Run, Karla, Run!

Yep, those are the Alps in the background.

This post is sponsored by Diadora. I thought it was a fun story and a great opportunity to share drool-worthy running pics from Southern Europe.

1482 km. 920 miles. 35 runners from 10 countries. Nine days. And one shoebox.

That’s what happened when Italian athletic and sportswear company Diadora decided to fulfill a shoe order in an unexpected way. The idea? Turn the routine into an epic adventure.

I want to go to there!

One unknowing customer set-off a nine-day, 1500-km relay across Southern Europe when he pre-ordered a pair of Diadora’s new N9000 running shoes. Instead of boxing and shipping the shoes per usual, they delivered them on foot.

A team of 35 runners—and one dog!—from 10 different countries passed the shoebox like a baton from Diadora’s factory in Milan, Italy to the customer’s front door in Barcelona, Spain. Runners ranged in age from 19 to 56 years old. Among them were four couples, and one even flew in an airplane for the first time to participate in the relay.

Team Diadora

A live tracker marked the shoes’ daily progress through Italy, Monaco, France, and Spain at makeitbright.diadora.com. Read the rest of this entry →

Argh! (RunKarlaRun.com)

Arrrgh! That was the word of the weekend when my husband, Phil, and I ran the Bermuda Triangle Challenge, as guests of Bermuda Marathon Weekend. Every January over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, the Bermuda Triangle Challenge dares runners to tackle three races in three days—the Front Street Mile on Friday night, the Bermuda 10K on Saturday, and the Bermuda Marathon or Bermuda Half Marathon run concurrently on Sunday.

At the 2015 races, we opted for the half challenge and had a blast in the process, dressed as pirates for the 10K and half-marathon. We even earned a spot on the race’s website and marketing materials for the feat.

BermudaRaceWeekend.com

Bermuda Marathon Weekend quickly became one of my favorite running events ever, thanks to the gorgeous courses, robust spectator support, and island-wide friendliness that makes Canadians look surly by comparison. Seriously. And Phil is Canadian! We even started hatching a plan to retire in Bermuda.

I’ll post the usual race report for each event individually, but thought I’d kick things off with a video montage of the Bermuda Triangle Challenge. We even have a cameo by none other than Bart Yasso. Check it out!

Read the rest of this entry →

The start of the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon. (Credit: PhotoRun/NYRR)

The TCS New York City Marathon 2015 is almost upon us. If you want to catch all the action from the world’s largest marathon, here’s how to tune-in on TV and online. If you’re looking for spectator tips, read this: Go Runners! A Spectator’s Marathon Guide.

TCS New York City Marathon 2015 Race Week

TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion
Yours truly is master of ceremonies for the week! Located near the finish line at 67th St. in Central Park next to Tavern on The Green, the TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion has a full schedule of free entertainment for runners, their families and friends, including course strategy sessions, athlete & celeb appearances, book signings, film screenings, bands, group runs, and more. You can also buy official finisher merchandise, store your gear in an Airbnb locker while you run Central Park, or grab a bite and sip some wine at the cafe & bar.

TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines
Friday, October 30
5:30 p.m. live on ABC7 in New York

Countdown to the Starting Line
Saturday, October 31
7:30 p.m. on ABC7 in New York
Also streaming on WatchABC and ESPN3, accessible on WatchESPN platforms

Get pumped for race day with “Countdown to the Starting Line,” a preview the 45th TCS New York City Marathon. I (yes, me!) pop-by to give a rundown on the top runners to watch.

TCS New York City Marathon 2015 Race Day

NYC Metro Area

Watch on ABC7, Sunday, November 1

Pre-Race Features
7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

Live Race Broadcast
9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Live streaming will also be available on ABC7NY.com and via the WatchABC app from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Nationally

Watch on ESPN2 and WatchESPN, Sunday, November 1

Live Race Broadcast
9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST.

Pre- and Post-Race Coverage
Watch ESPN3 from 7:00 to 9:00a.m. EST and 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. EST
Available on WatchESPN.com and WatchESPN app

Highlight Show
4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on your local ABC affiliate

Online

Live Stream
7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m on WatchABC in New York and WatchESPN nationwide
Download the app in the App Store or Google Play store Read the rest of this entry →

The professional men start. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Once a summer, some 4,000 athletes brave the waters of the Hudson River, ride the highways of Manhattan, and pound the pavement in Central Park at the Panasonic New York City Triathlon. This year, I had the honor and pleasure to catch the action as co-host of the NYC Triathlon TV broadcast.

The pro women swim the Hudson. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Though I’ve never competed in the NYC Triathlon myself, I’ve done six other triathlons and a few open water races too, including the 1-mile New Amsterdam City Swim in the Hudson River. My seventh triathlon is this weekend at the Boston Triathlon. I run and cycle the hills of Central Park and the West Side where the course leads triathletes, too. So I know how formidable swimming, biking, and running New York City can be, especially in the dead of summer.

And the race on July 19, 2015 was one of the hottest in history, with the heat index peaking above 100 degrees with plenty of humidity too. I was so impressed by all the competitors and the grit they showed that day. What a way to tackle the Big Apple.

Working on the broadcast was incredibly fun. In addition to hosting, I took on some writing duties as well, and the finished product is finally ready to air all across the U.S. I hope you’ll tune in. I know I can’t wait to see it!

2015 Panasonic NYC Triathlon TV Schedule

Catch the 2015 Panasonic NYC Triathlon during one of the below air times. Check back at nyctri.com for additional dates coming soon.

Fox 5 / WWOR 9 — New York City Metro Area

• Saturday, August 8: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday, August 16: 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

SNY — New York State

• Saturday, August 22: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Sunday, August 23: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Saturday, August 29: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Comcast SportsNet – Philadelphia

• Saturday, August 22: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Saturday, September 5: 12:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
• Sunday, September 20: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Comcast Network – Philadelphia

• Saturday, August 22: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, August 30: 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Saturday, September 5: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Comcast SportsNet – Mid-Atlantic

• Sunday, August 9: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Friday, August 21: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Comcast Network – Mid-Atlantic

• Sunday, August 9: 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 19: 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Saturday, September 5: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Comcast Network – Pittsburgh/North Jersey

• Thursday, August 13: 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday, September 5: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Comcast SportsNet – New England

• Saturday, September 5: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Comcast SportsNet – Chicago

• Saturday, August 15: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Comcast SportsNet – California

• Saturday, August 15: 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Sunday, August 16: 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 26: 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Comcast SportsNet – Northwest

• Wednesday, August 12: 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• Sunday, August 16: 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Read the rest of this entry →

Runners head up First Avenue in the New York City Marathon. (Credit: Courtesy of NYRR)

The TCS New York City Marathon 2014 is almost upon us. If you want to catch all the action from the world’s largest marathon, here’s how to tune-in on TV and online. If you’re looking for spectator tips, read this: Go Runners! A Spectator’s Marathon Guide

TCS New York City Marathon 2014 Race Week

Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines

Friday, October 31
5:25 p.m. at 7online.com
5:30 p.m. live on ABC7 in New York

Countdown to the Starting Line

Saturday, November 1
7:30 p.m. on ABC7 in New York

Get pumped for race day with “Countdown to the Starting Line,” live from the marathon finish line. “Eyewitness News” anchors Liz Cho and David Novarro preview the 44th TCS New York City Marathon. And I (yes, me!) pop-by to give a rundown on the top runners.

TCS New York City Marathon 2014 Race Day

NYC Metro Area

Watch on ABC7, Sunday, November 2

Pre-Race Features
7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

Live Race Broadcast
9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Nationally

Read the rest of this entry →

We’re on TV on TV!

A few folks who regularly watch “Giuliana & Bill” on E! recently told me that I was on the show! What?!

Back in November, half of the show’s dynamic duo ran the 2013 New York City Marathon for Timex. Bill Rancic started the race in dead last. For every runner he passed, Timex donated $1 to Giuliana Rancic’s charity for breast and ovarian cancer patients, Fab U Wish. I host New York Road Runners’ show, “On The Run,” and interviewed Bill twice before the race. He was incredibly nice and fun to chat with.

The E! camera crew was there filming us, filming Bill. Meta. I completely forgot that they asked us all to sign waivers so that they could use the footage on “Giuliana & Bill.” Apparently, the episode aired on May 20, 2014. Our little show about running was on E!

The segment they used is all of 20 seconds long. Here it is:

They dubbed my voice over my co-host Carrie Tollefson, when I say, “She’s a runner as well,” about Giuliana. They edited the footage to make it look like Carrie says it. Pretty funny. Even funnier is that the portion of the interview they used didn’t make our final cut.

Here’s our finished “On The Run” segment with Bill Rancic.

It’s interesting to see what one group of producers thinks is of interest to their audience, versus what another group of producers thinks is of interest to theirs. Two takes on one interview for two different audiences.

You can watch the entire “Giuliana & Bill” episode at eonline.com: Marathon Not A Sprint

You can watch the entire “On The Run at the 2013 New York City Marathon” recap with one of Bill’s interviews on YouTube: On the Run 2013 ING NYC Marathon Recap

On The Run

It’s finally up: the full episode of “On The Run at the 2014 NYRR Brooklyn Half,” hosted by yours truly. It aired on ABC in New York on May 31, 2014. So if you missed it or live outside the New York metro area, check out New York Road Runners’ show from America’s biggest half-marathon with 25,646 finishers.

On The Run at the 2014 Brooklyn Half

The focus of this show is less, “Who will win?” and more, “How much fun will everyone have?”

We go on a running tour of the course in the days before the race, meet a variety of Brooklyn locals from a first-time half-marathoner to a runner gunning for a top 10 finish, party it up at the Brooklyn Half Pre-Party presented by New Balance, bike through north Brooklyn and capture all the excitement of race day from the finish on the Coney Island Boardwalk.

Watch the full episode that aired on ABC above or take a look at a few of the show’s segments broken out from the full episode, below. Read the rest of this entry →

New York City’s biggest borough now has America’s biggest half-marathon. And we’re bringing the action to you with “NYRR On The Run at the 2014 Brooklyn Half” on ABC7 in New York. Tune in Saturday, May 31 at 1:30 p.m.

My microphone (Photo: nyrr_ontherun/Instagram)

Hosted by yours truly, this half-hour episode of “On The Run” takes viewers on a tour of Brooklyn that’s 25,000 runners strong. We’ll bring you all the excitement of race week from the beer, bites and beats of the Brooklyn Half Pre-Party presented by New Balance in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge to the fantastic finish on the Coney Island boardwalk.

Be sure to watch or set your DVR. And if you’re not in the New York metro area, the episode will be available online after the broadcast at ontherun.nyrr.org.

Come take a trip on the Wonder Wheel and outrun the subway with “NYRR On The Run at the 2014 Brooklyn Half!”

The Boston Marathon finish line. (Photo: By Aaron “tango” Tang/Wikimedia Commons)

The most anticipated marathon of 2014 is finally here. The 2014 Boston Marathon starts in Hopkinton, Mass., on Monday, April 21. If you want to catch all the action from Boston here’s how to tune in.

Boston Marathon Preview Show

Saturday, April 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. ET Universal Sports will air a live preview show from the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street.

Boston Marathon National Broadcast

Watch the 118th Boston Marathon live on Universal Sports from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on Monday, April 21.

If you miss the race, Universal Sports will air a 2014 Boston Marathon Wrap-Up Show live from 4 to 5 p.m ET, followed by an encore presentation of the race at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET.

If you don’t get Universal Sports, don’t worry. A free preview of the channel will be available nationwide via all of its distribution partners from April 14-21. You can find Universal Sports in your channel lineup at UniversalSports.com.

Boston Marathon Local Broadcast

The 2014 Boston Marathon will broadcast live on CBS Boston’s WBZ-TV from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. The race will be rerun on myTV38 from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. ET.

Boston Marathon Online Coverage

The Boston Marathon will stream live online at watchlive.baa.org starting at 9:30 a.m. ET, and at CBSBoston.com all day.

UniversalSports.com will also stream the Boston Marathon live. Plus, their Finish Line Web Cam will show runners as they complete the 26.2-mile race on Boylston Street. The web cam goes live on UniversalSports.com at 10:30 AM ET on April 21. Read the rest of this entry →

Runners storm Times Square at the NYC Half. (Credit: Courtesy of NYRR)

Reminder: The 2014 TCS New York City Marathon application closes today, Tuesday, March 18, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. If you want to apply for the random draw, visit tcsnycmarathon.org before then. The drawing will take place Wednesday, March 26.

The 2014 NYC Half on Sunday, March 16 was the race’s biggest year yet with 20,750 finishers, its first professional wheelchair race and a newly enhanced course. I was on the scene with NYRR’s On The Run at the NYC Half.

2014 NYC Half Champions Sally Kipyego and Geoffrey Mutai. (Photo: PhotoRun/NYRR)

Two-time defending New York City Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya took home the title in the men’s race. Half-marathon debutante Sally Kipyego, also of Kenya, set an event record on her way to win the women’s race.

The race was not without drama, starting with a chilly 31-degree temp and 18 mph winds. Then Great Britain’s Mo Farah, a favorite to battle Mutai for the win, fell before the 10K mark. He rallied to finish in second place, but as the top three men gathered to take a photo right after the finish, Farah passed out.

In my finisher’s blanket warming up.

I was standing by to interview the top three men, and watched the whole thing unfold. Medics rushed to his side, trying to revive and warm him. I was wearing a long, down coat between stints on camera. So I handed my coat to the folks tending to Farah. A few others did the same. When Farah finally came to, the medic put my coat on him as they took him to the medical tent. So the crew gave me a finisher’s heat sheet to keep me warm for the next few hours until my coat made its way back to me.

But rather than tell you all about the race, I’ll let you watch.

Here is the professional race recap, a follow-up on all the runners we profiled earlier in the week, a profile of winner Sally Kipyego, and the inspiring story of Jessica Mar, who went from 268 lbs. to 128 lbs and a 1:50 half-marathon in just two years. Watch and enjoy!

On The Run at 2014 NYC Half Professional Race Recap

On The Run at 2014 NYC Half Runner Stories

Women’s Winner Sally Kipyego

Jessica Mar’s 13.1 Miles To Health

Double Olympic and World Champion Mo Farah. (Photo: NYRR On The Run)

Today we’ve got four more running videos from On The Run at NYC Half 2014: A former Marine who continues to serve his country and three of the top pros to watch on Sunday. Each one is about two to three minutes long, so watch and enjoy! And be sure to check out our recap of the race on Sunday evening.

Brian Gallagher

Former Marine Brian Gallagher has raised over $60,000 for wounded veteran organizations. Now he’s running the NYC Half for Hope For The Warriors.

Mo Farah

Mo Farah is at the top of the sport. The double Olympic and World Champion is back to regain his 2011 title at the NYC Half on his way to his first marathon in London in April.

Molly Huddle

American record holder Molly Huddle is making her half-marathon debut at the NYC Half.

Amanda McGrory

Paralympian Amanda McGrory leads the field for the first profession wheelchair race at the NYC Half.

You can find every episode of On The Run online at ontherun.nyrr.org and and youtube.com/nyrrvideo. Watch the NYC Half 2014 marathon on Sunday, March 16 live in the New York City metropolitan area on ABC-TV from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. EDT. You can also watch the race at 7online.com from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. EDT, or WatchABC on mobile devices from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. EDT. WatchESPN subscribers can also watch the race from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

For more On The Run at NYC Half 2014 videos check out:

On The Run at NYC Half: Expo, Charity & Black Roses

On The Run at NYC Half: Elite Runner Mike Cassidy and The Magic of Goodwill

At the NYC Half Expo

NYC Half!

So many more running videos to share from my week working On The Run at NYC Half. Each one is about two to three minutes long, so watch and enjoy!

Battling Through More Than a Run

Teacher Mike Anderson and guidance counselor Dana Ash joined forces when one of their students was diagnosed with brain cancer.

She’ll Be Running With Me

Regina Romain is running her first half-marathon in memory of her swim coach, Lauren Beam, who lost her battle with colon cancer at the age of 34.

Work Hard and Play Hard with Black Roses NYC

Black Roses is one of New York City’s “running crews.” We joined them for a track workout in the East Village under the cloak of darkness.

Inside the 2014 NYC Half Expo

Enter to win your dream run, pick up race bibs, running gear and more.

For more videos from the NYC Half, check out:

On The Run at NYC Half: Elite Runner Mike Cassidy and The Magic of Goodwill

Mike Cassidy cross the 2013 New York City Marathon Finish with Meb Keflezighi. (Photo: NYRR On The Run)

Mike Cassidy

Mike Cassidy is one of New York City’s top local elite runners. I’ve had the chance to interview the Staten Island native three times now: after he won the 2013 Staten Island Half, after he finished the 2013 New York City Marathon hand-in-hand with Meb Keflezighi, and now in preparation for the NYC Half. He qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials with a 2:18 marathon, and yet he’s just a regular guy going to graduate school while training hard.

Among the many things that impress me about Mike is that he has an amazing outlook on running and on life. If you haven’t read his LetsRun.com essay, “The Time of My Life,” you should. Now he puts it into words, and what the marathon moment meant to him, for On The Run.

Goodwill

Goodwill Industries is best known for its retail stores, as name checked by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis in the mega-hit “Thrift Shop.” But the non-profit uses the proceeds from those stores to spread a whole lot of good will, including at the NYC Half.

Goodwill will collect discarded clothing at the start of the race, which will then be sold at Goodwill stores throughout the New York metro areas. Every 91 cents the organization collects goes to fund their job creation programs, including finding workers to stuff the 23,000 NYC Half finisher recovery bags and staff fluid stations along the course. It was really incredible to visit the Goodwill warehouse and see just how much they do. This is just a tiny glimpse.

Here are more videos from On The Run at the NYC Half!

On The Run at NYC Half: Expo, Charity & Black Roses

Here are the On The Run at NYC Half episodes so far!

On The Run at NYC Half: Elite Runner Mike Cassidy and The Magic of Goodwill

On The Run at NYC Half: Expo, Charity Runners & Black Roses NYC

We’re back! I’ve been filming with NYRR On The Run since Monday for the 2014 NYC Half marathon which takes place Sunday, March 16. We’ve got a week full of stories about professional athletes, charity runners and lots more. Instead of 30-minute episodes, we’re releasing each story as a stand-alone video. So the best way to catch them all is to subscribe to NYRR’s YouTube Channel. I’ll post them all here on RunKarlaRun.com, as well.

With Knox Robinson of Black Roses NYC (Photo: nyrr_ontherun Instagram)

It’s been an awesome week so far. I’ve been to Goodwill Industries’ New York headquarters in Queens where they’re assembling goodie bags for runners after the finish; Battery Park at the tip of Manhattan with local elite runner Mike Cassidy who finished the 2013 New York City Marathon hand in hand with Meb Keflezighi; on the High Line park on Manhattan’s West Side with Fred’s Team runner Regina Romain; out to a middle school in New Jersey where teacher Mike Anderson and guidance counselor Dana Ash are running in honor of one of their students; and to the East Village in Manhattan where the Black Roses running crew trains under the cloak of night.

I’ll also be heading to the expo, catching up with a few other runners and covering the course on race day to capture all the action. My co-host Carrie Tollefson will also be chatting with pros like Mo Farah, Molly Huddle, and Sally Kipyego. And we’ll bring you a recap of the entire event after the race. Read the rest of this entry →

The Paris Marathon (Photo: Valentin/Wikimedia Commons)

I’ve bemoaned the lack of running coverage on TV many times. There’s obviously an audience for it if even a fraction of the 16 million Americans who finished a road race in 2013 enjoy watching running. I’m one of them. I watch running on TV and the Web. Heck, I even host a show about running for New York Road Runners.

Thankfully, in addition to “NYRR On The Run,” there’s Universal Sports. The Olympic and endurance sports network is running a “Marathon-A-Thon” in April. What does this mean? Lots of marathons are going to be on TV.

The 2013 London Marathon (Photo: Chmee2/Wikimedia Commons)

It’s the second year they’re programming a month of marathons. Maybe if we all watch them, they’ll keep doing it. No more relying on unreliable Web streams that inevitable crash because so many of us are trying to load them at the same time. Wouldn’t that be nice?

It all starts Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. Eastern with the 2014 ASICS LA Marathon. Yay! Viewers will finally get to see the much-glorified “Stadium to Sea” course that takes 25,000 runners from Dodger Stadium to the beach in Santa Monica. The ASICS LA Marathon is on my personal bucket list, so I’m excited to see it’s finally getting some national coverage.

But the real Marathon-A-Thon begins in the wee hours of Sunday, April 6 with the Paris Marathon. It continues with the London and Rotterdam Marathons on April 13 and finishes with live coverage of the 2014 Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21. Four marathons on TV in the space of 16 days? That’s the equivalent of a marathon every four days! I’m breathless just thinking about.

Plus, Universal Sports will air encore presentations of those and other marathons from around the world every Monday in April from 8 PM to 2 AM Eastern. Read the rest of this entry →