Residents of Kilgoris once again erupted into celebrations following David Rudisha’s second 800m record-breaking act in a week when he blasted to 1:41.01 in Rieti, Italy.
Hundreds of locals thronged restaurants and pubs to follow their illustrious son shatter his own 1:41.09 previous best as the sleepy town came alive. All recreational joints remained packed as early as 5pm as residents took positions to witness the long-awaited event.
Anxiety gripped most joints as adrenaline-filled spectators watched Rudisha outpace his challengers to romp to his second world beating mark inside seven memorable days.
The whole town and its environs was deafened by shouts, singing and dancing when Rudisha smashed his own record. Thereafter, merrymaking followed with free drinks flowing courtesy of Rudisha’s relatives and friends.
FeverPitch caught up with Rudisha’s elder brother, Benson Rudisha, who followed the Rieti race in one of the restaurants in Kilgoris town. He confirmed a grand party awaits the new world record holder at his Taruru home in Oltanki, Kilgoris.
He added organisers, who include Maasai kinsmen were finalising arrangements for the reception ceremony immediately after IAAF Continental Cup in Split this weekend where the twice-African champion is competing for Africa.
Big Party
"Things are working well and everything is nearly set for the big party. More than 50 bulls have been eyed for slaughtering," the elder sibling stated.
Rudisha’s father and 1968 Mexico Olympics 4x400m relay silver medalist, Daniel Rudisha said following his son’s second record-breaking victory, his health status was getting better. The retired sprinter broke his right leg two years ago after sliding while grazing his cattle at the village and the pain was made worse by arthritis. Rudisha’s childhood coach, Stephen Ole Marai congratulated the athlete and said he the runner could lower his time to 1:40 sec.
"I have known David as a very determined and focused runner, who can mean to go for the impossible," said Marai. There was also a lot of excitement at Rudisha’s former Oltanki Primary School, as teachers and pupils took time o discuss the runner.
The school’s head teacher, Simon Lemayian said the school was proud of Rudisha
"We are also participating in preparations for Rudisha’s homecoming party, as we still tregard him as our son and former pupil here," said Lemayian. The school was the venue of Rudisha’s welcoming party, soon after he broke the African 800m record last year.
His time in Rieti was exactly one second faster than his winning time last year (1:42.01) on the Rieti track which was an African record at the time.
Kenya's David Rudisha says he is impressed by his performance yesterday that saw him lower the 800 metres world record to 1 minute 41.01 at a meeting in Rieti in Italy , just a week after first breaking the record.The 21-year-old, who broke the record that had stood for 13 years in Berlin powered down the home straight at the IAAF World Challenge meeting to easily better that mark.
Anybody can make history but only a great man can write it. Such a man is David Lekuta Rudisha, the new prodigy that the world has now come to know.
After 13 long years with no serious attempt made to end Kenyan-Dane Wilson Kipketer’s 800 metres world record of one minute, 41.11 seconds set in Cologne in 1997, Rudisha emerged to lower the record twice in seven days.
His latest record last Sunday in Rieti, Italy - he shaved two hundredths of a second off Kipketer’s mark to stop the clock at 1:41.09 in Berlin - was an improvement of 0.08 seconds from the Berlin mark and exactly one second better than the time he set on the same course last year.
Now, a huge party that will claim the lives of 50 cows in his home village of Oltanki, Kilgoris, is another record of sorts.
The Daily Nation caught up with Rudisha’s elder brother, Benson Rudisha, who was following the Rieti meet in a Kilgoris restaurant.
Benson said his family is organising a “mother of all parties” to celebrate the achievements of their kin over the last two weeks at their Tararu home in Oltanki, Kilgoris, when the star returns next week.
“All the arrangements are complete and we are set for the big party where 50 bulls will be slaughtered for guests,” said Benson.
The 21-year-old Africa champion says to be able to run that fast only requires the legs of a genius and the courage of a lion or a warrior, a true Masai Moran.
“I am a Moran and had only one target - to break the world record - on my tour of Europe. To do it twice was possible and I am happy to return home a warrior who has triumphed in war,” said Rudisha from his base in Rieti on Monday.
The new world record holder is, however, not blinded by his success and wants to share his glory with an unsung hero, his “tailor-made” pace setter Sammy Tangui, a man they have grown up with and trained together in Iten.
“He is a great pace setter. He has guided me to this success having run according to the instructions. Without him it might probably been harder to get where I am,” said Rudisha.
The world record surprised many, and his wife, Lizzy Naanyu, was equally dumbstruck.
“I know he is a great man, someone who believed in everything he did. But for him to break the record, it was not easy,” she said.
“We talked before he left and agreed that it was possible for him, maybe, to equal the older record. Well, I was surprised to see him run a new world record time,” said Naanyu from their Eldoret home.
Naanyu is undecided as to what sort of party to throw for his husband at his Eldoret base.
“I certainly will be offering him something here in Eldoret, but the major celebration will be in Kilgoris when he goes home and is received by the family,” she said.
The two have a six-month-old daughter Charin to whom Rudisha wants to be a role model.
“He (Rudisha) said he wanted to leave something that our daughter will be happy to learn about when she’s older. Well, this performance has certainly granted him his wish. Now when the girl grows up, she will know her father did all this for her,” said Naanyu.
Rudisha’s father Daniel, 65, is battling with arthritis and he will wait for his son at home to congratulate him for following in his footsteps.
He might have missed his performance in Berlin, but he made sure he charged his battery to power his small television and watch as his son shattered his own record in Rieti.
“He made the whole family proud,” said senior Rudisha.
“I have always told him to be focused. Losing is part of competition and when he went to Berlin last year and came out with nothing, I asked him to review his performance and pick out the wrong steps. He has never disappointed again.”
For the second time in a week, David Lekuta Rudisha lowered the world 800m record to an astonishing 1:41.01 at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Rieti to follow in the hallowed footsteps of Wilson Kipketer. Rudisha clocked 1:41.01 seconds in the two-lap race at the Rieti Grand Prix last evening, shaving 0.08 seconds off his mark set last weekend in Berlin.
Until a week ago, Kipketer, the Kenyan-born Dane, held record of 1:41.11 for almost 14 years before Rudisha got on the act, first clocking 1:41.09 to smash the record before last evening’s unbelievable showing at a track where at first, he was tipped to lower the long standing mark.
Following his remarkable feat, Athletics Kenya (AK) were almost as quick to extend their congratulations to Rudisha, with the federation’s general secretary, David Okeyo, telling FeverPitch: "We are very happy with the boy! He can even lower it to 1:40! He ran very well and you could see the gap he opened up on runner-up, Boaz Lalang! To have them both in our Commonwealth team is a blessing."
"Hongera, hongera, hongera Rudisha! (Congratulations Rudisha)!" IAAF Deputy Communications Director, Ms Anna Legnani told FeverPitch from Monaco. "(Kenyans) have yourself another Rudisha Day!" she added.
ROLL OF HONOUR
Adjectives are running out to describe Rudisha’s ascendancy in 800m running since he first appeared on the international scene by striking at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing.
He followed in the sanctified footsteps of former record holder Kipketer, his immediate predecessor in the men 800m roll of honour, by breaking the world record twice in a season. Kipketer ran 1:41.73 on June 10, 1997 in Florence to equal Lord Sebastian Coe’s former top mark raced on June 10, 1981 before topping the time on August 13 by lowering the world best to 1:41.24 in Zurich. Eleven days later in Cologne, Kipketer, the three-time world champion ran 1:41.11 for the long-standing record Rudisha erased from history books permanently in Berlin.
Rudisha, the African champion over the distance only reached the semi-finals of the 2009 World Championships, but with an automatic ticket for the October 3 to 14 Commonwealth Games, the Kilgoris-born runner could soon expand his medal cabinet. Already, plans are afoot to toast to the world record holder with 50 bulls reportedly up for slaughter.
David Rudisha likes running on Sunday.
The second Sunday in a row Rudisha broke the world record at 800m. This time it was in Rieti, Italy, as Rudisha ran 1:41.01 to lower his record of 1:41.09 set last Sunday in Berlin.
Just like in Berlin, Rudisha had his training partner, Sammy Tangui, as the rabbit. The difference in Rieti was Rudisha also had some help from Jackson Kivuva, who seemed to serve as a second rabbit. Tangui led Rudisha and Tangui through 400m in 48.20 which was .45 faster than in Berlin. Rudisha was off the pace a bit (just as he was in Berlin), but this time in third behind Tangui and Kivuva.
In Berlin, Rudisha had to run the last 350 meters on his own. Here he did not take the lead until roughly 510m into the race. Once he had the lead, Kivuva kept running hard trying to stay close to Rudisha. We're under the assumption the Rieti organizers told him to do this, just so Rudisha could feel someone was chasing him (Kivuva actually finished the race in 2:23).
Rudisha hit the 600m in 1:14.59 (.05 slower than in Berlin). Now it was a race against the clock. Boaz Lalang was running a strong race in second, so Rudisha was not as far our in front as he was in Berlin (where he won by over 3 seconds).
Rudisha powered home in his lime green uniform and leaned at the line. 1:41.01!!! A new world record and agonizingly close to the first 1:40 clocking in the world.
The Rieti track is known for its fast times. This was the 8th world record set at the track (Daniel Komen's 7:20.67 3,000m record still stands, but there have been records from 100m through 3k). The fast times extended to the finishers behind Rudisha. Boaz Lalang, who in 2008 went from Rend Lake College to the Kenyan Olympic team, was second in 1:42.95, Nick Symmonds, the American champ, lowered his PR to 1:43.76 (1:43.83 previous best), and Michael Rimmer of Great Britain took a big chunk of time off his PR, running 1:43.89 (1:44.49 previous best).
It's worth noting that in 1997 when the previous world record holder Wilson Kipketer lowered the mark to 1:41.11, that he also broke the record twice in August, just as Rudisha has in 2010. In 1997, Kipketer actually set the world record three times, as he ran 1:41.73 on July 7th in Rome to tie Seb Coe's world record before running 1:41.24 in Zurich on August 13th and 1:41.11 in Cologne on August 24th.
Afterwards, Rudisha was obviously pleased. He told AFP, "I just knew I was in good shape. The conditions were perfect. I expected to break two records in seven days." He added, "I cannot say now what I need to improve. I will see in training with my coach what I can improve but I think I need to change only small details." Rudisha's coach, Brother Colm O’Connell, was on hand for the record in Rieti.
Results and video of the race below (note the official results do not show Lalang's time as a personal best, but it is).
Rank Bib Name Nat Lane Result
1 28 RUDISHA David Lekuta KEN 6 1:41.01 WR
2 27 LALANG Boaz Kiplagat KEN 4 1:42.95 PB
3 31 SYMMONDS Nick USA 3 1:43.76 PB
4 25 RIMMER Michael GBR 2 1:43.89 PB
5 30 LEWANDOWSKI Marcin POL 5 1:44.10 SB
6 24 CASADO Arturo ESP 1 1:44.74
7 26 KIVUVA Jackson Mumbwa KEN 7 2:23.39
29 TANGUI Sammy KEN 8 DNF
Intermediate times: 400m 48.20 29 TANGUI Sammy (KEN)
600m 1:14.59 28 RUDISHA David Lekuta (KEN)
Weather conditions
Temperature: 29 °C Humidity: 33 % Conditions: Sunny
At this evening’s the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Rieti, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Kenyan David Rudisha, who lowered the World 800m record* last week in Berlin to a time of 1:41.09, further reduced the all-time best for two laps to 1:41.01*.
Rudisha’s time today was exactly one second faster than his winning time last year on the Rieti track which was an African record at the time, and further buried the memory of Wilson Kipketer’s 1:41.11, a World record which had withstood all assaults until this time last week.
His training partner Sammy Tangui paced him at a super-fast 48.20 in the first 400 metres followed by Jackson Kivuva and Rudisha who took the lead with 300 metres to go.
Rudisha went through 600 metres in the lead in 1:14.56 and continued to push the pace with his smooth stride. His run in the final straight was a triumphal race against the clock.
“I just knew I was in good shape. The conditions were perfect. I expected to break two records in seven days,” said Rudisha. “I want to return to training for next year because 2011 will be a World Championships record,” continued Rudisha.
Rudisha’s record was the perfect birthday for the 40th anniversary of the Rieti meeting. It was the eighth World record broken in the history of Rieti. The last athlete who managed before Rudisha was Asafa Powell who clocked the men’s 100 metres in 9.74 in 2007.
“I have always received a very warm welcome in Rieti. I love this track and the Rieti crowd who have always given their support. This record is for them,” continued Rudisha.
Asked on which part of the race he needs to improve to further lower his World record in the future, Rudisha said: “I cannot say now what I need to improve. I will see in training with my coach what I can improve but I think I need to change only small details.”
Boaz Lalang clocked an impressive 1:42.95 to finish second ahead of USA’s Nick Symmonds, third in 1:43.76 (PB), and European silver medallist Michael Rimmer from Great Britain who dipped under 1:44 for the first time in his career with 1:43.89. European champion Marcin Lewandowski from Poland lost his continental leadership but produced a new seasonal best in fifth place with 1:44.10.
Carter runs 9.78 sec to equal Gay’s 100m world season best
Jamaican Nesta Carter stole the sprint show with a fantastic men’s 100 metres, a 9.78 PB run (+0.9m/s wind) which equalled American Tyson Gay’s world seasonal best from London Samsung League meeting, making the Jamaican the fourth fastest man of all-time.
It was a fabulous 100m with five men under 10 seconds and the sixth and seventh clocking 10.00. Ryan Bailey smashed his PB with 9.88 beating Jamaican Mario Forsythe, third in 9.95, European champion Christophe Lemaitre, fourth in a new French record of 9.97, and Michael Frater from Jamaica, fifth in 9.98.
Michael Rodgers finished sixth in 10.00 to edge Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, who set a new Norwegian record of 10.00 to wrap-up a great 100 metres.
The heats were an anticipation of the fireworks in the final. Ndure won the first (1.0m/s) of the two in 10.07 beating Frater (10.12) and Carter (10.13). In the second (1.1m/s), Bailey smashed his PB clocking 9.95 beating Lemaitre who equalled his French record and European seasonal best with 9.98, his second ever sub-10 seconds time. Forsythe finished third also dipping under 10 seconds with 9.99 in a remarkable race for a heat.
Jamaican Sherone Simpson, Olympic silver medallist in Beijing, took the women’s dash in 11.11 win in the women’s 100 metres to edge Debbie Ferguson McKenzie by 0.04.
Spearmon 19.85 and Oliver 13.01
Wallace Spearmon, 200 metres Samsung Diamond League winner, stormed to an impressive 19.85 in the men’s 200 metres (0.6m/s), just 0.06 sec slower than his best time set in Zurich when he lifted the Diamond League Trophy. Double Olympic 400 Hurdles champion Angelo Taylor lowered his PB to 20.23. Marc Schneeberger also ran the fastest race of his career with 20.42.
David Oliver could not dip under 13 seconds in the men’s 110m Hurdles but managed to break the meeting’s record of 13.07 set by Colin Jackson in 1994 by clocking 13.01. Jamaican Dwight Thomas finished runner-up in 13.26 to beat US Jason Richardson, third in 13.37.
T. Bekele beats Lagat – world lead and American records fall
It was not just the 800m which excelled of the middle distances in Rieti with splendid races in the men’s and women’s 3000 metres and 1500 metres.
Tariku Bekele improved his own world seasonal best for 3000m from 7:28.99 set in Berlin last week to 7:28.70 holding off USA's Bernard Lagat who smashed the Area record dipping under 7:30 for the first time in his career with 7:29.00. Edwin Soi from Kenya also went under 7:30 finishing third in 7:29.75 in another great race for depth with John Kipkoech, fourth in 7:32.72 and USA’s Chris Solinsky, fifth in 7:34.32.
The 1500 metres featured Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop, world seasonal leader Silas Kiplagat (3:29.27 in Monaco) and last year's fastest Augustine Choge. Vickson Polonet from Kenya acted as pacemaker going through 800 metres in 1:52.64 and 2:38 at the bell before finishing his task with 300 metres to go. In the final lap, Kiprop and Kiplagat engaged in a splendid neck-to-neck battle which remained undecided until Kiprop pulled away in the final 50 metres to win in a new seasonal best of 3:31.78 to Kiplagat’s 3:31.97. Nixon Chepseba took third place in 3:32.42, while World champion Yusuf Saad Kamel ran his quickest of 2010 in fourth place in 3:33.06.
Reigning World champion Maryam Yusuf Jamal from Bahrain returned to good form dipping under 4 minutes in 3:58.93 in the women’s race on the track where she set the meeting record of 3:56.18 in 2006. Mimi Belete set her PB to finish second in 4:00.25 ahead of France’s Hind Dehiba, third in 4:01.07.
Kenyan Sylvia Kibet, 5000 World silver medallist, launched her kick in the final 300 metres to take the win in the women’s 3000 metres in 8:39.08 to hold off Moncton’s 3000 metres World Junior champion Mercy Cherono who set her lifetime best with 8:42.09. Pauline Korikwang finished third in 8:43.67.
Spencer falls
The women’s 400m Hurdles produced a major upset, as Samsung Diamond League winner Kalesie Spencer, who was leading comfortably in the final straight, hit the last hurdle badly and fell on the ground giving way to USA's Sheena Tosta who crossed the finish-line first in 54.71.
European champion Tatyana Firova and USA’s Natasha Hastings engaged in a close battle at the beginning of the final straight of the women’s 400 metres before the Russian pulled clear to take the win in 50.25 to Hastings’ 50.87. Italian record holder Libania Grenot, fourth in Barcelona in both the 400 metres and the 4x400 relay, finished third in 51.20.
Samsung Diamond League winner Fabiana Murer set a new meeting record in the women’s Pole Vault with 4.74m on her first attempt. Murer was watched closely by two Pole Vault legends Sergey Bubka and Yelena Isinbayeva who were invited as special guests of the meeting.
Reigning World champion Yaroslav Rybakov was the only man able to clear 2.30m to take the win in the men’s High Jump, while in the Long Jump, European Indoor champion and record holder Sebastian Bayer returned to better form to win with a new seasonal best of 8.06m beating China’s Li Jinzhe by four centimetres.
Hammer Challenge – Heidler crowned overall winner
The penultimate leg of the IAAF Hammer Challenge for men and the final competition for the women was held over two days with a qualifying round on Saturday and the final with the top four qualifiers in both men’s and women’s qualifiers. Japanese Koji Murofushi, who made his first appearance since June’s Japanese Championships, highlighted Saturday afternoon with an impressive 80.99m world seasonal best which broke the previous 2010 world best.
In today’s final Murofushi, who set the meeting record with 82.62 in 2007, opened the final with 79.84. On his second attempt the 2004 Olympic champion threw 80.96m, before capping the competition with two more throws over 80 metres (80.07 and 80.83). European champion Libor Charfreitag produced a best throw of 79.62 to finish runner-up ahead of IAAF Hammer Throw challenge overall leader Dilshod Nazarov, third with 78.34.
While the men have one more contest remaining in Zagreb next week, the women’s Hammer Throw today final was exactly that, the end of their season long challenge. Cuban Yipsi Moreno, who produced the furthest throw in Saturday’s qualifying round with 71.32m, went into the lead with 73.78m. Russian Tatyana Lysenko, European silver medallist overhauled Moreno on the third attempt with 74.22 and improved again in the fourth attempt to 74.80.
Chinese Zhang Wenxiu finished third with 73.70 to beat World champion and World record holder Anita Wlodarczyk, who needed 75.02 to overhaul Betty Heidler in the overall ranking of the IAAF Hammer Challenge but who had to content with 73.57m.
As reported late last night, the UTMB has been cancelled due to bad weather. Yesterday was fairly wet and cold all day but the heavens really opened up shortly after the race started at 6.30pm.
With all the indications looking like it was only going to get worse, the decision was made to stop the runners at Les Contamines. Those that wished to return to Chamonix were brought back by bus, but the option was also given to carry on to Courmayeur, where the race would pick up from the next day. Race organisers said that despite knowing the disappointment that this would cause they would rather return everyone in good health than risk injury due to the conditions.
The TDS (Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie) which was due to start at midnight last night, was also held off due to the weather. By way of compensation, the organisers have arranged a second running of the CCC (Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix) which started at 10am today and both the Ultra-Trailers and the TDS runners were given the option to join in if they wished. We spoke earlier this morning with one runner and Chamonix resident, Richard Cameron Beaumont, who took the CCC option and has spent the night in Courmayeur. Despite having had an uncomfortable night and very little sleep he was still keen to run whatever section of the race he could and said that many people had opted to do the same. Not the best preparation for a 98km run but I guess when you've trained so hard for the Ultra then going home would seem like an anti-climax!
The Ultra Trail is a world famous race that attracts runners from all over the globe. There is thought to have been over 100 Japanese entrants alone and walking around Chamonix over the last few days we have been hearing more different languages and accents than usual, notably a lot of Americans who have clearly travelled a long way for the competition.
The mood in Chamonix today is somewhat subdued and there are a lot of disappointed people walking round town, many still wearing race gear and clutching their bib numbers. The central square is giving tannoy announcements to keep people informed and there is a stall where you can return your number.
Frustratingly the weather now seems to have turned. The clouds are clearing and the sun is shining through, which hopefully bodes well for those who have continued to race in the CCC today.
The UTMB takes a huge amount of planning and organisation, this is the first time that is has ever been cancelled and organisers are trying their best to keep everyone informed. For more updates and official announcements please click on the link below for the UTMB website.
This past weekend, for the second year in a row, I failed to finish the Leadville Trail 100. After winning the race in my first two attempts in 2006 and 2007 and taking 2008 off due to injury, the last two years have been a symmetrical—if somewhat disheartening—counterpoint to my initial success at this event.
While it is one of the most tired clichés to state that we often “learn more” from failure than success, there is a sizeable amount of interesting truth beneath this cliché’s hackneyed surface that overuse can’t dilute. Failure provokes us to question, a practice that is all too easy to dismiss when one has recently experienced success and fulfillment of expectations. If one reason to engage in an irrational activity like racing 100 miles is to catalyze personal growth, then hardship, failure and the subsequent questioning become invaluable opportunities. This past weekend was certainly one of those opportunities for me.
The lessons I learned at the Leadville Trail 100 this year all have to do with three basic concepts: patience, respect and humility.
It should go without saying that running, even racing, 100 miles is an act of patience—biding one’s time, occupying the mind with an attention to mundane detail, whiling away the miles until the musculoskeletal damage accumulates enough to demand one’s focus, making sure you’re constantly covering the banal basics: sugar, salt, water. However, it is a race, too, and on Saturday, August 21, I let the don’t-waste-a-second mentality of racing override the take-the-time-to-solve-problems nature that is required for running 100 miles.
Quite simply, instead of stepping back for a second or two earlier on in the race and explicitly addressing the fact that I wasn’t getting enough calories, I soldiered on in easy denial. In, say, a 50-mile race, it is completely possible to incur a mild fuel deficit and still make it to the finish line without a significant bonk. However, in a 100-mile race, the distance is simply too long, and such depletion will almost certainly catch up to you before the race is over.
As early as 40 or 50 miles—when I had already built a 40+ minute lead—I should’ve significantly slowed the pace until I could stomach a few hundred calories and was back on top of my fuel intake. If I had even done this at the mile 76 Fish Hatchery aid station, I might’ve prevented the meltdown that occurred shortly thereafter. Being stuck in a racing mentality with a lack of patience doesn’t just apply to eating habits—it can easily bleed over into poor decision-making in other areas (pacing, gear choices, etc.) that can eventually end your race before the finish line. The ability to solve problems on-the-fly is something that I’ve always believed to be at the core of a successful 100-mile performance. However, what I forgot that Saturday is that some problems can’t necessarily be solved “on-the-fly” and sometimes you have to slow down to address the issue
American men had a stronger presence at the Crim 10-mile road race, but Saturday’s 34th annual race was yet another example of Kenyan dominance of the sport.
Julius Kogo, who didn’t decide to race the Crim until Thursday, led a 1-2-3 Kenyan finish with a time of 47:06 to claim $5,000 as the overall winner. Countrymen Robert Letting (47:15) and Kiprotich Kirui (47:24) took the next two places.
The big money, however, went to Indianapolis native Fasil Bizuneh, who was the USA Track & Field national 10-mile champion by placing fourth overall in 47:29. Bizuneh won $7,000 from a special prize purse established for the top American men.
Bizuneh’s time was the fastest by an American at the Crim since Ed Eyestone took fifth in 1989 in 47:06. His finish tied the best by an American since the Crim went to prize money in 1991. Brian Sell, a 2008 Olympian in the marathon, was fourth in the 2004 Crim.
“It shows people that I’m back on the scene,” said Bizuneh, who is prepping for the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 10. “I’m going out to Chicago trying to run 2:09. There’s only been four Americans under 2:10 the past 10 years, so that’s a big goal. This is an intermediate step toward that in six weeks.”
Bizuneh was followed by Americans Antonio Vega in fifth (47:43) and Justin Young in sixth (47:49).
IMG_0273.JPGView full sizeCassi Alexandra | The Flint JournalJulius Kogo (79) and Robert Letting (45) led the Crim 10-mile road race most of the way before Kogo pulled away to win.
But this race was destined to have a Kenyan winner for the 17th time in the past 20 years when Letting set a blistering pace in the second mile and only Kogo and Kirui were willing to go with him. After a 4:42 opening mile, Letting set the tempo for mile splits of 4:32, 4:32, 4:35 and 4:38 before the inevitable slowdown in the Bradley hills section.
“My strategy was to break the group,” Letting said. “I knew the guys were very strong.”
“When we started out, there were about 10 people,” Kogo said. “It started to open up about 5K.”
Kogo was the strongest of the group. He felt he was in such great condition that he decided two days before the race to pay for his own air fare to the race. He was coming off a victory one week earlier in the Parkersburg (W. Va.) Half Marathon, a race in which he ran 1:02:10.
“He was thirsty for a race,” said Kogo’s coach and agent, Ben Kurgat.
Kogo and Letting ran alone for the final five miles, with Kogo pulling away in the final mile.
Kirui had long since fallen off the lead pack, becoming an inviting target for the leaders in the American race. Nobody vying for U.S. money wanted to make too bold a move and jeopardize their chances of winning the American title, however.
“Me and my coach talked about it, and the goal was really to secure the U.S. title,” Bizuneh said. “Once I had the U.S. title secured, then try to go after one of the top three places. I probably ran the last three miles faster than the top three guys, but at the end of the day I’m happy to get the U.S. title.”
Vega came into the race as the leader in the USATF points circuit. He set the pace for a group of three U.S. runners who were about 30 seconds behind the overall leaders much of the way.
“At one point, I thought I had them broken,” Vega said. “I thought I was going to be the top American. Then, all of a sudden, Fasil made this real hard push on an uphill and he kind of broke me. I tried to rally a bunch of times to reel him back in and it wasn’t going to happen today.”
Santosh Kumar of Maharashtra and Pampa Chanda of West Bengal bagged the honours among men and women respectively in the third edition of Chennai Marathon here today. Santhosh clocked one hour seven minutes and nine seconds in the 21.09 km run to claim top prize of Rs 3 lakh. In the women's event, Pampa won with a timing of one hour 21 minutes and 42 seconds. Among Tamil Nadu men, Nagendra Rao was the fastest, clocking one hour, seven minutes and 16 seconds in the event, organised with aid of 'GiveLife' charity. Among Tamil Nadu women, Sudha grabbed top honours, with Padmavathi and Shanthi coming in second and third respectively. Though the race was supported by stars like Dipika Pallikal, Joshna Chinnappa (both squash), R Vijayan (football) and Dinesh Karthick (cricket), they could not participate due to prior sporting commitments. Actor Sneha and athlete Shanti Soundarajan, whose career ended in controversy over a failed gender test after winning a silver in the 800 metres at Doha Asian Games were among those present to flag off the marathon. Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi, who distributed the prizes, said the main aim of the marathon was to raise enough funds to help build a better future for children being supported by the charity. Besides Kanimozhi, Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Mohideen Khan, IT Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna and Chennai Mayor M Subramanyan were present on the occasion. "More than 70,000 runners participated in the general run," organisers said. Proceeds from the charity are utilised to provide education for downtrodden children. "This is a unique marathon, very different from Delhi and Mumbai marathons because it supports a cause. With support generated from the last two editions, we have been able to educate 8,600 children," the charity's trustee Jegath Gaspar Raj said. Results: National Event: Women: 1 Pampa Chanda (West Bengal) 1:21:42. 2 Preethi Rao (Karnataka) 1:23:50. Rameshwari (Kerala) 1:24:48; Men: 1 Santosh Kumar (Maharashtra) 1:07:09. 2 Sunil Kumar (Haryana) 1:07:17. Ajay Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) 1:08:53. Tamil Nadu winners: Women: 1 Sudha 1:25:13. 2 Padmavathy 1:34:11. 3 Shanti 1:34:18; Men: 1 Nagendra 1:11:16. 2 B C Thilak 1:11:54. Rajesh 1:13:68.
The 24-year-old Njui overcame the hot weather and a one-and-a-half-minute deficit to win the men's race in two hours 11 minutes 22 seconds, beating compatriots Harun Njoroge Mbugua and Mekubo Job Mogusu.
Hara, running a full distance marathon for the first time in more than a year, spurted at around 32 kilometres to take the lead ahead of Hiroko Miyauchi before crossing the finishing line in 2:34:12.
Japan-based Kenyan Joseph Gitau set an early pace by taking the sole lead from the seven-kilometre point, but he was overtaken by Mogusu at around the 25km mark before Njui snatched the lead after passing the 32km point.
Mjoroge Mbugua came in second in 2:13:04 and Mogusu third in 2:16:38.
Among the women, Mizuho Nasukawa was left behind after passing the 22km point, leaving Hara and Miyauchi to leapfrog for the lead before Hara made a break away at the 32km point.
Miyauchi clocked 2:35:42 to finish second and Nasukawa 2:36:07 for third.
It was Hara's first victory since winning the Osaka marathon in January 2007.
"I can't believe it," said Hara. "I finally won again. I was able to come to the starting line, because so many people had supported me last year while I had to stay at home," said Hara, 28.
She failed to qualify for the world championship after finishing third in the 2009 Osaka marathon but has been working for the 2012 London Olympics.
Read more: Njui, Hara win Hokkaido marathon - Athletics - More Sports - Sports - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/athletics/Njui-Hara-win-Hokkaido-marathon/articleshow/6455550.cms#ixzz0y0etiB3g
Being married to a fellow professional runner carries benefits and drawbacks. The advantages are all pretty obvious. One of the disadvantages that might not be so obvious is that the number of setbacks each runner in the couple experiences is doubled. I’m discontent not only when my running is not going well, but also when Adam’s running is not going well.
I don’t know why, but in the 10 years Adam and I have been together there have been few times when we were both healthy and running well. Adam had some of his best years in the early part of the last decade, when I was constantly injured. But in 2007 I had a big breakthrough, and I kept the momentum going through 2008 and last year. Adam was sidelined through most of that period with a foot injury.
Things started to turn around for him last summer. His foot had finally healed, he was able to train consistently, and his fitness started to return. The longer it continued the more excited we both got—it had been a long, hard struggle for him. Not long after I got pregnant, which put my running on pause, Adam decided he was ready to race, and chose the Healthy Kidney 10K as his “comeback” event. Two weeks before the race, he got injured again. This time it was his hip.
Unfortunately, it’s no small setback. The doctors diagnosed an impingement in the hip joint that is causing bone buildup in the area. There’s also a possible labral tear. Surgery will be required to fix it, and then six months of recovery and rehabilitation will follow. Adam is 35 years old now and feels he is running out of time to return to the level he was once at. On top of that he is getting tired of fighting a seemingly endless, losing battle to stay healthy. He’s thinking about calling it quits—not giving up running, of course, but retiring from professional racing.
It’s not that he wants to. Adam still has the same fiery passion to compete that he’s always had. He feels he hasn’t achieved everything he wanted to achieve as a runner—that there’s still a lot of unrealized potential inside him. But he understands that the clock is ticking and it just might not be possible to climb back to the top of the mountain. He recognizes that refusing to quit might not be worth the pain and frustration that come with it. He’s torn.
As Adam’s wife, I find it hard to watch. I hate to see him suffer with this decision, and I feel powerless to help. On the one hand I don’t want him to quit, because as a runner myself I know how devastating it would be to give up on my remaining dreams without even having a chance to fail. On the other hand I don’t want to see him continue to struggle if it brings him nothing but misery.
Naturally, living through this hard experience with Adam has made me reflect on my own career and how it might end. One thing I know and accept is that, with very few exceptions, nobody goes out on top. Nine times in ten, your best days are behind you before you realize it. Being an elite runner is kind of like a high jump competition: you keep raising the bar until you can’t get over it. Your last effort is always a miss.
I love the thrill of racing to win so much that I know it will be hard for me to realize I’ve lost a step and am no longer good enough to win. But I also love many other things about running and competing. So I could see myself not worrying about slowing down a little as I get older and just continuing to pin on my race numbers and do my best, like Colleen De Reuck and Joan Benoit Samuelson, who have set the standard for graceful aging at the elite level of running.
All I hope for now, in the prime of my career, is that I have a choice in the matter. I want to be able to choose whether I stop racing because I’m past my peak or keep racing because I still get plenty of satisfaction out of it even without the hope of winning. I don’t want injuries to make me quit before I’m ready. And I don’t want that for my husband, either.
Vega will face two-time Team USA Cross Country squad member Scott Bauhs (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) as well as 25 km American Record holder Fernando Cabada (Boulder, Colo.). Additional contenders for the title include Fasil Bizuneh (Flagstaff, Ariz.), and home state favorite Ryan Sheehan (Kalamazoo, Mich.).
Highlights of the USA Men's 10 Mile Championship will be webcast in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com at www.USARunningCircuit.com.
About the USARC
The USA Men's 10 Mile Championship is the seventh stop for the men on the 2010 USA Running Circuit (USARC) and features $17,200 in prize money with $7,000 going to the champion.
The 2010 USARC is a USA Track & Field road series, featuring USA Championships from one mile to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The circuit features ten events each for men and women. Vega leads the men's standings with 32 points.
The 2010 USARC will once again see a record amount of circuit prize money for a non-Olympic year with total prize purse of $623,850 offered by host events. U.S. athletes will also have the opportunity to qualify for various Team USA events, including the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and the Chiba International Ekiden.
The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USARC race (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1), with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6,000, $4,000, and $2,500) for the top three men and women point scorers overall. The USARC points at the USA Marathon Championships will be doubled.
The mission of the USA Running Circuit is to showcase, support, and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USARC and its races have provided over $6 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.
For more information on the 2010 USA Men's 10 Mile Championship visit www.USARunningCircuit.com.
PLAY: Predict the winner of the USA Men's Mile Championship (taking place this Saturday in Flint, MI) and enter for a chance to be the ULTIMATE DISTANCE FAN! All entries who select the winning athlete will be entered into a random drawing for a USA Running Circuit shirt autographed by legend Join Benoit Samuelson.
Enter your winning athlete by posting a comment to USATF's Facebook Fan Page HERE! Entries are due by Saturday, August 28 at 7:00 a.m. ET.
WATCH: The live webcast beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET this Saturday
Event information: http://www.runnerspace.com/USA-Mens-10mile Results Link
Back to full training for the first time since a left thigh injury knocked her out of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, women's marathon national record holder and Athens Olympics marathon gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi (32, Team Sysmex) announced on Aug. 26 that she plans to make a return this year with a half marathon.
In July Noguchi went to Sugadaira, Nagano for her first full-effort gasshuku training camp since the injury. She is currently training in Hokkaido together with her teammates, where she has extended her long runs up to the 30 km level. Team Sysmex coach Hisakazu Hirose commented, "She's back to running like her old self. This fall or winter Mizuki will do a half marathon."
Noguchi has not run a race since her victory at the Sendai International Half Marathon on May 11, 2008.* She has been talking discreetly with several domestic and overseas races to find the option best-suited for her comeback. Looking toward the 2012 London Olympics, Noguchi's first major checkpoint will be next summer's World Championships marathon in Daegu, Korea and its domestic selection races January through March next year.
*Translator's note: Noguchi's last race before her injury was actually the anchor leg of a 4 X 400 m relay on May 18, 2008 at the Kansai Jitsugyodan Track and Field Championships. Click here for photos.
This isn't the first time Sysmex has announced that Noguchi was ready for a comeback race, but this time they do sound serious. Should Noguchi opt for a domestic half marathon it would likely be November's final running of the Kobe Women's Half Marathon. The only other option would be the Sanyo Women's Road Race in late December.
Kenya on Thursday proved the best in track and field after they finished top of the pack at the end of the athletics programme of this year’s East Africa Secondary School Games in Nakuru.
Of the five countries that presented teams for track and field competition at the Afraha stadium, Kenya collected 47 medals: 16 gold, 18 silver and 13 bronze.
Uganda finished second with 35 medals: 13 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze while Rwanda were third with one gold and four bronze. Tanzania finished fourth with three bronze, while Southern Sudan and Zanzibar did not win any medal.
A total of 90 medals were won; 30 gold 30 silver and 30 bronze. Whereas Kenya relied heavily on men to win the gold medals, 12 in number, Uganda had their girls to thank for collecting the country’s 11 gold medals.
Tough opponents
Uganda’s men won two gold six silver and seven bronze. Women won 11 gold, six silver and three bronze. Kenya coach Samson Kimombwa on Thursday admitted that the competition was difficult for Kenya because of the stiff challenge posed by other countries and in particular Uganda, who provided a very strong women team.
Uganda coach Abdallah Mohammed said the high-quality displayed by the runners showed athletics would be the most popular in the championships in future.
From next year the East African family could increase if Ethiopia, Democrantic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe, who have applied to be admitted, are allowed in during the Federation of East Africa secondary Schools Sports Association council meeting that is to take place in Nakuru.
Impressive performance
Uganda proved a powerhouse in field events and sprints with one athlete Agnes Aneno emerging with most medals after winning 200metres, 400m and helping her relay teams clinch gold both in 4x100m and 4x400m.
Aneno’s Fame Athletics Club coach James Mugeni was impressed with her performance and said he would take the runner to Nairobi to run in the Kenyan trials for the Commonwealth Games trials on Saturday to gain more exposure.
But Kenya dominated the long distance races, bagging medals in men 5000m through Albert Rop who won in 14:15.81. Behind Rop was former world cross country junior bronze medalist Japhet Korir in 14:17.11.
As expected in the girls’ 800m, Annet Negesa of Uganda, fresh from the World Junior Championships in Mocton, Canada, beat Kenyan Fancy Cherotich and Emmaculate Chebet. Negesa clocked 2:07.63 for gold, while Cherotich took silver.
Remember the McFly 2015s, the Official Shoes of Gadget Lab? They were a fairly faithful rendition of Marty McFly’s amazing self-lacing sneakers from Back to the Future 2, forced to the market by the tireless work of the Maloof brothers who spent years badgering Nike into making them.
They looked great, but lacked the flashing lights and auto-lacing functions of the “real” thing. Now, Nike has actually patented a self-lacing sneaker. This, you are no doubt just realizing, is completely frickin’ amazing: It’s entirely possibly that these shoes could actually be in stores in the year 2015, just like in the movie. This would be a weird, time-warping paradox so perfectly mimicking those in the Back to the Future movies that the world might possibly end.
That Nike have filed a patent for these things is mind-bending enough, but pretty much everything has made it in. The shoes will of course fasten themselves, but there are also LEDs a-glowing and a detailed breakdown of the batteries, circuits and control-systems. There is even a charging stand.
One problem Nike might have to face, though, is the existence of prior-art. Not only did the sneakers already show up in the movie, but Just last month we saw that an enterprising hacker had made his own self-lacing shoes.
Capital-Plus International (CPI), a sports marketing firm, is organizing a 21-kilometre race for the second time following a successful first edition last year.
Event co-ordinator Raymond Kanyambo said during the official launching of the 2010 that the race is planned to start at the CCM Kirumba Stadium at 7:00am and will take different routes and back to the stadium for the final lap.
He said runners from all over the country as well as neighbouring countries are expected to compete in this gruelling event. Kanyambo said invitation will be extended to runners from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia.
"Apart from the 21 km race, there are four other events, these include a five-kilometre corporate classic race, a three- kilometre race for people with disabilities, a three kilometre race for elderly (55 years plus) and a two-km for children (7-10)," he said.
He said registration fees raised from participants in these races will go to a fund supporting people with disabilities in Mwanza. Kanyambo said registration forms are available at Isamilo Lodge in Mwanza, CCM Kirumba Stadium offices, Capital-Plus International Limited offices at ATC House, Athletics Tanzania (AT) headquarters in Dar es Salaam offices and Athletics Tanzania (AT) Mwanza offices and Isamilo Lodge in Mwanza.
"As soon as we heard the news, I stopped hard workouts. I am running easy days with my Mammoth Track Club teammates, but have chosen to forgo any hard efforts in order that every bit of my energy goes into making sure the baby will be healthy and strong. I don’t look pregnant yet, but I hear it seems to happen overnight," she told Runner's World.
Kastor was planning on running the ING New York City Marathon for the first time since 2006 when she placed sixth in the race. This year marks one of the toughest women's fields in New York Marathon history, with Shalane Flanagan, Mary Keitany and Mara Yamauchi already announced.
“Despite my withdrawal from this year's ING New York City Marathon, I intend to be there marathon week to take part in all the activities surrounding this fantastic race,” Kastor said in a press release.
Kastor joins fellow marathoners Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe, who are both pregnant and due in September.
New York Marathon CEO Mary Wittenberg was ecstatic about the news. “There will always be another ING New York City Marathon. There's no better reason to miss our race than pregnancy,” she said.
This will be the first child for Kastor, 37, and her husband Andrew.
Kastor currently holds the American marathon record for a woman, a 2:19:36 set in London in 2006.
It is therefore no surprise that the Comrades Marathon Association is upbeat about the future of The Ultimate Human Race, which has captured the imagination of athletes from all continents of the world.
Entries for the 2011 Comrades Marathon, an ‘Up-Run’ from Durban to Pietermaritzburg on Sunday 29 May 2011, opens on Wednesday 1 September 2010 for all athletes, novices and former Comrades athletes included. Athletes can enter at all Mr Price Home, Sport and Clothing outlets countrywide as well as posting their completed entry forms and proof of payment to the Comrades Marathon office in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Entries can also be hand delivered to Comrades Marathon House in Pietermaritzburg. Entry forms will be obtainable from local running clubs, provincial federations, Sportsman Warehouse outlets and
Mr Price outlets or can be requested from the Comrades Marathon office in Pietermaritzburg.
Entries will open at 09h00 on the 1 September 2010; this includes online entries on www.comrades.com, entries at Mr Price stores and manual entries.
Comrades athletes and aspiring entrants are reminded that entry numbers will be limited to a maximum of 18,000 entries and that entry requirements must be strictly adhered to at all times – these are clearly spelled out on the entry form. Entries will be taken on a first come first serve basis.
The CMA is confident that it can repeat the successes of the 2010 Comrades Marathon and expects a surge in interest from novices from all over the world, but mostly from South African athletes who have rediscovered the lure of the Comrades Marathon as a national icon and one of the “must do’s” for sportsmen and women.
The Northern Echo reports - TWO-time champion Martin Lel has announced he plans to defend his title at the Bupa 30th Great North Run next month.
The Kenyan former world half marathon champion, 29, will take on legendary Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, twice Olympic 10,000m champion, and American Dathan Ritzenhein, who won the bronze medal at last years World Half Marathon Championships, in the race on September 19.
Lel, who recently has been racing his way back to fitness in the United States after injury, claimed his first victory over the Newcastle to South Shields course in 2007 and last year recorded the races second fastest ever time of 59 minutes 32 seconds.
Mara Yamauchi has already been confirmed as a participant in the women's race where she will be aiming to become the first British champion since Paula Radcliffe in 2003.
"If Lel is on, he's untouchable." Hendrick Ramaala
The November 7 race will be the marathon debut for Keitany, the reigning world half-marathon champion who set a 25km world mark of 79 mins 53 secs last May in Berlin. Keitany, 28, has not lost a half-marathon since October 2007.
"It will be my debut at the marathon distance and I have no idea how my body will react in the last miles, but I?m confident for the new challenge in front of me," Keitany said.
Joining her in the women's field were two-time New Zealand Olympian Kim Smith and former world champion Werknesh Kidane of Ethiopia. British Olympian Mara Yamauchi and US Olympian Shalane Flanagan are also among the entrants.
Fujiwara, 27, makes his New York debut after setting a course record of 2:09:33 last May to win the Ottawa Marathon. He left the Japan railways team last year to compete independently.
Also entering the men's field were Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia and Kenyans Abel Kirui, Peter Kamais, and Emmanuel Mutai. Reigning champion Meb Keflezighi and marathon world record-holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia will also run.
Meanwhile Spain's Chema Martinez, runner-up in two years ago when Thompson finished sixth, is adamant he will be fully recovered after claiming the European marathon silver medal in Barcelona.
"It's great news to include the pair in what is already a high quality field," said Andy Caine, elite athlete's manager for the meeting.
"I'm expecting much more from Thompson who finished fifth a year ago but who has now stepped up a few notches. Martinez is always someone for the big occasion."
The two late additions will face a field which also includes former Olympic marathon champion Stefano Baldini, 2005 world 5000m bronze medallist Craig Mottram and British pair of Andrew Lemoncello and Lee Merrien.
Lemoncello was the first European runner to cross the line at this year's London Marathon when finishing eighth while Merrien exceeded expectations when taking eighth position in the European Marathon.
The Bupa Great Yorkshire Run will start on Arundel Gate, before heading along Penistone Road to Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium, before returning to the city centre.
Online entries are being accepted until 0900 BST on Tuesday August 31 at www.greatrun.org.
by Duncan Larkin for RoadsMillsLaps
Once upon a time, before the Solinskys and the Tegenkamps came to the fore, before Ritz and Lagat did it, America had a whole bunch of hard-working guys going after Bob Kennedy’s elusive 5,000m American record (12:58.21).
Tim Broe of Peoria, Illinois was one of these guys on that quixotic quest. And though his ultimate PR, 13:11, fell short of Kennedy’s 13-year-old mark, there’s no doubt that his untiring work ethic--his ability to throw absolutely everything on the line every race and ignore the inevitable pain and doubt that goes with 4:1X pace--inspired the next generation of Americans to keep tilting at the windmill.
Broe helped pave the way; there’s no doubt about it.
Good news for America: Broe hasn’t walked away from the sport. He’s not spending his days sitting atop a deer stand with a warm cup of coffee cradled in his hands. He hasn’t slipped under the radar.
After years coaching budding Solinskys at East Peoria High School, Broe recently accepted a professional coaching gig with In the Arena, which is now based in Lyme, New Hampshire.
RML: You spent your career whittling your 5K down to 13:11. During those days, Bob Kennedy was the only American to go sub 13, but since you’ve retired, the list of sub-13 Americans has grown substantially with folks like Ritz, Teg, Lagat, and Solinsky running times that were once thought practically impossible for Americans. What do you think these runners are doing right when it comes to training and racing?
Tim Broe: My first thought--and this is kind of an obvious answer--is that they are doing everything right from a younger age. As collegiate runners, they have a long-term plan other than, “I got to win the podunk invite this weekend.” This is especially true for the Wisconsin kids. They are doing everything right from a young age. They are getting that consistent, uninterrupted training that you need at a young age. They establish a big base, just like the Africans have done from a young age. And now they are reaping the benefits of that.
You mentioned the Wisconsin guys like Solinsky. He was logging a ton of mileage for high school runner. As a high school coach, do you think its good for kids to get in a lot of miles in order to establish the base you referred to earlier?
I think that every kid is so different. I’ve never really been opposed to it, because everyone has their own path. For me it was 13:11. For Solinsky it’s 12:55. If a kid really enjoys it and it’s healthy for him and it’s healthy for his mindset and he enjoys doing it, then by all means, let him run--as long as they have some perspective and they have someone looking after them, as opposed to going out and just hammering like crazy without real direction. And there are other kids who don’t need it. Their bodies just aren’t ready for it. But in Solinsky’s case, he’s a big, strong kid who can handle that kind of mileage. For example, I had a kid in high school who I coached. He was a “miler” and looked a lot like Solinsky--a big, strong kid. I was running him 70 miles a week. He ran 16:20 for 5K. Now, I had another kid the same age who had a totally different build. He ran the same times, but was only logging 40 miles a week. So it just depends on the athlete.
Staying on the topic of aerobic fitness: What does “aerobic base” mean to you and what does it take to establish one?
In my opinion, it takes two, consistent, solid years of long runs, long tempo runs, longer fartleks and hills. It means just working on that anaerobic threshold or that lactate threshold and getting yourself so efficient that you can play at any speed or with any gear. You just have better command over your body when you are racing.
A lot of younger marathoners right out of college seem to move immediately up to the marathon. What do you think about that?
I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing. They are getting big paydays, so why would you not? If you’re going to get $100,000 just to show up at a marathon to make your debut, it would be pretty hard to say no. Just because you do a marathon early in your career, doesn’t mean you are destined to run marathons your whole career. If someone’s going to offer me 150 grand to show up to a marathon, I’d take it in a heartbeat.
Despite the fact that the U.S. is showing strength in events like the 5,000m and the marathon, it still seems to be lagging behind in the steeplechase event as well pretty much being a no-show at the world cross country championships. Why do think that is?
I think the steeple is coincidence. Everything comes in waves. When I ran six years ago, the 5K was pretty pathetic. It still wasn’t too shabby. We had guys going under 13:20, which at that time, was the best we had in a long time. But the steeplechase was really strong. Besides myself, there was [Robert] Gary, Fam, and Dan Lincoln. We had like seven or eight guys under 8:20. Now it’s flipped. The steeple has kind of been the red-headed stepchild of distance running on the track. Why risk injury in an event like that when you can run 13:00 for 5K? Right now, all our best distance stars are running 5Ks and 1500s. I think it will come back. Now, about cross country: It’s a lot of fun, but at the end of the day, it’s a long trip to compete in it, because it’s always in Europe or Africa. It’s a long haul to go over and, to be perfectly honest, get your ass kicked for 12,000 meters. It’s that simple. You have to adjust your training, because it’s always nice to have a short indoor period. Run a couple times; make a couple bucks. You run U.S. cross to make sponsors happy and because it’s a fun event. But now you have to extend that another month, when you really need to get back to your base training and ramping up for the outdoor season. On top of that there’s the money part. I keep bringing that up, but as a professional athlete, you have to pick and choose where your effort is going to be. So if you go over to world cross, a guy there can run well, but end up getting 15th or 20th place. And you are worn out, because you had to taper a week before and you’re tired the week after. So you’ve really kind of screwed with your training for six weeks, for what? I guess it would be really cool to have all the good guys that America has running now show up and go win a team medal. America could legitimately place second or third. Ethiopia and Kenya would obviously be up there, but the hard part is getting all those guys to commit to doing it.
Do you think the U.S. has a shot to win an Olympic medal in the 5,000m or 10,000m in 2012?
Oh absolutely. I think Solinsky and Ritz both have a legitimate shot in the 10K, depending on what Ritz decides to run. I think Lagat has a big shot at medalling in the 5K. The thing about championship events is that it’s hard with our trials system to get ready for that--especially now that we’ve got four or five guys who are as good as they are for over 5K. You really got to be prepared at the U.S. Trials or you could end up being a 13-flat guy sitting at home watching the Olympics. That’s the thing even with a Lagat or a Solinsky: If you can’t run a 54-second last lap off a quick pace, off of running a race of 64s, or run 27 seconds for the last 200, as good as you are, you aren’t going to medal. The Africans just have this other gear--even when they are running quick. They can dig down and split 26 or 27 at the end of 12 hard laps.
Why do you think the Africans have that extra gear?
I think a little bit is genetics. I think a lot of it is that huge aerobic base they’ve had from a young age. Even as fast as they are running, they are so efficient. Their body may be tired, but they still have one or two more gears left in them. One thing that always bugs me is when people say that they are just tougher than we are. And that’s why they are successful. I don’t think that’s it at all. Americans are finally catching up. Now that Nike and the Oregon Project have set the bar so high. I wish they’d share some of their secrets, but I don’t think it’s about secrets, though. They’ve got every medical advantage and they are doing all the right things. So absolutely: I think we have several shots at winning medals.
You just recently moved to New Hampshire, correct?
Yep. Three days ago, in fact. [He laughs.]
What are you doing there?
I’m going to be coaching a group of post-collegiate runners who are sponsored by a charity called In the Arena. They were located originally in Boston, but have recently moved their operations to Lyme, New Hampshire. Their goal is to get athletes into the finals of the Olympic Trials. Hopefully, if I could get two of them into the Olympic games that would be a huge feat in the next two years. Their ultimate goal is to get athletes to become positive role models for kids in their communities. These athletes will come up. We will all live and train together. I think the difference between ours and other programs is that they will spend a couple hours a day in schools and other programs around the area just mentoring kids and being positive role models for them.
How is your own running going?
I ran twice in the last two years. It seems to have gone ok when I ran those two times. [He laughs.] I probably will do some running now that I’m up here. But I’ve been kind of bummed out with my foot that’s been chronically hurt. You just get worn down from trying to run when everything feels good, but you wake up the next day and my foot just kills me. I’m doing some biking and enjoying life more than anything.
How’s the fishing in New Hampshire?
I have no idea. I really don’t. I know I’m standing here looking at a barn and there are about 25 turkeys 50 meters away from me right now.
New Hampshire is a good place for hunting and fishing. Are you excited about that aspect of living there?
I got a couple kids running for me. One kid, Ben True, is from Maine originally. He moved back from Oregon, because he got homesick. He’s a fisherman and redneck. Another kid, Robert Edgerton, is a UNH grad. He’s a big-time hillbilly, so I think we’ll be doing some outdoor stuff together as well as training.
You’ve hunted and fished your whole life. What lessons, if any, have you learned doing those outdoor sports did you apply to your running?
It sounds kind of corny, but the biggest thing, especially with deer hunting is kind of being patient, allowing the deer to come to you. When I was first hunting, I used to sit for about and hour and then chase the deer, spooking them away. I couldn’t sit and wait. But just learning to be patient has a lot to do with running. There are so many guys who are so anxious to get better, they keep pushing and pushing. One thing we are going to work on here, is that we will work on our training, but we’re also going to teach these kids just to relax and not feel like they have to kill themselves just to get better. You do have to push yourself to a certain point, but sometimes you have to let it come to you, too. You’ve got to learn to relax. Ben [True] is a great example. He’s been training for a full year. He took two days off. I said, “Why don’t you take two weeks off?” He said, “You know, two weeks is too much. I’m already bored.” And so I told him: “Take two weeks off to let your body and mind recover. Get them ready for a fall training session.”
What lessons are you imparting as a coach that you learned as a runner?
My biggest thing is was to learn to calm down and just relax during the day. I couldn’t just train in the morning, sit around all day, and then train at night. That’s what’s really special about the charity, is that we’re going to be doing a lot of training. That is the big part of this, but we’re getting these guys out of the mindset where life is all about you 24/7--getting them out of their training and racing, getting them out of their own head and ego, giving back a little bit and being around kids. I think that’s why I hunted and fished a lot, because I was bored and had nothing else to do. Sitting around just didn’t suit me. I want these runners to try and relax and not do so much throughout the day. I used work out in the morning, golf in the afternoon, run around for the rest of the day, and then just be exhausted at night. We are going to be running in the morning, going to be working in schools for a few hours, and running at night. As far coaching is concerned: it’s challenging to say the least. It’s a lot more stressful being a coach than being an athlete. Let me put it to you that way.
Why?
I guess, because at the end of the day, no matter how much you want it for the athlete, how much you want all your training to go right, they have to go out and run on the track. At the end of the day, they have to be the one strapping it on. I think I’ll have a lot more fun with professionals. With high school runners, I was so stressed out all the time, because as much as I cared, kids would say, “Whatever, coach. This is a dual meet.” I would just pull my hair out all the time. People would say, “Relax, it’s just high schoolers.” I would say, “But when I was in high school, I wanted it bad.” A lot of it with professionals is that they putting their trust in me. I don’t want to let them down. I think that is going to probably be my biggest stressor. I’m a chronic worrier. I think I’m going to spend a lot of time hoping that I’m doing it right. I don’t want them saying at the end of the day, “Well I didn’t race well, because Broe had me doing this.” It’s a learning process, but we will learn together.
You were featured in the movie Five Thousand Meters: Nothing Comes Easy. How was that experience?
[He laughs.] You know, I got in a lot of trouble from my mom because of that movie. They did a premier of it in the old Apollo theater in Peoria. My whole family was there. At the time, there were a bunch of kids walking around with camcorders. It was just something to do, so I let them follow me around. They were good kids. But you sometimes forget all the things you say. And so when it comes on the screen, my mom was just glaring at me. I was the only one dropping f-bombs. My mom stared at me and says, “Only you. Only you.” [He laughs.]
Michael Arnstein 1 M 2:39:37 6:05/M Under 50 1
Granantan Boyle 2 M 2:41:02 6:08/M Under 50 2
Uli Mzungo 3 M 2:44:10 6:16/M Under 50 3
Abhinabha Tangerman 4 M 2:44:25 6:16/M Under 50 4
Tim Cranfield 5 M 2:50:19 6:30/M Under 50 5
Bahadur Szabo 6 M 2:52:49 6:35/M Under 50 6
Oskar Ganz 7 M 2:58:46 6:49/M Under 50 7
Giovanni Anantea 8 M 3:00:39 6:53/M Under 50 8
Francesco Murianni 9 M 3:01:26 6:55/M Under 50 9
Garbitashri Webster 10 F 3:02:25 6:57/M Under 50 1
Kenyan-born Danish Wilson Kipketer has said he was not surprised to hear that David Rudisha had smashed his long-standing 800m world record.
Kipketer had held the record since August 1997 before Rudisha shaved two hundredths of a second from the mark by running 1 minute 41.09 seconds in Berlin, Germany on Sunday.
Kipketer believes it is a positive outcome for athletics, in which he is still involved as a coach and consultant.
Kipketer won Olympic silver and bronze, but never gold, as he was forced to sit out the 1996 Olympic Games while he waited to be granted Danish citizenship following a switch in nationality from his native country, Kenya.
Rudisha made history Sunday, setting a new world record in the 800-meters.
The 21-year-old runner clocked 1:41.09 in the event at an international meet in Berlin, Germany.
Rudisha, the African record holder and a world junior champion over 800 metres in 2006, had been threatening to break the record for some time, so promising had been his recent form on the track.
Elsewhere, Kenyan athletes will be among 120 runners who will participate in the annual Colombo Marathon to be held on 3rd of October this year starting at Torrington Square in Sri Lanka.
This annual event organised by the Lanka Sportreizen is to be held for the tenth time after missing out last year due to security reasons.
With the situation in the country coming back to normal, Sri Lanka hopes that this event will be a recreational destination in the future.
Already runners from Kenya, Germany and Japan have confirmed their participation.
However, expatriates working in Sri Lanka are also expected to compete in the full marathon that covers over 21 kilometres.
The men and women winners will receive a cash prize and an airline ticket from SriLankan Airlines.
The 2010 edition of the Swedish Championships were held in Falun, the hometown track of Susanna and Jenny Kallur. The twins had for a couple of years really looked forward to the chance to compete in a championship setting on their home track - the Lugnet arena (next door to the skiing facilities that have hosted the Nordic World Championships several times) - in front of friends and family. But that was sadly not to be as injuries forced both of them to be DNS's this weekend.
But despite this there were healthy sized crowds following all four days of competition Thurday(19) to Sunday (22). Thursday consisted only of the Shot Put which was – following the trend created by the Big Shot event at the DN Galan in Stockholm – held on a special facility set up at the Fisktorget square in "downtown" Falun. In the women's competition European Championships finalist Helena Engman strongly challenged her own nine days old NR 18.17 missing it by a mere 9 centimeters.
During the main part of the championships from Friday to Sunday the name Mustafa Mohamed popped up on all three days as he had set out to try the long distance triple of 10000m, 3000m Steeplechase and 5000m, something which previously had been successfully accomplished only once before (by Dan Glans in 1976) at the Swedish championships.
As Mohamed recently announced that he for the future will switch his focus from the steeplechase on the track to the marathon on the roads this would probably be his very last chance to attempt this exclusive triple on the track. A chance he didn't waste as no other runner on any of the three distances was capable of putting Mohamed under really serious pressure.
In all three events – 10,000m on Friday, Steeplechase on Saturday and 5000m on Sunday – he just ran away from his opponents with a few laps to go by increasing the pace markedly. That the winning margins were kept at a few seconds was only due to the fact that with the focus on getting the three gold medals Mohamed never really pushed it any harder than necessary to win comfortably.
Of course Mohamed was the only triple winner but there were also three double winners: Niklas Arrhenius took both the Shot Put (19.25) and the Discus Throw (SB 63.87), Charlotte Schönbeck the 800m (2:04.99) and the 1500m (4:23.79) and marathon specialist (5th in the European Championships) Isabellah Andersson the 5000m (16:05.80) and the 10,000m (33:46.35).
Klüft makes simultaneous attempt at double
Carolina Klüft also attempted a double but as her two events of choice were going on almost simultaneously on the Sunday so she ended up with a silver in the 100m (lost by 0.04 to Lena Berntsson) in addition to the emphatic gold in the Long Jump (6.48w).
Sprinter Johan Wissman was content with doing just the 200m where he had to work surprisingly hard to secure his 7th national title at the distance. His most persistent challenger was Nil de Oliveira who reached the finish line just 0.04 behind: 21.22 versus 21.26 into a strong wind.
That headwind also almost destroyed the race for hurdler Philip Nossmy who hit several hurdles and was thrown completely off-balance at the seventh hurdle. He somehow did manage to stay on his feet, get into the race again and actually win it but the opportunity to record a good winning time was lost.
Green – shows authority and confidence
The quite blustry wind also made matters complicated for the Long and Triple Jumpers but in the end the conditions must have been quite good as the general results levels were among the best ever in the meet and as the number of new PB's was quite high. But Barcelona finalist Michel Tornéus had problem getting his run-up right and had to be content with 7.96 as his official winning distance.
No such problems – at least not visible for the normal observer – for Barcelona silver medallist Emma Green in the High Jump. Green now jumps with a confidence and authority not previously displayed. After having waited for almost 1½ hour after the warm-up for the bar to get upp to her opening height of 1.84 she cleared that as well as 1.89 and 1.91 in first attempts was sufficient to secure the win. All alone Green continued with 1.96 in third attempt before ending with three decent-but-not-close attempts at 2.00
The women's throwing events were dominated by experienced athletes: Helena Engman got her 7th gold in the Shot Put, Annika Petersson her 8th in the Javelin, Cecilia Nilsson her 11th in the Hammer and Anna Söderberg her 18th (!!) in the Discus. But for Söderberg – who finished 11th in the Barcelona final a few weeks ago - the amazing and unique national title streak dating back to 1993 most probably ended now as she will have an operation this autumn on the shoulder that has bothered her for several years now.
So no surprising up-starts in those events but the men's 800m brought the big shock of the weekend: After setting new PB's in both heat and final unheralded (No 13 on the year list going into the championships) Karim Mohammadi flew past the leading runners with a blistering last 50 metres.
That gave him not only the gold medal but also one of the coveted places on the Swedish team for the "Finnkampen" – the traditional and extremely prestigious yearly dual meet Sweden vs Finland that will be staged next week (27-28 August) in Helsinki.
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