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CONGRATULATIONS TO MEB KEFLEZIGHI!

Jodi Jacobs — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:31:12 +0000

The entire Jacobs Family wants to congratulate Meb Keflezighi who has become the first American man to win the New York City Marathon since 1982! Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, earned his first major marathon title at the NYC Marathon this past Sunday, 11/01/2009. Born in Eritrea, the 34-year-old became a U.S. citizen in 1998. Our son Adam Jacobs, CEO of thefinalsprint.com, was good friends with Meb and his brother Merhawi these past couple of years. He knew Meb’s running goals and would be so happy for him. Adam valued his friendship with the brothers and we know he was running right beside Meb cheering him on. Congratulations again on an amazing victory!!!

announcements

Written by Jodi Jacobs for TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More!, 2009. | Permalink | One comment

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Thank You

thefinalsprint.com — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:00:30 +0000

We would like to thank everyone in the running community for their support and kind words at the untimely passing of our son and brother, Adam Jacobs. Adam was a very special human being whose love and concern for others went way past the norm. He reached out to all athletes, no matter what their background, celebrating their victories and encouraging them never to give up in face of defeat. Adam was always the defender of the underdog and champion to any good cause that needed a voice. Being a marathon runner himself, he could truly appreciate the discipline and strength required to overcome the pain and exhaustion in order to reach the finish line.

Unfortunately, he lost his own personal battle and as sad and horrific that realization is to those who loved him, we must look past this and celebrate his life. We encourage those who were inspired by his work ethic, intelligence, good nature and accomplishments to realize their dreams as Adam realized his. We would like to thank Ron Bellamy and the Track and Field Writers of America for honoring Adam by memorializing his name with the Adam Jacobs Memorial Award for Excellence in Blogging. We would also like to thank Jimmie Markham, Editor of TheFinalSprint.com, Jane and David Monti of Race Results Weekly, Adam Berger, Doug Berger and Greg Cherniet, best friends, colleagues, and fraternity brothers for their invaluable support during this extremely difficult time. We could not have done it without you.

We are in the process of reloading most of The Final Sprint’s podcasts: exclusive interviews with running legends, today’s superstars and tomorrow’s champions. Stay tuned to the website for the official announcement when they will be available. Though new material will no longer be updated on his sites effective August 1, 2009, we invite everyone to visit his websites to reread a favorite article or search for those they might have missed.

Please visit the website set up in memory of Adam at adamjacobsfoundation.com. Just like Adam, in life, was always looking for the next project, the next cause, the next discovery and was never content with the status quo, our goal is that we continue to raise monies for the Challenged Athletes Foundation in his name year after year with the same spirit of achievement. Donations are always welcome, as his goal will continue to rise every year. Thank you again for all the love and support that you have given to us, his family and his friends.

May his memory be a blessing for all who knew him.

Jodi, Rick and Daniel Jacobs

announcements

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NYC Half Attracts World Championships Medalists

David Monti — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:30:37 +0000

The fourth edition of the New York City Half-Marathon on Sunday, Aug. 16, has attracted some of the world’s best male athletes, including three world championships medalists and four men who have broken the one-hour barrier for the standard 21,097m half-marathon distance.

The defending champion, Tadese Tola of Ethiopia (1:00:58 PB), will have his hands full with the two-time World Half-Marathon Championships silver medalist Patrick Makau, the second-fastest half-marathoner of all time with a 58:52 personal best. Also in the battle for the title should be two-time world marathon champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco (59:56 PB) and two-time IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships silver medalist Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa (59:20 PB). American Ryan Hall, who was previously announced by race organizers, is also in the field (59:43 PB), as is three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman (1:00:29 PB).

“This is a glittering lineup of the world’s best emerging stars like Tola, Makau, and Hall, side by side with ageless veterans like Ramaala, Abdi, and Gharib,” said New York Road Runners president and CEO, Mary Wittenberg, who directs the race. “It should be a fast and furious race through the streets of Manhattan.”

Last year, Tola, 21, edged Makau in the final meters to win by one second. Tola will make his first trip to New York since running the fastest 10-K ever recorded in Central Park last May at the Healthy Kidney 10-K; he clocked 27:48. Makau also ran in the Healthy Kidney 10-K, and finished second.

Gharib, 37, will be making his New York City debut. He won the silver medal at last August’s Olympic Marathon in Beijing. He won the world marathon titles in 2003 in Paris and 2005 in Helsinki.

Athletes will be vying for a prize purse of more than $70,000, with the men’s and women’s winners each receiving $10,000. Organizers expect 10,000 runners to complete the race from Central Park to Battery Park.

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Written by David Monti for TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More!, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments

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Dog Attack Leaves Elite Kenyan Scarred & Shaken

David Monti — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:08:44 +0000

What was supposed to be a routine 25 minute tempo run on a familiar dirt road became a frightening nightmare for elite road racer Haron Lagat. Just a mile and a half into the run a week ago Thursday in Lubbock, Tex., the tall Kenyan was attacked so viciously by two pit bulls that he was bitten in four places and all of his clothes were ripped off.

“I ended up going to the emergency room,” said Lagat as he calmly recounted the incident after today’s pre-race press conference here for the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10-K. “I was naked.”

Lagat, who was running alone in a rural area near Texas Tech where he competed in the NCAA ranks and now coaches, said that the two dogs rushed him from a farm property he had run past many times without incident. Using an embankment to keep the dogs in front of him, Lagat slipped and fell backwards on the rain-soaked ground allowing the dogs to get on top of him. He estimated that he fought them for about ten minutes after which he became completely exhausted and was unable to fight any longer.

“The wife of the owner came out,” he said. “One dog was sitting on top of me.”

The dogs retreated at the woman’s command, said Lagat, who thought that she seemed more intent on keeping the incident quiet than on helping him. He had to bargain with her to use her cell phone to get help, and she was reluctant to provide the address of her property. When police eventually came they had the dogs taken away.

Lagat, 25, who was bitten on his back, knee, shoulder and thigh, said that the incident left him shaken. “I couldn’t sleep for two days,” he said. “Mentally, it was very tough. It’s the worst think I have encountered. I told my sister, but not my mom.”

A versatile athlete whose warm personality makes him a favorite of event organizers, Lagat has had a busy and successful year in 2009. He set personal bests for 3000m (7:50.69+), 5000m (13:38.80), 10,000m (28:05.23) and 10-K on the road (28:43), and won an unusual, uphill winner-take-all road mile in Vancouver where he won CND 20,000. He also did several important pacemaking jobs both indoors and outdoors.

When he lines up for tomorrow’s road race against a very strong international field, Lagat realizes that he needs to be completely focused on the race. That’s easier said than done. He said he’s having a hard time putting the attack behind him.

“I don’t know,” he said when a reporter asked if he would still be thinking about the dog attack. “I’m trying to get out of it.”

PHOTOS: Haraon Lagat before the 2009 TD Banknorth Beach to Becon 10-K; Lagat shows one of the bite areas on his left knee (Photos by Jane Monti)

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Written by David Monti for TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More!, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments

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After Two Year Suspension, Ceplak Makes Modest Return

Bob Ramsak — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:56:32 +0000

It may not have been the kind of performance she had become used to, but world indoor 800m record holder Jolanda Ceplak was nonetheless content with her first outing after a two-year drug suspension.

The 32-year-old Slovenian, who received a two-year ban from the sport after testing positive for EPO in 2007, returned to competition in a Slovenian Grand Prix meet in this northeastern city on Tuesday evening, winning a low-key 800 in 2:07.13.

“I was nervous,” said Ceplak, who was welcomed with polite applause by the largest crowd to ever gather at the city’s municipal athletics stadium. “It wasn’t easy racing again after two years.”

Ceplak last raced in Lignano, Italy, on July 15, 2007, where she clocked 1:59.86, but that victory, along with five other performances, were expunged from the record books when her ban took effect. In a series of interviews with Slovenian media in recent weeks, Ceplak has maintained her innocence, denying that she had ever used the banned blood booster which was discovered during an out-of-competition test taken on June 18, 2007. Vowing to look ahead and continue her career, she resumed serious training last October.

Competing in a four-woman field –two of the other three were local juniors– it was more of a time trial than a race for the former European indoor and outdoor champion and 2004 Olympic bronze medallist, who came up well short of the 2:04 target set by her coach Tomo Popetru. Assisted by a pacesetter for the first lap, Ceplak reached 400m in 1:00.35, well shy of the 58.5 she had hoped for, but was glad to get the race behind her.

“I just need some more races to really see where my fitness really is at the moment,” Ceplak said, underscoring that achieving the world championship “B” standard of 2:01.30 was never a target for this year. “I need to have three or four races behindme to get a race rhythm back.”

Ceplak said that her outings this weekend at the national championships will be more indicative of her current shape. She’s entered in the 800 on Sunday, but might also race the 1500 on Saturday as well.

Her return to competition received heavy media coverage in this small alpine nation of 2.1 million, where Ceplak remains one of the most recognized female athletes. But much has changed during her absence. At home her popularity has waned, her relatively lucrative sponsorships have disappeared, and her current surroundings are now much more modest than the apartment she briefly rented in Monte Carlo. Earlier this month, she watched her national 1500m record fall when Sonja Roman, the European indoor bronze medallist, clocked 4:02.13 at Rome’s Golden Gala.

And at 32, she doesn’t expect to threaten her career best of 1:55.19 which dates back to the summer of 2002, and holds no illusions that she’ll quickly rejoin her event’s upper echelon.

“I’m getting older, and the speed may not be there anymore for the 800, so I might focus more on the 1500.”

She is however hoping to be more competitive after the New Year, when she returns to her “favorite” venues and competes indoors. Ceplak broke the world indoor mark in the 800 at the 2002 European championships, clocking 1:55.82. But with a ban on athletes who have tested positive for doping by the Euromeetings group of organizers, albeit a selectively enforced one, she may not be as welcome as she was at a small stadium near her home last night.

ENDS

PHOTO: Jolanda Ceplak competes at the 2009 Slovenian Grand Prix in Maibor (Photo by Bob Ramsak)

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Fairytale Race for Vessey in Monaco

David Monti — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:59:19 +0000

In a stunning 800m victory at the Herculis meeting in Monaco today, American Maggie Vessey ran close to a world leading time and all but clinched a spot on her national team for the IAAF World Championships in Athletics next month in Berlin.

“Yes, yes!” Vessey chanted after crossing the finish line in a personal best 1:57.84, about half a second up on Russian Mariya Savinova.

Vessey, 27, had finished fourth at the USA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., last month. Under USA Track & Field rules, she had the right to chase the IAAF “A” standard of 2:00-flat because only one of the top-3 finishers, Hazel Clark, had the “A” standard at the time of those championships. (Second place Gina Gall, who had the “B” standard, was also named to the team with Clark because a second place “B” finisher behind an “A” standard holder was also guaranteed a team spot). Third place Phoebe Wright of the University of Tennessee, and Vessey, were left to battle for the final spot which required an “A” standard performance by July 31. Wright, like Vessey, had come close in several attempts, but now appears to be out of contention for the team. Wright would have to run at least 2:00.00 in the next three days.

In the men’s 800m, Briton Michael Rimmer shot to the front forcing pacemaker Vincent Mumo Kiilu to hustle to catch him and take over the lead. The pair hit the 400m mark in a swift 49.13 and an eight meter lead. Kiilu angled off the track through 600m, and the pack, led by Sudanese sensation Abubaker Kaki, swallowed up Rimmer. Kaki was in the lead headed into the final turn, and held off late-race charges by both Russian Yuriy Borzakovskiy and American Nick Symmonds. Kaki clocked 1:43.50, to Borzakovskiy’s 1:43.58 and Symmonds’s personal best 1:43.83. Rimmer ended up last.

Uganda’s Moses Kipsiro ran the last two laps of the men’s 3000m in 59.56 and 56.54, respectively, to break his own national record. Kipsiro clocked 7:30.95 ahead of Kenyans Silas Kipruto (7:32.52) and Sammy Alex Mutahi (7:33.02). American Evan Jager set a personal best of 7:41.78 in ninth place.

Other highlights of the meeting included a pair of fast 1500m races. France’s Mehdi Baala won the men’s contest in 3:30.96, leading seven men under 3:33 including American Lopez Lomong who set a three-second personal best. Bahrain’s Maryam Yusuf Jamal’s beat Ethiopian Gelete Burka in the women’s race, 3:58.83 to 3:59.56.

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Written by David Monti for TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More!, 2009. | Permalink | Make a comment!

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Keflezighi and Huddle Win USA 7 Mile Titles

David Monti — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:06:34 +0000

Meb Keflezighi and Molly Huddle won today’s USA 7 mile road racing titles at the Quad City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, Ia. Both athletes picked up $10,000 each for their victories.

For Keflezighi, 34, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., it was his third USA title of the year and his second national 7-mile title. Opening the race with a grinding 5:01 uphill mile on Brady Street, the former UCAL Bruin scorched the downhill second mile in 4:08, opening an insurmountable lead over his key rivals, Anthony Famiglietti of Knoxville, Tenn., and James Carney of Boulder, Colo. Keflezighi rolled to the finish line in 32:25, 31 seconds up on Famiglietti. Carney got third in 33:17.

Huddle, 24, of Providence, R.I., won a three-way battle against reigning national half-marathon champion, Magdalena Lewy Boulet of Oakland, Calif., and NYRR New York Mini 10-K runner-up Serena Burla of Ellisville, Mo. The trio were together through the first six miles, then Huddle made her bid for victory in the final uphill before the finish. Her move was strong enough to produce a five-second victory in 37:39 over Burla. Lewy Boulet finished third in 37:45.

For the soft-spoken Huddle it was her second career USA road racing title. She won the 10 km title last October in Boston.

The last time the a USA 7 mile national championship was held was in 2002 when Keflezighi won in 32:36 (he was 11 seconds faster today), and Colleen De Reuck won the women’s race (37:44).

The USA 7 Mile Championships were the sixth stop for men, and the fifth for women, on the 2009 USA Running Circuit (USARC) and paid $45,000 in USA prize money. The 2009 USARC has ten events each for men and women. The next stop on the circuit is the women’s 10 mile championship in Flint, Mich., on Aug. 22. The men’s series resumes in New Haven, Conn., on Sept. 7, with the 20 km championship (also for women).

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Written by David Monti for TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More!, 2009. | Permalink | One comment

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Top Americans To Compete at Bix 7 Tomorrow

David Monti — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:28:26 +0000

It may be an odd distance, but it is undoubtedly one terrific race.

For the 35th time, the Quad-City Times Bix 7 Mile will be held tomorrow in Davenport, Ia., and for the second time the event will hold a USA road racing championship for the seven mile distance, just .728 kilometers short of 12 km. USA titles will be awarded to both men and women, and a $45,000 prize money purse will be distributed.

“This is just what we needed to help us celebrate our 35th anniversary,” said race director Ed Froehlich when the championship was announced back in January. “We will strive to get all of the top American runners to come and compete.”

He’s been mostly successful in achieving that goal. The men’s race is shaping up to be a three-way battle between top stars Meb Keflezighi, Anthony Famiglietti and James Carney, all of whom would love to cash the winner’s $10,000 check. Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist, was the Bix champion in 2002, the last time the race was a national championship. He’s already won the national half-marathon and cross country titles so far this year. Famiglietti, a two-time Olympian in the steeplechase, won the national 15-K title back in March, and was second at the USA 10-K championships on July 4th. Carney was most recently fourth at the USA Outdoor Championships at 10,000m, missing a berth on the national team for the IAAF World Championships by just one place.

The women’s field is well-balanced, but veteran Magdalena Lewy Boulet has to be considered the favorite. An Olympic marathoner last year, Lewy Boulet won her first USA title last January over the half-marathon distance in Houston. Her key challengers will be former Notre Dame star Molly Huddle, 2009 NYRR New York Mini 10-K runner-up Serena Burla, national 25-K champion Sally Meyerhoff, and lawyer turned distance runner Kelly Jaske.

Getting a fast time at the Bix isn’t easy. Runners have to negotiate the infamous Brady Street Hill (7 to 9% grade for one-third of a mile) just after the start, and the weather is typically warm and very humid. The course records are 31:52 by five-time winner John Korir of Kenya set in 1998, and 35:24 by two-time winner Susan Chepkemei, also of Kenya, set in 2004.

The Bix is also a big event; last year’s race had 10,565 finishers and there were more in the two-mile “Quick Bix” and “Jr. Bix” for children.

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In Video Message Hall Confirms ING New York City Marathon Run

David Monti — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:24:17 +0000

Ryan Hall, the 2008 USA Olympic Marathon Trials champion and national half-marathon record holder, has confirmed his participation in the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 1. It will be Hall’s first attempt competing in the world’s largest marathon which will be celebrating its 40th edition this year.

“It’s a dream come true for me to get to run the marathon that I’ve watched over and over again, and it’s the marathon I first saw live in person that first caught my attention,” Hall explained in a video recorded in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., where he trains and posted at the marathon’s website. “It caught my heart, and drew me into the marathon. I’m real excited to get to go back there and compete against the best field in the world and against the best U.S. racers.”

Hall, 26, set the USA Olympic Trials record of 2:09:02 when he won in New York on a separate course in Central Park the day before the 2007 ING New York City Marathon. He has run three marathons since then: London 2008 (2:06:17 PB, 5th place), Olympics 2008 (2:12:33, 10th place), and Boston 2009 (2:09:40, 3rd place). He had made his debut in London in 2007, finishing a surprising seventh in 2:08:24, a USA debut record.

“Many have been waiting for this day, including all of us at New York Road Runners,” said NYRR president and ING New York City Marathon race director Mary Wittenberg in a prepared statement. “We are so glad that this is the year that Ryan Hall will take on the history, the hills, the competition, and all that New York can throw at an athlete in his or her quest to be not only America’s best, but one of the world’s best.”

Hall will be competing for two titles at the ING New York City Marathon this year. In addition to contending for the overall win and the $130,000 first place prize, Hall will also be trying to win the USA Men’s Marathon Championship title which carries an additional $40,000 prize. Wittenberg also said that Hall would compete against an international field at the NYC Half-Marathon on Aug. 16 as part of his preparations for the Marathon. It will be Hall’s first run at that race, too.

“It is doubly exciting to announce Ryan in both the NYC Half-Marathon and the ING New York City Marathon,” Wittenberg said.

Coached by Terrence Mahon and training with the Mammoth Track Club, Hall was born and raised in the mountains of California in Big Bear Lake. An outstanding high school athlete, Hall finished third at the Foot Locker National High School Championships in cross country in 2000 behind only eventual Olympians Dathan Ritzenhein and Alan Webb. Competing at the collegiate level at Stanford University, Hall tried to become a miler, but realized that he was better suited to longer distances. He finished a dismal 76th in the 2001 NCAA Cross Country Championships in his freshman year, but as a senior won that race. In 2005 he won the NCAA 5000m title, setting the stage for his professional career where he represents Asics.

“I think what makes me most excited about the New York City Marathon is just the platform it provides for us elite athletes to shine on,” Hall said on the video. He added: “I’m real excited to compete this year and will train real hard until that day.”

PHOTO: Ryan Hall on his way to victory at the 2008 USA Olympic Marathon Trials (photo courtesy of New York Road Runners)

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Written by David Monti for TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More!, 2009. | Permalink | One comment

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LA Marathon To Return to March for 2010

David Monti — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:20:17 +0000

A 12-0 unanimous vote by the Los Angeles City Council yesterday paved the way for the Los Angeles Marathon to move back to March for the 2010 edition, event organizers announced late yesterday.

Under new ownership this year after the event had been sold by financially strapped Devine Sports, organizers had moved the event from its traditional date on the first Sunday in March to Memorial Day Monday on May 25. The date change was poorly received by the Los Angeles running community, mostly over fears of hot weather. Although temperatures remained reasonable on race day when a marine layer of clouds hung over the city, race participation was way off from the prior year. Marathon finishers dropped from 17,311 in 2008 to 14,128 this year.

The City Council also approved a new course for the race which organizers have dubbed “Stadium to the Sea.”

The 2010 edition will be the 25th for the race, and it will be held on Sunday, March 21. Registration will open on Sept. 1, organizers said, at www.lamarathon.com.

The 2009 LA Marathon was won by Kenyan Wesley Korir in 2:08:24 and Russian Tatyana Petrova in 2:25:59. Korir, a former University of Louisville athlete, walked off $160,000 in prize money and time bonuses plus a 2009 Honda Accord EX-L V6 sedan worth $28,705 after winning the special “Challenge” bonus for overcoming a 16 minute and 57 second head start given to the elite women.

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Written by David Monti for TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More!, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments

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800m Qualifying Standard Still Eludes Wright & Vessey

David Monti — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:18:26 +0000

June 28th was a triumphant day in Eugene, Ore., for Phoebe Wright and Maggie Vessey. The pair had just finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 800m at the USA Outdoor Championships, with Wright setting a personal best 2:01.12 after a terrific stretch run. The late-closing Vessey was only 7/100ths of a second behind.

Ahead of them, Hazel Clark had won her fifth USA outdoor 800m title and, with the IAAF “A” standard of 2:00.00 in her pocket she had cemented her place on the national team for the IAAF World Athletics Championships which open in Berlin on Aug. 15. Second place Geena Gall, who had just graduated from the University of Michigan after winning her second NCAA 800m title, also locked-in her team spot because she already had the “B” standard of 2:01.30. Neither Clark nor Gall were under any obligation to improve on their times prior to Berlin.

Not so for Wright or Vessey. Under IAAF rules, a national team for each athletics discipline can consist of two “A” qualifiers and one “B,” so in order for either Wright or Vessey to claim a team berth, they had to hit the “A” standard by the end of the qualifying period (the IAAF allows until Aug. 3, but USATF has set July 31 as the final date). Under USATF rules, only the top-4 finishers at the national championships may chase the standard. Wright would also make the team immediately if Gall would improve to the “A” standard by July 31.

Back on that day in Eugene, an elated Wright, 20, wasn’t worried about getting the standard. “That’s not a problem,” she told Race Results Weekly immediately following her race. The University of Tennessee Vol who, like Hazel Clark is coached by J.J. Clark, said that Clark would help her attain the standard. “I’m going to try to rabbit her to get the standard,” Clark said just minutes later.

Soon, both Wright and Vessey boarded flights for Europe and have been chasing the standard since early July. Neither have made it, and time is running out.

Vessey, 27, made the first attempt, upsetting Italian star Elisa Cusma at the Golden Gala in Rome on July 10, winning in a personal best 2:00.13. Wright ran next, clocking 2:04.49 at a meet in Kortrijk, Belgium, on July 11. It was her 18th 800m race of the year. Vessey was supposed to run the 800m at the Meeting AREVA in Paris on July 17, but pulled out because of some hamstring soreness, according to her manager, Ray Flynn.

Wright decided to go home to Tennessee to take a rest before making another attempt at the standard. Last Sunday in Marietta, Ga., Wright took to the track with Tennessee teammate Chanelle Price at the Georgia Games Track & Field Championships. The pair entered the open division of the women’s 800m, and finished 1-2, both setting personal bests. Wright ran 2:00.40 and Price, who is only a sophomore, ran 2:01.33.

Meanwhile, Vessey made another attempt at a low-key meeting in Gent, Belgium, last night. She came achingly close to the standard, winning the 800m in 2:00.04, another personal best. According to Flynn, she will try again in London on Friday at the Aviva London Grand Prix.

For Wright, the fight may be over, according to J.J. Clark, who made a statement published on his university’s website. “After a long year, that was a tough order, but she’s also very tough by nature,” Clarke said after Wright’s run in Marietta. “It was such a good run, and she was so close to making the mark, but it was a little short of the time required to go to Berlin.” He added: “She is pondering the idea of taking another shot at it, but the races at this point are very limited in terms of where to go. We’ll see what happens over the next few days. Right now, I don’t believe she’ll race, but we have until Saturday to make a decision.”

As for Gall, she ran in a meeting in Lignano, Italy, on July, 12, winning her first race in Europe in a personal best 2:00.44. She also ran in Naimette-Xhovémont, Belgium, last Wednesday night (second, 2:01.07) and again in Heusden last Saturday night (4th, 2:01.61). None of those marks were good enough to help Wright onto the team.

Wright’s and Vessey’s quests for the “A” standard are reminiscent of Jen Toomey’s and Nicole Teter’s fight to make the national 800m team in 2001. Toomey had finished third in the USA Outdoor Championships, while Teter finished fourth. Neither athlete had the 2:00.00 “A” standard. The pair then ran in Brunswick, Me. (2:01.95 and 2:02.10); Montreal (Teter, 2:01.50); Heusden (Toomey, 2:00.83); Cottbus, Germany (2:01.54 and 2:01.59); Hamburg (Toomey, 2:02.84); and Cuxhaven, Germany (2:00.38 and 2:01.32). Both had to settle for watching the World Championships on television.

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Chicago Confirms Wanjiru for Marathon

David Monti — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:01:21 +0000

Organizers of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon confirmed this morning that Beijing Olympic Marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru would run their race on Sunday, Oct. 11. It will be Wanjiru’s first-ever marathon in the United States, and the 22 year-old is hoping for a fast time on Chicago’s famously flat and fast course.

“My only focus between now and October is to prepare and train aggressively for my best performance yet,” said Wanjiru who has won the Fukuoka, London and Olympic Marathons and has a career best time of 2:05:10 set in London this year.

The fastest time ever in Chicago was 2:05:42 set in 1999 by Khalid Khannouchi, a Moroccan who became an American citizen the following year. Performances at Chicago were held back the last two years by unusually hot weather, especially in 2007 when the temperature reached 27°C (80°F) by the time the men’s winner, Kenyan Patrick Ivuti, hit finish tape in 2:11:11. In good weather Wanjiru could challenge Haile Gebrselassie’s world record of 2:03:59 set in Berlin last year. Indeed, Wanjiru told reporters after his Beijing victory last August that he wanted to break the world record this year.

“Sammy is certainly the athlete to watch in this sport right now and we are honored to be able to host him at such a pivotal point in his career,” said Carey Pinkowski who directs the race and recruits the event’s top athletes. “We have had the pleasure of witnessing four previous world records in Chicago and if conditions are right, the enthusiastic sports fans in this city could have the opportunity to see that again.”

Three other former Chicago champions were also announced by Pinkowski, including Ivuti, Kenyan Evans Cheruiyot (the defending champion), and Russian Lidiya Grigoryeva (the defending women’s champion). American women’s record holder, Deena Kastor, will also compete, Pinkowski said. It will be Kastor’s first marathon since breaking a bone in her foot before the 5 km mark at last summer’s Olympic Marathon; she was unable to finish the race.

“Today’s announcement significantly advances the depth of our elite athlete field for the October 11 race, and continues the tradition of world class marathon competition in Chicago,” Pinkowski concluded.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is the second-largest marathon in the United States and helps raise about $10 million for charity. Last year’s race had 33,033 starters and 31,401 finishers. Only the ING New York City Marathon is larger with 38,832 starters and 38,096 finishers last year.

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Kibet to Challenge Gebrselassie at Berlin Marathon

David Monti — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:59:15 +0000

The two fastest marathoners of all-time, Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie and Kenya’s Duncan Kibet, will face each other at September’s real,– Berlin Marathon, race organizers announced today.

Gebrselassie, twice an Olympic gold medalist at 10,000m, has won the last three editions of the marathon in Berlin, lowering his time with each effort and twice setting the world record. In 2006 he was on schedule through 35 km to break Paul Tergat’s then world record of 2:04:55 set on the same Berlin course in 2003, but he faded in the final kilometers in warm and windy conditions to run an Ethiopian record of 2:05:56. The following year, helped by pacemakers Eshetu Wondimu and Rodgers Rop through 30-K, Gebrselassie broke Tergat’s mark with a 2:04:26 clocking. He came back again in 2008, and lowered his own record to 2:03:59, which remains the world record.

Kibet became history’s second-fastest marathoner at Rotterdam last April when he prevailed in a thrilling sprint finish over compatriot James Kwambai. Both men were clocked in 2:04:27, the fastest marathon times of 2009. Kibet only ran his first marathon in Vienna in 2008, clocking a solid 2:08:33 to finish second. He won at Milan later that year in a course record 2:07:53. Amazingly, the Rotterdam run was only Kibet’s third career marathon.

Separately, the New York Times reported today that Beijing Olympic Marathon gold medalist Samuel Wanjiru, will run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October. The Chicago race has a very flat course and, with good weather, is ideal for running fast times.

“My plan for the fall is to lower my personal record, and the Chicago Marathon course is the best opportunity for me to achieve that,” the Times quoted Wanjiru as saying through a statement.

A formal announcement on Wanjiru’s participation at Chicago is expected out later today.

In addition, the Times article, written by veteran journalist Jeré Longman, also reported that 2008 USA Olympic Trials Marathon champion Ryan Hall would run the ING New York City Marathon this year, and that a formal announcement would come later this week.

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Houston Marathon Sells Out in Record Time

David Monti — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:53:16 +0000

Organizers of next January’s Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half-Marathon reported today that their event had sold out in record time. Registration was opened just last Friday, but within 24 hours the half-marathon had already reached capacity. The marathon filled up just a few hours later, as the event hit its combined cap of 22,000 runners.

“We knew we would establish a new standard with the fastest sellout in race history, but the pace at which registration was completed exceeded even our most optimistic projection,” commented race director Brant Kotch through a media release. “The Houston Marathon Committee and our dedicated team of more than 5,000 volunteers look forward to staging a great event for our largest field ever.”

Sensitive to the nation’s tough economy, Steve Karpas, the event’s managing director, pointed out that the race had not increased its entry fees from the prior year. “We had concerns the difficult economy might impact our numbers and offered our participants a no fee increase year to do our part in these tough times,” Karpas explained. “Obviously, the phenomenal response and 60-hour sell out proved us wrong.”

The 2010 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon are scheduled for Sunday, January 17. Like last year, the event will be hosting the USA men’s and women’s half-marathon championships.

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With Fast Heusden Run, Tegenkamp Solidifies USA 5000m Team

David Monti — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:18:34 +0000

Matt Tegenkamp’s 13:07.97 second place performance at tonight’s KBC Night of Athletics meeting in Heusden, Belgium, solidified the American 5000m team for next month’s IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin.

Tegenkamp, 27, who won the USA Outdoor Championships last month in Eugene, Ore., now has the IAAF “A” standard (13:20.00) and, as a result, brought his training partner, Evan Jager, 20, onto the team. That’s because the IAAF allows a three-person team for each event to have two “A” standard holders and one “B.” Since Tegenkamp won the USA title with a “B” standard run, he had already locked-in his place on the team under USATF rules. But, by improving to the “A” today, he brought Jager with him, the third place finish at the national championships, who only has the “B” standard. The second place finisher at the USA Championships, Chris Solinsky, already had the “A” standard and, like Tegenkamp, had locked-in his place on the team.

At the same meeting Jager ran the 1500m “B” race, which he won in a personal best 3:38.33.

All three athletes are coached by Jerry Schumacher, the former University of Wisconsin coach who relocated to Portland, Ore., earlier this year to become, along with Alberto Salazar, one of Nike’s two distance running coaches-in-residence. Tegenkamp, Solinsky and Jager all run for the Nike-sponsored elite division of the Oregon Track Club. Schumacher also coaches Shalane Flanagan and Tim Nelson, both of whom will run the 10,000m at the IAAF World Championships.

Earlier this week, the USA women’s 5000m team was also effectively finalized. USA Championships 5000m winner Kara Goucher will be competing in the marathon in Berlin, but second place finisher, Jen Rhines, had already claimed her place on the team because she had the “A” standard at the time of the Championships. Third place finisher, NCAA champion Angela Bizzarri of the University of Illinois, had neither the “A” or “B” standard, and abandoned her effort to attain one after running 15:57.23 at the Meeting International d’Athlétisme de la Province de Liège, also in Belgium. At the same meeting, the fourth place finisher from the USA Championships, Julie Culley, ran a “B” standard time of 15:21.87 to claim the second spot on the team. So, the USA women’s 5000m squad will only have two women.

At the last IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan, the USA did relatively well in the 5000m. Tegenkamp finished fourth, missing a medal by just 3/100ths of a second. On the women’s side, Rhines finished 7th and Flanagan finished 8th.

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Written by David Monti for TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More!, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments

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Bekele Wins In Paris; Stays Alive in GL Jackpot

Bob Ramsak — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:56:48 +0000

What was to be a tactical test for Kenenisa Bekele over a shorter distance largely turned into yet another time trial for the triple Olympic champion at the Meeting Areva on a wet track in front of a crowd of 46,500 at the Stade de France here tonight.

By the time he entered the fourth lap of the 3000m, his eagerly-anticipated face-off with double world champion Bernard Lagat turned into a lopsided victory for Bekele to stay very much alive in the chase for a chunk of the $1 million ÅF Golden League Jackpot.

“The race was hard because of the wind and rain,” Bekele said, but that hardly showed when he threw down a 58 second final lap en route to his 7:28.64 win, more than four-and-a-half seconds ahead of Lagat. Bekele had a four-meter lead with 1600m to go, and extended it to nearly 20 two laps later.

“I still have some work to do on my endurance,” explained Lagat, who was nonetheless pleased with his 7:33.15 career best at age 34. “What I mainly need now are races before Berlin,” he said, adding that a pair of final tune-ups –a mile in London next weekend and a 1000m race in Stockholm on July 31– will help him decide whether he’ll defend both of his world titles at the World championships next month.

Further back, Mourad Amdouni of France was third in 7:37.50, the fastest by a European this season, and American Chris Solinsky ran near his personal best with a 7:37.72 clocking in fourth.

The rain which began to fall during the men’s 3000 picked up significantly by the time the starter’s gun sounded the start of the steeplechase. It quickly became evident that Frenchman Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad’s hopes to join the event’s sub-8 club would have to wait for another day.

The Frenchman did, nonetheless, collect a significant victory over Kenyan Ezekiel Kemboi, 8:13.23 to 8:15.27, with Finland’s European champion Jukka Keskisalo finishing third in a personal best 8:15.59.

American Anna Willard took home the highest profile win of her career with a come from behind victory in the 800m. Running in the middle of the track, Willard, the former U.S. record holder in the 3000m steeplechase, chased down the field over the final 100 meters to win in 1:58.80, her second sub-two minute performance of the season in as many attempts at her least-run distance. She edged Italy’s Mediterranean Games champion Elisa Cusma (1:58.99) and Russian Oksana Zbrozhek (1:59.13). The first seven women all dipped under two minutes with season’s best times, while Shannon Rowbury, the USA 1500m champion, also improved her personal best to 2:00.94 in eighth.

Unlike the women’s race, the men’s two lapper was bereft of any drama with Olympic silver medalist Ahmed Ismail winning comfortably in 1:45.85 off of a slow first half (51.61), well ahead of Algerian Nadjim Mansour (1:46.31) and Berlin-bound American Khadevis Robinson (1:46.47).

The conditions weighed heavily throughout the program, but didn’t dampen the Jackpot aspirations of the other three remaining contenders –American Sanya Richards who won the 400m, Jamaican Kerron Stewart who took the 100m, and Russian Yelena Isinbayeva who won the pole vault in just one jump.

Meet poster boy Usain Bolt of Jamaica won the 100 with a season’s best and meet record 9.79, despite a poor start and the wet track. Second place Daniel Bailey of the Netherlands Antilles set a national record of 9.91,

After a six-week break, the ÅF Golden League series resumes with the Weltklasse in Zurich on August 28 after the IAAF World Championships in Athletics concludes in Berlin.

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Written by Bob Ramsak for TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More!, 2009. | Permalink | Make a comment!

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Course Record for Geoffrey Mutai in Voorthuizen

David Monti — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:10:25 +0000

Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai defended his title and set a course record at today’s Fortis Loopfestijn Voorthuizen in the Netherlands today, a 10 kilometer road race.

Mutai, who also won last year’s Marathon Eindhoven in a course record and personal best 2:07:50, clocked 27:39 in Voorthuizen today. That mark was well under his winning time and previous course record of 28:05 from last year, and was Mutai’s first sub-28:00 performance on the road (he’s run 27:52.09 on the track).

Compatriot Wilson Kipsang followed Mutai over the finish line in 27:48, also a personal best. Kenyan Gilbert Kirwa was a distant third in 28:28.

Belgian Veerle Dejaeghere won the women’s race in 33:28.

By David Monti with Wim van Hemert.

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Paris Preview: Bekele vs. Lagat in 3000m; Mekhissi-Benabbad Gunning for Sub-8:00

Bob Ramsak — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:06:15 +0000

First-year Meeting Areva meet director Laurent Boquillet may have scored a major coup by managing to bring Usain Bolt to the French capital for tomorrow night’s fourth stop of the ÅF Golden League, but a race he’s equally looking forward to the first-ever 3000m contest between double world champion Bernard Lagat and triple Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele.

Bekele arrives in Paris as one of four remaining contenders for a slice of the $1 million ÅF Golden League Jackpot, and after fending off all challengers in three successive 5000m races, Lagat is seen as a possible spoiler when the event moves down in distance by five laps. The 34-year-old arrives in good spirits after a solid 3:32.56 1500m victory in Tangiers four days ago, but Bekele insisted today that Lagat’s entry won’t change his game plan one bit.

“I’m concentrating on my race and my time,” Bekele said, adding that he’s shooting for a fast performance as well. If not an assault on Daniel Komen’s legendary 7:20.67 world record set nearly 13 years ago, then perhaps an improvement on his own career best of 7:25.79 set two years ago.

“Maybe I’ll try for a world record,” Bekele said. “If not, then maybe for my personal record. It’s 7:25, so it’s not easy.”

Bekele laughed off a suggestion by a reporter who asked if he requested a fast pace in order to knock the kick out of Lagat.

“The fast pace is for me,” he said after a hearty laugh. “But if someone else wants to follow, that would be good, too.”

Olympic steeplechase champion Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad is also asking for a brisk pace, one that will help propel him into the event’s still-exclusive sub-eight minute club.

“My dream is to run under eight minutes,” said the shy, somewhat enigmatic but extremely confident 24-year-old Frenchman, who has produced career bests over four distances already this season. “And I believe in my dream. Most important Friday will be the time. Even if I finish second and run under eight minutes, that will be okay.”

His target also means an assault on compatriot Bob Tahri’s 8:02.19 European record set just 13 days ago in Metz. Mekhissi-Benabbad has already improved his career best this season, clocking 8:06.09 in Hengelo on June 1, where he was edged, just as in Beijing, by Kenyan Brimin Kipruto. His chief rival this weekend will be 2004 Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi who improved his PB to 7:58.85 this year, the fastest in the field.

The requested pace will bring the leaders through the first kilometer in 2:40 and the second in 5:20. “If they do a good job, I should get under eight minutes,” Mekhissi-Benabbad said.

The headline act this weekend is, of course, the meet poster boy Bolt, whose appearance at a press conference here on Wednesday attracted nearly 150 journalists, a number virtually unprecedented for a one-day meet. His star power is expected to draw some 50,000 fans to the Stade de France –the top tier of three will not be open– the massive stadium just to the northeast of Paris which hosted the World championships in 2003.

There is a ‘Bolt Factor’ downside, though. Bringing the 100 and 200m world record holder takes a large chunk of the meet budget resulting in thinner fields across the board. That fiscal reality hasn’t escaped Paris.

The program also includes a pair of 800s, with Olympic silver medalist Ismail Ahmed Ismail starting as favorite in the men’s contest. The 23-year-old from Sudan dipped under 1:44 for the first time in his career with his runner-up finish to Asbel Kiprop in Athens on Monday, where he clocked 1:43.82. Also arriving in the French capital in good shape is Berlin-bound American Khadevis Robinson, who ran a solo 1:44.47 in Santa Monica last weekend.

In a wide open women’s race, three of the entrants have dipped under two minutes this season –Mediterranean Games champion Elisa Cusma of Italy, Frenchwoman Elodie Guegan, and American steeplechase specialist Anna Willard. USA 1500m champion Shannon Rowbury, who ran her PB over the distance here last year, is also in the field to test her speed.

PHOTO: France’s Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad at today’s pre-race press conference (photo by Bob Ramsak)

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Written by Bob Ramsak for TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More!, 2009. | Permalink | Make a comment!

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Goucher To Tune Up For World Champs In Chicago

David Monti — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:24:36 +0000

Kara Goucher, who finished third at the most recent editions of both the ING New York City and Boston Marathons, will tune-up for her first World Championships Marathon appearance at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half-Marathon on Aug. 2, race organizers announced. It will be Goucher’s first-ever half-marathon race in the United States.

“I’m excited to be part of the first Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half-Marathon,” Goucher said through a media release. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to race as part of my preparations for the World Championships here on home soil, in one of the true great sporting cities.”

Goucher has only competed in two half-marathons, but both resulted in commanding victories. At the 2007 Bupa Great North Run in Newcastle, England, she startled marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe and ran the fastest-ever half-marathon by an American woman, 1:06:57, to win the race (the course was slightly downhill so her mark didn’t count for the USA record). Radcliffe, who was still rounding into shape after an injury, finished nearly a minute behind. Then, as part of her preparations for last April’s Boston Marathon, Goucher ran the Meia-Maratona Internacional de Lisboa in Portugal, sailing to a 1:08:30 win.

“I’m very happy about the way my preparations have gone,” Goucher said of her training under coach Alberto Salazar for next month’s IAAF World Championships. “I ran the Trials in June (where she won the USA 5000m title) and now it’s time to get back on the roads. I’m hoping to run well in Chicago and take that confidence into Berlin and give a good account of myself on the world stage.”

No American woman has ever won a world marathon title. The best attempt was by Marianne Dickerson in the inaugural World Championships marathon in Helsinki in 1983 where she finished second. Goucher won a bronze medal at the 2007 IAAF World Championships at 10,000m.

The race Goucher will run in Chicago was formerly called the Chicago Distance Classic, before the event was purchased by the Competitor Group which has re-branded it as part of their Rock ‘n’ Roll family of marathons and half-marathons. Last year’s race recorded 8731 finishers, but organizers reported that this year’s race has sold out with 18,000 entrants.

PHOTO: Kara Goucher after winning the 2009 USA 5000m title in Eugene, Ore. (photo by Jane Monti)

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Lucky Auction Winner To Have Bittman, Kastor Prepare Dinner

David Monti — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:11:42 +0000

The lucky winner of a charity eBay auction will have New York Times food writer Mark Bittman, and Olympic medalist Deena Kastor, prepare dinner for them in a posh condo overlooking Central Park’s Harlem Meer.

“Runners and Foodies Unite: Dinner of your Dreams!” reads the title on the eBay auction page at the link, below. “You and up to five of your guests can join world champion runner Deena Kastor and New York Times food columnist (”The Minimalist”) and best-selling cookbook author Mark Bittman for a one-of-a-kind dining experience. You’ll be treated to a sumptuous three-course meal comprised of a menu prepared to your tastes by both Mark and Deena in a private Manhattan apartment with stunning views of Central Park and the New York City skyline.”

The dinner will be prepared on Thursday, Aug. 13, in advance of the NYC Half-Marathon in which Kastor will be competing. She and Bittman have already cooked together before, and agreed to prepare this special meal in order raise money for the Youth Services division of New York Road Runners which organizes running-based programs that promote children’s physical fitness, character development and personal achievement in under-served communities in New York City, nationally, and in the Cape Town region of South Africa.

The auction, which runs through July 24, has an opening minimum bid of $5000 for dinner for six, including wine.

The auction link is here.

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