Run, Karla, Run!

It seems like everyone wants to run the marathon. And not just any marathon—the ING New York City Marathon. Haile Gebrselassie, the marathon world record holder and undisputed King of the Road, has already announced that he’s running NYC for the first time this fall. Defending NYC champion and American superstar Meb Keflezighi is also returning to defend his title. And now, Shalane Flanagan, America’s track darling, has announced she’ll be making her marathon debut in New York on November 7.

“It’s the ultimate challenge for the distance runner,’’ Flanagan told The Boston Globe. “I would love to win another Olympic medal, but more than anything, I would love to win a major marathon.’’ Read the rest of this entry →

Sometimes races don’t go as planned. For Haile Gebrselassie, the world’s most decorated distance runner, yesterday’s NYC Half-Marathon certainly didn’t. He’d won nine of 10 career half-marathons and never lost on American soil—until yesterday.

It seemed like the perfect conditions for running a half—clear sunny skies, a crisp 53 degrees and a slight breeze. Another win for Gebrselassie—and maybe even a 27^th world record—seemed like a forgone conclusion. Indeed, he was in first place after 8 miles, when he had an asthma attack, possibly exacerbated by a cold, and eventually dropped out of the race.

“My asthma kicked in from dust in the road,” Gebrselassie said in a statement released by New York Road Runners, who conducted the race. “What are you going to do? It happens.” Read the rest of this entry →

Haile Gebrselassie is a legend in his own time. But the most decorated long-distance runner in history—with 26 world records to his name—isn’t finished by a long shot. Tomorrow, he’s returning to the NYC Half-Marathon—where he owns the course record—for another shot at the half-marathon world record.

Geb, 36, holds the marathon world record—a blistering 2:03:59. But the Ethiopian and Kenya’s young Sammy Wanjiru have been in a trading war over the half since 2005 when Wanjiru first broke the record. Geb took it from him in 2006, but Wanjiru won it back in 2007. Now, Geb wants a 27^th record. He posted as much on his Twitter account on Jan. 25th.

“I still feel I can run the WR, so I start focussing on my next race (Half Marathon) in New York in preparation for a new attempt!” Read the rest of this entry →

Call them the best. Call them memorable. Or just call them. Whatever they are, these moments defined running in the first decade of the 21^st century. What makes them so great? These 10 performances got people buzzing. My opinion is completely subjective and emotional. I have a thing for runners who fall to the ground in tears (see Nos. 4 and 5), and admire the hubris of runners who not only walk the walk but talk the talk (see Nos. 1 and 9). But I also polled some die-hard runners in the know. Like me they follow the sport—and by follow the sport I mean DVR-ing things like the Rotterdam Marathon. And these moments made short list after short list.

So who made the cut? Drum roll please.

11). Honorable Mention: You ran a race and raised money for charity in the process

The last decade has been a collective best moment in the history of running. The U.S. is in the midst of a second running boom with year over year records in road race participation. In the marathon alone, the total number of finishers has gone from 299,000 in 2000 to 463,000 in 2009 according to MarathonGuide.com. Finisher totals for all road races in the U.S. were 6,482,500 in 1997. Ten years later in 2007? The number of finishers rose by almost 2.5 million to 8,875,000 according Running USA. And more racers have meant more money for all those associated charities. According to the USATF, the amount runners have raised for charity has increased from $520 million in 2002 to $714 million in 2006. Between entrance fees for benefit races and charity partnerships for major races, the running boom is making an impact on more than just the participants. So here’s to all of you runners out there who helped make this collective moment truly one of the high spots in running this decade. Read the rest of this entry →

Usain Bolt celebrates his Olympic victory. Photo by friskytuna/Flikr.

The end of the “aughts” is upon us, and it’s been quite a decade for running. Here are the 10 runners who thoroughly dominated their fields in the past 10 years—The Best Runners of the Decade. My picks are completely unscientific and subjective, and I’m sure they will incite at least a little grumbling. But these 10 runners have dazzled the world with feats of strength worthy of Festivus, and racked up the hardware to prove it. Drum roll please… Read the rest of this entry →