Running News Daily

US Marine Pedro Rodríguez is set to run at Pikes Peak Ascent

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Pedro Rodriguez has logged a lot of miles on the Santa Fe Trail.

He runs about 10 miles a day, totaling 3,600 to 3,800 miles a year, and each step he takes has an important purpose.

“Being a Marine is phenomenal, but being a runner in the Marine team is even better,” he said.

Rodriguez has run several marathons for the All-Marine running team since joining in 2015.

The Marine Corps has an award for the top active-duty Marine in the Marine Corps marathon. Rodriguez has earned that award in 2015, 2017, and 2018, but personal accolades are a small reason as to why he runs.

“When we line up on the start line with our teammates, there aren’t words that can describe that feeling,” he said. “When you have like-minded people that can share the similar story of going through boot camp or officer candidate school, and you’re wearing the same uniform. It’s very difficult to describe, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Along with his team in the Marine Corps, Rodriguez has a team at home for whom he runs.

“I want to be an example to my daughters, Mila and Sophia,” Rodriguez said. “I want to show them that if you have a plan to execute, you can accomplish any goal, whether that’s sports-related, academic-related or even just a personal goal.”

This weekend, Rodriguez is stepping off the road and heading to the mountains to run in his third Pikes Peak Ascent. The half marathon has an almost 8,000-feet elevation gain.“I love the city of Colorado Springs,” Rodriguez said. “Anywhere I go in the city I can see the top of Pikes Peak and it reminds me, ‘Wow, one, I have to get ready to run this race and, two, I’ve run it before, I’m going to do it again.'”

Nikki Hiltz plans to race for the podium at Fifth Avenue Mile

Nikki Hiltz will compete against a stacked field that includes Olympic medalist Jenny Simpson at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile on Sept. 8.

Simpson will race for her record-extending eighth title in the event, which stretches 20 blocks down Manhattan’s most famous thoroughfare and is expected to draw nearly 8,000 runners across 24 heats. NBC will broadcast the professional races live at 9 a.m. PDT.

Hiltz, who recently won gold in the 1,500-meter race at the Pan American Games, has been America’s best road miler in 2019 with wins at the BAA Mile, adidas Boost Games Mile, and the USATF Road Mile Championships.

The race is expected to be her final tune-up before she competes in the 1,500 at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, alongside Simpson and Shelby Houlihan.

Allie Ostrander, a three-time NCAA champion in the steeplechase who also qualified for her first World Championships this fall, will line up for her first road race as a pro athlete. Elinor Purrier, who also qualified for her first World Championships this year, in the 5 kilometers, will look to contend as well. Canadian Olympian Jessica O’Connell and 2019 10k national champion, Genevieve Lalonde, as well as Great Britain’s Jessica Judd, will lead the international contingent.

“Fast times don’t really give me confidence, but performances do,” she said. “I just want to race people. The Fifth Avenue Mile is an awesome race—I’m going to really go for it and it’ll be a really good springboard. It’s really what I need to be confident going into worlds.”

Great Scottish Run becomes first major race introducing category for gender neutral athletes

Great Scottish Run bosses have introduced a category for gender neutral athletes.

A non-binary option has been added to male and female boxes on entry forms for this year’s race.

Officials faced criticism in 2018 for not opening up the event to non-binary competitors.

The move comes after governing body Scottish Athletics produced guidelines on the issue with help from campaigners.

But there won’t be separate prizes in the non-binary category as the event only gives awards to ‘elite athletes’ in the male and female sections.

A spokesman for Scotland’s biggest race said: “Great Run events have always welcomed anyone who wants to take part, without prejudice, and we’re happy to provide this entry option.”

Around 30,000 people are expected at the Glasgow event on September 28 and 29, with races ranging from a toddler dash to a half-marathon.

Highland Games organizers are also considering how to include a non-binary category.

Vic Valentine of the Scottish Trans Alliance said: “This a really positive step forward.”In June, we told how Scotland would become the first country in the UK to introduce a transgender option under changes to the census.

The Scottish Government will introduce new laws allowing individuals to define their trans status and sexual orientation.

The final template has still to be approved by MSPs, tut the new questions are set to be included in the 2021 census.

And a University in the US told staff not use terms like "straight" and "male" because they may be OFFENSIVE to students.

Colorado State University has written an "Inclusive Language Guide" stating the word "straight" - to describe heterosexuals - “implies that anyone LGBT is 'crooked' or not normal”.

Three stone pillars were placed Monday to memorialize Victims of Boston Marathon Bombing

Three stone pillars were placed Monday near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, marking the final step in a $2 million effort to memorialize the bombing that killed three people.

The understated monument of granite and bronze, which took four years to plan and develop, was supposed to be ready last year for the fifth anniversary of the April 15, 2013, attack, but underwent significant redesigns and other delays.

"We hope that this will help demarcate the sacredness of this spot and give people the opportunity to slow down when they're here," said Bolivian-born sculptor Pablo Eduardo as he put finishing touches on the monuments Monday.

Nichola Forrester, a Milton, Massachusetts, resident who completed the 2013 race long before the bombs detonated, was among those pausing to reflect on their lunch break.

"I said a prayer for them," she said after asking a bystander to take a photo of her beside one of the pillars. "I'm pretty sure these three victims had cheered for me when I was going through the finish line, so the least I could do was come out and show my support."

Patricia Campbell, the mother of bombing victim Krystle Campbell, said she was grateful her daughter hasn't been forgotten.

"I hope that this memorial will be a reminder to anyone out there who feels upset about their life and that they will stop and think".

The memorial — two distinct pieces separated by about a city block — marks the spots where two pressure cooker bombs detonated near the finish line, killing the three victims and wounding more than 260 others. The two pieces each feature granite pillars ringed by towering bronze and glass spires meant to bathe the sites in warm white light.

Cherry trees to bloom each April have also been planted at the sites, and two modest bronze bricks have been set in the sidewalk to honor the police officers killed in the bombing's aftermath, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Officer Sean Collier and Boston police Officer Dennis Simmonds.

The stone pillars, which range in height from about 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters), were gathered from places around Boston significant to the bombing victims.

One representing 8-year-old Boston resident Martin Richard was taken from Franklin Park in his family's Dorchester neighborhood. Another that is fused to it honors 23-year-old Boston University graduate student Lingzi Lu and was donated by her school.

Around the base of the two pillars is an inscription etched in bronze: "Let us climb, now, the road to hope."

And the third pillar for Campbell, a 29-year-old Medford, Massachusetts native, comes from Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor, where she'd worked. Its inscription reads: "All we have lost is brightly lost."

A record number of 17,500 runners will line up for the fourth edition of the Mumbai Half Marathon

17,500 runners will be lining up for the fourth edition of the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon, with Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar himself flagging off the country’s premier half marathon here this Sunday, 25th August.

This is a quantum jump of over 10% from last year’s participation, with runners from across the city registering for the half marathon, which will start from and conclude at BKC’s Jio Garden. Organised by NEB Sports, the half marathon has been certified by AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races), in association with AFI (Athletics Federation of India).

The gruelling and high-profile 21 km run will start at 5.15 am, followed by the Timed 10k Run at 6.10 am and the 5k Fun Run at 8.15 am.

“I am delighted to see the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon grow by leaps and bounds every year. There are inspiring stories I witness every year, of how running has helped transform individuals to become better versions of themselves. India is on the right path to transform from a sport-loving nation to a sport-playing nation, and events like these have a huge part to play in encouraging people to step out and #KeepMoving,” Sachin Tendulkar, Brand Ambassador, IDBI Federal Life Insurance said.

IDBI Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon has carved a special niche for itself, with members of the Armed Forces and the Police patronising it every year. This year, over 3,500 highly-trained runners from the men and women in uniform will be taking part. Out of the 17,500 runners, close to 4,500 are women, while 1,500 runners are participating through corporates, underlining the growing importance of running in India. Heart-warmingly, six special runners are also in the fray and each is determined to give the field a run for their money.

Among notable partnerships, IDBI Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon has tied up with a couple of NGOs – Apnalaya and Greensole. Apnalaya is a non-profit organisation that works with marginalized people in the highly under-served slums in Mumbai. Greensole, on the other hand, is inviting runners to donate their used shoes at the Marathon Expo. They will refurbish these shoes and share them with under-privileged runners. Additionally, 12 visually-impaired ‘Acupressure Therapists’ from Kanchan Kaya will provide relief to the runners post the race.

“As the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Mumbai Half Marathon grows in stature every year, we have attempted to bring in a new dimension this year by ensuring it is a green run. The aid stations will offer water and energy drinks in reusable cups rather than plastic bottles and we also encourage our runners to carry their own reusable water bottles,” Karthik Raman, Chief Marketing Officer, IDBI Federal Life Insurance, said. “Additionally we have tied up with Green Sole to provide refurbished and recycled shoes to deserving runners who cannot afford expensive footwear,” he added.

Nagaraj Adiga, Race Director said, “This is a perfect time for the half marathon and we have done our best to prepare the route and facilities to ensure that the runners will enjoy the race. We wish all the runners the very best during their final preparations and we are confident to see some good timings this year.”

Boston marathon champion Lawrence Cherono has confirmed he will compete in Chicago Marathon against Britain's Mo Farah

Speaking from his training base in Kaptagat, Kenya Lawrence Cherono says he is focused on making two wins in a year in major U.S. marathons. He bagged the Boston title in April against a spirited challenge from compatriots and Ethiopians rivals.

Now, the 31-year-old, has raised his ante in training as he seeks to be in peak condition before stepping out on the flat Chicago course.

"I feel strong and ready for the challenge in Chicago. The determination and drive to excel in major marathon races is there and of course it will help a lot in my dream to make the Kenya team to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 should I win in Chicago," said Cherono on Wednesday.

Making the Kenya team in marathon is not for the faint hearted and Cherono is choreographing his path to the games by picking up wins in major city marathons and road races.

His last outing this year was in Colombia last month where he finished second at a half marathon race in Bogota clocking an impressive 64.09 minutes.

This was barely two months after he had also ended up second at the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in San Diego California clocking 60:46 minutes. "I always put my best in training because when you go out of Kenya to trace, it is like going to war. Everyone targets to beat you and I want to be at my best when I head to Chicago because it will not be an easy walk through the park," he added.

Indeed, in Chicago, Cherono will face one of his biggest challengers when he comes up against Olympic champion Mo Farah. The Briton won the race in 2018 and confirmed that he is focused in defending his Chicago Marathon title on Oct. 13.

Though he has not ruled out the prospects of running at the World championships in the 10,000m race that will be on Oct. 6 in Doha, Qatar. "I am a reigning world champion, so I do get an automatic spot anyway," Farah said of the 10,000m, where he is a three-time reigning world champion.

Farah also said on Tuesday that he can wait until "the last minute" to change his mind and also enter the Doha 10,000m by the deadline which is on Sept. 16. In April, Farah finished what he called a disappointing fifth in the London Marathon in 2:05:39, three minutes behind winner and world record holder Eliud Kipchoge.

Farah said a satisfying result in Chicago would be a win above worrying about a specific time. The last man to repeat as Chicago champ was Kenyan Sammy Wanjiru in 2010. Now Mo faces the challenge from Cherono and America's Galen Rupp and Dathan Ritzenhein.

Jenny Simpson will race for her record-extending eighth title and Nick Willis will chase his record-breaking fifth men’s title at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile

The New Balance 5th Ave Mile stretches 20 blocks down Manhattan’s most famous thoroughfare and is expected to draw nearly 8,000 runners across 24 heats. It includes specialty heats for youth and seniors, with the professional athlete races rounding out the day. In partnership with New York Road Runners and USA Track & Field, NBC will broadcast the professional athlete races live on NBC at 12:30 p.m. ET.

“The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile is such an iconic road race that allows people of all ages and abilities to participate in the event on one of the most famous streets in New York City,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. “This year will be incredibly special, as we celebrate 20 years of NYRR’s free youth programs.”

In the professional women’s race, Jenny Simpson, who serves as an ambassador and special advisor to NYRR’s youth programs, owns the event-record time of 4:16.6 on Fifth Avenue, which she set when winning the race in 2017. She has earned three IAAF World Championships medals in the metric mile, beginning with a gold at the 2011 World Championships. She followed that with a silver in both 2013 and 2017. In 2016, she took bronze in the 1500 meters at the Rio Olympics, making her the first American woman in history to reach the podium in that event.

Simpson will be challenged in the professional women’s race by Nikki Hiltz, who just won gold over 1500 meters at the Pan American Games and has been America’s best road miler in 2019 with wins at the BAA Mile, Adidas Boost Games Mile, and the USATF Road Mile Championships. 

Allie Ostrander, a three-time NCAA champion in the steeplechase who qualified for her first World Championships this fall, will join them as she lines up for her first road race as a professional athlete. Elinor Purrier, who also qualified for her first World Championships this year, will look to contend as well. Canada’s 2019 national champion Genevieve Lalonde and Olympian Jessica O’Connell, and Great Britain’s Jessica Judd, will lead the international contingent.

Leading the professional men’s field will be nick Willis, a four-time New Balance 5th Avenue Mile champion and two-time Olympic medalist who finished second last year. Willis, who won the event in 2008, 2013, 2015, and 2017, is tied with Spain’s Isaac Viciosa for the most career victories in the men’s race.

Challenging him as he goes for a record-breaking fifth title will be Great Britain’s two-time New Balance 5th Avenue Mile runner-up Chris O’Hare and road 5K world record-holder Edward Cheserek, who is the most decorated athlete in NCAA history with 17 titles at the University of Oregon.

Also joining them at the start line will be Johnny Gregorek, who is fresh off a silver medal at the Pan American Games and the world’s fourth-fastest miler this year. 

A look back to the Kosice Peace Marathon 30 years ago

In 1989 the Košice Peace Marathon was held just a few weeks before the ‘Velvet Revolution’, which brought radical changes in what was then Czechoslovak society.

The race also had a radical change of its own. After 63 years the course was changed from simply going out-back to the turnaround point at Seňa to a loop almost entirely within the city. This, later modified and improved several times, remains the basis of the present course.

The 1989 event was only the ninth edition to incorporate a women’s race and the winner this time was home-grown Alena Peterková in a new course record of 2:31:28 – nearly nine minutes ahead of her North Korean competition. Her record lasted 20 years. Peterková later placed fourth at Boston in a personal best of 2:25:16.

Another home grown runner, Karel David, won the men’s race. In an even-paced run he beat his Soviet competition by 13 seconds. It was the 12th Czechoslovak victory in the men’s race, achieved by nine different runners.

At the time David ranked among the best marathoners in Europe. He started the Olympic Marathons in Seoul and Barcelona and won marathons in Vienna, Bonn and Palermo. In 1991 in Tokyo he ran a personal best of 2:11:12.

970 men and 31 women crossed the finish line that year which was again located at Lokomotive Stadium.

Scottish film director Kevin Macdonald is going to be making a documentary on Eliud Kipchoge's plans to break the two-hour barrier for 26.2 miles

Eliud Kipchoge is the marathon world record holder with a time of 2:01:39. In October in Vienna he will be attempting to run the first sub two hour time for 26.2 miles.  It won’t count as a world record, however since it is being run as a time trial but still the feat would be off the charts.  

Kevin Macdonald is expected to land in Kenya soon. While in the country, he will be taken around by filmmakers associated with Ginger Ink, who is known for producing some of Kenya's award-winning movies like 'Supa Modo' and 'Nairobi Half Life'. The two movies by Ginger Ink have been submitted for the Oscars.

The Eliud Kipchoge documentary, which will be shot in Iten, is funded by Britain’s billionaire  Jim Ratcliffe.

Ratcliffe founded chemicals group INEOS and is estimated by London-based Sunday Times Rich List to be worth 21 billion pounds (25.5 billion US).

Ratcliffe was born in Failsworth, Lancashire. He studied chemical engineering and got his first job at oil company Esso.

He started making his fortune by mortgaging his house in 1992 to finance a buyout of a BP chemicals business and formed INEOS in 1998.

Today his fortune is valued at 21 billion pounds, and in May 2018, he was named the richest person in the UK.

Macdonald is known for shooting captivating documentaries. He worked with the film production team Altitude, who created a 2018 documentary based on Whitney Houston's life and death.

This was the first Whitney Houston documentary to be officially authorised by the estate and includes never-before-seen footage of Houston, exclusive demo recordings, rare performances and interviews with luminaries like Clive Davis.

He said, "The story that is never told about Whitney is just how brilliant she was as an artiste. By many measures, she had the greatest voice of the last 50 years. She changed the way pop music was sung, bringing it back full circle to its blues and gospel roots."

He plans on doing an equally exciting documentary on Eluid Kipchoge.  

Three-time World Half Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor and World Under-20 10000m champion Rhonex Kipruto to renew rivalries with Doha tickets on the line

Geoffrey Kamworor and  Rhonex Kipruto are set to light up Nyayo National Stadium when the National Athletics Championships takes place from August 20 to 22.

While the trials for the World Championships is slated for September 3 at the same venue, the 10000m races for both men and women will be used to select Kenya’s team for the global showpiece set for September 28 to October 6 in Doha, Qatar.

Kamworor who has been regarded the king for both track and road races will have to deal with the youthful Kipruto who is no doubt one of Kenya’s finest talents over the distance.

The duo last clash was at this year’s World Cross Country Championships with Kamworor settling for a bronze medal while Kipruto came sixth.

After storming to an easy win at the National Police Service, Kamworor revealed that he was not yet decided if he will be competing at the Worlds since he may opt to take a shot at the Copenhagen Half Marathon which comes a week before the World Championships after his entry was confirmed June.

Although the pair may be the favorites on paper, World Under-20 10000m silver medalist Stanley Waithaka should not be ignored either being one of the 10 athletes who have already hit the qualification mark of 27:40.00 alongside Kamworor and Kipruto.

Gwen Jorgensen has set her sights on winning the gold medal in the marathon at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo

Gwen Jorgensen knows how to attack a challenge.

The 33-year-old Waukesha native has set her sights on winning the gold medal in the marathon at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She wanted a new goal after winning the triathlon at the 2016 Rio Games.

No American woman has claimed Olympic gold in the marathon since Joan Benoit Samuelson in 1984. Jorgensen is trying to do it two years after giving birth to her son and while dealing with a recent injury setback.

"It’s been  an uphill battle, I’d say," Jorgensen said. "But one that I like. One of the reasons I switched sports, I wanted that challenge. I wanted something that keeps me motivated."

She had been bothered by pain in her right foot, especially after finishing 11th in the 2018 Chicago Marathon. Jorgensen was diagnosed with Haglund’s deformity.

"It's basically a bone overgrowth in the heel," she said. "And then every time you take a step, the Achilles and the bursas and everything rub against the bone overgrowth. And it causes pain. It causes damages to those things."

Just putting on socks was excruciating. Jorgensen did everything to avoid surgery, including platelet-rich-plasma therapy, cortisone shots and changing her running form. But she finally went under the knife in May.

“For me that pain is gone, which is so good," Jorgensen said.

It's been a slow and steady comeback since then.

"I’ve been able to run a little bit now," Jorgensen said. "I would love to increase a ton but I’ve put a lot of time and energy into getting healthy and that’s my main goal right now."

She has gotten up to running 40 minutes every other day. 

“That probably sounds like a lot for a lot of people," Jorgensen said. "But I’m used to an hour-and-a-half in the morning and an hour at night."

Kilian Jornet crushed Sierre-Zinal, and has now set his sights on Pikes Peak

Ten years ago, a 21-year old Catalan trail runner showed up in the end-of-the-valley village of Zinal, in Switzerland’s Valais Canton, not far from the Italian border. He had a list with him.

“It was just a sheet of paper with names of races,” says Chamonix, France-based trail-running author Alain Bustin. “It wasn’t races he wanted to win, or course records he wanted to break. All he wanted to do was take part. Sierre-Zinal was on the list.”

Even then, Sierre-Zinal was iconic. The 31-kilometer race that started in the valley village of Sierre and finished in Zinal was already established as one of the most competitive trail races in the world. And that year, the young runner won.

A few weeks later, he won the 171-kilometer Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.

That runner, of course, is Kilian Jornet. And last weekend in Zinal, he won “S-Z” for a seventh time, further surpassing Mexican runner Richardo Meija’s five wins between 1998 and 2005. And this time Jornet did something that no one had done in 16 years. He broke one of trail-running’s most-coveted course records with a time of 2:25:35—not by seconds, but by 3 minutes 37 seconds.

The 2:29:12 record had been held all those years by the New Zealander Jonathan Wyatt, now 46, indisputably one of his generation’s greatest mountain runners. Starting more than two decades ago, Wyatt began racking up records from the Alps to the United States, at races as diverse as Switzerland’s Jungfrau Marathon (2:49:01 in 2003) and New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Road Race (56:41 in 2004.) Both are still course records.United States runner Jim Walmsley had a notable success, finishing third in his first running of the famed course, in a time of 2:31:52—a result that in any other year would likely have had him breaking the finish-line tape.

While Sierre-Zinal is arguably one of the most competitive trail races in the world, and much of the attention focusses on the elite runners, it has a wide and diverse following. This year, more than 5,000 runners took part. Recreational runners started five-and-a-quarter hours earlier, a special aspect of the race-day schedule that allows recreational runners to watch elites arrive, several hours after most of them have crossed the finish line.

Nicknamed “The New York Marathon of the Alps,” the race’s rich history makes for a special day for runners from around the world. It’s a vibe that was felt by runners like Mike Ambrose, formerly the North American Marketing Manager for Salomon, and now based out of the company’s world headquarters in Annecy, France.

“Running across that ridgeline with the flowy singletrack, I felt the legends before me,” says Ambrose. “That’s the first time ever in a race that I was putting myself out there with the greatest and the pioneers of the sport. Maybe I wasn’t running at the same speed, but I was part of the history. I actually felt that energy. “

For Jornet, there are few records left to shatter. At age 31, he has Fastest Known Times from the Matterhorn to Mount Everest. He has won trail running’s most prestigious races, some of them multiple times, with course records around the world. It’s hard not to imagine that Jornet might begin to turn his attention to other projects. With Skyrunning Champion Emelie Forsberg, he now has a five-month-old baby—and an energetic labradoodle, Maui, to boot.

As he watched Jornet from a jumbo screen not far from the Sierre-Zinal finish line, Bustin, a longtime acquaintance of Jornet’s, was in a contemplative mood. “Kilian, he’s not just special because of his records at Sierre-Zinal or the UTMB,” he said. “He’s broken mountaineering records and ski alpinism (ski mountaineering) records, too.”

Bustin paused with thousands of other onlookers, as race officials announced to the crowd that Jornet was now 20 seconds ahead of Wyatt’s historic course record. On the screen, Jornet looked fluid and in control, calmly, steadily, smoothly “running the tangents” along a rocky section of the course.

“He’s a fantastic guy, with a great mentality about mountain sports. Maybe he’s about to say to the young runners, ‘Hey guys, I’ve done my time. Now it’s up to you,’” added Bustin. Taking in the weight of what he had just considered out loud—that the world’s greatest trail runner could soon be winding down his long stretch of highly competitive racing days—he looked back up to the screen, saying to no-one in particular, “He has nothing to prove to anyone.”

Well, maybe not quite. There is, arguably, at least one notoriously difficult-to-beat record remaining: Colorado’s Pikes Peak Marathon. In 1993, Matt Carpenter set a confoundingly fast course record there, with a time of 3:16:39. On August 25, Jornet will be there. It’s hard not to imagine he wouldn’t like to cross the tape with a time quicker than Carpenter’s. The trail-running world will be watching.

Josh Thompson and Cory McGee kicked their way to victories in the Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile this weekend

Josh Thompson and Cory McGee kicked their way to victories in the Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile, held on the eve of the 47th annual New Balance Falmouth Road Race. Both Thompson and McGee used moves in the final lap to charge to the front and secure the $3,500 first-place prize.

The Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile is the fourth stop of the 2019 Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour.

McGee, a Team New Balance athlete living and training in Boulder, CO, sat patiently in fourth among the pack of seven women as they passed halfway in 2:18. Moving to the front was Katie Mackey, a three-time winner here who did her best to shake up the field before hitting the bell in 3:25.

McGee was the only competitor to immediately respond to Mackey’s move, and the pair led down the backstretch on the final lap. With the roars of spectators growing at an impending duel, McGee drew even with 200 meters to go and never looked back. She’d break the tape going away in 4:29.51 to earn her first Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile crown.

“I’m so happy to be back in the Boston area,” said McGee. “This race is really one of the most exciting miles in the country. It has more history than a lot of the others and just has a really fun energy surrounding it with the [New Balance Falmouth] Road Race. I’ve been in the mix a few times but finally winning it is really fun!”

Heather Kampf passed Mackey in the final straight to take second, 4:31.24 to 4:31.69. Eleanor Fulton (4:32.39) and Dana Giordano (4:33.07) rounded out the top five.

McGee was happy to improve on her third place finish from a year ago, and has said she’s been motivated to race fiercely after a disappointing experience at the USATF Outdoor Championships last month, where she was disqualified in her 1500-meter prelim. By running under 4:31, McGee picked up an additional $1,000 in a winner’s time bonus.

“I feel fit and it’s fun to win!” she said. “I want to race a few more times [this season]. I know I worked really hard this year so I’m just doing what I worked for.”

Thompson, the men’s champion, also made his bid for the win in the final lap, choosing to do so with 300 meters remaining. Up until that point, Maine native Riley Masters had done all of the pacing, taking the field through three-quarters in 3:00.

With each lap, Thompson’s faith in his kick grew stronger. Masters and Craig Nowak were setting the tempo, and all Thompson had to do was decide when to move from third to first.

“I was feeling pretty confident,” said Thompson, giving credit to Masters and Nowak. “When the last lap came I knew I was going to wait until 300 meters just to be safe.”

As Thompson moved into first, David Ribich slipped into second and the pair put three meters on the field. Bearing down and opening his stride around the bend, Thompson held off the former Division II standout, 3:58.39 to 3:59.78.

“It means a lot. It gets my confidence up,” said Thompson of the victory, his first win of the 2019 Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour. “I’ve struggled in the past [with injuries], and to come here and win this race, I mean, Falmouth put on a great race. This is pretty cool – I’ve never been in this type of an environment. So to just come out here, winning, it’s just another step for me in training and my confidence level.”

Tripp Hurt was third in 4:00.57, followed by Daniel Herrera in 4:00.86.

Ireland´s Mark English has declared his intent to qualify for next month’s World Athletics Championships in Doha following yesterday’s sensational 800m win at the Diamond League meeting in Birmingham

English put a disappointing Cork City Sports behind him thanks to his dramatic success at Alexander Stadium, which scarcely looked possible with less than 100 metres to go – and now he wants qualification for Qatar wrapped up within the week.

The Letterkenny UCD AC athlete didn’t finish the 800m at CIT on Wednesday night, withdrawing with 200m to go as the race was well beyond him, but this time around rocketed from down the field to earn a sensational win on athletics’ biggest circuit.

The Donegal star was lying 8th and way down at the final bend as Alfred Kipketer of Kenya and Britain’s Elliot Giles were fighting it out for the win.

But they never spotted the man in lane four.

With absolute determination, three-times European Championship medallist English pushed through on the outside to score a major victory on the world tour, albeit in a race not actually counting towards the Diamond League standings.

English won in a season’s best time of 1:45.94 seconds – just 0.14 seconds outside the IAAF qualifying time for next month’s Worlds in Doha – a full second inside his previous best mark of the campaign.

Kipketer finished second in 1:46.10, with Giles third in 1:46.27, in a contest where unusually there were a mammoth twelve starters.

English paid tribute to coach Steve Magness and physio Chris Bramah afterwards, quipping on social media: “A right funny old sport, eh? Nice to take the big win at the Birmingham Diamond League today. Big step in the right direction.”

Rugged Races has acquired RAM Racing And The Hot Chocolate 15K/5K Series

Rugged Races, a subsidiary of GateHouse Live and a New Media Investment Group company, today announced it has acquired RAM Racing and its entire portfolio of events, including the Allstate Hot Chocolate 15K/5K series, which includes a Denver Hot Chocolate race and Colorado Rugged Maniac event.

The Hot Chocolate series, which boasts eight of the top 100 races in the United States, will attract over 200,000 runners across twenty races in 2019. The remainder of RAM Racing’s portfolio consists of the Heartbreakers Half Marathon in Portland, OR and nine other races in the Chicago area, including the popular Soldier Field 10 Miler and the Run Mag Mile 10K/5K.

This acquisition is the latest in a series of moves by Rugged Races over the past two years to grow its portfolio of endurance events into one of the largest in the United States.  It has also recently acquired the Milwaukee Marathon, the Providence Marathon, and the Santa Rosa Marathon.  With the addition of RAM Racing, Rugged Races now owns over ninety events, ranging from marathons and cycling events to trail runs and obstacle course races, and anticipates over 450,000 participants and more than one million attendees in 2019.

“We are thrilled to add the RAM Racing portfolio to our family of premier endurance events,” said Brad Scudder, Senior Vice President of Rugged Races.  “By filling the colder months in our annual race calendar with the crown jewel of winter running – the Allstate Hot Chocolate 15K/5K Series – runners of all fitness levels can now enjoy one of our races every week of the year.”

Answering the internet’s most asked running questions

Why do runners wear arm sleeves?

Runners wear arm sleeves because they’re cold. Arm sleeves are their choice layer for one of two reasons: they’re racing and need to wear their competition kit (so they can’t wear a long sleeve shirt) or they’re anticipating getting warm and wanting to take off a layer during their run. Arm sleeves are the easiest layer to drop as someone gets warm throughout a long run or workout.

And then there’s Mo Farah, who basically wears them all the time, but you can do that when you’re that good.

Why do runners wear compression socks?

The socks (and other compression gear) are marketed as helping to increase blood flow to muscles, in turn improving recovery and performance. Some runners swear by compression gear, other runners opt out.

Why do runners look old?

This is a funny one. Running keeps many people fit and healthy, but our best guess as to why runners “look old” is time spent in the sun. If you’re a runner, chances are you’re outside a fair bit, so remember that running hats are great and so is sunscreen. Use this Google search as a cautionary tale.

Why do runners drink pickle juice?

Pickle juice was once very popular as a hydration product. Salt is a key ingredient in a runner’s diet, especially through the summer months when sweating is at a high. Putting pickle juice in your water bottle has been said to keep cramping and dehydration at bay.

Why do runners wear high socks?

Some runners think it looks cool, and for others they’re worn for more practical reasons like warmth and compression. Please see answer number two for further clarification.

Why do runners have heart attacks?

This is a much more serious question and one many people, runners or not, have asked. The New York Times ran a piece in January on the topic. They said, “Marathon running can increase your risk of cardiac arrest in the short term, but it also lowers the overall likelihood that you will experience cardiac arrest or other heart problems, according to science, statistics and sports cardiologists.”

Why do runners wear gloves?

The same reason everyone else wears gloves–to keep their hands warm.

Why do runners wear short shorts?

Read: split shorts.

Clothing can inhibit range of motion and become distracting, so the less of it you wear, the less likely it is to get in your way. Also, runners like to show off the legs they’ve worked so hard for.

Why do runners carb load?

Carbohydrates provide the quickest and most accessible form of fuel for your body, so before a big workout or race, you’ll often hear runners talk about carb-loading. Runners will eat higher than normal amounts of carbs to ensure that they’re properly nourished for their race, especially in a marathon scenario.

Why do runners lose toenails?

Great question. Losing toenails is usually a product of a shoe not fitting properly. If you find yourself consistently ending a season with toe issues, getting fitted for a shoe could be a good idea.

Leonard Korir becomes first American man to win the Falmouth Road Race since 1988

History was made this morning when Leonard Korir became the first American since 1988 to win the men’s division of the Falmouth Road Race. It was an exciting end to the 47th annual race that saw plenty of fog and muggy temperatures.

Four-time winner Stephen Sambu came in second and Edward Cheserek placed third.

In previous races at the event, Korir finished second in 2016 and 2017 and third last year and 2015.

Leonard Korir pulled ahead of four-time champion Stephen Sambu with less than two miles to go.

Korir, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, finished second behind Sambu, of Kenya, in 2017. This year, Korir dominated the end of race and completed the 7-mile course in 32 minutes, 11 seconds.

Sambu finished second in 32:29, while Kenya's Edward Cheserek, a former 17-time NCAA champion with Oregon, was third in 32:30.

In the women’s elite division, Sharon Lokedi, a recent Kansas graduate from Kenya, crossed the finish line first and America’s Sarah Hall came in second.  Sharon, the 2018 NCAA champion at 10,000 meters clocked 36:29, holding off American Sarah Hall (36:34). Kenya's Margaret Wangari, the 2012 Falmouth champion, was third (36:43).

Boulder’s Ryan Smith wins 2019 Leadville 100 with consistent second-half pacing

Boulder’s Ryan Smith won the Leadville 100 trail run on Saturday night thanks to consistent second-half pacing that left his rivals unable to respond. It was the biggest win of his ultrarunning career.

The Boulder-based runner, who came to the United States from the United Kingdom and works full-time a software engineer, was greeted at the finish by his wife and almost 2-year-old daughter. He turned 40 years old this year.

“There’s just a lot of running in the race,” Smith said, referring to the long flat sections along much of the course. “It really favors a flat runner rather than a mountain runner, and I typically do a lot of mountain stuff.”

His win — in 16 hours, 33 minutes, 25 seconds — was far from expected. Smith was not among the pre-race favorites to win, and he wasn’t feeling well leading into the Twin Lakes aid station near the 40-mile mark. But at the turnaround at Winfield, he held his pace steady, averaging around 10 minutes per mile for the rest of the race.

“Always be closing!” his last pacesetter, Clare Gallagher, herself a Leadville 100 winner in 2016, yelled to him after his win. She was referring to Smith’s penchant for strong finishes, and to the casual observer, it might have seemed that Smith was surging. But consistent pacing that late in a race — he averaged 9:58, 9:53, 9:59, 9:54, 10:01, 9:55, 9:54 for all of the second half checkpoints — is remarkably difficult to achieve.

His win came after Jared Hazen, the runner-up to this year’s Western States 100, set out a blistering early pace, intent on breaking the course record of 15:42 set by Matt Carpenter in 2005. Late Saturday morning, while racing back toward Twin Lakes, he told a Denver Post reporter along the trail that he had dropped out and “needed to get to an aid station.” He had turned around before the Winfield aid station — the halfway point of the course.

The Leadville is infamous for seducing runners into racing too hard too early, with flat fields and trails before turning into a punishing climb to 12,600 feet over Hope Pass.

For the women, Magdalena Boulet of Oakland, Calif., finished in 20:18:07 in her first Leadville 100. Boulet, who won her first-ever 100-miler in 2015 at Western States and was a U.S. Olympic marathoner in 2008, said she was inspired to run at Leadville after crewing for her boss at GU Energy Labs a few years ago. She had acclimatized at altitude for only two weeks before Saturday’s run. Boulder’s Cat Bradley was the second woman to cross the finish line in 20:45:48.

Under fire, Nike expands protections for pregnant athletes

Having faced increased scrutiny for its treatment of pregnant athletes, Nike is changing its policy to guarantee a pregnant athlete’s pay and bonuses cannot be cut over the 18-month period covering eight months before the athlete’s due date and 10 months after. Under Nike’s previous policy, which had been updated in 2018, according to a spokesman, that period lasted 12 months.

“Female athletes and their representatives will begin receiving written confirmation reaffirming Nike’s official pregnancy policy for elite athletes,” a Nike spokesperson wrote in an email. “In addition to our 2018 policy standardizing our approach across all sports to ensure no female athlete is adversely impacted financially for pregnancy, the policy has now been expanded to cover 18 months.”

In a form letter intended for athletes and agents dated Aug. 12 that circulated on social media, John Slusher, Nike’s executive vice president of global sports marketing, said the company’s new policy also will apply to current contracts.

Nike came under fire this spring after several high-profile athletes denounced how it and other apparel companies treated them financially after becoming pregnant. Tennis star Serena Williams said Nike supported her during and after her pregnancy, but multiple track and field athletes described problems.

In a New York Times op-ed in May, sprinter Allyson Felix wrote that contract renewal talks broke down after Nike offered to pay 70 percent of her previous salary and refused to guarantee she wouldn’t be financially punished for performing below her standard in the months before and after childbirth. In another Times op-ed, distance runner Kara Goucher said she felt forced to train, owing to financial pressure, rather than care for her newborn.

Felix, 33, gave birth in November after an emergency Caesarean section, the complications of which threatened her and daughter Camryn. She returned to competition in July at the U.S. outdoor championships, then announced she had signed a new sponsorship contract with Athleta, a deal that includes a partnership for initiatives that empower women.

“I can’t tell you the number of women who have reached out, who have encouraged me, who have been through a similar experience, who have been scared to let their employer know that they started a family,” Felix said this summer. “I was just blown away with those different stories, the different people coming to me. I think there’s definitely a shared experience there, and I think there’s power in coming together, power of the collective. I think the more voices that come out, you know, change is happening.”

Augustine Choge, Victor Chumo and Bernard Lagat have been selected to pace for Eliud Kipchoge in his mission to run the first sub two hour marathon

Three seasoned road runners, Augustine Choge, Victor Chumo from Kenya and double world champion Bernard Lagat of the United States have been selected to pace for Eliud Kipchoge in his mission to run the marathon in less than two hours in Vienna in October.

Choge and Chumo are part of the team training with Kipchoge in Kenya for the race, which is set for October 12-20 window in Vienna, Austria. A specific date will be made known days to the race after the accurate weather forecast has been confirmed.

Kipchoge says to break the two-hour mark in marathon is about setting history and challenging his body to the limit.

"It's like stepping on the moon, going up the tallest mountain and even going to the middle of the ocean," Kipchoge said on Saturday.

Whereas the focus will be on the Olympic and London Marathon champion to improve on his last mark of two hours and 25 seconds, the three pace setters will carry the burden to lead the Berlin champion through his steps and see to it that he delivers the results for the INEOS 1:59 Challenge.

In Monza, Italy in 2017, Lagat was one of the pace setters together with Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa and Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese, both of whom fell by the wayside, leaving the Olympic champion to run over half of the race alone.

But now the organizers have announced the trio together with Norway's Henrik, Filip and Jakob Ingebrigtsen plus Australian pair Jack Rayner and Brett Robinson.

Further pacemakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Katie Johnstone will take part in Great North Run 2019 to find cure for disease that killed her mum

Katie Johnstone will take part in Great North Run 2019 in memory of her much-loved mum. Katie Johnstone says her mum, Emma, died in June 2018 at the age of 44 after a long illness with Huntingson's Disease.

This is a condition that stops parts of the brain working properly over time. It's inherited from a person's parents.

It gets gradually worse over time and is usually fatal after a period of up to 20 years. The mum-of-three started experiencing symptoms in her early 30s, which stopped her from pursuing her dream career as a midwife.

"Not a lot of people know what Huntingson's Disease is," says Katie. "When I was growing up, my mum had present symptoms and sometimes stumbled. People used to laugh and think she was drunk.

"It really upset me, I was around nine or 10 years old."

Katie was tested for the disease and the tests came back negative in July.

However, she 'feels guilty' to have escaped the illness as her sister, 21-year-old Holly, has been diagnosed with a juvenile form of the condition.

She explained: "She got her diagnosis a couple of years ago. It's heartbreaking. "It's a 50/50 chance [you will inherit it]. I do feel guilty for getting away from it.

"But I need to support my sister and she was very happy for me with my results." Katie's grandmother also died from the disease at the age of 47.

By taking part in the 13 mile run, the 25-year-old is hoping to raise awareness of the disease as well as money for the Huntingson's Disease Association.

The charity works to fund research into the illness, with the hope of finding a cure - as there is no cure currently. Katie said: "My aim is to raise awareness of this rare disease and raise money for the charity to fund research to help find a cure.

"This disease devastates families all over the world. There is only around 12 people in every 100,000 people who suffer from this disease.

What is the longest someone has run without stopping?

In 1992, after taking a 15-year break from running, it wasn’t enough for Dean Karnazes’ first run to be 30 miles. Winning the infamous, 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon across Death Valley in 120-degree heat didn’t cut it. Nor did pushing the opposite end of spectrum of human suffering by running a marathon to the South Pole, at -13-degrees F.

From October 12-15, 2005, Karnazes ran 350 miles across Northern California without stopping. He didn’t stop to sleep or to eat, or – in the most stupefying accomplishment of all – he did not even slow down to sample a Sonoma Valley chilled chardonnay. All told, he ran for 80 hours, 44 minutes without a break. He covered ground – from San Francisco to Bodega Bay to Stanford University, in Palo Alto – that many of us would plan for a weeklong road trip in a car.

The outing, which cost him a few toenails, included 40,000 calories of intake over the 3.3(ish) days, required shoe changes every 50 miles or so to accommodate his ever-swelling feet, and wasn’t originally supposed to be quite so long. After winning the Badwater in 2004, Karnazes set the goal to be the first runner to go 300 miles without stopping. Because, why not?

Scott Fauble is dealing with the flu and won’t be running Falmouth

After dealing with the flu, Scott Fauble was pulled from Sunday's Falmouth Road Race, a 7-mile event that takes place in Falmouth, Massachusetts, annually. He took second place last year, crossing the finish line as the first American male, with Canada's Ben Flanagan taking the 2018 title.

"Bad news, you guys," Fauble tweeted on Thursday. "I won’t be running Falmouth this weekend. I got sick earlier this week and it just wasn’t going to be the right call to race this weekend. I’m disappointed to miss this iconic event. I expect to be healthy and to crush at the USATF 20K champs in a few weeks."

This year's USATF 20K Championships take place Monday, Sept. 2, in New Haven, Connecticut.

Fauble has laced up for just one race since taking seventh place at the 2019 Boston Marathon in April, where he was the first American to finish. Boston was the third marathon of his career, and he set his PR of 2:09:09 there.

Ingebrigtsen brothers Jakob, Filip and Henrik hope to help Eliud Kipchoge break two hours for the marathon in Vienna in October

Ingebrigtsen brothers confirmed as INEOS 1:59 Challenge pacemakers.

Famous running brothers Jakob, Filip and Henrik Ingebrigtsen have been confirmed as part of the pacemaking team for Eliud Kipchoge’s INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna this October.

In a recent interview, world marathon record-holder Kipchoge described breaking the two-hour barrier for the 26.2-mile event as “like the first man to go to the moon” and so far eight athletes have been announced as being part of the ‘pacemaking family’ which will hope to help the Kenyan to achieve it.

Last year, aged just 17, Jakob won both 1500m and 5000m titles at the European Championships and this autumn the Norwegian – who will then be 19 – will be the youngest of Kipchoge’s pacemakers, 25 years younger than USA’s Bernard Lagat who at 44 years old will be the oldest.

“To be a teenager and to be part of this project is really amazing,” said Jakob. “As a family we are used to running together and to be able to run together, alongside other great athletes to help Eliud Kipchoge try to break two hours will be something very special.”

Filip added: “Kipchoge was so close last time he tried at Breaking2 and he has improved since then.

“If he is in the sort of form he was in when he broke the world record in Berlin last year – and with three hares flying in from Norway to help – I expect there to be a record.”

Joining the ‘three hares’ will be Lagat, Kenyans Augustine Choge and Victor Chumo and Australians Jack Rayner and Brett Robinson.

Further pacemakers are set to be announced in the coming weeks.

Despite Injury, Ben Flanagan is set to return to the Falmouth Road Race

History was made in Falmouth when Flanagan ran a nearly perfect strategic race and shocked the field to capture the Falmouth Road Race. Unfortunately there will be no repeat of that smile crossing the finish line in the Falmouth Heights. The affable University of Michigan grad, who is now running professionally for Team Reebok, will not get the chance to defend his title.

A stress injury to Flanagan’s leg has knocked him to the sideline for this year’s race. He recently was informed by his medical team that he would be unable to run for six weeks. After that will come rehabilitation, which potentially could knock out most, if not all, of the remaining competitive racing for him this year.

“It’s an unfortunate thing. I was really looking forward to coming back and racing Falmouth again,” he said. “I’m excited to still be able to be here and be involved, but it would have been nice to be on the line again.”

The best-case scenario is that Flanagan could be back racing by late in the fall. That would be all of the major events for 2019, but he is setting his sights squarely on 2020.

As the 2018 Falmouth champ works his way back toward being healthy and fast, his aim is to peak in time for the 2020 Canadian Olympic trials. If he qualifies for a spot in the Olympics, which will be held in Tokyo, that would be at the top of his priority list for next year.

“That would just be amazing. That’s a thing I’ve wanted to be a part of since I was nine years old, since I first started doing sports,” he said. “It’s been such a long journey... it’s really just so special. It would be a dream come true.”

As for this year, Flanagan will be involved in the presentation of Road Race weekend. He spoke to a group of youngsters on behalf of the FRR yesterday,, August 15, then today Friday, August 16, Flanagan is set to speak at the annual press conference in the morning before handing out bibs and numbers at the Road Race Expo later in the day. Tomorrow On Saturday he will be part of the Champions meet-and-greet at the Expo and also plans to be at the Mile Races at Falmouth High School later in the day. He will attend the Road Race on Sunday, but was unsure of where he’d be.

Flanagan said he was excited to help in any capacity. He has become very fond of Falmouth, and not just because his win helped launch his professional career.

He also met his girlfriend here. Because he hails from the University of Michigan, Flanagan stayed with the Ghelfi family last year. Hannah Ghelfi is a rising senior at the U of M, where she is one of the top golfers for the Wolverines. With their school in common, the pair hit it off and began to see one another during the fall semester. Ben graduated in December and moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, to train professionally. He was in Falmouth around Christmastime, and said that he plans on being in Falmouth, or at Michigan, whenever he can.

“It’s just funny that Hannah and I spent a number of years together at Michigan and never met until the race,” he said.

He said that he has become more and more familiar with the town through his visits, and has come to really enjoy being on Cape Cod. With his prime racing years still ahead of him, there’s every reason to believe that Flanagan and Falmouth could go together hand-in-hand. It’s a budding relationship that got off to a fantastic start. The future looks bright.

Armin Gooden is set to compete at the Leadville 100-Mile Trail Race this Saturday

Armin Gooden was four years old in 1983 when the once-booming mining town of Leadville, Colorado – on the verge of economic devastation after the closure of Climax Mine in 1982 – hosted the first-ever Leadville Trail 100-mile run.

Race founder Ken Chlouber had organized the trail run in what’s considered North America’s highest incorporated town, elevation-wise. He hoped it would salvage Leadville from virtual ruin after more than 3,000 workers were left unemployed in the wake of the mine’s closure the year before.

On Saturday, Aug. 17, Gooden will be four decades old when he tries his hand – well, legs – at the iconic 100-mile course which snakes 50 miles out and back through the Colorado Rockies. Terrain is comprised mostly of forest trails with a few mountain roads mixed in, its website says.

Gooden, whose 40th birthday fell on this past Sunday, is a 1997 graduate of Buckhannon-Upshur High School. His mom, Idress, and dad, Dave, still live in Upshur County.

But they’ll be in Leadville at 4:30 a.m. sharp Saturday, when the race begins. The Leadville 100’s lowest point measures about 9,200 feet and its highest peak 12,600 feet. That point is known as Hope Pass – or ‘Hopeless Pass’ by runners “because it crushes souls and destroys dreams,” Gooden says. In fact, a local CBS station out of Twin Lakes, Colorado, on Thursday reported that a 28-member team of llamas and their human guides hauled approximately 3,000 pounds of food, drinks and gear up to an aid station at Hope Pass.

Gooden good-naturedly called the race his “mid-life suffer-fest” Wednesday in a Facebook post when he thanked his friends on social media for their recent birthday wishes: “Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Stay tuned for live tracking at my mid-life suffer-fest in just a little over two days,” he wrote.

The primary question that runners who do ultra-marathons– especially hundred-mile ultra-marathons – face is: “Why?” Why subject yourself to such a “mid-life suffer-fest,” as Gooden put it? After all, only about 50 percent of runners who qualify through the lottery actually complete the Leadville 100, Gooden said. Others must drop out if they don’t make various cut-off points throughout the course, including completing the first 50 miles in 14 hours or under.For Gooden, who’s now a resident of a Denver-area suburb, the thirst to complete the Leadville 100 began as a mode of mental survival.“I had a really rough year in life the past year-and-a-half,” Gooden said. “I did this huge climbing trip in Alaska at Denali National Park, and I sort of cheated death after surviving this crazy storm. I had gone through a really bad divorce, and I was in no mental space to run, but I needed some kind of outlet.”

“A good friend of mine knew I wasn’t in the best place, so he said, ‘You’re going to start running again, and you’re going to pace me in the Leadville 100,’” Gooden recalled. “Life just kind of gave me what I needed.”

Pacing his friend in the 2018 Leadville 100 – for a 14-mile section from miles 62 to 74 – was enough to hook Gooden.

“It was pretty awe-inspiring,” Gooden said. “I muled for him. I carried all his water and food. It really allows you to experience team camaraderie. I knew right then and there – I decided, ‘I’m doing this next year.’”

Of course, it wasn’t exactly Gooden’s first rodeo when it came to running.

He was a standout cross-country and track and field runner in high school who was recently inducted into the Buckhannon-Upshur High School Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the school’s undefeated state champion cross-country team in 1993. Gooden went on to run at Frostburg State University in Maryland. However, his college career ended when he was plagued by persistent lower back pain.

“I actually quit running in college because I had so much lower back pain,” he recalled. “I can go for a seven-hour run now and have no lower back pain.”

Combined with natural running talent, Gooden, who works as an emergency room nurse, has always had an appetite for adventure. In addition to Denali National Park in 2018, he’s also mountain-climbed in the Peruvian Andes and Island Peak in Nepal. He completed the Grand Traverse Ski Mountaineering Race from Aspen to Crested Butte, Colorado, as well as the Dirty 30 50K – about 31 miles – in June 2019, too.

Kenya´s Philemon Rono will be looking for another title at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Philemon Rono of Kenya has won the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon twice–the first time in 2016, and the second time in 2017, when he set the Canadian all-comers record of 2:06:52 (also his personal best).

Rono, who trains with NN Running (marathon world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge’s group), was dealing with a calf injury and didn’t have a great race in 2018, finishing ninth in 2:13:36, but the diminutive runner they call Baby Police is healthy and will be back on October 20, hoping not only to win, but to lower his Canadian soil record.

Rono raced at Boston in April, finishing eighth, in 2:08:57–which he was happy with. He is currently running about 200K per week with the NN Training group in Kaptagat under the direction of coach Patrick Sang.

Kipchoge has a big influence on the training, Rono says. “We watch everything he does.” Many accounts of Kipchoge’s training make note of the fact that while living in camp from Monday to Saturday, he takes his turn mopping floors and scrubbing toilets like everyone else. When not working out, the group loves to watch soccer on TV. Like Kipchoge, Rono travels home to his farm on weekends, where he spends time with his wife and young son, and tends his cattle.

Rono’s stiffest competition so far announced will be Abera Kuma, who has a personal best of 2:05:50, and Benson Kipruto, who won last year’s marathon in 2:07:24 (which was seconds off his PB).

The race will also serve as the Canadian marathon championships and unofficial Olympic trials, with the top Canadian male automatically qualifying for Team Canada at Tokyo 2020 (provided he achieves the Olympic standard of 2:11:30 within the qualifying window). 

Reid Coolsaet, Dylan Wykes, Rob Watson and Canadian marathon record-holder Cam Levins will all be on the start line on October 20.

The Mandela Day Marathon participation of female runners has been growing more and more each year

 The number of female runners who entered this year’s edition of the marathon across all races is 6058.

Fezeka Hadebe from Mbombela in the Mpumulanga Province who will be taking part in the half marathon, said she enjoys running.

“I am looking forward to running on race day. I have prepared myself with the training, I have done leading up to the race and I am confident that I will complete the distance before the cut-off time,” said the 25-year-old athlete.

Nonhlanhla Zondi from Richmond said she will again hit the tarmac in the 10 KM race this year.

“I ran it for the first time last year and I finished in the time of one hour 30 minutes. I enjoyed the run last year and I am looking forward to the race this year,” added Zondi who said running helps her maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Another female entrant from Hilton near Pietermaritzburg, Lindiwe “Koko” Maphela will be running the marathon for the fourth time.

“I started with the 10KM race, after that, I ran the half-marathon. In the 2018 edition of the marathon, I ran and completed the 42.2 KM. I enjoyed it and I must admit it was easier than I anticipated,” said Maphela who will be running the coveted 42.2 KM race again this year.

“I enjoy running, I actually love it. Running has made my life better. I am a better human being because of it. The benefits are far-reaching for me than a healthy lifestyle. I am more patient and less stressed. I encourage other people to take up running it will change your lives,” added Maphela.

Thousands of rands are once again up for grabs to the athletes who will cross the finish line ahead of the rest across all the three races, with position one in both men and women in the 42.2 km race expected to walk away with R100 000 each, with runners up expected to pocket R50 000 while the third-placed man and woman will each receive R25 000.

There are also prize monies to be won in both the 21 and 10 km races. The first male and female to complete 21 km will receive R20 000 while the winners of the 10km race will each take home R10 000. The runners up on the half marathon will pocket R15 000 and the third position has a purse of R12 000. Runners up in the 10 km race will receive R8 000 while third place has a prize money of R6 000.

Abbott has announced a new partnership with the Longford Marathon to become the title sponsor for the race in 2019

The marathon, which is in its 18th year, will take place on Sunday, August 25 and is expected to attract more than 1,200 participants.Ciaran Corcoran, strategic programmer director of Abbott’s diagnostic business site in Longford said:  "Abbott has been a proud member of the Longford Community for more than 15 years, employing more than 700 people and we’re delighted to support the Longford Marathon, which is one of the largest events held in Longford each year. "Marathon runners truly embody the idea that at our healthiest, we can accomplish amazing things. Our sponsorship of the Longford Marathon allows Abbott to celebrate the health and achievement of people from all over Ireland.”A keen marathon runner, this year will see Ciaran Corcoran run the Abbott Longford Marathon for the 5th time. “I’m delighted that so many of my colleagues are joining me in this year’s marathon.

The support along the route from the people of Longford is tremendous. There is great excitement among our employees from Abbott’s 9 sites across Ireland, a significant number of whom will be participating on the day.

Not only is the marathon contributing to a great community spirit, it is also raising funds for St Christopher’s Services Longford, which provides services for the intellectually disabled throughout the midlands."

Fiona Fenelon organizer of the Longford Marathon said; “We are delighted to partner with Abbott as title sponsor of this year’s race. Abbott is one of the largest employers in the region and as a company focused on helping people to live their best lives, is a perfect partner for us.

"This year’s Abbott Longford Marathon will be one of the biggest ever, attracting participants from throughout the country. The Abbott Longford Marathon includes a range of race distances from a 5km race to a 63km ultra marathon. Regardless of ability and experience, participants can reach a meaningful personal achievement."

Brain aneurysm survivor Karen Daly is running in the 47th annual New Balance Falmouth Road Race

South Easton resident and brain aneurysm survivor Karen Daly will run in the 47th annual New Balance Falmouth Road Race on Aug. 18 to commemorate her journey as a brain aneurysm survivor, after having suffered a rupture in 2014.

As a member of the eight-person charity team, Daly will support the Brain Aneurysm Foundation’s efforts to raise awareness, education, support, advocacy and research funding for the disease.

Daly had a brain hemorrhage caused by a ruptured brain aneurysm on Jan. 25, 2014. She

was able to maintain consciousness long enough to call her husband for help. He rushed her to the emergency room where they did a CT scan, then immediately sent her to Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, where she underwent surgery to repair three aneurysms.

“Surviving the rupture and the med flight to Boston was the first of many miracles for

which my family and I are grateful. Forty percent of people who suffer a rupture die before

making it to the hospital,” said Daly. “With the support of family, friends and a lot of hard work and perseverance, I am able to run the Falmouth Road Race to support an organization that has supported me, my family and so many others affected by brain aneurysms.”

This is the third year in a row that BAF has been awarded a charity spot in the race. The BAF charity team comprises participants who have had personal experiences with brain aneurysm disease.

“We’re very grateful to all of the incredibly strong participants representing team BAF at the Falmouth Road Race this year,” said Christine Buckley, executive director of BAF. “Funds raised by the team will support critical research that could better the outcomes for other families dealing with this devastating disease.”

More than 11,000 runners will participate in the New Balance Falmouth Road Race, a 7-mile course which starts in Woods Hole, wraps along the Falmouth shoreline and finishes in Falmouth Heights.

Electrolytes help reduce muscle cramps for runners

Are you skeptical about whether drinking electrolyte beverages helps with muscle cramps? New evidence says it doesn’t prevent muscle cramping, but that it does reduce your susceptibility.

It’s well established that we sweat out electrolytes during exertion, and the more we sweat, the more we lose. Moreover, the loss of electrolytes is believed to contribute to muscle cramping, which plagues many endurance runners. This study was designed to shed more light on the role of electrolyte drinks in reducing and controlling muscle cramps.

The study by four US researchers, published in the journal Muscle & Nerve on July 26, is admittedly small (nine well-hydrated, cramp-prone subjects), but suggests the use of electrolyte beverages does help, to some degree.

The study assessed the test group’s cramp susceptibility before and after drinking an electrolyte beverage containing 840 mg of sodium, 320 mg of potassium, and 5 mg of magnesium. The control group drank a placebo beverage that was indistinguishable in taste and appearance from the test group’s drink.

The intensity of cramps was measured using a verbal pain scale and electromyography, and researchers assessed the runners’ susceptibility by measuring the nerve stimulation threshold frequency.

Here’s what they found: cramps still happened, but cramping came later and less frequently in the electrolyte group than the placebo group. Electromyography showed similar results between the two groups, but the electrolyte group reported less pain verbally than the placebo group.

The study considered electrolyte consumption independently of hydration.

Eliud Kipchoge says that he has no doubts, he will break the two hours barrier for the marathon in Vienna

Eliud Kipchoge is convinced he will run the first sub-two hour marathon in Vienna in October.

The Olympic champion and world record holder ran an unofficial 2:00.25 at Italy's Monza race track in May 2017 in his first attempt to break the magic barrier.

But speaking to journalists on a conference call from his home in Kaptagat, Kipchoge said, "I have no doubts at all. Absolutely clear on the goal."

If he is successful, he believes it will be in the same bracket as the first lunar landing 50 years ago and the ascent of Mount Everest in terms of human achievement.

And Kipchoge thinks achieving his goal will enable others to follow in his footsteps.

The 34-year-old added, "I think after doing it, then many people will have courage. Many athletes will believe in themselves that this is possible.

Kipchoge, who plans to defend his Olympic title at Tokyo 2020, said he decided on this second attempt after coming so close at the Breaking 2 in Monza.

He said, "It’s the right time for me try and run under two hours. But above all, I decided I should try and make history before the Olympics."

Kipchoge announced in June that he would switch his bid for history from London to the Austrian capital.

He will run in the Prater public park, situated next to the River Danube, taking in at least four laps of the Hauptallee, the avenue running through it.

The Kenyan's management team cited "consistent and optimum weather conditions in October, fresh air, wide, traffic-free and illuminated roads and the ability to have supporters lining the route" among their reasons for choosing Vienna.

The attempt is due to take place on 12th October but there will be a reserve window of eight days to allow for the best possible weather.

This is being run like a time trial and the time will not count as a world record by the IAAF.

Max Glover, 32, completed the charity challenge pulling a BMW car over the 26.2 mile distance

Max Glover, 32, completed the charity challenge at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicestershire, in 21 hours 58 minutes.  The former Royal Marines commando raised nearly £2,000 ($2410US) for the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity Transplant Appeal.

He said he was inspired to embark on the challenge after a friend had a double lung transplant.  Max enlisted friends to steer the 1.7 ton BMW 5 series as he pulled it along the vehicle testing track in Lutterworth on August 3.

He said: "I thought I may as well use my passion for doing challenges to do some good and raise a bit of money. It started hurting quite a bit towards the end but I just put one foot in front of the other and it was no problem.

"It took longer than I'd hoped as the track was steeper than expected."

Kenyan Stephen Sambu will be looking for his fifth Falmouth Road Race title this Sunday

After coming up a little short in his bid to become the first person to ever win five Falmouth Road Race titles after claiming four in a row from 2014 to 2017, Kenyan Stephen Sambu aims to make history once again on Sunday, August 18, in the 47th running of the Falmouth Road Race.

Sambu fell shy of the feat when Canadian Ben Flanagan shocked the field last year to become the first North American to win the race in 30 years. Sambu faded to a fourth place finish in the 2018 race.

With Flanagan out of action with an injury, Sambu is considered the favorite, along with his friend Leonard Korir, of the United States, to take the crown. Sambu and Korir battled in one of the most memorable finishes in race history in 2017, with Sambu edging his buddy down the final hill in the Falmouth Heights to take the crown.

Americans Sara Hall and Des Linden will return for the 47th running of the New Balance Falmouth Road Race to highlight the women's field.

Sambu won the New Balance Falmouth Road Race every year from 2014-2017, becoming the first four-time winner of the men’s open division in race history. The runner-up in two of those victories was Korir, a 2016 Olympian at 10,000 meters, who will represent the US this fall at the IAAF World Championships. In 2017, Korir nearly denied Sambu his place in the history books in a fight to the finish that saw both athletes awarded the same time.

Sambu and Korir will be challenged by a tough international field that includes Thomas Ayeko of Uganda, who finished seventh in the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships; David Bett of Kenya, who won the B.A.A. 10K in June; and Silas Kipruto of Kenya, winner of the 2019 Cooper River Bridge Run.

Massachusetts native Colin Bennie, who was the top American at the AJC Peachtree Road Race on July 4, and Scott Fauble, a top contender to make Team USA at the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials in February and the Falmouth runner-up last year, should be in the hunt.

Shalane Flanagan went for her first post-surgery run–12 minutes of run-walking on an anti-gravity treadmill

It’s been four months since 2017 NYC Marathon winner and 2018 third-place finisher Shalane Flanagan had surgery to repair her severely damaged right patellar tendon, and yesterday she happily posted a photo of her first post-surgery run–on a Woodway Boost anti-gravity treadmill–on Instagram.

“I still know how to run!” Flanagan posted. She reports that she ran two-and-ones (two minutes running, one minute walking) for 12 “bliss-filled” minutes at 70 to 77 per cent of her bodyweight. “I was soooooooo excited for today that I actually laid out my running clothes last night (just like I would do before the first day of school when I was a kid).”

Flanagan’s surgery was a patellar tendon allograft and chondroplasty, meaning tissue from a recently deceased person (actually from the hamstring of a 21-year-old) was used to repair her patellar tendon, which was then anchored to her tibia with three screws.

The tissue donor’s family was willing to have her know their identity, and Flanagan reached out to thank them with a personal letter. “I’m moved beyond words knowing what a gift I’ve been given,” she posted.

Anti-gravity treadmills are commonly used to aid in athlete rehabilitation. Air pressure technology allows the athlete to reduce impact while running, and they can transition gradually to supporting their full body weight. According to her posts, Flanagan has been walking and doing strengthening workouts in the gym for some time. Looks like it’s too soon to say when we might see her back on the racing circuit.

In 2017 Flanagan became the first American woman to win the TCS New York City Marathon in 40 years. In 2018 she finished third behind Mary Keitany and Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya.

Runners of all varieties can draw some lessons from Flanagan’s experience: one, don’t take your ability to run for granted. Two, don’t give in to discouragement if you’re injured and can’t run. 

Reece Prescod and Laura Muir, two of Britain’s leading medal hopes, will both be absent from the world Championships for Doha

Britain have suffered a worrying double injury blow ahead of next month’s World Championships, with Reece Prescod on the verge of missing the event and Laura Muir facing a race against time to regain full fitness.

With that latter event serving as the national trials for the Doha World Championships, any athlete who does not compete will have to rely on the selectors to be given the sole discretionary spot available per event.

That should be a given in the 1500m for Muir, who injured her calf when triumphing at the London Anniversary Games last month but has finished in the top three at all five Diamond League races she has contested this summer.

She is hoping to return to racing at the start of September, although a six-week absence from competition is far from ideal preparation for the four-time European champion, who has her sights firmly set on making the podium in Doha.

Prescod’s situation is more serious, with the double reigning national 100m champion and European silver medalist looking unlikely to recover from a hamstring problem in time to gain selection for the World Championships.

Prescod opened his season by running 9.97 seconds in Shanghai in May, but hobbled over the line when picking up the injury during only his second outdoor race at June’s Oslo Diamond League.

With the British selectors meeting just eight days after the national trials in Birmingham, Prescod has little chance of proving his form and fitness following two and a half months out.

Selecting someone who has completed just one race at full speed all summer would be a major risk and it is understood Prescod does not want to be considered for the team if he is not in good enough shape to make the world final in Doha.

His absence would be a significant blow to a British team short of genuine individual medal contenders. Dina Asher-Smith (100m and 200m), Katarina Johnson-Thompson (heptathlon) and Muir are all expected to make the World Championships podium, while Prescod’s fellow 100m sprinter Zharnel Hughes has strong claims after winning European gold last year.

The rest of the British contingent head to Doha with varying levels of aspiration, rather than expectation, of winning a medal.

Muir has repeatedly come within touching distance of a first global outdoor medal, having finished fifth and fourth over 1500m the last two World Championships and seventh at the Olympics.

Massachusetts runners are the fastest marathoners in the United States

When it comes to marathons, it's hard to top Massachusetts. It's home to the Boston Marathon, arguably the world's most famous 26.2-mile race.

Now, a new study claims the state's marathoners are the fastest in the country.

The study was completed by a Danish research team from RunRepeat. Billed as the largest survey of race results in history and conducted in collaboration with the IAAF, its conclusions are based on data from more than 107 million race results from 1986 to 2019.

Massachusetts runners have an average marathon time of 4 hours, 4 minutes, 20 seconds, according to the study. That's nearly 14 minutes quicker than the second fastest state, Washington, which has an average of 4:18:09. Indiana ranks third at 4:18:57. For comparison, the report says Alaska (5:30) Florida (5:33) and Hawaii (6:16) are the three slowest states overall.

The average marathon time for Massachusetts women is 4:15:01, which is faster than the average time for men in more than 30 states. Massachusetts men average 3:54:31 for the marathon, according to the new study. Again, that's a big jump in time over runner-up Washington, whose men average 4:05:56.

The report is based on residency. If a runner from Massachusetts runs the New York Marathon, the result is attributed to Massachusetts.

The study doesn't explain why Massachusetts runners are faster than the rest of the country, but Danny McLoughlin of RunRepeat has a theory.

"I think that the goal of the Boston Marathon qualifying time acts as an inspiration to the people of Massachusetts," he said. "To have such a prestigious marathon in your own state that you have to reach a certain level to qualify for can act as a target for a lot of local runners and push them to a level they would not have achieved otherwise without this target hanging over them."

New Mexico ranks 44th overall in the study but its runners are getting faster. They shaved more than 27 minutes off their average marathon times over the last decade. It's one of 12 states where average times have improved over the last decade. The rest have slowed down.

New York leads the way when it comes to marathon participation, accounting for  close to 14% of all American marathoners. Massachusetts is fifth at just under 6%. Overall, participation in marathons in the U.S. peaked in 2014, with 545,390 people running 26.2 miles races.

While the overall number of marathoners has declined in the last five years, the number of women running marathons has been on the rise, according to the study. In Florida and Illinois, the two states that have the most female marathoners, there are actually more women running the distance than men.

Runners from all 50 states participate in the Boston Marathon every year, where these finish times have a practical application. Marathon organizers have tightened general qualifying standards by 5 minutes across the board for the 2020 race. A 40-year-old man now has to run 3:10 to qualify. A 40-year-old woman has to run 3:40.

Over the last few years, just having a qualifying time isn't good enough to get into the iconic race, which has a cap on participants. According to Runner's World, more than 7,000 qualified runners were not accepted into this year's race. You had to be nearly 5 minutes faster than your age and gender qualifying time to get a coveted bib.

After 35 years, the Louisville Triple Crown of Running race series has been cancelled

The series consists of the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic, the Rodes City Run 10K and the Papa John's 10 Miler.

The Triple Crown Race Committee decided to discontinue the series because of a steady decline in participation and sponsorship dollars amid rising operating costs, according to a news release. The committee worked with people and organizations to try to address these challenges before the 2020 season but was unable to reach a solution. The 2019 edition has already taken place.

The series benefited the WHAS Crusade for Children, and it has contributed more than $2 million to local charities.

Nearly 20,000 runners participated in at least one of the three races each year, and nearly 4,000 runners completed the annual series, according to the LTCOR website.

Aimee Boyd, vice president of communications for the Kentucky Derby Festival, said in an email: “The miniMarathon was part of the Triple Crown of Running in the early years. We appreciated the partnership and know it’s become a staple in Louisville. We hate to see that it’s going away. Because the running community is so supportive of the Derby Festival, we’d be open to conversations about creating a running series that feeds into the mini and Marathon.”

Hellen Obiri is having the season of her life and seemingly nothing will stop her attempt of lighting up the World in Doha

By all means, Hellen Obiri is having the season of her life and seemingly nothing will stop her attempt to etch her name amongst Kenya’s athletics folklore.

If her exploits on the track so far this year is anything to go by, she could break the ceiling when the 2019 IAAF World Athletic Championships get underway in Doha, Qatar on September 28.

The month of March was particularly monumental for her what with the World Cross Country triumph in Aarhus, Denmark which earned her a spot in the track greats, having emerged as the first female runner with senior crowns in the IAAF World outdoor (3,000m), World Indoor (5,000m) and World Cross Country Championships (10km).

She reckons it is the toughest win of her career having had to shake off an absorbing Aarhus terrain to reign supreme.

Given that the cross county victory was her debut; she observes that was the best highlight for the first half of the year.

“So far the year has been fantastic for me because I made my debut in World Cross Country and I won.

“That was a good start to form me. We are in the middle of the season and given that we have three months before the year ends, I’m   sure it will be my best,” She told Citizen Digital.

Her meteoric rise has seen her stage strong performances in both indoor and outdoor games and she is leaving nothing to chance in her preparations.

“We are working hard, my coach and my manager are working hard to make sure that everything I need is in place.

“The aim at the moment is to establish my weaknesses and also the areas I need to improve on so that I’m ready for the World Championships,” she added.

Canadian Sasha Gollish is set to race the TCS New York City Marathon this fall

Sasha Gollish will join defending champion Mary Keitany, 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden, 2019 Boston champion Worknesh Degefa, and half-marathon world record-holder Joyciline Jepkosgei on the start line on Staten Island in November. 

Sinead Diver of Australia, 2019 Comrades Marathon champion Gerda Steyn of South Africa and Americans Sara Hall, Allie Kieffer, Lindsey Scherf and Kellyn Taylor round out the exceptionally deep field of women athletes racing New York this year.

On the men’s side, notable names include defending champion Lelisa Desisa, 2017 champion Geoffrey Kamworor, Somali-American Abdi Abdirahman, Ethiopians Shura Kitata and Tamirat Tola and American Jared Ward, who finished eighth at this year’s Boston Marathon.

Gollish had a long and successful career in track and cross-country, winning bronze in the 1,500m at the 2015 Pan Am Games before attempting her debut marathon attempt at Berlin last year. 

She was forced to drop out just after the 30K mark with severe cramping, but had a very successful comeback at Houston in January, finishing in 2:32 just behind fellow Canadian Malindi Elmore, who was also taking her first stab at the marathon distance.

Gollish, it should be pointed out, has the world championship standard in the marathon (2:37:00), and so far only Lyndsay Tessier has been named to Team Canada. Athletics Canada will announce the full team on August 26.

71-year old Jeannie Rice, Finishes Akron Half Marathon in Record Time for her age group clocking 1:37:07

The second race in the Akron Children's Hospital Akron Marathon Race Series included a record-setting performance. 

The Goodyear Half Marathon and 10K began at the normally closed-to-the-public Goodyear test track Saturday morning. When the course ended at Goodyear's Global Headquarters, 71-year old Jeannie Rice of Mentor unofficiallly broke the world record for her age group with a half-marathon time of 1:37:07. 

"And I see the times and I know I had it. I finish and I told a couple ladies who were there, ‘I did it! I made a world record!’ It was a great feeling."

Rice said she's been running for 35 years and has never been impeded by an injury. She's completed a number of races and will run in the full Akron marathon in September. She typically runs 15 miles a week but has upped that to 60 miles per week to prepare for the marathon. 

More than 2,500 athletes, both runners and walkers, participated in the event, which was sold out. Dylan Garritano from Akron and Emma McCarron from Mansfield were the respective winners in the men’s and women’s races, finishing at 1:10:20 and 1:23:12. The 10k titles were taken by Nathaniel Hunter Moore from Uniontown and Lydia Hochstein from Cleveland finishing in 33:14 and 39:13.

The Goodyear Half Marathon & 10k welcomed runners from 25 states, with ages 11 to 80 competing.

Katie Mackey, the only three-time winner in the race’s history, and Tripp Hurt, the reigning USA 1 Mile Road Champion, lead the fields for the 24th Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile

Katie Mackey, the only three-time winner in the race’s history, and Tripp Hurt, the reigning USA 1 Mile Road Champion, lead the fields for the 24th Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile on August 17, organizers announced today. The mile is part of the Falmouth Track Festival, held the evening before the New Balance Falmouth Road Race.

The Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile will begin at 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, on the James T. Kalperis Track at Falmouth High School. Total prize purse for the men’s and women’s fields is $15,000, not including possible time bonuses, with the winners each taking home $3,500.

Beginning with the SBLI Family Fun Run and followed by the Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile and the Tommy Cochary High School Mile, the track festival will be streamed live on the New Balance Falmouth Road Race Facebook page beginning at 4 p.m.

Mackey, 31, is the 2017 USA 1-Mile Road Champion, 2018 USATF Club Cross Country Champion, American record-holder in the 4x1500m relay, and was eighth at 3000 meters in the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Hurt, 26, was third at this year’s USATF Indoor Championships in the 2 Mile and is a two-time USATF Outdoor Championships steeplechase finalist.

Also among the headliners in the women’s race is Heather Kampf, a member of the same medal-winning relay team as Mackey and a four-time USA 1 Mile Road Champion. After three events, Kampf and Hurt lead the standings in the 2019 Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour, on which the Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile is the fourth stop.

Challenging Mackey and Kampf will be Cory McGee, who was fourth in the 2015 Pan American Games at 1500 meters and won the Sir Walter Miler on August 2 in 4:27.87; Stephanie Garcia, a two-time member of Team USA at the IAAF World Championships in the 3000-meter steeplechase (2011, 2015); Allie Buchalski, 2018 NCAA 5000-meter runner-up; Jessica Harris, third at 1500 meters in the 2019 NCAA Championships; Lianne Farber, a three-time All-American at the University of North Carolina who runs for Team New Balance Boston; Eleanor Fulton, a two-time member of Team USA for the mixed relay at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships (2017, 2019); Vanessa Fraser, fourth in the 2018 NCAA 5000 meters; Dana Giordano, third at 1500 meters in 2016 NCAA Championships, who competes on the B.A.A. High Performance Team and has a family home in Woods Hole; and Heather MacLean, a Massachusetts state champion out of Peabody High School and an All-American while at UMass-Amherst who just finished seventh at USATF Outdoor Nationals in a personal best 4:05.27.

For the men, Tripp will face Josh Thompson, third at 1500 meters at the 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships; Garrett Heath, two-time USA 1 Mile Road Champion (2013, 2015); Pat Casey, the 2018 NACAC silver medalist at 1500 meters; Patrick Joseph, a member of Virginia Tech’s 2018 NCAA Indoor Champion Distance Medley team and fourth in the mile; Daniel Herrera, Mexico’s national record-holder in the mile; Riley Masters, 2018 USA 1 Mile Road Champion; David Ribich, two-time NCAA Division II 1500-meter champion (2017, 2018); Mason Ferlic, 2016 NCAA Champion in the 3000-meter steeplechase; Craig Nowak, a two-time All-American while at Oklahoma State; and Garrett O’Toole, the 2018 Ivy League indoor mile champion who now competes for Arizona State.  

O’Toole, whose 4:01.89 mile while running for The Middlesex School was the fastest high school mile in the U.S. in 2014, won the Tommy Cochary High School Mile here in 2013, and still holds the meet record. At the Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile, O’Toole will be attempting to break the 4-minute barrier for the first time.

The Aetna Falmouth Elite Mile, which began in 1995, has played host to more than two dozen Olympians, including Morgan Uceny, Amy Rudolph, Carmen Douma-Hussar, Carrie Tollefson, Suzy Hamilton, Donn Cabral, Marc Davis, Robert Gary, Jason Pyrah, 2012 Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano and two-time Olympic medalist Nick Willis of New Zealand. The event records are held by Hamilton (4:25.27, 2002) and Jordan McNamara (3:54.89, 2011).

Even Triple Bypass Surgery does not stop Boston Marathon Director Dave McGillivray from doing his annual birthday run

I have said My Game, My Rules about a million times over the years and today I put it to good use.  Even though my 65th birthday (a big one) is not until next week, my work schedule is so crazy that I decided to do my annual birthday run today.  

However, I changed the rules this time.  Given my triple bypass surgery only 10 months ago and given that I know I have not completely recovered or healed by any means and that I still really do need to be cautious, I decided that I would do a “duathlon” and run a marathon distance (26.2-miles) and then bike the remainder (39-miles) and so that is what I did.

I actually felt pretty good the entire day but I’ve only biked three times this year so that was a little ugly.  

Good friends Ron Kramer and Josh Nemzer were very kind and stopped by to do some of it with me.  On the one hand, I feel a little disappointed I couldn’t run the entire 65-miles as I have run my birthday run since I was 12-years-old but on the other hand putting it all in perspective,

I just have to feel fortunate I was able to do this.  I’ve always said I was a marathoner so my new goal will be to run a marathon on my birthday run for as long as I possibly can and finish up the rest by bike.  I think that is a more sane goal going forward...don’t you agree? 

Of course, never say never!!  And by the way, I just can’t believe I am 65-years-old now...how did that happen?

(Dave McGillivray is the director of the Boston Marathon and several other races including the upcoming Falmouth Road Race happening Sunday.)

The side effects of doping are bad and it is just not worth doing it in the first place

At first, the Kenyan marathoner felt invincible. Racing out beyond the pack, his energy levels buoyed by blood doping, nothing seemed to stand in the way of victory.

"At 35 kilometres, I started getting cramps," the athlete told AFP on condition of anonymity, recalling the 2012 race in Europe where his health starting failing.

"I then started limping from 36-37 kilometres until I crossed the finish line."

Remarkably, he still finished second and recorded a personal best, returning home from the European race with a silver medal and a tidy pot of prize money.

Elated at the result, and unaware of the health risks associated with erythropoietin (EPO) abuse, the 35-year-old started doping again.

The pain came roaring back, worse than before. EPO boosts the capacity of blood to carry oxygen to the muscles but its misuse can cause a host of serious complications.

"I feel pain in my chest, my muscles are sore and I cough a lot," he said, describing common side effects of EPO, a peptide hormone banned by the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) since the early 1990s.

By 2016, he was forced off the track into early retirement, and has not run since.

"All I knew, was that once you dope, you end up running well. I never knew there would be such problems," he said.

Kenya barely survived a string of high-profile doping scandals in 2016 that almost saw the African nation celebrated for its distance runners barred from the Rio Olympics.

Since then, Kenya has increased its testing of athletes 10-fold through a new anti-doping authority and tough new laws also threaten users and their dealers with criminal sanctions.

But EPO use has not been stamped out, say Kenyan athletes, suppliers of the substance and anti-doping officials.

There are thousands of professional runners registered with Kenya's athletic federation, but only a handful of elite competitors are regularly screened by the national doping watchdog ADAK.

The lure to rise above the pack is strong.

"When life becomes difficult, you look for an option to make ends meet," said the former Kenyan athlete, who has struggled to make a living after his health deterioration from EPO abuse.

"I was told if I used it, I'd run much better. But now I have missed out on everything."

The Anti-Doping Agency in Kenya (ADAK) has run awareness campaigns under its slogan "Stay Clean, Win Right", trying to educate athletes on the harms of abusing performance enhancing drugs.

"They try, but it's not enough. Not everyone on the field has received the information," the athlete told AFP.

He said athletes themselves needed to spread the word about the dangers of doping.

"I would encourage them not to dope, because even if they made money... they could also damage their bodies."

Alasdair Mcilroy will be taking part in his first half marathon dedicating every step to his best friend who died from cancer last year

Alasdair Mcilroy is taking on the Scottish Half Marathon in Edinburgh next month in aid of Cancer Research UK and in memory of pal Des Devine who died aged just 54 last October.

The pair were firm friends for decades sharing a love for sports including golf, rugby, rallying, cricket and football.

They were both members of Hawick Opera Company and when Des married his wife Sasha at Heiton’s Roxburghe Hotel in 2008, Alasdair was best man.

“Des had an immeasurable impact on so many lives including my own and I was honored to be his best man on his wedding day,” Alasdair, 47, said.

“His zest for life was all too obvious with every single thing he did. He loved sport and socializing.

“He took challenges on with positivity and as long as people continue to remember him, speak of him and love him then Des will never truly be gone. His battle with cancer was faced up to with great dignity.

“Through his fight, he was still more interested in everyone else’s life and plans.

“The finish line of the Scottish half marathon will be an emotional moment of personal reflection and I’ll dedicate my efforts to Des.”

Des, who moved from the Borders to Inverness in 2004, was diagnosed with bowel and liver cancer in October 2013, five weeks before his 50th birthday. After two major operations and chemotherapy he was well enough to return to his love for sport, traveling, music and drama by summer 2014.

A talented musician, he was a singer with the Rooty Ma Toot Big Band and also a keen member of the Inverness Musical Theater company and the Florians drama club.

But last year cancer spread to his bones and he died at the Highland Hospice, Inverness with his wife Sasha by his side.

Kilian Jornet of Spain and Switzerland's Maude Mathys smashed the respective course records at the Sierre-Zinal in Switzerland, the fifth race in the 2019 World Mountain Running Association on Sunday

Jornet clocked 2:25:35 over the 31km course to break the 2:29:12 record set by Jonathan Wyatt in 2003. Mathys was even more dominant, clocking 2:49:20 to clip more than five minutes from the previous mark of 2:54:26 set by Czech Anna Pichrtova in 2008. 

The iconic race, which starts in the Valais town of Sierre and climbs to the village of Zinal, has a total ascent of 2200m and 1100m of descent and features a course offering views of five of the area’s 4000-meter peaks, lending it the nickname, the "Five 4000s Race”.

Jornet broke away early, soon after leaving Sierre and had built a two minute advantage over 2016 winner Petro Mamu by the Ponchette checkpoint seven kilometres into the race. Between the Chandolin and Hotel Weisshorn checkpoints, Jornet eased the pace, allowing Mamu to reduce the gap to 1:27.

From Weisshorn, at 2337m the course's highest point, the race once again picked up steam. The key for Jornet was his powerful performance on the uphill sections, normally the weaker part of his race. While Mamu continued to chip away at the lead, Jornet held on, beating the Eritrean by 42 seconds to take his seventh victory at the event. Mamu clocked 2:26:17, also well inside the previous record.

Jim Walmsley of the US, who last May clocked a world best over 50 miles (80.46km), rounded out the podium in 2:31:52, a solid performance in his European trail and mountain running debut. Juan Carlos Carrera of Mexico and Robbie Simpson of Great Britain completed the top five, clocking 2:32:52 and 2:33:55, respectively.

Briton Andrew Douglas finished sixth to solidify his lead in the WMRA World Cup standings. With 450 points, the Briton has pieced together an unassailable lead with two races remaining in the series.

Mathys, who raced to the European title last year, dominated the women's contest, padding her lead with each passing kilometre before beating compatriot Judith Wyder by exactly five minutes. Wyder's 2:54:20 was also faster than the previous course record.

Italy's Silvia Rampazzo was third in 2:56:17 to finish off the podium. New Zealander Ruth Croft edged Anais Sabrie of France for fourth by just two seconds in 3:01:56. 

Irishwoman Sarah McCormack finished 12th to up her point tally in the World Cup standings to 305. Injury forced Kenyan Lucy Wambui, one of the pre-race favorites, out early on, solidifying McCormack's chances for her overall World Cup title bid.

The WMRA World Cup resumes on 14 September at the Drei Zinnen in Sexten, in the heart of Italy's Dolomites before its traditional conclusion at the Smarna Gora race just outside the Slovenian capital Ljubljana on 12 October.

Scotland’s marathon record holder Callum Hawkins is turning up the heat in preparation for Doha

Callum Hawkins hopes that subjecting himself to heat chamber therapy, twilight training and running at altitude will set him up to win a medal at this autumn’s IAAF World Athletics Championships.

Hawkins is selected to represent Britain in the marathon in Doha, where the temperatures can hit 35 degrees in late September and early October, when the championships are being held.

The potential heat and humidity has prompted race organisers to choose a start time of one minute before midnight for the men’s marathon on 5 October, and Hawkins has decided to adjust his usual build up for major races to try to acclimatise to the challenging conditions and unconventional start time in the Qatar capital.

Hawkins, who was admitted to hospital after collapsing in unbearably warm conditions during the marathon at the Commonwealth Games in Australia last year, has already been running in the University of the West of Scotland’s environmental chamber to build resistance to the hot conditions.

Speaking after winning Bella-houston Harriers’ Brian Goodwin Memorial 10k in Glasgow on Friday night, the Kilbarchan AAC athlete said he was determined to “get the monkey off my back” in the next major championships.

“The fact it is a night time race in Doha makes it more favorable,” Hawkins said. “The sun is the worst thing, so taking that factor out should take away a bit of the harshness of the heat.”

Marathon-specific training tailored towards Doha is still around six weeks away for Hawkins, but preparation  is set to ramp up shortly.

On July 3, Hawkins will commence altitude training in Flagstaff, Arizona, before he flies to Majorca for further warm weather training. Under the guidance of coach and father Robert, Hawkins will punctuate his schedule with the Beach to Beacon 10k in Maine in early August, and a half marathon in early September – likely the Great North Run – on the agenda.

A further trip to Dubai to join the other British athletes selected for Doha in a pre-championships training camp has also been built into Hawkins’ schedule, and it is during these final couple of weeks of training that he will begin to adjust his body clock.

Eamonn Gribben the founder of a South Tyneside nursery is taking part in the Great North Run, to raise money for children under his care with life-limiting conditions

Eamonn Gribben, 59, is director of the Early Learning Partnership, which runs nurseries throughout South Tyneside. For his third half marathon, he has chosen four special children to raise funds for, all of whom attend a different nursery in the borough.

Eamonn is hoping to raise £4,000 - £1,000 each - for the children and their families, in the hopes of making a positive impact on their lives and providing them with support for their future.

“In my 20 years at the nurseries, I’ve seen a lot of suffering and I just wanted to do something positive,” said Eamonn, who lives in The Nook, South Shields.

“As a nursery we’re trying to do as much as we can and I wanted to physically do something to raise money and awareness, supporting children who all have unique disabilities and needs.”

He added: “We know the parents, so we understand the needs of the child, so I wanted to give the money directly to the parents and the children.”

Eamonn will be joined on the day by Lee Sinclair, dad to four-year-old Carter, who suffers from spina bifida and previously attended Harton Village Kindergarten. Last year Eamonn raised more than £1,000 for the youngster.

“As I ran it for Carter last year I wanted other children to get a chance,” he explained.

“The families have been overwhelmed that we would want to raise money for them.”

Runners need to eat wisely to run well and to stay healthy

As a runner, you have two jobs. One is to eat wisely to run well. The other is to stay healthy. That includes sleeping well, eating well, and living well.  Wellness was the theme of the 35th Annual Symposium for the more than 7,000 sports dietitians who are members of SCAN, the Sports and Cardiovascular Nutrition dietary practice group (SCANdpg.org) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Here are some highlights that offer food for thought and tips for health:

• Health claims made about coconut oil are misleading. They were created by marketing gurus using research based on medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, not coconut oil. Coconut oil does contain MCTs, but primarily lauric acid, a MCT that behaves like a long chain saturated fat in terms of digestion and metabolism. Lauric acid raises bad (LDL) cholesterol, inflammation, coagulation and insulin resistance (1).

One tablespoon of coconut oil has 13.5 grams saturated fat. Given the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat intake to less than 7% of total calories, that’s only 15.5 grams a day per 2,000 calories. Runners with high LDL would be wise to use coconut oil only sparingly.

• Does drinking 1 to 2 glasses of wine a day offer positive health benefits? Perhaps not, given there are 25 alcohol-related diseases, to say nothing of links between alcohol and certain cancers, CVD, intestinal issues, injuries from accidents, and suicide. Unless you are among the estimated 35% of Americans who abstain from alcohol, the least harmful way to drink is to limit alcohol to one to two drinks only three to four times a week (not daily). And be sure that one drink is actually just one standard drink (6 oz wine, 12 oz beer, 1.5 oz spirits)—and not the “bartender’s special.”

• Lutein (in egg yolk, spinach, avocado, dark green, and yellow and orange foods) is important for eye health; it curbs age-related macular degeneration. Lutein is also good for your brain and is associated with a reduced risk for dementia. Adults with normal brain function have three times more lutein in their brain than those with cognitive impairment. Enjoy lots of colorful fruits and veggies to consume the recommended lutein intake.

• Knowledge is necessary, but not sufficient, for runners to make sustained lifestyle changes that improve their health. We change our behaviors based on our values. For example, vegetarians generally express concern about the environment and animal welfare. In light of environmental concerns, seems like we need public health campaigns that focus on values, so that more people will eat less meat, waste less food, and choose fewer snacks in single-serve plastic containers.

• Runners can easily lose sleep by going to bed too late, drinking too much coffee, having sleep apnea, and needing to urinate during the night. Sleep loss is associated with accidents, metabolic disorders, weight gain, and hunger (due to increases in the hunger-hormone grehlin). Exercise does not protect against the harmful effects of sleep deprivation. Routinely dragging yourself out of bed in the morning to run might not be a wise plan. Seven hours of sleep a night are recommended to avoid sleep deprivation.

There are times when running indoor on a treadmill might be the best solution

Summertime might make living easier. But running? Not so much. With record-high temperatures and humidity reaching 90 percent, chasing miles on the treadmill makes for a much better, less insanely sweaty run than the open road. Of course, getting outside for sunshine and fresh air provides its mental and physical benefits, but sometimes it really is better to find your stride on a machine.

Here, some of the benefits of running on a treadmill vs. outside, and six scenarios that say, "hey, let's stay inside and cruise through some distance in the comfort of AC and the predictability of tread terrain."

1. When simply standing on a street corner makes you sweat.

Check the weather before you even leave the house, says David Siik, co-founder and creative director at Precision Run. He suggests only attempting short runs on those 80- and 90-degree days when the humidity hits 40 percent or higher. "Heat indexes of 95 degrees or higher is my recommended breaking point—just don't do it, it's not worth it," he says. "If you do head out and within 10 minutes you feel like you are working harder than usual, feel heavy, or start to feel a little cold and clammy, get back inside.”

Marni Wasserman, a coach at Mile High Run Club, recommends checking the dew point, which considers both heat and humidity. When the dew point hits 70 or 80 degrees, you probably want to turn to the tread. 

2. When you're making your comeback post-injury.

One of the major benefits of running on a treadmill is that it's a softer surface and therefore less force on your joints. While running on trails or a track offer more give than pavement, many manufacturers design treadmills to specifically absorb the shock of each step. 

Running on a treadmill also means you don't have to worry about moving laterally to dodge sticks, trees, cars, or people, says Siik. 

3. When you need more motivation to speed through intervals.

It's easy to slow down on the open road during running interval workouts, even when you're trying to get in some sprint drills and all-out efforts because you don't have someone (or something) forcing you to move faster. The treadmill, on the other hand, requires you to go hard to keep up with the belt. "The treadmill is painfully honest. It cannot lie to you," says Siik. "If you put in 10 mph, the treadmill will hold you accountable to that speed unless you change it or step off. That freedom from the ability to cheat is a wonderful accountability tool."

Another benefit of running on the treadmill is that you can make micro-adjustments to your run that gets you to push harder without making it crazy dramatic—say adding 0.1 percent incline or 0.1 mph. "This creates a type of engagement that makes the run so much more fun and dynamic," says Siik. 

4. When you don't have hills in your 'hood.

If you live in a mostly flat area, but you've signed up for a race with steep incline climbs, then you'll want to become BFFs with the treadmill. "If you have access to the course elevation profile, you can try to mimic it on the tread to make long runs more interesting. Or, if you take the inclines faster, you can get a feel for the climbs at race pace," says Wasserman.

She recommends doing rolling hills at 3 to 6 percent incline when you don't have the course to copy. "You can also play around with hill sprints to build leg strength, improve form, and boost power—they're really tough and will make you feel like you're flying once you drop the hill," she says. Not to mention, it's a lot easier than finding the perfect hill to do sprint repeats IRL.

5. When you want to protect your skin.

Crushing runs outside multiple days a week means the sun continuously beats down on you, especially if you forget sweat-proof sunscreen before you head out the door. So you might want to go inside occasionally just to keep your skin under cover, says Siik. 

”Although you should enjoy running outdoors, if you supplement the 'harsh' days (heavy exposed sun and high heat or cold, windy, slippery weather) you lift the burden and fatigue on not only your body but your skin," he says. "Imagine spending 40 percent less of your life being destroyed by the sun or chapped from the wind but keeping up the same level of fitness and cardiovascular health—win, win!"