Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
9/28/2019
These are the top ten stories based on views over the last week.
Eliud Kipchoge will have a total of 42 pacemakers as he seeks to run the marathon in under two hours at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge
World record holder and Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge will have a total of 42 pacemakers as he seeks to run the marathon in under two hours at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria in October.
More than half the pacemakers tasked with helping Kipchoge become the first man to break the two-hour mark either live and train in Kenya or have roots from the country.
"13 more pacemakers have been confirmed to help Kipchoge in his bid to become the first human to run a sub-two hour marathon at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna in October," organizers said in a statement on Wednesday.
All 13 of the pacers took part in testing for the challenge in Vienna at the start of September and will return for the real thing in three weeks' time with the aim of helping Kipchoge make history.
The other named pacers in this group include:
Eric Kiptanui of Kenya, who holds the sixth-fastest half-marathon time (58:42) from the 2018 Berlin Half-Marathon, Another slate of 13 elite runners has been named who will take turns pacing Eliud Kipchoge to what the world hopes will be the first-ever sub-two-hour marathon next month in Vienna, and it includes Marius Kipserem of Kenya, who set a new course record of 2:04:11 at the 2019 Rotterdam Marathon.
The other named pacers in this group include:
Eric Kiptanui of Kenya, who holds the sixth-fastest half-marathon time (58:42) from the 2018 Berlin Half-Marathon.
Micah Kogo of Kenya, 10000m bronze medallist at the 2008 Olympics, Chala Regasa of Ethiopia, who set a course record of 27:23 at the Valencia 10K Ibercaja in January, which is this year’s sixth-fastest time in the world over 21.1K.
Gideon Kipketer of Kenya, who set his marathon PB of 2:05:51 at Tokyo in 2017, where he finished second.
Stanley Kebenei of USA, who raced the World Cross Country Championships in Denmark in March, and who finished second in the USATF 3,000m steeplechase national championships and will have just competed at the World Championships in Doha when he returns to Vienna.
Shadrack Koech of Kazakhstan ran a PB in the 10K of 28:22 in the Netherlands this year, and a PB over 10,000m of 28:24:40, also set this year.
Moses Koech of Kenya finished third in 27:46 behind Joshua Cheptegei and Julien Wanders in the Durban 10K last year.
Thomas Ayeko of Uganda was part of the team that won gold at the Cross-Country World Championships in Denmark this year. He was fourth in the 5,000m at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and has a half-marathon PB of 60:26.
Emmanuel Bett of Kenya has a 10,000m PB of 26:51:16 and a half-marathon PB of 60:08.
Timothy Toroitich of Uganda made the final of the 10,000m at last year’s Commonwealth Games, after winning bronze at the African Championships. He also won bronze at the first Commonwealth Games half-marathon in Cardiff.
Kaan Kigen Ozbilen of Turkey, who changed his name in 2015 (he is the former Mike Kipruto Kigen). He won silver medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2006 African Championships representing Kenya. He holds national records for Turkey in both the half-marathon (59:48) and the marathon (2:05:27). He also won a silver medal in the European Championships half-marathon in 2016.
(09/22/19) Views: 97
2019 Austin Marathon pumped $48.5 million into the Austin economy
High Five Events, one of the largest privately owned event production companies in the United States, proudly announces that the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour pumped $48.5 million into the Austin economy during race weekend.
The Austin Marathon was able to better calculate its economic impact by providing more detailed data and continuing its partnership with Dr. Ali Dadpay, Associate Professor of Finance at the Gupta College of Business at the University of Dallas. This year’s economic impact on the City of Austin is an $11 million (23 percent) increase from the 2018 event.
“The Austin Marathon’s economic impact is growing because of the increasing participation rate and more spectators supporting the event,” said Dr. Dadpay. “High Five Events collecting a wider array of quality data has improved the accuracy of our estimations.”
2020 will mark the Austin Marathon’s 29th year running in the capital of Texas. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 30+ countries around the world. The start and finish locations are just a few blocks apart and within walking distance of many downtown hotels and restaurants.
Participants finish in front of the picturesque Texas State Capitol, making the Austin Marathon the perfect running weekend destination.
(09/24/19) Views: 64
Uganda’s Felix Chemonges goal is to win the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
No Ugandan runner has ever won the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon a blemish which Felix Chemonges wishes to eradicate October 20th on the race’s 30th anniversary.
"My goal is to win the race and improve on my personal best as I want to get selection with my Toronto performance for Tokyo 2020," he explains. "My future goals are to be a world class star."
"I have only run two marathons before, which were smaller marathons. Both times I finished second. Toronto will be my first big one and I am really looking forward to it."
In recent years, beginning with the inspiring victory of Stephen Kiprotich at the 2012 London Olympics, Ugandans have strived to match the competitive results of their East African rivals from Ethiopia and Kenya. Now, with young athletes like the 23-year-old Chemonges (he turns 24 on October 10th), the country’s fortunes are indeed in good hands.
One of those aforementioned second place finishes came at the 2019 Linz (Austria) Marathon back in April and yielded a personal best of 2:09:19 but since then he has also lowered his PB at the half marathon distance with a 61:03 clocking in Zwolle Netherlands. That is, indeed, encouraging as he builds towards the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon - an IAAF Gold Label race.
Netherlands based Global Sports Communications which represents world half marathon record holder Geoffrey Kamworor, world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge (both from Kenya) and Ethiopia’s world 5000m and 10000m record holder Kenenisa Bekele, in addition to Kiprotich, operates a training camp in Uganda where Chemonges trains.
It is in Kapchorwa in Eastern Uganda which is around 50km from the border with Kenya. The elevation is roughly 2000 metres above sea level but they can reach even higher elevations nearby - perfect for training. "I live in the camp then we meet with other marathoners from different groups and train together," Chemonges says.
Under the guidance of coach Nalis Bugongo the group which can number as many as sixty athletes and includes Joshua Cheptegei, the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Champion, Robert Chemonges (no relation) and Jackson Kiprop, winner of the 2019 Nagano Marathon, has a strict training regimen running twice a day.
Highlights are a 35 kilometre run on Thursdays and a Tuesday track session which sees the group running one kilometre ten times at 2:06 marathon pace with a very short recovery.
The camp is not far from the village of Chebungai where Chemonges grew up and where his siblings still live and farm, so he is able to return home on occasion. But like their Kenyan rivals they are incredibly dedicated to the end goal of achieving success on the roads. Everything points in that direction from getting enough rest as well as massage between training sessions, eating healthy and pushing each other.
It cannot be stressed enough what the impact of Kiprotich’s Olympic gold medal offered the young runners. Although he trains mainly in Kenya at the Global Sports Communication camp in Kaptagat he returns home on weekends.
"His medal has inspired me to strive for the same title and many medals for myself in the future," Chemonges says of the Olympic hero. "It’s the biggest inspiration for all of us from Kapchorwa region.
"I meet with him and he encourages me. We often train together when he is at home. He is the most well-known Ugandan and he also competed in Toronto last year."
The 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Uganda’s capital of Kampala which was an incredible source of national pride. Kiprotich returned home to be a member of the Ugandan team even though he is now a fully-fledged marathoner. At that point Chemonges had not yet distinguished himself. But that would change a year later.
Selected to represent Uganda for the first he finished 26th in the 2018 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia recording a then personal best of 62:10. That was just four places ahead of Canadian marathon record holder Cam Levins who is also racing for Olympic selection in Toronto.
Later the same year he finished second at the Beirut Marathon, with a promising debut of 2:11:57 on a demanding course.
"We chose Beirut with my manager Jurrie as it was a good place to debut and learn the distance and be competitive," he reveals adding, "I learnt that I can run a faster competition and time when I prepare well and that I can be confident."
As for Toronto his knowledge is limited to what he has gleaned from his management and Kiprotich. "I just know it is a marathon in Canada with a strong course and it can be cold," and then adding rather prophetically, "And no Ugandan has won, so far."
(09/20/19) Views: 56Paul Gains
Gene Dykes was hoping to break Ed Whitlock's M70 record at STWM, but a lingering illness has taken him out of contention
Gene Dykes, who came close to breaking the late Ed Whitlock’s M70 marathon world record at last year’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and broke it unofficially in Jacksonville, Florida in December (on a non-record-eligible course) was hoping to make another attempt at this year’s Scotiabank Toronto race on October 20, but has decided to bow out due to illness and the resulting loss of training time.
Whitlock’s record, set in 2004, is 2:54:48. He was the only person ever to run a sub-3 marathon over age 70 until Dykes, who has now done it four times: first in Rotterdam in 2018, where he ran 2:57. At last year’s Scotiabank Toronto (which doubled as the World Masters Marathon Championships), he ran 2:55:18, missing Whitlock’s record by 30 seconds. At Jacksonville, he ran 2:54:23, breaking the record by 25 seconds–or so he thought, until he discovered that although the course is certified, the race is not USATF-sanctioned, which means you can’t set records there. At Boston this year he ran 2:58:50, shattering his own age-group course record of 3:16:20.
Dykes is optimistic he is on the mend, and has a number of fall races scheduled, including a 100K in Texas this weekend, a small marathon in Maine (on the same day as he would have raced Scotiabank), and the New York City Marathon on November 3.
Dykes remains the only living human over 70 years of age to run a sub-3 marathon.
Anne Francis
Berihu wins Dam tot Damloop, Dutchman Ali finishes fourth
Solomon Berihu won the Dam tot Damloop on Sunday. One week after setting a big PB at the Copenhagen Half Marathon, Kenya’s Evaline Chirchir was the first athlete to cross the line at the Dam tot Damloop on Sunday (22), finishing just one second shy of the long-standing course record at the IAAF Silver Label road race.
The 10-mile race starts in Amsterdam and finishes in Zaandam. As is tradition, the women’s field set off 6:04 – the difference between the men's and women's course records – ahead of the men’s field, then the first three finishers are awarded bonuses of €5000, €3500 and €2500 respectively.
In sunny and warm weather (16-18C) with relatively low humidity and a moderate tailwind, Chirchir ran with compatriot Irene Cheptai and Israel’s Dagnechew Selamawit to break away as a lead trio.
Chirchir reached the finish line in Zaandam in 50:32, three seconds ahead of Cheptai. Selamawit was third in 50:48. Chirchir narrowly missed out on breaking the 50:31 course record set back in 1987 by Norwegian distance legend Ingrid Kristiansen.
Chirchir’s winning performance is the third-fastest time ever recorded by a woman over 10 miles, but the point-to-point course means times aren’t record-eligible.
Half way through the men’s race, Ethiopia’s Solomon Berihu, Kenya’s John Langat and Uganda’s Joel Ayeko detached themselves from the rest of the lead pack. Berihu accelerated at 12km and broke away from Langat and Ayeko.
In the hunt to be the overall first finisher, Berihu wasn’t close to catching Chirchir, who finished 1:21 ahead of the Ethiopian, but he was a comfortable winner of the men’s title in 45:49. Langat was second in 46:20 and Ayeko third in 46:40.
The bonuses for the first three overall finishers went to the top three women.
Mohamed Ali was the first Dutch finisher, clocking 46:51. Michel Butter, who is currently preparing for the New York City Marathon on 3 November when he hopes to finish in a qualifying spot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, was 13th in 48:59.
(09/22/19) Views: 55
Evaline Chirchir hopes to cross the finish line first at the Dam Tot Damloop
This year’s Dam tot Damloop, could be one of the few races in the long history of the IAAF Silver Label road race in which a woman crosses the finish line first.
As has been tradition at this 10-mile race between Amsterdam and Zaandam, the women’s field sets off 6:04 – the difference between the men's and women's course records – ahead of the men’s field. The first athlete to finish, man or woman, will receive a €5000 bonus.
Following her 1:06:22 PB at the Copenhagen Half Marathon last week, Evaline Chirchir will start as the favorite. The Kenyan has also clocked some impressive times at 10km this year, including 30:43 in Valencia and 31:17 in Brunssum, and will be keen to improve on her fifth-place finish from last year.
Irene Cheptai, the 2017 world cross-country champion, recently clocked a season’s best of 31:27 over 10km, while Jip Vastenburg carries the Dutch hopes.
The women’s race record of 50:31 has been held by Ingrid Kristiansen since 1987, but last year’s winner Lonah Salpeter came close to it with 50:45.
Former 1500m specialist Chala Regasa of Ethiopia set a 10km PB of 27:23 earlier this year and will be making his Dam tot Damloop debut. Compatriot Solomon Berihu, aged 19, is another strong contender and has set PBs of 13:02.08 for 5000m and 27:02.26 for 10,000m this year.
Ethiopian Olympian Ayele Abshero, a 2:04:23 marathon runner, finished third in this race back in 2010 in a PB of 45:33, but doesn’t seem to be in that same kind of form this year. Kenya’s John Langat also returns to Amsterdam in a bid to do better than his 12th-place finish last year.
The weather forecast for Sunday morning seems ideal with temperatures between 16-18C and the wind on the runners’ backs.
(09/21/19) Views: 53IAAF
Former winners Agnes Kiprop and Aberu Mekuria will both return to the Chinese city of Hengshui to compete for the women’s title at the Hengshui Lake International Marathon
The 36-year-old Ethiopian, Mekuria clocked a course record of 2:26:07, her personal best time at that time, to win in 2013. Two years later Kenyan, Kiprop claimed the tile in 2:25:43, which has stood as the course record until now.
However, the 39-year-old Kenyan, whose PB of 2:23:54 was set in Frankfurt back in 2011, hasn’t come close to 2:26 since her 2015 Hengshui victory. She clocked 2:29:04 to finish fourth at the Dongying Yellow River Marathon in April, which was her fastest time in more than four years.
Mekuria, on the contrary, has been enjoying a second wind in her decade-long career, achieving a PB of 2:24:30 to break the course record at the 2019 Chongqing International Marathon. It will be her third race in Hengshui as she also clocked 2:32:53 to finish eighth in 2015.
The organizers have assembled the deepest women’s field in the eight-year history of the race, as other race favorites also include Marta Megra of Ethiopia, who set her PB of 2:22:35 last year in Toronto, as well as her compatriot Tirfi Tsegaye, the fastest woman toeing the line with a PB of 2:19:41 from her massive victory in Dubai in 2016.
The men’s field also contains a former champion. 24-year-old Ernest Ngeno of Kenya took the top honors in Hengshui four years ago with a winning mark of 2:07:57, which was his PB at the time and 12 seconds shy of the course record set by Markos Geneti in 2014.
Last year, he improved his PB to 2:06:41 when finishing third in Paris, which makes him the second-fastest entrant in the field.
Although Ngeno is keen to end a three-year title drought following his victory in Milan in 2016, he could face a serious threat from Aychew Bantie.
The rising Ethiopian, who turned 24 this month, trimmed more than two minutes off his career best to finish third at the Prague Marathon in 2:06:23 four months ago and is still pursuing his first title since debuting over the classic distance in 2017.
Bantie’s compatriot Fikadu Kebede, who turns 33 on Friday, also arrives in Hengshui in high spirits. He set a PB of 2:08:27 in Dubai in January and came close to that mark three months later with a second-place finish in Dongying in 2:09:38.
The men’s field also includes Kenyan duo Dominic Ruto and Ismael Boshendich Chemtan
(09/21/19) Views: 52Vicent Wu
Legendary Yiannis Kouros, one of the biggest names in ultramarathons, will be present in Dubai to cheer on participants as they take part in the world's longest desert race, the 300-km Al Marmoom Ultramarathon, for a share of the $100,000 prize-purse
Kouros, 63, is often described as the modern-day Pheidippides, the Greek hero whose run from Marathon to Athens is the inspiration behind the Olympic sport of marathon. He has broken more than 160 world records in long-distance running, including the fastest 100-miles on roads, and the record for 1,000-km on both track and road, and 1,000 miles on road. He also set a new mark for the 875km Sydney to Melbourne Utramarathon in 1985, crossing the finish line in 5 days, 5 hours, 7 minutes and 6 seconds.
"I'm really excited to be coming to Dubai this December to see desert ultra-running history being made, when ultra-runners from around the world race across 300km of tough desert terrain," said Kouros, who is also remembered for breaking six wold records in the New York City Six-Day Race in 1984.
He added: "Dubai has created the ultimate endurance running event and I'd like to say well done to Dubai Sports Council for organizing such an epic event that any long distance runner would love to take on.
"Dubai is the place to be this December to witness the world's best take on the world's longest desert ultramarathon - AMUM19."
Welcoming Kouros to Dubai and the 2019 Al Marmoom Ultramarathon, Saeed Hareb, secretary general of Dubai Sports Council, said: "Yiannis Kouros is one of the legends of ultra-running and his presence here for the 2019 Al Marmoom Ultramarathon will be a huge inspiration for all the participants. He is a true legend of the sport and a modern-day Pheidippides indeed, and we are looking forward to welcoming him to Dubai.
"The world's best endurance and ultra-runners, including the two defending champions Rachid El Mourabity and Magdalena Boulet, have already confirmed their spots for the second edition of the Al Marmoom Ultramarathon.
"The first edition of the Al Marmoom Ultramarathon was a huge success with elite ultra-runners from 48 countries taking part in the 270km race. Media from around the globe covered the event, while CNN International flew down a team to Dubai for the event. This year, the Al Marmoom Ultramarathon is going to be even bigger and better. The distance has been increased to 300-km, and so the competition is going to be stiffer.
"The Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve is the perfect place to host an event like this and the Ultramarathon provides participants with a unique opportunity to experience the beauty and tranquility of our deserts."
Alongside the main event, the grueling 300-km Ultramarathon, the race also offers lesser distances of 110km and 50km to encourage endurance runners from the UAE and region to participate. The 300-km race will be completed in 5 days and over four separate routes starting from the base camp situated in Al Qudra. The 110km race will be a non-stop 24 hour run, while the 50-km race will be completed in one day.
All three races are self-sufficient with water and tents supplied, as well as medical and safety support given. Top rankings and special recognition winners in all three races will get a share of the prize money, while all finishers will receive medals and T-shirts.
(09/25/19) Views: 52
Olympic champion Vivian Cheruiyot has pulled out of the Berlin marathon, citing a recurrent tendon injury
Vivian Cheruiyot, 36, confirmed on Friday from Eldoret, that she will pass up the chance to compete in what would have been her sixth marathon. Instead, she will depart on Tuesday for Germany to seek medical help, which she hopes will put to rest her injury predicaments for good.
"It is frustrating after a lot of training, the injury flared up again. It has been my waterloo throughout my career and with my vast age, I need to take time to heal. I will not be running in Berlin," Cheruiyot said.
Cheruiyot has registered wins in Frankfurt and London and two second-place finishes in London and New York plus a fourth-place performance in her debut also in London back in 2017.
However, she was adamant that she will overcome her injury and compete at either the London or Boston marathon in April.
"It will take about two months to heal properly. I will take my time to see to it that it gets well and there is no pain in my legs when I run. I hope to be back running in December," she added.
Cheruiyot will now link up with manager Ricky Simms in Germany to plan her rehabilitation.
"There is a good physiotherapist in Germany, which my manager has planned to consult. I will go and get his expert opinion and then we will talk on what program I need to take," she said.
The London marathon silver medalist said she will be ready to contest for a slot in the Kenya team for the 2020 Tokyo marathon.
With Cheruiyot out, fans will still have a strong race in Berlin with defending champion and three-time winner Gladys Cherono seeking to retain her title. There is also Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and the 2015 world champion, in the marathon.
In the past 12 years, the men's race at the Berlin Marathon has produced a string of world-class times with six world records into the bargain and the presence of Cherono and Cheruiyot could see them headline a show-stealing performance from the elite women in general.
"We are naturally delighted that we will be having the defending champion Cherono on the start line," said Race Director Mark Milde.
"Compared to the men, the women in Berlin have some ground to make up. With three very strong contenders in the line-up, the women's race on September 29 could be center stage."
The world marathon record stands at 2:17:01 for women only race posted by Mary Keitany back in 2017.
(09/20/19) Views: 50
Lena Faust with cerebral palsy will be running the Oasis Rock 'N' Roll Montreal Marathon this Sunday
At Sunday's Oasis Rock 'N' Roll Montreal Marathon, 25-year-old PhD student Lena Faust will be running the half marathon. Faust has cerebral palsy, a movement disorder that weakens the muscles and causes poor coordination and tremors.
"As long as you set yourself goals that you work towards, you can adjust for having certain difficulties," she said. "Everyone has problems right. It might not be CP, it might be something else, but we all have our limitations, and I think having cerebral palsy really made me see the benefits of trying to push those limitations and that can really get you to places you didn't think you could get to."
She is raising money for the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Registry.
"I know how important funding is, and I thought as someone with cerebral palsy, it would be nice to contribute to that," said the student who does research on tuberculosis.
Faust knows first-hand that scientists need more information to defeat debilitating diseases.
"It's really important to have good data on which to base healthcare decisions, healthcare service delivery, and especially with a disease like cerebral palsy that's a long-term, permanent condition, I think it's really important to have long-term follow up of children with cerebral palsy in Canada," she said.
(09/21/19) Views: 50
