Norteños at the New York City Marathon

Smyth - US Mountain Running Champ

The New York Marathon kinda got lost in the madness that was the World Series and election combo last week.

It was a fine race up front and a fantastic race for American athletes. US finishers took six of the first eleven places on the men's side, including former La Cueva High standout and UNM alum Shadrack Biwott in 5th (2:12:01), and Santa Fe based pro Patrick Smyth in 10th (2:16:34).

Biwott at NYC

Pat ran a minute faster at February's Olympic Marathon Trials, finishing 8th - 3 secs back of 7th place Shadrack Biwott. Seems to be a thing with these two. I'd think Shadrack ought to probably spring for the tab if they ever hang out. For what's its worth I raced Pat back in May and he got the best of me. We squared-up with a few hundred other runners at the Jemez Mountain Trail Run and the dude put me in his wake by an hour+ over a 13mi course. I'm going with a strategy of patience and I think I'll close the gap over another 15yrs when he doesn't see me coming.


On the women's side the Americans fared quite well again with three in the top ten, but I was mostly focused on gold medal triathlete and CPA Gwen Jorgensen in her first attempt at the distance. She faded to 14th overall, 6th American (2:41:01), however I'm going to imagine she had the tax liability on her winnings calc'ed out before crossing the line and that counts for something in my book.

Additional notes and connections: Molly Huddle finished 3rd overall (2:28:13), notable here because she was a college teammate of Smyth's at Notre Dame. Prior to Biwott's 5th place finish, fellow Oregon alum Ken Martin ran to a 2nd place finish in 1989 (2:09:38). Ken lived and trained in Santa Fe in the year(s) leading up to that performance. The best finish at NYC by a New Mexican local was of course Tony Sandoval, (2:12:12) for 6th overall in 1981. Tony passed over both Oregon and Notre Dame to run for Stanford.

Ken Martin in '89 besting Italy's Olympic gold medalist, Bordin

NYC Results - 2016

Related Posts:
 - New York's Incredible High Line Park (2013)
 - NYC Marathon - Race Report (2011)
 - New Mexicans at the Olympic Trials Marathon (2016)

New Mexicans at the Olympic Trials Marathon

Pay Smyth - 2015 XTERRA worlds

This year's Olympic Marathon Trials run Saturday in Los Angeles. Organizers report a record number of qualifiers (457) for the race, 211 men and 246 women of which a total of 373 appear entered to run. There will be a small New Mexican contingent out there including Magdalena Donahue (Sandoval) of Albuquerque/Los Alamos, Patrick Smyth of Utah/Santa Fe, and the Navajo Nation's Linnabah Snyder.

For Donahue this is her second Trials. She competed in Houston in 2012 but didn't finish the race, running three months pregnant at the time. Her qualifying time has improved though she's just four months removed from delivering her second child and a recent defense of her PhD dissertation. To be considered a national-class athlete in this context is somewhat extraordinary. Her father won this race in 1980. A recent Q&A with the Duke's Track Club can be found here, Magdalena's insight and training updates can be found here.

Donahue's personal photo-shop effort - 2012 Olympic Trials

Smyth has recently moved to Santa Fe to train with Ryan Bolton and his group of elites. He's originally from Utah, ran at the University of Notre Dame (HOW 'BOUT THEM IRISH!), and in his brief pro career has run World Cross Country (36th), collected 1st and 2nds at the US Mountain Running Championships (10th at Worlds), and is the three-time XTERRA world trail running champion.

Linnabah Snyder

Don't know much of Snyder other than she made it happen by one second with a 2:44:59 finish at the California Int'l Marathon, and will be on the line in LA tomorrow. Whole lot of respect for a runner that can get it done at that level.

NBC will be carrying the race live tomorrow, 1100am MT. All three 2012 Olympians on the women's side are running (Flanagan, Goucher, Devila). Meb Keflezighi is the only returning Olympic marathoner from 2012 on the men's side, Dathan Ritzenhein represented the U.S. in 2008 but finished fourth in the 2012 trials and later qualified in the 10,000m.

Men's 2016 Qualifiers
Women's 2016 Qualifiers

Update: I'm told Craig Curley of the Navajo Nation will be running as will UNM alums Shadrack Biwott and Chris Barnicle. Good luck to all.

Updated Results: Biwott 7th, 2:15:23; Smyth 8th, 2:15:26; Curley 98th, 2:42:55; Magdalena Donahue, DNF; Linnabah Snyder, DNF.
Full results here

Related Posts:
 - Olympic Marathon Trials (2012)
 - Armijo Runs to an Olympic Trials Qualifier
 - A Brief Meeting with Billy Mills
 - Meb Wins Boston

The Running Times Signs Off

The Running Times has ceased publication as of this last January edition and I am seriously bummed. Editions remain in news stands at the Running Hub and elsewhere. The last pure running publication, pure in the sense that a fresh copy of the RT best conveyed that running meant something. Its articles and writing best captured the sense of athlete performances in context of the sport, of the relevant history, and of whom was leading its newest charge. Other outlets will fill the void but they're varied and dispersed in a sport that carries niche attention. A sad day.

Gracing the final cover with Des Devila was an inspired choice. An everyman that penned her own arrival in a dramatic finish on Boylston. Like many that led the way before her, she broke into the elite from obscurity, years of careful ground work in place, and with her the intense belief that she alone could wear the champion's laurel.

No other publication or outlet brought the weight of RT. The sport will be different in its absence.

We have made the difficult decision that Running Times will no longer be published beyond its Jan./Feb. issue. pic.twitter.com/TFL2H8UJ5Y

— RW Advanced (@RWAdvanced) December 4, 2015

Caroline Rotich Races to Boston Lore

Golden laurels and the champions cup - courtesy NYDaily news

Big day in Boston yesterday. Santa Fe local Caroline Rotich wins an epic duel down Boylston Street with Ethiopian Mare Dibaba, of Dibaba sister fame. Caroline's previous Boston best was 4th in 2011 (besting Kara Goucher). She also ran 4th at Chicago in 2012.

I wasn't even aware that Caroline was running yesterday. Monitoring the live feed I was first disappointed to see Flanagan fall off the lead pack at 1:45hr, then Desi broke at about 1:57hr. Both Americans no longer chasing podium spots. I then took a moment to review who the final three were: Dibaba, Deba, and Rotich. The first two easily recognizable, decorated Ethiopian runners. Spent a moment trying to place Rotich before snapping up in my chair in realization that I was watching Caroline. Holy hell, she was in the final selection at Boston. She could win this thing!

The pace accelerated at oh-shit underpass and Deba was out the back. Caroline lead the race out of the final turn onto Boylston where the finish line is suddenly wating in the distance - dangerously distant 500m off. Can't even imagine what that must be like. Dibaba moved first at about 350m, opening a little space - I cringed watching it unfold, frantically whispering encouragement and gesturing wildly from my desk. But the lead arrested, Dibaba couldn't open a break, a dramatic pause lingered over the two for several seconds, then Caroline moved all-in. The acceleration erased the small advantage and as she caught and moved past Dibaba the other runner's face creased with effort, her stride visibly strained, then she broke. Caroline ran free into open space, a giant grin on her face, the finishing tape a short 70m away. HUGE.

Caroline's winning bid, Dibaba implodes - courtesy of USAToday

Complete disbelief on my part as to what I'd just seen. Exhausted and elated, Caroline staggers around draped with a thin blanket, receiving a bear hug from one of the officials, then Bolton suddenly steps into the video feed to give Caroline a second hug and congratulations. This was happening at the finish line, at Boston, on Patriots Day. One of the most unreal things I've ever seen.

Rotich wins! Rotich wins! Rotich wins! @ccrotich @jhboston26 #TheHarambeeProject
— Ryan Bolton (@CoachRyanBolton) April 20, 2015

A friend and training partner of Caroline's watches the live feed of the final 500m
Posted by K. Hollingsworth Ryals on Monday, April 20, 2015

Every northern New Mexico runner yesterday morning Originally posted by K. Hollingsworth Ryals, Monday, April 20, 2015
Today's Santa Fe New Mexican headline piece (Staci Matlock)
Today's Santa Fe Reporter feature piece (Julie Ann Grimm)
Today's Albuquerque Journal headline piece (Glen Rosales)
Today's Boston Herald feature piece (Steve Buckley)

Related Posts:
 - Luminaries on the Rail Trail (2011)
 - Caroline Rotich and the Santa Fe Elite Training Group (2011)
 - BOSTON! (2015)
 - Meb wins Boston (2014)

BOSTON! - 2015

It's here, Patriots Day in New England and the running of the 119th Boston Marathon. And what a fine, fine morning it is!

I've pulled together a tracking list of Santa Fe area runners heading out from Hopkinton into Boston today. The list below ought to include all runners from Santa Fe and Los Alamos. I found no entrants from Taos, Espanola, or Las Vegas, though there was one from Abiquiu (represent!). This morning's starting list shows 70 runners from the state of New Mexico, nine from Santa Fe including Robert Jones, Vince Hesch, Peter Vigneron, Hilary Lorenz, and Mark Wallace who lives two doors down from us (give 'em hell Mark!) .


Am I missing someone we should be tracking? Let me know.
Boston live-streaming can be found here
The Leaderboard can be found here

UPDATE:   Santa Fe athlete Caroline Rotich just won the Boston Marathon in 2:24:55. So, there's that. Coached by Santa Fe's Ryan Bolton, uses the Santa Fe Rail Trail for a lot of her training (i know because i wave and say hello when she runs past).

Ummm...Caroline just won Boston!? @CoachRyanBolton https://t.co/SbRIn0f7T1
— highdesertdirt (@HDD_santafe) April 20, 2015

230pm MST

1030am MST

830am MST

700am MST

#NMruns_Boston Tweets

Related Posts:
 - Luminaries on the Rail Trail (Rotich)
 - BOSTON! - 2013
 - BOSTON! - 2012

4th Annual Santa Fe Thunder Half Marathon - 2014

On the starting line - courtesy Google images - Teaboon Hills

As often happens, I found myself at this morning's pre-race. Not so much stretching or warming up - mostly drinking coffee and slowly crushing the donuts at the volunteer table. Saw pretty much everyone else in the local running community prepping for go-time.

The race grows larger and larger each year. Talked briefly with Nike athlete Alvina Begay and race director Joseph Karnes, as well as friends prepping for Chicago, NYC, and Boston. Made me really want to get out for a run! I'll need to substitute afternoon arroyos for Pojoaque and Buffalo Thunder this year.

We'll follow the race via Twitter in the feed below. Use hashtag #runsantafe to post your own pics, comments, results, donut-stories, etc. Best of luck to all today's runners.


#runsantafe Tweets
Full race results will be posted here
SFNewMexican writeup and results here

Related Posts:
  - Buffalo Thunder Half Race Report - 2013
  - A Brief Meeting with Billy Mills (and Steve Gachupin, 2012)
  - Santa Fe's Buffalo Thunder Half Marathon  (2011)




View Santa Fe to Buffalo Thunder Half Marathon in a larger map

Santa Fe Thunder Half Marathon - 2013

The 4th running of the Santa Fe Half is just a few short days away. A fine time to recap the prior year's race, particularly when a timely race report never made it to completion the year before. Previously the Buffalo Thunder Half Marathon, the race has shifted its marketing to highlight our lovely town and the more recognizable name of Santa Fe. Solid decision, the miles need to be run just the same.

Last year was my first view of the course. Started out from town on a perfect fall morning for running - a bit overcast, cool, with rain the night before. I ran with Leigland and friends Dan and his wife Cheyenne who had traveled up from Alamogordo. The gun sent us off, starting with two miles of climbing on Old Taos Highway. We ran these fairly leisurely and I think they split at 8min30 then 8min even. Chatted with folks we knew as we worked through the field. Mile 3 started the descent into the Rio Grande valley which went at 6min flat. My watch might as well have just flashed 'DANGER!'. The old run-like-hell-early-and-control-massive-damage-at-the-end strategy was being penciled into the day's schedule.

At the start - bag check

Cruised down into Tesuque Village at about mile 5, stopped for a photo of the outstanding surprise of Bellydancers, then out past the Pueblo and Camel Rock Casino at about mile 7. The grade flattens out quite a bit at this point and the field had thinned into lonely areas of no-man's-land. I was also now carrying a piano on my back. A runner with a cop mustache and a state police shirt passed me. This impressed me and I told him so. Also, the guy was probably carrying so I wanted to be sure I was on his good side.

Fabulous Mile5 Bellydancers

Miles slowed to 6min50s. Sounds fast-ish but the down-slope was a significant aid. A steady moving runner came up on me and I was fortunate to latch on which then carried me through to mile 11. My man blew-up at this point and disappeared (*poof*), but I was near enough to the runner just up the road that I pressed to catch him and we ran it in together from there. Turns out he was a top age-grouper out of Socorro (John Leeper), finishing 2nd in the 55-59 age group just behind the legendary Senovio Torres. My chip time actually edged Torres even though he finished a good 30sec ahead of me. Good company to be in.

The 12th mile was a faded 7min10s but I might have closed the final mile in around 6min45s. Finshing time just north of 90min. An unexpectedly fun and enjoyable morning. High fives all around, except from my quads which were understandably upset. The race organizers have put together a really solid event that I hope will continue to grow.

BTH 2013 - Race results here
Photo album courtesy of Max Mujynya - here (SmugMug.com)

My crew at the finish - Dan and Leigland

Finishers list

Related Posts:

 - BT Half Marathon Notes - 2013

 - A Brief Meeting with Billy Mills - BTH 2012

 - BTH Marathon Recap - 2011

View Santa Fe to Buffalo Thunder Half Marathon in a larger map

Meb Wins Boston

Like a boss - courtesy of Google images

On perhaps the most emotional day of its 118th year history, mighty Meb Keflezighi rolls out the clutchest no-chance underdog win in decades, running to the title in 2:08:37. He started the day in Hopkinton as maybe the unlikeliest of American contenders with a chance of pulling off the upset, but came through with a super-hero effort as the first American to win in Boston since 1985.

Guy was such a minimal threat in a stacked field of sub-2:06 guys, that they let him go when he created separation at mile 10. That proved to be an enormous strategic error since Meb had with him an ace-in-the-hole that nobody could have suspected (perhaps even himself) - he had shown up prepared to solo a 2:08. And like a complete badass - the names of those who perished in last year's bombings actually hand-written on to his race bib - he did just that, breaking the tape on Boylston in disbelief of just about everyone that was watching.

Donning the laurel wreath - courtesy of Google images

Meb is now firmly vaulted into the pantheon as the only American marathoner with an Olympic medal and wins at both Boston and NYC. Shorter was double gold but won his majors in Fukuoka; Salazar and Rodgers won both majors but came up short in the Olympics; Joanie has Olympic gold and a Boston title but no victories in NYC; Deena Kastor has Olympic hardware and a NYC title but not Boston. Joanie and Salazar also have the accolades of world record holder.  

New Mexico finishers in this year's Boston Marathon can be found here

And because I'll likely never have as great an opportunity to tell this, here's a quick story I have about Meb and a New Mexican connection to his career: Old man Meb was in my graduating class so I've serendipitously followed his career since that time. A friend I ran with in junior high (Capshaw Falcons!) left with his family to California before we started high school, and he landed at Jesuit High in Sacramento which happened to be some running legacy juggernaut type of place. My man Matt Farley then went from being a talented runner, to a national class California state champ caliber of runner, and his in-state rival was San Diego's Meb Keflezighi. Farley got the better of Meb a few times and the two were the prohibitive favorites going into their first big matchup on the national level, Kinney XC Nationals. Matt had told me how the two of them were in agreement that the guy to key off was New Jersey's Bob Keino, son of Kip. The Davis brothers from Spokane were a threat as was the one dangerous unknown in Colorado's Adam Goucher. Farley came in as the California XC champ and defending state 3200m champ but had a rough day finishing 9th while Meb chased Goucher (Go Buffs!) across the line. Goucher, Meb, and 5th place Brad Hauser were future Olympians. New Mexico legend Brandon Leslie happened to also be in that race, finishing 6th as a junior. Farley went on to run for Stanford, his career soon ended by injury. Meb ran for UCLA, stacking-up multiple All American honors and titles, future Olympic podium/NYC Marathon champ/Boston Marathon champ/stone-cold rockstar. The end.

Related Posts: 
 - Olympic Marathon Recap - London '12
 - New York Marathon 2013
 - BOSTON!

Additions to the Tough Guy List

La bandera de Nuevo Mexico

Another four badasses from New Mexico's running-past have been added to our Pantheon of Tough Guys. The grand total is actually three smoking fast dudes and one chica - Lionel Ortega, David Segura, Leo Torres, and Janine Aiello. All have superlative bonafides over the marathon distance; Some crushed the trails; Some distinguished themselves on the track. Torres is a trail legend bordering on the mystic; Ortega and Segura are two of the greatest to run with the UNM vest; Aiello is somewhat of an unknown but is our first addition from Taos. Go have a read.

Related Posts:
 - New Mexico's Four Minute Milers
 - Leo Torres and Santa Fe Three Peaks Run
 - The Tough Guy List

New York City Marathon 2013

The big marathon in NYC this last Sunday unofficially closed the year's running season. It was a big race on the men's side with legit representation from several quarters of the marathoning world. Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya was back to defend his title and course record and the way in which he re-defined how to run New York; Olympic and World Champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda was there to show that he can compete in the up-tempo style of a World Major and no doubt because of a large appearance fee; London Marathon Champ and World Champ 4th place finisher Tsagaye Kebede of Ethiopa was there for a shot at the World Major Marathon (WMM) title and the $500,000 in prize money that comes with it, which was Kiprotich's to lose; Yuki Kawachi of Japan was there to rep Japan and his celebrity back home as well as to bounce back from a poor showing in Moscow; 2009 NYC champion and Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi was there to rep the U.S. and add an old school vibe to the race.

Mutai runs alone out front - his Adidas Adios Boost chart the way

Well, Mutai ran away with it like a complete boss, in 2hrs 8min. Kebede claimed the WMM title with a runner-up finish and the day's big payday. Meb had a rough go of it but powered home out of respect for the race, and out of respect for those who endured greater suffering in Boston this year and in the path of Hurricane Sandy in NYC and surrounding areas last year.

Don't care for how the results played out?, let's compare these runners with different criteria, such as the shoes they're wearing. This genius slideshow will allow you to do just that - Mutai still comes up on top. Three adidas in the top five. Can't lose running in Adidas, just ask Frank Shorter. The Kenyan contingent chasing him home (plus Kebede in 2nd) are nearly all in Nike Zoom Streaks, poor choice fellas. The Italian runner in tenth breaks things up with his Diadoras. Kawachi is in what look like some old school Tiger Asics. The Americans are in Brooks. Runner-up in the shoe competition goes to the American in Adidas that pipped Meb and his Skechers. Third place to the guy in Adidas running 2hr 11min in seventh without socks.

So where were the New Mexico runners at? Only kidding, we had a flotilla of runners out there chasing folks down First Avenue and into the Bronx. The NM contingent was lead by Raul Manzanarez of Abiquiu who finished in 2hr 44min (Raul was up front in 2011 but faded in Central Park where I caught him - not up in huhr!). Santa Fe High coach Peter Graham was in there mixing it up a day after both his prep squads punched their ticket for state, as was Vilma Ruiz, Sandra Wechsler, Amy Gordon, and former Lobo All-American Ruth Senior. A listing of all 43 New Mexico finishers and their results can be found here (the direct link to the list of NMexican finishers is breaking; key in 'NM' in the state-field for yourself and viola).

Related Posts:
 - New York Marathon Race Report - 2011



View New York City Marathon - Five Boroughs New York in a larger map

30th Annual Duke City Marathon - Oct. 2013

The Duke City Marathon took place a week ago Sunday. It was the 30th year of the event which is a milestone even beside the round numbers since it connects all the way back to the tail-end of the running boom. Duke City is quite a bit smaller than it was in the late eighties when we were all growing up, but it remains the largest marathon in the state with approximately 450 annual finishers, and the largest half marathon with approximately 1,200 runners, give or take a dozen runners each year in either race. Roughly 3,000 individual finishers in aggregate when adding in the 5K/10K runners, second in size only to the Run for the Zoo each spring.

Naturally, the big pre-race story in the Albuquerque Journal centered on Santa Fean Chris Chavez - because he’s raced every Duke City marathon ever run. That’s a thirty year streak. Damn impressive considering most marathoners are in a perpetual state of injury or injury maintenance, not to mention the Fall wedding season, vacations, work demands, etc. Think of all the obstacles to run that he somehow dodged or painfully accommodated the afternoon after running. There’s usually a handful of runners who amass streaks like this for a given race, but for Duke City, Chris is the only one. In his spare time, he patched together a nineteen year streak up at Pikes Peak dating back to '95, not just for the Sunday marathon but most years it included the double - the Ascent on Saturday (13.1mi) followed by the Marathon distance on Sunday. All of that is just ridiculous. He’s the only Big Tesuque runner still competing who ran in the inaugural race back in 1985 (twenty-nine years ago), and he's also the race director for the spring Amanda Lynne Byrne memorial races up in Pecos. Know who my go-to guy is for obscure questions about champion New Mexico runners from decades past? Chris. The guy knows everything.

Chris running out Albuquerque's Bosque Trail,
courtesy of Greg Sorber and the Abq Journal

Ok, so Chris is a badass and gets the lead pre-race Sports story in the Journal the day before the 30th edition of Duke City. Also buried in the article were quotes from Santa Fe’s Vinnie Kelley who talks about how Chris trains in the hills on the Upper Winsor and the Nambe watershed and how hard it is to string together thirty straight marathons and how Chris and himself have trained together on occasion over the years. So how’d Vin run in Sunday’s marathon?, only a 3hr 18min finish at altitude, to win the 60yr age group by thirty minutes. That’s an automatic qualifying time for any race in the country other than the Olympic Trials. Way to hammer Vin.

Lots of other nortenos in the race fields though I don't know them all well enough for a spotlight. Cordova's Senovio Torres took the men's 55-59 age group by thirteen minutes, 3hr 25min; and former Lobo and Santa Fean Shawna Winnegar dispatched the half marathon field to win by four minutes; 1hr 21min. Smokin' fast.


Related Posts:
 - Big Tesuque Trail Run Recap - 2013
  - La Luz Trail Run Recap - 2013
  - Pikes Peak Ascent - Race Report


View Duke City Marathon - Albuquerque, NM in a larger map

Buffalo Thunder Half Marathon

Been working on a write-up of last Sunday's Buffalo Thunder Half - but, ahh, slow going. The writing that is, not the racing. To compress the wait folks may want to checkout Will Webber's race profile in Monday's New Mexican.

What's amazing is that last year's course record of 1hr 3min plus was destroyed by the new men's champ Nelson Oyugi. The course is net downhill but 7,000ft of altitude is not an insignificant factor, especially over 13 miles. That is smokin' fast. Like near-world elite fast.

The entertainment arrives when Will describes NM trail running legend Steve Gachupin - delivering general commentary at the finish line to whomever is listening - that Oyugi's performance and record aren't really all that strong. Not compared to the old days anyway.

Aaaaahhhhh, okay.

Coach Gachupin is an all-timer. He's also a a terrific story-teller and regular provider of comedic gold as Will's story can attest. I laughed out loud more than once reading this.

BTH 2013 - Race results here

Related Posts:
  - 2014 Santa Fe Thunder Half Marathon
  - A Brief Meeting with Billy Mills (and Steve Gachupin, 2012)
  - Santa Fe's Buffalo Thunder Half Marathon  (2011)




View Santa Fe to Buffalo Thunder Half Marathon in a larger map

Boston Marathon Registration - Demand is Going to be Strong

The Boston Athletic Association opens registration for the 2014 Boston Marathon on Monday, September 9th. As in the previous two years, registration will be tiered - runners with qualifying times 20min+ below the age/gender standards will register first over Monday and Tuesday, registration will then open to qualifiers with times 10min+ below the age/gender standards on Wednesday, then to qualifiers with times 5min+ below the standards on Friday. Registration opens for all qualifying times on Monday Sep. 16th, assuming space remains, and will close for all registrants on Friday Sep. 20th.

This tiered registration system gives preference to faster qualifiers and creates a 'natural cut' when the maximum number of runners is reached. This cut can be faster than the official qualifying times, as in 2012 when the fields were capped a little more than two minutes below the qualifying marks. 2013 registration was more leisurely as the field did not fill until early October.

Update:  Seems that 4,000 runners registered on Day 1, with qualifying times 20min better than the standards. That's approx. one-sixth of the available entries for April's race. Uh-oh.

Update 2:  As of Thursday morning the field for time qualifiers is now half full with approx. 10,500 registrants confirmed. Runners World is reporting that 6,000 runners with qualifyng times 10min better than the standards signed up on Wednesday. 

Update 3:  As open enrollment began at 10am on Monday morning, 7,500 qualifiers quickly registered for the approx. 5,000 remaining bibs. Registration will remain open until this Friday for all runners who have met their qualifying times. Registrants will then be seeded fastest to slowest relative to their qualifying standard to determine those remaining 5,000 spots. I'm going to guess that cutoff will be between -3min and -4min. 

 And this year looks to be unique with the tragedy and drama of the 2013 played out over the media for weeks after last year's race. Several prior champions intend to run in a show of solidarity and in defiance of violence, Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit, Amby Burfoot, and on and on. For these reasons the BAA has increased the size of the field by 9,000 runners (36,000 are slated to run) to absorb some of the pent up demand and to allow for those that could not finish last year (some 5,000 runners) to have another go at it. After accounting for charity spots (~9,000) this leaves approx. 23,000 available spots on the starting line.

Just how much demand might there be? Observe the Google traffic from April tabulating individual searches for 'how to qualify for the Boston Marathon' (above). Over five times the usual interest. Did some portion of these folks get out, build their mileage, and nab a qualifying time? How many aged runners who had long sworn off running marathons decided that this year was different? It wouldn't take much to tip the usual stampede toward Boston to a torrent, and if so, the natural time cut that develops during qualifying registration week is going to disappoint some folks who otherwise thought they had done enough to make it to Patriot's Day in Hopkinton.

  - Boston Marathon Fills Up Slower than Predicted
  - Tragedy in Copley Square
  - Tracking New Mexican Runners at Boston
  - Boston!

A Look Back at the Moscow World Championships

Kiprotich bringing the pain

Mad competition on the Moscow track last week. Some genius mind even developed a cellphone app so that nerds like me could follow the competition and real-time results during office coffee breaks or while traveling to a wedding in Telluride. Technology is something else.

You know what else is something else? Marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda who repeated his gold medal performance from London. Absolutely brilliant that the underdog of London who brought down all of team Kenya over the last 7km of the Olympic marathon, would return to Moscow only to dismantle all of team Ethiopa and one Kenyan challenger over the last 7km of the World Championships. That's the stuff of legend right there. I'd love to see him run New York. Team America was overmatched but ran bravely, running 13th, 27th, and 37th. The American women ran even better led by Olympic medalist Deena Kastor in 9th, teammates in 18th and 23rd.

Lap of honor for Mrs. Simpson (Go Buffs!)

We had solid performances in the distances but came up short for a podium spot. Galen Rupp ran to a 4th place in the 10,000m, Shalane Flanagan 8th in the women's final. Bernard Lagat ran to 6th in the 5,000m final, and we advanced all three of our 5,000m women's team into the final, led by Molly Huddle with finishes of 6th, 7th, and 12th. Evan Jager was a strong 5th in the Steeplechase one second off the medal hunt. It was the middle distances though where we finally broke through. A medal from each event - Nick Symmonds struck first with a silver in the 800m, followed by Jenny Simpson (Go Buffs!) with a silver in the 1500m, then Brenda Martinez with a bronze in the 800m, and finally Matt Centrowitz with silver in the 1500m. Simpson and Centrowitz were repeat medalists from the Deagu Championships in 2011. It's likely that Team USA even left two or three medals on the table with a few sub-par performances. Gonna be super strong over the next four years in Mid-D. Yay America, yay Rocky, yay stone-cold marathoners that run without fear.

Related Posts:
  - '12 Olympic Marathon Recap
  - '12 Olympic 1500m Recap
  - '12 US Indoor Track & Field Championships - Abq, NM

The Rewards of Training at Altitude

Santiago, Chile - at the foot of the Andes

Santa Fe sits at an elevation of 7,000ft which is a huge advantage if your playtime involves endurance sports. Now, it's widely known that training at altitude helps to over-develop the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems, your capillaries will build out dense little oxygen carrying systems, and your resting heart-rate will impress friends and doctors. The average person in training will also produce mass quantities of oxygen carrying red blood cells to compensate for the lack of oxygen intake in each breath. Incidentally, the only other ways to spike your red blood cell count are through illegal means - by infusion (intravenously), or through the use of erythropoietin otherwise known as EPO, (think, Tour de France riders. Yes, all of them).

Having these advantages available to oneself in an endurance competition can be exhilarating. For example, when I travel to run low altitude marathons the difference in my pacing is approximately 20-25sec /mi. faster than what I could comfortably run here in Santa Fe. That's a lot over a 26mi race, and when the mile markers tick by I feel like I'm bending time as one does as they approach the speed of light. That time advantage is going to shrink for someone covering miles in a shorter interval, it may be larger for someone covering larger intervals. There are several variables in individuals and race conditions that can affect it one way or another.

Awesome brother blitzing through the streets of South America

I'm carrying forth on this topic so as to point to a recent performance that pulls this axiom to its extreme:  My fleet-footed brother Sean has been living and running around La Paz, Bolivia for the last six months and he recently competed in two marathons, four weeks apart. The first being the Maraton por La Paz (elev. 11,975ft), the second being the Maraton de Santiago (Chile, elev. 1,706ft). The guy powered through to a 4hr 6min finish in La Paz, a strong showing by any measure. His finish in Santiago was 3hr 21min, forty-five minutes faster. 100sec a mile faster than on the altiplano of Bolivia. !!! Good Lord !!!  And a 45min PR over a one month period, that has to be some kind of new alltime record. For crissakes, it doesn't feel right just typing those words in combination. For the purpose of visuals - on a track, a difference that large would amount to nearly lapping oneself at the end of each four-lap mile, twenty-six times in a row.

And that is my real world extreme example of what competing with or without oxygen looks like, as well as what competing with a maximum of red blood cells in an oxygen rich environment will do for your PR. My brother, ftw.

Related Posts:
 - First Annual Maraton por La Paz, Bolivia


View Maraton de Santiago, Chile in a larger map

Tragedy in Copley Square

New York shoulders Boston's grief

A very un-welcome conclusion to Monday's Boston Marathon. There was some uncomfortable anxiety for the many people I knew out on the course that morning, all of whom have since been thankfully accounted for. My many memories of Boston were sterling - their sum many times greater than the parts - but now turned a bit darker.

The Boston Marathon is personal to me, and the damage to its fine people and the spirit of the day hurts me.
Disgusted that one of the fallen was a young boy there to watch his father realize months of work and personal triumph. Heartened by the reactions of many of the athletes and first-responders to rush to the aid of the injured.

And so I wear a race-t under my dress shirts and tie this week. Instead of feeling like I need to do laundry, it makes me feel like a super-hero. The bright turquoise Boston finishers shirt that I've always felt self-conscious about wearing now beams from its place in my closet as a charm against evil and a brilliant symbol of the goodness in all of us. And there are thousands like me. Boston will have a record registration push next year from folks whose emotional attachment to the great lady of American running is greater than the price of fifty-mile-weeks, and stiff joints, and muscle strains, and training runs at night in the snow, and the random violence of sick assholes.

A very elegant and concise perspective from a runner bearing witness to Monday's tragedy can be found over at The Logic of Long Distance. Jeff Edmonds writes:

Those two blasts introduced pain without effort. Suffering beyond endurance. A bomb is quick, thoughtless, grotesque, impatient, unfeeling. It's all externality, no internality. All destruction, no training. All noise, no silence. All damage, no strength. A bomb is the opposite of a marathon.

Another great reflection on the personal nature of the race from the always terrific Charles Pierce over at Grantland (and of Esquire magazine).

Nobody loves the Boston Marathon as much as the people who make fun of it year after year. This was the race that previously offered as a prize a not particularly expensive medal, a laurel wreath, and a bowl of beef stew. This was the race that, on one memorable occasion, nobody knew who actually won...The Marathon will be worth mocking again. But that will not be today. It will not be anytime soon.

And for those that prefer the visual, Stephen Colbert adds his opinion about the steeliness of runners and the hard-nosed people of Boston, and how this terror bullshit and mindless violence and mayhem is tired, and needs to stop.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,Video Archive

Tracking New Mexican Runners at Boston

It's Patriot's Day, and the 117th running of the Boston Marathon. A beautiful morning to be sure.

I've pulled together a tracking list of Santa Fe area runners heading out from Hopkinton into Boston today. The list below ought to include all runners from Santa Fe and Los Alamos. I found no entrants from Taos, Espanola, or Las Vegas. The master list can be found here, where you can build and tailor a list of your own, or you can wander back here where I'll be updating the tracking list as the race progresses. This morning's starting list shows 80 runners from the state of New Mexico.

Are we missing someone? Let us know.
Elite leaderboard up here
Boston livestreaming can be found here
2014 New Mexico results can be found here

Through 5K at 835am:  Vin and Mike are out strong on the downhill out of Hopkinton.
Through 10K at 905am:  Vin still ripping along at 2:51 pace, Mike just under 3hr. Amanda Cola and Whitney Dreier are charging along at 3:22 pace. Kris Houghton of Abq is smoking a 2:21 pace. Kris is the winner of three titles at La Luz.
Through 20K at 940am:  Runners settling in and pulling back from their downhill aided early paces
Through 21K-30K at 1010am:  Runners spread out all over the course now. Houghton is well off his earlier pace. Los Alamos' LorenWohletz has been very steady as have Santa Fe's Amanda Cola and Whitney Dreier.
Through 25K-42K at 1045am:  Loren and Kris charge down Boylston St. to the finish. Loren just misses sub-240. The rest of the contingent tackles the challenge of the Newton Hills and Heartbreak Hill.
Through 30K-42K at 1145am:  Mike Dobesh is through with a strong new PR of 3:05. Congrats Mike. Vin is through at 3:08, good for 9th place in the Men's 55-59 age group. Outstanding. Whitney is through at 3:23. Way to go Whit.
In the Elite Competition: American Shalane Flanagan held on for a strong fourth place in the women's race at 2:27:08. Kara Goucher followed in 6th place at 2:28:11. Rita Jeptoo of Kenya was this year's champion at 2:26:25. Jason Hartmann secured a second straight fourth place finish in the men's field at 2:12:12, besting the returning champion Wesley Korir of Kenya. Unheralded Daniel Tapia nailed down a 9th place finish at 2:14:30, followed by unheralded Craig Leon at 2:14:38. Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopa was this year's champion at 2:10:22.
In the Elite Competition:  Joan Benoit-Samuelson lays out a blazing fast 2:50:33 to win the Women's 55-59 age group as well as a new age group WR by two minutes.

Extremely Unfortunate News - 5:45pm:  Horrible news obviously with the bombing. If you hadn't heard yet, at least two explosions went off at approximately 4hrs 10min into the race, located in the spectator area right at the finish line. A third explosive was found undetonated. At least two are confirmed dead. Dozens injured. All New Mexico runners appear to be accounted for but one. Updates are fluid on Facebook. A sad day for the sport and for our country. God bless the first-responders in Boston this evening.

1145am MST

1045am MST

My Funny Story from the Boston Marathon

Onward to Boylston St.

The Boston Marathon isn't all drama and history. Some of it is just a morning run with a lot of new friends, and some of it is crowds of earnest little kids trying to offer you an orange wedge, and some of it is unexpected comedy. If you happened to be in the mood for a funny Boston story, then I've got one. 

I was at Boston in 2010. I'd just powered through the much talked about Newton Hills, and though not especially large, their position toward the end of the course will put the hurt of God into you, and so I was spent over the last few miles. Found myself digging hard to keep the pace from slowing and was mostly oblivious as to what was going on around me. As we run past the lawn parties near Boston University, maybe mile 22 or so, random spectators begin to spontaneously curse the Yankees. Yes, the New York Yankees baseball team. The outright dislike for the Yanks just seemed to spill forth right there at mile 22 of the marathon. Over and over I was informed that the 'Yankees suck!!'

My mind un-fogs a bit and it occurs to me that someone in my running pack must be wearing a Yankees cap or shirt or something. In between the general hollering and cheering I would suddenly hear a casual 'hey, f*ck you Yankee fan', then 'you can do it, it's all downhill from here!!', then 'get f*cked New York'. It took me a moment to understand what was going on, I didn't even realize we were near a University at first until I looked up from the road. I clearly remember glancing over and seeing a good looking coed nursing a keg cup in one hand, and mid-cheer for the other runners her eyes briefly harden and she blurts out to the guy two in front of me, 'trip and fall you Yankee f*ck', then continues to cheer for the rest of us as though nothing had just happened. Comic gold - that some guy would choose to run for three hours motivated by unadulterated sports-loyalty hate, and that the gracious folks lining the streets into Boston would gladly give it to him. A fine memory of one timeless Patriots Day in Boston MA.