32′’ Flat-Screen LCD HDTV courtesy of TheFinalSprint.com!
The Running Film Festival (RFF), scheduled for July 3-5 on the University of Oregon campus, is the first film festival ever devoted to the subjects of track & field, road racing, cross country, marathon and ultra endurance running. This inaugural event will coincide with the U.S. Track & Field Trials and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Ryan Shay Memorial Fund.
Many of America’s most well known athletes and motivational icons will be featured in the feature films and documentaries screened over the 
three day event. In addition, today’s brightest stars, accomplished Olympians, and legends of the sport will make guest appearances and participate in Q&A sessions with the audience.
In an effort to complement the trials schedule, the festival will commence in the evening when the events have concluded for the day.
For more information, to view 
the complete film schedule and to purchase tickets, please visit: RunningFilmFestival.com
The RFF is presented by Nissan, sponsored by TheFinalSprint.com and Running Times, and Saucony serves as the official footwear sponsor. In addition, BR Sportswear, Videe-O’s, Running DVD’s, and the KDUK & KOOL radio stations are all “Dash” level sponsors of the event.
RFF Release: When nearly 200,000 athletes and fans converge on Eugene, Oregon, for the 2008 U.S. Track & Field Trials, there is no doubt they will enjoy the beautiful scenery and the competitive spirit of “Track Town USA.”
However, when they leave Hayward Field for some well-deserved down time, hundreds will head to the movies. That’s right! Hollywood comes to Eugene, as the city plays host to the first film festival ever devoted to the subjects of track & field, marathon running, and cross country: the Running Film Festival (RFF), scheduled for July 3 – 5 on the University of Oregon campus.
RFF is the brainchild of running enthusiasts and industry entrepreneurs, who formulated the idea after assessing the vast, yet underexposed, collection of celluloid devoted to the sport. The festival signed a title sponsor to join presenting sponsors TheFinalSprint.com and Running Times, and a great event was born. A portion of the proceeds from the RFF will be donated to the Ryan Shay Memorial Fund
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I’m going to this summer’s Olympic Trials—my first-ever Trials trip—and I’m getting pretty excited. Not just about the meet, but everything else as well. It seems like everyone in Tracktown USA is going all-out to make it an unforgettable experience.
The community at large is putting on a massive “Eugene ’08 Festival” complete with a temporary sports bar, music stage, kids’ activities, and excursions to sites like Pre’s Rock and the Nike campus. The whole effect is like the NCAA basketball tournament combined with the Newport Jazz Festival and the Ann Arbor Art Fairs, with the Tribeca Film Festival on top.
In fact, one entry from Tribeca will be shown in Eugene. Without a doubt, the biggest off-track happening during the Trials will be the upcoming Running Film Festival (RFF)– where a percentage of ticket sales will benefit the Ryan Shay Memorial Fund. Entries are still being accepted, but the schedule of feature-length films, documentaries and shorts currently includes the following:
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After spending hours at the track watching the 2008 USA Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field in Eugene, Ore., this summer, track fans can retreat to the cool darkness of a movie theatre to take in the inaugural Running Film Festival, presented by Nissan and sponsored by TheFinalSprint.com and Running Times magazine.
“Everyone knows ‘Pre,’ ‘Without Limits,’ and ‘Chariots of Fire,’ but there are dozens of other movies and documentaries that runners will enjoy,” said Adam Jacobs editor-in-chief of TheFinalSprint.com. “We created an event that brings together great films, talented directors, elite athletes, and people who simply love the sport. Movie makers have the chance to screen their films for appreciative audiences with entertainment that fits seamlessly with the spirit of Eugene 08.”
Jacobs said that while the festival would include some world premieres, the core of the festival would be established running films like “The Long Green Line,” “Spirit of the Marathon,” “Run For Your Life,” “Indulgence,” “Run Like Hell,” and “Showdown.” The entire line-up will be posted at http://www.runningfilmfestival.com.
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Edwin Soi of Kenya and Lornah Kiplagat (Pictured) of the Netherlands were given the #1 road racer rankings for 2007 by the editors of Running Times magazine.
Assisted by statistician Ken Young of the Association of Road Racing Statisticians, the magazine compiled their rankings for the period Oct. 15, 2006, to Oct. 14, 2007, based on head-to-head competition between the world’s top-20 runners.
Soi, 21, got the top ranking over compatriot, Micah Kogo. In an ironic twist, neither athlete ran in many road races during the ranking period.
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Delegates to the USATF convention who attended the open session of the Long Distance Running Division chaired by Fred Finke were anxious to debate the ban on headphones in road races which was imposed by USATF at last year’s convention.
“We realize this issue has caused a great deal of angst,” said Finke, who has received hundreds of e-mails on the subject. “It seems to be a hot button issue.”
USATF enacted the ban in accordance with a rule put in place by the IAAF which banned the use of headphones in championship events. The IAAF ban was intended to prevent athletes from receiving information via radio about the whereabouts of their rivals, a practice which is permitted in the big bicycle tours, like the Tour de France.
But in practical application, it has meant that recreational runners are not allowed to wear MP3 players, like Apple’s iPod, and listen to music during road races. Only a handful of U.S. races have actively enforced the ban.
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The Final Sprint Podcast, the most listened to running podcast in North America, continues to capture audiences and receive praise from athletes, coaches, journalists, industry leaders and running fans from around the world.
Most recently, Running Times Magazine chose to highlight The Final Sprint Podcast along with Flocasts/Flotrack and the World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) in their October 2007 issue.
The Final Sprint Podcast, launched in January 2007, features three to five audio interviews each week and is hosted by TheFinalSprint.com Editor-in-Chief Adam Jacobs.
Jacobs has proudly welcomed a dynamic and eclectic list of guests, including track & field superstars (Sanya Richards, Ryan Hall, Alan Webb), Olympic marathon medalists (Deena Kastor, Meb Keflezighi), ultra-elite champions (Dean Karnazes, Scott Jurek), coaching icons (Dr. Jack Daniels, Jeff Galloway), courageous heroes (Jim MacLaren, Kathrine Switzer, Billy Mills) and running legends from years past (Gail Devers, Jim Ryun, Grete Waitz).
To listen in, subscribe to the podcast feed, or even download recent episodes right to your mp3 player, please visit: TheFinalSprint.com.
The podcast is also available at no charge in iTunes.
Rodale Inc., one of the United States’ best known publishers of fitness periodicals and books, announced today that they have reached an agreement to acquire Running Times magazine and RunningTimes.com from Fitness Publishing, Inc. Rodale is based in Emmaus, PA, while Fitness Publishing is headquartered in Wilton, CT. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Rodale owns Runner’s World magazine, the most popular running periodical in the United States with a circulation rate base of 630,000. Running Times is the #2 U.S. running magazine with a circulation rate base of 105,000.
According to a press release sent by Rodale today, Runner’s World and Running Times would continue to publish as separate titles.
Running Times and RunningTimes.com would continue to operate under the Running Times brand, and will be independent of the Runner’s World and RunnersWorld.com brands, the release said. Runner’s World and Running Times, however, will combine their respective databases of race events to provide a single source for racers.
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From time to time TFS will try and highlight other stories, usually news related, that you might find of interest:
‘06 Chicago Marathon raises $9.2 million for charity — Press Release
Maxed out! When exercisers go overboard — MSNBC
Running Times Celebrates Thirty Years of Rivalry – RunAthena.com
Seven Diet Sins — WebMD
Great Gift Ideas for Trail Runners - Trail Running Blog
Dog saves injured athlete’s life — Rocky Mountain News
4 things to enlighten your dark runs — Just Your Average Joggler
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