Running News Daily

Yuki Kawauchi confirms another marathon and says he wants to match up races to his desire to travel the world

Yuki Kawauchi has confirmed another marathon.  He will run the 33rd annual Huawei Venice marathon October 28.  One of Yuki’s goals is to run 100 marathons under 2:20 and he wants to do that or better in Venice.  He just ran his 80th Sub 2:20 in Australia.  Kawauchi is much loved in the running community for not only winning Boston but in challenging weather conditions, but because he embodies that ideal of an athlete who makes running his hobby.  The marathon runner of the "next door" or the "citizen runner" as many say. He plays extravagantly, as when he ran a half marathon disguised as a Panda or in moccasins, a jacket and a tie. But Kawauchi is above all the man of the records. He is the only athlete in history to have run two marathons in 2:09 within 14 days.  He ran two 2:08 marathons within 42 days.  And he is the only one to have raced for 26 times under 2:12' and 78 times under 2:20.  Since the beginning of this year has already run five marathons (winning four), 11 half marathons, 2 ultras and by the end of 2018 he has plans of running five more marathons including Venice.  "The Venice Marathon has an important double meaning," says Yuki, "my first Italian marathon and my first time in Italy and in Venice. I come to win and I can not wait to do it because, in addition to running, I would like to taste Italian cuisine and your tiramisu that I love. Food and marathon will make this weekend unforgettable. My dream is to run 100 marathons under 2:20." continues Kawauchi, "but what matters most to me is to match races to my desire to travel and get to know the world." (07/04/2018) ⚡AMP

The RUN THE WORLD Global Run Challenge 1 has Started, the team is 175 strong from 15 countries

The time has come for our 175 strong RUN THE WORLD Global team to start logging miles.  The goal is to login 24,901 miles or 40,072k within 30 days.  “We have put together a strong team,” says Bob Anderson, team leader.  “Our runners come with lots of experience to runners who are just getting started.  We have ultra marathoners capable of running 100 miles in a day, world class runners, past Olympians,  middle distance runners, trail runners, 80 plus runners, kid Runners, coaches, Race directors, recreational runners, marathoners, and more,” says Bob.  Some of the team will be logging in five miles a week while others will be logging in over 130 miles weekly.  “It is the type of team we were looking for.  Once the word got out there, we reached 200 easily.”  We established guidelines we needed to follow.  1. A team can not have more than 200 active runners.  2. There has to be at least one member in each age group, 19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70 plus.  3. At least 25% of the team must be either male or female (mixed team). 4. There needs to be Runners from at least 10 countries.  The runner can either have a passport from that country or live in that country.  5. The first 200 who log miles are on the team after the start date.  Each member have to set a weekly goal, post a short bio and agree to try to reach their goal and log the miles.   6. Miles can either be running, run/walk or walking miles.  Only “real miles” can be posted.  “Our team meets all these guidelines.  I am so proud of all our team members,” says Bob.  What is the mission? First it is a celebration of running.  Second, to inspire others to include running into their daily life.  (This is why we are publishing inspiration stories about our members).  Third, to motivate (Team members set a weekly goal which they want to reach or more.) Four, to bond (bringing Runners from around the world closer together.  “We are Runners” Five, to educate and inform (our My Best Runs website offers advice and reports on the best, most interesting and unique races in the world). “Our team is excited to finally get this under way.”   (07/03/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Dakota Wagner two years ago was terrified of the marathon, on June 23 he ran the Black Hills 50 Miler

Dakota Wagner hasn't allowed his asthma to stop him from running a ultra marathon. "Two years ago I was sitting on a bus riding to my first marathon and I was terrified," says Dakota. "Today I’m on my way to the start of my first ultra marathon." The former Jamestown (North Dakota) High School and current UJ runner competed in the Black Hills 50 mile race in Sturgis, South Dakota, on June 23. Wagner placed 27th out of 57 finishers with a time of 12 hours, 51 minutes and 39 seconds. "I was pretty battered by the end," Wagner said, a computer science major. "The climbs tired me out but the descending also destroyed my legs. The day after, on Sunday (June 24), I was having difficulties walking, which is typical."Overall, I think it went really well and I trained pretty hard for that race." Coming into the race, Wagner said his strategy was to consume GU energy gels every 30 minutes to intake 200 calories an hour.  About every seven miles there was an aid station to allow Wagner to eat and drink. "Every time I would get to an aid station I would eat real foods like peanut butter and jelly, chips and Coca-Cola," he said. "You're taking in enough fuel to sustain a run." The course featured six major climbs and a couple of smaller ones. Overall, there was an 8,656-foot elevation gain and a 9,990-foot loss. Despite muddy conditions that caused 41 competitors to drop out early in the race, Wagner cruised through the first 20 miles of the race. But at Mile 32, Wagner's legs hit a wall.Wagner managed to rally and finish the remainder of the race, even though his legs were telling him otherwise. Once he crossed the finish line he celebrated with his "crew" of best friend Alphonse Schoeneberger and brother Dustin.  "I learned more about myself and what I was capable of than all my years of running before this moment. For the first time I felt like I completed exactly what I set out to do, and met all of my expectations and more," Dakota posted on Facebook.  (07/02/2018) ⚡AMP

Global Run Challenge Profile: Abbey had planned to run just one marathon to cross that off her bucket list

RUN THE WORLD: Abbey Cannon started running when she was 28 because she wanted to cross off "run a marathon" off her bucket list.  "While I succeeded, finishing in 4:24 with only 12 weeks of training, it was a painful experience but I was hooked on running," says Abbey.  She now runs because she enjoys it.   "Running keeps me healthy, happy, and sane, and I also like to run for charities."  She is currently training for the Chicago Marathon to raise money for a dog rescue.  After running her first marathon in almost four and half hours the Boston Marathon was not even a consideration. "I never thought that I could qualify for the Boston Marathon, but I did at age 36 and ran it in 2017. I am also proud to say that, even though it was a small crowd, I placed first female in my first ultra marathon at The San Francisco Marathon last year."  38-year-old Abbey is married, a mom of two and has five dogs.  Plus foster dogs.  She is a pediatric nurse living in the San Francisco Bay area.  Asked about this challenge she wrote,  "I think the Run The World Global Run Challenge is great because it shows that even though we are all at different levels and may run for different reasons, we in the running community from all over the globe can all come together to work for the same goal."  (07/02/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Harvey Lewis On Track To Set Record For the 2,189 mile Appalachian Trail

Harvey Sweetland Lewis has covered over 1,370 miles and 60% of the iconic Appalachian Trail since May 30th, and is nearing record setting pace to arrive in Mount Katahdin, Maine on July 14th. This Fastest Known Time (FKT) has become one of the most contested, coveted accolades in ultra running and has been broken in recent years by Scott Jurek and Carl Metzler. Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy set the current record last summer in 45 days, 12 hours and 15 minutes. Harvey’s support team has been led by his 78-year-old dad and includes countless friends, family, fellow ultra runners and strangers who have been encouraging him along the trail and on social media. Road iD has joined Harvey to document his journey. “The man who has no imagination has no wings,” are the words that drive high school teacher Harvey Lewis as he searches within himself to complete the most challenging test of his life. His accomplishments include winning Badwater, the 135-mile ultra marathon in Death Valley, considering by many as The World’s Toughest Race. His latest pilgrimage began in the early morning on May 30th, 2018, with his dad and a small film crew, set out from Springer Mountain in Georgia on waterlogged trails through torrential downpour while navigating several mudslides. For Harvey Lewis these obstacles are opportunities, as he speaks prior to the start, “Pushing yourself to extreme limits, this is when the greatest growth happens.” “When I was dealing my injuries last week, the Achilles pain, the tendinitis, the foot soreness. I was beginning to think these injuries would sideline me,” shared Harvey Lewis as he had just completed one of the most grueling sections of the Appalachian Trail on June 24th. “This has been my toughest ultra and I didn’t quit because I knew there were people counting on me, these amazing friends and strangers have made all the difference. Now, I’m feeling 90% and ready for whatever’s in store.”  Harvey posted on FB before the start.  "The opportunity to have the experience of a lifetime with my father on a journey we never would have imagined. The love of the wilderness and need to push myself to new places has inspired the seed."  Photo: Assistance on the trail comes in many forms.  Here 30 days in with Alann Lopes. (06/28/2018) ⚡AMP

A cancer survivor is running 380 miles, from the Boston Harbor to Lake Ontario

Cancer survivor is running 380 miles, from the Boston Harbor to Lake Ontario and Wednesday was day six of 12. When she reached the steps of the state capitol in Albany Wednesday afternoon, she officially hit her halfway mark. Davina McNaney has been running long distance for years. In 2012 she ran her first ever ultra-marathon, 40 miles to celebrate her 40th birthday. One month later she had her first ever mammogram and that came with a cancer diagnosis. "It was very, very frustrating and this is what I can do to overcome all of that,” Davina said. Without a second thought, she had a double mastectomy and within four months she was officially cancer free. Since then she's been determined to take action and fight against breast cancer. "Running is my strength and so I want to use it to highlight the research that the foundation funds is really key. So if I can come out here and sacrifice myself and encourage people to donate, I'm helping people and that's how I can give back,” Davina said. "One morning, I woke up and I said I want to run home." So she did exactly that, traveling 480 miles across four states from Michigan to her hometown of Sodus Point, New York. After their move to Medway, Massachusetts, she was up for another challenge. This journey is 380 miles, but much steeper with some 18,000 feet of elevation. (06/28/2018) ⚡AMP

Global Run Challenge Profile: Good hard training is more important than diet says Ultra legend Frank Bozanich

RUN THE WORLD: "I discovered running as a very young child as play and way to get places. I ran track in HS and College," says 74-year-old Frank Bozanich who currently lives in Reno, Nevada.  His last overall ultra marathon win was when he was 69.  In 1976 he won the AAU National 50 Mile Championship clocking 5 hours 36 minutes.  In all he won three National 50 mile titles, two at 100k.  In 1979 he set the American 100K record clocking six hours 51 minutes.  I asked him about injuries.  "I have been injury free all these years other than a couple hamstring situations when I was sprinting.," Frank says.  "I attribute this to having a strong physical body.  When I was a young lad I was working on crab fishing and salmon fishing boats.  I helped my dad pull in crab pots (traps) by hand. I continue with physical work in wrestling and has a Marine. I have always maintained a strong overall body."  I knew we had found another good Run The World team member.  "I love the idea of the Run The World Challenge. It is fantastic way to join the world together in a different way. It is something we can all do..." Frank enjoys running as much as he did when he was young.  "I understand that age takes a toll on speed and endurance. but I still love running.  I have enjoyed working with and helping new runners and think we should impart what knowledge we have to help others improve and enjoy the sport so they can have a better quality of life in their elder years." How about diet?  "I love eating good fresh Dungeness Crab when I can get it and also fresh wild caught salmon (no farm raised). I also eat whatever I want, no special diet. I eat good and well balanced foods, my wife of 51 years is a great cook."  What is your secret for success?  "The good hard training is more important than the diet," he says.           (06/27/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Shalane Flanagan and Michelob Ultra have teamed up to offer coaching to 95 runners running New York

If you’re already signed up for the TCS New York City Marathon this year, there’s one coach who may be your best bet at snagging a personal best: Shalane Flanagan. The 2017 champion is teaming up with Michelob Ultra to offer 95 runners the chance to train with her this fall. To enter, runners (21+) are invited to tell their story via JoinTeamUltra.com about how their love for beer and running motivates them to the finish line. Open to entries starting today until July 2, Michelob Ultra will “evaluate the stories and select 95 individuals that best embody the ethos of living fit and fun.” Because this is a nationwide contest, members of Team Ultra will be using a dedicated online social hub and training platform to interact with each other and Coach Shalane until race day. Shortly before the marathon, Flanagan and Michelob Ultra will meet the team in-person for a training run and happy hour drinks post-race. Flanagan syas, "I will be helping 95 beer-loving runners as part of Team Ultra and getting them a chance to run The TCS New York City Marathon. I will be helping by giving advice and training motivation and training tips so that they can have the race of their lives and a really memorable experience."  (06/26/2018) ⚡AMP

More and more runners are joining the 50 States Marathon Club, that's finishing an official marathon in 50 states

The 50 states Marathon club has 4,454 members.  Not all have completed the task of completing a marathon in every state in the US but they are working on it.  You have to have finished a marathon in at least ten states to join.  You don’t have to join their club but they offer a lot of good informaton, inspiration and advice.  It is a good challenge.  When Kari Hamilton crossed the finish line at last Saturday’s Nevada Marathon, the 44-year-old Bradenton, Florida social worker achieved a distinction that far surpassed finishing 28th in a starting field of 68 runners. She has now run a marathon in each of America’s 50 states. “It hasn’t hit me yet,” Kari said after returning home. “When I was finished I hugged my husband, Michael, and there were tears of joy. But it’s still so surreal.” Her first was the 2004 Chicago Marathon and, encouraged by parents Mark and Claudia Quehl, she figured she’d run one every year. “Then I joined the Bradenton Runners Club, met some folks who were running one in every state and thought, well, maybe I’ll go along for the ride,” Kari said. What a ride it’s been, too. She has run 84 marathons and ultra-marathons — 23 in Florida and as many as 15 in one year. “I’m not an athlete, but I like a challenge and each race is different,” said the Green Bay, Wisconsin, native. Her toughest race? The Leadville Trail Marathon in the Colorado Rockies. “It started at 10,000 feet elevation and went up to 13,000 feet,” Kari said. “I’m not used to those altitudes and it took me eight hours to finish.” (06/24/2018) ⚡AMP

Global Run Challenge Profile: Ultra Marathoner Giant Roy Pirrung has won 85 National Titles

RUN THE WORLD: 69-year-old Roy Pirrung is looking forward to the Run The World challenge and is looking at posting 75 miles weekly. Ultra Running Magazine wrote this: 

In 1980, at the age of 32, Roy Pirrung was 60 pounds overweight, smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day, and was a self-described binge drinker. He decided to take up running to help change his lifestyle.

Within a year he was 60 pounds lighter, tobacco and alcohol free, and ran his first marathon, in 3:16. Only two years after that his marathon time was down to 2:38.

It would seem he was born to run. In 1985 he ran his first ultra, the Ice Age 50 Mile trail race in Wisconsin, finishing 5th in one of the most competitive trail ultras in the country.

Only four months later he won the Fond du Lac 24-Hour race with just under 138 miles, and found himself ranked #1 American at that event for the year. Yes, he was born to run.

Ultra racing success continued at a brisk pace for Pirrung. In 1987 he became a national champion for the first time, winning the USA 100 Mile Championship in New York City.

A year later he garnered his second national title and his first national record, winning the inaugural USA 24-Hour Championship in Atlanta with a new American Road Record of 145 miles, 1464 yards. Roy Pirrung’s ultra career continued at a world-class level for over two decades, and continues today at a similar level in the Masters age-group categories.

He has raced in almost every state in the USA, and in 26 different countries on five continents. He has run in almost two dozen USA 24-Hour National Championships, has won two of them, and has placed in the top five in 17 of them.

In addition to his three open National Championship gold medals and his three open American Records, he has won over 80 Masters age-group National Championship Titles and has broken over 50 Masters age-group National Records. He is an American Ultrarunning Association Hall of Fame member with over 50 American records and 86 national titles.

Lifetime miles over 100,000. Lifetime races over 1,000.  "We are super excited to have Roy on our team," says Bob Anderson.  Carey Stoneking one of his Facebook friends posted, "OK Roy...But don't over-do it.  They only want to go around the world...Once." 

(06/21/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Boston Marathon Champion Yuki Kawauchi will be facing Mo farah and Gallen Rupp at Chicago Marathon men elite field

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced today that reigning Boston Marathon champion and “citizen runner” Yuki Kawauchi and 2016 Olympian and Nike Oregon Project runner Suguru Osako will join the elite competition as they both seek to become the first Chicago Marathon champion from Japan since Toshihiko Seko took the crown in 1986.

"I'm really happy to have the chance to race in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the Abbott World Marathon Majors," Kawauchi said.

"I'm looking forward to running the same race where Toshinari Takaoka set the former national record and so many other great Japanese athletes have run well. My results in the other American Abbott World Marathon Majors races, Boston and New York, were pretty good, and I'll do everything I can to line up in Chicago ready to produce good results there too."

“Yuki and Suguru are exciting additions to our elite field,” said Executive Race Director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Carey Pinkowski.

“Yuki has taken an unconventional path to marathon stardom; there’s no other elite runner competing today like him. And Suguru is young in his marathon career with a real chance at breaking the Japanese national record in Chicago.”

Before becoming the 2018 Boston Marathon champion amidst freezing temperatures and pouring rain where he said, “for me, these are the best conditions possible,” Kawauchi gained global renown for his prolific racing schedule. He holds the record for the most marathons run under 2:20 (79), he boasts a PR of 2:08:14, he has won more than 30 career marathons and he finished 12 marathons in 2017 alone.

He has raced more than 20 times in 2018, including running the Kuki Half Marathon dressed in a panda suit and setting a course record at the Yatsugatake Nobeyama 71K ultramarathon in May. He won there by 30 minutes.  

(06/18/2018) ⚡AMP

Ultra Marathon great Don Ritchie has died at age 73

During a long and successful running career Don Ritchie broke numerous world bests over distances from 50km to 200km and in races ranging from six to 24 hours. Born in Aberdeenshire in 1944, Ritchie started out as a 440 yards runner with Aberdeen Amateur Athletic Club in 1962 – the beginning of what would turn into a 48-year running career, alongside a career as a teacher. He later ran for Birchfield Harriers and then Forres Harriers and Moray Road Runners. It was in 1977, aged 33, that Ritchie – whose marathon PB was 2:19:34 – discovered his strength for ultra-distance running. In 1978 at Crystal Palace, Ritchie covered 100km in an incredible 6 hours, 10 minutes and 20 seconds. In 1989 he ran from John O’Groats to Land’s End – 844 miles – in 10 days, 15 hours and 25 minutes, raising money for Cancer Research.   Past editor of Road Runners Club Magazine, Dave Cooper, said: “The quiet man from Elgin has been a great ambassador for the sport for many years and his superb array of world record performances and steely determination on road and track is in sharp contrast to his modest self-effacing demeanour.   (06/17/2018) ⚡AMP
by Athletics Weekly

Francois d’Haene, is a favorite at Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run

Present on the Ultra Trail World Tour World Tour since 2014, this ultra-marathon of 161 kilometers and 6,000 vertical meters is one of the main ultrarunning events of the season. The Western States Endurance Run qualifies for the UTWT. But who will win this event?. On the 2018 edition, the names known and recognized will not fail. As favorite François D'Haene  from France 32 years old and Second participation for French on the ultra Californian marathon and he is appearing as the main favorite. In fact, his track record speaks for him: 3 victories on the Ultra-Trail of Mont Blanc, 2 on the Grand Raid and other very prestigious on the Ultra Trail of Mount Fuji, Hong Kong 100 or Madeira Island Ultra Trail. (06/14/2018) ⚡AMP

South African Runners take Top spots at the Comrades Ultra Marathon

South Africa completed a clean sweep at the Comrades Marathon on Sunday as Bongmusa Mthembu and Ann Ashworth ensured that the coveted titles remained in South Africa. It was a South Africa 1-2 in the two categories with Joseph Mphuthi and Gerda Steyn‚ clinching the runners-up spots. In achieving his feat‚ Mthembu completed a hat-trick of victories (after he won in 2014 and 2017) and in the process became only the second man to do it since Bruce Fordyce won the popular ultra-marathon back to back in 1988. The Arthur Ford runner waded off a strong challenge from Marko Mambo of Zimbabwe‚ who had set the pace for the better part in the second half of the 90km down run. Mthembu made his breakthrough at Cowies Hill‚ some 18km from the finish at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. At this point‚ it was left for the rest of the pack that also had a significant South African presence to jostle for the remaining top ten slots. (06/10/2018) ⚡AMP

Last year's Comrades winner will defend his title on sunday at Comrades Marathon

Bongmusa Mthembu wants to prove he is South Africa’s current best ultra-distance runner.  He has finished among the top three on five occasions at Comrades, with four of those performances achieved on the ‘down’ run. The only South African since 1990 to secure victory more than once.  He was also a silver medallist at the 2016 100km World Championships, and he will be eager to stand up and deliver once again. Other contenders include powerful front-runner Rufus and in-form Zimbabwean athlete Hatiwande Nyamande. While Mthembu and Gatebe are considered the pre-race favorites, a number of other athletes could pull through to win this wide-open race. Title contenders include former winners Ludwick Mamabolo and Gift Kelehe, as well as Zimbabwean athlete Hatiwande Nyamande, who finished third in last year’s ‘up’ run.  On the women's side, last year’s American winner Camille Herron is not running.  (06/09/2018) ⚡AMP

Fung Kam-hung is running a multi-day ultra marathon across Antarctica despite only having one leg

Hong Kong's Fung Kam-hung spiralled into depression following a gruesome accident that robbed him of a leg, but little did he know what fate had in store for him as the seemingly dark day opened him up to love and running. In 1979, Fung became trapped between a motor bike and a tram. He was dragged towards the tram platform and watched as his leg was ripped off. “I knew it was a disaster as soon as I saw it,” said Fung, 65. “I was terrified but it was painless. I was in shock. I couldn’t think of anything but I was cold as I’d lost a lot of blood.” Sport was a central part of Fung’s life – he played anything involving a ball – and he could not imagine giving up his passion. “I had one thought in mind – as long as I can stand and walk, that will be fine,” he said.  Fung rediscovered his positive outlook for life when he fell in love with the nurse who treated him in the hospital, Chong Bing-ying. They are still married to this day. When they started a family they wanted to encourage their children to get into sports – Fung would take his daughter to a local track and they would train by chasing each other. That is how his running habit started, and then he entered a 10K race despite never having run long distances even before his accident. Chong soon followed suit and entered a 30km race. At the age of 65, Fung has now completed two of the 250km multi-day 4 Deserts Race Series in the Gobi and the Atacama with Chong, and this year they will run their third in Antarctica in November. (06/08/2018) ⚡AMP

This group that became 80 runners accepted my 500 mile June 6 Challenge

Yesterday, June 6, was Global Running Day.  A day celebrating running.  It is exciting to have our own day, celebrating what many of us do daily or at least regularly. 

Among other things the day is about inspiring people.  At noon the day before I had just finished doing my daily run-to-lunch few miles. 

I was enjoying an avocado toast and the best ice tea in town before heading back to the office.  Knowing that Global Running Day was the next day, I was thinking that My Best Runs needed to do something.  

I knew there were already a lot of well thought out programs taking place June 6.  I decided, on the spot, that we would do something just for the fun of running.  We would run our challenge like a road race back in the 1970's.  

Since we needed to get the word out quickly, we would use my Facebook account to reach people.  I would record everything by hand.  Making things more interesting,  I was flying down to our MBR/Ujena office in Mexico in the middle of the day Wednesday.  (I would be out of touch for nearly five hours.) 

There would be no entry fee and no prizes.  There would be no official results.  It was all about running.  We would not be raising money for a cause.  Each of us would run on June 6 and log in miles on my FB account. 

Just to see if we could do it, my goal was for our group to run at least 500 miles June 6 and hopefully have 100 participants   Everyone had to post their miles by midnight. 

In the end, 80 people posted 560.12 miles for our My Best Runs Global Running Day 500 Mile Challenge.  We did it.  We showed the world that a group of people can come together (with no notice) from all over the world and run the equivalent distance from San Francisco to San Diego. 

All types of runners from slow to fast joined our challenge.  I am very proud of each and every participant but I would like to mention some of our gang here. 

We had two time Boston Marathon winner (Geoff Smith) post 10.5 miles, Co-owner of Worlds Marathons Malin Andersson from Sweden posted 6.2 miles, Bertrand Newson who heads up a popular bay area running group (2L2Q) posted 8.45 miles and Willie Korir from Kenya posted the most miles with 22.5.  Verity Breen posted the most miles for a female hitting 19 miles and Boston Marathon historian Tom Derderian ran 5 miles.  The youngest female to win Bay To Breakers (age 11) who ran her first marathon at age 5 Mary Etta Britano now 55  posted 10 miles.

Julie who we met at the front desk of our hotel in Paris ran 5 miles, Ram VenKatraman who heads up a major running group in Mumbai, India ran 4.69 miles and super ultra-marathon star Michael Wardian ran 12.5 miles.  Phil Camp who among other things won the 4th annual Marine marathon (1979) posted 8.3 miles.

Roger Wright used to weigh 278 pounds a few years back before he started running marathons logged 13.5 miles and ultra runner since the early 1970's superstar Frank Bozanich ran 9 miles. Joshua Holmes Ultra runner and Run It Fast founder posted 2 miles.

Brent Weigner who has run more marathons in more countries than anyone posted 1.5 miles, and the list goes on and on. 

One common thing about our group of 80 runners is that everyone loves running.  Until our next challenge! Run on...  I ran 6.6 miles which I thought was only fitting.  This was our first Run The World Challenge. 

(06/07/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Richard Body only took up running in August 2016 and already is running a 53 mile Ultra

Richard Body has passed the half way point in his challenge to run 12 marathons in 12 months is set to face his toughest test yet.  Richard who went from fat to fit after realising he needed to shed the pounds, will take part in the Pennine Barrier 53 mile ultra-marathon on June 23 as part of his multi-marathon charity challenge. The 52-year-old only took up running in August 2016 but his two most recent marathons – his fifth and sixth of the year – took him to the picturesque surroundings of Strafford-Upon-Avon in the UK. He admitted the Dorchester hills proved a tough task, adding: “This was my hilliest endurance race to date. There must have been 10 or more. Each giving stunning views of the Dorset countryside. I walked most of them including the mile long beauty just after mile 23. “But just two miles in I came along a chap running in bare feet. He was raising money for a children's charity and turns out he once worked at Dudley Zoo as a monkey keeper for two years, before moving down south. “Runners of all genders, ages, sizes and abilities all took part.” Despite undergoing surgery for a knee injury - and medics telling him he would never run again - Richard continues his challenge with marathon number seven in Yeovil on Sunday, June 10. After that, on June 23, comes his biggest and scariest challenge - the Pennine Barrier ultra-marathon. (06/07/2018) ⚡AMP

Yonni Kepes ran day and night for 29 hours to achieve his dream of becoming the youngest Kiwi to race a 100-miler

Most of us wouldn't even consider running a full marathon but for Kiwi teenager Yonni Kepes, 42km stopped being long enough a while ago.The 18-year-old from North Canterbury has become the youngest known New Zealander to complete a 100-mile ultramarathon.  He achieved his big feat at the Hanmer Old Forest Ultramarathon last May where he spent 29 hours running to cross the finish line and receive his long-awaited buckle. That was the culmination of a years-long dream for Kepes, who first took up running when he was about 9 or 10 years old, just as an excuse to spend more time with his dad, Ben Kepes, who also runs ultramarathons. "It was special to finish my first marathon, but I was convinced I could go further and eventually set my mind on ultramarathons." (06/07/2018) ⚡AMP

Ashley Moffet loves running up the stairs and through the redwoods at the oldest trail race in America, the Dipsea

Petaluma’s Ashley Moffet has run on tracks, on roads, up mountains and through valleys, but she has never run anywhere she enjoys more than up the stairs and through the redwoods in Mill Valley’s Dipsea Race. The 7.4-mile run is the oldest trail race in America, originating in 1905. The course is considered one of the most beautiful and most difficult in the world for its length. Three flights of stairs, combined as tall as a 50-story building, come near the very beginning of the race, and offer an immediate challenge. Some runners never fully recover from the initial ordeal. Sunday’s running will be the 108th running of the race. Moffet, one of the best Casa Grande High School distance runners ever during her time as a Gaucho, can hardly wait. “I love it,” she said. “There is something special about the Dipsea. Starting in waves is really cool. Everyone is cheering, and it isn’t just at the start. They cheer all along the way. There is a lot of energy from the runners and the spectators. You can feel the excitement.” Moffet comes from a family of runners. One year, the entire family — Ashley; father, Brian; mother, Sylvia; and younger brother, Kevin — all ran in the race. “That was fantastic,” Ashley said. Her father is signed up to run again this year. After high school, she continued to run at the University of San Francisco in both cross country and track. After graduating from USF in 2017, she traveled through Europe running in, among other events, the Zugspitz Ultra Race, a 25K run up the tallest mountain in Germany. “That was fantastic,” she said.     (06/06/2018) ⚡AMP

Underberg local Nkosinathi Duma is dreaming big for this year's Comrades Marathon

Nkosinathi Duma is still a relative novice in the Comrades Marathon but that doesn’t stop him from dreaming big. Born and bred in Underberg in KwaZulu-Natal, Duma has experienced a mixed and emotional start to his Comrades career. He made his debut in the world’s biggest ultra-marathon back in 2013. The 31-year-old has competed in three Comrades but has only managed to finish two. After making his debut in the famous race, Duma opted for a two-year break and returned in 2016. Things didn’t go as planned. though, as he failed to finish. Last year he came back strong as he finished 16th overall. Now Duma is backing himself for a top 10 place and the gold medal that this brings. He has been training with last year’s champion Bongmusa Mthembu under coach Arthur Ford. “Nothing has disrupted my preparations. I have no injuries and I’m looking forward to the race,” Duma enthused. “I started my preparations in December. My training programme is different from the one I used in 2016 and 2017. For the past two years, we used to run 150km per week and this time around we are running more than 250km per week. “It hasn’t been easy but it is worth it. I want to emulate my performance of last year. My target this year is to be in the top 10,” he added with confidence. (06/04/2018) ⚡AMP

Chris Patterson is running a marathon each week for a year to raise money for Hope For Children

Ultramarathon runner Chris Patterson is nearly half way through is 52 marathons in 52 weeks challenge - and has already finished a gruelling Great Wall of China event in six hours. The 35-year-old is raising money for the international charity Hope for Children. During the Great Wall Marathon – which has been described as one of the world’s most challenging long-distance races – Chris climbed more than 5,000 steps and had to contend with steep ascents and descents amid stunning scenery. The challenges also include battling with injury and he admits he is currently ‘carrying quite a few injury issues’ but attempting to ‘work through it as best I can.’ After the Great Wall Marathon he added: I am officially broken... I’ve done a fair bit of damage. The jetsetting challenge has seen Patterson – a senior estimator with Stepnell – compete in various countries since starting the challenge in January in Anglesey. He has since run in Gran Canaria, Malta, Rome, Edinburgh and Barcelona. This is not his first eyebrow-raising fundraiser for Hope for Children: two years ago, he ran the Marathon des Sables, a 264km race across the Sahara Desert. He said, "I found myself needing another big challenge to motivate myself, so 2018 became the 52 in 52 challenge."  This weekend he competed in his 20th marathon of the year in Stockholm. (06/04/2018) ⚡AMP

Bhat and Merchant are the first Indians to finish the world's highest 60Km Everest Marathon

Deepa Bhat and Taher Merchant’s completed the 60km Extreme Ultra – Everest Marathon, the world’s highest running event, and with that, became the first Indians to do so since this competition opened in 2013. Everest Marathon is held to mark the historical ascent on the Mount Everest by Late Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953, and also includes half and full marathons.  Bhat clocked the circuit in 19 hours, 50 minutes, and 40 seconds – beginning at 6am on May 29 and finishing by 1am on May 30. “I took two coffee breaks, without which, I would have fallen asleep,” the vice president of an e-learning firm shared on a quick call from Nepal. While Merchant took 19 hours, 15 minutes and 10 minutes, he didn’t run in one go. “Mountains are unpredictable. That evening, temperatures went sub-zero. It started to snow, so I decided to stay back at a lodging and resume the next day. For this, I was penalised for four hours. Otherwise, I would have timed 15 hours,” says the businessman. “No guesses but the Nepalis won the first eight slots,” Merchant said, laughing. “I saw them at the start and then at the finish, nowhere in between. They are so fast.” Rightly so, Thirtha Tamang ran it all within seven hours to win the day. Nonetheless, they are proud that it took “two crazy Bengalureans” to bring this honor to India.  (06/04/2018) ⚡AMP
by Barkha Kumari

South African's Johannes Kekana, says I am afraid this will be my final race in Comrades

It's gold or bust for Johannes Kekana at this year's Comrades Marathon, the veteran runner saying he is taking a final tilt at golden glory in The Ultimate Human Race. “I am afraid this will be my final race in Comrades if I fail to make it into the top ten this year,” the Boxer Athletics Club runner said yesterday. While he is one of the country's best in the standard marathon, Kekana has not made great shakes in the ultra-distances. His best run in Comrades came way back in 2013 when he finished 5th in a time of 5:46:27. Before and thereafter, Kekana never broke six hours. Why then is he putting his cards out on the table as he has this time around? “I am feeling like I did back in 2012 and 2013. One of the main reasons I've not had good Comrades runs is the lack of proper camp because of not having sponsors. In 2012 (he completed Comrades in 6hrs and three seconds) and 2013, I was running for Bonitas who organised camps for us. I also did very well in both the Two Oceans and City to City.” He has had a good camp in Mpumalanga and is looking forward to next Sunday. (05/29/2018) ⚡AMP

Willie Mtolo is adamant that South African athletes will again emerge victorious at the Comrades Marathon

Running legend Mtolo is optimistic that the domination of South Africa’s black male athletes will continue in this year’s Comrades Marathon. The showdown for this much anticipated, world famous KwaZulu/Natal ultra-marathon will take place on June 10. This year’s edition is the Down Run and will see the race starting in Pietermaritzburg with the finish now moved to the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The supremacy of black local athletes has been evident in the past six years since Ludwick Mamabolo ended Zimbabwean Stephen Muzhingi’s three-year (2009 to 2011) stranglehold on the event. Claude Moshiywa, Bongmusa Mthembu (twice), Gift Kelehe and David Gatebe have ensured the title of The Ultimate Human Race remains on local shores. Mtolo is adamant that South African athletes will again emerge victorious in a fortnight’s time. “My money is on either Bongmusa Mthembu or David Gatebe. You can’t also rule out Gift Kelehe. I have no doubt that Comrades will be won by another South African athlete this year.”  “Between Mthembu and Gatebe, one of them will win Comrades. Mthembu possesses a very impressive record (5.28.34) in the Down Run,” explained Mtolo who finished Comrades runner-up in 1989 and 2002. (05/28/2018) ⚡AMP

Rob Davies biggest challenge is the 58 mile Comrades ultra marathon coming up June 10

Rob Davies will fly to South Africa in preparation for a gruelling challenge that starts on June 10. Rob, 59, will be competing in the Comrades Ultra Marathon, also known as the Ultimate Human Race, a road race with a distance of 58 miles (90.1km). The race starts at Pietermaritzburg and ends in Durban in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. The race has to be completed in 12 hours, starting at 5.30am where the temperatures can be close to freezing and rising to a possible 80F as the day progresses. The terrain is very hilly, meaning an already extremely challenging race is made even tougher. Mr Davies said: “Family, friends and colleagues know that I 'run a bit', or should I say 'a lot'. I have been fortunate enough, privileged even, to be able to complete 48 marathons, across Wales, England, Ireland, France and Germany but this is by far my biggest challenge to date.” He started his training in December which typically involves 8 to 10 hours running weekly alongside strength and conditioning in the gym. (05/25/2018) ⚡AMP

An ultra-marathon runner is set to make a 63-mile heart-shaped route around Manchester as a unique tribute to victims of the Manchester Arena attack.

Thousands are expected to travel to the city to mark the first anniversary of the bombing, when alone suicide attacker killed 22 and injured hundreds during an Ariana Grande concert. It was the worst terror attack in the UK since the London bombings in 2005. Nathan Rae, a filmmaker from Manchester, will be paying tribute to the victims by running 63-miles in the shape of a heart around the city. He set off from Sale at about 8.30am on Tuesday and estimates it will take about 16 hours to complete the route. The circuit will take him through the centre of Manchester and its suburbs, as well Trafford, Salford and Stockport. He plans to stop outside A&E departments at Manchester Royal Infirmary and Wythenshawe and Salford Royal hospitals, where some of the wounded were treated.  (05/22/2018) ⚡AMP

Is Yuki Kawauchi's secret weapon doing long distance runs at a slow pace? He ran 44 mile race Sunday

2018 Boston Marathon winner, Japan’s Yuki Kawauchi, won the Yatsugatake Nobeyama 71K ultramarathon in Nagano, Japan Sunday May 20, taking more than six minutes off the course record in the process.

His winning time was 4:41:55 (6:23/mile for 44.1 miles).  He won by more than half an hour.  According to Japan Running News, Kawauchi is training for the Stockholm marathon, which is June 2. 

Yuki finished sixth place there last year. This was the longest race of Kawauchi’s career so far. Kawauchi is famously unusual in his incorporation of over-distance training at a slow pace into his training, something few world-major elites do.

Some believe it’s his secret weapon, though others are skeptical of its value in marathon training.  

(05/21/2018) ⚡AMP

The Amazon has a mystical appeal to Craig, it is an extremely harsh and unforgiving environment.

Former Royal Marine and self-professed occasional runner Craig likes to run a little further than most. He is taking on the Peruvian Jungle by running not just one, but seven marathons over five days. Craig Williams, 41, who co-founded internationally renowned extreme weight loss camp, TEAM Bootcamp in Eardington, UK will fly to Peru, on May 31, to join a small number of Ultra runners and adventurers in the Jungle Ultra, a gruelling 147-mile run over the Andes and deep into the Amazon between June 2 and 7. “Although the Amazon has almost always had a mystical appeal to me, it is an extremely harsh and unforgiving environment. Pretty much everything wants to bite, scratch, sting or suck your blood and the weathers can be just as hostile” said Craig. “My biggest worry is looking after my feet and managing my water intake! I completed the Marathon Des Sables in 2016, a similar race across the Sahara desert and almost fell foul to dehydration and heat exhaustion then. I don’t want history to repeat itself.” “Jaguars seem to be the biggest worry for most competitors, personally I am more concerned about the distance which culminates in a double marathon stage on the final day of 58 miles in a single day. We get limited protection from armed wildlife rangers, but the flora and fauna only add another dimension to what I know will be an amazing adventure.”  Race organisers Beyond Ultimate ensure each competitor carries a number of compulsory items including a minimum of 2.5 litres of water, 2,000 calories of food for each day, sun lotion, a sleeping bag and hammock, a head torch, a knife and venom extraction kit. (05/14/2018) ⚡AMP

Seven reasons to Swap the Treadmill for Trail Running

Twenty-nine-year-old ultramarathon runner Sho Gray keeps busy as a cross country and track coach, minister, and volunteer, but he still makes time for the occasional “3 to 6-hour jaunt” through the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As an ultramarathoner, Gray has finished eight races of 100 miles or more. He ranked eleventh in the world last year for the men’s 12-hour race, but his ultimate goal is to hold the world title for the 24-hour race.  On average, Gray runs six days a week, and four of those days are spent on the trails. According to him, running on a treadmill or track may help you with speed, but trail running allows for more growth. As he puts it, “Treadmills teach you to build a rhythm, track workouts teach you to run fast, and trail running teaches you to enjoy the moment and build strength.” An ultramarathon runner wouldn’t choose to spend the majority of his training time on the trails if there weren’t numerous benefits. Here are seven benefits. 1. The ground is soft on your feet. 2. The uneven terrain helps you build strength. 3. You feel compelled to run farther. 4. You become a more well-rounded runner. 5. You feel freer. 6. You get to appreciate the natural world. 7. Trail running gives you perspective. (05/13/2018) ⚡AMP

Ultra runner Diane Van Deren says running is her outlet, her medicine and she doesn't say I can't anymore

Former professional tennis player Diane Van Deren was diagnosed with epilepsy in her 30s. For most people, this would not only end their career as a professional athlete, but also place major constraints on their daily routines and personal lives. That was not the case, however, for Van Deren. She not only persevered and ultimately found a way to get around her epileptic seizures – she did the extreme, opting to have a piece of her brain surgically removed to end her decade-long struggle with the disorder. After healing, Van Deren began running, trying her luck at a 50 mile race at age 42. Shortly thereafter, she ran her first 100-mile race and won it, right out of the gates. Since then, she has won the infamous Yukon Arctic Ultra, a 430-mile ultra footrace pulling a 50-pound sled through temperatures below 50 degrees for eight days, and set a record for the 1,000-mile Mountains to Sea Trail, where she traversed the state of North Carolina in just over 22 days. She’s been a professional endurance athlete with The North Face for the past 16 years. Van Deren, 58, is a wealth of positivity despite some of the obstacles she’s faced, including at times losing her sense of time and direction as a result of the surgery. “Running was my outlet, my medicine, the way to create a safe place for me,” Van Deren says. “When you are trying to be a wife and a mom, and you don’t know when the next seizure is going to come, it’s living in constant fear of ‘When is the beast going to hit me?’ When that changes and you get your health back, how can you not be grateful? I don’t say ‘I can’t’ or ‘I’m afraid’ anymore, or ‘What if?’ Now the way I look at life is, ‘I can’ – I can do it, I can try. So that’s where the gratitude comes from. I’ve walked it, I’ve lived it, I’ve been in a horrific situation, and through the brain surgery I now have wealth. I have my health.” (05/10/2018) ⚡AMP
Inspirational Stories

Calvin is set to take on the Jungle Ultra, a gruelling 147-mile run over the Andes and into the Amazon

Some of us struggle through a one-mile jog each morning, and to others the London Marathon is a test of their mettle, but one man is set to go beyond even that, taking on the Peruvian Jungle by running not just one, but seven marathons over five days. Calvin Barnard, 46, who works as a chef at Friar’s Vaults on Castle Square, will fly to Cuzco, Peru, on May 30, to take part in the Jungle Ultra, a gruelling 147-mile run over the Andes and into the Amazon between June 2 and 7. “I am going on something where people do die,” said Calvin. “You don’t want to think you could die but at the end of the day you are doing something extreme, and it is nice to be surrounded by people as crazy as you because you are all in the same boat!” All the money raised from sponsors of his race will go towards Green Acres Animal Rescue. (05/09/2018) ⚡AMP

The Hottest Race On Earth happens June 16 in Scottsdale where temperatures have reached as high as 122F degrees

Hoping to claim some of the prize money from the most lucrative road race in Arizona, Jim Walmsley, has registered to compete in Scottsdale Beat the Heat taking place on June 16 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Hottest Race on Earth, is a 5k and 10.22-kilometer race taking place during the middle of the day.  The hottest day ever recorded in the Phoenix metro area (June 26, 1990), when the temperatures reached 122F degrees. Some of Walmsley’s career highlights include: UltraRunning Magazine and Runner’s World 2016 Ultra Runner of the Year and UltraRunning Magazine’s 2017 Ultra Runner of the Year, the fastest record for running across the Grand Canyon and back, plus many more. “This is definitely going to be a completely different race than anything I have ever run before,” said Walmsley. “With the race taking place in the middle of the day with a start time of 2:47pm, I am training and looking forward to the challenge of the extreme Arizona summer temperatures.” The first race was held in 2013 and 1,300 runners braved the hot temperatures.  There is $8,000 of prize money. With temperatures potentially this hot all runners should be prepared to run in hot weather.  (05/08/2018) ⚡AMP

Sometimes I want to stop as I push myself to the absolute limit but I keep going for the kids

The head of real estate for a global law firm in Australia is currently in training for an upcoming ultramarathon across Indonesian in support of primary school children.  David Jones, who has been with the firm Baker Mckenzie for over 20 years, will be taking part in The Bali Hope Ultramarathon, an 84km run across Bali, in partnership with the Classroom of Hope and Bali Children Foundation. Ultra-distance running has become a passion of David since he started running 10 years ago, he said. “For me, the harder the better — I love mountain running, pushing myself to the absolute limit and finding out what the body is actually capable of when the mind is strong enough to ignore the pain and the constant mantra that sometimes creeps in telling you to stop,” he said. “My passion for fitness and what I have seen it achieve for me personally and for others, both directly and as a tool for raising funds and awareness, led me to setting up a fitness business with my running mate to help train others and encourage them on this journey.” He has always felt that as a member of society with a roof over his head, a steady job and a healthy family, he has a moral obligation to do whatever he can to help others who aren’t as fortunate, he explained.  “An ultra [marathon] allows you, however briefly, to put yourself in a situation where you are suffering and where all you want to do is give up,” he mused. “Then, you think about who you are supporting — kids who live with an undiagnosable condition their whole life, who have never had a day of education in their lives, etc. and you realize that you will of course conquer that last volcano climb or the last few hours of running in darkness covered in blisters and mud.” (05/04/2018) ⚡AMP

U.S. Team set for Mountain Running Championships in Poland

The USATF Mountain, Ultra, Trail (MUT) Council is proud to announce members of Team USATF scheduled to compete at the 15th WMRA Long Distance Mountain Running Championships June 24, in Karpacz, Poland. 

The double loop course covers 36 kilometers (22.4 miles) with 6890 feet of ascending and descending. The route will challenge the five women and five men of Team USATF by climbing and descending the peak of Mt. ŚNIEŻKA twice.

Mt. ÅšNIEÅ»KA rises just under one mile above sea level at 5250 feet. The top three US finishers will score for the team in each gender division. 

The 10 members this year’s team range in age from 21 to 36. The women’s Team USATF is comprised of Addie Bracy, Ashley Brasovan, Renee Metivier, Sandi Nypaver and Kathryn Ann Ross. The men of Team USATF will be Anthony Costales, Joseph Gray, Tatye Pollmann, David Sinclair and Andy Wacker.

(05/03/2018) ⚡AMP
by Richard Bolt

Indian team is ready for the Trail World Championships

Trail running in India received a much-needed boost from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) after the sports body selected six Indian ultra runners, up from two last year, to represent the country at the 2018 Trail World Championships to be held at Penyagolosa, Castellon in Spain on May 12 this year. The AFI selected team is Aakriti Verma, Kieren Dsouza, Ajit Singh Narwal, Ullas Hosahalli Narayana, Lokesh Kumar Meena, and Sampathkumar Subramanian for the Championships.  Ultra trail runner Ajit Singh Narwal says, “It’s a fantastic feeling to see the sport gaining traction in the country. And this is merely the championship team. The number of people starting to run trails has increased manifold in last few years in India, that’s great news. So excited for the future of the sport in India.”  (05/02/2018) ⚡AMP

Sandy Gage traveling the world running Marathons and Beyond, 101 so far

Sandy Gage got excited about running again, nearly 35 years after she competed with her high school track team.  

Never did she imagine it would lead to traveling the world competing in marathons, 100 in total to be exact. The 61-year-old married mother of four adult children hit the 100-marathon mark April 7, and it wasn’t a standard 26.2-mile race, but a 100-mile ultra marathon at the 4,500-foot elevation mark in the mountains of Idyllwild in Riverside County, California. 

“I wanted to run the 100-mile race to commemorate my 100th marathon,” said Sandy, a senior vice president at Merrill Lynch in Brea. “A lot of my family came out to watch and supported me the entire way.”

She finished the race in about 33 hours, taking a few hours off in the middle of the race to drain some blisters. She has no plans to stop running marathons now that she’s reached the 100-marathon mark. In June, she’ll compete in a standard 26.2-mile marathon in Machu Picchu, Peru, a race that takes runners to an elevation of 17,000 feet in the Andes Mountains.

There are several more on her schedule.   She’s run the Boston Marathon twice, the Los Angeles and Huntington Beach Surf City marathons five times apiece, San Antonio, New York, Chicago, San Francisco marathons and marathons in Tokyo, Great Wall of China, Antartica, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Berlin and London. And there will be many more to come.  

(04/28/2018) ⚡AMP
by Josh Thompson/ Chino-Chino Hills Champion

This ultra-marathoner is always decked out in brightly colored, punk-inspired outfits flashing a smile

Vegan ultramarathoner Catra Corbett placed first in the female division of this past week’s 72-hour Beyond Limits Ultra race. The plant-based athlete covered 192 miles, breaking a personal record. The ultramarathon took place over the course of three days at Pathfinder Ranch, a wildlife preserve situated in California’s San Jacinto mountains, just south of Palm Springs. Participating runners repeatedly traversed a two-mile trail loop over 72 hours. According to the website, the Beyond Limits Ultra is considered “one of the most unique ultra events in the southwest.” “This year my plan was to win 1st Female in the 72-hour race and beat my previous 72-hour record which was 174 miles,” the vegan runner told Great Vegan Athletes, declaring that “If you’re not having fun you’re doing it all wrong!” Having fun is clearly an essential part of this endurance challenge, at least for Corbett. In every photo, she can be seen decked out in brightly colored, punk-inspired outfits, flashing a smile. (04/17/2018) ⚡AMP

Moroccan Rachid claimed his sixth victory in the Marathon Des Sables

El Morabity won the marathon with a time of 19:35:49, ahead of his brother Mohamed El Morabity with 20:01:28 and France's Robert Merile by 20:41:00. In the women's category, American athlete Magdalena Boulet won with a time of 25:11:19 followed by Danish Bouchra Eriksen 26:36:00 and British Gemma Game 27:00:23. Marathon Des Sables is an annual ultra-marathon that brings together more than 1,000 runners, who run six regular marathons over six days, with only one rest day. The combined distance over the six races is a massive 254km with the longest stage 91km. Each participant must carry his/her own backpack containing food, sleeping gear and other materials. (04/14/2018) ⚡AMP

85-year-old Bob Emmerson has run 96 marathons and have logged in more than 110,000 miles

Bob Emmerson might have had both hips replaced, but that hasn't stopped him from finishing nearly 200 marathons and ultra-marathons in the last 35 years. Now, Bob has set another personal best and has joined in at the weekly Parkrun and has run the community run 300 times since it kicked off five years ago. Last Saturday (April 7), he crossed the line together with 83-year-old Diana Mary Green as she completed her 250th Park Run. “I insist that 300 is nothing special, it's just to prove my determination to keep going,” says Bob. "The Parkrun has kept me going. I've met so many friends there.” Since he took up running at 49, Bob has run 96 marathons and 96 ultra Marathons from 30 to 60 miles each. He has had both hips replaced since he was 70 and has run the London Marathon 17 times. Through careful log-keeping, he estimates he has run 110,000 miles so far. (04/13/2018) ⚡AMP

Stuart Kolb, prepares for his 100th marathon in boston this monday

Stuart Kolb will turn 56 on Monday. He is celebrating by running the Boston Marathon for the eighth time, which also will mark his 100th career marathon. Stuart Kolb says he just feels blessed. “Running allows you to relieve stresses in your day, and from a work-life balance, this is the best thing to do for yourself, to take care of yourself, take care of your health, and running has been my outlet for that,” said Kolb. After over 30 years and six destinations, including Ireland, not to mention some ultra-events with 100-mile runs, Kolb said he is feeling humbled to celebrate his 100th venture as a marathon runner. “Distance runners will tell you it's as much the nutrition and execution. Pacing of course is huge. You can run a great half marathon and really struggle. For me it's always thinking about how your body feels,” said Kolb. Kolb Is hoping to get it done in under three hours. (04/12/2018) ⚡AMP

Someone said a flat and fast 100 Miler doesn’t really count? Camille Herron doesn't agree!

Someone tried to tell my friend her first 100 miler at Tunnel Hill “doesn’t count” because it was “flat and easy.” Is this really what people think? Anyone who can go 100 miles on any terrain has my respect! And if anyone wants to attempt to run 100 miles at 7:38 pace you’re welcome to try! Flat and fast and trying to hold the pace hurts way worse than any mountain trail race I’ve done. Hardest event in my opinion is a flat road 100K! Having crossed surfaces I respect the challenges they all present. (Camille holds many ultra records including the World Record for 100 miles running 7:38 pace for nearly 13 hours.) (04/09/2018) ⚡AMP
by Camille Herron

My feet have pretty much taken me all over the world says Zach Miller

Zach Miller likes to look down from a mountain, see a distant peak or valley that looks inviting and know he can just run there. The 29-year-old Miller has surprised himself and the racing world by becoming one of the top mountain runners and ultra racers, running for up to 105 miles at a time. But, at its core, it’s a will to use the gift of his legs that propels him. “My feet have pretty much taken me all over the world,” he says while cooling down after one of his daily 20-mile training runs on Colorado’s Pikes Peak, where he lives in a one-room cabin above 10,000 feet. “They’ve taken me physically up and down mountains. They’ve enabled me to do enough in races to send me anywhere in the world.” In just a few years’ time, Miller has exploded on the scene as an extreme-racing legend and fan favorite by the way he starts each race like a spooked horse in a sport in which measured is considered the only way to win. “I just like to be at the front if I can be,” the 2007 Hempfield High School grad says. “I don’t like being at the back. It makes me nervous.” Not trailing the pack is one thing. Being able to run like your pants are on fire over hill and dale for 50 miles or more at a time is another. But Miller does it. Sometimes he hits the wall like any human testing the limits of physical and mental endurance. But sometimes the go-get-’em mindset makes for great performance. Zach is in France in preparation for the grueling 103-mile Ultra-Trail Du Mont-Blanc race through three countries. (04/08/2018) ⚡AMP

There is Just something about an Ultra Marathon says Arianne Brown

It was a Saturday afternoon, and I was sitting on my couch scrolling through my Instagram news feed. I saw picture after picture of good friends and acquaintances crossing the finish line of the Buffalo Run held on Antelope Island near the Great Salt Lake in Utah. As I did, I could feel the lactic acid in my legs build up and the soreness settle in after a morning spent racing several miles to a second place overall finish. While I should have been feeling the endorphins of a well-fought race, I was wishing I had experienced what my friends had that morning as they trekked those long miles on the island. Several weeks prior I had signed up to run the 50K distance of the Buffalo Run. It had been three years since I ran this particular course, and I was looking forward to doing it again. Sure, there are times when I quite enjoy pounding the pavement and pushing my body to its lactic threshold, using every single muscle in my body at a relentless speed. But today wasn’t one of those days. Today I wanted nothing more than to spend long, slow miles completing an ultra distance race. Because there’s just something about an ultramarathon. There’s nothing quite like the quiet, meandering about before the race as everyone settles in for a slow, methodical start. I love the restraint at the beginning because there are rarely any weekend warriors out there trying to prove a point. We all know that the miles ahead will be long. They will be hard and taxing. And slow and steady does often win the race. (04/06/2018) ⚡AMP

Adidas says it will create unique videos for all Runners in the Boston Marathon

Roughly 30,000 runners will compete in the Boston Marathon on Patriot’s Day, and Adidas says it will create unique videos for every runner delivered within hours after the race is over. To celebrate 30 years of partnership between Adidas and the Boston Marathon this campaign is a monumental task. Here's how it is going to works: data generated by RFID chips on race bibs, like pace and split times combined with street mats that broadcast ultra-high frequency radio signals from antennas allow Adidas, in partnership with digital agency Grow, to capture individual videos using just seven cameras and a 20-person crew around the 26.2-mile course. The highlight reel will combine scenes from race day against an inspiring soundtrack. Personal footage will be captured at the 15K mark and finish line. Trial runs at other road races, storyboarding and prototyping with prescriptive camera angles, shot lists and sound effects will eliminate excess footage and unnecessary editing to make quick delivery a possibility. “We’re capturing the excitement, support and celebration that is Boston in a way no one has ever done before,” said Paul Bowyer, head of Adidas Running US. Runners will receive an email from the BAA after the race to access their sharable videos. (04/05/2018) ⚡AMP

The Dangers B12 Deficiency Poses For Runners

B12 is essential in the production of healthy red blood cells and bone marrow. Our bodies require B12 to sustain a healthy brain and nervous system. B12 helps to produce the myelin sheath around our nerves. In a recent tweet, a runner posted that she was having difficulty sleeping at night. Her foot was experiencing twitches and tingling sensations. One of her big toes was numb and cramping. “She is describing the symptoms I experienced for over a year before I was diagnosed with myelopathy of the spinal cord due to severe B12 deficiency,” says Miriam Diaz-Gilbert who had run nine Marathons and four Ultras before she realized she had a B-12 deficiency. Untreated B12 deficiency can lead to serious health consequences, including paralysis, dementia and psychosis. For some, a daily oral B12 supplement is sufficient treatment. If you are having tingling, numbness and spasms in your limbs and are awakened by painful calf and toe cramps, or if you experience any other symptoms associated with B12 deficiency, get your B12 and MMA levels checked. (04/04/2018) ⚡AMP

73-Year-Old Bill Mitchell heard that the 156 mile MdS was harder than they thought it would be?

Since taking up running ten years ago, 73-year-old Bill Mitchell a former naval officer, has completed 139 marathons including 30 ultramarathons, like the Marathon des Sables. The Marathon des Sables, which translates into English as Marathon of the Sands, is about 156 miles (250 km), the equivalent of six regular marathons. There are six running days and one rest day, during which temperatures can reach 120F during the day, while dropping to below freezing at night time. Competitors must carry all their provisions for the whole race on their back, and Bill estimates that he will start off with around 18lbs on his back. "It's a great experience in that you really are learning how to push yourself and to be determined," says Bill. "I have always been a determined person. When I say I will do something I will do it and you have to be to finish that race. The first one I did I heard two men saying it was harder than they thought it would be and I thought 'what do you expect? It's the MdS. 'My aim for this one is to complete it. I'm not aiming for a time but I want to be the oldest person to complete three MdS in just over a year.' (04/04/2018) ⚡AMP

Maureen Bowen was in Hawaii last January when she got the Ballistic Missile Strike Text

After losing 100 pounds, completing a half marathon in all 50 states, running three ultra-marathons, suffering from two different types of cancer, enduring two surgeries, several rounds of radiation and six months of chemotherapy, the Maui half marathon was going to be her big comeback race and suddenly, with the ring of a text message, she thought her world was coming to an end. A text on her phone alerted her to a ballistic missile strike that seemed inevitable at the time...She took up running to improve her health. “I didn’t do my first half marathon until I was 42,” she said. After finishng her second half marathon in 3:15 she got the bug. “At that time, I wasn’t crazy, as I say I am now. I would do two half marathons in a year and think that was a lot, and now, if I don’t do two in a weekend, people look at me like ‘what’s wrong with you?’” Then she was on the beach in Waikiki with other tourists when the text messages started. “Everybody’s phones went off, and we kind of looked at each other like ‘is this for real?” So she gathered her things and started searching for a place that seemed safe. Little did she know but it was a technical error and no missile strike was coming. The next day in Maui she walked the entire half marathon with a friend. She has four more states to go to complete her second round of a half in 50 states. (04/03/2018) ⚡AMP

These are the eight Gnarliest Races in the World and only a few have crossed the finish line

The popularity of running ultras has skyrocketed over the past few years. But what happens when you take away the road and most of your sanity? You get some of the gnarliest races out there, where mistakes can be fatal and merely crossing the finish line in one piece counts as a victory. Here are some of the toughest: 1. Jungle Ultra: Runners cover 142.6 miles through the humid Peruvian jungle in a five-stage, self-supported race. 2. Alaska Mountain Wilderness Challenge: More than 100 miles of wild Alaskan terrain. There’s no route or GPS, and participants must be skilled in self-rescue (and carry a SAT phone). 3. Self Transcendence 3100 Mile: Runners must cover 3,100 miles in 52 days by completing 5,649 mind-numbing laps around one city block. 4. Plain 100: Washington’s Cascades, 35 runners a year attempt 100 unsupported miles on remote trails and forest service roads. 5. Iditarod Trail Invitational: 1,000-mile course through Alaskan wilderness from Knik Lake to Nome on foot 6. 6633 Ultra: 350-mile race, runners cross the Arctic Circle 7. Barkley Marathons: 100-mile unsupported Barkley in the Tennessee backcountry has only been finished 16 times since its start in 1986. 8. Dragon's Back Race: five days of castle-to-castle “trail” running across the Welsh wilderness, runners will cover about 186 miles and climb roughly 51,000 feet over unmarked and often trackless, craggy terrain. (Click link for five more and details from Outside Online) (04/01/2018) ⚡AMP

Kenny Capps to run the Mountain-to-Sea trail to raise awareness for Multiple Myeloma

In January of 2015, Kenny Capps, an avid ultramarathon runner from Black Mountain, NC, was forced to stop running after being diagnosed with stage-two Multiple Myeloma, which currently has no cure. After multiple rounds of chemotherapy and infusions, Capps underwent a mostly successful bone marrow transplant in August 2015. With his cancer in check, though not in remission, Capps began running again in 2017. This Saturday, April 1, 2018, Capps will depart from Jockey’s Ridge State Park near Nags Head, North Carolina on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail destined for Clingmans Dome, 1,175 miles away, to raise awareness and funds for Myeloma. “Kenny is an inspiration to us all,” said Dave Petri, Farm to Feet VP of Marketing. “He is facing down two intimidating foes, cancer and a thousand mile-plus trail run, and we look forward to running with him when he crosses into Surrey County.” (03/30/2018) ⚡AMP