Running News Daily

Elite Field is set for the 42nd Bellin 10K in Green Bay Wisconsin

Three recent Bellin Run champions will headline a stellar field of elite athletes competing in the 42nd annual 10K event coming up Saturday June 9 Defending women’s champion Kaitlin Gregg Goodman will face off against the record-setting Risper Gesabwa, who in 2016 captured an unprecedented fifth straight Bellin Run title. Gregg Goodman finished a close second to Gesabwa that year (34:35 to Gesabwa’s 34:19), meaning their 2018 rematch will be one to watch. Also returning for this year’s race is 2016 Bellin Run champ and perennial crowd favorite Meb Keflezighi. Now retired from competitive racing, the 43-year-old Keflezighi has continued to run events including the Boston Marathon, which he famously won in 2014. Known to the running world simply as “Meb,” the down-to-earth Keflezighi has become known for standing at the Bellin Run finish line to congratulate runners and walkers long after his race has ended. The elite men vying for a shot at this year’s 10K title include Keflezighi’s 2016 Olympic marathon teammate Jared Ward, who placed third (30:41) in his Bellin Run debut last year. Frequent Bellin competitor Benson Cheruiyot edged Ward to capture second in the 2017 race, finishing in 30:25. Rounding out the elite men’s field will be newcomer Brendan Gregg, brother of Kaitlin Gregg Goodman. Gregg is a pro runner with the famed Hansons-Brooks Distance Project.  Over 13,000 runners are expected to compete in Green Bay, Wisconsin June 9.  Joan Samuelson, Bill Rodgers and Uta Pippig are also running. (05/18/2018) ⚡AMP

Olympian Lalita Babar to headline Indian Elite runners line-up for the TCS World 10k

The Indian elite line-up for the TCS World 10K boasts of a complementary mix of recent champions and course record holders, which include Suresh Kumar (29.49 secs in 2015) and country's poster girls Lalita Babar and Swati Gadhave. The registrations for this year's event for all other categories closed at a whopping 24,088 runners, with 15,200 participants registering for the Open 10K, which is an increase of 1,495 from last year's numbers. The TCS World 10K Bengalurum India race is the world’s richest 10k with a total prize purse of $213,000.  (05/18/2018) ⚡AMP

Love it or hate it, The 107th annual Bay to Breakers is this Sunday in San Francisco

Love it or hate it, Bay to Breakers is a San Francisco staple and is returning on Sunday — costumed runners, half-naked dance parties and all. The 12k-course, or almost 7.5 miles, goes from downtown to Ocean Beach, passing through distinct areas like Hayes Valley, Golden Gate Park, and the Sunset.

If you’re looking to get out of your usual neighborhoods with runners in tutus, inflatable donuts and dressed as a Bloody Mary along the way, this is the place to do it. Whether you’re running, participating without actually running, people watching, or just trying to avoid the madness, here are some things to know about Bay to Breakers this Sunday: 

1. Runners can show up at 6 a.m. but will make their break from the bay starting at 8 a.m. The race starts off at Howard and Main streets. The route largely uses Howard, Hayes, and Fell streets before taking up John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park and ending at Ocean Beach. 

2. The starting line just a couple blocks from Embarcadero station, where BART and Muni will be shuttling people in and out.  Because of the street closures, the SFMTA warns that there are only two options to cross the flow of runners is the Embarcadero and Crossover Drive, which is the road in Golden Gate Park linking 19th and 25th avenues. 

3. Weather - Jackets may not be feasible with some wacky costumes but it would come in handy. It’s expected to be windy, partly cloudy and with temperatures in the low 60s.  

(05/18/2018) ⚡AMP
by Ida Mojadad/ SF Weekly

Record holder Stephen Mokoka heads local charge at Cape Town 12 Onerun

The local line-up at the Cape Town 12 OneRun should be spearheaded by national 10km record holder Stephen Mokoka, who set the SA 12km best of 33:34 to win the race in 2016. After finishing sixth in the 10 000m final at the recent Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Mokoka is set to feature alongside in-form compatriot David Manja, who beat an international field to win the Two Oceans Half-Marathon in March. “If we go through 10km in around 28 minutes, we can break Morris’ record… that last 800m of the race is incredibly fast,” Mokoka said. Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games 10 000m champion Stella Chesang of Uganda was expected to turn out as the firm favourite in the women’s race. She was up against local favorite Kesa Molotsane, who recently bagged the 5 000m and 10 000m double at the SA Student Championships, and Western Cape star Nolene Conrad. (05/18/2018) ⚡AMP

Running helped Cameron Jones get his life back after being diagnosed with clinical depression

A film maker who was diagnosed with clinical depression will take part in the Great Manchester Run to raise money for mental health charity Mind. Cameron Jones, from Prestwich, said running has allowed him to get his life back on track after mental ill-health caused him to drop out of university last year. The 20-year-old, who runs OH GOSH Productions, said he felt ‘completely out of control’ when he plunged into depression in October last year, just weeks after starting the second year of his film production degree in London. He said: “I will never know the causes for sure, but I mostly think that it was my university lifestyle which rendered me unable to cope with the stress and suffering of life. “A complete lack of routine, uncertainty surrounding my career in the future, and using substances to produce good feelings, as opposed to feeling good through hard work and achievement. Keen to get his life back on track, Cameron moved home and took up running with his friend Henry Williams. (05/18/2018) ⚡AMP

Lusapho of South Africa and Kenyan Jepkirui Rono will lead the Lattelecom Riga Marathon

Lusapho April, who has a 2:08:32 lifetime marathon best, is one of the most-titled runners in the field, having climbed the podium at races throughout the world during his career. A three-time Hannover Marathon winner, April’s greatest achievement was a third place finish at the New York City Marathon in 2013 clocking 2:09:45. Several runners are prepared to pull off surprises, including Kenyan Joseph Kyengo Munywoki, the 2017 winner in Riga in 2:12:14. His compatriot Silas Too has also illustrated fine form, clocking a 2:08:26 personal best for second in Barcelona in March. Duncan Cheruiyot Koech has the credential to make an impact, bringing a 2:07:53 lifetime best to the start line. The 36-year-old ran that six years ago but has recently threatened the 2:10 barrier with a third place finish at last month's Hannover Marathon where he clocked 2:10:19. Meanwhile, Jepkirui Rono, the favorite in the women's race, has a pair of high profile podium finishes to her name, second place in Frankfurt in 2012 where she clocked her 2:21:39 career best, and a third place finish in Boston earlier that year. She can also boast of victories in Eindhoven and Hannover. More recently, she was third at the Dongying Marathon in 2017 clocking 2:28:52. Among the opposition in Riga is last year's runner-up Kikuyo Tsuzaki of Japan, whose 2:31:32 career best came on this course in 2017. Two-time Warsaw Marathon winner Nastassia Ivanova from Belarus should also be a factor. (05/18/2018) ⚡AMP

40 Years Ago the first Centipede crossed the finish line at the Bay To Breakers

Bay to Breakers features a special team division called "centipedes."  Dwayne "Peanut" Harms and Doug Peck came up with the idea and were members of the first-ever "Pede," all members of the UC Davis men's track team, ("Aggies").   A special division of the 12K race was created in which 13 runners are connected as a unit with a "Head Pede" out front which is the leader of the centipede.  An additional runner, a floater, usually the team captain, is allowed to run along untethered to pace the team or substitute for a drop out runner. Despite the novelty, the centipede race is very competitive.  The record for men which is very fast was set in 2012.  Team Linkedin (photo) clocked 36:44, which is 4:55 per mile.  The same year the Impala Racing Team posted 46:37 for the women's record.  The Bay to Breakers is the official site of the World Centipede Running Championships which is now sponsored by Saucony.  Dwayne Harms wrote, "On May 14, 1978, at the 68th running of the Bay to Breakers, the world’s first Centipede was unveiled to the public. We quickly rolled out the Centipede in front of a crowd of other runners about 30 minutes before the race.  I clearly remember how other runners and spectators that were in the area had cheered, laughed and made jokes about the Centipede once we had all gotten in our proper positions and donned our antennae and feelers. These people had no idea what this group of crazy UCD distance runners were about to do. They had never seen anything quite like it. It was not only weird, but also crazy and fun." Peanut continued, "Now, 40 years after our first UCD Aggie Centipede, I still find it hard to believe that this fun-loving group of runners I trained with, raced with and socialized with for so many years at UCD put together the idea to run in the world’ first Centipede which has now become so famous."  (05/17/2018) ⚡AMP

Uganda’s Chesang a Gold Medalist will travel to South Africa to take part in the FNB Cape Town 12 Onerun

Uganda’s Stella Chesang will travel to South Africa to take part in the FNB Cape Town 12 Onerun slated for May 20th. Timothy Masaba, the administrator at the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) confirmed Tuesday that Chesang has been invited for the event to run in the 12kn run. “It is good for her to use such runs to improve on the speed,” added Masaba. Chesang won a gold medal in the 10,000m race at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia. The Uganda Police recognized her efforts by promoting her to the rank of Inspector of Police (IP) together with Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei and Mercyline Chelangat. She made her debut in a top international event in 2013 at the World Youth Athletics Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine.  (05/17/2018) ⚡AMP

Prize Money is now going to be offer to anyone running faster than 1:10 at Bermuda Day Half

A monetary award (the amount was not announced) will be offered for any competitor running faster than 1hr 10min in the Bermuda Day Half-Marathon Derby May 25. Gina Tucker, the president of the Marathon Derby committee, confirmed that cash is up for grabs after discussions with Lamont Marshall, who expressed concerns after his 2016 victory about the lack of prize money being offered. “The idea is to encourage runners to up their game as much as possible,” said Tucker. “It was important for me to reach out to Lamont and clear it up."  In recent years only six-times winner Chris Estwanik has gone under 1:10, in 2012 he ran 1:08.49 and then in 2015 when, on the reintroduced course out of St George’s, he clocked 1:07.46. Marshall won the race two years ago in 1:13.59.  This year the race has another change, with this being the first time that Bermuda Day will be observed on the last Friday of the month. The switch was made so the holiday, which involves the Half-Marathon Derby, the Sinclair Packwood Memorial Race and the Bermuda Day Parade, leads into the weekend. (05/17/2018) ⚡AMP

Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova is the favorite to win the Karlovy Vary Half Marathon

The sixth Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon has drawn top runners from all over Europe to the spa town. Designed to promote the development of athletics on the Old Continent, new RunCzech initiative (in cooperation with European Athletics) EuroHeroes will get underway in Karlovy Vary. Eva Vrabcová-Nývltová is the hot favorite to win the women’s race. 

She smashed the longstanding Czech half marathon record with her 1:11:01 performance at this year’s Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon. “Competing at the European Championships is my main focus for me this year, but I’m also really looking forward to running in Karlovy Vary," says Eva, who is expected to launch an assault on the Czech event record of 1:17:31 held by Ivana Sekyrová since 2013. She’s likely to face high calibre competition from Lithuanian Olympian Vaida Zusinaite.

Sekyrová will also be keen to leave her mark as will Petra Kamínková from Olomouc who has claimed victory among the Czech women for the past three years in a row. "I want to soak up the atmosphere and give it my best." Six men with personal bests under 1:04 will be on the start line. Young Spanish talent Houssam Benabbou, who recently ran a new personal best of 1:03:35, is expected to deliver a high calibre performance.  EuroHeroes is a new initiative by RunCzech to celebrate European running stars and promote active lifestyles in Europe. The initiative aims to find new sporting heroes and motivate the public to exercise.

(05/17/2018) ⚡AMP

Mo Farah Leads the All-Star Cast At Great Manchester Run 10K

Mo Farah is now a full-time marathoner, his history in the shorter distances gives him an advantage over the field. Stanley Biwott, Feyisa Lilesa, and Abel Kirui are also scheduled to race, making this a battle among some of the most accomplished marathoners in the world.  Less than a month after his third-place finish at the London Marathon, Mo Farah will return to the streets of Great Britain. On Sunday at the Great Manchester Run, the 10-time global champion will race a 10K—the distance that provided him with some of the greatest triumphs of his career. Six-time gold medalist and 5000m world record holder Tirunesh Dibaba makes up one half of a dynamic women’s field. The 32-year-old has made winning the Great Manchester Run a staple of her career. She’s won the race on seven occasions, including last year where she took the victory by over two minutes.  Winning on Sunday will be much more difficult. Waiting for her in Manchester is Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya. Jepkosgei doesn’t have the global championships like Dibaba, but she has fast times. Lots of them. (05/17/2018) ⚡AMP

Justin Gallegos has cerebral palsy and completed a half marathon but it was not easy

For many with cerebral palsy, the mere thought of running, let alone running a half marathon, would seem like an impossible dream. However, for Justin Gallegos, that dream became a reality on April 29 as he crossed the finish line at the 2018 Eugene Half Marathon in Eugene, Oregon. A huge NASCAR fan, Gallegos grew up idolizing Dale Earnhardt Jr. However, he could only dream of racing around the track and competing as an athlete. As a child, he had to use a walker to assist him until he was in kindergarten, and he went through years of physical therapy to straighten his gait. Little did he know that he would one day be competing on a race track of his own, in custom-made Nike running shoes. Gallegos, 20, was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects muscle coordination and body movement. For Gallegos, while he is able to walk and even run, his path to become one of the few able-bodied people with cerebral palsy to complete a half marathon certainly did not come easily. (05/17/2018) ⚡AMP

The marathon is not a young women’s game says 38-year-old Irish Olympian Lizzie Lee

Most athletes will tell you that age is only a number, and Lizzie Lee is certainly no exception. She turns 38 this week, and nearly two years after running the Rio Olympic marathon, and 11 months after giving birth to her second daughter, she’s back training at full tilt for the European Championships in Berlin in August. She’s not alone either: Lee is one of five Irish women selected for the marathon in Berlin, and not only have they an average of 38, they also have 11 children between them: another small step or perhaps even one giant leap for gender balance in sport. “Look at the all the major marathons, and the average of the top women is 33, 34,” says Lee. “ And we’ve just seen Des Linden winning Boston at age 34, in her sixth attempt.  “The marathon is not a young women’s game. Yes, you have some 22, 23 year-olds, but to me, the marathon is so mental and so physical that you only really get to know it as you get older. I’ve had two babies, and can tell you that at the end of a marathon you’re head goes to places that it will never go to at any other point. “And in endurance running, in the second half of your 30s, there’s no reason why you can’t still be improving.” Joining her in Berlin will be Breege Connolly, 40 earlier this year and who like Lee developed late in her career to qualify for Rio; Gladys Ganiel, a mother of one, is 41 and Claire McCarthy, a mother of four boys, turns 42 next month. Laura Graham is the youngest at age 32, and also a mother of four. Lee’s first daughter Lucy (now three and three-quarters) was born in late 2014, and she came back in late 2015 to run her fastest marathon (2:35:51 in Berlin), qualifying her for Rio (where she finished 57th); her second daughter Alison was born 11 months ago, and the Cork woman sees no reason why she can’t run faster again. She’s also a full-time employee of Apple and that hasn’t slowed her down either. (05/16/2018) ⚡AMP

laszlo Tabori was the third man to break four minutes for the mile

DID YOU KNOW: Laszlo Tabori was the third man in history to break the sub-four minute mile barrier, setting a new European Record with a time of 3:59 on May 28, 1955. Roger Bannister was there. Laszlo posted this on Facebook March 5th after Roger Bannister passed away.  

“One of my favorite pictures with Sir Roger Bannister... We were all chasing the sub 4 minute mile. In those days it was a feat comparable only with climbing Mt. Everest. Roger was someone I looked up to and admired.  

At the height of his running career, he stopped in order to concentrate on his studies in medicine. I had the great fortune to be one of the early ones who followed in his footsteps just a year later at White City Stadium, London.  Here Roger is shaking my hand and offering congratulations as I had quite unexpectedly just became the 3rd person to enter this very elite sub-4 min mile club,” wrote Laszlo Tabori.  

Laszlo was born in Košice. Although he had already taken up running in his youth, his serious career only started in the early 1950s under Mihály Iglói, the legendary coach. 

Among Laszlo’s many accomplishments include being an Olympian in the 1956 Olympic Games in the 1500 and 5000m races.  Mihaly Igloi and his track team were in Budapest, and saw the chaos of the Soviet invasion, but were fortunate to leave the country and arrive in Melbourne.

Understandably, the Hungarians performed poorly at the Games. After the competition, Igloi, and one of his top runners, Laszlo Tabori, made the fateful decision to forgo their return to Hungary and defect to the United States.

Tábori retired from running in 1962, since he couldn’t compete for Hungry and was not a United States citizen. Tábori returned to distance running as a coach in 1967, his training methods based directly on Iglói's, and has been the coach of San Fernando Valley Track Club since 1973.  

(05/16/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Champion Alex Korio will return to defend his crown at the TCS World 10K May 27

The Kenyan, Alex Korio will have to contend with compatriot and World half marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, whose entry had already been confirmed, as well as two-time winner Mosinet Geremew of Ethiopia. Geremew, who won here in 2015 and 2016, was among the favorites for last year’s race but slipped to 10th. However, he has been in fine form in 2018, winning both the Yangzhou Half Marathon and the Dubai Marathon, the latter in 2:04:00. The fastest man in the field is another Ethiopian in Birhanu Legese, who has a personal best of 27:34. Leading the Asian challenge will be Bahrain’s Abraham Cheroben, who finished second behind Kamworor at the World half marathon championships in Valencia, and holds the Asian half-marathon record. As many as five sub-28-minute runners are part of the men’s elite field at the TCS World 10K in Bengaluru, Indiia May 27th. (05/16/2018) ⚡AMP

Shelby Jones is running her 100th Half Marathon May 20, half of these in the last 12 months

Shelby Jones has been running half-marathons for nearly a decade. She was a sophomore at West Geauga High School in 2009 when she completed her first. Since then, Jones has kept at it. That is until the last calendar year, when she’s been in overdrive. She won’t stop until May 20. On that day, Jones is set to run the half-marathon at the Cleveland Marathon. It will mark Jones’ 100th half-marathon. For some runners, that number takes a lifetime to reach. Jones has done it in a decade.  Her last 52 have occurred in the last 12 months.  Needless to say, it was a hectic few weeks for Jones since she has run 17 halfs in the last few weeks. At one point, she ran eight half-marathons in a week, including three in a 27-hour period. The first was a 4 a.m. race in Albert Lea, Minnesota. The second was a 9 p.m. race the same day in Indianapolis. The last was a 7 a.m. race the next day in Middleville, Michigan. (05/16/2018) ⚡AMP

Gallen Rupp and Jordan Hasay have confirmed they will be running the Chicago Marathon

The Chicago Marathon announced on Wednesday that Nike Oregon Project team members Galen Rupp and Jordan Hasay will return to the race on October 7.

In 2017, Galen Rupp became the first American man to win the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in more than a decade. That same year, Jordan Hasay became the fastest American woman to run the Chicago Marathon. 

In 2018, they'll look to do it all again. Rupp and Hasay will both return for the 41st annual marathon in Chicago, being held Sunday, Oct. 7, race organizers announced Wednesday. Rupp emerged from the 40th anniversary Chicago Marathon last year as the first US winner since Khalid Khannouchi won in 2002.

Joined by Hasay, the two became the first American duo to finish in the top three since Jerry Lawson and Kristy Johnston took home a pair of second-place finishes in 1996. 

“Galen and Jordan are leading an exciting American resurgence in the marathon, and we are thrilled to welcome them back to Chicago this coming fall,” Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski said in a statement.

“Galen won in a decisive move last year and just dominated a talented men’s field. He’s a phenomenal athlete who has taken his track speed to the roads with incredible success.

"Jordan ran with pure guts and she was rewarded with a podium finish and the fastest American time ever run on Chicago’s course. She has found her distance with the marathon.”

(05/16/2018) ⚡AMP

Science has never fully backed the IAAF claims that DSD athletes have a massive advantage

The science has never fully backed up the IAAF's claim that so-called DSD athletes have a massive advantage in women's races. In 2012, Indian sprinter Dutee Chand (photo) appealed a similar rule restricting testosterone levels to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The court ruled the regulation was discriminatory and it was suspended. The IAAF was given time to come back and show that elevated testosterone levels result in a male-like advantage of 10 to 12 per cent. The track body's latest research says athletes like Semenya enjoy a "competitive advantage" but still fails to demonstrate that even a 10 per cent edge exists. And the supposed advantage is based on data from a 2018 study that has yet to be published or reviewed. So if the data still doesn't appear to be there, what is this really about? Are there other factors driving Caster Semenya's critics? 'This is a racist, targeted test' Some supporters of Semenya believe two of the factors may be race and geography. They wonder if the IAAF would have pursued Semenya for nearly a decade if she were a white runner from the global North. "All of these [efforts] seem to coincide with the recent dominance by women from Sub-Saharan Africa in certain track and field events, and that wasn't the case before," says Katrina Karkazis, a Stanford University bioethicist who was involved in the Chand case and has written extensively about intersex issues. "That is one way this is racialized. Who is winning those events? Who has won historically?" University of Toronto professor Bruce Kidd is a longtime member of the Olympic movement and was also involved in the Chand case. "They [the IAAF] have identified seven events where they think there is a correlation [between testosterone levels and performance]. Two of them are the pole vault and hammer throw and they have not made them part of this new rule, and those are events that are dominated by white women," Kidd points out. "They have targeted the mile, an event that is currently dominated by black women. And the mile isn't even part of their study. It's hard not to draw the conclusion this is a racist, targeted test." Semenya's success and physical appearance — she appears more muscular than many of her rivals — have drawn attention and doubt from track officials. (05/16/2018) ⚡AMP

Dan Buckle traded his smoking addiction to being addicted to running

A dozen years ago, Dan Buckle was a middle-aged man who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for more than 30 years. It was a bad habit he picked up as a teenager growing up in Newfoundland and Labrador. Now living in Middle Sackville, N.S., he's traded that addiction for another one — running. Buckle and his wife bought a treadmill for Christmas in 2006. But it wasn't long before Dan was hitting the road. He had no idea it would lead to the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon. "A friend of mine was doing the 10K in the Blue Nose that year and she said, 'Why don't you come down to the Running Room?'," says Buckle. "So I went down and from that one day I've been hooked ever since." When he turned 50, Buckle decided he would run 50 kilometers at the Blue Nose to match his age. Since then he's matched that feat and added one kilometre each year. At this Sunday's Blue Nose event, he will run 58 kilometres to match his age of 58. A regulation marathon is 42.2 kilometres. He is planning to run 16 kilometres prior to the start of the race. He intends to arrive at the marathon start line just as the marathon is about to begin. (05/16/2018) ⚡AMP

How to get on the starting line For the 2019 Boston Marathon

Mark your calendars — and pray for a dry day. The Boston Athletic Association says registration for next year's Boston Marathon will open on Sept. 10. The BAA said Tuesday it will again use a "rolling" registration to give the fastest qualifiers first dibs on a bib. Athletes who've run at least 20 minutes faster than their age-graded qualifying standards will be the first to be allowed to register. Those who've beaten their standards by 10 minutes or more will follow. If there's still room left, other qualifiers will get a shot. The 123rd Boston Marathon will be run on April 15, 2019. This year's race was run in torrential rain and gusty winds. There is no reason to think that the weather could possibly be horrible in 2019 but you never know in New England.   (05/15/2018) ⚡AMP

Defending champ Tesfaye is ready to win the Fargo Marathon for the third time

There's something about the Sanford Fargo Marathon that brings out the best in Semehar Tesfaye. She's hoping her third time in the event on Saturday will be another charm. The two-time defending champion and Fargo South graduate, currently living and training in Boston, is hoping health and training issues in the past year are permanently in the rear-view mirror. Since winning the Fargo race last year, she dealt with low iron levels in her body and a job that made training and racing tough. A better diet and iron supplement addressed that issue. And she took a new position in March with an insurance firm that has made her schedule easier to deal with. It's allowed her to get her mileage up to around 90 miles per week. "The Fargo Marathon is the race that motivated me to continue running when times were harder, when I was not healthy," Tesfaye said. She won in 2016, her first-ever marathon, clocking 2:37:27.  She won last year in 2:38.09. She was rarely challenged in both races. (05/15/2018) ⚡AMP

Morris Gachaga ran the world's best time for 12K in Cape Town last year and on Sunday wants to go faster

The fastest man ever over 12K will return to defend his title at the FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN on Sunday. Morris Gachaga, 23, stormed to a 33min 27sec win at last year’s event to set the fastest time ever recorded over the 12km distance. The Kenyan is in even better shape than before. On February 9 this year, he finished fifth in the RAK Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, clocking 59:36. That was followed up with a third-place finish in Lisbon where he covered the Half marathon in 60:17 on March 11, before heading off to London as pacemaker to Eliud Kipchoge, who won the 2018 London Marathon. The 59:36 (in the RAK Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon) places Gachaga eighth in the world this year over the half marathon and it’s a personal best for him over the distance by more than a minute. Clearly, he will be coming into the race on May 20 in the best shape of his life and could potentially challenge his own ‘record’ time if the rest of the field go with the required pace. ‘I’m looking forward to coming back to Cape Town to defend my title,’ says Gachaga. ‘I have good memories of that race and want to do well. I am in great shape. If things go well, maybe I can better my 33:27 and lower the world best.’ This will be Gachaga’s third visit to South Africa and his second to Cape Town since running that world best.  The 12km is a non-standard race and hence the time is ratified as a world best, not a world record.  More than 14,000 runners took to the streets of Cape Town last year and more are expected on Sunday.  Many run i customes.   (05/15/2018) ⚡AMP

Wilson Kipsang is going after sub 59 minutes at Gothenburg Half Marathon

Kenya's former world marathon record-holder Wilson Kipsang will have his first competitive race after almost three months when he takes part in the Gothenburg Half Marathon on May 19. Kipsang, 34, had to let his Tokyo Marathon title go without much fight after he developed problems just 15 kilometers into the race back in February.

However, he has recovered from his injury and will be trying to gauge himself against some of the fastest half marathon runners in the Swedish race on Saturday.

"During my last race, I really wanted to go fast, but after suffering from stomach problems just days before the race, I didn't have the power to run a decent race. I'm still disappointed, I was really ready for it," said Kipsang on Tuesday from Iten, Kenya.

The former world marathon record holder (2:03:23) and Olympic bronze medalist believes he has the strength to challenge his personal best time of 58:59 when he lines up in Gothenburg, the second-largest city in Sweden.

"I have done well since pulling out of Tokyo Marathon and will be keen to test my limits again," he said. Kipsang will be out to use the race in Gothenburg as part of his preparations before the latter half of the year, where he is expected to race in Berlin, Chicago or New York. 

Kipsang faces a strong line-up including Kenyan teammates Leonard Langat (59:18) Peter Kirui (59:22), Albert Kangogo (59:25), Richard Mengich (59:35) and Ethiopia's Abera Kuma (60:19). Former world 10,000m champion Ibrahim Jeilan, who has a best time of 61:47 will also compete. T 

(05/15/2018) ⚡AMP

Vitality London 10000 shaping up to be a fast event at the end of the month

Lily Partridge, who ran a personal best 2:29:44 to finish eighth overall and first British woman at the Virgin Money London Marathon in April, is set to get back to racing at the Vitality London 10000 on May 28. The 27-year-old will not be the only British marathon champion competing, with Mo Farah already confirmed for the last Monday of May bank holiday race. Partridge’s, who clocked her 10k PB of 33:27 at the 2016 event, will face Aldershot, Farnham and District club-mate Steph Twell before looking ahead to the Berlin hosted European Championships in August. “The Vitality London 10000 is great because it does bring together a range of athletes,” said Partridge. “Some people like Steph come into it in track shape and it can be fast and then there are us girls who come into it off the back of a marathon and we have to ease ourselves into it a bit more.  The Vitality London 10,000 starts and finishes in St James’s Park and uses Green Park as its assembly area. The race starts on The Mall and finishes on Spur Road opposite Buckingham Palace. Runners follow a clockwise route around the City of Westminster and the City of London. The course passes many of London’s famous sights including Admiralty Arch, Nelson’s Column, St Paul’s Cathedral, Mansion House, the Bank of England, the Old Bailey, Somerset House, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.  The race also features the British 10K Championships Men and Women. (05/15/2018) ⚡AMP

Course record holders return to Ottawa Marathon, Sara Hall top American Female

Canada's largest running event is the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon and Half Marathon is coming up May 27 in Ottawa, Canada.  Yemane Tsegay, the Ethiopian star who set the Ottawa course record with a blistering time of 2:06:54 in 2014, heads the list of marathon speedsters. Tsegay will be challenged by Eliud Kiptanui, the Kenya native who claimed last year’s title with a 2:10:14 clocking. Don’t be surprised to see three other Ethiopians joining them in the lead group, either. Haile Lemi Berhanu, who won the 2016 Boston Marathon, owns a personal best time of 2:04:33. Deriba Robi has completed the marathon in 2:05.58 and Adugna Takele Bikila owns an all-time best of 2:08.51. On the women’s side, course record holder Tigist Tufa is also returning, hoping to challenge her 2014 time of 2:24:31. Tufa also won the 2015 London Marathon. Tufa will have her hands – and feet – full with Gelete Burka, who ran a 2:20:45 marathon earlier this year. Joining Tufa in the women’s field is U.S. Marathon champion Sara Hall. Hall has improved in nearly every marathon she has run over the past year, placing sixth at Tokyo in 2017 before winning the U.S. Championships later that year.  (05/14/2018) ⚡AMP

Sir Mo Farah heads a field of superstars as the world's best go head to head in Europe's biggest 10k

British marathon record holder and four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah heads a field packed with road-running superstars as the world's best go head to head in Europe's biggest 10k. The Great Manchester Run, established in 2003, is an annual 10K run through Greater Manchester in the UK. Sir Mo's greatest threat is Kenya's 2017 world marathon champion Geoffrey Kirui. The African nation are also well represented in the women's race with 10k and half marathon world record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei taking on 2015 champion Betsy Saina. But it is not just the world's elite taking to the streets of Manchester. Over 30,000 competitors line up for the 10k and half marathon routes to raise money and awareness for many good causes. One year on from the bombing, the city, united, runs together. (05/14/2018) ⚡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

74-year-old Paris man didn't start racing until 53 but has already run 100 half marathons

Paul Spinner was a late bloomer when it comes to the running scene. Running never really interested the 74-year-old Paris man earlier in his life. He was a softball player at heart but the sport came with an expiration date. "I got too old," Spinner said. "You can run forever, but you can't play softball forever." So, at 53, Spinner started registering for 5K races, 10k races, and other racing events eventually including to half-marathons and marathons. After two decades and more than 1,000 races under his belt, Spinner hit several milestones and got some acclaim in the process. Spinner was the 2009 national champion in the 2,000-meter steeplechase, a favorite event of his.  He would later win the bronze medal in 2012. And Saturday, he hit another milestone. Spinner completed his 100th half-marathon at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center's Race for All Paces in 2:19. "I am getting old; we don't like cold," he said. It wasn't his fastest run. Spinner noted he took it a little easier for future races, but he isn't expecting to break any personal records. But, it was a big achievement all the same, albeit not an out-of-the-ordinary race, according to Spinner. (05/14/2018) ⚡AMP

How Boulder Colorado became the Mecca for elite distance runners and runners of all abilities

DID YOU KNOW: Frank Shorter helped turn Boulder into the mecca for elite distance runners and hotbed for recreational athletes that it is today.

The two-time medalist, gold in 1972, silver in 1976, came to Boulder for the first time after graduating from Yale. Raised in New York, Shorter became an early believer in the benefits of altitude training.

In setting his course for Olympic glory, he chose Boulder because the University of Colorado had the only indoor track above 5,000 feet in the United States. He remembers only a couple of other post-collegiate runners in town at the time, including a hotel dishwasher who ran a crash pad for hippies.

Two years after his first training stint in Boulder, Shorter became the first American in 64 years to win an Olympic marathon.  

Shorter’s historic breakthrough at the Munich Olympics, coupled with his silver medal four years later in Montreal, helped ignite the recreational running boom of the late 1970s, and inspired subsequent Olympic hopefuls to move to Boulder for the same reasons he did.

Then-exceptional international runners, including three world-record holders, arrived in the ’80s. After that came the world-class cyclists and triathletes. Meanwhile, CU emerged as a power in cross country running, producing six individual national champions and seven team titles.

Today, Boulder teems with world-class endurance athletes and some of the country’s fastest recreational runners, and it all traces back to Shorter’s hunch about altitude training. Runners of that era didn’t know why it worked — scientific explanations would come later — they just knew if they trained at altitude, they ran faster when they raced at sea level.

“I sensed it,” Shorter said. “There was no real science you could look at. I didn’t know your blood volume increased. All I knew was that I was getting better, more on an exponential curve than even a straight line. I knew that there was something about doing it that didn’t just have to do with my increased training intensity.”

(05/13/2018) ⚡AMP
by John Meyer/ The Denver Post

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

Here is why the USATF reopened the bids for the U.S. 2020 Olympic Trials

USA Track & Field didn’t learn about lawsuits that jeopardized the 2020 Olympic Trials until two months after its board awarded the meet to Mt. San Antonio College in June 2017, newly revealed documents show. But by late October 2017, USATF was threatening to pull the showcase event from Mt. SAC — six months before it shocked the track world by reopening bids for the meet.  Adam Schmenk, USATF’s managing director of events and entertainment properties, on Oct. 27 demanded that Mt. SAC provide a construction timeline and a guarantee that Hilmer Lodge Stadium would be built no later than April 2020. “Should you be unable to provide the above assurance by November 17, we will reopen the bid process to secure a host city who can provide the commitments necessary to host a successful Olympic Trials,” Schmenk wrote Doug Todd, Mt. SAC’s athletic special events director. Two months later, USATF Deputy General Counsel Donald Woodard doubled down in a letter to Mt. SAC’s president. “We, and our major partners, are extremely concerned about whether the construction of the appropriate facilities will be complete in sufficient time to host a first class high caliber 2020 Trials,” Woodard wrote William Scroggins. “Therefore, we require unequivocal proof that the lawsuits have been dismissed or otherwise resolved in such a manner as to remove any doubt that construction of the stadium and other facilities will not be delayed in any way whatsoever,” he said Jan. 3, demanding a Jan. 4 conference call. Woodard said that at an August 2017 campus meeting, “we were made aware of the existence of two lawsuits filed against Mt. SAC directly or indirectly related to Mt. SAC’s preparation and ability to successfully host a first class 2020 Trials.” (05/13/2018) ⚡AMP
by Ken Stone

New course record at the 39th Annual Copenhagen Marathon

William Morwabe (KEN) highlighted Sunday’s Telenor CPH Marathon winning in a new course record of 2:11:16.  The 26-year-old Kenyan put in an effective attack after 34 kilometers, leaving the three other runners in the leading group way behind. With a previous personal best of only 2:16:00.  Morwabe’s triumph was indeed a major surprise. “I did expect to run well – but not that well. I actually had no tactics before I pushed the pace at 34K. But I’m just so proud to win here today,” Morwabe said afterwards. At first, a new course record was not in sight. A group of ten runners led the race, splitting halfway in 66:13 minutes. At 28K, Collins Kipkorir Cheboi (KEN) then pushed the pace with only three runners able to keep up with him. Six kilometers later, Morwabe then set in the successful attack, and within a short time he had established a gap of more than ten seconds.  At 35K a new Danish All Comer’s record (2:10:37) was even in sight, but the sunny and warm conditions in the streets of Copenhagen (75F) proved to be anything but optimal. Abraham Girma (ETH) was runner-up in 2:11:30 while Paul Waveru Chege (KEN) set a PB of 2:12:25 to take third spot. In the women’s race, Shasho Insermu (ETH) took a solid lead early in the race. She struggled, however, to maintain the gap of a mere 15-20 seconds. Betty Chepleting (KEN) and Tesfanesh Terga (ETH) were a constant threat all the way, but Insermu eventually held the lead to the end winning in 2:32:18 – a little more than two minutes off her PB set in Ljubljana last year. 9.000 runners participated at the Telenor CPH Marathon. Next year will see the event’s 40th anniversary. Telenor Copenhagen Marathon - May 14th (05/13/2018) ⚡AMP

Spain won both the men’s and women’s team titles at the Trail World Championships, U.S. teams finished 4th and 3rd

Spain’s Luis Alberto Hernando won his third consecutive title, with the former biathlete clocking 8:38:35 to win ahead of his team-mate Cristofer Clemente with a time of 8:46:19 as the host nation secured the team title at the 2018 Trail World Championships on the Penyagolosa Trails in Spain.   Evans, who placed third in the Marathon Des Sables last year, was followed over the Penyagolosa Trails HG finish line by fellow Briton Jonathan Albon, and Ryan Smith’s 16th-place finish in 9:25:50 secured GB the team silver. Tom Owens, who was fourth in 2015 when he led the team to bronze, placed 25th (9:39:26) in Penyagolosa, while Rob Sinclair was 38th (9:54:26) and Casey Morgan 53rd (10:14:40).  Mario Mendoza was the first American to finish clocking 9:00:31 in sixth. Teammate Zach Miller finished 8th in 9:15:46. The U.S. team finished fourth.  Ragna Debats of Netherlands won the women’s title in 9:55:00, while Spain’s Laia Canes was second in 10:11:11. Bronze was claimed by France’s Claire Mougel with a time of 10:15:23.  Clare Gallagher was the first American to finish clocking 10:36:37 in 8th.  Teammates Kaytlyn Gerbin Places 10th in 10:39:40 and Sabrina Little was 12th clocking 10:45:27 securing third place for the U.S. in the team competition.   Spain secured the team title ahead of France.  (05/12/2018) ⚡AMP

Sam Chelanga won the 41st Annual River Bank Run 25K Saturday

Sam Chelanga, 33 from Colorado Springs won the 41st Fifth Third River Bank Run and USA 25K Championships clocking 1:14:52. Scott Fauble, 26 from Flagstaff was just three seconds back. They both passed the half marathon mark at 1:03:10. Greg Meyer, the elite race coordinator, said on Tuesday that Sam was "the man to beat" having run a 60:37 half marathon and holder of the NCAA 10,000-meter record (27:08).  Aliphine Tulisnuk, 29 was first woman winning again clocking 1:25:34. The race presented by Amway with Spectrum Health the Official Health Partner was held on Saturday, May 12, 2018 in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan offering a prize purse of $112,400. This is the largest 25K road race in the country.  More than 16,000 people registered.  (05/12/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Kenyan Sylvia Kiberenge is expected to finish strong on Sunday at Copenhagen Marathon

Last year’s Telenor Copenhagen Marathon saw a new record set when Julius Ndiritu Karinga broke the tape with a time of 2:12:10. Karinga’s time at the top may be short-lived, as this year’s field features the largest group of elite runners ever to take part in the event, with at least three having personal best times faster than Karinga’s record-setter. Henry Sugut from Kenya and Abraham Girma from Ethiopia have both posted marathon times below 2:07:00, making them the fastest runners ever to tackle the Telenor Copenhagen Marathon. And it is not only the men that are expected to burn up the streets of the capital. This year’s field of women is also historically strong, with Sylvia Kiberenge expected to lead the way. The current women’s mark for the Telenor Copenhagen Marathon stands at 2:30:51.  Kiberenge finished the Frankfurt Marathon with a time of 2:29:09 last year.   (05/12/2018) ⚡AMP

Two-Time Olympian, Goucher will compete in Bjorklund Half Marathon at Grandma's

Kara Goucher will compete in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon for the second straight year. The Duluth native and two-time U.S. Olympian announced on Twitter that she will return to her hometown to run in the race, which is part of Grandma's Marathon Weekend. In 2017, she finished fifth with a time of 1:15.11. Ethiopian Biruktayit Degefa won with a time of 1:11:26. (05/12/2018) ⚡AMP

Heavy rains slowed down the field at the 6th annual Okpekpe 10K on Saturday

Kenyan runners under heavy rains on Saturday won the first, second and third positions at the 6th Okpekpe International 10km Road Race at Okpekpe in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo.   The rain almost marred the 2018 edition as it slowed down the athletes. Kibet said that it was very difficult to run under the rain but that he was happy to emerge the winner. Yami Dida from Ethiopia won the female elite category in 33:01 while Tuei Chebet from Kenya came second in 33:33.  Kipyojei Chemtai also from Kenya emerged third in 34:24. The winner of the female elite category got $20,000 while Chebet and Chemati got $13,000 and $9,000 for their efforts.     (05/12/2018) ⚡AMP

The new Adidas Solar Boost Deliver a Holistic Running Experience launching May 17

Adidas Solar Boost is launching on May 17, the shoe has been in the works for almost two years. Its design concept was inspired by a book on NASA graphic’s standards found in a secondhand bookshop in NYC by one of the brand’s Germany-based designers. From that day forward, the shoe has maintained a universal viewpoint in both its design roots and target audience. The Solar Boost was created to give runners exactly what they need to maximize their performance as well as their enjoyment of the running experience. The concept is based around the idea that everyone can be an athlete and should be treated as such with the gear they train in daily. This attention to the technical aspects of the shoe, as well the experience, spring from the personal story of one of the shoe’s designers: Marius Jung.   (05/12/2018) ⚡AMP

Completing the Boston Marathon was number one on Daniel's Bucket List

Australian's Daniel Gooch has ticked off the number one item on his bucket list – completing the Boston Marathon.  He was one of nearly 30,000 competitors who entered the iconic event on April 16.  Race morning the weather was horrible but it was still the fulfillment of a childhood dream. Not even bad weather was going to stand in the way.  “Since I was a teenager really – 17, or 18-years-old – that was always one of my big goals,” he said. “It has been so long and I have really been focusing on it for the last 18 months, you have to run a qualifying race which I had to train for and then having traveled to the States for it, it was certainly overwhelming to get across the finish line and to have run well.” Gooch hasn’t planned his next major race  yet. “Not at the moment, I have been thinking about it but I don't think anything will surpass Boston,” he said. “That has been so long in the making -it was one of those lifelong bucket list items.” (05/11/2018) ⚡AMP

Galen Rupp was selected as USATF Athlete of the Week after winning the Prague Marathon clocking 2:06:07

Galen Rupp, the bronze medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games, ran 2:06:07 to win the Prague Marathon May 6 by almost a minute over Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia.  

He sliced more than three minutes off his previous lifetime best of 2:09:20, set in winning Chicago last year. His time ranks him second only behind American record-holder Khalid Khannouchi, who ran 2:05:38 in 2002, on the U.S. all-time list. (Not including Ryan Hall’s time on the point-to-point Boston course.)

Rupp has never placed lower than third in any of the five marathons he has finished. He has also improved his PR on each marathon he has finished.  Rupp (Portland, Oregon) won the Prague Marathon and became the second-fastest U.S. man ever in the event to earn USATF Athlete of the Week. 

Now in its 17th year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport.

(05/11/2018) ⚡AMP

92-year-old Wally Ypma Has completed all but two Fifth Third River Bank Runs

Ypma started running when he was in the U.S. Navy and hasn't stopped since. He has helped hundreds of runners train and succeed in West Michigan. In the 41-year history of the River Bank Run, he has missed it only twice. When he laces up his shoes Saturday, he will have three friends helping him. They will have to start just after 5 a.m. to finish in time. Ypma walks every day, sometimes more than once. His three friends meet each week to go with him. One of them, Ed Zimmerman, says they take it slow and enjoy their time together. "Anywhere from five to six hours is our normal range, but it depends on the day and it depends on Wally," Zimmerman said. Ypma always wears a smile and frequently a hat marking him as a World War II veteran. "I get there for one thing," he said. "The Finish line!" (05/11/2018) ⚡AMP

Grandmother, 76, is going after her 56th marathon, her goal is to complete 100 Marathons

76-year-old Hilary Wharam will be treating this weekend's Leeds Half Marathon as a training run ahead of her 56th full marathon.  The grandmother who suffers from arthritis and has to take pain killers before running, has set herself a target of completing 100 marathons before the illness prevents her from competing.  Hilary, who didn't take up running until she was in her early fifties, will be running the Leeds Half Marathon as part her her training schedule ahead of the Neolithic Marathon in Wiltshire UK on May 28.  (05/11/2018) ⚡AMP

Over 400,000 people want to run the 2019 London Marathon, the most ever for any race!

More than 400,000 runners have entered the ballot for next year’s London Marathon, breaking the event’s own world record for registrations. A total of 414,168 runners from the UK and overseas have applied to take part in the race around the capital.  Last year’s total of 386,050 applicants first established London as the world’s most popular marathon, with this year’s total 7.5 per cent higher.   Of the applicants for the 2019 event, 347,876 are from the UK and 66,292 are from overseas.  More than 50 per cent of those who entered the ballot have never run a marathon before, while 44 per cent of the UK applicants are women.  Hugh Brasher, Event Director for London Marathon Events, said the world record reflects the “extraordinary inspiration” of this year’s event. He said: “One of our goals is to inspire people to take up sport and it's fantastic that more than 190,000 people from the UK have been inspired to apply to run a marathon for the first time in 2019. (05/10/2018) ⚡AMP

I am skipping the biggest meets that remain at Hayward Field, just too sad to go back to this doomed place

Full destruction of Hayward Field is guaranteed, now that the City Council has refused to consider a last-ditch attempt at historic status designation. I’m already distancing myself from the place, skipping the biggest meets that remain, Pre and NCAA.

This isn’t a call to boycott. It’s just too sad for me to go back to this doomed place. There are many happier places in Eugene...Coverage of the total teardown and replacement has overlooked the neighbors.

This might be the right change, but it's in the wrong place. Hayward Field outgrew its location by at least 1972 (the first year I visited there for the Trials). On-street parking was scarce then and has become more so.

The neighborhood has grown ever more crowded, from new construction on and near campus. Neighbors range from barely tolerant of the big events to wishing them away.

Hayward sits amid property owned by UO Physical Education and Recreation — four turf fields and the Rec track. These are heavily used, up to 18 hours a day. I’ve taught a running class there since 2001, and we typically get evicted whenever a big track meet comes to Hayward.

The effect of construction will be devastating on all student uses of these fields and track, and some of that space will never be replaced because there’s no spare room. The end of Hayward would have been the perfect time to locate the new stadium anywhere but here, anywhere with surrounding space.

The old track, minus the stands other than a smaller replica of the East, could have become Hayward Heritage Park — open to students and the public alike. Now it’s too late. Sad that the suggestions of nearest neighbors seemingly never were solicited. 

(Editor's note: Joe Henderson was the editor of Runner's World in the early years and continued to write for the magazine for many years.  He has written many books and is currently coaching his team in Eugene.)

(05/10/2018) ⚡AMP
by Joe Henderson

Be patient, stay light, and keep springing! Is what Camille told herself at her first single Track Trail race

My second trail race and first time to ever run up a mountain on single track trail was two years ago at the White River 50. There's two long climbs, about ten miles each. I was intimidated on the first climb and let all the men go. I started crying when we got above the clouds cause it was so beautiful!  My favorite part was coming back down and all the runners coming up cheering us on! On the second climb (at 26-27 mi), I saw RD Scott McCoubrey at the bottom and he yelled out, "Be patient on this climb Camille!" That made me relax, and I got my second wind. I climbed it like a monkey, passing several men and hardly ever stopping to walk. It felt amazing! "Be patient, stay light, and keep springing!" is what I told myself. I hammered the Sun Top Road descent. Then I took a wrong turn and went about a mile off course. I missed the Course Record by 4 1/2 min.. That didn't matter though- I was hooked on trailrunning and had the confidence now that, "I can do this!" (05/10/2018) ⚡AMP
by Camille Herron

The crazy Bay To Breakers 12k with it's costumed runners, elites and centipedes is May 20

The Bay to Breakers (BTB) is one of the most popular footraces in the United States. On May 18, 1986 the annual 12K race in San Francisco drew 110,000 participants. 

The Guiness Book of World Records recognized it as the world's largest footrace until October 10, 2010 when an event in Malina had 116,086 participants. The BTB route is typically dotted with various local bands performing.

In February 2009, SF city officials and race sponsors announced changes to the race regulations.  The regulations included an official ban on floats, alcohol, drunkenness and nudity.

The changes were made to address the concerns of San Francisco residents along the route, who say the race has gotten out of hand in recent years.

Many Bay Area residents said the changes would destroy much that has made the race a national treasure for most of the last century...

The first BTB was run January 1, 2012.  American's men won every year until Australian's Chris Wardlaw won in 1976 clocking 37:28.  Runners from Kenya have dominated since 1991, winning 25 times out of 27.  The course record is held by Kenya's Sammy Kitwara set in 2009 when he clocked 33:31. 

The first women to official run was Frances Conley in 1966.  She clocked 1:00:07.   Six-year-old Mary Etta Boitano won in 1969 clocking 1:01:12.  Mary also won in 1974, 1975 and 1976.  Her best time was 43:22 (1974) which was the course record until Laurie Binder broke it in 1979 clocking 43:07. 

The women's course record was set in 2010 when Kenya's Lineth Chepkurui clocked 38:07.  The one runner who won the most times was Kenny Moore who won six times in a row between 1968 to 1973. His best time being 36:39 (1972). 

Moore ran in the Olympic marathon at both Mexico City and Munich, finishing fourth in 1972.  After his running career, Moore became a journalist and screenwriter. He had a twenty-five-year career covering athletics for Sports Illustrated.   

Alaska Airlines Bay to Breakers is a race built by the people. Since 1912, Over 2 million costumed runners, walkers, elites and centipedes have completed the iconic 12K journey from the San Francisco Bay to the breakers on Ocean Beach. 

(05/10/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

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

Fast times are expected at the TCS World 10K May 27 with $213,000 in prize money

The world’s richest 10 Km run has seen participation from top elite athletes in the world.  Having completed a decade as one of the most sought-after road races in the world, Bengaluru, India is all set to be perfect hosts yet again for the 11th edition of the Tata Consultancy Services World 10K May 27.  

This year world Champions Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya and Ethiopian Netsanet Gudeta will head the mens and womens elite fields respectively. For both the runners, who were recently crowned the world champions at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia, it will be their first competitive outing since their global triumphs in March.

Kamworor, 25, has established himself as one of the world's leading distance runners in recent years, winning the last two world cross country and the world half marathon titles.

"I took some rest after Valencia and then started my preparations towards Bengaluru. I hold the course record at this race (27:44) so I know about the course and the city," commented Kamworor from his home in Kenya.

Gudeta, 27, has also been preparing hard for her return to Indian soil. "Since Valencia, I have just been training and focusing on Bengaluru. Even though the race has been put back two weeks, that hasn't affected me. In fact, it's allowed me to prepare slightly better," she said. "I have been to India on a number of occasions in the past, including this race. I know after winning in Valencia that people will be talking about a fast time and perhaps the course record (held by Kenya's Lucy Kabuu at 31:46 since 2014), but this year there are no pacemakers.

"Of course, I set the women-only world record for the half marathon (1:06:11) in Valencia. I have also run times for 10,000m on the track (personal best 30:36.75, 2016) and 10km on the road (31:35, 2017) that are better than the course record." she reflected.

The TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2018 has a total prize fund of $213,000.  Besides the elites, thousands take part every year and many set PR's on the fast course.

(05/09/2018) ⚡AMP

Champion from the last year set to compete and defend his Grandma's Marathon Title

A year ago, Elisha Barno became the first man ever to three-peat at Grandma's, finishing in 2 hours, 12 minutes and 6 seconds, his slowest winning time but 86 seconds faster than second-place Geoffrey Bundi. Barno's fellow Kenyan and last year's women's champ, Hellen Jepkurgat, similarly plans to return. Jepkurgat won her Grandma's debut in 2017, covering the Two Harbors-to-Duluth course in 2:32:09. Sarah Kiptoo, the female course record-holder, is expected back, as well. Kiptoo, also of Kenya, ran a 2:26:32 while winning in 2013, then nabbed her second victory along the North Shore in 2016 (2:33:28). (05/09/2018) ⚡AMP

David Askew, spent 10 years homeless and now runs marathons around the world

“Running is a beautiful thing. There is no better feeling I can explain than finishing a marathon. You have got to endure, it’s mind over matter, and shows if you put your mind to it you can do anything.” These are the words of David  Askew, who spent 10 years homeless – and who now runs marathons around the world. His is one of many remarkable stories told in the powerful new documentary, Skid Row Marathon. The film follows a running group set up by Judge Craig Mitchell in 2011 for residents of the Midnight Mission shelter in the most notorious area of downtown Los Angeles and home to some of LA County’s 58,000 homeless population, showing how the simple act of running together, as a community, as a team, can lead to real-life change for people who have experienced homelessness. This remarkable man has a habit of changing lives. In the early days, four or five runners – homeless, recovering from addiction, or recently released from prison – would join him. Now 40 or more join the 62-year-old and a team of mentors at 5.45am to pound the LA streets three times a week. And his fundraising has enabled group members to run marathons in Accra in Ghana, Rome and, earlier this year, in Jerusalem. “It is part of my faith, that every human being has worth, has dignity, deserves to be respected and understood. Homelessness or addiction doesn’t affect one-dimensional people. They are where they are because of a complicated series of events or circumstances. And if anybody is interested in doing anything about that, the complexity of their circumstances needs to be appreciated.” (05/09/2018) ⚡AMP