Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
3/10/2018

Mo Farah says medals and not money is his incentive

Mo Farah has denied that his move to the marathon is motivated by money and says he is increasingly hopeful he can win a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

He will run his first race in nearly six months at Sunday’s Vitality Big Half in London. It is rumored he has agreed to a race package worth close to $1.5 million which includes running in the 2018 and 2019 London marathons.

On Sunday he will race 13.1 miles against his fellow countryman Hawkins and also last year’s London marathon winner, Wanjiru. Mo said that his desire to prove himself over 26.2 miles matters far more than anything else.

“I wouldn’t be competing if I didn’t enjoy running,” he said. “You have to set yourself a target. If you look at every great athlete, like Gebrselassie, they have succeeded when they have stepped up to the marathon.”

(03/02/18) Views: 1,086

Shalane Flanagan Has captured the hearts of so many after winning New York

“Focused, determined, and stubborn. Let’s crush this week,” posted Shalane Flanagan last week on Instagram.

Then Friday it was announced that Carrie Underwood's new music video "The Champion," showcases a series of inspiring moments in history including footage of Shalane winning the New York City Marathon to Martin Luther King Jr. giving a speech....

Shalane Flanagan then posted, “The lyrics and imagery gives me chills and makes me want to go crush a run and cry at the same time.” Wow, how can you not love her? The Boston Marathon is now only weeks away. There is a lot of pressure on Shalane but one thing is for sure, she is going to give it all she has.

(This photo Jeff Cohen took shows a very determined woman. As they say “a photo is worth a thousands words.”)

(03/05/18) Views: 727
Bob Anderson

Roger Bannister who was the first person to break four minutes for the mile has died

Sir Roger Bannister, the first athlete to run a sub-four minute mile, has died aged 88 in Oxford, his family have said.

A statement released on behalf of Sir Roger's family said: "Sir Roger Bannister, died peacefully in Oxford on 3rd March 2018, aged 88, surrounded by his family who were as loved by him, as he was loved by them.

"He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends." British Prime Minister Theresa May led the tributes to the former athlete, who later became one of Europe's leading neurologists and was made a knight.

Sir Roger "made the impossible possible" and completed his record-breaking feat in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds at Iffley Road sports ground in Oxford on May 6, 1954

(03/04/18) Views: 413

Jim Ryun and family mourns the passing of this giant of a man - Dr Roger Bannister

Jim Ryun posted this on FB today, “This signed photo of Dr Bannister’s breaking the four minute mile barrier graces our living room wall - a reminder that those of us who followed him stand on his shoulders. He made the massive break through that allowed us to imagine and dream of “what’s possible now?” It’s hard to fully appreciate the strength, both mental and physical, that it takes to be the first one who makes the breakthrough. The Ryun family mourns the passing of this giant of a man.” Jim Ryun won a silver medal in the men's 1500 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics, and was the first high school athlete to run a mile in under four minutes. He is the last American to hold the world record in the mile run (3:51.1). Ryun later served in the United States House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007. (03/04/18) Views: 296

Running legend Ron Hill, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease

Running legend Ron Hill has revealed he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Hill, aged 79, spoke with honesty and determination when announcing his condition, saying, “It won’t stop me in my tracks I’ll cheerfully carry on keeping active and, hopefully, this will give other people the impression that dementia is nothing to be frightened by.” One of the most popular figures in the running world, Hill won marathon gold medals at the European Championships in 1969 and the year after at the Commonwealth Games. He was the second ever man to break 2:10 over 26.2 miles, running a 2:09:28 in Edinburgh in 1970, and achieved a life-long goal of racing in 100 countries by the time of his 70th birthday. Until January, 2017 he ran at least a mile a day for 19,032 days. (03/05/18) Views: 227
Inspirational Stories

Jake Robertson sets a new New Zealand National Record at Lake Biwa Marathon

New Zealand runner Jake Robertson placed third at the Lake Biwa Marathon in Japan today in 2:08:26 breaking the NZ national record held by Rod Dixon (2:08:59) for over 34 years. Jake has been training in Kenya, and has been described as a “white Kenyan.” This was his first marathon. In January he won the half marathon in Houston. The top four looked like this: 1. Macharia Ndirangu (Kenya) - 2:07:53 - debut 2. Albert Korir (Kenya) - 2:08:17 - PR 3. Jake Robertson (New Zealand) - 2:08:26 - NR, debut 4. Michael Githae (Kenya) - 2:09:21 - PR (03/03/18) Views: 224

Why a World Record set in the Boston Marathon doesn't officially count

No matter how fast the 2018 Boston Marathon leaders reach the finish line, their time will not be a world record. Not officially, anyway according to the IAAF. Established in 1990, the IAAF marathon rules require several factors for a world record that the Boston course fails to meet. First, Boston is a “point-to-point” marathon. The IAAF rule: "The start and finish points on the course, measured along a straight line between them, shall not be further apart than 50% of the race distance." The second issue with Boston’s course is that it changes elevation. Despite the presence of several prominent hills, Boston runners drop 459 feet. The IAAF rule: "The decrease in elevation between start and finish shall not exceed an average of one meter per kilometer." Why does this matter? When men’s winner Geoffrey Mutai smashed the then-world record, running a 2:03:02 marathon at the 2011 Boston he was the beneficiary of a helpful south-westerly wind. According to the Boston Athletic Association, such milestones are considered “world’s best,” but not world records. (03/05/18) Views: 181

Sea Coe says the IAAF takes the fight against doping very seriously

"Give athletics some kudo, my sport is not in tatters," IAAF President, Seb Coe response to the DCMS committee report on combating doping. "I sat in front of the select committee for well over three hours when I was asked to appear, going through the processes by which we, the IAAF, follow such procedures. We’ve made a set of wide-sweeping reforms to revamp the governance of the sport, made 200 changes to its constitution and set up the aforementioned integrity unit. Plus, there is the ongoing suspension of the Russian Member Federation. So, frankly I didn’t see athletics in tatters at the World Championships in London last summer nor did I at the World Indoors in Birmingham the past week." The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships takes place March 24 and they are enforcing the anti-doping program. This year’s event will be the 23rd edition of the championships and the second time it has been held in Spain. (03/06/18) Views: 168

Galen Rupp is going to be racing half marathon on Sunday in Italy

The IAAF has confirmed that "Galen Rupp will be in the spotlight at the 44th edition of the Huawei Roma-Ostia Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday March 11 in Rome, Italy."

“I am very happy to run in Rome, I have heard great things about this race,” Rupp said. “My goal is to run a fast time in my preparation for the Boston Marathon.”

“I like the Roma-Ostia course as it is flat and it will give me the chance to fulfill my potential. I think it will be a high-level race, where I will run to win. I am aiming to run my personal best. If I am fit I can attack the US record.”

That mark in 59:43, set by Ryan Hall in Houston in 2007. Rupp’s lifetime best in 1:00:30 set in 2011. However, since this is a point to point course it would not count as an official American Record.

(03/09/18) Views: 83

Running can help you combat forgetfulness

Running may be the answer to jogging your memory as new research reveals it strengthens signals in the brain. Exercise has long been known to help combat stress, but a study by Brigham Young University suggests that it can also help combat forgetfulness. The researchers found that running helps protect against the negative effects of stress on the hippocampus - the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory. 'It's empowering to know that we can combat the negative impacts of stress on our brains just by getting out and running,' the study's senior author Jeff Edwards, PhD, said. (03/07/18) Views: 61