Kenya hosted its biggest track meet ever and there were some incredible performances, including a dominant showing from the host nation. Here's what you missed if you were too busy watching the Pre Classic.
Archived Homepage For August 25, 2021
Archived Homepage For August 25, 2021
In this week's weekly recap, we up the Elaine Thompson-Herah hype train and say she's faster than FloJo, pump the brakes on Noah Lyles' return to form and remind US steeple fans that Emma Coburn is still the American goat, not Courtney Frerichs.
Warholm will run his first race since Tokyo and his first 400 of 2021. Is sub-44 in the cards? And how will Thompson Herah follow her 10.54 in Eugene on Saturday? Tune in on Thursday to find out.
On The Boards
On The Boards
Sprint Stuff
- Sydney McLaughlin Posts Emotional Video About Dealing Lack Of Support And Respect From Family, Friends And Teammates After Breaking The WR At The Trials She talks about her religious faith, the "toxicity" of social media and being judged for having "light skin."
- The Telegraph's Ben Bloom Argues Why He Thinks Elaine Thompson-Herah's 10.54 Might Be Better Than Usain Bolt's 9.58 Bloom explains the obvious reasons why Thompson-Herah's time is most likely better than FloJo's "dubious" 10.49, but isn't very convincing on why she should rank above Bolt.
- British Sprinter Zharnel Hughes Wants The Doping Investigation Into His 4x100 Teammate CJ Ujah To Take Place "Without Prejudice" If Ujah is found guilty of doping, then Hughes and the other relay members will also lose their Olympic silver medals.
More Recent Results
- Jordan Gray Achieves #2 All-Time Score In Women's Decathlon She scored 8246 points to win the Women's Decathlon Association Championships in California.
- MB: Seth DeMoor FTW -- Repeats at Pikes Peak Marathon -- 3:36:46
- Olympic Finalist Liemarvin Bonevacia Runs Dutch 400m Record And European Lead With 44.48 In Switzerland
- Jake Smith (62:06) And Charlotte Purdue (69:51) Win At The Big Half In London
- AW Extensive Weekly Round-Up There were some impressive age-group results at the British Masters Champs.
- Nine European U20 Champions Ended Up Also Winning World U20 Gold
Pre Classic Saturday Coverage
Thompson-Herah was just .05 off FloJo's "world record." Jamaica swept the top-3 with SAFP (10.73) and Shericka Jackson (10.76) while Richardson was dead last in 11.14. Also a who's who of men's distance running over 2-miles and solid sprint results from Noah Lyles (200m) and Andre De Grasse (100m).
World Jrs Are In The Books
Purity Chepkirui won the women's 1500m in 4:16.07 and Amos Serem took the men's steeple in 8:30.72.
Weekend Road Action
Molly Huddle has the record at 67:25.
*MB: Sara Hall Runs 68:44 Half-Marathon This Morning
- Kenyans Felix Kipkoech (58:57) And Joyciline Jepkosgei (65:16) Win Generali Berlin Half-Marathon It was a world lead for Kipkoech and a course record for Jepkosgei.
Saturday Pre Discussion
- Official Pre Classic Saturday Live Thread: Can Sha'Carri Richardson Take Down The Tokyo Medalists?
- Jakob is zaddy Jakob Ingebrigsten gets a 3:47.24 win over Aussie Stewart McSweyn (3:48.40). Timothy Cheruiyot was the best of the rest in 3:51.17.
- Elaine Thompson 10.54!!!
- Sha’Carri Goes Home Devastated
- Athing mu 1:55.04 American Record
- ANDRE DE GRASSE 9.74 at Eugene! The successor of BOLT?
- I love Faith’s gold trimmed hair. Kipyegon dominated the 1500m in 3:53.23.
- Love how Chelimo races.
- Thompson-Herah legit w100 WR!!!
- Overreaction or fact? Frerichs officially passes Coburn as #1 US Steepler ever Norah Jeruto got the win in 8:53.65, but Courtney Frerichs became the first American under 9-minutes with 8:57.77. #3 and #4 fastest times of all-time.
- He's back noah lyles 19.52
- On Letsrun we love Athing Mu, but unfortunately to the rest of America Sha'Carri Richardson "sells" better
- Why no Sydney Mclaughlin at PreFontaine Classic?
- ShaCarri is BACK BABY!!!
- Nike should pull that commercial
- Mu is the Alpha
- upper deck at hayward still looks empty... is track town DONE?
Pre Classic Friday Coverage
The Pre Classic is back at Hayward Field and Sifan Hassan is back attempting world records. Francine Niyonsaba is becoming a beast at longer distance events, and Craig Engels is having fun. Recap here.
Friday Pre Discussion
- Official Pre Classic Friday Night Live Thread: Can Hassan Break the World Record? Can She Go Sub 14 for 5000?
- So Hassan is human after all.
- Niyonsaba takes down Gidey and Obiri, crushes a 9:00.75 Two Mile
- Craig Engles goes home DEVASTATED
- How does Craig Engels feel being a 'B' teamer now? Not in the Bowerman mile
- Nyonsaba should not be allowed to compete in these kinds of meets
- Desi Linden announcing discussion
- Imagine sitting in the front row of the pre classic and not standing for Kipchoge
- This Pre Meet is a Big NOTHING Burger: Prove Me Wrong
2021 World Jrs
- France's Sasha Zhoya obliterates world U20 110m hurdles record with 12.72 in Nairobi
- MB: Olympic Silver Medalist And DSD Runner Christine Mboma Wins World U20 200m Gold In 21.84
- WA: Zhoya smashes world U20 record again as Mboma, Onwuzurike lead African 200m sweep in Nairobi
- Botswana's Anthony Pesela Clocks Championship Record 44.58 To Win World U20 400m
- Five things to follow on the fifth and final day in Nairobi
- South Africa’s Mine De Klerk Completes World U20 Shot Put/Discus Double While HJer Yonathan Kapitolnik Makes History For Israel With First World U20 Gold
- World U20 Race Walk Recaps
Sprint Stuff
- Karsten Warholm Is Worried New Shoe Technology Is Hurting Athletes' Credibility "When somebody does a great performance now, everybody will question if it's the shoe - and that is the credibility problem."
- Belarusian Sprinter Who Defected During The Olympics Plans To Run For Poland Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was taken in by the Polish embassy in Japan after Belarus coaches tried to force her to fly home early from the Games and she feared for her safety.
- Niger Sprinter Aminatou Seyni Says She "Felt Hurt" After Hearing Questions About DSD Study Which Prevents Her From Competing Over 400m In Tokyo she had to step down to the 200m where she failed to make the final.
Previous World Jrs
- Jackline Chepkoech Dominates Steeplechase In 9:27.40 As France's Erwan Konate Soars To World U20 LJ Lead (8.12m)
- France's Star Hurdler Sasha Shogya Runs World U20 Record 12.93 In 110H Semis (Junior Height); Aims To GO Even Faster In The Final Zhoya paid tribute to his mother right after winning holding up his bib that said "Mumma's love" on the back.
- Five Things To Follow On Day Four In Nairobi The men's 1500m final has Kenya’s Kamar Etiang who ran 3:33.2 at the Kenyan Olympic Trials back in June.
- Belarus’s Matvei Volkov Clears 5.45m To Win World U20 PV Title While "Authorized Neutral Athlete (AKA Russian) Violetta Ignatyeva Dominates The Discus (57.12m)
- Finland’s Saga Vanninen Wins World U20 Heptathlon Title
Pre Classic Preview
- Watch LetsRun.com Pre-Classic Preview Show
- RRW: Saturday's Bowerman Mile Sure To Be Fast
- Sha'Carri Richardson: "The attention that I was able to bring to the sport, whether it was negative or positive, for the simple fact people are now watching ...I'm honored, I would say."
- In terms of most anticipated non-championship track races in history, where does the women's 100 at Pre rank?
- Sha' Carri about to get that wake up call
- Pre Classic ticket update - website shows only 730 tickets left
- Prefontaine Classic startlists finally out
- Emma Coburn OUT of Pre Classic
- Cheptegei, Ahmed and Chelimo in the 2 Mile at the Pre Classic. Any predictions?
- Fisher will run 8:08
NYC Marathon is November 6
Kenenisa Bekele is making his NYC debut, Kibiwott Kandie is making his major marathon debut and Peres Jepchirchir is chasing history. Plus how do the 2021 NYC, Boston and Chicago fields stack up against each other?
*MB: Bekele running Berlin AND NYC?
Bekele will make his NYC debut just six weeks after Berlin. Will he be recovered enough to make it to the start line? We got the inside scoop from his agent Jos Hermens.
The Real Champs from Tokyo
Including a guy who became a huge track and field fan and lost weight because of LRC.
Distance News of Note Not Related To Pre
Rupp was disappointed with the result in Tokyo but proud of his effort as he had "never died like that before from that far out." He said he had some great workouts in July and is thus pumped for a chance at redemption in Chicago.
*MB: Galen Rupp says he and Eliud Kipchoge simply had "some friendly conversation" in middle of Olympic marathon
- Asian record holder in marathon El Hassan El Abbassi (2:04:43) provisionally suspended for suspected blood doping in Tokyo He ran 2:04:43 for 2nd in Valencia in 2018.
- 2:22:50 marathoner Racheal Mutgaa of Kenya is also busted by AIU for testosterone
- MB: Jama Aden sighting. Aden honored in both Bahrain and Somalia for coaching Bahrain's Kalkidan Gezahegne to Olympic silver
- 800 Olympian Charlie Hunter shares a sample week of training - “One key thing I have learnt this season is easy days easy, hard days hard”
Previous World Jrs
Ethiopia's boys 3k winner Tadese Worku was a surprise entrant in the 3k but Kiplangat pulled off the upset.
- Letsile Tebogo (10.19) wins Botswana's first-ever global gold at any World Athletics event in boys 100 (video)
- Jamaica's Tina Clayton (11.09) wins women's 100 for Jamaica
- Day 2 field event recap: Cuba's Huan Carley Vazquez Gomez wins shot in 6th round (19.73), Saga Vanninen wins heptathlon for Finland (5997), as Serbia's Adriana Vilagos wins javelin (61.46)
- Five things to follow on day three in Nairobi
- More Jr News: New Loudoun Valley coach Kevin Shirk talks about how things are going - "I spent a few weeks wondering if I was the luckiest person or the dumbest person in the world for accepting"
Previous World Jr News
*MB: Official 2021 World Jr Discussion Thread - Here are our 5 biggest things to watch.
- Selemon Barega's training partner Tadese Worku is thrilled to come through as favorite in 3k
- RR Meet Sasha Zhoya of France/Zimbabwe/Australia - the greatest U18 hurdler and pole vaulter in history He broke Mondo Duplantis' age-group pole vault records as a kid but now hurdles.
- Five things to follow on day two in Nairobi The 100 finals as well as the w3k are among the highlights.
- Intersex athlete Beatrice Masilingi is rocking the 100m at World Jrs *Discuss
- Day 1 PM Recap: 7:34/26:58 man Tadese Worku crushes field in 3000 at World Jrs as Ethiopia dominates
- Day 1 AM Recap: Intersex athlete Beatrice Masilingi rocked the 100m in 11.20.
- Heartbreak For Kenya After DQ In 4x400 Mixed Relay They were DQ'd for a lane violation.
- Simple, short and opening ceremony was a success in Kenya
Tokyo 2020 Report Card
From A+ to F, Jonathan Gault hands out grades to all 32 American mid-d/distance runners who competed in Tokyo/Sapporo.
NYC Marathon is November 6
Olympic bronze medallist Molly Seidel leads the field as Des Linden will do the Boston/NYC double just 4 weeks apart.
*MB: 2021 TCS NYC Marathon American Elite Field Announced - All 3 US Olympians + Des Linden will race
Running / Science
The correction simply noted that there is no proof that the high T levels cause intersex athletes to dominate as association isn't necessarily causation. Instead, they want the sentence to now read, "High fT levels in female athletes were associated with higher athletic performance over those with low fT in 400 m, 400 m hurdles, 800 m, hammer throw, and pole vault."
*MB: A picture is worth a thousands words. Ask a 5 year old, which of the following athletes is intersex and dominating World Jrs?
Will runners/walkers soon all be wearing lower-body exoskeletons to speed up their pace?
Pre World Jr News
World Juniors won't have any Americans, but it will have the potential face of Paris 2024, an Olympic 200m silver medalist, and the next great Polish 800 runner along with a bunch of studs in the distance events. Read all about it.
- Shameful: Field For U20 Champs Depleted By COVID Pull-Outs World U20 Champs is happening without the US, GB, Australia, Japan or Germany.
- Event by Event Previews
- Five Things To Follow On Day 1
- World Athletics: "The 'Future Of Our Sport' Get Ready To Star In Nairobi"
Will Sifan Hassan Set Two WRs In The Span Of Two Weeks?
Olympic 5000m silver medalist Hellen Obiri will be in the field and Olympic champions Karsten Warholm and Elaine Thompson-Herah have also been announced for the meet.
Salazar's Legacy Takes Another Hit
- NY Times: Nike Renames The Alberto Salazar Building After SafeSport Ban The building will now be named Next%, keeping with the Nike tradition of naming buildings after things that are a huge blight on sport.
*MB: Nike renames Alberto Salazar building after SafeSport bans him for life
European News
- Heartfelt Story: Poland's Olympic Javelin Silver Medalist Maria Andrejczyk Sells Her Olympic Medal For $125,000 To Help Fund Heart Surgery For Sick Baby The Polish supermarket chain that won the auction for the medal actually ended up telling her to keep it anyway. *2nd article
- Europe’s Smaller Nations Made Some Headlines With Notable Firsts This Summer Two-time world 800m medalist Amel Tuka made history as the first athlete from Amel Tuka - Bosnia & Herzegovina to make an Olympic final in track.
- Qualification System And Standards Published For 2022 European Championships
Pete Julian's Group Is Finally Getting A Name
- MB: Craig Engels announces new official team “Pete’s Dragons” Engels posted a teaser video for the rebranding of Pete Julian's group, but no official name has been announced.
- MB: Athing Mu to Pete Julian ??
- MB: Jordan Hassay Joins Pete Julian's Group (?) There was a thread suggesting this back in April.
- MB: More miles ruined Donavan Brazier
International Distance News
- The London Marathon Will Remain In October For 2022, Will Go Back To Normal April Date In 2023 Race director Hugh Brasher said this was to have the "best chances" of a full-capacity race with crowds.
- Olympic Marathon Champ Peres Jepchirchir Says She'd Never Switch Countries For Money “I'm loyal to my country. I can't be convinced to change my citizenship with money. We have so many Kenyans who represented other countries but never made it at the Olympics."
- Olympic 1500m Champ Faith Kipyegon Talks About Winning Gold And Being A Mother She and 2012 Olympic 800m bronze medalist Timothy Kitum have a 3-year-old daughter. Kipyegon talks about how it was hard to deal with the "baby weight" during and after pregnancy.
- World Athletics: Kenyans Geoffrey Ndungu (1:32:30) And Joyce Njeru (1:50:02) Win Krkonossky Half Marathon In Czech Republic The times are so slow because this was a World Mountain Running Association race.
- Sapporo Gakuin Women Win Fifth-Straight Hokkaido University Ekiden
Recent Euro Results
- Elliot Giles Runs 3:37.01 To Win 1500m At British Miler Club Meet
- AW Weekly Round-Up: Jessica Mayho Moves To #2 All-Time On UK Hammer List With 69.44m At a mid-week British Miler Club meet, Ellie Baker (4:06.54) and James McMurray (3:39.19) won the 1500ms and and Tom Randolph the 800 (1:46.92).
- Swiss Sprinter Ajla Del Ponte Runs 10.90/22.38 Sprint Double In Switzerland
- Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos Breaks World U18 Javelin Record With 70.10m
Pre Starts Friday
In her first race since winning double gold in Tokyo, Hassan will go for the 5000 WR on Friday night in Eugene.
- MB: Sifan Hassan to attack world record in Eugene
- Sha'Carri Richardson Takes On Tokyo Medalists In Pre 100m The race fans should have got to see in Tokyo.
- Star-Studded Field Set For Pre 100m Includes Andre De Grasse, Fred Kerley, Ronnie Baker, Trayvon Bromell and Justin Gatlin.
- WA: Eugene To Play Host To Rematches Between Olympic Medalists Includes Timothy Cheruiyot vs Jakob Ingebrigtsen rematch in the Bowerman mile.
- Star-Studded Field Set For Pre Classic 100m With Includes Andre De Grasse, Fred Kerley, Ronnie Baker, Trayvon Bromell and Justin Gatlin.
Chicago 2021
With just three women with PBs under 2:25, is the Chicago women's field worthy of major status in 2021?
Tragic News
- MB: Gabe Grunewald's sister, Abigail Anderson passed away She was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver.
Distance Action - Falmouth Road Race
Flanagan won by just three seconds over Biya Simbassa while Kiplagat won by a wide margin, coming in 27 seconds in front of Emily Durgin. *Discuss
- Canadian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot (3:52.97) And Amy-Eloise Markovc (4:41.03) Win Falmouth Mile Philibert-Thiboutot beat out Craig Engels (3:53.97) and Johnny Gregorek (3:54.18) while Markovc won by just .02 ahead of Helen Schlachtenhaufen.
- Reigning World Champions Joseph Gray And Grayson Murphy Win USATF Mountain Running Champs In Oregon 2011 world champ Max King was runner-up.
Final American Track League
Henry Wynne (3:37.47) and Rebecca Mehra (4:04.90) won the 1500m races and Devon Allen took the 110H in 13.14.
Kenya's First Sub-10
He broke the Kenyan record twice, first running 9.96 in the heats.
Your latest American stars share their insights.
American Record Holders
American Record Holders
Keira D'Amato, the new American record holder in the marathon, was joined by Deena Kastor, who held the record for 15 years.
Sisson was the guest on the LetsRun.com Track Talk podcast after she became the first American to go sub 67 in the half marathon on a record-eligible course. Podcast highlights above. Full pod here.
Woody Kincaid joined us after he broke the American record indoors at 5000. He talks above why he left the Bowerman Track Club. Podcast highlights and link to full podcast here.
Coogan's New Balance Boston team had 3 Olympians in 2021 and 2022 could be the biggest year yet for the program with 2 new additions and the TRACK at New Balance coming on March 1st.
Danny Mackey has taken the Brooks Beasts from an unproven club to the Olympic podium in its first decade.
Dathan Ritzenhein is the first of the top pro coaches to sit down and talk about his club heading into the 2022 campaign.
Best of Jon Gault
Best of Jon Gault
Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
LetsRun Classics
LetsRun Classics
‒Galen Rupp talking to Jeff Benjamin about his Tokyo Olympic performance.
MB: Galen Rupp says he and Eliud Kipchoge simply had "some friendly conversation" in middle of Olympic marathon