LetsRun.com Exclusive!

Free Shipping No Minimum Order

What's Let's Run.com?

More News in Our:
News Section!

Our world famous: Message Board

Highschool Front Page

Training Advice

Turn Back The Clock! Today's Top Runners Talk About Their High School Careers

Opinions
Wejo Speaks
Site co founder Weldon Johnson

Rojo Speaks
Site co founder and cross country coach at Cornell Robert Johnson.

JK Speaks
coaching guru John Kellogg

Miler Scott Anderson's Journal

RECOMMENDED
READS

Comments, questions, suggestions, story you'd like to submit?
Email us

Last Night: Nick Willis and Nate Brannen Run 3:41 Openers Michigan will attempt to be the first team sub 16 in the 4*mile relay at Penn next weekend.
*ACC Results
*Kansas Relays Results

Kevin Hanson: Hanson Runners Put Representing US Over Cash

British News:*New UK Performance Director, Dave Collins, to Hold Athletes to Stricter Standards to Receive Fundin
*Group in Britain Has Hired Mike Kosgei As Coach Will Train and Represent British and UK Athletes
Previous: Kelly Holmes to Make This Her Last Track Season
She may extend it to the Commonwealth Games in March, but that's it for the double Olympic champ.
*Kelly Holmes: Ran out of Dreams to Pursue Guardian

Former World Record Holder in the Marathon, Belayneh Dinsamo, living in poverty in Boston He had the world record for an incredible 10 years 1988-1998.

Perdita Felicien on the Comeback Trail: She Won at Mt. Sac with World Leader, Will Compete at Drake

Former London Champ Eamonn Martin Says Brits Need to Have More Confidence, Train Harder
"Get the endurance work back into the winter training schedules, get people believing in themselves....Now it's all about controlling the heart rate and this and that, not doing too much here, not doing too much there."

Olympic 200m Champ Veronica Campbell Ready for 2005

Boston Marathon:
*Catherine Ndereba Gets her 4th Boston Title She came from behind to win easily.
Men: Hailu Negussie Wins Negussie picked up the win and $100,000 and Alan Culpepper of the US was a very solid 4th as fellow American Pete Gilmore was 10th.
*Article on Culpepper in USAToday
*Alan Culpepper Quotes
*US Men Do Better AP
*Boston Marathon Held in Iraq If you think you're tough with your traiing, you're not, these guys are.
*Boston Photos
*Top 100 Men
*Top 100 Women

Liu Xiang Starts 2005 Outdoor Season With 13.59

Sunday action: Marion Jones Runs 55 Second 400m at Mt. Sac, Tim Montgomery Runs 4*100 Marion Jones has run sub 50 seconds for 400 at Mt. Sac in the past. Former US 800m star Johnny Gray had this to say on Jones' pitiful performance. (Previously the AP said the quote was from Kevin Young): "I'm a Marion Jones fan. If she cheated, she needs to stop and work hard and get back to where she was. Only she knows for sure. I wish she could compete at the level she was to prove she was clean. If she doesn't compete at that level, that will bring all the skeptics."
Results: Top Mt. Sac Results from Sunday (at bottom of Article) Wallace Spearmon is very good in case you didn't know. Sub 20 200 for the college soph on Sunday who is turning pro at the end of the season (and has the American indoor 200 record)
*Full Results
Sunday Marathons: *Turin Marathon Recap
*Nagano Marathon Recap (2:28 and 2:10 for Winners)

Collegiate Action:
Mt. Sac Distance Carnival:
*Results
*Bernard Lagat Runs 13:14 Meet Record
The new American won the 5k easily, entered the top 10 US ranks at 5k, and got an article in the LA Times to boot, showing the advantages of US citizenship.
*Marion Jones to Race Jana Pittman at 400m at Mt. Sac on Sunday
Arizona: Sun Devil Classic
Pomona: Results Nicole Teter 2:04, Plus 3:41 in Men's 150
Sea Ray: Sea Ray Relays Results
Cornell's True frosh Jimmy Wyner, coached by LetsRun.com's Rojo, run 1:48.64
Bucknell: Dave Berdan (He trained in Flagstaff) wins 5k, Sean Duffy 3:43

LRC Exclusive: Interviews of Participants at Papa John's US 10 Mile Championship
*Robert Gary Interview - The Ohio St. cross country coach has somehow managed to coach and make the last 2 Olympics teams. Learn how he does it.
*Matt Lane Interview The 4th placer at the last 2 OlympicTrials is running more road races this year
*Abdi Abdirahman Interview 2004 US Olympian Abdi keeps it real and effortless shifts the talk from his from his pimped out ride to his pursuit of American records when he's interviewed by 1996 Olympian Marc Davis.
*Chris Graff Interview: The runner-up at last year's race and winner in 2003 has quit the Nike Farm Team and is training on his own in Washington, DC. Read about some of his amazing workouts in the Farm where he'd close workouts with a 4:05 mile.
*Pete Julian Interview The cancer survivor shares he now trains by perceived effort.

World XC News: *Results
Sunday: All Results
Bekele Sweeps Again
*Long Course Results This guy is only 22 and he has won 8 world xc titles with ease every time. He led his team to the team title as Kenya would have still lost even if they used the "Qataris" in the race on their team. Dathan Ritzenhein went out with the leaders, developed bad blisters, and then struggled home in 62nd. True frosh Matt Withrow ended up leading the US in 60th.
More on Bekele: Bekele Says He Feels 'Naked' Without His Fiancee Independent
*Bekele Says His Double Wins at This XC Champs are his Greatest Performance Ever Considering his Fiancee's Death Guardian
Women: Tirunesh Dibaba Gets Her Own Double
US Women Get Bronze
Ethiopia got a one point team victory over Kenya and Lauren Fleshman in 11th led the US women to a team bronze and a strong showing with 4 runners in the top 21.
*Dibaba's Double Surpasses Her Expectations
*Junior Boys Race Kenya swept the top 5 and Galen Rupp was the first non-African in 20th. Who says this isn't an African sport.
*Kenyan Newspaper: Kenyan Juniors Dominate, Kenyan Men Lose Again
*On the boards: How often are the Africans tested out of competition?.
Saturday
Men's Short Course: Kenenisa Bekele Wins and Then Breaks Down in Tears afterwards Due to Memories of His Former Fiancee The XC king overcame the death of his fiancee to defend his crown and lead Ethiopia to the team title. The USA's Jorge Torres was the first non-African in 13th and Adam Goucher dropped out on the first lap with a calf injury.
*IAAF Recap of Men's Short Course and Bekele's Victory
*Canada Men Disappointing 12th in Short Course at World XCs
*Women's Long Course: Tirunesh Dibaba Wins, so Does Ethiopia Ethiopia went 1, 3,4 with the indoor 5k record holder leading the way. Colleen De Reuck led the US team in 13th at the age of 40.
*Alice Timbilil's Silver Medal Briefly Taken Away from Her in Mix Up
Junior Women's Recap Ethiopia's Gelete Burika Bati Absolutely Dominated, but Kenyan Women Win Team Title
More XC News:
*USATF Recap of Day 1 at World XCs With Quotes from Each Runner (Heat Bothered a Lot of Runners, Goucher Injured Calf)
*Recap from Kenyan Paper of Day 1 of World XCs
Photos: Photos From World XC

A Look Back at a Truly Great Run: Todd Williams American Record at 15k Williams was on fire in 1995, and his 15k is one of the best American records. He finished 9th at World XCs that year when all the best in the world raced in one race. Nice read by Amby Burfoot.

Great Interview With Pete Julian He wants to bring US cross to Boulder in 2007 and has a nice outlook on life after surviving cancer.

Olympic Track and Field:
*Track and Field Results
Sunday: Meb Gets Silver in Marathon, Leader Attacked by Deranged Spectator American Meb Keflezighi's silver medal was a surprise in the marathon (first American medal in this event since 1976), but not the biggest surprise in the race, as the leader of the race, Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima, was attacked by a deranged Irish fan near the 23 mile mark. de Lima would gamely hold on for the bronze medal despite losing valuable time, not to mention his rhythm. Italian Stefano Baldini got the gold. America was the only country to leave with more than one medal in the Olympic marathon after Deena Kastor's bronze in the women's race. Briton's Jon Brown was 4th for the 2nd straight Olympics.
Great Photo: Photo of Man Holding De Lima as Cop, Fans Try to set Him Free
*It was a Long Struggle for Meb to Return to Athens He was there as a 10ear old refugree
*Brazilians to Appeal to Court of Arbitration in Sport for De Lima to Get 2nd Marathon Gold
*More on Man Horan Who Disrupted the Athens Olympic Marathon Associated Press
*Meb Keflezighi Audio Clip about his Silver
*Editorial: Vanderlei de Lima Represents Olympic Spirit Washington Post
*Marathon Mayhem and Triumph a Fitting End to Athens Games San Francisco Chronicle
*Photo: Athens Olympic Marathon Leader Vanderlei de Lima is First Confronted and Tried to Avoid the Fan Victor Sailer
Saturday: El Guerrouj, Kelly Holmes Get Historic Doubles Hicham El Guerrouj triumphed in a thrilling stretch run over Kenenisa Bekele for his second gold medal of the Games, while Kelly Holmes sprinted to her second gold and a national record in the women's 1500m. In other action, Britain stunned the US 4*100 men's team to get its only men's track and field medal of the Games and rectify a horrible Games for the British men. In the 4*400, the US men and women swept the 4*400 titles.
*IAAF Recap of Saturday
Event by Event from Saturday:
Men's 5k: Hicham El Guerrouj Cements Legacy With 5k Gold after 1500m Win USA Today
*El Guerrouj Imitates Paavo Nurmi and Gets 5k, 1500m Double Independent
Women's 1500m:
*Move Over Paula: Kelly Holmes is Golden Girl of British Track and Field After Double Golds
*Kelly Holmes Says If She knew She Had to Run a PR She Wouldn't Have Shown Up
*A Look at Kelly Holmes, Her Upbringing and Career
Men's 800m: Yuriy Borzakovskiy's Late Burst Gets 800m Gold over Wilson Kipketer
4*100 Men: Darren Campbell Gets Sweet Revenge on Critics with 4*100 Gold
4*400: US Men, Women Sweep 4*400 Titles
Women's High Jump: Russian Yelena Slesarenko Upsets Hestrie Cloete American Amy Acuff passed up a jump for a bronze medal.
Javelin: Steve Backley Comes Up Short Again 4th in His Final Olympics in Javelin
Friday: Liu Xiang Gets Gold Medal, Ties Colin Jackson's World Record in 110 Hurdles
Pole Vault: Tim Mack, Toby Stevenson Go 1-2 in Pole Vault for US
4*100: Botched Relay Between Marion Jones and Lauryn Williams Costs US in 4*100 It sent Marion Jones home with 0 medals after failing to medal in the long jump.
*Lauryn Williams Dad Puts Blame on Marion Jones
Long Jump:
*Marion Jones Doesn't Medal in Long Jump or 4*100
*Editorial: Marion Jones a Long Way from Sydney
*Russia Sweeps Long Jump
Qualifying 4*100:
*US 4*100 Men's Team Impresses in Qualifying

And the winner is:
Best Running Movie of All-Time: Fire on the Track
After sitting on the results for months, we're proud to announce that the best running movie of all-time as selected by our viewers is a not an academy award winner, Chariots of Fire, or a highly publicized film produced by Tom Cruise (Without Limits), but rather a running documentary, Fire on the Track: The Steve Prefontaine Story. Read all about the voting and see the 10 best running movies of all-time as selected by our viewers.

This Weekend: Mo Greene Running 100, Marion Jones 4*200 at Kansas Relays
Oregon: Galen Rupp Gets Eligibility Will Compete Tonight for Oregon
UK: Sonia O'Sullivan, Others to Take Part in Sam Haughian Memorial Run
Grrmany: Julio Rey Favorite at Sunday's Hamburg Marathon
Beglrade: Isaac Kiprono Favorite at Belgrade Marathon

Jeremy Wariner to Compete at Adidas Track Classic on May 22nd in LA

Paul Tergat Denies Retirement Rumors Say He's Got 3 Years Left  He ran 59 minutes for a half a month ago. We don't think he's done either.

Iowa State Rotich Kenyan Brothers Were Perplexed at America as their Introduction was a Beer Mile With the Cops Coming

Adidas Becomes Sponsor of Home Depot Meet A day after we said they were cutting back on sponsorship they're back.
*Coca Cola Becomes Sponsor of San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon

Boston Marathon Wants Radcliffe And Says the Decision is Up to Her  Actually, they first need to open up their wallets and then the decision will be up to her.
*Blisters Hampered Ryan Shay in Boston

Olympian Charlie Gruber Headlines Kansas Relays

Marlon Devonish Wants Individual Medal in Helsinki

Doping News:
*Olympic Champ Tyler Hamilton Gets 2 Year Ban We're about as anti-doping as they come, but are extremely alarmed that someone could be banned for 2 years on a 2-1 arbitration ruling. All drug cheats say they are innocent, but in this case one arbitrator wrote a scathing dissent and says more needs to be done to validate the test. Plus contrary to what you read, Hamilton originally tested  negative according to the lab in Athens. There are a lot of problems with Hamilton's blood readings and he may be guilty but when you have Dick Pound the head of WADA basically calling Hamilton a cheat before his hearing is done you have to wonder how unbiased WADA is. No one ever reads the rulings but you can read it here.
*Tyler Hamilton comments on his website.
*Tyler Hamilton Spent Nearly $700,000 on His Anti Doping Defense* LA Times Registration required.

Flora London Marathon:
*Video Highlights of 2005 London Marathon
Post London News: Radcliffe More Likely to Run Marathon at Worlds
*Paula Radcliffe a National Hero
"It is not just her performances that appeal, it is the honesty that accompanies them.
*Paul Tergat Blames Pulled Muscle for Subpar Performance in London
Women: Paula Radcliffe Dominates in London Once Again A bathroom break was the only drama in this one as Radcliffe ran 2:17:42. She is so good a sub 2:18 seems almost routine.
Men: Martin Lel Pulls Upset The talk before the race centered on the world record holder (Paul Tergat), the top marathoner in the world (Evans Rutto) and the Olympic champ (Stefano Baldini), but 2003 NY Champ Martin Lel came out on top, proving his career is not over and backing up his pre race claim that he could win the race. Tergat and Rutto faded badly.
More:
*IAAF Recap with splits
*Jon Brown 2 Seconds Short of $10,000 Bonus The Brit has bad luck with 2 4th placed finishes at the Olympics as well.
*ING NYC Marathon First in Line to Get Radcliffe for this Fall
*London Marathon Photos

NCAA Indoors: *Results
Post Meet News: Arkansas Bids to Host NCAA Indoors Another 3 Years They get 5000 fans every day and deserve the meet again.
*Kerron Clement Has a World Record in the 400m, but Says He's a Hurdler
*Nice Distance Recaps from NYRR:
*Men's Day 1 *Men's Day 2
*Women's Day 1 * Women's Day 2
*Women's Photos *Men's Photos
Saturday: World Record for Kerron Clement in 400
*Arkansas Wins 40th Title, Tennessee Gets First Crown
Clement was known as a hurdler before this meet (or an xc runner to some). He came back to anchor the Florida 4*400 to an NCAA record. Unbelievable performances. (Download the world record video fast as we think the NCAA will want it taken down) LaShawn Merritt looks like a genius for turning pro before this meet. In case you didn't know, the Arkansas track is super fast. Arkansas won despite its DMR getting DQd, and not having its best sprinter Tyson Gay score, but picked up extra points in the 400, 800 and 3k. Tennessee won under JJ Clarke despite Nicole Cook going out with injury in the 800.
Distances: In the 800, Kevin Hicks (who won the USATF indoor title) ended Nate Brannen's dream of a a threepeat, but Brannen's teammate Nick Willis made it look easy in the mile. Nebraska's Anne Shadle won the women's mile, Wisconsin's Chris Solinsky picked up his first NCAA title in the 3000 and Colorado's Renee Metivier bounced back after a subpar 5k to win the 3k in a race where Sara Bei was leading and fell with 300 left and Marina Mucan also fell
*Mt Sac Director Scott Davis the announcer at NCAAs
Friday: Wallace Spearmon Breaks NCAA Record in 200 to Win Before Hometown Crowd, 2nd Fastest Ever 20.10 He also broke the record with 20.21 in the prelim
Distances:
DMR: Men: Michigan Wins DMR as Arkansas Nips them at the Line But is DQq Nate Brannen was closing fast and Said Ahmed moved wide to hold him off and was DQd.
*Arkansas DQd Without Looking at Video
Women: Michigan Women Win DMR
5ks: Stanford's Ian Dobson won't be overlooked anymore. Dobson was 6th at the USATF nationals at 10k in 2003 and came through big time in the 5k, getting the "upset"win. The women's 5k also had a suprise winner with NAU's Ida Nilsson getting the win in her final race to go with her outdoor steeple title.
800s: NCAA record holder Nicole Cook tried to run on a bad hamstring and did not advance.
More:
200: Walter Dix Breaks World Junior Record in Finishing 2nd to Spearmon
*Spearmon Did Distance Runs in Fall
*Brief Event by Event Coverage from Trackshark
*Trackwire men's individual predictions
*Trackwire women's individual predictions

More on Lydiard:
*Lydiard's Son Remembers Peter Snell Getting Dropped on the First Run With Lydiard's Boys Snell went on to win 3 Olympic medals, gold ones.
*Peter Snell Still Spreading the Lydiard Gospel Although it Wasn't Always Smooth Sailing
*Why Didn't Lydiard Get the Recognition he Deserved in New Zealand?
*More on Lydiard: He Was Greatly Appreciated Abroad, But Ironically Not as Much in New Zealand
*Arthur Lydiard Didn't Just Coach the Stars
*Lydiard Cartoon
*2nd Lydiard Cartoon

"Excuse me if I sound hoarse, but I have a head cold. Usually head colds are due to changes in the weather, but in my case, it is due to a change in attitude on letsrun.com"
-Colorado Cross Country Coach, Mark Wetmore, coach of the 2004 Men's and Women's NCAA XC Champions, speaking at the Arthur Lydiard Tour Stop last night in Boulder, about the change in heart of many letsrun.com posters after Wetmore's unbelievable coaching job this year.LetsRun.com Book Reviews 2 Good Reads on Milers 50 years apart:
Sub 4:00 and The Perfect Mile
Read the review of story on Alan Webb's (and Nate Brannen's) first brush with adversity. Plus, read about 3 great milers trying to be the first under 4 minutes 50 years ago.

More isn't always better:
"I had over-trained. I put too much pressure on myself because I wanted that gold medal too much. If I had trained 15 per cent less, I would have won. I was training like a crazy person. There was a lack of self-confidence and a lack of maturity. An athlete does not only train with his body. He trains with his mind."
-Hicham El Guerrouj on why he didn't win Olympic gold in 2000

Must Read(s):
"I think that the sports in which you read about doping tend to be the cleaner sports. I mean, I think if you put Major League Baseball players and NFL players through lie detector tests [about whether they use performance- enhancing drugs], fully 50 percent would fail..I did this bike race, 75 hours. But I didn't feel any sense of achievement. I found it depressing. Because, to me, athletic endeavors should be one of the most pure of endeavors. Why else do it? It's a sense of testing yourself."
-author Stuart Stevens, who for 8 months got on just about every performance enhancing drug imaginable to see how it would affect him, and wrote about the ordeal for Outside Magazine. The results were simply amazing as he put on 14 pounds without lifting a weight, had increased endurance, better vision, and less soreness. The quote above is from a Newsday piece where Stevens says the ordeal left him more ardently opposed to drugs in sports. The entire article from Outside Magazine where Stevens recaps his experience is a must read and is now available in its entirety on line and can be found here.
(If you'd like to subscribe to Outside Magazine you can do so here for only $15.99 a year (cover price is $47.40)

In case you missed it:
Todd Williams Hangs them up
In our lengthy 3 part interview, Todd Williams, the premier 10,000m runner in the US, talks about his illustrious career and the sport of running in general.
Part I here, Part II here, Part III here

1981 Grandma's Marathon
Dick Beardsley who had run 2 sub 2:13 in 3 weeks defeated Garry Bjorklund in a great duel as two Minnesotans were under 2:10
Mr. Martin Franklin Revealed
Thanks to the viewers at our site we've got some photos and information on Martin Franklin the fraud who for a brief moment on Sunday was the 5th American and $4,750 richer at the New York City Marathon. Problem was he took the subway from the start to the finish.

A Legend Passes: "I don't train; never have. I don't think of running as training. I just go out and run each day, and let the racing take care of itself"- Jack Foster of New Zealand, who ran a 2:11:17 marathon at the age of 41 to win silver at the Commonwealth Games in 1974. He died in a bike accident yesterday at the age of 72.

NCAA XC: CU Sweeps NCAA Men's and Women's Cross Country Crowns
Mark Wetmore worked his magic at Colorado again as both his squads captured upset wins. The men's win was the bigger upset of the day. Simon Bairu of Wisconsin won the individual crown to help the heavily favored Wisconsin Badgers, but in the end it was not enough as Colorado eked out a 4 point victory by moving up late in the race.
*Mud No Problem for Kim Smith as She Dominates
*Bairu's Win Sweet and Sour Wisconsin State Journal
*Wetmore, Buff's Work Wonders Boulder Daily Camera
*Stanford Men, Women Disappoint San Francisco Chronicle
*Stanford Inexperience Showed
Results:
*Men's Individual (Simon Bairu of Wisconsin Wins)
*Men's Team
*Women's Individual (Kim Smith of Providence Wins)
*Women's Team
Photos: *Track And Field News
*Fast-Women
*Men's Racing