RUNNING INDUSTRY NEWS ROUND-UP
By David Monti
(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
(21-Dec) -- Here is the latest news from running events and the running industry which has crossed your editor's desk:
BIG JAPANESE NAMES FOR OSAKA WOMEN'S MARATHON:
The invited field for next month's Osaka Women's Marathon boasts two of the biggest names in Japanese distance running. The race, scheduled for Sunday, January 29, is the second of three marathons which will choose the Japanese Women's Olympic Team for the London Olympics (the first was the Yokohama Women's Marathon last November). The leading entrants are Mizuki Noguchi, the 2004 Olympic Marathon champion (2:19:12 PB); Kayoko Fukushi, the national 10,000m record holder (2:24:38); and Kiyoko Shimahara, the 2009 Hokkaido Marathon champion (2:25:10). The 2008 Olympic champion, Romania's Constantina Dita (2:21:30), and the 2007 Boston Marathon champion, Lidiya Grigoryeva (2:25:10) are the top foreign entrants.
DOUMA-HUSSAR, PEACOCK LEAD MIDNIGHT RUN ENTRANTS:
The 33rd Emerald Nuts Midnight Run in New York's Central Park, which will ring in the New Year on Saturday, December 31, will feature a solid elite field led by Canadian Carmen Douma-Hussar and American Landon Peacock. Douma-Hussar, 34, an Olympian and Villanova alumnus, won the race in 2007 and was the runner-up last year. Peacock, 24, was the 2010 Big 10 indoor 5000m champion for Wisconsin and was recently second at the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day. Other top contenders include last year's NCAA Division II 10,000m champion Sarah Porter, the 2010 ECAC 5000m champion Katie DiCamillo, the 2006 Midnight Run runner-up Stephanie Pezzullo, two-time Midnight Run champion and former course record holder Christian Hesch, the fifth place finisher at the Manchester Road Race Tim Ritchie, and the 2008 NCAA 5000m championships runner-up Stephen Pifer. The four-mile road race, which usually draws about 5000 New Year's revelers, has an impressive elite tradition. Former champions include Irishman Marcus O'Sullivan, USA Olympian Amy Rudolph, and 2011 Boston Marathon runner-up Desiree Davila.
COGHLAN RETURNS TO MILLROSE GAMES:
Eamonn Coghlan, who proudly wore the moniker "Chairman of the Boards" for his seven Wanamaker Mile victories, will return to the 105th Millrose Games at the Armory in Upper Manhattan as an "adopted coach," meet organizers said. Coghlan will help bring a talented Irish squad from Dublin City University to compete in the Byron Dyce College Men's Distance Medley Relay. The meet will be held on Saturday, February 11. "I've known these kids since they were young teenagers," said Coghlan through a statement, whose son, John, will be running the 1600m anchor. "I've seen them grow up. The fact that they are all in school together, they can see what running in New York City is all about. It's exciting for their team from Dublin University to go to the Millrose Games and have a chance to do exceptionally well." He continued: "My role there is as a parent, coach and a nervous dad." The meet website is http://www.millrose-games.org which has links for a complete meet schedule and ticket purchases.
REGISTRATION FOR B.A.A DISTANCE MEDLEY TO OPEN ON JANUARY 25:
The Boston Athletic Association announced yesterday that registration for the inaugural B.A.A. Distance Medley will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, January 25, 2012, and continue until Tuesday, January 31, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. The Medley includes the B.A.A. 5-K (April 15), the B.A.A. 10-K (June 24), and the B.A.A. Half-Marathon (October 7). During the exclusive medley registration window, runners interested in running all three events will have the opportunity to sign up for all three events at once.. Medley registration will be held entirely online at www.baa.org. The winner of the Medley, based on total time, will receive a $100,000 bonus. The cost of the three-race package was not announced.
CASTELBUONO GETS GOLD LABEL:
Italy's oldest elite road race, the Giro Podistico di Castelbuono in Sicily, has earned the IAAF Gold Label, organizers announced earlier this week. The race, which will celebrate it's 100th anniversary next year, is now a certified 10-K. The new distance was first used in 2011, replacing the approximately 11-kilometer distance which had been traditionally used. Also, the race will be moved to September for the first time from its usual July 26, date to avoid conflicting with the Olympic Games. Boston and New York City Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai was the 2011 champion, establishing a course record of 29:05.
MARTIN SMASHES AMERICAN RECORD AND SETS WORLD BEST:
American masters ace Kathryn Martin, from Northport, N.Y., ran the fastest-ever 15-K by a women 60 years-of-age or older at the Ted Corbitt 15-K in New York's Central Park last Saturday. Martin, a 60 year-old real estate broker, recorded a net time of 1:01:23 (net times are acceptable for setting USA masters records), some three minutes better than the previous mark of 1:04:25 set by Shirley Matson in San Diego in 2003. Martin, who was credited with an age-graded performance of 97.28%, was the 13th woman to cross the finish line out of 2247 with a gun time of 1:01:25.
IAAF RATIFIES WORLD RECORDS FOR MAKAU:
The 2011 BMW Berlin Marathon champion Patrick Makau has had his 30-K and marathon world records ratified by the IAAF. Those marks were 1:27:38+ (previous 1:27:49+ by Haile Gebrselassie) and 2:03:38 (previous 2:03:59, also by Gebrselassie). Interestingly, Makau was not the first man to reach 30-K point in Berlin. Pacemaker Peter Cheruiyot Kirui got there one second faster, but under IAAF rules en route times are only acceptable for world records if the athlete finishes the full distance. Cheruiyot dropped out after 35-K.
TEAM USA ARIZONA RECEIVES GRANT FROM WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE HALF-MARATHON:
Team USA Arizona, coached by Greg McMillan, received a grant from the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half-Marathon in Alexandria, Va., presented by WillPower Sport & Wellness. The grant of $3668 was generated by the race by donating $1 per entry "toward a training camp dedicated to grooming Olympic and World Championship distance runners," according to race director Steve Nearman. "When you really analyze the sport, there are just a few Ryan Halls and Meb Keflezighis in distance running who can focus solely on running and not working other jobs to support themselves," Nearman said through a statement. "Our sport is so hampered by this, which is a huge barrier of entry into the profession of elite distance runner." The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half-Marathon was held for the second time on Sunday, October 1, and recorded 2793 finishers. More information is at www.wilsonbridgehalf.com.
VIENNA WOMEN'S RUN TO CELEBRATE 25TH EDITION IN 2012:
The Vienna Women's Run (Österreichischer dm Frauenlauf) will celebrate its 25th edition in 2012, organizers announced. Race directors Ilse Dippmann and Andreas Schnabl said they hope to welcome 25,000 women into Vienna this year (the 2011 event had a record 25,140 entrants). The race is scheduled for Sunday, June 2. More information is at www.austrianwomensrun.com.
PHOTO: Kayoko Fukushi prior to the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon (photo by David Monti for Race Results Weekly)
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