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Lead Stories: Monday, December 1, 2008

Jon Rankin: Training to Become An Olympian
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #2)

Posted December 19th, 2007 at 1:00 PM by Jon Rankin

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Jon Rankin

Welcome to the official blog of rising U.S. track & field star
Jon Rankin; the inaugural member of TheFinalSprint.com’s
Elite Athlete Blog Series. Make sure to check back every other Wednesday for Jon’s latest entry.

Hi everyone. I hope this entry finds all of you happy and healthy this holiday season. I am writing this entry while I sit on my bed feeling terribly sore. Yesterday, December 17th, twenty of us athletes from the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA experienced something that will forever change our perspectives on mental toughness and limitations: we spent the day going through the BUD/S Navy Seal training course

The day started off with all of us getting up at 4:30 AM. We departed at 5:10 AM for the Naval Special Warfare Training Center in Coronado, CA. We couldn’t arrive late because to keep the instructors waiting would have made an already-hard day that much harder. They would already be yelling at us and putting us through the worst day, psychologically, of our lives. So we left really early to avoid being late and start off on the wrong foot.
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Abdirahman, Culpepper, Hall & Teleconference Excerpts

Posted November 1st, 2007 at 9:00 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews

USA Track & Field, the U.S. Olympic Committee and New York Road Runners on Thursday hosted a national media teleconference with two-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman (Tucson, Ariz.), 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials champion Alan Culpepper (Lafayette, Colo.) and American half-marathon record holder Ryan Hall (Palo Alto, Calif.).

All three will compete Saturday in New York for a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team, running in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon.

Below are excerpts from Thursday’s call:

Q: Could you discuss your readiness for Saturday’s race?

RH: I’m just really excited about this opportunity. I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time and it’s exciting to finally have the opportunity to make my first Olympic team. I know whatever team is selected here on Saturday is going to represent well in Beijing.

AC: Like Ryan said, we’re all excited about this event. We’re excited about the build-up and the excitement of making an Olympic team and it being here on the largest stage in New York City. I’m thrilled to be a part of this and thrilled to get out and run on Saturday.

AA: I’m glad to be a part of the USA Olympic men’s marathon trials. My preparation has been going well leading to this race. Everything’s going well, I’m healthy and I’m ready to race. The three men that will be selected Saturday for the U.S. Olympic team will represent our country well at the Beijing Olympics.
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Marine Corps Marathon buzz spreading through D.C.

Posted October 5th, 2007 at 4:12 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The buzz is beginning to begin in the Washington, DC metropolitan area about an upcoming athletic event - the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM). As someone who resides in the area, I frequently see competitive runners and athletes out on the streets of DC, many lining trails along the Potomac as they train for the big upcoming event.

The Marine Corps Marathon will begin at 7:50 a.m. on Sunday, October 28, starting with the wheelchair and hand cycle participants. Runners will start at 8:00 a.m. and the MCM10K will kick off at 8:20 a.m.

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Note on the News: U.S. Men’s Olympic Men’s Marathon Trials Course Measured

Posted August 9th, 2007 at 10:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

Two of my favorite people in the sport, David Katz and Hugh Jones, are featured in an article in today’s New York Times.

This pair of internationally recognized course measurers spent two hot and sticky nights this week measuring the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon course in New York City. It’s a rare look at the painstaking work of course measurement, so critical to ensuring that competion results in road races are meaningful.

You can read the story at this link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/sports/othersports/09measure.html

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