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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 2008

TFS Book Review - Kenny Moore’s “Best Efforts: Great Runners and Great Races”

Posted July 8th, 2008 at 12:00 PM by Jesse Squire

Section: Motivation, Books, Special Features, TFS Reviews

Best Efforts: Great Runners and Great Races, Volume 1
by Kenny Moore
Daybreak Press (Eugene, OR) 2008
Available through KennyMoore.us ($14.95)

This book, originally published in 1983, is back in print again. For years it was among the most difficult running books to find, generally going for upwards of $100 at the various online auction sites. Mostly, your options were interlibrary loan or just plain luck (as I had when stumbling across a copy of The Self-Made Olympian at a coffee shop for $3.95). In the manner you’d expect–quiet and understated–Kenny was selling and signing books in the back of a booth at the Olympic Trials this week with no advertising or fanfare. If you didn’t walk in, you wouldn’t have known.

The book is a collection of pieces written for Sports Illustrated from the ’70s through 1980, but by no means a complete one. The “Volume One” attached to this new edition refers to a planned second collection of articles from 1981 through the present. The subject are wide-ranging and include Bill Bowerman, John Akii-Bua, Roger Bannister, Steve Prefontaine, Lasse Viren, Bill Rodgers, Mary Decker, Eamonn Coghlan, the 1971 Fukuoka Marathon, the 1979 Golden Mile, and others.
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Thrilling Finishes & Record- Breaking Performances Help World Marathon Majors Usher in Brand New Era

Posted December 12th, 2007 at 12:15 PM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results, Marathons

World, national and course records, thrilling finishes, more than 300,000 participants, and a championship race that went down to the final day highlighted the inaugural 2006-2007 World Marathon Majors Series, and ushered in a brand new era of growth and excitement in the sport.

After a six month break, the excitement will continue at the 2008 Flora London Marathon on April 13, followed eight days later by the 112th Boston Marathon on April 21.

Here is a look back at some of the many highlights from the 2006-2007 World Marathon Majors Series:

Record Breakers:

* 2006: Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN) sets a course record of 2:07:14 at the 110th Boston Marathon.
* Deena Kastor (USA) sets a new American record of 2:19:36 in winning the 2006 Flora London Marathon, becoming the eighth woman to break 2:20:00.
* Ethiopians Haile Gebrselassie (2:05:56) and Gete Wami (2:21:34) each set national records in victory at the 2006 real,-BERLIN-MARATHON.
* Gebrselassie sets a new world record of 2:04:26 at the 2007 real,-BERLIN-MARATHON.
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TFS News Briefs: 11/05/07
Special Marathon Edition

Posted November 5th, 2007 at 2:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Sebastian Coe On Paula Radcliffe
Paula Radcliffe’s victory in yesterday’s New York City Marathon prompted Sebastian Coe to sound off on her achievements, saying that, “Paula has clearly now transcended track and field and is one of the biggest names in British sport of all time. She has had more impact on track and field than any single man in the last 15 or 16 seasons.” Read more at: [InTheNews.co.uk, UK]

Katie Holmes Finished NYC Marathon in 5:29:58
Katie Holmes, wearing bib number F127, crossed the finish line at the New York City Marathon in 5 hours, 29 minutes and 58 seconds, prompting scores of news articles from celeb/gossip sites as well as news sites. Her average pace was 12:35 per mile. Read more at: [Google News]

Ryan Shay Autopsy Inconclusive
The autopsy performed on Ryan Shay, the marathoner who tragically died while competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic marathon team on Saturday, was inconclusive. A Histology will be performed on his heart but results of those tests will not be available for a week. Read more at: [NY Times]
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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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Podcast 92: Preeminent Running Coach JOE VIGIL

Posted October 11th, 2007 at 7:56 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years BR Sportswear is closing out their line of high -quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

Episode 92 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my in-depth interview with legendary running coach JOE VIGIL.

Recognized as one of America’s greatest distance running educators, Vigil led Adams State to 14 national championships, guided a plethora of top runners, such as Olympic marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor, to extraordinary success, and has been inducted to eleven different Hall of Fames. In addition to mentoring a number of coaches and athletic organizations, Vigil continues to coach Team Running USA alongside fellow icon Bob Larsen and will lead American distance runners at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

In the interview Vigil explains why Deena Kastor has had such a significant and special impact on him as both a coach and as a person, he shares his thoughts on the Marion Jones debacle, talks about Pat Porter’s passion for the sport, “improv[ing] achievement motivation”, and the role that Arthur Lydiard and other coaching greats played in his own development.

Download the podcast to hear Coach Vigil discuss these topics, as well as, preparing the American distance running squad for the pollution and warm conditions in Beijing, the upcoming U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, the greatest moments of his career, his opinion on pacesetters and why their absence helps athletes to learn what their “capable of internally”, and much more!

Listen In
[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and 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: Joe Vigil
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 16.3 MB | Length: 23:46 MIN

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

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Video: Chicago Runners Can Finish At Denver Marathon

Posted October 11th, 2007 at 1:52 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon was stopped mid-way through due to high temperatures and extreme humidity on race day.

However, now Denver Marathon officials are offering free registration to Chicago runners who want to get to the finish line.

Click here for the press release and check out the video below to watch CBS4 Denver’s report on this unique situation:

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NYRR, Wittenberg Continue to Lead the Way

Posted September 14th, 2007 at 9:03 AM by Scott Bush

Section: Marathons, Columns, SPOTLIGHT

For the past few years, every major marathon seems to include a handful of pacemakers to take out the race and push the fields to fast times. While fast times look impressive on paper, they don’t always make for the best races and the public is generally unaware of the records and impressive times for elite marathoners. With that in mind, Mary Wittenberg, the race director for the New York City Marathon, announced Friday that there will be no pacemakers at this year’s race.

“Our sport is full of great stars who thrive on competition and the purity of head-to-head racing,” Wittenberg said. “In the end, it is all about the thrill of racing and the pursuit of victory. Who cares what the clock says? We owe it to our best to put them front and center and let them race.”

This is great news for a variety of reasons. While hundreds of thousands run a marathon or two each year, few of those runners know more than a couple of the world’s best marathoners. Taking away pacemakers in the front of the pack allows TV commentators to focus on identifying athletes and build stories around them, creating more space for athletes to be showcased. No pacemaking also signifies a larger, more competitive field at the end of the race, instead of a strung out group, with no more than a handful of athletes in the lead pack.

The New York Road Runners build running environments in their city that are both creative and diverse, and with Wittenberg at the helm, NYRR consistently shows why New York City is the center of the second running boom. Dropping pacemakers from the elite race is a bold move. It suggests more head-to-head racing, but slower finish times. NYRR often gambles with ideas like this and continues to exude the creativity, confidence and ability to elevate their events and athletes that this sport so desperately needs.

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TheFinalSprint.com’s
2007 Marathon Calendar (United States / Canada)

Posted April 30th, 2007 at 12:35 PM by Richard Quinn

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Running & Training, Tools & Resources

Check out TheFinalSprint.com’s 2007 Marathon Calendar for the United States and Canada (Don’t worry, an international calendar will be up soon!).

Whether you are a beginner dreaming of your first marathon finish line or a veteran trying to decide whether you’ll run your 20th NYC or 19th Chicago Marathon this fall - you’ll enjoy and benefit from our 2007 Marathon & Half Marathon Calendar.

JANUARY
FEBRUARY
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Hitting the Wall and …
… How to Run Through It!

Posted April 23rd, 2007 at 5:09 PM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Motivation, Training Tips

A note from TFS: Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to The Final Sprint. Make sure to also check out “Jim2’s Running Page”, his own personal running and advice site.

Below you will find his latest post about getting past the wall . . . It’s a must read for any marathon runner!

…Don’t depend on what you eat or drink during a marathon to get you past the wall! Gels and powerbars certainly aren’t “the only way to make it past the 20 mile wall” . . . In fact, they play a relatively small role in determining how hard you hit the wall and how well you deal with it.

Sure, you need to stay hydrated (drink water) during the race or you will be in big trouble toward the end….that’s a no-brainer. And the sports drinks that first appeared in marathons about 17 years ago….they weren’t available for the first 90 years in the history of the modern marathon….do help to further prepare you to deal with the latter part of the race. Do gels and power bars help even more? As you can tell from my previous post, I have serious doubts.

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A comparison of performances by American marathoners: 1980 vs. 2005

Posted April 21st, 2007 at 3:29 PM by Jim Fortner

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TheFinalSprint.com. Make sure to also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

In 1999 I posted two essays titled “The Decline of American Marathoners” & “Why Have They Declined?” on Runner’s World and Merv Competitive forums, which I subsequently updated in 2001.

They generated extensive discussions concerning the deterioration in performance of American marathoners throughout the 1990’s, as compared to the 1970-80’s.

The decline at the elite level was well documented by official records. Not only were U.S. elites no longer competitive on the international racing scene, but they could not even match the performances of their predecessors a decade or two earlier.
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