Thread: Marathons

The advantage of being left bow-legged.

Originally Posted by cyrille

Two questions from one poster.

I would like to withdraw my questions if I may.

I thought all the runners started in 1 pack and it so it would take the deadwood laggards 5 minutes to get to the start line.

But I think they are started in sequential handicapped mobs so the group lag time might be less than a minute.

Originally Posted by taxexile

read about her high tech, single use, very expensive footwear

Are they available on request or auctioned on eBay after their single use?

I would be willing to pay a premium.

Originally Posted by Looper

But I think they are started in sequential handicapped mobs so the group lag time might be less than a minute.

We do running races here.

The marathon runners obviously start the earliest, often around 2:30am.


Like HTF are you supposed to prepare your body to be in tune with that start time.

My deadwood daughter sent me a picture (selfie) of a group of deadwood runners (maybe 20) that were celebrating their finish together (in a bar/restaurant?). I think the group were there for a good time and not so much a race.

All of them did finish well before the cut off time.

There are some marathons a lot of runners know about and some, not so much.

I will try to cover some of the ones in the links above, however I will most likely cover all the marathons here in Thailand.

Yah. I can't wait.

you're gonna have to

• Kelvin Kiptum shatters marathon world record with run of just over two hours

Not so long ago, the idea of anyone running an official marathon in two hours was the stuff of science fiction. But on the streets of Chicago it became a dizzying reality as the Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum ran 2hr 0min 35sec to shatter the men’s world record.

As the 23-year-old ran the final few hundred metres along Columbus Drive, he even had time to blow kisses and wave to the crowd. His time not only took 34sec off Eliud Kipchoge’s old best but was another staggering reminder of how much supershoe technology has changed the sport.

It is surely a matter of time before the sub-two-hour barrier is broken in an official race. Kipchoge did do it in a time trial in 2019 – that, though, did not count as a record because he used a number of measures not permitted under World Athletics rules.

Kiptum, who was wearing Nike Dev 163 prototype shoes, said he had not initially targeted Kipchoge’s old record of 2 : 01 : 09. But that rapidly changed towards the end of the race, when he ran the 22nd mile in an astonishing 4min 18sec.

“A world record was not in my mind, but I knew one day I would do it,” said Kiptum, who beat Daniel Kibet Mateiko by 3min 27sec. “I’m feeling so happy.”

Until just over 10 months ago, the 23-year-old Kiptum had never run a marathon. But victories in Valencia in December and London in April, where he ran the second-fastest time ever, marked him out as a special talent.

Originally Posted by taxexile

read about her high tech, single use, very expensive footwear. thats why she won.

I did read about the footwear and 5 people were wearing the same shoes for that race. Why didn't they win, or come 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th?

He's just indulging in a crap troll.

Fair enough, at spamdeath's expense.

• Kenyan marathon runner Titus Ekiru hit with 10-year doping ban

Kenyan marathon runner Titus Ekiru has been slapped with a 10-year ban for doping and trying to obstruct the investigation, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said Monday.

The 31-year-old tested positive for prohibited substances after winning the Milan marathon in May 2021 and the Abu Dhabi event in November that year, it said in a statement.

Kenya has seen a surge in doping cases that have stained the reputation of the athletics powerhouse. Almost 70 athletes — mainly distance runners — have been banned in the last five years.

In addition to the ban, the AIU said Ekiru's results including and since the Milan race have been disqualified and all prizes forfeited.

His victory in Milan, in the exceptionally fast time of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds, had made him the sixth-fastest marathon runner of all time, but he has now been stripped of that accolade.

The ban follows a "comprehensive investigation" which revealed tampering by Ekiru to obstruct the AIU probe, and collusion by a senior doctor at a Kenyan hospital, the agency said.

"Initially, Ekiru signalled his intention to contest the charges. However, faced with substantial evidence against him, the Kenyan athlete decided that he no longer wanted to pursue the case," it added.

Ekiru had tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide after winning in Milan and for pethidine after his victory in Abu Dhabi.

• Climate change raises concerns for future of marathons

As extreme weather conditions escalate across the world, marathons and long-distance races are succumbing to cancellations due to extreme heat and severe flooding, an occurrence that may intensify in the coming years.

The Twin Cities marathon in Minnesota, which has been running for 40 years, experienced its second cancellation on Oct. 1, 2023, this time due to extreme heat. The previous cancellation occurred in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Similarly, the TCS New York City Marathon training series 18M was called off on Sept. 30, 2023, due to the severe flooding New York was experiencing.

The TCS New York City Marathon went on as scheduled in 2022, but runners experienced a record-hot day resulting in many heat-related injuries.

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- the United Nations group keeping record of climate change -- documented a trend of increased floods, droughts, storms and a general rise in temperatures. Rising temperatures driven by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are intensifying heat waves in cities and worsening air pollution problems.

According to a study published in Nature Scientific Reports, there is a potential 27% decline in the number of viable cities worldwide to host the Olympic marathon by the late twenty-first century due to climate change and the expected summer weather in their regions. The authors suggest holding the Olympic marathon in October as an adaptation strategy.

Warm and hot temperatures can be dangerous for long-distance runners. According to the organization, Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), runners can lose between six and 12 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes, putting athletes at risk of dehydration.

"As you exercise, your core temperature increases and the body needs to cool itself down. It does this by sweating … evaporation is the main mechanism of cooling down," says Dr. Sonia Tolani, associate professor of Cardiology at Columbia University Medical Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital. However, she adds, "When you sweat, you are getting rid of salt. If people don't replenish that salt, they can have electrolyte imbalances, which can in some cases lead to brain swelling."

Heat stroke is another major concern "[if] you are not able to quickly cool yourself down, you can become ill and develop what we call heat stroke." Symptoms of heat stroke include throbbing headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, dry or damp skin, and rapid and strong pulse. "Heat stroke is a non-insignificant cause of death in young athletes," Tolani says.

In light of these health risks, organizers of marathons and long-distance running events face the challenge of navigating climate change impacts and deciding whether to proceed with the events. According to the RRCA's Safe Events Guidelines, events face cancellation or postponement if the dew point exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit at the race's start time.

• Ethiopia’s Meseret Belete and Kenya’s Joshua Belet were victorious at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday (15), winning the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in 2 : 21 and 2:04:18 respectively. Both champions produced the third-fastest winning times ever recorded in the Dutch capital.

Belete smashed her PB by more than two minutes and notched up her second victory of the year, having won in Doha back in January in 2:20:46, her previous lifetime best.

Belet, meanwhile, bounced back from his World Championships withdrawal to record a PB, improving on the 2:04:33 he clocked when finishing second in Hamburg in April.

Belete maintained a remarkably consistent pace throughout, and for most of the way she ran alongside compatriots Meseret Abebayehu and Ashete Bekere, as well as Kenya’s Dorcas Tuitoek.

A large lead pack passed through 5km in 16:27 and 10km in 32:45. About nine runners were still in contention as they passed through the half-way point in 1: 05. It indicated they were set for a finishing time in the region of 2:18, though Almaz Ayana’s course record of 2: 20 was perhaps by now slightly out of reach.

By 30km, reached in 1:38:08, there were just four women left in the lead pack – Belete, Abebayehu, Tuitoek and Bekere. They ran together for a further 10 minutes or so, then Belete started to forge a lead.

She didn’t have to increase her pace; she simply maintained it while her last few opponents drifted off it. Belete eventually entered the stadium with a comfortable lead and crossed the line in 2: 21, winning by 89 seconds.

Abebayehu, winner in Riyadh and Xiamen earlier this year, held on for second place in 2:19:50, smashing her PB by more than four minutes. Tuitoek placed third in 2:20:02.

In the men’s race, a large lead pack covered the opening 5km in 14:54, then sped up to reach 10km in 29:28 and 15km in 44:03. The pack still contained about 12 men as they passed through 20km (58:48) and the half-way point (1: 01), which was 10 seconds quicker than Tamirat Tola achieved when he set the course record of 2:03:39 in 2021.

The lead pack started to whittle down gradually in the second half. After going through 30km in 1: 28, Belet made his move and opened up a gap on the rest of the field, one he wouldn’t relinquish.

There were several changes of position among the athletes in the chase pack in the final kilometres, but Belet held on to his lead and went on to win in 2:04:18. Fellow Kenyan Cybrian Kotut came through to take second place in 2:04:34, finishing just three seconds ahead of Bethwel Chumba, who completed the all-Kenyan podium. Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese was a close fourth in 2:04:44.


Leading results

Women
1 Meseret Belete (ETH) 2: 21
2 Meseret Abebayehu (ETH) 2:19:50
3 Dorcas Tuitoek (KEN) 2:20:02
4 Ashete Bekere (ETH) 2:21:51
5 Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) 2: 07
6 Anchalem Haymanot (ETH) 2: 23
7 Meseret Gola (ETH) 2: 29
8 Sofia Assefa (ETH) 2: 33
9 Marion Kibor (KEN) 2: 26
10 Anne Luijten (NED) 2:26:36


Men
1 Joshua Belet (KEN) 2:04:18
2 Cybrian Kotut (KEN) 2:04:34
3 Bethwel Chumba (KEN) 2:04:37
4 Birhanu Legese (ETH) 2:04:44
5 Lemi Berhanu (ETH) 2: 48
6 Bazezew Asmare (ETH) 2: 34
7 Mulugeta Debasu (ETH) 2: 36
8 Haymanot Alew (ETH) 2: 25
9 Khalid Choukoud (NED) 2: 36
10 Abderrazak Charik (FRA) 2: 37

Beachy Head: Woman set to compete in her 150th marathon

A woman is set to run her 150th marathon at the age of 64.

Kate Knight, from Reigate, Surrey, will compete in the Beachy Head Marathon, East Sussex, on Saturday.

Ms Knight, who will be running alongside her husband, had a total left knee replacement and surgery on her lower spine seven years ago, and has since completed 100 marathons.

She said she felt "so proud to have achieved this" and her plan was "to keep going to at least 300 marathons".

After running the Beachy Head full marathon on Saturday, Ms Knight plans to compete in the half marathon on Sunday.

She is taking part to raise money for Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust charity.

She said: "This feels like a fantastic milestone to be doing this one because before going in for the knee replacement, the consultant said I wouldn't do another marathon post op and it's now my 100th.

"Beachy Head is one of my favourite marathons because of the scenery and the atmosphere."

• Twin Cities Marathon fully refunding runners after event canceled over heat

Runners who missed out on the chance to participate in this year’s Twin Cities Marathon due to unusually hot conditions at the start of the month received at least a little good news on Friday.

More than two weeks after heat led organizers to cancel the Oct. 1 race just hours before it was set to start, Twin Cities In Motion announced plans to fully refund runners’ race registration fees.

“We understand the race cancellation on October 1 was a difficult and emotional experience. While a registration refund does not replace the experience of a great, safe race and does not necessarily cover all the expenses you incurred for Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend, we are glad to be able to refund your race registration,” the organization said in an email to runners.

The nonprofit says it was able to cover the refunds thanks to event cost savings, insurance coverage, and cash reserves that were approved for use by its board.

Twin Cities in Motion says refunds will be processed through Race Roster, the marathon’s registration partner, to the credit or debit card that runners used in their registration. That refund will only be for the registration cost, not processing fees.

With 20,000 registered runners, the organization says it could take up to six weeks for all refunds to be issued, but the process is expected to get underway next week. Once finalized, runners will get a receipt emailed to them from the Race Roster.

Additionally, runners who were signed up for this year’s marathon and 10-mile events will get “exclusive guaranteed access” to their event next year, and the cost will be the same as it was this year, Twin Cities in Motion says.

The cancellation was disappointing for many runners, primarily because of the timing of the cancellation and the fact that the forecast hadn’t changed in the days leading up to races. Ultimately, organizers determined the temperatures, which reached the upper 80s on race day, were too dangerous to continue the events as planned.

A spokesperson for the Twin Cities Marathon said it was the first time hot weather has canceled the marathon.

• A Long Beach Marathon runner in cardiac arrest was saved by a heart surgeon leaving brunch

Tuan Pham said he was feeling great as he approached the 12-mile mark of the 39th Long Beach Half Marathon last weekend and had no idea that the three blocked arteries leading to his heart would soon leave him face down on Ocean Boulevard in cardiac arrest.

The 47-year-old Pham was running the race with his 16-year-old son, Josh, who had already finished the race and was waiting for Pham when collapsed outside the Long Beach Museum of Art Sunday. He woke up at Long Beach Memorial Hospital not knowing how he got there.

The chances of a person surviving after going into cardiac arrest outside of a hospital is typically less than 10%, but Pham was fortunate that a cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Ryan Chiu of Long Beach Memorial, was leaving brunch at the Museum restaurant when he saw Pham hit the ground.

“I can’t believe the one guy, the first guy, to see me fall, to show up and give me help, was a cardiac surgeon,” Pham said. “What are the odds?”

Chiu said he knew immediately that Pham was in cardiac arrest, but because of his age, he also thought that if they could get him to the hospital they could save him.

“I immediately started doing chest compressions,” said Chiu, who said Pham was unresponsive and had no pulse.

As Chiu and another bystander took turns giving compressions, he called Long Beach Memorial to help assemble the team that might be needed to stabilize Pham and perform life-saving surgery. After the ambulance took Pham away, Chiu got in his car and sped to the hospital to meet the team.

Cardiac arrest is not common among marathoners, but the chances of a runner ending up in cardiac arrest are not zero. A 2012 study cited in a 2019 New York Times article showed that 59 people running marathons or half marathons in the United States experienced cardiac arrest between 2000 and 2010. All but eight were middle-aged men, most of whom were running the full marathon.

• Pan-American Games Marathons: Gold for Peru and Mexico, Records Broken

It was a day of exceptional performances and shattered records in marathons across the globe, including the Pan-American Games Marathons, as athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia, Peru, Mexico, and Uganda delivered race-defining moments. New lifetime bests were established, course and national records toppled, and gold medals were distributed from China to Chile to Slovenia, and Italy.

In Dongying, China, Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga clinched victory at the Yellow Estuary Marathon with a record-breaking time of 2 : 18 : 09, a personal best and a new all-comers’ record for China. On the men’s side, Kenya’s Robert Kipkorir Kwambai took the title in a time of 2 : 08 : 27.

Pan-American Games Marathon

The action was equally enthralling in Santiago, Chile, where the Pan-American Games marathons saw Peru’s Cristhian Pacheco retain his title with a time of 2 : 11 : 14. He was followed by Chile’s Hugo Tapia and fellow Peruvian Luis Ostos Cruz. In the women’s race, Mexico’s Citlali Moscote captured gold in 2 : 27 : 12, narrowly beating Argentina’s Florencia Borelli and Peru’s Gladys Tejeda.

Shifting the focus to Ljubljana, Slovenia, Ethiopia’s Zinah Senbeta grabbed headlines with her big lifetime best and course record of 2 : 21 : 05. Kenya’s Edmond Kipngetich marked his debut with a blazing blazing 2 : 06 : 47, ahead of fellow Kenyan Kipkemoi Kiprono and Ethiopia’s Challa Gossa.

• Runner Soh Rui Yong breaks two national records at Valencia Half Marathon

National marathoner Soh Rui Yong "channeled his frustration" at being excluded from the recent Asian Games into his performance at the Valencia Half Marathon on Sunday (Oct 22).

The 32-year-old broke two national records, slicing a second off his previous half marathon mark with a time of 1 : 06 : 45 and eclipsed the 10km road record - formerly held by Mok Ying Ren and Jeevaneesh Soundararajah - with a time of 31 : 39.

Going into the race, which he labelled "one of my favourite races in the whole world", Soh was already the national record holder of the 5,000m, 10,000m, 5km road, half marathon and marathon events, and he finished 60th out of 17,359 runners.

Valencia holds fond memories for Soh, who set the national marathon record of 2 : 22 : 59 in December 2021, and he wrote on Facebook that the Spanish coastal city was his "happiest place in the world to race".

"Not being picked for the Asian Games team despite qualifying was annoying," Soh said on Monday.

"Managed to channel that frustration positively in training for this performance. We can’t change what people want to do or say about us, but we can work hard and show them - we’re still the best."

Soh, who held his wedding in September, also referenced how his latest marks were his "first records as a married man".

Well, looks like you've found something else nobody gives a toss about to post c&p on for years.

Might I also suggest ear wax?

• Dublin Marathon 2023: Date, start time and number of runners

The Irish Life Dublin Marathon 2023 takes place this bank holiday weekend with an estimated 20,000 runners to take part in this year's event.

The Dublin City Marathon will be on this Sunday, October 29.

The marathon, which has a distance of 42.2km, begins at 8.40am on Fitzwilliam Street Upper.

• Warm temperatures have Marine Corps Marathon runners watching the weather

With unseasonably warm temperatures in the weekend forecast, organizers of the 48th annual Marine Corps Marathon are keeping a close eye on Sunday’s weather.

The average high temperature for the race day for the past 14 years is 67 degrees, while Sunday’s race day temperature is expected to reach 78 degrees.

“We are probably checking the weather even more religiously than runners are, because … their health and their safety is our number one concern,” said Kristen Loflin, spokeswoman for the Marine Corps Marathon.

The conditions for the start of the race are expected to include a temperature of about 63 degrees with 95% humidity.

“It’s absolutely going to be warmer than average temperatures for this time of year, but thankfully, it’s nothing too, too crazy,” said Loflin.

Earlier this month, the Twin Cities Marathon was canceled at the last minute when excessive heat conditions settled over Minneapolis.

Loflin said the forecast temperatures for Sunday’s race are within the acceptable range and some of the runners have trained in much warmer weather.

Organizers of the Marine Corps Marathon are in regular email communication with runners, sharing all information about the possible weather conditions, according to Loflin.

“[We’re] just encouraging them to dress accordingly and plan accurately and make sure that they are hydrating,” said Loflin.

“In addition to that, our medical team is, in my opinion, one of the best and they are always checking — they talk to, the National Weather Service, consistently checking with them,” said Loflin.

The 2019 Marine Corps Marathon experienced unseasonably warm conditions and steady rain with a high temperature of 79 degrees.

• Salina Crossroads Marathon grows to largest in Kansas in its second year

In just its second year of existence, the Salina Crossroads Marathon has grown to become the largest marathon event in Kansas.

The marathon event, certified by USA Track and Field and a Boston Marathon Qualifier, begins at 8 a.m. Nov. 4 and already has 3,280 total runners registered for seven different races, including the full marathon, half marathon, 5K run, 5K walk, half marathon relay, marathon relay and a new half-mile kids run.

According to event organizers, there are 2,865 runners from outside Salina, including more than 1,400 from outside the state of Kansas.

Runners have registered from all 50 states and from around the world, including the countries of Botswana, Canada, Mexico and Columbia.

With registration open up to and including the morning of the race, more runners are expected to sign up as the event get closer.

Co-race director and a runner this year himself, Daniel Craig said one of the goals of the marathon is to create a "high-quality event with fun race options for the entire family."

“We hope that the 5K run, 5K walk, team relays, new half-mile kids run, and opportunities to volunteer and cheer on the runners will enable the entire community to come out and be a part of an amazing marathon weekend," Craig said.

"We appreciate the support from the City of Salina in helping us create a flat, fast, and scenic course and want to say a special thank you to (Street Superintendent) Brent Buchwald and (Salina Police) Sgt. Chad McCary for their support," Craig said.

• Dublin Marathon winner Kemal Husen sets new course record

The 2023 winner of the Irish Life Dublin marathon has set a new course record, after running the 26.2mile race in heavy rain in just over two hours.

Kemal Husen crossed the finish line in two hours, six minutes, and 52 seconds.

It is the second time the Ethiopian has taken part in the race, the 20-year-old knocked over one minute off his personal best from earlier this year.

Organisers say Husen took control of the race after 10 miles, sticking right behind the pacemaker until he passed 30k.

Speaking afterwards he said he was delighted at his performance: “I’m so happy. I didn’t expect to run this time”.