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Last year, the social networking app for endurance athletes and fitness enthusiasts hit a milestone 100 million users.
Strava, the most popular social networking app for endurance athletes and fitness enthusiasts, laid off 38 employees in December 2022. Multiple former Strava employees confirmed the news on LinkedIn. According to a post from an unaffected Strava employee, the layoff equated to 14 percent of the company’s workforce.
The layoffs predated the reported uptick in price for premium features. The previous $7.99 monthly rate will increase to $11.99 on February 6—a significant 50 percent increase.
Runner’s World reached out to Strava for a comment, but the company has not responded.
Strava was founded in 2009 by Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath. According to Crunchbase, Strava has raised a total of $151.9 million from seven rounds of funding. The company raised $110 million during its most recent round, which took place in November 2020. The app has 95 million users according to Business of Apps.
(01/22/2023) ⚡AMP
With many weeks of cold, wintry weather ahead, it’s time to turn to yoga to generate some internal fire and warm up stiff joints and tense muscles.
here comes a time in winter, after weeks of sub-zero temperatures or at the very least a constant chill, when I feel like my actual core is frozen and my shoulders have taken up permanent residence around my ears. I know I’m not the only one.
But before you crank up the thermostat another degree or two (ooh, look at you with money to burn!) there is a much better (and cheaper) way to generate some warmth. Time to roll out the yoga mat and get acquainted with tapas (no… not those tapas).
“The practice of building heat in yoga is called ‘tapas’,” explains Laura Pearce, senior yoga and breathwork teacher and the founder of Yoga Collective London. “In yogic philosophy, tapas not only denotes physical heat, but also the burning off of negative energies, helping us persist when things get tough – this is useful during the winter months when everything seems a bit tougher and the body is sluggish and tired.”
This heat physically warms our bodies but it also helps motivate and energise us. To harness it, Pearce recommends a dynamic yoga practice to get the blood pumping and help mobilise stiff ‘hunched’ shoulders.
SUN SALUTATIONS HELP GENERATE HEAT
“The ultimate heat building-sequence in yoga is the classic sun salutation. The name ‘sun salutation’ comes from the idea that these movements heat up and awaken our internal ‘sun’, warming and preparing the body for other poses. It’s a particularly dynamic part of most western yoga practices and the simple repetitive nature makes it an easy sequence to learn,” she says.
Pearce recommends adapting your sequence by holding a strong downward dog a little longer to wake up the shoulders, adding more asanas on each round, or accompanying it with ujjayi pranayama (also known as victorious or ocean breath) to really heat things up.
How to do sun salutation A (surya namaskara A)
You can modify sun salutations any way you wish but this classic sequence, recommended by Jaime Hepburn, is a must-try on a frosty morning.
Inhale or exhale with each move, starting with an inhale as you raise your arms up.
Start by standing tall in tadasana (mountain pose)
Raise your arms up and gaze up
Fold forward
Lift halfway, hands to shins, look forward
Plant the hands and step back through chatarunga (low plank – or modify through knees-chest-chin)
Upward-facing dog (modify through low cobra)
Downward-facing dog – take three to five full breaths here
Look forward to prepare for the next steps
Step to the top of the mat
Lift halfway, hands to shins, look forward
Forward fold again
Lift the arms as you rise up, gaze up
Finish in tadasana (mountain pose)
Repeat five times.
BACKBENDS CAN PROVIDE AN ENERGY BOOST
Another warming move that also opens the shoulders is a backbend. “Any backbend will do – back extensions nearly always cause the heart rate to soar as they put a little tension on the diaphragm, heart and aorta,” says Pearce.
“Try locust (salabhasana) or bow pose (dhanurasana), holding for five breaths then repeating. More advanced yogis can go for a full-wheel pose (urdhva dhanurasana). Stop to notice that high energy rush after a big backbend. I think of them as natural coffee shots and a great way to wake us, energise us and warm us in the winter.”
Jaime Hepburn, founder of The Yoga Library, is also a fan of incorporating ujjayi pranayama (ocean breath) into her practice during colder weather.
“The winter months tend to bring a bit of tightness to our bodies. A dynamic practice that utilises ujjayi pranayama is incredibly efficient at warming the body to help reduce any stiffness or tension in the muscles and joints. Simply breathing this way when performing any asana will help stoke our internal fire,” she explains.
How to do victorious or ocean breath (ujjayi pranayama)
“This breath involves a slight constriction of the throat as you breathe in and out of the nose,” says Hepburn. “Don’t be deterred if you find this quite challenging. It certainly takes a bit of practice to get it.”
Try it first with your mouth open. Take a regular inhale.
Exhale and imagine you’re trying to fog up glass. A soft sound should accompany the breath.
Now try the same thing breathing inward, remembering to constrict the throat slightly to direct the breath inwards at a steady pace. The same sound should be heard.
Repeat the exhale but with your mouth closed. Again, there is a soft hissing sound, a bit like the ocean.
Inhale again, with that slight constriction, but with your mouth closed.
PRACTISE LION’S BREATH (SIMHASANA)
Another breathwork exercise to get things warmed up is lion’s breath. Mara Cimatoribus, yoga instructor on the fitness app WeGLOW, likes to start with some neck massages while in a kneeling position before moving on to lion’s breath.
“With your right hand, massage the left side of your neck – from your back to your chest. Repeat this a few times before moving to the other side. Start with connecting with your natural breathing first, then do a round of 10 lion breaths,” says Cimatoribus.
“Inhale through the nose and exhale forcefully through the mouth, sticking the tongue out. You should feel the abdomen contracting. Come back to natural breathing, soaking in the heating effects of this breathing technique.”
Cimatoribus is also a big fan of a sun salutations to generate heat, and she recommends making time for a short cat/cow beforehand to help warm up the spine.
BE DYNAMIC AND STRONG WITH A WARRIOR SEQUENCE
Yogi Eloise Skinner believes a sequence involving any warrior variation (virabhadrasana) – warrior I, II, III, plus reverse and humble warrior – is a wonderful way to counteract the effects of cold weather.
"Warrior sequences engage the biggest muscle groups of the body – glutes, quads and back muscles – and help to reduce shoulder and neck tension. Flowing between warrior poses, or even holding poses for a few breaths before transitioning, can be a simple way to sequence a home practice in the colder months,” she advises.
(01/22/2023) ⚡AMPHow do you like to spend your weekend off?
Do you put your feet up in front of the TV? Maybe shopping is your way to unwind? Perhaps you're a bit more adventurous and enjoy a stroll in the countryside?
That doesn't quite cut it for some people, who choose to run a 200-mile ultra-marathon in a disused railway tunnel instead.
The Tunnel Ultra is a race like no other. It's easy to find longer events. Some even involve repeating the same loop for days on end. But nowhere else can you take part in a race so twisted that you spend more than two days in darkness doing a one-mile shuttle run 200 times, or so punishing that one runner went temporarily blind - then thanked the race organiser for the privilege.
No outside support is permitted, headphones are banned and runners are not allowed to run side by side. Oh, and there is a strict time limit of 55 hours.
The Tunnel website describes it as "a mind-bending test of extreme endurance and sensory deprivation". It is more health warning than marketing slogan.
"I could be sat on the sofa watching Strictly with the wife and kids. Or do I want to be in a dripping tunnel, tired and miserable, knowing I've got work on Monday?" Guy Bettinson, a 45-year-old programme manager from Cumbria who won the Tunnel in 2020, wonders out loud. "I'd rather waste my weekend putting myself through misery."
"It's so pointless. You're not getting from A to B, which makes it such a massive mental challenge," says Andy Persson, another finisher that year. "If you can push your mind further than you think is possible, it's quite empowering."
Christian Mauduit, a French software engineer who won the 2021 edition, says: "I'm chasing that internal adventure - that meeting with myself. It's like a little kid - they want to see how close they can come to the fire. I'm still that little kid."
Bettinson describes every ultra-marathon start line as a "mid-life crisis anonymous meeting". "We've all got issues," he says. "It's clearly some kind of therapy."
The race takes place in Combe Down Tunnel, a mile south of Bath city centre, and starts at 4pm on a Friday in March. No more than 40 runners make it that far, partly because of a strict - and deliberately opaque - qualification process and largely because the tunnel is not big enough to accommodate many more. "Even the start line is weird," says Mauduit. "You have to stand one behind another in a queue."
Combe Down was restored as a cycle path in 2013 after 47 years under weeds. It is the UK's longest foot tunnel - and the obvious setting for an ultra-marathon if your name is Mark Cockbain.
"I like things that have got an X-factor," says Cockbain, a prolific former ultra-runner who set up the Tunnel in 2019 to add to his brilliant yet brutal portfolio of events as a race organiser. "As soon as I got permission to use the tunnel, it was a no-brainer."
The race is low key in the extreme. A fold-up table outside one end of the tunnel serves as race HQ. There is no shelter or rest area to speak of unless runners have the foresight to bring a camping chair. They must all share a portable toilet which, by the end of the weekend, would not look out of place at a music festival. Refreshments are limited to water and tea, while the most luxurious snacks are Pot Noodles. If you're lucky, they might not be out of date.
"I cut back on delicacies," says Cockbain in the matter-of-fact style for which he has become famous in the ultra-running community. "You can get through any of these races with a bit of water and food. I wanted to make it all about the running."
For Mike Raffan, a 43-year-old IT manager from Aberdeen who finished second in 2021, that's part of the appeal. "It's nice that there isn't any nonsense," he says. "The Tunnel is pure, unadulterated running. You run from one end to the other in a straight line, turn around a traffic cone, come back again, and just keep going. That's it." Persson agrees. "There's no fanfare. If you're looking to be pampered, you've come to the wrong place."
All of which adds up to a notoriously low finish rate. Of the 31 runners who started the inaugural Tunnel, only two completed it, and 13 in total in the three years it has been in existence.
"I don't want there to be no finishers," says Cockbain. "But I do want them to go through hell to get there."
So how exactly do you survive a race that is deliberately designed to break you physically, mentally and emotionally?
In one sense, it is simple. "The only things you have to think about are moving, eating, drinking, sleeping and going to the toilet. That's the limit of your universe," says Max Newton, a fundraising manager from Sheffield who was among the seven finishers in 2020. "All that jazz in real life is nonsense."
"One tactic for me is 100% commitment," says Raffan. Those words carry added weight from someone who ran 182 miles in 42 hours around his back garden three months after open-heart surgery in 2020. During another Cockbain race he continued running in conditions so bleak that his eyeball froze. "I never thought about not finishing the Tunnel. Before the race I told them, 'Do not let me stop unless there's a medical reason for it'."
Mauduit's approach is similar. "I'm asking myself all the complex questions - 'Why am I doing this? Should I go there?' - before the race, in training. During the race I just finish the lap - there's no question."
"You have to be all in. If doubt creeps in, you're gone," says Cockbain. A 50-year-old electronics engineer by trade, he completed 199 marathons and 106 ultras - including some of the toughest in the world, notably five Spartathlons, three Badwaters, a double Badwater and a 300-mile race in the Arctic - before knee problems forced him to stop running in 2011. "I could sit in a corner and hit my head with a spoon for three days if that's what I decided to do."
Bettinson admits the "possibility of failure was a big thing" when he stood on the start line, yet he went on to finish in a scarcely believable 43 hours nine minutes. It remains a Tunnel record by more than six hours and is "up there with some of the all-time greatest ultra achievements", according to Cockbain, not a man given to hyperbole.
Repeatedly running along the same stretch of tarmac throws up a mental challenge rarely found in races of any distance, let alone 200 miles (the total distance is actually 208 because the tunnel is slightly longer than a mile).
"The difficult thing with doing 100 laps is there are 100 chances to stop," says 49-year-old Newton, who also ran a 300-mile lapped ultra last summer. Even if runners quit mid-lap, they must make their way back to the start line. Mauduit agrees that the turnaround point at race HQ is often the most difficult. "Once you're on the course it's easy - everyone can do two miles," he says.
"When you reach the start line again you're facing two choices. One is calling it a day. You will still suffer, your legs will hurt, the pain will follow you for hours, and you have to deal with the fact you gave up. Or you can beat your own personal record in the tunnel and write history. You only have to be motivated for five seconds - just enough time to pick your butt up and get into the tunnel. During the Tunnel I don't do 200 miles; I do two miles 100 times."
A positive mindset is universal - some would argue essential - among those who have completed the race.
"When it's really hurting and I'd rather be in bed, I say to myself, 'I love this tunnel and I can't believe I've got this opportunity'," says Persson, a 57-year-old counsellor from Bristol who once ran 900 miles from Land's End to John O'Groats in 17 days.
"You've got to embrace it - there's no point fighting it or being grumpy. You have to find the bits that make it good," says Newton. Alan Cormack, who finished second in the inaugural Tunnel, adds: "You don't have to worry about weather, mud, navigation. And you don't have to carry a pack."
With no scenery, music or conversation, surely it must be boring? "On these runs you're often very busy," says Mandy Foyster, who staggered over the finish line five minutes inside the time limit in 2021 to become the only female runner to have completed the race. "You don't have time to get bored - you're doing maths in your head and you're so focused on keeping going."
Persson says "my personality likes routine", while Mauduit positively loves it. He once ran 238 miles in 48 hours on a treadmill, but says his favourite events are six-day races. His record is 541 miles.
For Raffan, ultras are his meditation. "People ask what I think about when I'm running. Absolutely nothing. At the best points your mind is empty. When you're in that proper trance state you're not thinking about anything."
Running 200 lengths of the tunnel means running 200 times past a speaker built into the wall at the midway point that resembles a giant eyeball and pumps out classical music on loop all day and night. "There are these little submarine-style windows which glow different colours," says Newton. "It's like super stereo."
Cormack describes it as a screeching violin, which Bettinson claims "adds to the weirdness and psychological torture". Mauduit is more direct: "It drives you nuts."
More psychological torture comes in the form of darkness. There is only dim lighting in the tunnel - which is shared with cyclists and walkers during the day - and even these are switched off between 11pm and 5am.
"Not only are you in the darkness, but you are alone and you have no headphones. It's like a giant meeting with you and your feet," says 47-year-old Mauduit. "All human bodies are conditioned by daylight. In a standard race, when the sun rises you feel great. In the tunnel you have no reference - it's always night."
"It became a very big battle to stay awake," says Foyster, a seasoned ultra-distance athlete whose idea of celebrating her 50th birthday was to cycle between Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon and sleep on the summits of each. "When I got to the end of the tunnel I'd step out in the daylight and just stand there for 10-15 seconds."
Foyster put more thought than most into keeping the so-called sleep monsters at bay - "I had perfume to spray and a Vicks to stick up my nose - anything to stimulate your senses" - but her most valuable tool was a small spray bottle. "When I felt myself falling asleep I sprayed myself in the face with water. That was absolutely fantastic."
Some runners might grab a power nap outside the tunnel - and pray it doesn't rain. Others treat sleep as an inconvenience in a race with an already demanding time limit. A rare few don't even afford themselves the luxury of sitting down.
"If you stop you've got to start again. If you don't stop you don't have to start again. I just kept going," says Bettinson, whose 17 years in the Army have proven an excellent grounding for ultra-running. "I did end up lying down a couple of times, but you're in so much pain by the second night that you can't sleep anyway. And you're just wasting time by not moving."
Raffan pulled out of the 2019 Tunnel after 100 miles to join his wife and daughter at the zoo. It remains his only DNF from more than 50 ultras. When he returned in 2021 he deliberately did not bring a chair. "I ended up sitting on somebody else's, but that was good because whenever they needed it, it forced me to get out."
"I don't trust myself to set an alarm and wake up, so I didn't take the risk," says Mauduit. "The only time I stopped was at the refreshment table or to go to the bathroom."
If sleeping is optional in the Tunnel, hallucinations are all but guaranteed.
"I saw a family of abominable snowmen, a massive slug and I thought I was on the edge of a cliff," says Karl Baxter, who failed to finish the race in 2020 but conquered it with less than an hour to spare the following year.
"Orange blobby monsters kept floating at me out of the darkness," says Foyster, who blames her good friend Baxter for convincing her to sign up for the race. "I wasn't in a tunnel a lot of the time - I was running through Egyptian tombs or over a suspension bridge with deep ravines."
Mauduit recalls: "On the last day it got insanely bad. I was seeing stairs; I was walking on a glass floor. I couldn't escape from it. The hallucinations were an order of magnitude stronger than anything I've ever had before. It was mind-blowing."
Cockbain has seen it countless times. "It's just total carnage," he says. "People are losing their marbles. If they stop for a rest, they can't remember which way they're going."
The effects lasted beyond the race for Persson. "I saw ticker tape, carvings in the wall, and I was convinced there was a glass conservatory with flowers. My wife and daughter picked me up and I was still hallucinating by the time I got home. I've never had that level of it before - it was so extreme."
Training for the race varies wildly between competitors. Bettinson's longest run in the build-up to his victory was a mere 12 miles; Foyster "did a lot of fast walking"; Cormack, who was scared of the dark as a child, favoured night-time runs; and Baxter attempted to simulate the boredom with lengthy treadmill sessions or by running up and down a one-mile stretch of road. He managed 48 of them one day.
Eating and drinking strategies are equally individual, but, given that runners burn about 20,000 calories during the course of the race, hunger triumphs over health. Dentists and doctors, look away now.
Pizzas, chocolate, cake and flat cola fuelled Foyster for nigh on 55 hours. Baxter polished off tube after tube of salt and vinegar crisps, all eaten on the move to save time. Jam sandwiches, flapjacks and Pot Noodles - "they really hit the spot" - kept Newton going. Raffan tucked into supermarket meal deals and butteries - a "really dense, stodgy" Scottish pastry - but describes cold custard as his "secret weapon". Persson's menu of quiche, sausage rolls and overnight oats seems positively gourmet by comparison.
Bettinson is powered by a concoction of Lucozade, pineapple juice and beetroot juice. He also liquifies food and puts it in baby pouches "so it's easy to get down". Because it is impossible to replace the energy you are burning, his plan is "fuel early and then cling on".
As the saying goes, what goes in must come out, although most runners visibly wince when they remember a toilet situation that Newton laughingly describes as "a disgrace".
Bettinson says: "The first time I did the Tunnel it was a little chemical kiddy loo that you'd take camping. It was in a half-collapsed tent with a broken zip. Mark deliberately put it in a puddle, so you had to get your feet wet just to get inside it, and after the first 50 miles it was like a festival loo - you had to hover over the top."
Even if runners can cope with the boredom, darkness and sleep deprivation, pounding tarmac for longer than some weekend breaks last takes an immense physical toll.
"Of course your legs will hurt - you're running 200 miles. What did you think was going to happen?" says Mauduit, a man whose CV also features winning a Deca Ironman - a triathlon consisting of a 23-mile swim, 1,118-mile bike ride and a 262-mile run.
"Everything after 20 miles involves pain," says Bettinson, who admits that theory was tested when his hips were in "absolute agony" 100 miles in. "Anyone can get round it - you just have to want to."
Newton's approach veers towards the spiritual. "In a weird way, if you run through excruciating pain it doesn't hurt any more," he says, with the caveat that this approach doesn't always translate to his partner Anna. "She's worried I'm going to die. She has seen me in a bad state - sometimes it has been a bit messy."
Cockbain has this advice: "The feeling of wanting to give up doesn't last - if you put something in its place."
Runners know better than to expect sympathy from Cockbain, whose stable of events also includes an unsupported 300-mile run from Hull to the south coast as well as a race where pairs of runners in boiler suits are chained together and have 24 hours to cover as much ground as possible. You can sense the disappointment in his voice when he recalls how The Hill, which involved climbing up and down a hill in the Peak District 55 times - equating to 160 miles - in 48 hours had to be scrapped after the pub which doubled as the checkpoint closed down.
Perhaps Bettinson sums up Cockbain best: "Mark has a motivational speech at the start of his races: 'If you're going too slow, speed up.'"
Baxter, a 51-year-old from Norfolk who spent 12 years in the Army and now drives lorries for a living, turned an ankle during his second attempt at the Tunnel. "It came up like an egg. I sat down for 20 minutes and I was going to quit. Mark said, 'A twisted ankle never killed anyone' and told me to carry on. It taught me a lot. Once I got to 150 miles I knew I was going to finish."
Individual motivation comes in different forms, but a common thread among finishers is the time, energy and money they have invested in a race that often few people outside their close circle of family and friends know about. Nobody gets into ultra-running for the glory, least of all those taking part in Cockbain's events.
"My wife is handling all the family by herself, working and having no fun," says Mauduit, who rode his motorbike from Paris to take part in the Tunnel. "I'm having this five-day vacation so I should do something good with that."
Bettinson flips the question on its head. "My why for being there is I chose to be there. I've paid the money, I've done the training, I've turned up. Why on earth wouldn't I finish?"
Foyster, meanwhile, does it for the sheep. Having grown particularly fond of the animals during endurance adventures such as running the width of the UK or cycling the length of it, she now uses ultra-marathons to help raise funds for a sheep sanctuary in Lincolnshire.
"When I was struggling in the Tunnel, my friend sent me videos of the sheep. I'm thinking of them at the tough times," she says. "Some people ask me if I have a coach. I say my coach is a sheep called Bella."
Foyster, who works at an animal sanctuary near Norwich, has run the London Marathon dressed as a sheep and even had a fancy dress costume lined up for the Tunnel, but never got chance to wear it because she was in such bad shape later in the race. What was the outfit? "A sheep dressed up as Darth Vader."
The gruelling nature of Cockbain's races and the derisory finish rate creates a special sort of camaraderie among runners, evident from the dark humour on the start line to the support they offer each other as they push beyond their limits.
"Everyone feels like they're in it together. It doesn't feel competitive," says Newton. Cormack, who runs a cleaning company in Aberdeen, adds: "Nobody cares if you're first or you're 20th." Bettinson says: "Mark's events feel less like a race and more about the entrants against the event as a collective. You're only ever racing against yourself."
Foyster, 56, says she goes into any event with a "1,000% determination to finish it", but her unwavering drive in the Tunnel took her to a place she had never been before.
"After 100 miles my body started to break down," she recalls. "By 150 miles I had adopted my walk-shuffle approach, and in the last 10 miles I completely lost my mind. I kind of went over to the other side.
"At mile 192 I became completely disorientated and started going the wrong way. I thought I was wandering along a quiet country lane. I didn't know who I was or what I was or what I was doing."
In a rare moment of weakness/graciousness (delete depending on the coldness of your heart), Cockbain allowed Foyster's friend to accompany her as she staggered to beat the time limit. He even turned cheerleader on Foyster's final lap.
"At mile 198 my vision went," says Foyster. "I couldn't see anything. I crashed into the wall a few times. I had a broken tooth. I felt like I just needed to collapse on the floor. It was the first time that I'd felt worried about myself physically.
"Mark appeared behind us on a bicycle shouting 'you've got to go faster'. I was running blind - I was running into a white mist. I felt like I was sprinting flat out. I kept running until Karen the timing lady caught me in her arms." Foyster had finished in 54:55, not even time for another lap.
Because she was "in a complete and utter state", Foyster says she did not get to savour the finish line moment. "That's the only bit I regret."
She didn't miss much. "There are only a handful of people there. You get a bit of a clap, Mark shakes your hand and gives you your medal," says Persson. "It's not like you've got people patting you on the head," says 55-year-old Cormack, who then slept on the back seat of his car because he was too tired to put his tent up.
"Mark said a few words - I was so knackered I can't remember what - and I just picked my box up and went to the train station," says Bettinson. "It was a busy weekend and there were a lot of people ready for a day out. There was me, absolutely stinking, wheeling this box and eating bits of scabby old sandwich."
Foyster was so spent that she had to be carried to her hotel room. Baxter, who did some of the carrying, says: "That was just as hard as the last few miles."
"If you finish one of Mark's races you get respect from him. That means a lot," says Newton. Bettinson agrees. "Most of my medals I chuck in the bin. If it's one I'm bothered about I keep it in a drawer. I've kept the Tunnel one."
Cockbain's goal is simple: "All I want is that someone walks away remembering it for the rest of their life. Ultimately we're going to live and die. How are you going to fill up the middle of that? Achievements last forever."
"Races aren't pretty - that is real life," says Foyster. "The Tunnel is the hardest I've pushed myself. I've never needed help like that, so my overwhelming feeling was I was so grateful."
Mauduit, who describes the Tunnel as an "awesome race", adds: "I thank Mark for putting it together. I discovered something new. It was a blast. It all makes sense because it doesn't make sense. It's worth every penny."
Baxter remembers clearly his feelings in the week after the Tunnel. "I was buzzing. I felt on top of the world. I felt invincible." Newton recalls: "When I was telling people about the Tunnel I was talking with a smile on my face."
But what on earth is next for those who have completed one of the most challenging ultra-marathons invented?
Baxter tells a story typical of a certain breed of ultra-runners. "My girlfriend said, 'Is that it?' I said, 'No way. I want to go further.' Plus, no-one has done it twice." He may have company. "I'll be back one day," says Mauduit. "I'm thinking about it."
Cockbain recognises the signs from his own running days. "It's a drug. It's an addiction. It's a never-ending 'what's next?' You never get satisfied."
Even Bettinson, the record holder, says: "My holy grail is I want to finish an event where I know I've given absolutely everything - even if I don't finish. It could be one mile or it could be a thousand miles.
"I'm still chasing that unicorn."
(01/22/2023) ⚡AMPDOHA: Ooredoo – a longstanding supporter of major sports events in Qatar – has announced that the 13th edition of its annual marathon, this year renamed the Doha Marathon by Ooredoo, was a roaring success.
The event was a complete sell-out, with 8,000 runners taking their places at the start line on the morning of Friday, January 20, 2023. Runners took part in a variety of distance categories, from the 1km kids’ run to the full marathon.
Sheikh Ali Bin Jabor Al Thani, recently appointed CEO at Ooredoo Qatar, said:
“Once again, we are delighted and proud to announce our annual marathon was a phenomenal success. As always, the event attracted some of the world’s top runners and was a complete sell-out, giving the opportunity for our local running enthusiasts to run alongside such sporting superstars. Thanks to the support of our partners and sponsors, we were able to ensure an incredible and upgraded experience for both runners and spectators alike, in line with Ooredoo’s commitment to promoting the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle as part of our corporate social responsibility strategy.”
A host of top international athletes took part, returning some incredible run times, with some athletes breaking their own personal records.
Morocco’s Mohcin Outalha crossed the finish line first in the men’s marathon in a time of 2:06:49, with Kenyan Gevin Kerich taking second place with 2:06:52 on the clock.
Kenyan Victor Kipchirchir and Ethiopian Adane Kebede finished in joint third place, registering a time of 2:06:54.
Ethiopian Meseret Belete took the top spot in the women’s marathon, clocking 2:20:45, with Desi Jisa Mokonin from Brunei finishing in second place with a time of 2:20:47. Kenyan Beatrice Cheptoo placed third with a time of 2:22:28.
In the open marathon category, the men’s race was won by Briton Michael Kallenberger with a time of 2:23:02, while the USA’s Abigail Cember took the top spot in the women’s race, clocking at 3:04:00.
Qatari runners were once again able to enter the AlAdaam category this year. Abdulla Fahad Al Zarra won the men’s marathon with a time of 2:48:21, while Rabaah Al Musleh finished first in the women’s marathon with a time of 3:50:55.
The men’s half marathon was won by Morocco’s Anouar El Ghouz in a time of 1:03:23, with Ukrainian Tetiana Pydoyna winning the women’s half marathon in 1:08:53.
Mohammed Issa Al Fadalah, President of the Qatar Athletics Federation, said:
“We extend our thanks to Ooredoo for once again hosting a phenomenal marathon that is consistently a highlight of Doha’s sporting calendar. Events such as these demonstrate Qatar’s suitability as the ideal venue for major sporting events, and this is only reinforced by the number of top international athletes who travel here to take part. We were delighted to see such an incredible turnout, and congratulate all runners on their sterling performances.”
A total prize fund of QR1 million was on offer across all categories, with event sponsor Q-Auto also offering a Volkswagen T-Roc as a raffle prize to one lucky winner drawn from all those who finished their race in the 5km category and above.
Sheikh Ali Bin Jabor Al Thani fired the starting gun for the Elite category and honored winners with their medals. Sabah Rabiah Al-Kuwari, Director PR at Ooredoo, joined QAF President Mohammed Issa Al Fadalah to present medals to winners in the other categories.
Spectators were able to enjoy the electric atmosphere from the many vantage points along the runner-friendly route, with the race village offering several food and beverage options and plenty of fun to be had by all.
Platinum sponsors for the Doha Marathon by Ooredoo 2023 were confirmed as Qatar Tourism, Q-Auto and Holding Group, with Qatar Airways and Seashore as Gold sponsors. Silver Sponsors are Al Rayyan Water, Aspetar, QIC, and Qommunication.
In line with Ooredoo’s commitment to supporting the community, all funds generated from registration fees for the 2023 Doha Marathon by Ooredoo will be donated to charitable organizations.
(01/21/2023) ⚡AMPWe started the Ooredoo Doha Marathon as a way to bring people together, encourage them to live healthier lifestyles and give back to the community. Funds raised by entry fees to the Ooredoo Doha Marathon will be donated to a range of worthy charities in Qatar. The marathon features four courses for all abilities of runners including a full marathon,...
more...World Athletics is set to leave the door open for transgender athletes to compete against women at the highest level.
Sports chiefs have found themselves with a tough decision to make whether to allow male-born trans women to compete in female categories. Last year the Olympic Committee published statement which stated that 'fairness and scientific evidence' should be taken into account by international federations when devising eligibility criteria for trans athletes.
Triathlon became the first British sport to ban trans women from competing in female events instead changing the name of their men's category to 'open'. English Volleyball followed them while British Cycling banned a trans athlete competing at last year's National Omnium Championships and are completing a review of their policy.
World Athletics are yet to decide their stance in the trans athlete debate but Telegraph Sport reports that the governing body has begun a consultation with its member federations over a proposed rule change.
The change would see a tightening of regulations but fall short of banning trans women from competing in female events at the highest level.
The consultation sent to member federations says: “This preferred option would allow significant (although not full) reduction of anaerobic, aerobic performances and body composition changes, while still providing a path for eligibility of trans women and 46 XY DSD individuals to compete in the female category.”
The Telegraph states that the preferred option also includes a 'full harmonisation of its trans regulations' and those governing athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD), including Caster Semenya.
The “preferred option” would see a halving of the maximum permitted plasma testosterone for trans women from five nanomoles per litre to 2.5 nmol/L. There would also be a doubling of the period athletes must remain below that threshold before being allowed to compete from one to two years.
Athletes currently must remain below a 5nmol/L level for just six months to compete in track events from 400 metres to a mile.
It has been reported that the confidential consultation was sent to member federations amid 'strict secrecy' and presented to the governing body’s council at the end of November. A final decision will be made by the council in March.
(01/21/2023) ⚡AMPIn the world of physical activity, it seems as though there are two kinds of people: those who do cardio, and those who do yoga. The two activities couldn’t be more different, one can involve moderate to big intensity and involve lots of endurance, while the other is slower and gentler (although still a good workout.) Both forms of exercise offer plenty of benefits, and the opposite nature of the two is why endurance athletes can get a lot of value from doing a little downward dog once in a while. If you’re not convinced, check out these reasons why you should add a yoga practice into your training schedule.
1. Yoga is a great form of active recovery
If you’re feeling beat up from training, it’s a good idea to take a day off to allow your body to recover. Instead of doing nothing that day–which is still fine–yoga is a great way to add gentle movement into your day to help you release some tension in your body, stretch out some tight muscles and bring your body into a more relaxed state. This may actually help you recover better than you would have by doing zilch, and you’ll return to training refreshed and ready to go.
2. It helps you get in tune with your body
Most yoga practices emphasize paying attention to and listening to your body. Practising regularly will teach you to be more in tune with your body, not only when you’re doing yoga, but also when you’re out doing a workout. This may allow you to catch signs of injury, over-training and burnout sooner than you would otherwise, because you’re better able to pick up on your body’s subtle cues that something is off.
3. You’ll improve your mental game
Yoga is great for your mind, and can teach you how to focus, tune out unwanted thoughts and remain calm under stress. Anyone who’s ever dealt with race-day jitters will appreciate how valuable these skills are for triathletes, and the ability to control your mind before and during a race can help you perform well, even when the pressure is on.
4. It reduces stress
Long workouts can be be very hard on your body. According to Harvard Health, incorporating a few minutes of yoga into your weekly routine can help slow your body down and reduce that stress. This will help you in a number of ways, including improving your mood, boosting your immune system and helping you sleep.
5. It improves flexibility
While a certain amount of tightness in your muscles is a good thing for triathletes, too much tightness puts you at risk for tears, strains and other injuries. Regular yoga can help to stretch some of those tight muscles back out, and loosen up areas of the body that are holding onto tension. For those of you who are worried about too much stretching, if the amount of swimming, biking and running you’re doing in a week is exceeding the amount of yoga, you’re unlikely to become too flexible.
6. Yoga teaches you how to breathe
Learning to control your breath while you’re training will help you stay relaxed in the middle of a hard workout or race. Since yoga focuses so heavily on matching your breath with your movements, it’s a great way to teach breath control, a lesson you can take with you on the bike.
(01/21/2023) ⚡AMPUnsure if that extra-tight hamstring is actually a muscle strain? Feeling a little extra-tired and pondering whether you should run anyway? Three days off may be the answer.
David and Megan Roche, coaches and coauthors of The Happy Runner, have a three-days-off rule where they encourage the athletes they coach to freely take three-day rest blocks at any time. Here’s how (and why) you should try it yourself.
Runners want to push through everything
There’s good reason runners joke about this Monty Python skit when discussing injuries–we almost always want to find a way to muscle our way through. Sometimes (often) less is more. “…in an athletic life, holding on too tightly can have negative physical and mental health ramifications,” says Roche.
Recognizing what mental, emotional, and work and family stress you are adding to your training load is valuable. So is knowing that even if you scale back training time, your body is always striving to make adaptations to become better at handling stress, both physical and mental.
Our bodies know stress, not miles. Read that one again. You may have heard it before, but dig in there.
Instead of obsessing about lost mileage, listen to Roche’s wisdom: “Our Strava training logs quantify miles and intensity as stress proxies. Meanwhile, our brains and bodies are constantly integrating and quantifying stress directly through the nervous system. That stress load interpreted by the nervous system is what determines adaptation, not the proxy stress load on training plan bar charts.”
Short-term cycles of inflammation (potentially good) can cause long-term negative feedback cycles (bad)
Roche explains in trailrunnermag that running, or any intense workout, will cause acute inflammation. “Acute inflammation may lead to growth, depending on the context,” he says. “Chronic inflammation may lead to almost every negative health outcome imaginable, from overtraining to life-threatening illnesses.”
While some inflammation may be a result of training, others may be caused by immune responses, nutrition, elevated cortisol responses “and basically everything else you can think of,” says Roche. “Preventing acute inflammation from becoming chronic inflammation sometimes requires stopping the cycle fully with time off.”
72 hours allows your body to perform repairs that will strengthen you
When you combine periods of dedicated training with healthy time off, your body is able to make the adaptations necessary to rebuild and recover.
“The biggest breakthroughs can happen a week or two after these quick breaks, and that’s not just due to recovery, says Roche. “That’s all about rest-induced growth.”
Time off lets you reassess and determine next steps
Roche suggests a branched tree of options after three days off (for any reason). If a runner is itching to go, easing back into running or cross-training can start, paying attention to issues if they crop up.
Alternatively, three days might be the perfect length of time for you to realize that you might need more time off and that it’s time to see a physical or mental health professional. Whatever choice you make, Roche reassures you that knowing when to take time off is an emotional strength that may well make you physically stronger, too.
(01/21/2023) ⚡AMPIt's no surprise that what people eat has an impact on their health, but trying to pinpoint exactly what diet out of the hundreds out there is most optimal for a long, healthy life can be overwhelming. A new study reports that there is no one optimal diet for longevity, but several general eating patterns that can shift life expectancy.
Published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, the study found that one can reduce their risk of an early death by nearly 20 percent by eating foods from one of four healthy eating patterns: A Mediterranean diet, a plant-based diet, the Alternative Healthy Eating Index and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (more on those below). All four eating patterns emphasize whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.
Professor and chair of Harvard's Department of Nutrition, Dr. Frank Hu, said in a statement, "It is critical to examine the associations between DGAs- recommended dietary patterns and long-term health outcomes, especially mortality."
Hu says there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to eating healthy and dietary choices can be tailored to individual preferences as long as they adhere to the basics of any of the four healthy eating styles. This means that even if you get tired of eating one way, you can switch over to another dietary plan. The study followed the eating habits of 75,000 women and 44,000 men over 36 years. Every four years, the participants would fill out questionnaires about what food they ate, and each person was scored based on how much they adhered to one or more of the eating patterns.
Participants who remained consistent with their healthy eating patterns could reduce their risk of dying from respiratory disease by 35 to 46 percent, cardiovascular disease by 6 to 13 percent and dying from cancer by 7 to 18 percent.
Most people are familiar with the Mediterranean diet and a plant-based diet, but what about the other half of the recommended four healthy eating patterns?
Alternative Healthy Eating Index
Developed by Harvard researchers, the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) assigns ratings to foods for how well they prevent chronic diseases and illnesses including cancer, diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.
Some AHEI food choices include a variety of vegetables with a focus on leafy greens, four servings of fruit a day, whole grains, nuts, legumes and vegetable proteins like tofu, fish and healthy fats like olive oil. In following this eating pattern, it's suggested one avoids potatoes, refined grains, fruit juices and saturated fats.
Participants of the study who followed the AHEI eating pattern reduced risk of death by 20 percent.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is a metric designed to measure diet quality by how closely one follows its recommendations: Focus on variety, nutrient density and portions, limit added sugars, saturated fats and sodium and avoid sugary beverages. The guidelines are less specific on what foods to eat, rather an outline on how to customize nutrient-dense meals, meeting dietary needs and staying within calorie limits.
Within this study, participants who followed this eating pattern had a 19 percent lower risk of dying.
(01/21/2023) ⚡AMP
Interested in eating plant-based but struggling to find simple, quick meals that are full of nutrition while still easy on the budget? The authors of Plant-Based Sports Nutrition have some tips and tricks for you.
Both registered dietitians, authors Dr. Enette Larson-Meyer and Matt Ruscigno suggest planning in advance as key to maintaining high-performance plant-based nutrition. Reading labels is important–with the many new plant-based alternatives to meat and cheese, it can be tempting to purchase whatever looks appealing. Check iron, protein, fat and calcium content, and look for options that have the equivalent nutritional composition of the products they’re replacing.
Larson-Meyer and Ruscigno also suggest adding a salad to any meal, with fresh and dried fruit tossed in to add both a diverse array of nutrients (calcium, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, zinc, etc.) as well as carbohydrates. Adding nuts, beans or cheese (provided you’re not strictly vegan) can boost healthy fat and protein, as well.
It can be challenging enough to squeeze in a run alongside all the other things you may do in a day. Eliminate some of the stress by trying some of these quick make-and-take breakfast and lunch options.
Grab-and-go breakfasts
Have some fresh or dried fruit in reusable containers on hand, and grab one of the following to make your morning ridiculously simple.
Homemade muffins made with grapeseed or canola oil and whole grains (try Shalane Flanagan’s recipe here)
Whole-grain toasted English muffin with low-trans-fat margarine or nut butter and jam
Dairy or soy yogurt, fruit and granola parfait (made the night before in a to-go container)
Breakfast cookies (make your favourite oatmeal cookies with half the sugar, orange juice as the liquid, and add dried fruit, nuts and ground flaxseed)
Quick portable lunches
Pack fresh fruit or veggies and/or whole-grain crackers or whole-wheat pretzels along with one of these easy-to-throw-together lunches and some healthy cookies.
Tomato, avocado, and sprouts on a whole-grain bagel
Black beans, lettuce, avocado and salsa in a spinach or whole-wheat roll-up
Black-eyed-peas spread (1 can beans, 1/2 cup parsley, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp tarragon, garlic and pepper to taste) on flatbread or in a whole-wheat wrap
Dark leafy greens in a pita with chickpeas, kidney beans or white beans, and dressing of choice
Peanut butter, sliced banana, raisins and walnuts on whole-wheat bread
Red-pepper bean spread (1 cup white beans, 2 tsp finely chopped roasted sweet peppers, 1 tsp finely chopped scallions) on foccacia or flatbread
If you decide to maintain a plant-based diet for the long haul, keep your menu exciting by trying new foods and learning about nutrition. Once you nail the basics, planning nutritionally-balanced meals will become as much a part of your routine as training, and can be an enjoyable, easy part of your day.
(01/20/2023) ⚡AMPOn Friday morning, Athletics Australia announced the provisional suspension of middle-distance runner Peter Bol, who won the silver medal in the men’s 800m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, U.K.
Bol, who was fourth at the Tokyo Olympics in the men’s 800m, failed an out-of-competition urine test on Oct. 11. The 28-year-old tested positive for the banned drug erythropoietin, known as EPO.
In accordance with Athletics Australia’s anti-doping policy, Bol has been provisionally suspended, effective from Jan. 10.
Bol went on Twitter to plead his innocence, denying that he’s ever purchased or used synthetic EPO, and has requested Sport Integrity Australia and Athletics Australia to take a look at the B sample from the October test.
Under the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy, the suspended athlete is entitled to have their B Sample analyzed. The results from the B sample will be known in February.
“I am innocent and have not taken this substance as I am accused,” Bol said on Twitter.
If his B sample is positive, Bol could face a four-year ban from athletics.
EPO has been on the World Anti-Doping Prohibited List since the 1990s; it is used to improve endurance performance or to speed up recovery.
Bol emigrated to Australia from Sudan with his family when he was eight. He is currently the Oceanic record holder and the fastest Australian ever over 800m, with a personal best of 1:44:00.
He currently trains in Melbourne with “Fast 8 Track Club” under middle-distance coach Justin Rinaldi.
(01/20/2023) ⚡AMPAthing Mu is already the second-fastest women’s indoor 600m runner of all time and the US middle distance star could make another statement when she returns to the Millrose Games, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, in New York on February 11.
It was in 2019, at the age of just 16, that Mu clocked 1:23.57 at the US Indoor Championships to miss the world 600m best by just 0.13.
Since then, she has become an Olympic and world champion in the 800m and has taken her PB in that discipline to 1:55.04, the US record.
The 800m final at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 on 24 July last year, which Mu won in 1:56.30, was her most recent race and she will now be looking for another strong indoor season in a year that offers her the chance to defend that world title in Budapest.
“The women’s 600m will be one of the highlights of this year’s Millrose Games, and we are delighted to welcome Athing back to the track she grew up on,” said Millrose Games director Ray Flynn.
However, Mu will have to contend with athletes including her US compatriot Shamier Little and Jamaica’s Natoya Goule if she is to secure more success.
Hurdles specialist Little, the 2015 world 400m hurdles silver medallist, will look to continue testing herself in the flat event over a slightly longer distance, after opening her season with a world-leading 600m time of 1:24.65 last weekend.
While Goule, who has an indoor 600m best of 1:25.35, was the fourth-place finisher in the 800m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 and also finished fifth at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon last year.
They will be joined by Olivia Baker and Sophia Gorriaran in the 600m field.
Also in action in New York will be Chase Ealey, as she returns to compete in front of a home crowd as the world shot put champion.
Recently announced for the opening meeting in the 2023 World Indoor Tour Gold series in Karlsruhe on 27 January, Ealey has now also been confirmed for the Millrose Games, where the world champion and world indoor silver medallist will take on her US compatriots Maggie Ewen and Jessica Woodard, plus Canada’s Commonwealth and NACAC champion Sarah Mitton.
It means fans will be treated to two thrilling shot put showdowns in New York, with Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs already announced for the men’s contest.
“I am really excited to have the Millrose Games as my first competition in the US as the world champion,” said Ealey. “I hope that with the success of the male and female competition, people will love our event indoors!”
(01/20/2023) ⚡AMPThe NYRR Millrose Games,which began in 1908 as a small event sponsored by a local track club, has grown to become the most prestigious indoor track and field event in the United States. The NYRR Millrose Games meet is held in Manhattan’s Washington Heights at the New Balance Track & Field Center at the Armony, which boasts a state-of-the-art six-lane,...
more...A 41-year-old TikToker and salesman from Sichuan, China, Wu Nan, has found a niche way to sell women’s high heels. The man’s marketing strategy involves sprinting in stilettos–and he has reportedly generated a staggering six million yuan (CAD $1,100,000) in monthly sales.
After years of struggling to sell cakes, and then curtains, Nan found running in heels a great technique to boost his online sales.
In Nan’s videos, he can be seen sprinting aggressively on the treadmill, track or outdoors while wearing big black boots or dazzling stilettos, showcasing how sturdy the heels are. Apparently many women face this trouble with heels and need a durable pair to get around in.
Nan is also very descriptive with his marketing. In one clip, he refers to the softness of the sheepskin and the shoe’s “special feeling” when sprinting in it.
According to the South China Post, Wu began selling women’s shoes in 2008 when he opened his first shop. He began posting videos online in March 2020 and has gained over 1.2 million subscribers on TikTok.
Wu told Chinese news that his expectations were low at first. He thought he’d only sell around 500 pairs a year. After he made his first video, he sold over 100 pairs, raking in $10,000; now he makes more than a million dollars per month.
The prices of his shoes ranges from $40 to $200 CAD (US$150).
His videos have gone viral in China, as locals express their admiration for grown men who can run in high heels.
(01/20/2023) ⚡AMPSeven-time Olympic champion and the most decorated female track athlete in U.S. history, Allyson Felix, received a special honor on Jan. 18, when the University of Southern California (USC), her alma mater, recognized her achievements by changing the name of the school’s track to Allyson Felix Field.
“For me to be born and raised in Los Angeles and have such a history at USC, I am just completely humbled,” Felix said in a statement released by the university. “It’s such a huge honor to be a part of history on campus, and it’s such a special place for me.”
Felix retired at the end of the 2022 season, competing in five Olympic Games between 2004 and 2020, and winning 11 Olympic medals: seven gold, three silvers and one bronze.
She is also the most decorated athlete in world championship history, with 20 medals between 2005 and 2022, including 14 golds, three silvers and three bronzes (seven from individual events and 13 from team relays).
During her career, she has been a prominent advocate for women and women of color in the sport of track and field. In 2018, she broke her contract with Nike after saying publicly that the company declined to provide adequate maternity benefits and salary guarantees as Felix looked to start her family.
The stadium was previously named after American philanthropist Katherine B. Loker. The track will be formally changed to Allyson Felix Field this spring.
“The Allyson Felix Field will recognize her immense achievements as a sports legend and Trojan—while also showing our admiration for her role as an entrepreneur, advocate and champion for women,” said USC President Carol Folt.
(01/20/2023) ⚡AMPBelarusian coach Yury Maisevich was charged by the AIU for the defection of Belarus sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya during the Tokyo Olympics.
On Thursday morning, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) laid charges against Belarusian coach Yury Maisevich for his treatment of sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who defected to Poland during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
One day before Tsimanouskaya was due to compete in the women’s 200m at the Tokyo Olympics, she accused officials from the Belarus Olympic Committee of forcing her to compete in the 4x400m relay without her consent. She complained about the situation in a video on social media, which led to criticism by the Belarus media, which claimed she lacked team spirit.
She was forced to miss her 200m race because of the incident. The next day she was taken to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and sent home, but she refused to board the flight back to Belarus.
The national team coach, Maisevich, and Belarusian Olympic official Artur Shumak both had their accreditation revoked by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after Tsimanouskaya claimed she was taken to the airport against her will. She sought help from the police in Japan; two weeks later, Tsimanouskaya, 26, received a humanitarian visa to Poland and safe passage to the country, which borders Belarus. She later became a Polish citizen, and is currently studying at the Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw.
In Sept. 2021, IOC and World Athletics referred the matter to the AIU, charging Maisevich with breaching standards outlined in the Integrity Code of Conduct.
The AIU is an independent body created by World Athletics to manage all integrity issues (both doping-related and non-doping-related) for the sport of athletics.
The head of the AIU, Brett Clothier, explained in a press release: “An important role of the AIU is to safeguard athletes and protect them from harassment.”
The AIU alleges that, with respect to the circumstances of Tsimanouskaya’s removal from the Olympics, “Maisevich did not act with integrity and acted in bad faith; failed to safeguard the athlete’s dignity and his actions constituted verbal and mental harassment; and that he brought athletics generally into disrepute.”
The AIU has not revealed the specifics of the charge and the implications for Maisevich’s future in the sport are not clear.
(01/19/2023) ⚡AMPSpeaking over the weekend during the unveiling of his murals in Eldoret, the world record holder said his next stop will be Boston in April before closing the season with the New York Marathon later in the year.
Kipchoge has so far won Tokyo, London, Berlin and Chicago, which are part of the World Marathon Majors.
He said winning Boston and eventually New York City Marathon will be great.
“2022 was a great and very successful year for me. Right now my focus is on the Boston Marathon as I seek to win my fifth World Marathon Majors race,” said the four-time Berlin Marathon champion.
Kipchoge said he wants to consolidate the six-star marathon medals as well as engage in other community-based projects under his Eliud Kipchoge Foundation.
He said he is currently looking at projects anchored around education and tree planting.
The four-time London marathon champion said his target in the education sector is to build at least a library in each of the 47 counties.
“I do not only want to construct a library in each county, but also adopt a forest in each county. This is a big dream but I know there is a need to plant more trees so that humanity can have clean air to breathe as well as conserve the environment,” he said.
Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said the murals are artistic impressions in honour and celebration of Kipchoge’s achievement as one of the greatest marathoners.
The murals were inscribed: ‘No human is Limited' and ‘Wenye nidhamu tu maishani ndio wako huru' meaning 'only the disciplined are free'.
Ndegwa also announced a Sh1m donation towards Eliud Kipchoge Foundation. In addition, the telco will also support Eliud with 5,000 tree seedlings as part of his tree-growing initiative at Kaptagat Forest.
In Boston, Kipchoge will be up against former New York Marathon champion Albert Korir, former Commonwealth 5,000m gold medallist Augustine Choge, Shura Kitata and Ghirmay Ghebreslassie.
Also expected to challenge the streets of Boston are champion Evans Chebet, 2021 winner Benson Kipruto, two-time winner Lelisa Desisa and Tanzanian record-holder Gabriel Geay.
(01/19/2023) ⚡AMPAmong the nation’s oldest athletic clubs, the B.A.A. was established in 1887, and, in 1896, more than half of the U.S. Olympic Team at the first modern games was composed of B.A.A. club members. The Olympic Games provided the inspiration for the first Boston Marathon, which culminated the B.A.A. Games on April 19, 1897. John J. McDermott emerged from a...
more...Now that the holidays are over and your training for spring races has resumed, jumping back into workouts can be overwhelming. If you are looking to ease back into things and still want a quality speed workout, this session is for you.
The workout is called the 30/30 fartlek, and it can be done as a workout on its own, or thrown into the end of a long run to challenge your fatigued muscles. A fartlek is a unique speed workout (it’s Swedish for “speed play”) designed to get you comfortable with different paces.
The concept behind the 30/30 fartlek workout is not to destroy you, but to give you a quality session. Most runners will use fartlek training for continuous running to keep their heart rate (HR) at a certain level to improve their aerobic endurance in the quickest way possible. Fartlek running is also one of the best ways to incorporate speedwork into your mileage.
Workout:
10 to 15 reps of 30 seconds fast and 30 seconds slow jog (continuous)
Each 30-second rep should be done at a comfortably fast pace (generally 5K-10K pace or faster), and the 30-second slow jog should be done at a pace slower than your easy runs.
If you need to walk between reps, you might be pushing too hard; try slowing down the pace of your fast 30s a bit.
Although the workout may seem like a lot of reps, it is only five to eight minutes in total. Doing this session once a week will quickly improve your speed and endurance, helping prepare your mind and body for faster efforts to come.
(01/19/2023) ⚡AMPIt’s a common debate among runners–is it better to run in the morning or in the evening? A new study concluded that exercising between noon and midnight could significantly lower insulin resistance compared to activity earlier in the day.
While more research needs to be done, the study raised some interesting points for those looking to manage blood sugar and prevent Type 2 diabetes.
“Our aim was to investigate associations of the timing of physical activity and breaks in sedentary time with liver fat content and insulin resistance in a middle-aged population,” lead study author Jeroen van der Velde of Leiden University Medical Center told Healthline.
What is insulin resistance and why is blood sugar important?
Key to be aware of when it comes to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance occurs when cells stop responding to insulin.
Food is broken down into blood sugar which then enters the bloodstream, signaling the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin helps blood sugar enter the body’s cells so it can be used for energy, and it signals the liver to store blood sugar for later use.
If a lot of blood sugar floods the bloodstream, the pancreas pumps out more insulin to get blood sugar into cells. Over time, cells stop responding to all that insulin—they’ve become insulin resistant.
The pancreas keeps making more insulin to try to make cells respond, but can’t keep up and blood sugar keeps rising. Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are often the result of this perfect biological storm, according to the CDC.
High blood sugar is damaging to the body, and can also be a contributor to heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.
The study
Researchers analyzed data from a Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) study, which included men and women (between 45–65) who had a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or greater, meaning they were in the category of overweight or obese.
The more than 6,700 participants in the control group underwent a physical exam where blood samples were taken to measure blood glucose and insulin levels when they were fasting and after eating and were questioned about their lifestyles.
A random sample of 955 participants was given an accelerometer/heart rate monitor to use for four days and nights to monitor their movements. The day was divided into three blocks; 6 am to 12 pm, 12 pm to 6 pm, and 6 pm to midnight.
The proportion of total daily moderate-to-vigorous-physical activity (MVPA) that was recorded within each segment revealed the most active period.
The takeaway
The researchers discovered that for the participants in the study, exercising in the afternoon was linked to an 18 per cent reduction in insulin resistance compared to spreading activity throughout the day and exercise in the evening with a 25 per cent reduction.
Researchers also discovered that time spent doing moderate to vigorous physical activity reduced both liver fat content and insulin resistance.
van der Velde acknowledged that more scientific research needs to be done, and emphasized that for this study, he looked at differences in insulin resistance on a group level, among adults all within a certain cohort. Exercise at any time of the day is recommended and can be preventative for a wide variety of health problems.
(01/19/2023) ⚡AMPWhether planning your snacks for a marathon or trying to upgrade your workout routine, finding the right snacks as a runner is vital to your energy levels. Your body cannot work out efficiently or heal properly if you aren’t providing the right macros.
Snacks are a quick, efficient way to fuel your body for every run, but not all snacks will be the right choice for your body. Take a look at the top quick and easy snacks for runners below.
Why Snacks Matter
The more you exercise, the more calories and nutrients your body needs to thrive. If you don’t have enough energy, you won’t be able to make it through a serious workout, or your body will start to break down muscle as it seeks additional energy sources.
Having easy snacks is essential if you’re building your workout routine, including running. You must provide calories, carbs, and other nutrients to ensure your body is supplied with energy throughout the day. Before running, after running, and even on recovery days: your body needs fuel.
Snacks also ensure you’re giving your body what it needs to grow stronger during runs.
Snacks eaten one to three times a day, depending on your training level, should include carbohydrates, fiber, proteins, and fat.
Carbohydrates give you energy and restore glycogen in the muscles. Fiber keeps you feeling full while boosting digestive processes. Proteins keep your muscles in good condition. Fat ensures your body can absorb vitamins.
#1: Veggies, Pretzels, and Hummus
An easy snack that can be customized to fit your training and diet is a plate of veggies, pretzels, and hummus. Each of these components can be included in specific proportions to add extra protein, carbs, or fiber, depending on your current needs.
Pretzels are a great source of carbohydrates that digest quickly. They also have some salt, which is good for your body’s overall hydration balance. Hummus is a good source of iron, fat, and proteins.
Carrots aren’t high in calories, but they keep you feeling full. Carrots aren’t high in calories, but they keep you feeling full. Eating carrots to prevent overeating is a common tactic.
Many veggies like carrots and celery also have high water content. Water is, of course, another essential part of your nutrition as a runner. Not all fluid intake needs to come directly from water; eating water-rich foods hydrates your body.
#2: Yogurt with Granola or Fruit
Yogurt is a fantastic food for runners. It is low in fat, high in carbs, and contains many valuable nutrients and vitamins. Additionally, many runners benefit from the probiotic effects that yogurt can have.
To make a balanced snack, try supplementing yogurt with blueberry cinnamon granola like this one or fruit. Slightly-sweet granola adds texture to the food while also upping the energy you’ll get out of your snack.
Ideally, using a flavored granola or low-sugar fruit is better than choosing a flavored yogurt. Flavored yogurts contain a lot of added sugars, which isn’t always a good choice.
#3: A Topped Toast
Eating a slice of toast with a protein-rich topping is an excellent snack for pre-running or recovery. Runners tend to use peanut butter as it is very high in healthy fat and protein-rich. Whole-wheat bread is the preferred choice for long-lasting energy, but you can also skip the bread altogether and eat these toppings with a banana or apple. It’s essential to be mindful when choosing your peanut butter. All-natural peanut butters contain less added sugar and limit hydrogenated oils, which can be hard on your body. Opt for the more natural peanut butter and nut butter options when possible.
#4: Energy Bars
Finally, let’s discuss the easiest and quickest choice: energy bars.
Selecting a premade bar instead of making your snack can feel like a cop-out. Still, it’s important to remember that energy bars are often specifically formulated to provide the right blend of nutrients, energy, and enjoyment for runners like you.
Energy bars come in many flavors and varieties. You’re good to go if you select bars that are not overloaded with added sugars. You can find high-carb, low-carb, protein-rich, and other types of bars on the market today. Don’t flounder trying to find the perfect snack if you don’t have time to meal prep. It’s okay; energy bars are a fantastic and easy option for runners.
(01/18/2023) ⚡AMPFlashback to a year ago, most runners were locked down and working remotely with no races in sight. But within a few months, as restrictions were lifted, most races returned after a two-year hiatus. Race organizers were happy to have runners back, but the registration numbers for most were not what they were before the pandemic.
Athlinks, the largest race results database in the world, surveyed an audience of 400,000 athletes based in North America, identifying their post-pandemic habits to gain an understanding of why numbers did not fully bounce back in 2022.
The survey showed several reasons for lacklustre event participation in 2022, ranging from athlete safety concerns to simply being “not ready” to return to racing. Forty-five per cent of the athletes who did not return to racing last year indicated that they are either registered or plan to register for their first race back in 2023.
Those who have not returned to racing stated the following four things would persuade them to get back to it: Getting into shape, having a running buddy to commit to the race with, fun themes, and more affordable registration fees.
Forty-eight per cent of athletes who returned to racing indicated that social media and word of mouth were how they found races. These results emphasize the importance of overall digital marketing efforts for events. Athletes are actively searching for new races to get involved in, and it is more important than ever for events to put their best foot forward digitally.
Athlinks revealed another promising indicator that late-fall races saw the strongest racing volume, nearing numbers from 2019. “We are starting to see event numbers close to 2019 once again–people are ready to race,” states Nick Wiegand, Athlinks product manager.
While the resurgence of the racing industry has progressed slower than many race directors hoped, there is a strong indication of a continued trend of steady growth for 2023. The survey shows it is key to focus on catering to athletes who have not yet returned to racing to help them get back into the habit.
(01/18/2023) ⚡AMPEliud Kipchoge has shared his concerns over the increase in number of doping cases among Kenyan athletes.
The 38-year-old, who is considered among the best long-distance athletes of all time, also warned his compatriots that using drugs to enhance their performances on the track and field will also negatively impact their health.
Kipchoge, the reigning Olympic and World marathon champion, spoke on Tuesday night at the launch of the Tecno Phantom X2 series phone in Nairobi.
The athlete was recently announced as Tecno's brand ambassador.
"Let each and every athlete make it a personal decision to protect their career and health," explained Kipchoge. "When you consistently use drugs, your health deteriorates. This affects your sporting career and personal life."
A total of 55 athletes were banned for doping, eight of them provisionally in 2022, a statistic that places the spotlight on Kenya as a sporting powerhouse amid threats of a ban on the country from competing at international meets.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has described the doping menace as a 'crisis' and warned that efforts are underway to criminalise the vice.
"Kenya is in the midst of a doping crisis which is threatening to shatter the very fine glitter of Kenya as a sporting nation. We have rogue agents who do not seem to pay any regard to the laws of the land. We will catch them. We have the plan to end this mess."
(01/18/2023) ⚡AMPPaul Tergat has been announced as ambassador of the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23, with one month to go until the 44th edition of the global showpiece in Australia.
Kenya’s multiple world cross country gold medallist will be in Bathurst for the competition on 18 February, when some of the world’s current best athletes will descend on Mount Panorama looking to emulate him as a world cross country champion.
Tergat is one of the greats of long-distance running and it was in cross country that his success story really began. The first of his five individual world cross country crowns was claimed in Durham in 1995 and he would go on to gain gold at the next four editions – in Stellenbosch in 1996, Turin in 1997, Marrakech in 1998 and Belfast in 1999.
Cross country running paved the way for his achievements on the road and track, which included multiple world records, two world half marathon titles, two Olympic 10,000m silver medals, and three 10,000m medals – two silvers and a bronze – at the World Championships.
The singlet he wore when winning in Turin in 1997 is on display in the Museum of World Athletics.
“Cross country will always be a special event in my athletics career,” said Tergat. “It evokes very nostalgic and fond memories, because this is really where my long athletics career was birthed, developed and blossomed, with the crowning of five straight World Cross Country Championships titles between 1995 and 1999."
“In cross country running, I picked up lifelong lessons after conquering diverse conditions, twists and turns, terrains, wetlands and barriers that define the athletics event.”
Tergat has experience of racing in Australia; the 10,000m final at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games – where he pushed Haile Gebrselassie all the way before ultimately ending up with silver – was perhaps the most iconic race of Tergat's career.
As current world-class and mass runners prepare to take on the challenging Bathurst course, Tergat – who won individual and team titles for Kenya at each of those five editions of the World Cross Country Championships – reflected on the event in 1999 as his own competitive standout.
“Belfast remains an iconic race for its challenging, muddy course,” he explained, “but, most importantly, as the race in which I attained my historic fifth consecutive senior men’s title and a 14th successive team title for my country. This is the reason I have declared that race as ‘the toughest yet, but the best’.
“For these and many other reasons, I never hesitate to make any contribution towards raising the profile of cross country as a central event for every athlete, from track to road running.”
(01/18/2023) ⚡AMPAthletes from across the globe will descend on Australia for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 2021. Mount Panorama is better known as the home of Australia’s premier endurance motor race, but in one year from now, it will welcome the world’s best endurance runners for what will be Australia’s first World Athletics Series event in...
more...Matt Fitzgerald is an acclaimed endurance sports coach, nutritionist, and author. His many books include On Pace, The Endurance Diet, 80/20 Running, and How Bad Do You Want It?
On June 6, 2021, Sifan Hassan of The Netherlands smashed the women’s 10,000-meter world record in the Dutch town of Hengelo, besting Ethiopian Almaz Ayana’s mark of 29:17.45 by more than 10 seconds. Two days later, the Ethiopian Olympic Trials Women’s 10,000m was held on the same track. Nobody expected the record to go down again, least of all because the fastest runner in the race, Letesenbet Gidey, had a PB of 30:21—a full 75 seconds slower than Hassan’s time. Nevertheless, those fancy blue Wavelight LED’s that show world-record pace were activated, just in case.
Gidey started fast, but not that fast, reaching 2000 meters in 5:54, about 5 seconds behind the lights. Her next kilometer was a mite quicker, though still slower than record tempo, leaving her another second off the mark after 7.5 laps. She held that pace through the halfway mark, hitting 5000 meters in 14:42, on pace to finish in 29:24, a virtual straightway behind the specter of Hassan. But she looked really good—about as relaxed and comfortable as she had during her earlier warm-up jog.
Gidey’s next two kilometers were her swiftest yet—each completed in 2:55—yet even this pace was fractionally slower than Hassan’s standard, leaving her fully 10 seconds behind the lights at 7K. That’s when Gidey began to accelerate, running each remaining lap faster than the one before. She covered the final 1600 meters in an astonishing 4:26, the bell lap in a brain-melting 63 seconds, and finished with a new world record of 29:01.03. Her time for the second half of the race—14:18—was the eighth fastest women’s 5000-meter time ever run!
What do we make of this performance? For me, it teaches an important lesson about pacing. Specifically, it shows that a conservative pacing strategy can also be an aggressive pacing strategy in the sense that running the first part of a race at a relatively slow pace can position an athlete to achieve a breakthrough performance for the full race distance. The reason has to do with the psychological nature of pacing and human performance limits.
You see, in sprint races, performance is directly limited by physiology (specifically, leg turnover and force application). But in middle- and long-distance running events, performance is merely constrained by physiology and is directly limited by psychology. In a properly-paced middle- or long-distance race, the runner does not encounter any kind of hard physiological limit until they are within about 30 seconds of finishing, as it is humanly impossible to sustain a maximal effort longer than half a minute, give or take. Prior to that time, the runner is deliberately running slower than she could, aiming for the fastest pace she can sustain without hitting her bodily limit before she’s within 30 seconds of crossing the finish line.
This calculated parceling of effort is done mainly by feel. Hence, a degree of uncertainty is involved in pacing. How can a runner be certain she’s riding the line, on track to complete the race in the exact least time possible for her on that day? She can’t. However, uncertainty does tend to decrease as the race unfolds. The closer the runner gets to finishing, the more confident she becomes in her pacing judgments. Shorter races are easier to pace than longer ones, after all, and longer races effectively become shorter ones as runners move through them.
Pacing is really all about belief. When a runner is certain her current effort is sustainable for the remaining distance of a race, she’s usually right, and when she’s certain it’s not, she’s also right, not for some hippie-dippy mystical reason but because such beliefs have a solid basis in perceived effort, conscious knowledge of the situation, and past experience. But because belief is not strictly tied to physiology, runners can manipulate belief independent of physiology in ways that enable them to race faster, and that’s exactly what Letesenbet Gidey did in her record-breaking 10,000 meters.
In particular, Gidey ran the first 7K of the race at a pace that was slow enough to leave her feeling relatively good but not so slow as to put the world record out of reach. At that point, confident she could speed up, she did, but only a little, such that, after completing another lap, Gidey felt confident she could speed up a little more, which she did, and so on. The materialists in the room are rolling their eyes at this, but is my theory really so far-fetched? We have all kinds of experimental evidence that purely psychological factors affect pacing and performance. Endurance athletes are known to race faster when they are in a group, when they have a higher level of motivation before the race, and when they set a goal they believe is achievable, but just barely. The Gidey method of pacing is just one more way of improving performance through psychological self-manipulation.
I’m not suggesting that the Gidey method is the optimal pacing strategy for every runner in every race, though I push back hard against the claim that Gidey achieved what she did despite her pacing, not because of it. Folks, she covered 10,000 meters 5 seconds faster than any woman in the history of the world! How could that possibly have come about as a result of screwing up? I humbly ask you to consider experimenting with an aggressively conservative pacing strategy in an upcoming race. Here’s an example of a Gidey-style pacing plan for a runner hoping to squeak under 40:00 in a flat road 10K:
1K – 4:062K – 4:05 (8:11)3K – 4:05 (12:16)4K – 4:04 (16:20)5K – 4:02 (20:22)6K – 3:59 (24:21)7K – 3:58 (28:19)8K – 3:56 (32:15)9K – 3:54 (36:09)10K – 3:50 (39:59)
One of three things will happen if you try this experiment: 1) You will mess it up and decide either to try again or not to, 2) you will execute the plan well but decide you could have gone faster with a more traditional pacing strategy, or 3) you will execute the plan well and achieve a breakthrough performance you’re so proud of, you name your next pet Letesenbet. One thing that I can guarantee will NOT happen if you try this experiment is that you spontaneously combust and never run again. So, try it!
(01/17/2023) ⚡AMP
When Erchana Murray-Bartlett first told people about her plan to run 150 consecutive marathons, they had mixed responses.
"The most surprising thing was people actually said, 'oh, of course, if there's anyone that can do it, it would be you,'" she said.
"I'm quite injury resilient, I think that is one of the biggest strengths out here. I definitely have had a lot of people say it's impossible."
The 32-year-old ran her 150th marathon in a row on Monday, finishing a five-month trip with four laps of Melbourne's iconic Tan Track.
Dubbed the Tip to Toe, Ms Murray-Bartlett's run has taken her from the tip of Australia at Cape York in far north Queensland, down to the mainland's "toe" in Melbourne.
Though it is yet to be made official, she has shattered the Guinness World Record for most marathons in a row by a woman, which previously stood at 106.
After crossing the final finish line, Ms Murray-Bartlett said she was "ecstatic".
"It's so good to be here in my home city with a home crowd," she said.
"I didn't know I could do this, I would have been proud of myself if I did two marathons, I was proud of myself when I did 10, 20, 50, broke the record.
"If you just go out and try, who knows what you can achieve."
Raising funds for at-risk species
Ms Murray-Bartlett began her run with the goal of protecting Australia's endangered animals and the regions they live in, raising money for the not-for-profit Wilderness Society.
"If we don't do anything, significant animals like the koala, they'll be extinct," she said.
"Once an animal is extinct you can't bring it back, I mean this isn't Jurassic Park."
She has raised more than $100,000, which far exceeds her initial goal of $62,000.
Adele Chasson from the Wilderness Society said more than 2,000 animal and plant species were on Australia's national threatened species list.
"That makes Australia unfortunately number one in the world for mammal extinction. And extinction is a choice made by governments and corporations, and we want that to change," she said.
"This will make a huge difference, allowing us to power our work for Australia's wildlife across the country."
Challenges included a wild bull, broken-down car and insects
Ms Murray-Bartlett went through 10 pairs of shoes throughout the more than 6,300-kilometre journey.
"I'm surprisingly okay, I've got very callused, swollen feet. My feet are now a size bigger than when I started," she said.
But despite the physical toll, she said logistics were the most challenging element of running through such varied terrain.
"Every single day we're camping 42 kilometres south … that could be a bridge, that could be a river, that could be anywhere that has a little bit of space," she said.
"Battling the heat every single day was definitely challenging, finding food, because you have to do all that normal stuff and lay it on top of running a marathon.
"There's been so many challenges, the car has broken down — luckily I haven't broken down."
Ms Murray-Bartlett and her team were so plagued by bugs during the trip, she said all the insect repellent and sunscreen left her "sticky for months".
She also had a "terrifying" incident when she was chased by a wild bull in Cape York and needed a car to chaperone her safely through the course.
Ms Murray-Bartlett mentioned the possibility of running through Tasmania, but her top priority was taking a break.
"All I want is to put my feet up and to have a chardonnay, I think that's fair," she said.
(01/17/2023) ⚡AMP
The Miami Marathon And Half is returning to the streets of downtown Miami, Miami Beach and Coconut Grove beginning at 6:00am ET on Sunday, January 29. A sold-out cap of 18,000 runners representing 50 states and nearly 70 countries will experience the majestic beauty of South Florida stride by stride.
The strong international demand for a spot in the world-renowned race generated the earliest sell-out in the event's 21-year history – a result buoyed by its USTAF-certified, Boston-qualifying, fast and flat course that showcases Miami's unparalleled cityscape and waterways.
"The event presents something for everyone who runs or walks, and they want to experience it every year," said Frankie Ruiz, co-founder of the Life Time Miami Marathon and Chief Running Officer at Life Time. "This race always has been unique because of the energy and vibe that only South Florida can provide. The Life Time Miami Marathon and all of the activities that go along with it truly present an amazing weekend of fun experiences for the entire family."
New elements in 2023 include:
The Life Time Diaper Derby for 25 babies aged 6-12 months will be held at 2:00pm on Friday, January 27, at the Miami Famous Expo at Miami Beach Convention Center. Babies will make their way across a 10-foot mat for the chance to win awards in four different categories: Speed Demon for the fastest baby on-course; Trailblazer for the baby who forges their own path to the finish; Party Pooper for the biggest crybaby on-course; and awards for the top three overall finishers.
An awards category in support of non-binary runners and gender inclusion. Fourteen non-binary runners are registered to participate.
Local artist, Luis Valle's, painted murals adorning the walls of various local shopping centers, including Sunset Place in South Miami, Midtown Shops, Aventura Mall in North Miami Beach and City Place Doral. Valle's work is also on display all over Miami in restaurants, bars, schools and businesses. Additionally, runners will be adorned with Valle's artistry on the finisher medals of both the Marathon and Half Marathon.
A partnership with The Woody Foundation, an organization formed to transform the lives of people living with paralysis, to provide prize money and travel stipends for those attending from outside South Florida and improve the race experience for pushrim and handcycle athletes.
A special Brightline train from West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale to reduce emissions from cars driving to downtown Miami – adding to the event's array of green initiatives. At 3:43am on race morning, a Brightline train will depart the West Palm Beach station to take runners to the Marathon start line near FTZ Arena in downtown Miami. (The train also will stop at the Fort Lauderdale station.) Healthy snacks to fuel up for the race are included in the $32 fare from West Palm Beach and $27 fare from Fort Lauderdale. Other environmental measures include sourcing water from fire hydrants to move away from water bottles, installing storm drain filters to prevent waste from polluting waterways, and using increased digital signage to avoid paper waste.
The Life Time Miami Marathon And Half operates with the tremendous support of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority.
(01/17/2023) ⚡AMPOver the past 16 years of the existence of the current Miami Marathon, there was only just over 90 athletes who had run every single event. Before the inception of the Miami Marathon as we know it now (est. 2003), the race was originally known as the Orange Bowl Marathon which began in the late 1970s. One of our very...
more...Don't overwhelm yourself with pace and distance, focus more on R&R... Repetition and recovery.
Learning to run can be intimidating, especially when you are getting advice from everyone and their uncle on what to do and how to reach your goal. The goal for every new runner is to get more comfortable running, but when you are just starting, you are generally more prone to injury by overtraining or increasing distance too quickly.
How do you find that proper balance between training and recovery, and what should you prioritize? Oliver Roy-Baillaregon, an ultrarunner and physiotherapist at The Running Clinic in Lac Beauport, Que., says beginners should focus more on how often they run and how good they feel afterward, rather than pace or distance.
“There’s a lot of evidence from clinical research and results that show the importance of consistency for injury prevention and long-term adaptation to training for beginners and elites,” says Roy-Baillargeon. In other words, his approach is to run more but less. “Start small, but try to get out every other day, even if it is five to 10 minutes at a time.”
He also believes that however long you run, beginners should spend the same amount of time on active recovery (i.e., stretching, rolling, cross-training.) “This approach is the safest way to let your body gradually adapt to this new stress on your muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, etc.,” says Roy-Baillargeon. “The more you focus on recovery, the better your body will become at coping and handling the stress you put on those muscles during a run.”
Training smart and listening to your body sounds simple on paper—like getting better at anything, it takes practice and a routine. “Ensure you are getting in nutritious meals, rest and downtime before or between runs.
“Simple as that,” Roy-Baillargeon laughs.
(01/17/2023) ⚡AMPEliud Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 marathon world record, along with world U20 records set last year by 100m sprinter Letsile Tebogo and Jamaica’s 4x100m team, have been ratified.
Double Olympic champion Kipchoge won the Berlin Marathon last year, taking 30 seconds off the marathon world record he had set in the same city on 16 September 2018.
The 38-year-old Kenyan went out hard, passing through 5km in 14:14 and 10km in 28:22 – not just comfortably inside world record pace, but also well inside a projected two-hour finish.
He maintained that pace through half way, which was reached in 59:50 – identical to his half-way split when he produced a sub-two-hour run in an unofficial orchestrated race in Vienna three years ago. His pace started to drop slightly from then on, but he was still comfortably inside world record pace.
Ethiopia’s Andamlak Belihu had been level with Kipchoge up until that point, but the Kenyan superstar then gradually pulled clear and was out on his own. He passed through 30km in 1:25:40, then reached 35km in 1:40:10.
By the time he passed through 40km in 1:54:53, his lead had grown to move than four minutes. Kipchoge went on to cross the line in 2:01:09, making this the eighth consecutive men’s marathon world record to be set in Berlin.
“I am overjoyed to have broken the world record,” said Kipchoge. “I wanted to run the first half so fast. After 38km I knew I would be capable of breaking the world record. The circumstances were great, and so was the organisation.”
Botswana’s Tebogo successfully defended his 100m title at the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22. He had broken the championship record in his heat with 10.00, then won his semifinal in 10.14 before going on to dominate the final in 9.91 (0.8m/s).
His winning time took 0.03 off the world U20 record he had set in Eugene on 15 July in the heats of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.
“When the gun went off, I had to make sure I made the best start of my life – and it was the best start of my life,” said Tebogo. “As soon as I took my first step, I knew the title was mine. I didn’t worry about the time. I didn’t look.”
Just three days later, another world U20 record fell, this time in the women’s 4x100m. The Jamaican quartet of Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Kerrica Hill and Tia Clayton teamed up to take the title in 42.59, taking 0.35 off the previous record that the same team had achieved on August 22, 2021 at the previous World U20 Championships in Nairobi.
A similar quartet — but with Brianna Lyston on third leg instead of Hill — had clocked a marginally quicker 42.58 at the Carifta Games earlier in 2022, but it could not be ratified as a record.
Records Ratified
Men’s world marathon record: 2:01:09 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) Berlin, September 25, 2022
Men’s world U20 100m record: 9.91 (0.8m/s) Letsile Tebogo (BOT) Cali, August 2, 2022
Women’s world U20 4x100m record: 42.59 Jamaica (Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Kerrica Hill, Tia Clayton) Cali, August 5, 2022
(01/17/2023) ⚡AMPThere are a few benchmark times for runners. On the the road, they’re the sub-three marathon, sub-1:20 for a half and coming in under 20 minutes for a 5K. If runners had initially planned to train for a race that has since been canceled, taking a stab at improving their 5K times is a great alternative to regularly scheduled programming.
This distance can easily be run in loops around your neighborhood if you’re looking for emotional support, or it can be turned into a nice out-and-back route, if that’s what you prefer. Also, mentally, it’s much easier than completing a half- or full marathon solo.
Paddy Birch is a 2:24 marathoner and coach with Pace and Mind in Toronto. Birch says lots of the runners he coaches are currently looking to improve at distances they wouldn’t normally contest. “Lots of runners are taking a step back from the marathon to try some shorter stuff. You don’t have to race virtually, but you can set little targets for yourself along the way.” Here’s some advice on how to snag a 5K personal best.
For the marathoner
Birch says for the marathoner who’s moving down in distance, they’ve got a strong base, but they’ll need to build leg speed. “My ideal speed workout for a marathoner who’s looking to improve their 5K time would be 400m reps. You’re looking to run an uncomfortable pace, but keep it smooth.”
Birch says another simple option if runners don’t have track access is a fartlek workout. “Something super simple like a minute at 5K pace followed by one minute slightly under pace, for example 4:00 and 4:30, can be super effective. You can alternate between paces for up to 30 minutes. It’s a mix of tempo and speed without beating yourself up too much. When runners are coming down in distance, the biggest problem they’ll have is pacing. Don’t hammer too hard to start. You want to be consistent and get comfortable at your race pace.”
For the new runner
If you’re new to running or typically run shorter distances, you’ll want to focus your training on building up strength. Birch says there are a few great workouts for this, including mile repeats, kilometer repeats or working speed into your long run. “For example, mile or kilometer repeats around 4:05 to 4:15 pace would be a great workout. Another option is throwing five to eight 30-second pickups into your long run. This teaches runners how to turn over tired legs.”
For all runners
Birch says consistency is key for everyone. “You can’t hammer everything. It’s always better to make sure that you know the purpose of your run. Your long runs are there for strength and your workouts are there to go fast. If you keep going a similar pace all of the time, you won’t see improvement.”
He also recommends that runners looking to get faster over 5K place an extra emphasis on drills and strides. “When you’re running faster, mechanics become more important. Everyone should be doing more of this stuff, but especially when you’re working on speed.”
(01/16/2023) ⚡AMPBryan Morseman and Stephanie Hodge have been crowned the overall winners of the 46th Bermuda Triangle Challenge.
The PwC Bermuda Marathon, Half-Marathon and Half-Marathon Relay yesterday rounded off the competition which featured competitors also tackle the Butterfield Mile and BF&M 10K Run and Walk.
At the end of three races in three days, Morseman, of the United States, sealed the top honour in the male category with an accumulated time of 4hr 22min 25sec after finishing third in the mile and recording back-to-back victories in the 10k and marathon.
Poland’s Wojciech Kopec finished in second place overall with a total time of 3:22:54, while Kieran Morris rounded out the top three after claiming three successive third places for a time of 3:30:07.
Canadian Hodge capped her 17th Triangle Challenge with overall victory in the female category, building on a third-place finish in the mile with successes in the remaining races for a winning time of 4:22:25.
Britain’s Faith Geraghty settled for second place overall, clocking a total time of 4:30:56 after finishing second in all three events, while compatriot Shelley Jones completed the podium places.
There was also success for a host of local competitors across the various age categories.
Paula Barrow was crowned the overall winner of the female 20 to 29 division, while there was also top honours for Leana Coetsee in the 30 to 39 division. Of the male entrants, Ben Train took top spot in the 30 to 39 age category, while James Rawlins did likewise in the 40 to 49 division.
Meanwhile, American Kristin Corapi claimed victory in the female 40 to 49 category, prevailing over Bermuda’s Zoey Roberts, while there was also success for compatriots Karen Hoch in the 50 to 59 group and Gail White in the 60 to 69 division.
American Daniel Zheng was successful in the male 20 to 29 division, while compatriots Sidy Diallo (60-69) and Joe Schlereth (70 and over) proved victorious. Anthony Collins, of Great Britain, took the honours in the remaining 50 to 59 category.
Elite runners Ellie Stevens and JJ Santana rounded off a memorable visit to the island after being crowned Bermuda Triangle Half Challenge champions.
Stevens, of Great Britain, built on the momentum of a second-place finish in the mile, with successive victories in the remaining events to clock a winning total time of 2:06:28.
American Amanada Nurse (2:08:43) claimed second place, while compatriot Christina Vergara Aleshire completed the top three with an overall time of 2:08:58.
Just like Stevens, American Santana built on a second-place finish in the opening event with successive wins in the 10k and half marathon, clocking 1:45:29 overall.
Bermuda’s Tyler Butterfield finished an impressive second overall in a combined time of 1:50:27, with Elias Graca completing the podium places in 1:51:43.
There was also a standout performance from 79-year-old Jean Gardner, the oldest competitor to tackle the Bermuda Triangle Half Challenge, in finishing fourth overall in the Female 70 and Over division in an impressive time of 4:36:40. Notably the division was won by Maria Duffy, mother of Olympic and record four-time world triathlon champion Flora.
(01/16/2023) ⚡AMPSurrounded by crystal clear waters warmed by the Gulf Stream, Bermuda is the ideal winter time destination for the active minded traveler. With its lush foliage and pastel colored buildings, Bermuda is one of the most beautiful places on earth. A short flight of 2-hours or less from most US East Coast cities and Toronto, Bermuda only feels like it’s...
more...Mo Farah – Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion (twice), World 5,000m and 10,000m champion (twice) and 2:05 Marathoner. Someone we could all get a few running tips from.
The Sweat Elite team spent a month training in Sululta, Ethiopia in January 2019, whilst Mo Farah and Mudane Team were training towards the London Marathon 2019.
Here are 9 basic running tips from Mo Farah:
For A Quick Energy Boost… “Chocolate – usually dark chocolate – is good for an energy boost. There are all manner of sports snacks that pretend to do wonderful things, but I mostly like to stick to the basics.”
How to Keep Motivated… “When you’re competing, keep reminding yourself how much work has led to that moment. The training you’ve done means you deserve to perform well. That gives a huge confidence boost.”
How Important Are Recovery Days? “The day after a tough workout, you never want to push your body again. The most you should do is a comfortable run (or two) and/or cross training. Don’t have your heart rate up high again.”
Should you carry water during a race?“Drink immediately before or after a 5K or 10K run, but not during it. Running with a bottle puts more pressure on whatever side of your body it’s weighing down, and running well is all about balance.”
Keeping Warm Before The Race… “The morning before a race, I always have to wear my leggings to warm up my muscles. It’s weird, but if I don’t wear leggings in the morning, then I can’t compete in the afternoon. It’s a psychological thing. My coach once said: ‘It’s hot, it’s 80 degrees, take the leggings off!’ But I couldn’t.”
Increase Your Mileage Gradually… “Do not increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 per cent every month. No matter how good you feel, be very gradual. You won’t know you’re overdoing it until it’s too late.”
Strengthen Your Whole Body… “Good runners condition their whole bodies. The arms drive the legs. Keep your upper body and core toned with a lot of push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and back raises. Stay away from machine weights and stick to Pilates, climbing, and dynamic flexibility work like yoga.”
Think About Your Posture… “Every motion your body makes should propel you directly forward. If your arms are crossing or you are over-striding, you’re losing force. Your posture should be straight, and your striding foot should land directly underneath you.”
Stay On The Trails If Possible… “Pavement damages joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles. The more you can run on grass, woodchips or dirt, the better off you are. My athletes run 90 percent of their workouts on soft surfaces.”
(01/16/2023) ⚡AMPOver 20,000 runners have taken on the challenge of the Doha Marathon by Ooredoo, and this year, many intent to join them.
Around 8,000 runners are preparing for the much-awaited Ooredoo Marathon, scheduled to start in less than a week’s time.
Qatar’s most popular marathon, held annually since 2013, is finally coming back with yet another exciting challenge for all running enthusiasts in Doha. And as usual, the prize it holds is worth the effort.
“We’re rightfully proud that the Doha Marathon by Ooredoo is consistently one of the most popular events on Doha’s calendar year after year, but this pride must be shared with our invaluable sponsors, without whom we would be unable to present the race,” said Moza Khalid al-Muhannadi, director CSR, Sponsorship and Media at Ooredoo, at a press conference.
“We look forward to putting on yet another incredible event for Doha and for everyone taking part. Best of luck in the race.”
Some participants have told Doha News that the event, set to kick off on January 20, serves as a great motivation for them to improve their physical abilities and stamina to compete. Every year, it is a stronger challenge to be better.
“I participated two years ago for the first time and since then I always look forward to it. This year I even planned my workouts in a way that would make me faster and stronger to finish the full marathon,” Al Jazi, a two-time participant, said.
“I ran a lot of marathons abroad, but this one is different. You almost know everyone around you and it is such a warm, supportive environment. I can’t wait to reach the finish line.”
Others have praised Qatar’s efforts to organise such events that encourage sports and an active lifestyle. Over the past years, the Gulf state has focused extensively on promoting sports and physical activity as part of its 2030 vision.
World-class facilities have been built, major tournaments have been hosted, and various events have been taking place on an almost monthly basis, with great turnout from the community.
Qatar also holds Sports Day in high regards, declaring it an official national holiday to promote being active. Ooredoo marathon, on the other hand, is one of the most prominent national running event in the country.
“Every year I encourage more people to join me, and despite how hard it is, they all love it and come back. It’s one of those things that make you feel rewarded, and pushes you to achieve more and more,” Mohammed Hanni, a physical fitness instructor, told Doha News.
“I’ve been training a lot, so I’m very excited to hopefully break my own record this year.”
Start, end and timing
For this year, Al Jazi, as well as other runners, will start at Parade Pavilion, The Amir’s Grandstand in Al Corniche, and proceed to Katara, Lusail, and back to Al Corniche after the race.
The full marathon will begin at 6.15am, and the half marathon will follow at 7am. Starting at 8.30am, the 10km category will kick off, while the 5km will start at 9.30am.
Finally, at 10.30am, the 1-kilometer category for children will begin.
The 2023 marathon bags a total price of approximately QAR 1 million for all categories, and everyone who finishes their category will receive a medal to mark the achievement.
Special prizes will be awarded to Qatari entrants in each category.
Al-Muhannadi also disclosed that there would be a raffle with an SUV up for grabs. All competitors in the 5km, 10km, 21km, and 42km categories who cross the finish line will be entered into a raffle to win a Volkswagen T-Roc.
(01/16/2023) ⚡AMPWe started the Ooredoo Doha Marathon as a way to bring people together, encourage them to live healthier lifestyles and give back to the community. Funds raised by entry fees to the Ooredoo Doha Marathon will be donated to a range of worthy charities in Qatar. The marathon features four courses for all abilities of runners including a full marathon,...
more...Emily Sisson shattered her own American record in the half marathon by finishing in 1:06:52. She is now the first American woman to break the 1:07 barrier after placing second behind race winner Hiwot Gebremaryam of Ethiopia, who ran 1:06:28.
Ethiopian Leul Gebresilase Aleme won the men’s half in a sprint finish. He ran 1:00:34—less than a second ahead of runner-up Wesley Kiptoo of Kenya.
Emily Sisson Re-Breaks Her Own American Record
Sisson improved on her record the hard way by going out fast, slowing down slightly through the last sections, and kicking it in towards the finish. After Gebremaryam broke the race open in the first few miles—by 5K, she was already 17 seconds ahead of the chase pack—Sisson ran with Jessica Warner-Judd of Great Britain through 15K. The American record-holder averaged 5-minute mile pace through the first 5K but struggled in the latter half of the course, clocking 5:12 miles around 20K.
“I went out a little too fast the first 5K or so, so the last few miles I was definitely feeling it,” Sisson said on the ABC 13 broadcast.
But Sisson pushed through the discomfort as she neared the finish line to make history once again. “I’m really excited about it. I really wanted to break 67 minutes and I’m happy I did,” she said. “I actually think I could have run a little more evenly so I’m already hoping to run another half and even try to run faster.”
Sisson broke the American record for the first time in May 2022 at the USATF Half Marathon Road Championships in Indianapolis. The Providence College alum won the national title in 1:07:11, four seconds faster than the previous American record set by Sara Hall less than four months earlier at the 2022 Houston Half Marathon.
Prior to the U.S. championships, Sisson came extremely close to the mark on two occasions. When the record was 1:07:25 (held by her former training partner Molly Huddle), she ran 1:07:30 in 2019 and 1:07:26 in 2020.
Last year, the momentum continued in a big way for Sisson when she broke the American record in the marathon. In October, she demolished the time by running 2:18:29 in Chicago—lowering the previous record set by Keira D’Amato at the 2022 Houston Marathon by 43 seconds.
Close Finish in the Men’s Half Marathon
The men’s half marathon featured one of the most exciting finishes of the day. After pulling away from the chase pack together with a few miles remaining, Aleme and Kiptoo battled down to the wire. The East African competitors fought through the homestretch—where Kiptoo kept looking back to assess the distance between himself and his rival—until Aleme sprinted ahead at the last second to claim the victory.
Aleme’s performance follows a breakthrough season, which included a runner-up finish at the 2022 London Marathon in October.
Conner Mantz was the first American to finish after placing sixth in 1:01:12.
Past Greats Return to Racing, While Familiar Faces Make Debuts
In addition to Sisson’s record, there were several other notable performances in the Houston women’s half marathon, including Huddle in her postpartum return to competitive racing. The previous American record-holder finished fifth in 1:10:01 almost nine months after welcoming her daughter. In her 13.1 debut, former 1500-meter specialist and Olympic bronze medalist Jenny Simpson placed ninth in 1:10:35. Also making her debut, Vanessa Fraser finished 13th in 1:11:00. All three had room to spare in achieving the standard to compete at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
Three-time Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba also made her highly anticipated return. In the Ethiopian's first race in four years, she finished 16th in 1:11:35.
(01/15/2023) ⚡AMPThe Chevron Houston Marathon offers participants a unique running experience in America's fourth largest city. The fast, flat, scenic single-loop course has been ranked as the "fastest winter marathon" and "second fastest marathon overall" by Ultimate Guide To Marathons. After 30 years of marathon-only competition, Houston added the half-marathon in 2002, with El Paso Energy as the sponsor. Today the...
more...Thanks to record-breaking runs and heart-stopping finishes, this year’s races were memorably exiciting.
The Houston Marathon and Half Marathon are two of the fastest races in the U.S., and both occur on one exciting day. The competitive event delivered once again with a record-setting run and several memorable performances on Sunday, January 15.In the closest Houston finish since 1996, the men’s marathon was won by Dominic Ondoro. The Kenyan out-leaned Tsedat Ayana of Ethiopia to claim the victory in 2:10:36.
The women’s race saw another impressive run with Hitomi Niiya of Japan winning in 2:19:24, more than six minutes ahead of the runner-up.
What else might you have missed from the Houston Marathon and Half Marathon? Check out the full list of highlights below.
Another Close Call in the Men's Marathon
In the men’s race, Ondoro became a two-time Houston champion six months after winning the 2022 Grandma’s Marathon in June.
The race also saw Americans achieve three top five finishes. After transferring his allegiance from Ethiopia to the United States last year, Teshome Mekonen has emerged as a rising star among the American ranks. On Sunday, he placed third in 2:11:05. Behind him, Parker Stinson finished fourth in 2:12:11, and Tyler Pennel placed fifth in 2:12:16.
Hitomi Niiya Almost Breaks the Japanese Record
In the women’s marathon, Niiya showed expert tactics by building up her speed through halfway to overtake early leader Muliye Dekeb Haylemariyam of Ethiopia. She continued to hold her position in the second half of the race and extend her lead in the later miles. Niiya was on pace to break the Japanese national record (2:19:12) but fell short by 12 seconds.Haylemariyam finished second in 2:25:35, and fellow Ethiopian competitor Sintayehu Lewetegn placed third in 2:26:33. American Tristin van Ord finished fourth in 2:27:07. Behind her, Maegan Krifchin continued her impressive marathon streak. After running three marathons in one month late last year, the pro runner finished sixth in 2:30:16.
(01/15/2023) ⚡AMP
The Chevron Houston Marathon offers participants a unique running experience in America's fourth largest city. The fast, flat, scenic single-loop course has been ranked as the "fastest winter marathon" and "second fastest marathon overall" by Ultimate Guide To Marathons. Additionally, with more than 200,000 spectators annually, the Chevron Houston Marathon enjoys tremendous crowd support. Established in 1972, the Houston Marathon...
more...Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw clocked 29:19 at the Valencia 10K Ibercaja to come within five seconds of her own world record, while Kenya’s Weldon Kipkirui Langat won in 26:55 in a thrilling finish against compatriot Charles Langat at the World Athletics Label road race in the Spanish city on Sunday (15).
Paced by her compatriots Genetu Molalign Yehualaw and Tolcha Guta Beyene, Yehualaw opted for a conservative start, unlike last year in Castellón when she set the current world record of 29:14. The opening 2km was covered in 5:56 with Kenya’s Jesca Chelangat still running at Yehualaw’s shoulder.
The pace increased slightly in the third kilometre as they reached 3km in 8:51; shortly afterwards Chelangat began to lose ground on Yehualaw as the Ethiopian passed through 4km alone in 11:52, a strong headwind contributing to the slowest kilometre of the race. The world half marathon bronze medallist went through halfway in 14:47, 19 seconds down on her half-way split from her world record run.
Chelangat was eight seconds behind the leader at half way, but a comfortable nine seconds ahead of Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat. Kenyan duo Esther Borura and Naomi Chpngeno were another five seconds adrift (15:09).
Yehualaw increased her pace during the second half, covering most kilometres in 2:53-2:54 and reaching 8km in 23:29. After another swift 2:53 kilometre, the Ethiopian was unable to maintain that same cadence over the final kilometre but still held on to finish in 29:19, the second-fastest 10km performance in history.
Further back, Jeska Chelangat finished just outside the 30-minute barrier (30:01) with Borura completing a quality podium in 30:15. Sarah Chelangat set a Ugandan record of 30:24 in fourth, 16 seconds ahead of Chepngeno (30:40). Britain’s Samantha Harrison was sixth in 30:51.
The 23-year-old Yehualaw commented she was a bit disappointed for not having broken the world record but satisfied with her brave effort.
The men’s race kicked off at a relatively brisk pace, the opening kilometres covered in 2:38 and 2:39. The pacemaker dropped out just before the 3km (7:57) and the pace decreased slightly, so Lagat and Kenya’s world 5000m silver medallist Jacob Krop moved to the front in a bid to keep the pace alive. By halfway (13:30), nine men were still in contention for victory.
Despite the annoying headwind over the following kilometres, Krop and Langat managed to maintain a swift cadence in the 2:43/2:45 kilometre range, with Charles Langat always tucked behind them. During the long final straight, Charles Langat tried to overtake Weldon Langat but the latter held off his challenge and crossed the line victorious in 26:55 to equal his PB.
Charles Langat set a massive lifetime best of 26:57 while Daniel Kosen took third in 27:01, an 18-second improvement on his career best. Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera placed fourth (27:04) and Krop was given the same time for fifth.
“I’m delighted with my win,” said Langat. “I pushed hard throughout, looking for a fast time, and my tactic paid off.”
Langat missed out on making the Kenyan team for the World Cross Country Championships, so his next outing will be at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on 18 February. He’ll then turn his attention to making the Kenyan 10,000m team for the World Championships in Budapest.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
Leading results
Women1 Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) 29:192 Jesca Chelangat (KEN) 30:013 Esther Borura (KEN) 30:154 Sarah Chelangat (UGA) 30:245 Naomi Chepngeno (KEN) 30:406 Samantha Harrison (GBR) 30:517 Vicoty Chepngeno (KEN) 31:058 Brenda Tuwei (KEN) 31:209 Stella Chesang (UGA) 31:3310 Alemaz Samuel Teshale (ETH) 31:39
Men1 Weldon Langat (KEN) 26:552 Charles Langat (KEN) 26:573 Daniel Kosen (KEN) 27:014 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 27:045 Jacob Krop (KEN) 27:046 Rogers Kibet (UGA) 27:077 Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu (SSD) 27:098 Laban Kiplimo (KEN) 27:159 Richard Kimunyan Yator (KEN) 27:3210 Isaac Kipkemboi (KEN) 27:34
(01/15/2023) ⚡AMPAround the corner we have one more edition of the 10K Valencia Ibercaja, organized one more year by the C. 10K VALENCIA Athletics premiering the running season in Valencia. It is a massive urban race with more than 3,000 registered annually of 10 kilometers, where the maximum duration of the test will be 1 hour 40 minutes (100 minutes). The...
more...Mumbai sprung to life early on a nippy Sunday morning as over 55,000 people took part in the 18th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon.
Records tumbled in Asia’s most prestigious race as the Ethiopian duo of Hayle Lemi and Anchalem Haymanot won with new course records to take home USD 45,000 winners prize and a course record bonus of USD 15,000 each.
Lemi took advantage of the slow pace in the first half of the men's race. The 2016 Boson Marathon winner ran alongside the defending champion and countryman Derara Hurisa, Kenyan Philemon Rono and half a dozen other runners as they passed through the iconic Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link towards the halfway mark.
Lemi, Rono and another Ethiopian Hailu Zewdu broke away from the rest of the group at the 26th kilometre. The three athletes climbed the Peddar Road together on their return journey. Lemi increased his pace while coming down to enter Chowpatty beach corner and started running on the Marine Drive well ahead of the other two. His 2:07:32 is an early season lead in the world this year. Rono clocked 2:08:44 and Zewdu 2:10:23 for the other two places on the podium.
The women started their race at a fast pace and there was a keen tussle between five Ethiopian runners at the midway stage. Worknesh Alemu, the 2019 champion here, drew from her past experience on the course to take the lead at that point. However, Haymanot, a marathon debutant, broke away from Alemu. Rahma Tusa, two times Rome Marathon winner, and 2022 Sydney marathon runner-up Letebrhan Haylay ran shoulder-to-shoulder with her. "Running along with these two experienced runners with fast timings to their credit was really a challenge, but I gained much experience from them,” Haymanot revealed during a post-race press conference.
For the first time, the podium finishers in the women’s section finished under 2:25, as Tusa (2:24:22) also finished under the previous course record of 2:24:33 held by Valentine Kipketer (Kenya) since 2013.
Gopi T made a winning return to competitive action while Chavi Yadav pulled off a spectacular victory on her marathon debut in the Indian race.
Olympian Gopi, the first Indian male to win the Asian Marathon Championship in 2017, clocked 2:16:41 to finish on top of the domestic Elites and 10th overall in the 18th edition of the USD 405,000 prize fund World Athletics Gold Label Road Race.
All eyes were on Gopi who was returning to competition after three years following knee surgery and the Army runner didn’t disappoint as he clocked 2:16:41, and was followed by Man Singh, who was 17 seconds behind, and Kalidas Hirave.
Gopi fell short of the upcoming Asian Games cut-off of 2:15 but said the win in India’s largest marathon gave him a tremendous boost.
“It felt good to be back after three years. I maintained a good pace for the first 30-odd kilometres but slowed down towards the end,” the Army runner told a news conference. “I never give up,” added Gopi, who previously won in 2018.
The 2020 winner Srinu Bugatha finished fifth in 2:23:05.
Bhopal’s Chavi said she was running the classic distance for the first time. “I didn’t run more than 25 km even in training,” she told a news conference. Arati Patil finished second, over 10 minutes behind, and Renu Singh was third.
The Elite Indian podium finishers were richer by INR 500,000, 400,000 & 300,000 respectively.
Meanwhile, Parul Chaudhary bettered her course mark in the women’s half marathon and Murli Gavit won the men’s crown. The podium finishers took home INR 100,000, 75,000 & 60,000 respectively.
(01/15/2023) ⚡AMPDistance running epitomizes the power of one’s dreams and the awareness of one’s abilities to realize those dreams. Unlike other competitive sports, it is an intensely personal experience. The Tata Mumbai Marathon is One of the World's Leading Marathons. The event boasts of fundraising platform which is managed by United Way Mumbai, the official philanthropy partner of the event. Over...
more...The Territorial Contact Brigade Louvre - Paris Centre, the only roller-skating police unit in France, is to be used for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games as part of its security operations.
Its nine skaters are to be mobilised during the Games as part of a "zero-crime Olympics" plan.
Three team members - Gaël, Antoine and Basile - spoke to French publication 20 Minutes, explaining where they usually patrol on their rollerblades.
Usually, their group visit tourist spots such as Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the Hôtel de Ville and Place Vendôme.
"Most of the time, passersby are curious, rarely disrespectful," said Gaël to 20 Minutes.
Basile and Antoine added that photos with the public are common when on patrol.
"This direct contact with fluid and friendly people is really a plus of our job," added Antoine.
However, during the Games, their role will not change significantly, as explained by their head of the team.
"Their priority mission and the reason for which it was imagined in 2001, is the security of tourist sites and the fight against crime linked to tourist phenomena, namely street vendors, pickpockets and against all scams that can affect tourists, such as hat players, petition scams," said Captain Soulié.
"The goal is to be present in a given sector and to show up to dissuade potential perpetrators of offenses from committing their misdeeds, as well as to reassure the population."n October, French Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, said the aim was for a "zero-crime Olympics".
Security has been a key talking point in recent months, with festival organisers being concerned of the status of their events due to the extra forces needed for the Games.
Major festivals such as Lollapalooza and Rock en Seine are still hang in the balance.
Approximately 35,000 police officers and gendarmes are expected to be used at the public-focused Opening Ceremony, with the rest of the Games needing around 30,000 on average.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11 next year, followed by the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8.
(01/15/2023) ⚡AMPFor this historic event, the City of Light is thinking big! Visitors will be able to watch events at top sporting venues in Paris and the Paris region, as well as at emblematic monuments in the capital visited by several millions of tourists each year. The promise of exceptional moments to experience in an exceptional setting! A great way to...
more...It’s arguably the most famous indoor track in the country. And now, the Armory Track in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood has been rebranded the Nike Track & Field Center at the Armory.
On Thursday, the sporting goods giant officially unveiled the name as part of a multilayered partnership intended to enhance and expand opportunities for children of all ages to take part in the track’s running activities. These include CityTrack, Little Feet and Tiny Feet programs for elementary and middle school kids, an Armory College Prep program for high school students and Armory College Prep Middle School and Great Minds programs for younger children.
More than 1 million miles are run on The Armory track each year and the venerable complex has played host to countless Olympic and World medal athletes who have set more records there than at any other indoor track. It is also the site of the famed Millrose Games.
“The synergy between our organization and Nike cannot be overstated,” said Jonathan Schindel, copresident of The Armory Foundation. “Keeping kids physically, mentally, culturally, socially and intellectually fit during their school years, and beyond, is paramount. The best way to achieve this is to develop healthy, well-rounded children who are prepared for success in and out of the classroom, instill in them a love and passion for movement, and provide them with fun opportunities to develop this passion. Now thanks to Nike, we will be able to ensure that children in our neighboring communities of Washington Heights, Inwood and Harlem will continue to have such opportunities, while enabling us to expand our outreach.”
The Armory Foundation copresident Rita Finkel added that the track will also benefit from Nike’s “expertise in running, youth play, sports and movement,” as well as its relationships with many of the top athletes and events including the Nike Indoor Nationals, the top high school indoor event.
“Our partnership with The Armory Foundation underscores Nike’s deep commitment to ensuring that communities have access to running and opportunities to play and stay active,” said Roderick Blaylock, vice president of NYC Nike Inc. “The Armory is not only one of the preeminent track and field facilities in the world, but it also has a long history of preparing students as young as fourth grade for higher education and college. Rooted in our belief that running and sports have the power to bring people together, we are teaming up with The Armory to champion community and athletes.”
Among the upcoming events at the track will be the HBCU Showcase on Jan. 14 where high school students will learn about campus life at approximately 20 prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as the Millrose Games on Feb. 15 and the Nike Indoor Nationals, slated for March 10 to 12.
The event also served to introduce the Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit 3 running shoe.
(01/15/2023) ⚡AMPThe weather is expected to be a bit warmer this year, reaching the mid 60s on Saturday and the 70s on Sunday.
Tens of thousands of runners are set to participate in the 2023 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston half marathon this weekend.
On Saturday morning, the We Are Houston 5K will began at McKinney & Crawford:
6:30 a.m. — 5K race day packet pick-up opens
7:50 a.m. — Wheelchair start
8 a.m. — Race start
On Sunday, the Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon will start at Congress & Fannin:
6:50 a.m. — Marathon and half marathon wheelchair start
7:01 a.m. — Marathon and half marathon start
During a press conference on Friday, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said hundreds of law enforcement will be present during the race.
“Please, if you see something, say something,” Finner said.
The weather is expected to be a bit warmer this year, reaching the mid 60s on Saturday and the 70s on Sunday, according to Space City Weather.
Dr. Lars Thestrup, the medical director of the Houston Marathon Committee urged runners to use their best judgement during the race and to take it slow, if needed.
“This is may not be the year to attempt for a personal best on your half or your full marathon. You may want to take it a little slower,” Thestrup said. “The key is respect your limits and listen to your body.”
Thestrup said a total of 22 aid stations will be set up along the course, along with 20 medical bike teams in case of emergencies. He added that several METRO buses will be located along the route to serve as cooling stations for runners.
(01/14/2023) ⚡AMPThe Chevron Houston Marathon offers participants a unique running experience in America's fourth largest city. The fast, flat, scenic single-loop course has been ranked as the "fastest winter marathon" and "second fastest marathon overall" by Ultimate Guide To Marathons. Additionally, with more than 200,000 spectators annually, the Chevron Houston Marathon enjoys tremendous crowd support. Established in 1972, the Houston Marathon...
more...The world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, has run into some financial issues in Jamaica after his manager reported the sprinter is missing millions of dollars from an investment account with Jamaican firm Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL).The eight-time Olympic champion’s manager told Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner that Bolt had noticed discrepancies with his accounts on Jan. 11 and has since launched an investigation with Jamaica’s Financial Investigations Division and Financial Services Commission.
Bolt has reportedly been a client of the investment firm for 10 years, but the firm has no idea where the money went; they suspect fraud.
“His entire portfolio is being reviewed,” said his manager Nugent Walker to the newspaper. Walker did not specify the exact amount of money missing from Bolt’s account, but claimed it is in the millions.
However, The Gleaner reported that a former SSL employee has been involved in a widespread fraud scheme, which may relate to the same developments in Bolt’s case.
Representatives for Bolt and SSL did not respond to requests for a comment on this story.Bolt is one of the highest-earning track and field athletes of all time, earning a reported 33 million dollars in 2016 alone. In 2018, Bolt was listed as the 45th highest-paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes.
Bolt set the 100m and 200m world records at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, where he won double gold. He is the only sprinter to have won three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the men’s 100 metres and 200m, from Beijing 2008 to Rio 2016.
Since 2017, Bolt, 36, has stepped away from athletics, besides racing one unofficial 800m for an insurance advertisement.
(01/14/2023) ⚡AMPRazorback Britton Wilson opened the indoor track season with a collegiate record as runner-up in the 600m on Friday evening during the Arkansas Invitational held at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
Wilson posted a time of 1:25.16 over the distance, breaking the previous collegiate record of 1:25.80 set by Texas A&M’s Athing Mu in 2021.
Razorback volunteer Shamier Little won the race in 1:24.65, which ranks No. 5 on the U.S. all-time list and No. 7 on the world all-time list. Third in the race was Arkansas alum Shafiqua Maloney in 1:27.45.
For Wilson, her mark ranks No. 7 U.S. and No. 10 world all-time. The previous UA record of 1:27.29 was set in December of 2021 by Morgan Burks-Magee. Wilson had a time of 1:30.34 in her debut at the distance last year.
Victories for the Razorbacks included Ackera Nugent with a world-leading 8.00 in the 60m hurdles, moving to No. 5 on the UA all-time list. Arkansas alum Taliyah Brooks finished second in 8.13 as both hurdlers bettered the meet record of 8.13 held by Payton Chadwick since 2018.
Paris Peoples also registered a world-leading effort of 53.10 in the 400m in leading a 1-2-3 sweep with teammates Ashanti Denton runner-up in a career best 53.68 while Aaliyah Pyatt finished third in 53.79.
Racing at the mile distance for the first time indoors, freshman Mary Ellen Eudaly clocked a 4:43.01 to lead a 1-2-3 Arkansas finish. Eudaly bettered her outdoor mile time of 4:51.99. Finishing behind her with a pair of career best times were Heidi Nielson (4:44.79) and Laura Taborda (4:45.77).
A sweep of the top four places in the 200m had Rosey Effiong leading the way in 23.45 as Amber Anning finished second in 23.47 while Nickisha Pryce set a PR of 23.76.
Alum Jada Baylark won the 60m in 7.25 while Ariane Linton was the top Razorback at 7.46 for fifth. Linton ran 23.93 for fourth in the 200m. Gracie Hyde won the 800m in 2:13.50.
Racing a pair of relay teams in the final section of the 4 x 400, the Razorbacks registered world-leading times of 3:30:38 and 3:30.79.
The winning squad included Anning (52.64), Wilson (51.60), Pryce (52.59) and Denton (53.55). The runner-up crew had Peoples (54.09), Effiong (51.51), Joann Reid (52.15) and Pyatt (53.04).
The women’s opening event produced a career best for Sydney Billington as she cleared 5-10.75 (1.80) in placing second in the competition. Billington, who had a previous best of 5-10, cleared five consecutive bars on first attempts before missing three attempts at 6-0 (1.83).
Texas A&M’s Bara Sajdokova, who needed two attempts at 5-10.75, cleared the 6-0 height on a third try for the win.
Kaitlyn Banas led a 4-5-6 finish for the Arkansas vaulters with a clearance of 13-6.5 (4.13). Grace Ridgeway matched that height to set a career best in fifth place. Bailey McCorkle and Marin Chamberlin each cleared 13-0.75 (3.98) to place sixth and eighth.
(01/14/2023) ⚡AMPAnnie Hughes, one of the top trail runners in the U.S. for the past two years, had another amazing season running ultra-distance races in 2022. On September 17, the 24-year-old Hoka-sponsored runner and part-time college student won the Run Rabbit Run 100 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, her fourth win of 100 miles or longer since April. Earlier this year, she won the Coldwater Rumble 100 in January, Cocodona 250 in April and the High Lonesome 100 in July.
Those were all exceptional efforts in really challenging races, but the big difference she experienced after crossing the Run Rabbit Run finish line, 21 hours and 26 minutes later, was that she won $17,500. (And yes, she was handed one of those cartoonish, oversized checks at the awards ceremony.)
Run Rabbit Run is one of the rare American trail races that offers a relatively large prize purse, and for a decade, it's been the largest in the sport. Hughes earned $15,000 for winning the women's race and split another $5,000 with Arizona trail runner Peter Mortimer (who placed 12th overall) as part of the event's new team competition.
"That wasn't the reason I was drawn to the race, but it was definitely pretty cool to win that much money," Hughes said. "I'm glad I did it, because it wound up being a really great race with an amazing course on a beautiful day."
The origins of trail running were always more about the joy and freedom of ambling through the natural world, and less about the specific time and pace of any run or race, which is why winning big cash prizes is mostly uncommon in the sport, even for top-tier runners like Hughes. Over the past two years, Hughes has won 10 races of 50 miles or longer, yet her Run Rabbit Run victory was the first time she's ever earned money for her efforts.
More sponsorship money and bigger cash prizes are flowing into the sport, helping the top athletes earn a full-time living in the sport and become global stars. But that evolution has also created a desperate need for a unified governing body and more consistent drug-testing as doping becomes a more acute concern.
A Windfall of Prize Money
Historically, America's biggest and most notable trail running races haven't offered any prize money at all-Western States 100, Hardrock 100, Dipsea Trail Race, Leadville 100, Mount Marathon Race, Seven Sisters, Black Mountain Marathon/Mount Mitchell Challenge-partially because races simply couldn't afford to pay it, and also because, at the soul of the sport, that's not what the races were historically about or why most top runners were competing.
But with the continued growth of the sport-trail running has grown by 231 percent over the past 10 years, according to one report-and the dawn of a new level of professionalization over the past decade, there is a lot more money being injected into the sport. That includes more high-profile events and race series, more brands investing in the sport, more sponsored runners and trail running teams, as well as a growing expectation that prize money should be part of the equation as it is in road running, triathlon, and even obstacle course racing.
For many years, The North Face 50 near San Francisco was one of the only ultra trail races in the world to offer a significant prize purse. From its inception in 2006, until it disappeared after 2019, that race famously awarded $30,000 in prize money, which included $10,000 to the top finishers in the men's and women's races, plus $4,000 for second and $1,000 for third. It was a race to look forward to at the end of the calendar year, both for the cash awards and the prize-induced competition that drew top runners from around the world.
During that span, Run Rabbit Run, though a lower-profile race, quietly began dishing out some of the biggest payouts in the sport, in part because race organizers Fred Abramowitz and Paul Sachs believe in rewarding its top athletes for their efforts (as well as giving back to the community via even bigger charitable contributions). The race winnings come primarily from entry fees of the 600-runner event and sponsors, if and when the race has them. That wasn't possible back in the early days of the sport, when entry fees were minuscule and cash sponsors were mostly non-existent, but things have started to change.
Abramowitz and Sachs, who both earn their living as attorneys, are unique in that they want to give back to the elite athletes and the Steamboat Springs community, but they also want to help grow the sport. Abramowitz outlined what he calls "A Blueprint for Sponsors of Ultra Running," a three-page document that explains how and why trail ultrarunning-both as a sport and as individual races-can connect to more casual runners, sports fans, and the general public.
He points to the rampant growth of NASCAR, Professional Bull Riding, and professional poker over the past 20 years from their roots as fringe sports, relatively speaking, to mainstream spectacles with massive fan bases, TV contracts, and social media followings. Trail and ultrarunning aren't there yet, Abramowitz has noted, but they've certainly been growing rapidly.
"Today millions watch those events, though the actual number of participants is minuscule," Abramowitz wrote in his missive. "Ultrarunning can learn from these events: it needs new ideas, new ways of attracting the already committed runners and the casual sports fan to our terrific sport. Fields need to be competitive and races [need to be] dramatic; there are hundreds of 100-mile races, but those that offer competitive fields are a handful at most. Most ultra-races offer spectacular scenery in interesting venues."
Abramowitz said sponsors should support races such as Run Rabbit Run that offer prize money not merely because it's good for sport, but also because prize money can attract competitive fields, and competitive fields attract interest-from spectators, participants, potential sponsors, and the general public. He also points out that having prize money at more domestic races is a way to keep the sport from becoming entirely Euro-centric, which has been an increasing trend in the past several years.
The trend of cash purses seems to be increasing, and on the face of it, that's good for elite athletes capable of podium finishes. But it's a complex topic and one that certainly will simultaneously increase the competitiveness of the sport while, some argue, continue to pull the sport away from its organic, racing-in-nature roots that was mostly viewed as the antithesis of competitive road racing.
On the same day Run Rabbit Run paid out $75,000 in total prize money, the Pikes Peak Ascent awarded $18,000 in prize money for its top 10 finishers-including $3,000 apiece to the men's and women's winners-while the Pikes Peak Marathon, on September 18, had an additional $10,500 in total prize money for the top five runners. The races also offered $2,000 (Ascent) and $4,000 (Marathon), respectively, as course-record bonuses, and a $10,000 premium to any runner surpassing a pie-in-the-sky time well ahead of the course records. None of those records were broken, but the $28,500 in total prize money-partially backed by the Salomon-sponsored Golden Trail Series-was one of several large prize purses offered at U.S. races this year.
Other big American prize purses were also primarily tied to the Golden Trail Series events-the $50,000 spread over four races at the mid-June Broken Arrow Sky Races in Olympic Valley, California, and the September 25 Flagstaff Sky Peaks 26K race in Flagstaff, Arizona, where runners competed for $18,000 in prize money and a chance to compete at the Golden Trails World Series Final, and the $15,000 winner's earnings at the Madeira Ocean & Trails 5-Day Stage Race in October.
Also of note, the November 18-20 Golden Gate Trail Classic paid out $25,000 in total prize money to the top five finishers in both the 100K and half-marathon races, which were part of this year's nine-race $270,000 Spartan Trail World Championship Series.
Meanwhile, the Cirque Series, sponsored by On, paid out $3,600 in total prize money at each of its six sub-ultra mountain running races in the U.S., including $1,000 for the men's and women's winners. The Mt. Baldy Run-to-the-Top on September 5 in Southern California offered $3,000 to runners who broke the event's longstanding course records, and Joe Gray and Kim Dobson obliged by taking down each mark.
Most U.S. Trail and Mountain Running Championships have a minimum of $2,000 in prize money. Typically that comes from regional sponsors eager to support the local race organizations, such as the case with Northeast Delta Dental's contributions behind this year's Loon Mountain Race in Lincoln, New Hampshire, which hosted the U.S. Mountain Running Championships. That event had a $1,500 total prize purse that was paid out to the top three men and women in each race, but it also had an additional $1,500 for an Upper Walking Boss premium that was spread among the top three fastest times in each gender on the super-steep upper part of the course.
Meanwhile, the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand paid out $66,000 to the top five finishers over four races, including $4,000 to the winners of each event.
"(The prize money) is way better than it's ever been, both for the athletes earning it and the number of sponsors who are contributing to it," says Nancy Hobbs, executive director of the American Trail Running Association and the chairperson of the USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Council that oversees national championship races and the U.S. Mountain Running Team.
From a longer view over the past decade or so, Joe Gray agrees there is more money coming into the sport than ever before. As a top-tier pro since 2008 and 21-time U.S. champion, he's regularly won more prize money at high-level races in Europe for more than a decade. But more than the growth of prize money, he has seen more brands interested in putting money behind athletes, races, and the sport in general.
"I think there has always been prize money there, and if you're successful you could make a lot more money really quickly," said Gray, a two-time World Mountain Running Champion. "I do think there is more money coming from the sponsors paying out better contracts and bigger bonuses, which I think will wind up being more beneficial to athletes overall."
Most elite trail runners get annual stipends from their sponsoring brands and bonus money for top performances. Gray is backed by Hoka, but he also has sponsorship deals with Fox River Socks, Kriva, Never Second, Knockdown, Tanri, Momentous, Casio, and GoSleeves. In addition to Hoka, Annie Hughes gets additional support from Ultraspire, Coros, and Tailwind Nutrition. But the life of professional trail runners-independent contractors who don't get healthcare and retirement program benefits-can get expensive with the growing cost of travel, regular bodywork/physio treatments, and private health insurance.
The sport's top-tier elite athletes-Joe Gray, Kilian Jornet, Courtney Dauwalter, Jim Walmsley, Maude Mathys, and Scott Jurek, among others-make a good living from their sponsorships. But there are really only a handful American trail runners making more than about $50,000 a year from shoe brand sponsorships. (Most "sponsored" trail runners are making somewhere between $10,000 to $30,000 per year.) The bottom line is that winning prize money, for those who are fast enough to consistently finish on the podium in big races, certainly helps make ends meet and is necessary to keep the sport's top athletes from having to work other jobs so they can focus entirely on training, recovery, and racing.
"This [2022] is the first year I've gone all-in on trail running," said Hughes, who worked as a waitress in Leadville the previous two years. "I'm able to live off what I make, but I'm not really saving anything. So it was really nice to win that money because then I can put some away in savings."
Higher European Standards
So far, Abramowitz appears to be right about the sport shifting to more of a European focus, and it's, at least in part, tied to the increased prize money that has attracted competitive athletes. While many top-tier European events have paid out modest prize purses for years, some of those races have also helped out visiting runners by way of travel stipends, hotel accommodations, or appearance fees. That's partially because European races are generally larger (500 to 1,000 participants or more) than U.S. races (typically fewer than 500 participants).
Unlike Hughes, who only raced in the U.S. this year, American runner Abby Hall, who runs for the Adidas-Terrex team, raced three times in Europe and earned prize money each time. She placed second in the Transgrancanaria 126K in the Canary Islands in March (which doubled as the Spartan Trail World Championship), finished third in the CCC 100K in Chamonix in August, and won the Transvulcania by UTMB 72K back in the Canary Islands in October.
Like Hughes, Hall receives an annual stipend and race bonuses from her sponsor, but admits it's been nice to have more opportunities to win money-both because it helps her make a living wage and because it's consistent with other professional endurance sports.
"In the past, it hadn't even been a consideration before, for how income would work out as an athlete," Hall said. "But this year it actually added up to be a decent amount. I'm grateful for the opportunities."
In 2022, American runner Hayden Hawks won an off-the-radar 100K a race in Krynica, Poland, and brought home the 100,000 zloty winner's prize ($26,000), one of the bigger individual purses ever awarded in trail running. In 2017, when Hawks won the CCC race, he didn't win anything because UTMB had refused until 2018 to offer prize money at its races, partly because race founders Catherine and Michel Poletti have believed that increased prize money will bring more incentive for some athletes to consider doping or that agents would take too big of a cut.
UTMB finally began offering prize money to podium finishers in 2018 with a total purse of about $34,000 (35,000) and continued that through 2021. But after forging a business relationship with Ironman and launching the new UTMB World Series, it has increased the prize money awarded in Chamonix. In 2022, UTMB said it paid out about $162,000 in total prize money (the approximate equivalent of its stated 156,000 prize purse) to the top 10 men and women finishers of the UTMB, CCC, and OCC races.
That includes $10,400 to the winners of each of those races, with approximately $5,200 going to second-place finishers and $3,125 for third. Fourth- and fifth-place finishers in each of those races earned about $1,500, while 6th through 10th took home $1,000.
While those more notable ultrarunning paydays can be big windfalls for a trail runner, they still pale in comparison to what elite-level road marathoners and triathletes earn at the biggest races that have a much larger audience, including live TV coverage. For example, the 2022 Boston Marathon awarded $876,500 in prize money and $150,000 to the winners, while New York City Marathon paid out $530,000 in total prize money at its November 6 race, including $100,000 to the men's and women's winners. The 2021 Ironman World Championships in St. George, Utah, had a $750,000 prize purse, including $125,000 to the winners, similar to what was awarded at the 2022 Ironman World Championships October 6-8 in Hawaii.
While only a few top trail runners could have opted to pursue a marathon or triathlon career instead of trail running, what's more relevant is the spike of growth trail running. Although it is not yet internationally televised as major marathons and triathlons are, the surge in participation and livestream viewing options is starting to bring in more media attention and sponsorship money than ever before. And more media attention begets more participation and professionalization.
"I think we'll definitely see ultra-trail running continue to grow for years to come," says Mike McManus, director of global sports marketing for Hoka. "I think it's at a point where it's just on the cusp of the real growth that's coming and all that will come with it, similar to where the marathon was in the 1980s and triathlon in the 1990s. It might never be as big as marathoning, but trail running will definitely get more built out as it continues to grow."
"It's nice to make some money for the sport we do. This is my job, and being able to support my family with a decent chunk of money is pretty nice," Hawks says. "I definitely don't go after races just for money, but if there is a gap in my schedule where I can win a little bit of money, I am definitely going to take advantage of that for sure. I want to continue to be in this sport and live this lifestyle as long as I can, so knowing that there are sponsors and races investing more in runners is something I am really grateful for."
The Ongoing Dilemma
While Abramowitz and Sachs have been eager to give out prize money at Run Rabbit Run, not all races are equipped to do so. Many U.S. races are garage-shop operations that barely break even, while some are just too small to make it happen. The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run (WSER) is operated by a non-profit organization, and offering prize money goes against the mission of the race, says race director Craig Thornley.
The biggest concern that race directors have, including Thornley, is that prize money attracts athletes willing to use performance-enhancing drugs because the sport lacks a comprehensive anti-doping strategy that includes both post-race testing and out-of-competition testing.
"In general, I think the prize money is probably a good thing because professional athletes are able to make a living," Thornley said. "But I think, as a sport, we'll probably have to be more aware of people trying to use drugs or some other ways to get that prize money."
A few years ago, the Western States 100 famously announced its zero-tolerance policy regarding the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) that prohibits any athlete who has been determined to have violated anti-doping rules or policies-by World Athletics, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), or any national sports federation-is ineligible for entry into the WSER. Although Western States has regularly drug-tested its top finishers, only a few other big trail or ultra-distance races test its finishers with a WADA-sanctioned program.
Thornley believes the incentive to cheat has probably increased as more brands have stepped up to sponsor athletes, but the increase in prize money probably makes it more tangible.
He's not the only one. Ultrarunning coach and podcaster Jason Koop, an outspoken proponent for authentic drug-testing in the sport, agrees, saying that it's time for the sport to collectively start developing mandatory drug-testing protocols, even on a small scale. While he doesn't believe doping is prevalent in trail running, he believes it's definitely already an issue.
"People would be fooling themselves if they thought that every trail running performance was clean. If you think that that's the case, then I have a bridge to sell you," Koop says. "Prize money or no prize money, I think the bigger thing is that the ecosystem is developed enough and there is enough financial reward at stake to where everyone kind of owes it to everybody else to get something done."
In other words, it's time for the sport to take some next steps-either by big governing bodies or small factions of people interested in the long-term health of the sport-to develop more structure and universal anti-doping policies.
(01/14/2023) ⚡AMPMany of us experience a dip in motivation during the shorter, colder days of the fall and winter months, and find it hard to fit in regular training. A new study out of the University of Sydney reports that people who averaged a few quick bursts of physical activity a day were significantly less likely to die prematurely.
Here’s what you need to know to keep the health benefits rolling in, even if you don’t feel like going for a long run.
The study
In an analysis of more than 25,000 middle-aged adults who did not participate in any regular leisure exercise like running, researchers determined that if participants were able to rack up three very short bouts of vigorous activity a day, they had a 39 per cent lower risk of death than those who did no vigorous activity.
University of Sydney’s Professor Mark Hamer, who led the study, shared with the Guardian: “This could be things like playing with children. It could be [that] you see your bus just about to leave so you have to walk extremely quickly to get the bus.”
“It may be that you live in a block of flats and you have to carry that shopping up a flight of stairs,” Hamer adds. “It’s those sorts of little bursts that would happen in everyday life.”
The participants all wore fitness trackers–similar to smartwatches–on their wrists to monitor activity levels throughout the day. While the results seem striking, Hamer says they align with what other research has shown.
“Small-scale trials have shown that very small doses of vigorous intermittent activity can improve cardiorespiratory fitness, a vital predictor of longevity,” he explains.
The takeaway
What does this mean for runners? It’s a great reminder that anything is better than nothing–substantially better, in fact. If you can’t find the motivation to log your usual mileage, make the effort to get in a few short bursts of intense movement throughout the day.
While your running strength and speed need regular training to improve, if you’re simply looking to stay healthy through the winter, this is reassuring news. Try running up the stairs in your house a few times, racing your kids down the street or adding a few speed-walking intervals to your dog stroll. Make a few minutes a day count, and you’ll still reap remarkable health benefits.
(01/14/2023) ⚡AMPSam Hensen-Thompson of Perth, Australia, has never been a runner or a fan of “land sports,” but one day after he could not find a pair of running shoes for a trot along the beach path, he decided to take matters into his own hands and run in style wearing his beach thongs.
Now, after a few runs in thongs, the 24-year-old surf coach is determined to complete a marathon.
Thongs, not to be mistaken for women’s underwear, is the Australian term for flip flops or sandals. The Aussie version comprises a rubber sole held to the foot by two straps that meet between the first and second toes.
For what started as a 10K jog, Hensen-Thompson worked his way up to a respectable 1:51 “thong” half marathon last week. “The half was not easy, but it wasn’t as hard as I thought,” says Hensen-Thompson. “It took 11 kilometres to settle in, then I put the hammer down for the last 10.”
“I’m planning to do the marathon in late February, but currently sorting out logistics and where to finish,” says Hensen-Thompson.
It’s currently the middle of summer in Perth, and many of the marathons in Western Australia are during the winter season. “I want to accomplish this goal ASAP,” he says. If his marathon goes well, Hensen-Thompson is considering running 100 km in thongs.
Hensen-Thompson says the last time he ran was in high school. “I consider myself more of an ocean man,” he laughs. “I have been training for the marathon though—don’t worry.”
The goal of his run is to raise $5,000 for a specific cause very close to him: “I am raising money for Perth Children’s Hospital. As a surf coach, I deal with kids every day—the thought of making an impact on kids pulls a few of my heartstrings,” he says.
Hensen-Thompson will be sporting the Aussie thong brand Pistol Menace for his marathon. “These beauties are designed for all-terrain,” he says. “They are wider and thicker than your traditional thong, making them more durable and comfy for the long haul.”
(01/14/2023) ⚡AMPEvery household should have an easy, quick stir-fry to whip up on busy days, and Shalane Flanagan‘s recipe, packed with veggies of your choice, is versatile and easy to match the tastes you’re cooking for.
Flanagan, a four-time Olympian (twice in the marathon) and the 2017 New York City Marathon champion, may be retired from professional competition, but she’s still a busy coach for Bowerman Track Club, a mom, and co-author of three cookbooks with her former teammate and friend, Elyse Kopecki.
Flanagan says her family counts on a weekly stir-fry to use up what they have at home and suggests: “choose your own adventure, but aim for a range of colors to max out nutrition potential.”
Shalane and Elyse’s Eat the Rainbow Stir-Fry
Ingredients (marinade)
8 ounces skinless chicken, chopped
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp minced garlic and/or ginger
Veggies
2 Tbsp high-heat oil (like sesame, avocado or safflower oil)
1/2 large or 1 small onion, sliced
2 heaping cups chopped hard vegetables (broccoli, carrots, celery)
1 heaping cup sliced soft vegetables (snap peas, bell pepper, cabbage, box choy, mushrooms)
Directions
Place the chicken, soy sauce, lime juice and honey in a quart-size zipper bag and shake to combine. Leave out for 20 minutes to allow meat to marinate and come up to room temperature (for even more meat flavour, marinate overnight in the fridge).
Heat a wok or high-sided sauté pan over high heat. Add the oil, onion and hard vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently until the veggies begin to brown–about five minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium-high, add the soft vegetables, and sauté for about two minutes. Add the chicken with the marinade and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about five minutes.
Use a clean spoon to serve on top of brown rice or quinoa (or noodles) and drizzle with your favourite sauce, like sriracha or peanut sauce.
Flanagan’s tips: Prep all the veggies before frying, and chop veggies to similar sizes so that they cook evenly. Cook hard vegetables first, and moisture-rick ingredients last, and make sure your pan is really hot (and keep it hot). Don’t walk away: stir-frying means quick cooking over high heat with frequent stirring.
(01/13/2023) ⚡AMPDefending champion Derara Hurisa is back to where his marathon journey began — the prestigious Tata Mumbai Marathon — as he eyes a winning return from injury in the upcoming 18th edition on Sunday, January 15.
The 25-year-old Ethiopian clinched the 2020 crown with a blistering course record of 2:08:09 and went on to win both his outings over the classic distance in 2021 — Vienna and Guadalajara Marathon (Mexico) — but was disqualified in Austria due to a shoe technicality.
He spent 2022 recovering from a hip injury.
“I’ll try to defend my title, but the competition here is really good,” Hurisa told a news conference on Saturday. “My training was nice, with the focus on the Tata Mumbai Marathon,” he added.
In the men’s field, 10 runners hold personal bests under the course record, including Hurisa’s compatriot and training partner Hayle Lemi.
The 28-year-old is a winner of seven marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 2016 and Dubai in 2015. “The conditions here look good for me,” said Lemi, a.k.a. Lemi Berhanu, runner-up in the 2021 Boston Marathon in 2:10.37 and with a preference for warm weather.
Leading the Kenyan charge in the men’s International Elite field of 16 is Philemon Rono, the training partner of marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge. “My training has been good, I just got to go out there and express myself,” said the 31-year-old, who finished an impressive sixth at the 2019 Boston Marathon and won the Toronto Marathon for the third time that year in 2:05:00.
The women’s International Elite field will feature 2019 winner Worknesh Alemu of Ethiopia and the 2020 runner-up from Kenya, Rodah Jepkorir Tanui, and six runners with personal bests under the course record (2.24.33), headlined by the experienced Kenyan Sharon Cherop.
The 18th edition of the USD 405,000 prize fund World Athletics Gold Label Road Race takes place after a two-year pandemic-forced break and will also witness over 55,000 amateurs across six categories on its much-awaited return.
The elite men’s and women’s winners will take home USD 45,000 each. The runners will be further incentivized by a Course Record Bonus of USD 15,000.
(01/13/2023) ⚡AMPDistance running epitomizes the power of one’s dreams and the awareness of one’s abilities to realize those dreams. Unlike other competitive sports, it is an intensely personal experience. The Tata Mumbai Marathon is One of the World's Leading Marathons. The event boasts of fundraising platform which is managed by United Way Mumbai, the official philanthropy partner of the event. Over...
more...Hill workouts can be tough. They are also a powerful tool for building strength, making your body injury-resistant, and translate to speed on the flats: if you can learn to enjoy them it’s much easier to get out there.
“I love the feeling of being able to push myself to the max, as if the resistance is my friend,” Norway-based ultrarunner and ski mountaineering pro Emelie Forsberg shares in her book Sky Runner.
Try these tips and workouts to find your groove as you test out (or build on) your hill-climbing abilities. You, too, may soon be loving your uphill sessions.
Find the right technique
Forsberg suggests trying to make hill running as comfortable as possible by finding the right technique for the hill you’re on. For very steep hills she suggests switching between two methods of climbing: walking very fast with large strides, pushing against your thighs with your hands and arms, and taking shorter, faster steps with a higher turnover rate.
“Neither of these are faster than the other, but it’s nice to switch between the two techniques to use different muscle groups,” Forsberg explains, noting that she finds the shorter strides harder so opts to work on them more often in training. “I want to train with what I’m less comfortable with.”
Easier hill intervals
Forsberg suggests trying this session (adjusting the number of intervals to your ability) if you’re new to hills or returning to interval training, and says the pace and effort “should feel manageable the entire time.”
Warm up with 10 minutes easy running
10 x 2 minutes, easy run downhill for recovery (approx one minute)
Cool down with 10 minutes easy running
Hill sprints
“This is a very explosive exercise that can be very hard,” shares Forsberg, suggesting runners start moderately with fewer repetitions and increase accordingly. “It’s much more fun to get a positive surprise rather than never wanting to do the exercise again,” she explains. We definitely agree.
Warm up with 10 minutes of easy running
10 x 30 seconds of hard running with 30 seconds rest
Repeat 3x, with 2 minutes of recovery time in between each block
Cool down with 10 minutes of easy running
After a challenging uphill or speedwork session, make sure to take a recovery day or do some very easy running.
(01/13/2023) ⚡AMPGet ready for some quick times on Sunday (Jan 15) when the self-styled “ciudad del running” stages its annual 10km Valencia Ibercaja event on its famously fast roads.
Many of the world’s top distance runners will descend upon the Spanish city this weekend in search of record-breaking performances. These include Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who will attack her own women’s world record of 29:14 set in Castellón 11 months ago.
The 23-year-old impressed over the marathon last year, too, as she clocked what was, at the time, the world’s fastest ever debut by a woman with 2:17:23 in Hamburg before later capturing the London Marathon title in 2:17:26.
British athletes are in Valencia in force too. The Spanish road race clashes with the trial in Perth, Scotland, for the World Cross Country Championships, but many have opted to slip on their super-shoes rather than spikes to chase PBs on the road.
Yehualaw is the star attraction and will wear No.1 on her singlet on Sunday, but she is joined in Valencia by fellow Ethiopian Ejgayehu Taye, who holds the world 5km record with 14:19 from Barcelona in 2021. In addition, Karoline Grøvdal of Norway will attack the European record of 30:05 held by Lonah Salpeter of Israel.
In the men’s field, sub-27min performers Richard Kimunyan Yator and Weldon Kipkirui Langat of Kenya plus Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi lead the men’s entries in a field of around 11,000 runners which is set to feature about 100 elite athletes from 15 different nations.
Jacob Krop, the world 5000m silver medallist and 12:45.71 runner on the track, is also in the line-up together with Paul Chelimo of the United States, while Morhad Amdouni and Jimmy Gressier of France lead the European challenge.
Their target is Rhonex Kipruto’s world record of 26:24, which was set in this event in 2020.
“We want the men to approach the European record (27:13 by Julien Wanders set in Valencia in 2020) and, with the African armada, to look for sub-27 records and even approach the world record,” said Acuña. “The 2023 race will be the most competitive of all editions. The best European athletes want to run the 10km Valencia Ibercaja – and we have been working for months in that direction.”
He added: “The goal of the race is to become more international year after year and reach more and more countries. We are a world reference for the distance and the best athletes want to run in Valencia.”
Don’t be surprised to see the UK all-time rankings revised on Sunday when a large contingent of British athletes tackle the Valencia 10km.
They are led by Samantha Harrison, who already sits No.5 on the UK all-time rankings with 31:10 from Telford in December.
Calli Thackery, the fifth quickest British woman in history over 5km with 14:58, is also set to compete. Add to this Olympic marathoner Steph Twell, plus Amelia Quirk, Lucy Reid and Sarah Astin.
One week after out-kicking Jake Wightman indoors over 3000m, Phil Sesemann takes to the roads looking to beat his 28:24 PB from 2019.
The Mahamed brothers – Mahamed and Zak – are also in the line-up, plus Olympic 5000m finalist Andy Butchart, Efrem Gidey, Ellis Cross, Calum Elson and Kadar Omar.
The list goes on with Kieran Clements, Jack Gray, Jonathan Hopkins, Alfie Manthorpe, Lewis Jagger, Ronny Wilson, Jonny Davies, Alex Lepetre, Jonathan Escalante, Dan Studley, Norman Shreeve and Corey De’Ath.
(01/13/2023) ⚡AMPAround the corner we have one more edition of the 10K Valencia Ibercaja, organized one more year by the C. 10K VALENCIA Athletics premiering the running season in Valencia. It is a massive urban race with more than 3,000 registered annually of 10 kilometers, where the maximum duration of the test will be 1 hour 40 minutes (100 minutes). The...
more...Major marathon winners Albert Korir and Shura Kitata, as well as 2015 world champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie, are among the many additions to the men’s elite field for the Boston Marathon on April 17, organizers of the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race announced today (11).
Today’s announcement expands upon four previously announced men’s entrants including world record-holder and double Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, reigning Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, 2021 winner Benson Kipruto, and two-time victor Lelisa Desisa.
It brings the total number of sub-2:07 performers in the field to 15. Eight of those have bettered 2:05.
Korir, the 2021 New York Marathon champion, made his Boston debut last year and finished sixth. But Kitata, who beat Kipchoge to win the 2020 London Marathon champion, and Ghebreslassie will be making their Boston Marathon debuts.
Tanzanian record-holder Gabriel Geay is the third fastest man in the field, after Kipchoge and Chebet. Geay, who finished runner-up at the Valencia Marathon last month in 2:03:00, has had success racing on the roads of Boston, winning the 2018 Boston 10K and placing fourth at last year’s Boston Marathon.
“I am excited to be returning to the Boston Marathon this year,” said Geay. “I fulfilled a dream by racing in Boston last year, but my goal is to one day win the race, and I hope that 2023 will be my year.”
Brazilian Olympian and national record-holder Daniel Do Nascimento will make his Boston debut, as will Ethiopia’s Herpasa Negasa, a 2:03:40 marathon runner. Augustine Choge, one of the most versatile runners in the world, will also line up in Boston, hoping to conquer the marathon distance once and for all.
After a 2:08:16 marathon debut in Chicago last year, USA’s Conner Mantz will take on the Boston course for the first time. He will be joined by world 50km record-holder CJ Albertson.
(01/13/2023) ⚡AMPAmong the nation’s oldest athletic clubs, the B.A.A. was established in 1887, and, in 1896, more than half of the U.S. Olympic Team at the first modern games was composed of B.A.A. club members. The Olympic Games provided the inspiration for the first Boston Marathon, which culminated the B.A.A. Games on April 19, 1897. John J. McDermott emerged from a...
more...Organizers of the Millrose Games have announced that Ollie Hoare will defend his Wanamaker Mile title at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in New York on February 11.
Hoare, the Commonwealth 1500m champion, won last year’s Wanamaker mile in an Oceanian indoor record of 3:50.83.
“I’m thrilled to be able to come back and defend my Wanamaker title,” said the Australian. “It will be great to be out there competing at one of my favorite mile races in the world.”
He will take on a field that includes 2021 US 1500m champion and Olympic finalist Cole Hocker, European bronze medalist Mario Garcia Romo of Spain, US Olympian Yared Nuguse, NCAA record-holder Eliud Kipsang of Kenya, 2017 world finalist Johnny Gregorek, three-time New Zealand champion Sam Tanner, world indoor and outdoor finalist Neil Gourley, as well as USA’s Josh Thompson, Sam Prakel and Drew Hunter.
(01/12/2023) ⚡AMPThe NYRR Millrose Games,which began in 1908 as a small event sponsored by a local track club, has grown to become the most prestigious indoor track and field event in the United States. The NYRR Millrose Games meet is held in Manhattan’s Washington Heights at the New Balance Track & Field Center at the Armony, which boasts a state-of-the-art six-lane,...
more...After a year in which her world was turned upside down, the track legend has a new sponsor and new event as she makes her half marathon debut in Houston on Sunday.
As the Marshall Fire approached her house on December 30, 2021, there was a brief moment where Jenny Simpson thought to herself, I can’t believe I’m doing this. The house Simpson shares with her husband Jason was formerly a schoolhouse, built in 1900 and located in Marshall, Colo., 15 minutes southeast of Boulder. And on that day, it was under threat from what would eventually become the most destructive fire in state history.
The fire, spread by wind gusts of over 100 miles per hour, was moving quickly. As thick smoke enveloped their property, choking their lungs and blocking their vision, the Simpsons prepared for the worst. Trying to limit the burn, they watered down the yard with hoses, inadvertently soaking their clothes as the wind blew the spray everywhere. Then, as the flames moved in, Simpson took one last lap around the house, grabbing their laptops, their Jack Russell terrier Truman, and a bag containing her running medals and memorabilia — one she had assembled a month earlier while being interviewed for a documentary and fortunately had yet to unpack.
Simpson, like many of us, had previously had that conversation about the one thing you would grab if your house was burning down. She had always answered with her Bible, handed down to her from her great-grandmother Genevieve Schermerhorn (“Grandma Jenny”), for whom she was named. So, as she grabbed the Bible from her office and dashed out of the house, it hit her: I think I’m grabbing the thing that you get because we might lose everything.
By the time Simpson made it to her car, she no longer knew where Jason was or whether he would make it back to the car — the smoke was so dense, it was difficult to see. He eventually made it and they sped away from their house, not knowing when they would return — or if the house would still be there when they did.
Over the course of two days, Marshall Fire would ultimately burn over 6,000 acres, destroy over 1,000 buildings, and cause over $500 million in property damage, making it the most destructive fire in Colorado history. It was a traumatic event for Simpson and her community.
Though the Simpsons’ home survived the fire, it sustained damage, forcing them to live elsewhere while it was repaired. They bounced around from a hotel to the spare bedroom of some friends from church to, eventually, a sparse apartment near the University of Colorado campus, living out of a backpack with the few things they had managed to grab from their home before the fire hit.
“It’s hard to describe how stressful that time was,” Simpson says.
On top of that, Simpson was working through a sports hernia and stress reaction in her right hip — the most significant injury of her career — and her professional future was less certain than ever. During the 2010s, few athletes were more consistent and dependable than Simpson. From 2007 through 2019, Simpson made all nine World/Olympic teams for the United States, piling up 11 national titles, three World Championship medals, and an Olympic bronze in 2016. That success led to a series of lucrative contracts from her sponsor, New Balance, and, as a highly-ranked athlete, health insurance from USOPC.
But Simpson’s New Balance contract expired at the end of 2021 — just two days after the fire that displaced her from her home. On January 1, she lost her health insurance coverage from USOPC (to qualify for coverage, an athlete had to have medalled at either the 2019 Worlds or 2021 Olympics, finished in the top 12 at the 2021 Olympics, or finished the season ranked in the top 15 in the world in their event; Simpson no longer met any of the criteria). As 2022 began, she still had Jason, and she still had the support of her longtime coaches, Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs. But the other constants in her life suddenly weren’t so constant.
“This last year, I felt more vulnerable than ever,” Simpson says. “The major safety nets in my life have been being a top-performing athlete and being in the tier system and in the USATF system, being a New Balance athlete and knowing I have a future there and my security at home. And my health. All of those things were really wobbly and testy and some of them fell apart in the last year.”
Rebuilding and replacing
One year has passed since the fire that upended Simpson’s world. Some elements of her life have been rebuilt, others replaced. The Simpsons moved back into their house in Marshall on April 1, and after months of work, she says it is 100% back to normal. Her body is also back to full health. That too required months of work.
Simpson had felt pain in her hip area during the fall of 2021 and though she didn’t give it much thought initially, it grew into something that significantly disrupted her training. Even as 2022 began, she remained in denial. After her streak of making teams ended at the 2021 Olympic Trials, Simpson knew she couldn’t afford to miss time if she was to return to her best.
“Pushing through cross training, pushing through the life challenges that we were going through, I definitely made my circumstances a lot worse,” Simpson says. “And I don’t think that’s unusual for runners. That’s kind of in our nature.”
Simpson was determined to avoid surgery, but realized such a path would require a more conservative approach. As winter turned to spring, Simpson, reluctantly, began to back off the intensity to allow her body to heal.
“The toughest thing about having a sports hernia injury and choosing to rehab and go that route and not jump straight into surgery is that it’s just slow,” Simpson says. “And none of us that are athletes, I think in particular runners, want to take anything slow.”
Simpson did not race at all last spring or summer, missing USAs for the first time since 2006 and missing the chance to represent the US at the first World Championships held on American soil. Simpson is now healthy again, but she’s still rebuilding the fitness she lost in 2022.
Another pillar of Simpson’s life — her New Balance contract — had to be replaced rather than rebuilt. Simpson did not want to go into specifics, but says that while New Balance verbally offered her a deal at a reduced level from her previous contract, the two sides ultimately could not reach an agreement. Eventually, Simpson, who had not used an agent since 2014, hired Hawi Keflezighi to negotiate a new deal and announced a sponsorship agreement with Puma in October.
Leaving New Balance behind was painful. Simpson signed with the company coming out of the University of Colorado in 2010, and after 12 years together had envisioned staying with the brand in some fashion for the rest of her life. Seconds after crossing the finish line in 10th in the 2021 Olympic Trials 1500, Simpson looked at the scoreboard and saw that Elle St. Pierre, Cory McGee, and Heather MacLean — all New Balance athletes — had gone 1-2-3 to make the team; Simpson was the first to congratulate them. She figured that, even once her racing days were over, there would still be some sort of role for her at New Balance.
“My whole future in sport and beyond was about how can I take what I’m learning in my career and make that in any possible way benefit the women’s team in the future,” Simpson says. “So seeing that [1-2-3 at the Trials] and knowing there was a strong middle distance future here and how can I continue to pour into that, that’s what I thought my future was.”
A move to the roads and a new beginning
For the first decade of her professional career, Simpson’s running life was fairly straightforward. She was consistently one of the best in the world in her event, meaning she could enter any race she wanted and was always in-demand from her sponsor (two of the reasons she went without an agent for so long). Every year since rejoining Wetmore and Burroughs in 2013 (she was coached by Juli Benson from 2010-12), she would sit down with them and figure out how to be at her best in the biggest race of the year, either the World Championship or Olympic final. More often than not, she succeeded.
But after failing to make the Olympic team in 2021, Simpson began to ponder her athletic mortality. She was nearing her 35th birthday and had a few options if she wanted to stay in the sport.
“The biggest consideration was, do I move up to the 5k, do I try to run a great 10k, or do we do something totally different?” Simpson says.
(LetsRun founder Robert Johnson will be devastated to learn Simpson did not mention the steeplechase, the event in which she won two US titles and set the American record in 2009).
Simpson dipped her toes into Option C by running the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler in September 2021 (she finished 2nd in 52:16). Midway through 2022, she had fully committed to the roads.
“It’s always been part of the plan that I would give the roads some good years of my career,” says Simpson. “And I think I just saw those really good years becoming fewer and fewer and I realistically wanted to make the transition before I was so, not just physically tired, but also just emotionally drained and psychologically drained from the intensity of it.”
The last few years, Simpson carved out a niche as a mentor to some of the up-and-coming athletes in the Colorado program. As a volunteer assistant at CU, Simpson was able to watch runners like Dani Jones and Sage Hurta at practice, then aid their transition to the professional ranks by traversing the circuit alongside them as a competitor/friend. With Simpson’s move to the roads, that period of her career is over.
“I think that’s what I’ll miss the most, is feeling like I get to be a little bit of a mother hen for the [Colorado] women that are doing really well and have a future as a pro in the sport,” Simpson says.
Now, Simpson is heading into the unknown. The training, obviously, is different. Though Simpson ran relatively high mileage for a 1500 runner — it was not uncommon for her to hit 80 miles in a week — she is now running 80+ regularly, doubling up to five times per week. During her track career, a long workout for Simpson would consist of 12 or 14 by 400m. Now she’s running 2k and 3k repeats on the track.
“That’s a long way to go for someone like me,” Simpson says. “…You go out on the first lap or two and you think, Are you kidding me? This is it? But it doesn’t stay easy for very long.”
Simpson has also had to educate herself about the road races themselves. When we first spoke for this story in November, Simpson admitted that, outside of the World Marathon Majors, she didn’t know many of the major road races and was still learning about how they stacked up against each other in terms of prestige.
Part of that is due to how the sport is structured. Track is simple: Worlds or the Olympics is the end goal and the rest of the season is built around that. The roads are different — people reach top fitness at different times. For marathoners, it’s fairly intuitive — pick one race to peak for in the spring and one in the fall. But Simpson isn’t a marathoner (yet). For road racers at shorter distances, it’s more choose-your-own-adventure.
Simpson’s plan: sit down with Wetmore and Burroughs, pick a race to gear that year’s training around, and attack it like they would a World Championship or Olympics.
“Even though it’s not to the world a big World Championships, it will be Mark and Heather and Jenny’s World Championships,” Simpson says.
As for the marathon, Simpson would not commit to running one eventually, but did not rule it out either. She watched Jason, after years of grinding, finally qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials at CIM in 2018 and knows how difficult the event is. She has no desire to rush into one.
“It is really freaking hard,” Simpson says. “You don’t know for sure that your body is suited for it just because you’ve been a good runner…What it will take for me to run a marathon? If I have a great half and I feel like my body’s handling that workload really well, we’ll absolutely do a marathon. Because at that point, you’ve gotta find out, right?”
Next stop: Houston
The big question hanging over all this: will Jenny Simpson be any good on the roads? It’s no certainty that prime Simpson, the one who won a record eight Fifth Avenue Miles, would have been a force over 10k and beyond, much less the 36-year-old version coming off the most disruptive injury of her career.
Thirty-six is not necessarily old by distance standards, though. Last year, Keira D’Amato broke the American marathon record at 37 and Sara Hall broke the American half marathon record at 38. Like Simpson, both were for a time milers on the track before moving up — though it took each several years before their big breakthrough.
After down years in 2021 and 2022, logic says Simpson could have a tough go of things. The bar for success, certainly, will have to be recalibrated. At her best on the track, Simpson was one of the top three women in the world in her event. That level of accomplishment is virtually impossible for her on the roads, but could she become one of the best in the US in the 10k, half, or marathon?
Her road debut at Cherry Blossom in 2021 was auspicious (2nd place, 52:16), her appearance at last fall’s USATF 5K champs in New York less so (she was 17th in 16:07, 39 seconds behind winner Weini Kelati) — though Simpson wasn’t fully fit in New York and knew that going in.
2023 will be the real test of whether Simpson has anything left to give on the roads. And for Simpson, 2023 begins in Houston, where she will make her half marathon debut on Sunday. There is a lot riding on the outcome, which is how Simpson likes it. She has yet to pick that one race that she will plan her 2023 season around; Houston will help her make that decision.
“This will kind of chart my course of whether we stick with the half marathon, whether I start dreaming about a marathon, or whether I say maybe it’s better for me to get back on the track, spike up, and do some faster stuff over the next year,” Simpson says.
Simpson says that while her training has gone well, the adjustment to training for the half marathon has been more challenging than she expected.
“When I ran Cherry Blossom and I ran 5:14/mile pace the whole way, the idea of running 5:10’s for a half marathon (67:43 pace) seemed right around the corner,” Simpson says. “Now having gone through a year of injury and a lot of other life challenges, I’m having to adjust what I think my half marathon debut is going to look like.”
Simpson will have Jason with her as a pacer on Sunday and said they will plan to go out faster than her pace at the Army 10-Miler in October, a race she won in 54:16 (71:08 half marathon pace). She says she has a time goal in mind but elected not to share it. Her main hope is that she can finish the race well. During her track career, Simpson was famous for her strength in the final 100 meters, but in her last two road races, she felt as if she was holding on for dear life at the end.
Simpson will step to the line on Sunday with an uncertainty that did not exist during her track career. When Simpson started a 1500-meter race, she came armed with knowledge gleaned from years of experience. She knew exactly what sort of time she could expect her workouts to translate to and how to respond tactically to every race scenario. In the half marathon, she’s starting over.
“That’s one of the trepidations of going into the race in Houston is that I’m so used to having such a clear idea of what I am capable of,” Simpson says. “My race in Houston will be as much of a discovery as the training has been.”
Even Simpson admits she doesn’t know how many more years she’ll continue to race professionally. A few years ago, she had scripted out a storybook ending for herself: a fourth Olympic team in Tokyo and a home World Championships in front of friends and family in Eugene. Make those two teams, she thought, and she would have total freedom to do whatever she wanted afterwards, whether it was continuing to race on the roads, pursuing a coaching career, or starting a family.
That, of course, did not happen. In professional sports, endings rarely go according to plan. But Simpson is embracing the adventure that comes with her new path, wherever it leads.
“The idea I had in mind was kind of cool, but there are some things that we’re now looking forward to that I couldn’t have even imagined,” Simpson says. “And if it turns out that way, it will end even better.”
(01/12/2023) ⚡AMPThe Chevron Houston Marathon offers participants a unique running experience in America's fourth largest city. The fast, flat, scenic single-loop course has been ranked as the "fastest winter marathon" and "second fastest marathon overall" by Ultimate Guide To Marathons. After 30 years of marathon-only competition, Houston added the half-marathon in 2002, with El Paso Energy as the sponsor. Today the...
more...As the world’s most popular social networking app for endurance athletes reaches 100 million users worldwide, Strava informed users that they will be raising membership fees by 25 per cent in 2023. The cost to join will jump from $7.99 to $11.99 a month. The Internet wasn’t too enthused to hear about the price hike, especially after the company offered a 25 per cent off coupon for memberships at the end of 2022.
The new pricing structure will only apply to new users in the U.K. for now. Those who have been grandfathered in won’t see a price rise until the following month or year (depending on their plan).
According to an online report, the price hike comes less than a month after Strava laid off 38 employees. The report shows that multiple former employees confirmed the news on their LinkedIn page, a social network used for business and employment.
The price hike is scheduled to apply to users in Canada and U.S. on Feb. 6. The decision to increase the prices has prompted criticism on Twitter from users who have been members for years. Strava has yet to comment on the decision-making behind the price increase.
One Twitter user said, “I can post my outrage over the increase or cancel my membership but $80 per year is still far less for something I use every day than one pair of super shoes… which you only use for two or three days.”
(01/12/2023) ⚡AMP