Elite Running

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 [...]

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