Bogota Half preview

Bogota, Colombia - Isaac Macharia, an economics graduate of Nairobi University, treats each Bogota International Half Marathon like a final exam. Macharia studies up at altitude back in Kenya - Bogota is at 2640 metres - and then he aces the exam with a late race surge at 14K over the only hill on the course, a bridge.

The strategy has worked to perfection because Macharia is a four-time champion with wins the past three years and also in 2004.

Yet this year Macharia will face his toughest challenge in Bogota, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday. None other than World record holder Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea, who set the current mark this spring in Lisbon, will be in the field, and aiming for a victory. Tadese ran 58:23 to take 10 seconds off Sammy Wanjiru’s mark earlier this year and that standard is more than two minutes up on Macharia’s best of 1:00:48. And Tadese is coming off a fine tune-up, a win at the Giro di Castelbuono in Italy last Monday (26).

Tadese is a specialist, a four-time winner of the IAAF World Road Running/Half Marathon Championships, and he has also fared well on the track, notching a bronze medal at the Olympic 10,000m in 2004 and a silver at the 2009 World Championships 10,000m.

It should be a great race between the two but they are not the only ones who have a chance at victory. Deriba Merga, last year’s Boston Marathon champ, is giving Bogota a shot. Merga was fourth in the 2008 Olympic Games Marathon and has a 59:15 PB for the half. He will be joined in the pack by a trio of 61-minute half marathoners: Morocco’s Ahmed Bay, Eritrea’s Tadesse Abraham, who was fourth last year in Bogota, and South Africa’s Stephen Mokoka. Mexico’s Alejandro Suarez, with a 1:02:35 PB, should also hang around until late in the race. The USA’s Ian Burell, who trains at altitude in Flagstaff, Arizona, is making his debut at the distance.

Tune tops in Women's contest

In the women’s race Dire Tune of Ethiopia stands out. The 2008 Boston Marathon champion has a 1:07:18 Half Marathon PB, the best in the field. This year she has raced consistently, taking third in the El Zayed Half Marathon and fifth in the RAK Half Marathon. She was also third at the World’s Best 10K and won the Ottawa 10K.

Tune will be challenged by Morocco’s Asmae Leghzaoui, Russia’s Tatiana Aryasova and Mexico’s Dulce Maria Rodriguez. Leghzaoui has a Half Marathon PB of 1:08:34. This year she placed second in the Marrakesh and Goyang Half Marathons, and seventh in the Seoul International Marathon. Aryasova has a 1:10:20 PB. She is the 2008 City of Los Angeles Marathon champion and last year finished seventh in the Berlin Marathon. Rodriguez, who has a 1:10:30 career best, was runner-up at Bogota last year and third in 2006.

More than 44,000 runners are expected to participate on the combined Half Marathon and 10K event.

Dave Kuehls for the IAAF

John Walker runs in Brooks

Marathon man Dan is Barcelona bound

By Ashley Loveridge

MARATHON man Dan Robinson flies out to Barcelona on today brimming with confidence ahead of the European Championships.

Great Britain’s number one Marathon runner is now fighting fit for the big race on Sunday after dropping out of the London Marathon with calf trouble near half distance, but has since recovered.

“It cleared up pretty quickly, I think I didn't do too much damage to it, said Robinson.

“Preparation for Barcelona has gone well - have been training at home, the warm summer has been good for acclimatisation.

“I've had some good weeks and some decent training and races. I've raced a number of times in the build up, 3 10k's which went reasonably well.”

The Stroud AC athlete finished 16th at Gothenburg four years ago and will be drawing on all his championship experience.

He said: “Running on Sunday in Barcelona is going to be very hot. Tactics, and running a sensible even pace will be key to a good race. “My previous championship experience should stand me in good stead, particularly when it gets tough after halfway.

“The heat and humidity will be the biggest problem and trying to stay hydrated will be important.”

Robinson heads a team of six British marathon runners and the big squad is because of a different format: "It's a separate team event if you like, you can take a team of six and four to count in the scoring team.

"I just think it's to encourage more of the top runners to run the championships rather than skip it and maybe look for a pay day in one of the city marathons in the autumn.

"Hopefully it'll mean that the depth of the field will be good, I think there'll be a lot of guys who potentially think they can be medallists."

“The course in Barcelona is fast and flat, it's a different course to the 1992 olympic course which finished at the top of Montjuic.

“We run entirely on the city streets and don't finish in the stadium. Hopefully the British guys can all help each other to good performances.

Robinson would love to finish in the top 12 on the fast and flat course.

“My time of 2.12 is ranked about 14th quickest in terms of European times last year, on a championship day it'd be nice to be a few places higher and break into the top 12."

The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist will implement his usual race tactics.

He added: “Running my own race will be vital, not getting caught up in the early pace changes and surges and saving something for the last 10k should mean I'll produce a good performance.

“I'll have a decent break after barcelona before starting preparation for a spring marathon and getting the qualifying time for the Olympics in 2012."

Pregnant Radcliffe targets 2012 Marathon glory

By Robin Millard

LONDON — Marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe has warned her rivals she will be back to reclaim the limelight once her second baby is born with an elusive Olympic gold medal high on her wish list.

Radcliffe, who is seven months pregnant, can only watch Saturday's European Athletics Championships marathon on television as others take the medals in Barcelona.

But the 36-year-old Briton put them on notice by saying she has lost none of her appetite for competing at the highest level.

"I'm still out running -- less so on the roads, more on softer ground at the moment -- but I'm still able to be running every day," Radcliffe told AFP.

"I've had to scale back. But I miss competing. I'm watching the European Championships, you do miss that side of it. I'm looking forward to getting back and competing once the baby's healthy and strong."

Radcliffe took a break in 2006 for the birth of daughter Isla, born after a 26-hour labour, but her comeback in 2007 was then delayed due to a stress fracture in her lower back.

This time she will not push herself to get back into racing.

"I will take off as much time as I need to," she said.

"I feel last time I'd missed the competitive side, I missed just getting out and being able to run hard, so I probably came back a little bit too quickly.

"Now, the second time around, I'm more aware of listening to my body and seeing whether it's recovered or not, so it's hard to put a time on it if you don't know how difficult the labour's going to be.

"The most important thing is to get back into good shape and racing strongly in good time for 2012.

"I want to be on that start line completely healthy and ready to go."

The long-distance runner has the London 2012 Games in her sights and wants to exorcise a few Olympic demons.

In Athens 2004, drained by injury complications, she pulled out mid-way through the marathon in distress, while in Beijing 2008, she was not fully fit in time and suffered cramp pains as she struggled to a 23rd-placed finish.

"Fingers crossed everything goes well this time. I really want the chance to say that I've been at an Olympic Games and given my best on the day and been able to give the best I could," she said.

Radcliffe is already buzzing about the chance to grab Olympic glory on home ground.

She won the London Marathon on her debut at the distance in 2002; in 2003, setting the current world record, and won it again in 2005.

"You cannot over-estimate how much of a boost it is for home-country athletes," she said.

"In terms of being able to dig a little deeper, just having those reserves, and certainly being used to the climate, the conditions; and the support out there, to have people shouting for you the whole way makes a massive difference."

On Tuesday, London marked two years to go until the 2012 Games begin.

"The new stadium, it was giving me goosebumps just looking at it," she said.

"I can't wait to see what it looks like full of people really supporting the Olympic Games and hopefully watching some amazing scenes."

The Beer-Every-Mile SF Half Marathon: 13 Beers in 13 Miles

VIA exercisingwhileintoxicated.wordpress.com

Several of you told me that I was “going to die” if I drank 13 beers while running the San Francisco Half Marathon. I did not die.

I puked three times, blacked out for miles 11 and 12, and needed five hours to finish. This is my story.

This blog declared its intentions to drink 13 beers over the 13.1-mile SF Half Marathon. Realize that it is not possible to run a half marathon while carrying a 12-pack of beer. Sure, you could try… but the beer would get shaken up and explode upon opening each can. And then no one gets to drink any.

Perhaps even more problematic are the goddamned do-gooders and paramedics onhand in case of medical emergencies. They will take your swerving, stumbling, and vomiting as signs of delirium or fatigue, and then get all interventionny and try to take away your beer. That can not happen.

So I bought three beers at a time, and poured each 12-ounce bottle or can into a 36-ounce water jug. Holding the jug while I run, I can keep that fucker pretty steady — far more so than water bottles strapped on to my belt.

I studied the course map in detail to plot each beer stop, which is critical because miles 5-10 are on the Golden Gate Bridge and its on-ramps. Christ fucking knows there’s no liquor stores on that bridge.

And to avoid the do-gooders, I made like Mayor Newsom and blew off registering. Then I started the race at 1pm, instead of the proper 6am start time. That way I wasn’t trouble on the race course, I was just some random afternoon jogger with an open container. I’m not aware they even prosecute for that in this town.

I arrive at the start line at 1pm, and figure I need to pound that first whole beer during some warmup yoga stretches. I can only carry the equivalent of three beers at once, and face a 5-mile liquor store gap later. Logistically speaking, I need to drink more than five beers over the first five miles, because during miles 5-10 I will only be able to carry the equivalent of three beers.

So after the first can of beer (Tecate, 4.55% Alcohol content) I’m just refilling the jug again and again, noting that 12 fluid ounces counts as one beer. I will need to drink 156 fluid ounces over this race to hit my goal.

I am quickly gifted some other runner’s used bib. The name printed on it is “Sarah”. This will fool law enforcement if there’s any trouble.

I begin the half marathon at 1:10pm. Already I have to pee at 1:12pm.

The first four miles are fantastic and my pace is quite good. Beer is great for running, the exercise combined with alcohol gives you a crazy fun euphoria. You tend to really blast the iPod the drunker you get, or at least I do. You’re sweating a lot of the alcohol out, so you’re not getting too weighed down by it. Yet.

Beers 2-4 are Hoegaardens (5% alcohol), and we’re flyin’. At the Fisherman’s Wharf 7-11, I deduce that a standard 40-ounce beer will fill my jug (plus provide me a big bonus sip!). So that Miller High Life Genuine Draft (4.2% alcohol) will get me through Fort Mason and the Marina.

And is that Pope Ratzinger up there on the Wax Museum billboard? Next to Eminem? Really? If I’m Carlos Santana, my attorney is serving their ass a cease and desist for putting me next to those two.

There is no fatigue or suckiness yet, and being a guy I can pee just about anywhere at Crissy Field. I’m way ahead on my beer pace and running great. I refill the jug with Modelo Especial (6% alcohol) at a liquor store near Palace of Fine Arts, but I waste a half hour trying to find said liquor store. Not many of them there. “Fine Arts” indeed.

READ ON...

Champ Vivian whips Defar to bag 5,000m gold

By Mutwiri Mutuota at Nyayo Stadium

Two down, one to go for Vivian Cheruiyot in her personal winning medal collection. In a blistering last lap, the world champion added the African women 5000m title to her trophy cabinet in yesterday’s highlight race as she won her country a second gold medal in the ongoing 17th Safaricom African Senior Athletics Championships.

"I’m very happy to win this medal. I’m praying to God that I will still be around in two years for the (London) Olympics," the newly forged African 5,000m best in 16:18.72 said alluding to the only major medal,yet to adorn her neck, having won silver in Beijing two years ago.

Her chief rival, Meseret Defar (16:20.54) and Sentayehu Ejigu (16:22.32) completed the Ethiopian-Kenya sandwich on the podium by taking silver and bronze.

In truth, the race was pedestrian, with the main protagonists opting to shadow each other for the better of ten laps. Berlin seventh finisher, Iness Chenonge who came forth in 16:22.65 was at intermittent period, trying to push the pace.

At the bell, two kicks from Cheruiyot got the crowd pumping, the first coming with 350m to go, and the devastating burst that accounted for victory was unleashed in the final curve, and no one on the field could match it.

Humbled Defar

"Congratulations to Vivian, she ran a great race particularly in the final lap," Defar, humbled but gracious said, as she lost to her bitter rival for the third time in a year. The contest between the 2007 World Champion and the Kenyan, who succeeded her in Berlin was what the fans came to see and they left with the gratifying feeling of victory. The Cheruiyot-Defar record was extended to 10-4 with the Ethiopian enjoying a six-year monopoly that was shattered last year just before Berlin.

Since then, Cheruiyot has topped Defar at the Worlds, Lausanne and now, Nairobi.

"I’m pleased to be beating Defar, she has been a strong champion, somebody who could not be beaten, but I believe not unbeatable now," Cheruiyot said.

Esther Chemtai, the third Kenyan finished sixth (16:29.25) just behind Ethiopia’s Sule Utula (16:26.21) as the two East African rivals occupied the first six positions.

London 2012

The world champion fulfilled the promise she made to her fans on Wednesday when she said, "Nothing will give me greater joy than to win gold here at home before our fans." With that wrapped, no one minded the fact the race was competed at a slug pace. Now, bring on London 2012!

Catherine and brother Samuel Ndereba: back in the US to bake Chapati....

...and race of course. Full story at the Wincatherine Blog.

Blog Roll: Magda Lewy Boulet

I am getting ready to leave for a three week altitude training stint with BATC teammates Stephan Shay and Jake Schmitt. There is so much discussion about various ways to use altitude training or altitude simulation for athletic performance. I don’t like to use altitude tents or other devices to simulate altitude because I enjoy the time I get to spend in the mountains. A couple of times a year I when I prepare for a major event like the Chicago Marathon in October, I spend three or four weeks training at about 6,500 to 7,000 feet in either Lake Tahoe, CA or Flagstaff, AZ. The training is great in both Tahoe and Flagstaff.



When training at altitude I spend the entire time at that altitude and do not come down to lower altitudes for workouts. One could call this the “live high, train high” approach. Many athletes and coaches believe that you have to come down to sea level or lower altitude to do speed work, but over the years my coach Jack Daniels and I have been successful with running the faster short sprints at altitude. You can actually sprint faster at altitude than at sea level because the air is less dense, so you can prevent the common myth of “losing speed at altitude once you return to sea level” by doing a combination of short sprints, strides, and 200 meter reps.

Tempo pace or threshold pace is another type of workout that I respond very well to at altitude. My threshold pace is a little slower at altitude than at sea level, but this workout is not about pace, it is about teaching your body to clear the production of lactic acid more efficiently at a specific percentage of VO2max. If I can accomplish this goal by running 5 or 10 sec slower per mile at altitude then that’s okay with me.

Most of all, I feel that the biggest benefit I gain from altitude training is that I get so fired up about training that I end up feeling invincible at the end of the cycle. I wake up to beautiful mountain peaks, I run a lot, and I cook great meals that I share with my family and my teammates. When I return to sea level I am ready to take on the world. It isn’t necessary about training at 6,000 or 8,000 feet high, but more about fueling my sole with positive attitude, learning to hurt when I run using this great energy throughout the next few week of marathon training.

Off to train in Tahoe in less than one week!

SOURCE

Falmouth (08/15) preview

RunningUSA.com reports
The 38th edition of the CIGNA Falmouth Road Race is set for Sunday, August 15 with a professional field that will feature the defending champions, a pair of Olympic marathon silver medalists and, possibly, the first American men's champion in more than 20 years.

The world's best and thousands of recreational runners will once again gather for the annual Cape Cod summer tradition. The 2010 action begins at 10:00am at the drawbridge in Woods Hole when the field of 10,000 sets out on a scenic seven-mile course that ends at the ball field by the beach in Falmouth Heights.

Falmouth is one of the top non-marathon events on the international circuit and past champions have included Hall-of-Famers and Olympic gold medalists. Prize money totaling $90,300 will be at stake, with $10,000 each going to the Open division champions. There is also $29,600 for the top U.S. runners, including $5000 to the first American man and woman.

The course records are long-standing: Gilbert Okari of Kenya holds the men's mark at 31:08, set in 2004, while Lornah Kiplagat of Kenya set the women's record of 35:02 in 2000.

Defending champion Tilahun Regassa of Ethiopia headlines the men's Open division, which also includes 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

In the women's race, Mamitu Daska of Ethiopia returns to defend her crown against a strong lineup of challengers highlighted by Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, a four-time Falmouth and Boston Marathon champion, and two-time Olympic marathon silver medalist.

Last year, Regassa followed in the footsteps of countryman Tadese Tola to become the second Ethiopian man to win at Falmouth. Regassa, just 19 at the time, turned the men's race into a one-man sprint, bursting from the starting line and never looking back. He spent the final mile waving and blowing kisses to the thousands of spectators lining the course. His winning time of 31:41 was the fastest since Okari's record run and the second-fastest in 13 years.

Regassa has continued in fine form this year, running a personal best 27:52 for 10,000 meters in March and 59:19 for the half-marathon in July. In addition, he was Dick's Sporting Goods BolderBOULDER 10K runner-up in May and third at the ING Bay to Breakers 12K.

No American man has won at Falmouth since Mark Curp in 1988, but Keflezighi returns looking to improve on a pair of runner-up finishes (2007 and '08). He was fifth last year, and then went on to win the ING New York City Marathon in the fall, becoming the first American to rule in the Big Apple since Alberto Salazar in 1982. The Mammoth Track Club athlete was fifth at the Boston Marathon in April (and the second American).

Along with Keflezighi, other U.S. challengers include past top 10 Falmouth finishers James Carney and 2010 USA 10K champion Ed Moran, and newcomer Mo Trafeh, born in Morocco but raised in California. Trafeh won the USA 15K Championship earlier this year and was the first American (10th overall) at the Boilermaker 15K on July 6 in Utica, N.Y.

A new Ethiopian who has emerged this season is 20-year-old Lelisa Desisa who won the Ottawa 10K (28:08) and BolderBOULDER 10K in May and set a course record in winning the Boilermaker 15K in 42:46.

Falmouth has a rich history of Kenyan champions (16 in all). They will be well-represented again, led by Edward Muge, third last year, and Samuel Ndereba, sixth in '09 and fourth in '08. Muge led the 2008 race until succumbing to the heat, wobbling off the course and into an ice bath.

Other Kenyans to watch are Peter Cheruiyot Kirui, winner of the Lilac Bloomsday 12K and Bay to Breakers 12K and Boilermaker 15K runner-up; Shadrack Kosgei, first at the Steamboat Classic four-miler, and third at the Boilermaker 15K; Olympian, former New York and London Marathon champion Martin Lel and James Koskei, the 2002 Open division winner at Falmouth and defending Masters champion.

The women's field could be one of the deepest ever. Daska, fourth here in 2008, was dominating last year as she became the first Ethiopian woman to win at Falmouth. She pulled away from the pack in the third mile and cruised to an easy victory. Her winning time of 36:23 was a whopping 51 seconds in front of runner-up Rebecca Donaghue, a University of Massachusetts graduate from Stowe, Mass. Donaghue could be Falmouth's first U.S. woman winner since 1985.

Daska earlier this year won the BolderBOULDER 10K and was second at the Freihofer's Run for Women.

Ndereba, one of the most decorated champions in the sport, will be back on the starting line looking for her fifth Falmouth crown. In addition to a pair of Olympic medals, she is a two-time marathon gold medalist at the World Championships and the former world record holder in the marathon (2:18:47). Her victories at Falmouth span 11 years, from 1996 to 2007.

Another popular Falmouth champion, Colleen De Reuck, is also returning. A native of South Africa and now a U.S. citizen living with her family in Boulder, Colo., De Reuck has been on four Olympic teams and has one of the most impressive resumes in the race's history. She is a two-time Open division winner and has finished runner-up four times. In 12 appearances at Falmouth she has been in the top five nine times. Last year, at the age of 45, the she finished a remarkable fifth in the Open division, second among U.S. women and won another Masters crown. She collected prize money in all three classes. Earlier this year she won the Copenhagen Marathon, running 2:30:51 on a tough course, where she was beaten by only six men.

Other U.S. women who should be in the thick of things are Kate O'Neill and Molly Huddle. O'Neill, a former Massachusetts high school star from Milton and Yale graduate, was a 2004 Olympian. She was second at Falmouth in 2004 and third in 2007. Huddle, from Elmira, N.Y., is a former All-American at Notre Dame who was second earlier this summer at 5000 meters at the USA Outdoor Championships. She was also second at the USA Cross Country Championships in February. Last year Huddle won three U.S. road championships: the 10K in Boston (Tufts), 7 miles at Bix in Davenport, Iowa and 10 miles at Bobby Crim in Flint, Mich.

Other women to watch include:
* Lineth Chepkurui of Kenya, winner of the Lilac Bloomsday Run in a world record 38:10 for the 12K distance. (Daska was second in the race). Chepkurui also won the Bay to Breakers in another world record 38:07.

* Mara Dibaba of Ethiopia, who earlier this season set the Ethiopian half-marathon record of 1:07:13.

* Edna Kiplagat of Kenya, third at Falmouth last year and third in 2006. She won the Boilermaker 15K in a course record 47:57 and won the Honda Los Angeles marathon (2:25:38).

* Benita Willis, a three-time Australian Olympian (at 5000, 10,000 and marathon) and former world cross country champion.

* Azalech Woldeselasse of Ethiopia, who was fourth in the Paris Marathon in 2:25:34

Among the seniors in the race will be three of the most decorated runners in American history: Olympic gold medalists Frank Shorter and Joan Benoit Samuelson, and four-time Boston and New York marathon winner Bill Rodgers. Shorter has won Falmouth twice, Rodgers three times and Benoit Samuelson six times.

CIGNA is now in its fifth year as the title sponsor. More than 2,000 volunteers provide the support system for race weekend. Proceeds from the race support youth athletic programs in the town of Falmouth and other nonprofit community groups.

Visit falmouthroadrace.com for more information.

Renato Canova on Mo Farah

I met Mo the first time 2 years ago. In Kenya, he lives in Iten, and we are in the same hotel, so naturally we started talking about training : methodology, altitude, diet, recovery, etc.
After the last winter (when Mo had some problem of Iron), he asked me to give him a detailed program for preparing as main target European Championships, with some goal during the approach (10 km on road in England, 10000m in the European Challenge 5 days later, the European Cup, one 5000m in Gateshead).
I prepared detailed programs only for the periods he was not in Kenya.
He maintained the workouts used before, adding something new, for me very significative :
a) short sprint uphill -
b) long and fast run (the global increase in volume was about 20%) -
c) mixed intervals on track (for example, sets of (2000 + 300) + (1600 + 300) + (1200 + 300) + (800 + 300) + (400 + 300), with 2' recovery between tests inside the same set, and 5' between sets, at pace in altitude of 5'25" - 4'12" -3'06" - 1'58" - 54", with all the 300m between 40" and 41")

We spoke about how to use the altitude, for example competing inside the first 48 hours after going to sea level (he moved from Kenya to England for the 10 km only 36 hours before the race, to Gateshead one day before, to Barcelona 48 hours before), how to modify recovery when in altitude, when to start intensity after going to altitude and when after going down.

Mo is a very nice and precise athlete. He writes everything on his laptop, so it's very easy to control what he really did, and to modify something, according to the feeling of the moment. I like athletes with very high feeling with their body, and my final goal is to teach to everybody to understand what happens in his body. So, I consider myself a teacher, before a coach.

I can have this type of relation with athletes having high sensibility, and mentally very clean. I'm in the condition not to be interested in strong athletes that I don't trust, under personal point of view. For me, the MORAL QUALITIES are the first point : their behavior with themselves and with other people, the respect for who works in right way, the "straightness" in their choices, not looking too much for the best opportunity of the moment, but for building a long future with strong fundation.

When I'm the coach of somebody, I decide everything about him : his strategy, his competitions, his training, and many times I'm also involved in their family, because they want to share with me also personal problems.

In the case of Mo, he decides with UK Federation his plan for institutional events, with Ricky his plan for private competitions, and I'm not involved in any decision in direct way. I speak with Mo about what I think the best way, but the final choice is from himself. He knows the terms of his contracts with his Company, with UK Federation and with his manager, I'm not interested in knowing these particulars. Our collaboration is a fact of friendship and of mutual respect.

Economic woes? Leave them in the dust

The U.S. economy may have tanked in 2009, but the running industry was able to pick up its pace.


Nearly every sector experienced "astounding growth" despite the economic downturn, says Running USA, a national nonprofit organization, in the recently released second part of its annual State of the Sport survey.

Locally, the Houston Marathon Committee's controversial decision to implement a lottery to handle the increasing demand for its Jan. 30 races offers evidence of the trend.

But consider these national statistics: The number of marathon finishers in 2009 increased nearly 10 percent from the previous year to a record 467,000. More than 1.1 million people finished a half-marathon, a 24 percent increase from 2008. The group estimates there were approximately 10 million U.S. road race finishers in 2009, also a record high.

The report concludes running appears to be recession proof because it's inexpensive, easy to do and accessible to all ages.

"The two A's — affordability and accessibility - are very important," said Richard Finn, spokesman for New York Road Runners, which hosts the ING New York City Marathon. The event is the world's largest marathon; 43,660 people finished it in 2009. Organizers have received about 120,000 applications for this year's Nov. 7 race, the fourth consecutive year it's had more than 100,000 applicants.

"The fact is that everybody can run, because it's just part of our makeup," Finn said.

"It doesn't mean you'll run well, but everyone can run."

Running USA researcher Ryan Lamppa said the sport is not only an inexpensive way to exercise and lose weight but also to socialize.

It might also add stability in an otherwise unstable situation, he added, because it "gives you something to control - you can't control the stock market or the economy, but you can control your health."

Play the odds
More than 9,000 people registered on Tuesday's opening of the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon lottery.

Registration, which is available at chevronhoustonmarathon.com, closes at 11:59 p.m. Aug. 12.

Those who have registered will be notified by e-mail if they've been selected or not on Aug. 17. The field for the Jan. 30 races will be limited to 22,000.

Race addicts: Mad for marathons

Rick Rayman can't stop. He has gone running every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow, since Dec. 10, 1978. Most days, he goes for 30 minutes or five kilometres, whatever comes first. But he has also run a staggering number of marathons: 231 and counting. You read that correctly. And no, you're not the only one who thinks that the 64-year-old dentist in Toronto is something of a madman.

“A lot of people can't comprehend it,” Dr. Rayman says. But to him, it's simple. “I just love meeting people, I love the running culture and it's still a rush finishing a marathon.”

For runners, the marathon is frequently thought of as Mount Everest. It's the goal that most, if not all, want to summit. Some will do it once and never again. Others will do one a year, perhaps two.

However, for a small group of runners, the thrill of doing the 42-kilometre distance entices them to run multiple marathons each and every year. And while they are proof that it can be done, experts warn that doing too many of the races can have harmful long-term effects on the body.

“The vast majority cannot do it,” says Chris Woollam, a sports-medicine physician and medical director of the Mississauga Marathon and the Toronto Marathon. “I've got too many 50-year-olds with arthritis in their knees and hips, some guys needing hip replacements in their 50s, knee replacements in their 50s and 60s.”

Still, even Dr. Woollam concedes that, with good mechanics, it is possible for some runners to avoid the sort of injuries likely to befall most runners who do what others view as an unbelievable number of marathons.

But look at the number of marathons the majority of elite runners enter each year and you'll find proof in favour of moderation, says Bob Vigars, track and field coach at the University of Western Ontario. “If you look at the world-class runners, very few of those guys do any more than three in a year,” he says. “And these guys, and women, are running machines in that they are just so efficient.”

Last year, Dr. Rayman ran 18 marathons. The year before that, he completed 17. He has already run 10 this year and expects to do another 10 before the year is over.

Unlike elite runners, however, Dr. Rayman and most of those who do multiple marathons each year aren't out to break any records. They are simply drawn to the events themselves, with their excitement and camaraderie and the satisfaction of crossing the finish line.

Daniel Fricker, a 75-year-old retired educational consultant who lives outside Sherbrooke, Que., has run 89 marathons since he began competing in the events 28 years ago. “I get a sense of satisfaction each time I do it,” he says. “And having run a marathon, everything else seems like small cheese.”

While Mr. Fricker has suffered minor injuries to both his knees in recent years, he says he has never suffered a “major” injury.

Andi aims to be a GB marathon star

By Trevor Baxter

Andi Jones should give hope to all those Sunday morning joggers who dream of becoming an international runner.

Salford Harrier Jones wasn’t exactly pedestrian as a teenager.

But at 18, it took him just under four hours to run his first marathon.

Now, most runners find it difficult keeping up with this Jones boy.

And he’s poised for the biggest race of a career that began with his 3 hours 55 minutes marathon and a junior win at the Tour of Tameside.

Jones is part of Britain’s marathon squad at the European Championships and will be competing on a tough 26.2 mile course on Sunday.

He will also compete at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October.

"I have run for Britain a few times but this is going to be my most important championships,"said Jones.

"And I think it’s going to be a tough race. The course is pretty flat and fortunately we don’t run up the hill to the Olympic Stadium.

"But it is going to be very hot which is likely to have an effect on times."

Jones ran his marathon personal best of 2:15.20 at the 2009 London Marathon when he was first British finisher.

He will do well to get close in the expected baking conditions.

"I’m looking to be up there among the top British runners, that’s my main aim," said Jones

"After that I’m not sure but I obviously want to be competitive."

Coached by Bob Merrill, Jones admits he is too young to remember much about the iconic 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

"I was only 11 or 12 and while I saw bits of the Games, nothing much sticks in my mind.

"But I have been inside the stadium so I’m looking forward to going back."

Jones warmed up for his Barcelona outing by a second place finish at the recent Manchester 10K.

He also won the Sale 5 back in May despite a heavy night with fellow runners on the town in Manchester.

"To run 29 mins 32 seconds for the 10K was surprising but shows I am in good shape.

"I won’t be doing anymore races before the European marathon."

Jones admits it is a big moment for him, putting on a GB vest.

"All my kit has arrived and that’s always a proud moment.

"You get everything you need plus some things you don't.

"I certainly hope I won’t be wearing my fleecy sweat shirt!"

l SALE Harriers are hosting their annual 10 miles road race at Wythenshawe Park on Sunday.

Marathon man Mart aims to reign in Spain!

SEDGLEY policeman-turned-marathon runner Martin Williams has vowed to take no prisoners when he makes his British debut at the European Championships in Barcelona this Sunday (August 1).

The 32-year-old has only been running over 26.2miles for two years but has gone from strength to strength, finishing his maiden race – the Florence Marathon in November 2008 – in ninth.

Williams clocked 2:19.40 hours and despite failing to better that at his first London Marathon in 2009 he lowered his best to 2:18.24 en route to the Edinburgh Marathon title a month later.

With UKA relaxing their stiff selection standards for the Europeans as of last July, Williams’ bid to board the plane to Spain was boosted with the qualifying time lowered to 2:18.00.

The Tipton Harrier ducked under that at the Seville Marathon in February clocking 2:17.36 and has promised to lay down the law when he returns to the streets of Spain.

Williams said: “I haven’t really looked at the field and who I will be up against in Barcelona but I certainly am not about to go there to just make up the numbers.

“I know I will be a relative newcomer but hopefully this can work to my advantage and I can slip under the radar and upset a few people.

“It is hard to hold down the tough job that I do and keep training at a high level so things like this are great for me and the pressure is off and I can just concentrate on my running.

“I don’t think I will feel any extra nerves and if anything it will spur me on – I won’t have time to feel nervous about representing Great Britain.

“I have been dreaming of this moment to come for a long time and when it finally arrives it is going to be a great feeling.”

Williams’ selection was far from straight forward and he was only included on the team after Andrew Lemoncello – the current British No.1 – reversed his decision to run in Barcelona.

Britain will send a full-strength marathon team to the European Championships despite the absence of Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi with Williams joining up with 11 others.

The European Championships will also incorporate the European Marathon Cup and with three scoring as part of the team, Williams has vowed to be among Britain’s best performers.

He added: “With it being my first major competition, I haven’t set myself any real aims or goals but I want to do myself and the British team proud.

“I am really excited about heading out to Barcelona and featuring for Great Britain at a major championship. It is going to be my first time pulling on that GB vest so to do it in a major event is brilliant.

“And having been on a training camp I couldn’t be better prepared. Being a marathon runner is all about how well you prepare so to come and get the training done means I couldn’t be in better shape.”

l Martin Williams has been selected for the Aviva GB & NI Team and is high-altitude training in Font Romeu, France. Aviva’s support both at home and abroad is helping the team prepare to compete at their best. Get to know the Aviva GB & NI team at aviva.co.uk/athletics

NYC bound: Simon Bairu

Competitor.com - Vintage Running Shirt Photo Contest

Nice idea from competitor.com - Vintage Running Shirt Photo Contest

Western States 100 - new film

by Matt Ward

An excellent depiction of the battle up-front at last months Western States 100 has just been released. It gives a nice flavour of the struggle between Anton, Kilian and Geoff – one can only imagine what the pain was like as they entered the last few miles…

Oh, and in case you missed it read Anton’s tale over at his excellent blog, and an epic write up at Running Times too…

Neil Wilson's blog: Mo Farah and Chris Thompson can stop haggling over £12.50 - the marathon millions are beckoning

Hardly had Mo Farah and Chris Thompson finished their lap of honour together last night than they were in disagreement.

'Chris and me go way back,' said gold medalist Farah in the area under the tunnel where athletes exiting the track have to pass the media eager for their thoughts.
'I remember us holding hands at the finish of a cross country in Margate.'
Thompson interrupted his flow. 'Not how I remember it, Mo. We said we’d get selected anyway in that race, so let’s cross together and we’d share the prize money.
'But you ran off and won the £100 first prize and I got £75 for second. I’m still waiting for the £12.50 you owe me.'
The pair who became the first national one-two in the 76-year history of the Europeans will not be in need of such paltry pay days in future. The world of marathons is holding its hands out to them.
Many of British running’s legendary names think their immediate move now should be to the classic road race. While they are medal winners now in Europe those they beat are not world class.
Neither man is likely to be a contender when the Africans and even Americans are thrown into the mix next year at the world championships.
But at the marathon they would be. Remember how in the 1980s the Portuguese Carlos Lopes went from a 10,000 metres time not dissimilar to what Farah and Thompson have run this year to win the Olympic marathon.

Worship the king: Chris Thompson pays homage to his pal Mo Farah
And Britain’s own Steve Jones was transformed from 10,000 metres to the world marathon record holder.
Paula Radcliffe herself fell short always on the track because of the presence of Ethiopians at global events but when she moved to the marathon in 2002 she was unbeatable.
Thompson, who does not have any Lottery support, already lives in Eugene in the west of America with girlfriend Jemma Simpson, a qualifier last night for Friday’s 800 metres final.
The lucrative US road running circuit would make sense for him as a prelude to the Olympic marathon in London. New York in November may not be too soon for his debut at the distance.
The lighter, slighter Farah would make perfect marathon material. He trains already like a marathon runner, basing himself for months on end at high altitude training camps. London next April would earn him a six-figure fortune in participation money that race there is so desperate for British ‘stories’.
Its director David Bedford announced his retirement after the 2012 Olympic marathon which he will be helping to organise and would love to go out on the first ever British win in the Olympic marathon.
Just imagine it – Paula or Mara Yamauchi for the women’s gold, Mo or Chris for the men’s.
Expect an announcement soon.
*****
When Linford Christie was the main man in the 100 metres in Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium, the media knew that he would never stop for a quick comment after preliminary rounds.
He was through the S-bend where the Phil Joneses of those days lurked with their microphones and cameras faster than he had run the race, utterly focused on the single race at the end.
Not Dwain Chambers last night. He knows that this might be the end of his Indian summer, his last in the limelight of contention for gold. He is banned from this year’s Commonwealth Games and the Olympics in 2012.

Next year, at the world championships, he will be a side-show when Usain Bolt takes his place to defend his titles.
So Dwain is determined to enjoy every last moment. And that goes for the post-race interviews. After round one he stopped for so many that he was over-taken by finishers from races ending 10 minutes later. Even French television wanted his views because of today’s impending clash with their young star, Christophe Lemaitre.
The French sports newspaper L’Equipe believes Chambers is favourite because of experience. So does Lemaitre himself. And there would be no more popular winner among the British team than the man who has patiently rehabilitated himself into a respected member of the squad.
*****
David Greene, the Briton with Europe’s leading time, goes to his blocks for the first round of the 400 metres hurdles today. At least that is what it says on the start sheets.
But there has been a name change. Greene himself wants to be known and addressed as Dai. 'Everybody at home calls me Dai,' says the Welshman. 'If I was English they’d call me Dave. So it’s Dai, please.'

Wanna race? 2011 Chevron Houston Marathon now open for registration

Ready. Set. Go. Registration for the 2011 Chevron Houston Marathon is now open. The marathon is set for Sunday, January 30.

More than half of the participants register early because there's a cap of 22,000 participants.

The time limit for completing the marathon is six hours. The course closes on a rolling schedule based on a 13:45 per mile pace.

Participants must be at least 12 years old on race day to register. And, for you serious marathon runner, the Chevron Houston Marathon is a Boston Marathon qualifier.

Click here for more information on how to sign up: http://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/Marathon/

Abeylegesse Euro champ 10,000

Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey cruised to victory in the women's 10,000 meters at the European Championships on Wednesday.
The Olympic silver medalist moved out of the pack early and maintained a sizable lead throughout at Barcelona's Olympic stadium to finish in 31 minutes, 10.23 seconds, the fastest time of the European season.

Defending champion Inga Abitova's late surge took silver in 31:22.83 to give Russia its leading seventh medal of the competition.

Jessica Augusto of Portugal held on for bronze in 31:25.77.

1 ABEYLEGESSE, Elvan TUR 31:10.23
2 ABITOVA, Inga RUS 31:22.83
3 AUGUSTO, Jessica POR 31:25.77
4 KIBET, Hilda NED 31:36.90
5 ERDOGAN, Meryem TUR 31:44.86
6 MOCKENHAUPT, Sabrina GER 32:06.02
7 SOKOLOVA, Yelena RUS 32:36.71
8 PAPP, Krisztina HUN 32:49.05
9 FÉLIX, Dulce POR 33:12.93
10 KUDZELICH, Sviatlana BLR 33:31.33
11 STRÄHL, Martina SUI 33:37.89
12 MARTÍN, Jacqueline ESP 34:11.49
13 ERDÉLYI, Zsófia HUN 34:57.77

Wilson Kiprop takes Gold for Kenya in 10,000 at Africans

NAIROBI — Hosts Kenya claimed the first gold in the African Athletics championships on Wednesday when Wilson Kiprop held off Uganda's Moses Kipsiro to win the men's 10,000 metres.
Kiprop, the national record holder, moved into the lead on the final bend after taking over from his tiring compatriot Geoffrey Mutai to claim the title in 27min 32.91sec.

The race had been billed as a contest between Kenya and Ethiopia, but it failed to live to its expectations after the Ethiopia challenge of Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Sileshi Sihine and Teklemariam Medhin faded away after 15 laps as three Kenyans, led by Kiprop, opened up the race.
But Kipsiro, a former world 5,000m bronze medallist, stuck with the Kenyans to the end and was rewarded with the silver medal.

"This was not my race. But because it was a long distance event, I decided to stay with the Kenyans and try my luck and the strategy worked," said Kipsiro.
The Ugandan was timed at 27:33.37 with Mutai third in 27:33.83. Another Kenyan, Mathew Kisorio (27:56.71) was placed fourth.

Beach to Beacon on August 7: STACKED

As featured in the issue of Running Times Magazine
A pair of running legends – Catherine Ndereba and Khalid Khannouchi – and an Ethiopian couple who are among the hottest road racers in the world, have joined an already talented field for the upcoming TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, race organizers announced Tuesday.

The late additions include Gebre Gebremariam, 25, of Ethiopia, who is coming off an impressive win (27:56) at the AJC Peachtree Road Race. Well-known for his sprinter’s kick, in May he ran the fastest-ever 10K in Central Park (27:42) at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K. The 2009 IAAF World Cross Country champ who also finished fourth at 5000m in the 2004 Olympics, Gebremariam is currently ranked 14th in the world by Running Times.

He will be joined at the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K by his wife, Worknesh Kidane, 28, a former World Cross Country champion and World Championship silver medalist on the track. She took third (31:18) in a strong field at the NYRR New York Mini 10K in June and won the Great Manchester Run (31:19) in England in May.

Ndereba and Khannouchi, household names in the running world, are both familiar faces marking their returns to the TD Bank Beach to Beacon after long absences.

Ndereba, 38, a Kenyan running legend and two-time Olympic marathon silver medalist known as ‘Catherine the Great’, is a five-time TD Bank Beach to Beacon champ and former course record holder (31:33). She last competed in the race in 2004, ending a remarkable run that included winning five of the first six, including the first four races from 1998-2001.

A four-time BAA Boston Marathon champ, two-time World Champ and former world-record holder, Ndereba won silver medals in the marathon at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

“It’s going to be really special to see Catherine back in the TD Bank Beach to Beacon,” said Larry Barthlow, the race’s elite athlete coordinator. “She started winning our race right at the point that her running career really skyrocketed. I know she enjoys coming to Maine, and she is extremely popular here.”

The TD Bank Beach to Beacon also holds special meaning for Khannouchi, also 38, who won the 1999 TD Bank Beach to Beacon (27:48) as a Moroccan, then returned to Maine a year later to compete in his very first race after gaining U.S. citizenship. Like Ndereba, he last took part in the TD Bank Beach to Beacon in 2004.

A former world record holder in the marathon and four-time Chicago Marathon champ who still holds the American marathon record (2:05:38), Khannouchi is on the comeback trail after a series of injuries, including foot surgeries, derailed his career. He hasn’t run competitively since 2008.

He is using the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K as a third and final test to gauge his fitness toward his ultimate goal of competing in a marathon this fall, according to reports.

“We know our race holds a special place in Khalid’s heart as he ran here first as an American citizen, and we’re really happy to have him back as he continues his climb back into competitive racing,” Barthlow said. “He is a true legend in this sport.”

Barthlow also noted that Martin Lel of Kenya, who is one of the world’s top marathoners with three London Marathon and two New York City Marathon titles, has confirmed that he will take part in the race.

Lel, who finished fifth in the marathon at the 2008 Olympics, won the Mardi Gras Half Marathon earlier this year but pulled out the London Marathon in April due to injury. He is now healthy, Barthlow said.

The new additions join a strong elite field that was announced in June, including both defending champs, Ed Muge, 27, who will seeking his third straight title, and Irene Limika, 30, both of Kenya.

In addition to Ndereba, Limika will face an especially star-studded field of young runners.

Kenyan Lineth Chepkurui, 22, ranked 9th in the world by Running Times, is coming off a dominating victory at the AJC Peachtree (30:51). Dubbed the ‘Queen of the Roads,’ she ran the fastest 10K (30:45) so far in 2010 at the Crescent City Classic and set a world record at 12K (38:07) at the ING Bay to Breakers.

Also in the field is Edna Kipligat, 30, of Kenya, who set a course record (47:57), earlier this month to win the Utica Boilermaker 15K and also won the 2010 Los Angeles marathon (2:25:38).

Barthlow also confirmed Tuesday that Wude Ayalew Yimer, 23, of Ethiopia, is returning to the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K for the first time since 2007, when she came in as a race favorite but got tangled with another runner early in the race, never recovered and finished a disappointing fourth. She has improved since, taking home the bronze medal at 10,000m at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, and setting a new course record (31:58) to win the 2010 World 10K Run in India.

Top American runners Rebecca Donaghue and Ilsa Paulson also are in the field.

The TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K, set for Saturday, Aug. 7 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, was founded by Olympic champion Joan Benoit Samuelson, a Cape Elizabeth, Maine native and running icon.

Prize money for the winner of the men’s and women’s races is $10,000. In all, nearly $60,000 in prize money will be awarded to the top finishers and place winners in the various categories for men and women. A $2,500 bonus also is available for any runner who breaks an open course record.

Blog Roll: Ryan Hall

I was grateful to have the opportunity to race at the Bix 7 U.S. Championships this past Sunday. The Bix 7 miler has been one of those races on my running bucket list that I have always wanted to run. I had heard stories about the crowd support, hilly course, and festival atmosphere that makes Bix a unique running experience.

I knew when Meb, Lisa Koll, and myself were doing a signing at the expo two days before the race that I was in for something special. At signings I always make it a point to ask people how many times they have competed in whatever event we are at. I was amazed at how many runners come back to Bix year after year. Most people boasted of running the event over 10 years in a row. Similarly, while walking past a crowded favorite local restaurant it became apparent that there was something great about Bix that kept drawing people back year after year.

I woke up on race morning to some intense lightening and rain. It was one of those nasty looking, gloomy storms that looked like it didn’t have plans on moving anytime soon. Luckily, by the time we were began our warmup the rain had briefly subsided, but not for long. Standing on the starting line the rain began to beat down on us once again. As much as we all hope for those perfect race-day conditions, I would much rather run in rain than heat and humidity.

The gun released us straight into the half-mile hill. I felt like an exuberant boxer that came straight out of opening round bell only to get clocked in the jaw and knocked down in the opening seconds. The hill was tougher than it looked from the car the day before. Our first mile split was 5:07 but it felt like a 4:20 effort. At the mile, my teammate Scott Bauhs and a couple of other runners began to open up a gap that gradually extended to 50 meters at the turnaround. At this point I was very much in my own zone trying to gauge my energy–well knowing that the way back would have much more uphill than the way out. I knew I would need something in reserve. The course certainly lived up to the hype as a challenging course.

As I began to work my way back up with the leaders–along with a couple of other runners from the second pack–I started to feel better and better. I was also beginning to feed off the energy of the other runners who were heading to the turnaround as they cheered me on despite being off the lead. I love courses that double back on themselves for this very reason. The Gasparilla 15K is another great course that doubles back on itself. Seeing the thousands of runners on the course reminds me that I am a part of something much larger than myself.
By the fifth mile I had caught the leader and began opening up a small gap. I actually felt better going up the hills than down them, which is unusual for me. I typically love flying down the hills. Perhaps it was all the hill work I had done for Boston that was still in my system. I knew that I had to run as hard as I could till I got to the top of the hill (around mile 6) then it was pretty much all downhill from there. The gap stayed about the same to the finish, which had a stunning turnout of support despite the rain.
Winning the Bix 7 has brought me one step closer to my dreams that hopefully await me at the Chicago Marathon. I am also humbled to have my name added to the list of Box champions that includes runners I look up to, such as Bill Rogers and Meb. After running Bix I certainly understand why people keep coming back year after year. The vibe is all about having a good time and conquering a demanding course. I look forward to returning to Bix in the future.

Ryan blogs on Competitor

Farah leads UK 1-2 at Europeans 10,000

European Athletics reports
Mo Farah gave the British team the perfect start to European Athletics Championships in Barcelona with a fabulous win in the 10000m. Farah led home a British one-two, with Chris Thompson claiming the second place with a brilliant run.
27-year-old Farah added another title to his growing collection of gold medals, and added an outdoor European gold to his cross country (2006), indoor (3000m/2009) titles.

Farah also became the first ever Briton to strike gold in the 10000m event in the history of the Europeans while the runner-up place bagged by his compatriot Chris Thompson confirmed their pre-race favourites billing. The bronze medal went to the 24-year-old Italian Daniel Meucci. Both Thompson and Meucci bagged their first major career medals.

The large pack of 26 athletes started very cautiously with a pedestrian 2:59.70 for the opening kilometre led by Belarus’s Stsiapan Rahautsou. By then Farah ran conservatively in last place but when Russia’s Pavel Shapovalov injected some speed to go through the 3000m in 8:46.91 the Somalian-born Farah moved to the middle of the pack.

At the 3750 point Farah took the lead for the first time but he was rapidly joint at the forefront for the Spanish duo of Carlos Castillejo and the Moroccan-born Ayad Lamdassem.

At the halfway point the pace had again decreased as France’s Abellatif Metfah cruised the 5000m point in 14:38.10 with Lamdasemm at his shoulder. For a major surprise the defending champion Jan Fitschen of Germany dropped out from the leading group.

The first remarkable move was made by Thompson, holder of a PB of 27:29.61, with still 3600m left. The 29-year-old stepped up the pace for a fast eighth kilometre of 2:47.18 and shortly afterwards Farah dealt a killer blow with a 1:04 lap which only Lamdassem could cover while Thompson, Meucci and Castillejo faded 20m behind the leading duo but the latter lost ground and his medal chances vanished before entering the last kilometre.

For the astonishment of Lamdassem Farah looked at the Spaniard, slowed down the pace and asked him to make the pacing duties with some 1200m left. Lamdassem ruled the race then (2:44.97 for the ninth kilometre) and he tried to leave Farah behind with 650m to go boosted for his local crowd but the Briton comfortably responded to his attack to deliver later a devastating final kick 300m off the finish line.

Farah’s closing 300m were stunning and he opened a sizeable margin on Lamdassem in a matter of few strides to romp home absolutely unopposed in 28:24.99 to improve on his silver medal over 5000m in Göteborg. Farah’s last 300m took him unofficial 46s.

The battle for the minor places on the podium was simply epic. Lamdassem seemed to be guaranteed the silver medal but the fierce fight for the ‘bronze’ medal between Thompson and Meucci led them to catch the Spaniard with 50m left although the neck to neck between them kept on until the finish line to such an extent that they were given the same time, 28:27.33, the silver medal going for Thompson by thousands of a second. A mentally devastated Lamdassem jogged through the final metres to clock 28:34.89 for a cruel 4th place.

Andrew Bumbalough Joins KIMbia Athletics Family

Andrew Bumbalough will bring a broad range and impressive college credentials to KIMbia Athletics, after completing his career as a Georgetown Hoya. The Tennessee native has logged top-notch personal bests of 3:38.23 for 1500m and 13:30.77 for 5000m, against an 8th place finish in the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships, making him one of the more versatile athletes to come out of the US college ranks.

Previously, Bumbalough — which is pronounced with a long “O” sound — represented the United States in 2006 at the IAAF World Junior Championships, both in cross country and in track and field as a competitor in the 1500m. This season, he placed third in the NCAA 5000m final, before coming to US Nationals and taking third among all senior men, sandwiched between KIMbia runners Tim Nelson (2nd) and Brent Vaughn (4th), in the results.

We asked Andrew to share a bit about himself as a person and as a runner.

What first attracted you to running?
Like many other runners, I started out playing soccer before I took on track full time. I played soccer from kindergarten through 8th grade and began to realize I could play the entire game without feeling tired while my teammates would experience fatigue in the later stages of the match. An observant and energetic young coach asked me to quit soccer and start running full-time because he saw my potential to be a very good high school runner. Marshall Smith and later Charlie Harper would serve as my coaches and mentors throughout high school, inspiring me to work hard, dream big, and never, ever put limits on myself. They made me believe that I could win a state championship, a high school national championship, an NCAA championship, and even one day be on the podium at the Olympic Games.

What is your favorite running memory?
I am in this sport because I am a competitor. While I have had some great runs in scenic spots throughout the world, I would be lying if I said that my favorite running moment wasn’t a big win or great performance. One of my favorite races, though, was actually a relay that our team didn’t win or even place in the Top 3 in; it was just a unique situation that I’ll never forget. It was the DMR at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I was charged with anchoring duties on the 1600m leg. Everything was going great until our 400m and 800m exchange went awry and the baton tumbled to the track and rolled down the bank into lane one, coming to a rest on the rail. Our 800m guy ran a solid leg, but at this point we were in last place by a good margin. I got the stick and knew I had some major work to do if we were going to have a respectable finish. I went out in 56.x then 1:56.x by 1200m I had moved us back into 3rd place. With 200m to go I thought we were going to finish 2nd or 3rd but the big move I made early in the race came back to me and I got passed by two teams in the final stretch to finish 5th – splitting 3:56.1. Maybe it wasn’t my best race ever but it certainly was a lot of fun to see what I could do despite the less than desirable circumstances.

What is your favorite workout?
Only about 10-15% of my training is race specific work. Most of the year is spent building strength through tempo runs, threshold runs, and long runs. When we move into the time of year where we get to run ‘race pace’ in practice that is a lot of fun. I love VO2 max workouts – probably because they are few and far between in our training calendar. But something like: 5x1200m or a ladder 400, 800, 1200, 1600 and back down are fun for me.

Would you describe yourself as a running fan (or running nerd) growing up? And why or why not?
No, in fact, in my high school practices kids would talk about running history – names that I should have probably have known but didn’t. I would always have to ask “Wait, who are you guys talking about again?” In some ways I felt like the kid in The Sandlot who didn’t know who “The Great Bambino” was. Eventually, I caught on to some of the more important runners in US history. But sometimes when I am having conversations with same group of guys now, I’ll have to pretend I know what they’re talking about and then Google it later.

You have a 3:38 PB, but also placed Top-10 at NCAAs in cross country: do you see your future being more as a miler or more in the 5k and up?
I think that the 5k will be my event now and down the road. The first 3 years of college I ran almost exclusively the 1500m. Coach Henner believes in developing speed, building strength over time, and eventually moving up to longer races. I think I have benefited a lot from this approach because one of my greatest assets now and in the future is my ability to close out a longer race (such as the 5k) really fast.

What are your goals as an athlete, in this year and, let’s say, in five-years’ time?
Ultimately, I just want to see how good I can be. Now that school is over, I am able to devote 100% of my time and energy to becoming one of the best in our country, but also with the intentions of being a player on the international scene. I don’t want to just ‘make it’ in our sport. I want to be a guy that is going to be mixing it up with the best out there on a consistent basis. The next two years are World Championship and Olympic years, so making those teams and competing well at each of those events are the short term goals. However, the more immediate item on the table is building a big base of fitness to get stronger and faster over the coming months and years!

If you had to compare your personality, as a runner, to any historical figure, who would that be?
Though he is a figure of writer Mark Twain’s imagination, my running personality would be best described by the life and times of Huckleberry Finn. Huck Finn is both unassuming and adventurous – deftly maneuvering himself around life’s challenges at the pace that best suits him. He lets others do the early work, painting the proverbial fences, while waiting to make his play. But somehow, Huck seems to find a way to end up where he wants to be – even if that is at his own funeral: alive.

‘This is a Kenyan race’ - Juniors bring home third victory

By CHRIS MUSUMBA cmusumba@ke.nationmedia.com

It’s a golden harvest in Canada as Kenya emerge tops with seven gold medals at junior championships
Kenya beat track and field bigwigs USA and Germany to clinch an unprecedented third overall title, collecting 15 medals as the curtains came down on the week-long World Junior Athletics Championship in Moncton, Canada, on Sunday.

Jonathan Muia Ndiku, Caleb Mwangangi, David Mutinda, Dennis Masai, David Bett, Purity Cherotich and Mercy Cherono won gold. Albert Yator, Cherono Koech, Mercy Cherono and John Kipkoech won silver while Nancy Chepkwemoi, Alice Aprot, Lucia Kamene and Paul Lonyangata settled for bronze.

David Mutinda powered past Americans Casimir Loxsom and Robby Andrews for a 800m victory in a personal best time of 1:46.41.

Loxsom and Andrews, who seemed to be racing for the gold until Mutinda’s late intervention, clocked 1:46.57, a personal best for the former, and 1:47.00 as they saw their hopes die in the last 50 metres.

Not surprisingly Mutinda victory was the seventh for Kenya and first since Alex Kipchirchir in 2002.

Not a very hard race

“It was not a very hard race,” said Mutinda, despite his opponents running out of steam in the final 100m. “When we started racing my body showed me I could win. When there was 110m left my body woke up and I knew I could win the race.”

Pre-race favourite Jonathan Ndiku became the first man to win back-to-back 3,000m steeplechase titles in the championships. His 12th successive victory, only the inaugural title in 1986 having escaped the Kenyan’s stranglehold, came in 8:23.48.

Ndiku’s team mate Albert Yator (8:33.55 PB) and Ugandan Jacob Araptany (98:37.02).

Defending champion Ndiku went into the championships with a world leading 8:19.25, set at high altitude in Nairobi during the Senior Africa Athletics trials at the end of June.

His opening pace pulled the Japanese-based 19-year-old into a 12m lead after the first complete lap of the stadium although Yator, Araptany and Ethiopia’s Desta Alemu got back on level terms after a further 300m.

‘This is a Kenyan race’

But his easy free running style, although his hurdling technique needs plenty of improvement, clearly suggested there was only ever going to be one winner.

Ndiku explaining why he slowed after his first lap break, said: “I wanted my team mate to come in front of me because I needed some help.”

He added after the country’s huge success at all levels of athletics championships: “This race is our culture. It’s a Kenyan race.”

Are You On The See Food Diet?

The first step in controlling your eating is acknowledging that you can’t.
Written by: Matt Fitzgerald

We’ve all heard this one: “I’m on the see food diet. When I see food, I eat it.”
It’s a mildly amusing joke the first time you hear it, but what’s not funny is the fact that, in a sense, all of us are on the see food diet, and it’s one of the reasons weight management is so difficult for many of us.
Research has consistently shown that people are unable to resist temptations and inducements to eat. When presented with delectable foods at times when we are not hungry, we usually eat them. When served larger portions than we need to satisfy our appetite, we usually clear our plate anyway. And commercial advertising that tries to make us crave junk food usually succeeds.
For example, the results of a new Cornell University study suggest that people eat more when they place serving dishes on the same table they eat from. In the study, lead researcher Brian Wansink and colleagues had subjects eat the same foods in two different circumstances. In one circumstance they served themselves from dishes that sat in front of them on a table and then ate at that same table. In a second circumstance they served themselves at a counter and then took their plates to a table where they ate without the temptation of additional food in front of them. In both circumstances the subjects were instructed to eat as much or as little as they liked. Guess what? Women ate 20 percent less and men 29 percent less when they ate without serving dishes in front of them.
When we see food, we eat it.
Wansink’s “serve here, eat there” study is only the latest in a long line of studies through which he has shown that we are puppets and environmental food cues are the puppeteers. My favorite is his famous self-refilling soup bowls study. Fifty-four subjects were invited to enjoy a bowl of soup, eating as much or as little as they liked. Half of the bowls were outfitted with a device that slowly and imperceptibly refilled them with soup as the subjects ate. On average, the subjects eating from the self-refilling bowls ate 73 percent more soup than the others without realizing it and without feeling any more full afterward.
So, you’re a puppet. I’m a puppet. We’re all puppets. What can we do about it? A lot, actually. There are all kinds of simple ways to avoid temptations to overeat or eat the wrongs things. Here’s a few suggestions.
Use small plates and bowls
Put away the vast serving platters you use as dinner plates (I’m exaggerating) and eat your pierogies off an appetizer plate instead. Stop eating your Cheerios out of those huge mixing bowls (I’m still exaggerating) and start eating them out of a small salad bowl.
The idea here is not to go hungry but to eat from the small dishes that will fit enough food to satisfy your appetite, as research shows that when we use larger dishes we automatically eat more.
Clean out your cupboards
My sister in law is a nutritionist, and one of the first things she does with new clients is visit their homes and empty their cupboards and refrigerators of all the junk. When both junk and healthy food are available in your kitchen you will eat the junk first. I cured my potato chips-eating habit by begging my wife to stop bringing bags of potato chips home from the store. Try it!
Order small portions
Many restaurants these days serve huge portions. Remember, you’re a puppet. If you are served more than you need at a restaurant, you will eat it. Ask about portion sizes before ordering and request half portions when appropriate to avoid overeating.
Keep fruit visible
Another study by Brian Wansink found that subjects ate more fruit when it was kept in a highly visible place on the kitchen table. Do that.
Travel with healthy snacks
You never know when you’re going to be out and about, taking care of business, and then suddenly and unexpectedly discover that you’re ravenous just as you’re passing by a Burger King. To avoid becoming hungry when the nearest foods are cheeseburgers and fries, get in the habit of having healthy snacks (dried fruit, real-food snack bars, homemade beef jerky) handy wherever you go. Stash them in your car, at your office, and in your airplane carry-on bag.

Stanford student wins San Francisco Marathon

A Stanford astrophysics student was the winner of this year's San Francisco Marathon.
Twenty-five-year-old Keith Bechtol, running his first road marathon, finished the 26.2 mile race in 2 hours, 23 minutes and 28 seconds. He was followed by Michael Wardian of Arlington, Va., who finished with a time of 2:25:21. Harm Sengers of the Netherlands was third with a time of 2:29:23.
"I find it's a really good balance for me," Bechtol told the San Francisco Chronicle after the race, referring to his running and his work on a NASA satellite project. "It would be really hard for me to just study."
The first woman to cross the finish line was 24-year-old Emily Hardin of Madison, Ala., who finished with a time of 2 hours, 51 minutes and 54 seconds.
She was followed by Brandy Bengoechea of Nampa, Idaho (2:53:26), and San Francisco resident Morgan Robinson (3:01:11).
The weather during the marathon was overcast, which kept temperatures cool during the race, but blocked out views of the sunrise during the early start.
The course took runners along some of San Francisco's most scenic locations, including the Golden Gate Bridge, the city's Embarcadero and AT&T Park.
About 24,000 people registered for the race, some running in the half-marathon or 5-kilometer race.

Kids ask Ryan Gregson: how did you train as a 17 year old?

courtesy of RunnersTribe
Q: What was your mileage like as a 17 year old?

RG: Skip stepped up my mileage gradually over time when I was younger so when I was 17 I was probably doing up over 100km, maxing out at around 110km.

Q: How do you have both the speed for the 1500 and the aerobic ability for the 5k to nab all 3 records within a few weeks?

RG: I'm lucky enough to be naturally quite fast so I mainly work on my endurance which is my weakness. So I was able to train more like a 5km man.

Q: As a 17 year old how fast did you do your long runs/ recovery runs?

RG: All recovery runs very easy because it's all in the name, 'recovery'. Long runs harder, if I feel good, push it along a bit, but if I'm tired, I just jog easy.

Q: What was the biggest difference between your training from 2006 to 2007?

RG: Nothing. Just consistently getting it done for a number of years made everything click in November 2007.

Q: As a 17 year old did you ever have rest days?

RG: Always had a rest day on Friday when I grew up. Skip thought it was essential to have a full day of recovery. But now I run much more, I need all the days of the week to spread the running around.

Q: As a 17 year old how many days a week would you train on the track?

RG: In winter never and in summer once a week. Reps still weren't short though. Always working on strength with an occasional shorter tune up session to get me ready for a race.

Fiona Docherty wins Classic 10k in Colorado Springs

Fiona Docherty sets women's record in Classic 10K from Tim Bergsten on Vimeo.

Results
1 Fiona Docherty 34 Boulder CO 33:32.45

2 Tera Moody 29 Colorado Springs 33:57.10

3 Colleen De Reuck 46 Boulder CO 34:16.80

4 Alisha Williams 28 Manitou Springs 34:50.65

5 Amanda Occhi 32 Colorado Springs 36:10.50

Fee's Upcoming Races
28 July CTC 5km Boulder
1 August Chicago Half Marathon
15 August Falmouth 7mile
5 September Virginia Beach Half Marathon
26 September Oktoberfest 10km
10 October Chicago Marathon

Mizuno Racing Flat Update for Spring 2011

Mizuno has always had a reputation for producing footwear that appeals to competitive runners. Their products have outstanding attention to detail, their materials and construction quality are some of the best in the industry and the fit and feel of the shoes scream “go faster!” For Spring 2011, Mizuno sets its sights on tweaking two of the industry’s best received racing flats, the Mizuno Wave Musha 2 and the Mizuno Wave Ronin 2 with the third generation of each.

The Mizuno Wave Musha 2 has a great following. Lightweight and responsive while delivering a touch of support, this model has proven to be one of the best sellers in the category for us. The shoe has proven so successful that Mizuno has decided to leave it largely untouched. The updated model for Spring ’11 offers the addition of two welded overlays in the forefoot to snug up the fit a bit. The only other change is the new color. The midsole, outsole carry over so the ride and performance remain the same as the current model which is a good thing. Overall, the Wave Musha 3 is a very cool looking update that should definitely perform as well as the current model.

It's Roux and Jornet at Giir di Mont

In probably the finest collection of top skyrunners ever seen in one field, Italy took the gold in the final of the first Skyrunning World Championships for nations held in Premana, Italy, Sunday, July 25. The silver medal went to Spain and France, a new skyrunning entry, took the bronze.

The star-studded field counted a record 650 athletes from thirteen nations, with eleven nations qualifying in the final ranking based on the sum of points scored in the Vertical Kilometer® held nine days ago in Canazei, together with today’s SkyMarathon®.

Spain’s skyrunning phenomenon and reigning world champion, Kilian Jornet, with Italian Marco De Gasperi, six-times World Mountain Running champion hot on his heels, led the field in a class of their own over the 32km course with a gruelling 4,800m total ascent and descent.

Jornet beat his own course record for the third time, reaching the finish to the roar of an ecstatic crowd in 3h01’14”. The duo raced neck and neck until the third and final ascent where De Gasperi surrendered to Jornet’s punishing pace and crossed the line in 3h’04’34”. Spain’s Luis Alberto Hernando, a relative newcomer on the international scene, came an excellent third in 3h11’00”.

France, the ISF’s most recent member nation, had Laetitia Roux leading from the start, easily outshining her rivals in the strong women’s field to close with a new record in 3h46’40, comfortably ahead of Spain’s Mireia Mirò, second in 3h53’52”. Standing World Champion, Italy’s Emanuela Brizio, suffered the stiff competition especially on the ascent, and reached the finish in 3.58’19”.

Champions from past and present took part in this first World Championship since the inception of the International Skyrunning Federation in 2008. The line-up included skyrunning legend Ricardo Mejia from Mexico, Spain’s Agustí Roc, three-times world champion and France’s Corinne Favre, past world champion.

The next occasion for nations to contend the world championship title will have to wait for the 2012 SkyGames® where the “high altitude Olympics” will take place in the Spanish Pyrenees.

Leading positions
Men
1 JORNET KILIAN (SALOMON SANTIVERI) ESP 3:01:14
2 DE GASPERI MARCO (FORESTALE) ITA 3:04:34
3 HERNANDO LUIS ALBERTO ESP 3:11:00
4 CASTANIER TOFOL (SALOMON SANTIVERI) ESP 3:11:49
5 GOLINELLI GES RANCIO">NICOLA ITA 3:12:50
6 OWENS TOM (SALOMON TRAIL TEAM) GBR 3:13:02

Women
1 ROUX LAETITIA (TEAM SALOMON) FRA 3:46:40
2 MIRO MIREIA (FEEC) ESP 3:53:52
3 BRIZIO EMANUELA (VALETUDO) ITA 3:58:19
4 JIMENEZ STEPHANIE (SALOMON SANTIVERI) FRA 3:59:12

Full results

Individual combined points:

Men
Nicola Golinelli (ITA) – 160 points
Luis A Hernando (SPA) – 152 points
Agustí Roc (SPA) – 132 points

Women
Laetitia Roux (FRA) – 200 points
Mireia Mirò (ESP) – 156 points
Monica Ardid (ESP) – 130 points

Nations
Italy – 630 points
Spain – 612 points
France – 358 points

Simpson wins Snowdon

This may not be breaking news, but its big news. Scots youngster Robbie Simpson has been heralded on this site for some time now, but the Deeside athlete ingrained his name in Snowdon Race folklore on Saturday, as he became the youngest ever winner of the race…

It was double delight for the Scottish team as Catriona Buchanan won the ladies event, and at just 18 years old the GB junior international also became the youngest female to win this prestigious mountain race.

The event was one of great anticipation with the occasion of Kenny Stuart’s 1985 course record being marked with the man himself acting as race starter and guest of honour at the evening presentation. Also present was Ireland’s Robbie Bryson, the summit record holder of an amazing 39 min and 47 secs. Add into the fold the first African competitor in the shape of Wilson Chemweno, and a little bit of Welsh rain, and this one was always going to be special.

Luckily the assembled masses, that included home international teams and teams from Italy and Ireland, didnt disappoint and put on some great racing for the knowledgeable Llanberis crowd who turned out in their hundreds to watch the event.

The race was a story of two halves, with Kenyan Chemweno leading the charge to the summit, though amazingly Rolando Piana from Italy had summitted first in 43:21 – but promptly carried on running in the wrong direction towards Beddgelert!

Times at the top of the mountain were understandably not close to Bryson’s mark, however after the Italian’s mishap Wilson gallantly led the high-quality field as they headed for home. Unfortunately it was the tricky rocks of this famous mountain, made lethally wet by the driving rain, which were to be the African’s undoing as the British and Italian mountain men took their dive for the descent – and it was Robbie Simpson who proved bravest (and quickest) on the 5 mile trip back to the finish.

Speaking after the race Robbie said, “The support was amazing, it was such a great race for me. I actually wasn’t aware that I had won the race until I reached the finishing straight, as I didnt know if I had passed the Italian runner who was also ahead at the summit. It feels great to win this race, especially at my first attempt too.”

Simpson’s time of 1:07:58 will not trouble the record books, however it will go down of the one of the greatest wins on this mountain, in the terrible weather conditions.

Filling the podium were Italian Alex Baldacinni and former three-time winner Ian Holmes. The duo had been together for much of the descent and it was less than half a second that separated them at the finish as the pair lunged for the line as if two sprinters in a track race. It was Baldacinni who was given the runners-up verdict, with Holmes in third.

England comfortably won the team race with Holmes being backed up by Richard Baker and Danny Hope.

In the women’s race Catriona Buchanan emerged victorous with a win that belied her years. Runner up Pippa Maddams is the reigning British fell running champion, but was unable to match the young Scot as Buchanan summitted in 52:23, some 50 seconds up on Maddams, and carried on to more or less hold the gap all way back to Padarn Park.

Speaking to MST later Buchanan said, “I’m so pleased. It was a very hard race out there, but I really enjoyed it and I am particularly happy to beat some very good English girls too.”

With Lauren Jeska in third place the English girls also won the team prize with back-up from Emma Clayton, who unfortunately took a heavy tumble on her way down.

Full results are now online at TDL, with some rather excellent but wet images by Al Tye over at Fell Running Pictures