In a recent “Things You Should Know” piece, I mentioned the squirrelly decision by the IAAF to only recognize records set by women in women only competitions.
This decision seems odd to me and more than a little 19th century.
So-far, I have yet to see any really good argument for the IAAF decision. All the ink I’ve seen (real or virtual) has been critical of the IAAF decision. Has anyone seen any writing in defense of the IAAF? I’d be interested to see it.
I recently stumbled on a nice editorial the Chicago Tribune’s Philip Hersh wrote on the decision. (Okay, scathing is probably a better word than nice, but I enjoyed it.)
In it, Hersh asks the all important questions:
Why not have a women’s marathon world record category for days with 39 percent humidity?
Folsom’s Kevin Pool, 28, ran a personal best at the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday but his 2:19:34 finish time was a tantalizing few seconds shy of the sub-2:20 Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time he was looking for.
It was good enough for a 12th place overall.
Auburn runner Brad Poore, 33, was also a top finisher, coming in 17th overall with a 2:22:05.
Rumor has it that local running empresario Michelle La Sala also ran a personal best at Twin Cities, in 3:06:31. La Sala is better known to many of you as the Race Director of the SacTown 10.
La Sala was the fastest Sacramentan listed in the results.
The overall race winners were Kenyan Sammy Malakwen in 2:13:11, and Ethiopian woman Yeshimebet Bifa with a 2:28:24.
Austin Weaver with a comfortable lead before the levee road (SRN photo)
Around 5,000 runners converged on Land Park this morning for the 7th annual running of the Urban Cow Half Marathon and 5Km.
Sacramento’s Austin Weaver took advantage of the cooler weather to put the hurt on all comers, getting the win and a course record with a 1:07:47 finish.
Chad Worthen, also of Sacramento, was the next in at 1:14:37, followed by Carmichael’s Mason Myers in 1:15:24.
Jen Pfeifer on her way to the win at the Half Moon Bay Marathon (Photos by Cary Craig)
A couple months ago, I was running with Jen Pfeifer, who told me that they were putting a marathon together that would run through the neighborhood she grew up in.
When I took up the challenge of this website, one of my early decisions was that it wasn’t going to be about me.
However, since I did promise you all that I’d be pacing the 1:40 group at this Sunday’s Urban Cow Half Marathon, I figured I owe it to you to let you know I’ve had to back out of that commitment.
I seem to have injured myself pretty seriously last week and will probably not be running for several weeks–much less by next weekend. (In case you are curious, it looks like a ruptured tendon in my foot.)
I’ve enjoyed being a pacer and helping other runners achieve their goals at this event and feel bad about leaving them and Urban Cow race management in a lurch. Race management is scrambling to find someone to fill this role and I have no doubt they will find someone by race day. I just won’t be me.
If you want to impress people with your knowledge of running related current events, look no further than today’s edition of Things You Should Know.
After reading this, you’ll be prepared to bore your non-running friends with the most up to date running news from the world of running!
Road Racing Things
This past weekend, Patrick Makau, of Kenya (surprise!) won the Berlin marathon and set a new world record of 2:03:38, or approximately 2:26 faster than Oprah Winfrey*.
If you are into math, Makau’s finishing time translates to just under 4:43 per mile. My quads hurt just thinking about it.
The first place woman was Kenya’s Florence Kiplagat, who ran 2:19:44. World Record Holder Paula Radcliffe ran her first marathon in almost three years, finishing third in a still impressive 2:23:46.
Lukas Temer nabs the win in his first 100 mile race. (Photo by Agnès Pommier)
Every summer, a million words are spilled in honor of the big, local hundred mile race: The Western States 100. Under the shadow of so much reporting, it would be easy to miss the region’s other, smaller, long-standing hundred mile race: The Rio Del Lago 100.
This race had been Norm Klein’s baby for many years, and last year he passed the baton to new Race Director Molly Sheridan.
This year, Sheridan reconfigured the course significantly—eliminating the loop around Lake Natoma, and replacing the lost mileage with a repeat out and back from Twin Rocks to Cardiac. “This part of the course is so cool that we wanted you to experience it again!” says the race website.
