Marathon/Running News: 3/15/08 - 3/22/08

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Direct Links: 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon Atlanta Marathon Big Sur International Marathon Boston Marathon City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon) Danube Marathon Dong-A Seoul International Marathon Knoxville Marathon London Marathon Marathon des Sables Odds And Ends Olympics 2008 (Men)
2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon
	News From: Thursday, March 20, 2008
		Post-Race Review/ Results
		With late race charge, Kastor takes U.S. Marathon trials title (IAAF) Although Magdalena Lewy-Boulet charged out to an early lead at the 2008 US Olympic Team Trials, favorite Deena Kastor closed an almost two minute gap starting at mile 15. Kastor passed Lewy-Boulet after mile 23 to win the race in 2:29:35. Lewy-Boulet was second in 2:30:19 and Blake Russell was third in 2:32:40.
Atlanta Marathon
	News From: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
		Training/ Health
		Medical concerns are high priority at this year's ING Atlanta Marathon race (The Signal) Deaths and other health issues in several races last year raised concerns about the preparedness of medical staff for the 2008 ING Atlanta Marathon. Dr. Perry Julien, co-medical director of the ING Atlanta Marathon, cites adequate training and frequent fluid intake as a runner's best defense against high temperatures like those experienced at the Chicago Marathon. When asked about the two deaths that took place during those races, he said that while unfortunate the fatalities were due to preexisting health conditions and not the eighty eight degree heat or the races themselves.
		Human Interest Story
		Weather Channel to Sponsor Atlanta Marathon (Race Results Weekly) The Weather Channel (TWC) will now be the title sponsor of the Atlanta Marathon & Half-Marathon. TWC will produce and air segments profiling five runners training for the race in different geographic areas (and climates) throughout the USA. The cable channel will also use it's website, weather.com to display additional information about the race, including training profiles, video vignettes, blogs from the featured runners, running tips, running calculators, and local route maps.
Big Sur International Marathon
	News From: Sunday, March 16, 2008
		Human Interest Story
		Debating the world's hardest running courses (Monterey County Herald) There has been a lot of debate in the running community about the world's hardest running course. Big Sur Marathon, with its 560-foot climb at Hurricane Point, is considered one of the hardest marathons in North America, but it doesn't even make the "A" list of toughest running events. Top contenders are The Run to the Sun, a 36-mile race climbing 10,000 feet up the Haleakala volcano on Maui; the 7.1-mile Dipsea trail race in Marin County that travels up the outskirts of Mount Tamalpias and down to the sea at Stinson Beach, the Western States Endurance Run that is a brutal 100-mile trail run from Squaw Valley to Auburn, which features more than 23,000 feet of elevation change. Without a doubt there are tougher marathons on Everest, in Antarctica, a 135-mile race through Death Valley, and a multi-day race where runners cross the Sahara Desert which are top contenders.
Boston Marathon
	News From: Monday, March 17, 2008
		Human Interest Story
		Swampscott residents to make statement at Boston Marathon (Swampscott Reporter) Bill Flannery and Dan Santanello are running the 2008 Boston Marathon with the MassGeneral Marathon Team Fighting Kids Cancer One Step at a Time. The team has come a long way since its modest beginning in 1998, when a team of 10 runners raised almost $50,000 to support the pediatric cancer program. Now, a team of 122 runners has banked a cumulative $4 million and the number continues to rise.
City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)
	News From: Thursday, March 20, 2008
		Non-Marathon/ Other Running
		ChronoTrack Systems and Impinj Bring RFID Technology to LA Marathon (Marketwire) Recently formed ChronoTrack Systems, Inc. today announced that the company's road race timing system, based on Impinj UHF Gen 2 radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, performed flawlessly at the 2008 Los Angeles Marathon. ChronoTrack's "D" timing tag allows race organizers to print an integrated bib and tag for each participant, encoding the runner's bib number into the tag's RFID chip at the time of printing. The peel-off, disposable portion of the bib becomes a tag that runners attach to their shoes.
Danube Marathon
	News From: Thursday, March 20, 2008
		Human Interest Story
		Bratislava to Host Third Annual Marathon (Slovakia Today) The 2008 Bratislava Marathon in its third year is expecting a record number of runners. The Korean and American ambassadors to Slovakia have registered for the relay run, while a number of politicians and famous personalities such as national tennis player Dominik Hrbaty have made surprise entries as well. Nearly 1,300 competitors in all have put their names down for the marathon event, which is expected to feature last year's winner Bogdan Dziuba and Artur Blasinski from Poland.
Dong-A Seoul International Marathon
	News From: Monday, March 17, 2008
		Post-Race Review/ Results
		Persistent Marathoner Stages Successful Comeback (Donga.com) Kim Yi-yong yesterday proved himself one of the nations elite runners again at the 2008 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon. Kim who was first Korean finisher and overall seventh place finisher in 2:11:14. Sammy Korir won the marathon in 2:07:32. The winner of the women's race was Zhang Shu Jing of China in 2:26:11.
	News From: Sunday, March 16, 2008
		Post-Race Review/ Results
		Kenya Sweeps Seoul Marathon (Korea Times) Sammy Korir, best known for pacing Paul Tergat to a world record finish in 2003, won the 2008 Seoul Marathon in 2:07:32. Runner-up was Jason Mbote in a 2:07:37 and third was Edwin Komen in a 2:07:45. Top Koreans were Kim Yi-yong of South Korea who finished in 2:11:14 and Lee Bong-ju, silver medalist at the 1996 Summer Atlanta Olympics, who was eighth in a 2:12:27.
		2:07:32 victory for Korir in Seoul (IAAF) The 2008 Dong-A Seoul International Marathon was Sammy Korir won in a 2:07:32, the fourth fastest time of his career and the best since April 2006. Zhang Shujing of China won the women's contest in 2:26:11. Korir already ran his second Marathon of the year; earlier he had finished third in Dubai in January clocking 2:08:01.
Knoxville Marathon
	News From: Wednesday, March 19, 2008
		Humor
		Ellington making marathon leap in Knoxville (Go Volsxtra) Former four-time All-American distance runner at the University of Tennessee, Stewart Ellington, is keen on winning the 2008 Knoxville Marathon. Ellington, a 5K trck star, has been running about ninety miles per week in preparation. He has run the half marathon three times, but never with competition in mind.
London Marathon
	News From: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
		Human Interest Story
		Stroke victim stuns doctors by entering marathon (The Standard) David Morris, a twenty-three year old who suffered a life-threatening stroke less than eighteenth months ago, has stunned doctors by making a miracle recovery after the stroke which left him with bleeding in the brain and fifty per cent speech loss. Now, just 16 months later, he is preparing to take part in Britain's most famous road race - and he is still on the lookout for sponsorship for his charity CLIC Sargent is the UK's leading children's cancer charity.
		Super slimmers marathon bid (Express and Star.com) Leslie Joyner, who used to eat junk food and do no exercise before she shed more than six stones, is gearing up for her third London Marathon. Joyner, who works for a stockbroker in Birmingham, was inspired to become a weight loss leader after being asked by complete strangers how she had slimmed down. She has completed one hundred twenty half marathons as well as several full marathons
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Will Yelling get through the Great Wall? (Dorset Echo) Liz Yelling is looking to fulfill her childhood dream of winning gold at an Olympic Games. A good finish at the 2008 London Marathon will guarantee a spot for her on the British Olympic Team. This is the last shot at the Olympics for thirty-three year old Yelling who is coached by Alex Stanton.
	News From: Monday, March 17, 2008
		Human Interest Story
		Marathon challenge will aid the disabled (The Flintshire Standard) Trudie Richards of Hope will tackle the Flora London Marathon next month, in a bid to raise £1,500 for disability charity Scope. Richards, a fitness coach, is also a classroom assistant at Ysgol Estyn, coordinates the after school club at Derwen School in Kinnerton and is a youth worker during the evenings.
		Liz gets set for marathon effort (The Press) Liz Davis, of Haxby, York, will tackle the 26-mile course next month in an effort to raise £1,000 for the St. Leonard's Hospice. The mother-of-two is no stranger to tests of endurance - having completed the London Triathlon last year.
		Two soldiers in Iraq training to run London marathon (The Bolton News) Corporal Damien Byrne and Sergeant Major Stephen Tickle will join other members of the 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster regiment in returning to the UK to compete in the 2008 London Marathon. Following the marathon, these soldiers will be heading back to their base in Basra. The Battalion members will run in a bid to raise £7,500 for the charity Sense, which supports children and adults who are deaf/blind or have associated disabilities.
	News From: Sunday, March 16, 2008
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Short of Conditioning, Keflezeghi Withdraws from London (Race Results Weekly) Reigning Olympic Marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi has withdrawn from the 2008 London Marathon. Keflezighi and his coach Bob Larsen feel that he is short of the conditioning for such a competitive marathon. Keflezighi will now give his complete focus on preparing for the USATF Olympic Trials. This is the second time Keflezighi has had to withdraw from London. The first time was in 2005 when an injury forced him to withdraw and he was unable to finish in 2007, but dropped out in the 16th mile (26th km) due to achilles problems and a blister on his foot.
		Human Interest Story
		Tragedy drives Jonathan Pearce to run marathon (The Daily Mirror) TV Football pundit and Sunday Mirror columnist Jonathan Pearce is to run the London Marathon in memory of his tragic baby niece from Mitochondrial Disease, a rare and mostly fatal cell abnormality. The Lily Foundation was formed by the family to help find a cure for the fatal disease which affects just one child in a thousand.
Marathon des Sables
	News From: Thursday, March 20, 2008
		Human Interest Story
		McGrath preps for marathon; Mountaineer ready to take on Sahara Desert (The Sudbury Star) Meagan McGrath, who has climbed to the top of Mount Everest and has conquered the Seven Summits, will challenge herself against the heat of the Sahara Desert in the 2008 Marathon des Sables. The seven-day, 245.3-kilometre footrace is a feat forcing competitors to deal with extreme heat, different types of terrain, sandstorms and insects and animals in the desert. Runners must carry all of their food and supplies for the duration of the race in a bag on their backs and are required to bring certain items with them, such as anti-venom kits. Water is provided by the organizers, as well as tents for shelter at night.
Odds And Ends
	News From: Thursday, March 20, 2008
		Post-Race Review/ Results
		Team Kennet athlete wins UKs toughest marathon (Newbury Today) Mark Shepherd clinched his second long distance success in just eight days when winning the event billed as the UKs toughest marathon. Shepherd completed the 26.2 mile event at Wendover Woods, Buckinghamshire in a course record breaking time of 4:14:30. Competitors faced an arduous examination of their durability with a 21-lap circuit of Wendover Woods that included a 6,000 feet near vertical climb that even needed the help of a rope, before a 6,000 descent. He went on to win the Welsh Championship at the Barry 40 mile track race.
	News From: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
		Human Interest Story
		Website Offers a Marathon of Long Distance Facts (Star-Gazette.com) MarathonGuide.com is the go-to Web site for everything you've always wanted to know about marathoning but were afraid to ask. There's basic information, results, reviews and news at your fingertips.
		Training/ Health
		Growth hormone no benefit to athletes: U.S. study (Reuters) US researchers have found that people who take human growth hormone in the hope of boosting athletic performance are not only breaking the law, but fail to improve athletic performance. Growth hormone did develop more lean body mass, but this did not translate to either more strength or exercise capacity. Those same people had swelling of their tissues due to lactate acid and more fatigue compared to people not taking the drug.
		Post-Race Review/ Results
		Ngomane wins marathon for 4th time (Sowetan) Former Comrades marathon winner Sipho Ngomane won the 2008 Sappi Elands Valley Marathon in 2:21:31. Although he was using the race to add to his mileage, this was Ngomane's fourth successive win. Sara Mahlangu was the winner of the women's race in 3:05;13.
	News From: Monday, March 17, 2008
		Non-Marathon/ Other Running
		In largely solo run, Geb takes Lisbon Half Marathon (IAAF) Haile Gebrselassie dominated the men's field winning the 2008 Lisbon Half Marathon in 59:15. Charles Kamathi and defending champion Robert Cheruiyot came in second and third respectively. In the women's race Salina Kosgei, winner of the 2005 and 2006 events, nabbed victory in 1:09:59 finishing two seconds before Pamela Chepchumba.
		Mara Yamauchi wins Matsue Ladies Half Marathon (IAAF) British born, Japanese based Mara Yamauchi, who won the Osaka Ladies Marathon with a personal best of 2:25:10 in January, won the 2008 Matsue Ladies Half Marathon in 1:09:59. Rie Takayoshi and Hitomi Niiya finished second and third respectively in 1:10:49 and 1:11:41.
	News From: Sunday, March 16, 2008
		Human Interest Story
		Ethiopia orders Gebrselassie to run (The Province) Ethiopia has ordered world champion marathon runner Haile Gebrselassie to compete in this summer's Olympics in China after the athlete announced that he will not run the 42.195-kilometer race because the air pollution in Beijing is a possible threat to his health. Ethiopian Sports Federation's technical director Dube Jillo stated: "It is the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, representing the nation, that determines whether Haile is fit to compete in the marathon event in Beijing's Olympics or not." Doctors and officials will decide whether Gebrselassie is fit to compete, Dube said.
		Post-Race Review/ Results
		SA athletes dominate in Elands Valley Marathon (SABC News) Former Olympics gold medalist Josia Thugwane and former Comrades Marathon Champion Sipho Ngomane continued their dominance of the 2008 Elands Valley Marathon. Thugwane won the half marathon for the third time while Ngomane also succesfully defended his title in the marathon. The two runners say their victories will boost their confidence in their preparations for the forthcoming Two Ocean Championships and Comrades Marathon respectively.
Olympics 2008 (Men)
	News From: Wednesday, March 19, 2008
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Gebrselassie claim about Beijing Olympics purely personal (China View) The Ethiopian ambassador, Haile-Kiros Gessesse, to China made a statement about the world marathon record holder Haile Gebrselassie's announcement declining to compete in the Beijing Olympic marathon is a personal decision made without consulting the country's Olympic committee. Gessesse said only the Ethiopian Olympic Committee could decide who will play and who will not and the committee has not yet decided the final list of athletes attending the 2008 Olympic games.
	News From: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
		Training/ Health
		IOC will have a back up plan to tackle Beijing smog (European Athletics) Concerned with the smog and pollution in Beijing, the International Olympic Committee has taken measures to monitor the air quality especially for the outdoor endurance events lasting longer than one hour. Such measures will include daily monitoring of air quality and weather conditions at the venue, a reporting process from the Beijing Environment Protection Bureau to the IOC and relevant sports Federation, and a joint IOC-sports Federation decision to postpone the event if necessary.