Running News Daily

Yoshihiko Ishikawa wins Badwater 135 for the 2nd time

The male course record holder celebrated his second victory, while American Ashley Paulson's new female course record raised a few eyebrows

The 45th anniversary of the Badwater 135 race wrapped up Wednesday, with no shortage of both heat and excitement. Yoshihiko Ishikawa of Japan took his second victory at the race, running negative splits to finish in 23:08:20. Ishikawa previously set the course record at Badwater 135 in 2019, in 21:33:01. He famously followed his win by proposing to his then-girlfriend, and the couple has since married.

The famously gruelling Badwater 135 starts at Badwater in California’s Death Valley at 85 metres below sea level (the lowest elevation in North America), taking runners 135 miles (216 km) through Death Valley and up Mount Whitney, reaching 2,548m of altitude at its highest point. Temperatures have been known to soar well above 100 F (37 C). The cutoff time is 48 hours, and the average finishing time is 40 hours. As at the Western States Endurance Run, finishers receive a much-coveted belt buckle. There is no prize money for winners. The race is invitational, and 94 athletes started the event this year, with 77 finishing.

Fan favourite and last year’s winner Harvey Lewis, of Cincinnati, finished his 11th Badwater in fourth place with 27:16:05, while his partner, Kelly O’Dell, completed her first Badwater with just over an hour to spare, in 46:57:33.Ultrarunner and race director Bob Becker, 77, of Fort Lauderdale, attempted to become the race’s oldest finisher. In a heroic effort, Becker made it across the line just over the 48-hour cutoff. The athlete made an attempt at the same title last year, but had to drop at mile 50. His dedication won the hearts of fellow athletes and supporters as he struggled to complete the last few steps of the race.

Two Canadians competed in Badwater 135 this year. Norma Roberts, 63, of Calgary, finished in 37:00:13 and was the 11th female, while Rich Peers, 51, of Kitchener, Ont. finished in 44:13:01.

Mascot's head safely returned at World Championships

An evening of captivating finishes on the track on Monday was followed by shock when Legend the Bigfoot mascot’s head was reported stolen at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore. But Legend was back to his usual antics Tuesday evening, such as cooling off in the steeplechase water pit and dancing to entertain the fans.

Using CCTV and the help of social media, event organizers discovered footage of unidentified men laughing and joking as they played with Legend’s head. The investigation was then turned over to the police. Organizers stated: “We can confirm that an accredited photographer was removed from Hayward Field in connection to the investigation of a theft at the venue. This is now a police matter, and we won’t have further comments at this time.”

A committee chose the seven-foot-tall giant yellow Bigfoot to be the accredited mascot earlier in the year, in a nod to the Pacific Northwest centuries-old mythology surrounding Bigfoot. Legend has been a fan favourite since the beginning of the championships.

Thankfully, Legend reappeared on Tuesday. Organizing committee CEO Sarah Massey called Legend “an extension of the event itself,” and he has been described (and was created) to be “fun, mischievous, playful, and larger than life.” This recent mischief clearly went just a little too far for Legend, and fans will hope to enjoy his large furry high-fives for the rest of the Championships, head intact.

Three Americans will be running the women’s 5,000 meters finals at World Athletics Championships on Saturday

American Elise Cranny, who trains with the Bowerman Track Club, was the top U.S. qualifier to earn a berth in the final with a time of 14 minutes, 53.20 seconds in the second heat. Cranny finished first in the event at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships last month at Hayward Field.

Running in the first heat, Karissa Schweizer, who also trains with the Bowerman Track Club, qualified for the final with a time of 14:53.69. Schweizer won the 10,000 meters at the USA championships and finished second to Cranny in the 5,000.

American Emily Infeld also advanced to the final as a time qualifier after finishing sixth behind Schweizer in the second heat in 15:00.98.

German Koko Klosterhalfen, who trains at the Portland-based Union Athletics Club, failed to qualify for the final after posting a time of 15:17.78.

The final is scheduled for 6:25 p.m. Saturday.

McLaughlin obliterates world 400m hurdles record with 50.68 in Oregon

Sydney McLaughlin has broken the world 400m hurdles record for the fourth time of her career, obliterating her previous best with 50.68 to win her first world title in the event at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 on Friday (22).

In another epic race in front of a passionate home crowd, the 22-year-old Olympic champion raised the bar yet again. Behind her, Netherlands’ Olympic bronze medallist Femke Bol secured silver in 52.27, while USA’s former world record-holder Dalilah Muhammad clocked 53.13 for bronze.

It is the third world record that McLaughlin has set at Hayward Field. Her first came at the 2021 US Olympic Trials, when she clocked 51.90 to improve on the 52.16 global mark that Muhammad had set when winning the 2019 world title ahead of her compatriot.

Just over a month later, McLaughlin ran 51.46 to win the Olympic title in Tokyo, and she broke the record for a third time at this year’s US Championships in Eugene on 25 June, clocking 51.41.

(Third photo of Sydney taken at USATF Championships. Photo by Jivko)  

Dave Proctor ends his cross-Canada run in Victoria after 67 days

Right on schedule, Dave Proctor of Okotoks, Alta. wrapped up his cross-Canada record quest in Victoria late Thursday afternoon. Proctor completed his 7,159km run after 67 straight days of running, and (pending verification) will have topped Al Howie’s cross-Canada speed record of 72 days, 10 hours, set in 1991. Proctor began this record attempt with a hat dip in St. John’s, and has been steadily running around 105 kilometers a day across the country, bumping that distance up to 107 km over the last few days to be certain of hitting the target.

This was not Proctor’s first attempt at the record; in 2018, running in the other direction, he was beset by a back injury and forced to quit in Manitoba after 32 days on the road. He then had to put off making his record attempt due to COVID. He shared gratitude for the journey in a social media post Thursday evening, calling the experience “priceless.”

Proctor is one of Canada’s most accomplished and best known ultrarunners. He holds course records at races including Lethbridge, Alta.’s Lost Soul Ultra (where he ran the 100-miler in 2021 in 19:05:00, beating his own previous course record of 19:27:00); he set the 48-hour Canadian record at 6 Days in the Dome in 2018 (358.163 km); in addition, he holds Canadian records over 24 hours (257.093 km) and 72 hours (500.077 km).

Proctor shared daily posts on Instagram that included his mileage, a ‘ditch find’ of the day, and his daily progress. In a recent post thanking the watch brand Coros for their sponsorship, he mentioned that he would be making his COROS data available post-run, but warned, “they’ll be big files.”

American ultrarunner Pete Kostelnick is familiar with a journey like Proctor’s: he holds the trans-American speed record of 42 days, 6 hours, 30 minutes. Kostelnick spoke to Proctor on Thursday during the final leg of his run, and shared some insight into how he is probably feeling right now.

“It’s bittersweet, but mostly sweet. After over two months, Dave’s new normal is very simple–eat, run, rest, repeat. Soon he’ll be back to ‘normal’ life, which, quite honestly, is a shock to the body and mind. In something like this, I think also a lot of the reward comes while you’re doing it,” Kostelnick said. “It’s a powerful feeling to know you just ran another 105 km yesterday, today and will keep doing it day after day.  Once you’ve done it, you have so much to celebrate and be thankful for, but part of you is also thinking “well, what now?” My best advice to him today was to spend some time running alone and reflecting on the whole experience as he nears the finish line.”

Proctor was joined across the country by various friends, family members and fellow ultrarunners, who crewed and logged kilometres with him for anywhere from six days to over two weeks. Calgary-based ultrarunner Joel Campbell spent nine days with him, and has also paced him at local races. He feels Proctor’s strongest ability is his mental stamina.

“[It] is what puts him on the shortlist of elite multi-day runners out there,” Campbell says. “A lot of it has to do with his courage and the willingness to put himself on the line for failure, and high-profile public failure at that. Scrolling through the comments on his social media posts, I’m struck by how many people mention their own running triumphs, but more often, their missed attempts. Most of us have bonked in a race at some point, and to see him be willing to try again and now achieve his goal, seems to inspire others in whatever pursuits they’re facing.”

Kostelnick agrees: “He’s stubborn! This accomplishment for him has been in the making for years, and there were so many times when almost anyone but Dave would have said ‘well, maybe it’s not for me. Time to move on.'” Proctor faced both mental and physical challenges on the road and shared some of them with his fans on social media, including his struggle with not seeing his kids for so long and the physically painful start to each day.

Proctor touted both Howie and Terry Fox as inspiration on the road, sharing his thoughts on day 39 as he ran on the stretch of highway where Fox was forced to end his own trans-Canada run: “On this road, on this day I was schooled in the lessons of courage, determination, and belief that I thought I understood prior to this run but now know that I knew nothing.”

Proctor’s partner, Lana Ledene, shared her perspective on social media Wednesday evening. She wrote about watching Proctor log miles seemingly without effort, and the immense suffering and exhaustion she witnessed at the end of each day. Ledene asked Proctor how he managed to keep going: “He said he doesn’t think about the pain, he blocks it out and does not allow it to occupy any space in his thoughts.” She adds: “Without a doubt, Dave’s superpower is not his legs, it’s his mind.”

Post-run Thursday, Proctor shared that he was looking forward to coffee in bed, and added: “I’ll be taking tomorrow off running.”

America’s Garrett Scantling, the world’s top ranked decathlete this year, has been provisionally suspended for an anti-doping violation

It means the 29-year-old from Florida will not take part in this year’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, where the decathlon events are due to take place tomorrow and Sunday (July 23 and 24).

Scantling, fourth at last year’s re-arranged Olympic Games in Tokyo, was provisionally suspended for a possible tampering violation stemming from a possible third whereabouts failure over missing drug tests or not filing complete information to be found for drug testing, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced.

Scantling, who previously tried out for the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars, won the US Championships in May with 8,867 points, the highest score in the world this year which put him seventh on the all-time list, ahead of Britain’s double Olympic champion Daley Thompson.

But his name was conspicuous by his absence when USA Track & Field announced its team earlier this month for the World Championships.

"Under the provisional suspension, Scantling is prohibited from competing in any competitions under the jurisdiction of World Athletics, USA Track & Field, or the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, pending the resolution of his case," USADA said.

"As such, he will not compete in the decathlon event at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon."

Athletes face suspensions if they have three whereabouts failures in an 18-month period.

Whereabouts failures can be not being present for a drug test or not providing complete and accurate information to be found for drug tests.

"Unfortunately, there’s no leniency for being forgetful, you have to accept responsibility and move on," Scantling said on Instagram.

"What’s next?

"We shall see!"

USADA said Scantling agreed to have his provisional suspension made public while his case is pending.

He is the second high-profile American athlete to be ruled out of Eugene due to missing drugs tests.

Randolph Ross, who won Olympic gold last summer as part of the United States 4x400 metres relay team, was prevented from taking part after the Athletics Integrity Unit were unable to conduct an out-of-competition test on him last month.

Jamaica's Shericka Jackson edges Fraser-Pryce to win world 200m gold

Jamaica's Shericka Jackson outgunned compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on the back straight to win 200m gold at the World Athletics Championships on Thursday.

Jackson set a championship record of 21.45 seconds, the second fastest time ever run over the distance, for a first individual world title at Hayward Field, Eugene.

Newly-crowned 100m gold medalist Fraser-Pryce took silver in 21.81sec, with defending champion Dina Asher-Smith of Britain claiming bronze (22.02).

All eyes had been on Fraser-Pryce, sporting a long mane of dyed purple hair, in her bid for a second sprint double after having achieved the feat at the 2013 Moscow worlds.

Fast out of the blocks in lane six, Fraser-Pryce rocketed past Niger's Aminatou Seyni in no time, running a great bend to hit the back stretch neck-and-neck with Jackson, in four.

As the two Jamaicans went head-to-head, Jackson put on the afterburners and pulled away in impressive style, not giving up until she thundered through the line.

Fraser-Pryce swept through on her coattails, with Asher-Smith holding off Seyni for bronze.

Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, the third part of Jamaica's cleansweep of the 100m along with Fraser-Pryce and Jackson, eventually came in seventh in 22.39sec.

Knee stretches for runners and the most simple ways to prevent knee pain from running

With plenty of apps to help you keep the pace, running’s convenience and natural form makes it an easy sport to pick up. But forgetting to stretch can turn this exercise into an inconvenient experience. Studies estimateTrusted Source that up to 70 percent of runners injure themselves from overuse each year. Of those injuries, 50 percent happen at the knee.

One common condition is known as patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), or runner’s knee. The name is a broad term used to describe pain in the front of your knee joint. It can be caused by injury to the tendons, fat pad, and cartilage on the underside of the knee cap. Runner’s knee isn’t the only injury that occurs at the knee from running.

Research suggests that these injuries may be due to weak hip-stabilizing muscles which can place increased force below the knee. Timing can also increase your risk for knee injuries.

Stretching away from runner’s knee

To avoid being sidelined by knee pain, Deborah Lynn Irmas, a personal trainer based in Santa Monica, California, advises to warm up with a light jog before running. This helps your body ease into training.

Bring the same discipline from your workouts to your running routine. Stretch before and after you begin. Many health professionals recommend stretching to reduce the risk of injury.

Quads

The quadriceps are the muscles at the front of your thighs. Loosen your quads by:

While standing, hold on to a chair or wall.

Grab your ankle and pull it up behind you to your backside. Keep your knee pointing downward; don’t pull it to the side.

Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.

Repeat three times, and then switch to your other leg.

Beginners find it easier to do this quad stretch while lying on the floor.

Lie on the floor on your right side.

Grasp your left ankle, and pull it up to your backside.

Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.

Do this three times before repeating on the other side.

Hamstrings

Your hamstring muscles run down the back of your thigh. Pulled or sore hamstrings are common among runners, but you can sidestep injury with this preventive stretches:

Stand up or lie on your back.

Bend your right leg.

With your hands under your leg just above the knee, pull your left thigh toward you gently.

Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.

Reverse your legs and repeat.

Do each this three times per leg.

As you build strength and flexibility in your quads and hamstrings, you can do this stretch while keeping one leg straight on the floor and bending the other toward you, Irmas adds.

Squats

Squats help strengthen your hip muscles. Weak hip-stabilizing muscles can increase your risk for injuries.

Place your feet shoulder width apart.

Lower yourself by bending your knees to a slightly right angle. Make sure your back is straight and your buttocks are rounded inwards.

Don’t let your knees pass your toes.

Come up slowly and squeeze your buttocks at the end.

Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Knee bends

Knees bends help strengthen the muscle around the knee for support. You can place a ball between your back and the wall for smoother movement.

Stand against wall with your feet about a foot away and your knees hip-width apart. Point your feet outwards.

Slide your back down slowly until your knees are bending slightly.

Focus on tensing your buttocks as you come up.

Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

What else matters when you run?

Training suggestions

Too much running can cause strain to your knees. Even for long-time runners, the risk for injuries can increase when you run over 40 miles per week. Most people benefit from running no more than four or five days per week and resting for one day or doing other activities instead.

If you’re a beginner to running, remember to:

use a combination of running and walking

start with no more than 20 minutes of running per day

gradually increase the time you spend running, no more than 5 mins every 14 days

run every other day

Running downhill increases impact and injury risk.

Shoes and soles

There’s little evidence that shoes reduce your risk for injuries, but this study found that foot strike can increase your risk for repetitive stress injuries. People who frequently run with a rear-foot strike (hitting the ground with the back of their foot first) experienced 2.6 times more mild injuries and 2.4 more moderate injuries.

Be sure to get a shoe that fits properly. The three types of shoes for runners include a neutral foot shape, and low foot arch, or high foot arch.

Regardless of your shoe type, it’s recommended to change your running shoes every 350 to 500 miles.

After your run

After you run, Irmas advises doing three sets each of the quad and hamstring stretches on both legs. Keeping your quads and hamstrings stretched and strong will help your knees. Taking those few extra minutes to stretch while your muscles are still warm helps avoid post-run stiffness and pain in your back, hips, calves, and thighs.

If you already have knee pain, don’t try to run through it. “Knees are tricky,” Irmas says. “Stop everything, ice your knee, and take an anti-inflammatory.”

When the pain is gone, start stretching gently. If your knee continues to give you pangs, stay off it and check in with your doctor. Until the pain disappears, you can switch to an exercise that doesn’t stress your knees.

What should you do if you get injured?

Stop running whenever you feel pain or discomfort. To treat injuries, you can use the “RICE” method. This consists of:

Rest: Let the injury rest by avoiding exercise for at least 48 hours.

Ice: Apply an ice pack to the injured area for 20 minutes, four to eight times per day.

Compression: Use a cast, splint, or wraps to support the injury and reduce swelling.

Elevation: Lift the injury area above heart level to decrease swelling.

Always seek medical help if the pain persists for more than a few days.

The Newport Marathon will not take place in 2022 due to a number of operational risks, but will return in 2023

The event was scheduled for Sunday, October 9, but that has now been shelved by organizers Run 4 Wales (R4W).

It will now return to its regular spring slot in the running calendar on Sunday, April 16, 2023.

"A return to the pre-pandemic date is in the best interests of both the participants and all key stakeholders," said R4W chief executive Matt Newman.

Runners already signed up for the event will be able to transfer into the rescheduled races free of charge or request a refund.

Newman offered his apologies and said he hoped people would understand the decision, which was made in consultation with Newport City Council and other key stakeholders.

"The new date will provide an opportunity to relaunch the event, remove a number of operational risks which arise from the late October date and ensure a high-quality event experience can be delivered," Newman said.

"Moving the event out of the congested autumn running calendar gives us the time and opportunity to work alongside Newport City Council and other potential partner organizations with a view to growing the event.

"We apologize to everyone who had signed up for the event and hope you understand that a return to the pre-pandemic date is in the best interests of both the participants and all key stakeholders."

Organizers said the decision had been taken as early as possible to give participants maximum notice before their training has commenced.

R4W and Newport City Council originally signed a three-year agreement for the event, which has grown in popularity and seen that original agreement extended.

That covered three races in 2018, 2019 and 2021, with the 2020 edition delayed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Noah Lyles storms to 200-meter gold at World Championships, leading U.S. sweep clocking the third fastest time ever

Thursday night was for the sprinters at the World Athletics Championships, as the men's and women's 200 meter finals took center stage in the only medal races of the session in Eugene, Oregon.

American Noah Lyles ran the third-fastest time in history and broke Michael Johnson's American record, crossing the line in 19.31 seconds and winning the men's race in dominant fashion. Not known for running a great curve, Lyles had a tremendous start and took all of the suspense out of the finish before it was halfway over.

Just as they did in the 100 meters, the United States swept the medals in the 200: behind Lyles was Kenny Bednarek in 19.77 seconds, and 18-year-old sensation Erriyon Knighton in 19.80 seconds.

The 25-year-old Lyles was the defending World champion but at the Tokyo Olympics last summer was disappointed to finish as bronze medalist; he has since revealed that he ran with a swelling in his knee, bad enough to affect him but not so bad that he couldn't race.

A Virginia native — he and his brother Josephus starred at T.C. Williams High, immortalized in "Remember the Titans" — Lyles is beloved for his playful spirit and candor. After the medal ceremony he joyously jumped on the back of the Championships. Fluffy yellow mascot, Legend, and got a piggy-back for a few seconds, jumping off and immediately going to the stands for autographs and selfies. Lyles' long coils are currently dyed a light brown, but in the past he's colored it silver, an homage to Goku of "Dragon Ball Z," and he's always open about his mental health journey.

Bednarek, who is 23, matched the silver he'd won in Tokyo in the 200, while Knighton became the youngest man to win a sprint medal in Worlds history.

After a poor showing from the American men at the Olympics last summer when they only won two gold medals — in shot put and the 4x400m relay — they have certainly bounced back this year at Worlds; Lyles' win is the fourth gold for the U.S. men, with a strong chance for three more in the closing days of the meet.

The thrilling men's race matched the women's race, which had been contested just minutes earlier.

Jamaica's women again asserted their short-distance dominance, with Shericka Jackson winning gold in a stunning 21.45 seconds and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce silver in 21.81 in the women's 200; Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith, the defending champion, ran to bronze in 22.02.

Jackson's time makes her the fastest living woman on Earth — only the late Florence Griffith-Joyner, who ran a 21.34 in 1988, has ever run faster.

Fraser-Pryce, as is her way, was stellar out of the blocks but couldn't sustain it; Jackson passed her with around 90 meters to go and just kept pulling away, her arms driving her to the finish line. A veteran of several global championship meets, Jackson has multiple 400-meter bronze medals, from the 2015 and 2019 World Championships and the 2016 Rio Olympics as well as relay golds, but has since dropped down to the 200 and 100.

Earlier this week, she won silver in the 100m behind Fraser-Pryce, but Thursday was finally her night to get an individual gold.

(Third photo taken by Jivko at the USATF National Championships.)

Caster Semenya unnoticed at World Championships The South African Olympic champion fails to advance in the 5,000 meters in Oregon – her first major international competition since 2017

How many times had South Africa’s Caster Semenya charged onto the Hayward Field homestretch seemingly in a different race than the rest of the pack, the sport’s most storied stadium rocking as Semenya raced into the deafening roar?

How many times had American track and field’s most knowledgeable fans, most passionate crowd stood in appreciation of the two-time Olympic, three-time World 800-meter champion?

On a scalding hot afternoon at the World Championships on Wednesday, Semenya labored through the final meters of her 5,000-meter heat in front of a half-empty stadium, largely ignored or unnoticed even in a place that calls itself Tracktown U.S.A.

Semenya, one of the most compelling and controversial athletes of her generation, has fallen so far off the sport’s radar since 2019 that the most well-known of her fellow competitors on Wednesday didn’t even realize she was in the competition.

“Caster?” asked Sifan Hassan, the Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 champion from the Netherlands, who ran in a later heat on Wednesday.

“Caster Semenya ran the 5,000?” Hassan asked again. “ I had no idea. I didn’t even know she was here. Did she make it?”

Semenya, running in her first major international competition since winning the 2017 Worlds 800 title, did not advance to the final, finishing 13th in her heat, running 15 minutes, 46.12 seconds, nearly a minute off the winning time of Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia (14:52.69).

“Cooking,” Semenya said after the race, referring to the heat. She declined to answer reporters’ questions.

Under different circumstances, the sport would be obsessing over the prospect of a showdown between Semenya, 31, and Athing Mu, the 20-year-old Olympic champion from the U.S. in Sunday’s 800 final and whether the pair could challenge the world record of 1:53.28 that was set by Czechoslovakia’s Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983.

Instead, Semenya, who was assigned female at birth, raised as a girl and identifies as a woman has not raced the 800 in meets sanctioned by World Athletics, the sport’s international governing body, because of her refusal to submit to the organization’s guidelines regarding intersex athletes.

Under the World Athletics guidelines athletes in events from the 400 to the mile – in other words, Semenya’s events – are required to take hormone suppressing drugs to reduce their testosterone to below 5 nanomoles per liter for at least six months before being allowed to compete internationally.

Semenya has an intersex condition called Differences in Sexual Development (DSD) or 46, XY that because of differences in sex development that causes male and female traits and a testosterone level higher than the typical female range. She is not transgender.

“I am a woman and I am a world-class athlete,” Semenya said in 2019, shortly before the Prefontaine Classic, her final 800. “The IAAF will not drug me or stop me from being who I am.”

Semenya had found herself unwittingly in the center of controversy almost from the moment she emerged on the world stage a decade earlier.

She won her first Worlds title in 2009 as an 18-year-old, a victory that prompted Russia’s Mariya Savinova to suggest the South African was a man.

“Just look at her,” Savinova said.

While the results of Semenya’s sex test were supposed to be confidential they were leaked to Australia’s Daily Telegraph. Semenya has internal testes but no ovaries or womb, the newspaper reported quoting the test report.

“She is a woman, but maybe not 100 percent,” IAAF secretary general Pierre Weiss said at the time, doing nothing to discourage the headline writers at New York’s Daily News who blared that the World champion “is a woman … and a man.”

Semenya began taking a hormone suppressant drug. She finished second to Savinova at both the 2011 Worlds and 2012 Olympics.

“The IAAF used me in the past as a human guinea pig to experiment with how the medication they required me to take would affect my testosterone levels,” she said in 2019. “Even though the hormonal drugs made me feel constantly sick the IAAF now wants to enforce even stricter thresholds with unknown health consequences.

“I will not allow the IAAF to use me and my body again. But I am concerned that other female athletes will feel compelled to let the IAAF drug them and test the effectiveness and negative health effects of different hormonal drugs. This cannot be allowed to happen.”

Semenya was awarded the 2012 Olympic gold medal in 2017, two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency recommended that Savinova receive a lifetime ban for doping and her results dating to July 2010 be disqualified.

Given the event’s suspect history, the irony of World Athletics now demanding she dope to level the playing field is not lost on Semenya.

“I’m not going to do that,” she told the Orange County Register after the 2019 Prefontaine meet. “I’m a very clean athlete. I believe in the clean sport. I believe in the equal opportunities. At the end of the day, this is a woman’s sport, this is a man’s sport. If they’re going come (at) me with that nonsense then why do you lead?”

Semenya challenged World Athletics guidelines with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A three-member CAS panel in June 2019 said the World Athletics policy was “discriminatory” toward athletes with DSD but two of the panel members, nevertheless agreed with the World Athletics that policy was “necessary, reasonable and proportionate” to counter advantages DSD athletes have over other female competitors. Semenya and other female athletes with DSD should be considered “biological males” World Athletics told CAS.

Switzerland’s Supreme Court rejected Semenya’s appeal in September 2020. She filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights in February 2021.

While Semenya fell short in her bid to reach the Olympic 200-meter qualifying standard last year, the success of other intersex athletes has raised further questions about the World Athletics policy.

Kenyan-born Jeruto wins steeplechase gold, Chespol struggles

Kenyan-born Kazakhstan Norah Jeruto staged a brilliant performance  to win the women's 3,000 meters steeplechase final in the World Championships in Oregon, United States early Thursday morning.

Kenyan-born Bahrain star Wilfred Mutile Yavi appeared set to challenge Jeruto for the gold, but stumbled on the last water jump, allowing the Ethiopians to pass her.

Jeruto's victory means Kenya has lost another world title from 2019 Doha.

After leading for most part of the race, Yavi stormed to the lead after the bell but Jeruto would reclaim the lead immediately, tackling the last water barrier majestically to win in eight minutes and 53.02 seconds.

Jeruto, who failed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games last year as she was still chasing transfer of her allegiance, obliterated Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech’s CR from the previous 2019 Doha event by five seconds.

Yavi’s last water jump proved awful to cost her a medal as Ethiopians Getachew and Abebe zoomed past her to settle for silver and bronze.

Getachew came second in a National Record of 8:54.61 as Abebe cracked a personal best of 8:56.08.

Yavi, who was the fastest in the field, came fourth in 9:01.31 as Kenya’s Celliphine Chespol settled a distant 13th in 9:27.34.

It was the fourth title Kenya was losing from its tally in 2019 Doha after the women's marathon, men's 1,500m and men's 3,000m steeplechase.

The only title Kenya managed to defend her title is women's 1,500m by Faith Chepng'etich.

What does strength mean in distance running?

If you have ever watched a distance track event or marathon, you’ve probably heard an announcer mention a runner’s strength. We can see a sprinter’s strength in their muscle size and explosive power–but what does strength refer to when we’re talking about distance runners, who are typically longer and leaner? 

Simply by looking at Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, five-time world champion, we can see strength embodied.  Distance runners, who are often leaner and less obviously muscular than sprinters, also get called strong, but it’s less obvious what observers are referring to.

Canadian half-marathon record holder Rory Linkletter, whose body is trained to carry him at a fast pace (but not a sprint) over many kilometers, is clearly a very different type of strong than Fraser-Pryce. It can be hard to determine what the word “strength” is meant to encompass when it’s used to refer to athletes like Linkletter, or Cam Levins, who broke his own Canadian record in the marathon on Sunday morning.

We asked commentator and writer Cathal Dennehy, whose distinctive voice you may have heard broadcasting many an exciting track event. “For distance runners, the term strength has little to do with muscle strength but everything to do with endurance and how effective they are at running distances above their race distance,” Dennehy explained. “It’s the ability to maintain pace and, specifically, the ability to put rounds back to back and repeat their optimal performance day after day–a key component of success at championships.” 

For distance and middle-distance athletes, the term strength has far more to do with consistently running at top paces over long periods of time. Stamina, often used interchangeably with endurance, is that ability. While athletes who run everything from the 1,500 meters to the marathon may not be touted as endurance athletes, it’s stamina, or endurance that they are using as they log fast miles, over and over. 

To work on your own strength (or speed endurance) as a distance runner, try incorporating fast-finish long runs into your training: run the last, shorter portion of your long run at a slightly faster pace than the rest of the run. If you’re an experienced runner, try back-to-back workouts to finesse your ability to run hard and long.

100-Year-Old Marathon Runner Shares His Secret To Longevity

100-year-old marathon runner, Mike Fremont, set the fastest time for a marathon ever finished by a 91-year-old. He recently shared what he believes to be his secret to longevity in a podcast with Rich Roll.

“These, believe it or not, are the best years of my life.” You might not expect to hear that phrase out of the mouth of a centenarian, but that’s exactly what marathon runner Mike Fremont recently told author and podcaster Rich Roll.

Fremont, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at the age of 69, and reportedly given three months to live, turned to a plant-based diet in an attempt to help shrink the cancer. According to Runner’s World, Fremont reckons he shrunk the tumour with his new diet, before having surgery in 1994 to remove what was left of it.

“The tumor shrank over the next two years and finally I killed it by diet alone,” Fremont said, according to Runner’s World.

Speaking to Rich Roll in a video recently posted to Instagram, Fremont says: “No question in my mind – it is diet that has determined my existence, my continual existence and my beautiful health.”

He added: “I don’t think I ever became competitive until I was 88. For my age, I’m practically number 1.”

Fremont’s elite ultramarathoner buddy Harvey Lewis has also posted about the amazing 100-year-old recently, sharing some interesting insights. He posted a photo of Fremont doing pull ups with the caption: “5 miles with my 100 year young friend Mike Fremont. Mike also did 10 pull-ups at one go!”

“Mike’s mindset is strong. He fell this past spring in Florida and hurt his hip. He was reduced to a wheel chair for a month. That was really tough especially for Mike whose always on the go. When he restarted he could only do 1 pull up. Mike credited his Plant Based nutrition with his speedy recovery even as a centenarian in getting back his distance and reps of pull-ups.”

What does Fremont’s diet look like? As he once claimed, according to Runner’s World in 2013: “No meat, no dairy products, no toxins.” Fremont’s diet mainly comprises veggies, fruit, whole grains, nuts and soups, plus a bit of vitamin D in winter. In that same 2013 article, Fremont said since he started eating this way he hasn’t had a cold and maintains the same weight as his university wrestling years.

These back-to-back sessions (a.k.a. doubles) will make you powerful, take your running to the next level with this training technique

Back-to-back sessions (also known as doubling) can be the tool that elevates your running from good to great, increasing endurance and overall fitness; but they have an appropriate time and place for every runner. Most athletes follow the general rule of completing easy runs most days in order to develop a strong aerobic base and to avoid injury.

A couple of runs per week are fast or long, to improve speed and endurance, with hard days followed by rest or easy runs. The double is the exception: two stacked workouts, either on subsequent days or spaced out on the same day.

This training method has made headlines recently due to its popularity among Norwegian pros like Jakob Ingebrigtsen, but has been used by athletes and coaches, like the well known Jason Koop, for years. Back-to-back sessions add extra stress, causing your body to respond to new stimuli, rebound and become stronger. If you’ve been running consistently for at least a year and you’re struggling to improve, back-to-back sessions may be just the thing your body needs.

Here are a couple of back-to-back sessions to try. If you’re not under the supervision of a coach, stick to running your double workouts on subsequent days: the stress load of two challenging workouts in a single day carries too much injury risk for most recreational runners.

Short and fast

For newer runners, this one can be a challenge, but the workouts can be modified for ability, and the benefits will pay off. There’s a lot of fitness involved in maintaining higher speeds on subsequent days, so running one slightly faster interval session followed by a still tough but slightly less intense tempo session is ideal.

Try it: hit the track for some intervals the first day. 5-8 x 800m at 10K pace, with a short and easy warmup and cooldown, is perfect. If you’re new to this, tweak it by running fewer intervals.

Follow that session with a fartlek workout on the second day, running two sets of 1-2-3 minutes at 5K pace, with an easy warmup and cooldown. Fartlek is a Swedish word that translates to speed play, and simply means workouts involving changes in speed and effort.

Long and longer

If you’re training for a half-marathon, marathon or ultra, your long runs are probably adding up to a fair bit of mileage. Take this a step further by stacking two long runs.

Try it: follow up your longest run of the week (25-32K) with a medium-long run (15-20K) at a slow, easy pace the next day.

If you are training for a shorter race, you probably still have one day of the week where you fit in a longer run; simply adjust the distances of your two long runs to reflect the distances you’re working with.

Make recovery a priority

Trying new and challenging things in training will also require you to level up your recovery game: make sure you follow these workouts with two rest or easy running days. Fuel and hydrate lots between and after workouts to help your body recover.

Britain’s Jake Wightman stunned the Olympic champion, the defending world champion and himself at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 running the race of his life to take the 1500m title

Britain’s Jake Wightman stunned the world on Tuesday night. Winding up to a world-leading PB of 3:29.23, the 28-year-old European and Commonwealth bronze medallist left Jakob Ingebrigtsen with no response as he surged down the home straight, eyes fixed firmly ahead. As the finish line neared, the Briton first raised his arms wide and then threw his hands to his head in disbelief, Norway’s Olympic champion Ingebrigtsen following him home in 3:29.47 and Spain’s Mohamed Katir coming through for bronze in 3:29.90.

“That’s my son,” came the voice over the loudspeaker, the race having been called by in-stadium announcer Geoff Wightman – father and coach of the winner, “and he’s the world champion.”

Left disappointed after a 10th-place finish at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Jake Wightman went back to work. He focused on building his strength over the winter, returning to some cross country racing and doing over-distance work as he refocused on Oregon.

Achieving his aim of staying under the radar through the rounds, he took his place on the Hayward Field start line with Ingebrigtsen to his left and Katir to his right. Kenya’s Abel Kipsang, who had the season’s quickest time going into the race, went straight to the front and led from Ingebrigtsen and Kenya’s defending champion Timothy Cheruiyot, with Wightman sitting in behind them. Ingebrigtsen, who broke the world indoor 1500m record with 3:30.60 in February, moved to the front with two laps to go, with Kipsang and Cheruiyot on his shoulder and Wightman tracking their every move.

At the bell it was Ingebrigtsen, Cheruiyot and Wightman, with Kipsang running wide on his shoulder. Judging the race to perfection, the Briton first surged past Cheruiyot, moving into the lead ahead of Ingebrigtsen with just over 200m to go.

As he left the bend, the anticipated kick from Ingebrigtsen never came. Glancing over his shoulder, the Norwegian looked like he knew he was beaten and settled for silver, followed by Katir and his Spanish teammate Mario Garcia, running a PB of 3:30.20 for fourth.

Wightman’s British compatriot Josh Kerr – the Olympic 1500m bronze medallist – finished fifth in 3:30.60, just ahead of Cheruiyot (3:30.69) and Kipsang (3:31.21).

“It probably won’t sink in until I have retired,” said Wightman, who has run 1:44.18 for 800m and clocked a 3000m PB of 7:37.81 indoors in February. “It’s mad. I had such a disappointing year in Tokyo last year. I don’t think people realise how crushing it was to go in with such high expectations and come away hoping for a medal but ending up 10th.”

His parents – both former elite marathon runners – were at Hayward Field to see him win, his father on the commentary mic and his mother, Susan, in the stands.

“Dad can be a bit of a robot on the mic sometimes,” smiled Wightman junior, whose time in Oregon is the third-quickest in World Championships history. “Some say robot, some say professional. I hope he broke that down today. My mum was in tears, so someone was crying.”

Reflecting on the race, he added: “The strength for me is that if I can get there with 200m to go, I will always make a move because it’s how I feel best running. As soon as the opportunity was there to go past, I just wanted to be leading the bend. The only perk of having a good 800m PB in races like that is if you are still there with 200m to go, which I haven’t managed to be in previous years.

“Even when I was coming down the home straight I felt strong, but Jakob is a beast and I never knew if he was going to come past.”

But he didn’t. Wightman's last lap was timed at 54.84, Ingebrigtsen’s was 55.24. In Tokyo, the Norwegian clocked 54.42 for the final 400m.

“I was feeling good, but I couldn't keep up with Jake in the last 200m,” said Ingebrigtsen. “I'm owning it. I am very disappointed by not winning, but I'm very happy for him. He is a great runner.”

He will now refocus on the 5000m, the heats for which take place on Thursday.

It was the 5000m that Katir contested at last year’s Olympics, the 24-year-old finishing eighth, but after setting national records at 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and 10km last year his decision to race the shorter event in Oregon paid off as he bagged the bronze with his second-fastest ever time.

Just behind him was European U23 silver medallist and NCAA runner-up Garcia, who runs for the University of Mississippi and achieved the fastest ever time by a collegiate athlete.

Cheruiyot has been some way off his best form this season and although making his presence felt in the early stages, he didn’t have the strength in the finish and faded out of medal contention.

Ethiopia’s Samuel Tefera won the world indoor title ahead of Ingebrigtsen and Kipsang in Belgrade in March but finished ninth in his semifinal in Oregon, missing out on the final.

Seven reasons why you should start your day with a run

As we enter a new season, the long-awaited arrival of summer. Here are seven reasons why you should begin your day with an early morning run this summer.

1. Start your day off right with a dose of endorphins:

 In light of mental health awareness, self-care, and the stress of a g0, go, go society, a short 20-30 minute run stimulates the release of serotonin, a powerful endorphin. This endorphin is responsible for mood. Lower levels are linked to depression, while the running, a common form of exercise, is a strong stimulant of serotonin. Even being used in some cases as therapy to help treat depression.

2. Running fasted: 

The idea of waking up and going for a run before breakfast may seem daunting, yet it can have real health benefits. With little to no available glucose to produce energy, the body has to turn to fat oxidation to produce energy for the muscles. All fat oxidation is, is a fancy way of saying the body is going to breakdown fat in order to get energy. So, by going for a run before breakfast you are helping control your body weight by kickstarting your metabolism.

3. Time effective: 

Simply put, by waking up a bit earlier in the morning you are able to fit in that run session for the day. All without the stress of trying to fit in a run after work.

4. Quiet before the storm: 

It’s quiet when you’re outside on the streets at 6 am. There is no pedestrian or vehicle traffic. You can hear yourself think. You have the time and space, just to be.

5. Nature and wildlife: 

Without the hustle and bustle of traffic, and people going a million different directions you are able to enjoy nature. Whether it’s around your local pond or you are able to hit the trails. The morning is the perfect time to spend time in nature before going off to work.

6. Temperature: 

It’s summer, and the days are now getting significantly hotter. Beat the heat by going out in the early morning! It’s a great way to fit in a hard workout without coming home absolutely drenched from a run in 25C plus heat.

7. A feeling of accomplishment: 

You did it! No matter what the day throws at you, you accomplished something this morning that is good for your physically, mentally and psychologically.

Having said all that, getting up and going some form for physical activity is always good. What you do in the morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.

Brazil's Dos Santos wins world 400m hurdles as Warholm wilts

Brazil's Alison Dos Santos ran the third fastest time of all time to win the world 400m hurdles on Tuesday as Norwegian prodigy Karsten Warholm wilted at Hayward Field.

Dos Santos clocked a championship record of 46.29 seconds, finishing ahead of Americans Rai Benjamin and Trevor Bassitt, who finished in 46.89 and 47.39sec respectively.

Olympic champion and world record holder Warholm led coming into the home straight but seized up badly and eventually came in seventh (48.42).

Warholm last lost a 400m hurdles race in September 2018 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Since then, he had notched up a winning streak of 18 races and another four qualifying races in the 2019 world championships and 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Warholm laid down a performance that is widely considered one of the greatest Olympic track performances of all time when he smashed the 29-year-old world record to win the 400m hurdles at the Tokyo Games in a time of 45.94sec.

But the 26-year-old pulled up injured at the Diamond League meet in Rabat in early June with a "muscle fiber tear" in a hamstring and although insisting he was at 100% going into the race, he missed his usual gas over the final 80 meters.

Banish black toenails with these tips

If you’ve ever lost a toenail, had people look at your bare feet and visibly flinch, or struggle with keeping your feet healthy and smooth during peak training months, consider yourself a runner. Most of us have dealt with a foot issue, especially during high-volume training periods. Foot problems can be painful: I’ve heard several of the toughest ultrarunners I know actually scream when they had a blister treated.

Legendary ultrarunner Krissy Moehl (who has certainly spent some time on her feet), sums up the importance of foot care in her book Running Your First Ultra. She writes: “our feet start the chain and are the most important link is successful training and racing. From the skin to the ligaments, it’s important to give our feet detailed attention.” Here, we give you some tips to keep those feet healthy and strong all summer.

Make sure your shoes fit, and get rid of old shoes

It’s important to buy your running shoes at a store that specializes in running. The staff there will often have you put the shoes on and run in them to assess what type of shoe might be best for you, and they can properly measure you to see what size shoes you need. If you’re consistently having foot problems, it may simply be a shoe-size issue.

Moehl suggests lacing up the shoe as you would to run, and bending and flexing your foot through heel-strike and toe-off. Notice if there is any stitching inside the shoe or spots that have the potential to rub on your foot. Once your shoes are old and visibly worn out, stop wearing them, even around the house. Foot size changes over time and shoes actually shrink, so it’s worthwhile to visit a running store and speak to the experts. Running shoes can be expensive, so spend the time making a wise purchase.

Keep an eye on your toenails, and do at-home-pedicures to remove calluses

Ingrown toenails are a common foot problem for runners. Although they may seem like minor annoyances at first, an untreated ingrown toenail can become very painful and infected in a matter of a couple of days. You can often avoid painful ingrown or fungal toenails by keeping your nails short (but not too short), cutting them straight across, and then using a file to smooth out any sharp edges. If you have a black toenail, or your toenail starts to lift off, it can be tempting to pull the toenail right off; don’t. Pulling the nail off can cause your nailbed to tear, and your new toenail will grow in strangely. Let the nail fall off on its own, and the new one will emerge slowly.

Moehl is a firm believer in pedicures for everyone. “The soaking, scrubbing, de-callusing, moisturizing and massaging aspects of a pedicure are the most beneficial.” She adds: “Calluses are feedback relating to where the most stresses are being placed on your feet.” I had always leaned toward the belief that a callus on my foot was hard-earned, and protected my feet when I logged high mileage. When I entered a multi-day event that poured rain and soaked my feet continuously, I learned the hard way that calluses are also like sponges. The dead skin becomes saturated with water and takes days to dry out, and can cause further damage, including the dreaded foot maceration, often called trench foot. I can personally attest that running in such a condition felt like someone had scraped the bottoms of my feet off; I now make sure calluses are removed.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize (and lube up)

If you’re prone to dry skin, your heels crack and hurt easily. The best time to apply moisturizer to your feet is right after the shower, and you’re able to retain some of the moisture from your shower as well. If you’re prone to blisters, there’s a wide variety of skin lubricants specifically for athletes. You’ve probably seen them most often advertised to prevent chafing, but try slathering it on the areas of your feet that blister easily. You can also put skin lubricant on the outside of your sock on top of these same areas to further reduce any friction.

Like pianists’ hands, runners’ feet are invaluable. Treat them like gold, and you’ll be running pain-free all year long.

Emma Coburn’s Asian chicken salad: the perfect light summer meal

Emma Coburn and husband are always on the hunt for easy, nutritious meals. "A few high-profile athletes have shared their recipes and published cookbooks, and we’ve found some delicious, simple recipes that we want to share," says the three-time U.S. Olympian and 10-time national champion.  Emma Coburn’s cookbook, The Runner’s Kitchen, is a must read.

Coburn will be competing in the 3,000m women’s steeplechase final on Wednesday evening. What better time to try out one of her recipes?

Emma’s Asian Chicken Salad

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I often use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shredded)

2 tsp salt

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

5 cups shredded napa cabbage (I use a bag of premade coleslaw)

1 cup shredded red cabbage or radicchio

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional), plus whole leaves to garnish

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup diced cucumber

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup toasted peanuts

For the dressing

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp sriracha

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet, and roast for 30-35 minutes or until the juices run clear and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F (75 C). Remove and set aside to cool.

To make the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until fully emulsified and creamy.

Shred the cooled chicken and place it in a large bowl. Toss with the napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, scallions, cilantro, red onion, cucumber and red pepper. Add your desired amount of dressing, toss again, and divide evenly among serving plates. Top each serving with cilantro leaves and peanuts if desired.

This 33-year-old steeplechase specialist had a bumpy four years until placing sixth at the World Athletics Championships on July 18

If you told Evan Jager in April that he would place sixth in the World Athletics Championships men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in just a few months, he would have been ecstatic. 

After all, the 2016 Olympic silver medalisthad only ran 8:34.89 at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 14, which is almost 13 seconds off the world’s standard time of 8:22.00. Though Jager had better steeplechase showings at the USATF Distance Classic on May 19 and the Portland Track Festival on June 10, it looked like the 33-year-old distance runner was still a far from being his former self. 

Things finally clicked at the USATF Outdoor Championships on June 25, when he ran 8:17.25 in the final to place second, earning him the world championships standard and a spot on Team USA for the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. 

“Once you reach a certain point, you’ve got to set the bar higher,” Jager told Runner’s World.“I probably didn’t start thinking about realistically making the World Championship final until the prelim at USAs, I felt really good coming off of that.”

With momentum on his side, Jager’s expectations grew. The Bowerman Track Club athlete looked strong in his world championships preliminary heat, qualifying automatically for the final with his second-place finish. But in a tactical and physical final, Jager couldn’t keep up with defending Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali, Olympic silver medalist Lamecha Girma, and defending world champion Conseslus Kipruto over the final lap. 

“After the prelim, I felt like my fitness was up there with just about anyone besides El Bakkali and Girma if it was a hard race from the get-go,” Jager said. “Team USA was having such an unbelievable and magical meet that I was letting myself believe that I could let the home crowd carry me to a magical performance. I think I probably would have fared better in a faster race.”

Regardless, the achievement is impressive for a runner who has been absent from the track & field circuit for the last four years. A lot has changed, especially with his training group. In 2018, Jager and Canadian 5,000- and 10,000-meter runner Mo Ahmed were the top dogs on the Bowerman Track Club, challenging the best in the world for medals. But Jager got hurt that year, and spent most of 2019 trying to get fit again while dealing with other injuries. When Jager returned to training, the team dynamic changed completely. Olympic gold medalist Matthew Centrowitz joined the group, who along with Woody Kincaid and Lopez Lomong all ran around 13 minutes in the 5,000 meters that summer. Then, NCAA champions Sean McGorty and Grant Fisher trickled in after using up their eligibility.

“I went from being on top … to being literally the worst guy on the team,” said Jager. “Every day was a grind.” Jager tried to keep up with the new members while also battling injuries, but had a hard time getting through even half of team workouts. “They were just on another level. I never felt like I was within myself in training for three and a half years up until this spring.” 

So what changed in those three and a half years? Jager credits the team physical therapist, Colleen Little, who started working with Bowerman in January 2021. His problem wasn’t simply one big injury, like the stress fracture in his foot that ended his 2018 season. It was a snowball effect of one injury leading to overcompensation and imbalances in other parts of his body. So Jager and Little saw each other once or twice a week, every week, to manage the different aches and pains.

Next year will bring even more changes for Jager. His coach, Jerry Schumacher, is moving to Eugene to take the helm of the University of Oregon track & field program. The Bowerman Track Club’s athletes will relocate from their current base in Portland.

“I think it’s an incredible move for the group,” Jager said. “Change is always good. I’ve been in Portland for 14 years now, so it’s probably a good thing for me.”

Besides that, Jager said being stubborn kept him in the game. “I could have done a lot better being positive and working on mental health [the last few years],” he said. “I just believed that if I got healthy, I would get back here. If I can get to the final off of feeling healthy for four months, then I’m excited for next year.”

Cam Levins shattered his own Canadian record in the marathon

It was a morning to remember for Canadian distance running at Alton Baker Park in Eugene on Sunday July 17.  Cam Levins shattered his own Canadian record in the marathon at the World Championships, running 2:07:10 for fourth overall behind winner Tamirat Tola in 2:05:35 and Mosinet Geremew (2:06:43), both of Ethiopia, and Bashir Abdi of Belgium (2:06:48). Levins beat his previous record of 2:09.25, which he set at the 2018 Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

Cam Levins outkicked Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor for fourth in the men’s marathon in a new national record time of 2:07:10. 

After the race, an elated Levins said he realized after the Olympics that he “needed to be better in every way, across the board,” and that he had worked hard to improve his training in every way–and we all witnessed the results on the course. (In Sapporo last year, Levins faded in the extreme humidity, finishing 72nd in 2:28:43).

After a very sedate first 30 km, with runners still in a large pack, Levins could be seen near the front, though never leading. When Tola, the eventual winner, kicked hard after an hour and 40 minutes, no one went with him–but Levins continued to look comfortable in the chase pack of five or six runners, only becoming separated from Geremew and Abdi in the last few kilometres.

This is the best-ever performance in a world championship marathon by a Canadian male; Peter Maher’s 10th-place finish at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany was the previous best.

Soufiane El Bakkali is the king of the steeplechase after claiming world title

Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali believes he is the "king of steeplechase" after adding the world title to his Olympic Games gold.

The 26-year-old put on a tactical masterclass over the 3,000m course in Eugene to end Kenya's 15-year reign in the discipline at the World Athletics Championships.

In a repeat performance of his Olympic success in Tokyo last year, he stayed near the back of the leading pack for much of the race before making the decisive move in the last 200m to claim gold in a time of eight minutes 25.13 seconds.

"I am the king of steeplechase because I have gained confidence on the track. That's why I am the Olympic champion and now the world champion," El Bakkali told BBC Sport Africa.

Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma had to settle for silver once again, having finished second in Tokyo and in Doha three years ago, while Kenya's Conseslus Kipruto, the 2019 champion, ended with bronze.

Kenyan runners had won men's steeplechase gold in every edition of the World Championships since Brimin Kipruto's success in Osaka in 2007 and El Bakkali said his finishing speed had been the key to victory in Oregon.

"The course was very tactical, slow. We had very good runners like defending champion Kipruto," said El Bakkali, who beamed as he waved the Moroccan flag over his head.

"I positioned well in the last lap. I am very strong in the 400m and it worked out for me.

"After the semi-final I had a good look at the strategy of the Kenyan athletes. I was on my own, the only Moroccan in the race, but I did not limit myself to winning silver nor bronze. Instead I managed to come first in two world league meetings and now the World Championship."

Kenya's Kipruto upbeat despite bronze

Girma, after another second-placed finish, intends to reassess his training with an eye toward next year's World Championships in Budapest.

"The pace was very slow today, my tactic did not work and that [cost] me the gold," he said.

"I was trying to change the tactic but the pace limited me very much. I will go for gold next year and my training is starting from now on."

Dethroned world champion Kipruto, meanwhile, said he "did not execute the race as planned".

"I was running against athletes who have two years of consistent running when I was struggling," he added.

"It was never going to be easy. But I take the bronze positively."

Kipyegon now the greatest 1500m runner?

Meanwhile two-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya took 1500m gold in an astonishing time of 3:52.96 to regain her world title.

Kipyegon first took the crown in London in 2017 and becomes the first woman to win four global 1500m titles, with Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay second and Britain's Laura Muir in third.

Winning silver in Doha in 2019, having spent 12 months out of competitive running the year before when her daughter was born, meant crossing the line first in Eugene was even more fulfilling for the Kenyan.

"I knew it was going to be fast so I was really expecting that tight race," she told BBC Sport.

"I was not scared. I was like 'everything is possible' and I had to calm down, enjoy the race and I won.

"It feels very good to get back the world title that I lost in 2019 when I was coming back from giving birth to my daughter, who means the world to me."

Eliud Kipchoge wants us all to plant trees, Kipchoge has adopted and helped to rehabilitate 126 acres of forest in his native Kaptagat, Kenya

When he’s not training to win Olympic marathons or paving the way for future Kenyan cyclists by starting a cycling academy, the world’s greatest marathoner is taking steps to save the planet.

Kipchoge, who trains and lives in Kaptagat, Kenya, is hoping to adopt a forest in all 47 counties of Kenya. He has recently been involved in the rehabilitation of 126 acres of Kaptagat Forest, KBC digital reported. Kaptagat, where Kipchoge lives and runs at the NN Running training center, has been the initial focus of his reforestation initiative. In 2021, Kipchoge spoke at the UN climate change conference, and he’s been dedicated to environmental work and encouraging his fellow Kenyans to get involved. For years now, Kipchoge has been at the forefront of the efforts dedicated to the conservation and restoration of forests.

“I won my first world championship in 2003, and in 2021, I successfully defended my Olympic medal in the marathon. I’m lucky to say I have a long career, and today, I want to share the secret of my success with you because I believe you can apply it too and it will help you be successful in fighting climate change,” the champion said. While it may be surprising to hear that Kipchoge is a climate change activist, he says that it’s the legacy he hopes to leave. “Until a few years ago, I trained by listening to what my body was telling me and was successful and won almost every marathon I race in. But when I realized I wanted to leave a legacy, I knew I needed to do more.”

Kipchoge kickstarted his climate change action shortly after his INEOS 1.59 challenge in Vienna, where he made history by running an unofficial marathon record time in 1:59.40. Aware that eyes were on him, he seized the opportunity to create change by partnering with the government and creating a sub-two-hour tree planting competition among his fellow Kenyans. The athlete encourages everyone to mark life celebrations by planting trees. He says, “can we convert our birthdays and plant a tree? Can we convert our birthdays to walking for the noble cause of climate change? Convert our anniversaries and plant trees or walk? If you are celebrating 60 years, plant 60 trees. If your kid is 2 years old, run for 2 km and plant two trees to commemorate your day. We’ll make this world a green world in only one year.”

Kaptagat is a particularly unique ecosystem where nature, humans, and the economy are intensely interconnected, and years of deforestation had taken a toll on the area. Back in 2019, Kipchoge signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kenyan Forestry Service, allowing him to work towards his goal of rehabilitating the forest. With support from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF–Kenya), the project has been a success, and the athlete says he will continue his pursuit of adopting a forest in the other counties in Kenya, through the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation.

Kipchoge encourages other athletes, corporations, and citizens to continue planting trees and taking steps to save the forests. He says his initial inspiration to adopt the vast piece of land in his home county was because he is an athlete, and needs to breathe good air and run on soft ground. The only way he says he can achieve these standards is to preserve the environment. Kipchoge adds: “As an athlete, I train every single day, meaning I need to breathe clean air daily. This means that I need to conserve the environment and focus on it every day. Clean air in combination with performance in sports has made me think about conservation a lot more.”

His inspiration is working: a recent report showed that Kenyan forest cover is now at 12.3 per cent, ahead of  Kenya’s constitutional target of 10 per cent.

Kipchoge will continue to work diligently to adopt more forests throughout Kenya, and he speaks to all of us, worldwide, when he says “Every day is earth day for me. It is our only home and our only business — and only we can save it.”

Gold again for Faith Kipyegon as she wins 1500m in Oregon

Faith Kipyegon’s supporters were so confident she would win the women’s 1500m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 that they put the Kenyan in an uncomfortable position.

“I was facing a lot of pressure,” said Kipyegon, the two-time Olympic champion in the 1500m. “Everybody was expecting something special from me. Everybody was like, ‘Faith, we believe in Faith,’ so it was a real pressure. But I managed it.”

In other words, their Faith was not misplaced.

With her trademark kick, Kipyegon regained the world title on Monday (18) that she first won in 2017. She claimed an unprecedented fourth medal in the event. And Kipyegon indeed did something special, clocking 3:52.96, the second-fastest time on US soil after her own 3:52.59 at the Prefontaine Classic in late May on the same Hayward Field track.

After crossing the finish line, Kipyegon, 28, kissed the track and blew kisses to the crowd on ‘Women in the Spotlight’ day.

The fast-paced race saw Kipyegon and three other runners quickly leave the rest of the field behind with a first lap in just under 59 seconds.

“I’m so grateful to have won the gold medal,” Kipyegon said. “This was my big target. I did do it. I was really looking forward to this championship. I was really, really prepared for this race.”

World indoor champion Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia was with her nearly every step until Kipyegon pulled away with about 300 meters to go. Tsegay took the silver in 3:54.52, upgrading from the bronze she won in 2019. She was also just a bit slower than she was at the Pre Classic, where she ran 3:54.21.

“I was expecting more from this race, but my opponents were more experienced and lucky so I have to be grateful for the silver,” said Tsegay, 25, who also will run the 5000m later in the week.

Great Britain’s Laura Muir, in her fifth World Championships final, at last secured a medal, claiming the bronze with a season’s best of 3:55.28. Muir, 29, finished six seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu, the largest gap in World Championships history between third and fourth.

Sofia Ennaoui of Poland ran a season best of 4:01.43 for fifth. The US placed two runners in the top 10: national champion Sinclaire Johnson was sixth, clocking 4:01:63, while Cory McGee was 10th with a time of 4:03.70.

The third Ethiopian runner, Hirut Meshesha was 12th in 4:05.86 after helping Tsegay push the pace for the first half of the race.

“To tell you the truth, I knew the Ethiopian lady was going to be fast,” Kipyegon said. “I knew she was a front-runner, and we ran really quick and I thank God I won.”

While the two Ethiopians controlled the early part of the race, Kipyegon stayed on their heels. Muir also clung to the lead group. “To be honest, I didn’t look at the clock at all the whole race,” she said. “After the first couple of hundred meters, I knew this was very, very fast. I thought it’s not going to help to look at the clock right now; it’s probably better not to look.

"For me, it’s all about racing. It’s not about times. I’m really pleased I stuck with it and went with them and it paid off.”

Kipyegon has placed first or second in every major championship since 2015. Three years ago, she was coming off maternity leave after having her daughter and placed second behind Sifan Hassan, whose 3:51.95 is the championship record. Kipyegon also earned a silver in 2015.

Hassan decided not to contest the 1500m this year.

After Kipyegon won her second straight Olympic gold medal, Muir called her “the greatest of all time.”

“I can say thank you so much,” Kipyegon said at the post-race press conference in Oregon, with Muir at her side. “I’m really grateful; she is really a nice lady. Before the race, I talked with her and I wish her all the best. Laura, let’s continue like this. This is the spirit of sports.”

Kipyegon added that she was happy that Muir, the Olympic 1500m silver medallist, won her first World Championships medal.

“She has been really fighting since 2017 in London and also in 2019 in Doha,” Kipyegon said.

The Kenyan said she will skip the upcoming Commonwealth Games and prepare for the Diamond League meeting in Monaco.

She wouldn’t speculate about possibly breaking the world record. “I can’t talk about it right now,” Kipyegon said. “Let me focus myself and see what is possible. I will be trying my best to lower my personal best and to run a good race.”

In the meantime, she will spend time with her daughter. “She is everything to me,” Kipyegon said.

Get strong: these hill intervals will make you unstoppable, you'll also increase mental stamina and endurance

Hill workouts are a staple in many runner’s schedules, and for good reason: they build strength and can translate to speed on the flats. It’s a great confidence booster in a race to effortlessly fly up a hill while others struggle and slow down around you. Hill sprints are the usual option for runners, and they’re quick and effective. Longer hill intervals can also play a pivotal role in endurance-building.

If they’re new to you, incorporate them into your training when a race is a few months away: because of the strength demand they call for, they are generally phased out closer to race day. If you’ve already completed your main race of the summer and are training for something in the fall, now is the perfect time to work on that endurance by running up that hill (see what I did there?).

The basic workout

Warm up with 10-15  minutes of easy running

4 x 4-5 minutes uphill running at roughly a 10K effort, followed by a very easy run down

Cool down with 10-15 minutes of easy running

Modifications

It’s easy to tweak this workout to fit into different places in your training schedule. You can also easily adjust it if you’re new to running longer hills, or longer workouts in general. Four minutes is the ideal starting point for the long hill session, and if it sounds like a daunting amount of time to be running uphill, start with two repeats. If this workout is easy for you, lengthen your uphill intervals to 5 minutes, or add more repeats.

Tips

Make sure your easy run back down to the start is very slow and gentle so that you catch your breath and recover properly.

Find the right hill: four minutes is quite a long time to be running up, so you’ll need to find a long hill with a gradual to moderate grade. You want to be able to maintain the same effort throughout the entire interval.

Go by feel–don’t worry about pace on hill intervals. Use your first few sessions on the hill to get a better idea of what a medium-hard effort feels like while running uphill.

Follow a long hill interval session with an easy or recovery day. Know that not only have you worked on your physical strength, but you’ve also tapped into that mental grit, setting yourself up to be a stronger all-around runner.

Americans Hall, Bates, D’Amato Shine in World Championships Marathon A team effort pushed the Americans to three top-eight finishes

Ethiopia’s Gotytom Gebreslase ran the fastest, but Sara Hall, Emma Bates, and Keira D’Amato got the biggest cheers from the crowd at Monday morning’s world championship marathon in Eugene, Oregon.

Running in front of the home crowd, Hall, Bates, and D’Amato smartly hung back in the chase back for the first half of the race and then began to work their way up as some of the runners in the original lead pack began to blow up.

Hall (39, Crested Butte, Colorado) was the best of the bunch, surging throughout the final 8 miles of the race to place fifth in a season-best 2:22:10. She passed Kenya’s Angela Tanui (6th, 2:22:15) in the final mile but ran out of room in her pursuit of fourth-place finisher Nazaret Weldu of Eritrea (2:20:29). Hall’s finish was the best showing by an American woman in the world championships marathon since Amy Cragg earned the bronze in 2017 in London.

Bates (29, Boulder, Colorado) followed a similar strategy and wasn’t far behind in seventh in a new personal best of 2:23:18. D’Amato (37, Richmond, Virginia), who originally had gone out a bit harder only to get stuck in between the first two packs, eventually settled in with the chase pack alongside Hall, Bates, and British runner Jess Piasecki and Uganda’s Immaculate Chemutai.

Hall, Bates, and D’Amato received roaring cheers from the crowd along the course that sent runners between Eugene and nearby Springfield, especially along the finish chute on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. None had represented Team USA at a global outdoor championship before.

They were greeted at the finish line by American running legend Joan Benoit Samuelson, who won the 1984 Olympic marathon and served as the official starter of the women’s world championships race.

Gotytom Gebreslase Wins World Marathon Gold in Championship Record

With a strong downhill surge in the 41st kilometer, Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia won the 2022 world marathon title in 2:18:11. The time set a new championship record; the previous mark of 2:20:57 was held by Paula Radcliffe.

Judith Korir of Kenya, who led Gebreslase by half a step for most of the closing miles, finished second in 2:18:18, and Lonah Salpeter of Israel took the bronze medal in 2:20:18.

Sara Hall was the top American finisher, placing fifth in 2:22:10. Emma Bates placed seventh in a personal best of 2:23:18, and U.S. record-holder Keira D’Amato finished eighth in 2:23:34. D’Amato was added to the team at the beginning of the month after Molly Seidel withdrew because of injury. The three ran together through the middle miles until Hall, ninth at halfway, pulled away and started picking off former members of the lead pack.

Today’s 5-7-8 is the best team performance by a U.S. squad, male or female, since the marathon world championship was first run in 1983. They succeeded thanks to just the right mixture of aggressiveness and patience.

“I went out with the leaders, but then I could tell it was a little too fast,” Hall said. “So fortunately I had talked to Emma and Keira and been like,‘Hey, I’d love to work with you guys. I don’t want to mess up your mojo, but if we’re together somewhere I’d love to work together.’ So thankfully Emma and I found each other.

"I was checking our splits and we were running plenty fast out there, so I didn’t really want to run faster than that,” Hall continued. “It was awesome to get to work with [Emma] for so much of the race.”

Bates, who was the top American at Chicago last October, said, “My coach and I had decided that I go out in 70-minute pace for the first half. Which I had never done before, that’s close to my PR for the half marathon. We knew I could be in 2:20 range, fitness-wise.

“I went out with Sara. We were planning on working together before the race, so it was great the first lap to be with each other and then the second lap. Sara took off the later portion of the second lap. So proud of her today for going after it. She really pulled me along that first bit.

“I’m very happy,” Bates continued. “I always want more, we always want more. But to be top 10 in the world is something really really cool, especially on U.S. soil. And to run a PR doing it, it’s something that I won’t forget.”

Well past 30K, Hall was still acknowledging cheering spectators (including Olympian and fellow Flagstaff resident Rachel Schneider).

“I think this is the most fun I’ve ever had in a marathon,” Hall said. “I wanted to smile as much as I could early on, ’cause you know its gonna turn to a grimace eventually. But I was even smiling that last lap. I’m really thankful for everyone that turned out, ’cause I knew that this would be so special. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the opportunity to run a championship like this in the U.S. again.”

How the Race Was Won

Within the opening kilometer, it was obvious that the script for yesterday’s men’s marathon—a huge lead pack running cautiously for the first half—would be ignored. Headed by three Kenyans and three Ethiopians, the leaders took off at 2:17 marathon pace. D’Amato started with the pack but dropped back in the fifth kilometer; in the 12th kilometer, a chase pack led by Bates and Hall caught D’Amato, who then tucked in.

Toward the end of the first of three 14-kilometer loops, the chase pack got within 11 seconds of the leaders. Korir then spurted ahead just before an aid station. That reestablished a quicker tempo for the leaders, and the chase pack’s hope of joining the leaders was permanently ended.

The first significant event occurred in the 19th kilometer, when defending champion Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya stepped off the course, apparently looking for tall grass in which to make a pit stop. Sensing an opportunity, Gebreslase and fellow Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh surged on a downhill stretch. Subsequent kilometers of 3:05 and 3:09 (an average of roughly 5:00 mile pace) pared the group to four. They passed halfway in 69:01; the chase pack, including the three Americans, hit halfway in 70:17.

Toward the end of the second lap, Korir again surged approaching an aid station. Her teammate Angela Tanui briefly lost contact for the second time, clawed her way back, but was then dropped for good. In the 27th kilometer Yeshaneh started grabbing at her side and was left by the eventual gold and silver medalists.

Korir and Gebreslase ran within inches of each other for most of the third lap; the Ethiopian was usually just off of Korir’s right shoulder. Korir occasionally motioned to her rival to either help with the pace or back off a bit. It was hard to tell who was feeling more feisty or fatigued.

Or at least it was until the overpass over Route I-5. After cresting the summit, Gebreslase leaned into the long, gradual descent toward the finish. She almost immediately had two, then three, then five seconds on Korir. Gebreslase, who won Berlin last fall, had judged her effort perfectly. For the second day in a row, an Ethiopian won the world title in a championship record.

Elite runners are taking proactive breaks; should you?

Recently, some notable professional runners have made the choice to step back from competition temporarily, for a variety of reasons, most of them precautionary or preventative, including to prevent injury, to recover properly from training or to protect their mental health and overall well-being. Instead of pushing until or past injury to keep competing, athletes are prioritizing their health, and non-elite runners can learn from this and implement it in their own lives.

A Canadian favorite is notably missing from the World Athletics Championships this year: Sage Watson. In early June, the athlete from Medicine Hat, Alta., shared that she had decided to step back from racing “so that [she] can fully recover and give [her] body the break it needs and deserves.”

Watson said that she had been competing almost continuously since 2015, and had trained and raced through multiple injuries. After injuring her back, Watson struggled to perform at the Tokyo Olympics. “I went into this year like always, giving it my all, wanting to do better than I did last year, but my injury has seemed to still linger/come back,” said Watson.

In April, Canadian Olympian and women’s 3,000m steeple record holder Gen Lalonde of Moncton took to social media to share that she, too, was taking a break. Lalonde wrote that she’ll be missing the summer track season in order to “improve her mental well-being and physical health to be fully prepared for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.” Lalonde expressed similar sentiments to Watson, in that she had been training and competing almost continuously since a young age. “This has left only small, discrete windows of time for my mental and physical development or recovery,” Lalonde said. “I want to be the best version of myself, and to do so, I am stepping off the track for a few months.” Lalonde thanked Athletics Canada for supporting her in her choices, and mentioned that while she was taking time off from competition, she would still be running for the joy of it.

While fans are missing watching Watson and Lalonde race, most people can understand and even relate to a need to step back. Society is starting to recognize that burnout is a very real problem, and instead of judging those who retreat from sport, empathizing with them. Former elite marathoner for Great Britain, Tina Muir, has written and spoken often about the importance of taking breaks, for amateur runners as well as elites. Muir is now based in St. Louis, Mo. and hosts a podcast, and competes in ultras. As a professional athlete, she took a hiatus from competition due to ongoing amenorrhea (loss of her period), Muir realized she wanted to stop racing altogether. She became well known for speaking out about the health challenges athletes face.

Muir advocates for periods of absolutely no running within a training season, after races, and for longer periods if the desire to train isn’t there. She explains on her website, Running for Real: “it gives you that time to focus on other aspects of your life, to be reminded that running isn’t everything good in the world (nor should it be) and that your desire to run will come in ebbs and flows (even for elite runners), and there is nothing to be ashamed of in that.”

Muir gives suggestions for athletes considering how much time to take off and what to do during that time, adding that when the itch to train returns, you should consider ignoring it, in favour of a longer break. She advocates that it’s also OK to not miss running during a break, and to simply enjoy using free time in other ways. Muir emphasizes the benefits of a self-initiated break: deep rest, less chance of injury in the future, and time for the body to fully heal in order to train more efficiently in the next training cycle. She also touts the mental benefits of time off, and says that not only will seasons of training and racing have taken a physical toll on your body, but that “you will also be emotionally exhausted from the intensity and energy you used to focus on your goals.”

With professional athletes making the hard choice to put their competition on pause in order to take care of their mental and physical health, regular runners will see the benefits of being proactive and be inspired to follow suit. Regardless of whether you’ve been training hard since your youth, your running career–and your health in general–will be stronger and more balanced if you consider taking occasional periods of time off.

Seven Ways to Celebrate Your Running Progress

Experienced runners know that it’s important to celebrate milestones. If you haven’t recently taken a step back and thought about how far you’ve come, now’s a great time to think about your running progress.

Celebrating your running progress will not only help you appreciate how far you’ve come, but it will also keep you motivated to maintain your running habit. Whether you just finished a big race, ran double digits for the first time ever, or have been running on a consistent schedule for a few months, there’s always something to celebrate. Here are some ways you can pat yourself on the back about your running progress:

1. Buy yourself some new running gear.

Treat yourself to some new running gear, such as a new shirt or running socks, as a reward for your hard work. Or maybe you need a post-run pampering item, such as a foam roller. The treat will make you feel energized, and reinforce your commitment to your training.

After all, who doesn’t look forward to wearing that new, cool-looking running gear on a long run?  If you don’t need any new gear, a massage or pedicure is always a nice reward. Plan a running treat for yourself.

2. Run in a completely new location.

I coach runners in New York City and we run over a lot of bridges during our long runs. Not only are the views spectacular when you’re running across the Brooklyn Bridge, but the runners feel an incredible sense of accomplishment by running from one borough to another. 

Running in a new location will be a reminder of how much you can experience through running. Treat yourself to some new views, even if it means having to drive someplace to get to your run destination.

3. Tell someone you know will be proud of you.

Sharing your achievement with someone will make it more real. Whether it’s your running buddy, your significant other, or your mom, tell someone you can safely brag to about your most recent running accomplishments.

4. Start calling yourself a runner.

I frequently hear people say they’re not “real” runners, even though they been running regularly for a while. You don’t need to sub-7:00 miles or run marathons to be a real runner. If you run regularly — no matter what pace or distance — you can proudly call yourself a runner. Start embracing the title!

5. Give yourself a running memento.

Treating yourself to a special keepsake just for runners such as a running medal holder, necklace, or race bib album is a great way to acknowledge your achievements. Every time you look at it, you’ll be reminded about how far you’ve come and how you can keep going with your running habit.

6. Mentor a new runner.

One way to show yourself how far you’ve come is to share your running knowledge and experience with others. If you have a family member or friend who’s expressed an interest in running, ask her if she’d like to join you for a run (at her pace), needs help shopping for running shoes and gear, or maybe even wants to train for a race together.

Not only will helping a new runner allow you to see and celebrate your progress, but you’ll also get a motivation boost and you may gain a new running buddy.

7. Plan your next race.

Committing to a race is a perfect way to pat yourself and give yourself a confidence boost about your running. It also helps get over any post-race blues you may be feeling after completing a big race, like a marathon. Pick a fun race that you’ve done before or perhaps always wanted to do and see if you can get some running friends to do it with you.

Letesenbet Gidey’s 10,000 Meter World Championship Win Was a Nail-Biter

The 30-minute race was decided in the final second. Four runners barreled down the homestretch toward the finish, their form breaking down, stride getting sloppy. It was ultimately Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey who maintained her mechanics just enough to cross the line first in Saturday’s 10,000 meter world championship final. She out-leaned the other three women—Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi and the reigning Olympic champion in the event from the Netherlands Sifan Hassan—to secure victory in 30:09.94, just 0.08 seconds ahead of Obiri who finished second. 

“My legs tied up. I tried to get her, but I couldn’t,” Obiri said of the finish, keeping her answer plain and simple. Because that’s what racing is—plain and simple.

The first 9,900 meters weren’t very dramatic. World-class 10Ks on the track usually go the same way. Everybody runs together at the start and people gradually fall off the back of the pack when they can’t handle the pace. Today was no different. The pace was honest (15:19 through 5K) and then even more honest, with fewer women in contention every lap. It makes sense that so many athletes fell off the pack: The leaders ran 14:50 over the back-half 5K.

Most athletes don’t want to be in the driver’s seat. Leading the race is vulnerable. Karissa Schweizer, who was the top American today, said she loves when the pace is fast and she just has to go along for the ride. “My coach always says my biggest skill is following,” she said. “I just latched on. My goal was to never run by myself and I did that.” 

The reigning Olympic champion in the event, Sifan Hassan, was also vying for the title down the homestretch. Coming off the final turn it looked like she had more momentum than anybody. Gidey was certainly the favorite; she’s the current World Record holder in both the 5,000 and the 10,000. A Hassan win over Gidey would’ve been extraordinary—but not necessarily unexpected. Hassan loves to flirt with the history books. Last year in Tokyo, for example, she attempted an unprecedented distance triple crown: She told everybody she wanted to win gold in the 1500, 5,000, and 10,000. She came pretty close. She won gold in both of the long events and placed fourth in the 1500. When it was all said and done, she’d raced six total times with all the qualifying rounds.

Hassan was exhausted—so exhausted she didn’t run for eight months. “I’d trained so hard for so long,” she said. “After Tokyo I crashed. Mentally crashed. I didn’t even care about running.”

Hassan came off the track and the media expected her to be upset. The double Olympic gold medalist had to watch three other women step up onto the podium, so she must be upset. “That was fantastic,” was the first thing she said. “I’m standing here so happy. It’s amazing how I ran.” 

Hassan’s first race of the season was last week in Portland. She ran a 5,000 by herself in 15:13, close to a minute slower than her personal best. There were rumors that she’d been injured, that she was out of shape, that she’d scratch from the World Championships. Clearly, none of it was true. 

Schweizer has a similar story. She finished ninth today in 30:19, a 30-second improvement to her personal best. She had Achilles surgery in October and said the recovery period that was required of the surgery was the reset she needed to race at a high level this summer. 

Though Schweizer said she was constantly in pain, she trained through it for close to two years. “It really wasn’t sustainable, just for my mental health. I was going out and just not enjoying my runs,” she said. “Being able to get that surgery done, I realized how much pain I was actually in. I was kind of limping out of bed, limping to start my runs. Not anymore.” 

Schweizer was disappointed with her finish in Tokyo last summer and said today proved she’s moving in the right direction. “Coming into this meet last year I was very overwhelmed. I feel like I got pushed around and then I left disappointed,” she said. “This year I wanted to be in contention with two laps to go, and I feel like I did that. If my best is ninth place today, then that’s what it is. If I just keep showing up, hopefully one day my best will be a medal.” 

Record-breaker Fraser-Pryce wins her fifth world 100m title in Oregon

It might be a familiar sight – witnessing Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce flowing towards the finish line on her way to yet another global gold – but the awe it inspires doesn’t diminish.

In front of a packed passionate Hayward Field crowd on day three of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, the Jamaican sprint star secured a record-extending fifth world 100m title, leading a Jamaican sweep of the medals in a championship record of 10.67 (0.8m/s).

It's almost 14 years since her first global title – 100m gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics – but Fraser-Pryce continues to make history. With her run in Oregon on Sunday (17), the 35-year-old becomes the first athlete to win five world titles in a single individual running event, leading the first ever sweep of the medals in this discipline at the World Championships.

Behind her, Shericka Jackson continued to demonstrate her impressive versatility, running a PB of 10.73 to add world 100m silver to the two 400m bronze medals she won in 2015 and 2019, while five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah claimed her first world 100m medal with a 10.81 run.

In the deepest ever women’s World Championships 100m final, seven of the eight finalists dipped under 11 seconds, with best ever marks for fourth, sixth and seventh. In fourth was Britain’s reigning world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith, who equalled her British record of 10.83. Switzerland’s world indoor 60m champion Mujinga Kambundji finished fifth in 10.91, while USA’s Aleia Hobbs was sixth in 10.92, Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou seventh in 10.93 and USA’s Melissa Jefferson eighth in 11.03.

Fraser-Pryce sits third on the world 100m all-time list with the 10.60 she ran in Lausanne last August, putting her behind only USA’s Florence Griffith-Joyner with her 10.49 world record from 1988 and Thompson-Herah with her 10.54 at Hayward Field almost a year ago. On Sunday evening it was all about the win, though the fierce competition meant it took a championship record to achieve it.

Showing superb consistency, it is Fraser-Pryce’s third 10.67 of the season, each mark having been achieved in a different continent.

She is now a 20-time global medallist – with 13 of those being gold – and she has the chance to add even more to that tally in Oregon as she is also entered for the 200m and 4x100m.

The first of Fraser-Pryce’s world 100m title wins came in Berlin in 2009, when she ran 10.73 as the Olympic champion to lead a Jamaican top two ahead of Kerron Stewart. She then claimed a sprint double in Moscow in 2013, regaining her 100m title and winning her first global 200m gold. She retained her world 100m title in Beijing two years later and returned to World Championships action in Doha in 2019 as a mother – her son Zyon arrived in 2017, with Fraser-Pryce having gone into labour while watching the world 100m final that year. In Doha she won 100m gold for the fourth time and again formed part of the victorious Jamaican 4x100m team to claim her fourth world relay win.

Added to this, Fraser-Pryce secured world 4x100m silver medals in 2007 and 2011 and then of course there are her three Olympic titles, four Olympic silver medals and one Olympic bronze.

The first to achieve five world titles in a single individual running event, only three other athletes in World Championships history – Sergey Bubka (pole vault), Pawel Fajdek (hammer) and Lars Riedel (discus) – have also won the same single disciple five or more times.

"I feel blessed to have this talent and to continue to do it at 35, (after) having a baby, still going, and hopefully inspiring women that they can make their own journey," added Fraser-Pryce.

Now she will prepare for the 200m, for which the heats take place on Monday. Jackson, Thompson-Herah, Asher-Smith, Kambundji and Ta Lou will be among those joining her.

“I'm just grateful. Last year when I switched to the 100m I was scared, but I took my time and here I am today," said Jackson, who improved her 200m PB to 21.55 – the third-fastest ever time behind Griffith-Joyner’s 21.34 world record and Thompson-Herah’s 21.53 from Tokyo last year – when winning the Jamaican title. "Feeling good to be part of history and coming for more."

After her four individual Olympic gold medal wins, Thompson-Herah remains on the hunt for her first individual world title.

"I'm happy to get my first 100m medal and be on the podium for the first time," she said. "I've been working really hard, even though I had some struggles during the season."

The Jamaican trio had led the way in the semifinals, Thompson-Herah winning her race in 10.82 and Jackson taking hers in 10.84, while Fraser-Pryce eased to a 10.93 win in the third semifinal.

Asher-Smith went quickest in the heats the day before, running 10.84 for the second-fastest 100m heat time in World Championships history, just 0.01 off her own British record achieved when claiming silver in Doha. Fraser-Pryce won her heat in 10.87. The Oceania record also fell, New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs advancing to the semifinals with 11.08.

"I can't even imagine the amount of times I've had setbacks and I've bounced back and I'm here again," said Fraser-Pryce. "I continue to remind myself that sometimes it's not because you don't have the ability, but it's the right time. Today was the right time."

Tamirat Tola from Ethiopia runs championship record to take world marathon title in Oregon

Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola, world silver medallist in 2017, is the world marathon champion of 2022 after a masterful and ruthless run at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 saw him come home more than a minute clear in a championship record of 2:05:36 on Sunday (17).

His teammate Mosinet Geremew won a protracted battle for silver, pulling clear of Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Bashir Abdi over the final kilometre to finish in 2:06.44, with the Belgian taking another big bronze in 2:06.48. 

Missing the medal podium by one place was the unlikely figure of Canada’s Cameron Levins, who had the consolation of setting a national record of 2:07:09 ahead of Kenya’s three-time world half marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, who clocked 2:07:14. 

"It was a dream come true," Tola said. "I learned from my mistake in 2017 (World Championships) and I made sure it did not happen again." 

On that occasion, Tola’s attempted run for home 10km from the end was thwarted as Kenya’s Geoffrey Kirui overtook him to win gold. This time there was no faltering on the 30-year-old Ethiopian’s part. 

In what was the first event of day three at the championships in Oregon, Tola took more than a minute off the record of 2:06:54 set by Kenya’s Abel Kirui at the 2009 edition in Berlin. 

But that was no more than an adornment for him on a day when he ran with apparent certainty from start to finish, never being far from the lead in a race that proceeded without undue vigour towards a halfway time of 64 minutes – comfortable territory for today’s elite marathon runner. 

Conditions on a course consisting of three 14km loops running through Eugene and Springfield – home of The Simpsons – were an overcast sky and temperatures rising, not dramatically, from 13C at the starting time of 6:15am. 

But there were no big city marathon pacers here. This was a championship race, with all the uncertainty that has traditionally involved. While the first half offered hope of success for many who were among the event's fastest, that hope was suddenly and ineradicably quashed by the eventual winner in the telling final quarter of the race. 

Tola shaped what had been a largely inchoate procession of surging and slacking when he took off between the 33rd and 34th kilometres. It was not a drill. 

By the 34km marker his lead was seven seconds. At 35km it was 12 seconds, at 36km it was 17 seconds and at 37km it was 26 seconds. With 5km to go, the gold was gone and the drama of the race resided in which of the chasing group of four – Abdi, Geremew, Levins and Kamworor – would share the podium. 

Geremew’s big move, when it came with a kilometre remaining, was as decisive as that of his compatriot. Very suddenly he was a silver medallist in waiting and Abdi seemed to be looking back down the field a lot in the closing stages, perhaps seeking his training partner Abdi Nageeye, who had so vigorously encouraged him to keep going in pursuit of a medal in Tokyo last summer. 

As it happened, Nageeye was one of eight runners who failed to finish, in company with Ethiopia’s defending champion Lelisa Desisa, who was not thought to be in good form and who confirmed that speculation as he struggled out of contention by the halfway point. 

The race had begun with bad news for Japan, whose charismatic national record-holder Kengo Suzuki did not start. 

America's Galen Rupp, who had run this course innumerable times as a former alumnus of the University of Oregon, was seeking to add another global marathon medal to the bronze he won at the Rio 2016 Games. But after hitting the front briefly at the halfway point, taking the field through 22km in 66:58, he dropped away to finish 19th in 2:09:36. 

Cheptegei leaves rivals with no response to retain world 10,000m title in Oregon

Just like the Olympic final in Tokyo, there was a mass queue of runners still in contention as the bell sounded in the men’s 10,000m final at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

On that occasion there were seven men remaining in the hunt for gold. This time there were eight.

There was another subtle difference as the 25-lap event built up to just as thrilling a crescendo as the women’s final the previous day. 

In Tokyo the slender Ethiopian Selemon Barega refused to budge from the front, keeping ahead of Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei with a 53.9 final lap.

In Eugene, having controlled most of the race from halfway, Cheptegei hit the front again at the sound of the bell and stayed there. The fastest man in history at 5000m and 10,000m was not going to relinquish the title he toiled to gain in Doha three years ago.

Barega moved on to his shoulder down the back straight and looked set to pounce with 200m to go, but as Cheptegei led round the final bend and into the finishing stretch the world indoor 3000m champion had nothing in the tank.

Like Sifan Hassan in the women’s final, Barega faded out of the medals. Like Barega’s compatriot Letesenbet Gidey, Cheptegei gritted his teeth and kept his feet on the gas. The 25-year-old could afford to open his arms in celebration as he crossed the line 0.47 clear of his closest pursuer in 27:27.43.

In doing so, Cheptegei became only the fourth man to win back to back 10,000m world titles, following in the footsteps of Ethiopians Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele and Britain’s Mo Farah. His final lap was faster than Barega’s in Tokyo: 53.42.

"I knew that if I could get into the last fight, I could control it and I could speed it up," said Cheptegei, who won the world U20 title back at Hayward Field eight years ago. "It was very emotional for me to come back to the USA where I started my international career in 2014. Now, I want to continue my dominance in long distance running and I hope I will manage it."

The surprise silver medal winner, in 27:27.90, was Stanley Mburu. The world U20 silver medallist at 5000m in 2018, the 22-year-old Kenyan had quickly regained his composure after falling on the opening lap.

As in the Olympic final, Jacob Kiplimo took the bronze medal, Cheptegei’s compatriot clocking 27:27.97 to resist the challenge of home favourite Grant Fisher. The spirited US challenger had to settle for fourth in 27: 28.14, with Barega fifth in 27:28.39.

There were Ugandan flags fluttering in the stands as the 24 runners took their place on the start line, the loudest cheer coming for Fisher, who settled into second as Spain’s Carlos Mayo led through 400m in 66.70.

Mayo remained in front through 800m in 2:12.72, 1km in 2:46 and 2km in 5:51, with Fisher maintaining in second spot and Cheptegei keeping a watching brief on proceedings in third.

After Mayo passed 3km in 8:20.08, Cheptegei’s teammate Stephen Kissa took over at the front but without upping the pace.

Indeed, the speed slowed to 2:51 for the fourth kilometre, prompting Barega to show his face at the front for the first time with 13 laps to go, reaching halfway in 14.01.32.

Kiplimo was first to make a notable injection of pace, stretching out the field with a 64.46 lap. When Cheptegei moved through on to his compatriot’s heels, Barega was alert to the potential threat, surging back up into third.

Cheptegei then took over at the front but slowed the pace to steady laps of 67 seconds. All the while, Barega breezed along, eyes fixed on the target on Cheptegei’s back as 15 men remained in contention. 

With two laps to go, Mburu made the long run for home but at the bell there were still eight contenders. It was then, after a fleeing appearance at the front by Barega’s teammate Berihu Aregawi, that Cheptegei regained control – this time for good.

Two-Time Olympic Medalist Galen Rupp Takes on the World on Home Ground

The best U.S. male marathoner takes on the world at home; also, men’s 10K and women’s 100 finals.

Day 3 of the track and field world championships starts early and ends late, with must-watch races (men’s marathon and women’s 100-meter final) bookending the action. 

But you also won’t want to drift away midday; otherwise, you’ll miss the always-exciting men’s 10,000-meter final. (Fingers crossed it matches the excitement of the women’s final on Saturday.) There are also lots of key qualifying races for finals later in the week.

Here’s a quick guide to the day’s key events

Imagine that you’re one of the best marathoners in U.S. history, and that the world championship course will run through your college town. You’d be pretty psyched, right?

That’s the situation on Sunday for University of Oregon alum and two-time Olympic medalist Galen Rupp. His buildup for this once-in-a-lifetime race has been far from ideal—he dropped out of his most recent race, the New York City Half in March, because of a herniated disc, and he had COVID in June. Nonetheless, the second fastest American in history told us earlier this month that he’s confident about his fitness and will, as per usual, fight for the win or podium as long as possible.

He’ll need confidence, fitness, and a little luck to meet that goal. Among his competitors: two-time NYC Marathon champ Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya; the reigning Olympic silver and bronze medalists (training partners Abdi Nagayee of the Netherlands and Basher Abdi of Belgium); defending world champ Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia; and Desisa’s compatriots Mosinet Geremew (second at 2019 worlds and holder of the best PR in the field) and Seifu Tura (who relegated Rupp to second at Chicago last October).

And those are just the biggest of the big names. Still, a Rupp podium appearance is possible. He and the rest of the field got a prerace bit of luck when 2019 Boston winner Lawrence Cherono of Kenya received a provisional doping suspension on Saturday. Also, world championship marathons tend to have a lot of dropouts. If a top-tier marathoner is having a bad day, it can be tempting to cut one’s losses and aim for one of the lucrative fall marathons. (Prize money for all events at worlds is paid eight deep, with $70,000 for first and $5,000 for eighth, but there are no appearance fees.) The Eugene course is a good one for this sort of DNF. It’s three 14K loops, so quitting after two circuits gets you a hard run but one that’s easy to rebound from.

T he course is also flat, and the weather is forecast to be favorable (temperatures in the 50s, with mild humidity). Times could be fast. Unlike in hotter summer global marathon championships, there should be less incentive for the top contenders to dawdle and thereby open opportunities for slower entrants.

The U.S. squad is rounded out by Army First Lieutenant Elkanah Kibet and financial analyst Colin Mickow, who both train around demanding professional responsibilities. Especially at the first world championships on U.S. soil, they, like Rupp, will be highly motivated to leave it all out on the streets of Eugene.

Lawrence Cherono of Kenya suspended after testing positive for trimetazidine

The seventh-fastest marathoner of all time, Kenya’s Lawrence Cherono, who was one of the favourites to win the marathon at the 2022 World Championships, has been provisionally suspended on the day before the race after testing positive for a banned substance. Cherono tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, which is used to treat chest pain resulting from a lack of blood supply and oxygen to the heart. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said in a press release that there were delays in the processing of his test sample, which was taken on May 23. The delay made it impossible for another athlete to take his spot on Team Kenya.The drug trimetazidine helps metabolize fatty acids, which helps your body use oxygen, allowing for more blood flow to your heart and limits quick changes in your blood pressure.The 33-year-old Kenyan finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics and won both Boston and the Chicago Marathon in 2019. Cherono has a personal best time of 2:03:04 from the 2020 Valencia Marathon, where he finished second.Back-to-back NCAA champion and U.S. 400m Olympian Randolph Ross was also kicked out from the World Athletics Championships on the day before his race for tampering with the antidoping process after an unsuccessful testing attempt on June 18. 

The AIU announced on Saturday that Ross will be provisionally suspended a month after officials failed to locate him to take an anti-doping test. Ross won the Olympic gold with the U.S. 4x400m relay team in Tokyo.According to the AIU, athletes must give anti-doping authorities detailed lists of where they’ll be so testers can reach them without notice to collect samples when the athletes are not competing. In some cases, three missed tries can result in an anti-doping violation. AIU did not release the specifics of Ross’ case, other than to say that “the allegation arises out of the athlete’s conduct during an investigation into a potential whereabouts violation.”

The 2022 World Athletics Championships are taking place from July 15-25 from Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. All the action will be brought to you by Canadian Running and Asics Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.efore the race after testing positive for a banned substance. 

2022 Hardrock 100 Women’s Race

The 2022 Hardrock 100 start list included 27 women, the most the race has ever had. As anticipated, Courtney Dauwalter (pre-race interview) scored a decisive victory, setting a new clockwise and overall women’s course record. Diana Finkel previously held the clockwise record of 28:32 (2010) and overall record of 27:18:24 (2009). Further back in the field, the top ten of the field was much more closely packed this year than we’ve seen previously at Hardrock, including last year’s second- and third-place finishers Darcy Piceu (pre-race interview) and Meghan Hicks, late entrant off the waitlist Hannah Green, and 450k Tor des Glaciers winner Stephanie Case (pre-race interview). Here’s how the race unfolded.

Dauwalter was off to an early lead, but started conservatively enough without trying to gap the course record pace immediately. She got through the Chapman aid station at mile 18 with 4:16 on the clock. Darcy Piceu and Maggie Guterl (pre-race interview) followed in second and third, some 37 minutes back, in jovial humor, waiting for each other at the aid station. They were followed 10 minutes later by Hannah Green in fourth, with Stephanie Case another two minutes back in fifth.

Through Telluride at mile 28, Dauwalter had extended her lead on second place, Guterl, to 67 minutes, with Piceu coming in a close third and leaving the aid station alongside Guterl. Hannah Green followed in fourth, with Stephanie Case in fifth, who was already recovering from some early stomach issues.

Past mile 33 at Kroger’s Canteen, as Dauwalter barreled ahead, the chasing women had paired off and were working together — with Piceu and Guterl still in second and third and all smiles, while Hannah Green and Stephanie Case had joined forces 22 minutes back from that duo.

Dauwalter arrived at the Engineer aid station, just past the halfway point, in sixth-place overall with 12:10 on the clock, still looking strong and in control. The effort was starting to show by Sherman at mile 73, but she was still eating well and focused.

Stephanie Case, who had crept up the women’s field, arrived into Sherman as second woman. Hannah Green followed in third at mile 73 — looking tired, but calm and collected as she had done all race — with Darcy Piceu and Meghan Hicks nipping at her heels in fourth and fifth.

By this point, Duawalter was more than five hours clear of her nearest women’s competitor, and thoughts were starting to turn to Diana Finkel’s longstanding course records. After a relatively conservative beginning, Dauwalter finally took the lid off of course record pace by mile 93 at Cunningham Gulch, coming in with 24:16 on the clock. She seemed to grow in strength and resolve as the finish line approached, and eventually stormed home in a time of 26:44:38, to add Hardrock 100 to her litany of wins, course records, and other ultrarunning achievements.Case ran strong to the ending, finish her first Hardrock 100 in second place in 32:52:46. The town of Silverton came out to celebrate local resident Hannah Green’s third-place finish in a time of 34:26:39, taking nearly two full hours offer her time from 2017.For the first time in her nine starts, Darcy Picue finished lower than second, but she worked through endless to finish fourth in 35:08:06.

2022 Hardrock 100 Men’s Race

The men’s race at the 2022 Hardrock 100 finished pretty much in line with expectations – with an epic showdown between two of the greatest talents ever seen in the sport – Kilian Jornet (pre-race interview) and François D’Haene (pre-race interview). But there was plenty more action along the way, with bold moves from Dakota Jones (pre-race interview), and some strong running further back the field. Here’s how this year’s clockwise action played out.

From the start, the runners made a fairly predictable formation at the front of the field. Dakota Jones, Francois D’Haene, and Kilian Jornet led the charge, running together, with Jones joking with one of our reporters that they had agreed to finish in the aforementioned order. A very happy looking Dani Jung followed close back from the leaders in fourth at the KT aid station at mile 11.5, with John Kelly three minutes later in fifth. There was a gap of ten minutes or more from this front pack to Jeff Browning and Luke Nelson, who looked to be taking it very easy in sixth and seventh.The front trio remained within a few strides of each other the whole way into Ouray at mile 44, and although looking relaxed, they were already twelve minutes up on course record pace. Jung still followed in fourth, but the gap had widened to almost half an hour. He still looked very fresh and appeared to be taking the high road and running his own race, rather than getting caught up in anything outside of his comfort zone. The next three positions — Kelly, Browning, and Nelson — also remained unchanged with Kelly appearing more sombre than the others, but still making a fast turnaround in the aid station.

Jones was the one to make the move that cracked the front trio, and he came into the Engineer aid station at roughly the halfway point 11 minutes clear of Jornet and D’Haene, who remained together. Jung held on steadfastly in fourth, and former Hardrock champion Browning had moved up to take fifth from a struggling John Kelly.Jones continued to lead the way through Grizzly Gulch, two-thirds of the way into the race, but the Euro duo of Jornet and D’Haene had begun to close. By Sherman at mile 73, the two had joined forces, entering and leaving the aid station together eight minutes ahead of Jones.

They continued to run within seconds of each other, but by Cunningham Gulch at mile 93, there was a notable shift in tone as the race had begun in earnest. Jornet was the first to leave the aid station with D’Haene following seconds later. D’Haene looked strong and can never be underestimated in the finish, but after the headtorches began to flicker on the final descent through Arrastra Gulch, it was Jornet who emerged first from the darkness, having put five minutes on his friend and opponent in the roughly four-mile stretch.

Jornet powered through to the finish, taking his fifth victory in five Hardrock starts, and a clockwise and overall course record in a time of 21:36:34. D’Haene followed and touched the rock at 21:51:21, which was also under the original clockwise record from Jornet’s 2014 run.Further back, despite losing hold of first place, Dakota Jones never stopped pushing and took third in a strong 23:06:19, making his pre-race goal of breaking 24 hours.

An emotional Dani Jung came home in fourth, a position he held essentially all race, in a time of 25:53:47. This is just the beginning of Jung’s season, with UTMB and Diagonale des Fous still to come, and it will be interesting to watch him build on this performance.Jeff Browning was next home, finishing his sixth Hardrock in a time of 26:17:47, saying at the finish “It doesn’t get any easier.”

Dominican Republic overhauls host nation to take mixed 4x400m gold in Oregon

Had the race been 10 metres shorter, it may have gone in the USA’s favour. 10 metres longer and perhaps the Netherlands would be the champions. But Dominican Republic timed their efforts to perfection in winning the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, catching the USA just before the line and holding off a fast-finishing Dutch team.

Over the past 12 months, four teams in particular have dominated this discipline. The same teams that occupied the top four spots at the Olympic Games last year were once again in the medal hunt here at Hayward Field, only the finishing order was different.

This time, the Dominican Republic – a nation of just 10.8 million people – defeated some of the superpowers of the sport, clocking the second-fastest time in history, 3:09.82.

Elija Godwin got the host nation off to a strong start, covering the first lap in 44.71 – a full second quicker than the next-best lead-leg runner – and handed over to Allyson Felix with a significant lead, prompting the loudest cheer of the day from the home crowd. By the time the legendary US sprinter was half way around the track, she had a lead of about 15 metres on her rivals.

But Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, who took silver just ahead of Felix in the individual 400m in Tokyo last year, came charging around the final bend and made up the significant gap on the 2015 world 400m champion, catching her just before the line to put Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando in the lead.

Paulino’s split was later confirmed at 48.47. Felix, timed at 50.15 for her leg, handed over to teammate Vernon Norwood. Lieke Klaver, meanwhile, ran a 49.32 split to put the Netherlands back into contention. Further behind, Jamaica and Olympic champions Poland were trying to chase the top three but struggling to make any impact.

Norwood clocked a 44.40 split – the fastest of the race – to put the USA back in the lead going into the final leg. But Ogando (45.12) and Dutch 800m specialist Tony van Diepen (45.13) ran solid legs to keep their teams in contention.

Vernon Norwood and Alexander Ogando in the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (© Getty Images)

US anchor leg runner Kennedy Simon went out hard on the final leg and opened up a significant gap on Fiordaliza Cofil of the Dominican Republic and Olympic 400m hurdles bronze medallist Femke Bol of the Netherlands. At one point it seemed as though Simon’s lead would be safe, but Cofil started to gain on the US anchor on the home straight, while a long-striding Bol had both runners in her sights.

The home crowd did their best to support Simon in the closing stages, but her early exuberance proved costly and Cofil caught her just a few metres before the line, securing gold for the Dominican Republic in 3:09.82 – the second-fastest time in history and just half a second shy of USA’s world record from the 2019 World Championships. A split second later, Bol then came charging through to also pass Simon, giving Netherlands the silver medal in 3:09.90 ahead of the USA (3:10.16).

Poland, triumphant in Tokyo 12 months ago, this time finished outside the medals in fourth with 3:12.31, just ahead of Jamaica (3:12.71). Nigeria (3:16.21), Italy (3:16.45) and Ireland (3:16.86) rounded out the finalists.

It was Dominican Republic’s third gold medal in World Championships history, behind the two titles won by 400m hurdler Felix Sanchez.

“We are a small country, but we have a big heart,” said Dominican Republic’s lead leg runner Lidio Andres Felix.

“We did a great job as a team and I hope we can achieve another good result in Paris (2024),” added Paulino. “The Dominican Republic has a lot of talent, not just in baseball. I have a lot of admiration for Allyson Felix; we ran together in the Tokyo Olympic final.”

And while it may not have been the result the host nation was looking for, Felix still made history by winning a record 19th World Championships medal. She also broke records for the number of World Championships at which she has won a medal (eight) and for the longest span of medal-winning years (17).

“It was very special to be able to run in front of a home crowd for my last race, and my daughter was also in the stands,” said Felix. “It was a night I will cherish. I've had such good memories. I know it is time and these guys will carry it on into the future. I am at peace stepping into this next stage and have tremendous gratitude for this sport.”

Five tips to run further and faster

Whether you’re a seasoned runner or only started running recently, chances are you probably want to run further or faster at some point. 

In this blog, I want to go through some simple ways you can take your running to the next level and achieve those goals. 

1. It’s okay to walk 

I find that many people think that you’re not allowed to walk if you want to call yourself a ‘runner’. But walking is actually an integral part of running training. By including sections of walking in your running training, you can catch your breath, let your heart rate settle back down and save your legs for a bit. Ultimately, this helps you train more often and clock up more kms overall.  

If you’re looking for inspo as a beginning runner, you can find ‘Couch to 5k’ programs online, which all include walking as part of the program. 

And if you’re a more advanced runner, you can progress to even further distances by incorporating walking in your routine.  

2. Do one thing at a time 

A lot of us like to get out there and just run as hard as we can. But if you want to run further and faster, you should consider making your training more specialised and intentional – focusing on distance and speed separately. 

Some people call it ‘polarised training’, splitting up your running to look something like this: 

The bulk of your kms should be at a comfortable, conversational pace to build up your ability to run longer distances and overall aerobic capacity. 

Have dedicated, more intense sessions focusing on speed and strength. This could include things like interval training or hill repeats. 

If you’re still new to running, you might not want to worry about polarising your training too early, the most important thing is enjoyment.  

But if you’ve been running for some time already, you can find training programs on the internet to give you more ideas on how polarised training can help you. Try searching for things like ‘5k to 10k training plan’, ‘10k to half marathon training plan’ and so forth or ‘how to run a faster 5k’. 

3. Know where you’re going… or not 

Planning where you’re going ahead of time can help you run with purpose. On those days when you don’t feel like running but know you’ll feel better afterwards, having a go-to loop that’s short and sweet and near your house can really help you turn that doorknob. I would suggest having a few routes that you can rely on depending on how you feel. 

But running is also a great way to learn about your surroundings or check out a new neighbourhood. Sometimes it can really pay off to run down a street you usually overlook or turn right instead of left. And if you’re afraid of getting lost, you can still get curious in your research – hop on the Maps app on your phone or find a free running map and plot out a running adventure! 

4. Do something else 

Running is a high-impact activity, so it’s important to give your joints a break by mixing it up with activities like walking, cycling and swimming. On top of this, activities such as weight exercises, yoga and pilates can make your body stronger and more flexible and, in turn, help you run further, faster and injury-free. You can also talk to a personal trainer or physiotherapist for personalised advice. 

And remember: if your body is crying out for a break, listen to it – make yourself a tea and spend some quality time reading on the couch! Like I said at the top of this blog, the key to running further and faster is consistency. It’s absolutely okay to miss a session here and there if it helps you stay consistent in the long run. 

5. Enjoy it! 

There is no silver bullet to running. One session alone won’t magically make you faster and fitter – the key is staying consistent over weeks and months. So, tip number five is to make sure you enjoy yourself. Hopefully, these tips give you some ideas on how to keep that smile (or happy grimace) on your face. 

Allyson Felix wins her 19th World Championships medal, the most of any athlete in history

Allyson Felix made it very clear that this was her final year of competition. She’s accomplished basically everything there is to accomplish and now she’s on her farewell tour. After the U.S. won a bronze medal in the mixed-gender 4×400-meter relay tonight at the World Championships, Felix was asked about her favorite moment over her career—a career that’s spanned over two decades, five Olympic Games, and countless other accomplishments. She said, “I’ll go with tonight.” She’s cherishing the end. “To be able to come here in front of a home crowd is something I’ve always wanted.” 

Her daughter was in the stands. Her husband was in the stands. And it’s as though the rest of the people in Hayward Field were her family. It’s like she’s the only person who matters. She’s the homecoming queen, the poster girl, the best dressed person at the party. If you were blindfolded and you had to guess when Felix got the baton by just using your ears, it wouldn’t be very hard. 

“There was a moment when I could hear all the cheers. I felt joy tonight,” she said. “I just looked around. I was just taking it in. It’s the last time.” 

Despite losing, Felix’s teammates were gracious. The media didn’t ask any of them about their personal races, their personal stories, only Felix. The man with the fastest split of anybody in the race, Vernon Norwood, said, “This bronze medal feels like it’s a gold medal since it’s her last.” Teammate Elija Godwin, the second fastest split in the race, said, “It feels like we’re part of history to be with her. I really just want my picture with her.” Norwood and Godwin were the only two men to split under 45 seconds in the field.  

Everybody thought the Americans would win. They were the fastest team in the preliminary round earlier today and they traded out two of their athletes for others with faster PRs. They led or were in touch of the lead the entire race. They got to compete at a World Championships on home soil for the first time ever. But in the end they fumbled. It was as though it happened all at once: With 20 meters remaining, Team USA’s anchor leg Kennedy Simon visibly grimaced, gritted her teeth, and everybody knew what was going to happen. She tied up and it was like she was moving backward. Two teams got around her. The crowd collectively gasped, went silent for a few moments, then sat back down while the team from the Dominican Republic ran a victory lap.

Team USA’s bronze medal is Felix’s 19th medal at a World Championships, the most of any athlete in history. She’s now won a medal at eight separate World Championships, which is a record. (She used to share it with Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya with seven.) 

The Dominican Republic won the race in 3:09.82, the second fastest time ever. With a very fast anchor leg (48.95) from the Olympic medalist Femke Bol, the Netherlands finished second in 3:09.90, a national record. The U.S. finished third in 3:10.16. 

Felix got the baton in first and was 50 meters off the front and everybody was on their feet cheering for her. Today was the closest Hayward Field has ever been to maximum capacity and the volume of the crowd felt historic. It was her final lap, and she was running strong. Then the daydream ended. Halfway through the lap, the Dominican Republic’s second leg, Marileidy Paulino, had reeled in Felix. She blew around her on the final straight, splitting 48.47, the fastest leg of any woman in the field. Paulino’s split would be the second fastest time in the world this year if it were run in an open event. 

Felix still split 50.15. She said she was proud. Her daughter is too young to register what she witnessed, but Felix said if tonight could teach her something it’d be that “It’s about being a fighter,” she said. “That’s a spirit I hope she carries over, a confidence I hope she has.”

The other woman on Team USA is 14 years younger than Felix and will probably never forget what she was a part of. Simon is only 22 and this was her first major championship race. She’s still in college at the University of Texas, a world apart from where Felix is now. “This whole season was a gradual progression to me getting here,” she said. “For me to be here… I’m satisfied.” 

It appeared like the Americans lost the race in the anchor leg. Earlier in the day Kennedy ran the preliminary round and split 50.64, the second fastest split of any woman in the race. She had roughly eight hours to rest before the gun fired a second time, but appeared tired in the final. 

It’s hard to show up once. It’s harder to show up twice. It’s even harder, still, to show up like Allyson Felix has, time and time again. 

The second fastest woman in history Elaine Thompson-Herah has signed with Puma, and now wants the world record

Five-time Olympic champion and the second fastest woman of all time has signed a sponsorship deal with Puma Running. Elaine Thompson-Herah, the back-to-back Olympic 100m and 200m champion, will boost the company’s impressive roster of track and field athletes ahead of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore.

“Puma just felt like the right fit,” says Thompson-Herah. “The company has been working with the world’s fastest athletes for decades and I can’t wait to be part of such an elite group.”

In 2021, Thompson-Herah became the second fastest woman in history when she clocked 10.54 seconds at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic. The 30-year-old Jamaican 100m and 200m record holder spent several years with Nike, and now has her sights set on breaking Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 100m world record of 10.49 seconds from 1988.

“Now is the time to break it,” says the double Olympic champion. “I think there’s still a lot I can unleash.”

Puma has a long history in the sport of track and field, and has sponsored the Jamaican Athletics Team since 2002. Thompson-Herah now joins her Jamaican compatriot, 100m and 200m world record holder and eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt.

Thompson-Herah kicks off her 2022 World Championship campaign on Saturday evening in the women’s 100m heats.

Should You Cut Caffeine Before A Race?

If there's one thing I know about endurance athletes, it's that we love our caffeine. We love our coffee in the morning, sports nutrition products filled with caffeine to get through tough workouts and races, and a luscious hit of dark chocolate at night. Many of us see caffeine as part of our internal regulation to keep us happy, alert, and running on all cylinders. After all, the very nature of our sport requires us to wake up early in order to jump into a cold pool, pedal on the trainer, or run with a headlamp before the rest of the world gets going. Who wouldn't need a pick-me-up at zero-dark-thirty?

Caffeine might be as essential to the athlete's training regimen as their shoes or their favorite hydration vest. It's the most widely-consumed stimulant throughout the world, found in substances such as coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate, and soda. But could that constant daily exposure to caffeine be hurting us on race day?

Many of us know the benefits of caffeine as an ergogenic (work-producing) aid to lessen the perception of fatigue and help with sustained intensity for longer durations. However, if you are a regular caffeine user in your daily life, you've probably been warned that your tolerance reduces its race-day stimulation. A new study by Carvalho et al. (2022) set out to determine if habitual caffeine consumption impacted the overall potential benefits of caffeine for both trained and untrained men and women in differing sport types (endurance, power, and strength).

Caffeine is an effective stimulant because it is close in structure to the compound adenosine, which makes you tired. This similar structure makes caffeine an adenosine antagonist - in other words, caffeine blocks adenosine from attaching to the synapses within the brain that signals sleepiness. Simultaneously, there is an indirect effect on the release of other "feel good" neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, and perhaps neuropeptides. Because the brain hasn't gotten the message to feel tired, and because it has gotten the message to feel excited, humans feel more refreshed and focused than before we made that Starbucks run.

Within an exercise bout, caffeine has been supported by moderate to high-quality evidence to have acute benefits such as positive work-producing impacts on muscle endurance, muscle strength, and aerobic endurance.  However, certain studies suggest that habitual caffeine users negate some of the positive benefits to exercise that occur with caffeine use over time.  The most recent study aimed to determine if that was the case by quantifying the amount of research published on habitual caffeine consumption.

Does consuming caffeine daily reduce its effectiveness on race day?

Studies with an intervention had to include acute caffeine supplements (of any kind) before an exercise task compared to a control group without caffeine supplementation while doing the same exercise. Finally, outcomes of the exercise task needed to be evaluated as changes in exercise performance or capacity. After screening, 60 caffeine studies met these requirements and were included in the meta-analysis, which included 1137 participants-84% were male, 718 were trained, and 400 were untrained.

After the statistical analysis, the results suggested a small positive overall effect of caffeine supplementation on exercise outcomes of endurance, power, and strength regardless of regular caffeine consumption, sex, or level of training (trained vs. untrained).  In addition, this positive effect only occurred when the acute dose was under 6mg/kg body mass, but not over this amount. This is consistent with previous literature which suggests quantities of 2-6mg/kg body weight are appropriate to produce an ergogenic effect on performance in most athletes.

Additionally, caffeine had this positive work-producing effect regardless of whether the acute dose in the study was higher or lower than the participants' regular daily dose administered caffeine or if the research protocol included a withdrawal period before entering the study. One limitation to these findings was that only 24% (60/246 studies) reported their participant's mean habitual caffeine intake, reducing the impact of these results. Therefore, many studies didn't take this into account and could not be used for the final analysis

Do I need to cut back on caffeine before race day?

While many coaches suggest a caffeine withdrawal period before a big race or endurance event, the results of this study do not support caffeine withdrawal as a necessary or effective method for producing an ergogenic effect during a race. Regardless of habitual caffeine intake or the acute dose ingested, an ergogenic effect was reported so long as that acute dose was under 6mg/kg body mass. As a handy reference, we've included a table below of common caffeinated beverages, sourced from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Conclusions

The long and short of the study is good news for many athletes who are daily coffee drinkers. Anyone who has experienced the side effects of caffeine withdrawal - headaches, drowsiness, impaired concentration, depressed mood, anxiety, and irritability - should be letting out a small cheer right now. The taper period can be hard enough as it is, so there's no need to add caffeine withdrawal on top of that.

To get the most out of your caffeine consumption, it would be a good idea for you to experiment with caffeine in doses of 2-6 mg/kg body weight in training to determine how it impacts you personally. Some athletes feel extra jittery on race day, and this may or may not be a good thing to nail your "A" race. It has been suggested that not all athletes have the same reaction to caffeine, and that genotype may play a role in that response. However, until you know your genotype, working with a sports dietitian and tracking your individual response with varying caffeine levels within the proposed range can help identify a caffeine strategy that offers the most potential performance benefits.

Visa delays end British marathoner's hopes of competing at Worlds

U.K. Athletics has confirmed that Chris Thompson, a 2:10-marathoner from Team GB, will not compete in the World Athletics Championships men’s marathon this Sunday after a significant delay in the processing of his U.S. visa.According to the UKA press release, Thompson had been in close liaison with World Athletics and received some help from the U.K. government to solve a last-minute visa hold-up, however, due to the proximity of Sunday’s marathon, Thompson is unable to travel and compete.

“We are very sad for Chris that he has been unable to travel to Eugene for the World Athletics Championships. We are grateful for the interventions and assistance of World Athletics in attempting to resolve the matter, but time has unfortunately run out,” said Team G.B. Leader, Paula Dunn.

The 41-year-old marathoner was selected to represent Team GB after running a personal best 2:10:21 at the British Marathon Championships in 2021. Last year, Thompson placed 54th at the Tokyo Olympic Marathon in a time of 2:21:29.“I’m absolutely devastated I won’t be in Eugene to compete,” said Thompson in a statement. “This was my major aim for the year and had prepared well for it. I’ll never know what might have been, but I had high expectations of myself going out. It should never have got to this point, and it’s hard to believe it has.” U.S. visa delays have been a common theme at the 2022 World Championships, which has derailed many international athletes’ hopes of competing here in Oregon.

The 2022 World Athletics Championships begin Friday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. All the action in Eugene will be brought to you by Canadian Running and Asics Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.

Obiri, Chelimo will confront Hassan in 10,000m gold rush

Hellen Obiri and Margaret Chelimo, who staged a 1-2 finish in the 5,000m final during the previous 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships, to do battle in the final.

Obiri missed out on a 10,000m medal at the 2019 World Championships and the Olympic Games in Tokyo, finishing fifth and fourth respectively, and has decided to focus on the 25-lap only.

Chelimo hopes to double up in the 10,000m and 5,000m that will begin with the heats on Thursday at 2.25am followed by the final on Sunday at 4.25am.

This year, Obiri won the 10,000m at Kenya Defence Forces and the national trials in April and June respectively. She finished second at Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February in 1:04:22 but won the Istanbul Half Marathon in March in 1:04:48.

The duo from Kenya Defence Forces will be eying to recapture the title Kenya won last through Vivian Cheruiyot at the 2015 Beijing World Athletics Championships.

The Kenyans have a battle at hand against the Olympic and World 10,000m champion Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands and Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey, the world record holder in  both 10,000m and 5,000m.

The Dutchwoman wrestled the 1,500m title from Kenya's Faith Chepng'etich before sealing a double with victory in 10,000m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.

The 29-year-old would march on to 5,000m and 10,000m gold and 1500m bronze at last year’s Olympic Games.

It's Chepng'etich who halted Hassan's march for the historic hat-trick in Tokyo.

Hassan had not competed this year until a return on July 8 when she won the 5,000m race at Stumptown Twilight Meet, Griswold Stadium, Portland in 15:13.41.

If Hassan wins, she would become only the second woman to successfully defend the title, after Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba, who achieved the feat in Helsinki in 2005 and Osaka in 2007 – and who also triumphed in Moscow in 2013.

Cheruiyot won the title in 2011 and regained it from Dibaba in 2015.

Gidey, the Ethiopian who obliterated Hassan’s two-day-old world record of 29:06.82 with a stunning 29:01.03 in Hengelo in June last year, has the best finishing kick alongside Obiri.

In Doha in 2019 and in Tokyo last year, Gidey failed to halt Hassan’s dream for victory, taking silver and bronze respectively.

I will forget everything and focus on the finish line, says Ferdinand Omanyala after finally landing visa hiatus

African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala says the visa hiatus that has rocked his boat towards the World Athletics Championships in Oregon will not deter his determination and has vowed to give his best once he lands and sets his spikes on the starting blocks in Eugene.

Omanyala received his US visa late Thursday morning, slightly over 24 hours before the heats of the 100m gun off in Eugene. Athletics Kenya has managed to secure a 6pm flight for his departure from Nairobi, arriving in Oregon 4pm Friday, two hours and 40 minutes before race time.

“First of all it is a relief. It has been a tough last few days. The first target now is to get there on time, hoping there are no more issues along the way. I want to thank everyone who has worked hard to see this possible. At some point yes I thought it was never going to happen but I always felt that a breakthrough would come,” Omanyala told Capital Sport.

“I would like to thank the President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Government through the Ministry of Sports and CS Amina Mohamed and PS Joe Okudo for all the effort they put to ensure that I get both the US and UK visas despite everything that was going on,” Omanyala added.

He also says; “She (CS Amina) has been working from last night to have this done and I want to thank her so much. I also want to thank the US embassy for expediting. I am sure they did this out of a clean heart.”

He adds; “I hope to get there on time and once I step on the blocks, I will give everything to be on the finish line. Yes it has been tough but it has not deterred my focus. I will use this as a stepping stone to give me more strength for the race.”

The 26-year old has been booked a business class seat to ensure he gets as much comfort as he needs and gets to Eugene a bit better than if he had been on an economy seat.

Though he believes it is a tough call for him to be at the blocks fresh, he hopes for the best.

“It is a challenge of course, to ensure that I have shaken off the jet lag and all. But I thrive under pressure and I love challenges. I am sure I will get over this,” he added.

Omanyala is the third fastest man in the world this year, having clocked 9.85secs to win the Kip Keino Classic in May.

Tips for older runners to minimize aches and pains, stay safe, and have fun

So you want to start exercising more after a lifetime of cubicle-dwelling, and have settled on the sport of millions: running. Congrats — it is great exercise, and it can be very rewarding.

But please — if you’re over 50-something, or even younger and truly out of shape — do not simply lace up an old pair of sneakers and charge out the front door.

First, run the idea past your primary-care doctor. A physical exam may identify cardiac issues or other limitations that warrant trying a different form of exercise, instead.

And even after you obtain a clean bill of health, there are practical considerations to keep in mind. We spoke with Joseph Daigneau, owner of Persevere Physical Therapy in Philadelphia, and Dave Welsh, owner of South Jersey Running Co., for tips on how to stay safe, avoid frustration, and above all, have fun.

1. Where to run

One of running’s appeals is that no special facilities are required. Still, it is wise to choose a location carefully, especially as you get on in years.

Among the pitfalls: Older folks may not pick up their feet as high as younger people, Daigneau says. If you run on the sidewalk, beware of cracks and uneven pavement that can send you sprawling.

The same goes for running on grass. The forgiving surface may be more appealing than concrete. But for those who are less able to react quickly, hidden dips and depressions can result in a fall or sprained ankle.

A better choice may be a good paved trail in a park. Welsh recommends a high-school track, changing directions periodically or staying in the outside lanes in case the tight turns cause muscle strain.

Yet another option is to run in the street — but in that case, be aware of point number 2:

2. Seeing and hearing

In many states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, traffic laws dictate that if sidewalks are available, runners and other pedestrians must stay out of the road. If you must run in the street, stay on the left-hand side, facing traffic. That way, you can see oncoming motorists and get out the way, if necessary.

Above all, don’t assume that drivers can see you. It’s no secret that some people glance at their phones while behind the wheel, or even send a text, despite laws that prohibit it.

If running after dark, wear reflective gear. Many running shoes have shiny logos that reflect vehicle headlights, but that isn’t enough. Consider wearing a vest or light jacket with reflective material.

And resist the urge to wear headphones, lest you fail to hear traffic. That goes double for older people, many of whom have a hearing loss. Consider running with a partner so you can look out for each other, or even a group affiliated with a running store. There is safety in numbers; plus, it’s more fun.

3. Start slow

If you have not exercised in a while, the joints are going to be a bit creaky. Start slow. If running seems daunting at first, feel free to walk, instead.

Daigneau tells novice runners to start by making sure they can walk for 30 minutes with no pain. Then they can graduate to a combination approach: repeated cycles of six minutes of walking followed by four minutes of running at a moderate pace. If you complete five of those repetitions (50 minutes’ worth), that amounts to 20 minutes of running — a respectable goal.

Even after you build up strength and endurance needed for sustained running, there always will be aches and pains. That is true at any age.

The key is to distinguish between regular soreness and the type of pain that suggests you are overdoing it. Daigneau says that if soreness persists beyond two or three days, it’s time to dial it back.

Sudden, sharp pain also is a red flag. When in doubt, stop. Don’t be reluctant to seek medical attention.

4. What to wear

At any age, a runner’s most important purchase is a good pair of shoes. The topic merits an entire article, but at a minimum, keep these tips in mind:

Running shoes generally should be at least a half-size larger than other footwear, Welsh says. That’s because a runner’s feet and toes swell during the course of a run, and they also spread out each time the shoe hits the ground. A bit of extra space is essential.

Older runners may like a shoe with more cushioning, but the most important attribute is a good fit. A trip to a store with trained salespeople is a smart idea.

The shoes can be pricey, sometimes running more than $100. If that’s too steep, ask whether the store has older models at clearance prices.

Why run tall is bad advice, the connection between correct running posture, glute activation and quad dominance, explained

You may have heard a lot of advice to keep your shoulders back when you run, or to be mindful of having good posture, or to “run tall.” This advice sometimes even comes from seemingly well qualified people, but it’s based on a fundamental misunderstanding. The best posture for running is with a slight forward lean, which engages your glutes–the body’s largest and strongest muscles and the source of running power.

You may also have heard a lot of advice about “activating your glutes” when you run. This is good advice–but it’s not something you need to do consciously, as long as you’re running with a slight forward lean, as movement expert Jae Gruenke explains in the video.

Moreover, the advice to strengthen your glutes is of little value if you are not running in such a way that your glutes are engaged.

Running with a very upright posture means your weight is too far back for powerful running, and is likely to result in your becoming a “quad-dominant” runner, i.e. a runner who is mostly using their quads, at the expense of their glutes and hamstrings, when they run. (This may also be associated with knee pain, lower back pain and plantar fascia issues, according to Gruenke, who frequently sees this in her practice.)

You may feel like your running is fine, but your quads are likely often sore after a long or hard run, and you are probably not running as powerfully (or as fast) as you could be, even at lower efforts. Moreover, the advice to activate your glutes will seem mysterious, since it’s impossible to do if you’re not leading with your head and chest. (And you do not need to consciously contract your glutes in order to activate them.) Running with a slight forward lean will also greatly improve your ability to run uphill.

The problem, Gruenke explains, is the assumption that leaning forward when running tilts your pelvis in a way that makes it difficult to engage your glutes; but that assumes that your muscles function the same way when you’re standing, sitting or performing a deadlift as when you’re running, which is not the case. In fact, you must tilt your pelvis forward in order to engage your glutes when running, and take the full load off your quads.

One way to test this is to stand with your knees slightly bent, feet slightly apart, in a forward-leaning position, and hold it for a couple of minutes; you will soon feel your glutes working.

If you’ve ever watched champions like Jakob Ingebrigtsen or Timothy Cheruiyot run, you’ll see the forward lean in action. (It’s not a coincidence that they usually dominate in races!) Granted, they’re running much faster paces than the average runner, but the principles are no different. 

Visa issues cause headaches for hundreds of athletes and officials at track world championships

100-meter sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala is expected to land in Oregon about three hours before his first heat Friday

Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala is one of the fastest men in the world at 100 meters, the rare African sprinter who could medal this weekend at the 2022 track and field world championships in Oregon.

But first, he has to make it there – and that's proven to be anything but simple.

Omanyala is one of the hundreds of international athletes and officials who have encountered visa issues ahead of the world championships at Hayward Field, leaving them frustrated, frazzled and, in many cases, racing just to make it to the start line.

The issues appear to stem from poor communication, applications being filed too late and general backlogs at U.S. embassies, where athletes must schedule an appointment and interview in order to obtain a temporary visa.

"This is ridiculous!" retired U.S. sprinting star Michael Johnson wrote on Twitter. "It’s been known US entry visa may be one of the most difficult and (World Athletics) and the organizing committee didn’t get ahead of this?"

World Athletics spokesperson Nicole Jeffery told USA TODAY Sports in an email that, as of Thursday, 374 visa cases involving athletes or officials had been flagged to a joint committee consisting of local organizers, World Athletics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, who have worked to help speed up the process.

About 73% of the cases have been resolved, Jeffery added, leaving a little less than 100 still in various stages of the process.

"We continue to follow up with those outstanding visa issues," World Athletics said in a statement. "International travel in general has become more challenging due to the pandemic and we are extremely grateful for the help and experience of the USOPC in helping to resolve issues that have come up in Omanyala, who has recorded the third-fastest time in the 100 this year, is perhaps the most high-profile athlete who has been impacted. His manager, Marcél Viljoen, told USA TODAY Sports that the 26-year-old has been "frustrated and disappointed" while working to obtain his visa, which he finally did Thursday morning in Kenya.

Viljoen said Omayala is now scheduled to arrive in Eugene, Oregon about three hours before his first heat Friday.

"I want to thank everybody who has worked around the clock to ensure I get my visa," Omanyala told the BBC.

"There's nobody to blame here. It's the system, how it works. You cannot force anything."

Nearly a dozen athletes from South Africa have also encountered visa issues, according to South African media outlet Independent Online, as have athletes from India, Iran and Jamaica, among others.

"Missed out on representing Libya at Worlds because my Federation couldn’t get visas," sprinter Ahmed Amaar wrote on Twitter on Monday. "Representation matters and with no support from (World Athletics) there can be no development for smaller Nations."

Inocencio added that he was surprised to encounter logistical issues like this given the United States' size and reputation. He hopes it might serve as a learning moment before the nation hosts the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

In the meantime, athletes whose travel plans have been disrupted – but not completely derailed – by visa delays can only try to make the best of a stressful situation. 

"We (are) finally going, although some of us are going to arrive on the day we racing," South African sprinter Gift Leotlela wrote on Instagram. "We will fight and represent our country with Pride and honour."

Pick up your pace with a ladder workout, add some variety to your interval sessions while boosting speed

Ladder workouts are beautifully simple and can be adapted to any training plan. You can run them outside, take them to a treadmill,  or make them into a track or stair workout. The concept of a ladder is simple: each interval gets either longer or shorter (or both), as if you’re climbing up or down rungs. Once you’re familiar with the layout of ladder workouts, they can be fairly simple to create and tweak on your own depending on your running needs. Here are two basic ladder workouts that build on increasing speed.

45-minute ascending ladder workout

10 minutes easy running

10 minutes at half-marathon pace

15 minutes at 10K pace

10 minutes easy running

8-kilometer track ladder workout

1,200 meters easy running

800 meters at 10K pace

1,200 meters at 5K pace

1,600 meters at 3K pace

1,200 meters at 5K pace

800 meters at 10K pace

1,200 meters easy running

Once you’ve mastered these ladder sessions, you can tweak the workouts to make them more challenging by increasing the pace in each portion, the distance (or both, if you’re really ready for a challenge). Remember to follow a speedwork session with any easy or recovery running day, and hydrate well.