Running News Daily

World bronze medalist Moh Ahmed and US champion Shelby Houlihan smash North American 5000m records in Portland

World bronze medallist Moh Ahmed and US champion Shelby Houlihan made significant improvements on the North American 5000m records at a low-key competition at Jesuit High School in Portland on Friday night (10).

Ahmed’s 12:47.20 took more than six seconds off Bernard Lagat’s continental record set back in 2011, while Houlihan’s 14:23.92 was a 10.53-second improvement on her own North American record from two years ago. Runner-up Karissa Schweizer also finished inside the previous continental record, clocking 14:26.34.

Organised by their training group, the Bowerman Track Club, the meet comprised just two 5000m races and the intention for both events was to provide the opportunity for fast times. Steeplechase specialist Colleen Quigley paced the early stages of the women’s race, taking the field through the first 1000m in 2:55.44.

Fellow steeplechaser Courtney Frerichs, the 2017 world silver medallist, took up the running just before 2000m, which was passed in 5:51. Three women – Quigley, Marielle Hall and Gwen Jorgensen – withdrew at the 3000m point. Elise Cranny briefly led at that point, clocking 8:47.88 for her 3000m split, and was just ahead of Houlihan, but Cranny and Frerichs eased off for the final stages of the race, leaving just Houlihan and Schweizer out in front.

Houlihan drifted to the front with three laps to go and gradually started to increase the pace for the final kilometre. Schweizer managed to stick with her training partner until the final lap, which Houlihan covered in 61.4 seconds, giving her a finishing time of 14:23.92. Schweizer was second in 14:26.34.

“I knew Karissa was going to try to come up on me and take the lead, but I decided I was not going to let that happen,” Houlihan told usatf.tv after the race. “I just kept trying to fight her off and tried to have a big kick on the last lap.

“Karissa was in the race in Heusden two years ago where I set the previous record,” added Houlihan. “It’s been really awesome to have her as a training partner and to see how far she has come. She was only three seconds behind me today and I know she’s going to get that 5000m record at some point.”

The men’s race played out in similar fashion, with half the field helping to set the pace for the first 3000m before leaving Ahmed and Lopez Lomong to battle it out for victory.

Ryan Hill (2:36.2) and Grant Fisher (5:12) were the respective leaders for the first and second kilometres as Ahmed and Lomong sat in the middle of the pack. Fisher reached 3000m in 7:46.10, closely followed by Evan Jager and Sean McGorty, but they soon stepped off the track and Ahmed took up the running with three laps to go.

Ahmed then started to wind up the pace and broke away from Lomong on the penultimate lap, which he covered in 59.5. He moved up another gear and ran the final 400m in 57.45 to cross the finish line in 12:47.20, smashing his own Canadian record and moving to 10th on the world all-time list. Lomong, who narrowly missed out on breaking the 13-minute barrier last year with 13:00.13, finished second in a lifetime best of 12:58.78.

“Once I saw the way Shelby and Karissa attacked the last 600m, I told myself that I just had to do the same kind of thing,” said Ahmed, whose previous best was 12:58.16. “With two laps to go, the clock said 10:49 and I just thought, ‘you can run two (minutes) flat (for the final 800m)’. With 200m to go, I just tried to blast it as hard as I could.

“I’m excited, it’s something I’ve been working really, really hard for. It’s been an extremely challenging year, but luckily we have a good group and it was great to deliver this.”

Scott Fauble Vs Jared Ward Over 5000m Set For Saturday At The St. George Showdown In Utah

The organizers of the KT Tape St. George Showdown have announced the fields and the safety protocols for what will be a small track meet in St. George Utah on Saturday, July 11. The meet, directed by Artie Gulden–the head cross country coach at Utah State University and Ben Rosario–the head coach of HOKA ONE ONE Northern Arizona Elite, will take place at an undisclosed location without fans and with a strict set of guidelines related to COVID-19 testing.

The meet will be streamed live on RunnerSpace.com beginning at 9:30am EST/ 6:30am Pacific with the Men’s 5,000 meters presented by Polar to be followed by the Women’s 5,000 meters presented by Polar at 9:50am EST/ 6:50am Pacific. Both races feature regional fields with athletes coming from just four states: Ariz., Calif., Colo., and Utah. The men’s field is headlined by 2:09 marathoners Scott Fauble and Jared Ward, as well as young professionals Matt Baxter, Dillon Maggard, Rory Linkletter and Clayton Young. Pan Am Games Silver Medalist Reid Buchanan, 3:55 miler Eric Avila and BYU star Conner Mantz are also entered. The women’s race includes 2016 South African Olympian Dom Scott-Efurd up against the fifth, sixth and eighth place finishers at February’s U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon: Laura Thweatt, Stephanie Bruce and Kellyn Taylor. Top American 5,000 meter runners Sarah Pagano and Lauren Paquette should also factor into the proceedings.

All athletes, agents, coaches and support personnel were required to take a COVID-19 test within eight days of the event. All athletes will be required to take a rapid test on-site on Friday afternoon in St. George. Per Utah State guidelines, less than 50 people total will be allowed inside the stadium. Everyone who enters will be given a temperature check on Saturday morning. All non-competitors will be required to wear a mask and remain socially distanced throughout the event.

Rosario said that safety was the number one priority.

“We recognize the gravity of COVID-19 and the devastation it has caused across the globe,” Rosario said. “Our hope is not to push our sport forward, but merely to keep it afloat during these difficult times, and we believe small, controlled events like this one can be one way to do that.”

Gulden echoed the sentiment.

“We are really excited to give these athletes an opportunity to compete again and hope the fans will enjoy it,” Gulden said. “We’ve worked hard to create a safe environment for competition and are so grateful to people like Josh Cox and Jen Rosario, and companies like KT Tape and Polar, who have stepped up and been so instrumental to this event happening.”

KT Tape and Polar joined the event as sponsors this week. Because of their support, the athletes will be vying for a $5,500 total prize purse. The winner of each race will receive $1,000 in prize money.

Ivy League cancels fall sport seasons

The Ivy League is the first of the Division I conferences to cancel fall sports

On Wednesday the Ivy League announced that it would cancel all fall sports and “will not entertain any sports being played until after January 1.” This is the first Division I league to pull out of the fall season, but probably not the last.

In a statement, Ivy League officials wrote, “With the safety and well-being of students as their highest priority, Ivy League institutions are implementing campus-wide policies including restrictions on student and staff travel, requirements for social distancing, limits on group gatherings, and regulations for visitors to campus. As athletics is expected to operate consistent with campus policies, it will not be possible for Ivy League teams to participate in intercollegiate athletics competition prior to the end of the fall semester.”

While students won’t be able to participate in competitions, practices are expected to resume provided they follow their states’ regulations.

Will cross-country and track run at the same time?

With the NCAA fall cross-country season in jeopardy, runners are speculating that both season could be completed over the winter semester. Cross-country is a sport that could be run through the winter technically (though it would be on the chilly side), however, this would make it difficult for the middle-distance runners to compete in both sports. While a 5,000m runner could train properly for a 10K outdoors and their track event indoors, a 1,500m runner would struggle to be prepared for both.

Running both sports at once could thin out the fields, but with COVID-19 mandating smaller participation numbers, a condensed season and fewer runners could actually be the solution that the NCAA is looking for.

What about Canada?

As of June 8, U Sports — the national governing body of university athletics — made a joint decision with the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conferences to call off all sports for the remainder of 2020. In the west, all sports but cross-country, golf and swimming were cancelled, with the final decision on those sports expected by July 15.

As for the RSEQ (Quebec’s collegiate sports league), they’ve announced that they plan to go ahead with an amended fall calendar as of now. Even without the possibility of a national championship, there’s hope that student-athletes in Quebec could get to compete. The league will make the final call on this decision by August 31.

Noah Lyles’s world record tease

It looked like Noah Lyles had set a 200m world record, but it turned out he ran a little short

The second modified event of the 2020 Diamond League schedule, the Inspiration Games, was held on Thursday, and the penultimate event of the day, the men’s 200m, produced a lot of drama. Current 200m world champion Noah Lyles was one of three competitors lining up for the race, and he dominated, crossing the line in 18.91 seconds, absolutely smashing Usain Bolt‘s world record of 19.19. Except… it turned out that he’d run in the wrong lane and only covered 185m. For a few minutes, though, Lyles set the track world on fire.

World record tease

When Lyles first crossed the line and everyone still believed he had broken the world record, there was talk on track Twitter that it had been a wind-aided run and wouldn’t count as an official record. Even if it had been wind-aided, that would still be an incredible run. He wouldn’t have just beaten Bolt’s record, he would have obliterated it. Unfortunately for everyone (Lyles, the track world and whoever put him in the wrong lane), there was a mistake and he ran 15m short. Once everything was sorted out, Lyles tweeted, “You can’t be playing with my emotions like this … Got me in the wrong lane.” We think it’s safe to assume that he was not amused by the error.

De Grasse and Felix

Lyles’s run and all of the confusion that came with it stole the show on Thursday, but there were some other great (and legit) race results before that mishap occurred. Canada’s Andre De Grasse raced the 100-yard dash against Jimmy Vicaut of France and Olympic 110m hurdles champion Omar McLeod of Jamaica, grabbing the win in 9.68. This time equates to about a 10.59 100m run, which is far off his personal best at the distance. Still, a win is a win, and De Grasse continues to show he’s in good shape as the world creeps back toward a regular racing schedule.

Another big result came from U.S. Olympic champion Allyson Felix, who won the 150m race and set her PB at the distance with a time of 16.81. She upset pre-race favourite Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas for the win. Felix ran alone in Walnut, Calif., while Miller-Uibo raced in Florida and the third competitor, Swiss world championship 200m bronze medallist Mujinga Kambundji, raced in Zurich. After the race, Felix said it was “very strange” racing alone on the track. “It feels sort of like practice, but not even that, because there are no teammates.”

2020, the year of off-distance racing

Since races slowly began to return, there have been a lot of irregular, off-distance events being contested. At the Impossible Games in June, Karsten Warholm set the 300m hurdle world record and the Ingebrigtsen brothers ran a 2,000m race. Thursday saw the men’s 100-yard and women’s 150m races, as well as a women’s 300m hurdle event. Who knows, maybe the Diamond League will end up adopting some of these rare events and using them in the official 2021 schedule.

Kenya's Alex Korio handed two-year doping ban

Kenya's Alex Korio will have to refund the prize money he won at the Beach to Beacon 10km road race in Cape Elizabeth in the U.S. after the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) found him guilty of a doping offense.

The 30-year-old Korio, who had finished eighth during the Jianzhen International Half Marathon in Yangzhou, China, had been slapped with a provisional suspension in May after he failed three whereabouts cases and missed planned anti-doping tests.

He was allowed to defend himself before the AIU, but his submission failed to convince the officials.

"The athlete failed to respond and to provide any explanation concerning the apparent three missed tests," said the AIU in a statement on Friday.

He has since been handed a two-year ban from all sports competition effective July 19, 2019. The ban will end on July 19, 2021.

However, the AIU ruled that Korio will face the bane of forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points, prizes and appearance money which he may have earned starting July last year.

Korio becomes the 55th athlete from Kenya to be banned in five years, joining a ballooning list that includes former World Marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang, Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong, Rita Jeptoo, the Boston and Chicago marathon champion and Asbel Kiprop, the former World 1,500m champion.

Korio had missed scheduled tests on Jan. 20, April 11 and July 19, 2019. This year alone, Kenya has also seen former world marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang, Kenneth Kipkemoi, Mercy Jerotich, James Kibet and former world junior 800m champion Alfred Kipketer suspended and charged for whereabouts failures by the AIU.

"In short, athletes violate the anti-doping rules when they have any combination of three missed tests or filing failures within any 12-month period. That period beginning on the day of the first relevant missed test or filing failure," the AIU said.

A missed test means a failure by the athlete to be available for testing at the location and time specified in the 60-minute time slot identified in his whereabouts filing for the day in question. A filing failure is to make an accurate and complete whereabouts filing that enables the athlete to be located for testing at the times and locations set out in the whereabouts filing.

World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge dreams of fast time at London marathon

 World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge says training on the track is crucial as he guns for a fast time at the London marathon in October if the race is allowed to be staged.

Kipchoge, in a webinar interview with local media outlets, said he is fully immersed in training and eagerly awaiting the government to confirm when training camps will be open and athletes allowed to train normally.

"I hope for something special in London. It will be fast," Kipchoge said in t interview on Friday from his hometown of Eldoret located in Kenya's North Rift region.

The Olympic marathon champion said that he will do everything possible to be ready for the London Marathon on October 4 with organizers aiming to stage an elite-only race due to COVID-19 challenges.

"Save for Geoffrey Kamworor, who was injured in an accident, my entire team is ready to return to training camp for the preparations ahead of the season reopening. But I am waiting for the government and hope the Cabinet Secretary for Sports (Amina Mohamed) will allow us all back in camp," said Kipchoge.

He is currently working on his speed and alternates from road training to track sessions.

"Track sessions are for me and my team really crucial. It helps us to make our body maintain a high pace and it actually opens the body to feel how hard training is. To other marathoners, it's not important and they see it as not beneficial," said Kipchoge.

His coach Patrick Sang, said it is important for athletes to focus on endurance training.

"In running, there are three things that you need as an athlete. You need strength, endurance and of course, you need speed," Sang said.

Huge blow for Kenyan athletes as European Union travel ban continues

After a dark season that has seen them lose massive earnings from the international circuit due to cancellation of global sporting events owing to the coronavirus pandemic, Kenyan athletes face another blow.

Kenya is among the nations yet to be cleared to travel into Schengen states when the European Union (EU) opens its borders on July 1.

The Kenya athletes will be hit hard should the country continue to remain on the Covid-19 compliace “blacklist” when the 2020 Diamond League circuit resumes in August.

Kenya is not among 54 world countries that will benefit from the reopening of the EU borders from July 1.

Things haven’t been made any easier as Kenya’s Covid-19 cases continue to rise in the country with 6,190 cases having been reported with 144 deaths and 2,013 recoveries by Monday.

However, athletes from Kenyan neighbors Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda are among the African countries who will be allowed to enter the Schengen states from July 1.

Should the ban be sustained, then Kenya’s world 1,500 meters champion Timothy Cheruiyot will not be able to defend his title alongside former champion Elijah Manang’ oi, among others, during the Monaco leg of the Diamond League on August 14.

Monaco will signal the resumption of Diamond League action.

More Kenyan athletes are likely to miss the Stockholm meet on August 23 in Sweden and if EU doesn’t clear Kenya then the athletes will also miss Brussels leg on September 4 in Belgium since the Lausanne meet on September 2 will be an exhibition event.

Nationals of the following countries are listed in this draft list of nations allowed into the EU from July 1:

Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Australia, Bahamas, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Paraguay, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Serbia, South Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia.

Marathon world record holder Wilson Kipsang alleges doping authorities conspired against him

Race-news-service.com quotes an article by Michael Reinsch in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in which former Marathon world record holder Wilson Kipsang alleges doping authorities conspired against him and plans an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

Kipsang accused the Integrity Unit of World Athletics of racism and the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) of feeding “wrong information” to the AIU in attempt to undermine Kipsang’s position as founder of a professional body for Kenyan runners (PAAK). “Everyone knows that we have a bad relationship with Athletics Kenya, which in turn led to this ban,” he alleged.

AIU commissioned the Swedish judge Conny Jörneklint with the case who justified the ban over three missed tests and supplying an incorrect address within one year. Kipsang’s excuses for missing tests included in one instance a landslide and on another occasion an overturned truck blocking the road. The court noted that it was “unable to confirm either incident.

There were no records of bad weather at the specified location at the specified time, nor had the police recorded a truck accident and any resulting traffic disruption on the day in question. A photo submitted for evidence, according to research, was taken three months after the alleged accident. The athlete has acted fraudulently by intentionally providing the AIU with incorrect and misleading information,” read the AIU judgement.

“People have doped for years and have been banned for four years,” said Kipsang. “I had an accident, had to go to the hospital, and was then banned for four years. That’s not fair.”

AIU had given a proportionately lengthy sentence in June 2020 to the Ethiopian distance runner Etaferahu Temesgen after she tested positive at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon for EPO and testosterone in October 2019. On appealing the original four-year ban Temesgen submitted a forged medical certificate and had the ban extended to 12 years.

On August 13, Kenyan marathon runner Florence Jepkosgei Kosgei is due to appear at a criminal court in Eldoret charged with presenting forged documentation to the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya. If found guilty she could face imprisonment.

Allyson Felix notched a pair of impressive victories to highlight the Inspiration Games

The Zurich Diamond League organisers' entertaining and innovative answer to the global coronavirus pandemic that brought together 30 athletes competing in seven venues across two continents on Thursday (9).

Felix, competing in Walnut, California, near Los Angeles, kicked off the meeting with a solid victory in the 150m and brought it to its conclusion with her anchor leg on the victorious squad in the closing 3x100m relay. All without another competitor on the track.

Felix’s immediate reaction to this first in her storied career?

"Very strange,” she said, with a wide smile. “It’s kind of like practice but not really, with no teammates.”

Running alone, she said, “It's hard to challenge yourself. But I love this sport so any chance to get out here and run. I'm all about that.”

Action on the tracks kicked off with the women's 150m, with Swiss star Mujinga Kambundji competing in Zurich, Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo in Bradenton, Florida, 8000 kilometres and six time zones west, and Felix, another 4000 kilometres to her west.

With track configurations and the camera angles on the synchronized stream varying slightly, it was difficult to follow who was leading until moments before the three approached the finish line. Felix crossed hers first in 16.81, well clear of Miller-Uibo who stopped the clock in 17.15. Kambundji clocked 17.28.

Oddly enough, even as they raced from tracks on opposite coasts of the United States, the winds in their respective races were nearly identical. Felix battled a 2.6 m/s headwind and Miller-Uibo a 2.5.

Felix returned to the track to team with Candace Hill and Tianna Bartoletta to collect another dominant victory in the meet-capping 3x100m relay, the trio clocking 32.25 ahead of a Swiss team that clocked 32.50 in Zurich and a Dutch squad that clocked 32.94 in Papendal.

"This is fun," Felix said. "I can't wait until we can do it in person."

Conversely, the men's 100yd was the day’s only on-site face-off, with Jimmy Vicaut of France, Canadian Andre de Grasse and Olympic 110m hurdles champion Omar McLeod meeting on the Bradenton track where they faced a 3.4m/s headwind. For the first half, it was an evenly matched affair until de Grasse, running in the middle of the track, and Vicaut, running on the inside, broke away. De Grasse closed best to nab the narrow victory in 9.68, 0.04 ahead of Vicaut. McLeod was a distant third in 9.87.

Today is the 2020 Inspiration Games, a virtual meet held in place of the Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League

The meet will see competitors go head-to-head in real time, while actually competing across the world. It’s one of the most sophisticated time trials ever. If you’re one of the many running fans who has been seriously missing competition, you can get your track fix today by tuning in at 1:35 p.m. ET to check out all of the action. 

The only Canadian competing today is 2019 World Championship bronze medallist Andre De Grasse, who will be running the 100-yard dash. He’s run one race so far this season, hitting 10.15 in a 100m run last week at a meet in Clermont, Fla. 

The schedule (ET).- 1:35 p.m. Pole Vault Men Entries, 1:35 Pole Vault Women Entries, 2:05 Triple Jump Men Entries, 2:10 150m Women Entries, 2:27 100 yards Men Entries, 2:41 300mH Women Entries, 3:06 200m Men Entries, 3:20 3x100m Women Entries.

How to watch.- Canadian spectators can tune in via Facebook or YouTube. The first event begins at 1:35 p.m. and will run through 3:30 p.m. As track (and road racing) slowly returns to a state or normalcy, Canadian Running will be doing a weekend recap covering all of the action from the week before. We’ll look at road and track TT results, bringing you the most impressive runs from around the world. 

Sir Mo Farah announced as ambassador for the Sanlam Virtual Cape Town Marathon

The Sanlam Cape Town Virtual Marathon, which also includes the 5km and 10km Peace Runs and newly-added half marathon, takes place on 18 October 2020.

Race organizers and running enthusiasts are getting ready for a race with a difference, as the 100-day countdown to the Sanlam Cape Town Virtual Marathon commences on 10 July.

Much has happened since the launch of the virtual event and subsequent cancellation of the traditional race due to COVID-19. And while Sanlam Cape Town Marathon participants may miss out on the spectacle and celebration offered by the road event, the virtual race promises to take all the iconic elements of Cape Town’s favorite marathon to its global participant base through the race’s custom-built and feature-packed app.

Sanlam Cape Town Marathon chairperson, Francois Pienaar, said that it was a privilege to host the first virtual race of its kind in the world.

"We are already in the spotlight as the only race on the African continent to enjoy the prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Status, so I am really proud that the world’s first truly immersive virtual marathon comes from South Africa and Africa.

"I am also thrilled to confirm that world champ, multiple Olympian, gold medalist and world record holder, Sir Mo Farah, will race in the 10km Virtual Peace Run in the UK. His participation is a huge boost for the virtual race and shows that anyone can run the Sanlam Cape Town Virtual Marathon, no matter where you are," he said.

In a virtual media briefing held on Thursday, Farah said that he was looking forward to the event.

“We are all in this together, it's not just one country or one person so we just have to stay positive and keep the body ticking. It’s important for everyone running that they give it their best because there is a lot that goes into running, so just make the most of it and believe in the training you’ve done and the goal that you’ve set," he said.

"The challenges of 2020 became the catalyst for innovation and we are 100 days away from hosting a virtual race the world hasn’t seen before," added Sanlam Cape Town Marathon race director, Renee Jordaan.

"This year, runners from across the globe can experience the magic of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon without having to travel, while the dynamic surround sound feature within the app will allow participants to listen to the unique sounds of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon route while treading the familiar ground of their chosen race route," she said.

The Sanlam Cape Town Virtual Marathon, which also includes the 5km and 10km Peace Runs and newly-added half marathon, takes place on 18 October 2020.

The 500 Festival Launches Virtually

The  500 Festival, a nonprofit organization providing life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500®, today announces the launch of their Virtual Race Series. The series consists of five new virtual races that will be completed from July through October 2020. Each virtual race will have a special auto racing theme and a unique distance.

In addition, virtual race participants may count these race miles toward their  Indianapolis 500 Mile Challenge or Freedom 100 Mile Challenge goal. 

The 500 Festival’s 2020 Virtual Race Series is as follows:

July – Brickyard 4.00-Miler, benefiting the 500 Festival,  August – Snake Pit 6-Miler, benefiting the 500 Festival,  September – Labor Day 3-Miler, benefiting the 500 Festival, October – Harvest GP 5-Miler, benefiting the 500 Festival, October – IndyCar Championship 10-Miler, benefiting the 500 Festival.

“We are excited to launch this series of five virtual races over the next five months,” said Bob Bryant, president and CEO of the 500 Festival. “In addition to race registrations supporting the 500 Festival’s youth programs and events, these virtual races provide participants with new motivation and encouragement to get active and log their miles during such an unprecedented year.”

All races within the 500 Festival’s 2020 Virtual Race Series can be completed whenever and wherever participants decide. Simply pick the day, time and location you want to complete your race. Participants can complete their race mileage in a number of ways including running, walking, wheelchair, swimming, cycling, fitness classes and more. Virtual races can be completed in one day or distance can be spread out across multiple days to ensure maximum flexibility for a safe and healthy experience.

The Brussels marathon has been cancelled due to the pandemic

The traditional marathon and semi-marathon of Brussels will not take place this year, due to Covid-19 the organizers announced on Wednesday. Instead of 4 October as was initially planned, the event will take place on Sunday, 3 October 2021. The main reason for the cancellation of the event is the high number of foreign participants.

Safety of participants comes first.- Initially, the marathon was supposed to start from underneath the Atomium and finish on the athletic track of the King Baudouin Stadium. It was also meant to include shorter races and a race for children (the Kids Run at the Laeken Park).

The international sports event is highly popular at home and abroad with as many as half of the participants arriving from beyond Belgium’s borders to take part. This is precisely what motivated the organizers (Brussels Airport as the main partner and the City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region and Runners’ Lab as secondary partners) to postpone it in the context of the uncertainties related to Covid-19 and the possibility of a second wave coming in the next months.

Brussels marathon goes online.-However, like many other events scheduled to take place between spring and autumn this year, the marathon will happen virtually. This is possible thanks to a special event application, unique for Belgium, which can be downloaded by anyone.

Upon downloading it, between 28 September and 4 October, virtual participants could run wherever and whenever they want around Brussels or take on a magnificent route that has been designed exclusively for this challenge. Furthermore, along the way, they will hear audio descriptions of the sites that they would normally pass.

It is also possible to choose one's own starting wave and thus compete with fellow runners.  Afterwards, results, photos and virtual medals can easily be shared on social media. This way, anyone can attend the traditional sport event from a distance, proving that sport knows no boundaries.

Runners are using tech to stay connected and compete since most races have been cancelled

Virtual races weren’t supposed to be the most exciting competition for runners in the summer of 2020. But with the coronavirus pandemic making large-scale gatherings difficult, runners are turning to technology as they search for ways to train, stay connected with teammates and compete.

Some have kept it simple, logging workouts and training plans in shareable Google documents or spreadsheets to stay in touch with their coaches. Other runners are using popular social fitness apps like MapMyRun and Strava, which saw a record 3.4 million downloads in May.

And some coaches and race organizers have innovated after being forced to scrap plans for prestigious track meets, massive marathons and the Tokyo Olympics, which were delayed from this summer to 2021. They’re making the best of a time without in-person competition by hosting virtual races and pitting runners in different states — or even continents — against each other.

“Everything’s pretty much been wiped off the table and we’ve had to regroup and reassess and find things to look forward to that aren’t traditional,” said Ben Rosario, the head coach of the Hoka Northern Arizona Elite professional distance running team.

While Arizona was under a stay-at-home order in April and May, Rosario’s small team of pro runners in Flagstaff went more than a month without training together, and he used an online training log called FinalSurge to send workout plans and stay connected with his athletes.

“We can’t replace our competitive needs by just a virtual run,” Coburn said, adding that she does think virtual racing has “opened the world up” as runners from different countries race each other.

Bruce, the Hoka elite runner, is also itching to toe a real starting line again.

“If I’m being honest, the virtual stuff — it’s not the same thing,” Bruce said. “You’re missing the connection. And I think human connection is what keeps a lot of people motivated and inspired in life.”

MBNA Chester Marathon has been cancelled due to the pandemic

The organizers of the Essar Chester Half Marathon & MBNA Chester Marathon/Metric Marathon have announced the cancellation of their 2020 events.

The organizers say that runners registered for both events will be contacted by email on July 17 confirming the cancellation and outlining the next steps regarding refunds, deferrals and other options available to them.

Joint Race Organizer Chris Hulse, of Active Leisure Events, said “It is a decision we have made with a heavy heart.

“We have been closely monitoring the ever-evolving situation around the Covid-19 pandemic, the latest government guidance and developments emerging throughout the events industry.

"It’s clear that staging two large scale mass participation events this year would be inappropriate.”

“Therefore, we are sincerely sorry to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Essar Chester Half Marathon scheduled for September 20, the 2020 MBNA Chester Marathon/Metric Marathon scheduled for October 4, and the 2020 Chester Triple. Our overriding priority is the safety and health of our runners, staff, contractors, volunteers, spectators, local community and society as a whole.”

The news will be disappointing to many runners.

The organizers spent a significant amount of time exploring, considering and planning numerous alternative scenarios, to enable the events to go ahead safely. However, the amount of uncertainty and lack of clear direction surrounding large scale events, plus a significant 66% of runners stating they would not be comfortable taking part in events in 2020, further contributed to their decision.

“It’s not what anyone wanted but it’s essential that everyone’s health and wellbeing take priority over all else,” added Joint Race Organizer Andy White.

The Active Leisure Events team would like to offer a huge thanks to their runners, sponsors, volunteers, local council, medical teams and other key stakeholders for their understanding and support throughout this incredibly difficult time. Andy added: “We have been overwhelmed by the generous outpouring of positive comments and well-wishes."

The team are now fully focused on their 2021 events and hope runners will all be able to join them next year.

The Mainova Frankfurt Marathon temporarily closed registrations

Because major events are prohibited in Germany until the end of October if they cannot guarantee that the hygiene regulations and distance rules can be observed and that contact tracking of participants and spectators can be guaranteed, the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon team temporarily closed registrations from 18 June.

“We are in close contact with the Hessian Ministry of the Interior and for Sports in order to come to a final decision regarding our event,” said the race organizers.

“Unfortunately, the 39th Mainova Frankfurt Marathon planned for 25 October has become unlikely due to recent developments.”

“We will proactively inform you through all our channels (website, newsletter, social media & Co.) as soon as we have new information. Until then we ask that you refrain from inquiries.

Unfortunately we cannot say with certainty when we will reach a final decision in consultation with and in agreement with the City of Frankfurt and the State of Hesse.”

The 2020 Hartford Marathon will Go Virtually

This year's Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon is going to be a virtual event amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Race officials said the marathon and half marathon will take place from October 8 through October 11 as a virtual event.

"We are taking the lemons we've been given due to the pandemic, and we're making great lemonade for the community," said President and CEO of the Hartford Marathon Foundation Beth Shluger.

For a reduced entry fee of $25, runners and walkers can participate in all the races which include the 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon. They'll get a long-sleeve t-shirt and a finisher medal. For an additional $10, participants can partake in a challenge which includes another medal. Those who take part will need to upload their times online.

"They will still reach that finish line. It might not be as socially fun as marathons and half marathons in the past, but it will still be just as sweet and rewarding," said Fleet Feet Hartford owner Stephanie Blozy.

Fleet Feet Hartford is a Hartford Marathon sponsor.

"The virtuality of the Hartford Marathon weekend is definitely a heartbreaking decision. I know it wasn't an easy one, but I think it was the right one," said Blozy.

She says they're looking forward to supporting runners as they train and that she loves that every penny of the entry fee will go to local charities.

Participants will receive training support materials, enhanced event experiences that are digital, which include race bibs, finisher certificates and a custom race day playlist, race officials said. Participants can also submit verified results after their race that can appear online.

The Hartford Marathon Foundation is also hoping runners will consider taking the rest of the money they would have spent on a much higher entry fee and spend it at local restaurants, local businesses, or donate it to charity.

"We think this year's race is going to offer a very special experience, that you're really feeling you're part of something that's much more important than just a typical road race," said Shluger.

While it's not the racing experience runners may have hoped for this year, organizers say they'll be back in 2021, and until then, this is a way to come together to do a lot of good.

"We can't get through this time alone. We have to do it together, and this is one way that we can do it," said Blozy.

The registration for 2020 virtual Boston Marathon begins today

Registration for a virtual edition of the Boston Marathon begins Tuesday after the in-person race was delayed and then canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 124th edition of the annual race was originally scheduled for April 20 and in March was rescheduled for Sept. 14. Then, in May, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Boston Athletic Association officials announced the traditional race would not be held.

“The traditional one-day running of the 124th Boston Marathon is not feasible this year for public health reasons. There is no way to hold this unusual race format without bringing large numbers of people into close proximity. While our goal and hope was to make progress and contain the virus and recover our economy, this kind of event would not be responsible or realistic on Sept. 14 or anytime this year,” Walsh said at the time.

“Our top priority continues to be safeguarding the health of the community, as well as our staff, participants, volunteers, spectators, and supporters,” said Tom Grilk, CEO of the BAA.

In lieu of the usual race, BAA officials said refunds will be offered to registered participants and a "virtual" edition of the race will be organized. The virtual race can be run by participants any time between Sept. 7 and 14 and participants who provide proof that they completed 26.2 miles within six hours during that period will receive a medal, runner's bib and shirt.

Registration emails for the virtual event are being sent starting Tuesday morning to runners who were previously registered for the 2020 race.

The race generally draws more than 30,000 runners from all over the world, ranging from decorated professionals and Olympians to amateur runners who take to the storied 26.2-mile course through eight communities to raise money and awareness for charities.

Walsh estimated the marathon would normally bring an influx of $200 million to the economy.

The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee has welcomed the UN General Assembly's decision to move the previously agreed Olympic truce to 2021

Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said in a statement, "We welcome the United Nations General Assembly's approval of the change in the observation period of the Olympic truce to next summer."

"We continue to place hope in the power of sport to bring people around the world together and help achieve peace," the former Japanese Prime Minister said. "Inspired by the adoption of this updated resolution, we will make all the more effort to utilise the priceless opportunity presented by the Tokyo 2020 Games to help build a peaceful and better world through sports."

The Olympic truce dates back to the ancient Olympic Games around 2,800 years ago, when a truce was announced to ensure that athletes and spectators could travel safely to and from the Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) renewed this tradition in 1992 to protect the interests of athletes and sport, and resolve global conflicts.

The 2020 Olympic Games have been pushed back by one year to July 23 to August 8, 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Paralympic Games set to follow from August 24 to September 5.

IOC president Thomas Bach was also pleased with the shift, calling it "a strong sign of confidence that these Olympic Games will be the light at the end of the dark tunnel humankind is currently going through".

"We are very grateful to all governments for this expression of trust in the Olympic Games," Bach added.

Copenhagen Half marathon has been cancelled due to the coronavirus

With less than three months to go, organizers can confirm that it will not be possible for thousands of runners from more than 110 countries to gather in Copenhagen for the annual Copenhagen Half Marathon this September.

“Last year was an amazing year for everyone who took part in the race as an official, spectator or as a participant. We know this cancellation will disappoint many who looked forward to the event, but we don’t believe it will be possible or responsible to hold a race the size of Copenhagen Half Marathon in the heart of Copenhagen in 2020,” says Dorte Vibjerg, CEO of the organizing running Club Sparta.

The cancellation stands in sharp contrast to a record breaking event in 2019, which saw records in terms of elite athlete performance and participant numbers. Geoffrey Kamworor ran like the wind and smashed the world record, winning in 58 minutes and one second and the mass race attracted a sell-out field of 25,000 runners for the first time. Following on from these successes, the 2020 event was set to be even better.

Dorte Vibjerg added; “After last year with a world record in the streets of Copenhagen the Copenhagen Half Marathon really has earned the attention of the foreign runners and the international community. This year 42 percent of the registered runners are foreigners.

This means, they will need a clarification in relation to flight tickets and accommodation so we have decided to provide clarity now by cancelling the event. There is nothing more we want than to welcome all the runners and tourists to Copenhagen, but we have come to realize that it isn’t possible this year.”

All participants who were registered will be able to transfer their registration to next year’s race which will take place on September 19 2021, or get a full refund of the entry fee paid.

“We sincerely hope that our runners will want to support us once this is all over and return to run in Copenhagen next year, where we will once again host the Copenhagen Half Marathon. By transferring their entries to 2021; runners will be helping to protect the future of the event,” CEO Dorte Vibjerg concludes.

The 2020 Vermont City Marathon now postponed until may 30 2021 due to the pandemic

The Vermont City Marathon become the latest sporting event impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as its postponement was announced Monday.

The 32nd annual race, originally slated for October 25, will now take place on May 30, 2021.

“Despite our highest hopes, hard work and careful deliberation, the RunVermont team is disappointed to announce that we will be not be able to run the People’s United Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay on October 25, 2020,” an update on the RunVermont website read. “After consultations with state officials, it’s clear that a large public event with several thousand people will not be possible, even in late October.”

The Timberlane Dental Group Mini Marathon will occur on May 29, 2021.

RunVermont has amended their deferral policies, given the unprecedented situation. Interested parties can go to the RunVermont site for detailed deferral options.

Sprinter Bianca Williams accuses police of ‘racial profiling’ after stop and search in London

The GB international and her partner, fellow athlete Ricardo dos Santos, were stopped while in a car with their baby in London

British sprinter Bianca Williams says she has been left “incredibly hurt and shaken” following a stop and search in London on Saturday and has accused the Metropolitan Police of “racial profiling”.

The European and Commonwealth medallist and her partner, fellow athlete Ricardo dos Santos, were stopped while in a car with their baby in London and fear they were targeted because they are black and drive a Mercedes.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said officers had been patrolling the area “in response to an increase in violence involving weapons” and had witnessed “a vehicle with blacked out windows that was driving suspiciously, including driving on the wrong side of the road” and that “they indicated for it to stop but it failed to do so and made off at speed”.

The statement added: “Following a search of the vehicle, the man and the woman, nothing was found. No arrests were made and the occupants were allowed on their way.”

However, in an interview with The Times, Portuguese 400m record-holder Dos Santos said he felt it was initially unsafe to stop when officers waved him down, so he drove “for another 20 seconds” to safely park outside their home.

According to The Times, the road is a single car-width road “and the couple said that a written report given to them by police did not mention them driving on the wrong side”.

Williams told The Times: “It’s always the same thing with Ricardo. They think he’s driving a stolen vehicle, or he’s been smoking cannabis. It’s racial profiling. The way they spoke to Ricardo, like he was scum, dirt on their shoe, was shocking. It was awful to watch.”

Dos Santos said that he had been stopped by police as many as 15 times since they changed their car to a Mercedes in 2017.

The 1992 Olympic 100m champion Linford Christie had earlier published a video of part of the stop as well as a statement in which he accused the police of abusing their power and institutionalised racism.

First time of virtual Gold Coast Marathon, will give participants around the globe the opportunity to hit the pavement in their home towns

Ever wanted to run the Gold Coast Marathon but just didn’t have the time of the budget to get there?

Well, for the very first time a virtual Gold Coast Marathon and Southern Cross University 10km Run will give participants around the globe the opportunity to hit the pavement in their home towns.

While the 2020 event was originally scheduled for last weekend (4-5 July), COVID restrictions have led to an innovative new online format where runners can participate in the Marathon and 10km Run throughout the month of July using the official app ASICS Runkeeper.

Course Coordinator of Southern Cross University’s Bachelor of Exercise Science and Psychological Science, Dr Chris Stevens, said taking exercise online was an important way for athletes to stay connected.

Exercisers taking their training online.-‘The move reflects a trend for exercisers to take their training online to stay in regular contact and remain competitive with their training partners even while restrictions prevent group running and riding,’ he said.

Runners and cyclists training at home have been using software such as Zwift, which allows them to train and compete with others online. Not only can they exercise with their friends, users can even join and interact with professional athletes as they train. Tracking apps such as Strava uses GPS technology and can be shared with friends online. Strava also allows users to set their own courses and race against others exercising on the same course in their local community.

‘These technologies keep exercise social and fun, which is important for motivation in a time without group training sessions and events, and the closure of gyms and pools. We know that social support is very important to staying engaged with exercise long term,’ said Dr Stevens.

Got a question about running, how to stay motivated, what to eat to maximise performance or the right shoes to wear?Ask a Southern Cross University health and exercise expert.

Poor access to physical activity and mental health.- The United Nations recently released a statement describing how poor access to physical activity and exercise can have negative effects on mental health, which can magnify stress and anxiety that many will experience with isolation from normal social life.

Dr Stevens said it was important for exercise scientists and psychologists to work together to maximise the benefits for their clients, especially in the current climate.

‘This is why Southern Cross University will be offering a combined Bachelor degree in Exercise Science and Psychological Science at all three of our campuses at Gold Coast, Lismore and Coffs Harbour from 2021,’ he said.

Due to COVID disruptions Southern Cross University is also offering reduced-cost government-backed short courses for Australian citizens for Session 2 study beginning in July, including the Undergraduate Certificate in Sport and Exercise Science.

The 11 new undergraduate certificate and two new graduate certificate short courses are all 12-weeks long, made up of four units of full-time online study, and can be fully credited towards starting a degree.

The virtually 2020 Lewa Safari marathon powered by Huawei raises over $200,000 for wildlife conservation

The virtually Lewa Safari marathon powered by Chinese technology firm Huawei has raised over 20 million Kenyan shillings (about 200,000 U.S. dollars) for wildlife conservation. This year, Huawei has marked 12th anniversary on supporting the Lewa Marathon to boost the protection of iconic species at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy located in northern Kenya, executives said on Sunday.

Shen Lei, Huawei Key Accounts Director, said more than one decade of financial support towards the annual Lewa Marathon, has enhanced conservation of wildlife amid natural and human-induced threats.

“Over the years we have donated significant amounts of funding and in doing so we know that every shilling is making a difference inside and outside Lewa’s boundaries,” Shen said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

The 2020 edition of Lewa Marathon was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic on June 27, registering about 1000 participants from 70 cities that were represented by 20 countries and regions.

“Both Lewa and Huawei continue to forge tirelessly ahead with enhancing conservation and telecommunication efforts respectively despite the pandemic so that Kenya can be prepared for tomorrow,” he added.

Mike Watson, chief executive officer of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, said since 2008, when Huawei Kenya first got involved they have been able to inject an additional 100 million Kenyan shilling into the 800 million Kenyan shilling marathon kitty. “What this has done has allowed us to invest heavily in more than 80 projects across Kenya.”

He said that investing in wildlife conservation will unleash multiple benefits including job creation. Huawei’s financial support to the annual marathon has transformed the conservation of iconic species and rural livelihoods.

The 2020 Paris Marathon delayed again, now will take place November 15

The Paris Marathon has been moved further back to November 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced on Monday.

The race had originally been rescheduled for October 18 from its traditional April date due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Last month, marathons in New York and Berlin set for later in the year were scrapped, while the races in London and Chicago remain on course for October 4 and October 11.

Ethiopa’s Abrha Milaw won last year’s men’s edition in Paris while his compatriot Gelete Burka clinched the women’s title.

ALMOST READY TO WELCOME YOU BACK!

Track and Field fans in Eugene and around the world,

I write to you today during one of the most unprecedented times in our history. I have found myself in deep reflection on how we can come together as a nation to love and support each other. Through all of this unrest, we have hope in the future and the opportunities that will inevitably come.

I've been so impressed with our student-athletes and how they have responded to adversity over the last few months. From adjusting to a new virtual academic environment and social distancing to using their voices to speak out on social injustices, I have been very proud.

The past few months have been challenging to say the least, and our attention and thoughts have been pulled in so many directions lately, but I did want to provide a bit of an update on Hayward Field.

It is almost ready to welcome you back!

The flags of 156 nations found their place next to the stadium representing every country that had a senior-level athlete compete at Historic Hayward Field between 1921 and 2018. Also, responsibility for the stadium has been handed over from the construction team to the University of Oregon and the UO Track and Field team.

But before we can open the gates to you, we've got a couple of hurdles to clear.

First things first. Our athletes deserve to have their 'Christmas morning' moment before everyone else gets to see how magnificent their training areas and team facilities are. After all, the team has been without a home for two years, and at this point, a majority of the athletes have never experienced the Hayward Magic competing as a Duck. My staff and I are truly looking forward to the team opening this incredible gift when they arrive on campus in September.

As you've probably seen through social media, we've been able to reveal and share the public spaces inside the bowl of the stadium. Still, there are areas we want to reserve for our athletes when we finally get to welcome them back to Hayward Field.

Last week, we were able to have a special Hayward moment with Ashton and Brianne along with their son Ander and Ashton's mom, Roz. It was a chance to have a smaller group together and celebrate what they have meant to this program. We hope to create similar moments with other Oregon Track and Field icons.

We also eagerly await the time when Governor Brown and state health officials are able to relax restrictions on large gatherings, which are currently in place through September. If circumstances allow for opening the stadium to you in the fall, rest assured, we will do so but we have to make sure it is a safe and healthy experience for everyone.

In the meantime, there will still be lots of construction activity going on and the construction fencing will remain in place. Punch lists will be completed and equipment will be moved in.

I encourage you to follow our social media channels and regularly check in on the Hayward Field page on the University's website. We will do our best to keep you updated of any new developments over the course of the summer and, ultimately, our plans for welcoming you all to Hayward Field.

Thank you, Hayward faithful. Can't wait to see you!

Yes, It’s Okay to Take a Month Off from Running

If Des Linden can do it, so can you.

Convincing us runners to take time off is always a struggle. But given the state of the world right now—non-stop stress and no races for the foreseeable future—you’d be forgiven for wanting to hang up your sneakers for a little while.

Even the elites are doing it. Last week, Des Linden—former Boston Marathon champion! Olympian!—posted on Twitter that she hadn’t run a step for a full month. When a well-intentioned commenter asked what she’d been doing in the meantime, she responded (with the typical Des wittiness): “Growing a sofa on my ass.”

Linden may have been nonchalant about her time off, but, for a lot of us, a month feels like a long time. What will happen to your Strava stats? How will this affect your training status on your smartwatch? Forget the metrics—will you even be able to run again after all that time off?

The short answer: Yes. But you will likely lose some fitness.

After just a few weeks of little to no exercise, your heart starts to show significant signs of detraining, according to a 2018 study on marathoners published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. And adults who took a month off after following a regular cardio routine for four straight months lost almost all their aerobic gains in that month, earlier research published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases.

But a month isn’t that long and well-trained athletes like Des can bounce back fast. “If you take a month off, it will take you about a month to get back to where you were,” says Polly de Mille, R.N., certified strength and conditioning specialist and director of Tisch Sports Performance Center at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Think about it this way: What’s two months when the rest of 2020’s race calendar is a big ol’ blank?

For most people, though, taking a month off running doesn’t mean melting into your couch. “Most of the research shows that three sessions a week at at least 70 percent of your VO2 max—whether that’s swimming or biking or an online class—is going to do a pretty good job of maintaining your aerobic conditioning,” says de Mille.

So if you’re tempted to take time off from running to give your body a break or restore your motivation mentally, you can easily maintain most of your fitness by doing some cross-training.

While aerobic fitness starts to decline in seven to 14 days, muscle loss typically starts to occur in as little as three days, says Krishna Curry, community and digital marketing director for Run Mercury and contributing coach at RUNGRL. “What’s important to consider is what your training looked like before you take a break,” she says. “If you’ve been training intensely over the past several weeks, you’ve put a lot into your tank so it’s not going to be as fast as a decline as somebody who wasn’t that consistent with their running or who was a lot weaker to start with. And you’re going to adapt a lot faster when you come back to training.”

That month off could actually be a good thing—especially right now. Remember, training is a stressor. Your body can only handle so much stress at once; if you’re already stressed about COVID-19, social isolation, and the reckoning of systemic racism, layering that stress with high-intensity training (i.e. running), can put you on a road to overtraining and burnout. “At this point, we’re not recovering the way we used to,” says de Mille. “There’s only so much we can take.” So if a break from running is what you need, that’s self-care.

Plus, a break is an opportunity to set new goals. When you’re following a training plan, it doesn’t leave a lot of time for things you know you should be doing. Forget about mileage, and use a break to develop other areas of strength that you normally don’t have as much time to focus on because you’re racking up double digit runs, says Curry. “You can build your strength, do core work, zero in on mobility—things that will make running easier when you do get back it,” she says. You may not be running, but you’re shoring up all the weak links. “Now’s the time to address any compensations or imbalances you’ve been coping with so you can rebuild yourself properly,” Curry adds.

When you are ready to get back to running, ease into it. “Don’t assume that it’s like tapering for a race and when you come back, you’re going to be even more fit,” says de Mille. You especially need to be respectful of the orthopedic stress of running. “There’s nothing quite like the impact that you experience when you’re running, so if your tendons and muscles haven’t experienced that sort of eccentric stress in a while, your cardiovascular system may be way ahead of your musculoskeletal system in terms of readiness to go long or work hard.”

Sure, you’ll probably be excited to get back to it. But don’t feel like you need to make up for lost time. “It’s really important that people map out their plan beforehand so they can stay consistent,” says Curry.

Look back at the weekly volume you were maintaining before your break and pick the bare minimum, healthy volume of running that you can maintain without inciting any injury, she says; then, she typically starts by adding one to two miles per week. As the volume increases relative to your starting point, those weekly increases get smaller. Just make sure to “lower your expectations for what you’re going to do when you go back,” says de Mille. “Be patient with yourself and listen to your body.”

And if that first post-break run doesn’t go as smoothly as you’d hoped, take comfort in the fact that even pros like Linden struggle, but it doesn’t get any worse than day two.

Regan Yee runs Olympic standard in 5,000m time trial

Regan Yee, 24, shattered her 5,000m personal best in a time trial on Saturday, running under the Olympic standard of 15:10 to finish in 15:08. The Vancouver native says she is really happy with her spring training block and even happier with Saturday’s run. Even though her time won’t count for qualification (the window doesn’t open until December 1, 2020) it’s a huge confidence boost. It wasn’t only Yee who ran well, her three teammates Sarah Inglis, Natasha Wodak and Natalia Hawthorn also had great runs, with Inglis and Hawthorn running huge personal bests as well.

Yee says the group ran a successful 3K time trail two weeks ago. “John Gay [2019 World Championships competitor] paced us. Both Sarah and I ran under nine minutes and it felt hard but manageable. After that, we knew we could run a good 5K.”

Yee says Saturday was perfectly paced and actually felt really smooth. While road runners can race in co-ed events and have their results count for qualification for any Canadian team, on the track, a co-ed race isn’t considered valid. Yee says having a male pacer is a luxury. “Caleb de Jong [their pacer] was great, and pacing was easy for him. It’s basically his tempo pace. He was really calm and encouraging, which rubbed off on me I think. There’s something nice about the person pacing you running at a comfortable clip. It makes the pace feel more comfortable for you as well.”

But Yee didn’t have just one pacer, she also had teammate Alicia Butterworth with her for 3K, Inglis next to her who finished in 15:15 and her coach Mark Bomba on a bicycle. “It was a super controlled environment. In that way, it felt way easier than a race. I put at lot of pressure on myself in a race setting, but there was way less stress on Saturday. I could just shut my mind off and run. We wanted to run 73-second laps, and that’s exactly what we did.”

Throughout July, Yee says she wants to run a little bit of everything. “I think we’ll do a 1,500m, a 2K steeplechase, maybe even throw an 800m in there for fun. I don’t really have a lot of speed in my legs right now, but I like to run an annual 800m. I don’t even know what my PB is, but hopefully I can run a 2:05. I haven’t run anything faster than 66 seconds in a 400m, but I think I can do it.” Yee will take August as a rest month before she gears up for her 2021 season and (hopefully) qualification for her first Olympic team.

Saturday’s Time Trial results

Regan Yee – 15:08, Sarah Inglis – 15:15, Natalia Hawthorn – 15:30, Natasha Wodak – 15:31

Ahmed, Quigley and others post PBs at Bowerman Track Club meet

The intra-squad meet saw huge personal bests from a number of athletes

Restrictions regarding social distancing and COVID-19 have been getting more relaxed in the U.S. lately, and that has allowed for clubs to hold in-person track meets and competitions. On Tuesday night, the Bowerman Track Club joined other high-profile and elite training groups which have held competitions in the past month, such as the Oregon and Atlanta track clubs, which held a dual meet a couple of weeks ago, and Team Boss in Colorado, which ran a record-breaking intra-squad mile event on June 27. The Bowerman event featured 1,500m and 5,000m races for both the men and women, and it saw some seriously fast times, with multiple athletes not just beating their PBs, but absolutely smashing them.

PBs for everyone

The women’s 5,000m saw seven athletes line up to race, and the top four walked away with new PBs. Elise Cranny won the race in 14:48.02, which was a more than 30-second improvement on her PB of 15:25.66. It was also good enough to make her the seventh-fastest American woman ever over 5,000m. Second place was Courtney Frerichs, who entered Tuesday night with an indoor PB of 15:02.91 but an outdoor best of 16:22.98 from 2013. She smashed both of those times, running 14:50.06, which catapults her to eighth on the all-time list of American women.

Colleen Quigley finished in third place, and although the 5,000m isn’t her specialty, she still dropped a blazing fast time of 15:10.42, which was 48 seconds faster than her previous best of 15:58.90. Finally, in fourth place was Gwen Jorgensen, who beat her outdoor PB with a time of 15:18.25 (although she has a faster indoor PB of 15:02.27).

On the men’s side, Sean McGorty won ahead of Grant Fisher, both of whom beat their 5,000m PBs with times of 13:11.22 and 13:11.68, respectively. McGorty’s previous best was 13:21.35 and Fisher’s was 13:29.03.

1,500m runs

The 1,500m events had fewer participants, but both races saw a PB each. The men’s run had a thrilling sprint finish between Josh Thompson, Lopez Lomong and Canadian Mohammed Ahmed. Thompson ran 3:39.652 to edge out Lomong, who ran 3:39.660, and Ahmed, who posted a PB of 3:39.84. The women’s race also saw a tight finish, with Shelby Houlihan eking out a win in 4:02.37 over Karissa Schweizer, who ran a four-second PB with a time of 4:02.81.

Official races may still be on hold, but the Bowerman athletes have sent a message to the rest of the track world, showing everyone that they’ll be fit, fast and ready to race whenever the season resumes.

More than half of Tokyo residents opposed to Olympics next year, survey finds

A new survey has found that more than half of Tokyo residents do not want the postponed Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held next year.

Tokyo 2020 has been moved back to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but doubts remain about the Games going ahead.

The survey, carried out over the phone by Kyodo News and the Tokyo MX television channel, was taken by 1,030 people.

It found that 51.7 per cent want the Games to be postponed again or cancelled, with 46.3 per cent wanting the re-arranged Tokyo 2020 to take place.

Out of those who are opposed to next year, 24 per cent said they would favour a second postponement.

This option has been repeatedly rejected by Tokyo 2020 and International Olympic Committee officials, however.

Complete cancellation was backed by 27.7 per cent.

Of those who want to see the Games go ahead next year, 31.1 per cent said they should take place in a reduced form.

This is the path being taken by organisers, with Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshirō Mutō speaking about "simplified Games" and announcing this month that 200 ideas on how to scale things back were being considered.

Holding a full-scale Olympics as planned was backed by 15.2 per cent.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are now scheduled for between July 23 and August 8 next year, with the Paralympics due to follow from August 24 to September 5.

Some believe that these dates will also not be feasible, however, if the coronavirus pandemic does not subside significantly around the world and a vaccine is not developed.

IOC President Thomas Bach is among those who have admitted the Games would be cancelled entirely if not possible in 2021, with a second postponement not being considered.

Tokyo 2020 Board member Haruyuki Takahashi has claimed, however, that another shift in dates should be considered.

The delay has created a huge logistical challenge for organisers, which Bach has described as a "huge jigsaw puzzle and every piece has to fit".

Another survey by Japanese broadcaster NHK revealed that two-thirds of corporate sponsors for Tokyo 2020 are unsure if they will extend their contracts past December, with 14 per cent saying it would depend on the asking price.

The re-arranged Games is a key topic amid campaigning for Tokyo's gubernatorial election on Sunday (July 5).

Incumbent governor Yuriko Koike looks likely to win a second term although one of her rival candidates, Tarō Yamamoto, has pledged to cancel Tokyo 2020 if elected.

There are fears of a second wave of coronavirus in the Japanese capital, with the city reporting more than 50 cases for the past four days.

This is the highest level since early May, when Japan was under a state of emergency.

USATF Considering Holding A Meet In Mid To Late September, But Undecided On Whether Or Not It Will Serve As The 2020 US Championships

The uncertainty surrounding professional sporting events in 2020 has left many elite athletes, coaches, athlete representatives, and fans asking if USATF will hold a national championship in 2020. Since April, an advisory group of select High Performance Committee members and National Office staff have been meeting regularly, discussing and developing contingency plans and potential options for safely hosting a national season ending event in 2020. Because the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic is continually changing, it continues to challenge all professional sports in their ability to apply their contingency plans and for USATF to set an exact date and location for some form of a Championships event.

Also being discussed is whether it is best to offer a National Championships event in track & field, which the United States has done every year, without interruption for over 120 years, or offer a season ending US-only elite meet without the national championships designation. The changing nature of the COVID-19 in various locations have disparately affected athletes’ ability to train effectively, and a National Championships designation may cause some athletes to feel pressure to train when their current environment may add additional risk. This designation is being discussed and will be determined.

Below is an overview of USATF’s current contingency plans for a 2020 US Open or national season ending event. First and foremost, in this planning is mitigating risk for athletes, coaches, officials, and staff who would travel to and participate in the season ending meet. Included is an initial milestone date for decisions on event viability and release of additional logistical details for planning purposes.

**NOTE: With the ever-changing nature of the pandemic, these contingency plans below will likely be altered. Even when the milestone date is reached and if the event is officially confirmed, a later decision to cancel the meet due to the COVID-19 situation is entirely possible. 

Kenyan Distance Runner Florence Jepkosgei Chepsoi Facing Criminal Charge After Allegedly Falsifying Medical Records

A Kenyan long-distance runner is facing a criminal charge, accused of presenting false documentation to the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).

Florence Jepkosgei Chepsoi appeared in a court in Eldorat charged under Kenya's Anti-Doping Act on June 29, per an ADAK statement, and plead not guilty.

The case is due to be heard on August 13.

Chepsoi was charged with an anti-doping violation in 2017 after testing positive for banned steroid prednisolone at a race in China.

Appearing before a Sports Disputes Tribunal, Chepsoi presented documentation she claimed was from the Uasin Gishu District Hospital as part of her defence.

ADAK's Investigations and Intelligence Gathering Unit looked into the matter and determined, having consulted with the hospital, that the documents were forgeries and Chepsoi had never received treatment there.

Criminal charges therefore followed.

Chepsoi, 36, placed second at the Jakarta Marathon in 2019.

According to the World Athletics database, the Kenyan's personal best in the event is 2 hours 29min 25sec, recorded in 2011 in Italy.

Ethiopian long-distance runner Etaferahu Temesgen Wodaj was last month given a 12-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), majority of which stemmed from tampering with evidence.

Wodaj received a four-year suspension for failing a drugs test and an additional eight-year ban for presenting false medical documents and non-compliance.

Kenya is one of seven countries classed in Category A by the AIU in relation to their doping risk to the sport.

Category A nations are both successful at international level but present a "high absolute doping risk".

Fifty-five Kenyan athletes are currently serving suspensions, according to the AIU database.

2020 Ladakh Marathon cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic

Due to COVID-19 Pandemic, the world famous sporting event in India, the Ladakh  Marathon has been cancelled for this year. Ladakh Marathon Founder and Race Director Chewang Motup said that the 9th edition of the event scheduled for September 13, this year stands cancelled.

AIR correspondent reports, the 9th Edition of Ladakh Marathon  is  even  more  special  as it  had become  a  qualifying  event  of  Abbott  World  Marathon  Majors  Wanda  Age  Group from this year.

At  an  altitude  of  11000 ft  and  above, Ladakh  Marathon  has  emerged  as one  of  the  most  prestigious  high  altitude  races  on  the  Marathon  Calendar of the world. Mr Chewang Motup said, a great uncertainty prevailing in the region due to Covid-19 and border issues.

After the risk  assessment  exercise as  per  the  World  Health  Organization  (WHO)  guidelines  for  holding  events  involving mass  participation, the organizers took a collective  decision  to  cancel  the  four  races  of  the  Ladakh  Marathon. 

Mr Chewang Motup said, all  registrations  for  full Marathon,  Half  Marathon,  10  km  and  5  km in 9th edition have  been  automatically  transferred to  2021-2022.

However,  the  status  of  the  two  elite  races  that's  the  72  km  Khardungla Challenge  (17,618ft)  and  the  122  km  Silk  Route Ultra  are  under  review  with a restricted number  of  participation of 200. Mr Chewang Motup appealed all  the registered  runners  of these  two  races NOT to reserve  any flights till the final decision by July 30. 

Virtual registration for Boston Marathon begins July 7

Boston Marathon runners who lost out on the iconic run from Hopkinton to Boylston Street this year amid the coronavirus pandemic can register for the 26.2 mile virtual race starting on July 7, the Boston Athletic Association announced on Thursday.

The virtual race is open only to participants who were originally entered in the Boston Marathon scheduled for April 20. The April race date was postponed until September due to coronavirus concerns, and then officials later nixed the September date because of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

“The world cannot come to Boston this year, so we will bring the Boston Marathon to the world through a virtual experience that captures the spirit, community, and celebration of the race,” Tom Grilk, CEO of the BAA, said in a statement. “The 124th Boston Marathon Virtual Experience will allow participants to be part of Boston Marathon history.”

Beginning at 10 a.m. on July 7, participants will be emailed a registration code. The cost to register for the virtual race will be $50.

All finishers of the virtual race will receive a post-race package containing their Boston Marathon official participant shirt, finisher’s medal, official 2020 Boston Marathon program, Sam Adams 124th Boston Marathon bottle opener and other items.

The first 15,000 registrants will receive a pre-race package with a 2020 Boston Marathon bib and other items.

To be considered a finisher of the virtual race, entrants must complete 26.2 miles in one continuous run on any day between Sept. 7 and 14, and submit proof of completion to the B.A.A.

Participants don’t have to complete the race in a certain amount of hours, but they’re required to complete the full marathon distance continuously on the same day.

Leading up to September’s race week, participants will receive more information on the virtual experience. Participant newsletters will provide information on training tips, summer running, hydration, and tips on creating a personal 26.2-mile course.

Olympics-Bound Marathoner Jake Riley Signs with On

Jake Riley, the surprise second-place finisher at the 2020 USA Olympic Team Trials Men's Marathon last February, has signed a sponsorship agreement with On, the Swiss maker of running shoes and apparel. Riley, 32, was unsponsored at the Trials.

"We are thrilled to partner with Riley as he sets off to represent On and the United States in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics next year," said On co-founder and former world duathlon champion Olivier Bernhard through a media release. "Not only has he proven himself an outstanding athlete, he embodies the resilience and drive to succeed that powers performance running here at On."

Riley, who lives in Boulder, Colo., where he trains under coach Lee Troop and is also working towards a masters degree in biomechanical engineering at the University of Colorado, was a promising athlete after graduating from Stanford in 2012 and joining the Hansons-Brooks program in Michigan where he stayed through 2016. But an Achilles injury took him out of the sport for yearly three years until he mounted a comeback in the summer of 2019 which culminated in a 2:10:36 personal best at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon last October.

"This was well beyond expectations," Riley told Race Results Weekly after his run in Chicago. He said that he "very seriously" thought about quitting the sport, but under coach Troop was optimistic about his future after "months of feeling like ten pounds of dirt in a five pound bag."

His run in Chicago elevated him to a possible Tokyo team-maker, but he still did not sign with a sponsor, waiting for the right opportunity. He feels that the wait was worth it.

"I'm so happy to be joining the On team," Riley said through a statement. "I'm excited to represent a company that's committed to running and runners, and I'm looking forward to finding out just how far we can go together."

Riley will wear his On kit and shoes for the first time in a competition tomorrow where he will face Olympic marathoner Jared Ward in a remote 5-K competition where Riley will run in Boulder and Ward in Provo, Utah. The race, called the Virtual 5-K Challenge presented by KT Tape, will be streamed live via Instagram on the @TeamBoulder account with commentary from Ed Eyestone (who coaches Ward) and Troop.

On is a fast-growing brand in the running space, according to an analysis by data company NPD Group published last September. Ten years after market launch, their products are available at over 6,000 retailers in 55 countries, the company said. A few months ago tennis legend Roger Federer joined the company as a "true partner," and is helping to oversee "product development, marketing, and fan experiences," the company said.

6 habits of highly effective runners

The six simple steps to consistent training

Everyone has a runner friend who never seems to get injured. In a sport where overuse injuries are rampant, how do people stay healthy and what are their secrets? It turns out, there aren’t any big secrets – in fact, it’s the most basic things that keep runners on the road and feeling good. Here’s a look at the six habits of the highly effective runner.

Hydrate properly

Dehydration is linked to everything from cramping to mid-run GI distress. Especially during the summer months, runners should be sipping (not guzzling) water through the day and monitoring the colour of their urine. Dehydration can easily derail a run, but thankfully, it’s also an easy fix.

Appreciate the rest day

Some runners take weekly rest days, some work on a 10-day cycle and others are spontaneous with their day off. Running is highly individual, so it’ll take some trial and error to find out what works for you.

If you’re new to the sport, taking multiple rest days a week is recommended. Slowly work your way up to running six days a week. But if you’re feeling a little run down and tired, no matter your experience level, take the day off. Your body and mind will thank you.

Listen to your body

Your body will let you know when it’s hurting. While there are some small aches and pains that can be run through, a nagging issue isn’t to be ignored. If something is bothering you two runs in a row, consider a couple of cross-training days and booking in to see an RMT, physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor.

Runners who stay injury-free for years on end know that when something flares up, a couple days off here and there is much better than two months on the sidelines.

Get the right shoes

Taking the time to buy the right shoes is extremely important. Especially if you’re new to the sport, getting a proper assessment is a great idea for your first pair. After that, keep track of how much mileage you’ve done in your shoes (you can use an app like Strava or just a good old-fashioned training log). Once you’ve hit over 400K, it’s time to start looking for a new pair.

Take naps

Napping is a luxury, especially for runners with children. However, if you can sneak in even a 20 minute snooze on a weekend, or sleep a little later in the morning, over time these few extra minutes of rest can play a big role in your recovery. A study out of The Institute for Scholastic Sport Science and Medicine found that in adolescent student-athletes (grade seven to 12), getting under eight hours of sleep led to a 70 per cent increase in the likelihood of injury.

Sleeping is kind of like natural doping for runners, so where possible, sneak in a few extra hours of rest. Canadian W50 marathon record holder Denise Robson thinks her big breakthrough was due to the amount of sleep she was able to get during her build. “I have three biological children and four foster children. Now that my foster children are gone, there are more hours in the day. I was able to come home after a Sunday long run, shower, eat and take a two- to three-hour nap. That made a huge difference in training.”

Keep it consistent

Improving at running (and staying injury free) is really a game of consistency. The more days (which can hopefully turn into months and years) of pain-free running you can string together, the better you will get. By paying attention to the little things listed above, you’re drastically increasing your likelihood of consistency.

Professional ultramarathoner Michael Wardian is running length of Delaware

With most major races wiped off the calendar, professional ultramarathon runner Michael Wardian was asked to run 96 miles — the length of Delaware — over the course of a month as part of a virtual charity event.

"I was like, 'It's 96 miles, I'll just do it in one day,'" Wardian said.

So around 1 p.m. on Thursday, Wardian started a run on Concord Pike at the Delaware and Pennsylvania border that will finish on Fenwick Island. He is being accompanied by Nick Cruz, a Milford resident, who after hearing about the attempt decided to try it himself.

The route they will take is roughly 130 miles, substantially longer than Delaware's end-to-end length of 96 miles. By zig-zagging through the state, Wardian and his crew lead Phil Hargis hope to avoid as many dangerous stretches of highway as possible.

From North Wilmington, they'll cross through the city to get on the Jack Markell trail, eventually passing through Delaware City before running a portion of the Mike Castle trail along the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. From there, the planned route wraps around Middletown and cuts through the center of Dover before ending with a long stretch on Coastal Highway through the beach towns.

Wardian expects the run to take between 24 and 30 hours.

"I just think it's a cool route," Wardian said. "It's not as straight as you can go because I wanted to finish at the beach, because I just thought it would be cooler than finishing in like Selbyville."

In a typical year, Wardian travels from his Arlington, Virginia, home around the globe, competing for the shoe company Hoka One One in ultramarathons – races beyond 26.2 miles. By day, he is an international ship broker.

With his racing calendar clear because of the coronavirus, Wardian has turned his attention to virtual races and FKT attempts – fastest known times across certain routes.

In April, Wardian ran 262.5 miles over 2.5 days to win a virual event called the Quarantine Backyard Ultra. He's already competed about 30 times this year and has dozens of first place finishes and world records on his career resume.

It's unclear exactly what the standard is for the fastest time across Delaware. When Wardian posted about his Delaware run on Instagram, someone replied that a runner named Scott Newcomer ran the length of the state recently in 34 hours.

Fastestknowntime.com, which is the closest thing to an official record, doesn't yet list an end-to-end Delaware run.

Wardian is a frequent visitor to the Delaware beaches with his wife, Jennifer, and sons, Pierce and Grant, and expects to close on a property in Rehoboth Beach in August. He said the run will be a "very cool introduction" to the state.

"I really love the running community of Delaware too," Wardian said. "It's not often someone is like, 'Yeah, I'm willing to run 130 miles.'"

Running: ibuprofen use is common – but many athletes are unaware of the risks

Whether you’re an ultra-marathoner or have just started, injuries and muscle soreness from running are inevitable. But instead of taking a break, many runners reach for ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to get through injuries or pain. Not only can doing this make recovery more difficult, but frequent use of anti-inflammatories can be dangerous. Our recent research shows that NSAID use is widespread among amateur runners – but most are unaware of the potential risks.

While more casual programmes like Couch to 5K or Parkrun UK remain popular, endurance events like marathons and ultra-marathons have seen participation grow over the past 20 years. Amateur endurance athletes’ training routines can be rigorous, resulting in stresses and pains, so many use painkillers to keep training. Research shows significant use of NSAIDs among endurance runners, with one study finding that 46% of London Marathon runners planned to take an NSAID during the race.

Yet this is not without risk. Using NSAIDs is associated with known harms, including gastrointestinal ulcers, acute kidney injury and a risk of cardiovascular events, depending on how much of the drugs are taken and for how long. These negative consequences of NSAIDs are thought to be responsible for 30% of all adverse drug reaction admissions to hospital.

Under the extreme physiological strain of a long-distance endurance event, these risks may be increased and new ones may arise related to the physical stress. Reduced blood flow and motility in the gastrointestinal system make stomach problems common, even without NSAID use. Muscle damage from races can also increase protein in the blood, which can lead to acute kidney damage. This could be worsened by NSAID use.

Hyponatraemia, a potentially fatal reduction in sodium levels caused by water overload, is another problem in endurance athletes. Although fatalities are rare, asymptomatic hyponatraemia occurs in one in ten marathon runners and can also be heightened by NSAID use.

Running through pain

Though much is known about NSAID use by endurance runners, less is known about its use in recreational runners. We surveyed 806 participants in Parkrun UK – which represents a broad range of the running community – to find out about usage in a diverse group of runners. Nearly 90% of the runners surveyed used NSAIDs, usually in the form of over-the-counter ibuprofen. About one in eight runners had a pre-existing reason to avoid NSAIDs, such as asthma. A third of the runners ran at marathon length distances or higher.

Over half of runners took NSAIDs before a run or race. One in ten took them during a run, and two-thirds afterwards. The longer the run, the more likely they were to take NSAIDs before or during. Half-marathoners and marathoners used NSAIDs more commonly. But more concerning were the 33% of ultra-runners (compared to just 17.5% of marathon runners) who took NSAIDs during runs. This is because these races already put stress on the gastrointestinal and renal systems.

Low-mileage runners used ibuprofen to keep exercising with pre-existing pain, ongoing medical issues, or current injuries. However, longer distance runners were more interested in reducing inflammation, soreness, pain and for suspected performance improvements. All types of use should only be done when aware of the potential risk of frequent use.

A third of the runners in our study had experienced suspected side effects from NSAIDs, mainly heartburn and, in a few cases, gastrointestinal bleeding. Over 40% of runners were unaware of the cardiovascular, kidney or gastrointestinal side effects.

Nearly half of the runners used NSAIDs without advice from a healthcare professional. Almost all of those surveyed said they would read advice if provided to them. Even if this response was only the result of completing the survey, it’s clear there needs to be better information available about the risks of using NSAIDs, especially while running.

This lack of awareness combined with long-term use of NSAIDs (especially when taken every run) can potentially lead to health problems. For marathon and ultra-marathon runners, there are even greater specific risks. These long endurance events already put runners’ body under extreme stress, so long-term NSAID use increases risks of life-threatening hypononatraemia, gastrointestinal bleeding, and kidney failure.

Exercise caution

Like all drugs, NSAIDs have benefits and harms. However, given that studies show NSAIDs may be counterproductive to healing and training, their use should be carefully considered by amateur athletes. Someone who uses an occasional ibuprofen tablet before or after their weekly run is likely at lower risk. However, risk rises alongside longer and more frequent runs, especially if they’re only enabled by chronic NSAID use.

But using NSAIDs to run through injury and pain to achieve training targets is counterproductive to the long-term health benefits of running. High usage in a subset of endurance runners during demanding training, and while in sustained physiological stress during events, should definitely be avoided.

To change this culture, more messaging about NSAID safety and running are needed. However, the London Marathon now advises runners to avoid NSAIDs within 48 hours of the race because of the potential dangers. Their decision might also spur other organisations to follow suit.

Former marathon world record holder Wilson Kipsang, has been banned for four years for whereabouts failures and tampering by providing false evidence and witness testimony.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said the Kenyan’s ban is effective from January 10 2020, the date when he was provisionally suspended.

Under anti-doping regulations, athletes have to inform testing authorities of their whereabouts for a one-hour window of every day and three failures — not being present at the said time — within 12 months leads to an automatic ban.

The AIU found that Kipsang had committed a total of four missed Tests and/or filing failures including a missed test on 27 April 2018, a filing failure related to the Athlete’s whereabouts information provided for 18 January 2019.

He also missed a test on 12 April 2019 followed another missed test a month later.

“However, by application of Article 10.7.4(a) of the 2019 IAAF Rules, the anti- doping rule violations committed by the Athlete shall be treated together as one single anti-doping rule violation and the sanction imposed shall be based on that which carries the more severe sanction,” the AIU said in a statement.

Natasha Wodak and Justin Kent win Canadian 10K virtual championships

Natasha Wodak proved that you can run a pretty killer solo effort on Wednesday when she earned her second-consecutive national 10K championship win, only 10 seconds behind her winning time from 2019. She finished her 10K run in 32:41 and took the top women’s spot by nearly a minute with Rachel Cliff finishing second in 33:35. 

The Canadian 10K Championships, which historically took place as part of Ottawa Race Weekend, were moved to a virtual event for 2020. Registered runners had a 12-hour window (from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time) on Wednesday to complete a 10K course of their choosing. Their route had to be an out and back. 

In the men’s race, Justin Kent came out on top with a 28:52, followed by Luc Bruchet who ran a 29:17 just days after a 10, 000m personal best on the track. Dylan Wykes, Elite Athlete Organizer for the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is really happy with how the virtual race went. 

“This year has been extraordinary in so many ways that we really wanted an opportunity to engage with Canadian elite runners and give them a chance to compete against one another in some way. Congratulations to all the runners who took part and we cannot wait to see them at the Start Line in Ottawa in 2021.”

If runners didn’t have a chance to run on Wednesday, no worries, there’s still plenty of time to participate in the The Beat the Champ race. This event will run through the month of July and invites runners to try to beat the national 10K champion at their own game.

This open competition asks runners to beat the 2020 winning times (28:52 and 32:41) by running 10 x 1K intervals, and combining individual segments to beat the winning 2020 10K result.

World Athletics is not happy with the Russian Athletics Federation

In a statement released on July 2, World Athletics confirmed that it had not received payments due from the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) on  July 1 nor, despite reminders and correspondence with the Federation, any information on when the monies may be paid.

As a result World Athletics will stand down both the Doping Review Board (DRB) and the Russian Taskforce until World Athletics’ Council has reviewed and discussed the situation at their meeting on JUly 29-30, as set out in the decision made by the Council on March 12.

Both the Russian Taskforce and the DRB have, in good faith, moved forward in a number of areas, said WA. The DRB has also opened up the Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) process to facilitate the granting of ANA status for athletes returning to competition in preparation for the fine being paid by July 1. This will be put on hold until the Council meets at the end of July to ensure World Athletics is not incurring additional costs that may not be reimbursed.

World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, said: “We are very disappointed by the lack of progress made by RusAF in terms of the requirements set in March. The serious allegations of breaching the anti-doping rules resulted in a new RusAF administration and we had assurances and hoped that change was on its way. However, the experience of the Russian Taskforce is that this has fallen well short of expectations. The terms of payment of the fine and costs were clear and unchallenged by RusAF at the time so this issue will now need to return to Council at the end of July, as we stated in March.”

The payments due from RusAF by July 1 are USD 5million (EUR 4.4m) (fine) and USD 1.31million (EUR 1.2m) (Reinstatement Conditions & Verification Criteria costs incurred from June 30 2019 to March 31 2020, including Legal & CAS Costs; Task Force Costs; Doping Review Board Costs, and Lysenko Investigation costs).

The 2020 Athens Marathon will be held as normal on November 8

The Greek Athletics Federation SEGAS announced on July 1 that, based on current data, “Athens Marathon. The Authentic” 2020 will be held as normal on November 7-8 2020 with its co-organisers the Attica Region, the Municipality of Athens, the Municipality of Marathon and the EOE and a major sponsor, OPAP SA.

Athens Marathon 2020 will include the following competitions:

Marathon: Participants in the Marathon will be divided into two different (A & B) races with 5000 participants each and an hour difference between their start times. The distribution of the runners in the two races and in the corresponding starting block will be decided by the Organising Committee. It is noted that the Marathon Road will be held on Sunday, November 8, while the exact start times will be announced in the near future.

10km road race: On Saturday November 7, 10km participants will also be divided into two different (A & B) races with 5000 participants each and an hour difference between their starts.

5km road race, ZERO WASTE FUTURE: The same logic applies as for the 5km on Sunday November 8: two 5km (A & B) Races with 5000 participants each and a difference of at least one hour between their starts.

Note that Athens 2020 Marathon will not include the Children’s races (neither on the route nor at the Panathinaiko Stadium) or the Special Olympics Hellas Race. This is for better implementation of the protocol.

Registration limits for all the races have been revised and because they are now split into two separate groups the official t-shirt of the race will be an integral part of the registration for each participant.

Registrations for the Athens 2020 Marathon will start on Friday, July 3, 2020 at 12.00, exclusively through the event website. SEGAS has drawn up a special Cancellation Policy for this year’s event which encourages runners to consult before proceeding with their registration.

President of SEGAS, Kostas Panagopoulos commented: “The successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, as a result of the timely adoption of correct measures and their consistent observance by the majority of Greeks, but also the approval by the State Health Protocol for Out-of-Stage Games of SEGAS, allows us to open registration for the Athens Marathon 2020.

“The Race will be very different this year since the observance of the Health Protocol, imposes fewer runners, more starts, distance keeping, meticulous protection measures in each process and for each step. The special planning of the Games has been completed and with the help of all – and especially the runners – the observance of the measures will ensure the desired result.

“In Greece, where it was born, the Marathon will be re-launched in 2020 after the pandemic.”

How to Balance Your Training Metrics With Your Mental State

In March, I ran my second fastest marathon. I had trained harder than I had ever trained before, but according to my Garmin Fenix 6x—which I was using for the first time during this training cycle—only one day of training in the two months leading up to the race was deemed “productive.” One. day.

My 22-mile run? The hill sprint repeats I did at altitude? The extra slow recovery runs? All “unproductive,” according to the training status that would flash across the screen on my wrist after nearly every workout.

That feedback only made me determined to run every run in my training program exactly as prescribed—not taking into account the fact that my body was still adjusting to altitude, that I was significantly increasing my weekly mileage, or that, you know, sometimes life happens and you might need to skip a run. I was so fixated on switching that status to productive, I stopped listening to my own body.

Despite the fact that I could tell I was getting faster in my speedwork and that I knew my stamina was increasing in my longer runs, I felt like I was failing at training every time I saw that “unproductive” status. I wasn’t seeing it as a statement on my training, I was letting it define how I viewed myself as a runner. By the time I crossed the finish line of that marathon, I knew it was time to figure out a healthier way to use my metrics for motivation while protecting my mental state.

What even is “Training Status”?

I realized, after several months of letting this metric dictate my feelings toward running, that I didn’t even fully understand what it tracked or what it meant. So I talked to Joe Heikes, the lead product manager for Garmin’s fitness watches. He explained that on Garmin watches, the Training Status feature pulls information from your VO2 max estimations and your training load data to provide feedback on the effectiveness of your training.

Your VO2max—or the maximum rate at which you can deliver oxygen to your exercising muscles—is a measure of aerobic fitness. “The VO2max calculation looks at the relationship between your heart rate and pace to determine whether you’re getting fitter or not,” explains Heikes. This feature also accounts for variables such as altitude and heat, which could affect your heart rate but not your actual fitness level. On a very surface level, if that number’s trending up, you’re getting more fit; if it’s going down, you may be losing fitness.

Training load, on the other hand, is based on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (a.k.a EPOC or the “afterburn effect”), or your increased rate of oxygen intake following activity. The more intense your run, the higher your EPOC will be. “Basically, the watch scores every run that you do, based on your heart rate data, to determine how big of an exercise ‘dose’ that was,” says Heikes.

Looking at a seven-day window, the watch can determine whether you’re getting more or less fit as your training load increases or decreases. If your fitness appears to be getting better at the same time your training load is increasing, we would call that productive,” he says. “If your training load is increasing but your fitness is going down, then that's an unproductive state.” And there it is.

Why do “negative” stats bum us out so much?

Running is a very predictable sport. You put one foot in front of the other, then repeat— sometimes for hours. “There aren’t a lot of variables in it, so it’s easy to get all these measurements and feel like there’s a ‘formula’ for success,” says Nicole Detling, Ph.D., a sports psychologist and author of Don't Leave Your Mind Behind: The Mental Side of Performance. “But you can get addicted to those stats really easily, and that addiction can cause a lot of anxiety because you’re focusing more on what you aren’t doing than on what you are doing.”

Fitness watches are great motivators when you want to plan specific workouts, run within a specific heart rate zone, track pacing improvements, or tally up miles. “But there’s so much these devices can’t quantify,” says Detling. Your body is your biggest variable—a watch can’t tell if you ate something bad for lunch or you just broke up with your partner. You have to take those things into account when assessing your performance. That’s why the best coaching plans are designed with flexibility in mind, so they can be adjusted depending on your circumstances.

As for the gut punch of the word “unproductive,” Detling says, “We get emotionally attached to the connotation of certain words.” No matter what your physiological data says, “the reality is, you still expended and exerted a certain level of effort that you want to feel acknowledgement for,” she explains. That doesn’t mean you necessarily need praise, “but you want to feel good that you did something—especially if it freaking hurt, right?”

The problem with that, though, is that you’re focusing on the outcome of a run, not the run itself. “A lot of the time, we focus our thoughts and feelings on getting a certain time, covering a certain distance,” says Detling. “But, if at the beginning of the run, we’re only thinking about the end, we’re probably not going to get there very well.” Insert one of the many platitudes that emphasizes: It’s about the journey, not the destination.

In fact, all that internal pressure to perform for a certain outcome actually wastes precious mental energy you could be putting toward a more efficient performance, says Detling. And dwelling on the outcome of a run that didn’t meet your expectations wastes the mental and emotional energy you could put toward being more productive in your next run.

So how can you balance the metrics and your mental state?

When Lindsey Clayton, a certified run coach and trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp in New York City, was training for the 2018 New York City marathon, she became such a prisoner to her data that it would ruin her run, she says. “And then I wouldn’t stop thinking about the bad run, and it would ruin my whole day.”

She eventually decided to ditch her watch entirely for her mid-week 6-mile runs and use a landmark as her turnaround point. “The whole reason I run is to feel free—to just be in my body and be in the moment,” says Clayton. Now, she runs watchless once or twice a week based on how she feels. “If I think that seeing I’m running slower than yesterday is going to mess with me mentally, then I know I shouldn’t wear a watch,” she says. “On those days, I’m committing to being in the moment.”

Finding, or remembering, your why can help balance the data and your perspective. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a goal, like running a marathon. But “set your goal and forget it and focus on the process,” says Detling. “If your ‘why’ is to run a marathon, that’s not going to get you through the difficulties that you’re going to experience along the way. Your why has to be strong enough to get you out to do what you’re supposed to be doing on the days when you don’t feel like it.”

You also need to give yourself a little grace. “Runners are very type A, but that has to come with some flexibility,” says Detling. If you didn’t hit your paces, or you cut your run short early, or your watch tells you that your run was unproductive, find something productive about it: Did it increase your mental toughness? Did you get outside when the alternative was sitting on the couch? Did you learn something new about your body?

No matter how advanced tracking technology gets, it should never outweigh listening to your body. “I think that you can hold those two sets of facts in a healthy tension,” says Heikes. “I’ve been running for a long time, and I feel like I know my body pretty darn well. But there have been times when I’ve ignored the watch because I didn’t want to hear the truth it was telling me, and that didn’t work out for me. You have to almost blur your eyeballs and look for the long-term trend versus getting caught up in the minutiae.”

Members of the 2020 Boston Marathon Official Charity Program will be invited to return as official charity program members next year

Boston Marathon Official Charity Program members will continue to maintain their own application and athlete selection process, including agreements between the charity organization and athletes, which has been program policy since its inception, according to Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) on Wednesday, July 1.

The race was originally scheduled for Patriots Day, April 20, and was rescheduled for Sept. 14, but was then canceled on May 28. The athletic association announced at that time that the 124th Boston Marathon will be held as a virtual event.

While the application process for 2021 is now closed, non-profit organizations that meet the association’s program criteria submit a Letter of Inquiry to the B.A.A. before formally applying.

Each charitable organization manages their own athlete selection process. The entire 2021 Official Charity Program list has not been released.

All participants who were originally registered for the April 20, 2020, event have been offered a full refund of their entry fee associated with the race and will have the opportunity to participate in the 124th Boston Marathon Virtual Experience. Participants will have the chance to participate in the virtual 2020 Boston Marathon. Runners will be required to complete the 26.2 mile distance within a 6-hour time period and provide proof of timing to the B.A.A.

All athletes who complete the virtual race will receive an official Boston Marathon program, participant t-shirt, medal, and runner’s bib.

Registration for the 124th Boston Marathon Virtual Experience will open in early July and details will be released soon, according to the association.

Boston Marathon Official Charity Program organizations may select runners at their discretion to join their teams, including those runners entered for the 2020 race.

The entire 2021 Official Charity Program will be announced in the future, according to the announcement. The field size for the 2021 Boston Marathon has not yet been established and may have to be limited to comply with the guidelines and regulations for large scale events in the Spring 2021, according to the B.A.A.

2020 Hamburg Marathon suspends registrations

New registrations for the Hamburg Marathon (GER) have been suspended in ongoing uncertainty over legal liabilities around the event.

At a state press conference on 30 June the City of Hamburg made no binding statements or regulations regarding the approval or prohibition of major sporting events.

“With regard to how the flow of spectators in public spaces can be controlled or limited in order to ensure that social distancing and hygiene guidelines are observed along the route, it remains unclear whether and to what extent we as organisers become responsible for this,” said the race organisation.

“As long as there is no clarity on this question we have suspended registration for the Haspa Marathon Hamburg and the Haspa Half Marathon Hamburg on 13 September 2020 until further notice. We will keep you updated and expressly thank you for refraining from making enquiries or speculations, and for your patience.”

Despite triple hurdles, Michael Kibet still has eye on the big prize

They say when it rains, it pours.

Late compliance with anti-doping protocols ahead of last year’s World Athletics Championships in Doha meant that some already-qualified Kenyan athletes missed out on the action in the Qatari capital as they hadn’t gone through the required pre-championship rituals.

Not a fault of their own, but certainly a deflating situation for them, having trained for probably the biggest break of their careers.

Among them was Michael Kibet, whose career plans were dealt another major blow by the cancellation of the most of this year’s season due to the coronavirus pandemic, including the Tokyo Olympic Games which were pushed to next year from their initial date this month.

Kibet then shifted his focus to the Diamond League whose events resume next month with the Monaco leg scheduled for August 14, followed by Stockholm (August 23), Lausanne (September 2) and Brussels (September 4).

But he’s again hoping for the best after the European Union on Tuesday named the countries whose nationals will be allowed into their territory from Wednesday when the borders opened, with Rwanda, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria the only African nations offered the clearance.

Kenya has been blacklisted.

Kibet, who trains in Kericho County and specializes in the 5,000 meters, will keep one eye on the global developments and another on his training regime, waiting for competition, and normalcy, to resume.

He badly wants to succeed where no Kenyan has succeeded since John Ngugi won the Olympic Gold at the 1988 Seoul Games.

“The virus has disrupted my plans after I was dropped last year from Team Kenya to the World Championships.

“I was waiting to showcase my talent at the Olympic Games but everything has stopped, and I just have to wait for things to normalize,” Kibet told Nation Sport in Kericho.

With all athletics camps still camps closed, Kibet decided to shift his training to Kericho where he loves the altitude that averages 2,180 meters above sea level, slightly lower than the 2,400 meters in Iten, Elgeyo-Marakwet County.

Sebastian Coe pays tribute at Hansen's funeral

Speaking at the funeral of Svein Arne Hansen, who died on 20 June, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described the European Athletics President as “a unique spirit, a steadfast friend and a man with an unflinching and instinctive belief in right and wrong”.

Hansen, who was hospitalized after suffering a stroke in March, was a hugely popular figure within the athletics world. A former meeting director of the Bislett Games, he presided over the Norwegian Athletics Federation from 2003 to 2015 and then became President of European Athletics in 2015.

Coe, speaking at the funeral in Oslo on Wednesday (1), recalled his first encounter with Hansen, at the 1979 Bislett Games where Coe went on to set the first world record of his career.

“We’re all coming to terms with a world without Svein Arne,” said Coe. “And while most of us are left mourning the loss of a wonderful friend and a unique spirit, the Hansen family are sharing the pain and navigating the loss of a husband, a proud father and a doting grandfather. For many of us, we also feel that we have lost an adored extended member of our own family.

“Svein Arne had given me the platform 41 years ago to forge an athletics career that afforded me the chance to shape my life around the wonderful sport of athletics and well beyond the field of play.

“I arrived in Oslo in 1979 a penniless student, a freshly minted graduate and a relative unknown in international athletics. And yet, he greeted me as though I were an Olympian and the star of his meet. When I checked in at the Summer Panorama, effectively a student hostel, he sat me down and explained how pleased he was that I’d accepted the invitation to compete at Bislett.

“I left the stadium with my first world record, an umbilical attachment to this great city, and a friendship that I will cherish forever. And a friendship that will warm well beyond his physical presence.

“Svein Arne was a man that was principled. A man with an unflinching and instinctive belief in right and wrong. A steadfast friend through thick and thin who was also capable of mountainous private acts of kindness. A man of iron will but of supple intellect and emotional intelligence. A man with the vision to change the face of athletics and to do so in the face of an ingrained establishment. And a man that was brave in his championing of not always the easy cause. And a dogged defender of the underdog.

“I’m honored to be here today to speak these words on behalf of World Athletics. I’m honored to have shared a friendship with Svein. I’m honored to have shared so much in our sport with him, from the track to the council chamber. And thankful that it was for so many years.

“Svein, I will miss you very much.”

Hansen’s son Philip and daughter Thine also gave a eulogy. “Like an artist must perform his chosen art form,” said Philip, “my Dad was driven, oddly enough, by his passion for stamps and athletics.”

Hansen’s funeral was followed by a memorial at Bislett Stadium, which was shown on the Norwegian Athletics Federation's Facebook page.

People within the athletics community are also invited to share their memories of Hansen and messages of condolence on the Svein Arne Hansen tribute website.

Organizers of the Herculis EBS Meeting have confirmed the first major stars set to compete at the Wanda Diamond League fixture in Monaco on August 14

World champions Yulimar Rojas and Sifan Hassan, world record holder Joshua Cheptegei and European 110m hurdles champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde will all be on the slate when the series, disrupted this season by the global coronavirus pandemic, resumes at the Principality's Louis II Stadium.

Hassan broke the world record in the mile at this meeting last year, a pre-cursor to her historic 1500m/10,000m double victory at the World Championships. It wasn't announced which distance Hassan would run. The women's programme includes both 1000m and 5000m races.

The 27-year-old Dutchwoman hasn't yet competed in 2020, but Rojas and Cheptegei have, both displaying world record form.

Rojas, the two-time world indoor and outdoor champion in the triple jump, sailed to a world indoor record of 15.43m at the World Athletics Indoor Meeting in Madrid on 21 February. Five days earlier, Uganda's Cheptegei, 23, blasted through the streets of Monaco en route to a 12:51 world record at the Monaco Run 5km. He will contest the 5000m.

Martinot-Lagarde of France, a long-time favourite in Monaco, broke the French national record at this meeting with 12.95 in 2014. The 28-year-old raced to bronze at the World Championships last year.

One evening after Henrik Ingebrigtsen coasted to a world leading 5000m time, Jakob and Filip Ingebrigtsen set 800m PBs in Oslo

One evening after Henrik Ingebrigtsen coasted to a world leading 5000m time of 13:19.65, Jakob and Filip Ingebrigtsen both came away with 800m lifetime bests at the Boysen Memorial in Oslo, a European Athletics Area Permit Meeting, on Tuesday (30).

Paced by Andreas Roth through 400m in 52.5, Jakob reached the line first in 1:46.44 ahead of Filip in 1:46.74. The 19-year-old improved his three-year-old lifetime best by nearly three seconds and also returned home with the Ingebrigtsen family record at the distance.

“It's fun. I have neither 1500m, mile nor 3000m records, but now I have 5000m, 2000m and 800m. I would say it's a nice range to have family records in,” Jakob told NRK after the race.

Filip had to relinquish his family record in the 800m although his time of 1:46.74 also represented a significant lifetime best. His previous mark stood at 1:47.79.

“I considered for a long time whether I should start or not. It's been up and down after the Impossible Games and I've felt pretty rotten. I really only loosened up a couple of days ago,” commented Filip.

There were also good performances in the throwing events at the Bislett Stadium. Marcus Thomsen threw 20.66m in the shot put and Eivind Henriksen won the hammer with a best mark of 74.31m.

Now based in Norway where she is coached by the great Andreas Thorkildsen, reigning Olympic champion Sara Kolak from Croatia opened her season with three throws over the 60 meter-line including a best throw of 62.42m.

2020 Postponed Prague Marathon Now Cancelled

The 2020 Volkswagen Prague Marathon, which had been postponed from May 3, to October 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has now been cancelled. In addition two other important road races in Prague which are also organized by the Czech Republic's most important race organizer RunCzech, the Sportisimo Prague International Half-Marathon and Birell Grand Prix, have also been cancelled. All three events had received World Athletics Gold Label status.

"We were ready with our races," wrote RunCzech president Carlo Capalbo in an open letter to the runners and other stakeholders involved in his organization's events. "Everyone was in place. Our team. Our volunteers. Our partners and suppliers. Everything was ordered and most of it in our warehouse. And then? COVID."

Capalbo continued: "We hoped against hope that autumn would be better. But it was not to be."

Large sporting events will not be permitted in the center of Prague, Capalbo explained, forcing the cancellations. He said that all registered runners will have the option to transfer their entries to the 2021 or 2022 editions of these events for no additional cost.

"The decision taken is extremely difficult for us," Capalbo added. "But we take comfort knowing that Czech government officials had the foresight and the wisdom to take action designed to keep us safe. We take comfort knowing that our health care professionals were tireless and brilliant in helping to treat the virus. We take comfort knowing that when it hurts this bad we must be doing something good. And we take comfort knowing that we will run again."

The Sportisimo Prague International Half-Marathon, part of the international SuperHalfs race series, was originally scheduled for Saturday, March 28, but was then postponed until Sunday, September 6. The Birell Grand Prix, a 10-K with a women's 5-K, was always scheduled for Saturday, September 5. Collectively, these events had 26,192 finishers in 2019, according to the Race Results Weekly Athletes Performance Database. The half-marathon was the largest event with 10,517 finishers.

Capalbo emphasized that RunCzech's other races outside of Prague were still scheduled to happen on the revised schedule his organization issued earlier this year: the Mattoni Olomouc Half-Marathon (August 30), Mattoni Ústí Half-Marathon (September 19), Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half-Marathon (October 24), and Mattoni Ceské Budejovice Half-Marathon (October 31).

These cancellations in Prague follow closely the cancellations of three of the running industry's most important events: the Boston Marathon (postponed from April 20, to September 14, before being cancelled), the BMW Berlin Marathon (September 27) and the TCS New York City Marathon (November 1). Dozens of other fall road races have also been cancelled across the Americas, Europe and Japan including large and important events like the Great North Run Half-Marathon in England, Buenos Aires Marathon in Argentina, the Dam tot Damloop 10 Mile in the Netherlands, the Paris-Versailles 16-K in France, and the Osaka Marathon in Japan.

Capalbo, an Italian who has lived in the Czech Republic for decades, remains optimistic. "Very often, over the course of our 27-year history, when we've faced adversity, we've looked for inspiration from our guiding spirit, Emil Zatopek," Capalbo wrote. "A man who famously said that when you feel like you can't go on, 'go faster.'"