In the United States, the last week has been one of cross country championships, Turkey Trots and this weekend held three FootLocker Cross Country Regional Champs and several NXN Champs. It has been a huge weekend around the world for our sport, as the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon had over 30,000 and the BLOM Beirut Marathon had 32,000 in its several races! On top of that, a survey of the 15 largest Turkey Trots across the U.S. showed just over 155,000 participating.

Later this week, from Wednesday, November 30 to Saturday, December 3, the national convention for USA Track & Field will be held. Many topics are simmering, including the furor that Nick Symmonds has created with his Facebook page and comments on the dearth of sponsoring logos on track uniforms. There will be also several other subjects of interest, including the lack of a new CEO, the direction of the Board of Directors, London 2012, and the amazing success of Team USA with the on then off search for the CEO.

RBR will be visiting the USA Track & Field convention and we look forward to updating our readers on the machinations of the governing body of the world’s best track team.

EME
NEWS (NOV 27, 2011)

TOP
FOUR WOMEN UNDER 1:08

NEW
DELHI (IND, Nov 27): The seventh edition of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, an
IAAF Gold Label Road Race, has returned to its original course after three
years and saw excellent times. Last year second placer Lelisa Desisa won in
fast 59:30 ahead of junior world CC medalist Geoffrey Kipsang 59:31 and Mike
Kigen 59:38. Fourth Sammy Kitwara clocked 1:00:09 beating Philemon Limo to
fifth 1:00:32. Commonwealth Gold medalist Lucy Wangui was the best woman in
1:07:04, the second fastest time of the year. World marathon bronze winner
Sharon Cherop was second in 1:07:08 and last year winner Aselefech Mergia from
Ethiopia third 1:07:21. Fast splits for Kabuu and Cherop 15:41 at 5 km, 31:31
at 10 km, 47:48 at 15 km and 1:03:43 at 20 km. In high quality field fourth
Belaynesh Oljira (1:07:27) ahead of Lydia Cheromei 1:08:50 and Mare Dibaba
1:08:58. In total 9 women went under 1:10. For both winners 25 000 USD first
place prize money. Indian media are reporting among the celebrities who
attended the event were Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and actress Bipasha
Basu. Best Indian Suresh Kumar was 20th (1:04:08), in women race Lalita Babar
as 19th (1:17:38). Best European in women race was Ukrainian Olga Kotovska as
16th (1:15:37). Women´s 3rd and 4th place times are the best ever. More than 30
000 participated in different races. With help from Murali Krishnan.

YEGO
27:30

HYDERABAD
(IND, Nov 27): Another fast race of the day in India was the 10 km of Hyderabad
where Kenyan Daniel Yego achieved 27:30 ahead of his team-mates Philip Yego
27:35 and Martin Mukule 27:38 with John Kosgei fourth 27:39. Ethiopian Kalkidan
Lema was the best woman in 33:12.

I.   KOSGEI NEW CR
2:07:59

VALENCIA
(ESP, Nov 27): Kenyan Isaiah Kosgei achieved new course record at the 31st
Divina Pastora Valencia Marathon 2:07:59 ahead of other Kenyans Francis Bowen
and Nicholas Kemboi both timed with 2:08:01. It is also second best course
record in Spain after Barcelona marathon (2:07:30). Jimma Abo of Ethiopia was
the best woman in 2:34:23 beating Spanish runner Marta Esteban 2:38:05. In 10
km races wins for Bahraini Mostapha Riyadh 29:26 and Moroccan Malika Assahsah
32:25. In total 7000 runners participated.

ETHIOPIANS
WINS IN FIRENZE

FIRENZE
(ITA, Nov 27): Ethiopian wins also at new course of Florence Marathon. Berga
Bekele was the best in 2:09:52, his third career sub 2:10 time. Asha Gigi
confirmed her position as the top woman of the field with clear 2:31:36 win.
Second places for another Ethiopian Gela Hailu Seifu 2:10:17 and Moroccan Janat
Hanane 2:34:20, for both lifetime bests. Best European was Bartosz Mazerski of
Poland as 8th (2:19:22) and Briton Joasia Zakrzewski as 5th in 2:41:22,
personal best at age of 35.

SEN
SEBASTIAN NUMBER ONES

SAN
SEBASTIAN (ESP, Nov 27): Winners of 34th San Sebastian Marathon were Moroccan
Btami Otmane 2:20:26 and home runner Claudie Behobide 2:47:42.

ANOTHER
CR OF THE WEEKEND

LA
ROCHELLE (FRA, Nov 27): Kenyan John Komen improved not only his best 2:08:06
but also the course record 2:09:44 at the 21st La Rochelle Marathon. He won in
excellent 2:07:13. Also fast second Daniel Limo 2:08:39 (PB) and third Nahashon
Kimaiyo as in last year 2:10:44. After Paris now La Rochelle has the second
fastest course record in France. Former 8:05 steepler Eliud Barngetuny debuted
in marathon at age of 35 as 6th in 2:18:05. Ethiopian Ture Chatu was the best
woman in 2:36:09.

ETHIOPIAN
WINS IN BEIRUT

BEIRUT
(LIB, Nov 27): Ethiopians won and clocked new course records at BLOM Beirut
Marathon. Tariku Jifar, the experienced sub 2:10 runner achieved 2:11:14 to
beat Kenyans Sammy Malakwen 2:11:31 and James Rotich 2:13:16. French Larbi Es
Raidi was the best European as 7th in 2:14:42. Seada Kedir improved her best to
be the best woman in 2:31:38 ahead of Bizunesh Urgesa 2:32:52 and French 40 years
old Swetlana Pretot 2:33:07. IAAF informs about 32 000 runers in different
races and prominent starter was legendary hurdler Edwin Moses.

CANADIAN
CC CHAMPIONS

VANCOUVER
(CAN, Nov 26): The weather didn’t cooperate but that didn’t stop great racing
at Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver, B.C., site of the 2011 Canadian Cross
Country Championships. Cameron Levins successfully defended his title in the
men’s senior age category (32:04). Finishing second in the men’s senior 10 km
race was Barry Britt (32:49) ahead of Chris Winter who took the bronze in
32:51. Due to a technical glitch caused by massive amounts of rain the
men’s senior results official times have yet to be confirmed. Kendra Schaaf
took the Canadian title in the women’s 7 km senior race in a time of 25:00
minutes. Megan Brown took silver in 25:08 ahead of Dayna Pidhoresky from
Tecumseh, Ont., claiming bronze in 25:47.

DOMINGUEZ
THIRD

BARCELONA
(ESP, Nov 27): One of the most traditional races in Spain, the 88th edition of
Jean Bouin event saw Moroccan Ilias Fifa winning the 9.8 km in 30:05 ahead of
Kenyan Kiprono Menjo 30:08. Firehiwot Goshu of Ethiopia was the best woman in
22:07 ahead of Amina Denboba 22:50 and top Spanish runners former world
champion Marta Dominguez 22:53 and miler medalist Natalia Rodriguez 23:56.

OTHER NEWS

DUBLIN
(IRL): European Olympic Committees chairman Patrick Hickey, the President of
the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), has resigned from a key Government
Task Force designed to make sure that Ireland exploits the potential benefits
of London hosting the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. Hickey quit the London
Coordinating group because he claims that it is not achieving anything. „I have
become disillusioned over the last two years about the lack of progress on main
key issues, most of which have been highlighted in the London 2012 Olympics and
Paralympics Task Force reports,” Hickey wrote in a letter of resignation
sent to Ireland’s Sports Minister, Michael Ring.

LONDON
(GBR): SportAccord has joined forces with global sports television agency IEC
in Sports, to bring to the world a series of multisport events through a new
range of consultancy and broadcast services. The new media platform will be
used for the first time in an event that will some of the world’s best brains
competing in bridge, chess, draughts, go and xiangqi – Chinese chess – in the
World Mind Games, which will take place from December 8 until 16 in Beijing.
Informs insidethegames.

KINGSTON
(JAM): Inspirational dinner in Tracks and Records of Kingston owned by Usain
Bolt. The fastest man on earth welcomed there Sir Richard Branson, the English
business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies.
Branson is the 4th richest citizen of the United Kingdom.

LONDON
(GBR): At the Aviva UK Athletics Awards Evening on Saturday night at the Park
Plaza Westminster Hotel saw Mo Farah getting the Aviva Series Performance of
the Year Award. Another world champion Dai Greene got The Best Athletics
Performance 2011. The Elite coach of the year is Malcolm Arnold and club of the
year Sedgefield Harriers.

PORTLAND
(USA): Dailyfinance.com informs that China’s enormous emerging economy presents
an immense opportunity for global players, and Nike is among the names making a sprint
into this market. The athletic footwear and apparel giant has expansion plans
in the promising Asian market to keep its top line running strong. China has
become one of Nike’s largest markets, and the company is looking to ramp up
investment and double revenue in the country to $4 billion by 2015. Nike
currently operates through 7,500 stores in China and is planning to open new
ones and increase production.

NEW YORK
(USA): Participation in Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24) running races–commonly
called turkey trots–rebounded in 2011 after barely growing last year, according
to an annual survey of events compiled by Race Results Weekly. A survey of
20 well-established races in 15 states with a total of 155,264 finishers
showed 14.4% growth in finishers from 2010, dramatically more than the less
than 1% growth last year.