Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
2/24/2018

After seven week break Kawauchi runs another sub 2:12 marathon - his 26th

After a seven-week break from the marathon, Yuki Kawauchi scored his third-straight marathon win, second-straight course record and came just shy of a third-straight negative split as he ran a completely solo 2:11:46 to take almost six minutes off the Kitakyushu Marathon course record.

Following up on negative split wins at December's Hofu Yomiuri Marathon and January's Marshfield New Year's Day Marathon, the latter a course record by half an hour, Kawauchi was on his own in Kitakyushu the whole way.

After a 1:05:51 split at halfway he slowed slightly finishing the second half in 1:05:55. Along with the course record, Kawauchi extended his record for most career sub-2:12 marathons to 26 as he continues to prepare for the Boston Marathon.

(02/20/18) Views: 1,257

I liked the way I felt after finishing a run and have never missed a day in nearly 38 years

Lois Bastien of Pinellas Park, Florida, who is 81, has run at least one mile everyday for 37.85 years (13,823 days as of today), which is the longest female streak in the US.

"It wasn't a conscious decision, nor a New Year's resolution," she says. "I was just being a good mom and supporting a daughter who wanted to make her high school cross country team. That was 37 years ago," says Lois, now a great-grandmother.

"I've just been at it every day since." Her then-teenage daughter developed knee problems and had to stop running.

"But I liked the way I felt after finishing a run, full of vigor and glad to be alive, so I kept going. It is just part of my daily routine," Lois says.

(02/20/18) Views: 944

Being hit by a truck didn’t stop this Marathoner from qualifying for Boston two weeks later

Lucy McCausland has always enjoyed the challenges of running a marathon. The 63-year-old McCausland was at the start of the Five Points of Life Marathon a year ago. Because she was there at all.

There, ready to run, instead of being home in bed or laid up in a hospital or, well, even somewhere worse. A little more than two weeks earlier, a routine training run came to an abrupt and frightening end when she was struck by a truck that ran through a stop sign.

The impact sent McCausland sprawling onto the hard asphalt, injuring her back and head. “I thought he saw me, but he didn’t,” she says.

She was sent to the emergency room, where she underwent tests to determine the severity of her head injury. There were some anxious moments before the doctors came back with some good news.

“I took it as a motivation thing. I was just so lucky... I ran within 17 seconds of the time I wanted, which got me into Boston Marathon this April,” she said.

(02/17/18) Views: 716

Kipsang's brother will be one of his pacemakers on Sunday

"I missed out on the world record narrowly last year (Tokyo Marathon) and I want to see if I can be able to achieve that time on Sunday with my pacemakers," Wilson Kipsang said Monday before his departure to Japan.

Interestingly, Kipsang’s brother, Noah Kiprotich will be among the pacemakers for Sunday’s race. Kiprotich, who has been training alongside Kipsang, is optimistic that he will be able to help his brother lower the course record.

“I’m privileged to be among the top cream of pacemakers in Tokyo and our mission is to help my brother lower the course record and if possible break the world record time,” he said, after a training session with Kipsang. Kiprotich, 29, has been participating in road races and has a personal best of 60:25 achieved at last year’s Udine Half marathon triumph in Italy.

(02/21/18) Views: 611

This study found that runners live 3.2 years longer compared to non-runners

A study suggests the risk of premature death goes down when running shoes are laced up.

“We found that runners had a 3.2 years longer life expectancy, compared with non-runners,” said researchers in an article titled Running as a Key Lifestyle Medicine for Longevity, published in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Reporting that runners have a 25 to 40 per cent reduced risk of premature mortality, the researchers — who hail from Harvard Medical School, Iowa State University, Hartford Hospital, University of South Carolina and University of Queensland School of Medicine — noted that running protects against cardiovascular disease and cancer, two leading causes of death in developed countries.

(02/21/18) Views: 284

Is North Korea’s Kim Jung using the Olympics to spread his propaganda?

The IOC will facilitate participation by North Korean athletes in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as it did at the Winter Olympics in South Korea, IOC President Thomas Bach says. “We have always applied strict political neutrality, and the same will be done for Tokyo 2020,” Bach said Friday. “North Korea decided to take part in the Winter Olympics despite soaring tensions over its nuclear weapons and missile programs. This reply was posted on the Japan Times website, “ They should be banned... I'm sure that murderer Kim Jung is willing to pay plenty for an international stage for his propaganda. A North Korean watchdog group posted, “North Korea may have sent an official delegation of athletes, Kim Jong-un’s sister, and a large group of identically dressed female “cheerleaders” to the 2018 Winter Olympics, but an ordinary citizen of the communist country has yet to have access to any coverage of the events.” North Korea sent 22 athletes to Pyeongchang as part of a charm offensive after months of bellicose rhetoric and provocative missile launches. (02/18/18) Views: 279

Plogga is a hot new trend for Runners in Sweden to help save the planet

Founded in 2016 by Swedish environmentalist Erik Ahlström, plogga involves organized running groups equipped with gloves and garbage bags picking up garbage while out on a jog. It is a way to clean up our streets and prevent our oceans from being filled with plastic and garbage. Everyone can help since it’s as easy as picking up a piece of plastic on the side of the road while getting your daily exercise. “For years I have tried to change a behavior that I think is a sign of an unhealthy society without respect for each other, and that is littering. The solution is simple,” says Erik Ahlström, the founder of Plogga. “Sounds like a good way to keep our trails and sidewalk clear of trash. Maybe do a regular workout first or last and do this as a cool down or warm up OR just do a Plogga,” says Bob Anderson. (02/21/18) Views: 242

His Doctor Calls Him a Diabectic Superhero after running 223 Miles

Crossing the finish line of a 223-mile relay race as a solo runner is quite an accomplishment very few athletes achieve in a lifetime. Add Type 1 diabetes to the mix, and it seems like a feat nearly impossible. Nearly. Don Muchow (56) completed Texas' Capital to Coast Relay, spanning from Austin to Corpus Christi, in October as a solo participant. Muchow said he was attracted to running because "It was cheap and easy to do, and there were not that many ways to do it wrong," he said. His doctor calls him a "mutant diabetic superhero." In the last 12 months in addition to relay he ran solo, he also did a full Ironman and a 100 mile ultra marathon. (02/17/18) Views: 158
Epic Running Adventures

Kipsang looking at running a flying fast time at Tokyo Marathon

Kenyan's Wilson Kipsang said on Friday he is confident he is going to retain his title and improve on the course record he set in his victory last year at the Tokyo Marathon. Organizers have also said the course has been changed and is flatter and faster. "Don't be surprised if the world record went down in Tokyo. I have my eyes on the target. Winning Tokyo Marathon in a flying fast time," Wilson Kipsang said. His main competition is Tesfaye Abera from Ethiopia whose best time is 2:04:24 and Feyisa Lilesa, the Olympic marathon silver medalist and Dickson Chumba. (02/17/18) Views: 136

Kirui knows that every runner will want to beat him at this year’s Boston Marathon

Kenya's Geoffrey Kirui has cut short his holiday to start preparations so that he can be in the form of his life to defend the Boston Marathon title. Kirui said he is determined to win a second Boston Marathon title.

"I know it will not be easy this year because every runner will want to beat me. Winning a second Boston Marathon title attracts me," Kirui told KweséESPN.

The 2018 Boston Marathon (April 16) is going to have one of the best fields ever. The 24-year old who is training in the Kenyan town of Eldoret, said that he embarked on a training programme that worked wonders last year and he believes it will help him be in the best form.

"It is always very tough winning a Marathon title for two straight years, but I am very determined and hungry to make this happen," he added.

Kirui said he decided not to think about the Commonwealth Games and opted out because his key focus is winning the Boston Marathon again.

(02/18/18) Views: 126