Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
12/19/2020
These are the top ten stories based on views over the last week.
Three-Time World Half Marathon Champion Geoffrey Kamworor Shares Seven Treadmill Training Tips
Three-time world half marathon champion and two-time world cross country gold medalist Geoffrey Kamworor is among the finest endurance runners of his generation. During lockdown the Kenyan star began using a treadmill at home and has continued to do so as part of his rehabilitation from a recent injury he suffered after a motorbike knocked him to the ground during an early morning run in June. Here the two-time New York Marathon winner offers his seven top treadmill training tips.
Take time to practice:
Kamworor urges novice treadmill runners to be patient in order to become accustomed to running on the machine before engaging in any intense sessions.
“It takes take time for people to adjust and learn how to run on a treadmill,” he explains. “I learned pretty quickly how to do so, but for others it can take a little longer.”
Warm up properly:
When jumping on the treadmill it should be treated no differently to running outside in that it requires a thorough warm up.
“Run slowly at first,” he says. “The good thing with a treadmill you can easily set the pace. Maybe start at a walking pace, then slowly increasing the speed to running pace.”
Embrace its versatility:
Kamworor believes the treadmill can be used for many different types of sessions, from tempo runs to fartlek and even speed sessions. A favourite fartlek session of his is three minutes of fast running at a speed of between 20-22kmph followed by one minute of jogging at 10kmph, then repeated.
“I set the calculations into the machine so 10 seconds before I’m scheduled to run at full speed again this allows the machine to gradually adjust to full speed.”
Speed sessions:
While acknowledging it is a little trickier to replicate track speed sessions on the treadmill he insists it is far from impossible.
“It is not something easy because it requires a lot of calculations but this is something you can learn over time, and, for me, it works perfectly. Normally, I would train on the track in a group but the treadmill allows me to do the speed session alone if necessary.”
Flat gradient:
Some treadmill users emphasise the importance of always running at a slight gradient but as many of Kamworor’s quicker sessions are run on the flat he prefers to replicate this with a 0.0 % gradient during many of his treadmill sessions.
“The option is there, though, to run on a slight incline or decline if you want to,” he adds.
Visualize a route:
Kamworor personally prefers not to listen to music when treadmill running, because he likes to stay fully concentrated. He does, however, suggest to any treadmill runners to visualize a running route when on the treadmill.
“Whether you are on a speed session or tempo run it is importance to visualize, even if you are visualizing a competition. It is important to think positively about running.”
Cool down:
Like on any run, Geoffrey says it is important not to neglect the cool down on the treadmill. “It is important to reduce the speed to 10kmph or less,” he says. “Twenty minutes is a nice cool down time.”
(12/17/20) Views: 176World Athletics
Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon will take place this weekend
Founded in 2015, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon, a coastal running fest, showcases the local culture with a beautiful beach side run from Pass Christian to Biloxi and it’s set for this weekend.
Things kick off at the runner village at MGM Park in Biloxi. Saturday morning is the Chevron Mississippi Gulf Coast Kids Marathon one mile run and the Margaritaville 5K at Point Cadet Plaza in Biloxi followed by the full/half marathon along the Coast on Sunday.
The weekend will finish in MGM Park as you watch runners cross the finish line on the jumbotron.
You can check out COVID protocols on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon’s website.
(12/12/20) Views: 106
Route approved for relocated marathon at Tokyo olympics
A route has been approved for the Olympic marathon, which is to be held in the northern city of Sapporo to avoid the Japanese capital's summer heat, Tokyo 2020 organizers said Friday. A dummy-run marathon will take place on May 5 to test the circuit, which starts and ends at Sapporo Odori Park in the city center, the organizing committee said.
The controversial decision to relocate the marathon and race-walking events was made in November 2019, before the Games were postponed by a year due to the coronavirus.
The Tokyo Olympics are now due to open in July 2021, and officials are insisting they will go ahead even if the pandemic is not under control.
The marathon will have three laps -- the first much longer, crossing the Toyohira River, while the second and third laps repeat a section of the first.
"Sapporo has a rich background in road running, particularly marathon events, and we want to inspire... fans around the world to travel to Sapporo for its future mass races," said Jakob Larsen, competition and events director for World Athletics, which has approved the route.
It is not exactly the same route as the annual Hokkaido Marathon in the city, but "it does follow much of the traditional course", he added.
Olympic officials first proposed moving the marathon after disastrous scenes at the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships, where dozens of athletes needed medical attention in hot and humid conditions.The Tokyo Olympics are now due to open in July 2021, and officials are insisting they will go ahead even if the pandemic is not under control.
The marathon will have three laps -- the first much longer, crossing the Toyohira River, while the second and third laps repeat a section of the first.
"Sapporo has a rich background in road running, particularly marathon events, and we want to inspire... fans around the world to travel to Sapporo for its future mass races," said Jakob Larsen, competition and events director for World Athletics, which has approved the route.
It is not exactly the same route as the annual Hokkaido Marathon in the city, but "it does follow much of the traditional course", he added.
Olympic officials first proposed moving the marathon after disastrous scenes at the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships, where dozens of athletes needed medical attention in hot and humid conditions.
It became a major sticking point between Tokyo officials and the International Olympics Committee, but eventually the city gave its grudging support for the move.
(12/11/20) Views: 102
2021 RÄ«ga marathon Rescheduled to take place in August
For the first time in history, the 2021 Rimi RÄ«ga marathon will be held in August instead of May, but the running season will be extended throughout the year, organizers said December 10.
The 31st Rimi RÄ«ga marathon is scheduled for 28 and 29 August. It is planned that there will be a half-marathon, full marathon, 5 and 10 kilometer distances, as well as the children's run. the organizers informed on Thursday. Participants will be able to participate in children's days, 5 km and 10 km, as well as a half-marathon and marathon run.
On 15 and 16 May, when the Riga marathon was originally scheduled, a new hybrid running event will take place. It will take place on certified routes in the city, but will be without a common start and finish, and will stand out with other unusual features of future running events. In addition, the marathon Virtual Running Club will organize competitions and challenges throughout the year.
Aigars Nords, director of the Rimi marathon, said that even the most optimistic forecasts exclude the possibility of preparing for the marathon in May.
The participants registered for the Riga marathon in May 2021 will automatically be transferred to the marathon on August 28 and 29.
On the other hand, registration for the hybrid event on May 15 and 16, as well as the Riga marathon on August 28 and 29, will be disclosed in the spring, or as soon as the possible restrictions are clearer.
(12/11/20) Views: 101
A test event for the Olympic marathon in Sapporo is now due to take place during the Hokkaido-Sapporo Marathon Festival on May 5
The confirmation of the date is among updates made to the calendar of test events by Tokyo 2020.
Olympic marathons and walking races are being held in Sapporo, on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, because of concerns over the heat in Tokyo.
The test race will be organised by the Hokkaido-Sapporo Marathon Festival Committee.
This race on May 5 will test the course for the Games.
World Athletics officials visited the marathon course on August 8, exactly one year prior to the men’s marathon race at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Air quality, heat stress, temperature and relative humidity were all measured as the officials cycled the route, and World Athletics said it was encouraged by the results.
A Para-athletics test event for track and field has also been given a date, and is now set to take place on May 11 at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.
Wheelchair rugby's test event has also been confirmed, and is scheduled for April 3 and 4 at Yoyogi National Stadium.
An artistic swimming test event is the first scheduled in 2021, due to run from March 4 to 7 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
The final test event is currently set to be for 3x3 basketball at Aomi Urban Sports Park from May 14 to 16.
Test events for skateboarding, gymnastics and volleyball, plus track and BMX cycling, are all scheduled as well.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are due to take place from July 23 to August 8 in 2021 following their postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Paralympics are timetabled to run from August 24 to September 5.
(12/12/20) Views: 97Michael Houston
Fargo Marathon to be held in the fall of 2021 due to the pandmic
The Sanford Fargo Marathon, which after 16 straight years of running was unable to be held this past year because of the coronavirus pandemic, is scheduled to run in the fall of 2021.
Normally held in May, the marathon will be held Sept. 20-25.
“It just didn’t make sense for us to try to do an event in May,” said marathon director Mark Knutson. “There is no clear light at the end of this pandemic tunnel. We figured it would be best to push it out to September and hopefully we will be in the clear by then.”
Knutson said the fall schedule is a “one-time thing” with officials planning to hold the marathon in the spring again.
Last year’s spring marathon was postponed due to COVID, with hopes of running the event last August. But that too was canceled due to COVID.
“It’s been a challenge. It’s been hard for everyone … runners and event organizers,” Knutson said. “On the positive side, I have seen a lot of people doing more outdoor activities. More runners, bikers and walkers. If there is something positive to glean off this, it might be this.”
The marathon has drawn 20,000 or more participants for the eight different events it has held the past few years. Knutson is hoping for that same number again next fall.
The full marathon, half-marathon and 10K runs will start and finish in the Fargodome. The course for the full marathon has yet to be finalized, but Knutson is hoping it can run through the campuses of Concordia and Minnesota State Moorhead.
“Schools could be in full session which might be nice,” Knutson said. “It would provide a lot of fanfare and student support.”
(12/11/20) Views: 96Kevin Schnepf
The Middle of a Run Sometimes Feels Like the Hardest, Right? Here‘s How to Push Through
New research published in the journal Cortex found that in tasks that extend over time—such as a training run or race—people tend to put most of their effort into the start and finish, and much less into the middle.
While it’s human nature to do this, there are a few ways you can approach this lower point of effort, such as adding in sprints to the middle of your runs to mix things up or gradually building intensity over time.
Do you typically begin your runs like a racehorse coming out of the gate and end your runs with a recharged kick, but find the middle miles to be the most grueling part? Well, you’re definitely not alone.
It turns out that when doing tasks that extend over time—such as a training run or race—people tend to put most of their effort into the start and finish, and much less into the middle, according to a recent study published in the journal Cortex.
Researchers asked 18 people to play a simple computer game in which they controlled a spaceship that shot down asteroids. They were told that for each session, top performers would get an additional financial bonus, paid after the last session.
They found that participants tended to invest high levels of effort in the beginning and toward the end of a game, in a U-shaped pattern. This is consistent with previous research, which includes athletes in track races, swimming, rowing, and cycling, which all involved what they called a STIM pattern, short for “stuck in the middle” effect.
In terms of why this happens, it’s likely an unconscious belief in balancing cost and reward, according to study coauthor Nitzan Censor, Ph.D., a professor in the Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University in Israel.
“The STIM pattern reflects higher reward at the beginning and end, and the longer the task goes on, the more people tend to perceive that the middle part simply costs too much in terms of effort,” he told Runner’s World. “The result is that effort can decrease by quite a bit over the course of a task, especially if the beginning and end are seen as especially rewarding.”
For example, you might love the excitement of the start line and, honestly, who doesn’t embrace seeing the finish line during a race of any distance? But if you’re hooked on those two elements as your rewards, you might actually be decreasing the amount of effort you put in during the race itself.
f you’re someone who needs that extra motivation during the middle portion of your miles or your training cycle, there are a few possible ways to approach this point of lower effort, according to certified running coach Kourtney Thomas, C.S.C.S. The first is to simply acknowledge that this is what people naturally tend to do.
“Just knowing this is common, and that most people tend to exert less effort in the middle of training, can be helpful for giving yourself a break,” she told Runner’s World.
But if that mindset is sabotaging your training runs and races—by slowing you down, for example—then you can make tweaks based on modifying that “middle time” of your training. For example, you can start at an easier pace—as opposed to gunning it right out of the gate—and build intensity over time, said Thomas. That can help to shorten the period of less effort.
Another tweak to consider is having different goals for the middle of your run, she added. Getting started and reaching a certain goal—like time or distance—provide their own rewards, but for the rest, it helps to mix it up.
“Maybe this is where you introduce some sprints, for example,” said Thomas. “That creates mini goals in the midst of your longer run.”
(12/13/20) Views: 94Runner’s World
Gasparilla Distance Classic Race will be Postponed to May 2021
In response to ongoing public health concerns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gasparilla Distance Classic Association, announced today that the 44th Running of the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Race Weekend Events, originally scheduled for February 19-21, 2021, will be postponed to Mother's Day Weekend, May 7-9, 2021.
On October 21, 2020, the Gasparilla Distance Classic Association announced its plans for an in-person 2021 Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic (PGDC) Race Weekend in February.
The organization’s extensive and detailed 2021 PGDC Race Weekend COVID-19 Mitigation Plan had been reviewed and approved by the city and Tampa General Hospital’s Infectious Disease Services Team.
At the time, Hillsborough County's COVID-19 Statistics showed a COVID-19 Positivity Rate of just over 5%. The Association was encouraged and eager to move forward safely.The landscape has changed dramatically.
(12/12/20) Views: 90
2020 World Athletics Indoor Championships has been postponed to 2023
The 2020 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, the capital city of east China's Jiangsu Province, has been postponed to March 2023, the governing body of world athletics sports announced on Thursday.
Earlier this year, the World Athletics has decided to delay the 2020 World Indoor Championships for one year to next March, due to COVID-19 outbreak.
"While we have been liaising with the organizing committee and the Chinese Athletics Association to evaluate the staging over the past few weeks, given the current global situation, there is still significant uncertainty about the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in the early part of 2021," World Athletics wrote in a statement on its official website.
The statement said the indoor season for athletics falls within a narrow calendar window (up to the end of March) so it is not possible to extend the event to later in 2021.
"We would like Nanjing to be the host of our World Athletics Indoor Championships given the extensive planning and preparation they have put into this event," the statement said, adding that the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships will be held in Belgrade, according to the original plan.
(12/11/20) Views: 88Xinhua News
Professional runner nearly killed by pickup driver on rural Chilliwack road
Gary Robbins said the driver came at him intentionally while he was in the bike lane
Professional trail runner Gary Robbins has spent countless hours in the woods of British Columbia dodging roots, rocks and mud, even the occasional wild animal.
But while training for a road race on a rural Chilliwack road on Wednesday, Robbins came face to face with real danger: An angry man in a pickup truck running him off the road.
Robbins was doing speed training just after noon along Prairie Central Road. He was running west in the bike lane against traffic, as runners and pedestrians are advised to do where there are no sidewalks.
Up ahead he saw a pickup truck dragging a trailer towards him in the middle of the bike lane. He could see the driver looking right at him and not moving out of the bike lane. At the last second Robbins was forced to jump off the road. He landed on a slick, muddy area and he wiped out, hit the pavement leaving him scraped and swollen.
“He was pulling the trailer down the middle of the bike lane just enough to give him the chance of not killing me but ruining my day,” Robbins said Thursday, adding that he is used to trail running rather than road running.
“I told my coach, I’d rather deal with bears. Bears don’t drive trucks.”
Asked if there was any chance the driver didn’t see him, in the middle of the day, with overcast skies, Robbins said he knows he saw him because their eyes met.
“I really wish I could give him the benefit of the doubt but he looked at me right before, a second before I had to jump and he didn’t swerve.”
Robbins isn’t seriously injured, although he did report the matter to police. Given how fast it all happened, he didn’t get a make or model of the pickup truck, but it was pulling an enclosed trailer with lettering on it. He thinks it had a “J” or a “K” or both.
If he could say something to the driver?
“Honestly, I would like that person to have to stand in front of me and my wife and our five-year-old son and just look us in the eyes for 60 seconds. If this person had misjudged the width of their trailer by a few inches, my son might not have a father today and it’s not an exaggeration to say that could have happened.”
(12/12/20) Views: 80
