"Alberto Salazar won't even let us invite Galen Rupp to New York. He's afraid Galen would get too excited about the marathon."
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Hall - what the message boards say
Dear Mr. Hall,I'm a big fan, BUT...
In Boston, you said you'd run free, but you checked your watch like you have OCD. It's become a problem.
The leader's surged in Boston. You checked your watch - yep, if I run any faster than my current 4:50 mile, I'm gonna blow up. Your head got in the way.
Without your watch, you do a gut check. You don't know what your pace is... so you go with the surge. How does it feel? If it feels OK, you stay with it. If it feels like you're gonna blow up, you back off.
[read more]
Increased drug testing at Twin Cities
USATF selected the Medtronic TC 10 Mile and the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon to host the USA Women's 10 Mile Championship and the USA Men's Marathon Championship, respectively. Athletes tested at national championship events are selected randomly by U.S. Anti-doping Agency (USADA), and funding for this testing is supported by USADA and the U.S. Olympic Committee. The average cost to test athletes ranges between $500 and $750 per athlete.
In addition to testing athletes competing in the U.S. championship division of the races, Twin Cities In Motion will also test elite athletes from any country competing in the Open division of the marathon. Twin Cities In Motion will cover the cost of the additional tests.
"Twin Cities In Motion, like USA Track & Field, believes in doing everything we can to ensure a clean sport," said Virginia Brophy Achman, Executive Director of Twin Cities In Motion. "Despite the cost that these additional tests incur, we believe it is part of the responsibility in operating a successful, respected event. We also feel drug testing goes hand-in-hand with our support of post-collegiate athletes, who benefit from a level playing field."
USATF announced the "Zero Tolerance" anti-doping plan in 2003 with a focus on increasing education, identifying athletes using performance enhancing drugs and increasing punishments and fines for cheating athletes and their coaches.
Twin Cities this weekend: track a runner through text messages
The Medtronic Athlete Tracker, powered by Convergent, sends text messages to spectators' mobile phones as athletes cross timing mats at various locations along the course. Title sponsor Medtronic and race organizer, Twin Cities In Motion, came up with the idea to help spectators plan their viewing locations and better predict the finish times of their athletes.
"We're very pleased to offer this service to enhance the race experience for our athletes and their families and friends," said Virginia Brophy Achman, Executive Director for Twin Cities In Motion (TCM). "With race participation increasing 40 percent over the last five years, it is more important than ever for spectators to be able to follow the athletes who have trained so hard to be here."
Text notification sounds simple at first. The challenge posed by the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon is volume and time. With 17,000 runners, 300,000 spectators, 26 mile marker identification points and an event lasting less than half a day, the technology needed to be architected correctly, or it wouldn't work. Medtronic spearheaded a solution by partnering with Convergent - a nationally recognized technology solution provider for Microsoft UC and voice.
"The idea of building an athlete tracking system for the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon immediately sparked our interest," said Tavis Hudson, Convergent's Health Solutions Manager. "At Convergent, our specialty is building communication systems that solve business challenges and bring people together. The Medtronic Athlete Tracker, powered by Convergent, does just that. With our technology, spectators will be able to follow -- and cheer on -- individual athletes out of a pack of thousands."
"It is exciting to bring innovations like this to the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon," said Tammy Johnson, Medtronic global brand marketing director. "Helping great organizations like Twin Cities In Motion enhance great community events is one of the many reasons Medtronic pushes the boundaries of technology every day."
Athletes and spectators can sign up to receive text updates via a link on www.mtcmarathon.org.
We're approaching epicenter of fall marathon season - busy weekend
10/3/10 Clarendon Way Marathon in Winchester, UK
10/3/10 Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon, St Helier, Jersey
10/3/10 Koeln (Cologne) Marathon
10/3/10 Kosice Peace Marathon (Slovak Republic)
10/3/10 Baxters Loch Ness Marathon, Inverness, Highlands United Kingdom
10/3/10 Marathon de Provence Luberon, France
10/3/10 Maratón de Guayaquil, Ecuador
10/3/10 Südtirol Marathon Alto Adige, Bolzano, Italy
10/3/10 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, Minneapolis/St.Paul, USA
Ridiculous: Kilian Journet runs Kilimanjaro in 7:14
This latest, and well publicised, episode of the young athlete’s amazing Quest to complete some utterly astounding ultra-trail and mountain running achievements, was completed in full gaze of the humble and remarkable Simon M’Tuy. A man who held the record, until today, and has been so supportive and inspirational to the whole of the Salomon crew on location in Africa.
Flotrack checking out Africa
"21 hours. Not the longest air travel of my life, but certainly not the shortest. After a week of heading to Philadelphia, Plainsboro NJ, and a few sites in New York to get the xc season rolling with some solid content, I sat in JFK, relieved that I was about to spend an entire day on planes and in airports. I guess it was a finally moment. After this trip sat in the back of my mind all summer, 4 vaccines in the shoulder and my visa finally arrived 36 hours before departure, I was ready to go. My 4th continent in 24 years of living. More impressively, it was Flotrack's 5th continent in just under 4 years. After Melbourne, Osaka, Austin, and Paris. Rome, Auckland, Beijing, and Eugene. Stockholm, Guelph, New York, and Berlin. Flotrack was finally making its first visit to Africa! Ethiopia to be exact. So NY to DC, DC to Rome, Rome to Addis Ababa, 3 in-flight meals, 1 terrible airplane movie staring Catherine Zeta-Jones and a 45 minute wait on line at customs and I was there.
First thing I notice, 35 US Dollars gets me 491 Birr, what! This is going to be sweet! Then, the cab ride to the hotel, no seat belts, or headlights (It is 10 at night). We make it safely to the hotel, though and things change quickly. The hotel is super-nice. Yo almost forget you are in a developing nation there, until you see the guards at the gate with AK-47s and the metal detector and x-ray machine at the door. You almost feel guilty staying somewhere that nice when many of the people outside the gates live an entire year on what a 2 night stay costs! Also, something you notice immediately...Ethiopians are some of the nicest and most beautiful people you will encounter. Also, every country I go to I feel ignorant for know only English and basic Spanish, when almost everyone on the other side of the Atlantic knows at least 2 languages sufficiently.
The first night's sleep is rough with the time change, but the next day the schedule is light. Just shooting B-Roll around the city and finalizing the schedule for the following 3 days. Well, not quite...the hotel phone rings, "Haile returned from Gateshead early, he can meet now." Ok, so new plan, good thing we were prepared for anything. We head to his office. Beforehand, we learned all about Chairman Gebrselassie's business ventures in Ethiopia. He is an advocate for creating jobs and putting money into the developing economy. He owns multiple office buildings, a cinema, car dealership, and is opening a resort hotel 4 hours south of Addis in a few months. In total he employs over 600 Ethiopians. Because of this, I can not wait to see him at work and how involved he is. After all, he is still an elite runner who just a year ago broke his 27th career world record. I had a brief encounter with him at the NYC Half Marathon in the spring, but on this trip I was going to get to spend a few days with this historic runner.
We get to Haile's office and it is one of the nicest buildings we have seen so far in Addis, behind our hotel and the palace, really. We take the elevator up 6 stories and walk through the door marked "Chairman." Eamon Coughlan and Bernard Lagat may be the 'Chairman(s) of the Boards', but Haile is basically the Chairman of Ethiopia. We enter his office and you see some Ethiopian art, pictures of his family, a framed picture of him breaking the half marathon world record, and tons of binders full of work. He jumps out of his chair to greet us and it the most gracious host one could ask for. After introductions are done, we begin to talk. He tells us about his business, the Great North Run, the NYC Marathon, and about his life. It is almost surreal to have him talking to me from five feet away. This isn't a press conference, this isn't TV, this isn't a Flotrack video, the guy who ran 2:03:59 is sitting across from me telling me about when he won a major competition between the biggest high schools as a freshman, beating all the boys 2 and 3 years older then him. A race his school did not want to enter him in because of his age, despite being the fastest in his school. He talks extensively about his professional career with adidas, which he believes, at around 2 decades, is the longest contract any runner has held with adidas, or any brand for that matter.
Once the conversation winds down, and we decide it is time to let him get back to work, he tells us to meet him back at the office at 4 and he will take us to his house for a traditional Ethiopian meal. I tried to play it cool and not seem like a super-track fan and humbly accept the invitation. All I am thinking is, 'Haile could serve me Snausages for dinner and this will be one of the greatest meals of my life" So we head back to the hotel and get ready for dinner...
To be continued...expect follow-up blogs and some video highlights of the trip in the next couple of days!"
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Coolsaet gets Olympic standard
Hamilton’s Reid Coolsaet, in his first attempt at the Olympic standard, achieved his target on Sunday, at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
Coolsaet was the top Canadian —10th overall — in 2:11:22, achieving the Canadian Olympic standard for the 2012 London Games.
Kenya’s Kenneth Mungara won his third consecutive STWM title completing the 42.195-kilometre course in 2:07:57, smashing his previous record of 2:08:32, set in 2009. Jafred Chirchir was second in 2:08:09 and Daniel Rono, who won the 2006 event, was third in 2:08:14 - completing the Kenyan sweep of the men’s podium. Kenyan runners have won the STWM race for the past five years.
The top four men were all under Mungara’s 2009 record.
Fellow Kenyan Sharon Cherop won the women’s race in another record time, crossing the line in 2:22:42 in a dramatic sprint finish. She edged second-place Tirfi Tsegaye of Ethiopia, who was 2:22:44. Ethiopia’s Merima Mohammed finished third in 2:23:06. Vancouver’s Katherine Moore was the top Canadian woman in 2:47:41.
Both Mungara and Cherop recorded the fastest ever men’s and women’s marathons on Canadian soil.
But some of the loudest cheers were for Coolsaet, who battled injury for most of 2008, missing the Beijing Olympics. In 2009, he only had a few months of proper marathon training before winning the nationals in Ottawa, and earning a 25th-place finish at the Berlin world championships in 2:16:53.
With a full 12 months of marathon mileage under his belt leading up to the Scotiabank race, Coolsaet felt confident enough to go out in 65 minutes for the first half, giving himself a shot at Jerome Drayton’s Canadian record of 2:10:09, which has stood since 1975.
“[It] was still within reach at halfway. But that was a little tough. I tried to rally to stay on Olympic standard, and I had to push those last 2K to make sure I got under,” Coolsaet said.
“With 1K to go, I looked at my watch, and thought, ‘I got to buckle down here.’”
Coolsaet maintained a steady pace, with a slightly positive split (65:10 first half, then 66:13), smiling uncontrollably over the final 200m when he know he was going to get the Olympic Standard. It was also the fastest marathon in Canada — by a Canadian — eclipsing Peter Fonseca’s 2:11:34 from 1995 in Toronto.
Fonseca, now an Ontario cabinet minister, was on hand to congratulate Coolsaet.
Teammate Eric Gillis also set a personal best in 2:12:08, despite nursing a sore knee and running most of the second half alone.
“It felt surprisingly good,” Gillis said. “Around 38K, I was starting to hurt. But instead of slowing down, I tried to pick it up a bit, and it worked. I was able to find another gear.”
Emotions were running high for Dave Scott-Thomas, who coaches both Coolsaet and Gillis at the Speed River Track and Field Club in Guelph, Ont.
“Honestly, at the end, I was crying,” Scott-Thomas said. “It’s a powerful connection you have. It’s not just training stuff - it’s life. I mean, my youngest daughter is named after [Reid].”
“This wasn’t mind blowing range. This is what we thought they should run. I’m very happy, but not surprised,” he added.
Race director Alan Brookes said he couldn’t pick just one favourite moment on a day where two Canadian all-comers records fell, and a local runner made the Olympic standard.
“Over the past few years, we’ve come to believe we could have a marathon in Toronto that is every bit as could as a marathon in Chicago, Los Angeles, Rome or Amsterdam,” Brookes said.
About 20,000 runners took part in marathon, half marathon and 5K races, raising more than $2.5 million for 115 local charities.
Athletics Canada sets lofty marathon standards
Canadian marathoners looking to qualify for the 2011 world championships, or 2012 Olympics will have to run close to a national record, in order to make the team.
Athletics Canada released its set of standards for the marathon and the men’s 50K racewalk on Wednesday:
Men’s marathon - 2:11:29
Women’s marathon - 2:29:55
Men’s 50K racewalk - 3:53:23
The marathon standards are both about a minute off the current Canadian records. Jerome Drayton’s men’s record of 2:10:09 was set in 1975, while the women’s mark is Sylvia Ruegger’s 2:28:36, from 1985.
“The announcement is consistent with Athletics Canada’s high performance mandate and its commitment to effective communication related to National Programs,” said Martin Goulet, Athletics Canada Chief High Performance Officer.
The qualifying period for the world championships began Jan. 1, 2010, and goes until May 29, 2011. The qualifying period for the 2012 Olympics began Sept. 1, 2010 and ends Apr. 15, 2012.
Athletics Canada uses IAAF criteria for all other events, but for the marathon and 50K racewalk, it applies its own standards. There are no selection trials for these events, and runners will be chosen based on their rankings during the qualifying period.
There will also be a subjective ‘rising star’ category for athletes who show potential in the 20K racewalk or 10,000m events.
Congrats, Paula!
When it rains babies, it pours babies.
Just days after Kara and Adam Goucher welcomed a baby boy into the (runner's) world, a little birdie tells us that marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe has given birth to her second child. She and husband Gary Lough announced via Twitter:
So happy to announce that Raphael arrived at 19.28. Our gorgeous little boy now sleeping peacefully.
And on Paula's due date, too!
Congratulations to Paula, Gary, and newly big sister Isla.
Hall official statement
Joan Benoit Samuelson: "I would love to run another sub-2:50"
By David Leon Moore, USA TODAY
Twenty-five years ago, Joan Benoit Samuelson, who had won the first women's Olympic marathon the year before, made more history by winning the 1985 Chicago Marathon in an American-record time of 2 hours, 21 minutes, 21 seconds. That record stood for 18 years. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the race, Samuelson, along with 1985 men's winner Steve Jones, will run in the 33rd Chicago Marathon on Oct. 10. Samuelson, 53, who lives in Freeport, Maine, spoke with USA TODAY.
Q: You said after running at the 2008 Olympic trials in Boston that that was your last competitive marathon? What changed?
A: I guess my passion for the sport is still there. I didn't say after the trials what constituted competitive. So I left myself an out. I've been a part of the sport for so long. It's such a great challenge coming back to Chicago, especially after watching how much the sport has grown. I think in 1985 there were about 6,000 runners. This year it's over 45,000. I guess I'd have to say other runners just keep me inspired.
Q: So, what would you consider competitive now?
A: I would love to run another sub-2:50. I've never run a marathon in more than 3 hours. So I want to keep it under 3 hours. If I can keep it under 2:50, I would have run the three biggest marathons under 2:50 after the age of 50. I did it in Boston in 2008 and did it in New York last year.
Q: Will an American woman win another Olympic marathon?
A: I think yes, for sure, an American has the capability. Deena Kastor has the American record. She's now pregnant and how she comes back remains to be seen. Kara Goucher is another one, and she just had a baby. Another one is Shalane Flanagan.
Q: What's your fondest memory of the 1984 Olympic marathon?
A: Running down the L.A. freeway by myself. Winning the first women's Olympic marathon. Winning on home soil.
Q: What keeps you busy these days besides running?
A: I sit on several boards and committees in Maine. I've started a race in my hometown, the Beach to Beacon 10K. I'm very involved with environmental issues. And I still work with Nike, both on running and on sustainability.
Q: What should runners know once they turn 50 and want to keep running competitively?
A: Everything in moderation. I'm certainly not doing the mileage I once did, though I'm still running around 80 miles a week, at least in preparation for this race. It's really a fine line sometimes. Recovering becomes more difficult as you age. It's important to remember to run your own race. I run my own race. You can't run anybody's race but your own.
Twenty-five years ago, Joan Benoit Samuelson, who had won the first women's Olympic marathon the year before, made more history by winning the 1985 Chicago Marathon in an American-record time of 2 hours, 21 minutes, 21 seconds. That record stood for 18 years. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the race, Samuelson, along with 1985 men's winner Steve Jones, will run in the 33rd Chicago Marathon on Oct. 10. Samuelson, 53, who lives in Freeport, Maine, spoke with USA TODAY.
Q: You said after running at the 2008 Olympic trials in Boston that that was your last competitive marathon? What changed?
A: I guess my passion for the sport is still there. I didn't say after the trials what constituted competitive. So I left myself an out. I've been a part of the sport for so long. It's such a great challenge coming back to Chicago, especially after watching how much the sport has grown. I think in 1985 there were about 6,000 runners. This year it's over 45,000. I guess I'd have to say other runners just keep me inspired.
Q: So, what would you consider competitive now?
A: I would love to run another sub-2:50. I've never run a marathon in more than 3 hours. So I want to keep it under 3 hours. If I can keep it under 2:50, I would have run the three biggest marathons under 2:50 after the age of 50. I did it in Boston in 2008 and did it in New York last year.
Q: Will an American woman win another Olympic marathon?
A: I think yes, for sure, an American has the capability. Deena Kastor has the American record. She's now pregnant and how she comes back remains to be seen. Kara Goucher is another one, and she just had a baby. Another one is Shalane Flanagan.
Q: What's your fondest memory of the 1984 Olympic marathon?
A: Running down the L.A. freeway by myself. Winning the first women's Olympic marathon. Winning on home soil.
Q: What keeps you busy these days besides running?
A: I sit on several boards and committees in Maine. I've started a race in my hometown, the Beach to Beacon 10K. I'm very involved with environmental issues. And I still work with Nike, both on running and on sustainability.
Q: What should runners know once they turn 50 and want to keep running competitively?
A: Everything in moderation. I'm certainly not doing the mileage I once did, though I'm still running around 80 miles a week, at least in preparation for this race. It's really a fine line sometimes. Recovering becomes more difficult as you age. It's important to remember to run your own race. I run my own race. You can't run anybody's race but your own.
Chicago Marathon race director Carey Pinkowski
By Jim Ferstle for RunnersWorldThe 33rd running of what is now the Bank of America Chicago Marathon features the hottest female marathoner, plus the winners of Chicago, Boston, and London Marathons in the men’s divisions during the last year. It filled its 45,000 entrant field in 50 days, a record, and has a Beijing like race date 10-10-10 (October 10, 2010). Runners are hoping that the triple tens are their lucky numbers for a calm, cool day on the flat, fast course ideal for setting personal bests. Below, Race Director Carey Pinkowski talks about Mayor Richard M. Daley’s final marathon, the World Marathon Majors, and his high hopes for this year’s elite race. Pinkowski was interviewed prior to Ryan Hall's withdrawal from the October 10 race.
Since Mayor Daley has announced he won’t be seeking reelection, this will be his last marathon as mayor.
Carey Pinkowski: The mayor’s been very supportive. I think he’s enjoyed participating. Sunday is family day for him, so we’ll have to see if it will still be that way when he’s out of office. I have to talk to him and see; maybe we can get him to help out next year.
There’s been a lot of talk about the World Marathon Majors, whether or not it is having an impact. This year, Chicago could be decide both the men’s and women’s titles. What are your thoughts on the WMM?
CP: Yes, the race within the race. I am extremely proud of the relationship with the WMM. The integration we see with all five events. Our operations people meet and share their experiences. That’s really one of the great facets of the relationship. Our medical people, our media and PR people. A lot of the positive relationships most people don’t see.
For example, this past January, the five race directors and our medical directors got together. We dedicated two days to address those areas. There are a lot of similarities, and a lot of areas where we can learn from one another about overall philosophy and protocols. It was an opportunity for staff to observe and participate.
You're also competitors in the area of recruiting the top runners.
CP: We’re great friends and collaborators, but we each want the best athletes. I think that competition is good. It’s mostly the athletes who benefit.
It helps them negotiate better deals?
CP: (Laughs) Yeah, that’s part of it.
How much do you think the general public is aware of the WMM?
CP: There is a certain amount of visibility, and there are some things we can improve on. I think in Chicago it is in the general consciousness of the average person. When I talk to people I meet or at clinics, they have referred to Chicago as one of the majors. I was in Davenport for Bix. I was talking to a group of runners there, and they said the same thing.
What specific things have happened within the WMM organization that made a difference?
CP: A lot of the things that we collaborated on and supported. We were on the front end of the EPO testing. We continue to expand on what we’ve been doing. We’ve done some great things with the charity component. In 2009, for example, we raised $10.1 million for charity, which is great. Last year we had over 8,000 sign up through the charities. This year we have over 10,000.
The improvements in the charity component of the race were a direct response to collaboration we had from the successful charity programs they have in London and Berlin. In addition to the money raised, I think it has contributed to the demand of the event. We opened registration for the race February and in 50 days, we closed. That’s the shortest period of time we’ve had. We also do a lot of other things that benefit from what we’ve learned from the other WMM events. We have a youth imitative and a youth running program. We support groups doing school and after school programs. We support a youth cross country program. New York and Boston have done that. It’s just and opportunity to collaborate and brainstorm.
Why do you think that events such as the marathon are still thriving, even in a tough economy?
CP: I think that people who discover marathoning, whether they participate in the training groups or with the charities, feel that it is an opportunity to challenge themselves, and I think people are attracted to that. In this day and age, there is something basic and refreshing to that challenge. Take that training and express themselves. That’s what drives the participants. Also, I think the runners feel there is still something unique about being to line up with the Olympic champion or world record holders. Run over the same course, experience the same conditions. I think that is something that intrigues them.
Also, one of the things we’ve discovered is that people come to Chicago and discover what a vibrant city it is. We commission a study done by the University of Illinois every year to measure the impact on the local economy. Last year, they estimated that race weekend generated $150 million, and the weekend is also one of the top grossing weekends for hotels and restaurants.
A lot of marathons have added events to the weekend, but Chicago hasn’t followed that trend.
CP: Over the years, we’ve tried different events. I’m not saying we won’t do those again, but as the marathon numbers continued to grow in the past eight years, we decided to focus on trying to make the marathon the best in the world.
It seems that all the top events make a claim to be the best, and it’s hard to find objective measures to settle even which one of the WMM should be rated the best.
CP: All five are inherently different as the cities are inherently different. But I think I’m pretty safe in saying that they are the top five in the world.
A lot of marketing right now is catch phrases or slogans that are used to give the product or event a brand or image. The marathons don’t seem to have something like that. How would you do that for your event?
CP: The way our course is designed, it’s always been built for speed. Also, it’s a great tour of the city, convenient. The fact that we have the start and finish in the same venue. That part of it resonates with our participants. The course is also very accessible to the runners’ friends and family members. That’s evident from the number of people who buy metro day passes. That part of it adds to the vibrancy of the event.
Also, we’ve always had great athletes–Khalid Khannouchi, Steve Jones, Paula Radcliffe–a history and tradition. I think that adds to the atmosphere. This year Bank of America is using the “10-10-10 The date to motivate” as their slogan. Each year they, Bank of America, do a great job of coming up with a slogan, a focus like that. This year, we’ve had the most response we’ve ever had to the promotion, The Bank took 10 Chicago area participants – they’re from your neighborhood. Put them on the ads. Put them on the Kennedy(Freeway) mural.
People really responded to this. These people were all great members of their communities, What was important is what they do all year round. They’re just very giving people. They are just a wonderful part of their communities. (The promotion was) a real departure from what we’ve done in the past. We’ve had a lot of response from other neighborhoods who want to be a part, who wonder how they can get marathon banners up in their community.
All this stuff is very important to the event, but I know that one of the things that energizes you is the elite field. This year’s event is one of the stronger ones in years for the potential to have fast, competitive races.
CP: I’m really excited by this year’s field. I saw Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot’s run at Boston this year, and I was just blown away by what he did. It was one of the greatest performances I’ve seen, arguably the greatest marathon ever run in North America. If he can bring that fitness level to Chicago…
I’ve seen Tsegaye Kebede run in Fukuoka and in London this year, and I was impressed. Sammy (Wanjiru) is well, Sammy. But what impresses me most is that they are all at the front end of their careers. In 2002, I thought we had our greatest field here in Chicago. We had Paul Tergat, Khalid (Khannouchi), El Mouaziz, Takaoka, but they were near the end of their careers. These guys that we have this year are on the rise. They’ve all known they were going to run here since the Spring. There’s a lot of luck that goes into it, but if we can get everybody to the line healthy, favorable weather with not too much wind. To have them go under 2:05 would be cool.
There are also some good Americans that aren’t getting much notice but may do well. For example, Desiree Davila was here not long ago to do a tempo run on the course. She really impressed me. I don’t see her threatening (Lilya) Shobukhova (the defending champion and 2010 Flora London Marathon champion), but I think she will run well here. And, of course Magdelena (Lewy Boulet) ran 2:26 in Rotterdam this year and should be ready to run. I’m really looking forward to this year’s race.
Hall out of Chicago
We've been speculating last week what happened to hall at the Philly Half and how his bad result would influence his race in Chicago. Apparently, more than Hall himself would wish as he pulled the plug today and called it quits for Chicago.
By Philip Hersh for ChicagoTribune
Ryan Hall's goal for his Chicago Marathon debut was to break the U.S. record.
That isn't going to happen this year.
Following a disappointing performance at the Sept. 19 Philadelphia Half Marathon and some poor workouts over the past week, Hall said Tuesday he will not run the Oct. 10 Chicago race.
``It has been a rough last couple months for me,'' Hall said in a Tuesday interview with the Tribune. ``I've invested everything in my training, and sometimes things do not turn out the way you had envisioned.
``I was very excited to run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon but my workouts haven't been good. I'm very much a guy that when I show up at the starting line, I believe everything is possible, and I go after things with my whole heart, so if I'm not ready to go, I'm not going to show up and have a performance that doesn't reflect that.''
Hall, the leading U.S. marathoner since 2007, finished 14th in Philadelphia, four minutes slower than his career best time for a half marathon.
In a posting on Facebook the day after the race, Hall said, ``I was pretty bummed. It's not easy to still really believe anything is possible on days like today when I raced half the (marathon) distance slower than I typically come through halfway in a marathon, and I have only three weeks left until Chicago.''
Hall, 27, was the 2008 Olympic trials winner and No. 2 U.S. finisher (10th) at the Beijing Olympics. His time of 2 hours, 6 minutes 17 seconds at the 2008 London Marathon made Hall the second fastest U.S. performer behind Khalid Khannouchi, who set the U.S. record of 2:05:38 at London in 2002.
``It's been a long time since I have been in a paced race on a flat, fast course like Chicago, and I was looking forward to seeing what (time) that translates to,'' Hall said. ``That adds to the bummer of not being able to go.''
By Philip Hersh for ChicagoTribuneRyan Hall's goal for his Chicago Marathon debut was to break the U.S. record.
That isn't going to happen this year.
Following a disappointing performance at the Sept. 19 Philadelphia Half Marathon and some poor workouts over the past week, Hall said Tuesday he will not run the Oct. 10 Chicago race.
``It has been a rough last couple months for me,'' Hall said in a Tuesday interview with the Tribune. ``I've invested everything in my training, and sometimes things do not turn out the way you had envisioned.
``I was very excited to run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon but my workouts haven't been good. I'm very much a guy that when I show up at the starting line, I believe everything is possible, and I go after things with my whole heart, so if I'm not ready to go, I'm not going to show up and have a performance that doesn't reflect that.''
Hall, the leading U.S. marathoner since 2007, finished 14th in Philadelphia, four minutes slower than his career best time for a half marathon.
In a posting on Facebook the day after the race, Hall said, ``I was pretty bummed. It's not easy to still really believe anything is possible on days like today when I raced half the (marathon) distance slower than I typically come through halfway in a marathon, and I have only three weeks left until Chicago.''
Hall, 27, was the 2008 Olympic trials winner and No. 2 U.S. finisher (10th) at the Beijing Olympics. His time of 2 hours, 6 minutes 17 seconds at the 2008 London Marathon made Hall the second fastest U.S. performer behind Khalid Khannouchi, who set the U.S. record of 2:05:38 at London in 2002.
``It's been a long time since I have been in a paced race on a flat, fast course like Chicago, and I was looking forward to seeing what (time) that translates to,'' Hall said. ``That adds to the bummer of not being able to go.''
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Viktor Rothlin, Christelle Daunay Lead Europeans in NYCM
Swiss Olympian, national marathon record-holder, and 2010 European Champion Viktor Röthlin and French marathon record-holder and ING New York City Marathon 2009 third-place finisher Christelle Daunay will lead a strong contingent of European contenders into the ING New York City Marathon 2010 on Sunday, November 7, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO and race director Mary Wittenberg.
Ana Dulce Félix of Portugal and Italian Olympians Bruna Genovese and Rosaria Console were also announced, joining a women’s field that already features Olympians Shalane Flanagan of the United States, Mara Yamauchi of Great Britain, Kim Smith of New Zealand, and reigning World-Half Marathon champion Mary Keitany of Kenya.
The last European woman’s champion in New York was two-time winner Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia in 2005–’06.
Röthlin will be up against world record-holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, defending champion Meb Keflezighi and World Championships Half-Marathon bronze medalist Dathan Ritzenhein of the United States, and 2009 World Championships Marathon gold medalist Abel Kirui of Kenya as he bids to become the first men’s champion from Europe since Giacomo Leone of Italy in 1996.
“The Europeans are poised to make a major statement about their legitimacy as a marathon power,” said Wittenberg. “Viktor and Christelle are seasoned competitors at the top of their games, and Ana is a newcomer to the marathon with loads of promise. And the Italians always seem to do something special here, so keep an eye on Rosaria and Bruna.”
Röthlin, 35, hopes to build on his earlier success this year after winning the European Athletics Championships marathon in August, which was his first major race since his sixth-place finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon. He was out for the entire 2009 season, recuperating from a pulmonary embolism and fluid buildup in his chest after contracting thrombosis during a plane flight from Africa. The three-time Olympian took the marathon bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, and he won the 2008 Tokyo Marathon, setting the current Swiss marathon record of 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 23 seconds. He finished seventh in his last appearance in New York, in 2005.
“I like New York because it is a race like the European Championships, World Championships, and Olympics with no pacemakers; you race each other and not against time,” said Röthlin. “I have always been strong in the last part of a race, and you need to be very tough in Central Park. In the past, some bad stories and good stories have been written in Central Park. I hope to write a good one.”
Daunay, 35, was third in New York last year in 2:29:16 and finished 20th at the Beijing Olympic Marathon. She lowered her own French national marathon record to 2:24:22 with a runner-up showing at the Paris Marathon this April.
Félix, 27, is one of the top distance runners from Portugal and will make her marathon debut in New York City. After a strong 2009 season, which included victories at the Great Ireland Run (10K) and the Göteborgsvarvet Half-Marathon, Félix has continued her success into 2010, including a runner-up finish at the Great North Run last week.
Genovese, 34, finished 10th at the 2004 Athens Olympic Marathon and was 17th in Beijing. She set her personal best in 2006 at the Boston Marathon, when she ran 2:25:28 to finish fourth.
Console, 30, competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she finished 16th in the marathon. She set her marathon personal best in 2009 at the real,- Berlin Marathon, where she finished fourth in 2:26:45. Console won her first marathon, the 2001 Padua Marathon.
Makau now the Marathon’s man to beat
When Patrick Makau finished a rainswept real,-Berlin Marathon on Sunday (26) morning, having won impressively in 2:05:08, he took off his sodden shoes to reveal saturated socks which had bunched up beneath both his feet. "That happened in the first 100 metres," he said matter-of-factly.
Now 'that' is the sort of thing that can prey on a marathoner's mind, causing a loss of concentration and maybe even a lost race. But Makau is made of sterner stuff.
"If it had interfered with my running, I would have stopped and removed my shoes and socks. But I didn't have to do it, so I forgot about it. But I was afraid to step in a lot of water. There was a lot of water on the road, but I avoided it. I stayed behind the group and avoided the splashing. When the group broke up at 30k, that gave me the chance to come through."
Patient and methodical
If that all sounds a bit pedantic, it is probably a good summation of Makau the marathoner.
"He's very methodical," says his manager Zane Branson. "And he's focused. He makes a plan and he sticks to it. Unlike a lot of Kenyans. Before his first marathon, he'd already planned his first three marathons.
"He has a certain routine, he likes his solitude. He's very serious, and that intimidates some of the other guys. Like in the days before the race, photographers kept asking him to smile. Patrick's the sort of guy who'll smile after the race."
Makau certainly has much to smile about. All the patience required of a marathoner, that he had talked about pre-race, was brought to bear on the latter stages on Sunday morning. In the final 10k, he outpsyched then outran his two remaining rivals - compatriot Geoffrey Mutai and Ethiopian Bazu Worku - and won, despite the conditions, in the 11th fastest time in history.
In overcoming his rivals as easily as he ignored the rain, Makau added the third fastest of the year to the best of 2:04:48 he ran in winning the Rotterdam Marathon in April. "It was crucial for him, this race," said Branson. “It was either going to really establish him, or prove that he needed to do more work."
‘Know your opponents’
Asked if there any time during the race, and especially the final kilometres, that he thought he might not win, Makau laughs for the only time during a 30 minute chat on Sunday evening.
Speaking of his colleague Mutai, who he'd beaten by seven seconds in Rotterdam, but who was with him on Sunday until the final 200 metres, he said, "The best thing is to know your opponents, and I know him, I know how he runs." When asked if he wasn't afraid of the finish of someone who could run a 27:27.59 10,000met at altitude (as Mutai had done this summer), he said, "I can do such, I have run 58 minutes twice (half-marathon), and 59 minutes many times. He had nothing to worry me. In the marathon, you have to be strong in your mind."
Of the 20-year-old Worku, he said, "he looked very strong, but this is a big race, it's an international field, like a championships. People can surrender in the last kilometre."
The trio was still together at 39k, when Makau dropped back, in what he admitted had been a ploy to fool his rivals. "I was just testing them to see how strong they were. If they thought I was dropped, they would push, but they didn't."
That was the signal for Makau to begin his charge. Worku faded immediately, and Mutai succumbed on the run in. "The first thing I had to do was cope with the weather. We wanted to run 2:03, and the first 15k was very good. We were fresh and warm, but the weather was getting worse, colder; and we got slower..."
No one was complaining about 2:05:08 in those conditions. But at Monday morning's press conference, Makau opined that they had cost him a minute and a half. But he quickly added that at 25, he has plenty of time, pointing out that Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat were far more experienced and well over 30 when they set their world records. "I think I need one or two more races (marathons) before I try for the world record again."
"That's probably a rain-world record anyway," said one of my colleagues, about his 2:05:08. "I looked at the top ten, and they were all set in good conditions."
Few people outside runners enjoy rain, but it should be emphasised that Kenyans' particular aversion to rain comes from its association with malaria.
I was once filming with Moses Tanui in Eldoret, and wanted to get a shot of him leaving his house to go training. He emerged from the gate, felt a solitary spot - that none of us had even noticed - shot back inside, and refused to come out again.
Another manager raised a hollow laugh when I told him that story. "One time in Eldoret, there was a rainy period that lasted for six weeks," he replied, "none of my runners trained even a single day during that time."
Began running at 17
Makau is the second of five children born in Manyanzwani, in Kenya's Eastern Province, though he now lives in the Ngong Hills outside Nairobi with wife and two and a half year old daughter, Christine Mueni. "She already understands running, she watched on TV today," said Makau on Sunday evening. "If I put on my shorts, she knows she can't come with me, but if I put on my jeans, she knows I'm going to the market."
He started running at 17, the year before he entered high school where, due to the vagaries of the Kenyan educational system, he stayed until the age of 22. "I didn't run seriously in the year before high school," he says, "but from high school, I was serious. I ran by myself for a year, then joined a group (including multi-Honolulu winner Jimmy Muindi) for two years. Then I started racing in 2006. I was fourth in a half-marathon in Nyeri, then eighth in Ndakaini, it was very hilly, I was unable to maintain the pace on the last hill. Then I won a 25k in Tanzania."
He followed that with his first race outside Africa, in Tarsus (Turkey) and won again, before winning another half-marathon in Denmark. "That was only 67 minutes, because I knew I was going to run the Berlin 25k the next week. That was a much bigger race. I didn't know I was going to win, but I knew I would do well, because the guys I was training with were strong."
He duly won, and since then, he has won the Berlin 25k again, and the Berlin 'half' twice, two of the eight occasions he has gone sub-60 minutes. Now he can add a marathon victory in his home-from-home, where he is staying on for this next week, with 25k race director Christophe Kopp. "To relax, and see those things I haven't already seen," added Makau.
"He feels comfortable here," says Branson, "he'll almost certainly come back next year. And he'll probably do London next April." True to form though, Makau said he needs to go back home and assess his recovery, and will probably confirm that in a couple of month's time.
Not every great half-marathoner can make the transition to the full distance, and be a great marathoner, and Makau admits he was worried prior to his debut in Rotterdam 2009, when he finished fourth in 2:06:14.
"I was happy. We consider the time more than the place, and it was a good time. But I knew my mistake. I did just one long run (before), 38k, and it wasn't enough. And I was training alone, I feared the marathon. Now I do eight long runs, the longest is 38k, but I also do 25k, and every week a 30k; and I do track sessions, speed workouts in a group."
Well, it certainly worked. And it makes Makau the man to beat at the moment. No matter the kudos attached to being World record holder or Olympic champion, those gents are going to have to up their game to cope with Patrick Makau.
London 2012 Olympics: Lord Coe says MP's claim about marathon route is 'ludicrous'
Rushanara Ali, the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, has reacted with fury to Games organisers' plans to move the end of the marathon from the Olympic Stadium in Stratford to the Mall in central London.
Ali, who met London 2012 chairman Coe on Tuesday at the Labour Party conference in Manchester, said the change meant that organisers were "embarrassed and ashamed to showcase the area and its people to the world".
Coe said the main part of the Olympics would be in the east of London. "This is not a beauty contest and it would be ludicrous to suggest that we are ashamed of the East End.
"We wouldn't have created an Olympic Games that in large part is delivered in the East End with all the legacies if that were the case."
Ali had said that moving the marathon would be a "huge blow" to East End boroughs.
She said: "If LOCOG goes ahead with this proposal, the message they send to the world is 'while we are happy to use the vibrancy, dynamism and diversity of the east end of London to win the Olympics bid, we're embarrassed and ashamed to showcase the area and its people to the world'."
There have been suggestions that the new route limiting the marathon to central London would be to make the most of the city's landmarks, be more accessible for spectators and provide a better backdrop for broadcasters but Coe insists that is not the case.
"This is a purely operational issue," he added. "It's about the staging across 16 days of effectively 52 individual world championships and trying to create the matrix that allows you to have a marathon at the same time as other events without cutting across the ability of the competitors and spectators to get there."
Still no substitute for sheer hard work
WANTED : Distance running coach. Must have trained numerous Olympic and World champions and world record holders – preferably two athletes in the same event. Must be equally capable at coaching men and women, must be able to work with very basic facilities and must be prepared to do it on mostly voluntary terms.
DOES SUCH a person exist? If so, the search would best begin in Kenya, the country which seems to produce world-class distance runners at the same rate as Saudi Arabia produces oil. It would continue high into the mountains, to altitudes of 8,000 feet, on the fertile edge of Africa’s Great Rift Valley. And it would end in the small town of Iten, population about 4,000, and home to St Patrick’s High School for boys.
There, possibly only there, you will find the person you are looking for. Although he never had any formal training as a coach, his name has become renowned in distance running, and still his list of successful athletes continues to grow.
And although he’s been living in Kenya since 1976, and has no intention of living anywhere else, the one place Br Colm O’Connell will always call home is Caherduggan, near Mallow, in Cork.
The story of Br Colm, his journey from Irish missionary teacher to godfather of Kenyan distance running, has been told many times. Yet it’s lost none of its fascination. Knowledge accumulated from over three decades of coaching has made him one of the most curious figures in world athletics – and one of the most sought after, particularly when it comes to answering the enduring question: why are the Kenyans so good?
Still, he remains one of the most elusive. He rarely leaves the vicinity of St Patrick’s, and whenever he does make the long journey home to Ireland it’s usually unannounced.
He came home this time to visit his 91-year-old mother, Kate O’Connell, who had been hospitalised in Cork. He got to spend a few weeks with her, before she passed away, on August 19th.
It was somehow fitting that the sadness of this was partly lifted when just three days later one of his latest recruits, David Rudisha, broke the world record for 800 metres, running 1:41.09, in Berlin on August 22nd. Br Colm didn’t get to witness the race, as he was attending his mother’s funeral.
So, as if one cue, Rudisha went out just seven days later and broke the record again, running 1:41.01, in Rieti, on August 29th, and this time Br Colm was trackside to witness it.
There’s every reason to believe Rudisha, still only 21, will break that record again over the next few years. Br Colm is not making any great predictions about Rudisha, because he rarely does, about any of his athletes.
There’s always been a natural modesty about Br Colm which helps to explain his success, and why his reputation is as much about developing good people as it is good runners.
“Well, considering he’s just broken the world record twice,” he says, “you would have to say David Rudisha is one of the best I’ve ever seen. But how much quicker can he go? Well, it all depends, really.
“We’ll have to see how the off-season goes first, from September to next March. And next year there will be other priorities. There are the World Championships, in South Korea. That will take over a little bit from record performances.
“We’ll also need to get more stability into the running, make sure he can run championship races without pace-setters, and things like that. Then, of course, 2012 has its own goal already set, the London Olympics.”
Br Colm has always rated an Olympic medal as the ultimate reward in the sport, ahead of world records and prize money.
Nurturing Olympic medallists was how he made his name, beginning with Peter Rono, Olympic 1,500 metre champion in 1988, then Matthew Birir, 3,000m steeplechase champion in 1992 – and two more Olympic steeplechase champions, Reuben Kosgei (in 2000) and Brimin Kipruto (in 2008).
He’s also coached 20 World Championship gold medallists – possibly more, because he doesn’t keep count – and hundreds of his athletes have made their name at some level on the world stage.
One of his early discoveries was Wilson Kipketer, a student at St Patrick’s, who later won three World Championship 800m titles, and in 1997 broke Sebastian Coe’s world record (which had stood for 16 years) by running 1:41.24. Then, 11 days later, Kipketer broke it again, running 1:41.11 – the record which stood for the past 13 years, before Rudisha made it his.
The similarities appear obvious: two of his athletes, both breaking the 800m world record, twice. But there are some notable differences, he says, not least that Kipketer trained mostly in Denmark, having gone there as an exchange student in 1990, and later taking out Danish citizenship.
“Wilson took 800m running to a new level, gave it a new dimension,” says Br Colm. “The graceful way that he ran, gliding around the track. But Wilson went to Europe, and did most of his real training in Denmark. David has come completely out of Kenya, a Kenyan background.
“So this is another new chapter in Kenyan athletics, really. Certainly with David, he’s the first official Kenyan, if I can call him that, to break the 800m world record.
“David is also different in that he’s a very powerful runner, comes off a very strong 400m base. He runs like a 400m runner, who keeps going for another lap. It was actually in the 200m that I first saw him run, in primary school. But I really didn’t get the idea he might be interested in training with our group until I saw him in the decathlon.
“The 400m is one of those events. Then later, when we’d spent some time working together, I said, ‘why don’t we see you over 800m?’ That’s when I really saw his potential.”
Rudisha was different alright. A member of the Maasai tribe, whereas most Kenyan distance runners are Kalenjin, he was steered towards the shorter events by his father, Daniel, who remains one of the select Kenyan athletes to win a medal in a sprint event (with the 400m relay team that won silver in Mexico City, in 1968).
And the young Rudisha didn’t attend St Patrick’s, but rather a neighbouring school, in Kimeron. He asked to join the training group at St Patrick’s, and Br Colm agreed, as he does to most such requests.
That was 2005, and a year later Rudisha had run 1:46.30 and won the World Junior title.
By the end of 2009, he’d run a season-leading 1:42.01, and with that Br Colm started planning – meticulously, as always – for a world record.
“It was only when he ran the 1:42 last year that we said the record was within reach.
“In February he went to Australia, as I wanted to know what he’d do over a 400m race. When he ran 45.50 that clicked with me too. I knew then he had fantastic 400m speed, and I had to base his races on that.
“Then it was just a matter of getting the right race, the right conditions, and getting the right focus into his running. Berlin and Rieti were the two meetings that jumped out at us, because they were afternoon meets.
“David is not a great fan of the cold weather, and sometimes those meets at the end of August and early September can be a little cold if they’re run late in the evening.
“Then, to break it twice, and also win the Diamond League meeting in Brussels, in between, it really was a fairly formidable week.”
Br Colm talks about Rudisha with the sort of excitement you’d expect from a coach who had just discovered his first athlete. At age 60, his enthusiasm remains every bit as infectious as it was when he began coaching.
HE’D COME to Kenya in 1976 via the Patrician college in Newbridge, and when he arrived in St Patrick’s his enthusiasm to integrate with his pupils was the only motivation to coach.
Peter Foster, a brother of British distance runner Brendan, was also on voluntary work at the school, and figured this young Irish guy must know something about the sport. By accident, rather than design, Br Colm soon realised he did . . . and the rest is distance running history.
“But the basic coaching approach hasn’t changed much over the years,” he says. “You refine the methods, of course, and, as I said, adapt them to each individual. David has a different technique, runs more with power, more raw speed. All that has to be considered when coaching him. So it was really a new challenge for me, which I enjoyed doing.”
These days Br Colm effectively coaches full-time at St Patrick’s, having retired after 17 years teaching (and seven as headmaster). He’s been asked many times about the so-called advantages for young Kenyan athletes – the genetics, the living at altitude, the simple diet, the running to school, etc – which apparently explain their near-total dominance on world distance running, where only Ethiopia now rivals them.
“Yes, of course all those factors are there. But in athletics today, at the highest level, the hard work has to be done, more than ever before. Years ago, maybe, the Kenyan runners and others like them might have won races a little bit more on talent, where they come from, training at altitude, and all that.
“But now, the sport really boils down to hard training, having them right on the day and getting everything together. It’s not as easy as some people think, just because they’re Kenyan.”
He cites the example of Mo Farah, the British distance runner who was born in neighbouring Somalia, and therefore should have the same genetic advantage as the Kenyans.
Yet for years Farah struggled to match them, and only after spending the last couple of winters living and training in Kenya did he finally deliver on his potential – most notably when winning the 5,000-10,000m double at the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona.
“When Mo trained in Iten I think he broke down some of the myths, or mystique, that some of the Kenyan training had for him. That helped him quite a bit, to realise that, look, they just train hard, there is no short-cut. It’s not just natural talent or altitude or these other factors. These are factors, yes, but the hard work still has to be done.”
ALL THIS leads us to the question of where Irish distance running is at, and whether we can ever produce an athlete to match or even beat the Kenyans, the way Sonia O’Sullivan and Catherina McKiernan once did.
Br Colm suggests that times have changed, and it’s not a matter of trying to turn back the clock.
“Athletics has always been an individual sport, and will always depend on the individual to come through, no matter what the country. I think you see that in Ireland now in someone like Derval O’Rourke, for example.
“Or the young Ciara Mageean, from Down. There are little pockets, here and there, which will always keep the sport in the limelight. And that’s fantastic.
“Because that’s how athletics is in Ireland, and will probably always be. You’re never going to have the same base or reservoir that we have in Kenya, obviously. But you will always have individuals who just stand out.
“That’s just how the sport is going to be, and probably the best Irish athletics can hope for. You’re never going to get that system of bringing through masses of successful athletes in Ireland. I don’t think so anyway.
“But Ireland is a great sporting nation. In the last 10 years since I’ve been coming back, I’ve seen how much rugby has come to the forefront, between the Six Nations, and Leinster and Munster chalking up Heineken Cups. Golf as well, with Pádraig Harrington.
“Even looking at Gaelic football and hurling now, and how professional that has become over the last 10 years.
“The intercounty game is unbelievably professional nowadays. You see every little detail is looked at, with such a big backroom team. It’s incredible. And watching the All-Ireland hurling final, between Tipperary and Kilkenny, it’s clear that’s what a lot of youngsters will aspire to, the glamour and buzz of what is associated with that sport.
“So trying to pick an athlete out of that environment is not easy. The battle for the attention of young people in Ireland is tremendous.”
In all his years travelling home, Br Colm has also seen Ireland go from bust to boom and back again: “Well, I suppose a lot of investment did go into sport during the Celtic Tiger. I see that in all the new stadiums. But I think we still have to remember that sport is still the person first, rather than the facility. Go out to Kenya, to Iten, and see where athletes like David Rudisha train. Facilities are very, very basic.
“But that enthusiasm for sport in Ireland is still here. There was no one talking about depression in Tipperary the week after they won the hurling. Sport can lift people, bring them through the bad and difficult days.
“And Ireland is lucky to be such a fantastic sporting nation. Something will always come along in sport. Things are never as bad as they seem, same as things are never as good as they seem.”
Br Colm O’Connell Coaching Milestones
1976 Begins his missionary teaching post at St Patrick’s in Iten, asked to “help out” with coaching, despite having no background in athletics.
1986 Takes seven students to the World Junior Championships, in Athens, and one, Peter Chumba, wins the 5,000- 10,000 metres double, running barefoot, and another, Peter Rono, wins the silver medal in the 1,500.
1988 Rono wins the Olympic 1,500m title in Seoul.
1989 Holds the first junior training camp for Kenyan girls.
1992 Coaches former student Matthew Birir to the Olympic steeplechase title.
1993 Retires as headmaster at St Patrick’s to coach full time.
1995 Former student Wilson Kipketer wins the first of three consecutive World 800m titles, and later breaks the world record, twice, in 1997.
1997 Coaches Kenya’s first women’s World Champion, Sally Barsosio, in the 10,000m.
2000 Produces another Kenyan Olympic steeplechase champion, Reuben Kosgei.
2006 Coaches Augustine Choge to the Commonwealth Games 5,000m title in Melbourne.
2007 Coaches Janeth Jepkosgei to win the 800m World Championship title.
2008 Coaches a third Olympic steeplechase champion, Brimin Kipruto.
2010 Coaches David Rudisha to break the world 800m record, twice in eight days.
Blog Roll - Lee Merrien
Well I've been at altitude now for just over a week and things have gone well since my arrival in Font Romeu. It feels more of a home from home now, although I am missing the family but this is something I will have to get used to as I'm planning to get to altitude much more regularly as part of my future plans. I certainly feel like the combination of having been on the previous UK Athletics altitude camp and having used my altitude tent for two weeks prior to coming this time has made the transition to real altitude somewhat smoother. I only arrived last Monday but by Wednesday I was getting my teeth into a session outside of the usual easy running (which tends to be on the menu for at least 4 or 5 days before a harder session is attempted). My first session was somewhat controlled however, which was... following a good warm up 4miles of tempo running plus 6 x 1min efforts plus another 3mile tempo. Tempo running needs to be adjusted slightly at altitude due to less oxgyen being available and I use a combination of adjusted target speeds as well as keeping one eye on heart rate values (i.e. compared to my normal sea level readings) alongside and like most of my tempo's runs a certain amount of run to 'feel'. I was running at very similar paces to those I was operating at the previous altitude camp back in July (for my tempo runs and when I was more acclimatized) so this early indicator bodes well. Since that session I have also been on the track and posted another solid session, although I feel that this may have gone better if not for an unsettled stomach (which I was carrying over the weekend). A couple of the lads had some symptoms of a mild stomach bug around the same time and I felt under the weather over the weekend but I'm pleased to say everyone is now recovered. Ironically it seems with all the talk of the athletes potentially getting Delhi belly at the Commonwealths games I pick up some pre-Delhi belly! on plus sider perhaps this will give me a cast iron stomach.
This camp generally has a slightly different feel to the one back in July as many of the athletes are hear to start their winter training, whereas myself, Chris Thompson and John Beattie are preparing for Delhi but it's been an enjoyable one with a good mix of focus and downtime. Our appartment which includes myself, Chris Thompson and Steve Vernon have joined forces in the evenings with our fellow athletes and taking turns with the cooking of the evening meals, which made for good social evenings. We then tend to spend the reminder of the evenings recovering from training with a few DVDs and the odd quiz to pass the time, if you're ever bored and you like quiz's checkout http://www.sporcle.com/ .
This trip is also somewhat shorter this time around for me (two weeks in all) and there is also little more than a week to my first race (the 5000m) and less than two weeks until the 10k (I'm doubling up) but I'm looking forward to getting on the track to race. It's been over 12months since I last raced 5000m, which was the National Champs In July last summer but I feel I'm in better shape now with the strength of marathon training under my belt and a bit of sharper work added to the mix recently. I feel I'm yet to put my full game face on but I have no doubt that when I arrive into the village that will change and the pre-race adrenaline will start flowing.
I will try post one more entry before I travel out to Delhi.
Until next time, that's all for now.
Dottore Rosa: The man who brought the the marathon to Kenya
At the Berlin Marathon, it has again demonstrated that all Kenyans run away. That was jeodch not always so. Running-author Edith Zuschmann met Gabriele Rosa - the man who taught the Kenyan marathon running.
Paul Tergat, Martin Lel, Samuel Wanjiru and Robert Cheruiyot, James Kwambai and many more, they all went up many times before the dirt road that ends in front of an unremarkable two-story villa with breathtaking views of the Italian Lago d'Iseo. Here they entered into the Ufficio Centrale by Dottore Gabriele Rosa. The man who taught the Kenyan marathon running.
The Running-run magazine is published once a month. Topics in the current October issue include: front lamps in the test, the proper maintenance of functional clothing, training tips for the autumn, background information on the Natural Running as well as reports from Brixen Marathon and the World Marathon Majors. www.running-magazin.de
His office near Brescia is the command center for his Kenyan athletes, the many talents, but also his coach and partner. From here it all began. His medical career, like his coach existence. "About 40 years ago I started to train runners from Iseo, before I end the 70-year Gianni Poli, a young aspiring lad met. After a few years under my wing, he ran in 1981 Italian record, five years later he won the New York City Marathon, "says the Lombard with the white beard.
"The Kenyans were afraid of the Marathon"
At the same time, he built one of the most prestigious marathon in Brescia centers in Europe. His knowledge and word spread quickly, and so one day, the Kenyan runner Moses Tanui was standing with knee problems in his practice. Dottore Rosa helped Tanui and hired him as coach. Until then, have been modest successes Tanuis, he spent a year with pink and won the 1991 world championship title in the 10,000 meters. After the resounding success of Moses begged "his" Dottore Rosa to come to Kenya. He agreed and took his training methods on the black continent.
"When I came to Kenya in 1991, there were only cross-and 10,000-meter runner. With the marathon, no one wanted to do something. The Kenyans were afraid to really before. They said to run a marathon would bring a swift end to her running career, so even cause impotence, "said Rosa. But he saw the incredible number of young talents to the marathon winners had the stuff. And he thought and acted. He called the project "Discovery Kenya" in life to select talents and pave them through education and training infrastructure on the way to the top runners.
"They love to wear down the other
Meanwhile 18 years have passed, the plan worked out. "Each year in January to 600 young runners from all over Kenya to become Kenya's most famous half-marathon and cross-country skiing in the city of Eldoret in western Kenya. The two races make me a perfect casting of young talent for the long haul, "explains Dr. Rosa. Martin Lel and Robert Cheruiyot are just two of many that he discovered there. But selection is not enough. "To make more of their potential, I considered it necessary to organize their lives. I had to make professionals, "said Rosa at that time. The idea of the first training camp was born. In 1994 he rented with financial support from the industry 20 kilometers from Eldoret from a Spartan hotel for its athletes.
At about 3,000 meters altitude, right in the Rift Valley, submitted themselves to the athletes for several months at the same time simple and clear rules - far away from their families and other comforts: twice a day training course, between regeneration and great attention to proper nutrition. To make the talent winner, but saw the doctor soon realized that he had to adapt his knowledge of marathon training to the Kenyan mentality. "The individually oriented training, as it had become established in Europe, was too little for Kenyans. I explored their running mentality and realized that they drive each other by running in the group. I started the group training to create a progressive running unit. . A spur to the young talents to the faster access and an ongoing challenge for the stars, hineinzusteigern from an average running speed to higher speeds, "he laughs and says," They love to wear down the other.
Rosa's training strategy was effective. 1996 Tanui won his first Boston Marathon. The triumph of the Kenyan elite marathon had begun thanks to Gabriele Rosa, the hunger for success of a young generation was raised. The hotel was too tight, the first was Rosa & Associati Group Training Camp in Eldoret with living and training facilities for the athletes. More followed in different places, where roamed particularly many talents. Today Rosa operates with his son and athlete manager Frederico five camps, each of which 20 athletes are housed. "Training is often initiated before a further 20 other runners from the area to order mitzulaufen with the stars," said Rosa.
Construction of the camp system has borne fruit
"It's actually very easy to identify future champions run: You are able to cope with well over a longer time period, the high training load and not get tangled up completely," says Rosa. "Hold out our training is hard, damn hard. Far away from the family, in a spartan camp where it goes day after day to to compete against other emerging-country skiers. Who can endure this, gets an incredible mental toughness. "And this hardship has recognized pink, can be achieved countless successes.
"In the nearly 20 years, my athletes won 35 times in the five largest race featured seven world records and won in international competitions. But the successes are one thing. For me, that I have contributed a significant part of the development of the Miracle Marathon Kenya. The talent development and construction of the camp system, have borne fruit and are now being taken not only in Kenya but all over the world. "The friendships and the many lessons learned were for him the greatest treasures. "I've got far more from Kenya, as I have given," he says modestly.
In his mid sixties Dottore Rosa is far from tired - on the contrary. He still has his hand over the training strategies, which he denies every day with his coaches in the camps - and about six times a year, he proposes to his camp in Kenya to his charges to prepare for championships or to screen offspring. But his work as a doctor it is very important, "running must have nothing to do necessarily with professional sports, it contributes significantly to the preservation of health. Currently I am building a new health prevention project here in Italy to get our civilization diseases like diabetes under control, "says Rosa and takes back to the ringing phone to the Chinese women's national team to give instructions. For this team, he has since January 2010, under his wing.
Steve Jones Celebrate 25th Anniversary of Historic Victories with Return to Chicago
The 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced today that running legends Joan Benoit Samuelson and Steve Jones will compete in Chicago to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their historic victories. The 1985 Chicago Marathon still ranks among the most memorable in the event's 33-year history. Both athletes nearly set world records on the same day, and registered performances that put the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on the fast track to becoming one of the premier running events in the world.
"The sport of marathon running does not have bigger legends than Joan Benoit Samuelson and Steve Jones," said Bank of America Chicago Marathon Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "These two athletes set the bar for world class performances at the Chicago Marathon 25 years ago, and they ushered the sport of distance running into a new era. We're proud that they are returning to Chicago to add another exciting storyline to this year's race."
When American Joan Benoit Samuelson crossed the finish line of the 1984 Olympic Games Marathon in Los Angeles, she became the event's first-ever female gold medalist, and as a result, a national hero. Benoit Samuelson brought her hero status to Chicago in 1985 to face one of the deepest women's fields ever assembled, including world record holder Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway and Olympic bronze medalist and defending Chicago Marathon champion Rosa Mota of Portugal. Benoit Samuelson won in 2:21:21 to establish a new course and American record, while missing the world record by just 13 seconds. Benoit Samuelson's American record stood until 2003.
"It's a true gift to return to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon after posting my fastest time ever in the same marathon 25 years ago," said Benoit Samuelson. "I never thought that I would still be competing 25 years later and challenging myself with new goals. After the Olympic Trials in Boston in 2008, I said that I was finished with competitive marathon running, but the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on 10-10-10 is too great of an opportunity to pass up. My goal is to run as fast as I can for as long as I can and to challenge my best time over the age of 50."
Benoit Samuelson's time of 2:49:08 at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon made her the first America woman over the age of 50 to run sub 2:50. Last fall, she ran 2:49:09 at the New York City Marathon. If Benoit Samuelson manages to run under the 2:46:00 U.S. Olympic Trials standard, she would qualify to compete in a record fifth U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. She has previously competed in the 1984, 1996, 2000 and 2008 Trials races.
Welshman Steve Jones put the Chicago Marathon in the distance running spotlight in 1984 when he won the eighth annual event in a world record time of 2:08:05. Jones' performance gave instant fame and notoriety to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon for its flat and fast course. He returned to Chicago in 1985 to defend his title and reclaim the world record which had been broken by Portugal's Carlos Lopes. On a cool and rainy day, Jones ran solo virtually from the gun, passing the halfway point in 1:01:40 (unofficially). He missed the world record by one second; however, his winning time of 2:07:13 set a course record and remains the British marathon record. Jones' aggressive running style won him many fans in Chicago, and his attempt to shatter the world record in 1985 is one of the most revered efforts in all of marathon running.
"This event was the site of my greatest athletic performances and I always look forward to returning," said Jones. "I'm proud to be part of the tradition of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and to have witnessed how the event has grown since I last won here 25 years ago. This time I'll enjoy the run without the pressure of a word record to reclaim."
Jones will be accompanied in Chicago by 12 athletes that he coaches in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado. His athletes are Olympic Trials hopefuls who will be running for personal bests on October 10.
25 Years Later
· Twenty-five years after Joan Benoit Samuelson and Steve Jones set duel course and national records in Chicago, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon has grown from less than 9,000 registered runners in 1985, to 45,000 in 2010. The 2010 event reached its capacity in a record 51 days.
· The course, which was run primarily on Lake Shore Drive in 1985, now runs through 29 different Chicago neighborhoods, and spans the North, West and South Sides of the city, starting and finishing in historic Grant Park.
· Jones' and Benoit Samuelson's 1985 course records have since been broken. The new records now stand at 2:05:41 for men (Sammy Wanjiru, 2009) and 2:17:18 for women (Paula Radcliffe, 2002).
· Jones' British record of 2:07:13 still stands to this day, while Benoit Samuelson's American record was broken in 2003 by Deena Kastor (2:19:36).
· Jones lives in Boulder, Colorado where he coaches a team of elite athletes called the Boulder Express. Benoit Samuelson lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and is the founder and chair of the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K which attracts more than 6,000 runners including a world class elite field.
Benoit Samuelson and Jones will be recognized for the 25th anniversary of their historic victories at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Both runners will join 45,000 others for the 33rd running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 10 at 7:30 a.m.
Blog Roll - Reid Coolsaet
Last summer at the World Championships a guy asked me for my autograph with my personal best. Under my signature I wrote “27:56.92″. He said “good luck in the 10km” in which I replied “I’m actually running the marathon.” I explained to him how I wasn’t happy with my marathon PB (2:17:09) and that PB was going to be obsolete in a few days anyways. A few days later in 22C heat I could only slightly improve upon my marathon PB and knew it was going to be at least a year before I could do anything about it.
The days leading up to the Scotiabank Toronto marathon I kept thinking that it had been three years since I had been this prepared for a race. With my two big injuries through ’08 and ’09 I never had a proper build-up for a race until now. The weather on Friday broke all kinds of heat records and it was pretty windy throughout Saturday but the marathon Gods blessed us with a perfect day on Sunday and I knew I had to make the most of it.
The gun went off and we flew down University Ave and I quickly got into my group of five which included a Kenyan pacemaker (Simon Tanui), my teammate, Rob Watson, who was also acting as my pacemaker, Dylan Wykes who was going to help with the pace as he was running the 1/2 marathon and Thomas Omwenga, a Kenyan who sometimes trains in Hamilton. We went through the first 10km in 30:40 which was a little fast but I was feeling fine so that was good.
I still had my two pacemakers through the halfway mark (21.1km) which we hit in 1:05:03. Mathematically, it looked as if the Canadian Record of 2:10:09 could be accomplished but I knew that I was already slowing down by that point and figured that sub 2:11 was now the goal.
Surprisingly, in the next 200 meters my Kenyan pacemaker dropped back which worried me because he was supposed to go to 30km. So now it was just Rob and myself and I was hoping he could last until 25km. However a couple hundred meters later I noticed he was labouring and I asked him if he was alright, he wasn’t. So before the 22km mark I found myself all alone battling the clock.
Up until 35km (1:48:15) I was running pretty consistently for my km splits, which I was tracking closely on my watch and the KM signs. And then I started to hit some kilometers in the 3:10 range and knew I had to toughen up to get that Olympic standard of 2:11:29. Then I hit the DVP overpass which is a decent uphill cresting at the 39km mark and I finished that km in 3:18. If I continued at that pace I was going to miss the Olympic standard and my legs were starting to get very tired.
I kept looking at my watch and making calculations in my head to figure out what I needed to. That extra 200m over 42km makes these calculations a bitch during a marathon. It was clear at 40km (2:04:20) that I couldn’t be much slower than 7 minutes for my final 2.2km.
The crowd on Bay Street was amazing and it lifted my spirits. However Bay street runs uphill and that did nothing to lift my spirits. I then caught an Ethiopian with about 400 meters to go and started to race him. When we hit 200m I looked at my watch and knew that I was going to break 2:11:29. With a few steps to go I saw the clock and started to celebrate, I had my time. It’s hard to explain all the emotions that were going through me because of my injuries back in 2008 so I’ll let this picture do the talking.
2:11:23. 6 seconds under the Athletics Canada Olympic Standard and fastest time ever recorded on Canadian soil by a Canadian.
Now this result doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m going to the 2012 Olympics. My time has to hold up as the top three times in Canada going into the Olympics. Having achieved the standard so soon in the qualifying process gives me the luxury to be more aggressive and chase faster times. The plan is to improve upon yesterday’s time by the time London rolls around. I’ll also have to ‘prove fitness’ in the months leading up to the Olympics, which ensures Canada sends fit athletes.
Through the last 10km of the race I thought I was going to be reeling back a bunch of stragglers from the lead pack but I only passed about 3 or 4 as many guys posted fast times. The winner posted the fasted time ever on Canadian soil. What I think is amazing is that the my 10th place time was faster than the 10th place time at Berlin (one of the most prestigious marathons in the world). In fact Scotiabank Toronto is the second deepest marathon (Paris is first) through 10th place in the World this year. Yes, deeper than London, Berlin, Prague, Boston, Dubai, and Rotterdam. I kind of feel sorry for the Ethiopian who finished 9th (2:11:21) and didn’t get any prize money. Thank goodness for Canadian only prize money!
There are so many people I’d like to thank because they helped make my result possible. My coach, Dave Scott-Thomas, was obviously a huge part of the equation as was my training partner Eric Gillis who ran 2:12:07 yesterday in the marathon. Hopefully next marathon we’ll actually work together in the race too. Rob Watson did an amazing job as a pacer and kept the other pacer, Simon Tanui in line. We had a good support crew for many of our road workouts who handed us water bottles (Cal, Moulton, Rob, Lee). Trent Stellingwerff who is my nutrition/fuelling coach. Speed River dudes, Josephat, Karanja, Paul Felix and and everyone else accompanying me through the training. My physical therapy support group is top notch… Brenda Scott-Thomas, Marcell Meresz, Dr. Galvin, Dr. Mountjoy, Lance, Jay Ball, Gloria and Sue from McMaster, Dr. Kvedaras, Dr. Gamble and Ron O’Hare who helped us through the race weekend. My parents, family and friends for the support. It was great having them and everyone else who was cheering for me on the course. Alan Brookes and Ian Ladbrooke put together a great event and made sure we had a good set-up to run fast. Inspiration and advice from great marathoners such as Gord Dixon, Sylvia Reugger, Bruce Deacon and Jon Brown. New Balance has been a great sponsor. PowerBar (kept me fuelled during the marathon), CEP socks, Zanagen (I’ll be using the anti-inflamatory cream today!) and Quest for Gold.
Monday, September 27, 2010
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