November 26, 2008 - British long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe wants to take young British talent under her wing by holding training sessions with them in the French mountains.

Radcliffe said she’s happy to give youngsters an insight on her unrivalled work ethic by guiding them round the trails in the Pyrenees that have helped her become the world’s finest marathon runner.

The reason it hasn’t happened before? No one ever asked.

Radliffe told the Telegraph:

“I am in Font Romeu, on and off, for six months of the year and I would love to show people round, to co-ordinate squad training sessions and see British distance running get somewhere.”

Radcliffe is a member of the superstar panel advising Ian Stewart as UK Athletics’ new head of endurance. One of Stewart’s plans to inject new enthusiasm into Britain’s prospects for London 2012 is to return to the squad training system that worked so well in the Seventies and Eighties.

Asked about her own chances at the next Olympics, Radcliffe believes age will be no barrier to marathon success in London 2012. After a year of contrasting fortunes in which she eased to victory in the New York marathon but saw her Olympic dream shattered in Beijing, Radcliffe, who will be 38-years-old in 2012, is confident home support and her incredible levels of fitness means a gold medal is hers for the taking at the London Games.

Watch out world - the British are coming! 

Filed under: Athletics, Marathon, Running by jane
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November 7, 2008 - Kara Goucher has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after running the fastest marathon debut ever by an American woman at the New York City Marathon. She ran in memory of her father, who was killed by a drunk driver in New York when she was four.

The 2007 World Outdoor 10,000m bronze medalist, Goucher crossed the line in 2 hours 25 minutes 53 seconds bettering the 2:26:58 run by Deena Kastor in 2001. It marked the first time since Anne Marie Letko in 1994 that an American woman placed in the top three at the New York Marathon.

Goucher grew up in Minnesota and made her mark as part of the the track and cross country teams of Duluth East High School. As a runner for the University of Colorado, she was the NCAA Outdoor Champion in a number of long distance events. Goucher competed in the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics 10000m final where she placed 10th with a personal best time of 30:55.16, and the 5000m where she placed 9th with a time of 15:49.

The New York Marathon was Goucher’s marathon debut.  Based on her result this year, we look forward to many more great races.

Filed under: Athletics, Marathon, Track & Field by jane
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November 2 2008 - Defending champion and noted marathon mom Paula Radcliffe stormed to victory in today’s New York Marathon and won $130,000 as the first woman to cross the finish line.

Radcliffe became the second woman to win the race three times, but unlike her 2004 and 2007 wins this was by a big margin. Her unofficial time was two hours, 23 minutes, 56 seconds, nearly two minutes ahead of second place finisher Ludmila Petrova of Russia.

Kara Goucher, in her marathon debut, took third, becoming the first American to make the podium since Anne Marie Letko was third in 1994. 

New York Marathon results:

Women
1. Paula Radcliffe (GB) 2hrs 23mins 56secs
2. Ludmila Petrova (Rus) 2:25:43
3. Kara Goucher (US) 2:25:53
4. Rita Jeptoo (Ken) 2:27:49
5. Catherine Ndereba (Ken) 2:29:14
6. Gete Wami (Eth) 2:29:25
7. Dire Tune (Eth) 2:29:28
8. Lidia Simon (Rom) 2:30:04
9. Lyubov Morgunova (Rus) 2:30:38
10. Katie McGregor (US) 2:31:14

Filed under: Marathon, News Bytes, Running by jane
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October 31, 2008 - When Paula Radcliffe celebrated with 10-month old daughter, Isla, after crossing the finish line in Central Park to win last year’s New York Marathon, the image established her as the “marathon mom.”

Great Britain’s Radcliffe, who won New York in 2004 and 2007, owns a world best at the 26.2 mile distance with a time of 2:15:25. Her daughter, now 21 months, seems a lucky talisman. Radcliffe looked in fine form last weekend as she won the 10-mile Great South Run in a British record time.

Throughout her pregnancy Radcliffe trained, in fact she trained until the day before she delivered Isla and she started running again 12 days after giving birth in January 2007. After her win there was a lot of debate about how much one can or should exercise during pregnancy but clearly an elite level athlete is different from the general population.

Radcliffe’s target now is a third victory in New York, the most by any woman after Grete Waitz’s nine triumphs between 1978 and 1988. Approaching her 35th birthday next month and coming off a 23rd-place finish at the Beijing Olympics where injuries hampered her preparation, Radcliffe hopes she is fit enough to defend her New York title.

Radcliffe insists she has nothing to prove this year. Even if she did win in New York in 2004 to rebound from Olympic disappointment and last year in her first marathon as a mother.

Seeking another New York marathon revival, Radcliffe’s husband and manager, Gary Lough, said she was her old self three weeks after the Beijing Games and is doing her customary preparation, averaging between 130 and 140 miles a week.

 According to Mary Wittenberg, the New York race director, being a “marathon mom” is now all the rage.

Wittenberg said: “I can’t stress enough how important Paula is to get people interested in running. Paula’s win after having Isla only 10 months before had a ripple effect throughout New York City and beyond.“

It’ll be interesting to see see how many more moms are running this year over previous years.

Mother or not, Radcliffe faces a deep field that includes last year’s runner-up Gete Wami, and another Ethiopian, Dire Tune, who is seeking her second major marathon victory this year after winning in Boston.

Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, coming off a silver medal in Beijing, chases her ninth major marathon title but her first in New York and American Kara Goucher is a bright spot running in her first marathon. A bona-fide star on the track and in cross country, Goucher has run few road races—but last September, she upset Radcliffe in a half-marathon.

So after New York, what’s next for Radcliffe? She hasn’t counted out a possible run at the London Olympics yet.  Radcliffe believes passion, rather than age, will determine whether her Olympic career is over.  The long road to London may well begin in New York.

See mommy run.

(Editors Note: Radcliffe successfully defended her title at the New York City Marathon on Nov. 2 2008 to become the second woman to win the race three times. Her time: two hours, 23 minutes, 55 seconds.)

Filed under: Marathon, Profiles, Running by jane
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October 31, 2008 - This Sunday, over 100,000 runners will race 26.2 miles across five towering bridges through New York’s five unique boroughs in the 39th ING New York City Marathon.

The mega-marathon that began with 55 finishers in Central Park in 1970 and moved to the five boroughs in 1976—starts at 9:10 a.m. Sunday (Eastern time) when the elite women get under way.

The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the more than $600,000 in prize money (male and female winners each receive $130,000) , but also for the chance to excel before two million cheering spectators and more than 300 million worldwide television viewers.

Last year’s winner Paula Radcliffe, along with Gete Wami , Catherine Ndereba and Kara Goucher are among the pros competing for the prize purse.

But the majority of participants are amateur runners who have two primary goals: to experience the different neighborhoods across New York by foot and to cross the finish line.

The runners come from all over and include more than a few celebs. Last year, Katie Holmes ran while hubby Tom Cruise cheered her on. This weekend, Beth Ostrosky,  a supermodel and the wife of media giant Howard Stern, is one of the celebs on the run.  Like many other celebrities, the 36-year-old beauty will be running to raise money for charity. She is the spokesperson for the North Shore Animal League of America, an organization advocating pet adoption. To date, Team Go Beth O has raised over $283,000 including $50,000 pledged from friend Rachel Ray.

The starting line will also see it’s share of Olympians. Former soccer star Brandi Chastain and former gymnastics sensation Kerri Strug are trading in their old Team USA uniforms for orange running jerseys as they take on their next athletic challenge. The two will Go for the Orange as they serve as ambassadors for the ING Run for Something Better.

All the runners can rock out this year as the marathon is expanding its course entertainment for participants and spectators with the Miles of Music Presented by New York Road Runners, featuring dozens of live bands.

For those who have more than a passing interest in the race, Runner’s World provides this preview of the women’s pro field:

1. Paula Radcliffe, PR, 2:15:25 (the world record). Prior to the Beijing Olympics, where she ran a brave 23rd despite injury-induced severe under-training, Radcliffe had never lost a marathon she finished.

2. Gete Wami, PR, 2:21:34. Wami won the 2006 and 2007 Berlin Marathons, then finished second to Radcliffe at New York last year less than two months after her Berlin triumph.

3. Catherine Ndereba, PR, 2:18:47. Arguably the greatest marathoner of all time, right up there with Radcliffe, but how many strong races can she run in a year? Ndereba’s coming off a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, her second straight marathon silver in the Olympics.

4. Dire Tune, PR, 2:24:40. Tune has already run three major marathons this year, winning Houston (her PR) and Boston (2:25:25) and finishing 15th in Beijing (2:31:16). Just 23, she’s 10 years younger than her countrywoman Gete Wami. Making her debut in New York.

5. Rita Jeptoo, PR, 2:23:38. Jeptoo placed 4th in the 2006 NYC Marathon, her only previous appearance in New York. That spring she had won Boston, where she established her PR; she was third at Boston last April in 2:26:34. Five weeks ago, she set a course record at the RTP Lisbon Half Marathon, running 1:09:48.

6. Kara Goucher, first marathon. Goucher is making her marathon debut in New York after two years of sensational running. In 2007 she took home a surprise bronze medal from the Osaka World Championships ahi,000, and then scorched Radcliffe and everyone else with a winning effort in the Great North Run Half Marathon, 1:06:57. .

Also worth watching: Kim Smith, Magdalena Boulet,  Katie McGregor, Lyubov Morgunova,  and Ludmila Petrova.

Additional profiles of women runners can be found on the NYRR site.

If you’re not running the marathon, the race offers a great chance to celebrate those who can, and do. So if you’re in New York, join the party on the sidelines and salute the runners effort. 

Those not able to be in NY, can watch the race live online.  You can also preview the route in a great interactive tour. Share the experience and celebrate the triumph of each excruciating mile.

Runners, on your mark…

Filed under: Marathon, News Bytes, Running by jane
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October 9, 2008 - Last year Katie Holmes ran the New York Marathon.  The Celebrity Watch is on for this year’s event which takes place Sunday, November 2nd.

According to the ING Run For Something Better site, former soccer star Brandi Chastain and former gymnastics sensation Kerri Strug will trade in their old Team USA uniforms for orange running jerseys as they take on their next athletic challenge — the New York City Marathon.  

Between the two athletes, they have won five Olympic medals — three gold, one silver and one bronze– and two World Cup championships.


Brandi and Keri will serve as ambassadors for the ING Run for Something Better, a national program that promotes youth fitness and provides funding for free community and school-based running programs across the country.

To support the cause, visit orangelaces.com

Filed under: Marathon, Running, Training by jane
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LOS ANGELES, Calif. Mar. 2, 2008 - Russia’s Tatiana Aryasova has won the 2008 Los Angeles Marathon.

In her first race since recently giving birth, Aryasova bested the men in a challenge between the sexes and easily won the race. She crossed the finish line with an unofficial time of 2:09:32, several minutes ahead of the next woman and well ahead of the fastest man, Laban Moiben of Kenya.

The battle-of-the-sexes format gave the top women runners a head start of nearly 20 minutes on the men. The time differential was chosen by race officials in hopes of creating a close finish. Aryasova won $120,000 and a car.

Filed under: Athletics, Marathon, News Bytes by admin
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If you’ve ever run, and finished, a marathon you know the feeling of true satisfaction. You show your family, friends and anyone that will listen your finisher’s medal as you recount every excruciating mile.

Equally important as sharing your experience is how you treat your body after the race. It is really important to allow yourself to fully recover. Take it easy for the next 2-3 weeks. A common rule of thumb is to allow one day for each mile in the race, that is, avoid running or walking at a hard (fast) pace for a few weeks.

Listen to your body, if it yells, take a few more days of rest. More importantly, don’t run until the pain and stiffness subsides. Instead, cross-train at an easy pace to circulate blood and allow a speedier recovery.

Your risk for injury is much higher than the benefit at this point. Get back into running by following a reverse taper, gradually building your mileage and frequency over the next few weeks. Before long, you’ll be ready to take on another race.

Filed under: 101-Basics, Marathon, Training by jane
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The longest journey begins with a single step.

Be it gratifying or grueling, a runner’s first marathon is forever etched in the mind. What first powers people onto a marathon course? What do they learn over 26.2 miles? And how do they feel reaching the finish line?

The marathon is the longest and most difficult race most runners ever attempt. It’s also the most popular. Training for one is serious business. Fail to train properly, and you not only risk failing to complete the race, you also risk seriously injuring yourself. But, that doesn’t mean that training for a marathon can’t be fun - because it can be - especially if you do it with a group of friends. There are also plenty of running clubs and support groups that can help get you ready for your first race.

(more…)

Filed under: Endurance, Marathon by jane
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