March 24, 2015 | LetsRun.com

L-Carnitine

LRC Good News, Bad News: Everything You Want To Know About The Nike Oregon Project And L-Carnitine Injections The Sunday Times reported that Alberto Salazar ordered his Nike Oregon Project athletes thousands of dollars of L-Carnitine supplements and experimented with injecting L-Carnitine on coach Steve Magness. We break it down. *MB: Salazar, Farah, talk about use of L-carnitine, a legal supplement with 11% performance. gains

Drug / Trial News

Despicable: Drug Cheat Vadim Devyatovsky Was Actually Elected President Of Belarus Athletic Federation As He Faces A Lifetime Ban From The Sport The former Olympic hammer thrower tested positive at the 2000 Olympics, the 2008 Olympics (had ban overturned) and then in a re-test of 2005 World Champs samples. IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said, “We were not impressed to see he had been elected as president.” Devyatovsky’s lifetime ban case will be decided by CAS.
Indian Sprinter Dutee Chand Starts Her Appeal Against “Gender Test” Ban Chand failed a gender test last year and was kept off the Indian team for Commonwealth Games when she refused medical treatment that would make her eligible.
*Read More About Chand In The LRC Archives
Terrorism Expert Says Boston Bomber’s Note Left In Boat Uses Jihadi Themes

2014 #1 Jairus Birech, Olympic/World Champ Ezekiel Kemboi And Evan Jager Lead Steeplechase Field For Pre Classic On May 30th Paul Kipsiele Koech (7:54), Olympic bronze medalist Abel Mutai, Dan Huling and former NCAA champ Matt Hughes are also in the field.

Sergey Bubka Says He Will Publish His Manifesto Soon As Part Of His Campaign To Be The Next IAAF President

More Weekend Action *All NCAA Results

Asbel Kiprop Runs 1:44.4 800 At Athletics Kenya Relay Series Meet He says he wants to run the 800 leg of the DMR at World Relay Champs. National champ Ronald Kwemoi won the 1,500 in 3:38.3.
*Kiprop Also Talks About Running 4 X 800 At World Relays
Laura Roesler Opens Her Season With A Slow (By Her Standards) 2:03.99 Win
Kenyan Alfers Langat Wins Venloop Half Marathon In CR 60:33 (Translated From Dutch)
Ethiopians Abebe Negewo Degefa (2:12:23) And Meseret Kitat Tolwalk (2:30:25) Win Rome Marathon
South African Sprinter Akani Simbine Runs 10.04/20.27 The 10.04 came in the semis before a thunderstorm disrupted the final.
Lanni Marchant Runs 26:44 8k In Canada
Kenyan Eliud Kiplagat Bargnetuny Wins New Taipei City Wanjinshi Marathon In 2:13:41 In Windy Conditions Gladys Kipsoi won the women’s race (2:39:32).
Results For 2015 US Masters Championships Meet website with on-demand video.

News From Boston

Meb Keflezighi And Bill Rodgers Unveil 2015 Boston Marathon Street Banners
AP Interview: Boston’s Olympic 2024 Chief Confident In Bid – “We have to dream big.”
Alan Abrahamson Reacts To Fact That Only 36% Of Bostonians Support 2024 Bid PR experts are getting $44k per month but have yet to talk to the expert Abrahamson for advice.
Boston Marathon Runner Reflects On Testing Against Tsarnaev In Terrorism Trial She purposely wore a skirt to show off her prosthetic.

Previous 2015 World Cross-Country News

Ethiopian Team Is Studly And Includes 2013 World XC Jr. Gold Medalist Hagos Gebrhiwet They have 4 guys who have gone sub-13:00, 27:00, 60:00 or 2:07:00.
Kenyan Team 2015 World Cross-Country Released The top 6 from the Trials. ~~plus defending champ Japhet Korir.~~
Two-Time Medalist Teklemariam Medhin Leads Eritrean Team He won silver in 2010, bronze in 2013 and wants gold in 2015.
Ugandan Team For 2015 World Cross-Country Released Uganda is hoping to get a medal after missing out in 2013 after medaling in 5 straight World XCs.

Elite Distance News

Great Read: Toni Reavis Talks About How The “BIG 3” From 2000 Foot Locker Champs (Dathan Ritzenhein, Alan Webb, And Ryan Hall) Are “Down To 1” Reavis talks about the rise of the internet and how it put a lot of pressure on these three from an early age. Mostly, though, he analyzes Hall’s recent DNF in LA and the direction his career is going.
*MB: The BIG 3: Only one remains
39-Year-Old Blake Russell Talks To Runners World About How She Shocked Many By Winning The US Marathon Champs In La In 2:34:57 She hadn’t even finished a marathon (despite three attempts) since 2008. Russell added more mileage, longer workouts and did more on the road vs. track.
Athletics Kenya Expected To Announce Final World XC Squad Soon Apparently even though he ran absolutely terrible at the trials (and all year for that matter), defending champ Japhet Korir is being considered for a wild card spot along with others like Geoffrey Kipsang and Bedan Karoki.
UW’s Baylee Mires Ran Most Of 1,200 Leg Of NCAA DMR With One Shoe She handed off in 7th and UW finished 5th.
Weekend Video Highlights: LA Marathon, NYC Half, Seoul Marathon And Sydney Track Classic Philip Kangogo won the Barcelona Marathon in 2:08:16.
Watch Video Replay Of NYC Half Marathon Men and women’s finishes are in part 9.

World XC Is Saturday (Friday Night In USA)

photos of Teklemariam Medhin

LRC The World’s Greatest Foot Race – 2015 Men’s Preview: Kenya Or Ethiopia? Shame On Europe For Waving The White Flag The world’s greatest foot race is Saturday in China (Friday night in the USA) and it should be Kenya vs. Ethiopia for gold with USA battling for bronze on the men’s side. Can Eritrea’s Teklemariam Medhin, the guy who had a malaria-like disease and slept in the airport two years ago but still got bronze, come out on top?

More From The Weekend

Spain’s Fabian Roncero Says Mo Farah’s 59:32 Isn’t A European Record Because Farah Isn’t European Roncero (the man who previously held the record at 59:52), says Farah’s record should count for Somalia, not Europe/GB. “For me, an athlete who was born in Kenya is Kenyan and one born in Somalia is Somali forever …”
Yuki Kawauchi On Road To Recovery From Injury As He Wins Kumagaya Sakura Half In 64:41 Kawauchi speaks out on the Japanese national team selection policy, where the Japanese federation seems to be emphasizing time rather than competition.
Athletics Weekly Roundup: GB’s Lily Partridge Wins Reading Half In 70:32 Elsewhere, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce finished 4th in a 400 in Jamaica with 55.67 and world TJ champ Teddy Tamgho returned from his 1-year drug ban (for missing 3 tests) with a 16.78m win in France.
Hey, Dallas Locals: You Could Have Won $1,000 Or More Last Weekend Running 1:19 (Women) Or 1:08 (Men) In The RnR Dallas Half Lauren Versweyveld won the women’s race in 1:19:14 to win $1,250 while Benson Chesang got $1,000 for 4th place in the men’s race (1:08:22). The winner, Emil Dobrowolski of Poland, got $750 for running 1:04:41.

World XC Champs Are This Weekend

IAAF World XC Champs Junior Men Preview 1991 was the last time a runner from somewhere besides Kenya or Ethiopia won the men’s junior race, but Uganda’s World Junior 10,000 champ Joshua Cheptegei could break that streak this year.
HS Senior Conner Mantz Leads US Junior Team For World XC Mantz had a stress reaction in October, but cross trained a ton and won US Junior XC Champs in February.
IAAF Junior Women Preview Kenya’s junior national champ Rosefline Chepngetich (7th place at World XC 2013) and Bahrain’s (formerly Kenya’s) world junior steeple champ Ruth Jebet are the favorites.
Kenyan Team Has Dinner “Fit For Kings” Before Departing For China AK president Isaiah Kiplagat has complaints for Nike as runners are short on gear/shoes as they leave for China.

2015 EDP Lisbon Half Marathon *Results

Mo's Competitors Can't Stop Him, But The Tape Can (Must have been the adidas logo)

LRC Mo Farah Comes From Behind To Win Lisbon Half In European Record Of 59:32! (And Sprawls To The Ground Over Finishing Tape) (updated with recap/analysis) Half way into the race, Farah was dropped from the lead pack, but he hung tough and got the super-impressive win in 59:32 over Micah Kogo. Rose Chelimo won the women’s race in 1:08:22.
*IAAF Recap

LRC Official 2015 EDP Lisbon Half Marathon Live Discussion Thread

The Search For A Better Running Shoe

LRC The Most Popular Running Shoe On LetsRun.com Is … Not Made Anymore … The Nike Pegasus+ 30 Thousands of you filled out our detailed running shoe survey in the fall and more of you ran in the Nike Pegasus+30 than any other shoe. Only problem is all of you need to find a new shoe, help us out below:

LRC The Improved LRC Running Shoe Survey Is Back – Three Minutes To A Better Running Shoe The running shoe buying process sucks and we want to improve it with data. We took your reviews from the fall, made a running shoe beta site, and have improved our survey to ask you what shoe your previously ran in. We now need more reviews from you on the latest shoes.

Random But Interesting

570-Pound Man Commits To Finishing A 5K Per Month In 2015
Q&A With Lee Emanuel, Who Rates His European Indoor Silver As A Bigger Accomplishment Than His NCAA Titles
19 Months After Moscow Injury, Perri Shakes Drayton Still Hasn’t Competed Things are going slowly but she’s focused on 2016.
A Review Of Rojo’s Running Shoe – Under Armour SpeedForm Gemini Rojo, who lives in Bmore, purchased the shoe to support the hometown company and loves it.
Profile Of Kiwi Trail/Ultra Runner Anna Frost

Random, But Interesting (Or We Wouldn’t Put Them Up)

Nijel Amos Celebrates 21st Birthday In Style Caster Semenya attended. It was Amos’ 1st birthday party. Well deserved since he ran 1:41 at age 18.
*MB: Nijel Amos is a baller – celebrates his 21st birthday in style (pics)
Poll: 52% Of Bostonians Are Against 2024 Games, 36% Are For It
Texas Ready To Dump $10M High School Steroids Testing Program The program is a joke as they don’t watch people pee and tell schools when they are coming.
Ken Goe On Hightower/Hersh: “It seems clear that there is a monumental disconnect between USATF’s board and its rank and fil.e”

UK News

Runner Of The Month

LRCThe Nate Houle Story: "Trying to live life while you've still got it."

Nate Houle had it all: a beautiful wife, wonderful son, and his dream job coaching track at his alma mater Southern Utah University (Cam Levins' school, Nate was Cam's teammate). Then, in the span of five months, he lost his job, and was diagnosed with a rare cancer. Rather than make Nate bitter, the cancer has given Nate a new appreciation for life and God's plan for him. That makes him our Runner of the Month.

Spice Up Your Winter – Photo Of The Year Contest

LRC The Story Behind The Alaskan Flip-Off: The 2013 LRC Photo Of The Year

LRC What’s Your 2014 Running Photo Of The Year? Have you taken a photo or seen a photo that could be the running photo of the year (2014 until now)*. Submit or tweet your entries to us. Winner and/or person who tells us of winner wins $100.

LRC Lisbon Half Photos

The Finishing Tape was the only thing Farah had trouble with

NCAA Stuff

Good Read: Statesman Journal Article On Oregon State’s First Dual Meet In 27 Years, Which Was On Saturday The OSU women won the meet over Utah. Another step along the way to rebuilding track and field at Oregon State.
*OSU Article: Beavers Claim First Home Dual Since 1988 *Results
Good Q&A With Iowa State’s NCAA Indoor 800 Champ Edward Kemboi Kemboi talks about being motivated from losing last year, his mileage, how he thinks too much lifting hurt his running and trying to make the Kenyan team for Worlds.
Top NCAA Marks From The Weekend In Each Event

2015 Melbourne World Challenge Full Results Free Video Replay

LRC David Rudisha Is Surprisingly Challenged To The Finish, Improves To 1:44.94 In Melbourne

Max Siegel Explains Why USATF Signed A 25-Year Deal With Nike “Some thought if we did an eight-year deal, there may be a better deal or sponsor out there in eight years. We ran every single analysis on this possible. We looked at increases in cost of living, inflation, how the money would be invested, market changes and more. With this, we’re locked into a very healthy long-term deal.”

2015 World Cross-Country Is Next Saturday In China *Entries

Moses Mukona, Who Just Graduated HS, Wants A Medal In Seniors At World XC, Then He’ll Decide On Whether To Get A Job Or Go To College No word if the well-spoken athlete is considering college in the USA or not.
Japan-Based Bedan Karoki, Leonard Barsoton Ready For World XC In Nearby China Karoki, the Kenyan champ, is particularly pleased that in XC, people don’t wait until the final 200 like Mo Farah does in the 10,000.
British Jr. Champ Jonny Glen Is In Year 2 Of 4-Year Electrician Apprenticeship, But May Consider NCAA After That’s Done
10 Athletes To Watch At 2015 World XC – Chris Derrick Makes The Cut
*MB: Studly Chris Derrick listed as 1 of 3 men’s athletes to watch at 2015 World XC- Can he medal?

More News From Africa

Drug / Legal News

RR: WSJ Shares Some Troubling Revelations On The NCAA’s “Drug Problem”: NCAA Chief Medical Officer Says Drug Polices Across College Sports Are “Wildly Inconsistent” It’s scary to think that right now a steroid infraction would get an athlete at Florida benched for half a season, and only one competition at Texas A&M. The Texas A&M AD said they emphasize ~~winning~~ education over punishment.
Amantle Montsho Might Not Appeal 2-Year Drug Ban Because Of The High Costs It would cost $20,000 for her to bring the case to CAS. She claims the energy drink was contaminated with a banned stimulant which wasn’t listed on the label. As we mentioned in our WTW last year, we think it was pretty dumb to buy an energy drink called “Anabolic Nitro Extreme Energy Surge.”
Oscar Pistorius Case Moving To South African Supreme Court No date has been set, but legal experts say it could take up to 2 years.

Previous Distance News

Good Read: David Rudisha Was Named A Masai Warrior For Breaking 800 WR, Didn’t Have To Kill A Lion The article also explains how he got the name “Rudisha” – believe it or not, it’s related to German soldiers kicking down the door of his grandmother’s hut as she gave birth.
Kenyan World Relay Champs “Mini Trials” Continues This Weekend This is just a meet to earn yourself an invite to the real Trials on April 1st.
Sprints – Next Week: “Champs” Preview: Hurdles Clash Between Jaheel Hyde And Michael O’Hara Will Be A Big Highlight
‘Champs’ Preview of ‘The Magnificent Six’ – Top 6 Women

MB: LRC Debate: Should The NCAA Re-Run Races After Blatant DQs, Should There Be DQs In 800s Or 3ks?

Week That Was

LRCJenkins Vs. Cheserek, Jenkins Vs. Rupp And Solinsky, The Worst Cross-Country Coach In America, Ryan Hall, Ryan Gregson, Andrew Wheating And More

We take one more look at Jenkins vs. Cheserek and our first at Jenkins vs. Rupp and Solinsky and Leah O'Connor vs. Simpson and Coburn. Plus a look at the worst cross-country coach in America, whether Ryan Hall went out too fast, and Ryan Gregson and Andrew Wheating.