Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
11/7/2020
These are the top ten stories based on views over the last week.
Mo Farah's preparations for the rescheduled 2020 Olympics next summer could be hampered by a rumoured appearance on a reality TV show, says UK Athletics
Accoridng to reports in the UK media, Farah is set to go in to isolation this week so he can join the cast of the ITV show, before travelling to Gwrych Castle, north Wales, where the latest series is being filmed next month.
The reports also suggest Farah has accepted a £300,000 fee to appear in the show, but UK Athletics are more concerned about how it will affect Farah's training.
“It’s a knife-edge decision,” the UKA chief executive, Jo Coates, said. “For me as a marketer, to have athletes in mainstream TV shows is just perfection. We worked so hard to get netballers into these shows. However – and a big however – you would never want to do that to the detriment of performance.
Farah would join a long list of athletes who took part in the show. Former sprinter Linford Christie, who took home an Olympic gold medal in the 100m in 1992 took part in 2010. Silver medal javelin star Fatima Whitbread, 59, came third in 2011 with hockey star Samantha Quek, 32, coming 4th in 2016.
Swimmer Rebecca Adlington, 31, who won two golds at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, appeared on the show in 2013.
(10/30/20) Views: 80
Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on Nov 29, organizers will provide bio-secure zones for elite runners
Some of the world's top runners are expected to take part in the prestigious Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on November 29, with the organizers promising to provide bio-secure zones to ensure a COVID-19 free race for the elite runners.
While the international and Indian elite runners will be at the start line at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here, the amateur from across the globe will join them via the exclusive Airtel Delhi Half Marathon Mobile App.
Their participation this year will be from a convenient location, wherever they are.
The World Athletics Gold Label race, recognised by the Assocciation of International Marathons & Distance Races (AIMMS), will have a total prize purse of USD 233,270.
One of the first global sporting events to be hosted by India during the COVID-19 pandemic, Airtel Delhi Half Marathon wa during the COVID-19 pandemic, Airtel Delhi Half Marathon will maintain all mandatory protocols in line with the advisory issued by the Government of India.
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said sport has always been a symbol of optimism and he is looking forward to the event.
"We extend our full support to this event that is India's prde and welcome the world's best athletes to our capital city. The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon is representative of a healthier and fitter nation and reinforces the vision of the Fit Fit India movement," he said in a release.
"I would encourage each and every one of you to participate from the safety & security of your own surroundings."
One of the first global sporting events to be hosted by India during the COVID-19 pandemic, Airtel Delhi Half Marathon will maintain all mandatory protocols in line with the advisory issued by the Government of India.
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said, “Over the years, the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon has become an integral part of Delhi’s sporting calendar and an enduring symbol of sporting excellence, philanthropy, health & fitness.
“To watch the finest runners in the world compete on our home ground, will certainly be a boost for the citizens of Delhi and across India. That along with the thousands of amateur runners who participate in this event give us a great opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate the joy of running.”
CAS proceeds with Russian doping case despite COVID-19 spike in Switzerland
The ADHM is being supported by the Sports Ministry, the Delhi government, Sports Authority of India and Athletics Federation of India.
For this edition, the amateur participants will have the option of running through the race week of November 25 to 29 using ADHM App. A participant would be allowed to run and complete his run any time in this time frame depending on his convenience.
This specialized event App will be launched exclusively with an array of features, including timing and distance tracker, for an enhanced running experience.
(10/30/20) Views: 60Sport Star
At the age of 37 Sara Hall says that she is enjoying her sport more than ever
She says running has "broken my heart a hundred times," but each moment of heartbreak would have seemed worthwhile as Sara Hall moved into second place on the final straight of this year's London Marathon.
The dramatic finish saw a surging Hall overtake Ruth Chepngetich in a sprint finish having made up 40 seconds in little more than a mile by her husband's calculations.
Her time of two hours, 22 minutes and one second improved her previous personal best by 15 seconds, and her second-place finish made her the first American to mount the podium at London in 14 years.
The performance would have gone some way to atoning for the disappointment of pulling out of the Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta earlier this year -- likely one of the heartbreaks she had been referring to as she took to social media after the race.
"This is the highlight of my career so far," Hall tells CNN Sport as she reflects on her London Marathon performance.
Hall crosses the finish line in second place at the London Marathon.
"I feel so, so grateful to be enjoying the sport the most I ever have at age 37. It's been kind of a surprise to still be improving at this age, and I just feel so grateful that I got the opportunity to race.
"It was just a long year of training and faith that there would be an opportunity at the end of it. I put in a lot for this race and to have it all come together and have the race of my life that was just a dream come true."
Running 'completely alone'
The circumstances surrounding this year's London Marathon, which was moved from April to October and staged only elite races due to the coronavirus pandemic, were unique.
Competitors were tested multiple times before traveling and also upon arrival in the UK.
Wearing social distancing devices that would sound if they got too close to another person, athletes stayed in a bubble in a hotel the week leading up to the race with "a little, tiny grass loop" to train on, according to Hall.
For the race itself, each athlete had their own Porta Potti -- "every runner's dream," says Hall, rather than waiting in a long queue before rushing to the start line.
Rather than start in Greenwich in south London and finish in The Mall in the center of the British capital, the course was also altered to 19.6 laps of St James's Park and no crowds were in attendance -- something that posed a significant mental challenge.
"There were times I could just hear the echo of my footsteps out there because I was running completely alone," says Hall.
"I really just had to self-motivate a lot out there because it was a lonely, very quiet run without spectators.
"And I just tried to remember how grateful I was to be competing and (to) have an opportunity in Covid ... and it was really that gratitude that kept me moving forward and then eventually catching people."
(10/31/20) Views: 54
Work your core like champion Mo Farah
As every runner knows, core strengthening is an important aspect of your training schedule, but many of us are guilty of skipping core workouts on a regular basis. You know who doesn’t skip core sessions? Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah.
Yes, we know core hurts and it’s not nearly as fun as getting out on the roads, trails or track, but it will help you improve as a runner and all-around athlete. So drop what you’re doing, get on the floor and try Farah’s quick and easy core routine, which he says has helped him achieve his goals in the sport.
Russian twist — 20 reps
Start off with a classic — the Russian twist. Farah uses a medicine ball for this exercise, but you can use a dumbbell or anything else you have at your disposal. If you find it too difficult to perform this exercise with a ball or weight, you can also do it without holding anything. Start by sitting on the floor, lifting your feet off the ground and crossing your legs. Making sure to keep your legs as still as possible, twist from side to side, moving the medicine ball to either hip. Farah notes that it’s important to “lean in and squeeze your core” while performing this move, and it’s also key not to rush it (even though you might want to just get it over with).
Oblique crunches — 20 reps
Next up is oblique crunches, which will have you lying on your back. With one leg bent and your foot resting on the floor, bring your other leg up and rest it against your opposite knee. Then, with your hands behind your head, twist and lift upward toward the knee of your elevated leg, making sure that your shoulder blade comes off the floor and your elbow touches your knee. Once complete, repeat 20 reps on the opposite side.
Bent-leg crunches — 10 reps
On your back once again, bend both legs and lift them so they’re at a 90-degree angle. Keep your legs open and about hip-length apart, then perform a crunch, again making sure to get your shoulder blades off the ground.
Hand to foot stability pass — 10 reps
You’ll need a Swiss ball for this workout. Start flat on your back with the ball in your hands, then simultaneously lift your arms and legs and let them meet in the middle, above your torso. When they meet, place the ball between your feet and lower your limbs back to the floor before repeating the motion and trading the ball once again. Farah says to exhale as you crunch and inhale as you extend, also adding that you should focus on keeping your lower back flat to the floor.
Lower-abs pulse — 10 reps
This exercise also requires a Swiss ball, but if you don’t have one, you can place your legs on a chair. With one leg outstretched straight beneath you and resting on the ball, extend the other into the air above you. From there, lift your pelvis off the floor, pulsing up and dropping down repeatedly for 10 reps on each side.
Swiss ball opposite-arm and leg-lift — 5 reps
Resting your torso on the Swiss ball, place your feet and arms on the floor. Extend one arm out while also lifting the opposite leg, then repeat with the other pair. Be sure to keep your head in line with the rest of your body and also remember to engage your glutes when lifting your legs.
Lower-back extension — 5 reps
In the same position on the Swiss ball as the previous exercise, lift your upper body up, extending straight up, then to either side. Take care to do this slowly, otherwise you’ll gain too much momentum and lose control of the motion.
(11/05/20) Views: 49Ben Snider-McGrath
Semenya and Van Niekerk among Athletics South Africa preparatory Olympic squad
Olympic champions Caster Semenya and Wayde van Niekerk are among 43 athletes included in Athletics South Africa’s preparation squad for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The preparation squad for the rescheduled Games features 32 men and 11 women, while a further 15 sprinters are in consideration for relay teams.
"We believe that we have assembled a very strong squad and we are confident that all the athletes are capable to be part of the final team, but that will be dependent entirely on them," Athletics South Africa President Aleck Skhosana told SuperSport.
"But they will have to stay focused to achieve that as they train in their various disciplines.
"Given the current global challenge caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we encourage athletes to take advantage of every available opportunity for competition because we don’t know what the future holds in terms of the fight against this virus.
"Whether it will get stronger or whether it will be defeated, we don’t know.
"So, we urge athletes to use opportunities at club, provincial or national level to prepare themselves."
Semenya is among the most well-known athletes in the squad.
The double Olympic champion last month lost an appeal to the Swiss Supreme Court over a World Athletics ruling which means she must take testosterone-reducing medication in order to be eligible to compete.
The current rules force athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD) to take drugs to medically reduce their naturally-occurring testosterone if they want to compete in women's events ranging from 400 meters to a mile.
She had previously appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the policy, but was unsuccessful.
The ruling means Semenya is unable to defend her 800m Olympic crown at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games unless she takes medication.
Earlier this year Semenya expressed an interest in competing in the 200m at Tokyo 2020, an event not covered by the regulations.
Van Niekerk also features in the squad.
He set the 400m world record of 43.03sec when he earned Olympic gold at Rio 2016.
He competed in his first international race in more than three years last month.
Van Niekerk had been recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury picked up in 2017.
The preparatory squad also includes long jumper Luvo Manyonga and javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen, who both won silver medals at Rio 2016.
Manyonga won the men’s long jump world title in 2017.
Reigning Commonwealth Games men’s 100m champion Akani Simbine has been touted as a potential medal contender next year and also is included.
(10/31/20) Views: 46Michael Pavitt
Unstoppable, Ruth Saunders, 104-year-old woman crosses marathon finish line for charity
A 104-year-old woman has completed a marathon walk for charity, with her family describing how the “unstoppable” great-grandmother is looking at her next fundraising challenge.
Ruth Saunders, from Newbury in Berkshire, crossed the finish line of her 26.2-mile walk at Newbury Racecourse on Wednesday, a day before England goes into a second national lockdown.
Following in the footsteps of Captain Sir Tom Moore, Ruth had originally set herself the goal of walking 104 laps of her block – around 21 miles – to match her age when she set off on the challenge on September 8.
Her granddaughter Kate Saunders, 50, described the moment Ruth made it across the finish line on a bright, sunny morning.
“She said ‘is that it? Have I done it now?'” Kate said.
While slow and steady may win the race, Kate said there was no stopping her grandmother.
“She definitely paces out her laps quite quickly,” she said. “I kept telling her to slow it down.”
Ruth has so far raised more than £31,000 for Thames Valley Air Ambulance, surpassing her original target of £500 on JustGiving.
She had previously held coffee morning fundraisers for the charity but these had to stop due to the pandemic.
Kate said her grandmother has inspired people young and old to join her on a socially-distanced walk to keep her going, including her two daughters Gemma, 16, and Hannah, 14.
She described how a four-year-old in the neighbourhood had joined Ruth on the walk one day and donated money too.
She added: “Everyone’s really proud of her, she’s so independent, lively and energetic, she puts younger people to shame.
“Donations are still coming in daily, even from around the world.
“My eldest daughter’s friends from school were saying ‘your great-grandmother is so amazing’, all ages are feeling so inspired by her, in the local area and beyond.”
Ruth joins the likes of Sir Tom, the 100-year-old veteran who raised millions for the NHS during lockdown, and 100-year-old Islam Choudhury, who raised more than £420,000 for various good causes while fasting during Ramadan.
As England is set to go into a second national lockdown from Thursday, Kate said the family will be supporting Ruth throughout the month as part of her bubble.
She added: “The first lockdown was difficult for everyone.
“She (Ruth) gave me a shopping list one day asking for specific things and I couldn’t get them for her because there just wasn’t anything left in the shops.
“Coming into the next lockdown we are looking at how we can support her and keep stock of what she needs, all of her family are there for her.”
With a new taste for adventure, Kate said they have already been talking about Ruth’s next challenge.
“She said ‘I can swim the English Channel? Do a parachute jump?’ When she puts her mind to something there is no stopping her,” Kate added.
(11/04/20) Views: 41
Police in Nandi County are searching for Olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto after he allegedly eloped with a Teenage girl
Police search for olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto for allegedly eloping with a form two girl.
The teenager had been reported missing but she was found a few days later with her parents claiming that Kipruto was staying with their daughter at his home in Chesumei.
The girl declined to disclose where she had been but after going through her phone, her parents learned she was in communication with Kipruto, 25.
They claim the world 3,000m steeplechase champion defiled their daughter and have since been taken her to the hospital for examination.
Mosoriot OCPD Bosita Omukolongolo said police are looking for Kipruto whose whereabouts remain unknown.
“A report was filed at Mosoriot Police Station by the girl’s parents, who are complaining that Kipruto defiled their daughter. We cannot immediately confirm whether the girl is a minor or an adult. However, we are looking for the athlete whose whereabouts remain unknown,” Omukolongolo said.
“Upon arresting the suspect, we shall record his statement and thereafter conclude investigations into the defilement allegations,” he added.
(11/03/20) Views: 39John Wanjohi
Molly Huddle broke three American records November 1
On Sunday night, two-time U.S. Olympian Molly Huddle broke three American records in one run at a high school track south of Boston November 1.
Huddle ran for 60 minutes, breaking, in order, the national 15,000m, 10-mile track and one-hour records. Before Sunday, each of these records belonged to former Ottawa Marathon champion Nancy Conz, who in 1981 ran all three on the same day (just like Huddle), also at an event in Massachusetts. With her big result, Huddle added to her long list of accomplishments in the sport (which already includes the American 5K and half-marathon records, among others).
The conditions on Sunday night were far from ideal for Huddle, and she spent her hour of running in the rain. That clearly didn’t affect her too much, and she cruised to her three new records, smashing each of Conz’s previous marks.
In her 1981 record-breaking race, Conz’s first big result came after 15,000m of running, when she posted a time of 53:06. On Sunday, Huddle ran a blazing-fast 50:07.82, just shy of a sub-50-minute result. This works out to 3:20 per kilometre up to that point, and she still had just under 10 minutes and two more American records ahead of her. Back in ’81, Conz ran a 10-mile split of 55:58, which, once again, Huddle shattered, running 53:49.9. Finally, six minutes later, Huddle set her third record of the night, covering 17,930m in 60 minutes to beat Conz’s 39-year-old record of 17,273m.
(11/02/20) Views: 34
Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes Shares her experience of coronavirus
Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes says she has tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from holiday in Cyprus.
Holmes, who won 800m and 1500m gold at the 2004 Athens Games, detailed her symptoms in an Instagram post and said she has been left drained by the virus.
"Smiles one day, the next day Covid," said Holmes, 50, on social media.
She added she has "officially been corona(ed)" and has "never laid down so long".
Holmes, who returned from holiday on 20 October, has been updating the post with how her symptoms have progressed each day.
"Day 1 - sore throat, bad headaches," she said.
"Day 2 - above + aching body, tight chest.
"Day 3 - above worse + test.
"Day 4 - bad headaches, lost smell.
"Day 5 - above, positive result plus loss of taste.
"Day 6 - drained, tight chest, headaches. Really dizzy.
"Day 7 - headaches, dizzy, tired, slight cough, still no taste or smell."
She added that "you know you have coronavirus when toothpaste, stilton cheese, peanut butter and Marmite all taste the same - like nothing".
(11/03/20) Views: 32Athletics
Prison inmate helps Utah woman finish marathon
When prison inmate Fidel Ybarra saw Carrie Kelley struggling at the Beaver Canyon Marathon, he ran with her for the next 35K
At the Beaver Canyon Marathon in Beaver, Utah, on October 3, Carrie Kelley started the race looking to finish her 68th marathon. A little later, though, not even 7K into the run, she had already hit a wall, and she was thinking about dropping out. Before she could act on this impulse to quit, a man named Fidel Ybarra appeared from behind Kelley and started to run with her. Ybarra is a prison inmate who was helping out at the marathon that day, and although he was hardly dressed for a run (he was wearing work boots and shorts over long johns), he ran with Kelley for the next 35K.
Amy Albrecht, the race director for the Beaver Canyon Marathon, spoke with KSL.com after the race, and she said there were several inmates from the Utah Department of Corrections on-site that day to help set up ahead of the run and tear down after. Ybarra had been following behind the racers to clean up the course with the rest of the crew, and his decision to run with Kelley—who was in last place and clearly struggling—surprised everyone.
“Watching the two of them cross together had everyone in tears,” Albrecht said. “It was so moving, and one of the neatest things I have ever seen. I don’t know his past mistakes, but what he did showed his true character.” Albrecht added that the Beaver Canyon team found the address of Ybarra’s mother, and they’ve sent her his medal. “He deserves it for what he did that day.”
After the run, Kelley took to Facebook to explain what had happened during the race. “Without Fidel’s help, I wouldn’t have been able to finish,” she wrote. “I was that broken and injured.” Kelley wrote that Ybarra “isn’t a runner, but he’s one of those people who is a true athlete,” noting that he had no prior training ahead of his spontaneous 22-mile run. “I saw how much pain Fidel was in, but he wouldn’t quit because he didn’t want me to run alone.”
The communications director of the Utah Department of Corrections released a statement from Ybarra, who wrote, “While walking and talking with the deputy that was supervising us, a name came up of a dedicated marathon runner, Carrie Kelley, who was running in the Beaver Canyon Marathon, but due to some injuries she was having a hard time running. She was the last runner and we eventually caught up to her. I am not sure why I began running with her, but I think maybe I saw a little bit of myself and other inmates in the situation. We are normally left at the back and left to our own devices. I could tell how much she enjoyed running, and I felt like I could not let her finish the marathon alone.”
Ybarra said he didn’t plan on running the rest of the marathon with Kelley, but 35K after joining her, he was crossing the finish line by her side. “I feel like by the end I was in more pain than her,” he wrote, “but the feeling of accomplishment was more than I can describe in words.” Kelley and Ybarra finished the race in 6:36:23.
(11/01/20) Views: 31Running Magazine
