Marathon/Running News: 1/6/08 - 1/13/08

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News From: Sunday, January 13, 2008
	Houston Marathon
		Post-Race Review/ Results
		Records Abound at the 36th Running of the Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon (RunningUSA Wire) The Chevron Houston Marathon held its 36th running with over 14,000 participants in its race weekend. In the women's race defending champion Dire Tune smashed her previous course record in a 2:24:40. Daivd Cheruiyot took his thrid win in four years with a 2:12:32. Held conjunctly with race festivities is the USA Half Marathon Championships at which James Carney debuting in the half marathon won in a 1:02:21, twelve seconds ahead of Team USA Minnesota's Jason Lehmkuhle. Kate O'Neill broke the tape in 1:11:58.
		Cheruiyot wins Houston Marathon in sprint finish (Chron) Kenya's David Cheruiyot does a hat-trick and wins the 2008 Houston Marathon in 2:12:31. Returning women's champion Ethiopia's Dire Tune set a record finish in an 2:24:39.
	Odds And Ends
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Numbers adding up for Paula Radcliffe (Telegraph UK) World Record Holder Paula Radcliffe who is currently at a UK Athletics warm-weather training camp in Potchefstroom near Johannesburg is looking forward to the Olympics. She is aware that both training and luck will be needed on race day. She waxes on the significance of the number seventeen.
		Human Interest Story
		Why Lough is Paula's rock... (Belfast Telegraph) Paula Radcliffe couldn't be a superstar runner without her husband, Gary Lough. Lough, a former 1,500-meter runner, does the cooking and is taking care of their baby girl Isla, who celebrates her first birthday soon.
		Blind Marathon Man Heads for Sydney (The Age) Dave Heeley also known as "Blind Dave" is nearly halfway through his goal of being the first disabled person to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. The 50 year old is heading to Sydney for race four of his "Seven Magnificent Marathons".
	Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
		Post-Race Review/ Results
		Mike Aish of New Zealand posts first marathon victory, Ethiopian sets women's course record at Rock N Roll Arizona Marathon (USA Today) Mike Aish of New Zealand broke the African stranglehold on the Roc;13k 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon winning in a 2:13:20. Aish has run only one previous marathon before - Fukuoka Marathon. In the women's race for the fifth consecutive year, Ethiopian Adanech Zekiros won in a course record of 2:31:14.
News From: Saturday, January 12, 2008
	Mumbai Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Three marathoners eye Olympics berth at Mumbai run (Express India) As race day for the Mumbai Marathon approaches, Satya Prakash, Ram Singh Yadav and Benning Lynkoi will be focused on the 2:18.20 time qualifier for Olympics. The Hong Kong Marathon will be the final qualification chance if things do not work out in Mumbai. There has been no Indian marathon runner has been to the Olympics since 1980.
	Odds And Ends
		Non-Marathon/ Other Running
		Alicia Shay-In pursuit of an Olympic dream (Arizona Republic) After the death of Ryan Shay at the 2008 US Olympic Trials in New York, no one has been hit harder than his wife of four months, Alicia Shay. A professional runner herself, Shay will not abandon her own olympic dreams in the 10,000 meter distance. She is back in training beginning her racing season at the Gate River Run (U.S. 15K Championships), March 8.
News From: Friday, January 11, 2008
	Houston Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Steve Gokey, a blind runner, is among 17,000 in field of Houston Marathon (USA Today) Steve Gokey is the only blind runners among the 17,000 runners participating in the Houston Marathon race weekend. Gokey has run about two dozen marathons including the Boston Marathon and California International Marathon. A team of four guides lead him around the course, each taking a segment of the race. He's linked to his guide by two 5-foot-long PVC pipes
	Odds And Ends
		Human Interest Story
		Kenya's Violence Strikes at Its Runners (Guardian Umlimited) With the violence in Kenya following the Presidential Election, world marathon champion Luke Kibet did not expect to be literally running for his life. Along with political and economic upheavel, sports officials have canceled two scheduled Kenya Federation cross-country races and some runners have been unable to go to competitions abroad.
		Blind Man to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents in a Week (Daily Mail) Dave Heeley will kickoff his Seven Magnificent Marathons Challenge on April 7 to increase awareness of visual impairment and raise funds for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. His race schedule of seven marathons in seven days will consist of marathons in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands (Antarctica), followed by Santiago, Chile (South America), Los Angeles, USA (North America), Sydney, Australia (Australasia), Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Asia) and Nairobi, Kenya (Africa) and a conclusion in Europe at the Flora London Marathon.
		Non-Marathon/ Other Running
		Jones is sentenced to six months (CNN) Following her guilty plea to the use of performance enhancing drugs and being stripped of her gold medals, ex-sprinter Marion Jones was sentenced to six months in prison, two years of probation and community service in a federal court as punishment for drug use and fraud charges. Jones begged Judge Kenneth Karas not to seperate her from her children. Last week, the judge sentenced Jones' former coach, Olympic champion Steve Riddick, to 5 years and 3 months in prison for his role in the same check-fraud scam.
		Human Interest Story
		Tergat Voices Concern On Kenya's Post-Election Violence (All Africa) In reaction to the violence in his homeland, former World Marathon record holder Paul Tergat appealed to the warring parties to find a solution to the problem so that normalcy can return to the country and people can continue with their daily chores without fear of being attacked. Tergat also stated that Olympian Lucas Sang who was slain in the violence had been one of his my role models.
	Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
		Non-Marathon/ Other Running
		Sunday marathon may be rerouted (The Arizona Republic) A water-main break make cause race officials to reroute the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon. The break is near a gas line, and officials are concerned that it could be damaged by the water problem. The route of the full marathon runs right across the intersection of University and McClintock.
	Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Kenyan Fortunate To Make It to U.S. for Rock 'N' Roll Marathon (USA Today) Lawrence Kiplimo Sania risked his life to escape Kenya to compete in the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon. A friend gave him a ticket based on inflated fare prices and he managed to get a false identification card. "If you are not a member of the Kikuyu tribe, they kill you. This is the tribe of the president."
News From: Thursday, January 10, 2008
	Boston Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Katie Holmes not gearing up for Boston Marathon (Thaindian News) Despite earlier rumors, Katie Holmes is not running the Boston Marathon. A source had revealed that the star was so embarrassed about her time that she had made up her mind to run another marathon.
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Rumors R Us: Katie Holmes Running the Boston Marathon? (Bostonist) US Magazine has announced that Katie Holmes has been special exemption to the Boston Marathon to be held on April 21. If the rumor holds up, she will join presidential candidate Mike Huckabee as another celebrity runner given exemption to enter a race that once had strict qualifying standards.
		Human Interest Story
		Run, Kate, run (Boston Herald) Celebrity Katie Holmes is rumoured to be running the Boston Marathon following her New York City marathon debut in the fall of 2007. Holmes finished 34,193rd among 39,085 entrants with her time of 5 hours and 30 minutes. BAA spokesman Marc Chalufour told the Track he isnt aware of the celebrity entrant.
	Disney World Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		School adminstrator to run in Disney World marathon for benefit of children with leukemia and lymphoma (Sun Journal) Stephanie Cyrus, assistant principal at Quinn Elementary, has raised $3,800 since she started training for the Disney World Marathon. The money will benefit children with Lymphoma and leukemia in North Carolina. Students of Quinn elementary saved pennies and dollars in the amount of $275 to help Quinn with her fund raising.
	Green Bay Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Kickoff marks start of Cellcom Marathon preparations (Green Bay Press Gazette) Preparation and training begins now for the Green Bay Marathon scheduled for May as many attended a kickoff for the Green Bay Marathon to jump-start that process by registering early, finding training partners and gleaning tips for a faster or further run. The only changes to the marathon course are eliminating De Pere Bridge and the addition of running through the campus of St. Norbert College in De Pere.
	Miami Marathon
		Non-Marathon/ Other Running
		ING Miami Marathon moving to the big time (Sun Sentinel) In this age of mergers and acquisitions, PR Racing, creators and producers of the Miami Marathon, has been acquired by Dallas-based U.S. Road Sports and Entertainment Group. The main objectives of the new partnership are to increase numbers for South Florida's largest individual road race and attract a worldwide reputation.
		Training/ Health
		Running: Marathon culture growing everywhere (Sun Sentinel) January 2008 sets off South Florida's 2008 marathon mania that includes the ING Miami Marathon, Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon and the Walt Disney World Marathon. Runners are losing weight and changing their lives.
	Odds And Ends
		Human Interest Story
		Globetrotting marathon runner to discuss experiences at ISUS (Dayton Daily News) Fifty-two year old Tony Reed from Texas is one of only 225 people in the world to run a marathon on every continent, and the only black athlete to do so. He will be speaking at ISUS High School and promoting his new book - "Running Shoes Are Cheaper Than Insulin: Marathon Adventures On All Seven Continents."
		Uncertainty Surrounds China's Olympic Marathoners (China Daily) China will it's best chance to bring home marathon gold in the Beijing Olympics. But the team is anything but decided. A decision that was supposed to be made after the results of the Xiamen International were posted. Wang Dawei, vice-director of Chinese Track and Field Administrative Center, stated that he would hold the selected runners names to keep all runners motivated for the Olympic Games. The list or runners includes women's champions from London and Xiamen with world best times of 2:20.38 and 2:22:38
		Non-Marathon/ Other Running
		CEO Masback to Leave USATF (Race Results Weekly) After ten years Craig Masbeck will leave his post at the USATF for Nike's Global Sports Marketing Division. Masbeck is attributed to cleaning up the organization's financial woes and increasing its budget from $6.7 million to more than $17 million for 2008.
	Olympics 2008 (Women)
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Uncertainty Surrounds Olympic Marathoners (China Daily) The Beijing Olympic Games will be China's best chance to win their first marathon gold medal in history, but the Chinese authorities are keeping the name under wraps in order to keep athletes motivated about the Games. Top contenders are Zhou Chunxiu (second at World Championships), Zhu Xiaolin (fourth at World Championships), Zhang Yingying (winner of the Xiamen Marathon). Yet officials are still uncertain whether Zhou will be selected for the team despite her performance.
		London Winner Zhou Could Miss out on Beijing Marathon (Guardian Unlimited) Female marathoner Zhou Chunxiu is not guaranteed a place in the Chinese team for this year's Beijing Olympics having not achieved a finish time of 2:20 in 2008. Zhou who was the 2007 London Marathon winner and the silver medallist at the 2007 World Championships had the fastest female performance in 2007.
	Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Political strife causes Kenyans to withdraw from Rock 'n' Roll Marathon (USA Today) Thirteen Kenyans have withdrawn from the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon and Half Marathon due to the political strife in their home country. Wesly Ngetich, who won the 2007 Grandma's Marathon, and Julius Kibet, who won the Philadelphia half marathon in September, are among the runners who will not compete.
	Surf City Marathon (prev. Pacific Shoreline Marathon)
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Surf City USA(R) Marathon, Largest Ocean-Front Running Event in California, Nears... (Reuters) The Surf City USA Marathon announced that it has filled all of the slots for the marathon to be held on Feb 3, 2008. Timex has offered a time bonus for elite females which has raised the overall numbers of women runners. Timex joins Crocs, Michelob Ultra, Time Warner, KDOC, Amino Vital, A Snail's Pace Running Shop and Hilton Hotels as sponsors for the event.
	Tiberias International Marathon
		Post-Race Review/ Results
		Kenyan Mucheru wins Tiberias Marathon in record time (Reuters Africa) Defending champion Leonard Mucheru of Kenya won the Tiberias Marathon in northern Israel in a 2:10:30 beating the previous course record by two minutes. He competed last year as a Bahraini national with the adopted name Mushir Salem Jawher and was stripped of his adopted nationality days by the government of Bahrain after discovering he had competed in Israel. Mucheru regained Kenyan nationality in October.