Archived Homepage For February 18, 2023
Archived Homepage For February 18, 2023
2023 World XC Is Saturday (Fri. night in USA)
2023 World XC Is Saturday (Fri. night in USA)

Have you ever seen an xc course that splits into 3 paths as it goes through a vineyard? LetsRun's Jonathan Gault is in Australia and he gives you the highlights of his first day Down Under.

Six years ago, Cheptegei melted down at World XC on a hot day in Kampala. His team believes he is better prepared for the heat on Saturday.

The men's race should be an all-time classic as it is totally stacked with Joshua Cheptegei, Geoffrey Kamworor, Selemon Barega, Jacob Kiplimo, & more. Letesenbet Gidey leads the women's race while host Australia is favored in the 4x2k relay.

Two US stars and two relative unknowns comprise the US 4 x 2k relay team at World XC.

Babington had already admitted to the abuse and been banned for life by SafeSport, but we didn't know until that he abused his start pupil Jennings, who led courageously led the way to get the man, who coached her to a WR in the indoor 5000 and 3 world xc titles, banned.

MB: Lynn Jennings story about coach's sexual abuse in Boston Globe

Who wins 2023 men's world xc?

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Who wins 2023 women's world xc?

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USATF Indoors
USATF Indoors

The unsponsored Constien won in a facility record of 8:48 (subtract 14 seconds for altitude) thanks to a 30.32 final 200 while Prakel closed an 8:12 race with a 25.75.

*Deanna Price Throws 26.02 WR

Day 1: Anna Hall DESTROYS US record, misses WR by 9 points in the pentathlon She needed a 2:05.10 in the 800 and ran a 2:05.71.

    Pre-USA Indoor News

    As things stand, a man with a 28:30 pb and a woman with a 34:01 pb would be going to the 2023 Worlds thanks to their cross country rankings. And is US Army member Emmanuel Bor being punished for running World XC?

    Embed from Getty Images

    What a masterclass performance on how to negative split and win a race by Girma.

    • Rest of Meet Recap from World Athletics: Marcell Jacobs got upset by Ferdinand Omanyala as Keely Hodgkinson, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Gudaf Tsegay, Miltiadis Tentoglou, Liadagmis Povea and Katie Moon got world leaders.

    "I looked at the schedule and said, where do the best guys go?" Fisher said of his plan to open his 2023 in the best 3000m race in the world.

    Girma World Record!
    Grant Fisher after 7:35 in Lievin
    Jakob after 3:32.38 opener
    Keely after WL in France
    Other US Pro News
    This Is Why Our Sport Isn't Popular

    High School Sprinter Gets DQ'd For Celebrating Too Much Brody Buffington is one of the top sprinters in the country, but won't defend his state 300m title after being DQ'd from the regional meet.

    Random Running News
    Doping / Peter Bol Updates
    Recent International Results
    NCAA Rankings / Results
    Super Shoe Talk

    The study found runners running at 8:03 mile pace improved their running economy by 1.6% and only .9% at 9:40 mile pace. This compared to the 2.7-4% found in previous studies for runners between 5:22 and 6:54 pace. One researcher speculated at slower speeds you "no longer fully compress [the shoe's foam] and you're not really using the full potential energy of it."

    Bol Exonerated ...Sort Of

    His "A" sample had tested positive for EPO, but his "B" sample returned an "atypical finding" which is not the same thing as positive or negative. Sport Integrity Australia said they will continue their investigation into Bol, but couldn't give a time frame for when it'd be complete.

    Another Day, Another AR for Nuguse

    Nuguse's 3:33.22 en route split was faster than Bernard Lagat's 3:33.34 from 2005.

    Nuguse smashed Bernard Lagat's American record by 2+ seconds and is now #2 all-time indoors, behind only Yomif Kejelcha. Nuguse is so good Jonathan Gault says Olympic gold is his ceiling.

    Josh Kerr had a big run and Chase Ealey a big throw, but when this was all over we were wondering, "Is the OAC the top group in America?"

    The NC State star got her second NCAA record in two weeks at the Armory by running a smart race and coming from behind. "I knew I couldn't be with that top group... I just follow what the Boss Lady says, and usually it works out,” said Tuohy.

    More US Indoor Action
    2023 Dubai

    Tamirat Tola's younger took the lead just after 40k to win the men's race. Meanwhile, his wife Dera Dida, the 2019 World XC silver medallist, took the lead just before 40k en route to the women's victory.
    *MB: Official 2023 Dubai Marathon discussion thread

    Millrose Race Replays
    Millrose Race Replays
    MMile Race Video
    WMile
    W3k
    M60
    W60
    3:47 American Record!
    8:25 AR
    Tuohy Collegiate Record
    Josh Kerr 7:33 PB
    Laur Muir 4:20.15 Mile
    Friday's Action

    At the Valentine Invy in Boston, LSU's Michaela Rose won the 800m in 2:00.18 (#3 NCAA all-time). These three women now only trail Athing Mu's 1:58.40 NCAA record.
    *MB: Roisin MF Willis 1:59.95

    Getting the FBI Involved Pays Off

    The AIU believes Divine Oduduru is 'Athlete-2' as mentioned in the FBI's charging documents of Eric Lira. An individual assisting the investigation found what appeared to be HGH, insulin growth factor, and EPO in their residence. Will there be any fallout for coach Rana Reider and all the stars he coached like Andre De Grasse, Trayvon Bromell, Omar McLeod, and Adam Gemili?
    *MB: Divine Oduduru (9.86/19.73) suspended in connection with the Blessing Okagbare case, AIU looking for 6 year ban

    Speaking of Doping: Wayland student newspaper analyzes - Should Alberto Salazar still be in his HS HOF? We say, "100% yes." It can teach kids we are all flawed and he was put in for his running exploits, not coaching/being a great human.

    Distance News
    Torun - 2023 ORLEN Copernicus Cup
    XC News

    For the first time in the award's 16-year existence, it went to someone who did not win one of the major national cross country meets. Simmons,m who was 2nd at NXN behind Aaron Sahlman, also is just the third junior to win the award.

    Previous XC / Road News

    Emily Durgin  had to withdraw from the team due to a stress reaction and Leonard Korir declined his spot as he's doing the Paris Marathon. A passport issue cost Michigan's Luke Venhuizen his spot on the team and Kole Mathison is going instead.
    *MB: Emma Coburn to WORLD CROSS!
    *MB: Two super stud females (Coburn and McLean) going to World xc for mixed relay, why couldn't we get two studly men to go? 

    Maternity Leave And A Pregnancy Comeback

    Meet the Best of LetsRun

    We recap the winners of our NCAA XC contest. We had trouble tracking down one of them but they've got cool stories and win Coros Pace 2 watches.

    Video Highlight

    Wetmore & Burroughs Get Some Love

    44 ex-Colorado runners have publicly come to the defense of Colorado track and field and cross country coaches Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs, voicing their support and sharing their positive experiences at the University of Colorado. Many of the biggest CU stars are on the list, which includes 12 of the 14 NCAA champions coached by Wetmore.

    MB: 44 Colorado alums including 12 NCAA champs come out publicly in support of Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs

    Woody Speaks

    Woody Kincaid is charting his own path in the running world for the first time as a professional. He opens up why he left Bowerman, his desire for American records, and a lot more including Shelby Houlihan.

    Nuguse Dreaming of Olympic Gold

    Yared Nuguse surprised the world by getting one American record last weekend. By the time, the winter is over, he may have 3. Nuguse joined the LRC podcast to talk about his dreams, goals, training with the OAC, and his unorthodox start in the sport.

    The Latest LRC Exclusive

    On Athletics Club head coach Dathan Ritzenhein talked to LetsRun.com about a great weekend for his club and how they are exceeding his wildest expectations.

    The LRC Rankings

    Some picks were easy (Eliud Kipchoge in the marathon), others were impossible. Here's where we ranked the world's best distance runners in 2022.

    Some choices for World #1 were easy (Athing Mu in the 800, Faith Kipyegon in the 1500), others much tougher. Find out where we ranked all your favorites in 2022.

    We Look Back At 2022s Highs Month By Month

    2022 was a year that saw Grant Fisher break out, Sydney McLaughlin explode, and Eliud Kipchoge break the WR (again). Here's what else stood out according to Jonathan Gault.

    The Year's Not Over: Japensese New Year's Corporate Ekiden Will Be Broadcast at 7pm ET New Year's Eve - Watch It Live/Race Preview

    Merry XMAS - Paywall lifted

    In a decade, Valencia has gone from afterthought to host of some of the world's fastest races. How did the third-largest city in Spain emerge as a global capital of running? Jonathan Gault journeyed to Spain's Mediterranean coast to find out how.

    Rojo and Mara Yamauchi Editorial

    For nearly 40 years, the NYC Marathon has been known for being a trailblazer that paid its male and female athletes the same prize money. Sadly, that changed on Sunday. Guess what sex dominated the new non-binary gender division at Sunday's 2022 New York City Marathon? Olympian Mara Yamauchi joins Robert Johnson in this guest column.

    Trials Awarded

    What will the course be like? What type of weather can we expect? We break it down for you.

    Kipchoge loving the LetsRun Shirt in Berlin

    Your latest American stars share their insights.

    Three legends of the sport.

    One of the greatest US runners ever.

    We chatted with Frank on the 50th anniversary of his Olympic Marathon gold

    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
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    Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level
    Take Your Love of LetsRun to the Next Level