by Larry Eder
Sara Hall, 2010 Continental Fifth Avenue Mile,photo by PhotoRun.netWhen I moved to Wisconsin, it was one of the weekends that I would return to the Bay Area, catching up with friends, and watching some great racing over the years. Apparently some great racing this year as Sara Hall showed that she can hurdle, steepling a fine 9:50.68 early season run. Jessica Pixler ran a superb 5,000 meters, running a world leader 15:25.58.
You heard it here, make sure you are at the 2011 Payton Jordan Invitational Distance Carnival, which will be the first weekend of May. Should be some sparkling competitions!
You will find me, hopefully, sitting up in the stands with Joe Mangan, and a few other track geeks, worshiping the sport as we should, on such a cool, hopefully calm, Sunday evening, watching a national record or two, or three, go into the record books.
Image via Wikipedia
TOTH NATIONAL RECORD 3:39:46
DUDINCE (SVK, Mar 26): Slovak
World Cup winner Matej Toth celebrated
another big win of his career. In his fourth 50 km he was not only first
home winner at “30th Dudinska patdesiatka” (EA Walking Permit) after six
years
but also clocked new national record and road world leading 3:39:46.
Toth (28)
improved his national mark from Dudince 2009 by 1:46. He was leading
nearly
from the beginning of the race and even at 40th km he was still ahead of
meeting
record pace (3:38:45 Yohan Diniz in 2009) by two minutes and it looked
like he
might go under 3:37. But strong wind at the end slowed him down. Still
it was
third best time in the history of the race. “It was like I wanted, fast
begin
and try whether I can keep the pace. Only last five km did not work. But
I must
be satisfied, sub 3:40 was always my dream,” he was quoted. Poland´s
olympic
top 8 placer Rafal Fedaczynski was second in personal best 3:46:05 and
was
national champion as Toth. Third another Polish walker Rafal Sikora and
another
life-time best 3:46:16 ahead of Lukasz Nowak 3:46:40 and title defender
Rafal
Augustyn 3:46:56 (PB´s for both) showing great depth of Poland´s
walking. 2007
World champion Nathan Deakes was sixth in 3:48:02 in his first finished
50k
race since 2007. Best of Mexicans was seventh Omar Zepeda in 3:50:26
ahead of
Bertrand Moulinet of France who improved to 3:50:49 in his first sub 4
hours
race. At 9th place Berlin
20 km
medalist Eder Sanchez of Mexico debuted at the distance with solid
3:53:19. Top
ten was completed by Cedric Houssaye of France, another personal best
3:53:24. Former European 20 km
champion Francisco Fernandez of Spain
did not finish his second 50k of the career at the 35km level walking at
3:50
pace. In total 13 walkers achieved sub 4 hours time, last was Igor
Kazakevics
from Latvia
getting also the national title in 3:59:43. Portugal´s record holder
Antonio
Pereira was initially 11th in 3:54:09 but was later disqualified. From
67
starters 47 finished. Ireland´s world championships medalist Olive
Loughnane
won women´s 20 km
in 1:32:40 beating Czech Zuzana Schindlerova (1:33:51) and Ukrainian
Nadya
Borovska (1:33:59). In the men´s 20
km Andriy Kovenko of Ukraine posted 1:21:44 to win ahead
of German Carsten Schmidt (1:24:39). Junior 10 km winners were Igor
Puzanov of Ukraine (43:28)
and Ireland´s Kate Veale (46:43), in youth 10 km Patrik Spevak of
Slovakia clocked excellent 43:23 to fulfill Lille standard and was
faster than the best junior. Czech Anezka Drahotova was the best in
youth girls
5 km
(23:03).
VAN ZYL WORLD LEADING 44.86
GERMISTON (RSA, Mar 26): World leader at 400 m hurdles LJ Van Zyl
showed excellent shape at Yellow Pages meet here. He won the flat 400 m in excellent world
leader and personal best 44.86. Second Willie de Beer also good with life-time
best 45.68. World champion Caster Semenya won the 800 m in 2:01.77 and was
second in the 400 m
achieving personal best 52.54 (beaten by Tijpekapora Herunga of Namibia 52.32).
2008 World Indoor Champoon Khotso Mokoeana leaped to excellent 817 (-1.0) in
long jump. Sprinter Hannes Dreyer (coach national record holder Morne Nagel)
registered a double with wind-assisted 10.17 (+2.1) and 20.88 (-1.8). In
javelin duel Justine Robbeson (59.82) beat African record holder Sunette
Viljoen (57.34).
VCB CLOCKS 52.25
ORLANDO (USA,
Mar 26): Two-time Olympic Games 200
m champion Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown, had a very
good 400 m
outing at University
of Central Florida Invitational.
Campbell-Brown went out fast and took early control of the race, before faded
in the closing metres to hand American Mary Wineberg the victory.
Campbell-Brown clocked an impressive outdoor personal best 52.25 seconds for
second behind Wineberg 52.00. Joel Brown achieved 13.47 (+1.3) at 110 m hurdles beating
Jamaican record holder Dwight Thomas (13.49). Croatian discus record holder
Martin Maric got 62.59 m.
VILI 20.54, GILL WORLD YOUTH
BESTS
DUNEDIN (NZL, Mar 26): Olympic and World shot put
champion Valerie Adams finished off her down-under competitive season with a New Zealand
all comers and resident record of 20.54 during second day of national
championships. It was her eleventh national shot put title. Informs NZ
Athletics. In perfect conditions in front of a bumper crowd Adams
opened with 20.33m, fell out of the front in the next round with the record
coming in her third attempt. Her national record set overseas is 21.07m. Supert
talent Jacko Gill knocked off another world age record in the shot put claiming
the world bests for 16 and 17 year old with the 6kg shot with his performance
of 21.34m. This improved on his own 16 year best of 20.76 m and bettered the 17
best of 21.08m set by German David Storl in 2008. While pleased to get another
couple of records Gill was disappointed he didn’t get out to 22.73m which would
also give him the official IAAF World junior record. Double silver medallist at
the Delhi Commonwealth Games Nikki Hamblin comfortably won the first of her
double title defenses the 800m in 2:05.49. Alex Jordan was outstanding in the
senior 400 m
winning in the third fastest time by a New Zealander of 46.40.
OTHER NEWS
KINGSTON (JAM): Antiguan sprint record holder and Berlin 100 m fourth placer Daniel
Bailey plans to open his season after relay appearances at the Kingston
Invitational on May 7 (IAAF World Challenge). Confirms his agent Cubie
Seegobin. Bailey has a best of 9.91 from 2009 and is member of Racers TC of
Glen Mills.
LONDON (GBR): The second staging of the Newham London
Run on Sunday will have a rather special name amongst the thousands of runners
on the start line as Ireland’s
greatest ever distance runner, Sonia O’Sullivan, takes to the streets for the
10k run.
SOFIA (BUL): Olympic and world semifinalist at 400 m hurdles Tsvetelina
Kirilova became on Friday a mother for second time. Her daughter Yavora is 3.6 kg and 50 cm. Her first child is a
boy Emil. Bulgarian media are pointing out that high jump world record holder
Stefka Kostadinova celebrated also on friday her 46th birthday.
VIENNA (AUT): Austrian Athletics Federation OLV has a
new president. 55-years old marketing specialist Ralph Vallon was voted on
Saturday new head of the national body. He is replacing Johann Gloggnitzer who
was president since 2000.
KINGSTON (JAM): The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, has been
collaborating with the international sports gears manufacturing firm, Adidas,
and the local Racers Track Club in the providing of sports equipment to a
number of schools in Jamaica. The contributions are used by the schools in the
development of their track and field athletics programmes. Informs the ministry
in a release.
BOSTON (USA): The Boston Athletic
Association, founder and organizer of the Boston Marathon, has added a new race
to their annual event calendar. With the cooperation of the City of Boston, the B.A.A. 10-K
debuts on Sunday, June 26, and will feature a $30,000 prize money purse. The
race will start and finish on Charles
Street at Boston Common. “The B.A.A. 10-K offers
runners an uncommon summer racing opportunity in Boston,” said B.A.A. Executive Director Tom
Grilk through a statement. He continued: “Having already begun to work
proactively with the neighborhood, community and business groups along this
beautiful course, participants in the B.A.A. 10-K can expect to receive a warm
welcome during the race.”
NEW YORK (USA): The winner of next month’s More Magazine | Fitness
Magazine Women’s Half-Marathon in New York City will receive the Meyerhoff
award to honor the race’s late champion, Sally Meyerhoff, who was struck and
killed on March 8 by a pick-up truck, while cycling near her home in Maricopa,
Ariz. Meyerhoff won the 2010 edition of the race last April in a course record
1:14:40, despite running in cold temperatures accompanied by heavy rain.
LUZERN (SUI): Third best Swiss one day meeting of Luzern (EA Classic)
finalised its date for 2011 to July 21 (Tuesday). The Allmend Stadium was
rebuilded and is having new main tribune for this years edition with new 2000
places. Because of the works in the stadium last year the meet was held in
nearby Nottwil.
LOS ANGELES (USA):
World champion Allyson Felix said for IAAF: “I am getting ready to open my
season at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays on 14-16 April with my training
group. I’m really excited. I love starting my season off here. It’s always
great to get to run at home, and a meet I’ve been racing at since high school.”
TOKYO (JPN): Mizuki Noguchi, 2004 Olympic Marathon
Champion, donated 500,000 yen (her own money) to earth quake/tsunami victims.
RESULTS
AZPEITIA (ESP, Mar 26): Kenyan Stanley Biwott won the 18th
Azkoitia-Azpeitia half-marathon in new course record 1:00:23. Women winner was
also a Kenyan Fridah Domongole clocked 1:11:32.
JERUSALEM (ISR, Mar 25): The Jerusalem International Marathon
was resumed over the full distance after 16 years. Some 1000 runners took part
in the 4th edition of the race, which was held over a hilly course. Kenyans
Raymond Kipkoech, John Kipkorir Mutai & Michael Njoroge, who led towards
the end, were misdirected to a different finish line, but were reinstated
later. Winning time 2:26:43 ahead of 2:26:54 and 2:27:18. Ethiopian Worknesh
Shashe was the best woman in 2:50:04 just one second ahead of Kenyan Rosaline
David (2:50:05) and Wioletta Kryza of Poland (2:51:20).
AUSTIN (USA, Mar 25): Marek Niit clocked
new Estonian 100 m
record 10.21 (+1.9) at a Tri Meet. Jamaican former world junior medalist Keiron
Stewart improved at 110 m
hurdles to 13.44 (+1.8).
PALO ALTO (USA, Mar 25): At Stanford
Invitational solid 9:50.68 personal best by Sara Hall in the steeple. Jessica
Pixler won the 5000 m
in 15:25.58 ahead of US multiple road champion Jen Rhines 15:32.70. In men´s
distances Andrew Bayer 13:32.74 and Kenyan Robert Cheseret 28:29.69. Briton
James Alaka sprinted 10.37 at 100
m (+2.3) and French 17-years old Youth Olympic Games
winner Alexia Sedykh improved with senior hammer to 62.87.
BATON ROUGE (USA,
Mar 25): Fast relay time from 4×100 m heats by LSU in 38.87 (Nugent, H.
Williams, Talley, Mvumvure/ZIM).
RALEIGH (USA, Mar 25): Francena McCorory
posted solid 51.98 at 400 m
during Raleigh Relays. Ronnie Ash got in his hurdles heats 13.58 (+1.6) and
Kenyan Sam Chelanga achieved 28:15.64 in the 10 000 m.
KINGSTON (JAM, Mar 25): Carrie Russell and Jacques
Harvey, both of the University
of Technology, won the
women’s and men’s 100 m
finals during the opening day of the VMBS Intercol Track & Field
Championships, being staged at the Usain Bolt track, at UWI. Russell, in the
women’s section, sped to victory in 11.44 seconds, Harvey ran 10.37. Informs Track Alerts.
