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TheFinalSprint.com’s Countdown to This Spring’s Highly Anticipated World Marathon Major Events:
The Boston Marathon is HERE!!!
…ONLY 6 DAYS until the London Marathon (April 26th)
Note on the News: Radcliffe Out of London Marathon
Posted March 5th, 2009 at 3:30 PM by Martin Kennedy
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Multiple news outlets, including the BBC, are reporting that Britain’s Paula Radcliffe has been forced to withdraw from next month’s Flora London Marathon.
The world record holder and three-time London champion has broken her toe while training in New Mexico.
You can read the full story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/7927115.stm
London Marathon Lines Up Superb Men’s Field
Posted November 25th, 2008 at 9:28 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Race director Dave Bedford completed his holiday shopping early, opening his checkbook wide to purchase a superb men’s field for next April’s Flora London Marathon.
Not only has he brought back the top four finishers from his own event, but five of the top six finishers from the Beijing Olympic Marathon, including all of the medalists. Eight men in the field have broken the 2:07 barrier, and previous champions from the marathons in Chicago, London, New York, Paris, Rotterdam and Tokyo are all in the field.
“With 11 men who have run faster than 2:08 this is probably the highest quality field we’ve ever assembled for the men’s race,” Bedford said through a media release.
At the top of the heap are Kenya’s two best marathoners, 2007/2008 World Marathon Majors champion Martin Lel, and Olympic gold medalist Samuel Wanjiru.
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Mikitenko Will Not Chase WMM Title in New York
Posted September 30th, 2008 at 8:00 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
In a surprising development, newly crowned real,- Berlin Marathon champion Irina Mikitenko said she would not attempt to win the 2007/2008 World Marathon Majors series title and the attendant USD 500,000 award by competing in the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 2. The three-time Olympian is currently tied with Ethiopian Gete Wami for the series lead with 65 points, and Wami’s participation in New York has already been announced.
“Money isn’t everything,” said Mikitenko at a press conference in Berlin today. “I’ve already done very well, winning London and Berlin. If you’re in a sport at this level, you need goals and targets, and my goal is next year’s World Championships marathon here in Berlin. The most important thing is to win. If you win, money follows.”
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Mikitenko Hoping for Home Country Win in Berlin
Posted September 25th, 2008 at 5:47 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
A German woman hasn’t crossed the finish line first at the real,- Berlin Marathon since Uta Pippig won in 1995, her third Berlin victory. But, with 2008 Flora London Marathon champion Irina Mikitenko in the race, organizers hope that will change on Sunday for the 35th edition of the race.
Mikitenko, 36, was the surprise winner in London with a 2:24:14 personal best, breaking away with a 5:13 24th mile to drop Gete Wami of Ethiopia and Svetlana Zakharova of Russia.
“I had so much energy left,” she said through a translator after her race in London. “I knew I could run much faster.”
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London Marathon Signs with Virgin Group
Posted May 16th, 2008 at 9:30 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Margarine and skimmed milk are out and airplanes and financial services are in, at least at the London Marathon.
Beginning in 2010 Virgin Group, the diversified conglomerate founded by Sir Richard Branson, will be the title sponsor of the London Marathon, led by their Virgin Money financial services division.
“I’m delighted that Virgin will be sponsoring the London Marathon,” Branson said through a media release. It’s an epic and inspirational event and raises a fantastic amount of money for great causes. It’s the single biggest fundraising day on the planet and we want to make it even bigger, our aim is to help runners smash the £1/4 billion in five years.”
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London Marathon to Announce New Title Sponsor
Posted May 12th, 2008 at 2:24 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results
Beginning in the spring of 2010, it won’t be called the “Flora London Marathon” any longer. But what will be the new name?
Journalists have been asked to assemble at the Tower Hotel on St. Katharine Way in London on Friday, May 16, to find out which company will be the London Marathon’s new title sponsor.
Race Results Weekly (RRW) spoke on background to a high-ranking London Marathon official on the day of the Boston Marathon who said that the London event had been pitched by five well-heeled sponsors all vying for the privilege of bankrolling the world’s top spring marathon.
London Marathon Champions Return for BUPA London 10,000
Posted May 7th, 2008 at 10:28 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Britain’s two leading organizers of road races have joined forces to launch a new event slated for Monday, May 26. Dubbed the BUPA London 10,000, the event will be jointly produced by the Flora London Marathon and Nova International and will feature Martin Lel (Pictured) and Irina Mikitenko, the 2008 Flora London Marathon champions.
“We are delighted to have such strong elite fields for the first ever BUPA London 10,000,” said David Bedford, race director of the Flora London Marathon. “To have our current Flora London Marathon champions on the start line is a great boost for us in our first year.”
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2008 World Marathon Majors Series Continues With Boston Marathon
Posted April 21st, 2008 at 1:31 PM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage
The 2008 World Marathon Majors (WMM) series continued today with the crowning of the men’s and women’s champions at the 112th running of the Boston Marathon. The inaugural WMM men’s champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya moved into second place in the 2007-08 series championship in becoming the youngest four-time Boston Marathon champion. Ethiopia’s Dire Tune added her name to the series leaderboard in the closest women’s finish in the history of the race.
Martin Lel of Kenya and Irina Mikitenko of Germany both earned 25 points in winning last week’s Flora London Marathon, the first of six races in the series in 2008. The next points races in the 2007-08 series will be the Olympic Marathons this August in Beijing. At the conclusion of the two-year series this fall, the male and female point leaders will each be awarded $500,000.
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Ryan Hall: Post-London Recap “It’s Just the Beginning”
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #8)
Posted April 18th, 2008 at 7:00 PM by Ryan Hall
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Ryan Hall
Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Ryan Hall as he begins his quest for Olympic gold! Check back every other Friday for Ryan’s latest entry at http://ryanhall.thefinalsprint.com/
As has become my custom before all my best races, my travel to London was crazy. Before breaking an hour at the Houston Half-Marathon it was a monster snowstorm that left us in a ditch and literally snowed in, before London last year it was nearly missing my flight as I realized that the train from San Diego would not drop me off at LAX like I had thought (although my tardiness did result in me getting the last available seat on the plane…in first class), before the Olympic Trials it was the fires and smoke that made for a juggle in travel arrangements and then an earthquake to shake things up just hours before our flight. So when travel got crazy heading to the London marathon you would think I would be excited to know that a good race was on schedule. However, I had a hard time seeing it that way.
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The Final Sprint
On June 9, 2009
Bridget said:
I completely agree with this article. Although I don't think moderate caffeine before a moderate workout...