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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 2008

Alan Webb Highlights 23rd Annual Carlsbad 5000

Posted March 27th, 2008 at 5:04 PM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

After breaking Steve Scott’s quarter-century old American mile record last summer in Brasschaat, Belgium, 25-year-old Alan Webb will have an opportunity to take down San Diego native Marc Davis’ 1996 American road 5k record of 13:24, also set at the Carlsbad 5000. Webb has chosen to open his 2008 Spring campaign in Carlsbad as he prepares for an Olympic bid. The Southern California race, set for Sunday, April 6, 2008, was made famous by Scott 23 years ago as both the course designer and champion of the first three events.

“I’m really looking forward to my first trip out to Carlsbad,” said Webb, a Reston, Virginia native. “I’ve always heard about what a great course and event it is, and how fast people have run there. Plus, Steve Scott has been something of a mentor to me over the years, and to run on a course he designed and won on three times just makes it that much more special.”
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TFS Podcast: “Best of” Series Legendary Miler
MARTY LIQUORI

Posted March 5th, 2008 at 3:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, Ask Flash, High School

A year ago, The Final Sprint had the opportunity to interview legendary middle-distance runner and Olympian Marty Liquori.

Liquori was the 3rd American high schooler to run under 4:00 in the mile when he ran a 3:59.8 in 1967 while at Essex Catholic High School in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. By nineteen he was already an Olympian, finishing 12th in the 1968 1500m final in Mexico City.

He was ranked #1 in the world in 1969 through 1971 at the 1500m/Mile distance, in part because of famously defeating then world-record holder Jim Ryun in the “Dream Mile” on May 16th, 1971. In 1977, he ran an American record of 13:15.1 in the 5000m and was ranked 1st in the world at that distance. He retired from competition in 1980.

Since his retirement, he has hosted and executive produced Saucony Running and Racing, an endurance sports event show now in its 13th year on ESPN, has been a track & field broadcaster on network TV, has owned a chain of specialty running stores, performs as a professional jazz guitarist with the Marty Liquori Quintet, and is the national chairman and spokesperson for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. Ironically, he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia just months after becoming their spokesman. He is now in remission.

Listen and/or download the podcast to hear Marty discuss defeating Jim in the Dream Mile, bouncing back from injury, American running today and much more!

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TO DOWNLOAD: Right click and select “save as”

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Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Marty Liquori
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 16.2MB
Length: 00:23:44

Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!

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Quote of the Day: 12/31/07

Posted December 31st, 2007 at 9:00 AM by Martha Jones

Section: Motivation, Famous Quotes

“Motivation is what gets you started.
Habit is what keeps you going.”

- Jim Ryun

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Legends Mingle with Honolulu Marathoners at 5-K Run

Posted December 6th, 2007 at 5:57 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

About 400 runners lined up with several of the greatest-ever names in the sport of distance running at the annual Honolulu Marathon Legends 5-K this morning at Kapiolani Park, across the street from Waikiki Beach. Bright spirits overcame the grey and soggy conditions as the persistently rainy weather here continued.

The legends included Olympic gold medalist, Frank Shorter; the last American man to win the Boston Marathon, Greg Meyer; three-time ING New York City Marathon champion, Alberto Salazar; and former multiple world record holder, Jim Ryun (Pictured). Although the race is a fun run with no official results, Meyer was the first legend across the finish line in “19-something” by his own reckoning. Salazar said, “I just did an eight minute pace,” while Shorter was observed crossing the finish line in 24:21. Ryun jogged with his wife, Anne, and daughter, Catharine, finishing in 31:23.
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The Final Sprint Podcast Highlighted by Running Times

Posted October 29th, 2007 at 9:07 AM by thefinalsprint.com

Section: News & Results, Announcements, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field, Resources, Olympics, Special Features, Podcasts, Trail / Ultra

The Final Sprint Podcast, the most listened to running podcast in North America, continues to capture audiences and receive praise from athletes, coaches, journalists, industry leaders and running fans from around the world.

Most recently, Running Times Magazine chose to highlight The Final Sprint Podcast along with Flocasts/Flotrack and the World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) in their October 2007 issue.

The Final Sprint Podcast, launched in January 2007, features three to five audio interviews each week and is hosted by TheFinalSprint.com Editor-in-Chief Adam Jacobs.

Jacobs has proudly welcomed a dynamic and eclectic list of guests, including track & field superstars (Sanya Richards, Ryan Hall, Alan Webb), Olympic marathon medalists (Deena Kastor, Meb Keflezighi), ultra-elite champions (Dean Karnazes, Scott Jurek), coaching icons (Dr. Jack Daniels, Jeff Galloway), courageous heroes (Jim MacLaren, Kathrine Switzer, Billy Mills) and running legends from years past (Gail Devers, Jim Ryun, Grete Waitz).

To listen in, subscribe to the podcast feed, or even download recent episodes right to your mp3 player, please visit: TheFinalSprint.com.

The podcast is also available at no charge in iTunes.

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Why you won’t see a world record in the upcoming World Championships or Olympics

Posted August 10th, 2007 at 3:53 PM by Jimson Lee

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, SoundOFF, Columns

When was the last time you saw a world record in a World Championship or Olympics Games in a middle distance or long distance event?

Sprinters take advantage of the Championship atmosphere, the multiple rounds, and faster tracks to set their world records.

You have to go back to Alberto Juantorena’s 1.43.50 800 meters at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. If you count Commonwealth Games, then Filbert Bayi’s 3.32.16 1500 meters in 1974 at Christchurch, NZ. (more on that race later)

Unfortunately, we can thank the rabbits for destroying that opportunity.
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Greatest Combined 800m/1500m Runners of All-Time?

Posted July 30th, 2007 at 2:52 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

With Alan Webb’s noteworthy 800m and 1500m times this season, I thought it’d be interesting to find out how he ranked on the all-time list of combined 800m/1500m times.

To be considered for inclusion on this list, a runner must have run both a sub-1:45 outdoor 800m and a sub-3:35 outdoor 1500m. I did an analysis and discovered that only 41 runners in history belong to this elite club, including Webb, who ranks 12th. Included in this club are 14 Kenyans, 5 Brits, 4 Americans, 3 Bahrainis, 3 Frenchmen and 2 Sudanese. Here they are, in order:

Rank. Name (Country) Combined 800m/1500m Time
1. Sebastian Coe (GBR) 5:11.50
2. Mehdi Baala (FRA) 5:12.13
3. Noureddine Morceli (ALG) 5:12.16
4. Steve Cram (GBR) 5:12.55
5. Noah Ngeny (KEN) 5:12.61
6. William Chirchir (KEN) 5:12.62
7. Rachid Ramzi (BRN) 5:13.19
8. Saïd Aouita (MAR) 5:13.32
9. Laban Rotich (KEN) 5:13.56
10. William Tanui (KEN) 5:13.88
11. Abdi Bile (SOM) 5:14.15
12. Alan Webb (USA) 5:14.38
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Bowerman Mile features fast field at Pre Classic

Posted June 4th, 2007 at 7:30 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Four of the world’s top ten men’s milers will toe the line June 10 at the 2007 Prefontaine Classic at the University of Oregon’s historic Hayward Field in Eugene.

The fourth event of USA Track & Field’s 2007 Outdoor Visa Championship Series, the Prefontaine Classic will be televised live on NBC, Sunday, June 10, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The field includes nine runners with lifetime mile bests under 4-minutes, which could jeopardize the Hayward Field and Prefontaine Classic record of 3 minutes 49.92 seconds set six years ago by Hicham El Guerrouj.

Americans leading the way include two-time Olympic medalist and defending Bowerman Mile champion Bernard Lagat, who ended the 2006 season ranked #3 in the world in the 1,500/mile by Track & Field News. Two-time U.S. Outdoor champion and reigning national indoor titlist Alan Webb returns to The Bowerman Mile, where he ran a 3:53.43 at the 2001 Pre Classic to set the national high school record.
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Quote of the Day: 3/29/07

Posted March 29th, 2007 at 6:00 AM by Steven Schiff

Section: Motivation, Famous Quotes

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

- Jim Ryun

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Podcast 19: Interview with Olympian Marty Liquori

Posted February 23rd, 2007 at 6:08 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

In Podcast 19, I had the pleasure of being joined by Olympian Marty Liquori.

Marty is one the four American men to run a sub-four minute mile (PR = 3:52:2) and defeated American hero Jim Ryun in the dream mile race that took the nation by storm. Marty also rose to number one world rankings in the mile and 5000m events.

Since his retirement, Marty, a fellow New Jerseyian, has hosted his own show on ESPN, owns a chain of specialty running stores, performs as a jazz guitarist, and is the national spokesperson for Team in Training.

Download the podcast to hear Marty discuss defeating Jim in the Dream Mile, bouncing back from injury, American running today and much more!

Listen In
[MP3] Direct Download (Right click, 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: Marty Liquori
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 16.2MB
Length: 00:23:44

Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!

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