Runnerville

John Hancock Financial announced the elite field of 44 athletes from ten countries for the 114th running of the Boston Marathon on April 19. A complete field list follows.

Headlining the field, and recently announced, are defending champions Deriba Merga and Salina Kosgei, and past champions Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Catherine Ndereba, Dire Tune and Lidiya Grigoryeva.

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I ran into Meb Keflezighi’s agent/brother Hawi at the Running USA conference earlier this month in San Diego.  Question was which race Meb might use to tune up for  the Boston Marathon on Patriot’s Day April 19th.  Now we know.  He’s heading back to the scene of his greatest triumph, New York, New York to take on the Great One, Haile Gebrselassie, in the New York 1/2 Marathon on March 21st.

 Interesting  choice, and according to Hawi, not a foregone one.  The other viable options included the Gate River 15K in Jacksonville, Florida on March 13th, which doubles as the annual USATF National Road 15K Championship, and the new Rock `n` Roll Dallas 1/2 Marathon the following day in Texas.

Forgetting for a moment the monetary inducements any of the three might generate for Meb, these spring (like the fall) marathon tune up races are more about getting one’s head and body right for the big race down the line, rather than maxing out on that particular day.  So, what may have lured Meb to New York wasn’t just his comfort levels and reception in New York by the N.Y. Road Runners, but the lack of pressure to win the race, what with Haile in the field and all. 

If Meb had gone back to Jacksonville, where he won six times in seven years from 2001 to 2007, the pressure to win would have been great.  Then what if he didn’t? And with the level of competition churning around America these days, though a victory would seem more likely than not, certainly there would be decent money betting the other way. 

As for Rock `n` Roll in Dallas, well, the Competitor Group’s recent modus operandi has been to invite one big name for their event marquee, then let him/her carry the PR weight alone.  Good money in that, but perhaps not the type of atmosphere or competition to best tune up for a marathon major.  

So it is off to New York where Meb can run free and easy, not be expected to win, yet perhaps take a solid shot at a new PR, and who knows, all things fall perfectly…

Most of the time races need racers.  Other times racers need races.  This is one of those times when New York is the perfect stepping stone to Boston for Meb.  Now, where is Ryan Hall prepping for Patriot’s Day?

Carey Pinkowski’s run in Chicago is enough to make even the Daley family jealous.  He began the celebration of his 20th year directing the Bank of America Chicago Marathon by announcing American star Deena Kastor as his first signing for the 2009 race. 

“We are lucky to have her, ” he told me,”just hope her foot holds up in training.”

It has been a remarkable 20 years for the event and the sport, not the least because of Pinkowski’s efforts.  When he took over Chicago in 1990 it was a sunken ship, having lost its sponsors, its pro runners, and much of the goodwill of the Chicago running community.  But by adhering to the path all runners must take to reach their full potential, starting slowly then proceeding to build up year by year, Carey has raised the great ship, and steered it back to the front ranks of the grand flotilla of world marathons. Read more…

Realizing this is now a weekend old (and that Runnerville has been down for months), but did anyone else watch the live cut-in of Usain Bolt’s 100m from Toronto on ESPN Sportcenter last Thursday night? 

If USATF ex. dir. Doug Logan wanted to witness the floor in the recession of this sport, all he had to do was pay attention to that presentation.  With the NBA Finals game four coming up next, the two Sportcenter anchors couldn’t have found a more entertaining or comical interlude if they’d switched on The Comedy Channel.

“Note to self,” mocked one after the first of two false starts.  “Never schedule a live cut-in with a false start.”

His partner was already in hysterics.

“It was the smilling guy in lane eight,” he said referring to the inimitable Bernard Williams, the Nathan Lane of sprinting.  Of course the smug ESPN boys had no idea who any of the sprinters in the race were except Bolt.  Not that that didn’t keep them from ridiculing the entire offering.  Read more…