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8/29/2020

Boston 10K for Women cancelled, will be run virtually in 2020

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, the all-women’s race will not be held in its traditional mass participatory form this October.

organizers of the Boston 10K for Women, are proud to introduce a virtual event for race participants to enjoy this October. Though the 44th running of the event was initially slated for Monday, October 12, organizers have followed the guidance of state, city, and public health leaders in deciding not to hold the mass participatory road race and surrounding events in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning on Wednesday, October 7 and continuing through Monday, October 12, race participants will have the opportunity to complete the 6.2-mile distance at a time and location of their choosing. Participants can share their times to a leaderboard, and will receive a 2020 participant shirt, training plan, and products from race sponsors. 

Registration for the 44th edition of the Boston 10K for Women will open on Monday, August 24 at 10:00 a.m. For a reduced entry fee of $25, those who sign up by Monday, September 14 will receive a commemorative long-sleeve shirt and participants will have the option to donate additional funds to one of the event’s official charities. Registration will occur at www.boston10kforwomen.com.

The virtual event will include the mailing of a pre-race participant package, and several perks sent via e-mail. There will be no programming at Boston Common on Monday, October 12.

The race is the largest all-women’s sporting event in New England, and traditionally attracts thousands of women from around the world, including an elite field competing for $17,000 in prize money. Last year, Rhode Island’s Molly Huddle won her fifth title on the flat and fast course, breaking the Charles Street breaktape in a time of 31:50, adding to her 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2015 victories.

Established in 1977 as the Bonne Bell Mini Marathon, the Boston 10K for Women is the longest-running all-women’s sporting event in New England. With thousands of runners and spectators each year, it’s New England’s largest all-women’s road race, and has been organized every year by Conventures, Inc. The race features a flat out-and-back course through Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood and scenic stretches of Memorial Drive in Cambridge. More than 181,000 women have raced in the event since its inception.

(08/24/20) Views: 264

Big Sur Marathon Foundation Suspends Operations Amidst Pandemic

Plans for all 2021 races have been frozen until further notice

CARMEL, CA –The Big Sur Marathon Foundation (BSMF) announced Thursday that they will suspend all race operations, effective September 30, 2020. Citing the many unknowns concerning the coronavirus pandemic, organizers say the timeline for resuming race planning and registrations is unclear and ever-changing.

“We are devastated about canceling all our in-person events and programs for 2020 and now for 2021,” said Race Director Doug Thurston. “That said, we have refocused our staff’s creative efforts on producing our Big Surreal Virtual Challenge and look forward to hearing how our runners enjoy the experience.”

By placing the 36-year-old nonprofit organization in a  hibernation of sorts, race officials hope to minimize financial and operational damage so the organization can once again organize world-class races when safe to do so. Securing permits  to hold large mass-participation events  like marathons likely won’t happen until vaccines or other coronavirus therapeutics are widely in use. 

As a result, the following events/programs have been cancelled:

The November 2020 Monterey Bay Half Marathon in-person and virtual races. Registration had not yet opened for either event.

The JUST RUN youth fitness program for the 2020-2021 school year.

BSMF has suspended all plans for the following 2021 events/programs:

The April 2021 Big Sur Marathon weekend of races

The June 2021 Run in the Name of Love

The November 2021 Monterey Bay Half Marathon 

With no current races on the horizon, the BSMF Board also made the difficult decision to reduce their staff to just two employees – Race Director Doug Thurston and Administrative Manager Chris Balog. Five of the organization’s seven full-time employees have been laid off.

The organization says it will continue to monitor updates regarding the pandemic including vaccine development and distribution and remain hopeful that they will be able to safely hold races and other programs in 2022.

For answers to common questions related to these updates, please visit the FAQ page located on the Big Sur Marathon website. BSMF asks fans to continue to monitor their social media pages and websites for updates in the months to come.

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create beautiful running events that promote health and benefit the community. Under the brand are three individual race weekends: Big Sur International Marathon in April,Run in the Name of Love 5K and 2K in June, and theMonterey Bay Half Marathon, 5K and 3K in November. In addition, the Foundation oversees the award-winning JUST RUN® youth fitness program.

(08/21/20) Views: 174

In-person running races start again in Colorado with new coronavirus precautions

After a five-month hiatus, Colorado road runners are starting to have a few options for in-person racing with a pair of events scheduled over the next three weeks and another coming in October.

Previously scheduled for May 9, the Greenland Trail races will be held Aug. 29-30 in Larkspur, governed by strict regulations developed with the Tri-County Health Department. Spread out over two days instead of one for a maximum of 250 runners each day in compliance with health department orders, those races will include an 8-mile, 4-mile, 50K (31-mile) and 25K (15.5-mile). Runners will start one at a time in 8-second increments for social distancing.

Soon to follow will be the Labor Day Half Marathon in Parker, which also will offer a 10K and a 5K. The Greenland and Parker races are produced by Colorado Runner Events, which staged the Cookie Chase 5K this past Sunday in City Park. That race attracted 300 runners.

On Thursday, organizers of the Colfax Marathon announced a new race to be held Oct. 10 in City Park. Called the Welcome Back Denver 5K, it will be limited to 700 runners with four hourly start groups of 175. There will be multiple starting line chutes with groups of 25 people launching in 2-minute increments.

On Sunday, the Pikes Peak Marathon (up and down the mountain from Manitou Springs) will be held, but the Pikes Peak Ascent (one way) originally scheduled for Saturday was canceled.

“The Marathon, being a smaller field and spread out over 13 miles, is more manageable,” said Ron Ilgen, president of the Pikes Peak Marathon. “We’ve gone through exhaustive work in redefining the event in order to meet government health guidelines at all levels. We are able to keep the runners at the required six feet distance at both the start and finish areas, as well as requiring that they wear facemasks while in Manitou Springs. We also ask that they pull up their facemasks when they pass on the course.”

No one is under the illusion that road racing as we knew it before the pandemic is coming back anytime soon. In addition to the health rules related to the pandemic, demand so far has been low.

“I think there’s a lot of people that are not ready to come back,” said Jessica Griffiths, race director for Colorado Runner Events. “There’s people saying they’re ready, but they’re not actually signing up. The shorter distances could possibly sell out. The 50K maybe has 50 people in it right now. People have not been training for that distance because they didn’t expect it to happen. The 25K (has) about 100 people right now.

“Demand is very down. But for the people that are wanting to come out, they’re very enthusiastic, and they seem very, very grateful that we’re even trying to put on an event. It’s been a challenge. The guidance changes a lot.”

The Cookie Chase had more than 1,400 finishers in 2019, so the 300 that turned out this week represented a huge drop.

“Not that we wanted or were allowed to have a large event, but it gives you an idea of where the demand is currently,” Griffiths said. “We had small waves start from 7 a.m. until 9:30, so those 300 people were very social distanced throughout the 3 miles.”

Griffiths said guidelines mandated by Tri-County Health for the Greenland Trail races include:

-Registration tables and portable restrooms must be cleaned and recorded on an hourly timesheet.

-Only pre-packaged food and sealed bottles of liquids are allowed at the finish line.

-Hand sanitizer is required on all tables.

-Staff and volunteers must wear masks at all times.

-Staff and volunteers are required to have temperature checks and COVID-19 screenings.

Similar rules will be in place for the Labor Day races, including the staggered start, Griffiths said, although the interval times for the start launches may be tweaked depending on how the Greenland races go.

“We paced it out,” Griffiths said. “If you have an elite runner who’s running about 6-minute miles, and one person starts every 8 seconds, they’re going to cover 120 feet before the next participant starts. Even the walkers, in 8 seconds, will cover 30-35 feet before the next person starts. It will be very strung-out. We wouldn’t have people running in big groups. I think for the people that are coming, they are just excited to have something to train for and something to do that’s in person, even if it’s not going to be the same.”

Colfax Marathon officials Andrea Dowdy and Creigh Kelley spent much of the summer working through ideas on how a return to racing would look, not just for their races but for the industry at large. They came up with a set of guidelines in concert with state and city public health officials that have been reviewed by the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The resulting document has been offered to other races — in Colorado and around the country — as a template.

Denver officials allowed the Cookie Chase to happen last weekend under those guidelines. Now the hope is that other races will be able to follow the template, although Kelley says it’s impractical to stage races longer than 5Ks until COVID-19 restrictions are eased or lifted.

“We knew we needed to create recommended guidelines so that race directors or event organizers, including charities — all these charities that are losing a lot of money — would have a document they could read and understand that would allow them to begin to think about putting on an event so they don’t have to wait another year,” Kelley said, adding that 10-15 race directors around the country will be using the template to bring their races back. “Our whole mission was to give our industry a way they can get their arms around the possibility of putting on an event again, safely.”

(08/23/20) Views: 160

London Marathon Elite Fields Released, 2020 elite field will be the best in years

Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele face battle from six more sub-2:05 runners in elite men’s race.

World record holder Brigid Kosgei among six sub-2:20 athletes in elite women’s race.

The Virgin Money London Marathon today confirmed the full fields for the historic elite men’s and women’s races on Sunday 4 October.

The elite men’s race – headlined by the greatest marathon runners in history, Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) and Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) – will include eight athletes who have run sub 2:05 marathons, including Mosinet Geremew (ETH) and Mule Wasihun (ETH) who were second and third respectively at the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon.

Sisay Lemma (ETH), Tamirat Tola (ETH), Marius Kipserem (KEN) and Shura Kitata (ETH) are the other men to have run inside 2:05 while Sondre Nordstad Moen (NOR), who broke the European hour record in Norway earlier this month by running 21.132km, is also included.

The news that World Athletics will lift its suspension of the Olympic qualification system for marathon races from 1 September means there will also be a clutch of athletes racing with the ambition to achieve the Olympic standard of 2:11:30.

Adding yet further superstar quality to the event, the Virgin Money London Marathon can also announce that Sir Mo Farah will be a pacemaker for this group of Olympic hopefuls.

Farah, the four-time Olympic champion, said: “The London Marathon has been so important to me since I was a schoolboy and when they asked me to do this I thought it would be great to help. I am in good shape, I’ll be in London that week and it fits in with my training.

“I’ve been training here in Font Romeu with some of the British guys who are going for that Olympic qualifying time and they are good lads. I know just how special it is just to compete for your country at an Olympic Games and it would be great to help other athletes achieve this. With the current global situation and lack of races, the Virgin Money London Marathon in October is the best chance for athletes to run the Olympic qualifying time.”

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the Virgin Money London Marathon, said: “This is the greatest Olympian in British track and field history coming to run as a pacemaker to help others achieve their dreams of making the Tokyo Olympic Games. It is a wonderful gesture of togetherness from Sir Mo and I’m sure his presence and support will inspire the athletes chasing that qualifying time on Sunday 4 October.”

At present only two British athletes other than Farah have run inside this time: Callum Hawkins, who has been pre-selected for the Olympic Games marathon, and Jonny Mellor who ran 2:10:03 in Seville in January. Farah himself has opted to run on the track at the Olympic Games.

Mellor is one of a number of British athletes running the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon – The 40th Race – on Sunday 4 October. Other British men joining Mellor on the Start Line are Chris Thompson and debutants Ross Millington and Ben Connor.

Among the leading domestic women confirmed to race are Steph Twell, who ran a personal best (PB) of 2:26:40 in Frankfurt last year to go sixth on the British all-time rankings, and 2018 British marathon champion Lily Partridge.

The elite women’s field is headlined by world record holder Brigid Kosgei (KEN). Confirmed today are five other women who have run inside 2:20: current world champion Ruth Chepngetich (KEN), 2019 Valencia Marathon champion Roza Dereje (ETH), 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon champion Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN), 2019 Frankfurt Marathon winner Valary Jemeli (KEN) and 2019 Amsterdam Marathon champion Degitu Azimeraw (ETH).

Ashete Bekere (ETH), the winner of last year’s BMW Berlin Marathon, Alemu Megertu (ETH), the 2019 Rome Marathon champion, plus Sarah Hall (USA) and Sinead Diver (AUS) are also included in a star-studded race.

(08/21/20) Views: 129

A recent poll shows that more than half of Japanese companies want the Tokyo Olympic Games to be cancelled or postponed again

Japan's Kyodo news agency said on Thursday that in the online survey by Tokyo Shoko Research covering 12,857 companies, 27.8 percent want the Tokyo Games to be canceled while 25.8 percent said the sporting event should be postponed again.

That means a combined 53.6 percent of the responding firms are against holding the games from July 23 to Aug. 8, 2021.

The survey, which was conducted between July 28 and Aug. 11, shows that 46.2 percent want the games to go ahead in some way -- 22.5 percent are in favor of holding the Olympics as planned, 18.4 percent want it to be held but with fewer spectators and 5.3 percent without any spectators.

Japan is suffering a second wave of COVID-19 infections, with new confirmed cases increased by 1178 in the country and 339 in Tokyo.

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko is urging residents to take thorough precautions in every aspect of daily life.

Tokyo 2020 organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori has said that the delayed Tokyo Olympics, originally scheduled from July 24 to Aug. 9 this year, could not be held next year if COVID-19 pandemic continues as it is. He also said that the games will have to be canceled if it could not be held next year.

The organizers will start discussing concrete countermeasures against COVID-19 this autumn onwards with the Japanese government and Tokyo Metropolitan government. 

(08/22/20) Views: 74

Colorado runners rule Pikes Peak Marathon

Colorado runners ruled the Pikes Peak Marathon on Sunday in a year without elite international competition.

Seth DeMoor, of Englewood was the first to the summit of Pikes Peak and held off David Sinclair to win the men’s race in 3 hours, 36 minutes and 31 seconds, unofficially. Sinclair finishes in 3:38:20.

Denver’s Brittany Charboneau reached summit behind Allie McLaughlin but made up ground during the descent and won the women’s race in 4:25:21. Golden’s Ashley Brasovan was second with McLaughlin, of Colorado Springs, finishing third.

 

(08/23/20) Views: 58

World champion Ruth Chepng’etich promises thrilling battle at London Marathon

World champion Ruth Chepng’etich says her clash with world marathon record-holder Brigid Kosgei at London Marathon on October 4 will “read like a script from a thriller.”

“Nothing can really describe that rare moment when some of the best marathoners clash,” said Chepng’etich, who has been training in isolation in Ngong, Kajiado County.

“People should expect thrills and a tough battle. That is why I want to be in one of my best shape before meeting my good friend Brigid and the rest of the star-studded pack,” explained Chepng’etich as the London Marathon organisers Friday unleashed the star-studded elite cast for the rescheduled race on October 4.

NTV has exclusive rights for the race in Kenya and will broadcast the eagerly-awaited clash live.

The 26-year-old Chepnng’etich said everyone will be heading into the race with unknown qualities owing to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

“You really can’t tell what someone has been doing in isolation or predict the winning time,” said Chepng’etich, adding that it will feel great running her first World Marathon Majors race.

“It will take a lot of courage and focus to face some of these athletes who have conquered races at the World Marathon Majors like Brigid and Vivian Cheruiyot. I have a lot to learn from them too,” she said. Kosgei, who has a personal best of two hours, 14 minutes and four seconds, will be making her third stab at the London Marathon, having won last year in 2:18:20 after finishing second behind compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot in 2018 clocking 2:20:13.

Agemates, Kosgei and Chepng'etich will have company in Cheruiyot, who won in London in 2018 in a career best 2:18:31, and Valary Aiyabei, the winner of the 2019 Frankfurt Marathon (2:19.10).

British athletics legend Mo Farah has agreed to be one of the pacemakers for this year’s London Marathon with his aim to help fellow Britons make the qualifying time for the Olympics.

The 37-year-old will also hope to tee up a spectacular final duel between two fellow legends in Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele and Kenya’s world record holder Eliud Kipchoge.

(08/22/20) Views: 56
Ayumba Ayodi

Mo Farah will be the pacemaker for the elite men's race at October's rescheduled London Marathon

Briton Mo Farah, 37, is among the competitors to have achieved the Olympic-qualifying time of two hours 11 minutes 30 seconds.

Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, who won last year's event, leads the men's field with Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia.

Reduced fields of 30-40 athletes will also compete for the elite women's and wheelchair titles on 4 October.

The races will take place on a bio-secure closed course amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"The London Marathon has been so important to me since I was a schoolboy and when they asked me to do this I thought it would be great to help," said Farah, who finished third in 2018 and fifth last year.

"I am in good shape. I'll be in London that week and it fits in with my training."

Ethiopians Mosinet Geremew and Mule Wasihun, who finished runner-up and third respectively in 2019, are among eight athletes who have run marathons in under two hours five minutes.

Brigid Kosgei of Kenya heads up the women's elite field alongside compatriot and world champion Ruth Chepngetich.

Ethiopia's Roza Dereje and Kenyans Vivian Cheruiyot, Valary Jemeli and Degitu Azimeraw are the other picks of the line-up.

The full elite wheelchair fields will be released next week.

The route will consist of laps of about 1.5 miles, taking in The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Birdcage Walk and Buckingham Palace.

(08/21/20) Views: 50

For First Time in its 61-Year History the Karatsu 10-Miler has been cancelled for 2021

Amid the continued spread of the coronavirus, the 61st edition of the Karatsu 10-Mile Road Race, scheduled for Feb. 14 next year in Saga prefecture, has been cancelled.

According to city officials it is the first time the race has ever been canceled. The event's organizing committee met on Aug. 11 to discuss the possibility of staging the race but decided that with a large number of runners coming from across the country and the risk of spreading the virus among locals watching along the course it would not be advisable to move forward.

Known for its start and finish at the municipal track and field grounds and for passing through nationally-recognized scenic areas, the Karatsu 10-Miler attracts top corporate league and collegiate runners every year.

A record 1035 people entered last February's 60th anniversary edition.Translator's note: Karatsu joins the Marugame Half, Ome 30 km, Kumanichi 30 km, and nine large marathons among major events in the first quarter of 2021 to have already cancelled.

(08/22/20) Views: 50
Brett Larner

Moroccan steeplechaser Soufiane El Bakkali has huge admiration for Kenyan athletes.

In fact, as the delayed elite season opened with the Monaco Diamond League meeting last week, El Bakkali was excited upon seeing the Kenyan contingent at the Stade Loius II in the heart of the principality.

“The men from Africa!” he screamed and then posed for selfies with the Kenyan delegation headed by coach Bernard Ouma.

“He actually asked for the group photo on our way out of the track,” Ouma added, describing the Moroccan as an “amiable character.”

“We had our last breakfast together in Monaco on Sunday on his way to Paris,” Ouma added on Thursday.

First-placed Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali competed in the men's 3,000 metres steeplechase event during the Diamond League Athletics Meeting at The Louis II Stadium in Monaco on August 14, 2020.

The 24-year-old Moroccan has now expressed his interest in running with the Kenyans at the October 3 Kip Keino Classic leg of the World Athletics Continental Tour at the Nyayo National Stadium.

This sets up a potentially mouthwatering race given that El Bakkali ran the season’s best (world lead) time of eight minutes, 8.04 seconds to win in Monaco ahead of Kenya’s Leonard Bett (8:08.78).

Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali (top photo) celebrates after winning the men's 3,000 metres steeplechase event as second-placed Leonard Bett of Kenya looks on during the Diamond League Athletics Meeting at The Louis II Stadium in Monaco on August 14, 2020.

Down with Covid-19, Kenya’s world and Olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto should be fit by then to set up a classic from 4.23pm at Nyayo National Stadium on October 3, according to the draft programme of events. “El Bakkali’s management say he wants to fly from the Doha Diamond League meeting (September 25) direct to Nairobi,” Kip Keino Classic meet director Barnaba Korir confirmed on Thursday. “We are finalising the arrangements for him and this (steeplechase) definitely should be one of the highlights of the Kip Keino Classic.”

With, bizzarrely, Morocco having failed to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games since the legend Hicham El Guerrouj struck a 1,500, and 5,000m double in Athents 16 years ago, the north African nation is banking on El Bakkali to pan the elusive medal at the Tokyo Games, now shifted to next summer.

Olympics 3,000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto (right), and another athlete during training at St Francis Cheptarit High School in Mosoriot, Nandi County on August 06. 

El Bakkali (PB 7:58.15) won silver at the 2017 World Championships in London and followed up with bronze in Doha last year, finishing behind Kipruto and Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma whom he could face at the Kip Keino Classic on October 3.

He was fourth at the 2016 Rio Games and was the only Moroccan athlete signed up by Visa (credit card) in its promotions for Tokyo 2020.

On Thursday, Ouma, who is preparing his athletes for this weekend’s second Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, said there could also be a possibility of bigger names coming to Nairobi in October.

“It (Kip Keino Classic) will be a very entertaining meet,” he summed it up.

(08/21/20) Views: 46
Elias Makori