferred to the 2021 in-person event will have the option to transfer registration to the 2021 virtual event or defer to the 2022 in-person event.

The Postponed Khmer Empire Marathon slated for August

The postponed Khmer Empire Marathon will be held in Siem Reap province this coming August.

The 2020 edition of the race was supposed to be  staged five months ago. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its organisers decided to move the event to a later date.

The Khmer Empire Marathon was among the many running events that were affected by the pandemic. The others include Angkor Wat International Half Marathon, Koh Dach Race and Cambodia Elephant Trail.

National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) Secretary-General Vath Chamroeun announced early this week the cancellation of Angkor Ultra Trail 2021.

Chamroeun cited the COVID-19 situation as main reason for the cancellation. Cambodia has recorded 381 COVID-19 cases with no fatalities so far. The event, which is among the most popular international adventure races here, was supposed to be held in Siem Reap province this month.

The Khmer Empire Marathon will now be held on August 8, according to World Marathons.

The news comes after the Cambodian government lifted its latest sports ban. The ban was imposed in early December after Cambodia experienced its first COVID-19 community outbreak.

The Khmer Empire Marathon will be among the several major races that will be held this year. These include Angkor Wat International Half Marathon, which is tentatively scheduled for January 24, and the 2nd Women’s Run 10k on March 8.

Bill Anderson ran at least one mile every day for over 44 years has passed away

Bill Anderson has passed away.  He has been fighting prostate cancer since 1999.

"He was a fighter," says his brother Bob Anderson (director of My Best Runs).  "I know he would be proud to know that he was able to run a mile just ten days before his death.  R.I.P. The world will miss you."  

In 2018 he shared his secrets with MBR.  Bill Anderson (72) started his running streak on September 27, 1976 in Fort Worth Texas. He has run at least one mile everyday since then. He is currently number ten on the Official USA Active Running Streak List.

"My brother Bill has never been injured," says Bob Anderson. Asked why he has never been injured he says, "Shoes are the hidden secret to avoid injuries. I make sure they are always fresh," Bill says.

"Secondly I always run within my capacity. Thirdly, I make sure I enjoy every run. Fourth, I know myself well enough to anticipate a potential issue before it happens."

His daughter (Barb) posted this on FB on December 23, 2020.  

“The Streak has ended…

My dad did not do something yesterday that he’d done the past 16,000 + days – he did not go run at least one mile.

On September 27, 1976, he went for a run…I was 2 years old.  He continued that for 44 years, 2 months and 25 days and ended his running career with the 10th longest documented running streak in the United States.

The rules?  At least one mile, outside, in running shoes.

At some point the streak became another family member that we’ve all formed a complicated relationship with, especially my mom, who has worried about him, followed him in the car in the hail or after a little too much to drink, cursed the inconvenience of the “damn streak” on occasion and supported him every day. 

When I was in high school, I started running with him.  The first time I ran four miles, I was with my dad and we had about a third of a mile to go, all uphill.  I was ready to quit when he calmly said, “At this point it’s really just a matter of one’s character.”  I didn’t stop.

I’ve run with him numerous distances, in numerous locations, sometimes in formal races and sometime just around the hood. But my dad’s run in every state, dozens of countries and incredible ranges of temperatures and weather conditions, juggling time zones, international date lines, snow, wind, rain, prostate cancer surgeries, bladder cancer, Parkinson’s, nine chemo cycles, a ruptured appendix and age. 

On Monday the 21st my mom practically pushed him out the front door and followed him in the car one last time, this time for concern of his mental acuity.  

I ran with him on Tuesday the 22nd, not knowing but somehow feeling the final curtain call.  We reminisced about our most memorable runs together – like the one time, a very low-to-the-ground bulldog joined us from nowhere and ran at least a mile right between us.  We both thought that dog would go into cardiac arrest.  At some point he bailed on us but when we got back to the house, we jumped in the car to try and find him because we were convinced that he was dead, lost or both.  We never did find him. 

On Wednesday the 23rd after being rushed to the hospital, he announced with dignity, strength and no regret, that the streak was over. 

He made the right decision.  But I can’t help feeling like we lost a family member yesterday.  

My dad has always been my hero.  Dad, today I went for a run and even though I cried through half of it, I ran with new purpose and I crushed it.  I love you.”

Click on link (the title) to listen to Bill talk about his streak.  

Seb Coe relaxed over game-changing shoe technology in athletics

Seb Coe says he is not about to push for the banning of the controversial track spikes worn by Mo Farah’s biggest Olympic rival.

Joshua Cheptegei, who is due to go head-to-head with reigning champion Farah in the 10,000m in Tokyo, recently obliterated the world record both for that distance and the 5,000m.

He did so wearing the new Nike ZoomX Dragonfly shoes which contain a carbon plate and a unique foam and have been billed as the “fastest shoes ever”.

Coe, president of World Athletics, is aware that former British star Tim Hutchings believes the latest shoe technology merits a new classification of world records.

The Olympic legend insists world records “do matter”, need to be “cherished” and recognised the world over as a “benchmark of a suffusion of skill, talent, hard work and great coaching”.

But he says: “We shouldn't be in the business of trying to suffocate innovation. I don't think we've reached that point where world records are being handed out like confetti.”

Coe has seen shoe technology change the face of road running, with Eliud Kipchoge becoming the first human to clock a sub two-hour marathon, wearing Nike’s revolutionary Alphafly shoe.

But he plays down fears for the track record book being rewritten, claiming there are now more control mechanisms in place.

But Hutchings is unconvinced, telling insidethegames : "It's clear that performances in these shoes, both road and track, should be in a separate category, or at least asterisked.

"To compare performances in the shoes, with those not in the shoes, is grossly unfair to the athletes in the latter category.”

Seb Coe says he is not about to push for the banning of the controversial track spikes worn by Mo Farah’s b

Muruto camp in Nandi is a training base like no other

A dusty, winding road off Mosoriot-Kabiyet road at the Kamoiywo in Nandi takes you to Muruto junior athletics training camp.

It is along this four kilometre road, which gets muddy whenever it rains, that junior athletes train every day during school holidays.

The camp, which was established in 2015, has been the training base for athletes in track events including 100m, 110m hurdles, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and 10000m. They also train for field events including high jump and pole vault.

With nearly 30 athletes in the camp located in an area described as the source of champions owing to the numerous athletes the region has produced, Muruto has over the years proved to be a unique camp.

Secondary schools, with the interest of establishing formidable athletics teams, have catered for the junior athletes' fees as they seek to nurture the best talents.

For the last five years, the training camp’s coach and founder Andrew Kipkoech says parents have not paid school fees because they encourage secondary school principals to support the students complete their education.

Several athletes, Kipkoech says, will sit for their KCPE exams this year and already, some secondary schools have expressed interest in admitting them.

He says the junior athletes represent their schools in different competitions and their performance in athletics and academics has been impressive.

According to the coach, the camp is on a mission to support juniors from humble backgrounds by growing their careers while seeking to secure them full scholarship opportunities in secondary schools and colleges.

“Those who were expecting to sit for their national examinations in 2020 were to receive their admission letters last December had education not been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. We normally receive their admission letters as we break for Christmas and New Year festivities,” the coach says.

The annual Isaiah Kiplagat Memorial Ndalat Gaa cross country, which takes part in Nandi, was a perfect spot for athletes from the camp put their strength to test.

“I used to expose them to running opportunities in Ndalat Gaa, Tuskys and University of Eldoret cross country competitions where they offered a strong challenge to athletes from well established training camps,” he says.

According to Kipkoech, 2016 is was when the camp started mentoring the juniors through talks from elite athletes including former world 800m world champion Eunice Sum, Faith Chepngetich (former 1500m world champion) and 3,000m steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech, among others.

73-year-old Kmoin Wahlang is one of India’s oldest woman marathon runner

A mother of 12, a grandmother to almost 30 kids, Kmoin Wahlang is one of India’s oldest woman marathon runner.

Hailing from the north-eastern state of Meghalaya, Wahlang grabbed the eye-balls of sports fans and fitness enthusiasts when she made her presence felt during the Tata Mumbai Marathon in January 2019.

While many of us continue to blatantly state our age as an excuse when we fail to execute any strenuous physical activity, Wahlang successfully finished a marathon run at the age of 71 years!

She completed the 42.195km run with a timing of 4 hours 33 minutes and 55 seconds. If the age and the timings didn’t impress you, then note that Wahlang finished the marathon at 89th position out of total 520 women runners during that edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon.

Though she can only converse in her mother tongue, Wahlang didn’t show any discomfort while running the Mumbai Marathon which incidentally was her first marathon outside the city of Shillong. Instead, she showcased extraordinary consistency during the entire course of the race and rarely dropped below the speed of 9km per hour.

Surprisingly, Wahlang’s running career can be traced back to almost two decades. The now 73 year old faced severe stomach issues after the birth of her twelfth child way back in 2001. She started walking extensively to counter this health issue and slowly this walking made way for running.

Wahlang was first discovered by a non-profit organisation called RUN Meghalaya and has since been participating in various marathons in her home state. She had even completed the 45km run in the Mawkyrwat Ultra Marathon before coming down to Mumbai for the Tata Marathon.

2021 Chevron Houston Marathon to kick off virtually this week

Daniel Dannug and his close-knit running group were in the middle of a training run when they heard it:

“Six feet, gentlemen. Six feet!” a stranger yelled as he drove by a Northeast Houston running trail.

Dannug acknowledged that his running crew goes against some COVID-19 safety guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: No one lives in the same household and some have higher exposure rates because they don’t work from home.

But they need each other to accomplish their goal of running a marathon, he said.

“We’re all first-time marathoners, and that’s what motivated us to continue pushing forward; this is all brand-new territory for us,” Dannug, 39, said. “It’s me and four other people every Saturday going out to train. We had this mantra: Keep pushing. It’s a strong mindset to try to achieve, and we’re seeing it through.”

Dannug co-founded Champions Running Association, a run club serving Houston’s northeast suburbs with 180 members, in 2017. Back in April, Dannug ran his first virtual race feeling what he called a “virtual high.” That quickly turned to virtual fatigue, and he lost all motivation to run solo by the summer.

“I took a break after that. I knew I wanted to save any motivation for doing a virtual race for the Chevron (Houston Marathon),” he said. “It would have been so much easier to fold, but that’s not how I’m wired and I’m hyped for other people.”

On Jan. 17, Dannug and 21 others from Champions Running Association will run together for the 49th annual Chevron Houston Marathon, which will be held virtually for the first time.

The event’s three races — a 5K, half-marathon and marathon — can be accomplished any day, time or location between Jan. 8 and Jan. 17. The only rule is once a race is started, it must be finished in the same go but there is no six-hour limit, like in typical years.

More than 9,300 runners signed up, said Muffy King, marathon marketing director. Registration is closed since virtual capacity was met, she said, adding that orders for T-shirts, finisher medals, drinking mugs and swag had to be ordered far in advance.

About 200 runners have registered to run all three events, which is impossible in a normal year, King said. Participants can run the 5K one day, the half-marathon another day and a marathon on a third day.

Running Is Hard. Here’s How I Fell in Love With Discomfort

When you know a a workout is going to hurt, use these strategies to embrace the challenge and get stronger in the end

If you think about it too hard, running makes little sense. We are making a choice to suffer, to feel hardship, to sweat and ache and get uncomfortable. It’s no wonder our nonrunning friends think we’re all a little weird.

So then why do we do it? For me, it comes down to this: Running trains me how to hurt. The end of a hard workout is a benchmark that tells me how much hurt I can handle. It gives me the confidence to hurt a little more the next time. And a little more, and a little more.

A few years ago, I read a story about a man in his 50s who quit his job in IT to start a North Brooklyn pizza shop because he loved cooking Italian food for his family more than anything. His story resonated so much that I sent him a message on Instagram. He asked me about my dreams. I told him, but gave him excuses about why I couldn’t go after them. His response: “The walls of fear are paper-thin.”

Those words stuck with me when, later that year, I ran the NYC marathon. It wasn’t my first, but there was something undeniably different. It was me. I was stronger. I dug deeper. I endured more physical discomfort than ever before. At the finish line on that perfect fall day in Central Park, I felt overwhelmed with joy, but filled with pain. Tears streamed down my face, and yet I was smiling from ear to ear. It is a moment so strong and powerful that it is almost confusing when it happens. You know what I mean if you’ve experienced this. It is in this very moment that you learn to love and appreciate pain and discomfort.

This is not because suffering is glamorous. Rather, it is when you recognize that the obstacles and discomfort you thought were blocking you from the finish line are, in reality, paper-thin. If you continue to push through and persevere, you will find that victory and success are waiting on the other side.

The world will continue to try to add more weight to your shoulders. There will always be an obstacle to overcome, because life’s challenges never stop. But running has taught me not to fear the discomfort and pain, but instead to use it as a tool that achieves successes and overcomes difficult things.

The common problem here? Pain and hardship suck. It’s much easier and more comfortable to watch those weird runners through the window. But if you stay put, you’ll never know how thick those walls really are.

I stay connected to things that are not easy, because life is full of great joys, but it comes with hard work, and I’m better in my relationships, I’m sharper professionally, and I have a greater sense of appreciation for others when I use running and strength-training as the valuable tools that they are to continue to be my best self.

So the next time you are in a really hard workout, one that you know is going to hurt, here are my strategies to embrace the challenge and get stronger.

→ Emotion is a powerful force

It will tell you what’s meaningful to you. Use your emotions to fuel you. Get mad at the bar when you keep missing your lift. Use running to work through tough decisions happening at your job. Allow movement to provide opportunities to work through things you are facing both professionally and personally. Extreme emotions allow you to experience extreme efforts. Feel the pain. Don’t try to go somewhere else or put your mind in another place. Instead, embrace it. Sit in it. Settle into it and stop trying to avoid it.

[Download the All Out Studio App for more amazing at-home workouts!]

→ Accept that it will not be easy

Progress is hard. Tough efforts will be tough. Instead of avoiding hard work and discipline, start to welcome it. Start to look for it, maybe even crave it. This provides you with a chance to accept and appreciate the fact that a challenge will have moments of extreme difficulty and that you might be tempted to quit. Keep going. Stop looking for a shortcut or an easier path to overcome moments of hardship. Once we accept that there are no shortcuts, we become patient. We start to understand consistency. We start to appreciate the process and we realize that there are no quick fixes to reach success. After all, would success taste as sweet if we overcame nothing to get there?

→ Train with people who are more fit than you

They have been exactly where you are at one point in their running life. They’ll keep you accountable and show you what’s possible in your running future if you dig deeper.

→ Fill the bucket a little bit every day

The key to success in anything is patience, persistence, and consistency. It’s not one big training day that matters. It’s weeks, months, and years of training that matters. Progress comes in small doses compounded over time, which means that one bad day—one run that hurt too much—isn’t going to derail your improvement. Keep consistent and you will get better.

→ Stop talking about it

Action over words. Talking gets in the way of doing. The people who are really doing it aren’t sitting around talking about what they are going to do. They are showing you.

→ Stop looking for external rewards

The reward for overcoming difficult things is simply that: working through a challenge and becoming better because of it. The praise, the pat on the back, the chance to brag (dare I say, even the finisher’s medal) should never be your driving force. It will only be a matter of time before that no longer is strong enough to drive you through the hardship. It must come from within. The funny thing about that day back at the finish line in Central Park? It was a 22-minute PR for me. But that, somehow, is one of the last things I think about when I reflect on that day. I think about how I felt.

I hurt—a lot. And that felt good.

Running With an Upset Stomach Is the Worst. Here Are 6 Ways Ginger Can Help

Do you suffer from stomach troubles on the run? This flowering plant might help relieve some discomfort.

Ginger is a bold, aromatic spice that once might’ve been only associated with the holiday season (think gingerbread) but has since made its way into mainstream health trends (such as drinking ginger tea or ginger water to aid digestion). And, it easily elevates baked goods, savory dishes, and drinks.

“Ginger is actually a plant, and the ginger spice that we use in cooking comes from the root of the plant,” says Amber Pankonin, M.S., RD, owner of Stirlist.

Not only is it delicious, it also has some awesome health benefits.

“Ginger has been traditionally known as a carminative or a substance that soothes the intestinal tract,” says Sonya Angelone, M.S., RDN, and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “More recently, ginger has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects.”

It’s also a good source of phytonutrients (compounds produced naturally in plants).

“Ginger itself is not a great source of any one particular nutrient, but it does contain phytochemicals, which are found in both fresh and dried versions,” says Pankonin.

Benefits of Ginger


→ Ginger may help with wear and tear on knees. 
In one study done on people with osteoarthritis, it was found that fresh ginger may help to lower pain and disability from arthritis.

“Since this is a condition of wear and tear, runners may find that ginger can help knee pain, and it is safer than taking non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medications,” Angelone.

→ It might help improve digestion in general. 
Runners can deal with a gamut of gut issues, from diarrhea to constipation, which can impact your training.

Ginger has been shown to help to improve gastric motility, which basically means it can help with the movement of food from your mouth to the large intestine, says Pankonin. This one is important for runners because a healthy digestive system can help improve performance.

→ It may help treat migraines.

Ginger was shown to help reduce migraine pain as much as prescription medicine in this study published in Phytotherapy Research in 2014. Headaches are a pain for everyone, especially if they get in your way of training.

“A small amount of powdered ginger may do the trick and get them back on the road,” says Angelone.

→ Ginger can help reduce nausea.
Ginger has antiemetic properties that can increase gastric emptying (food emptying from the stomach to the small intestine). Basically, ginger works to improve the general health of your digestive tract, which could help alleviate nausea, says Pankonin.

→ It could help with menstrual cramps.

If cramps prevent you from logging your miles, ginger may help.

There has been some research that shows ginger may be effective in decreasing pain during the first three to four days of a menstrual cycle, says Pankonin.

→ Ginger may reduce inflammation.


Anti-inflammatory compounds found in ginger—gingerols and shogaols— may be helpful in aiding recovery after long runs when inflammatory chemicals settle in, says Angelone.

How Much Ginger Should I Eat?

To get the full benefits of ginger, you don’t need very much.

In general, the average recommendation is about 1 gram of real ginger per day to help relieve nausea, and this doesn’t count anything that comes from cookies or sodas, says Pankonin. There are ginger capsules available, but before adding any kind of ginger supplement, you should consult with your physician, as it might interfere with certain medications.
​

When it comes to cooking, different forms of ginger may be best for certain dishes, according to Angelone.

Crystalized ginger, chopped: In tea (or in hot water to make a hot beverage), oatmeal, cookie recipes, apple/pear crisps, banana bread, pancakes, infused into maple syrup.

Ginger powder: It can be used most anywhere, especially when you want it blended.

Fresh ginger, grated: Hot water, tea, vegetables, stir fry, poached fish especially salmon, steamed rice (cook together).

And the type of ginger you use may also impact how much you use in recipes.

“Whenever you convert from a fresh spice to dried spice, the ratio 3:1. So, if your recipe called for 3 teaspoons of fresh ginger, you would only need 1 teaspoon of dried ginger,” says Pankonin.

The Best Ginger Recipes For Runners

Here are seven delicious ginger-filled recipes to help fuel you for your runs.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Pancakes

If you need the perfect holiday treat, try these whole wheat chocolate chip gingerbread pancakes. They are made with Greek yogurt for extra protein, making them the perfect recovery meal after a run, says Sarah Schlichter, MPH, RDN, and owner of Bucket List Tummy.

Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Chutney

This pork tenderloin with cherry chutney contains both lean protein and a good source of healthy carbohydrates from the cherry chutney—which also contains fresh ginger.

“The combination of carbs and lean protein provides a nutritious energy source for runners,” says Pankonin.

Prerun Sweet Potato Ginger Energy Bites

These sweet potato ginger energy bites are a filled with antioxidants. They make a great anti-inflammatory snack for before, during, or after a run, says Schlichter. The ginger can help alleviate any exercise-related nausea, and the sweet potatoes are a great carbohydrate option that’s easy on the stomach.

Easy Weeknight Quinoa Stir Fry

This quinoa stir fry will be a crowd favorite and chances are you might already have these ingredients in your pantry and fridge, says Pankonin. Plus, the addition of vegetables from the stir fry might even help reduce oxidative stress after long workouts.

Gingerbread Crockpot Oatmeal

This gingerbread crockpot oatmeal is a great make-ahead meal for a morning run, full of holiday flavors and carbohydrates for quick energy!” says Schlichter.

Sweet Potato Orange Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing


If you’re in need of a good energy source to fuel up before a race without upsetting your stomach, try this sweet potato orange salad with honey mustard dressing recipe. It’s made with sweet potatoes (which contain vitamin A, and help support immune health) and ginger, which makes it a great meal, says Pankonin.

Easy Egg Noodle Stir-Fry with Veggies and Chicken

Looking for a quick 30-minute meal? This egg noodle stir-fry with veggies and chickenmakes weeknight dinners easy, says Schlichter. The best part: it’s ready in one pan, and has the perfect blend of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables for optimal recovery and balanced macronutrients.

Yes, Walking Is Sometimes Faster than Running Uphill

Top trail runners mix running and walking on steep terrain, but even scientists aren't sure how we choose which is better

There was a time, in my younger days, when I thought I would never walk during a run. I abandoned that philosophy about two-thirds of the way up a mountain in Slovenia, where I was competing in the 2010 World Mountain Running Championships. The course climbed a little over 4,000 feet in 7.5 relentless miles. During one particularly steep section, I finally gave in and started to walk. To my surprise, I didn’t lose any ground to the runners around me. Lesson learned, and I’ve been less dogmatic ever since.

I’m not alone, though. Even among serious trail runners, there’s sometimes a tendency to keep running at all costs, according to Jackson Brill, a Salomon-sponsored trail runner and graduate student in Rodger Kram’s Locomotion Laboratory at the University of Colorado. But when the hills get steep enough, walking becomes inevitable—and the decision about when to switch back and forth between gaits is among the key tactical choices trail competitors have to make. As it happens, Brill and his colleagues have been researching this problem for several years, and a pair of recent studies offer some interesting new insights. The bottom line: “Our research,” Brill says with tongue in cheek, “gives people permission to walk if they want.”

Yes, It’s Running

To understand the transition between running and walking, you have to start with a simpler question: is there really any difference between them on the steepest slopes? Under normal circumstances, one of the key distinctions between the two gaits is that you always have at least one foot on the ground when you’re walking, whereas you leave the ground between each step when you’re running. But that rule of thumb breaks down on steep hills: even when you’re “running,” you never fully lose contact with the ground.

Not convinced? Take a look at this 2015 video of former Locomotion Lab researcher Wouter Hoogkamer running on the world’s steepest treadmill, which is jury-rigged to go all the way up to 45 degrees (i.e. a 100 percent grade). He looks to me like he’s running, but he always has one foot on the ground.

Kram and his team broke out this same treadmill, which has been used for a bunch of previous uphill running research, for a study published over the summer in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. Led by first author Clarissa Whiting, a former Penn track star, the researchers recruited ten elite trail runners and had them run or walk on level ground and with the treadmill set to 30 degrees. That’s steep: typical gym treadmills only go up to about nine degrees, and black diamond ski runs tend to be around 30 degrees.

Sure enough, even though the runners always had one foot on the ground, there were distinctive differences between uphill running and walking. One clue was the stride pattern: on the slope, cadence was 40 percent quicker for running than walking, and feet stayed on the ground for 40 percent less time—a similar pattern, though less pronounced, to what you’d see on level ground.

But the smoking gun came from an accelerometer clipped to the subjects’ waistbands, which measured the rise and fall of their center of mass. On level ground, walking produces two distinct acceleration peaks, one as you land and one as you push off. Running, in contrast, is a series of hops from one leg to the next, producing just one acceleration peak as you land and take off. The accelerometers found exactly the same patterns on the inclined treadmill, confirming that steep uphill running really is running, and not just some sort of bouncy fast-walk.

The Transition

That’s intellectually interesting, but in practice you’ll almost certainly be walking up any 30-degree hills you encounter. So in a separate study that’s currently under review (but available online as a preprint), Brill and Kram recruited another ten elite trail runners to run at zero, five, ten, and 15-degree slopes. The goal was to understand what prompts people to switch from a run to a walk or vice-versa, and determine whether our natural inclinations also correspond to the most efficient approach.

There’s been lots of research on the walk-run transition on level ground. At slow speeds, we burn less energy walking than running; at fast speeds, it’s the other way around. Scientists used to assume that the decision to switch from walking to running was simply a matter of sticking with the most efficient stride. But a series of studies since the 1990s have found that we actually tend to break into a run at slightly slower-than-expected speeds, when walking would actually be more energetically efficient.

There’s no consensus on why this happens, but one theory is that certain muscles in the calves or shin get fatigued or have trouble producing enough force during fast walking, so it’s more comfortable to run even if it costs a bit of extra energy. This makes intuitive sense: think about the feeling of walking so fast that you decide to break into a run. You switch because it’s uncomfortable, not because you’re out of breath.

Brill and Kram found that this pattern persisted at slopes up to ten degrees: the subjects switched from walking to running at a slower speed than the energetically optimal transition. But at the steepest slope of 15 degrees, the difference disappeared and they started running precisely when it became more efficient than walking. Once you’re going up a steep enough hill, it’s hard work regardless of whether you’re walking or running, so it appears that the desire to save energy and be as efficient as possible takes over.

Into the Wild

There’s another more subtle difference between level ground and steep uphills, Kram points out. On the flats, there’s not much ambiguity about whether you should walk or run. At any given speed, one feels right and the other feels wrong. In the mountains, on the other hand, there’s a pretty broad range of conditions where the decision is ambiguous. When you’re walking, you get the feeling that you’d probably be more comfortable running. And that may be true for a brief period of time after you switch, but pretty soon you get the sense that walking might have been more comfortable after all. There’s no stable equilibrium; you oscillate back and forth.

Another detail from Whiting’s study offers some possible insight on this. She attached electrodes to four different leg muscles in her subjects to compare muscle activation under the various testing conditions. The soleus, one of two main calf muscles, showed 36 percent less activity per stride during steep uphill running than during steep uphill walking, which is consistent with the idea that local muscle fatigue triggers the transition. You walk until your legs—and perhaps the calves in particular—get too uncomfortable. Then you start running, which initially feels better but eventually leaves you more out of breath, so you switch back to walking, and the cycle repeats.

For a competitive trail runner like Brill, it would be nice to take away some practical insights about when to switch. In his study, he also tested heart rate as a proxy for figuring out the most efficient transition point. While the heart rate values did correlate with energy consumption, there was too much individual variation to make it useful in the real world. Brill’s next study, when pandemic, fire, and other disruptions permit, will involve trail runners walking, running, or choosing their own mix of the two while climbing an actual mountain. The goal, after all, is to be as fast as possible, not as efficient as possible.

For now, Brill will stick to the approach he’s figured out through trial and error, relying on his intuition about which gait feels best at any given moment. He tries not to switch back and forth too frequently, sticking with each gait for at least 15 to 30 seconds. He doesn’t consult a heart-rate monitor. “It’s great that we’ve done all this research,” he says. “But when I hit the trail I pretty much throw it out the window.”

For more Sweat Science, join me on Twitter and Facebook, sign up for the email newsletter, and check out my book Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance.

Cinnamon Is a Hero of Holiday Spices. Here Are Some Unexpected Health Benefits

Here’s why you you should definitely add this spice to your fueling regimen.

“Cinnamon is an aromatic spice that comes from the dried bark of the cinnamomum tree,” says Robin Foroutan, M.S., RDN, and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “There are two main kinds of cinnamon: ceylon cinnamon, aka true cinnamon, and cassia cinnamon (less expensive and commonly used in processed food).”

Not only is this spice delicious, but cinnamon is also loaded with some unexpected health benefits of which runners can, and should, take advantage.

5 Health Benefits of Cinnamon for Runners

→ It may help balance your blood sugar.

Polyphenol antioxidants, found in cinnamon, may act like insulin, which means they assist glucose in moving out of the bloodstream and into cells. “This is important for runners because the faster sugar gets into muscles, the faster it can be burned for fuel,” says Foroutan.

→ It may help lower your cholesterol.

Animal studies have shown that cinnamon may play a role in lowering cholesterol concentrations in the body. In a study, mice that were fed a diet that included cinnamon extract had significantly higher HDL (good) cholesterol. Results showed it could also help lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, says Ginger Hultin, Seattle-based RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of ChampagneNutrition.

“This seems especially true for those with high cholesterol and diabetes,” says Hultin.

A human study showed that out of people in the study using 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon for 40 days, all three of the groups (but not the placebo) had lower triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol, as well.

→ It may help blood vessel function.

Cinnamon has been shown to improve blood vessel dilation, which is the ability for your blood vessels to expand to allow better blood flow, in animal studies, says Foroutan. “Cinnamon is one of many natural foods that contain phytonutrients that help improve blood vessel dilation.”

This is important to runners, because blood flow is important for peak muscle and cardiovascular performance, however more research is needed to confirm the effect in humans.

→ It may help lower inflammation.

Previous small studies have shown that people who drank cinnamon tea had a higher antioxidant status than those who drank tea without cinnamon or hot water. This is likely because antioxidant flavonoids in cinnamon and the essential oils it contains, such as cinnamaldehyde, could act as free-radical scavengers (substances that protect cells from damage) and play a role in lowering inflammation, says Hultin.

Because exercise creates free radicals (unstable molecules created during normal cell metabolism) that can trigger inflammation, athletes need to go above and beyond to include plenty of foods that help the body balance inflammation. Foods that are high in antioxidants, such as cinnamon and other spices, help stabilize free radicals so they can’t inflame our cells and tissues, Foroutan says.

→ It can help reduce added sugar intake.

If you sprinkle some cinnamon on your food, the sweet taste of cinnamon can trick your tongue into thinking that a food is sweeter than it actually is. This can help people reduce the amount of added sugar they consume, says Foroutan.

Consuming too much added sugar is problematic for everyone’s health—even athletes, says Foroutan. Relying on slow burning complex carbs and natural sugars from fruit instead of reaching for candy can give you that burst of energy and keep you fueled for longer.

How much cinnamon should you eat?

To get the full benefits, you may need to eat a lot of cinnamon. But you can still benefit from adding even a bit of the spice to your diet. According to some studies, it’s safest to consume in moderation—about 1 teaspoon per day.

“It’s important to know that in studies, trials are often using amounts that are much higher than a person would typically eat in their diets; often 1 to 6 grams for up to three months. A teaspoon of cinnamon is less than 3 grams for reference,” says Hultin.

But, eating too much cinnamon could have some side effects of its own. One teaspoon of cinnamon contains between 7 and 18 milligrams of coumarin, so it’s important you don’t start loading up every dish with it.

“Cinnamon has a compound called ‘coumarin’ which has been shown to potentially have some negative effects at high levels,” says Hultin. “There is a chance of irritation to the liver and could irritate the mucosal membranes in your mouth and digestive tract.”

The Best Cinnamon Recipes for Runners

Here are 11 delicious cinnamon-filled recipes to help fuel you for your runs.

Banana Ginger Oats

If you’re looking for ways to add cinnamon to your breakfast, try these banana ginger oats.

“Naturally sweetened with nutrient-packed bananas (and nothing else!), these whole grain oats are perfect on a long-run day. Add extra cinnamon to taste for more flavor and potentially anti-inflammatory benefits,” says Hultin.

Salted Cinnamon Peanut Butter

Keep this salted cinnamon peanut butter on hand to put on top of everything from toast and oatmeal to yogurt. “Peanut butter offers a fantastic combination of fat and protein for satiety and pairs perfectly with so many carbohydrates to fuel running,” says Sarah Schlichter, MPH, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Bucket List Tummy.

Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Bread

This peanut butter sweet potato bread is great for eating any time to fuel your runs.

“I love the combination of ingredients and flavors in this recipe,” says Amber Pankonin MS, RD, LMNT, registered dietitian and owner of Stirlist. “The cinnamon combined with sweet potatoes and peanut butter provide a nutritious energy source for runners. Cinnamon has also been known to help decrease appetite, so the combination of these ingredients can help with fullness and satiety.”

Ginger Pumpkin Breakfast Smoothie

If you’re a smoothie fan, try this ginger pumpkin breakfast smoothie.

“One of the most important parts of a pumpkin-spice mixture is the cinnamon; it’s the spice you’ll use in the greatest amount. That’s perfect for flavoring smoothies that can power your run,” says Hultin.

“Use canned pumpkin any time of year in this recipe for added vitamin A and other nutrients and don’t hold back on the cinnamon which adds intensity of flavor and some potential health benefits, too.”

Maple Cinnamon Granola

Keep this maple cinnamon granola on hand for easy snacking. “An easy make ahead snack for pre- or post-run to help provide instant energy and/or replenish glycogen levels,” says Schlichter.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

You probably already have all the ingredients needed to whip up this apple cinnamon baked oatmeal. “Cinnamon combined with fiber sources like apples and oatmeal could be beneficial for digestive health,” says Pankonin.

Banana Chia Pudding

Try this banana chia pudding in the morning. “The perfect carbohydrate rich breakfast for before or after a run. Loaded with whole grain oats and a banana, this flavorful overnight oats can be made ahead of time [for you early risers] and is full of electrolytes,” says Schlichter.

Hawaiian Pork and Peas

For a protein-packed lunch or dinner, try this Hawaiian pork and peas recipe. “Combining lean protein with complex carbohydrates from vegetable sources is a great recovery meal for runners,” says Pankonin. “Some research has suggested that cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties, which might also help with recovery.”

Healthier Spiced Apple Crisp

Try this tasty and healthier version of spiced apple crisp. “Meal prep this healthy crisp and use it as a breakfast or snack pre- or post-run all week long,” says Hultin. “Having a healthy, whole grain, carbohydrate-rich meal can give your body what it needs to perform. Cinnamon takes center stage in this apple and oat-based recipe. By boosting up spices like cinnamon, you can often cut back on the amount of added sugar you use.”

Apple Cinnamon Potato Bread

Looking for your new go-to snack? Find it in this apple cinnamon potato bread. “This quickbread makes for a quick, easy and convenient snack between exercise sessions, or a fast way to get quick acting carbohydrates before a run. Top it with peanut butter for more staying power,” says Schlichter.

Cinnamon Poached Chicken and Rice

If you’re a fan of savory foods, add this cinnamon poached chicken and rice dish to your meal-prep rotation.

“This savory dish combines lean protein with rice and seasoned with cinnamon. Cinnamon contains antioxidants, which might improve heart health making it a great spice for runners to include in their diets,” says Pankonin.

Joshua Cheptegei aims for 'amazing' Tokyo double

Joshua Cheptegei has said his focus is on becoming just the eighth man to successfully complete the 5,000m-10,000m double at an Olympic Games.

The Ugandan, 24, set world records over bothdistances last year, adding to the 5,000m world gold he won at Doha 2019.

"It would be a mountain to climb, but the challenge is up to me," he told BBC World Service Sport.

"It is demanding a lot, in terms of racing and mindset but I want to give myself a try to win both gold medals."

Seven men have won both 5,000m and 10,000m golds at the same Olympics, with Britain's Mo Farah doing the double at both London 2012 and Rio 2016.

As a teenager, Cheptegei finished eighth and sixth in the 5,000m and 10,000m finals respectively in Rio.

"It would be really amazing to win the double, but if I win gold in the 10,000m I would still be grateful," Cheptegei added.

Uganda have won only two Olympic gold medals in their history, with John Akii-Bua winning the 400m hurdles in 1972 and Stephen Kiprotich winning the marathon 40 years later in London.

Cheptegei wears Nike's ZoomX Dragonfly spikes, which transplant the sportswear giant's controversial combination of highly resilient foam and carbon plates to the track.

However Cheptegei believes that, with the same technology available to all athletes if they want it, he doesn't have any unfair advantage.

"The shoes really do help," he said.

"But in this case the shoes are not only available to Mr Cheptegei.

"They are available for everyone who wants to attack the world record.

"You have seen the likes of Yomif Kejelcha, Selemon Barega...it is not about shoes only, but athletes having this period concentrating more on training and not travelling.

"I was focused on just this one thing. And that was breaking the world record."

New 30 for 30 Film Reveals Truths About the Tarahumara

If you're new to running and have been inundated with information about new, fancy shoes with thick, bouncy soles, it will come as somewhat of a surprise that just 11 years ago, many American runners were part of a minimalist running movement, spurred by the book Born to Run. Back then, it was all the rage to wear as little on our feet as possible.

The book by Christopher McDougall was about the Tarahumara people living in Mexico's Copper Canyon, who run hundreds of miles at a time, either barefoot or wearing sandals with old, recycled tires serving as tread. They rarely get injured and they can run forever, or so it seems. The premise of the book was that their durability was due to the biomechanics they honed by not wearing running shoes. And as the book gained in popularity, the industry pounced on the opportunity to sell something new.

But during a pivotal moment in a new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, The Infinite Race, which debuts at 8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, December 15, Silvino Cubesare, a Tarahumara ultrarunner and farmer, watches footage of McDougall running barefoot in Central Park. Cubesare shakes his head and says, "I don't know what they are thinking. Why do they want to run barefoot? I think they are crazy."

If runners can afford shoes, why wouldn't they use them?

The Infinite Race seeks to expose another side of the story, beginning with the fact that the Tarahumara name came from the Conquistadors. The Indigenous people call themselves the Raramuri. The audience is introduced to Irma Chavez, a Raramuri activist who adds context to the reasons why running is part of their culture-a tradition that, unsurprisingly, does not stem from lack of running shoes or organized ultramarathons like the local Ultra Maraton Caballo Blanco (more on that later), but is in fact rooted in survival and spirituality.

In the documentary, Chavez explains the "races" that the Raramuri historically participate in. The men run rarajipari, kicking a ball and chasing it together over long distances. The women pass a hoop with sticks that they carry on the run; this version is called ariweta. What the minimalist running shoe craze mostly missed in 2009 was that the Tarahumara were also running from organized crime groups that were taking over land to plant marijuana and poppy. The Raramuri people have been recruited by cartels to run the drugs across the U.S. border.

"Many families were forced out of their communities because of violence," Chavez says. "Unfortunately, you have to run away before they kill you."

The film intertwines the story behind the Ultra Maraton Caballo Blanco, a local race that was founded in 2003 by American ultrarunner Micah True, who played a central role in the Born to Run book, too. His intention was to help the Tarahumara people preserve their running heritage while also aiding a region experiencing hunger and a lack of clear water. True, who died of a heart attack in 2012, gave away cash prizes as well as corn, and the race started attracting more Americans to the area. But in 2015, gang violence threatened the safety of the event, and the American organizers called off the official race just hours before it was set to begin.

The local runners, however, raced anyway-they needed the corn vouchers to feed their families. The film covers how the events of that year unfolded from the perspective of Cecilia Villalobo, who was the director of tourism in Urique (where the race is held) at that time, and from the viewpoint of Josue Stephens, the former U.S. race director. Unsurprisingly, they viewed the circumstances-and the way they were handled-differently.

"The Infinite Race is about how outsiders, many well-intentioned, impact a community in unexpected ways," says Bernardo Ruiz, who directed the documentary. "It is also about the starkly different ways people can view events based on the economic, political, and cultural realities they inhabit."

The Infinite Race is an important story, especially for those who bought into the Born to Run frenzy and added the Caballo Blanco race to their bucket lists. It's through the voice of Chavez that we see why running has always been so critical to the Indigenous people there-a critical perspective for runners in understanding the impact they can have on the communities and cultures where they race and the narratives they choose to hear about them.

"What interests me is that space where white American athletes and Raramuri athletes negotiate power," Ruiz says. "And I am most interested in the perspective of people like Irma Chavez, who views an ultramarathon like a short spring, when you consider the long arc of history."

He Won’t Stop! 26-Year-Old With Cerebral Palsy Doing 21K for Charity

Sebastian Rosado is the runner we all should look up to.

December was especially challenging for Sebastian Rosado. The 26-year-old from San Juan, Puerto Rico, took on something he never had before: 21K over 30 days.

Racing is nothing new for Rosado, who was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. Though most of his life has been confined to a wheelchair, he has done at least one race a year since 2011 in his wheelchair.

It was about a decade ago that his mother was training for a race in Puerto Rico, and Sebastian asked if he could accompany her. She’d have to push him in the wheelchair because his arm functions are limited, and she was okay with that. However, the race wouldn’t allow it.

Instead, after consulting with Sebastian’s physical therapist, Sebastian’s family decided to make a race for children who also had neurological disorders and benefits Centro María de Los Angeles, which hosts an annual month-long camp and is now raising money to create a care center for children in Puerto Rico.

The race is called Córrelo, Camínalo o Ruédalo, which translates to Run it, Walk it or Roll it. It gives runners like Rosado a chance to prove that despite being told from a young age that they might not be able to do things in their lives, they too can become what they wish to be in life.

“He’s an athlete,” Jaime, Rosado’s father, tell Runner’s World. “To do this, it depends on your energy, your enthusiasm, and your stamina. Those are the qualities of an athlete, and Sebastian has them because he works as hard as anyone.”


Nine years later, the 10th edition of the now 5K race is happening virtually on January 10. Rosado has run it every year using a special walker, which is fairly heavy to support him and tough to move with limited mobility in his legs.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the race moved to being virtual, but athletes adapted to the changes as they—and the race—have done before.

In 2018, after Hurricane Maria devastated the country, the race was canceled. Instead of taking the year off, Rosado instead reached out to and received permission from the Miami Marathon to have a team relay him in his wheelchair for most of the race. Then, with two miles to go, he’d get out and complete the final stretch using his walker.

The pandemic presents another challenge, but one that Rosado welcomes.

“It has been tough for him during the pandemic because he’s very sociable,” Jaime said. “He’s very enthusiastic, he loves music, and he’s always going to different places with his friends to listen to music. He’s been confined all this time and it’s been tough. This race is away for him to escape and do something he loves.”

Each year, Rosado tries to outdo his previous goal. Instead of just a 5K in 2020, he wanted to attempt to run 21K over 30 days. The number 21 is significant to Rosado, and many Puerto Ricans, as it is the number of native son and MLB legend Roberto Clemente.

Rosado’s plan is to complete the distance by January 9, accounting for completing 1K, at most, in a day and rest days in between each. You can still register here to run for and with people like Sebastian on January 10.

“He’s in very good shape,” Jaime said. “He’s been doin his 1Ks in basically an hour and that’s really good. When he did the 5K in 2016, it took him almost four hours. Based on the way he’s going now, I think he could do a 5K in three hours, which is great for him.”

Because of COVID restrictions in the country, Rosado is doing his 1K runs in his neighborhood in San Juan near the convention center. His parents stream it live on his Facebook page in hopes of continuing to prove that even with a neurological disorder, anyone is capable of things they’re told they might not be able to do.

“Sebastian used to train in a track and field facility close to home, and it’s amazing to hear runners telling him things like, ‘Wow, sometimes I don’t have the strength to train but when I see you doing this I feel that I have no excuses,’” Jaime said. “Yesterday, somebody told us that 62 swimmers are joining Sebastian’s challenge this month by swimming 800 meters each one. He is an inspiration.”

As always, Rosado is also raising money for Centro Mariá, which you can donate to here.

So far, Rosado has completed 14K. He plans to finish the last 7K by race day.

“Sebastian has a saying that your disability is not in your body, it’s in your mind,” Jaime said. “I think that’s really powerful. If you promise yourself you’ll do something, you can achieve it by using your mind.” 


7 reasons running is better than triathlon

Listen, triathlon is great. Like running, it’s an endurance sport that gets people all around the world exercising, and that’s invaluable. But when it comes to the question of which is better, running or triathlon, the answer is obvious: running is best. Our friends at Triathlon Magazine Canada seem to think otherwise, and we don’t want beef with all you multi-sport athletes out there, but come on, you know it’s true. Here are seven reasons why we’re right.

We have so much time on our hands

Triathletes spend so much time training. Like, way too long. Runners? We get our run in for the day, do some strength work and get to chill out. Relaxing is fun, but it’s something triathletes rarely get to do. They finish their swim, hop on their bike, ride for four hours and then close out the day with a run. Honestly, triathletes must have so little free time. It’s a miracle they get anything else done in their lives.

Our sprints are actually sprints

In running, a sprint actually means athletes are sprinting. We’re talking 100m and 200m races that are done in 10 to 20 seconds. In triathlon, a sprint takes even the fastest athletes close to an hour. What’s with that? Triathlon “sprinters” swim 750m, bike 20K and run 5K.

Triathlon is expensive

If you want, you can certainly spend a lot of money on running gear, but you don’t have to. As long as you have a good pair of shoes, you’re set. In triathlon, though, you need a wetsuit, a tri-suit, a bike, a helmet, bike shoes, running shoes and so much more.

The marathon is hard enough

Running 42.2K is no joke, and it’s a challenge that can defeat even the best of athletes. So we have to ask: why on Earth would you make that harder by swimming 3.8K and biking 180K before hitting the marathon course? It just sounds so painful.

No early morning swim practices

As runners, we sometimes have to get up for early runs, but that doesn’t compare to morning swim sessions. Swimmers arrive at the pool when it’s dark outside and the sun still hasn’t risen when they leave. At least we get to see the sun rise when we run in the morning.

Aero this, aero that

Aerodynamics are of course important in any race, but runners don’t obsess about this like triathletes do. Some of us shave our legs, but if we don’t it’s not the end of the world. We might wear half-tights or split-shorts, but either works. If you don’t shave your legs as a triathlete or if you show up to a race in anything other than skin-tight spandex, you’ll hear about it from your fellow racers.

Running came first

This is no “chicken or the egg” situation. We know what came first: running. Without running, triathlon wouldn’t exist. If triathlon had never been invented, though, running would be fine.

Comedian pledges to run 31 marathons in 31 days for charity

The comedian’s challenge aims to promote ‘unity’ and ‘goodwill’

Comedian Eddie Izzard has announced he will run 31 marathons in 31 days next January, as part of his ‘Make Humanity Great Again’ campaign. Each treadmill marathon will be followed by a stand-up gig that will be streamed from the Riverside Studios, in west London.

A limited number of audience tickets for groups of two to four will also be available
for the gig series, which is called ‘Still Standing’.

Izzard’s ‘Make Humanity Great Again’ campaign will raise money for charities supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable people.

Viewers are encouraged to join in virtually over Zwift or Zoom as he runs the marathons. The subsequent gigs will provide a ‘best-of’ of Izzard’s stand-up, and will include two performances of his latest show, ‘Wunderbar’, in German (January 23) and in French (January 28).

Each run will take the ‘theme’ of a different city – a nod to Izzard’s past challenges, which have seen him run marathons in various international locations. Last February, Izzard ran 29 marathons in 29 days, one in each European capital, plus a final extra one back in London. He raised £140,000.

He also ran 27 marathons in 27 days across South Africa in 2016 and 43 marathons in 51 days in 2009.

On the campaign’s crowdfunding page, Izzard wrote: ‘Make Humanity Great Again stands for unity, the sharing of beliefs and the power of human beings uniting across the continents and around the world.

‘As a campaign, it seeks to promote a fair chance in life for all, particularly those who experience disadvantage and discrimination.’

Kenyan Daniel Simiu and Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw imposed their rhythm in the San Silvestre Vallecana event

Kenyan athlete Daniel Simiu and Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw were proclaimed winners of the 56th edition of the Nationale-Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana on Thursday, after dominating their respective races with authority.

The athletic event with which Madrid says goodbye to the year 2020 surely missed the 'magic' of its usual route and seeing how the streets are flooded with runners for the popular test, and the spectators who approached the Ensache de Vallecas did not witness the usual spectacle of a San Silvestre marked by the wind and by the great dominance of its two winners.

In the men's event, from the beginning, the small group of candidates for victory was formed and to which the rest of the participants could hardly get close, with the Spanish-Moroccan veteran Ayad Lamdassen setting the pace from the beginning and with Ebenyo , the American Paul Chelimo, the Dutch Mike Foppen, the Burundian Thierry Ndikumwenayo and the Spanish Ouassim Ouaziz.

All eyes were focused on Chelimo, but it was Simiu who made the move that dictated the future of the event. The Kenyan was brave and changed pace on the third lap to open a gap that would already be impossible for his rivals.

Simiu, who had a personal best of 27:18 last September in Berlin, did not slacken and took advantage of his tactic. The African gradually opened the distance with the rest and was able to win comfortably with a record of 27:41.

On the other hand, in the women's race, there was a bit more emotion, mainly because the two indicated as favorites, the Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich and the young Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw Densa, fought a beautiful heads up.

However, Densa, who had already beaten Chepntegich in the New Delhi Half Marathon, was again stronger than her rival with an acceleration in the third lap against which the Kenyan could do nothing.

The Ethiopian went solo and won with a time of 31:17, ostensibly improving her personal distance record (31:55) and condemning Chepntengich, who reached more than half a minute, again to second place in the vallecana race. The podium was completed by the French Alessia Zarbo, one place ahead of the best Spanish, Carolina Robles.

The 2021 Maui Marathon is going virtual due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person 2021 Maui Marathon has been cancelled and the running event now is going virtual, race officials announced.

Registration now is open for the virtual marathon, half marathon, 4-member marathon relay, 5- and 10-kilometer run/walk. Mileage can be completed at any location in HawaiÊ»i or on the Mainland between April 1 and April 30, 2021. 

“Runners are struggling to adjust to the abrupt change in plans but rather than letting the goals of runners go unfulfilled, we are offering a virtual run with all the swag,” race director Jon Emerson said. “As for the full race experience, let’s hope that the virus will be under control and we can have an in person event for 2022.”

Runners have 30 days in April to finish the race they register for, uploading times to the registration website. 

Those who had previously signed up for the in-person 2021 Maui Marathon can automatically compete virtually, or have the option to roll over their registration to the January 16, 2022 Maui Marathon. There are no refunds.

Japan bans foreign visitors as COVID-19 cases spike and new variant detected

The Japanese Government has announced that foreign travellers will not be permitted to enter the country until at least the end of January due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in the nation due to host the next Olympics and Paralympics.

The new measure is set to start tomorrow and will continue throughout January.

It follows a record daily increase in new coronavirus cases - including at least two of a new, faster-spreading strain of the virus.

Japan reported in excess of 3,500 new cases yesterday.

A further 50 deaths were reported as well.

As Japan tightens its border, citizens and foreign residents will be required to quarantine for two weeks upon returning to the country and must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their departure for Japan.

They will also be tested upon arrival.

Digital Transformation Minister Takuya Hirai has also spoken of a tracking system for overseas travellers being developed to monitor virus spread, with the system expected to be in place before the Olympics and Paralympics are held.

"There will be no point if we do not implement it, so that you will be allowed to enter the country unless you use it," Hirai said, Kyodo News reports.

Hirai suggested that tracking will be delivered through GPS technology.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are currently scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8 in 2021, having been postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Paralympics are due to take place from August 24 to September 5.

With coronavrius cases rising in the host nation and across other parts of the world, notably Europe and the Americas, doubts remain over whether the Games will be able to go ahead - and if they do, whether international visitors or even domestic spectators will be allowed to attend events

BOSTON LEG OF WORLD ATHLETICS INDOOR TOUR RESCHEDULED

Organisers of the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, part of the 2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour, have announced that the meeting will move from 6 February to 13 February 2021. Following the cancellation of the Millrose Games, which had been set to become the newest addition to the World Athletics Indoor Tour, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix will now take the mid-February slot in the series.

The World Athletics Indoor Tour, which is now entering its sixth year, is a series of the very best one-day professional indoor track and field competitions in the world. Each season, athletes can score points in selected circuit disciplines. At the conclusion of the tour, the athlete with the most points earns the overall World Athletics Indoor Tour title in the event, a US$ 10,000 prize, and an automatic entry into the following World Athletics Indoor Championships.

In addition, this year World Athletics is expanding the indoor calendar with the introduction of three tiers of competition – Gold, Silver and Bronze – comprising 26 meetings spread across 12 countries in Europe and North America. The expanded schedule will broaden the geographical spread of meetings around the world and incorporate additional area level competitions. In North America, this will include the American Track League, which will feature three Silver and Bronze level meetings in January and early February.

The World Athletics Indoor Tour, which features the five Gold level meetings of 2021, will begin in Karlsruhe, Germany, on 29 January and the series will end in Madrid, Spain, on 24 February.

Due to the pandemic, the current plans are provisional, so dates and venues could change as the season approaches.

Calendar – World Athletics Indoor Tour - Gold

29 Jan – Karlsruhe, Germany

9 Feb – Lievin, France

13 Feb – Boston, USA

17 Feb – Torun, Poland

24 Feb – Madrid, Spain

Ryan Hill Leaving The Bowerman Track Club For A New Team And Sponsor In 2021

With great sadness we must announce that Ryan will be leaving BTC for a new team and sponsor in the 2021 season. In his seven years with Bowerman, Ryan ran 13:05 for 5,000m and 7:30 for 3,000m. He was 3x National Champion, made 4 World Championship teams, and won the Silver Medal in the 2016 World Indoor 3,000m.

He has embodied our commitment not only to world class performance, but to building the broader running community. He spent many a rainy Portland night coaching our Eastside Youth group and helped launch our first ever BTC summer camp.

As our foremost Jerry impersonator he is truly irreplaceable. In so many ways, both on and off the track, we will miss Ryan’s talent, dedication, and humor.

Working side by side with someone for years- sharing sacrifices, struggles, triumphs, and laughter- you develop a special bond. That bond makes it very painful to part ways, but it is also how you know that your connection will endure.

Good luck buddy, we’re going to miss ya.

The best running tips to race recovery

Whatever your race distance, what you do after your race is absolutely critical to your recovery. By following these post-race tips, you will minimise your recovery time and reduce your injury risk. The following checklist is applicable to any race from the 5k through to the marathon, and should become a regular part of your routine after every race.

Immediately after your race

Cool down. Once you’ve crossed the finish line a cool-down should be the first thing you do. Around 10 minutes of very gentle jogging immediately after you finish will reduce any post-race muscle soreness by flushing out all the waste by-products that have built up during the race.

Stretch. After the cool-down jog, take another 10 minutes to stretch all the main muscle groups of the legs — calves, Achilles tendons, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, glutes and adductors. Stretching the muscles while they are still warm is the optimum time to do it. Stretching will help to ease any post-race soreness.

Eat. The sooner that you can eat the better, because refueling contributes to your recovery by aiding cellular repair and replacing energy. Consume a high-GI food within 15 minutes of finishing your cool-down and stretches — and if this is in liquid form, it will also contribute to your rehydration.

Drink. In addition to consuming a glucose drink, also look to rehydrate with water. Even on cold days you’ll sweat and lose a lot of fluid. Whatever your race distance, you will need to drink plenty of fluid afterwards until your urine is the color of pale straw or lighter.

Back at home after the race

Rest. Aim to minimise your activities for the rest of the day. Put your feet up and let your muscles relax and recover, rather than ask them to do more work; this way, you’ll be able to resume your usual training sessions much sooner.

Eat again. Within two hours of completing your race, you need to eat again. This should be a more substantial meal, containing some complex carbohydrate to further replenish your fuel stores, together with some low-fat protein to aid muscle repair. An ideal combination is pasta and tuna.

The day after the race

Light training. Avoid heavy training. Your body still needs recovery time and if you try to force through a more challenging session, you’re likely to under-perform or risk muscle damage or injury. Your goal should be to recover both physically and mentally. Go for a short, low-intensity jog or cross-train instead. The change of exercise will help your muscles to recover.

Stretch. When you finish your light training session, your muscles will be warm — and that is the ideal time to repeat the post-race stretches that you carried out yesterday.

important questions after a race:

How hard did I race? If you jogged around comfortably, your recovery will be faster than if you really pushed hard throughout.  

How long was my race? If you raced over the marathon distance, your recovery will take longer than if your race was a 5k.

Do I have any muscle soreness? Don’t resume full training until any lingering stiffness or soreness has disappeared — and definitely don’t attempt to return to training if you feel that you have an injury.

As a general rule, wait before resuming full training until you feel that you’re fully recovered and then add a couple of days on top. Light training is okay, but by slightly delaying your return to more challenging sessions, you’ll be fully recovered and less likely to get injured.

How to find a running routine, and stick to it?

So. Much. Running. At least that’s how it feels during those first few runs, when you decide that running is going to be your new fitness routine.

But after a few running workouts, the body starts to adjust and you get your stride back. There are some people who just take naturally to running. They enjoy going out for a few miles either before or after a workout at the gym. And then there’s the rest of us, dreading every step and laboring from start to finish. BUT, there is hope! Check out these easy habits that motivate you to stat, or keep, running.

Find a buddy. Partnering up with someone will help hold you accountable instead of flaking out last minute. Running with a partner will also help you with pacing so you can finish out the mileage you intended to do. For extra motivation, try a local run club.

Make it a routine. Commit to picking a day and time to run. For example, make every Sunday an active recovery day and go for a run or hit some 400m repeats at the track. In just a few short weeks the run will feel easier.

Be realistic. First day 10k let’s establish my time! Wrong. Try a mile. In a few weeks try two. Training is a marathon, not a sprint (no pun intended).

Keep it fresh. You don’t have to do the same boring mile every week. Switch up the scenery, the mileage, the rest time, etc. This will prevent you from hitting a plateau and also keep your interest peaked.

Set a goal. Whether you have a 5k time you want to build up to or a specific race in mind, set a goal. Having your eyes on the finish line will help you stay consistent in your training.

The repetitive motion of running is what draws us both to and from becoming a better runner. So before you write it off completely or become complacent in your training pace, try to develop some of these habits. Athletes with motivated habits see the most success in their training.

2021 Xiamen Marathon postponed due to COVID-19

The 2021 Xiamen Marathon, which was scheduled for January 3, has been postponed with a new date yet to be determined, organizers announced here on Thursday.

The decision was made following a circular issued Wednesday by China's State Council task force on combating the COVID-19 epidemic, which vowed to tighten its epidemic control measures for the forthcoming New Year and Spring Festival holidays, the organizers said in a statement.

The risk of the virus spreading will be larger during the holidays, the National Health Commission cautioned on Wednesday.

The statement added that registered runners for the 2021 Xiamen Marathon are able to retain their entry, and the registration fee will be refunded via the original payment method.

Debuting in 2003 and held on the first Sunday of every January, the Xiamen Marathon has been rated as an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Gold Label Event for 12 straight years.

World marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich hopes to end a coronavirus ravaged season lining up for the San Silvestre Vallecana

World marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich hopes to end a coronavirus ravaged season on a high on the last day of the year when she lines up for the San Silvestre Vallecana 10-kilometer road Thursday night.

Chepng’etich will be up against Ethiopia’s World Half Marathon bronze medalist Yalemzerf Yehualaw among other invited athletes.

The two last met in October during the New Delhi Half Marathon where Yalemzerf bagged victory in one hour, four minutes and 46 seconds with Chepng’etich second in 1:05.06 and Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh third in 1:05.21.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way races are organized and today’s race in the Spanish city is no exception.

Elite athletes are the only ones who will compete with this years’ race on a 2.5-kilometer loop “bubble” at Ensanche de Vallecas, as one way of protecting the athletes with the possibility of mingling with the public.

Olympic dream

The women’s race will start at 8.30pm Kenyan time with the men’s race going off one hour later with Chepng’etich seeking to wrestle the title currently held by Ethiopia after Hellen Bekele Tola won the race last year.

“It has been a difficult year for athletes but I’m happy because this is my third race and I will be running my own race. I have prepared well and I will be expecting a good competition eyeing a place in the podium,” said Chepng’etich.

“It’s my dream to compete in the Olympic Games and I have to start preparing early. I’m just using these races for speed work as we wait for next year which we hope things will ease off.”

In Italy, five Kenyan women will line up for Boclassic 10-kilometre road race with a different course expected to be used due to Covid-19 restrictions. World 5,000 metres silver medalist Margaret Chelimo leads compatriots who include Janet Kisa, Norah Tanui, Dorcas Tuitoek and Gloria Kite in the city of Bolozano.

2021 Boston Marathon date still not set

The 2021 Boston Marathon is planned for the fall rather than its traditional Patriots’ Day running, but race organizers will not pick an official date until early next year amid ongoing pandemic concerns.

“Due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, the @BAA will not be able to confirm a fall Boston Marathon date until early 2021,” organizers wrote in a tweet from the official Boston Marathon account Tuesday.

“We will continue to work with city and state officials in preparation for a safe return to in-person racing in the fall.”

Officials initially postponed the 2020 Marathon from April until September during the early stages of the pandemic, then ultimately canceled it for the first time in its 123-year history.

2021 Grandma´s marathon has reached the half-capacity limit for in-person registration

Back in October, registration was open for Grandma’s Marathon, the Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon and the William A. Irvin 5K. The half-marathon filled up in just over 13 hours. And now the other two are full as well.

Organizers announced Tuesday that all three races have reached the half-capacity limit for in-person registration. The full and half-marathons were limited to 4,000 runners, while the limit was 1,500 for the 5K. For those who are still interested to run in-person, they are encouraged to reach out to the marathon’s charity partners which can be found on their website.

“What that is is you sign up, you get an entry into any of the three events for 2021 and you fund-raise from now until race day. And if you hit your fundraising goal, the entry then is free. So it’s a great way to not only get what you want, which is run a race at Grandma’s Marathon weekend. But also to help out one of our great charity partners and raise some money for the community,” said PR and marketing director Zach Schneider.

And now that the races are full, the focus turns to the possibility of adding more in-person spots if local and state restrictions on mass gatherings are loosened up.

“We hope to have a decision on whether we’re going to try and open up more in-person spots for the 2021 race by the end of January. We’re hoping that in the coming weeks, we’ll have the chance to meet as a staff to talk to our local health partners and officials, and really figure out what’s the best course for us and for our participants, our volunteers, our spectators,” Schneider said.

Organizers say a virtual option to run the race is also still available

Paul Chelimo, is set to compete for the title at San Silvestre Vallecana

Paul Chelimo, the Olympic runner-up in Rio of the 5,000 meters can become the first athlete 'made in the USA' to win the Nationale-Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana.

Chelimo also has the challenge of beating the American record for 10K -27: 48 , the same as Toni Abadía's in Spain - shared by Bernard Lagat and Mark Nenow . If he arrives in good shape, in a season in which he has hardly run a cross after the outbreak of the pandemic, he should be in a position to do so.

Among his great rivals we can mention the Israeli of Ethiopian origin Maru Teferi , triple national record holder of his adopted country in the distances 10K, half marathon and marathon, and the Kenyan Daniel Simiu Ebenyo , athlete with little pedigree but who arrives endorsed by the 27 : 18 who signed at the 10K Invitational in Berlin at the end of September.

Burundian Thierry Ndikumwenayo , ninth in the Cross World Championship in 2019 and an old acquaintance of cross-country events in national territory, arrives with 28:18 as the best 10K mark and closes the list of candidates for victory, always with the permission of the great Spanish figures.

Much national brilliance

Speaking of Spaniards, the national media, as usual, will not miss the appointment. Kevin López, Jesús Gómez and Ignacio Fontes arrive endorsed by their great season in the 1,500 and promise to fight.

The Nationale-Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana is also fertile ground for surprises. From León comes Jorge Blanco , who arrives at the classic on December 31 with a mark achieved in the 10K in Alcobendas, 27:51, second behind Fernando Carro in that race.

Among the specialists in obstacles, the triple champion of Spain of 3,000 meters, Sebas Martos, will seek to rediscover his best feelings after a fateful season in which he has not been at his best. In front of him, the Burgos Daniel Arce, current runner-up of

Among the specialists in obstacles, the triple champion of Spain of 3,000 meters, Sebas Martos, will seek to rediscover his best feelings after a fateful season in which he has not been at his best. In front of him, the Burgos Daniel Arce, current runner-up of

Among the specialists in obstacles, the triple champion of Spain of 3,000 meters, Sebas Martos , will seek to rediscover his best feelings after a fateful season in which he has not been at his best. In front of him, the Burgos Daniel Arce , current runner-up of the discipline in the Madrid nationals.

This dream cast is completed by Absessamad Oukhelfen , current champion of Spain of 5,000 meters in the open air; Jesús Ramos , ninth in the last Nationale-Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana and with a mark of 27:56 in 10K en route; the two-time Spanish half-marathon champion Houssame Benabbou and the national 3,000-meter indoor champion, Mohamed Katir .

Brenda Martinez has tested positive for a prohibited substance, without fault or negligence

USADA announced today that Brenda Martinez, of Big Bear, Calif., an athlete in the sport of track and field, has tested positive for a prohibited substance, which was determined to have been ingested by her without fault or negligence. As a result, Martinez will not face a period of ineligibility for her positive test.

“This is our sixth no-fault case in just one year, meaning that yet another athlete has been unjustly charged with a violation and publicly recognized for ingesting a prohibited substance from a completely innocent source, such as contaminated medication, meat, or water, and despite there being no effect on performance,” said Travis T. Tygart, Chief Executive Officer of USADA. “USADA strongly objects to this requirement under the rules and will continue to urge WADA to reform the system to be fairer for athletes.”

Martinez, 33, tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample she provided on September 10, 2020. HCTZ is a Specified Substance in the class of Diuretics and Masking Agents and is prohibited at all times under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policy, and the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

During USADA’s investigation into the circumstances of her case, Martinez provided USADA with records of a permitted oral prescription medication that she was taking at the time of her positive test. This permitted medication, which Martinez takes at the direction of a physician, did not list HCTZ or any other prohibited substances on the label. However, detailed laboratory analysis subsequently conducted on multiple tablets of the athlete’s medication confirmed HCTZ contamination at a level consistent with Martinez’s positive test.

Martinez will not face a period of ineligibility for her positive test, and because the sample was collected out-of-competition, there are no competitive results to disqualify.

In an effort to aid athletes, as well as support team members such as parents and coaches, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on its website on the testing process and prohibited substances, how to file and update athlete Whereabouts, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements, as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.

In addition, USADA manages a drug reference hotline, Global Drug Reference Online (www.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions with National Governing Bodies and their athletes, and distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as an easy-reference wallet card with examples of prohibited and permitted substances, a supplement guide, a nutrition guide, an athlete handbook, and periodic alerts and advisories.

Along with education and testing, robust anti-doping programs enable investigations stemming from tips and whistleblowers. USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport in an effort to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using the USADA Play Clean Tip Center, by email at playclean@usada.org, by phone at 1-877-Play Clean (1-877-752-9253) or by mail.

USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement and is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.

Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Kenya’s Daniel Simiu poised to strike in Madrid

The 56th edition of the San Silvestre Vallecana will be held, as is tradition, on New Year’s Eve in Madrid, but this year there have been some significant changes to the World Athletics Gold Label road race.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, organisers have been forced to design a new circuit and so the race won’t start alongside Real Madrid’s famous Santiago Bernabeu stadium, nor will it finish in the stadium of another Spanish first division football club, Rayo Vallecano. Instead, competitors will have to cover four laps of a flat 2.5km circuit, meaning – unlike previous years when the race was held on a slightly downhill course – performances will be record-eligible.

The mass race, which often attracts about 40,000 runners, has been cancelled and only the elite contests will be held with separate starts for men and women.

The showdown between Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich in the women’s race promises to be one of the highlights of the evening.

Yehualaw is in the form of her life. After taking bronze at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020, the 21-year-old Ethiopian stormed to a 1:04:46 victory over the same distance in New Delhi in late November, beating Chepngetich in the process. Yehualaw now sits second on the world all-time list behind compatriot Ababel Yeshaneh, while Chepngetich, the world marathon champion, emerged from New Delhi with a lifetime best of 1:05:06.

Yehualaw’s fastest clocking in a standalone 10km race is 31:55, recorded more than a year ago at altitude in Addis Ababa. It’s worth noting, however, that she recorded 30:49 and 30:43 for the two 10km sections in New Delhi.

Chepngetich, meanwhile, has an official PB of 31:12 and she recorded 30:57 on Madrid’s downhill course last year. She, too, passed through the first 10km in New Delhi in 30:49.

Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw, a 32:55 performer over 10km, is expected to battle with top Spaniards Lucía Rodríguez and Irene Sánchez-Escribano in the hunt for a place on the podium.

The men’s race features Olympic 5000m silver medallist Paul Chelimo. Having finished fourth and second at the World Athletics Cross Country Permit meetings in Elgoibar and Seville respectively in January, the 30-year-old US distance runner will compete in Spain for the third time this year.

His most recent outing was a cross-country race in November in Terre Haute where he finished second. His last completed race before that was the 3000m at the US Indoor Championships, which he won. Chelimo’s main aim in Madrid will be to break the US 10km record of 27:48, co-held by Bernard Lagat and Mark Nenow. The continental record of 27:41, held by Mexico’s Arturo Barrios, could also be within his sights.

Kenya’s Daniel Simiu Ebenyo appears to be the most in-form athlete heading into the race. The 25-year-old set a big 10km PB of 27:18 in Berlin in September to move to fourth on this season’s list.

Burundi’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo, who finished ninth at the 2019 World Cross in Aarhus, is also one to watch. He has recently enjoyed a one-month training stint in Tenerife in the company of Italian 3000m and 5000m record-holder Yemaneberhan Crippa.

Many of the top Spaniards will be in Madrid, headed by Ouassim Oumaiz, Toni Abadía, Javier Guerra, Fernando Carro, Ayad Lamdassem and Yago Rojo. Oumaiz improved to 13:13.14 over 5000m this summer, Abadía holds the national 10km record at 27:48, Guerra is fresh from a 1:01:21 PB at the Valencia Half Marathon, European steeplechase silver medallist Carro clocked 27:46 last month at a downhill event in Alcobendas, 39-year-old Lamdassem is the newly-minted Spanish marathon record-holder with a 2:06:35 clocking in Valencia, and Rojo is a newcomer to the elite, having run under 2:10 on his marathon debut earlier this month.

Kenya´s President Uhuru Kenyatta to sign Anti-Doping Bill into law

President Uhuru Kenyatta will Wednesday sign into law the Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill 2020, placing Kenya at the cusp of complying with the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code.

This is after the Senate, in a special sitting held Tuesday, concurred with the National Assembly and approved the Bill without amendments, paving the way for Presidential assent.

Nation Sport has learnt that State House has asked the two Speakers – Justin Muturi and Kenneth Lusaka – to avail the Bill to the President on Wednesday for the signing ceremony in what is seen as deliberate effort to beat the deadline put in place by the World Anti Doping Agency (Wada).

The signing of the Bill Wednesday will pave the way for Kenya’s participation in major international events in 2021, including the Olympics which were called off this year due to Covid-19 Pandemic.

The code, which aims to ensure that athlete rights within anti-doping are clearly set out, accessible, and universally applicable, was approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) and published in June 2020 and comes into force on January 1, 2021, the time in which the Kenyan law must be in place.

Senators who contributed to the debate on the Bill railed at the Ministry of Sports, accusing it of incompetence and acting as if the Wada deadlines did not exist.

Even though the code was adopted in September, the Ministry of Sports only submitted the draft to Parliament on December 7, long after Parliament had gone to Christmas recess.

Agents at fault

They however hailed the code as an important milestone in the career of Kenyan athletes arguing that it will guarantee greater success especially for long distance running that Kenya is famed for.

They however took a dig at the agents who they accuse of taking advantage of inexperienced athletes and initiating them into doping for self-gain.

Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula urged the government and the world athletics governing body to consider punishing agents in situations where the athletes are caught on the wrong side of doping.

“Most of the price money received by athletes ends up in the pockets of the agents. That is why they hold our athletes as guinea pigs,” Mr Wetangula told the House, adding that it is the agents who introduce athletes to performance enhancement drugs for selfish gain.

“Such crooked agents should be expelled from Kenya and if necessary prosecuted and imprisoned as a deterrent for destroying careers of young innocent athletes.”

Nandi senator Samson Cherarkey observed that doping has stained the Kenya sport in recent times, a fact he also blamed on the agents.

“This Bill offers an access card to our athletes. I urge all of us to pass this law so that it can open the way for Kenyan athletes to participate in international competitions.”

Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei has said his focus is on becoming just the eighth man to successfully complete the 5,000m-10,000m double at an Olympic Games

The Ugandan, 24, set world records over both distances last year, adding to the 5,000m world gold he won at Doha 2019.

"It would be a mountain to climb, but the challenge is up to me," he told BBC World Service Sport.

"It is demanding a lot, in terms of racing and mindset but I want to give myself a try to win both gold medals."

Seven men have won both 5,000m and 10,000m golds at the same Olympics, with Britain's Mo Farah doing the double at both London 2012 and Rio 2016.

As a teenager, Cheptegei finished eighth and sixth in the 5,000m and 10,000m finals respectively in Rio.

"It would be really amazing to win the double, but if I win gold in the 10,000m I would still be grateful," Cheptegei added.

Uganda have won only two Olympic gold medals in their history, with John Akii-Bua winning the 400m hurdles in 1972 and Stephen Kiprotich winning the marathon 40 years later in London.

Cheptegei wears Nike's ZoomX Dragonfly spikes, which transplant the sportswear giant's controversial combination of highly resilient foam and carbon plates to the track.

However Cheptegei believes that, with the same technology available to all athletes if they want it, he doesn't have any unfair advantage.

"The shoes really do help," he said.

"But in this case the shoes are not only available to Mr Cheptegei.

"They are available for everyone who wants to attack the world record.

"You have seen the likes of Yomif Kejelcha, Selemon Barega...it is not about shoes only, but athletes having this period concentrating more on training and not traveling.

"I was focused on just this one thing. And that was breaking the world record."

Veteran sprint hurdler Tony Bowman battles through a tough year

After recovering from heart problems the remarkable veteran sprint hurdler has struggled to train and compete in 2020 and lost his wife to Covid-19 but he refuses to be downbeat

Overcoming adversity is a regular theme in athletics. Yet Tony Bowman has endured far more than his fair share of problems in the last year or so.

The 85-year-old has undergone surgery to correct irregularities in his heart and then, earlier this year, his wife died after falling ill with coronavirus.

In an attempt to maintain his own impressive levels of fitness when training facilities were closed due to the pandemic, he bought his own set of hurdles and began practicing on an all-weather hockey pitch, only to find there are barely any competitions he can actually do.

Despite this he talks with optimism about 2021 and is looking forward to attacking world masters records in his age group.

Of course the Leeds-based athlete is not merely a ‘tough nut’. He has considerable talent too.

After being inspired by athletics after watching the 1948 London Olympics as a teenager with his dad, in 1952 he won a silver medal in the sprint hurdles at the English Schools Championships in Bradford and then, after a break of many years, he returned to the sport as a veteran to more or less carry on where he left off.

“I gave up sprinting when I was about 26 and then concentrated on playing hockey and tennis,” he says. “But then someone told me about veteran athletics and I was 42 at the time.”

In recent years this remarkable man has won world and European masters titles in sprints, hurdles and combined events and has broken world records recently in the over-80s age group.

Bowman fizzes with energy when he talks. “I’m very competitive and don’t seem to have lost that as I’ve got older,” he enthuses. “If anything I’ve got more competitive.”

For years he has paid for his own travel to international masters championships, winning multiple gold medals for Britain, using his own savings and pension. “I don’t get any funding or sponsorship whatsoever,” he says. “The only sponsorship that I’ve ever had is with David Lloyd where they gave me free membership for about three years with a tracksuit and top etc, but then the firm changed hands and they dropped all the sponsorship.

“Fortunately I’ve worked all my life and never been a smoker or a drinker so I use my savings and pension. It’s something I absolutely love so I don’t regret it.”

If he does have one regret, it is maybe not focusing more on athletics as he emerged from his teenage years. After starting national service with the RAF he became intimidated by the increased height of hurdles as he got older and temporarily quit the sport. Still, he had great fun at the time as a young hurdler.

“My ambition is to run the 100 metres when I’m 100 and to live until I’m 120,” he says. “I will be 100 in only 15 years’ time and I only feel in my 50s now.

“You ask me what’s kept me going. I think I’m one of these very fortunate people. Not only do I do a lot of sport but I’m keen on dancing – ballroom, salsa, jive, cha-cha-cha, all that jazz – and I’ve won competitions with my dancing partner with Strictly Come Dancing people like Craig Revel Horwood judging. That all helps to keep me young.”

His advice to aging athletes who want to succeed? “Well, a lot of it is in the genes,” he says. “But if you’re enthusiastic for the sport then that counts for a lot. What can I say? Just keep at it.”

Britain’s triathlete Tom Bishop gearing up for Tokyo 2021 challenge

At 29, Derby’s Tom Bishop is one of Britain’s leading triathletes and has his best chance yet to take part in the Olympics when, hopefully, they go ahead in Tokyo next year. Here, Bishop tells the story of his early career and preparations for Tokyo.

I grew up with my twin brother, David, on a cul-de-sac in Mackworth. We moved to Allestree and Woodlands Community School, as it was called then, was where my triathlon career really began.

As kids, we never took sport too seriously. Rather, we just did it and enjoyed ourselves. But there came a point when a decision had to be made about our dedication and commitment to triathlon and this choice came when we were 16.

You could say it was a coming of age moment and a few sacrifices had to be made. Growing up, we had joined numerous sports clubs, including school football and cricket teams, but these had to end.

We were also members of City of Derby Swimming Club and Derby Athletics Club and they were fundamental in developing our triathlon skill set.

As sixth formers, we had a bit more time in the week to train and began to get access to the British Triathlon Team in Loughborough, with early morning sessions three times a week before school and a general increase in training hours, eight to 18 hours. We also started to cycle with the local group De Uno, adding sessions at lunchtime and after school, too.

The load was tough to balance around A-level studies but we both achieved some solid grades earned spots at university, myself at Leeds and David at Loughborough.

Our A-level years saw us develop into the best junior triathletes in the country, winning  multiple medals, and I even represented Great Britain at youth and junior age groups. I said it was tough but we loved every minute, pushing each other to be the best we could.

At the end of my first year, I came second at the junior World Championships and the following two years I came third twice at under-23 level.  By the time I graduated, I had won three world medals as a junior and under-23 and turned pro, racing full-time for the GB squad.

Looking forward to next year, Tokyo is the big focus. The first few months will see me racing to gain qualification points, hopefully starting in Abu Dhabi on first weekend in March, though it is yet to be scheduled.

The next block of racing will take me to Asia, with a race in Chengdu, then Osaka and one of the Olympic selection races in Yokohama, Japan. Simply, I need to be at my best and battling for podiums if I want to score enough points to hit the British Team’s selection criteria.

It’s going to be challenging but I’m up for it. Obviously, there’s still huge uncertainty about what the year will look like but I have learned a lot this year about how to deal with these times.

45th Annual Marshfield Road Runners New Year's Day Marathon and Half-Marathon is set to go on friday

Organizers of Marshfield Road Runners, said that they are excited to announce that the Marshfield Road Runners Club will be holding our annual New Year’s Day Marathon and Half Marathon on Friday, January 1, 2021 at 9am at the Marshfield High School.

We will hold two starts: 1 for registered marathon runners and 1 for registered half marathon runners. Each race will be capped at 20 runners – first come, first serve.

Protein sources are the best for your heart and immune system

Protein is vital to build and repair body tissue and fight viral and bacterial infections. Immune system powerhouses such as antibodies and immune system cells rely on protein and a good way to get heart-healthy. Too little protein in the diet may lead to symptoms of weakness, fatigue, apathy, and poor immunity.

Plant and animal proteins:

But it's just as important—perhaps even more so—to focus on the source rather than the amount of protein you're eating. Plant-based protein sources (beans and nuts) also include healthy unsaturated fats and fiber, both of which help lower harmful LDL cholesterol levels. Fiber also helps lower blood pressure, and most Americans are woefully short on this key nutrient.

Most animal-based protein sources contain saturated fat, which is less healthy than unsaturated fat. Red meat and eggs also contain a compound called carnitine that, when broken down by gut bacteria, forms a substance that's been linked to hardening of the arteries. Certain types of fish, on the other hand, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help prevent blood clots, calm dangerous heart rhythms, and lower blood pressure.

Below are additional tips on various protein-rich foods.

Legumes (beans and peas). If it grows in a pod, it's a legume. Choose from black beans, garbanzos, pintos, split peas, and many more—including soybeans, which come in a variety of forms, such as fresh whole green beans (edamame), soy milk, and tofu. Eating beans has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Add them to soups, stews, or salads, or try bean-based dips such as hummus.

Nuts. These include walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, and a host of others, including peanuts (though they're technically a legume). People who eat nuts regularly may be less likely to die of heart disease than those who rarely eat nuts. Eat a small handful (about a quarter-cup) a day.

Fish and shellfish. Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna are a good way to get heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and people who eat fish may have fewer heart attacks than those who avoid it. For this reason, the American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings a week. Other varieties of fish and seafood are good sources of protein as well and often low in fat.

Dairy products (milk, yogurt, and cheese). Because dairy contains saturated fat, experts have long recommended choosing low-fat or nonfat versions. However, most studies show no link between heart disease risk and dairy products, regardless of milk fat levels. The national dietary guidelines recommend two to three servings of dairy products daily, but Dr. Willett advises sticking to one to two servings daily. With such limited amounts, full-fat versions are okay, he says. "The worst are low-fat dairy products that include added sugar, which includes most low-fat yogurts," he adds.

Eggs. Eating an egg a day appears to be neutral as far as heart disease risk goes. But for people with diabetes, eggs appear to elevate heart disease risk. So if you have diabetes, limit yourself to no more than three eggs a week.

Poultry (chicken and turkey). Compared with red meat, poultry has fewer calories and much less saturated fat, so it's a healthier choice. There's no need to remove the skin before cooking, as it seals in moisture. The fat in chicken skin is mostly unsaturated, so feel free to eat it if you enjoy it, says Dr. Willett.

Red meat (beef, lamb, and pork). Because other protein options are healthier, Dr. Willett recommends eating red meat only occasionally—or at least limiting yourself to one serving a week. The proposed 2015 federal dietary guidelines also advise limiting red and processed meat, noting that a plant-based diet is "more health-promoting." Also, if you care about your contribution to climate change, limiting red meat intake is one of the most important steps you can take, he adds.

Processed meat (bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and deli meats). Compared with fresh meat, processed meat has preservatives, slightly more fat and calories, and four times the salt. These differences may explain why research finds that people who eat processed meat once a day have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes than those who pass up processed meats.