Distance News

• Geoffrey Kamworor Discharged From The Hospital To Recover At Home
• British Athletics’ Head Of Endurance Barry Fudge Stepping Down Fudge said, “The time is right for me to move on…” but it’s very likely this is related to his role in the Alberto Salazar scandal as Fudge was a big supporter of Salazar working with UKA and Mo Farah. *2nd article
• MB:27-year old Alyssa Clark has smashed the women’s WR for most days in a row with a marathon as she’s at 85 and is going for 100 Clark started running a marathon a day on the treadmill when she was quarantined in Italy, but decided to keep it going (even through dust storms and days of global travel) when she was allowed to start running outside.

Coronavirus-Related News

• Eliud Kipchoge Gives More Coronavirus Relief Aid To Needy Iten Athletes Kipchoge gave food to 100 athletes in Iten. It was the third time he had donated food to athletes in the region.
• Athletics South Africa Opts Against Return To Competition Despite Government Approval To Start Back Up With Non-Contact Sports The ASA president said the rise of South African infections was a major factor in the decision.
• NBA Star Nikola Jokic Tests Positive For Coronavirus Days After Hugging Infected Tennis Star Novak Djokovic
• Pre Classic Meet Director Tom Jordan: “We held on as long as possible…” …”There’s no international travel allowed and even national travel might be problematic with hot spots popping up.”
• New Virtual Distance Challenge To Fill Place Of Canceled Japan National H.S. and J.H.S. Championships

LRC-Only Content

Guest Column The Case For Interval Starts As An Emergency Option For Fall 2020 XC Racing High school coach JD Downing – assistant at 2018 NXN girls’ champions Summit HS in Bend, OR – explains why interval starts, common in Nordic skiing, present a strong, (relatively) safe option for XC races this fall if the traditional start format is outlawed.
*MB: An Interesting Proposal To Save The Fall XC Season: Implement Interval Starts

LRC A Look Back At Duane Solomon’s Career As The 1:42 Man Has Hung Up His Spikes Solomon, a two-time US outdoor champ, was one of America’s best 800 runners of the 2010s. He ran 1:42.82 (#3 all-time US) in the 2012 Olympic final but missed a medal in the deepest 800 in history.

Throwback Thursday #12
LRC I Was Bored, So I Watched The Crazy 2004 Men’s Olympic Marathon You know about Meb‘s silver and the attack on leader Vanderlei de Lima, but do you remember Stefano Baldini‘s incredible 28:59 close in 80+ degree temps that featured a 14:12 5k from 35k to 40k or the Austrian guy in a fuel belt?

More Distance News

• Good Read:iRunFar.com Profile On Western States 100 Race Director Craig Thornley Thornley talks about how the first time he spectated Western States was by accident when he and his brother were kids and camping out next to a creek along the trail.
• Des Linden Says Cancellation Of Boston And NYC Marathons Could Add Years To Her Career “I think we were putting all of our chips in (to 2020), and now it’s gonna be regroup and see, can we do this for the long haul for another three or four years? It might not be the worst thing.”
• DyeStat: High School Summer Running Camps Cancelled Due To Coronavirus Another Blow To XC
• Toronto Marathon Race Director Alan Brooke’s Shares His Perspective After Ethiopian Marathoner Etaferahu Temesgen Wodaj Failed A Test At His Race And Got A 12-Year Ban “So, I think Wodaj’s disqualification is cause for a small celebration that progress is being made.  The concern remains now that there are many races in Canada and globally that don’t do in-competition testing …”
• DyeStat Recap Of Nico Young’s 5000m Record Attempt With Quotes From Young, His Coach, The Pacer Galen Rupp
• Osian Perrin (8:14) And Megan Keith (9:21) Now Lead British Milers’ Club 3k Time Trial Rankings

We’re Down To One US Major This Fall

2020 NYC Marathon Canceled Due To COVID-19 The NYRR considered an elite-only race, but was concerned crowds might still gather and was unsure of its ability to bring in international runners. Of the 2020 US major marathons, only Chicago (October 11) remains scheduled as planned. NYC had been scheduled for November 1.
*NYRR Press Release
*Discuss: MB: NYC Marathon Canceled

• Berlin Marathon Also Officially Announces Cancellation Previously Berlin had said they wouldn’t be able to hold the race as normal on September 27. Now the 2020 edition is officially canceled.
• 2020 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Cancelled Due To COVID-19; Will Hold Virtual Race Organizers said they will “provide a partial credit” to people who registered.

Nico Young Runs 13:50

MB: Nico Young Goes For Galen Rupp’s 13:37 US HS Record But Comes Up Short – Running 13:50 Young died big time over the last 1,600, which he ran in 4:33, but moves to #4 on the all-time US HS list. Galen Rupp was supposed to rabbit but pulled out with an injury. Someone thought it was a good idea to set the event up with pacers, timers, and a live camera crew but only announce it an hour before it started and to hold it in 79-degree weather instead of waiting a day for it to be 10 degrees cooler. *Race Replay Here

Seb Coe Conflict Of Interest Accusations

• Calls For Parliamentary Inquiry Into Potential Conflict Of Interest With Seb Coe’s Business Links There are accusations that the company where Coe is the executive chairman, CSM Sport and Entertainment, has been profiting with deals with the company that owns World Athletics’ commercial rights.  
• MP John Nicolson Demands The IOC Hold Off Letting Seb Coe Join Until Conflict Of Interest Questions Resolved The IOC said they decided to grant Coe membership when he agreed to take on a more passive position in the company and “forgo any compensation from CSM’s work with the IOC.”
• Seb Coe Rejects Conflict Of Interest Claims Stating “We Abide By The Rules At All Times” Coe stressed that his company never solicited work directly from World Athletics and that he had always abided by the federation’s strict code around conflicts of interests.

More General Coronavirus Stuff

• 193 Athletes Offered Grants From Athlete Welfare Fund To Help Them Through Financial Troubles Caused By Coronavirus Athletes from 58 member federations received $3000 each. Apparently Hicham El Guerrouj was one of the ones to come up with the idea for the fund.  
• World #1 Tennis Player Novak Djokovic Tests Positive For Coronavirus
• MB:Bowdoin College No fall Sports, wow!
• British Boxers To Resume Contact Training As Virus Restrictions Ease

Doping News

• Ethiopian Long Distance Runner Etaferahu Temesgen Wodaj Gets 12-Year Ban For Doping, Tampering With Evidence And Non-Compliance Wodaj tested positive for EPO and then tried to fake a TUE from a doctor that didn’t exist from a clinic that had been shut down for weeks. A tweet from LRC’s Jon Gault gets highlighted.
• AIU Bans Kenyan 2:10 Marathoner Japhet Kipchirchir After Failing A Drug Test
• Russia Says Its Athletes Should Be Allowed To Compete Internationally Even If The Russian Athletics Federation’s $5 Million Doping Fine Isn’t Paid On Time The Russian Athletics Federation was fined $10 million over the Danil Lysenko scandal, half of which is due July 1. World Athletics has said it will not grant a deferral of the payment of the fine.
• WADA Publish Final Version Of Athletes’ Anti-Doping Rights Act The Act will “outline equality of opportunity, fair testing programs, medical treatment, justice, accountability, education, data protection and other areas.”

Happy Father’s Day

Recommended Read: ESPN:“Philadelphia Eagles Receiver (And Olympic LJer) Marquise Goodwin And Wife Morgan Persevere Through Pain For The Promise Of Family” Goodwin and his wife tell the emotional story of how after losing three children to pregnancy complications and premature births, they finally welcomed into the world a beautiful baby girl.