Running News Daily

Priscah Jeptoo and Vincent Rerimoi claimed a Kenyan double at the 44th edition of the Stramilano Half Marathon in Milan

Held in warm weather conditions with a temperature of 22C, Jeptoo returned from a two-year maternity break to win the women’s race in 1:08:26.

Rerimoi, meanwhile, was a surprising winner of the men’s race in 1:00:10, beating steeplechase specialist Jairus Birech, who finished runner-up in 1:00:32 on his debut at the distance.

Jeptoo and Ethiopia’s Meseret Meleka took an early lead in the women’s race, covering the first five kilometres in 16:10 and 10 kilometres in 32:16. Kenya’s Lucy Murigi Wambui, twice world mountain champion and Stramilano winner in 2014, was in third place at that point with 33:07.

Jeptoo, the 2011 world and 2012 Olympic silver medallist, pulled away from Meleka after the half-way point and went through 15 kilometres in 48:27. The 2013 London and New York City marathon champion stepped up her pace in the final six kilometres and romped home in 1:08:26 in Piazza Castello in the centre of Milan. Meleka finished second in 1:10:39, ahead of Wambui (1:11:47).

Jeptoo, now 34, hadn’t raced since October 2016 when she finished fourth at the Amsterdam Marathon in 2:25:57.

“I have dedicated the past two years to my family and I did not compete due to maternity leave,” she said. “I am happy with my come-back. Last week I fell during training and I was not in my top shape. I will run a half marathon in Gothenburg in May and possibly a marathon in the autumn.”

Kenya’s Paul Tiongik took the early lead in the men’s race, clocking 13:55 for the first five kilometres. He was followed 15 seconds later by a chasing group comprising Rerimoi, Birech, James Kibet and James Mburugu.

Birech, a two-time Diamond League champion in the steeplechase, had a five-second lead over Rerimoi at 10 kilometres, reached in 28:14. His lead grew to 17 seconds at 15 kilometres, which he passed in 42:32.

Rerimoi came from behind in the closing stages and overtook Birech at 18 kilometres. He crossed the finish line in 1:00:10, smashing his previous of 1:01:19 set last year in Japan, where he lives and trains.

Birech, competing in his first half marathon and just his third road race at any distance, finished second in 1:00:32 ahead of Tiongik (1:02:07) and Joel Mwangi (1:02:15). Italy’s Lorenzo Dini was fifth in a PB of 1:03:35

Earl Fee is a canadian phenom, and at 90 he is still setting world records on the track

There must be something in the water in Elstow, Sask., where Earl Fee was born (he was raised in Toronto, where he still lives). The 90-year-old demolished not one but two world masters’ track records on the weekend at the USATF Iowa Open/Masters Championships and All Comers Meet in Grinnell, Iowa. (Another track phenom, Olga Kotelko, was raised not far from Elstow. Kotelko died in 2014 at age 95 with 34 world records to her name.)

Fee’s time of 1:30.76 in the 400m was 16 seconds faster than the previous record set by Ugo Sansonetti of Italy in 2010, and his 800m performance of 3:42.5 took 34 seconds off Antonio Nacca’s previous record set in 2014. 

Fee was a decent runner in his school and university days, but left the sport for a number of years, taking it up again in 50s. He soon started breaking age-group records on the track.

Fee still holds the M85 world record in the indoor 400m, and the M70, M75, M80 and M85 records in the indoor 800m, as well as the M75 record in the indoor mile, the M80 record in the 4x400m relay (anchoring a team that included the late Ed Whitlock), and several outdoor age group records.

Elisa Barno and Askale Merachi win the Los Angeles Marathon

Twenty miles into the 34th Los Angeles Marathon Sunday morning Kenya’s Elisha Barno had already conceded the race to his countryman John Korir.

Korir had reduced a lead pack of 15 to three with a 4:39 19th mile. When Korir followed that with a 4:35 20th mile he was flying solo, his sizable lead growing with each step.

“I was already thinking ‘let him win,’” Barno recalled.

Then Barno turned left onto Ocean Avenue for the race’s postcar final mile along the Pacific coast.

“And I see John,” Barno said.

Barno passed Korir in the final 150 meters to win the closest and most dramatic race in the event’s history that saw the top three runners finish within 14 seconds of each other.

Barno claimed the $23,000 first prize and his second Los Angeles victory in three years with a 2 hour, 11 minute, 45 second victory. Korir staggered across the finish line in 2:11:52 with Mexico’s Juan Luis Barrios third in 2:11:59.

“I knew I was going to win from the beginning,” Merachi said. “This morning.”

Indeed Merachi seemed to be in a hurry almost from the moment the race left Dodger Stadium at dawn. Merachi dropped out of the New York City Marathon last fall with hamstring and shoulder injuries was clearly restless through the early stages Sunday, pushing the pace.

By the fourth mile, Merachi’s aggressiveness had thinned the lead group from nine to three, only Kenya’s Cynthia Jerop and Lucy Karimi keeping pace. Karimi was the big pre-race question mark. She won the 2016 Prague Marathon in 2:24:46 but beset by injuries had not finished a marathon since.

Deena Kastor is still getting American records and now owns the american W45 record in 8k

Thirteen years after she ran her American marathon record of 2:19:36, Deena Kastor is still setting American records. On Sunday afternoon at Chicago’s Shamrock Shuffle, the 46-year-old ran an American masters 8K record of 27:12, besting the previous mark held by Carmen Troncoso at 27:45. 

Kastor also holds the outright national record at this distance (24:36), and she set it at the same race, back in 2005. This time though, it looks like she didn’t set out with the goal of breaking the master’s record–it just happened.

Kastor struggled recently at the Tokyo Marathon, finishing in 2:51:58 in cold, wet conditions that some said rivalled those at last year’s Boston Marathon. It was her fifth of six Abbott World Major Marathons, the final one being Berlin, which she may race in September.

Deena says this on her website.  “As an athlete I’ve found aside from hard work, the greatest tools for success are optimism and gratitude.These practices have led to happiness and the routine pause to realize I’m living the life I love and dreamed of.”

She continued, " I have been running since I was 11 years old and have learned over the years that there is no greater influence on success than the power of optimism. When we are positive, we master our physical potential. The power of our own thinking can open doors and elevate our performances. With optimism I have been able to pursue every goal, win medals, earn American and world records, but more importantly, I’ve been able to be resilient in the face of injury and falling short. Optimists are dreamers, believers and solution seekers. I believe that these lessons are universal and not running exclusive."

She goes into details in her new book Let Your Mind Run.

Soh Rui Yong broke a 24-year-old record at Seoul Marathon

It has been a great day for national marathoner Soh Rui Yong. All of his hard work and training has been paid off when he clocked at 2hr 23 min 43 sec at the Seoul Marathon on Sunday Morning (March 17th). It is a big deal for him as he broke the 24 year old record at the event.

The effort he put in during that race is what he would consider a big achievement as it has always been his goal to go under 2:24. As a matter of fact, he was planning to do that at the Tokyo Marathon earlier this month. However, he had to withdrew from the race due to a mix-up where he was placed in a mass start up pen instead of the elite and sub-elite group.

Soh Rui Yong is also known for his previous achievements where his previous best in the Chicago Marathon back in 2016 was 2:24:55. He also has obtained 2 gold medals in the SEA games.

He expressed his joy with the results he put out as he commented, “It took years of work and I finally found the race and opportunity to do it, so I am happy with that.”

He also mentioned how this marathon is the only serious attempt at record. When it comes to previous marathons, he was “unsure of his fitness going in” but this time he managed to go in fit and healthy.

Soh Rui Yong has done 5 weeks worth of training in Flagstaff, Arizona which is located in the United States. Even with an Achilles heel injury which caused clocking in lower mileage, Soh Rui Yong managed to keep his confidence that he would go under 2hr 24 min as his key workouts there were faster than before.

Soh Rui Yong is not just hardworking in his sports career but even in his working career. He is current working in business development and is also a sports ambassador with lifestyle portal called The Smart Local.

Often overlooked is the role Nutrition plays to increase healing and decrease downtime when injuried

Injuries can quite literally stop a runner in his or her tracks. Recent research suggests that half of sports injuries lead to an average of three weeks without training or competing.

Cross-training, physical therapy and biomechanical assessments are well-established aspects of the treatment process, but often overlooked is the role of nutrition in the recovery from injury. Dr. Keith Baar, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, believes that nutritional support is a critical element of recovery.

“A greater understanding of the role of nutrition in healing has evolved in the past three to five years,” says Dr. Baar. In one case study, by following an injury-specific nutritional program, the athlete displayed half of the muscle atrophy in the immobilized leg that was expected. Since a return to running after injury is often dictated by the rate of muscle function, maintaining muscle size and strength may significantly hasten recovery. 

In fact, a 2015 article in the journal Sports Medicine said, “Nutritional support may be crucial to lessen the length of time and reduce the negative aspects of reduced activity and immobilization, as well as to support the return to training.”

Working backwards, in order for the collagen-building nutrients to be floating in the blood stream ready for absorption, meals need to be consumed approximately one hour before exercise.

Baar names four important amino acids—lysine, hydroxylysine, hydroxyproline, and proline—as those that have shown the greatest promise in building collagen. Lysine, an essential amino acid found in meat, cheese and eggs, may play a particularly important role in the health of bones, connective tissue and skin. While both scientific and clinical studies have indicated that these amino acids may actually strengthen ligaments and tendons, no long-term research has been carried out to determine the preventative effects of nutritional interventions.

Facilitated by a better blood flow, nutrition may play an even greater role in the growth and recovery of muscle tissue. Amino acids, the building blocks of muscle protein, are readily delivered to muscles and consequently, an adequate daily protein intake may be essential in maintaining muscle mass during injury.

Studies also have show that in periods of inactivity, healthy muscle tissue atrophies at approximately 0.5 percent per day. For a runner that has suffered serious injury, two to three weeks of immobilization can lead to a loss of 10 percent of muscle mass. As muscle strength declines at approximately three times the rate that muscle tissue is lost, it doesn’t take a mathematician to realize that extended periods of inactivity can result in big losses in strength.

Without a focused exercise effort—possibly months of rehabilitation—these losses are frequently never recovered, perhaps forever influencing injury risk and performance.

Baar stresses that these recommendations aren’t just for those that have been injured—they also apply to those recovering from hard exercise sessions, a time when muscle breakdown also occurs.

“To repair the muscle damage that occurs after hard exercise, a good, well-timed nutritional support program emphasizing leucine-rich proteins is very important.” Sadly, for those that love a post-workout beer or Chardonnay, excessive alcohol (more than 4 drinks) can impair muscle recovery.

Owing to the observation that muscle recovery is ramped up during two different time periods, 18 and 48 hours after exercise, those runners attempting to optimize muscle recovery should aim to ensure that recovery foods include leucine rich foods (egg whites, chicken, tuna, turkey, dairy products).

Energy balance is critical. Higher protein intakes (2–2.5 g/kg/day) seem to be warranted during immobilization. This can be broken up into 4-6 small meals/day.

At the very least, care should be taken not to reduce the absolute amount of protein intake when energy intake is reduced.

Veteran runner Priscah Jeptoo will return to competition on Sunday when she competes at the Stramilano Half-marathon in Italy

The former world and Olympic silver medalist is the big name with a personal best time of 65:45 over the 21km distance and 2:20:14 in the full marathon. She has not competed on the big stage since 2016.

"I have not retired and have been training as hard as possible. I had injury challenges, but they are behind me for the time being and it will be a new start for me in Milan on Sunday," said Jeptoo in Nairobi.

Former world mountain running champion Lucy Wambui, the winner in 2015 with her still PB of 70:52, is back to try to regain her title, while another Kenyan, Ivyne Jeruto Lagat (71:51) will also figure highly. Beatrice Boccalini, who set a fast time of 73:36 in December, heads home team.

In the men's race steeplechaser Jairus Birech, who was fourth at the 2015 World Championships, will be making his half-marathon debut.

Birech, who has had it hard to contend with emerging competition in the water and hurdle race, will seek to carve his niche in the road race and will be joined by compatriot Fredrick Moranga, who won the race two years in 61:20.

"I still have hopes of making the Kenya team to the World Championships in the steeplechase. But I have to focus on the race ahead and I have no clue how I will perform. It is a new challenge, which I hope my body will take in its stride. But I expect a podium position," said Birech on Saturday.

Weldon Kirui will aim to become the first three-time winner at L.A. Marathon

It was a couple of months ago that Weldon Kirui struggled at a half-marathon in Houston, finishing well behind the lead pack. Disappointed, the Kenyan long-distance runner looked ahead to his next race.

“I know what I need to do for L.A.,” he told his agent.

If anyone understands the course and conditions in Los Angeles it would be Kirui, who will start this weekend’s L.A. Marathon looking to become the event’s first three-time winner.

After victories last year and in 2016, he has made himself right at home in Southern California.

“It’s a very fun course to race,” the 30-year-old said through an interpreter. “I know where the good parts are, where the harder parts are.”

Nearly 24,000 runners are expected to participate in this year’s edition of the marathon, which dates back more than three decades to the afterglow of the 1984 Summer Olympics.

At several points in its history, organizers have talked about rivaling the big boys in New York, Boston and Tokyo. But the elite marathon calendar is packed, and elbowing for higher status requires six-figure prize money, more than L.A. has been willing to offer.

This year, the winner’s purse will be $23,000 for first place in each division.

“I think L.A. has gone up and down,” said Robert Johnson, co-founder of LetsRun.com, an influential web site that covers elite running. “It’s definitely, at this stage, a minor-league race.”

The annual race draws massive crowds of runners who are attracted by a “stadium to the sea” course that begins at Dodger Stadium and weaves past various landmarks on the way to Santa Monica.

Though men’s winners have not consistently broken the benchmark of 2 hours, 10 minutes, the marathon has nonetheless drawn elite competition from around the world.

Juan Luis Barrios of Mexico and a number of Kirui’s countrymen, including Lawi Kiptui and John Korir, are expected to race on the men’s side this weekend.

Former Bridge Run director Julian Smith dies on Friday after fighting a rare brain cancer

The man who led and organized the annual Cooper River Bridge Run for more than two decades has lost his battle with cancer.

Julian Smith died Friday after fighting a rare brain cancer, Bridge Run officials confirmed.

“The Bridge run staff and board is deeply saddened by Julian’s passing," Cooper River Bridge Run Deputy Director Irv Batten said. “He has been such a tremendous leader, a beacon for the Charleston Community. He’s going to be deeply missed.”

This year’s Bridge Run will be held in Smith’s honor and that Smith will have the “best seat in the house” watching from above, Batten said.

This race this year is to honor him. So we’re going to do a good job. He’s going to be watching.”

“For more than 20 years, Julian was a leader, mentor and friend.”

 “Julian is a force of nature and his leadership will be missed by the entire Bridge Run family and community as he moves on to the next phase of his life and the inevitable challenges it will bring. It was unanimously agreed upon by the CRBR Board that Julian would be given the title of Race Director Emeritus. We wish Julian all the best and offer our eternal thanks for a career of unparalleled success pursued with uncommon wit, wisdom and grace.”

Paul Brestyanszky, 76, will attempt L.A. Marathon on crutches to avoid breaking his 33-year streak

Paul Brestyanszky is a Los Angeles Marathon legacy runner, which means he is one of 178 who have completed the race every year since it started in 1986.

So when the 76-year-old Huntington Beach resident fractured his knee in February, he worried he would have to break his 33-year streak.

Over the decades, his fellow legacy runners — whose ages range from 40s to 80s — have become like family to him. Every year, a group meets a few weeks after the marathon for what it calls a DAB (damage assessment brunch) to see how many people made it.

After his injury, Brestyanszky sent out a mass email with the tongue-in-cheek title “Breaking News,” asking the legacy runners for advice. One told him he had to do the marathon several times in leg braces. Another did it several years ago on crutches, even though it took him 11 hours.

Brestyanszky took away from the conversations that it was still possible.

So on Sunday, Brestyanszky, who didn’t run a marathon until he was 41, will try to complete his 34th L.A. Marathon on crutches, with a small group of fellow injured legacy runners by his side.

Brestyanszky’s doctor and his wife, Mila Cangelosi-Brestyanszky — who cheers him on annually with the sign she made in Year 19 — knew they couldn’t stop him. But they made him promise he will quit if his knee starts to throb.

“It is terrifying to me to think he’ll be on crutches for 26.2 miles,” Cangelosi-Brestyanszky said. “And everyone else also thinks he’s crazy.”

He once had a bad fall in the middle of a race. But the only time he’s considered not finishing was in 2011, when there were torrential rains and thousands of people were evaluated for hypothermia. When his wife greeted him at the end of the race with a beer, as she always does, his lips were blue and he joked about needing two shots of tequila, no ice.

As usual, he plans to pace himself, make sure he has a sip of water at each station and make a quick stop for Starbucks coffee around Mile 20 to help him avoid the “wall,” the point in a marathon where it goes from difficult to unbearable.

82-year-old Jim Mackert will be the oldest runner in the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon race, he has ran all 42 of them

Jim Mackert is no spring chicken. He's an 82-year-old marathon runner. The legacy runner has run 65. And, he's the oldest person running 26.2 miles in this year's Rite-Aid Cleveland Marathon.

Crossing that finish line in May means that Mackert is the only person to have competed in all 42 of Cleveland's marathons. 

"Determination. Desire. I enjoy it, I enjoy the people that I see there," the father of six said.

Mackert is a master. Not just with running. He's mentally tough as nails, which has propelled him to push through injuries to qualify for the Boston Marathon three times.

"When I went in 2007, I was 70 years old and in training I pulled a muscle doing my hill workouts," he explained. "But I said I was going no matter how my leg felt."

And, he did.

These days, Mackert racks up about 40 miles a week. He was, however, getting attention long ago, even appearing on Channel 3 back in 2000 with Jimmy Donovan when he was 63 and gearing up for his 23rd Cleveland Marathon.

Mackert has no plans to slow down. He says he's fueled by his family, while inspiring others on his path.

"I feel good doing it. And as long as I feel good doing it, I try to keep doing it," Mackert said.

Michael Wardian has finished his 10-day 631-mile journey smashing the Fastest Known Time on the Israel National Trail by several days

Ultra superstar Michael Wardian set a new Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the Israel National Trail, covering the 631-mile journey (south to north) in 10 days, 16 hours and 36 minutes (unofficially) March 22 in Israel. 

Event organizer Ian Corless wrote, “it’s difficult to put into words a 10-day journey of 631-miles. Especially when someone has run the whole distance. I have to say, mine was one of relief.

“Mike had done it. He had achieved his target of running the INT in 10-days and to be part of the journey is beyond rewarding. I witnessed intense highs and lows. So, to finally watch Mike touch ‘home’ and finally be able to stop, I had relief and immense satisfaction of a job well done. 

“I truly believe Mike, and maybe us all will need more than a few hours to comprehend the new record, for now though, Michael Wardian is the new record holder of the FKT for the Israel National Trail.“

Others have covered this many miles in 10 days but no one has covered this many miles in this amount of time on such a challenging course.  

Michael’s goal was to complete this journey in 10 days and he did it smashing the FKT by several days.  This may be a record that will never be broken.  

Ian shared this personal note:

"This record has been more than a running adventure. It has been an incredible journey that not only allowed us to cross from one end of a country to another, but it has opened our eyes to the beauty of Israel.

"It’s a diverse landscape all compressed into a very small area. The deserts of the south were truly mind-blowing, the best deserts I have witnessed. The green and stoney trails of the north provided a stunning contrast to the red of the south. And throughout this journey, the people of Israel have welcomed us, supported us and helped Mike in a way that none of us could have predicted.

"But the help has not only come from trekkers or runners, the story of Mike’s journey has spread throughout Israel and made multiple news channels and in doing so has created awareness. People have come out to offer best wishes and even offer a place to sleep or provide food.

This journey has stirred an awareness and challenged people to ask themselves, ‘What can I do to challenge myself?’

2016 Rio Olympics marathoner 39-year-old Suehiro Ishikawa will retire from competition at the end of March

Japan's 39-year-old Suehiro Ishikawa, 2016 Rio Olympics marathoner announced that he will retire from competition at the end of the month.

At the time of the Rio Olympics Ishikawa was 36 years and 11 months old, surpassing 1996 Atlanta Olympics marathoner Hiromi Taniguchi's record of 36 years and 3 months to become Japan's oldest-ever Olympic marathoner. He finished 36th.

"Since I started running high school it's been 24 years," said Ishikawa at the press conference. "I've been with Honda for 17 years, and I made it all the way to the top, the Olympics. I'm glad that I've kept going this long.

Ishikawa ran the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon on March 10 but dropped out after only 10 km. It will be his last race of his career.

"It was the first time in my career that I'd ever DNFd, and I thought, 'OK, this is where it ends,'" said Ishikawa. Shortly after the race he made the decision to retire.

Beginning in April he will become an assistant coach with the Honda team. 

Sophie Morgan is running this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon for her cousin Tony who died from cardiomyopathy

Sophie Morgan, 25, will be running for the Cardiomyopathy UK charity in April after her cousin’s heart suddenly stopped working 21 years ago.

“We lost my cousin 21 years ago to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic heart muscle disease," she said.  "He was in his 30s with young children so it was a huge shock for us all.

“When we later found out that his heart had just stopped, it was the first time we became aware that this hereditary disease ran in the family.

“A number of my family have since been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. I feel incredibly lucky that I’m able to run, while so many of my family members cannot because of this disease.

“I’m running the London Marathon for Cardiomyopathy UK because it’s played a huge part in helping my family through many diagnoses, so it’s a charity that’s close to my heart.”

Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart muscle. These diseases have many causes, signs and symptoms, and treatments.

In cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle becomes enlarged, thick, or rigid. In rare cases, the muscle tissue in the heart is replaced with scar tissue.

As cardiomyopathy worsens, the heart becomes weaker. It's less able to pump blood through the body and maintain a normal electrical rhythm. This can lead to heart failure or irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias. In turn, heart failure can cause fluid to build up in the lungs, ankles, feet, legs, or abdomen.

The weakening of the heart also can cause other complications, such as heart valve problems.

Cardiomyopathy can be acquired or inherited. "Acquired" means you aren't born with the disease, but you develop it due to another disease, condition, or factor. "Inherited" means your parents passed the gene for the disease on to you. Many times, the cause of cardiomyopathy isn't known.

Cardiomyopathy can affect people of all ages. However, people in certain age groups are more likely to have certain types of cardiomyopathy. This article focuses on cardiomyopathy in adults.

The Crescent City Fitness Foundation announced a goal of raising $1 million for local nonprofits at this year’s Crescent City Classic 10k

With the 41st run of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic just a little over six weeks away, officials with the Crescent City Fitness Foundation announced a goal of raising $1 million for local nonprofits.

“The New Orleans community never ceases to amaze us with their generosity when it comes to charitable giving and supporting those in need throughout the area,” said Crescent City Classic Charity Director Hilary Landry. “All we can hope is to continue to outdo ourselves year after year.”

The nonprofit partners recruit and organize teams of 100, 75, 50, or 25 runners and walkers who commit to raising a minimum of $200 for their charity by race day.

Official charity runners receive various perks and incentives as part of the “RUN FOR IT” program including private party tent access, starting position in the charity corral and personal online fundraising page.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic 10k road race, expected to attract almost 25,000 runners and walkers, for its 41st running, will be held Saturday, April 20. The 6.2 mile course begins outside the Mercedes Benz Superdome and runs through the historic French Quarter to City Park where the popular Michelob Ultra Post Race Fest is held. This year’s after party will feature the Phunky Monkeys playing in concert as festival-goers enjoy 227 kegs of draft beer and 43,000 servings of red beans and jambalaya.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has now said a decision in the case of Semenya will now be announced at the end of April

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has decided to put off a decision in the case of South African 800m runner Caster Semenya until the end of April, with no date specified.

The CAS had originally said its decision would be made public on March 26, six months before the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, which start on September 28.

The IAAF’s new rules on male hormone levels in female athletes were to take effect on November 1, 2019, but are suspended pending the CAS’s decision. No reason was given for the delay.

The case involves the IAAF’s new rules regarding levels of male hormones in female athletes born with differences of sexual development (DSD) competing at distances shorter than the mile.

If the CAS rules in favor of the IAAF, athletes like Semenya would either have to take medication to bring her natural hormone levels down, move up in distance, or compete against men.

Skechers Performance returns as title sponsor for the 2019 Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon

Skechers Performance returns as title sponsor for the 2019 Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 24. Throughout race weekend, Skechers will offer exclusive race-branded merchandise.

Los Angeles Marathon winner Weldon Kirui (2016 and 2918) returns to compete for a record-breaking third victory at the race.

“Now in our fourth year as title sponsor, we are proud to host more than 24,000 runners from across the United States and more than 60 countries, who will join us in bringing this monumental event to life,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “From first-time marathoners to seasoned runners and elite athletes to all the fans and supporters, we look forward to the camaraderie and enthusiasm that this race creates for Southern California. And we’ll be watching Skechers elite athlete Weldon Kirui when he runs Sunday to attempt a record third victory on this iconic course.”

Visitors to the Skechers Performance booth at the Health & Fitness EXPO in the Los Angeles Convention Center will have the opportunity to meet Weldon, as well as four-time Olympian Meb Keflezighi on Saturday, March 23 at 11AM. Meb will also be signing his new inspirational book, 26 Marathons: What I’ve Learned About Faith, Identity, Running, and Life From Each Marathon I’ve Run (Rodale Books), which will be available for purchase.

A collection of exclusive race-themed and inspired footwear and apparel will be offered at the EXPO. Influenced by the colors of LA’s top sports teams, the collection includes limited edition pairs of Skechers GO RUN Forza 3™ and Skechers GO RUN Ride 7™. Additionally, a new color of the Skechers GO RUN Razor 3 Hyper™ will debut and be available for purchase at the EXPO—this new training and racing style features an innovative Hyper Burst™ midsole and was recently named Editors’ Choice by Runner’s World. The collection is currently available on Skechers.com and at select Skechers retail stores in the Los Angeles area.

Many have expressed their concerns around removing the 5000m from the IAAF Diamond League including Eliud Kipchoge

Marathon world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge has a fairly quiet social media presence, rarely expressimg personal views and using it primarily as a tool to promote events he will be participating in or to thank fans and sponsors. 

But on Wednesday evening, Kipchoge tweeted about the IAAF’s recent decision to remove the 5,000m from the Diamond League.

The 5,000m has been crucial for my career and has helped me to become the athlete I am today. I believe in long term careers where track and field can result into a great marathon career.

“I hope future athletes will have the possibility to follow this exact same path in their careers.”

Many athletes, fans and coaches have expressed their concerns around removing the event from the Diamond League, which is the most competitive circuit in track and field.

Many are worried that the removal of the 5,000m from the Diamond League will take an event that has helped shaped some of the greatest runners of all time, and make it irrelevant. 

Marathon Musician Lee Perriera plans to run from Phoenix, Arizonia to Burbank, California, and hopes to raise $1 million for charity

Lee Perriera calls himself the marathon musician because he can do both: play music and run marathons.  Starting this Sunday he plans to run from Phoenix, Arizonia to Burbank, California.

"Last year, I ran the Rock N' Roll marathon and then I performed afterward," said Perriera. 

Perriera says he was inspired by his favorite talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to spread love and kindness. So he'll be running from Phoenix all the way to Ellen's studio in Burbank, Calif. in hopes to be featured on her show as well as to raise $1,000,000 in the process for four non-profits.

Perriera plans to split the $1,000,000 dollars four ways. He plans to donate to Ellen's WIldlife Fun, Driving Out Domestic Violence, the Arizona Healtcare Foundation, and the Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children. Each charity will get $250,000.

Lee plans to stream his whole run on Facebook.

"Every day for 16 days, we'll be live-streaming," Perriera said. "Each day will be a marathon until I get to Burbank, Calif."

Singer, songwriter, guitarrist Lee Perreira combines classic blues riffs with a soulfully textured vocal style leaving his audience instantly captured.

The music of Lee Perreira finds its life in the continuos and passionate pursuit of musical excellence, breathing that passion into the soul of his audience. Tracing his roots back to Long Beach, California Lee began playing guitar at the age of 12.

A regularly performing musician, he averages over 300 events per year throughout the U.S. Award winning artist Lee Perreira has opened for and sat in with blues Legend Buddy Guy, opened for James Bay at Mix 96.9s Sold out "Spring Thing" and also shared the night with amazing artists such as Foo Fighters, Gary Clark Jr, Train, The Fray, INXS, Journey, just to name a few.

His last album Whats That Gotta Do With My Dreams? is currently on rotation at the radio.

The concept of the tokyo 2020 olympic torch is to bring the Japanese people together

The Olympic torch incorporates several elements of Japanese culture, and reinforces Tokyo 2020’s Olympic Torch Relay concept: “Hope lights our way”.

The concept is designed to bring the Japanese people together around messages of support, acceptance and encouragement of one another, while also reflecting the Olympic flame’s ability to promote peace and hope to the world.

Not only do Japan’s famed cherry blossoms happen to bloom in March, coinciding with the start of the Olympic Torch Relay, but the shape of the torch also resembles a Japanese traditional “Sakuramon” cherry blossom emblem.

The body of the torch features five cylinders that represent petals of the beloved flower. Flames are generated from each “petal”, which are united in the centre of the torch, lighting the way with greater brilliance. A number of technological innovations are deployed in the combustion section that lights the torch, including catalytic reaction.

Further building on this spirit of innovation, the torch’s unique shape is made possible by utilising the same modern aluminium extrusion technology used in the manufacturing of Japan’s renowned bullet trains.

The construction of the torch also incorporates sustainability by using aluminium waste from temporary housing that was built in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake. While the materials were once used to help rebuild lives, they will now be used to spread a message of hope and recovery.

In keeping with its vision to celebrate unity in diversity, the torch was designed to ensure ease of use for everyone. It consists of a weight and shape that is simple to grip and features a position mark to help visually impaired torchbearers identify the front of the torch.

Members of the Manhattan Beach-based Skechers running team will take part in the Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday

Every Thursday evening, the South Bay Running Club starts its training runs at the downtown Manhattan Beach Skechers store. On Sunday, 120 of its members will join an estimated 24,000 other runners at Dodger Stadium to compete in the Los Angeles Marathon. South Bay Running Club’s sponsor Skechers is also the title sponsor of the Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon.

The races begin at 6:30 a.m. with the Wheelchair division followed by Handcycles (6:42 a.m.), the Elite Women (6:45 a.m.), and the Elite Men and the rest of the field at 6:55 a.m. The race finishes on the Santa Monica bluffs, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Skechers’ support of the South Bay Runners Club has helped the club grow to over 360 members in only four years. Members run for reasons ranging from raising awareness for Train 4 Autism (the official charity of the Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon), to running in memory of loved ones, to putting a modern spin on race prep through virtual training across the country.

“Most of our participants are runners but quite a few are run-walkers and race walkers,” Weisberg said. “Some will be running to get a personal record or qualify for the Boston Marathon. Some run to raise money for charity and others just want to check it off their bucket list.  

Secret service agent Garrett Fitzgerald fighting paralysis is training for the Boston Marathon

Three years ago a driver, high on heroin, crashed into secret service agent Garrett Fitzgerald’s work vehicle, paralyzing him below the neck.

Now he can walk with electrodes places over his muscles and is now training for this year's Boston Marathon with some help from his coworkers. They're called Team Fitz and they're raising money for the center that's trying to help him walk again.

It was Don McGrail’s idea to start Team Fitz two years ago.  

"It's really tough to see a colleague and a friend struggle as much as he's had to struggle. But it's been inspirational at the same time to watch his attitude the way he approaches things," said McGrail.

Now Fitzgerald spends much of his week at Journey Forward in Canton, a non-profit rehabilitation center that helps those paralyzed through an intense exercise-based program.

"This is an organization that takes people when they're at their worst and helps them improve. Helps them get to a place where they want to be. Get to a place that's healthier, that's stronger, that’s better," said Fitzgerald

Most of the people who come to Journey Forward were told they'd never walk again. For Dan Cummings, he's living proof they can. He broke his neck almost 20 years ago from diving into shallow water.

"They said I would be a dependent c-6 quadriplegic. I would spend my life in a wheel chair and I'd be lucky if i could ever feed myself," said Cummings.

Cummings started Journey Forward after spending four years rehabilitating at a clinic in Southern California. He now walks with the assistance of a walker.

"Why did I have to move 3,000 miles away not only to walk again, but a place to give me my life back," says Cummings.

Recovery for spinal chord injuries isn't measured in inches, but in millimeters. Cummings says that at least 15 people who were told they'd never walk again have taken their first steps at Journey Forward. 

Garrett's goal is to walk on his own again and return to the Boston field office.

Oh Joo-han, a Kenyan-born marathoner with South Korean citizenship, will be able to represent his adopted country at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics

According to Oh Chang-seok, a former men's national marathon coach who helped the Kenyan-born runner with his naturalization, the IAAF recently announced that the 30-year-old marathoner can be formally selected for the South Korean national team starting March 7.

Originally, the IAAF said that Oh Joo-han can run for South Korea starting in August 2021. But after reviewing his national team eligibility, the IAAF changed its decision.

"We first requested the IAAF to review Oh's national team eligibility in December 2018, but it told us to submit additional documents that can prove his residential history in South Korea," Oh Chang-seok said.

"So, we submitted notarized documents from Cheongyang County Governor and his lawyer, and we passed the status reexamination."Born Wilson Loyanae Erupe, Oh acquired his South Korean passport last September.

Under a new rule by the IAAF on transfers of allegiance, athletes must wait three years after switching allegiance before they can represent their adopted country.

Previously, athletes who hadn't represented their native country only had to wait one year to compete for their adopted country. But Chang-seok thought that Oh's case could be subject to review.

After Oh completed his naturalization process, with help of the Korea Association of Athletics Federations (KAAF), he requested the IAAF to reexamine the case."Oh has been affiliated with Cheonyang County (in South Chungcheong Province) since 2015 and he has only been competing in marathon events in South Korea," Chang-seok said.

With paperwork cleared, Oh will now aim to win bronze at Tokyo 2020 for South Korea.

"Oh will compete in an international marathon event in September and will try to pass the Tokyo Olympic qualifying standard time (of 2 hours, 11 minutes, 30 seconds)," Chang-seok said. "Oh's target is to stand on the podium at the Tokyo Olympics for South Korea in August 2020."

How The 2020 Olympic Qualifying Rules could Impact The Sprints, Field Events, and Walks in the United States

In case you haven’t been paying close attention, the IAAF has greatly increased the difficulty of the entry standards as they mainly want athletes to qualify via the newly-created world rankings. When the IAAF announced its new qualifying system on March 10,  “the process is designed to achieve about 50 percent of the target numbers for each event through Entry Standards and the remaining 50 percent through the IAAF World Ranking System,” but that is somewhat misleading as most of the athletes who qualify via the entry standard would also qualify via the world rankings.

The entry standards were mainly designed as an insurance policy for a superstar who might have been out with injury or pregnancy, as the IAAF explained in a press release in July, “Entry standards will be approved and published later this year, but will be set for the sole purpose of qualifying athletes with exceptional performances unable to qualify through the IAAF world rankings pathway.”

Despite that, for some unknown reason, USATF told us on Friday that they won’t pay any attention to the IAAF world rankings for Olympic Trials competitors if there are three people in an event who have hit the qualifying standard.

So even if the top three finishers in an event at the US Olympic Trials are all ranked in the top 32 in the world — the IAAF takes at least 32 people for every track and field event except for the multis (24) and 10,000 (27) — if they don’t have the standard, USATF has said they won’t be going to the Olympics if there are three other finishers at the Trials who have hit the qualifying mark.

If the 2020 rules had been in place for 2016, USATF wouldn’t have sent  Paul Chelimo — who finished third at the Trials in the 5,000 in 2016 and would have been ranked in the top 30 in the world had the world rankings existed — to the Olympics even though he went on to earn a silver medal as his PR at the time was slower than the 2020 standard.

All told, seven US mid-d or distance runners — all of whom were top three at the Trials and five of whom went on to make the final in their event in Rio — would not have made the team.

Some ultra runners have completed 631 miles or more within 10 days but have any done so on a trail as tough as the one Michael Wardian is running in Israel?

The Israel National Trail (INT) is an approximately 1015km / 631mi hiking trail that crosses Israel from its southern to northern border, traversing a wide range of landscapes, a rich variety of flora and fauna, and a diversity of cultures.

The trail stretches from Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba to the Dan Kibbutz near the Lebanese border, and was named by National Geographic as one of the 20 best "epic hiking trails" in the world.

We believe the most likely Fastest Known Time on the INT to be set at 15 days in 2013 by Australian Richard Bowles.

On March 12th, 2019, Michael Wardian began his attempt to complete the trail in 10 days.

Wardian is a prodigious American marathoner and ultra-marathoner with a lengthy list of podium finishes at distances from half marathon to 100 miles, with world records such as the fastest time for 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days, and the fastest 50k on a treadmill, and who has completed many of the worlds most challenging races. In September 2018 Wardian ran the 184.5 mile C&O Canal Towpath in an FKT of 36h36m, beating Park Barner's 1976 time by just 12 minutes!

Michael is eight days in and has covered 776k with 241k to go according to the website Fastest Known Time which tracks these types of events.  Photos by Ian Corless.

(Editors note: Michael is also part of the Run The World4 Challenge team and all his miles are being logged there.  He is currently in first place with 504.48 miles logged since March 1. His team Elite Men is currently in second place with 2159 miles. Team Kenya is leading with 2304 miles.  This event ends March 30. Five teams of 14 are logging in as many miles as possible within 30 days.)

Kami Semick won every Ultra race she entered in 2009 and now is making a comeback

A decade ago, at 42, Kami Semick reached the pinnacle of ultrarunning. She won every race she entered in 2009, including two world championship events in the 100k and 50k, and earned UltraRunning’s Ultrarunner of the Year title for the second year in a row.

But five years later, she called it quits and disappeared from the sport.

Her breaking point came at The North Face Endurance Championship 50-miler in San Francisco, a race she’d won in 2008. At that event in December 2014 where she finished 17th female, “It felt like I was dragging a load of bricks around,” says Semick, now 52 and living in Bend, Oregon. “The only reason I finished is because I promised myself this was the last time I was going to run 50 miles. I wasn’t coming back because I felt so horrible. I shook hands with my sponsor The North Face and said, ‘Nice knowing you, but I gotta stop.’”

Fast forward another five years to now, and suddenly, Semick’s name is popping up again. Eschewing attention-seeking social media posts, she quietly and cautiously began running longer distances again in 2017. She finished two 50-milers and a 100k in her home state last year, then won a 40-miler and 50k in California. Now she’s getting ready to line up at the hyper-competitive Lake Sonoma 50 in April, and the Lavaredo Ultra 120K in Italy in June.

While those newer to the sport might not even recognize Semick, those of us who began ultrarunning in the mid-2000s probably share my excitement at seeing her return. Personally, I’ll never forget The North Face ad campaign from 2006 that showed Semick trail running with her then-4-year-old daughter strapped onto her back. Semick’s muscly physique, fast times at races, and gutsy combination of running and parenting gave female ultrarunners a powerful role model.

I reached out to Semick to find out what happened, and what it’s like to return to the scene and get ready to race again after a long break after turning 50. She agreed to talk, but with some reluctance as part of her looked forward to showing up to Lake Sonoma without being recognized.

“If nobody knows I’m there at a starting line, I’m so happy about that, because then there’s no expectations,” she says. “I’m trying not to be attached to my history as a runner, and I don’t love the spotlight, but the reason I wanted to talk is because I’m curious about other women’s experiences. If I can share my story, then maybe we can join together as women in our 50s and say, ‘Yes, it’s hard.’ … I feel like we have to band together for support.”

American distance star Jordan Hasay is prepping for the Boston Marathon as she wins the Shamrock 15K run in Portland

With picture perfect weather 20,000 runners and walkers turned the City of Roses green as they celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at Shamrock Run Portland, Oregon’s largest running event, and one of the largest races of its kind on the West Coast.

American distance running star and Portland local Jordan Hasay won the women’s 15k in 51:34. Hasay, who is prepping for the April 15 Boston Marathon, is healthy again after withdrawing from her last two marathons due to injury.

“It was nice to have a little fun out there today,” said Hasay, the second fastest female marathoner in U.S. history. “I felt great and it was a nice hard effort. The 15k course has a few hills that were a perfect simulation for Boston and it’s always a huge honor to break the tape in your hometown race.”

Not to be overshadowed in the 15k, Scottish Olympian Andrew Lemoncello won the men’s race (48:28) for his second victory of the day, having out kicked Tate Schienbein in a sprint finish in the 5k just an hour earlier. Schienbein prevailed in the men’s 8k, clocking 24:15 for the 4.97-mile distance.

“I wouldn’t normally do two races in one day, so this was a great opportunity,” said Lemoncello, who recently moved to Portland. “The thing with Oregon you usually get to make excuses about races because of the conditions, but there are absolutely no excuses today, it was the most perfect weather you could have. It was a fantastic day.”

Canadian Olympian Malindi Elmore was the women’s winner in the 8k. Second place went to Lindsey Scherf (27:51) and Portland’s Tara Welling, a two-time event champion and co-founder of RunDoyen Coaching, finished in third (27:57).

“It’s a whole new perspective after having a baby, out there having the time to myself and I probably got a little carried away and ran harder than I expected,” said Welling, a two-time National Champion running her first race since having a baby two months ago. “This race is awesome just being in Portland we have a lot of good women and men runners and I knew it was going to be a tough field, but it was a lot of fun to be out here again.”

In the half-marathon event, husband-and-wife duo Jesse Thomas and Lauren Fleshman emerged victorious in their races. Thomas, a professional Triathlete, broke away from a large pack to win with a time of 1:08:06. Fleshman, a two-time U.S. 5,000m champion, was the first woman to cross the finish line in 1:21:44.

“I had no idea what to expect as this was the first “running only” race I’ve done in 8 years,” said Thomas, who is training for the Eugene Marathon in April. “We had an awesome pack for the first six miles and I just tried to tuck in with the guys. For Portland, Oregon in the middle of March the weather was unbelievable and I really liked the course, with the out and back by all the spectators and then sharing the road with the 15k runners cheering for you. It was great and you’re always happy when you have a good day.”

Renowned ultramarathoner and bestselling author, Dean Karnazes, is set to run the inaugural MCM50K on October 27

Renowned ultramarathoner and bestselling author, Dean Karnazes, is set to run the inaugural (Marine Corps Marathon) MCM50K on Oct. 27 in Arlington, VA. Karnazes, named by TIME magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World,” will also be the featured speaker at the MCM Carbo Dining In on Oct. 26, as part of MCM Weekend.

The MCM50K sold out in one hour and is set to be the largest ultra in the United States with nearly double the participants of the 2018 record. Karnazes will add running with the Marines to his impressive resume that includes running 50 marathons in all 50 states in 50 consecutive days; competing on all seven continents; winning the ESPN ESPY Award for Best Outdoor Athlete; and being a three-time winner of Competitor magazine’s Endurance Athlete of the Year.

The NY Times bestselling author has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits, such as running across the Sahara Desert and the South Pole; 350 continuous miles without sleep for three nights; and as a solo participant in ten different 200-mile relay races.

“I am thrilled and honored to be part of the inaugural MCM ultramarathon. Going beyond the marathon is the ultimate test of human endurance and I look forward to the challenge,” shares Karnazes.

Belay Tilahun of Ethiopia and Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya won their New York City racing debuts in the open division

Tilahun, a 24-year-old member of West Side Runners, recorded his surprise victory in a time of 1:02:10 with an exciting kick through the final two miles. 

“I was feeling quite cold at the beginning, but as I was warming up, I began to feel better. After about 15 kilometers, I was confident that I could win. So I used the finishing kick that I had to win,” Tilahun said. 

Eritrea’s Daniel Mesfun finished second in 1:02:16 after leading for the majority of the race, while U.S. Olympic silver medalist Paul Chelimo took third in 1:02:19 in his half-marathon debut. 

A record eight American men finished in the top 10 in the open division, as Chelimo was followed by Jared Ward, Noah Droddy, Brogan Austin, Tim Ritchie, John Raneri, Parker Stinson, and Ben True, respectively.

 In the women’s open division, Jepkosgei, the half marathon world record-holder, won her first-ever race in the United States on a solo run to the finish in a time of 1:10:07. The world championship silver medalist in the distance became the sixth woman from Kenya to win the event, and the first to do so since 2014. “This season I am preparing to debut in the marathon, and this was a great half marathon to see how my body feels,” Jepkosgei said.

Fellow Kenyan Mary Ngugi came through the finish line one minute later in 1:11:07 to take second place, 15-hundredths of a second ahead of last year’s champion, Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba.

Emma Bates, the 2018 USATF Marathon champion, was the top American in the women’s open division, taking fourth place in 1:11:13. She was followed by 2018 Boston Marathon winner Des Linden in fifth place in 1:11:22.

New course record set at the 8th Annual Athens Half Marathon

Greek Panagiotis Karaiskos won the 8th Athens Half Marathon on Sunday, setting a new record time for the course in the center of the Greek capital, the Hellenic Track and Field Federation (SEGAS) announced.

Karaiskos crossed the finish line in front of the Greek parliament in one hour eight minutes and four seconds, improving the event's best time which Constantinos Gkelaouzos had achieved last year.

"I really wanted the first place. I faced some problems with my stomach during the race, but I perform well in warm weather under high temperatures," the athlete who had finished ninth in the Athens Marathon last November said, according to a SEGAS press release.

The thermometer in Athens showed 22 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

Greek runner Stefania Leontiadou was the first in the women's category, finishing in 1:20:43.

"It was a good experience. It was a test for me, because I plan to run at the Rotterdam Marathon race in three weeks. It was hot, but I did well," she said.

The center of the Athens was flooded on Sunday with thousands of runners of all ages participating in the Half Marathon as well as shorter courses in the largest sports event of the spring here.

Some 22,000 professional and amateur runners participated this year, according to organizers of SEGAS and the City of Athens.

The annual sports event aims to promote a healthier lifestyle and an image of Athens which will attract more foreign visitors throughout the year.

Did you know? Bone Broth Soup is packed with muscle boosting minerals and sodium for post-race recovery

There were stories about coconut oil and butter making a comeback. Now it’s soup. Long touted as a tool to help fight illness and inflammation, bone broth—a basic soup made with animal bones, among other ingredients—is trending among the smoothie-drinking, health-conscious crowd as a restorative miracle potion. But endurance athletes have been sipping stock for centuries. 

“Homemade bone broth is an excellent source of minerals, like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium, in forms that your body can easily absorb. It’s also rich in amino acids, collagen and anti-inflammatory compounds, like chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine,” says sports nutritionist Melissa Hartwig. 

“These nutrients improve digestion, aid in muscle repair and growth, reduce joint pain, promote a balanced nervous system, and strengthen the immune system.”

Granted, some nutritionists argue that many of the health claims surrounding bone broth aren’t backed by research, such as stock having anti-inflammatory properties or helping with GI issues; however, one undeniable benefit is the presence of extra minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, which are important for bone health and muscle function, and are not naturally bountiful in the dairy-free Paleo diet, says Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Center for Sports Medicine.

Another nutritional bonus is its high sodium content—good for athletes training for or participating in a long-distance race. 

“There’s a reason broth is served at aid stations during the run portion of an Ironman triathlon,” says sports dietitian Lauren Antonucci. “Toward the end of a race, you’ve lost a lot of salt from sweat and need to replace it in order to prevent muscle cramping and dizziness, but keeping up with your sodium intake is hard, especially because you’re sick of consuming so many sweet, sugary things, like gels and sports drinks. Sipping some broth at that point could play a role in maintaining your fluid balance,” Antonucci says, because sodium helps the body retain fluid. 

One study found that athletes prefer savory over sweet tasting foods later on in an ultra-endurance running event, making broth a no-brainer choice for tired competitors. It doesn’t matter if it’s warm or cold, organic, veggie, chicken or beef—so long as it contains plenty of sodium, it will help you, Antonucci says.

Just remember that a little goes a long way: One four-ounce serving provides at least 200mg of sodium, on average, which is more than three times the amount in a packet of regular Gu. “Consuming just a sip or so at a time [every hour or so] is sufficient,” says Antonucci. “If you know you’re a salty sweater, you could take in a bit more, but in general, broth is something that you won’t need unless you’re going to be active for multiple hours at a time.” 

And don’t forget to accompany it with additional fluids, foods, and electrolyte replacements, like sports drinks, water and gels, chews, or bars when you’re racing, says Bonci. “If broth was your only source of fuel during a prolonged activity, you wouldn’t be consuming adequate amounts of carbs or calories.” 

Endurance athletes looking for broth’s sodium kick can buy boxed veggie, chicken, and beef stock at any grocery store, though some broth pundits would argue that the boxed stuff doesn’t impart the same health benefits as homemade stock. You can order homemade bone broth online or make your own with Hartwig’s easy recipe: system.”

The Ultimate Bone Broth Recipe for Athletes Ingredients: 4 quarts water, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 large onions, unpeeled and coarsely chopped, 2 carrots, scrubbed and coarsely chopped, 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped, 1 bunch fresh parsley, 2-3 garlic cloves, lightly smashed, 2-4 lbs. meat or poultry bones

Place all ingredients in a large pot on medium-high heat, or in a large slow cooker set on high. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 to 24 hours. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl and discard the waste. Let it cool, and then place the bowl (uncovered) in the fridge for several hours, until the fat rises to the top and hardens. Scrape off the fat with a spoon, reheat your broth and serve. (You can also add leeks, pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, sage and/or ginger.)

Eliud Kipchoge donates one of his shoes he wore in Rio to help motivate more people to take up running

Reigning Olympic champion and world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya has donated one of the shoes in which he sped to victory in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games marathon.

The winning left shoe of the 2018 IAAF World Athlete of the Year will be one of the featured items in the “IAAF Heritage World Athletics Championships Exhibition”, a six-month display which will open in Doha on 18 April.

“I’m really pleased that my career will be permanently represented in the IAAF Heritage Collection,” said Eliud Kipchoge, who has also given a signed copy of the book detailing his world record run in Berlin.

“My running career has still far to go but I’m proud to donate one of my shoes from my Rio victory to be preserved for future generations of fans and publicly displayed. I hope it helps to motivate more people to take up the wonderful sport of running.”

The 400m2 exhibition will feature the world’s largest ever display of athletics artefacts and memorabilia, dating from 2nd Century B.C. to the present day.

In text, photographic and video displays, the exhibition succinctly tells the story of the sport’s 3000-year history.

Introductory displays cover athletics as it emerged from the ancient Olympic Games in 776 B.C. The story is carried through to the first modern Olympic Games of 1896, the foundation of the IAAF in 1912 and to creation of the IAAF World Championships in 1983.

Zab Mosenifar has now run 100 marathons and have logged in 135,200 miles in his lifetime

Zab Mosenifar has owned three cars in his lifetime—and he figures he only drove one for as many miles as his own two feet have run.

The 70-year-old Cedars-Sinai Medical Center physician competed in his 100th 26.2-mile race this month on Catalina Island, just off the coast of Southern California; the Weather Channel ranks it as the sixth-toughest marathon in the world. Mosenifar estimates his running total now equals traveling 5.6 times around the world, at about 135,200 miles. 

“I don’t remember a day I haven’t run in the last 50 years. I also don’t remember ever being sick in my adult life,” he said.

Mosenifar runs 50 miles a week, usually on his own in the mornings and with a group of men who train on Fridays. He’s run all big-city marathons in the U.S., plus some European races. He usually finishes in about 4 hours and 30 minutes. His unofficial time at Catalina was 5 hours and 32 minutes; he finished third in his age group.

But he’s not focusing on the number of races he’s run. 

“I’m more impressed that I’ve been able to run all of these years. It’s less about 100 marathons and more about the fact that I’m still healthy enough to run 50 miles per week and put so many miles on my body. That’s human nature—and to me, that’s much more impressive than running 5.6 times around the globe,” he said.

Sondre Nordstad Moen of Norway easily won the Gdynia Half Marathon

Sondre Nordstad Moen of Norway and Genet Gashie of Ethiopia turned in dominant victories at the Gdynia Half Marathon, an IAAF Bronze Label road race, on Sunday March 17. 

After running alone for much of the race, Moen  clocked 1:01:18 more than a minute clear of his closest competitor while Gashie took the women’s race in 1:12:05, 37 seconds ahead of compatriot Shegae Maeregu who clocked 1:12:42.

The race served as a test event for next year’s IAAF World Half Marathon Championships which will be hosted by this Baltic Sea coast city of 250,000 on March 29 ,2020. Runners competed on a new course whose finish is situated on the city’s main municipal beach, the same course that will be used for next year’s championships.

Despite the presence of some strong names -- most notably two-time winner Hilary Kimaiyo of Kenya -- the competition quickly evolved into a one-man show with Moen upping the pace when the pacemaker began to struggle after 7 kilometres. He reached the 10 kilometre mark in 29:14 but didn’t look back. Behind him, the only race that was developing was the battle waged for second between Ethiopian Shumet Akalnew and Pole Krystian Zalewski.

When Moen finished a long climb between kilometres 9 and 12, he still appeared fresh and ready to maintain that tempo. He was already more than a minute ahead at 15 km (44:00) and used the downhill section to further cushion his lead in the race’s waning stages. He clocked 58:13 at the 20 km checkpoint and sprinted along the seaside boulevards in Gdynia en route to his 1:01:18 race record, a solid peformance given the windy conditions.

“I had to run alone since the pacemaker struggled,” Moen said. “It was hard to keep the pace on the uphill section but the last six kilometres were very strong for me although the wind was not making it easy.

Surprisingly, Zalewski finished second clocking 1:02:36 in his half marathon debut. Akalnew completed the podium in 1:02:54. Kimaiyo finished a distant sevent in 1:05:28.

In the women’s race, Christine Oigo was looking to repeat her victory from last year. She initially formed part of the leading group of three, together with the Ethiopians Gashie and Maeregu, who covered the first five kilometres in 17:06.

But it was Gashie who then took command, passing ten kilometres in 34:11, four seconds ahead of Maeregu. She continued to pad her advantage to the finish line, her 1:12:04 run a race record as well.

Maeregu held on to finish second in 1:12:42. Poland’s Anna Gosk passed Oigo by the 15th kilometre and held on to claim the final podium spot, clocking 1:13.07.

Thomas Panek is the first blind runner to complete the half marathon with guide dogs

Thomas Panek and his running guide dogs Westley, Waffle and Gus will make history on Sunday in the 2019 New York City Half Marathon.

Panek, the president and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, will be the first blind runner to complete the half marathon with guide dogs.

His trio of Labrador Retrievers -- who will take turns pacing him along the 13.1 mile course -- will be the first four-legged athletes in the race.

"It's really a team," Panek said.

 Panek had no intention to give up the sport, even after losing his eyesight in his early 20s.

Thanks to volunteer human guides, he has since completed 20 marathons. Still, Panek missed the feeling of independence, which ultimately inspired him to start a formal training program for running guide dogs.

In 2015, Panek established the first-of-its-kind "Running Guides" program at Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a certified nonprofit school in Westchester County, New York that has trained guide dogs for the visually impaired for decades.

Twenty-four dogs have completed the program and another 12 are halfway to graduation. Once trained, Guiding Eyes matches each dog with an applicant and helps train the new team free of charge.

Thomas Panek finished the half on Sunday clocking 2:20:52.  

Kiplagat led four men under 2:07 at the Seoul Marathon

Kenyan Thomas Kiplagat Rono and Desi Jisa Mokonin of Bahrain took convincing victories at the Seoul Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday March 17.

Kiplagat led four men under the 2:07 mark, clocking 2:06:00 to win his third career marathon. The 32-year-old knocked nearly two minutes from his previous lifetime best of 2:07:52 set at the 2014 edition of the Joongang Marathon, Seoul's annual autumn marathon.

Elisha Kipchirchir was second in 2:06:12, a massive improvement on his previous best of 2:07:32, set when winning the Eindhoven Marathon last October.

Mike Kiptum Boit rounded out the podium sweep for Kenya, clocking 2:06:24 to beat Ethiopian Fikre Bekele who clocked 2:06:27, career bests for both.

In a quality race, Robert Kiplimo Kipkemboi crossed the line in 2:07:11 to round out the top five. 

Desi Mokonin who was seventh at the IAAF World Half Marathon Champpionships Valencia 2018, was even more dominant, winning by 25 seconds in 2:23:45, just six seconds shy of the personal best she set in Amsterdam last October. This was the first victory in four starts over the distance for the 21-year-old.

Hirut Tibebu, the winner here last year, was second this time around in 2:24:10.

Kenyan Celestine Chepchirchir was third in 2:24:49, a lifetime best for the 29-year-old. Zinash Mekonen of Ethiopia clocked 2:25:44 to round out the top four.

The men's course record of 2:05:13 was set by Kenyan Wilson Loyanae Erupe in 2016. Zhou Chunxia women's course record of 2:19:51 has stood since 2006.

Geoffrey Kamworor says he isn't quitting track anytime soon despite his success on the road

Two-time world cross country champion Geoffrey Kamworor has revealed he is not going to quit track anytime soon despite his success on the roads.

Speaking at the Kigari Teachers Training College, where Team Kenya to the World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark is in residential training, Kamworor said he is still keen to be part of Team Kenya to August’s World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

However, the three-time World Half Marathon Champion could not reveal his distance of choice, between 5,000m and 10,000m, ahead of the global championships.

“I have not decided which race to run, but yes, it’s a priority once we are done with the World Cross Country,” said the 2:06 marathon man.

He remains determined to score a hat-trick of titles in Aarhus with his fifth-place finish at the national trials not a concern for him. He won the World Cross title in Guiyang, China in 2015, defended it in Kampala two years ago and he still keeps his push of emulating cross greats like Paul Tergat and John Ngugi, who won it five times each.

“I’m not worried about what happened at the national trials. Of importance is that I was selected in the team and I am confident I will retain my title,” he added.

Kamworor, who is captaining the side, expressed optimism that the team selected was the best he has been part of. “This is my fourth time at the world cross and if you look around, we have a good team, the best we have had so far. Remember, I have been with the team since my junior days,” he said. Kamworor said he is relishing the challenge of facing perennial rivals Ethiopia, Uganda and US runners at the event.

“This year will be tough. We have competition from our Kenyan brothers competing for America while Ethiopia and Uganda have come up very well lately,” he remarked.

He thanked Athletics Kenya for continued support in the availing kit and training allowances on time, saying: “We don’t have any complaints. We have been taken care of and we are grateful.”

Joyciline Jepkosgei and Edna Kiplagat showdown at New York City Half Marathon

Former two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat and world half marathon record-holder Joyciline Jepkosgei will be among a horde of Kenyan stars who will take part in the New York Half Marathon on Sunday.

Majority of the athletes are using the race as part of their preparations for upcoming major races.

Jepkosgei will be debuting in the full marathon in Hamburg in April and she is using the race to gauge her preparedness as she seeks to swim in the deep end of the 42km race.

“I’m really prepared for the race in April but I’m using the half marathon to test my capability so far. Training in Iten has always given me good results,” said Jepkosgei.

“Competition will always be tight but I have the experience in the 21km. I will be doing my best to win the race as I finalise my training ahead of my debut,” Jepkosgei told Nation Sport.

Jepkosgei was the first woman to run under 30 minutes in 10km when she clocked 29:43 in the Prague Grand Prix in 2017.

She holds the half marathon record of 64:51 from 2017 Valencia Half Marathon.

Kiplagat, who is eyeing victory in Boston Marathon, said that she has finalised her training.

"The New York race is just part of training for me and I will be participating as part of my recovery program. I will be happy with any outcome in the race as I set my sights on the big race in April,” said Kiplagat.

Kiplagat told Nation Sport that her ultimate goal is to represent Kenya once again in the World Championships where she will be chasing a third title.

Norway's Sondre Nordstad Moen headlines the Gdynia Half Marathon this weekend

After setting a European record of 2:05:48 in the Fukuoka Marathon in December 2017, Moen missed the majority of the 2018 campaign due to a combination of illness and injury but the 28-year-old is working his way back to form and fitness. 

Moen returned to competition with a second-place finish in the 5km Herculis in 13:37 and next on the agenda is the Gdynia Half Marathon on Sunday, a five-star certified road race by European Athletics Running for All.

“I am just happy to have made it back from my injuries - especially the tendon tear in the groin - and be in condition to run a honest half marathon again considering that I have only three months of running since my DNF at the European Championships last year,” said Moen, who stepped off the road just after the halfway point in Berlin last August.

“My training is not yet at the highest level, but my race in Monaco over 5km showed that I am on the right direction. On Sunday I expect strong competition and a fast race from the start,” he said. 

Moen ran his half marathon lifetime best of 59:48 in Valencia in the build-up to the Fukuoka Marathon - a time which makes him the fourth fastest European of all-time. Moen isn’t quite in the shape to break the one hour-mark at this early juncture of his comeback but he is aiming for a time around the 62 minute-mark.

“If the weather conditions cooperate on race day, I would be happy to run my second fastest time ever,” said Moen, whose second fastest time stands at 62:19. 

The Malta Marathon was cancelled due to extreme weather and no refunds were offered to the 4500 runners

The Malta Marathon was called off last weekend by race organisers after the country was hit by one of the worst storms in recent years, with gale-force winds causing severe damage in various localities.

A total of 4,500 runners were expected to be at the starting line at the Mdina Gate on Sunday morning but the organizing committee decided to cancel the event on Saturday night after a meeting with the safety officers.

Joe Micallef, the chairman of the race committee, said nobody could question the decision to call off the race as the safety of the participants and the persons involved in the organization of the marathon were paramount.

“I think everyone will agree with our decision to call off the marathon,” Micallef told the Times of Malta.

“We waited until the last minute in hope that the weather predictions would improve but they didn’t. Obviously, there is great disappointment as preparations had been ongoing for the last 12 months. You can’t imagine how much logistical work is involved to organise the Malta Marathon. But it was just not to be.”

The decision to cancel rather than postpone the 2019 Malta Marathon took many by surprise but Micallef said that it’s almost impossible to hold the race on another date due to a packed racing schedule.

“It’s an impossible task to move the Malta Marathon to another date,” Micallef said.

“First of all, when we set the date of the race we have the police, wardens, security personnel, volunteers and scouts all booked and it’s very difficult to have all this entities available together on another date.

“Besides, to organise a marathon we need the permit from the Malta Amateur Athletics Association (MAAA). There is an agreement in place that says that the MAAA cannot issue a permit to stage a race on a weekend when there is already another running event scheduled.

“The running calendar is jam-packed with races and it’s almost an impossible task to find an alternative date.”

Micallef said that the Malta Marathon Organising Committee (MMOC) will not be refunding the athletes who were planning to take part in Sunday’s race but are considering to offer a discount for the 2020 edition. “The Malta Marathon Organising Committee has no plans to refund the 2019 entrants,” Micallef said.

“It’s clearly written in our regulations that participants will not get their €35 ($50US) registration fee back if they don’t turn up on race day or the marathon is not held. Every participant agrees to these conditions when they register for the race.

“Unfortunately not many people really know how much it costs the organising committee financially to hold the race. We spent a lot of money to circulate fliers and banner around Malta to promote the race. We paid adverts in local newspaper to give the necessary information on our race.

“Added to that we have other expenses such as the bags that we give each participant to put their clothes for the race, the Facebook photo system, which cost us 10,000 euro so we have many expenses to cover.

“But having said that we are still considering to offer a discount to this year’s athletes who will be applying for next year’s race.

“We’re not obliged to do that but we’ll think about it.”

Micallef said that despite the cancellation of the event they will still be making the donation to the official charity of the race – Inspire.

“The MMOC has already decided that the money promised to our charity Inspire will be given to the organisation as promised,” Micallef said. “It’s a commitment that we want to keep.”

Abadi Hadis took the win in The Bahrain Half-Marathon Two seconds cost the second place runner $75,000

The Bahrain Night Half saw some very fast results as runners chased one of the biggest prize purses in road racing. The top four men were only separated by seven seconds and with $100,000 USD on the line, that’s a painful margin to lose by. Abadi Hadis took the win in 59:42, he was followed by Jemal Yimer in 59:45, Bernard Ngeno was third in 59:47 and Fikadu Haftu was forth in 59:49. 

In the women’s race, Brigid Kosgei, who’s the 2018 Chicago champion, took the win in 1:05:28 which is under 40 seconds off of the women’s world record set in 2017 by Joyciline Jepkosgei. Second place went to Ruth Chepngetich in 1:06:09 and third place went to Netsanet Gudeta in 1:06:49. 

After the huge first place prize, the money drops off by 75 per cent. Second place gets $25,000 and third place gets $15,000, and then there’s another drop after the podium finishes with fourth only taking home $10,000 USD. The elite fields were so tight that in the men’s race, seven seconds was the difference between $100,000 and $10,000.

Two-time champion and Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson plans to run the Boston Marathon again at age 61

The Boston Athletic Association says the two-time champion and Olympic gold medalist will be in the field on April 15.

Benoit Samuelson was a 21-year-old Bowdoin College student in 1979 when she set an American marathon record and a women’s course record. She finished in 2 hours, 35 minutes, 15 seconds, wearing a Red Sox cap.

She returned in 1983 to set a world best of 2:22:43. She won the first Olympic women’s marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Benoit Samuelson says her goal next month is to run within 40 minutes of the time she clocked in her Boston debut 40 years ago. She last ran the Boston Marathon in 2015.

Kenyan runners win at the Jerusalem Marathon today

Kenya's Ronald Kurgat won Israel's 9th Jerusalem Marathon on Friday at two hours, eighteen minutes and forty seven seconds (2:18:47), ahead of his compatriots Kipkogey Shadrack, who clocked 2:19:07, and Jonathan Chesoo (2:22:07).

Kenya also won the top three places in the women's race, as the winner was Nancy Chepngetich Kimayo at 2:44:50, ahead of Mercy Jelimo Too at 2:54:00 and Naomi Jepngetich in 2:58:00.

The Jerusalem Marathon has been held annually since 2011, the race also includes half marathon, 10km and 5km runs, as well as 1.7km family run.

The strongest fields ever assembled for the New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon will be gunning for race records

On the men's side, four entrants with sub-2:10 credentials will be on the start line targeting the 2:13:05 standard set by Kenyan Josphat Too in 2013.

Among the favourites is Kenyan Mike Mutai, the winner of the 2016 Hong Kong Marathon who also boasts podium finishes from marathons in Singapore, Hangzhou and Hefei. Mutai, 36, clocked his 2:09:18 lifetime best in Dubai in 2012.

Another contender is Ethiopian Abraham Girma whose 2:06:48 personal best set in 2012 makes him the fastest in the field. More recently, he clocked 2:12:46 in Porto last November, finishing fifth.

A third contender is Philip Kangogo of Kenya, who set his 2:08:16 lifetime best when winning the 2015 Barcelona Marathon in his debut over the distance.

Mathew Kipsaat, who clocked 2:09:19 at the 2017 Rome Marathon, is also in the field. 

Similarly in the women's race, five women with sub-2:30 credentials have been recruited to set their sites on Kim Jong-hyang's 2:34:53 race record set in 2014.

He Yinli (marathon world ranking: 164) of China is the fastest in the field with a personal best of 2:27:35 set at the 2015 Chongqing Marathon where she's finished on the podium twice. She clocked 2:31:14 at the Osaka Women's Marathon in January, her most recent race.

Kenyan Nancy Koech (marathon world ranking: 318) is another contender. She arrives armed with a 2:29:30 career best set at the 2017 Daegu Marathon, with wins at the Malaga, Copenhagen and Munster marathons to her credit.

Another Kenyan, Sylvia Medugu (marathon world ranking: 201), has a 2:29:09 personal best, set at the 2017 Frankfurt Marathon. 

Some of the best elite runners from around the world, are set to compete today in the inaugural Bahrain Night Half-Marathon offering $100,000 to the winner

The prestigious race is being held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad and organised by BAA in cooperation with International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, BOC, Asian Athletics Association and Tumooh Sports Management.

The event features separate categories for men and women over 21.1kms while there are also six-km events for those who want to run for fun and be a part of the biggest half-marathon in the region.

The participants include some of the biggest names in international long-distance running, such as world record holder in half-marathon Abraham Kiptum of Kenya.

Kiptum was upbeat yesterday heading into tonight’s event despite it being his first night race. Just last September he set his world record of 58 minutes 18 seconds in Valencia, Spain, and is confident he can maintain his fine form in Bahrain.

“Let’s hope we can be as strong as we can be,” Kiptum said. “Although it is my first night race, if the weather is good, the pace is good and if we can be strong, then we shall have a good time.

“I always train in the mornings so it is a little new to me, but I’ll do my best.”

Among the men’s elite runners who are expected to challenge Kiptum are Ethiopian Jemal Yimer Mekonnen and Bahraini Hassan Shani.

Among the women, reigning world champion and world record holder of a women-only race Netsanet Gudeta Kebede of Ethiopia is one of the pre-race favorites as is reigning women’s full marathon world champion Rose Chelimo of Bahrain.

Rose’s fellow-Bahraini Eunice Chumba, who is a bronze-medallist at last year’s World Half-Marathon Championships, will also be competing along with Ethiopian Senbere Teferi, who is a former gold-medallist in the World Cross Country Championships and a former silver medallist in the 5,000m.

Mekonnen, Shani, Netsanet, Eunice and Senebre were present with Nasser and Kiptum at yesterday’s press conference along with BAA technical director Taher Righi and renowned Ethiopian coach Haji Adilo.

“It is very important for us to do well in this race, especially since we are representing Bahrain. We will try our best to get a good time and also win,” said Eunice.

The men and women winners receive a prize money of $100,000 each. All runners finishing in the top ten in both categories will also win cash prizes totaling over $350,000 plus possible bonus money. 

There are bonuses of $30,000 for new world records.

Kenyans Erick Kiptanui and Vivian Cheruyiot lead strong field's for the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon this weekend

The EDP Lisbon Half Marathon field includes 21 male runners with personal bests of under 1:01 and ten in the women's field who have dipped under 1:10.

Erick Kiptanui made his debut over the distance in this race last year, winning in 1:00:05, and went on to improve to 58:42 in Berlin one month later. Two other sub-59:00 runners are in the field: 2013 winner Bernard Kiprop Koech, who has clocked 58:41, and Solomon Kirwa Yego, who set his 58:44 best in the 2016 Rome-Ostia Half Marathon.

But there are more athletes in this race who can produce some surprises. Ethiopia comes armed with Mosinet Geremew, winner of the 2018 Dubai Half Marathon with a 59:11 lifetime best from 2014, and Betesfa Getahun, who has a 1:00:26 personal best. He was third in the Barcelona Half Marathon last month.

Behind Kiptanui, the solid Kenyan contingent includes Micah Kogo, the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist over 10,000m who's clocked 59:07; Simon Cheprot who has a 59:20 lifetime best; Edwin Kiprop Kiptoo, who has a 59:26 best; Nicholas Kosimbei, who clocked 1:00:21 at this race last year; late addition Edwin Soi, the 2008 Olympic 5000m bronze medallist, who improved to 1:00:24 in Granollers, Spain, this year; and Japhet Korir,  who has run 1:00:08.

Others to watch include Callum Hawkins of Great Britain, who'll be looking to improve on his 1:00:00 personal best and Abrar Osman of Eritrea, who's clocked 1:00:19.

In the women's field, Vivian Cheruyiot, the 2016 Olympic 5000m champion, is the undisputed star of the field. The 35-year-old, who also won three world titles on the track and the 2017 London Marathon, was second in this race last year clocking 1:09:44. She clocked 1:07:43 at last year's Great North Run, also finishing second.

She'll face a formidable field however, led by Ethiopia's Gelete Burka, who has a solid 1:06:11 lifetime best set last year.

Vegan endurance athlete Robbie Balenger is set to run more than 3,000 miles across the United States

In partnership with dairy-free ice cream brand NadaMoo, Balenger is hoping his challenge will show the world that even ultramarathon runners do not need to eat animals to excel in their field.

In a post on Instagram, the plant-powered athlete wrote, “On Saturday (March 16th) at 7:30 AM, I will put my feet to the pavement and start to run across the country.”

He believes the run will last for 75 days, covering the 3,200 miles from Los Angeles to New York City. “Not only do I plan to survive running an average of 43 miles a day on a 100% plant-based diet, but I hope to show you how I will thrive,” he continued.

Balenger hasn’t always been an athlete; he used to operate restaurants across Austin, Texas. He needed a way of managing the stressful nature of his career path so six years ago, he began running, according to Lifelong Endurance, an endurance coaching website. He now works as an endurance athlete, coaching others in the field.

“By following my passions and dreams, I believe I can make an impact on those around me,” Balenger notes on the website. “My passions are innate and simple: food and running.”

He will use his 3,200-mile challenge to communicate his feelings about dietary choices, according to NadaMoo. The brand notes on its website that as Balenger makes his way across the country, students and members of the community “will be invited to engage in conversations about big goals and smart food choices.”

Balenger isn’t the only athlete showing that a plant-based diet can boost you to achieve major physical feats.

Last year, Mike Curtin, a 27-year-old vegan thru-hiker, hiked 118 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail. The journey — from Windigo Pass in Oregon to Big Lake Youth Camp in Willamette National Forest — took 38 hours and Curtin didn’t stop the whole way.

Past Olympic champion Uganda´s Stephen Kiprotich is set to run the Haspa Marathon Hamburg April 28

Stephen Kiprotich, the 2012 Olympic and 2013 world marathon champion, will return to the northern German port city for the third time, after finishing second in 2017 and fifth one year ago.

The 29-year-old, who is the national record holder at 2:06:33, clocked sub-2:08 performances in both of his Hamburg appearances.

Ezekiel Kemboi meanwhile, a two-time Olympic and four-time world champion in the 3000m steeplechase, will be making his eagerly-anticipated marathon debut.

The fastest runner in the field is Ayele Abshero, who clocked 2:04:23 in his marathon debut at the 2012 Dubai Marathon. The Ethiopian returns after finishing third last year.

World half marathon record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei, who will also be making her marathon debut, and two-time world marathon champion Abel Kirui were previously announced.

Abel Kirui, the world champion over the distance in 2009 and 2011, has already announced his intention of chasing the course record of 2:05:30, set by Eliud Kipchoge in his marathon debut in 2013. Compatriots Jonathan Korir and Amos Mitei, who have personal bests of 2:06:51 and 2:07:28 respectively, are expected to join the hunt.

Japan's Taku Fujimoto, who clocked his personal best of 2:07:57 in last year’s Chicago Marathon, will also be in the race.

Kenyan´s Stephen Kiprop will lead the men´s field at Prague Half Marathon

The field of 11,500 will include nine men with personal bests under one hour and two of the fastest women in history.

Stephen Kiprop, who won this year’s RAK Half Marathon in a world-leading 58:42, leads the men’s field. His challengers will include defending champion Bernard Kimeli, but any one of a dozen others could step up to the top of the podium.

Sondre Moen will return to Prague. The Norwegian is one of the top Europeans with a PB of 59:48. He set his 10km PB of 27:55 in Prague in 2017 and then three months later set a European marathon record of 2:05:48 in Fukuoka.

After dealing with injuries and health problems in 2018, he returned to action last month and set a national 5km record of 13:37 in Monaco.

The race will feature the second and sixth-fastest women in history, Kenya’s Fancy Chemutai and Caroline Kipkirui, who have respective PBs of 1:04:52 and 1:05:07.

Canadian 76-year-old Carol Lafayette-Boyd sets a new W75 200m world record

Carol Lafayette-Boyd, 76, of Regina, Sask. set a new world age-group record of 32.26s in the W75 200m at the 10th Canadian Masters Indoor Championships at Edmonton’s Butterdome last weekend.

Lafayette-Boyd also broke the championship meet record in the 60m and the triple jump.

The previous world record of 33.06s was set by Kathy Bergen of the US in 2015. Lafayette-Boyd held the previous Canadian record at 33.45s, set last year and the meet record of 33.54s.

More than 200 athletes took part in the meet, in which seven Canadian records and 52 meet records were broken.  

Carol won five gold medals, including the 100m and 200m, at the World Masters Championships in Malaga, Spain last summer, and set a Canadian record of 33.34s in the 200m.