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8/3/2019

Indian’s Dharam Singh claims to be 121-years-old and is still running races

Dharam Singh says he was born October 6th, 1897 and has run more marathons than he can remember.  But is he 121? He does not have a birth  certificate but does have three forms of government issued ID. 

According to Robert Young of the Gerontology Research Group, only about 1,000 people have been verified as living past 110.  Of these people, only about 10 percent are male.  The number of people over 120 is even a much smaller number.  

However, Dharam Singh says himself he has no doubt that he was born in 1897.  (Click on the link to view the video and see what you think.) 

"When I was young, I used to run from my village to the neighboring village, which was about 600 to 700 meters away. I would run several laps. I did not know how to run then, the technique of it, but I did it on instinct," he says.

Today he gets up at 4 am and runs four kilometers daily.

To date, Gujjar has taken part in more than three dozen races in different parts of India. 

Singh has lost count of the number of marathons that he has run. However, he recollects running marathons in these cuties of India.  Allahabad, Nainital, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh, and claims to have run in 50 others. He says he ran his first marathon in 1970.

Running races over 90 is quite a feat by itself.  But running races over the age of 110?.  Well, that’s considered to be impossible.

Of course, that was until Dharam Singh made it into that age bracket.

It’s a bit hard to believe when so many people barely make it to 100 years old how he has managed to keep running?

Regardless of how old people believe Mr. Singh really is, it doesn’t discredit the root of his message. “Stay active, take care of your body, keep exploring, and if you’re given the chance to live out on the edges of your comfort zone, do it! These are simple concepts. Yet, they’ve gotten me pretty far,” he says.  

But if you’re at all concerned about the veracity of his age, don’t worry; there are still plenty of wise, powerful elders running around inspiring us.

Often, the best life advice comes from those who have lived so long and whose lives have just begun. There’s always simplicity to their advice.

In 2017, National Geographic did a special episode in their Explorer series investigating his life and success as a runner in such an advanced age.

When asked about his continued fitness, he says it is all about having a controlled diet. He has led a strict healthy lifestyle since childhood and gives credit to his balanced diet of self-prepared chutneys along with mineral water and lemon juice for his longevity. "I eat a strict and balanced diet and have no illness. I stopped eating ghee and other fatty items almost 40 years ago, neither do I drink or smoke," he said. He has been a strict vegetarian since birth.

Singh claims of being 121 years old has generated much controversy. While Gudha refers to his passport, voter ID Card and PAN card [a tax identification in India]—all stating 1897 as his year of birth, and all three government of India-issued valid identity documents—asserting he is 121 years old, he does not have a birth certificate to prove this age.

“Some have said he is not even 80 years old.  We may never know but it is inspiring to imagine that he could be over 110,” says lifetime runner and MBR Director Bob Anderson (71). 

(07/27/19) Views: 149
Samantha Burns

Toronto investor and philanthropist Miles Nadal purchased Nike’s historic 1972 ‘Moon Shoe’ at a public Sotheby’s auction for $437,500US

Sneaker history has been made.

The rarest pair of Nike running shoes in existence, not to mention one of “the most significant artifacts” in the history of the multi-billion-dollar brand has just been sold.

Toronto investor and philanthropist Miles Nadal purchased the Nike’s historic 1972 ‘Moon Shoe’ at a public Sotheby’s auction this week. 

The sale of the Moon Shoe set a world record for the most expensive sneakers ever sold at an auction, shattering the previous world auction record set in 2017 when a pair of signed Converse that Michael Jordan wore in the 1984 Olympic basketball final sold for USD $190,373, according to reports.

The Moon Shoe was one of the first pairs of sneakers designed by Nike co-founder and track coach Bill Bowerman for runners during the 1972 Olympic trials, according to Sotheby’s.

Bowerman was inspired to create the waffle sole traction pattern for the running shoes by experimenting with his wife’s waffle iron, pouring rubber into the mould to create the first prototype of the sole, Sotheby’s said.

According to the New York auction giant, this is one of only a handful of pairs is known to exist, making this a remarkable investment for Nadal.

According to Sotheby’s, the Moon Shoe got its name from the resemblance between the impression that the waffle pattern left in dirt and the famous tracks left on the moon by astronauts in 1969.

Each pair of runners was hand-cobbled by one of Nike’s first employees, Geoff Hollister, and due to the handmade quality, each pair is irregular and one of a kind.

Only about 12 pairs of the Moon Shoes were created, according to Sotheby’s, and less than that still remain today. This pair sold is the only pair known to exist in unworn, deadstock condition.

Earlier this month, Nadal purchased 99 other pairs of rare sneakers from Sotheby’s in a private sale for USD $850,000 as part of his “newfound passion for sneakers.”

(07/26/19) Views: 128
Ainsley Smith

Jake Robertson’s wife Magdalyne Masai wants to be in the top three at Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Magdalyne Masai’s performance at the Hamburg Marathon on 28 April earned her praise from around the world given that she had run a personal best of 2:26:04 and finished second in the highly competitive race.

Moreover, it earned her an invitation to this year’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on 20 October.

She will arrive in Canada’s largest city privy to useful knowledge of the city and the race as her husband, Jake Robertson of New Zealand, finished fifth here a year ago.

“I want to get a personal best and finish in the top three,” she said, speaking during a video call from her home in Iten, Kenya. “That is my aim. I want to be in top three. I think 2:23 or 2:22 is within reach.”

That would challenge the ‘family record’ held by her elder sister, Linet Masai, who ran 2:23:46 In her debut last year in Amsterdam.

‘Magz’, as she is affectionately known, comes from a family of runners. Linet was the 2009 world 10,000m champion while the eldest of the 10 Masai kids, Moses Masai, was the 10,000m bronze medalist at those same championships in Berlin. Another brother, Dennis Masai, won the 2010 World Junior Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick. A younger brother, Alex Masai, is currently running for Hofstra University in New York State.

It’s not difficult to see where her influences came from as she grew up in the Rift Valley of western Kenya where the altitude is roughly 2,500m above sea level.

“We moved a lot,” she says of her upbringing. “I was born in Mt. Elgon forest. After some point we moved to Kapsogom. Currently my parents are in Trans Nzoia district.

“I met Jake in Iten because my sister Linet was staying in Iten. I had come to start training in Iten as well and was staying with her.”

Robertson and his twin brother, Zane, had arrived in Kenya as teenagers fresh out of high school. Their intention was to live and train like the Kenyan runners they admired. He and Magdalyne fell in love and, after a six-year relationship, he famously proposed at the finish line of the 2017 Great North Run. Moments before, he had finished second to Olympic champion Mo Farah and Magdalyne finished fourth in the elite women’s race.

“So far in my training not only am I looking at time but also how I am feeling,” she explains. “Mostly I judge myself when we do long intervals on the roads. We run 4km at about 3:30 (per kilometre) pace. Then for one kilometre easier at 4:00 pace. We do that five times. If I finish that feeling like I can continue that’s when I know I am feeling good and ready to go." 

Magdalyne Masai may not have the fastest time among the elite women who will toe the line on 20 October, but she certainly will be prepared to run with the leaders. And nobody could be prouder than Jake Robertson if she achieves her goal of a top three finish.

(07/26/19) Views: 122
iaaf

The winner of the 300km Al Marmoom Ultramarathon is going to win $100,000 at this year ultra event

If you thought a 270km race through the desert wasn’t long enough, well your wish has just come true, as this year’s longest desert race in the world has added an extra 30km to it.

The Al Marmoom Ultramarathon 2019 is upping its length this year to 300km.  And is offering $100,000 (more than Dhs360,000) for the winner.

The race will place over five days from Monday December 9 until Friday 13, the world’s longest desert race will see some of the world’s most famous ultra-runners come to Dubai to battle it out over tough desert terrain.

This year will see three distances, including the incredible 300km race set to be completed in five days and over four separate routes starting from the base camp situated in Al Qudra. Just a casual 60km per day, through the desert.The 110km race will be a non-stop 24-hour run through day and night, while the 50km race is to be completed in one day.Tents will be pitched throughout the course and there will be water rations on the route and in the camp.

A medical team of doctors and paramedics will also be supervising the race, in case of injury or exhaustion.“The UAE is home to some of the world’s most-seasoned and experienced desert ultra-runners and we are encouraging UAE based ultra-runners to enter all three distances as well as team entries for the 50km distance,” said event director Ruth Dickinson.

In it for the experience and not the cash? Those who finish the incredible race will get a medal and a t-shirt so you can show off to everyone you completed it. Well earned.The first edition saw elite runners from 48 countries race over 270km in four days.

(08/01/19) Views: 111
Darragh Murphy

Bone broth has anti-inflammatory properties that are great for runners

Bone broth is a stock made up primarily from the bones or connective tissue of an animal or fish. This broth has anti-inflammatory properties that are great for runners. 

You make bone broth by combining bones of your choice with vegetables, usually carrots, onions, garlic and herbs, and cooking for roughly 10 hours. Once cooked, the broth is filled with collagen which is the structural protein found in skin and other connective tissues.

Making bone broth is time consuming, but very cheap. Save the bones from your meat dishes and easily have a nutrient rich broth to add to other dishes or consume on its own. The broth is a staple in many anti-inflammatory diets.

Melissa Piercell, ND, says that health fads come and go, and bone broth may not be quite as incredible as we think. However, the ingredient still has its merits. 

Piercell explains that collagen is the connective tissue that makes up many things, including your joints. Healthy joints are key for runners. “The body has to have some sort of shock-absorbent. To some degree, we will all have osteoarthritis one day. Collagen is lovely for delaying that. You can add more to your diet through supplements, pills, powder or bone broth.”

 Piercell says that while bone broth on its own isn’t a complete protein, turning it into a soup, or adding it to a meal will surely add that final amino acid. 

On top of being good for joint health, Piercell says that bone broth is alkaline, meaning that it can reduce your body’s inflammation levels. “When your body becomes inflamed, it creates a more acidic environment. Alkaline foods, leafy greens or bone broth for example, can help to balance that acidic pH.”

Like most foods, bone broth isn’t a cure-all, but it is a healthy option to consider trying in your diet. 

(07/27/19) Views: 65

Organizers of TD Beach to Beacon 10K have new programs and features for this year’s events

More than 6,500 runners are expected to participate in the 22nd annual TD Beacon to Beacon 10K road race on Saturday, Aug. 3.

A top international field is set to go after the course records.  

The Telling Room, a Portland nonprofit that encourages young people to express themselves through writing, is the charitable beneficiary of this year’s race. The organization will receive a $3,000 donation from the TD Bank Charitable Fund, along with proceeds from returnable cans, bib sales, and a silent auction.

This year, race organizers also plan to host new programs and features to preserve the race’s Evergreen sustainability certification, an award for environmentally and socially sustainable events from the international Council for Responsible Sport.

The race earned a Silver award for sustainability in 2012 and a Gold award in 2014. In 2016, it received the Evergreen Award, the highest certification, which it held for the past two years.

This year, organizers aim to re-quality for the Evergreen Award by applying for 58 of the possible 61 credits needed for the responsible sport award.“In order for any event to be sustainable, it has to be economically viable and also provide sustainability for the community,” said Bruce Rayner.

After the race, organizers will document their sustainability efforts. The Council for Responsible Sport is expected to take nearly a month to review the work, according to Rayner.

In the past, these volunteers have collected nearly 6,000 returnable bottles and donated the proceeds to the race beneficiary, according to Rayner.

At the race finish line, there will be a water truck to encourage participants to refill bottles, instead of purchasing disposable bottles, and a completely solar energy-powered stage for announcements.

(07/30/19) Views: 57
Jenny Ibsen

27-year-old Ethiopian Tamirat Tola won the Bogota Half Marathon clocking 1:02:34

Bogota Half Marathon turned 20 years old and crowned as champions Ethiopian Tamirat Tola in the men's branch, with a figure of 1:02:34, and Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich in the women's branch, with a time of 1:10:39. In the male branch, the best Colombian was Miguel Amador, in the tenth position with 1:08:00.

The competition, as usual, was run with more than 42 thousand athletes enrolled in the male and female categories and in which only 9% of the competitors are professionals.

"I hope to return to this Half Marathon, the height makes it demanding but I want to go back for the record. I am very happy. I really like marathons, I took advantage of my speed and took advantage," said Tamirat Tola, after his victory.

Meanwhile, Ruth Chepngetich said that, "I am very happy and I felt the support of the people on the street. I want to go back and I liked being in Bogotá."

The Ethiopian runner was the dominator of the race, but could not beat his best mark and was close to Geoffrey Mutai's record with 1:02:20. However, the African adhered to his record the bogota half marathon victory, next to the World Cup in London 2017 and the Half Marathon of Prague and Dubai in 2017.

It should be noted that Tamirat Tola has been an expert in cross-country racing throughout his career. The Ethiopian was world runner-up in 2017 in the marathon test and also participated in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016, at which time he won a bronze medal in the 10,000 meters, being surpassed by the British Mo Farah, winner of the Gold and Kenyan Paul Tanui.

(07/29/19) Views: 56

Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya and Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba are ready to compete at the Bogota Half Marathon

The favorite in the Bogota Half Marathon women’s race is Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya, who started the year with a win in the Dubai Marathon, setting a course record with the No. 3 performance of all-time, 2:17:08. And just three months before that she shattered the course record at the Istanbul Marathon with a 2:18:35 performance.

Those performances elevated the Kenyan to No.1 in the IAAF’s world rankings in the marathon. Also an accomplished half marathoner, Chepngetich won the Istanbul Half Marathon this April in another course record, 1:05:30, making her the 11th fastest woman of all-time to rank her No.3 currently over that distance.

The main challenge to Chepngetich is likely to come from Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba, the marathon bronze medalist at the Rio Olympic Games and world champion over the distance in 2015. Also expected to feature at the front of the race are 2:21:37 marathoner Visiline Jepkesho of Kenya, recently announced as a member of the Kenyan squad for the Worlds Championships (along with Chepngetich), and Helalia Johannes of Namibia, who is undefeated in six major international competitions, all of which have seen her lower her own national records at 10km, the half marathon and full marathon distances.

Unlike the women’s race, the men’s competition doesn’t have one overwhelming favorite, and instead should see a tight battle between several evenly-matched competitors. The Ethiopian delegation is led by 20-year-old Betesfa Getahun of Ethiopia, the defending men’s champion, who last year became the youngest champion in the race history.

Next to him will be Feyisa Lilesa, the silver medalist at the Rio Olympic Games marathon and a former winner of this race and Tamirat Tola, a silver medalist in the 2017 World Championships marathon and a bronze medalist in the 10,000m in Rio.

The Kenyan challenge to this Ethiopian trio will be led by Lawrence Cherono, a 2:04:06 marathoner and the No. 5 athlete in the world presently at that distance. He is joined by two strong half marathon specialists, Wilfred Kimitei (59:40) and John Lotiang (1:00:09).

And rounding out the likely lead pack are Eritrean Samuel Tsegay, a past silver medalist at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, and Ugandan Abdallah Mande with a 1:00:14 lifetime best whose strong current form was illustrated by a 27:22 10,000m run just eight days ago.

(07/26/19) Views: 54
iaaf

The weather was perfect for this year’s San Francisco Marathon and Half Marathons

There is a new men’s champion at the San Francisco Marathon for the first time since 2016.

After Jorge Maravilla won the race in each of the last two years, Gregory Billington captured the 42nd edition of the event Sunday with a time of two hours, 25 minutes and 25 seconds. He averaged a blistering pace of five minutes and 33 seconds per mile, which put him ahead of Maravilla’s second-place time of two hours, 29 minutes and 28 seconds.

On the women’s side, Nina Zarina jumped out to an early lead and won without much drama with a time of two hours, 47 minutes and one second.

She completed the course well ahead of second-place finisher Eleanor Meyer (two hours, 52 minutes and 16 seconds) and the rest of the field. Zarina added another accomplishment to her 2019 resume after being named the female global champion at the Wings for Life World Run in Switzerland in May.

It appeared in the first portion of the race as if Maravilla would join her in the winner’s circle when he paced the field through the first 5.5 miles.

However, Billington pulled even by the halfway mark before turning on the jets and building a comfortable lead:

There would be no doubt from there, as the American maintained and added to his lead through the back half of the course and prevented Maravilla from three-peating in the Bay Area.

Billington, Zarina and the rest of the runners started at 5:30 a.m. PT at Mission Street and The Embarcadero on a 26.2-mile course, which is a Boston Marathon and Olympic time trials qualifying race.

The finish line was at Folsom Street and the Embarcadero but only after runners went past a number of San Francisco landmarks and neighborhoods. Runners went past the famous piers and Fisherman’s Wharf, through the Presidio, through Golden Gate Park, across the Golden Gate Bridge and past Oracle Park, where the San Francisco Giants play.

They dealt with a total elevation gain of about 1,175 feet in a city that is known for its hills, further testing their endurance and strength on a grueling course.

Ultra superstar Michael Wardian won the 52.4 mile Ultra (that’s two SF marathons).  Pictured with MBR  Director Bob Anderson who clocked 1:46:42 at age 71 for the second Half race good enough for first 65 plus. 

(07/28/19) Views: 53
Bob Anderson, Michael Wardian

Sunderland actress Anna Murray reveals how dad's cancer inspired her to take part in this year’s Great North Run

Grease musical star Anna Murray, 27, is preparing to run the half marathon from Newcastle to South Shields in September to raise funds for the Throat Cancer Foundation after her dad Michael, 59, was given the all clear.

The singer and actress, who is originally from Sunderland but now lives in London, told how watching her dad endure grueling cancer treatment had a devastating impact on her family.

Her dad Michael Murray, a financial advisor for a pharmaceutical company, was diagnosed with throat cancer aged 53 in October 2012 despite having never been ill his entire life.Anna said: “It came as a massive shock to all of the family.

My dad had never smoked a cigarette in his life and he was a really healthy, energetic man.

“He had a sore throat and went to the doctors but it didn’t seem to be going away so he went back and forth to the doctors for months.“By chance they put a camera down and they caught it.

”Michael was forced to undergo grueling chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment throughout the 2012 Christmas period – radiotherapy five days every week and chemotherapy every Friday for six exhaustive weeks.

Michael is been left without the ability to taste and suffers from a permanently dry mouth.Anna added: “He’s doing really well now but he’s been affected for life.

He had to be fed through a tube and it was awful to see the strongest man in our family so weak. “I found it awful emotionally and I really struggled with it and so did my brother. My mum, who is a nurse, became the backbone of our family.

”Kindhearted Anna will be joined by family friend Sally Harris to raise funds for the Throat Cancer Foundation when they both take part in the 13.1 mile run on September 9. Anna continued: “I’ve always wanted to do the Great North. It holds a special place in my heart and I’ve always wanted to run for this charity.”

(07/30/19) Views: 53
Tom Patterson