News

Usain Bolt to retire after Rio 2016

Olympic and World Champion sprinter Usain Bolt announced his plans to retire after the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics. Wednesday's report from the Associated Press is nothing new after Bolt originally made the announcement in 2011 to a German newspaper and reiterated it at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.

Sep 4, 2013

2:20

Tegenkamp Defends, Peyton Surprises at USA 20k Champs

TEGENKAMP DEFENDS, PEYTON SURPRISES AT USA 20-K CHAMPS By David Monti, @d9monti(c) 2013 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.NEW HAVEN, CONN. (02-Sep) -- With a patient approach, Matt Tegenkamp shook off the effects the soaking humidity and misting rain here today, and retained his USA 20-K title at the 36th Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race.  While his victory --his sixth national title-- was expected, Meghan Peyton was the surprise winner on the women's side, earning her first national crown.For Tegenkamp, 31, who will make his marathon debut in Chicago next month, today's race was an important test of his overall fitness, and the two-time Olympian gave himself more than a passing grade.  He said he was particularly pleased with the outcome because he had to fight off a cramp which struck him in the first five kilometers."That was an 'A' effort," Tegenkamp told Race Results Weekly.  "That was off of a tough week of training.  Fridayculminated five weeks of really intense volume, and starting the intensity which, actually, would make you more tired."  He continued: "Saturday and Sunday was my, quote, taper for this, and try to have just a little more bounce in the legs."Tegenkamp, who lives and trains in Portland, Ore., stayed nestled within the lead pack of 11 through 5-K (14:51), and let early leaders Ben Bruce, Augustus Maiyo, Joseph Chirlee and Shadrack Biwott do most of the work.  He focused mostly on four-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman and just tried to stay on the pace which he thought was overly ambitious given the 90% humidity."Nobody took into account any humidity," Tegenkamp said just after he finished.  "I mean, it's a race.  You've got to go and you don't know what everybody's going to do.  It was so humid."In the 7th kilometer, as the lead pack passed the famous Yale Bowl, Abdirahman suddenly grimaced, did a few hops, and reached down to grab the back of his right leg.  He said later that something just popped."Something just popped in my hamstring," said Abdirahman.Just past 8-K, reached in about 23:50, Biwott swerved left to pick up a cup of water, dumped it over his head, then surged ahead of the field.  Shooting a few glances back to the field, he saw that only Tegenkamp, Abdirahman and Chirlee had responded.  By 10-K (29:35) the race was down to just four."These guys probably noticed that that I was hurting, and this guy takes to the front," Abdirahman said pointing at Biwott who couldn't help but smile.Every time the race went downhill, Abdirahman would fall back because of his hamstring, then catch up on the flat section which followed.  He was clearly struggling to maintain contact with the other three men."I almost dropped out," he said.As the race approached 15-K, Chirlee was unable to hold the pace, and fell back.  He would finish fifth, passed eventually by Josphat Boit.  Tegenkamp stayed focused and tried to envision himself during the long grind of a marathon.  He was careful to pick up his drinks and run the tangents of the course."I've talked to a lot of veteran marathoners, and they said that the most important thing about the marathon is you've got to be able to manage the down parts, the bad parts of the race," he explained.  "And that's what I was trying to do, conserve some energy.  It's a long race and start it when there's four miles (6.4 km) to go."Just past 10 miles (16 km) in 48:25, Tegenkamp made his first significant move.  He quickly put two steps on both Abdirahman and Biwott, but Abdirahman was soon able to catch up.  Tegenkamp waited, then pushed again with about a kilometer to go.  Abdirahman couldn't respond this time, and Tegenkamp glided to the finish adjacent to New Haven Green in 1:00:10, well off 58:30 championships record from last year.  He earned $9000 in prize money."I feel really good," Tegenkamp said, adding that he was "really looking forward to the process" of completing his marathon training.Behind him, Biwott was able to catch up to Abdirahman, and pass him for second inside of the final 10 meters.  He timed 1:00:20, one second up on Abdirahman."He's a tough guy, man," Biwott said of Abdirahman.  "This guy's an animal, period.  You can't underestimate him.  He can limp with one leg, but he'll make you work for it."Peyton, 27, of Minneapolis, not only won the race, but did so by a surprisingly big margin of 28 seconds.  Only Mattie Suver of Colorado Springs could stay close to her in the latter stages of the race after she left the main pack about halfway through the race.  She seemed slightly stunned speaking with Race Results Weekly after breaking the tape."I'm really excited," said Peyton, who was timed in 1:09:57.  "When I got the lead at 6 miles (just before 10-K), I just kept repeating to myself, 'you can win it, you have to believe, win it, you can believe in yourself.'"Peyton, who finished 16th in this race last year, said she had come to New Haven to contend for a high finish, despite not significantly cutting her training volume in advance of the USA Marathon Championships at the Twin Cities Marathon in one month's time."I knew I was in good shape, but I was aiming for top-5," said the Saucony-sponsored athlete who runs for Team USA Minnesota.  "Until I got into the race, then I was, like, 'I can win this, I can do it.'"  She added: "It's amazing.  It's something you dream of all the time."Suver, who is running the ING New York City Marathon in two months time, was also satisfied with her effort."I couldn't quite get her," said Suver.  She continued: "I definitely didn't do much of a taper for this.  The New York City Marathon is the goal, and I have a workout tonight after this race, actually.  Today's a double."The third podium spot went to former University of Wisconsin runner Caitlin Comfort, the reigning Big 10 10,000m champion, in 1:10:43.

Sep 2, 2013

Competitor Group Is Not The Bad Guy

Stop blaming Competitor Group. They did not create the problem. No, I am not happy with the fact that Competitor Group cannot support elites athletes at the their events, but anyone who is paying attention our sport or has any business sense knows why this move was made. The reason makes me worry about track and field in the US.

Sep 2, 2013

Andrews Joins NJ*NY Track Club

Andrews Joins NJ*NY Track Club

Aug 23, 2013

Donn Cabral joins New Jersey-New York Track Club

He’s coming back to the east coast. Donn Cabral has announced that he’ll be joining the New Jersey-New York Track Club.

Aug 21, 2013

Oscar Pistorius indicted, trial set for March 3

While many of the world’s top track and field athletes showcased their talents on the largest non-Olympic stage over the last week, competing for medals and the accompanying leverage in sponsorship negotiations, Oscar Pistorius, will take center stage in a different forum tomorrow, the South African court system.  For Pistorius, the stakes will be much higher than medals or negotiating leverage; the next twenty-five years of his life, minimum.  

Aug 19, 2013

Blankenship, Mackey Take Falmouth Mile Titles

BLANKENSHIP, MACKEY TAKE FALMOUTH MILE TITLES

Aug 11, 2013

Nuun and Company Rallies Around Diane Goethals' Fight with Breast Cancer

Hydrate with a Purpose

Aug 9, 2013

Megan Goethals' Family Needs Your Support

Many of you know Megan Goethals. She won potentially the most epic Footlocker race in history getting the victory by less than a stride after being 15 meters back with 800 meters left. Now she enters her senior year at the University of Washington, where she has had a great career thus far.

Aug 6, 2013

RRW: Kogo, Chepkirui Win TD Beach to Beacon 10-K Titles

KOGO, CHEPKIRUI WIN TD BEACH TO BEACON 10-K TITLES

Aug 3, 2013

Sam Chelanga Joins Ben True's Training Group

Shortly after the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Saucony's Ben True announced on Twitter that "the lone wolf" would not longer be training alone in New Hampshire. After his 5,000-meter race in Heusden, he provided a few more details as he told Flotrack he would not be moving and staying put with coach Mark Coogan. 

Aug 2, 2013

RRW: Masters, Krause & Pappas Adjusting Pro Runner's Life

MASTERS, KRAUSE, & PAPPAS ADJUSTING TO PRO RUNNER'S LIFE

Aug 2, 2013

Tia Jones Named USATF Athlete of the Week

    July 31, 2013        

Jul 31, 2013

Two-Time NCAA 400m Champion Ashley Spencer is a Texas Longhorn

Ashley Spencer, two-time NCAA Outdoor 400m champion (2012 and '13), has made public that she will attend the University of Texas this upcoming school year and compete as a Texas Longhorn. Spencer formerly competed for the University of Illinois.

Jul 30, 2013

Silver Medalist Nijel Amos Withdraws From Moscow 800

2012 Olympic 800-meter silver medalist Nijel Amos has withdrawn from competition at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow due to a nagging quad injury from earlier in the season. On July 19, Amos won a gold medal at the World University Games' 800-meter run. His winning time of 1:46.53 is far from his personal best of 1:41.73, which is tied for the third in all-time history with Lord Sebastian Coe. 

Jul 29, 2013