London Marathon Women’s Field Release

World Record Holder Brigid Kosgei Will Return To Defend Her Title At The 2020 London Marathon The London field is always super deep and 2020 will be no exception as Kosgei faces 2018 London champ Vivian Cheruiyot, three-time Berlin champ Gladys Cherono, Roza Dereje (2:18:30), world champion Ruth Chepngetich and world half marathon record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei.

Doping / Corruption News

• Lamine Diack’s Trial Starts On Monday In Paris The 86-year-old faces the prospect of 10 years in French prison for corruption charges involving the Tokyo Olympics, Qatar World Cup and Russian doping cover-ups.
• The Guardian Reports That Lamine Diack Offered A Deal To Delay Doping Sanctions Against 23 Russian Athletes In Exchange For $1.5 Million In Funding To Help A Friend Win The 2012 Senegalese Presidential Election
• BBC Article On Lamine Diack Trial Diack has been under house arrest in Paris since November 2015.
• 17-Year-Old Malaysian Sprinter Facing Possible 4-Year Ban For Steroid Use
• Thomas Bach Reassures Russian Athletes They Have Same Rights As Other Countries Until CAS Doping Ruling They aren’t provisionally suspended; they can continue to compete until the CAS ruling …which will hopefully uphold their 4-year ban.

Ultra / Mountain Running News

• The Guardian Examines How Some Women Have Been Beating Men In Super Ultra Races And Wondering If It Might Be A Sign Of Genetic Superiority Ross Tucker doubts it unless you are talking maybe about swimming where a woman’s higher fat percentage might help them in super-long swims.
• World Marathon Running Association World Cup Is Expanding Its Calendar In 2020 The 2020 season will have nine events with 12 total races.

What’s Happening With The Ex-Members Of The NOP?

Ken Goe: Two-Time Olympic Medalist Galen Rupp Opens Up About Being Coached By Mike Smith Of NAU Smith apparently took some time before agreeing to be his coach. Rupp says he wants a tune-up before the Trials but doesn’t have one picked.
*Previous: Galen Rupp Picks NAU’s Mike Smith As His New Coach Sarah Lorge Butler broke the surprising developments. Smith works at an adidas school and had never even met Rupp before but was highly regarded by Salazar.
*MB: Galen Rupp’s new coach is… NAU coach Mike Smith
*MB: Mo Farah throws Salazar under the bus – “Had I had known.. what Salazar did.. sooner I would have been the first one out”

LRC Mary Cain Is Officially Back On The Track As She Races The Men And Finishes Her First Track Race Since 2016 Cain did something she likely once took for granted, finish a track race. She ran 9:25 for 3,000. Her time was equivalent to a 4:24 1,500 and 16:33 5,000. Her next race is Jan 25 vs. pros and Katelyn Tuohy in the 3k at the Dr. Sander invite.
*MB: Mary Cain running a 3000 tonight at the armory in NYC (1/9)
*MB: It’s official: Mary Cain’s next race is at Dr. Sander Invite vs current high school star Katelyn Tuohy
*MB: Touhy going toe to toe with Pros

LRC Where Are The Former Alberto Salazar-Coached NOP Athletes Headed? Clayton Murphy Returns To College Coach Lee Labadie We reached out to the agents of all of the NOP athletes coached by Alberto Salazar to find out who will be coaching them in this Olympic year and know the answer for Clayton Murphy. Plus might Yomif Kejelcha and Sifan Hassan leave Oregon?
*MB: No comments on Murphy’s return to Akron?

Kenyan Distance News

• Geoffrey Kamworor Successfully Defends His Kenyan Police Service XC Championship Title He beat out a competitive field which included Josphat Boit (2nd), Emmanuel Bett (4th), and Philemon Rono (5th).
• Tributes Pour In For Kenyan 8:18 Steeplechaser Kennedy Njiru, Who Died In A Car Crash On Tuesday Athletes at the services included former world steeple champ Milcah Chemos, former marathon WR holder Patrick Makau and former world javelin champ Julius Yego.
• 2:08 Kenyan Marathoner Says “If There Is One Marathoner I Fear It’s Eliud Kipchoge”

Mid-D News

NCAA News

• The Number Of NCAA Track Teams Has Increased Dramatically Over The Last Decade From 2009 to 2019 there have been 141 men’s teams and 170 women’s teams added to the NCAA. This makes track the largest growing men’s sport and second behind women’s lacrosse.
• The Bowerman: 2020 Men’s Preseason Watch List Two distance runners made the list with Devin Dixon and Oliver Hoare.
• The Bowerman: 2020 Women’s Preseason Watch List Half the list is made up of distance runners with Weini Kelati, Katie Izzo, Dani Jones, Alicia Monson and Taylor Werner.
• South Carolina’s 400m NCAA Champ Wadeline Jonathas Goes Pro Jonathas was 3rd at USAs and then 4th at Worlds, also running a leg of the US’s gold medal-winning 4 x 400.
• 2020 NCAA Champs Outdoor Schedule Released

End- Of-Year Racing

LRC Steve Spence’s Legendary Sub-5:00 Mile Streak Comes To An End After 43 Years There had been one constant in the world since 1976  Steve Spence broke 5:00 every year in the mile. A last-ditch attempt on December 30th came up short and Spence’s streak is history.
*MB: Steve Spence’s 5:00 mile streak ends at 43 years
*MB: Employee 1.1’s 17-year sub-5 streak is on the line. Can he break 5 today at age 32 with almost zero training?

• Belgium’s Bashir Abdi (27:47) And Ethiopia’s Helen Bekele Tola (30:50) Win San Silvestre Vallecana 10k In Madrid Tola beat world marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich by 7 seconds.
• Italy’s Eyob Faniel (28:21) And Kenya’s World 5,000 Silver Medalist Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi (15:30) Victorious At The Boclassic Silvesterlauf Faniel got an upset win over world 5,000m leader Telahun Haile Bekele by 7 seconds, becoming the first Italian to win since 1988. Kipkemboi beat world half champ Netsanet Gudeta and tied the CR.
• Early Celebration Costs Ugandan Teenager Jacob Kiplimo The Win As He Gets Nipped By Kibiwott Kandie At The San Silvestre De Sao Paulo 15k Kandie ran 42:59 to Kiplimo’s 43:00. Marathon WR holder Brigid Kosgei won the women’s race comfortably in 48:54.
  *World Athletics Recap