Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
3/9/2024
These are the top ten stories based on views over the last week.
New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish shocks field for gold in men’s 1,500m final
Geordie Beamish of Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, pulled off an incredible upset to take gold in the men’s 1,500m on the final day of competition at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
Beamish was not expected to win, with the 1,500m not being his main event. However, he bided his time and entered the final lap in eighth place before surging down the final straight to become New Zealand’s first world indoor champion in the 1,500m event, clocking a personal best of 3:36.54.
“I trusted my closing speed against anyone,” said. Beamish to Canadian Running post-race.
Cole Hocker and Hobbs Kessler of Team USA claimed silver and bronze, respectively, with times of 3:36.69 and 3:36.72.
The door was open for a new champion in the men’s 1,500m with the absence of Jakob Ingebrigtsen due to injury and reigning world (outdoor) champion Josh Kerr, who ran and won the 3,000m distance instead.
When asked if Beamish would run the 1,500m in Paris instead of the steeplechase, he declined. “I don’t think I can run a 1,500m in 3:29,” he said. “I enjoy the steeple a lot, and I think I have my best chance to medal in that event.”
Vancouver’s Kieran Lumb finished 13th in the 1,500m final. “I’m disappointed,” says Lumb. “I felt I was going to really do something special today, and that wasn’t the case.”
Beamish’s medal capped off a day to remember for New Zealand after Hamish Kerr earlier won gold in the high jump. The small Oceanic island nation finished with four medals (two gold, two silver), their most ever at an indoor world championship.
In the women’s 1,500m final, it was Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu who came out on top in a time of 4:01.46. This is Hailu’s first global title. Her best finish before Glasgow was a fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics in the same event. Americans Nikki Hiltz and Emily MacKay ran personal bests to win silver and bronze. Canada’s Lucia Stafford finished 11th in 4:08.90.
(03/04/24) Views: 139Marley Dickinson
Sifan Hassan fires stern warning shot to Rosemary Wanjiru ahead of Sunday's Tokyo Marathon
Dutch woman Sifan Hassan is not resting on her laurels as she looks to dethrone defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru at Sunday's Tokyo Marathon.
Reigning Chicago Marathon champion Sifan Hassan has opened up on her main target ahead of the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday.
Hassan, who made her full marathon debut last year, has noted that she will be going for the Tokyo Marathon course record.
The reigning London Marathon champion noted that she is physically fit and ready to attack the record time of 2:16:02 that was set by Brigid Kosgei during the 2021 edition of the event.
“I have prepared well for this race…I mean the period between after the Chicago Marathon and now. I’m going for a course record,” the Dutch woman said during the pre-race press conference.
The double Olympic champion has only competed in two marathons in her career so far which she has won, and she will be keen to continue the winning streak in more races to come.
However, the Tokyo Marathon pits her against some of the strongest marathoners too, including defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru and the 2022 Valencia Marathon champion Amane Beriso.
During last year’s edition of the race, Wanjiru destroyed a strong field to claim the top prize, stopping the clock at 2:16:28.
Wanjiru also represented Kenya at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she finished sixth in the marathon. She enjoyed her 2023 season and will be looking to have an amazing season in 2024.
On her part, Ethiopia’s Beriso, the reigning World marathon champion will not let her fans down as she takes on the tough Tokyo Marathon course.
Beriso, a very soft-spoken athlete, will once again showcase her prowess and skills on the roads with the hope of bagging her first World Marathon Major title.
(03/01/24) Views: 134Abigael Wuafula
Men and women course records set at Tokyo Marathon
The Tokyo Marathon—the first World Marathon Major of 2024—took place Sunday morning in Japan. In near-perfect conditions, with a starting temperature of about 42 degrees, more than 37,000 runners took to the streets in Japan’s capital city. Course records fell, although several notable pre-race favorites fell short.
Benson Kipruto wins men’s race in a course record
It was a Kenyan sweep in the men’s race: Boston and Chicago Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, 32, of Kenya, won in 2:02:16, a course record by 24 seconds. Timothy Kiplagat, 30, placed second in a personal-best 2:02:55, while Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich, 25, was third in 2:04:18.
Led by a trio of pacers, a pack of seven men blazed out at world record pace, traveling the first 5K in 14:16 (4:36 pace). By 15K, the pace had slowed, but only four men (and two pacers) remained: Kipruto, Kiplagat, and Ngetich, and Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, 39, the two-time Olympic champion and former world record holder.
Unlike the men, the women started more conservatively, then picked up the pace. The lead pack covered the first 5K in 16:16, a 5:12 pace. Shankule led much of the race as competitors dropped off; the pack thinned to seven by 15K, four by 25K, and the top three by 30K as the pace ratcheted down (Shankule, Wanjiru,and Kebede covered 25K to 30K in 15:59, 5:09 pace).
Just before the 40K mark, Shankule fell back. Then, at the fluid stop just after the 40K mark, Kebede pulled ahead of Wanjiru, battling to the clock to better the 2:16:02 Brigid Kosgei ran here in 2021.
Sifan Hassan, 31, of the Netherlands, was fourth in 2:18:05—it was her third marathon, and her first loss. However, her time was still faster than the 2:18:33 she ran in her victorious London debut.
Saina shines after disappointment at Trials
Four weeks ago, American marathoner Betsy Saina, 35, who had been a favorite to make the U.S. Olympic team, dropped out of the Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida, after the 21-mile mark of the race. Even though Saina had been in contention for the third spot, she suddenly pulled off the course and flopped in the grass at the side of the road, a victim of the rising temperatures.
Saina quickly regrouped and was a late addition to the field for the Tokyo Marathon on March 3. In much cooler weather, Saina finished fifth in 2:19:17. It was a PR by 2:23, the third-fastest time by an American woman (behind Emily Sisson and Keira D’Amato), and some measure of redemption after the disappointment of the Trials. She averaged 5:18.7 per mile.
Benson Kipruto and Sutume Asefa Kebede both won in course records, and American Betsy Saina ran a big PR to take fifth.
(03/03/24) Views: 124
Runner’s World
Nobert Kigen provisionally suspended by AIU for doping
Nobert Kigen is the latest Kenyan athlete to join the list of shame after being provisionally suspended by the AIU for the Presence/Use of Prohibited Substance (Testosterone).
The Athletics Integrity Unit has provisionally suspended Nobert Kigen for the Presence/Use of Prohibited Substance (Testosterone).
Kigen, the 2022 Prague Marathon champion, has not been very competitive in international races since 2018 when he competed in five races.
In 2019, he intended to compete at the Tokyo Marathon but he did not finish the race. He finished third at the 2021 Prague Marathon before proceeding to win the edition of the race in 2022.
The same year, he finished seventh at the Amsterdam Marathon and then finished fourth at the Bangsaen Half Marathon in 2023. He opened his 2024 season with a 10th place finish at the Xiamen Marathon.
Meanwhile, the AIU has also Agnes Mueni Mutua for the Presence/Use of Prohibited Substances (Testosterone, Trimetazidine).
As per the AIU, a Provisional Suspension is when an Athlete or other Person is suspended temporarily from participating in any competition or activity in Athletics prior to a final decision at a hearing conducted under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules or the Integrity Code of Conduct. The Kenyan duo are the latest to join the list of shame as they await their verdict.
(03/04/24) Views: 121Abigael Wafula
Training through the seasons: injury prevention tips
The start of a new season marks a shift in the training environment for competitive runners across Canada. Distinct challenges arise as runners shift their focus to new racing distances or terrains. As runners transition from outdoor to indoor running in winter, and switch into cross-country running in the fall, the ligaments and tendons of the lower extremities are put to the test. New running environments place demands on these structures and may leave runners vulnerable to injury.
Clinically, my treatment approach is to support these structures with targeted strength training. Loading the joints of the lower extremity with running-specific single-leg movements can help prepare them for the demands of new surfaces and terrains. Single-leg squats, lunges and calf-based loading strategies can be done with the goal of preventing long-term injuries. Jumping-based exercises on uneven surfaces are another great option, because they mimic the demands that runners may experience during races over grass, hills, and mud.
As the weather gets colder, many athletes across Canada turn to doing at least some of their training indoors. An indoor track presents a unique challenge to the athlete’s body, as everyone runs in a counterclockwise direction only. The repetitive nature of running, combined with consistently turning in one direction, can lead to various loading challenges, which can be amplified on the tighter turns of indoor tracks. Researchers from Western University found that the ankle-stabilizing muscles on the left leg on the inside edge of the turn developed strength changes distinctly different from those on the opposite leg, which they suspect are from athletes constantly turning to the left on an indoor track.
In our work with runners at the Runner’s Academy in Toronto, we have found that this type of asymmetrical loading pattern can contribute to muscular imbalances and running-related injuries affecting the ankle, knee, hip and pelvis. Clinically, I use hands-on manual therapies with targeted rehabilitation exercises to address areas of muscular compensation and joint overuse.
If you are training on a running track indoors or outdoors, varying your direction between clockwise and counterclockwise is essential to reduce the amount of rotational force the body is subjected to.
To optimize your faster-paced workouts indoors, I recommend doing your warm-up and cool-down jogs outdoors, away from the indoor track. This allows your body to reset and adapt after the repetitive stresses of indoor running, enhancing overall performance and reducing the risk of injury. This promotes variability and gradually exposes the body to stress on a range of surfaces and conditions. If I am training for an indoor track race or coaching, I practice these training modifications and encourage everyone else to try them.
Dr. Robert Lawand is a chiropractor at The Runner’s Academy in Toronto. He can be found training and racing in events from the 1,500m up to the half-marathon with the Royal City Athletic Club, and coaching high school track and field with the University of Toronto Track and Field Club.
(03/02/24) Views: 117Dr. Robert Lawand
Kipruto eyes podium, personal best at Sunday's Tokyo Marathon
The 2021 Boston Marathon champion Benson Kipruto is targeting a podium finish at Sunday’s Tokyo Marathon.
Kipruto trains in his backyard in Kapsabet, Nandi County, ahead of the much-awaited, starstudded showdown in the Japanese capital.
Other top athletes enlisted for the race are former world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge (2:01:09), Vincent Kipkemoi (2:03:13), Timothy Kiplagat (2:03:50), Hailemaryam Kiros (2:04:41) and Andualem Belay (2:04:44).
“My training and preparations for the Tokyo Marathon have been going on very well. I hope my hard training will yield great results,” said Kipruto, the 2016 Athens Classic Marathon silver medalist.
Kipruto was a surprise 2022 Chicago Marathon winner and silver medallist a year later— behind the late Kelvin Kiptum, who set the world record of 2:00:35.
He said Tokyo was a a late destination after initially settling on a return to Boston.
“I was to compete at the Boston Marathon but I had to change to Tokyo since it gives me enough time to prepare for the Olympics Games,” said the 2017 Gongju Dong-A Marathon silver medalist.
He is unfazed by the calibre of competition.
“I have prepared well enough to run finish on the podium as well as lower my personal best,” said Kipruto.
Kipruto is also looking forward to representing the country at the Paris Olympic Games.
He was named in the provisional marathon team to Paris alongside Kipruto former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, Vincent Kipkemoi, Timothy Kiplagat, Bernard Koech, Geoffrey Kamworor, Cyprian Kotut, Amos Kipruto, Titus Kipruto and the late Kelvin Kiptum.
“I have never represented my country in any competition and making the team to Paris would be a dream come true,” said Kipruto.
Meanwhile, Ugandan Victor Kiplang’at said he is well prepared for Tokyo.
Kiplangat, who has already hit the qualifying time for the Paris Olympic Games, told Xinhua that he has put in a lot of work during preparations as he seeks to improve on his time.
“I have trained well under coach Addy Ruiter and I can’t wait to go and prove a point in Japan,” said Kiplang’at.
The Tokyo Marathon is a good platform for his preparations for the Olympic Games in France in August.
Kiplang’at, who will follow Ugandan pace-setter Abel Boniface, said competing against Kipchoge will be a tough but great challenge.
(03/02/24) Views: 117Emmanuel Sabuni
Noah Lyles, Ferdinand Omanyala cruise to 60m semifinal at World Indoor Championships
Noah Lyles and Ferdinand Omanyala have started their World Indoor campaign on a high, recording impressive times to proceed to the semifinal of the 60m race.
Triple World champion Noah Lyles and Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala have started their campaign at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, United Kingdom on a high.
Omanyala, competing in Heat 4, was in a class of his own as he clocked 6.52 to win ahead of Japan’s Shuhei Tada and Singapore’s Marc Louis who clocked national record times of 6.52 and 6.69 to finish second and third respectively.
On his part, two-time World Champion Lyles was also breathing fire as he led in his heat. The American, competing in Heat One, started off on a high and sprinted to the finish line, cutting the tape in 6.57.
Second-place finisher Jeff Erius of France clocked 6.63 to cross the finish line as Germany’s Alexander Askovic completed the podium in 6.66.
Heat Two was won by Sweden’s Henrik Larsson as Canada’s Malachi Murray finished second in 6.64. Turkey’s Kayhan Ozer sealed the podium.
Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme clocked a national record time of 6.54 in Heat Five with Denmark’s Simon Hansen finishing second in 6.61. Slovenia’s Anej Čurin Prapotnik finished third in 6.68.
60m world record Christian Coleman also led in his heat, clocking 6.49 to win the race ahead of the duo of Mario Burke and Akihiro Higashida.
(03/01/24) Views: 111Abigael Wuafula
Mary Ngugi, Emmanuel Wafula dazzle at 49th Roma-Ostia half marathon
Kenyans dominated the 49th Roma-Ostia Half Marathon, with victories in both men's and women's categories on Sunday.
Former world half marathon silver medalist, Mary Wacera Ngugi, showcased her enduring class and resolve by clinching victory at the 49th edition of the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon held on Sunday in Rome, Italy.
At 35, the seasoned athlete, who also holds the title of 2021 Boston Marathon silver medalist, entered the race with a personal best of 1:06.29, recorded eight years ago at the Houston Half Marathon.
Ngugi outpaced her rivals to secure top honors with a commendable time of 1:07.38.
Caroline Korir rounded out the top three, crossing the finish line in 1:09.01, and solidifying the podium positions.
Ngugi’s victory is not just a personal achievement but also a testament to her commitment to nurturing young talent through her initiative, the Nala Track Club.
Based in her hometown of Nyahururu, the club aims to empower young girls by providing them with opportunities to engage in athletics, thereby fostering a new generation of champions.
In the men’s category, the competition was equally intense, with Kenya’s Emmanuel Wafula emerging victorious in his debut over the distance, clocking an impressive time of 1:01.10.
The race was a nail-biter until the very end, with Ethiopia's Yegzaw Bayelign finishing a mere one second behind Wafula.
Kenyan Kimakal Kipsambu secured the third spot with a time of 1:01.20, while compatriot Asbel Kiplimo finished fourth in 1:02.57.
(03/04/24) Views: 110Festus Chuma
Noah Lyles denied world indoor sprint title in Glasgow
Noah Lyles’s bid to win the indoor/outdoor sprint triple came up short on Friday evening in Glasgow as he finished three-hundredths of a second behind his Team USA rival Christian Coleman in the men’s 60m final at the 2024 World Indoor Championships.
Coleman ran a world-leading time of 6.41 seconds to win the gold. Lyles finished second with a time of 6.44 seconds. Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake came third, running 6.46.
This is Coleman’s second career world indoor 60m title, and also redemption after losing to Lyles at last month’s U.S. Indoor Championships. Coleman got out to an explosive start and never looked back, holding off a charging Lyles in the final 10 meters.
This is Coleman’s second career world indoor 60m title, and also redemption after losing to Lyles at last month’s U.S. Indoor Championships. Coleman got out to an explosive start and never looked back, holding off a charging Lyles in the final 10 meters.
Despite losing to Coleman, Lyles was proud of his 60m world indoor silver medal. “I ran a PR and improved my 60m time; I am OK with this 6.44,” Lyles told Canadian Running. “This is the second-fastest time I’ve ever run, and people were saying I wasn’t a 60m guy–look at me now.”
Despite losing to Coleman, Lyles was proud of his 60m world indoor silver medal. “I ran a PR and improved my 60m time; I am OK with this 6.44,” Lyles told Canadian Running. “This is the second-fastest time I’ve ever run, and people were saying I wasn’t a 60m guy–look at me now.”
Coleman and Lyles will likely be the favourites to win the men’s 100m title in Paris, but Lyles wants more. “I want to win everything and break world records while doing it,” says Lyles. “That’s the goal.”
(03/02/24) Views: 107Marley Dickinson
Tefera takes down Ingebrigtsen to retain world indoor 1500m title
When the Olympic champion met the world indoor champion, something was always going to give. In the end, as Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Samuel Tefera fought towards the line in the men’s 1500m final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 on Sunday (20), it was the Norwegian star who had no choice but to concede.
Not that Ingebrigtsen ever gave up, the 21-year-old trying to summon something – anything – to repel the late charge of Tefera, but it was no use, with the 22-year-old Ethiopian taking gold in 3:32.77, Ingebrigtsen taking silver in 3:33.02, and Kenya’s Abel Kipsang the bronze in 3:33.36.
Before the race, the head-to-head record between the big two was 11-0 in favour of Ingebrigtsen, but no one beats Samuel Tefera 12 times in a row, not when this is a distance at which he held the world indoor record at 3:31.04 for the past three years, until Ingebrigtsen broke it earlier this year with 3:30.60.
That race in Lievin, France, in mid-February made the Norwegian the hot favourite for the title in Belgrade, and when the gun fired he adopted similar tactics to the Olympic final in Tokyo, or indeed most races on the circuit.
He made sure it was fast.
With Kipsang rocketing through the opening lap in 27.60, Ingebrigtsen waited until the second to hit the front, stringing the field out behind as he passed 400m in 55.81, 800m in 1:53.9 and 1200m in 2:51.16.
But tracking him all the way, keeping his powder dry, was Tefera, the slightly more measured pace compared to the race in Lievin allowing him to sit in his slipstream into the final bend. Tefera then moved wide off the turn and emptied the tank to edge past his rival up the home straight, retaining his world indoor title with a championship record of 3:32.77.
“The race was very tough, but I feel very happy now because I became the champion,” said Tefera, who said he had surgery on his achilles tendon last year, an injury picked up during the Tokyo Olympics.
“I could not do many activities within the training but now I am completely fit,” he said. “I feel normal and I am ready for any kind of races and championships.”
Ingebrigtsen was gracious in defeat, not that he was too pleased about his silver.
“I came here to fight for the gold and it was a good fight,” he said. “I didn’t feel that great. Usually I feel a bit tired from 600 to 800 then it starts to loosen up but that didn’t happen tonight so I’m not 100 percent. Tefera was better than me tonight. I thought I was better than him, having run the record.”
Asked if he would do anything different if the race was run again, he said: “If I knew that I was completely s*** tonight, then of course I’d do a lot of things different, but I didn’t have any factors telling me that before the race.”In third, Kipsang claimed the first global medal of his career, having been edged into fourth at the Olympics last year. Ethiopia’s Teddese Lemi finished fourth in 3:33.59, with Australia’s Ollie Hoare fifth and Britain’s Neil Gourley sixth.
The following day, on his return home after not feeling fully fit, Ingebrigtsen shared a photo of a positive Covid test on his social media and wrote: "Just arrived home in Sandnes, and decided to take a health check after a strange feeling last night. Leading up to the race, everything felt normal, with negative PCR test and several rapid tests. Bad timing but in some way unavoidable. Now it's all about recovering and getting back to training."
(03/03/24) Views: 106Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics
