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Lead Stories: Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Gebrselassie Hoping for Perfect Race in Dubai

Posted January 16th, 2008 at 8:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Setting a world record is never easy, but it’s particularly difficult in the marathon. Not only must an athlete spend three to four injury-free months training for a single competitive effort, he must have near-perfect conditions: a flat course, excellent pacemaking, ideal weather, and a well-marked and measured course. A little luck doesn’t hurt, either.

Heading into Friday’s Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon,
Haile Gebrselassie is hoping that all of these factors will line up in his favor so he can break his own world standard of 2:04:26 set in Berlin last September. In short, he’s looking for the perfect race.

“The top priority is not the money,” Gebrselassie said referring to the $1 million bonus for a new world record race organizers have on offer. “It’s the race. But the marathon is not an easy event, you cannot predict. Everything is perfect, I hope it will be more perfect for the race.”
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Osaka weather forecast looks grim for IAAF World Champs

Posted August 22nd, 2007 at 7:24 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Check out the Weather Channel’s outlook for August in Osaka. High temperatures for the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics will range from 90° to 96° with expected scattered thunderstorms for the duration of the competition. Not only that, but humidity is expected to be between 70% and 90% for the duration of the competition.

The weather is expected to be so severe that event organizers have issued an official advisory note for athletes detailing “practical recommendations regarding weather conditions.” The advisory explains that a panel showing the current heat stroke risk levels will be posted for the athletes to monitor. The heat stroke levels are as follows:
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2007 Boston Marathon results finalized, adjusted

Posted July 17th, 2007 at 7:25 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The Boston Athletic Association has finalized their results for the 2007 Boston Marathon. The 111th edition of the race had total of 23,869 entrants (14,344 male and 9,525 female), 20,646 starters (12,570 male and 8,076 female) and 20,338 finishers (12,364 male and 7,974). Given the rainy and windy weather, the 98.5% finisher rate is noteworthy.

Also, in the elite women’s race, the woman who crossed the finish line in seventh place, Lyubov Denisova of Russia, has been disqualfied for failing an out-of-competition doping test in March. Therefore, all athletes in the women’s results are elevated by one place. The restated results for open and USA Championship athletes are as follows:

1. Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS) 2:29:18 $100,000
2. Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT) 2:29:58 40,000
3. Madai Perez (MEX) 2:30:16 22,500
4. Rita Jeptoo (KEN) 2:33:08 18,000
5. Deena Kastor (USA) 2:35:09 14,000 + $25,000*
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Athletes Overcome Wind, Rain and Cold at Boston Marathon

Posted April 17th, 2007 at 11:44 AM by David Monti

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

The weather was bad and the times were slow, but the Boston Marathon was nonetheless an exciting race which, for a short time last night, was on the brink of being canceled.

“I’m relieved that it worked out so well,” said Guy Morse, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the event. Morse said the high winds, heavy rain and flooding at the starting area in Hopkinton were so severe last night that canceling became a possibility. But the rain tapered throughout the morning and, although conditions were still very windy, wet and cold, the world’s oldest annually contested marathon was able to be run for the 111th time.

CAUTIOUS WOMEN’S RACE DELIVERS EXCITING FINISH

The women’s field was one of the best assembled at Boston, led by defending champion, Rita Jeptoo of Kenya; two-time ING New York City Marathon champion, Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia; and last year’s fastest marathoner, Deena Kastor of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. It was Kastor’s Boston debut and expectations were high.
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111th Boston Marathon: Race start weather conditions

Posted April 16th, 2007 at 9:11 AM by Adam Jacobs

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

Weather conditions remain poor as the wheelchair division prepares to begin and less than an hour remains before the elite men and women start their respective races.

The rain continues to drench the race participants who have done their best to wear waterproof, warm and moisture-wicking apparel. According to Weather.com, the is wind is blowing in from the east at 27MPH and gusting up to 39 MPH. The current temperature is 46 degrees Fahrenheit, but it feels like 37 degrees with the precipitation and wind chill.

Please read the Boston Athletic Association’s weather advisory by clicking here.
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Weather Continues to Dominate News at Boston Marathon

Posted April 15th, 2007 at 6:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The Nor’easter which is currently battering Boston continues to be the talk of tomorrow’s 111th Boston Marathon, a sharp contrast to the hot weather which athletes endured in Rotterdam and Paris today.

The winds and rain which are whipping through Back Bay this evening will continue through the race tomorrow, according to the forecast posted at Weather.com. At the 9:35 a.m. start time for the elite women, the temperature is forecast to be 8°C (46°F) accompanied by heavy rains and winds from the east (against the runners) at 48 KPH (30 MPH).
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Rain Should Not Be a Problem for Chip Timing at Boston

Posted April 14th, 2007 at 1:41 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The wet, cold and windy weather predicted here for Monday’s 111th Boston Marathon will be a bigger problem for the athletes than for the man responsible for timing them.

Mike Burns, president of ChampionChipUSA/Burns Computer Services of Ann Arbor, Mich., says that even torrential rain won’t be a problem for the ChampionChip transponder timing system.

“Everything works perfectly,” said Burns of the system’s operation in wet weather. “Everything is battery powered, battery driven. Any potential weak links in the electronics are encased in waterproof coverings. It should be fine.”
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