Running News Daily

Two-time global medallist and four-time continental champion Lewandowski retires

Polish middle-distance runner Marcin Lewandowski has announced his retirement from athletics.

The 34-year-old won 10 medals at world and continental level across a span of 12 years. His collection includes the 2010 European 800m title and the 2019 world 1500m bronze medal.

Lewandowski posted the news on his Instagram account earlier this week, explaining that a disrupted build-up to his outdoor season meant he was not in shape to challenge for medals at this year’s major championships.

“After my daughter's accident during her rhythmic gymnastics class [just before the World Indoors], I decided to stay at home until Midia was fully recovered,” he wrote. “Due to the fact I did not have the opportunity to train abroad, I was not able to prepare properly to defend my bronze medal from the World Championships and my silver from the European Championships and I am not interested in places outside the podium.

“Was it a difficult decision? I didn't even think for a second because family is the priority. It was the same when I pulled out of the World Indoor Championships even though I was in great shape.

“It was a beautiful 16 years of running – an amazing adventure that is now over. Something ends and something begins because in November I will become a dad again.”

Lewandowski first made a name for himself as an 800m runner, placing fourth at the 2006 World U20 Championships and then winning the 2007 European U20 title. He reached the Olympic semifinals in his first year as a senior athlete in 2008, then made it to the World Championships final in 2009.

He landed European gold in 2010, following it with silver at the 2011 European Indoor Championships and fourth-place finishes at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships. After winning the 2015 European indoor 800m title, Lewandowski earned European silver in 2016 and went on to place sixth at the Olympic Games later that year, but then started to switch his focus to the 1500m.

His tactical prowess and strong finishing speed meant he was a formidable opponent at major championships. He won the 2017 European indoor title, then placed sixth in the 1500m at the 2017 World Championships later that year. In 2018 he won his first global medal when taking 1500m silver at the World Indoor Championships. He earned the same colour medal at the 2018 European Championships.

Lewandowski retained his European indoor 1500m title in 2019, then went on to earn his first and only outdoor global medal in 2019, placing third at the World Championships in Doha. His most recent podium finish was his 1500m silver at the 2021 European Indoor Championships.

Although best known as a championship performer, Lewandowski clocked several speedy performances throughout his career. He holds the Polish indoor and outdoor records for 1000m (2:14.30 / 2:17.67), 1500m (3:30.42 / 3:35.71) and the mile (3:49.11 / 3:56.41).

David Rush breaks T-shirt half marathon record with 111 shirts

On May 14, an Idaho man broke one of the oddest Guinness World Records out there by running a half-marathon while wearing more T-shirts than anyone else ever has. David Rush, who has broken more than 200 Guinness World Records so far, wore 111 T-shirts at YMCA Famous Idaho Potato Half Marathon, completing it in 2:47:55, 12 minutes under the three-hour time limit set by Guinness World Records.

The T-shirt half marathon record has now been transferred from one David to another David, to another David, as the previous record of 90 shirts was held by Edmonton’s David Eliuk, at the Hypothermic Half Marathon in February. Before that, the record of 82 was set by British runner David Smith in November 2021.

If your name is David, this unique Guinness world record could be your calling.

Rush makes a hobby of chasing Guinness World Records to promote STEM education. “We need more boys and girls to grow up with a passion for science, technology, engineering, and math.” Rush says.

“We have a shortage of trained engineers, programmers and scientists to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow.”Rush also holds the Guinness World Record for fastest man to run 100m while juggling blindfolded (16.29 seconds) and fastest mile while juggling blindfolded (7:54).According to local news, it took Rush and his support team 25 minutes to dress him, and he struggled with the 40 pounds of extra weight he had to carry around.

Although the cool race conditions helped him, his arms and hands ballooned and went numb due to the lack of blood circulation from the 111 T-shirts.

Four effective running workouts to increase speed and endurance

Most people don’t approach running as they do strength training. They just set out on unplanned jogs around the block, throw in some sprints, and call it a day.

But targeted running workouts geared toward your fitness goals—training for a marathon, growing faster, getting fitter—make a world of a difference.

To help you become more methodical with your runs, we asked Gena Bradshaw, P.T., an assistant track and field coach and Life Time Fitness trainer, to suggest five training mainstays every runner should have in his workout regimen. Each workout is designed to train a different energy system to help you improve endurance, speed, and power. Plus, there’s a prescription for runners who are just starting out, and those who are more experienced.

Before each workout, though, remember to start with a dynamic warmup. “Warmups minimize your risk of injury, increase heart rate, raise blood flow to your muscles, and help you burn more calories mid-workout,” Bradshaw says.

Go for a comfortable 5- to 8-minute jog, then complete these drills to neurologically prime your body for your workout. Mark 20 yards. Focus on nailing the proper form for each drill, and increasing your speed as you progress.

Walking lunges

Carioca

Knee hugs

Ankle pulls

High knees

Butt kicks

Straight-leg kicks

Lateral shuffle

Also, make sure you cool down post-workout. Jog to flush the lactic acid out of your legs, and stretch while your muscles are still warm. Foam rolling will also help reduce soreness, and keep your muscles from getting knotted.

Ready to hit the ground running? Give these running workouts a try.

1. Explosive hill sprints

Why it works: Hill workouts help develop power by working your “alactic” energy system—your source of quick sprinting energy, Bradshaw says. They’re meant to be an all-out effort. “Form is crucial; you should be thinking about hands pumping cheek to cheek, and your knees driving up,” Bradshaw says. “Your arms set the pace. If you can’t move your arms, you’ll slow down significantly.”

How to do a hill workout: Sprint for 10-20 seconds up an incline outdoors or on a treadmill grade that’s comfortable but challenging, Bradshaw says. You don’t need to find the steepest hill around—it can be a gradual incline. Then, as you get stronger and more able to truck through these, you can increase the incline. Considering how intense this (and other hill sprint workouts like it) is, only do one or two of these sessions per week. Beginners start with just one.

Beginner: Complete 3-5 reps. “Remember, this is pure explosiveness, so it should be difficult,” Bradshaw says. You can always increase the time for fewer reps, too. Completely recover between reps. Take about 3-5 minutes in between.

Advanced: Complete 5-6 reps, taking 3-5 minutes rest in between each rep.

2. Interval workout

Why it works: “Intervals are meant to help increase stamina (and should not be conducted at max effort), so you’ll take less recovery time and increase the number of reps,” Bradshaw says. The big challenge is holding your pace for the entire workout, she adds. As you become more conditioned, jog rather than walk to get an active recovery between intervals. “Remember to maintain good form: shoulders down and back, chest up, and breathe,” Bradshaw says. “This will help you run more efficiently, and help you progress each week.”

How to do an interval workout: This routine is known as “ladders”. Try to incorporate one or two sessions per week.

Beginner:– run 50 meters– walk/jog 50 meters– run 100 meters– walk/jog 50 meters– run 150 meters– walk/jog 50 meters– run 200 meters– walk/jog 50 meters– run 250 meters– walk/jog 50 meters

Advanced: Complete the same workout above, only go “up and down” the ladder. Once you run 250 meters, work your way back down (200m, 150m, 100m, 50m).

3. Short and long sprints

Why it works: “Short sprints (generally 55-200 meters) help develop speed and power, while long sprints (200-400 meters) help develop speed endurance,” Bradshaw says. Both are important, but you’ll benefit more from one over the other depending on your end goal. “Are you training for a specific event or race?” Bradshaw says, “or are you training to get into the best shape of your life?” Longer sprints are advantageous for those training for 10Ks, half marathons, even triathlons, whereas short sprints are best for torching calories, and adding muscle, strength, and power to your lower body. Note: Don’t do a hill workout the day before you complete a short-sprint workout.

How to do a short-sprint workout: Do 2-3 sessions per week (depending on your end goal).

Beginner: Complete 6-8 sprints of 100 meters at 75%-80% effort. (“This means you can utter a few words, but can’t maintain a conversation,” Bradshaw says.) Recover for 50-60 seconds between reps.

Advanced: Complete 8-10 sprints of 100 meters at 80-85% effort. At this intensity, you’re pushing very hard, but not going as fast/hard as you can. Recover for 45 seconds in between reps.

How to do a long-sprint workout: For long sprints that’ll tap into your speed endurance, do 2-3 sessions per week.

Beginner: Complete 3 sprints of 300 meters at 75% effort. Recover for 3 minutes between sprints.

Advanced: Do two sets, each 3 sprints of 300 meters at 75% effort. Recover for 2-3 minutes between sprints, and 5 minutes between sets.

4.- Long-distance run

Why it’s effective: “Long-distance runs are intended to increase your aerobic capacity, which is the maximum amount of oxygen consumed by your body during exercise,” Bradshaw says. They also encourage your body to burn more fat for fuel (which is why distance runners tend to be skinny).

How to do a long run: Long runs should comprise 20% of your overall mileage for the week. This can be 1 session per week. Your mileage should increase by approximately 10% per week, and the pace should be around 70% of your max. “This is purely aerobic, meaning if you can’t hold a conversation, you’re going too hard,” Bradshaw says. “You should be able to hold this pace for an extended period of time, completely steady.”

Beginner: Complete 1 mile at a slower pace, maybe even starting off with a continuous 10- to 15-minute walk/jog. Your goal should be to work up from that mile. Go for time instead of miles to start.

Advanced: Complete 5 miles. Just keep your runs continuous and progressive each week.

Four things you should do if you get hit by a car while you are running

Getting hit by a car while running can be a traumatic experience. If you are lucky, you will only suffer minor injuries. However, some people are not so lucky and end up with serious injuries or even die as a result of being hit by a car. In this post, we will discuss four things you should do if you are hit by a car while jogging. Keep reading to find more!

No Win, No Fee Agreement

You should always have this type of agreement with your personal injury lawyer. This means that if you do not win your case, you will not have to pay any legal fees. This is important because it allows you to pursue your case without having to worry about the financial risk. Having a No Win, No Fee agreement means that your lawyer will only get paid if you win your case, so they will be more motivated to get you the best possible outcome. This way, you can focus on your recovery without worrying about the financial burden. Also,  make sure to ask about any other fees that may be associated with the case, such as filing fees or expert witness fees.  

Get a Police Report 

The second thing you need to do is get a police report. A police report will document the accident and will be helpful if you decide to file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. The police report will also help to establish who was at fault for the accident. The police report should consist of the names and contact information of any witnesses, the name and contact information of the driver, and a description of the accident. If you decide to file a lawsuit, the police report will be used as evidence. Also, you will need to collect the evidence at the scene of the accident. This includes taking photos of the damage to your vehicle and any injuries you sustained. You should also get the contact information of any witnesses who saw the accident. Additionally,  it is important to be ready in case the other driver tries to flee the scene. If you are able, get the license plate number of the other vehicle.  What’s more,  try to stay calm and do not argue with the other driver. It is important to get their insurance information so that you can file a claim and get compensated for the damages. 

Get Medical Treatment

The third thing you need to do is get medical treatment. Even if you think your injuries are minor, it is important to get checked out by a doctor. Some injuries, such as whiplash, may not be immediately apparent but can still cause long-term damage. Getting prompt medical treatment will also help to document your injuries and will be important if you decide to file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. Also, be sure to keep all of your medical records and bills as they will be important if you do decide to file a claim or lawsuit. Document all the days that you did not go to work due to the injury as well. This will be used to calculate your lost wages.

Consult with a Personal Injury Lawyer 

The fourth and final thing you need to do if you are hit by a car while jogging is to consult with a personal injury lawyer. A personal injury lawyer will be able to tell you whether or not you have a case and how much your case is worth. They will also be able to guide you through the legal process and help you get the best possible outcome. If you decide to file a lawsuit, your lawyer will handle all of the paperwork and will represent you in court. Additionally,  your lawyer will be able to negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf. Keep in mind that most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means they will only get paid if you win your case. So, you will not have to pay anything upfront.

If you or someone you know has been hit by a car while jogging, it is important to take action in order to protect your rights. Be sure to follow the four steps outlined in this blog post and contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. With the help of a lawyer, you can get the compensation you deserve. We hope this blog post was useful. Thank you for reading and good luck!

Running Has Encouraging Benefits for Those Suffering from PTSD

Experts share stories of how exercise can help people navigate trauma.

Lifelong runner and licensed psychologist Holly Serrao-Fitzsimmons, Ph.D., knew something was wrong after the birth of two premature sons, in 2012 and 2015. She was experiencing something she was trained to diagnose: post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

When her first son was born at just three and a half pounds, she described being in a state of shock, feeling frozen in her body, and on high alert. For several months, her son’s life hung in a delicate balance. 

When her firstborn came home, it wasn’t joy she felt, but rather anxiousness and fear about what could happen or go wrong. “I would relive the birth and events leading up to it. I would relive images of them and moments experienced in the NICU. I would then avoid certain streets or areas of town—like the area around the hospital,” Serrao-Fitzsimmons says. “Certain smells of the hospital and certain types of antibacterial gels and soaps they used there would really bother me. Increased arousal was probably the biggest symptom I had. I was on high alert, hyper-vigilant for a long time afterwards.” 

At that time, she confirmed her PTSD diagnosis with her therapist.

What is PTSD?

PTSD was formally added to the list of neurological and mental conditions by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980, after many Vietnam veterans were treated for it. Today, the diagnosis is broadly accepted and understood to be a result of experiencing any type of traumatic event outside of the body and mind’s ability to process or control it. 

PTSD is an intense physical and emotional response to a traumatic event that persists long after the trauma occurred. The CDC defines the symptoms as falling into three broad types: re-living, avoidance, and increased arousal. 

Many humans will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime. Many will aptly process it within a few months. But for those unable to effectively process a significant trauma and move through it could be suffering from PTSD. Clinical neuroscientist Scott Hayes, Ph.D. associate professor in the department of psychology at The Ohio State University tells Runner’s World that PTSD is associated with symptoms such as involuntary and intrusive memories of the event, decreased attention and concentration, and avoidance of things that could trigger the unwanted memory, and further negatively impact mood and brain function. 

The Research on Running and Exercise Helping Those With PTSD

One review, from Hayes and his team published in Frontiers in Psychiatry in 2019, looked at ten published studies that examined the impact of exercise interventions on PTSD. As noted in the review, one of the key features of PTSD symptoms is hyper-arousal—when the body is in a state of high alert and feels threatened, just as Serrao-Fitzsimmons felt after giving birth. Being in this state negatively affects the individual as it causes rapid heartbeat, heavy breathing, sweating, and a strong sense of agitation or fear of one’s safety. 

The researchers set out to determine if repeated exposure to those unwanted reactions—the increased heart rate, sweating, and heavy respiration—through activities like running, could eventually help patients with PTSD associate these feelings in the body with something positive.

Hayes’ team noted in their review that those who did engage in vigorous-intensity exercise had fewer hyperarousal symptoms of PTSD. “Both observational and intervention studies provide support for the notion that anaerobic exercise, either alone or in combination with standard treatments, exerts positive mental health benefits among individuals with PTSD,” the report reads. “The results are encouraging as positive effects were observed in both civilian and military populations, as well as in both predominantly female and male study samples.” 

We know that running elicits the same physiological responses in the body as PTSD (that increased heart rate, perspiration, and respiration), so if a patient with PTSD has repeated exposure to exercise, and these physiological symptoms, over time they learn that these arousal cues are not catastrophic and are not linked to the traumatic event, Hayes says. (He still advises that exercise should be used in conjunction with other forms of cognitive therapy and/or medication depending on the patient’s symptoms.)

“Aerobic exercise like running can also improve cognitive function, as well as enhance brain structure and function,” Hayes explains. “In studies of aging, we know that aerobic exercise enhances cognitive functions, including reducing distractibility. We also know that anaerobic exercise can positively impact brain structure and function in some of the same brain regions that are associated with PTSD.” 

First-Person Accounts of Exercise Supporting PTSD Recovery

Long after the birth of her son and per the recommendation of her son’s therapists to offer outdoor stimulation, Serrao-Fitzsimmons started running again, this time pushing a stroller. She quickly noticed it was beneficial for her own mental health. Over time, her constant fear and panic of her son’s survival and possible complications started diminishing. 

“Running through the woods I don’t have to think. It’s grounding and an opportunity to associate the experience of sweating and breathing heavily with something positive happening in my body. It’s about associating that feeling with something that’s not scary or bad and dissociating that feeling with trauma.” 

After the birth of her second premature baby, Serrao-Fitzsimmons says the same symptoms returned, but this time she knew social support, therapy, medication, and running were important to her recovery. 

“PTSD is often treated with cognitive approaches, which leads us to oftentimes forget that trauma itself is also an embodied experience, meaning that one can physically hold the effects of trauma in their bodies,” says Viann Nguyen-Feng, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and director of the Mind-Body Trauma Care Lab. “During a traumatic event, our bodies may react and respond in ways that were necessary for our survival and that might have seemed outside of our control.” 

James Whitworth, Ph.D., health science specialist at VA Boston Medical Center, and assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, experienced this first-hand. When he returned home after serving in the United States Army as an E5 Sergeant and fire team leader in an infantry rifle platoon (in Iraq) from 2003 to 2007, as well as the National Guard, he felt like the trauma of war caught up to him. His roommate at the time said he would shout and thrash in his sleep. 

In 2012, Whitworth tragically lost a close friend to suicide, and then in 2013 the Boston Marathon bombing (not far from where Whitworth lives) brought forth intrusive memories of roadside bombs in the war to the surface. 

He describes his PTSD, which he wasn’t diagnosed with until 2013 (seven years after returning from Iraq), as taking the shape of hyperarousal and aggression. “It was a very messy time. I made the decision to get help on my own, but had the constant support of my partner,” he says.

Whitworth started hiking and climbing mountains during this time and it proved to be a literal and figurative tool to his survival and motivation to get out of bed. He also says the loss of his friend was a deciding factor in his field of research. “My friend ended his life the same year I entered graduate school,” he says. 

Today, Whitworth focuses his research on how exercise can be applied to the treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of PTSD among veterans and other trauma survivors. 

The Case for Movement and Therapy in Treating PTSD

“Running and other forms of somatic movement (like yoga, dance, or Tai Chi) help us reconnect with our bodies, to acknowledge all that our bodies had to do to ensure our survival, and importantly, to remind our bodies that we have survived; there is no longer a survival need to hold ourselves in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode,” Nguyen-Feng explains. In other words, movement is a chance for patients suffering with PTSD to release stress they might be holding onto. 

Nguyen-Feng goes on to say, “Running and other forms of somatic movement allow us to tap into the inner wisdom of our bodies and provide a method of grounding us in the here and now, rather than being stuck in our minds.” 

Today, Serrao-Fittzsimmons realizes the grounding practice of running. While she still gets triggered when her children are sick, having a consistent running routine helps her manage these triggers. “Running helps me be more present and calmer; it’s kind of like staring out at the ocean—it gives me perspective and helps me see solutions to problems,” she says. 

Whitworth also says the tools he’s gained in therapy and from exercise have helped him to be more prepared for stressful life events.

How Therapists Incorporate Movement

Because of the promising pay-offs of exercise when it comes to mental health, some mental health therapists will even incorporate exercise into their sessions in order to further help their patients. For example, Los Angeles-based therapist Sepideh Saremi, LCSW, founder of Run Walk Talk, has built a practice around getting her clients moving and talking. She holds sessions outside along the Pacific Ocean, walking or running with clients. 

“In addition to the neurochemical benefits of running (including release of the mood-boosting brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine), it also helps support people’s feeling of self-efficacy and ability to concentrate,” she explains. “Exercise can often help people feel a sense of control, which can counteract the feeling of helplessness that’s part of PTSD.” Saremi works with clients who’ve experienced a wide array of trauma from childhood abuse to sexual abuse. 

“In a Run Walk Talk session, I run and walk with patients and clients at the beach while we talk about the things they want to change in their life. We usually spend about forty minutes running and walking, and about ten minutes in my office afterward to cool down and talk about what they’re taking from the session and what they’ll do before the next time we meet,” says Saremi. 

“I started running right around the time I started graduate school to become a therapist, and was curious about how running was being used to treat mental health. When I looked into it, I realized there was a ton of evidence to support running and walking as a mental health intervention, but I didn’t know any therapists who were doing it,” Saremi adds. “That’s where the idea for it was born, though since starting Run Walk Talk, I’ve discovered a number of therapists who incorporate running into their work, and I’ve trained many therapists myself, as well.” 

What to Know Before Trying Exercise for PTSD Recovery

While Hayes’ acknowledges that many of the current studies provide some evidence for the positive influence exercise may have on PTSD symptoms, most of the current studies either test a very small number of participants or lack a control group. So more research is needed to truly confirm the results.

Nguyen-Feng also reminds us that it takes a support team—whether that’s in the form of community or individual therapy sessions—to help address mental health conditions. “I think bodily movement is necessary and complementary to any ‘work’ we do with our minds, and professional and/or social support is necessary for healing,” Nguyen-Feng says. “So I encourage runners and interested runners to consider that support integral to their training regime or running schedule.” 

Saremi also reminds patients who’ve experienced trauma and haven’t exercised before to walk or begin running with people you feel safe around, so you’re more comfortable. 

How to Find a Therapist

It can be overwhelming for patients to find a good therapist. “There are a lot of factors to consider: cost, your goals, the therapist’s training, and interest areas are often the most relevant,” Saremi says. Know that the process can take some time, but the advantages are worth the effort. 

Saremi suggests TherapyDen, a free online directory of inclusive and affirming therapists. You can also check out Psychology Today and Psychologist Locator to search for therapists in your area, or try Teledoc for virtual appointments. 

Does Mushroom Coffee Offer Any More Benefits Than a Regular Cup?

The truth on whether it packs health benefits or provides any pay-offs for your mileage.

While many people turn to a morning cup of coffee as a pick-me-up, others might sip the beverage as a way to boost their health and performance. After all, research shows the benefits of caffeine for those looking for an edge, including reduced time to exhaustion during exercise, so you can clock more miles without fatigue. But now another health trend has joined the coffee shelves: mushrooms.

The mushrooms infused into coffee are also known as adaptogens—or plants thought to have stress-fighting capabilities. Manufacturers claim that adaptogenic mushrooms, like cordyceps, reishi, and Lion’s mane, make mushroom coffee a calming beverage, rather than a jittery caffeine fix. 

To figure out how mushroom coffee stands out from your regular cup of java, we turned to a few nutrition experts. Here’s what to know before you buy. 

Are there benefits to mushroom coffee?

There are many health promises associated with mushroom coffee, such as enhanced productivity and athletic performance, a boost in metabolism, and increased relaxation. The only problem is that there is absolutely zero research on mushroom coffee. 

That said, “all mushrooms are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, so they do contribute nutrients and antioxidants [to your diet],” says Ginger Hultin, M.S., R.D.N., owner of ChampagneNutrition, and author of Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep and How to Eat to Beat Disease Cookbook. 

Elizabeth Shaw, R.D.N., C.P.T, founder of ShawSimpleSwaps.com says researchers have studied the health benefits of mushrooms and the results show promise in a variety of areas.

That means that while the combined effects of mushrooms and coffee have not been proven, there is some research on the benefits of fungi for athletes. For example, a study published in High Altitude Medicine & Biology in 2014 examined the effects of rhodiola (an herb) and cordyceps (a mushroom) supplementation on male athletes who were training at high altitude. The athletes who supplemented with rhodiola and cordyceps were able to run for longer before reaching exhaustion than those in the placebo group. 

Another randomized controlled trial found that eight weeks of supplementation with rhodiola and cordyceps slightly enhanced endurance training performance and body composition in young sedentary individuals. 

There is some research on other varieties of mushrooms and their health benefits, too, such as reishi for improving immune response and Lion’s mane for mitigating impaired cognition, but the populations studied were small groups (less than 50 people) and football players or cognitively impaired men, so the results don’t necessarily translate to runners. 

That said, while there is some research on the benefits of mushrooms for athletes, we still need more science to solidify their pay-offs. 

Besides the lack of scientific evidence, Shaw does point out a pro to mushroom coffee that she has personally experienced: “One of the cool things [about] mushroom coffee is that it’s actually lower in caffeine but gives me the same ‘jolt’ I’m looking for,” says Shaw. For example, a cup of Four Sigmatic’s instant mushroom coffee has 50 mg of caffeine, compared to almost 100 mg in a cup of regular coffee. So for those who like some caffeine in their life but find coffee to be “too much,” certain mushroom coffees may do the trick. 

Are there drawbacks to mushroom coffee?

There aren’t too many drawbacks to drinking mushroom coffee, other than putting a dent in your wallet. “This specialty coffee can get a little pricey (most brands cost around $20 for a 12-ounce bag of beans), so while it’s a fun, trendy, functional food to try out, it’s not a must-have for health if you’re on a tight budget,” says Shaw. 

Not to mention that very high doses of medicinal mushrooms are used in research to show any health benefits. Most mushroom coffee manufacturers don’t disclose the amount of shrooms in their products, meaning that it’s unlikely that you will reap the same benefits from a cup of mushroom joe. 

As with all new additions to your diet, though, Hultin advises checking with your medical team to make sure the mushrooms do not interact with any medications you may be taking. 

What to know before you buy

“Be sure to check the label and read the ingredients,” says Hultin. She suggests watching out for added sugars or flavors. “It’s important to know what’s in all of your foods and beverages because these ingredients can add up throughout the day,” Hultin adds. For example, the max recommended dose of caffeine per day is 400 milligrams or about 4 cups of coffee so keep that in mind when sipping mushroom-infused variations. 

As for brands to look for on shelves, Shaw is most familiar with Four Sigmatic, which comes in whole bean, ground, instant, pods and even lattes with powdered mushrooms mixed in. They also feature non-mushroom additives in their coffee, like probiotics and ashwagandha. 

Brainchild is a Seattle-based mushroom coffee distributor that uses beans from small farms. They have ground and instant coffee with mushrooms, like Lion’s mane, cordyceps, chaga, and reishi, as well as tea with mushroom infusions. 

And if you’re looking to switch things up a bit, Om sells mushroom coffee, mushroom matcha lattes, and mushroom hot chocolate. 

The bottom line on mushroom coffee

If you want a cup of coffee with less caffeine and maybe some mild health benefits, then there’s no harm in trying mushroom coffee. But don’t expect it to completely revolutionize your health. And keep in mind that it does have a slightly earthier taste than normal coffee. So if you like it, go for it. If you compensate by adding more sugar and cream, then consider skipping it.

Mushroom coffee is basically powdered mushrooms mixed in with coffee grounds. And proponents of this drink combination swear that it not only tastes good, but it’s also loaded with “good for you” ingredients. 

Four different ultrarunners are running across North America

Many runners have felt the silent pull of the long run, but running all day, every day, for months, takes the meaning of “long run” a step further. The passion for these gigantic physical and mental journeys seems only to be growing within the ultrarunning community, and we are aware of at least four ultrarunners (two Americans, one Canadian and one Irish) who are currently (or soon will be) crossing North America on foot–each for different reasons and causes.

Pete Kostelnick of Phoenix, Ariz. is known for breaking the trans-American record in 2016 by crossing the U.S. on foot in a record 42 days, six hours and 30 minutes. He followed that up in 2018 by completing a self-supported 8,614 km run from Kenai, Alaska, to Key West, Fla., including portions of western Canada, in 98 days. In July, he’ll begin an attempt to not only run 50 miles per day in 50 states over 50 days straight, solo, but he will then to head to Australia to become the first human to run the 3,935 km from Perth to Sydney, averaging roughly 128 kilometres per day for 31 days. 

Kostelnick, 35, writes about the Australian adventure: “In running from Perth to Sydney in the bar I’ve set for myself, that will be the most difficult and challenging one I’ll probably ever attempt.” Kostelnick will host a daily podcast throughout his journey, and invites fellow runners to join him throughout his cross-U.S. run, with his expected dates of arrival in various places posted on social media.

Fellow Hoka-sponsored athlete and ultrarunner Mike Wardian of Arlington, Va., has already begun his trek across the U.S., one the athlete says he’s dreamed of for much of his life. Wardian is currently on day 19 of the 5,100 km journey, averaging 80 km per day and supported by his father, Richard Wardian. His daily updates online include what music or book he is listening to (yesterday was Guns and Roses), among other things. Wardian is raising money for World Vision in an attempt to provide greater access to clean drinking water to people across the world, in a project he has dubbed #runninghome.

Canadian Dave Proctor of Okotoks, Alta., is making his second attempt at breaking the cross-Canada record set by Al Howie in 1991. Howie ran from Newfoundland to Victoria in 72 days, 10 hours; following in Howie’s footsteps from east to west, Proctor hopes to complete the trek in 66 days. Proctor’s previous attempt in 2018 ended in injury, and his second attempt has been delayed by the pandemic. Currently on day five, Proctor is averaging 105 km a day and is supported by a varied crew of friends (including Canadian ultrarunners Matt Shepard, Mike Huber and Myron Tetrault, among others) and family, who are flying out separately to various points on his trip and providing aid for six to 16 days each.

Irish ultrarunner Richard Donovan, creator of the World Marathon Challenge (seven marathons on seven continents in seven days), is also running across the U.S., from east to west, in memory of his friend Alvin Matthews. Donovan’s run began the day after the Boston Marathon (which he also ran). He hopes to average about 64 km per day in a scenic and circuitous journey that will take about three months; he made a similar trek in 2015.

All four athletes have demonstrated remarkable prowess at ultra-distance events, and readers and runners alike look forward to both following the athletes online and spotting them on highways on multiple continents over the next few months.

Alan Culpepper named new head coach of HOKA NAZ Elite

One of the top training groups in the U.S., HOKA NAZ Elite, has announced the hiring of two-time Olympian Alan Culpepper as their new head coach. Culpepper will take over from previous coach Ben Rosario, who will be stepping into an executive director position with the track club, focusing on content, corporate partnerships and community initiatives.

“We’ve been working on this for a full year, and I couldn’t be more pumped with the end result,” said Rosario in a press release. “Alan will head to Flagstaff, Ariz., on Friday, May 20, where he will step into the coaching position straight away.

"Rosario founded NAZ Elite with his wife Jen in 2014 and coached the club for eight years. During that time his athletes won five international medals and 12 national titles; in 2020, Aliphine Tuliamuk won the U.S. Marathon Trials and in 2021 she represented the U.S at the Tokyo Olympics.Culpepper is a two-time Olympian, representing the U.S. in the 10,000m at Sydney 2000 and in the marathon at Athens 2004.

At the 2002 Chicago Marathon, Culpepper had the fastest-ever debut by an American, where he ran 2:09:41 to finish sixth. Since retiring from competition in 2008, Culpepper has coached cross-country and track programs at the high school and NCAA levels.He will step in to coach the likes of Stephanie Bruce, Kellyn Taylor, Tuliamuk and Lauren Paquette, who have already proven themselves over a variety of distances, while younger athletes such as Matt Baxter, Tyler Day, Wesley Kiptoo, Alex Masai and Katie Wasserman were all top performers on the track at the NCAA level.

Culpepper said in the press release that recruiting will be key as the team begins its expansion phase.

2022 Carlsbad 5000 Announces Its Elite Field

eigning champion and 17-time NCAA All-American Edward Cheserek headlines men’s race; Olympians Kim Conley and Dom Scott lead women’s elite fields

36-Year Southern California Running Tradition Returns with over 6,000 runners on Sunday, May 22

One by one, America’s most famous road races have returned after being waylaid by COVID. The Boston Marathon, Peachtree Road Race, New York City Marathon.

Familiar images unfolded. Runners excitedly talked to friends and strangers in corrals. Spectators delivering high-fives. Medals draped around necks.

Bolder Boulder, Bay to Breakers, the Los Angeles Marathon.

Come Sunday, the last of the United States’ iconic road races returns after a three-year pandemic hiatus when the Carlsbad 5000 presented by National University celebrates its 36th running. Over 6,000 runners and joggers will enjoy the splash of the surf and clean salt air along the traffic-free Pacific Coast Highway 101, then sipping brews in the Pizza Port Beer Garden.

“I’m excited to return to the Carlsbad 5000,” said reigning champion Ed Cheserek of Kenya. “Last time in 2019 was a lot of fun and after everything our running community has been through since then, I’m really looking forward to being back at the beach in sunny Southern California.”

The Carlsbad 5000 is renowned as “The World’s Fastest 5K” and the moniker was earned.

Sixteen world records have been set on the seaside course, plus a slew of national records and age group bests. Olympic gold medalists Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar and Eliud Kipchoge have run Carlsbad.

So have U.S. Olympic medalists Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi. Keflezighi, the San Diego High product and only male runner in history to win the Boston and New York City marathons, plus an Olympic medal, is now co-owner of the race.

“The San Diego community is very proud of the fact that Carlsbad hosts the world’s most famous 5k race,” said San Diego Track Club coach Paul Greer, a former sub-4-minute miler. “We’re proud of the race. And local runners are endeared by the fact that Meb is involved in the event because he’s one of our own.”

Many people deserve credit for the Carlsbad 5000’s success. Chief among them are Tim Murphy, the race’s creator, Steve Scott, the former American mile record holder who designed the course, and the late Mike Long, the beloved man who built relationships with African athletes and recruited them.

When the race was first held in 1986, the 10K and marathon were road racing’s popular distances. The 5K was considered a casual fun run.

“That’s how innovative Tim was,” said Scott. “He was going to start something when there wasn’t anything there.”

Scott not only designed the course. He won the first three races.

Another plus for The ’Bad: the race fell perfectly on the calendar, with the elite runners being in peak fitness after running the World Cross Country Championships.

“The world records were produced by the quality of the fields and the expectations of running fast,” said road racing historian and announcer Toni Reavis.

It may have been three years since the Carlsbad 5000 was held live (there was a virtual race in 2020), but all the charms will be back Sunday. The custom beer garden IPAs, the ocean views, the left-hand, downhill turn onto Carlsbad Village Drive, and the sprint to the finish.

The race’s official charity is the Lucky Duck Foundation, a local non-profit dedicated to fighting homelessness in San Diego County.

“Homelessness is San Diego’s number one social issue right now, and I couldn’t be prouder to partner with Lucky Duck Foundation as an official charity of the Carlsbad 5000,” said Keflezighi.

As in the past, the Carlsbad 5000 will feature a series of age-group races, starting with the Men’s Masters at 6:55 am, the Women’s Masters at 8:00 am, Open Men at 9:15 am, Open Women at 10:08 am, Junior Carlsbad Kids Mile at 11:20 am, Junior Carlsbad Kids Half-Mile at 12:13 pm, Elite Men at 1:20 pm and Elite Women at 1:23 pm.

The morning-long races create a cheering audience for the pros.

“That’s the other thing that made the elites run fast,” said Reavis. “The crowds.”

So after a three-year pause, the Carlsbad 5000 is back. For why the race continues to maintain its iconic appeal, Reavis said, “It’s those ocean breezes, the lapping waves, the laid-back lifestyle. It is perfect for this little Southern California town which gets transformed into a race course.”

For a complete race day schedule and more, visit Carsbad5000.com.

— Elite Rosters Follow —

Elite Men

Bib Number , Name, Country, Career Highlight, Birthday

1. Edward Cheserek, KENYA, Defending Champion . 17x NCAA Champion, 02/02/1994

2. Kasey Knevelbaad, USA – Flagstaff, 13:24.98 5000M(i) Personal Best,  09/02/1996

3. Reid Buchanan, USA – Mammoth, 2019 Pan American Games 10,000m Silver, 02/03/1993

4. Jose Santana Marin, MEXICO, 2019 Pan American Marathon Silver Medal, 09/03/1989

5. Eben Mosip, KENYA, Road 5k Debut, 12/31/2002

6. James Hunt, GREAT BRITAIN, 4-time Welsh Champion, 04/28/1996

7. Dennis Kipkosgei, Kenya, 2021 Philadelphia Broad Street 10 Miler Champion, 12/20/1994

8. Sean Robertson, USA, Butler University Athlete, 09/16/2001

9. Tate Schienbein, USA – Portland, 2013 U.S. Junior Steeplechase Champion, 04/04/1994

10. Hosava Kretzmann, USA – Flagstaff, AZ, 14:15 5000m PB, 09/02/1994

11. Dylan Belles, USA – Flagstaff, AZ, 2X Olympic Trials Qualifier, 05/16/1993

12. Dylan Marx, USA, San Diego’s Fastest Marathoner, 01/14/1992

13. Steven Martinez, USA – Chula Vista, 2x U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier, 09/15/1994

14. Spencer Johnson, USA – San Diego,  14:39.09 (2022 Oxy Distance Carnival), 03/20/1995

15. August Pappas, USA – San Diego, 14:05 PB, Big Ten Indoor Track Champs, 04/10/1993

16. Dillon Breen, USA – San Diego, 14:43 Virtual Carlsbad 2020, 09/01/1992

17. Dante Capone, USA – San Diego, Phd Student at Scripps Institute, 11/07/1996

18. Jack Bruce, AUSTRALIA, 13:28.57 5000m Best on Track, 08/31/1994

Elite Women

Bib Number , Name, Country, Career, Highlight, Birthday

20. Kim Conley, USA, One of America’s best 5000m runners, 03/14/1986

21. Dominique Scott, SOUTH AFRICA, Two-time Olympian, 05/24/1992

22. Grace Barnett, USA – Mammoth, Silver at 2021 USATF 5k Championships, 05/29/1995

23. Carina Viljoen SOUTH AFRICA, 5k Road Racing Debut, 04/15/1997

24. Ayla Granados, USA – Castro Valley, 15:53 Personal best, 09/18/1991

25. Biruktayit Degefa, ETHIOPIA, 2022 Crescent City 10k Champion, 09/09/1990

26. Andrea Ramirez Limon, MEXICO, 2021 National 10000m Champion, 11/05/1992

27. Claire Green, USA – San Francisco, NCAA All-American, 05/12/1996

28. Caren Maiyo, KENYA, 5k Road Debut. 7th At 2022 Houston Half Marathon, 04/17/1997

29. Nina Zarina, RUSSIA, California resident, 3rd at the 2021 LA Marathon, 03/17/1987

30. Emily Gallin, USA – Malibu, Finished 4th 2022 LA Marathon, 10/30/1984

31. Lauren Floris, – USA – Oak Park, 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier, 07/07/1990

32. Sara Mostatabi, USA – Los Angeles, 09/27/1993

33. Ashley Maton, – USA – Toledo,    16.37 PR at U.S. Road 5k Championships, 11/20/1993

34. Judy Cherotich. KENYA, 16:50 PR

35. Lindsey Sickler, USA – Reno, 16:59 PR, 09/05/1997

36. Megan Cunningham, USA – Flagstaff, 15:53 Track Best 5000M, 03/01/1995

37. Jeannette Mathieu, USA – San Francisco, 2020 Olympic Trials Qualifier, 04/19/1990

38. Bre Guzman, USA – San Diego, 17:37 5k/ 36:00 Road 10k PR, 10/30/1992

39. Aubrey Martin, USA – San Diego, 17:33 5k /1:19 Half Personal Best, 10/10/1997

40. Chloe Gustafson, USA – San Diego, Division II – NCAA All-American, 11/10/1992

41. Sammi Groce, USA – San Diego, 2021 Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Winner, 04/29/1994

42. Kristi Gayagoy, USA – San Diego, 17:06 PR

43. Annie Roberts, USA – San Diego, 16:58 5k, 07/10/1996

44. Alexa Yatauro, USA – San Diego, 17:40 5k, 10/18/1995

45. Jessica Watychowicz, USA – Colorado Springs, 15:47.51 5000m Track PB, 02/27/1991

About the Carlsbad 5000

The Carlsbad 5000 annually attracts amateur, competitive and professional runners from around the world. The 36th running of the iconic race will take place on the weekend of May 21-22, 2021. The inaugural 1986 event helped establish the 5K as a standard road running distance, and today, the 5K is the most popular distance in the United States. Throughout its history, the Carlsbad 5000 has seen 16 World records and eight U.S. records, as well as numerous national and age group marks.  Race day begins at 7:00 am with the Masters Men (40 years old and over), the first of seven races to take place on Sunday. The “Party by the Sea” gets started as soon as the first runners cross the finish line with participants 21 and older celebrating in the Pizza Port beer garden with two complimentary craft brews and runners of all ages rocking out to live music on the streets of the Carlsbad Village. Further information about the Carlsbad 5000 can be found online at Carlsbad5000.com and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Belgian runner Merijn Geerts sets Backyard Ultra world best with 90 laps (600+ km)

Last weekend in Germany, ultrarunner Merijn Geerts of Wilsele, Belgium, set a new world best in the quirky backyard ultra format of 90 laps during the Backyard Masters, breaking Harvey Lewis’s record of 85 laps set at the 2021 Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra. This is equivalent to a total of over 600 km, running the same 6.7 km loop every hour on the hour round the clock, with the only rest breaks being the few minutes between finishing one loop and starting the next.

Geerts broke the record at The Race of the Champions, an invitational in which participants must have qualified with at least 45 laps (300+ km) at a previous backyard ultra.

In the backyard ultra ultra racing format, only runners who finish the lap within the hour cutoff are allowed to start the next lap. When the second-last participant either quits or fails to finish a lap in time, the final runner must complete one more lap to claim victory.

Twenty four runners started the race, and 20 remained after 24 hours. There were four men still in the race after 62 laps; Norway’s Jon Asphjell was the first to drop, then Japan’s Terumichi Morishata dropped shortly after. Ireland’s Keith Russell and Geerts remained active for another 12 laps, until Russell finally dropped out after 89 laps and Geerts managed to complete his 90th lap, reaching a distance of 603.5 km. Both Russell and Geerts went well over Lewis’s previous record of 85 laps.

Russell started running in 2016 with his daughter Alanna, who had spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, and ran the 2017 Dublin marathon, pushing Alanna in a special running chair.

Geerts previously completed 74 laps and 496 km at this event in 2020. He was also the runner-up at the Backyard Ultra World Cup for the Belgian national team where Belgium won, and Karel Sabbe improved the backyard world record to 75 laps.

Hellen Obiri and Eilish McColgan will renew rivalry at the Great Manchester run

Last September Hellen Obiri beat Eilish McColgan by six seconds in the Great North Run and this Sunday (May 22) the duo renew their rivalry over the shorter distance of 10km at the Great Manchester Run.

McColgan has been in brilliant form, with a UK 5km record at the start of this month followed by victory in the Vitality London 10,000 where she missed Paula Radcliffe’s British record of 30:21 by only two seconds.

Obiri’s achievements make her the athlete to beat, though. As well as winning two world 5000m titles on the track, the Kenyan is the reigning Commonwealth 5000m champion and world cross-country gold medalist.

McColgan chose to give last week’s Night of the 10,000m PBs in London a miss in order to focus on training in the French Pyrenees. She will hope to push Obiri close again but the quality fields assembled for Manchester mean this won’t just be a two-horse race.

Ruth Chepnegetich defied horrendous heat and humidity to win the world marathon title in Doha in 2019 and the Kenyan has clocked 64:02 for the half-marathon, which was a world record when she ran it 13 months ago but has since been beaten by Letesenbet Gidey.

Sara Hall of the United States will be familiar to British fans after her runner-up performance at the 2020 London Marathon. She also held the US half-marathon record until recently, has a marathon best of 2:20:32 and is looking for a strong run in Manchester on Sunday.

Gerda Steyn, the South African ultra-marathon specialist, is also set to test her speed over 10km.

In addition to McColgan there are of course a number of other Brits in the elite women’s race. They include Jess Piasecki, the Stockport Harriers athlete who went No.2 on the UK all-time marathon rankings earlier this year with 2:22:27.

Steph Twell, the Tokyo Olympic marathon runner, is racing in Manchester ahead of the European Cup 10,000m in France a few days later.

After finishing ninth in the Boston Marathon in 2:25:26 in April, Charlotte Purdue also lines up in Manchester. Look out, too, for Lauren Heyes, Lily Partridge and Calli Thackery, the latter of whom is also racing at the Diamond League in Birmingham 24 hours earlier.

Like Thackery, Stewart McSweyn is also racing in Birmingham the day before the Manchester event as he continues to try to race himself into shape following a bout of Covid. He is joined by fellow Australian Jack Rayner plus New Zealand brothers Jake and Zane Robertson and Spaniard Antonio Abadia in the men’s 10km.

Sadly Mo Farah pulled out of the event following his under-par run at the Vitality London 10,000 earlier this month. But the winner that day, Ellis Cross, is set to race in Manchester and all eyes will be on him to see if he can repeat his form.

Mo Aadan, the Brit who finished third at the Vitality London 10,000, is in Manchester too. Further British contenders, meanwhile, include Ben Connor, Chris Thompson, Adam Craig, Josh Griffiths, Ross Millington, Phil Sesemann and Andrew Heyes.

Why you should be aware of RED-S, inadequate fuel intake can lead to relative energy deficiency in sport, and can affect both women and men, elite and recreational runners

In recent years, professional athletes have started to open up about the insidious condition known as relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). But the condition doesn’t only affect elites. So how does a recreational runner know if they are displaying symptoms? Recent studies have shown that training with a regular caloric deficit of as little as 300 calories a day can lead to RED-S.

Low energy availability (which may lead to a diagnosis of RED-S) is a mismatch between an athlete’s energy intake, or diet, and the energy expended during exercise, leaving inadequate energy to go toward health and athletic performance.

In short, it means they are not taking in enough nutrition to adequately fuel their training, and over time is likely to cause disruption to metabolic rate, menstrual function (in females), bone health, immunity, muscle growth and repair and cardiovascular health. It is not limited to female athletes, even though certain aspects of the condition (such as disordered eating, where it is a factor) may be associated in the public’s mind with women more than with men.

While RED-S has many similarities to overtraining or overreaching (terms runners may be more familiar with), according to overtraining syndrome expert Alexandra Coates, RED-S builds upon the model those diagnoses also fit into. Coates suggests many other physiological symptoms can occur as a result of RED-S.

The lasting impact of RED-S can be severe and detrimental to many aspects of a runner’s life, so knowing what to be aware of and when to see a physician are important.

For women, loss of their period (amenorrhea) is an immediate signal to see a doctor and have bloodwork done. Coates suggests other symptoms to watch out for are training inconsistencies, extremely low energy, and stress fractures or bone injuries.

One possibly surprising symptom is unexpected weight gain during a training cycle. As Coates explains, when an athlete is continuously living in a caloric deficit, metabolic disruptions can occur and the body shifts into starvation mode. Despite eating less, runners may find themselves gaining weight. Without knowledge of RED-S syndrome and regular checkups, even runners who consider themselves quite average in ability may unknowingly set themselves up for disordered eating–something that many female endurance athletes (including ultrarunners Lucy Bartholomew and Amelia Boone and Olympic marathon bronze medallist Molly Seidel, among others) have shared their experiences with via social media in recent years.

When increasing their training load, athletes should make sure to increase their caloric intake. Instead of operating from the mentality that leaner is better, runners need to remember that getting stronger requires more fuel. Trying to train in a continuous state of low energy availability will invariably lead to disappointment, loss of motivation, and potentially also to physiological and neurological damage.

RED-S, overreaching, and overtraining are all avoidable, and by maintaining a diverse, nutritious and non-restrictive diet (including a healthy amount of carbohydrate) and staying on top of regular physical checkups with a physician, runners can stay in the green, healthy zone.

New Course Record expected at 8th Okpekpe 10km Road Race

 the eighth edition of the Okpekpe International 10km road race, organisers of the historic event have predicted a new men’s course record.

Ethiopia’s Teshome Mekonnen ran 28:35 minutes to set the men’s course record at the second edition of the race in 2014.

Race director, Zack Amodu, says the new rules guiding the invitation of athletes and the quality of the elite cast so far confirmed for the race point to only one direction: a new men’s and probably women’s course records come May 28, 2022, in Okpekpe.

‘One of the requirements for World Athletics elite label races is that each race must have at least five athletes per gender, irrespective of their country or territory representation, who have recorded in 2020, 2021, or 2022 at least one World Athletics legal performance within the standard set for the classification,’ said Amodu.

“For a World Athletics elite label 10km race, the standard for men is 28.27 minutes while for women it is 33.07 minutes.

“The standard for men is better than the 28.35 minutes record set in 2014 and to have at least five athletes who have run faster than that within the last three years among the elite cast for the Okpekpe race, your bet is as good as mine.”

Amodu is also confident a new women’s course record also looks achievable judging by the quality of the cast of elite women who will be in Okpekpe on May 28.

“This year’s race promises to be very explosive as far as the actions over hills and tarred roads, starting from Apana Road and ending in Okpekpe town,” added Amodu who says the quality of the organisation is never in doubt.

“For the race to be classified as one of the World Athletics elite label races, it means the organizational ability of the organisers has passed all the required tests.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, a World Athletics label denotes high standards in event organisation, safety and runner experience, application of World Athletics rules and regulations and in particular the competition and technical rules,’ said Amodu.

The historic Okpekpe International 10km Road Race is organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing, a leader in sports marketing, sponsorship, hospitality, and rights acquisition business with operations in Nigeria.

It is the first road race in West Africa to be granted a label rating (bronze) and the first in West Africa to be upgraded to a silver label race.

Ben Flanagan and Leslie Sexton will defend Canadian 10k titles in Ottawa on May 28th

Ben Flanagan and Leslie Sexton will now defend their 2021 crowns on May 28th, 2022, at the Ottawa 10k presented by Otto’s Ottawa.

Owing to COVID restrictions – which delayed in-person racing – the Athletics Canada Canadian Championships were held in October 2021 in Toronto rather than in Ottawa last May. Flanagan raced to a 28:42 victory on the waterfront and Sexton, although crossing the line second on the day, was also crowned national champion.

Scottish guest runner Sarah Inglis finished first but was ineligible for the prize money and the title. Sexton, who has relocated to Vancouver following several years in Kingston, Ontario, ran a personal best of 32:04. A month later she significantly lowered her best marathon time to 2:28:35 when she won the Philadelphia Marathon.

This time around Flanagan will face stiff competition from not only Luc Bruchet, a two-time Canadian Olympian at 5,000m, but also from Rory Linkletter, who is having a stellar season.

After breaking the Canadian Half Marathon record with a 1:01:08 clocking in Houston on January 16th – and finishing 20 seconds ahead of Flanagan – Linkletter ran 28:43 at the Cooper River Ridge Run 10k on April 2nd. In between those fine performances, he confirmed he has the speed to match Flanagan with an indoor 3,000m personal best of 7:49.13. That was recorded in Louisville, Kentucky on February 12th.

Linkletter, who lives and trains in Flagstaff, Arizona, parted ways with Hoka’s Northern Arizona Elite group last December to train with American marathon great Ryan Hall.

Bruchet was runner-up in that 2021 Toronto championship race with a time of 28:49. On April 24th, the 31-year-old from Vancouver set a new personal best of 28:29 in winning the Vancouver Sun Run 10k, which is a result that should cause Flanagan some concern.

Complicating his title defense a little further, Flanagan is coming back from six weeks of rehabilitation on a broken toe. But with a month of solid running, he surprised many by successfully completing a 1,500m/5,000m double at the Jesse Owens Track Classic in Ohio. He ran 3:44.98 and 14:10.07 with just ninety minutes between. 

Olympic Champion Marcell Jacobs opens season with sub-10 run in Savona

The blue track of Savona’s Fontanassa Sports Center was the venue for Marcell Jacobs’ first 100m since his Olympic triumph in Tokyo last year. The Italian sprint star made a victorious return at the World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meeting on Wednesday (18), winning the final in 10.04 (0.4m/s) after a wind-assisted 9.99 (2.3m/s) in the heats.

It was just shy of the 9.95 he ran on the same track last year when making his season debut, but was a solid return to action after an intestinal problem forced him to withdraw from the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Nairobi earlier this year.

“I struggled a bit,” said Jacobs, whose last race was his world indoor 60m victory in Belgrade in March. “I wanted to run faster in the final than I did in the heat. I thought that I could run better technically, especially in the second half of the race. I need some more work in training, but it’s just my first outdoor race of the season.

“I have time to reach my best form for the World Championships,” added Jacobs, who had originally been slated to contest the 200m in Savona. “But my next race, at the Prefontaine Classic, could be more difficult than at the World Championships, as I’ll face seven US sprinters.”

Arthur Cisse from Ivory Coast finished second in 10.10, beating former European record-holder Jimmy Vicaut (10.12). Sri Lanka’s YupunAbeykoon took fourth place in 10.16 ahead of Italy’s Chituru Ali, who improved his PB to 10.18.

Olympic 400m silver medallistMarileidyPaulino from Dominican Republic stepped down in distance to win the women’s 200m in a national record of 22.59 (2.0m/s). Paulino, who beat Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo over 400m at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha last Friday, missed Dina Asher-Smith’s meeting record by 0.03.

Paulino’s compatriot FiordalizaCofil achieved another victory for Dominican Republic by winning the 400m in 51.36.

Britain’s Olympic 4x100m bronze medallist Darryl Neita was fastest in the women’s 100m heats with 11.12, but she skipped the final to focus on the 200m, where she finished to Paulino in an equal PB of 22.81. Italy’s European U23 champion DaliaKhaddari was third in 22.83.

Two-time Italian 100m champion ZaynabDosso won the women’s 100m final in 11.21 after improving her PB to 11.19 in the heats, missing Manuela Levorato’s national record by 0.05.

“I am not completely happy with my performance,” said Dosso. “It was a good day at the office, but it is not the right time of the year for a super-fast time. It’s the start of the season. My goal is to come close to breaking the 11 seconds barrier and reach my best form for the World Championships in Eugene and the European Championships in Munich.”

World indoor finalist Nick Ponzio won the men’s shot put with 21.12m. Ponzio competed for the third time in just five days after throwing 20.53m in Ponce and 21.73m in Rovereto last Sunday. Olympic fifth-place finisher Zane Weir made it an Italian 1-2 with a best throw of 21.05m.

Dominica’s Thea Lafond, who finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, continued her good form by winning the women’s triple jump with 14.53m. Ana Lucia Jose Tima from Dominican Republic finished runner-up with 14.46m.

Elsewhere, Brazil’s Rafael Pereira won the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.36, missing the meeting record by 0.06, and double World University Games champion Ayomide Folorunso won the women’s 400m hurdles in a meeting record of 55.29.

Shelby Houlihan loses her final appeal

Two-time American record holder Shelby Houlihan, who is serving a four-year ban after failing a drug test in late 2020, has lost her final appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal. Houlihan will now have to serve the entirety of her ban and will be eligible to compete again in January 2025.

The news was announced on her Instagram. “I was told from the start it was a long shot,” Houlihan wrote. “The truth hasn’t won here and it’s devastating.” The 11-time U.S. champion on the track continues to maintain that she did not knowingly dope and that the ban is unfair.

In December 2020 Houlihan tested positive for the steroid nandrolone, and in June 2021, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) handed her a four-year ban from the sport. After the ban was announced, Houlihan claimed the positive result was due to contaminated meat from a burrito food truck consumed the night before she was tested.

Houlihan appealed the ban and attempted to prove her innocence, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the ruling against her, stating that “The Athlete’s explanation that the 19-NA in her sample resulted from her consumption of the meat of an uncastrated boar simply cannot be accepted. The explanation presupposes a cascade of factual and scientific improbabilities, which means that its composite probability is (very) close to zero.”

Houlihan launched a GoFundMe page to help pay her legal fees. In a final effort to have the ban overturned, she appealed to the high court of the Swiss Federal Tribunal in late 2021. Last week, the Tribunal made the decision to dismiss her appeal due to the lack of evidence.

Houlihan’s name no longer appears on the Bowerman TC website but is still a Nike athlete. Last month, Canada’s Gabriela DeBues-Stafford left Bowerman TC, after spending almost two years with the club, citing confusion around Houlihan’s presence and involvement with the club despite being banned.

The most essential tips to help you run faster

Do you want to run faster splits, quicker distances, or best your personal record? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

After scouring multiple studies, the latest research, and speaking to a bona fide pro runner, the good news is there are a lot of things you can do as either an amateur, aspiring, or even professional runner to increase your speed. While there’s no replacement for good old fashioned training and a lot of persistence, here are nine smart habits to adopt before, during, and after your runs to improve your results, according to Colin Bennie, one of the professional runners recently signed to the new Reebok Boston Track Club. 

DRINK MORE WATER THAN YOU THINK

Up to 75% of Americans are dehydrated, reports Medical Daily. While professional athletes never make that mistake, many amateurs do. So drink up to twice as much water before, after, and in between runs. “Before is the most important,” Bennie says. “At least 16 ounces for a 30 minute run.” Hint: Before doesn’t just mean immediately before, start the moment you wake up so you don’t have to make a pit stop mid-run.

ESTABLISH REGULAR GOALS

You can’t improve if you don’t know where you’re going. One of the easiest ways to improve your times is to run with the goal of reducing them, which can only be done by tracking them. But goals should include more than just time. “If you’re struggling with drinking enough water, for example, set goals to help you stay hydrated all day,” Bennie says. Anything can be conquered in small, digestible doses.

GET PROPER FUEL

You want to feel energized and unstoppable when you’re training for speed, and running on an empty or otherwise malnourished stomach is not going to help you do that. So what’s the best thing to eat before running? According to numerous reports, peanut butter on whole wheat toast with sliced banana on top is tough to beat. “It’s my go-to,” Bennie says. “But you should pick nutritious things that work for you if that doesn’t.” 

WEAR THE RIGHT SHOES

“Having a shoe that feels right can make you feel ten times faster,” Bennie says. In addition to ensuring that the right shoe stays effective by not running in them past their expiration date, he recommends reading reviews and trying before you buy. As for his favorites, he regularly reaches for the Reebok Floatride Energy for his everyday runs and the Floatride Run Fast Pro on race or big days.

STRENGTH TRAIN (FOR REAL THIS TIME)

If you want to get faster, you have to improve more than just leg muscle and endurance. So mix up your weekly runs with lunges, squats, push-ups, planks, and a weight training regime to improve the fitness of your arms and core as much as you’re already doing for your legs. 

TALK WITH A STRIDE COACH

Some runners unintentionally use disproportionate stride lengths (either too long or too short) or have natural gait problems. Since no two runners’ bodies are alike, you’ll only really know what your stride is like after talking with a stride coach or running coach who can offer recommendations. “This can have a big impact on your times,” Bennie says. One of the easiest ways to find a stride coach near you is to join a local running club or meet up, these groups will always be the insiders as to who is the best in your city.

USE POSITIVE PEER-PRESSURE

Humans are amazing at encouraging one another. So help yourself to a fast running partner or even just someone you enjoy running with to improve your speed or power through the days you don’t feel like running. “This is a sneaky but important way to hold yourself accountable while improving your speeds,” Bennie says. 

LISTEN TO MOTIVATING MUSIC

Get this: pro runners are not allowed to listen to music while running, because it can have a such a measurable impact on performance. Wouldn’t you want that kind of leg up in your own workout?! Bennie says many of his teammates train to music or listen to it before a big race to get as big of a boost as possible. 

REST IN BETWEEN RUNS

Last but not least, a fatigued body is a slow body. “Sometimes you need to take a day off or cut your runs short to give your body ample time to recover,” Bennie says. “Instead of beating yourself up, know that doing so will help you turn in a faster time the next day.” In short, this habit is super essential, he says.

Try this speedwork sandwich workout to prepare for the half-marathon

It can often be difficult to simulate the fatigue you’re going to feel at the end of a half-marathon in your training, but practicing pushing through that late-race fatigue is what will get you to the finish line in a new personal best. This speedwork sandwich workout will prepare you for exactly that so you can run your best half yet.

The speedwork sandwich

The idea behind this workout is that you’re asking your body to run at a sustained pace after you’ve already accumulated fatigue, which is exactly what you have to do at the end of your half-marathon. It’s very important to pace the first part of the workout correctly, or else you risk being unable to maintain your pace at the end (which is often a problem for runners who are new to the half-marathon and who go out too hard).

The first section of the workout should be comfortably hard. You’re still moving at a good pace, but you should feel as though you could keep going by the end of the interval. In the five-minute intervals, you can speed up a little, to approximately 10K pace. Finally, the last section will be tough, but the goal is to run half-marathon pace (or a bit quicker) to simulate the end of your race.

The workout

Warmup: 15-20 minute warmup, followed by form drills and strides

Workout: 3km at half-marathon pace/3 min rest/3 x 5 min at 10K pace with 2 min rest between each/3 min rest/3km at half-marathon pace

Cooldown: 10-15 minutes followed by light stretching.

Only five seconds separated the top three at KATA 10K Time Trial

Sibling rivalry and Excitement marked the May Kenyan Athletics Training Academy (KATA) 10k Time Trial with elite athletes fighting hard to keep their positions.

The event, the 9th since the inception of KATA, was a motivating factor for all those who posted their personal records during the trials that took place on Wednesday May 18 in Thika Kenya.  

However, Peter Wanyoike and Zakariah Kirika were unstoppable as they fought tooth and nail to keep their top positions three times in a row.

Doing the trial a week after running his local marathon in Kenya, Wanyoike led Kirika to a 1-2 finish with Eston Mugo finishing third after recovery from an Injury.

Though the top two could not better their previous times, it was a relief for all the rest after knocking down several minutes and second from their previous times.

Wanyoike, who ran 2:25.04 ten days ago, registered 30:01.3 while his avid rival, who also ran 30:04, maintained 30:02.4 to keep his runners-up position.

Eston Mugo was shade over 30 minutes to click 30:06.3 from his April’s 33:22.1 with the all the rest attaining their Personal Best times during the trial that were held under cloudy weather.

60-year-old Charles Ndirangu clocked a fine 36:13.  

The next KATA 10k Time Trial will be held on June 15th with better times being anticipated on the same course.  Runners of all abilities are welcome to compete.  

Names                       BIB       Age    Gender    Time            April Time

1. Peter Wanyoike     213       26         M           30:01.3       (29:53.7 April time)

2. Zakaria Kirika          237       21         M            30:02.4      (29:54.4)

3. Eston Mugo           224       26        M           30:06.3       (33:22.1)

4. Erick Mutuku          216       20        M           30:14.7       (31:41.3)

5. Raphael Gacheru   233        22        M           31:35.9       (32:28.4)

6. Fredrick Kiprotich  79          23        M            31:41.5       - - --

7. Nicholas Kitundu    80         22        M              32:06.9      ------          

8. Boniface Mungai   235        23        M             32:30.5     (33:05.6)

9. Levis Kuria             214       21        M             33:04.5     (33:11.6)

10. Charles Ndirangu 82         60       M              36:13.2      ------

11. Samuel Muiruri    68         27        M              36:55.7     (42:30.8)

12. Peter Mukundi     71         25        M              39:16.5     New

13. Caren Chepkemoi 127    19        M           42:06.      (42:30.5)

14. Susan Njeri             76      36         M              45:11.9    (45:30.2)

The 9th edition of Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon is Around the Corner

The Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon is approaching. This Saturday, May 21, starts one of the most beautiful Czech races! 

For several years now, RunCzech has been organizing an international race in Karlovy Vary, which attracts professional athletes and enthusiasts runners.

The 9th edition of the Mattoni 1/2 Marathon Karlovy Vary will start from Nábřeží Osvobození at 6:00 p.m. Since registrations are still free, don’t hesitate and sign up today!

“RunCzech offers to runners a truly unique sports experience. Karlovy Vary, along with ten other European spa towns, is now inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon is certainly one of the best ways to fully enjoy the heritage of a beautiful spa town,” said Igor Murko, manager of the RunCzech regional races.

The marathon will feature several categories on Saturday. In addition to the 1/2 Marathon, a 2Run is prepared for runners who do not yet feel completely ready for the whole race.

The first competitor runs 10 km and the second then finishes 11 km to the distance of the half Marathon. The relay race is ideal alternative for team runners. Of course, the traditional dm family run which will start at 4 p.m, is prepared for all family members.

The undemanding 3 km long course in the center of Karlovy Vary is really suitable for everybody.

The first steps of the competitors always lead to the Hotel Thermal where runners can pick up the start numbers. The Running Expo starts on Friday 20.5. (12:00 – 18:00) and will last until Saturday between 10:00 and 15:00.

To pick up the start number, you need your ID and an assigned start number from the RunCzech application, which runners will also find in the Runners ID profile.

Nearly 8,000 runners will race through Cleveland this weekend in a city tradition that began in 1978.

The Union Home Mortgage Cleveland Marathon, a three-day event, extends beyond the 26.2-mile course. It attracts novice runners and those like 85-year-old Jim Mackert, who has run in more than 40 races since the event began.

Last year, the race was pushed back to October because of the pandemic. In 2020, it was virtual. This year, runners are returning to Cleveland.

University Hospitals will host a health and fitness expo Friday. The 5K and 10K races are Saturday. Half and full marathons will be Sunday.

The races will start and finish at Memorial Plaza in the shadow of the Fountain of Eternal Life statue on Public Square. The course will pass landmarks such as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center.

The runners who have registered are from nine countries and 47 states. They feature beginners and veterans like Mackert.

At 85, he runs five to eight miles a day.

“My wife and I raised six children, and when I got to be around 37, I was gaining weight, and I just didn’t like the way I felt, and I started back running again,” Mackert, a former paint store manager, said. “I felt so good, so I kept running, and I haven’t stopped since.”

The return of the spring marathon has Mackert and others excited. He has been running the race since it began in 1978.

He grew up in Lakewood, the youngest of 10 children who weren’t regular workers.

“Nobody in my family was really into sports because we were usually working,” Mackert said.

A teacher spotted him in gym class and recruited him to run cross country and track at Lakewood High School. He ran as a member of the U.S. Army at Fort Riley, Kansas.

He later met his wife and raised his family. But he had left running behind, until he decided to pick it up again.

He later joined local running clubs, like the Cleveland West Road Runners Club, one of the region’s oldest clubs. He also became the president of a running club in Lorain County.

Even during the pandemic, Mackert never stopped running and even virtually completed the last two marathons.

“I felt that if I continued to exercise that it was the best way to that I could fight off getting sick,” he said.

Mackert’s advice to beginning runners? Good shoes and realistic goals.

“What happens is that you hurt yourself trying to do more than you’re capable of,” he said. “Set a realistic goal, and you’ll be happy. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t reach that goal.”

Some tips on how to avoid sunburn this summer

Runners are enjoying their first sunny, hot running days of the season. That means it’s time for sunscreen. There are many kinds, but runners have special needs when it comes to choosing specific products, since we spend a great deal of time outdoors in summer. Just don’t assume that covering up with your clothes will protect you from UVA and UVB rays; some materials block some rays, but most do not. Also, remember that most sunscreen lotions are only effective for a couple of hours, so on a longer run, you will have to re-apply to keep protected, since we know that the risk of many skin cancers increases with repeated sunburns.

Water resistance

Water- and sweat-resistant sunscreens are essential to keep you protected when you’re sweating. All sunscreens eventually wash off in the water or from sweat, so don’t be fooled by so-called offers of waterproof sunscreen–and if you’re swimming, it’s always smart to re-apply when you get out of the water.

The limits of SPF ratings

A high SPF (sun protection factor) protects you more, with the caveat that the higher the SPF, the less protection each SPF point provides. The points are measured by how much solar energy (UV radiation) is required to burn you while wearing the sunscreen. SPF 2 filters about about 70 per cent of UVB rays. SPF 50, likely the highest effective SPF rating, filters out about 98 per cent of UVB rays. The catch is that SPF only reflects protection against UVB rays, and UVA rays are also dangerous to our skin and need to be filtered, so buy a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects from both.

Protect your skin even when it’s cloudy

With skin cancer rates on the rise, it’s important to make sure you’re avoiding overexposure to the sun.  Use sunscreen in summer, even when it’s overcast. Don’t assume that your clothes will protect you from both UVB and UVA rays, since not all running clothes do, but do wear a hat and sunglasses. A 2011 study of white adults in the United States found that the best way to avoid sunburn while outside is simply to regularly find shade. Also, it’s best to schedule your runs either before 11 a.m. or after 2 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest. Choose a mineral sunscreen, since this type contains safer ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide than regular sunscreen and does not require you to wait 15 minutes before it’s effective.

Take a broad approach when thinking about sunlight protection during the summer. Think about clothing that blocks UVA and UVB, wear a hat and plan your running routes through areas with more shade.

Two-time world 400m hurdles champion Zuzana Hejnova retires

Czech Republic’s Zuzana Hejnova, the two-time world 400m hurdles champion and Olympic bronze medalist, has confirmed her retirement from competitive athletics.

The 35-year-old, who has announced that she is expecting a baby, is to bid an official farewell to her successful career at the Ostrava Golden Spike – a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting – on 31 May.

“I wanted to say goodbye in front of Czech spectators,” she said. “I have had a great career and from the bottom of my heart I thank everyone who supported me. I'm looking forward to a new role now.”

World U18 gold in 2003 was the first of the global titles claimed by Hejnova, the then 16-year-old clocking 57.54 to win the 400m hurdles in Sherbrooke, Canada.

She broke the Czech U20 record for the first time at the World U20 Championships in Grosseto the following year, her 57.44 securing silver, and lowered it again in 2005, eventually taking it to 55.89 when winning the 2005 European U20 title in Kaunas.

Hejnova then broke the Czech senior record the following year and improved it every season from 2006 to 2011. During that period she claimed 400m hurdles bronze at the 2007 European U23 Championships, made her Olympic debut with a seventh-place finish in Beijing in 2008 and secured silver as part of the Czech 4x400m team at the 2010 World Indoor Championships.

Hejnova became an Olympic medalist two years later, winning bronze at the 2012 Games in London, and that was to prove just the start.

During an unbeaten 2013 season in her specialist event, Hejnova won the first of her two world 400m hurdles titles and she did it with the performance of her life – clocking a still-standing Czech record of 52.83 to get gold in Moscow. She won the overall Diamond League title – a feat she repeated in 2015 – and was named athlete of the year by European Athletics and the Czech Athletics Federation.

She retained her world title in Beijing in 2015 – becoming the only athlete to win back-to-back world gold medals in the women’s 400m hurdles – and also achieved top-five finishes in London in 2017 and Doha in 2019. Hejnova then became a three-time Olympian in 2016, finishing fourth in the 400m hurdles in Rio, and claimed European indoor 400m silver in Belgrade the following year.

Despite injury struggles, she returned to reach the final of the World Championships in 2019 and then ran her last race at the Ostrava Golden Spike in September 2020. There she contested the 300m hurdles, an event in which she set the world best of 38.16 in 2013.

Ukrainian runners in New York gear up for Brooklyn half marathon

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Asiia Holovko ran for her life from Kyiv to escape the war — and now she plans to run across Brooklyn.

Holovko, who came to the United States on March 17, will be running the Brooklyn Half Marathon with members of the Ukrainian Running Club of New York on May 21.

She has run in six countries, was invited to represent Ukraine in the World Marathon Champions in 2019 and was planning to participate in the Paris Marathon in April.

“I had a regular life, a dentist appointment, a hairstyling appointment, I had a job,” said Holovko, 42.

“In two weeks I was supposed to go to Paris to run the marathon,” she said. “All of a sudden, everything got destroyed.”

The war set Holovko on a long journey to safety.

She hitchhiked, took a 12-hour train ride to Lviv, and spent 17 days in Poland before she arrived in Portland, Me., where she is staying with a former roommate from Kyiv.

Soon she will reunite with her cousin, Andriy Herasymchyk, a member of the Ukrainian Running Club of New York, who is also running in the Brooklyn race.

The running club has been a way for Ukrainians in the U.S. to connect and a welcome distraction while Russia continues to attack their home country.

“It’s part of the morning routine to do the right stuff — not just sitting, because sitting and reading the news, you’re getting really depressed,” said Herasymchyk, 34, of Coney Island, Brooklyn.

“There are some times when you’re going for a run thinking, ‘I’m going to do six, seven miles,’ and you end up doing 13 miles, getting the flow. You want to get rid of all the negative stuff, negative energy,” said Herasymchyk, who is from Rivne, Ukraine, and has been running since he was in high school.

“When the war started, I really pushed myself to go for a run because I knew it would be good for me,” said Dmytro Molchanov, 33, the club’s captain. “For a few weeks, I didn’t really enjoy running. It was hard for me to enjoy anything. Running has been a sort of meditation for me when I have some issues,” he said.

The 100-member strong running club provides a community for Ukrainians in New York.

“I moved to the United States seven years ago and I didn’t know anybody here,” said Molchanov, 33, a nurse who lives in Sheepshead Bay. “The club became my second family. I found really true friends.”

In the months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the club has taken on a new significance, providing emotional support to its members and fundraising for the war effort.

“A lot of guys who are here — their parents are still in Ukraine in occupied territories. A lot of them are really worried,” said Herasymchyk.

“My hometown was invaded day one,” said Molchanov, whose mother and grandmother are still in Nova Kahovka, near Crimea.

“They’re alive, that’s the most I can ask for right now. They have food, I’m able to talk to them every day,” he said.

Use these five takeaways from your first race to crush your second

Congratulations on finishing your first race! After training for months on end, crossing your first finish line can be incredibly rewarding. But where do you go from here? And what can you learn or take away from your first race?

Instead of stressing over what’s next, check out these five helpful takeaways from your first race to help you crush your second.

1. Don’t be too hard on yourself

No matter how your race went or what place you finished in, be proud of your result. You are your own worst critic, and you are the only one who will remember your result a month from now. There’s no need to be too hard on yourself, especially on your first one, so stay positive and look to improve in the next race.

2. Soak in your achievement

One thing many runners will say after a race is, “at least you got out there and ran.” It means you can be proud of yourself and own the moment. The finish line can be rewarding in many ways: it could mark the end of a hard journey, achieving a goal or accomplishing something you never thought was possible. Every achievement needs to be celebrated, no matter the circumstance. Celebrating with one of your favourite foods, desserts or an ice-cold beverage can always provide a little bit of extra motivation mid-race.

3. Find your pace

Pacing yourself for any distance can be tricky; even many veteran runners don’t master the art of pacing. It’s extremely easy to go out too swiftly in your first race: the nerves, adrenaline, and your legs feel fresh. Every runner has made this mistake once or twice and paid for it in the latter half of the race.

We aren’t saying you’ll master pacing by the time you do your second race, but the pacing in your first race should give you an idea of what you did right and where you went wrong.

4. Live and learn

Like anything, the more races you do, the better you’ll get at performing well on the day. Ask yourself questions about how you prepared for the race. Did you get enough rest the day before? Or did you consume enough food to give you fuel to perform?

The best way to learn is by trial and error, and simply by doing more races. Another way is to ask other, more experienced runners to share their tips on how they prep for races and the things they do to make sure everything goes OK.

5. Set short-term goals

You did it! Now that you’ve completed your first race, welcome to the ‘run-ternity’. Take what you learned from your first race and apply it to your training for the next race. The perks of getting the first one out of the way is you now know what to expect and where you can improve for your next one. Set realistic short-term goals, like running a personal best, or running the race without walking, or trying to correct an easy mistake you made in your first race (i.e., showing up to the race 45 minutes early, so you have time to use the washroom and do a warmup).

What other activities can help you maintain running fitness through injury?

Injuries are the worst, and if not dealt with properly, they can linger longer than necessary. Runners love being active, which is why they can rush back sooner than recommended and risk re-injury. If you’re waiting out an injury and wondering how you can preserve fitness through the process, here are some ideas. 

Water running

Water running, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with a stress injury and shouldn’t be weight-bearing, is a great way to maintain fitness. To water run properly, everyone should purchase a flotation belt (which will run you about $30), so that you can maintain your running form while in the water. Once you’re comfortable with the activity, work some repeats into your run. Add 10 by 30 hard and 30 seconds easy to help get your heart rate up.

Strength training

So long as your medical practitioner has cleared you to strength train, working on your weaknesses can help you come back a stronger runner. You can start with physio exercises to strengthen what’s broken, but also, lifting heavy weights is great for runners (professional runners are lifting heavier and heavier all the time).

If it fits in the budget and you’re getting in the gym for the first time, booking an appointment with a personal trainer to get the basics down is a great idea. If it doesn’t fit in the budget, there are lots of online resources to help you as a first timer. 

Cycling/elliptical

Much like water running, the bike and the elliptical are two ways to put in long efforts without bearing weight. Especially for marathoners looking to maintain fitness, you can go for hours using either of these tools.

One caveat: if you’re struggling with a hip or ITB issue, the bike and elliptical can make it worse. Try strength training or water running for these injuries. 

Hiking and walking

Sometimes an injury is your body telling you to take a break. If you feel you need some time away from structured training or cross training, going on walks or low-intensity hikes is a great way to get moving without straining your body too much. If you need a break, take one. 

2022 Brooklyn Half Marathon to Return at Full Capacity for 40th Running on Saturday, May 21

More than 22,000 runners expected to race 13.1 miles from Prospect Park to Coney Island.

The RBC Brooklyn Half will return at full capacity for the first time in three years on Saturday, May 21, with more than 22,000 runners expected to race in the event’s 40th running. The race, which was established in 1981, is now one of the country’s premier half marathons with accompanying youth races and a three-day pre-party to celebrate Brooklyn.

“New York Road Runners has such a rich 40-year history in our biggest borough, Brooklyn, and we are excited to be bringing back our premier event in the borough, the RBC Brooklyn Half, for the first time since 2019,” said Ted Metellus, NYRR VP of Events and Race Director. “Since 1981, even before half marathons were popular, the Brooklyn Half has been taking place every year and is now the highlight of NYRR’s year-round presence in Brooklyn, which also includes programs for youth, seniors and the entire community.”

The RBC Brooklyn Half will take runners through the unique and diverse neighborhoods of Brooklyn, beginning at the Brooklyn Museum, passing the scenic Grand Army Plaza, and running through Prospect Park and along Ocean Parkway to the finish line on the famous Coney Island boardwalk.

Below are some highlights and initiatives to look forward to at the 2022 edition of the event:

40th Running: The first Brooklyn Half took place in early spring of 1981 on a course in and around Prospect Park with several hundred finishers. Since then, it has expanded to cover a large portion of Brooklyn and help bring the community together. In 2013, the year after Superstorm Sandy devastated the Brooklyn coastline, the Brooklyn Half helped reinvigorate Coney Island and reminded New Yorkers what makes Coney—and all of Brooklyn—so special. This year will mark the return of the event for the first time since the pandemic began, with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso planning to attend.

New Title Sponsor: The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) will serve as both the exclusive title partner and exclusive financial services and investment banking partner of the event for the first time, activating on race day as well as at the pre-party and post-race festivities. As a purpose-driven global financial institution, RBC, similar to NYRR, is strongly committed to giving back to communities. 

Notable Names: This year’s field will include notable names such as TODAY Show’s Al Roker, Good Morning America’s TJ Holmes, TV personality Nev Schulman, and professional athlete Noah Droddy.

Ukrainian Running Club Members: More than 40 members of NYC’s local Ukrainian Running Club will participate, as running has brought the club members closer together as a form of support while the war goes on in Ukraine. The club is captained by Dmytro Molchanov, who moved from Brooklyn to Ukraine seven years ago and will be an NYRR pacer for the 1:20 group.

5-Year Anniversary: Prospect Heights residents Krissa Cetner and Alex Salazar, two avid runners, stopped to get married in front of 100 guests at Mile 6 of the 2017 Brooklyn Half and then hopped back on the course to finish the race. Running for NYRR Team for Kids, the couple will return this year to run in honor of their 5-year anniversary and plan to wear the same tuxedo shirt and bridal shirt. Their 3 1/2 year old son, Myles, will be there to cheer them on.

Guinness World Record Attempt: Local elite Marie-Ange Brumelot of Queens Distance Runners and her father will go for the Guinness World Record for the fastest half marathon run by a parent and child. Brumelot represented France at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships and is a 1:14 half marathoner.

Brooklyn’s “Marathon Man”: At 70 years old, Brooklyn’s Leroy Cummins is speeding up, not slowing down. As a member of the NYRR Striders fitness program for older adults, he ran his first marathon last fall at the TCS New York City Marathon, finishing second in his age group in a time of 3:35:15, a quick 8:13 mile pace. He then ran the Boston Marathon in April, and now, known as the “Marathon Man” to his East Flatbush neighbors, will look to finish first place in his age group in Brooklyn. 

Boardwalk Kids Run: The whole family is invited to join in on race day activities, as kids ages 8-18 will take part in the Boardwalk Kids Run at the RBC Brooklyn Half for free on Coney Island as part of the Rising New York Road Runners youth program.

RBC Brooklyn Half Pre-Party Presented by New Balance: From May 18 to May 20, runners will pick up their bibs, shop for race merchandise, listen to live music, and dine at local food trucks at the RBC Brooklyn Half Pre-Party Presented by New Balance at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Virtual RBC Brooklyn Half: Runners who are unable to be in Brooklyn can participate in the race from anywhere in the world at their own convenience between May 14 and May 22.

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)

NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.

Try this progression mile workout to improve your 10K

If you have a 10K race on the horizon, it’s important to make sure that your workouts are race-specific. With tons of spring 10K’s happening across the country, we have the perfect 10K specific mile progression workout that will help prepare you to handle the physical demands of kilometres six to 10 in your race.

When training for a 10K, you’ll want to make sure you are covering at least 50 to 70 percent of the race distance in your speed workout. Therefore, one-kilometre and one-mile repeats are essential, as it builds up your endurance to get you more comfortable with your goal pace over the distance.

The workout

Four to five reps of one mile (1,609m or four laps on a track) progression with two minutes rest between reps

The pace: Since the mile is four laps, divide your mile rep up into four paces. On the first lap, you should aim for 10 seconds per kilometre slower than your goal pace (for example, we will use a goal 10K time of 45:00, 4:30/km), so the first lap should be around 1:52. On the next lap, pick up the pace to five seconds per kilometre faster, hitting the next 400m in 1:50. The third 400m should be done at your goal 10K pace of 4:30/km, which is 1:48 for the lap and the last being five seconds faster (4:25/km) in 1:46.

The idea of this workout is to get your body comfortable with faster paces, when it’s experiencing fatigue. If you can hit the paces on all four or five reps, it’ll get you ready to negative split your next 10K.

The two-minute rest in between each rep is a standing or walk rest to help bring your heart rate down before you start up again. Ideally, the paces of this workout will be easier to manage if it’s done on a 200 to 400m track. If the track is under 400m, divide the time per lap by four to determine your pace per 100m. If you do not have access to a track, use a flat 400m, 800m or one-mile loop and set markers along the way. 

Control your pace early on and make sure you are hitting the times on the first two reps. If you go out too fast, it’ll ruin the rest of the workout, which isn’t the intention.

Why you should aim for a negative split in the marathon

Ideally, when running a marathon, your goal should be to run even splits, i.e. to run the second half of the race in the same time as it took you to run the first half, rather than slowing down. (2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden is famous for running perfectly even splits in a lot of her races.) If you’re well trained and everything goes well on race day, you might come close to achieving this; with a few marathons under your belt, you might even try to aim for a negative split, which means running the second half of the race slightly faster than the first. 

Negative splitting is a challenging proposition for most runners. By 30 km or so (sometimes much earlier), physical and mental fatigue are starting to accumulate, and you might find yourself walking through water stations. Your rate of perceived exertion (RPE) increases with each passing kilometer, and the pace you started at feels harder and harder.

Why negative split?

But with a little experience, trying to achieve a negative split can bring a new challenge to your marathons, and there are good reasons to try it.

Andrew McKay of Toronto remembers the second time he qualified for Boston, at the Philadelphia Marathon in 2016. “It was a really bad weather day, and my iPod failed a few kilometers in, so I was just focused on clicking off Ks, and didn’t have high race goals,” he says. “So instead, I focused on my mental game, and doing only what I was capable of on the day. Each time it felt hard, I asked myself ‘is that all you have today?’ And when the answer was no, I pushed a tiny bit harder… My splits were 1:40:18 and 1:39:54, and it was a PB by four minutes, 45 seconds.”

U.S. ultrarunner Nick Coury has written about negative splitting ultras, but the same principles apply in the marathon, or even the half-marathon. (Coury, 34, won the Desert Solstice 24-hour race in Arizona in 2020, with 250 km; his Ultrasignup.com results go back to 2005, which means he’s been racing ultras since he was 17, and he has a slew of podium finishes and victories.) For example, you’re much less likely to “blow up” if you go out a little slower than your goal pace and maintain that through the first half. “The longer the race, the more time there is for something to go wrong,” Coury writes. “Blowing up at mile 22 of a marathon means four miles of suffering … Going out slow enough to negative split means the risk of each individual problem goes down.” He claims that negative splitting has often allowed him to avoid the discouragement and loss of motivation that comes with being unable to maintain his pace late in a race.

A major advantage Coury claims is reduced recovery time: “This has been the biggest mind-blower for me,” he writes. “Even when we feel ‘good,’ we’ve put the body through a lot.” He’s referring to ultras, but the same is true for marathoners. That soreness in your quads the day after a marathon represents muscle damage; but if you’ve ever had a really bad race and ended up walking most of it, you may have noticed you’re hardly sore at all. The fact is that even a slightly slower pace results in less damage, and consequently, less soreness and associated recovery time. Which means you’re ready to resume training earlier, with less fear of losing fitness before starting your next build. 

Note that “faster race times” is not one of Coury’s stated reasons to negative split, even though your times might well improve once you master the art of negative splitting. The reasons for doing it are qualitative, rather than quantitative. But you’ll likely find yourself performing better against the competition in races.

To achieve a negative split, you need to plan on running the first half of the race a few seconds per kilometer slower than your goal pace, and then picking up the pace in the second half. This sounds easy, but considering that even running your goal pace will feel very slow during the first half, it actually takes a lot of discipline to run even more slowly than that. Once you pass the halfway mark, hopefully you’re feeling relatively comfortable, and you can begin to gradually increase the pace, keeping something in reserve for a final kick to the finish line. “The more I negative split, the more I just feel straight-up good late in a race,” says Coury.

The bottom line? It’s more fun than slogging

“The hidden benefit of negative splitting is just how much fun it is,” Coury writes. “It’s hard to describe catching minutes a mile on the front runners in a race 80 per cent in, and doing so without having to dig deep and suffer. I’ve really become addicted to it, and can’t imagine going back to the days of just hanging on to get to the finish line.”

Achieving a negative split takes some practice and patience; you don’t want to slow down so much in the first half that you end up slower than if you just went about racing in your usual manner. (Coury has found 3 per cent to be about right.) Also, your performance will vary depending not only on how well you train, but on how well you recover while training, how much sleep you get, the quality of your nutrition while training, and myriad other factors. But the potential benefits are certainly worth exploring.

Kenya’s Irene Cheptai and Nicholas Kipkori break course records in Bengaluru

Irene Cheptai and Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli ran course records of 30:35 and 27:38 respectively at the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) World 10K Bengaluru 2022 – a World Athletics Elite Label road race – on Sunday (15).

Cheptai took 44 seconds off the women’s course record which had stood to the late Agnes Tirop at 31:19 since 2018.

After a super-fast opening two kilometers of 3:02 and 3:04, a quick time was always likely and the race was soon down to just three women at the front: Cheptai, two-time world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri and fellow Kenyan Joyce Tele.

Tele started to lose contact with her compatriots in the fifth kilometer before Obriri, pushing the pace with Cheptai running in her slipstream, passed the halfway point in 15:15.

Obiri led the race for the next two kilometers, going through 6km in 18:23 and 7km in 21:32, before Cheptai took her turn to push at the front for a kilometer as Obiri briefly went through a bad patch. However, Obiri soon recovered her poise and regained the lead just after embarking on the penultimate kilometer.

The Kenyan pair carried on their enthralling head-to-head battle, but with just 250 meters to go Cheptai darted past Obiri and was never headed before crossing the line in a personal best of 30:35, her first time inside 31 minutes.

Obiri eased off once she knew the race was lost but still came home in an outstanding 30:44, also inside Tirop’s former course record, while Tele was a distant third in 31:47 to complete an all-Kenyan podium.

“When we raced through an inclined patch on the route [just after 7km], I felt like Hellen’s pace reduced, that’s when I tried harder to take lead,” said Cheptai. “But even when I entered the stadium for the final lap, I was fearing Hellen and kept pushing my speed to win.”

The men’s race unfolded in a very different fashion to the women’s. Kipkorir Kimeli, fourth in the Olympic 5000m final last year, took the lead with a kilometer to go and pulled away from Ethiopia’s world U20 10,000m champion Tadese Worku to reduce the men’s course record by six seconds from the previous mark set by his compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor in 2014.

The race started off in an unusual manner with Kenya’s Reynold Kipkorir – who was to eventually finish ninth – out on his own for much of the first 5km, passing the halfway point in 14:00 with the rest of the elite field staying about 70 meters in arrears.

However, shortly after going through 5km, Worku changed gear and started to rapidly tow the leading men back to Kipkorir before going past him just before the 6km point and then increasing the pace further.

Kipkorir Kimeli continued running just behind Worku for the next three kilometers, letting his Ethiopian rival do all the hard work as the pair gradually got back on to course record pace as they also put daylight between themselves and the rest of the men’s field.

Worku still looked fresh as they reached the final kilometer but could not respond when Kipkorir Kimeli took the lead, with the latter almost sprinting like a middle-distance runner over the final 300 meters as the finish line approached in Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

Kipkorir Kimeli crossed the line in 27:38 with Worku also inside the old record with 27:43 while the Kenyan pre-race favorite, and former world half marathon record-holder, Kibiwott Kandie made up three places in the final two kilometers and came through for third in 27:57.

By contrast, Ethiopia’s two-time world 5000m champion Muktar Edris was never in contention for the podium and finished back in seventh.

“Honestly, I was not expecting to get the course record,” said Kipkorir Kimeli. “When we reached 5K, we didn’t think we will get the course record, in fact, even when we crossed the 7K-mark, I didn’t think we will make the record. But only when Worku pushed ahead, I picked up pace towards the end.”

Tyler McCandless blows away the field at the Colfax Denver Marathon today

Runners of all speeds laced up their racing shoes and grabbed their bibs to race in Denver’s 16th annual Colfax Marathon.

Denver’s biggest running event took place on Sunday, May 15, and welcomed more than 30,000 runners to the Mile High City.

Tyler McCandless posted, "I ran 2:21:07 for a win and new event record Denver's Colfax Marathon! Took almost 3:30 off the previous event record. 9 years since the last time I won a marathon and winning at altitude in Denver was both very hard and extra special! Thanks for all the cheers, kudos and congrats, and thanks #ColfaxMarathon for putting on a world class marathon in Denver!"

Male overall marathon winners:

Tyler McCandless, 35, of Fort Collins finished with a time of 2:21:07

Zebulon Hanley, 30, of Louisville finished with a time of 2:30:40

Anthony Bruns, 42, of Denver finished with a time of 2:32:47

Female overall marathon winners:

Sarah Villasenor, 37, of Denver finished with a time of 3:02:51

Sarah Bay, 43, of Niwot finished with a time of 3:05:17

Janie Nabholz, 22, finished with a time of 3:09:23

Photos of the best costumes at San Francisco's Bay to Breakers race

San Francisco runs at a different speed than other cities. It also usually runs in costumes.Nearly every year since 1912, the city has celebrated Bay to Breakers, a 12-kilometer run that begins at Howard and Main streets and concludes at Ocean Beach.

But like most San Francisco traditions, there's a whimsical element involved, with the actual run taking a backseat to antics and partying along the route and a fashion show of costumes. Although the race does award some prizes, Bay to Breakers is more about the spirit than the finish times.

Although seemingly all fun and games, this year's race was mired by a few surprising controversies. The chair of Capstone Event Group, which organizes the race, gave money to divisive political candidates. And initially the organizers refused to give prizes to non-binary racers, a policy which was recanted after widespread blow back.

Regardless of those issues, the event was back in full force after a two year absence, with thousands of runners enjoying the cool, foggy weather.

This Mom Helps New Parents Return to Running After Pregnancy

Colette Berry wasn't prepared for postpartum running. So she made it her mission to help other women avoid her complications.

Just six weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Delphine, Berry set out on a three-mile run. But her core wasn’t strong enough to control her bladder, and her pelvic floor was unprepared for the impact that running demands. Nevertheless, she followed the vague advice of her OB-GYN and continued to moderately jog after those fateful first miles. “I made a bad situation worse,” she says.

It was the lowest point in a life full of running highs. She fell in love with the sport in college at American University, then moved to Europe during her senior year and hit the European marathon circuit after graduating, running Venice and Amsterdam, and earning a 3:37 PR in Berlin. In 2010, while living in Switzerland, Berry joined the Geneva Runners, an international expat running club, where she met her husband, Edmund. 

Not long after, she took up triathlon and consistently progressed from sprint distance, to Olympic distance, to completing an Ironman at Lake Placid in 2015 after moving back to the U.S., one month before becoming pregnant with Delphine.

While Berry took some time off after giving birth, she felt like her doctors didn’t give her clear instructions for returning to running. “I’m pretty intense about my sport,” she told them, but they didn’t understand how seriously she trained. After a year of running in frustration and discomfort, Berry started seeing a pelvic health physical therapist who helped her retrain her pelvic floor muscles, which undergo intense strain during pregnancy and delivery. 

During the process, Berry became interested in the science behind postpartum exercise and realized that if she had been more informed from the start, she might have avoided her complications. So in 2020, she became a certified pre- and post-natal personal trainer and now guides clients through three stages—prenatal, labor, and parenthood—and gives them the tools to return to exercise safely, including these three strategies. 

Train for pregnancy like an athlete

During pregnancy, you should strength train for the surprisingly physical movement patterns that you’ll face, like bathing a baby. “First, master the fundamentals with bodyweight squats, deadlifts, and lunges,” she says. “Then, add weights and combine them into compound movements.” New parents spend a lot of time on the ground, so practice standing up with an offset weight. Make sure to hinge at the hips, and avoid rounding your back by keeping your core engaged. 

Don’t give up on yourself

If you’re a runner who’s recently given birth, you don’t have to endure months of misery on the road back to exercise. “A lot of women think they have to live with certain conditions—like peeing when they sneeze or run, or pressure in their pelvic floor—but they don’t have to,” Berry says. “Pelvic dysfunction is common, but not normal.” Seek out a physical therapist who specializes in women’s health or pelvic health if you’re experiencing postpartum complications. OB-GYNs might not be trained to remedy these issues, but they can help you find a referral.

Find (or form) a like-minded community 

When Berry resumed running after pregnancy, she missed the social aspect of the sport. “I wasn’t going to find some track club and run with my jogging stroller at 10 a.m.,” she says. “So I created this group called Central Park Stroller Runners. Everyone was a new parent. It became a weekly thing, and I met some of my closest friends through that group.”

Berry’s running crew found a way to coexist amongst the antsy cyclists and ambling tourists in Central Park. They ran through the winter months, with their children nestled in sleeping bags and hats, and received some disapproving stares when their potty-training kids ventured behind the trees to relieve themselves. “If you’re a parent in New York, I promise that your child has peed in Central Park,” she says.

Why You Should Be Wearing Sunglasses On Every. Single. Run.

Your eyes, just like your skin, need UV protection. Here’s what to look for in glasses to keep you covered.

Sunglasses are such a staple in my running kit that if I forget a pair, I have no choice but to head back home and grab them, same as if I left headphones behind. I think I look 100 times faster in a really cool pair of shades (and I love that they hide the pain in my face at mile 23 of a marathon), but I also squint less, stress less about getting things in my eyes, and I see better, especially in bright sunlight. 

To anyone who asks: “How can you run with sunglasses on?” My answer is how can you not? If you’re wearing the right pair, they won’t slip, they won’t bounce, and they’ll protect your eyes from all kinds of damage that you might not have to worry about in the moment, but certainly should be thinking about in the long run (pun intended!). 

Need more convincing? Learn about the damage of not wearing sunglasses, what you need to look for in sunglasses to make sure you’re getting the right UV eye protection, and what brands are doing to keep your vision safe. 

Why You Need UV Eye Protection on Every Run

You know how bad sun exposure is for your skin, right? That’s why you slather on sunscreen every time you head outside. Well, too much sun can be equally damaging to your eyes. 

The chief role of sunglasses is ultraviolet light protection. “The majority of UV light is absorbed by the cornea, but with significant amounts of exposure, that radiation will eventually get through the cornea and cause damage to the inner structures of the eye,” said James Dello Russo, an optometrist at the New Jersey Eye Care Center in Bergenfield and Passaic, New York. 

Runners who don’t wear UV eye protection can eventually develop growths on the clear covering over the white part of the eye called pinguecula and pterygium, says Yuna Rapoport, M.D., an ophthalmologist at Manhattan Eye in New York City. A pinguecula is a yellowish, raised deposit of protein, fat, or calcium; a pterygium is a growth of fleshy tissue that may start as a pinguecula. A pterygium can affect your vision, and may result in surgery. 

If you’re running in the snow or near water, you can also develop a form of photokeratitis, a painful, temporary eye condition caused by exposure to UV reflections off of snow, ice, sand, or water. (Translation: Wearing UV eye protection isn’t just a necessity in the bright lights of summer, but straight through winter too.)

“The two biggest concerns, though, are cataracts and age-related macular degeneration,” says Dello Russo. You shouldn’t have to worry about these issues until your 70s, but “people who are out in the elements all the time are at risk of developing these sight-debilitating issues at a younger age, which we would never want,” he explains. 

PSA: Don’t brush this off and say, ‘oh, I only run a few miles at a time, I’ll be fine.’ “It’s exactly like cumulative sun exposure to your skin,” says Rapoport. “It all adds up.”

Then there’s the physical protection element. Sunglasses act as a kind of environmental windsheld for your eyes, says Dello Russo: “With enough exposure to UV light, runners will get basal cell carcinomas—non-metastatic tumors on the skin.” One super common spot: The eyelids. 

Plus, “the cornea—the clear, protective outer layer of your eye—is really susceptible to even the tiniest particles getting in,” explains Rapoport. When you’re running on dusty trails or the wind is whipping debris across the road, “the slightest piece of dust or dirt, a millimeter or even less, can cause an erosion which can lead to an eye infection,” she says. Dirt, dust, and allergens in the air can also cause dry, itchy eyes—which can take the focus off your run and slow you down.

The Most Important Features in Sunglasses

Not surprisingly, the number one selling point in a pair of sunglasses is their UV protection. “You want to look for lenses that block 100 percent of UV light,” says Dello Russo. “The label should say ‘UV absorption up to 400 nanomenters,’ or UV 400.” 

There are two types of UV light to be concerned about: UVA, which is associated with skin aging, and UVB, which is associated with skin burning. UV 400-protected sunglasses block both.

FYI: A darker lens tint doesn’t necessarily offer better protection. “How dark your sunglasses are is a matter of personal preference,” says Dello Russo. Certain tints can actually improve contrast in specific conditions, but the color or shade doesn’t have any effect on UV protection—you can even find clear lenses with UV 400. 

However dark you prefer your sunglasses, the lenses should be polarized. Polarization is a coating on top of the lens that blocks the reflection of light off of surfaces. What it does is “block that level of glare you’re going to be receiving from different angles so you’re more comfortable,” says Rapoport.

Finally, embrace the whole “bigger is better” approach. “Runners are really going to want to actually look for shield or wrap-style sunglasses,” says Dello Russo. “Most of them are formed to the face and wrap around to the side, typically with oversized lenses, which are not only going to keep the UV out of the eyes, but keep it off the lids and skin.” 

As with any piece of gear, though, comfort is key, said Rapoport. “If they pinch your nose or squeeze the temple area, that can cause headaches,” she says. And sunglasses that slide down can be an annoying distraction. Opt for a pair that comes with adjustable nose pads and you can customize the fit. 

The Best Sunglasses for Running

We’ve come a long way since you could get away with running in sunglasses you picked up at a gas station. 

Take Oakley’s latest innovation in running sunglasses for example, the RE:SUBZERO, which features the brand’s new PhysioMorphic Geometry. Lenses typically curve around a vertical axis (a.k.a. cylindrical lenses) or both vertically and horizontally (a.k.a. spherical lenses), but these new lenses combine both approaches in what’s called a toric or toroid lens, explains Nick Garfias, the vice president of design at Oakley. “It has more of a football shape, curving in two directions in order to become a shield over both your eyes,” he says. “That makes your optic view through that lens way better.”

The frameless design of the RE:SUBZERO—with an extended wrap and rigidity in key areas that mimic the structural properties of a frame—also enhances your field of vision, says Garfias. (And offers more of that eye and skin protection that Dello Russo mentions.)

This shield style has become ubiquitous in the performance sunglass world, not just in Oakley’s designs (see also: the Oakley Sutro), but in Roka’s Matador Air, Smith’s Flywheel, and Rapha’s Pro Team Frameless Glasses—all of which provide oversized protection so you can run with unobstructed vision. (FYI: Many, bigger cycling glasses can double as running glasses.)

Oakley’s RE:SUBZERO—along with many of the brand’s other performance sunglasses—are outfitted with the brand’s Prizm Lens Technology, which is designed to enhance color and contrast so you can see more detail. District Vision also focuses on lens color, not just to provide clarity on the run, but to reduce strain on the eye caused by physical exertion, says co-founder Tom Daly. 

“We know that different color curves and different lens tints relax the mind,” Daly explains. “If you’re looking at something through a blue lens compared to a red lens, it sends different signals to the brain and it affects your central nervous system in different ways.” (For example, people wearing blue-tinted lenses demonstrated better reaction times in a study by ZEISS, a German manufacturer of optical systems; red was determined to have more of an activating effect.)

But the easiest way to reduce strain on the face is to let less light through the lens, Daly adds. “Traditional maximum sun-blocking lenses let in around 13 to 16 percent of light; we take it much lower, down to 10 or 11 percent,” says Daly. “We block more light because, just like you hold tension in your body, you hold strain in your eyes. You need to be able to relax the muscles around your eyes.” 

District Vision’s Black Rose lens blocks 15 to 31 percent of light, which changes depending on the amount of light around you, says Daly. Similarly, Dynafit recently released the Ultra Pro sunglasses, which use photochromic lens glass technology so the lenses adapt in seconds to variable light—making them ideal for trail runners going in and out of trees. 100% and Tifosi also offers photochromic lenses that react to UV rays, along with other brands. 

Of course, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on an excellent pair of sunglasses. Goodr has become a staple in the running world with their $25 no-slip, no-bounce, polarized, UV 400 lenses. You won’t get quite the same level of protection and light blockage or color contrast as the higher-end lenses, but you’ll get the essentials at a lower price. (Knockaround sunglasses are similarly priced, and also have UV 400 polarized lenses.)

On May 20, Goodr will also release the WRAP G, which offers a wider field of vision—with no obstructions or blind spots—than the brand's standard wayfarer designs, more in line with the shield styles doctors recommend for running. These shades will also come with a removable nose-piece and two sizing options for a snug fit that won’t bounce, and ring up at just $45.

Not every runner needs every single feature in the most expensive lenses, so determine what matters most to you—just make sure any pair you buy has that UV 400 eye protection. 

The Bottom Line on Sunglasses and UV Eye Protection While Running

At the end of the day, everyone wants to look good in their sunglasses. And you can do that while protecting your eyes—no matter your budget. The key is just making sure you actually wear your glasses every time you head out for a run, so you can sidestep any vision or other eye issues that can come from too much UV exposure. And remember: When picking out your perfect pair, don’t be afraid to go big. 

Marathon records in Copenhagen

There are new record holders for both men and women after the 2022 edition of the Copenhagen Marathon.

Berhane Tsegay from Eritrea can call himself the new holder of the record time in the Copenhagen Marathon for men.

On Sunday morning, he covered the 42,195 kilometers in the streets of Copenhagen in a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes and 21 seconds. When he crossed the finish line at Islands Brygge, he was thus over a minute and a half faster than the previous race record in the Danish capital.

Number two, three, four and five also finished in times that were faster than Jackson Limo's winning time from 2019.

Five minutes cut off the women's record

Also in the women there is a new holder of the race record.

Just over a quarter of an hour after the men's winner had crossed the finish line, Kenyan Hela Kiprob ran over it as the first woman. With a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 10 seconds, she cut a full five minutes off the previous record.

Among other things, this was the result of a flat route and good weather conditions.

Although it was not completely windless in the streets of Copenhagen, the many runners could enjoy pleasant conditions. At the start of the race, the temperature was just below 15 degrees, while along the way it managed to rise a few degrees in the almost cloudless capital.

This is the first time in three years that the race was held. In 2020 and 2021, the corona pandemic prevented the race from being implemented.

With four kilometers left of the men's race, six runners were within a few steps, but Tsegay timed his attack perfectly and was able to run solo over the finish line after giving himself time to wave to the spectators on the run.

A total of 11,295 people had signed up for the race, but according to the race's website, only 9026 runners competed.

Gary Martin goes 3:57.98 (third fastest high schooler ever behind only Alan Webb and Jim Ryun) to win today's Philadelphia Catholic League Championsips

Another day, another milestone for Gary Martin. And this one was a biggie.

The Archbishop Wood High School senior ran a sub-four minute mile Saturday at the Catholic League championships at Cardinal O'Hara.

After just missing the milestone at the Penn Relays, he ran Saturday's race at 3:57.98. It was the 20th time a high school runner accomplished the feat, and his time was the sixth fastest ever for a high school student. Overall, he was the 14th runner to break the four-minute mark and it was the fastest time in state history. It was the first in the state to break the 4-minute mark.

Martin has been breaking records all year, beginning in cross country, and continuing during the indoor and outdoor seasons.

Last week Martin broke the state record in the 3,200-meter run, posting a 8:41.57 mark to break Robert DiDonato’s record of 8:44.98 set at this meet last year.

The University of Virginia signee will have more chances to smash records at the state meet.

The Archbishop Wood senior has been on a quest to become the first Pennsylvania high school athlete ever to run a sub-four-minute mile.

Running with a purpose and leading from the start, Martin made history with a sizzling time of 3:57.98.

Martin raised his hands in triumph as he crossed the finish line. His time was the fastest in the county by nearly 10 seconds.

“I’ve had a couple of really good workouts this week and I felt I was in shape to do it,” Martin said. “Looking at the weather, I thought it was going to be a good day and it’s one of my last opportunities to really just run an all-out mile before we get into postseason stuff. I just wanted to go for it, see how I was feeling through two laps. I felt good. I was right on so I kept going.”

Martin found the warm conditions with a light rain to his liking as he took the lead in the first 50 meters and kept his foot on the gas. He ran the first quarter in 59.67 seconds, the second in 58.79, the third in 59.87 and the final in 59.62 to obliterate the meet record of 4:14.08 set by O’Hara’s Steve Hallinan and take his place in history.

“For me, I like to run even splits,” Martin said. “I like to settle into a pace, find a pace I need to run and then hold on throughout, which is what I did today. That’s kind of the goal going in. You just have to stay mentally tough.”

Martin wasn’t done for the day. He also won the 800 in a meet-record time of 1:51.29, to break the mark of 1:52.95 set by O’Hara’s Pat Nash in 2000. And Martin anchored Wood’s 4 x 400-meter relay team to a silver medal by two-tenths of a second to take home the outstanding boys track performer of the meet away.

The four best workouts for beginner runners

If you’re a beginner runner who’s worked up to running steadily without stopping for at least four or five kilometers, you may be wondering what you should do next. While yes, you can continue doing even-paced runs and try to increase your mileage (and you should!), this may start to get a bit boring.

Adding in one or two workouts into your weekly schedule will make your training more interesting and improve your fitness at the same time. Not sure where to start? These four workouts are great for beginners who are just getting acquainted with speed work.

The fartlek

“Fartlek” is a Swedish term that means speed play. A fartlek workout can be used by runners of all levels, but its loose, fun structure is great for beginners because you don’t need to worry about timing your intervals or your rest. This style of workout allows you to run by feel and learn how to push your body in a low-pressure way.

To do a fartlek workout, start out by running at a steady, even pace for the first five to 10 minutes, as you would for a regular run. Once you’re warmed up, choose a landmark in the distance, and pick up speed until you reach it. Slow back down to an easy jog, and once you’re ready, pick another landmark and go again. Many runners like to use lamp posts, driveways or mailboxes to mark their destinations, but you can choose whatever works for you.

Continue running fast and easy sections for the remainder of the run, leaving five to 10 minutes at the end for a cooldown.

Hills

Hill workouts are a great way to build strength and work on good running form, which is why they’re great for beginners who want to start off on the right foot. They are also easily scalable according to your current running abilities.

To perform a hill workout, find a moderately-steep hill nearby that you can run up for at least one minute. Start out by jogging for five or 10 minutes to warm up, ending at the bottom of the hill. Start by running for 20-30 seconds up the hill, focusing on driving with your knees and pumping your arms. Jog or walk back down to the bottom and do it again. Repeat this as many times as you like, then do a five to 10-minute cooldown jog to complete the workout.

Straights and curves

A track is a great tool for beginners because it’s a flat, relatively forgiving surface where you don’t have to worry about being interrupted by traffic lights. The track also provides another great opportunity to practice good running form while getting your legs moving a little quicker.

To perform a straights and curves workout, start by jogging around the track two or three times to warm up. Once you’ve done that, continue running around the track, running hard on the straights and jogging or walking the curves. Aim to complete at least five laps (that’s two kilometers on a 400m track) before doing another couple of laps as a cooldown. Check out more beginner track workouts here.

Relay workout

If you’ve got a friend who’s also a beginner runner, a relay workout is a great way for the two of you to do some speed work together. A track is a perfect place to do this workout, but even a field or a small loop in a neighborhood will work.

To do a relay workout, warm up together with a five to 10-minute easy jog. Then, one of you will run one lap at a faster pace, while the other one waits. When the first runner arrives back at the starting point, the other will take off. Keep alternating laps like this for 15-20 minutes. To make this even more fun, use a baton of some kind (a stick, a ruler…even a banana!) to hand off to each other before each lap.

Expert tips to prepare for your first 5k

The 5k distance is one of the most popular races in running and it is much-loved among amateur and professional athletes alike.

If you’ve never competed in a 5k race before, there are some things to bear in mind that can help you prepare for the big day.

We asked a select group of fitness and running experts for their top tips and advice when it comes to preparing for your first 5k race.

Here is what they said.

Stick To Your Routine In The Lead-Up To The Race

Peter Keane, Physiotherapist at Physio Motion 3D

In the week leading up to your race, don’t change your routine.

This isn’t the time to be experimenting with new food, shoes, drinks or anything else.

Also, it’s only a 5k! Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to load up on carbohydrates, you’re very unlikely to burn off that much fuel.

It’s important to eat well-balanced meals that you’ve been enjoying all along.

On Race Day: Again, don’t make the easy mistake of gulping down lots of water in order to stay hydrated during the race. It’s all about sipping. Sip if it’s hot or your mouth is dry – you’ll often see athletes take a mouthful and then rinse and spit. This is because they’ve stayed hydrated in the days before the race and are ready to go.

In terms of food, make sure you’re not eating anything within two hours of the race. A good pre-race meal that’s loaded with carbs, protein and some fats would be some oatmeal and berries or a bagel with peanut butter.

Begin and take the first kilometer about 10 to 20 per cent slower than you usually would (chances are, this will actually be your normal pace) and this will allow you to finish strong.

Keep your pace slow, steady and even – so you can blast home on that final stretch.

Post-Race: Remember to walk around for at least 10 minutes afterwards. This will your body adequate time to wind down and get your heart rate back to a normal resting state. Do your stretches and refuel.

Give Yourself Enough Time To Prepare For The Race

Amie Dworecki, Running Coach at Running With Life

One thing I would suggest is that people interested in running a 5k give themselves ample time to prepare. This is usually eight to 12 weeks beforehand for someone who has never run before.

The body takes time to adapt, and running is a high-impact sport, so given enough time, the process can go much more smoothly, and with less soreness and reduced chance of injury.

I also suggest that people start out with walking, if they are not regularly doing so. Even five minutes of walking building up a few minutes each time, until they are regularly walking 30+ minutes, three to four times a week.

Then, they can start adding in run intervals. There are many couch to 5k apps and programs available online, with the advantages that they are free and widely available.

However, in many cases it can be a you get what you pay for, and those can be written by anyone, and some have jumps in intensity or frequency that are not appropriate for beginners.

I find it is best to work with a program led by a certified coach if it is available. The advantages are that the program is designed by someone who knows what they are doing, you have someone to ask advice if things are not going well, and you have a group to help support you.

Beginning a running program to the 5k level is as much a mental and lifestyle change, as it is a physical habit. Meeting with a group helps greatly with accountability and that can be key when getting your workouts done. Even an online or virtual group will give this and can be better than trying to go it alone.

I also have 5k training programs on trails. Often the surface of a trail (depending on the area) is much softer than concrete, and for beginners who are not used to the hard pounding on their joints, and/or who may have weight to lose, trails can offer a gentler surface on which to train.

This is also a popular choice for older participants who may not want the jostling of concrete.

If a group is not available, make sure the program is gradual, without sudden sharp increases in running time. And, don’t be afraid to repeat a week if that is what you need to do. This is about reaching the end goal in a way that is successful, versus trying to follow a rigid program that may not be right for the runner.

For an absolute beginner, I have found that starting with run intervals of 30 seconds to one minute is best.

Make sure to include a proper warm-up and cool-down before and after. It doesn’t have to be anything complex. It can be five to 10 minutes of walking with simple stretches that address any areas of personal tightness a person may be experiencing.

I usually suggest running the first race at a manageable pace with the goal being to complete the distance feeling good.

The first race is always a PR (personal record). There will be other races in which speed can be added in as an extra.

Find A Good Place For Your Training And Get The Right Equipment

Ryan Hill, Physical Therapist and Co-founder of The Stride

Running your first 5k is a great goal. It is a race that you can push yourself in, but it’s also a distance for everyone if you put in the effort.

Some of the first things to consider are your goals, how often you can run to train, your fitness level to start, where you plan to train, and if you have the necessary equipment.

When it comes to goals, have one! Maybe the goal is to lose weight, get more fit, or push yourself physically.

Regardless, having the 5k in the calendar gives you a concrete reason to get up and go for that run. It will keep you motivated and engaged in the process.

If your goal is losing weight, then being consistent with running OR walking is the key.

Try to create a habit where it feels like physical activity is a natural part of the day. It can take a few weeks to develop a habit, so having it worked into a 5k training plan is a great way to stay on task.

If your goal is to get more fit or challenge yourself physically, then being prepared to throw in a couple of days of speed work for some variety can be beneficial. Finishing those hard runs can give a great sense of achievement.

Plan to set aside three to four days of jogging per week week and expect to spend thirty minutes to an hour being active on those days.

Typically, we suggest doing your running early in the morning. Morning races are the norm, so it helps to train during the time of day you will perform. The other advantage of starting early is that it gets the work out of the way before all the other life factors arise. It also helps kickstart your metabolism and can help you feel more energized throughout the day.

In terms of fitness level, we recommend that you be able to jog for 10 consecutive minutes before starting a 5k training program.

If you aren’t able to jog for 10 minutes, that’s perfectly fine! Sign up for the race anyways but spend a couple of extra weeks ahead of time doing a jog/walk interval program.

Start with a two-minute jog and three-minute walk x 4. This will be 20 minutes of activity. As it gets easier, increase the amount of time you’re jogging and decrease the time walking.

Finally, have the right equipment. There is no perfect shoe. Your foot is unique to you, so don’t expect the shoe someone else ran in to be what you need.

When you lace up the shoe, you should be able to splay out your toes, and your heel should feel secure in the back of the shoe.

Ideally, the shoe store will allow you to run in the shoe to determine any “hot spots” that you didn’t recognize in the store. While not necessary, having a GPS watch to track your mileage and heart rate can be beneficial.

Finally, reach out to a physical therapist or trainer and get a simple screen performed. They will let you know what muscle groups and motions you should work on to help avoid an injury. One of the best ways to get out of the running is to get hurt on your first race.

Protein Bars: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

When you think about protein bars, what comes to mind? Convenience? Recovery food? Quick energy? While whole foods are preferred to get in overall balanced nutrition, protein bars can provide quick sources of all of the macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fats) as well as an additional burst of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) when you are in a pinch. However, it is important to pay close attention to what exactly is in your protein bar when making your choice.

What's In Your Protein Bar?

Protein

When taking a closer look at protein bars, the most obvious ingredient to take note of is the protein source and content of the bar. Protein itself is broken down into amino acids in the body, which can be used to repair, recover, and build up muscles and support the immune system. Branch chain amino acids (or BCAAs, leucine, isoleucine, and valine) are used to promote the highest rates of muscle protein synthesis and are preferred post-workout. Look for a bar that contains 15-20 grams of protein per bar.

What to Look For:

Carbohydrates and Sweeteners

Carbohydrates always seem to get a bad rap. And when it comes to protein bars, "0 grams of sugar" or "low-carb" are familiar labels on many popular bars out there, as they try to entice consumers into thinking they are a better product.

Full disclosure from a dietitian: In reality, some carbs are actually good to help replenish glycogen stores and repair muscle, not to mention, they give flavor to protein bars. On the flip side, we don't want to just have a bar with straight carbohydrate that spikes and drops our blood sugar. When investigating the label for the carb content of the bar, look for a balanced ratio of carb to protein. When evaluating added sugars in a bar, remember we want to limit added sugars to no more than 50 grams a day, however, that doesn't mean we want to avoid them and replace with sugar alcohols.

Bottom Line When Choosing a Good Protein Bar

Yes, try to choose bars that you enjoy, but try to choose protein bars that have a mixture of carbohydrates and protein in them, as well as a short ingredient list. Use caution with sugar alcohols, fibers, proprietary herbal blends, and added flavorings. And don't seek out a bar just because it says "no sugar" or "low carb."

Six times track races went wrong

When running a track race, you sometimes have to expect the unexpected. Sometimes runners fall, wipe out or get clotheslined by an unforeseen object. We are counting down the top five moments when track races go wrong.

You’d think in a sport so simple and easy to understand that spectators would know enough to stay off the field of play when a race is taking place. On May 7, at Japan’s national 10,000m championship, two employees of NHK Cable (who were airing the race) stepped onto the track in the middle of the race, taking out two of the athletes (see video below). The athletes managed to finish the race without suffering any major injuries.

Spiderman attacks

At an indoor 800m race in Ireland, the lead runner gets caught up in the pole vault elastic bars down the home stretch, causing him to slow down, and ultimately lose, the race. The runner ended up receiving an automatic qualifying spot into the next round, since this interference was beyond his control.

“Let’s go, Lay-Lay”

Usually, in a 200m race, your margin of error is very small. At an AAU track meet at Northwest High School in Omaha, Neb., seven-year-old Talaya Crawford, the daughter of professional boxer Bud Crawford, lost her shoe at the start. Although it took her five seconds to get her shoe back on, it did not matter for Talaya, as she fought back to win the 200m race outright.

Jeffrey Julmis

At the Rio 2016 Olympics, 110m hurdler from Haiti Jeffrey Julmis had a race he’ll never forget. After running well in the heats, Julmis had a hard collision with the first hurdle in the semi-final. He managed to get up and finish the race before being disqualified.

Air Bud rips a speedy 100m

The second coming of Air Bud made an appearance at a 4x200m high school relay race in Utah last year, as a dog jumped on the track and eventually passed the leader and won. From the looks of it, the pup covered the final 100m in 11 seconds; there could be some Olympic potential here. Someone get this good boy some treats

In honour of Will Smith’s Oscar performance (NSFW)

A high school runner at a Florida track meet was sucker punched and knocked to the ground by another athlete during a 1,600m race. The man who threw the punch was standing on the track (not in the race), during the middle of the mile, and the runner shoved him out of the way on his first time around. This seems to have upset him, and he struck the runner in the head on his next lap. The runner who was hit finished the race.

Man celebrates 5K win and loses race

Every so often a runner makes the mistake of over-celebrating their win before they cross the finish line. It’s always nice to win in style or to strike a sweet pose for Instagram, but a man at the Santander Run Series Villa Forma 5K race in Salvador, Brazil, took it too far.

As the runner was approaching the finishing tape, he got down on his hands and knees to kiss the finish line before he crossed it. It’s clear he did not see the other runner coming him before he started celebrating.

Upon further investigation, even though the man’s hands touched the tape before the second runner, the other runner’s body/race chip was the first to physically cross the finish line, which earned him the win.

French Olympian and 1,500m runner Jimmy Gressier has also developed a reputation for showboating before he wins a race, but so far it has not cost him the race.Hopefully, this is a lesson on what not to do when crossing the finish line.

14,000 set for 16th edition of Generali Genève Marathon

After two difficult years with the pandemic, the Generali Genève Marathon in Switzerland is returning to full strength with eight race formats on the event programme and some new features.

Organized by OC Sport, the main marathon event and the half marathon are set for Sunday, May 15, with a number of other events lined up for Saturday, May 14.

This year, financial services firm Generali has become a title partner; and its Swiss foundation, The Human Safety Net Switzerland (THSN), is on board as a charity partner. These two new partnerships will aim to breathe new life into the event, which has returned to its original red colored branding, and features the addition of a new slogan, #RunForRefugees in support of refugees.

The 6km ‘La Genevoise #LikeAGirl by Always’ race, previously intended only for women, has become the ‘5km by Always’, and will now also be open to men. This race is relocated to the lakefront, in front of the jet d’eau, on a fast course conducive to personal bests.

In another evolution, the start in Chêne-Bourg has been slightly moved and will now be just in front of the new Genève train station. This has direct access from many stations to the Lake Geneva area and encourages participants to use public transport.

The organizers will continue to focus on the carbon footprint generated by the event; and a carbon footprint assessment will be carried out. Numerous concrete actions have already been put in place for a number of years, such as the TPG transport ticket offered to each participant, the Geneva water distributed at the refreshment stands without any PET bottles, and the management of waste.

Grand Rapids getting ready to welcome thousands for Amway River Bank Run

The city of Grand Rapid is busy with last-minute preparations Friday as thousands are expected to head to the 45th Annual Amway River Bank Run.

There are a plethora of races this year including the 5K walk and run, the 10K, 25K and special wheelchair and handcycle races.

The races kick off at 7 a.m. with festivities happening until 2 p.m. Saturday.

The wheelchair and handcycle races are the only ones of their kind in the world. Race director David Madiol says River Bank Run is the only race in the world with a wheelchair division. 30 racers from across the world will be participating.

Madiol suggests racers hydrate well through the day, as temperatures are expected to get into the 70's Saturday. Water stations will be along the route to help racers hydrate during the race. All non-racers should be aware of road closures Saturday as the streets of downtown will be closed to accommodate racers. Travelers should plan ahead to take alternate routes to get in and out of the city.

The race is expected to be at about 65 percent capacity as it was before the pandemic as it returns to its usual schedule in May of every year.

A press conference is scheduled Friday for 10 a.m. with 15 of the elite racers and organizers. Sign-up for races is still available in-person throughout the day Friday but not online. The Amway River Bank Run clinic will be at open at Devos Hall Friday until 8 p.m.

Is Your Training Pace Fast Enough?

Beginner and intermediate runners often plagued by the performance plateau. Once a certain level of fitness is reached, improving race times becomes a challenge—especially if you aren't training the right way. Without a variety of workouts, improvement is almost impossible to attain.

Running faster during workouts is essential to achieving a new personal best. In short: To get fast you have to run fast.

The problem for those who do run "fast" is that they're typically not running fast enough.

Running at a pace that's only slightly faster than normal won't help you improve your performance. Even if you're training for a short race like a 5K or 10K, all of your workouts end up being in the aerobic heart rate zone.

Aerobic simply means "with oxygen." The primary energy system is your aerobic metabolism. You use oxygen to fuel your working muscles. When the intensity is relatively low, you can continue at this effort for an extended period of time. These workouts make up the bulk of a good endurance training program.

Anaerobic is the opposite—it means "without oxygen." When anaerobic intensity levels are high, more lactate (more commonly known as lactic acid) is created. Lactate is what produces that burning sensation you might be familiar with late in a race.

To get faster, you'll need a mixture of both. Here's why.

Which Workouts Are Better?

Neither are "better" because they each have different purposes. If you're training for a shorter race like a 10K, your workouts should be evenly divided between aerobic (tempo runs) and anaerobic (5K-paced intervals) workouts.

Runners who are training for a long race like the marathon need less anaerobic work in their training program. A marathon is over 99 percent aerobic. The pace is much slower than a 5K, so you don't have to focus as much on anaerobic training. Classic aerobic workouts for marathon training are:

Tempo workouts

Progression runs

Steady-state or marathon-pace efforts

The shorter your race, the more anaerobic it will be since you'll be running faster. So naturally, your workouts must be faster to meet the specific demands of your goal pace.

If your focus is on a shorter distance like a 5K, these workouts should be included in your training plan:

4 x 1-mile repeats on the track at 10K pace with a 400-meter recovery jog in between reps.

10 x 200-meter repeats on the track at 2-mile race pace with a 200-meter recovery jog in between reps.

3 x 1-mile repeats on the track at 5K race pace with a 400-meter recovery jog in between reps.

You'll notice that not only are you running at your 5K-goal pace, but you're also running faster (2-mile) and slower (10K). These "support" paces help to develop the speed you need to achieve your 5K goals.

For the marathon, it's still a good idea to work occasionally on your speed, but your primary focus should be on building aerobic fitness because of the longer distance. Your pace will be slower, but you still need to focus on what your race-pace goals are. If you're training slower than you plan to race, you won't meet your goals. Adjust your training to include some race-pace workouts, regardless of the distance.

The Difference Between the Two

A key difference between aerobic and anaerobic workouts is that there are more intervals and longer periods of rest during anaerobic workouts. The rest period allows your body to recover so you can continue to run at an anaerobic pace. Without a recovery, there'd be far too much lactate in your blood to allow you to continue running at the pace you need to build speed. In the marathon, aerobic training can be done more frequently because it doesn't take as long to recover.

It's also important to schedule anaerobic workouts in advance to make sure you have enough rest days in between interval sessions. A good running coach can be a big help too, and will teach you how to plan a proper progression of runs. Going too hard or scheduling interval training too frequently can lead to injury.

Every runner needs a good combination of aerobic and anaerobic workouts to reach their potential. Each has value—and in combination, can help you lose weight while running—and will help you to become a faster runner.

Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend Receives Virginia Green Travel Star Award

On April 25, 2022, the Virginia Green Travel program recognized 20 Virginia tourism businesses and 7 individuals for their outstanding efforts to protect the environment and support green tourism in Virginia. The awards were presented during the 9th annual Virginia Green Travel Conference.

The Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend received the Virginia Green Travel Star Award as Green Event of-the-Year for their above-and-beyond efforts to protect the environment and support sustainable tourism in Virginia.

“Conserving natural resources, engaging customers, and working to increase sustainable tourism business in Virginia. The Virginia Green Travel Certification program works to support and promote those businesses that are committed to reducing the environmental impacts of their operation,” says Tom Griffin, the Executive Director of the Virginia Green Travel Alliance. “The Virginia Green Travel Star Awards recognizes the ‘greenest’ businesses and individuals that have demonstrated outstanding commitments to the environment in the past year. We are proud to recognize J&A Racing and the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend as a true partner in our efforts to promote sustainable tourism in Virginia!”

“We are thrilled for the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend to be recognized for this great award,” said Amy Frostick, Co-Owner of J&A Racing.  “At J&A Racing, we understand the importance of being environmentally conscious, and we work really hard to take care of the community that we are so blessed to call home.  We live in an amazing place to log our miles, and we are dedicated to continuing to keep it green!”

The Virginia Green Travel program is run through a partnership between the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia State Parks, the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association, and the Virginia Green Travel Alliance. The program encourages green practices in all sectors of Virginia’s tourism industry. More than 1,200 businesses and partner organizations have voluntarily certified their green commitments through Virginia Green.

The Virginia Tourism Corporation promotes the certified Virginia Green program partners at www.virginia.org/green-travel and encourages visitors to plan their green vacations in Virginia.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality provides technical resources and oversight of the certification process — www.deq.virginia.gov/get-involved/pollution-prevention/virginia-green

The Virginia Green Travel Alliance is the non-profit organization that administers the Virginia Green certification program and supports partner outreach and educational opportunities – www.VirginiaGreen.net.

All 41 Virginia State Parks are certified in the Virginia Green Travel program, and VSP and Virginia Green Travel are working to “co-brand” and promote sustainable tourism opportunities in all regions of the Commonwealth.

Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association assists in promotion and development of educational opportunities for the tourism industry.

About J&A Racing

J&A Racing is a nationally recognized race management company based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. With a portfolio of seven events, J&A Racing’s mission is to promote and support healthy lifestyles and the sport of running through all stages of life. Since 2003 when J&A Racing owners, Amy and Jerry Frostick, took over the Shamrock Sportsfest, the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend has become one of the most popular running events in the country growing from 3,000 participants to a record 30,000 in 2015. 

What should you look for in your first running coach

Are you looking to take your running to the next level? Or are you looking for help to achieve a specific running goal? Having a great coach is an essential part of every great athlete’s success, but to get to that point, you have to find a coach who fits the bill. Finding a coach can be intimidating. How do you find the right one? And what should you look for?

Use the following tips to help you find the best coach for you.

Your purpose

Why do you need a coach? What’s holding you back from achieving your goals on your own? These are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself before you go looking. When you start your search, look for training groups or coaches in your area who have experience with coaching runners at your level. For example, if you are looking to run a marathon, it doesn’t make sense to seek sign on with someone who is primarily a sprint coach. 

Another thing you want to think about is your schedule. How much time you can commit to training? How much money can you budget for coaching? And what do you specifically want to focus on?

Their experience

There are plenty of running coaches out there who train athletes based on what they’ve learned through their years as a runner; some of them are very good, and others are less good. It’s great to have a coach who understands you as an athlete and knows or has experience in what you are going through or training for. 

heck out the coach’s experiences as not only a runner but as a coach of other athletes, and their qualifications. Chatting with past or current runners who have trained under that coach can give you a pretty good idea. Then you can see if your goals align with their coaching style to ensure it’s the right fit. 

A referral 

If any of your running friends have a coach, a referral is a great place to start looking. Ask your friends about their experience while training under the coach. Some great questions to ask are: How responsive are they? What does the typical training plan look like? What are the expectations? And what is the connection between coach and athlete like?

If you are new to a city or are unsure of where to find a coach, try asking at your local running store. Many running stores will have a list of coaches, plus they are familiar with other coaches in the area. 

The cost

Everything in life comes at a cost, and so do most running coaches. Depending on your goals or financial situation, you’ll have to find a coach who will fit your budget.

When looking for a coach, make sure you are getting good value for what you are paying. Don’t pay $200 a month for a virtual training plan that isn’t personalized. Make sure the cost is appropriate to what you will be getting in return. 

Another thing you need to determine is whether you are looking for a personal 1-on-1 coach or a group coach. Having a personal coach will generally drive up the cost per month while joining a coached group like Vancouver’s Mile2Marathon or Toronto’s BlackToe RC will cost significantly less. 

Communication

Treat finding a coach like a hiring interview. You always want to hire the candidate who is best suited for the job. Sit down and interview your potential coach before making your decision. Make sure your philosophies align and that they believe in you as an athlete. Try to ask in-depth questions to get an understanding of what training will be like under their wing. Good communication is the most important thing in any relationship. It’s great to interview a few candidates to find the best fit. 

Another thing to do is to trust your initial gut reaction. Your instinct and intuition should be your first gauge of whether or not a coach is right for you, and you’ll likely be able to determine that in your first interaction. If something feels off when you first meet them, keep looking. When you find the right coach you’ll know. 

How Jo Schoonbroodt smashed the world 70 plus marathon record

At an age where many of his contemporaries are winding down, the man they call the Grey Kenyan is somehow speeding up. On Sunday Jo Schoonbroodt, a 71-year-old from Maastricht, ran a marathon in a staggering 2hr 54min 19sec to become the fastest septuagenarian in history.

A few days later, when the Guardian catches up with him, his achievement is still sinking in. “I only started jogging at 36 because my doctor told me I had high cholesterol,” he says, chuckling. “But last year I ran 7,242 kilometres [4,450 miles], which is more than double what I did in my car.”

It also turns out that Schoonbroodt’s new 70+ world record, set at the Maasmarathon of Visé in Belgium, was inspired partly by an unlikely source: the Flemish crooner Eddy Wally. With a few miles remaining, he knew he was just ahead of the previous best, set by Gene Dyckes in 2018, because a friend was following him on his bike and barking out his lap times. But his legs were starting to get heavier.

“However, my friend had a special trick to keep me on track,” says Schoonbroodt, who was wearing a yellow and blue kit in support of Ukraine. “He picked up his phone and put Eddy Wally’s song Chérie, Chérie on repeat. I’ve always loved it, I don’t know why. It gave me a boost in morale. I overtook one runner after another and, despite getting cramp in the final 500m, I was able to break the record by four seconds.”

Incredibly it was Schoonbroodt’s 75th sub-three-hour marathon, and it came only four weeks after his 74th at the Rotterdam marathon. For good measure, the flying Dutchman also holds a number of ultra running records. He is clearly no ordinary Jo. But the secrets of his success might surprise you.

“Most runners train too hard. I do a lot of my training with groups who run very slowly. And then I build on these basics with some faster interval training. But I don’t do the same stupid distance 10 or 20 times – I prefer to have a lot of fun with my running.”

Schoonbroodt often runs at nine- or 10-minute mile pace, far slower than the 6:38min miles he ran for 26.2 miles to set his world record, but he says the crucial thing is he listens to his body. “A lot of people follow a training plan or coach and push on even when their body is saying: ‘No, this is not a good day to do it.’ But if you go out the door and just do what you feel, it’s easier to keep running and stay injury-free.”

He also dismisses the idea that runners need to do anything special with their diets. “Diet? No, no,” he scoffs. “No diet! I eat double portions, of course, with all these calories I burn. I love pasta and potatoes. But whatever is on the table, I eat it.”

He has a similarly relaxed attitude when it comes to alcohol. “I prefer the French wine and the Belgian beer. Not too much, and mostly on weekends. Wine is just a grape drink, so it’s made from nature. And Belgian beer is special. And if you do all this with your body,” he adds, referring to the 85 miles he still runs each week, “you need to give it something back. And this is what I give back to the body!”

Schoonbrot is a former IT worker and can tell the exact day he started running – 1 January 1986 – and how many kilometres – 120,000 – he has done since. But he stresses he was no natural. At first people called him Jogger Jo, because he was slow. Nowadays he gets called the Grey Kenyan – a nickname given to him years ago by a race announcer as he blasted past athletes a third of his age.

Being a late bloomer, he believes, has actually helped him because his ego never had to worry about chasing faster times of his youth. “Because I started so late, I missed my best years. But that’s no problem. Everything is still new to me.”

Schoonbroodt also cites the new range of carbon-plated “super shoes”, which have swept the running world over the past five years, as a key factor. On Sunday he ran in the Asics Metapeed Sky, and has been an ambassador for the Japanese company for the past four years, preaching the positive benefits of exercise to sceptics and lapsed practitioners.

But while Schoonbrodt’s achievements are exceptional, he is not the only old master to defy conventional wisdom. Several men older than 70 have run a sub-three-hour marathon – the first of whom, Ed Whitlock, who died in 2017, also ran a 3:15 marathon after turning 80.

So what might explain this phenomenon? John Brewer, a sports scientist at the University of the West of Scotland, points out that while we experience a 10% decline in muscle mass every decade as we age, the decline isn’t as sharp for endurance. “The scientific evidence shows that you can maintain your aerobic capacity – your Vo2 max – very effectively into old age,” he says.

“And if you look at where we are now compared to 40 years ago, the advances in nutrition, sports science, recovery and technology, all mean that it is more feasible for people in their 60s and 70s to produce good performance if they follow the right training.”

Brewer, who was also part of England’s backroom staff for the 1990 World Cup, says Schoonbrodt’s story carries another message – that it is never too late. “People think they can’t turn it around after years of no exercise or poor diets,” he says. “Well, actually you can.”

Schoonbroodt, meanwhile, has no plans to put his feet up. “My next marathon is in two and a half weeks, on an old Roman road built 2,000 years ago,” he says, the excitement obvious. It will be his fifth in 2022. And with that he is off. After all, the quest for a 76th sub-three-hour marathon waits for no man. Not even one who is 71.

46th Grandma’s Marathon Surpasses 20,000 Racers

With just 6 weeks left till the 46th annual Grandma’s Marathon, its crunch time to get the final pieces put together before thousands of racers take off on June 18th.

This year the race returned to full capacity and as of Wednesday morning, registration passed 20,000 racers which means it’s on track to being one of the largest Grandma’s races in history.

A modification that was created last year to accommodate covid, which was the post-race entertainment at Bayfront Festival Park, is returning due to its success and staff is anticipating a busy weekend.

“There’s only a couple hundred spots in total left in any of the three races and that’s exciting and when we hit a sellout, this will be the first time since 2016 that we can say all three races, all the events for the weekend are sold out for participants and so it’s going to be a big weekend and it’s going to be fun,” Zach Schneider, Director Of PR And Marketing for Grandma’s Marathon said.

Registration for the races is still open while spaces are, or until June 1st, whichever comes first, and Grandma’s is also looking for more volunteers to help out on race weekend.

Stop trying to be perfect, you don't have to get everything right all the time

As runners, we like to set big goals and work hard to achieve them. We want to create the perfect training plan, have the perfect build and follow the perfect diet so that we can have that “perfect race.” Today, we’re putting a stop to the madness. Runners, if you want to enjoy and have success in the sport, please — stop trying to be perfect.

The “do what you can” approach

American tennis legend Arthur Ashe once said “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” Ashe may not have been a runner, but his advice is applicable to every sport. You may not have access to state-of-the-art facilities, be able to afford the latest-and-greatest super shoes or have the luxury of taking long naps after all of your long runs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still run well.

Take Olympic decathlon gold medallist, Damian Warner, for example. Thanks to COVID-19 lockdowns, he was unable to access all of his usual training facilities, so he ended up training for the entire year in a make-shift gym with half the equipment he was used to. Despite this, he still managed to set an Olympic record, win the gold medal, and become only the fourth person to ever break the 9,000 point barrier in the decathlon.

A lot of what happens during training and racing is out of your control. Maybe you got the flu part-way through your training cycle and had to take a week off. Perhaps you woke up on race day to crazy winds or pouring rain. When something unexpected happens that derails your training or ruins your shot at a PB, it’s easy to panic, get upset and throw in the towel, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Take Olympic bronze medallist Molly Seidel. She revealed after the race that in her build-up to the New York City Marathon, she had cracked three ribs. Instead of letting that ruin her race (or giving up entirely), she did however much running she could handle and ended up setting an American course record and placing fourth.

After the race, she said, “It doesn’t have to be perfect going into these things, but if you put your effort out there, if you pour everything you have into this, you’ll find a way.”

Relax and enjoy yourself

It’s important for runners to remember that the reason you put your shoes on every day is that you love the sport. If your drive to get a new personal best is preventing you from enjoying the process, then what’s the point? Instead, try to relax and have fun with it.

Des Linden is going to be running the 2022 BAA 10K

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today that 2018 Boston Marathon champion and two-time Olympian Des Linden will return to compete in the 2022 B.A.A. 10K, presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, on Sunday, June 26. The B.A.A. 10K is the second event of the 2022 B.A.A. Distance Medley, a three-race series which also includes April’s B.A.A. 5K and November’s B.A.A. Half Marathon.

Earlier today, Linden announced on Instagram her participation in the upcoming event.

In 2018 Linden won the Boston Marathon, the first time an American woman claimed the open division title in 33 years. She has placed in the top five at the Boston Marathon five times and last ran the B.A.A. 10K in 2018 when she ran among the masses and finished hand in hand with B.A.A. runner Katsuhiro Togami.

Registration for the 2022 B.A.A. 10K, presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is currently open through the B.A.A.’s online platform Athletes’ Village. All participants who enter will receive an adidas participant shirt, unique bib number, and finisher medal. Additional participant information can be found on baa.org. The race will start at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 26 on Charles Street adjacent to Boston Common and Boston Public Garden.

Athletes interested in supporting Brigham and Women's Hospital, the B.A.A. 10K’s presenting sponsor and exclusive fundraising partner, are encouraged to visit www.runbwh.org/10k. Since 2016, more than 2,100 runners and 180 teams have raised $1.2 million to fuel life-giving breakthroughs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Linden will also be participating in the first-ever B.A.A. 10K Fest & Field Day on Saturday, June 25, one day prior to the race. From 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Boston Common, 10K Fest & Field Day will feature youth fitness activities, games, appearances by professional athletes, running clinics, and more. Participants will also be able to pick-up their participant shirts and bib numbers at 10K Fest. Additional details will be available on baa.org in the coming weeks.

ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.’s Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs.

Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. For more information on the B.A.A., or the B.A.A. club, racing team, and High Performance Team, please visit www.baa.org.