LRC Women’s Preview: Rita Jeptoo Attempts to Win Fourth Straight World Marathon Major After a 2:18:57 CR in Boston in April, a win by Jeptoo would give her the best two-year run since Paula Radcliffe set two WRs and won three majors from 2002-2003., but it will be far from easy as marathon world record holder Florence Kiplagat and 2:19:52 woman Mare Dibaba will both try to beat Jeptoo to the finish line in Grant Park. The American contingent is led by Olympian Amy Hastings and Clara Santucci, who won the Pittsburgh Marathon in May, as Lisa Uhl looks to try to start the resurrection of her career.

US Distance Runners’ Q&As

• Nick Symmonds Q&A In Outside Magazine – He Wants To Set The WR Next Weekend Symmonds is getting ready for the Nick Symmonds Straight 800 – the only 800 road race in the country – where he’ll set the World Record on October 17.
• Q&A With Shalane Flanagan After She’s Taken 8 Days Off After Berlin Flanagan thinks she blew up the last 2k because she started to surge, trying to compete for 2nd place instead of grinding out the time.
• Q&A With Jordan McNamara, Who Reflects On His Breakthrough 2014 Season He’s enjoying his time off by staining the deck and flying his drone.
• Competitor.com Q&A: More Facts From US Marathon Champ Esther Erb Erb has been battling anemia so coach Terry Shea had her run less (90 mpw instead of 115) in this marathon cycle. Instead of the US champs, she considered trying to break 2:30 in Berlin.

Half Marathon News

• RRW 6 Story Lines For This Weekend’s BAA Half Marathon – Featuring Molly Huddle, Mamitu Daska, Betsy Saina, Mercy Wacera, Lelisa Desisa And Stephen Sambu A win by either Huddle, Daska or Sambu will result in $20,000 but the fields are stacked.
• The IAAF Should Hire The NYRR To Sell Sponsorships: 2015 United Airlines NYC Half – United Airlines And New York Road Runners Announce United As The Title Sponsor Of The NYC Half

Somewhat Interesting Reads

• Good Read: Spikes Mag Takes A Look At The Amazing Life Of Alfred Gilbert – The Man Who Invented The Pole Vault Box If you like this man who helped save Xmas in America, then read this piece on him from 2012.
• Parents: New Study Shows Excercise Boosts Kids’ Brains
• With More Than 50% Of Racers Being Women, Do Women-Only Races Still Have A Purpose?
• Article On How Tim Noakes Is Now Advocating A “Low-Carb, High-Fat With Modest Protein Intake” Diet His book, the Real Meal Revolution, isn’t yet out in the US.
• A Day In The Life Of … Sally Gunnell – The Only British Woman To Win World, Olympic, European And Commonwealth Titles The 48-year-old former WR holder gives motivational speeches these days.
• Oklahoma State Is Using The Fact They Are A Rare School That Will Let Football Stars Run Track As A Recruiting Tool Running back Tyreek Hill was 5th in the NCAA 200 last year indoors.
• London 2012 Ticket Director Says Olympics Needs To Change Policy On Ticket Sales “The problem is that the current Olympic business plan for selling tickets doesn’t recognise the existence of the internet.”

Upcoming Races

• Edwin Soi, Moses Mosop And Thomas Longosiwa And Ethiopian Muktar Edris Will Race European XC Champ Andrea Lalli In Italy This Weekend
• Radcliffe Will Continue Comeback With 15km Race In Netherlands On 7 December

Women’s Running News

• Q&A With 2:01.13 800 Runner Karine Belleau-Beliveau Of Canada, Who Didn’t Run Until Age 24 In 2008, at age 24,  she wasn’t a runner but wanted to run a marathon. 5 months later, she ran 2:08 for 800. Now she may make Worlds in 2015 at age 31.
• Great Read: Canadian Marathoner Rob Watson Blogs About Pacing Shalane Flanagan In Berlin In distress, he says she showed “why she is one of the best in the world.”
• Lauren Fleshman Blogs, “Do I Look Like a Man? “ Apparently one online critic said yes. Fleshman: “Our definition of femininity still has some expanding to do to catch up with the fact that women are athletes now, in lots of shapes and sizes.”
• A Chat With Esther Erb, 2014 U.S. Marathon Champion, Who Reveals She Had To Use The Port-A-John At Mile 20 “It really makes my day when anyone notices that I am smiling from start to finish.”
  *Despite $26,500 Payday, Esther Erb Gets Grant As RRCA 2014 Roads Scholar Class Other winners of training $$ included former NCAA champ Natosha Rogers.
• ESPNW Article On How Former Three-Time DIII NCAA XC Champ Missy Rock, Who Is Trying To Rescue Her Adopted Child From Africa Rock ran the Twin Cities Marathon in 2:54 to raise awareness and the orphanage in Congo where her daughter is currently stuck.
• Jo Pavey Wants To Make 2016 Games At Age 42

Coaching News

• 1984 Olympic 10,000 Silver Medalist Mike McLeod Is Now Coaching His Son Ryan, Who Just Won The British Half Marathon Champs Ryan only ran 64:57 to win but has a 13:41 5,000 PR.
• Learn How To Coach Like Arthur Lydiard At Coaching Clinic In Victoria, BC From Nov. 14 To 16

Sport’s Gender Controversy Continues

• BBC On Intersex Gender Issue In Sport: “A History Of Bad Science And Biological Racism” The writer seems to be on the side of Indian sprinter Dutee Chand, who has refused hormone treatment and has brought her case to CAS to have the IAAF rule on natural testosterone levels abolished. If she is, this could completely change (ruin?) women’s sports. Read more about this issue in the LRC archives.
• NY Times On Chand: “Fighting For The Body She Was Born With” We like the quote from chairman of the IOC medical commission Arne Ljungqvist: “People who say, ‘This is nothing; we don’t need this rule,’ don’t know sports … We just can’t bury our heads in the sand and pretend these conditions do not exist.”
• Minnesota Debating What To Do About Transgender Students In High School Sports Article includes story and quotes from athlete who competed on women’s track team despite identifying himself as male.