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Top Ten Stories of the Week
4/28/2018

Galen Rupp was so ready to run well in Boston but the weather got in the way, next up Prague!

Galen Rupp was so ready to run a fast time and win Boston Marathon but the weather won out. So now what?

Galen is going to run the 2018 Volkswagen Prague Marathon on May 6, race organizers confirmed today.

Rupp (in the black Nike hat) dropped out of the Boston Marathon just before 20 miles due to breathing problems and hypothermia as a result of the cold, wet, and windy weather.

The course record in Prague is Eliud Kiptanui‘s 2:05:39 from 2010 and the winning time has been under 2:09 in each of the past nine editions of the race.

Rupp’s personal best is 2:09:20, which he ran to win the 2017 Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October. Before his DNF in Boston, Rupp had set a personal best in each of his first four career marathons.

(04/24/18) Views: 2,048

Boston Marathon's Champion Yuki Kawauchi is already Racing again on Sunday

The three most recent winners of the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon will clash on Sunday. Earlier this week Kawauchi became the first Japanese runner to win the Boston Marathon in 31 years.

In a gripping race held in harsh conditions, Kawauchi put in numerous surges with his final effort proving decisive. He crossed the finish line in 2:15:58 to beat world champion Geoffrey Kirui by more than two minutes.

It was Kawauchi’s fifth consecutive marathon victory – all of which have been achieved in a four-month time span – but his record at the half marathon isn’t quite as strong. He has contested the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon on five previous occasions but is yet to finish inside the top 10.

But his performance on Monday once again showed that distance-running fans should always expect the unexpected from Kawauchi. The 31-year-old currently works 40 hours a week as a civil servant, but he recently announced that he will leave his job and turn professional next year.

“I need to change my environment (to move up to another level),” he said. “I have not improved my personal best for five years. I want to see my true potential as a runner. I am determined to compete against the best in the world.

(04/20/18) Views: 959

Yuki Kawauchi is going to turn Pro and leave his day job

Yuki Kawauchi runs a lot of races and in fact placed 12th at the Gifu Half Marathon on Sunday clocking 1:04:35. Not bad for the runner who just won this year’s Boston Marathon six days ago. He has been racing despite having to train around his full-time work as a civil servant. He is finally going to quit his day job and turn professional. “I want to join races around the globe,” the 31-year-old runner told reporters at Narita Airport upon his return from the United States. “I have less than 10 years left to run to the best of my ability. I don’t want to have any regrets when I die.” Kawauchi said he would leave his job with the Saitama government in March 2019, the end of the fiscal year. He said he had hinted to his close friends that he wanted to quit work and become a full-time athlete, but the $150,000 (15.9 million yen) in prize money for winning the April 16 Boston Marathon cemented his decision. “I will become a professional runner, and I will use (the prize money) as a support fund for my training,” he said. Top-level runners in Japan are usually funded through corporate sponsorships or are hired by companies to join their corporate sports teams. As a civil servant, Kawauchi has had no sponsors. And although he can receive prize money, he cannot accept fees from race organizers even if he is invited as a guest runner. (04/22/18) Views: 262

Modesto Marathon is out $60,000 and over $2.5 Million of other entry fees collected by RacePartner are missing

The Modesto Marathon posted this Monday on their Facebook page by their race director Vickie Chu-Hermis. "It is with a heavy heart that I tell you the following news in regards to the Modesto Marathon. The race registration company that we originally were using for our marathon, RacePartner, failed to pay us for entries that were made on their platform for the months of November & December. There have been several attempts to collect on the owed funds to no avail. The company is currently under an FBI investigation. We have filed a police report and have been added to the FBI investigation but frankly don’t expect to be able to recoup the missing funds. We estimate our losses to be in excess of $60,000. As a nonprofit event, with all of the proceeds going to our Teens Run Modesto (TRM) program, we are extremely saddened by these turn of events. We’re continuing our hard work to put on the best experience possible for our participants, and are excitedly looking forward to an awesome 10-year anniversary event in 2019." RacePartner, based in West Palm Beach, Fla., and operated by Forte Interactive, not only owes $60,000 to the Modesto Marathon. It was also reported earlier this month, ten organizers of races across the country say more than $2.5 million in entry fees collected by Forte Interactive have disappeared according to the Modesto Bee. An email sent to RacePartner by The Bee on Tuesday morning, seeking comment, was not answered. In the meantime, the Modesto Marathon has moved on to I Am Athlete for its race registration. (04/25/18) Views: 234

I walked with the camels, sat on top of sand dunes, sang songs, mediated and helped Runners through some tough moments at MDS

Lisa Smith-Batchen wanted to see "The view and experience from the back and middle pack" for the long 55 mile stage of the Marathon des Sables in Morocco recently completed. She posted her experience on Facebook today. “This ones for you mom. Thank you for always being such a powerful bright light in my life. I love you and miss you... I went to MDS to have a very different experience. It was everything I asked for and more. I carried a heavy pack (max weight) used poles and walked most every step. I wanted to see "The view and experience from the back and middle pack" Humbling to say the least. I walked with the camels, sat on top of sand dunes and mountains, sang songs, prayed,meditated and helped a few runners through some tough moments. I cried a great deal missing my mother but she helped carry me through. I watched the full moon rise and set as I did the sun rise and sunset. I lied down under the miraculous stars and gave thanks over and over for the life I have been given. The best part of all, the people and the lifetime friends. My tent mates and MDS friends are forever in my heart. I am left full of gratitude that I got to have this journey and have come to realize that first place or last place..it's all the same. It's the journey of self discovery.'' (04/20/18) Views: 162
Lisa Smith-Batchen

My brother presence electrified Hayward Field in a way that had never been done before, we can't tear down history

My name is Linda Prefontaine. Steve Prefontaine is my brother. I understand there is a City Council meeting on the 23rd and I’m hoping my letter can be read at that time in support of saving the history of Hayward Field. I moved to Eugene in 1973 to continue my education at the University of Oregon. When I moved to Eugene it was a nice, small college town. The atmosphere was laid back and the pace was pleasant. I thought I would live there until I died. Over the years the town has changed in many ways. Some of the changes were necessary because of the economy’s dependence on wood products that the town needed to move away from. Real growth and expansion of the business sector is very evident today. Another fact about the early days of Eugene is that my brother made Hayward Field come to life. His presence electrified Hayward Field in a way that had never been done before. People from all over the world came to Eugene to watch him compete. Today people from all over the world still come to Eugene to walk on the historic track at Hayward Field. They do because Steve Prefontaine ran on that track. They come because there is a history there that is magical and cannot be replaced or duplicated. When I attend track meets at HF I can still feel his presence. If Hayward Field is demolished along with the east grandstands I don’t think as many people will be drawn to come to Eugene and Hayward Field. Why would they? The history of Hayward Field will be taken away for ever. I probably won’t be attending as many meets there. It won’t be the same. I moved away from Eugene last fall, back to Coos Bay. I no longer like what Eugene has become and do not want to live in the atmosphere and the mindset of the city that exists today and what I fear it will become in the future. (04/21/18) Views: 142
Linda Prefontaine

Kenyans dominate the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Madrid

Valentine Kipketer and Eliud Barngetuny clocked 2:30:40 and 2:10:15 respectively to secure a Kenyan double at the 41st Rock ’n’ Roll Madrid Marathon on Sunday. Kipketer’s mark took one minute and 24 seconds off the course record set in 2009 by Turkey’s Mehtap Sizmaz while Barngetuny’s performance was the second-fastest winning time ever in Madrid. In the men’s race, Nicholas Kirwa and Joseph Kiprono Kiptum led the main favorites in the opening stages, covering the first uphill 5km section in 16:39. They reached 10km in 30:45 with 12 men still in contention. After a 45:46 15km split, the clock read a promising 1:04:36 at halfway. By then no fewer than 10 athletes remained with winning chances. As expected, the second half proved to be much tougher than the first because of the course profile and the rising temperatures. The 35-km split of 1:47:41 made it clear that the course record (2:09:15) was not going to be broken today. Kibiwott began to falter with 2km to go, so the race became a two-man battle between Kiplagat and Barngetuny. The latter found an extra gear during the closing kilometre to finish in a PB of 2:10:15. In second, Kiplagat also set a PB of 2:10:24, while Kibiwott was third in 2:10:32. Once the pacemaker in the women's race dropped out at 37km, Kipketer ran the closing section on her own. The gradually rising temperature (20C by the end) and the closing uphill meters prevented her from finishing within 2:30, but she still managed an overwhelming win in 2:30:40, a course record. (04/24/18) Views: 72

New IAAF rule might slow Olympic 800m Champion Caster Semenya by seven seconds

The Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya could run up to seven seconds slower under new rules requiring her to lower her natural testosterone levels to race internationally, a prominent sports scientist has predicted. Under rules due to be announced on Thursday morning by the IAAF, the world athletics governing body, a separate female classification for an athlete with differences of sexual development (or DSDs) will be introduced. Such athletes, including Semenya, will have to reduce and then maintain their testosterone levels to no greater than 5nmol/L by November 1 if they want to compete in events ranging from 400 meters to a mile. The IAAF believes its new rules will “preserve fair and meaningful competition in the female classification” because women athletes with high testosterone have an advantage of up to 9% over women with normal levels of testosterone. (04/25/18) Views: 67

Mike Fremont will be attempting to set an American road mile record, he is 96

96-year-old Cincinnati native Mike Fremont will be running the Grand Blue Mile! April 24 in Des Moines, Iowa. He's attempting to set an American record in the road mile. He is the current single-age world marathon record holder in the 88-and 90-year-old age categories and the single-age world half marathon record holder in the 90 and 91 age categories. “I suggest you have a hearse ready for me at the finish line,” Fremont joked and then said. “I know I’m lucky to still be running, and I don’t want to take a single day for granted.” (04/20/18) Views: 66

A slew of Kenyans are ready to battle America’s Galen Rupp at Prague Marathon May 6

Stephen Kwelio Chemlany is leading a slew of Kenyan stars at this year's Prague Marathon on May 6. Chemlany has had a good performance in Asia, winning in China and South Korea at the Seoul Marathon. However, he seeks to dominate a new fortress as he heads to Europe, eying the Prague title against a top international lineup, which includes Chicago Marathon champion Galen Rupp. "It will have top names because the course there is good. But it is down to what you do in your preparations and then wait to see how the opponents perform against your running. I have no worries of injuries and am focused on doing the job right in Prague," Chemlany said on Wednesday from Eldoret, Kenya. Chemlany, who has been training in the USA, was runner-up at the 2011 Berlin Marathon and came fourth at the 2013 Berlin Marathon. (04/25/18) Views: 65