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. 

LONDON
MARATHON

LOS ANGELES (USA): Distance
running fans in the United States can watch Sunday’s Virgin London Marathon on
Universal Sports, either online or on television. In Europe the sports channel
Eurosport is broadcasting the race in its entirety.

LONDON (GBR): International
sports odds maker Bodog.com favors Irina Mikitenko and Samuel Wanjiru to win.
Mikitenko, the defending champion from Germany, has been given 2.5-to-1 odds to
win.  Last year’s Bank of America Chicago
Marathon champion Liliya Shobukhova of Russia is ranked next at 5.0-to-1, and
British hope Mara Yamauchi is ranked third at 8.0-to-1.  Reigning IAAF World Marathon championn Bai
Xue of China is ranked fourth at 9.0-to-1. On the men’s side Wanjiru, the men’s
defending champion from Kenya, was given 2.75-to-1 odds.  Surprisingly, Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese was
ranked second at 4.0-to-1, despite the fact that he has never finished
a marathon.  Olympic bronze
medallist Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia was given 6.50-to-1 odds, and the
second-fastest man in world history, Duncan Kibet of Kenya, was ranked fourth
at 8.0-to-1. Writes RRW.

PENN
RELAYS

PHILADELPHIA (USA): He’s the
fastest man on the planet so it makes sense that he would conduct the fastest
press conference in the world. Olympic champion and world-record-holder Usain
Bolt met the Penn Relays press on Friday morning and answered all their
questions in less than 15 minutes. He is returning to Penn Relays for first
time since 2005. In
2002 and ’03 he ran for William Knibb Memorial High School in the prep
division. Then he represented his country in the USA vs. The World series,
first in the 4×400 in 2004, then on the sprint medley in ’05.  “This year I’m probably going to try to be
easier, I’m not trying to do anything special this year,” he said when asked
about his goals. “This year is going to be as relaxing as possible, because
next year is very serious. So this year is kinda taking it easy.” The meet
website info. Asked if he would be at the event which gets underway in India on
October 3, the world 100 and 200
metres champion said that the decision lay in the hands
of his coach, Glen Mills. „My coach decides that. He hasn’t told me, so I’m not
sure about that.” About improvement of Tyson Gay at 400 m: „Seeing Tyson Gay
break 45 seconds is not a motivation for me. But if I have to do it,
I have to do it. If it takes that for me to become a legend in the
sport, I will do it.”

PHILADELPHIA (USA): 400 m world champion Sanya
Richards-Ross tweaked her quad. „I kind of tweaked my quad today at practice
a bit, but hopefully I should be able to go tomorrow,” she said.
World and olympic finalist Darvos Patton: „Beating Jamaica, that’s what it’s
all about. This is my 10th tear at the Relays. We’ve won nine out of 10.”

PHILADELPHIA (USA): US teams
have been announced. In the 4×100 m USA Blue is stronger with Dix, Rodgers,
Crawford and world leader Ivory Williams. USA Red has Bailey, Padgett, Patton,
Edwards. Jamaican teams still not known, but Bolt will anchor one of the two.
Most probably with other Racers TC colleagues Forsythe, M. Anderson and Blake.
The other selection should be Frater, Carter, Thomas and X. Brown. In the men
4×400 m US will have Blue team again stronger with B. Jackson, Torrence,
Clement and A. Taylor. Red is Gaymon, Betters, X. Carter and Neville. In the
women 4×100 m Jamaica has still five names there, but strong (Calvert, Facey,
Fraser, Simpson and Stewart). USA Blue is high quality with L. Barber, Felix,
M. Barber and Jeter, the Red selection has Ofili, V. Powell, Boone- Smith and
A. Anderson. In the 4×400 m US Blue has Dunn, Felix, Demus, Richards. The Red
team has Leach, E. Collins, Trotter and Hastings.

GAY FOR KINGSTON (400)

KINGSTON (JAM): Jamaica Gleaner
informs about sensational entry of US sprint record holder Tyson Gay into
Jamaica Invitational meet for 400
m. On May 1 he will so run his first international race
over one lap. So far he had three outdoor and one indoor race in US and
recently improved to excellent 44.89
in Gainesville. He will face world indoor champion Chris
Brown of Bahamas and world medalist Renny Quow of Trinidad.

RESULTS

GOREE ISLAND (SEN, Apr 23):
Shot Put competitions were staged as usual the day  before the Dakar IAAF World Challenge Meeting
at historical place of Goree Island. In the men competition a close battle
won by Portugal record holder and olympian Marco Fortes with 19.65. Second
place for US 20 m
putter Rhuben Williams who registered 18.63 and third Orazio Cremona of South
Africa (18.30). In the women competition a US win happened. World indoor
6th placer and Olympic finalist Jill Camarena-Williams was the best with 18.81 m. Trinidad´s record
holder Cleopatra Borel-Brown achieved 18.01 as second and another US thrower
Sarah Stevens was third with 17.64. Meeting records 21.30 and 19.51 remained
untouched. Among the spectators also IAAF President Lamine Diack. The main
programme will be staged at Leopold Senghor stadium on Saturday late afternoon
local time.

DES MOINES (USA, Apr 23): Last
year US javelin champion Kara Patterson highlighted the Friday action at Drake
Relays with new meet record 61.80. It is also her second best career mark.
Texas El Paso with anchor Nigerian olympic medalist Blessing Okagbare won the
4×100 m in 44.71 and 4×200 m in 1:34.20. Baylor clocked 1:21.64 in the men´s
4×200 m.

PHILADELPHIA (USA, Apr 23):
Teams of Texas AM ruled the events on Friday at Penn Relays. Men achieved
fastest qualifiers 39.37, 1:21.22 and 3:04.84 in 4×1, 4×2 and 4×4. Women of
Texas AM won the 4×100 m in 43.09 and so defended their title from last year.
They were also fastest in the 4×200 m heats (1:31.00). In the women shuttle
hurdles relay Texas AM even posted new college record 52.50 with Jamaican
Natasha Ruddock as anchor. In individual events Johnny Dutch was the fastest in
400 m
hurdles but his 50.09 were affected by negative wind in first part of the race.
On the other hand Queen Harrison posted in 100 m hurdles heats
wind-aided 12.46 (+3.1). Marcus Rowland (10.25, +0.2) and Lakya Brookins
(11.32, +1.9) were the fastest in 100
m college heats. Nigerian Stanley Ggagbeke won the long
jump with windy 790.

BERKELEY (USA, Apr 23): Amy
Begley achieved season´s fastest 3000
m during first day of Brutus Hamilton Invitational with
8:53.73. Second Canadian Malindi Elmore got 8:57.97. Galen Rupp opened his
season with 13:32.53 at 5000
m and Japanese Yuki Sato was the best in the 10 000 m (28:27.93).

LA JOLLA (USA, Apr 23): Dutch
discus thrower Monique Jansen confirmed her shape with 59.66 win during first day
of Triton Invitational.

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