Running News Daily

Nick Willis runs sub-four minute mile for 20th consecutive year

Nick Willis ran a sub-four minute mile at the Millrose Games in New York- 20 seasons after first breaking the barrier in 2003.

New Zealand track and field great Nick Willis has earned $25,000 for an athletics charity after completing 20 years of sub-four minute miles.

The 38-year-old finished ninth in the Wanamaker men’s mile at the Millrose Games indoor meet in New York City on Saturday January 29 in 3min 59.7sec.

It was in 2006 that Willis experienced international success for the first time, claiming 1500m gold at the Commonwealth Games in 3:38.49 ahead of Canada’s Nathan Brannen and Australia’s Mark Fountain. That same year, he lowered his mile personal best to 3:52.75. 

In 2007, Willis made his first world 1500m final, placing 10th in Osaka in 3:36.13.

The following year, Willis ran what he considers one of his best races to improve his mile personal best to 3:50.66, finishing second behind Kenya’s Shadrack Korir at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. Two months after that, he went on to claim 1500m silver at the Beijing Olympics in China.

At the following 2012 Olympic Games, Willis had the privilege of being his country’s flag bearer during the opening ceremony held at the London Stadium. He finished ninth in the Olympic 1500m final and had a season's best of 3:51.77 for the mile.

In 2014 at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Willis earned 1500m bronze, his third straight Commonwealth medal after the one he had taken in Delhi four years prior. It was also in 2014 that he set his lifetime best of 3:49.83 in the mile, which stood as the Oceanian record until July 2021.

In 2015, Willis clocked a still-standing Oceanian record of 3:51.46 for the indoor mile, and a national 1500m record of 3:29.66 at the Herculis Diamond League meeting in Monaco. That same year he finished sixth with 3:35.46 in the 1500m final at the World Championships in Beijing, his best placing in the competition.

The following year, Willis added two global medals to his tally with a 1500m bronze at the World Indoor Championships in Portland and an Olympic 1500m bronze in Rio.

At 38, Willis was the oldest athlete in the 1500m field at the Tokyo Olympics, where he placed ninth in his semifinal in a season’s best of 3:35.41.

Earlier in 2021, he had already broken the record of 19 consecutive years of sub-four-minute miles. And he finally went on to improve that record to 20 on 29 January 2022 with his 3:59.71 run.

The mental side of running injuries a new research examines how injury-related psychological distress can impact recovery

While the physical pain that comes with a running injury can be tough to deal with, the emotional and mental anguish of having your training interrupted is often the hardest part. We are now realizing that working on your mental condition while injured doesn’t just make your time on the sidelines easier to handle, it can actually speed up recovery. In a recent study, researchers explored how psychological distress can actually make your injury worse, and delay your return to the roads.

Injury and fear

The “psychological distress” of runners is another way of saying fear. When you have a running injury preventing you from training, a significant part of your stress comes from fear of all the unknowns. Questions like “how severe is the injury?” “How long will it take to heal?” and “How much fitness will I lose?” keep you up at night, distract you from other priorities and consume a lot of your mental energy.

In this new study published in the Physical Therapy in Sport, researchers wanted to determine how much this psychological distress affected runners’ perceived running abilities. To do this, they collected data from runners at their first physiotherapy appointment, which included having them fill out an Athlete Fear Avoidance Questionnaire (AFAQ) for injury-related psychological distress and the University of Wisconsin Running and Recovery Index (UWRI) for perceived running ability.

The researchers found that most athletes experienced significant injury-related psychological distress at the beginning of their treatment, but this generally improved over time. Despite this, they found that athletic fear-avoidance may persist, and athletes with higher athletic fear-avoidance had a lower perceived running ability.

Mental condition and physical condition

While the main job of a physiotherapist is to help athletes improve their physical condition, the authors of the study conclude that therapists should also spend time working on their patient’s mental condition throughout the injury recovery process as well.

Runners should also do some of this work themselves. Injuries can seem like catastrophes when they happen, especially when they prevent you from running your goal race, but it’s important to keep things in perspective. Most injuries aren’t career-ending. You will get back to running again and while it may take a bit of time to re-build your fitness, you will achieve more of your running goals.

In the meantime, focus on doing whatever you can do, whether that’s some form of cross-training or simply staying on top of your physio exercises every day. Just as you’ve gotten through hard blocks of training and rough patches in races, you’ll get through this, too.

This weekend's Osaka International Women's Marathon will go ahead despide omicron wave

Despite Osaka being named to a preliminary state of emergency as Japan goes deeper into its omicron wave, this weekend's Osaka International Women's Marathon and Osaka Half Marathon are going ahead on their traditional public road courses. Osaka Women's is Japan's last remaining purely elite marathon, and with the mass-participation Osaka Marathon moving to the last weekend of February this year and targeting WA platinum label status the writing has to be on the wall for its future.

It just doesn't seem sustainable to have this race four weeks before the start of a three-week run of platinum label races, one in the same city, one in Tokyo and one in Nagoya.

But for this year, at least, Osaka Women's clearly has the support up top in the local government to keep moving, and that counts for something. Like the 2021 race, despite its name it's a Japanese-only field with male pacers, kind of inevitably on the first point given Japan's ongoing border fortification but a bit regrettably on the second. Take out the "International" and "Women's" and what have you got left?

The win looks almost definitely to be between Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) and Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku). Matsuda has one of the best records in the sport, with three wins and a 5th-place in Berlin out of five marathon starts, all between 2:21:47 and 2:22:44. The only misfire she's had was a 2:29:51 for 4th in Japan's Olympic marathon trials that left her as alternate. How she would have done if she'd replaced one of the less-than-100% women who ran the Olympics is one of last year's biggest what-ifs. Sato was the 4th-fastest Japanese woman in 2020 and 2021 and set the 25 km NR en route in her marathon debut, a mark that Matsuda broke while winning Nagoya last year. Sato will need a big step up and/or another miss from Matsuda to compete, but it should be a good race.

The supporting cast includes 2019's fastest Japanese woman Reia Iwade (Adidas), and 2021's 3rd and 4th-placers Yukari Abe (Shimamura) and Mao Uesugi (Starts). Osaka Women's factors into the complex algorithms for making the Oregon World Championships team and Paris Olympics marathon trials, and with six other women in the field having run under the 2:27:00 B-standard for qualification for the Olympic trials the race to finish in the 4th-6th place B-standard bracket should be just as good as the one to make the 1st-3rd place A-standard bracket.

Alongside the marathon, the Osaka Half Marathon will also feature two-time Osaka International winner Kayoko Fukushi (Wacoal) in her final race. Fukushi's marathon debut in Osaka in 2008 was possibly the wildest elite-level marathon debut in history, and while she might not have another marathon in her it's great to see her bring her career to a close back where she had one of its most unforgettable highlights. Sub-61 half marathoner Kenta Murayama (Asahi Kasei) leads the men's field in the half in a tune-up for one of the big marathons a month away whose future is still up in the air.

Fuji TV is handling TV broadcasting duties starting at noon Sunday Japan time. Official streaming looks to be through the TVer subscription service, so get your VPNs now. You might have luck with mov3.co too, but use a popup blocker. JRN will also be covering the race on @JRNlive.

Olympic medalist and champion marathoner Meb Keflezighi thought about dropping out of every marathon he ran—even the three he won.

So if you’ve had those thoughts, it’s certainly not just you. All runners have rough patches when pushing themselves, whether in a race, during a hard workout, or on a long run. Experts use the phrase “psychological crisis” to describe when your body’s signals dominate your attention and you think about slowing or stopping.

These moments often occur two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through a workout or race. Speaking about the Ursuline Academy runners she coaches in Dallas, elite runner Becky Wade says:

“They’re deep enough into the race that they’re hurting, but not close enough to the finish line yet to get excited or start kicking. It’s easy to doubt whether they’ll be able to hang on, and they back off a bit as a protective mechanism.”

What separates Keflezighi, Wade, and other successful runners from some of us is that they know these rough patches will come, and they have mental strength techniques for dealing with them.

These techniques are quite simple. Even better, they can be learned, and then honed, so that you persevere despite the internal voice telling you to back off or drop out. Here are six elite-endorsed ways to build mental strength when the going gets tough.

1. Know Why You’re Doing This

Good goals not only guide your training. They can also fortify you during difficult stretches.

Know the purpose of a given workout or race, and how it will help you meet a personally meaningful goal, says Olympian Roisin McGettigan, a sport psychology coach who holds the Irish record in the steeplechase.

For example, “if it was a long workout, I would remind myself that this is the time to work on my strength and endurance,” McGettigan says. “If it was an early-season race, the purpose might be ‘to see where I’m at’ or ‘blow off the cobwebs.’”

These why-am-I-doing-this thoughts can occur not just when you’re acutely suffering, but also when you’re bored or apathetic. McGettigan says to remind yourself why you’re out there in those situations as well. Think of how easy running will help you recover for your next key workout, or how an hour alone on the roads provides a calming antidote to the message-a-minute pace of modern life.

If thoughts alone don’t do the job for you, McGettigan recommends using visual cues. “I often drew a smiley face or heart on my hand to remind me that I really loved what I was doing and I was saying ‘yes’ to this experience,” she says.

2. Enlist Family and Friends

Telling a few key people about your race or hard workout adds accountability. When a moment of crisis occurs, picture yourself recounting the run to them. Will you be proud to tell them how you handled the challenge?

Meb Keflezighi was in 21st place halfway through the 2012 Olympic Marathon. Bothered by stomach and foot pain, he pondered dropping out. Then he thought about his family, who were waiting for him at the finish line. What kind of example would dropping out set for his daughters, he asked himself. He committed to finishing no matter what, and wound up crossing the line in fourth place.

You can also enlist others in practical terms. As McGettigan notes, most elite runners train with others, in part to be pulled through hard efforts when they’re struggling and might otherwise slack off. Wade tells the high schoolers she coaches to latch on to a teammate or competitor if their resolve falters during a race. Doing so can shift your attention from how much you’re hurting to the more straightforward task of maintaining contact.

3. Visualize Success

To reiterate: Successful racers know one or more psychological crises are likely to occur when they’re pushing themselves. One way they prepare for the challenge is to play the race through their head before they get to the starting line. As Wade, a 2:30 marathoner, puts it, “I envision myself in a race atmosphere, down to the course, competition, and atmosphere.”

A key benefit of doing so is that, when the urge to slow or stop strikes, you have a counter-narrative ready—that vision you implanted and watched several times of yourself rising to the challenge and continuing to run strong.

“I think having visualized the race going well in my head many times allowed me to stay engaged, because I had already told myself I was going to have a good race,” says Mark Coogan, whose long elite career was highlighted by a spot on the 1996 Olympic marathon team. “Knowing what I was going to do in the race allowed me to be more aware of how I was running physically, so I could stay loose and smooth.”

Coogan is now the coach of New Balance Boston, which includes on its roster Olympians Elle Purrier St. Pierre and Heather MacLean. He encourages his athletes to spend 10 to 15 minutes a day visualizing in the week leading up to a big race.

“I tell them to visualize seeing themselves running well,” Coogan says. “Visualize the race you want to happen.”

4. Focus on Your Body—But Not Excessively

Experts used to believe that experienced runners focus on bodily sensations (known as associating) and that less experienced runners focus on anything but their body (known as dissociating). Thanks in part to research by Noel Brick, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Ulster and co-author of The Genius of Athletes, it’s now known that that old dichotomy is too simplistic.

Brick has shown that a Goldilocks-level of bodily awareness leads to lower perceived exertion. “Focusing excessively on bodily sensations, like breathing or feelings of discomfort, can be harmful to our performance,” Brick says.

Focusing solely on these sensations can negatively affect performance by increasing how hard the work feels and making the run feel more unpleasant. This then leads to slowing down.

Craig Engels, Running’s Most Committed Party Animal, Returns to Nike—and Running Fast

Craig Engels explains what he can about his new four-year deal and heads to Millrose Games in good shape.

Craig Engels, the fun-loving 1500-meter runner who never misses a party, inked a new deal with Nike in the early days of 2022. It’s a four-year agreement, taking him through 2026.

But he went through a lot of soul-searching before he decided to return to running at a high level.

Engels, 27, finished fourth by half a second in the 1500 meters last June at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, just missing the team bound for Tokyo.

In the days afterward, he was adrift. “Everything I worked towards [was] over,” he told Runner’s World during one of several recent interviews. “I didn’t know what to do with myself. Which—I don’t know what emotion that is. It wasn’t sadness. More like, what do I do?”

He spent the rest of the summer racing on the track and road circuit in the U.S. He helped pace men who were trying to break 4:00 in the mile, and he encouraged facial hair growth. And still, he raced at a high level, although neither Engels nor his coach, Pete Julian, would say that his training resembled what it was before the Trials.

“We had to change things up,” Julian told Runner’s World last September, “had to piece together workouts in between to keep him so he could at least finish a mile. That’s what Craig needed at the moment.”

On August 14, he finished second at a mile in Falmouth, Massachusetts, clocking 3:53.97. Six days later he finished second again in the international mile at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, in 3:55.41.

That runner-up finish at Pre came as a result of a premature celebration. He waved to the crowd at the top of the home stretch, but Geordie Beamish of New Zealand sailed by him with a few meters to go.

They hugged it out on the track and then took a victory lap.

“That’s Craig,” Julian said. “He makes mistakes along the way, it’s why he’s so damn popular. I’ve never seen anybody do something as dumb as wave to the crowd and then get beat and still get to take a victory lap. Pretty classic, right? There’s one guy in the world who can do that, and that’s Craig.”

After Pre, Engels shut down his season. In the fall, he returned to the University of Mississippi to finish the final semester of classes he needed to complete his MBA.

While Engels was in Oxford, Mississippi, he trained with Ole Miss cross-country coach Ryan Vanhoy, who had coached him in college, and the Ole Miss team. They logged high mileage and did a lot of long strength-based workouts. Meanwhile, Engels pondered his future.

Engels flirted with retirement, and Julian said Engels was sincere in his questioning, asking himself: “Is this something that I want to do?”

Running the Numbers

As Engels got back into shape and finished his classes, he began the process of negotiating a new contract. Initially, he tried to do it alone. He said he parted ways with his first agent, Ray Flynn, via email between rounds of the 1500 at the Olympic Trials.

Reached by text message, Flynn said, “It’s all good with Craig and I. Happy to see him doing well.”

Engels said he had long struggled with the role of agents in pro running and the fee they charge—15 percent of everything, including sponsorship deals, appearance fees, and prize money—for negotiating what often turns out to be a single contract with a shoe company.

“A lot of these agents were athletes,” Engels said. “I don’t know how they possibly sleep at night, taking 15 percent. NFL agents are capped out at three [percent].”

But as Engels talked to shoe company executives and weighed various offers and training situations, he realized he needed someone to review the contracts—“the lawyer jargon,” he calls it. “I was getting a little stressed,” he said.

So he hired Mark Wetmore as his agent, who also represents Engels’s teammate Donavan Brazier, among others. Wetmore immediately increased the value of the offers Engels had started negotiating on his own behalf.

Engels signed with Nike again. At the end of the four-year deal, he’ll have run professionally for 9 years, and he said it will be his last contract.

The terms of the deal are private—Engels had to sign a nondisclosure agreement, as most athletes do, which also limits the knowledge athletes have about their value in the market.

All he could say about it? “I definitely had some great offers on the table, which led to a very good contract for myself.”

Engels said if it were up to him, he’d post the details of his contract on Instagram to his 97,000 followers. Such knowledge would only help other runners, he says, while the current system benefits agents.

The Athlete Changes the Coach

Engels also returned to train with Julian and his team, recently named the Union Athletics Club (UAC). The club is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, but between altitude stints, training camps, and races, they’re rarely there for long.

He is now doing the bulk of his workouts with Charlie Hunter, who is on the UAC, and Craig Nowak, who trains with the group but isn’t officially on the roster. The group has been training in San Luis Obispo, California—team member Jordan Hasay’s hometown—and enjoying sunny skies and warm weather, and preparing to race the Millrose Games. Engels is entered in the mile.

“I’m in pretty good shape, yeah,” he said. “I don’t want to talk too much before it happens. I’m in pretty good shape.”

After Millrose, UAC hosts an indoor meet in Spokane, Washington, the Lilac Grand Prix, on February 11. The U.S. indoor championships are back in Spokane two weeks after that.

Julian, for one, is glad to count Engels on the roster. He told Runner’s World that Engels has “completely changed” the way he coaches.

“He’s made me realize that making [something] enjoyable and working hard don’t have to be separated, don’t have to be mutually exclusive,” Julian said. “The two things can exist. And we can be really great. But by being able to enjoy ourselves and being able to have some fun. To not take ourselves as seriously, but at the same time, take what we’re doing very seriously. You can do both.”

That’s a startling admission from Julian, who was a longtime assistant coach to Alberto Salazar. He was viewed as in relentless pursuit of every advantage for his athletes. Salazar is now banned from coaching Olympians permanently by SafeSport and serving a four-year ban for anti-doping offenses.

“[Engels has] made me realize that, hey, we can add some color to our lives,” Julian continued. “We’re not curing pediatric cancer here. We’re running around in half tights on a 400-meter circle. Coming from my own background, I’ve had to realize that, too, [with] my own coaching the last four or five years. You know what? Everyone needs to chill out a little bit. Let’s quit trying to eat our own and actually try to promote the sport and race really, really fast.”

One small way that Engels has changed the team? He prefers FaceTime to phone calls. Julian said Engels likes to see people, likes to smile at them. The FaceTime habit has spread throughout the group, so now, anytime anybody communicates on the team, it’s always by FaceTime. “That started from Craig,” he said.

Critics of Engels—who is an unabashed beer drinker, hot-tub soaker, RV driver, and mullet wearer—don’t see the work that he does, his coach says. And they don’t see how hard he tries.

“He did everything he could to make that Olympic team,” Julian said. “He’s done everything he can to make the sport better. He puts forth an amazing effort and he tries to win. But he’s not a robot, either.”

Florida dad breaks stroller mile world record

On Jan. 23, a Florida dad and his baby daughter set a new Guinness World record for the fastest mile while pushing a child in a stroller. Rob Holcomb covered four laps of a 400m track at Tampa’s Coleman Middle School in four minutes and 53 seconds, which broke the previous world mark of 4:57.

This was his third attempt at the stroller record, which he recently found out about in the fall of 2021. On his first two attempts, he came up just short running 4:58 and 5:03 but mentioned in an interview with Tampa’s local FOX59 that the weather was windy for stroller running.

The morning of Jan. 23 proved to be ideal racing conditions for him as he set the record surrounded by his family and friends cheering him on.

For a Guinness World Record like this, some rules have to be followed for it to count. There has to be a human inside the stroller and all four wheels must remain on the ground throughout the entire race.

The world’s fastest stroller dad, Holcomb holds personal bests of 15:23 for 5K and 34:26 for 10K, of which he both set in 2019. Now that record is out in the media, he anticipates another fast father will come along and shatter it.

Next for Holcomb is Tampa’s Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon on Feb. 26.

What type of Strava runs get the most kudos?

We all love that Strava notification of appreciation after completing a long run or workout. Strava is about much more than kudos – it’s about the community that motivates us to upload our runs. But we all want to know: which run activities stand out the most?

If you are looking to collect more kudos on your uploads, here are the run activities that stand out on your Strava feed.

Personal bests and CR’s

This explains itself. There is nothing more rewarding for you and your followers than seeing a personal best on your feed. These uploads deserve thousands of kudos, as everything the athlete has trained for has paid off!

Course records are set by reaching the fastest time on a Strava segment (a specific part of a road or trail created by members, where athletes can compare times). For a segment to be created it must have three things: a start point, an endpoint, and a series of locations in between. The first key to segment creation is that the data has to already exist within one of your Strava activities. Each segment made will compute the fastest GPS times run on the segment, with the leader holding the crown. Crowns or (CR’s) are extremely hard to get, and are always kudos magnets for users.

Marathons or long runs

Running a marathon is hard, and runners deserve all the encouragement and glory after they cross the finish line. Similar to personal bests, any marathon finish deserves 1,000’s of kudos.

With 40,000 kudos, Molly Seidel’s Tokyo 2020 bronze medal-winning run is the most kudo’d run activity on Strava to date.

Ice beards

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for gnarly ice beards. Even though your face might feel frozen, it will generate many laughs and kudos on your Strava feed.

Breathtaking photos

It’s never too late to turn your Strava page into your Instagram. Give your followers a grasp of the conditions or environment that you running in. It’s difficult not to give kudos to beautiful mountain shots, beach pictures or sunsets.

Strava art

How can you not give these modern Pablo Picassos a thumbs up? The planning that goes into their route is sensational, and one wrong turn can screw up everything.

How to stay safe if you are a morning runner

Running is, as we all know, the best form of exercise. Not only is it good for your physical health, but it’s clearly good for your mental health, too – when you’re running, you can focus on your next step and the next one and not have to worry about anything else.

Or rather, you don’t have to worry about almost anything else. You do need to think about your safety. If you choose to go out running first thing in the morning when there are very few people around, you could be making yourself a target for unsavory characters who mean to do you harm. With that in mind, here are some ways to help keep yourself safe.

Tell Someone Where You’re Going

Because most runners go alone, especially when it’s early morning, it’s crucial that you tell someone when you are leaving the house, where you are running, how long you expect to be, and let them know when you get back home too. When you do this, they’ll know to watch out for you checking in with them, and if you don’t, they can quickly get in touch to ensure that you’re okay.

Although the majority of people are perfectly safe when they’re running, sometimes an accident can happen, or you might come across someone unpleasant. If this delays you and you’re unable to check-in, when your friend or family member calls, you can get the help you need. This is why it’s crucial to not only give them timings to follow but a route too. Help will find you more easily that way.

Don’t Be Predictable

If you stick to a routine, you might be making yourself a target without even realizing it. Leaving the house at the same time each day, wearing the same clothes, running the same route, and so on will all be something that someone wanting to steal from or attack you will be looking for. They might also be watching to see you post your running times and route on social media.

Therefore, mix up your routine as much as you can. Try not to run the same route two days in a row, and do it at different times if possible. It’s a shame that this has to be the case, but in the interests of your own personal safety, it’s wise to take precautions, just in case.

It’s also important not to make yourself a target by wearing expensive things such as your phone, earbuds, or even jewelry. Hide these items or leave them at home – even if you used a The Styled Collection coupon to buy the items, they’d still look tempting.

Greet Other Runners

Assuming you meet any other runners when you’re on your morning run, it’s important to greet them as you go by. Why is this important? It’s because you’re more likely to be remembered if you engage with someone.

Although this won’t stop something bad from happening, it would make it easier to deal with the situation if it did – other runners are likely to remember seeing you, and that could help catch the perpetrator or find you if you are missing.

Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs hits back at doping accusations

Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs has furiously denied doping allegations and claimed his gold medal was won with "blood, sweat, tears and injuries."

Jacobs, 27, shocked the world in Tokyo last summer when he took the title from America's Fred Kerley by clocking 9.80 seconds.

His time represented a new Italian record and the third occasion during the Games where he had broken the 10-second barrier, having only done so once previously.

He later notched an historic double by helping the Italian team to gold in the 4x100m relay and was duly chosen to carry his country's flag at the closing ceremony.

But adulation from his homeland was negated by scepticism elsewhere, especially when Jacobs announced he would be ending his season immediately after Tokyo.

Japan wasn't the only time that the sprinter had been perceived to have over-performed last year, also taking the European indoor title in Torun in a personal best of 6.47 seconds.

Perception was further plagued following the Olympics when Jacobs’ former nutritional advisor, Giacomo Spazzini, was held in a police investigation dubbed ‘Operation Muscle Bound’ over the illegal distribution of anabolic steroids.

However, Jacobs himself continues to vehemently deny any personal wrongdoing, and when asked in an interview with the Daily Telegraph if he had taken performance enhancing drugs, emphatically answered "Absolutely not, and I would not.

"People think they can say whatever they want about you without understanding that sometimes what they say can be hurtful.

"The negative pieces hurt me a bit because what they did was put doubt over my victories. My victories represent extreme hard work. Hard work that nobody saw, hard work that was blood, sweat, tears and injuries."

On his dubiously timed break from the sport, Jacobs insisted it was down to physical exhaustion, and not a ploy to avoid scrutiny, claiming he “needed to regenerate my mind and body.”

American Jim Walmsley will be taking another stab at UTMB

The 2022 edition of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) is seven months away, but the elite fields have been made official. Although he has never done better than fifth (and that was back in 2017), American Jim Walmsley will be gunning for a podium finish again on Aug. 28, along with seven of Canada’s top ultrarunners, including last year’s third-place finisher, Mathieu Blanchard. Check out the top athletes who will be racing this year.

UTMB — men

Blanchard, who is from France but lives and trains in Montreal, is among the top men who will be competing this year. Going into the race, Blanchard says his goal is to win the race, and he’ll have two main focuses for his training: “the first will be to prepare myself mentally, to visualize, to accept this possibility of a big goal because I still have trouble believing it today,” he says. “The second will be to build a logical race path to prepare for this race, choices of reason rather than choices of the heart.”

Last year’s second-place finisher, Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz of France will be returning, along with 2019 UTMB winner, Pau Capell of Spain. Walmsley, whose top finish was fifth in 2017 but who has won the Western States 100 for three consecutive years (2021, 2019, 2018) will also be challenging for a podium spot, as will France’s Xavier Thévenard, who has won UTMB three times (2018, 2015, 2013) and placed second in 2019. Nine other recent top-five finishers will also be joining them on the start line.

Notably absent from the start list is last year’s winner, François D’Haene and three-time UTMB champion, Kilian Jornet.

UTMB – women

Canadian ultrarunning fans will have plenty to cheer about in the women’s race in August. Three top Canadians will be on the start line, including Montreal’s Marianne Hogan, who won the 2022 Bandera 100K and placed second at the Ultra-Trail Cape Town 100k. Toronto’s Claire Heslop, Canada’s top finisher in 2021, will be joining Hogan, along with Alissa St. Laurent of Moutain View, Alta., who placed fifth in the 2018 UTMB TDS 145K in 2018 and sixth at UTMB in 2017.

“My dream result would be a top 10 at UTMB,” says Hogan, “so I will definitely shoot for that. A lot can happen come race day, so I will make sure to show up to the start line as ready as possible.”

Other top contenders on the women’s side include Camille Herron, who won the 2021 Javelina Jundred Mile (and broke the course record) in 2021 and set the 24-hour world record in 2019, Anna Troup, who won the 2021 Lakeland 100 Mile and the 2021 Spine Race Summer Edition 268 Mile, Sabrina Stanley, two-time winner of the Hardrock 100 and Beth Pascal, winner of last year’s Western States and two-time top-five finisher at UTMB.

There will be five other recent top-five finishers on the start line as well, but running fans will be disappointed to hear the two-time winner Courtney Dauwalter, 2019 third-place finisher Maite Maiora, among several other past winners, will not be in Chamonix on August 28.

CCC — women

There will be three elite Canadian women in the 100K CCC, including Victoria’s Catrin Jones, who placed in the top-10 at the 2019 Comrades Marathon 90k and holds the Canadian 50-mile and six-hour records. She will be joined by Ailsa MacDonald of St. Albert, Alta., who won the 2020 Tarawera 100 Mile and the Hoka One One Bandera 100K, and placed sixth in the CCC in 2019. Rounding out the Canadian squad will be Vancouver’s Kat Drew, who was third at the 2019 Bandera 100K, first at the Canyons 100K and eighth at Western States in 2019.

Other notable runners in the CCC include New Zealand’s Ruth Croft, who won the 2021 Grand Trail des Templiers 80k, placed second at the 2021 Western States 100 and won the UTMB 55K OCC in 2018 and 2019. France’s Blandine L’hirondel will also be looking to land on the podium after winning the OCC last year.

Eight tips for a successful treadmill run, Follow this advice for an effective and enjoyable indoor ruf

If you’re like the majority of Canadians across the country, your usual running routes are currently covered in snow and ice. The winter weather conditions might have you taking at least some of your runs inside to log your miles on a treadmill, either in your home or at your local gym. If this is the case, keep these eight tips in mind before you begin to make sure your run is safe, effective and (dare we say it) fun.

Don’t skip the warm-up and cool-down

When you run outside, you usually start off a bit slower and spend the first few minutes gradually working your way up to whatever speed you’re planning on running that day. Many runners forget this when hopping on the treadmill, and attempt to crank it up as soon as they start. Don’t forget to take the first five or 10 minutes of your run to increase your speed gradually, and to do the same thing in reverse at the end. Cooling down properly will help bring your heart rate back down to normal so you can avoid that dizzy, still-moving feeling that comes with getting off the treadmill too fast.

Know your pace ahead of time

Most treadmills record your speed in either miles per hour or kilometers per hour, rather than an actual running pace. Make sure you know what those numbers are for you before you go to start your workout, to avoid doing mental math on the fly. For example, 7.5 miles per hour is equivalent to an eight-minute mile or a five-minute kilometer. Click here for a handy conversion chart to know your treadmill speed.

Always run on an incline

When you have the treadmill set to zero, it’s actually the equivalent of running on a slight downhill outdoors. To better simulate a flat road, set the incline to 1-2 per cent. At the same time, be careful not to overdo it and crank up the incline too much (more than seven per cent) for your entire run because it puts a lot of strain on your back, hips and ankles.

You’re better off increasing the incline for brief amounts of time periodically throughout your run, to simulate a hill workout or a run with rolling terrain. After all, it’s rare you’d find yourself in a situation when your entire run is up a steep hill.

Don’t hold the handrail

The handrail is there for safety, not for you to clutch onto for dear life while you’re running. Holding on to the treadmill compromises your running form and can lead to neck, shoulder and back pain. It also reduces your load and actually makes running easier, which may feel good now, but will come back to haunt you when you go running outdoors later.

Handrails on a treadmill are there to help you get on and off safely. If you feel you need to hold onto them when you’re running because you’re afraid of falling off, you’re probably going too fast. Slow your speed down and get comfortable before cranking it up again.

Don’t jump off while it’s moving

On that note, if you need to get off the treadmill in the middle of your run for some reason, don’t try to jump off it while the belt is still whirring away at your running speed. This is one of the main ways people injure themselves when using a treadmill. If you need to pause your workout, slow down the speed to a very reduced pace and bring down the incline before stepping off. If it’s a real emergency, most treadmills have an emergency stop button right in the center that will slow the belt down for you so you can get off safely.

Don’t stare at your feet

Many runners are tempted to look down at their feet when they’re on the treadmill, but trust us — your feet know what they’re doing just the same as when you’re running outside. It’s OK to do a quick feet-check every so often if you feel you’re getting a little too close to the front of the treadmill, but otherwise, look up as you normally would to maintain good running form.

Bring entertainment

There’s a reason why they call it the dreadmill. Running in one place indoors can get boring, so come prepared with a good podcast, your favorite pump-up playlist, or throw on a movie if you’re at home. Whatever you need to pass the time is fair game when you’re taking your run inside.

Try a workout

Treadmill running doesn’t just have to be for your easy days. In fact, when the running conditions aren’t great outside, you’ll probably get more benefit from moving your workout indoors. Without having to deal with slippery, treacherous roads, you’ll actually be able to hit the paces you’re trying to run during a speed work session, but those same conditions will force you to slow down on your easy days, so you can actually recover. 

The best nutrition for competitive runners

Competitive runners like to set personal bests, if not win races.  Many factors impact how well you can run. Some factors are out of your control, such as heat, humidity, wind, altitude, water conditions, as well as the time of the event, amount of time between events, and perhaps jet lag. But nutritional factors are in your control, including what, when, and how much you eat. Simply put, to run at your best, you need to know how to eat well enough to fight fatigue and be strong to the finish.

To address the how to eat to run at your best issue, I looked to the highly respected sports nutritionist Louise Burke PhD. researcher at Australian Catholic University in Melbourne. Here are some key points from her journal article on Nutritional approaches to counter performance constraints in high-level sports competition. This information might inspire you to consult with a registered dietitian/ board-certified specialist in sports dietetics (RD CSSD) who can help you optimize your sports diet. 

Eating 

 • Carbohydrate is a fundamental source of energy for both your muscles and your brain. Carbohydrate in the blood, known as blood glucose, fuels the brain so it can focus on—and respond quickly to—the task at hand. To optimize athletic performance, you want to maintain adequate blood glucose levels during exercise.

• Blood glucose gets supplied from your liver as well as from the banana, toast or other form of sugar or starch (carb) you eat before and/or during exercise. Some runners avoid pre- and during-exercise fuel, fearing it will create intestinal distress. The better path is to train your gut to tolerate foods and fluids. During training sessions, experiment with a variety of carbs (dried pineapple, granola bar, diluted juice) and/or a variety of flavors and brands of commercial products (sports drinks, gels, chomps in), so you can learn what settles best. Choosing a variety of carbohydrates can increase the rate they are absorbed and might reduce the risk of GI distress. Having a well-tested fueling plan is helpful.

• Training enhances your ability to burn fat. Given fat stores are essentially limitless, a fat-adapted endurance runner (theoretically) should be able to perform very well without having to eat much. Less food could reduce intestinal upset. Sounds good, but this theory doesn’t always work. Research shows that athletes on a high fat, very low carb keto diet can maintain their baseline performance, but during real-life high intensity competitive endurance events, abundant evidence indicates their performance declines. That’s in part because burning fat, as compared to burning carb, requires more oxygen. When keto athletes attempt, let’s say, a high intensity sprint to the finish, the lack of adequate oxygen leads to reduced power.

Brain function

• As a runner, you need a well-fed brain, to help you concentrate, focus, and make wise decisions. A well-fed brain can also help keep you motivated to run at a hard pace. To feed your brain, you want to embark upon exercise being well fed, with blood sugar in a normal range (blood glucose drops overnight) and not be fasted and running on empty.

• Caffeine is known to reduce the brain’s perception of pain, effort, and fatigue (even in runners who regularly consume coffee). The recommended dose is 1.5-3 mg per pound of body weight (3-6 mg/kg) but one size does not fit all. Experiment to find the dose that’s best for your body!

• Runners consume caffeine via gels, caffeinated energy bars, pre-workout supplements, caffeine pills, and coffee. The problem with coffee is the variability of the caffeine content, which makes it hard to identify a specific dose.

• Some energy enhancers do not need to be absorbed into the body to offer beneficial effects. For example, simply rinsing the mouth with a sugar solution/sports drink (and spitting it out) stimulates reward centers in the brain, allowing you to run harder.

• With some substances, the mouth does not have enough sensors, so you need to ingest the substance to get performance benefits. For example, drinking a small amount of a bitter substance such as quinine can trigger a beneficial “flight or fight” when taken immediately before a short, intense effort, such as a 30-second sprint.

• Rinsing the mouth every 5 to 10 minutes with a menthol-containing solution creates a perceived cooling effect that can help to increase power or speed during prolonged exercise in the heat. But be careful. If you feel cooler—but actually are not cooler, you might over-extend yourself and end up slowing down prematurely.

• Anti-cramping agents such as pickle juice or spicy tastes might be helpful for runners who experience muscle cramps. These pungent tastes are thought to “distract” the nerves involved with the cramping muscle and reduce the severity of the cramp. (More research is needed.)

Fluids

• You want to be sure you are optimally hydrated before you start running. Your first morning urine should be light-colored, not dark and concentrated.

• Whether programmed drinking (according to a plan) is better than drinking as desired, according to your thirst, depends on your sport. For example, a marathoner, as compared to a 10K runner, can develop a larger mismatch between sweat losses and fluid intake.

• The suggested goal is to lose <2% of your body weight during exercise (3 lbs for a 150-lb runner). In lab-based research, a loss of >3% of body weight (4.5 lbs) is linked to reduced performance. In real life, many runners’ motivation to win over-rides the negative effects of being under-hydrated. Questions remain unanswered: Could underhydrated runners have performed better If they were better hydrated? Or does being lighter due to dehydration offer an advantage? Stay tuned. Sports nutrition is an evolving science.

2022 Registration is now open for the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

After two years of virtual editions, the Toronto Waterfront Marathon is back with in-person 42.2K, 21.1K and 5K options and a new global sponsor in TCS. The in-person races at the TCS TWM will take place the weekend after Canadian Thanksgiving, on Oct. 16, 2022.

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series. The race also serves annually as the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championships and has doubled as the Olympic Trials leading up to the games.

In the past, the Toronto Waterfront Marathon has set the stage for outstanding performances from Canadian Olympians to competitive, recreational and charity runners.

Runners can choose to compete in the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon in-person race on October 16 or virtually anytime between Sept. 16 and Oct. 16. Registration for the in-person marathon starts at $130 and $100 for the half. Take advantage of the early bird pricing before prices increase.

All participants who register will receive a finisher medal, Asics souvenir shirt, race bib, nutrition products and a free download of the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon app. On the new race app, runners and spectators will be able to enjoy live runner tracking, course maps, augmented reality features and digital cheer cards.

Jamaica´s olympic champion Thompson-Herah headlines Birmingham 60m

Jamaica's five-time Olympic gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah is to star in the 60m at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix – a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting – at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham on Saturday February 19.

Champion in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m in Tokyo, Thompson-Herah is the Jamaican record-holder and second-fastest woman of all time over 100m (10.54) and 200m (21.53). Her incredible CV also includes an Olympic silver, in addition to a World Championships relay title and 200m silver in 2015. A World Indoor Championships bronze medalist over 60m, she has a personal best of 6.98. 

“I’m so excited to race in Birmingham to start my 2022 campaign,” said the 29-year-old. “I have enjoyed competing in the UK over the years and there is always a special atmosphere at this venue. I ran my PB at this arena in 2017, so competing here means a lot to me.

“This year is a huge one. I have big goals for the World Athletics Championships later this summer, but first I’d like to give fans something to cheer about in Birmingham.”

There she will be joined by Britain's two-time Olympic bronze medalist DaryllNeita, who also had a strong year in 2021. Last year she recorded lifetime best performances over 100m (10.93) and 200m (22.81) and finished eighth in the Olympic 100m final in Tokyo. Her 60m best is 7.21 from February 2021. 

“I’ve matured a lot as an athlete over the last couple of years and my mindset has really developed,” she said. “In training I would imagine having the top girls in the world next to me and now I’m racing against them, so I know I belong here.

“The last time I raced Elaine indoors was in Birmingham in 2017 when she won, and I was fifth. Although she remains faster than me, I have to believe that the gap has closed since then and that with the backing of our brilliant British supporters, I can be more competitive this time around.”

The Müller Indoor Grand Prix is the fifth World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting of 2022. There are seven Gold level meetings across the series, starting with Karlsruhe on January 28 and culminating in Madrid on March 2.

Other athletes set to compete in Birmingham include Olympic pole vault champion MondoDuplantis, world indoor 60m hurdles record-holder Grant Holloway, Olympic 1500m silver medalist Laura Muir and Olympic 800m silver medalist KeelyHodgkinson.

Dublin Marathon set for return to the streets with record 25,000 field

It’s back, and barring any major bumps in the road between now and October, it’s set to be bigger than ever.

For Dublin Marathon race director Jim Aughney, being able to plan with confidence for 25,000 runners taking to the streets has him expressing a sentiment felt by many this week.

“Good times are back again,” he says.

His statement is partly based on the backing of Irish Life, which announced a three-year title sponsorship of the race, but also on a feeling among organisers that their best-laid plans will no longer have to go awry.

That’s been the case for the past two years, the plug pulled on the 2020 edition in May that year, while the 2021 race was cancelled last July, the logistical nightmare of a mass-participation event proving a bridge too far given the restrictions in place. In the end, it would actually have been possible to stage, but four months out there was no way to guarantee social distancing among up to 250,000 spectators.

“When we were making the decision, the requirement was to have people socially distanced in pods,” says Aughney. “There were a massive amount of barriers required and it’d have taken us the best part of a month to put them out and take them away. We’d have had to install barriers going across different driveways. Logistically, it wasn’t possible.

“The goalposts changed after but we wanted to make the decision early to be fair to the competitors so everybody wasn’t hanging on whether it was on or off. We wanted to give people time to train. It was a very difficult decision.”

All those with an entry last year had the option to carry their place forward and Aughney says the “vast majority” chose that over a refund, a sign of the race’s enduring popularity.

Back in 2020, a whopping 35,000 applied for a place but the field was capped at 25,000 due to logistics, and Aughney is again planning for a field of that size, the biggest in the event’s history.

“We want to put everything in place to make sure it goes ahead safely and securely,” he says.

Nine months out, there’s little point predicting what restrictions, if any, might be required, but Aughney says there’ll be a runner’s charter whereby competitors self-declare “they’re fit and healthy to run the event and not to show up if they’re not.”

“Everybody is expecting Covid to be here for quite a while, and (the EU digital certificate) might become a requirement again when the event comes around. But it’s very hard to predict.”

Bereft of a real-life race for the past two years – a virtual event did take place, with competitors logging 26.2 miles in their local areas – the event’s management company took a colossal hit in finances, along with many others: the race generates an estimated €9 million for charity and €26.5 million for the city of Dublin.

As such, the backing of Irish Life is a “tremendous boost” that allows Aughney to make “ambitious plans” for its future.

“Let’s hope we can get it back on for 2022 and beyond and that we don’t have to repeat what we had in 2020 and 2021 ever again.”

Aughney has been race director for 25 years and while the headaches and heartbreaks of recent years might have forced many to walk away, he was adamant he’d only call time when the event was back at its brilliant best.

“It’s like the soccer players or rugby players: you want to go out on a high,” he says. “After the difficult times we’ve had, this will give us that opportunity.”

New research says, massage beats ice bath for improving recovery

Massage and ice baths are two popular recovery tools runners like to use between workouts so they can prepare their bodies for the next day’s training. Recently, a group of researchers decided to find out which method is more effective and came to the conclusion that runners who want to recover faster should skip the cold water and head to the massage table.

The study

The study, which was published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, included 48 well-trained male runners to perform three workouts. First, they did an exhaustive interval workout followed by an incremental treadmill test 24 hours later at three speeds: 12, 14, and 16 km/h. They then received either a massage, cold water immersion (i.e. ice bath) or passive rest as a control. 48 hours later, they repeated the treadmill test.

The researchers found that the runners who received massage had recovered significantly better than the control group, and had greater stride height and angle changes as they sped up. The runners who received an ice bath, on the other hand, did not appear to experience any noticeable changes compared to the control group. “These results suggest that massage intervention promotes faster recovery of RE (running economy) and running biomechanics than CWI (cold water therapy) or passive rest,” the researcher concluded.

The bottom line

If you’re looking to speed up your recovery after a hard workout, this study shows ice baths may not be as helpful as you think. You’re better off booking an appointment with a sports massage therapist instead. For those of you who aren’t able to get a massage after every hard workout (which is likely most of the running population), foam rolling is another good option that has also been proven to be effective.

Of course, it’s important to remember that neither massage or any other recovery tool will be valuable if you’re not also covering the basics of proper recovery, like stretching and mobility work, proper hydration and good post-workout nutrition. When you nail the basics, you give your body the best chance at staying healthy and injury-free.

Why comfort is key when it comes to runners and footwear

The importance of wearing comfortable shoes cannot be overstated.Research shows that we use less energy, are less likely to sustain an injury or fall and we perform better in sports and fitness activities when wearing comfortable shoes. Comfortable footwear is also important in helping us recover from strenuous activity, foot pain or injuries.The concept of comfort is very complex, and there is no single aspect of fit that is more important than others. In fact, individuals tend to prioritize comfort features differently. For example, some people prefer cushioning and don’t notice arch support. Others may say that if the shoe or sandal supports their arch well, they will like it. Fashion of course also influences how we select shoes — some people are willing to sacrifice comfort for style.

Because comfort is highly subjective and thus can’t be measured, I tell my patients to try on several pairs of shoes, make comparisons and then to trust their instinct on which shoes or insoles have the fit, feel and overall comfort they prefer, instead of relying on someone else to tell them what to wear.

I also emphasize that comfort decreases from standing to walking to running so you should move in the shoes or sandals to accurately assess how they feel.

Research suggests that part of how we perceive comfort in footwear has to do with how efficiently we move with the shoes on. If the shoe works with our body’s preferred movement pattern, we will move more efficiently and will perceive it to be more comfortable. Conversely, if the shoe works against our preferred movement pattern, we will move less efficiently and will perceive the shoe to be less comfortable.

Again, this comfort measurement is highly subjective and personal. I encourage people to trust their instincts on comfort after making comparisons.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT COMFORT IN FOOTWEAR

Some of the factors that affect comfort in footwear include fit, cushioning, support, stiffness and climate.

FIT

Matching the shape of the shoe to the shape of the foot in terms of length, width and volume, is an important starting point. Keep in mind that shoe size is inconsistent across brands, so focus more on how the shoe feels, instead of the size number. A recent study found that up to 72% of people are wearing shoes that do not fit them properly. The same study showed that improperly fitting shoes are associated with foot pain. For runners, I emphasize a fit that is snug in the heel and midfoot but allows room for the toes -- the back 2/3 of the shoe should be snug and the toe box should feel roomy.

CUSHIONING

There is probably an ideal amount of cushioning for each individual but we do not have a method of measuring for it. Some people like a lot and some like a little — the “right” amount is whatever you prefer. One concept to keep in mind however is that there is such a thing as too much cushioning. Excessively soft shoes are rarely the answer to address foot pain or injuries.

SUPPORT

This term means different things to different people but often refers to how it feels in the arch and midfoot. As with cushioning, the “right” amount is based on your personal preference.

STIFFNESS

Some shoes are very flexible and some are stiff, the way the shoe flexes under the foot is dependent on the structure of the midsole and outsole as well as the size of the person and the speed at which they run. There is no single ideal amount of stiffness in footwear so the best method is to run in the shoe and and select the style that feels most comfortable to you.

CLIMATE

The shoe’s upper must allow proper dissipation of heat and moisture to help maintain comfort and protection from the environment. Running shoes tend to be very breathable while hiking boots tend to be more weather resistant and less breathable. A quality pair of socks with wicking properties definitely help maximize footwear comfort in combination with the shoe.

In summary, comfort isn’t just about feeling good. There are many health benefits to wearing comfortable shoes. In order to find the best shoe for you, make comparisons, run in the shoes and trust your instincts to determine your personal preferences.

Kenyan Hellen Obiri to move up to the marathon with On

Over the weekend in Northern Ireland, two-time Olympic silver medalist from Kenya, Hellen Obiri, surprised the running world by winning the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Silver event, but not while wearing a Nike singlet. She was instead representing On – a brand that has recently been taking the world of athletics by storm, growing their team of elite-level sponsored athletes, including Canada’s Ben Flanagan.

A year and a half ago, On launched its first professional team, called On Athletics Club, coached by American distance runner Dathan Ritzenhein. “You need world-class athletes to build world-class products,” says Steve DeKoker, On’s head of global sports marketing. “Our goal is to build On as a global brand, and we need world-class athletes to help us develop.” Obiri’s signing is a huge acquisition for the Swiss sporting brand – she is the only athlete ever to win a world indoor, world outdoor and world XC title.

Ben Flanagan signs with On

“We want people that will fit the brand’s competitive values,” says DeKoker. “Both Obiri and Flanagan checked those boxes.” In her debut race wearing On product, the defending world cross country champion won the 8K easily in 26:44.

Obiri will head to the World Athletics Memorial Agnes Tirop XC race in Eldoret, Kenya on Feb. 12, before taking a shot at another 5,000m medal this summer at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Ore. “She will move up to the marathon distance in the fall of 2022,” DeKoker says. “And we will have our new premium-plated racing shoe on display for her debut.”

“The full expectation is to develop and supply our athletes with the top-of-the-line product to enhance their performance,” says DeKoker. “There are multiple On super-spikes scheduled to be released this year, with Alicia Monson racing in a pair this weekend at the NYC Millrose Games.”

Both Monson and Flanagan are two recent NCAA champions that DeKoker had his eyes on since they won their titles in 2018 and 2019. “When we found out Flanagan’s contract was up with Reebok, we knew we wanted to support him,” DeKoker says. “We feel he will have the Canadian half-marathon or marathon record in no time.”

For now, the brand plans to go all in to be competitive with the top distance brands on the roads and track, then dipping their feet in the sprint distances for the 2028 LA Olympics.

Siberia's Marathon set the official Guinness World Record for the world's coldest marathon

The world’s coldest marathon took place January 22 in Yakutia, Siberia and it was -53C.  

The winner was Russia’s Vasily Lukin, who crossed the finish line in 3:22. It was his second straight victory at the extreme race after it was postponed in 2021 due to the pandemic.

The best result among the women was Yakutia local Marina Sedalischeva, who finished in 4:09.

Sixty five runners from the U.A.E., U.S. and Belarus came to Yakutia to brave the frozen conditions. Organizers were forced to start the race early in the morning as temperatures hit -60 C later in the day in Oymyakon, Yakutia’s Pole of Cold. 

Try these stair workouts for improved strength and power, stairs are a great addition to any running plan

Whether you’re sick of hills, the weather is forcing you inside or you’re just trying to change up your workout routine, stairs are a great addition to any running regime. These two workouts will challenge your fitness and help you build strength as you prepare for the spring racing season ahead.

The benefits of stairs

Running or jumping up stairs is a type of plyometric or neuromuscular training. Stairs help strengthen your legs, heart and lungs, promote skill development and technique and improve your power and force. Doing plyometrics has been shown to decrease injury rates and improve speed, agility and ground contact time, all of which help you become a better runner.

If you live in an apartment building, stair workouts are a great training option when the weather gets nasty, and if you don’t, the Stairmaster at the gym is also a good option. A stadium with bleachers is great for training stairs outdoors if you have one nearby, but really, any sizeable set of stairs will do.

The other benefit to stair workouts is that because they are such an explosive, high-energy movement, they don’t have to be very long. This is perfect for busy runners who are trying to squeeze a quality workout in between other commitments. They can also be done as a part of a run, but if you’re going to do this, make sure you do the stairs near the beginning of your run for safety reasons.

The workouts

Workout 1

Warmup: 15-20 minute easy jog, or walk up and down the stairs for 5-10 minutes.

Workout: Run up and down the stairs for two minutes, followed by 60 seconds of rest.Hop up the stairs on one leg for 15 steps, walk back down, repeat on the other side.Hop up the stairs on both legs for 20 steps, walk back down, take 60 seconds rest.Run up and down the stairs for two minutes.

Cooldown: 10-15 minute easy jog, or walk up and down the stairs for 5-10 minutes.

Workout 2

Warmup: 15-20 minute easy jog, or walk up and down the stairs for 5-10 minutes.

Workout: 10-12 x 30 seconds up the stairs, jog back down to the bottom and take 20 seconds rest between each interval.

Cooldown: 10-15 minute easy jog, or walk up and down the stairs for 5-10 minutes.

Ethiopian Senbere Teferi set for Agnes Tirop Memorial race

Ethiopia's Senbere Teferi has become the latest international athlete to confirm her participation to next month's Agnes Tirop Memorial World Cross Country Tour.

She joins compatriot world 5,000m and 10,000m record holder Letesenbet Gidey, who is currently training Eldoret and Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman.

Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor will also take part in the race set for February 12 at  Lobo Village in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

Teferi is keen to compete in honor of her departed best friend Agnes Tirop, who was found murdered in her home in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County on October 13 last year.

The estranged lover of the 2015 World Cross Country Championships winner, Ibrahim Rotich, is in police custody after denying murder charges. 

In an interview with Nation Sport during the Great Ethiopian Run in Addis Ababa over the weekend, Tefere said she was saddened by Tirop’s cruel murder.

She recalled how they became good friends in 2015 when Tirop beat her during the World Cross Country Championships in China where she bagged silver behind the Kenyan.

Since then and they would always talk over the phone for long periods  and were both managed by Gianni Demaonna. 

“I was touched by the death of Tirop who was my best friend and shared a lot with in terms of competition. Losing such a nice friend in such a manner was really sad and I hope her family will get justice.

I will be starting my season during the Memorial Agnes Tirop Cross Country Tour in Eldoret, Kenya and running there is special for me because I want to honor my departed sister.

We always had a good relationship when we competed because we came from one continent and when a Kenyans win we celebrate, the same way we would when an Ethiopian wins," said Tefere.

She is looking forward to meet some of her competitors when she lands in Kenya in the next few days.

“I have never been to Kenya but I’m looking forward to meet some of the athletes who train there and get to share their experiences. I hear it is a nice place to train,” she added. 

She is hoping to use the race to prepare for the World Championships to be held in USA later this year.

“The race in Kenya will gauge my preparations this season but my target is to compete in the 10,000m race where I’m targeting to be in the podium after emerging in sixth position in 2019 during the World Championships in Doha, Qatar,” said Tefere.

During the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Tefere finished 10th in the 5,000m won by Dutch’s Sifan Hassan with Hellen Obiri settling for silver and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay winning bronze.

Five attributes of a good training partner, if your running buddy possesses these qualities, you know you've got a good one

Training partners can have a profound impact on your performance. Having someone who shows up day after day to suffer through mile repeats or help long runs fly by not only makes training more fun, but can help you improve far more than you would have on your own. Not all running partners are created equal, but if your running buddy has these qualities, you’ve got yourself a great partner-in-crime.

1.- They’re on time

This is a very basic, yet crucial, part of a running buddy arrangement. If your training partner is constantly late to your workouts, forcing you to waste valuable time waiting for them, it’s time to have a hard conversation with them. If, on the other hand, your partner is punctual the majority of the time, it’s a sign that they value you and respect your time.

2.- They aren’t flaky

The point of having a training partner is to have someone to train with — not someone who constantly backs out of workouts and forces you to train on your own. Yes, life happens sometimes and unexpected things pop up, but a good running buddy is someone who shows up every time to put in the work.

3.- They don’t complain

Training partners are there to motivate each other. A good running buddy should always have a positive attitude about even the hardest of workouts to help get you both to the end with smiles on your faces.

4.- They don’t make it a competition

When your training partner is around the same speed as you, it opens the door for competition in workouts. A good running buddy never turns a run or workout into a race, but instead tries to work with you to have the best workout possible. If you end up having a better day and are ahead of them during the workout, they’re happy for you, not jealous.

5.- They keep it fun

Many runners fall into the trap of taking their training too seriously, which sucks the joy out of the sport. A good training partner knows how to keep running fun and lighthearted, so both of you can enjoy your training, rather than stress over it or dread it.

Athing Mu switching to women´s wanamaker mile at Millrose Games

Olympic 800 meters champion Athing Mu will test her range further in elite mile field.

Of all the storylines coming together for this weekend's 114th Millrose Games at The Armory, the one making waves Monday is the switch by Athing Mu from the 800 meters to the WHOOP Women's Wanamaker Mile. 

On the schedule of Saturday's events, that's only a nine-minute difference in start time. Those two events precede the traditional Millrose closer, the men's Wanamaker Mile. 

But with Mu making her first New York City appearance in a race since she was a senior in high school in 2020, she stands to be one of the most compelling athletes in the meet. 

Instead of racing in the 800 meters against Ajee' Wilson, Natoya Goule and high school stars Roisin Willis and Sophia Gorriaran, Mu will take on a bigger challenge in the mile against a field that includes Elle Purrier-St. Pierre, the reigning champion, Konstanze Klosterhalfen, Nikki Hiltz and Jessica Hull. 

Mu opened her 2022 campaign with a 4:37.99 mile at the Ted Nelson Invitational at College Station, Texas, on Jan. 15, which is a personal best. 

The recent Bowerman Award winner may just be scratching the surface in the longer event, and demonstrating the full spectrum of her range from 400 meters to the mile. She'll have to run much faster to compete for the win on Saturday. She already owns the American record in the 800 meters outdoors with 1:55.04.

Purrier ran a meet and Armory record 4:16.85 to win the 2020 race. 

Useful tips on how to use running to lose weight faster

Running is an excellent way to lose weight. It has been shown that people who run regularly are able to burn more calories than those who don’t, and it also helps build muscle mass which in turn boosts your metabolism. But before you rush out to buy new running shoes, there are some things you should know about how to make the most of this exercise for weight loss. This article will discuss these helpful tips.

Find Yourself A Personal Trainer

Weight loss may seem like something that is easy enough to do on your own without any help, but it’s hard to know where to start when you don’t have any experience. You can buy books or search the internet for weight loss tips, but until you try them out for yourself, there is no way of knowing if they really work. Personal trainers are trained to help you achieve your weight loss goals, and they can create a tailored workout for you that is based on your own personal needs. A good trainer will also be able to offer advice about how to make the most of any exercise you do, including running.

However, when looking for a trainer you should hire, make sure to search Google for “personal trainer cost” to find out how much each trainer costs in your area or in other places as well. Also, make sure to ask about their qualifications and what training they have received that enables them to offer advice about your weight loss plan.

Wear The Right Clothing

When you exercise, the last thing you want is for clothing to be getting in your way or causing discomfort. A good pair of running shoes is a must, but you also need to wear the right clothes. It’s worth investing in clothes that are designed for running rather than just wearing your normal clothes. Do some research online to find out which brands offer the best advice about what to wear when you run, and then go into a store that sells these clothes so you can try them on for size. You can also find these items online and have them delivered to your home, but this will still cost you money and so it’s best if you can try on the clothes first by visiting a store.

Take Advantage Of The Weather

Running outside will burn more calories than running on a treadmill, but this is only true if the weather is decent enough to allow you to run outside. If it’s too cold or wet, then you may want to use a treadmill instead. This can reduce your weight-loss potential, but it doesn’t mean you can’t still lose weight. By doing a treadmill workout every other day, you should still be able to keep your weight loss going and even speed it up. You should consult with your personal trainer to work out the best exercise plan for your needs.

Get An Audiobook

If you find running boring, then an audiobook can help make the experience more exciting and interesting. You can download these books from the internet and they are a great way of making it feel like you aren’t really running when in fact, you are burning plenty of calories. This will help keep your weight loss going for longer. If you’re not a fan of audiobooks, then you can try listening to music on your iPod instead. If this doesn’t work for you,  there is nothing stopping you from turning your run into a social occasion by taking a friend with you. You can also find walking apps that allow you to track your route and measure the calories you’re burning, which may make you feel like you’re getting more out of your run.

Don’t Expect Results Overnight

Losing weight can take some time, and you should never enter into any exercise plan expecting fast results. This will only lead to disappointment and quitting before giving yourself a chance to lose the weight you want to. If you set realistic goals and try your best every day, then the results will come and stay with you for longer. Your goal should be to exercise every day, no matter how much weight you have to lose. Once you have lost some of it, then your goal should be to maintain this new healthy weight. This way you will stay healthier for longer and also raise your confidence levels as well.

Don’t Forget To Bring A Bottle Of Water

When you exercise, your body loses water and this needs to be replaced. You need to drink more fluids than usual when you run and this means carrying a bottle of water with you every time you head out. Fill up the bottle at home before putting it in your bag and make sure that whatever type of running plan you’re following allows you to drink plenty of water. Drinking enough water will also help suppress your appetite, which is an added bonus and will help you lose weight faster.

Keep Track Of Your Progress

Lastly, it’s important to keep track of your progress when you are trying to lose weight. Some people like using a journal, while others prefer to use an app on their mobile device or phone. Regardless of what method you choose, keeping track of your results is very important and will allow you to stay motivated throughout the process. This way, if you hit a weight-loss plateau, then you can work out how to get over it and avoid quitting. It’s also important to set short-term and long-term goals and try to stay motivated by working towards them every day.

Losing weight can be a difficult task, but with the right tips and advice, it can be a lot easier. If you’re looking to start running in order to lose weight, then make sure you follow the tips we have provided in this article. By taking advantage of the weather, getting an audiobook, bringing a water bottle with you, and keeping track of your progress, you should be able to see results in no time at all. Remember that losing weight takes time and patience, so don’t give up if you don’t see results straight away – keep going, and eventually, you will reach your goals.

America's greatest distance runners Joan Benoit Samuelson teaches a MasterClass on running

Your mind is just as important as your body when you’re running, but developing a healthy, strong mindset is not always easy. Just like it takes time, dedication and practice to train your body for a race, it requires equal amounts of effort to train your mind, and who better to coach you through that process than America’s running sweetheart, Joan Benoit-Samuelson? Her class, Joan Benoit Samuelson Teaches the Runner’s Mindset, is available now as part of the popular MasterClass series, and will no doubt help you crush your goals in 2022.

“After 50+ years of running, I’m delighted to partner with @masterclass to share my lifelong passion for running,” Samuelson said on her Instagram. “I invite you to join me in this class and make your miles count, on the road and in life. Run on in good health and with fire in your belly.”

For the uninitiated, Benoit Samuelson is one of the most accomplished runners in history. She won the Boston Marathon twice, in 1979 and 1983, and was the winner of the first-ever Olympic women’s marathon in 1984.

Now in her mid-60s, she is also the only woman in the world to have run sub-3 hour marathons in five consecutive decades, her first in 1979 and her most recent in 2010. At the 2019 Berlin Marathon, she ran 3:02, nearly becoming the first woman to clock a sub-3 in six consecutive decades.

Her new MasterClass will cover a range of topics, including goal setting, balancing the runner’s mind, stretches and strength training, running your first marathon and navigating injury. She also shares interesting anecdotes about her early days of running.

“When I first started to run, I ran inside the confines of an old abandoned Army post,” she says in the opening remarks. “And there wasn’t any vehicular traffic allowed in that area at the time, so I would walk from our house to the fort and I would run to my heart’s desire. And then I’d walk home, because I was embarrassed to be seen running on the roads.”

She talks about being the underdog at that first Olympic marathon, the pressure of being an Olympic champion, how running has shaped her life and her desire to give back to the sport.

Will Nation and Sarah Jackson claim 3M Half Marathon titles

“The 3M Half Marathon has been good to me,” Will Nation said after crossing the finish line downtown Sunday in first place.

Nation and fellow Austin runner Sarah Jackson notched solid victories on the point-to-point downhill course, besting a field of some 6,000 runners.

Nation, a former Texas track and cross-country standout, first won the Half Marathon back in 2015, just after graduating.

“That was my first road race and first half-marathon,” Nation said of his 2015 win. “So it was my introduction into road racing. Today was the first time I’ve run 3M since then.”

Nation and Samuel Doud took it out fast from the start on Stonegate Boulevard at Gateway Shopping Center, flying through the first mile in 4 minutes, 50 seconds. The pair quickly broke away from the chase pack, which included Longhorns runner Kobe Yepez and John Liddell of Wauwatosa, Wis., and hit the 5-kilometer mark in 15:25.

When they passed the 10K mark on Great Northern Boulevard in 30:51, it was clear that it was a two-man race, as Nation and Doud had nearly a minute on the rest of the field. Just before the 8-mile mark on Shoal Creek Boulevard, Nation put the hammer down, and by the ninth mile he had a 30-second lead on Doud.

“We ran together for around 7 or 8 miles,” Nation said. “I was feeling good, so I decided to test my legs, and I pulled away.”

Nation averaged 4:56 a mile, breaking the tape in 1:04:36, while Doud cruised home second in 1:05:40. John Rice, a recent UT graduate and a two-time track and cross-country All-American, took third in 1:06:34, ahead of Yepez, who clocked 1:06:52. Liddell rounded out the top five in 1:07:54.

“I came here to run a fast time.” said Doud, who ran for American University in Washington. “I’ll be running the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon on Feb. 20, and I’m hoping for an Olympic qualifying time.”

Nation, who ran a personal best of 2:13:24 at the California International Marathon in December, also has his sights set on the Austin Marathon. “It’s good to get a race effort like this in before the marathon, because it’s really kind of a short window between now and then,” he said. “I’d love to win the hometown marathon.”

Jackson was a last-minute entry in the women’s race but wasted no time establishing a big gap on the rest of the field. The 2020 Austin Marathon champion moved into the lead right from the start and passed the 5K mark in 17:54, more than a minute ahead of Jaclyn Range of Ohio. Taking advantage of the cool weather, Jackson averaged 5:47 a mile in what amounted to a solo effort. By the 10K mark (35:42), she was nearly two minutes up on Range.

Jackson, who like Nation was coming off a fast time at the California International Marathon (2:42:27), finished in 1:15:47, a personal best for the half-marathon distance. Range took second in 1:18:37, ahead of Diane Fisher of Ohio, who posted a 1:19:13. Mary Reiser of Baltimore was fourth in 1:20:24, and Austin’s Katy Cranfill took fifth in 1:20:54.

“I went out a little fast and just tried to hang on. I was really in the zone today and felt really smooth,” Jackson said. “I’ve run 3M every year since high school, but this is my first win. You can just cruise on the downhills on this course and use them to your advantage. That’s why I love this race so much.”

The 3M race is known nationwide as one of the fastest half-marathon courses in the country, attracting runners from all over the nation in search of speedy times.

“I ran my best half-marathon yet today,” Range said. “My teammate Diane Fisher and I are both from Ohio. We’ve been running in the snow and cold, so this was a chance to come here and run. Conditions couldn’t have been more perfect."

World half marathon bronze medalist Yalemzerf Yehualaw breaks race record at Great Ethiopian Run

Yalemzerf Yehualaw opened her 2022 season in spectacular style by claiming victory at the Total Energies Great Ethiopian Run 10km, taking 38 seconds off her own race record with 31:17.

Her winning time is the fastest 10km ever recorded at altitude, with Addis Ababa standing 2350m above sea level. Gemechu Dida won a close men's race in 28:24, just five seconds shy of the long-standing race record.

Yehualaw, who set the previous event record of 31:55 in 2019, came into the race eager to impress after having to withdraw from the Valencia 10km just two weeks ago. Today she ran a smart race, making her break from long-time leader Girmawit Gebregziabiher, the 2018 world U20 5000m bronze medalist, just past the 7.5km mark after cresting the hill near the National Palace.

At the 9km turn at Urael Church, Yehuawlaw accelerated dramatically and pulled clear of her rival, cruising to the finish line to win by 12 seconds from Gebregziabiher, who clocked 31:29. Double world U20 medalist Melknat Wedu, still just 17 years of age, finished third in 31:45.

The men’s race was much closer, with six athletes still in contention in the final 500 meters. In the end it was Dida who took a surprise victory over former Dubai Marathon champion Getaneh Molla with Boki Diriba finishing third as two seconds separated the podium finishers.

The highest-placed non-Ethiopian athlete was Kenya’s Cornelius Kibet Kemboi, who finished sixth in 28:39. A total of 17,600 runners finished the mass race.

Leading results

Women

1 Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) 31:17

2 Girmawit Gebrzihair (ETH) 31:29

3 Melknat Wedu (ETH) 31:45

4 Gete Alemayehu (ETH) 32:06

5 Bosena Mulate (ETH) 32:17

6 Hawi Feyisa (ETH) 32:18

7 Birtukan Wolde (ETH) 32:22

8 Anchinalu Desse (ETH) 32:38

9 Mebrat Gidey (ETH) 32:42

10 Ayenaddis Teshome (ETH) 32:49

Men

1 Gemechu Dida (ETH) 28:24

2 Getaneh Molla (ETH) 28:25

3 Boki Diriba (ETH) 28:26

4 Moges Tuemay (ETH) 28:31

5 Getachew Masresha (ETH) 28:33

6 Cornelius Kibet Kemboi (KEN) 28:39

7 Teresa Ggnakola (ETH) 28:43

8 Solomon Berihun (ETH) 28:55

9 Ashenafi Kiros (ETH) 28:59

10 Antenayehu Dagnachew (ETH) 29:05.

Trail Running Mental Superpowers

Trying to pinpoint and identify what exactly leads to mental performance breakdowns in races. That curiosity has driven me to have many intriguing conversations with some of the most experienced athletes and coaches in the sport. There are quite a few different mental deficits that can cause a disappointing race result, but there was one that kept coming up over and over, again.

Almost every athlete and coach referred to the same concept - performance is greatly affected when the actual experience of the race doesn't match expectations or the image the athlete had in their head. Going into any experience with rigid assumptions or beliefs about how you think it's going to go creates the perfect environment for some dysfunctional thought patterns to flourish. Primarily, the inability to adapt to your circumstances.

Be Open-minded and Curious 

According to trail runner and coach David Roche, athletes tend to idealize the experience going into a race. When things start the struggle sets in and an athlete hasn't planned for how they are going to respond, it's much easier to shut down, thinking "this experience is nothing like what I thought it would be."

Not only is your brain having to interpret an experience it's not super familiar with, but it's also pretty uncomfortable and even downright painful, at times.

David encourages his athletes to think about the hard stuff they are going to face, long before they get there. Great performances happen in spite of or even because of adversity, not in the absence of it. Every time you face a new challenge, you learn more about yourself. As Courtney Dauwalter has said about low points and dark moments in races, "You don't get to summon those whenever you want." Approach those times with an open mind and the curiosity to discover what you can endure.

They are a gift. Without resistance on your path, you don't get to find out how much you can persist through. You're stronger than you think you are. Give yourself the chance to prove it.

Great performances happen in spite of or even because of adversity, not in the absence of it.

Respond, Don't React 

One thing that racing continues to teach me is that I don't have it all figured out. Just when I think I do, there's a new lesson to be learned. There have been many times in a race when things weren't going the way I planned, and I just reacted without logic. Reacting puts you on the defensive.

It often involves a victim mindset and invokes some pretty negative emotions. Anyone else ever had a full-blown pity party on the trail mid-race? Yea, me too.

On the other hand, responding to the same circumstances means taking in the new information and adjusting. Take away your perception or preconceived notions about what the experience means. The mental and emotional flexibility to problem solve a challenge is a superpower when it comes to trail running.

Reacting is a passive action while responding is an active one. Whether it's shifting your race plan, adjusting your perspective, or trouble-shooting a nutrition issue, empower yourself with adaptability.

Persistence Not Stubbornness 

Another potential negative outcome of being too mentally and emotionally rigid is stubbornness. When the reality on race day doesn't match the highlight reel you've been running in your head, a common reaction is denial. When things get hard the impulse might be to dig in, and beat the race into submission. The problem with that is it sometimes includes tunnel vision.

When you're so focused on forcing the race to play out in a way that matches your expectations, you miss all the cues and feedback of the reality you're in. Or worse, you ignore them. Stubbornness sets in and you're no longer being an active participant in your race. I'm not suggesting that this mindset means giving up on your goals.  It means knowing what you're capable of achieving without believing there's only way for you to do that. To me, persistence means striving towards your goal even if that means taking a different path than you thought it would.

There's nothing more dangerous than falling into the trap of thinking you have it all figured out.

There's nothing more dangerous than falling into the trap of thinking you have it all figured out. Without the curiosity to learn more about yourself, it's hard to push through difficult experiences.

Being prepared and ready to have the most successful performance means equipping yourself with the skills you need to respond and adapt to anything that the trail throws at you. Increased fitness and preparation don't give you increased control. If anything, it just gives you the illusion of it. An open-mind, the willingness to adapt and a Swiss Army knife of mental and physical skills equip you to tap deep into the well of possibilities.

Garmin's 2021 Connect Fitness Report shows gravel bikes, hiking and trail running gained popularity last years

Garmin has announced the latest figures from its Garmin Connect Fitness report, an annual crunching of data from Garmin fitness device users from across the globe.

According to the results, Garmin Connect data showed that the global pandemic had a big impact on the number of indoor activities recorded over the past year, with Garmin customers logging 108.30 per cent more Pilates activities year-over-year.

On top of this, breathwork saw a year-on-year rise of 82.76 per cent and yoga also saw an uptake increase of more than 45.55 per cent.

But that’s not to say that everyone locked themselves inside and worked out ways to stay fit and healthy behind closed doors, because activities performed outdoors in the elements increased by 9.52 per cent year-on-year, with gravel cycling seeing the most growth followed by winter sports.

In fact, Garmin noticed a clear trend in the popularity of a number of outdoor pursuits, with more users apparently enjoying hiking, trail running and walking, all of which saw double digit increases compared with the previous year.

Garmin’s data also delved into regional variations, with South America topping the charts with 125.41 per cent more breathwork activities, 87.51 per cent more gravel rides and 37.6 per cent more trail runs.

Similarly, North Americans were turned on to both yoga and gravel rides, with a 34.39 per cent and 28.54 per cent increase in those activities respectively.

"In the face of ongoing lockdowns and the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, Garmin users logged a record-breaking number of fitness activities in 2021," said Joe Schrick, Garmin vice president fitness segment. 

"We already knew that our customers are performance-driven and resilient, and the data proves that even a global pandemic won’t stand in the way of their relentless drive to 'beat yesterday'."

Some of the other more left-field activities that increased in popularity include boating, bouldering, hang gliding and rock climbing, proving that the active outdoor lifestyle is well and truly experiencing its day in the sunshine at the moment.

Montell Douglas becomes GB’s first female summer and winter Olympian

Former 100m sprinter makes history after bobsleigh selection for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing

 Montell Douglas has become the first woman to compete for Great Britain at both the summer and winter Olympics after she was chosen as a member of the upcoming bobsleigh squad for next month’s Games in Beijing.

The 35-year-old was a reserve four years ago in Pyeongchang but this time has been selected for the squad and will serve as Mica McNeill’s brakewoman.

McNeill has a wealth of experience in the sport having competed herself in Pyeongchang while she also won a silver medal at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics.

This will be the first time Douglas has competed on the ice at such a significant event but has steadily progressed alongside McNeil since the former British sprinter took up bobsleigh six years ago.

Since then the pair came fourth in the 2020–21 Bobsleigh World Cup two-women event in Innsbruck while Douglas also finished in the top ten on her Bobsleigh World Cup debut in 2017.

“It’s such a strange feeling. Beforehand, I had thoughts of how it would feel, but I think it’s more of a relief,” Douglas told BBC Sport.

“I’m over the moon to be representing women. There have been many male summer and winter Olympians, so I’m more thrilled about leaving a legacy like that behind than anything else.

“To come full circle, after 14 years and at the end of my career, that blows my mind. You’re never too old, it’s never too late, you should always dream and dream big.”

Douglas represented Great Britain on the track in Beijing 2008 and was the former British record holder over 100m with 11.05 after she ended what was then a 37-year-old record from Kathy Cook. Only Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita have run faster than Douglas.

While it was joy for Douglas in being selected for next month’s Winter Olympics, the same could not be said for Greg Rutherford who missed out on selection in the men’s bobsleigh squad.

Rutherford, who famously won Olympic long jump gold on Super Saturday at London 2012, made his bobsleigh debut earlier this month.

World Para Athletics Championships in Japan postponed until 2024

A year after the Paralympics were held in Tokyo, this summer’s World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe have been pushed back again

The World Para Athletics Championships, which were meant to take place between August 26 – September 4 in Kobe, Japan, have been postponed until 2024.

The championships were already pushed back until 2022 from 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic but after a request by the Kobe Local Organising Committee (LOC) that date will be moved again.

“Both World Para Athletics and the LOC have reached an understanding that the competition will not take place in 2022,” said World Para Athletics.

“Both parties are working closely to assess the feasibility of a postponement to 2024 in order to retain the World Championships within the Paris 2024 cycle.”

That means that the next scheduled championships will take place in Paris next year, with Kobe then taking the reins in 2024, the same year France host the Paralympics.

Dubai hosted the last and ninth edition of the World Para Athletics Championships back in 2019.

When Kobe host the event in 2024 it will be the first time that athletes compete at a World Para Athletics Championships in the Far East although both Japan (1964 and 2020) and China (2008) have hosted the Paralympics.

The first World Para Athletics Championships took place in Berlin in 1994 and since 2011 they have been held in the same years as the World Athletics Championships.

It remains to be seen whether the International Paralympic Committee stick to that format because if they do it would mean that the World Para Athletics Championships would take place in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

2022 Boston Marathon jacket revealed

The 2022 Boston Marathon celebration jacket has been revealed on the Adidas site. This year’s blue, purple and green edition was designed to commemorate 50 years since eight women became the first ever to run a marathon in 1972.

Sustainability first

In an effort to be more environmentally sustainable, this year’s jacket is made from 100 per cent recycled content, such as cutting scraps and post-consumer household waste. It features a mesh lining, cuffed sleeves and reflective strips for 360 visibility. Like with all past celebration jackets, this smart victory blue piece features the Boston Marathon logo prominently on both the front and the back, marathon finishers can wear their accomplishment with pride.

The jacket is retailing at $120 US and is available along with other Boston Marathon gear for purchase

How to pace your faster half marathon

Have you ever endured that moment in a race where suddenly your legs cannot run any faster? The sensation of defeat overwhelms you, as your pace slows down and the finish line is still miles away. Many runners are familiar with the crash-and-burn experience in the half marathon distance. They start out fast since they feel good, but then fall off pace with just a few miles to go. You do not have to make that mistake! Keep reading to learn how to pace your fastest half marathon and enjoy a breakthrough race.

Why does pacing matter for the half marathon? For most runners, half marathon pace is not much slower than your lactate (anaerobic) threshold. When you run faster than your lactate threshold, you accumulate lactate at a much more rapid rate. Now, lactate isn’t the big bad we once believed; your body can actually shuttle it from the bloodstream to cells and use it for further energy production. However, a by-product of lactate production are hydrogen ions and other acidic metabolites. These cause a burning sensation in your muscles and a resulting fatigue of the muscles. Your breathing also increases, as you both attempt to consume more oxygen for energy and as your body regulates its acid-base balance.

Essentially, you fatigue at a much quicker rate when working above your lactate threshold than when you run slower intensities. When you start out a half marathon too fast – faster than goal pace – you fatigue more rapidly than you would at goal pace or slightly slower. That’s why the last 3-5 miles of a half marathon feels so difficult when you do not pace appropriately. You sabotaged your race by starting out too fast.

These tips are what I have found that worked for me in running my half marathons, including my PR of 1:34 (here’s how I took 12 minutes of my half marathon time).  I have used these strategies on hundreds of runners as I have coached them to half marathon PRs. Of course, every runner is different, but these strategies can help you pace your fastest half marathon.

BEFORE THE RACE:

Warm up with 5-15 minutes of very easy running, three or four strides at race pace, and dynamic stretches. The warm-up elevates the temperature of your muscles, which allows greater force production, and increases blood flow which enhances energy production. 

MILES 1-2:

Take these miles steady and slightly controlled. You are tapered, so that will equate to a pretty quick pace. Even if you warmed up before the race, you do not want to jump right into goal pace just yet. Aim for 10-15 seconds slower than your goal pace. Do not weave around other runners. The lateral movements will fatigue muscles you don’t normally use in running. Additionally, weaving will add extra distance to your race and affect your finish time. Let people pass you in that first mile.

MILES 3-9:

Settle into a steady pace. You should have practiced your half marathon pace enough in training where you know how this pace will feel on race day. The effort should feel moderate to moderately hard and relateively sustainable. Don’t obsess over your watch. Check in at your pace but trust yourself and trust your training. Take most of your fuel at this point, so that your body can continue to produce energy.

If you feel tempted to slow down or speed up too much at any point, focus on a few runners around you who are running your speed and pace with them. In How Bad Do You Want It?, Matt Fitzgerald describes the group effect as being how running with others reduces your perceived effort – thus making it easier to run faster than you would on your own. Take advantage of this effect if you find others running your goal pace.

MILES 10-12:

A half marathon will get hard at this point. If you started out conservatively, you should still have fuel in your tank. Maintain your goal pace as best as you can or increase it by 5-10 seconds per mile if possible. If you do pick up pace, do not increase it rapidly, as this costs more energy than a more gradual acceleration. 

This is when the race becomes a mental game. You will feel comfortable, but with the proper coping strategies you can run at this effort. This segment of the race is when you should try to pass other runners: focus on one runner, work towards passing them, and then repeat. Passing will distract you from the discomfort. The accompanying surges that come with passing temporarily use a different energy pathway, so they are possible even when you are tired. 

MILES 13-13.1:

Push your pace more and more – you are almost done and you are not about to crash and burn at this point (unless it is psychological). I like to count down by tenths of a mile from 12.1 and tell myself to push just a bit harder with each tenth that passes. Give your hardest effort over the final tenth.

FINAL NOTES ON PACING:

Focus on the mile you are in. Don’t worry about how you will feel in the next mile or at the end of the race.

Don’t stare at your GPS instant pace (trees and skyscrapers can throw it off). Instead, set it to show lap pace and check in on your mile or km laps to determine if you are running on pace.

Bad miles and good miles alike occur in a race. Don’t stress over a mile split that is too fast or too slow – simply get back to goal pace and focus on the next mile.

Make sure you have a solid nutrition plan to support the energy pathways needed to finish strong!

If this is your first half marathon, use a similar strategy but do not worry about your finish time as much. Make it a goal to start controlled and finish strong!

What is the best and worst type of crowd support during a race?

Have you been in the final stages of a race and some encouragement from a friend or stranger motivated you to step on the gas and finish strong? Normally spectators shout at runners, “Keep going!” or “You got this!” or “Only one kilometer to go,” but does this positive encouragement have any benefit on the athlete?

Researchers out of Plymouth Marjon University in the U.K. released a study in the Journal of Human Kinetics on how crowd encouragement can boost the runners’ performance.

The study was done on over 800 runners who completed the 2021 London Marathon, and an additional 14 runners were interviewed on the support they received from the crowd. Runners found that the most valuable encouragement they received was personal, authentic and non-judgmental.

It was no surprise that positive encouragement affected 95 per cent of runners mentally. The results found that false information about the distance or race was the worst type of encouragement besides swearing. Both were described as unhelpful for runners.

The most helpful type of encouragement was personalized to the runner, for example, keep up the hard work (name), which is easy enough with names printed on bibs. The survey found that personal encouragement from a stranger can motivate you to keep going when you’re struggling.

The study concluded by recommending spectators to be empathetic and respectful to runners before voicing encouragement.

How does Aleksandr Sorokin train for 100-mile world records?

Aleksandr Sorokin of Lithuania became the first man to break the 11-hour barrier for 100 miles. After breaking the 100-mile record, he broke his 12-hour world record, covering 177.4 kilometres (approximately 4:04/km) at the 2022 Spartanion race in Tel Aviv, Israel.

To put Sorokin’s performance in perspective, his time is equivalent to running 35 straight 5Ks in 20 minutes and 15 seconds each, which is a very good 5K time for any runner.

He broke his previous 100-mile world record by 23 minutes and his 12-hour record by seven kilometres. We spoke with Sorokin after he set his world records to get a grasp of his training and what’s next for the Michael Jordan of ultrarunning. So how does he train for speed above 50 miles?

“I am just following my running plan,” Sorokin says. “My coach, Sebastian Białobrzeski, has shown me the importance of the long run. We will often do 40-50km runs during training to build up my pain tolerance.” Sorokin’s base mileage sits around 200 kilometres per week, with his peak training weeks hitting 300 kilometres.

“After that, you just need to trust your training and pray everything else will be OK,” says Sorokin.

In the lead-up to his Spartanion race, Sorokin spent several weeks at altitude in Kenya’s renowned Rift Valley, which stands at 2,500m above sea level.

Sorokin fuels his body with junk food during his races. (i.e., chips, chocolate, candy and pop). He does this to keep his sodium and energy levels high during ultra races.

When we previously interviewed Sorokin, he mentioned that his decision to go after the 24-hour world record came after the 24-hour European Championships were cancelled in 2021. In 2022, the championships are back on and scheduled to take place in Verona, Italy in September. Sorokin has his eyes on the prize: “My main goal for the past two years has been winning the European 24-hour Championships,” Sorokin says. “I do want to do races in North America, but in the pandemic, it’s hard to make concrete plans.”

Sorokin also mentioned that he wanted to try some shorter distances in cooler climates over the next couple of months, but when we asked if he would be tackling any five or 10K races, he laughed, “I don’t run anything less than 10K.”

We may not be seeing Sorokin in a 5,000m race on the track anytime soon, but the 40-year-old ultrarunner carries an impressive 5K personal best of 15:45, which he ran last year in his hometown of Vilnius, Lithuania.

One Vancouver runner has taken 'plogging' to the next level

One year ago, Vancouver’s David Papineau was struggling to find the motivation to run. He was looking for a new challenge after running every street in the city. Papineau remembered the reason he originally stayed in Vancouver, his love for the outdoors and, of course, the moderate climate compared to his hometown, Calgary.

Over the next 10 months, Papineau picked up approximately 24,000 face masks off the streets of Vancouver. “On my runs, I couldn’t help but notice more pollution on the ground,” he says. “I began picking them up and recording each one in a spreadsheet.”

The act of picking up garbage while you run is called plogging, a combination of jogging and the word pick-up in Swedish (plocka upp). It is described as an eco-friendly exercise where people pick up trash while exercising as a way to clean up the environment.

“With more people working from home, there’s more pollution in areas you wouldn’t usually expect it,” Papineau says. “Parking lots, bus stations, parks and hospitals have become hotspots for mask pollution.”

As a runner at heart, Papineau eventually has a goal with his cleaning-up efforts. “I take a lot of pride in cleaning up these masks,” he says. “It’s become my obsession, like marathon running is for other runners.”

Papineau hopes to collect 30,000 face masks by March 30. “That is the day I began the challenge in 2021 – and it motivates me to get out the door and help this city become a cleaner space,” he says. Papineau brings his phone on each run to document each milestone, uploading pictures on his Twitter and Instagram. 

For those who are looking to start plogging in your local community, it doesn’t take much equipment. A pair of salad tongs, gloves and a durable/breathable bag you can carry. “Don’t get hyper-focused on picking up everything, as you won’t get very far,” Papineau says. He suggests planning your route and picking up just one type of garbage, like coffee cups.

Papineau’s efforts to clean up Vancouver have not been ignored. The type of bag he uses to collect the masks is from a Victoria, B.C. bakery called Porto-Fino. Nick Mulroney, the son of the former prime-minster Brian Mulroney, reached out to Papineau asking about the type of bag, later to find out Mulroney invested in the small Vancouver Island bakery.

How to Actually Stick to Your Goal Pace During Intervals

Run your intervals at the right speeds to make sure you’re getting the most out of each effort.

Getting faster doesn’t happen overnight. To run a faster marathon, for example, you have to first pick up the pace during short segments. When those short segments start to feel easy, you can start extending the amount of time you spend at that pace—eventually to as long as 26.2 miles.

That’s the benefit of interval training, a.k.a doing short, high-intensity efforts followed by low-intensity rest or recovery. With this approach, you can clock more high-intensity effort overall than you would during a steady-state run.

Imagine running your fastest mile pace for one mile—you might make it, but collapse at the end. Now, think about running your fastest mile pace for just 400 meters (about one quarter of that mile), followed by a two-minute recovery. You’d likely be able to repeat that six times, which adds up to a mile and a half of quality effort—something that you might not be able to sustain in one go. 

So, if you’re looking to get faster in any distance, intervals are a key workout to have on your training plan—and to maximize the benefits of these speed sessions, you have to find the right pace for you.

Why Interval Runs Need a Place on Your Training Plan

On a physiological level, intervals improve your body’s oxygen uptake abilities (a.k.a. your VO2 max), according to a 2015 study published in the journal Sports Medicine, so your working muscles can use that oxygen more efficiently and running will feel easier at a given intensity level. 

Interval training also leads to greater mitochondrial adaptations compared to continuous training, 2017 research published in the Journal of Physiology found. Your mitochondria—the powerhouses of your cells—produce aerobic energy, which powers the majority of endurance running.

Intervals are also proven to make you faster over time: Trail runners who did interval training for six weeks ran 5.7 percent faster in a 3,000-meter track test in a 2018 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. As your body gets used to maintaining faster paces for shorter periods, holding that pace for longer efforts will start to feel easier. 

But not all intervals are created equally. Short intervals help you develop muscular strength and power, while longer intervals train your body to better buffer lactic acid, so you tire less easily, explains Danny Mackey, head coach of the Brooks Beasts, one of America’s premier middle-distance track teams. Treating every interval like an all-out sprint can tank your workout from the first rep. On the other hand, figuring out how to properly pace a speed workout can feel intimidating. These tips will help you find your footing.

How to Figure Out Your Interval Run Pace

In general, the shorter the interval, the faster your pace (the same way you’d run a 5K faster than a marathon). 

Many training plans use race paces as reference points for intervals. For shorter intervals, you might aim for mile or 5K pace, while longer intervals call for half marathon or marathon pace. If you’ve raced those distances, that’s easy enough to figure you out. You can also pull your average mile pace for any recent race distance and then use a pace calculator to determine your other race paces.

But if you’ve never raced, that’s okay! “The talk test is a good gauge for new runners with no time history,” says Marnie Kunz, a USATF- and RRCA-certified run coach, NASM-certified trainer, and founder of Runstreet. “Intervals should be hard enough that you can’t carry on a conversation, while your recovery efforts should be at a conversational pace.” 

When you’re ready to get more specific with your interval pacing, you can do a time trial or benchmark workout, says Kunz. It’s basically like doing a race minus the race environment. During this type of run, you choose a distance—say, a mile—and then attempt to run it as fast as you can. Then, you can use that pace to determine interval paces.

Reminder: Those race or benchmark paces are a measure of your current fitness. So if you’re looking to hit a goal pace in a certain race, that’s your starting point, says Mackey. “You start where you’re at, and [throughout training] you’ll start noticing that hitting that pace feels easier,” he says. That’s when you start going faster.

That said, it’s a lot easier to run a 400- or 800-meter effort at your 5K pace than a whole 5K—so you can set a goal pace at which you run your intervals that’s a little faster than your average time, says Kunz. For example, if your current 5K personal best is a 7:15 average pace, your 5K goal pace for intervals may be a 7:00. When those 5K repeats at 7:00 feel less intense, it might be time to extend the length of the intervals for that pace.

How to Actually Stick to Those Interval Paces

The point of intervals is to stay consistent—if you run at an all-out sprint for one interval and then go twice as slow for the others, that pretty much defeats the point of the workout, says Kunz. “The biggest mistake runners make is going out too fast,” she says. “It’s better to start a little slower and get slightly faster with each interval.” That goes for within each interval, too—you want to eeeease into it instead of kicking things off at your top speed and slowing down from there.

FYI, that also applies to recovery periods. How long you recover will depend on the type of workout you’re doing. A general rule of thumb is to recover for half or the same amount of time as the work itself (i.e. 200 or 400 meters after a 400-meter interval). If you’re looking to start each effort as close to 100 percent as possible, your heart rate should come down to under 120, or about 60 percent of your maximum heart rate, during recovery, says Mackey. Shorter recoveries ramp up the intensity of the workout because they don’t give your heart rate time to drop.

To make sure you’re not starting out to fast and giving yourself proper recovery, try these tactics for sticking to your interval run goal pace:

Go off RPE

One of the best ways to stick to your paces is to gauge your rate of perceived exertion, or RPE, on a scale of one to 10. Recovery efforts should fall on the lower end of the scale, between numbers one through three; high-intensity efforts should be closer to seven through 10 (the shorter the interval, the higher it should fall on that scale). 

“If you’re not sure if you’re going hard enough, give it a month and see what you learn about your body,” says Mackey. “It’s uncomfortable to be training at those higher RPEs, but I guarantee you’re not only getting more fit, but you’re going to be able to better handle those more intense efforts.”

Integrate Tech

On the flip side, you can turn to tech to help you stay on pace. Certain running watches—like most Garmins and the Coros Pace 2—actually let you program a workout, including goal paces, in their partner apps. When you sync it to your watch and start running, the watch will beep or buzz during intervals to alert you as to whether you’re going faster or slower than your goal pace.

If you don’t love the idea of looking at your watch during intervals, NURVV running insoles, which use 32 different sensors to capture biometric data, have a Pace Coach feature in the partner app where you can program interval workouts. Then during your workout, you’ll get audio, visual, and haptic (if you have an Apple Watch) coaching based on your cadence and step length measurements to help you hit your target pace. 

It’s very rare that the pros are picking themselves off the track, he adds—which means you shouldn’t feel entirely depleted at the end of an interval session, either. 

The best way to end an interval session is to feel like you’ve got just one or two more reps in the tank, he says. That’s a pretty good indication that you put in the work, but will be ready to hit the ground running again in another 24 to 48 hours. 

Exercise can help prevent fatty liver disease, new research suggests. Here’s why that’s a big deal.

Running and strength training are two activities that may prevent a condition known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), new research shows. 

This may be due to the fact that exercise aids in lowering inflammation in your body and builds lean muscle mass that can help replace fat—both factors in the cause of NAFLD. 

Running is beneficial for your heart, brain, and muscles—and new research suggests your liver could see the advantages as well.

A condition known as metabolic liver disease or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) involves fat deposits in the liver that increase over time and negatively impair your mitochondria (which play a role in turning the energy we get from food into energy our cells can use). That can impact how you metabolize carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, and can lead to organ damage if not addressed. 

A recent study in the journal Molecular Metabolism suggests that exercise can change mitochondrial function enough to reduce development of fatty liver deposits. Researchers fed mice a high-calorie diet to prompt liver fat development, then had some of them do treadmill training for six weeks. At the end of that time, those who’d been running showed more regulated liver enzymes and better mitochondrial activity.

Previous studies on people have shown the same connection between better liver function and regular exercise. For instance, a 2016 randomized clinical trial on those with NAFLD showed that vigorous and moderate exercise improved liver health markers. And commentary in 2018 in Gene Expression noted that exercise increases fatty acid oxidation and prevents mitochondrial damage in the liver.

Although preventing NAFLD might seem less important than other warding off other health risks like cardiovascular disease, cancer, or dementia, the condition’s prevalence rate indicates that it’s a major health problem—and it could get worse. When the disease shifts to a more severe form, it’s called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and it causes liver swelling and damage.

According to the American Liver Association, about 1 in 4 people have NASH and most are between the ages of 40 and 60. Up to a quarter of those with the condition develop cirrhosis, late-stage scarring in the liver that may require a transplant.

A 2018 study estimates that NAFLD will increase by 21 percent from 2015 to 2030, while NASH is expected to rise by 63 percent in the same timeframe. Those researchers anticipate that deaths due to these liver conditions will increase by 178 percent by 2030.

“The good news is that lifestyle changes can make a big difference, both for preventing NAFLD, as well as controlling or even reversing the condition if you have it,” Jeff McIntyre, NASH program director for the Global Liver Institute, told Runner’s World. 

He said that in addition to regular activity like running, other lifestyle strategies include avoiding foods with added sugar—a potentially major cause of liver inflammation, he said —and incorporating strength training into your routine, since lean muscle mass can help replace fat. 

“There are no approved medications yet for NASH or for NAFLD, so the main strategy for prevention and treatment is exercise and nutrition,” he said. “Plus, you’ll benefit other aspects of your body at the same time, like your cardiovascular system and cognitive health. So movement really is medicine.”

Canadian Reid Coolsaet signs with Salomon

Since making the jump from the roads to the trails, Canada’s Reid Coolsaet has already begun making a name for himself and brands have taken notice. The two-time Olympian announced Thursday he had signed a sponsorship agreement with Salomon heading into the 2022 ultra-trail racing season.

Coolsaet is one of Canada’s most successful distance runners. He represented Canada twice in the Olympic marathon (London 2012 and Rio 2016) and has competed on the track at multiple World Championships and international competitions. In 2011, he ran the second-fastest marathon by a Canadian athlete at the time, finishing third in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, 55 seconds. Today, he still holds the fifth-fastest Canadian marathon time in history.

Even after his Olympic days had come to a close, Coolsaet continued his career, turning his attention to master’s records. In June 2020, he ran 14:39 over 5K for the Canada Running Series virtual Spring Run-Off, breaking the Canadian M40 5K record of 14:42 held by Steve Boyd. His time was not ratifiable, but demonstrated he was still competitive in the sport.

Recently, he’s pivoted yet again, this time to the ultra-trail running scene. In August 2021, he won his debut ultra-trail race, placing first at the Quebec Mega Trail 110K in 14:24:16 despite taking a wrong turn and running 10K more than the rest of the field. Thanks to his partnership with Canadian company Stoked Oats, he was granted entry to this year’s Western States Endurance Run, and will be lining up in Olympic Valley, California on June 25.

“We are thrilled to announce that Reid Coolsaet is joining our Salomon Canada elite running team,” says Sr. Marketing Manager at Salomon Canada Virginie Murdison. “Reid is a prominent figure in the Canadian running scene, a well-regarded coach, and exemplifies Salomon’s values of inclusivity, clean sport, encouraging every individual to get outside and play. We are excited to partner with Reid as he takes on new adventures on and off the trails.”

Running fans across the country have been excited to see Coolsaet back on start lines (and podiums), and with this new sponsorship, Canadians everywhere will be excitedly waiting to see what he does next.

Abel Kipchumba, Brigid Kosgei among marquee names for the 2022 RAK Half Marathon

A stellar line-up of world-class runners will be a part of the 2022 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on February 19 (Saturday) as organisers Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) Tuesday revealed the race route and technical sponsors.

Vying for top spot in the world’s fastest half marathon is Kenya’s Abel Kipchumba and Brigid Kosgei, who will both compete against recently announced international elite athletes Jacob Kiplimo, and reigning champion of the 2020 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, Ababel Yeshaneh.

With a goal of bettering her personal best time of 1:04:49, current Marathon world record holder Kosgei is an experienced and highly sought after runner and makes an excellent addition to the impressive elite line up confirmed so far. Kosgei’s achievements include second place in Olympic Games, first place in both the 2020 and 2019 London Marathon and second place in the 2020 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon.

Joining Kosgei is male elite athlete, Abel Kipchumba, who famously secured the second fastest time in the 2021 Half Marathon distance category, with an incredible personal best of 58:07.

Looking to beat his personal best time, Kipchumba is expected to deliver an exciting competition and add to a series of world-class records which includes first place at the 2021 Valencia Half Marathon and 2021 Adizero Road to Records, and second place in the 2020 Napoli City Half Marathon.

The race will once again return to the stunning Marjan Island, set against the picturesque backdrop of the Arabian Gulf, treating all athletes to pristine views of the nature-based Emirate’s white sandy beaches and shimmering coastline.

Try this simple fartlek workout to improve your 5K

Winter is the perfect time to build a training base before any spring races. Focusing on improving your top-end speed with fartlek training can translate well to the 5 km distance and even trickle down to faster times for the half-marathon and marathon. The idea behind fartlek training is to help your body to adapt to various speeds and threshold zones.

Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning speed play. A fartlek session involves a continuous run while increasing and decreasing the speed and intensity for a period of time. Fartlek and interval training has many of the same benefits but the difference is the continuous running between reps. 

The workout

10 to 15 reps of 90 seconds hard and one minute easy

Although 10 to 15 reps may seem like a lot on paper, the point of this workout isn’t the number of reps – it’s the time on your feet. To get the most out of it, spend the 90 seconds at your goal 5K pace, then the one-minute rest at a slow easy jog pace (for most runners this would be two to three minutes slower than your pace for the 90 seconds). 10 to 15 reps can simulate a 5K race. Your average pace on each rep will give an estimate of your current 5K time.

Runners have the option to make this workout easy or hard depending on their rest pace. The faster you jog your rest minute, the harder the workout will become, as your heart rate will remain high. My recommendation would be to start with a slow jog rest and increase your rest pace as you advance through the workout, depending on how your body feels.

If you are finding that the workout is too hard, even with the slow jog, break the workout in half: two sets of seven reps of 90 seconds and a minute jog (with three minutes jog rest between sets). The purpose of the workout is to maintain your goal 5K pace for its entirety If you are dropping off the pace after six or seven reps, don’t be afraid to add the additional rest to control your heart rate. 

This workout is also helpful for beginners learning to run. Run the 90 seconds and transition to the one-minute jog into a one-minute walk, then repeat.

2022 Dubai Marathon edition will not take place in January but hopefully in December due to COVID-19

The 2022 Dubai Marathon has been postponed, organizers told LetsRun.com last week. Typically staged in late January, the 2021 edition was cancelled due to COVID-19 and the 2022 edition will not take place in January either as local health and safety guidelines — including a temporary ban on flights from Kenya and Ethiopia — make it difficult to stage the race.

First held in 2000, Dubai began offering a $250,000 first-place prize in 2008 and a $1 million bonus for a world record. Though the world record bonus no longer exists and the prize money has been cut, the $100,000 reward for first place remains one of the biggest paydays in the sport.

As of now, Pace Events, the organizers and promoters of the Dubai Marathon, have set a tentative date of December 10 for the postponed 2022 edition. That would put the race in competition with the Abu Dhabi Marathon, a rival race begun in 2018 which staged its 2021 edition on November 26.

Pace Events provided the following statement to LetsRun.com on the 2022 Dubai Marathon:

On behalf of Pace Events FZ LLC, we trust you had a good new year and are looking forward to a brighter future for running events. As the organisers of the Dubai Marathon for 21 consecutive years since its first edition in 2000, Pace Events anticipates a time when we can all come together and have another World Athletics-sanctioned Marathon and mass participation event in the city of Dubai.

Unfortunately, because of the current situation and adhering to the strict local health and safety guidelines, it still remains impossible for Pace Events to reunite the running community in Dubai with its iconic Marathon in the early part of 2022. Races organised by our team normally attract well in excess of 25,000 runners from all over the world and until we can safely bring together athletes, stakeholders, sponsors, partners and officials we have to wait for circumstances to change.

Naturally, we are disappointed to have to wait longer but we hope to be able to put on a bigger and better event later this year. The date we have set for the return is December 10, 2022.

For now, we can only sit tight and look forward to seeing everyone on the start line…

Here is what you need to do, if you get injured while running

You’re running along, and all of a sudden, you feel something pop. This could be a sign that you’ve injured yourself while running. The pain is unbearable, and the adrenaline kicks in to try and get you back home as quickly as possible. But what do you do next? This blog post will cover what to do if you are injured while running, how long it takes for injuries to heal, and why it’s important not to play through injury when it comes to sports activities like running. Read the tips below.

Take a Break From Running and Let Your Body Heal

If you experience an injury while running, it’s important to take a break from the activity and let your body heal. If you don’t take care of your injuries properly, they can cause long-term damage such as chronic pain or even permanent disability. The worst thing is that if left untreated, these types of injuries will get worse over time.

This is why you need to act quickly and see a doctor as soon as possible, even when the injury doesn’t seem that bad at first glance. An x-ray or MRI may be necessary so that your physician can give you an accurate diagnosis of what’s wrong with your body. Once they have identified the problem, it will be easier to prescribe the appropriate treatment for your injury, including physical therapy.

Apply An Ice Pack to the Injury for 15 Minutes Every Hour

When you injure your muscles, it’s common to experience swelling and bruising. The tissue has been damaged or injured from an impact such as a fall or sudden twist. To reduce pain and inflammation caused by this injury while running, apply an ice pack for 15 minutes every hour until all signs of redness have disappeared.

It’s also important to remember that while icing your injury, you should not apply heat simultaneously because this will have an opposite effect and cause swelling to increase.

Find a Physical Therapist

When you’re dealing with an injury while running, it can be tempting to want to do as much as possible on your own. However, there are a few things that a physical therapist will be able to help you with. If you need help soothing your aches and pains, your physical therapist can tailor a treatment plan for you. The physical therapy process involves applying pressure and stretching the injured area. This will help get your muscles working again so that you can start running healthy and strong without any pain or discomfort in a short period of time.

It takes an average of three weeks for a typical running injury to heal, but some injuries can take up to six months. The amount of time it takes for your body to fully recover from an injury while running is largely impacted by how severe the damage was and what type of treatment you received after sustaining the injury. With the help of physical therapy, you should be back on the road in no time.

Rest Until You are Pain-Free Before Returning to Normal Activities

It’s important to give your body the proper amount of time to heal before returning to an activity such as running. This is because it will be easy for you to re-injure yourself during this process and cause more damage, leading to chronic pain or disability that can last a lifetime. To ensure no further injury occurs, you should stay off your feet until the pain goes away.

Pain-free doesn’t mean that it’s healed, but if there is no discomfort or aches when standing up or walking around, then this means that it will be safe to resume normal activities without risking any more damage to your injury while running. If you are still experiencing some

Use a Brace or Wrap if Needed to Support the Injured Area

Your body needs to have the proper support when you’re wearing a brace or wrap. This will help prevent further injury during running activities, which can easily aggravate an existing injury. After getting fitted with a supportive device, make sure that it is comfortable and fits correctly so that there are no gaps between the brace and the injured area.

If there is a gap, it will be easy for you to irritate the injury even more and make things worse than they already are. It’s also important that you learn how to wrap or strap your ankle so that it doesn’t slip out of place while running again because this can lead to further damage down the road.

The best thing you can do for an injury is to follow these simple steps and have patience. If your pain doesn’t subside, consult a medical professional immediately, as this could indicate something more serious. We hope that you will feel better soon by following our advice! Do not try to push through the pain or return to running too quickly; your body must have time to heal properly, so please take care of yourself and stay well hydrated during recovery.

Running through extreme grief

Nearly 13 years ago, Oakville, Ont. runner Lynn Keane’s life changed forever. On a late April day, she, her husband, her two daughters and many others who knew and loved their son, Daniel, became survivors of suicide loss. Since that day, Keane has had to follow a journey of radical transformation, which no one who hasn’t been through it could ever imagine taking. Recently, we spoke with Keane about her journey and how running and movement helped her find healing and peace. This is her story.

Keane’s life as a runner began in high school, when she competed as a sprinter. “As a teenager, I found joy in running high school track,” she says. “Sprinting around the track I was able to shed the labels and preconceived ideas that had been ascribed to me as a mixed-race kid growing up in Toronto.”

After several years away from the sport, she began running again as an adult, starting with 5K and eventually working her way up to a marathon. She says this process helped her build resilience and mental toughness that she would rely on to get her through the dark days ahead.

A few days after losing Daniel, when she and her family were struggling just to make it through the day, she put on her shoes and went for a run. “I needed to do something normal, and putting one foot in front of the other was so familiar,” she says. “It was also so healing because I could be alone, I could be outdoors and just scream at the sun, the moon — whatever. I could just be me and cry.”

After that first run, she knew it was something she needed to do. If she couldn’t do anything else, she would run. She also began researching and speaking with medical professionals so she could begin to understand her son’s experience. “Over the years I’ve worked to accept the loss and figure out ways to make the world a better place for young people now that I have this knowledge,” she says, “but running was the catalyst. Once I could get back out and physically move my body, the brain started to follow.”

Keane describes movement as a healing act, and it has remained that way all these years later. “I think because you make a commitment to yourself, which requires discipline, and that’s when grit happens,” she says. “Whether you’re depending on yourself, or your run crew is depending on you to show up, there are all these little habits that come from being a regular runner that builds dependence on oneself.”

Keane has now finished 14 marathons and more than 20 half-marathons. She’s a five-time Boston Marathon finisher, has done six half-Ironmans and one full Ironman and was the co-founder and co-race director of the Muskoka Rocks Races for 16 years. “In 2015 I finished my first half (Ironman), and coming across the finish line was life-changing, because that was another moment when I said ‘you can do big things’,” she says.

For anyone going through a difficult time or grappling with extreme loss, Keane says that in time, grief will not disappear, but will become part of you. “When you have these moments that are overwhelming, acknowledge them,” she says, “because in time, everything that you’ve gone through will serve to strengthen who you are.” She adds that it is an incredibly difficult process, but getting support from a professional, friend or someone you trust can go a long way toward helping you to heal. “Honour the pain, live in the pain, because if you don’t, you’re only putting it away for another day,” she says.

Advocacy and awareness

Aside from running and triathlons, Keane dealt with her loss by sharing Daniel’s story so others could see themselves and seek out the support they needed. “I wanted to offer real-time understanding around youth depression and anxiety, so that we, as family, friends and community could provide compassionate support from a place of knowledge and understanding,” she says.

Keane has done a TedX Youth Talk about suicide prevention and written a book, Give Sorrow Words. She’s dedicated herself to educating others about youth suicide prevention and has worked with a wide range of suicide prevention and mental health advocacy groups and organizations. including The JED Foundation, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, The International Summit on Suicide Research, the Canadian Mental Health Association (Halton) and Bell Let’s Talk Day, among others.

“In sharing our son’s story, we are honouring his life and his time on Earth,” says Keane. “I know that Daniel’s story has helped to normalize conversations around youth mental illness and suicide prevention.”

Radical transformation

“You have these horrific life experiences and you can choose to stay in that place… and of course, I did for a long time. And then one day, maybe you can see that little sliver,” says Keane. “That very little bit of light at the end of a very long tunnel and know that you can get to it, and on the other side is life again.”

Keane considers herself to be living proof of the resiliency of the human spirit. Running gave her strength she didn’t know she had until she needed it, and helped her get through the darkest moments of her life.

“When we push our body, we challenge our mind—gathering strength and fortifying ourselves for life,” she says. “Running and triathlon have served to strengthen my spirit, allowed me to survive trauma and find a greater purpose in life. That is my why.”

The celebrities who love to run

As well as championing a vegan diet and showing off the latest fashion trends at red carpet events, celebrities regularly maintain their health and fitness with a solid dose of daily exercise. In fact, for many famous faces, running is the most effective and enjoyable way to keep them in shape and ready for a range of public appearances which come with such status. 

On the whole, a lot of the world’s well-known celebrities adore sport which is why seeing a range of Hollywood stars and established music-makers donning their running gear as they attempt to shed some pounds in the New Year is hardly surprising. The likes of Mark Wahlberg, Will Smith and Snoop Dogg adore the big sporting events, perhaps dabbling in the odd sports bet from time to time and even offering their views on various developments as they unfold during a football or basketball season.

It should come as no surprise, then, when the same stars supplement their love of watching sport with a fitness session or two, essentially just like the rest of us do. For many, running is the ideal way to keep in shape as it’s not only a great way of staying fit and healthy, but it alleviates the stresses and strains which can occur when you’re constantly in the spotlight. With that in mind, below is a look at some famous celebrities who fit a daily or weekly run into their busy schedules. 

Mark Zuckerberg

The man behind Facebook has regularly shared updates on social media regarding his love of running. So much so, in fact, that Zuckerberg even did a ‘year of running challenge’ which gathered real momentum on the social media site he founded, with the aim being to run 365 miles in a year. Zuckerberg managed to finish the challenge five months early and captivated audiences as a result, educating people on the benefits of running in terms of both physical and mental health.

Victoria Beckham

Being a part of one of most famous couples in the world certainly comes with its drawbacks, with one them being the constant scrutiny surrounding the way a pair looks. With fitness evidently being of high importance to Victoria Beckham and her retired soccer star husband David Beckham, it should come as no surprise to learn that she manages to fit a daily 5K run into her routine. Speaking to Vogue Australia, the former Spice Girl said: “I go for a three-mile run every morning and I work out for an hour with a PT.” 

Jennifer Lawrence

A keen runner, Jennifer Lawrence used running to her benefit as she aimed to get ready for Hunger Games in 2012. A movie which required a great deal of fitness and a number of running scenes for Lawrence to get stuck into, the popular actress admitted that she’s a tad self-conscious when it comes to her running style.

Speaking after the release of the movie in 2012, Lawrence said: “I’m most nervous about everybody making fun of the way I run. I do, like, karate hands. Instead of running with my hands closed together like a normal person. It’s like I’m trying to be aerodynamic or something, so my hands are straight like razors.” 

Gordon Ramsay

Alongside berating deluded restaurant owners and showcasing his French cooking skills, Gordon Ramsey is a keen runner. Regularly taking part in the London Marathon over the years, the world-famous chef has an impressive marathon PB of 3:30:37 and is commonly spotted running both in the UK and in his neighbourhood in America.

Jennifer Aniston

Former Friends star, Jennifer Aniston, is known to focus a great deal on her health and fitness, favouring a range of methods of exercise such as boxing for cardio and spin classes. Aniston has also been seen running on numerous occasions as she aims to stay in shape ahead of her next movie role. 

Eva Longoria

Following an interview with Health magazine, Eva Longoriabe came even more of a hit with women aiming to master their health and fitness around the world. The Desperate Housewives star also enjoys yoga and pilates, but it’s running which is her main bag, recently saying: “I’m a runner, first of all. I run a lot.” 

Other celebrity runners include Reese Witherspoon, Eminem, Richard Branson, Louis Theroux, Karlie Kloss, Kate Middleton, Reggie Miller, and Meghan Markle.

World record holder Eliud Kipchoge to run Tokyo Marathon if it happens and if he can get into country

On Jan. 19 it was learned that men's marathon world record holder and two-time Olympic marathon gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge, 37, may run the Mar. 6 Tokyo Marathon. Multiple sources involved in the situation said that the Tokyo Marathon organizers have extended an offer to Kipchoge for his participation. If he does run, there is a strong possibility that he will break both the course and all-comers' records of 2:03:58 set in 2017 by Wilson Kipsang by a wide margin.

At the same time, the Omicron coronavirus variant is likely to have a significant impact on the event's chances. The government has banned all non-resident foreigners from entering the country since Nov. 30 last year. Tokyo and other areas of the country are set to enter a partial state of emergency on Jan. 21.

And the Tokyo Marathon organizers have established the policy that they will cancel the race if after Feb. 6 the government asks large-scale events to refrain from going forward and it meets the criteria. The Tokyo Marathon was originally scheduled for March last year. It was initially postponed to October due to rising coronavirus numbers, then postponed again to March, 2022.

As the Omicron variant continues to spread, road races across Japan have begun to cancel one after another. With a dark cloud hanging over the Tokyo Marathon's future it is not even clear whether Kipchoge would be able to enter the country.

Organizers are waiting for the right opportunity to announce the elite field, and are still hopeful of making the best decision about the event. If the best runner in history is able to clear the hurdles set before him, a new chapter will be engraved in the history of Tokyo.

Is the sound of your footstrike important?

A common piece of advice given to runners is to land softly or quietly with each step to avoid injuries and improve stride efficiency. While this sounds like a reasonable suggestion, new research has determined that the softness of our footstrike may not be as important as we once thought.

The hypothesis

The idea behind trying to land softer when you run is that by doing so, you decrease the landing forces acting on your joints and muscles, thereby reducing your risk for impact-related running injuries, like stress fractures. At the same time, focusing on landing softly is thought to promote a smoother, more efficient stride, which could reduce your risk for overuse injuries like runner’s knee and other common problems that affect runners.

This seemed to be confirmed by a 2016 Harvard study, which found female runners who had a softer landing when they ran (regardless of size or weight) appeared to experience lower rates of injuries. This led many coaches and physiotherapists to encourage runners to listen to the sound of their footstrike while out for a run. A loud footstrike meant you were landing hard, thereby putting you at a greater risk for injuries, while a quiet footstrike meant the opposite.

The study

The goal of this study, published in the Journal of Athletic Training, was to examine the relationship between impact sound and loading rates. The researchers had 30 participants (15 women and 15 men) complete running trials with three different footstrike techniques (rearfoot strike, midfoot strike and forefoot strike) in a gait analysis laboratory. They measured the impact sound using a shotgun microphone, and analyzed the peak sound amplitude, median frequency and sound duration.

They found that a midfoot strike produced the loudest sound, followed by a forefoot strike. Interestingly, the rearfoot striking technique appeared to produce the softest sound. More importantly, the researchers found no significant relationship between footstrike volume and loading rates.

“The results suggest that impact-sound characteristics may be used to differentiate foot-strike patterns in runners,” the researchers concluded. “However, these did not relate to lower limb kinetics. Therefore, clinicians should not solely rely on impact sound to infer impact loading.”

What does this mean for runners?

Focusing on how loud your foot is when it hits the ground may not be as beneficial at preventing injuries as you want it to be. Injuries are complicated, and it’s often a multitude of factors that lead to an injury, not just one specific issue. Most experts agree that running injuries are more often a result of doing too much too soon, not allowing your body to recover properly between sessions or having some strength imbalances that cause the overuse of specific muscles. More often than not, it’s a combination of two or more of those issues.

That’s not to say that there’s no benefit to improving your gait or stride. If you’re more efficient with every step, you’ll be able to run faster with fewer injuries, which, of course, is the goal of most runners. If you want to improve your stride, you’re better off speaking with a running-specific physiotherapist or other sports therapist who can identify the areas you need to improve and give you drills, stretches and exercises to get you there. More often than not, actively trying to change your stride mid-run is frustrating and ineffective, and can even lead to injuries.

So whether you glide across the roads like a mosquito on water or your feet hit the pavement like you’re a part of “Stomp, the Musical”, it may not matter. Regardless of what level of sound your feet make, if you’re experiencing a high rate of injuries, it’s time to speak with a sports therapist to get to the root of the problem so you can run happy and healthy without interruption.

Donovan Brazier and Kenya’s Michael Saruni will headline 400m and 800m fields at Millrose Games

Organizers of the Millrose Games have announced strong fields for the men’s 800m and 400m for the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting.

The 800m is headlined by Kenya’s Michael Saruni, the 2019 Millrose Games 800m champion. His African indoor record of 1:43.98 in that race is the fastest indoor 800m clocking ever achieved in the US and made Saruni the second-fastest indoor performer at that time.

“It will be really great to come back to The Armory and the Millrose Games where I had such a great winning race,” said Saruni, who formerly held the world best for the indoor 600m.

Bryce Hoppel returns to the Millrose Games after placing second in the 800m in 2020. Hoppel finished fourth at the 2019 World Championships and ranks seventh on the world indoor all-time list for 800m with a best of 1:44.37. NCAA champion Isaiah Jewett, who joined Hoppel on the US Olympic team last year, is also set to compete.

Four other Olympians will take part in this race, including Charlie Hunter of Australia, Mexican record-holder Jesus Lopez of Mexico, Spanish record-holder Saul Ordonez and Irish record-holder Mark English. Isaiah Harris, who represented the USA at the 2017 World Championships, is also in the field.

Donavan Brazier, the world champion over 800m, has opted against contesting his specialist distance at the Millrose Games and will instead test his speed in the 400m. The 24-year-old, who holds the North American 800m records indoors (1:44.21) and outdoors (1:42.34), has an indoor 400m PB of 46.91.

“I’m really excited about running the 400m at Millrose,” said Brazier, whose 2021 season was hampered by injury. “I look forward to the challenge, and it is also part of our plan for continued improvement in the 800m.”

Brazier will face a stiff challenge in the form of Jamaica’s Olympic finalist Christopher Taylor, 2015 world 4x400m champion Vernon Norwood and triple Paralympic medalist Hunter Woodhall.

Other top athletes so far announced for the Millrose Games include Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser, world shot put champion Joe Kovacs, Olympic 800m champion Athing Mu, Olympic pole vault champion Katie Nageotte, world indoor pole vault champion Sandi Morris, world 100m hurdles record-holder Kendra Harrison, 2016 world indoor 60m champion Trayvon Bromell, Olympic 200m bronze medalist Gabby Thomas, and Olympic 1500m bronze medalist Josh Kerr.

Olympic 1500m silver medalist Laura Muir is set to attack world 1000m record in Birmingham

Next month’s Müller Indoor Grand Prix will see the Olympic 1500m silver medalist target the long-standing global mark of 2:30.94 held by Maria Mutola

Laura Muir will attempt to break the 1000m world indoor record at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham on Saturday February 19

Muir holds the European indoor 1000m record after having clocked 2:31.93 in Birmingham in 2017, whereas the world record is held by Maria Mutola, the Olympic 800m champion in Sydney 2000, who ran 2:30.94 in Stockholm in 1999.

With a packed athletics calendar over the next 12 months featuring two global championships – in addition to the European Championships and Commonwealth Games – Scotland’s Muir, a multiple European indoor champion, is determined to get her year off to a strong start at the Birmingham meeting, which takes place in exactly one month’s time and which forms part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold series.

“I’m currently out in South Africa continuing my preparations for the 2022 season, so it will be exciting to get a chance to race indoors and I’m looking forward to testing myself over 1000m at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham,” said the 28-year-old, who also holds the European indoor record over 3000m.

“I had an incredible year in 2021 and it was fun to finish it off by racing in Scotland over cross country, but it’s time to get back to running fast times on the track. Birmingham holds many fond memories for me winning two medals at the World Indoor Championships and breaking a number of national records.

“I ran the British and European record of 2:31.93 on this track in 2017 which made me the second fastest of all time over the distance, so I would love to try and go one better and break the world indoor record.

“It won’t be an easy record to break – it has stood since 1999 – but the track is fast and the crowd in Birmingham are great, so hopefully I can run it close.”

The Müller Indoor Grand Prix is the fifth meeting of the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Tour (Gold). There are seven ‘Gold’ level meetings across the series, starting with Karlsruhe on January 28 and culminating in Madrid on March 2.

Throughout the series, each athlete’s best three results will count towards their overall points score. The athlete with the most points in each scoring discipline at the end of the tour will be declared the winner and will be awarded a USD$10,000 bonus along with a wild card entry for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade in March.

In addition to Muir, athletes set to compete in Birmingham include pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, 800m star Keely Hodgkinson and sprint hurdlers Andy Pozzi and Grant Holloway.

Add some watermelon to your beets for a boost in performance, a new research shows the combination of beetroot extract and citrulline can improve your endurance and strength

Over the last decade, beets have become popular among distance runners, not for their earthy aroma or bright purple hue, but for their 100 per cent legal performance-enhancing properties. If you’re among the beet-eaters, you can get even more bang for your buck. New research shows that by combining beets with a source of citrulline, such as watermelon, you can improve your running performance even further.

Beets and performance

Beets rose in popularity several years ago because they contain inorganic nitrate, which is converted to nitrite and then into nitric oxide. This increases blood flow to the muscles and improves aerobic energy utilization, which allows you to run harder for longer.

Citrulline and performance

Studies have shown that citrulline, which is found in watermelon, squash, nuts, chickpeas and gourds, can decrease fatigue during exercise and decrease muscle soreness, which allows you to perform more work before getting tired.

Beets and citrulline: the study

In previous studies, consuming citrulline appears to improve the rate of nitric oxide production in your body, but the research has been minimal. The goal of this most recent study, which was published in the journal Nutrients, was to determine how citrulline plus beetroot extract supplementation affected the performance of endurance athletes.

To do this, the researchers split a group of male triathletes into four different groups: a placebo group, a citrulline plus beetroot group, a citrulline-only group and a beetroot-only group. The supplementation protocol lasted nine weeks, before and after which the athletes performed several physical condition tests to determine their strength, power and endurance.

The researchers found that the combination of citrulline and beetroot extract improved participants’ VO2 max and endurance strength, and compared with citrulline or beetroot supplementation alone, “this combination improved performance in tests related to aerobic power.”

This research is still new and more study needs to be done, but for now, if you’re looking for a boost in performance, the citrulline and beetroot combo seems to be effective. It’s also legal and doesn’t appear to have any significant side effects, but remember to speak with a dietitian or sports doctor before adding any supplement into your daily routine to ensure that you’re taking it correctly.