Running News Daily

Last-minute marathon tips that can make a huge difference on race day

Running a marathon is one of the most satisfying accomplishments. To get a taste of that sweet satisfaction of crossing the finish line, you’ll have to put in some hard work, though. That means consistent training to get the long runs right and tapering during the last weeks leading up to the event. You’ll also want to find the best ways to give you that final push right before and during your marathon. And let’s not forget, there is life after the marathon and for your own sake, kick-off “the afterlife” with investing in recovery.

Let’s start with a couple of basic marathon concepts to set the scene and then move on to last-minute marathon tips that can make a huge difference on race day.

HITTING THE WALL

Hitting the wall, also known as ‘bonking’, is the term used to describe running out of energy.

The human body can store a limited amount of energy which will run out if carbohydrates aren’t consumed during prolonged exercise. In long-endurance efforts, like the marathon, this can manifest as sudden fatigue, lack of energy, heavy legs, and/or a sudden drop in pace.

What can you do to avoid it? ‘Hitting the wall’ is not a prerequisite of finishing a marathon! Carbohydrate loading and taking on carbohydrates during the marathon will help to make sure you don’t run out of energy.

CARBOHYDRATE-LOADING

You may have heard or read about carbohydrate loading. What does it mean? Does it work? Is it relevant and should I be doing it?

Yes, it works, it is relevant for marathon runners and you should employ this strategy.

Our understanding of how to implement this has changed quite a lot since the initial research on the subject was carried out on the military back in the 60s. Essentially you’re looking to increase the amount of carbohydrate you consume in the few days leading up to the marathon to ensure your fuel levels are topped up.

Whether you’re an elite or amateur, carbohydrate is the predominant fuel source you use during running. As our our bodies can store only a limited amount of carbohydrates, topping up those fuel storages before the race will help you avoid the onset of fatigue.

With all this in mind, here are some last-minute marathon tips for the 24 hours before, during, and after your race. These will go a long way to ensure you have an awesome marathon.

To start, the golden rule is: Don’t try anything new on race day! Stick to meals you like and are used to, use the same clothing, socks, shoes and music playlist you’ve used in training. Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing, be confident in your own preparation, knowing what works well for you and stick to that.

1. EAT WELL THE NIGHT BEFORE

The night before your race eat a meal you enjoy and are used to. Aim for a meal that is rich in carbohydrates, this could include foods like pasta, rice, bread, potatoes.

A good evening meal will ensure you have enough carbohydrates stored in your muscles and liver before race day. Carbohydrates are basically the petrol for your engine on the big day so filling up that tank will reduce the risk of fatigue during the race.

2. AVOID EATING TOO CLOSE TO BEDTIME

Aim to have dinner earlier in the evening before the race. Make sure you plan ahead to avoid rushing this meal – giving your body time to digest the meal and relax should hopefully mean you get a good night’s sleep which is, obviously, crucial.

3. CARBOHYDRATES ARE KING AT BREAKFAST

Similar to the night before, priming the body with carbohydrates at breakfast is a way to ensure your performance doesn’t suffer during the race. Stick to a breakfast and foods you’re used to and have practiced in training. Porridge, toast, cereal, bagels, and fruit juice are all great choices.

4. REDUCE FAT AND FIBER

Keep fiber and fat to a minimum when having your race day breakfast as we know this can cause upset stomachs during the race. This simple tip will ensure you’re in top condition for the challenge ahead and hopefully, reduce the chance of any unnecessary toilet stops.

David Turner, 84-year-old prepares to run his seventh London Marathon this weekend

A pensioner from Hemel Hempstead is preparing to run his seventh London Marathon this weekend.

On Sunday, October 3, 84-year-old David Turner, from Boxmoor will be swapping his usual St John's Road training track for the full 26.2 miles of the Virgin Money London Marathon.

This will be David's seventh London Marathon, and he is raising money for the Arthur McCluskey Foundation, and the Mother's Village Orphanage in Bosnia.

The charity aims to help the people of Bosnia Herzegovina and relieve poverty and advance education whilst respecting varying religions and cultures.

David, who moved to Boxmoor in 1972 with his wife and four sons, started running the London Marathon's in 2010.

He said: "My wife, Rita, who was Chair of Governors at John F. Kennedy School, died in 1996, and I only took up running when I was 67.

"I'm so pleased this race is in October, so I'll only be 84.

"At the age of 84 years and 11 months, this must be my last London Marathon. I am running it again for Mother's Village Orphanage in Bosnia, because they still need help.

"Other catastrophes may make new headlines. But Bosnia Herzegovina has still not finished burying its dead, nor binding the wounds of its living.

"I feel good, I have ran the London Marathon before, and last year's one was different as it was virtual, so I ran around Boxmoor!

"I'm looking forward to it, and I'm hoping to raise as much money as possible for the charity. If you feel you can help me, thank you!

Pat Henry, director of Arthur McCluskey Foundation, said: "David is an example to the orphans and staff at Mother's Village.

"They see the huge efforts he makes to help them to survive. The pandemic caused havoc in their lives so your support is desperately needed."

Colorado resident wins Fargo Marathon with 'rust buster' performance

Mark Messmer last raced in Olympic Trials, turns in second-fastest Fargo time.

The first victory on Saturday morning for Mark Messmer was just getting to the Fargodome. A starting line with a few thousand runners never felt so good.

And once the Scheels Fargo Marathon gun went off, the Castle Rock, Colo., resident spent all but one of the 26.2 miles in front of the pack and won the race in a time of 2 hours, 21 minutes, 1 second. That victory was sweet, too.

“Kind of a rust buster, if you will,” Messmer said.

The rust was from not racing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with his last marathon coming in the U.S. Olympic Trials in February 2020. Every race he signed up for since then was either canceled or postponed.

He did get in a 10K and a 5K, but even those were not a typical race. The 5K, he said, was a staggered start for time only.

“That’s not a way to race,” Messmer said. “A crowd, everyone starting together and passing half marathoners along the way, that’s the way a race should be. It feels really good to have a race under the belt and be back in the swing of things.”

It was Messmer’s fifth career marathon win and the second fastest time in the 17th annual Fargo race. Chris Erichsen holds the course record at 2:19.55 set in 2010.

A former runner at the University of Montana, Messmer competed in Fargo once before at a collegiate race. He entered his first Fargo Marathon for the first time because he figured it wouldn’t get canceled.

“I was just cranking a lot of miles by myself,” Messmer said. “It was nice to get back out there.”

He endured a slight cramp in his quad around mile 20, but looked somewhat fresh finishing in the dome. His pace broke down to 5:23 per mile.

Conditions were nearly ideal with temperatures in the high 40s to low 50s and light winds for most of the race. And it didn’t hurt being closer to sea level.

“I’m living at 6,200 feet,” he said. “Coming down to, what around 900, feels pretty good.”

Messmer wasn’t kidding when he went out alone. Benjamin Kopecky from St. Louis, Mo., was second in 2:35.39 and Alec Sanbeck of Mora, Minn., was third at 2:40.05.

“It was me and two bikers,” Messmer said, referring to the bicycle riders leading the route. “It would have been nice to have someone to push.”

Messmer ran a 2:25 at the Olympic Trials, so Saturday’s effort at around five minutes faster was a noted improvement. So was hearing a starting gun.

“Beforehand, I had to pick my way through people, it was awesome to see again,” he said of the starting line. “It’s great to see everyone is back at it.”

Cheserek, Rojas win ‘emotional’, long-delayed Cooper River Bridge Run

A 27-year-old Kenyan man was the first to finish the 44th Annual Cooper River Bridge Run.

Edward Cheserek completed the race with a time of 28:25, a pace of 4:34 per mile. Cheserek, who now lives in the United States, is a 17-time NCAA champion at the University of Oregon.

He was a runner-up at the 2021 Great North Run and his all-time personal best in a 10K is 27:23.

The leaderboard listed the top Female Elite runner as Nell Rojas from Boulder, Colorado with a time of 31:52, and a pace of 5.07 per mile.

The Bridge Run began at 8 a.m. Saturday with a smaller-than-normal crowd of runners. The 15th annual Wheelchair Division race began just before 7:30 a.m. with nine participants.

The Arthur Ravenel Bridge closed at 7 a.m. Saturday, an hour before the official start of the race.

The bridge, along with the rest of the race route shut down at 7 a.m. The route and support streets will remain closed until the final participant clears the area. Many downtown roads that shut down earlier Saturday morning are expected to reopen by 2 p.m.

The Ravenel Bridge will reopen after police and media are cleared off the bridge and any debris from the race is removed.

This year’s event is the first in-person Bridge Run held since April 6, 2019. The event planned for 2020 was changed to a virtual run because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organizers imposed a lower-than-usual cap on the total number of runners and walkers for this year’s 10K event, limiting the total to 25,000 from its usual 40,000. That means more than a third fewer people will “Get Over It” in this year’s event, a reference to the iconic 2.5 mile Arthur Ravenel Bridge that serves as part of the course.

All of the individual registrations for the 25,000 in-person spots sold out.

People who take part in the event were told they would be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or to provide proof of a negative test conducted within 72 hours of the time they picked up their race packet.

But Bridge Run organizers say there will be food, entertainment, vendors, and souvenirs at the post-event festival at Marion Square.

The event will run until 12 p.m. on race day.

44 years of the Bridge Run

The Cooper River Bridge Run is the third-largest 10K race in the United States. It is normally held on the first Saturday in April unless that Saturday falls on Easter weekend.

Dr. Marcus Newberry founded the Cooper River Bridge Run in 1978. The 10K’s course takes runners down Coleman Boulevard through Mount Pleasant, over the Arthur Ravenel Bridge and into downtown Charleston.

Participants include world-class athletes as well as running enthusiasts, walkers and their friends and family members. The run has an annual grant program to promote health and wellness, supporting a dozen charities through fundraising and promotion.

In the race’s very first running on April 2, 1978, 766 finishers crossed the former Silas Pearman Bridge. It was one of the hottest temperatures on record at 82 degrees at the 10 a.m. start time. That was the only year the Bridge Run was held on a Sunday.

By 1980, the course had shifted to the former Grace Memorial Bridge where it would remain until 1995 when it returned to the Pearman Bridge.

Only once in the race’s history did it end in a tie. That happened on March 29, 1980, and the record time is 31:26.

Both of those bridges were replaced in 2006 by the Ravenel Bridge. The all-time record number of registrations occurred that same year when 45,663 signed up. Of those, 33,742 finished the race that year.

The event received the Governor’s Cup Award in 2019 for its impact on Tourism and Travel. It has a direct economic impact of $30 million.

The average age of participants in the annual event is 32.9, but people of all ages have taken part over more than four decades.

A virtual run replaced the traditional race in 2020 because of the pandemic. The 2021 event, which was originally planned for its late March or early April timeframe, was postponed to September, also because of the pandemic.

James Koskei of Kenya holds the current record for the all-time top performance in the men’s open category with a finish time of 27:40 in 2000. Elana Mayer, from South Africa, holds the women’s open category best time at 31:19, set in 1997.

For wheelchair finishers, the records are 24:30, set by Tyler Byers in 2007 and 37:10, set by Ilana Dupont in 2013.

Silas Kipruto and Monicah Ngige were the winners of 2019′s event, with finish times through the 6.2-mile course of 27:58 and 31:37 respectively.

Kipruto, then 34, has been in the top five finishes numerous times in some of the world’s most competitive races. Kipruto finished with a time of 27:58, securing the $10,000 top prize.

Monicah Nigige, then 25, was the top female Elite finisher, winning her third Cooper River Bridge Run in the past four years.

Cuffe runs away from the field in 43rd Freihofer’s Run for Women

The only reason Aisling Cuffe didn’t get lonely during the 43rd Freihofer’s Run for Women 5k on Saturday is that the race course doubles back on itself.

As she turned right off Sprague Place onto Washington Avenue just before the 4k mark, she allowed herself a smile as she was greeted warmly by a long line of walkers headed in the other direction, having just passed the 1k mark.

By the time the 28-year-old Cuffe passed Henry Johnson Boulevard a long city block later, no runner had appeared turning the corner on Sprague, and that was that. Cuffe polished off the downhill on Washington to the finish and won the Freihofer’s Run in 16:34, a whopping 40 seconds ahead of runner-up Cara Sherman.

A two-time New York State high school champion in cross country for Cornwall Central in 2009 and 2010 who went on to run for Stanford University, Cuffe has raced pretty much everywhere in the state except for the Capital Region, and she made her Freihofer’s Run debut a smashing success by putting the field away early.

“I have a tendency to not start fast enough, so by a half-mile in, I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t think I’m starting fast enough for the pace I want to do,’” she said. “Normally I rely on the field to drag it out of me, and I didn’t feel like the field was doing that, so I thought, ‘I’m going to have to go.’

“And I was super-nervous somebody was going to come back and start kicking it in, so I kept looking and probably shouldn’t have been looking as much as I did.”

The Freihofer’s Run usually is held in early June, but was moved to September for this edition after being contested as a virtual race last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 1,024 runners finished the in-person 5k in comfortably cool, sunny conditions on Saturday, after a thick fog lifted an hour or so before the 9 a.m. start.

The clear conditions didn’t help the elite field find Cuffe, as she got 10 meters of separation by Lark Street a half-mile in and pretty much put the race away with a 5:32 first mile shortly after entering Washington Park.

Cuffe ran the second mile in 5:27 for a 10:59 split and spent as much time watching her step through the rolling hills and twisting turns in the park as anything else.

“It got quieter all of a sudden when I started pushing, and I thought, ‘Oh, did I make a gap already?’” she said. “You can tell sometimes how many people are around you just by hearing, but it wasn’t what I thought. So I was like, ‘What?’ And it thinned out so much … ‘Wow. OK.’ I kept having to press at that point.

“I fell asleep a little bit in the second mile, but that’s also where the course is at its hilliest, so it’s tough to say. But I do think I fell asleep a little in that middle mile. When I’m a little more relaxed, I start looking at potholes a lot more and getting a little picky about my steps.”

“I thought about it [making a push to close the gap], but I was already pressing a little bit early, so I figured I should stay within myself and be patient,” Sherman said.

A two-time runner-up in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Championships while at Stanford, Cuffe has been training for longer distances this year and said she felt “a little rusty at the 5k distance.”

Besides winning two cross country state meets for Cornwall, she also won the state Federation meet and Foot Locker National Championship in 2010.

At Stanford, she was coached by former Section II star Liz Maloy of Holy Names, who hosted Cuffe at her Loudonville home this weekend. Among their shared memories is having run in the state meet, where runners compete in t-shirts color-coded to their section.

“We used to get cotton t-shirts at the state meet, so she had maroon, and I had royal blue, and we were talking about running one of your biggest meets in high school in a cotton t-shirt. We love that,” Cuffe said.

“Oh, my God, they’re my favorite t-shirts. I can’t wear them too much because they’re starting to wear a little thin, so I have to preserve them for my children and grandchildren.”

Sherman, who has run in the colors of Mohonasen High School and the University at Albany, wanted to use the Freihofer’s Run as a stepping-stone to the MVP Stockade-athon 15k, another popular road race that will return to in-person competition on Nov. 14.

The 2019 Stockade-athon winner completed the Freihofer’s Run 10 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Annika Sisson.

“I was a little surprised to finish so far up, but I hit the time I was shooting for. I thought I’d be around 17:15,” Sherman said. “I’m training for the Stockade-athon right now, so I was using this as my first test effort, sort of. So I just wanted to see where I was at.”

It wasn’t long ago that Sisson was running in the Capital Region, as she was second to another former UAlbany standout, Hannah Reinhardt, at the 2018 America East Conference cross country championship meet, while Sisson was at Stony Brook.

“My coach Kurt Benninger, Molly Huddle’s husband, he knew of this race and thought it would be a good opportunity to test my fitness, see where we’re at heading into the fall,” Sisson said. “And it was great, I had so much fun. I knew Aisling was coming in, so that was fun. We were like, we’re probably going to have to let her go.”

Sascha Scott of Syracuse won the masters division while finishing 10th overall in 18:17.

Under a reconfigured prize structure that offered a deeper distribution, Cuffe earned $3,000 for the victory.

She said she especially appreciated the women-only race, though, for some of its other touches, like running into the walkers on the way back and the fact that race director Kristen Hislop announced to the field before the start that the age range in the race ran from 9 to 93.

“I love races like this, especially when you get to see other people in the race doing it as well,” she said. “Even at the start, when Kristen was announcing the race and the oldest person and the youngest. I love that stuff, I could listen to that all day long, the number of people that come out and share in the sport of running and racing having fun together. It’s so motivating and inspiring.”

TOP 50

1. Aisling Cuffe (28, Concord, Mass.), 16:34; 2. Cara Sherman (24, Schenectady), 17:14; 3. Annika Sisson (25, Pawtucket, R.I.), 17:24; 4. Caitie Meyer (30, Albany), 17:34; 5. Kerry Allen (33, Washington, D.C.), 17:39; 6. Karen Bertasso Hughes (37, Selkirk), 17:42; 7. Tricia Longo (31, Waterford), 17:50; 8. Sarah Danner (28, Gowanda), 17:57; 9. Elizabeth Debole (36, Albany), 18:02; 10. Sascha Scott (46, Syracuse), 18:17.

11. Suzie Clinchy (32, Brooklyn), 18:26; 12. Nicole Moslander (34, Rotterdam), 18:28; 13. Abbi Wright (24, Delmar), 18:31; 14. Leonni Griffin (14, Watervliet), 18:37; 15. Meghan Mortensen (36, Glenville), 18:50; 16. Marisa Sutera Strange (58, Millbrook), 18:56; 17. Renee Tolan (46, Clifton Park), 18:57; 18. Laura Kline (44, Syracuse), 18:59; 19. Erin Lopez (40, Ivoryton, Conn.), 19:01; 20. Kaleigh Higgins (15, Watervliet), 19:08.

21. Gina Pardi (23, Falmouth, Me.), 19:21; 22. Charlotte Dunkel (14, Latham), 19:43; 23. Kaitlyn Phillips (24, Rome), 19:51; 24. Brina Seguine (32, Rensselaer), 20:00; 25. Ciara Bullington (17, Cohoes), 20:02; 26. Lauren Scarupa (30, Clifton Park), 20:03; 27. Marta Dauphinee (43, Glenville), 20:13; 28. Kirsten McMichael (24, Clifton Park), 20:13; 29. Diana Tobon-Knobloch (40, Schenectady), 20:26; 30. Birtu Diefenderfer (16, Albany), 20:33.

31. Kaitlin Bogucki (14, Rensselaer), 20:31; 32. Jennifer Richardson (41, Albany), 20:48; 33. Sarah Harris (46, Sunderland, Vt.), 20:50; 34. Elizabeth Koa (15, Watervliet), 20:53; 35. Katie Johnson (40, Delmar), 20:55; 36. Lilla Korniss (16, Watervliet), 21:00; 37. Aroline Hanson (41, Sunderland, Vt.), 21:03; 38. Alyssa Caiano (14, Cohoes), 21:04; 39. Lori Kingsley (55, Wysox, Pa.), 21:03; 40. Julianne McCarthy (39, Albany), 21:06.

41. Anne Benson (56, Clifton Park), 21:08; 42. Natalie Bennett (16, Latham), 21:10; 43. Alyssa Risko (55, Schenectady), 21:14; 44. Rebecca Miceli (24, Troy), 21:15; 45. Colleen Brackett (60, Albany), 21:17; 46. Katherine Durrant (47, Ithaca), 21:17; 47. Shannon Church (40, Watervliet), 21:19; 48. Kim Lagasse (27, North Attleboro, Mass.), 21:25; 49. Lauren Williams (31, Troy), 21:32; 50. Judy Guzzo (54, Niskayuna), 21:34.

Debutante Gebreslase and Adola triumph in Berlin

It may have been her marathon debut, but Gotytom Gebreslase looked anything but inexperienced on her way to winning the BMW Berlin Marathon, crossing the finish line of the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race in 2:20:09 on Sunday (26).

Just moments earlier, fellow Ethiopian Guye Adola won an enthralling tactical men’s race in 2:05:45, seeing off a late-race challenge from Kenya’s Bethwel Yegon after dropping Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele a few kilometres prior.

The 47th edition of the race, which is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series, took place under strict hygiene regulations. With 24,796 runners from 139 nations, the race was the biggest marathon in the world since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The men had been operating at world record pace for the first half, while the leading women were close to course record pace. With temperatures above 20C during the final part of the race, the pace dropped in the closing stages of both contests, but Gebreslase and Adola both had just enough in reserve to hold on to victory.

Gebreslase was part of a large lead pack that went through 5km in 16:30 and 10km in 33:03. Six women were in the group, including Ethiopia’s Hiwot Gebrekidan who was looking to improve on her world-leading 2:19:35 run from Milan earlier in the year.

By the time the pack reached half way in 1:09:19, just four women remained in contention: Gebrekidan, Gebreslase, fellow Ethiopian Helen Tola and Kenya’s Fancy Chemutai. Their split suggested a finishing time inside 2:19, but the conditions soon started to get tougher.

Within the space of a few kilometres, Chemutai and Tola had been dropped, reducing the race to a two-woman Ethiopian battle between Gebrekidan and Gebreslase. The latter, feeling surprisingly good on her debut marathon, started to test the water and edged ahead of her compatriot over the next few kilometres, opening up a 13-second gap by 35km, reached in 1:54:54.

Her split at that point still pointed towards a sub-2:19 finish, but Gebreslase’s pace dropped significantly over the next five kilometres, which she covered in 17:40. Lucky for her, Gebrekidan was struggling even more, widening the gap between the pair. And Tola was now more than two minutes adrift of Gebrekidan in third.

Gebreslase continued to pull away in the final few kilometres, winning comfortably in 2:20:09, the eighth fastest winning time recorded in Berlin. Gebrekidan held on to second place in 2:21:23 and Tola completed the Ethiopian podium sweep in 2:23:05.

The men’s race may not have resulted in a world record as had been hyped in the days leading up to the event, but it eventually became an enthralling three-way contest between Bekele, Adola and Yegon.

The opening pace was swift as the six-man lead pack breezed through 5km in 14:22 and 10km in 28:47. Bekele and Adola formed one third of that group, while Yegon bided his time further down the field, passing through 10km in 29:40 as part of the larger chase pack.

Shortly after passing through 15km in 43:12 – still well inside world record pace – Bekele started to lose contact with the rest of the lead group, who went on to reach the half-way point in 1:00:48. Bekele, meanwhile, covered the first half in 1:01:00, which was the pre-determined target for the pacemakers.

Over the course of the next five kilometres, though, Bekele worked his way back to the front. The 30km split of 1:27:48 (2:03:30 pace) essentially confirmed that the world record would live to see another day, but the race was shaping up to be a three-way battle between Bekele, Adola and Kenya’s Philemon Kacheran.

Kacheran didn’t last too much longer in that trio, however, and Bekele started to struggle again as Adola was gritting his teeth out in front. Further behind, however, Yegon continued to make his way through the field. Having been seventh at 20km and sixth at 25km, the Kenyan moved into fourth place at 35km, just 17 seconds behind Adola.

One mile later, Yegon passed Bekele to move into second place. Another kilometre after, he joined Adola at the front. But with the temperature now above 20C, Yegon was unable to maintain that momentum. A final surge from Adola at 40km was enough to see off Yegon’s challenge, allowing the Ethiopian to open up a decisive gap.

Adola, the runner-up in 2017, went on to win in 2:05:45 with Yegon following 29 seconds later to take the runner-up spot in a PB of 2:06:14. Bekele was third in 2:06:47.

“I thought before the race that I could beat Kenenisa,” said Adola, who finished second in Eliud Kipchoge in the German capital four years ago. “It was so hot, my feet were burning.”

Bekele, meanwhile, appeared slightly disappointed but confirmed there’s still more to come from the three-time Olympic gold medallist. “The big problem for me was the lack of training because of the pandemic,” he said. “I just couldn't do as well as I hoped. That does not mean my career is over.”

Extensive COVID-19 countermeasures to be in place at New York City Marathon

The New York City Marathon is set to have extensive COVID-19 countermeasures in place, with organisers eager for the race to run on November 7 after the 2020 edition was cancelled because of the pandemic.

Runners will need to provide proof of at least one vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test from within 48 hours of race day to compete.

Efforts have also been made to reduce crowding throughout the event.

The three-day Expo prior to the race has been closed to the general public and the number of attendees at any one time has been restricted.

The start of the race will be staggered across multiple waves in an attempt to maintain social distancing.

On the course, runners will be permitted to wear hydration belts in order to reduce crowding at drinks stations dotted along the track.

Family members will also be banned from the finish area to reduce the risk of overcrowding.

Face coverings are set be required at the Expo, on public transportation during race day, at the race start, and at the post-finish area.

Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir is set to compete in the elite women's race after winning the women's marathon gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The event is the last of the six World Marathon Majors, preceded by Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin and Chicago.

The Tokyo race has been rescheduled to March 6 2022.

The Berlin Marathon is set to take place tomorrow in what will be its first edition since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, while the other four all take place over the space of seven weeks.

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia is due to be competing in Germany as the three-time Olympic gold medallist - all over shorter distances than the marathon - looks to retain his Berlin title.

In the 2019 edition, Bekele finished two seconds shy of the world record set by Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, and has vowed to attack the mark at tomorrow's race.

2021 Marine Corps Marathon Weekend cancelled again

The 2021 Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) Weekend events scheduled for Friday, October 29 through Sunday, October 31 in Arlington, Virginia and the US capital, have been cancelled due to security and safety precautions currently in place.

“After exhausting all possibilities, the opportunity to safely operate and execute a live event is just not feasible at this time,” said Rick Nealis, director of Marine Corps Marathon Organization (MCMO). “Though we had high hopes to welcome home our running community this October, we are excited to still be able to celebrate the 46th running of ‘The People’s Marathon’ virtually. We are anxiously looking forward to next year when we can #RunWithTheMarines in person once again.”

“The 46th Marine Corps Marathon is now a virtual event! We are excited and look forward to seeing the results of your hard work and dedication over the past year,” said Colonel Brooks, commanding officer of Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region – Marine Corps Base Quantico. “Although we were not able to conduct a live event for 2021, we trust that each of you understand that safety for you and our great support team took priority. As Marines, we are trained to adapt and overcome, and this is a great test of your ability to adapt and overcome all things this year has presented. I ask that you run hard and with purpose, and finish strong! Be safe everyone! Semper Fi!”

Runners currently in the live MCM, MCM10K and MCM50K categories have the option to:

Receive a virtual entry to the distance of the same race.

Receive a full registration refund.

Defer entry to 2022 at no additional fee.

Further instructions and a link to the registration change form will be sent to the e-mail address provided by participants during registration.

The virtual MCM Weekend events including the MCM, MCM50K and MCM10K must be completed between October 1 and November 10 — the Marine Corps Birthday. All participants will receive via mail the corresponding participant shirt, commemorative patch, bib and finisher medal. Runners will also have access to an online event program, personalized finisher certificate and several digital engagement platforms.

The 47th MCM Weekend is scheduled for October 28–30, 2022.

Bristol 10K runner disqualified after accidentally winning half-marathon

When Omar Ahmed made a wrong turn in the 10K event of the Great Bristol Run, little did he know that he would run an extra 12km to win the half marathon and then get disqualified.

The two courses diverged at one point and Ahmed, who entered the 10K as an elite runner, went the wrong way to finish the half-marathon with a time of 1:03:08 -- nearly five minutes ahead of the competition.

"Rules are rules and in this case they say we have to disqualify Omar," Paul Foster, chief executive of The Great Run Company, was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"We salute his performance and he has been invited to take part in next week's Great Manchester Run as an elite athlete. Of course, we also look forward to welcoming him back to Bristol for 2022's Great Bristol Run."

As a result, Chris Thompson who finished with a time of 1:07:53 was adjudged the winner of Sunday's race.

The 10K and half marathon are usually held in different months. Both races were cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Gebrekidan sets sights on course record

An attack on the women’s course record – which currently stands to Gladys Cherono at 2:18:11 – is looking increasingly likely in Berlin on Sunday.

Three women with sub-2:22 PBs will take to the startline, including world leader Hiwot Gebrekidan of Ethiopia, who clocked a PB of 2:19:35 in Milan in May.

“I’ve been preparing for the BMW Berlin Marathon for a long time and want to run my personal best on Sunday,” said the 26-year-old, who will be contesting her first ever World Marathon Majors race.

When pressed as to what pace she would like, Gebrekidan said: “I’d actually like to hold back in the first half. But I nevertheless plan to go through halfway in just under 69 minutes.”

Such a split at halfway would put Gebrekidan not only in contention for the course record but also the Ethiopian record, currently held by Worknesh Degefa with her time of 2:17:41 in Dubai in 2019.

Fellow Ethiopian Shure Demise also has a personal best in her sights. She is a highly experienced marathon runner, having run a dozen of them. “I’ve spoken with other women runners and know what a fast course is Berlin. I have high expectations for myself and want to break my personal record,” said Demise, whose best currently stands at 2:20:59 and could well go under 2:20 for the first time.

“2:20 remains a breakthrough target for women in the marathon,” said race director Mark Milde. “We’ll have to wait and see what times are actually run. But a pace like that (69 minutes at half way) would certainly suit us. And a course record would be great.”

Fancy Chemutai, a late addition to the field, also has high hopes for Sunday’s race. The Kenyan has a best of 2:24:27 and will be running only her second marathon. Her half marathon best of 1:04:52 – which makes her the seventh fastest woman of all time – suggests she still has a lot of untapped potential at the full marathon distance. No other woman on the Berlin start list has such a fast half marathon performance.

Gotytom Gebreslase could be another one to watch on Sunday. The Ethiopian, who won the world U18 3000m title back in 2011, will be making her marathon debut. Given her PBs of 1:07:52 for the half marathon and 14:57.33 for 5000m, the 26-year-old could be in contention for a podium place.

About 25,000 runners from 139 countries are expected to take part in the 47th edition of the Berlin Marathon. Although more than 90% of participants have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, the race will take place under strict hygiene regulations.

“For months our challenge has been to organise a safe BMW Berlin Marathon, and we’ve achieved our objective,” said Jürgen Lock, the general manager of race organiser SCC Events. “It’s a very good feeling; we’ve arrived at the new reality.”

Bekele back in Berlin and targeting third triumph

Ethiopian long distance superstar Kenenisa Bekele will defend his BMW Berlin Marathon title on Sunday (26) in what will be his fourth appearance at the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race.

Two years ago he ran through the Brandenburg Gate on his way to an Ethiopian record of 2:01:41, a mere two seconds outside Eliud Kipchoge’s world record set on the same course just one year prior. Thanks to that performance, Bekele remains the second fastest marathon runner of all time and heads Berlin’s elite field for this Sunday.

Although the 39-year-old made no concrete mention of a world record attempt at Friday’s press conference, there were signs that he had the target on his mind.

Eleven marathon world records have been set in Berlin so far, more than at any other race. Could Bekele make it a round dozen on Sunday?

“I have prepared well, but the pandemic hasn’t made it easy in the last two years,” said Bekele. Asked about the difference with his 2019 race in Berlin where he went so close to the world record, the three-time Olympic gold medallist said: “At the time it wasn’t clear whether I could run that fast. This time I have more confidence and will do my best.

“Sunday may not be my last chance of the world record, I want to run a couple of years more,” added the 39-year-old, who won the 2016 Berlin title in 2:03:03, only six seconds outside the then world record. The next year he had to drop out.

This Sunday offers Bekele arguably his best chance of breaking the world record, which is a view shared by his Dutch manager Jos Hermens. “Kenenisa has energy and the ability to be right up front at over 40,” said Hermens. “But Sunday’s race will be his best chance of a world record.”

The race is about more than one man, though, as the field includes 10 men with sub-2:10 PBs. “We have connected almost seamlessly with where we had our last race in 2019,” said race director Mark Milde. “Naturally we are delighted that we have been able to recruit a very strong field with Kenenisa Bekele at the top.”

Bekele’s compatriots Guye Adola and Olika Adugna could also produce impressive results. Adola famously stuck with Kipchoge until the very last stages of the 2017 Berlin Marathon, eventually finishing second in 2:03:46 – a time which, at that point, was the fastest marathon debut in history.

“I want to be among the leading group on Sunday,” said Adola, the 2014 world half marathon bronze medallist.

Adugna, meanwhile, also produced a notable performance on his marathon debut, clocking 2:06:15 in Dubai last year. The 22-year-old hasn’t raced since then, so will be raring to go on Sunday.

Shalane Flanagan to run 6 marathons in 42 days

Nearly three years after Shalane Flanagan officially retired from elite racing, she’s toeing the line of her marquee event again — not once, but six times in 42 days. With five of the six World Major marathons coming up in the next few weeks, the 16-time national champion will be aiming to run each of them in less than three hours, and then to run a sixth to make up for the postponed Tokyo Marathon.

Because of delays caused by COVID-19, five of the six World Majors are being crammed into a tightly packed fall schedule. Flanagan’s marathon of marathons will start in Berlin on September 26, the same course where she ran her personal best of 2:21:14 in 2014 and became the fourth-fastest American marathon runner of all time. She’ll have one week of recovery before heading to the U.K. to compete in the London Marathon, and from there she’ll return to North America where she’ll run the Chicago Marathon on October 10 and turn around the very next day to run the Boston Marathon on October 11.

The Tokyo Marathon was to be her next race on October 17, but organizers postponed the race again until March 2022. In its place, Flanagan will travel to Portland, Oregon to run her fifth marathon in four weeks. She’ll then have three weeks of recovery before completing her challenge at the New York City Marathon on November 7. New York will be a special place to end her gruelling series, since it was there that she became the first American woman to win the race in 40 years in 2017.

Flanagan retired from professional running in 2019, and since then has had two reconstructive knee surgeries, become a coach with the Bowerman Track Club and adopted a baby boy. In an interview with Self, she explained that she’s taken on this challenge as a way to “reunite” with running after retirement and knee surgery.

“I felt the need to set some goals again,” she said. “Realizing this was a once in a lifetime opportunity presenting itself, with six major world marathons in 42 days, I feel like I’m doing it for myself, for my son, and for young women to showcase the connection between mental and physical health and how important of a role athletics can play in your life.”

The Best Way to Improve Your Running Is to Stop Caring About Your Times So Much

Obsessing over my watch data caused me to go too far, too fast. Here’s what I learned when I paid no mind to my results

My run had all the makings of being a magical one: a rare, cool morning in July, an open field of soft grass, Utah’s Wasatch mountains in the background with rays filtering through their peaks. I was slogging through one of my first runs back after a long break. I had been sidelined by plantar fasciitis for six months and was finally given the green light to train again.

The miles were not without restriction; my wise physical therapist told me to run slowly on grass only, without my shoes for five minutes the first day, then work my way up in 30 second increments every other day until I reached seven minutes.

The directions were clear. I understood that I needed to stick to this gentle buildup to avoid a flare-up or another injury. I also knew that I was not in my best running shape. Still, when I looked down at my watch on that golden July morning and saw that I had only traveled a little over a quarter of a mile in four minutes, I panicked. How was I going so slow?

Yes, I was running barefoot, on grass, healing from an injury, but still—shouldn’t my pace be a little quicker? My rational thinking disappeared, and I tried to pick it up; I drove my knees higher, quickened my turnover, and felt my breath get ragged in my throat. Man, I thought, I am so out of shape. I checked my pace on my watch, then checked again and again.

I went beyond the time cap that my physical therapist had given me just to say I ran a whole mile. At the end, I didn’t feel accomplished or proud. I felt frustrated, stiff, and a little sick—and my foot hurt.

I knew I could not push like this day after day … again. In the last two years, obsessing over the stream of data pouring from my GPS watch had caused me to go too far, too fast, which many runners know is the recipe for overuse injuries and burnout. This recovery cycle needed to be different to save my running life.

I knew I needed to stop caring about results. Here’s what I’ve learned so far.

Don’t believe your ego

Why do we push too hard in training? During that slow, grassy run, what in my brain needed to see the little numbers on my watch tick up to a mile? The easy answer? My ego.

In one of my favorite books of all time, The Inner Game of Tennis, author Timothy Gallwey describes the concept of the ego in sports as Self 1. The other self, Self 2, is your body. This is the being that knows how to swing a racket, or in our case, how to put one foot in front of the other. It knows running mechanics, what each stride should feel like, and how fast to go. Unfortunately, Self 2 is often under the tyrannical expectations and pressure of Self 1.

Self 1 is your thinking self. In running, your Self 1 is often analyzing splits and paces and pestering your body to speed up, slow down, go farther, or be better. Basically, your “thinking” self cares too much and thus tries too hard. To run at your peak, you must master the art of relaxed performance and allow your body the freedom to take over and do the work.

Knowing that your mind and body are sometimes at odds with each other is helpful in trying to combat the critical self. For a few weeks, the most effective tool I had to stop my Self 1 from spoiling my runs was to yell “Who cares?!” at myself every time I started to judge my performance. I had to snap myself out of a state of constant analysis. This method, though strange, did help quiet the thinking self.

Learn to trust yourself

Ideally, we want our mind to be sending out signals that say, “Hey, body, I trust you. I’m not going to waste your time. I’m just going to shut up and enjoy the ride.” But how do we learn to let go and believe in the power of our extremities?

Here’s a simple test I learned from Austin Haws, D.P.T., a physical therapist at Fyzical Therapy and Balance Centers in American Fork, Utah. Stand on one foot for 30 seconds, then switch feet. Once you’re able to do this with ease, then you can take the real test: Close your eyes and stand on one foot. Try to hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other foot. This was one of the first exercises I did to help build trust between my body and mind.

If you can stand on one foot with your eyes closed for 30 seconds, then great. Your brain is likely letting your body do the work for you without trying to control everything. If it is tough for you to maintain your balance with your eyes closed, try this before you close your eyes: Remind your mind that your body is in one place, and it is not moving.

Sometimes just communicating with your body about what to do is enough to stop all that wobbling around. If standing on one foot with your eyes closed is simple for you, try to exceed the 30 seconds and record your best effort. If you can’t make it to 30 seconds, then jot down how long you can hold it for. Practice every day. Your mind is very strong, and if your mind thinks your body is capable of handling a task, your body will do it.

This will translate to running. You can try this type of simple mind-body communication and trust-test in your training, especially if you are an intermediate or advanced runner whose body knows the feeling of different paces. If this is you, try running a tempo run without a watch. Simply set a timer for the duration of the run and tell your body to run the pace you want to hit.

Just breathe

I can hear runners all over saying, “Wait a minute, I really don’t know what the pace I’m supposed to be running feels like.” That’s okay. You will get there the more you learn to trust your body. But until then, turn your awareness to your breath.

If your breath is ragged and you’re unable to speak during a training run, that means you are going too fast. Remember how I couldn’t breathe on that day when my ego told me to go faster? I was spitting and coughing—a sure sign I was running beyond my fitness level. The beauty of controlling your breath is that it allows you to get the most out of your run. You build your aerobic capacity by training properly instead of merely wearing yourself down.

So instead of caring about your speed, focus on how and when you are breathing. In his book Running on Air, famed running coach Budd Coates explains breath patterns. If you inhale for three steps (in/right footstep; in/left footstep; in/right footstep), then exhale for two (out/left; out/right), you should be able to sustain an even training pace, prevent overstriding, and feel great.

Breath work also lets your mind relax. Your ego self is given a distraction. That over-analyzing pain in the you-know-what must count, step, and breathe. Meanwhile, the runner you’re meant to be takes over. It’s like a moving meditation that keeps you very tuned in and focused and could launch you into flow.

So, is this all for the flow?

Eventually I yelled “who cares?!” at myself enough times that I felt comfortable leaving my watch at home. As I built mileage up, I would tell my body at the beginning of each run what the plan was. I’d say something like, “Okay, today we are going to run for 25 minutes, very easy.”

When I made the decision to stop caring about my pace, and instructed my mind to trust my body, and attempted to be present in my breath, something awesome happened. One beautiful afternoon, I experienced one of those magical flow runs. You’ve probably heard of this concept of flow, or the zone, or whatever buzzword you want to throw out there to describe that state of ecstasy when you are so fully present doing something that the rest of the world melts away.

I consulted sports psychologist and runner Hillary Israelsen, M.S., to ask if my “I don’t give a crap” attitude could have helped facilitate the flow run. She said it probably came down to newfound focus.

“The more mindful you are, the more likely you are to achieve flow in practice or competition,” she said.

I wasn’t interrupting myself by checking my splits or how far I had to go. Perhaps more importantly, I wasn’t judging myself. I was just running.

Israelsen told me that with a lot of mindfulness practice, runners can experience that brilliant state more often. But of course, if you care too much about reaching flow state, you are not going to reach flow state.

“You can’t force flow,” she said. “But you can practice quieting your thoughts.”

Here’s the bottom line: You know how to run. When you are out on the road or trail, grinding away, you should not have to care about how fast, slow, or far you must go every single session. Don’t analyze your running while you are running—that is the “critical” self trying to interfere and all that thinking can slow you down. One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is running free. So take off your watch, shake away your thoughts, and go out, feel your breath, and get grounded in the run.

If You’ve Had Panic Attacks While Running, You’re Not Alone

A mental health expert provides techniques to manage your brain and body’s reactions to anxiety.

For many people, running is the tool they use regularly to help alleviate symptoms of anxiety. But what happens when the activity that usually gives rise to a euphoric rush of endorphins seemingly begins to elicit a completely different response? 

The truth is when you’re going through a stressful period of time in your life, particularly one that prompts anxious feelings in sporadic intervals, running may not be enough to make you immune to intense moments of panic. In fact, you may even find yourself experiencing a panic attack while running. 

For longtime runner Ellen Isaac, panic attacks have just recently begun to occur while on runs—and often. As a former Division I athlete for Ohio University’s (OU) cross-country and track teams, Isaac is no stranger to stressful situations and is someone who genuinely looks forward to competition. However, it wasn’t until after she took her state board exam for physical therapy school this past April that she realized intense bouts of fear could immobilize her while running. 

She was on a run with her boyfriend, Nick, when she started feeling overwhelmed with thoughts about whether or not she passed her exam. 

“It got to the point where I literally just stopped in the middle of the towpath and was uncontrollably sobbing,” Isaac says. 

She was able to identify that she was having a panic attack, so she immediately found a rock to sit on so that she didn’t fall down. 

“Breathing while you’re running isn’t the easiest thing in the world, even when you’re running slow,” Isaac adds. “When you start to have those panic attacks, you’re short of breath from that, you’re short of breath from running, and it just completely spirals out of control. I just remember feeling totally out of control of what was going on in my life and out of control of what was happening with my body at that point in time.”

Michele Kerulis, Ed.C., L.C.P.C., who’s certified with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and a professor of counseling at the Family Institute at Northwestern University, explains that panic attacks are caused by intense fears, concerns, or anxiety. And while these feelings are perpetrated by the mind, they can result in equally intense physical symptoms—like increased heart rate, breathing, and sweating—much like the ones Isaac experienced.

"Running in and of itself does not cause someone to slip into a panic attack—it’s more likely the runner’s thought process quickly snowballs from a small uncomfortable thought into a full-blown panic attack,” Kerulis tells Runner’s World. “For example, if someone has a fear of dogs and sees a dog on their running route, that person might have an automatic thought such as, ‘that dog is going to attack me,’ which leads to feeling intense fear, which can result in a panic attack.”

She points out that from a psychological perspective, when someone experiences a panic attack, it’s the body’s primitive response saying, “I feel like I really need to protect myself right now, I’m scared.” This reaction can then spearhead a physiological response that mimics the one that occurs while you’re running. 

“At that point, you experience increased respiration, you’re breathing harder, your heart rate goes up, you’re sweating, [you have] increased blood flow to your muscles—those are the exact same things that happen when you’re running. It’s the exact same physiological response as a panic attack,” says Kerulis. “So you’re having those same, almost ‘alert type’ of neurotransmitters in your brain, telling your body to accelerate. Even though the circumstances are very different, physiologically we’re experiencing those same things.”

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While Isaac says very few things will help her get out of a panic attack once one ensues, she has one method that seems to, at the very least, stabilize her symptoms and prevent them from exacerbating any further.

“When it happens, a lot of times what I end up doing is I usually end up counting all of the seconds until I calm down [while still running]. Sometimes I end up counting seconds for three miles. And then I’m like, okay, I’m fine now,” she says. “I do that during races, too. If I’m starting to freak out and get to that part of the race where I don’t know if I can keep going, I count seconds.” 

As Kerulis points out, running might reduce some symptoms of anxiety, but it won’t eliminate the thought process that triggers anxious reactions. Still, there are some elements that are learned from running that may soothe you in moments where you begin to feel frightened.

"Running has helped a lot of people develop skills to control their physiological symptoms, which can help them with body-to-mind relaxation techniques that are helpful when they feel as if they will experience a panic attack,” says Kerulis. 

Despite how terrifying these panic attacks are when they occur while running—not to mention the uncertainty of when they will happen during her run—Isaac remains grateful for the sport.

“If running kind of stirs up some anxiety for me, on one hand, yeah it’s unfortunate that it’s plaguing a part of my life that’s always been such a big stress relief for me,” she says. “But, if it takes some anxiety and panic attacks on runs for me to realize that there are things in my life that I need to address that I’m trying to shove under the rug, then I’m kind of okay with that.”

For those who experience regular bouts of anxiety, there are ways you can consciously restructure your own physiology while running so that you can better prevent slipping into that panicked state. Kerulis says that mental health providers often use mind-to-body as well as body-to-mind techniques to help people manage their cognitive (mind and thoughts) and physiological (body) reactions to anxiety. 

What is a mind-to-body technique?

“In the example above where a runner sees a dog on their route, once they notice their automatic thought, ‘that dog is going to attack me,’ they can work to stop the thought from snowballing by saying ‘stop!’ to themselves. Then [they can] rationalize the situation with a new, restructured thought like, ‘I know I’m scared right now, but that person seems to have control over their walk with their dog—I am safe,’” says Kerulis. “This will allow the person to slow down their thoughts and refocus on enjoying their run.”

She adds that picking up a meditation practice is another way you can gain control of your thought processes, as it can produce a calming effect. 

What is a body-to-mind technique?

Kerulis explains that this method encourages people to address their physiological symptoms of a panic attack head-on and allows them to focus on de-escalating those physical feelings. So, once someone can identify what they feel in their body—both when they're having a panic attack and when they’re running—they can begin to separate the two sensations and regain a sense of control.

“When someone is sprinting, for example, they will have heavy breathing and need to learn how to manage breath control to gain skills as a sprinter,” says Kerulis. “The same breath control can be used when someone feels a panic attack coming on. This way, people can focus more on their bodies and less on their minds at that moment. Once the wave of anxiety passes, they can re-evaluate the situation that triggered the anxious feelings.” 

The bottom line

Consciously employing both mind-to-body and body-to-mind techniques while running may be the answer to staving off the onset of a panic attack. As Kerulis notes, regular exercise can help you understand your body’s responses to stress. 

“Once you have a familiarity with your body’s responses, you can learn ways to slow down these responses, which will also help you gain a sense of control,” she says. 

Kenya’s six-pronged attack will headline on the streets of London

This years’ edition of the London Marathon has attracted a smaller field, but the race is nevertheless expected to be competitive when the athletes line up in the English capital on October 3.

This year’s race is taking place at a time the world is still battling the coronavirus pandemic which has forced organizers to shift the race from the traditional month of April to October.

Compared to last year, only six athletes from Kenya will compete in the race.

Vincent Kipchumba, Titus Ekiru and Valencia Marathon champion Evans Chebet will line up in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, defending champion Brigid Kosgei who is also the Olympics silver medalist will team up with reigning New York Marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei and Frankfurt Marathon champion Valary Jemeli.

Last year, the race was held in a bio-secure bubble at the St James Park in London. As a precautionary measure against the possible spread of Covid-19, no fans were allowed to cheer the athletes along the route during the race.

Ethiopia’s log distance running legend Kenenisa Bekele pulled out of the men’s race at the last minute due to a calf injury he had picked in training.

More disappointments were to follow as pre-race favorite Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya who is also the world marathon record holder finished in eighth position, clocking 2 hours, 06 minutes and 49 seconds.

Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata (2:05:41) claimed victory in a sprint finish with Kenya’s Vincent Kipchumba (2:05:42) who, nevertheless, had to contend with second place. Ethiopian runner Sisay Lemma clocked 2:05:45 to finish third.

In the women’s category, Kosgei retained her title after winning in 2:18:58 ahead of United States of America’s Sara Hall who timed 2:22:01.

Reigning world marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich was third in 2:22:05.

To minimize the chance of contracting Covid-19, Kenyan athletes who were to participate in the race jetted out of the country in the same flight.

Athletes and members of their technical teams also boarded the same flight. The aeroplane carrying athletes was scheduled to pick more athletes in Addis Ababa, before heading to Athens for a scheduled stop over. The team would then head straight to London’s Stanstead Airport.

Pacemakers and elite athletes with their technical support teams were ferried in a 56-seater plane which landed at the Eldoret International Airport a day before the scheduled date of travel.

The crew who were six in number, spent the night at The Boma Inn Hotel in Eldoret.

Speaking exclusively to Nation Sport in Eldoret at the time, captain Julian Mogg who isin charge of the flight, said that he was delighted to fly athletics champions to London whom he has been seeing on television.

“We are delighted to fly the athletes who will compete in the London Marathon. I’m happy because I will be able to see them during the flight,” Mogg said at the time.

The London Marathon route is iconic and runs from Black heath in the south east of London to the finish line at The Mall.

Athletes will be able to go through Greenwich before passing over the Thames as they cross the Tower Bridge before going through central London. They will pass the Canary Wharf and famous landmarks such as the London Eye and Big Ben.

The athletes will then turn to Buckingham Palace, and follow a stretch of The Mall to reach the finish line.

Grandfather Harmander Singh who struggled to walk down the stairs after contracting Covid-19 is preparing to run his 37th consecutive London Marathon.

Harmander Singh, 62, from Ilford, tested positive for coronavirus in January.

The retired local authority worker has run 163 marathons over the years but said he felt “doddery” after overcoming the virus and it took him four months to get back to running.

He said he lost 12lbs in a week while he had Covid-19.

Describing his illness, he said: “In all my life that I’ve been working I’ve never had a day off sick, so it was a new experience for me. I couldn’t breath.”

He did not go to hospital, instead isolating in an upstairs guestroom in the family home.

“After my isolation period finished, I found it a struggle to even come down the stairs,” he said.

There wasn’t any moment when I said I’m going to give up but I was becoming more realistic about what my chances were of ever running a marathon again. But I was determined

“I took it one step at a time and was a bit doddery.

“I started walking a bit more each day. It was a struggle.

“There wasn’t any moment when I said I’m going to give up but I was becoming more realistic about what my chances were of ever running a marathon again. But I was determined.”

He said that running the London Marathon will be the “biggest stepping stone to being normal again”.

“London is my favorite by far,” he said.

“It’s not just because I’m a Londoner it’s genuinely the best race in the world.

Mr Singh, whose personal best time for a marathon is three hours 11 minutes at a race in Manchester said he has no target time for the London Marathon on October 3.

“I’m going to, for the first time in so long, genuinely going to just enjoy it,” he said.

Mr Singh is club president of the Sikhs In The City running group, which he described as the “only Asian-led athletics club in the UK”.

He is coach to 110-year-old Fauja Singh, who he said is the world’s oldest marathon runner – running his first marathon aged 89 and his last aged 101.

This year’s London Marathon will be Mr Singh’s 164th marathon in total.

He has also completed the Great North Run every year for the last 37 years and said he wants to continue with both races until he is 74, meaning he will have run 50 of each.

“But that’s not within my gift, it’s up to god,” he said.

Kenya´s Nancy Kiprop takes inspiration from Covid-19 stigma ahead of New York Marathon

Three-time Vienna Marathon champion Nancy Kiprop has recounted the tough times she and her family underwent after fake news spread that her husband, Joseph Chelimo, had died of Covid-19. 

Her ordeal was worsened by the fact that Chelimo has been all the while battling for his life in the intensive care unit at Mediheal Hospital, for close to a month. 

She said her mental health took a big hit from the rumours and she had to stop training for a while. 

"When the bad news started spreading that my husband was dead due to Covid-19, it really affected my training. I went into depression for about a week but I had to stand firm for my family and career. I had to start my training and be there for my husband,” Kiprop says. 

Such rumours, she says, was so disheartening and a big burden to bear especially for their daughter, who was looking forward to her father's recovery.

Kiprop regretted how 'mourners' kept streaming into their home asking about the burial arrangements which threw her family, including their five adopted children into agony.

"People even used to flock to my shop in Iten, requesting to know the burial date. I was forced to close down the shop," she recounts. 

“As a family, we expected people, friends, family members and wellwishers to spread the good news of healing but it was the opposite. It has been so disheartening to realise we are living with people, whom we thought are friends and family, only to for them to celebrate when we are in trouble,” explained Kiprop.

“In fact, our young children have been thinking that I have been hiding information from them. They have been really affected, especially their studies. One of them has forfeited going to school because of what she has been hearing from her friends and neighbours,” she explained.  

“My daughter is only 22 years and she’s still young to absorb such bad news when she knows the truth.

Besides the shop, Kiprop was forced to keep away from a school she runs, also in Iten, due to the stigmatisation she would suffer from the students and teachers every time she was around. 

“I own a school but I had to quit going there. Everyone, including the children, believed that my husband had died of Covid-19 and all they did was run away from me. They believed their director (myself) was a sick person but I thank God all is well now,” Kiprop says.

As the sole breadwinner, Kiprop says she had to remain strong for the sake of her family, amid a flurry of condolence messages. 

She also had to take on additional responsibilities and decide on major phases in their children's lives, such as admitting their son to Rift Valley Technical Training Institute as well as their daughter to high school.

“With all these laid upon me, I had to make sure I was sober enough to handle it. Imagine receiving a condolence message yet the man is still struggling in hospital. It is better to get first-hand information before spreading such messages,” she says. 

She explains that she was also financially drained.

“I am so burdened and the little savings I had has been spent in hospital. However, my manager has been of great help. When I am down, he comes in handy. He understands that I have adopted five children, he mentors me, supports me. He is a God-sent to me. He is a pillar not just in my career but my life,” she said.

The women’s race at the BMW Berlin Marathon on Sunday is looking increasingly like an attack on the course record

The best time to date was set three years ago when the Kenyan Gladys Cherono ran 2:18:11. Half-a-dozen women will be on the start line who have run under 2:25 and among them is the Ethiopian Hiwot Gebrekidan, the fastest women in the world this year thanks to her personal best of 2:19:35 in winning the Milan title in April.

In the light of the continung Corona pandemic the number of starters for this year has been considerably reduced. Around 25,000 runners are expected to compete on Sunday. The BMW Berlin Marathon will take place under strict hygiene rules.

Any participant on the start line must have been vaccinated, or recovered from the virus or be able to produce a negative PCR test. Over 90% of runners entered have been vaccinated. Spectators on the course will also be requested to maintain social distance and wear a mask covering nose and mouth.

“I’ve been preparing for the BMW Berlin Marathon for a long time and want to run my personal best on Sunday,” said Hiwot Gebrekidan at Thursday’s press conference in Berlin. When pressed as to what pace she would like, the 26-year-old answered: “I’d actually like to hold back in the first half. But I nevertheless plan to go through halfway in just under 69 minutes.” Such a split at halfway would put Hiwot Gebrekidan not only in contention for the course record but also the Ethiopian national record, currently held by Worknesh Degefa with her time of 2:17:41 in Dubai in 2019.

Her fellow Ethiopian Shure Demise also has a personal best in her sights. She is a highly experienced marathon runner, having run a dozen of them. “I’ve spoken with other women runners and know what a fast course is Berlin. I have high expectations for myself and want to break my personal record,” said Shure Demise, whose best currently stands at 2:20:59 and could well go under 2:20 for the first time.

“2:20 remains a breakthrough target for women in the marathon,” said the race director Mark Milde, adding in response to Hiwot Gebrekidan’s announcement of going for a super-fast time at halfway: “We’ll have to wait and see what times are actually run. But a pace like that would certainly suit us. And a course record would be great.”

A woman who has been a late addition to the elite field in Berlin but is capable of a surprise is Fancy Chemutai. The Kenyan has a best of 2:24:27 and will be running only her second marathon. If she were able to convert her enormous potential to good effect in the classic distance she may well be in contention for the win. Her half marathon best of 64:52 makes her the seventh fastest woman at the distance of all time. No other woman on the Berlin start list has such a fast half marathon performance.

Rabea Schöneborn from the local club LG Nord Berlin will be running a marathon for the first time in her home town. The 27-year-old improved her best to 2:27:03 in April in her second race at the distance, missing selection for the Olympics by just nine seconds. This inadvertently created the opportunity of turning that preparation to potentially good effect at the BMW Berlin Marathon. “Berlin is definitely a highlight, I’m really looking forward to Sunday. Up to now I’ve only had the experience of elite marathons but now I can see and feel what’s it like to be part of a big city marathon. Having spectators will definitely give me a lift,” said Rabea Schöneborn.

The Berlin athlete hopes to take advantage of the fast course and what looks likely to be excellent weather conditions to improve her best time. “I always try to hold back a little so I can run the second half faster. That’s also the plan on Sunday,” explained Rabea Schöneborn. Nevertheless, she is still looking at a fast halfway split: “Something between 73:10 and 73:20 is the plan.”

Around the Bay Road Race plans to return in March of 2022

Today, the Around the Bay 30K road race announced that in-person racing will return, for its 127th edition, in March of 2022.

The in-person 30K race in Hamilton, ON, will take place on Sunday, March 27, 2022. There will also be a virtual 2K, 5K, 10K and 15K offered for all who cannot make it to Hamilton or are not ready to return to in-person racing. The virtual race submission period runs from March 1, 2022, to March 26, 2022, and the 2022 virtual times will be included in the official race results.

“It’s been quite the journey but it looks like there is a light at the end of this tunnel, and we are looking forward to welcoming runners back to the historic Around the Bay race in March 2022,” said organizers in the press release.

Although this edition of the race will be different than the 126-editions before, race organizers will try to provide a memorable Around the Bay experience filled with history and tradition for runners.

The course and field size of the in-person race still has to be determined, depending on the public health parameters in the new year.  Registrants can expect an announcement on the logistics of the event closer to race day.

There will be restrictions on registration for Around the Bay, and those who chose to defer their entry in 2020 and 2021, get the first opportunity to register for the 2022 Bay race

UTMB bans painkillers at all events including ibuprofen, before or during any UTMB races

The organizers of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) World Series will be banning the use of painkillers within 24 hours and during all races. This includes all non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen. The announcement was made after the UTMB’s Quartz Event health program carried out post-event drug tests for the first time this year and three athletes’ samples contained NSAIDs.

The Quartz Event health program was set up in 2008 to protect the health of participants and contribute to clean sport. The rules of the program align with the banned substance list set out by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) but goes a couple of steps further. Under the Quartz medical rules, athletes must not compete in any race if they have violated any of the following regulations:

Within 60 days before the start of the competition and during the competition: 

Intravenous iron infusions

Within 7 days before the start of the competition and during the competition:

Intravenous infusion

Gas inhalation

Substance subject to a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) according to the WADA Prohibited List

All glucocorticoids regardless of the mode of administration

Thyroid synthesis hormones except in case of partial or total removal of the thyroid or hypothyroidism of medical origin.

Within 24 hours before the start of the competition and during the competition:

All beta-2-agonists regardless of the mode of administration

All painkillers including Tramadol and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) regardless of the mode of administration

All substances included in the WADA Monitoring Program

After the 2021 UTMB final, three athletes out of 30 who were tested had NSAIDs in their samples. The organizers did not disqualify the athletes because the rules were only implemented this year, it was their first violation and there was an assumed lack of knowledge of the new regulations. Moving forward, however, all races will be employing the Quartz Event program and any athletes found in violation of the rules will be automatically disqualified.

Why are painkillers being banned?

According to Doctor Patrick Basset, the medical director of Dokever, the company that manages the medical teams at all UTMB events, these regulations have been put in place to protect athletes from the dangers of self-medicating. “the most frequent type of self-medication seen is to treat two types of symptoms: osteoarticular pain and digestive problems,” he explains on the UTMB website. “As a consequence, the main medicines concerned are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID), anti-diarrhea or anti-vomiting medicines.”

He continues to explain that in the context of a long-lasting endurance race, taking anti-inflammatories could be toxic to the kidneys and cause rhabdomyolysis, which is the excessive breakdown of muscle tissue to dangerous levels, potentially leading to renal insufficiency. This is even more likely to happen when combined with dehydration, hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and hypotension (a drop in blood pressure).

Many athletes are criticizing the ban as going too far since the Quartz program refers to these new rules as “legal doping,” and NSAIDs are not banned by WADA.

Olympic Marathon Bronze Medalist Bashir Abdi is planning to chase the European record in the NN Rotterdam Marathon on October 24

Less than three months after battling to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, Bashir Abdi is planning to chase the European record in the NN Rotterdam Marathon on October 24.

Abdi is the second fastest European performer in history with his 2:04:49 clocking from the 2020 Tokyo Marathon where he finished second but the Belgian is looking to run even faster in Rotterdam next month with Kaan Kigen Ozbilen’s European record of 2:04:16 the foremost target.

"Rotterdam is the city of the marathon for me. It has a fast course and the organization is always excellent. Additionally Rotterdam feels like a home match for me. I don't get that anywhere else. If I have any chance of beating the European record anywhere, then it is here but I will have to do my very best for it," said Abdi as quoted by the race organisers.

After a solid track career, Abdi stepped up to the marathon distance in 2018. He made his debut in Rotterdam and placed a creditable sixth in 2:10:46 when the event was held in its traditional springtime slot, a performance made all the more impressive by the fact Abdi fell at the start and grazed his knees in the melee.

Now coached by Gary Lough, the husband of Paula Radcliffe and also the coach of Mo Farah, Abdi broke his lifetime best in his next three marathons which culminated with a sub-2:05 performance in the Tokyo Marathon in March 2020 just before the spread of coronavirus shut down the sporting world.

And despite the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, Abdi carried this stellar form through to the rescheduled Games this summer by winning bronze to become the first Belgian to win a medal in the marathon since the great Karel Lismont in Montreal 1976. 

This year’s edition of the Rotterdam Marathon marks the 40th edition of an event which has produced record-breaking performances in its long and illustrious history.

In 1988, Belayneh Dinsamo from Ethiopia set a world record of 2:06:50 which stood on the record books for a decade. On the women's side, Kenya's Tegla Loroupe also set a world record of 2:20:48 in the 1998 edition.

The course records now stand at 2:04:11 to Kenya’s Marius Kipserem on the men’s side and 2:18:58 to Ethiopia’s Tiki Gelana on the women’s side.

IOC plans to move away from its current approach to protect and promote intersex and transgender athletes due to conflicting opinions

The International Olympic Committee has delayed its decision on addressing the fairness and inclusion of women’s sports at the Olympic Games, and the protection of transgender athletes during competition.

The IOC wanted to reach a decision before the 2022 Winter Games, but it has now been delayed due to conflicting opinions.

The news was revealed by the IOC’s Science and Medical Director, Dr. Richard Budgett, who wants to prioritize inclusion for international sports federations.

The current guideline from 2015 states that trans-women can compete in the women’s category if they choose to reduce their testosterone levels for 12 months below 10 nanomoles per litre.

However, for the IOC to protect the human rights of an intersex or transgender athlete during competition, the policy needs to shift.

In Tokyo 2020, DSD-athlete Christine Mboma and Francine Niyonsaba had to compete outside of their middle distance events due to high testosterone regulations, and 2016 800m gold medallist Caster Semenya (also a DSD athlete) failed to qualify for the Games outside of her discipline.

The plan is to move away from the current approach to protect and promote intersex and transgender athletes in competitions. The idea is to allow trans-women to compete in the women’s category without having gender reassignment surgery, as long as they can keep their testosterone levels low.

When the IOC and World Athletics choose to make their decision, international federations will have to follow suit to determine specific rules for each sport.

Covid Protocols Announced for 2021 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend

Masking will be required for all indoor spaces and in select higher-density outdoor settings at Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend which kicks off Friday, October 1, and runs through Sunday, October 3, in Minneapolis and St. Paul.  

The event, which is being held with reduced field sizes across its races and with extra space for social distancing, announced finalized Covid protocols for the event. Masking will be required for participants, event officials and volunteers: 

·        At the Health & Fitness Expo at Saint Paul RiverCentre on October 1-2 

·        At other indoor facilities associated with the event, including enclosed tents 

·        On race transportation vehicles, including buses to the start line 

·        In outdoor start area corrals where runners gather before their races 

·        In outdoor finish line walk-off area 

Additionally, because most youth participants have not been vaccinated, masks will be required for all participants, volunteers, staff, and other attendees in the registration and race packet pick-up area for the Medtronic TC Family Events, TC 10K, presented by Dermatology Consultants, and TC 5K, presented by Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., on Saturday, October 2. 

Runners will not be required to wear masks while they run their races. 

“We take health seriously, we take safety seriously and we take Covid-19 and the Delta variant seriously,” Twin Cities In Motion Executive Director Virginia Brophy Achman said. “Our staff and medical team have been preparing for this event since the pandemic emerged. We’ve worked with the Minnesota Department of Health, an internationally respected crowd scientist and with local and national industry peers, including the Minnesota Running Industry Covid Task Force, to design the right safety measures for our event. We wanted to do everything we could to help our participants feel confident when they are at our event.” 

Additionally, event organizers have taken steps to reduce high-density gathering situations, by staggering start area arrival times, moving gear check drop off to the expo from the start area, and transforming formerly tented areas into open-air spaces when appropriate.  

“We are asking participants, volunteers, and staff at the event to be considerate of others’ comfort level and maintain distance from people outside their household,” Brophy Achman added. “The running community has always shown fellowship and respect for one another, so we’re confident that spirit will prevail during this unique edition of the event.” 

The event’s comprehensive COVID-19 Policies and Procedures document may be read here.

Despite the safety precautions, the event will still offer the spirit and energy Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon is known for. More than 18,000 participants will enjoy races on Saturday and Sunday, October 2-3. Local mascots will still race on Saturday at the Medtronic TC Family Events, marathon runners will enjoy personalized, recorded cheers and greetings from friends and family via a large Cheer Channel video screen at the 18.5 mile mark, and all race finishers of legal drinking age will earn a free Summit beer at the finish line beer garden. 

The return of the event to the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul after its one-year hiatus will also reestablish an important fundraising platform for dozens of local nonprofits who use the marathon to raise money and awareness of their organizations. Runners raised more than $1 million at the last in-person edition of the race in 2019.  

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. Friday, October 1, with the opening of the Health & Fitness Expo at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, continuing through Saturday evening. Running kicks off at 7:15 a.m. Saturday, October 2, at the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul with the TC 10K, presented by Dermatology Consultants, followed by the TC 5K, presented by Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. and the Medtronic TC Family Events. 

The Medtronic TC 10 Mile will kick off Sunday racing at 7 a.m. from downtown Minneapolis with the 2021 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon following at 8 a.m. Both races finish at the State Capitol grounds.

Former Africa cross country champion Leonard Barsoton ready for challenge as he debuts marathon in Boston

Leonard Barsoton is targeting an upset win at next month's Boston Marathon when he comes up against the big names in the road races.

Barsoton will be debuting in the full marathon after specialising in the 10,000m and the half marathon and believes he is more than equipped to cross the finish line first on October 11.

"It is not all about big names at the starting line-up but the level of preparedness. I have been training and I am still training for the race,” Barsoton said.

He added: "I have decided to venture into marathon because my body is fit enough for the big challenge. My preparation is good and I am taking one step at a time to ensure I get top position in a race on my marathon debut."

The former African 10,000m silver medalist said a win at the World Majors' race, which is one of the most competitive worldwide, will provide him with more impetus for the upcoming World Championships in Oregon, where he is also eyeing the top gong.

"My target is to win the Boston marathon, which will be my ticket for World championships. As much as I am making my debut, it will not be as easy,” the Iten-based runner said.

If he is to pull off a shock win, the world cross country junior silver medalist will have to take his performance to another level, having encountered mixed fortunes in the half marathon thus far.

In Boston, he will be up against compatriots, former Toronto Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, three- time Amsterdam marathon champion and Wilson Chebet.

Others are Felix Kipkoech, Felix Kiprotich, two-time Paris marathon champion Paul Lonyangata, former world marathon champion Geoffrey Kirui and David Bett, who will also be making his debut.

World record-holder Mary Keitany retires due to back injury

Kenyan running great Mary Keitany announced her retirement on Wednesday (22) after a stellar career which saw her win the London Marathon on three occasions and the New York Marathon four times, as well as triumph at the 2009 World Half Marathon Championships.

Keitany, 39, also still holds the marathon world record for a women-only race, having clocked a stunning 2:17:01 when winning the third of her London Marathon titles in 2017.

“After my successful 2019, when I had some good results including second place in New York, I was hopeful that I could still be very competitive internationally for several more years, even though I am in my late 30s,” said Keitany, who is third on the world all-time list for the marathon.

“However, I’m sad to say, a back injury that I suffered in late 2019 made a decision about my retirement for me. I couldn’t get the treatment I wanted in Europe because of the pandemic-related travel restrictions last year and every time I thought I had got over the injury and started training hard, it became a problem again. So now is the time to say goodbye – if only as an elite runner – to the sport I love so much.”

Keitany first came to global attention in 2007, after local success in Kenya the previous year, with a series of good performances in European half marathons which then earned her a place in the Kenyan team at that year’s World Half Marathon Championships. A silver medal at the 2007 edition of that event, and team gold, was followed by more than a decade among the very best of the world’s road runners, even with breaks in 2008 and 2013 to give birth to her children Jared and Samantha.

Keitany won the 2009 world half marathon title in Birmingham by more than a minute in 1:06:36, at the time the second-fastest mark ever on a record-legal course and an African record. She also led Kenya to the team gold medals.

After finishing third in New York on her marathon debut in 2010, her first major marathon win came in her next race over the classic distance when she triumphed at the 2011 London Marathon and further victories in the British capital came in 2012 and 2017.

She will also be remembered fondly for her three impressive consecutive wins at the New York Marathon between 2014 and 2016 before winning in the Big Apple again in 2018.

Other accolades include setting a world half marathon record of 1:05:50 at the 2011 RAK Half Marathon, fourth place in the London 2012 Olympic Games marathon, and she continues to hold the women-only 25km world best of 1:19:43, set during her triumphant 2017 London Marathon run. She set her half marathon PB of 1:04:55 in 2018, which at the time ranked her third on the world all-time list.

“As for the future, I haven’t fully decided on my plans but I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family,” said Keitany. “My children are currently 13 and eight. In addition, I am involved with some local charitable enterprises.”

Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon returns in February next year

Ras Al Khaimah: Ras Al Khaimah, the nature-based Emirate with an exceptional track record for hosting world class adventure and sporting experiences is set to host the return of the fastest half marathon in the world — the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on Friday, Feb.18, 2022.

Returning for its 15th edition, the race welcomes back elite athletes, running enthusiasts and amateurs from across the globe, to participate in the world’s fastest half marathon. Taking place on Marjan Island, the adrenaline-charged event will include four established categories: Half Marathon, Half Marathon Relay for teams of two, 5 km and a 1km fun run. Set to attract a world classfield of top road runners, the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon will attract participants of all abilities and ages, with the goal of inspiring young sporting talent and encouraging the wider community to get active.

Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: “Aligned with the continued recovery of the Emirate, we are delighted to welcome back an incredible line-up of elite athletes, as well as residents and visitors from across the globe, to the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February 2022.

“We are extremely proud to have hosted this prestigious race for 15 editions, making the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon one of the most anticipated events on the global sporting calendar, adding to an expansive portfolio of world-class sporting events hosted in the Emirate.

“We look forward to showcasing our stunning landscape and renowned hospitality to participants and spectators as they enjoy the world’s fastest half marathon,” Phillips added.

CEO of RCS Sports and Events Michele Napoli, said: “We are delighted to announce the new 2022 date for the hugely popular Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon. Once again, it is an honour to support Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority as this fantastic race returns to Marjan Island on February 18, 2022.

“The Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon has undoubtedly grown from strength to strength, with each edition gaining traction on both a regional and international scale, and we cannot wait for participants to experience the highly anticipated 2022 edition. We look forward to announcing our all-new offers for runners shortly, and to welcoming an incredible line-up of elite athletes. The Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience for everyone.’’

Kenenisa Bekele will lead the entries for Sunday’s BMW Berlin Marathon

When Kenenisa Bekele lines up for the BMW Berlin Marathon this weekend (Sept 26) it marks the beginning of an unprecedented period of marathon racing. Due to Covid-related postponements, five of the six Marathon Majors will be staged within a 42-day period. If you’re a fan of the classic 26.2-mile distance, you are in for a feast.

Bekele is clearly excited by the prospect as he is racing in not just one but two of these races. After Berlin on Sunday he will attempt to recover and re-boot before tackling the New York City Marathon in early November.

Here is how the autumn marathon period plays out…

Sept 26 – BerlinOct 3 – LondonOct 10 – ChicagoOct 11 – BostonNov 7 – New York

Tokyo Marathon, which is also one of the Marathon Majors, was due to take place on October 17 too, but has been called off due to the pandemic. However the TCS Amsterdam Marathon is still on October 17 – and this Dutch race often sees fast times.

First comes Berlin, though. Bekele has not raced since March last year and during this time he has seen his world 5000m and 10,000m records fall to Joshua Cheptegei. Last October he was due to race in London but withdrew on the eve of the race with a calf injury. He is now aged 39 but don’t write him off. People thought he was a spent force in 2019 but he came within two seconds of the world record with 2:01:41 in Berlin.

“I will come back with good energy and motivation,” says Bekele. “The last race in Berlin motivated me a lot, so I hope I will fulfil my plan this year.”

Bekele will be among around 25,000 runners in Berlin as mass participation road running emerges from the pandemic. His opposition on Sunday includes Guye Adola, an Ethiopian who ran the world’s fastest ever debut marathon of 2:03:46 in Berlin four years ago but has struggled to improve since.

There is also Eliud Kiptanui of Kenya, who has run 2:05:21, plus a further eight men who have run inside 2:07 such as Philemon Kacheran and Festus Talam of Kenya, Olika Adugna and Tadu Abate of Ethiopia, plus Hidekazu Hijikata of Japan.

Adugna won his debut marathon in Dubai in 2:06:15 while Hijikata took the Lake Biwa Marathon victory earlier this year.

The women’s race, meanwhile, includes Hiwot Gebrekidan, who won the Milan Marathon this year in 2:19:35, plus fellow Ethiopian Shure Demise, together with Kenyans Fancy Chemutai and Purity Rionoripo.

Just seven days after Berlin, the Virgin Money London Marathon takes place with the fields led by women’s world record-holder Brigid Kosgei together with fellow Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei and Ethiopians Roza Dereje and Birhane Dibaba.

The men’s race in London features Ethiopians Shura Kitata, Mosinet Geremew and Birhanu Legese plus Kenyans Titus Ekiru and Evans Chebet, whereas Brits like Charlotte Purdue and Jonny Mellor will create plenty of home interest.

Chicago includes world champion Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya in the women’s race alongside American hope Sarah Hall, while another home nation hope, Galen Rupp, takes on Ethiopians Getaneh Molla and Seifu Tura in the men’s race.

Five Ways to Mentally Prepare for a Race

You’ve put in the training miles. You kept up with the cross training and core work. And you have made it to race with injury free. What else can you do to help make sure you are ready to run a successful race? How about working on your mental strategy? It’s just as important to mentally prepare for a race as it is to do all the other little things.

1.- Prepare for a Race with Visualization.

Before the race spend some time picturing yourself running the race. Imagine yourself at different points in the course. Think about powering through the uphills, being cheered on by the crowds, and crossing the finish line with a smile on your face. Also think about the struggles you may endure and how you will overcome them.

2.- Use Positive Self-Talk as a Mental Strategy.

This is a strategy you can practice before the race (in any area of your life) and the use on race day. I wrote a post a few years ago about “BLUE” thoughts. The idea is that you learn to recognize some of the unhelpful thoughts and then replace them with a true thought. I like to say to myself “what would I tell a friend who was having this negative thought?” Often times it’s easier to help someone else to stay positive than it is for us to do it for ourselves. I gave some more details in examples in that post so if you are interested you should check it out!

3.- Prepare for a Race with Relaxation.

Relaxation is a strategy that can be used in many areas of our lives but there isn’t one strategy that will work for everyone. When I get stressed out I notice the physical symptoms in my body (and also my mind). While the above strategies more directly calm the mind, it’s all connected. So if you do something to relax your body, like deep breathing, yoga, going for a walk, etc. it should also help to relax your mind. The reverse is usually true as well. 

I like to focus on my breathing as a way to relax. This is something that can be done in any situation, even during a race. Often times in yoga we hear “come back to your breath”. It’s comforting to know that no matter what you can always come back to your breath. Deep breathing can be helpful for relaxation if you’re in the right situation. (This won’t really work when you are racing). However, practicing these skills leading up to the race will help you to use the strategies you need during the race.

4.- Remember Past Races as a Mental Strategy.

Take some time to reflect back on other races. What went well? What was a struggle for you? Think about times in the race when you struggled mentally. If you could go back in time, what would you do differently? You can even use the visualization technique to imagine yourself getting through that moment more successfully. Remind yourself of the feeling of accomplishment after putting it all out there in a race. 

5.- Choose a Mantra to Mentally Prepare for a Race.

Having a mantra will give you something to say to yourself when the race gets challenging. Before the Philadelphia Marathon I chose “Run Strong”because it made me remember to focus on physical and mental strength (good form, smart pacing, and positive thinking). Once you have your mantra you can figure out a creative way to carry it with you on race day. I had a Momentum bracelet made, but you could even just write it on your hand. 

Hopefully these strategies will help you to stay mentally strong and focused during the race. Remember that there are a million factors that can come into play on race day and many are out of our control. Focus on the things you can control, and try to let the other stuff go and enjoy the experience!

Kenya´s Helah Kiprop eyes podium finish in Boston Marathon after long hiatus

Former Tokyo marathon champion Helah Kiprop says she is going for nothing less than a top finish at October's Boston Marathon on her return from maternity leave. 

Kiprop said she is raring to go and hungry for glory despite being out of action for a long time. 

The 2015 world marathon silver medalist has been training Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County under head coach David Marus. 

"It has been a while since I competed in a race and this time, I hope I will run well.  Three years out of competition is quite a long time but that has not killed my spirit; am still  strong. I am training hard to ensure I get good results,” Kiprop said.

In June, she was among hundreds of athletes who ran in the Eldoret City Marathon although the 2014 Seoul Marathon champion said the race was simply a test drive for her body. 

“I was at the Eldoret City marathon not for the prize money but to gauge my speed and form. That is why I did not  finish the race. From my assessment, I was fit and ready for more major races,” she said.

Kiprop also competed at last year's edition of the Boston Marathon, which was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

In this year's edition, she will face off with fellow countrywomen, former champion Ednah Kiplagat, Diana Chemtai, Purity Changwony, Caroline Chepkoech and Monica Wanjiru, among others.

She boasts a personal best of 2:27:29 — set at the Seoul Marathon in 2014. 

Three years after retirement, Shalane Flanagan will run Berlin, London, Chicago, Boston and one other marathon this fall

Nearly three years after Shalane Flanagan officially retired from elite racing, she’s toeing the line of her marquee event again — not once, but six times in 42 days. With five of the six World Major marathons coming up in the next few weeks, the 16-time national champion will be aiming to run each of them in less than three hours, and then to run a sixth to make up for the postponed Tokyo Marathon.

Because of delays caused by COVID-19, five of the six World Majors are being crammed into a tightly packed fall schedule. Flanagan’s marathon of marathons will start in Berlin on September 26, the same course where she ran her personal best of 2:21:14 in 2014 and became the fourth-fastest American marathon runner of all time.

She’ll have one week of recovery before heading to the U.K. to compete in the London Marathon, and from there she’ll return to North America where she’ll run the Chicago Marathon on October 10 and turn around the very next day to run the Boston Marathon on October 11.

The Tokyo Marathon was to be her next race on October 17, but organizers postponed the race again until March 2022. In its place, Flanagan will travel to Portland, Oregon to run her fifth marathon in four weeks.

She’ll then have three weeks of recovery before completing her challenge at the New York City Marathon on November 7. New York will be a special place to end her grueling series, since it was there that she became the first American woman to win the race in 40 years in 2017.

Flanagan retired from professional running in 2019, and since then has had two reconstructive knee surgeries, become a coach with the Bowerman Track Club and adopted a baby boy. In an interview with Self, she explained that she’s taken on this challenge as a way to “reunite” with running after retirement and knee surgery.

“I felt the need to set some goals again,” she said. “Realizing this was a once in a lifetime opportunity presenting itself, with six major world marathons in 42 days, I feel like I’m doing it for myself, for my son, and for young women to showcase the connection between mental and physical health and how important of a role athletics can play in your life.”

2021 Berlin marathon to atract 25,000 runners

Berlin Marathon organizers expect around 25,000 runners to take part on Sunday, making it the biggest marathon since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The event was cancelled last year because of the global health crisis but returns on the streets of the German capital.

"The time is ripe for us to send a signal to the outside world that we are still a sports metropolis," Juergen Lock, managing director of organiser SCC Events, said.

He expects more than 90 per cent of participants to be either fully vaccinated or to have recovered from a coronavirus infection.

All others must undergo a PCR test no earlier than 48 hours before the start.

Wearing masks in the start and finish areas is mandatory for runners, as well as for all spectators along the 42.195km course.

"All runners can run liberated," Lock said.

With two smaller events in recent weeks including a half marathon, the organizers have gained experience for the big event, which will be held on the same day as the German general election.

The most prominent runner is Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele.

The 39-year-old missed the world record of Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya by only two seconds in his victory in 2019 in two hours one minute 41 seconds.

Kipchoge set the mark in Berlin in 2018.

The women's field is led by Hiwot Gebrekidan, the Ethiopian who ran a year's best 2:19:35 in Milan.

Kenyans Langat Clement Kiprono and Peris Cherono Lagat won the men's and women's Rome Marathon, respectively, on Sunday

A one-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic didn't have a big impact on the victory stands at the Rome Marathon, with African runners continuing their long dominance of the race on Sunday, which was first run in 1982.

Kenyan Clement Langat Kiprono took the overall championship for the 42.2-kilometer (26.2-mile) race in 2 hours 8 minutes and 23 seconds. Kiprono came in five seconds ahead of Tanzanian Emmanuel Naibei, who finished in 2:08:28, followed by Ethiopian Ulfata Deresa Guleta, who took third in 2:08:42.

Kiprono's compatriot Peris Lagat Cherono won her race by a more comfortable margin, finishing in 2:29:29, well ahead of Judith Jurubet, also from Kenya, who crossed the finish line in 2:30:50, and Jifar Fantu Zewunde of Ethiopia, who finished in 2:32:02.

All told, more than 7,500 runners were on the early-morning starting line in the shadow of Rome's Colosseum. The city's mayor, Virginia Raggi, was the race's ceremonial starter.

Last year's race was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and this year's edition was pushed back from April, its normal spot on the calendar, for the same reason.

Runners who registered for the 2020 race were automatically entered in this year's edition, and race finishers were awarded two medals: one for 2020 and one for 2021.

Kiprono was the fifth consecutive Rome Marathon champion to run under 2 hours and 9 minutes in his victory, but he was still short of the course record of 2:07:17 set by countryman Benjamin Kiptoo in 2009. Cherono was also slower than the course record of 2:22:52 run by Ethiopian Alemu Megertu in 2019, the previous edition of the race.

African runners have won the men's title in 15 consecutive races, starting after Italian Alberico Di Cecco won in 2005, and they have won 12 straight races in the women's division, following the victory of Russian Galina Bogomolova in 2008. Cherono's win broke a six-race streak of victories by Ethiopian runners in the women's division.

ASICS and Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris renew partnership until 2025

Since a first partnership agreement signed for the 2009 edition of the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, the popular marathon has renewed its contract with ASICS for the third consecutive time. The new partnership will extend until 2025.

In a release, the event organiser noted… ‘A 16-year commitment (while waiting for more!) is a first in the history of the event and the Japanese brand that reaffirms through its loyalty the link it has with France and its capital city.’

ASICS, a leader in the running market, has experienced growth that follows along with the evolution of the premier running race in France. In 2019, 30,000 runners gathered at the start line on the Champs-Elysées, while 65,000 race numbers were sold for the 2020 race that was postponed, then cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since 2009, the event reports that nearly 150,000 runners have trusted ASICS to reach the finish line in Paris, making it the most popular brand.

Over the years a number of initiatives have aimed at accompanying all marathon runners in their challenge. These include: advice on choosing the right equipment, personalized training plans, etc.

Abu Dhabi Marathon makes return with $303,000 up (Dhs1.11 million) for grabs

Organizer, Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), and race title sponsor, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), have announced the race routes, prize purse and official T-shirt design for the third edition of the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon, set to take place on Nov.26 (Friday).

The announcement took place during a press conference held at the ADNOC Business Center on Sunday, and was attended by Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Andrea Trabuio, Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon Race Director and Kinan Abou Hamdan, Marketing Director of Nike Middle East and Gulf Marketing Group.

There are several race categories available for runners to choose from, including the individual 42.2KM marathon distance, a marathon relay for teams of two, 10KM, 5KM and 2.5KM, as well as a wheelchair race category.

As title sponsor, the marathon reinforces Adnoc’s commitment to elevating the health and wellbeing of the community as the company continues to support the UAE’s efforts to promote healthy lifestyles and achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal #3. 

The total prize fund for the 2021 Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon is worth $303,000 (Dhs1.11 million) and will be shared across the various categories, with both elite male and female marathon winners taking home $50,000 (Dhs183,500) each. 

A bonus cash of $30,000 is also being awarded, should they break the current course records of 2:04:40 and 2:21:01 for the male and female races respectively. Cash prizes of $ 8,500 and $ 11,000 will be awarded to winners of the wheelchair and 10 KM categories respectively.

Awani said: “The third edition of the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon is witnessing a great turnout of more than 4,000 participants, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. It’s an indication of the keenness and interaction of the Abu Dhabi community to participate in the event and express the extent of the growth and increase of runners in Abu Dhabi in particular, and the UAE in general.

“And with the launch of the upcoming event, Abu Dhabi once again proves its pioneering role in the sports industry, by hosting a large number of sporting events and earning praise for its organisational capabilities and infrastructure.

“We are delighted with the partnership with Adnoc which already embodies its corporate identity and its strategy through its sponsorship and support for the marathon and all global and community sporting events.

“We are also thankful for the presence of the sports brand Nike among the list of sponsors of the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon, as well as for the support of the Department of Community Development, General Command of Abu Dhabi Police, Department of Municipalities and Transport, Tadweer and Al Ain Water.

“Last but not the least, the authorities that worked to uphold all precautionary measures in order to ensure the safety of all participants.” Yaser Saeed Almazrouei, Adnoc Upstream Executive Director, added: “The unveiling of the race routes and prize fund for the third edition of the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon marks an important milestone as we prepare for the return of this unique community event. The size of this year’s fund is testament to Adnoc  and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s commitment to attracting world-class athletes to the event and encouraging community participation. The marathon is a perfect example of how Adnoc  is focused on making a positive and lasting contribution to the wellbeing of our community, through a diverse and integrated program of health and fitness initiatives.”

The 2021 Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon will start in front of the iconic Adnoc headquarters, offering direct views of the Founder’s Memorial, while runners participating in the 2.5KM, 5KM and 10KM races will begin in 18th Street.

Following the start gun, runners will head out along the Corniche and loop around Qasr Al Hosn, one of Abu Dhabi’s oldest and most beautiful historical stone buildings.

Participants will then pass the Emirates Heritage Village, home to one of the tallest flagpoles in the world, before making their way behind Marina Mall and up and down King Abdulla Street before returning to the Corniche for a final loop of Qasr Al Hosn.

Marathon runners will cross the finish line in the event village, located in the South Plaza of the Adnoc headquarters Campus, while all other participants will finish in 18th Street, opposite the Adnoc Welcome Center.

American man celebrates turning 80 by going for 80-mile run

This was the 40th consecutive year that Hoefgen used exercise to celebrate his birthday

Bernie Hoefgen of Eau Claire, Wis. turned 80 and instead of celebrating with a birthday cake, he celebrated the milestone by doing something that not many could do, running 80 miles (130 kilometres).

This was the 40th consecutive year that Hoefgen used extensive exercise to celebrate turning another page on the calendar. The 80-mile journey took him over four days to complete.

In an interview with the Indiana Gazette, Hoefgen said that he began this running tradition when he turned 40 in 1981, as a way to promote physical activity among adults. Although it’s turned into a walk/jog for Hoefgen due to his age, the distance is remarkable.

He usually treks alone and carries his food in a small backpack. He will take the occasional break to eat at a restaurant or hit the convenience store for hydration and snacks.

Hoefgen has been training every day over the past couple of years to prepare for his 80th birthday journey. Each year, he has changed the route but he especially enjoys the trails around Eau Claire.

British marathon runners went the distance, as race was 586 metres too long

The error comes four years after the course was measured 146 meters short

Last Sunday, the Brighton Marathon was held in Brighton, England, hosting over 7,000 runners. Despite the route being measured correctly before the start of the race, a cone line was moved over the final stretch, diverting runners to run an extra 586 metres.

After the race, organizers mentioned to runners that there had been a mistake with the course measurements and that it was half a kilometre too long.

In an online press release, event organizer Tom Naylor said, “We are wholly disappointed that this has affected our runners & hope that it hasn’t marred the experience, at what has been a fantastic comeback event after 18 months.”

In the men’s race, Neil McClements overtook the then leader Ollie Garrod 200 metres before the finish line to win the race. Garrod would have won the race if the distance wasn’t incorrect. Despite losing the race over the final extra stretch, Garrod was in good spirits about placing second and congratulated McClements for his victory, saying he won “fair and square”.

Canadian Lauren Reid of Uxbridge, Ont. finished third in the women’s marathon, in 3:09:31. “I knew it was long after I passed the halfway mark three minutes behind the halfway point on my watch,” Reid says. ” I tried to keep my focus on racing, knowing the distance was beyond my control.”

The error comes four years after the Brighton Marathon course was measured 146 metres short. “In the next few weeks, all finishers will be given more information on their times, and that the course length would be adjusted for results,” Naylor said.

Gemechu breaks course record at Copenhagen Half Marathon

sehay Gemechu set a course record while Amedework Walelegn made it an Ethiopian double at the Copenhagen Half Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Label Road Race, on Sunday (19).

Making the most of the flat course in Denmark’s capital city, Gemechu took 52 seconds off her almost two-year-old PB, running a dominant 1:05:08 to improve the course record set by Sifan Hassan in 2018 by seven seconds. Walelegn, meanwhile, won a much closer men's race, holding off a challenge from Kenya’s Keneth Renju to win by two seconds in 59:10.

Running behind her pacemaker Roy Hoornweg, who also paced Yalemzerf Yehualaw to her world half marathon record in Larne last month, Gemechu had her sights on the 1:05:15 race record set by the now double Olympic champion Hassan three years ago, but the big pre-event favourite wasn’t alone in the opening stages. Her fellow Ethiopians Hawi Feysa, Gete Alemayehu and Beyenu Degefa, plus Kenya’s Vivian Kiplagat, joined her in a lead group which went through 5km in 15:16 and by 10km (30:48) the pack was starting to stretch, with Alemayehu having been dropped and Gemechu still to the fore and looking comfortable.

A couple of kilometres later Gemechu, who finished fourth in the 2019 world 5000m final in Doha, had broken away and was running clear ahead of her compatriot Feysa, the 2017 U20 world cross country silver medallist. By 15km Gemechu, now running without her pacemaker, had a 13-second lead ahead of Feysa, with Kiplagat another 22 seconds back. That is how the positions remained to the finish line, but with Gemechu’s advantage having grown to half a minute.

Feysa, who has a 2:23:36 marathon PB from Dubai last year but was making her half marathon debut, finished second in 1:05:41, with Kiplagat clocking 1:06:07 to take 31 seconds off her PB in third. Degefa was fourth (1:08:15) and Ethiopia’s Yitayish Mekonene fifth (1:08:53).

“I was hoping to break my personal best and run close to 65 minutes, and beating Sifan Hassan’s race record of course is something special,” said Gemechu. “I am very happy. It was a bit windy, so I had to work hard.”

The men’s race saw a group of nine athletes, plus pacemaker Abel Sikowo, pass the 5km mark in 13:55 and the 10km point in 28:01. As Sikowo dropped back just before 15km it was the pre-race favourite Walelegn, who claimed bronze at last year’s World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, who took control, taking the field through that checkpoint in 42:15.

The podium was decided over the next kilometre, with Walelegn making a move along with Kenya’s Daniel Mateiko and Renju. With around two kilometres remaining, Walelegn tried to break away but with a glance over his shoulder he could see it wasn't enough to lose his rivals. Then it was Renju’s turn to push the pace and while Walelegn stuck close behind him, Mateiko was dropped and the race was down to two.

Covering Renju’s move, Walelegn was determined to take the top spot and with another look over his shoulder at 21km he strode down the final stretch to victory. Renju’s runner-up time of 59:12 was a PB and his first half marathon under the hour, while Mateiko was third in a PB of 59:25. The top four all ran under 60 minutes, with Ethiopia’s Abe Tilahun finishing fourth in a PB of 59:46, while Norway’s Zerei Kbrom, returning to the half marathon for the first time since 2016, ran a more than six-minute PB of 1:00:07 for fifth.

The event incorporated the Danish Championships, with Annah Ritah Nagadya (1:16:49) and Abdi Hakin Ulad (1:03:30) claiming the national titles.

Behind the elite action, the mass event had close to 20,000 entries.

The Anatomy of a Perfect Marathon Taper

5 facts about reducing training load and maintaining fitness as your marathon approaches. Plus, a proven 4-week marathon taper plan.

Fall marathons are looming, and tens of thousands of runners are finally preparing to toe the line to see just what they can do after all these months of waiting. A big piece of success lies in the final stages of preparation where you execute the marathon taper, a stage of training when you back off and try to walk the tightrope between going into the race well-rested, but not so rested that you go stale.

Going stale occasionally happens, but most runners err in the opposite direction by not trusting the marathon taper process, trying to do too much when they should be resting. It’s a mistake that can make the difference between a PR and a disappointment.

Luckily, there are a few basic principles you can remember when the fears we all face about being lazy or missing training tempt you to do too much.

5 Facts About the Marathon Taper

1. Tapering works.

A 2007 study led by Laurent Bosquet, then at the University of Montreal, Canada, found that a taper can speed you up by more than 5.6 percent. That’s the difference between a 3:20 marathon and a 3:31 marathon. Note, however, that 5.6 percent benefit is an extreme case. You shouldn’t expect to get that much, but trust that proper tapering will result in a better time.

2. In the final days, extra training won’t help.

The hay is in the barn and your goal is to rest, while not letting your “training” hay go moldy. It’s too late to try to make up for lost training earlier in your training cycle, and if you try to do that, all you can do is to blow your taper…and with it, your race.

3. The ideal taper comes from reducing volume, but not intensity.

You need to do some speedwork during the taper in order to keep all your energy and neuromuscular systems sharp. This means a mix of everything from strides to aerobic work. What you don’t need is to push any of these to the max.

4. It works best by cutting down progressively, not all at once.

Bosquet’s paper found that the ideal taper eventually cut down total volume by 40-60 percent by the final week, including speed workouts. In the ideal taper, you run as many days a week as you normally do (maybe with one or two extra, judiciously timed, rest days), but reduce volume in everything from workouts to long runs, as well as your weekly total mileage.

5. Don’t sweat it if you make minor errors.

“Let’s say you’re scheduled to go six miles at 7:00 pace,” says Thom Hunt, a former American 10K red-holder who now coaches at Cuyamaca College in San Diego. “If you run 6½ at 6:45, you’re not going to blow the whole thing.” Hunt was talking specifically about 5K/10K tapers but the same applies to the marathon. In fact, it probably doesn’t matter all that much if you get lost on what’s supposed to be an 8-mile run ten days before the race and accidentally wind up running, say, 11 miles. The stress of fretting about the error will probably cost you more than the error itself.

The Four-Week Marathon Taper

You won’t find much talk in the literature about tapers longer than 2-3 weeks. That’s largely, Bosquet says, because it’s hard to get enough runners to consent to tapers longer than 14 days to conduct a meaningful study.

But a 1996 French study of swimmers found benefits from a 28-day taper, something I find very interesting because I’ve long prescribed a four-week marathon taper.

Not that it’s what most people conventionally think of as a taper, because it begins, four weeks out, with an extremely tough workout. It then returns to normal baseline in volume with reduced intensity for one week, followed by a 21-day progressive taper. If you prefer, you could think of it as a final push, followed by a taper.

Here’s how the four-week marathon taper works:

• 28-29 Days Before the Race

On Saturday, even if the race is on Sunday, because there’s another workout next Tuesday, and you need at least three days to recover, do a long run of 20–22 miles, finishing with 13–18 miles at marathon pace. That’s a wide range, I realize; being more specific depends on your experience. For a seasoned marathoner doing at least 70 miles per week on average over the past few months, hold the marathon pace part for 16–18 miles. For lower-mileage runners and new marathoners, drop down to 13. This is not only a major workout, but a critical test of your marathon goal. If you can’t hit your target pace, it probably needs to be adjusted.

• 27-21 Days Before the Race

Workout days:

Tuesday: Do a normal speedwork session, IF you’re recovered from the long/fast run 3 days ago. If sore or fatigued, reduce intensity and or volume.

Friday: Do a tempo run. Normal volume.

Sunday: Go long, reducing intensity to easy. Do 20-22 miles max. The marathon is now 20-21 days away.

Total weekly volume: Normal.

• 20-14 Days Before the Race

Workout days:

Tuesday: Normal speed workout.

Friday: Tempo. Slightly reduced volume (maybe by 10-15 percent).

Sunday: 16 miles, ending with 50-60 percent as many marathon-pace miles as two weeks ago. This should not be super-hard.

Total weekly volume: 10 percent below normal.

• 13-7 Days Before the Race

Workout days:

Tuesday: Normal workout adjusted to about 2/3 of total volume.

Friday: Tempo. Reduced to about half of normal volume.

Sunday: 10-12 easy.

Total weekly volume: At least 20 percent below normal.

• Final week (assuming Sunday race)

Workout days:

Tuesday: 6-8 x 600m @ tempo pace (no faster than 12K pace) with 20-25 sec recovery between reps. Plus, up to 4 x 150m, fast but relaxed. Stop while still turning over quickly without stress.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Two days easy. Take one day off.

Saturday: 20–30 min. easy, with 4 x 100m strides. 20 minutes is enough for most runners to feel warmed up and striding smoothly.

Sunday: Race.

Total weekly volume: For the last 7 days before the race (counting the long run last Sunday), 50 percent of normal.

Other Tapers

Not that this is the only way to do it. Hunt says, “If there was one way, we would have had a form years ago about what to do, and just follow that.” But even top runners with the best coaching follow a variety of tapering patterns.

Lindsey Scherf, for example, who holds the world record for the indoor marathon, does a quite different taper, though the overall effect is remarkably similar. Rather than tapering progressively from 2–3 weeks out, she finds that she’s done best by taking the big drop in mileage (50 percent) three weeks ahead of the race, then returning to 85 percent of normal for the remaining two weeks. “I inject rest, but then return to a non-overtraining routine where I know I’m in a good rhythm,” she says.

The real key, Hunt says, is to allow your body to rest and be physically (and mentally) relaxed, focused, and ready to go on race day. To this end, he stresses that it’s important to make sure that your final long run isn’t too long. “You need to keep it short enough that you’re not breaking down the body.”

And, he says, the key thing is to trust the processes: “Getting a 100 mile per week runner to go down to half of that mentally freaks them out.” Cutting back from 50s to 20s is no less stressful.

“Each athlete is different,” Hunt says. “But you still have to follow the general physiological principles.”

Scherf concurs, adding an interesting note: Try out the taper before race week.

We’ve all been told never to do anything in an important race that we’ve not tested in training. Usually, that’s discussed in terms of nutrition, hydration, footwear, or clothing that might unexpectedly chafe. But why not also apply it to your taper, Sherf suggests, testing it on a less important (and presumably shorter) race beforehand, just to see how your body reacts.

After all, Bosquet’s study found that the ideal taper ranged from a 40 percent to 60 percent cutback. 40 to 60% is also a wide range, so Scherf is onto something when she says you need to find what part of that range works for you. “Not every runner responds the same way,” she says.

The key takeaway from Bosquet’s study, however, is that 40–60% is a lot more than most mileage-obsessed runners want to do. Don’t be one of them: Trust the taper, and run your best marathon.

Philemon Kiplimo reigns in 10,000m and Margaret Chelimo destroys the pack at Kip Keino Classic

The 2019 Boston Half Marathon champion Philemon Kiplimo charged from behind before the bell to win the men's 10,000m at the Absa Kip Keino Classic at the Moi International Sports Centre on Saturday.

Kiplimo clocked 28 minutes and 37.96 seconds to triumph, beating Reuben Longosiwa to second place in 28:38.97.

Geoffrey Kiprotich settled third in 28:38.99.

"I am happy to win. I just decided to stay behind the pack to rest my rivals before bursting to the front with the last lap to go and the tactics worked,' said Kiplimo, adding that he was using the race as part of his preparation for a series road races soon.

"I was just trying my speed and it looks good," said Kiplimo.

Elsewhere, World 5,000m silver medalist Margaret Chelimo destroyed the field to win women's 5,000m race. Chelimo took command early to lead with six laps to go and triumphed in 14 minutes and 55.27 seconds.

Eva Cherono came second in 15:12.16 as Tokyo Olympics 5,000m representative Lilian Kasait settled third in 15:17.71.

"It was a good race even though the weather proved heavy," said Chelimo, adding that it was a great way to end her season before focusing on a busy next year.

Chelimo said she will be going for nothing short of victory at the World Athletics Championships next year in Oregon, United States after she claimed silver in 2019 in Doha.

"I plan to work on my speed in the last 800m since that is where my weakness is," explained Chelimo, who cashed on the absence of the defending champion Hellen Obiri to win.

Run Rome Marathon back for 2021 edition

The Acea Run Rome Marathon will take place on Sunday 19 September with a 42-km route beginning and ending at the Colosseum.

The 26th edition of the marathon, which starts at 06.45, is the first such event since the March 2020 race was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic.

The 7,500 participants registered for the marathon - all of whom require a Green Pass - include 2,200 runners from more than 60 countries around the world.

After Italy, the country with the most participants is France with 300 runners, Britain with 266 and the US with 202.

The marathon route takes in some of the city's best known landmarks including the Circus Maximus, St Peter's, Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Spagna, with a race village set up at the Terme di Caracalla stadium.

The event will result in road closures, the re-routing of bus lines and the temporary closure of the Colosseo metro station.

Moscow Marathon postponed until 2022 amid COVID-19 restrictions

The Moscow Marathon has been postponed until 2022 amid ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in the Russian capital.

The event had been scheduled to take place on September 26.

Organisers have confirmed that "due to the epidemiological situation, the city is forced not to hold mass events", resulting in the postponement of the event.

Under current restrictions in Moscow, there is a temporary ban on concerts, entertainment and sports events involving more than 500 people.

"Throughout the season, we fight for our every start and do everything possible to make the planned races take place," said race director Dmitry Tarasov, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

"But we live in a situation where circumstances can change every day.

"These changes concern not only sports, but also our daily life.

"The team of the running community was preparing a large-scale sports event for you, but this year it will not take place.

"We are grateful to everyone who supports us and understands the events that are taking place at the moment.

"We are looking forward to holding all the events planned until the end of the year, and we will be happy to meet you at the start."

The event would have been the ninth staging of the Moscow Marathon, which was first held in 2013.

The race takes runners across the Crimean bridge, through Tverskaya Street and Teatralniy Proezd to the walls of the Kremlin.

Organisers say the route features major landmarks in the city, including the Moscow City skyscrapers, four of the seven Stalinist skyscrapers and the Bolshoi Theater.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the event took place last year.

Organisers say the event will take place next year, but remain hopeful of holding upcoming events until the end of 2021.

This includes the fast dog and fox mountain cross-country events, which are scheduled for October 2 and 3, as well as the night run on October 9.

The Moscow Half Marathon is still scheduled to take place on October 24.

1500m Star Cole Hocker Turns Professional, Signs With Nike

After a season in which he won three NCAA titles and a US title and finished sixth in the Olympic 1500-meter final, star American miler Cole Hocker announced on Monday that he has forfeited the remainder of his NCAA eligibility and signed a professional contract with Nike. Hocker will be represented by agent Ray Flynn.

The 20-year-old Hocker, the 2018 Foot Locker Cross Country champion as a high schooler, burst onto the scene in 2021 during his second season at the University of Oregon. Indoors, he ran 3:50.55 for the mile — #2 all-time by a collegian — and won NCAA titles in the mile and 3000 meters in the span of an hour, setting a meet record of 3:53.71 in the former. Hocker was even better outdoors, winning the NCAA outdoor title at 1500 meters on his home track in Eugene. Sixteen days later, he returned to Hayward Field and won the US 1500-meter title in a memorable duel with 2016 Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz. Then, in his first Olympics, Hocker ran personal bests in the semifinal (3:33.87) and final (3:31.40) to finish sixth overall.

The Science Of Why Consistency Creates Fitness (Even 10 Minutes At A Time)

There are 4 physiological reasons why consistent runs have an oversized effect on long-term growth. On a tough day, even 10 or 20 minutes can be plenty to spur progress.

In 2006, a few months after quitting football in college, I went for the first endurance run of my adult life. I had big dreams! During that downtime between sports, I read training books and message boards, planning my next athletic steps. It was like “The Decision” by LeBron James when he announced he was taking his talents to South Beach–I was going to take whatever talents I had to running.

Maybe I’d walk onto the track team. Maybe I’d win some races! Running watched my announcement on ESPN, and as I put on my old basketball shorts and laced up my new Nikes, it responded like only running can:

“Go screw yourself. This is hard.”

I got a few minutes up the driveway before I sputtered to a stop. My calves were sore for days. Those dreams were going to need to be on a delayed fuse.

But something started on that run, deep in my physiology. The next one a few days later was a bit easier. It was still impossible and terrible, but at least I could walk the next day. Mile or two by mile or two, I got a bit stronger and a bit faster. In those training books, I had read about weekly miles and workouts and all of these complex training principles that made me miss the forest through the trees.

I didn’t need to have a forest on day 1, or even on day 1000. I just needed saplings. Hundreds of saplings. Thousands of saplings! It’s all about those bomb-ass saplings!

For me, a little over 2000 days later, it led to an overnight success at the 2012 US 10k Championships, where I won and was interviewed by Alex Kurt for Trail Runner Magazine. Those little runs led to adaptations which supported bigger runs, which supported bigger risks, and one of those risks led to a post-race interview with this magazine. A few years later, Alex helped me find a writing opportunity, and that writing opportunity is why you are reading this article today. Give a sapling 15 years, and very cool things can happen.

We see that process over and over in coaching.

An athlete will break out onto the international stage, with an overnight success that was thousands of days in the making. To paraphrase Once A Runner, everyone wants to know The Secret. The unglamorous answer is that there are two ingredients that really matter: consistency and time. Remove the molecules on the bottoms of many pairs of training shoes, one little run at a time.

Those first runs I did were 10 to 20 minutes, and I owe them everything. Even now, I’ll often do very short runs as doubles, or on busy days when nothing else works. Seeing how these short runs can support long-term adaptation, my wife/co-coach Megan and I made a rule for our athletes: “give us 10 minutes” (we talk about it on our podcast here). If there’s a run on the plan, even when life happens, try to do a short jog.

It can be up and down the stairs in your work clothes while preparing for a trial, barefoot around the house on a smoky day with no treadmill available, a lap of the block when anxiety makes it impossible to think about more. Whatever the cause of the compressed run, it’s not a mental trick. We aren’t saying: “Maybe they’ll actually do the full run after they get out there.” We definitely aren’t adding: “Mwhahahahaha!”

For us, it’s all about the physiology of how an athlete can adapt to frequent, consistent running over time. There are four general mechanisms we focus on.

One: Musculoskeletal adaptations

In the endurance world, running is unique because of impact forces. Each step involves the absorption and transmission of multiple times body weight! Don’t think about that too hard, or you’ll start having erotic dreams about joint pills.

That force causes massive stress on bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. With bones, osteoblasts and osteoclasts adapt to each minor stress. But the line between a stress reaction and healthy adaptation is blurry. For example, a 2006 study found that 9 of 21 collegiate runners measured had asymptomatic tibial stress reactions on MRI, with no correlation to subsequent clinical outcomes. In other words, the constant force absorption of running created a background stressor on the bone that likely made it bounce back stronger for those athletes. But it easily could have resulted in full-blown stress fractures too. Consistent, low-level stress helps the body manage these adaptation processes without needing a punch card at the local MRI joint.

Soft tissues work the same way, with each low-level stress spurring strengthening processes. Muscle fiber growth and recruitment is enhanced by consistent stress/recovery cycles, and when the body is transmitting so many tons in such a short time, those stresses don’t need to be long to encourage adaptation. If hypothetical runner A goes out for 1 hour 3 times per week and runner B does 30 minutes 6 times per week, I think runner B not only stays healthier, but goes way faster too, even at longer distances.

Two: Aerobic and metabolic adaptations

A major friction point for aerobic development is the transportation of oxygen-rich red blood cells to working muscles via capillaries. Running induces angiogenesis, or increased capillarization. Studies on mice involving deep muscle biopsies show that the adaptations can happen with relatively short bouts of exercise on the most adorable mouse treadmills, and the adaptations start to reverse with significant downtime. It works similarly in humans, but there aren’t too many volunteers for the study protocols. While lots of aerobic time is good, any amount can keep those adaptations going. That’s why 10 or 20 minutes can be so much more valuable than taking a zero, especially over longer time horizons.

Simultaneously, after consistent stress, cardiac output increases, with blood volume increasing by up to 20%. Those adaptations don’t take much time investment either, with the bulk of the changes happening relatively early in runs. Running also jump-starts the metabolic system, increasing metabolic rate at rest and reducing it during activity, with improved fat oxidation from repeated endurance stress.

Endurance athletes are sometimes hurt by the attitude that “if some is good, more is better.” That impulse may lead to athletes getting into endurance in the first place, because why else pursue these wild feats of force absorption and aerobic demand? But I think that the statement implies a faulty adaptation relationship. If more is better, then each subsequent mile is more valuable than the one before it, right?

That’s likely untrue. Each subsequent mile is probably slightly less valuable than the one before it from an adaptation perspective, with rapid initial stress causing a boatload of early adaptations. A more accurate physiological description might be: “if some is good, more isn’t quite as good as a per-unit measure, but it will accumulate on top of the good as long as an athlete avoids overstress.” I am not fun at parties.

Three: Neuromuscular and biomechanical adaptations

The nervous system is wild. Through an immensely complex layering of voluntary and involuntary signals, the brain coordinates running, playing the piano, and masturbation, sometimes in sequence with transition areas if you don’t understand all the rules to triathlon. And it’s not just coordinating movements, but also determining how an athlete perceives effort, responds to stress, and adapts over longer-term cycles. It’s not all in our heads, but a lot of it is, just not in a way we always control.

With consistent training stress, running economy improves dramatically as a given output takes less energy. That’s what happened to me when I first started. I was able to get faster while going longer and using less energy because the nervous system interacted with the musculoskeletal and aerobic systems to make running more efficient. That’s a journey every runner faces at first, and it’s so daunting because the simple act of running is actually very, very complex. Whether it’s running or dancing, repetition is a key element for nervous system changes.

Consistent reinforcement is key, and even short runs do the trick. Add some intensity like hill strides, and running economy can go through the roof relatively quickly.

Four: Epigenetic and cellular-response adaptations

Genetics is like being dealt a hand of cards. Epigenetics is finding out that it’s you’re working with a special deck, where you can swipe a jack into an ace, or a heart into a spade. Environment and behavior influence the expression of our underlying genetic codes, with extra-long-term changes likely stemming from weakly understood interactions at levels way, way smaller than cells.

How can we determine our genetics? Take a spit test and wait a few decades as the algorithms determine what base pairs are generally associated with athletic performance.

How do we determine our epigenetics? Run consistently for thousands of days and see what happens.

While we are probably not that far from being able to correlate complex individual skills to genetic predispositions, it will be impossible to do with certainty for the foreseeable future because of the murky world of epigenetic interactions. Small, consistent stimuli may help turn some of those epigenetic switches toward endurance. That could explain how athletes can undergo such stunning changes over time (like my own personal change from a bench-pressing football player to a feather-pressing mountain runner).

Throw in other uncertain variables, like endocrine system changes and protein expression shifts. Then mix all of that with the psychology of habit formation, goal-setting, and time management.

Put all of that together, and I am still not sure the exact best way to find your ultimate potential. But I know it involves the consistent accumulation of thousands of running days.

And 10 minutes can get you one day closer.

World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst postponed until 2023

World Athletics and the local organising committee (LOC) for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 2022 have agreed to postpone the championships, which was scheduled to be held in Bathurst, Australia on 19 February 2022.

The event will now take place on Saturday 18 February 2023 in Bathurst.

The postponement is due to the biosecurity measures and travel restrictions currently in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Australia. Australian borders are closed to international visitors.

“Athletics Australia and the LOC are delighted that World Athletics and its partners have agreed to the postponement, which allows us to plan and deliver a world-class celebration of cross country running in February 2023. This is one of the most exciting athletics events in the world and the iconic course at Mount Panorama will see some incredible racing,” said LOC Co-Chair and Athletics Australia Board Member Jill Davies.

“We would like to thank World Athletics and the New South Wales Government for their continued confidence in our ability to deliver a world-class event in February 2023. We will continue to work hard over the next year to be ready to welcome the world’s best cross-country athletes and athletics fans to Bathurst for a global celebration of cross country running.”

The World Athletics Cross Country Championships is regarded as the toughest race on the calendar, combining the world’s greatest distance runners and challenging terrain to create a unique spectacle in sport. The 2023 event will be the 44th edition of these storied championships and will welcome more than 550 elite athletes from more than 60 countries to the famed Mount Panorama venue at Bathurst.

“We’re looking forward to hosting the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in 2023,” said Mayor Ian North of Bathurst Regional Council.

“Mount Panorama is a world-famous international racing track venue, attracting competitors from across the globe and is the perfect backdrop for the most important cross-country event in the world.

World Athletics and the LOC are committed to the responsible planning and delivery of the event, which includes ensuring that athletes from all international federations are able to participate and enjoy an experience that is befitting of a World Athletics Series event. The health and safety of the entire running community and the host region is at the forefront of this postponement. While it is acknowledged that international events are currently scheduled for early 2022 in Australia, the 14-day quarantine requirements for international visitors to Australia are not practical for a one-day event.

The World Athletics Cross Country Championship Bathurst 2023 will comprise the U20 men’s (8km) and women’s (6km) races, the universal mixed relay (8km) and the senior individual men’s and women’s races (10km). These World Championship events will be supported by a series of mass participation races.

Information regarding ongoing event planning, including ticket sales, course information, mass participation events and entertainment, will be provided regularly on the event website and social media channels.

Tips To Finish Strong In Running Races

Most runners don't expect a podium finish when they participate in a running race. But that doesn't mean finishing strong doesn't matter. It's satisfying to feel fast and steady when you cross the finish line.

But often, we lose steam and end the race gasping for breath and feeling spent. So how do you train to gain speed and finish fast? Use these tips to improve your finishing kick and feel confident at the end of your races.

Tips to Improve Your Race Finish

Regardless of your experience in the sport, every runner wants to feel proud of their race-day accomplishments. These training strategies are used by athletes of all levels to improve speed and endurance so you finish with confidence.

Practice Finishing Fast

Practice running negative splits during some of your runs. A split is a time it takes you to run a specific distance. For example, if you run a mile in nine minutes, your split time is 9:00. A negative split is a split time that is faster than the previous split time.

For example, when you run negative splits during a three-mile run, your first split (mile) might be 9:00. As you continue to run, increase your speed just slightly so that you finish your next mile in slightly less time. For example, if you reach mile two at 17:55, that means that your second mile split was 8:55. You might try to increase speed again to 8:50 for the last mile, finishing the workout in 26:45 with negative splits.

Running negative splits can be tricky for a newer runner. If you have less experience, you might want to focus on running consistent splits first (meaning that each time you run the distance, your time stays the same).

Once you know what a reasonable split time is, then focus on negative splits. Complete your first split at a fast but manageable speed. Then increase your speed on subsequent splits so that your last split is your hardest and fastest.

Improve Mental Toughness

While it might sound easier said than done, learning to tolerate physical discomfort to reach your goals can have a big impact on your ability to finish strong on race day. There are specific strategies you can use to boost your mental toughness.

On your training runs, practice framing each challenge as an opportunity to improve. Self-dialogue is one way to do this. Your internal self-talk can make a big difference in your ability to withstand difficult tasks.

For example, if you often quit long runs before you reach your goal mileage, you may have a habit of practicing self-talk where you list the reasons why quitting makes sense.

Instead, use the internal dialogue to remind yourself that finishing your miles improves your physical and mental endurance. Picture yourself crossing the finish line at your next race, proud of the training miles you put in to get there.

You can even practice this technique on race day. Repeat a mantra to yourself that helps push you through to the finish.

There are also other methods that will help boost mental toughness. You might try to focus on intrinsic goals, learn to ignore distractions on your runs, and practice overcoming running challenges.

For example, include speed work in your training to improve strength and confidence. Doing a few miles of your long runs at race pace is another way to build your confidence and strength.

Run Hills

Doing hill repeats will make you stronger, as well as improve your running efficiency and increase your lactate threshold. Hill repeats are exactly what they sound like. You choose a hill—or a series of hills—and run up the incline several times.

For example, you might have a hill in your neighborhood that is roughly 200 meters in length with a steep incline. After a short warm-up, start at the base of the hill and run up and over the crest of the hill at a challenging pace. Then turn around and slowly jog to the bottom, take a short break and repeat.

Runners might complete six, eight, or more hill repeats to build strength and endurance. The training means you'll feel a lot more confident and strong in the home stretch of your race. Once you've built an endurance base in your running program, you can incorporate hill training once or twice each week to gain benefits.

Increase Strength and Power

Tired, sore muscles can derail a strong finish. In the final stretch, your muscles are fatigued, but they still need to work hard to cross the mat.

One of the smartest ways to improve muscular strength and power is to include strength training in your weekly workout schedule. But don't worry, you don't necessarily have to go to the weight room.

Body weight exercises force you to use large muscles at the same time. Incorporate exercises like lunges, or squats at the end of your runs. You might also practice plyometric drills, such as high knees or skipping, into your training to build strength and explosive power.

Find Your Next Gear

Do you do all your training runs and races at a consistent pace? Many runners do. While consistency can be good, there comes a point at races when you don't have to hold back anymore. You should find your next gear and increase speed for a strong finish.

The tricky part of this strategy, however, is finding your sweet spot. The place where you should pick up the pace is different for everyone. It might also depend on the distance of the race. For example, you might have more energy to sprint to the finish after a 5K rather than a marathon.

During your tempo runs, practice picking up the pace at different distances from your finish spot. Use your training journal to jot down the distance where you increased speed and add notes about whether or not you were able to finish and if you had energy at the end. If you had a bit of energy when you completed the run, try picking up the pace sooner next time.

If you've done some training to run faster, then it will easier to get into gear with confidence on race day.

CAS releases official report on Salazar ban

Reports on Wednesday announced the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had upheld the four-year suspension imposed on former Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar and former team endocrinologist, Dr. Jeffrey Brown for doping violations, and less than 24 hours later the official CAS report has been released.

In its report, the CAS ruled that Salazar had committed three anti-doping rule violations, including possession of testosterone, complicity in Brown’s administration of a prohibited method and tampering with the doping control process with respect to the issue of L-carnitine infusions/syringes. Similarly, Brown was charged with four violations, including complicity in Salazar’s possession of testosterone, trafficking of testosterone to Salazar, administration of a prohibited method and tampering with the doping control process.

The investigation into Salazar and the NOP began in 2015 when a BBC Panorama documentary entitled “Catch Me If You Can” alleged the coach used prescription drugs and therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) to push the boundaries of performance.

The film interviewed former NOP athlete Kara Goucher and former coach Steve Magness, who described the experiments Salazar performed to determine exactly how much testosterone cream could be applied to an athlete’s skin without triggering a positive test. An experiment was also done to test a rapid-acting (and illegal, under WADA rules) infusion of a supplement known to boost the body’s L-carnitine levels, which in turn helps the body convert fat to energy.

In 2017, a leaked  U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) report from 2016 indicated that Salazar had been giving his athletes, including Sir Mo Farah, the amino acid L-carnitine, via an IV drip. L-carnitine is not a banned substance, but infusions of more than 50 mL in the span of six hours are prohibited, and reports claimed the coach “almost certainly” broke those rules.

Throughout the process, Salazar has continued to deny the allegations, and none of his former athletes, including Farah, Galen Rupp, Sifan Hassan, Matthew Centrowitz and Canada’s Cam Levins have ever tested positive for illegal substances, which the CAS notes in its report.

It also acknowledged that the way in which USADA’s  investigation was conducted was “out of proportion and excessive when compared to the severity and consequences of the ADRVs [anti-doping rule violations] that have been established,” yet it still upheld the bans: “the Panel was satisfied that the rules have been properly applied, and that, on the basis of the ADRV’s found by the CAS Panel, the sanctions have been determined in accordance with the relevant version of the WADC.”

Calgary Marathon to host 4,000 runners this weekend

On Sunday, Sept. 19, the Calgary Marathon will host the largest Canadian race since the pandemic.

After more than two years without an in-person event, the race will return with a 50K, marathon, half-marathon, 10K and 5K races. 4,000 runners are registered across the five races with more than 1,000 runners starting in the 10K and half marathon.

Right now, Alberta is in the midst of the fourth wave of COVID-19, reporting 1,600 new cases on Sept. 15, in addition to the 11,500 active cases across the province. A province-wide state of emergency was issued earlier this week, but there are no restrictions on outdoor events. 

The race published a statement to social media earlier today. “We are moving forward with plans to host the 2021 Calgary Marathon this Sunday, September 19th,” said race officials. “The race worked with health officials to ensure the safest possible event for participants, staff and volunteers.”

“Our plan isn’t to break the rules or offer a world-class event. This is a restricted safe event to celebrate personal accomplishment and achieve fundraising,” says race director Kirsten Fleming. “Our policies were already in place to meet the provincial guidelines set by the Alberta government.”

“We have worked with Alberta Health to ensure that this event is run safely. All aspects of the race will be held outdoors (besides race kit pickup), with no pre-or post-race celebrations,” says Fleming. Precautions will include masking at the start and finish lines, and at least six feet of separation between runners, in their corrals.

A live broadcast of the event will be streamed online to minimize the number of spectators on the course. Spectators are also welcome to watch at the finish line of Stampede Park, which seats 17,000.

The Calgary Marathon offers a virtual race option, which 1,000 runners have chosen to participate in from across the country.

Janeth Jepkosgei is nurturing young runners in Kenya

For what she is doing for young runners and the community, Janeth Jepkosgei remains a heroine even after changing her career from an athlete to a coach and mentor.

“I am doing this because of the love I have for running and for the athletes. Running changed my life in a big way. I find great joy in nurturing and guiding young runners and in seeing them begin to excel in their careers as well,” said 2007 world 800m champion Jepkosgei, referring to the numerous selfless contributions she has made to support young runners from different levels and backgrounds and the training camps she has set up to do so.

“For me to become a successful runner, I had to go through a number of good people in my life that helped me, including some of my relatives, my first coach Paul Ereng and later on, coach Claudio Berardelli. I want to be able to give out the same help I received and change lives as well.”

Jepkosgei recalled one incident that moved her to tears, when a young talented runner they had identified attended camp with hardly any belongings.

“The runner came into the camp with one half of an old blanket that she had cut in two pieces and left the other half for her mother to use at home. Eunice Sum (the 2013 world 800m champion) immediately rushed to town and came back with some new bedding for the young runner,” she said.

Around two and half kilometres along the Kapsabet to Nandi Hills road lies some of the most prime lands surrounded by beautiful and evergreen landscapes. Land here could easily be turned into a tea farm, a real estate, a big hotel, a hospital, or anything, given its proximity to town and other social amenities in the area. This is where Jepkosgei’s camp is situated.

Arriving at the camp, which features a big house on the green and a serene environment that Jepkosgei has given out freely to 20 young runners to use for their accommodation, plus a van that takes them to the track facilities and on some of their long runs, there arose a burning question: Why did she decide to establish a free camp for the young runners?

From the way she interacted with the runners, who were clearly elated to see her arrive, one could have easily mistaken her for being just another random runner in the camp as they exchanged a few greetings and some light moments.

Besides this camp, Jepkosgei is also involved with other runners of different levels in different places, including a school holiday camp that hosts and trains around 86 runners when schools close. There are a number of senior runners who went through her hands to the level they are now, and who are still closely connected with her in their training and in guiding the young runners. They include Sum, 2019 world 5000m silver medallist Margaret Kipkemboi and 2013 world 5000m silver medallist Mercy Cherono, among others.

The results from the recent World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi were great news and a great motivation for Jepkosgei and the young runners in the camp to aim for better things in the future. Four runners in the camp qualified for the event and three of them won medals. Emmanuel Wanyonyi won gold in the men’s 800m, Sylvia Chelangat claimed bronze in the women’s 400m and Levy Kibet achieved another bronze in the men’s 5000m. If the camp had entered itself as an individual country, it would have placed joint 15th out of the 114 teams that participated.

Jepkosgei, however, is not letting the one-time victories distract them from focusing on the future. She likes to see patience, long-term continuous progress and success in her runners.

Wanyonyi, who ran an impressive 800m race in Kasarani last month to register a championship record and personal best of 1:43.76, is clearly already a good student of Jepkosgei and he explained how his main focus now is on winning the Olympic title at the Paris Games in 2024.

“Both Wanyonyi and Chelangat seem to have great mindsets that will take them far. Despite not coming from a family or a region that has a history in running, Wanyonyi is already special in showing that talents don’t have to come from a particular region or tribe. Chelangat on her part is specialising in the 400m, which is not a common event among the Kenyan stars,” Jepkosgei said.

While focusing more on coaching the young runners, Jepkosgei still works closely with her former coach, Berardelli, in exchanging notes on how best to guide them. She also has an assistant coach, Hillary Lelei, who is usually stationed at the camp.

“With my past experience as a runner and the working relationship I still have with my former coach, I believe I have what it takes to guide these runners to reach their full potential. But it still is a continuous learning experience. I am learning that it is not obvious that whatever worked for me will work for others, that different training methods may apply differently to different runners,” she said.

“I believe that we need more female coaches in Kenya who can understand and handle young girls well. There are some issues that the girls may feel more comfortable sharing with a female coach than with a male coach.”

Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare loses appeal, begins four-year ban over banned drugs, but she may return before Paris 2024 Olympics

Blessing Okagbare, may have lost her battle to upturn the suspension placed on her by World Athletics (WA) after failing an out-of-competition test.

The U.S.-based sprinter was thrown out of the Tokyo Olympics Games on the eve of the semifinals of the women’s 100m after testing positive for human growth hormone. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) revealed then that Okagbare failed an out-of-competition test taken on July 19. She appealed against the suspension immediately, insisting on seeing the result of her B Sample.

The Guardian learnt yesterday that Okagbare, a medallist at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, was allegedly handed four-year ban after the result of her B Sample came out with the same result.

“Okagbare started her four-year ban long ago,” a source close to World Athletics (WA) said in a chat with The Guardian. “It is just unfortunate Blessing Okagbare found herself in this mess. When the result of her A Sample came out, Okagbare had the option of accepting it, which could have seen her ban reduced to two or three years, but she insisted on her B Sample. I pity her though, but WA wants all athletes to compete and win clean. Okagbare’s ban may elapse before the Paris 2024 Olympics,” the official stated.

Okagbare had won her heat on Friday (July 30), and was meant to compete in the women’s 100 metres semifinals the next day, when the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) officially announced her suspension in the morning.

The AIU explained then that the Growth Hormone is a non-specified substance on the 2021 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list, and a provisional suspension on Okagbare was mandatory following an adverse analytical finding for such substance under the World Athletics anti-doping rules.

“The WADA-accredited laboratory that analysed the sample notified the AIU of the adverse analytical finding at midday Central European Time on Friday, July 30.

“The athlete was notified of the adverse analytical finding and of her provisional suspension this morning in Tokyo.”

Efforts to speak with Blessing Okagbare were unsuccessful yesterday.

2021 Marine Corps Marathon live event sells out

More than 13,000 runners from all 50 US states and the District of Columbia are now set to run live during Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) Weekend.

The reduced number of participants is part of the COVID-19 precautions taken by the Marine Corps Marathon Organization (MCMO) to safely execute a live event for runners in 2021.

Runners ranging from ages 7 to 86 in 28 countries around the world will be running the popular MCM events live on October 31. All participants who complete the live event will receive the official event shirt, a commemorative bib, a personalized digital finisher certificate and an impressive finisher medal. Runners will also have access to a digital event program, Track your Runner and MapTrack.

“This year marks the 46th anniversary of the race and we couldn’t be more excited to host the live event on Halloween,” said Rick Nealis, director of MCMO. “Coming out of the pandemic, this will be a treat, not a trick. Runners enjoy yourselves, be strong, adapt and overcome whether you run live or virtually.”

Virtual entries are still available for the 46th MCM, MCM50K and MCM10K. Interested participants can register here. Runners previously registered for any of the MCM Weekend events can still secure the MCM Trifecta by entering the other two virtually. This challenge rewards finishers with a stunning challenge coin in addition to the corresponding finisher medal.