June 2020 – Page 4

Desi Athlete of Week – Week in Review

June 9, 2020 | News | No Comments

Desiree Davila
has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after she
came within two seconds of winning the 115th Boston Marathon on Monday.

Davila
ran in sixth place for much of the first half of the race, as New
Zealand’s Kim Smith ran ahead to a big lead. However, after Smith pulled
out of the race with leg cramps, Davila eventually moved to the front
of the lead pack with three Kenyans. Over the last mile of the race
Davila battled with the eventual victor, Caroline Kilel, in a a series
of gutsy back-and-forth surges.

Kilel
edged Davila for the win in 2:22:36, with Davila only two seconds
behind in 2:22:38. Davila now joins the ranks of Deena Kastor and Joan
Benoit Samuleson to become the third-fastest American woman in history.

“I gave it all I had. It was the most
incredible experience of my running career,” Davila said. “My legs were
shot. There was nothing left.”

Now in its tenth year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week
program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of
the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week and features the athlete
on the USATF website. Selections are based on top performances and
results from the previous week.

While
the weekly honor typically includes performances from the past Monday –
Sunday, the timing of the Boston Marathon on Patriots’ Day Monday
warranted an extension of the performance window.

Winners: January 5, Bill Tribou; January 12,
Tyler Sorensen; January 20, Josh Cox; January 26,Ben Shorey; February 2,
Ashton Eaton; February 9, Ashton Eaton; February 16, Bernard Lagat;
February 23, Ryan Crouser; March 2, Jillian Camarena-Williams; March 10,
Bill Collins; March 16, Miles Batty; March 23, Shalane Flanagan; March
30, John Nunn; April 6, Aries Merritt; April 13, Gunnar Nixon, April 20,
Desiree Davila

WEEK IN REVIEW — APRIL 11-17
from USATF Statistician Glen McMicken

DREAMY CALI WEATHER BOOSTS MT. SAC EFFORTS
Carmelita
Jeter and Molly Huddle raced to world-leading times at opposite ends of
the track spectrum, and field eventers enjoyed spectacular Southern
California weather that helped elicit six U.S.-leading performances at
the Mt. SAC Relays.

Jeter
dipped under 11-seconds in the 100 with her 10.99, taking the measure
of the field by more than a quarter-second. Huddle used a 2:53.2 last
kilometer to clock 15:10.63 and beat 3,000m steeplechase American
Record-holder Jenny Simpson, among others. In 10th place, Neely Spence
of Shippensburg set an NCAA Division II record with her 15:33.83. Her
father, Steve, was the bronze medalist for Team USA in the 1991 World
Championships marathon.

A
finalist at the 2009 World Championships, Amber Campbell moved to No. 2
on the U.S. all-time list in the hammer with her 72.59 meters/238-2
toss. Her series included four throws over 230-feet.

2008
Olympian and two-time World Indoors finalist Jesse Williams tied his
lifetime outdoor best in the high jump, clearing 2.34m/7-8 to grab the
outdoor world lead, with Tora Harris leaping 2.31m/7-7 to place second.

Defending
world indoor and outdoor champion Brittney Reese equaled the outdoor
U.S. lead in winning the long jump at 6.83m/22-5, and Blessing Ufodiama
improved to 13.92m/45-8 to lead the national triple jump list.

Sean
Furey, a 2009 World finalist, upped his lifetime best to 81.62m/267-9
to win the javelin, and Washington’s Scott Roth set a lifetime outdoor
best with his 5.72m/18-9.25 clearance to move atop the U.S. lists.
Roth’s effort also makes him the first American to notch a vault
qualifying mark for the 2011 Worlds in Daegu.

National-leading
marks also came in the men’s 100 from Mike Rodgers (10.07) and 1500m,
where Russell Brown recorded a 3:35.70. BYU’s Miles Batty finished third
in that race at 3:36.25, making him history’s third-fastest American
collegian. 10,000m American Record-holder Chris Solinsky nabbed a PR
3:35.89 in second.

Top
hurdles marks were turned in by Ginnie Powell in the women’s 100H at
12.86, and Texas Tech’s Bryce Brown in the men’s 400m hurdles in 49.25.
Derek Scott knocked more than 20 seconds off his lifetime best to win
the 3000m steeplechase in 8:31.52.

Middle
distance outdoor national leaders went to Shalane Flanagan in the
women’s 1500m (4:11.67) and Maggie Vessey in the women’s 800 (2:02.51).
Arizona’s Brigitte Barrett cleared 1.90m/6-2.75 to win the high jump
with the best mark by an American this outdoor season.

World
Junior Championships team member Avione Allgood, a Nevada prep,
dramatically improved her lifetime best to 53.66m/176-0 to take third in
the open women’s javelin and move to No. 6 on the all-time high school
list.

OLIVER, WELLS BLISTER FLORIDA TRACK WITH WINDY HURDLES
American
Record-holder and World No. 1 David Oliver zipped to a windy 13.12
(+4.6) in the prelims and a breezy 13.09 in the final, but it was Kellie
Wells who had the most stunning run of the day as she ripped to a
12.35w (+3.7) at the Tom Jones Memorial meet in Gainesville, Fla.

Wells, who suffered a heartbreaking hamstring
tear after the Olympic Trials semis in 2008, showed that she will be a
major threat for Daegu honors and onward to 2012 as she demolished the
field in her prelim section with the fourth-fastest time ever under any
conditions by a U.S. athlete.

American Junior 100m record-holder Jeff Demps of
Florida also rode the wind to a 9.96w (+2.4) in the 100m.

WILLIAMS SLASHES TO 200 WL AT HER ALMA MATER; SALAAM ADDS MEN’S WL IN OKLAHOMA
Miami’s
most successful female athletic alumna, 2005 World 100m champ Lauryn
Williams, doubled her distance and garnered a world-leading 22.65 in the
200m at the Hurricane Invitational.

Oklahoma’s Mookie Salaam, the NCAA indoor
champ, also took over the world lead in the men’s deuce with his 20.27
at the Jacobs Invitational in Norman. Lance Brooks whirled the discus
63.11m/207-0 for a U.S. leader.

About USA Track & Field

USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National
Governing Body for track & field, long-distance running and race
walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world’s oldest
organized sports, the World’s #1 Track & Field Team, the
most-watched events at the Olympics, the #1 high school and junior high
school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult runners in
the United States: www.usatf.org.Click Here: Golf Equipment Online

By Tncse

NER Race of the Year

June 9, 2020 | News | No Comments

B.A.A. Half
MarathonÛÓEvent With An Emerald Twinkle

by Jean Cann

(Runners on the Emerald Necklace, photo by Victah Sailer/photorun.net)

The B.A.A. Half Marathon, established in 2001, has quickly
become a New England favorite for its superb organization and scenic Emerald
Necklace course, as well as popular distance. While the B.A.A. name alone
attracts a crowd, many positive attributes of the race have helped it prosper
and grow annually. Registration for the 2011 race reached the 7,000 runner
field limit within four hours. For the qualities that make it a top choice of
runners from New England and beyond, New
England Runner magazine has designated the B.A.A. Half Marathon its “2011
Race of the Year.”

The event’s field size and number of finishers has expanded
each year, with 2,517 finishers the first year and 5,179 in 2011.

Forty competitors have completed all 11 B.A.A. Half Marathons.
One of those runners, Wayne Levy, won the inaugural race, took the masters title
in 2005 and topped the 45-49 age group in 2011. “The
race has always had a special meaning to me,” said Levy, who works in Boston
and competes for the B.A.A. Running Club. “Even when I wasn’t really fit,
I went and ran the race. My fellow B.A.A. teammates always teased me and
asked, Û¢Are you running your race again?’ Knowing that this is an
important race for the B.A.A., I also felt compelled to support the club by
running.”

The support of Levy and other club
members has helped the B.A.A. capture the men and women’s team titles every
year.

Even as a master’s runner, Levy,
46, has often scored for the open men’s team, as recently as 2010. “I am not
sure how long I will be able to continue,” he said. “Streaks are a funny
thing. They require a great deal of luck. You have to hope you are
not injured, not sick, and not traveling for work. I do consider myself
fortunate and lucky. After saying all that, I do hope to continue the
streak for a long time.”

Inaugural women’s winner Sarah Nixon returned to win in
2002. “I remember crossing the finish line and not believing I won,” said the
Medfield resident. “I remember Dave McGillivray [B.A.A. race director] saying
to me, Û¢You broke B.A.A. tapeÛÓyou made history!’” Nixon tackles an historic
B.A.A. event annuallyÛÓin April she will run her 17th B.A.A. Boston Marathon for
the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge. She has not run the Û¢Half Û¢ in recent years
because of her children’s sports’ schedules. “I still cherish the race,” she
said. “I’ll be back.”

Nixon is likely the only Dana-Farber runner to have won the
B.A.A. Half Marathon, but everyone on the Dana-Farber Team wins the prize for
philanthropy. Through the B.A.A. Half alone, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Running the Race Against Cancer Team, with a record 500 runners in 2011, has
raised approximately $3 million for cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber
and the Jimmy Fund have served as presenting sponsors for the B.A.A. Half Marathon
since 2003.

Entry fees from the race also benefit the Emerald Necklace
Conservancy, helping to preserve the Emerald Necklace parks that lend their
picturesque views to runners in the B.A.A. Half, and offer year-round parkland,
waterways, paths and gardens to more than one million patrons per year from
Boston and beyond.

Famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead took nearly
20 years to create the 1,000-acre linear park system winding from the Charles
River to Dorchester. Runners stride through or alongside the Back Bay Fens,
Riverway, Olmsted Park, Jamaica Pond, Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park. The
race starts and finishes in Franklin Park, the largest jewel of the Emerald
Necklace.

(Still flying after all these yearsÛÓWayne Levy at the
2010 race. Photo by FitzFoto)

The race also runs past several animal enclosures in the
Franklin Park Zoo. “Although I’ve lived and worked in Boston and am familiar
with much of the city, I had never spent any time in the Franklin Park area,”
said Hopkinton’s Kelly Ianelli, who has run the race twice. “The arboretum is
gorgeous and I love enjoying the scenery of Boston from a different vantage
point. This year was especially cool since we had recently watched the movie Zookeeper with the kids. They were very
impressed when I told them the race was being run at that same zoo. They were
only slightly disappointed when they learned that the animals didn’t talk to
me.”

Levy, Nixon and Ianelli named the turn-around on the
Riverway as a preferred spot on the 13.1 mile journey. “Another favorite part
of the course is when you turn around and see the other runners. It is
nice to see and hear the support from everyone,” said Levy, who also named the
scenic Riverway and Jamaicaway as favorite areas of the course.

“The whole course is beautiful but I especially like the
turn-around point at mile 4.75,” said Ianelli, a runner for almost 30 years.
“It is so motivating to see runners cheering on those behind them as they loop
back around.”

Many have been motivated to fast times at the event. While
the rolling hills and switchback turns slow paces, the elite field, seasonally
temperate weather, and $30,000 prize purse keep runners rolling. Tom Nyariki
set the men’s course record with a photo-finish 1:02:20 in 2007. Caroline
Rotich cruised to a record 1:10:52 in 2010 to break the seven-year-old record
of Irish Olympian Marie Davenport by five seconds.

While most runners are not vying for prize money or records,
they all benefit from the B.A.A.’s professional staff, plentiful volunteers,
generous sponsors and other perks like free training programs and clinics
leading up to the race.

(The B.A.A. Half Marathon finishes on the track in
Franklin Park’s White Stadium.

Photo by Victah
Sailer/photorun.net)

Comparing the B.A.A. Half Marathon to the Boston Marathon,
Ianelli said, “Both races are very well-run and organized. The packets are
mailed to the runners in advance so you arrive at the race in the morning with
your number. Having one less thing to worry about on race morning is a bonus.
There is also a tremendous amount of information available online to help
with logistics. There are even buses available to get runners to the start,
just like the marathon. Oh, and the adidas race shirts are great too!”

In an effort to keep improving, the B.A.A. has tweaked
aspects of the race, from adding and then removing a lap of Fenway Park, to
reversing the course to allow for more space in the start/finish area. The
B.A.A. recently announced the creation of the B.A.A. Distance Medley, a
three-race series including the B.A.A. 5K, 10K and Half Marathon. The male and
female winners of the series (determined by aggregate time) will take home
$100,000, in addition to prize money they win at the individual races. Runners
completing all three races will earn a commemorative medal to complement the
finishers’ medals from each race.

Aspiring B.A.A. Half Marathoners should not wait until the
leaves turn before signing up for the 2012 event, as it’s sure to fill quickly.

Men’s winners

2001 Wayne Levy 1:10:57

2002 David Hinga 1:09:47

2003 Laban Kipkemboi 1:03:04

2004 Luke Metto 1:02:57

2005 Celedonio Rodrigues
1:04:09

2006 Samuel Ndereba 1:03:03

2007 Tom Nyariki 1:02:20

2008 Charles Munyeki 1:02:46

2009 Martin Fagan 1:02:21

2010 John Korir 1:02:21

2011 Ali Abdosh 1:03:36

Women’s winners

2001 Sarah Nixon 1:21:16

2002 Sarah Nixon 1:22:34

2003 Marie Davenport 1:10:57

2004 Lornah Kiplagat 1:12:05

2005 Nataliya Berkut 1:12:21

2006 Marie Davenport 1:12:10

2007 Edna Kiplagat 1:13:36

2008 Azalech Masresha
1:11:44

2009 Belainesh Zemedkun
Gebre 1:11:07

2010 Caroline Rotich 1:10:52

Click Here: Kangaroos Rugby League Jersey

2011 Janet Cherobon-Bawcom
1:11:58

Men’s Masters Winners

2001 Dave Oliver 1:16:12

2002 Bill Rogers 1:16:05

2003 Eddy Hellebuyck 1:05:12

2004 Dan Verrington 1:14:16

2005 Wayne Levy 1:12:50

2006 Oscar Gonzalez-Barreto
1:10:59

2007 Henry Scollard 1:15:07

2008 Gregory Picklesimer
1:14:20

2009 Joseph Koech 1:07:42

2010 Joseph Koech 1:11:08

2011 Joseph Koech 1:11:30

Women’s Masters Winners

2001 Patricia Greene 1:29:23

2002 Nanci Cahalane 1:30:13

2003 Maria Servin 1:17:49

2004 Valentina Yegorova
1:15:55

2005 Firaya
Sultanova-Zhdanova 1:15:19

2006 Firaya
Sultanova-Zhdanova 1:16:12

2007 Lucy Canavan 1:32:07

2008 Susannah Landreth
1:24:46

2009 Laura Lipcsei 1:30:45

2010 Kara Haas 1:21:44

2011 Francesca Dominici
1:34:38

By Tncse

Inside the Olympic Village-100M Week, handball!

June 9, 2020 | News | No Comments

Click:numerology life path number

Aug. 3: More Progress, Women’s Handball, Countdown to Athletics

The
past two days have shown a lot of progress. We have been going to the
physio every afternoon for about 90 minutes to get Ruben worked on and
he seems to be coming along well. His hip was tight which was causing
the knee pain. But his hip has loosened up quite a bit which has allowed
some relief to the knee. The progress from a week ago is really
remarkable and Ruben has well over 100 miles in the last 6 days,
including a workout. Tomorrow we will be on the track in the afternoon
for another track workout and hopefully we’ll continue to see the
progress. These are certainly not ideal circumstances but there has been
so much progress that our confidence in the 5,000 meters is rising each
day. The field Ruben will be racing against is likely the best 5,000
meter field ever assembled, so its a great honor just to be in the
field. Rest assured, everything he has will be left on the track in
Olympic Stadium.

Yesterday,
I attended the technical meeting for Athletics (Track and Field) as the
Cape Verde representative. No technical meeting is ever the greatest
way to spend your time, but this was a bit different. Each country is
only allowed a maximum of three representatives, so I was in the meeting
with basically the top administrators and coaches from literally around
the world. This will be the most excited I will ever be to attend
a technical meeting, that’s for sure. I just looked around the room and
realized just how far I had come in my profession from my first coaching
job as a junior high school assistant at the Keene Middle School. I
thought back to coaching sixth, seventh and eighth graders; showing up
for practice at Trinity not knowing anything about coaching a college
team; going to practice my first day at the Merchant Marine Academy when
one of the captains quit because I expected him to come to practice
each day; and finally being introduced to the team at UMass Lowell in
the stands at Costello (Athletic Center) by Joan Lehoullier (Senior
Associate Director of Athletics). Its amazing to think back on all the
steps along the way to get me here to London and all the people that
have had a hand in getting me to this point. I would thank them all too
many to list here but without all your help I would never have made it
London.

Last
night Ruben and I attend the Spain vs. Denmark women’s handball game.
For those that have never seen handball, its a cross of soccer, lacrosse
and generally tackle the person with the ball. It was in a place called
the Copper Dome (the outside is completely covered in copper, oddly
enough) which was one of best venues I have ever been in to watch an
event. We were literally on top of the action from our seats and I truly
enjoyed the entire game… or match…Actually, I’m not even sure
what its called, but you get the idea. Those women were unbelievable
athletes and extremely tough. The only reason we even got tickets to
handball was because it was a 4 minute walk from our apartment and I am
really glad we experienced it.

Today
on our morning run and dinner tonight I finally got a chance to meet up
with, Benita Willis, one of Ruben’s training partners in Colorado. I
have heard so much about her, but never have had a chance to meet her in
person. Benita has the very special distinction of being the last
non-African winners of the World Cross Country Championships. She also
holds many of the national records for Australia and has run the
marathon in 2:22. She has also been a great help to Ruben as he has made
his way through the world of professional running. It has been great
for Ruben to have such an influence on his running and training. Now
that I have spent some more time with Benita, I know why Ruben thinks so
highly of her.

(Front row waiting for the women’s 100m prelims)

Tomorrow we
have the first day of athletics so we are looking forward to getting
that ball rolling. In the first session tomorrow morning, Lidiane Lopes
from Cape Verde will be in the preliminary sections of the women’s 100
meters – section four if you get a chance to watch.

Its
hard to believe we have been here over a week – the time has gone by so
fast. We are looking forward to finally seeing some great Track and
Field performances live in Olympic Stadium over the next week!

All the feedback from the blog has been great, so keep it coming!

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sirgeorge

By Tncse

Elite List for BAA Invitational Mile on 4-14

June 9, 2020 | News | No Comments

Olympic Games and World Championships
Medalists Highlight B.A.A. Invitational Mile Field

Nick Willis (NZL) and Kalkidan Gezahegne (ETH) are Top
Contenders.

$14,500 Prize Purse at Stake in the Event, held on Sunday,
April 14.

BOSTON ÛÒ The
Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today announced that an international
field of elite athletes will compete in the B.A.A. Invitational Mile to be held
on Sunday, April 14, 2013, one day before the 117th Boston Marathon®.
Highlighting the menÛªs field is Nick Willis (NZL), a silver medalist at
1500 meters in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 2010 IAAF World Indoor
Championships 1500 meter gold medalist Kalkidan Gezahegne (ETH) will look to
lead the women. The B.A.A. Invitational Mile also features a Middle School
1,000 meter race and Scholastic Mile, held immediately before the professional
mile races.

With a one-mile personal best of 3:50.66, Willis is the
fastest man in the field. He will face 2012 Olympian, Glastonbury,
Conn. native and Washington resident Donn Cabral and 2012
U.S. Road Mile champion Craig Miller (CO). Also competing is Ross Murray (GBR)
who ran a 3:52.77 mile last year at the age of 21, defeating Willis at the
Aviva London Grand Prix. Rounding out the field are Ben Bruce (AZ), who placed
third in last yearÛªs B.A.A. Invitational Mile; Peter van der Westhuizen
(RSA), who earned three top five finishes in road mile races in 2012; and six-time
NCAA All-American DeÛªSean Turner (IN).

Highlighting the womenÛªs field is Gezahegne, who holds
a 1500 meter personal best of 4:00.97. A talented group of Americans are also
expected to be in contention for the win, including 2012 Olympian Geena Gall (MI);
2012 Fifth Avenue Mile and Falmouth Mile champion Brenda Martinez (CA); Heather
Kampf (MN), 2012 U.S. Road Mile champion; Chelsea Reilly (CA), 2012 U.S. 10K
champion; and 2012 B.A.A. Invitational Mile third-place finisher Gabriele
Anderson (MN). Also in the field is two-time NCAA All-American Violah Lagat
(KEN), the sister of two-time Olympic medalist and six-time IAAF World
Championships medalist Bernard Lagat.

ÛÏWith the Boston Marathon finish line as its backdrop,
the B.A.A. Invitational Mile brings the energetic atmosphere of a track meet to
Boylston Street,
as runners from the Boston
area and around the world compete in front of cheering fans,Û said B.A.A.
Executive Director Tom Grilk.
ÛÏWe are proud to host a world class field of professional runners, as
well as top middle school and high school age runners from the Boston Marathon
host communities, to our event.Û

The B.A.A. Invitational Mile includes six different races,
held shortly after the Fifth B.A.A. 5K on Sunday, April 14. The first two races
feature middle school age students from the eight cities and towns of the
Boston Marathon course ÛÒ Hopkinton, Ashland,
Framingham, Natick,
Wellesley, Newton,
Brookline, and Boston. The girlsÛª and boysÛª
Middle School 1,000 meter races include runners between sixth and eighth grade
and finish at the Boston Marathon finish line in front of thousands of
spectators.

Following the Middle School 1,000 meter race is the
Scholastic Mile, which features girlsÛª and boysÛª one-mile races for
high school age students from the eight cities and towns of the Boston Marathon
course. The Scholastic Mile follows the same three-lap USATF-certified course
the professional athletes run, finishing at the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street.

Schedule of Events ÛÒ Sunday, April
14, 2013

8:00 a.m. ET

Fifth B.A.A. 5K

First race of the 2013 B.A.A. Distance Medley

9:30 a.m. ET

GirlsÛª Middle School 1,000 meters

BoysÛª Middle School 1,000 meters

9:50 a.m. ET

GirlsÛª Scholastic Mile

BoysÛª Scholastic Mile

10:05 a.m. ET

MenÛªs Professional Mile

WomenÛªs Professional Mile

B.A.A. Invitational Mile MenÛªs Field (as of April 5, 2013)

NAME
COUNTRY
AGE     PERSONAL BEST

Nick Willis
NZL 29
3:50.66 (3:30.35)

Ross
Murray
GBR 22
3:52.77 (3:34.76)

Peter van der
Westhuizen
RSA 28
3:54.90 (3:35.33)

Craig
Miller
USA/CO
25         3:56.41 (3:36.35)

Donn
Cabral
USA/WA 23
3:56.41i (3:40.03)

DeÛªSean
Turner
USA/IN 24 3:59.17 (3:46.22)

Ben
Bruce
USA/AZ
30         4:06.52 (3:45.53)

B.A.A. Invitational Mile WomenÛªs
Field (as of April 5, 2013)

NAME
COUNTRY
AGE     PERSONAL BEST

Kalkidan
Gezahegne
ETH
21         4:24.10i (4:00.97)

Gabriele
Anderson
USA/MN
26         4:27.94 (4:04.84)

Brenda
Martinez
USA/CA
25         4:26.76 (4:06.96)

Chelsea
Reilly

USA/CA
23         4:30.18 (4:24.49)

Heather
Kampf
USA/MN
26         4:37.13i (4:12.09)

Geena
Gall
USA/MI 26 4:31.75i (4:12.23)

Violah
Lagat
KEN 24
4:39.42 (4:13.30)

( ) ÛÒ Indicates 1500 meter track performance

i ÛÒ Indicates indoor track performance

By Tncse

Boston Marathon Champions Returning for 118th Running

June 9, 2020 | News | No Comments

BOSTON MARATHON CHAMPIONS DESISA, JEPTOO SET TO RETURN IN 2014

By Chris Lotsbom, @ChrisLotsbom

(c) 2013 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

(Used with permission)



BOSTON (11-Dec) -- John Hancock Financial and the Boston Athletic Association

 announced that reigning champions Lelisa Desisa and Rita Jeptoo will both return

 for the race's 118th edition, seeking to defend their titles on April 21, 2014. 

This year, Desisa and Jeptoo claimed the laurel wreaths in 2:10:22 and 2:26:25.



"We are delighted to have both Rita and Lelisa join us again in 2014 for the 118th Boston Marathon," 

said Boston Athletic Association executive director Tom Grilk in a statement. "Both of these champions 

posted outstanding performances at the 2013 Marathon, winning over world-class competition."



Desisa, 23, will look to build on what had been an extremely successful 2013 marathon year for the Ethiopian native. In addition to winning the Boston Marathon, 

Desisa took the top spot at the Dubai Marathon in 2:04:45, and also earned a silver medal at the 2013 IAAF World Championships Marathon in Moscow.



"I am very excited to return to Boston this spring to show that we are united in our athletic community and are ready to stand up and show the world we are not 

afraid," said Desisa. "Boston is the most historic race in our world of athletics and to win Boston means so much; it is such an honor."



Since his April win in the Massachusetts capital city, Desisa has come to call Boston his "second home," as he told Race Results Weekly after winning October's 

B.A.A. Half-Marathon in a course record of 1:00:34. He also placed second at the B.A.A. 10-K in June.



With that, Desisa also knows how much the city of 636,000 was impacted by the bombings that occurred close to the finish on Boylston Street at the 2013 race, 

killing three and wounding over 200.



"I expect to give my best effort to defend my Boston Marathon title. I know it will not be easy and the day will be much more than a race to most people, but 

right now my goal is to honor the day and repeat as champion," he said.



If Desisa does successfully retain his title, he will become the first back-to-back champion since Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot won three in a row from 2006 to 

2008. Fifteen times in race history has an athlete earned Boston Marathon men's victories in consecutive years.



Women's champion Jeptoo, a native of Kapsabet, Kenya, will return to the start in Hopkinton seeking her third Boston Marathon victory. In addition to this year's

 win, the 32-year-old claimed the 2006 title running in 2:23:38.  



"Winning the Boston Marathon for me in 2013 was fantastic, especially to come back and win again after 2006, has shown my potential," said Jeptoo. "But of course

 my victory last year was not as important as helping the victims of the bombs and the families who were affected by the terrible tragedy. Coming back is so nice

 for me to try to win again and hopefully to bring some hope and joy to families and to the injured. It also will be an honor to run Boston again to show the 

world that we don't give in to fear."



Jeptoo was the fastest women's marathoner in the world in 2013, clocking a 2:19:57 mark when winning the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 13. One of 

the most consistent runners in Boston Marathon history, Jeptoo has placed in the top-4 four times (1st in 2006 and 2013; 3rd in 2008; 4th in 2007).



Currently, Jeptoo is tied in first atop the 2013-2014 World Marathon Majors standings with Kenya's Priscah Jeptoo (no relation, but they have the same coach, 

Claudio Berardelli). If she wins on April 21, then Rita Jeptoo would become the seventh woman in race history to win three titles, and the first to win 

successive crowns since compatriot Catherine Ndereba did so in 2004 and 2005.



The 2014 Boston Marathon is set to be the second largest in race history, with 36,000 race entries being granted by the Boston Athletic Association. The Boston 

Marathon is America's oldest marathon, dating back to 1897.



Executive director Grilk believes that the return of both Desisa and Jeptoo will be extra special for the city of Boston, which came together and bounced back 

stronger than ever following the bombings.



"The B.A.A. and many others who will recognize the significance of their return in 2014 after the attack on the City of Boston in 2013 will celebrate their 

participation," he said.



PHOTO: Lelisa Desisa and Rita Jeptoo after winning the 2013 Boston Marathon

By Tncse

Katherine Switzer to be Inducted into NYRR Hall of Fame

June 9, 2020 | News | No Comments

Marathon
Trailblazers Germán Silva, George Spitz, Allan Steinfeld, and Kathrine
Switzer to Be Celebrated as 2014 NYRR Hall of Fame Inductees on
Thursday, October 30

President and owner of Amdur Productions and former sports editor of the
New York Times Neil Amdur will receive the prestigious George Hirsch Journalism award

Ceremonies to honor inductees will take place during TCS New York City Marathon Race Week on October 30 at 3:00 p.m.

New York, October 20, 2014ÛÓFour
of distance running’s greatest revolutionariesÛÓGermán Silva, George
Spitz, Allan Steinfeld, and Kathrine SwitzerÛÓwill comprise the 2014
induction
class of the NYRR Hall of Fame, and president and owner of Amdur
Productions and former sports editor at the New York Times Neil
Amdur, will receive the George Hirsch Journalism Award, it was announced
today by Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of
New York Road Runners, and George Hirsch, chairman of the board of New
York Road Runners. All five award-winners will be honored at the 2014
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Press Conference and Presentation of
the George Hirsch Journalism Award on Thursday,
October 30, at 3:00 p.m. at the Race-week Media Center at the Jacob K.
Javits Convention Center.

The NYRR Hall of
Fame, adding its fourth induction class since its creation in 2011,
honors individuals for their extraordinary accomplishments in the sport
of distance running.

“The 2014 NYRR Hall
of Fame induction class has exponentially elevated the sport of distance
running to the level of awareness it stands at today, providing global
outreach to millions to lead healthy, active lifestyles
through running,” said Wittenberg. “Without the courageous leadership
of Germán, George, Allan, and Kathrine to selflessly strive for
excellence in the world of running, organizations like NYRR could not
have evolved in the ways we have. We salute their impeccable
leadership and commitment to improving lives through running.”

Silva, of Mexico, is a
repeat champion of the New York City Marathon (1994, 1995) and the 2011
Abebe Bikila Award recipient, remembered best for recovering from a
wrong turn into Central Park 25.5 miles into his
first victory. “Wrong Way Silva,” as he became known, charged down the
last straightaway to win by two seconds after losing his share of the
lead by 12 to 13 seconds. In addition to his impressive athletics
résumé, which includes third place at the 1994 London
Marathon, a silver medal at the 1994 IAAF World Half-Marathon
Championships, and a pair of sixth-place finishes at the 1992 and 1996
Olympic Games in the 10,000 meters, he is renowned for his incredible
humanitarian efforts. He has donated winnings to bring
electricity to his village, organizes events to encourage running in
rural communities, and distributes running shoes to children throughout
Mexico.

Spitz is the father
of the five-borough New York City Marathon, which began in 1976. Spitz’s
idea for the five-borough marathon became a reality after he presented
the idea to the then Manhattan borough president,
Percy Sutton, and eventually persuaded NYRR president and marathon
co-founder Fred Lebow. He graduated with an economics and accounting
degree from Columbia University in 1949 after serving as a radio
mechanic in the Air Force during World War II. An avid
runner, Spitz has completed more than two dozen marathons.

Steinfeld is the
former president and CEO of NYRR and former race director of the New
York City Marathon. An NYRR member since 1963, he joined the NYRR staff
in 1978, working for and leading the organization until
2005. Born and raised in the Bronx, Steinfeld attended Hunter College,
where he became a star sprinter and learned to love the sport and
benefits of running. Upon graduating and earning his master’s degree in
electrical engineering and radio astronomy from
Cornell University, the 2009 Abebe Bikila Award recipient took the
sport of running to new levels, serving as the meet director of the
Goodwill Games, the New York Games, and the USATF Indoor National
Championships and as the chief referee of the 1984 men’s
and women’s Olympic marathons.

Switzer made history
in 1967 by becoming the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with an
official bib number, despite efforts made by event organizers to remove
her from the course. Switzer moved to Virginia
from Germany at a young age, finding empowerment in running, which
eventually led to her famous Boston Marathon performance. The champion
of both the 1974 New York City Marathon and the 1975 Boston Marathon
became a crusader for women’s sports as the director
of Avon Sports ProgramsÛÓa series of women’s races that paved the way
for the inaugural women’s Olympic marathon in 1984. She is a prominent
journalist, author, and television commentator and has received numerous
awards for her accomplishments, including the
2003 Abebe Bikila Award, inaugural induction into the National Distance
Running Hall of Fame, the 2000 Fred Lebow Award, and 2011 induction
into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

The George Hirsch
Journalism Award recognizes excellence in the reporting, writing, and
broadcasting of the sport of marathon and distance running. Amdur is the
award’s fifth recipient since its establishment in
2010.

“Perhaps Neil Amdur’s
love affair with the sport of running began as a high school
quarter-miler at Plymouth High School in Pennsylvania. As a writer,
editor, and finally the sports editor of the
New York Times, Neil has a passion for track and field, and later
for distance running, that did as much as that of any other journalist
to heighten the public’s awareness of the sport,” said Hirsch. “His
biography of Vince Matthews, the 1972 Olympic
champion at 400 meters, was one of the best-received sports books of
its time.”

Amdur was a pioneer
among sports journalists, especially among running and track and field
reporters. He covered Frank Shorter’s Olympic marathon victory in 1972,
the first five-borough New York City Marathon
in 1976, and thrilling New York City Marathon victories by Alberto
Salazar and Grete Waitz. He also covered the massacre at the 1972 Munich
Olympic Games and became the first journalist to write about being
onboard a hijacked commercial airplane. After serving
as a CBS football and tennis producer, he made it big as the
editor-in-chief of
World Tennis magazine from 1984 to 1990 and as the New York Times
sports editor from 1990 to 2002. He scripted and appeared in numerous
films, authored many books, and continues to run his multimedia company,
Amdur Productions, which he incorporated
in 1975.

About New York Road Runners and the TCS New York City Marathon

The TCS New York City Marathon is the most
popular and inclusive marathon in the world, attracting the world’s top
professional athletes and a vast range of recreational runners. The race
began in 1970 with just 127 entrants racing four
laps of Central Park. Today, an estimated 50,000 runners from around
the world tour New York City’s five boroughs. Millions of fans cheer the
runners from the streets and watch the global television broadcast. The
race is part of the World Marathon Majors,
an alliance of the world’s six most important marathons that each year
determines the world’s top male and top female marathoner. Tata
Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting,
and business solutions organization, is the Premier
Partner of NYRR and is in its inaugural year as title sponsor of the
TCS New York City Marathon. To learn more, visit www.tcsnycmarathon.com.

The TCS New York City
Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners. Founded in
1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the
world’s premier community running organization, whose
mission is to help and inspire people through running, to Run for Life.
NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races,
community events, youth initiatives, school programs, and training
resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people
each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and
opportunity to run for life. More than 200,000 students are served
locally and nationally through NYRR’s free youth running programs,
events, and resources, including more than 120,000
in New York City’s five boroughs. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.

By Tncse

Boston Marathon champion Caroline Rotich running BAA Half

June 9, 2020 | News | No Comments

Reigning Boston Marathon Champion Caroline Rotich Returns to Boston for this Sunday’s B.A.A. Half Marathon

Current Boston
Marathon, B.A.A. 10K, and B.A.A. Distance Medley winners lead strong
professional athlete field. More than 475 runners will race as part of
presenting sponsor Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s
team to tackle cancer.

BOSTON ÛÓ The Boston Athletic Association announced today the elite field for the 15th annual B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Headlining the professional
field are this year’s Boston Marathon champion Caroline Rotich ,
as well as two-time defending B.A.A. Distance Medley victor Stephen
Sambu. Both are from Kenya. The B.A.A. Half Marathon will be run on
Sunday, October
11, 2015, beginning and finishing in Boston’s Franklin Park.

Rotich, 31, returns to
Boston looking to add another accomplishment to her growing resume. In
2010, Rotich won the B.A.A. Half Marathon in 1:10:52, showing her
prowess over the distance. The native of Nyahururu,
Kenya, returned to the Bay State in triumphant fashion this year, using
a finely timed surge on Boylston Street to win the Boston Marathon in
2:24:55. By winning the Boston Marathon, Rotich became the first woman
ever to win both the marathon and the B.A.A.
Half Marathon.

“Winning BostonÛ¢ makes
me feel like one of the big runners,” Rotich said earlier this year,
reflecting on her victory. Rotich will be racing the 2015 B.A.A. Half
Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
and the Jimmy Fund, as part of her tune up for November’s TCS New York
City Marathon. Rotich is one of the favorites in that race as well, and
has won the NYC Half twice.

Standing between
Rotich and another B.A.A. Half Marathon title are a slew of
international runners. Mary Wacera, the 2014 IAAF World Half Marathon
Championships silver medalist, returns to Boston after winning the
rain-soaked B.A.A. 10K fewer than four months ago. Cynthia Limo, last
year’s B.A.A. Half Marathon runner-up, and Helen Jepkurgat, winner of
two half marathons this year, round out the women’s field from Kenya.
Hailing from Ethiopia is Belaynesh Oljira, a World
Championships bronze medalist both on the track and in cross country.

Leading the American
charge are Clara Santucci and Karen Roa. Santucci is the reigning
Pittsburgh Marathon champion. Beverly Ramos, the national record holder
for Puerto Rico, returns to Boston aiming to better
her eighth place showing from a year ago.

For the men, Sambu
comes into the B.A.A. Half Marathon riding a hot streak in
Massachusetts. In addition to winning the past two B.A.A. Distance
Medley titles, he placed second at the B.A.A. 10K in June and won
August’s Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod. Having previously finished
third and fourth at the B.A.A. Half Marathon, Sambu seeks to finish atop
the podium.

“I love this place.
I’ve been doing most of my races, almost everything, on the East coast.
So many people know you, they love you,” Sambu said prior to the B.A.A.
10K. “So many people
[here], they love running.”

Joining Sambu among
the men’s contenders from East Africa are Raji Assefa, Daniel Salel, and
Eliud Ngetich. Assefa, a native of Ethiopia, holds the fastest half
marathon personal best in the field, having run 1:00:07
in Rotterdam in 2008. He placed 6th at last year’s race.

Salel and Ngetich are
half marathon aces looking to give Kenya their ninth B.A.A. Half
Marathon men’s title. Salel is this year’s B.A.A. 10K winner and
finished runner-up at the B.A.A. Half Marathon in 2014, while
Ngetich won the Virginia Beach Half Marathon in March with a personal
best time of 1:03:40.

Eric Ashe and Brian
Harvey will sport the distinguished gold unicorn singlet of the Boston
Athletic Association’s racing team. Ruben Sanca, a Massachusetts native
and 2012 Olympian for Cape Verde Islands, is also
competing.

With the B.A.A. Half
Marathon serving as the third and final race of the B.A.A. Distance
Medley, three athletes have a chance to earn bonuses on race day. If
Rotich, Salel, or Wacera win their respective races,
they’ll earn an extra $20,000 (USD) bonus for finishing first at two
B.A.A. races this year.

Since first being run
in 2001, the B.A.A. Half Marathon has seen winners from eight different
countries. The winner of the B.A.A. Half Marathon will earn $10,000,
plus an additional $10,000 if the winner’s time
is under the event records of 1:00:34 for men and 1:08:20 for women. In
2014, more than 6,220 athletes participated in the B.A.A. Half
Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.
This year’s field has 8,500 participants.

Men’s Elite Athlete Field (as of October 5, 2015)

NAME

CITIZENSHIP

PERSONAL BEST

Raji Assefa

ETH