Politics Rears Its Ugly Head
Political friction between Qatar and Ethioipia has resulted in a boycott by the Ethiopian federation of the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix meet. Indoor world champions Deresse Mekonnen (1500m) and Tariku Bekele (3000m) had been scheduled to run.
More: PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria
Instead…
of the Ethiopians, look for some superstars at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix meet. Jeremy Wariner will run the 200m, Allyson Felix will run the 400m and Blanca Vlasic will compete in the heptathlon. Just kidding, she’s sticking to what she knows - the high jump (with Wariner and Felix branching out from their usual events, I couldn’t resist!).
More: IHT
Where In The World Is…
Tuvalu? It’s a tiny island nation in Oceania located northeast of Australia. It boasts a population of 11,992 and a land area of 10 square miles. “So what?” you ask. Well, it is the newest member country of the IAAF, the world’s governing body of track & field, which now has a membership of 213.
More: Afrique en ligne, France
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Ethiopian distance running star Haile Gebrselassie says he may compete over the marathon at the 29th Beijing Olympics if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) makes changes to the event’s venue and starting time.
On Monday, the world marathon record holder and former double Olympic 10000m champion announced that he will not take part in this year’s Olympic marathon citing Beijing’s pollution and fearing the aggravation of his own exercise-induced asthma.
But speaking on Wednesday, the 34-year old said, “I do not want to rule anything out at this point. This decision is not about Haile. It is about all athletes who will be competing. Our safety has to be protected.”
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Eugene Businesses Give Back to Track & Field
Local Eugene, OR Businesses are donating to 100 Meter Club and partnering with Eugene ‘08 in order to “ensure that the hundreds of volunteers and the local organizing committee are able to do what needs to be done to prepare for the Olympic Trials.”
Read more at: [Register Guard]
Interview With Olympic sprint coach Brooks Johnson
Legendary Olympic sprint coach Brooks Johnson, in an interview by the St. Petersburg Times, said that Marion Jones’ tragedy was “unnecessary.” He also said that “at some point even a dirty world record will be exceeded by somebody who’s clean.”
Read more at: [SP Times]
Frank Shorter To Guest-Speak in NC
Running icon Frank Shorter will be the guest speaker at the Twin City Track Club in Winston-Salem, NC on March 1st to help the running club celebrate their 30th anniversary.
Read more at: [Winston-Salem Journal]
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Setting a world record is never easy, but it’s particularly difficult in the marathon. Not only must an athlete spend three to four injury-free months training for a single competitive effort, he must have near-perfect conditions: a flat course, excellent pacemaking, ideal weather, and a well-marked and measured course. A little luck doesn’t hurt, either.
Heading into Friday’s Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon,
Haile Gebrselassie is hoping that all of these factors will line up in his favor so he can break his own world standard of 2:04:26 set in Berlin last September. In short, he’s looking for the perfect race.
“The top priority is not the money,” Gebrselassie said referring to the $1 million bonus for a new world record race organizers have on offer. “It’s the race. But the marathon is not an easy event, you cannot predict. Everything is perfect, I hope it will be more perfect for the race.”
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One of the Ethiopia’s most eligible bachelors is off the market.
World 10,000m champion, Kenenisa Bekele, was married last Sunday to film actress Danawit Gebregziabher at a wedding ceremony in Addis Ababa, the IAAF reported.
You can see a photo of the bride and groom at this link: http://tinyurl.com/2qaq5w
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The seventh edition of the Great Ethiopian Run International 10-K is set for Sunday in Addis Ababa. Organizers reported last week that more than 30,000 runners have registered for the event which was originally scheduled to take place on Sep. 9, to coincide with Ethiopia’s Millennium celebrations, but was postponed because of security fears.
For this event, Haile Gebrselassie assumes the role of race director, and he’s invited a number of international guests, including Britain’s former 5000m world record holder David Moorcroft and ING New York City Marathon race director, Mary Wittenberg, who will be making her first trip to Ethiopia.
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Team USA departs for Chiba, Japan today for the 2007 Chiba International Ekiden, to be held this Friday, November 23. In addition to Team USA, the marathon relay will feature teams from Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, France and Great Britain.
Ed Moran (Williamsburg, Va.); Ryan Sheehan (Rochester Hills, Mich.) and Josh Moen (Waterloo, Iowa), all members of last year’s third-place men’s team, along with 2006 women’s team-member Desiree Davila (Rochester Hills, Mich.) will return to Chiba to lead Team USA’s combined team.
Other members of the 2007 squad include Melissa White (Rochester Hills, Mich.); Stephanie Rothstein (Eugene, Ore.); Casey Owens (Des Moines, Iowa); and Scott Bauhs (Danville, Calif.).
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A look at the top 5 nations in terms of the all-time number of world-class performances run by men in the 10,000m run reveals that a handful of countries, including the United States, are beginning catching up to the Kenyans. The other countries that have seen a resurgence of 10,000 meter running are Ethiopia, whose runners are leading the way in catching up to the Kenyans, Morocco and Uganda. Tanzanian and Eritrean 10,000m running is also beginning to make an impact on the world stage, but not enough to crack the top 5 just yet.
Blustery winds, blue skies, and temperatures in the lower 50s created the quintessential New England cross country backdrop for the 782 finishers in Sunday’s Mayor’s Cup Cross Country Races, presented by adidas and the Boston Athletic Association, and directed by USA Track & Field (New England Association) and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department in conjunction with Boston Centers for Youth and Families.
Westchester (New York) Track Club repeated its feat from last year, sending both the male and female champions to the winner’s circle, and Aziza Ayilu – an Ethiopian residing in the Bronx – became the first female to win back-to-back since the legendary Lynn Jennings successfully defended her title in 1994-’95.
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Liz Yelling’s has now dropped back as the women continue to take turns in the lead.
In all, the women are through 12 miles in 1:08:49 and ran the last mile in 5:43.
Ivanova is back in the lead in front of a pack of about 6 women, including 2006 champion Berhane Adere. Adere is the only Ethiopian woman to ever win yhe LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.
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Australia’s Craig Mottram and Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar probably thought their year couldn’t - even possibly - get any better. However, it looks like they were wrong - very wrong.
The pair of dominating runners set new road race world records at the Newcastle/Gateshead Great North 3Km. As a matter of fact, they didn’t just […]
Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia won the men’s side of the Berlin Marathon this past Sunday in Germany. The Ethiopians swept the event, with Gete Wami running her way to the head of the women’s field. Gebrselassie’s 2:05:56 and Wami’s 2:21:34 hours both broke Ethiopian records and they became the first ever Ethiopian winners […]
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