Tadese Feels Good, Ready to Tackle Bekele Again

Story written by Eric.

Don't blame Zersenay Tadese if he prefers the taste of gold over silver or bronze. He's risen up in the athletics world and can afford to be picky over which one he appreciates over another.

Tadese, the returning IAAF World Cross Country gold medalist from Eritrea, earned his stripes under oppressive and life-threatening conditions in Mombassa, Kenya last March.

Tadese, now 26, took the Kenyan heat and humidity by the neck and fired up his own storm on the course, breaking Kenenisa Bekele's stride and spirit along the way to win his first world championship and ending Bekele's stronghold at the top at five-consecutive wins.

The two powerful men who both possess an amazing supply of strength, will-power and determination, will be back at it again on Sunday, facing off together over the long course race in Edinburgh's Holyrood Park in the 36th edition of this early-season fitness test during the Olympic year.

Bekele, who is attempting to win a sixth title and break a tie he holds with two legends - John Ngugi and Paul Tergat, both of Kenya, is focussing on a one-off race this time around after winning 10 gold medals in the past 12 men's events contested over both the long- and short-course events.

Bekele was on target last season to make a serious late-race bid to break away from the field - which was collectively suffering from exhaustion and severe heat loss, but was unable to shake off Tadese, who crept up to Bekele and would not be intimidated by the 24-year-old Ethiopian multiple world record-holder.

Bekele made a hard move to shake his rival, who had never before defeated him on the fields, but paid a heavy price in the race and was forced to abandon his plans to repeat as champion and to continue on with regular training for two months following that endeavour.

Tadese, on the other hand, had an opportunity to shake off the field at his calling and dictate a race pace from up front which punished any pursuers not already within an armshot of him.

The reward? A golden opportunity he would never forget.

Tadese was no slouch on the cross country course prior to winning last year's world championships, nor was he a lightweight on the track.

Having won the 2006 World 20km championships, Tadese also brought 12.59,27 and 26.37,25 personal bests also set in 2006 to keep his focus up with Bekele and to block out the heat - something he had been working on at his training base in Spain.

Both men are looking forward to tomorrow for different reasons.

Bekele, who has raced sparingly this season - recording a world-record in the 2-mile indoors in Birmingham (8.04,35) and a 12km cross country victory on this very Edinburgh course in January, is attempting to regain the crown which eluded him last year and set himself as the overwhelming favourite to win the Olympic 10.000m crown in August in Beijing.

A victory over his rivals would mean that Bekele's forced withdrawal last year was due solely to the elements, and not to being outdone by his rivals.

A loss, on the other hand, would keep Bekele on his competitors' radars and make him even more vulnerable to defeat than he was when he had to dig down deep in Osaka's 10.000m final at last summer's IAAF World Track & Field Championships.

Tadese, whose season has been derailed by two losses in three cross country competitions - including a tick in the ledger against Bekele in Edinburgh, is out to run his own race and compete his best against the entire field, not just Bekele.

"It’s not a matter of fearing anyone," he told the IAAF on Saturday. "I just run my own race."

A race is what the fans lining up the course in rainy conditions will get from two fresh athletes who both know the feeling of victory and the pursuit of near perfection as they tread over water holes, through the mud and push their bodies to their limits for about 34 minutes of time.

Tadese lost a close one to Bekele on 12-January, with the steely Ethiopian stating afterward that it was a very important victory for him. The race was contested over a 9,3km layout on this very site.

Bekele, the world record-holder at 5.000m and 10.000m, looks to be a favourite in a race up to 12km, or the distance contested at the World Championships.

Tadese, on the other hand, has virtually snuck up on the world, having run 58.59 over the half-marathon distance to win last year's IAAF Half Marathon World Championships in October and set a national record in the process. His 10.000m ability may now be faster than the listed 26.37,25 he was able to set in finishing second to Kenyan Micah Kogo in Bruxelles.

The combination of improved track times and excellent road times may hold a slight advantage for Tadese over a longer distance, but Bekele, who has continually demonstrated excellent sprint speed at the end of long track races, may yet pull one out against anyone in the field who is near with only a surge and a kick the only thing separating the victor from the finish line.

At any rate, the vibes are hot, the athletes are cool, and the fans hope the weather warms as the senior men and women as well as the junior division athletes embark on a mission which should last each participant a lifetime.

This is a first-of-a-kind for many of the junior athletes, who are 19-years-old and younger, and is meant as a stepping stone for them to make their way to the senior ranks.

Bekele was 9th in the 1999 junior division in Belfast, and came back to win the 2001 junior title in Ooestende.

The Kenyan men's senior team will have five athletes who are making their senior debut.


IAAF World Cross Country Championships
Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland
Race Times:

13.00: Women's Junior Race. Start List.
13.30: Men's Junior Race. Start List.
14.05: Women's Senior Race. Start List.
14.45: Men's Senior Race. Start List.

Zersenay Tadese's Cross Country and Road Racing Merits:

20 Kilometres

• 1st IAAF World Road Running Championships 1 f 56:01 Debrecen 08/10/2006

Half Marathon

• 2nd IAAF World Road Running Championships 1 f 58:59 Udine 14/10/2007
• 12th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships 7 f 1:01:26 Vilamoura 04/10/2003
• 11th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships 21 f 1:03:05 Bruxelles 05/05/2002

Senior Race

• 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships 1 f 35:50 Mombasa 24/03/2007

Long Race

• 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships 4 f 35:47 Fukuoka 02/04/2006
• 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships 2 f 35:20 St Etienne - St Galmier 20/03/2005
• 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships 6 f 36:37 Bruxelles 21/03/2004
• 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships 9 f 37:10 Lausanne 30/03/2003
• 30th IAAF/Sport Ireland World Cross Country Championships 30 f 36:37 Dublin 24/03/2002

Kenenisa Bekele's Cross Country Merits:

Junior Race

• IAAF World Cross Country Championships 1 f 25:04 Oostende 25/03/2001
• 27th IAAF World Cross Country Championships 9 f 26:27 Belfast 28/03/1999

Short Race

• 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships 1 f 10:54 Fukuoka 01/04/2006
• 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships 1 f 11:33 St Etienne - St Galmier 19/03/2005
• 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships 1 f 11:31 Bruxelles 20/03/2004
• 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships 1 f 11:01 Lausanne 29/03/2003
• 30th IAAF/Sport Ireland World Cross Country Championships 1 f 12:11 Dublin 23/03/2002
• IAAF World Cross Country Championships 2 f 12:42 Oostende 24/03/2001

Long Race

• 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships 1 f 35:40 Fukuoka 02/04/2006
• 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships 1 f 35:06 St Etienne - St Galmier 20/03/2005
• 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships 1 f 35:52 Bruxelles 21/03/2004
• 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships 1 f 35:56 Lausanne 30/03/2003
• 30th IAAF/Sport Ireland World Cross Country Championships 1 f 34:52 Dublin 24/03/2002

Stats courtesy of IAAF

Conservative Overdose: How A High School Trainer Can Hold Back Too Much

Story written by Eric.

I had a high school trainer whose approach to athletic development was an eight-year one: The first four years of high school were meant to tease you into learning what your strengths were, and the following four years of university running were meant to have you develop a bonafide strategy to utilise those to their fullest potential.

This likely sounds like nearly every one of your own experiences, with the only difference between yours and mine being the location of your school and name of your trainer.

Perhaps.

I competed in a very difficult league my final two years of high school, one which ultimately produced a world junior record-holder the year after his graduation (my grade-12 season).

It was also a league which placed three of five cross country state meet qualifiers and had two state 1.600m finalists to showcase to patrons who had both payed (Cerritos College) and had lined up the Woodward Park course to cheer on their favourite Division I athletes and teams my grade-12 season.

Making it out of league was tough enough. Having to race the same guys in a dual meet, league meet and, ultimately, at the section championships just to get to state was a tall order, and one at which I only succeeded twice my last year before going on to bigger and better things at university - or at least that was the plan, anyway.

I'm sure you've got great war stories to share of your own - and, by all means, please do so at the bottom of this blog, as it would be great to read about your own personal experiences as well.

My trainer made several correct moves in the four years and eight seasons I was under his care. He must have, otherwise our team would never have nearly won the Northern California Cross Country Championships my grade-10 season, and we'd never have put up four-consecutive individual varsity men's league champions in my years there.

He helped two kids ahead of me - and one in my own class - break 15.00 for 3-miles, running 14.30, 14.32 and 14.48, respectively in the same race my grade-10 cross country season.

Moreover, I don't believe I'd have progressed as nicely as I did, from running a 11.18/5.18 double in my first-ever races (grade-9) to finishing my grade-11 season with 1.57,0/4.21,0 personal bests.

He even managed to help me dip under 2.00 my grade-10 season and establish a record (1.59,7) for that grade which has not yet been broken in the 22 years since I borrowed a teammate's spikes and placed second at the league finals.

He was a very wise man, was the trainer, but I wondered then - as I have done on occasion following that chapter two decades removed - if he held back too much in his attempt to ease us through high school, and, yet, had pushed too hard on another end - and here's why.

Magically, I got by the first three seasons on less than 35 miles a week. I never ran on Sundays, and I was never asked to, either. Everything I accomplished in track was done by running "pace", and never anything faster. He discouraged picking up the "pace" in practice sessions, and I only recall a single workout where the 400m splits in a repeat session ever dipped below 64-65 seconds.

Having run a 4.21,0 my grade-11 season was done off of pace workouts like 8x400m with 2.00 rest at 65 pace, or 4x800m at 2.20 pace with the same recovery.

For strength work we did do some hill repeats (our high school was located next to a steep incline approximately 400m long which led to an entire canyon of mountains which appeared to take one to the end of the world if one dared to run that far - which I never did) like 6x600m inclines at 1.40 pace with a jog back down for strength, but I never hit the weightroom like other kids in the league were doing.

I changed plans on my own the summer leading up to my last fall season with the team.

The previous two summers were spent running summer track here, there and out yonder, keeping the same base as I'd had through the spring and contesting a distance 100m less than I had to during the school year.

My final summer before graduation was spent running longer distances, and running every day - something unique to me, and something which I'd not discussed with the trainer. I found myself covering greater distances in my fartlek sessions, and entered the fall campaign in excellent shape.

Then injury struck me. It was untimely and, it seemed unnecessary.

I had pushed one particular workout a bit harder than I had in the past, because my new strength level seemed to afford it, but developed tendonitis in my right knee a few days later after dropping my easy runs from 7.20 pace to 6.45 pace - something which felt natural and which the body seemed to crave.

I was out for three weeks, and, when I returned was put on a slowman's workout plan to ensure the injury didn't re-occur.

In short, I didn't find myself recovered until the 2-Mile Postal Championships - an event run on the track. I ran a 17-second personal best that day in Los Gatos, CA, and finally saw light at the end of a long, three-and-a-half year struggle to be a good cross country runner.

Two weeks later, I dropped my personal best on our home course - a 3,1 mile hilly one which sucks the life out of any runner exercising bad pace judgement during the first 1km - from 17.24 to 16.33 - a time which isn't fully appreciated if one hasn't run the course. The time bode well for high hopes to place at the sectional finals two weeks later, and it was the third-fastest ever run by anyone in my school's history.

Four weeks following my Postal race, I had managed to place second in league and second at the section championships, but I was out of medal contention at the state meet, running 45 seconds slower than I anticipated I would.

I was at the top of the lead pack and in great command of my own race during the first mile, running alongside David Scudamore and ahead of Louie Quintana and eventual winner Bryan Dameworth until something happened to me which would eventually become the story of my high school career and hold me back the first year of university as well: well-meaning pace work would always fall short in the end when competitiveness was meant to take over and push me over the top.

I died a terrible death the final half mile - not so much due to a lack of training, but because my body's efforts to stave off a cold were insufficient -- a sign that I pushed myself beyond recovery the week leading up to the first-ever cross country state meet.

Has this ever happened to you?

For some odd reason after running a 16.33 5km three weeks prior and a 15.09 to get to state, I fooled myself into believing that I was on target to run 15.15 on Woodward Park's storied course, and, with that, likely earn a top-three placing on the podium. I truly wanted to compete with Dameworth and Goshu Tadese, but my sense of pace was slower than was theirs.

I mentioned that this lack of adaptability hampered me in track as well, and it surely did at all the wrong times.

I was invited to compete in the Arcadia Invitational 1.600m in April after having run a solo 4.20 at a meet in Northern California; I'd won by 12 seconds after running "pace" the entire way around (66-64-66-64). In fact, the fastest workout we'd done up to that point was 8x400m in 66!

A kid from Southern California kicked me long into the shadows of the evening when he stopped the clock just under four minutes 10 seconds after the gun sounded. I got boxed in, pushed and then pulled to 63-2.07 splits - 13 seconds faster than my pace workouts, and three seconds too fast for the open 400m workouts we had been doing before the meet. I finished with a new personal best - another 4.20, but had not fared well against the best in the state of California.

Two weeks later I set another personal best at 3.200m, running 73-69-69-73-73-73-69-69 for a 9.24,0 at UC Davis. The "pace" workout was just at the clip we'd been practicing on the track, 4x2.21 for 800m, but I was a miler, not a 2-miler. The personal best was good for the journal books, but wasn't going to do me a whole lot if I couldn't translate that into a faster mile.

My trainer wasn't into the long, hard workout schedule, nor was he a fan of much speedwork, either. His idea of getting turnover into my legs was to triple in most dual meets (1.600m/800m/4x400m), with the latter two races either run un-evenly or at a fast chase pace.

By the time the state final rolled around at the beginning of June, I had run 50 races that final season, and none of them faster than "pace". My qualifying round was run in 64-63-64-63, which was equal to the two 2.07 800m times I ran with 10 minutes rest in a workout the prior week.

The state final, as was Arcadia, was a gun-to-tape barn-burner which hurt my tired and untrained legs, as they attempted to run at 2.06 "pace" and negative split with the 2.01 effort the winner was able to negotiate the second half of the race.

Like the state cross country meet, I fell off the fast finishing pace and failed to medal in the state 1.600m final.

My trainer fulfilled one duty in keeping me hungrier for better things as I entered university, but I believe he fell short in providing me the tools necessary to actually compete at my best on a championship level - one which the university athletes were competing on in "B" races.

I believe the best of trainers have a focus on making an athlete competitive, keeping them focused on the fun which running and racing bring and taking them up to a moderated level on par workout-wise with the collegiate choices available to them.

My trainer had the best of intentions and was a fairly knowledgeable student of the sport. Unfortunately, he applied too much pressure on the break pedal and not enough on the gas.

The result was a career which saw me take 1.03 off my first mile time, but one in which I did not win one, single, solitary gold medal from league through the state meet my final three years - or six seasons.

High school was about having fun as well as developing mind and body, but the tendency is to feel as though one fell short of their goals if the point was simply just to make it to a state meet or two.

Photo Credit: Mike Sadler (Image on BBC)

Bekele Fires Away at IAAF

Story written by EPelle

Kenenisa Bekele, who on Saturday displayed one of the most specatacular winning performances of his career at the Event Scotland Great Edinburgh International Cross Country 9,3km race, is at odds with the IAAF, stating he is receiving unfair treatment from the international federation due to being African.

Bekele, who was selected IAAF World Athlete-of-the-Year in 2004 and again in 2005, received no compensation for winning the international prize. However, neither did Yelena Isinbayeva, the women's winner those same two seasons.

"That cannot be right," said Bekele (source), "did they treat me differently because I am an African?"

The argument stems over Asafa Powell and Sanya Richards having both winning $100.000 for their selections this past year - a new style nomination system the IAAF has put into place to award the top athletes in the world.

"I am adamant that I will not be going to Mombassa," said Bekele following his victory Saturday.
Bekele's exclusion is thought to draw a marketing blow to the IAAF, as the 10-time world cross country champion has decideded against contending for an 11th title, and has warded off rumours that he will be pressured by Ethiopia's Athletics federation to run, nonetheless.

"That is not true, I have spoken with them and they accept my decision," said Bekele, stressing his non-appearance has nothing to do with his belief the IAAF have treated him unfairly, nor an acting out against the location of the meet - in arch-rival Kenya's backyard.

Bekele's adamant stance toward the championship event could be a blow to the IAAF, as Kenyan Mike Kigen, who was fifth in the 2006 IAAF Championships event in Japan, will not compete in Mombasa due to an injury, and Isaac Songok, the reigning 4km silver medallist, and Augustine Choge have quit cross country running all together.

However, The Herald (source), quotes Bekele playing a different tune.

"If there is something special, I may run," he said. "If there's a special challenge, specially for the world champion man. I won many years, the world cross. It's the same every time, and there's nothing special.

"Maybe the organisation, the IAAF, they should put something special for the world champion man. Some special prize money? Yes. If I lose this race, for me it is a big thing.

"They could pay a performance bonus for me to run. Maybe it's possible for them. If they encourage sport, or something. Every time you run, nothing is achieved."

Bekele started his amazing run at cross country stardom was borne in 2001 - his final year as junior athlete, when he completed an astonishing double at 2001 World Cross Country Championships, finishing 2nd in the elite men's short-course (4km) race to Kenyan Enock Koech on the first day, and returning the following day to add an overwhelming 33 second victory in the junior race.

The following year, Bekele went on to win both the long course race and the short course events - becoming the first man to ever win both events, and has never looked back, winning both events again in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, for a whopping 10-straight indivudal titles to go along with his junior title.

Bekele's first global track gold came at the front of an intimidating Ethiopian sweep in the 2003 IAAF World Championships 10.000m in Paris, where Bekele broke the field with a 12.57,24 final 5.000m for a 26.49,57 championship record.

American Ryan Hall Sets National Record

Story written by EPelle

Ryan Hall, who set a national 20km record (57.54) while finishing 11th in the IAAF World Road Running Championships in Debrecen, Hungary in October, set his second American record in as many races, winning the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, in Houston, Texas, in 59.43 - a mark which also set a new continental record.

Hall, 24, broke the previous American record - 1.00.55 set in Philadelphia in 1985 by of Mark Curp - by three minutes, hitting the 10km marker in 28.21 en-route to his astounding victory.

The previous North American half marathon best was shared by two Mexican athletes, Dionicio Cerón (1994-January-23 in Tokyo) andGérman Silva (1994-September-24 in Oslo), who both ran 1.00,28.

Hall defeated Fasil Bizuneh (1.02.20) and 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist Mebrahtom Keflezighi (2.11.29) in the process.

Hall has found his groove in the longer races after being a strict 1.500m runner entering his collegiate career at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA, USA.

Hall completed his collegiate career a 5.000m runner after suffering a series of setbacks and injuries with 1.500m training. In June 2005, the Stanford star won his first-ever NCAA title, running 13.22,22 for a new Stanford record in the 5.000m. Teammate Ian Dobson followed in 13.22,55.

Two weeks later, at the USA Track and Field Championships, Hall finished third in 13.16,03 to qualify for the IAAF World Track & Field Championships - he finished 16th in his heat, trailing only Dobson, and winner Tim Broe.

Hall's cross country brilliance was finally brought forth to life when he finished 2nd at the 2003 NCAA Championships to Dathan Ritzenhein, his old high school nemesis.

A USA high school cross country star - he was 3rd at the 2000 Footlocker High School Cross Country Championships behind Ritzenhein, who finished sixth at yesterday's Edinburgh Cross Country meet, and miler Alan Webb, who has churned on the motors to record 3.32,52/3.48,92/8.11,48 bests in the middle distances, Hall was known more for being a 1.500m star in high school, running 3.42,70 - the third fastest high school performance ever for the distance.

Hall was also the California state cross country champion during his junior and senior seasons at Big Bear High School.

Hall's younger brother Chad, is also a two-time California cross country champion, equalling his brother's family bragging rights. Chad, however, went one step further in winning the Footlocker Cross Country Championships, a feat which Ryan did not accomplish at that age.

Men's Racing, a New York Road Runners website, interviewed Hall after his terrific spring campaign in 2005, citing:

"To be honest, I haven't thought about that [being part of a US running renaissance] a lot. I hope that I can help inspire people to run faster and to train hard. I get really encouraged when I see guys like Broe running fast times. We need guys to run fast in the states too, so Americans can actually see it and be inspired by it. The more guys we have breaking down barriers, the better off American distance running will be. We still have a long ways to go but we have a good start. As far as me being a part of it all, I just train hard and give God the outcomes. Sometimes I think as Americans we think too much. We think about how fast 62 second pace is for 5Ks. I have a feeling the runners who are running sub 13:00 5Ks aren't caught up in thinking how fast 62s are, they just go out there and run gutsy races" (click here for full interview).

Indeed, Hall appears to have put his mind to rest when dealing with pacing chores, as he averaged 52 laps and change at a clip of 67,92 seconds per round today in his record run.

A question which arises is whether Hall will run a marathon in the near future, or if he will eye perhaps the 10.000m run. Hall seems capable of maintaining a 66-flat pace for 25 laps, a clip which will drop him to a 27.30 and likely spot at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka.

Only time will tell, however, as Hall eases into an easy run tomorrow, and sets his sights on the next prize, the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kenya in March. Hall has twice run in the World Cross Country Championships, finishing 43rd in last year's long course race in Fukuoka, and doubling back for a 19th placing in the short course race the following day.

Top-5 Results:

1 Ryan Hall, USA, 59.43
2 Fasil Bizuneh, USA, 1.02.20
3 Mebrahtom Keflezighi, USA, 1.02.22
4 Andrew Carlson, USA, 1.02.43
5 Jason Lehmkule, USA, 1.02.50, 1.02.20

Ryan Hall's Personal Bests:

• 1.500 Metres: 3.42,70, Stanford, 2001-June-9
• Two Miles: 8.26,26, Carson, CA, 2006-May-21
• 5.000 Metres: 13.16,03, Carson, CA 2005-June-24
• 15 KM 43.25, Debrecen, 2006-October-8
• 20 KM 57.54, Debrecen, 2006-October-8
• Half Marathon: 59.42, Houston, 2007-January-14

Bekele Opens 2007 in Winning Fashion

Story written by EPelle

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, winner of five consecutive IAAF World Cross Country Championships long- and short-course titles, obliterated his competition at the Event Scotland Edinburgh international Cross Country today, winning on the 9,3km course in 28.14.

Bekele, who has both sworn off and then verbally reconsidered competiting for any further accolades in the spring championships, defeated rival 10.000m runner Zersenay Tadesse Zersenay, the 2004 Olympic Bronze medalist, by 10 seconds.

Bekele's arch Kenyan rival Eliud Kipchoge, who, like Zersenay, became the first athletes to run under 27.00 over a 10km course in Spain two weeks ago, finished in third place, 37 seconds behind Bekele (full results).

According to a race description provided by onrunning.com (link), Bekele produced one of the most spectacular displays of running ever seen during a race at the elite level, when, with three laps remaining of the 9,3km course, he upped the ante and dropped his opponents - a move none were able to counter.

Ethiopian teammate Gelete Burka captured the women's 6,1km race in 23.25, nine seconds ahead of both Vivian Cheruiyot (2nd) and Benita Johnson, who finished with the bronze.

The reigning Olympic (2004) and World 10.000m (2003) champion extended his cross country winning streak to 26-straight since suffering his last defeat to Haile Gebrselassie in December 2001. He was pushed to the wire by Saif Saaeed Shaheen last year, when Bekele described himself as being tired, but was focused and prepared on this year's race.

"It was a good beginning to 2007," Bekele is quoted as stating by onrunning.com.

"I am very happy that I won my first race of the year.

"I expected it because of the training I have done."

Bekele, by far the most gifted cross country and long distance track athlete on the planet, stated yesterday that he lacks motivation to continue running in the world cross country championships.

"The motivation may not be there any more," he stated yesterday, according to The Herald (link).

"I don't know if I have the same hunger," he confided.

"That's why I won't do the world-cross again. I still want to improve my times, run fast on the track. I may try for some world records this year. I don't know where, or which one, either the 5000 or 10,000 metres. They are both my favourite events, but I think the 5000m record is harder."

However, IAAF post-race reports quote Bekele as stating he may consider running at the Cross Country World Championships if there is a new challenge.

Bekele’s manager, Jos Hermens, said that the 24-year-old Ethiopian is only 80 per cent fit, adding “he is a little bit chubby and could have been more prepared,” something one should possibly take with a grain of salt.

Bekele, who has broken 13.00-flat 13 times in his career, set the world 5.000m record of 12.37,35 in Hengelo nearly three years ago, swiping 2,01 seconds from Haile Gebrselassie's world and national record time of 12.39,36 set in Helsinki six years before that.

He first set the 10.000m world record of 26.20,31 in Ostrava in 2004, and eclipsed that with a mark of 26.17,53 one year later in Bruxelles.

Gebrselassie held the previous world record (26.22,75), a mark which he set in Hengelo in 1998.

The Herald quotes Bekele has stated that doubling up at either this August's world championships or next year's Olympic Games would be off the cards, citing that he'd prefer to race great in one race, rather than run two poor races.

Bekele was upstaged in the 2003 IAAF World 5.000m Championships in Paris after taking the 10.000m gold when Kipchoge (12.52,79) held off mile world-record holder Hicham El Guerrouj (12.52,83) by 0,04 seconds for the gold, with Bekele finishing with a bronze (12.53,12).

Bekele tried his hand at the double the following year in Athens, winning the 10.000m (27.05,10) ahead of teammate Sileshi Sihine (27.09,39) and Tadesse (27.22,57), but falling short to a reverse 1-3 world champs finish from El Guerrouj (13.14,39) and Kipchoge (13.15,10), running 13.14,59 to earn silver in a race which played into El Guerrouj's hand as a strong kicker.

Two years ago, running in his third major track championship, Bekele opted to contest the 10.000m only, narrowly edging out Sihine (27.08,87) and Kenyan Moses Mosop (27.08,96) by a total spread of 0,63 seconds. Bekele was tested to the limit and ran 27.08,33 - the 2nd-fastest winning time in meet history behind his 2003 triumph (26.49,57) - a race which he negative split under 13.00 to close out the 2nd 5.000m segment.

Perhaps it is high time for Bekele to rest during the spring months, and get in optimal athletics training for the busy summer ahead. He has demonstrated the capability to run hard and run fast following cross country training, and even snuck in a gold medal in the 3.000m at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships to boot.

It shall be a marvel to see what Bekele can do in 2007 with his concentrations focussed specifically on the track rather than the hills.

Kenenisa Bekele was born 1982-13-June in Bekoji, Arsi Province, Ethiopia.

He holds personal bests of 3.33,08 (2006), 7.30,67 (2001), 12.37,35 (2004), 26.17,53 (2005) and 42.42 over 15km (2001).

9,3km Results (Courtesy IAAF):

Men’s Race (9.3km)1 K Bekele (ETH) 28:14; 2 Z Tadesse (ERI) 28:24; 3 E Kipchoge KEN) 28:51; 4 F Joseph (TAN) 28:52; 5 G Gebremariam (ETH) 29:00; 6 D Ritzenhein (USA) 29:02; 7 S Bairu (CAN) 30:34; 8 A Letherby (AUS) 30:35; 9 C Rooney (IRE) 30:43; 10 T Abyu (GBR) 30:51.

Bekele's achievements to date:

• 2006 1st African Championships in Athletics 5.000m
• 2006 1st IAAF Short Race World Cross Country Championships
• 2006 1st IAAF Long Race World Cross Country Championships
• 2006 1st IAAF World Indoor 3.000m
• 2005 1st IAAF Short Race World Cross Country Championships
• 2005 1st IAAF Long Race World Cross Country Championships
• 2005 1st IAAF World Track & Field Championships 10.000m
• 2004 1st IAAF Short Race World Cross Country Championships
• 2004 1st IAAF Long Race World Cross Country Championships
• 2004 1st Olympic Games 10,000m
• 2004 2nd Olympic Games 5.000m
• 2003 1st IAAF World Track & Field Championships 10.000m
• 2003 3rd IAAF World Track & Field Championships 5.000m
• 2003 1st IAAF World Short Race Cross Country Championships
• 2003 1st IAAF World Long Race Cross Country Championships
• 2002 1st IAAF World Short Race Cross Country Championships
• 2002 1st IAAF World Long Race Cross Country Championships
• 2001 1st IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships

Lagat, Mottram Headline Millrose Fields

Story written by EPelle

Three-time American record-holder Bernard Lagat and Australian Craig Mottram, who holds six national records, will headline the Wanamaker Mile at 100th Millrose Games to be held at Madison Square Gardens on 2-February.

Lagat, a two-time Olympic 1.500m medalist and reigning USA 1.500m and 5.000m champion, set the American indoor mile (3.49,89) and 1.500m (3.33,34) records at the Powered by Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA two years ago.

Lagat set his third American record, outdoors at 1.500m, with a time of 3 minutes 29,30 seconds at the 2005 Rieiti Grand Prix.

Lagat also owns the second-fastest American outdoor mile (3.48,38) and 5.000m (12.59,22) times recorded.

Steve Scott (3.47,69 - Oslo, 1982) and Bob Kennedy (12.58,21 - Zürich, 1996) hold the American mile and 5.000m records, respectively. Scott (3.51,8/1981) and Jeff Atkinson (3.38,12/1989) held the previous mile and 1.500m American indoor records.

Lagat has personal bests of 3.26,34 at 1.500m and 3.47,28 in the mile - times recorded prior to becoming an American citizen in 2004.

Lagat, seen above holding the 2005 Wanamaker Mile trophy (photo courtesy of Trackshark.com), will be seeking his fifth Wanamaker Mile victory, having won the 2005 edition in 3.56,85 in defeating Kenenisa Bekele, who was making his debut at the shorter distance.

If Lagat successfully defends his title, he will tie Irishman Marcus O’Sullivan for the third-most victories on the all-time Wanamaker Mile list, behind only Eamonn Coghlan (seven) and Glenn Cunningham (six). O'Sullivan holds the record for most sub-4 times recorded in the Wanamaker Mile, topping the list at 11.

Coghlan, who was the first man to break 3.50 indoors, running 3.49,78 in 1983 at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, USA - the fastest time ever recorded in the United States - won seven Wanamaker Mile titles (4.00,2 in 1977; 3.55,0 in 1979; 3.58,2 in 1980; 3.53,0 in 1981; 3.54,4 in 1983; 3.53,8 in 1985; and 3.55,9 in 1987). Coghlan also competed in three Olympic Games, and won the 5.000m (13.28,53) at the inaugural IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Helsinki.

Among Lagat's challengers will be Australian Craig Mottram, who will be making his Millrose Games debut, though he will not be making his first running appearance in New York.

Mottram was the 2005 IAAF World Championships bronze medalist at 5000m (13.32,96), the first non-African to win a medal at that distance in a major championship since 1987, when Coghlan, mentioned above, won his world championship gold.

Mottram is also a two-time IAAF World Cup winner at 3.000m, running 7.41,37 in Madrid in 2002, and upsetting Bekele for the victory in 2006 with a 7.32,19 - also an Australian Record.

Mottram first gained international track & field notoriety when he broke 13.00 over 5.000m, running an Australian (and Oceanic) record of 12.55,76 in London in 2004 - narrowly losing to Haile Gebrselassie (12.55,51 All-comers record).

Mottram has also been a force on the fields as well, having placed 11th, ninth, fifth and eighth in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships short-course races (in descending chronological order), and 22nd and 13th in the long course races.

Mottram owns national records at the mile (3.48,98/Oslo, 2005), 2.000m (4.50,76/Melbourne, 2006), 3.000m (7.32,19/Athens, 2006), 2-miles (8.11,27/Sheffield, 2005), 5.000m (12.55,76/London 2004) and 10km road running (27.39/Madrid, 2006).

Mottram is large in stature, measuring 1.88m, and may have a disadvantage trying to kick past lagat on the tight turns on the 11-lap track. However, Mottram has pushed the pace in championship races, so a break away attempt to try gapping Lagat in a highly-publicised invitational may not be out of the question.

The last time these two locked up head-to-head over the 1.760-yard distance which is the mile, Lagat set his name in the US history book (2nd all-time), and Mottram set a national record.

Mottram set a 10km road best - and Australian record - in Madrid at the San Silvestre Vallencana race six days ago, running 27.39 on a course slightly too downhill for IAAF record purposes. Though he set an all-time best, he suffered defeat to Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge (26.54) and Eritrea's Zersenay Tadesse (26.54), the first two athletes to ever break 27.00-flat on any course.

Mottram also had a 10-race 10km win-streak ended in the process.

The sparks may not fly as high during the Millrose Games Wanamaker mile, as this is neither peak nor championship time for either athlete. However, the excitement fans will gain by watching them lock head-to-head will be there, nonetheless!

Stay tuned for more of what promises to be an exciting Millrose Games.

Mottram's Personal Bests (IAAF):

• 1.500m: 3.33,97 Zürich 18 08 2006
• Mile: 3.48,98 Oslo 29 07 2005
• 2.000m: 4.50,76 Melbourne 09 03 2006
• 3.000m: 7.32,19 Athens 17 09 2006
• 2-Mile: 8.11,27 Sheffield 21 08 2005
• 5.000m: 12.55,76 London (CP) 30 07 2004
• 10.000m: 27.50,55 Melbourne 04 12 2003
• 10KM: 27.39 Madrid 31 12 2006

Lagat's Personal Bests (IAAF):

• 800m: 1.46,00 Berlin 10 08 2003
• 1.000m: 2.18,70 Sydney 14 09 2000
• 1.500m: 3.26,34 Bruxelles 24 08 2001
• Mile: 3.47,28 Rome 29 06 2001
• 2.000m: 4.55,49 Stockholm 30 07 1999
• 3.000m: 7.33,51 Monaco 18 08 2000
• 5.000m: 12.59,22 London (CP) 28 07 2006

Millrose Games Homepage

Alan Webb to Compete in Boston Indoor Games

Story written by EPelle

American miler Alan Webb has been added to the Boston Indoor Games on 27-January, organisers announced today through a press release.

This is great news for the American fans, as many of them have anxiously awaited both Webb's return to the track, and, more specifically, to the mile.

Webb, a two-time USA Outdoor 1.500m champion, a 2005 IAAF World Championships finalist and a 2004 Olympian at 1.500m, is making a bit of a comeback after injuring his hamstring in 2006 - a season which he took a few calculated risks by upping his racing distance to 10.000m -- 21 laps further than his specialty.

Webb had a break-through 2005 season, one which saw him run personal bests at every distance from 800m to 5.000m, and had added some intriguing international cross country races to his base last winter, running four races in Spain.

Webb and his agent, Ray Flynn, had planned on having Webb funnel down from strength to speed as the 2006 season unfolded.

Everything started off wonderfully for Webb, as he recorded the fastest-ever American debut at 10km, running 27.34,72, for a win at the Cardinal Invitational at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

Flynn had stated during the course of 2006 that Webb's focus on longer distances earlier in the year would help him have strength to run fast miles in August and September.

"There is nothing wrong with running a 10 earlier in the year, then running some 5s, then getting down to the mile at the end of summer. (In fact), It's a great plan, it's a perfect plan... Time will only show, (but) Alan will perform really well during the summer.

Webb handled the 25-lap workload very well, running rather even splits (2.45,2, 2.43,9, 2.47,0, 2.46,3, 2.45,6, 2.47,1, 2.47,7, 2.47,0, 2.46,3, 2.38,6) in the race. Webb split 13.48,0 at the half-way point, and ran his second 5km in 13.46,7.

He showed that he had maintained the excellent strength level he had gained by running longer cross country meets overseas, and had recovered from his winter sickness which kept him out of the USA Cross Country National Championships.

Many of Webb's fans across the pond there in America disagreed with Flynn, however, and began questioning the tactic of running a 10km race of that quality so early in Webb's career, believing the plan would backfire on Webb.

Several spoke out on message boards, and stated that Webb needed more speed, not more strength. I was of the opinion that Webb had missed out on his mid-winter/early-spring goal of running longer cross country races when he ran afoul of illness, and had simply extended his winter training a few weeks into the spring campaign in order to get back on track.

The worst came to pass for Webb following that monumental effort, as he was described by his agent, Ray Flynn, as being a "little injured" heading into his next race, the 2006 Adidas Track Classic 2-mile. Webb finished sixth in the eight-lap race with a time of 8.33,92 - well off his American record time of 8.11,48 set the previous year in Oregon.

Webb further aggravated the injury a week later at the 2006 Prefontaine Classic - the last track race of his season.

Webb ran a frustrating mile in Oregon, running 4.00,87 after stepping off the track briefly coming around the final turn, grabbing the back of his leg and then continuing to the finish. Webb's time was 11,95 seconds off his personal best time of 3.48,92 set one year earlier in Oslo.

Bernard Lagat, the American record-holder in the 1.500m (3.29,30) and second-fastest miler in American history (3.48,38), won the race in a world-leading 3.51,53.

Webb traveled overseas at the conclusion of the summer campaign, running a 1.51,59 800m (3rd-place) in Scotland, and a solo 4.02,73 mile in the wind. They were not the greatest marks, but they put him back on track, gave him focus, and helped him end his season with a victory against international competition.

His return back to the international scene not only benefits the American fans, but provides us here in Europe, as Webb has set three of his four personal bests (1.500m, mile, 5.000m) on European soil.

Webb appears to have fully recovered from his injury and anemia, recording a 23.37 at the 2006 Mayor's Cup at Franklin Park in Boston, USA on 22-October, a time which was 18 seconds faster than Webb ran in a runner-up placing three years ago.

Webb went on to place fourth at the U.S. Cross Country Nationals 12K, win the U.S. 1.500m title to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games, and set a mile PR of 3.50,84 following his Mayor's Cup run in 2003.

Webb, who hasn't raced indoors since 2005, will toe the line in the mile against Chris Lukezic, the reigning U.S. 1500 metre champion indoors and 2006 World Indoor Championships finalist, among others. Lukezic and Webb were training partners two seasons ago.

Webb has an indoor mile best of 3.57,52 set in 2004 - a year which saw only two more of his countrymen break 4.00 indoors.

Results from the 2006 Boston Indoor Games Mile:

Mile: 1. Angwenyi (Ken) 3.55,95; 2. Lunn (USA) 3.56,77 (American Leader); 3. Rotich (Ken) 3.56,83; 4. Brannen (Can) 3.57,17; 5. Goucher (Nik)3.57,60 PR; 6. Woods (Can) 3.57,87 PR; 7. Sullivan (Can) 3.58,07; 8. Myers (USA) 3.58,24 PR; 9. Speaight (GB) 3.58,49 PR; 10. Lukezic (USA) 3.58,53 PR; 11. Kleimenhagen (USA) 3.59,00 PR; 12. Kiptum (Ken) 4.02,95.

HS Mile: 1. Coe 4.07,30 PR (High School Leader) (8, 8 HS); 2. O’Lionaird 4.09,41 PR; 3. Acosta 4.10,32; 4. McManamon 4.10,72; 5. Gauson 4.11,41; 6. A. Taye 4.11,44; 7. Harbor 4.12,68; 8. S. Taye 4.12,89; 9. Phillips 4.13,19; 10. Mitchell 4.13,42; 11. Rhodes-Devey 4.13,59; 12. Kelsey 4.15,35; 13. White 4.16,27.

Alan Webb's Personal Bests:

• 800m: 1.46,53 (2004)
• 1.000m: 2.20,32 (2005)
• 1.500m: 3.32,52 (2005)
• Mile: 3.48,92 (2005)
• 3.000m: 7.39,28 (2005)
• 2-Mile: 8.11,48 (2005)
• 5.000m: 13.10,86 (2005)
• 10.000m 27.34,72 (2006)

NB: Webb won the Father Diamond Invitational Mile held indoors at George Mason University on Saturday, 2007-January-6.

Full Results (Courtesy GMU)

Men 1 Mile Run 1, Webb, Alan, Nike, 3:59.34. 2, Burley, Sam, Asics, 4:09.58. 3, LaBoy, Andre, Georgetown, 4:09.70. 4, Scheid, Justin, Georgetown, 4:15.73. 5, Dalpiaz, Brian, Georgetown, 4:21.24. 6, Emerson, Zachary, Mount St. Mary's, 4:21.77. 7, Sanders, Thurman, Howard, 4:34.13. 8, Cavedo, Brent, Mary Washington, 4:39.53. 9, Boccher, Travis, George Mason, 4:41.12. 10, Cash, Matt, Mary Washington, 4:41.39. 11, Phillips, James, George Mason, 4:43.23. 12, Langat, Geoffrey, Virginia Union, 4:44.61. 13, Andes, Will, George Mason, 4:58.47. --, Pachella, Michael, George Mason, DNF. --, Smith, Richard, Unattached Athle, DNF.

Confidence Everlasting

Story written by EPelle

Have you ever had a group of guys with whom you shared your every wish and goal, and shed tears and blood as you strove to reach the pinnacle of those expectations?

I shared this with six boys who became men following one close defeat at a championship cross country race 21 years ago. These boys were the most prestigious and hard-working group of guys with whom I have ever been associated.

One muddy course helped seven high school boys become cross country men the day it rained in Rocklin, CA. Fourteen feet ran, slid and skid at different paces through the muddy trails at Sierra College – chasing the feet of talented runners with names like Mark Mastalir, Adam McAboy, Chris Hoepker and Robert Roberts, and chasing packs of runners with the letters Bellarmine, Lassen, Jesuit and Vacaville on their jerseys – before the mud was scraped from the bottom of the racing flats, the tally sheet was scored, and our championship team was written into our high school's folklore history.

Seven-thousand-six-hundred-and-ninety-four days have quietly passed since our team last ransacked the inside local sports pages during the autumn of that magical season.

We were headline-makers and news-shakers after every cross country meet – big or small.

Large school varsity or small school individuals. We accomplished so much the sportswriters had a difficult time to continually think of new angles to state the obvious: That our school was tough and going places that season.

We trained tough in the hills, and we ran hard around the perimeter of a university located nearby. We found success racing in the rain and in the sand.

And we had a lot of fun winning.

Big-time.

Beating the entire northern part of California was the flavor of the season. We started off by sweeping conference. We even placed our top-7 in the top-25 at the sub-section championships, with our first two athletes running 14.30, and 14.31 for fourth and fifth, respectively. Our third runner, a grade-10 athlete, ran 14.48.

We repeated as sectional cross country champions when our lead runner braved the local course with his 5th-place finish – running on guts after hurting his foot coming down the ramp. We headed to a destination just outside of Sacramento the day after Thanksgiving with a coach who believed in us, a team that believed in itself, and had just one goal in mind: sacrficing everything – the individual titles, the great Thursday meal and previous results – for the top step on the podium in our bright yellow sweats when the team scores were announced.

Each boy showed up, put it all on the line, finished the course and did his best.

And we finished second.

And was is for those silver medals which we proudly hung around our necks that day many years ago that we were honored with a golden reception in 2003 – for being true champions in the eyes of our community. For being grateful in times of victory, and equally true to each other and our sport when the race director made the announcement and we realized our destiny that day: that after all the months of training, team-building, encouraging and planning, a better team won the championship title...they took home the most prestigious team championship available to Northern California High School cross country teams by a mere five points.

The blue-and-white uniformed boys beat the best. They out-classed us at Clovis. The stumped us at Stanford. They pummeled us at Postal.

And they’d beaten us again.

We were tired of hearing their names ring throughout the Northern California cross country sports reporting world.

But it was in that defeat – in replacing our names in the winner’s circle with theirs – we were deemed champions in our own community. We were honored long ago in front of our peers, and we are honored now by peers we do not even know. We have become legends to an entire generation of Mariner athletes.

I had an opportunity to thank each and every one of my teammates personally and collectively for helping me to understand the value of true teamwork. Their inspiration and dedication then made such an impact on whom I have become today.

I was a stat-freak in school, and am quite thankful the internet did not exist as it does today. I made a point of remembering the small details – including who ran what, where, and how quickly. Had I had an entire world at my fingertips, I don't imagine I would have ever gotten my school work done.

However, one detail I never realized in all of my years was this: I won my very first race as a high school student, a 14.06 2-mile cross country victory in the fall of 1984 that is now lost somewhere in the memory banks of time. And I placed an absolutely, no-questions-about-it last in my final high school race – 4.29,7 1,600m run at the State Finals in the Los Angeles suburbs, and on the grandest stage in front of two of my former mentors.

I won a race I can’t remember, and I finished last in a race I would rather forget. I stepped up, and then stepped down. And to top all things off, during our most celebrated event in our high school's cross country history, I ran slower in my race than the girl’s race winner, Lauri Chapman of San Jose Gunderson.

But what I learned between the time I first set foot on a course and the last time I took a stride around the track were the values of integrity and teamwork. I learned to try, to push and to never give up. I learned to listen...and to laugh...to take the right things seriously. And I learned to help others as I was helped. To rejoice in someone’s new PR.

I was a newcomer to the varsity field during what we coined the “Road to the Championships”. I had run the total of one 3-mile race my entire life prior to getting the varsity call that season. I had absolutely no idea how significant and special that team was until long after the van returned from the high school, we each headed our own directions, and the Sunday sports section exalted: local kid leads high school to 2nd-Place at NorCal.

I learned more on the “Road from the Championships” than I had learned in all the hours and months preceeding it.

I learned to have integrity and determination like our number one runner demonstrated on the course and in the weight room. I learned to have poise and confidence – to “Face the Challenge” like our second in command did when he ran effortlessly (“like a machine,” one newspaper would later state).

I took the competitive, never-die attitude our wunderkind third runner exemplified as a 15-year-old, and believed with him that we were going to eventually break Jeff Nelson’s 8.36 2-mile high school record by the time we graduated.

The number four guy gave me the word “understanding”, and would continue to prove its worth in the future. The fifth boy gave me more confidence-building moments after that race and throughout the entire subsequent spring track season than I have time to list.

Finally, the seventh man on that team had been there along the championship site's cross country grounds before, and stepped up to the plate again in that great season. He helped me through every step of every race. We practived together, and we PR’d together. We beat the entire league runner-up team together.

None of this was possible without our coach.

"Coach" set the tables, and we brought our best every time he invited us to compete. I once had a great opportunity to thank him from the bottom of my heart for the chance to dream alongside those who were there before me, and to hope with those who follow.

The championship drive we had my grade-10 season helped the team the following year return to the same Northern California site for a 3rd-straight season. Our previous number two was now the head guy in charge, and captured the league title along the way – making our team an instant league success after winning the individual and team titles in its inaugural season (this athlete set two school 3.200m records, two school 5.000m records and anchored three school relay records prior to graduating a year ahead of me).

My 2-mile partner in crime grew to a formidable force our grade-12 season, and made it happen our final cross country season - beating me by 1,1 seconds in a 1-2 league finish, and leading our team team to a 2nd-straight conference championship title. His victory was the fifth-straight season a boy from our school had won a varsity league title - three in one league, and two in our new one.

With the opportunity to qualify for the first-ever CIF State Cross Country Championships, we ran all-out and finished 2nd and 3rd at our section championships, and opened up the door for future state championship qualifiers. For the fourth consecutive season, our school was in the post season finale. What the excellent lineup of boys started years before continued to bear fruit for our high school's program.

The “Road to the Championships” began long before I stepped on the starting line, and today a different road is being marched by others who wear my alma mater's high school uniform.

Today, the “Road to to the Championships” doesn’t stop down highway 80 near Sacramento, rather it leads from the training grounds to Woodward Park in Fresno, then further south through the hills above Mt. Sac College – and ends ultimately around a course in San Diego.

None of our names are listed on today’s school-record categories, nor are they mentioned when the gun is raised and the runners set to take their mark at aiming to do their best.

But talk about true champions, and I remember these boys as legends.

They did a fantastic job of teaching me the value of hard work, and taught me that pushing through one more hill repeat - going one more time around the pond for another repeat - was to be a bond unlike any other when one discusses the spirit of friendship - even when a collective goal fell five points short of becoming a reality.