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Lead Stories: Thursday, August 28, 2008

Podcast 110: Courageous Survivor, Running Hero, and
TFS Success Story Honoree
GILBERT TUHABONYE

Posted December 19th, 2007 at 6:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Motivation, Books, Success Stories, Columns, Success Stories, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

TheFinalSprint.com (TFS) is honored to present our monthly Success Story award to individuals who have overcome tremendous obstacles, changed their own lives and/or the lives of others through running, sports or fitness. Past recipients of TFS’s Success Story award include female running pioneer Kathrine Switzer, father-and-son team of Rick and Dick Hoyt, and amputee athletes Oscar Pistorius and Rudy Garcia-Tolson.

I am proud to announce that TFS’s November 2007 Success Story, and my guest on Episode 110 of The Final Sprint Podcast is courageous survivor and running hero GILBERT TUHABONYE.

Born to a Tutsi tribe farming family in Burundi, a small mountainous country in east central Africa, just south of Rwanda, Gilbert grew up in the midst of the centuries-old war between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes. In October 1993, the Hutu classmates at his school, their parents, some teachers and other Hutu tribesmen forced the Tutsi teachers and children into a room where they beat and burned them to death. After nine hours of being buried by the burning corpses of his beloved friends, and himself on fire and seriously injured, Gilbert jumped free of the burning building and ran into the night, the sole survivor of one of the most horrible massacres in the long Tutsi-Hutu war.

Gilbert, who now lives in Austin, Texas, has continued his efforts to try and compete in the Olympic marathon and is the award-winning coach of Gilbert’s Gazelles, a training group consisting of hundreds of dedicated runners of all skill levels. Gilbert has also created the Gazelle Foundation, with the mission of improving life for people in Burundi and offering educational assistance to children in Austin, Texas, where Gilbert, his wife Triphine and daughters Emma and Grace reside. His life story is captured in his book, This Voice in My Heart, a testament to the triumph of the human spirit as Gilbert emerges from the scars of his unimaginable ordeal to live a life of optimism, grace and victory.

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Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Gilbert Tuhabonye
Producer:Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 19.8 MB | Length: 26:53

Episode Sponsored By: Nike +

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Top Ten Moments for U.S. Distance Running in 2007

Posted December 18th, 2007 at 10:50 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Olympics

ryan hall dathan ritzenhein brian sell qualify for 2007 olympic marathon team_250wide What a difference 7 years can make. Back in the “Dark Ages” of U.S. distance running circa 2000, there wasn’t a lot to cheer about or acknowledge, or put simply, U.S. distance running was in a funk.

And now, in 7 short years, due mainly to training groups, dedicated athletes and coaches, increased financial support, more promotion and success (think Meb & Deena) begetting more success (see the below), the United States has dramatically more to cheer about and moreover, has inspiration and a foundation for current and future stars. From a shortage of best moments 7 years ago to a surfeit of best moments, here are the best of 2007 for U.S. distance running:
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Note on the News: Fagan Turned Back at USA Border

Posted December 13th, 2007 at 12:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Cross Country

Writing for the Irish Examiner, Brendan Mooney reported yesterday that former Providence College star, Martin Fagan, was refused re-entry to the United States after competing in the SPAR European Cross Country Championships on the weekend. Fagan is based in Flagstaff, Ariz., where he is coached by Greg McMillan.

Read the full story here:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/

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ChampionChip Develops New Permanent Timing System for Outdoor Sports in U.S.

Posted November 8th, 2007 at 4:03 PM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Gear & Apparel, Miscellaneous

ChampionChip has developed a new permanent timing system that can be incorporated in any outdoor sports setting; such as a track or public park. Called TimePoint, the system is currently installed in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. TimePoint is now available for U.S. installations.

The TimePoint system comprises three parts: ground antennas, the housing and a scoreboard display that shows an athlete his or her time as soon as he or she passes the system. The display is optional, but certainly adds a huge “wow” benefit to the system as athletes can see their time instantly displayed.

Additionally, run times are sent to the Internet and athletes can check the www.mychampionchip.com Web site for laps and training progress. They can compare and share their data with other athletes around the world.
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ING New York City Marathon Creates $220 Million in Economic Impact

Posted October 30th, 2007 at 10:42 AM by Allyson Rosen

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The New York City Sports Commission and New York Road Runners today announced that the ING New York City Marathon brings an estimated $220 million in economic impact to the city. Already the highest-grossing single-day sporting event in New York, the marathon’s estimated impact this year is up from $205 million in 2006. These figures are the results of an independent study conducted by Economics Research Associates.

The annual event, now in its 38th year, has more than 37,000 runners, 2.5 million spectators lining the streets of New York, and a worldwide television audience of more than 300 million. Eighty percent of the runners are from outside New York City and nearly 50 percent come from outside the U.S.

“The ING New York City Marathon is as diverse as the city itself,” said New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg. “With more than 100,000 applicants this year, the event continues to attract runners from around the world while bringing together the city of New York.”
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American distance runners beginning to catch up to their East African opponents

Posted January 18th, 2007 at 5:00 PM by Kevin McGinn

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

Looking at the results of most major marathons reveals confirms the well know fact that: East Africans make great runners.

There has been much speculation about why there is such a disparity between course times for East Africans and runners from other nations. One possible reason is that Ethiopians and Kenyans do quite a bit of running in their lives, starting at early childhood; another possibility is that they do a considerable amount of training at high altitudes. The latter is something that can be emulated by runners around the world and it is starting to be noticed as an indispensable training practice. This has proved to be a very valuable tool for American runners as they have begun to make significant strides in catching up to their East African opponents.

The 2004 Olympics in Athens was an important event for American running. Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor each took home a medal for their efforts, ending a long period without award for US competitors. Keflezighi and Kastor took home the silver and bronze respectively.
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