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Soi, Kiplagat Top
Running Times 2007
Road Racer Rankings
Posted December 12th, 2007 at 11:15 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results
Edwin Soi of Kenya and Lornah Kiplagat (Pictured) of the Netherlands were given the #1 road racer rankings for 2007 by the editors of Running Times magazine.
Assisted by statistician Ken Young of the Association of Road Racing Statisticians, the magazine compiled their rankings for the period Oct. 15, 2006, to Oct. 14, 2007, based on head-to-head competition between the world’s top-20 runners.
Soi, 21, got the top ranking over compatriot, Micah Kogo. In an ironic twist, neither athlete ran in many road races during the ranking period.
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Robles’ 12.92 Caps Stellar Day Two in Stuttgart
Posted September 23rd, 2007 at 3:18 PM by Bob Ramsak
Section: News & Results, Track & Field
A slew of sensational performances, topped by Dayron Robles’ 12.92 victory in the 110m hurdles, highlighted a thoroughly entertaining second and final day of the 5th IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final in Stuttgart this afternoon.
Continuing his impressive late season campaign, the 20-year-old Cuban slashed the year-old meet record set by Liu Xiang, leaving thoughts of “what might have been” had the Chinese world record been here to defend his title. It was also a personal best and national record for Robles –he ran 13.00 here last year– in this his fifth victory in as many races since his disappointing fourth place showing at the World Championships in Osaka. Robles is now tied as the fourth fastest hurdler in history.
American David Payne, the Osaka bronze medallist, was second in 13.08, ahead of Osaka silver medallist Terrence Trammell (13.15).
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Defar Impresses, Soi Completes Double in Stuttgart
Posted September 23rd, 2007 at 2:53 PM by Bob Ramsak
Section: News & Results, Track & Field
Meseret Defar produced an impressive front-running victory in the 3000 while Edwin Soi became the first man to capture the 300/5000m double to highlight the second and concluding day of the 5th IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final.
After a slew of world records and bests, her first world title and an undefeated season, Defar raced as though she wanted to get her 2007 campaign over as quickly as possible. And that’s precisely what the 23-year-old Ethiopian did with her captivating 8:27.24 gun-to-tape victory.
Taking control of the race from the gun, she upped the tempo throughout before covering the second half in just over 4:10 and the final kilometre in 2:45.22. But in Defar’s personal universe, the year’s second fastest performance wasn’t all that fast.
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IAAF World Athletics Final: Men’s 5000m
Posted September 23rd, 2007 at 9:20 AM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results, Track & Field
With many of the same actors, the men’s 5000m of the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Germany seemed like a sequel to the 3000m run that was held the previous day. Edwin Cheruiyot Soi (KEN) the winner of the 7.5 lap race (winning time: 7:49.70), was also in the 12.5 lapper, as were Joseph Ebuya (KEN), Mohammed Farah (GBR), Craig Mottram (AUS), Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa (KEN) and Eliud Kipchoge (KEN). They must have been tired from the previous day’s race, because they ran the first 1000m in 2:57.99, a pedestrian 4:46 per mile pace, with Kenya’s Shadrack Kosgei taking the early pacing duties.
Ethiopian Sileshi Sihine then stepped up the pace a notch, going through 2000m in 5:46.66 (1000m split: 2:48.67, per-mile pace: 4:31). It was at least becoming a respectable race.
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3-Peat for Jamal Highlights First Day in Stuttgart
Posted September 22nd, 2007 at 3:32 PM by Bob Ramsak
Section: News & Results, Track & Field
Yet another dominating display in the 1500m by Maryam Yusuf Jamal was the highlight of the first day of action at the 5th IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final.
Running in unseasonably warm and pleasant conditions, Jamal proved for the fourth consecutive race since taking the world title in Osaka late last month that at the moment, she is without peer in the metric mile. Biding her time behind early leader Viola Kibiwott, the 23-year-old old took control of the race with just over two laps to go before sprinting from the midway through the final bend en route to a sizable victory in 4: 01.23.
“I’m very satisfied,” said Jamal, after bringing her season to and end. “This year was really big for me. I plan to continue like this next year.”
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IAAF World Athletics Final:
Men’s 3000m
Posted September 22nd, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results, Track & Field
The men’s 3000m Run of the IAAF World Athletics Final (Stuttgart, Germany) was mostly a Kenyan affair, with 7 in the race along with a Brit, an Aussie and a Ugandan. Going into the race, Moses Ndiema Kipsiro (UGA) had the fastest time of the 2007 season, with a time of 7:32.03. The fastest PB belonged to Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) with a time of 7:27.72.
After 1K, passed in 2:42.44 by Yusuf Kibet Biwott (KEN), nine men were still in contention and they were on track for a 8:07.32 time. The 1600m mark (1 mile =1609.344m) was passed in 4:20.22. This was turning into a tactic race, as is to be expected when there are no pacemakers.
Biwott led after 2000m, (1K split: 2:42.02) in a time of 5:24.46.
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Wins by Jamal, Sinclair the highlights in chilly Lausanne
Posted July 11th, 2007 at 7:55 AM by Martin Kennedy
Section: News & Results, Track & Field
Running in chilly conditions that dipped below 50 degrees F (9 C.), Maryam Yusuf Jamal and Jamaican Kenia Sinclair produced the chief highlights at the Athletissima Super Grand Prix in Lausanne tonight.
After a dismal 13th place finish in Paris last Friday, Jamal was clearly trying to illustrate a point 1500. Running before a supportive hometown crowd –the 22-year-old Ethiopian-born Bahraini has been based in Lausanne since fleeing Ethiopia in 2002– Jamal cruised to a front-running victory in 4:03.61. Never seriously challenged –she had a near four second lead at the bell– Jamal easily held off the late race charge of Ukraine’s Iryna Lishchynska (4:04.27) and Russians Olga Yegorova (4:04.64) and two-time world champion Tatyana Tomashova (4:05.48).
U.S. champion Treniere Clement briefly followed Jamal and pacesetter Olga Komyagina’s solid tempo, but paid for it dearly 800 meters into the race. Fading badly over the final lap and a half, she finished 22nd in the 23 woman field.
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Full house watches Webb win mile at Reebok Grand Prix
Posted June 4th, 2007 at 8:31 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Track & Field
With a boisterous crowd of 5,000 filling the grandstand at Ichan Stadium, Alan Webb won the first significant mile of the season with an overwhelming kick, handing both Bernard Lagat and Craig Mottram with rare defeats at the third annual Reebok Grand Prix on Manhattan’s Randall’s Island.
The win provided Webb, 24, with much-needed dose of redemption. In his last race in front of New York City fans, he watched from well behind as Lagat and Mottram finished 1-2 in the Wanamaker Mile at the 100th Millrose Games last February. It is a race which Webb remembers all too well.
“The last time I was in New York City wasn’t my finest hour,” said Webb after the race.
But tonight, he timed his effort to perfection. Pacemakers Moise Joseph and Justus Koech became separated from the field after the 57+ second first lap, so Lagat decided to control the contenders’ pack and ended up doing a lot of the work. Both Webb and Mottram kept Lagat in sight as did Suleiman Simotwo. Lagat built a slight lead going into the final lap of the race, but did not want to get ahead of himself.
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Who was America's most-valuable male runner in 2008?
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Why are you flogging this junk? What will be next - first we have flavored water - now jazzed...