Running News Daily

Nigerian Olude Fadekemi vows to reclaim Access Bank Lagos City Marathon title

After being beaten to the first position among Nigerian (female) runners at the 2018 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, Olude Fadekemi has vowed to reclaim her crown at next month’s race.

Olude who is the current National Record holder in the 20km Walk Race finished as the number one Nigeria woman at the 2017 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, but she dropped to second place in 2018; losing the crown to Deborah Pam.

To reclaim the number one position at the 2019 Marathon, Olude revealed that she has since stepped up her training schedule and she is equally working extra hard to ensure that she comes tops this term.

“I was not too happy that I could not defend my title last year, I only finished in second place but this year I want the first position again, “she said in a statement issued by Olukayode Thomas, Head Media and Communications for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.

Olude who had a memorable 2018 in which she represented Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games in Australia and also emerged as a gold medal winner at the National Sports Festival among many other accomplishments said she is keen to start 2019 brightly with a win at the Lagos Marathon.

“The year 2018 was very good for me but of course I want 2019 to be better starting with the Lagos Marathon,” Olude revealed.

Switzerland's Tadesse Abraham going after European record at Dubai Marathon

Switzerland’s Tadesse Abraham has his sights set on going after the European marathon record at the 2019 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on Friday (January 25).

Despite Farah cutting the European Record to 2:05:11 at the Chicago Marathon just three months ago, Eritrean-born Abraham is gearing up for a full-on assault on the time when he makes his debut appearance at the Middle East’s only IAAF Gold Label Marathon.

If he breaks the record, it will signify the climax of a remarkable journey for the 36-year-old. Born and raised in Eritrea, Abraham had to run 20km to school each day at an altitude of 2,400m before embarking on a running career that saw him represent the country of his birth at the World Junior Cross Country Championships in 2004.

The same year, he took the courageous step of leaving his team and moving to Switzerland to start a new life. And while it was a drawn-out affair to get Swiss citizenship, he was finally eligible to compete for his adopted homeland at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich where he finished ninth and helped Switzerland to the bronze medal in the marathon team event.

Since then he was won gold at the 2016 European Half Marathon Championships and finished fourth at the 2016 Seoul Marathon where he set his current personal best of 2:06:40.

Breaking Farah’s European Record would mean shaving more than a minute off his own PB but it has always been a personal goal and Abraham is focused on giving it his best over Dubai’s notoriously flat and fast route.

“I love my job as a runner and I treat it with great respect, which means not only strictly adhering to my training programme but also giving it my full concentration,” said Abraham. 

Prague Marathon champion Bornes Jepkirui will be heading the Kenyan runners at the Osaka Women’s Marathon

Jepkirui ran a well calculated first half of the race to take leadership from Amane Gobena of Ethiopia, who had crossed the 25km marker in 1:24.40 in Prague, clocking 2:24:19.

She crossed the finish line ahead of Ethiopians Belaynesh Oljira (2:25:13) and Amane Gobena, who finished third in 2:27:43. 

Jepkirui will be running alongside her compatriot Eunice Jeptoo.

Last year’s Osaka Marathon was dominated by Japanese women, with Mizuki Matsuda taking the title and Honami Maeda and Yuko Ando coming in second and third respectively.

Jeptoo, the defending champion of the Eindhoven Marathon in Netherlands, will be the athlete to beat at the Osaka Women’s Marathon, having clocked 2:26:13 in October in her win at the Eindhoven Marathon.

The 2019 Osaka race is also part of Japan’s Marathon Grand Championship series, a group of qualifying races for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic marathon team trial race.

There will also be Izabela Trzaskalska of Poland, who has a marathon best of 2:29:56. Japanese athletes are led by Nagoya marathon silver medalist Yuko Ando (2:21:36), Honami Maeda and Mizuki Matsuda.

Jeannie Rice missed the world record but sets a new National Record for the Half Marathon

Jeannie Rice missed her mark at the 2019 Naples Daily News Half Marathon, but a national record is pretty good consolation.

At Sunday’s race, Rice had her sights on taking down the world record for fastest half marathon by a woman 70 years old or older. It wasn’t a far-fetched goal – in October the part-time Bonita Springs resident broke the marathon world record for women over 70.

Rice finished in 1:38:41.9, missing the record by 1 minute and 3 seconds. However, her mark set the American record for the half marathon 70 plus.

"From the start, I knew,” Rice said about failing to break the world record. “It was around 70 degrees and humid. I didn’t want to die at the end, so I went at a slower pace.”

In the week leading up to the race, the forecast called for temperatures in the 50s – perfect for running. But with the temperature around 67 degrees Sunday morning, Rice knew it was too warm for her to go too fast.

The national record Rice broke technically was her own. When she set the marathon record in October, USA Track and Field used her time at the 13.1-mile mark of the race as the new record.

Rice had moral support from her friends in Cleveland, where she works as a real estate agent. Four members of her Northeast (Ohio) Running Club joined her in Naples to run the race. Rice crossed the line with NERC member Craig Pulling, who was running in the race for the first time.

“It was humid,” Pulling said. “I’m not used to running in this weather. I’ve been training all winter, and this was a lot harder and a lot slower (than running in the cold).”

Kenyan´s Cosmas Lagat and Ethiopian´s Worknesh Alemu win the Tata Mumbai Marathon

Cosmas Lagat of Kenya and Worknesh Alemu of Ethiopia surprised pre-race favorites to win the men’s and women’s crowns respectively in the Tata Mumbai Marathon Sunday (Jan 20).  They shared in the $405,000US of prize money. 

Lagat, winner of the Sevilla Marathon in 2016, made the marathon in this coastal city his own over the last 10k to storm home in 2:09:15, the second-best time in the 16-year history of the race.

The course record of 2:08:35, made in 2016, just barely survived as the long-legged Lagat’s onslaught after he left behind all his rivals.

In second place was Aychew Bantie of Ethiopia in 2:10:05 and Akalnew Shumet, also from Ethiopia, took the third spot in 2:10:14. The man with the best time going into the race, Kuma, finished seventh in 2:13:10 after he was with the lead bunch of 10 runners, including some pacers, on the sea link after 19k before the bunch split up.

The women’s race Ethiopian Alemu took charge with 12k left in the race.

She came home all alone well in front of the others, including pre-race favorite, compatriot and defending champion Amane Gobena, in 2:25:45, which was outside the course record.

Gobena came in second in 2:26:09 while another Ethiopian woman, Birke Debele, was third in 2:26:39 to mark a clean sweep for the African nation.

Significantly, India’s Sudha Singh finished on top among the Indian runners while setting at a personal best of 2:34:56, but also dipped well under the qualifying mark of 2:37:00 set by IAAF for the September-October Doha World Championships.

Singh, a 3,000 m steeplechase specialist and winner of gold and silver medals in two Asian Games, finished 8th overall, ahead of former champion Dinkesh Mekash of Ethiopia who finished in 9th spot in 2:36:31. Her earlier personal best in the marathon was 2:35:35 that she clocked while finishing 19th in the 2015 Beijing World Championships.

Uganda’s teen phenomenon Jacob Kiplimo ran to victory at the Cross Internacional de Italica

Uganda’s teen phenomenon Jacob Kiplimo and Kenya’s world steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech captured commanding victories at the Cross Internacional de Itálica in Santiponce.

Held on a pleasant and dry afternoon with the temperature about 66F (19C), the men’s 9.9km event didn’t kick off particularly fast as a large pack covered the opening two kilometers in 5:50, led by Bahrain’s Albert Rop while the main favorites ran conservatively in these early stages.

The following 1.95km circuit took a faster 5:38 with eight men still in the heading group which included Rop, the Ugandan trio of Kiplimo, world 10,000m silver medallist Joshua Cheptegei and Mande Bushendich, Kenya’s Vincent Rono, Morocco’s world steeplechase silver medalist Soufiane El Bakkali and the Spanish pair of Toni Abadía and David Palacio who were fresh from respective performances of 7:47:60 an 7:54:33 over 3000m indoors last Friday in Valencia. Morocco’s 2012 Olympic 1500m bronze medalist Abdelaati Iguider dropped out during the second lap.

At halfway Abadía moved to the front and shared the lead for a while with the top Africans but shortly afterwards it was the teen phenomenon Kiplimo who injected a brisker pace which could only be followed by Cheptegei, Rop, Rono and the long-legged El Bakkali.

Kiplimo’s relentless rhythm – a frantic 5:23 for the fourth loop – soon paid off and he only had Cheptegei for company some 18 minutes into the race and they built a huge margin on Rop, Rono and El Bakkali.

Defending champion Cheptegei, who was aiming to match his fellow Ugandan Matthew Kisorio’s achievement of back-to-back titles (2008 and 2009) could only stay with Kiplimo for four minutes as his younger compatriot unleashed a devastating kick with the clock reading 22:10 to open a sizable margin on him already inside the closing lap. To the astonishment of the assembled crowd, Kiplimo effectively ended the race in a matter of seconds as Cheptegi proved to be unable to follow in his footsteps.

A stellar Kiplimo even smiled to the crowd during the last lap, his ease suggesting he still had another gear if necessary, while Rop began to threaten Cheptegei’s runner-up place way back.

The closing lap only took 5:15 for the 18-year-old leader and he romped home unopposed to claim his fourth victory of the current IAAF Cross Country Permit series and avenge his defeat from 12 months ago. Cheptegei managed to keep Rop at bay to take the runner-up spot.

“I decided to run conservatively for the first half of the race, then I changed the pace and felt great until the end,” said an all-smiles Kiplimo. The Ugandan rising star confirmed he will contest the senior race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Aarhus 2019 on 30 March, even though he would be young enough to defend his U20 title.

Asked about his chances of breaking the world 10,000m record on the track after his impressive 26:41 road performance in Madrid, he said: “why not? That’s a long-term goal in my career.”

Kenyan´s Albert Korir, and Ethiopian´s Biruktayit Degefa were the Chevron Houston Marathon winners

Ethiopian women had already created their own Chevron Houston Marathon dynasty. But Biruktayit Degefa has taken this thing a step further, deciding to corner the market herself.

Degefa won Houston for the first time in her third visit in 2016, when she was 25. On Sunday, she won for the third time in four years while becoming the first woman to repeat as champion since 2010. And the one time she hasn't prevailed of late, in 2017, she crossed second, just 26 seconds back. Nor has she ever finished worse than fourth.

No wonder Degefa refers to H-town as "my hometown."

"When I prepare to come, I really get excited," she said. "On this occasion, I would like to thank Houston for the hospitality."

We, in turn, would like to thank her for her consistent excellence, although she expressed disappointment that the personal-best 2:23:28 she posted on a sunny, chilly morning run through the city's streets from downtown to the Galleria area and back fell 14 seconds short of the course record, something she very much wants to own before she's done.

"I came prepared to break it," Degefa said, "but it was colder (than I expected), and that made it difficult."

Korir didn't threaten the men's course record, but he's only 24, and who's to say he won't eventually collect a head full of cowboy hats — always awarded to Houston's winners — as well in the years ahead?

His story is an inspirational one. At 10, Korir lost his right thumb while chopping cow silage, and he soon quit going to school because he was routinely bullied. He wound up laboring for the equivalent of $5 a day to pay for food, never mind his running shoes. He'd never traveled to the United States before this weekend.

"It's good," Korir conceded, "to win on my first time."

In contrast, Houstonians who line the route have come to recognize Degefa both for her running skills and her radiance. One now-former Houstonian, Abinet Adraro, was so taken by Degefa following that first triumph that he made it a point to meet her at a dinner hosted by the local Ethiopian community. An email relationship turned into a marriage, and they split their time these days between Albuquerque, N.M., and her training grounds in Ethiopia.

Adraro, to be sure, was waiting for his wife as she crossed. Also a runner, he had completed the Aramco Half Marathon in 1:02:09.

Making a sixth consecutive Chevron start, Degefa seemed the strongest from the get-go in becoming the third woman to claim a (cowboy) hat trick. Veronique Marot (1986, 1989, 1991) and Tetyana Pozdnyakova (1995, 1999, 2000) are the other three-time winners. For the first 25 miles, however, Meseret Belete kept Gedefa's undivided attention, and should she deign to return in the future, it's a reasonable bet she'll claim a Stetson of her own.

Ethiopia’s Guye Adola, who created a sensation two years ago by recording the fastest marathon debut, is going after the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon title

Guye Adola made his debut with timing of 2:03:46 when finishing runner-up behind world record holder Eliud Kipchoge at the 2017 Berlin Marathon.

This remains the seventh fastest of all time over the classic 42.195km distance and makes him the fastest man in the elite field.

The 28-year-old Marathon Newcomer of the Year in 2017 was leading in Berlin until around the 40km before Kenya’s Olympic Champion Kipchoge finally managed to overhaul him and win by just 14 seconds.

Adola’s debut timing makes him the second fastest Ethiopian marathon runner of all time behind Kenenisa Bekele and ahead of former world record-holder and three-time Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon winner Haile Gebrselassie. “I really enjoyed everything about my marathon debut until the last few kilometers,” said Adola, who will make his third start at the marathon distance in Dubai after withdrawing from the 2018 Frankfurt Marathon due to illness in October.

In 2014, he established a 59:06 course record and personal best at the New Delhi Half Marathon. In the same year he won a bronze medal at the World Half Marathon Championships.

“Adola certainly made a name for himself in Berlin in 2017, but injury and illness have contrived to prevent him from making further inroads in the sport,” said event director Peter Connerton. “Our event has a reputation for producing fast times and this could well be the opportunity and the venue Adola needs to re-establish himself among the world’s best,” he added.

Emily Sisson is now the second fastest American woman half marathoner

Emily Sisson became the second fastest half marathon American woman in history today in Houston.  Just two days after announcing her plans to debut at the London Marathon, Sisson finished fifth overall in a time of 1:07:30 at the 2019 Houston Half Marathon. 

Her performance on Sunday was just five seconds shy of the American record of 1:07:25 set by her mentor Molly Huddle in Houston last year.

it was a cold day but Emily went for it passing the 10k mark in an amazing 31:39.  That is faster than her best road 10k

Despite the windy conditions and the confusion with pace at certain points on the course, Sisson still managed to finish just five seconds shy of the American record in a new personal best of 1:07:30. The performance improved on her previous best by almost a full minute. 

“On hindsight, I probably should have worn a watch. I’ve never done a road race where I’ve tried to run a certain time. Normally, I’m just racing competition and not thinking about the time at all so this was kind of a first for me,” she said. “I definitely learned some lessons, but I’m really happy with it.”

Defending champion Vivian Cheruiyot will defend her London Marathon title in April

Vivian Cheruiyot believes she will need to produce her "very best" to defend her London Marathon title in April as she heads a star-studded lineup, which includes winners of the last four majors.

Cheruiyot will be joined by fellow Kenyans Gladys Cherono, Brigid Kosgei and Mary Keitany, who top the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XII rankings with 25 points apiece from their wins in Berlin, Chicago and New York respectively.

Cheruiyot clocked two hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds to seal her London triumph last year ahead of three-time winner and race favourite Keitany, who finished fifth.

"It was a great moment for me winning last year's Virgin Money London Marathon and I am very much looking forward to returning in April," Cheruiyot said in a statement.

"The line-up for this year's race is, once again, incredibly strong so I know I will need to be at my very best to repeat last year's victory but it is a challenge that I'm really looking forward to. I will be ready."

Track & Field superstars Aisha Praught-Leer and Emma Coburn, will reunite in the Women’s 3,000m during the 112th NYRR Millrose Games on Saturday February 9th

Track & Field superstars Aisha Praught-Leer and Emma Coburn, who last year thrilled track & field fans with a memorable photo finish, will reunite in the Women’s 3,000m during the 112th NYRR Millrose Games on Saturday, February 9th at The Armory in Washington Heights, confirmed the Armory Foundation.

Praught-Leer and Coburn, training partners and the top two finishers in this NYRR Millrose Games event last year, return to The Armory’s New Balance Track and Field Center to do battle once again against a highly-competitive field.

“Competing at the Millrose Games is always a priority for me and I love it” Coburn said. “This year will be my fourth time racing at Millrose and I am looking forward to the great competition and special energy from the spectators. Last year’s race was a thrill and I hope to be part of another competitive race in 2019.”

Coburn is best known for her 3,000m steeplechase prowess. She pulled a stunning upset to win the gold medal at the 2017 World Championships, making her the only American to accomplish that feat. Coburn also has won an Olympic bronze medal and seven USATF championships over the barriers, and she is an accomplished flat runner as well.

Jamaica’s Praught-Leer was victorious at Millrose in 2018, as she defeated Coburn and Dominique Scott in a thrilling blanket finish where the three athletes were separated by a mere 0.08 seconds. Praught-Leer, who trains with Coburn in Boulder, Colorado, complemented her stellar career by winning gold in the steeplechase during the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Other athletes in the field include current and former NCAA standouts Weini Kelati and Elinor Purrier.

Cam Levins will run the 2019 London Marathon in one of the deepest fields in the race's history

The complete elite lists were announced on Friday for the 2019 London Marathon and Canadian marathon record holder Cam Levins was included. London is shaping up to have one of the strongest marathon fields in the race’s history.

Levins smashed the Canadian record this October at the 2018 Toronto Waterfront Marathon and Canadian Marathon Championships, running a 2:09:25. London will only be his second marathon, but the field is very strong and could pull him to a fast finish and maybe even another Canadian record.

Levins will face world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, 2018 Chicago champion Mo Farah and 2018 London runner-up Shura Kitata. The men’s marathon will be extremely competitive. With eight men who’ve run under 2:05:00, if Levins has a good day, he could do something very special at this race.

Jeannie Rice, 70, wants to break the world record for 13.1 miles in her age group at at the Naples Daily News Half Marathon

While most people slow down with age, Jeannie Rice keeps speeding up.

Just look at what the avid runner has done since turning 70 – Rice set a world record and three American records, all in 2018.

Rice aims to take down another record Sunday at the Naples Daily News Half Marathon. Her goal is to break the world record for 13.1 miles in her age group.

“It’s going to be very tight, but I am going to go for it,” Rice said.  “I would love to do it in Naples since this is my second home.”

Rice was born in Korea, moved to the United States when she was 19 and has spent most of her life as a Realtor in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. But she’s been coming to Bonita Springs seasonally since 2002 and started running in the Naples half marathon around that time.

She didn’t start running until she was in her mid-30s, but Rice quickly became competitive. While she’s been winning her age group at races across the country for years, 2018 was special.

In August, Rice set the Masters American record in the mile, winning the USA Track and Field Masters 1 Mile Championships in Michigan. Her time of 6 minutes, 38 seconds was more than two minutes faster than the previous record.

A few weeks later in September, Rice beat the national record for her age group in the 5-kilometer distance in Naples at the Gulf Coast Runners Labor Day 5K. However, her time of 21:38 is not an official record because the course was not certified by the USATF.

The highlight of the year came in Chicago in October. Not only did Rice run a marathon faster than any woman 70 years old or older in history, but she breezed past the previous world record. Rice finished the Chicago Marathon in 3:27:50 to break the record by more than six minutes.

“It was a fun year,” Rice said. “I’ve been working hard on this. It wasn’t easy, believe me. I work hard in training, but I also have fun. If it wasn’t fun, I wouldn’t be doing it.”

For her efforts, Rice has been named the USATF Female Road Runner of the Year. This year she also was voted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame.

Kenya's champion Dominic Ondoro returns to Houston Marathon eyeing to reclaim his title

Two years since he braved hot and humid conditions to win in Houston, Dominic Ondoro will lead Kenyan charge and this time most likely in the cold. 

Ondoro had a torrid start to the 2018 season losing his title last year to Ethiopian challenge. He developed complication midway the race and had to be carried out in an ambulance.

He also failed to finish in his second race of the season in Los Angeles. However, he recovered from his condition and was seventh at the Ottawa Marathon in 2:15:16 and in October he was second at the Melbourne Marathon (2:16:55).

However, he faces stiff challenge in his bid to reclaim the Houston Marathon crown with Ethiopians Abayneh Ayele (2:06:45) and Yitayal Atnafu (2:07:00) leading the elite list.

"My aim this time round, of course, is to win the race," said Ondoro on Thursday in Eldoret.

"I think the weather affected me last year, but despite all that I am ready to challenge for the honors irrespective of who else is running."

The Kenyan believes he catapulted on the global scene when he won in Houston and will always feel indebted to the city.

"Winning Houston Marathon was one of my most favorite moments in road running," said Ondoro. "I am optimistic about running a personal best time. I also see a potential of breaking the course record."

Other Kenyans in the race include Albert Korir (2:08:17), Justus Kimutai (2:09:29), Elisha Barno (2:09:45) and Henry Lelei, who will be making his debut in marathon.

"Once again, our elite team continues to draw a competitive international field," said Chevron Houston Marathon Race Director Brant Kotch.

Kenyan´s Geoffrey Kirui will race at Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon as part of his preparation for this year's Boston Marathon

World marathon champion Kirui will be keen to test his speed in Marugame as he targets a return to the winner's podium in Boston, after giving best to Japan's Yuki Kawauchi last year.

"Each year presents a different challenge, and this season I want to work hard to reach the top and defend my title at the World Championships in Qatar," said Kirui.

"That campaign starts with the Kagawa Half Marathon and I believe it is an important step for me in preparation for the Boston Marathon."

Also competing in Kagawa is Napoli Half Marathon silver medalist Shadrack Kiplagat, along with fellow Kenyans Evans Cheruiyot and Edward Waweru, who won this race last year.

Emily Sisson is really focused on running a fast time Sunday at the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon

Emily Sisson’s focus for Sunday’s Aramco Houston Half-Marathon is all about running a fast time. The Team New Balance athlete admitted, however that she’s feeling a little out of her comfort zone.

 “I’m used to racing New York Half where I’m, like, really focused on all the competition.  I’m still really focused on that here, but I’ve never run on a really fast course before, so that was never on my mind, really.  It’s a good opportunity to run fast, so I’d like to break sixty-eight minutes.  I think that’s a realistic goal.”

The American record for the half-marathon is 1:07:25, a mark which Molly Huddle set on a chilly day here one year ago.  Only Huddle, Deena Kastor (1:07:34), and Jordan Hasay (1:07:55) have broken 1:08-flat on a record-quality course (Kara Goucher ran 1:06:57 on the slightly-aided Great North Run course in England in 2007). Sisson, 27, has the road racing chops to challenge Huddle’s mark, and said that her recent training in Arizona has her in very good form.

“I feel much more fit than I was two years ago when I ran my PR in New York,” Sisson observed.  “I know Molly made a comment about (my breaking) her record.  She wouldn’t say something like that, just say something like that.  So, I’m going to take that as a compliment that she thinks I’m fit and ready to run fast.”

At the NYC Half, women run separately from the men and typically start the race cautiously.  The weather is usually cold, the course is hilly, and the athletes like to warm into their pace.  Here, Sisson will have to get on her goal pace quickly, despite the fact that it will also be cold (just above freezing at the start).  She’s a little worried about that, especially with so many sub-elite men running near her and the other top women.

“It’s so different than New York,” Sisson explained.  “In New York I feel you have a little bit of a warm-up period.  We start in the park, then go over the Manhattan Bridge.  So, you’re like jogging the first 5-K.  It will be different going straight from the gun this time.  You start with the guys, so it will be hard to hold back a little bit.”

Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray received The Sports Museum Lifetime Achievement Award, honored for his decades of service to the community

Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray received The Sports Museum Lifetime Achievement Award last night at the 80th Annual Boston Baseball Writers Dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel in Boston.

The award was introduced several years ago to honor a civic or business leader with a connection to baseball who has made contributions that have positively impacted the community. McGillivray joins other greats such as the late Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the inaugural winner in 2014, and Robert Lewis, Jr., Stacey Lucchino, Pete Frates, and Lisa Scherber of the Jimmy Fund.

“We set the bar very high here,” said Rusty Sullivan, the Executive Director of The Sports Museum. “The winner of this award needs to be a true champion of charity. He or she needs to have given back over the long-term. And he or she needs to have done so genuinely and selflessly. Dave McGillivray fits the bill in all of these respects. No one is more deserving.”

“I am humbled and honored,” said McGillivray. “As a lifelong fan, this might be the closest I’ll ever get to being a player on the Red Sox! But seriously, The Sports Museum and the baseball writers are very kind to do this and I’m so grateful for this award.”

Although McGillivray never achieved his childhood dream of playing second base for the Red Sox, his connection to Fenway Park runs deep. In 1978, he completed his historic cross-country run from Medford, Oregon to Medford, Mass., raising nearly $100,000 for the Jimmy Fund of Boston, by running into Fenway Park before a Red Sox-Mariners game and completing a lap around warning track while fans and players stood and cheered.

Last August , McGillivray celebrated the 40th anniversary of that event by again running into Fenway Park prior to the Red Sox-Indians game, where he was greeted at home plate by former Red Sox great Dwight Evans, a member of the 1978 team, and team owner Larry Lucchino.

2016 World Half Marathon bronze medallist Mary Wacera will run the Houston half Marathon as preparation for her full marathon debut

The 2016 World Half Marathon bronze medallist Mary Wacera’s preparations for her full marathon debut begins this weekend when she battles at Houston Half Marathon in the United States of America.

Wacera will run her first 42km race at this year’s Boston Marathon on April 15 and intends to use this weekend’s event as part of her build up.

She is not a stranger to the Houston streets having competed and won there before, the most memorable being her 1 hour, 06 minutes and 50 second victory last year, which was the fastest time on US soil.

“I am excited but nervous but Boston is not new to me. I have run several BAA 10Ks,” Wacera said about her upcoming marathon debut.

The half marathon specialist made her debut in road running competitions six years ago and won her first half marathon at the Saint Denis in 1:07:54.

She ran three half marathons in 2013, finishing third in the Nice and Mardi Gras half marathons and fifth at the Luanda half marathon in Angola.

But it is her win at the 2014 World’s Best 10K that raised her confidence a notch higher because she beat top names at the time including the defending champion, Joyce Chepkurui.

Having ran about 18 half marathons so far and finishing in podium positions in most of them, Wacera feels she is ripe for the longer distance.

Ugandans Jacob Kiplimo and Joshua Cheptegei will face off at the Cross Internacional de Itálica on Sunday

The pair are currently two of the world’s leading distance runners.

They clashed last year in this race, the victory going to Joshua Cheptegei on that occasion while Jacob Kiplimo finished runner-up barely one second behind so Sunday’s event will act as a rematch over the 9975m distance.

The 22-year-old Cheptegei looked destined for gold at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 before fatigue set in during the closing stages, forcing him to settle for 30th place. However, he bounced back that season by earning10,000m silver at the IAAF World Championships London 2017 in a huge career best of 26:49.94.

His 2018 accolades include a brilliant 5000/10,000m double victory at the Commonwealth Games in April and more recently a world best over 15km with a stunning 41:05 performance at the Seven Hills Run in Nijmegen on 18 November.

As for Kiplimo, still just 18, he remains unbeaten this winter season having won all four of his appearances on Spanish soil: the Atapuerca, Soria and Alcobendas Cross Country permit races plus the New Year’s eve 10km race in Madrid when he clocked an impressive 26:41, albeit on an aided course. The two Ugandan aces should play a key role at World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus on 30 March and Sunday’s race will mark the season’s first round between the pair.

Mande Bushendich might well complete the podium in what would be an Ugandan clean sweep. The 21-year-old proved to be in top form in Madrid’s New Year’s Eve 10km with a 27:24 clocking to his name.

Kenya’s Vincent Rono, a creditable seventh at the Kampala World Championships and recent winner in Venta de Baños on 16 December, will also be in contention alongside Bahrain’s Albert Rop who is fresh from a victory in Amman on 5 January.

Watch out too for Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, the reigning world 3000m steeplechase silver medallist; the 23-year-old boasts an impressive 7:58:15 career best which places him in the top-ten on the all-time lists. He will be joined by his compatriot Abdelaati Iguider, the 2012 world indoor champion and Olympic bronze medallist over 1500m.

Callum Hawkins, Lily Partridge and Dewi Griffiths are among the latest wave of British athletes named for the Virgin Money London Marathon on April 28

Callum Hawkins and Dewi Griffiths will also be running the London Marathon in April. 

Great Britain international marathoner Hawkins has fond memories in the UK capital after running 2:10:52 in 2016 before clocking 2:10:17 to finish fourth at the 2017 World Championships, while Griffiths memorably ran 2:09:49 at the Frankfurt Marathon in 2017.

British marathon champion Lily Partridge will join the women’s field along with previously announced Charlotte Purdue, Tracy Barlow, Sonia Samuels, Hayley Carruthers, Tish Jones and Natasha Cockram.

Just one second separates Purdue’s marathon personal best of 2:29:23, set at the 2017 London Marathon, and Partridge’s best time of 2:29:24 which she ran to finish eighth in her first London Marathon last year.

The British field in both the men’s and women’s races at the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon which will be used as the selection race for the World Championships in Doha. 

Former World Half Marathon record holder Peris Jepchirchir will be looking forward to reclaim the Ras Khaimah Half Marathon title next month

Peris Jepchirchir wants to make a comeback after a year-long maternity leave.  She has been traversing the tea plantations in Kapsabet and Nandi Hills in Nandi County where she trains.

“I’m happy I will be going back to RAK Half Marathon next month after good training and my target is to lower my personal best and if possible go for the record,” Peris said.  She is coached by her husband Davis Ng’eno.  Peris told Nation Sport at her home in Kapsabet after her long run.

Jepchirchir, who will making her third appearance in the United Arabs Emirates race, said she loves the course as it allows for a fast-paced race.

“I want to see how my body reacts as my build up towards an international marathon continues. I’m yet to know which race I will participate in but I’m targeting April,” she said.

In her marathon debut in November last year, Jepchirchir ran a brilliant race in Kass International Marathon in Eldoret where she finished third in 2:39:16 behind Cynthia Jerop (2:39:16) and second-placed Beatrice Ruto (2:45:07).

“I had trained for only six months for Kass but was surprised after emerging third. That gave me belief to continue working hard in training where I want to have a successful transition from half marathon to marathon races.

“Breaking the world record is something good and I have been there before. I want to be in the history books again and if I miss it at RAK, I will be going for the full marathon record in future,” Jepchirchir, who looks up to Mary Keitany for inspiration, said.

Jepchirchir shattered Florence Kiplagat’s world record in 2017 by clocking 1:05:06 at the RAK Half Marathon.

Britain’s Jim Mann smashed the course record at the MONTANE

Jim Mann covered the 108 miles in the Peak District National Park in 22 hours 53 minutes 28 seconds.

Despite strong winds reaching 70mph, Mann, who was 15th in last year’s UTMB, took more than three hours from the course record held by Netherlands’ Wouter Huitzing, who was runner-up this year.  Huitzing himself just missed his old mark as he clocked 25h 56m 52s. Britain’s Howard Dracup was third.

After reaching the finish having completed 5637m of ascent, he said regarding the record: ”That’ll go under 20 hours, that will… It needs the right person and the right weather. You can’t run fast in this weather, it destroys you.”

Meanwhile, Ireland’s Carol Morgan was comfortably first woman, completing the course in 31h 47m 37s . Britain’s Jenny Yeo was second with 35h 36m 39s and third was Jen Scotney in 38h 53m 16s.

The event from Edale to Hardraw with 4200m ascent was the prelude to the epic Montane Spine Race, a 268-mile trek from Edale through the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian’s Wall and the Cheviots, finishing in the Scottish Borders.

After 24 hours, Britain’s Jasmin Paris moved into the overall lead over Ireland’s Eoin Keith. 

Texan Parker Stinson will run at Houston Half Marathon with a New Coach, Dathan Ritzenhein

Stinson and Ritzenhein have a relationship that stretches back a decade. They try not to worry about the fact that, should all go well, they’ll be racing each other for an Olympic berth next year.

Parker Stinson wants to make it clear: he wasn’t stalking Dathan Ritzenhein when they first met 10 years ago in Houston. Not exactly.

Stinson was a junior at Cedar Park High School outside of Austin, in town to catch a glimpse of the biggest pro running event in the state of Texas, the Houston Half Marathon. But more than anything, he was there to see Ritzenhein; multiple posters bearing his image hung in the Cedar Park locker room, including one from his bronze-medal performance in the junior race at the 2001 World Cross Country Championships (Ritz remains the last US junior, male or female, to medal in that race). Ritzenhein was 26 and fresh off his second Olympic appearance, where he finished 9th in the marathon in Beijing, and about to embark on a career year that would see him break Bob Kennedy‘s American record in the 5,000 meters and earn a bronze medal at the World Half Marathon Championships.

As Hudson and Ritzenhein were on their way to dinner, Sheard approached and introduced himself and Stinson. Stinson, a little starstruck at the time, doesn’t recall much about the interaction — “I just remember trying not to say anything weird” — but he knew one thing: Ritzenhein was now officially his favorite runner. That moment would mark the beginning of a crucial relationship in Stinson’s life, one that evolved from star-fanboy while he was in high school to mentor-mentee during his days at the University of Oregon, where Ritzenhein served as a volunteer coach in 2014.

Last fall, their relationship changed once again when Ritzenhein agreed to coach Stinson, who parted ways with his old coach, Hudson, after the Chicago Marathon. As fate would have it, Stinson’s first race under Ritzenhein comes Sunday at the Houston Half Marathon, a decade after their first meeting.

Pittsburgh Marathon is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Nuun, as Official Hydration Partner

Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. (P3R), one of the nation’s premier endurance organizations, is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Nuun, the #1 selling sports drink product in the running, cycling and outdoor specialty marketplaces. Nuun will serve as the Official Hydration Partner of the award-winning DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon weekend of events, one of the 20 largest marathon and half marathon events in the nation.

“At P3R, we think that Nuun’s products are the absolute best option for runners and other athletes seeking a healthy and sustainable hydration option.” said Troy Schooley, P3R’s senior vice president of partnerships and sales. “Our goal at P3R is to help every runner cross the finish line, and we’re confident that our partnership with Nuun will help our runners achieve their next personal bests.”

Nuun will provide their sports drink optimized for longer distance endurance events at all aid stations along the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon course. The products will help runners maintain adequate hydration throughout the race, offering every participant the opportunity to achieve a personal best on race day ― whether that is beating a previous race time, crossing the finish line with a loved one or running farther than they ever have before.

"Nuun is thrilled to work with the remarkable team at P3R and hydrate their participants at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon,” said Kevin Rutherford, Nuun President and CEO. “We are on a mission to inspire movement and look forward to celebrating the achievements of the nearly 40,0000 runners along the three rivers in May.”

This organic partnership will extend beyond the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon weekend of events. Nuun has signed a contract to support participants at all of P3R’s events, including the Liberty Mile, GAP Relay presented by UPMC Health Plan and EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler.

Strong field is expected at the 68th Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon

After an exciting head-to-head battle last year that saw runners sub-2:10 PBs, Desmond Mokgobu from South Africa and Hayato Sonoda return to the Feb. 3 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon.

The pair face not only each other but recent sub-2:10 men Hicham Laqouahi from Morocco, Ethiopian Abdela Godana, Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Daisuke Uekado, Kenyan Justus Kiprotich, Takuya Fukatsu, Kohei Ogino and Yihunilign Adane, and sub-62 half marathoners Keijiro Mogi, Charles Ndirangu and Shuho Dairokuno, setting up a better-than-average pack by Beppu-Oita standards.

For the Japanese men Beppu-Oita counts toward qualification for the MGC Race, Japan's 2020 Olympic Trials. Sonoda and Uekado have already made it along with fellow entrants Naoki Okamoto and Tomohiro Tanigawa, but for Ogino and others it will be just about their last chance. The basic rule is that anyone under 2:08:30 will qualify.

The top Japanese finisher not already qualified will join the list of qualifiers if under 2:11:00, with up to five more joining the list if under 2:10:00.

There's also the option of qualifying via a two-race average under 2:11:00 within the qualifying window. In Ogino's case that means a 2:12:24 will be enough, and Ryo Hashimoto also has the chance it make it that way by clearing 2:10:20. Japan's current #1 man in the 10000 m, sub-62 half marathoner Dairokuno will be making his debut alongside sub-61 teammate Mogi, and if either has a successful one he will be the first from three-time New Year Ekiden national champion Asahi Kasei's current roster to earn MGC qualification assuming Fukatsu or another teammate in Beppu-Oita doesn't get there first.

If they or others miss out there's the consolation prize of consideration for the 2019 Doha World Championships team, pretty much an either-or situation relative to the MGC Race.Beppu-Oita also has a small women's field. The heavy favorite is Haruka Yamaguchi, runner-up at last fall's Osaka Marathon and looking to break her 2:34:12 PB and hopefully the 2:33:00 CR set last year by Hiroko Yoshitomi.

Next-strongest is American Cate Barrett with a 2:43:40 on the aided California International Marathon course in December, but with Yamaguchi having tuned up for Beppu-Oita with a 2:42:39 training run effort at the Xiamen Marathon earlier this month it's clearly her race to lose.

Defending champion Biruktayit Degefa is hoping to get a third title at the Houston Marathon

The defending Houston Marathon champion, Biruktayit Degefa, who also won in 2016, will be chasing a third title. The 28-yer-old has competed here the past five years, finishing third in 2015 with a 2:23:51 PR and second in 2017.

The strong Ethiopian contingent includes Muluhabt Tsega, who improved to 2:25:48 in Shanghai last November, Sechale Delasa, who was third here in 2016; and 23-year-old Gebayenesh Ayele, who improved to 2:26:54 last September in Hengsui.

Kenyan hopes lie with Sarah Kiptoo, whose 2:26:32 dates back to 2013 and Gladys Kipsoi, who was fourth here last year in 2:27:32.

Notable debutantes include 19-year-old Meseret Belete, who clocked a 1:07:51 world U20 best in the half marathon in Copenhagen last year.

Abayneh Ayele of Ethiopia is the fastest in the men's field at 2:06:45, clocked in Dubai in 2016. But the 32-year-old struggled last year, recording a season's best of just 2:13:47 in two races over the distance. His 25-year-old compatriot Yitayal Atnafu has shown stronger form, producing back-to-back fourth place finishes at the Paris Marathon the last two years, clocking 2:07:21 in 2017 and improving to 2:07:00 last year.

Three others will bring sub-2:09 bests to the start line: Kenyan Dominic Ondoro, who ran his 2:08:00 lifetime best in 2013; Birhanu Gedefa of Ethiopia, the 2015 Houston winner in 2:08:03, and Kenya's Albert Korir, who improved his personal best to 2:08:17 last March in Otsu.

Of course the perdicted cold weather could be a factor.

Commonwealth 10,000m champion Stella Chesang is the woman to beat this weekend at Cross International de Italica

The 22-year-old Ugandan finished a fine second in Elgoibar last Sunday and should be regarded as one of the main favorites at this weekend’s 9135m event. Kenya’s current world 3000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech, who came third in Elgoibar some 17 seconds behind Chesang, will arguably be the Ugandan’s fiercest opponent alongside Ethiopia’s Gete Alemayehu, the 20-year-old who won the Houilles 10km on 30 December in a massive lifetime best of 31:12.

Turkey’s Yasmine Can had a below-par performance in Elgoibar where she had to settle for a distant fourth but the triple European cross country champion should be eager to bounce back and be in the hunt for the podium places.

Spain’s Trihas Gebre, Uganda’s Esther Chebet and Kenya’s Hellen Ekarare Lobun will be aiming for a top-five finish. The Ethiopian-born Spaniard is fresh from a national 10km record of 31:39 in Valencia last Sunday while Chebet clocked 31:53 at Madrid’s New Year’s eve race where Gebre clocked 31:40. As for Lobun, she was a creditable fifth over 5000m at last summer’s World U20 Championships and boasts a 15:16:53 PB. The 19-year-old Kenyan will be making her first outing of the year.

The NYRR New York Mini 10K will Host Women’s USATF 10 km championship

The NYRR New York Mini 10K, the world’s original women-only road race, will serve as this year’s USATF 10 km Championships for women on Saturday, June 8, New York Road Runners announced today. More than 200,000 women have finished the race since it began in 1972, making it one of the most impactful women’s races in running history, and it will be the first time it plays host to a national championship race.

“The Mini is one of road running’s crown jewels, and by adding the USATF 10 km Championships to the mix, the 2019 race will be one for the books,” said Chris Weiller, who heads up professional athletics for NYRR. “New York Road Runners has a proud history of supporting women’s athletics. To host what is sure to be an amazing group of American athletes, led by Stephanie Bruce, is an honor for us and a privilege for New York City.”

Taking part in this year’s USATF 10 km Championships will be Stephanie Bruce, who won her first national title in her decade-long career in 2018 when the USATF 10 km Championships was hosted by the AJC Peachtree Road Race; she also finished seventh at the NYRR New York Mini 10K last year.

“The NYRR New York Mini 10K has a storied tradition and I’ve been racing it since 2009,” Bruce said. “It has long been one of my favorite events as a professional. I was thrilled to hear NYRR received the bid to host the USATF 10 km Championships in 2019. I look forward to lining up against a stellar field, as I look to defend my 10K road title from 2018.”

The 2019 USATF 10 km Championships will offer a $75,000 prize purse – the most-ever for a single gender USATF 10 km Championships – including $20,000 for the first-place finisher and will be streamed live on USATF.TV. The women’s 10 km Championships have taken place every year since 1978 and since 2002 have been a part of the USATF Running Circuit, which features championships from one mile through the marathon and consistently attracts the best American distance runners.

Yuki Kawauchi will race on Canadian soil for the first time at this year’s BMO Vancouver Marathon

2018 Boston Marathon champion Yuki Kawauchi will race on Canadian soil for the first time at this year’s BMO Vancouver Marathon, to be held on Sunday, May 5, the race organization announced today. The marathon is less than three weeks after Boston, which Kawauchi has said he will also race again in 2019.

Kawauchi, who says he will become a full-time professional runner in 2019, was the first Japanese man to win the Boston Marathon since 1987. 23 elites dropped out in appalling weather conditions that featured driving rain and freezing winds.

Fans speculate Kawauchi may even contest the Vancouver course record of 2:18:37, set by Kenya’s Luka Chelimo in 2015. (Kawauchi’s personal best is 2:08:14.)

2018 winner Zheng Zhiling of China and second-place finisher Margarita Quintero of Mexico have said they will also be back this year. 2018 winner Rob Watson indicates he will “probably” return also.

A Japanese man has not won the Vancouver marathon since Atsunari Saito’s victory in 1999.

World half marathon record holder Abraham Kiptum will also be running the London marathon

Kiptum is among a host of elite athletes set to battle it out on the streets of the English capital in what will be his maiden appearance in the lucrative race that counts as part of the World Marathon Majors.

The 29-year-old set a new world record of 58 minutes and 18 seconds at the 2018 Valencia half marathon in October 28 just a few months after setting a personal best of 59:09 at the Copenhagen Half Marathon.

Kiptum enjoyed a successful 2018 season whereby, two months after smashing the world record, he competed at the inaugural Abu Dhabi marathon in December where he finished second clocking 2:04:16 behind compatriot Marius Kipserem (2:04:04) a feat he is hoping to maintain in 2019.

“Abu Dhabi was my last race last year. I have started my build ups and I hope to pick on where I left last season. I also pray that I maintain the fitness that I had last year,” Kiptum told Citizen Digital.

Could Mo Farah beat Eliud Kipchoge in London Marathon!

Eliud Kipchoge versus Mo Farah in the Virgin Money London Marathon on April 28 is one of the tastiest head-to-heads of the year – and it is a race the Briton can win.

Kipchoge has won 10 of his 11 marathons, including three times in London and at the Olympics in Rio. His most recent victory – in Berlin last September – saw him set a world record of 2:01:39. At the Breaking2 time trial in Monza in 2017, he ran even faster, too, with 2:00:25 – a performance just one second per mile short of a hallowed sub-two-hour clocking.

The Kenyan has been described, with good reason, as the greatest marathoner in history. So how can Farah hope to beat him?

For starters, not only did Farah smash the European record with 2:05:11 in Chicago in October, but he looked supremely smooth and strong the entire way. In the world of marathoning, he is on the upward curve whereas Kipchoge’s bubble will inevitably burst sometime.

Farah’s career has also got stronger over time. In 2003, while Kipchoge was out-kicking Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele to win the world 5000m title in Paris, Farah won a mere silver at the European Under-23 Championships behind fellow Brit Chris Thompson.

Then there is home support. Farah is a Londoner and has a long history with the London Marathon. The first time his name appeared in Athletics Weekly, after all, was in 1995 when he came 10th in the Mini London Marathon aged 12.

Farah will also not be fazed by Kipchoge. He has beaten him too many times over the years to be totally intimidated by him.

Farah freely admitted in 2018 that Kipchoge is a stronger marathon runner, but the Briton knows he’s come out on plenty of occasions in the past.

In fact, the duo have a long history of clashes. Back in 2007, Farah beat Kipchoge over 3km on the roads at the Great North Run weekend. On the track, in the world 5000m final in 2009, Kipchoge and Farah were separated by less than a second in fifth and seventh in a race won by Bekele. When Farah set a British 5000m record of 12:53.11 in Monaco in 2011, Kipchoge was back in sixth.

It’s time to fade into the sunset Tommy Leonard said nine months ago to a reporter. Tommy has passed away.

(The following article was published in the Falmouth Enterprise Newspaper nine months ago written by  Paige Leahy.  This gives us good insights to a very special man.  We are sad to report that Tommy has passed away.) 

On Monday, April 16, 2018 the Quarterdeck Restaurant on Main Street, Falmouth, opened earlier than usual to celebrate Marathon Monday and the 122nd running of the Boston Marathon.

Inside the Main Street restaurant sat Tommy Leonard, a founder of the Falmouth Road Race and a celebrity among Boston Marathon runners.

Mr. Leonard sat at the last seat of the bar, the one farthest away from the door. This seat is known to be his. He rested his hands on the glossy wood, looking forward to one of the televisions displaying marathon coverage.

He wore a blue, windbreaker-style jacket with three white stripes down each arm. This was a Boston Marathon jacket from one of the many marathons he ran, upward of 20 of them. On top of his head was a black, nylon baseball cap that read “BOSTON.”

As patrons approached Mr. Leonard, all offering a hello and a pat on the back, he returned each greeting with a larger than life smile and thanked them for coming to celebrate one of Boston’s most notable athletic traditions. At 84 years of age, his mind and spirit remain sharp.

Behind the bar and all around the space were pieces of marathon memorabilia, many of which belong to or are in honor of Mr. Leonard. Since coming to work at the Quarterdeck as a bartender in 1998, he has called this restaurant home.

Prior to bartending on the Cape, Mr. Leonard worked at the now-closed Eliot Lounge in Boston on the corner of Massachusetts and Commonwealth avenues. The Eliot Lounge was once considered the unofficial finish line for the Boston Marathon, mostly due to the fact that Mr. Leonard held a weeklong celebration there for the marathon every year. Runners from across the globe would come together for a free pint with their bib at a bash to honor running for a cause. Over the years, both the Eliot and Mr. Leonard became marathon staples.

“Running has been good to me,” Mr. Leonard said, beginning to speak on what the iconic Boston event means to him while picking at a piece of banana bread. “I love the marathon with a passion that would probably shatter the foundation of the Bourne Bridge. It is my favorite weekend of the year—in the city you can see the magnolias and dogwoods really pop.”

Mr. Leonard ran his first Boston Marathon in 1953 while serving in the Marines. He fell in love with the sport while attending Westfield High School and ran with that love for years and many marathons more.

Despite his many feats and honors in the running community, including a bridge dedicated in his name just before the Boston Marathon finish line, and his all-around goodheartedness, a characteristic attributed to him by many, Mr. Leonard continues to shy away from the spotlight. He said that he receives too much credit—most all would disagree.

“I’ve had more than my share of days of glory,” Mr. Leonard said while staring off at an invisible, distant point. “It’s time to fade into the sunset.”

Former world record-holder Wilson Kipsang and Chicago Marathon champion Brigid Kosgei are among the latest runners confirmed for the Virgin Money London Marathon

Wilson Kipsang won the London Marathon in 2012 and 2014, setting a course record of 2:04:29 on his second triumph. In between those victories, he earned the Olympic bronze medal in 2012 and set a world record of 2:03:23 in Berlin in 2013.

Owner of four sub-2:04 marathon performances, Kipsang will be making his sixth appearance at the London Marathon and will line up against the man who now owns the course record and world record, Eliud Kipchoge.

“This will be a comeback race for me,” said Kipsang, who will also face Olympic champion Mo Farah and last year’s runner-up Shura Kitata. “I’m focused on winning,” says Wilson Kipsang.

Fellow Kenyan Brigid Kosgei will also return to the British capital. The 24-year-old finished second last year in 2:20:13 before going on to smash her PR with 2:18:35 when winning at the Chicago Marathon six months later.

Gene Dykes has an insane racing schedule for this year from 5k to 218 milles

Gene Dykes, the 70-year-old from Philadelphia whose marathon world record attempt ended in disappointment when he realized the event he chose (the Jacksonville Marathon in Florida) was not USATF-sanctioned has posted his chosen races for 2019 on his Facebook page–all 34 of them. (His 2:54:23 on a certified course is the fastest ever run by someone 70 plus.)

Dykes is as prolific a racer as 2018 Boston Marathon champion Yuki Kawauchi. Here’s what he has lined up for this year: 34 races, consisting of five marathons (including Boston, Big Sur, New York and Philadelphia), 13 ultras (10 of them on the trails, and including no fewer than four 100-milers and a 24-hour track race), and 16 shorter races.

What does not appear on the schedule is another stab at the record he thought he’d bagged in Jacksonville. Though Dykes told us in December that he was planning another attempt at Ed Whitlock’s M70 record at either the Houston Marathon or the Louisiana Marathon (both are January 20), he has now said that’s off, partly because he’s recovering from a fall at the Wild Azalea 50-miler in Louisiana January 5. 

Gene wrote on his Strava account, "Trail was particularly treacherous this year.  Wet, roots covered in fallen leaves.  I went down hard more than a dozen times.  I banged up my knee pretty badly at the 30 mile mark but I was able to finish off the next 20 miles.

"I couldn't walk that evening or the next day.  Often wondered if I'd ever run again.  It's a week later now, and the swelling has mostly subsided."

He did post on Monday that he is feeling just fine now. He was able to run 8.5 miles January 15 at 7:49/mile pace.  His next race on his schedule is the Chilly Cheeks 11k trail race January 20.

Honey Stinger is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the 2019 Allstate Hot Chocolate 15/5K race series, produced by RAM Racing

The Allstate Hot Chocolate 15/5K series includes events in 18 locations throughout the United States in 2019, and also featured its first international race earlier this month, in Mexico City. Each stop features both a 15-kilometer and 5-kilometer distance option for runners. Established in 2007, the Hot Chocolate 15/5K series is one of the fastest growing race series in the nation, with more than 200,000 participants annually.

“We are very excited to be working with RAM Racing as an official sponsor of the Allstate Hot Chocolate 15/5K race series this year,” said Rich Hager, co-owner of Honey Stinger. “Supporting athletes and events is a major part of our brand ethos, and we have expanded on those efforts each year as Honey Stinger has grown. The Hot Chocolate 15/5K is a fantastic series providing top-notch race and post-race experiences to runners all across the country, and we are proud to add these races to the extensive list of events we will be supporting in 2019.”

As an official partner of the series, Honey Stinger’s Organic Waffles will be included in all custom finisher’s mugs at the conclusion of each event, along with hot chocolate, chocolate fondue and other tasty treats to reward runners for their efforts.

“We are thrilled to add Honey Stinger as a National Partner to the Allstate Hot Chocolate Race Series,” said Steve Ginsburg, CEO of RAM Racing. “We are proud to align ourselves with an organization that cares about our athletes as much as we do by providing great tasting products made with wholesome ingredients. Honey Stinger is a delicious and nutritious addition to America’s Sweetest Race.”

Canada´s Justyn Knight will race the 3,000m at the 112th NYRR Millrose Indoor Games

Justyn Knight will race the 3,000m at the 112th NYRR Millrose Games at the Armory’s New Balance Track and Field Center on February 9, 2019. Knight will join a group of 16 Olympians at the 2019 Millrose Games.

The Millrose Games is one of the biggest indoor track meets of the season. The event will see Knight face 2018 NCAA cross-country champion Morgan McDonald of Wisconsin, and Grant Fisher of Stanford. McDonald is the Australian champion over 5,000m and Fisher is one of the most accomplished high school athletes in US history and an NCAA champion on the track.

The Millrose Games will be one of Knight’s first races since graduating from Syracuse University and signing with the Reebok Boston Track Club. Knight is training out of Charlottesville, Virginia.

Knight told Runnerspace, “Millrose is the one of the world’s greatest indoor meets. The atmosphere cannot be replicated, and I have never been to an indoor race like it. With competitive athletes and ecstatic fans in attendance, the environment will be suitable for a fast race.”

There are 16 Olympians confirmed for the meet, and so far Knight is the only Canadian confirmed. Sage Watson broke the Canadian 300m indoor record, and just weeks before, Kate Van Buskirk broke the Canadian indoor mile record at the same facility.

Get Outside Mountain Relay was honored as one of the best running events in the Blue Ridge area

Get Outside Mountain Relay, affectionately known as the GOMR, is the Best of the Blue Ridge according to Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine. Taking top prize in the Best Mud Run/Adventure Race category, second in the Toughest Race and third in the Best Running Event Over 13.1 miles, the GOMR is making its mark in the Blue Ridge Mountains running community. Head Gomer and founder Donny McCall says, “I’m so honored...we have something really special here with the GOMR.”

GOMR is an innovative 208-mile relay in which 12-person teams run two loops on a 104-mile course that takes them on a scenic journey through beautiful Alleghany County, NC. The elevation change of more than 22,300 feet over the 104-mile loop is challenging but the views are simply amazing.

GOMR began with seven teams in 2017. That number grew to 12 teams in 2018 and saw the addition of the half GOMR in which teams ran the 104-mile loop one time. Thanks, in part, to the new sponsor, GORUCK, 2019 will be another big growth year.

The proceeds from GOMR and other Get Outside Events are donated to help support Blue Ridge Christian School and other local and national non-profits.  

Shirley Parry is doing the World Marathon Challenge for children who can't run

Shirley Parry from Rancho Palos Verdes, California inspiration and her reason for undertaking this herculean effort is to support the Orthopaedic Institute for Children and, in her words, “to run for children who can’t.”

“My participation in the World Marathon Challenge is designed to raise money and awareness for OIC, which helps children with orthopaedic trauma injuries and musculoskeletal conditions—such as cerebral palsy and scoliosis—regardless of their families’ ability to pay,” she said. “It is an incredible organization; and in the spirit of the 777 marathon, my goal is to raise $77,700 to support this wonderful institution.”

Parry, who recently completed her Ph.D. in education, has been an active member of OIC’s support group, the Charitable Children’s Guild, since 2012. Through volunteer and financial support, the Charitable Children’s Guild and its auxiliaries significantly strengthen the programs at OIC by focusing their attention on ensuring that children get the orthopaedic medical care they need to get the most out of life.

The first leg of the 2019 World Marathon Challenge will take place Jan. 31 in Novo, Antarctica, followed by Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid and Santiago with the final event in Miami on Feb. 6.

The event is a logistical and physical challenge as participants run 295 kilometers (183 miles) over the 7-day period and spend about 63 hours in the air flying to the next continent. Only 78 men and 28 women have completed the challenge since the event’s inception five years ago.

Parry started preparing for the mind-boggling feat one year ago when she paid the 35,000-euro entry fee (approximately $40,000) and started training to join the select field of 2019 international runners. It will be the ultimate challenge for this 54-year-old who began running in 2011 as a personal commitment to staying healthy. Since that time Parry has finished 16 marathons, including races in Berlin, Paris, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Defending Champions Betsy Saina and Edward Waweru will defend their titles at Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon

Last year's winners Betsy Saina and Edward Waweru, both of Kenya, return to the Feb. 3 Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon, but in both cases they have tough competition.

Ranked #1 in the women's race is Mao Ichiyama with a 1:09:14, three seconds better than Saina's winning time last year. Three seconds slower is Sinead Diver with a 1:09:20 on home ground last year.

America's Sara Hall, isn't far behind, and with track star Ayuko Suzuki, making her debut off a brilliant run at last weekend's National Women's Ekiden it should be a solid pack up front.

In the men's race, 2017 marathon world champion Geoffrey Kirui leads the way, his best recent time a 1:00:04 in New Delhi two years ago. Only two seconds behind is Shadrack Kiplagat, with Evans Cheruiyot and the Japan-based Waweru just over 20 seconds back.

Waweru's condition is a question mark after an injury at the New Year Ekiden. Kenta Murayama leads the home crew, with an interesting duo from Chuo University, Ken Nakayama and Kensuke Horio, hoping to improve on their sub-62 bests.

Jack Rayner is another interesting addition, while Germany's Richard Ringer will be making his debut off a 27:36.52 track 10000 m best.

3M Half Marathon is prepared for the Largest Field in 25-Year History

One of the largest privately owned event production companies in the United States, is making final preparations for the 25th annual 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour on January 20th. With registration numbers nearing 7500 participants, this will be the largest field in the event’s history.

“I'm excited to return to the 3M Half Marathon and defend my title against the largest field in their history,” said Jess Harper, 2018 3M Half Marathon female champ (1:15:45). “This event has been an Austin staple for 25 years and I'm ready to help them celebrate their anniversary!”

Participants will receive their 25th anniversary Under Armour participant shirt and world-famous swag bag filled with useful 3M products at the Expo & Packet Pick Up. Race day begins near The Domain in north Austin. Thousands will run the predominantly downhill course in search of their PR, cruising through beautiful Shoal Creek Blvd., historic Hyde Park neighborhood, and the world-renowned University of Texas at Austin before finishing near the Texas State Capitol in downtown Austin. 

“The 3M Half Marathon has been a staple running event in Austin for 25 years and we’re proud to feature the largest field in the event’s history,” said Stacy Keese, co-owner of High Five Events. “Working with great sponsors like 3M, Under Armour, nuun hydration, Fleet Feet Austin, and Ascension Seton will ensure our 25th anniversary is a memorable event for participants, spectators, and volunteers alike.”

World record holder Eliud Kipchoge will defend his title at the Virgin Money London Marathon

Eliud Kipchoge has confirmed he will be running this year's London Marathon.  The 2018 World Athlete of the Year, broke the world record in the marathon in Berlin last September, clocking 2:01:39. The 34-year-old Kenyan won his third London marathon title last year, clocking 2:04:17. He is unbeaten in three appearances in London, having notched victories in 2015 and 2016 as well. He also set the course record of 2:03:05 in that 2016 race.

Kipchoge will face Mo Farah of Great Britain, who was previously announced. Farah set the European record over the distance in Chicago last October when he clocked 2:05:11 to collect his first major marathon victory. Earlier in the year, Farah finished third in London in 2:06:21, at the time a national record.

“I had a memorable 2018, winning the Virgin Money London Marathon and then setting a new world record at the BMW Berlin Marathon," Kipchoge said. "I’m hoping that 2019 is just as good to me."

Kipchoge also said he's looking forward to another match-up against Farah.

“He is a great champion and proved in Chicago that he can win a major marathon so I relish the battle with him and also the many other great athletes that I’m sure will once again be on the start line in London.”

Those include Ethiopia’s 22-year-old rising marathon star Shura Kitata also returns after finishing runner-up to Kipchoge last year and placing second in the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon.

"There is no doubt that Eliud Kipchoge is the greatest marathon runner of all time," said Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the London race. "His world record at the BMW Berlin Marathon was a legendary sporting moment and one more win at the Virgin Money London Marathon would make him the most successful athlete in the history of the elite men’s race in our event’s illustrious history.

“Since Sir Mo Farah won the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October, everyone has been talking about another head-to-head between Mo and Eliud and we are absolutely thrilled that this showdown will happen at the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon."

Frigid temperatures are expected to descend on Houston during this weekend, according to the National Weather Service

Freezing temperatures are exspected during Chevron Houston Marathon. Wind chills could make it feel like 19 degrees on early Sunday morning, just before thousands of people line up to start the Chevron Houston Marathon, meteorologists said.

Meteorologists said that race day will be partly cloudy and freezing, with wind chills in the morning. Wind speeds will be between 15 to 25 mph.

Sub-20 temperatures are anticipated around 6 a.m. All participants will officially be on course at 7:01 a.m.

The cold weather is expected to remain under 25 degrees for hours, meteorologists said. A hard freeze is possible.

The weather is typically warmer on race day, with previous temperatures averaging 54 degrees, according to the marathon. Runners experienced near-freezing conditions last year, although that wasn't nearly as cold as is expected this weekend. 

27,000 people have signed up for the marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon on Sunday.

What should I eat or drink during a marathon, pacing and what to do if you just are not into it early - Marathon Man Gary Allen File 3

Here are my thoughts on these three new questions.  Send your questions to bob@mybestruns.com Subject line Question for Marathon Man.

1. What should you drink or eat during a marathon?

Nutrition during a marathon is critical to your success. Back in the 1970s when I started running marathons sports nutrition companies didn't exist.  Besides water on the course we experimented with little things to help keep our energy going. My favorite was butterscotch hard candy. I pinned a few of these, still in their crinkled yellow wrappers, to the the waist band of my shorts, and would simply pop one in my cheek during the race. As it slowly dissolved, it would help give me steady energy.

Coke was also a go to product if we could get it on the course. Few races offered it officially but knowledgeable fans at old school events like Boston or Yonkers would sometimes hand out little mouth wash cups of Coca Cola, and it was pure gold.

I still think Coke works better than sports drinks. It offers caffeine, liquid and sugar and it helps keep your stomach happily settled. Today there are of course dozens of products and drinks and my best advice is to try a few in training and use the ones that work for you.

2.  How should you pace a marathon?

The most common mistake is starting too fast. Men especially  are far more impatient than women in the critical first 10k of marathons. If you are pacing well, the last 10k should be equal or faster than the first 10k. This means NOT starting like you were shot out of a cannon.

If your goal and training suggests a sub 3 hour marathon, you will need to average 6:52 pace but it would be a mistake to run that pace from the start. Instead you should run 7:00 to 7:05 pace and the 6:40s you will be running in the late miles because you were conservative early will  feel great!

3. If you just aren't into the marathon during the first three miles, what should you do?

Breathe and move. Often a byproduct of the taper period is feeing lethargic in the early miles as you body remembers what to do. Many times tough early miles are an indicator that you'll have a great day.

How many times have we all heard the winners say, "I felt terrible early" and then they go on to win! Remember you are only human and it doesn't matter that you followed a perfect training plan down to the letter.

The marathon is still more like the common persons Mt. Everest versus something as predictable as telemarketers calling at dinner time. Remember marathon running is more like an expedition than a drive thru and not everyone summits.

(Marathon Man Gary Allen is a regular My Best Runs column.  Gary Allen is one of a few runners who have run a sub three hour marathon for each of the last five decades.  He is also a race Director and coach.)

Past Brazilians Champions Dominate Walt Disney World Marathon Again

Fredison Costa and Giovanna Martins, past champions of the Walt Disney World Marathon presented by Cigna, took their thrones again Sunday, easily winning the male and female divisions of the 26th annual event.

Costa, a native of Brazil who now lives in Kissimmee and trains at Walt Disney World Resort, recaptured the title after struggling through last year’s race. It was his seventh Disney Marathon victory, leaving him one shy of Adriano Bastos’ record of eight wins. Running in unseasonably warm Florida weather, Costa posted a time of 2:18:45, far off the race record of 2:11:50, but well ahead of second-place finisher Nick Hilton (2:21:48), the Flagstaff, AZ runner who won the race a year ago, and Jose Lima of Brazil (2:26:40), who was third.

“I’ve been through hard times this year, so it felt great that this was the seventh time I was the winner,” Costa said. “I feel like I’m challenging myself again.”

Martins of Salto, Brazil, is the first woman to win four Disney marathon titles, including the last three in a row. She was challenged for much of the race, but kicked it into high gear late in the race to win easily, then celebrated her momentous victory while clutching a Mickey plush in one hand and a Brazilian flag in the other.

In fact, she is the only four-time women’s winner in race history after crossing the finish line in 2:45:24 – more than two minutes ahead of Antonia Lins Da Silva of Fortaleza, Brazil, who was second (2:47:36) and Nancy Jurgens of Apex, North Carolina who was third (2:50:39).

Eliud Kipchoge over the weekend said that breaking two hours for the marathon is very possible

World Marathon Record holder and Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge said Saturday night (Jan 12) that breaking the two-hour mark in marathon is possible.

However, he declined to confirm if he will be making another attempt to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours.

Speaking in Mombasa on Saturday evening, Kipchoge said all that is required is focus and belief.

"It's possible. Once the human body sets the mind and focus, it will be attained and running under two hours is very much possible," Kipchoge said.

The 34-year-old ran in an experimental race under special condition in Monza, Italy in 2017 to clock 2:00.25 and though that mark was never recognized as an official work record, he has since gone on to break the world record in Berlin last year clocking an impressive two hours, one minute and 39 seconds.

"With the right training, the right environment and the right people, and with the right thinking, then all is possible. However, it requires someone to have the belief," he added.

The London and Berlin marathon champion was on Friday crowned the 2018 Kenya Sports Personality of the Year in the award gala held in Mombasa.

"Not many people are thinking of running under the two hours mark. But if one intends to run and he has no belief in his mind, then he cannot do anything. But if your belief is in the mind and in the blood, beyond the skin and into the bone marrow, then it's possible."

Kipchoge is yet to confirm if he will be running in London, with the organizers yet to release the elite list of stars for the 2019 race. However, he said he is back in training for a major city marathon.

"I hope to run soon. But that is being worked on by the management. Once they have agreed, then we will all know which will be the next stop," he added.

Kipchoge says the Monza experiment offered him great hope going into his successful world record attempt in Berlin last year when he sliced over one minute off compatriot Dennis Kimetto's previous mark of 2:02:57 set on the same course in 2014.

"It gave me the confidence that I can run faster than any normal world record," he said. "If I could run two hours and 25 seconds (in Monza), then what is two hours, two minutes and 57 seconds? It helped me gain huge confidence, which helped me get the record."

Kipchoge has not lost a race since 2013, when he finished second to Wilson Kipsang in Berlin. He has won in London, Berlin, Rotterdam and Chicago.

Recent research suggests we burn more calories at certain times of the day, but there are many factors to consider.

Are you trying to lose weight to improve your running performance? Or are you running lots of miles and trying to not to lose any more weight?

You’ll want to note a recent study published in Current Biology as what time of day you run could be factor in how many calories you burn. Scientists found energy expenditure was 10% higher in late afternoon and early evening compared to the early morning hours.

“The fact that doing the same thing at one time of day burned so many more calories than doing the same thing at a different time of day surprised us," says Kirsi-Marja Zitting of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who was lead author of the study.

It could be an important scientific discovery for those who are using running as a means of losing weight. For these, exercising after work rather than first thing in the morning may represent the most economical way of doing so.

On the other hand, some who might be doing a lot of miles may struggle to stay above a safe body fat percentage. They might want to consider running in the morning to expend fewer calories than they would in the evening.

To calculate metabolic rate at different times on our own internal body clock, the seven subjects in the experiment were put into a special laboratory for three weeks away from the outside with no access to any indication of what time of day it was.

Co-author Jean Duffy added: "It is not only what we eat, but when we eat — and rest — that impacts how much energy we burn or store as fat. Regularity of habits such as eating and sleeping is very important to overall health."

Of course, several other factors come into play when deciding when to run. For example, you may burn more fat before breakfast although that’s a different thing to calorie expenditure.

Other studies have shown early evening to be the best time for strength or endurance as that is when the body temperature tends to be highest.

However, those who run in the morning are better at keeping to their training plans, research has also shown.

Try to setup courses with bail out options and remember the further you go the stronger you get! - Michael Anderson on Running File 2

Making a decision to go straight other than making the turn! If you go straight you are committed to a longer run, if you turn you have options to cut it short.

I have many courses that have these options and its good to have bail out points.  For example you are out on a run and the wife calls or texts that she needs help with the baby, what was to be a six mile run, can become a one mile run with a bail out at the right time.

I have now 12 different courses and the first mile of each has points where a turn can be made to cut back if needed, but after the mile you are committed with no bail out.

I have also been on a run where it takes a good mile to get into it and sometimes its just not your day out there and easy one mile is all you have in you for the day.

How to pick course with bail out points

Courses that are loops are always best for this because nine out of 10 times a street will cut through the loop at multiple locations.  When I am planning a course I always plan with Google maps and pick a course that has connector roads in between the loop. Some courses are just and up and back, and in most of these cases there are no options for bail outs.  I personally love a course that is a loop because then I am seeing something new out there, and its all fresh, psychologically a up and back course is harder for me.

My Legitimate reasons to bail out on a run

1) Wife calls and she needs help with the baby 2) Emergency situation at home 3) Not your day, no rhythm on the run, cant get into it 4) Quality miles not junk miles 5) Emergency situation out on the run 6) An injury or you feel one coming on

NON legitimate reasons to bail out on a run

1) Laziness, not finishing what you started, you make the commitment to run, hardest part is done and that is getting out the door, you are already in it 2) Just bailing to bail because you want to get back to the Netflix show 3) The negative thinking, a)I am never going to be a good runner, FALSE b)this sucks and will never feel good FALSE c)why am I wasting my time FALSE

Takeaway

The further you go the stronger you will get.  Michael Anderson on Runing

(Editor’s note:  Michael Anderson has been running and racing all of his life.  Running is his drug of choice and his practical advice is down to earth and solid.) 

Deanna Tysdal doesn't let Multiple Sclerosis stop her from running

Deanna Tysdal was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in October 2005. But it wasn’t until 2015 that she discovered MS Run the US, a nonprofit that raises awareness and money for MS research by running a cross-country relay each spring and summer.

This year she’ll become a part of that relay for the second time, running over 130 miles in a week.

Tysdal has felt the impact of MS for much longer than the 13 years since her own diagnosis.

“My brother was diagnosed in 1991 and is the worst-case scenario,” Tysdal said because the symptoms require him to use a wheelchair and receive constant care. “When I got diagnosed, I refused to accept that as my fate.”

In 2017, she ran the sixth segment of the national relay, traversing 166 miles from Vernal, Utah to Steamboat Springs, Colo. She raised over $26,000.

“The scenery was beautiful and the support I received brought me to tears,” she said.

Tysdal has found that running often proves more effective in managing her symptoms than medication does. She runs most days and will start training for her 2019 MS Run the U.S. segment immediately: a 140-mile stretch from Milford, Utah, to Nephi, Utah.

She also uses the relay — and all that running and MS have taught her — as an example for her 7-year-old son, Luke, and 5-year-old daughter, Piper. Both of them are already runners, as well as swimmers.

“I’m trying to show my kids that no matter what life gives you, you don’t give up,” she said. “Showing my kids how to fight and not give up, along with trying to inspire those with MS, has been a huge part of my ‘why.’ I can’t justify giving in to this disease, and having a positive, determined mindset has proven more powerful than any medication.”

The Relay begins each year in April in Santa Monica, CA and finishes in August in New York, NY. Our relay runners are selected via our online application process to participate as an individual segment runner as a part of the 19 segment relay. To participate each runner commits to fundraising $10,000 over ten months and to running approximately 160 miles over 6 consecutive days during his or her assigned relay segment.

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation has announced it will be making a donation of $110,550 to Northern California Fire Relief

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation has announced it will be making a donation of $110,550 to the North Valley Community Foundation following the cancellation of the 2018 Monterey Bay Half Marathon. The 16th Annual Monterey Bay Half Marathon, scheduled for Sunday, November 11th, was canceled due to smoke from the Camp Fire, located in Butte County northeast of the Monterey and Pacific Grove race course.

On Wednesday, November 14th, the 7,600 paid entrants in last year’s Monterey Bay Half Marathon were notified of their eligibility to choose one of five deferral or donation options. As of January 1, 2019, roughly 80 percent of these entrants had made their deferral or donation selection. Just over two-thirds of respondents chose to defer their registration to the 2019 Monterey Bay Half Marathon while 25 percent chose to donate $75 of their entry fee to Northern California Fire Relief. The deferral and donation options and the percentage of runners who chose each option are as follows:

67% - Defer my 2018 Half Marathon entry to the November 10, 2019 Monterey Bay Half Marathon

25% - Donate $75 of my entry fee to a non-profit agency supporting Northern California Fire Relief

5% - Defer my 2018 Half Marathon entry to the November 15, 2020 Monterey Bay Half Marathon

2% - Donate $75 of my entry fee to Monterey County charities funded by the Big Sur Marathon Foundation

1% - Defer my 2018 Half Marathon entry to the November 14, 2021 Monterey Bay Half Marathon

“We appreciate the strong response from runners wanting to return to the Monterey Bay area this November and also those who want to help the many folks who were affected by this devastating fire,” said Doug Thurston, Executive Director and Race Director for the Big Sur Marathon Foundation, organizers of the event.

Marcelo Avelar of Brazil won the 2019 Walt Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday clocking 01:08:54

For the third time in four years, Marcelo Avelar of Brazil walked away from the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday morning with the same feeling.

“I am very happy,’’ Avelar said.

Victory tends to do that to a runner. Avelar crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 8 minutes, 54 seconds, more than three minutes ahead of runner-up Jeff Martinez (1:12:00).

Tina Muir, an Englishwoman living in Lexington, Ky., experienced a similar emotion. Racing for the first time since the birth of her first child, Muir prevailed in 1:19:45.

“It is difficult when you are in the lead not to get caught up with paces and chasing times, but I still wanted to make my goal to enjoy it,’’ Muir said. “I made sure to smile as much as I could.’’

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend will conclude Sunday with the 26th annual marathon. About 15,000 runners are registered for the race, which will start at 5:30 a.m. and begin and end at Epcot.

Avelar, 34, will be there. It will be his fourth race in four days as part of the Dopey Challenge.

He potentially could be a four-time reigning champion in the half marathon, if not for the weather. Inclement conditions canceled the Disney World Half Marathon in 2017.