TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More! - TheFinalSprint.com is the Premier Destination for Track & Field, Marathon, Cross Country, Olympic and Road Racing Enthusiasts.

Lead Stories: Thursday, August 28, 2008

TFS News Briefs: 2/27/08

Posted February 27th, 2008 at 12:45 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Drugs In Sports, TFS News Briefs

Heavy News Day At IAAF Website
The folks at the IAAF website have been busy today. There are 9 news items for you to read, including an article about the 51 USA athletes going to the world championships, plus profiles of the Chinese, Italian, Moroccan and German contingents.
Read more at: [USA][China][Italy][Morocco][Germany][IAAF]

World Indoor Championships: Greek Team Profile
The European Athletics site is quite busy, too, with a profile of the Greek team going to the World Indoor Championships, plus an article about how the World Cross-Country Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland has set a participation record.
Read more at: [Greece][Edinburgh][European Athletics]

Mainstream Press Acknowledges US Distance-Running Resurgence
When the mainstream press finally gets wind of happenings in US distance running, you know there must be no doubt about it whatsoever. The Boston Globe has published a profile detailing the resurgence of US distance running, something the US running community has known for a long, long time.
Read more at: [Boston Globe]
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Asics to Host Distance Summit at USA Cross Country Champs

Posted February 5th, 2008 at 3:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Cross Country

Asics announced today that they would hold a distance summit prior to the USA Cross Country Championships later this month in San Diego. The summit is free and open to the public.

Scheduled for Friday, February 15, at 5:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Mission Valley, the summit will feature three prominent figures in the annals of U.S. distance running:

• Joe Vigil: U.S. Olympic Coach, 1998 - 2008
• Steve Scott: Former U.S. record holder in the mile
• Terrence Mahon: Coach of Team Running USA California, which includes Deena Kastor and Ryan Hall

Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Train for the Marathon With Olympic Trials Hopeful, Get Colllege Credit

Posted January 7th, 2008 at 10:30 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Among the thousands of runners who will participate in running events during Grandma’s Marathon weekend this June, a few dozen will be there to take a final exam. Lake Superior College is offering its unique online marathon training course again this spring, providing an opportunity to train for and run Grandma’s Marathon or the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon for college credit.

The course provides race training and nutritional information in addition to history, etiquette, and basic skills. Course work is presented online through the Lake Superior College Virtual Campus, making it easily accessible to students at a distance. Enrolled students are guaranteed entry into the marathon or half marathon. They may also arrange to compete in a comparable race to meet course requirements.

Native Duluthian Katie Koski will teach the online physical education course. Koski is an elite runner who hopes to qualify for this year’s Olympic trials in Boston. She was asked to teach the online course for Lake Superior College because of her experience competing in Grandma’s Marathon. She has run in the event eight times, finishing in the top ten on several occasions.
Read the rest of this entry »

One comment, add yours | Permalink

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.
Read the rest of this entry »

3 comments, add yours | Permalink

Top Ten Moments for U.S. Distance Running in 2007

Posted December 18th, 2007 at 10:50 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Olympics

What a difference 7 years can make. Back in the “Dark Ages” of U.S. distance running circa 2000, there wasn’t a lot to cheer about or acknowledge, or put simply, U.S. distance running was in a funk.

And now, in 7 short years, due mainly to training groups, dedicated athletes and coaches, increased financial support, more promotion and success (think Meb & Deena) begetting more success (see the below), the United States has dramatically more to cheer about and moreover, has inspiration and a foundation for current and future stars. From a shortage of best moments 7 years ago to a surfeit of best moments, here are the best of 2007 for U.S. distance running:
Read the rest of this entry »

5 comments, add yours | Permalink

Jon Rankin: Discovering my True Identity as a Runner (Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #1)

Posted December 5th, 2007 at 1:00 PM by Jon Rankin

Section: 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.

My name is Jon Rankin and I’m a professional Track & Field athlete for the United States of America. My sponsor is Nike, Inc. My primary events are the 1-mile and 1500 meters. I also compete in any event from 800 meters to 5000 meters on the track, up to 15 kilometers on the road and in the sport of Cross Country.

The end of the 2007 season marked my 10th year as a distance runner and it turned out to be my most significant season thus far. A little over one year ago I sustained a full fracture to the 3rd metatarsal of my left foot during the USATF National Championships. Psychologically the injury was devastating for me. I struggled to overcome the break I sustained to my spirit more so than I did the break in my foot. From the moment my foot broke in June of 2006 until the following June of 2007 I experienced a roller coaster of emotions. It would be twelve months before I got back on the track and competed.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Running USA Seeks New CEO

Posted December 5th, 2007 at 8:20 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

Running USA, a trade group and distance running advocacy organization, is seeking a new chief executive officer. The position, now held by Basil Honikman, will be come vacant after Honikman retires next February. Honikman has held the post since 2000.

According to the job description which was sent to the Race Results Weekly office, the successful candidate will need “to build on the record of excellence and extend the organization’s impact even further throughout the sport.” The CEO will act as the chief spokesperson for Running USA, and be responsible for fund raising and financial oversight and management, amongst many responsibilities listed.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Podcast 106: CHRIS LEAR, Author of Running with the Buffaloes [Part 1 of 2]

Posted December 1st, 2007 at 1:45 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Motivation, Books, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, Drugs In Sports, College

Episode 106 of The Final Sprint Podcast, the most listened to running podcast in North America, features the first installment in a two-part series of interviews with CHRIS LEAR, author of the cult-favorite running books Running With the Buffaloes and Sub 4:00: Alan Webb and the Quest for the Fastest Mile. TheFinalSprint.com Assistant Editor Jimmie R. Markham joins us for the interview.

Lear, a 4:09 high-school miler and an All-American at Princeton, talks about his early running career, his post-collegiate career, his inspiration for writing his running books and his business career.

Now pursuing his MBA at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Lear also discusses how he has been approached about selling the movie rights to Running With the Buffaloes and how the book lends itself to the big screen.

Download the podcast to hear Lear discuss these topics, as well, as doping, American distance runners and their place in the world running scene, the grassroots level resurgence of American distance running, and his advice for young runners on how to succeed in both endeavors.

Listen In
[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)

[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you

Hosts: Adam Jacobs, Jimmie Markham | Guest:Chris Lear
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 18.1 MB | Length: 26:25 MIN

Episode Sponsored By: Nike +

Long Live Running!
Nike Plus will improve the way you run. Get feedback from your iPod on pace, time, distance and calories burned.

Log into Nikeplus.com to track your progress, set goals and challenge friends.

Read the rest of this entry »

5 comments, add yours | Permalink

Podcast 94: PETER GILMORE on the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and Much More!

Posted October 17th, 2007 at 9:23 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, Drugs In Sports

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years BR Sportswear is closing out their line of high -quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

Episode 94 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my interview with U.S. Olympic Marathon hopeful PETER GILMORE.

In the interview, Peter talks about being in peak condition heading into the November 3 Olympic Trials, completing his first pre-marathon altitude training session, the keys to his success and racing strategy, and the benefits of his marathon and New York City racing experience.

Download the podcast to hear Peter discuss these topics, as well as, the current U.S. Olympic qualifying system, the decision to separate the Trials from the ING NYC Marathon, how and why the sport would benefit from greater economic transparency, the recent editorials in favor of “legalizing” steroids, and much more!

Listen In
[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)

[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you

Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Peter Gilmore
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 19.3 MB | Length: 28:13 MIN

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

Read the rest of this entry »

One comment, add yours | Permalink

Podcast 92: Preeminent Running Coach JOE VIGIL

Posted October 11th, 2007 at 7:56 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years BR Sportswear is closing out their line of high -quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

Episode 92 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my in-depth interview with legendary running coach JOE VIGIL.

Recognized as one of America’s greatest distance running educators, Vigil led Adams State to 14 national championships, guided a plethora of top runners, such as Olympic marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor, to extraordinary success, and has been inducted to eleven different Hall of Fames. In addition to mentoring a number of coaches and athletic organizations, Vigil continues to coach Team Running USA alongside fellow icon Bob Larsen and will lead American distance runners at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

In the interview Vigil explains why Deena Kastor has had such a significant and special impact on him as both a coach and as a person, he shares his thoughts on the Marion Jones debacle, talks about Pat Porter’s passion for the sport, “improv[ing] achievement motivation”, and the role that Arthur Lydiard and other coaching greats played in his own development.

Download the podcast to hear Coach Vigil discuss these topics, as well as, preparing the American distance running squad for the pollution and warm conditions in Beijing, the upcoming U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, the greatest moments of his career, his opinion on pacesetters and why their absence helps athletes to learn what their “capable of internally”, and much more!

Listen In
[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)

[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you

Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Joe Vigil
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 16.3 MB | Length: 23:46 MIN

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

Read the rest of this entry »

3 comments, add yours | Permalink