April 2010 Archives

ASICS America is the sponsor of the 101rst Drake Relays, one of the oldest and most prestigious meets in the U.S. This is their second year of sponsorship, and they brought in most of their top athletes. Diane Pickler not only won, but set a meet record for the heptathlon! LoLo Jones had a fast time, early season, but placed second in 12.68, among the others!

The Drake Relays celebrates all that is good with our sport in the Midwest. Like, Kansas Relays, Texas Relays, Mt. SAC and Penn Relays, big relay meets give the fan and young athlete a chance to see competition at its purest! Great relays, early season competitions where Mother Nature, at times, is tougher than one's competitors!

Enjoy the pictures of athletes in this gallery!

Special thanks to John Barnhart/Stylecraft, and Ben Cesar/ASICS America.

Tyson Gay, USA Champs, 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Tyson Gay is healthy once again. Injuries that date back to his time at Arkansas were operated on this past fall, and Gay is showing his form, having run a 44.89 for 400 meters, and a new found confidence. All this means that a Bolt versus Gay clash this year could take us to new found heights in the world of sprinting! 

Jenny Barringer, New Balance Games 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Big weekend of track and field is fast approaching! In Jamaica, on Saturday, May 1, Usain Bolt will run his first 200 meters in Kingston, with Wallace Spearmon (ran 20.20 at Drake) joining him in the fun! DeeDee Trotter will be running 400 meters in Kingston as well! On the men's side of the track, Tyson Gay will be running another 400 meters! Remember, Tyson ran 44.89 just two weeks ago!

In Palo, Alto, California, also on May 1, the Payton Jordan Invitational will take place. The race of the night should be the men's 10,000 meters, section 1, also known as the Kim McDonald Invitational 10k. The race will feature a who's who of the 10,000 meters in the U.S. racing circuit, including Galen Rupp, Anthony Famiglietti, Tim Nelson, and Mike Aish, to name just a few. Jenny Barringer leads a tough 1,500 meter field for the women and Shalane Flanagan, U.S. record holder at 5,000m, 10,000m, and the half marathon, will be racing over the 5,000 meter distance.

Track season is just about here!

Galen Rupp, NYRR Distance Carnivale, April 23, 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Okay sports fans, use those mileage plus miles, procure your airline ticket and get yourself
to the Payton Jordan Invitational on May 1. Some serious distance racing will be going on, starting about 4.45 pm and ending around 11 pm, with a very fast (dare we say attempt at
the American record for 10,000 meters)?

Jenny Barringer is running the 1,500 meters, along with Jenn Rhines and NCAA cross champ Angela Bizzari. Serious women's 5,000 meters with Shalane Flanagan and new CR at 10,000m Lisa Koll, along with Lauren Fleshmann. On the men's side, Abdi Abdirahman leads a stellar field in the men's 5,000m field which includes Bolata Asmeron, Kyle King and Micheal Coe. Also, RBR suggests watching heat 1 of the Men's 1,500 meters, where Chris Derrick (AR, 5,000m, Juniors), Dylan Ferris and Elliot Heath, all wearing the Stanford uniforms, will be duking it out over 1,500 meters. (Derrick went 13.29 to Ferris' 13.31 at Mt.SAC two weeks ago, for those with inquiring minds).

But, dear friends, the race on Saturday night should be the Kim McDonald 10,000 meters. The late Kim McDonald was one of our sports most colorful and paradigm changing agents, challenging not only how athletes were compensated, and the need for our sport to evolve into a higher professional standard, but also how athletes trained.

The field here is, well, epic. Galen Rupp, Alistair Cregg, Samuel Chelanga, Chris Solinsky, Simon Bairu, Mike Aish (Kiwi record holder), Tim Nelson, Anthony Famigliettie aka FAM, Sean Quigley. Heck, half of the population of Madison, Wisconsin (see Nike/Kimbia) is running! Not to let our friends from Minnesota down, Patrick Smyth should also impress!

Hopefully, yours truly will be standing in the middle of the field, watching about five guys together with a lap to go drop a 53 and watch three or four national records go bye, bye!
Payton Jordan would be pleased..and so would Kim McDonald.
 

The sheet shown above, provided as a visual aid, (courtesy of Glenn Latimer), shows how the Virgin London staff sprang into action to bring 53 elite runners and pacemakers into London for the Virgin London marathon. Without this plan, and without the creative action of the staff, the world's elite would have been left in Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, France, Russia, Spain. The $150k reportedly spent, chartering two jets, one prop plane and a charter bus, made the "race for an ages, a reality." Read on....

How does one explain the superlatives? A little volcano in Iceland stops air traffic in and out of the British Isles and 23 other countries. Thousands of travelers are affected. On the Wednesday before the marathon, April 22, Heathrow Airport opened up, and the elite athletes started pouring into London, from all over (watch for the inside story in an upcoming blog).
Tsebede Kebede breaks a Kenyan winning streak at London with his 2:05:19! Liliya Shobukhova leads a 1,2 punch from Russia on the women's side, the first time a Russian women has won at Virgin London! And the man who paid 17 million pounds to sponsor Virgin London, Sir Richard Branson? Wearing butterfly wings and surrounded by three dozen of his closest friends, Sir Richard ran 5:02, getting under his debut goal of six hours! The following photos are from PhotoRun.net. Among the photographers, Victor Sailer, who flew all night from San Francisco, after covering UC Berkeley's NYRR Distance Carnival! Victor is now off to Dusseldorf this weekend! Special thanks to Dave Bedford and his team for their warm reception to RBR!




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• London Marathon 2010: Russia's Liliya Shobukhova win's women's race (telegraph.co.uk)
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Ilsa Paulson, NYC Half Marathon, 2008, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Congrats to Ilsa Paulson, the first U.S. women to win the RNR Country Music in it's 11 year history! Ilsa ran 2:33.41 for the victory! Paulson had planned to race in Italy on Sunday, and then, this little volcano thing happened!  Paulson was also the 2009 US marathon champion.

The NYRR Distance Carnival, held during the Brutus Hamilton Invitational (April 23) at UC Berkeley gave us a world leader at the women's 3,000m (8:53.8) by Amy Begley, Galen Rupp running a 13:32 5,000 meters and a windy 28:27 by Tomiko Sato. The photos were done by our most prolific photographer, Victah Sailer of PhotoRun.net, who, then jumped on a plane, and joined me in London for the Virgin London Marathon!  We hope you enjoy the photo gallery, prepared by Chuck Bartlett, RN Web manager:

Early on Monday morning, several of the Virgin London staff were finally sitting down. After the past two weeks, I was surprised that the team had not just collapsed! As of Sunday evening,
8 pm Local time, 36,549 had finished the Virgin London Marathon!

Congrats to Virgin for becoming a London sponsor and note that Sir Richard Branson, not only started the elite men's race, he ran 5:02 with friends, dressed up with butterfly wings! Mr. Branson was one of the more subdued outfits, which included one gentleman who ran the marathon with a 45 lb refrigerator on his back!

Liliya Shobukhova wins 2010 Virgin London Marathon, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Liliya Shobukhova gave Russia their first winner at the 2010 Virgin London Marathon,
running a superb 2:22:00! The European record holder at 5,000 meters, Shobukhova has
now won Virgin London and Bank of America Chicago marathons. Shobukhova is showing that she is the most shockingly effective marathon finisher on the women's side of the sport! Her comment, which was not ambivalent in the least, should strike fear in the hearts of most women marathon runners, " I want to win London 2012."

Usain Bolt does the pose, Greece 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Bolt-A-Mania arrived in Philadelphia, PA on Thursday evening and his relay team blasted a 37.99!  Penn lived up to its rep, with the USA versus the World package. with the US winning three of the six contested relays. Usain Bolt was time in 8.79 for his relay leg! Next week should be fun, in Jamaica, where Bolt will run the 200 meters and Tyson Gay will run the 400 meters. Wallace Spearmon, Jr ran 20.20 at 200 meters in Drake Relays! Spearmon and Bolt will be in the 200 meters in Kingston next weekend! Drake Relays had some world leaders as well as some great hurdle races! LoLo Jones ran 12.68-and yes, placed second! Kara Patterson of the U.S. set a Drake record winning the javelin, and the men's mile had six under four minutes, with Boaz Lomong defeating Bernard Lagat in an early season mile!

If you did not follow our LIVE coverage of the Virgin London Marathon, the read our next post, about how the 2010 Virgin London Marathon may have been the best ever!

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• Place in history would be only reason for Usain Bolt to run 400 meters (sports.espn.go.com)

For more on the sport, please check out www.american-trackandfield.com.

Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, Osaka 2007 WC, photo by PhotoRun.net.

50,000 people enjoyed a wonderful track meet in Dakar, Senegal, along with a concert
featuring Yousuf Ndour. Some strong performances includining WL over 3,000 meters ( Suleiman Kipses Simotwo)  and WL over 800 meters (Mbulaeni Mulaudzi ) !

Galen Rupp, Brutus Hamilton 5,000m, photo by PHotoRun.net.

The Brutus Hamilton Invite, in Berkeley, California was hosted the NYRR Distance Carnival. This year, Amy Begley won the 3,000 m race, in 8:53.73, a world leader. Galen Rupp won the 5,000 meters in 13:32.53 and Yuri Sato of Japan won the 10,000 meters in 28:27.93. While we thank NYRR for sponsoring the event in Berkeley, we wonder, outloud, why they did not put their resources into events such as Stanford Distance Carnival or Mt. SAC Distance Carnival, established events that could always use some support. At this time, our sport does not need more events, but events that are better produced and with better fields. 

Strong fields tonight in the People's Republic of Berkeley, as the women try and hit 8:42, the men go for 13:20 for 5k and 27:40 for 10k! Watch for results and pictures after I land in London tomorrow morning!

Patrick Smyth leads USA XC Champs, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Strong fields tonight in the People's Republic of Berkeley, as the women try and hit 8:42, the men go for 13:20 for 5k and 27:40 for 10k! Watch for results and pictures after I land in London tomorrow morning!

Usain Bolt, Beijing 2008, photo by PhotoRun.net.

It's Bolt-A-Mania time at the Penn Relays this weekend! USA versus the World, a series of
exciting relays that have become one of the highlights of the Relays will have Jamaican teams
this weekend!

Huge weekend in the world of Athletics! The 101rst Drake Relays started on Thursday,  the Penn Relays will have their USA vs the World on Saturday. We know that Asafa Powell is out of the Penn Relays due to slight injury. Usain Bolt will run for Jamaica on Saturday! LoLo Jones is running at Drake on Saturday. On Friday night in Berkely, CA, the Brutus Hamilton Invite has the NYRR Distance Carnival, featuring Galen Rupp in the 5,000 meters, Brett Gotcher in the 10,000 meters and Amy Begley in the women's 5,000 meters!

In Dakar, Yousou Ndour, a famous singer from Senegal will be performing in front of a crowd of 50,000 people , after the track festival on Saturday. Hamburg Marathon is hoping for good weather and a sub 2:10 marathon-they have 20,800 registered! In Nashville, Tennessee, over 35,000 runners will be running the Country Music Marathon & Halfmarathon, one of the fastest growing events in the country!

And on Sunday, the Virgin London marathon is expecting warm weather to greet defenders Sammy Wanjiru & Irena Mikitenko and 35,000 of their compatriots. The volcano in Iceland (actually the little one is causing all of the fuss in a land of volcanoes), stopped most of the elite field and many of the citizen runners from making it to London until Thursday. Mara Yamauchi, the British marathoner who placed second last year, spent five days trying to reach
London from New Mexico!

And to add insult to injury, LaShawn Merritt's reputed use of ExtenZe, a male enhancement product, is just not that funny. Mr. Merritt may be looking at a two year ban that will not allow him to defend his 400 meter title from 2008 in London 2012!

This story needs little commentary or introduction.  LaShawn Merritt has tested positive, three times for what a performance enhancing drug that drug experts note, "is not very effective." In what I believe is the first mea culpa of it's kind, Mr. Merrit claims that he used an over the counter male enhancement product, not knowing what secret ingredient did the enhancing. Moral of the story: Athletes must take the responsibility for what they ingest, pour on themselves, rub on themselves-you get the drift. In the end, Mr. Merritt will face an up to two year suspension for this purchase.

Updated 4/22/10

Juan Antonio Samaranch, who lead the I.O.C. and Olympic movement from 1980-2001, died on Wednesday evening, local time, in Spain, from heart failure. Mr. Samaranch was 89 years old, and had lead the I.O.C. and Olympic movement through its most problematic era.  In truth, for better or worse, Samaranch shaped much of what we see and have come to know as the modern Olympic movement.

On April 15, 2010, Saucony announced the signing of Lauryn Williams. Lauryn visited the Saucony campus outside of Boston, MA. This is the highlights of Lauryn's promotional
video, which was shown to the Saucony company, and some excerpts from her interview
with Sharon Barbano, VP of Communications/Saucony.

Magdelena Lewy Boulet, running 2:26:22
at Fortis Rotterdam Marathon, April 11, 2010,
photo by PhotoRun.net.

 

2010 Boston showed three American males in the top ten, plus seven in top 20,
and nine Americans in top 25! Jim Estes of USATF LDR posted the updated
qualifers for 2012 today, so please find them below. Any updates?
Email Jim, at jim.estes@usatf.org!

Just before their race: Ryan Hall, 4th, 2:08:41, Meb

Keflezighi, 5th, 2:09:26, photo courtesy of PhotoRun.net.

Magdelena Lewy Boulet, video courtesy of Bay Area Track Club www.bayareatrackclub.com Magdelena Lewy Boulet took second on April 11, 2010 at the Fortis Rotterdam marathon, running an exciting 2:26:22, the fourth fastest time by an American women. Magdelana is the fastest U.S. women of the year, and has had strong races at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon (January 2010) and Gate River 15k (March 2010). Special thanks to our friends at the Bay Area Track Club (www.bayareatrackclub.com), which promotes and supports athletes and athleticism in the Bay Area!

Robert Cheruiyot, 2010 Boston Marathon victor, photo by PhotoRun.net.

After the press conference today for the Boston 2010 winners, I reminded Guy Morse, about the year that Boston had to decide whether to cancel the race due to bad weather. In Chicago. CareyPinkowski had his tough year, where he had to close the course due to terribly hot weather. Now, Dave Bedford, and his team in London are facing an Icelandic volcano.

Per CNN, it seems like the volcano may be slowing down, but this series of eruptions could affect travel in Northern Europe, Russia and Scandanavia, per CNNs weather department. Some athletes still have not gotten there. The Virgin London staff has been working to get the elite athletes to London.

Also, this coming weekend, are the Penn Relays, with USA vs. the world and the Drake Relays, two of the top track & field carnivals in the U.S. Usain Bolt is running at Penn, and that should help fill up the stands!

Good luck to our friends in London this weekend!

 
Teyba Erkesso, 2010 BAA Marathon winner, 2:26:11, photo by PhotoRun.net.
In one of the most exciting races in the long and proud history of the Boston Marathon, 23,071 starters enjoyed cool weather and winds between 2-7 miles per hour to run gutty races on
both men and women's sides!

Robert Cheruiyot dueled with Deriba Merga to set a new course record in 2:05:52. On the women's side, Teyba Erkesso broke the race open about fifteen miles and barely held on, winning by five seconds at the finish over Tatyana Pushkareva of Russia, 2:26:11-2:26:14.

The 114th version of the Boston Marathon has been a great race! The women's race was tremendously close, and the men's race was one for the record books. Our sport's top marathon statistician, K. Ken Nakamura has provided the real geek stuff! Read, worship, read, worship, then run!

Welcome to the LIVE coverage of the 114th edition of the BAA Boston Marathon
coverage, provided by Runblogrun.com. Here is how we do it! We update
the elite races, every 3-5 miles! Just keep checking here and you will
see our coverage. Also note that we update, via twitter.com/runblogrun
each mile of the BAA Boston Marathon!

One of the other events that the BAA did on Sunday, April 18, was the BAA 5k. Lots of folks who did not qualify for the marathon, or who just wanted a fun race in downtown Boston before the marathon! The field dealt with Mother Nature, who, while she did not throw snow at the field, she did produce cold rain! Congrats to Josh Cox, who won the men's race in 14:31, and Jennifer Campbell, who won the women's race in 16:52, breaking the women's course record by 44 seconds! Nearly 5,000 runners ran the windy BAA 5k (temperature was in the mid 40s).

Photos by PhotoRun.net, and RN Gallery developed by Webmaster Chuck Bartlett:

The rain and cold did not disturb the 2010 BAA Elite Mile races, held Sunday morning, April 18, the day before the 114th running of the BAA Boston Marathon. On the men's side, Andy Baddeley of Great Britain over Markus Genuti of Ethiopia, in 4:08.6. Andy told RBR afterwards that he was both " pleased and surprised" with his victory. On the women's side, Morgan Uceny won after battling Sarah Hall and Erin Donahue, among others. One keen observer noted, " Morgan made her victory look easy", as Uceny won in 4:31.8.

The Running Network, with photos from PhotoRun.net, produced their photo gallery saluting the two great mile races! We thank Chuck Bartlett, RN webmaster, for his handiwork:

It has been about four days since I flew into Boston. The week of the Boston marathon is one of the most important weeks of the year for our sport. It is a litmus test of what is healthy, and not so healthy in the sport. What is fascinating is the amount of events that go on around the country during this week. Last weekend, there were eleven major marathons, including the Paris & Fortis Rotterdam marathons, plus the Arcadia Invitational, which is, in my mind, one the best track meets (at any level) in our sport. This weekend, however, should all be about the BAA Boston Marathon and it's 114th running.

Perhaps releases about fall marathons and fall marathon lotteries could be put off until the week after the marathon in question. Perhaps, instead of online bickering regarding disputed issues, perhaps the parties in question should find a way to work things out, in private, or keep your thoughts to yourselves. There are times when this sport looks a like an unruly group of grade schoolers on recess break, fighting about some green marbles.  

The truth is this: if we every really want to develop real global sponsors, then the so-called professionals in this sport, both track & field and road running, have to look at the big picture, and start playing fair and being professional. They have no one but themselves to blame when major sponsors, with real bucks, look to professional walleye fishing, midget tossing, TV poker matches or other sports detritus instead of our sport.
                                                                                                                                                                                              
 

The Boston Marathon weekend is beginning. The Icelandic volcanic eruptions has stopped nearly 500-600 marathoners from reaching Boston so far. The BAA is opening number pick up for these runners (check website) on Monday morning, for about an hour!

Congrats to Sally Kipyego and Molly Huddle on their superb 5,000 meters at Mt. SAC. Dan Huling, better known as a steepler, improved from 13:46 to 13:24.72. Brent Vaughn ran 13:26, as Huling and Vaughn lead five more men under 13:30!

Special thanks to Alfons Juck, our roving global news man, for his updates on this weekends world of track & field!

When Lauryn Williams was four years old, she was playing the neighborhood with her German Shepard, Ben. She had a habit of running home with Ben, and she would make a bit of a game of it. One day, as her mother observed, Lauryn was sprinting home besides Ben, and she passed him on her way home, sprinting with abandon. That night, her mother signed her up for her first track club, and the rest, as they say, is track & field history....




Lauryn Williams with Sharon Barbano, photo courtesy of Matt Teuten Photography

On Thursday, April 15, 2010, Saucony President, Richie Woodworth, announced, in front of the assembled company, that Lauryn Williams, had been signed by Saucony as a sponsored athlete. Saucony, one of the premier performance brands in running, had signed Wallace Spearmon, and now, Lauryn Williams, as they begin to develop a global sports marketing presence.

Catherine Ndereba, 2009 ASICS London 10k, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Stefani L. Weiss is a documentary film maker. Her labor of love is a film called WinCatherine. WinCatherine is a documentary film about Catherine Ndereba, arguably, the greatest women marathon racer of all times.

Consider this: Catherine Ndereba won the Boston Marathon in 2000, 2001, 2004 & 2005. Ndereba won silver Olympic medals in 2004 and 2008. Catherine also won silver medal at the 2005 World Championships (Helsinki), however, she also added two golds, one in 2003 (Paris), and 2007 (Osaka). In 2001, Catherine Ndereba broke the world record in Chicago, running a fine 2:18:47. In 2009, finishing seventh in London, Catherine tied Katrin Dorre with 21 sub 2:30 marathons. Catherine has a bold racing style, coming from behind, with a ferocious finish. Catherine Ndereba is also a trailblazer for Kenyan women.

Stefani L. Weiss has followed Catherine for fourteen years, Her film, a labor of love, needs support from our sport. In order to finish the film, Stefani needs to raise more money. Read the interview and note the link listed at the bottom to support this worthy cause.

It is Wednesday afternoon, about 4.40 pm. A short walk will get me to my van, then final packing and off to airport (flight about 7:30 tonight). And where? To Boston, MA for the 114th running of the Boston Marathon. Watch for twitter updates from runblogrun all weekend and our live, eclectic coverage on Monday! Looking forward to seeing everyone at our sport's hallowed event!

James Carney, 2010 Fortis Rotterdam Marathon photo by PhotoRun.net.

James Carney ran the 2010 Fortis Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday, April 11, in a time of 2:15:50, a personal best by 1 minute, four seconds. With personal bests at 10,000m of 27:43, 20k on the roads at 59:10 and the half-marathon of 1:02:21, Carney has the tools to run very, very fast. This interview was done a few weeks ago, over the web. My process is, sending questions, giving interviewee the time for answers. He answered the questions on March 30.

Part of the act of observation of distance runners, for me, is to try and understand their motivation. Carney is what I would call, (a complement), old school. Two a days, run hard, race hard, sometimes good races, sometimes not so good. Get back up, knock the dust off, train again, race again.

To be successful at distance running, one must enjoy the training, and one must understand the quiet. That quiet contentment that comes finishing a 20 mile in the snow, that quiet contentment one feels doing repeat 1,000s or miles, knowing one is getting stronger and stronger.

I like James Carney. I have watched him race several times. Like many of the up and coming Americans, James is looking for that perfect race. I hope to see that race. Enjoy his interview, it is the longest one I had done, and James was a worthy interviewee...

The 25th Carlsbad 5,000 is a road race with a track ancestry. A series of 5k races, (the day before had a great series of kid's races), with elite men's and women's races as the centerpiece, Carlsbad has shown strong growth.

This year, Meseret Defar showed her her talent, coming off her World Indoor Champs 3,000m win (her fourth in a row), with her decisive win at Carlsbad in a blistering 15:04. Defar owns hte course and world best on the road for 5k, of 14:46, set on this course! Eliud Kipchoge, a brilliant middle distance runner, who owns two Olympic medals at the distance5,000 meters, showed his fitness winning in 13:11. Kipchoge took the field through 4:10 for the mile, then
8:25 for two miles, after that, Kipchoge put seven seconds on second place, and fourteen seconds on last years winner!

In its' 25th year, the Carlsbad had 10,000 participants! Congrats to Dennis Simonaitis, who set a pending US best for 45-49, with his fine 14:46!

Enjoy the photo gallery, supplied by PhotoRun.net, for the 2010 Carlsbad 5,000:

The Fortis Rotterdam Marathon course has had a reputation for being a fast course for most of its history. In 2010, Patrick Makau showed that the third time is a charm, with his masterful victory over the 26.2 mile course in a world leading 2:04:48, a personal best. Goeffrey Mutai ran with Makau through 38 kilometers and held on for a personal best of 2:04:55. In third, also in a personal best, was Vincent Kipruto, who finished in 2:05:15.

James Carney, a 10,000 meter specialist from the U.S., ran 2:15:50, in his second marathon,
with a personal best of 64 seconds (other Pb's: 27:43 10k, 59:10, 20k, 1:02:21, 1/2 marathon).

Makau's time is the FIFTH fastest performance in history! Per K. Ken Nakamura, one of our sports' most respected marathon statisticians, Rotterdam now is, performance-wise, the fastest marathon course in the world!

On the women's side, it was a day of huge upsets! Ethiopia's Aberu Kebede won Rotterdam in 2:25:29, with Magdalena Lewy Boulet, of the U.S. in second, in a personal best of 2:26:22. In third was the celebrated Zhu XiaoLin of China, the pre-race favorite, who ran 2:29:42 for third place.

The following photo gallery, with photos courtesy of PhotoRun.net, celebrates the 2010
Fortis Rotterdam Marathon, originally appeared on www.runningnetwork.com:



For more on the Fortis Rotterdam marathon, please click on www.rotterdammarathon.com.

For more on our sport, please click on www.runningnetwork.com.

The 2010 World Cross Country Champs were a medal cavalcade for Kenya, Eritrea and Ethiopia. The only team to win a medal outside of those three countries was the U.S. senior women, who, lead by Shalane Flanagan, took the bronze! Thanks to Chuck Bartlett, Web Editor of RN for putting these galleries together! Photos courtesy of Steve Klotz, Youth Runner Magazine.

Senior Women

The photo galleries below were produced by the Running Network's Web Master Chuck Bartlett, to celebrate the tremendous cross racing, on March 28, 2010, in Poland for the 2010 World Cross Country Championships! Photos courtesy of Steve Klotz, Youth Runner magazine.

Senior Men

Magdelena Lewy Boulet, one of the top U.S. women marathoners, will be running the Fortis Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday, April 11, 2010. Rotterdam is noted for being very fast course. Lewy Boulet, who was third in the 2008 U.S. Olympic marathon trials, races cross country, track & field, and on the roads.

Magdelena Boulet, 2010 Aramco Houston Half Marathon, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Magdelena Boulet recently was the third U.S. finisher (20th overall) behind Molly Huddle (19th) and Shalane Flanagan (13th) on the bronze medal winning U.S. womens' world cross country team, (March 28) in Poland. Magdelena was born in Poland and emigrated to the U.S. becoming a U.S. citizen on September 11, 2001.

Also running on the women's side, is U.S. hopeful Zoila Gomez, who finished fourth in the 2008 U.S. Olympic marathon trials. An 11 time All-American, Zoila competed in both the 2007 & 2009 World Championship marathon teams for the U.S.

Zoila Gomez, 2009 World Champs Marathon, photo by PhotoRun.net.

We wish Magdelena and Zoila the best of luck at Sunday's Fortis Rotterdam Marathon!

Last year, on the Fortis Rotterdam course, Duncan Kibet outlasted James Kwambai, 2:04:27-2:04:28 in the fastest marathon duel in history. You can watch the race this year, starting at 6:30 AM EST, at http://www.universalsports.com!/

Usain Bolt, photo courtesy of PhotoRun.net.

Bolt is running at the Penn Relays!
courtesy of Walt Murphy News Service, used with permission
(WaltMurphy25@aol.com).

It was confirmed on Thursday, April 8, that Usain Bolt will compete at the Penn Relays later this month as part of Jamaica's 4x100 relay team that will compete in the USA vs the World series.

Bolt's no stranger to the Relays, although this will be his first appearance since he established himself as one of the sport's legends with his performances at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

He ran the 2nd leg on the William Knibb high school team that won the Small Schools Consolation 4x100 race at the 2003 Relays. Video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_YuAkp3DKM (the video says 2004, but the race was actually in 2003).

He also ran at Penn on Knibb's 4x1 and 4x400 teams in 2002, ran a 44.4 2nd leg split on Jamaica's 4x400 team in 2004, and ran the lead-off 200 leg on Jamaica's sprint medley in 2005.

Read more in the USATF release at:
http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?DUID=USATF_2010_04_08_10_37_59

For more on the sport, please click on www.usatf.org.

For more on the Penn Relays, please click on www.Pennrelays.com.

For more on the sport of running, please click on www.runningnetwork.com.

The sport of running continues to grow and evolve. This became very clear, on March 17, 2010, when the Houston Marathon committee announced that Wade Morehead would become the first executive director of the Chevron Marathon Committe in their storied 38-year history.

This announcement came less than three weeks after Houston was designated as the site of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon event for both men and women. It should be noted that the selection of Houston as host to both Trials was a first for the sport!

Doug Logan, CEO of USA Track & Field, and his selection committee surprised many of the sports' insiders with the selection of Houston. Logan, CEO for the past eighteen months, has been quite explicit about his desire to shake up the sport. His selection of Houston woke many out of their late winter slumber.

And the man who will be praised or blamed will be Mr. Wade Morehead. The Houston Marathon committee has two busy years in front of them, with the monumental task of putting on two Olympic Trials events one day and coming back for three major running events the next day!

Wade Morehead is a professional manager, with varied experiences in professional sports and major event management-the type of skills that will come in handy in his new position. His answers show a comfort with dealing with an overly analytical media, and his enthusiasm, at this point, in the opportunity to showcase the city of Houston and his new position, is palpable...

Meb Keflezighi winning 2009 ING NYCM, photo
by PhotoRun.net.

Meb Keflezighi, the 2009 ING NYCM Marathon winner, and Deena Kastor, the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist and American Record holder, will both be running the ING New York City Marathon in the fall! Per the release from the New York Road Runners, both Meb and Deena expressed the significance of the race through five boroughs on their careers. (Meb Keflezighi is running BAA Boston on April 19, and Deena Kastor is running Virgin London Marathon on April 26).

Deena Kastor, 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, photo by PhotoRun.net.

The social event of the year in track & field was the wedding of Olympic and World Champs gold medalist Sanya Richards and NY Giants cornerback Aaron Ross.

Our friends at Essence.com just sent us a link to the story and to some very nice photos! RBR congratulates Sanya Richards & Aaron Ross on their beautiful wedding! We hope you enjoy:

Ryan Hall, 2009 BAA Boston, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Ryan Hall, one of our top two active American male marathoners, announced on Tuesday, April 6, that he will be running the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Hall's expressed goal is to see how close he can come to the American record. The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a screamingly fast marathon course, and Ryan Hall wants to run, really, really fast.....and he has everything it takes to achieve his dreams, most importantly, Ryan Hall possesses patience...

In the Spring 2010 issue of Club Running magazine, a question was asked of the RRCA members (on www.rrca.org): How Many running events do you plan to enter in 2010?

The PUMA Mile Invitational 2010 is almost here! April 9, 2010 is the deadline to enter, so, do not miss it, if you have run 4:05 or under for the guys and 4:48 for the mile for the women! If this video does not get you inspired, then you need to go to Peets coffee and a) buy a pound of the house blend, b) rub it all over your body. We have added the contract below, right after the http://www.Flotrack.org video!

Nike Air? The Secret is finally revealed in this video, which showed up on You Tube March 10 and has just under 200,000 views so far! When Nike is on, they are truly on, and the spoof is well done here, down to some of my favorite details....

Amy Begley, 10,000 meters, USA Champs 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.

In the 2008 Olympic Trials, one of the events that I will never forget was the women's 10,000 meters. It was a titanic struggle between Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan. However, all eyes were on Amy Begley as she powered her way to a huge personal best in her quest to gain the A standard of 31:45! Amy made it.

2009 was a very good year for Amy Begley, with the icing on the cake being her sixth place in the 10,000 meters in the Berlin World Champs 10,000 meters!

Amy had some injuries this past winter, but is all healthy now. Amy answered these questions just around the middle of February. We are thankful for her time and believe you will enjoy her answers.

One final thought: in the spring of 2008, several of my media patners in crime and I watched Amy Begley and Kara Goucher doing a five mile tempo run on the Nike soccer pitch. Begley has that high arm carriage (similar to late great British distance runner Gordon Pirie), and powerful stride that was impressive even in the tall grass of the soccer pitch.

Amy Begley is one of the athletes in the Nike Oregon Project. Under the thoughtful eye of Alberto Salazar, Amy continues to improve, and we look forward to seeing her race in Des Moines, Iowa at our national championships!

Running is healthy around the world! RunningNetwork's photo gallery celebrates the 2010 Hervis Prague Half Marathon, which was won by Rose Kosgei on the women's side in 69:57 and on the men's side by Joel Kemboi, in 60:09, just two seconds off the course record! The race was held March 27, 2010, and the following story is from our global runner, Pat Butcher:

Hervis Prague Half Marathon, March 27, 2010, photos by PhotoRun.net.

Ivory Williams, photo by PhotoRun.net.

I am trying to really take drug testing seriously. I respect what USADA and WADA to on stopping athletes from taking performance enhancing drugs, but who was the Nobel prize winner who put marijuana on the banned list? Particular life experiences might suggest that, after inhaling, one might a) order a large pizza, b) play some Peter Tosh, c) then watch Jurassic Park, d) all of the above. Running 9.88 for 100 meters, high jump 7-10 1/2 or running 27:13 for 10,000 meters would be way, way down the list. To be taken seriously, then act seriously. There are real cheaters out there. In this case, I
am not confident that someone smoking a joint is getting a training benefit.

The Stramilano is an institution in Italy. One of the largest road races in the world, the Stamilano has a half marathon, 10k, 5k and youth races. The 39th edition was held on March 22, 2010, and edition number 40 will be held April 3, 2011 (for more info on the race, please click on http://www.stramilano.it).

On March 22, Moses Mosop Cheruyot won the men's race in 59:20! On the women's side, Jane Kiptoo Kipkosgei won the half marathon distance in 1:09:52! We hope you enjoy the photo gallery, prepared for runningnetwork.com
by Chuck Bartlett, from the photos of PhotoRun.net!

Mt.SAC is one of my favorite events. I love the relay meets! PUMA took over the sponsorship of this event, and Doug Todd and his team at Mt.SAC make this a pivotal meet at the start of outdoor elite season. The distance carnival, the prep, junior college and elite sections. Most people do not know that Mt.SAC has an amazing junior high meet as well!

PUMA is sponsoring a very cool event, the PUMA mile. It is where a male runner who is over 18 and has run under 4:05 for the mile ( in competition) and a women who has run 4:48 or under (in competition), my enter by emailing pumamile@puma.com on or before April 9. The winner gets $10,000 contract with PUMA and up to $3,000 in product! Last year's winner, Tim Bayley, from Great Britain, represented GB at the recent World Indoor Champs in Doha, Qatar. So, dream the dream milers! And if you are not there yet, remember to watch the race on Flotrack, April 16 at 7:45 PST!

Video, courtesy of Esquire magazine, featuring Usain Bolt!

Usain Bolt has transcended our sport. In a very well-written piece in Esquire magazine, the author, Luke Dietrich, does a superb job of giving us not only the facts on Mr. Bolt, but wondering out loud, what happens if he gets serious? Fun reading, and another example of how track & field has super stars, but just does not seem to know how to utilize them. I believe, the key to our future growth is to develop the stars and stories on our sport! Here is the link on the story: http://www.pumarunning.com/from-esquire-usain-bolt-mutant

Many of us, who witnessed Bolt's runs in Beijing, wondered what would happen if he put it all on the line. I believe that he came close in 2009, in the 200 meters. It will be fascinating to see Bolt continue to race over 100 and 200 meters, and then, give it his all over 400 meters!

Bryan Clay, WIC, gold medalist, heptathlon, March 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Six world leads at Pepsi Florida Relays numero 66! In the men's 100m, 200 meter, 110m hurdles, womens' 200m, 400m and 100 hurdles! In Texas, they had the women's long jump world best! 2008 Oly champ Bryan Clay threw 49.88m for the discus at the Fresno Pacific Relays! The outdoor relay season is starting off with a bang!

Bernard Lagat, World Indoor Champion, 2010 WIC, 3,000 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net.

The 2010 adidas grand prix will be the starting point of the ambitious 2010 Diamond League meetings. And the series will put the sport's best foot forward! On April 1, it was announced that World Indoor Champs Bernard Lagat (3,000 meters) and Jessica Ennis (pentathlon), will be joining the elite fields in New York on June 12, 2010....

Jessica Ennis, World Champion, 2010 WIC, heptathlon, photo by PhotoRun.net.

The weight throw is a grand event. One of the people who knows the weight and hammer throw best in Bob Gourley. Bob sends me rankings, week in and out, and I have not given him his due. Bob is one of those people, who loves an event, and has spent much of his adult life teaching the event, and recording this labor of love!

If you have marks to add to Bob's list, please email: rmgourley@fctvplus.net