Adam Jacobs – Founder of The Final Sprint – Dies Unexpectedly »
I would like to take a moment to share some sad news. Adam Jacobs of The Final Sprint has passed away.
Your Running News Roundup »
New World Record for the Marathon About 20 years ago, I remember stumbling across a novel about three runners vying to be the first to break two hours for the marathon. At the time, Alberto Salazar had run 2:08:13 in New York (a world record later decertified). Even after that performance, I still thought
Your Running News Roundup »
The Olympics are Underway I can’t begin to highlight all of the articles related to the Olympics. The printed media are full of articles related to the environmental conditions in Beijing. It’s also difficult to keep up with last minute withdrawals and suspensions. There are three worth noting, however.
Your Running News Roundup »
Olympic Dreams The Olympics are less than two weeks away. Track and field events don’t start until August 15. (You can find the schedule of events here.) I can’t tell you who will win every event, but I will predict that athletes from Ethiopia will likely win a lot of medals in the distance events. [...]
Your Running News Roundup »
The Thrill of Victory The Olympic Trials ended last week and there were a number of great stories. In my opinion, the top three were the effect of requiring athletes to meet the Olympic A standard no later than the end of the trials, the magnificent performances by Bernard Lagat,
Your Running News Roundup »
Olympic Trials…and Tribulations We’ve reached the halfway point in the Olympic track and field trials. You can find the television schedule here. Readers will undoubtedly have their own favorites, but to me the three most interesting stories are
Your Running News Roundup »
This Week’s Must Reads This week we have two “must reads.” Father’s Day was a few days ago, but the Rocky Mountain News profiles Olympian Alan Culpepper and the effect that fatherhood has had on his running. It’s interesting to read how even world class athletes have to juggle the competing demands of training and [...]
Your Running News Roundup »
Olympics Update Can you believe it? The Beijing Games are just about 60 days away. The shortest and longest distances in track and field are the 100 meters and the marathon. There was big news in both events.
The IOC: Humanitarianism or Hypocrisy? »
Amidst the recent commotion surrounding silencing athletes’ political views at the summer Olympics, I thought it might be fun to read the Olympic Charter. This is what I came across on page 11 of the Charter.
Your Running News Roundup »
Olympic Dreams A number of periodicals covered the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to allow Oscar Pistorius of South Africa to compete in the summer Olympics. Pistorius, a double amputee, runs with carbon fiber prosthetics, called blades. In order to run in the Olympics, however
Las Vegas Marathon in Financial Trouble »
The dirty laundry of some big city marathons is being aired in public. Oddly enough, the organizers of the Las Vegas Marathon figure in many of the recent controversies.
Your Running News Roundup »
ESPN profiles U.S. marathoner Ryan Hall, who will lead the U.S. charge in Beijing. Learn how he overcame setbacks to become one of the world’s best runners.
Blowing the Cover Off Diva Night »
Until last week, I thought running was about shin splints, pasta, sweat, fartleks and “the wall.” Now I’ve learned that for some of you it’s also about clothes, jewelry, hors d’oeuvres, and fine wines.
Is an Olympic Boycott the Answer? »
Anyone with a hint of news savvy knows by now that the Olympics are in trouble.
Your Running News Roundup: Early Edition! »
We’ve been fortunate to witness some incredible performances in the last eight days. On April 13, Martin Lel won an exceptionally fast London Marathon in 2:05:15, beating his own course record. The first seven men all ran under 2:09.
Your Running News Roundup »
We are less than four months away from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The big spring marathons are almost upon us. The Boston Marathon is April 21, and the U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials will be held in Boston the day before. The London Marathon is April 13.
Putting All the (Timing) Chips On the Table »
Chip timed races are becoming increasingly more popular, but apparently not everyone knows how to use this technology best. Or, perhaps I just have different ideas about how to best utilize it.
Tragedy Strikes at Sri Lanka Marathon »
A marathon suicide bomber killed 12 people in Sri Lanka this weekend. Among the victims were
Runner’s High? Or Runner’s Madness? »
Runner’s high? Doesn’t running have enough benefits without having to be an intoxicant?
Your Running News Roundup »
Read a couple of issues of any running periodical and you’re bound to pick up the sport’s basic training principles: get your shoes from a running store, alternate hard and easy days, and don’t forget to stretch.
Your Running News Roundup »
The Olympic Games are five months away, so we are seeing more and more articles on athletes and their training. Sports Illustrated recently surveyed the cities and towns where U.S. athletes train. One of the spots they chose was Mammoth Lakes, California, home to U.S. marathon hopefuls Deena Kastor and Ryan Hall. Don’t look for a world record in the marathon to be set in Beijing; it’s just
Your Running News Roundup »
Where do you buy your shoes? One of the oldest pieces of advice passed along to new runners is to buy your shoes at a running store. They have the staff and resources, the argument goes, to ensure that you pick the right shoe for you. What few people mention is that most of their [...]
Beijing 2008: Where Will the Media Stand? »
There’s nothing like the prospect of prohibiting free speech to rile up the media. In a short span of days, the British Olympic Association’s inept and naive move to prohibit their athletes from criticizing China during the Olympics
Your Running News Roundup »
How are you doing on your new year’s resolutions? Chinese New Year arrived on February 7, so think of it as another chance to get a fresh start. The Age (Australia) has a good piece about the role the mind plays in exercise. Setting realistic goals and creating accountability
New Canadian Running Magazine Launches in February! »
He’s a blogger from our community. He’s a world record holding Joggler, and now
Will a Recession Impact Your Race Plans? »
The United States’ economy appears headed for hard times, with more people losing their jobs and homes while food and energy prices
Your Running News Roundup »
In addition to watching a somewhat important football game in Arizona this Sunday, runners will be able to enjoy highlights
Thumbs Up for “Spirit of the Marathon” »
You have never seen so many fit and healthy people in a movie theater.
Marathoner Wesley Ngetich Dies in Kenyan Chaos »
The ongoing violence in Kenya has claimed the life of a second prominent athlete. Wesley Ngetich, a two-time winner of the Grandma’s Marathon with a personal best of 2:12, was killed on Monday near the Tanzanian border in Trans Mara.
Your Running News Roundup »
One of the biggest controversies in my running club is whether to allow headphones during races. Last year USA Track and Field banned portable
Pistorius Ineligible for Olympics, IAAF Rules »
Oscar Pistorius’ Olympic dream has come to an apparent end after the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruled the double amputee ineligible for the Beijing Olympics in August 2008.
Your Running News Roundup: Looking Back »
As we head into the last week of the year, many publications review the highlights of the year in sports. Mark Sutcliffe of the Ottawa Citizen remembers those who inspired him in 2007 and cites Paula Radcliffe, Alberto Salazar, and everyone who ran in the Chicago Marathon. The International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), the [...]
Timing Tag Problems Get Bigger »
It’s a public relations predicament when 15 percent of your marathoners don’t receive an accurate finishing time – or any time at all. But when you discover that perhaps all of your 24,000 marathon finishers have inaccurate times, that’s a nightmare. Preliminary reports from the December 9, 2007, Honolulu Marathon indicated as many as 3,500 [...]
Honolulu Marathon Suffers Chip Slip »
Ah, the joys of technology. It was only a few years ago that most road races still used manual timing for individual runners. The preferred method was to tear off a perforated part of your bib number and hand it to a volunteer as you went through the finish chute, where your time was recorded. [...]
Your Running News Roundup »
Article of the Week: The Power of the Mind Your training engages your body through running, stretching, and perhaps some weightlifting. But what are you doing for your mind? Gina Kolata of the New York Times has a fascinating piece on dissociation, or the ability to separate the mind from an unpleasant or painful experience. [...]
Your Running News Roundup »
Do you prefer white meat or dark meat? The United States produces a lot of poultry, but we are a net exporter of drumsticks and thighs (dark meat), and a net importer of breasts and wings (white meat). Part of the reason for that is the fast food industry, with its chicken nuggets, strips and [...]
Your Running News Roundup »
The fall road running season reached its climax last weekend with the Men’s Marathon Olympic Trials on Saturday, followed by the New York City Marathon the next day. As we neared the zenith, we were treated to unusually heavy running coverage in various media. Gina Kolata profiled the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, a terrific project to [...]
Your Running News Roundup »
We’re approaching the climax of the fall racing season, with two big races this weekend: the U.S. men’s Olympic Trials on Saturday, followed by the New York City Marathon the next day. (The women’s marathon trials will be held in Boston on April 20, 2008, the day before the Boston Marathon.) The race begins at [...]
Your Running News Roundup! »
We are in the thick of the fall marathon season. Earlier this year I did a quick survey to see which month and weekend has more races than any other. October is the busiest month for marathons, and October 7 was the single busiest day, with 20 marathons. This past Sunday was not far behind. [...]
Why on Earth Would Anyone Want to Run a Marathon in 90 Degrees?! »
Today, I’d like to address another criticism that arose out of the 90 degree Chicago Marathon. This one asks the question, “Why would someone run in such a hot marathon?” I think I’ll answer the question by grouping marathoners into three broad categories of runners: Elite Runners: My definition of an elite runner is anyone [...]
Chicago Marathon: Defending Slow, Fat, Poorly Trained Runners »
By now, most of us have heard about the terrible heat and humidity that lead to the closure of the Chicago Marathon only three hours, thirty minutes into the race. Chicago Marathon organizers say they were prepared for the heat and had plenty of water on the course, but marathoners say something completely different – [...]
Your Bi-Weekly Running News Roundup! »
Runners Count A survey in Portfolio magazine confirms what you probably already knew: Runners have clout. The economic effect of the World Series (which can last up to seven days) pales in comparison to the New York City Marathon (one day). The economic impact of the 2003 Series was $62.1 million, while that year’s marathon [...]
A New Warning If You’re Running for Two »
I have a friend who’s run all 10 Rock ‘n Roll Marathons in San Diego, including one when she was pregnant. She is quite proud of her streak and the fact that having a baby didn’t keep her down. She also likes to remind those who roll their eyes that she was still in her [...]
Your Bi-Weekly Running News Roundup! »
The Latest on Injuries I once injured the IT band in my left leg, then injured the IT band in my right leg. My physical therapist suggested that I had altered my stride to compensate for the injury in one leg, which led to the injury in the other leg. The Los Angeles Times explored [...]
Your Bi-Weekly News Roundup! »
Battling Heat and Pollution Anyone who has been to Beijing can tell you that the city is filthy. Traffic is a nightmare and the sky is perpetually gray. No wonder, then, that heat and pollution are two of the biggest concerns for athletes who are aiming to compete in the 2008 Olympics. The New York [...]
Your Weekly News Roundup »
The 2007 World Championships begin on August 25 in Osaka, Japan. The current issue of ESPN the Magazine has an interview with the two favorites in the 100 meters, Jamaica’s Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay of the United States. Powell holds the world record, but Gay has run the fastest time in the world this [...]
Introducing: The News Roundup »
Welcome to what I hope will be a biweekly survey of recent news related to fitness, nutrition, training, and competition. My goal is to pass along links to articles that summarize recent medical research, offer insights into training, as well as other articles of interest to runners. You won’t see many articles from Runner’s World, [...]
Attention: Vengeful Deer Crossing! »
Many runners encounter animals during their daily runs. Usually, it’s a neighborhood dog, or cat, rabbits, skunks, or possibly a few ducks. Runners have told tales about being chased by angry geese in local parks. Adventurous trail runners have reported seeing mountain lions, snakes, turtles and other members of the wild life community. For the [...]
Did Oprah Make You a Marathoner? »
Last week one of the most popular stories on the New York Times online was about modern marathoners and how they differ from the first running boom. It’s a subject that’s been discussed before here at Complete Running. What caught my attention was this passage from the article by author John Hanc: Today’s marathoner is [...]
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, [...]
Why We Compete »
Run hard enough or long enough and a thought always creeps into that cranium no matter how hard you try to ward it off: Why am I doing this? It may be while heaving on the sidelines of a highly competitive 10k, midpoint in a triathlon or just after passing a painful Mile 16 in [...]
Will Run for Health »
Dr. Lee Miller wrote a piece arguing that, due to health care savings and productivity increases inherent in being more fit, that we should lobby for tax breaks to cover fitness expenses. The case that he presents about the health care savings associated with active people versus sedentary people is tempting. However, in the more [...]
Have Shoes (and Money), Marathoners Will Travel »
The travel industry is catching on that runners are good for business. A republished Detroit-based newspaper article about half- and full-marathoners traveling the world to get in a new run included some interesting statistics: “Marathon tourism is on the rise, coinciding with the huge increase in the number of people who now run—29.2 million in [...]
Will Run for Money »
We all enjoy the benefits of running and the enhanced quality of life it brings, but wouldn’t it be great to get paid for it? No, I’m not talking about becoming a professional runner and winning races and making money, I’m talking about being paid to just be a runner. Sound farfetched? This idea may [...]
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 [...]
Ethical Running »
It’s not often that ethical dilemmas occur during road races (at least those that don’t involve Rosie Ruiz), but two recent incidents got me thinking about how much responsibility each of us has to watch out for our fellow runners. In a 10K race recently, one of my teammates was up front the entire race, [...]
Back Away From the Headphones, Ma’am »
Those runners planning to do this summer’s Grandma’s Marathon or any of the shorter distances surrounding the main event in Duluth, Minn., might find the course both quieter and noisier. (You may remember that CompleteRunning wrote about this very subject a while ago.) Marathon organizers last week announced they would formally ban headphones and all [...]
Running Isn’t Sexy »
Back in the 1970′s and 80′s the first aerobic craze hit North America. Kenneth Cooper got people excited about exercise with his bestselling book, “Aerobics” in 1968. Running burst onto the scene as a popular activity and athletes like Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers became cultural icons. My experience in the 1980′s and into the [...]
Runner’s World to Acquire Running Times Magazine »
Via Scott Dunlap’s A Trail Runner’s Blog comes word that Rodale, Inc. is acquiring Running Times magazine. From Scott’s blog: Today, Rodale, Inc., publisher of Runner’s World magazine, announced the acquisition of Running Times Magazine for an undisclosed price. Both magazines have been doing well in the last few years (Runner’s World has a base [...]
Baby, It’s Warm Outside! »
Are you reveling or resisting this winter warm spell?
In the Stanford, Conn., The Advocate, Jan. 7, 2006,
Runners Getting Spoiled by This Winter’s Warmth, one writer opines:
For runners in New England, this winter has proven to be a rather Convenient Truth, to turn the Al Gore global warming film title on its head. Even the pre-dawn or late night runners don’t need all their fingers to count how many times
Try To Avoid These ‘Stunning’ Performances »
This month plenty of runners are contemplating not only resolutions but race calendars. Chances are there are some significant milestones on those upcoming lists, such as a half or full marathon, triathlon, trail run or other endurance events that will test the bodyís limits. A huge goal in all of this annual planning is staying [...]
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 [...]
Running With Headphones … As Bad as Running With Scissors? »
I belong to two local running clubs, and both of them have active campaigns to stamp out running with headphones. It’s not safe, they say. What about if I keep the volume down, and only use one earpiece? Nope, they say. No good. Even low volume blocks sounds you need to hear, like other runners [...]
Broadening the Definition of ‘Bandit’ »
The Running Chick’s article last week about the different ways to finish a race got me thinking: Is it okay to have a non-entrant pace you through part of a race? I’ve been reading and listening to a lot of runners recount their big fall races and noticed many had prearranged company on the course, [...]
‘Digital’ Marathons »
The New York Times published stories all last week about running in general and the ING NYC marathon in particular. If you have even a passing interest in this distance, you might want to check out some of the coverage. One article that caught my eye—in the Style section, no less—debates all the gadgets many [...]
High School Girls and Running »
A recent Washington Post article explores the special challenges faced by high school girls who run: “In girls’ cross-country,” Post writer Eli Saslow states, “runners are more likely to regress than progress.” He continues: College and high school coaches estimate that about 80 percent of female runners will level off, at least temporarily, because of [...]
Man Runs Sub Three Hour Marathon While Juggling »
Most people who run a marathon have their hands full. Not Michal Kapral. Today, at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Michal Kapral ran 26.2 miles while juggling! And, just in case you aren’t yet duly impressed, he did it in the astounding time of two hours, 57 minutes — a finish time most runners can only [...]
75 Year-Old Ed Whitlock Runs Marathon in an Amazing 3 Hours 8 Minutes »
Only a fraction of a percentage of people will ever run a marathon, and a fraction of a percentage of those people will run that marathon in less than three hours. At 70 years of age, Ed Whitlock became the only man on earth known to have run a marathon in under three hours. Five [...]
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 [...]
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