February 25, 2016 | LetsRun.com

The Week That Was – Our Weekly Recap

LRCWTW: Someone Break Up The Women Of The Bowerman Track Club, Putting Drew Hunter's Run In Perspective, Much-Improved US 5k Running, And Galen Rupp Imitates Alberto Salazar

This week we also catch up with coaching legends Frank Gagliano and Ron Warhurst, talk about abolishing the US Olympic Trials and wonder if the Russian doping scandal resulted in a murder.

Seb Coe Survives

All 6 IAAF Continental Presidents Sign A Statement Offering Their Full, Unequivocal Support Of Sebastian Coe In His Role, His Reform Proposals And Actions As IAAF President Now And In The Future

Americans, Don’t Worry – Everyone Thinks Their Federation Is Inept

USA And World Indoors Are Fast Approaching

LRCYet Another USATF Controversy? Might Galen Rupp Have To Qualify For World Indoors Out Of The Slow Heat At USA Indoors?

It looks like there may be yet another "A" and "B" heat controversy at USA Indoors this year. Say it ain't so. *Discuss

More World Indoor News

Doping Updates – Last Chance For Kenya?

LRC ESPN Embarrasses Itself – Refuses To Do Drug Testing At X Games Oslo The bean counting in Bristol is over the top as ESPN, which takes in more than $10 billion in revenue each year, is refusing to drug test in Oslo. Norwegian, IOC and WADA officials are justifiably outraged.

Yet Another “Deadline”: WADA Gives Kenya Until April 5th To Comply With Anti-Doping Rules WADA will then assess Kenya and if they are declared non-compliant, they could be banned from Rio.
IAAF Provisionally Suspend Athletics Kenya Chief Isaac Mwangi Over Bribe Allegations He is suspended pending the outcome of the IAAF Ethics Commission’s investigation. *IAAF Statement
Argentina Now Compliant With WADA Code They were ruled non-compliant in November for using non-accredited laboratories for doping tests.

International Distance News

Hannah England Has Been Battling Through Injury And Illness For Years, But Hopes She Can Finally Get Back To Where She Was When She Won 1,500 Silver At 2011 Worlds Good profile on England who has lost her UK funding and been close to retiring, but says she’s too stubborn to quit.
IAAF Profile: After Injury-Plagued 2015, Augustine Choge Goes Into World Indoors As The 3,000m Favorite Choge says he still goes back and watches the YouTube video from his first big victory in 2006 – 5,000m CWG gold as a 19-year-old over Craig Mottram.
Recommended Read: Meet GB Runner Robert Young, Who Set The Record For Longest Run Without Sleep He ran 4 days and 373.75 miles without any sleep. The article says that after “six double espressos with 15 sugars” at the 300-mile mark, he was “running five-minute miles again.” We have a hard time believing that, but an interesting read nonetheless.
Video: Runner’s Tribe Interview/Workout With Former NCAA Champ And Aussie Olympian David McNeill
Video: Lengthy 27-Minute Interview With Aussie Mid-D Runner Luke Mathews Mathews PRed by over a second two weeks ago with 1:46.30 to get the Olympic qualifying standard.
Competition Heating Up For Irish Olympic Marathon Spots As Mick Clohisey Runs 2:15:10 At The Seville Marathon Now four guys are right around 2:15 and five more under 2:19.

More Millrose

NY Times Talks To Drew Hunter, Andy Powell, Alan Webb After Hunter’s 3:57 At Millrose Webb: “I admire him, and I’m proud of him. I couldn’t have asked for a better guy to take all my records away.”
Some PV History As Two Women Clear 4.90m In The Same Competition For The First Time Greece’s Ekaterini Stefanidi beat US’s Demi Payne on the countback.
Andre De Grasse Wins 60m In His Professional Debut
Bills Wide Receiver Marquise Goodwin Was 3rd In The LJ Goodwin is shooting for Rio even if it costs him a roster spot as he’ll miss all of pre-season training camp.
UPenn’s Thomas Awad Ran Fastest Mile In Ivy League History (3:57.03)
NY Times: “Millrose Games’ Glamour Is Diminished; Prestige Is Not” Writer calls Millrose a “relic from a golden era of track and field” … back when we had enough fans to have the meet at Madison Square Garden.
Oregon’s Raevyn Rogers Ran The 2nd-Fastest Collegiate 800 Of All-Time Her 2:00.90 wasn’t far off the 11-year-old 2:00.75 record.
MB: Official 2016 NYRR Millrose Games Live Discussion Thread
MB: Who were your biggest winners and losers at Millrose?
MB: After Watching Millrose 3k, Do you think Rupp makes World Indoor team at 3k?
MB: Cheserek Trying to Become US Citizen Before Trials??

Results On One Page

More International Results

Asian Indoor Champs Final Day: Qatar’s Mohamed Al-Garni Runs 7:39 To Complete His 3,000/1,500 Double Victory Qatar got another win from Abdulrahman Musaeb Balla with 1:46.92 in the 800.
IAAF Indoor Round-Up: Renaud Lavillenie Clears A World Leading 6.02m In France
Asian Games Day 2: Qatar’s Moroccan-Born Mohamed Al-Garni Just Misses Asian 1,500 Record As He Wins In 3:36.35 He was only .07 seconds off the record even after an excessive celebration cost him time in the final straight. UAE’s Betlhem Desalegn followed up her 1,500 win with an 8:44 victory in the 3,000.
Cosmas Kiplimo Lagat Breaks CR With 2:08:14 At Sevilla Marathon Spain’s Paula Gonzalez thrilled the local crowd by winning in her debut with 2:31:18.

Breaking News: Genzebe Dibaba Runs A Race And Doesn’t Set A WR

Genzebe Dibaba Runs 8:22.50 – The 2nd-Fastest Indoor 3,000 In History – In Stockholm Gelete Burka was second in 8:33.76. Aman Wote won the men’s 1,500 in 3:39.

A Legend Talks About A Potential Future Legend

LRC Highlight Video of Alan Webb Giving Drew Hunter His Gatorade AOY Award Yesterday It looks like both Alan Webb and Drew Hunter enjoyed themselves.

LRC Alan Webb Discusses Whether He Thinks Drew Hunter Can Break His Outdoor Record, Why The Flurry Of HS Sub-4:00s Is A Good Thing, And Who Had The Better Career – Himself, Ryan Hall Or Ritz? Alan Webb reveals that he does indeed think Hunter can break his 3:53 outdoor record. As for who had the better career – himself, Ritz or Hall – he pleads the 5th.

Most NCAA Conference Meets Are This Weekend *Schedule / Results

MB: ACC’s this weekend… Any bold predictions??
MB: The official HEPS track and field thread, 2015-2016
Texas A&M’s Pat Henry Says Arkansas Should Be Favored For Both Men’s And Women’s Crowns
Arkansas Is Ready For SEC Indoors
Big 10 Indoor Preview For Men And Women
Texas Is Ready To Try To Defend Men’s And Women’s Big 12 Crowns
Thursday’s Pro Action: Val Adams Has Longest Throw In 18 Months (18.85m), Tom Walsh throws 20.91m At Auckland Track Challenge Jacko Gil was a late pullout with an wrist injury.

Charity News

USATF Foundation Gives Out $297,000 To Developing Athletes In terms of mid-d and distance stars, Bobby Curtis and Boris Berian got the most ($10,000), but $5,000 went to Morgan Uceny, Alysia Montano & others.
USATF Foundation Also Gives Out $55,095 To Youth Clubs
Oregon House Approves Hotel Tax Increase By 2 Votes, Which Would Result In Eugene 2021 Getting $25 Million Subsidy It actually passed 37-20 but you need 36 votes to pass a tax increase. The bill still needs to pass the Senate.
Phil Knight Gives $400 Million To A University … And It’s Not Oregon … It’s Stanford

Administrative News That Is Actually Interesting

Take That, Boston Independent Poll Shows 88% Of Angelenos Want LA To Host The Games Alan Abrahamson breaks down what it means. One message board poster thinks the 2024 Olympic host debate shows New Englanders aren’t as patriotic as they claim.
*MB: New England, the real Patriots are in LA – 88% of Angelenos want LA to host the Olympics
Scott Bush Takes Over As Head Of Portland Track And Portland Track Festival We like his idea to have monthly meetings that mimic the TrackTown Tuesdays in Eugene where he can “introduce the local high school athletes to the elites who live here.”
Q&A With USOC Marketing Chief Lisa Baird On The Tough Job She Does In Protecting Olympic Sponsors Versus Hurting Individual Athletes While the USOC is relaxing IOC Rule 40 a little this year, we still think it’s ripe for a lawsuit which we’d support.
MB: Provocative ready by Wichita State coach: How I would solve the problems of college track and field
MB: Do you agree or disagree wtih Toni Reavis? Reavis: Meb is the greatest American distance runner ever

London 2017 Gets A New Figurehead

2017 London Worlds Names Cherry Alexander As New Managing Director She replaces Sally Bolton, who lost out in a power struggle with UK Athletics head Ed Warner, who seems to really be in charge.

Notre Dame Alumni Association Does Lengthy Video Interview Catching Up With Molly Huddle Some interesting insights into Huddle’s early career. You probably didn’t know her HS added XC for her so as a senior she was the only person on the “team.”

Jared Tallent’s Beginners Guide To Walking Toddlers everywhere, this one is for you.

New Study Finds Running Can Help Make You Smarter Among those tested, fitter people were better able to focus on mental tasks.

2016 NYRR Millrose *Results

LRC Matthew Centrowitz Becomes Fourth-Fastest Indoor Miler Ever (3:50.63), Repeats As Wanamaker Mile Champion Nick Willis tried his best to turn back Centro but it was in vain as they entertained.

LRC Ryan Hill Kicks Best To Win Loaded 3,000 In World-Leading 7:38.82; Edward Cheserek 7:40.51 (#2 All-Time NCAA) Is Ryan Hill the top 3,000m runner in the world right now?

LRC The Rest Of The Meet: Betsy Saina Wins A Historically-Fast 5k, Shannon Rowbury Comes Up Short In Her AR Attempt, Ajee Wilson Wins As Does Duane Solomon Some great distance action at Millrose.

LRC Drew Hunter Does It Again – Runs 3:57.81 For A New High School Indoor Mile Record He’s still under the weather and still making history.
*MB: DREW HUNTER 3:57.81

Russian / Kenyan Doping News

Before His Sudden Death, Former RUSADA Executive Director Had Written To The Sunday Times To Reveal Info On Cover-Ups Allegedly, Nikita Kamayev was set to reveal details about a “secret lab” being used in Russia.
Independent: Kamaev’s Info Included Actual Documents And Communications With The Russian Sports Ministry And IOC
Guardian: Kamaev Had Planned A “Tell All” Book But Abandoned The Plan After An American Publisher Demanded Too Much Influence
MB: Did Putin do it? Former chief of Russia anti-doping agency dies unexpectedly of ‘massive heart attack’
MB: Russian anti-doping chief found dead
Russian Bank Threatening To Sue WADA After Their Report Questioned The Legitimacy Of The Bank’s $25 Million Sponsorship Deal With The IAAF
*LRC Lawsuit Archives Take a look at all the interesting track-related lawsuits over the last few years.
Kenya Moves A Step Closer To Olympic Ban As WADA Is Expected To Officially Put Them On Probation

Field Event Stuff

More Paralympic Debate As Amputee LJer Markus Rehm Argues For A Spot At The Olympics GB’s Chris Tomlinson and Dan Bramble were for it, but Aussie Fabrice Lapierre (who finished 2nd in Glasgow behind Rehm) said no.
Brazil’s 34-Year-Old Pole Vaulter Fabiana Murer Will Wants To End Her Career With A Gold Medal At Her Home Olympics The multi-time global medalist will retire after Rio.
Ashton Eaton Now Sponsored By Gillette

Weekend NCAA Action *All College Results

Alex Wilson Invy Results: Fast DMRs Highlight As Oklahoma State Runs Third-Fastest Time In NCAA History With 9:26.60 They beat Washington by .59 seconds with the top five teams going sub-9:30. The Michigan women ran the 3rd-fastest time of the year to win in 10:58.25.
Patriot League Conference Champs: Navy Men, Boston University Women Win *Men’s Results *Women
*Navy Men, Bucknell Women Lead After Day 1 *Meet Site
Atlantic 10: Rhode Island Men And Massachusetts Women Win *Full Results
*Rhode Island Men And Women Lead After First Day *Meet Site

Kenya May Soon Be The Toughest Country In The World On Doping

Kenya Proposes Doping Bill That Would Suspend Licenses Of Medical Practitioners That Help Athletes Dope For A Minimum Of 1 Year

Geoffrey Mutai Says Boston Marathon His “Favorite Course” – Adds Training Is Going Better Than Last Year As He’s Healthy

Random Sprint/Field News

15-Year-Old Kiwi James Guthrie-Croft Has Run 10.97 In 100m
World Junior PV Record Holder Eliza McCartney Improves Her PR To 4.71m
New Zealand Names Throws-Heavy Worlds Indoor Team Nick Willis is the only runner on the team.

Which Will Be A More Annoying Story? The Russian Doping One (Yes, They Will Be There) Or Zika (Not As Big Of A Deal As People Fear)?

Russian Athletics Head: “The Olympic Games without the Russian national team, this is not the Olympic Games.”
Brazil To Blast Zika-Carrying Mosquitoes With Gamma Rays Ahead Of Rio 2016 Up to 12 million male Aedes mosquitoes – which spread Zika – will be zapped with the gamma rays to sterilize them.

News From Kenya

Sprint News

Dina Asher-Smith Learns Lessons From 7.25 Disappointment At Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix
James Dasaolu Keen To Banish 2015 Demons In Olympic Year The 9.91 man only ran 10.12 last year.

Keeping Up With The Eatons

Good Watch: 10-Minute Video Interview With Harry Marra, Coach Of Ashton And Brianne Eaton Marra says he’s been doing T&F since a kid when he pole vaulted over his mom’s clothes lines in the backyard. Other interesting tidbits including he was living in California and basically retired from coaching when he was asked by Vin Lananna to coach Eaton at Oregon.
IAAF First Impressions Q&A With Brianne Theisen-Eaton Romantics might be disappointed to know that her first kiss was not Ashton Eaton.

2016 Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix – Mo Farah’s 1 Indoor Race Of 2016 *Results

The fans were happy LRC Mo Farah’s 2016 Track Campaign Gets Off To A Successful Start As He Wins Glasgow 3,000 In 7:39.55 After realizing the British record was out of reach, Mo focused on the win and got it, but Mo only closed in 58.9.

LRC Mary Cain’s Lackluster 2016 Continues – Cain Runs 4:13.55 In Glasgow Cain finished 8th of 9.
IAAF: Abdalaati Iguider Runs World-Leading 3:34.94 To Win 1,500 Over Ayanleh Souleiman Siffan Hassan won in 4:01.40 as Gudaf Tsegay set an indoor Jr. record in 4:01.81. Adam Kszczot (1:46.23), Melissa Bishop (2:00.19) and Nancy Chepkwemoi (8:49) were the other distance winners.
Non-Distance: Shawn Barber Returns To Form With A 5.89m PV Victory; Dafne Schippers Wins 60m in 7.10 Seconds Little-known Brit Sean Safo-Antwi won the men’s 60m after Kim Collins pulled up with a cramp and was stretchered off the track.
“Blade Jumper” Markus Rehm “Wins” Glasgow LJ In 8.10m Technically, Aussie Fabrice Lapierre (8.08m) won since Rehm finishes in a separate set of paralympic results.
MB: Official 2016 Glagow Indoor Live Discussion Thread

Sprint News

Interesting Article: GB’s Former Commonwealth Games 110H Champ Andy Turner Is Now A Professional Bodybuilder The former track star explains the ins and outs of a body builder’s training routine, which include some ridiculous and unhealthy diet routines that sound absolutely miserable.
Good Read: “Usain Bolt Still Rules The 100, But Younger Legs Are Charging” With young legs like Andre De Grasse and Trayvon Bromell chasing his heels, will he be able to hold on to his sprint dominance for another Games?
Jesse Owens Biopic “Race” Opened Friday The actor playing Owens went to Beijing Worlds and met Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin as part of his preparation for the role.
GB’s Richard Kilty May Not Defend His World 60m Indoor Title In Portland Kilty says he’s already “won everything there is to win indoors” so might skip it to focus on Rio.

News From Oregon

Figuring Out A Competition Schedule Is Complex For A Multi-Event Athlete Coach Harry Marra explains it can take weeks to figure out which meets/events the Eatons will do.
Oregon Lawmakers Still Haggling Over Tax-Increase Bill For 2021 Worlds Advocates of the hotel room tax, which is meant to help subsidize Eugene 2021, have scaled back their request to try and gain support.
What Will Happen To The Portland Indoor Track After Worlds? The University of Iowa will get a track as promised, but it might not be this one as there are rumors someone in Portland might step in to buy it.