Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
1/19/2019

Eliud Kipchoge over the weekend said that breaking two hours for the marathon is very possible

World Marathon Record holder and Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge said Saturday night (Jan 12) that breaking the two-hour mark in marathon is possible.

However, he declined to confirm if he will be making another attempt to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours.

Speaking in Mombasa on Saturday evening, Kipchoge said all that is required is focus and belief.

"It's possible. Once the human body sets the mind and focus, it will be attained and running under two hours is very much possible," Kipchoge said.

The 34-year-old ran in an experimental race under special condition in Monza, Italy in 2017 to clock 2:00.25 and though that mark was never recognized as an official work record, he has since gone on to break the world record in Berlin last year clocking an impressive two hours, one minute and 39 seconds.

"With the right training, the right environment and the right people, and with the right thinking, then all is possible. However, it requires someone to have the belief," he added.

The London and Berlin marathon champion was on Friday crowned the 2018 Kenya Sports Personality of the Year in the award gala held in Mombasa.

"Not many people are thinking of running under the two hours mark. But if one intends to run and he has no belief in his mind, then he cannot do anything. But if your belief is in the mind and in the blood, beyond the skin and into the bone marrow, then it's possible."

Kipchoge is yet to confirm if he will be running in London, with the organizers yet to release the elite list of stars for the 2019 race. However, he said he is back in training for a major city marathon.

"I hope to run soon. But that is being worked on by the management. Once they have agreed, then we will all know which will be the next stop," he added.

Kipchoge says the Monza experiment offered him great hope going into his successful world record attempt in Berlin last year when he sliced over one minute off compatriot Dennis Kimetto's previous mark of 2:02:57 set on the same course in 2014.

"It gave me the confidence that I can run faster than any normal world record," he said. "If I could run two hours and 25 seconds (in Monza), then what is two hours, two minutes and 57 seconds? It helped me gain huge confidence, which helped me get the record."

Kipchoge has not lost a race since 2013, when he finished second to Wilson Kipsang in Berlin. He has won in London, Berlin, Rotterdam and Chicago.

It’s time to fade into the sunset Tommy Leonard said nine months ago to a reporter. Tommy has passed away.

(The following article was published in the Falmouth Enterprise Newspaper nine months ago written by  Paige Leahy.  This gives us good insights to a very special man.  We are sad to report that Tommy has passed away.) 

On Monday, April 16, 2018 the Quarterdeck Restaurant on Main Street, Falmouth, opened earlier than usual to celebrate Marathon Monday and the 122nd running of the Boston Marathon.

Inside the Main Street restaurant sat Tommy Leonard, a founder of the Falmouth Road Race and a celebrity among Boston Marathon runners.

Mr. Leonard sat at the last seat of the bar, the one farthest away from the door. This seat is known to be his. He rested his hands on the glossy wood, looking forward to one of the televisions displaying marathon coverage.

He wore a blue, windbreaker-style jacket with three white stripes down each arm. This was a Boston Marathon jacket from one of the many marathons he ran, upward of 20 of them. On top of his head was a black, nylon baseball cap that read “BOSTON.”

As patrons approached Mr. Leonard, all offering a hello and a pat on the back, he returned each greeting with a larger than life smile and thanked them for coming to celebrate one of Boston’s most notable athletic traditions. At 84 years of age, his mind and spirit remain sharp.

Behind the bar and all around the space were pieces of marathon memorabilia, many of which belong to or are in honor of Mr. Leonard. Since coming to work at the Quarterdeck as a bartender in 1998, he has called this restaurant home.

Prior to bartending on the Cape, Mr. Leonard worked at the now-closed Eliot Lounge in Boston on the corner of Massachusetts and Commonwealth avenues. The Eliot Lounge was once considered the unofficial finish line for the Boston Marathon, mostly due to the fact that Mr. Leonard held a weeklong celebration there for the marathon every year. Runners from across the globe would come together for a free pint with their bib at a bash to honor running for a cause. Over the years, both the Eliot and Mr. Leonard became marathon staples.

“Running has been good to me,” Mr. Leonard said, beginning to speak on what the iconic Boston event means to him while picking at a piece of banana bread. “I love the marathon with a passion that would probably shatter the foundation of the Bourne Bridge. It is my favorite weekend of the year—in the city you can see the magnolias and dogwoods really pop.”

Mr. Leonard ran his first Boston Marathon in 1953 while serving in the Marines. He fell in love with the sport while attending Westfield High School and ran with that love for years and many marathons more.

Despite his many feats and honors in the running community, including a bridge dedicated in his name just before the Boston Marathon finish line, and his all-around goodheartedness, a characteristic attributed to him by many, Mr. Leonard continues to shy away from the spotlight. He said that he receives too much credit—most all would disagree.

“I’ve had more than my share of days of glory,” Mr. Leonard said while staring off at an invisible, distant point. “It’s time to fade into the sunset.”

What should I eat or drink during a marathon, pacing and what to do if you just are not into it early - Marathon Man Gary Allen File 3

Here are my thoughts on these three new questions.  Send your questions to bob@mybestruns.com Subject line Question for Marathon Man.

1. What should you drink or eat during a marathon?

Nutrition during a marathon is critical to your success. Back in the 1970s when I started running marathons sports nutrition companies didn't exist.  Besides water on the course we experimented with little things to help keep our energy going. My favorite was butterscotch hard candy. I pinned a few of these, still in their crinkled yellow wrappers, to the the waist band of my shorts, and would simply pop one in my cheek during the race. As it slowly dissolved, it would help give me steady energy.

Coke was also a go to product if we could get it on the course. Few races offered it officially but knowledgeable fans at old school events like Boston or Yonkers would sometimes hand out little mouth wash cups of Coca Cola, and it was pure gold.

I still think Coke works better than sports drinks. It offers caffeine, liquid and sugar and it helps keep your stomach happily settled. Today there are of course dozens of products and drinks and my best advice is to try a few in training and use the ones that work for you.

2.  How should you pace a marathon?

The most common mistake is starting too fast. Men especially  are far more impatient than women in the critical first 10k of marathons. If you are pacing well, the last 10k should be equal or faster than the first 10k. This means NOT starting like you were shot out of a cannon.

If your goal and training suggests a sub 3 hour marathon, you will need to average 6:52 pace but it would be a mistake to run that pace from the start. Instead you should run 7:00 to 7:05 pace and the 6:40s you will be running in the late miles because you were conservative early will  feel great!

3. If you just aren't into the marathon during the first three miles, what should you do?

Breathe and move. Often a byproduct of the taper period is feeing lethargic in the early miles as you body remembers what to do. Many times tough early miles are an indicator that you'll have a great day.

How many times have we all heard the winners say, "I felt terrible early" and then they go on to win! Remember you are only human and it doesn't matter that you followed a perfect training plan down to the letter.

The marathon is still more like the common persons Mt. Everest versus something as predictable as telemarketers calling at dinner time. Remember marathon running is more like an expedition than a drive thru and not everyone summits.

(Marathon Man Gary Allen is a regular My Best Runs column.  Gary Allen is one of a few runners who have run a sub three hour marathon for each of the last five decades.  He is also a race Director and coach.)

Recent research suggests we burn more calories at certain times of the day, but there are many factors to consider.

Are you trying to lose weight to improve your running performance? Or are you running lots of miles and trying to not to lose any more weight?

You’ll want to note a recent study published in Current Biology as what time of day you run could be factor in how many calories you burn. Scientists found energy expenditure was 10% higher in late afternoon and early evening compared to the early morning hours.

“The fact that doing the same thing at one time of day burned so many more calories than doing the same thing at a different time of day surprised us," says Kirsi-Marja Zitting of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who was lead author of the study.

It could be an important scientific discovery for those who are using running as a means of losing weight. For these, exercising after work rather than first thing in the morning may represent the most economical way of doing so.

On the other hand, some who might be doing a lot of miles may struggle to stay above a safe body fat percentage. They might want to consider running in the morning to expend fewer calories than they would in the evening.

To calculate metabolic rate at different times on our own internal body clock, the seven subjects in the experiment were put into a special laboratory for three weeks away from the outside with no access to any indication of what time of day it was.

Co-author Jean Duffy added: "It is not only what we eat, but when we eat — and rest — that impacts how much energy we burn or store as fat. Regularity of habits such as eating and sleeping is very important to overall health."

Of course, several other factors come into play when deciding when to run. For example, you may burn more fat before breakfast although that’s a different thing to calorie expenditure.

Other studies have shown early evening to be the best time for strength or endurance as that is when the body temperature tends to be highest.

However, those who run in the morning are better at keeping to their training plans, research has also shown.

Could Mo Farah beat Eliud Kipchoge in London Marathon!

Eliud Kipchoge versus Mo Farah in the Virgin Money London Marathon on April 28 is one of the tastiest head-to-heads of the year – and it is a race the Briton can win.

Kipchoge has won 10 of his 11 marathons, including three times in London and at the Olympics in Rio. His most recent victory – in Berlin last September – saw him set a world record of 2:01:39. At the Breaking2 time trial in Monza in 2017, he ran even faster, too, with 2:00:25 – a performance just one second per mile short of a hallowed sub-two-hour clocking.

The Kenyan has been described, with good reason, as the greatest marathoner in history. So how can Farah hope to beat him?

For starters, not only did Farah smash the European record with 2:05:11 in Chicago in October, but he looked supremely smooth and strong the entire way. In the world of marathoning, he is on the upward curve whereas Kipchoge’s bubble will inevitably burst sometime.

Farah’s career has also got stronger over time. In 2003, while Kipchoge was out-kicking Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele to win the world 5000m title in Paris, Farah won a mere silver at the European Under-23 Championships behind fellow Brit Chris Thompson.

Then there is home support. Farah is a Londoner and has a long history with the London Marathon. The first time his name appeared in Athletics Weekly, after all, was in 1995 when he came 10th in the Mini London Marathon aged 12.

Farah will also not be fazed by Kipchoge. He has beaten him too many times over the years to be totally intimidated by him.

Farah freely admitted in 2018 that Kipchoge is a stronger marathon runner, but the Briton knows he’s come out on plenty of occasions in the past.

In fact, the duo have a long history of clashes. Back in 2007, Farah beat Kipchoge over 3km on the roads at the Great North Run weekend. On the track, in the world 5000m final in 2009, Kipchoge and Farah were separated by less than a second in fifth and seventh in a race won by Bekele. When Farah set a British 5000m record of 12:53.11 in Monaco in 2011, Kipchoge was back in sixth.

Gene Dykes has an insane racing schedule for this year from 5k to 218 milles

Gene Dykes, the 70-year-old from Philadelphia whose marathon world record attempt ended in disappointment when he realized the event he chose (the Jacksonville Marathon in Florida) was not USATF-sanctioned has posted his chosen races for 2019 on his Facebook page–all 34 of them. (His 2:54:23 on a certified course is the fastest ever run by someone 70 plus.)

Dykes is as prolific a racer as 2018 Boston Marathon champion Yuki Kawauchi. Here’s what he has lined up for this year: 34 races, consisting of five marathons (including Boston, Big Sur, New York and Philadelphia), 13 ultras (10 of them on the trails, and including no fewer than four 100-milers and a 24-hour track race), and 16 shorter races.

What does not appear on the schedule is another stab at the record he thought he’d bagged in Jacksonville. Though Dykes told us in December that he was planning another attempt at Ed Whitlock’s M70 record at either the Houston Marathon or the Louisiana Marathon (both are January 20), he has now said that’s off, partly because he’s recovering from a fall at the Wild Azalea 50-miler in Louisiana January 5. 

Gene wrote on his Strava account, "Trail was particularly treacherous this year.  Wet, roots covered in fallen leaves.  I went down hard more than a dozen times.  I banged up my knee pretty badly at the 30 mile mark but I was able to finish off the next 20 miles.

"I couldn't walk that evening or the next day.  Often wondered if I'd ever run again.  It's a week later now, and the swelling has mostly subsided."

He did post on Monday that he is feeling just fine now. He was able to run 8.5 miles January 15 at 7:49/mile pace.  His next race on his schedule is the Chilly Cheeks 11k trail race January 20.

Deanna Tysdal doesn't let Multiple Sclerosis stop her from running

Deanna Tysdal was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in October 2005. But it wasn’t until 2015 that she discovered MS Run the US, a nonprofit that raises awareness and money for MS research by running a cross-country relay each spring and summer.

This year she’ll become a part of that relay for the second time, running over 130 miles in a week.

Tysdal has felt the impact of MS for much longer than the 13 years since her own diagnosis.

“My brother was diagnosed in 1991 and is the worst-case scenario,” Tysdal said because the symptoms require him to use a wheelchair and receive constant care. “When I got diagnosed, I refused to accept that as my fate.”

In 2017, she ran the sixth segment of the national relay, traversing 166 miles from Vernal, Utah to Steamboat Springs, Colo. She raised over $26,000.

“The scenery was beautiful and the support I received brought me to tears,” she said.

Tysdal has found that running often proves more effective in managing her symptoms than medication does. She runs most days and will start training for her 2019 MS Run the U.S. segment immediately: a 140-mile stretch from Milford, Utah, to Nephi, Utah.

She also uses the relay — and all that running and MS have taught her — as an example for her 7-year-old son, Luke, and 5-year-old daughter, Piper. Both of them are already runners, as well as swimmers.

“I’m trying to show my kids that no matter what life gives you, you don’t give up,” she said. “Showing my kids how to fight and not give up, along with trying to inspire those with MS, has been a huge part of my ‘why.’ I can’t justify giving in to this disease, and having a positive, determined mindset has proven more powerful than any medication.”

The Relay begins each year in April in Santa Monica, CA and finishes in August in New York, NY. Our relay runners are selected via our online application process to participate as an individual segment runner as a part of the 19 segment relay. To participate each runner commits to fundraising $10,000 over ten months and to running approximately 160 miles over 6 consecutive days during his or her assigned relay segment.

Apple cider vinegar Cayenne tea will give a boast to your running - Michael Anderson on Running FIle 1

This time of the year can be a challenge to not get hit with the flu.  For the last year I have been drinking a concoction that helps boost the immune system and fight the nasty. Since I have been drinking the tea my running has taken a huge boost, more energy and less fatigue and better recovery. I have more in the tank.

Apple cider vinegar adds Alkaline to the body A runners  workout will create acid in your body and by drinking the tea it helps to add alkaline to your body. High acid in your body leads to fatigue and muscle soreness. By adding alkaline that is in apple cider vinegar, it neutralizes it.

Add Cayenne pepper which will help the blood flow and will help the boost.  However, be careful with the Cayenne pepper.  Just a little bit goes a long way. 

Here is my recipe:

Honey Cayenne Apple Cider Vinegar Drink

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar.

2 Tablespoons honey

1 dash cayenne pepper.

2 cups of warm/hot water.

Michael Anderson on Running

(Michael has been running all his life and has already run the Boston Marathon, Big Sur, San Francisco and Seattle and has his sights set on his first ultra.)

Get Outside Mountain Relay was honored as one of the best running events in the Blue Ridge area

Get Outside Mountain Relay, affectionately known as the GOMR, is the Best of the Blue Ridge according to Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine. Taking top prize in the Best Mud Run/Adventure Race category, second in the Toughest Race and third in the Best Running Event Over 13.1 miles, the GOMR is making its mark in the Blue Ridge Mountains running community. Head Gomer and founder Donny McCall says, “I’m so honored...we have something really special here with the GOMR.”

GOMR is an innovative 208-mile relay in which 12-person teams run two loops on a 104-mile course that takes them on a scenic journey through beautiful Alleghany County, NC. The elevation change of more than 22,300 feet over the 104-mile loop is challenging but the views are simply amazing.

GOMR began with seven teams in 2017. That number grew to 12 teams in 2018 and saw the addition of the half GOMR in which teams ran the 104-mile loop one time. Thanks, in part, to the new sponsor, GORUCK, 2019 will be another big growth year.

The proceeds from GOMR and other Get Outside Events are donated to help support Blue Ridge Christian School and other local and national non-profits.  

World record holder Eliud Kipchoge will defend his title at the Virgin Money London Marathon

Eliud Kipchoge has confirmed he will be running this year's London Marathon.  The 2018 World Athlete of the Year, broke the world record in the marathon in Berlin last September, clocking 2:01:39. The 34-year-old Kenyan won his third London marathon title last year, clocking 2:04:17. He is unbeaten in three appearances in London, having notched victories in 2015 and 2016 as well. He also set the course record of 2:03:05 in that 2016 race.

Kipchoge will face Mo Farah of Great Britain, who was previously announced. Farah set the European record over the distance in Chicago last October when he clocked 2:05:11 to collect his first major marathon victory. Earlier in the year, Farah finished third in London in 2:06:21, at the time a national record.

“I had a memorable 2018, winning the Virgin Money London Marathon and then setting a new world record at the BMW Berlin Marathon," Kipchoge said. "I’m hoping that 2019 is just as good to me."

Kipchoge also said he's looking forward to another match-up against Farah.

“He is a great champion and proved in Chicago that he can win a major marathon so I relish the battle with him and also the many other great athletes that I’m sure will once again be on the start line in London.”

Those include Ethiopia’s 22-year-old rising marathon star Shura Kitata also returns after finishing runner-up to Kipchoge last year and placing second in the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon.

"There is no doubt that Eliud Kipchoge is the greatest marathon runner of all time," said Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the London race. "His world record at the BMW Berlin Marathon was a legendary sporting moment and one more win at the Virgin Money London Marathon would make him the most successful athlete in the history of the elite men’s race in our event’s illustrious history.

“Since Sir Mo Farah won the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October, everyone has been talking about another head-to-head between Mo and Eliud and we are absolutely thrilled that this showdown will happen at the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon."