Running News Daily

Christian Coleman has formally appealed doping ban

Men's 100-meter world champion Christian Coleman has formally appealed against his two-year ban for missing multiple doping tests, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Thursday.

The court also received an appeal by the World Athletics governing body against a decision to clear women's 400-meter world champion Salwa Eid Naser on a technicality despite facing similar charges as Coleman.

The verdicts in the separate cases will have a big impact on two of the most anticipated sprint events at the Tokyo Olympics next year.

Coleman is challenging a two-year ban imposed last month by an independent tribunal at track and field's Athletics Integrity Unit.

The American sprinter had three so-called "whereabouts failures" -- missed tests or not updating details where sample collection officials could find him -- in a one-year period to trigger a doping violation.

Coleman asked for his ban, which currently rules him out of the Olympics, to "be eliminated, or in the alternative, reduced," the court said in a statement.

He had previously avoided a ban before the 2019 worlds in Doha, Qatar, when he benefited from the same technicality later cited to clear Naser.

In Naser's case, World Athletics is appealing against the tribunal's decision last month to let her off without a ban.

Although the Nigeria-born Bahraini did have three whereabouts incidents within a 12-month calendar period, they technically counted as spanning more than one year.

World Athletics has requested a two-year ban for Naser, CAS said, adding it is now appointing panels of judges to handle the cases.

CAS typically take several months to prepare and judge an appeal, although fast-track decisions can be reached if all parties agree to cooperate.

Defending champions Belihu and Gemechu believe that course records could fall at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2020

The topic of discussion at the traditional pre-race press conference for the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on Thursday was whether the course records could be broken at this year’s World Athletics Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (29). The response was resoundingly positive from everyone.

"I have been training very well, and I was disappointed with my fifth place at the World Half Marathon Championships in Poland last month, so I am in shape and very motivated to run well here," commented the two-time men’s defending champion Andamlak Belihu, from Ethiopia.

"Last year, I was just four seconds outside the course record (59:06 set by Ethiopia’s Guye Adola in 2014) and I think I can find the difference." On Sunday, Belihu will be bidding for an unprecedented third successive title in the Indian capital but the course he will cover is radically different to the one he won on in 2018 and 2019.

To comply with prevailing health-related related measures, the runners will cover around 4.5 kilometres, starting at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, and then embark on two loops of approximately six kilometres, before returning to the finish outside the stadium by the same route.

"However, with smoother corners, less undulations and with the elite runners not having to contend with mass-race participants, I believe this is a faster course than previous years," said race director Hugh Jones.

Belihu’s compatriot Tsehay Gemechu, who revised the women’s course record when winning in both 2018 and 2019 - it currently stands at 66:00 - concurred with the comments about course records being in danger.

"I am in shape to go even faster than last year," said Gemechu. However, the defending champion will face an even stronger set of rivals on Sunday than the two outstanding fields she defeated in the past two years.

On the start line will be Gemechu’s fellow Ethiopian and world half marathon record holder Ababel Yeshaneh.

"I am coming here looking to show what I can do after finishing fifth at the World Half. I fell there (about three kilometres from the finish) and was very frustrated, finishing in tears, because I know I was in shape to win but you just have to pick yourself up and carry on. I have brought the shape I had in Poland to Delhi," said Yeshaneh

This year’s Airtel Delhi Half Marathon can boast of not one but two world record holders in the women’s race.

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei stunned the world when she broke the long-standing women’s world marathon record by more than a minute at 2019 Chicago Marathon, clocking 2:14:04, with Yeshaneh a distant second on that occasion although she still ran a superb personal best of 2:20:51.

However, at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February this year Yeshaneh prevailed in a world record 64:31 with Kosgei second in 64:49. More recently, Kosgei won the London Marathon on 4 October in 2:18:58. "After London, I took 10 days off, but I have since had six weeks very good preparation for this race. I have a good record in half marathons, but I am not going to make predictions about this race as it is a very tough field. Some of the ladies may be better prepared as they competed at the World Half Marathon Championships last month," commented Kosgei.

World Triathlon proposing a new elimination style race for inclusion at Paris 2024

A new elimination style individual event is being proposed by World Triathlon for inclusion at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

insidethegames understands World Triathlon has put forward five medal events - the eliminator for men and women, the traditional elite races and a mixed relay - on its Paris 2024 event programme that it has submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The exact format of the eliminator concept - which could see athletes compete over a set number of rounds, with the lowest few athletes removed from the field after each heat - has not yet been confirmed.

The distance of the event and other details such as the order of the disciplines has also not yet been ironed out, but it has been suggested it could use the super sprint format of a 400 metres run, a 10km bike and a 2.5km swim.

World Triathlon believe the eliminator concept would not increase its athlete quota for Paris 2024 and it could be held using the same course as the mixed relay, which is set to make its Olympic debut at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games next year.

The IOC, which is due to confirm the Paris 2024 event programme at its Executive Board meeting next month, has outlined its opposition to new events if they increase the number of athletes but has suggested it is open to their inclusion if it is contested by the same set of competitors.

World Triathlon President Marisol Casado has consistently spoken of the need to enhance the sport's presence at the Olympics.

Casado, who will face a challenge from Denmark's Mads Freund when she stands for re-election during the organisation's virtual General Assembly on Sunday (November 29), has previously floated ideas such as races including semi-finals and finals in order to improve the appeal of triathlon.

Kenya's Brigid Kosgei dismisses fears over virus and Delhi pollution

Women’s marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei said on Thursday she was gearing up for New Delhi’s half-marathon on Sunday, dismissing fears around the novel coronavirus outbreak and polluted air in the capital city.

The 26-year-old, who won the London Marathon in October, will race alongside many of the world’s leading long-distance runners at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2020.

“When I told my family that I want to go to India for a marathon even during a pandemic, they supported my decision and told me to do well and take care of myself,” Kosgei told reporters at a news conference on Thursday.

India’s confimed cases of coronavirus infections stands at 9.27 million, the second-highest in the world after the United States, according to a Reuters tally.

Elite runners were being tested daily for infections and kept in bio-secure bubbles, race organiser Procam International said, adding there would be 60 healthcare officials across the course for health emergencies on Sunday.

To tackle Delhi’s hazardous air, anti-smog machines would be installed along the 21-km route for the elite runners, and sprayed with treated water.

Hundreds of other enthusiasts were participating in the shorter races.

Doctors have slammed the holding of a marathon in Delhi, which is facing one of the worst spells of air pollution this year, complicating efforts for controlling the coronavirus outbreak.

On Thursday, the average concentration of deadly particulate matter PM2.5, which can potentially cause respiratory diseases including lung cancer, was seven times the prescribed safe limit of the World Health Organisation.

Each year Delhi suffers one of the worst air pollution levels globally partly due to local vehicle emissions, toxic waste and smoke from the thousands of small unregulated industrial units.

Amateur Runner, 23, Kaito Iwasa Hoping for Breakthrough at Fukuoka International Marathon

Local Hiratsuka resident Kaito Iwasa, 23, will run the 74th Fukuoka International Marathon on Dec 6. With the number of entrants limited to a select few due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Iwasa earned the right to stand on the starting line by meeting the strict qualifying standards. "Fast times will come later," he said. "Before anything else I just want to enjoy this one."

Iwasa graduated from Kasugano J.H.S. and Oiso H.S. He attended Chuo University. where he was part of the ekiden team. After graduating from Chuo this year he started working at a local company in April, training all the while for next spring's Tokyo Marathon. When Tokyo was postponed until next October due to the coronavirus crisis, he started looking for another race he could run and heard that Fukuoka would be happening. 

In March this year Iwasa ran the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon as the final race of his college career, recording a respectable 2:19:51. "Fukuoka is an elite race," he said. "To be honest I didn't think I had a chance." But in a field of 94 his Lake Biwa time earned him bib # 83. He hopes to break 2:15.

Still in his first year of full-time work, it's a challenge for him to balance his job and training. "My life can't be completely focused on running like it was in university," Iwasa says. "but I've been able to work it so far so that I can still train six days a week." He gets up at 5:00 a.m. to run, generally following Route 1 along the coast or in the Hiratsuka municipal park, before heading to work. 

At Chuo Iwasa was selected as one of the entry members for the Hakone Ekiden but never made it to the starting lineup. That disappointment is what drives him now. "I want to stay involved with athletics and someday coach an athlete who will run the Hakone Ekiden's Fourth Stage through Hiratsuka," he says. "I want to show younger athletes that you can still have a career in athletics even if you're in the workplace."

2021 Los Angeles Marathon has been rescheduled for May 23 due to coronavirus

The 2021 Los Angeles Marathon has been rescheduled for May 23 and the LA Big 5K to May 22 because of the coronavirus pandemic, pending final approval of all city partners, applicable health departments and other governmental agencies, organizers announced.

The 36th edition of the marathon had been scheduled to run March 21 and the LA Big 5K for March 20. LA Big 5K is customarily run on the eve of the marathon.

The McCourt Foundation also announced Tuesday format changes to two other races it operates. The 2021 Rose Bowl 5K will be run Jan. 16-17, and the Rose Bowl Half-Marathon on March 27-28. The 2021 Rose Bowl 5K and Half Marathon had both been scheduled for Jan. 17.

Both events are being planned for two days on separate weekends in January and March to ensure proper runner and walker distancing, as well as a safer, more manageable event flow, according to the foundation operated by the family of former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.

The rescheduling was made “after careful consideration and following guidance provided by the Medical and Operations Advisory Group,” the foundation said.

March and May event dates will continue to be evaluated to meet the highest possible health and safety of participants, volunteers and partners, according to the foundation. These considerations will include:

Significantly limiting field sizes;

COVID-19 vaccinations and rapid-testing for participants;

Mask use; and Hygiene practices and procedures.

The McCourt Foundation announced in July a major course change to the Los Angeles Marathon, replacing the “Stadium to the Sea” course used since 2010 to a “Stadium to the Stars” course, from Dodger Stadium to Brentwood, where runners will double back on San Vicente, Sepulveda and Santa Monica boulevards, ending at Avenue of the Stars in Century City.

The change was made because “the dramatically increased costs quoted by the city of Santa Monica for the 2021 running of the marathon and future events made remaining in Santa Monica financially infeasible,” the foundation said.

“The finish on Avenue of the Stars also allows exciting modifications not previously possible in Santa Monica,” the foundation added, “such as enhanced spectator viewing and celebrations at the finish line.”

The “Stadium to the Sea” course began at Dodger Stadium and ended near the Santa Monica Pier.

The Los Angeles Marathon has been held in March since its inaugural edition in 1986 except for 2009 and 2016.

Chicago Marathon hopeful about 2021 mass participation race

Organizers are forging ahead with planning their 2021 and runners will be accepted through a tiered entry system.

As 2020 draws to a close, the pandemic has yet to be resolved. Unfortunately, few World Majors ran in 2020, and the two that did (Tokyo and London) both had extremely small fields. However, the Chicago Marathon is optimistic about the possibility of running a mass participation race next fall. Organizers announced recently that they’re moving forward with planning the October 10, 2021, race. 

The Chicago fields are set to be selected through a tiered application system, which is now open to a limited number of people and will open to the public in January. According to Inside the Games, a limited application window will also open to runners who deferred their 2020 entries. The 5K is set to take place the day before, on October 9. Organizers told ITG, “We are moving forward with hope and optimism. The health and safety of participants, volunteers, spectators and the Chicago community remain at the forefront of our planning, and we are doing everything we can to safely bring the Chicago Marathon back to our city streets.”

No spring world majors for 2021

With the spring remaining uncertain, Boston has pushed their race to the fall, along with London. Both races historically ran in April, with Berlin, Chicago and New York taking the fall spots. Tokyo typically runs in March, but is now also scheduled for October. With all of the majors slotting themselves into a six-week period, the quality of the fields will certainly be diluted, but the return of mass participation races will be a welcome change. 

Indian Steeplechase runner Avinash Sable wants to challenge the best at Delhi half-marathon

India’s 3,000-meter steeplechase record holder and Olympic hopeful Avinash Sable, starved of track races ahead of the Tokyo Games due to the pandemic, will run the weekend’s Airtel Delhi half marathon to keep his competitive juices flowing.

“My goal is to stay with the leading pack of elite runners and give a good timing,” Sable said from his base in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

His coach Amrish Kumar said the target was to clock 60 minutes for the 21.0975 km race. “He has been doing really well in training. In the lockdown period too he has been training consistently. He can go all out,” Kumar said.

If Sable achieves his ambitious target, he will better the national best—1:03:46 by Kalidas Nirave. The Indian best in the Airtel race is 1:03:54. Sable has not run under 64 minutes.

Sable often used to run road races in winter months when there are no track races, but has never attempted to race with the elite group led by Kenyans and Ethiopians due to the scorching pace they set. The elite winner usually runs under 60 minutes.

The surge in coronavirus cases across the globe has disrupted the athletics calendar as well. Sable said Sunday’s race will be a good platform to test his nerves. “I’m hungry to run hard and fast,” he added.

“The season has been frustrating. There was no competition because of the pandemic. I have done good endurance training. So I thought this will be a good platform to test myself against international athletes at home.

“I don’t run in marathons now—the last was in 2017. Both steeplechase and half marathons are tests of endurance. I was doing high-altitude training in Ooty in July and shifted to Bengaluru in August under Amrish sir,” Sable said.

Last year, the Maharashtra runner’s heroic efforts at the Doha world championships earned him a ticket to the Olympics. He lowered the national record twice in steeplechase, clocking a best of 8min, 21.37 secs (Olympics qualification mark: 8 min, 22 secs) in the final, finishing 13th out of 16 competitors.

“In steeplechase, I have worked on my speed, strength and hurdle technique. I know we will not get many competitions before Olympics. I have to work harder to improve,” said Sable.

Diamond League unveils 14-meet schedule for 2021 track and field season

The Diamond League on Tuesday released its provisional calendar for the 2021 season, which will consist of 14 athletics meetings beginning in Rabat in May and ending in Zurich in September.

Doha will stage a meeting on May 28 after which Rome will host the first European event of the season on June 4, with Oslo hosting a week later. Meetings in Stockholm, Monaco and London are scheduled for the first two weeks of July.

"The calendar is strictly provisional at this stage and remains subject to changes depending on the global health situation in 2021," organizers said in a statement.

After a one-month break for the rearranged Tokyo Olympics, action will resume in Shanghai on Aug. 14.

Eugene will host its first Diamond League meeting on Aug. 21, with China to hold its second event of the season the following day.

The final leg will take place in Europe with meetings in Lausanne, Paris and Brussels before the season finale in Zurich from Sept. 8-9.

 The calendar remains provisional and is subject to changes depending on the global health situation, the Diamond League said.

The 2020 calendar was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with several events cancelled and others rescheduled.

2021 Diamond League calendar

Rabat — May 23

Doha — May 28

Rome — June 4

Oslo — June 10

Stockholm — July 4

Monaco — July 9

London — July 13

Shanghai — Aug. 14

Eugene — Aug. 21

China — Aug. 22

Lausanne — Aug. 26

Paris — Aug. 28

Brussels — Sept. 3

Zurich — Sept. 8-9

Keira D’Amato destroys American women’s-only 10 mile record

Keira D’Amato‘s magical year of running continued this morning when she smashed the American record for 10 miles in an all-women’s competition at the specially-arranged Up Dawg Ten Miler in Washington, D.C.  Running on a multi-loop, certified course in Anacostia Park and against a backdrop of still-vibrant fall foliage, D’Amato soloed to a 51:23 finish time, smashing Janet Bawcom‘s record of 52:12 set at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile in April, 2014.

“I didn’t really have anything prepared to say,” said a tearful D’Amato to the small crowd of officials, volunteers, family members and media gathered at the race finish line.  She continued: “Thank you to all the volunteers and everyone for coming out and helping.  I actually really don’t know what else to say.”

D’Amato, 36, attacked the record from the start.  She needed to average 5:13 per mile, and hit the first mile in 5:10.  She had already separated herself from the four other women who were competing, including 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon runner-up Molly Seidel.  She held a level pace through 4 miles (20:40), but picked it up with a 5:05 fifth mile.

Although the weather was clear and windless for the 8:00 a.m. start, temperatures were cold (the limited group of officials and spectators wore winter clothes).  Nonetheless, D’Amato threw off her headband in the fifth mile, and her arm warmers in the seventh reflecting how hard she was working.  She clocked 5:03 for mile six and 5:07 for mile seven, building a good cushion on the record.

About 48 minutes into the race, D’Amato got a stitch on her right side.  She could be seen on the broadcast rubbing her ribs next to her bib number, and raising her right arm to lift her rib cage, a common technique to relieve stitch pain.  Although her final mile was her slowest (about 5:23), the record was never in doubt.

While D’Amato’s mark fell short of the absolute (mixed-gender) American record of 50:52 set by Molly Huddle en route at the 2018 Aramco Houston Half-Marathon, it was remarkably close given the fact that she did not have the benefit of any runners near her to help with the pace or to create a draft.  She ran the entire course today with only the lead cyclists for company.

Today’s record was only one of several great performances by D’Amato this pandemic year, a full-time realtor from Midlothian, Virginia, who does not have a kit sponsor.  Before the pandemic in January and February she ran personal bests for the half-marathon and the marathon of 1:10:01 and 2:34:24, respectively, but really began to shine over the summer.  She clocked 32:33.44 for 10,000m on the track in July, blasted a 1:08:57 solo half-marathon in October, and a lonely 15:08 road 5-K (course not certified) earlier this month.  She used all of these performances, she said, to tune-up for today’s race which she helped fund out of her own pocket.

Iva Barr, Oldest London Marathon competitor has passed away at 93-years-old

IVA BARR, who became the oldest London Marathon competitor when she finished the 2016 race at age 88, has sadly passed away at 93-years-old.

Barr, from Bedford, first entered the London Marathon back in 1981 and completed 20 in total after confirming that the 2016 race was to be her last.

She tackled the first 14 miles of that year’s race before taking the Underground to Westminster and walking the final part to the finish at The Mall.

At the time the marathon enthusiast, who ran as a member of the Bedford Harriers Athletics Club and participated in marathons for “30-odd years”, said she would “never forget” her final attempt, despite not quite completing the route.

Ababel Yeshaneh, Brigid Kosgei, Kibiwott Kandie and Jacob Kiplimo will renew rivalry at Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon

The fastest half-marathon in the world has attracted the best half-marathon runners on the planet again.

The 15th edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on February 19 will see reigning champions Kibiwott Kandie and Ababel Yeshaneh defending their titles while world half-marathon champion Jacob Kiplimo and world marathon record-holder Brigid Kosgei will try to wrestle their titles off them.

The event, which is often known simply as ‘the RAK Half’ and which takes place on a super-fast course in the northernmost emirate of the United Arab Emirates in three months’ time, will see mouth-watering clashes in separate men’s and women’s races. More entries are expected to be announced in coming weeks but so far they include:

» Kibiwott Kandie – fastest man in the world over 13.1 miles in 2020 with 58:38 from Prague in September and winner in Ras Al Khamah in February with 58:58. The Kenyan (below) was also runner-up in the World Half Marathon Championships in 58:54, making him the first man to run sub-59min three times in one year.

» Jacob Kiplimo – the Ugandan took the world-marathon title ahead of Kandie in Gdynia last month following a track season that saw him run 7:26.64 for 3000m and 12:48.63 for 5000m. Only 20, he also took world cross-country champs silver behind Joshua Cheptegei in Aarhus last year.

» Ababel Yeshaneh – set a women’s world half-marathon record of 64:31 to win the Ras Al Khaimah race in February. At the World Half in Gdynia she was fifth but the Ethiopian fell in the closing stages. Over the marathon she was runner-up to Kosgei in Chicago last year with 2:20:51.

» Brigid Kosgei – world record-holder for the marathon with 2:14:04 from Chicago in 2019 and winner of the last two London Marathons, whereas over 13.1 miles the Kenyan (below) was 18 seconds behind Yeshaneh in Ras Al Khaimah this year in the second-fastest time in history.

The race is often dominated by east African distance runners but Sara Hall of the United States is one of the early entries, too, and will be sure to attract interest from US fans after her battling runner-up performance at the London Marathon in October.

“This is the fastest half-marathon course in the world and we want it to maintain its fame,” says Ras Al Khaimah Half race director Andrea Trabuio.

With the coronavirus pandemic causing problems around the world, Trabuio says the elite races and non-elite events will be run separately on February 19 in order to maintain social distancing. With the non-elite event there will be seven waves with about 400 runners in each wave with temperature checks at the start and masks being worn for the first few hundred meters.

Kuala Lumpur Marathon 2020 goes virtual

THE Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) announced the introduction of its inaugural Virtual Run, which will take place from Dec 5 to 13 and offers free registration.

Organised by Dirigo Events and with Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia as title sponsor, the KLSCM 2020 Virtual Run will offer the full marathon, half marathon, 10km and 5km distance categories.

“We wanted to create something for our runners that would motivate and re-energize everyone about running again because without events to train for, enthusiasm levels often drop easily, ” said Dirigo Events director Rainer Biemans.

“And with the pandemic continuing to spread, it is now more important than ever for all of us to maintain our health at optimum levels and keep our immune systems strong.

“We also understand that a lot of people are struggling financially at the moment, so we decided to make registrations free of charge to encourage as many people as possible to take part, ” added Biemans.

Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia is eager to play its part in encouraging Malaysians to maintain a healthy lifestyle in these trying times.

“In response to our runners’ enthusiasm to stay fit virtually and remotely, we are delighted to elevate their running experience with the new and interactive KLSCM virtual run, ” said the bank’s managing director and chief executive officer Abrar A. Anwar.

“We hope that the continued commitment of our KLSCM sponsorship will provide tangible ways for runners to keep active and engaged during such testing times, ” he added.

KLSCM Virtual Run is designed to provide a proper challenge to participants who are required to complete their entered distance in a single attempt.

Runners will receive an e-bib once successfully registered and an e-certificate upon completion.

A dedicated digital application – the KLSCM 2020 VR app – has been developed that can be downloaded for free and will enable participants to track their run, submit their results, share their activity feed.

The application comes packed with a host of other engaging features such as category leaderboards and even an Augmented Reality selfie filter.

There will also be no limits or quotas to the participation numbers for any distance or category.

Participation will only be limited by age (12 years old and above for 5km, 15 years old and above for 10km and 18 years old and above for half and full marathons).

In addition, there will be no specific cut-off times for each distance.

Participants can complete their run anywhere outdoors, at a location of their choice, any time between 12.01am on Dec 5 and 11.59pm on Dec 13,2020 (GMT+8).

Each successful registration is entered into the runner’s KLSCM participation history.

Finalists for Female Athlete of the Year 2020

With just 11 days to go until the World Athletics Awards 2020, the names of the five finalists for the Female World Athlete of the Year 2020 have been confirmed.

In spite of the many challenges presented by the global Covid-19 pandemic this year, the five athletes, who represent five countries and four area associations, have excelled, producing brilliant performances across a range of athletics disciplines in 2020.

The finalists are (in alphabetical order):

Letesenbet Gidey, Ethiopia- set a world record of 14:06.62 over 5000m- was second in the 5000m at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco

Sifan Hassan, Netherlands- set a world record of 18,930m in the one hour run- set a European record of 29:36.67 over 10,000m, the fourth fastest performance in history

Peres Jepchirchir, Kenya- won the world half marathon title- twice broke the world half marathon record for a women-only race (1:05:34 and 1:05:16)

Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela- undefeated in four triple jump competitions indoors and outdoors- broke the world indoor triple jump record with 15.43m

Elaine Thompson-Herah, Jamaica- undefeated in seven 100m races- ran world-leading 10.85 over 100m

The male and female World Athletes of the Year will be announced live at the World Athletics Awards 2020 to be staged as a virtual event on Saturday 5 December and streamed live on the World Athletics YouTube channel, its Facebook page and via Twitter.

Ethiopia’s Andamlak Belihu eyeing course record at 2020 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon

This year has been tough for all of us, especially athletes since we have not been able to train at our optimum level due to the circumstances.

However, it's always exciting to come back to the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon and I have trained to the fullest in the last one month for the race.

The World Half Marathon Championships in October was really difficult for me. With the training areas closed for a considerable amount of time, it was hard for me to get the desired result.

But my fitness levels are really good and I am feeling confident. The feeling about myself is brilliant at the moment and I am coming not just to win, but to aim for the course record timing as well.

The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon is the most prestigious half marathon for a reason. The course is exquisite and India is a beautiful country with a rich culture much like Ethiopia.

I am really looking forward to a cracking race and I am very confident about improving my timing this year.

All the athletes in the race are going to bring out their A-game and that's what will make the contest all the more exciting.

It's going to be a bit different this time though, as the people of Delhi will not be able to cheer us on. However, safety ensured for everyone involved in the event is important.

Extremely grateful to know all teams involved have worked hard to detail out various Covid-secure protocols and better running conditions have been given topmost priority.

World 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot has missed out on the World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year Award

Cheruiyot was Kenya's sole flagbearer for the coveted award. World Athletics has released the final five nominees for the award with the winner expected to be announced virtually on December 5.

Uganda's world record holder in the 5,000m and 10,000m Joshua Cheptegei is the favorite for the gong. He broke world records at 5,000m (12:35.36), 10,000m (26:11.00) and 5km on the roads (12:51) and was fourth at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships on his debut over the distance.

Two-time 400m hurdles world champion Karsten Warholm of Norway makes the cut for the award after a stellar season on the track.

He ran a world-leading 46.87 in the 400m hurdles, the second-fastest performance in history, and was undefeated in nine 400m/400m hurdles races and set a world best of 33.78 in 300m hurdles

Former world javelin champion Johannes Vetter, of Germany, is in the mix after winning eight of his nine javelin competitions and throwing world-leading 97.76m, the second farthest throw in history

World Pole vault record holder Mondo Duplantis of Sweden makes the shortlist. He broke the world record in the pole vault twice (6.17m and 6.18m) and produced the highest outdoor vault of all time (6.15m) and was undefeated in 16 competitions.

USA'S Ryan Crouser will be e hoping to break the trend and win the award. He was undefeated in 10 shot put competitions and his 22.91m world-leading performance moved him to equal third on the world all-time list

A three-way voting process determined the finalists. The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family cast their votes by email, while fans voted online via our social media platforms.

The Council’s vote counted for 50 per cent of the result, while the Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes each counted for 25 per cent of the final result.

Sebastian Coe has urged the Government to act now and get children back playing sport

 If schools can open then why can't clubs? Sport can save our children and Prime Minister Boris Johnson must act now!

The Covid-19 pandemic is a watershed moment in our times. The pandemic has not only upended the way we live our daily lives but it has also become a catalyst that has led us to prioritise health and safety above all else.

In the process, unprecedented measures have been implemented and England is now in the throes of another nationwide lockdown, with families again forced to keep their distance, households prevented from mixing, and people unable to work.

While the restrictions are intended to curb the spread of the virus, they are also producing dire and unintended consequences.

Perhaps we all assumed that everyone across the nation would face the same hardships during the lockdown. However, many didn’t fully appreciate that it would end up hitting hard some of our poorest communities, particularly children living in poverty.

A study by UCL found that a fifth of schoolchildren had done little to no home learning over the summer term, perhaps because of a lack of access to the internet, laptops or computers at home.

What has now begun to emerge, is a mental health epidemic among our children, which we can’t afford to ignore. The NSPCC recently revealed that calls to ChildLine reached nearly 43,000 between March and October, with counsellors supporting children who were feeling isolated, anxious and insecure after being cut off from their networks of social support such as friends and teachers.

It is these sobering statistics that should spur us into action. We, and in particular the Government, have an opportunity to fix the problem before it becomes overwhelming. We must find ways to balance the restrictions with solutions that can help preserve the mental health and wellbeing of our youngest and most vulnerable.

Sport is an obvious solution. Ensuring children receive regular physical education, structured exercise and a means to run around and play during the lockdown can lead to unquestioned mental health benefits; improving self-confidence, nurturing positive relationships among peers, bolstering their mood, fostering social cohesion in communities and of course staying fit and healthy.

I’ve said it before. Sport is the hidden social worker in many of our neighbourhoods. Disadvantaged families often rely on support that sport gives them, whether it’s in the form of an after-school club, or a charity that caters for the young in the community.

Unfortunately, current Government restrictions have meant that many charities and community clubs have been restricted or prevented from providing that support to the people that need it most at a time when they need it the most.

Bernard Lagat Completes Interim Coaching Staff at Arizona Cross Country

Arizona cross country has completed its staff for the 2020-21 season as the program will be led by the trio of Dave Murray, Bernard Lagat and Doug Keen. 

Lagat, one of the most decorated distance runners of all time, has been a volunteer assistant coach at Arizona for 15 years. The 11-time All-American and two-time medalist at the Olympic Games is considered an American distance running legend as he has competed in five Olympic Games and qualified for the 2020 Olympics earlier this year.

 "I am honored to join Fred Harvey and be a part of the Arizona cross country and track & field program," Lagat said. "Having been a volunteer assistant coach for the last 15 years, I have gotten to know many of the great student-athletes that continue to proudly represent the University of Arizona.

I look forward to passing on the knowledge and experiences that I have gained as a student-athlete and professional. It is a privilege for me to follow in coach Li's footsteps and lead the next generation of Wildcats to success on and off the track." 

Lagat won a silver medal in the 1500m at the 2004 Olympics and won a bronze medal in the 1500m at the 2000 Olympics while finishing in fourth in the 5K at the 2012 Olympics and fifth in the 5K at the 2016 Olympics. He has also won two gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal at the World Championships. 

Off the track, Lagat has served as a chair member of the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) and the United States Track & Field Advisory Boards.

"Coach Dave Murray will be a great mentor to not only the student-athletes, but the coaches as well," said director of track and field & cross country Fred Harvey. "His knowledge of Arizona Track & Field and Cross Country is priceless. Bernard Lagat is one of the world's all-time great distance runners and will bring a level of comfort and confidence to our student-athletes since he has been in the program for over 15 years and understands their training methodology. Doug Keen brings a level of excitement as well as an understanding of building cross country teams.

His ability to structure four Arizona High School State Cross Country Championship teams will be instrumental as we prepare for an upcoming spring cross country and track & field season."

British marathon trials for Tokyo 2020 to be held at Kew Gardens

The British Olympic marathon trials for Tokyo 2020 are scheduled to take place at Kew Gardens on March 26 next year.

British athletes usually fight for their spot on the GB team at the London Marathon, but after the 2021 event was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, British Athletics have decided to stage a new event.

The Olympic qualifying marks are 2:29:30 for the women and 2:11:30 for the men.

The new marathon trial event will also act as the British Marathon Championships for 2021.

Major events director of UK Athletics said: "We're delighted to confirm the British Championships incorporating the Olympic Marathon Trial race is to be held at Kew Gardens.

“It is an iconic venue and lends itself well to a marathon course over multiple laps.”

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are due to take place on July 23-August 8.

Strict Covid protocols will be included in 2020 Delhi half marathon

The Delhi Half Marathon is going ahead as per schedule on November 29 with a star-studded field of foreign athletes as well as a strong Indian line-up despite the rising number of coronavirus cases in the national capital. The organizers have planned a slew of safety measures to ensure safety for all.

Significantly, the 15 elite women and 18 men will be applying online for an exemption from quarantine before arriving in the country. That procedure can be initiated only post a negative RT-PCR test result obtained not earlier than 72 hours before traveling to India. All participants will also have to fill in and submit a health declaration form. All 33 were self isolating for 15 days prior to their flight as instructed by the race organizers.

Once the athletes start arriving in Delhi on November 23, they will be stationed at an upscale hotel which will be a bio-secure zone. They will also be issued with a list of SOPs. These include restricted movement access and social distancing protocols. All the racers including Indians will be subject to two further RT-PCR tests prior to race day and only if they test negative will they be allowed to run. 

Apart from the COVID-19 threat, Delhi is also reeling under poor air quality conditions. To tackle this, low power-pulsed Wifi waves will be used to clear air pollutants and ecologically safe reagents will be sprayed at strategic points.

Star-studded fieldThe 16th edition of the World Athletics Gold Label Race will see one of the strongest line-ups in its history. Marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei and Ababel Yeshaneh, World Half Marathon record holder will join the fray apart from defending champions Tsehay Gemechu and Andamlak Belihu.

Among Indians, Avinash Sable, Srinu Bugatha and Abhishek Pal will be in focus among the men while Parul Chaudhary, will lead the Indian women’s category along with Sanjivani Jadhav, Monika Athare and Chinta Yadav.

“It is a star-studded field and most athletes have not competed in a long time and it will be a great opportunity to test ourselves against the world’s elite athletes in our own backyard,” Avinash, who has already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, opined.

Govt to launch fitness app in Jan: Sports secyNew Delhi: Sports secretary Ravi Mittal revealed on Saturday that the government is planning to launch the Fit India app next year which would help users evaluate and improve their fitness levels. “We are developing the Fit India app next year. We will be launching this app sometime in January.  It will be like other health apps but the main thing will be that everyone will be able to evaluate their fitness,” Mittal said during Airtel Delhi Half Marathon press conference. The secretary also praised the race organizers and extended his best wishes. “Events like this will help us to understand that things are slowly getting normal. So these events will help in strengthening our mind. I would like to request Procam to organize more such marathons before the Olympics, so we can strengthen the mind.”

How to spot cheating on Strava

The (intentional and unintentional) cheating runners will see on Strava

As the pandemic continues, and in-person racing remains scarce, Strava has become many runners’ competition outlet. With its challenges, CRs and virtual racing facilitation, the app has millions of members looking to race each other from afar. However, as with all things tech-related, it’s easier to covertly cheat, beg, borrow and steal than it was at in-person events. And while most virtual racing participants are doing it honestly, some are not. Below are some ways to identify accidental and purposeful cheating, and how to flag these activities.

Elapsed time

An egregious amount of elapsed time is a sure-fire way to spot some intentional cheating. When running a virtual race, your watch starts and it doesn’t stop until you’re done the required distance – just like in a real race. You can see elapsed time by clicking on someone’s activity and looking at the stats on the right side, below elevation and calories burned. If someone’s elapsed time is significantly different than their run time in a virtual race, we’ve got a problem.

Bike or car

While an elapsed-time infraction is likely intentional cheating, this one is probably a mistake. If you’ve ever gotten an “Uh Oh” email from Strava, alerting you that your CR has been stolen and their time seems outlandishly fast, it’s because it probably is. If runners forget to pause their watch post-run and hop on their bike or in their car to travel home, they can accidentally record their commute as a world-record paced run and nab several unearned CRs.

A spotty GPS file

Occasionally, GPS signals can act up mid-run, dropping the signal and then picking it up again. Sometimes this slows down a runner’s data, and other times it makes their run look even faster than it actually was. This is totally out of a runner’s control, but nevertheless, bad GPS data happens.

The easiest way to prevent this is by waiting for your signals to load before you start running, preferably while you stand outside. Post-run, look at your map for a “drift” from your path, meaning your GPS route and the actual road or trail don’t line up, or some funny straight lines that suggest your signal was dropped temporarily.

Keira D’Amato Is Trying to Break the American 10-Mile Record on Monday. It Could Cost Her Thousands of Dollars.

Since 2011, Keira D’Amato has been part of the race committee for the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, the famous Washington, D.C. road race held along the banks of the Potomac River. She’s held a few different roles over the years; recently she’s been responsible for coordinating speakers for clinics at the race expo. This year, Molly Huddle was one of the scheduled speakers, and D’Amato told her she believed Huddle could break the women’s-only American record of 52:12, set by Janet Bawcom at Cherry Blossom in 2014 (coincidentally, D’Amato held the finish line tape for that race). After telling Huddle about the record, D’Amato realized something: I can run that fast too.

Over the following six months, as D’Amato has risen from obscurity to one of the best distance runners in the United States, that statement has become blindingly obvious. After running a personal best 2:34:24 to finish 15th at the Olympic Marathon Trials in February, the 36-year-old has spent the summer and fall demolishing her pbs, from a 15:04 time trial 5,000 on the track in June to a 32:33 10,000 at the MVMNT Race Series in July to a 68:57 to win the Michigan Pro Half Marathon on October 28.

On Monday, D’Amato will try to back up her claim from the spring: she’s going for Bawcom’s record at the Up Dawg Ten Miler, where she’ll face a five-woman professional field that includes Olympian Molly Seidel. And that leads into one of the oddest statistics of a very odd year.

If D’Amato had broken the record at Cherry Blossom in April (which cancelled its 2020 edition due to COVID-19), she would have earned a $10,000 bonus.

If D’Amato breaks the record on Monday — or even if she doesn’t — she could end up out around $8,000.

That’s because D’Amato is covering most of the costs of the Up Dawg Ten Miler, which will take place in an undisclosed location in the DC area. Even though D’Amato is staging a race for five athletes rather than Cherry Blossom’s typical 17,000, several key expenses remain: getting the course USATF-certified and measured, securing park permits and road closures. It can add up quickly.

And then there is drug testing. USATF rules state drug testing is only required to ratify American records in events for which World Athletics recognizes an official world record. Since 10 miles is a “world best” distance, that means drug testing isn’t required to ratify an American record at the Up Dawg Ten Miler — but D’Amato is leaning toward including it anyway to avoid all doubts. However, based on the quote she received from USADA, it would run her an extra $3,000-$3,500. She hasn’t made a final decision yet.

There is an online store selling race merchandise to help offset the cost of the event. And around 20 members of the CUCB organizing committee have also chipped in a total of $2,000 — and, more importantly, their time — so that D’Amato can chase the record.

“If there was a way to measure intensity per person, this race would be much more intense [than the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run],” says CUCB event director Phil Stewart. “We’re not dealing with getting 17,000 people entered in the race and moving them around or ordering as many porta potties or things like that, but this is a group of special individuals. I’ve spent a lot of time being consumed by making sure that we have all of the conditions set for the record to be accepted if the record is broken. If Keira or anybody breaks the record here, the worst nightmare would be that there was some little USATF rule that I didn’t know about that was required for an American record to be set.”

Stewart knows that feeling all too well; last year, Stanley Kebenei thought he had broken Greg Meyer‘s American 10-mile record at Cherry Blossom, only for it to be revealed that a set of cones had been improperly placed, making the course 240 feet short (CUCB still paid Kebenei the $10,000 bonus).

With no mass race entries to fund the Up Dawg Ten Miler, CUCB will lose money on the event. But it’s worth it to Stewart to support D’Amato, whose meteoric rise he has followed first-hand — Stewart was among a group of CUCB committee members who traveled to Atlanta to support her in the Trials in February.

“One of the things that has been fun about [this event] is that in a time when there’s so much downbeat news, I think a lot of people have gotten excited about working on something that’s upbeat,” Stewart says.

And D’Amato? Well, in keeping with her carefree, laid back demeanor, she’s trying not to think about the cost and electing to focus on the positives. Five fast women (Susanna Sullivan, Bethany Sachtleben, and Emily Durgin round out the field) are gathering on Monday at 8 a.m. to race 10 miles. There will be a free live stream, with commentary, on the CUCB Facebook page. This should be fun, right? No. This will be fun.

“For me, it’s not about the money at all,” D’Amato says. “Right now when everyone’s starving for motivation and opportunity, I felt like this would be a service to the running community. And it fell in line really perfectly with my training too.”

Keira D’Amato’s return to competitive running began with a joke. Which, if you know anything about D’Amato, could not be more fitting.

D’Amato loves all things humor. The name of Monday’s race, Up Dawg, was her idea — a nod to a joke from The Office. When D’Amato joined Strava a few years ago, she began using jokes or puns to title her runs. Sample entry: November 16. My cousin, a magician, decided to incorporate the use of trapdoors in his shows. But I think it’s just a stage he’s going through. She used to rely on her children’s popsicle sticks for material or by asking her Amazon Alexa, “Tell me a joke.” As she amassed Strava followers (she’s over 2,600 now), she began receiving suggestions from fans — which delights her to no end.

“You have no idea how awesome it is that when people hear a funny joke, they think, Oh, I need to send this to Keira,” she says.

D’Amato’s impishness was on display during Christmas 2016, when she decided to gift her husband, Anthony, an entry to the 2017 Shamrock Marathon, held in March in Virginia Beach.

“Who gives someone a gift of a marathon entry?” D’Amato says. “Because that means you have to start training a lot. It’s kind of a backhanded compliment gift, I guess. But then I felt a little bad, so I signed up too.”

D’Amato was no stranger to running. A four-time All-American at American University under coach Matt Centrowitz, she finished 6th at the 2005 NCAA XC champs as a senior, ahead of future stars Amy Cragg, Molly Huddle, and Jenny Simpson. She remains friendly with the Centrowitz family, and is even in a fantasy football league with Olympic 1500 champ Matthew Centrowitz — let’s just say both D’Amato and Centro are better runners than fantasy football managers.

“I think at one point, I was in second-to-last and he was dead last,” D’Amato says. “But I also think Centro does a whole bunch of them, so maybe in his other leagues he’s doing better. But it was either the first or second week, I played him, and I crushed him.”

After graduating in 2006, D’Amato (then known as Keira Carlstrom) spent a few years running for DC Elite, a post-collegiate group coached by Scott Raczko — better known as the coach of Alan Webb. By 2008, she had lowered her 1500 personal best to 4:22, but was in constant pain, beset by a series of stress fractures and ankle pain. Her issues were the result of a condition known as a tarsal coalition — an abnormal bridging of bones in the foot — but the surgery to correct it was not covered by her insurance.

So D’Amato “retired” and got a job at mortgage giant Freddie Mac. Even after undergoing surgery to correct her condition in 2009 (her new job had better insurance), D’Amato ran sparingly for the next seven years. In her first run back after giving birth to her daughter, Quin, in August 2016 (she also has a six-year-old son, Tommy), D’Amato couldn’t make it through a three-minute run without walking. Yet she steadily built up ahead of Shamrock, and despite hail, sleet, and brutal winds on race day, D’Amato blew past her pre-race goal of 3:25.

“I couldn’t run slow enough to do that pace,” says D’Amato, who ran 3:14.

D’Amato felt there was a lot left in the tank, and took her next marathon, in Richmond in November, more seriously. After running 2:47 there — just two minutes off the Olympic Trials standard — she knew it was time to return to serious training. She reunited with Raczko, and steadily dropped her times while balancing running with her career as a realtor. When she ran a pb of 2:34 to finish 15th at the Trials at age 35, it looked like the culmination of a remarkable three-year journey.

In reality, D’Amato was just getting started.

Since the Trials, D’Amato has run personal bests over almost every distance. Her 15:04 5,000 doesn’t officially count because it came in a time trial rather than a race, but it’s faster than the Olympic standard of 15:10 and would have ranked her 6th in the US during the 2020 outdoor season.

Her most impressive performance came in last month’s Michigan Pro Half Marathon, where she clocked 68:57, 47 seconds ahead of runner-up Emma Bates, a 2:25 marathoner who finished 7th at the Olympic Trials. That made D’Amato the second-fastest American half marathoner on the year, behind Sara Hall, and 10th on the US all-time list. She is now in very elite company.

Hawks soars to JFK 50 victory in record time

With most major running events having been canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities were not to be wasted at the 58th annual JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon in Washington County.

No one seized the chance to showcase their fitness quite the way Hayden Hawks did Saturday.

In his debut at the race, Hawks, 29, of Cedar City, Utah, turned in a stunning performance, winning in a course-record time of 5 hours, 18 minutes and 40 seconds — an average of 6:21 per mile.

The women’s title was captured by pre-race favorite Camille Herron in 6:31:14.

“I just really wanted to come out here, have fun and see what I could do. It just all clicked today,” Hawks said. “I kept thinking the whole time during the race how grateful I was to be out here.

“You know, it’s been a hard year for a lot of people, including us as professional athletes. My whole schedule was changed this year. I had all these big plans, competing at all these big things. Of course, all that got canceled, so I just took advantage of the time I had and really dialed everything in — my nutrition, my strength training, my running training — coming into this.

“I was like, you know, I need to be grateful and have gratitude because, really, this might be the first and the last race for a while for me. I was just really fortunate and really happy out there.”

The previous course record was 5:21:29, set by Jim Walmsley in 2016. That was a momentous achievement, as before Saturday, no one else had ever run faster than 5:34:22 in the first 57 years of the event.

“I fully expected Walmsley’s record to stand well into 2040, maybe even 2050,” JFK 50 director Mike Spinnler said. “It was just such a big quantum leap.”

With some help from Walmsley, Hawks took it a step further.

“Jim and I are really good friends. We talk all the time,” Hawks said. “Jim actually gave me some advice coming into this. I was texting him back and forth, asking for shoe advice and what I should do. And he gave me advice.

“He’s a really class-act guy, a really great competitor, and I’m really fortunate to have him as a friend. That’s what we do as competitors. We’re always trying to push each other and reach that next goal. I’m sure Jim is happy for me today to take this course record to the next step, just like I’d be happy for him if he did that as well.”

Stephen Kersh, 29, of Flagstaff, Ariz., placed second in 5:27:07 — the No. 3 performance in race history — in his first JFK.

“I’m definitely pretty happy,” he said. “It was just about as good as it could have been.”

Kersh’s training partners in Flagstaff include Walmsley and two other recent JFK champions, Jared Hazen (2018) and Eric Sensmen (2017).

“I’ve been picking their brains for the last couple months, so I didn’t come into this as green as some people. I knew what to expect,” Kersh said. “Training with those guys, this isn’t as unexpected as maybe some people think, because I’m not really a big name in the sport.”

After the first 15.5-mile segment of the race, mostly comprised of the rocky Appalachian Trail, a lead pack of four — Hawks, Matt Daniels, Hazen and Kersh — took the title fight to the flat C&O Canal towpath for the next 26.3 miles.

“Once we hit the canal path, Matt and I took off,” Hawks said. “We actually train a lot together and are really good friends.

“We talked beforehand about working together on the canal path, and then it would be every man for himself at the end, so that’s what we did. We started clicking off sub-6-minute miles and were feeling very comfortable, having a conversation and feeling really good.

“At Mile 27, I kind of broke Matt a little bit. I think maybe he had a calf injury. He’s been dealing with a lot of injuries over the past few months. Matt on his ‘A’ game would have been hard to beat today.”

Daniels ended up dropping out, and Hazen fell back to a 13th-place finish (6:36:13).

Jonathan Aziz, 29, of Colorado Springs, Colo., finished third in his ultramarathon debut in 5:37:14 — the No. 6 performance in JFK history.

Anthony Kunkel, 28, of Durango, Colo., placed fourth in 5:45:31, and Geoffrey Burns, 30, of Ann Arbor, Mich., took fifth in 5:52:51.

Herron adds to her résumé

In the women’s competition, Herron, 38, of Alamosa, Colo., showed why she was the overwhelming pre-race favorite, leading from start to finish as she won by nearly a half-hour in her first JFK.

Although Herron’s personal record for 50 miles (5:38:41) is an all-time world best, she specializes in even longer events, also owning world-best performances for 100 miles (12:42:40) and 24 hours (167.842 miles).

“Because I was coming down in distance, I felt a little slow and rusty today,” she said.

She had her sights set on the JFK women’s record — 6:12:00, set by Ellie Greenwood in 2012.

Although Herron was off course-record pace on the Appalachian Trail, she had hoped to make up for it on the C&O Canal towpath.

“I was trying to chase time the whole way, and I just didn’t have it. This was the best that I could do today,” she said. “Buy hey, I won. I’m not disappointed for such a crazy year. It’s awesome to even have a race.

“I definitely want to come back,” she said. “I think I have it in me to go for the course record — just keep trying. It’s a stout course record, I can tell you that.”

Sarah Cummings, 31, of Park City, Utah, was the runner-up in 6:57:11, while Haley Moody Gilpin, 31, of Chattanooga, Tenn., placed third in 7:00:52, Alicia Hudelson, 36, of Roswell, Ga., took fourth in 7:14:02, and Sarah Biehl, 26, of Hilliard, Ohio, was fifth in 7:22:32.

Ryu Takaku Withdraws from Fukuoka International Marathon

On Nov. 20 the organizers of the Dec. 6 Fukuoka International Marathon announced that invited athlete Ryu Takaku (Yakult), the fastest man in the field with a PB of 2:06:45 from this year's Tokyo Marathon, has withdrawn.

The statement said Takaku is suffering fasciitis of the adductor longus muscle in his right thigh.

2021 Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon cancelled due to COVID-19

The 2021 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon and half-marathon have been cancelled, organizers said on Friday.

It was originally scheduled to take place Jan. 16-17.

"With the health and safety of our community being an utmost priority, and in alignment with local authorities in relation to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & ½ Marathon cannot take place as originally scheduled for Jan. 16-17," organizers announced in an email.

The race is scheduled to return Jan. 15-16, 2022.

The Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon consists of a marathon and half-marathon as well as 10K, 5K and "kids rock" races.

The 2020 events were held on Jan. 18-19, with an estimated 25,000 runners making their way through the streets of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe throughout the weekend.

These Turkey Trot Alternatives May Help You Create New Thanksgiving Traditions

Now is the time to show off your race-directing skills to your household.

In many U.S. households, Thanksgiving isn’t Thanksgiving without a pre-feast turkey trot. In 2018, more than 1.17 million runners registered to run or walk one such race, making the fourth Thursday of November the most popular day of road racing all year. There’s something uniquely satisfying about kicking off the holiday season with a good sweat, alongside family members, running friends, local rivals, and hordes of costumed strangers.

This year, needless to say, will be different. With mass events off the table, large gatherings and travel discouraged, and a global pandemic to respect, turkey trots as we know them won’t be part of the Thanksgiving agenda like usual.

But that doesn’t mean we have to table the trot entirely until 2021. We’ve seen Zoom concerts, balcony celebrations, and drive-by birthday parties; all we need to keep the tradition alive is creativity and a willingness to adapt.

Here are some ideas for a 2020-style turkey trot.

Register for a Virtual Race

What they lack in atmosphere, virtual races make up for in their ability to get runners out the door on a set day in pursuit of a completed distance or fast time. Many of the biggest and longest-running races are going virtual this year, giving runners more flexibility and options than ever.

Keep your local turkey trot streak alive, if you can and want to, or choose one elsewhere that sounds like a fun shake-up of tradition. Some, like America’s Turkey Trot, are sending registrants pumpkin-pie-inspired medals and other swag. Others, like Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot, feature timed and untimed options over multiple distances. Most races donate a portion of their proceeds to a charity, whether that’s a food bank, rehab center, or youth running program.

If there ever were a year to branch out, this is it! Here are some virtual turkey trots that we recommend:

Slow Down With a Walk

From our earliest jogs, many runners are taught that walking is an inferior activity, reserved mostly for elderly people and out-of-shape athletes. Why walk when you can run? There are plenty of reasons to keep moving even if you slow your roll, including aerobic work without much impact, an immune system boost, and improved cognitive functioning.

Most importantly in the context of a national holiday, walking is more inclusive than its quicker counterpart. Grandparents, children, pregnant sisters, and arthritic mothers can all participate—and that alone is reason enough.

An outdoor walk is an especially good option this year, as it gives families a safer way to get together than a close-quartered, indoor gathering. Grab a mask, pick a place to meet, socially distance, and savor this Thanksgiving like you may not have before.

Stage an Intrasquad Competition

Some families take their Thanksgiving Day races seriously: dedicated training, months of smack-talking, sneaky racing tactics, and firmly enforced bets on who will finish first and what the stragglers will owe them. If any of that sounds like the turkey trot you know and love, you may be a good candidate for an intrafamily competition. Depending on how many runners will be present and what your family’s style is, that could take the form of a head-to-head contest or a relay race.

For the first option, map out a course, clarify the rules (e.g., determine how much jostling is allowed), and battle it out for a year-long reign as family champion. If you go the relay route, divide your teams as evenly as possible, determine the distance of each leg, grab a baton-like object for each team, and save your ringers for last. Just don’t blame me if the dinner table conversation is a little more heated than usual this year.

Run a Time Trial

If you’re craving competition but prefer the internal type, there’s always the old-fashioned (and free!) time trial. With this option, you’re not only the racer, but also the race director, course marshal, and fluid-station volunteer. You decide when and where to run—track, trail, road, or treadmill, plus exactly how you want to test yourself.

Though time trials are traditionally run over a set distance, this Thanksgiving is your oyster: you could cover as much ground as possible in a certain amount of time, run maximal efforts over a few different distances (like a one-person track meet), or time your ascent up the biggest hill in town.

Whatever you choose, know that you’re still contributing to the nation’s biggest running holiday, official results or not.

Relish the Rest

Just because racing on Thanksgiving is something you’ve always done doesn’t mean it’s something you have to try to replicate this year—especially if it’s going to add to the stress or sadness of this already tumultuous time.

Maybe you can’t bear the thought of carrying on the family tradition without your typical tribe, isolated as everyone is. Or maybe, after nearly nine months of pandemic life plus an attempt at creating a “normal” holiday, the only reps you feel like doing are those between the couch and the table. Either way, honoring those feelings and relishing this rare opportunity to take a Thanksgiving off is as good a move as any of the racing alternatives above.

Kilian Jornet eyes 24-hour world record

The Spanish mountain runner will shift to the track as he attempts to run more than 300K in just 24 hours

Spanish ultrarunning champion Kilian Jornet is known for his feats in the mountains and on the trails, but 2020 is turning out to be a year of firsts for him. In October, he ran the first road 10K of his career, and now he is set to tackle a race on the track. While a track run is certainly out of character for Jornet, he’ll be sticking to his ultrarunning roots as he attempts to break the 24-hour world record of 303.506K. Salomon, Jornet’s main sponsor, has organized the event, which they have titled Phantasm24. The run is slated for some time later this week in Norway, although due to unpredictable weather, Salomon and Jornet have yet to nail down an exact day.

In 1997, Greece’s Yiannis Kouros, arguably the best ultrarunner of all time, set the 24-hour record that Jornet will chase in the Phantasm24 challenge. In the buildup to the run, Salomon is publishing short videos of Jornet explaining how he has prepared for the 24-hour event. In a video posted on Tuesday, Jornet says he has two main concerns going into the record attempt: fuelling and whether his legs will hold up for the entire run.

“To get energy, to be able to eat a lot and not have any gastro problems,” he says, is very important. “And the second one is the legs. I know I can be 24 hours in this effort … but I don’t know … if I will have any problems. Those are the two things I have doubts about.” Jornet has raced and won some brutal races in his career, including the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc and Western States 100, but he has never faced a challenge like the one he’ll encounter in the Phantasm24, which will be a full day of hard laps around a flat track.

“When racing in mountains, it’s easy for me,” Jornet says in another video. “I know how to pace myself, I know how to push, how my muscles will react, how my cardio will react, but on flat, it’s completely different.” He continues to express his doubts later on in the video, saying, “I know [racing on flat ground] is something that I’m not good at, but it’s always important to find new challenges, I think, and to get out of the comfort zone is always good.”

To beat Kouros’s record, Jornet will have to average at least 4:44 per kilometre for the entire run. This is a pace many people struggle to hold for just 5K, and Jornet is hoping to run it for a minimum of 304K. It’s a tall order, and no one has been able to meet it for the past two decades, but if anyone can reach the same heights as Kouros did in 1997, it’s Jornet.

California runner doubles up Western States 100 course for 200-mile FKT

The point-to-point Western States 100 route wasn't long enough for Dan Barger, so he turned it into an out-and-back run instead

Auburn, Calif., runner Dan Barger, 55, recently completed an out-and-back variation of the traditionally one-way Western States 100 course, completing the 200-mile (321K) run in the fastest (and only) known time (FKT) of two days, 11 hours, 48 minutes. The Western States race finishes at Placer High School in Auburn, which is where Barger started his run and eventually returned almost 60 hours later. His triumph on the route comes just a few months after a failed attempt to run the same FKT back in August, when extreme heat forced him to call it quits.

Barger is a seasoned ultrarunner, and he has run the official Western States 100 12 times, first running the storied race back in 1987. His best result came in 1998, when he finished ninth overall in 19:46:32, and his PB for the course is a 17:36:34 from 2010, which was good enough for 10th place. Barger has also raced the UTMB, the Leadville 100 and well over 100 other trail and ultra races dating back to the early ’80s. With close to four decades of trail running experience, it’s no wonder that Barger managed to set the Western States 200 FKT.

n his post-run report on fastestknowntime.com, Barger writes that “The Sierra did not give up this FKT easily.” Following the cancellations of the Tor des Géants and the real Western States 100, he explains, he was looking for a new challenge to test his fitness. “I made an attempt [August 1], throwing in the towel at [Mile 125].”

Undeterred, he planned to give the run another shot in September, but wildfires throughout California made the “air quality hazardous and the [United States Forest Service] closed the trails to all for two weeks.” Knowing that another runner, Scott Sambucci, had an attempt planned for early October, Barger scheduled his for the end of the month. Sambucci’s run, like Barger’s first time on the route, was unsuccessful, leaving the door open for Barger to grab the FKT.

Barger started his second attempt at the Western States 200 on October 30, succeeding in the repeat run and crossing the finish line on the Placer High School track on November 1. In total, he covered 12,515m of elevation gain over the 320K route, which is the equivalent of scaling Mount Everest one and a half times. His average pace for the two-day affair was a little over 11 minutes per kilometre, which, considering the enormous elevation gain and extreme length of the route, is wildly impressive.

JFK 50 Mile criticized for COVID risks as cases surge in rural Maryland

The oldest ultramarathon in American is taking heat for running a mass-participation race as COVID cases swell

Tomorrow, American’s oldest ultramarathon will be held in Boonsboro, Md., with close to 1,200 runners set to race. The JFK 50 Mile is an event with a storied history and an impressive lineup for this year’s race. But the event is getting negative press this week due to the local surge in COVID-19 cases, and its existence is being questioned within the ultratrail community as well as the wider public.

Race organizers have acknowledged the necessity of making the event safe, and even published a COVID-19 Action Plan on the event’s website, but public health officials told The Washington Post they believe an event like this is posing an unnecessary risk, both for competitors and also for local residents. Maria Valeria Fabre, an infectious disease expert, told The Post, “I know it is hard to cancel an event that takes so much time and effort to prepare, but this doesn’t seem to be the best time to hold such an event. We know a lot more now than we knew in March about how Covid-19 is transmitted, and we know that people gathering in this way is a major factor in transmission.”

The point-to-point course starts in Boonsboro and heads south to the Maryland-Virginia border before taking runners north to the finish in Williamsport, Md. The route begins on the road and after 4K of running, transitions onto the Appalachian Trail. Saturday will be the event’s 58th year running. 

The event will run waves of 250 runners at a time, which is the state’s limit for outdoor gatherings. All runners must wear a mask at the start of the race until they can safely distance. While the current plan is in line with government orders, the out-of-state travel for the event is a concern. A quick glance at the team lists shows runners coming from Florida, Maryland, New York, West Virginia, Colorado and North Carolina to race. 

The event was planned earlier this year when numbers were settling and the future was looking more promising. However, as the fall draws on, cases and hospitalizations continue to rise. The event website states they have every intention of going forward with tomorrow’s race (and, since everyone has already travelled there, it may already be too late to mitigate any effects). 

The first wave will be sent off at 6:30 a.m. local time. 

World record holders Brigid Kosgei and Ababel Yeshaneh are set to clash at Delhi Half Marathon

World record holders Brigid Kosgei and Ababel Yeshaneh have been added to the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon women's field, making the 16th edition of this World Athletics Gold Label race on 29 November the strongest in the history of event - and one of the strongest half marathon contests in the world in 2020.

At the Chicago Marathon in October 2019, Kenya’s Kosgei stunned the world when she broke the long-standing women’s world marathon record by more than a minute, clocking 2:14:04. Yeshaneh was a distant second on that occasion but nevertheless still ran a superb personal best of 2:20:51.

However, the tables were turned at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February this year when a head-to-head contest in the final stages of the race saw Ethiopia’s Yeshaneh prevail in a world record 1:04:31 with Kosgei second in 1:04:49.

In their most recent outings last month, the 26-year-old Kosgei won the rescheduled London Marathon in 2:18:58 while the 29-year-old Yeshaneh had to contend with misfortune and fell at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, with just over three kilometres remaining, which took her out of medal contention although she recovered quickly to finish fifth.

A trio of Ethiopian runners have already been announced that will provide stiff competition for Kosgei and Yeshaneh as well as a host of other world class athletes.

Women's course record holder Tsehay Gemechu is seeking an unprecedented third successive victory. In 2019, Gemechu improved her own course record from 12 months earlier by no less than 50 seconds when she stopped the clocking 1:06:00.

Yeshaneh and Gemechu's compatriots on the start line in in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium include Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Netsanet Gudeta.

Yehualaw finished second in the ADHM 2019, just one second behind Gemechu, and third at the 2020 World Championships last month in a personal best of 1:05:19 while Gudeta finished eighth in Poland but was the 2018 world half marathon champion.

Both the men's and women's races have first prize cheques of US$27,000, part of a total prize money purse (combined men and women) of US$233,270.

Strict safety measures in place

This year's race will be unlike any previous edition with only an estimated 60 elite international and Indian runners in action on the Delhi roads, with the traditional start and finish still in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The event will follow the highest level of safety standards, with bio-secure zones to ensure a COVID-free race for the runners. All mandatory protocols in line with the advisories issued by the Government of India have been established for the event crew, vendors and suppliers, elite athletes, media and all guests.

Participants able to take part in St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Nashville despite cancellation

Despite not being able to physically join each other at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon and ½ Marathon start line for the first time in over 20 years due to the recent impacts of Covid -19, the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip will bring Broadway to the global running community, offering five different distances to highlight one of the most iconic Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series destinations.

Following a virtual stop in Vegas that saw over 10,000 participants lace up for Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Las Vegas, the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip makes its way to Nashville providing participants a virtual tour of Music City. St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Nashville will offer participants a Marathon, Half Marathon, 6.15K, 5K, 1-Mile and Remix challenge options to participate in. Registration for the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Nashville remains open and available for FREE to the entire global community from Nov. 20 - Nov. 22. All Rock ‘n’ Roll® Virtual Running™ (VR™) Series races during the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip begin weekly on Fridays at 5 a.m. ET and close Sundays at 11:59 p.m. ET with participants being able to compete in the virtual tour stop anywhere, indoors or outdoors, as long as the distance of their choosing is completed in one session.

“While we were all looking forward to once again providing in-person racing options in Nashville, the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running Club platform continues to provide the global running community a way to be competitive, stay active and engaged in what makes our event locations so special,” said Elizabeth O’Brien, Managing Director for North America at the IRONMAN Group.

“The virtual Rock ‘n’ Road Trip will provide participants both in Nashville and across the globe an option to channel the best of what Music City has to offer.”

Nashville InspiredRock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Club participants are encouraged to be Nashville inspired in their virtual activities and share photos and videos on social media by tagging #RnRVRNashville. Don’t live along Broadway, no problem. Here are several reasons why we love Nashville as well as some Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip prep on how runners and walkers can experience the best of the Country Music Capital in their own communities.

Music every step of the way: The race features 26 stages featuring the same bands every year so runners can look forward to friendly faces and familiar tunes. Les Kerr has even played at Stage 1 with his band Les Kerr and The Bayou Band every year for the event’s 20-year legacy. There is more live music at this event than most other races, including at the Expo and at the Kid’s Race. Find a local concert venue and run past with your best tunes on, like the sounds of Nashville were just around the corner.

Run 32 Laps for All 32 Honky Tonks: Make your miles count, the miles you run correspond to the bars Nashville is famous for. So, queue up some country, bluegrass, and blues and crank out those kilometers as you pass the likes of Nashville Underground, Tequila Cowboy, Paradise Park and Tin Roof Broadway, among the 32 iconic Honky Tonks lining Broadway in downtown Nashville.

A Marathon for Music Nuts: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville course, both 13.1 and 26.2 miles is a perfect run for the inner music lovers. Runners pass numerous famous recording studios, such as Dolly Parton’s rehearsal studio. Other highlights include running past the spot where Elvis Presley recorded “Ask Me” and “Memphis Tennessee,” and hearing the entire Belmont Church Choir serenade you from the steps of the church. Crank up the inspiration and high tail it past your favorite running locations as if you were running past a slice of music history. 

Sanya Richards-Ross and Ato Boldon will host the World Athletics Awards 2020

World Athletics is delighted to announce that legendary sprint stars Sanya Richards-Ross and Ato Boldon will host the World Athletics Awards 2020, to be staged as a virtual event on Saturday 5 December.

Richards-Ross, who raced to the world 400m title in 2009 and captured Olympic gold in the event in 2012, will host the event for the first time while Boldon, the 1997 world 200m champion and a four-time Olympic medallist in the 100m and 200m, will reprise his role, having hosted the event before.

Richards-Ross and Boldon, who both now work as television commentators, took a brief break from their preparations to share some thoughts about the past season and the upcoming World Athletics Awards 2020, which will be streamed live on the World Athletics YouTube channel, its Facebook page and via Twitter.

Belarus NOC claim preparations remain on course for Tokyo 2020 despite protests against its President

The National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (NOC Belarus) has claimed preparations for next year's re-arranged Olympic Games remain on track, despite the widespread protests in the country which could threaten the team's under its own flag in Tokyo. 

Discussions were held between the NOC Belarus vice-president Viktar Lukashenka, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Igor Petrishenko and the Minister of Sport and Tourism, Sergey Kovalchuk.

Heads and representatives of sports associations attended the meeting, as well as coaches and athletes.

Along with discussions about the upcoming Summer and the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, issues surrounding the psychological climate of training during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many athletes have been at the forefront of the protests against the controversial re-election of Alexander Lukashenko as President.

The Beijing 2008 decathlon silver medallist Andrei Kravchenko among those arrested, despite not taking part in demonstrations against the Government.

Some athletes, however, have remained loyal to the Government and publicly thanked them for the help they have received. 

"We work on a scheduled basis in athletics, all our wishes are fulfilled," Maksim Nedasekau, the European Games high jump gold medallist, said. 

"We'd really like more of the competitions yet little depends on the athletes here.

"We use this time for recovery and treatment if necessary and our athletes have everything for it.

"They are currently training at the Raubichi sports complex which has excellent facilities even for high jumpers."

Head coach of the national athletics team, Yuri Moisevich claimed that facilities in the country had greatly improved in recent years and thanked the Belarusian Government for that.

However, the IOC continues to investigate the NOC Belarus following recent allegations of political discrimination against athletes.

Belarusians have been leading pro-democracy protests since August when Lukashenko was re-elected, despite evidence of an unfair contest.

Lukashenko has been the only leader of the country since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, holding his position since 1994.

He is often referred to as "Europe's last dictator", with the nation facing criticism for its human rights breaches.

Lukashenko is also the President of the NOC Belarus.

The IOC has warned the NOC Belarus could face sanctions - including a ban of the Belarus flag at Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 - if it finds the NOC has breached the Olympic Charter.

With the Tokyo 2020 Games being scheduled for July 23 to August 8 2021, Belarusian athletes have already secured 71 spots in 15 sports.

There are expected to be around 100 athletes at Tokyo 2020 by the end of qualification in June 2021.

The 43rd Running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Is Underway With the Goal of Returning On Sunday, October 10, 2021

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon announces the planning of the 43rd running of the event with the goal of returning to the streets of Chicago on Sunday, October 10, 2021. Event organizers are working closely with the City of Chicago on race weekend plans that align with Chicago’s public health and safety guidance.

The participant field for the 2021 event will be built through a tiered application process, which opens to a limited group of eligible individuals today.  A second application window is set to open to the public in January.

“We are moving forward with hope and optimism,” said Carey Pinkowski, Bank of America Chicago Marathon executive race director. “The health and safety of participants, volunteers, spectators and the Chicago community remain at the forefront of our planning, and we are doing everything we can to safely bring the Bank of America Chicago Marathon back to our city streets.”

Race officials are working in partnership with the City of Chicago, including the Chicago Department of Public Health, to safely produce the event for both runners and spectators. Preparations for the event will be in accordance with Chicago’s re-opening framework, including the requirement for event attendees to adhere to local and state coronavirus guidelines.

“The Chicago Marathon is one of our city’s most beloved events and we are excited to be doing everything we can to ensure our race can safely return in the coming year,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “Throughout this unprecedented crisis, we have been grateful to collaborate with dynamic partners, like the Chicago Marathon, who have stepped up to find safe, data-based solutions to our challenges, helping us lay the groundwork for our broader, citywide recovery that will follow in the months and years to come.”

Registration for the Sunday, October 10, 2021 event will be conducted through a tiered application process. A limited application window is open now to participants who deferred their 2020 entries to a future event (2021, 2022 or 2023) in response to the cancellation of the 2020 race, as well as individuals interested in running and fundraising on behalf of an event charity partner.

A second application period (to be announced in January) will open to the general public and include access for guaranteed and non-guaranteed entries.

The cost of an entry is $205 for United States residents and $230 for participants residing outside of the United States.

Guaranteed entry

Interested individuals can qualify for an entry into the 2021 Bank of America Chicago Marathon through several guaranteed entry opportunities:

Individuals who deferred their 2020 Bank of America Chicago Marathon place and entry fee to a future event (2021, 2022 or 2023).

Charity runners who are fundraising for an official charity as part of the Chicago Marathon Charity Program.

Time qualifiers who have met the event’s age-graded qualifying standards or the event’s American Development Program standards.

Legacy finishers who have completed the Chicago Marathon five or more times within the last 10 years. 2020 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Virtual Experience finishes will not be eligible.

International runners (non-U.S.) participating in the International Tour Group Program.

Individuals who have completed the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K four or more times since 2008 and have signed up for the 2021 Shamrock Shuffle (registration for a virtual race will open in December).

Non-guaranteed entry drawing

Individuals who do not qualify for a guaranteed entry can apply for the non-guaranteed entry drawing. The event organizers will select names from the full pool of non-guaranteed entry applicants and notify individuals of their selection status in March 2021.

The Abbott Chicago 5K will take place in advance of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Saturday, October 9, 2021. This event is the perfect way for marathoners, fans of the sport, and friends and family to experience Chicago and take part in the excitement of race weekend. This year marks the first year of Abbott’s title sponsorship of the Chicago 5K, furthering the global health care company’s commitment to helping people live fuller lives through better health.

Additional details about the 2021 event and application, including the 2021 cancellation and refund policy, are available at chicagomarathon.com.

The Kenya’s National Mountain Running Championship will be Sunday with 500,000KES of prize money confirmed

Athletics Kenya (AK) have set aside Sh500,000 ($4672US) as prize money for the National Mountain Running Championships due Sunday in Naivasha.

AK Mountain Running coordinator, Peter Angwenyi, disclosed Tuesday that the prize money will be for the senior men 10km, senior women 8km and junior men's 8km races.

The winner in the men's race will pocket Sh 50,000, second-place athletes Sh25,000 and third-placed Sh20,000 in a prize fund that covers top 10 finishers.

The athlete winning the women's race will get Sh30,000, while second and third-placed athletes will go home with Sh24,000 and Sh19,000 respectively. All those finishing in top 10 vanguard will get cash awards.

Junior men winners will get Sh20,000 with those finishing second and third going home Sh15,000 and Sh 10,000 richer respectively.

The races that have attracted 300 athletes will start at Cornerstone Preparatory Academy on Mai Mahiu - Naivasha and end at Flyover.

The demanding course will consist of flat track and steep climbing of 930m and downhill of 330m.

Two-time world champion Lucy Murigi is among the athletes expected for the inaugural National Mountain Championships

Also expected in the women's 8km race is the inaugural 2020 Mount Kenya Mountain Running champion Purity Gitonga from Meru, Esther Waweru, who finished second at the Mount Kenya event, and Theresa Omosa from Kisii among others.

It was during the 2018 World Championships where Murigi, Gitonga, Viola Jelagat (silver) and Joyce Njeru teamed up to win the team title.

Geoffrey Gikoni, who has taken part in a series of mountain running circuits in Europe, is the favourite in the men's 10km race that will have the likes of Mount Kenya Mountain Running champion Emmanuel Bor and Dickson Simba.

Also heading to Longonot are Martin Magu and Denis Kemboi.

Interestingly, World Under-20 3,000m steeplechase silver medallist Leonard Bett has registered for the race.

Also UjENA Fit Club from Thika will field a team of ten.

Angwenyi said registration of the event will be done on Saturday at Kamunyaka Mini Supermarket in Longonot, Beryn Hotel in Naivasha, Run2gether Training Camp in Kiambogo and Kobil Petrol Station in flyover.

All the Covid-19 protocols will be maintained during the one day event.

This year´s Sofia Marathon winners Khapilina and Sbaai provisionally suspended by AIU

This year’s Sofia Marathon winners, Viktoriia Khapilina and Youssef Sbaai, have been provisionally suspended from all racing for doping violations, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Tuesday.

Ukraine’s Khapilina and Sbaai of Morocco, who set course records of 2:27:57 and 2:13:03 respectively in the bronze label race in Bulgaria last month, tested positive for a banned substance in an in-competition test, the AIU said.

“The AIU has provisionally suspended Viktoriia Khapilina and Youssef Sbaai for the presence of recombinant EPO, in violation of World Athletics Anti-Doping rules following in-competition tests,” the AIU said in a statement.

Srinu Bugatha is set to defend his title at Delhi Half Marathon

Srinu Bugatha will be back to defend his title as the Indian winner in the Elite men’s category at the 16th Airtel Delhi Half Marathon later this month against strong challenge from the likes of Avinash Sable and Abhishek Pal.

Bugatha also won the Tata Mumbai Marathon earlier this year while Pal won the title in 2018, edging past Sable in a close finish in the final five kilometres.

Sable is the current National record-holder in 3000m steeplechase and is training for Tokyo next year, having already qualified for the Games.

Monika in the fray

The competition among the women will be tougher with former winner Monika Athare, last year’s runner-up Parul Chaudhary, Chinta Yadav and Sanjivani Jadhav in the fray.

While Parul won the Half Marathon race at the Mumbai Marathon this year with a new course record, Monika finished third.

Registrations for all race categories are open till November 27 on the event website airteldelhihalfmarathon.procam.in

Boston champ Lawrence Cherono can't wait for December 6 when he lines up against 16 other marathoners at the Valencia Marathon

Reigning Chicago and Boston marathon champion Lawrence Cherono can't wait for December 6 when he lines up against 16 other marathoners at the Valencia Marathon. 

Cherono says he has missed road races after this year's Boston and Chicago marathons were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Waiting for a whole year to compete is torture but we can’t blame anyone because this was due to the virus. I consider myself lucky because I will be able to compete in this marathon after a long time out of action. Many athletes could have wished to compete but that never came,” Cherono said. 

Despite inactivity, Cherono has been working hard in training to keep in shape despite the challenges experienced by the sports sector — athletics included. 

“I shifted to Iten from Kaptagat after the government closed all training camps and I have been training in anticipation for a chance to compete before the year ends,” the two-time Amsterdam Marathon winner said. 

He has been running a distance of 30-35km a day to ready himself for a podium push in Valencia. 

Cherono will also be part of the Olympics marathon team that includes Olympic marathon winner Eliud Kipchoge and Kipruto. 

Other Kenyans that will be battling for the marathon title in Valencia include world marathon bronze medallist Amos Kipruto (2:05:43), Abel Kirui (2:05:04), Reuben Kiprop (2:04:40) and Philemon Rono (2:05:00). 

2021 Austin Marathon has been postponed due to the coronavirus

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, an annual marathon has been postponed and a half marathon canceled in Austin for 2021 after discussions with local officials and health experts.

The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon was supposed to take place in February, but now is slated for April 25, along with the KXAN Simple Health 5K and the Manzano Mile, according to High Five Events. The 3M Half Marathon was supposed to happen in January but was canceled entirely.

“High Five Events is optimistic that the April 25th event can be held in-person based on the conversations and collaborative efforts with The City of Austin and Austin Public Health. Extensive mitigation plans for the new event date have been completed and are based on the Austin-Travis County COVID-19 Risk-Based Guidelines Stages 1-4,” High Five Events wrote in a release.

Austin Marathon participants can transfer their spot for free to the new date, or defer to 2022, 2023 or 2024 marathons. 3M Half Marathon participants can also defer to another year without cost.

Participants will still have access to the Run Austin Virtual series, which the organization is hoping to extend through April. The series started in July and includes a variety of distances and themes. A 10K was planned for November and a 10 mile run for December.

A look at why running in the dark can feel that you are running faster

The clocks went back over the weekend, which means that your evening runs might have gone from dusk to full-on dark this week.

Running in the dark produces a strange phenomenon that most runners notice – you feel like you’re going faster. It seems that by removing the spatial cues that we get when it’s light out, our perception of pace changes. We can sometimes feel like we’re running way faster than we actually are. 

A 2012 study of cyclists looked at something called optic flow influence and how this changes our perceived effort. Perceived effort is basically how hard we feel we’re working, although it can be different from the actual effort (as seen when comparing outdoor running to treadmill running). Optic flow creates a perception of movement relative to someone’s surroundings.

Through trials on a stationary bike, the researchers found that when the subjects’ surroundings were going by them more quickly, they felt like they were working harder and going faster (even if they weren’t). Conversely, they didn’t feel like they were working very hard when the scenery was going past them more slowly. 

This same phenomenon can happen at night. Because we can only see objects when they’re close to us, it feels like our surroundings are passing us quickly, making us feel like we’re running faster.

When you get home from a run that you thought was blazing fast only to discover that it was your normal (if not slower than normal) pace, know that it’s not your fitness failing you, it’s the optic flow influence. 

Another 2014 study, which had runners complete three 5K time trials using different optic flow rates, came to the same conclusion regarding the rate of perceived exertion, but took things one step further. These researchers also looked at how optic flow changes the runners’ perception of the distance they’d run. When things were coming at them quickly, as they do at nighttime, they would stop short of 5K, guessing that their run was over.

On average, when the optic flow was sped up, runners assumed they’d reached 5K of running about 400m before they had. When optic flow was slowed down, runners guessed their run was over about 1K after it actually was.

Both of these studies help explain many runners’ feeling that workouts in the dark can feel faster and go by more slowly than those runs in the light. While this doesn’t necessarily change your training, it’s something you can anticipate during the first week of November, after the return from daylight time to standard time. 

Chris Nikic has made history becoming the first person with Down's syndrome to finish an Ironman triathlon

A 21-year-old triathlete from Florida has become the first person with Down's syndrome to finish an Ironman event - swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles and running a 26.2-mile marathon.

Chris Nikic crossed the line in 16 hours 46 minutes nine seconds - less than 14 minutes under the official cut-off time at the Visit Panama City Beach Ironman in Florida - to earn official recognition from Guinness World Records.

"You have shattered barriers while proving without a doubt that anything is possible," the official Ironman account tweeted.

Chris Nikic begins the swimming portion of the Ironman Florida.

"Ironman. Goal set and achieve," said Nikic in a post to Instagram. "Time to set a new and Bigger Goal for 2021."

Nikic completed the race in 16 hours 46 minutes and 9 seconds -- 14 minutes under the 17-hour cutoff time.

Nikic fell off his bike and was attacked by ants at a nutrition stop, but he pushed on to finish the competition, the Special Olympics said in a release.

"We are beyond inspired, and your accomplishment is a defining moment in Ironman history that can never be taken away from you," the Ironman Triathlon organization said in a post to Twitter.

The organization documented the historic race with a series of updates to social media on the day of the competition. The final two miles of Nikic's run were streamed live on Ironman's Facebook page.

Chris Nikic competes in the bike portion with his guide, Dan Grieb, during Ironman Florida.

Nikic and his father Nik developed the "1 percent better challenge" to stay motivated during training. The idea is to promote Down syndrome awareness while achieving 1% improvement each day, according to Nikic's website.

"To Chris, this race was more than just a finish line and celebration of victory," Nik Nikic said. "Ironman has served as his platform to become one step closer to his goal of living a life of inclusion and leadership."

Nikic's accomplishment earned him congratulatory messages from celebrities, such as tennis great Billie Jean King and runner Kara Goucher, and people around the world, including 33,000 new followers on social media, according to Nikic.

After his record-setting achievement, Nikic will focus on competing in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games and continuing to raise money for Special Olympics, Down syndrome and RODS (Racing for Orphans with Down Syndrome) through his platform.

"I achieved my goal and now I want to help others like me," he wrote to Instagram.

Atlanta Track Club will be hosting this year’s Running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race virtually for the first time in its 51-year history

With a long and respected legacy of hosting Atlanta's most prestigious endurance events, Atlanta Track Club will be hosting this year’s Running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race virtually for the first time in its 51-year history. Despite not running or walking down Peachtree Road with 60,000 other participants in 2020, race organizers are building a virtual experience that will deliver an unforgettable and authentic Peachtree.

To launch this premier virtual event to participants in all 50 states and 31 countries, Atlanta Track Club looked to their partner haku for fully unique and completely customized technology solutions. haku, the Miami-based technology company, has become the industry leader in bringing the world’s most prestigious endurance events to life, such as the recent 124th Boston Marathon Virtual Experience.

"While we all will miss the sights and sounds of the Peachtree, we are confident haku will help us keep the storied Peachtree tradition going another year," said Rich Kenah, Atlanta Track Club’s Executive Director and Race Director of the AJC Peachtree Road Race. "We saw it through haku's work with the Boston Marathon that they understand the deep-seeded rituals associated with this race and have the ability to build unique and successful virtual events for thousands of runners at a time."

Creating an immersive event app for the Virtual Running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race with haku was an important focus in bringing this event to thousands of participants around the world. The app will have many innovative features to drive a memorable and engaging experience. Participants will be able to track their progress on the course, upload and compare results, engage with their community, and much more. To stay true to tradition, the Club also worked with haku to incorporate audio cues into the app’s race day experience to simulate the sounds that a runner would typically hear during the annual road race and provide encouraging messages from Olympian Meb Keflezighi, 2017 Peachtree Champion and U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon Champion Aliphine Tuliamuk and World Record Holder Daniel Romanchuk.

"Building the app with haku was a collaborative process. There were no rigid set of features that we had to adhere to. The app is fully customized for the AJC Peachtree Road Race participants," said Kenah. "haku has been great about meeting our particular needs and the whole process couldn't have been easier."

Atlanta Track Club and haku are excited to kick off this spectacular event at the end of November, which will deliver a unique Atlanta-centric experience rooted in tradition.

"The passion and dedication that the Atlanta Track Club has shown for this event are immeasurable," said haku Founder and CEO, Carlos Escobar. "The Virtual Running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race will make every participant and spectator feel like they're truly still a part of this 50-year long tradition."

After an extensive search, ATC chose to move forward with haku as its new technology partner in late 2019 after seeing haku’s unique capability of providing truly bespoke technology for its partners. Through their partnership, the organizations are looking forward to introducing new innovative event technology that will drive significant participant engagement, streamline operations, and provide extraordinary experiences for Running City USA.

"We're excited to be able to provide a more user-friendly, clean, and elevated experience for our members and volunteers," said Kenah. "In working with haku, we’re now able to have a better understanding of the people who interact with the Club, which will enable us to deliver more unique and personalized experiences."

The Virtual Running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race will begin on Thanksgiving Day, November 26. Participants can submit their results between 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, November 26 and 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 29.

Africa cross country silver medalist Leonard Barsoton is now eyeing New Delhi Half Marathon

Fresh from competing at the World Half Marathon in Gdynia, Poland, former Africa cross country silver medalist Leonard Barsoton is now eyeing honors in New Delhi Half Marathon.

In an interview, Barsoton said his mission in New Delhi will not only be to win the title but also to improve on his 59:09 personal best.

“I am working towards this and I am sure come the New delhi event, I will be ready,” said Barsoton.

The New Delhi race will be his third this year after finishing sixth at the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Half Marathon and winning Kolkata 25km road race, where he lowered Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele’s

“This will be my first race after World Half Marathon and I know I am capable of pulling it off,” he noted.

Barsoton, who is also the Africa Games 10,000m silver medalist, bragged that he is an all weather runner hence he is not worried of the harsh climatic conditions in New Delhi.

Barsoton will enjoy the company of fellow Kenyans  Josphat Boit (59:19) and Edwin Kiptoo (59:26).

Others in the race are Abraham Cheroben (Bahrain) and Ethiopia’s Guye Adola, Amdework Walelegn, Andamlak Belihu and Solomon Berihu.

Two-time Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya takes a new step in appeal

Two-time Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya‘s lawyer said her team will take her case to the European Court of Human Rights, hoping to reverse a rule that would force her to take testosterone-suppressing measures to compete in her best events.

“We will be taking World Athletics to the European Court of Human Rights, and public support goes a long way to help show how the rules from World Athletics are against public interest,” Greg Nott said in a statement Tuesday. “With growing support from institutions and bodies across the globe, we remain hopeful that World Athletics will see the error it has made and reverse the prohibitive rules which restrict Ms. Semenya from competing.”

In the last two years, Semenya lost appeals through the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.

Semenya said she refused “to let World Athletics drug me or stop me from being who I am,” in a press release in September, after losing her Swiss court appeal. “Excluding female athletes or endangering our health solely because of our natural abilities puts World Athletics on the wrong side of history. I will continue to fight for the human rights of female athletes, both on the track and off the track, until we can all run free the way we were born. I know what is right and will do all I can to protect basic human rights, for young girls everywhere.”

The World Athletics rule, which went into effect in 2019, caps athlete testosterone levels in women’s events from the 400m through the mile for athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD). World Athletics said that no female athletes would have a level above the cap — five nanomoles per liter — unless they had a DSD or a tumor.

“Throughout this long battle, World Athletics has always maintained that its regulations are lawful and legitimate, and that they represent a fair, necessary and proportionate means of ensuring the rights of all female athletes to participate on fair and equal terms,” World Athletics said in a statement after the Swiss court ruling. “It has rejected the suggestion that they infringe any athlete’s human rights, including the right to dignity and the right to bodily integrity.”

Last March, Semenya announced she switched to the 200m, a distance outside of the new testosterone-cap rule, to pursue Tokyo Olympic qualification. Her personal-best 200m time is shy of automatic Olympic qualification.

Semenya is undefeated at 800m since the start of 2016. She and the other two Rio 800m medalists have said they are affected by the new rule.

2021 Napa Valley Marathon has been cancelled due to the pandemic

The 43rd Annual Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon has officially been cancelled as an in-person event for 2021. The NVM board of directors made this difficult decision as they continued to monitor updates from county and state agencies regarding the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The governance board cited an abundance of safety as the primary reason for cancelling the event. 

“Our highest priority is always the safety of our participants, volunteers, spectators, and residents,” said Race Director Michelle La Sala. “We are deeply saddened by the decision to cancel, but we’re confident that it is the responsible choice for our community.”

California’s comprehensive reopening plan does not allow mass gatherings until the final reopening phase when a vaccine is widely available. Race organizers say that even if the state began allowing mass participation events early next year, there would not be enough time to secure proper permits and infrastructure to guarantee a safe event.

Several hundred participants were already registered for the 2021 via the organization’s “Whine Stopper” Registration plan, which guaranteed participants deferral to either the 2022 or 2023 race free of charge. All 2021 entrants will be contacted when registration opens for the 2022 event and asked to make their deferral choice. There is no action required of 2021 entrants at this time.

Napa Valley Marathon officials state that a virtual race experience will replace the 2021 in-person event, with details to come in the near future.

“We’re excited to unveil a virtual experience that really captures the spirit of the Napa Valley,” said La Sala. “It’s important for us to find ways to keep our community engaged and continue to support our local nonprofits, and I think our participants will find it very unique and engaging.”

Napa Valley Marathon, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that typically provides nearly $30,000 in support back to the local community.  The organization points to the development of their new virtual experience as one avenue to raise revenue for their charitable giving.

2021 Paris Marathon rescheduled to be run October 17

Next year’s Paris marathon will be held on Oct. 17, six months later than scheduled, amid the COVID-19 crisis, organisers said on Tuesday.

“Every effort will be made to ensure that the autumn race takes place in safe conditions and in strict compliance with the health regulations in force,” Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) said in a statement.

This year’s event had already been cancelled because of the pandemic, and the 2021 race was initially scheduled to take place on April 11.

Kenya’s Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto pleads not guilty to the charges

Olympic steeplechase champion pleads not guilty to the charges

Kenya’s Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto has been released on bail after pleading not guilty to charges of defilement.

Reports state that Kipruto, who is a policeman, has been charged with having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl.

According to the BBC his case is set to be heard in May 2021, just a couple of months before the Tokyo Olympics at which the 25-year-old would have planned to defend his title.

As well as gaining gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Kipruto has also won two world steeplechase titles as well as two world silver medals and Commonwealth gold.

In 2020 he had been due to race at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco but he was forced to withdraw after testing positive for coronavirus.

The Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Marathon and Half Marathon scheduled for Saturday has been canceled due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the area.

The 21st annual event, which starts on Lower Broadway and finishes at Nissan Stadium, originally was scheduled for April 25, but was postponed because of the pandemic.

In October, race officials announced the event, which routinely draws about 50,000 participants and spectators, would be scaled down this year and not include the 6.15-mile run, 5K, 1-mile run/walk and Doggie Dash.

On Monday, however, the announcement came that the race has been canceled altogether and will return April 25, 2021.

Ironman, owner of the marathon, released a statement:

"In meetings leading up to the event, the regional safety and health authorities were satisfied that the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series’ proposed health and safety measures were well designed, and that participants, staff and the wider public would have been sufficiently protected from potential COVID-19 transmission. However, following a recent increase in cases across the greater Nashville region, we regret to share that the Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville event cannot take place in 2020."

Registered participants of the 2020 Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon and Half Marathon will receive an email with further details.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics may have limited spectators but the Games will be held at any cost in 2021

The head of the International Olympics Committee (IOC) has said he is "very confident" that spectators will be able to attend the Tokyo Olympic Games next year. 

Thomas Bach added that the IOC would take "great efforts" in making sure fans were vaccinated before arriving. 

He is currently in Japan to discuss how the Olympics can be held next year.

The Tokyo Games were originally due to start in July, but were postponed for a year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

More than 11,000 athletes from around 200 countries had been scheduled to take part in the Games, now due to begin in July 2021.

"We are putting really a huge tool box together in which we will put all the different measures we can imagine," Mr Bach told reporters after meeting Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, according to news agency AFP.

"This makes us all very, very confident we can have spectators in the Olympic stadium next year."

Mr Bach said he was 'very confident' some fans would be able to attend

Mr Bach's visit comes after Tokyo held a one-day gymnastics meet earlier this month, an event which saw several thousand fans and 22 athletes from various countries participate.

The international athletes were quarantined for two weeks prior to arriving in Japan and were largely kept in their Tokyo hotel in isolation. They were also required to take daily PCR tests - the virus test that has been used most commonly globally. 

Tokyo Olympics will happen 'with or without Covid'

Both Japan and the IOC have stressed that the Games will go ahead next year. 

Japan's Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto said earlier this year they wanted to avoid the possibility of having no spectators at all at the Games, adding it was possible events might be held with a "limited" audience, while the number of staff and delegates from each country could also be reduced.

Earlier last week, Mr Bach was asked if he was going to Tokyo to talk about contingencies for cancelling the Games, to which he firmly replied "no", with his deputy earlier vowing that the Games would go ahead "with or without Covid". 

Japan's Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto similarly said that they must be held "at any cost" in 2021.

There are now hopes that an effective vaccine against Covid-19 could be available within the next year, with a preliminary analysis showing that a vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech could prevent more than 90% of people from getting the virus.

Over one million people in the US normally run a 5k or 10k on Thanksgiving morning but not this year

Thanksgiving Day has long been the most popular day in the U.S. to run a race. Every year more than 1 million people lace up their shoes and take off on a 5K or 10K run somewhere in the country before sitting down to a big meal. And this year?

“I don’t think you’ll find a live event anywhere in California,” said Michelle Lindner, organizer of Turkey Trot Los Angeles, which typically starts at City Hall in downtown L.A. That assertion is mostly true. Websites for a few races in Orange County say they’ll host in-person events with staggered start times and social-distancing rules.

Most turkey trots in Southern California, however, are keeping the race tradition alive with virtual runs. If you haven’t done one, here’s how it works: You sign up and then pick the route, time and date for your personal 5K or 10K. You can run alone or with someone in your COVID-19 bubble but not in a group. (L.A. County limits outdoor group gatherings to three households.)

And because it’s virtual, many races are encouraging people to not only run but also walk, bike, treadmill or ride your Peloton; it all counts.