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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 2008

TFS Running Podcast 142: German Fernandez on His Historic, Record-Setting Double

Posted June 10th, 2008 at 4:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, High School

Today on Episode 142 I had a chance to speak with German Fernandez of Riverbank High School in Riverbank, California where he was preparing to run the 2 mile at the Nike Outdoor Nationals which will be held in Greensboro, North Carolina from June 19th through the 21st, 2008.

German recently broke Ryan Hall’s state record in the 1600m run by winning in 4 minutes, 0.29 seconds and then followed that by eclipsing Dathan Ritzenhein’s National High School Federation 3200m Record by winning in 8:34.23. He is headed to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where he will major in Criminal Justice and run track with Colby Lowe, another outstanding member of the class of 2008 runners.

In the interview German talks about Colby and fellow seniors Michael Fout, Luke Puskedra and Chris Derrick and compares them to the outstanding class of 2001 (Hall, Ritzenhein and Alan Webb). He explains why he decided not to run the 2 mile at the Prefontaine Classic. Download the podcast to hear German discuss these topics, as well as, his outstanding double, the type of training he does, his plans for the rest of 2008 and for the long-term, and to check out his answers to our rapid-fire questions segment.

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Host: Jimmie Markham | Guest: German Fernandez
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 10.7 MB | Length: 00:15:35

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All Americans Who Are Worthy Of Inheriting Pre’s Legacy

Posted March 28th, 2008 at 11:00 AM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, SoundOFF, Columns, Olympics

Let’s face it—even more than three decades after his untimely death—the great Steve Prefontaine is still the Gold Standard by which American distance running is measured and yet may be for decades to come. So how does the current crop of Americans measure up when we compare their PRs to his? They have done pretty well, actually. Out of all the PR’s listed for Pre in his Wikipedia Article (at least the ones in which runners still compete these days) a full complement of twenty eight American distance runners have been able best Pre in at least one of them.

Of course, such was his talent at so many distances that only one runner out of the current crop has been able to beat all of Pre’s PRs. Care to take a guess as to who? You got it: Alan Webb.

And don’t think he’s not acutely aware of this fact, either. I would bet that every one of these guys knows which of their PRs is better than Pre’s. Like I said, he’s the standard, not only by which all elite American runners measure themselves but by which they are measured by others.
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TFS News Briefs: 2/18/2008

Posted February 18th, 2008 at 3:57 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, Drugs In Sports, TFS News Briefs

Asafa: 80% Chance He’s Race Thursday
Asafa Powell, still healing after cutting his knee, says he is “70 to 80″ percent sure he start in Thursday’s Melbourne Grand Prix. He also wants a lifetime ban for drug cheats, against whom he says he’s certain to run in Beijing.
Read more at: [Melbourne Herald Sun][Jamaica Gleaner]

Central Florida: New Hotbed of Track
With new residents Tyson Gay and Veronica Campbell leading the way, Central Florida’s Clermont is the newest hotbed of elite track and field. Gay and Campbell, along with several other adidas-sponsored athletes are training there for the Beijing Olympics.
Read more at: [Orlando Sentinel]

Tariku Bekele - Craig Mottram Showdown Will Have To Wait
Tariku Bekele has pulled out of Thursday’s Melbourne Grand Prix, leaving Craig Mottram disappointed. Mottram had wanted to race the Ethiopian at the 5000m distance in front of a home crowd.
Read more at: [The Age, Australia]
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TFS News Briefs: 2/14/2008

Posted February 14th, 2008 at 1:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, TFS News Briefs

Three Sub 2:07 Marathoners Added To Rotterdam Marathon Entry List
Organizers of the Rotterdam Marathon have ensured another fast race in 2008 by adding three sub 2:07 marathoners to the entry list. The three runners, Robert Cheboror, William Kipsang and Joseph Riri, are Kenyans, of course. The race will be held on Sunday, April 13th, 2008.
Read more at: [IAAF]

Another Strong Women’s Field For 2008 Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon organizers have announced that thee of the top women marathoners in the world will be running in the 112th Boston Marathon to be held on April 21st, 2008, the same weekend as the US Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials. Lidiya Grigoryeva, the defending champion, will race 2006 winner Rita Jeptoo and two-time runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka.
Read more at: [Earthtimes, UK]

Maria Mutola Award Created At Pre Classic
Tom Jordan, the meet director at Eugene, Oregon’s Prefontaine Classic, has created a new award to honor the meet’s outstanding athlete. Fittingly, it will be called the Maria Mutola Outstanding Athlete Award. After all, Mutola has won the Pre Classic 800m an astonishing FIFTEEN TIMES!
Read more at: [The Register-Guard, OR]
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Podcast 61: Two-mile American record holder
MATT TEGENKAMP

Posted June 26th, 2007 at 2:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode 61 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my interview with MATT TEGENKAMP; the newly-crowned two-mile American record holder.

Matt was able to harness the momentum he created when he broke Alan Webb’s two-mile record at the June 10th Prefontaine Classic and continued his recent success with an impressive and gutsy performance at the USA Outdoor T&F Championships; finishing second in the 5000m and earning the right to compete for the United States at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka.

In the interview, Matt talks about his excellent performances at Prefontaine and Nationals, the U.S.’s prospects for success in Osaka, the compliments offered by Bernard Lagat at Nationals, and how he feels when some of the major, broadcast media outlets portray him as being on a “lower level” than other young stars like Webb and Ryan Hall.

Download the podcast to hear Matt discuss these topics, as well as, why he is uninterested in altitude training, the decision to stay in Madison, the “brother-like” relationship among his training partners, the dynamic that has developed between himself and Coach Jerry Schumacher, trying to set an example for younger generations of runners, and much more!

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Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Matt Tegenkamp
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 14.4 MB
Length: 21:00

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Webb to run 2-mile instead at Nike Prefontaine Classic

Posted June 7th, 2007 at 1:19 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Despite having recently run one of the fastest miles in the world this year (3 minutes 52.94 seconds), Alan Webb has elected to participate in the two-mile instead of the Bowerman Mile at Sunday’s Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore.

Webb is a two-time U.S. Outdoor 1,500 meter champion and the 2007 U.S. Indoor champion in the mile, but has decided to pursue the two-mile where he also currently holds the American record. His record time of 8:11.48 was set two years ago at the Prefontaine Classic.

Webb drops out of an event that has been very kind to him in the past. His 3:53.43 in the 2001 Bowerman Mile remains the national high school record. Despite Webb’s scratch, the current record in the Bowerman Mile of 3:49.92 set by Hicham El Guerrouj may be in danger with defending champion Bernard Lagat and 2005 champion and owner of the fastest time in the world this year Alex Kipchirchir remaining in the field.
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adidas Track Classic: Defar sets new 2-mile world record

Posted May 20th, 2007 at 5:33 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar, who set a new 5,000m world record last year, torched the rest of the field in today’s 2 mile race at the adidas Track Classic.

Her time of 9:10:47, although it will still need be ratified by the IAAF, broke the world record set in 1999 of 9:11.97 that had been held by suspected drug user Regina Jacobs.

Defar continued to pick up the pace but had to run the final lap in under 63 seconds to break the record. She was ultimately successfully, running it in about 62 seconds to set the new world record.

Megan Metcalf finsihed second, although that was about 27 seconds after Defar crossed the finished line, and Kara Goucher, who just set a P.R. in the 1500 meter, finished third. Sara Slattery was unable to finish.

Complete results:

1 MESERET DEFAR ETH 9:10.47B
2 MEGAN METCALF CAN 9:37.04
3 KARA GOUCHER USA 9:41.32
4 GEORGIE CLARKE AUS 9:43.53
5 AMY RUDOLPH USA 9:47.88
6 YUAN JIN CHN 9:49.33
7 DESIRAYE OSBURN USA 9:57.26
8 DEIRDRE BYRNE IRL 10:08.40
9 AMY YODER-BEGLEY USA 10:14.23
— MARINA MUNCAN SRB DNF
— RENEE METIVIER-BAILLIE USA DNF
— SARA SLATTERY USA DNF
— KORENE HINDS JAM DNF

For more information, please visit: www.adidastrackclassic.com

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