Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
3/16/2019

Jordan Hassy is set the break the American Half Marathon Record Sunday in Rome

American distance star Jordan Hasay may be set to break the American record in the half marathon tomorrow at the Huwai Roma Ostia Half Marathon.

The current American record of 67:25, set in January 2018 by Molly Huddle, is only 30 seconds faster than Hasay’s PB of 67:55, set in 2017 at the Prague Half Marathon. And while this time is good, it does not correspond to her PB of 2:20:57 run at the Chicago Marathon that same year. 

During a presentation of the elite athletes today at the Roma Ostia Village, former Italian distance runner Gianni De Madonna – 2nd at the New York City Marathon in 1987 – asked the top athletes about their plans for the race. Hasay’s main competition, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, from Israel who also has a PB of 67:55, said that she hoped for a fast race as she wanted to improve her time. When De Madonna asked if she was hoping for a time of 66 to 66:30, she laughed and said that she would do her best to stay with the pacers that they will be following.

In the men’s race, 2017 winner Guye Adola is back for a repeat victory. Adola, from Ethioia, was an unknown in 2017 when he crossed the finish line in 59:48 but made a name for himself several months later when he came in 2nd to Eliud Kipchoge at the Berlin Marathon with a time of 2:03:46, only 14 seconds behind the current world record holder in the marathon.

The weather should be ideal for racing: cloudy with a high temperature of 14 C.

Ultra superstar Michael Wardian started his most challenging ultra ever today, the FKT Israel Project 631 miles in 10 days

Most people would think that running a marathon every day for ten days and averaging under three hours would be enough. But not for ultra superstar Michael Wardian.  For his current challenge he will be averaging 63 miles daily for 10 days.  

He is currently taking on the FKT Israel project. He plans on running 631 miles in 10 days on the National Israel Trail. He started today March 12.

Michael messaged me yesterday and said "I am really excited to attempt a Fastest Know Time on the 1000k Israel National Trail. I can't wait."

His wife, Jennifer, wrote me an hour ago saying "Tough Day I - Michael called out on the trail saying "I am lost in the dark and can't reach anyone, can you help." the call was a bit unsettling." 

FKT Isreal Day 1 - (From Jennifer Wardian): "When I was talking with him this afternoon he said today took longer than expected because he got lost several times and missed trail bases. He said it was very technical and exposed at times otherwise felt great.

The Fastest Know Time Israel Project organizer Ian Corless wrote: "One year of planning finally came to fruition today when Michael departed Eilat, Isreal at 5:46am (March 12) to head south covering a total of 631 miles on the Israell National Trial in a target goal of 10-days,” Ian wrote this morning.  

Later Ian wrote, "At the final feed point, Beer Matak at 61.5km he was notably looking tired and fatigued from the day’s efforts. He was also feeling the heat from the last big climb of the day. It was time to dig deep and push on for a final 18km.

 It was here, as darkness came that disaster struck. Mike followed the marker of the ‘INT’ but unfortunately missed the turn to our bivouac which was off the INT route. He pushed on, following the markers and it was our support runner who notified us that he was ‘missing’ after hearing from another trekker that he passed some 30-minutes early.

“Our camp no cellular connection, so, we departed following the approximate route that Mike would take, It was here that technology took over. We managed to liaise with Mike via WhatsApp, we shared ‘live locations’ and we were able to navigate to him a long way down the ‘INT’ route. The route that he should have done on day-2!

“Mike was surprisingly in good spirits, but he had been out on the trail for almost 13-hours and 20-minutes, it was a tough first day! The only plus side coming that he had eaten in to tomorrow’s mileage.

“Back in camp, it was all about recovery. He hydrated, ate some snacks, wiped down and put on fresh clothes. He soon needed a nap. It had been a very long day, both physically and mentally. The priority was good rest, some quality food and then focus the mind for the challenges that day-2 would present.” 

The Roma-Ostia Half Marathon was once again a fast race but with some surprises

The Roma-Ostia Half Marathon once again lived up to its reputation as being a fast race with a winning time of 01:00:17 by Ethiopian runner Guye Adola in the men’s race and 01:06:40 by Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, of Israel, in the highly anticipated women’s race.

Adola, winner of the 2017 edition of this competition, now in its 45th year, ran a smart race, tucking into the lead pack for most of the way until a final sprint to the finish, beating Kenian Geoffrey Yegon by 6 seconds in a race that saw 8,456 finishers run from Rome’s EUR neighbourhood to Ostia, the city’s honky tonk beach town.

In the women’s race, Salpeter, bettered her PB by 1:15, running a constant pace of 3:08/km, while the American Jordan Hasay, finished with a time of 01:11:06, well above the expected PB that everyone was hoping to see her run. At the presentation of elite runners on Saturday, Hasay seemed to want to run a fast race and, with an identical PB as Salpeter, everyone was hoping for an exciting and fast duel to the finish. But today wasn’t going to be that day for Hasay. During the race, the live tracking for Hasay did not work so there were no live split times for her at the 5km, 10km or 15 km markers and commentators never mentioned where she was during the race.

Only when she arrived at the finish line 4:26 after Salpeter (and 6th woman overall), was it obvious that she was way off a PB pace today. Hasay, part of the Nike Oregon Project and trained by Alberto Salazar, is set to run in the Boston Marathon on April 15. An Italian male runner who finished in a little over 1hr 7 minutes and who was at the start with Hasay, said she ran the first 2 kms very fast but then dropped off her PB pace and he passed her at km 3. A spokesperson for Hasay said after the race that Hasay did not have any injuries that affected her performance today, citing that after a year away from competition she was only a bit “race rusty.”

Andrew Silverman with multiple sclerosis is set to run the United Airlines NYC Half on Sunday

When Staten Island native Andrew Silverman goes on a long run, he doesn’t just get tired: The 31-year-old gets blurry vision, plus a bizarre numbness and tingling in his toes.

The strange feeling, known as Uhthoff’s Phenomenon, is caused by Silverman’s multiple sclerosis — an autoimmune disorder that attacks the central nervous system, leading to fatigue, vision loss, dizziness and, in extreme cases, paralysis and cognitive dysfunction.

“I’m so used to it that I don’t even mind it anymore,” Silverman, a pediatric oncologist who was diagnosed with MS in 2015 says.

On Sunday, the Columbia University Irving Medical Center fellow will shrug it off again to run the United Airlines NYC Half marathon — the sixth 13.1-mile race he’s finished since his diagnosis. And he hopes to complete it in two hours.

His reason for running? Because he can, at least right now.

“I’d love to be running in 30 years, but am I going to be in a wheelchair?” says Silverman. “I can envision every one of the potential major complications of MS, and it scares me.”

Silverman began noticing symptoms in 2012, during his third year at the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. Whenever he bent over to tie his shoes and his chin touched his chest, his toes tingled. It’s an MS symptom known as Lhermitte’s Sign, often experienced by others as an electric-shock sensation running through the body — but Silverman chalked it up to the stress of medical school.

He started running in 2013, to get in shape for his wedding to his wife, Krystina Randazzo, now 30 and a teacher. He stuck with the running after the big day, and decided to run a half-marathon in Brooklyn in 2015. But that year, Silverman’s health worsened: He was fatigued and seeing double, and unintentionally lost 40 pounds in four months.

By May, days before the half marathon, he was struggling to walk. So he saw a doctor in Staten Island, who ran an MRI and promptly recognized his symptoms as MS indicators. Silverman returned to his own hospital, this time as a patient, and spent four days in inpatient recovery.

He is going to keep running just as long as he can.

Olympian Leonard Korir is aiming to become only the fourth man to win the Gate River Run three years in a row

The two-time defending champion headlines the elite men’s field entering Saturday’s 42nd annual Gate River Run through downtown Jacksonville, the national 15-kilometer championship for USA Track and Field.

With one more victory, the 32-year-old Leonard Korir can join a select club as winners of three straight men’s titles. Only Todd Williams (1994-96), Meb Keflezighi (2001-04) and Ben True (2013-15) have previously accomplished the feat.

Race director Doug Alred said he’s hoping to see a tight contest, and he feels the odds this year are good.

“It’s not that exciting when one person just runs away with it,” he said. “If the leaders can just stay together onto the Hart Bridge, that would be great.”

So far, that’s been the case in Korir’s past two victories. His 2017 win was the event’s closest finish ever, edging Shadrack Kipchirchir to the finish line by a fraction of a second.

Despite his record in Jacksonville and his international achievements at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, there’s reason to believe that Korir is far from a lock to repeat Saturday.

Unlike 2017 and 2018, he did not win the USATF cross country championships, held this time in Tallahassee on Feb. 2. Instead, he took third, while Kipchirchir beat him out by five seconds.

In addition to Kipchirchir, 2016 champion Stanley Kebenei returns, coming off a fifth-place finish in the cross country finals.

Shadrack Kipchirir, won the 42nd Gate River Run Clocking 43:41, edging Stanley Kebenei and two-time defending Gate champion Leonard Korir for his first win in the event

The redemption portion of the event was delivered by Kipchirchir, who had paid his dues in the run. He finished second twice, 2016 and ’18, beaten by the two men who he edged Saturday. 

"I mean those guys … I was sick of them," Kipchirchir said. "Three years ago. Kebenei beat me by a microsecond. Then two years ago, Lenny outkicked by microseconds. Today I wanted to come and knock them in their head. That was my main aim."

Kebenei won the 2016 run in 44:37, just 2 seconds in front of Kipchirchir. Korir (43:23) won the 2018 Gate by 1 second over Kipchirchir. Korir was trying to become just the fifth male runner to win the event three consecutive years.

Six elite runners were within two seconds of each other with a mile to go on the Hart Bridge, Martin Hehir, Frankline Tonui, Kipchirchir, Kebenei and Korir.

Six elite runners were within two seconds of each other with a mile to go on the Hart Bridge, Martin Hehir, Frankline Tonui, Kipchirchir, Kebenei and Korir.

IAAF Announces New Qualifying System for Tokyo 2020

Today the IAAF Council met in Doha and announced the qualification system for track & field at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The big change from previous years is that the IAAF will be using its new World Ranking System as part of the qualifying criteria.

As in the past, athletes can still qualify by hitting an entry standard. But those standards are much stiffer across the board as compared to 2016. In the men’s distance events, for example, the times dropped from 3:36.20 to 3:35.00 in the 1500, from 8:30:00 to 8:22:00 in the steeplechase, from 13:25.00 to 13:13.50 in the 5000, from 28:00.00 to 27:28:00 in the 10,000, and from 2:19:00 to 2:11:30 in the marathon for 2020.

For the women, the 1500 standard has gone from 4:07.00 to 4:04.20, the steeplechase standard has gone from 9:45:00 to 9:30:00, the 5000 standard has gone from 15:24.00 to 15:10.00, the 10,000 standard has gone from 32:15 to 31:25, and the marathon standard has gone from 2:45:00 to 2:29:30.

The reason for these tougher standards is the IAAF’s desire to make use of its World Ranking System which in theory encourages athletes to compete head to head in important meets, which is something we’re behind. Essentially, the World Ranking System will take the place of the world descending order list that was used to fill fields in the past at the Olympics and World Championships.

The IAAF will accept all athletes who achieve the entry standard and fill the rest of the field based on where an athlete ranks in the World Ranking System as of July 1, 2020; if the athlete does not accept the place, the IAAF will continue down the rankings until the field is full in each event.

The qualification window for each event is as follows:

For the marathon and 50k race walk, the qualification period runs from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2020

For the 10,000, 20k race walk, and combined events, the qualification period runs from January 1, 2019, to June 29, 2020.

For all other events, the qualification period runs from May 1, 2019, to June 29, 2020.

In addition, the top 10 finishers in the marathon at the 2019 World Championships will be considered to have achieved the standard, as will top-5 finishers at IAAF Gold Label Marathons and top-10 finishers at Abbott World Marathon Majors held during the qualification period.

Some of the best elite runners from around the world, are set to compete today in the inaugural Bahrain Night Half-Marathon offering $100,000 to the winner

The prestigious race is being held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad and organised by BAA in cooperation with International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, BOC, Asian Athletics Association and Tumooh Sports Management.

The event features separate categories for men and women over 21.1kms while there are also six-km events for those who want to run for fun and be a part of the biggest half-marathon in the region.

The participants include some of the biggest names in international long-distance running, such as world record holder in half-marathon Abraham Kiptum of Kenya.

Kiptum was upbeat yesterday heading into tonight’s event despite it being his first night race. Just last September he set his world record of 58 minutes 18 seconds in Valencia, Spain, and is confident he can maintain his fine form in Bahrain.

“Let’s hope we can be as strong as we can be,” Kiptum said. “Although it is my first night race, if the weather is good, the pace is good and if we can be strong, then we shall have a good time.

“I always train in the mornings so it is a little new to me, but I’ll do my best.”

Among the men’s elite runners who are expected to challenge Kiptum are Ethiopian Jemal Yimer Mekonnen and Bahraini Hassan Shani.

Among the women, reigning world champion and world record holder of a women-only race Netsanet Gudeta Kebede of Ethiopia is one of the pre-race favorites as is reigning women’s full marathon world champion Rose Chelimo of Bahrain.

Rose’s fellow-Bahraini Eunice Chumba, who is a bronze-medallist at last year’s World Half-Marathon Championships, will also be competing along with Ethiopian Senbere Teferi, who is a former gold-medallist in the World Cross Country Championships and a former silver medallist in the 5,000m.

Mekonnen, Shani, Netsanet, Eunice and Senebre were present with Nasser and Kiptum at yesterday’s press conference along with BAA technical director Taher Righi and renowned Ethiopian coach Haji Adilo.

“It is very important for us to do well in this race, especially since we are representing Bahrain. We will try our best to get a good time and also win,” said Eunice.

The men and women winners receive a prize money of $100,000 each. All runners finishing in the top ten in both categories will also win cash prizes totaling over $350,000 plus possible bonus money. 

There are bonuses of $30,000 for new world records.

Ethiopia’s Guye Adola from Ethiopia and Lonah Chemtai Salpeter from Israel lead the field at the Huawei Roma-Ostia Half Marathon

Adola made a major breakthrough at the 2017 Berlin Marathon, when he ran the fastest ever time for a debutant with an impressive 2:03:46 performance to finish just 14 seconds behind Olympic champion and world record holder Eliud Kipchoge.

Adola, who clocked his 59:06 half marathon career best in New Delhi in 2014, will be chasing his second win at the Roma Ostia after his 2017 victory in 59:18.

His top rivals will include Kenyan Geoffrey Yegon, who has a 59:44 PB from 2016 and more recently finished second at last year’s Prague Half Marathon in 59:56. Three other Kenyans are also expected to contend: Emmanuel Kipsang, who has clocked a lifetime best of 1:00:14 and finished fourth at this race last year; Kiprono Kipkemoi, who ran 1:00:56 in Lisbon 2018; and prolific racer Cornelius Kangogo, a three-time winner of the Corrida de Houilles and two-time champion at the Media Blenio in Dongio.

The Italian challenge is led by 2014 European marathon champion Daniele Meucci, who is returning to his best form after a tough 2018 season. He’ll be joined by Stefano La Rosa, who has a marathon PB of 2:11:08 set in Seville in 2018.

Salpeter came to the fore last summer when she won the European 10,000m title, and has continued to impress. Last November Chemtai broke the Israeli national marathon record with a 2:24:17 run in Florence. A month earlier she produced her half marathon best, clocking 1:07:55 in Lisbon.

Haftamnesh Tesfay Haylu won here last year in 1:09:02 and returns to defend her title. She’ll also face Kenya’s Antonina Kwambai, who clocked 1:08:07 at the Paris Half Marathon in 2018 and her compatriot Diana Chemtai Kipyogei, who set her lifetime best of 1:07:07 in Valencia last October. 

The field also includes established marathoner Jordan Hasay of the USA. The 27-year-old finished third at the Boston Marathon in 2017 in 2:23:00, the fastest ever performance by a US debutante. Six months later she finished third at the Chicago Marathon in 2:20:57.

Former World Half Marathon bronze medalist Fancy Chemutai will compete in her second half marathon in Prague

Fancy Chemutai, who injured her ankle in May 2018, announced her return to action in January, finishing second at the Houston Half Marathon in a time of 66:48, and believes she will be strong enough to challenge the course record in Prague, currently held by compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei in 64:52.

"I have been in good form for some time after the injury healed. It is a challenge for me in Prague but when I say I am back to my full potential, it means I have gauged myself. I will still fight for medals. I have sat down with my coach and I believe I have a chance to race again," said Chemutai, who currently trains in Iten.

The Kenyan, whose personal best time is 64:52, and last year's Prague runner-up Caroline Kipkirui (65:07), a Kenyan now competing for Kazakhstan, will lead Kenya's delegation to the Czech Republic capital.

However, they will also be up against strong opposition from Asian record-holder Alia Mohammed Saaeed (66:13), European 10,000m champion Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (67:55) of Israel and world marathon bronze medalist Amy Cragg from the United States (68:27).

"I have plans to run the full marathon, but the injury slowed me down," Chetumai said. "Now that I am back in action, I will discuss with the coaches and see how fast I can move to the marathon."