Marathon You Can Do It

Registrations for 2011 Boston Marathon will open Monday, October 18 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, online at official Boston marathon organizers website. The 115th edition of the Boston Marathon will be on Monday, April 18, 2011.

Qualifying times for 2011 Boston marathon

The qualifying times remain just like they have been, read my post on qualifying times for Boston marathon.

Qualifying standards for the 2011 Boston Marathon must be met on or after September 20, 2009 at a marathon certified by USA Track & Field, the national governing body for the sport (or foreign equivalent).

The registration fee remains at $130 for American residents. The field size for next year’s Boston Marathon remains as it has been in recent past years.

Full registration information, including a list of qualifying marathons, and a list of the B.A.A.’s Official Charities for the Boston Marathon is at www.baa.org

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: American Residents, Amp, Boston Marathon, Boston Marathon Qualifying Standards, Charities, Marathon Registration, Marathons, Met, National Governing Body, Organizers, Qualifying Times For Boston Marathon, Registration Fee, Registration Information, Registrations, Running Marathon, Sport, Usa Track

The 2010 Boston Marathon is done and dusted and I have surfed around the web for pictures and photos from the race. With over 500,000 spectators cheering the 20,000 runners I found plenty of good photos.

I watched the marathon via satellite TV and it looked everyone was having a ball “It was just a very exciting day,’’ said race director Guy Morse. “We haven’t had times like this for many years. The weather [55 degrees, mostly sunny] was almost perfect for runners. And there was a crosswind that made it fair.’

The only disapointment was watching Ryan Hall fall behind, I was hoping for a first American victory since 1983.

The Peoples Marathon

I just loved the following battle between the Russian and the Ethiopian.

The Russian Predator

The Ethiopian Prey

At the end the Prey proved to be too fast for the predator!

The Ethiopian Teyba Erkesso won the battle, beating Russian Tatyana Pushkareva, a 24-year-old former ballroom dancer who might be a candidate for “Dancing with the Stars.’’

CLICK BELOW LINK TO SEE MORE PHOTOS

All photos courtesy of NEVES2006. TO SEE 45 AWESOME 2010 BOSTON MARATHON PICTURES VISIT NEVES2006 FLICKR PAGE

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: American Victory, Ballroom Dancer, Boston Marathon, Boston Photos, Crosswind, Dancing With The Stars, Disapointment, Exciting Day, Having A Ball, Marathon Photos, Marathon Pictures, Morse, Predator, Prey, Race Director, Runners, Ryan Hall, Satellite Tv, Spectators, Tatyana

Ryan Hall uses two sports supplements to sustain energy, to train harder and build stamina to achieve superior results. I found this information from Ryan Hall official Asics blog. 8 Things Ryan hall will carry to 2010 Boston marathon post.

The two supplements are Cytomax powder and Muscle milk.

Cytomax Powder Athlete supplement.

On the official site it is described; Cytomax® Performance Drink is made for a different brand of athlete. Its blend of complex carbohydrates and sugars work to sustain energy, so you can train harder, build stamina, and achieve superior results – Proven Results!

Muscle Milk Sports drink Athlete Supplement

I loved how it is described on their site. Simply put it is the protein! This is a protein sports drink that is designed to promote the development of lean muscle. It promises to increase endurance, fat burning and strength.

Do they work? The proof is in how well Ryan hall performances

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Asics, Athlete, Blog, Boston Marathon, Build Stamina, Complex Carbohydrates, Endurance, Fat Burning, Lean Muscle, Muscle Milk, Muscle Supplement, Performance Drink, Proof, Protein Drink, Ryan Hall, Sports Drink, Sports Supplement, Sports Supplements

If you are looking for a fast and easy marathon course to qualify for Boston Marathon, then you may consider Steamtown marathon. In fact, in 2006, 28 percent of all runners qualified for the Boston Marathon.

Reasons why Steamtown marathon is your answer for that elusive Boston marathon qualifier time.

What the press is saying

Runner’s World has called this race “One of the nation’s 10 fastest marathons.” The Running Times magazine reported that runners at Steamtown have finished faster than the national average for several years in a row.Running USA determined that Steamtown’s 2005 median time was at least 30 minutes faster than the national average and was the fastest of any 2005 U.S. marathon with at least 1,000 finishers.

What the runners have to say.

In a Runnersworld thread some runners reported to have set new PRs by upto 15mins.

The Steamtown marathon course

The course is not just flat it is downhill all the way (not the whole route but atleast most of the route) bad for quads but good for those who have prepared to run down hill.

The Perfect Scranton Pennsylvanian Weather

The race is held every October, when temperatures are relatively cool and the fall foliage is beginning to peak.

What the organizers promise

“The key to running Steamtown is managing the hills,” Cummings said. “Much of the first eight miles features significant downhills while the last few miles include several short, but challenging uphills. Many runners have set personal records here by wide margins. Others however, have failed to prepare for the hills and have crashed and burned, wondering how anyone could call Steamtown fast.”

For More information on race information, register, registratioon fee, visit steamtown marathon site

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 30 Minutes, Boston Marathon, Boston Marathon Qualifier, Cummings, Easy Ticket, Eight Miles, Fall Foliage, Marathon Course, Marathons, Margins, Median Time, Organizers, Personal Records, Prs, Runners, Running Times Magazine, Scranton, Steamtown Marathon, Upto, Weather

I was going through my google reader when I noticed the following news item in the Guardian UK newspaper The story made my day!!

FROM CHINESE MARATHON : Almost a third of the runners who finished in the top 100 have since been disqualified for cheating in the race in the southern port city of Xiamen.

The reason given for cheating has something to do with the University entrance examination. In China those who finish in the marathon in under two hours and 34 minutes can add extra points to their score in the University entrance exam.

Methods used for cheating

Some of the methods the cheaters used were the good old method of taking short cuts, the now familiar one of hiring an impostor to race with your race number and the old classic of hiking a lift on a vehicle part way through the route. Taking a lift enroute was made famous by Rosie Ruiz when the unknown madam came in first at the finish of 1980 Boston marathon. It emerged that she had ridden the subway almost all the way, joining the route barely a mile before the finish line.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Boston Marathon, Cheaters, Cheating, China, Extra Points, Finish Line, Google, Guardian Uk, Impostor, Madam, News Item, Rosie Ruiz, Runners, Score, Short Cuts, Subway, University Entrance Exam, University Entrance Examination

Staying thin is harder than trying to get thin.

The curse of dieting is that 90% of people who lose weight by dieting end up getting their old weight back. Tv star, Valerie Bertinelli managed to lose 40 pounds and she is determined to beat the curse. She is lacing up her running shoes and training to run at this year’s Boston Marathon.

The Boston Marathon is on 19 April for days shy of her 50th birthday. If she finishes the marathon that will be a perfect birthday gift to give herself.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: 19 April, 50th Birthday, Birthday Gift, Boston Marathon, Curse, Running shoes, Tv Star, Valerie Bertinelli

Just before 2009 NYC Marathon, American marathon runner, Ryan Hall was interviewed by a Chicago paper. Ryan was asked the following question;

What’s your go-to, night-before-the-race meal?

Ryan Hall : Pasta, olive oil and Cytomax Muscle Milk Protein Shake.

Another interesting question from the interview was his answer on his strategy for Boston Marathon

What’s your strategy for those Boston hills–and downhills?

Ryan Hall : My strategy for the hills in Boston are to run the same effort level whether I am going up, down or flat, which means I will obviously slow down going up the hills and fly down the back of them. I think that energy management is one of the keys to running a good marathon. The better I can keep it locked in at the right effort level, despite the terrain, the better I will run.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Boston Hills, Boston Marathon, diet, Effort Level, Energy Management, Fly, Marathon Runner, Muscle Milk Protein, Nyc Marathon, Olive Oil, Pasta, Right Effort, Ryan Hall

If you are age 50+ and you think you should start running as a new hobby, this story of 80 year old runner Bob Dolphin should inspire you.

Bob has finished 456 marathon, a total that includes 44 ultramarathons ranging from 31 to 101 miles.

Bob ran his first marathon in 1981 at a prime age of 51. An age when most naysayers would consider too old to think of running a marathon.

In an article in Seattle times Bob sums his love for the 26 miles, “I like the difficulty, the competition in my age class, the sociality among runners, the satisfaction I feel when I complete a race. That’s when I feel most of my runner’s high — when I can sit down and rest and don’t have to count down the miles anymore.”

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Bob Dolphin, Boston Marathon, Columbia Mo, Dolphin, First Marathon, June 14, Location Time, Milestone, Milestones, Mo 3, Naysayers, Oct 11, Ore 3, Running A Marathon, Running Marathon, Seattle Marathon, Seattle Times, Sociality, Ultramarathons, West Seattle

If you’ve never run a marathon or you’re trying to run your fastest time ever, you may consider registering and running in one of these flat marathon courses around USA. Most of this marathon allow you to qualify for Boston marathon.

Chicago Marathon.

Chicago is a flat and fast marathon. Many of over 30,000 runners run it for its speed. The only downside is that the weather can be unpredictable some years, too hot of too cold defeating the flat course advantage.

Philadelphia Marathon

This Pennsylvania marathon has a flat course, the fact that the marathon is ran in late November when the weather is cool gives it an ideal marathon environment for a fast race.

Carlifornia International Marathon

Held in Sacramento California, the marathon is touted as “The Fastest Course in the West.”

Cleveland Marathon

Held in cleveland Ohio in Mid May.

Flat marathons around New York

Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon

This Albany New York marathon, Running Times magazine calls it one of the fastest marathon routes in the country.

Wineglass Marathon

The marathon is held in Corning New York. The Wineglass Marathon yields one of the highest percentages of runners qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Albany New York, Boston Marathon, chicago marathon, Cleveland Marathon, Corning New York, Fastest Time, Hudson River, International Marathon, Late November, Marathon Chicago, Marathon Running, Marathons, Mohawk Hudson, New york marathon, Philadelphia Marathon, Qualifying For The Boston Marathon, Running Times Magazine, Sacramento California, West Cleveland, Wineglass Marathon

In a New York Times article it was reported that in 2008 NYC marathon 46 runners were disqualified for having taking a short cut to the finish line and an untold number of runners escape detection, marathon officials said.

Mary Wittenberg, the race director, called the number of cheats shocking.

Shortcuts methods at NYC marathon

According to the organisers the two most common form of cheating are

1. Stepping off the course and rejoining it closer to the finish, often sneaking into Central Park once they enter Manhattan near Mile 16.
2. Participants running with someone else bib. According to 2008 records, a 19-year-old in the field gave his bib to someone five years older, and that person posted the best time in the 18-19 division.

The biggest reason or motivation of taking a short cut is to secure a coveted qualification time for the Boston Marathon

written by Constantine Njeru \\ tags: Best Time, Bib, Boston Marathon, Central Park, Finish Line, Manhattan, marathon runners, Motivation, New York City, New York City Marathon, New York Times, Nyc Marathon, Organisers, Participants, Qualification Time, Race Director, Shortcuts, Wittenberg, York City Marathon, York Times Article