Well, sports fans, I am writing to you from the Terminal B of the lovely O'Hare International in Chicago, Illinois. I have finished my double espresso, and stopped gnawing on my plate of celery stalks. I have the ITunes cranked up, (Counting Crows, Rain King, Talk Talk, LIfe is what you make it...), and hope to board the last flight to Portland, with the last seat, to arrive somewhere south of midnight.

Looking forward to heading to PDX, and seeing two days of track & field, plus a few  friends. Special thanks to Tony Bignell and I hope he is enjoying the World Cup in South Africa.

When I fly to Portland, I always remember the late Ken Kesey's The summer of our discontent, a homage to the US 1980 Olympic Trials, where the athletes did not get to compete in the  Moscow Olympics. Something about Russians in Afghanistan...anyway, the part that stays with me is Kesey's friend, Milo, who would sit down, eating a brown rice and veggie burritto and slowly cry about how beautiful the trials had been...Mrs. Kesey was kind enough to allow me to reprint that story in Athletes Only...one of Kesey's best, originally written for Running magazine, the best magazine ever done on our sport. ( I still have all of the issues).

Last weekend, my son, Adam and his buddy, Deering, saw the Bone Thugs in concert. They were pretty excited about the show, and had a blast. After listening to them talk about the show, I got to thinking that, perhaps, that is how, we should feel about a well managed
track & field meet! More on that later, time to run to the gate!

LoLo Jones with her fans! photo by PhotoRun.net.

Be careful what you wish for. The facts are that, Drake Stadium is very, very fast.
With world leaders, stadium records and two American records, Drake Stadium and
facility did a great job. The press area was well managed and easy to see the stadium
from, and the Membership area for USATF members were good additions to the meet.
I have to say, having the option of a real brat, chili fries, and catfish was also kind of fun!

I asked Elliot Denman, a long time contributer to American Track & Field and a very thoughtful writer and observer of our sport to give us his thoughts on the event. You will be able to
read them at the conclusion of this introduction.

Ellliot Denman is a long term observer of the sport. A former 50k Olympic Race Walker, Denman has seen the sport grow from the 1940s to today. I asked Elliot at the adidas Grand Prix to write a piece on the US Outdoor-a think piece-on where the sport is, and perhaps, where it should go. I think it is thought provoking. I hope you enjoy it...

Bernard Lagat winning the USA Outdoor 5,000m, June 25, 2010, photo by
PhotoRun.net.


Seven of the top ten milers in the world will be duking it out at the Nike Pre Classic, to be held on Saturday, July 3, 2010. Included in the mix are Lopez Lomong and Leonel Manzano, who ran stride for stride, with a final lap of 50.5 in the US champs last week. Also in the hunt is Bernard Lagat, who set the new 5,000m AR of 12:54.12 in Oslo, and won the USA Outdoor title at 5,000 meters last Friday night! RBR will see you there!


Lopez Lomong, Leonel Manzano, USA Outdoor 1,500m, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Last night, after the stadium was cleared and empty, after Victah had sent out hundreds of photos, I say down with Victah Sailer, Lisa Coniglio of PhotoRun.net, and Cregg Weinmann of Running Network for dinner. Victah and Lisa had spent five days on the track, getting the photos that you love so much in RN publications, RunblogRun and RunningNetwork web sites. They are responsible for nearly 98 percent of our photos. This is a labor of love for Victah and Lisa, as well as the other photographers who spend countless hours chronicaling our sport. We thank them, and hope you enjoy Day 5 (thank to Chuck Bartlett for producing the photo gallery).

Two more posts before I get kicked out of room! Here is the RN Photo Gallery, courtesy of
PhotoRun.net, produced by Chuck Bartlett, RN webmaster, of Day 4 at the USA Outdoor
Champs, please enjoy! r />

David Oliver leans to a fine 12.93 for the 110m hurdles! photo by PhotoRun.net.


It is hard not to like track & field athletes! From Anne Pierce, to Christian Cantwell, to Wallace Spearmon, to David Oliver, to Jennie Suhr, to Nick Symmonds,  to the hundreds of others who gave us five fantastic days of track & field in Des Moines. FACT 1: Drake Stadium's track is FAST! FACT 2: Throws area is fast as well, and shot put ring is placed well to view. FACT 3: Killer long jump and triple jump positioning!

Dan Huling, elated, winning 3,000m steeplechase title, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Some amazing performances, and a crowd of 11-13,000 a day, in a stadium that seats in the 24-25,000, and not a bad seat in the house! Revelation to me: Giving out posters of Allyson/Chris Solinsky, Bernard Lagat/Chaunte Howard Lowe, Galen/Dathan to about 1,500 fans who all liked them, followed them, knew who they were. Next year, want to give posters out to entire stadium (my next challenge).

Dwight Phillips soars to an 8.37m, June 27, 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.

The VISA Challenge was exciting this year, with Bershawn Jackson waiting through Wallace Spearmon's 19.77 and David Oliver's 12.93! Chaunte Howard-Lowe was funny and charming in the press area, she wanted all to race well, but she wanted that $25,000 prize-honesty is good!


Wallace Spearmon runs 19.77, wind aided, for 200 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net

The response by Spearmon, he had to run under 19.81 legal, to win VISA award
was a wind-aided 19.77, had the crowd gasping! Then, David Oliver cranked his 12.93
and he just missed the award too!


Jennie Suhr clears 4.89m, or 16-00.25 ! photo by PhotoRun.net.

Jennie Suhr is back! After dealing with achilles issues, Jennie clears the
highest vault in the globe this year, and will get the AR again soon! And finally,
Nick Symmonds has some competition, and rose to the occasion, holding off
a young Duane Solomon, to show that yes, Mr. Symmonds is our numero uno
at 800 meters (watch for exclusive RBR interview later this week!).


Nick Symmonds takes the 800 meters! photo by PhotoRun.net.



I am off to driving home now, six hours, so enjoy this and a photo gallery and note that my review of day five will be up around midnight tonight! See you at Nike Team and Pre very soon!

As we always do on Sundays, here are the top performances from around the world. The truth be told, the best track & field meet of the week has been the U.S. Outdoor Junior & Senior Championships. It needs to be sold that way. Great performances, even in a so called off year!


LoLo Jones, enroute to her 2010 USA Outdoor Victory! photo by PhotoRun.net.

Chaunte Howard Lowe entertained a very loyal crowd of fans in Des Moines by making twelve attempts and clearing nine times! She cleared 1.84m, 1.88m on the first attempt. 1.94 meters gave Chaunte a bit of a struggle, taking three attempts for her to clear. At 1.97 meters, Chaunte cleared on her first attempt, as she did at 2.01m, and 2.03.

By this time, the crowd was getting excited. On Chaunte's first attempt at 2.05m, she was just not close. On the second attempt, Chaunte got over the bar, but knocked it down with the back of her leg.



Chaunte Howard-Lowe, Ostrava, May 27, 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net


On the third attempt, Chaunte cleared 2.05m/6-8.75, for her second American record in the past month!

On taking her award, Chaunte thanked the crowd and said the following: " I did some research on Louis Ritter, who was the last one to hold the American record. She has something that I
did not-an Olympic medal. I would like to win an Olympic medal for my country and myself! And I am very happy to have set this record in the United States instead of my American fans."

Related articles by Zemanta

• Chaunte Lowe breaks own U.S. high jump mark at USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (sports.espn.go.com)

Photos courtesy of PhotoRun.net.

Here is a photo gallery of the PhotoRun.net photos for Day three of the USA Junior and Senior Outdoor Athletics Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Day three included the first day of the heptathlon and decathlon, final of the Jr Boys 5,000m, open 100 meters, open Women and Men's 5,000 meters and Jr Boys 10,000 meters, as well as the superb AR in the javelin by Kara Patterson!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Kara Patterson sets U.S. javelin record at U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships (sports.espn.go.com)
• Dix, Felix win 100s at US Outdoors (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Related articles by Zemanta

• World Indoor Athletics 2010: LoLo Jones wins gold in women's 60m hurdles (telegraph.co.uk)
• Lolo Jones Sets an Indoor Record in the 60-Meter Hurdles (nytimes.com)

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Bershawn 'Batman' Jackson, showing his racing skill, took on all comers and ran the fastest time in the world since the Beijing Olympics with his fine 47.32! Jackson looked great over all the hurdles, and was followed by Johnny Dutch, who ran his personal best, a hugely fast 47.63! Micheal Tinsely ran 48.72 for third place.


Bershawn Jackson, Nike Pre 2009, photo by Photorun.net.

When asked after the race, what he attributed his win to, Bershawn noted, " It was the crowd! The crowd was with me and it was a great crowd!"

Bershawn Jackson broke the stadium and Iowa soil records for the 400m hurdles, set by Danny Harris in 1986, with a time of 48.28. Danny Harris gave Bershawn his award today after his 47.32 performance!

Kara Patterson, June 25, 2010, USA Outdoor, photo by PhotoRun.net

Kara Patterson erased the former record of Kim Kreiner (64.19m) with a huge throw in Des Moines last evening! Setting a new AR of 66.67m/218-9, Patterson is beginning to show the talent many have thought she has. Her size and strength will allow her to be a future medal
contender on the international scene!

Kara Patterson, AR holder, Javelin, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Bob Tahri, European Champs, 2006, photo by PhotoRun.net.

 Bouabdellah Tahri ran the fastest 2,000 meter steeplechase in the world, breaking the 1990 record of one Olympic champion, Julius Kariuki...Tahri, the bronze medalist from Berlin, is a top French cross country internationalist and the French record holder at the steeplechase. Think "Bob" Tahri is fit for the Europeans, (July 27-August 1, 2010)? 

Jordan Hasay vs Emily Sisson, US Junior 3,000m, June 24, 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.

UPDATED JUNE 25, 2010 WITH PHOTOS


The second day of the USA Junior Champs and the first day of the USA Senior Champs had some tremendous races. An epic battle in the junior women's 3,000 meters, between Emily Sisson, a high school senior from Missouri (going to Wisconsin next year) and Jordan Hasay, a freshman Duck, with Emily Sisson surprising most with her victory! Trevor Dunbar, a freshman at the University of Portland, who was a tough high school runner from Kodiak, Alaska, improved on his second place in 2009, with a strong victory here in 14:34.63. In second place, was NC's Andrew Colley, who sprinted the last lap, and blew by four runners, running 14:37.28!

Thanks to the very hard work of PhotoRun.net's Victah Sailer and Lisa Congilio, RBR viewers get a intimate view of the second day of the U.S. Championships, from the junior events to the men and women's 10,000 meter finals last night! RN Photo Gallery is managed by Chuck Bartlett, RN web master.

USATF Champs, June 2009, 5,000 meters,  photo by PhotoRun.net.

I arrived at the U.S. champs late last night, and have spent most of the day meeting athletes, coaches and with the footwear companies. There will be some good competitions today, starting about 4 pm at Drake University. Allyson Felix, Lo Lo Jones, Wallace Spearmon are all competing, as well as Christian Cantwell & Chaunte Howard-Lowe. The distances should be compelling tonight as well ! Word is that Wallace Spearmon is doubling in 100m/200m!

Spoke to Matt Tegenkamp this morning. Teegs, Evan, running 1,500 meters in Des Moines,
and watch out for a screaming 5,000 meters in Eugene! RBR will see you there as well! If
you see me in stands, ask for a poster. We have posters of Galen Rupp/Dathan Ritzenhein,
Chris Solinsky/Allyson Felix, Bernard Lagat/Chaunte Howard-Lowe, thanks to the support
of John Capriotti at Nike athletics! 200,000 of each are mailing over the next few weeks to
coaches and athletes with their Athletes Only Summer issues!

A concrete example of how High Performance wants to support athletes, coaches and sport with cutting edge sports science, research and training. Nice Job!

(UPDATED JUNE 23, 2010). Accessories are approximately 19 percent of the sales in most specialty running stores. This is right after footwear and apparel. In the footwear food chain, ASICS and Brooks are still over 47 percent of the performance running footwear biz. Saucony, Mizuno and Nike are fighting for number three, four, five, with New Balance in next, followed by adidas. The battle for third place is epic right now. I do not even try to understand the trail business, where some of the best shoes, in my mind, for running, are made. Those brands, from Salomon, to The North Face, to Columbia, are putting some pretty spectacular product on the shelves.

On the apparel side, Nike apparel does quite well, with several contenders for second and third: Under Armour, Sugoi, Mizuno. Hind & Insport left a huge black hole, and apparel, is, well, a perpetual mind field. There is a huge opportunity for someone to get performance running apparel right, besides the folks at One Bowerman Drive.

Insoles, third party, in particular, were given a nod, but that is about it. Spenco paved the way, then, forgot about the consumer for a decade. Superfeet, Implus, ALINE, and others moved in, and made huge progress, just about the time, Spenco rediscovered the business. OrthoLite has been used in many brands, but, up until now, did not sell to consumers. OrthoLite is coming in with a good mid price point product.

I am trying one of the OrthoLite products now, and like it. It is a mid point price product, and will compete against Spenco, Dr. Scholls and such. It is an indication, once again, of how the business continues to change and evolve.

Remember that, three years ago, Vibram was just another midsole/ outersole technology company, now they are championing a whole movement! 

Missed this one. Pat Butcher, from globerunner.org, wrote this piece, starting on the London 2012 mascots, to the late Charlie Francis, coach of Ben Johnson...provocative reading, as always from Butcher....

Jennie Suhr, adidas Grand Prix, June 12, 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Walt Murphy provides you several ways to view the USA Junior & Senior Championships, which begin on Wednesday. RBR will be there and will provide a daily update on what is happening in our sport from Des Moines, Iowa.

Jennie Suhr, pictured above, opened her season at the adidas Grand Prix. Suhr, the 2008 Olympic silver medalist in the pole vault, will be competing against 2009 World Champ silver medalist Chelsea Johnson in the women's pole vault.  

Congrats to adidas on winning an award for mi-coach. I have tried the product, like it, and find the heart rate training making huge sense. The real time training, the website, all are quite intuitive. That one can use mi coach on other shoe brands is fascinating as well.

adidas mi-coach, is the real thing. It is a worthy competitor to the Nikerunning.com program, which has been in existence for three years. I think the more competitive runner will appreciate the unique approach to heart training that adidas mi coach employs, although we have been told of a Nike heart monitor product (but have not tested that as of yet).  

The challenge for adidas is, okay, you have a strong product, how do you get the consumers to use it? 

Consider, for a moment, that the first time 10.0 was achieved, was fifty years ago tonight, June 21! We will try and get some pictures in the next week or so! Armin Hary was the athlete. 

Christian Cantwell threw 22.35m at a meet in Missouri today, to take the world leader. The men's shot at the USA Outdoor should be one of the meet highlights. As Mr. Cantwell said in Rome, the shot putters compete against each other, meet after meet....wish a few others could do that!

Christian Cantwell is, arguably, in the best form of his life. It would be great to see him get the world record this summer. With the high level of competition, both in the U.S. and abroad, Christian may just have the impetus to put his name on the record board.

It does drive me crazy that few meets feature the shot put as a primary focus for five to ten minutes. It draws. The adidas Oregon Track classic did it best, where the event was held an hour before the regular meet and a good crowd would be there. Perhaps a focus on the first, third and last round might make sense?


Christian Cantwell, Osaka, May 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.

The photos below are courtesy of Patrick Holleran --- Shannon Digital Imaging --- patholleran@shannondigitalimaging.com. We hope you enjoy Patrick's view of the NCAA Division 1
Championships, just held June 8-10 in Eugene, Oregon.

The New Balance Nationals is entering its third day, June 19. This photo gallery, courtesy of PhotoRun.net, and created by Chuck Bartlett, Running Network's Webmaster, should give you a good view of the exciting performances at this important event!

One of the highlights of the adidas Grand Prix was the epic battle between Veronica Campbell-Brown and Allyson Felix over 200 meters. A fan gives us this fascinating view of the race. Notice the fantastic start by Campbell-Brown and Felix's gut wrenching drive down the final straight. The crowd, is of course, going crazy!

Some may just find their zen moments considering the sound of one hand clapping. There are others (and perhaps, you are in this group), who find their zen moment watching fifteen guys break four minutes for the mile, or, in this case, watching the top ranked shot putters in the world, put a sixteen pound ball of metal seventy-plus feet! That, my friends, is Metal Mania! And, at the Nike Pre Classic, meet director Tom Jordan has announced a stellar shot field. Less than a month to go, sportsfans, until we go to the cathedral of track & field that is Hayward Field, and worship the gods of track & field for several hours, as they, run, jump and throw to, well, world leading performances! 

  ChrisChristian Cantwell, Nike Pre 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net

Tyson Gay, US Oly Trials, July 2008, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Tyson Gay has not raced since his 19.41 run over the 200 meter straight. Our sources tell us that Tyson is having some tightness issues, and do not be surprised if he does not race until the beginning of August. Hopefully, the big three will be ready for some serious racing in August. I would love to see a healthy Tyson Gay, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell race this summer. We shall see....

Biggest revelation at the adidas Grand Prix was Jessica Ennis. Very down to earth, with a great support team, including her boyfriend and coach, Jessica spent much of her time touring the Big Apple. We will be interviewing both Jessica's and Hyleas Fountains coaches over the next couple of weeks!

Looking forward to seeing many of you at the USATF Outdoor Champs, in Des Moines, Iowa, June 23-27, 2010.

Another indication of the growth of running & multi sports. Saucony has had a long tradition of supporting the sport of triathloning....

This video, from You Tube, shows how the Ducks swept the NCAA Men's 1,500 meters last weekend! While the pedestrian pace (66 for 400 meters, 2:12 for 800 meters) provided for
a brutally tough finish, Wheating, Acosta and Centrowitz swept the race for the Ducks. Most importantly, Andrew Wheating became the first male since Duck Joaquim Cruz, way back
in 1984, to win the 800 meters/1,500 meters double.

,
Lisa Koll, 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, 10,000 m, July 2008, photo by
PhotoRun.net.

Congrats are in order for Lisa Koll, Collegiate record holder at 10,000 meters and also the newly crowned NCAA Division 1 Champion at 10,000 meters! Lisa is one of top three finalists for the prestigious Honda-Broderick Cup, the Heisman of women's sports. While
all three women are wonderful candidates, Runblogrun.com sure hope's Lisa Koll wins
the award! Go Lisa!

n th

Dear readers,

On June 11, James Dunaway and I posted our Summer 2010 AT&F editorial, "Has USATF Declared War on U.S. Coaches?". The piece was sent posted on runblogrun.com, on our
websites, and distributed to our coaching digital network. 

I spoke with Stephanie Hightower, Jill M. Geer and Doug Logan over the weekend, at the adidas Grand Prix. I offered them the same distribution network from which, I distributed the original editorial for their response, if they choose to use the opportunity. Jill M. Geer, USATF Public Affairs Officer, sent a response signed by Stephanie Hightower, President of USA Track & Field. I have posted her response next, right after that, the original editorial and link, and finally, a short response from myself.

Regards,

Larry Eder

The adidas Grand Prix, held on Saturday, June 12, 2010, was a glorious day for track & field. PhotoRun's Lisa Coniglio and Victah Sailer captured the spirit of the meet, which started as a sunny, hot, humid day and finished as a bit cooler, but still sunny and hot. Our sport continues to find a way to communicate the excitment of a track & field meet, and the essence of competition. Yesterday, there were ten meet records, four world leaders and a huge national record for France in the triple jump. At the end of the day, athletes like Andreas Thorkildsen, Steve Hooker, Valeri Vili, Allyson Felix among others, communicate the excitement of our sport with their performances. To meet, the three highest level events, were the men's triple jump, women's 100 meter hurdles, and the epic women's 200 meters. Find your favorite event and email us at runblogrun@gmail.com. As always, special thanks to Chuck Bartlett, Running Network .com's web master, who manages RN's 28 partner sites and prepares the RN photogalleries.

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• Adidas Grand Prix Rolls On Without Bolt and Gay (nytimes.com)
• Maddie Meyers wins Dream Mile in New York (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Veronica Campbell-Brown bests Allyson Felix in 200-meters at Adidas Grand Prix (sports.espn.go.com)
• Campbell-Brown tops Felix in 200 (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Northwest School runner wins Dream Mile in New York | Northwest briefs (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Felix, Campbell-Brown take their rivalry to NYC (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Ajee Wilson, Rosa Twins On Short List for High School Dream Mile (trueslant.com)
• American sprinter Tyson Gay taking time off with hamstring tightness (sports.espn.go.com)

Allyson Felix, hitting the turn, adidas Grand Prix 2010, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Another view of the adidas grand Prix, from USATF's McKenze Rogers...

 

Teddy Tamgho, French Record, Euro U23, Triple Jump, adidas grand Prix, photo by PhotoRun.net.


The Triple jump at the adidas Grand Prix was one of the epic events at this sixth version of the meet! Teddy Tamgho, World Indoor Champion, broke the French national record and European U23, with his 17.98m on his last jump! Only Jonathan Edwards and Kenny Harrison are in front of Tamgho, on the alltime list!

 

Veronica Campbell-rwn


For the sixth year, the adidas Grand Prix has continued to grow. A quite astute Australian media personality gave me this observation: "The Diamond League is about match-ups. The match up between Allyson Felix and Veronica Campbell-Brown, along with the men's triple jump, were epic match-ups!"

With ten meet records and four world leaders, the adidas Grand Prix surpassed expectations. "The absence of Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt did not make the meet any less! It was amazing!" I will take until Sunday to give you my comments on the meet, but will provide you with some great observations from Alfons Juck and a few others.

The New York Grand Prix started six years ago, when Todd Klein, then, at Reebok, spoke to Mark Wetmore of Global Athletics about putting on a meet on Randalls Island. With about twelve weeks to spare, Global Athletics launched the Reebok Grand Prix, with some strong performance and 3,500 fans. Each year, the meet has gotten better, with the crowd, in stands and out, numbering over 10,000 this year.

 

adidas Grand Prix, stadium view, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Global Athletics & Marketing has has some great support from Reebok over the years, and now adidas. In 2008, they had the WR by Usain Bolt. In 2009, Tyson Gay blazed a 200 meters in 19.58. In 2010, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Allyson Felix dueled to the finish, bringing the fans to their feet, as Campbell-Brown ran 21.97 to Felix's 22.02! And then, the men's triple jump, with Philip Idowu, Christian Olsson and Teddy Tamgho! Tomgho broke the French record twice, with his final jump of 17.98 (a 59 footer!), Tamgho jumped the farthest anyone had in twelve years! The Top three in the triple jump were 17.98, Olson in 17.61, Idowu in 17.32!

Finally, let's take a moment and recognize the women's 100m hurdles. LoLo Jones lead five under 12.71 and won in 12.55, a new world leader. Day in, day out, the women's hurdlers battle each other, day in, day out.

In the end, it was all about the competition. The adidas Grand Prix 2010 gave the fans in Icahn Stadium and watching by TV their money's worth!


Lukas Verzbikas wins the Jim Run Mile, photo by PhotoRun.net

Kudos to the adidas Grand Prix for the competition between
Jessica Ennis and Hyleas Fountain, a great chance to see two of
the athletes who should shine in 2012. And the Jim Ryun Mile was
a total success! (More on that later)!

The crowd in Rome was treated to the sensational sprinting of Asafa Powell, who blazed 9.82 for 100 meters. Also note the longest long jump of the year in Dwight Phillips 8.42m.

This is a great series of meets that have one raison d'etre: to qualify for the U.S. champs. We wish all luck!

Diamond League Press Conference, Andreas Thorkildsen, Allyson Felix, Valerie Vili, Tero Pitkamaki, Steven Hooker, Photo by PhotoRun.net.

In one of the most lively discussions at the adidas Grand Prix press conferences, Andreas Thorkildsen, the Norwegian javelin superstar, was quite provocative.

When RBR asked him what he would tell U.S. high schoolers, who have not had the chance to throw the javelin (as most U.S. states do not allow the javelin), he replied, quite honestly: ' I would tell their associations not to retarded and let them throw the javelin, it is surely much safer than American football!"

And, he is correct. ( For some fascinating reading, try http://www.unc.edu/depts/nccsi/AllSport.htm, Study of Catastrophic Injuries in High School Sports, 1982-2006) 

Obviously, with that opening comment, we needed to interview Andreas, here is what we
heard:

The Exit column is the editorial column in American Track & Field. Since 1989, when we started American Athletics, and in 1994, when we renamed the magazine, American Track & Field, we have tried to support what we see as the backbone of our sport: the 30,000 high school, college and club track & cross country coaches in this country. Forty-six weeks a year, these coaches spend an average of two hours, fifteen minutes a day, six days a week, with their 1.6 million athletes, teaching them how to run, jump and throw.

James Dunaway, our Executive Editor, has used the Exit column as an opportunity to both educate and advocate. James is my mentor, editor and friend. He and I have been terribly concerned with the way the Coaching Registry has been implemented. We see it as an example of a much larger issue: try as they might, does U.S.A.T.F. understand the needs of coaches? We are not so sure.

Please read the following column, signed by both James and myself. We are releasing this at the same time the magazine is mailing, we believe it is that important. Please send your responses to runblogrun@gmail.com.

Bernard Lagat, Nike Pre 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.


RBR spoke to Ricky Simms, manager of Usain Bolt last night. His injury is slight, and he will be able to start running most likely next week. Tyson Gay had a good MRI, but the sciatica pain is there, which came back after his 19.41 for the straight 200 meters. Yesterday, when Allyson Felix was asked about the straight 200 meters she ran last month in the UK, she said, "It was very long!".

Bernard Lagat told us that he was recovered from his 5,000 meter AR. And Matt Tegenkamp and Evan Jager are also in the 1,500 meters with Bernard! 

Robbie Andrews, Millrose 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.


Last night, at a reception for the adidas Grand Prix and NYC 10k, I had a few moments with
our friend, Walt Murphy. Walt and I were considering the possibilities of the men's 800 meter final, between Wheating and Andrews. Shall we dare say it-perhaps a 1:43? Should be a race for the ages!

Blanka Vlasic, Greece, 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.


Asafa Powell continues on a roll, running 9.82 in Rome. LaShinda Demus runs a world leading 52.84 for 400 meter hurdles-and that is really flying! And Christian Cantwell wins his third Diamond League meeting with 21.67m. Blanka Vlasic and Chaunte Howard-Lowe both clear
2.03m, with Vlasic taking the win due to Howard-Lowe's miss at an earlier height. Now, on
to adidas Grand Prix in NYC!

Dear RBRers, other gentle readers,

Anyone in Eugene, Oregon should be gathering at the Villard Street Pub for an adult beverage, some good food, and of course, some chatter about the world's greatest sport--yes, track & field! Here is a note, from none other than our spiritual mentor, the man who put bachanal into Olympic Trial parties for two decades, a man who I have built a statue out of
butter containers in my back yard: Peanut Dwayne Harms:

Friends,
Last Night over 70 coaches showed up at the Villard after the Women's 10k to claim Great Prizes (provided by Accusplit, T-roller, & VS Athletics), and enjoy  Excellent Food, Drink & Conversation! The Fun continues tonight after the Men's 10k with The first 15 Coaches to tell me "I got your VS e-mail!" will receive a Complimentary Wooden "Beer for the People" token!

The Villard St. Party Tents are going up today turning the parking lot into a Tropical Paradise with BBQ, Micro Beers, and VS Athletics etc. vending booths and more.  The Outside action starts on Friday with Breakfast at 9 am.  The Villard St. Pub is located 2 blocks away from Hayward Field (some people park there, have a beverage & food and walk to the stadium!) at 1417 Villard St.  Just look for the VS Athletics Banners! See ya there tonight after the Men's 10k!

Veronica Campbell-Brown, Berlin 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.


Track fans wait, in anticipation, for sprint battles between Tyson Gay, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell. Yet, the savvy track fan knows of the epic battles over 200 meters between Veronica Campbell-Brown and Allyson Felix, which date back to 2003! On Saturday, June 12, at the adidas Grand Prix, Campbell-Brown and Felix will battle over 200 meters in their first race over that distance on U.S. soil! For track fans, that will be a real treat, as Campbell-Brown has edge in Olympic 200 wins (two) and Felix has the edge in World Championships (three). Who will
edge ahead on Saturday! Make sure you are watching, if you are not there!


Allyson Felix, World Indoor, 2010, Doha, photo by PhotoRun.net.

Walt Murphy Results & News Service provides you with all of the ways to watch the Golden Gala from Rome today, (2 pm EST)!  And don't forget about the NCAAs!

At Runblogrun.com, we think that this is a wonderful program. Our only issue is that, this program could be so much bigger if USATF and Gill had reached out Track & Field News, American Track & Field and Coaching Athletics Quarterly, who all have magazines, prominent websites and could have put it in front of 35,000 head high school track & field coaches, Perhaps next year, as the offer is there on our side....another example of how the sport does good things, but could do great things if time was taken to work with already existing communities. TFN has been around since 1958, ATF since 1989.

Yep, we blew it. Sorry to the good people of Hengelo, who have put on a classy meeting for years. Photos courtesy of PhotoRun.net, and gallery produced by Chuck Bartlett.

Dwight Phillips long jumped 8.42m and Meseret Defar ran 14:38.87 for 5,000 meters.

Walt Murphy shows you how to follow the NCAA Division One Track & Field Champs!

Just a classy thing to do! Ironman is the first recipient of the RBR's class act of the day award...I tend to stay out of the daily news, however, how anyone in the media department, pr departments or management can sleep at night at BP amazes me. 

Lessons to learn from the BP Crisis for our businesses? One must ALWAYS be prepared for the unexpected. Make sure that, in your pr department, you have someone who does not think in a linear fashion-someone who sees the glass as half full and half empty. Contrary thought is good for the soul.

And, in this world where we worship 17-25 year old consumers, having someone over 40, over 50, oh dear God, should I say it? Over 60, who has seen a few screw ups, is essential. We live in a world where there are no simple answers, and the enthusiasm of youth, and the experience of different age groups means the difference between success and huge failure.

Someday, when the BP fiasco is looked at forensically, there will be the acknowledgment that people involved were too close to see the whole picture, and that contrary voices were, perhaps, squashed.

 Companies and organizations in our sport may not have a huge oil spill to contend with, but an issue with huge recall in product, a series of poor deliveries in bad weather, an event that goes bad, due to an act of God, and the bad publicity of the event or athlete whittles at the consumers' brand view, could always happen. Not that I follow it all of the time, but the method related to me, by crisis PR agencies (yes, there are a few good ones), is simple to say, terribly difficult to do: provide clear, timely info, admit when you do not have the answers, and try and keep things transparent.  

We are living in an age that can be both exhilarating and terrifying, both at once. We are living in an age where we have, perhaps, too many choices.  In the final analysis, mistakes are where we learn. Let's focus on making our own unique mistakes, and learning from the one's those before us have made...

Tyson Gay, Rome 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.


In speaking to an source, who requested anonymity, "Tyson Gay is not injured, he is, however, sore. He was hoping to be ready to run the 100 meters, but is not ready to run at one hundred meters, at this time.."

The adidas Grand Prix will have many of the best runners, jumpers and throwers in the world, with the exception of a few men in the men's 100 meters.....

Wallace Spearmon, 2010 Drake Relays, April 2010, courtesy of John
Barnhart


The meeting in Rabat continues to improve in quality. Wallace Spearmon Jr ran 20.35 for the 200 meters. Spearmon, like other 200 specialists is caught in a bit of a quandary this year, as the 200 meters will not be featured across the Diamond League for 2010.

Abubaker Kaki won here in a slowish 1:46.1 (compared to what he had David Rudisha have been running).  Abdalaati Iguider won the 1,500 meters, in 3:34.25 with Amine Laalou just a tick behind, in 3;34.26. Race was quite deep, with fifteenth at 3:42.30! John Kemboi of Kenya battled a tough field, including Abrahim Chebii, with Kemboi winning in 13:01.64 with nine under 13:18! Dwight Phillips is rounding into shape in the long jump, with a legal 8.26m for the win!  Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania won the discus in 61.75.  

On the women's side, Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica on the 100 meters in 11.13, with Chandra Sturrup in 11.14. In the 800 meters,  Halima Hachlaf of Morrocco won in 2:00.63, over Hasna Benhassi in 2:01.33, who was quickly followed by the hard charging Maggie Vessey, who ran 2:01.55 for third. Nancy Jebet Langat of Kenya won the 1,500 meters in 4:05.80, with eleven runners under 4:10.87.
                 
 

 

The Houston Marathon Committee has seen their event grow from a modest little marathon in the mid seventies, to the upcoming host of the Men's and Women's U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2012. In 2011, due to the success of their 5k, half marathon and marathon events, Houston will be using a lottery. For more details, please continue reading:

Nick Arciniaga, RNR San Diego

Congrats to Nick Arciniaga, who ran a fine pb at the 2010 RNR San Diego marathon today!

Flagstaff's Nick Arciniaga dropped his marathon personal best by nearly two minutes in route to finishing 3rd at the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon - the highest finish by an American in the history of the event.  His time of 2:11:47 (5:01 per mile) over the 26.2 mile course was a significant improvement over his breakthrough 8th place finish (in 2:13:46) at the 2009 ING New York City Marathon.  Today's Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon performance follows quickly on the heels of his Bronze Medal performance at the US 25K Championships (held May 8th), where he and teammates Andrew Carlson (Gold) and Brett Gotcher (Silver) swept the medal stand.  

More coverage of today's race:

http://running.competitor.com/2010/06/news/limo-wins-rock-n-roll-san-diego_10295

Photos courtesy of Photorun.net

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• Richard Limo wins Rock 'n Roll Marathon (sfgate.com)

Merga, Lagat, Bekele, Oslo, Norway, June 4, 2010, 5,000 m finish! photo by PhotoRun.net.


The magic of Oslo strikes once again! In the men's 5,000 meters, Bernard Lagat showed why
he is, at this time, the saviest middle distance racer on the track. In a fast paced race, where the 400 was hit in 59, the 800 in 2:02, the mile in 4:06, two miles in 8:22, Bernard Lagat stayed out of trouble, took the lead with one lap to go, (11:59) and then, dropped a mid 55 second last lap to take third to Imane Merga and Tariuki Bekele, both of Ethiopia (12:53.83, 12;53.97),
breaking Dathan Ritzenheim's nearly one year old AR of 12:56.27, with Bernard's fine 12:54.12, a PB by five seconds!

Bernard Lagat, AR, 5,000 meters, 12;54.12, June 4, 2010, photo courtesy of PhotoRun.net.

Running upfront most of the race and finishing in sixth place was none other than Chris Solinsky, who ran a PB of 12:56.66, a personal best by sixteen seconds!


Chris Solinsky, en route to his 12:56.66 PB, Oslo, Norway, June 4, 2010,
photo by PhotoRun.net.
 
Recall that Bernard set his 3,000 meter PB last weekend, and Chris set the 10,000m AR on May 1, 2010. Solinsky is now the 27th man to run both sub 27 minutes for 10,000 meters, and sub-13 minutes for 5,000 meters. Solinsky is the first non-African to achieve both distinctions, per K. Ken Nakamura .

Results of Oslo/Bislett follow, note that RBR will review the events later this evening!

Special thanks to Walt Murphy (used with his permission) News & Results service (Wmurphy25@aol.com).RBR heading to Hospital Hill run in Kansas City to see one of
midwests most venerable races!

Chaunte Howard-Lowe is on fire! At the 21rst Leisitzer Meeting, in Cottbus, Germany, held on May 30, 2010, Chaunte cleared 2.03m, tying the US record of Louise Ritter. On her third attempt at 2.04m, Chaunte Howard-Lowe put it all together, and put her name on the American record. Louise Ritter's 2.03m/6-7.75 was now a former AR. The current AR is now 6'-8.25" or 2.04m, and the record holder is Chaunte Howard-Lowe. Enjoy the video.

Nice to see the USOC getting back in the sponsor game. BMW is a high end auto brand, and Olympic movement is perfect demographics for the German auto company...

BolderBoulder is a right of early summer road racing. One of the first races with the wave
start, I experienced the race way back in 1987, while I was still at Runners World. I enjoyed
the race, and the excitement and feel of the race! Mike Sandrock for RunningUSAwire.