Running News Daily

Joyciline Jepkosgei and Vivian Cheruiyot set for battle at the Great North Run Sunday

Joyciline Jepkosgei and Vivian Cheruiyot lead the entries as Britain’s best Lily Partridge, Gemma Steel, Charlotte Purdue and Aly Dixon battle. The world’s fastest ever woman over the half marathon will be looking to spoil Vivian Cheruiyot’s plans to make it two Simplyhealth Great North Run wins in three years on Sunday September 9. Joyciline Jepkosgei, the world record holder over the half marathon, has been added to the field for one of the world’s biggest half marathon this weekend and will be the main competition for Olympic champion Cheruiyot in the iconic race. Kenyan Jepkosgei clocked her record time of 64:51 in the Prague Half Marathon last year where she also broke the world 10km, 15km and 20km records. She went on to beat her own 10km world record time back in Prague three months later when she clocked 29.43 to become the first woman to ever break 30 minutes over 10km. Betsy Saina, who finished fifth in last year’s race which was won by Mary Keitany, will also be in contention, with British hopes lying with Lily Partridge, Gemma Steel, Charlotte Purdue and Sunderland athlete Aly Dixon. (09/05/2018) ⚡AMP

Sara Hall will headline the Mattoni Usti nad Labem Half Marathon on September 15

Sara Hall and Jared Ward will run the Mattoni Usti nad Labem Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race. The two Americans add to an increasing interest and participation from some of the finest U.S. distance runners in recent RunCzech events. At the 2017 Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon the organizers were proud to host the two time Olympic medalist, Galen Rupp and the very popular and talented Jordan Hasay, both of whom were preparing for the Boston Marathon. In Prague Hasay achieved a significant personal best of 1:07:55 which prepared her for a big marathon breakthrough in Boston 16 days later. Although Rupp ran a very respectable 1:01:59 he was disappointed that foot problems kept him from being more competitive. (09/04/2018) ⚡AMP

Martina Strähl from Switzerland is considered the favorite at The Jungfrau Marathon

Martina Strähl, who won the World Championships double gold in 2015 as world champion in long-distance mountain running, ran in 2016 at the Jungfrau Marathon with a new course record to victory. However, last year Strähl had to hand over this record to the Vaud woman Maude Mathys. Strähl is now aiming for the record again after she finished seventh in the marathon at the European Championships in Berlin just a few weeks ago. Strähl is demanded by the German Michelle Maier, the runner-up of the last two years, and the Italian Ivana Iozzia, who won the Zermatt Marathon this year. The men's track record is still held by Jonathan Wyatt. The New Zealander ran the track in 2003 in 2: 49.02. On September 6, the three-time Jungfrau Marathon winner will speak about «his perfect race» starting at 8:00 pm at the Hotel Carlton-Europe in Interlaken. Wyatt will be back in 2018. However, the favorites are Jose David Cardona from Colombia, Robbie Simpson from Great Britain, Birhanu Mekonnen from Ethiopia and Shaban Mustafa from Bulgaria. Mustafa, Simpson and Cardona have already won the Jungfrau Marathon. Patrick Wieser from Aadorf or Stephan Wenk from Uster should be the best Swiss. (09/04/2018) ⚡AMP

Former New York Marathon champion Stanley Biwott has recovered from a leg injury and will be on the front line at the Great North Run

The 32-year-old Kenyan distance runner was forced to pull out with a leg injury at the London marathon in April. The injury to his left leg forced him to stop training for three weeks. The Great North Run will be held on Sunday. "I have since recovered and I am focused on testing how fast my knees can hold up against a strong challenge from Mo Farah and others," he said on Tuesday in Nairobi. The 32-year-old has been struggling with injuries for the past two years, missing last year's London Marathon with hamstring problems and the Rio Olympic marathon race. He was also unable to defend his title at the 2016 New York Marathon, stepping off the course during race with a calf injury. Newcastle will be his first major race this season as he plans to return to full marathon action in Chicago in October. There he will be up against compatriot Abel Kirui, who was second last year, as well as Geoffrey Kirui, the world marathon champion. At the same time, organizers of the Great North Run have also announced the inclusion of former London marathon champion Daniel Wanjiru to the elite list heading to Newcastle. (09/04/2018) ⚡AMP

Kenya’s 1998 world half marathon champion Paul Koech died on Tuesday, after a short illness at the age of 49.

Paul Koech, was born in 1969 in the Burnt Forest area of Rift Valley province, Koech’s first taste of athletics came in the sprint events during his time at school. He later spent time at the Armed Forces Training College, by which time he was showing promise as a distance runner. He started racing internationally in 1995 but his big breakthrough came in 1996. He finished fourth at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships earlier that year and went on to finish sixth in the 10,000m at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. He started 1997 by winning the hotly contested Kenyan Cross-Country Championships – the first of three successive victories – and he added another domestic title to his collection later that year when winning the national 10,000m crown. Koech went on to finish fourth in the 10,000m at the 1997 World Championships in Athens where his niece, Sally Barsosio, struck gold in the women’s event. In the weeks following the World Championships, Koech reduced his PBs to 12:56.29 for 5000m and 26:36.26 for 10,000m. His performance in the latter event came when finishing second to Paul Tergat’s world record of 26:27.85 in Brussels and made Koech the third-fastest man in history at that time. Now, 21 years on from that race, Koech sits at No.7 on the world all-time list. Koech’s best season came in 1998 as he took the individual silver medal and team gold at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, gold at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and gold at the now defunct IAAF World Road Relay Championships. He represented Kenya at the World Cross Country Championships on six occasions between 1996 and 2003, finishing in the top six individually and taking a team gold medal on each occasion. (09/04/2018) ⚡AMP

Leonard Korir and Sara Hall Winners at Faxon Law New Haven 20K

The last two years, Leonard Korir had churned furiously toward the finish line of the Faxon Law New Haven 20K road race, stride for stride with a fellow competitor. In 2016, he outkicked Sam Chelanga to win the USATF 20K national championship. Last year, he sensed that Galen Rupp might have been tiring due to his marathon training but Rupp had one last lean in him and edged past Korir at the tape. But Korir was injured at the start of the year, and he’s still coming back. He wasn’t particularly confident in his kick. And so there was no finish line drama Monday, at least for the men’s race. Instead, Korir pulled away from Haron Lagat and Kiya Dandena on a long downhill in East Rock Park around Mile 10 and won his second 20K national championship in 1:00:17. Lagat finished second in 1:00:29 and Dandena third (1:00:34). There was a kick finish in the women’s race, though, with Sara Hall outlasting Allie Kieffer in the final straightaway. Hall won in 1:09:04, Kieffer was second (1:09:20) with Emma Bates third (1:09:42). Timothy Grogean of Woodbury won the half-marathon (1:10:59), and Rolanda Bell of Laurelton, N.Y., was the top female (1:23:57). Matthew Farrell of Glastonbury was the 5K winner (15:19), and Jennifer Sober of Jupiter, Fla., was the women’s winner (18:19). It was a hot, humid day, and times were slower.  “Today was so hot,” said Korir, 31, of Colorado Springs. “We were sweating until you can’t sweat anymore.” (09/03/2018) ⚡AMP

Kenyan Rodgers Kwemoi wins CZ Tilburg Ten while Galen Rupp finishes third

The Kenyan Rodgers Kwemoi won the CZ Tilburg Ten Miler for the third time in a row.  He finished in a very fast time of 45:23. Second was the Kenyan Noah Kipkemboi in 45 minutes and 47 seconds. Third was two-time Olympic medalist Galen Rupp (USA) in 46:23. Khalid Choukoud was the first Dutchman to cross the finish line and scored a time of 47:52. Kwemoi and Kipkemboi walked together for a long time, with Kipkemboi leading up to 10 km. That went so hard that they were up to 9 km on the track of the best world performance ever.That is also the course record of Haile Gebrselassie in Tilburg with 44:23. The summer weather ensured that the pace could not stay that high. Kwemoi was the first to cross the finish line and is the first athlete to win the CZ Tilburg Ten Miles three times in a row. Galen Rupp's time of 46:23 was just ten seconds off the American record (46:13) set by Greg Meyer in 1983.   (09/03/2018) ⚡AMP

Mike Morgan wins the 18th Annual Virginia Beach half Marathon

Approximately 8,000 registered runners from age 12 to 83 took to the streets this weekend to participate in the 18th running of the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon.  The best-in-class running event kicked off on Saturday morning with a 5K and Mile on the Sand. The half marathon took place Sunday, with runners from 46 states and 17 countries getting a first-class tour of Virginia Beach.   In the half marathon, Mike Morgan (Rochester Hills, Michigan) won the race with his first-place effort clocking a time of 1:08:47. Will Christian (Chesapeake, Virginia) was second with a time of 1:09:28. Michael Bailey (Chesapeake, Virginia) followed in third place finishing in 1:11:19. Mary Schneider (Monkton, Maryland) was the women’s champion with a final time of 1:24:19 with Fabiana Perlingeiro (Virginia Beach, Virginia) next behind her at 1:28:05. Becky Younger (Toms River, New Jersey) rounded out the podium in 1:29:34. Elite runners and fast times aside, Sunday’s race was all about the party atmosphere. Several local bands, including Dustin Furlow performed live on improved band stages along the route interspersed with cheerleaders and themed water stations. (09/03/2018) ⚡AMP

Michael Wardian ran 184.5 miles at 11:55 per mile pace breaking the record set in 1976

Michael Wardian woke up one day and decided to go after a record set in 1976.  He left Cumberland, Maryland at 5am Saturday morning September 1st. 

A little more than an hour ago he finished running the entire C&O Canal Trail (184.5 miles) that goes through Maryland and ends at Rock Creek Parkway in Washington DC. 

The trail surfaces are crushed stone, dirt and gravel. The record he wanted to beat was set by Park Barner in 1976 when Park clocked 36 hours, 48 minutes, 14 seconds.  Michael clocked 36 Hours 36 Minutes 3 seconds today which is an average of 11:55 per mile.  

He had to also deal with temperatures that reached over 90 degrees.  This one run also takes him to the top of the Run The World Challenge 2 leader board which he is also participating in that started August 29.  Enough miles to circle the globe are being logged by 175 Runners from around the world.  

(09/02/2018) ⚡AMP

Jan Kriska took on the 1,000 mile Alaskan Iditarod Race in the extreme arctic cold and snow twice

You may be familiar with the Alaskan Iditarod race where dogs battle through the frigid cold for more than 1,000 miles. Someone came up with the idea of doing it on foot – walking 1,000 miles in life-threatening temperatures. Jan Kriska, a doctor from Mount Airy, took on the challenge, not once but twice. Earlier this year, he walked 1,000 miles in the extreme arctic cold and snow. Kriska won the race nicknamed the “Iditasport Impossible” because he was the only one to finish. The route basically copies the famous Iditarod dog sled race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Temperatures hit 20, even 50 degrees below zero. In 2017, Kriska had to quit the race after 600 miles because of ulcers on his feet and frostbite. It took him six months to recover. During that time, he opened a business in Mount Airy, Thirsty Souls Community Brewing. He also got back to his main job as a doctor. But he could never shake the arctic voices constantly tempting himself to give the race another shot. He took the challenge and conquered the near impossible. (09/02/2018) ⚡AMP

It is not like the 2018 Boston Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi to run a bad time even in tough conditions

It is not like Japan’s Yuki Kawauchi to run a bad marathon time.   He has run more sub 2:12 and sub 2:19 Marathons than anyone in the world.  He handled the terrible weather in Boston to win that Marathon.  

So what happened today?  Here is what Yuki posted on Facebook.  “I ran the Northeast Wakkanai Peace marathon today,”  Yuki wrote.

The course is point to point like Boston and there was a very strong headwind.  He was running alone in the lead through 36k. “Suddenly I got cramps into both legs and both hands at 38km.  Nevertheless I didn't walk. But I slowed down,” he wrote.  

He was passed by one of Japanese corporate runner at 40km. “My finish time was my worst time (2:24:55).  I am sorry and shamed for my fans and  local people.  So I promised to run this race next year again. I promised to make course record and win for my fans and  local people. Next marathon is Bank of America Chicago marathon on October 7,” he posted.  

He says he will not run a full Marathon until Chicago so he can concentrate on running well there.  Sounds like a good plan.  

(09/02/2018) ⚡AMP

Michael Wardian is going after the record of running 184.5 miles this weekend in less than 35 Hours.

Michael Wardian, amazing ultrarunner, is going for the FKT - fastest known time - on the entire C&O canal, that’s 184.5 miles.  He left Cumberland at 5am this morning Saturday September 1st.  At 8:15pm (EST) he has completed 85 miles and has 100 miles to go.  Photo was taken at Fort Fredricks (70 + miles). You can follow Michael by clicking on the link (the title).  He is running the entire C&O Canal that goes through Maryland and ends at Rock Creek Parkway in Washington DC.  The trail surfaces are crushed stone, dirt and gravel. The record he wants to beat was set by Park Barner in 1976 clocking 36 hours, 48 minutes, 14 seconds.  Michael is also part of the Run The World Challenge 2 Team.  Go Michael! We are all behind you!   (09/01/2018) ⚡AMP

French runner Xavier Thevenard won one of the most prestigious trail races in the world on Saturday

French runner Xavier Thevenard won one of the most prestigious trail races in the world on Saturday. Thevenard finished the 171 kilometres in 20:44:16. The runner adds this finish to his two previous wins at UTMB in 2013 and 2015. Earlier this year, Thévenard was on course to win this year’s Hardrock 100 when he was disqualified at mile 91 for accepting aid outside an aid station. Second place went to, unexpectedly, Romanian Robert Hajnal in 21:26:20. This is the runner’s first time in the top three at UTMB and a major international victory. Hajnal said post-race that he was aiming for the top 10. He had no idea he would end up in the top two. Surprisingly, the two favourites Kilian Jornet and Jim Walmsley, were not to be found in the top two. (09/01/2018) ⚡AMP

Alex O’Shea, will set off today on the first of an incredible 32 marathons in 32 counties over the next 16 days

He has braved burning buildings and raging torrents to save people’s lives but super-fit firefighter Alex O’Shea is about to face one of his toughest challenges yet. The ultra-running father of four, who works with Cork City Fire Brigade, will set off today on the first of an incredible 32 marathons in 32 counties over the next 16 days. He will run two marathons and burn 10,000 calories a day. Alex will be supported during the challenge by Garda Ollie O’Sullivan who plans to run 50km a day with him. “We’ll start in Dingle and work all the way up the coast to the north, zig-zagging into the Midlands as we work our way down the east coast but, as a Cork man, my goal is to get back to Cork for the finish,” said Alex. Olympic legend Sonia O’Sullivan who described the attempt as an “incredible challenge” is among a host of stars who sent best wishes to Alex ahead of the marathon fundraising effort for the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB). Race walking legend and Olympic, World, and European medallist Rob Heffernan, who helped him train, also wished him well last night: “It’s a massive, massive commitment, something I don’t think I could take on. You need massive energy, and positive mental attitude towards it, and Alex has all those,” he said. Alex, in 2014, set a Guinness Book of World Records-ratified world record for running the fastest marathon dressed in full firefighting gear. He completed the Cork City Marathon wearing steel-toed boots, fire-retardant pants, his firefighting jacket, and a 3lb firefighter’s helmet and visor in 3.41.10 — a remarkable 58 minutes faster than the previous world record. He took a break from marathons for a few months afterwards but set himself this ultra-marathon challenge several months ago. (09/01/2018) ⚡AMP

18-year-old Selemon Barega clocked the fourth fastest time ever for 5000m winning in 12:43:02

Selemon Barega's world under 20 record in the 5000m highlighted the action on the track at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels on Friday August 31, the second of two 2018 IAAF Diamond League finals Breaking away from compatriots Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yomif Kejelcha with 250 meters to go, the 18-year-old went on to a 12:43.02 run to become the fourth fastest ever over the distance, trailing just Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie and Daniel Komen whose performances were all world records. For his part, Barega knocked more than four seconds from the previous world U20 mark of 12:47.53 set by Gebrhiwet in Paris six years ago. "I came for the win and was not at all thinking about a time, but in some way everything came together," said Barega, whose previous best was 12:55.58.  (08/31/2018) ⚡AMP

Run The World Challenge 2 Profile: Sheldon Gersh says that running has the same priority as eating and sleeping for him

73-year-old Sheldon Gersh partiicipated in the first Run The World Challenge and has taken on the second one too.  The Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley has worked there for 47 years, he loves to travel with his wife and one thing he always finds time to do is run. 

So how did it all begin? He played soccer for Oregon and running was a necessity to survive the miles covered in practices and games.  "In the off season I would run to stay fit," says Sheldon.  "Once college was completed, I knew that I was going into the army and I needed to be very fit." 

He handled army training well and says "it was a piece of cake."  The summer before he entered the army, he ran with a high school cross country team which was ranked number one that year. 

"I ran the years I was in the Army, including my adventure in Vietnam."  Once he left the army he continued to run.  "It made me feel so good. I thought about playing adult soccer but it was such a hastle to get together a team." 

At the same time he had a friend that made him a bet that he had to finish in the top half and under an hour in his first Bay to Breakers road race in San Francisco.  "I ran almost everyday plus played soccer with a team I coached," he remembers. 

"I won the bet."  For Sheldon running has the same priority as eating and sleeping.  "Most people don’t look at it that way but I do. Running is extremely important to me, not much can prevent me from doing it, definitely not the weather," he says. 

Two highlights?  Running the Boston marathon back in the 70's and placing in the top 100 at the Bay to Breakers (12k) clocking 43 minutes. He also says, "I had a goal when I turned 60 to run a mile under six minutes. 

A friend, Rich stiller trained me."  Sheldon ran 5:47.  He wants to continue running forever but says he "doesn't want to overdo it. I just think running makes you feel better. I look at so many people who look and act much older than me.  I feel like they are my parents," he says. 

He keeps fit by doing more than one activity a day. He also swims, does boxing and spins.  "My long term goal is to continue running forever," says Sheldon Gersh. 

(08/31/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Reigning champion Abraham Cheroben will be leading the copenhagen Half Marathon

The Copenhagen Half Marathon is a Gold Label race ranked by the athletics world governing body IAAF. Leading the Kenyan charges will be reigning champion Abraham Cheroben, a Kenyan who represents Bahrain. "It has always been hard to win at this level of competition. There is always somebody new coming in trying to raffle the feathers and I must be on the lookout if I want to retain my title," said Cheroben, who trains in Iten in northwest Kenya. No fewer than 17 athletes with career bests under the one hour-mark will be on the starting line-up in the men's race. The line-up includes reigning champion Abraham Cheroben (58:40) from Bahrain and Kenyans Jorum Okombo (58:48) and Alex Korio (58:51) who were second and third behind Cheroben last year. "We train well with Cheroben, but that will not mean that I will not take the challenge to him. He is a stronger athlete, but I have done well in training and believe, I can outshine him in Copenhagen," Korio said on Friday in Eldoret. Kenya's Erick Kiptanui, the joint world leader with 58:42, is also in the line-up along with former London Marathon winner Daniel Wanjiru (59:20), Olympic marathon bronze medalist Galen Rupp (59:47) and Ethiopians Lelisa Desisa (59:30) and Shura Kitata (60:10). Wanjiru is using the race in Copenhagen to gauge his preparedness ahead of his running at the New York Marathon on Nov. 4. (08/31/2018) ⚡AMP

Jake Robertson and Mo Farah are ready to battle at Great North Run, the duo will go head-to-head once again

The duo will go head-to-head once again on Tyneside ahead of Autumn marathons. Jake Robertson and Mo Farah will renew their rivalry at the Great North Run on Sunday, September 9. In last year’s race, the New Zealander led Great Britain’s Farah into the final 400m before the four-time Olympic champion out sprinted his challenger with a trademark kick to take the win in 60:06, six seconds clear. Robertson also memorably proposed to his girlfriend Magdalyne Masai at the end of the half marathon. Farah, who previously announced his return to Tyneside, is bidding to become the first runner to win five consecutive titles. Since last year’s race, Robertson has taken the roads by storm winning the renowned Houston Half Marathon in a personal best equaling time of 60:01, before he made his marathon debut in Japan, where he broke the New Zealand record clocking 2:08:26. The duo will hope for impressive outings at the Great North Run before taking on Autumn marathons. Farah heads to Chicago where he will face defending champion Galen Rupp amongst others, and Robertson races for the second time over 26.2 miles in Toronto. (08/31/2018) ⚡AMP

Poland's Marcin Swierc took victory last night after a dramatic finish at the UTMB Festival

Poland's Marcin Swierc took victory last night after a dramatic finish to the TDS, the first major race of the UTMB festival, while France's Audrey Tanguy took a surprise win in the women's category. After making a gap on leader Dmitiry Mityaev of two minutes seven seconds over the last 7.8m, Swierc became the first Pole to win a UTMB race. He was 62 seconds ahead of USA's Dylan Bowman, who also passed the Russian, a further 41 seconds back, between the last checkpoint at Les Houches and the finish line at Chamonix. Swierc, who started steadily, completed the 123.4km in 13 hours 24 minutes. Mityaev and Bowman did much of the front-running in the middle of the race as favored American Hayden Hawks went from being early leader to suffering his third DNF in UTMB races. Meanwhile, Swierc was just 29th and nearly three minutes behind the leader after 6.8km. He was up to 23rd but still more than four minutes adrift at 11.4km. Sky running specialist Mityaev made a push up the final big ascent from Contamines to Col Tricot, establishing a four-minute lead, only to have that reduced on the descent and finally eclipsed on the flatter run-in to Chamonix by Swierc and Bowman. Rob Forbes was Britain's top finisher in 12th as Tom Owens, who figured highly in the early stages, was eventually 20th. (08/31/2018) ⚡AMP

I needed some motivation and the Run The World Challenge 2 is just the ticket

I have been running since 1962 and I needed some motivation.  I am participating in the Run The World Challenge 2 event that started August 29.  I did the first one that started July 4 and I ran an average of 5.1 miles per day for 37 days.  Before this I was doing about three miles per day.  That got me in better shape for Challenge 2.  On day 2 of Run The World Challenge 2 I just ran more miles in one day than I have in probably two years.  I just completed 13.21 miles broken up into three parts.  I did an easy two mile warm-up and then stopped for a light lunch (bowl of tomato soup and a roll).  After about a half hour break I ran 7.39 miles at 8:52/mile pace running the last mile just under 8 minutes.  I then drank a bottle of water and changed my shirt.  After about twenty minutes I ran 3.82 miles at 9:14/mile pace.  I started off really slow and picked it up.  Why am I tell you all of this? Because today I would have most likely have run only two to three miles easy but since I am doing the Run The World Challenge 2 I did this instead.  I did it for me and our team. The mission behind the Challenge is to celebrate running, inspire others, complete the challenge of logging enough miles to circle the globe and to motivate team members.  I can say without hesitation that I was motivated today solely because of the Run The World Challenge.  But you draw your own conclusion.  I am the team caption.  I am the guy who came up with the idea.  I have run over 1000 races and have probably run over 75,000 miles.  I founded and published Runner's World magazine for 18 years.  I have been around running for a long time.   If you are looking for something to help motivate you, this would be a good event to get involved with. There are single virtual events but nothing like what we are doing.  This is a team event.  It takes a big team (no bigger than 175).  The team also needs to run and log miles in at least ten different countries and have runners in all age groups from 17 and under to 70 plus.  I am 70-years-old and the Run The World Challenge 2 has me so motivated.  I run for me but it feels good to also be doing it for the team as well.  (Photo one of Bob Anderson fav places to run is in Paris.  This photo taken two years ago.)   (08/30/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Copenhagen Half is going to be the most exciting half marathon in decades

The elite field for the Danish capital race includes a phenomenal 16 sub-60 minute men and eight sub-68 minute women including the European 5000m champion.  Sifan Hassan (photo) will race for the first time over 13.1 miles at the Copenhagen Half Marathon on Sunday, September 16. The Dutch star is among a stellar field for the annual Danish capital half marathon event, that includes 16 men who have run under the hour and eight women who have dipped inside 68 minutes. Having focused predominately on 1500m racing in the past, Hassan joined the US-based Nike Oregon Project in 2016 and has been working towards the longer distances ever since, with European 5000m gold this month in Berlin her crowning moment thus far. The previous month, Hasan also broke the European record and Dutch national record with a 14:22.34 performance at the Diamond League in Rabat. The Ethiopian born athlete will be joined by American training partners Galen Rupp and Jordan Hasay on the streets of Copenhagen, as the US pair warm up for the Chicago Marathon in October. “In the world of running, it is said that CPH Half is going to be the most exciting half marathon in decades,” said Jakob Larsen, director of the Danish Athletics Federation and member of the IAAF Road Race Commission. (08/30/2018) ⚡AMP

Karel Sabbe Breaks Appalachian Trail Speed Record, finishes supported hike in 41 days 7 hours

Just 41 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes: That’s how long it took Karel Sabbe to finish the 2,189-mile Appalachian Trail and break the AT speed record. Sabbe started his trek on July 18th at Springer Mountain in Georgia and summited Mt. Katahdin in Maine on Tuesday shattering Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy’s record by four days. Sabbe, a 28-year-old dentist from Belgium, averaged a pace of around 53 miles per day, equivalent to two marathons a day for more than 41 days straight. According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the average thru-hiker finishes in 169 days, notching 14.2 miles per day. “Nobody had averaged more than 50 miles on the Appalachian Trail. More than proud, I feel privileged for having lived these incredible adventures. It was a blast from start to finish!” Sabbe said on Instagram. Unlike McConaughy, Sabbe’s run used a support crew; McConaughy’s unsupported record still stands. Besides the Appalachian Trail, Sabbe also hold the FKT for the Pacific Crest Trail, which he completed in 52 days, 8 hours, and 25 minutes in 2016. He is the only person to hold men’s or overall FKTs for both the AT and PCT at the same time. (08/30/2018) ⚡AMP

Kenya's Martin Kosgei goal is to win the Frankfurt Marathon

Kenya's Martin Kosgei will return to Frankfurt Marathon course on Oct. 28 aiming for gold.   He finished fourth last year winning $6500US.  Kosgei, 29, says he was not well prepared last year as he tackled windy conditions clocking 2:09:39 in a race that was dominated by Ethiopian runners.   "I want to win the race this time round. I have experience now and I know the course very well. I thank the organizers for giving me the opportunity to return and try and win the race for the third time," he said Wednesday in Nairobi. Kosgei has three marathon wins to his credit since his debut in 2012. He started off winning in Salzburg (Austria), Marseille and Lyon (France). He was second in Hannover and Frankfurt in 2016. This year's race will be the third time Kosgei will be attempting to win in Frankfurt. "I believe I have the strength to do well. Hopefully it will be third time lucky," said Kosgei. Ethiopia's Guye Adola, who clocked 2:03:46 on his marathon debut in the Berlin Marathon last September losing to Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge, has also confirmed his availability to race in Frankfurt. Adola will face opposition from teammate Kelkile Gezahegn and Kosgei, who finished second and fourth respectively in last year's race. "We are looking forward to a thrilling men's race with world-class runners. We are pleased when athletes of this caliber choose Frankfurt for their marathon. It is always our aim to present world-class athletes and at the same time to offer perfect conditions for every single runner," said Jo Schindler, the Frankfurt marathon Race director. (08/30/2018) ⚡AMP

The elite field at the Chicago Marathon keeps growing with more depth

Andrew Bumbalough, a member of Nike’s Bowerman Track Club, is back in Chicago after racing well in 2017. In just his second go at the marathon distance, he finished 13th overall. This spring, he endured arguably the most brutal conditions in Boston Marathon history to prove not only his physical fitness, but also his mental toughness and he was rewarded with a fifth-place finish. He set his PR during his marathon debut at the 2017 Tokyo Marathon, running a steady and controlled pace to finish in 2:13:58. Following Tokyo, he took part in the Nike Breaking2 project as a pacer. Prior to moving to the marathon, he qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials in the 5000m and he was the U.S. 5K national champion in 2013. (08/29/2018) ⚡AMP

Running is one of the most effective ways to rev up your metabolism

You don’t have much control over your metabolic rate, aerobic activity, such as running on a regular basis can temporarily increase your metabolism, which burns calories for energy. This can lead to a reduction in your body-fat percentage and weight loss. Running is also a cost-effective form of exercise that cuts the need for fad weight-loss products and a gym membership. It is not uncommon for people with weight loss issues to blame it on a slow metabolism. The National Health Service states that there is little evidence to support this. Rather, those who are overweight tend to have a faster metabolism than leaner individuals because the energy requirements are higher for a larger frame. During aerobic activity such as running, your metabolism increases to sustain your energy while you run. It works by burning the calories you consume and tapping into your fat storage to create energy. (08/29/2018) ⚡AMP

Bellin says he hopes to run a marathon this year, two years after wondering if he would ever walk again.

It has been two years since a deadly bombing rocked an airport in Brussels, Belgium, injuring a West Michigan man. There were 32 people killed and hundreds injured, including Battle Creek resident, Sebastien Bellin. He endured eight surgeries over 12 months, and had to learn to walk again after his hip was shattered by bullets and shrapnel. Over the last two years we have talked with the survivor about other terror attacks that have happened around the world. In 2017, he reflected about his own recovery journey. "It is possible to bounce back from the worst imaginable things. You can come out of something better than you were before,” said Bellin. Without feeling in his left leg, running can be tough. While he does a lot of training on a specialized elliptical, he still wanted to race. His first was in March at the Antwerp 10-miler, where he posted a 1:57. Then in May, he completed a 20K race in Brussels. Bellin says he hopes to run a marathon this year, two years after wondering if he would ever walk again.  (08/29/2018) ⚡AMP

Parker Stinson was on 2:09 pace at the 22 mile mark in his first marathon and then hit the wall. He says he will be better prepared for Chicago.

Parker Stinson, a nine-time All-American, a three-time U.S. junior 10,000m champion and a junior Pan American Games 10,000m champion, made his marathon debut last year at the USATF Marathon Championships.

While the results tell one story about how the race ended, anyone who watched the race unfold saw something else. Stinson may have finished 31st in 2:18:07, but he hit mile 22 on a 2:09 pace; at that point, he was running inside of an arena where few Americans have ventured. But proving that elite athletes are mere mortals, he struggled with cramps and side stitches and had to stop several times over the final four miles.

After the race, he said, “I wasn’t on a suicide mission, but I expected to die a little bit out there. I felt good until I didn’t.” Stinson’s pure guts running style supplies an element of excitement to this year’s American field. Stinson holds a 1:02:38 PR in the half marathon (run in May at the USATF Half Marathon Championships where he lost by one second) and a 27:54 PR in the 10,000m.

(08/29/2018) ⚡AMP

Run The World Challenge 2 Profile: Running has become an essential part of my life says Joyce Lee

For the first half of Joyce Lee's life, the only sports she did was swimming and gymnastics. "I never would have thought in a million years I would come to enjoy running," says 37-year-old Joyce.  In college she spent her summers teaching private swim lessons. 

"I needed another form of exercise, so I turned to running since it seemed like a simple way of getting in some cardio. I didn't own any running sneakers so I just wore my gym shoes and set out to run for an hour in my hilly neighborhood. I had no idea how far I went, or what my pace was; the goal was to just keep moving," she remembers.  

At first she was only using running to stay fit but that changed.  "Running has been a multi-faceted way to maintaining my overall physical, mental and emotional health. Getting the heart pumping has an amazing way to bringing issues to the front of mind for me, and allowing for some creativity to work its magic.

I am able to sort out problems, formulate new ideas and work through painful patches of my life.  Running has become an essential part of my life," Joyce says. 

On Juanurary 1, 2013 she decided she would run at least a mile every day for a year. "I often like to fly by the seat of my pants and live with little planning, so this presented a very interesting challenge for me. Any sensible person would carve out time in their morning, wake up early and fit their daily run then, but that wasn't me.

In my first year, I flew over 75,000 miles across the Pacific and around the country for business, weddings and of course a handful of road races. The time zone changes, fatigue from travel, unpredictable weather, lack of facilities required me to get very creative with how I would fit my mileage in.

I have run on a cruise ship track, airport terminals, stairs, and even a hotel hallway on my birthday at midnight. I am now into my sixth year of running every single day," she says with pride.  

She likes the idea of the Run The World Challenge and this is why she signed up.  "It is a wonderful way for runners near and far to work together as a team, joined by their passion, to work towards a common goal.  This is an awesome way for runners to socialize online and cheer each other on," says Joyce. 

Recently she placed first in the 50 mile Run De Vous Ultra. "I was adequately heat trained from having served as crew and pacer at the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon in Death Valley, I was able to successfully run the entire 50 mile distance.

The heat reached as high as 101 degrees in Morgan Hill (California), but I was able to outrun the second place runner by over two hours. It felt incredible to cross the finish as first overall winner rather than first female, something I never imagined I'd ever experience. I'll never forget it," she says. 

Some of her PR's include 20:02 for 5K, 1:34:20 for the half, 3:27:20 for the marathon and 29:41:23 for 100 miles. 

(08/29/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

83-year-old Robert Sloan first race in 40 years will be the Great Scottish Run

An 83-year-old man is preparing for the Great Scottish Run in September – his first run for 40 years. Robert Sloan, who lives in Dumfries with wife Joy, was a runner from an early age and over the years completed at least six marathons, four half-marathons and more than a dozen 10ks. He said: “I am really looking forward to the Great Scottish Run as the last run I took part in was around 40 years ago. “I lead a very active lifestyle and have still continued to run, even though I haven’t entered any races in while. “So I thought why not give the 10k at this year’s Great Scottish Run a go for a bit of fun.” The retired supermarket manager is originally from London, where he would regularly run round Harlow, where he lived for 20 years. The couple moved to Dumfries when they retired. They turned vegan last year and frequently hit the gym and go running. The iconic Glasgow run will again be supported by Bank of Scotland, who are celebrating their 10th year as partner. (08/29/2018) ⚡AMP

Run The World Challenge 2 Profile: Running is more than simply a daily habit for 57-year-old Pete Magill

Pete Magill (bib 105) has always loved to run. "It was my favorite part of sports, whether I was playing kickball, football, or actually running a race," says Pete.  When he went to high school, it was no surprise that he decided to go out for cross country. "I caught the bug. I was a runner. And once a runner, always a runner," he says.  Running is important for Pete in its own unique way. "It’s obviously a huge part of my life. Not only do I run every day (sometimes twice a day) when I’m in a competition mode, but it’s a big part of how I make my living. I write about running, both in magazines and books. And I coach runners, ranging in age and distance from high school sprinters to senior marathoners," Pete says.  Running isn’t simply a daily habit for Pete like taking out the trash or paying bills either. "It’s its own thing. It’s the time of day when I set the rest of life aside and simply enjoy being alive," explains Pete.  When he was in his 30's he was living an out-of-control life.  "It was running that rescued me, that centered me, and that has allowed me to live a productive and sane life in my 40s and 50s."  He has written four running books. "I strive to give the reader accurate, up-to-date, and useful information. And I try to debunk all the false information that gets in the way of smart, informed training and racing."  He made his living as a screenwriter for much of his 30s, and he learned to make every line count.  "I try to bring that to my running books. Every line should tell the reader something. Every paragraph should present some fresh idea with research or personal experience to back it up."  His new book, SpeedRunner, is about the components of basic speed, strength, and agility.  It explains how runners generate all three and the best way to train in order to improve them.  "My next book is titled, Fast 5K: 25 Keys to Your Best Race, and it tells the reader everything I know about training and racing for the 5K."  He thinks all runners should create a smart training plan, and then follow it.  "That’s easier said than done. For starters, simply redoing a training program you’ve done before isn’t a “smart plan.” Every time we start training, we begin from a different point. We’re older. Or our fitness isn’t the same. Or we simply trained incorrectly in the past and need to steer a different course this time around."  I asked Pete why he entered the Run The World Challenge.  "I think that Bob Anderson has once again hatched an idea that only improves the world of running—the runner’s world, if you will. The key to any good idea is that it be easy to understand, so that participants can clearly see what their contribution will be. A goal of compiling enough miles to run around the world? Yep, that fits the bill! And having runners from all age groups and requiring that miles from some team members be logged in different countries? Again, this is a truly great idea for helping to solidify the community of runner.  Count me in,” says Pete.Here are of few of Pete’s career highlights: 2016 Inductee: USATF (USA Track & Field) Masters Hall of Fame.  Fastest-ever American age 50+ at 5K (15:01) and 10K (31:11); 2nd fastest for Half Marathon (1:10:19); 14:45 5K at age 49 a world record.  His list of achievements is massive.  His knowledge of running, his passion for the sport and his achievements sets him apart but yet 57-year-old Pete Magill is always there ready to share all his secrets to help others achieve their goals.       (08/28/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Past Faxon Law New Haven 20K champions Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, Meghan Peyton and Aliphine Tuliamuk head the women’s race field

This year’s Faxon Law New Haven Road Race boasts a number of the country’s top runners, who will compete for a prize purse of more than $40,000 Labor Day at the New Haven Green. The event has played host to the USATF 20K National Championship since 1992. Past Faxon Law New Haven 20K champions Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, Meghan Peyton and Aliphine Tuliamuk head the women’s race field. Georgia’s Cherobon-Bawcom won the 2011 race and finished 12th in the 10,000 meters at the 2012 Olympics. New Mexico’s Tuliamuk, the 2016 champion here, will also be competing. She holds nine national road race titles. Peyton was the 20K winner in 2013. She competed at the 2012 and 2016 USA Olympic team trials and has been a member of four USA National teams. California’s Sara Hall, a 2017 USATF Marathon champion, who placed third at last year’s New Haven 20K, will also compete. New York’s Allie Kieffer is also expected to finish near the top. She was sixth in last year’s Faxon Law New Haven 20K and was fifth in last year’s New York City Marathon. (08/28/2018) ⚡AMP

The Great North Run, will honor five women who played a part inspiring an unstoppable wave of female runners

These are the famous five females who will be officially setting off runners in the Great North Run. This year marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, the event will honor female pioneers of the sport, recognizing the five extraordinary women who have played their part in inspiring an unstoppable wave of female runners around the world. The five are Kathrine Switzer, Rosa Mota, Ingrid Kristiansen, Paula Radcliffe and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. When the Great North Run was first staged in 1981, around 1300 women took part and although a triumph of its time, these women made up only 11% of the total field. A lot has changed in the last 37 years, and now 48% of the 57,000 expected runners will be female. The official starters of the 2018 Great North Run have overcome challenges and achieved the impossible throughout their careers to leave their mark in the running world, creating change that has ultimately led to an explosion of women’s participation in running.  (08/28/2018) ⚡AMP

Usain Bolt is set to make his soccer debut, despite saying he is struggling with the physical demands of professional soccer

Jamaica's Usain Bolt is set to make his debut for Central Coast Mariners, despite saying he is struggling with the physical demands of professional soccer. The Jamaican eight-time Olympic sprint champion, 31, joined the Australian A-League side for an "indefinite training period" earlier this month. Coach Mike Mulvey said Bolt has "rudimentary skills", adding: "I imagine he'll get some minutes." Mulvey said the 100m and 200m world record holder was "doing OK" but would take some time "to adjust."  He said, "The things we are asking him to do are things that he hasn't done for quite some years. "He has played soccer as an athlete in between athletic meets so he has rudimentary skills. It's about being able to do it at the speed that we do it." The 11-time world sprint champion has been playing as a left winger in training but said he still needs to "get up to pace" with the stop-start nature of football matches. "Because I'm not used to picking up speed, going back down, up and down, up and down, back and forth, that's the most challenging," he said. (08/28/2018) ⚡AMP

Three-time World Championships medalist Jenny Simpson and Nick Willis to Race the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile

18 Olympians will toe the line in the world’s most iconic road mile race, including Olympians Matthew Centrowitz, Emma Coburn, Lopez Lomong, and Boris Berian; Event to be aired live on NBC and feature 22 heats throughout the day, including Rising New York Road Runners heats for youth and the George Sheehan Memorial Mile for seniors.  Olympic bronze medalist and three-time World Championships medalist Jenny Simpson and two-time Olympic medalist Nick Willis will go for their record-setting seventh and fifth event titles at the 2018 New Balance 5th Avenue Mile on Sunday, September 9. Stretching 20 blocks down Manhattan’s most famous thoroughfare, the race will draw a professional athlete field from 11 countries. (08/28/2018) ⚡AMP

Gwen Jorgensen added to the 2018 Chicago Marathon field

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced today that defending champion Galen Rupp and American superstars Jordan Hasay, Amy Cragg and Laura Thweatt will be joined by a strong field of American runners at the 41st annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Gwen Jorgensen joins one of the deepest American women’s fields in the history of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Hasay currently ranks second on the list of all-time American marathoners with her 2:20:57 run at last year’s Chicago Marathon. Her time was the fastest American time ever run on U.S. soil. Cragg moved up to the fifth spot in U.S. history earlier this year with her 2:21:42 performance in Tokyo, and Thweatt claimed the ninth spot in London last year after she finished in 2:25:38. The last time three American women finished in the top five in Chicago was 1994, and the last time U.S. women claimed the top two spots was 1992. That could all change in 2018. Jorgensen’s potential in the marathon remains unknown. She debuted at the New York City Marathon just nine weeks after she won gold in Rio in the triathlon. Given her lack of marathon-specific training, she impressed with a 14th-place finish and 2:41:01 time. Jorgensen grew into a legend as a triathlete: in addition to her gold medal (the only Olympic gold in the triathlon in U.S. history), she also won two world titles and an unprecedented 17 ITU World Triathlon Series races. She took most of 2017 off to welcome her first child, and since making the leap into a full-time professional running career, she won the 2018 Stanford Invitational 10,000m in 31:55, she finished fifth in the Peachtree road race, she finished seventh in the 10,000m at the USATF championships, and she finished fourth in her half marathon debut at the U.S. Half Marathon Championships in 1:10:58. Jorgensen trains with Cragg and Shalane Flanagan as part of Nike’s Bowerman Track Club. (08/27/2018) ⚡AMP

Patrick Bruno has competed in all 9 Kauai Marathons and is running again on Sunday

Patrick Bruno has competed in all nine Kauai Marathons, and next Sunday will be number 10. But there is one Kauai Marathon that keeps him from saying he’s officially completed them all — even though he did, albeit a day late. “I was killing it,” he said of that second year he ran the full marathon in 2010. At the 24-mile marker, his time was about 3 hours, 30 minutes. He was on pace to shatter the four-hour barrier. And then, he wasn’t. “I hit that proverbial wall kind of thing,” he said. Bruno reached that point, no matter how much he tried to will his body to keep pushing toward the finish line, it wanted to stop. He dropped out. “I just couldn’t keep going,” he said. But the Lihue man wasn’t at peace with it. The next morning, at 5, he returned to that spot where he dropped out, and ran the last 2.2 miles. Twenty-four hours later, he finished that marathon as his daughter, Cinzia, cheered him on. “It was good but it was a let-down,” he said. “You know how we kick ourselves so badly for that kind of stuff.” Patrick Bruno does not let disappointments and setbacks keep him down. He has since finished each marathon, and at 53 years old he vows to keep finishing them just as long as his legs will carry him the daunting distance. “I’m just trying not to get old,” he said. “We only have so many good years left, so I just need to make sure to do what I can to stay as mobile and able to do things as I can.” (08/27/2018) ⚡AMP

Kenya’s Titus Ekiru breaks course record at Mexico City Marathon

Kenya’s Titus Ekiru ran a smart race at the Telcel Mexico City International Marathon to set a course record of 2:10:38 at the IAAF Silver Label event on Sunday, while Etaferahu Temesgen led an Ethiopian sweep in the women’s contest. The men’s race set a modest pace from the start, covering the first five kilometres in 16:32. About a dozen men reached the halfway mark in 1:06:09, a group that included Ethiopia’s defending champion Fikadu Kebede. At 30 kilometers, reached in 1:33:11, the leaders have been reduced to Ekiru, Edwin Koech and Matthew Kisorio, 43 seconds ahead of the chase group. At that point, Ekiru made a decisive move and progressively extended his lead as the race approached the toughest hills on Insurgentes Avenue on its way to the Olympic stadium. He upped the pace and covered the second half in 1:04:30 to win in 2:10:38, breaking the previous record of 2:11:12 and securing the second marathon victory of his career. “I enjoyed the course and the altitude of Mexico City (2,240m) is similar as in Kenya so it did not affect me much,” said Ekiru, who has a PB of 2:07:43. “I am very happy to set a record and I realized at 20 kilometers that I felt very well, and I knew I could really break a new record.” In his fourth marathon since making his debut at the distance in 2016, Ekiru pocketed MXN 550,000 (about US$27,000) for his effort. He became the third Kenyan in six years to win the race. Koech (2:12:35) and Kisorio (2:13:14) completed a Kenyan sweep on the podium. (08/27/2018) ⚡AMP

Run The World Challenge 2! Participants must log their first mile before they are on the team, limited to 175.

"I think the Run The World Challenge is really cool because I get to connect with people who are doing the same thing for different reasons, and people from around the world,” say Henry Ward who is doing the challenge for the second time.  

The Run The World Global Run Challenge is all about running.  It is a celebration of running.  The challenge is a good motivator and many have said they have run more miles (k's) because of the challenge. 

The challenge inspires others to start or re-start their running.  The challenge is about setting a goal and completing it.  “Our first team started on July 4 and 36 days 23 hours 13 minutes later our team of 175 (which is now the max size of a team) finished running and logging 24,901 miles (40,074K),” says team Caption, 70-year-old Bob Anderson who logged 189 miles.  

“Our team ran miles in 30 different countries.  The youngest on our team was 11 and the oldest 82 and I am proud of all of them.”  Participants logged in as many as 797.37 miles down to 2.49 miles.

Run The World Challenge 2 starts Wednesday August 29.  You can sign up at any time but once 175 people log at least a mile, our team is full.  “Signing up is just the first step of the process,” says Bob Anderson.  

“You are not on the team until you log your first mile.” For this challenge, we will be doing a celebration lap in Pacific Grove on September 30 at the Pacific Grove 10k and Double Road Race event.  

“We encourage everyone to join us and come run one of our races too,” says Bob.  Get signed up and logged your first mile starting Wednesday August 29 to make the team.  The maximum size team is 175.  

“We are running and logging enough miles to circle the globe,” says Michael Wardian who is doing the challenge for the second time.  That is 24,901 miles.  All ages and abilities are invited. Every mile count.  

(Photo) Team members Bob Anderson, Lisa Wall and Owen Wall.  

(08/26/2018) ⚡AMP

What has Yuki Kawauchi been up too? He has been winning the last two weekends but times have been slow

Last weekend (August 22) at the second annual Nemuro Seaside Half Marathon he won clocking 1:06:39.  The participating runners traversing the extremity Japan's northeastern coast. 1053 people were entered in the event's half marathon, 10 km, 5 km, 3 km and 1 km divisions, an increase from last year. Every finisher received an entire hanasaki crab, the seasonal local specialty giving more than enough motivation to spur them on to the finish line. In the day's main race, the half marathon, 417 people were entered. Lining up alongside guest runner Yuki Kawauchi.  From views of the Pacific Ocean the runners passed through a pastoral dairy farmland scene and on to the panorama of the Sea of Okhotsk in the second half before a finish line in the heart of the town. Yuki posted this on FB. “I went to NEMURO last weekend. Nemuro is most east city of JAPAN.   I had run half marathon of "Nemuro seaside marathon".   Nemuro is cool condition(16〜22℃).   Course is tough,but views are nice. Runner can see Pacific ocean and Sea of Okhotsk.   And Runner can eat "TEPPO-JIL（traditional Japanese miso soup of the crab)" and drink milk after finish.   My finish time is 1:06'39. It isn't the good time. But I could do good training and enjoy race.   My next race is International marathon of Mobil New caledonia . My target time is 2:13:59.  Yuki posted this a few hours ago.  I ran International marathon of Mobil New caledonia today. My time was 2:18:18 today.   Today's race I was all alone. 2nd runner was 2:29.   Although my  time was bad , I was happy because a memory 10 years ago was revived.   I will challenge to break course record next year.   I believe I can do it.” (08/26/2018) ⚡AMP

Desiree Linden who has been itching to get back to racing is set to run Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half

The 2018 Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon will once again include a world-class group of elite men and women when they toe the line on September 15-16. With the depth of the elite field, the half marathon, which will take place on September 16, is set to be one of the most thrilling races of the year, taking runners along the flat and fast course that starts on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, runs through Center City before winding along the city’s scenic Schuylkill River and finishing at the iconic “Rocky Steps” of the Philadelphia Art Museum. Headlining the field will be Desiree “Des” Linden who won the 2018 Boston Marathon, becoming the first American woman to win the race in 33 years. Linden is a two-time Olympian from San Diego, California representing the United States of America at the last two Summer Olympic Games with her best finish coming in 2016 in Rio when she placed seventh. Her personal best in the marathon is 2:22:38 and 1:10:34 for the half marathon. “I’ve enjoyed the post-Boston victory tour, but I’ve been itching to get back to racing,” said Linden. “I can’t wait to head to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon to test out the legs and find out where I’m at with my fall marathon training. With the fast course and stellar competition the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon always brings, it will be the perfect jumpstart to my fall racing season.” (08/26/2018) ⚡AMP

Strong filed at Labor Day Road Race with notable athletes competing like Sara Hall and Leonard Korir

The 2018 Faxon Law New Haven Road Race, host of the USATF 20K National Championship, boasts a number of the country’s top runners. The event takes place on Labor Day, Sept. 3, on the New Haven Green.

Some of America’s top distance runners will compete for a prize purse of over $40,000. New Haven has hosted the USATF 20K National Championship since 1992. Past Faxon Law New Haven 20K champions Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, Meghan Peyton and Aliphine Tuliamuk head the women’s race field.

Georgia’s Cherobon-Bawcom won the 2011 race and finished 12th in the 10,000 meters at the 2012 Olympics. New Mexico’s Tuliamuk, the 2016 20K champion, will also be competing for the top spot. She now holds nine national road race titles. Peyton (Tualatin, OR.) was the 20K winner in 2013.

She has competed at the 2012 and 2016 USA Olympic Team trials and has been a member of four USA National Teams. Another notable athlete competing on Labor Day is California’s Sara Hall. Hall is a 2017 USATF Marathon champ and placed third at last year’s New Haven 20K.

New York’s Allie Kieffer is also expected to finish near the top. She was sixth in last year’s Faxon Law New Haven 20K and was fifth in last year’s New York City Marathon.

Currently, Colorado’s Leonard Korir is the men’s favorite. He won the 2016 race and lost in a lean to Galen Rupp in last year’s race. Korir competed in Rio Olympics in the 10,000. Korir will be challenged by Colorado’s Sammy Kosgei, Connecticut’s Donn Cabral, North Carolina’s Christo Landry and Massachusett’s Tim Ritchie.

(08/25/2018) ⚡AMP

European champion Volha Mazuronak is running the Minsk Half Marathon 2018

Volha Mazuronak will take part in the Minsk Half Marathon 2018. The winner of the gold medal in the women's marathon at the European Athletics Championships 2018 in Berlin will participate in one of the biggest mass sport events in Minsk on 9 September. One of the partners of the federation will allocate additional $5,000 for the athlete if she becomes a three-time champion of the 21.1km half marathon. The Belarusian Athletics Federation invites amateur marathoners, athletes to come to the Minsk Half Marathon 2018 and support Volha Mazuronak. “All the participants of the marathon need support of the audience and we hope that this year more people will come to cheer up the runners,” the federation said. This year the Minsk Half Marathon will be held for the fourth time. (08/24/2018) ⚡AMP

What does a two time Boston Marathon winner and the Boston Marathon Race Director have in common? They are both doing the Run The World Challenge again

Geoff Smith won the Boston Marathon twice.  He was leading the 1983 New York City Marathon at 26 miles until Rod Dixon caught him and Geoff finished just seconds behind. After taking a break from running due to some injuries, Geoff has now run every day recently passing 700.  While doing the first Run The World Challenge he nearly doubled his regular mileage. That team logged in 24,901 miles in 36 days 23 Hours 13 Minutes.  That’s enough miles to circle the globe.  “We are putting together our second team now and we hope to finish in 30 days,” Bob Anderson Run The World team Caption says.  Miles on the first team were run in 30 countries.  Youngest on the team was age 11 and the oldest was 82.  Team members logged in as many as 798 miles to as few as 3.  “I increased my average weekly miles from 20 to 35,” says 70-year-old Bob Anderson.  “The Run The World Challenge just gives more purpose to run a few more miles everyday,” he says.   There are a few more spots available.  You can continue with your regular routine and just take another minute or so to log in your miles on your My Best Runs account.    “I am looking forward to doing this challenge again,” says Geoff Smith.  Runners of all ages and abilities and throughout the world have already signed up.  How about you?  Use this link to sign up: https://mybestruns.com/goal.php  Join Geoff, Dave, Bob, Lize, Aaron, Owen, Lisa, Becca... (08/24/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Ultrarunner cross-Canada speed record quest was cut short due to a back injury

It was a bittersweet ending for ultrarunner Dave Proctor and the Outrun Rare team, who officially ended their cross-Canada trip in Halifax.  Proctor, who started running in Victoria on June 27, was on a quest for the cross-Canada speed record while also raising awareness for rare diseases, but made it just past Winnipeg before pain from a back injury sustained before the trip forced him to stop running on July 28. He had covered more than 2,400K. Dr. Christine Chambers said, “I’ve seen rare disease patients and families make new connections with each other and with our organization… But even more, Dave has helped people who haven’t been impacted with rare disease, the ‘typical Canadians,’ realize the barriers faced by the one in 12 directly impacted and their families. He’s galvanized their compassion for those of us that have fallen through the cracks in Canada’s health care system. Like Dave Proctor, I think this is just the beginning.” Proctor decided not to dip his trademark Smithbilt cowboy hat in the Atlantic as originally planned, since, as he says, he expected to end the trip in Newfoundland, not Halifax. Neurological damage resulting from his untreated herniated disk forced the decision to wrap up the trip a week early and fly back to Calgary, where he will begin treatment. Proctor says it remains to be seen whether he’ll require surgery. “We are nowhere close to being done,” says Proctor of the effort to raise awareness and push policymakers for a national rare disease strategy. He also didn’t rule out the prospect of another attempt at the cross-Canada run. Proctor holds the 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour Canadian records for continuous running. The cross-Canada speed record is held by Al Howie, who ran across Canada in 72 days in 1991. (08/24/2018) ⚡AMP

British duo Luke Traynor and Emelia Gorecka set for Prague 10k

British duo feature among a top international field in one of the fastest 10k road races in the world. Luke Traynor and Emelia Gorecka have been named in the elite fields for the Birell Prague Grand Prix on Saturday, September 8. The British pair feature among a strong international field set to race in the 10k race on the streets of the Czech capital. In last year’s race, Joyciline Jepkosgei memorably ran 29:43 to break the women’s world record. Traynor has impressed throughout 2018, including a 10k personal best performance of 28:32 in June, a time that ranks him as the third fastest Scot of all time over the distance. The 24 year-old is no stranger in the Czech Republic and earlier this year won the Mattoni ÄŒeské BudÄ›jovice Half Marathon. (08/24/2018) ⚡AMP

NAZ Elite's Scott Fauble is scheduled to run the TCS New York Marathon

Scott Fauble ran the Falmouth Road Race on Sunday as part of his preparation for the upcoming fall marathon season, and he came away from the Massachusetts 7-miler with a second-place finish in 32:23. His finish reflects the kind of year NAZ Elite is putting in the books, as the team rides a wave of momentum that picked up the pace with Aliphine Tuliamuk claiming the USATF 25K and half-marathon titles in the month of May. After Tuliamuk earned her ninth and 10th national championships, Stephanie Bruce, at the age of 34, won her first-ever national title in July's USATF 10K Championships. While Bruce grabbed the gold, Tuliamuk finished with silver in the 10K. Now, Fauble, Tuliamuk, Bruce and teammate Scott Smith, who claimed sixth place in the Boston Marathon, will look to keep the team's foot on the pedal after being selected to run in the upcoming TCS New York City Marathon. It's the most runners NAZ Elite has entered in the marathon in the club's history. "This group, they are seemingly all in the prime of their careers," said NAZ Elite head coach Ben Rosario. "They are all racing really well at the highest level they’ve raced at, and that’s what you want going into New York because you have to be 100 percent on your game if you want to compete up front.” (08/24/2018) ⚡AMP

Ethiopian Fikadu Kebede returns to the Mexican capital to defend his title at the Mexico City International Marathon

Fikadu Kebede returns to the Mexican capital to defend his title Sunday at the 36th Telcel Mexico City International Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label road race, which will also honour the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Olympic Games. Last year, Kebede beat Bahrain’s Isaac Korir in the last kilometre to become the second Ethiopian man in five years to win the largest 42.195km race in Latin America. The winner of the 2017 Rabat Marathon with a lifetime best of 2:09:37, will enter his third marathon of the season after running 2:19:06 in Hong Kong in January and 2:14:37 for seventh in Lanzhou, China, in June. Apart from the city’s 2240m high altitude, the Ethiopian will also face five men with personal bests faster than his, including Kenya’s Matthew Kisorio (2:06:33), Felix Kipchirchir Kiprotich (2:06:54), Edwin Kipngetich Koech (2:07:13) and Titus Ekiru (2:07:43). The last three ran their fastest marathon times in 2017. The Ethiopian contingent looks more solid in the women’s race, but Kebede will also rely on his countryman Daniel Aschenik Derese, winner in Mexico’s capital in 2015. (08/24/2018) ⚡AMP

Ethiopian Senbere Teferi looking to reach the podium at the Tilburg 10k race

23-year-old Ethiopian Senbere Teferi made her debut 10K on the road in Tilburg last year clocking 30:38, the second best time ever in Tilburg.  She was also once on the podium at the World Cup cross and the World Cup track athletics 5000 meters. In January she made her debut at the marathon with 2:24 in Dubai. Recently she was second at the 10K in Bangelore, India. Her goal for Tilburg is winning and clocking a time under 31.00. In the race in Bangelore, Teferi was defeated by her Kenyan peers Agnes Tirop. Tirop was world cross country champion in 2015, then in China. In 2017 she was second at the Tilburg Ladies Run in 31.00. The third candidate for the podium was also in Tilburg earlier. 24-year-old Kenyan Alice Aprot was recently second at the Kenyan championships at 10,000 meters and last year in Kampala second at the WC cross. In 2016 she was a winner in Tilburg.   As usual, young talented African and European athletes come to Tilburg to clock a good time on the 10K course.  In Tiburg they also do the 10 miler. (08/23/2018) ⚡AMP

2018 Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half the star-studded men’s field is led by Feyisa Lilesa

The star-studded men’s field is led by Feyisa Lilesa, the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Marathon silver medalist. The Ethiopian distance runner has recorded a personal best of 2:04:52 ranking him in the top-ten fastest marathoners ever. Lilesa also boasts a personal best in the half marathon breaking the one-hour barrier at 59:22 and last year he won the New York City Half Marathon. “I’m looking forward to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon,” said Lilesa. “The race has a great history. World records have been set there, and it has had some fantastic champions. I am aiming to add my name to that list.” Lilesa will face some tough competition with four-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, and 2015 World Marathon Champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie, toeing the start line beside him. Somalian-born Abdirahman represented the United States at the Olympics in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 and placed 3rd in the New York City Marathon in 2016. He has personal bests of 2:08:56 in the marathon and 1:01:07 in the half marathon. Ghebreslassie hails from Eritrea and made a name for himself winning the 2015 World Marathon Championship. In 2016, he became the youngest male to ever win the New York City Marathon at 20-years old. His personal bests are 2:07:46 for the marathon and 1:00:09 in the half marathon. “It’s great to welcome so many fantastic athletes to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon,” said Josh Furlow, Managing Director of North America for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®. “As the fall marathon season begins, athletes will be using this race as a measure of how months of training have been going. Having Olympic medalists and World Champions line up against World Marathon Major winners shows the regard with which this race is held. We’re looking forward to another fantastic edition next month.” (08/23/2018) ⚡AMP

Five-time U.S. Olympian Bernard Lagat will Make his Marathon Debut in New York City

Five-time U.S. Olympian Bernard Lagat will make his long-awaited marathon debut at this year’s New York City Marathon. At 43 years old, Lagat is remarkably still one of the top U.S. distance runners. He most recently represented the United States at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in March and claimed the U.S. 10K title in July. If he continues racing at the elite level, there may be a chance for Lagat to try and make a sixth U.S. Olympic team in 2020. For now, he’s solely focused on his 26.2-mile debut and possibly making a run at Meb Keflezighi’s U.S. Masters record of 2:12:20. The women’s field for the New York City Marathon is absolutely loaded with the defending champion Shalane Flanagan, Boston Marathon champion Des Linden, London Marathon champion Vivian Cheruiyot and three-time New York champion Mary Keitany. The men’s field already includes last year’s champion 25-year-old Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya. (08/23/2018) ⚡AMP