BOSTON MARATHON INFO

MONACO (MON): The IAAF President Lamine Diack has issued the following statement on Boston situation: “Our association mourns the loss of those killed in Boston, and offers its condolences and deepest sympathy to the families. Our thoughts are with them as they are with the large number who were injured. This ghastly and cowardly attack strikes at the very core of the freest of human activities. Whether as a fun runner or elite competitor, road running exemplifies the honestly of basic human movement, strength and resilience. We stand firm with the race organisers of the Boston Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Race and the oldest marathon in existence, the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races and the people of Boston at this time of tragedy and condemn this mindless attack. Millions of dollars are raised for charity every year by participants in road races. The events themselves are administered by thousands of volunteers who freely give their time to operate everything from baggage trucks to water stations to finish lines. The streets are lined with countless millions of spectators who selflessly simply wish to applaud, encourage and embrace the best of human endeavor. There can be no excuse, no cause which can justify these explosions in Boston which so sicken us all.” Informs the IAAF.

LAUSANNE (SUI): European Athletics is shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic events at the Boston Marathon on Monday. „Our thoughts are with the victims and their families at this moment,” said European Athletics President Hansjörg Wirz. „This is a very sad day for athletics and the European Athletics Family offers its most profound sympathies and condolences to all those who have been affected by this terrible incident.” Says European Athletics.

JOHANNESBURG (RSA): South African media are reporting that two South African athletes were injured in the Boston marathon blast in the United States, it was reported on Tuesday. „So far, we’ve been alerted to two South Africans that have been injured. Our information is that they are being treated and we are offering consular service to them,” international relations and co-operation department spokesman Clayson Monyela told SABC radio news. Twenty-eight South Africans registered for the race.

LONDON (GBR): The 2013 Virgin London Marathon, registration and associated events will go ahead as originally scheduled. „We have reviewed and will continue to review our security arrangements with the Metropolitan Police and other authorities. We are being fully supported in all aspects of the event to safeguard our runners, spectators, volunteers and staff. Runner registration will take place as planned, with David Weir CBE opening EXPO at 11am on Wednesday 17th April, and we look forward to welcoming our runners to ExCel,” the organizers are saying in a release. London Marathon Chief Executive Nick Bitel said: “The support we have been offered by our stakeholders and the wider running community has been outstanding. We have the full support of the Metropolitan Police, the Mayor’s office and other authorities. We want to reassure our runners, spectators, volunteers and everyone connected with the event that we are doing everything to ensure their safety and that the Virgin London Marathon 2013 will be an outstanding success.”

TWITTER: Usain Bolt said: „What a sad news #bostonmarathon .. Praying for all”. Paula Radcliffe: „Situation looks awful, thoughts with everyone. There are some very sick people out there, who would do something like this?”. Haile Gebrselassie: „Running brings people together, but what just happened in Boston is terrible. My thoughts are with everybody in Boston.”

MOSCOW (RUS): After explosions at the Boston marathon Russia will tighten up security precautions at the World Championships and World University Games. Russian sport minister Vitaliy Mutko commented situation to national media: “We’ll organize many major sport events in Russia in next future and latest developments in Boston is a warning bell for us. Certainly, we’re toughening security procedures despite that we have very strong concept of safety and thought over everything during preparation for Winter Olympics, Moscow world championships and Kazan Universiade. But now we’ll discuss all security questions once more with our colleagues.” President of All-Russian athletics federation Valentin Balakhnichev underlined: “Boston’s tragedy showed us problems with safeguarding of mass outdoor events. I’m afraid that explosions in Boston can become an example for other masterminds of terrorist acts. Nevertheless I’m sure that Moscow championships security procedures will be at the level of all needs.”

TOKYO (JPN): Agencies are informing that organisers of Japan’s Nagano Marathon said they will go ahead with the race as planned this weekend. “We will have closer communications with police and security officers to make sure the race takes place without any problems,” said Makoto Yajima, a spokesman for the marathon organisers.

BOSTON (USA): Kenya’s winner of the 2012 Boston Marathon, Wesley Korir, who came fifth this year, has told the BBC of his fear after hearing of the deadly blasts „If this had happened two hours earlier, maybe I would have been among the victims,” Korir said. He had been celebrating Kenyan Rita Jeptoo’s victory in the women’s race. „The joy that we had has all been taken away,” he said the BBC’s Newsday pr
ogramme. Jeptoo comes from the Cherangany constituency, for which Korir was elected an MP in last month’s election.

WARSZAWA (POL): Polish Athletics Federation said that the Orlen Warsaw Marathon (also 83rd National Championships for men) will start this Sunday with a minute of silence for the victims of Boston tragedy.

HAMBURG (GER): The organisers of one of the biggest marathons in Germany in Hamburg informed the event will go ahead as planned. They said any other choice was not on the table.

WEEKEND: This Sunday is one of the busiest all over the world with marathons. Except of the top one in London, also Nagano, Warszawa, Yangzhou, Hamburg, Enschede, Linz, Annecy, Nantes, Leipzig, Beograd, Antverp, Messina, Padova, Thessaloniki and La Coruna are in the calendar.

OTHER NEWS

LONDON (GBR): The National Lottery announced as the Event Partner for Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games, the IAAF Diamond League in London in July. The partnership with British Athletics will through to 2017 and beyond set to celebrate National Lottery’s support for Great Britain’s athletes. As well as British Athletics benefiting from a record level of National Lottery funding delivered through UK Sport, both parties will work in partnership to ensure that British athletes maximise the support of the lottery-playing public in Rio 2016 and London 2017.

LONDON (GBR): To celebrate The National Lottery’s partnership with British Athletics, the British line-up was also announced for the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games, which will see memorable moments like “Super Saturday” and “Thriller Thursday” from London 2012 relived a year on from the Opening Ceremony. All five British Olympic medallists have, so far, been confirmed to compete. Olympic Heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis will double up in both the 100 m hurdles and long jump, before being joined in Saturday afternoon’s event programme by double Olympic champion Mo Farah, who will run in the 3000 m, and Olympic Long Jump champion Greg Rutherford. Interestingly it will be first appearance for Ennis at the London Diamond League meet. Other top British athletes set to compete in London are World 400m Hurdles champion Dai Greene, European indoor Pole Vault champion Holly Bleasdale, World 110m Hurdles bronze medallist Andy Turner, European High Jump champion Robbie Grabarz and Olympic silver medallist Christine Ohuruogu. Also listed to compete are Andrew Osagie and Mukhtar Mohammed for 800 m, Chris Thompson in the 3000 m, Lawrence Clarke at 110 m hurdles, Chris Tomlinson in long jump and Steve Lewis in the pole vault. On the women side Christine Ohuruogu at 400 m, Jenny Meadows at the 800 m, Perri Shakes-Drayton at 400 m hurdles and in the long jump Shara Proctor with Katrina Johnson-Thompson.

SKOPJE (MKD): The 23rd European Athletics Congress in Skopje over the weekend saw the approval of a number of proposals from the European Athletics Member Federations and European Athletics Council to amend the European Athletics Constitution. In line with European Athletics’ long-term strategy to bring all activities linked to athletics under one roof, from high-performance events and competitions to athletics-related activities that are serving society, the Congress clarified the definition of „athletics” in the Constitution to the following: „Athletics is defined as running, walking, throwing and jumping in all forms, sometimes regulated by rules, exercised for its own end both competitively and non-competitively, indoors and out outdoors on various surfaces.” Congress agreed to limit the number of mandates served by European Athletics Presidents to three terms. The Congress also decided to dissolve the use of the term ‚Committee’ and replace it with ‚Commission’. Henceforth the European Athletics Competition Committee and Development Committee will be known as the Competition Commission and Development Commission.

WARSZAWA (POL): New marathon will be staged this Sunday in Warszawa. The Orlen Warszawa Marathon will be organised in the streets of the main city of the country. It will be also 83rd Polish men championships. Top home name is Henryk Szost with last year national record 2:07:39 what was also European top time of 2012. Top international entry is Morrocan double world champion and olympic medalist 2008 Jaouad Gharib. Another fast runners are Ukrainian Dmytro Baranovsky (2:07:15) and Poland´s Artur Kozlowski (2:10:58). In accompanying races (10 km, 3.33 km) stars of sports in Poland will take part, for example ski jumper Adam Malysz or cross country skier Justyna Kowalczyk. The other Warszawa Marathon (35 editions) is held in autumn.

WALNUT (USA): Some of the top names are entered for the 55th MtSAC Relays in Walnut this weekend. For example in the women 100 m entered are world
champion Carmelita Jeter, 2005 World champion Lauryn Williams and fast Nigerian Blessing Okagbare. In the men 100 m the top names are olympic finalist Ryan Bailey, former US Champ Mike Rodgers, Gulf Champion Samuel Francis of Qatar and also long jump olympic winner Greg Rutherford from Great Britain (he is also scheduled for the long jump). Decathlon olympic winner Ashton Eaton is scheduled to run the 110 m hurdles and compete in the shot put. Hurdles will have as the top star world champion Jason Richardson with this year US indoor champion Omo Osaghae. In women hurdles Ginnie Crawford should clash with Jessica Zelinka and Yvette Lewis. Two Daegu medalists, gold holder Jesse Williams and bronze winner Trevor Barry of Bahamas are the top two names in the men high jump, women competition has olympic medalist Brigetta Barrett. Former 400 m hurdles champion and London silver medalist Lashinda Demus is going to run the 400 m and 800 m. Morgan Uceny is also in the 800 m and 1500 m has Kim Conley with Brenda Martinez. Men hammer will see US Kibwe Johnson with Slovak European Champion Libor Charfreitag. It is expected that Allyson Felix and Dawn Harper-Nelson will run in the relays.

KINGSTON (JAM): Reuters informs that the hamstring injury of World champion Yohan Blake from Saturday UTECH Classic is more serious than expected. His coach Glen Mills said for Reuters that „an MRI done Monday afternoon revealed the hamstring injury sustained was more serious than first thought,” he said. „Blake could be out for several weeks as he recuperates,” Mills added for Reuters. Next competition for Blake should be the Kingston IAAF Challenge Meet on May 4 in three weeks.

SOCHI (RUS): Long jump European indoor champion Aleksandr Menkov informed the news agency All Sport about his shape and plans. “I’m doing great and continuing my pre-season preparation in Sochi training camp where I’ll stay till May 8. It’s impossible to say something about my current shape as I didn’t start my technical work yet. I’m absolutely healthy and feeling rested after the winter season,” said the 22-years old Russian. After becoming a winner of Diamond League 2012 Menkov aims to repeat his last year success. “My competition schedule isn’t complete yet. I know for sure that I’ll open my season at Shanghai Diamond League on May 18. Then we’ll choose competitions depends on my fitness. I have Universiade in my plans as well but it’s too early to say something about my performance in Kazan.” As last year Diamond League winner Menkov already has a wild card for Moscow world championships. “It’s a big advantage for me as I can pass the national championships and make good preparation for the World Championships.”

SAO PAULO (BRA): Brazilian athletics federation approved the time-table for the IAAF World Challenge meet in Belem on May 12. Due to expected hot weather it will start already at 8.25 am. Two of the Brazilian stars confirmed their participation for the long jump. Olympic winner Marruen Maggi and World Indoor Champion Mauro Vinicius.

CARDIFF (GBR): Local media are informing that plans are being made to bring the World Indoor athletics championships to the Millennium Stadium in 2016. Athletics chiefs have hatched plans to take their all-star British Grand Prix to Glasgow’s Hampden Park next summer. Currently the meet is held in Birmingham. They are also exploring the possibility of bidding for the 2016 World Indoor Championships and staging it under the Millennium Stadium roof in Cardiff.

LAWRENCE (USA): A collection of 12 of the nation’s top milers have agreed to race in the prestigious Glenn Cunningham Mile at the 2013 Kansas Relays it was announced by Kansas officials. Headlining the competitive field will be Olympians Leo Manzano and Nick Symmonds, former Oregon All-American A.J. Acosta and the two-time KU Relays mile champion, Peter Van Der Westhuizen from South Africa. The group will look to break Jim Ryun’s 36-year-old KU Relays mile record on Saturday. Rounding out the field will be Jeff See, Briton Lee Emanuel, David Adams, Chris Gowell, Cory Leslie, JT Sullivan and Ireland’s Ciaran O’Lionard.

LAWRENCE (USA): With inclement weather expected to hit the Lawrence area on Wednesday and Thursday, Kansas Relays officials have elected to move the Downtown Shot Put and Long Jump events indoors to the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Both events will still begin as scheduled, with the shot put on Wednesday and long jump on Thursday. Top stars of this events are Reese Hoffa and Janay DeLoach Soukup.

LONDON (GBR): Freya Ross has been forced to withdraw from Sunday’s Virgin London Marathon with an injury to her right hip. The Olympian, who was expected to be Britain’s leading athlete in this year’s women’s race, joins fellow British runner and marathon debutante Helen Clitheroe in dropping out of the race. Informs Athletics Weekly. The absence of Ross leaves Amy Whitehead and Susan Partridge to lead the British challenge in the women’s race.

PRAHA (CZE): Registrations are now closed for both the Volkswagen Prague Marathon and the first edition of the Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon. With more than one month to go before the race, all start numbers have sold out for the 19th ever Volkswagen Prague Marathon taking place on 12th May at 9:00 am on Prague’s Old Town Square. 9000 runners are expected. The first ever Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon is scheduled to take place fourteen days later on May 25. Capacity for 1500 runners was already reached with a month and a half to go before the race.

RESULTS

RICHMOND (USA, Apr 14): Kenyan Julius Kogo won the 14th Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10-K in 28:18 one second ahead of Pius Nyantika 28:19. Ogla Kimaiyo missed the course record by one second with 32:25. Informs RRW.

AUSTIN (USA, Apr 14): Kenyan Simon Ndirangu achieved new course record 47:15 at the 10 miles of the Austin Race. New course record also in women race 55:31 by Ethiopian Belainesh Gebre ahead of Russian Alevtina Ivanova 55:39. From the RRW.