Written by: Susan Lacke

Practicing aero position in the living room? Totally normal!

My house in a cozy little subdivision in Phoenix, Arizona, nicknamed “The Love Shack,” looks like many other houses nearby. There’s stucco on the walls, tile on the roof, a couple palm trees in the front yard, and a barbeque on the back deck. It doesn’t really stand out from the rest of the houses on the street.

Come inside, though, and you’ll get a completely different view. It’s been said the way a home is decorated says a lot about the people living there. Open the door of The Love Shack, and it quickly becomes obvious you’ve entered the living space of two triathletes.

It wasn’t always that way. When Neil and I first moved in, running and triathlon equipment was safely contained in a small room in the corner of the house. Pictures of family went up on the walls everywhere, and we looked for a dining set to put in our cavernous dining room.

We quickly learned what many runners and triathletes discover about their homes: It’s virtually impossible to keep gear in one space. Your sport becomes your baby, and nobody puts baby in a corner.

It started out innocently enough. Shoes were left by the front door post-run one day. A long ride in the trainer warranted a bike set-up in front of the big-screen TV in the living room. Some nutrition was left on the counter for the next day’s training.

Today, there’s no doubt: our home’s interior design comes straight from the “Haus of Athlete Chic.”

The bikes became a permanent fixture in the living room, propped up on the wall. Among the box-office hits in our DVD collection is a smattering of swim form and cycling interval training.

There’s a cabinet in the kitchen overflowing with water bottles and hydration belts. Another cabinet is packed with tubs and packets of nutrition. Across the kitchen, in a smaller cabinet, rests our “real” glassware – six pint glasses, four of which are prizes from races.

An entire room in the house is filled to the brim with clothes for training, but much of it spills out into other drawers and shelves. In an average week of Ironman training, I do more laundry for two people than Kate Gosselin does for her entire clan.

The huge, deep bathtub that appealed to me when first saw the house rarely gets used for the luxurious bubble baths I envisioned, but it does make a great vessel for ice baths.

Walk down the hallway, and you’ll see walls plastered with race bibs, medals, and finisher photos. Don’t open any doors quickly – chances are high some sort of training equipment will fall out and hit you on the head. There’s swimsuits and sports bras drying on doorknobs throughout the house. And yes, we know there’s an inordinate amount of creams with the words “butt” and “nuts” in the bathroom cabinet. Please don’t judge us – it’s for training. Really, it is. I swear!

That dining room set we shopped for when we first moved in? We never got one. In fact, we’re shopping again. This time, it’s for a treadmill to be set up in the dining room. Don’t expect a dinner party at The Love Shack anytime soon – unless you don’t mind being served from a squeezy water bottle while busting out mile repeats.

Try as I may to present a semblance of normalcy when company comes to visit, a rouge running shoe or wetsuit sleeve inevitably peeks out from behind a door to say hello, ruining the guise. It’s a lot to take in, I admit – a two-athlete household requires an impressive amount of gear and space in which to store it. Some people might call this crazy.

But I just call it “home.”

[sig:SusanLacke]

Written by: Linzay Logan

You buy all the gear and you’re ready to run—the shoes, the GPS watch, the light-as a-feather sunglasses. But unless you are safe, none of this matters. Looking both ways before you cross the street, wearing a light if the sun is down and letting someone know where are going are all smart ways to be safer while you run, but a lot of people forget about the kinds of running accidents you can’t predict. If you are out running alone and something happens, wearing an ID is one of the best gear items you can have one. In an extreme situation it can let paramedics know who you are and who to call, but it can also be nice for when you just don’t have enough in you to get back to your car, don’t have a cell phone, but do have three numbers of people who can pick you up.

Check out the following pages for four IDs made specifically for runners and endurance athletes.

Finish Safe Finish Tags

www.finishsafe.com

Finish Safe tags are $12 or free if you sign up during their introductory period. They are tags for everything from your bike to your shoes to your gym bag and all your information is written on the back of the cards.

Phot: Accu-brite.com

What else do you have around the house that you use as an impromptu foam roller or for stretching help?

Written by: Linzay Logan

When you run as much as some of us do random household items begin to look like training tools. What else do you have around the house that you use as an impromptu foam roller or for stretching help?

Tennis ball—sit on it while your sitting at your desk chair at work to massage your glutes. It’s awesome. I’ve also used my dog’s indestructible rubber chew toys when I don’t have a tennis ball.

Chip clip—For those treadmill runners you can prop open a book with a chip clip and read while you run. Just don’t fall off.

Vaseline—Did you misplace your body glide? This will do the trick.

Safety pin—If you don’t have a race belt how else will you attach your race bib to your shirt?

Water bottle or foam cup—other than for obvious reasons (containers to drink out of) they can be great help for icing and massaging. Fill with water, freeze and roll over sore muscles and feet.

Sigg bottle—It’s a mini foam roller

Stairs—Stand on the edge of a stair to help with lengthening and strengthening your Achilles tendon and calves.

Couch or bed—Can be used to get more intense IT band and quadriceps stretching.

Vacuum—Competitor editor, Sabrina Grotewold, does high intensity vacuuming for cross training.

Wisk—Instead of a mixer this can be an intense arm workout.

Small towel—Use it to help with stretching when you can’t quite reach.

[sig:LinzayLogan]

It’s a vexing situation: After spending $60-$100 at the grocery store and putting things away, you open the pantry or look in the refrigerator and wonder where all the food is. As fuel and food prices continue to rise, I find myself in this situation more frequently. Eating healthy on a budget requires finesse and a bit of extra effort, but the rewards are numerous. Here are some tips for what to buy, why and what to do with it.

1. Beans

Offering a bounty of nutrition, such as protein, fiber, carbs, iron, zinc, potassium, thiamin, magnesium, etc., beans’ neutral flavor and malleable texture make their incorporation into recipes limited only by your imagination. While canned beans provide convenience, you’ll pay for it: Plan ahead and buy dried beans in bulk; soak seven days worth of beans in a pot overnight and cook them (adding flavor enhancers like onions, garlic cloves, celery and herbs) in that one pot. When they’re done and cooled, divide them into plastic containers and store in the refrigerator. They’ll be ready to toss into any dish you want to make during the week.

2. Root Vegetables

Carrots, celery root, garlic, parsnips, onions, beets, turnips, and white, red, purple and sweet potatoes deliver nutrients, antioxidants, fiber, carbs and more. Most importantly: They add low-cost flavor to foods. Combine them with olive or canola oil, sea salt and pepper, roast in a hot oven for 40 minutes, and the result is a tray of harmonious caramelization that yields tenderly to a fork.

3. Lentils

Another great source of protein and fiber, lentils provide B vitamins, folate, and the very-important-for-runners mineral, iron. An aside: Green lentils provide more fiber than red. Buy these in the bulk foods bin at health foods stores and cook them in the method described above for beans. I like to add cumin, garlic powder and a few pinches of cayenne pepper to my lentils.

4. Bananas

Available year-round, bananas remain the stereotypical fuel for the endurance athlete for a reason: High in potassium, fiber, carbs, folic acid, riboflavin and other B vitamins, their thick peel means you don’t have to buy organic.

5. Oats

These cheap, reportedly cholesterol-lowering whole grains deliver carbs, fiber, selenium, phosphorus and other nutrients, and with a little ingenuity and a food processor or blender, can be processed at home into oat flour and oat crumbs (a substitute for bread crumbs). Of course, the breakfast standby—boiled oats topped with a sliced banana—remains a classic.

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You know you're an endurance athlete when you’ve worn compression socks to the grocery store and kept them on to enhance your dinner-making performance.

Do you fit any of these descriptions?

Written by: Susan Lacke

Let’s face it: Being a runner, cyclist, or triathlete goes beyond simply participating in the sport. It’s an identity, a lifestyle that is more than just the hours put in during training and racing.  It’s what separates us from the recreational joggers and weekend warriors. You know you’re an endurance athlete when:

- You’re able to say “I like to push it hard and fast at the end” and still keep a straight face.

- Your kitchen cabinet has more water bottles than drinking glasses.

- Some people have bank accounts. You have gear.

- You go on vacation and wonder why people hadn’t told you about the whole “lay next to the pool and sleep” thing before.

- What used to be a small pile of training gear slowly took over a drawer in your dresser, then a closet, then multiple areas of your house. You now can’t open a closet door without a hydration belt falling on your head.

- You’ve worn compression socks to the grocery store.

- You’ve worn compression socks under your work clothes.

- You’ve worn compression socks to bed.

- Your significant other has informed you that compression socks in bed are not sexy. This is news to you.

- When the mechanic gives you a quote to fix your car, you don’t think in terms of dollar signs, but instead calculate its equivalency in race registration fees.

- The watch once reserved for training activities only has now become a staple of your wardrobe…even when you’re dressed up.

- You have tan lines that would put a zebra to shame.

- You’ve purchased clothes specifically because they hide those tan lines so well.

- You’ve given at least one blister, saddle sore, or chaffed nipple a name…and had a conversation with it.

- You’ve actually told the massage therapist he or she isn’t hurting you enough.

- Someone needs to explain the concept of “brunch” to you – apparently, not everyone has their long run on Sunday mornings.

- Your world was rocked when you discovered your now-favorite flavor of gel.

- You love that gel so much, you’ve considered using it as a condiment.

- You have no problem wearing an outfit to a race that, in any other setting, would look like a toddler painted a superhero costume on your body.

- You spend so much time with other endurance athletes, you’ve forgotten men actually have body hair.

- It’s odd to hear some people don’t eat dinner until after sundown. By that time, you’ve already raided the leftovers in the fridge on your way to your 9 PM bedtime.

Want to see more endurance athlete truisms? Pick up Susan’s “Out There” column in the June edition of Competitor Magazine, hitting shelves at the end of the month!

[sig:SusanLacke]

Photo: Bootcampsf.com

Non-running forms of exercise has its benefits, too.

Written by: Linzay Logan

We all have excuses for why we can’t go for a run every once in a while—there’s no time; your injury has been really bothering you; you are bored of putting in all these miles; running is just too hard sometimes. On days when one of your excuses for skipping out on a run comes up, consider something else—why not cross train instead?

Many runners get into the groove of only running and often get warn out physically and mentally from logging mile after mile. Throwing in cross training can have big benefits when running starts to feel more like a chore than an enjoyable activity.

If you have a gym membership check out the classes they offer—they aren’t the Jane Fonda-led jazzercise classes that you are thinking of from the 80s. Most gyms offer tough boot camp and weight lifting classes, spinning, kickboxing and many others that are intended to get your heart rate up and your muscles burning. Some teachers even take classes outside so you won’t miss out on your Vitamin D fix.

If you’re weary of these classes for one reason or another it’s understandable, but even if you end up in the worst class you think you could have gotten yourself into it’s only an hour. If you don’t like it, just try something else next time. Once I ended up in an advance step class with no prior step experience. I was lost the entire time—what the heck is a Flamingo or a K-step? Instead of packing up my stuff and walking out with my tail between my legs I tried to just keep moving and embarrass myself the least amount as possible. Now my friends and I just laugh about it and I’m sure if you find yourself in a similar situation you’ll be able to laugh it off too.

If the intimidation factor is just too much, go check out the class before jumping in. Just watch the class for a few minutes to see what it’s like and you might find it to be a whole less intimidating than you thought. When you do make it to class, get there early and let the instructor know you are new. They will help to make you comfortable and let you know anything you need to know to have the most fun and get the best results from the class.

Now my opinion may be biased because I teach group fitness, but I love it. Here are my top five reasons for runners to try group fitness:

• It’s a great escape from running when the last thing you want to do is put in another mile.
• Depending on the class, you can get just as good of a workout in comparison to running, but also work your body in new ways that running doesn’t.
• With other people around you and an instructor telling you what to do, you are likely to push yourself a little bit harder than if you were in the weight room or running solo.
• Take weight lifting or sculpting classes and you’ll become a stronger and faster runner.
• You get into class and out in usually an hour and you’ve gotten your workout in for the day. Plus, you’re less likely to skip out early with others around.

[sig:LinzayLogan]

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) is experiencing growing pains. According to President Joann Flaminio, the organizing body of the Boston Marathon is currently undergoing “our renaissance period.” The race’s popularity is at an all-time high and yesterday race officials discussed the new three-wave start for Monday’s race as well as the registration process for next year’s event.

The new system of starting the race entails releasing groups of approximately 9000 runners each. Runners have the color of their starting group on their bib.

According to race director Dave McGillivray, it should take runners no more than seven minutes to pass through the starting chute to reach the finish line.

“We’re all about quality and not about quantity,” McGillivray said. “People expect certain elements from us each year. Hopefully, they’ll get it. We take it very seriously. We didn’t feel the two-wave start was meeting our expectations, especially with the second wave reload system.”

Approximately 27,000 participants are expected this year.

For More: Boston Herald

TGIF!

Written by: Linzay Logan

The weekend—those two short glorious days following the workweek.  For those training for an endurance event, Saturday and Sunday are much different than for those other folk who consider running more than five miles or biking more than an hour at a time to be a bit nutty.

For the latter group the weekend means it’s time to relax, get chores done around the house, go out to dinner and enjoy a few glasses of wine with friends. For the other group of people who are training for events like marathons, ultras, and triathlons the weekend means it is time to train. We still have to try and relax after the workweek, get the house in modest order, catch up friends over dinner who accept us even though they don’t understand why we do what we do, and also wake up earlier than we do during the week to go for a three-hour run or a five-hour bike ride or maybe even both.

On Saturday we get home around mid-day from training, eat a recovery meal or drink a recovery drink, which never satisfies us enough and we end up eating everything else edible in the house. After pealing ourselves off the couch and moan and groan to a standing position we clean the house in spandex while listening to our iTunes training mix. By then it is dinner and time to go to bed to do it all over again the next morning.

Over the course of the weekend it is not uncommon for someone at the peak of training to take two, three, maybe even four showers a day—Shower to wake up in the morning, shower after a quick swim sesh, shower after a bike ride and then maybe if we have the energy, a shower before dinner. I’m surprised the water company hasn’t come up with varying water prices for homes where a runner or triathlete resides. I can’t imagine the water bill for a household with more than one endurance athlete, which is usually the case. We travel in packs. No one else understands why we do this to ourselves or why we think Road ID’s and running shorts tan lines are fashion statements.

However, every weekend for an endurance athlete is not always like this. Often enough we have to taper and for a few weeks a year we get an “off season,” whatever that means. These few weekends are strange though.

Speaking with a coworker who is training for an Ironman about weekends like this his response was: “I have no idea what to do when it’s 8:00 in the morning on a Saturday if I don’t go for a five hour bike ride? Eat breakfast—but then what?”

****Linzay Logan is the copy editor for Competitor magazine and cares about punctuation probably a little too much. She particularly loves to avoid commas as well as add exclamation points whenever she can get away with it! She also loves to run marathons and half-marathons—probably a little too much. Don’t let her small size fool you; she’ll still try to outrun you anytime. Even though chances are she probably can’t. Have a question or comment for Linzay? Email her at Llogan@competitorgroup.com

One thing’s for sure: tahini’s creamy, rich, slightly toasty flavor is a delicious addition to dips, spreads, salad dressings and sauces. When tahini is paired with high-protein, high-fiber chickpeas in hummus, athletes can enjoy dipping crudité or whole-wheat pita chips in the beige emulsion without guilt.

Basic Hummus

Tahini, the all-natural performance enhancer. Photo: mediterraneandiet.com

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup tahini

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half

scant bit of water, if necessary

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika (I like sweet paprika)

Combine all ingredients in a blender (adding water only if necessary to create a smooth mixture) and pulse until the hummus is mostly smooth.

Optional Inclusions

Before blending:

pinch ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon crushed chilis (or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce)

pinch ground cardamom

pinch ground coriander

pinch onion powder

After blending:

extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top

toasted pine nuts

Three runners are being credited with helping catch a pair of robbers in Manchester, New Hampshire over the weekend. According to police, a woman was robbed and assaulted while she was trying to deposit money into a bank. The runners had been passing by and heard her cries for help. They came over to her, and then chased after the suspect who was fleeing on foot. The suspect eventually got into a car that sped off.

After the police arrrived, the runners gave them an accurate description of the vehicle, which was enough information for the police to issue two arrest warrants for the suspects.

According to an article on the WMUR Web site, the two suspects, Justin Proulx and Casey Magraf, turned themselves into the police and have since been released on bail. The three runners were not identified.

For More: WMUR

Think you know everything you need to know about protein? Get ready for some myth busting.

Written by: Matthew Kadey, MSc., RD

Like training for a marathon, dietary protein is not something to take lightly. Protein is essential for a wide range of bodily processes, most notably the synthesis and maintenance of muscles, enzymes, hormones, bones, cartilage, hair and skin. Plus, protein helps dull hunger, preventing surreptitious midnight fridge raids, and provides an auxiliary fuel source for runners to be used alongside fat and carbohydrate.

So, if all you focus on is carbohydrates, your body won’t function to its full potential. Yet, there remains considerable confusion about protein, which may you with no idea how best to approach this macronutrient. Let’s set the record straight.

Myth #1: Only bodybuilders need more protein.

The Facts: To encourage recovery of mile-ravaged muscle, improve strength, help meet increased caloric requirements and offset protein oxidation during bouts of running, runners undeniably require more dietary protein than someone who only runs to the fridge during halftime. Those undergoing endurance training need about 0.55 to 0.65 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So a 160-pound runner needs roughly 88 to 104 grams of protein to meet training needs.

As intensity, frequency and duration of training increases shoot for the higher end of the protein range. Skimp on this, and your body will borrow from muscle to meet its needs—undermining fitness growth. Fortunately, you should have no trouble meeting your protein quota if you nosh on a varied, whole-food diet (See Protein Power below).

Myth #2: Protein plays no role in replacing spent carbohydrate stores.

The Facts: The power of protein post-exercise doesn’t stop with building lean body mass. Studies have demonstrated that consuming a combination of carbohydrates and protein early during the post-workout period enhances muscular glycogen levels (the storage form of carbohydrate) above what is incurred if only carbohydrates are sent down the gullet.

It’s believed that protein stimulates a larger rise in insulin levels, which helps drive more sugar into muscle cells to build more glycogen. Having saturated glycogen stores is vital to running performance since this is the primary fuel used for high-intensity exercise. Studies suggest that the ideal ratio of carbs and protein in a post-exercise meal is roughly 4:1. So, after a hard run, top that plate of pasta with some meat sauce.

Myth #3: Only protein from animals is complete.

The Facts: The protein that is found in a hunk of steak is made up of a chain of amino acids, 12 of which can be manufactured by the human body. Another nine, called “essential amino acids”, must be obtained from food because the body is unable to make them from other substances. A complete protein is a protein source that contains all of the essential amino acids and does a better job at repairing and building muscle cells damaged through exercise than an incomplete protein source, which lacks one or more of the key amino acids.

Steak lovers like to trumpet protein from animal sources such as beef, chicken, eggs and milk as the only real way to get enough complete protein to meet muscular needs. But on top of providing serious nutritional firepower, the plant foods soy, quinoa, hemp, spirulina, chia and amaranth do contain a full complement of amino acids, making them a worthy addition to any post-run repast. The plant foods that are incomplete and need a little help such as brown rice, beans, nuts and lentils can be paired together at a meal to form complete proteins. Examples are beans and rice, lentils and corn, and nut butter on whole-grain bread. Whether you are a vegan or meatarian, as long as you consume a varied diet you should have no problem consuming enough high-quality protein to meet your training needs.

Myth #4: Protein “megadosing” maximizes muscular benefit.

The Facts: A watershed study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association determined that the ingestion of more than 30 grams of protein (about 113 grams of lean beaf) in a single meal does not further boost the stimulation of muscle protein synthesis in both young and elderly persons. Excess protein will be lost to oxidation (at the expense of fat stores) or potentially converted to fat stores. Yes, like carbohydrates, too much protein can pad your midriff with doughy flesh. The upshot is that it’s wise to spread protein intake throughout the day to maximize muscle repair and synthesis instead of loading up during one or two meals.

Myth #5: Protein powders are a must-have supplement for athletes.

The Facts: Those tubs of protein powder do have their merits, particularly fast-digesting whey, which has a very high protein quality score, but it’s very much possible for runners to meet their increased protein requirements from food alone. For example, a post-run smoothie that contains a half-cup Greek yogurt, 1 cup fat-free milk and two tablespoons peanut butter without any powder supplement has about 25 grams of protein. According to a 2009 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 20 grams of protein post-workout is the magic number to stimulate muscle recovery and synthesis.

Protein Power

Here’s the grub that can help a 160-pound runner get enough protein.

2 hard-boiled eggs

Protein: 12 grams

6 ounces Atlantic salmon

Protein: 34 grams

1 cup cooked quinoa

Protein: 8 grams

1 cup cooked lentils

Protein: 18 grams

1 ounce almonds

Protein: 6 grams

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

Protein: 14 grams

1 cup fat-free milk

Protein: 8 grams

1 cup cooked oatmeal

Protein: 6 grams

Total Protein: 106 grams

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Written by: Sean McKeon

The USA Track and Field Foundation has announced they will award 26 elite athlete development grants for 2010. Each year the USATF Foundation awards grants to deserving post-collegiate track and field athletes. In order to qualify for a grant an athlete must meet minimum performance and financial need standards.

Here is the official release from the USATF regarding the grants and recipients:

INDIANAPOLIS – The USA Track & Field Foundation has presented Elite Athlete Development Grants to 26 athletes, Foundation Executive Director Tom Jackovic and Chairman Bob Greifeld, announced Tuesday.

Athletes receiving $4,000 grants include first-time grantees Corey White (javelin throw), Mark Hollis (pole vault), Sarah Stevens (shot put/hammer throw), Rubin Williams (sprints), Kara Patterson (javelin throw), Liz Roehrig (heptathlon), Daniel Huling (steeplechase), Karjuan Williams (800 meters) and Leslie Cole (400/200 meters). Hollis posted a Visa Championship Series victory at the 103rd Millrose Games in January, Huling was on the 2009 Team USA World Championships roster, and Patterson was a 2008 Olympian.

Repeat grantees receiving $4,000 grants include Liz Wanless (shot put), Brianna Glenn (long jump), Noah Bryant (shot put), Sheldon Battle (shot put), Mike Hazle (javelin throw), Loree Smith (hammer throw), Britney Henry (hammer throw), Laron Bennett (400 meter hurdles), Darren Niedermeyer (pole vault), Jerome Miller (110 meter hurdles), Christopher Helwick (decathlon), Erin Gilreath (hammer throw), Matthew Turner (long jump), Chris Randolph (decathlon), Russ Winger (shot put), Rachel Yurkovich (javelin throw) and Dominique Darden (400 meter hurdles).  Hazle, Smith and Gilreath all are Olympians, while Yurkovich reached the final of the women’s javelin at the 2009 World Championships.

“Starting a new year by assisting so many worthwhile athletes is very gratifying.  We hope to provide even further support in the months and years to come,” Jackovic said.

The Foundation Elite Athlete Grant Program contributes to the pursuit of world-class performances by American post-collegiate track and field athletes. Athletes must meet minimum performance and financial need standards to be eligible and agree to participate in the Win With Integrity program.

The USATF Foundation provides a means to attract and guide funds to new and innovative track and field programs, with an emphasis on providing opportunities for youth athletes, emerging athletes and anti-doping education. The Foundation each year awards more than half a million dollars in grants and other support. Its programs depend on donations from its Board of Directors and from generous fans of track & field.

For more information or to contribute to the USA Track & Field Foundation, visit http://www.usatffoundation.org

Written By: David Monti
(c) 2009 Race Results Weekly, used with permission.

NEW YORK (29-Dec) — Participation in American road races grew by a healthy 11% in 2009, according to a detailed analysis prepared by Race Results Weekly, the wire service of distance running.

The Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon had the largest growth of any US event in 2009. Photo: PhotoRun.net

The analysis, which looked at the results of 200 well-established road races in 38 states and the District of Columbia, found that 168 of the races, or 84%, showed growth in the number of official finishers compared to 2008.  A total of 1,365,981 finishers were recorded by the group of events analyzed, up 133,706 from 2008.  Year-over-year changes ranged from a gain of 10,199 for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half-Marathon (+132%), to a loss of 3,119 for the City of Los Angeles Marathon (-18%).  The median event had 4,372 finishers.

“There are many good reasons for the continued growth of our sport, which have been voiced by race directors all over the world,” commented Tracy Sundlun, Vice-President of the Competitor Group which owns and operates the Rock ‘n’ Roll series of marathons and half-marathons, in an e-mail.  “I believe virtually all of them are valid.”  Sundlun, whose events stress on-course entertainment added: “In today’s world people want more than just a race; they want an event.”

Races held over the 5-kilometer, 10-mile, and half-marathon distances showed the biggest increases, with each of those groups topping 15% growth.  In the 10-mile group, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, held each April in Washington, D.C., was up a hefty 21% to 14,883 finishers.

“I believe it is the 38-year, history of the event, Washington, D.C., cherry blossoms, and a flat and fast course that passes by the monuments and blossoms,” wrote Cherry Blossom race director Phil Stewart in an e-mail when asked what was behind the growth in his race.  “I think there is a certain amount of collective thinking in the sport; once an event earns a reputation as ‘the event you have to run’ it feeds on itself.”

Stewart’s event uses a lottery to determine it’s field, and interest is up again for the 2010 edition.  “We had 27,000 apply for the lottery for 2010, so that is an indicator of the demand for the event,” Stewart said.  “Since we cleared the streets on time the (National) Park Service allowed us 15,000 for 2010.”

The results of 44 marathons from 28 states were included in the analysis, representing 297,683 finishers, up 5% from 2008.  The ING New York City Marathon raised its number of allowed entrants this year to accommodate record demand and recorded a world record 43,660 finishers, up 5,564 or 15% from last year.

“Amidst doom and gloom in sports and entertainment, running was a shining star,” wrote Mary Wittenberg, the president and CEO of the New York Road Runners which organized the ING New York City Marathon and dozens of other events in 2009, via e-mail.  She added: “Our theory that not only is running good for people, but it makes them feel better, was tested in these tough times and the proof is in the pudding, as they say.”

The record growth in New York was offset somewhat by declines in finishers at the marathons in Los Angeles (-3,119 or -18%) and San Diego (-3,045 or -19%).  Nonetheless, the five largest American marathons –New York, Chicago, Boston, Marine Corps (Washington, D.C.) and Honolulu– recorded a total of 141,241 finishers, up 9%.

[A separate and larger study of ALL American marathons by MarathonGuide.com showed a more robust 9% increase in the number of marathon finishers.  "That's the largest year-to-year growth in finisher numbers since the 9.8% year-to-year growth seen in the abnormal years of 2001/2002 when travel and finisher numbers were down in 2001 after 9/11," wrote MarathonGuide.com owner John Elliott in an e-mail.]

The ten largest events of any distance had a total of 328,115 finishers, up 6% from 2008.  The largest event in the analysis was the Dick’s Sporting Goods Bolder Boulder 10-K with 49,757 finishers.  (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race 10-K, the largest fully timed race in the United States in 2009 with 49,997 finishers, could not be included in the analysis because the event did not time all finishers in 2008.)

The industry’s traditional sweet spot, the 10-K, showed 10% growth for the 29 events of that distance analyzed.  Only five of the 10-K races showed a decline in finishers.

The 47 races with under 2000 finishers included in the analysis showed more growth on average than larger events, perhaps because many of the larger races have hit capacity constraints.  Races with under 2000 finishers showed nearly 14% growth, suggesting that the industry has a lot of headroom to grow participation, further.

“The challenge of 2010 and this next decade is to continue to grow the base from the fitness runners to the stars, while developing a broader and stronger fan base around this compelling sport of ours,” concluded the New York Road Runners’ Wittenberg.

HOW THE ANALYSIS WAS DONE

In order to be included in the analysis, events had to be staged for at least three years, have at least 1000 finishers in 2009 for the primary event for multi-race festivals, and have all of their finishers timed for both 2008 and 2009.  A minimum of ten events for each month of the year were included to reduce any seasonal bias.  Multi-race festivals had their races counted individually.  Most, but not all, race festivals included in the analysis had all of their individual races counted, but relay finishers were not counted due to inconsistencies in how relays are staged and scored.

There were more eligible events than could be included in the analysis; there are thousands of road races in the United States each year.

The analysis used official finishers –as opposed to race entrants– because it is a better measure of participation.  A finisher must complete the entire sequence of registering for a race, putting in adequate training, traveling to an event (if necessary), and actually completing it.  A race entrant may just sign-up and never run at all, not even in training.  However, bad weather can depress the number of race finishers even if the number of registrants has grown from year-to-year.

Events which shifted dates from 2008 to 2009 were categorized by their 2009 month of competition.

—

Copies of the entire data file showing the year-over-year change in finishers of all 200 events is available as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file for $100.  The file can be sorted by event name, city, state, month, distance, 2009 finishers, 2008 finishers, finisher change and percentage change.  The file comes pre-sorted by the number of 2009 finishers (descending).  To order, send an e-mail to Jane Monti at j9monti@verizon.net with the subject “Analysis”.

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2009 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon winner Caroline Rotich of Kenya. Photo by: PhotoRun.

There was hot running on a cold day in Sin City.

Written by: Mario Fraioli

Despite live bands, white Bengal tigers, dancing girls and a pre-race fireworks display, it was a pair of Kenyans who stole the show Sunday morning at the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon.

Taking her first stab at the 26.2-mile distance, Caroline Rotich pulled away from pre-race favorite Russian Alevtina Ivanova over the final five kilometers, breaking the tape in a winning time of 2:29:47 to outdistance Ivanova by 18 seconds. Rotich pocketed $15,000 as the women’s champion and another $10,000 for winning the Gender Challenge as the first person–male or female–to cross the finish line. As part of the Gender Challenge, the elite women received a 20-minute head start on the main field of 27,600 runners.

“I was like ‘Oh, this is good, this is going to be really good for me,’” Rotich said. “I was really happy.”

Rotich, who trailed Ivanova by 33 seconds at the halfway point, simply followed her coach’s advice to stick to her prescribed pace in the race’s early stages and not push until the final 10 kilometers. It was a plan that the marathon rookie Rotich executed to perfection.

“My coach told me not to push really hard the first half,” Rotich recalled. “I was trying to keep my pace and

Men's marathon winner Christopher Toroitich. Photo by: PhotoRun.

not push hard, and then after 20 miles I tried to push a little harder. In mile 23 I saw (Romanova) and I was just trying to get in front of her. She was so fast so I was like ‘oh maybe I’m not going to make it but I’m going to be consistent on my way’. It was my first time in Las Vegas and my first time running a marathon. I thought this maybe was going to be a good race for me.”

Sara Raschiatore of Clermont, Florida was the top American women, finishing 8th overall in 2:51:17 and taking home $1,000 for her efforts.

On the men’s side, it was Rotich’s countryman, Christopher Toroitich, who took home the top prize, crossing the finish line in 2:15:15, just over a minute ahead of Ethiopian Terefae Yae who finished in 2:16:42.

“The weather was very bad–too cold,” Toroitich said. “My muscles were not responding very well. I’m not so happy with my time but I’m going to improve on it next time.”

Despite the unusually cold and windy conditions, Toroitich ran aggressively from the get-go, tugging the main field through the halfway point in 1:06:23. At the 20-mile mark he led a chase pack of seven runners by almost 2 minutes, an advantage Yae chipped away at over the final ten kilometers but could never completely close.

“When we hit 30 kilometers I thought maybe I can win,” Toroitich said. “If they get me no problem, if I win it, it’s OK.”

Stephen Haas of Indianapolis, Indiana took home $1,000 as the top American to make it across the finish line, completing the 26.2 miles in 2:18:45, one minute and three seconds ahead of Colorado’s Justin Young. Haas, who qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials by finishing under 2:19 in today’s race, caught up to Young just after the 20-mile mark and put a minute on him over the final 10K.

In the accompanying half marathon, Ethiopian Bekana Daba beat out Mexican Abel Chavez by a little more than a minute, setting a course standard of 1:01:40 while taking home $3,000 for the victory. Daba, who was making his debut half marathon, won the Carlsbad 5,000 earlier this year and boasts a track PR of 12:59 for the distance.

Ethiopia's Bekana Daba, winner of the men's half marathon. Photo by: PhotoRun.

“It was good competition,” Daba said about the half marathon field. “And it was very cold. I warmed up but not enough. This is my first half marathon and I think I will do well in the future at this distance. I am happy.”

26-year-old Fernando Cabada of Boulder, Colorado was the top American male, finishing sixth in the 1:04:56. Cabada, the 2008 US Champion in the marathon who ran the ninth fastest debut marathon by an American (2:12:27) at Fukuoka in 2007, is training for the Rock-N-Roll Arizona Marathon in Phoenix—Scottsdale—Tempe on January 17, 2010. He qualified for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials by finishing under 65 minutes in today’s race.

An Ethiopian also won the women’s race, as Werknesh Kidane crossed the finish line in 1:10:55, a minute and nineteen seconds ahead of American Desiree Davila from the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

“It was a nice race,” Kidane said. “But it was very cold and I was happy to win.”

This was the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon, powered by Zappos.com and benefitting the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Over 27,000 runners were registered for both races–up almost 15,000 from the Zappos.com Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon in 2008.

Racing Weight, by Matt Fitzgerald

Written by: Matt Fitzgerald

There are lots of good books on endurance sports nutrition. There’s Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, by Monique Ryan; Nutrition Periodization for Endurance Athletes, by Bob Seebohar; Performance Nutrition for Runners, by yours truly; and many others. Most of these books contain a chapter on weight management. But body weight and body composition are such major factors in endurance performance that they really deserve more than a single chapter, don’t you think?

I thought so, anyway, so last year I set about writing the first book exclusively focused on the issue of weight management for endurance athletes. That book, entitled Racing Weight: How to Get Lean and Fit for Peak Performance, has just been published. If you have ever struggled to reach and maintain your optimal racing weight, you’ll want to check it out. I know I’m biased, but I think it will help you!

Racing Weight is divided into three parts. Part I (“Finding Your Racing Weight”) covers the importance of being light and lean if you want to perform better and gives you some unique new tools to determine your own optimal performance weight and to track your progress toward it. In this section you will also find chapters that address seasonal considerations (which cover topics such as managing your weight during the off-season versus the competitive season), as well as sport-specific nutritional challenges, and tips for beginning endurance athletes.

Part II (“Five Steps to Your Racing Weight”) presents a five-step plan to get leaner and lighter in a way that maximizes performance and all-around health. Each step in the plan is based on the latest advances in the science of weight management, especially as they relate to endurance athletes, and on the practices that are proven to work best in the real world. Here’s a quick synopsis of the Racing Weight plan for body weight optimization:

Step 1: Improve your diet quality.

Step 1 in my Racing Weight plan is to improve your diet quality, or the amount of nutrition you get from each calorie in your diet. Increasing the nutrition-per-calorie ratio of your diet will enable you to get all the nutrients you need for maximum performance from fewer total calories, thus enabling you to become leaner. An effective way to improve your diet quality is to grade or score the quality of your current diet and continue to score your diet quality as you make efforts to improve it. Nutrition scientists have come up with various ways of measuring diet quality. Most of these approaches are a bit too complex to be useful to the average runner, so I created a simplified diet-quality scoring system that you will find very easy to work with and that will help you nourish your body for health and endurance performance.

Step 2: Balance your energy sources.

There are three main sources of energy for the human body: carbohydrate, fat and protein. Each of these three “macronutrients” is used by the body in a different way. There are also different types of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that affect the body in slightly different ways. Consuming the right balance of macronutrients and the right balance of carbohydrate, fat, and protein types will help you achieve your optimal performance weight.

Step 3: Time your nutrition.

When you eat affects your body as much as what you eat. The timing of your food intake has a big impact on what’s known as energy partitioning, or what becomes of the calories you consume. There are three main destinations of food calories in your body: muscle, fat cells, and energy. If you want to become leaner, you need to shift the balance of energy partitioning so that more calories are incorporated into your muscles, fewer calories are stored in your fat tissues, and more calories are used to supply your body’s immediate and short-term energy needs. This shift will lead to more metabolism-boosting lean tissue and less health-jeopardizing fat tissue.

Interestingly, you can often achieve this objective with little or no reduction in the total number of calories that enter your body. We’re really talking about redirecting calories once they’ve entered your body, not about decreasing the number of calories that enter your body in the first place. The practice of nutrient timing, or consuming the right nutrients at the right times throughout the day, will enable you to partition your energy more effectively and achieve your racing weight.

Step 4: Manage your appetite.

Appetite is important. It is your body’s built-in mechanism for food intake regulation, and its job is to drive you to eat enough to meet your body’s energy and micronutrient needs, and no more. The appetite mechanism works very well under normal circumstances, having survived millions of years of evolutionary testing to the benefit of our health. But our modern lifestyle does not constitute “normal circumstances” in relation to the environment in which most of our evolution took place. Consequently, our appetite cannot be entirely relied upon to ensure that we don’t overeat.

In recent years scientists have learned a lot about how the appetite mechanism works. Understanding how your appetite works puts you in a better position to manage it effectively so that you consume only the number of calories you need to maximize your performance and no more.

Step 5: Train right.

Training errors are common in every endurance sport, even at the highest levels of competition. Many of these training errors not only limit performance but also prevent athletes from becoming as lean as they could be. Training methods continue to evolve at the elite level of each endurance sport. Bringing your training methods up to date will help you raise your level of performance and achieve or maintain your racing weight.

Part III of Racing Weight (“The Racing Weight Menu”) provides resources that will help you put the Racing Weight plan into practice. These resources include sample food journals from elite athletes in several different endurance sports (including Ryan Hall and Chrissie Wellington);

21 delicious and easy-to-prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes created by professional triathlete and dietitian Pip Taylor; and information about the few nutritional supplements that may help you get leaner.

‘Tis the Season

The holiday season – also known as the off-season for many endurance athletes – is upon us. This is the time of year when we tend to stray farthest from our ideal racing weight. That makes it the perfect time to invest a little pocket change in a resource that will help you reverse the trend. Don’t wait: Get your copy of Racing Weight today!

We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming…

Meb winning the 2009 NYC Marathon. Photo: PhotoRun.net

Mebrahtom “Meb” Keflezighi becomes the first American winner of the ING New York City Marathon since 1982.

Click here for photos.

There was a lot of talk about a possible American winner of the 2009 ING New York City Marathon on Sunday. Most of that talk centered on Ryan Hall, but it was 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi who pulled off the feat. His winning time was 2:09:14

Meb was not the whole story, however. This year’s New York City Marathon also served as the USA Men’s Marathon Championship. Most of the top male American marathon runners were present, and they acquitted themselves brilliantly. After faltering on 1^st Avenue, Hall regrouped and clawed his way up to fourth place. In all, six Americans made the top 10.

On the women’s side, in a slow, sparse race, it was Ethiopia’s great Derartu Tulu who finally claimed a victory no one seemed to want, breaking the tape at 2:28:52. Heavy pre-race favorite Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain, the three-time and defending New York City Marathon champion, struggled with a leg injury and finished fourth.

Tulu wins the 2009 NYC Marathon. Photo: PhotoRun.net

The Women’s Race

Conditions at the time of the women’s race start at 9:15 AM were pretty good: the temperature was 52°F, the skies were overcast and the ground was dry. It was only a stiff breeze that kept the conditions from being ideal for marathoning.

At the horn, Radcliffe shot straight to the front and the rest of the elite women’s field fell in—obediently, it seemed—behind her. Radcliffe had announced before the race that she would attempt to break Kenyan Margaret Okayo’s women’s course record of 2:22:31, set in 2003, and it was clear from the seeming reluctance with which her rivals followed her from Staten Island into Brooklyn that, if she achieved her goal, she would have to run alone much of the way.

It is very difficult to chase fast times in a marathon without anyone to push you, however, and by the 5K mark—reached in 17:55—Radcliffe’s secondary goal already seemed out of reach.

Her primary goal was, of course, to win. As if Radcliffe did not have it easy enough in that regard, facing the weakest women’s elite field in memory, between three and four miles, her two strongest rivals—Kenya’s Salina Kosgei, the reigning Boston Marathon champion, and Japan’s Yuri Kano, a 68-minute half marathoner—got their feet tangled up and fell hard to the pavement. Kosgei was up and back with the group quickly. Kano resumed running but never recovered.

Dissatisfied with her early pace, Radcliffe accelerated over the second 5K, which she ran in 17:20, whittling the lead pack down to six runners in the process. Among them were American Magdalena Lewy Boulet; Christelle Daunay of France, a 2:31 performer; Ethiopia’s Deratu Tulu; 41-year-old Ludmila Petrova of Russia, the 2000 New York City Marathon winner; and Kosgei, who was bleeding from the left knee as a result of her fall and looked to be in pain.

Having found a comfortable groove, Radcliffe stuck with it, covering the next 5K in 12:23 and reaching the 15K mark in 52:38. First to fall off the back was Lewy Boulet, but not because of any change in pace. In fact, the pace slowed slightly as Radcliffe led four others past the halfway mark in 1:14:04. By this point it was Daunay who looked most comfortable in the group, but Radcliffe never looks especially comfortable.

Radcliffe ran miles 14 and 15 so slowly, in 5:47 and 5:48 respectively, that Daunay almost had no choice but to pull onto her shoulder and share the lead. Even so, a grimacing Kosgei began to fall behind.

On the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan, Daunay began to press the pace slightly and immediately put the other women under pressure. All five reformed a pack on 1^st Avenue, but Daunay had established her strength. Radcliffe seemed to decide that this was unacceptable and tried to reclaim her dominance over the group, moving back to the front and running the 16^th mile in 5:31.

The final four stayed glued together as they slogged their way toward and into the Bronx. It was amazing to watch as all four basically blew up in unison, slowing to 5:50 in mile 20 and 5:53 in mile 21. A door was being opened wide, but none of the women had the wherewithal to walk through.

As the women approached the entrance to Central Park, Radcliffe drifted to the rear of the group as her form fell apart. It was Petrova who hit the park first, a step ahead of Daunay and Tulu. Petrova decided the time was right to make her move and attacked the hills. Daunay broke while Tulu hung tough. Behind Petrova and Tulu, an incredibly gutsy Radcliffe began to catch a fading Daunay.

With 800 meters to go, Tulu exploded ahead, and the race was over.

“I tried not to win but to challenge others,” she said.

Women’s Top 10

1. Derartu Tulu (Ethiopia) – 2:28:52

2. Ludmilla Petrova (Russia) – 2:29:00

3. Christelle Daunay (France) – 2:29:16

4. Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) – 2:29:46

5. Salina Kosgei (Kenya) – 2:31:53

6. Magdalena Lewy Boulet – 2:32:17

7. Buzunesh Deba (Ethiopia) 2:35:54

8. Serkalem Biset Abrha (Ethiopia) – 2:37:20

9. Yuri Kano (Japan) – 2:39:05

10. Desiree Ficker (USA) – 2:39:30

Meb powering home through Central Park. PhotoRun.net

The Men’s Race

The men’s race started 30 minutes after the women’s. Abderrahime Bouramdane of Morocco, the 2008 Boston Marathon runner-up; 2004 and 2005 New York City Marathon winner Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa; and Kenya’s Patrick Makau, owner of history’s second-fastest half marathon time, led a large pack of elite men over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

An impatient Bouramdane went off the front alone on Brooklyn’s 4^th Avenue between the second and third mile marks. Less than two kilometers later, though, he had been swallowed up by an elite selection of 17 runners. Among them were five Americans: Ryan Hall, Meb Keflezighi, Bolota Asmerom, Abdi Abdirahman and Jorge Torres.

Makau kept the pace honest, running the sixth mile in 4:52 and leading the group through 10K in a respectable time of 31:02. Over the next mile, almost imperceptibly, Makau eased away from the group, and then Bouramdane took over again and built a lead of his own. On the approach to the 15K mark, which Bouramdane reached in 46:19, it was the American duo of Hall and Keflezighi who teamed up to lead the charge to reel in the Moroccan. By the 10-mile mark, Bouramdane, Hall and Meb were sharing the lead.

At this point the lead pack was down to 13 runners, and all five of the top Americans were still there. It was looking likely that the overall men’s race and the USA Men’s Marathon Championship results would be all mixed up.

Bouramdane surged again as the pack approach the halfway point, but this time his rivals did not allow him to establish more than a nominal gap. He hit 13.1 miles at 1:05:07, with 11 others (Asmerom had begun to drop off) just a few seconds in arrears.

Surprisingly, as the men climbed the slope of the Queensboro Bridge, it was defending champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil who lost contact with the pack. As he always seems to do, Ramaala threw the hammer down as the group merged onto 1^st Avenue and instantly strung out the group. Only Bouramdane, Kenyans Kwambai, Jackson Kipkoech and Cheruiyot were able to answer as Ramaala ran a 4:43 17^th mile. Hall, Meb and others showed wise patience, though, and were eventually able to catch up. The lead group was now down to nine.

Smelling blood, the strongest of the nine—including Cheruiyot and his training partner Kwambai—continued to press, running the next mile in 4:37, and soon Beijing silver medalist Jaouad Gharib, Hall, Abdirahman and Torres had become unhitched. Keflezighi was the only American with enough left in the tank to hang on. Kwambai was next to lose contact, leaving Meb, Bouramdane, and Cheruiyot to sort out the podium.

Keflezighi made a gutsy surge at 22 miles, and Bouramdane and Kwambai struggled to respond. Cheruiyot not only responded but threw in a surge of his own, and Meb thought it best to tuck in behind him. Shortly after entering the park, the American struck. Cheruiyot tried gamely to hit back, but within moments he was looking back to check on the security of his hold on second place—a sure sign that the race belonged to Keflezighi.

Behind them, Keflezighi’s training partner Ryan Hall dug deep and moved up from seventh to fourth place. Keflezighi pointed alternately to the letters “USA” on his singlet and to the sky as he raced down the final stretch to the finish line, Cheruiyot now almost out of sight behind him.

After crossing the finish line, Keflezighi wept. “I cried for Ryan Shay,” he later explained, referring to his late friend and training partner, who collapsed and died while running the 2008 USA Olympic Team Trials Marathon in Central Park.

Men’s Top 10

1. Meb Keflezighi (USA) – 2:09:14

2. Robert Cheruiyot (Kenya) – 2:09:56

3. Jaouad Gharib (Morocco) – 2:10:25

4. Ryan Hall (USA) – 2:10:45

5. Abderrahime Bouramdane (Morocco) – 2:12:14

6. Hendrick Ramaala (South Africa) – 2:12:31

7. Jorge Torres (USA) – 2:13:00

8. Nick Arciniaga (USA) 2:13:46

9. Abdi Abdirahman (2:14:00)

10. Jason Lehmkuhle (2:14:39)

The new athlete engineered weight loss system Forze demonstrates how their product can be used to increase running performance. With the use of the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill, we are able to see the direct correlation between body weight and performance.

Men’s 800

Khadevis Robinson (far left) and Gary Reed (second from left) coud surprise in the 800m. Photo: PhotoRun.net

The favorite has to be 20-year-old Abubaker Kaki of Sudan, who leads the world with a 1:43.09 clocking from the Doha meeting in May. Kaki burst onto the scene in 2008, winning the indoor world championship and clocking an impressive 1:42.69 to end the year ranked number one in the world. Countryman Ismail Ahmed is looking to repeat his success from Bejing, where he took a silver medal. Ismail has had moderate success in 2009 and has posted a season’s best of 1:43:82. 2004 Olympic champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia has been impressive throughout the season, rebounding from a poor Olympic defense in 2008, which saw him miss qualifying for the final. Asbel Kiprop of Kenya could easily contend for a medal in the event, although he will be doubling back in the 1500m, which throws a question mark over his head. Fellow Kenyans David Rudisha and defending world champion Alfred Kirwa Yego will certainly be there in the final turn. Considering the volatility of the event, it is hard to discount any athlete who has the ability to close fast. Not to be taken lightly are Americans Khadevis Robinson and Nick Symmonds, Gary Reed of Canada and Mohammed Al-Salhi of Suadi Arabia.

Competitor.com says: 1. Abubaker Kaki (SUD), 2. Yuriy Borzakovskiy (RUS), 3. Gary Reed (CAN)

Women’s 800m

Maggie Vessey made a statement winning at Pre. Photo: PhotoRun.net

This is quite possibly the most wide-open event in the program. It is almost impossible to predict what will happen in the women’s 800m. Not only are the world leaders virtually untested in major competition, but the runaway favorite from the 2008 Olympics has had a poor 2009. Leading the world list is 18-year-old South African Caster Semenya. Semenya ran out of her skull at her national championships, setting close to an eight-second personal best with a time of 1:56.72. Semenya is not yet fully proven, though, and the same can be said about American Maggie Vessey, who recently ran1:57.84, a four-second personal best of her own. Vessey has been impressive with three major Grand Prix wins this year, but finished only fourth at the US championships. Russian Mariya Savinova is the world indoor champion at the distance, and is probably the clear pick when overall 2009 performance and international experience are considered. Then, of course there is 2008 Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo, who clocked 1:54.01 in 2008, but has dipped under 2:00 only once thus far in 2009. Another seasoned Kenyan, Janeth Jepkosgei, the Olympic silver medalist, has the strength to endure through all three rounds. Throw in Moroccan Olympic bronze medalist Hasna Benhassi and it really is anyone’s race in Berlin.

Competitor.com says: 1. Mariya Savinova (RUS), 2. Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN), 3. Hasna Benhassi (MOR)

Men’s 1500m

Bernard Lagat will look to repeat in the 1500m. Photo: PhotoRun.net

Although known as a long-distance running factory, Kenya may sweep a middle-distance event this year. World leader Augustine Choge (3:29.47), Haron Keitany (3:30.20) and Asbel Kiprop (3:31.20) all hail from the Rift Valley powerhouse and are poised to make the sweep a reality. Looking to break the Kenyan sweep will be French Olympic bronze medalist Mehdi Baala and defending world champion Bernard Lagat of the United States. Baala ran an impressive 3:30.96 to win in Monaco in late July. Lagat has run 3:32.56 and set a PR at 3000m (7:33.15) in Paris. 2008 world indoor champion Deresse Mekonnen of Ethiopia would love to be the one to take down the Kenyan trio. Mekonnen has run 3:32.18 this year in Monaco, setting a new personal best. Not to be left out of the mix is a group of great closers including Tarek Boukensa of Algeria and Belal Mansor Ali of Bahrain, who have run 3:31.90 and 3:32.10 respectively in 2009.

Competitor.com says: 1. Asbel Kiprop (KEN), 2. Bernard Lagat (USA), 3. Belal Mansor Ali (BRN)

Women’s 1500m

Maryam Jamal looks to be the favorite in the 1500m. Photo: PhotoRun.net

A great battle is on tap in the women’s 1500m, as Maryam Jamal of Bahrain and Gelte Burka of Ethiopia will square off to prove who is the best woman in the world. Jamal leads the world list with a 3:56.55 clocking in Rome and Burka won in dominating fashion in Hengelo with a season-best 3:58.79. Jamal most recently defeated Burka in Monaco on July 27th, although that was after a loss to her rival on July 7th in Lausanne. Looking to play spoiler is Russian Anna Alminova, the European indoor champion and number-two performer on the year with a 3:58.38 performance at the Russian championships. Two dark horses from the US are sitting in the wings ready to take their first international glory, first in the form of Christin Wurth-Thomas, who took the win in Stockholm on July 31st and who became just the fifth American woman in history to run under 4:00 with her personal best run of 3:59.98 in Rome. American Anna Willard has also looked stellar all season, the Olympic steeplechase finalist has moved down in distance and set personal bests of 1:58.80 and 4:01.44 in 2009. Like Jelimo in the 800m, Kenyan Olympic champion Nancy Lagat has run poorly thus far in 2009 with a season-best 4:05.05, but should not be counted out as she has clearly proved herself on the championship stage. Other athletes who could make a serious push for a medal are American Shannon Rowbury, Russian Natalya Evdokimova, Spaniard Nuria Fernandez and Moroccan Mariem Alaoui Selsouli.

Competitor.com says: 1. Maryam Jamal (BRN), 2.Anna Alminova (RUS), 3. Gelete Burka (ETH)