Running News Daily

Little Rock Marathon forecast predicts cold rain during the race this weekend

lt will have some roar in the form of rain and arctic air invading the Natural State going into next week, and it may be the start of meteorological Spring, which is broken down into 3 months for weather records, but temperatures will be below average after Saturday.  

As a system develops to the west and cold front approaches from the north the weather will be changing going into the weekend.

Rain will move in through Saturday afternoon, March 2 into Saturday evening, March 3, and there could be some thunder and lightning mixed in at times. 

By Sunday an area of low pressure system moves SE of the area and colder air pours in from the NW with gusty winds of 10 to 20 mph. Temperatures will be falling through the day and it is expected that rain will change to a mix then to all snow for north Arkansas.

Minor accumulations of a Trace to 1” are possible in the higher terrain of north Arkansas. A sleet pellet or a flurry is possible for central AR Sunday afternoon before the moisture moves out.

Little Rock Marathon Forecast, 7 a.m. - Rain is likely with possible thunder. Chance of rain 90%. Temperatures in the upper 40s. Winds N 10-15 mph

10 a.m. - Rain, heavy at times, windy. Chance of rain 90%. Temperatures in the low to mid 40s. Winds N 10-20 mph

Four firefighters from Cheshire are running the Greater Manchester Marathon in full gear to raise money for charity

The group will be running the marathon, on Sunday April 7 in full gear to raise money for Mind and the Firefighters Charity.

The firefighters who have signed up are Ashley Powell (Wilmslow & Middlewich), Paul Leigh (Crewe & Middlewich), Simon Calvert (Middlewich) and Peter Daniel (Middlewich).

The group have taken part in a number of 5km, 10km and half marathons in the past but this will be the first time they have entered a full marathon.

“This will not be our first challenge,” says Ashley Powell, “but it will certainly be our biggest. The uniform we will be wearing is very, very warm and we have to ensure we drink plenty of fluids throughout the course – you can usually wring out our jackets afterword’s with the sweat!

“The events are always a fantastic atmosphere, with all Manchester roads closed off and dedicated to the runners and supporters, it is amazing to be able to run with the iconic buildings and scenery along the way. We know it’s going to be tough but as always we will start and finish as a team and raise as much money as possible to support MIND and The Firefighters Charity. And we urge everybody if you ever need help, you only need to ask.

“As members of the emergency services we often are the last call for help and are often seen as only a uniform. But sometimes we all need a helping hand. These two charities are instrumental in supporting not just the rescued but the rescuers too. Mental health awareness is often overlooked but requires just as much support, care and respect as physical health.”

Berlin silver medalist Amos Kipruto from Kenya, knee injury took him out of Tokyo and now eyes Prague Marathon in May

Berlin Marathon silver medalist Amos Kipruto is back in training just two months after picking up a serious knee injury that took him out of Sunday's Tokyo Marathon.

Kipruto regrets missing out on running in Japan, where he had intended to improve on his third place finish from 2018.

However, he believes he will be able to regain his fitness ahead of the Prague Marathon in May.

"I had planned to compete in Tokyo to see if I could improve on the bronze medal. But the injury to my knee, which I got in training in January, sucked the wind out of me. Now I hope to compete in Prague Marathon in May. However, it is up to my management to work out a deal with the organizers," Kipruto said on Friday in Nairobi.

Kipruto, who trains under Italian coach Claudio Berardell, feels missing out on the Tokyo marathon will not hinder his hopes of making the Kenya team to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 because he has already run in the Japanese city and would relish a return to accomplish his task.

"The Olympics is still a year away. But I have the experience running in Tokyo and would very much like to make the Kenya team. But this year we have the world championships in Doha, and I hope I can run one good race to convince the selectors to offer me the opportunity to run in Qatar," he added.

Last year in Berlin, while all focus was on Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge as he cruised to a new world record of 2:01:39, little known Kipruto ravel in his own glory as he emerged from the blind spot to claim silver, on his birthday. Kipruto clinched silver in 2:06:23.

Greece Olympian Alexi Pappas new movie Olympic Dreams will premiere in Austin Texas March 8-17

Greek runner Alexi Pappas’s new film, Olympic Dreams, will premiere in the Narrative Spotlight category at the SXSW film festival in Austin, Texas from March 8-17. Pappas, who set a national record for Greece in the 10,000m at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and ran her first marathon in Chicago in 2018, co-directs and stars, as she did in Tracktown in 2016.

The new film, which was shot during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Peongchang, is a series of vignettes featuring Penelope (played by Pappas), a slightly insecure cross-country skier, and Ezra (played by comedian Nick Kroll), a volunteer dentist in the Olympic village.

Pappas is an alumna of both Dartmouth and Oregon, and has always loved to indulge her creative side while also competing on the track. Pappas is reportedly hoping to run the marathon at the 2020 Olympics, representing Greece. 

Cassie Scallon of Santa Barbara is one of the elite entrants in the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon, despite injury

A hamstring injury has forced Cassie Scallon to cut down on her training, but she still plans to be in the field for Sunday’s Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon as one of the race’s elite women’s entrants.

The injury, said Scallon, has been frustrating, as she has dealt with it now for the last two months.

“So instead of doing the amount of training that I’d like to do, I’ve been spending a lot of time in therapy and seeing doctors, so that’s frustrating,” the Santa Barbara resident said.

“I’m not where I want to be with my fitness. But I’m not going to count myself out for the marathon at all.”

It will be Scallon’s first appearance in the Napa Valley Marathon, which rewards the top male and female overall finishers with their weight in wine provided by the Andretti Winery. 

“I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” said Scallon. “I’m meeting a bunch of friends from Boulder (Colorado). We’ve moved from Boulder about a year ago. We don’t get a chance to see each other all that often. Races are usually our big reason to get together.”

Scallon’s personal record for the marathon is 2:56:57, which she attained at the Woodlands Marathon in Texas in 2016. She was the second women’s finisher.

Her original goal for Napa was to try and set a new PR, or personal record. The woman’s course record in Napa is 2:39.36 in 2012.

“I was hoping I could go faster than that, but with this injury setback, I don’t know,” she said. “But it would still be nice to run around three hours I think.”

Kenyan´s Abel Kirui hopes to get the title at Hamburg Marathon

Two-time world marathon champion Abel Kirui has landed an invite for this year’s Hamburg Marathon set for April 28th in Germany.

The two-time world marathon champion, who registered back-to-back IAAF world marathon titles in 2009 and 2011, said he is already looking beyond the event as he wants to cap the year with his third World Championship marathon medal in Doha, Qatar.

“I have had a good training since joining Global Sports Communication and my skills have improved tremendously. I look forward to a good event in Hamburg,” said the Kapsabet-born runner.

The 2012 London Olympic Marathon silver medallist failed to retain his Chicago Marathon title last year after winning in 2016. Galen Rupp won the title in 2017 while multi Olympic champion Mo Farah won last year.

Kirui said has been motivating and refreshing training with top athletes including world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge (2:01.39), former New York marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, two-time Toronto marathon winner Philemon Rono and 2012 Olympic marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda. Kirui, the 2008 Vienna marathon winner, suffered a knee injury that kept him off competition for about three years and on his return in 2016, he won Chicago (2:11.23).

“I want to end the Ethiopian dominance in Hamburg and I know I now have what it takes to deliver,” he added.

The man, who started his career as a pacesetter, finished second at the 2007 Berlin Marathon, third at 2009 Rotterdam Marathon, won 2007 Paderborn Half Marathon and finished 4th at 2010 London Marathon. Lucas Rotich is the last Kenyan to have won Hamburg in 2015 and Ethiopians have since dominated for the last three years.

Can Japan’s Suguru Osako Win the Tokyo Marathon on home soil? Yes it is possible but there are five Africans in the field with faster times

Japan’s national record holder Suguru Osako, is running Japan’s biggest marathon, Tokyo. And that’s exciting. Because as great as Japan has been at the marathon in recent years, Kenya and Ethiopia have still been way better.

Prior to last year, no Japanese man had broken 2:07 since 2002, which is almost a prerequisite to win a WMM these days: since 2013, 89% of men’s WMM champs have entered the race with a sub-2:07 PR. 23 Kenyans had broken 2:07 in 2018 alone.

But Japan is narrowing the gap to the East Africans. Last year, after going 15 years without a sub-2:07 marathoner, Japan produced three: Osako (2:05:50), Yuta Shitara (2:06:11), and Hirohito Inoue (2:06:54). And both Osako (3rd in Chicago) and Shitara (2nd in Tokyo) were in the mix for the win at majors.

This weekend kicks off an incredible 18 months of marathoning in Japan. It begins with the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday, the first WMM of 2019, and continues in September with the Japanese Olympic Trials, also in Tokyo.  Then there’s the 2020 Tokyo Marathon and, of course, the Olympic marathon in August 2020.

The biggest reason to be excited about this year’s Tokyo Marathon is Osako, who is based in the US and trains under Nike Oregon Project coach Pete Julian.

A win by Japan’s best marathoner on home soil just 17 months before they host the Olympics would be a huge story, and it could actually happen. That doesn’t mean it will happen — there are five guys entered with faster PRs than Osako, including four under 2:05 — but it certainly can happen!

World Half Marathon record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei will headline the star-studded field at the United Airlines New York City Half on March 17

Joyciline Jepkosgei, 26, will use the race as a warm up for her eagerly awaited marathon debut in Hamburg on April 28. In 2017, the Kenyan had a sensational year when she broke six world records, four of which came in the one race.

Coached by her husband Nicholas Koech, Jepkosgei took the half marathon world record in Prague in a time of 64:52, along with new world best for 10km in 30:05, 15km in 45:37 and 20km in 61:25.

“I’m excited to be running my first New York Half Marathon in two weeks’ time. The field has very good and experienced runners and it will give me great opportunity to gauge myself ahead of my full marathon debut in Hamburg in April,” Jepkosgei told Standard Sports.

“I’m eager to see how I will run my full marathon,” she added, “it will be a new experience for me, and I don’t really know what is in store for me, and marathon is torturing.  I will just want to run and finish the race.”

Jepkosgei will be joined by her countrywoman Mary Wacera, a two-time World Half Marathon Championships medalist. The Nyahururu-based Wacera won the silver at the 2014 World Half Marathon in Copenhagen and followed it with bronze from Cardiff’s global showpiece.

The two Kenyans will face tough challenge against Ethiopian Buze Diriba, the race’s defending champion and American Desire Linden.

Linden will be using the half marathon as her final tune-up race before attempting to defend her Boston Marathon title in April. Last year, she became the first American to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years.

The Zurich Marathon de Barcelona course Record set nine years ago is under attack with an easier course, less curves, wider streets and less unevenness

The Zurich Marathon de Barcelona course Record was set in 2010, when Jackson Kotut clocked 2:07:30. 

Anthony Maritim, winner in 2018, wants to retain the crown.  Anthony clocked a PR in the Condal City 2:08:08 last year and will now try to improve on it.  The course this year is an easier circuit, with less curves, wider streets and less unevenness.

Laban Korir, with the second best mark of all the participants, 2:05:54 achieved in Amsterdam 2016. Last year he clocked 2:05:58 in Rotterdam, a record that suggests that he has many options to reduce the top of Barcelona.

Eliud Kiptanui is the one with the best mark of all the participants: 2:05:21, achieved in Berlin 2015. Also in the field is Kenya’s Laban Mutai who clocked 2:07:38 a PR in Eindhoven last autumn.

The Ethiopians look very strong too, Adebe Negewo Degefa is in good shape after his great second place at the eDreams Mitja Marató in Barcelona, ​​just one second behind the winner, Eric Kiptanui. His compatriot Limenih Getachew with 02:06:49, also aspires to beautiful things. 

The first time a runner will run a sub two hour marathon is expected to be in 2032, according to scientific predictions

Experts predict first sub two-hour marathon will come in 2032.

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge broke the men’s world record at the Berlin Marathon in September 2018 with a time of two hours, one minute and 39 seconds, edging 78 seconds ahead of previous record holder, Dennis Kimetto.

Using a statistical model to analyse the timings and dates of data provided by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) from as far back as 1950, scientists believe there is a one in 10 chance that the first person to go below the two-hour mark will do so in May 2032.

Publishing their findings in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal, researchers think the best a male runner will be able to achieve is one hour, 58 minutes and five seconds.

The likelihood of a woman runner breaking the two-hour mark is less likely, at lower than one in 100, with scientists predicting the fastest possible time of two hours, five minutes and 31 seconds.

“Breaking the sub-two hour marathon in an official event has attracted growing interest in recent times with commercial and international momentum building,” said Dr Simon Angus, associate professor of economics at Monash Business School, and author of the paper.

“Prospects of a male athlete going sub-two hours in an IAAF event, even in the near future, would appear high given that the most recent world record reduced the mark by 78 seconds, and the Nike Breaking2 project produced a time just 25 seconds outside this two-hour barrier.

“However, a 13-year wait seems more in line with the evidence.

“While a sub-two hour run could occur any time between now and May 2032, the likelihood of that occurring is extremely rare.

Little Rock Marathon race officials announced Heifer International will serve as sponsor of the 2019 Little Rock Marathon Expo

“Heifer International is proud to sponsor the Health and Fitness Expo for the 2019 Little Rock Marathon,” said Carly Samuelson, Heifer International Peer-to-Peer Program Manager.

“This great city is home to our world headquarters and it’s a privilege to partner with the marathon in order to showcase one of our fundraising programs, Team Heifer. Our finish line is the end of hunger and poverty for all.”

“We are honored to have the support of Heifer International for our Health and Fitness Expo,” said Little Rock Marathon co-director Geneva Lamm.

“The city of Little Rock is fortunate to be home to such a wonderful program that encourages others to “pass on the gift” by sharing animal offspring in their effort to eradicate hunger and poverty around the world.”

The 17th annual Little Rock Marathon weekend will be held March 2-3, 2019 and will include the Little Rock Marathon and Half Marathon, the Little Rock 10K, the Little Rock 5K Fun Run/Walk and the Little Rockers Kids Marathon.

Former Olympic and world steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi will begin another chapter in his career as he plans to make his marathon debut in Hamburg on April 28

The steeplechase legend, 37-year-old Ezekiel Kemboi, believes he still has a lot to offer as he transits from the track to the marathon distance. So far he has run nine 10km road races, with the latest two being in Prague where he clocked 29:59, later improving his time to 29:54 in Italy last year. His personal best in the 10km race is 28:38, set in 2011.

"Today I did my speed work in readiness for the Hamburg Marathon in April. It will be my debut after a long steeplechase season," said Kemboi on Wednesday in Eldoret.

The steeplechase champion has joined a team of marathon runners to try to help him polish his skills and improve his endurance to last the full distance in a competition believed to be the hardest in athletics.

"I am motivated by Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, with whom I ran during the 2003 World Championships. I will be venturing into the 42km race, where I want to perform as well as on track," added Kemboi.

But Kemboi should not expect any favors as he moves up to the marathon distance. Former two-time world marathon champion Abel Kirui, who will also be running in Hamburg, has stated his own intentions ahead of that event.

"It will be a big challenge for me as I will be preparing to beat Eliud Kipchoge's course record of 2:05:30. It will be a big show and I welcome the fans to cheer me on."

Kirui and Kemboi will not only face the challenge of beating the course record, but will come up against the formidable Ethiopian duo of Ayele Abshero and Dibabe Kuma.

The course record has remained since 2012 when Kipchoge first ventured into the marathon, also picking Hamburg for his debut. However, Kemboi does not expect anyone to compare him with Kipchoge, as he seeks to chart his own course in the unknown waters.

The athlete, who trains in Eldoret, said that he has been training hard and has already had his fair share of success.

"Many people have been asking where I have been and they will get answers soon after seeing my performance. I have competed in 10 road races and won seven of them, and that shows good progress," said Kemboi.

Kenya’s Joan Melly Chelimo is upbeat ahead of her debut in the Tokyo Marathon Sunday

The Kenyan, 29, feels she has enough experience after a string of good results in China as she returns to Asia.

Chelimo, who has picked up two wins in 2018 in Prague and Boston over the 21km distance, will jump into the firing line in Tokyo as she seeks to transform her prowess on the half marathon to the full distance, with a hope of returning to the Japanese capital to compete at the 2020 Olympic Games.

"It is a bag of mixed fortunes for me. I want to run fast and win the race, but it is a new venture and I have no idea of how my body will react. I have done more training to build on the endurance and hopefully it will pay dividends in Tokyo," Chelimo said on Tuesday in Nairobi.

The former Kenyan-turned Bahraini trains in Kapsabet, near Eldoret and will launch her title campaign in Tokyo after winning the Asian Games.

Chelimo, alongside winning gold for her adopted country in London in 2017, she represented Bahrain at the 2016 Olympic Games, placing eighth in the women's marathon.

"It is a new challenge for me in Tokyo. I have trained hard for the race since I want to win a gold medal," said Chelimo. The Bahraini says she is injury free after returning to fitness last year.

The two women will come up against Ethiopia's Ruti Aga, who recorded the personal best of 2:18:34 at the Berlin Marathon last September.

In addition, there are three other runners with the personal best of 2:19 including Florence Kiplagat, the former Chicago Marathon champion.

Barcelona Marathon champion Ruth Chebitok, who holds a personal best time of 2:23:29, will seek to steal the limelight as she makes her debut in the 2019 season.

Last year, she competed in three marathons winning in Barcelona and Gold Coast and finished third in Toronto.

"I have high expectation to win in Tokyo. There are a few Ethiopians in the race who can spring a surprise and I will be prepared for them.

Jonathan Briskman is set to compete in the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Half Marathon

Jonathan Briskman has a game plan going into the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Half Marathon, a 13.1-mile race that starts at 7 a.m. on the Silverado Trail in St. Helena, near Conn Creek Winery, and follows a point-to-point course to the finish-line area at Vintage High School on Trower Avenue, on Sunday, March 3.

Briskman, a resident of San Francisco, said one of his focuses will be on trying to stay relaxed for the first few miles, making sure that he doesn’t go out too fast, while still looking to keep up a good pace.

“A lot of it is experience, having raced quite a few half marathons now,” Briskman said in a telephone interview last week. “It’s just knowing how it’s supposed to feel for the first few miles, so that you can pace yourself accordingly, so that hopefully you can finish strong or even a little bit faster at the end.”

Briskman, 27, is one of the elite-level entrants, event organizers said, as he has a personal record time of 1 hour, 7 minutes, 12 seconds at the race distance.

The Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon, a 26.2-mile race now in its 41st year and beginning at 7:30 a.m. in Calistoga, is also sold out, with 2,000 runners. The marathon heads south on the Silverado Trail, to the finish line at Vintage.

“That was kind of a breakthrough race,” he said. “I’m hoping to build on that actually at Napa this year and run even a little bit faster. The set-up is point to point, with very few turns. That makes it pretty quick, as well as it’s a little bit of a net downhill.”

“That’s what I’m shooting for, trying to get as close as I can to about that five-minute pace,” he said. “I’m really excited for it. I’m really excited to try and run a fast time.”

Briskman ran a PR of 2 hours, 20 minutes, 18 seconds and placed 63rd overall at the California International Marathon in December. His previous best was 2:28.

Afera Godfay Berha of Ethiopia broke the women’s Mexican all-comers half marathon record at the 33rd Electrolit Guadalajara Half Marathon

Godfay, 27, clocked 1:08:53 to break the all-comers mark set of 1:09:07 set by Paula Radcliffe when the Briton won the 2000 world half marathon title in Veracruz.

Kenya's Mathew Kisorio won the men's race in 1:01:48, well inside the course record of 1:02:31 set by his countryman and seven-time winner Julius Kipyego Keter in 2011.

Godfay and Kenyan Joyce Chemkemoi set an aggressive pace from the start, covering the opening five kilometres in 15:58, running five second ahead of Naomi Vaati. By the 10km mark, covered in 32:06, she extended her lead to 22 seconds.

Berha made her decisive move in the next five-kilometre stretch and built a 35-second lead by 15 kilometres, reached in 48:41. She then cruised on to become the second Ethiopian woman to claim victory in Guadalajara since two-time winner Shewarge Alene Amare won in 2010 and 2011.

The 27-year old winner, a 2:23:54 marathoner, came within 22 seconds her half marathon best set in 2016. 

Chemkemoi held on for second in 1:10:06 with Vaati, who clocked 1:10:17, finishing third.

Esmerala Rebollo was the first Mexican across the line, finishing fifth with a new personal best of 1:12:52. Her countrywoman, two-time winner Mayra Sanchez Vidal, finished eighth in 1:13:18.

In the men's race, a group of nine took up a conservative pace early in the contest, covering the first five kilometres in 14:13. Kisorio and three other men upped the pace, reducing the lead group to four as they reached 10 kilometres in 29:06. Then Kisorio found an extra gear, dropping his three remaining opponents as he reached 15 kilometres in 43:42, 34 seconds ahead of his closest rival.

Rhonzas Lokitam Kilimo and Justus Kangogo battled for the two remaining spots on the podium, a war Kilimo won as he pulled away to repeat his runner-up finish from 2018, clocking 1:02:43. Kangogo was next, four seconds behind.

Two-time Olympic finalist and two-time winner Juan Luis Barrios was the first Mexican finisher, taking fifth in 1:03:06.

“This performance is the result of running with great athletes who come to produce a great show," said Barrios, now 35. "They pushed hard and I tried to stay with the leaders as long as possible."

Each winner collected MXN 150,000 for their effort ($7,840). 13,568 runners finished the race.

Aliphine Tuliamuk won the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic by nearly two minutes and always find ways to give back to others

Aliphine Tuliamuk has an enviable social conscience that extends well beyond road races.

That benevolence was on display in Sunday’s Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic.

After winning the women’s half-marathon in 1:12:29, nearly two minutes ahead of her closest female competitor, Tuliamuk had a medal placed around her neck.

It did not stay there for long.

Tuliamuk, 29, handed the medal to a young girl as an inspirational keepsake.

“It’s all about giving back,” Tuliamuk said.

The Kenyan native was on the receiving end of such kindness 18 years ago. She qualified for her first competitive 10,000-meter race but did not have any shoes.

Tegla Loroupe, the first African to win the New York City Marathon, took care of the problem by handing Tuliamuk a new pair of running sneakers.

The footwear allowed Tuliamuk, who has 32 siblings, to become a distance running specialist. She became so good that she was offered a scholarship to Iowa State. College offered a way out from the difficulties Tuliamuk faced in her village in western Kenya, a place with no roads and few vehicles.

After attending Iowa State for two years (2010-11), Tuliamuk transferred to Wichita State. She was a nine-time All-American in cross country and track and field. Tuliamuk also got her bachelor’s degree in public health, becoming the first from her village to graduate from college.

The ultimate goal for Tuliamuk is to be a nurse to help out back home. She has put that profession on hold to pursue her career as a distance runner.

The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle has a new Mile event run

Not quite ready to run an 8k race in Chicago? The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle has a new event for you.

For the first time, the Chicago race, known as the unofficial kickoff to outdoor running season in the city, will also offer a one-mile event.

The new race will weave through Grant Park on March 23, one day before the annual 8k race. Entries will be limited to the first 1,000 runners to register and runners of all abilities will be accepted.

“There is something iconic and classic about the mile that speaks to runners of every generation,” Carey Pinkowski, executive race director of the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to be adding this event to Chicago’s running landscape as another way we can all kick off the running season and welcome even more runners into the community.”

Athing Mu just 16-years-old broke the Women’s American Indoor Record for 600m beating some of the best 800m runners in the country on Sunday

If you don’t know the name Athing Mu, learn it. The 16-year-old won the 600m at the USATF Indoor Championships on Sunday afternoon, setting a new American record of 1:23.57 and beating some of the best 800m runners in the country.

Mu took charge from the beginning of the race and came through 400m in a blazing 54 seconds. The high school student didn’t panic when Oregon alumna, Raevyn Rogers came up on her shoulder with 150 metres to go. Mu calmly held her off, and maintained her pace into the final 50. Rogers was second at the 2018 indoor and outdoor national 800m finals and runs for Nike.

She told Let’s Run that her goal coming into the race was to break the national record of 1:27. The national record she was referring to was the high school national record, which she broke handily in the heats. She didn’t seem to expect the American senior national record, which fell the following day in the final. Her time on Sunday was also the second fastest indoor 600m in world history. 

The high school student plants to race the New Balance Indoor Nationals in March at the Armory in New York City. 

Six-time All-American and an NCAA Champion, Craig Engels wins USA Indoor mile title

Engels, a six-time All-American and an NCAA Champion won the mile clocking 3:59.69, the only runner to break the four-minute barrier in the field.

Craig Engels took the lead with two laps to go and held on for the win, claiming the USA Indoor Championships title in the men’s mile on Sunday afternoon.

Engels final 400-meters was a blazing 54.09, holding off runner-up Henry Wynne who clocked 4:00.20.

Last year at the indoor championships, Engels took third in the men’s 1500-meter, earning him a spot at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, in which he made the 1500 final and took seventh place.

Craig Engels was the only of the three NOP team members without a national title and he got his first in the mile. Then Brazier followed with the world best at 600 and Murphy finished things off with the win in the mile.

“It was kind of a lot of pressure on me being the last guy to go today. I didn’t want to slip up and be the one not guy who did not win,” Murphy said.

While there may be pressure to perform on the track it sure looks like off the track Murphy, Brazier and Engels get along very well and enjoying having a good time together.

Afterwards when asked who should buy dinner, Murphy and Brazier independently agreed, Engels, since he had never won USAs before.

Colleen Quigley scores her first USATF track title, beating teammate Shelby Houlihan in the indoor mile

Colleen Quigley scored her first US track title in the mile final at the USATF Indoor Championships in Staten Island, N.Y. yesterday, beating her teammate, the seemingly unstoppable Shelby Houlihan, in 4:29.27, pumping her fist as she crossed the finish line.

With 500m to go, Quigley passed Houlihan and held on the for win, running the final lap in 29s. Houlihan ran 4:29.92 for second place, with Cory McGee finishing third in 4:30.14.

Making her move early was key, as Quigley told LetsRun post-race. “My tactic was basically, don’t leave it til the last 100, because you don’t stand a chance. You’ve got to get her before that… I was hoping to put distance on her before she got to start kicking.”

Quigley finished second to Houlihan at this meet in both 2018 and 2017, so it was a sweet victory for the St. Louis, Missouri middle-distance runner (who is particularly adept at the steeplechase) on Saturday. Quigley ran a new personal best in 4:22.86 at the Millrose Games on February 9, and was obviously determined to beat Houlihan, who has won eight straight national titles from 1,500m up to 10K cross-country, and who holds the American record in the 5,000m.  

St. Petersburg’s Betty Ashley is 97, and just finished her eighth straight Gasparilla Distance Classic 5K

She did it again. Big, bad Betty Ashley of St. Petersburg won her age group in the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 5K on Saturday. She won in a walk.

True, big, bad Betty is roughly 5 feet tall, with silver hair, almonds for eyes and a laugh that melts your heart. She looks as if she fell off a charm bracelet.

And it is just as true that Betty is also the only one in her age group, as she has been for the past eight years. Betty is 97.

Meet the champ.

“Age really is just a number,” she said.

If you want to know what Gasparilla is about, walk with Betty, who is listed as Gasparilla’s “most mature participant.” She’ll bring you to the finish line and teach you something along the way.

She was born in 1921. Her first presidential vote, in 1944, was for Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Betty had eight children, but has outlived three of them. Every time she comes to Gasparilla, it feels like her own private party.

“All these people,” Betty said. “All shapes and sizes. It’s exciting. So many people, and they come from all over.”

Saturday, that included three of Betty’s children and 10 members of her family, some of whom came from as far away as Alaska to compete in the 5K with her.

And it most definitely includes Betty’s friend, Jim Oakley, whom she describes as her “Man-ager.” They’re sort of an item, have been for 10 years. They love bookstores, coffee shops, travel and ballroom dancing. Frankly, Betty is a bit of a cradle robber. Jim is only 74.

“The first time I met her was at exercise class,” Jim said. “She’s the best hugger in the world. We go to dance at the senior center and everyone lines up to hug her. Just look at her. She’s cute.”

“She is a very special lady,” said Susan, Betty’s oldest child, who is 70. She competed in the 5K, as did her sister Thelma and brother Carl. They’re all getting up there.

How a Performance Waist Pack Started an Exploration Into Minimalism at the NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4 Miler

Strange as it may seem to say (when you really think about it), minimalism is pretty big in 2019.

As the new year began, many people—including NYRR staffers preparing for our recent office move—aimed to trim down their belongings to just the essentials, looking to start 2019 with a fresh, clean slate. After overhearing countless references to “What sparks joy?” throughout our moving process, I decided to see what all the hubbub was about.

The NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4M, offering a New Balance performance waist pack as its souvenir, seemed the perfect opportunity to test out this less-is-more approach. Rather than checking a bag, I would carry only what I could fit inside the waist pack, as I made the trip from my apartment in Jersey City (home of the brand-new NYRR Newport Fiesta 5K!) all the way to Prospect Park.

Some Background InfoAt most races, I would try to squeeze as much as I could into the clear bag check bag, often including (but not limited to):Keys, Wallet, PhoneiPod, Headphones, Racing singlet, extra pair of shorts, shirt, socks and racing  flats (to swap out with my trainers when it was race time), Jacket, Warm-up pants, Water bottle, some kind of granola or recovery bar for after the race,  portable foam roller or some sort of stretching equipment

Spacious as it may be, I don’t think all of that would fit into the performance waist pack. So I would have to “streamline” the process for the sake of keeping everything in check and out of bag check.

So there are the non-negotiables in there—keys to lock and then get back into my apartment, my wallet to pay for the PATH and subway rides, and my phone to take photos along the way and update the NYRR website after the race.

Sunglasses, chapstick, and the heart rate monitor were not 100% necessary, but I felt like they’d make for a better race-day experience. The iPod, also, was something I went back-and-forth on, but ultimately decided I’d rather deal with fitting it in rather than having almost nothing to listen to before and after (but not during) the race.

Initially, I thought I might be able to squeeze an extra pair of shorts in there, but, as I would learn, it was not to be. However, I was not willing to sacrifice the extra pair of socks.

Other items, like my race number, gloves, a hat, and a buff/neck gaiter were things I could wear the entire time, so I didn’t have to worry about packing them. And as much as I would’ve liked to have a pair of racing flats to change into, I made do with a pair of lighter-weight trainers.

The Race Itself

Now that I’ve gone into extensive detail about how I tried to slim down my race-day carry-on and the difficult selection process, I’m sure you’re wondering: How did it play out on the actual course?

Well, folks, I’ll keep this section shorter, with one thought, I enjoyed the four mile race. 

Overall, I would say that making the effort to bring fewer items with me on race day was a worthwhile experiment. I tend to pack too many things under the guise of being over-prepared, but even after cutting it down to the essentials, I still managed to run the race just fine. 

So, overall, I guess you could say I’m a “fan” of the performance waist pack, and of the very 2019 effort toward keeping only what you really need, things that “spark joy.”

…But I’m still not giving up taking a few extra things if I can make them fit.

Becky Dunkel earns her second Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K crown

The last time she triumphantly crossed the finish line of the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K, Becky Dunkel went out fast on a mild morning and won by more than two minutes.

That was three years, a few nagging injuries and one milestone birthday ago.

“I took a lot of time off last year, but it was a good mental break and physical break,” said Dunkel, a newlywed who won the 2016 race as Becky Howarth.

“I started back training in September, and I’ve just been really careful doing all the rehab exercises and feeling really good.”

Her comeback culminated on a toasty Tampa morning when temperatures had reached 69 degrees by the 6:40 start time. Maintaining a pace just below six minutes, Dunkel, 30, earned her second Gasparilla crown, finishing in 55 minutes, 48.67 seconds.

As a Tampa resident, Dunkel, an actuary, earned the $2,000 first-place prize. Kristen Tenaglia, a 34-year-old veteran local racer from Seminole, finished second (57:13.88).

Her time was 62 seconds slower than her triumphant 2016 effort.

The featured event, the Half Marathon is tomorrow Feb 24.

Executive race director for the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle will run the 40th annual 8K Chicago race for Charity

The executive race director for the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle will run the 40th annual 8K Chicago race, aiming to raise $40,000 for four local youth-based initiatives.

This marks the second year in a row that Carey Pinkowski will run the Shuffle, dubbed the official start to running season in Chicago, and the second year of the race's Charity Matching Campaign.

Last year Pinkowski raised $20,226 for the American Cancer Society. This year, he hopes to double that and raise $40,000 in honor of the race's 40 years for Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, After School Matters, Special Olympics Chicago and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.

"The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle underscores the spirit and diversity of Chicago’s running community, a community that has helped us build an iconic event like the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle and a global phenomenon like the Bank of America Chicago Marathon," said Pinkowski.

"And with the ongoing growth and development of our charity programs, these events have continually given back to communities across the world. It is an honor this year to run on behalf of four organizations making a profound difference in the lives of Chicagoans."

"The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle is one of Chicago’s best running traditions," said Paul Lambert, Chicago market president of Bank of America.

"It’s an honor to be a part of this great running community, and we’re excited to join Carey on his mission to encourage the next generation of runners to get out there and join the Shuffle."

Chris Maxwell is hoping to PR at the new Napa Valley Half Marathon as he gets ready to run Boston April 15

This is a big year for Chris Maxwell. A member of the Bowerman Track Club Elite team in Portland, Oregon, Maxwell will be looking to attain a personal record when he runs the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Half Marathon on Sunday, March 3.

The new 13.1-mile race starts at 7 a.m. on the Silverado Trail in St. Helena, near Conn Creek Winery, and follows the same course that the full Napa Valley Marathon uses, to reach the finish line area at Vintage High School.

Six weeks later, Maxwell is running the 123rd annual Boston Marathon on Patriots Day April 15.   

Maxwell said his training and preparation over the last two months, with mileage of over 80 miles per week and speed workouts on the track, have gone well.

“I think that will translate well to the half marathon,” Maxwell said in a telephone interview Monday. “Coming from not having a strong track background, it’s something that I’m continuing to develop. I feel super excited about the race. I’m feeling great. And I’m excited that I get to open it up and see where I am at six weeks before Boston.”

The Napa Valley Half Marathon, a brand new race which was announced last year by event officials, has a sold-out field of 2,000 runners. It’s one of three races on March 3, joining the 41st annual Napa Valley Marathon and the Kiwanis Club of Greater Napa 5K (3.1 miles). The same finish-line chute, located in the front parking lot of Vintage, will be used for all three races.

Maxwell’s fastest half-marathon time is 1 hour, 12 minutes, 21 seconds – a split-time that he achieved at the California International Marathon, a point-to-point race that is put on by the Sacramento Running Association, this past December. He placed 140th in the race in a time of 2:28:05.

“That was the first half of the race,” said Maxwell, 25. “I know that doing a half, just by itself, and not having the second half within the marathon itself, I think I can definitely run faster than that.”

Maxwell and his coach, Mario Fraioli, have identified a time of 1:09 to 1:10 for the Napa race as a goal.

Marlee Starliper is hoping to break ten minutes for the two miles at the USATF Indoor Championships Sunday in New York

Northern York's Marlee Starliper is set to raise her game on Sunday as she competes in the two-mile, at the U.S.A.  Track and Field Indoor Championships in New York.

By choosing to head to New York, Marlee is skipping the Pennsylvania  state indoor meet where she took first place in both the mile and 3,000 meters last year.  For Marlee the choice between the two came down facing tougher competition.

"Having been able to run for two state records, it was kind of like what am I fighting for here," said Marlee.  "We (Marlee and her dad) thought running the two-mile would be a great opportunity to run a fast time against great competition. It's like I can't believe some of the people who I will be able to line up against .  So I am just really excited for the opportunity," she added.

Starliper aims to break the ten minute mark in the two-mile race which would be a Pennsylvania state indoor record.

Belayneh Densamo the former Marathon World Record holder should have had more support to train and he had to flee his country and was left for dead

Belayneh Densamo ran the first sub 2:07 marathon 30 years ago. Yet he was not able to run in the 1988 or 1992 Olympics.

Belayneh was born on June 28, 1965 in Diramo Afarrara, Sidamo. He held the world record in the marathon for 10 years (1988-1998). This was the third longest span without the record being broken since the event was first organized at the 1896 Olympics. The record was set when he ran 2:06:50 at the 1988 Rotterdam Marathon in the Netherlands. The record was eventually broken by Ronaldo da Costa at the Berlin Marathon in 1998.

His first international marathon race was in Japan in 1986 where he finished second in 2:08.29.  

He became the second world record holder in the marathon from Africa after his barefoot running compatriot Abebe Bikila.

In 1988 the Ethiopian regime decided to boycott the Games in Seoul.  Densamo could do nothing but accept the dictator Mengistu's decision and not run in the Olympics.

In 1992, Densamo's preparation for the Games in Barcelona was severely disrupted again. In his homeland a fierce battle was going on for political power. Densamo was pressured by a gang to give them money, but did not succumb to the threat.  However, after a bomb exploded under his house, he fled. "I had to protect my family. These were sad times, my head was no longer into running. As the best marathon runner in the world, I should have had all the support to train, but I had to flee and was left for dead. I did not get a fair chance at the Olympics. Very sad.''

Things did improve for him and he did represent Ethiopia at the marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics, but the hot and humid summer in Atlanta, Georgia was just too much for him and he was among 13 of a field of 130 who did not finish.

Densamo moved from his native Ethiopia to Rotterdam in 2003, he says, but he eventually opted for the United States. He wanted to give his three daughters the chance to get a good education.

The shy man escaped poverty through his running talent, is now a proud family man living with his family in Boston, Massachusetts. At 52 he leads a regular, quiet life.  "When people see me, they estimate me 35 years. I live healthy, I still work hard and I am an assistant coach at Boston University," he says.

This interview was done in December 2018 by Markos Berhanu for Ethiosports. 

University of Colorado researchers say, testosterone levels for female athletes are based On Flawed Science

New regulations requiring certain female athletes to medically lower their testosterone levels in order to compete internationally are based on “fatally flawed” data, according to new research led by the University of Colorado Boulder.

The paper, published recently in the Asser International Sports Law Journal, comes just as South African Olympian Caster Semenya is set to challenge the controversial new rules in an international court in Switzerland.

The authors have called for a retraction of the original research and asked the International Association of Athletics Federations – the global governing body for track and field – to reconsider the rule change.

“In almost any other setting of science, errors of this magnitude would lead to a paper being retracted,” said lead author Roger Pielke Jr., director of the Center for Sports Governance at CU Boulder.

“And it certainly would not be the basis for broad regulations that have a profound impact on people’s lives.”

In April 2018, the IAAF announced new regulations requiring certain female athletes with naturally high testosterone levels to take testosterone-lowering hormones if they want to continue to compete in the women’s category for the 400-meter, the 400-meter hurdles, the 800-meter, the 1,500-meter and the mile.

The rule, which applies to IAAF-sanctioned international competitions, requires that they maintain serum testosterone levels below 5 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) for at least six months prior to competition.  Most females have testosterone levels ranging from 1.12 to 1.79 nmol/L while the normal adult male range is 7.7 – 29.4 nmol/L. About seven in every 1,000 elite female athletes have high testosterone levels, according to IAAF.

The association had attempted to put forth similar regulations in 2011 , but that rule was thrown out when the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – the highest court for international sport – concluded in 2015 that there was a lack of evidence linking high testosterone to “a real competitive advantage” in women.

Beijing Marathon champion Valary Aiyabei Jemeli is set to participate at the Nagoya Women's Marathon and improve on her second place finish last year

Beijing Marathon champion Valary Aiyabei Jemeli hopes her top form will help her to make the Kenyan team at the World Marathon Championships.

Jemeli, 28, will return to the Nagoya Women's Marathon on March 10 hoping to improve on her second finish last year to boost her chances of breaking into the Kenya team to the global championships which will be held in Doha, Qatar in October.

"The immediate challenge is to improve on my silver medal from Nagoya to gold. I know the challenge will be of international class, but my training has been good and I have recovered since my last run in Ras Al Khaimah in United Arab Emirates," said Jemeli on Friday from Eldoret.

Jemeli's profile was enhanced when she defied the odds to win in the Chinese capital last year. She started the season with a strong run in UAE where she was fifth. She hopes to improve and prepare to defend her title in Beijing.

"My plan is to make the Kenya team to the World marathon championships. But that is not down to me to make the decision. So I will have the Beijing marathon as my main target, to go and defend my crown and should the coaches opt to offer me the chance to run in Qatar, then we will have to reschedule," said Jemeli.

Last year, Jemeli ended a four-year winning run by Ethiopian runners in the Beijing marathon when she clocked 2:21:38, the fourth fastest in the history of the race and the quickest mark since 2005, but was two minutes shy of the 2:19:39 course record set by Sun Yingjie in 2003.

Justus Kipkogei Kangogo and Rhonzas Kilimo will headline the 33rd Electrolit Guadalajara Half Marathon

Veronica Wanjiru and Agnes Barsosio will aim to break 1:10 for the  first time in the event’s history at the 33rd Electrolit Guadalajara Half Marathon.

The women’s race will crown a new champion, a title left vacant by Diana Chemtai, who lowered the previous course record by almost a minute and a half to 1:10:00, the fifth fastest half marathon ever run by a woman on Mexican soil.

Veronica Wanjiru, the fastest in the field with a 1:07:58 personal best, will try to keep the Kenyans on top, as will her countrywomen Agnes Barsosio (1:08:21), Joyce Chempkemoi (1:09:21) and Milliam Ebongon (1:10:34).

Four former champions are back in Guadalajara: Kenya’s three-time winner Risper Gesabwa (2015-2017) and Ethiopia’s Shewarge Alene Amare (2010-2011), as well as Mexico’s Marisol Romero (2013) and Mayra Vidal (2013).

Colombian record holder Kellys Yesenia Arias (1:11:21) could also be in the mix for the leading positions.

For the men´s race, Justus Kipkogei Kangogo, 23, is the fastest in the Kenyan squad, thanks to his 59:31 run in Ostia, Italy, in 2017. Rhonzas Kilimo brings the experience from his runner-up performance in Gualajara in 2018, were only one second separated him from the win.

Six-time winner and course record holder Julius Kipyego Keter is also back to help maintain Kenyan supremacy in the men’s race, which they've won in all but three editions since 2013.

John Langat, Moses Kibet and John Kipsang Loitang, all boasting personal bests under 1:01, should secure close battle for the top prize, which may bring down the course record of 1:02:31 set by Kipyego in 2011.

However, two sub-60 minute runners may have other plans to spoil the Kenyan party. Eritrea’s Samuel Tsegay is the fastest in the field with his 59:21 performance in Copenhagen five years ago. Ethiopia’s Ayele Abshero, who ran 59:42 in 2011, may also feature well for the top positions.

After a successful career on the track, two-time Olympic finalist Juan Luis Barrios returns to Guadalajara, a race he won in 2015 and 2016 to break the Kenyan hegemony.

Leading the Mexican charge, Barrios will be joined by other top local athletes, including 62-minute runner Jose Antonio Uribe, Jose Luis Santana, Juan Joel Pacheco and Juan Carlos Carrera.

Defending Champions Ben True, Buze Diriba, Ernst van Dyk, and Manuela Schär will Return for defending titles at 2019 United Airlines NYC Half

The 2019 United Airlines NYC Half will feature a star-studded field featuring nine Olympians leading 25,000 runners from Brooklyn to Manhattan in the first race of the 2019 NYRR Five Borough-Series.

The elite field will be headlined by 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden and U.S. Olympic silver medalist Paul Chelimo, who will make his half marathon debut, as well as all four defending event champions: Ben True, Buze Diriba, Ernst van Dyk and Manuela Schär. 

In addition to Linden, the Americans will be represented by two-time TCS New York City Marathon top-10 finisher Allie Kieffer, USATF champion and Pan American Games medalist Kellyn Taylor, 2018 Boston Marathon runner-up Sarah Sellers, and 2018 USATF Marathon champion Emma Bates.

This year, runners will begin their journey on Prospect Park’s Center Drive before taking the race onto Brooklyn’s streets.

For the second year in a row, the course will take runners over the Manhattan Bridge and up the FDR Drive before a crosstown dash on 42nd Street and a turn north on 7th Avenue, through Times Square, and into Central Park.

This year’s less hilly Central Park route finishes just north of Tavern on the Green and will feature a shorter post-race walk-off for runners to exit the park and start their celebrations.

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games organizers announced today that they will stage a mass participation marathon on the same day as the elite event

Paris was wondering how to make sure the general public would care about the Olympic Games. On Thursday, the 2024 organizing committee unveiled its revolutionary solution to the people: let them participat in the Olympic marathon.

Paris 2024 organizers said Thursday they will stage a mass participation marathon on the same day as the elite event “on the same course and in the same conditions as the Olympic athletes,” the organizing committee said. 

Their website describes their overall vision: Paris 2024 will see a new vision of Olympism in action, delivered in a unique spirit of international celebration.

We will offer one of the world’s most inspirational cities as a memorable stage for the athletes – and a truly global platform to promote them, and their incredible stories.

And we will partner with the entire Olympic family to demonstrate that, more than ever after an extremely challenging period, sport has a unique power to help create a better world.

Our plan features 95 per cent existing or temporary venues, and every single one has a clear, defined legacy aligned with the city’s long-term development plans. 

The sporting celebration will flow along the Seine, from the new Olympic Village, just 15 minutes from Paris city centre, to such city centre landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais.

Paris has welcomed people from all over the world – including the founding fathers of the Olympic Movement – for hundreds of years, to collaborate and inspire each other; to shape ideas and forge the future.

In 2024, we will stage magnificent and meaningful Games that will set a new milestone in sporting history, in the city where Pierre de Coubertin first imagined the potential of a world united by sport.

London winners Daniel Wanjiru and Wilson Kipsang will give Farah a tough race in the Vitality big half next month

The Vitality London Big Half on Sunday, March 10, which serves as a tune-up race for the Virgin Money London Marathon, is shaping up as a fine event as defending champion Sir Mo Farah takes on 2017 London Marathon champion Daniel Wanjiru and two-time London Marathon champion and former marathon world record-holder Wilson Kipsang. 

Farah won last year in 1:01:40, just three seconds ahead of Wanjiru, who finished in second place. The Vitality Big Half doubles as the British Half-Marathon Championships and will feature a number of strong British elites besides Farah.

All three of last year’s female podium finishers, Charlotte Purdue, Lily Partridge and Charlotte Arter are returning also. 

The women’s race sees all three of last year’s podium finishers returning. Charlotte Purdue was last year’s winner, running 1:10:29 in cold conditions, while runner-up Lily Partridge and third-placed Charlotte Arter are also back. In addition, Steph Twell will be making her debut in the event, plus Tracy Barlow, Gemma Steel and Sonia Samuels.

Paul Chelimo is running the United Airlines New York City Half Marathon, his debut at the distance

Paul Chelimo, 5,000-meter silver medalist at the 2016 Olympics, is making his debut in the half marathon distance. Last fall, Chelimo won the USATF 5K championships in Central Park in a course-record time of 13:45.

The 14th running of the event will take runners on a 13.1-mile tour through New York neighbourhoods in Brooklyn and Manhattan and past iconic city landmarks.

“I’m really excited about this new challenge in my career,” Chelimo told the New York Road Runners in a press release. “I’ve been doing longer runs than ever in my training this winter, and am ready to show the long distance guys a thing or two on March 17.”

Chelimo will face some hefty competition in the race. Ben True, who won last year’s race in 1:02:39, is returning to defend his title. The field will also include four-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, 2018 USA Marathon champion Brogan Austin, and U.S. Olympian Jared Ward, who finished as the top American finisher at the 2018 NYC Marathon.

“I am ready to show the long distance guys a thing or two on March 17. I have unfinished business on the track, and then I’m looking forward to making a debut in the TCS New York City Marathon in the near future.”

Cooper River Bridge Run was named the top South Carolina tourism event of the year

Charleston’s Cooper River Bridge Run, which will hold its 42nd race this April, took home the top prize at this week’s statewide tourism conference. 

The 10K race brings tens of thousands of runners across the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge every spring.  It is the third-largest 10K in the U.S., only Atlanta and Boulder are bigger. An estimated 60 percent of those participants are from out-of-town. 

Charleston native Julian Smith has served as the event’s director since 1994 with 7,400 finishers his first year. By 2006 33,700 people participated.

Last year, 27,414 people ran the route from Mount Pleasant through downtown Charleston for the 41st annual race. It is estimated that the race brings in more than $30 million dollars annually to the community.

Desire Linden will race 2019 NYC Half in Preparation to defend her Boston Marathon Title

2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden will open her 2019 season with the United Airlines NYC Half on Sunday, March 17. The full field of professional athletes will be released soon.

Last April, Linden battled through rainy and cold conditions to become the first American woman in 33 years to win the Boston Marathon. Then in November, she followed up the victory with a sixth place finish at the TCS New York City Marathon.

For the half marathon, Linden's best time is 1:10:34, which she set in Florida in 2011. Speaking with SI about her 2019 racing plans, Linden said that she is 100% healthy at the moment with all things heading in the right direction for her upcoming races.

"I don’t want to call it a rust buster because it’s going to be a solid race, but I haven’t put on a uniform or racing shoes yet this year. I’m going through the process of getting ready, handling pre-race nerves and it’s nice to have one under the belt," Linden says. 

"It’s always good to get the feeling of competing, lining up against other people and running hard.  That’s one of the main goals to get out of the race and it’ll be good to get it done early. From there, we’ll analyze things on how to make better decisions before going up to Boston," she says.

Staten Island mom, Olga Kosichenko goes from taking kids to track practice to competing with world-class athletes

Roughly four years ago, Olga Kosichenko’s role in the world of track and field was driving her sons, Jordan and Jayden, to practice with a youth club.

This weekend, the 31-year-old who is a virtual unknown outside of Staten Island save for a few track diehards, will compete in the 600 meters in a star-studded field at the Toyota USATF Indoor Championship at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.

A series of stunning performances paved Kosichenko’s way to the starting line. She’ll race in the heats Saturday and, if she qualifies, would run in the final Sunday afternoon.

A raw talent with limited track experience, Kosichenko qualified for the national meet with a 1 minute, 29.22-clocking over 600 meters at the Wagner College Shootout in December at Ocean Breeze. 

Kosichenko spent her early years in a small village on the outskirts of Kostroma, Russia, a city 180 miles northeast of Moscow. Her family emigrated to America two decades ago, but she never competed in sports while in high school.

Track and field entered her life when the full-time visiting nurse began taking her sons to track practice. Rather than watch practice, she began to jog on the side, and was hooked.

A year ago, she delivered an eye-opening performance, running the 800 meters at an indoor meet in Boston in 2:02.92, the fastest time ever by an Island woman. She followed that with a 54.24-400 meters, and a fast 1:09.72 for 500 meters for another Island record.

Her competition this weekend is scheduled to include Pan-American gold medalist Olivia Baker, four-time NCAA champion Raevyn Rogers, and Chrishuna Williams, the holder of a World Relays championship gold.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen defeats the new 1500m world Record holder Samuel Tefera

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen defeated new world record-holder Samuel Tefera in the 1,500m at the IAAF World Indoor Tour in Dusseldorf today, running 3:36.02 to Tefera’s 3:36.34. Filip Ingebrigtsen, the middle brother finished in third place, in 3:38.62. Jakob’s time represents a new personal best and a new U20 indoor world record, as well as a Norwegian national record.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen showed his ‘majority’ to pounce at the perfect time and take the win down the home straight at the International PSD Bank Meeting Dusseldorf.

After breaking the world indoor mile record in Birmingham on Saturday, it was no surprise to see Ethiopia’s teenage star Samuel Tefera at the front behind the pacers in the early laps around the 200m track in the German city.

Once the final pacemaker stepped off the track, Tefera was at the forefront, but European 1500m and 5000m champion Ingebrigtsen was quick to close the gap to ensure the final leg of the IAAF World Indoor Tour had an exciting finish.

As the two teenage stars came around the final bend in Dusseldorf, Ingebrigtsen moved out to the second lane, and powered home with strength beyond his years, to take to win in 3:36.02, with Tefera clocking 3:36.34.

Ingebrigtsen’s victory set a new indoor under-20 world record and broke the Norwegian indoor best.

Even though Tefera ran 3:31.04 last week, the time isn’t an under-20 record because his 20th birthday is later this year.

Samuel Tefera faces Norway’s brothers at Düsseldorf Indoor meet

Nine of this season's 11 IAAF World Indoor Tour titles will be up for grabs when the six-meeting series concludes with the PSD Bank Meeting in Dusseldorf on Wednesday (20) night, but none will be as eagerly anticipated and as closely watched as the battle for the men's 1500m when Samuel Tefera returns to the track just four days after his sensational world record-breaking run in Birmingham.

The Ethiopian teenager shocked the world when he prevailed in a tactical race to win the world indoor title one year ago, but when he returned to the same Arena Birmingham track last Saturday, few expected the 19-year-old to take down a record set in 1997 - more than two years before he was born - by the all-time great Hicham El Guerrouj. But he did, clocking 3:31.04 to clip 0.14 from the Moroccan’s mark with a convincing victory over pre-meet favourite Yomif Kejelcha.

Here in Dusseldorf, Tefera will be running for another fast time as well as series honours. He trails Kenyan Bethwell Birgen by one point in the standings with 23; so long as he finishes ahead of the Kenyan, he'll take home the US$20,000 prize bonus and a wildcard entry for the IAAF World Indoor Championships Nanjing 2020.

The field also includes all three of Norway's Ingebrigtsen brothers, Filip, Hendrik and Jakob, setting up an intriguing head-to-head with the latter, another teenager, who famously cruised to the European 1500 and 5000m titles last August.

The 18-year-old has raced once this season, clocking a 3:36.21 national record eight days ago. Given the largely solo nature of that run, it's clear he can run faster. 

World record holder Kenenisa Bekele has withdrawn from Tokyo Marathon with Stress Fracture

The Tokyo Marathon announced that 5000m and 10000m world record holder Kenenisa Bekele(Ethiopia) has withdrawn from the Mar. 3 Tokyo Marathon 2019 due to injury.

The statement read, "He has a stress fracture that is going to take a little more time to heal. His motivation to recover and set his sights on a new goal is high, but unfortunately it seems that is still going to take a while."

"I am hungry and motivated to still achieve big results on the marathon as I know what I am still capable of when my body can fully co-operate. It is therefore that I must now take the time to recover fully, get healthy in order for me to achieve the goals that I have left to prove for myself on the marathon."

Bekele is confident that with a strong and healthy body he is able to flash his greatness once again.

"My body is starting to feel that I have over 20 years of the highest level in sports in my body. Injuries have plagued my move to the marathon a little bit but I have also really great memories since becoming a marathoner. My time in Berlin for example but also my win in Paris are races that I am really proud of."

"I have a desire and dreams that I have left to achieve and I am not finished with the marathon. If I didn't had the fire burning anymore I would have walked away already. My full focus now is on becoming 100 per cent healthy and in shape so that I can reach my goals."

Australian’ 24-year-old Jacqui Bell is the youngest person lining up for the 323K Alps 2 Ocean Ultra in New Zealand

24-year-old Australian ultra-marathon runner Jacqui Bell is in New Zealand to tackle her longest ultra-marathon.

Bell is lining up in the Alps 2 Ocean Ultra on Sunday with 120 others from 14 countries to run 323 kilometers from Aoraki/Mt Cook to Oamaru in seven days mostly following the off road Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail.

Speaking from Christchurch New Zealand Airport on Wednesday, she told Stuff she expected the race to be "brutal". Completing it will bring her a step closer to being the youngest person in history to run an ultra-marathon on every continent in the world.

"I'm hoping the scenery makes up for the toughness of it. It's a lot of kms, and my body hasn't done any more than 250kms every.

"It's kind of like going into the unknown in that next 73km ... but I'll just try and enjoy it."

Bell said she was looking forward to the "beautiful landscape" in New Zealand.

"I can't wait to clock off from the everyday stresses of life and get to run every day in the mountains.

"I've never been to New Zealand ... I'm not sure what I'm in for."

Bell said she couldn't resist the idea of running 323km.

"It's going to be amazing," she said.

2014 Napa Marathon Champion Jenny Kadavy Is going to run the new Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Half Marathon

There is so much that Jenny Kadavy likes about the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon.

She likes the course, which is a point-to-point route and is considered fast because it is flat.

She likes the area’s beautiful scenery.

She likes the organization of the event and the time of year that it’s held.

“I know that you win some wine – so that’s a good incentive as well,” Kadavy said on Sunday in a telephone interview. “I’ve come out to watch some from friends run it in the past. It’s just always been a really well conducted event.”

Kadavy, a resident of Clayton in Contra Costa County, was the women’s champion and the seventh overall finisher of the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon in 2014.

It was Kadavy’s first win in a marathon. She achieved a personal record, finishing the race from Calistoga to Napa in a time of 2 hours, 40 minutes, 47 seconds. She also qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

Kadavy will be returning to Napa, but not to run the marathon. She is an elite-level entrant and is in the field for the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Half Marathon, a first-year race, on Sunday, March 3. The 13.1-mile race starts at 7 a.m. on the Silverado Trail in St. Helena, near Conn Creek Winery, and follows the same course that the full marathon uses to reach the finish-line area at Vintage High School on Trower Avenue.

Tanaka Holdings will produce and donate Pure Gold, Pure Silver, and Pure Bronze Medals to the top three men and women finishers at the Tokyo Marathon valued over $100,000US

Twelve medals produced and donated by Tanaka Holdings are pure gold, silver, and bronze will be awarded again to the top three men and women finishers of the marathon and wheelchair marathon events of the Tokyo Marathon 2019.

The Tokyo Marathon 2019, organized by the Tokyo Marathon Foundation, will be held on March 3, 2019. 

These medals made from pure gold, silver, and bronze, make their rarities of considerable value even among medals presented at sports competitions. The medals to be presented to the marathon winners are approximately 65 mm in diameter. The pure gold medal weighs approximately 200 grams, the pure silver medal approximately 110 grams, and the pure bronze medal approximately 90 grams. 

The spiral expanding out from the heart expresses this sense of excitement, of expectation. The medal ribbons have the motif of the marathon logo. The marathon logo is formed like a tapestry, created by weaving together strands that express each individual person, whether a runner, a volunteer, or a spectator. The reverse sides of the gold, silver, and bronze medals that will be presented to the top three winners of each marathon event depict the course map and the Tanaka Kikinzomu Group logo.

These medals express the dreams and vigor of people as we move from the current year of 2019, to the future year of 2020, when the Tokyo Olympics will be held.

These 12 medals have a value of over $100,000US not even taking into consideration of how rare they will be.  The current value of 200 grams of 24k gold is $8673US.  Within a few years these rare medals could be valued will above these numbers. 

Since its foundation in 1885, the Tanaka Precious Metals group has built a diversified range of business activities focused on precious metals. Tanaka is a leader in Japan in terms of the volumes of precious metals handled.

Over the course of many years, Tanaka Precious Metals has not only manufactured and sold precious metal products for industry, but also provided precious metals in such forms as jewelry and resources.

Staten Island set to roll out the welcome mat Feb. 22-24 for the Toyota USATF Indoor Championships

Over the past 20 years, the meet has moved around, being held in Albuquerque, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Portland, Oregon, Boston, and the Armory Track and Field Center in Manhattan.

New York has not hosted the USATF indoor meet since 2002, and has not hosted a major athletic competition since 1998, when the cycling portion of the Goodwill Games was held at Wagner College.

With the opening of the Ocean Breeze complex, which was certified as an official International Athletic Association Federation (IAAF) facility in November, 2015, it seemed only a matter of time before the Island hosted the championship meet.

The Ocean Breeze complex, with easy access from major highways and ample parking, has been the scene of Big East, East Coast Conference, America East, Northeast, Collegiate Track Conference, and New Jersey Athletic Conference championship meets.

In addition, the New York State and Catholic High School Intersectional championship meets are now fixtures at Ocean Breeze, as well as numerous college and high school invitational meets.

The meet, featuring world- class athletes, promises to produce another financial plus for the Island.

Swiss record holder Tadesse Abraham will Lead Field at the Vienna City Marathon

Swiss record holder Tadesse Abraham will run his next marathon in Austria. Organizers of the Vienna City Marathon confirmed the start of the 36 year-old who holds a personal best of 2:06:40 and was runner-up in the European Championships’ marathon in Berlin last summer.

Returning to Vienna will be the winner of the race from 2016, Robert Chemosin. Kenneth Keter is another Kenyan who can challenge Tadesse Abraham in the Austrian capital. Including running events at shorter distances staged parallel to the marathon organizers expect more than 40,000 athletes for the 36th edition of the Vienna City Marathon.

For Abraham it is about bouncing back in Vienna. He competed at the Dubai Marathon in January, but did not reach the level he had hoped and trained for. Instead of breaking his personal best he had to be content with a 2:09:50 performance and tenth place in the United Arab Emirates.

Since he is the fastest runner on the current start list he will run in Vienna with a different goal: “My main aim will be to win the Vienna City Marathon. However I want to run a good time as well,“ said Tadesse Abraham, who could become the first European male winner of the race for 18 years. Back in 2001 Luis Novo of Portugal took the race with 2:10:28. Since then there were only African winners in Vienna.

“It is too early to speak about possible time goals, but I want to run faster than in Dubai,“ said Abraham, who will travel to his training camp in Addis Ababa this Wednesday.

Originally from Eritrea, Tadesse Abraham received Swiss citizenship in June 2014. Since then he has been among the very best European marathon runners. With a seventh place in the Olympic race in 2016 Abraham was the strongest European in Rio. 

Lance Armstrong ran the Austin Marathon clocking 3:02:13 raising money for a program called Charity Chaser

Lance Armstrong ran the Austin Marathon last Sunday, finishing in 3:02:13.  He was raising money through a program called the Charity Chaser. Armstrong started behind the pack and earned one dollar for every person he passed. He finish 58th overall, meaning that he managed to pass 2,594 people. 

Armstrong ran his first marathon in 2006 in 2:59:36, but his running results were threatened once he was convicted of doping in 2012 and received a lifetime ban from cycling. Armstrong was stripped of seven Tour de France titles for violating anti-doping rules.

The former cyclist’s running results have stood, and in 2016 the USADA officially stated, “He can compete in a sanctioned event at a national or regional level in a sport other than cycling that does not qualify him…to compete in a national championship or international event.”

His personal best is 2:46:43 from the New York City Marathon. 

IAAF’s World Male Athlete of the Year Eliud Kipchoge has been recognized at the Laureus Awards in Monaco yesterday

Eliud Kipchoge, who broke the world marathon record in Berlin last September, was honored with the Laureus Academy’s Exceptional Achievement award, a discretionary award that has only been handed out three times previously in the history of the event. Previous winners include swimming great Michael Phelps (2013), Chinese tennis champion Li Na (2015) and Italian football star Francesco Totti (2018).

“I would like to thank my fans around the world for all their support. I believe that a running world is a peaceful world, a sporting world is a healthy world and that a sporting world is an enjoyable world,” Kipchoge said after he was presented with the award by fellow athletics great Tegla Loroupe, a member of the academy.

The Olympic champion was also a finalist for the World Sportsman of the Year award, which went to tennis champion Novak Djokovic for the fourth time.

“It means a lot (to be recognized by the Laureus Academy),” Kipchoge added. “It means that I have been making a big impact in this world – to be recognized for exceptional achievement not just in athletics, but in the whole category of sport. It’s nice to mingle with the people from tennis, from basketball, from motor racing, from football, from gymnastics.”

The 34-year-old Kenyan won the London Marathon in April last year in 2:04:17, finishing comfortably ahead of one of the deepest marathon fields in history.

Five months later, he won the Berlin Marathon in 2:01:39 to smash the world record. His time in the German capital was 78 seconds faster than the previous world record, representing the biggest single improvement on a men’s marathon world record since 1967.

He is now preparing to defend his title in London in April.

Former Chicago marathon champion Florence Kiplagat is ready for Tokyo marathon challenge

Former Chicago marathon champion Florence Kiplagat believes she will be ready for the challenge on March 3, when she lines up at the Tokyo marathon. Kiplagat, who turns 32 on Feb. 27, still dreams of running at the Olympics for Kenya team and believes a good show in Tokyo marathon in March will offer her leverage when the coaches will be naming their team for the Games next year.

Kiplagat, who holds a personal best time of two hours 19 minutes 44 seconds set in Berlin in 2011, will be keen to register her first win in almost two years. "I want to win this year and I will not be looking at those who will be at the race but at my own running. My body has fully recovered after I got injured in 2017 when running in Chicago," she said on Monday from Iten.

"Whenever I enter the race, I believe I'm the best in the line-up and I will be going for the top prize in Tokyo," said Kiplagat, whose last win was in October 2016 in Chicago before injury set in when defending the same race in 2017. She has since returned to competition finishing fourth in Chicago last year clocking 2:26:08 in a race won by compatriot Brigit Kosgei.

"In Chicago, I was fit and was unlucky to finish fourth. Now I target to win in Tokyo and it will be nice if I can improve on my best time," said Kiplagat. In December, Kiplagat was fifth competing at the unique Kolkata 25km where she clocked a fast time of one hour 27 minutes and 57 seconds.

The former World Cross Country champion is over her rehabilitation process. However, the 32-year-old will have strong competition in Tokyo coming from Mimi Belete and Berlin marathon silver medalist Ruti Aga. There is also Bahrain's Rose Chelimo, Kenya's Ruth Chebitok and Joan Chelimo in the line-up.

Double European indoor champion Laura Muir will lead Britain's charge at Glasgow 2019 European Indoor Championships

Double European indoor champion Laura Muir will lead a record-equalling 48-strong British team for Glasgow 2019 as the country’s best prepare to descend on the Emirates Arena.

The middle-distance runner enjoyed a storming weekend at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham, breaking two British records in perfect preparation for the European Athletics Indoor Championships, taking place on March 1-3.

Muir will head to the Scottish city with two European indoor titles to defend, victorious across 1500m and 3000m the last time the Championships were held, in Belgrade two years ago.

Also competing will be Eilish McColgan (3000m) and Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (800m) – both medallists from Belgrade 2017 as well as Scotland’s most decorated athlete Eilidh Doyle (400m) is one of nine Scottish athletes competing on the home track of the Emirates Arena.

“We are delighted to have selected our biggest and strongest ever team for the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow, which is yet another major international championships for us on home soil,” said British Athletics performance director Neil Black.

Kayleigh Williamson made history in 2017 by becoming the first person with Down syndrome to finish the Austin half-marathon now she has finished three

The 28-year-old didn’t only run her third straight Austin Marathon. She crushed it. After finishing the 13.1-mile course in 6 hours, 22 minutes and 57 seconds the first year and 4 hours and 36 minutes the second year, Williamson shaved even more time off her run in 2019 by completing the route in 4 hours and 8 minutes.

Williamson began running and training in 2016 with RunLab in Austin, and was quickly added to the elite roster.  She reaped the benefits of community and fitness, making friends quickly and losing 50 pounds.

“I think fitness is such an empowering and important thing for people with special needs or not,” RunLab founder Kim Davis told The Statesman. “People with Down syndrome get pigeonholed as unable to run. We want to change that, and Kayleigh’s a great poster child.”

According to The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability, individuals with Down syndrome typically have lower levels of muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. Research shows that physical inactivity among adults with intellectual disabilities is problematic, and according to one study, less than 46 percent of participants engaged in the recommended 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day.

Not Williamson, and she’s enjoying the benefits.

As for Williamson’s return to the Austin half-marathon in 2020, I’m guessing she’s all in. And, ready to clock sub-4:00