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: Sunday, November 23, 2008

97th ING Bay to Breakers Returns on Sunday in San Francisco

Posted May 14th, 2008 at 12:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Road Racing

Part parade, part fashion show, and part road race, the 97th ING Bay to Breakers returns to the streets of San Francisco on Sunday, and organizers expect some 70,000 runners and walkers (about half of them unregistered) to take part.

Up front, the race is serious business. Elite athlete coordinator Josh Muxen has assembled a strong field to chase a $74,000 prize money purse, including a special $25,000 ING Battle to the Breakers bonus which will be awarded to the first athlete to cross the finish line. That could be a man or it could be a woman; women are given a four minute and 40 second headstart based on the difference between the male (33:42) and female (38:22) course records.

In addition, there is a $5000 bonus for the first man and first woman to reach the top of Hayes Street Hill, a beast of a climb which begins at the two mile mark on Franklin Street, rises 201 feet, and covers a distance of 0.69 miles. Athletes can pocket the bonus as long as they also finish in the top-20.
Read the rest of this entry »

2 comments, add yours | Permalink

Road Race Action This Weekend Includes Cherry Blossom and Carsbad Races

Posted April 3rd, 2008 at 2:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

This weekend’s road racing action includes the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 mile in Washington, D.C., and the Carlsbad 5000 in Carlsbad, Calif. Both events are scheduled for Sunday, April 6.

In Washington, two-time world marathon champion Catherine Ndereba will open her 2008 season. The 35 year-old Kenyan, who also holds an Olympic silver medal, has never won the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 mile. Her best finish there was second in 2004 to Kenyan compatriot Isabellah Ochichi. Ndereba, who will be challenged by Kenyan Lineth Chepkurui and Romanian Lidia Simon, will lead a field of elite women in a special early start, 20 minutes prior to the main race of 12,000 runners.
Read the rest of this entry »

3 comments, add yours | Permalink

2004 Olympic Silver Medalists Keflezighi, Ndereba to Race at 35th Falmouth Road Race

Posted August 9th, 2007 at 9:30 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons

2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalists Meb Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. and Catherine Ndereba of Kenya are set to run at the 35th CIGNA Falmouth Road Race on Sunday morning, August 12.

The scenic waterfront seven-mile course winds from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights. A field of 10,000 is expected, and prize money totaling $90,300 will be paid to the top international and U.S. finishers including $10,000 to each race champion.

Keflezighi will be challenged by the world’s top ranked 10,000 meter runner, Micah Kogo of Kenya, and three-time Falmouth champion John Korir, also of Kenya. Kogo, 21-years-old, ran a 2006 10,000m best of 26:35.63. This year, he also ranks first on the 10K road list (27:07).
Read the rest of this entry »

One comment, add yours | Permalink

Men slow just a bit, but Trio maintains their lead at 10k mark

Posted August 5th, 2007 at 7:30 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

The men have slowed just a bit, reaching the 10k mark in 28:21 (increasing the average mile time to about 4:34). However, his time is significantly faster, by about 30 seconds, than last year’s 10k mark; beating it by about 30 seconds.

The trio of leaders continue to run together and to maintain and healthy 20 second lead over Culpepper, Kwambai, Korir and then Raamala and Gilmore.

Stay tuned and continually refresh your page to view TheFinalSprint.com’s up-to-the minute coverage of the 2007 NYC Half-Marathon presented by Nike!

Comment on this post | Permalink

Cheruiyot and Geb take the lead; followed closley by Abdi at the four mile marker

Posted August 5th, 2007 at 7:17 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

After passing the 5k mark, current World Marathon Majors leader Robert K. Cheruiyot of Kenya and the legendary Haile Gebrselassie (who has never lost at the distance) have taken the lead; both reaching 18:20 at mile four.

In addition to Cheruyiot and Geb, there is Abdi Abdirahman only a few steps behind.

Although James Kwamabi is close behind Abdi, Hendrick Ramaala, Peter Gilmore, and Alan Culpepper have fallen behind the leaders a bit; unable to keep up with this blistering pace.

Comment on this post | Permalink

Through two miles the men’s field is off at a fast clip

Posted August 5th, 2007 at 7:07 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

The men are wasting now time turning on the jets; running the first mile in 4:35 and about the same for mile 2.

At this point all of the favorites are up front with Abdi Abdirahman, the red-hot American Olympian, in the lead.

However, with this field and more than 10 miles to go, this is anyone’s race!

Stay tuned and continually refresh your page to view TheFinalSprint.com’s up-to-the minute coverage of the 2007 NYC Half-Marathon presented by Nike!

Comment on this post | Permalink

NYC Half-Marathon releases elite fields; NYRR once again draws world’s best

Posted August 1st, 2007 at 4:33 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The New York Road Runners released the elite fields for Sunday’s second annual NYC Half-Marathon presented by NIKE. NOTE: TheFinalSprint.com will feature videos of every pre- and post-race press conference, one-on-one video & audio interviews with top elites, and of course, LIVE coverage of the race itself!)

Led by two-time Olympic gold medalist, Haile Gebrselassie, the men’s field has three athletes who have broken one hour for the half-marathon distance, and a total of 11 men who have run 62:23 or better.

Catherine Ndereba, the 2003 world marathon champion who won the inaugural NYC Half-Marathon last year, headlines the women’s field. She’s just one of seven women who have broken the 71 minute barrier (three have run sub-70 minutes).

Former world marathon record holder, Khalid Khannouchi, was forced to withdraw from the race citing a mechanical problem in his stride which had been causing a burning sensation in the ball of his right foot, race officials reported. He and wife Sandra have flown to Barcelona to see an orthodics specialist.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Okari Looks to Defend Bloomsday Title

Posted May 3rd, 2007 at 9:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

Gilbert Okari, the lanky road racing ace from Kenya, will attempt to become the third man to win back-to-back titles at the Lilac Bloomsday 12-K on Sunday in Spokane, Wash.

His chief rivals will be John Korir, George Misoi and Simon Ndirangu, all of Kenya, Ethiopian Tadesse Tola and Welshman Jon Brown.

The other two men who won consecutive Bloomsday titles were Okari’s compatriots Josephat Machuka (1994, 1995) and Lazarus Nyakeraka (1996, 1997).

On the women’s side, Olympic silver medalist and former world marathon champion, Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, will take on Teyba Erkesso of Ethiopia. Kathy Butler of Scotland, who was unable to finish the Flora London Marathon on April 22, is also in the field.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Race Report: Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile

Posted April 2nd, 2007 at 2:02 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results

It had been eight years since Worku Bikila became the first and only Ethiopian to win the prestigious Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile. This year, that storied running nation returned to the race’s West Potomac Park victory stand, times two, taking both the men’s and women’s titles, with a world record tossed in for good measure.

For the second year in a row race director Phil Stewart gave the elite women a 10-minute head start, but perhaps they should have made Teyba Erkesso start with the main field, just to give the rest of the women a sporting chance. As it was, she left them in the dust from the opening mile and never looked back, obliterating her competition as well as the women’s-only 10 mile world record of 52:11 set here last year by Russia’s Lidya Grigoriyeva.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Cherry Blossom Ten Mile opens Spring running season in Washington, D.C.

Posted March 30th, 2007 at 1:40 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

The two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival, which begins tomorrow in Washington, D.C., honors the anniversary of Japan gifting 3,000 cherry trees to the United States in 1912. These gorgeous flowering trees form the backdrop for another great Washington tradition which is part of the festival: the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile which will celebrate its 35th running on Sunday.

Race director Phil Stewart expects 10,000 runners to compete on the flat course which begins and ends in West Potomac Park near the FDR Memorial. Consistently one of the fastest 10 mile races in the world, the event has seen the men’s world record set in 1983 and again in 1995, and the women’s world record in 1976, ‘77, ‘79, ‘87, ‘95 and ‘98, according to the independent Association of Road Racing Statisticians. At last year’s race, the elite women were given a 10 minute head start, and Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia ran 52:11, the fastest ever 10 mile by a woman in an all-women’s race.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink