Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
4/6/2019

Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray will attempt to run his 47th consecutive Boston Marathon just six months after undergoing open-heart, triple-bypass surgery

Renowned race director and endurance athlete Dave McGillivray will attempt to run the 123rd B.A.A. Boston Marathon just six months after undergoing open-heart, triple-bypass surgery on October 12, 2018. This will be McGillivray’s 47th consecutive running of the world-famous marathon, of which he is race director. McGillivray will make his attempt after completing his official race day duties.

“Without question, this will be my most challenging marathon ever,” said McGillivray. “The 30,000 runners in the race are my number one priority. I only start thinking about my own run later in the afternoon when the final finishers are nearing the end of the race.” Depending on how the day unfolds, he expects to start in the late afternoon and finish between 10:00-11:00 pm.

McGillivray added, “This is not the best way to prepare to run a marathon, but I really don’t have many other choices.”  This will be McGillivray’s 156th competitive marathon, his 47th Boston Marathon, and the 32nd time running the race at night.

McGillivray’s medical team is supportive but also cautious about his attempt to run the marathon so soon after surgery. “As long as Dave prepares adequately, listens to his body, and is prepared to adjust his expectations as appropriate for being 6 months out of open- heart surgery he should do fine,” said Dr. Aaron Baggish, McGillivray’s cardiologist.

“Dave knows his own body better than anyone and I support his efforts as long as he takes it slow and remains patient throughout his run,” said Dr. David D’Alessandro, McGillivray’s heart surgeon from Massachusetts General Hospital. McGillivray said he asked D’Alessandro before the surgery if he thought he could run the marathon six months later, and his surgeon said, “I would be extremely disappointed if you couldn’t.”

McGillivray was released from Massachusetts General Hospital four-and-a-half days after his surgery. He first started a walking program and eventually progressed to running without walking. He ran a half marathon in early March; his longest run the past seven months has been 18 miles. “I have my good days and I have my not-so-good days,” McGillivray said. “My breathing is still labored but I’m making progress. For me, the only bad day I could ever have anymore is if I didn’t wake up at all. I consider every day now as a gift.”

This year, thirteen other running friends will be joining him, including nine who participated alongside McGillivray in the 2018 World Marathon Challenge, running seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. They will be supported by McGillivray’s brother, Bob, and long- time friend Ron Kramer, who will leap-frog the group down course while providing water and food as needed.  A few medical professionals will also join them as a precaution.

John Ruengo is an 88-year-old Kenyan Marathoner who will run Lewa Marathon for his 20th time

An 88-year old octogenarian is among more than 1,400 who are set to take part in the 20th edition of the Safaricom Lewa marathon set for June 29, this year.

John Ruengo, who is also pursuing the title as the oldest marathoner alive will be defending his title in the half marathon category for people above 52 years.

John Ruengo, who has also set his sights on becoming the oldest marathoner alive.

Speaking to Nation Sports during a pre-race competition meant to identify amateur athletes to represent the community living around Lewa Conservancy in the marathon, Ruengo said he has stepped up training for the race and was confident of performing well.

The retired community development officer from Mutunyi Village in Meru County has participated and completed in the 21km race in all previous 19 editions of Lewa Marathon.

The veteran athlete said he religiously jogs for five kilometres every morning and evening for four days a week to keep fit. He also observes a strict diet composed mainly of green leafy vegetables and camel bone soup.

Yuki Kawauchi has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with piano maker Yamaha Music Japan Company

Having left his goverment job at the end of the Japanese fiscal year in March to make a go of it as a professional runner, it was announced today that 2018 Boston Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi, 32, has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with piano maker Yamaha Music Japan Co., Ltd.

 “What I like about a Yamaha piano is that it’s all there in front of you in black and white, like life,” said Kawauchi, an avid pianist as a child before his parents made him pursue running.

“I hope that we’ll have a long and harmonious relationship, with just a hint of dissonance for depth.” 

The endorsement deal includes the introduction of a “Make a Breakthrough” Kawauchi signature model acoustic grand piano, proceeds from the sales of which will go toward supporting Kawauchi’s training in the lead-up to the 2021 Eugene World Championships.

A delighted Yamaha president Naoji Suda told reporters, “Kawauchi’s values are well-tuned to ours, one of the keys to any successful relationship.

I can’t think of a better brand ambassador for our flagship line of acoustic grand pianos. He may not be the fastest pianist in the world, but nobody carries a tune, or a piano, quite like him.”

Nicky Spinks is hoping to be the first woman to finish the Barkley marathons

The Barkley Marathons, which is “rumoured” to take place this weekend, is surrounded by folklore about prison escapes and encounters with wild boar. If you’ve never been to Frozen Head, you might think of it as a mysterious, forbidding place whose only reason for existence is as the site of Laz Lake’sinfamous 100-miler.

But Jamil Coury who is returning to the Barkley for the fifth time this year, you’ll see that it’s just a state park like any other, with trails and campgrounds where families go to relax a little later in the season, just like they do in state, national and provincial parks across North America.

Coury and another Barkley veteran, Guillaume Calmettes of France, spent a few days together last month, running the trails in Frozen Head to get in shape for this year’s race. They make Frozen Head look positively benign.

Last year there were no finishers, thanks largely to terrible weather. Spring weather can be unpredictable anywhere, and last year Frozen Head got walloped with a massive rainstorm, dense fog and cold temperatures on race weekend.

Running five 20-mile loops in 60 hours with no course markings and no organized aid stations is hard enough–add bad weather to the mix, and any hopes of finishing were dashed for most people after a loop or two. Gary Robbins completed a “fun run,” three loops in under 40 hours.

This year could be a different story. The forecast for Frozen Head is for temperatures of between 50 F (10 C) and 68 F (20 C), with thunderstorms possible on Saturday.

We’ve also just learned that Nicky Spinks is among the starters. The British ultrarunner ran a double Ramsay Round last year, has also run a double Bob Graham Round, and crewed for Damian Hall at UTMB last year.

Let’s hope the will be some finishers this year.  

Natalie Rodriguez will make her professional debut at the 34th Annual Carlsbad 5000 Sunday

Natalie Rodriguez makes her professional debut at Sunday’s 34th Carlsbad 5000 and just maybe someone will shout “Chi-co, Chi-co” to boost her performance.

“She is so sweet, so kind and so nice,” said Steve Scott, the race’s co-founder and Rodriguez’s former Cal State University San Marcos coach. “Then she gets into a race and she turns into a lioness.”

Hear them roar and Rodriguez got an earful at last year’s California Collegiate Athletic Association 5K final in Turlock, California.

After winning the 1,500-meter event, Rodriguez attempted her second triumph just hours later in the 5,000. But she trailed the leader, a competitor from nearby Chico State, until she heard those magic words.

“In the last 300 meters she had to make up 50 meters,” Scott said. “Just then the “Chi-co, Chi-co” chant started down the home stretch and it really ticked Natalie off. With every stride Natalie was cutting down the distance she was behind and she just barely nips her at the finish line.

“Natalie had already won a race; she was a conference champion and could have easily coasted in. But that showed her competitive spirit and it really kicked in when they started doing that chant.”

That Rodriguez became the first NCAA Division II All-American from CSUSM was a kick in the britches for the entire school. Count Rodriguez as among the most surprised that it was her.

Rodriguez, 22, started running in high school. After verbal agreeing to attend San Diego State University, her coach suggested CSUSM and its program directed by Scott, one of  America's greatest runners ever.

12-year-old Eric Wittig has severe allergies to peanuts and is running in the Sun Run for food allergy research and treatment

If you’re allergic, you can never assume you’re safe.

Twelve-year-old Eric Wittig is doing his second Vancouver Sun Run on April 14 to raise awareness and money for allergies research.

He has severe allergies to peanuts, cashews, pistachios and a legume called lupin, which shares a protein with peanuts. 

“I found out by accident. Lupin was mixed into my pancakes and it made me very sick,” Eric said.

He is part of Team Allergy, a youth team that caught the eye of John Smythe, a 29-year-old Vancouver native who plays midfield for the men’s national field-hockey team.

Smythe and his teammates will join Team Allergy at the start (and finish) line on race day.

“Playing field hockey in Canada is, what some might say, a niche sport, one which probably wouldn’t be able to be played at the highest level without the support of the community,” Smythe said from Malaysia, where the team is competing at the moment. “Therefore, it’s not uncommon on the national team to try to get involved with the community as much as possible.”

That includes coaching. And that’s how Smythe met Eric’s parents at York House, where their daughter attends school. When they told him about Team Allergy, Smythe — who has Crohn’s Disease — immediately thought of his teammate Taylor Curran, a veteran midfielder from North Vancouver who has a peanut allergy.

“We often joke around on tour that we can’t eat peanut butter, but I’m also aware of the planning and fear of uncertainty that comes with travelling to different countries. This can be harrowing,” Smythe said.

“Ultimately, as soon as we heard about Team Allergy, the national team boys wanted to join the fundraising initiative and have fun at the same time. Running in the Sun Run for Team Allergy will mean the world to us to give back to the community that has already helped us so much.”

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is aiming to make history in Aarhus Denmark

It has been 25 years since a European athlete last finished in the top 10 in the U20 men’s race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The last individual medallist – a gold one at that – from Europe came 10 years before that.

But Jakob Ingebrigtsen could be capable of rewriting both of those statistics when he lines up for the U20 men’s race in Aarhus, Denmark.

The 18-year-old Norwegian caused a stir last year when he won the 1500m and 5000m at the senior European Championships in Berlin, setting a continental U20 record of 13:17.06 in the latter. One month prior he had set a European U20 1500m record of 3:31.18 in Monaco.

After winning his third consecutive European U20 cross-country title in December, he beat world indoor record-holder Samuel Tefera over 1500m in Dusseldorf in February and went on to win 3000m gold and 1500m silver at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

Ingebrigtsen boasts the fastest track PBs of the field and has considerably more international racing experience. But he has never raced farther than 6.3km and could become something of a target if some of the stronger nations utilise team tactics.

All 39 individual medals on offer in the U20 men's race from the past 13 editions have been shared between Kenya (23), Ethiopia (10) and Uganda (6). The same three nations once again look poised to battle it out for individual and team medals.

Unsurprisingly, the Kenyan team appears to be the strongest. Led by national U20 cross-country champion Samuel Chebolei, the team also includes Commonwealth Youth Games 3000m champion Edwin Kiplangat Bett, who finished eighth in the U20 men’s race two years ago in Kampala, and Leonard Bett, the world U18 steeplechase champion.

Emily Sisson became the third-fastest American in history with her 30:49 10,000m performance at Stanford on Friday

With her 30:49 10,000m on Friday night at Stanford, 27-year-old Emily Sisson is behind only Molly Huddle and Shalane Flanagan in American history. Sisson will next tackle her marathon debut on Apr. 28 in London.

Marathon training is already showing a lot of promise for 26.2 newcomer Emily Sisson. With just under a month remaining until her debut.

The race was executed with teamwork from Sisson, 27, and her training partner Huddle, 34, who are both coached by Ray Treacy. The runners switched off leading every few laps for the majority of the race in Stanford, California, which set the tone for a pace aimed to break the 2020 Olympic qualifying standard.

Both runners competed at the 2017 IAAF World Track and Field Championships together and are currently in the middle of training to compete at the London Marathon in April, which made the return to the track all the more exciting.

2019 Barkley Marathons is 'love and puppies' for Laz

Some of the world's best runners are in Morgan County for this weekend's Barkley Marathons, a brutal 100-mile race that only 15 people have finished in 33 years.

Elite ultra-marathoners from six continents packed the campsite at Frozen Head State Park on Friday in Wartburg, Tenn.  Now they patiently wait for the unpredictable start of the Barkley Marathons, a sinister 100-mile race filled with obstacles that pester routine-loving runners.

"There is nothing out there but love and puppies," laughed Gary Cantrell as he read the text on this year's shirt. "I think we'll have a higher finish-rate because of the positive wholesome attitude this year. Aren't there little hearts up in this corner [of my shirt]?"

Cantrell, also known as Lazarus Lake or Laz, helped concoct the ridiculous race that only 15 people have finished in 33 years. Some runners are repeat-finishers, making a total of 18 times someone has completed the 100-mile race within the 60-hour time limit.

If you have missed WBIR's many reports on the Barkley Marathons in previous years, here is a brief synopsis of the event:  Runners write an essay and apply for entry in the Barkley Marathons.  40 runners are chosen each year from around the world.

Runners have 60 hours to complete five loops of 20+ miles through Frozen Head State Park.  The course is unmarked and changes every year.

Runners get a map (poorly-drawn) of the course before the race begins.  The start time is unknown, other than sometime between midnight and noon on Saturday.

A conch shell is blown to signal one hour until the start.  Laz lights a cigarette to begin the race.

The yellow gate at the campsite and Brushy Mountain prison are always part of the route.  Keeping with Laz's positive attitude, there has technically been a winner every year of the Barkley: a runner or the mountain.

"The mountain has been winning a lot more often than the runners. I think it has won 1,302 and been beaten 18 times," said Cantrell.

No finisher at Barkley Marathons 2019

It might be hard to imagine a race in which the entire field DNFs, but it’s not unusual at the Barkley Marathons, and it happened for the second year in a row as the race came to an end earlier this morning. The results were somewhat better than last year, with six Fun Runs recorded (three 20-mile loops in under 40 hours). Last year Canadian Gary Robbins was the only runner to achieve a Fun Run, and there were no finishers. 

Last night with only two minutes to go before the 9:23 p.m. cutoff, Karel Sabbe and Greig Hamilton set off on loop four. Shortly afterwards, Guillaume Calmettes arrived in camp, well within the cutoff for a Fun Run (which was 1:23 a.m. Monday) but too late to be allowed to attempt a fourth loop. He was tapped out (referring to the playing of Taps by a bugler for each runner who DNFs). 

Tomokazu Ihara, Johan Steene and Jamil Coury all finished Fun Runs last night, but were tapped out upon returning to camp.

Greig Hamilton was the first to say “uncle” on loop four. Sabbe hung in for another few hours before packing it in and returning to camp around 3:30 a.m.

Gary Robbins noted the significance of the final two to drop out being Barkley “virgins.” Sabbe, a dentist from Belgium, got a lot of attention for setting the most recent FKT on the Appalachian Trail in August 2018. Hamilton, who is from Christchurch, New Zealand, was the 2016 world champion in rogaining (long-distance orienteering).

But at the Barkley Marathons, your race pedigree means very little. Two of this year’s strongest contenders, John Kelly and Jared Campbell, shocked everyone following with their early DNFs. 2017 finisher Kelly, with a strong lead after two laps, headed for his tent for a nap, emerging later to announce he no longer wanted to continue, and tapped himself out on the bugle. Campbell, with three Barkley finishes on his resume, kept fans guessing for hours as to his whereabouts after rolling his ankle badly on the first loop.