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: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Conditions Excellent for Today’s USA XC Champs

Posted February 16th, 2008 at 11:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Cross Country

With a beautiful two kilometer loop course in Mission Bay Park bathed in Southern California sunshine, conditions are excellent for today’s USA Cross Country Championships, the selection trials for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships next month in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Athletes warming up on the course yesterday commented favorably on the smooth and soft grass surface, which resembles the manicured turf of a golf course.
Read the rest of this entry »

One comment, add yours | Permalink

Rome Marathon Offers Generous Bonuses,
Prize Money

Posted November 16th, 2007 at 11:45 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The 14th edition of the Maratona della Citt� di Roma, set for Mar. 16, 2008, will not only offer runners a beautiful course through one of the world’s most historic cities, but a chance to win sizable bonuses and prize money.

While it is unlikely that a new world record would be set in Rome, there is a €250,000 ($366,000) world record bonus for the first man to break 2:04:26 or the first woman to break 2:15:25. Perhaps more realistic are the €50,000 ($73,000) bonuses for a new Italian all-comers record for either men (2:07:45) or women (2:24:59).

Furthermore, Italian citizens can earn a €75,000 ($110,000) bonus for breaking either their male (2:07:22) or female (2:23:47) national records. Finally, there are €25,000 ($37,000) bonuses for new male or female course records (2:08:02 and 2:25:07, respectively).
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

New Start & Finish at 2008 ING Georgia Marathon

Posted October 23rd, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Next spring’s ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon, set for Sunday, March 30, will start and finish at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta. One of the most picturesque and popular races in the country, the marathon and half-marathon will return for its second year through Atlanta’s intown neighborhoods, treating runners and spectators to some of the city’s most widely recognized landmarks.

“The ING Georgia Marathon is another great sporting event that our state is proud to host. Placing the start / finish line at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta will be the perfect location for spectators and athletes to enjoy next year’s race,” said Governor Sonny Perdue.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Podcast 97: KATE O’NEIL Reflects on Her Impressive Marathon Debut in Chicago

Posted October 22nd, 2007 at 5:18 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode 97 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my follow-up interview with KATE O’NEIL on her extremely impressive 3rd place, debut marathon performance at the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.

In the interview Kate reflects on her big day and talks about the keys to her success, battling through the heat, when she realized the leaders were too far out of reach and why after initially “feeling terrible despite the happiness” she now is excited to run another marathon.

Download the podcast to hear Kate discuss these topics, as well as, how this experience and her success in a slow, but strategic race will help her in April’s U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials, training adjustments and preparing for the wind in Boston, her racing plans for 2008, and advice for first time marathoners!

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: Kate O’Neil
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 8.34 MB | Length: 12:08 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!

Read the rest of this entry »

One comment, add yours | Permalink

Interview Excerpts: Hanson, Hudson and Mahon on the Olympic Marathon Trials

Posted October 22nd, 2007 at 9:04 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews

Last week, the New York Road Runners hosted the second installment in a three part series of teleconferences about the about the November 2 U.S. Olympic Men’s Marathon trials in New York City.

In the second installment, the media had the opportunity to speak with NYRR CEO/President Mary Wittenberg and Coaches Keith Hanson, Brad Hudson, and Terrence Mahon .

Hanson is the co-founder and coach of Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, which has 13 athletes who have qualified for the trials. Hudson is the coach of Olympic Trials qualifiers Dathan Ritzenhein, Jason Hartmann, James Carney, and Ed Torres. Mahon is the coach of Olympic Trials qualifiers Ryan Hall and Mike McKeeman.

Mary: We consider the coaches the key component in a successful athlete’s career. There is no more important role than the role of the coach. At New York Road Runners, we believe that the coaches are key to the rise of an athlete. We believe they are critical as we head towards an even more successful sport.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Observing Ramadan, Khannouchi Became
Night Runner

Posted October 19th, 2007 at 12:50 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

An observant Muslim, Khalid Khannouchi has faced some unique challenges as he prepares for the USA Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon scheduled for Nov. 3, in New York’s Central Park.

During Ramadan, Muslims fast between sunup and sundown. In observance of that tradition, Khannouchi would not begin his training until late at night after he had fully digested his dinner, sometimes finishing his training as late as 2:00 a.m.

Khannouchi, who with wife and coach Sandra, live in Ossining, N.Y. north of New York City, had to change training venues from the Rockefeller Preserve near his house to Central Park. The Preserve, which boasts a lovely network of carriage roads, is pitch-black at night, while the paved Central Park Loop road is well lit, like most of Manhattan This has at least given him the benefit of being able to train on the Trials course.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Interview Excerpts: Mary Wittenberg and Glenn Latimer discuss the Olympic Trials

Posted October 15th, 2007 at 1:50 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews

Last week, the New York Road Runners hosted the first of a three part series of teleconferences about the about the November 2 U.S. Olympic Men’s Marathon trials in New York City.

In the first installment, the media had the opportunity to speak with NYRR CEO and President Mary Wittenberg and USATF Men’s Long Distance Running Chair Glenn Latimer. The following excerpts feature May and Glenn’s thoughts on a few of the keys topics:

On the Central Park course:

Mary: This is a rolling course, and this is a course that we expect to be full of spectators. The ability to find the right balance of restraint in the early laps to run strong at the end, coupled with being out there hard and fast enough to beat this field, is going to be the hard dynamic. It is a fine line the athletes are going to have to run. Those two elements are what makes the course unique. It rolls the whole way, and I think on those last two laps, they’re going to feel that.

On this course and how it prepares athletes for Beijing:

Glenn: The reason we chose New York is the timing of the event, to allow the guys to fully prepare, and that it’s a testing course. If the guys are to race flat out, in my opinion it’s a 2:09, 2:10 course. I think the race will be won in 2:11, 2:12. What we didn’t want to do was go somewhere where it was hot and humid, where you beat up their bodies so that they then had to do that twice. What you do is you try to pick your best guys and then give them all the best support we’ve got.

Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Kastor Looking Forward to Another Race in Boston

Posted October 10th, 2007 at 10:29 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

Less than a day after winning the 2007 U.S. 10-K championships at the Tufts Health Plan 10-K, on Monday, Oct. 8, Deena Kastor was up for a Tuesday-morning run on a similar course, the criterium loop which will host the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials - Women’s Marathon next April. The Trials course will feature four laps of a circuit which criss-crosses the Charles River between Boston’s Back Bay and Memorial Drive in Cambridge, sharing large sections with the Tufts course.

Kastor and her coach, Terence Mahon, said the course tour was the second of two reasons to come to Boston this weekend, the first being the opportunity to race hard on the course during the 10-K on Monday. Kastor won that race easily in 32:01, and admitted that it also represented an opportunity to “redeem myself” after a disappointing race at the Boston Marathon in April.

The 2007 Boston Marathon has framed Kastor’s approach to the Olympic Trials as well. “Boston taught me not to believe in favorites,” Kastor said on a conference call with reporters today. “Anything can happen over the marathon distance.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink

Deena Kastor tours U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women’s Marathon course

Posted October 9th, 2007 at 5:41 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

Following her first tour of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women’s Marathon course, Deena Kastor spoke with reporters via teleconference from the Boston Athletic Association’s office. Kastor, along with her coach Terrence Mahon, was guided on a running tour of the Olympic Trials course on Tuesday morning. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women’s Marathon is scheduled for April 20, 2008, the day before the 112th Boston Marathon.

Kastor, who was the runner-up in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women’s Marathon, captured the bronze medal in the marathon at the Athens Olympic Games and is the American record holder in the marathon (2:19:26).

“It looks like a wonderful course for the women toeing the line next April,” Kastor told reporters following her run. “I think the criterium [multi-loop] course allows the crowds to see things changing and evolving over the course of the race, which is exciting. It makes the crowd more involved.” She also saw a benefit for the runners: “To be able to see your competition at all times [on the course’s long straightaways] is great for all of the athletes.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink