Archived Homepage For March 25, 2023

Zane Robertson Update

LRC A Suicidal Zane Robertson Opens Up About His Doping Positive: "Coming Home From My Brother's Place Today, I Just Wanted to Go and Shoot Myself in the Head"

"I think if there's a word for it yes desperation, desperation definitely comes to mind."

MB: Zane Robertson comes clean - why he choose to cheat!
Jake Robertson speaks out about twin Zane’s doping scandal "I feel the need to vent here, as the actions of my brother have unfortunately caused myself and my immediate family a great amount of anguish and financial loss. All of which is even more frustrating, and infuriating, due to the fact that I am not at fault and I have not been involved in any shape or form those actions of my twin brother."
How Drug Free Sport NZ ensnared Kiwi distance runner Zane Robertson It wasn't a random in-competition test. They asked for him to be tested in Manchester.

LRC Supporters Club Podcast: Zane Robertson Speaks, Paul Chelimo Signs with Kiprun: Is His Future in the Marathon?, New World Athletics DSD, Transgender Rules

We break down Zane Robertson's podcast appearances, Paul Chelimo contemplating the marathon, and World Athletics being sensible about DSD and transgender rules, while having a lot of sympathy for Francine Niyonsaba.

LRC World Athletics Bans Transgender Women, Extends DSD Restrictions to All Events

Any male-to-female transgender athlete who went through male puberty won’t be able to compete in top track competitions. The DSD restrictions have major implications for athletes such as Francine Niyonsaba.

DL Scheduled finalized
There actually will be a Chinese Diamond League meet in 2023 - Shenzhen is set for September 3rd The Shanghai DL has been canceled as stadium renovations haven't been completed. So now there is a DL meet in Switzerland on August 31, China on September 3rd and then Belgium on September 8.

LeBron James film studio has started making Carl Lewis documentary

On The Boards

LRC Paul Chelimo Signs with Kiprun, Considering Running 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials

Chelimo, 32, has left Nike and will be with the French brand through at least 2028.

It's a slow week in terms of races - Injury articles

The Science Behind Calf Injuries: Why they Increase with Age in Runners and Athletes Older runners, especially men, should be aware that their calves are more vulnerable to injury as they age. To prevent calf strains, it is important to focus on eccentric and isometric strengthening exercises rather than traditional calf raises
Understanding Calf Muscle Injuries: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention
The Risk of Calf Injuries in Aging Male Runners: Understanding the Causes and Challenges
Preventing and Managing Stress Fractures in Athletes: Risks, Symptoms, and Treatment
Being a model patient when dealing with injury

Podcast

LRC Zane Robertson EPO Cheat, Kiplimo Better than Kipchoge? (Guest) Iliass Aouani - Italian Record Holder in Marathon

Iliass Aouani, the new Italian record holder in the marathon, joins us to talk about his rise to the top of Italian marathoning from his days at Syracuse.

Administrative News Leads The Way

Three American Record Holders Added to adidas Atlanta City Games Lineup Aleia Hobbs, Anna Hall and Ajeé Wilson will all be competing on May 6th on an elevated, custom-built, 150m track straightaway that traverses Centennial Olympic Park, the crown jewel of the 1996 Olympic Games.
Torun, Poland named as host of 2026 World Indoor Championships It's the 2nd time Poland will host. We greatly enjoyed our trip to Sopot in 2014.
MB: Tickets on sale for the Wanda Diamond League Final in Eugene It appears all of the tickets for now are sold out but most of the stadium hasn't gone on sell yet. The best seats were only available if you bought both days and those are sold out.
Ferdinand Omanyala vows to shatter his own African record of 9.77 at the Kip Keino Classic in May.
Tallest player in NHL history (6'9) to run 2023 Boston Marathon Zdeno Chara, who spent 20+ years in the NHL, will be running for the Thomas E. Smith Foundation and The Hoyt Foundation.
NCAA DI Program Of The Year Standings Update The OSU men and NC State women lead after NCAA XC and Indoor Champs.

Week That Was

LRC WTW: Could Jacob Kiplimo one-day surpass Eliud Kipchoge? Are Galen Rupp and Molly Huddle done?

Plus, did you know that a guy who couldn't crack the top 100 at NCAA XC just ran 2:07 in the marathon and Yomif Kejelcha just missed a world record.

MB: What if the NAU dynasty never got started? Should we re-name Syracuse as Marathon U?

We didn't see this one coming

LRC Zane Robertson, Kiwi Marathon and Half Marathon Record Holder, Popped for EPO

The Kiwi star, who had expressed his frustration with the amount of doping in the sport in 2016, was banned for 8 years after testing positive for EPO and "providing false documentation in his defence" as Robertson allegedly provided fake documents showing he went to a hospital for a Covid-19 vaccine but got EPO instead.

Road News

Olympic Steeple Bronze Medalist Benjamin Kigen And World XC Champ Beatrice Chebet Lead Fields For BAA 5k On April 15 The men's 5k also includes Emmanuel Bor, Mason Ferlic and BAA Half winner Geoffrey Koech while Chebet faces World XC bronze medalist Agnes Ngetich, world steeple bronze medalist Mekides Abebe and US's Weini Kelati, Natosha Rogers and Marielle Hall. The BAA Mile has Johnny Gregorek, Hobbs Kessler, Ellie Shea and GB steepler Lizzie Bird.
Berlin Marathon Champion Tigist Assefa Withdraws From London Marathon Due To Injury GB runners Charlotte Purdue and Jess Piasecki also withdrew with injury.
This Year's Boston Marathon Featuring Banners Honoring Spencer, The Late Golden Retriever Spencer was the official dog for the Boston Marathon and passed away last month from cancer at age-13.

World Athletics Updates

World Athletics Set To Tighten Transgender Rules In Meeting On Thursday Their "preferred option" does not go far enough as it still allows biological men to compete against biological women.
World Athletics Celebrating 40 Years Of World Champs In 2023 They are choosing 40 of the greatest world champs moments from 1983 to 2022.

Paris 2024 News

Paris 2024 Wants To Keep Athletes In The Olympic Village Cool Without Air Conditioners Their goal is to keep temperatures from going over 79 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Athletes used to air conditioning might not consider that very "cool."
IOC President Thomas Bach To Face Protests At Event In Germany Over Plans To Let Russians Compete At Paris 2024
Paris 2024 To Produce Fewer Olympic Torches For Sustainability Reasons Runners in the torch relay are usually allowed to keep the torch they used and apparently there were more than 10,000 during the Tokyo Games.

Celebrity News

World-Famous DJ Diplo Runs LA Marathon Under 4-Hours With Alexi Pappas They ran 3:55:16.
*MB: A brave LA ‘Thon run today by Alexi Pappas
Ashton Kutcher Runs Los Angeles 5K With His Kids They ran around 42-minutes.

Supporters Club Podcast Highlight

Our regular podcast is coming out on Wednesday this week.

Assorted Distance News

Ugandan Stars Joshua Cheptegei And Jacob Kiplimo Talk About Their "Brotherhood" And Rivalry It's funny that Kiplimo says Cheptegei is "like a dad or an uncle to me" even though he is only 4-years older.
British 5000m Olympian Andy Butchart Talks About The Differences Between Track And Road Racing “I feel like the road is a much more ruthless place than the track, just because of the number of bodies that are there. Athletes who compete on the road are a different breed to track runners. I feel like road runners want a bit more blood. It’s more cut-throat than the track.
MB: Athing Mu on The Pivot Podcast
MB: Great Oak: 7 under 4:20 Saturday Top time was 4:14.

Sprint Stuff

Wayde Van Niekerk: “I want to be back on the podium and get back to winning gold medals and challenging world records." The 400m WR holder has never been back to the same level since his 2017 injury, but ending his 2022 season with a 44.33 win over Kirani James has given him confidence going into 2023.
Profile On Polish 400m Sprinter Anna Kielbasinska Who Says She Wants To Break The 50-Second Barrier Kielbasinska has bounced back from a career-threatening injury to make the Olympic podium (as part of Poland's 4x400) in 2021 and win European bronze and run a 50.28 PB in 2022.
GB's 4-Time European Champ Zharnel Hughes Runs 20.25 For 200m Into A 1.4 m/s Headwind In Jamaica

Admin News

Russia Could Have Longtime Doping Suspension Finally Lifted At World Athletics Council Meeting Russia has been banned since 2015 because of their state-sponsored doping, but even if that ban is lifted, Russian and Belarusian athletes will still remain banned due to the Ukraine war.
Arkansas Bill Could Allow High School Athletes To Get NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) Deals
World Athletics And Infront Extended Their Media Rights Partnership For World Athletics Indoor Tour Until End Of 2029

Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha Just Misses World 5k Record With 12:50 Win In Lille

He missed Berihu Aregawi’s record by just one second. The women's race was super close with Caroline Nyaga just beeating world steeplechase bronze medallist Mekides Abebe, both clocking 14:35. Gemechu Dida (27:12) and Dorcas Kimeli (30:48) won the Lille 10ks and Patrick Mosin (59:31) and two-time world XC champ Emily Chebet (67:52) the half-marathon.

United Airlines NYC HALF

RRW Jacob Kiplimo dispatches Joshua Cheptegei (again), Hellen Obiri sets course record at NYC Half

Kiplimo ran each 5k faster than the previous, running his final 5k in 13:52 thanks to a 4:19 12th mile as he won by 38 seconds in his showdown with 5,000 and 10,000 WR holder Joshua Cheptegei.

Post-Race Interviews

Reed Fischer, the runner of the week, as he placed 8th despite limited training as his wife battles breast cancer.
*More Post-Race Interviews here

The Latest LRC Content

LRC After Another Surgery in Feb., Donavan Brazier Is Hoping He Gets A Chance to Compete in 2023: "All I Really Want Is a Shot"

Brazier isn't currently running as Jonathan Gault has learned Brazier had to get a follow-up surgery in February (his 3rd surgery in 20 months) following surgery to correct a Haglund's deformity in July 2022.

Looking Ahead To Outdoor Season

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Opening Her Season In Botswana On April 29 Ferdinand Omanyala and Kirani James have also been announced for the meet.
Faith Kipyegon Will Start Her Season At The Doha DL Meet On May 5
Namibia’s Tokyo Olympics 200m Silver Medallist Christine Mboma Returning To The Track At The Kip Keino Classic On May 13

Doping Polls are Back

LRC 2023 Track & Field World Record Holders Doping Polls Results

One of the worst things about track and field is you're not sure what you're watching is real. We polled you whether you think the world records are dirty or clean.

SC Podcast

SC Bonus Podcast: Who is more likely to make the 2024 Olympic team - Galen Rupp or Donavan Brazier? Is there a new HSer as good as Tuohy? Who is a better pro prospect Nico or Katelyn?

Plus can Joshua Cheptegei reclaim his king of distance title or is Jacob Kiplimo the new king?

Athlete Bans

Goucher Speaks

Kara Goucher Reveals That She Is The Woman Behind The Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Alberto Salazar

In her new book, Goucher says that she was assaulted by Salazar multiple times during sports massages which was part of what got Salazar a lifetime ban from SafeSport. She also accuses Salazar of making crude comments about her body and weight and watching her while she sat topless in the cryo chamber. *Buy book here

Kara Goucher Video Interview With ABC: "I felt his finger was going where it shouldn't be going." She also said it makes her "a little sad" that Salazar is banned for life because she knows "how much he loves it" but she believes he should not be coaching.
MB: Kara Goucher Alleges Alberto Salazar Sexually Assaulted Her in Her New Book

Meet the Best of LetsRun

LRC Meet the Coros XC Winners of LetsRun- A College XC Runner, a Guy Who Got Engaged at NYC Marathon...

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.

Woody Speaks

LRC Breaking Records and Breaking Free: Woody Kincaid Opens Up about Leaving Bowerman

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.

How do you explain the ridiculous indoor distance times?

LRC Super Spikes? Raised Expectations? A Look At How The NCAA & American Distance Running Record Books Have Been Rewritten in Just 4 Years

Are all the fast times merely a product of supershoes? Or is it something more? We spoke to coaches Dathan Ritzenhein, Jason Vigilante and Dave Smith to figure it out.

MB: What do some of the top coaches in the USA think of the ridiculous times? Is it just the shoes? Or is someting else going on?

Nuguse Dreaming of Olympic Gold

LRC After AR, Yared Nuguse Discusses His Dream of Olympic Gold, Training with OAC, and.... Racing to McDonald's and Dental School?

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

LRC Dathan Ritzenhein After OAC's American Record Weekend - "We're Doing Stuff We Thought We Were Going to Be Doing Four Years from Now"

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.

Paywall lifted

SC Why Woody Kincaid Backed Himself & Stepped Away from Bowerman TC

Kincaid says BTC coach Jerry Schumacher advised him not to leave the team but Kincaid told him, "Hey, I can do this and I think it's what I have to do."

We Look Back At 2022s Highs Month By Month

LRC The Best Track & Field Moments of 2022

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.

MB: Here are Jonathan Gault's Best track and field moments of 2022 - What say you?

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

LRC How Valencia Became the "Ciudad del Running"

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

LRC Gender identity has no place in sport

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.

MB: I've published a column with Olympian Mara Yamauchi as my guest co-author: Gender identity has no place in sport

Kipchoge loving the LetsRun Shirt in Berlin

GET YOUR 1:59:40 Shirts today!

Best of the LetsRun.com Track Talk Podcast

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LRC A Suicidal Zane Robertson Opens Up About His Doping Positive: "Coming Home From My Brother's Place Today, I Just Wanted to Go and Shoot Myself in the Head"

LRC Supporters Club Podcast: Zane Robertson Speaks, Paul Chelimo Signs with Kiprun: Is His Future in the Marathon?, New World Athletics DSD, Transgender Rules

LRC World Athletics Bans Transgender Women, Extends DSD Restrictions to All Events

LRC Paul Chelimo Signs with Kiprun, Considering Running 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials

LRC Zane Robertson EPO Cheat, Kiplimo Better than Kipchoge? (Guest) Iliass Aouani - Italian Record Holder in Marathon

LRC WTW: Could Jacob Kiplimo one-day surpass Eliud Kipchoge? Are Galen Rupp and Molly Huddle done?

LRC Zane Robertson, Kiwi Marathon and Half Marathon Record Holder, Popped for EPO

Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha Just Misses World 5k Record With 12:50 Win In Lille

United Airlines NYC HALF

RRW Jacob Kiplimo dispatches Joshua Cheptegei (again), Hellen Obiri sets course record at NYC Half

LRC After Another Surgery in Feb., Donavan Brazier Is Hoping He Gets A Chance to Compete in 2023: "All I Really Want Is a Shot"

LRC 2023 Track & Field World Record Holders Doping Polls Results

SC Bonus Podcast: Who is more likely to make the 2024 Olympic team - Galen Rupp or Donavan Brazier? Is there a new HSer as good as Tuohy? Who is a better pro prospect Nico or Katelyn?

Kara Goucher Reveals That She Is The Woman Behind The Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Alberto Salazar

Meet the Best of LetsRun

LRC Meet the Coros XC Winners of LetsRun- A College XC Runner, a Guy Who Got Engaged at NYC Marathon...

LRC Breaking Records and Breaking Free: Woody Kincaid Opens Up about Leaving Bowerman

LRC Super Spikes? Raised Expectations? A Look At How The NCAA & American Distance Running Record Books Have Been Rewritten in Just 4 Years

LRC After AR, Yared Nuguse Discusses His Dream of Olympic Gold, Training with OAC, and.... Racing to McDonald's and Dental School?

LRC Dathan Ritzenhein After OAC's American Record Weekend - "We're Doing Stuff We Thought We Were Going to Be Doing Four Years from Now"

SC Why Woody Kincaid Backed Himself & Stepped Away from Bowerman TC

LRC The Best Track & Field Moments of 2022

LRC How Valencia Became the "Ciudad del Running"

LRC Gender identity has no place in sport

GET YOUR 1:59:40 Shirts today!

American Record Pod: Yared Nuguse and Wood Kincaid Open Up

Webb, Ritz, and Hall

Madeline Manning Mims

Frank Shorter

LRC American Marathon Record Podcast: Keira D'Amato and Deena Kastor

LRC Emily Sisson - The Next US Marathon Superstar?

LRC Woody Kincaid - On His American Record and Leaving Bowerman

LRC New Balance Boston's Mark Coogan

LRC Brooks Beasts' Danny Mackey

LRC OAC's Dathan Ritzenhein

The Rise of Syracuse: How a Cross Country Powerhouse Was Built From Scratch in 10 Years

26:59: The Story of Chris Solinsky's American Record and Upset of Galen Rupp

The Summer of Webb: An Inside Look at Alan Webb’s Magical 2007 Season

Dreams Become Reality: Jake Wightman Stuns Jakob Ingebrigtsen to Win World 1500m Title

Wejo Speaks: Why I Sucked in College

Escorting Paula - How LRC Co-Founder Weldon Johnson Paced Radcliffe To Her 1st World Record

American Strong: How American Teamwork Helped Meb Keflezighi Win Boston

LRC's Robert and Weldon Johnson Named as Two of “The 50 Most Influential People in Running”

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