Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
6/23/2018

If you love running and would like to show the world, this 24,901 mile challenge circling the world is for you

This challenge is about five things. First to celebrate running. Second to motivate people to reach their goals. Third to inspire people to run regularly. Four to show the world how much we love running.  Five to see if our group can log enough miles to circle the world.  

"Our group will start logging miles July 4th and hopefully within 30 days reach our goal of circling the world, 24,901 miles (40,074K)," says Bob Anderson.

"As of June 18 we are 68 runners strong and we think we can average 2,471 miles per week. More runners are needed for us to reach our goal within 30 days."  

On August 5th the team will run a victory lap (800m) in San Franicco and receive a medal and shirt to celebrate reaching the goal. Runners from 12 different countries and from across the US have already signed.

"We know many team members will not be able to join us in San Francisco," says Bob Anderson. "The Victory Medal and shirt can be mailed out.  The key thing is to get signed up."

If you love running and want to tell the world that running is an important part of your life, this would be a good challenge to join. If you can make a commitment of posting miles this challenge is for you.

There is no entry fee and only if you want a shirt and medal is there any fee. Click on the title to sign up and get more information. Lifetime runner Bob Anderson has put this together.

(06/18/18) Views: 766

Krista DuChene placed third at the 2018 Boston Marathon and her 16th Marathon will be STWM

Krista DuChene, the 41-year-old mother of three from Strathroy, Ont., finished third at the 2018 Boston Marathon clocking 2:44:20 said afterwards, “Our Canadian winters prepare us for days like this."

Krista announced yesterday that she will run the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM) on October 17. It will be her fifth time running what she has called her favourite race, and her 16th marathon in 16 years of competition. She joins Reid Coolsaet, two-time Olympian and second-fastest marathoner in Canada’s history, who will also run Scotiabank this year.  

Krista wrote on Instagram, “There are lots of reasons: it’s close to home, it’s a Canadian championship, it’s a quality field but it’s just, no matter where I am racing, my thoughts are on this race. It’s the one I want to do even though I could pick any race in the world.” 

Krista was part of the 2016 Canada Olympic Team.

(06/21/18) Views: 702

Global Run Challenge Profile: Ultra Marathoner Giant Roy Pirrung has won 85 National Titles

RUN THE WORLD: 69-year-old Roy Pirrung is looking forward to the Run The World challenge and is looking at posting 75 miles weekly. Ultra Running Magazine wrote this: 

In 1980, at the age of 32, Roy Pirrung was 60 pounds overweight, smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day, and was a self-described binge drinker. He decided to take up running to help change his lifestyle.

Within a year he was 60 pounds lighter, tobacco and alcohol free, and ran his first marathon, in 3:16. Only two years after that his marathon time was down to 2:38.

It would seem he was born to run. In 1985 he ran his first ultra, the Ice Age 50 Mile trail race in Wisconsin, finishing 5th in one of the most competitive trail ultras in the country.

Only four months later he won the Fond du Lac 24-Hour race with just under 138 miles, and found himself ranked #1 American at that event for the year. Yes, he was born to run.

Ultra racing success continued at a brisk pace for Pirrung. In 1987 he became a national champion for the first time, winning the USA 100 Mile Championship in New York City.

A year later he garnered his second national title and his first national record, winning the inaugural USA 24-Hour Championship in Atlanta with a new American Road Record of 145 miles, 1464 yards. Roy Pirrung’s ultra career continued at a world-class level for over two decades, and continues today at a similar level in the Masters age-group categories.

He has raced in almost every state in the USA, and in 26 different countries on five continents. He has run in almost two dozen USA 24-Hour National Championships, has won two of them, and has placed in the top five in 17 of them.

In addition to his three open National Championship gold medals and his three open American Records, he has won over 80 Masters age-group National Championship Titles and has broken over 50 Masters age-group National Records. He is an American Ultrarunning Association Hall of Fame member with over 50 American records and 86 national titles.

Lifetime miles over 100,000. Lifetime races over 1,000.  "We are super excited to have Roy on our team," says Bob Anderson.  Carey Stoneking one of his Facebook friends posted, "OK Roy...But don't over-do it.  They only want to go around the world...Once." 

(06/21/18) Views: 681
Bob Anderson

Boston Marathon Champion Yuki Kawauchi will be facing Mo farah and Gallen Rupp at Chicago Marathon men elite field

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced today that reigning Boston Marathon champion and “citizen runner” Yuki Kawauchi and 2016 Olympian and Nike Oregon Project runner Suguru Osako will join the elite competition as they both seek to become the first Chicago Marathon champion from Japan since Toshihiko Seko took the crown in 1986.

"I'm really happy to have the chance to race in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the Abbott World Marathon Majors," Kawauchi said.

"I'm looking forward to running the same race where Toshinari Takaoka set the former national record and so many other great Japanese athletes have run well. My results in the other American Abbott World Marathon Majors races, Boston and New York, were pretty good, and I'll do everything I can to line up in Chicago ready to produce good results there too."

“Yuki and Suguru are exciting additions to our elite field,” said Executive Race Director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Carey Pinkowski.

“Yuki has taken an unconventional path to marathon stardom; there’s no other elite runner competing today like him. And Suguru is young in his marathon career with a real chance at breaking the Japanese national record in Chicago.”

Before becoming the 2018 Boston Marathon champion amidst freezing temperatures and pouring rain where he said, “for me, these are the best conditions possible,” Kawauchi gained global renown for his prolific racing schedule. He holds the record for the most marathons run under 2:20 (79), he boasts a PR of 2:08:14, he has won more than 30 career marathons and he finished 12 marathons in 2017 alone.

He has raced more than 20 times in 2018, including running the Kuki Half Marathon dressed in a panda suit and setting a course record at the Yatsugatake Nobeyama 71K ultramarathon in May. He won there by 30 minutes.  

(06/18/18) Views: 669

Kellyn Taylor sets women's record at Grandma's Marathon breaking her PR by over four minutes

Just 61 days after dropping out of the Boston Marathon, Kellyn Taylor of Flagstaff, Ariz., found the 42nd Grandma's Marathon much more to her liking, crushing the Grandma's women's record by more than two minutes — winning in 2 hours, 24 minutes, 29 seconds.

This was a PR by four minutes.  American women Marathon Runners are on fire.  In the men’s race, Kenya's Elisha Barno became the first runner in the 42 years of Grandma's Marathon to win four straight men's titles. Taylor, 31, a U.S. Olympic marathon hopeful for the 2020 Summer Games, really didn't have any competition over the 26.2 miles from south of Two Harbors to Duluth's Canal Park.

Kellyn earned $20,000 from a $100,000 prize money purse. Askale Merachi, 31, of Ethiopia was second for a second straight year, in a personal-best 2:30:18. Serkalem Abrha, 31, of Ethiopia was third in 2:33:44. Kenyan Sarah Kiptoo set the Grandma's women's course mark of 2:26:32 in 2013. Until Saturday, East African women had won eight straight titles. 

(06/16/18) Views: 516

Global Run Challenge Profile: Libby James is the fastest 80 plus woman in the world

RUN THE WORLD: "I’d be happy to add a few miles to your round the world challenge.  Put me down for an average of 20 miles per week," wrote 81-year-old Libby James.  She has been running since the early 70's and racing since 1976. She holds American and world records in distances from 5k to half-marathon. She says it pays to get old and keep running.  Most recently competing in the 80- to 84 age group, she holds the USATF Women’s Masters records for 5k and 15k races, with times of 25:11 and 1:25:06.  She runs Bolder Boulder 10K every year. Libby has a new book called Still Running.  It is about her experiences with the sport. Libby writes because people fascinate her. Being a writer gives her a legitimate reason to be nosey—to find out all she can about people and what makes them tick. For more than 30 years she’s been a freelance feature writer.  "We are excited to have Libby on our Run The World team," says Bob Anderson.  "We met in Colorado (where she lives) a few years ago and I was impressed with her dirve and obvious love for running."  Corey Radman asked Libby recently if she had a formula for success.  "There’s no secret formula. I don’t eat weird. I eat fairly healthy. I think one of the secrets is consistency, particularly as you get older. If you lay off for four or five days, it’s harder to get started again. So, I’ve taken to not running very far, but doing it pretty regularly. Almost every day, usually four miles," Libby answered. (06/21/18) Views: 159
Bob Anderson

Is the Western States 100 record going to fall this weekend?

The 2018 Western States 100 kicks off at 5 a.m. PDT on Saturday, June 23rd in Olympic Valley, California before covering the 100 miles to the city of Auburn. Western States is the world’s oldest 100-mile trail race.  In the decades since its inception in 1974, WS has come to represent one of the ultimate endurance tests in the world.  For this year Jim Walmsley plans to go slow and steady, having blown up in the sapping heat last year when chasing the record. “I still think this year I won’t be far from it [the record],” Walmsley told the South China Morning Post. “I am trying to be more conservative, but if there is a special day or special effort than I’ll have to go for it in the end.” For two years now, Walmsley’s public declaration that he will not only try and break the famous 100-mile (161-kilometre) course record but trim more than 45 minutes off it has bought him massive attention. But on the American runner’s 2016 attempt a wrong turn ruined his chances and in 2017 he failed to pace himself correctly in hot conditions.  The current record is held by American Timothy Olson, set in 2012 at 14 hours, 46 minutes and 44 seconds. (06/19/18) Views: 118

Ultra Marathon great Don Ritchie has died at age 73

During a long and successful running career Don Ritchie broke numerous world bests over distances from 50km to 200km and in races ranging from six to 24 hours. Born in Aberdeenshire in 1944, Ritchie started out as a 440 yards runner with Aberdeen Amateur Athletic Club in 1962 – the beginning of what would turn into a 48-year running career, alongside a career as a teacher. He later ran for Birchfield Harriers and then Forres Harriers and Moray Road Runners. It was in 1977, aged 33, that Ritchie – whose marathon PB was 2:19:34 – discovered his strength for ultra-distance running. In 1978 at Crystal Palace, Ritchie covered 100km in an incredible 6 hours, 10 minutes and 20 seconds. In 1989 he ran from John O’Groats to Land’s End – 844 miles – in 10 days, 15 hours and 25 minutes, raising money for Cancer Research.   Past editor of Road Runners Club Magazine, Dave Cooper, said: “The quiet man from Elgin has been a great ambassador for the sport for many years and his superb array of world record performances and steely determination on road and track is in sharp contrast to his modest self-effacing demeanour.   (06/17/18) Views: 114
Athletics Weekly

You can always count on self motivation to make you stronger. Be your own hero!”

Some days are harder than others. Injuries can bring you down, and staying focused can be difficult. Learning not to depend on or compare yourself to others is crucial. While some friends may only be there for the good times. You can always count on self motivation to make you stronger. Be your own hero!”  (Editor's note: Here are some highlights of Grace's running career - Former 3,000m Steeplechase American Record holder (World Record-Pre-recognition). USA Olympic Trials 1996 & 2016, Masters World Record 4x800 relay. USA Masters National Champion Cross Country 2016. National Masters champion in 1,500m, 2,000m Steeplechase, and 5,000m.) (06/17/18) Views: 98
Grace Padilla Leong

Pacers are being added back to the Chicago Marathon to help get faster times

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon will reintroduce pacers into this year’s elite races after breaking from the tradition for the past few years. (Photo - pacers at the 20k mark at the 2014 Chicago Marathon.) Chicago Marathon director Carey Pinkowski and event organisers decided to transition back to pacers to leverage the speed of the course, to work towards setting up ideal conditions for the top tier elite athletes confirmed so far, and to respond to feedback received from runners. “The championship style of racing that spectators enjoy will continue as the race enters its final miles,” Pinkowski said. “The epic 2010 duel between the late Wanjiru and Tsegaye Kebede, arguably one of the greatest finishes in marathon history, underscores the importance of the tactics that still exist and flourish in paced races.”  Mo Farah and Galen Rupp will be battling it out at this year’s Marathon.   (06/15/18) Views: 68