World of Running

#1. USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships

(Source: LetsRun)

• To preface: There are many big names who did not race at USAs this weekend. Many forwent the opportunity to focus on the world championships.
• Sam Prakel is the US National Champion in both the 3000m and the 1500m.
  • However, the win in the 1500m was controversial
    • Prakel crossed the finish line second after Josh Thompson. Thompson was disqualified for jostling 
    • Thompson went by Henry Wynne and cut in slightly on Wynne with 100m to go. Wynne hand checked him and Thompson pulled away for the win with Prakel moving up for second.
    • Thus the controversial disqualification that many are crying out was just the nature of racing in track and field.
    • Thompson ran 3:42.31, but you will not see his time in the results.
• Anna Hall claimed the win and the American Record in the pentathlon and doubled to win the national title in the 400m, running a 51.03.
• New names with US Champion added to their resumes now… Nikki Hiltz, Nia Akins, and Olympic Steeplechaser Val Constien winning with a big kick in the 3,000 meters.

#2. Camille Herron’s New World Record  

(Source)

• The Raven 24-Hour
• New track 12Hr/100 mile World and American Records and Masters Records-
• Her 3rd time over 150km for 12hours and sub 13 hours for 100 miles
• 12 Hours- 93.473 mi/150.43km (7:42 per mi, 4:47 per km)
• 100 miles/160km- 12:52:50 (7:44 per mi, 4:48 per km)
• She says it’s tougher than road/trail Ultras. 
• Lululemon is her new sponsor.

#3. World Cross Country Championships

(source: LetsRun)

• Championships held in Bathurst, Australia 
• Near the end of the course they had to zig zag through the finishing shoot. There were rows of tires, forcing the runners to weave back and forth. The actual finish is a very bumpy downhill.
• Women’s race drama:
  • Letsenbet Gidey (Ethiopia) was the strong favorite and looked like she had it in the bag with about 2k to go (final loop)
  • She was visibly struggling over the last couple hundred meters
  • Beatrice Chebet smelled blood in the water and turned it up
  • At about the moment she caught Gidey, Gidey dropped like a rock
  • A couple Ethiopian team officials came on the course to help her up, amazingly finished, only to DQ because she was helped
  • Top US finishers: Ednah Kurgat (in 18th) and Weini Kelati (in 22nd)
  • Nozomi Tanaka (Japan) continued her incredible season so far (set 2 Japanese indoor track records) with a 14th-place finish (best non-African born finish in 10 years)
• Men’s race:
  • Started the race 20min early because a crazy storm was coming (made for great photos during the race)
  • Shortly after the finish of the race, crazy winds, lightning, and rain
  • Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) once more the man to beat with a powerful win over an incredible field
  • Berihu Aregawi (Ethiopia) was second over Joshua Cheptegai (Uganda), Geoffrey Kamworor (Kenya), and Kibiwott Kandie (Kenya)
• Kenya won both team titles (first time men have won since 2011)
• USA Juniors team gets bronze- first medal since 1982.
• Mixed Relay- Most teams participating than ever- 15 

Bonus: big international meet in Lievin, France

• 3,000m: Grant Fisher skipped USA indoor nats to run this one, but ended up fading around 2k. 
  • Lamecha Girma (Ethiopia) and Mohamed Katir (Spain) both broke the previous world record (25 years ago, Daniel Komen)
  • Girma won in 7:23.81
  • Girma is a steeplechase specialist (silver medal in last 3 global champs)
  • Katir matched him stride for stride until the final 50m
• 1500m: Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway) wanted WR pace (his own record), but it wasn’t in the cards
  • Ended up basically just running solo with the pacers
  • “I’m still the best.”
• 1500m: women’s race was odd–apparently they set the pacing to go out super fast, then slow down… why? Gudaf Tsegay still won in 3:57, but not enough to best her previous WR

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