Running News Daily

Kevin Mayer, Pierre-Ambroise Bosse and Yohann Diniz are part of the first wave of athletes selected by the French Athletics Federation for the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019

Mayer tallied 8768 points to secure the world title in the decathlon in London two years ago before going on the break the world record before a home crowd in Talence last September, scoring 9126 points.

Mayer hasn't completed a decathlon yet this season but has shown strong form in several events, especially the 110m hurdles where he's improved his career best to 13.60.

Diniz, the world record holder in the 50km race walk since 2014, captured his first world title in his specialty in London at 39, in his sixth world championships appearance over the distance.

In a command performance, he led from gun to tape. At the moment, Diniz is the world leader after racing to victory at the European Cup in Alytus, Lithuania, on 19 May, clocking 3:37.43

Bosse, 27, pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2017 World Championships edition when taking the 800m title after blasting to the lead with exactly 200 metres to go. This season, Bosse took the French title on 27 July in just his second competition of the year.

Other athletes announced today by the FFA include European 10,000m champion Morhad Amdouni who was selected for the marathon, Gabriel Bordier and Kevin Campion in the 20km race walk and Basile Rolnin in the decathlon.

Britain’s Basil Heatley, the 1964 Olympic marathon silver medallist and former world record-holder for the distance, died on Saturday at the age of 85

Born on Christmas Day in 1933, Heatley was a promising youngster and earned podium finishes at the national level as a youth and junior at cross country.

He made his marathon debut in 1956 and reduced his PB to 2:23:01 one year later, but didn’t run the distance again for six years.

Between 1957 and 1964 he made seven appearances at the International Cross Country Championships, the forerunner to the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He won the individual senior men’s title in 1961, improving on his silver medal from four years prior.

Later in 1961 he clocked 47:47 for 10 miles, setting what was the 100th ratified world record by a British athlete. After returning to the marathon in 1963, he set a world best of 2:13:55 in June 1964, marking him as a medal favorite ahead of the Olympic Games in Tokyo later that year.

There was no stopping defending champion Abebe Bikila in Tokyo, though. Just weeks after having his appendix removed, the Ethiopian retained his title and set a world record of 2:12:11. In the race for the silver medal, Heatley passed Japan’s Kokichi Tsuburaya with just 110 meters to go inside the Olympic stadium and took the silver medal in 2:16:19.

Heatley retired at the end of 1964 but went on to work as a team manager for the national athletics team.

Raymond Magut sets a course record at the Debbie Green 5k clocking 13:41 to claim the overall title

Earlier this week, Ron Green stated that this year’s field in the 22nd annual Debbie Green 5K Run/Walk for Leukemia could be the best Wheeling has seen.

And it sure was a race for the history books. In the end, three runners broke the 14-minute barrier while nine of which ran faster than 15 minutes. The female competition was just as impressive as two were able to clock in under 16 minutes.

Raymond Magut, broke from the pack after the second mile and broke the tape with a record-setting 13:41 on Saturday to claim the overall and male title. “The race was fantastic and the course was good,” Magut said. “The race was really competitive. The course was good and flat.”

After winning the race last year, Vicoty Chepngeno was back for another victory. And she was able to defend her title as she crossed the finish line 15:38, breaking her mark from last year by one second.

“I ran my best time (Saturday) and I’m very happy for that,” Chepngeno said.

Pamela Cherotich was the second female to cross the finish line in a time of 15:57.

At the mile mark, it looked like it could be anybody’s race. Eight runners were in the lead pack and clocked in under 4:30, with Magut in the middle of it.

“For three men to go under 14 (minutes) and for two women to go under 15 and for them to be so close is phenomenal,” Green said. “That’s all world-class speed down here in Wheeling. It’s just fabulous. It’s just fabulous.”

Edwin Kibichiy came in second overall as he finished in 13:52 while James Ngandu crossed the finish line in an impressive 13:57.

Silas Kipruto cracked the 15-minute barrier (fourth place, 14:08) along with Simion Chirchir (fifth, 14:09), Mourad Marofit (sixth, 14:17), Cyrus Korir (seventh, 14:34), Benson Kiema (eighth, 14:52) and Matthew Cheboi (ninth, 14:54). Peterson Muthoni rounded out the top 10 with a 15:06.

“They were out and setting the pace,” Green said about the lead pack. “There were about eight or nine with three or four behind them. Then they got to Mile 2 in about 8:30, 8:35, which they were speeding it up a little bit. So the second mile was about 4:15 or 4:10. Once they got on their way back to Main Street, right around the (Imperial) Teacher’s Store, that’s where (Magut) made his break and you could see him separating right there and everybody knew it. The other guys couldn’t catch him. He got a good 100 yard lead at that point and that’s what he won by, about 10 seconds. He had a pretty good lead and that’s when he took it.”

Rounding out the top 10 for the females were Iveen Chepkemoi (third, 16:22), Judy Cherotich (fourth, 16:50), Meseret Merine (fifth, 16:53), Esther Wanjiru (sixth, 17:19), Ann Mazur Robb (seventh, 18:16), Wheeling’s Kelsey Chambers (eighth, 19:11), Kirsten McMichael (ninth, 19:22) and Bellaire’s Aimee Vavrek (10th, 19:40).

“What a great turnout. What a fast turnout,” Green said. “What a great field with elite athletes from top to bottom. There’s so many great athletes in this race. All the locals, they do great and all the age group awards are going to be talented runners and walkers from all over the Valley. You can’t ask for anything better. The conditions and weather were beautiful. It’s a beautiful race to put on down here on the waterfront. I’m just ecstatic with everything.”

Norwegian Runner Dies After Being Struck by Lightning During Italian Ultramarathon

Extreme weather this past weekend in Italy claimed the life of a 44-year-old woman from Norway who was participating in an ultramarathon after she was struck by lightning on Saturday.

According to a release on the Südtirol Ultra Skyrace's Facebook page, the incident occurred around 7:15 p.m. near a lake called Lago di San Pancrazio. The dangerous weather issues prompted race officials to suspend the race 30 minutes prior, but many runners — like the woman — were between aid stations with no way of receiving the news.

Nearby runners that witnessed the strike called emergency personnel, who transported her by helicopter to Bolzano Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

"We are shocked and deeply shaken by this tragic accident," said Josef Günther Mair, chair of the race's organizing committee. "We express our deepest condolences to the family of the athlete."

The victim's name has yet to be made public.

Südtirol Ultra Skyrace race dubs itself "the most extreme experience in the Alps" along a trail called "Hufeisentour" in the Sarntaler Alps. Runners travel 121 kilometers (more than 75 miles) over three days and climb almost five miles in altitude.

Fears grow over Tokyo 2020 heat threat after 11 die and more than 5,000 taken to hospital

A total of 11 people died and 5,664 people were taken to hospitals in Japan due to heat-related medical issues last week when temperatures rose sharply following the end of the rainy season in most areas, the Japanese Government revealed.

The latest figures have been released at a time when Tokyo 2020 organisers and the Government’s Bureau of Environment are working on measures that can be taken to safeguard athletes, spectators and volunteers during next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

At last week’s beach volleyball test event in Tokyo misting sprays and air-conditioned tents were among the features trialled in order to combat the effects of rising temperatures in the capital.

As temperatures rose to 38 centigrade, the 11 deaths were reported in 11 different areas among Japan's 47 prefectures, Japanese agency Kyodo News reported.

Aichi Prefecture had the most people rushed to hospitals at 392, followed by Osaka Prefecture at 388 and Tokyo at 299.

The number of people sent to hospitals nearly tripled from 1,948 in the preceding week as the rainy season came to an end.

Those aged 65 and older accounted for 52.6 percent of the total in the week to last Sunday (July 28), according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Of the 5,664 people, 119 displayed severe symptoms that would normally require at least three weeks of treatment as an inpatient, while 1,792 suffered less serious issues, necessitating shorter stays.

As temperatures are likely to remain above the average in Japan in the upcoming week, the Agency urged people to stay hydrated and to take rest occasionally.

While the capital hosted its first Summer Games in the much-cooler month of October in 1964, next year's competition featuring 33 sports and 339 events is due to take place between July 24 and Aug. 9.

Weather-related concerns have mounted since Tokyo was awarded the Games in 2013, especially after a historic heatwave affected Japan's capital last summer, with an area near Tokyo seeing a record temperature of 41.1C.

Tokyo 2020 has admitted the threat posed by the extreme heat and typhoons is considered a "major issue" resulting in the shifting of start times of several events.

The men's and women's marathons were pushed back one hour to 6am and the men's 50 kilometres race walk will commence at 5:30am.

The organisers are set to provide information about weather conditions and safety precautions through the official mobile app.

They are also considering allowing spectators to bring their own bottled drinks into event venues, a departure from previous Games at which sponsor and security considerations have made such a possibility a no-go.

"This is all aimed at making spectators feel as comfortable as possible, given they have come to see events in a very hot and humid environment," Tokyo 2020 delivery officer Hidemasa Nakamura said last month.

He added that the measures taken would include a "specific focus on the elderly, children and international visitors".

The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon announced today its registration date and new features for the 43rd running event

The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon announced today its registration date and new features for the 43rd running of Cleveland’s premier race, which will take place May 16-17, 2020, in downtown Cleveland. More than 50,000 runners, volunteers and spectators are expected to participate in activities throughout race weekend.

The 43rd Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon will feature a more streamlined race schedule, with the 10K being moved to Saturday of race weekend, and the 1-Mile and 8K races being eliminated.

New Features.- The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon is pleased to offer four new Challenge Series levels in 2020, providing new options for runners and walkers who wish to challenge themselves with two events over a two-day period. The Challenge Series offers four event combinations and levels of difficulty:• 10K and Full Marathon • 10K and Half Marathon • 5K and Full Marathon• 5K and Half Marathon*Please note, as mentioned above, the 10K has been moved to Saturday, May 16. There is no longer an 8K as part of the series.To be included in the Challenge Series and receive its benefits, participants must register under one of the four Challenge Series 2-Day Distance Combos. If they register twice for two individual events, they will not be included in the Challenge Series. 

Additionally, participants will now have the opportunity to choose from one of four Challenge Series levels and, for the first time, be eligible for the Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group World Championships in 2021.

Additionally, the Cleveland Marathon has been chosen as a qualifying event partner of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) Wanda Age Group World Rankings.

The AbbottWMM is a series of six of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world - Tokyo Marathon, B.A.A. Boston Marathon, Virgin Money London Marathon, BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon. 

Carbon monoxide as altitude simulator? Seriously?

A new study by authors in China, Finland, Sweden and the US and published in Frontiers in Physiology has considered whether breathing carbon monoxide periodically could be a reasonable substitute for altitude training in runners. (Yes, they’re serious.)

Altitude training works by improving the body’s ability to use oxygen, since the thinner air at altitude stimulates the release of natural EPO as well as boosting hemoglobin. Apparently, small, controlled doses of carbon monoxide can have a similar effect.

The study was done on 12 college-level male soccer players who trained on treadmills five times a week. Hemoglobin, VO2 max and running economy were measured before and after the four-week program. The experimental group inhaled 1 mL per kilogram of body weight in 4L of oxygen for two minutes before each training session, and the control group breathed regular air. Carbon monoxide levels and EPO in the blood were measured five times after inhaling the CO at intervals of 1 or two hours.

(EPO is short for erythropoietin, a hormone produced naturally in the body. A synthetic version of the hormone, which is banned in athletics, is used to artificially boost the body’s red blood cell production and therefore its oxygen-carrying capacity.)

The results showed that athletes’ EPO production increased significantly after inhaling carbon monoxide, peaking about four hours later. Their hemoglobin, VO2 max and running economy improved significantly over four weeks of training using this method, indicating that controlled, moderate inhalation could reasonably be used as a substitute for altitude training.

Carbon monoxide is also highly toxic, has no taste, smell or colour, and at concentrations of 150 parts per million or higher, inhalation can lead to death.

The study added that “excessive CO breathing can be detrimental and can even lead to death, CO breathing interventions such as presented here should only be done in well-controlled laboratory setting, where both exhaled and blood CO values are always closely monitored and appropriate first aid facilities are readily accessible if needed.”

It added the following “Ethics Statement”:

“This study was carried out in accordance with the recommendations of sport science ethics review of Beijing Sport University, Beijing Sport University Institutional Review Board (BSU IRB), with written informed consent from all subjects. All subjects gave written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The protocol was approved by the BSU IRB.”

Kenyans Joyciline Jepkosgei and Alex Korio, won the 2019 TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in Cape Elizabeth

Jepkosgei clocked 31:05 at Beach to Beach, the fastest since Mary Keitany's 30:41 course record in 2017. Korio, a late entrant, ran an unofficial 27:35, seconds away from Gilbert Okari's 16-year-old course record of 27:28

Jepkosgei's personal bests at the distance include 29:43 on the road and 31:28 on the track. She currently holds non-IAAF considered world records in both the half-marathon and 10,000-meter, set in the same race in 2017.

Korio's time beat his previous road course PB of 27:48.

Ellsworth's Dan Curts, a recent Iowa State University graduate, was the top Maine men's finisher. His time was one of the best the division's seen. Curts was the 2019 Big 12 outdoor champ at 5,000 meters.

Falmouth High School student Sofie Matson, 16, was the top Maine women's finisher, while 2016 Olympian Emily Infeld was the top American.

Singapore Marathon Launches Improved Route Aimed At Improving Athlete Experience and all the participants

Today, organisers of the 2019 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) unveiled Singapore’s first evening race routes. The improved routes are built on runner feedback and are intended to deliver a balance of race difficulty set against Singapore’s iconic skyline. The three-day event from 29 November - 1 December will feature a Kids Dash on Friday evening, Marathon and Half Marathon on Saturday evening and conclude with 5km and 10km categories on Sunday morning.

In creation of the route, race organisers consulted with crowd management experts from the Manchester Metropolitan University to design and coordinate the best possible race route experience, employing their experience from working with Abbott World Marathon Major races – a series of the best Marathon races in the world.

Building on the strong positive reception from runners in 2018, organisers have made key strategic improvements while keeping the main core elements of the previously acclaimed course. The first alteration will see runners turning right on Bras Basah Rd, a longer and wider straight along Nicoll Highway, before passing by the War Memorial Park. At the 22-kilometre mark, runners will flank the scenic Marina Grove as they take in the stunning waterfront sunset.

With the event moving to the evening hours, lighting on the Marathon route will be increased providing athletes with optimal visibility while being surrounded by the shimmering Singapore skyline. Volunteer participation will also be doubled from 2018, ensuring a smooth dispensation of sports drink 100plus, water, and other products. Moreover, for the first time in the event’s 18-year history, runners from all categories will begin their race from the same start point across three different days - in front of the Formula 1 (F1) Pit Building.

"This year’s race will be the best yet - the changes we are making are the first for any race in Singapore and the region. A lot of planning and effort has gone into this year’s race to make this an event that is for everyone - participants, family, friends, and the public," said Geoff Meyer, Managing Director for The IRONMAN Group in Asia. "With the all-new spectator zones, we sincerely hope that everyone will come and join us in the festivities as we continue our ascent towards meeting the Abbott World Marathon Majors standards."

This year’s routes aim to provide a memorable experience for runners while ensuring minimal inconvenience to the wider public. Communities affected by road closures have been engaged early and wayfinding signs will be put up in advance to inform the public of impending road closures so that they can make plans to use alternative travel routes. Routes to emergency and essential services such as hospitals shall remain directly accessible throughout the duration of the event. The public is expected to experience some inconvenience in their commute to and from the area. Those travelling to these affected areas are strongly advised to use public transport.

Sport Singapore Chief Executive Officer Lim Teck Yin said, "Organising Singapore’s first Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon in the evening requires all stakeholders to work together to ensure a world-class event that lives up to the aspiration to be part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors."

"Every year, the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon is brought to life by people and their spirit. As the event seeks to make its mark on the global stage, I encourage everyone - from the runners, to the families and everyone that we will pass along the route, to join hands and make history together," Lim added.

Allyson Felix has signed a multi-year contract with athletic apparel brand Athleta

Felix, who’s one of the most decorated athletes in American history, has upwards of 10 Olympic and World Championship medals.

Felix ran for Nike starting in 2010, a contract which ended in December of 2017. She was in negotiations with the company when she openly criticized her sponsor for not supporting women athletes who choose to start a family.

She followed that up with testifying before the US House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee on the maternal mortality crisis.

Though she had excellent healthcare and was in top physical condition, Felix suffered serious complications during her pregnancy and underwent an emergency C-section at 32 weeks. She spent the next few months with her baby in the NICU before going public with her story in December 2018.

Felix raced in an unbranded black kit at this past weekend’s USATF National Championships, where she placed sixth in the 400m final and made her 13th World Championship team in the relay pool for the 4x400m. She gave birth last November to her daughter Camryn.

Felix’s contract with Athleta includes full pregnancy protections. Nike has since changed their pregnancy policy to better accommodate their female athletes.

Director of the Debbie Green Memorial 5K Ron Green is Working Hard in Preparation for this year race event

As director of the Debbie Green Memorial 5K Run/Walk for Leukemia, Green has been touch with runners and walkers near and far as race days — Aug. 2 and 3 — approaches.

But while the event, in its 22nd year, continues to have a more national and international flavor, the fact isn’t lost on the Benwood native that the race is a local one benefiting local people.

“It’s nice to have runners from all around the world,” he said, “but, ultimately, I want to treat them all the same.

“Whether you’re from Kenya and are one of the top runners in the world or you’re from down the street from where I live, I want to treat everyone the same.”

Registrations will be accepted through race day for events that begin on Friday night with the Green Mile Run/Walk at 7 p.m. Saturday features the Debbie’s Dash Kids’ race at 6 p.m., followed by the main event at 7.

“We’re pretty excited,” Green said about the events, sponsored by Kalkreuth. “We have a pretty fast field coming in, and some of the past winners are coming in.”

That list includes Mourad Mafout, the 2013 winner. Green is also excited about the arrival of Lawrence Kipkoech, an all-American runner from Campbell.

“It’s been amazing,” he said. “I’ve been getting calls from all over the place.”

American Garrett Kenyon is another runner Green is eager to see run the downtown Wheeling course, along with female standout Esther Wanjiru.

“And you just never know who’ll come in at the last minute,” he said.

“The Race for a Reason” began to honor Green’s sister, Debbie, who lost her battle against leukemia at age 7 in 1972.

Debbie’s death provided the inspiration for the race, selected as the Road Runners Club of America 5K National Championship race three times.

“We started this race to help local kids with cancer,” Green stressed, noting two youths from Belmont County will be aided this year. “Having these people from throughout the world come here and having your sister’s name out there everywhere is amazing.

“When I started this, I never thought we’d have runners from Kenya or Ethiopia or Mexico. We’ve had women that went 1-2 in the Olympics.”

Green has also had a wide-range of local runners cross his finish line. Now, a second generation of runners are making the trek through the course, which is now in Wheeling after starting in Benwood.

Canadians Reid Coolsaet, Dylan Wykes & Rob Watson will return to the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Three very familiar faces will be among the outstanding Canadian entries for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon October 20th, all lured by the Athletics Canada National Championship which runs concurrently in this IAAF Gold Label race.

Moreover, this year’s event also serves as Canada’s Olympic trials with the ‘first past the post' earning an automatic spot on the team bound for Tokyo provided he or she has achieved the Olympic standard (2:11:30/2:29:30).

Two-time Olympian Reid Coolsaet will seek a third berth, Dylan Wykes a second and Rob Watson, a three-time World Championships performer, relishes the challenge of earning another podium finish. The ‘three amigos’ between them have won twenty-one national titles.

Coolsaet turned 40 on July 29th and acknowledges his best days are behind him - he is Canada’s third fastest marathoner of all time with a 2:10:28 personal record - but believes he has the experience to make the team for Tokyo. "Yeah, it is my goal, I am totally focused on making the Olympics," said Coolsaet, who has run under 2:11:30 six times in his career. "It’s definitely my main motivation for training as hard as I do in the marathon.

"If it wasn’t for the 2020 Olympics, knowing I am not really looking for a PB anymore, I think I would have moved to the trails last year. I am happy to train this hard knowing the reward would mean a lot to me."

With Cam Levins (2:09:25) also returning to the site of his dramatic Canadian record-breaking performance, Coolsaet realises that something would have to go seriously wrong for Levins to miss the automatic place. Still, he remains optimistic he has a chance.

"I know what it takes to run the level I need to run to potentially qualify for the Olympics," Coolsaet says believing a 2:12:30 might be good enough to earn a place through the IAAF ranking system.

"Although I don’t want to get hurt, I don’t want to sell myself short and think ‘what if?’ I am going to be smart about my training and listen to my body. "I am not going to run quite as much mileage as in the past. But I know I can’t let being 40 be an excuse to back off my training because I can't handle it or something like that. Although there will be some slight changes, they are going to be very slight."

Wykes who was Canada’s top finisher in the 2012 Olympic marathon (20th in 2:15:26) has a personal best of 2:10:47 making him the fourth fastest Canadian of all time. Many were surprised by his return. After failing to make the Rio Olympic team he effectively retired to focus on his family - he and his wife Francine have two young children - and his coaching business ‘Mile2Marathon’.

Coach Richard Lee had once declared that he doubted Wykes would ever want to put himself through the disruption which ultimately led to his place on the 2012 London Olympic team. He made three attempts to achieve the standard sacrificing much in the process. His 2:10:47 came at the 2016 Rotterdam Marathon. Reminded of this the now 36-year old laughs.

"It’s certainly taken a few years to wrap my head around things and realize I am probably not going to do it again if it’s like the buildup was to London," he admits. "I would be lying if I said Tokyo wasn’t in the back of my mind. But I think I am trying to see things less ‘big picture’ and trying to focus on staying healthy and getting to the finish line in Toronto.

"If Cam Levins is on his game he’s in a different stratosphere. But I guess guys like Tristan Woodfine, Reid, Trevor Hofbauer, these kind of guys, if I am going well, I will mix it up with them.That is kind of what I am most excited about."

Following the 2012 Olympics, Wykes’ motivation was at a peak. The London experience had left him excited with endless possibilities to set about achieving. But there were obstacles that cropped up along the way. "I was as focused or more focused after London as any time in my career and the years between London and Rio were going to be my best," he reveals. "But a lot of that was injuries and kind of biting off more than I could chew.

"Some of that had to with the buildup to London and having to run so many marathons. And I made the silly mistake of trying to chase down (Jerome Drayton’s Canadian record). After London that became my focus. And, when I didn’t make Rio, I was kind of done."

A year ago Wykes and his family moved east from Vancouver after Francine received a post-doctoral position at Carleton University. Together with Rob Watson he coaches runners of all abilities through their company ‘Mile2Marathon’. With over 200 clients and ten coaches it is a thriving business. Somewhere along the way he rediscovered his own love for disciplined training. At his peak Watson achieved a personal best of 2:13:29 at the 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

Kenya's Stephen Kiprop and Ethiopians Jemal Yimer and Sembere Teferi are among the first star names announced for the Valencia Trinidad Alfonso EDP Half Marathon

Kiprop illustrated fine form in 2018, winning three half-marathon races in the Netherlands and Czech Republic, and finishing fifth in Valencia clocking 59:21.

But it was in 2019 that the 20-year-old leapt to stardom by winning at Ras Al Khaimah with a sizzling time of 58:42, the fastest in the world this year.

Yimer, 22, finished second in Valencia last year in 58:33, an Ethiopian national record that elevated him the equal-third on the all-time list. Yimer has also illustrated solid form this season, clocking 26:54.39 at 10,000m in Hengelo last month. Last year he won the African title over the distance.

Teferi, 24, the first major announcement for the women's race, has followed a similar trajectory. She too set her career best in Ras Al Khaimah earlier this year, clocking 1:05:45. She clocked 30:45.14 on the track in Hengelo, finishing third, to reserve a spot on the Ethiopian squad for the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.

Organizers are offering a €70,000 (US$77,700) world record bonus, as well as an additional €30,000 (US$33,300) bonus if the men's winner breaks the 58-minute barrier or if the women's winner dips under 1:04:30.

Both the current world records, 58:18 for men and 1:04:51 for women, have been set in Valencia.

South Pacific Games Gold Medalist and Chill Suva Marathon winner Avikash Lal is going to run the Boston Marathon

South Pacific Gold Medalist Avikash Lal will participate in the next Year´s Boston Marathon in the United States.

Lal recently won The Island Chill Suva Marathon in a time of 2:47:57.

He will participate in The Boston Marathon for the first time and he is very proud and excited about the opportunity.

The Boston Marathon was originally a local event, but its fame and status have attracted runners from all over the world. For most of its history, the Boston Marathon was a free event, and the only prize awarded for winning the race was a wreath woven from olive branches. 

However, corporate-sponsored cash prizes began to be awarded in the 1980s, when professional athletes refused to run the race unless they received a cash award. The first cash prize for winning the marathon was awarded in 1986.

The event attracts 500,000 spectators each year, making it New England's most widely viewed sporting event. Though starting with 15 participants in 1897, the event now attracts an average of about 30,000 registered participants each year, with 30,251 people entering in 2015.

The Centennial Boston Marathon in 1996 established a record as the world's largest marathon with 38,708 entrants, 36,748 starters, and 35,868 finishers.

DJ Bishop and his friend Ryan Feeney are ready to compete at the Falmouth Road Race

DJ Bishop, who is paralyzed, will sit in a wheel chair while his friend, Ryan Feeney, pushes.

They started out as baseball competitors in high school but then three years ago Bishop was injured and paralyzed from the chest down from a diving accident.

They are now teaming up as a duo to compete in the Falmouth Road Race on August 18.  

"It was kind of a last ditch effort as an opportunity to compete together," said Feeney, who approached Bishop about the race. "It was a way for us to be teammates again."

They are racing as Team Bish Strong and raising money for Journey Forward, a paralysis rehabilitation center in Canton that Bishop has attended since 2016.

The Falmouth Road Race is also an opportunity for them to raise awareness about neck and spinal injuries, which Bishop has sustained.

"I'm very excited to be part of a team again and compete," he said. "I've always been a competitive athlete and competitor."

The pair has been training since June. Bishop directs Feeney where to go and they work together during turns. In addition, Bishop motivates him throughout the runs.

Feeney is 25 and graduated from Bridgewater State in 2017. Bishop, also 25, hasn't graduated yet.

Before the start of his final year, Bishop broke his neck and injured his spinal chord while diving into shallow water in a lake. He needed emergency surgery and a spinal fusion.

Feeney reached out to him after the injury and they have kept in touch since.

At first, doctors thought that Bishop wouldn't be able to breathe or eat regular food on his own again, but he was later able to.

After nearly four months in the hospital, Bishop began physical therapy at Journey Forward, where he has been able to regain strength and balance. Going there has also given him hope.

Before, he was only able to shrug his shoulders, but now Bishop can curl his arms and has a lot more function.

"I'm still not where I want to be and I have a lot to go, but I keep pushing every single day," he said.

Although doctors have also told him that he would never walk again, Bishop doesn't rule out the possibility.

"In my mind, I don't listen to that and I block it out," he said. "I do what I got to do to maintain and get stronger every day. And never say never."

The Travis Roy Foundation is the newest gold-level sponsor of the New Balance Falmouth Road Race

The Travis Roy Foundation (TRF), founded in 1997 to enhance the lives of spinal cord injury survivors and families by providing grants and funding research, is the newest gold-level sponsor of the New Balance Falmouth Road Race, race officials announced.

“We love the fact that Falmouth, one of New England’s most-iconic road races, has taken up the cause of making it clear that participation is for everyone,” said Roy, who in 1995 was paralyzed after hitting the boards just 11 seconds into his first hockey game for Boston University.

“Runners, wheelchair racers and adaptive athletes of all types are welcome here, and its history as one of the first non-marathons to establish a wheelchair division proves that it has long been intent on helping others move forward.”

The New Balance Falmouth Road Race this year is celebrating the 45thrunning of its wheelchair division, now sponsored by Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod.

While the Boston-based TRF has just launched its sponsorship, it is not new to the race: It returns with a 2019 team of runners in the event’s Numbers for Nonprofits Program, in which it raises funds to further its mission.

Indeed, most of its fundraising comes from participatory sporting events, which also include a three-city Charity Hockey Challenge and its 18th-annual WIFFLE Ball Tournament in 2019. As part of its sponsorship, TRF will partner with the race to provide runners with a special cooling towel at the finish line.

Since it began, TRF has awarded more than 1,900 Quality of Life grants to individuals across the United States who have experienced a spinal cord injury, helping them lead more independent lives, as well medical research focused on improving the arm and hand function that can ease everyday tasks such as brushing their own teeth or feeding themselves.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome the Travis Roy Foundation into the Falmouth family,” said Geoff Nickerson, president of the board of directors. “Travis Roy is as New England as the New Balance Falmouth Road Race and TRF perfectly embodies our mission of health, wellness and helping everyone in the community to lead better lives.”

Botswana´s Ditiro Nzamani has Doha in his eyes after reaching the qualifying standard at the CAA Yaounde International Grand Prix in Cameroon

Ditiro Nzamani can hardly wait for September.

The 19-year-old 400m sprinter from Botswana could be heading to the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, after reaching the qualifying standard at the CAA Yaounde International Grand Prix in Cameroon on 20 July.

In what was his first race outside of Botswana, Nzamani won the 400m at Yaounde’s Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in 45.07, taking more than a second off his previous PB of 46.10 and beating Cameroon’s Sangou Tetndap and Martial Etoa.

“I am very happy,” said an ecstatic Nzamani, who had been trying without success all year to cover one lap of the track within 46 seconds.

“I was under pressure back home because all the good athletes are running 45 seconds, except me,” added Nzamani, who is now Botswana’s third fastest 400m runner in 2019.

Nzamani has improved with every race in 2019. He started his season back in February with 47.33 in Gaborone, then improved to 47.22 in April. At the Botswana Championships in May, he clocked 46.55 in the heats and 46.10 to win the ‘B’ final.

After a brief break from racing, he returned to competition last weekend in Yaounde where he achieved the World Championships qualifying mark.

Nzamani’s coach, Ipolokeng Ramatshaba, was bursting with pride.

“We are in the presence of a very talented young man,” said Ramatshaba. “It is easy to work with someone like Ditiro who has the desire to outdo himself. When you give him a programme, he follows it wholeheartedly and this is the result.

“He will be in Rabat in Morocco for the Africa Games in August and who knows, he may produce another personal best.

“Not many athletes from Botswana have qualified for the World Championships in Doha, so Ditiro may be entered into the books. There is still a lot of space for him at this point.”

Member federations will confirm their team selections nearer the time of the World Championships. In the meantime, Nzamani – whose role model is Bahamian Steven Gardiner – is already thinking about his other career goals.

“I want to be good enough to get into the Diamond League, just like other Botswanans before me,” he says. “If I get to run in the World Championships in Doha, my aim will be to achieve the Olympic qualifying standard.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With Her Family Behind Her, 48-Year-Old Virginia Mom Qualifies for Olympic Trials

Sarah Bishop’s running career began just a few year ago when she set a goal to run for 30 minutes a few times a week. Now, she’s preparing for the Olympic trials marathon.  

The Fairfax, Virginia, resident won the Marine Corps Marathon in October, and then qualified for the Olympic trials at CIM in December.   But it all started a few years ago with short runs squeezed in between work and taking care of her four young daughters, all of whom are currently under the age of 8.

“When I started running just three years ago, there was no goal to even run a marathon,” she said.

Bishop, 35, ran track at Auburn University and during her time in the Air Force, but found herself in a situation where she “literally didn’t run for 10 years.”

She reintroduced running to make time for herself in her hectic life with a full-time job and growing family. She aimed to start with a 30-minute jog a few times a week; it evolved into running an hour, and then doing that more frequently. Eventually running “snowballed into more than a hobby,” she said.

And the hobby gave way to purpose, too.

“When you’re so absorbed your family and working full time and raising kids, you kind of lose a little bit of your identity. I needed to find something for myself that could make me feel like me again, which would help make me a better wife and a better mother.”

James McKirdy, Bishop’s coach, said while she is a world-class athlete, motherhood is an achievement she is most proud of.

“Her pictures are not about her running — most of her pictures are of her family,” he said. ” … Yeah she runs fast, and that’s great, but she’s a mom and a wife first.”

Qualifying for the Olympic trials has long been a dream for Bishop.

Bishop didn’t commit to running Marine Corps Marathon until nine days before the October race, reasoning she’d use the experience as a training run for the December California International Marathon. But on race day, she knew she was gearing up for a great run.

“I was standing on the start line and I was feeling like a million dollars and it was one of those days where I knew I was going to have the race of my life,” she said of the race where she went on to place as the first female finisher.

While Marine Corps win was wonderful, Bishop was just shy of making the 2:45 cutoff for the Olympic trials. She went to the California International Marathon with fierce focus on her goal to qualify for the trials, she said.

“I knew coming in to this race I was in shape to do it. I knew it was my shot.”

Bishop went on to finish the race in 2:42:46, snatching up one of the about 200 Olympic trial qualification spots — the cherry on top of what she calls a “fairy tale season.”

How Mo Farah will be able to run both World Championships and Chicago!

Mo Farah released an Instagram post two days ago that has running fans confused. The multi-Olympic and World champion is scheduled to race the Chicago Marathon on October 13, but his second-most recent post references the Doha World Championship 10,000m.

The 10,000m final in Doha is scheduled for October 6, exactly one week before the Chicago Marathon. As Jonathan Gault pointed out several months ago, it wouldn’t be the first time someone has performed well in both the 10,000m and the marathon within a week–Galen Rupp did exactly that at the 2016 Olympics, winning the bronze medal in the marathon one week after finishing fifth in the 10,000m final (which was won by Farah).

This spring, Emily Sisson ran her first marathon at London in the quickest debut since Jordan Hasay’s at Boston in 2017, one week after winning the 10,000m at the Stanford Invitational in the third-fastest American performance of all time.

Farah told several media outlets in the spring when he announced Chicago, that his focus for 2019 was the roads, but his most recent posts suggests he could be planning on doing the double.

Could he logistically do it? Probably.

His final goes at 8 p.m. local time in Doha on October 6. The next morning there’s a direct Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Chicago. The flight leaves at 7:40 a.m. and arrives at 2 p.m. Chicago time, which would feel like 10 p.m. for Farah.

Qatar is eight hours ahead of Chicago, and the rule of thumb is that you should allow a day’s recovery for each time zone crossed, and Farah could be in Chicago six days out from the marathon. That’s not ideal, but it is manageable. If there was any runner who would try and pull off something this audacious, it’s Farah.

Irish Stephen Scullion is targeting for marathon in Doha after Santry success

It wasn’t unbearably humid, or midnight for that matter, but winning the National 10,000 metres title has further convinced Stephen Scullion to run the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar.

After safely defending his title – in the pleasant Santry sunshine and temperature of 20 degrees – Scullion promptly outlined why he was willing to tackle the 26.2-mile distance in Doha, when many other runners have already decided against it.

The championships take place from September 27th to October 6th, the men’s marathon set for the final day, starting at midnight to offer some relief from the typically searing heat and crippling humidity. It averages 35 degrees in Doha in October, with 85 per cent humidity.

“It was actually a little warmer out there than I thought,” said Scullion, who took the win in 29:36.33, the south Belfast native now running with Dublin club Clonliffe Harriers.

“Obviously it will be a lot warmer in Doha, and it was tough to decide between the World Championships and a fast marathon like Berlin. I could have looked at Dublin in October as well. But I keep talking to my coach, and really believe I can come top-10 in Doha, if I prepare well. I’ve been back and forward on it, but it’s the World Championships, and you’re selected to run for your country, how can you turn that down?

“I’ve trained in humidity, and it is unpredictable, if a thunderstorm rolls in, it can bounce around. It being midnight there won’t be any sun either. I know as well if you break 2:25 in Doha, it mightn’t be a bad day. It mightn’t be a great day, but because it will be tough.

“I just have a feeling, in Doha, if you f-it up, there’s no going back, and a lot of people will think it’s easy, and start going backwards. You will have to train differently, in the heat, and not super fast. It’s about running fast in the heat and humidity.”

Scullion, now 30, ran a personal best of 2:14.34 in Houston in January, the fastest marathon by any Irish man since 2011, and Doha also offers the chance to qualify for next summer’s Tokyo Olympics, the top 10 assured of selection.

A Swiss court overturned its own ruling, disqualifying Caster Semenya from the upcoming World Championship 800m in Doha

Caster Semenya is unable to defend her World Championship title this fall in the 800m. A June ruling indicated that Semenya would be able to compete in her primary event, but that ruling has been overturned by the Swiss Court.

Semenya’s initial appeal, which was considered by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, was filed based on “fundamental human rights,” claiming CAS’s decision “condones the IAAF’s requirements for unnecessary and unwanted hormonal drug interventions on female athletes despite the lack of any medical protocols and the uncertain health consequences of such interventions.”

Semenya went on to proclaim that “The IAAF will not drug me or stop me from being who I am.”

The Swiss Court initially struck down the IAAF’s ruling and allowed Semenya to continue competing, but overturned its own decision this week. Semenya told the New York Times, “I am very disappointed to be kept from defending my hard-earned title, but this will not deter me from continuing my fight for the human rights of all the female athletes concerned.”

According to the IAAF ruling, Semenya is not allowed to compete at any event from the 400m through the mile, considering she has adamantly refused to lower her testosterone to 5 nmol/L, the maximum allowed under the IAAF’s testosterone rule. There’s a chance Semenya could choose to attempt to qualify for Worlds at another event, but she will not be in the 800m field.

Semenya has run the fastest 800m in the world this season (1:54.98) and was looking like a lock for the World Championship title.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Materials in new Nike Joyride running shoes put environmentalists on alert

Nike has taken the wraps off a new running shoe technology that it calls Joyride. This new type of cushioning uses an innovative approach to protecting a runner’s feet and legs, potentially delivering improved performance in terms of impact absorption, while also offering efficient energy return.

That translates to fresher, faster legs on long-distance runs, which should help prevent injuries and speed recovery. But it didn’t take long for the new product to catch the attention of environmentalists, who were quick to question Nike’s use of microplastics when creating this new product.

At the heart of Joyride is a newly designed midsole that has four distinct sections or “pods.” Those pods are each filled with thousands of tiny plastic TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) beads that have been created specifically to absorb impact. The size of the pod, and the number of beads that are inside of it, completely depends on its location.

For instance, the heel has a larger pod filled with thousands of the tiny beads, while the forefoot has a smaller number as less cushioning is needed there.

Nike says that Joyride will conform to the foot of the runner, giving a sense that the shoe was made specifically for their feet. If the marketing materials are to be believed, the shoes will offer a very comfortable and supportive ride, giving runners a sensation that is “almost like running on bubbles.”

The sports apparel and footwear manufacturer is so confident in the new technology that it will be rolling it out in new shoes over the next few weeks. The Nike Joyride Flyknit, which is a general purpose running shoe, went on sale for Nike Members on July 25 and will see a global release on August 15.

The decision to use microplastics in the creation of the Joyride system has raised eyebrows, with some questioning what happens to the TPE beads when the shoe is no longer in use or starts to break down.

It has become increasingly clear that those materials are finding their way not just into the ocean, but the air we breathe as well, creating a potential healt hazard for millions of people. Considering that running shoes should be replaced every 300 to 500 miles, the potential for a lot of Joyride shoes ending up in a landfill is high.

In response to the criticism of Joyride, Nike released the following statement:

“Nike is committed to creating a more sustainable future and protecting the future of sport. Like all athletic footwear, Joyride can be recycled through Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program and transformed into new products. We have also been actively exploring the source of microfibers and working with the sporting goods industry and other industries to understand the issue and identify long-term scalable solutions.”

Nike has indeed taken proactive steps to protect the environment, and the company is correct in reminding runners they should be recycling their shoes anyway. The Joyride doesn’t change that, even if its tiny beads are an unusual choice as a new form of cushioning.

Is Soaking in a Hot Tub Before and After running good for sore muscles?

Studies have shown that both heat and cold therapy can promote healing and prevent muscle damage following running. Your home spa offers the most immersive therapeutic opportunity available, especially now that you have the option to set your spa as a hot tub or a revolutionary cold tub.

Here are some tips for you:

Before you exercise, have a 10–20-minute hot tub soak.  This helps get the blood flowing and loosen up your muscles. Then, be sure to spend at least 10 minutes stretching out those warm muscles before you start your workout. (You could even do some gentle stretches while you’re in the hot tub.)

After you run, let your muscles and your heart rate cool down. Do a gentle walk. Then, take advantage of a hot tub session to help your mind and body relax and to stimulate the healing and recovery process.

Your hot tub can support you before and after your workouts if you follow these simple guidelines. Remember that one of the most important tips is to always be aware and stay in touch with your body’s cues.

If, for example, you’re feeling sore and inflamed right after a hard workout, give your body a bit of time to cool down before your soothing hot tub soak.

In some cases, it’s best to wait a day or two if an unusually intense workout leaves your muscles significantly inflamed. But in the days following that intense workout, your home spa can be just the thing to relax you when your muscles are tight and sore.

You are your body’s own best advocate. Consider that the time in between workouts is just as valuable as the workouts themselves. When we push ourselves to intentionally stress our muscles through exercise, we can’t avoid the necessary period of healing and regeneration—that’s what actually results in stronger muscles and an overall healthier body!

Your hot tub can be one of your best allies in the quest for personal fitness when you leverage it with awareness and intention.

This schedule has been shown to work:

Taking a short soak in your hot tub before you exercise can warm you up, and make your run feel more comfortable.

On a cold day it’s even more pronounced because the blood flow to your legs increases. Since you’re already warm and perspiring from soaking, make sure to stay hydrated.

Right afterwards. This is when you want to cool down. Your muscles are now inflamed. To limit blood flow and make them feel better, it’s time to apply ice or cold water. Conversely, adding heat will keep them inflamed, and continued sweating will further dehydrate you.

A day or two later. It takes a while to achieve the maximum benefits from soaking in your hot tub after you run…36 to 48 hours.

Inflammation is no longer an issue, and your damaged muscles can start to heal as a result of the increased blood flow. Now you’ll be able to enjoy the “other” relaxing benefits of soaking, like weightlessly floating, and rejoicing about your latest achievement.

Don’t forget…icing comes first…hot tubbing comes later.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The weather was an additional challenge at the Swiss Alpine Marathon

Adverse weather conditions presented additional challenges for the participants in this year's Swiss alpine Irontrail.

Bernhard Eggenschwiler from Aargau won the supreme discipline, the T88, on Saturday at the Swissalpine in Davos, in defiance of weather conditions and defending champion Tofol Castanyer. The women's trio Luzia Bühler triumphed.

The T88 have it all: From the start in St. Moritz the 84.9-kilometer course ran on an adventurous route via St. Moritz Bad, Stazerwald, Pontresina, Muottas Muragl, Samedan, Val Bever, Fuorcla Crap Alv, Bergün, Darlux, Alp digl Chant, Keschhütte and the Sertigpass to Davos.

The total height difference was 3640 meters incline and 3877 meters descent. Thunderstorm rains and hailstorms made the Irontrail torture on Saturday.

Irishman Tom McGrath who has been dubbed the real-life Forrest Gump has revealed how his love of running helped him beat a deadly booze addiction

Tom McGrath has ran six marathons in six days, completed several 1,000 mile ultra-marathons and was the first Irishman to do the Race Across America. The Fermanagh man went to New York in 1969 to play Gaelic football and decided to stay permanently.

He pursued his love of running there and took on the Race Across America just after getting married in 1977.  Speaking about the race in new documentary Every Five Minutes, Tom said, "That was my honeymoon. I got married on a Sunday and started running on a Monday. I did it in 53 days and seven minutes.”

And he didn't stop there, with his next challenge being a 1,000 mile marathon, completing this arduous run three years in a row.

In addition to this, Tom also won Ireland's first 24-hour race and ran six marathons in six days. But despite his incredible athletic success, publican Tom was struggling with alcohol addiction, only stopping drinking when he was not running.

He explained, “Alcohol abuse almost cost me my life.  I abused it to a point where I was given a week to live."

As it’s said in the documentary, "When Tom wasn’t drinking, he was running, and when he wasn’t running he was drinking."

In 2010, Tom became seriously ill and his life was hanging in the balance. It proved to be the wakeup call he needed to quit drinking. 

He revealed, "My wife and daughter got me into hospital when my eyes turned yellow. I didn’t realize that it was happening. The doctor told me I had a week or ten days to live if I didn’t stop drinking. He said to me, ‘I hope you’re here on time.’ ”

Tom, now 69, has been sober for nine years and is in good health. Having raised money for various charities over the years, Tom is planning on retiring from running soon after completing one more charity feat.

He will jog solo from Belfast to Dublin -running over a marathon each day - to raise funds for mental health charity Jigsaw. Along the way he will attend screenings of the Every Five Minutes documentary to share his story and raise awareness about addiction.

He says, “I want to show people that it’s possible to get through it. If they come along and see the documentary they’ll see a story of redemption, salvation, willpower, discipline and determination.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Canadian Anne Johnston sets women's record at 92nd annual Tely 10

The 92nd annual Tely 10 road race Sunday took runners 10 miles from Paradise to Bannerman Park in St. John's — and put Anne Johnston into the record books. Johnston broke the all-time women's record by over a minute, crossing the line in 54:24.

Sunday was Johnston's fourth Tely 10 win and she is fresh off an impressive Boston Marathon where she was the second fastest Canadian woman. "I had a real consistent year of training," she said. "Lots of miles, lots of hard work in the winter," she said.

About 4,000 people signed up to take part in the race according to the Newfoundland and Labrador Athletics Association, and there were two other women right at the front of the pack challenging Johnston.

Jennifer Murrin was the fastest woman in the race in both 2018 and 2017. She finished about 30 seconds behind Johnston on Sunday morning.

Kate Bazeley came in just over a minute later at 56:05. She was the previous record holder and has won the race on four occasions.

On the men's side, last year's champion Colin Fewer captured his 12th Tely win, finishing the race in just 49:49, shaving more than two minutes off his 2018 winning time. "I think that's where experience comes in," Fewer said just after crossing the finish line. "After 12 years, I'm not worried too much about the course."

New mom Allyson Felix qualifies for her 13th world championships at Doha

Allyson Felix, the most decorated track runner in world championship history with 16 career medals, made a very respectable comeback yesterday at the USATF Outdoor Championships yesterday, finishing sixth in the 400m final, qualifying her for the 4x400m relay pool for the 2019 world championships at Doha. It will be her 13th world championships.

Felix ran 51.94s in her first race back since having her baby last November. She made headlines a few months ago when she openly criticized her sponsor, Nike, for not supporting women athletes who choose to start a family, and followed that up with testifying before the US House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee on the maternal mortality crisis.

Though she had excellent healthcare and was in top physical condition, Felix suffered serious complications during her pregnancy and underwent an emergency C-section at 32 weeks.

She spent the next few months with her baby in the NICU before going public with her story in December 2018. Felix is still without a contract, and raced unattached this weekend.

Felix wasn’t the only mom commanding attention on the track this weekend. Nia Ali, who had her second baby last year, took second place in the women’s 100m hurdles, securing herself a berth on the American world championship team with a season’s best 12.55s. (The baby’s father is Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse, who finished second in the 100m at the Canadian nationals this weekend.)

Kenyans Leonard Barsoton and Joyciline Jepkosgei won Bix 7 on saturday

You can count Leonard Barsoton among those who was surprised at the way the Quad-City Times Bix 7 unfolded Saturday.

Barsoton came into the race with fairly modest expectations, hoping that maybe he could somehow sneak into the top three finishers. The 24-year-old native of Kenya didn’t really expect to leave all the other runners in his wake in the final two miles to win the 45th annual race through the streets of Davenport fairly easily.

But that’s what he did.

The race is over and the winners of the 2019 Quad City Times Bix 7 Road Race have been crowned.

"I’m so excited to be able to do this," Barsoton said. "If you can win Bix, you can win anywhere."

Thousands of runners hit the Davenport streets in the morning of Saturday, July 27th, but only a few could take home the victory in the 7-mile race.

In the men's race, Kenyan runner Leonard Barsoton broke a tight race and soared ahead to win with a time of 32:34. "This has shown me I can do more," Barsoton said. "To win Bix is a big accomplishment. This is a tough course." 

The women's race saw Joyciline Jepkosgei, also from Kenya, break a close two-person competition late in the game to take the gold in just over 36 minutes.

Kenyan Geoffrey Kirui says he is not under pressure to reclaim his title at the IAAF World Championships

Kirui has not won a marathon since he triumphed in London back in 2017. His last big city marathon was in Boston the same year, which earned him a slot in the Kenya team. But his barren spell is not disturbing him as he focuses on his title defense in Doha.

Owing to the high temperatures in Qatar, the marathon will be run at midnight, with temperatures still expected to be over 30 degrees Celsius. But Kirui is open to the challenge and says he will take it in his stride.

"I have been there before, and I know the weather is very hot so am preparing well for any condition. I will be in my best form, barring any injury in training. My focus is on the race 100 percent. It will be a little bit harder for my opponents to beat me because I have more experience now," said a bullish Kirui on Saturday in Nairobi.

Kenya's team of nine marathon runners will move to Eldoret for training, though Athletics Kenya is yet to name its overall coach.

"As the defending champion I know everyone will be aiming to beat me, but this time round I am even better prepared," added Kirui.

The reigning champion believes his main challengers will not come from Ethiopia, Uganda or the United States, who have piled more pressure on Kenyan athletes in road races. Instead, Kirui says his main challenge will come from within, as he lines up alongside compatriots Laban Korir, Paul Lonyangata, Ernest Ngeno and Berlin Marathon runner-up Amos Kipruto.

"The team is perfect and everyone has a good time, but this is the World Championship and we need to be aware of competition from others who are also doing well out there. But the Kenya team is strong and anyone can surprise you on his day," he added.

IAAF may stop Team Nigeria from competing in the Olympics, African Games and the World Championships over ‘missing’ $135,000

Thehh IAAF may have put the machinery in motion to stop Nigerian athletes from participating in this year’s African Games in Morocco, the World Athletics Championships in Doha, as well as the 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo following the country’s refusal to return the $135,000, which the IAAF mistakenly paid into AFN account two years ago.

The amount was said to have been paid by IAAF as part of its $15,000 annual grant to member federations for the year 2017. But instead of the $15,000, the IAAF mistakenly paid $150, 000 to the AFN. The IAAF accountants later discovered the error and subsequently asked AFN to refund the excess payment.

Former Secretary-General of AFN, Amaechi Akawo, confused about the amount, allegedly contacted his superiors at the sports ministry then, but soon after, the money ‘developed wings.’

In IAAF’s letter to the AFN on Tuesday May 13, 2019 made available to The Guardian, Jee Isram, Senior Manager, Governance, Member & International Relations Department wrote: “You were informed on March 14, 2018 by our CEO of a payment made by the IAAF to the bank account of your federation on May 17, 2017. A sum of $150,000 was transferred by the IAAF of which $135,000 was wrongly credited.

“We promptly notified you of this overpayment and followed up several written correspondences, as well as a meeting with you in November 2017 requesting that you reverse the bank transfer for the overpaid amount to no avail.

“On June 28, 2018, you informed us that the ministry of sports was ready to refund 50 percent of that amount and despite several telephone conversations the amount was still not paid.

While we were in Asaba in August 2018 during the African Senior Championships, we met with the minister of sports and the Permanent Secretary. We discussed about the return of the funds to the IAAF and until today we have not heard anything.

“We understand that the minister of sports will be stepping down soon and it is imperative that you arrange for the return of the full amount within two weeks at the latest. Failure to receive the funds back within that period, we will have no alternative than to apply appropriate sanctions against your Federation,” IAAF official said

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cancer Survivor Stephanie Moore is lacing up her shoes and training for the New York City Marathon

A Charlotte woman who spends most of her free time running ultra-marathons was sidelined after a stage four cancer diagnosis. Now, she's on the road to recovery and hopes to be ready in time to run the New York City Marathon this fall.

Stephanie Moore was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2018 after she felt persistent stomach pain. 

She took some time off for surgery and chemotherapy, but now she's lacing up her sneakers and training for the New York City Marathon. 

During the race, she'll be representing the Colon Cancer Foundation, and says she isn't letting the disease slow her down. 

"Especially when I'm lacking motivation, it's just...not today. I'm not going to let it beat me today," Moore says. "If I can just get out there and do one or two miles, great. I don't set a huge goal for myself other than just get out there. Get your shoes on, get dressed, get out there. And more often than not, once I get out there I feel good." 

As part of running for charity, Moore is raising money for the Colon Cancer Foundation. 

South Pacific Games gold medalist Avikash Lal won the Island Chill Suva Marathon

South Pacific Games gold medalist Avikash Lal won the Island Chill Suva Marathon today in a time of 2:47:35 seconds.

Kennol Narayan was second while Igo Sedor was third.

Victoria Domico was the first female to the finish line in a time of 3:58:57 seconds.

The Team Marathoin Mixed event was won by SMC Runners and while Ba Marathon took out the Male division and Naitasiri DS finished in the female category.

National 7s coach Gareth Baber was also part of the event along with Tavua College golden boy Yeshnil Karan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kenya drug cheats now to be blocked from all international competitions

The Kenyan government has backed a move by Athletics Kenya (AK) to block all cheats from representing the country in international championships.

Sports cabinet secretary Amina Mohammed said in Nairobi that for the country to reverse the damage doping has on its athletes, they must stop any elite runner banned for doping from competing in international races beyond the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Africa Games.

"We must stop them. Athletes must understand that once they fail doping test, its over for them, even if they serve their suspension from active competition, we will not allow them to leave the country to compete abroad," Mohammed said this week in Nairobi.

Kenya has had six cases of doping in the last seven months, joining over 50 athletes who have been banned since the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games including 2016 Rio Olympics marathon champion Jemima Sumgong, half-marathon world record holder Abraham Kiptum and former Olympic champion and three-time world title winner in 1,500m Asbel Kiprop.

Kenya is in Category A along with eastern African rivals Ethiopia, Belarus and Ukraine, described by the IAAF as "member federations majorly at risk of doping."

Mohammed said the move by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) to have athletes tested more before major athletics championships will also help eradicate the vice.

"Kenya is ranked in category A and athletes must go through stringent measures like three tests out of competition and one in competition prior to international competitions. We must support these measures hence we shall not allow dopers to go and shame this country again," said Mohammed.

Athletics Kenya (AK) president Jack Tuwei said Kenya has enough talent to win clean and no cheat should be allowed to put on the national jersey.

"For four years running, we have been on the watch list of IAAF. Last year that was upgraded because athletes don't want to listen to advice on anti-doping," he said.

Weather forced the Ultra Mount Fuji 102-mile course to be shortened

It happened again! Weather forced the Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji 165k (102-mile) course to be shortened. Looking back at recent years, UTMF missed an entire year, changed its course, had a year with an exceptionally short course, and changed what time of the year the race was held, but still, snow, ice, and low temperatures in the Shakushi Mountain area cut the race off this year.

Runners were held up at the last aid station reached before 3:00 p.m. that afternoon, though the top runners did finish the official distance prior to the cutoffs going into place.

Men Jing Liang (China) was there early, but as the late-race challenge–and the Tenshi Mountains–came on, pre-race favoriteXavier Thévenard (France) was simply too strong. Thévenard won in a convincing 19:36, and then Liang ran into trouble so much that he barely held off third-place Loren Newman (USA). Second- and third-place Liang and Newman finished in 20:39 and 20:40, only 36 seconds apart.

Generally when an American podiums at an Ultra-Trail World Tour race it’s a familiar name. I’ll admit though that Loren Newman’s is a new name.  Looking back before this breakthrough run, he was 17th at the 2015 Western States 100.

Deeper results included Tofol Castanyer (Spain), 12th in 23:18.

Among other Americans, Franz Van Der Groen, Coree Woltering, and Ryan Ghelfi were all stopped short of the finish. Van Der Groen reached 155k in 28:44, Woltering 140k in 28:07, and Ghelfi 127k in 17:32. With the early 17-hour time, though, perhaps Ghelfi stopped for reasons other than the weather cutoff?

The women’s race wasn’t that different from the men’s, what with a clear winner and then a much closer race between second and third. Fuzhao Xiang (China) won in 24:20, and was chased by Lou Clifton (Australia) and Kaori Asahara (Japan) in 25:50 and 25:55.

Everything you need to know about the 2019 Bix 7 men's field

Last year, for the first time ever, a male runner from Ethiopia won the Quad-City Times Bix 7, overcoming the legion of Kenyan runners who always populate the field.

This year it might be time for a break-through from another African nation: Tanzania.

Gabriel Geay, a 22-year-old runner from the country directly to the south of Kenya, must be regarded as one of the favorites to prevail in the annual 7-mile jaunt through the streets of Davenport.

He already has had a phenomenal year on the U.S. road racing scene, winning the Lilac Bloomsday 12k and Bay to Breakers 12k in May and crossing the finish line first in the Utica Boilermaker 15k little more than a week ago. He also had top-five finishes in perhaps the two biggest 10ks around: The Peachtree Road Race and Bolder Boulder.

Geay first came to U.S. as a 19-year-old in 2016 attempting to run Olympic qualifying times for 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters. He narrowly missed in both but decided to stick around and run a few road races, and claimed his first big victory at Peachtree. He came back the following year to win Bolder Boulder and Lilac Bloomsday.

With the withdrawal of three-time Bix 7 champion Silas Kipruto from the field, there now is only one runner entered in the men’s field who has competed in the Davenport race as an elite invitee.

Kenya’s Kenneth Kosgei placed 12th in his only visit here a year ago.

Kipruto was seeking to break the Bix 7 record for most top-five finishes by a men’s runner — he has done it six times — but he informed race officials last week that he would not run because of a lack of fitness.

The Bix 7 men’s championship has been won seven times by a runner named Korir.

John Korir won a record five times (in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004) and Leonard Korir did it twice (2013 and 2015).

This year’s race will include Kenya’s Dominic Korir. Korir (no relation to the previous Bix champs), who may be better suited to the hilly course than almost anyone.

Dominic Korir trains at high altitude in Colorado Springs and in April he won the Horsetooth Half-marathon, a race that begins with a grueling 1.8-mile climb up something called Monster Mountain.

It sounds even more imposing than the Brady Street Hill.

Jarius Birech will be among the most experienced Kenyans in this year’s Bix 7 field.

He’s just not that experienced in races in which he isn’t required to leap over hurdles and bound across small pools of water. Birech, 26, was the top 3,000-meter steeplechase runner in the world in 2014, winning the African championships and taking the silver medal in the Commonwealth Games that year. He twice has run the steeplechase under eight minutes, a feat that’s only been accomplished 38 times in history.

But he just now is starting to become more involved in events other than the steeplechase.

He has shown promise, however. Birech won a major cross country race in Italy earlier this year and also won the Crescent City Classic 10k on a very flat course in New Orleans.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen who set the Norwegian national 5,000m record of 13:02.03 says he plans to double at the World Championships in Doha

Jakob has proved before that he’s capable of doubling at a championship, as we saw last August, when he won both the 1,500m and 5,000m at the European Championships, becoming the youngest runner ever to do so.

The timing of the events works out well, as the 5,000m heats run on the first day of competition, with the subsequent heats and finals being spaced out by several days. Ingebrigtsen has faced the biggest names in track and field this season and fared extremely well.

This double at Worlds will be another good test for the young runner.

This year’s World Championship will be Ingebrigtsen’s first time facing the new kind of pressure that comes with a World Championship.

The U20 world record in the 5,000m is a shocking 12:43, and likely out of Ingebrigtsen’s grasp at this point. But the U20 1,500m world record of 3:28.81 is only two seconds faster than his current personal best, and something that could be his, in the right race.

The 18-year-old already holds the U20 indoor 1,500m record.

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

Sneaker history has been made.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Geoffrey Kamworor said that he is aiming to win gold at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar in October

After winning the 10,000m title at the Kenya Police Championships, Kamworor disclosed that he was eager to make it to make the cut for the national team for the World Championship.

"I have only one mission, to clinch my first ever gold at the World Championships. I have been longing for a gold medal in the track competition and when I won silver at the Beijing worlds in 2015, I thought I would step up to gold in London in 2017.

"However, it was never to be and Kenya still searches to break Ethiopia and Mo Farah's strong grip in the race. I am still motivated to go a step further and win gold," said Kamworor.

Kamworor, the two-time World Half Marathon champion, won in 27:50:65, followed by Josephat Bett 28:40:58, Joseph Kitum 28:40:74 and Mathew Kisorio 28:44:63.

Then he relinquished his title at this year's World Cross Country championships in Denmark. Kamworor went on to win the 10-mile Grand Prix race in Bern, Switzerland in May clocking 44:57, but has resumed training with the track competition in focus.

"Winning a bronze at the World Cross was a disappointment but I did my best. The event gave me good endurance for the season and I hope to reap maximum going to the World Championships. Today, I was gauging my strength to see whether I can return to track for the World Championships," said Kamworor.

Kamworor hinted that he will only compete at the Copenhagen Half Marathon in September in Denmark if he fails to make the team to World Championships.

Veteran runner Joe Ryan will run his 47th Tely 10, he won this race in 1969

““On Sunday, I will run my 47th Tely 10 — and 44th consecutive race — joining thousands of other runners and walkers in the morning as we journey eastwards from Octagon Pond in Paradise to Bannerman Park in the heart of St. John’s,” says Joe Ryan.

“I have witnessed many changes in the classic road race, the most obvious being the tremendous increase in the number of participants in recent years.

“On a recent Sunday morning, as I led a training run for a group of Tely participants over the Topsail Road course, a passing comment from one of the runners got me thinking back to my first Tely 10 so many years ago.

“The year was 1969, the date Oct. 12, much later than our now standard fourth Sunday in July. And instead of lining up in starting corrals on McNamara Road, as we will do for this year’s race, all seven or eight of us toed the starting line on King George V Track near Memorial Stadium.

“Yes, that’s right. The Telegram 10-Mile Road Race was held on an oval track — for the second consecutive year.”

At the age of 20, Joe Ryan won the 1969 Tely 10. Since then, he has run 46 Telegram 10-Mile Road Races, 21 of them under 60 minutes, with a personal best of 51:33

In addition to running the race, Ryan chaired the Tely 10 organizing committee for 10 years, from 1997-07, and authored a book, “The Tely 10 — A History of Newfoundland’s Premier Road Race” in 2002.

A provincial track and field Hall of Famer, Joe Ryan is a noted marathoner, having run 70 marathons to date, including Boston (12 times), New York (twice), Ottawa (five times), Honolulu (twice), Dublin (three times) and Athens, Prague, Reykjavik, Edinburgh, Bermuda, Paris, Vienna, Rotterdam and Toronto.

He is a retired teacher, and is now teaching and coaching runners.

Mumbai Marathon registrations for the 2020 marathon will open on July 26 and close on November 29

The Mumbai Marathon, in its 17th year, is scheduled to be held on January 19, 2020, the race organisers announced on Wednesday.

Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao signed up as the first participant for the marathon, which was first held in 2004 and since then has been an annual affair in the megacity.

Maharashtra ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar and Ashish Shelar were present on the occasion at the Raj Bhawan.

The registrations for the full marathon would open on July 26 and close on November 29, while registrations for the half marathon are to begin on August 1 and conclude on August 30, according to race organisers Procam International.

Rao, while making a mention of sprinter Hima Das who recently clinched five gold medals in various international meets, said that since coming to Maharashtra he has attended all editions of the Mumbai Marathon.

“The journey of Mumbai Marathon for the past 16 years has been truly spectacular. First and foremost, Mumbai Marathon has created health and fitness consciousness among the people. The Tata Mumbai Marathon has importantly created a level playing field for all,” the governor said.

Shelar, on his part, said that people can see from the marathon that Mumbai actually runs, in reference to the popular saying that Mumbaikars are always on their toes.

Shelar, who recently took charge as the sports minister, assured that there will be more participants for the coming marathon.

The organisers are aiming to get 50,000 participants for the race.

Three-time Bix 7 men’s champion Silas Kipruto is coming back to the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in hopes of making a little more history

The three-time Bix 7 men’s champion will be joined in the 45th annual race through the streets of Davenport by a deep women’s field that includes two former champions, the second fastest female runner in the race’s history and a world record-holder in two events.

Kipruto already is among the most successful runners in the history of the race, which is scheduled this year for July 27. The 34-year-old native of Kenya not only won the Bix 7 in 2011, 2012 and 2016, but he has finished in the top five on three other occasions.

His half dozen top-five finishes equal the most ever by a male runner in the race, tying Meb Keflezighi, Bill Rodgers, John Korir and Lazarus Nyakeraka.

Kipruto is one of 17 African runners in the preliminary men’s elite field assembled by elite athlete coordinator John Tope — 13 from Kenya and two each from Eritrea and Tanzania.

Besides Kipruto, male runners to watch include Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay, who won both the Lilac Bloomsday 12k and the Bay to Breakers 12k in May; Kenya’s Edwin Mokua, a top-three finisher at both Bloomsday and Bay to Breakers; Kenya’s Leonard Barsoton, who was first in the African Cross Country championships in 2014 and second in the African Games 10,000 meters in 2015; and Emmanuel Kiprono, Kenya’s 10,000-meter champ in 2013.