Quote Of The Day
– NCAA XC 3rd placer Pierce Murphy talking about going from “recruited walk-on” to a star runner at Colorado. Mark Wetmore has high praise for Murphy calling him the “most successful of those blue-collar guys” who were not high school stars, but went on to do great things in the NCAA.
- Malcolm Gladwell backs Boris
- Maria Sharapova's doping ban deteremined to be unintentional -- Still gets a 2-Year Ban
- Good sign for Kenenisa. Haile Gebrselassie, other athletes protest at Ethiopia federation
- Title IX lawyer needed: Is sex discirimination (against males) going on at NCAAs?
- I listed my "PRs" on my resume, and now the chickens have come home to roost.
- The greatest thread in LRC history? Robert Young fakes run across America
- At how may Miles Per Week do you start to double?
- Is Genzebe still the favorite for Rio?
- Mother of Girl Who Lost Race to Transgender Athlete in Alaska is Furious
2016 NCAAs Start Today *Schedule & Results *TV & Streaming *Incredible Electronic Team Scorer *TFN’s Men’s Picks *TFN’s Women’s Picks
Men Compete Wed./Friday: *MB: Official 2016 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track And Field Discussion Thread
*MB: Please post your apologies here if you wrote him off. Donavan Brazier just jogged a 1:45.03!!! –
LRC Previews:
- MMd/Steeple: LRC Clayton Murphy Vs. Izaic Yorks Vs. Henry Wynne In An Epic 1,500; 1:44 Men Brandon McBride & Shaquille Walker Battle In 800
- M5k/10K: LRC After Losing Twice In The Regular Season, Is Edward Cheserek Finally Vulnerable At NCAAs?
Women Compete Thu./Saturday: *MB: Official 2016 NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track And Field Discussion Thread
LRC 2016 NCAA Outdoor Women’s 5K/10K Preview: Arkansas’ Dominique Scott Goes For the Double That Eluded Her Last Year With Molly Seidel out for the season with a stress fracture and Erin Finn focused on the Olympic Trials, Scott, who finished second in both events last year, is the NCAA leader at both distances (15:25/31:56). On paper, SEC rival Chelsea Blaase is her biggest competition in the 10k but seems past her peak; could Georgetown’s Katrina Coogan threaten in the 5k after moving up from the 1,500?
LRC 2016 NCAA Outdoor Women’s Mid-D/Steeple Preview: Can Raevyn Rogers (800), Marta Freitas (1,500) & Courtney Frerichs (3,000 SC) Deliver As Favorites? Freitas (4:09.80) and Frerichs (9:29.31) have SBs that put them well ahead of the rest of the NCAA, while Rogers is the defending NCAA indoor/outdoor champion. Can indoor mile champ Kaela Edwards challenge Freitas in the 1,500? What about Stanford’s super-soph Olivia Baker (NCAA-leading 2:01.02) in the 800?
Full Coverage On Our 2016 NCAA Outdoor Event Page.
Nike Gets Restraining Order But Berian Finds Some Important Supporters
LRC The Restraining Order That Nike Sought Against Boris Berian Is Now Out – Read It Here- Plus Under Penalty of Perjury Nick Symmonds, Jesse Williams and Sally Bergesen Support Berian We’ve received the copy of the minute order from a legal expert and they provide a little analysis of what it all means. We also have copies of sworn affidavits in support of Berian from Jesse Williams, Nick Symmonds and Sally Bergesen. Under penalty of perjury, Williams said he’s never signed an athlete to a contact with reductions in it in 12 + years at Brooks.
LRC Nike Is Granted Temporary Restraining Order In Its Lawsuit Against Boris Berian Nike got the 14-day temporary restraining order (TRO) it was seeking even though under the penalty of perjury New Balance’s John Evans said his contractual offer to Berian had no reductions in it.
*MB: Official Discussion Thread For Boris Berian’s Contract Dispute
*MB: Wow: Nike’s mafia-themed party where LetsRun.com was allegedly one of 3 parties to be ‘hit ‘makes it into the WSJ
Berian Podcast from Monday night when he talk about suite*Itunes
Today’s Doping Updates
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko Implicated In Latest Doping Allegations By ARD ARD’s latest documentary airs tonight and will claim that Mutko blocked the reporting of a doping offense by a top soccer player and that the Russian government was directly involved in covering up state controlled doping.- Documentary Also Has Footage Of Supposedly Banned Coaches Still Working With Athletes
- +1:Spanish Distance Runner Jesus Espana Launches Petition To Request Transfer Of Operation Puerto Blood Bag To Anti-Doping Authorities 10 years later, the case is still ongoing as multiple organizations appeal judge’s decision to destroy 200 frozen bags of blood and plasma seized by police. *SIGN THE PETITION
- Two Russian Weightlifting Medalists Were Among The Athletes Caught In Beijing 2008 Retests Both have already had their “B” samples confirmed.
The Olympic Trials Are Less Than A Month Away
LRC LetsRun.com Olympic Trials Q&A: Who Are The Favorites To Make Rio? What Big Names Are Going To Stay Home? Wednesday marks three weeks to go until the Olympic Trials. With that in mind, it’s time for the LRC crew to start looking ahead. Who looks good? Who needs a lot of help? Who might surprise? Dare we say who will make the team?
Doping Updates: Russia’s Date With Destiny Is In 10 Days
Russian 3-Time Olympic Silver Medalist Tatyana Firova Suggests Athletes Should Be Able To Take Banned Substances As “Normal” People Do She asks, “How else can we achieve high results?” Firova recently failed a drug test when her 2008 Beijing sample was retested.- Olympic HJ Champ Anna Chicherova Records Clean “B” Sample After Her London 2012 Retest Initially Was Positive For Doping Her Beijing “A” sample also tested positive, but she for some reason has delayed the “B” sample retest until June 8th.
- Russian Ministry Of Sport To Introduce Anti-Doping Classes In School Starting Next Year We’ll give them this, they’re trying really hard to look like they’re trying.
- The Guardian: Russia Begins Charm Offensive Ahead Of Doping Ban Decision A good synopsis of how Russia started off denying and calling the WADA report a “political hit job”, but have now facing Rio ban have changed their tune to one of reform.
- Madrid Doping Control Lab Has Accreditation Suspended By WADA The decision was taken as a response to WADA’s Foundation Board declaring the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency noncompliant.
What Is Wrong With Some Countries?
Canada: National Record Holder Lanni Marchant In A Battle With Athletics Canada To Go To Rio Despite far exceeding the Olympic standards and Canada’s extra tough standards, Athletics Canada may not send Marchant in the 10K and marathon, but only the 10K. And they won’t tell her until July 11th.- Athletics Illustrated Rips Head Coach Peter Eriksson For Tweeting On The Topic And Then Refusing To Comment To The MediaChristopher Kelsall gives a good rundown of the situation and also explains why Canada’s “proof of fitness” qualifying requirement should be done away with.
- Canadian Running Magazine Article That Broke The Story Marchant has reason to be sore at Athletics Canada. They didn’t send her to London 2012 in any event even after she ran 2:31.
- Sweden: Sign A Petition To Help Get Swedish Marathoner Mikael Ekvall To The Olympics Ekvall is Sweden’s fastest marathoner in 25 years, but isn’t being sent despite running 2:12:07 (the Swedish federation’s standard is 2:12:00, the IAAF’s 2:19:00). Ridiculous.
Weekend Track Action – Results: *Furman 1,500*ATL*Festival Of Miles*Music City Distance Carnival
MB:Morgan Uceny Runs Her Fastest 1,500 Since 2012 – 4:03.94 In Furman Elite Race Uceny just beat out Canada’s Nicole Sifuentes by .03. NJ-NY Track Club’s Colby Alexander won the men’s race in 3:37.32.- Italy’s Daniele Meucci And Turkey’s Esma Aydemir Win European 10,000 Cup
- Jordan McNamara Wins Saint Louis Festival Of Miles In 3:56.39Frezer Legesse (3:57.24) and Cristian Soratos (3:57.39) were also sub-4. *Results
- 2016 American Track League – Atlanta Results Distance highlights included Jamaica’s former NCAA champ Natoya Goule winning the 800 in 1:59.38 from Justine Fedronic (1:59.86) and Rachel Johnson taking the steeple in 9:46. In sprint action, winners included Asafa Powell (100 – 10.01) and Queen Harrison (100H – 12.72).
*MB:Discussion Thread - Sanya Richards-Ross Carried Off Track After Pulling Up With Hamstring Injury It was also a rough day for Dee Dee Trotter, who had to receive treatment for an asthma attack and Lolo Jones, who was a DNS with injury.
- 2016 Music City Distance Carnival ResultsCharles Jock ran 1:14.92 in the 600m to beat out Cas Loxsom (1:14.96) and Eliud Rutto.
- Poland’s Pawel Fajdek Extends His Hammer Throw World Lead To 81.71m At European Athletics Festival
- Asian Junior Champs Recap:100m Victories By Khairul Hafiz Jantan (10.36) And Liu Qun (11.84) Highlight
David Torrence Will Run For Peru In 2016 Olympics
LRC Q&A:David Torrence Talks About Why He’s Switching Nationalities To Peru, Seb Coe’s Criticism And Why He Wants To Run The 800/1,500 Double In Rio Torrence said he’s hoping to inspire the people of Peru by representing them in Rio and said that he had to do some soul searching before reaching a decision. “I’ll acknowledge that getting to the Olympics now is a much easier task. But if anything, that made me want to run for the U.S. even more.”
*MB: David Torrence request to compete for Peru granted!
Other Citizenship News: GB Olympian Julia Bleasdale Hopes To Run For Germany In Rio She was 8th in the 5K and 10K at London 2012.
Week That Was
WTWMolly Huddle And Emma Coburn Open Up Fast, NCAA Regional Flops And Kim Collins Breaks 10 At Age 40 Who flopped at NCAA Regionals? Does your state let transgender athletes compete without treatment? We answer those questions and more.
Outside Coverage
- The Denver Post:“Surfer Dude” Pierce Murphy Goes From “Recruited Walk-On” To Star Runner At Colorado” The surfer from Hawaii was ignored by most schools he contacted when he was a recruit and never imagined he’d even compete at an NCAA championship.
- BYU 800 Runner Shaquille Walker Might Turn Pro After NCAAs Walker is a junior, but coach Ed Eyestone says has been getting offers from shoe companies.
- Oregon Unveil New Steve Prefontaine / Bill Bowerman Inspired Uniforms For NCAAs The tie-dye uniforms feature Pre’s and Bowerman’s silhouettes.
- USTFCCCA Breaks Down The Race For The Team Titles At NCAAs Oregon men will try to three-peat while the women will try to defend, but Texas A&M and Arkansas are ranked #1.
- Register-Guard:Oregon’s Raevyn Rogers Looks To Repeat As NCAA 800m Champion
- The Oregonian:Reid Buchanan Has Made The Most Of His Time As A University Of Portland Distance Runner”
- Register-Guard:Hammer Thrower Greg Skipper Carrying On The Family Legacy At Oregon
- Register-Guard:NCAAs Is A Homecoming For Former Local HS Stars South Eugene HS alum Paige Kouba (Harvard) and Erin Clark (Colorado) will compete in the steeple.
- Register-Guard:“Oregon In For A Battle At NCAA Champs” Men go in ranked 3rd while the women are only ranked 6th.
USATF News: Update On Youth Dispute
USATF Association President And Former Elite Athlete Cliff Wiley Speaks Out On USATF Youth Executive Committee Dispute In an open letter, Wiley wrote, “It is difficult for me to accept that the organization that has been so much a part of my life for the past 38 years, now resembles a third world dictatorship …”- Youth Executive Committee Claims USATF’s Suspension Was Illegal And Have Filed A Complaint With The USOC This open letter gives a rundown of the dispute (which started over hiring a timing company) from the Youth Committee’s point of view.
*MB:USATF & Max Siegel Continue Their Powergrab – This Time Against The Youth
*LRCUSATF Controversy Archives - USA Today Profile:“CEO Max Siegel Is Marketing ‘Genius’ Leading USATF” The article gives some background on Siegel, who had a tough upbringing in a broken/abusive home and turns to what he’s done with USATF, including the controversial 23-year deal with Nike.
Some Good Reads From Across The Pond
Jo Pavey Concedes Her Dream To Make A Fifth Olympic Games Is Probably Over, But At The Age Of 43, She Doesn’t Plan On Retiring Yet She missed in the 10K and can still run the 5K at the British Trials, but doesn’t have the 15:20 standard and only ran 15:47 in Birmingham.
- Recommend Read:After 3 Years Of Injury, Olympic Hurdler Perri Shakes-Drayton Says “I’ve Been Through Hell” But Is Happy To Be Back She injured her knee during 2013 Worlds and after needing surgery switched from the 400H to the flat 400.
- RR:HJer Robbie Grabarz Not Taking Things For Granted After Years Struggling Back From Injury“In 2012 I didn’t really appreciate it all but this time I feel I’ve really earned to be back in shape …”
- 400 Runner Martyn Rooney Is “Granted Permission” To Defend His European 400 Title Before Rio UKA had initially said he couldn’t go because they wanted him to focus on Rio.
- Interesting:400 Runner Christine Ohuruogu Apparently Shared Some 400m Training Advice With Caster Semenya Last Year Ohuruogu says she’s happy Semenya isn’t running the 400 in Rio after she dropped a 50.7 earlier this year.
- Random Q&A With Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson She says she was a tomboy as a kid, believes in the “supernatural” and only drinks alcohol in September.
Finally A Pro Contract Is Revealed!
LRC Find Out What Pro Track And Field Runners Make: Boris Berian’s New Balance Contract Offer Revealed We’ve got all the details on the contract including base pay, bonuses, and more.
LRC New Court Filings Reveal What The Nike Vs. Boris Berian Lawsuit Is Really About – The “Dreaded” Reduction Clause Nike agreed to match New Balance’s offer to Boris Berian, then sent him a contract that included reduction clauses, whereas the New Balance offer sheet did not mention them. Nike justified this by saying the clauses are “standard in track and field endorsement contracts.”
Sunday On The Roads
San Diego: Shalane Flanagan Runs Huge PR Of 67:51 At San Diego Half Marathon She beat Trials champ and training partner Amy Cragg by 2 minutes.- Thomas Poston And Alycia Cridebring Win Hoka One One State Street Mile Poston just edged Scott Bauhs as both were timed at 3:53 on the downhill course Cridebring set the women’s CR at 4:23. Brian Duff and his dog Kaydom won the dog mile in 4:13.
Olympic News
IOC President Thomas Bach Leads Tributes To Muhammad Ali- World Health Organization To Hold Emergency Meeting To Discuss Rio 2016 Zika Threat Some experts have called for the Games to be postponed or canceled.
- Olympic Channel Signs Agreements With 27 International Federations, But Negotiations With IAAF And FIFA Continue
- More Olympic Concerns As Rio State Government Refused Loan “Essential” For Competition Of Subway-Line Extension
- Favorite To Become New Mayor Of Rome Accused Of Making “Humiliating” And “Offensive” Remarks About 2024 Olympic Bid The Italian Olympic Committee President hit out at the mayoral candidate after she said Rome bidding to host the 2024 Games was “criminal.”
- IOC Set Out Process To Choose New Events Within Existing Sports For Tokyo 2020 No mention of XC unfortunately.
News From Oregon
Galen Rupp And Matt Centrowitz Racing Portland Track Festival Next Weekend Centro is entered in the 800 and 1,500, Rupp in the 5,000. *Meet Info- Sprinter Marybeth Sant Adds To The List Of High Profile Departures From The Oregon Women’s Track TeamKen Goe writes that “the number of the defections [in recent years] that raises eyebrows.”
*Register-Guard:Injuries End Oregon Sprinter Marybeth Sant’s Career
The Summer Of Greatness Is Here
LRCThe LetsRun.com Summer Of Greatness Kicks Off With Advice To The High School Hopefuls June is here, the Olympic Trials start in one month, and the LRC Summer of Greatness is officially here. We want everyone to pursue a little greatness this summer and start with some advice for high schoolers. How are you going to pursue greatness this summer?
2016 Has Been A Big Year For Alexi Pappas
USA Today:Alexi Pappas Makes Her Family Proud By Making Greek Team For Rio Pappas’ grandmother (or “yiayia”) is pumped that’s Pappas will be Greece’s first-ever women’s 10,000m Olympian.- Alex Pappas’ Movie “Tracktown” Gets Favorable Review As Viewer Calls It “A Charming Coming-Of-Age Story With Legs” Pappas starred, co-wrote and co-directed the film, which premiered at the LA Film Festival.
*MB:An actual Tracktown movie review, with plot summary.
African Distance News
Turmoil Brews In Ethiopian Camp As Haile Gebrselassie Leads Meeting In Protest Of National Federation’s Olympic Selection Process About 100 athletes met to discuss the poor management which, among other things, didn’t select Kenenisa Bekele for the Rio marathon team.- Haile G Says The Ethiopian Federation Is “Marred With Incompetency”
*MB:Good sign for Kenenisa. Haile Gebrselassie, other athletes protest at Ethiopia federation
*LRCEthiopians Leave Off World’s Fastest Woman And Arguably The World’s Greatest Distance Runner Ever - IAAF:What’s Next For Almaz Ayana After Scaring The 5,000m WR In Rome? At 4K, Ayana was 5 seconds ahead of Tirnesh Dibaba‘s WR run, but Dibaba closed way faster when she ran her 14:11.
- Nice Profile On World 1,500 Silver Medalist Faith Kipyegon Interesting takeaways: Kipyegon says a 4:00 1,500 “feels slow” to her now and her coach thinks she will end up running a great marathon one day.
Early Week Action / Weekend Leftovers
France:World Indoor Bronze Medalist Margaret Wambui PRs By 2 Seconds To Run 1:57.52 That puts her #3 in the world this year only behind Caster Semenya and Francine Niyonsaba. Nicholas Kipkoech won the 800 in 1:43.85 with Pierre-Ambroise Bosse 3rd (1:44.53). France’s Jimmy Vicaut equaled European 100m record with 9.86 *Results
*MB:Jimmy Vicaut 9.86!! European Record and World Lead! Thread includes video of race.- Italy:Brittney Reese Wins Long Jump With 7.04m, Her Biggest Leap In Three Years In the 800, Poland’s Adam Kszczot (1:45.77) and Angelika Cichocka (1:59.97) got the wins. Cornelius Kangogo won the 5K in 13:12. *Results
- Ithaca, NY: Tyler Sigl And Corrine Malcolm Win USATF 50 Mile Trail Championships
- Hungary:Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk Throws 77.70m Hammer Meet Record
- Ethiopia:New Talents Emerge At Ethiopian Junior Champs Men’s 5K was a highlight with Selemon Bogale winning a close race in 14:12.
- Vietnam: Asian Junior Champs Recap 1:51 and 2:06 will get you 800 gold at Asian juniors.
High School News
There Was An Epic HS Pole Vault Clash Over The Weekend As Chris Nilsen And Mondo Duplantis Both Went Over 18 Feet Nilsen followed up his recent oudoor NR with the win in 18-3 as Duplantis, the indoor record holder, cleared 18-0.- DyeStat:10 Biggest Takeaways From California State Championships
*MB:Blazing fast last laps at the CA state 1,600
2016 Birmingham Diamond League*Results
LRC Recap: David Rudisha Is BACK – Runs World’s Second Fastest 600m Ever But Is Nearly Beaten, Mo Farah Gets The One Record He Didn’t Have, Asbel Kiprop Sub-3:30, And The American 800m Women Struggle AgainRudisha is back but beatable, Farah now owns all the British records, the 800m is a different event this year, and Caterine Ibarguen‘s 38-win streak in the triple jump came to an end as English Gardner and Andre De Grasse got wins.
- Sally Pearson Upbeat Despite” Disgusting” Time In Return From Year Out With Injury She was only 7th place but still feels she can medal in Rio.
*Good Read:Pearson Says She “Retired In Her Mind” When She First Broke Her Wrist Last Year“I didn’t want to come back to the sport and hated everything about the world. I was just sick of getting injured.”
After Getting Destroyed By Semenya And Niyonsaba, GB’s Lynsey Sharp Acknowledges That “Everyone Can See It’s Two Separate Races” - IAAF: Mutaz Essa Barshim Bounces Back With A 2.37m Victory; Caterine Ibarguen’s 34-Win Streak In The Triple Jump Ends The last time Ibarguen lost was the London 2012 Olympics. Here she lost to the same woman that beat her then, Kazakhstan’s Olga Rypakova.
- Greg Rutherford’s 9-Win Streak Comes To An End As He’s Only 5thMarquise Goodwin won in 8.42m.
- IAAF: Keni Harrison And Kirani James Impress With Meet Records Harrison won the 100H in 12.46 while James ran 44.23. English Gardner won over Dafne Schippers in the 100 (11.02) while Andre De Grasse won the 200 (20.16).
- IAAF:World Leads For Asbel Kiprop And Conseslus Kipruto
- MB:Official 2016 Birmingham Diamond League Discussion Thread
- MB:AJEE WILSON LOOKS DEFEATED – The Semenya Effect?
- MB:Mo Farah ran really slop sloppy today!
- MB:Womens 800 now a joke
Doping News
Two Russians Register Negative B Samples After Failing Initial Beijing 2008 Retests Apparently there is concern “that doping agents are gradually disappearing from samples after they are thawed” and HJer Anna Chicherova has delayed the testing of her B sample until June 8th.- Mo Farah Says He Feels Vindicated In Staying With Alberto Salazar After Recent Rumors That USADA Has Dropped Their Investigation
- Tunisia’s Habiba Ghribi Receives 2012 Olympic And 2011 World Steeple Gold Medals That Were Stripped From Russian Doper Yuliya Zaripova
- IOC Establish Joint Integrity Intelligence Unit For Rio 2016
Saturday Road Results
Brianne Nelson Wins Freihofer’s Run For Women In 15:46; Sara Hall Second (15:56) It was the first American winner since 2005 as the race moved to American-only prize money. *Results
*The Daily Gazette Article- Barselius Kipyego (60:30) And Ashete Bekere (70:40) Win Ceske Budejovice Half MarathonGeoffrey Mutai‘s first race in 8 months did not go very well as he was 6th place in 64:28.
Gender Controversy Continues
Phoebe Wright Tweets Great Photo: What It’s Like Racing Caster Semenya Why aren’t more of Semenya’s competitors speaking out? *Race Video
*MB:OK girls what say you about competing against Semenya?
*MB:Womens 800 now a joke
*Caster Semenya Running 800 And 1,500 At This Month’s African Championships- Duathlete Chris Mosier Will Be First Known Transgender Athlete To Represent US Men’s Team In International Competition Mosier has a TUE to take testosterone injections every 10 days to get within the normal male range.
- Competitors Upset About Racing Transgender Girl At Alaska State Meet One said, “I’m glad that this person is comfortable with who they are … but I don’t think it’s competitively completely 100-percent fair.”
*MB:Alaska boy selected for girls all-state honors
What Makes Asbel Kiprop So Good? We Try To Tell You
LRCA Week With The World's Best Miler: An Exclusive Look At Asbel Kiprop's Last Two Workouts Before The Pre Classic
The Pre Classic is this weekend and the Bowerman Mile is LOADED with Olympic champ Taoufik Makhloufi, all three medalists from Worlds last year, plus studs like Matthew Centrowitz, Silas Kiplagat and Ayanleh Souleiman. But the headliner is Asbel Kiprop, and our man on the ground in Kenya, Andy Arnold, says hand him the victory and world record later this summer after getting a behind-the-scenes look at his preparation for Pre.
*MB: The secrets of Asbel Kiprop revealed - Our man on the ground in Kenya says hand him the gold and WRecord
LetsRun.com Founders Named as Two of “The 50 Most Influential People in Running”
Runners World Honors You and the Brojos
We like This Photo So Much We Leave it Up
Want a Better Running Shoe?
Beta Better Running Shoe Site
It’s Time to Change How We Find Running Shoes
American Strong: The Untold Story of How American Teamwork Helped Meb Keflezighi Win Boston
28,000+ Likes on Facebook
A Real Running Hero:
The Flo Groberg Story
Flo Has Now Won the Medal of Honor
