Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
7/29/2023
These are the top ten stories based on views over the last week.
75-year-old Jeannie Rice blows away the 10000m world record for the 75-79 age group.
She did it again. On Thursday (July 20), the amazing Jeannie Rice, 75, broke the W75 World Record in the 5000 Meter Run. Jeannie Rice won Gold in Greensboro in the W75 5000 meters with a time of 22:41.46. By our calculations that betters the World Record of 22:53.55 set by British icon Angela Copson in Tampere last year. So, Greensboro Nationals may have already yielded a new World Record and the first morning of the competition isn't even over yet.
Today (July 21) she broke the W75 World Record in the 10000 Meter Run here in Greensboro, pending ratification. Jeannie ran 46:53.07. The existing W75 World Record is 50:00.93, set in 2005 by Melitta Czerwenka of Germany. Congratulations, Jeannie!
Try an effort-based workout to switch things up
Runners love numbers. We track our heart rates, our weekly mileage, and, of course, our pace during workouts. Knowing exactly how fast you’re going during a run or workout has a lot of benefits, but it’s easy to get hung up on the numbers and stop listening to our bodies.
It can also create a stressful experience when we’re not hitting the pace goal we set. If you’re in a slump or just trying to get back in touch with your body, try this run-by-feel interval session, and have a little more fun with your workout.
Technically, you can make almost any workout a “run by feel” workout if you just ditch the GPS, but this one is a great gateway into tech-free running, because the intervals are relatively short. Many runners find it difficult to stay focused and run consistently if they’re not used to running by feel , so the shorter intervals mean you don’t have to focus as long.
Without a watch to gauge how fast you should be going, you’re going to use some effort-based cues to know if you’re running the correct pace. Ideally, you should run each repeat so that the last 20-30 seconds feel tough–like you really want to stop or slow down, and you have to dig in mentally to maintain your pace. This is difficult to do out of the gate, so use the first set of intervals to try to dial into your pace, and then stick to that for the rest of the workout.
The workout
Warmup: 15-20 minutes of easy jogging
Workout: 2-4 sets of 3 minutes, 1:30 rest; 2 minutes, 1 minute rest; 1 minute, 2 minutes rest
Cooldown: 10-15 minutes’ easy jog, followed by light stretching.
(07/22/23) Views: 104Brittany Hambleton
The women elite talent will be the strongest in the event’s history, at the 51st Wharf to Wharf race Sunday morning
The lineup of elite talent will be deep and the storylines numerous when runners of all ages and skill levels line up for the start of the 51st Wharf to Wharf race Sunday morning.
The excitement and anticipation will be palpable. For some, the goal is to complete the annual six-mile race to Capitola. Others will be costumed, poised to update their social media apps with colorful photos, full of smiling faces.
There will also be a more competitive bunch of runners who look to reach the Capitola Wharf in personal-record time, or post a top-100 finish in their gender division to claim elite Wharf to Wharf apparel.
And there will be a select few looking to take first, well ahead of the sea of runners, which has been capped at 15,000.
Among them is defending women’s champion Ednah Kurgat of Colorado Springs, who looks to again secure the Mayor’s Cup and $4,000 prize awarded to the winners.
Repeating as champ won’t be easy. “The women’s field is arguably the strongest in the event’s history,” said Dane Gradone, the event’s elite athlete coordinator. “It’s completely (awesome).”
Kurgat’s solid ’23 season includes a win at the USATF Cross Country Championships in January and a sixth-place finish in the 10,000-meter race at the USATF Outdoor Championships earlier this month.
Everlyn Kemboi, the ’23 NCAA champion in the 10,000 and runner-up in the 5,000, should contend for supremacy. Also entered are Kenyan Mary Munanu, last year’s Wharf to Wharf runner-up, Ethiopian Werkuha Getachew, the runner-up at last year’s World Championships in the steeplechase, and fellow Ethiopians Tigist Ketema and Weynshet Ansa, both multiple-time national champions. Kenyan Sarah Naibei is a world-class runner on the roads, and a 52-minute 10 miler. Annamaria Kostarellis is a freshly minted NCAA All-American.
The local contingent is equally impressive. It includes former Santa Cruz High and Oregon State University standout Mari Friedman, the top female local finisher in ’22.
“I’m super excited,” Friedman said. “It’s one of my favorite races. It’s a holiday for me.”
Friedman’s goal? “To race happy and have fun,” she said, noting her best results come when she follows that plan.
Back in the field for the first time since 2014 is Nike runner Vanessa Fraser, a Scotts Valley High and Stanford University alumna. She’s coming off a 12th place finish in the 10,000 at the USATF Outdoor Championships.
Fraser, who lives in San Francisco, is in the process of transitioning to more road races. She returns to the one that got it all started for her.
“I’m excited to mix it up and see how I can finish and be competitive,” said Fraser, who has qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials on Feb. 3. “Top 10, that’s a good goal. Anything higher would be great.”
Ashlyn Boothby, an incoming senior who has broken most of Fraser’s records at Scotts Valley, will compete in the race for the first time. She’ has been at camp with the Falcons in Truckee, doing altitude training and bonding with teammates.
“This is super special to be in the same race as Vanessa Fraser,” Boothby said. “She’s my idol. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with her.”
The men’s field is primed to produce another exhilarating finish.
Salinas’ Diego Estrada, an Alisal High alum and former Olympian in the 10,000, finished second in the ’22 Wharf to Wharf and expects himself to be in title contention again after upping his training. He finished in 27 minutes, 18 seconds last year, two seconds behind champion Emmanuel Bor.
“I’d like to break 27 (minutes),” said Estrada, who is running 90 miles a week. “If I lose and break 27, I’ll be really happy. And if I win and don’t break 27, I’ll be really happy. But there’s so much talent in our area, I don’t know what will happed til we get to the downhill.”
Estrada will be tracked closely by a fair share of challengers and hardened road running veterans.
Fellow Olympian Ben Blankenship, who currently lives and trains in Eugene, Oregon, is also in the field. So is established marathoner Colin Bennie of San Francisco, the top American at the Boston Marathon in 2021. He finished ninth in Capitola last year.
This year’s International contenders include a trio of experienced Kenyans, James Ngandu, Josphat Kipchirchir, and Shadrack Keter, who have all run nearly an hour in the half marathon and racked up numerous racing honors.
Aptos’ Jack Rose is back after finishing as the top local male finisher in ’22, but a handful of young collegians will be gunning to unseat him. Among them are former Scotts Valley star Jeremy Kain, who runs for Duke University; Julian Vargas, a St. Francis alum who runs for Xavier University; Aptos talent Trent Nosky, a recruited walk-on for Colorado State University’s cross country and track programs; and Patrick Goodrich, a former Scotts Valley standout who competes for Cal Poly-SLO’s club team.
Rose, winner of the Ventura Marathon in February in a PR time of 2:21:39, said the quality of his workouts have improved since he finished as top local last year. He excited to hear the bands stationed along the route and hear spectators shout support as he passes them.
Kain is hoping to unseat Rose as top local. He’s increased his miles from 40 a week to 65-70. “I do think I’m in pretty good shape right now,” he said.
Experience is key, and Kain is competing in the race for the first time. “I’m kinda ashamed of myself that it’s my first year,” he said. “It never worked in my training block, but, this year, getting out there and giving it my all is going to be exciting.”
(07/22/23) Views: 102Jim Seimas
Sydney Marathon has announced the fastest and most decorated elite field for the 2023 event
The Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS has today announced the fastest and most decorated elite field for the 2023 Sydney Marathon, to be run on Sunday, September 17. The field’s experience in World Championship and World Marathon Majors racing will make it the fastest marathon pack assembled in Australian history, with homegrown and international talent battling it out on the event’s new marathon course.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said the Sydney Marathon was a world-class event with one of the most spectacular marathon courses anywhere in the world.
“Sydney leads the pack when it comes to venues to host a marathon. No city on earth has a better combination of natural beauty, a famous love of sport and iconic landmarks and it is an honour to host this elite field of international runners who will test themselves here in Sydney.
“The NSW Government is proud to support the push for Sydney Marathon to become a World Marathon Major. It is a great example of a high-participation community event that brings global attention and tourism benefits for the city and NSW.”
The 2022 Men’s World Marathon Champion Tamirat Tola (ETH), will headline the men’s field; competing in Australia for the first time with a personal best of 2:03:39. Formidable contender Gabriel Geay (TAN), who placed 2nd at the 2023 Boston Marathon has the fastest personal best of the field at 2:03:00. They will line up alongside Moses Kibet (KEN), Sydney Marathon’s defending champion and the current record holder for the fastest marathon time ever run in Australia.
Australia’s fastest ever marathoner, Brett Robinson (VIC), who broke Rob de Castella’s long-standing Australian Record in Fukuoka last year with a time of 2:07:31 will lead the homegrown elite field.
The 2022 World Marathon Championship runner-up and 2022 Paris Marathon Champion, Judith Jeptum Korir (KEN) will make her Australian debut at the Sydney Marathon, with a personal best of 2:18:20. She will be chased by an impressive line-up of competitors who have recorded times under 2:23:00 including Nazret Weldu (ERI), Haven Hailu (ETH) and Angela Tanui (KEN) who has a blistering personal best time of 2:17:57.
Australian Marathon record holder, Sinead Diver (VIC), who broke the Australian marathon record last year in Valencia with a time of 2:21:34 will lead the local elite field, making her Sydney Marathon debut for the first time in 2023.
“We are thrilled to have assembled such a high calibre field for this year’s Sydney Marathon, as we head into our second year as a Candidate Race for the Abbott World Marathon Majors,” said Wayne Larden, Race Director, Sydney Marathon. “The presence of these exceptional runners is a testament to the event’s status as a world-class marathon for elite athletes, running enthusiasts and recreational runners alike, and we are confident that this year’s event will be nothing short of extraordinary.”
The Sydney Marathon and its candidacy for the Abbott World Marathon Majors series is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
(07/21/23) Views: 100
Runners stribe
Australian ultrarunner Scott Richmond dribbles soccer ball 320 km to new world record
An Australian ultrarunner has set a new world record for the longest distance run while dribbling a soccer ball. Scott Richmond, who lives in the Greater Sydney Area, completed the novel feat of endurance Thursday after dribbling a soccer ball non-stop for seven days from Canberra to Sydney, reaching his 320 km goal and breaking the former record by 20 km.
A children’s entertainer known locally as “Ozzie,” Richmond took on the challenge to raise funds for partner organizations Sports Access Foundation and Fair Game, with money raised going toward sporting equipment and programs for children living in Australia‘s remote and underpriveleged areas, as well as expanding sports opportunities for children with disabilities.
Being an experienced ultrarunner, Richmond was confident he had the legs for the challenge, which kicked off July 14 in Canberra. However, he told news.com.au during the homestretch of his attempt that he didn’t feel as surefooted when it came to keeping control of the ball. “I don’t have a soccer background … so I had to adapt my fitness and build up confidence to tackle this challenge. But I’m hoping this can prove that if you train hard enough, you can achieve anything.”
Although the run didn’t always go according to plan—detours caused by construction work added 8 km to his planned distance on the fifth day of his run, and there were the odd brushes with traffic that were too close for comfort—Richmond said the experience was “everything I expected and more.”
A video posted to Richmond’s Instagram page on Thursday showed the runner receiving a boisterous reception at Seymour Sharp Park in Miranda, a suburb of southern Sydney, which served as the finish line to Richmond’s days-long dribble.
His reaching the park didn’t mark the end of Richmond’s efforts, however. Upon his arrival, the runner took part in a second world-record attempt—the most people simultaneously dribbling a soccer ball for five minutes—which was organized as another fundraiser to benefit the same youth sports organizations. There wasn’t any word from Richmond’s fundraising team Thursday on whether participants at the park were successful in breaking the record of 2,067 simultaneous dribblers, or whether the fundraising goal of AUD$100,000 between both record attempts had yet been reached.
(07/21/23) Views: 97Paul Baswick
Rodgers Kwemoi hunting for maiden season victory at Antrim Coast Half Marathon
Kwemoi goes back to the roads after a successful outing last season that saw him reign supreme at the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon.
The 2016 World Under-20 10,000m champion Rodgers Kwemoi will compete in his first half marathon race of the season at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon, a World Athletics elite event, on Sunday, August 27.
Kwemoi goes back to the roads after a successful outing last season that saw him reign supreme at the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon. Later that year, he finished second at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in the United Arab Emirates.
He opened his 2023 season with a 10th-place finish in the 10,000m at the 31st Kanakuri Memorial Middle-and Long-Distance Invitational Meet.
He then went ahead and finished ninth at the 1st Nittaidai Challenge Games before completing the podium at the 67th Central Japan Corporate Teams Athletics Championships, both races being 10,000m.
He will be looking for his first win when he takes on opponents in the Irish capital for the first time.
Another athlete who has confirmed participation is Great Britain’s Callum Hawkins who will be opening his season at the event.
His last race was last year’s Valencia Half Marathon where he fizzled out to finish in a disappointing 28th place.
The 2017 Marugame Half Marathon champion will be looking for a fresh start when he takes on his opponents. He returns to Ireland after a seventh-place finish during last year’s event.
(07/21/23) Views: 91Abigael Wuafula
Ruth Chepngetich in search of a 3rd consecutive win at Chicago Marathon
Ruth Chepngetich will be on the starting line for the Chicago Marathon this Sunday. And the Kenyan champion is aiming for a third consecutive success. She will have her work cut out against some formidable competition, including Sifan Hassan.
Ruth Chepngetich dominated the Chicago marathon last year. Chepngetich won last year's race in 2:14:18, just 14 seconds off the world record. It was the second-fastest women's marathon performance of all time. It was the Kenyan's second consecutive victory. And this year, she is aiming to win for the 3rd time in a row. And she's hoping to clock her best time over the 42.195 km distance.I plan to defend my title and improve my time," said Chepngetich. There is no better race in the world than the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
To do that, she will have to beat double Olympic gold medallist Sifan Hassan. The Ethiopian-born Dutchwoman hit the ground running on her marathon debut in London in April. Despite stopping twice to stretch, she closed a 25-second gap on the leaders to win and set a national record of 2h18mn33s.
The world champion is nevertheless focused on the forthcoming World Athletics Championships. "At the moment, I'm concentrating on the World Championships in Budapest, so my preparation for the marathon will be very short, but as most people know, I like to be challenged," maintained Hassan.
Chepngetich and Hassan have only met once, at the 2018 Copenhagen Half Marathon where Hassan broke the European record with 1h05mn15s in his first serious attempt at the distance and Chepngetich finished fifth in 1h07mn02s.
(07/25/23) Views: 85
Rai Benjamin eying world record performance at World Athletics Championships
USA’s 400 meters hurdler, Rai Benjamin, has his eyes set on the world record heading into next month’s World Athletics Championships from August 19-27 in Budapest, Hungary.
The record, 45.94 seconds, is currently held by Norwegian sprinter, Karsten Warholm.
The son of former West Indies and Antigua and Barbuda fast bowler, Winston Benjamin, Rai stopped short of revealing what targets he has set for the championships but said he believes it will take a record-breaking performance to beat Warholm in Budapest.
“Am not going to put it out there but I am looking for a sub world record mark because that’s what it’s going to take to win in all honesty because Warholm is in shape and I am in shape so it’s just about getting sharp now these next couple of days and fine-tuning a couple of things to get ready to go and do that,” he said.
Benjamin, who represented Antigua and Barbuda as a youth athlete, won a fourth straight US title in his signature event on July 9 at the 2023 US Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. In the final, he sped to his season’s best, a 46.62, to take the crown.
The athlete, who was speaking on the Good Morning Jojo sports show at the time, however revealed that he had struggled with an injury leading into the US event.
“I’ve been battling with a quad injury for the past three or four months so it’s been an interesting one because I was in great shape coming into the year where I opened up my season very well in the 400 and just preparing to do some big things this year.
“I had a quad injury after the first meet and then I had to go to Germany to get that [sorted]. After that we had USA’s [US trials] and I ran pretty fast there, so now it’s just about maintaining feeling good and training well,” he said.
Hoping to break the world record and become an Olympic champion in the near future, Benjamin said one of his goals is to fulfill his father’s dream of seeing him compete in the 200 meters.
“This was my initial plan, break the world record, win at the Olympics and then run the 200 the following World Championships but unfortunately nothing ever goes to plan.
“I am still trying to break the world record and then after I get done with that I’ll run the 200 and then I’ll run the 400 and go for that world record. I think I’ll run the 400 hurdles the last Olympics or the last two Olympic cycles,” he said.
In August 2021, Warholm broke the 400 meters hurdles record with a time of 45.94 seconds with Benjamin clocking 46.17 for the silver medal.
(07/24/23) Views: 84Neto Baptiste
Faith Kipyegon obliterates women’s mile world record by almost five seconds
On Friday at the Monaco Diamond League, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon ran the fastest women’s mile in history, breaking her third distance world record in the last two months. The 29-year-old mom clocked a jaw-dropping 4:07.64, taking over four seconds off the previous mile record.
In her first mile race since 2016, Kipyegon led the race from start to finish, going through the first 800 in 2:04 and closing in a negative split 2:03. Kipyegon broke the former mile world record of 4:12.33 set by Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands at the same meet in 2019.
It has been a sensational season for the women’s Olympic and world champion in the 1,500m, who previously lowered the 1,500m and 5,000m world records in June over a seven-day span. There was never a doubt heading into the meet that Kipyegon would break the record, but the question was by how much–and she made a statement, becoming the first woman to run a mile under 4:10.
The mile world record was the only record broken in the race, Kipyegon dragging six athletes to their own respective national records in the mile. Ireland’s Ciara MaGeean finished behind Kipyegon in an Irish national record of 4:14.58, and Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu, who went out with Kipyegon through the first two laps, finished third in a season’s best 4:14.79. Olympic 1,500m silver medallist Laura Muir finished fourth in a British national mile record of 4:15.24.
Running Magazine
Louisiana man Jarrett Leblanc runs 62-minute half-marathon on a treadmill
On Sunday, a Louisiana man took to the treadmill at his local gym in Lafayette, La., attempting to break the Guinness World Record for a treadmill half-marathon. Jarrett Leblanc, a 2020 U.S. Olympic marathon trials qualifier, clocked a time of 62:50 over 21.1 kilometers, breaking the old mark of 63:08 from 2020 and raising money for a non-profit organization that provides camps and programs for children with heart defects.
Leblanc had the speed on the treadmill set at a ridiculous 12.5 mph for nearly the whole challenge. According to local news, Leblanc was six seconds ahead of the record through his first 5K split (14:54) and built a 13-second cushion, hitting 29:46 through 10K. He ended up breaking the previous mark by 18 seconds. The previous treadmill record was held by U.S. 2:12-marathoner John Raneri, who placed fourth at the California International Marathon in 2022.
The 32-year-old told local news that his inspiration behind targeting the record came from a friend who broke this same record while running on a treadmill at altitude. “He broke the record at an altitude, so with me doing it at sea level, I knew I already had an advantage,” he said. “The thought of having a World Record attempt would not only bring the community together but also the entire world to get behind a great cause to help the children.”
Leblanc works full-time as a registered diagnostic cardiac sonographer at the Lafayette General Medical Center, and wanted to use his platform and passion to raise money for Camp Bon Coeur, a camp for children with hearts that have needed mending. Leblanc has so far reached nearly $10,000 of his $25,000 goal.
This world-record feat isn’t Leblanc’s first running accomplishment. In 2015, he became the first Louisiana native to run a sub-four-minute mile on Louisiana soil, clocking 3:59.95 in front of his friends and family in Lafayette. His success has also led him to qualify for the 2016 and 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
(07/24/23) Views: 83Running Magazine
