Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
12/5/2020
These are the top ten stories based on views over the last week.
A team of 160 COVID-19 fighters are set to run 2020 Guangzhou Marathon
Some 160 COVID-19 fighters will form a team to run the 2020 Guangzhou Marathon on December 13, the event organizer announced at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Guangzhou Marathon registered these medical workers who have been fighting against the coronavirus epidemic from hospitals and disease control centers in Guangzhou. The southern Chinese city had sent more than 2,000 medical workers to Hubei province earlier this year to fight the coronavirus.
"Persistence, concentration and never give up -- the spirit of our virus fighters fits the marathon spirit so well," Ouyang Ziwen, director of the Guangzhou sports bureau said.
"The virus fighters deserve the greatest respect and tribute, and the marathon will be one of the best ways," he added.
A total of 20,000 runners will run the 2020 Guangzhou Marathon. Because the epidemic has been well controlled in China, sports events are being held again. Last week, Shanghai, Nanjing and Chengdu all held marathon races.
"This has demonstrated China's strong ability to recover and enormous vitality," Ouyang said.
(12/02/20) Views: 107
Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon seeks to transition to 5,000m after Olympic Games
Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon is considering a new challenge after the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Speaking at her Global Sports Communication training camp in Kaptagat, Kipyegon said she will be upgrading to the 5,000m event after a successful career in the three-lap race.
“My focus has now shifted and I want to compete in 5,000m after the Tokyo Olympic Games. This is my dream as I seek new challenges in my career,” said Kipyegon.
However, the reigning world 1,500m champion added she is not keen on doubling like her mentor, Vivian Cheruiyot — who dominated both the 5,000m and 10,000m races before heading for the roads.
“When I was young, I used to watch Vivian (Cheruiyot) running across the world and I admired her, hence started taking the sport seriously. Now that I have the opportunity to showcase my talent, I hope to make it to the top, like her, when I transit to the next level,” said Kipyegon, who was with former world 3,000m steeplechase champion Hyvin Kiyeng.
Kipyegon has had a stellar career over 1,500m, which, in addition to the Olympic and world titles, saw her win numerous Diamond League Series legs, 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as well as cross country.
Elsewhere, the Diamond League on Tuesday released its provisional calendar for the 2021 season, which will consist of 14 athletics meetings beginning in Rabat in May and ending in Zurich in September.
(11/27/20) Views: 59Emmanuel Sabuni
More details about the Delhi Half Marathon Record performances
t was a great morning for the 2020 World Half Marathon bronze medallists as Ethiopians Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Amedework Walelegn both picked up $37,000 wins ($27k for 1st, $10k for event records) in event record time today at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon.
The headline performance came in the women’s race where Yehualaw, the 21-year old who just missed out on winning in Delhi by 1 second last year in 66:01, ran an unofficial 64:46, the second-fastest women’s half marathon in history on a records-eligible course.
The 5 Fastest Women’s Half Marathons Ever1 64:28* Brigid Kosgei KEN 2019 Great North Run 08.09.20192 64:31 Ababel Yeshaneh ETH 2020 RAK Half 21.02.20203 64:46 Yalemzerf Yehualaw ETH 2020 Delhi Half 28.11.20194 64:49 Brigid Kosgei KEN 2020 RAK Half 21.02.20205 64:51 Joyciline Jepkosgei KEN 2017 Valencia 22.10.2017*Not records eligible
In the men’s race, the Walelegn, also 21, won a three-way sprint finish in an unofficial 58:52 as two-time defending champion Andamlak Belihu of Ethiopia and Stephen Kissa of Uganda also broke 59:00 to finish second and third respectively. The order of finish today was the same as it was at World Half last month as in Poland Walelegn was third, Belihu was 5th and Kissa 19th. 2017 and 2019 world 5000 champion ran Muktar Edris of Ethiopia also ran very well today in his debut as he was in fourth in 59:04 .
The course this year was different than in years past due to Covid-19 but the event record coming in was 59:06 for the men and 66:00 for the women.
Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw produced a stunning run over in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2020, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, to clock the second fastest women’s time ever over the distance when she crossed the line in the Indian capital in 64:46.
The 21-yearold, who had to settle for third at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships last month when she slipped around 80 metres from the line, bounced back with aplomb to take the $27,000 first prize and an additional $10,000 as an event record bonus.
In the men’s race, the event record – with the course having been changed significantly from previous years – also fell when Amdework Walelegn outsprinted his Ethiopian compatriot and two-time defending champion Andamlak Belihu to win in 58:53, the latter coming home in 58:54 and just missing out on an unprecedented third title.
A blistering pace from the gun was set in the women’s race by the Kenyan male pacemaker Alex Kibarus and several of the elite field were quickly dropped.
Six women – three Kenyans: Irene Cheptai, 2019 world marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich and marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei; and three Ethiopians: two-time defending champion and event record holder Teshay Gemechu, world record holder Ababel Yeshaneh and Yalemzerf Yehualaw – followed Kibarus through 5km in 15:27.
World marathon record holder and recent London Marathon winner Kosgei was forced to drop out midway through the eighth kilometre, holding her leg as she limped to the side of the road.
A kilometre later, Gemechu also started to suffer and lost contact with the leaders although she hung on to eventually finish fifth.
Chepngetich, Cheptai, Yehualaw and Yeshaneh went through 10km together in 30:49 as a thrilling race started to take shape.
Cheptai was the next to fall away, becoming detached in the 12th kilometre with the remaining trio going through 15km in 46:15.
With just three kilometres to go, and within the space of a few hundred metres, first Chepngetich and then Yeshaneh found themselves unable to stay with the pace.
However, Yehualaw continued to follow Kibarus, and once he dropped out with two kilometres to go it was just a question of how much she would take off Gemechu’s 2019 course record of 66:00.
In the end, she improved the mark by more than a minute, aided by a strong run over the final quarter of the race.
Yehualaw won in 64:46 but Chepngetich also ran the race of her life to finish in a personal best of 65:06 and move up to equal-sixth on the world all-time list.
“My training since the world championships told me that maybe I could break the course record as I ran 65:19 there, but this was more than I expected, and I hoped for a win here after just losing by a second a year ago,” said Yehualaw.
“My plan was to push hard with two kilometres to go and that helped my fast time, and it was also very nice weather,” she added, with early morning temperatures in Delhi around 12-14 degrees Celsius.
In the men’s race, three pacemakers took field through 3km in 8:22 and then 5km in 13:57 – well under 59-minute pace – with Belihu always to the fore.
The main pacemaker, Uganda’s Abel Sikowo, continued to forge ahead and passed 8km 22:17 and then 10km in 27:50, with eight men still directly in the wake of Sikowo who was doing an admirable job in keeping the tempo high and sub-59 times definitely in sight.
Just after 12km Sikowo dropped out and Belihu, along with Kenya’s Leonard Barsoton, dictated matters at the front for the next two kilometres although, as he was later to admit, this decision might have cost the defending champion dearly in the later stages of the race.
Eight men were still in contention at 15km, which was passed in 42:00. By 18km the leading group had slimmed just slightly to six men: the Ethiopian quartet of Belihu, Walelegn, 2017 and 2019 world 5000m champion Muktar Edris who was making his competitive debut over the distance, Tesfahun Akalnew, Barsoton and Uganda’s Stephen Kissa.
Akalnew started to falter shortly afterwards and with two kilometres to go, Edris and Barsoton also started to drop off the back of the group as their challenge for a place on the podium began to evaporate.
Belihu, Walelegn and Kissa passed the 20km checkpoint in 55:59, and just a hundred or so metres later, Walelegn threw down the gauntlet.
However, Kissa was still full of running and darted between the two Ethiopians with 500m to go and held the lead for the next 300 metres before Walelegn found another gear and passed the Ugandan on his right as he sprinted for the line.
Walelegn finished in 58:53, the third fastest time of the year and an event record by 13 seconds as well as a personal best by 15 seconds. Belihu was just one second in arrears and Kissa two seconds further back, both men also setting personal bests.
“I had a few bad patches but in the final kilometre I felt strong. I was second in Delhi in 2018 and this is a much faster course which has less sharp turns,” commented Walelegn, reflected on the new circuit which incorporated two six-kilometre loops.
“I have to be happy as I ran a personal best. After the pacemaker dropped out I pushed the pace but I think this might have left me with a bit less energy when we sprinted in the last kilometre,” reflected Belihu, who just fell short in his bid to be the first three-time winner in Delhi.
In fourth place Edris ran 59:04, the second fastest debut over the distance ever, while Avinash Sable smashed the Indian record by more than three minutes when he ran 60:30 in tenth place.
(11/29/20) Views: 50Lets Run
Meditation for runners and its benefits
Sitting motionless in a room for an extended period of time might seem like an odd way to improve your running, but meditation is a tool used by some of the world’s best runners to take them to the next level.
Two-time Western States champion Timmy Olhsen uses meditation as a central tenant of his training. Two-time OCC champion Ruth Croft has gone on week-long silent meditation retreats.
Here are some ways to get started:
Why meditate?
There are a number of benefits for runners. Firstly, it can help you concentrate or to “stay present”. This is particularly useful if you have a specific split or pace in mind. Over the course of a 5km, 10km or even a marathon it can be easy for your mind to drift and for you to unwittingly slow down. But if you are “present”, you can focus on keeping your legs spinning.
Conversely, mediation can distract you. If you are battling through a low point on a 100km race, you can use meditation techniques honed at home to focus on your breathing rather than your ailing body. You can refocus to the moment and forget about what is to come and the negative thoughts circling in your head.
Meditation lowers anxiety in general. Being less stressed will help your training in general because you will find it easier to stick to a routine and waste less mental energy so you can push yourself during the session. It will also help you relax and sleep, so your body can recover in full.
Where to start?It can be hard to know where to start. Do you just sit down with crossed legs and float away in your mind’s eye to distant peaks? There are loads of meditation apps for beginners and you can plug in and listen to instructions for short five-minute bursts and build from there.
(12/01/20) Views: 47Colorado Runner
Pig Works Launches Lifetime Membership Program to Support Flying Pig Marathon
Pig Works, the umbrella organization of such signature events as the Flying Pig Marathon powered by P&G, Queen Bee Half Marathon and TQL Beer Series, is offering an exclusive lifetime membership program that includes registration to Pig Works events, merchandise discounts and VIP experiences.
“Our lifetime memberships will create a new financial model to ensure the sustainability of events like the Flying Pig Marathon and Queen Bee Half Marathon during a time when we have had to cancel most of our 2020 events,” said Iris Simpson Bush, CEO of Pig Works. “Our membership program offers discounts for our loyal participants who sign up for multiple events, while giving them VIP (Very Important Pig) treatment. We appreciate their support and are looking forward to welcoming them into our Membership Program.”
The program offers a lifetime of race registrations for a one-time fee, depending on the level chosen. Every plan includes registration for the membership owner to all races during Flying Pig Marathon Weekend, the first weekend in May, for life.
Membership levels include:
1. The Whole Hog ($2,500), including lifetime complimentary race entry into all Pig Works events, along with such perks as VIP experiences, pre-race meet and greets, back bibs identifying the member as “Pig Works Lifetime Member” and 20% off merchandise.
2. Makin’ Bacon with Beer and Honey ($1,500), including lifetime registration for Flying Pig weekend events, five years of complimentary registration to other Pig Works events, VIP experiences, merchandise discounts and early access to expos.
3. All Bacon-All the Time ($1,000), including Flying Pig weekend registrations, VIP experiences, merchandise discounts and early access to expos.
Information on the Lifetime Memberships, including the complete list of benefits, is available at www.pigworks.org/life. Memberships will be limited to 300 and can be purchased for yourself, a friend or as a fundraiser for your non-profit organization. Once assigned, the lifetime membership is non-transferable.
(11/30/20) Views: 44
Two-time world marathon champion Abel Kirui seeks redemption in Valencia after skipping Amsterdam race due to pandemic
Two-time world marathon champion Abel Kirui is targeting a podium finish at the Valencia Marathon on December 6 to cure the pain of missing out on the Amsterdam Marathon that was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have been crying due to lack of races across the world and now a chance has come our way. I have to do my best to ensure I get to the podium,” Kirui said.
A late entry into the marathon start list, Kirui expects a tough race as all the other athletes have been training intensely with their eyes fixed on the prize.
"This will be the battle for the greats. All athletes heading to Valencia are ready and that shows the race will be tough. Expect fireworks at the finish line,” the 2012 London Olympics marathon silver medalist said.
Kirui has had a chequered career in road races and will be relying on his pedigree to reap dividends despite the long period of sporting inactivity. He won the world marathon title in 2009 in Berlin and defended the title in 2011 in Daegu.
Kirui also crossed the finish line first and second at the Chicago Marathon in 2016 and 2017.
Another marathoner hoping to reap from the virtue of patience is two-time Toronto marathon champion Philemon Rono who missed out on the Boston Marathon that was similarly cancelled due to the pandemic.
Rono, who has been training at Kaptagat for the better part of the year, is confident his efforts will earn him a podium finish in the Spanish city.
"This is my first race after Toronto Marathon in 2019 and it is one that came by chance. I have to secure good results because my fitness is in top gear,” Rono, who started out as a pacesetter, said.
Popularly known the 'Small Police' in athletics circles, Rono won the Toronto marathon in 2017 before losing the title to Benson Kipruto in 2018. However, he reclaimed his title in 2019.
(11/27/20) Views: 43Emmanuel Sabuni
Best-case scenario for Games is venues full of spectators - Tokyo governor
•With Covid-19 infections on the rise in many countries around the world, Olympics organisers have yet to decide whether to allow spectators into venues next year and if so, how many.
•The Japanese government is preparing to pause the travel campaign in Osaka and Sapporo following sharp rises in Covid-19 cases
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Tuesday that the best case scenario for the 2020 Olympics postponed until next year is to have venues full of spectators, as organisers wrestle with how to plan for the Games amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
With Covid-19 infections on the rise in many countries around the world, Olympics organisers have yet to decide whether to allow spectators into venues next year and if so, how many.
Koike, speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, said organisers were still hopeful venues could be filled with spectators when the Olympics begin in July.
“The best-case scenario ... would be when all athletes from all countries come here in safety and with peace of mind and the Olympics can, as in previous years, be held with full spectators present as well,” said Koike.
Organisers have said previously they will not make a decision on spectator numbers until the spring. Although Japan has largely avoided the huge numbers of COVID-19 infections seen in other countries, daily cases in Tokyo rose to records above 500 last week.
Koike warned that Tokyo was seeing a rise in infections among older residents, including cases where people had contracted the virus while eating out and brought it home to elderly relatives.
She is due to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga later on Tuesday to discuss a domestic travel promotion campaign introduced by the government earlier this year to try to stimulate local economies hit by the near-complete absence of foreign tourism amid the pandemic.
“It is clear that the movement of people is having an impact on the increase in cases,” Koike said. “It is necessary to look at what kind of restrictions on the movement of people might be needed.”
The Japanese government is preparing to pause the travel campaign in Osaka and Sapporo following sharp rises in Covid-19 cases, the minister handling the government’s coronavirus response said on Tuesday.
(11/28/20) Views: 41
Daniel Mateiko and Evelyne Chirchir Dominates 2020 Eldama Ravine Half Marathon
Daniel Mateiko and Evelyne Chirchir are the new winners of the second edition of Eldama Ravine Half Marathon held on 28/11/2020.Mateiko won 21km men in 63:01 followed closely by Ronald Kurui and Emmanuel Bor finished third in 63:23.
In women 21km category, Evelyne Chirchir won with a wider lead of almost a minute with time of 70:24 where Jackline Jepkemoi and Frankfurt Champion Valary Ayabei came second and third consecutively in time of 71:27: and 71:46.
Norah Jeruto won 10 km women 33:53, Dorcas Kimeli second in 34:07 and Daisy Cheptemei third 35:23. In 10 km men that was dominated by juniors Kenneth Renju closed 29:58 followed a distance by Weldon Kurui 30:16 and Michael Kibet wrapping top 3 with 30:20.
The race was ran with all athletes wearing a mask and only top 10 were allowed to remain after the race and the rest were released to go home.This was due to covid-19 government guidelines on combating the spread of virus.
(11/29/20) Views: 39Willie Korir
Falmouth Road Race Charity Runners Raise $2.3M in 2020 At-Home Edition
Despite a pandemic that forced the 48th running of the Falmouth Road Race to become a virtual event, runners participating in its Numbers for Nonprofits Program presented by Cape Cod Healthcare raised $2,323,801 for Massachusetts-based nonprofit organizations – including over $184,000 for nine Falmouth nonprofits alone.
“We’re incredibly proud that so many of our loyal charity runners stuck by both the race and their nonprofits in this challenging year,” said Scott Ghelfi, president of the Falmouth Road Race board of directors.
“As the economic and human toll of COVID-19 continues into 2021, we’re already looking toward how our 49th running can further support both Falmouth and our valued partners.”
The funds raised in 2020 bring the Numbers for Nonprofits total to almost $45 million since 2000.
About Falmouth Road Race, Inc. The Falmouth Road Race was established in 1973 and has become one of the premier running events of the summer season. Each year the race draws an international field of Olympians, elite and recreational runners out to enjoy the iconic 7-mile seaside course.
The nonprofit Falmouth Road Race organization is committed to promoting health and fitness through community programs and philanthropic giving.
(12/01/20) Views: 39
Emily Sisson will be targeting Molly Huddle’s 67:25 AR at Sunday’s Valencia Half Marathon
At times, the 2020 track & field season has felt like one giant record chase. With the vast majority of major championships cancelled, athletes have shifted their targets from medals to times. And with the ability to focus on one race with the sole goal of running as fast as possible, records have tumbled around the globe. Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei took down Kenenisa Bekele‘s 16-year-old 5,000-meter world record in August. In the span of one hour in October, Letesenbet Gidey broke Tirunesh Dibaba‘s 5,000-meter world record and Cheptegei fully erased Bekele from the outdoor record books by breaking his 10,000m mark. Domestically, Shelby Houlihan chopped over 10 seconds off her American 5,000-meter record back in July, taking it down to 14:23.92.
The latest installment of the Great Record Chase of 2020 comes on Sunday in Valencia, where distance studs Rhonex Kipruto, Jacob Kiplimo, and Gidey will have the half marathon world records in their sights. Just a few minutes back, Emily Sisson — one of the few Americans making the trip to Spain (Jordan Hasay is also entered in the marathon) — will be shooting for a mark of her own: the 67:25 American half marathon record, currently held by her friend and occasional training partner Molly Huddle.
says Ray Treacy, who coaches both Sisson and Huddle. “That’s the goal and see how she feels the last 5k…We’re just hoping for the best and she gets her reward for all the hard work she’s done over the last four or five months, because this is her only race.”
Sisson hasn’t raced since dropping out of the US Olympic Marathon Trials in February, though she did run the virtual New York City Marathon in 2:38:00 in October (Treacy says the aim was merely to get in a good long run effort, adding that it felt “easy” for Sisson and that she recovered “immediately”). Considering her goal is to make the Olympic team at 10,000 meters next year, Treacy did not want Sisson to run another marathon this fall, making the half marathon a natural distance for a target race. And with USATF opting not to send a team to the World Half Marathon Championships, Valencia was the best option.
Treacy says Sisson’s fitness is “really, really good” at the moment, with the 29-year-old clocking 24:37 recently for a five-mile time trial and averaging 5:05 pace for a 4 x 2-mile workout — well under American record pace (AR paceis 5:09). Currently, Sisson sits #2 on the all-time US list thanks to her 67:30 in Houston last year.
There are a couple of potential stumbling blocks, however. First, Sisson may not have any company during the race. The top women will be aiming to run the world record (64:31) or close to it, which is beyond Sisson’s abilities. Though there are two other women — Kenyans Brenda Jepleting (67:07) and Sheila Chepkirui (67:37) — with personal bests close to Sisson, it’s unclear whether they’ll try to run with her or opt for the more aggressive pace up front.
Treacy believes Sisson should be able to handle that situation just fine, though. She was alone for most of the second half of her marathon debut in London in 2019 and came out with a stellar 2:23:08 personal best.
“She’s pretty good at doing that anyway, so I’m not worried about it,” Treacy says.
The larger concern is the weather. The high of 58 degrees in Valencia on Sunday is fine, but the projected winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour could prove problematic.
While Sisson still has several years of her prime remaining, record opportunities like this are precious. Under Treacy, Huddle only raced one half marathon per year from 2015 to 2020, and three of those came on a relatively tough course in New York. Even when Huddle did finally set the record in Houston in 2018, she wasn’t 100% as she had gotten sick a few days earlier.
“[Huddle] never had the opportunity to run really, really fast,” Treacy says. “Certainly when Molly was in the shape she was in Rio, (where she ran an American 10,000m record of 30:13 at the 2016 Olympics), I think she could have run 66:30, 66:40.”
(12/01/20) Views: 39Jonathan Gault
