Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
2/4/2023
These are the top ten stories based on views over the last week.
You Can Earn $1,250 If You Break This Time at the Hong Kong Marathon
However, the prize-earning time standards make it easier for male runners to earn cash than female runners.
Turns out, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to earn money from running. The Hong Kong Marathon on February 12 is giving out 10,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $1,277 USD) to every male finisher under 3:00 and every female finisher under 3:30 who are permanent residents of Hong Kong.
“We estimate there may be around 300 to 350 runners that can reach the standard,” Simon Yeung Sai Mo, senior vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates, told South China Morning Post. That means the Hong Kong Marathon is prepared to give out nearly $400,000 in prizes to non-professional athletes.
In a email to Runner’s World, the Hong Kong Marathon shared the following statement:“The increase in prize money is a ‘one-off’ special award this year to celebrate the 25th edition of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. Participants in the Marathon Challenge Category, who are also permanent residents of Hong Kong, finishing marathon under 3 hours (sub 3) for men and under 3 hours 30 minutes for women (sub 3:30) will be awarded with the Special Incentive Award HKD10,000, which is 10 times the amount of the same awards in previous marathons.”
According to numbers crunched by South China Morning Post, 147 participants finished below 3:00 in the men’s race in 2018. In the women’s race that year, there were only 52 runners that finished below 3:30.
The women’s time standard is more challenging than the men’s. According to World Athletics scoring tables, a 3:00 marathon by a male runner is equivalent to a 3:50:18 marathon by a female runner. The Hong Kong Marathon prize-earning standard for women is 3:30, so female runners have a harder challenge by 20 minutes—that comes out to 46 seconds per mile.
In the statement to Runner’s World, the Hong Kong Marathon clarified the reasoning for the standards: “Based on previous records, the men to women [participation] ratio is approximately 8:2.”
On the professional side, the Hong Kong Marathon offers $30,000 to the individual winners in the men’s and women’s races. Professional men who finish faster than 2:10 and women who finisher faster than 2:28 earn an additional $10,000. The course record bonus is $12,000; the men’s record stands at 2:09:20, the women’s at 2:26:13.
The Hong Kong Marathon first occurred in 1997. It has been run every year since, with the exception of 2020 and 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, this year’s race is the 25th edition.
(01/29/23) Views: 1,535Runner’s World
The Best Goal-Setting Apps And Services for 2023
You're a week into 2023, and maybe your New Year's Resolution is going to plan-or maybe it's already slightly derailed. That's OK! There's still time to get the train back on track before the trail running season (finally) wakes up and starts moving a bit again. But you'll need help. Don't worry, we've got your back with a simple goal-setting app or online training log that'll help you knock out the little things that add up to big ones later on down the line. Let's dig in.
Find a challenge
While there aren't a ton of races to sign up for in January, that doesn't mean you can't find something to motivate you to train. Use a challenge-like our Multisport Mobility Bootcamp - to get you jump-started. Don't worry if you didn't start on Jan. 1, the expert workouts and plans from big-name coaches will help you set up training zones that'll give you momentum (and valuable info) into the spring. Not only will a benchmark challenge make you fitter and faster for running, it'll give you some invaluable zone/pace training info when you're done. If nothing else, you should absolutely start 2023 with some concrete training zones to help build your training.
Don't build off resolutions - build habits instead
Everyone knows about The Quit Date-just about two weeks into the year, some say around Jan. 12, some say Jan. 10. That's the day most people's New Year's Resolutions come to a crashing halt. The bad news is that experts say habits-these are the big, strong things that you want your little resolution-seed to grow into-take about 66 days. Building a habit isn't easy, but once you've got one, you'll be glad you did (unless it's a bad one, but that's not what we're talking about here). A habit is a behavior that basically becomes subconscious, like getting up with the sun or reaching for healthy snacks in the cupboard. The good news is that there's still hope for your little germinating resolution, and if you haven't set a resolution yet-or you don't believe in them-work on building a habit instead. We'll get to some tools that will help below, but for comprehensive expert habit advice, take a look at our healthy habit guide.
Call in outside support
Challenges are good tools to help take a resolution to a goal to a habit, but everyone needs a little help once the lights of the challenge fades, and you're still trying to bridge the gap between March and your first race. The best way to help keep the habit fire burning into some excellent training-and eventually big results come race season-is to use one of the many tools available. Training logs are a good place to start, and online training logs are better than ever. If your goals are simpler and/or you already have an online training plan, read on for our top picks for goal-setting apps to help push your potentially doomed resolution before it needs to be put on life support!
The Best Goal-Setting App For Absolute Customization And Organization
Strides
Free for basic (max of seven habit trackers, no iCloud syncing, or tags/filters), $30/year for Strides Plus; Stridesapp.com
If you're the type of athlete who likes to log everything about your workout and is super detailed in your training plans, this is the app for you. Though it's only available in iOS (sorry Android users), this is probably one of the most "powerful" goal-setting apps in terms of depth and scope. For literally dozens of both positive (drink water, meditate, say "thank you," etc.) and negative (play video games, limit caffeine, no soda, etc.) habits and goals, there are unlimited options on how often, how much, setting streaks, and creating organizational tags/filters. The free version is quite good, but if you want to do more than seven tracked habits (and organize them with tags), you'll need to upgrade. This is the one for keeping control, but not necessarily for quick use and a simple interface.
The Best Goal-Setting App For Those Who Like Simplicity
Horizons
Free for basic (max of three trackers, no multiple reminder for each habit), $7 for premium; Treebetty.com
While Strides is the do-everything-always goal-tracking app, Horizons takes a much simpler approach. The app starts with a vision board to help you to visualize the life you want in seconds, then the user is prompted to write out an action plan with the steps you'll need to take to get there. Finally, you'll be prompted to review your vision board daily and journal your progress toward your goal. The interface and setup is very user-friendly. If you're on iOS, and you're looking to simplify the process rather than organize/analyze everything, this is for you.
The Best Goal-Setting App For Those Who Strive Socially
Coach.me
Free for the tracker app, $25/wk and up for personal coaching; Coach.me
Though Coach.me's main goal is to get their users hooked up with a personal coach-who will help you with everything from productivity to finances to beating addiction-the tracker app (iOS, Android, or web) is decent and has a very cool set of community features that make you feel not-so-alone in this otherwise-isolated time. Once you select a habit to track, you instantly join a community of other users looking to either create or beat that same habit. You can ask the habit group questions, help others with answers, check out a leaderboard, and of course see coaches to hire who specialize in that field. While most of the other apps in this category are totally self-contained, this is the one for people who miss their running club and flock to every Zoom happy hour they can find. Consider this one of the best options for beating back some of the very unique challenges we're facing right now. Also, to be clear, this isn't the place to find a coach-there are much better places for that.
The Best Goal-Setting App ForNerds?
Habitica
Free for basic features, $5/mo. for fun little in-game perks; Habitica.com
Describing everything that happens in this goal-setting RPG is more than we can detail here, but if you like video games-gaining experience points, gaining (and losing) health points, customizing characters, collecting mythical digital objects, and (way) more-then this is the most fun and effective way for you to set your goals. Using a little 8-bit-looking character via an iOS/Android app or web, Habitica lets you set your tasks and habits and rewards (or punishes) you for completing them or not. There's a serious community factor at play in this world, as you can team up with other users to fight "battles," join "guilds," and create "parties"-all the while encouraging each other with your own real-world goals or pre-created challenges. The only downside to this very fun (and complex) platform is that it may consume more of your time than you might like.
The Best Goal-Setting App For Consistency Above All
Streaks
$5 (one-time purchase); Streaksapp.com
While setting a streak is usually the kind of goal that's served up best on January 1, there's something to be said for our current situation feeling like a "new year." What better way to re-motivate yourself in the absence of upcoming goals than to get a streak going? This super well-designed app for iOS or Mac lets you track up to 12 tasks/day with the hopes of not breaking your streak. The streaks can be preset or user-created events that are single (walk the dog, drink a smoothie, etc.), health tasks (swim/bike/run, sleep, etc.-it connects automatically to the Apple Health App), and timed tasks (read, practice an instrument, meditate, etc.). Streaks also don't have to happen every day-you can set them to be active for certain days of the week, a few times per month, and way more. Reminders and stats help keep things flowing, and the user experience is probably the best of the list.
The Best Goal-Setting App For Tri/Swim/Bike/Run
Pkrs.ai
$90/mo. after free 30-day trial; Pkrs.ai
Ok, so this one is a little different than the other more "general" goal-setting apps and platforms in this list, but it bears mention because it's one of the most complete and unique online soup-to-nuts training platforms out there. Using a combination of super sharp programming via their iOS and Android app, real human coaches and experts, and some almost-unsettling AI, Peakers effectively saturates you with run-, or bike-specific knowledge based on your specific goals. You put in your goal event you go through an intake process, and a plan emerges with concierge-level service from coaches, nutritionists, strength-training experts, and more. The app is easy to use, and the interaction between the living coaches, you, and the AI system is eerily seamless. Of course, it ain't cheap, but if you need an army of tech and experts to help get you through to the other side, this is the most all-hands-on-deck option.
(01/29/23) Views: 552Trail Runner Magazine
80-year-old sprinter Carol LaFayette-Boyd named World Masters Athlete of the Year
For the second time in her career, Carol LaFayette-Boyd of Regina has been named the World Masters Athletics (WMA) Female Athlete of the Year. In 2022, LaFayette-Boyd broke six world records in the W80+ age category (two indoor and four outdoor).
LaFayette-Boyd, 80, first won the award in 2018 after she set the W75+ world record in the 100m, 200m and high jump. To achieve this honor, she bested four other nominees from around the world.
This year she broke outdoor W80+ world records in 100m, 200m, long jump and triple jump, plus recent indoor records in the long jump and 60m dash. She has 17 world age group records to her name.
To put her astonishing athleticism and talent in perspective, LaFayette-Boyd is running sub-35 seconds 200 meters–at age 80.
Although it’s her second time winning the award, LaFayette-Boyd stays humble about her accomplishments. “It is nice to be recognized, but I can think of others more worthy,” she says.
A retired social worker, LaFayette-Boyd did not start running until her late 40s and didn’t win her first competitive track event until she was 50. The great-grandmother of four has no plans to slow down or hang up her spikes; she plans to continue running for the rest of her life.
When asked about the key to her longevity, LaFayette-Boyd says her passion for staying healthy keeps her training at her best. “I train three times a week with Regina’s Excel Athletika Club, and apart from that, I routinely practice a daily stretching regime.”
She says she is inspired by the women who are competing in the W100+ age category. “I have lots of time to do that,” she says. “This year I would just like to stay healthy and to better my times in all events.”
She will compete for the first time in 2023 at the Regina Indoor Games on Feb. 3-4.
(01/28/23) Views: 119Marley Dickinson
Hailu wins Osaka Women's Marathon
Ethiopia’s Haven Hailu returned to winning ways to triumph at the Osaka Women’s Marathon, this year’s first World Athletics Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (29).
The 24-year-old led an Ethiopian top two, clocking 2:21:13 to win by almost a minute ahead of Meseret Gola (2:22:12). Japan’s Yuka Ando finished third in 2:22:59.
The event, which started at the Nagai Stadium practice track, immediately turned into a race of attrition. At 1km the lead pack featured Hailu, Gola and Kenya’s Maurine Chepkemoi together with Japan’s Ando, Sayaka Sato, Mao Uesugi and Reia Iwade behind the three pacemakers.
Sato clashed with Iwade and fell after 7km, immediately losing ground on the lead group. She would eventually drop out at 18km, when her coach came out to the course to stop her.
The leaders reached 10km in 32:56 and Iwade lost touch with the pack a short while later.
Uesugi started to drift back at 19km, the chase group eventually catching her and they ran together for the rest of the race.
The second of the pacemakers dropped out at 20km, reached in 1:06:00, and at this stage it was Chepkemoi who was struggling to keep pace.
By the half way point, passed by the leaders in 1:09:45, Chepkemoi was 10 seconds behind and she dropped out after 25km.
Hailu, Gola and Ando forged on when the last pacemaker left the race at 30km, reached in 1:39:34. It was at this point that Hailu made her move, covering the next kilometre in 3:05. Gola was able to stay with Hailu, but Ando fell behind.
Gola couldn’t stick with that pace for long, though, and by 35km Hailu had built a 13-second lead.
She only increased the gap and eventually won by 59 seconds, Gola holding on to second place and Ando finishing third, feeling frustrated as she failed to improve her 2:21:36 PB from Nagoya in 2017.
Hailu, who was unable to finish her last marathon in Chicago in October, adds this latest win to her victory in Rotterdam last April.
Behind the top trio, the chase group had reduced to Uesugi, debutante Yumi Yoshikawa and Sairi Maeda with 5km to go. Uesugi had the strongest finish and held off Yoshikawa by two seconds, 2:25:18 to 2:25:20, with Maeda finishing a further four seconds back in her first marathon since 2019 and following maternity leave.
The race was an opportunity for Japan’s leading contenders to qualify for the Marathon Grand Championship – Japan’s Olympic trial race – in October. Ando and Uesugi had already qualified, and Yoshikawa, Maeda, Chiharu Ikeda and Yuna Daito joined them in achieving the feat in Osaka, Ikeda finishing the race in seventh place in 2:25:59 and Daito running 2:26:09 to place eighth.
(01/29/23) Views: 107Ken Nakamura World Athletics
Try a smoothie bowl for pre- (or post-) run protein perfection
If you’re training for a spring race, you’re probably starting to increase mileage–and it’s important to be mindful to take in enough energy (calories) to fuel your running adventures. A smoothie bowl is a simple and delicious way to up your protein intake, and once you’ve made one, you’ll see the flavour possibilities are endless.
Get creative and enjoy smoothie bowls as snacks or meals. Bonus–you can make them look beautiful, too. My favourite recipe for smoothie bowls comes from Angela Liddon, author of the Oh She Glows plant-based cookbook series.
Chocolate Dreams Protein Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie bowl ingredients
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (more if needed)
1 large banana, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 Tbsp avocado
1 scoop protein powder (look for powders with no additives or extra sugar)
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1–3 chopped dates, or liquid sweetener to taste (a dash of maple syrup works)
1 or 2 ice cubes
Topping suggestions
Chopped strawberries
Shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut
Sliced banana
Hemp hearts
Chia seeds
Directions
Put the almond milk in a high-speed blender, then add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. The smoothie should have a thick, soft serve-like texture. You can add a bit more milk if your blender is having a hard time mixing your ingredients.
Spoon the smoothie into a bowl (I like to put a scoop of granola in the bowl first for a bit of crunch) and add your desired toppings. Enjoy immediately.
(01/27/23) Views: 100Keeley Milne
Osaka Women’s Marathon set to crown new champion
A new name will be added to the Osaka Women’s Marathon list of winners on Sunday (29) as none of the past champions will be in attendance at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race.
Japanese women have dominated the race in recent years, winning six of the past seven editions. But the presence of Maurine Chepkemoi, Haven Hailu and Meseret Gola means there’s a high probability of an overseas visitor winning this year’s race.
Chepkemoi and Hailu have raced before, at the 2021 Amsterdam Marathon, where both women set their lifetime bests. Kenya’s Chepkemoi finished just one second ahead of Hailu on that occasion, 2:20:18 to 2:20:19, so the Ethiopian will he highly motivated for revenge.
Both women went on to contest two marathons in 2022. Chepkemoi won in Enschede in 2:21:10 and then ran 2:25:12 in Berlin, but finished outside the top 10. Hailu, meanwhile, won in Rotterdam in 2:22:01 but then failed to finish in Chicago.
So this race will be a chance for redemption after both women had somewhat frustrating performances in their big city races at the end of last year. If Chepkemoi wins, she will be the first Kenyan winner of this race since Catherine Ndereba claimed victory back in 2006.
But Gola, Hailu’s fellow Ethiopian, should also be in contention for victory. A consistent performer, she has finished runner-up in four of her past six marathons. She set a PB of 2:20:50 when finishing second in Seville last year, and came close to matching that in Berlin seven months later with a 2:20:58 clocking to place fifth, comfortably ahead of Chepkemoi.
There is, as always, a strong contingent of Japanese runners in the field. For many, the focus will be on qualifying for the Marathon Grand Championship – Japan’s Olympic trial race – in October later this year. To earn a place in that race, the top three Japanese women must finish inside 2:28. Alternatively, if the first six Japanese women finish inside 2:27, they will qualify. Or if anyone places outside the top six Japanese finishers but still runs inside 2:24, they too will qualify.
Yuka Ando is the fastest Japanese woman in the field with her 2:21:36 PB from her marathon debut in 2017. A former third-place finisher in Osaka (2018), Ando achieved podium finishes in Nagoya in 2022 and 2020, finishing inside 2:23 on both occasions.
Sayaka Sato and Mao Uesugi should also be among the leading Japanese contenders. Sato finished sixth in Osaka last year, then went on to achieve a top-10 finish in Berlin, setting a PB of 2:22:13.
Uesugi, meanwhile, will be aiming to continue her progression in Osaka. She just missed the podium in 2021 but set a PB of 2:24:52. She then improved to runner-up last year, setting another lifetime best (2:22:29).
Organisers have made a few changes to the course for this year, which they say is just as fast as the old one, although there appears to be a few more inclines than before. The existing course record is 2:20:52, set last year by Mizuki Matsuda.
Elite field
Maurine Chepkemoi (KEN) 2:20:18
Haven Hailu (ETH) 2:20:19
Meseret Gola (ETH) 2:20:50
Yuka Ando (JPN) 2:21:36
Sayaka Sato (JPN) 2:22:13
Mao Uesugi (JPN) 2:22:29
Reia Iwade (JPN) 2:23:52
Sairi Maeda (JPN) 2:25:25
Haruka Yamaguchi (JPN) 2:26:35
Chiharu Ikeda (JPN) 2:26:50
Risper Gesabwa (MEX) 2:26:55
Munkhzaya Bayartsogt (MGL) 2:28:03
Shiho Kaneshige (JPN) 2:28:51
Alice Wright (GBR) 2:29:08
Sakiho Tsutsui (JPN) debut
Yumi Yoshikawa (JPN) debut.
(01/27/23) Views: 98World Athletics
Eilish McColgan makes the London Marathon a priority
Eilish McColgan believes her athletics future lies in marathon operating as she prepares to make her debut within the occasion at London.
McColgan loved a ground-breaking 2022 on the monitor, profitable her first main title within the 10,000 metres on the Commonwealth Games in August.
The 31-year-old Scot additionally completed second within the 5,000m in Birmingham earlier than including 10,000m silver and 5,000m bronze medals on the European Championships a couple of weeks later.
But McColgan is now very a lot targeted on the marathon and says she may even compete within the occasion on the 2023 World Championships in Budapest “if it goes seriously well” in London.
“I’d like to think it (my future) is the marathon,” stated McColgan as she confirmed her entry for the London race on April 23.
“My mindset is certainly that London is step one to doing extra highway racing and extra marathons.
“I don’t suppose I’ll go completely away from the monitor and I nonetheless need to be aggressive over 10,000 metres.
"My mindset is certainly that London is step one to doing extra highway racing and extra marathons," says Eilish McColgan.
“But the priority is definitely the marathon, although that might change if I’m no use at it.
“That’s the sort of way my mum planned it. One day we’d move up, it’s just happened maybe a couple of years later than we’d originally scheduled.”
McColgan’s mom Liz gained the girl’s elite race on the London Marathon in 1996 and it’s a race that she has a powerful affinity with.
She says when her mom was racing down The Mall she was typically “eating all the buffet food at the hospitality tents” and “watching on a tiny TV screen”.
“I just remember a buzz around the whole city and a busy place to be in,” stated McColgan.
“I’ve seen those images of my mum finishing the final 200 metres in front of Buckingham Palace. It’s an image I’ve created in my head from the pictures.
“My mum didn’t speak too much about running, but that was something she spoke about.
“It’s such an iconic race, even people who haven’t got an interest in running know about the London Marathon. It’s definitely a bucket-list race for me.”
McColgan had deliberate to run the 2022 London Marathon final October earlier than being pressured to withdraw as a consequence of a medical difficulty.
The downside was recognized as rebound hypoglycemia, a typical incidence amongst endurance athletes which results in lowered blood sugar ranges and never sufficient glucose within the blood to satisfy the physique’s wants.
But thorough testing seems to have resolved the fuelling difficulty, with McColgan saying she has already felt the advantages of a brand new carbohydrate drink.
“They said there were a few things different to what they’ve seen in other athletes,” stated McColgan, who underwent a 90-minute treadmill take a look at at Leeds Beckett University final week.
“But they think this carbohydrate drink will be the best solution going towards London, and I didn’t have the same crashes I was experiencing previously.
“I felt a lot more confident about it. When I was running I didn’t have that same low and heaviness and tiredness.
“I had a mask on and there were wires everywhere. It was really uncomfortable, so it better be worth it for the amount of discomfort you’re in for that long.”
McColgan will construct in the direction of the 2023 season at excessive altitude in Colorado Springs over the following few weeks and plans to run a half-marathon in March earlier than London.
On making a potential championship marathon debut as early as this August, she stated: “It’s really difficult to know without the hindsight of doing a marathon or recovering from one.
“I’m very wary with this being my first one, so I don’t want to definitely set my sights on the Budapest marathon.
“Realistically, it’s probably too soon. I’d be asking a lot of myself to do London and back it up with another one in close succession.
“But I’ve seen people do it before, and maybe I’ll be swayed if it goes seriously well.
“Deep down, I believe the right decision would be to do London, see how it goes, and then potentially do the 10k in Budapest before building towards another marathon.”
(01/31/23) Views: 98Mirza Shehnaz
2023 Elite field announced for Tokyo Marathon
It’ll be hard to top the 2022 Tokyo Marathon. After all, Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei each set the course records for the men’s (2:02:40) and women’s (2:16:02) races, respectively. The course records will stand, but neither Kipchoge or Kosgei are back to defend their titles.
So which fresh faces will stand atop the Tokyo Marathon podium? The fields are littered with World Marathon Major success stories—some ready to snag another title, others looking for their very first. Expect competitive, exhilarating races on both sides.
The Tokyo Marathon website has a comprehensive list of the men’s and women’s elite fields, but here’s who we’re looking out for.
Non-Major Marathon Champs Shoot for First Major Men’s Title
The men’s athletes are no strangers to winning. Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia leads the field in accolades with his 2021 London Marathon victory. He also has the fastest personal best in the field—2:03:36.
Behind him are a handful of men who have recently won big marathons—just not majors. CyBrian Kotut of Kenya won the 2022 Hamburg Marathon in 2:04:47. Deso Gelmisa of Ethiopia finished first at the 2022 Paris Marathon in 2:05:07. Titus Kipruto of Kenya won the 2022 Milano Marathon in 2:05:05. Each of them will be gunning for a major marathon win—as will 2022 New York City Marathon runner-up Mohamed El Aaraby.
There’s no shortage of home-grown talent either. Owning the Japanese record of 2:04:56, Japan’s Kengo Suzuki leads a group of seven other countrymates—all of whom want to make the podium.
All Eyes on the Six Women With Sub-2:19 Personal Bests
A talented group of women could challenge the top-10 all-time list. Six of the competitors have run faster than 2:19, but only one of them has cracked 2:18—Ashete Bekere of Ethiopia. She’ll have her hands full, as 2022 Berlin Marathon runner-up and third-placer—Rosemary Wanjiru of Kenya and Tigist Abayechew of Ethiopia, respectively—will want to nab a title.
The Japanese contingent, led by Mao Ichiyama and her 2:20:29 personal best, hope to put someone on the podium. However, they’ll likely have to run faster than 2:20 to do it, and just Ichiyama and Mizuki Matsuda have overcome the 2:21 barrier.
Lindsay Flanagan is the sole American elite in both races. She’s coming off a successful 2022 season that included a personal best of 2:24:35 and an 11th place finish at the New York City Marathon.
(01/27/23) Views: 95Chris Hatler
Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon wants to follow in Kipchoge’s footsteps
At last weekend’s Kenyan Sports Awards (The SOYAs), the reigning world and Olympic 1,500m champion, Faith Kipyegon, was recognized alongside her idol and compatriot Eliud Kipchoge for Sports Personality of the Year. Kipyegon revealed that she wants to follow in the footsteps of the great Kipchoge, and eventually plans on moving up to the marathon.
Kipyegon said that the unparalleled success of Kenya’s marathon icon, Kipchoge, has ignited and nurtured her ambition. “As my career evolves, I will continue to look up to Eliud because he is the greatest marathon runner of all time,” Kipyegon said. “That is something I hope to accomplish in the future.”I aspire to grow as a person and an athlete like him, as well as to become the greatest marathon runner of all time,” she added.
Kipyegon, 29, is only the second woman in history to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the women’s 1,500m, having triumphed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. The only other athlete to accomplish the feat is Tatyana Kazankina of the Soviet Union at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics.
Since 2015, Kipyegon has either won or finished second in every major championship, and is widely regarded as the greatest female middle-distance runner in history.
At the 2022 World Championships. Kipyegon put on a dominant display, winning the world title in a blazing time of 3:52.96. Kipyegon stressed that she isn’t done with the 1,500m quite yet: “My goal is to break the world record, and I hope to do so in style.”
Last year, she narrowly missed the world record of 3:50.07 held by Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia when she ran 3:50.37 at the Monaco Diamond League. Dibaba returned to distance running in 2022, placing second in her marathon debut at the Amsterdam Marathon in 2:18:05.
Kipyegon has yet to race on the road in her career as a senior, which dates back to 2011.
In 2018, she gave birth to her daughter, Alyn, and took 18 months off the sport before returning to win the 2019 Prefontaine Classic in her signature event. Months later, she placed second at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, breaking the Kenyan record of 3:54.22.
Although the 29-year-old has not revealed when she will be making her marathon debut, we can speculate that it will likely be after the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she will be vying to become the first middle-distance athlete to win three straight Olympic golds.
(01/28/23) Views: 94Marley Dickinson
Kenyans take Home Life Time Miami Marathon Titles
They were nearly 8,000 miles from home in the urban center of Kisii, Kenya, but their individual pursuits for Life Time Miami Marathon titles brought them together in South Florida on Sunday. Originating from farming families in southwest Kenya, George Onyancha and Damaris Areba both secured easy victories in their inaugural appearances in Miami's signature running event.
Twenty-nine-year-old Onyancha (2:18:25) finished nearly six minutes ahead of Siraj Amda (2:24:16) of New York in the men's Marathon. Twenty-seven-year-old Areba turned in the second fastest time in Miami Marathon history (2:33:49) bettered only by fellow Kenyan Martha Akeno's course record (2:29:00) last year. Isgah Cheruto (2:36:19) of Minneapolis was second behind Areba.
Onyancha and Areba were winners of few words. "I was leading and had another runner behind me until the 25K mark," Onyancha said. "Since I didn't know what his strategy was, I thought: 'Let me take off."
Areba was more focused on the uniqueness of the course route. The U.S.TAF-certified and Boston Marathon-qualifying circuit showcased the best views of Miami's cityscape and waterways during the 26.2-mile and 13.1-mile races. "The lights on the big ships, they're so beautiful," Areba said.
It was the 21st edition of the Life Time Miami Marathon and Half, which wound through downtown Miami, Miami Beach and Coconut Grove. The event's sold-out field of 18,000 runners came from all 50 states and 69 countries – generating upwards of $50 million in economic impact to the Miami community. Colombia (1,300) and Mexico (1,100) led a wave of Latino runners, while nearly 1,000 U.S.-based runners represented the state of New York.
The Marathon began in front of the downtown Miami-Dade Arena before heading to South Beach via the MacArthur Causeway and then back downtown along the Venetian Causeway. Runners then headed south through the lush Coconut Grove community before turning north through the Brickell Avenue financial district and across the finish line at Bayfront Park.
The temperature at race start was 72 degrees and eventually settled into the mid-70s. Runners were able to experience the South Florida sunrise nearly an hour into their run, and the sparkling cruise ships docked at the Port of Miami put an exclamation point on the Event's iconic views.
Onyancha races mostly in Europe and China, and Sunday's marathon was his first in the United States. Areba has been on a tear, winning four marathons in eight months. Prior to her Miami victory Sunday, Areba won titles at the Green Bay Marathon (May), the Quad Cities Marathon (September) and the Des Moines Marathon (October). In November, she was fourth at the Philadelphia Marathon.
When Nacho Hernando-Angulo (1:08:36) arrived first to the finish line of the Half Marathon, he was almost home. The 29-year-old broke the tape just 800 meters from the hi-rise where he lives in downtown Miami. "To be home with the (2023) title is awesome," said Hernando-Angulo. "This title has to stay home, in Miami."
Veteran French triathlete, Brice Daubord (1:10:11), and 24-year-old, Alberto Mena (1:10:21) of Ecuador, were nearly two minutes off Angulo's pace to secure second and third place while event-defending-champion, Cesar Lizano, was sixth (1:14:01). The 40-year-old Costa Rican was fourth in 2012, third in 2014 and fifth in 2015 before winning last year's Miami title.
A native of Madrid, Spain, Hernando-Angulo settled in Miami in 2018 following running careers at New Hampshire Technical Institute and Southern New Hampshire University. He works as a sales director for a European importer. "I moved to Miami for work, definitely not for training," he said. "It's very tough to be an elite runner here. So we do what we can."
Ethiopia's Weynshet Ansa Weldestadisk (1:14:55) won her second career half-marathon Sunday, ahead of Ukraine's Valentyna Veretska (1:18:41) and defending champion, Lisa Brooking (1:18:50) of Canada. "It was a good course, but very windy and hot," said Weldestaisk. "The city is so beautiful. I wish I could live here. Everybody was telling me 'good job.' It gave me power."
The tall and slender Weldestadisk has been based in Washington DC for the last four months while competing in a series of U.S. races. The 26-year-old smashed the course record at the Extra Long Bronx (NY) 10-Mile Race last September and won both the Philadelphia Marathon and the Virginia 10 Miler in November.
Veretska, the women's half-marathon runner-up, continued her good results since fleeing Ukraine last year and winning the Jerusalem Marathon a month later in borrowed shoes and gear. The 32-year-old ran her first race in the U.S. in November, finishing third at the Princeton Marathon.
Onyancha and Areba each received $4,500 for their first-place finishes. Onyancha will use the funds to pay for two of his brothers' tuition payments while Areba will donate a portion to Kenyan youth developmental running programs and use the remainder to buy land to build a house. She and her husband are currently living in a rental unit. "I loved the city and the palm trees," Onyancha said about his first experience in Miami. "They look like umbrellas."
More information about the Life Time Miami Marathon may be found at www.themiamimarathon.com and on social media at Facebook.com/RunMiami, Instagram.com/TheMiamiMarathon, and Twitter.com/RunMiami. The Life Time Miami Marathon And Half operates with the tremendous support of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority.
The Miami Marathon And Half is owned and produced by Life Time, the premier healthy lifestyle brand. It is among more than 30 premier athletic events owned by the Company, including the Chicago Spring Half Marathon, Garmin UNBOUND Gravel, and Leadville Race Series. For more information about Life Time (NYSE: LTH), visit www.lifetime.life. More information about Life Time athletic events is available at lifetime.life/athletic-events.
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