Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
10/6/2018
These are the top ten stories based on views over the last week.
Olympic Champion Joan Benoit- Samuelson now 61 wants to break the world 60 plus record at Chicago Marathon
Now, 61-year-old Joan Benoit-Samuelson is returning to the site of a past victory with a new goal.
Samuelson won the Chicago Marathon in 1985, in a then-American record of 2:21:21, still the fifth-fastest U.S. time on record. This year, race organizers said she hopes to break the world record for the 60–64 age group, 3:01:30, set by New Zealand’s Bernie Portenski in 2010.
If she succeeds in conquering a new category this year, the victory would likely feel extra sweet. Circumstances have kept her from Chicago’s streets on several of her recent attempts.
In 2015, she aimed to run within 30 minutes of her winning time 30 years prior, but she was forced to drop out the day before due to a stomach bug. Last year, she set a goal of running the first sub-3 ever by a woman older than 60, but a knee injury intervened.
Once again, she withdrew four days before the race. Joan was the first-ever women's Olympic Games marathon champion, winning the Gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Benoit Samuelson still holds the fastest times for an American woman at the Chicago Marathon and the Olympic Marathon. Her time at the Boston Marathon was the fastest time by an American woman at that race for 28 years. She was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.
(10/03/18) Views: 1,895
Man Kaur a 102-Year-Old Runner, shares her secrets as she is still running and racing winning gold medals
At 102, Man Kaur is still running — and winning gold medals. The phenomenon from India just nailed the gold medal in the 200-meter race for the 100-to-104 age group at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Malaga, Spain.
She finished in 3 minutes and 14 seconds. Kaur has a message for younger folks: Keep away from junk food and stick to an exercise regimen!
Her own routine is impressive for any age. She wakes up at 4 a.m., bathes, washes clothes, makes tea, recites prayers until about 7 a.m. Sometimes she goes to the Gurdwara, the place of worship for Sikhs, other times she prays at home. And then she goes to the track for an hour of sprinting practice.
The diminutive Kaur hasn't been a lifetime runner. Far from it. She started running in 2009, when her son, Gurdev Singh, who's now 80, urged her to take up track and field.
Singh, the second of her three children, is her coach as well as cheerleader. He also a long-time track competitor: "I was on my college track team and in school, I ran track and I played on the [soccer] team. I have been running in the master level for the last 25 years."
Singh has amassed more than 80 racing medals since 1992. What made him take his then 93-year-old mother to the track? It was mainly a whim, he explains — but also a desire to keep her fit.
"She was very well, with no health problems, and she moved fast. So I took her to the university track with me and asked her to run 400 meters. She did it, slowly, and I thought 'Yes, She can do it.'
"Kaur enjoyed it enough to want to return. She liked running, she said. And quickly she started to improve. Two years later, given how well she was doing, her son registered her for international events he was participating in. Kaur agreed with no hesitation. And she hasn't stopped running.
(09/28/18) Views: 1,255
Michael Wardian wins the first ever full marathon held inside a NFL stadium
On Friday evening, 17 runners participated in the first full and half marathon around the home turf of the New England Patriots.
It was also the first marathon run entirely inside a NFL stadium. Participants in the half marathon ran just over 59 laps on the warning track surrounding the turf, while the full marathon participants ran 118 laps.
The course is USA Track & Field (USATF) certified and a Boston Marathon qualifier. Runners enjoyed special appearances by Patriots cheerleaders and the end zone militia, in-stadium music, motivational videos on the HD video boards and other entertainment throughout the evening.
“We are thrilled to be hosting our first marathon inside Gillette Stadium,” said Josh Kraft, president of the New England Patriots Foundation.
“This is a really unique opportunity and this event will help us raise critical funds for the New England Patriots Foundation to benefit homeless shelter programs throughout the region.”
The race was directed by Dave McGillivray who also is the Boston Marathon race director. 44-year-old Michael Wardian placed first clocking 2:49:26. Michael had also won the marathon held inside Fenway Park a few months ago.
Becca Pizzi was the first woman clocking 3:49. Both are also participating in the second Run The World Global Run Challenge and these miles bring Michael’s total to 384 miles run and logged since August 29. He is currently in 7th place. The team is running and logging enough miles to circle the globe (24,901 miles).
(09/28/18) Views: 720
Everything you need to know about the 2018 Chicago Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is happening this Sunday October 8...Galen Rupp who lives in Oregon won the 2017 race clocking 2:09:20, will return to battle four-time Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah of Great Britain.
The two have raced against each other 22 times, with Farah winning 21 times...Mo Farah has been training over 120 miles per week and has only one thing on his mind, to win...There are five men in the field with faster personal records than Rupp, who clocked his 2:06:07 PR winning the Prague Marathon on May 6... among the other elite men in the field include two-time world champion Abel Kirui, Geoffrey Kirui, reigning world champion and 2017 Boston Marathon winner, and four-time Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah, Rupp's former training partner...Plus Mosinet Geremew (2:04:00 personal best) and Birhanu Legese (2:04:15), both of Ethiopia, also lead the international field...
In the field of approximately 45,000 runners Sunday, 47 percent will be women...The top American women include Laura Thweatt, Sarah Crouch, Taylor Ward, Katie Matthews and Gwen Jorgensen leading the pack.
Joan Benoit Samuelson, 61, who won the 1984 Olympics gold medal and Chicago in 1985, also will be running, and her goal is to break three hours. No woman over 60 has ever run that fast...
Top elite women include Roza Dereje and Birhane Dibaba of Ethiopia; Brigid Kosgei of Kenya; and fellow Kenyan and two-time champion Florence Kiplagat...
Chicago is one of the flattest and fastest marathons in the world. The only thing that gets in the way of more fast times is sometimes hot weather...The weather forecast for this year is 60 degrees with humidity at 75%. Not ideal but it has been worse...
Four world marathon records have been set in Chicago. Dennis Kimetto of Kenya holds the Chicago Marathon men’s record with a time of 2:03:45 set in 2013. Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain set the women’s record in 2002 with a time of 2:17:18...
Yuki Kawauchi, from Japan, holds a record for running 79 marathons in less than 2:20. In April, he won the Boston Marathon in 2:15:58. He has won 30 marathons in his career with a personal best of 2:08:14. He has competed in 20 marathons so far in 2018 and is running...
The female and male Chicago winners each get $100,000. The total purse distributed among all the money winners is $803,500. There are bonuses for course records: $75,000 for men and women...
Twenty-three percent of the field are from outside the US. The largest group is from Mexico, with 2,225 runners. Then: Canada (1,777), United Kingdom (1,741), China (1,347), Brazil (1,209), Germany (566), Hong Kong (481), Costa Rica (471) and Italy (453)...
Rupp's 2017 victory was his first in a marathon major. He said it compares to his two Olympic medals, silver in the 10,000 meters in 2012, and marathon bronze in 2016. "Nothing can really replace the Olympics," he told Oregon Live. "But winning a major in Chicago, a city I love, was right up there."...
Rupp said he is fully recovered from nagging Achilles and ankle problems that complicated his buildup. "I'm feeling good," he said. "I've been healthy the last five or six weeks."...Rupp's father grew up in Maywood, Illinois and Galen spent a lot of time in the Chicago area during his childhood.
"I'm so excited to be returning to Chicago to defend my title," Rupp said. "I couldn't be more thrilled to be heading back to the Windy City." First wave start time is 7:30am Central Time on Sunday.
(10/04/18) Views: 417Bob Anderson
My Best Runs helped tell the world about the photo finish at the 2018 Illinois Marathon
The top two finishers at last year's Illinois Marathon were both clocked at 2:21:03. The finish line judges gave the win to 22-year-old Tesfaalem Mehari and 39-year-old Wilson Chemweno second.
My Best Runs helped tell the world about this exciting finish. My Best Runs published the leader board results just as soon as they were official.
Race director Jan Seeley had decided to have the Illinois Marathon featured and followed by My Best Runs (MBR) months before.
"We only feature the best, most interesting and unique races," says MRB founder Bob Anderson, "the Illinois marathon is the type of race we want to share with our over 600,000 unique annual visitors."
MBR is supported by races. "Jan recently signed up for another year and we appreciate her support along with our many other race directors," says Manuel Juarez, MBR sales manager.
MBR was started by lifetime runner Bob Anderson, the founder and publisher of Runner's World Magazine (from 1966 to 1984). Bob, now 70, is still running 35 miles weekly and racing at sub 8 pace.
"My Best Runs is for runners who love races," says Bob Anderson. "We are helping race directors publicize their race, and our website helps visitors find races from around the world without having to spend hours searching the Internet. It is now in one place. This is much more than just a race listing," says Lisa Wall, MBR social media director.
MBR features Photos, Videos, Course Maps, registration link, Leader Board Results, prize money, race write ups, background info, current race stats and promote discount codes if you do this. "Our editorial team will put this all together for you and post your results as soon as they are official, keeping your race updated every step of the way," says Michael Anderson, media director.
As news becomes available, your race will also be featured in our column Running News Daily and in our weekly newsletter. "We want to tell more people around the world about your race," says Bob. Contact Manuel Juarez for more details at 650-209-7820 or write manuel@mybestruns.com
"We appreciate your support. This is a win-win situation and we can have your race up within 24 hours at a reasonable cost," says Jamie Sanchez, MBR content manager.
(10/03/18) Views: 357
Run The World Challenge 2 Profile: Boaz Kipyego is training so hard to make his life better and to help kids
Boaz Kipyego (26) started running in primary school. "I used to ran from home to school to and fro everyday which was almost 12km per day," says Boaz. He then started running at school and they discovered his talent. "I was the best runner in my school. When I finished primary school I got into the secondary school but my parents could not pay my fees and that was the end on my study." Boaz runs two or three times almost every day. In his second Run The World Challenge he has already run and logged 586 miles in 33 days which is ahead of what he did in the first challenge. "My best race was in Des Moines, Iowa in USA in 2016. I successfully won my first race in USA." The local newspaper the next morning wrote, "Boaz Kipyego crossed the finish line of the IMT Des Moines Marathon and just kept running. The Kenyan was so excited about winning his first marathon that he wanted to celebrate in front of many of his new American friends at Cowles Commons. So, draped in a Kenyan flag, he did a victory lap back toward the finish line. "America is fantastic — this is my first time in the U.S. This is my biggest win," Kipyego said after running 2:16:36. Boaz comes from a humble background. "I am training so hard to make my life better and so I can help other kids," he says. "Run the World gives me focus," Boaz says. (10/01/18) Views: 160
Former Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross was named the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon International Event Ambassador
Airtel Delhi Half Marathon keeps getting bigger and better every year as Procam International today announced American track and field legend Sanya Richards-Ross as the International Event Ambassador for the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2018 scheduled for 21st October. Considered by many to be one of the most graceful sprinters in recent history, Sanya Richards-Ross is the fastest American woman in the history of 400m with her time of 48.70 set when winning at the 2006 IAAF World Cup. Expressing her excitement to be a part of the 2018 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, Sanya said, “It is an honour to be the ambassador of one of the world’s most prestigious half marathons. Running a half marathon is so much hard work, remaining disciplined and determined, the same mentality one can use to achieve other goals. The city has shown tremendous affinity to the race, which is evident with the increasing participation numbers every year. I’m pretty excited about this role and will be happy to share my experiences and hope I can inspire everyone starting the race that day. She further added, “This is my first visit to India and I have heard only wonderful things about the country. I look forward to soaking in all the local flavours and feel the magic of this colourful city!” After a 400m silver medal and 4x400m gold at the 2002 World Junior Championships, Sanya made a big impact in the senior ranks during the 2003 IAAF World Championship where, despite being just 18, she anchored the USA to the 4x400m title. From there on, she went on to dominate the world stage over one lap of the track, winning the 2009 400m world title, three world championships 4x400m gold medals (2007, 2009, 2011) as well various other major championship medals. Sanya’s meteoric rise also saw her win three consecutive 4x400m gold medals at the Olympic Games (2004, 2008, 2012) and – after bronze in Beijing four years earlier – she become the first American female runner to win an individual 400m gold medal in 28 years as she was crowned the champion in 400m at the London 2012 Olympic Games. (09/28/18) Views: 51
Vitamins for runners that improve performance and body´s recovery
Since vitamins perform hundreds of tasks for your body, they are hugely important for health and wellbeing. Tiredness, poor digestion, brittle bones and memory problems are just some of the problems linked with vitamin deficiency. Vitamin D is essential in helping calcium build strong bones. The vitamin also helps regulate the immune system and neuromuscular system. Vitamin B12 is rare in plant-based foods, this type of deficiency is particularly common in vegetarian and vegan diets. B12 helps with energy, by contributing to the production of red blood cells. It also aids in digestion, and deficiency can lead to symptoms like fatigue, a sore red tongue and yellowing of the skin. Vitamin A contributes to normal vision and skin health, and is important in bolstering the immune system. However, consuming too much vitamin A can lead to brittle bones. Good sources of vitamin A include oily fish, liver products milk and eggs. The body can naturally convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, so consuming plenty of yellow, red and green vegetables can provide enough vitamin A, too. Potassium helps your heart, nerves and muscles to work properly. You can become deficient in potassium due to a brief stomach illness, or due to longer-term conditions like eating disorders and kidney disease. Your body uses vitamin B6 every day, for movement, memory, energy conversion and blood flow. There is even some evidence to suggest B6 can ward off Alzheimer’s disease and act as a natural pain remedy. The best food sources include turkey breast, pistachio nuts, avocado and grass-fed beef. You can also take supplements to prevent many common maladies and optimize health and help you as a runner. (10/01/18) Views: 50
Tsegaye Mekonnen from Ethiopia, is set to compete at Toronto Marathon
Tsegaye Mekonnen’s marathon debut four years ago stunned running aficionados across the world as the Ethiopian youngster won the Dubai Marathon in 2:04:32, the fastest time in history by an U20 athlete. Still only 23 years old, Mekonnen has confirmed he will race the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 21, thereby earning the distinction of being the fastest entrant to ever run this IAAF Gold Label event. “It’s been going well and I feel like I am in a good shape right now,” said Mekonnen. “Toronto is a big race and I’ve been preparing for it. I have spent three months in my build-up and so I hope to run a good race. “I’ve been running at a high altitude – between 2,500-3,000m – so that I could adapt myself to tough conditions and I’ve been running 180-200km (100-120 miles) per week.” Since his breakthrough performance four years ago, Mekonnen has shown flashes of brilliance such as his third-place finish at the 2016 Dubai Marathon in 2:04:46 and a 2:07:26 victory at the 2017 Hamburg Marathon. In a country where children grow up celebrating the success of Ethiopian legends such as Derartu Tulu, Haile Gebrselassie, Tirunesh Dibaba and Kenenisa Bekele, he was exposed to running very early and earned a place on Ethiopia’s team for the IAAF World Junior Championships Barcelona 2012. He finished fifth in the 5000m final there, but, unlike others who would develop their track potential, Mekonnen quickly switched to road racing. "To my knowledge there were not many track races in that time and I couldn't find the right people to bring me to those races,” he remembers. “So, I made the decision to compete in the road races. Demadonna Management encouraged me to become a marathon runner and it was the right decision for me, looking back now. Mekonnen is fully aware he will face strong competition in Toronto, including Philemon Rono, the two-time defending champion, New Zealand’s Jake Robertson and 2012 Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda, among others. He edged Kiprotich in Hamburg by a mere five seconds. (10/04/18) Views: 39
Debbie Zockoll ran the first St George Marathon back in 1977, and hasn´t stopped in 42 years
Debbie Zockoll has run the St. George Marathon as an inexperienced 21-year-old. She has run St. George while seven-months pregnant. She has run it fast and slow, in good weather and bad, while receiving breast-cancer treatments, and recovering from appendix cancer. In fact, about the only thing Zockoll hasn’t done at St. George is not run the annual Utah event that cascades through spectacular red-rock canyons. Her 41-successive finishes is believed to be the world-record “marathon streak” for women. On October 6, Zockoll, 62, takes aim on St. George number 42. This time she’s battling cancer in her lymph nodes. She had surgery just six weeks ago, but don’t bet against her. (10/02/18) Views: 35
