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Lead Stories: Sunday, November 23, 2008

Records, Upsets Highlight Boston Indoor Games

Posted January 27th, 2008 at 10:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

A world best by Meseret Defar, an all-comer’s record by Craig Mottram, and upset winners in both the men’s and women’s miles gave the sell-out crowd of over 4000 fans plenty to cheer about at the 13th Reebok Boston Indoor Games here tonight at the Reggie Lewis Center at Roxbury Community College.

Defar, of Ethiopia, the reigning Olympic and world champion at 5000m, made her seventh appearance at this meeting her best yet. Paced by Serbia’s Marina Muncan and pushed by New Zealand’s Kim Smith, Defar destroyed Regina Jacobs’s 2002 two mile world best by nearly 13 seconds. With Smith never more than a few steps back, Defar went through the first mile in four minutes and 38 seconds, and came back to run the second half in 4:33.5, breaking the tape in 9:10.50. Smith powered home right behind her, running the #2 indoor time ever in history: 9:13.94.
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NYRR Announces Top-Rate Broadcast and Web Coverage for U.S. Olympic Team Trials & ING New York City Marathon

Posted October 29th, 2007 at 10:03 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

New York Road Runners today announced an unprecedented level of broadcast and webstreaming coverage for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon on November 3 and the ING New York City Marathon 2007 on November 4. The two events will be broadcast and streamed around the world via NBC, WNBC-4HD, NBCSports.com, NBCOlympics.com and WCSN.com.

“We are pleased to have such extensive coverage of this unprecedented weekend of marathon running,” said Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners and race director of both events. “By providing local, national and international options on both television and broadband of each race, we are better serving our sport’s fan base worldwide. Expanding broadcast options is a continued priority for New York Road Runners.”

On Saturday, November 3, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon will be streamed worldwide for free on NBCsports.com, the first time an Olympic Trials event has been streamed live online. NBC’s “TODAY” will cut in live to broadcast the start of the race nationally at 7:35 a.m. EDT, and NBC will air a national half-hour highlights show from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m.
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Hundreds gather to remember Mike Long

Posted July 28th, 2007 at 11:22 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

Under the warm Southern California sun, which no doubt had influenced his sunny disposition, hundreds of family, friends and running industry colleagues gathered at Mission Point Park to remember Elite Racing’s legendary elite athletes coordinator, Mike Long, who died unexpectedly last week at 65.

Tears flowed freely as more than a dozen people came to the podium to remember Long, showering him with praise and sharing their goodbyes.

“For those who never met him words would not suffice,” said writer and television commentator, Toni Reavis, who acted as emcee. He called the diminutive Long, who only stood 5′ 6″ (168cm) tall, “the center around which all we revolved.”

Long’s son, Bruce, said that his father’s sudden death –believed to be a heart attack– was probably how his father would have wanted to go, not caring for lingering goodbyes. “He was never a hospital bed kind of guy,” he said, his sunglasses concealing his tear-swollen eyes.
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