Elite Running

Elite Runner Videos of Ryan Hall & Others – Courtesy of God »

I found a terrific little archive of elite runner videos on GodTube. As of today, there are six episodes including many of America’s great runners including, Josh Cox, Meb Keflezighi, Dan Browne and Ryan Hall.

Ryan Shay Inspires Thousands Across the Nation (and beyond) to Run in His Memory »

The outpouring of emotion surrounding the tragic death of Ryan Shay reached its cathartic peak on Saturday as thousands of runners from across North America participated in what may be a first of its kind – the “virtual” 5.5 Mile Ryan Shay Memorial Run. Ever since the run was suggested, runners everywhere have chimed in [...]

Ryan Shay 5.5 Mile Memorial Run in Your Hometown: Saturday, November 17 »

Most folks out there who are reading this are already familiar with the untimely death of 28-year-old running phenom Ryan Shay at the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials in New York City, on Saturday, November 3. Ryan collapsed at mile 5.5 and was pronounced dead at Lenox Hill Hospital shortly thereafter. This news has rocked the [...]

Special: Triumph and Tragedy: Olympic Men’s Marathon Trials »

Triumph and tragedy collided at today’s Olympic Men’s Marathon Trials in New York City’s Central Park, in which 25-year-old Ryan Hall placed first, while another talented runner, 28-year-old Ryan Shay, collapsed and died. Hall, of Mammoth Lakes, California, broke away from the pack in Mile 17, finishing in 2:09:02. Dathan Ritzenhein, 24, of Eugene, Oregon, [...]

Chicago Winners: Patrick Ivuti and Berhane Adere »

Watch this amazing footage of Sunday’s Chicago’s winners. It doesn’t get any closer or more exciting than this folks! Recent Posts from this Author’s Blog

Haile Gebrselassie Sets New Marathon World Record! »

Some called Paul Tergat’s record an impossible feat to eclipse. Well, Haile Gebrselassie has proven it wasn’t with a finish at the Berlin Marathon of 2:04:26! After having set numerous other world records, this amazing accomplishment certainly solidifies Haile’s well deserved position at the very top of the world’s best ever distance runners. Congratulations Haile!

Live Coverage: Berlin (World Majors) Marathon »

For those of you interesting in getting a look at Haile Gebrselassie’s world record attempt, the Berlin Marathon will be shown live in the wee hours of the morning on WCSN.

Fire on the Track: The Steve Prefontaine Story – Now on DVD! »

Question: What movie was voted the Greatest Running Movie on Lets Run? Question: What movie was also voted runningmovie.com’s Best Running Film? Question: What movie did I just moments ago order from Amazon because it’s finally become available on DVD? Answer! Fire On The Track: The Steve Prefontaine Story Fans of “Pre” will know about [...]

World Marathon Majors: Chance for a World Record? »

The fall round of the World Marathon Majors begins Sunday in Berlin. Haile Gebrselassie will make his third attempt at a world record, having run 2:06:20 two years ago in Amsterdam and 2:05:56 last year in Berlin, both victories. Paul Tergat’s world record of 2:04:55 was also set in Berlin four years ago. To Gebrselassie’s [...]

Digging Deep »

Professional athletes have an ability to dig deep and hold pace that leaves me slack jawed. This video shows Maryam Yusuf Jamal hanging on by a very short margin as Yelena Soboleva gains on her at the Osaka IAAF World Championships. I can only imagine the pain and determination required to keep from getting passed [...]

Out of the Freezer and Into the Fire »

In case you haven’t heard, it’s going to be hot at the Beijing Olympics next summer. We’re not talking a bit uncomfortable. To athletes pushing themselves to their absolute physical and mental limits, it’s going to feel hotter than a well-greased metal frying pan in the devil’s own kitchen. In other words, sizzling hot. The [...]

Osaka Marathon: Who’s Who »

Heat and humidity will make for stifling conditions in the marathon at the 2007 IAAF World Championships. The men’s marathon will be the first event of the championships on Saturday, August 25, while the women’s marathon will take place on September 2, the final day of the championships. Temperatures at the start will be close [...]

Photo of the Week: Elite Women @ Boston »

So last week’s “race fairy” may not have granted my wishes, but these elite women perhaps got what they wished. Boston Marathon 2007 #7: Russian Lyubov Denisova—finishing in 7th place for women overall, in 2:38:00 #50: Californian Mary A. Akor—finishing in 11th place for women overall in 2:41:01 #61 Californian Christine H. Lundy—finishing in 12th [...]

Alberto Salazar »

As Alberto Salazar recovers from a heart attack, it is once again worth reflecting on his career, which ranks him as one of the greatest American runners in history. The 48-year old Salazar, now a coach employed by Nike, suffered a heart attack on June 30. Salazar is known best for his three victories at [...]

What Might Have Been »

At the height of his powers, Steve Prefontaine owned the American record on the track at every distance from 2,000 meters to 10,000 meters. His specialty was the 5,000, with a PR of 13:21, a completely ridiculous time that stood as the American record for decades after his death in 1975. At that time, Pre [...]

How Fast Is Too Fast? »

How fast would the world records be without performance-enhancing drugs? This is a question debated frequently by those convinced that most of today’s distance-running world records are made possibly only by the use of drugs such as erythropoietin (EPO). “There is no way anyone could run under eight minutes for two miles,” someone might say, [...]

Running Fast and Forever »

Last week Daniel Komen ran the fastest ever mile on American soil at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon. It was not a world record but it was a blazing sub 4 mile – 3:48.28 to be exact. When I looked up the Prefontaine Classic’s history I discovered that Daniel Komen still holds the World’s Record [...]

Featured Web Site: Flocasts »

There is no television station dedicated to running, but take comfort in Flocasts, which is the next closest thing. The site features collegiate and elite-level races from the United States in their entirety. Flocasts also offers interviews that are almost too up close and personal, capturing athletes moments after their races. Among the races covered [...]

Pearl Izumi is on the Ropes »

Pearl Izumi thinks running is on the ropes. They have a new ad campaign – We are not joggers. Maybe you’ve seen it. If you have, I can almost guarantee you were either inspired or insulted. I haven’t seen many opinions that weren’t one way or the other. Here are a few excerpts: After all, [...]

Paula Radcliffe – Olympic Hopeful with the Heart of a Lion »

One of my favorite sayings is “Fall down seven times, get up eight”. It’s what anyone trying to do something difficult needs to keep in mind. We all stretch ourselves to reach new goals and sometimes we fail and the only real antidote to failure is to put the disappointment behind us and just keep [...]

Better Know an African: Haile Gebrselassie »

This is an article about famed Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie.

Blogs by Elite/Famous Runners Courtesy of Runner’s World »

Runner’s World recently got into the blogosphere with some fine blogs written by elite athletes and people close to the elites. Check out blogs by: Meb Keflezighi Deena Kastor Dean Karnazes (this one’s an old blog that chronicles Dean’s 50 in 50 milestone) Kirstin Armstrong’s Mile Markers (Lance Armstrong’s ex-wife). Edit: Thomas correctly pointed out [...]

Video of the Week: Steve Prefontaine »

In 1972 Steve Prefontaine set the American record in the 1972 5k (13:22.8) and was set to compete in the 1972 Olympic Games. The race shown in this video is the epitome of drive and determination. You can practically feel the lactic acid building up in your legs and your lungs as you watch it. [...]

2007 Boston Marathon Results »

Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya won his second straight Boston Marathon in a time of 2:14:13, gaining an astounding 20 seconds on runner-up James Kwambai of Kenya in the last two kilometres. The times for all runners were slowed by rain and wind. Cheruiyot’s time was the slowest to win at Boston in thirty years. With [...]

2007 Boston Marathon Preview »

Defending champion Robert Cheruiyot headlines the field at the 111th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16. Cheruiyot set a course record of 2:07:14 on his way to winning his second Boston Marathon. Cheruiyot also won the Chicago Marathon last October, vaulting him to the top of the standings in the World Marathon Majors. Cheruiyot will [...]

Better Know an African* »

The sport of distance-running is undoubtedly dominated by East Africans. Women and men from countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Morocco have indelibly and literally altered the face of the sport. Paradoxically, despite their astounding success, African runners perform in virtual anonymity. This article marks the start of a series of articles, titled Better Know [...]

Opinion: Guts & Glory »

There’s a perception among recreational runners that one of the main things that separates us from the elites is the ability of those at the top of our sport to tough it out, to endure more pain than we can. The thinking goes that folks like Paula Radcliffe, Meb Keflezighi, Martin Lel and Deena Kastor [...]

For Fans of Steve Prefontaine & Bill Bowerman »

If Bill Bowerman isn’t the greatest American running coach ever, he certainly is the most famous. In case you don’t know who Bill Bowerman is, here’s a really brief intro. He coached the very fruitful University of Oregon track and field team for 24 years. Wrote a book credited with bringing jogging to North America.

The Lure of the 2-Hour Marathon »

The lure of the two hour marathon (comic).

Elite/Famous Ultra/Trail Runner Web Sites »

In a follow-up to Mark’s list of Elite or Famous Distance Runner Web Sites, I decided to add a list of famous/elite ultra/trail runner websites. Again, these are all either run by the athlete or sanctioned by them as an official site. Extreme Ultrarunning is David’s Horton’s site. He is legendary in the world of [...]

Elite/Famous Runner Web Sites »

I set out to collect a list of famous or elite distance runner websites – personal sites maintained or at least sanctioned by elite runners. I was dissappointed to find a very limited number of such sites. Winner of the 2004 Olympic Marathon: Stefano Baldini. Stefano needs to get the English translation part of his [...]

Is Running a Dying Sport? »

Ostensibly, it is ludicrous to question the health of running. The sport is experiencing unprecedented growth in its numbers as countless numbers take up the sport around the world. Participation in road races around the world is burgeoning and fields numbering in the tens of thousands are commonplace. In the United States, 8.1 million people [...]

Lance Armstrong Sucks »

Have you ever been to the letsrun forum? It’s an amazing place for a few reasons: There are probably enough elite or semi-elite runners and coaches there to fill an Olympic sized stadium. Because of the presence of these people, you will have a hard time finding more information about running packed into one place. [...]

8 Great Runners You Probably Never Heard Of »

Zersenay Tadesse of Eritrea is the best runner unknown runner today. This is one name you really should learn. Tadesse has had a meteoric rise in the sport in recent years. He debuted internationally at the 2002 World Cross Country Championships after initially training as a cyclist. Wearing ill-fitting shoes, Tadesse nonetheless finished 30th in [...]

Listen to the Chicago Marathon LIVE »

This one comes from CRN writer, Adeel who wants you to know you can listen to the progress of the Chicago Marathon live Sunday morning on WSCR 670AM internet streaming radio. Check it out – the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is legendary for it’s fast field of elite runners!

Five Things We Can Learn From the Elites »

If you’re like most recreational runners, you probably don’t have regular access to a coach. Some of the larger big-city running clubs have coaches on retainer and there a number of very good coaches who make a nice living working with runners remotely via the telephone and e-mail. But for the vast majority of amateurs, [...]

Chemical Games »

Recently I wrote a series of posts tackling some of the primary questions most people ask about drugs and sports. I refrained from saying what I think should be done about the situation. It wasn’t an oversight—it was an admission that I have absolutely no idea what the best solution might be. One school of [...]

50 Marathons in 50 Days is Not Impressive »

Knuckleballer Wilbur Wood started 49 games for the 1972 Chicago White Sox, the most games started by a pitcher in the major leagues since 1896. For those who don’t keenly follow baseball, few pitchers, if any, start more than 35 or 36 games in a single 162-game season. What, then, is the point and just [...]

Via YouTube: Legends of Running »

Although the quality of the video could be better, this is a tremendous compilation of some of the best male runners who ever laced ‘em up, engaged in some of the finest moments in running history (it would be great to find one of these featuring women runners). You are about to witness clips of [...]