Tabloid Journalism at Its Best

On His High School Career:
"Not exceptional, I was your basic 9:30, 4:25 (two-miler and miler)"

On His College Career:
"I wasn't anything special coming out of college--like I said, your typical 29:00, 14:00 (5K) guy."

-Patrick Gildea, who made the US XC world team, forgetting to mention that most guys of his credentials don't go on to much of anything at any of the next level (college or pros). He's exceptional in that manner.

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Book Review: Running Within
Want to improve your mental outlook on running? Then Running Within is the book for you. Read our review of this excellent book.
Recommended Reads
Looking for a good running book ? Read our mini-reviews and suggestions

We interview one of our own:
LetsRun.com's Rojo talks about coaching at Cornell

We Didn't Even Know this Existed:
Video Of Roger Bannister's 4 Minute Mile

World Record in 10k May be in Sights of Kenyan Japanese Sensation Samuel Wanjiru "I hope to run 12:50 5000m, 26:15 10000m and 58 minutes half marathon next year" IAAF

Commonwealth Games News:
*
Commonwealth Games Track Schedule (Competition Begins Sunday)
*
Jason Gardener Confident He Can Overcome Back Problem Before Sunday's 100m at Commonwealth Games
Previous:
*
C
ommonwealth Games Opening Ceremonies Completed
*World Indoor and Olympic Silver Medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi Pulls Out of Commonwealth 800m With Injury after Getting Spiked Badly at World Indoors
*Defending Champ Kim Collins Out of Commonwealth 100 with Injury
BBC
*
Jo Fenn Out of Commonwealth Games With Calf Injury BBC
*
Jana Pittman Getting a Lot of Support from Australian Fans Fox Sports AU
*
Kelly Holmes Glad to Be Retired BBC

Some Controversy for the Queen as She Gets Set to Kick off Commonwealth Games
*Jana Pittman Criticized for Skipping Baton Relay
*Commonwealth Games Have a 76 Year History

Isinbayeva May Have Won Gold But She Now is Facing Questions About Her Ex Coach and a Russian Billionaire link fixed

Heart Attack Victim to Run Old Mutual Two Oceans 56km Ultra Back to Back

Tegla Laroupe Eve Woman of the Year 2006

NCAA Indoors: Meet Results
Day 2:
Arkansas Wins Again, Johanna Nilsson Dominates Arkansas
as expected got its 42nd NCAA Crown while Johanna Nilsson of NAU showed she's a true phenom as she pulled off the mile, 3k double with ease, blowing away the field in both, to go with her XC championship in the fall.
Day 1:
Arkansas Men Start Well NWArkansas Times After 41 NCAA titles you shouldn't be surprised but Arkansas did well at Day 1 of the NCAA Meet. Josphat Boit won the 5k that went out in 4:40 and Arkansas also won the DMR to put itself in a good spot to pick up another title and are ahead of John McDonnell's expectations.
*
Rhodes Scholar Garrett Johnson Wins Shot Put
Other Collegiate Action:
*DII NCAAs *DIII NCAAs
*Canadian Indoor 'NCAAs'

*NAIA Results
Emailers and message boarders want you to know the mile was faster than the NCAA mile. So are many high school miles.
Pre Meet
*AP Preview Of Meet
*Arkansas is Counting on Said Ahmed for Big Points at Nationals, and It Gambled on Him Getting in Nationals With Provisional Times
nwanews.com

*Texas Women, Arkansas Men Have Comfortable Margins Heading into Meet According to Trackwire.com *Men's Event by Event Predictions *Women's Event by Event Predictions
*Meet Website

2 Kenyans Dropped from World XC Junior Team for Being Overage

Lengthy Profile on Craig Mottram www.smh.com.au
*
Australian Olympic Boss Comments on Jana Pittman Moving to UK to Escape Media Scrutiny
Editorial: Team Jana Pittman Running off at the Mouth

Drugs
German Drug Cheat Grit Breuer Suing IAAF The ironic thing is she was coached by one of the worse drug cheat coaches out there.

You No Longer Can Keep Your Head in the Sand: Barry Bonds a Steroid and HGH Cheat We're sure some of you wanted to believe he was clean and he didn't know what he was taking, but now Sports Illustrated and a new book prove otherwise. And this proves clean drug tests don't mean anything.
More Doping News: Interview With Dick Pound, Head of World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) BBC
*
Austrian Athlete Implicated in Doping Raid Retires
*Kenteris and Thanou's Lawyers Say Dick Pound, Head of WADA, is Prejudiced Against them

Japanese Car News and Running:
The Good: LA Marathon by Honda to Offer US Prize Money, Olympic Trials Qualifier Bonuses for First Time

The Bad: Former Kenyan US Road Star Brian Sherrif is a Man Without a Country Stranded in Japan and Says the Mazda Corp Owes Him Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars for Running on Their Corporate Ekiden Team
A very interesting read.

US Record Holder Deena Kastor to Run Berlin Half Marathon on April 2nd

NCAA News:
*
2006 NCA
A Women's Indoor Fields Announced
*2006 NCAA Men's Indoor Fields Announced
*
Message Board Thread

Kenyan XC Trials:
*
Isaac Son
gok Wins 4k at Kenyan XC Trials, Unheralded Hosea Macharnyang Wins Men's 12k, Prisca Jepleting and Alice Kimeto Win Women's Races IAAF
*Kenyan Team for World XCs Announced

Collegiate Action:
Eastern Champs:
Men's Results: Penn State Wins, Cornell
second. Josh McDougal 7:53 3k, Rojo's Cornell 4*800 squad wins with top time in the nation this year.
Women's Results: Georgetown wins, Cornell's Morgan Uceny 2:04.42 800
Last Chance Meets:
Notre Dame: Alex Wilson Invite Results
Wisconsin DMR gets in, qualifiers in women's 3k and 5k.
Washington: Results
2 sub 4 minute miles, Galen Rupp gets in 3k with 7:54 3k

LetsRun.com Analysis:
The World Marathon Majors Are Born
Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London and New York announced they were becoming the World Marathon Majors, along with the Olympic Games and World Champs, and would form a winner take all, World Marathon Major Series. We analyze (yes we actually wrote something original for the site) what this means for the sport and express a few concerns. Find out all the details.
More on the Majors:
Paula Likes New Major Marathon Series Daily Telegraph

UNBELIEVABLE FINISH:
TERGAT OUTKICKS RAMAALA

The world record holder, Paul Tergat, and the defending champ, Hendrick Ramaala, battled it out during the final straight separated by inches. In final 10 meters, Tergat got a half foot ahead and Ramaala dove for the finish but it was a futile dive and Tergat triumphed by the smallest amount. On the women's side Jelena Prokopcuka got a narrow win over Susan Chepkemei. Chepkemei has a narrow lead until she started vomiting her fluids while running. American Meb Keflezighi was with Tergat and Ramaala until the final mile and finished 3rd while fellow American Abdi Abdirahman was 5th.

*
Top Results *Full Results

"I left a piece of me on that race course that day. If I had to leave part of myself on any race course, that was a good place."-Dick Beardsley on his famed battle with Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon. Beardsley according to this article still knocks out 70 to 90 miles a week.

Drugs Drugs Drugs

Recommended Read:A Great Look at The East German Doping Program

World Half Marathon Champs
LetsRun.com Coverage:
LRC Exclusive!!!!! 3.5 MB Quicktime Video of Crazy Men's finish.
*Results

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.

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

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

Steve Ovett  and Seb Coe Give Their First Joint Interview in 22 Years They probably got some nice cash at the corporate gig as well, but it wouldn't have happened except Ovett's kid wanted Coe's autograph.
*LetsRun.com message boarder goes into detail about the Ovett and Coe breakfast.
*A Look at the 1980 Olympic 800m Final Daily Telegraph

Boston Marathon Announces 2006 Field Defending men's champ Negussie, plus Meb and Culpepper, debut of John Korir, and more. No Ndereba on the women's side.
*Message board thread

15,000 Run Women's Race in Morocco IAAF

French Agent who Treated Kenyan Runners Like Animals Gets Jail Time One of his runners was Evans Cheruyiot who ran 57:19 for 20k. Amazing he could run that fast while being treated so poorly. Perhaps we should sponsor Cheruyiot.
*More on the French Agent Jean Conrath

NACAC XC Recap: Max King, Others Tune Up for World XCs

Khalid Khannouchi to Run LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle on April 2nd

IAAF to Give Half of Golden League Jackpot to Athletes Who Win 5 of 6 Events Bekele has plans to run the Golden League events this year.

British Team for World XCs Announced BBC

Defending Champs Back of LA Marathon on March 19th

Michael Johnson Talks About the Commonwealth Games
Jana Pittman News: Jana Pittman on Creatine
*Jana Pittman Pulls Out of Baton Relay
More Commonwealth News: Mark Lewis Francis Trying Not to Go From Junior Star to Has Been
*Loophole Closed in Future, but Sonia O'Sullivan Can Compete in Commonwealths for Australia This Year
*Goldie Sayers is Gold Medal Hope for England in Javelin at Commonwealths
Guardian
*
Lack of Sponsorship Leaves English Commonwealth Team Short of Cash

World Indoors:
In Case You Missed It:
*World Indoor Recap
Results
Day 3:
Kenenisa Bekele Becomes First Athlete to Win World Titles Indoors, Outdoors and in XC. Mutola Gets Her 7th Indoor Title But if you live in the US you wouldn't know about Bekele as the race was left off the television coverage despite being the most hyped race of the championships.
*Final Day Recap of World Indoors IAAF
*Mutola Gets Her 7th

*Wilfred Bungei Wins Close Men's 800m at World Indoors
*
Russia Goes 1-2 in Women's 1500m at World Indoors
*
Bekele Wins World Title 'Fun Run' Independent
*Andre Niklaus Defeats Bryan Clay in Heptathlon at World Indoors IAAF
*USA Recap of Final Day of World Indoors www.usatf.org
Day 2 Saturday:
Day 2 Recap of World Indoors IAAF
*Day 2 Distance Recap of World Indoors
*
USA Recap from Day 2 of World Indoors Meseret Defar retained her 3k world title, Ivan Heshko pulled the upset in the men's 1500, Derval O'Rourke of Ireland got the surprise win in the hurdles and Isinbayeva won the pole vault before the home country crowd.
*Day 2 Distance Recap of World Indoors
*Ivan Heshko Upsets Daniel Komen in 1500m Final at World Indoors IAAF
*Olympic 5 000m gold medallist Meseret Defar Retains Her 3k World Title
*
Derval O'Rourke of Ireland Surprise Winner of 60m Hurdles Times of London
*Ivan Heshko Upsets Daniel Komen in 1500m Final at World Indoors IAAF
*Recap of Derval O'Rourke's Win IAAF
*Isinbayeva Wins Pole Vault Before Home Crowd at World Indoors IAAF

*Mbulaeni Mulaudzi Wins His 800m Semi in Style

*
Jason Gardener's Decision to Not Defend World 60m Indoor Title Will Only Be Worth It If He Gets Commonwealth Gold in 100 Times of London
Day 1 Friday:
Day 1 Recap: USA Dominates with 2 Sprint Golds, Shot Put Gold Leonard Scott, Melissa Barber
, and Reese Hoffa all got gold for the US with world leading marks. In the 3000m qualifying, Kipchoge, Bekele, and Shaheen all advanced to set up Sunday's anticipated showdown in the best race of the championships. Bekele is hoping to become the first athlete with world indoor, outdoor, and xc titles. Americans Chris Lukezic (1500) and Khadevis Robinson (800) were the only US distance runners to advance.
*Bekele Brothers, Shaheen, Kipchoge All Advance to 3k Final at Worlds
*Mbulaeni Mulaudzi Easily Qualifies for Semis in 800
*
Americans Dominate Day 1 at World Indoors With 3 Golds and 3 World Leaders, but Only 3000 Fans on Hand Yahoo UK
*Day 1 Recap of US Performers at 2006 World Indoors With athlete quotes from the USA Team.
*Leonard Scott Gave up on Pro Football Dream, but It Brought Him Gold at 60m in Moscow IAAF
*Bekele Trying to Become First Ever with World Titles Indoors, Outdoors, and in XC
*AP Preview
*US Runners Ready
Friday the men's 800 will get under way with K. Robinson and Krummenacker competing for USA. The women's 3k has switched to a final only.
*
Karen Harewood Is Britain's Best Bet for Medal Most of the top runners went to Commonwealths but the 2:00 800 runner is seeded 3rd.
*Mark Findlay To Make British Sr. Debut
The 60m runner is barred from the Olympics as he was busted for steroids at age 22 in what he says was a mistake.
*
Men's 3k With Bekele, Kipchoge and Shaheen Could be Top Event at World Indoors
*Ro
man Sebrle Says Flu Has Hurt His Chances at World Indoors, He Says Bryan Clay is the Favorite
*Christian Cantwell Hoping to Defend His World Indoor Shot Title This Weekend
*Kenya Sending 5 to World Indoors This Weekend
The indoors will be streamed pay per view on the internet and will be shown on OLN Sunday from 3-5pm eastern.

Sad News: Former State XC Champ in Wisconsin Dies of Anorexia

David Krummenacker Says 1500m Will Be His Staple Race in 2007 and 2008 Runners World

Eritrea's Zersenay Tadesse Continuing to Improve, He Hopes to be a Force at World XCs

Commonwealth News:
*
Previe
w of Asafa Powell's Warm Up Race This Thursday IAAF
*Asafa Powell Experiences Tightness In His Legs During Workout, but is Scheduled to Race on Thursday in Australia
*Iwan Thomas' Withdrawal Has Hurt 4*400 Chances of Wales at CommonwealthsBBC
*
British 400m Runner Daniel Caines Pulls Out of Commonwealth Games BBC
*
Augustine Choge is the 'Most Versatile Athlete' Brother Colm O'Connell Has Ever Coached
*1/3 of Kenyan Delegation to Commonwealth Games Isn't an Athlete

"The world has lost interest in distance races like 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres and even cross-country because they are regarded as competition between Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes"
-Paul Tergat

Japanese News: Jose Rios of Spain Wins Lake Biwa Marathon in 2:09:15
XC: 2 Japanese Runners Win Fukuoka IAAF XC Race The world xc race will be there at the end of the month.

Indoor Action:
*France, Russia Win European Indoor Cup
IAAF

Germany: Wilfred Bungei Wins 800 in 1:45, Ralf Bartels Throws Shot over 21 Meters in Germany

France: Christine Arron Impresses in French Meet
*World Champ Nadzeya Ostapchuk Throws Shot 20.86m

Athletics Kenya is Doing Well Financially but Athletes Have Complaints

Australian Brisbane Recap
*Jana Pittman Defeas Nicola Sanders in Brisbane in Hurdles
*Brisbane Results
*Christian Malcolm Upstages Mark Lewis Francis in 100m in Australia as Patrick Johnson Wins

Rain Halts Final S. African Outdoor Meet

Brief Chat With Moulton Twins: They Both Ran 2:15 Marathons Runners World

Craig Masback and Mary Wittenburg Talk About NYRR Becoming Presenting Sponsor of US Distance Project

Asafa Powell Says He's Still the Fastest Man on the Planet

30th Edition of Bloomsday Roadrace Will Have Timing Chips, New Route

Response to PJ Browne's Article: An Irish Athlete's Perspective on the Scholarship System "What coaches and athletes alike need to realize is that running is not the sole objective of attending a college. If running was to be the only objective, why go to college to begin with? Coming to America was the best thing that could have happened to me."-Eamonn O'Connor

Married Thanks to LetsRun.com:
"I don't want to say it. It sounds crazy but it was a dream come true"

-John Stiner, on getting married to his wife, Sarah, who he met on the LetsRun.com message boards. Read about their incredible story.

"Everybody in Kenya is trying to come to America. I had no dream about coming because I knew this was impossible. It was a miracle," Kiplagat said. "That is why I take advantage of every opportunity. I came here, graduated in three years, and count myself blessed"- Richard Kiplagat who graduated from Iona in 3 years and had a 3.75 GPA

WADA Confident it Can Detect Super EPO It shouldn't be. It can't detect HGH or regular EPO very well. Drug research funding is way too low.

"This is not coming out of retirement, this is just me showing that if you just enjoy what you are doing and stay in there and set little goals. I do a lot of speaking, I've spoken to every group in Australia and I tell them back when I ran I set little goals and I think here I am telling these guys, but I've got to do it myself and tonight was really a chance to walk the walk"
-Steve Moneghetti, who at age 43, broke the world best for the 1 hour run for master's, averaging sub 5 minute pace the whole way as Ron Clarke, John Landy, and Robert De Castella watched him run.

Paul Tergat
*"As the holy scriptures say, 'for whoever much is given, much is expected,' it is, therefore, my duty and privilege to help in any small way in giving back to society."
-Marathon world record holder, Paul Tergat, speaking after founding a sports foundation that will help disadvantaged youths.
*Tergat's hamstring injury has healed and he says he's ready to go at NYC: "I expect good results as I am in good shape" but he's out of next week's Half Marathon in Britain, but interestingly Gezahegne Abera (remember him, formerly the greatest marathoner in the world) is running. www.registerguard.com

Jos Hermans Tells Why Ethiopians Beat Kenyans: According to Jos it has little to do with training: "Ethiopians have more respect for their women, which explains why their women athletes perform better than their Kenyan counterparts, who excel in junior championships only to pander to cultural and domestic demands later in life" and "A mentally prepared athlete can easily beat a physically prepared one,"

JK Speaks: Progressing To Peak Fitness LetsRun.com coaching guru John Kellogg talks about progression runs and the art of the sport versus the science of the sport.

British Sports Minister Richard Caborn Proposes Drug Companies Fund Anti Doping Research to £12m Million a Year While the US Congress dances around one of the main issues (money), Caborn has proposed something that might make a difference. If the pro sports leagues would kick in their fair share as well, serious anti-doping research could be done. In other good news, it was announced that the HGH test now can be used on non-whites.

Vitamin C Can Help Marathon Runners Not Get Colds The surprising news is may not do much for the general population.

Drug News:
WADA Admits to Some Problems With Nandrolone Test

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.

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.

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

Training Advice:
Advice from the pros
.Top 10 Training Tips
LetsRun.com's Weldon Johnson gives his top 10 training tips. They helped him run a 28:27 10k and will definitely help you too.
No Shortcuts
LetsRun.Com coaching consultant John Kellogg outlines his basic coaching approach and gives the four principals to correct training for elites. LetsRun.com co-founder Robert Johnson translates Mr. Kellogg's approach so that it is beneficial for the masses.
Marathon Training Program
Do you want to run a successful marathon? Sign up for our marathon training program. Let our experts show you how.
High School Section
Interviews
Turn Back the Clock:
Interviews With Today's Stars on Their High School Careers

Rod Dehaven: U.S. Marathon Champ
Juli Henner: U.S. Olympian
Todd Reeser: Top Road Racer Wrestled in High School
Many more
Training Advice
Learn how LetsRun.com running guru, John Kellogg, made a tiny private school in Texas one of the best teams in the state.

Victor Conte Says He Did Not Get Barry Bonds Steroids
*
Victor Conte Says Book on Bonds Contains Lies

Heps News:
Smarter than 99% of you out there, and we're not talking about IQ:
"When I came to Princeton I was all about training hard.Now I'm more concerned with training smart. I push [my body] when I can, I back off when I can't"- Princeton distance runner Frank Macreery
*Lou 'Daddy' Duesing Hoarding the Hardware
9 straight Heps titles for his squads and the other teams don't seem to be coming close to stopping the streak. Plus 8 Regional Coach of the Year awards.

They Worry About Caffeine, While The Dopers Use HGH, Designer Steroids and Much More: "I am still of the opinion that the MLB anti-doping program is as easy to beat as taking candy from a baby"
-Victor Conte
writing from prison on how easy it is to beat a drug test.
*Dick Pound Upset With World Baseball Classic Drug Testing

Kenyans Optimistic About World Cross

Khalid Khannouchi to Run LaSalle Bank Shamrock Shuffle on April 2nd

Charges Against Lance Brauman, Arkansas Assistant, Now Involve Tyson Gay As Well Conceivably Gay's eligibility while at Arkansas could become an issue.

Good Read: Steve Cram Writes About Craig Mottram, John Landy, and Ron Clarke Landy tripped Clarke at nationals one year, stopped to see if he was ok, and then won the race. It was a mile. Guardian

Legends in Action:
*
Michael Stember Runs a 16:28 5k
*
Scott Anderson defeats former world championship team member Greg Whiteley at 8k Whiteley ran 25:30 according to Race Results Weekly but is missing from this result. Not sure who had more beer afterwards.
*
Brifontaine Dominates Valley of Sun Half Marathon

Road Action:
Haile Gebrselassie Shatters 25k World Record in Netherlands

Korea:
Zhou Chun-xiu Runs 2:19 to Win Seoul Marathon in Cold Conditions
*
Gert Thys Wins His 3rd Seoul Marathon
*
Ji Yeong-jun Expected to Be the Next Big Thing in Korean Marathoning
Japan:
Harumi Hiroyama Comes From Behind to Defeat Shibu in 2:23 in Nagoya Marathon IAAF
USA: Meb Keflezighi, Blake Russell Win US 15k Titles Alan and Abdi were no match for Meb.
*
Video Highlights
*Results

Istvan Gyulai, IAAF General Secretary, Dies of Cancer sports.espn.go.com

*Sonia O'Sullivan May Lose Her Loophole to Compete for Australia in Commonwealth Games, Cathy Freeman Tells Her to Pick a Country
*Tamsyn Lewis Feels for Jana Pittman, Men Have Been Yelling at Pittman on Runs

*Sarah Claxton Pulls out of England's Team for Commonwealth GamesBBC

Commonwealth's Are Coming
*
Namibia's Agnes Samaria Not Competing Due to Stress Fracture The 1:59 800 runner won a medal at the last Commonwealths.
Melbourne:
Craig Mottram Steals the Show From Asafa Powell Mottram ran 4:50 and Australian and area record and the 10th fastest ever. (John Walker ran 4:51 30 years ago) Asafa Powell won the 100m in 10.29 into a headwind on a coll night.
*Asafa Powell Shows He's the Favorite at Commonwealths
*Jana Pittman Pulls Out With Slight Injury
*Results Carmen Douma won the 1500m, Nick Willis in the 800.

P
reRace: Australian Melbourne Preview IAAF
*Asafa Powell Running His First 100m in 7 Month Today in Australia www.smh.com.au
More Commonwealth News:
Nick McMomick Fine With Being Underdog at Commonwealths in 1500

*
Benita Johnson Was Hoping to Beat Radcliffe at Commonwealths in 10k
*One in 4 Athletes at Commonwealths Will be Drug Tested

London Marathon Director Dave Bedford Thinking Positively About Radcliffe's Withdrawal from Commonwealths He's hoping it will help her run faster in London

Paula Radcliffe Out of Commonwealths With Foot Injury The Games lost her and swimmer Ian Thorpe, two of the biggest stars. She still plans to compete in the Flora London Marathon.
More Commonwealth News: Steve Cram Writes About the Relevance of the Commonwealth Games and Gives His Preview of Events to Watch
*2006 IAAF World Athletics Tour Gets Underway in Melbourne on Thursday
*Patrick Johnson and Matt Shirvington are Ill and Likely to Miss Thursday's Commonwealth Warmup Meet
*Jana Pittman, Tamsyn Lewis Feud Has Simmered Down

Olympic Torch May Pass Through Taiwan in 2008 Fox Sports AU

Great Read: "I didn’t run for glory, I didn’t run for money—although I never walked away from a paycheck. I really ran to see how good I could be. If that mental attitude and dedication to being the best you can possibly be translates to anyone else, if I can serve as a role model in that way, I will consider myself as having a positive influence on the sport. American distance running will get better; my records will eventually be broken and that's a good thing."
-American 5k legend Bob Kennedy in an interview conducted by the top American miler of the 1990s Steve Holman

Dathan Ritzenhein Pulls Out of World Cross More misfortune for the young American.
*Message board thread

This Weekend:
World Indoors: Preview of Track Events at 2006 World Indoors
IAAF
*
Preview of Field Events at 2006 World Indoors IAAF
XC:
A Few US Runners to Prepare for World XC Champs at North and Central American XC Champs This Weekend
*World Indoors to Be on OLN This Weekend

ING Becomes Title Sponsor of Bay to Breakers Road Race
Consider Saving a Ton of Money andSupporting a Supporter of Running:
Click here to start saving with ING DIRECT!

Kiwi News: Kim Smith Recovering from Pulmonary Embolism of Lungs It's believed to be a result of immobilizing her leg due to her achilles injury.
*Nick Willis Picks up Small Virus Before Commonwealths

Gebrselassie on How Athletes Are Treated in Kenya vs Ethiopia:
"One time (Chicago Marathon Champ) Osoro Ondoro is shot in the neck, the next time (marathon world record holder) Paul Tergat is robbed of his car. What’s all this? Had they killed Ondoro, and I thank God that did not happen, it is like killing a nation.Athletes are precious. They bring fame to a country and they should never be treated with such cold bloodedness... We are revered in Ethiopia and not even robbers can dare attack us"
-Haile Gebrselassie where he also talks about making the sure the sport is entertaining for fans

On the boards: LetsRun.com viewers give their take on 'Crash'

"Paul Maurer, in The Gift, not only presents an interesting and captivating story, but he explores the deeper questions of why runners run, why we compete, and what makes such a simple sport, running, so rewarding to those of us who do it. The Gift is one of the best running books I have ever read. "
-LetsRun.com's Weldon Johnson on a new Running novel,
The Gift
(The Gift is now available from Amazon.com
)

So True: "Eight years ago, Yesalis and UCLA labratory chief Don Catlin were asked independently how much money it would take for research to really fight doping, and both said the figure would be in excess of $50 million. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency spends roughly $2million a year on research."-New York Daily News writer

"I don't want to short-change my fans and myself, I know I am more talented than I have shown the world. I want to go out there and show my full potential. Once I have shown my full potential, regardless of my age, that's when I have been on top I don't want to leave before it's my time to leave and I don't want to stay too long."
-Justin Gatlin on his plan to go after Asafa Powell's world record this year

Bob Kennedy Retires Kennedy was the best long distance track runner in America in the last 30 years and maybe the best one ever. He lost the love to compete this past fall and has called it a career, but has left his mark on a generation of distance runners.
*Share your favorite Kennedy moment here.
*How do You Rank Kennedy's career?
*More on Bob Kennedy's Retirement www.runohio.com

"they sent guys like myself, Shorter, Rogers, and Salazar down to this lab in Georgia. They told us that we would get the same benefits and run the same times that we ran at only 80 miles. I personally never listened and went out and did 130-140 miles because that gave me the confidence I needed. At the end of my era, lots of these marathoners started listening to these scientists and lowered their mileage alot. US Marathoning began to turn into an all time low. But its rising now, and just like it slowly declined it will slowly increase. Don't expect an overnight change, but give it a few years."
-message boarder reportedly paraphrasing Dick Beardsley on why US marathoners in the 1980s were deeper than US marathoners in the 2000s

More on This Later: It's Not Just the US: Track and Field's Popularity Lagging in Europe

Arthur Lydiard Quotes:
"
Train Don't Strain"

-famed distance coach Arthur Lydiard
Friday's Lydiard Quote:
"Americans arrogantly want it all now, this is why they finish last. Speed must be used in proper proportions. Build and build like the Afrikans. This is the only way to realise your potential."
-famed distance coach Arthur Lydiard


'Suddenly I got to the age of 36, and one day I realized I can't ever run any quicker than I'm running at this moment"
(Coe reportedly stopped midwork and never ran another competitive step)

-SebCoe,
2 time 1500m gold medallist and former 800m world record holder, according to Frank Deford in an audio essay on the doping scandal.

Great Advice:
"I am glad that because I chose to focus on a personal goal, pursued passionately and today I bear testimony of what it can yield, even beyond my wildest expectations. I hope that this will somehow encourage someone here today as well, to pursue his dream and vision...Usually, I get quite enriched whenever I have an opportunity to positively touch the life of someone. Such opportunities to show concern enable me, and indeed all of us, to share what God has placed into our hands."

-World Record Holder in the Marathon and Humanitarian Paul Tergat in his acceptance speech for his honary degree from Bloomfield College in New Jersey.

A True Gentleman and a Paid Male Escort, Unbelievable:
"He's a true gentleman"
-Canadian marathoner, Peter Vail, on LetsRun.com's
Weldon Johnson in an Arizona Daily Sun profile on his "running" house, plus an update on steeplechaser Anthony Famiglietti
(and if you'd like to go back in the LetsRun.com archives and read about "Surivor Flagstaff", the attempt by 5 of the World's sexiest distance runners to live in a one bedroom apartment click here)

More Great Advice for the Greatest Distance Runner Ever:
Haile Gebrselassie says work hard, be patient, and take your recovery days seriously.
Good Read.

Great Read/Advice: Such a Simple Sport:
"I train twice every day except on Sundays and on Christmas Day."

-the great Haile Gebrselassie, on his training over the holidays. He says his New Year's resolution is to win the gold medal at 10k and break the 10k world record. And Gebrselassie is still young as it is only 1996 in Ethiopia (we swear).

Great Read: "...there would be days I would run 70 km (43 miles) and then there are days I would run 20 or so. I just mentioned that figure (70) to state that there are days I would actually run up to 70 or so. The fact that I can run that much gives me confidence and makes me believe I am doing a good job."
-former world record holder in the marathon Naoko Takahashi in Part I of a fascinating interview with Japan Times on her training

*Part II Here

Inspirational Running Poem

You know you're a runner if....... (our reader's fill in the blanks with some hilarious responses on the message boards)

Is it the VAAM?:
"I thought for a few minutes my legs would be sore. But my legs weren't heavy at all. I went jogging and felt as good as ever."
-Naoka Takahashi won won the Berlin marathon and reportedly went for a "long run" the day after. Takahashi credits some of her success to VAAM, the sports drink from made from stomach acid of killer hornets that she drinks.
If you want order VAAM
click here

Runnersworld.com apologizes to letsrun.com