El Baakali, Kipruto, Jager, WC 2017, photo by PhotoRun.net
Conseslus Kipruto, photo by PhotoRun.netFor the next two months, Nike is sponsoring a daily homage to the World Indoors. From Monday to Friday, we feature athletes from US, UK, Europe, Africa and Asia. On Saturdays and Sundays, we feature a great moment from World Indoor Championship history, again thanks to sponsor, Nike. We hope that you like this series.
Today, we feature, for Week three, Day 6, we feature Bernard Lagat and his win in Istanbul over the 3000 meters in March 2012!
For more information on the World Indoors Birmingham in March 2018, please go to www.wicbirmingham2018.com .
Bernard Lagat begins to fly, Instanbul, March 2012, photo by PhotoRun.net
This is the third week, fifth day of the Nike Talks World Indoors Series. Thanks to Nike Sports Marketing, @runblogrun will provide a Monday-Friday story on a key athlete from US, Great Britain, Europe, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia. On the weekends, we will go back in World Indoor history and provide a favorite moment. This sponsorship goes from January1-March 5. We hope you enjoy. And please check out www.nikerunning.com. Remember to support our sponsors. They are supporting the heart of running.
Today, we are writing about Hungarian star, Anita Marton, the silver medalist from London 2017 and bronze from World Indoors 2016 in Portland, Oregon.
And always remember to check out www.wicbirmingham2018.com!
Anita Marton, photo by PhotoRun.net
Originally posted August 11, 2017
Reposted on January 7, 2018
Horace Ashenfelter died on January 6, 2018, at the wonderful age of 94. Horace Ashenfelter won the Olympic steeplechase in 1952, the first and last American male to do such an thing. In his honor, we are reposting several pieces on this wonderful man, classmate of our late editor, James Dunaway, and former FBI agent, Penn State grad, and winner of 18 AAU national titles, from cross country to 10k.
I sure hope Horace Ashenfelter was able to see this race on TV. It would have made his heart happy. For Emma and Courtney, like our favorite Penn State grad did sixty five years ago, ran with full emotion and heart, and surpassed their dreams!
The 2017 London World Championship women's steeplechase was the finest steeplechase in WC history, and it showcased the amazing strength of Team USA.
Those who have watched Emma Coburn develop over the past six years have watched her confidence while racing change as well. The steeplechase is a tough event, 27 barriers and 7 water jumps and 3000 meters.
Emma Coburn, Courtney Frerichs go gold and silver in London steeplechase! photo by PhotoRun.net
The pace went out at 3:02 for 1k and 6:05 for 2k. Courtney Frerichs (PB of 9:20.6, 2016) , Emma Coburn (9:07.63, 2016) followed Ruth Jebet (Olympic champion, WR holder, 8:52.78), Celliphene Chespol (under 20 WR holder) , Beatrice Chepkoech (Pre winner, 9:00.70 steeple PB) and Hyvin Jepkemoi (PB of 9:00.01, Pre 2016). This was a scarily experienced field. Oh, a quick addition on Hyvin Jepkemoi: silver medal Rio Olympic steeple, gold in 2015 WC steeple).
The most bizarre thing in the race was just at the first water jump, Beatrice Chepkoech bizarrely missed the first water jump, reversed her steps, and went over the barrier legally. She took about 300 meters to catch up with the pack. Emma Coburn was in fifth place, with Chepkoech, Chespol, Jebet and Jepkemoi in front.
Running out of her mind, Courtney Frerichs was running with the front pack, just behind Coburn as they hit 2k.
Emma Coburn looked to be running within herself. The pace, and perhaps the prolific racing of Ruth Jebet, Cellphine Chespol, and Beatrice Chepkoech all season caught up with them. " This was a very challenging championship," noted Hyvin Jepkemoi.
Wayde Van Niekerk, photo by PhotoRun.net
Wayde Van Niekerk, photo by PhotoRun.net
Mutaz Essa Barshim, photo by PhotoRun.net
BEIJING (CHN): Chinese News Agency Xinhua informed about their selection of top ten sports personalities of 2017. The only representative of athletics in this top ten is High Jump World champion Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar.
I love our sport of track & field. Truth is, athletes from countries big and small can shine in our sport.
In London, lets speak about Trinidad & Tobago. Their 4x400 meters men team caught the U.S. team took the gold right out of their hands. The crowd went absolutely bonkers, and the interview with the TTO team post race was just, well fun.
Trinidad & Tobago had played the rounds right and had built their team for a big run in the final. The U.S. spits out 400 meter runners by the dozens, but truth is, the U.S. team had a group of guys who were tired, and the coaching staff did not see the challenge, which they should always see.
I recall John Chaplin, former coach of Washington State at Pullman, telling me that an Olympic coach is remembered for only a few things: if they loose the relays or buy the batons. The US felt, for many years, that the long relays were a birth right.
Well someone did not tell TTO that. They all ran with spirit, but the anchor did the job and moved by an exhausted Fred Kerley in textbook fashion, to take the gold medal.
Trinidad & Tobago did it the old fashioned way, they earned their gold medal.
Almaz Ayana, photo by PhotoRun.net
LONDON (GBR): World 10,000m record-holder Almaz Ayana says speed is the main area she needs to improve on and that her work ethic is her biggest strength. In an interview with fastrunning.com, the 2016 Olympic 25-lap champion, who has run 8:22 for 3000m, said: "My speed is not so good, and I am not good at tempo changes." She added of her best positive attribute: "I work very very hard - every day. I train, eat, sleep during the day and just repeat that over and over again. I am fully focused on my running. According to my coach, my focus and mind are very strong. Everything in my life is focused on training and competition. I have no distraction from social media or anything like that."
Almaz Ayana, photo by PhotoRun.net
Emma Coburn had a near perfect season. She won the US champs, she ran American record, and she looked poised for greatness this season.
Emma Coburn, photo by PhotoRun.net
Could she medal once again in global competition? The field in 2017 looked, on paper, tougher than 2016.
I picked Emma for silver in London, but really, did not know. I had observed Emma since college, and watched her hurdling develop, her racing strategy develop, but felt that she was just a bit too cautious to win one of the big medals.
Was I wrong.
Listening to her then fiance, and coach, and now husband, Emma stayed closer to the action than ever before. Her last 500 meters was perfection, and her attack over the last water jump, and Courtney Frerichs taking silver behind Emma's gold is one of the finest moments in American Track & Field history.
Fast times are one thing, winning a global medal in the toughest venues in the world, when there are no pacers, no safety nets, is where Emma Coburn delivered.
Sub nine minutes? It is just a matter of time.
Tori Bowie, for 2017, the fastest women in the world. Her victories at the US champs, in the 100 meter World Champs and her blazing leg in the 4x100 meters showed a women who, as she told us in Beijing in 2015, "likes to win."
Tori Bowie, photo by PhotoRun.net
If you take a look at her 100 meter final, you see that amazing finish, that blazing last 40 meters and the determination that gave her an amazingly bruised leg. It was day by day, as her coach and team watched her to see if she could run the relay.
Tori Bowie lets her feet do the talking, and they spoke loud and clear in London. Under the watchful eye of Coach Lance Brauman, Tori Bowie continues to develop, one year at a time. She is a different athlete than in 2015, when she won medals focusing on half of the race distances.
We wish Tori a great 2018, and look forward to seeing her change it up a little bit.