This Day in Track & Field, November 5, Alf Shrubb sets 7 WRs in one race (1904), Carrie Dawson-Boyd battles Kara Wheeler (1994), Hellen Obiri wins NYC (2023), photo by Walt Murphy News & Results

Walt Murphy is one of the finest track geeks that I know. Walt does #ThisDayinTrack&FieldHistory, an excellent daily service that provides true geek stories about our sport. You can check out the service for FREE with a free one-month trial subscription! (email: [email protected] ) for the entire daily service. We will post a few historic moments each day, beginning February 1, 2024.

by Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected]), used with permission

Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected])

This Day in Track & Field–November 5

1890—Princeton’s Luther Cary ran 11.2 for 100 meters in New York to equal the American Record he had already shared with Yale’s Charles Sherrill. Cary won the 100y and 220y at the 1891 IC4A and U.S. Championships.

1904—Great Britain’s Alfie Shrubb set 7 World Records in one race at Glasgow’s Ibrox Park:

6-miles 29:59.4

10,000m 31:02.4

7-miles 35:04.6

8-miles 40:16.0

9-miles 45:27.6

10-miles 50:40.6

I-Hour 18,742 meters (11.645 miles)

The race was billed as a 10-miler, but when Shrubb reached the finish line, spectators urged him to continue running so he could get the

Alf Shrubb wore shoes made by Joe Foster, who became Reebok. Paul Fireman purchased Reebok in 1981, and the rest is history.

1-hour record! Said Shrubb, “I managed it, but with a bad stitch. Had it not been for losing 25 seconds at the end of the 10 miles, through hesitation, the Hour record would have been something better” (From the Progression of IAAF World Records)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Shrubb

1994–It was a preview of things to come, with senior Carrie Tollefson beating junior Kara Wheeler (now Kara Goucher) to win the AA division at the Minnesota High School State meet (14:09.2-14:10.5). It was a dream matchup between two returning Foot Locker finalists (5th & 9th, respectively) and two defending state champions (in different divisions).

About a mile into the 4k race, Tollefson (Dawson-Boyd) turned to her rival and said, “Let’s take over the race and see what happens.” Wheeler (Duluth-East) responded to the friendly challenge, and the two pulled away from the pack, going shoulder-to-shoulder until Tollefson took command with 600 meters to go and went on to win her 5th State title! (From X-Country X-Press)

The two went on to have outstanding careers in college and beyond. Both won NCAA titles in x-country and on the track, both became Olympians, and Goucher won the silver medal in the 10,000-Meters at the 2007 World Championships. Tollefson is active these days as a TV commentator, online coach, and director of her own running camp, while Goucher, who was 4^th at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, made a brief transition to trail running in 2019. She debuted in 2021 as an NBC’s T&F broadcasting crew member.

Goucher: http://www.karagoucher.com/

https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/kara-goucher-14311212

Goucher-Trail Running: https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a28065655/kara-goucher-leadville-debut/

Tollefson: http://carrietollefson.com/

https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/carrie-tollefson-14322879

Podcast: https://www.ctollerun.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ctollerun

TCS NY City Marathon

1989—Tanzania’s Juma Ikangaa won the men’s race at the NY City Marathon in 2:08:01, setting a Course Record that lasted until 2001, when Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Jifar ran 2:07:43.

Norway’s Ingrid Kristiansen won the women’s race in 2:25:30, just one second off Allison Roe’s CR of 2:25:29. She was named to the NY Road Runners Hall of Fame in 2019.

Americans finished 2^nd in both races—Ken Martin (2:09:38) and Kim Jones (2:27:54/4 weeks after winning the Twin Cities Marathon). Finishing 3^rd in the men’s race was Italy’s Gelindo Bordin (2:09:40), who had won Olympic gold in Seoul the previous year, and 9^th was Ethiopia’s Belayneh Dinsamo (2:13:42), who had set a World Record of 2:06:50 in Rotterdam in April.

Italy’s Laura Fogli (2:28:43) compiled one of the greatest placings in the event’s history for someone who never won the race. She finished 3^rd this year for the 4^th time, was 2^nd twice, and 4^th twice.

1981-4^th

1982-4^th

1983-2^nd

1984-3^rd

1985-3^rd

1986-3^rd

1987-didn’t run)

1988-2^nd

1989-3^rd

Other Notable Finishers (Total-24,572)

Men: 8. Steve Jones (Wales) 2:12:58…10.Pat Petersen (USA) 2:14:02…14.Gianni Poli (Italy/1986 winner) 2:15:47; DNF-Mark Nenow (USA), Mark Plaatjes (South Africa)

Women: 12. Priscilla Welch (Great Britain/1987 winner) 2:36:15, 13.Margaret Groos (USA) 2:37:33

Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/891105/finishers

Top 20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_New_York_City_Marathon

Sports Illustrated Coverage

Kim Jones(for subscribers):

https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a20799009/how-i-placed-second-at-the-1989-nyc-marathon/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO06xAlrl8E

2000—The winners this year were Morocco’s Abdelkader El Mouaziz (2:10:09) and Russia’s Lyudmila Petrova (2:25:45).

Other Notable Finishers

Men: 2.Japhet Kosgei (Kenya) 2:12:30, 3.Shem Kororia (Kenya) 2:12:33…6.Josia Thugwane (South Africa/1996 Olympic Champion) 2:15:25…10.John Kagwe (Kenya/winner in 1997,1998) 2:17:02…14.German Silva (Mexico/winner in 1994,1995) 2:20:41…19.Paul Pilkington (USA) 2:23:33.

Women: 2.Franca Fiacconi (Italy) 2:26:03, 3.Margaret Okayo (Kenya/would win in 2001, 2003-set the Course Record of 2:22:31) 2:26:36…6.Tegla Loroupe (Kenya/winner in 1994, 1995) 2:29:35; DNF- Anuța Cătună (Romania/1996 winner)

Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/NYC2000/finishers

Top 20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_New_York_City_Marathon

www.nytimes.com/2000/11/07/sports/new-york-city-marathon-busy-day-for-the-winners-while-the-rest-simply-rest.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/06/sports/new-york-city-marathon-men-a-moroccan-running-like-the-wind.html

2006—Brazil’s Marílson dos Santos (2:09:58) was the surprise winner of the men’s race, with Stephen Kiogora (2:10:06) winning the battle for 2^nd over fellow Kenyan Paul Tergat (2:10:10), the defending champion.

The winner of the women’s race for the 2^nd year in a row was Latvia’s Jeļena Prokopčuka (2:25:05).

Other Notable Finishers

Men: 6. Stefano Baldini (Italy/2004 Olympic Champion) 2:11:33, 7.Wilson Kipsang (Kenya/would win in 2014) 2:11:54…9.Hendrick Ramaala (South Africa/winner in 2004) 2:13:04…10.Peter Gilmore 2:13:13, 11.Dathan Ritzenhein 2:14:01…20.Meb Keflezighi (would win in 2009) 2:22:02.

Women: 2.Tetyana Hladyr (Ukraine) 2:26:05, 3.Catherine Ndereba (Kenya/Olympic champion-2004,2008) 2:26:58…6.Deena Kastor (USA) 2:27:54…8.Lornah Kiplagat (Netherlands) 2:32:31…9.Katie McGregor (USA) 2:32:36…14.Sonia O’Sullivan (Ireland) 2:42:05

Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/a61105/finishers/1901559

Top 20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_New_York_City_Marathon

NY Times Coverage: https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/pages/sports/sportsspecial/

A Helping Hand: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/sports/othersports/07runner.html?ref=sportsspecial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiGV355H2F4

2017—Shalane Flanagan (2:26:53) became the first American woman to win the NY City Marathon since Miki Gorman won in 1977. Finishing 2^nd was Kenya’s 3-time defending champion Mary Keitany (2:27:54).

It was sweet redemption for the Massachusetts-raised Flanagan, who was devastated when an injury forced her to withdraw from the Boston Marathon in April.

Shalane Flanagan, 2017 NYC Marathon, photo courtesy of NYRR Club

Geoffrey Kamworor (2:10:53) edged fellow Kenyan Wilson Kipsang (2:10:56), the 2014 winner, to win the men’s race. Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa (2:11:32), the 2018 race winner, came in third!

From FloTrack:

During the problematic points in the race, Flanagan said that she tried to remember another runner who had inspired her and many others throughout his career. In the men’s race, 2009 winner Meb Keflezighi completed his 26th and final career marathon (11^th-2:15:29). “I was thinking of Meb, and I was thinking of how I wanted to make him proud today, and I think I did,” she said.

Other Notable Finishers

Men: 7.Abdi Abdirahman (USA) 2:12:48…10.Shadrack Kiptoo (USA) 2:14:57

Women: 4. Edna Kiplagat (Kenya/2010 winner) 2:29:36, 5.Allie Kiefer (USA) 2:29:39…8.Kellyn Taylor 2:29:56, 9. Diane Nkuri 2:31:21, 10.Stephanie Bruce (USA) 2:31:44…13.Aliphine Tuliamuk (USA) 2:33:18

Results: https://results.nyrr.org/event/M2017/finishers

Top 20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_New_York_City_Marathon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQzqVii3v1Y

www.letsrun.com/news/2017/11/shalane-Flanagan-wins-2017-new-york-city-marathon-1st-american-winner-40-years/

Flanagan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrcCP0VUU_s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xzYA0LPDX0

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/sports/nyc-marathon.html

https://www.flotrack.org/articles/6032563-shalane-flanagan-wins-the-new-york-city-marathon

2023(New)—It was one of the greatest battles in the illustrious history of the NY City Marathon. Entering the final mile of the women’s race, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi and Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey were running stride-for-stride through Central Park. Lokedi, the defending champion, was the first to drop back. At the same time, Obiri, 6^th in her marathon debut in last year’s race, soon pulled away from Gidey (2:27:29), the World Record holder at 10,000 meters, and won going away in 2:27:23. For Obiri, who is coached by Dathan Ritzenhein, it was her 2^nd major victory of the year, having won the Boston Marathon in April. Lokedi (2:27:33) held on for 3^rd. Former World Record holder Brigid Kosgei (2:27:45), who had been with the lead group for much of the race, finished 4^th.

The lead pack at five, TCS New York Marathon
New York, New York, USA
November 5, 2023, photo by Kevin Morris

7^th was 43-year old Edna Kiplagat (KEN/2:29:40), followed by Americans Kellyn Taylor (2:29:48) and Molly Huddle (2:32:02).

This Day in Track & Field-December 2, Frank Shorter wins Fukuoka Marathon for third time (1973), Born this Day: Mike Larrabee, two-time 1964 Olympic gold medalist (400m, 4x400m), written by Walt Murphy

This Day in Track & Field/X-Country–November 30, Milt Campbell wins his second Olympic medal, this time the gold in the decathlon (1956), written by Walt Murphy

This Day in Track & Field, November 29, Chris Brasher wins, gets DQ, gets names winner once again in Olympic steeplechase (1956), written by Walt Murphy

The men’s race winner with a new Course Record of 2:04:58 was Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola, the winner of the Marathon at the 2022 World Championships. He would go on to win Olympic gold in Paris in 2024. Finishing a distant 2^nd was Kenya’s Albert Korir (2:06:57), the winner in 2021.

Other Notable/U.S. Finishers

Men:…4. Abdi Nageeye (NED) 2:10:21…would win the 2024 race…8.Edward Cheserek (KEN) 2:11:20…10.Futsum Zienasellassie (USA) 2:12:09, 11.Elkanah Kibet (USA) 2:12:23…48.Garrett Heath (USA) 2:29:46, 49.Elliott Heath (USA) 2:29:47; DNF-Cam Levins (CAN)

NYRR Results

That Last Mile(W)! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2F62UtYR4Y

https://www.letsrun.com/events/2023/11/2023-tcs-new-york-city-marathon

https://www.flotrack.org/events/11304578-2023-tcs-new-york-city-marathon/news

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/11/05/nyregion/nyc-marathon

https://trackandfieldnews.com/nyc-womens-marathon-obiri-triumphs-in-second-try/

https://trackandfieldnews.com/nyc-mens-marathon-tola-clips-course-record/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZQJWgzTnhY

LetsRun Interviews

Lokedi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4gBJhkdumQ

Huddle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0M1OSN3bXM

Ritzenhein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtJwUsN8T2s