Running News Daily

After Much Anticipation, Orlando Announced as Host of the Olympic Marathon Trials

The race will take place on February 3, 2024.

USA Track & Field (USATF) has named a host city for the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials, and it’s Orlando, Florida. 

The Trials will take place on February 3, 2024, giving the local organizing committee on the ground only 15 months to prepare for the high-profile event. 

The top three finishers in the men’s and women’s races will represent Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris (provided they have met the ever-evolving standards set by World Athletics, the sport’s worldwide governing body, to run at the Games). 

USATF was slow in naming a host city for the event. By contrast, when the Atlanta Track Club hosted the 2020 Olympic Trials, those organizers had 22 months to put together a race for about 700 men and women. 

The fields for the race in Orlando will likely be smaller, however, because the qualifying standards to get into the Trials are tougher than they were to get into the 2020 race. In December 2021, USATF announced that women had to run a marathon faster than 2:37 in order to qualify. (For the 2020 Trials, that time was 2:45.) Or, they need to run a half marathon faster than 1:12. 

Following Sunday’s NYC Marathon, only 60 women have run a marathon qualifying time. The window for half marathon qualifying opens on January 1, 2023. Men wanting to qualify for the 2024 Trials have to run 2:18 or faster (last time, the standard was 2:19) or 1:03 in the half marathon. As of mid-October, which was the last time USATF updated its list, 68 men had qualified for the Trials.

The California International Marathon, to be run this year on December 4, typically yields several Trials qualifiers. 

Orlando is the first Florida city to be awarded the event.

The 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials were one of the last elite races held before the COVID pandemic shut down the world for more than a year and postponed the Olympics. At the 2021 Olympic marathon, held in Sapporo, Japan, American Molly Seidel won a bronze medal. The 2024 Olympic marathons in Paris will be held in August of that year.

Tommy Rivers Puzey ran the New York City Marathon, reminds us to celebrate life

Endurance athlete, iFit trainer, and Instagram poet Tommy Rivers Puzey joined the masses at the 2022 NYC Marathon on Sunday, once again reminding the world of the power of the spirit. “This one wrecked me, but it’s such a beautiful thing to feel my legs in absolute tatters,” he shared on social media post-race, and fans the world over celebrated.

Puzey, or ‘Rivs’ (as fans and friends call him), has for years been an inspiring force to the endurance world and regular runners alike. Once known for being an elite marathoner, ultrarunner and triathlete, Puzey told Sports Illustrated that this year’s marathon wasn’t about running fast. Rather, it was about celebrating his incredible recovery from a rare type of lung cancer. Puzey finished the marathon in 6:13:54, more than three hours faster than last year’s time–a time fans were astounded to see was possible from a man who had been close to dying.

Heading into Sunday’s race, Puzey shared: “To everyone lining up tomorrow–embrace this moment. Don’t miss it. Don’t defer this joy. It’s all happening right now. There is cause to celebrate. Seize it while you can.” His words remind us all that forward is a pace, that gratitude matters, and that being present is the best part of a marathon.

“This could be as good as it will ever get. And that is good enough,” he added.

In July 2020, the running community was shocked to find out that Puzey had been diagnosed with primary pulmonary NK/T-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. For a time, Puzey’s social media, known for his eloquently worded posts that touched on everything from children to love to athleticism, went silent.

The global running community rallied in an astounding way at a strange and devastating time–COVID-19 was disrupting and impacting lives worldwide–contributing to fundraisers, sharing their #teamrivstuesday runs, and sending messages of encouragement as his family posted updates of Puzey’s progress.

Last year, fans were shocked to see Puzey’s post before the 2021 edition of the NYC Marathon. Less than a year after taking his first steps after treatment, the beloved athlete completed the New York City Marathon in 9:18:57.

The runner, easily recognizable with his beard, signature black skull-and-crossbones hat and ever-present kind smile, slowly made his way through the city’s five boroughs, high-fiving spectators as he went. Once an aspiring U.S. Olympic trials marathoner, he called completing the 2021 marathon “the single most difficult athletic achievement” he’d ever accomplished.

This year’s race was different. Puzey told SI that his focus now is on “building enough mass and endurance and building enough strength and fortitude so that, if and when I do get sick again, I have enough meat on my bones to give the doctors something to work with.” In the last year, followers of Puzey have watched as he gained strength, cheered on friends and teammates, and celebrated life with his family.

His ever-present gratitude is a reminder in almost everything Puzey shares. “It’s rare to find a more distilled, purified version of that beautiful humanity than in a place like NYC on the morning of the marathon. Look for it. You’ll find it. I promise,” he told his legions of followers on Instagram pre-race.

Puzey’s three daughters and wife Steph Catudal often feature in his social media posts, and Catudel accompanied him during last year’s marathon, a slow walk. This year Puzey ran solo–but with legions of fans on the race course spectating and following along.

“I was carried by the incredible humanity on display over every single mile of this brutal course,” Puzey wrote on Instagram. “I’m so grateful that we all get to do life here together at the same time.”

We feel the same way, Rivs.

Sharon Lokedi's New York City Marathon won a "major" victory for Under Armour

One thing Sharon Lokedi of Kenya and her sponsor, Under Armour, have in common is they both came into the 2022 New York City Marathon as underdogs. Lokedi, a standout collegiate athlete in the NCAA at the University of Kansas, was making her marathon debut in NYC, but since turning pro in 2019, she did not have a breakthrough performance on her resume. And every major marathon since Des Linden at the Boston Marathon with Brooks in 2018 has been won by an athlete wearing either Nike, Adidas or Asics.On Sunday, the two made history together. Lokedi became only the second woman to win NYC in her marathon debut, following in the footsteps of her Kenyan compatriot Tegla Loroupe, who won in 1994. Lokedi was the first athlete to win an Abbott World Marathon Major wearing a pair of Under Armour shoes.The shoes she wore were a World Athletics-approved prototype of the new iterations of the Flow Velociti Elite—a shoe designed for 10K and half marathon distances to help you move forward with speed and efficiency.Designed as a contender to rival the top competitors in the market, the Flow Velociti Elite is for runners who need a balance of flexibility and cushioning in their racing shoes. Every stride with the Velociti Elite is amplified by a full-length carbon-fibre plate sandwiched in a soft midsole foam, which compresses and springs back for added lift and energy return, delivering an explosive lift-off.

The UA Flow Velociti Elite comes in at 212 grams and has an 8 mm offset.When Lokedi signed with Under Armour after winning the 10,000m at the 2019 NCAA Championships, they promised her top-of-the-line footwear development and innovation, to set her up for success.

“It’s an honour to be the first Under Armour athlete to win a major marathon,” said Lokedi. “I am so grateful to be a part of a brand that builds and supports their athletes to be the best they can be.”

She currently trains in Flagstaff, Ariz., under the direction of coach Stephen Haas and Pat Casey with the UA Misson Run Dark Sky Distance Project.In 2020, when the group was founded, Haas and Casey worked with Under Armour to build a team of athletes who could train with Lokedi. Although she has resided in the U.S. since 2014, she holds Kenyan citizenship and competed at Kenyan Olympic Trials in 2021 (finishing seventh in the 10,000m).

The new variation of the UA Flow Velociti Elite will hit the Canadian market with limited availability on UA.com in the spring of 2023.

Three tips to help you plan your next racing season

Races are fewer and farther between in the winter months, and it’s the perfect time to sit down and plan your next running season. There are so many options and types of races or running adventures to jump into, and it can be tempting to hop into every available race when you’re feeling fit. Here’s how you can set yourself up for a solid season, and maybe even a few PBs.

1.- Reflect and assess

Recognizing where you are at and looking at how your past season went is essential. Whether you felt like you ran the best season of your life or you faced some serious setbacks, accept where you are as the perfect place to begin. Making a list of things that went well for you (be as specific as possible) and things that challenged you.

Give yourself credit for small successes–did you master some technical trails but DNF due to fuelling issues? Both of those are important things to recognize to help you learn where your skills lie and what you need to work on for next season.

2.- Pick 1–2 key races (with a few shorter races as training)

We know, it’s really hard to limit yourself to only a couple of big events. Make sure there’s adequate time in between races for you to fit in a full training block, including recovery, a build, and a taper–and make sure to ask for support and advice from veterans of the sport (or a coach) if you are jumping into new-to-you distance or terrain.

I’ll aim to run a fast (for me) marathon in the spring, and have my peak ultra-distance race toward the end of summer, leaving lots of time for recovery, training, and smaller races.

Shorter races where you plan to jump in and run for fun, rather than race intensely, can be a great way to learn and expand your skill set. Have a healthy awareness of what your intentions are heading into the race and avoid getting caught up in the competition. Short, local events are a great way to participate in your community and can be used as fun training sessions.

3.- Factor in your off-season and build-up

Allow time in your season to rest, both mentally and physically, and then a period of base building. Despite most runners’ inclination to immediately get back to training hard, some time off will help you stay injury-free and motivated. Use the time (ideally two weeks minimum) to rest and recover.

If you feel like you have to stay moving, try something new–head to a local spin class, go skating or learn how to play pickleball. Yes, pickleball. You might find an activity you really enjoy, and when you start running again you’ll feel refreshed and ready to focus on your new goals.

How people respond when you tell them you’re a runner

You know that moment when you meet someone and tell them you’re a runner. You’ve probably had to answer at least a few of these several times.

We love that others are curious about our sport. We know the sport so well but others are in awe when we explain just the basics. When you tell someone you’re a runner, here are some of the most common questions you have to answer.

1. What is the longest distance you’ve ever run? 

When someone asks this, you often have to pause and think. Maybe it’s just over 10K maybe it’s 30 or 40. Do stage races count? Whatever your answer is, it feels unimpressive until you see the look on their face.

2. I hate running.

This is a common one. You basically say something like “Once you get into it, it gets easier,” but you can tell you’re not converting this person any time soon so you drop it.

3. Don’t you find it boring?

That moment when someone calls yours hobby boring…  You know what they mean,  many find the sport boring. You get it. You just respond by telling them no you don’t find it boring and bite your tongue before adding that you obviously wouldn’t be keeping it up if you did.

4.Can you run 5K? 

You say yes realizing that this is a given and something that you take for granted.

5. Can you run 10K? 

Admit that it kind of feels good when the other person finds this impressive. To you, this is likely a distance you could do any day.

6. How many marathons have you done?

This is fun to talk about if you’ve done several marathons. If not, it can be frustrating explaining that you haven’t graduated to the marathon but that you’ve really chopped down your 5K and 10K PBs. You can tell they are unimpressed.

7. Do you run in winter? 

When you say yes, they often look alarmed. And maybe a little bit worried. You assure them that it’s fine.

8. Wait, you get up at 5:00 a.m.? 

Explaining this one never gets easy.

9. But you’re already skinny. 

It’s hard to hide your sheer annoyance at this comment. Your running is about so much more than achieving a particular body size but somehow, people never seem to believe you.

10. I can only run ___. 

This is what someone says before you convince them that it’s not true. To you, this is the opener to a motivational pep talk.

11. I couldn’t give up my favorite foods for health foods. 

When you let them in on the little secret that you actually don’t eat just health food, their mind is blown. Job well done.

12. Do you do any sports though? 

If you stared blankly at this person and then went on to explain (slightly snarky) that running is a sport, we’re OK with this response.

13. Want to train me for the race I entered?

Depending on how often you’ve been asked this question, you either love it or you hate it. On one hand, you’re pumped to have a new running friend. On the other, you’re worried that they will quit on you.  

Valencia Marathon elite line-up has ambitious goals for 2022

The Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso elite line-up for its 42nd edition on 4 December, when some of the best athletes on the international scene will take to the streets of Valencia Ciudad del Running with the aim of improving the course record (2:03:00) and seeking the best women’s debut in the history of the event.

Tamirat Tola (2:03:39), the reigning World Marathon champion, heads the men’s line-up alongside his Ethiopian compatriots Getaneh Molla (2:03:34) and Dawit Wolde (2:04:27) in a preliminary list with up to seven athletes with fastest times under 2:05 over the Marathon distance. Kenya, a world power in the marathon, will be well represented not only by Jonathan Korir (2:04:32), but also by a trio of important debutants over the distance: Alexander Mutiso, Philemon Kiplimo and Kelvin Kiptum. Attention will also be focused on another athlete who will be initiated at 42,195 metres: the Ethiopian Milkesa Menghesa, the winner of the Copenhagen Half Marathon.

Valencia will also witness an interesting European battle between Germany’s Petros, Sweden’s Tsegayand the Swiss runner Wanders. Overall, the final line-up includes over 150 runners with accredited times under 2:20:00 for the marathon or 1:06:00 for the half marathon.

Gidey: the most eagerly awaited debut

In the women’s category, the spotlight will be on the long-awaited debut of Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey(currently world record holder in the 5000, 10000, 15K and half marathon, two of which were achieved in Valencia), who will make an eye-catching debut in a marathon on 4 December with the realistic ambition of beating the time of 2:17:23 (world record for a debutant), but also of getting as close as possible to the women’s world record of 2:14:04 (Brigid Kosgei, Chicago).

The Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui, also a debutant, could become the other female star of the Valencia Marathon in 2022, without forgetting some of the other runners included in this line-up with excellent times: Sutume Kebede (2:18:12) and Etagegne Woldu (2:20:16), who achieved second place last year in this marathon.

Overall, the final line-up contains over 80 athletes who have run sub 2h45:00 in the marathon or sub 1:17:30 in the half marathon.

Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui to make marathon debut at Valencia Marathon

The Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medalist Sheila Chepkirui has expressed her excitement about making her full marathon debut at the Valencia Marathon on December 4.

Chepkirui has had a successful career on track and the half marathon and thinks it was time for her to try the 42km distance.

“I am happy to be making my debut in Valencia…I just think it’s time for me to try this new journey. I have had some great moments on the track and I am hoping I will be able to register the same in the marathon,” Chepkirui said, adding that she is praying for good health on the race day. 

Chepkirui said she looks up to 2018 London Marathon champion Vivian Cheruiyot because of her hard work and remarkable races both on track and roads. She said her body is responding well to training so far and her goal is to finish the race. 

“After the Commonwealth Games, I had a slight injury but it got better. The training has been going on well and I am happy my body is responding well,” she said.

Meanwhile, the race has attracted 11 elite Kenyan athletes with Jonathan Korir being the fastest among his male compatriots with a PB of 2:04:32 posted last year in Amsterdam, where he placed fourth. 

Korir participated in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August and placed fifth in the marathon in 2:14:06. He was a distance  12th in Tokyo Marathon in 2:08:04 back in March.

The 2017 World marathon champion Geoffrey Kirui will also be in the mix. Kirui has a personal best time of 2:06:27. He placed fourth in 2:19:28 at this year’s Juarez International Marathon.

Others in the field are 2020 Santa Pola Half Marathon champion Alexander Mutiso, 2021 Bahrain Night Half Marathon champion Philemon Kiplimo and Kelvin Kiptum. Mutiso, Kiplimo and Kiptum will be making their debut in the 42km event. 

Bethwell Kipkemboi will be returning to Valencia with the hope of improving on his 17th-place finish during last year’s edition. He has a personal best time of 2:07:41. Others in the race will be Ronald Korir (PB 2:07:29) and Simon Kipkosgei (PB 2:07:07).

This will be Korir’s third race of the season after winning the BP Castellón Marathon in February and a fifth-place finish at the Volkswagen Prague Marathon.

Other Kenyan women in the field will be Monica Ngige who has a PB of  2:22:13 posted in Boston in April and Fancy Chemutai (PB 2:24:27). 

Five things to remember before jumping up to the marathon

Naturally, runners who have finished their first half-marathon are eager for that what’s next. Whether you want to run a marathon or not, the half-marathon can give you a brief idea of what to expect and what to work on before you move up in distance.

Although moving up from a half-marathon to a marathon makes sense, that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy. Here are five things to remember when moving up to the marathon. 

1.- Find the right race

Find a destination that means a lot to you or that will help motivate you to train. Don’t just sign up for the next marathon on the race calendar. There are several things you should take into account before signing up, such as race date, field size, location and course elevation. If you are trying to chase a Boston qualifier or fast time you may want to lean toward a marathon with a flatter course, but for some, a marathon with rolling hills can help the mental miles go by faster.

2.- Plan. Plan. Plan

Planning is essential, and maybe the most important thing when moving up in distance. You’ll need enough time to find or develop a training plan and build a base before you dive head first into training. Increasing your mileage will take time, and there is nothing more discouraging than trying to quickly increase your mileage because you are in over your head. Plan your training in advance or month-by-month to set yourself up for success. Most runners will begin training 16 to 20 weeks out from their marathon, whereas in the half, 10 to 12 weeks is standard.

If you are going straight from a half to the marathon, be sure to space out the dates by at least four to six weeks to allow your body to recover and increase mileage. The last thing you want to do is run your first marathon on tired legs. 

3.- Prioritize distance

If it is your first marathon, you should focus on increasing your distance instead of your speed. Prioritize the mileage, and let the speed come naturally.

Don’t feel discouraged if it feels like you are losing speed–it is a natural occurrence when training for the marathon. Running longer distances increases the stress on your muscles and joints, so don’t be too concerned if your 5K to 10K paces slow down as a result. It’s temporary. Take your time on the long runs and do what you need to to finish strong, rather than pushing yourself to potential injury.

4.- Practice fueling

Some runners can get through a half-marathon without energy gels or bars, but for a marathon, you need to find a fueling strategy that will work for you. After 75 minutes of exercise, the body’s glycogen stores are depleted and you need to take on carbohydrates.

There are tons of great products out there for marathon runners, but you’ll want to experiment with them during training to find the ones that work for you. Practice and tweak your fueling and hydration techniques early in your training to ensure you have enough time to settle on the right one. Once you find a fueling strategy, it will help you feel more confident and comfortable come race day.

5.- Be modest with your expectations

Although preparation is important for your first marathon, the race itself will provide you with the most wisdom. Anything can and will happen during your first marathon, and most of the time it’s beyond your control. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Here’s how curiosity will make you a better runner

Listen to enough podcast interviews with elite athletes and you’ll start to notice a commonality–many cite the importance of curiosity. Whether it’s wondering how far or fast they can go, or how deep they can dig, masters of the sport are curious. Bringing an element of curiosity into your own running can help you learn, overcome fear, and have more fun.

“I’ve heard athlete after athlete talk about being driven by a curiosity to see ‘what if?’,” sports psychologist and ultrarunner Addie Bracy shares in her book Mental Training for Ultrarunning.

Bracy adds: “Not only does approaching a hard task with curiosity help to create a healthy relationship with vulnerability (something that is required for doing hard things), the performance-enhancing qualities of this mental skill go even further.”

Open-mindedness

Bracy says that an open mind is one that wants to learn, gain new information, and even challenge currently-held beliefs. Constant growth is crucial for success in any domain, from running trails, dominating the track, or being a CEO at a top-performing business.

Even if you feel like you’re skilled at what you do, choosing to operate from curiosity is an option.”When you do, creativity is expanded and you learn more ways of doing things,” says Bracy.

Stepping past fear

Being curious means overcoming fear and apprehension to take risks. This can be intimidating, but Bracy says that’s normal. “You can override and rewire those reactions,” she explains. “One of the most powerful benefits of an open and curious mind is the freedom to respond to the things you encounter rather than making fear-driven assumptions about the challenges you’ll face,” Bracy adds.

This takes practice, but navigating fear and reframing things with a curious mind is a valuable skill. Instead of assuming you know what will happen, taking a “beginner’s mind” approach and staying open to any possibility is a great jumping-off point.

More joy (who doesn’t want more of that?!)

Children are often perfect examples of curiosity. Eager to learn about the world and with less-rigid worldviews than adults, they ask constant questions and are willing to test boundaries–and have fun doing it. Bracy says that neurological studies suggest curiosity makes learning more pleasurable and rewarding.

While we might not always categorize our running training as learning, in essence, that’s what it is, for both our bodies and minds. Approaching each training or running experience with curiosity can help us enjoy the process while maximizing the knowledge we’re able to take away and apply to our next challenge.

Two-time European 800m champion Selina Rutz-Büche retires from running, citing long COVID

Two-time European 800m champion and Swiss 800m record holder Selina Rutz-Büchel announced her retirement on social media Wednesday, citing long COVID. 

Rutz-Büchel is a two-time European indoor champion in the 800m, winning titles in 2015 and 2017. During her 12-year career, she held a personal best of 1:57.95 for the two-lap event, which she set at the Paris Diamond League in 2015. She represented Switzerland at the 2016 Olympic Games and the 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships.

According to Swiss Athletics, she was infected with the the coronavirus in April 2021, but since then has not been able to return to her training routine. Initially, the symptoms were severe, and in the last year and a half, she has not been able to make the progress she had hoped. 

In April 2022, Rutz-Büchel, 31, gave birth to her daughter, but her state of health post-coronavirus “overtaxed her body and did not allow her to train,” she explained to Swiss Athletics.

“Due to ongoing health issues (long Covid), I have decided to retire from elite sports,” Rutz-Büchel wrote on her Instagram. “I am grateful to look back on a wonderful time when I was allowed to put sport at the center of my life. A heartfelt thank you to all the lovely people who accompanied and supported me on my way.”

Rutz-Büchel is not the only professional runner who has shared their struggles with the virus. Earlier this year, Australian Olympic 1,500m finalist Stewart McSweyn was forced to withdraw from the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, after a long bout with COVID-19. It took McSweyn, 27, several months to get over the respiratory effects of the virus. He returned to form at July’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore., where he placed ninth in the 1,500m final.

Canadian record holder and Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse also struggled to make a comeback post-virus. He came down with the illness before the 2022 Canadian Track and Field Championships in June and was not able to fully regain his fitness in time for the World Athletics Championships in July; he dropped out of the 200m, citing shortness of breath. However, De Grasse came back to run the anchor leg for the 4x100m relay team, helping Canada earn their first world championship gold in the event since 1997. 

One major question runners ask post-Covid is how long it will take to get back their fitness and feel normal again. Dr. Mark Wurfel, a pulmonologist at the University of Washington Chest Clinic, says the answer is “frustratingly vague”: “It’s important to recognize up front that it will take some time for your body to recover. Your time back to fitness will depend on how long you were out of training, the severity of your illness, and what lingering symptoms you have.”

Rutz-Büchel wrote that she hopes to stay in the sport as a coach and trainer, but is looking forward to spending more time with her family.

2022 B.A.A. Half Marathon Returns to Franklin Park on Sunday

The 2022 B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, will be held this Sunday, November 13, starting and finishing within Franklin Park. The event returns to an in-person format for the first time since 2019 and features a star-studded professional field leading the charge for 9,000 entrants from the Greater Boston area and beyond.

To support your coverage of this year’s event, please find event storylines and race information below. Media interested in covering the 2022 B.A.A. Half Marathon can submit credential requests here or email media@baa.org for more information. Credential pick-up will occur at the Media Tent within White Stadium on Sunday, beginning at 6:45 a.m. Additional details will be sent in the coming days to those who’ve requested credentials.

The B.A.A. Half Marathon will start at 8:00 a.m. this Sunday, November 13, from Franklin Park. The 13.1-mile course runs along the picturesque Emerald Necklace Park System, past area landmarks such as the Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park Zoo, before finishing at White Stadium in Franklin Park. A detailed course map can be found here.

- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund has partnered with the B.A.A. Half Marathon since 2003 as the race’s presenting sponsor and exclusive charity team. Through this relationship, Dana-Farber runners have collectively raised more than $8 million to support groundbreaking cancer research, and enabled Dana-Farber scientists and clinicians to positively impact the lives of cancer patients around the world. A team of 400 athletes will be part of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Jimmy Fund team for this year’s event, having already raised nearly $350,000 to defy cancer.

- At the front of the field, Olympic and Paralympic medalists, Boston Marathon champions, and top international contenders will square off in pursuit of finishing atop the podium. Among the notable professional athletes entered are Olympic marathon bronze medalist and former Boston resident Molly Seidel, two-time Boston Marathon champions Lelisa Desisa and Daniel Romanchuk, and USA Olympian and former American half marathon record holder Molly Huddle. 

Seven women who’ve run under 1:08:30 and nine men with lifetime bests under 1:01:30 will compete on the roads of Boston. Desisa is also a two-time B.A.A. Half Marathon champion and the event record holder (1:00:34). Romanchuk aims to become the first athlete in history to podium at each of the B.A.A.’s four signature events (B.A.A. 5K, B.A.A. 10K, B.A.A. Half Marathon, and Boston Marathon). On Sunday he finished second at the TCS New York City Marathon in 1:27:38.

- For the first time, the B.A.A. Half Marathon will feature a Para Athletics Division showcasing athletes with lower-limb, upper-limb, and visual impairments. Competitors include Jacky Hunt-Broersma (T64, lower-limb impairment), who finished a Guinness World Record 104 marathons in 104 days this year; Marko Cheseto Lemtukei (T62, lower-limb impairment), who won the Para Athletics Division at the 2021 and 2022 Boston Marathons (timing 2:37:01 in April) and Brian Reynolds (T62, lower-limb impairment), who has run a world best 1:17 for the half marathon. The B.A.A. Half Marathon course is World Para Athletics record eligible, signaling that national or world records may be in jeopardy of falling on race day for wheelchair and Para athletes.

- Among the field of nearly 9,000 participants are 257 athletes also entered in April’s 127th Boston Marathon. Participants in this year’s B.A.A. Half Marathon are from 46 U.S. states (plus Washington, DC) and 95 countries.

- 1,418 participants are aiming to complete the 2022 B.A.A. Distance Medley, a three-race series which includes April’s B.A.A. 5K, June’s B.A.A. 10K, and November’s B.A.A. Half Marathon. The B.A.A. Distance Medley series provides athletes a year-long way to experience training and racing at three different distances, with the aim of improving fitness throughout the calendar year.  

- The B.A.A. Half Marathon is a family-friendly event for athletes and spectators of all ages. Free youth events will be offered on race morning within Franklin Park, including races and medals for all. Youth track races will begin on the White Stadium track at 8:20 a.m. Registration will open at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday.

- Spectators and runners are encouraged to download the B.A.A. Racing App powered by TCS for live race day tracking, leaderboards, results, custom selfie stations, course maps, information, and more. The B.A.A. Racing App is available for free within Apple iOS and Android.

- On display for viewing at the 2022 B.A.A. Half Marathon will be an Indigenous Peoples' Day Banner, created by Boston Art Institute alum Yatika Fields (Osage/Cherokee/Creek) which honors the Boston Marathon's Indigenous runners, past and present. Following the Awards Ceremony on race day, the banner will be blessed as it is sent from Boston to its home with Wings of America in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where it will inspire young Native runners.

The blessing will be given by Hiawatha Brown (Narragansett), the longest serving Tribal Councilman, a Veteran of the United States Navy, and the nephew of two-time Boston Marathon Champion, Ellison 'Tarzan' Brown. Words will be offered from Robert Peters, a Mashpee Wampanoag artist who contributed his talent to the mural, on behalf of himself, Yatika Fields, and Wings of America Executive Director, Dustin Martin (Dine). Also in attendance will be Jordan Marie Daniel (Kul Wicasa Lakota) who is participating in the 2022 B.A.A. Half Marathon and is featured on the banner.

- A prize purse of $96,200 is available for professional athletes in the open, wheelchair, masters, and Para Athletics Divisions.

- Course records for the B.A.A. Half Marathon are:

Open Men: 1:00:34, Lelisa Desisa (Ethiopia), 2013 (Lelisa Desisa is competing in this year’s race, aiming to win his third B.A.A. Half Marathon title)

Open Women: 1:07:40, Brillian Kipkoech (Kenya), 2019

Wheelchair Men: 53:07, Tony Nogueira (New Jersey), 2008 and 2004

Wheelchair Women: 1:00:43, Katrina Gerhard (Massachusetts), 2019.

Korir says hot conditions slowed him at New York Marathon

lbert Korir has cited unfavorable weather conditions as the reason behind his 'poor' display at the 2022 New York Marathon.

Korir, the defending champion heading into Sunday's race, finished a distant seventh in 2:13:27 in a race won by compatriot Evans Chebet — the Boston Marathon champion — in 2:08:41.

In a post on his Instagram page, Korir said he was in great shape heading to New York, having trained adequately for the race but could not master the strength on d-day.

“I had gone there win one target — to win the race again. I felt great and I had prepared well. During the race, my legs felt great, my body was good and fit,” Korir wrote.

However, things took a wrong turn at the 31.2km mark when he started feeling the heat.

“At the Willis Avenue Bridge, I felt the heat of the day. The power in my body slowly disappeared, nevertheless the mental power remained unchanged,” the post read.

Korir said he struggled all the way to the finish line at the same time wishing the temperatures would have been lower.

“I battled through to the finish. I wished the temperatures would change because I am way better in colder circumstances,” Korir said.

However, he said he has since recovered from the rigours and will take a deserved rest before embarking on his next assignement.

Orlando will host US Olympic Marathon Trials for Paris 2024

Orlando will host the United States Olympic Marathon Trials for Paris 2024, USA Track & Field (USATF) and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) have announced.

The top three men and women at the event, due to be held on February 3 in 2024, will be chosen to represent the US in the French capital, providing they have achieved the necessary qualifying criteria.

Chattanooga in Tennessee was the only other city known to be interested in bidding for the event.

"We look forward to a fantastic marathon on the streets of Orlando in selecting USATF’s first six 2024 Olympians," said USATF chief executive Max Siegel.

"The competition is the culmination of months of preparation on their journeys to gold and we’re excited to see great competition and fast times."

Orlando, home to more than a dozen theme parks, including Walt Disney World, is the first Florida city to be awarded the event.

This will mark the 15th time the men's marathon trials have been held, with the first at Alamosa in Colorado for Mexico 1968.  

It will be the 11th time the women's marathon team has been selected in a Trials event.

The inaugural women's marathon trials were held at Olympia in Washington to select the team for Los Angeles 1984.

The winner of those trials, Joan Benoit, went on to be crowned the first women's Olympic marathon champion.

The trials for the last Olympics in Tokyo were held in February 2020, less than a month before the Games were postponed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.  

The men’s race was won by Galen Rapp of the US and the women’s by compatriot Aliphine Tuliamuk.

The race is set to be organised by Track Shack, a race management company led by Jon and Betsy Hughes that stages a number of events in the Orlando area.

The Olympic marathons at Paris 2024 are scheduled to be held on August 10 and 11.

"On behalf of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, I offer congratulations to the city of Orlando for being selected to host the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials - Marathon and look forward to celebrating this great event on the road to Paris 2024 with the athletes, fans, and our partners at USATF," said USOPC chief executive Sarah Hirshland.

"As the pathway for making Team USA, the US Olympic Team Trials stand out as remarkable sporting events, and we have no doubt Orlando will welcome our elite runners and put on a world-class event."

Ramp up speed through any weather with these fartlek sessions

Unpredictable weather through fall and winter can make speed sessions a challenge for even the most experienced athlete–if you train outside, slippery leaves, snow, and ice can make those hard sessions almost impossible, and sometimes dangerous. Fartlek (a Swedish term that translates to “speed play”) sessions are perfect when the weather derails your fast training. Here’s why, and how to add them to your repertoire.

Fartlek training is a traditionally unstructured form of speedwork, with varied paces from sprints to very easy running. Because fartlek training can be done anywhere, it’s ideal when you want to fit in speedwork but know you can’t run by specific paces due to unpredictable terrain. Try one of these simple sessions per week, and adjust accordingly–if you want more of a challenge, add repeats or reduce the recovery time between fast sections.

The time-based fartlek

Your watch is your guide for this one, and you can run it on any terrain. Don’t worry about pace, focus on effort.

Warm up with 10–15 minutes easy running.

Run faster segments of one, two, or three minutes, with equal amounts of easy running for recovery. Start with three to five faster sections, and add one or two per week as you feel stronger.

Finish off your run with 10 minutes easy running.

The hill-based fartlek

Adding hills to your fartlek session will give you an added strength benefit. If you don’t have a hill nearby that is runnable, think outside the box–overpasses, inclines in parking garages, and stairs that you can run safely are all perfect substitutes.

Warm up with 10–15 minutes easy running.

Run up your hill of choice (smaller hills are great for this) gradually increasing turnover and speed.

Recover by running easily back down. Start with two or three incline repeats, increasing up to eight (or more) as you gain strength.

Cool down with 10 minutes easy running.

The goal-based fartlek

This session uses landmarks to split up your speedy segments, and the workout will fly by as you focus on your surroundings and your effort.

Warm up with 10–15 minutes easy running.

Pick an object in the distance: a telephone pole, tree, or building works.

Run faster until you reach that landmark, then pick another object ahead to run easily toward. Start with three to five fartlek segments, adding one or two per week or as you want more challenge.

Finish off your run with 10 minutes easy running.

These workouts are great at helping you learn to run by feel instead of having to glance at your watch constantly, and getting outdoors to run, no matter the weather, has brain-boosting benefits. Remember to follow a speed session or harder workout with an easy running or recovery day.

Will Stretching Help To Improve Your Running Performance?

It may surprise you to hear a physio say that whether or not you need to stretch is up to the individual. Some people seem to benefit a lot from stretching, while others seem to be able to run injury-free with no stretching at all.

There are numerous scientific studies that both prove and dispute the benefits of stretching. Our practical experience working at The Body Mechanic treating runners and cyclists every day, is that the majority of people will benefit from using some body management strategies, including stretching.

In general, runners tend to be tighter or stiffer than the general untrained population. This is because they load their muscles and tendons a lot more than sedentary people, and they move their joints repetitively through a relatively small range of movement. This repetitive loading tends to make muscles stronger, but also tighter.

If you are one of these typically tight runners, and you are currently running to a volume and standard that you are happy with, AND you are not getting any injuries – then you should keep doing whatever it is you are doing already. If your normal routine involves regular stretching, then keep it up. If your normal routine involves throwing on your shoes and heading out the door with no time set aside for stretching, then you probably don’t need to be stretching. In fact, for these rare individuals, starting to stretch could potentially increase the chance of getting injured.

If we make a comparison with someone who is at the other end of the flexibility spectrum, it will help you to understand more thoroughly how our bodies work. I have worked with yoga instructors who can put both feet behind their ears, or bend forward to touch their toes and put their head on their knees in the process. These people have bucket-loads of flexibility, yet some of them can’t run more than 2km without sustaining an injury. This is because they don’t have the appropriate level of strength and stability required to control their joints when running.

Like most things in life, there is a happy medium, which most people will benefit from. If you can gradually steer your body towards being in this “happy medium zone” then you should benefit from sustaining less injuries. Less injuries means more consistent training which means more enjoyable running and improved performance, so it is definitely a good thing to strive for.

Being the worlds most flexible or least flexible person is unlikely to help your running. Having hips, knees, ankles and a lower back with a good amount of flexibility, and an appropriate amount of strength and stability to match, will make a huge difference to your chances of running without injury.

Modern lifestyles, where the majority of the day is spent sitting in a chair (working, commuting, relaxing and socialising) is known to create some muscle imbalance in our bodies. This is even true for runners. Think about the number of hours involved. Our bodies are amazingly good at adapting to the stress that we place on them. If you run a lot (1 – 2 hours each day), but you sit at work for 6 – 8 hours each day, then unfortunately your body is going to adapt more to sitting than it is to running. The muscle imbalances created by sitting can contribute towards the likelihood of developing running injuries.

According to evolutionary scientists, our bodies are still primarily designed to be hunter-gatherers. For 2 million years we have evolved as hunter-gatherers to spend our days migrating (walking), foraging for food, hunting animals (running) or lying down to recover. Any time spent socialising was generally spent in a squatting position. This full range deep squatting position promotes a good range of movement in the lower back, hips, knees and ankles.

Look at any pre-school child here in Australia. If they are playing with their toys on the ground, they will squat in a comfortable and perfectly balanced manner. Yet ask a 10-year-old to squat and the majority of them will already find it uncomfortable having sat in a chair at school for too many hours a week.

So back to the initial question: 

Will Stretching Help To Improve Your Running Performance?

It depends on the individual. If you suffer from injuries or niggles regularly then yes it could help. If you have reached a plateau in your performance and can’t get faster then yes it could also help. If you are completely satisfied with where you are at, then you probably don’t need to be doing anything different.

So What Stretches Should You Be Doing?

Again, this will depend on the individual. In another article coming very soon I will outline a number of stretches that we regularly prescribe at The Body Mechanic to help our clients keep their bodies in good running shape.

For now though, watch the video where I will demonstrate the “Hunter-Gatherer” Squat – if you haven’t manoeuvred yourself into this position for a long time, then be patient, just like training it could take many months for your body to gradually adapt to and fully benefit from the changes. Ultimately though it will help to improve the mobility in your lower back, hips, knees and ankles, which will help with your chance of becoming an injury-free runner.

Shalane Flanagan's peanut sauce is the perfect topping for pretty much everything

American two-time Olympic marathoner and coach Shalane Flanagan just ran the 2022 New York City Marathon, and we’re guessing she doubled down on a batch of her own peanut sauce post-race.

This recipe, from Flanagan and former teammate Elyse Kopecki’s cookbook Run Fast Eat Slow, is so delicious that I always make at least triple batch (you can freeze leftovers). We use it to top rice and veggies, as a dressing for a big salad, or to dip carrots and broccoli in. Some household members have even, ahem, eaten spoonfuls of it.

Shalane Flanagan’s Runner’s High Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

1 Tbsp coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (13 1/2 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk (preferably full-fat)

1/2 cup unsalted creamy peanut butter

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp coconut sugar (other granulated sugar is fine)

1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes, depending on spice preference

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for one minute.

Add coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, and pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and whisk until the peanut butter melts. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavours meld, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in the lime juice.

Using an immersion (stick) blender, if you have one, blend the sauce until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the sauce to a blender and process until the sauce is smooth. (In my household we have cut out the blending step entirely on occasion and the sauce still tastes like bliss).

To serve, fill a bowl with soba noodles or cooked brown rice, add your favourite sautéed veggies, top generously with the sauce, and garnish with the peanuts.

Setting running goals

Why did that race not go as planned? I have had that thought several times in my running career. Is the race not going as planned, or is it more that I did not begin my training by setting proper race goals?

Setting proper race goals begins with the training plan. As I look back over races where I achieved my dreams, my training plans were built around realistic expectations and training specificity.

The principle of specificity states that sports training should be relevant and appropriate to the sport for which the individual is training in order to produce the desired effect. … Essentially, specificity training means that you must perform the skill in order to get better at it. When it comes to running, this means…race is on hills = train on hills, race is in the heat = train in the heat. (Defined on verywellfit.com)

When I achieved my goals, my training plans were founded on establishing proper training paces and allowing for a small amount of natural progression in my ability as the training weeks unfolded. In training leading up to not-so-successful races, I lacked focus on training paces. Instead, my main goal was purely to achieve higher weekly mileage. This training approach is entirely acceptable if the goal is to cross the finish line. However, as these race dates approached, I began to formulate unrealistic time goals that had no connection to the results of my training plan. In other words, I got caught up in the excitement of the upcoming race and how I would like to finish but was not capable of at that moment.

Set Goals Before the Season

Before beginning any training plan or racing season, I write down my planned races. I not only set goals for each race but set progression goals for the entire season. My loftier goals either come at the end of a training cycle or the racing season. It can be easy to get excited about an upcoming season or training plan, but if I don’t think through my schedule and goals first, I find that I never quite reach what I set out to achieve. Dreaming grand accomplishments in my mind is great, but putting them on paper and building my training plan around these goals creates both accountability and opportunity for reflection during and after the season.

What are Your A, B, C Goals?

I set several goals for every training cycle and almost every race. For example, my recent training and racing goals for the Canyons 100k were sub-12 hour finish (goal A), sub-15 hour finish (B), and finish for my Western States 100 qualifier (C).

As I progressed through training toward this race, I kept these goals in mind. I set up training paces based on what would allow me to achieve Goal A. However, when I could not take as much time as desired to train my ability to climb, I knew this goal would be a stretch to achieve in races like Canyons 100k. The race features 16,000 feet of elevation gain, and without training specificity, the course would present as more of a challenge to me. Before the race started, I settled with Goal A being out of reach and focusing on achieving either Goal B or C.

My result of Canyons 100k was 14:44:44, just under my B goal of sub-15 hours. The development of the race was much more than just the time goal, though. With the proper time to set goals initially, track my progress toward the goals throughout training, and adjust my plans accordingly, the result was a 100k race where I truly enjoyed the journey from start to finish.

Set Goals That Are Not Time Specific

There are other achievable goals than running a specific time in an upcoming race. And, it may come as a shock, but there are other goals you can set besides just those related to pounding the pavement or trails! What might those goals be?

(1) Overall Fitness

In the middle of planning our race calendar and training plan, are we considering our overall fitness? As runners, we often neglect the importance of strength training, cross-training, and other activities that may complement our running. Maintaining our overall fitness does require spending time on other activities besides running. When we complete these complementary activities, we are improving both our bodies and minds, the latter being very critical to a long and successful race season. To re-kindle the interest in a sport from your past, join a recreational soccer or softball league, or plan to attend a weekly yoga or spinning class at your local gym. Mix it up, have fun, and watch your overall fitness soar!

(2) Improve Nutrition

We run to eat or drink! I’m sure you have heard or used this line many times before, but have you stopped to consider how your eating habits could be impacting your performance and ability to reach your running goals. It’s not to say that we should not enjoy mixing both eating and running. However, we should be mindful of what we are eating and how much. I know in the weeks that I have a few fewer drinks and bowls of ice cream, I feel better and perform more to my expectations. Plan ahead and prep your nutrition just like you plan your run training.

(3) Impact Your Community

It’s easy to get so focused on our training plan and running goals that we forget about all those that support the running community and us. Take time to welcome new runners into your group runs, volunteer for a park clean-up, volunteer at races, or say thank you to those who support your crazy running habit and dreams!

(4) Becoming a Smarter Runner

Just like reading this article on Setting Proper Race Goals, invest in your running performance by taking time to educate yourself. Make it a goal to read a new book, watch an inspirational documentary, or attend a running or fitness clinic/camp. We will never become so experienced as runners that we can not learn something new. The sport is still evolving, technologies are changing, and our bodies are constantly changing as well.

Five-minute kitchen workout for runners: get strong while you cook supper

If there’s one thing most of us can relate to, it’s feeling short on time. Many runners want to add some strength training to their schedule, but an hour or two at the gym can seem impossible to fit in. A five-minute bodyweight strength workout is perfect for any busy runner to slide into their day, and it can be done while you are cooking supper.

British physician and podcast host Dr. Rangan Chatterjee often shares his five-minute routine.  Chatterjee notes that the kitchen can be a very productive way to fit in bursts of exercise–while waiting for a kettle to boil or the oven to heat up, opt for this strength routine instead of scrolling your phone.

Five-minute kitchen workout

5–10 bodyweight squats

Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips, toes pointed slightly out. Keep your back straight and squat down as far as you feel comfortable. Aim to do about 5–10 each time, and add more as you get stronger.

5–10 calf raises

Find the edge of a step for this one, although you can do it on the kitchen floor if you’re step-less. Lift as high as you can onto your toes, and then lower your heels down as much as your ankles will allow. Push evenly through the entire width of your foot–Chatterjee suggests holding onto the wall if you’re having trouble balancing. If you have stairs in your house, you could add ten step-ups on each leg at the base of your stairs.

5–10 press-ups

Press-ups (or pushups) work your chest and arm muscles. Place your hands roughly shoulder width apart, and lower your chest down between them before pushing back up again. If you’re new to these, start by doing them against a wall. Eventually, graduate to the floor, and know that you can always modify by dropping your knees to the ground.

 5–10 tricep dips

Tricep dips tone the backs of your arms and can be done against the kitchen counter or a stable kitchen chair. Hands should be shoulder-width apart on your chair or kitchen counter behind you–move your bottom off the bench, extending your legs in front of you. Lower your body as far down as you can go and then push back up until your arms are close to straight (try to keep a small bend in the elbows).

 5–10 bodyweight lunges on each leg

These work your glutes, quads, hamstrings and core muscles. Aim to keep your back straight throughout the entire movement, and hold on to a countertop for support if needed. Chatterjee suggests adding in a side rotation or lifting bottles of olive oil above your head as you gain strength.

BONUS: Watch Chatterjee guide you through the exercises once, and you’ll have them memorized in no time.

Faith Kipyegon has the marathon in mind

In the new issue of AW, the Olympic and world 1500m champion reveals that close friend Eliud Kipchoge has inspired her to tackle the 26.2-mile event in future

Many view already her as a true athletics great, but Faith Kipyegon doesn’t quite see it that way. Yet. Despite being a two-time Olympic and world champion over 1500m, the Kenyan believes she has more work to do before any such tag can be justified.

In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Euan Crumley in the latest issue of AW, which is on sale from November 10, among other things the Kenyan discusses how she wants to leave a legacy, as well as outlining what she believes needs to happen in the fight against doping in her home country.

The 28-year-old still has more ambitions to fulfil on the track, too, but admits that the future will see her heading down a road which she hopes will lead to even more success.

Kipyegon trains at the camp in Kaptagat from which her close friend Eliud Kipchoge hones his mastery of the marathon, and admits that seeing the world record-holder at work has inspired her to tackle the 26.2-mile event in the future.

“I don’t see myself as a great, yet,” says Kipyegon who, like Kipchoge, is also coached by Patrick Sang. “I need to achieve more towards the marathon and I’m really looking forward to following in Eliud’s footsteps.

“He has already shown us the way and, training with him, I see what he does every day.

“I will work my way up towards the marathon in future and I will be the greatest.

“When you stay with marathon runners, you don’t see yourself as a 1500m athlete any more – you see yourself as a marathoner. You follow them on long runs, you follow them on fartleks and you see every day what they do. [It makes you feel like] ‘I need to do this’.

“That’s motivation from Eliud, from the whole group in Kaptagat that has really inspired me to see myself in the marathon in future.

“[When I will run one] is something I can’t predict, but I want to build myself and build my commitment towards marathon and just go step by step [through the distances] towards it.”

Kipyegon is one of the nominees in this year’s AW Readers’ Choice Awards, which launch this week in the magazine and online. This is your chance to pick which individuals, across a range of categories, you think have excelled in 2022.

Elsewhere in the issue, we take a deep dive into the state of play when it comes to officials. What does the future hold for those who make athletics tick? Paul Halford finds out, plus we feature a brilliant extract from new book Unsung, in which Alan Bell takes us into the world of the starter.

As we come to the end of the major road racing events season for the autumn, a trend of lower event entry levels is becoming all too evident. Tim Adams asks where all the runners who were expected to provide a boom for mass participation races post Covid have gone, while author Damian Hall examines the environmental impact of events and outlines what runners can do to make a difference in the climate crisis.

Elsewhere in the issue, there is also an exclusive interview with international marathon runner Callum Hawkins, who continues his recovery from injury, while our packed performance section features plyometric tips from coach John Shepherd, training insight from Amelia Quirk and running shoe guru Paul Freary tests out the best gear for off-road adventure this winter.

With coach and commentator Geoff Wightman the focus of this month’s Ask The Athlete, Richard Whitehead recalling his greatest race and columnist Katharine Merry looking at the huge impact felt when the rules are broken, there are plenty of reasons to pick up your copy.

Here are six exercises that will help you run faster

How to run faster? As a runner you might think that the only way you can get better at your runs is through running daily. Not only is running daily not good for your health – you need to allow your body some time to recover – but also counterproductive as it will leave you feeling tired. So how do you really get faster and better? There are two things that you must focus on:

1. Giving your body a break from running daily2. Strength training

How exactly does strength training help runners? Isn’t the point of strength training to build muscles and tone the body? We understand that this thought would cross your mind. Contrary to popular belief, going to the gym makes a runner stronger. Strength training focuses on muscles that support running, and aims at building better balance, flexibility and endurance. Strength training is responsible for correcting posture, conditioning and strengthening the core, and improving overall performance. A few weeks at the gym, and you’ll notice the difference in your runs.

What are the exercises that you should be focusing on if you wish to be a faster runner? Bookmark this list that shows you the six best exercises that will transform your running performance.

1.- Bulgarian Split Squat

This helps improve balance, and focuses on the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps as well as the core. All these muscles are essential to a runner, and improving strength in the legs will ultimately help be a better runner. This is a unilateral movement – similar to a run where you’re always on one foot.

a. Stand in front of a knee-high platform. Extend your right leg behind you, with the toes on the platform. You’ll find yourself in a lunge position, with one leg on the platform.b. Lower until your left knee is almost on the floor. Keep your torso upright.c. Don’t push your knee beyond your foot. Keep your core engaged.d. Drive through your front heel back up to the starting position.

2.- Renegade Rows

This exercise works on your core as well as back muscles, and even trains the stability muscles. Training the back and core is important as a runner, especially because it will help you improve your running posture.

a. With two dumbbells, get into a press-up position with the dumbbells on the floor. Maintain your body in a plank positionb. Lift one dumbbell up towards your body so that your elbow rises behind you. Make sure the elbow is tucked by your side as you’re lifting the dumbbellc. Lower the weight and repeat with the other armd. Ensure that you maintain a neutral spine throughout without losing balance and shifting your body to the sides

3.- Reverse Fly

This exercise works on the mid-back, posterior shoulder, and rhomboid muscles. All these muscles are involved in maintaining a good running form. This is also one of the few exercises that targets the mid-back, a part of our back that is usually ignored during training.

a. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and hold dumbbells in each handb. Hinge at the hips, with your back nearly parallel to the floor, with a slight bend in your kneesc. Let the dumbbells hang straight down, palms facing each otherd. Keeping back flat and torso still, lift your arms straight out to the sides until they’re in line with the shoulderse. Return to starting position then repeat

4.- Deadlift

A deadlift is the king of all lifts, and makes for a full body workout that is great for the hamstrings, glutes, back, and core muscles. All these muscles help stabilise the running form, and strengthening them enables better performance as a runner.

a. Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width, with a slight bend in your kneeb. Grab dumbbells/ a barbell and hinge at the hipsc. Brace your core and lift the weights, squeezing the glutes when you rise upd. Focus on hinging at the hips, not squatting

5.- Box Jumps

An explosive box jump will work on your leg and core muscles, and purely aim at improving stability and balance in the long run.

a. Stand in front of a box with feet about hip-width apartb. Hinge at the hips and squat down to jump up onto the boxc. Aim at landing with both feet on the boxd. Step back down, repeat

6.- Sled Push

This move focuses on power, and improves core stability as well as technique. Plus it makes for a good leg workout too.

a. Load up your sled with weightsb. Lean into it with your arms fully extended, and push it across the floor as fast as you can.

Aliphine Tuliamuk says the weather at the NYC marathon was not as bad as she expected as she finished first American in 7th place

It did not take long for Aliphine Tuliamuk to find air conditioning after finishing seventh as the top American in the warmest New York City Marathon since 1985.

She picked up her giggling 21-month-old daughter, Zoe, and placed her face directly in front of the cool air.

“To be honest with you, I don’t think it was actually as bad as I expected,” Tuliamuk said of the temperature, which reached 73 degrees when she crossed the Central Park finish line. “I was on point with my hydration.”

She clocked a personal-best 2:26:18, despite ankle swelling hampering her build up. She estimated that she only had five weeks of training before taking the last two weeks to taper.

“I excel when the conditions are not perfect,” she said. “I rise to the occasion, and I believe that today that was the case.”

Seventh was the lowest placing for the top American woman in New York City since 2015, when Laura Thweatt also finished seventh.

“I remember going into the race thinking, if I could get top seven, that would be really good,” Tuliamuk said. “I obviously wanted more.”

Tuliamuk is beginning to turn her attention to the Olympic Trials in the first quarter of 2024 at a to-be-announced site.

She plans on running a spring 2023 marathon, which could be her final marathon before trials, where the top three are expected to make up the team for the Paris Games.

“Once the [trials] schedule is out,” she said, “we’ll work backwards from that.

“I think that next Olympic team is going to be really, really hard to make.”

Tuliamuk identified Emma Bates, Keira D’Amato, Molly Seidel and Emily Sisson as her toughest competition. Sisson broke the American record at October’s Chicago Marathon, clocking 2:18:29 to lower D’Amato’s record from Jan. 16 by 43 seconds. Seidel claimed the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

“There’s so many Americans right now that are doing amazing,” Tuliamuk said. “It’s like you just have to have a perfect day.”

Tuliamuk made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games. She did not finish the race, seven months after she gave birth.

“I really want to make the next Olympic team,” she said. “The last one, the pandemic and having a child, I never really got to represent my country the way I wanted it.”

Tuliamuk will be 35 in 2024. The U.S. Olympic women’s marathon team included a 35-year-old at three of the last four Games.

“I really want a medal for my country,” she said. “I think that I have a lot of running in me. I have a lot of speed.”

Bates, 30, finished 35 seconds behind Tuliamuk for eighth place on Sunday.

“Those hills were a lot harder than I imagined,” said Bates, who revealed that she did not look at the course map before the race.

Bates wore a matching snake ring and earrings as she made her New York City debut, one year after placing second at the Chicago Marathon.

“I think I’m going to take some more risks next time,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll do better next time. I want to be top five.”

It was a big 48 hours for Bates, who was inducted into the Boise State Hall of Fame on Friday. She planned on celebrating with a Modelo beer.

Tuliamuk envisioned a tamer celebration, including showing Zoe around Central Park and other tourist attractions.

“I’m really grateful that I’m able to do all of it,” she said. “I’m able to run at the very highest level of our sport and be a mom at the same time.”

How to get running with your dog

Running with your favorite four-legged friend is a great way to stay healthy while creating a special bond. However, no matter what level you're currently at, it's always important for both you and your pooch to ease into running and build up fitness over time. Our vets are here to help with an easy to follow running plan!

Should I go running with my dog?                      

First and foremost, before you start running with your dog, it’s important to consider whether it’s the right way to exercise your pooch. Not all dogs are suited to running – it all depends on their general health, breed, age and personality. Here’s some things to consider to help you decide whether your dog is suited to being your running partner.

General health and breed

When considering introducing running as part of your doggy’s routine, it’s important to remember that some dogs, such as those with medical issues and breeds with flat faces, are likely to struggle when running. If this is the case, leave them at home for your run and find alternative exercises for them.

It's best to have your pooch checked by your vet before you plan to run, so they can advise you on your dog's current fitness levels, and suggest how much running they will be able to manage. They’ll also be able to check whether your dog is the ideal shape and examine for any underlying medical problems that might affect their ability to run.

Age

If you have a puppy, you should always wait until they’re fully grown before taking them out on a run. It can be harmful to your pup if they run before their little body has matured, but there’s plenty of other puppy exercises that you can try in the meantime!

Personality

When deciding whether running is right for your pooch, you’ll need to think about whether it suits their personality – even a healthy pooch can be unwilling to take a sprint!

Bear in mind that while many doggies will keep up when you run, it doesn’t always mean that they’re enjoying it. Some dogs may run with you in a state of panic, because they’re worried they’re going to get left behind!

A good way of getting to know whether your dog is likely to enjoy running, is it look at their body language when you’re out for walks or exercising off lead. If they seem stressed when you walk away, or if they’re not keen to pick up the pace when exercising, running may not be suitable for your pooch. Remember that the aim of running is for you and your dog to enjoy spending time together, so you need to make sure they’re running because they want to. If your pooch isn’t keen to run, or they prefer a more leisurely pace, it’s best to stick to other exercises such as walking or a slow paced jog to ensure it’s enjoyable for them, too.

Getting started

Once you’ve decided that running is suitable for your pooch, you’ll need to think about how much exercise your dog needs. Remember that running shouldn’t be your dog’s only exercise – you’ll need to factor in time for playtime and walkies, too. Sniffing and exploring is just as important for doggies, so make sure that your dog is still getting a chance to explore the world with their nose!

Create a plan

When you taking your first running steps, it’s crucial to train slowly with a plan in place. To help you out, we’ve created a step-by-step schedule to follow. You’ll be able to take your route further as your dog gets fitter, but just remember to always work at your pooch’s pace throughout – and if your dog starts to struggle, or stops enjoying themselves, it's time to reassess your plan!

Step 1: Route planning

Carefully planning your route in advance is essential when it comes to running with your dog. You’ll need to think about how far you want to go and what kind of paths you’d like to follow – this will depend on your pooch’s breed, age, enthusiasm and current fitness level.You can get a rough idea of how long you and your dog can comfortably run by thinking about your current walks. Try making your runs shorter than your walks to start with, and build up slowly as you both get fitter – to begin with, you could aim for a run that’s around half the length of your usual walk, so you know you can get back home comfortably.

Stay safe by avoiding roads and busy areas as much as possible – and remember to think about hills or inclines. It takes a lot more energy to go uphill so you might want to avoid steep climbs until you’re both fit enough. Wide tracks with an even surface are ideal for running as you can keep a steady place, reducing the risk of trips or injuries – but remember that these paths can be popular with other runners and cyclists, so you’ll need to keep your dog close by, or consider quieter running times.

Step 2: Prepare!

From your dog’s running gear to checking the weather, you’ll need to make sure you’re prepared for your journey with a pre-run checklist – once they’re all ticked off, you’re ready to head out!

Check your dog’s harness: When running with your doggy, it’s really important to use a secure, safe harness that fits your dog perfectly. Make sure you try it on your dog ahead of your run to check that it fits comfortably and won’t rub. They’ll need to be able to run without the harness moving and becoming uncomfortable when out on their adventure!

Take a water bottle and bowl: Running is hard work, so it’s important to make sure you have water for your pooch, so you can stop for a drink when they need one.

Plan their dinner time: Exercising on a full stomach can be very uncomfortable for your dog and can cause them to be sick. It can also put some dogs more at risk of a life-threatening twisted stomach (GDV), so it’s important that you don’t exercise your dog too close to their meal time!

Have your vet’s phone number to hand: It’s always useful to have your vet’s number saved in your phone before you go, just in case anything goes wrong while you’re running.

Pack your bag: Don’t forget to take a small first aid kit and plenty of poop bags on any excursion with your pooch!

Check the weather: Always check the weather before you set off for a run, and never attempt to run in the heat. It’s best to exercise early in the morning or late in the evening during warm weather, but you might have to avoid running altogether if it gets really hot! If your dog shows any signs that they’re struggling with the heat, stop running immediately, seek shade and offer your dog some water.

Step 3: Walk it

You’ve planned your route and your bag is packed – the next step is to walk it with your four-legged friend! Taking it slowly and building yourself up by making sure you can walk your route first, is really important – and don’t forget to take breaks if either of you gets tired!

Once you’re both able to comfortably walk your chosen route without stopping, you’re ready for the next step.

Step 4: Jog it

Once you can comfortably walk your route, you’re ready to build your speed! It’s best to do this slowly by walking for five minutes, then jogging for two, walking for five minutes and so on. Once your dog gets used to jogging, you can start to reduce the time you are walking – keep doing this until you can both comfortably jog the full route.

Step 5: The big run!

So you’ve walked and jogged, now it’s time to run! Just like jogging, it’s important to build up slowly. As before, start by repeatedly running for a few minutes, followed by jogging for a few minutes, slowly increasing the time that you are running, until you’re both able to run the whole route. Don’t forget to keep an eye on your four-legged friend to make sure they’re not getting too tired!

Once you’ve achieved this, you and your four-legged friend can officially count yourselves as runners! Now you know the distance you are both able to manage, you can start to vary your route and prepare for new running new adventures!

Where it’s safe, many doggies may prefer to be off their lead when running, as this gives them plenty of opportunities to sniff and explore at their own pace, without slowing you down. However, running off the lead isn’t suitable for all dogs and locations, so you’ll need to ensure that they have a suitable harness and lead. Some harnesses can restrict your dog’s movement, so remember to do your research before deciding on your pooch’s perfect running gear! You’ll need to make sure it fits comfortably and doesn’t rub.

Ashton Kutcher ran well in his New York City Marathon debut

The 2022 NYC Marathon champion, Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi, wasn’t the only runner who had a successful marathon debut in New York City; Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher led the way for celebrities, smashing his goal of sub-four while raising over a million dollars for his charity, Team Thorn. 

The That 70s Show actor, 44, joined 50,000 other athletes to run in the prestigious marathon through the streets of the Big Apple, finishing in 3:54:01. He mentioned to the media before the race that his A goal was to finish and raise one million dollars for Thorn, and his B goal was to break the four-hour barrier. 

His charity, Thorn, is a non-profit tech company that helps prevent the sexual exploitation of children online.

Kutcher reached the halfway mark in 1:51:19, and in rookie fashion, positively split the second half in 2:02:42. He also relied on some stylish purple and pink Nike Alphafly’s to help his performance.

The former star of The Bachelor, Matt James, was the top celebrity finisher in 3:46:45, smashing his previous personal best. James was paced by 2017 NYC champion Shalane Flanagan as the pair went through the halfway mark in 1:29-high and rode the pain train over the final 13 miles.

Meghan Duggan was the only other celebrity to break the four-hour barrier, crossing the finish line in 3:52:06. Duggan is an Olympian who played hockey for Team USA at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 winter Olympics, winning two silvers and a gold. Duggan is currently the director of player development for the New Jersey Devils.

The former first daughter, Chelsea Clinton, returned to the NYC Marathon after making her debut in 2021. Clinton finished the race 20 minutes shy of her previous time, in 4:20:34. Her parents, President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were on hand at the finish line to cheer her on as she finished. She ran the race on behalf of a food non-profit charity called City Harvest, which helps the city of New York with food insecurity.

New York Giants former running back Tiki Barber, 47, continued his streak, running his eighth consecutive New York City Marathon. He finished in 5:26:51.

Weird weather? Here’s how to stay fit when you’re stuck inside

Unexpected weather provided training challenges for athletes from coast to coast in North America this weekend. In the west, blizzarding snow and icy winds plunged runners into winter, while the east experienced a last flush of summer with hot temperatures and soaring humidity. Wherever you live and train, it can be handy to have some fool-proof backup workouts ready to pull out on a day you just don’t want to head outside. Here are some ways to keep your fitness rolling when you can’t get out to run.

Remember that it’s OK to switch it up

Sure, a snowstorm can make even the most dedicated runner want to curl up inside with a blanket and a good movie. It’s certainly ok to take an extra rest day–but if you are itching to get a workout in, know that cross-training can give you a mental and physical break from running while still letting you reap those aerobic and happy-brain rewards.

Not only will whatever workout you choose to target different muscles and training effects than your regular running routine–you’ll stay excited to lace up your shoes when you can next head outside. A HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout can be an easy option to get your sweat on without leaving your house and doesn’t require any fancy equipment.

Simple and efficient HIIT workout

High knees for 60 seconds, rest for 15 seconds

Pushups for 60 seconds, rest for 15 seconds

Bicycle kicks for 60 seconds, rest for 15 seconds

Squats for 60 seconds, rest for 60 seconds, and repeat

Embrace the elliptical

Recent studies have shown that similar benefits to running can be achieved using the elliptical. Renowned coach and author David Roche shared in Trail Runner Mag that after noticing Canadian marathon record holder Natasha Wodak had been using the elliptical leading up to her speedy performance at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, he dug deeper, and purchased an elliptical himself.

“The elliptical seems like a wonderful way to add aerobic volume and intensity without the injury risk of running,” Roche explains. “It’s likely better than the bike on a 1:1 basis because it involves greater activation of the hips and hamstrings, due to the posture on the machine, while also allowing for arm-swing".

Robert Kipkemboi takes honors at N Kolay Istanbul Marathon

Robert Kipkemboi obliterated a strong field to win the men’s N Kolay Istanbul Marathon in 2:10:18, missing out on the course record by 34 seconds.

In the highly contested race, Kipkemboi and Bahrain’s Marius Kimutai managed to break away from the pack of seven athletes at the 37km mark.

The two athletes seemed comfortable until the 40km mark when Kipkemboi increased the pace and never looked back.

Kimutai settled for second in 2:10:27 as another Kenyan, Sila Kiptoo placed third in 2:11:42.

Other Kenyans in the race were Moses Kemei (fourth in 2:11:55), Hillary Kipchumba (sixth in 2:12:02), Benard Sang (seventh in 2:12:10), Samuel Kiplimo (ninth in 2:12:16) and Francis Cheruiyot (13th in 2:16:57).

In the women’s race, Kenyans faltered as Ethiopian trio of Sechale Dalasa, Melesech Tsegaye and Ethlemahu Sintayehu took the first three positions in respective times of 2:25:54, 2:29:01 and 2:31:38.

The best-placed Kenyan was Stacy Ndiwa, who finished fourth in 2:31:53 ahead of compatriot Judith Jerubet (2:32:29).

Mercy Kwambai settled for seventh in 2:39:17.

The Kenyan duo won the elite races in 2:23:23 and 2:08:41 at the NYC Marathon having to make up significant ground on the long-time leaders

Sharon Lokedi displayed remarkable discipline to win the TCS New York City Marathon on her debut at the distance, while Evans Chebet’s patience paid off to win the men’s contest at the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race on Sunday March 6.

Lokedi flew under the radar heading into the women’s race as most of the focus was on world champion Gotytom Gebreslase, two-time world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri, who was making her marathon debut, and world bronze medallist Lonah Chemtai Salpeter.

All four women featured in the large lead pack for the first half of the race as they passed through 10km in a conservative 34:24 before reaching the half-way point in 1:12:17. A few kilometres later, the pack had been whittled down to eight women, with two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat among them.

By 30km, however, three women had broken away from the rest of the field as Gebreslase, Obiri and Kenya’s Viola Cheptoo reached that checkpoint 1:42:27. At that point, Salpeter, Lokedi and Kiplagat were in a five-woman chase pack about 11 seconds adrift.

A few kilometres later, Salpeter and Lokedi caught the lead trio, then Cheptoo began to fade. It left Obiri, Gebreslase, Lokedi and Salpeter as the only four women in contention as they raced through Central Park in the closing stages.

Of those four, Obiri was the first to fall back, but she was far enough into the race to know that her debut marathon would not be a bad one. Somewhat surprisingly, Gebreslase was the next to slip out of contention, the world champion resigning herself to the third step on the podium.

It then left Salpeter and Lokedi to duel for the victory and for a moment it seemed as though Salpeter was the more comfortable. But with one mile to go, Lokedi dug deep and started to pull away from the Israeli runner.

Lokedi reached the finish line in 2:23:23 to win by seven seconds from Salpeter. Gebreslase took third place in 2:23:39 with Kiplagat, nine days shy of her 43rd birthday, coming through to take fourth place in 2:24:16 – more than four minutes quicker than her winning time in this race in 2010.

Cheptoo held on for fifth place in 2:25:34 and Obiri finished sixth in 2:25:49. Olympian Aliphine Tuliamuk was the top US finisher in seventh, 2:26:18.

“It was amazing,” said the US-based Lokedi. “I came in just wanting to be in the thick of the race. I knew I was strong and had really good training, so I wanted to go in and put myself in it and see where I ended up. I expected to run well, but it ended up being an even better outcome than I had hoped for.”

The men’s race played out quite differently, as South American record-holder Daniel Do Nascimento made an early break from the rest of the field.

The Brazilian led by 97 seconds at 10km, reached in 28:42 – just two seconds slower than his 10,000m track PB – and went on to reach half way in 1:01:22, more than two minutes ahead of the rest of the field and well inside course record pace.

A six-man chase pack – which included Chebet, Olympic silver medallist Abdi Nageeye, and 2020 London Marathon champion Shura Kitata – went through the half-way point in a more comfortable 1:03:35.

Do Nascimento continued to lead, although his lead started to wane – especially when he had to briefly take a visit to one of the road-side portable toilets. He passed through 30km in 1:29:09, now just over a minute ahead of Chebet, who had broken away from the rest of the chasers. By 20 miles, Do Nascimento’s lead was down to just 40 seconds. Not long after, and clearly struggling, he stopped running and crashed to the ground.

While medics helped Do Nascimento, Chebet cruised past. The Kenyan, who had won the Boston Marathon earlier this year, found himself with a 30-second lead over a three-man chasing group which included Kitata and Nageeye.

Despite a strong finish from Kitata, Chebet managed to hold on to the lead and crossed the finish line in 2:08:41. Kitata followed 13 seconds later, while Nageeye took third place in 2:10:31.

“The race was hard for me, but I was thankful for my team and have so much gratitude toward my coach,” Chebet said. “My team gave me motivation and I know that after winning Boston I could come to New York and also do well.”

Leading results

Women

1 Sharon Lokedi (KEN) 2:23:232 Lonah Salpeter (ISR) 2:23:303 Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) 2:23:394 Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:24:165 Viola Cheptoo (KEN) 2:25:346 Hellen Obiri (KEN) 2:25:497 Aliphine Tuliamuk (USA) 2:26:188 Emma Bates (USA) 2:26:539 Jessica Stenson (AUS) 2:27:2710 Nell Rojas (USA) 2:28:32

Men

1 Evans Chebet (KEN) 2:08:412 Shura Kitata (ETH) 2:08:543 Abdi Nageeye (NED) 2:10:314 Mohamed El Aaraby (MAR) 2:11:005 Suguru Osako (JPN) 2:11:316 Tetsuya Yoroizaka (JPN) 2:12:127 Albert Korir (KEN) 2:13:278 Daniele Meucci (ITA) 2:13:299 Scott Fauble (USA) 2:13:3510 Reed Fischer 2:15:23

New York City Marathon was a tough race for many because of the heat

3rd place in the 2022 NYC Marathon goes to Gotytom Tekilezeg of Ethiopia with the time of 2:23:29.  She was able to handle the challenging weather.  

She was hoping for a win since she won the World Championship this year with the time of 2:18:11. 

At 16 Gotytom Gebreslase won the gold medal in the girls' 3000 metres at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Athletics held in Lille Métropole, France.

The next year, she earned the bronze medal in the women's 5000 meters event at the 2012 African Championships in Athletics in Porto-Novo, Benin.

In 2013, Gebreslase competed in the junior women's race at the World Cross Country Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

In 2015, she finished in fourth place in the women's 5000 metres at the African Games in Brazzaville, Congo.

Tyler McCandless says surround yourself with great people and find those mentors that make you a better person.

This month marks one decade - 10 years - of working with my coach Steve Jones. Jonesy is a legend in the sport of running - having set the world record in the marathon in 1984.

But, he's so much more than a legend in running, he's a mentor in my running career and my life. Jonesy has a very pure approach to running, it's truly about the love of the game.

In a decade of working together I've improved every single training cycle and at age 36, I'm not only competing the best I ever have, I'm also loving the sport and the practice of mastering the art of racing the marathon more than ever.

Jonesy is an incredible mentor for me, and I'm very thankful for the mentors I've had in my family life, my corporate career, my academic pursuits and in the sport of running. My advice: surround yourself with great people and find those mentors that make you a better person. 

2022 New York City Marathon Sharon Lokedi and Evans Chebet Complete a Kenyan Sweep

In record heat for November, Kenyans dominate the New York City Marathon.

Evans Chebet was among the runners who watched as Daniel do Nascimento separated himself from the rest of the men’s field at the New York City Marathon on Sunday. Do Nascimento, a 24-year-old Brazilian who is known for being — what is the word? — assertive, was a blur as he surged into the lead, then a speck off in the distance, and then gone from view entirely.

Chebet, a soft-spoken Kenyan who arrived in New York having already won the Boston Marathon this year, opted to exercise patience. Sure enough, as he approached the 21st mile of Sunday’s race, he saw do Nascimento again: face down by the side of the road, being tended to by medical personnel.

“I felt bad for him,” Chebet said in Swahili through a translator, “but I had to continue the race.”

On an unseasonably warm day, Chebet survived both the conditions and the competition, winning in 2 hours 8 minutes 41 seconds to complete a clean sweep for Kenyan men in all six of the world marathon majors this year. Chebet, 33, did his part by winning two of them — and two of the toughest. Of course, considering what Chebet had done in Boston, no one was surprised to see him tackle New York with great composure.

“Boston was actually harder,” said Chebet, who wore his laurel wreath to his news conference.

The women’s finish was much more unexpected. Sharon Lokedi, a Kenyan who raced in college at Kansas, was fearless in her marathon debut, breaking free from a celebrated field to win in 2:23:23.“Perfect weather for me,” said Lokedi, 28, who splits her time between Kenya and Flagstaff, Ariz., where she trains with the Under Armour-sponsored Dark Sky Distance group. “I didn’t expect to win. I expected to run well. But it ended up being a good outcome.”

Lokedi left an all-star cast in her wake. Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, a Kenyan-born Israeli who arrived in New York with the fastest time in the field, finished second. Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia, the reigning world champion, was third. Edna Kiplagat of Kenya, who, at 42, is one of the world’s most decorated marathoners, was fourth. And Viola Cheptoo of Kenya, last year’s runner-up, was fifth.

“It was hot, but I was really prepared,” said Lokedi, who was the N.C.A.A. champion in the 10,000 meters in 2018. “I picked up water at every station to pour on myself.”Do Nascimento, who set a South American record when he finished third in the Seoul Marathon this year in 2:04:51, was the story in New York for much of the morning — until it all began to go poorly for him. Easily recognizable in his lavender tights and space-age sunglasses, he built a two-minute lead more than halfway through the race. But others in the field had seen him try that sort of bold strategy before.In brutal conditions at the Tokyo Olympics last year, do Nascimento was among the leaders when he collapsed in scenes that were vaguely horrifying and was forced to withdraw.

On Sunday, his superhuman pace was beginning to slow when he pulled off the course for an 18-second pit stop at a portable toilet. He emerged with his lead intact, albeit narrower, but it was clear that he was in trouble. About six miles short of the finish, he sank to the pavement and was forced to abandon the race.

“I want to feel sorry for him when I saw him on the ground,” said Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, who finished third. “But I was like, ‘Come on, man, this is the second time. You did that in the Olympics.’ ”

A spokesman for the marathon said do Nascimento was recovering at his hotel.

It was not an easy day for anyone. Galen Rupp, a two-time Olympic medalist who was making his long-awaited New York debut, dropped out about 18 miles into the race with a hip injury. And Shura Kitata of Ethiopia, who finished second behind Chebet, lumbered onto the stage for his news conference as if his legs were made of concrete. A race official handed Kitata a giant bag of ice, which he placed on his thighs.“It was very hot,” he said through a translator, “and that made it very tough.”

It was the warmest marathon on record since the race was moved to its traditional early November date in 1986. The temperature in Central Park was 73 degrees Fahrenheit at 11 a.m., shortly before the elite runners began to cross the finish line.

Scott Fauble, 31, was the top American on the men’s side, finishing ninth — a solid result coming the morning after he signed a new sponsorship deal with Nike. Fauble, who was also the top American finisher at the Boston Marathon this year, had been without a sponsor for months.

After agreeing to terms on a contract at dinner on Saturday night, Fauble took an Uber to the Nike store in Manhattan to pick up sneakers. The rest of his racing gear arrived at his hotel later that night.

“It’s quite a rush to get your singlet for the next day at 10 p.m. the night before the race,” he said.

On the women’s side, three Americans finished in the top 10. Aliphine Tuliamuk was seventh, Emma Bates was eighth and Nell Rojas was 10th. Tuliamuk, 33, who won the marathon at the U.S. Olympic trials in 2020 and gave birth to her daughter, Zoe, in January 2021, had not raced in a marathon since she injured herself at the Tokyo Games last year. On Sunday, she finished in a personal-best time of 2:26:18.

“I think that I excel when the conditions are not perfect,” Tuliamuk said. “I rise to the occasion, and I believe that today that was the case.”

Still, she had to overcome some adversity. In early September, she said, she experienced swelling in one of her ankles that forced her to take a couple of weeks off from training.

“In the back of my mind, I wished that I had a few more weeks” to train, she said. “But I also decided to focus on gratitude because I didn’t know that I was going to be here. And the fact that I was able to put in some solid training and had a chance to be competitive, I was just very grateful for that.”Gina Gregorio always watches the race from the corner of Warren Street and Fourth Avenue. This year she held signs that read, “Run to the Polls.”

“I love it when we’re right before the election because we can actually ask people to get out to vote, and it’s like nonpartisan, although I have had partisan signs before because I feel like it’s a great place to have your voice heard,” Gregorio said.

Abdihamid Nur Dominates, Runs Off Course, & Still Wins, Kelati Gets Record

The day before 50,000 runners cross the finish line in Central Park at the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon, some of America’s fastest pros did the same at the USATF 5K Road Championships — though the fastest of them all, men’s champion Abdihamid Nur, almost missed it. Despite a very late wrong turn, Nur, 24, won his first US title in a course record of 13:24 after kicking away from US steeplechase champion Hillary Bor (13:29) in the final mile.

On the women’s side, Weini Kelati rolled to her second straight title in 15:16, gapping the field thanks to a quick first mile and running unchallenged from there to lower her own course record of 15:18. The B.A.A.’s Erika Kemp (15:30) was second, improving on her 2021 finish by one place, while Emily Infeld (15:30) was third in her first race as a member of Team Boss. Both Kelati and Nur claimed $12,000 for the win.

Four thoughts from a beautiful morning for racing in New York.

Abdihamid Nur wins his first national title…but how the heck did he make a wrong turn 15 meters from the finish line?

It’s always tricky knowing who is in shape for this race as most pro runners aren’t in top shape in November. Based on 5k personal best and 2022 form, however, Abdihamid Nur should probably have been the favorite and he looked great throughout the race, hanging onto Hillary Bor early as Bor pushed the pace before making his move in Central Park and opening up a cushion.

That cushion would prove necessary. It’s not uncommon to see an athlete make a wrong turn when the lead vehicle pulls off the course near the finish line, but I can’t ever remember someone doing it as late in the race as Nur. The finish line was in clear sight and only about 15 meters away when Nur veered to the left and tried to follow the lead car. It was a chaotic sight.

"The finish line was right there, but I just knew it,” Nur said. “They told me to follow the car, so I didn’t know that the car wasn’t going to the finish line. I’m glad Hillary wasn’t too close, because it was a mistake I could afford.”

Chalk it up to a rookie mistake — this was Nur’s first road race as a pro.

Nur’s time of 13:24 was very quick considering the undulating New York course. He smashed Paul Chelimo‘s course record of 13:45 and was just four seconds off Ben True‘s American record of 13:20 from the 2017 B.A.A. 5K. Nur’s wrong turn definitely cost him a second or two, but he didn’t know if it cost him the record.

“Maybe, who knows?” Nur said. “But I’m still happy with the win.”

(Note: David Monti points out that Grant Fisher‘s 13:01 at the Diamond League 5k final in September is considered the American road record because it came on an irregular 563-meter track, though that record has yet to be ratified by USATF. As far as LetsRun is concerned, you shouldn’t be able to set a road record on a track so True still has the record.)

The win capped a banner year for Nur, who won a pair of NCAA titles indoors, set the collegiate 5k record, made the Worlds team outdoors, and signed a pro deal with Nike. He’s still based in Flagstaff and even though the NAU men have struggled more than usual this year, he’s predicting a national title for them and his former teammate Nico Young at the NCAA XC champs in Stillwater in two weeks.“Coach Smith’s gonna have them ready for NCAAs,” Nur said. “I think they’re going to win and my boy Nico’s going to take the individual title.”

Weini Kelati is never that far from fitness

If it seems like Weini Kelati is always in shape, that’s because it’s true. She took a month off after the track season, but returned to training in September and quickly found herself in good shape. Today she ran 15:16 to win by 14 seconds and break the course record by two seconds — one set by Kelati in this event last year.

“What’s interesting about my body is it’s just not hard to build,” Kelati said. “I can get in 10 days, 80% of my fitness.”

Kelati, 25, has already found a lot of success on the roads in her young pro career. With her cross country background (Foot Locker and NCAA champ) and front-running style, she seems a natural fit for the half and, eventually, full marathon, but so far she has yet to race beyond 10k. When will we see her in the half?

“I’m not sure how soon,” Kelati said. “But I’m looking forward [to it]?”

Could we see her in a half in 2023?

“Let’s see, I don’t know,” she said with a smile. “Maybe.”

What we know for sure is that Kelati is not done racing on the track. After just missing out on a spot at Worlds in 2022 (she was 4th in the 5,000, 5th in the 10,000 at USAs), Kelati wants to make the team next year.

“I’m really excited to run road races and half marathon and stuff, but I have unfinished business on the track and I want to clear it up first,” Kelati said.

Kelati also said that during her break from running this summer, she got the opportunity to see her mother for the first time since she defected from her native Eritrea in 2014. The two were able to visit Uganda together, where they spent three weeks together.

“We were both in shock,” Kelati said. “For a week, we couldn’t believe [it]. She just [kept] touching me like, I can’t believe this is real. We both cried happy tears in the airport.”

Though Kelati had been able to talk to her mother over the phone since her arrival in the US, their conversations were never very long. In Uganda, they made up for lost time, often staying up until 4 a.m. catching up on all they had missed in each other’s lives the last eight years.

“The first 14 days, we just talked,” Kelati said.

Kelati said she emerged from the trip feeling renewed.

“That makes me feel like it’s a new beginning, a fresh start for me,” Kelati said.

Kibet and Cheptegei mark triumphant day for Uganda as World Mountain and Trail Running Championships conclude

Ugandan athletes capped a successful week of racing at the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, as Samuel Kibet, Rebecca Cheptegei and Leonard Chemutai won three of the four titles on offer on Sunday (6), the final day of competition.

Kibet and Cheptegei won the senior men’s and women’s up and down mountain races respectively, both held over 11.2km with 475m ascent. Chemutai, meanwhile, took the junior men’s up and down title and Jessica Bailey led a British 1-2 in the junior women’s race, both competing over a 6.4km course with 224m ascent.

Uganda set out their stall early in the senior men’s race as Kibet formed part of a small lead group alongside compatriots Timothy Toroitich, Leonard Chemonges and Eliud Cherop, with Mexico’s Everado Moreno also trying his best to stick with them. The rest of the field was some 30 metres behind, Friday's uphill gold and silver medallists Patrick Kipngeno and Philemon Kiriago of Kenya leading the chase.

Eight kilometres later, Kibet emerged first from the trees, holding a 19-second advantage over Toroitich and Kipngeno who were locked together in second and third. Kipngeno eventually managed to pull away from Toroitich narrowed the gap to the leader, but it wasn't enough.

Kibet swept across the line to take the title, the sixth for a Ugandan senior man in the past eight World Championships. Kipngeno was 10 seconds behind, becoming the first double medallist at the new expanded championship format. Toroitich held on for bronze ahead of teammates Chemonges and Cherop in fourth and fifth. Spain's Andreu Blanes followed four seconds later, placing sixth.

With four athletes in the top five, Uganda was a clear winner of the team competition. Spain took silver with Italy just a single point behind, both teams placing three athletes inside the top 15.

The Ugandan dominance continued in the final race of the championships as Rispa Cherop, Rebecca Cheptegei and Annet Chelangat pushed the pace from the start with only Saturday's uphill world champion Allie McLaughlin of the USA able to hang on.As was the case with the senior and junior men’s races, it soon became a question of which of the Ugandan athletes would take the title. Cheptegei, still looking remarkably smooth, flew into the race's final kilometre with a 20-second gap over her teammate Chelangat and was jubilant as she tore across the finish line, flag in hand, to become the second Ugandan woman to win a mountain running world title.

Chelangat was no less ecstatic in second and the pair had time pose for the cameras before McLaughlin came in to take bronze, the second medal in a remarkable weekend for the US runner.

Romania's Monica Florea, both knees bleeding, came in fourth, just as she did in Friday's uphill race, confirming herself as one of the most consistent performers in mountain running, as did Britain’s Scout Adkin, who finished a minute further back in fifth.

With Cherop – one of the pre-race favourites – unable to finish, it meant Uganda didn’t have enough finishers to contend for the team title, opening the door for another country. Switzerland, with three finishers in the top 15, stepped up to take the team title, adding to the two sets of team medals they earned in the uphill race on Friday. Britain took team silver, while USA capped a strong championships with bronze.

Just as they did with the senior races on Sunday, Uganda dominated the junior men's event, filling the top four places to sweep the individual medals and earn team gold. Leonard Chemutai was a dominant winner ahead of teammates Caleb Tungwet, Denis Kiplangat and Silas Rotich.

Britain’s Finlay Grant was fifth individually but helped his country to secure team bronze, while France took team silver.

The junior women’s up and down mountain race was the only event on Sunday not won by Ugandan athletes. Jessica Bailey led a British 1-2 from teammate Rebecca Flaherty, also picking up gold in the team standings.

Italy's Axelle Vicari was third individually and a comfortable second in the team contest ahead of France.

Next year the championship heads to Europe and the spectacular trails of the Austrian Alps when the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships will take place in Innsbruck-Stubai, Tyrol from 6-10 June.

Ten Tips for Running in the Morning

There are so many great reasons to run in the morning. It's a great way to wake up and watch the world awaken with you. It not only gives you a big energy boost, it makes you feel as if you've accomplished something even before the day is started. You may even find that a morning run fits better into your daily schedule, especially if training for a race. 

This is not to suggest that getting into the habit is easy, especially if you're not a morning person. But there are ways to ease you into the routine and in ways you may even enjoy.

Running in the Morning

If your goal is to run in the morning, you might first want to ensure you have good sleep habits. Otherwise, you may be too tired to follow through. Another way to ensure you run in the morning is to sleep in your running outfit or lay out your clothes and shoes ahead of time. You also can try putting your alarm clock out of reach, incentivizing yourself, changing your route, and getting a running buddy. Eating and hydrating well as well as wearing appropriate clothing—including reflective clothing when it is dark—can help promote a good morning run experience.

Below you will find more on these tips. Learn how and why you may want to incorporate these ideas.

1.- Teach Yourself Good Sleep Habits

Building a morning running habit starts with a good night's sleep. This may be difficult if you're used to late-night TV or use TV to lull you to sleep.

To start the journey, practice good sleep hygiene. This is the term used to describe practices that better ensure healthy sleep patterns. According to the American Sleep Association, you can train yourself to sleep at an earlier hour if you:

Avoid caffeine or alcohol three hours before bedtime.

Don't take midday naps.

Get into a nightly routine to help you unwind, such as a warm bath, meditation, or listening to calming music.

Plan to go to sleep at the same time every night.

Set up a quiet and comfortable bedroom.

Stop watching TV, reading, or electronic devices an hour before bedtime.

As unnatural as this may seem at first, practice will eventually make perfect if you just keep with it.

2.- Sleep in Your Running Clothes

It's hard to blow off a run when you're already dressed for it. If you really want to get a jump start and find motivation as soon as you open your eyes, simply wear your running clothes to bed.

As odd as this may seem, it is a trick that many morning runners use. While you will probably not want to wear yesterday's sweat-stained clothes to bed, it may actually feel nice putting on a freshly laundered running gear. Just leave your shoes next to the bed, and you're ready to go.

3.- Lay Out Your Clothes

If you don't like the idea of sleeping in your running clothes, you can lay them out next to the bed so that you're ready to go in the morning. Other runners prefer to leave their clothes in the bathroom. In this way, you won't risk waking your partner. You can simply turn on a light, splash some water on your face, and perk up a little before the run.

Another tip is to wear a hat even if you don't usually wear one. This saves you a lot of time trying to tame your morning hair.

4.- Put Your Alarm Clock Out of Reach

When your alarm clock goes off early in the morning, it's tempting to keep hitting the snooze button to get a couple of more minute's sleep. Before you realize it, though, 30 to 40 minutes will have passed and you're suddenly without time for a run. 

To build a morning running habit, you need consistency. You cannot blow off every third day and expect to build a routine.

If you're struggling to get up, place the alarm clock across the room so that you have to get out of bed to turn in off. Or better yet, place it in the bathroom on top of your gym clothes. The more steps you put between you and the bed, the less likely you are to fall back asleep.

5.- Incentivize Yourself

If you're actively training for a race and following a training schedule, it is harder to blow off a morning run. It is because you have a set goal you want to reach and must keep with the program in order to get there.

Even if you're not training, you should do the same, establishing goals and schedules so that you maintain growth and get the most out of a run. The goal doesn't have to be distance or ticking days off of a calendar. You can reward yourself if you meet certain targets, gifting yourself with a massage or spa treatment.

Until the morning habit is hardwired into your brain—and you feel as if something is wrong if you don't run—give yourself incentives to achieve consistency.

6.- Plan (and Regularly Change) Your Route

If you're not fully in the morning spirit yet, the worst thing you can do is run the same course morning after morning. Doing so may only add to the ennui you're already feeling. To mix things up, plan your morning run the night before, determining how far and how long you'll run.

You can map a route in advance using Google Maps, finding new landmarks to visit or hills to conquer. There are even mapping apps you can download onto your phone that provide topographic details of a planned route. The more you keep things fresh, the more enjoyable the morning habit will be.

7.- Find a Running Buddy

Finding a running partner is great because it obligates you to keep with the program. If you usually run by yourself, try recruiting a friend or family member to join you, even alternating days with different partners. If you enjoy running in packs, you can find or even start a running group through Meetup or Facebook.

However, when selecting a partner, be sure to find someone who is of a similar fitness level. If you and your partner don't match up, it could be embarrassing for the slower partner and frustrating for the faster one. Be selective, and don't let exercise get in the way of a good friendship.

8.- Eat Smart

It is never good to run on an empty stomach. After a long night's sleep, you are in a fasted state and have little to draw upon in the way of energy. If you head out the door having eaten nothing all, you may feel weak and nauseated.2

Worst yet, you may convince yourself that you're "not made for morning runs," when, in fact, you're not feeding yourself properly. Rather than heading straight for the door, take a moment to grab some quick energy foods, such as a banana, breakfast bar, or slice of toast with peanut butter. By eating the right foods, you won't risk overeating and feeling ill. 

9.- Stay Hydrated

After 7–8 hours of sleep, your body will already be partially dehydrated. Running without replenishing your fluids is a big mistake. While you certainly don't want water sloshing around in your stomach, 6–8 cups won't usually cause you any discomfort if you give it a few minutes to settle.

You can also bring an electrolyte-rich sports drink with you to sip along the route. The general rule of the thumb is to drink 3–6 fluid ounces for every mile you run.

While it is perfectly okay to start with a cup of coffee before you leave,3 remember that it is a diuretic. As such, when planning your morning route, you may need to pinpoint restrooms along the way so that you are not forced to run home with a bursting bladder.

10.- Wear Reflective Clothing

It is important to remain safe when on your morning runs, especially during daylight savings time when the sun is rising late. To ensure you are fully seen in traffic, wear reflective clothing able to catch the headlights of approaching vehicles. These include jackets, vests, hats, and even running shoes.

The best products have bold neon colors that glow in the dark. There are even some with flashing lights you can switch on and switch off. When running on your own, never leave without your cell phone. Always carry some sort of identification with you, such as a health insurance card or an ID bracelet.

You can even download an emergency app, like Kitestring, which contacts all of your emergency numbers at once and provides them with your GPS location. For safety's sake, it is better to run with others if it is dark outside. If you do run alone, keep to the busier, well-lit public streets until the sun is fully up and other runners are around you.

Mu to prepare for Paris 2024 with McLaughlin-Levrone's coach Kersee

Athing Mu will prepare for the defence of her 800 meters title at the Paris 2024 Olympics under the direction of a new coach, Bobby Kersee, who already guides the career of the Olympic 400m hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

Mu, 20, will move from Texas to Los Angeles to be part of the new coaching set-up.

"I'm excited for this opportunity to train with the track and field legend Bob Kersee", Mu posted on social media.

"Coach Kersee has the ability to further enhance my running skills and implement the tools needed to reach my potential."

Mu finished ahead of Briton Keely Hodgkinson to win the Olympic title in a United States record of 1min 55.21sec last year, becoming the youngest American woman to win an individual track gold at the Olympics since Wyomia Tyus earned the 100m title in 1964.

This year she beat her British rival to the world title in Eugene to become the youngest woman to hold Olympic and world titles in an individual track and field event.

Kersee has coached Olympic gold medalists in the women's 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles events, and also coached his wife Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who still holds the heptathlon world record.

McLaughlin-Levrone has said she wants to add the flat 400m to her programme after winning successive Olympic and world titles in the 400m hurdles, during which time she set four world records.

Mu also has huge potential over 400m although she has not raced over that distance in a major championship.

Both McLaughlin-Levrone and Mu have wildcard entry as champions to their established events at next year's World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

This could allow either of them to run the 400m at the main US Championships if they so wished, with the possibility of qualifying in two events.

Mu's partner, 800m runner Brandon Miller, has also announced he is moving to train under Kersee.

Eliud Kipchoge wants you to learn to say no

The world’s fastest marathoner, Eliud Kipchoge, says you need more ‘vitamin N’ in your life. Vitamin N, Kipchoge explains, is the ability to say no–a key part of self-discipline, something Kipchoge embodies in his athletic ability and the calm confident ease with which he speaks and conducts his life.

Kipchoge is in New York City to watch the marathon.  He is planning on running it maybe in 2023.  And of course he wants to win it as well as Boston. 

Kipchoge shared some tips on how to develop and maintain self-discipline in a recent interview with U.K.-based physician, author and podcast host Dr. Rangan Chatterjee. Here’s how to inject some of Kipchoge’s wisdom into the way you run and live.

Develop self-discipline as a practice

Kipchoge emphasizes the importance of self-discipline as a core value. “Self-discipline is doing what’s right instead of doing what you feel like doing,” the athlete explains. While Kipchoge embodies self-discipline in his training and preparation for racing, he says that fine-tuning this skill will make you not only a better runner but also stronger in your professional life and family.

The runner shares that he believes you should practice self-discipline in all areas of your life–and that by doing so, you will find freedom. “The disciplined ones in life are free,” the athlete says. “It’s the undisciplined ones who are in prison,” Kipchoge says. He explains: when you live an undisciplined life, you’re doing things that do not align with your values. “We need to be free, to walk free, to live an honest life,” he says.

Set your priorities (learn to say no)

While Kipchoge acknowledges that learning to say no is a skill that isn’t developed overnight, he shares that being able to say no in order to prioritize the truly important things in both training and life is essential. At the NN Running camp in Kaptagat, Kenya, where Kipchoge trains and lives, he has placed a huge billboard to remind athletes of their core values– a whopping 60 of them.

Kipchoge suggests focusing on three values or priorities is enough, and making the personal and professional choices that will keep you on the path to your goals should be something you practice daily. Establishing boundaries allows you to stay focused and on the path toward your goals.

Avoid complaining and stay positive

Kipchoge knows this isn’t easy. Even the champion of the marathoning world feels pain and has negative thoughts. “We can’t prevent the negative thoughts from entering into our minds–but we can keep the negativity from coming into our lives,” he says. Pivotal to the athlete’s positive mindset is community. “Group runs are crucial,” says Kipchoge. The athlete explains that running in a group makes helps time pass, forms bonds, and that a group mentality and positive mindset is contagious.

Trans female athletes: banning them from elite competition not supported by science, report says

Areview of the available literature on transgender female athletes who have taken steps to reduce their testosterone concludes there is no legitimate basis for their being banned from elite competition. “Transgender Women Athletes and Elite Sport: A Scientific Review”, commissioned by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), considered English-language scientific studies with a biomedical or sociocultural slant, as well as some “grey” (non-academic) literature published between 2011 and 2021, and focused on the science of testosterone and its effect on sports performance.

The review’s authors report there’s no evidence that trans women retain a performance benefit after 12 months of testosterone suppression. However, CCES president and CEO Paul Melia underlined the need for further research while urging that trans female athletes be included and welcomed in women’s elite and high-performance sports until the evidence shows significant harm or lack of fairness to other participants.

The review points out that there is almost no research on the performance advantage held by trans female athletes over cisgender women (those whose gender identity conforms to their birth sex) before and after HRT (hormone replacement therapy); they are presumed to have an unfair performance advantage based on studies using cis men or sedentary trans women rather than trans women athletes, and therefore the findings cannot be used to justify banning them from elite sport.

The report’s first Key Biomedical Finding states that “Biological data are severely limited, and often methodologically flawed.” The second says that “Some significant studies [on the impact of testosterone suppression] used misleading data sources and actively ignored contradictory evidence.” The third states that the available evidence shows that “trans women who have undergone testosterone suppression have no clear biological advantages over cis women in elite sport.”

The International Olympic Committee’s current guidelines on transgender women athletes, which date from 2015, require them to have suppressed their testosterone to not more than 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months before competing at the Olympic Games; previous to 2015, they were required to have had sex-reassignment surgery. There was some effort to tighten the rules going into the 2020 Games by scientists who claimed the current rules were too lenient, but discussions did not result in a new policy.

The review, which was carried out by E-Alliance, a research hub for gender equity in sport led by Dr. Gretchen Kerr of the University of Toronto and Dr. Ann Pegoraro of the University of Guelph, dealt only with male-to-female transgender athletes in any sport and cautions that the results may not be applicable to non-binary or intersex athletes.  

California runners honour Banksy with impressive Strava art

Two well-known Strava artists gave ‘kudos’ to the famous street artist Banksy, sketching his famous “Girl with Balloon” by GPS in San Francisco. Lenny Maughan and Frank Chan collaborated to honour the tenth anniversary of the UN’s International Day of the Girl.

Maughan and Chan’s sketch covered 47 kilometres and more than 900 metres of elevation gain in one of the hilliest cities in North America. Maughan has over 10,000 followers on Strava and has previously drawn sketches of a tiger for the Lunar New Year and a sunflower for solidarity in Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Chan gained Strava popularity after he sketched a photo of him and his mother for Mother’s Day.

Banksy’s original mural of “Girl with Balloon” was drawn on London’s Waterloo Bridge in 2004, though it does not remain.

Although Banksy has not articulated the meaning behind the sketch, many interpret the mural as a symbol of lost innocence, while others believe the girl is setting the balloon free–either way, both remind the beholder to hold on to hope, even when it feels out of reach.

Ultradistance Project: Study Examines the Psychological Profile of Ultrarunners

It is a frequent assumption that there are certain personality traits common to a lot of ultrarunners, but up until now there has not been a significant body of research conducted to explore this area, and to explain what it is that drives us to incredible lengths in pursuit of our goals.

Recently, three sports psychologists identified this gap and launched a survey — the Ultradistance Project— which you are invited to be a part of, into the psychological profile of ultrarunners. This deep dive into our motivation as runners and what makes us tick, as well as character traits and behaviors not obviously linked with our running, was first conducted on athletes participating in the 2022 IAU 100k World Championships in Berlin, Germany.

In the interest of gathering more data to produce a more useful study, the researchers have now opened the survey up to the general ultrarunning population and it can be competed in a choice of three languages at the links below:

English

Spanish

Portuguese

The researchers behind the study are Juan González Fernández (Phd), a sports psychologist at the Department of Personality, Evaluation, and Psychological Treatment at the University of Granada; Abel Nogueira López (Phd), a researcher at the University of León and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Santiago de Compostela and the University of Lausanne; and Pavao Vlahek (MD, Phd), professor at the University of the North in Croatia and a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

They hope the findings of the study can be used not only to help future runners prepare for endurance events, but that they will also find applications in everyday life when it comes to dealing with stressful situations. Vlahek said, “We believe that it is very important to know the psychological strategies that allow us to deal with these types of extreme situations that occur during competition and training for these events, as this can help us to help prepare anyone who wants to participate in an event with these characteristics, as well as to try to transfer this knowledge to the general population, and thus help them to deal with any serious situation that they may have to face.”

Take a few minutes to have your say, and keep your eyes peeled for the results to come from this fascinating study!

2022 World Mountain Running Championships Uphill Results: McLaughlin and Kipngeno Win

It’s finally happening! Years of postponements are done and the first-ever combined World Mountain and Trail Running Championships have started. The festivities are all just outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand, a city of 127,000 people in the mountainous northern part of the country.

Friday’s Uphill race went 8.5 kilometers uphill and with 1,065 meters of gain. Alternately, that’s 5.3 miles and 3,500 feet of elevation gain.

Allie McLaughlin (USA) dethroned Andrea Mayr (Austria) for the women’s crown. The pair raced up in 55:15 and 55:41, and Maude Mathys (Switzerland) was just behind in 56:00 for third.

McLaughlin just came off the Golden Trail World Series Finals in Portugal. Mayr, now 43 years old, is a six-time World Mountain Running Champion, typically excelling in uphill years. All three are expected to double back for the Classic Up and Down race on Sunday.

Monica Madalina Florea (Romania) and Onditz Iturbe (Spain) were fourth and fifth in 57:44 and 57:56.

[In 2015, Maude Mathys received a warning without suspension from the Disciplinary Chamber for Doping Cases of Swiss Olympic for two positive tests for clomifene (previously clomiphene) after it was determined that she was mistakenly taking the drug without first obtaining a World Anti-Doping Agency Therapeutic Use Exemption.]

n the teams competition, Team USA took gold, Great Britain and Northern Ireland took silver, and Switzerland rounded out the podium in third.

B.C. woman running a marathon a day to end toxic drug death

Twenty-five-year-old Aubrey Michalofsky had recently completed Selkirk College’s Law and Justice program, graduating with awards in 2021. On Aug. 30, the day before International Overdose Awareness Day, Aubrey died of fentanyl poisoning.

Just over a month later, his mother, Jessica Michalofsky, 51, ran a marathon around the 600-meter block that houses the Ministry of Health in Victoria. She has run a marathon every weekday since, and plans to continue until the provincial government does something meaningful in the fight against toxic drug deaths.

It takes Michalofsky 71 laps to complete 42.2 kilometres, and she runs five days a week. “Grief was making me feel crazy,” Michalofsky says. “I knew that Aubrey’s death had been preventable and I had to do something.”

Michalofsky is running to put pressure on the B.C. government to respond to the seven-year-long toxic drug public health crisis. The leading cause of death for 19-39-year-olds is toxic drugs. For 40-59 year-olds, it’s the second leading cause of death, and six people die in B.C. from overdoses every day. The majority of those deaths occur in private residences, and many are young men in the trades.

“This data [from the B.C. coroner’s report] flies in the face of the popular perception of the opioid crisis, which tends to portray toxic drug death as happening on the street and to persons experiencing homelessness,” Michalofsky says.

While the B.C. government has acknowledged that providing drug users with alternatives to the toxic black market supply is the safe way forward, Michalofsky says they haven’t taken any action to actually provide those alternatives. “Only a very small fraction of people in B.C. who struggle with drug use have access to safer drugs. The rest play Russian roulette each and every time they take drugs.”

Michalofsky is asking the B.C. minister of health, Adrian Dix, to provide evidence that the government is rolling out safe supply as per their 2021 announcement. She has questions, and she won’t stop until she sees action. “If safe supply is so crucial, where can I get it in rural communities?” she asks. “If my son or daughter is going through withdrawal, trying to get off street drugs, where can I send them so that they don’t end up turning to toxic black market drugs? If I’m a casual drug taker, and I want to experiment with drugs, how can I make sure I’m not going to die?”

Running to create social change

Calling herself an adult-onset runner, Michalofsky began running in her late 30s, running road races for several years before jumping into triathlon events. She completed Ironman Penticton on Aug. 28–two days before her son died. Michalofsky had plans to head to the Kootenays with Aubrey post-race for a week’s vacation. “He had died only hours before I arrived in Nelson,” she says.

Aubrey began using drugs when he was 17. At the time of his death, he had been living with his father, Rae Pryor, in the small B.C. community of Winlaw. Aubrey had enrolled in a methadone treatment program but struggled to find transportation to the city of Nelson to make appointments and pick up his allotted dose, as is the case for many people who live in rural communities or don’t have access to vehicles. He left the program five weeks before his death.

“Running as a political protest is not new–many people run for humanitarian and political reasons,” says Michalofsky. “And of course, in Canada, we have Terry Fox to thank for showing us how one differently abled man was able to start a revolution in cancer care.”

His mother describes Aubrey as a deeply compassionate person. He had expressed interest in joining a restorative justice program. Michelofsky says she sees what she’s doing as a form of embodied restorative justice: “We are using our bodies to effect social change. And I say we, because it’s not just me anymore. Every day, more and more people come to the Ministry of Health and run with me.”

A community of support

After 14 days of marathons, Michalofsky found herself facing injury–tibialis anterior tendonitis. She tried walking the distance in a walking cast, but that also become too painful. She didn’t want to quit, but knew she needed to take a few days off to heal. Michalofsky posted on social media, asking for people to come out and run for her. “I was flabbergasted when over 20 people showed up in a single day. Some of them were runners from my running community, some were friends and family members, and most amazingly, some were people who had seen my story on the news,” she says.

While Michalofsky is back to running, people continue to join her. Some have a direct connection to her story–they too have lost family members to toxic drugs; some are simply people who want to help. “One day a big group of new parents with babies in strollers came down with signs that said ‘Babies 4 Safe Supply.'” Michalofsky says they have returned every week, and Wednesdays are now called Babies Day. “It’s extremely heartwarming. And it’s helping me in my grief.”

Michalofsky welcomes the support. “If you’re in Victoria, come down and run or walk with me. If you’re not in the city, consider starting your own run. You could run a lap around your MLA’s office–make a few cardboard signs and invite your friends: consider making it a weekly event,” suggests Michalofsky.

On Friday, the one-month anniversary of her run, a rally for safe supply will be held at the intersection of Blanshard and Pandora, where Jessica runs. Michalofsky also asks supporters to share her social media posts on Facebook and Instagram because, as she notes, “In the political world, it’s all about exposure.”

“I’m trying to embarrass the government,” she says. “I’m trying to prompt them to take action and give this public health crisis the attention it deserves and stop preventable death. If it takes somebody’s mom to do that, I’m game.”

Marathon Nice-Cannes gets a new women’s event record

Fikadu runs 2:28:15 to beat previous best by over two minutes

On Sunday morning, at 8:00 am, it was under a clear blue sky that the 10,528 competitors of the 14th edition of the French Riviera Marathon Nice-Cannes set off.

They left from the Promenade des Anglais, 500 meters from the Hyatt Regency Palais de la Méditerranée in Nice, to reach Cannes and its famous Croisette, in front of one of its famous five-star hotels: the Martinez by Hyatt hotel!

“What a pleasure to have run alongside more than 10,500 athletes during this 14th edition of the Nice-Cannes Marathon! A unique race with an exceptional route, a great sporting and human gathering that conveys a taste for effort, a sense of sharing and solidarity, health through sport, and the international promotion of our region. Not forgetting ecology and environmental protection, through actions to reduce its environmental impact, in line with the Green Deal policy. I am proud that the Department has been the title partner of this event for years. I would like to thank the many volunteers who worked before and during the race throughout the 42.195km, Pascal Thiriot, President of Azur Sport Organization, the towns along the route, and all those who contributed, alongside the Department, to the success of this international sporting event. I congratulate all the runners for their participation!” said Charles Ange Ginésy, President of the French Riviera Department.

Long months of physical and mental preparation were needed to give it all today and to be in the best shape, as the long-awaited sounding of the saving shot was given by Charles Ange Ginésy, President of the French Riviera Department and José Cobos, City Councillor of Nice, Delegate for Sports Events and Hosting of International Sports Competitions.Charles Ange Ginésy took part in the relay race with his elected colleagues wearing the colors of the French Riviera Department.

As usual, the leading group led by the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes started with a bang.

The three Kenyans John Langat, Vincent Rono and Japheth Kosgei took the lead until 30km with a pace of 2:08:30. It is only at 32km that the race becomes more tactical. Vincent Rono speeds up on the exit of Juan-les-Pins in front of Kosgei and Langat, who seems to be in more difficulty. Finally, at the 37 km, Kosgei broke down and takes the marathon wall. Rono and Langat continue the race neck-and-neck, neither of them wanting to give way to the other. It was two kilometers before the finish line that Langat took the lead to win in 2:10:25. Rono took the second step of the podium in 2:10:40 followed by Kosgei in 2:13:39. The first Frenchman and Maralpin, Lucas Gehin finished in 6th place overall in 2:30:06.

In the women’s race, the two favorites Ethiopian Zenebu Fikadu and Kenyan Sharon Jemutai ran together until 16 km before Fikadu widened the gap and took first place, setting a new record for the event in 2:28:15, beating the previous record of Radiya Roba (ETH), 2:30:37 in 2010, by over two minutes.

Fikadu was followed by Kenyan Sharon Jemutai in 2:34:12. There was a good fight for third place between the Swede Hanna Lindholm and the Frenchwoman Aline Camboulives. It is finally the Swedish woman who will take the third place in 2:39:57. Aline Camboulives finished in 5th place overall in 2:51:10.

Start loving hills with these four tips, get a leg up on your competition

Hills are not easy, and every runner seems to either love or hate them. Those who hate them will avoid them like the plague, but there’s nothing to be scared of. Every participant in a race has to deal with the same conditions, so why not get a leg up on your competition with a few adjustments? Who knows, maybe you’ll end up falling in love with them.

Manage your effort

Early in a race, it’s smart to be conservative. Each hill should be to be strategically approached so you do not wear yourself out. The best approach to manage your effort is to not press too hard on your first time up. This will help conserve energy and strength for climbs later in the race. You should be able to go up the hill without feeling any strain. If you are straining, it’s a sign you are going too hard.

Take shorter strides

An important tip when approaching a hill is to maintain your cadence by taking shorter strides. Many elite runners will use this strategy to conserve energy and keep their pace. Shorter strides will reduce the strain on your muscles and make it easier to accelerate when you reach the top.

With uphills, bring downhills

This goes hand-in-hand with managing your effort, but with every uphill, usually, there is a downhill that follows it. If you push yourself up the hill, be sure to relax on the way down. Overstriding downhill can only lead to fatigue or potential injury. If you’re sprinting down, you’ll likely feel some strain in your legs later in the race.

Lean slightly forward, eyes up, and shoulders back

Having the proper form is important, and it pays the price to do them right. Align your centre of gravity with the hill, and let your short strides and knee drives do the work. Keep your shoulders back and your eyes up, pumping your arms in a forward motion for additional power.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of Sunday's TCS New York City Marathon

The world’s top marathoners have assembled in NYC for the 51st running of the TCS New York City Marathon this Sunday, Nov 6. The 2022 race returns to full capacity of 50,000 runners with a stacked field of elites in the men’s, women’s and wheelchair events. Defending champion Albert Korir of Kenya returns to defend the men’s title across the five boroughs and 2022 world champion Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia headlines the women’s field. 

How to watch:

Unless you live on the west coast, the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon will be easy to stream and follow online. The professional women’s field will begin at 8:40 a.m. E.T. and the professional men’s field at 9:05 a.m. E.T. Viewers should note that Daylight Savings Time ends in the early hours of Sunday morning, so viewers need to remember to change their clocks back an hour.

Follow @CanadianRunning on Twitter for live tweets and up-to-date news on the 2022 TCS NYC Marathon. 

Women’s elite field

At only 27, Ethiopia’s Gebreslase has achieved much success in the marathon. In 2021, she won Berlin in her debut and followed it up with a podium finish at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon and world championship gold in Eugene this past July. Gebreslase put her talent on display in Eugene, showing that she can run at a fast pace and hold her own against the world’s best marathoners. She will be the likely favourite to win NYC Sunday.

Lonah Chemtai Salpeter is the fastest woman in the field, with a personal best of 2:17:45 from the 2020 Tokyo Marathon. Salpeter was close to an Olympic medal in Tokyo 2020 but hit a wall late and ended-up 66th. She finally got her hands on a bronze medal in Eugene this summer but was bested by Gebreslase in a late surge. Since worlds and European championships earlier this summer, Salpeter has taken some downtime to prepare for a bid at her second Abbott World Marathon Major title in NYC.

Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat will also be one to watch, with the 2011 and 2013 marathon world champion hoping to extend her record of four World Marathon Major wins to five (Boston 2021, 2017, New York 2010, and London 2014). Kiplagat was awarded the 2021 Boston Marathon title after her compatriot Diana Kipyokei was disqualified due to a positive doping test. 

Many fans of the sport have long awaited the marathon debut of two-time 5,000m Olympic medallist and world champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya. She has gone through a lot of transition this year, switching training groups and moving from Kenya to Boulder, Colo., after worlds to train with On Athletics Club (OAC). It will be interesting to see how the speedy 14:18 5K runner can handle the hilly NYC course, but she could be a dark horse for the win.  

Outside of the top big names, the U.S. will be well represented in NYC by former national record holder Keira D’Amato, who ran both the 2022 Berlin Marathon and World Championships only eight weeks apart, and Aliphine Tuliamuk, who won U.S. marathon Olympic Trials in 2020 and holds a personal best of 2:26:50.

Canadian Running prediction: Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) – 2:21:42 *CR*

Men’s elite field

Kenya’s Korir has a tough job ahead of him on Sunday as he aims to defend his 2021 NYC Marathon title. In his two trips to the Big Apple, Korir has achieved a lot of success. In 2019, he finished runner-up to his compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor in 2:08:36, then followed it up with a win and 14-second course PB (2:08:22) in 2021 for his first world major win. One thing Korir has going for him is that he is consistent. In his last six of eight races, Korir has dipped under the 2:10-mark, which is a speedy time for New York’s hilly course. 

Korir will face stiff competition from his Kenyan compatriot, 2022 Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, who will be hoping for a second major marathon win of the year. Chebet, 33, holds the fastest time in the field of 2:03-flat from the 2020 Valencia Marathon.

Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata will be another name to look out for, having finished second in 2018. Since his 2020 win at the London Marathon, Kitata has struggled to reach the podium in his last three races. His last race came in March, where he was sixth at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon in 2:06:12 for fifth. Can Kitata bounce back in NYC?

Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands was second to Eliud Kipchoge in the marathon at the 2022 Olympics and set the Dutch national record of 2:04:56 at the Rotterdam Marathon in April. Nageeye has shown he has the experience to be there late, but it will be interesting to see how he handles the course in his debut.

The U.S. men’s field in New York is one of its best in years, with five sub-2:09 marathoners. The 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, Galen Rupp, will make his NYC debut and lead the way for the Americans with a personal best of 2:06:07. Leonard Korir (2:07:56), Scott Fauble (2:08:52), and Marty Hehir (2:08:59) are three others to keep your eye on. Fauble had a sensational run at the 2022 Boston Marathon, where he placed seventh in a personal best time of 2:08:52.

Canadian Running prediction: Evans Chebet (KEN) – 2:07:43

2022 Shanghai Marathon to be held on Nov 27

The Shanghai Marathon will be held on Nov 27, said organizers in a post on their website on Thursday.

The organizers of the marathon, which will have 18,000 runners, require all participants to stay in Shanghai from a week before receiving the race pack, according to the notice.

Shanghai postponed its 2021 marathon over COVID-19 concerns, and canceled the event in January 2022, according to the official site of Shanghai Marathon.

Viola Lagat will be heading to the New York City Marathon for the second time hoping to improve on her second place finish in last year’s race

Viola Cheptoo Lagat, the younger sister of Kenyan-born US distance running legend Bernard Lagat had set base for the last three months in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.

This Sunday’s race in the “Big Apple” will be her third over the marathon distance.

“Last year, it was a dream come true because I was debuting in the marathon and coming in second alongside such great athletes competing was just amazing. It gave me a reason to continue working hard,” said Lagat.

She did not change her training programme but wants to lower her personal best time.

Obiri makes debut

Other Kenyans lining up at Central Park on Sunday will be two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, Grace Kahura and Hellen Obiri. Obiri, a two-time world 5,000 metres champion and twice Olympic silver medallist over the distance, will be making her marathon debut.

“Competing with a great name like Edna Kiplagat is an inspiration. I’m still young in marathon because I need to know what time should I react and what time I should increase my pace compared to her who has done more races, she is sure of what she is doing,” Lagat added.

Lagat has good memories of last year’s race hailing Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir for pushing her to the podium at Central Park.

“I started slow in the race, but the most amazing thing is that my body started reacting well and I surged forward steadily and, to my surprise, I managed to get to where Jepchirchir was. She asked me if the pace she was doing was fine with me and I told her I was comfortable. She really encouraged me,” explained Lagat.

Tips from Keitany

Lagat has also been taking notes from four-time New York Marathon champion Mary Keitany who has been giving her tips on how to overcome the tough New York course.

Lagat started her 2022 season with a sixth place in Boston Marathon in April, her preparations affected by a bout of Covid-19 which slowed her training.

“When I started my training in January, I had difficulty. I just trained for two months and that affected my performance in April,” she said.

Lagat has planned with her coach to attack the Abott Marathon Majors series which, besides New York, also features the London, Tokyo, Berlin and Chicago marathons.

“I would like to ask Kenyans and all our fans to always pray for us as we line up for the race. Personally, I’m doing this for Peres Jepchirchir who pulled out of the race due to injury. We are praying for her to heal as soon as possible,” said Lagat who is a former 1,500 meters specialist.

She ranks Obiri as the dark horse, arguing that anyone making a debut is capable of upsetting the applecart.

Learn To Love Running With These eight Tips

I have been an athlete all of my life, and have enjoyed a healthy lifestyle, but I just wasn’t born with the running gene. In middle school, I dreaded the mile run and counted down every last lap. In high school, I started running to get in shape for tennis season. I hated every minute of it. It wasn’t until recently, as a full-grown adult, that I truly started to appreciate the activity. What changed? My attitude. I changed my outlook on running in a way that made me feel like a champion simply for lacing up my running shoes. Here are 8 tips that can help you learn to like (maybe even love) running too.

1.- Accept your “newbie” status.

Not being able to run a mile the first time you attempt it is perfectly normal. And, I promise no one is judging you for it. In fact, you should be proud of your effort. You’ve got to start somewhere, so accept your newbie status and plan to take walk breaks on your first few jogs. Give yourself time to build up your endurance and distances.

2.- Slow down!

Unless you’ve got a sponsorship deal with a major sports brand, or you are trying to qualify for a marathon, running fast isn’t really necessary. In fact, it might be preventing you from actually enjoying your run. Try running slower, at a pace that allows you to speak in full sentences, and see how your body reacts. Your breathing should feel more natural, your joints won’t start aching as quickly, and you might even find yourself smiling out there.

3.- Set small goals.

See that fire hydrant at the end of the sidewalk? Run to that, and then pick your next target. Creating small goals within your workout keeps it interesting, and reaching those achievements can help you to keep pushing yourself. Today the next mailbox, tomorrow the finish line of your first 10K!

4.- Enjoy some “me” time.

The kids aren’t around, your boss isn’t hovering over you—it’s just you, your running shoes, and the road. Thinking of your run as “me” time will help you see it as a special event, one you’ll start looking forward to.

5.- Find a running buddy.

If “alone time” doesn’t do it for you, find a friend to run with. You can encourage each other to get going, be there for each other on the hills, and gossip your way to the finish. And, having a plan to meet someone for a run can give you extra motivation to get out the door.

6.- Make the miles matter.

When the personal benefits of running (weight loss, improved cardiovascular health, reduced stress, etc.) aren’t enough to get you to pick up your feet, consider running for a cause. Sign up for a 5K (such as Run for Your Buns) that raises funds and awareness for a nonprofit organization, or download an app like Charity Miles, which lets you earn money for a charity of your choice with every step you take.

7.- Turn that music up!

Studies show that upbeat tunes can distract you from physical exertion and even get you to push a little harder. Songs between 120 and 140 beats per minute have the biggest impact. But, remember to be smart about your headphones—only use them in safe, low-traffic areas and keep the volume at a level that allows you to hear what’s going on around you (and protects your eardrums).

8.- Track your success.

Feel like you’re not getting anywhere? Try logging every run with an app like MapMyRun, RunKeeper, or Runtastic. You’ll be able to look back and see how far you’ve gone—and how much faster you’ve gotten along the way! Keep track of your routes and see if you can do the neighborhood loop faster next time, or increase your distance by tacking on an extra block or two.

At the end of the day, each of us is different and our motivators are, too. But, if you’d like to get out of your running funk, I encourage you to try a few of these tips and see what works for you. You might just find your running gene after all.

Tobi Amusan, Alison Dos Santos headline World Athletics climate change initiative

World Athletics (WA) announced the inaugural group of ‘Champions for a Better World’ on Thursday. Nine athletes, including three runners and six field athletes representing the six continental areas will lend their voices toward advocating for sustainable practices in sport and encourage other athletes to take a more active role in addressing environmental concerns. The athletes have been recruited to support WA’s efforts to reduce the sport’s environmental impact in alignment with the World Athletics Sustainability Strategy.

The Champions for a Better World group is announced as world leaders gather at the COP27 UN Climate Change Conference, and alongside new data from a survey carried out at four different WA championship events in 2022, with 737 athletes across 122 countries giving responses.

More than 76 per cent of athletes are seriously concerned or very concerned about climate change, with over 66 per cent feeling impacted directly by its effects. Seven in ten athletes believe climate change has already impacted athletics directly, and 90 per cent said that WA has a role to play in addressing sustainability in the sport.

“It’s clear that an overwhelming majority of our athletes are very concerned about the impacts that climate change is having on their lives and on our sport,” said WA president Seb Coe. “It’s critical for us to act on those concerns, to put practical applications in place where we can, and to drive the sport forward with the advocacy and the high-profile voices that athletes can bring.”

Brazil’s 400m hurdle world champion Alison Dos Santos shared that he believes athletes have a platform to raise awareness:  “As athletes, we have the important mission of raising awareness about the need to take care of the environment, both at social and economic level. Being able to influence others is very gratifying to me. I am very happy and enthusiastic about embracing this challenge.”

2022 Champions for a Better World

Track athletes

Tobi Amusan (NIG)100m hurdles world record holder, 2022 world champion

Ajla Del Ponte (SWI)sprints, 2021 European indoor 60m champion, 2022 Olympic 100m finalist

Alison Dos Santos (BRA)400m hurdles, 2022 world champion, 2021 Olympic bronze medalist

Field athletes

Kelsey-Lee Barber (AUS)javelin, 2019 and 2022 world champion

Sam Mattis (USA)discus, 2021 Olympic and 2022 World Championships finalist

Eliza McCartney (NZL)pole vault, 2016 Olympic bronze medallist

Ernest John Obiena (PHL)pole vault, 2022 world bronze medalist

Elena Vallortigara (ITA)high jump, 2022 world bronze medalist

Hugues Fabrice Zango (BFA)triple jump, world indoor record-holder, 2022 world silver medallist, 2021 Olympic bronze medalist

Video messages from each athlete will be shared on WA social media channels over the next two weeks.

USA-based Grace Kahura eyes ‘home’ win in New York

Sunday’s New York City Marathon will be a largely Kenyan affair.

Even after the withdrawal of the defending champion Peres Jepchirchir, the field remains open with another Kenyan almost certain to keep the title in the country.

Two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat leads her compatriots Viola Lagat, who was second last year, Grace Kahura, who finished ninth, and debutant Hellen Obiri.

Kahura will be competing in the “Big Apple” for the second time this year, seeking to improve on her personal best time of two hours, 30 minutes and 32 seconds.

She might not be as well known as the other elite athletes, but she’ll enjoy the advantage of training in Colorado, USA, in perfect pre-race conditions.

Kahura told Nation Sport from her US base recently that she has been preparing for the race in the last four months without any hitches. “The marathon is tough, but I have prepared well and my target is to compete well during the race because I don’t want to mess my body for I know my fitness levels,” said Kahura.

She also said that competing in New York Marathon for the second time is an honour and that she is still in the learning process.

“The New York Marathon course is tough… I used to watch athletes compete in the race and it used to be so windy so I entered last year prepared and I’m glad it wasn’t that bad.

“When going for such race, you have to be prepared for anything because challenges might arise and you have to face them,” she said.

Competing with one of the greatest marathoners of all time, Edna Kiplagat, has also motivated her to even work harder.

“I watched Kiplagat competing while in primary school and competing with her in the same race now has really inspired me.

“My joy is interacting with her as she is full of wisdom and always has good advice on how to be world beater,” she added.

Kahura joined Colorado’s Boulder University in 2016 and graduated last year in Business and Accounting but wants to focus on being a professional athlete.

She was born in Kanjeru in Kiambu County on April 5, 1993, and went to Ngure Primary School and later Kanjeru Girls High School where she sat her exams in 2011.

It is here that her coach, John Mwithiga, popularly known as “warm-up”, took her to a camp where she started training as she waited for a chance to join university. At the University of Colorado, her focus was on education and she only started training seriously after she graduated.

While in school, she competed in Utica Boilmaker 15-kilometre road race where she finished 10th in 2016, before coming in seventh at the Indianapolis One America Festival Mini Marathon the same year.

From then on, she has competed in various races including Grandma’s Marathon in 2018 and 2021 where she finished fourth on both occasions.

She has been training on her own, but under the guidance of Owen Anderson, her American agent whom she says has been sending her training programmes to help her prepare for elite races.

Chuma Kiprugut, Kenya’s first ever Olympic medalist, dies

World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that Wilson Chuma Kiprugut, the first person from Kenya ever to win an Olympic medal, died on Tuesday (1) at the age of 84.

Born and raised in Kericho, Kiprugut took up running during his time at Kaptebeswet Primary School and later Sitowet Intermediate School. Starting out as a 400m runner, Kiprugut’s first major tournament was the 1958 East African Championships, where he was scouted by the Kenyan Army. He eventually rose to the rank of sergeant, but athletics remained his main focus and his journey in the sport continued with an appearance at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, exiting the heats of the 400m but later finishing fifth in the 4x400m.

Kiprugut soon started to gravitate towards the 800m. A victory at the 1964 East and Central African Championships was confirmation that the event switch was a good move. He was selected to represent Kenya in that event at the Olympic Games in Tokyo later that year. After equalling the Olympic record of 1:46.1 in the semifinals, he went on to take the bronze medal in the final in an African record of 1:45.9.

Not only was he the first African athlete to break 1:46 for the 800m, he became the first person from Kenya to win an Olympic medal in any sport.

He won 400m and 800m gold at the 1965 All African Games and silver in the 880 yards at the 1966 Commonwealth Games. He improved his African 800m record to 1:45.2 in 1967, then successfully defended his title at the 1967 and 1968 East and Central African Championships, underlining his status as the best two-lap runner on the continent.

He went to the 1968 Olympic Games as one of the medal favorites, and safely made it through the rounds. He led for most of the final, passing through 200m in 24.8 and 400m in 51.0, but Australia’s Ralph Doubell kicked off the final bend and overtook Kiprugut, winning in 1:44.3 to equal the world record at the time.

Kiprugut took silver in 1:44.5, the third-fastest performance in history at that time and an African record that stood until 1974.

He retired from competition in 1969, but continued working as a coach and fitness instructor in the Kenyan army for another five years.

"Wilson was one of the founders of Kenyan middle-distance running dominance," said Doubell, the 1968 Olympic 800m champion. "As a competitor he was fast, strong and fearless - three characteristics which are still displayed by Kenyan athletes today."

Hockey player captain Meghan Duggan set for NYC Marathon

Meghan Duggan entered the year having never run more than two miles at a time.

“In hockey,” she said, “it was really a no-no to do any type of long endurance training.”

Now the three-time Olympic medalist is in her final preparations to race Sunday’s New York City Marathon.

“It’s opened up a whole new world to what my body can go through,” she said.

Duggan, who retired from hockey in 2020 after captaining the U.S. to the gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics, decided to make her 26.2-mile debut to raise awareness for the Women’s Sports Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Billie Jean King in 1974 to advance the lives of women and girls through sports.

In addition to serving as Women’s Sports Foundation president, Duggan is the New Jersey Devils director of player development and a mother of two.

Juggling so many responsibilities, the 35-year-old occasionally got out of bed at 4:30 a.m. to do long runs before her kids woke up. Or, she did them on the treadmill at night after her kids went to sleep.

“I’ve had to be flexible as we all do in life,” she said.

Duggan’s two children, George and Olivia, are her biggest cheerleaders.

During training runs, Duggan’s wife, Canadian Olympic hockey champion Gillian Apps, pulled the kids in a bike trailer as they clapped and screamed, “run mamma run!” Duggan often finds George running laps around the house yelling “marathon, marathon!”

“It’s important for me to show my kids you can do hard things,” Duggan said.

Duggan is planning to race alongside Haley Skarupa, a gold medal-winning teammate at the 2018 Winter Games. Erika Lawler, a 2010 Olympic silver medalist hockey player, also planned on running the race until she suffered an injury.

“Hockey players aren’t really meant to be runners,” Duggan said, “but I think that’s why Haley and I are so excited to do it.”

Duggan has not been shy in seeking advice. At the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Salute to Women in Sports ceremony last month, she cornered Jocelyn Rivas, the youngest person to run 100 marathons, and Alysia Montaño, a U.S. Olympic 800m runner who made worldwide headlines for racing while eight months pregnant at the 2014 USATF Outdoor Championships.

“It’s certainly made me really respect other sports and what goes into it,” Duggan said. “Not that I didn’t before, but I never had the opportunity to put myself in the shoes of another athlete in a different sport. This is kind of my first time, and it’s been eye-opening and enjoyable.”

Duggan’s goal is to complete the 26.2 miles in under four hours.

“I think it’s a realistic goal,” Duggan said. “That’s something that is not easy to do and will be incredibly challenging, but I think even just the accountability of saying it out loud makes it that much more exciting.”

This might not be the last marathon for Duggan, who grew up in Danvers, Mass.

“I’ve had a lot of friends run [the Boston Marathon],” she said. “I would love to do that, but I’m going to get through this one first, and then we’ll see.”

Cherotich, Chepkoech nominated for Women’s Rising Star Award

World Under-20, 3,000m SC champion Faith Cherotich and Commonwealth 3,000m  SC champion Jackline Chepkoech have been nominated for this year’s Women’s Rising Star Award.

The award will recognize the best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards.

Cherotich, 18, won the World U20 Championships Trials in 9:18.25 and also placed third at the Diamond League final in Zurich in 9:06.14. Chepkoech, 19, won the Diamond League edition of Brussels in 9:02.43.

Other nominees include South Africa’s Mine De Klerk who is the World U20 shot put champion, Jamaica’s Kerrica Hill who is the World U20 100m hurdles champion and Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos who is the World U20 javelin champion.

The nominations reflect the standout performances witnessed this year, at the World Under-20 Championships in Cali, the World Championships in Oregon and other events around the world.

The winner of the 2022 Women’s Rising Star Award will be selected by an international panel of experts and be announced on World Athletics’ social media platforms in early December.

The Men’s Rising Star Award nominees will be announced soon.