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Lead Stories: Saturday, May 17, 2008

JUSTICE PREVAILS:
Double-Amputee Pistorius Wins Appeal Over IAAF; Earns Right to Try for Olympics

Posted May 16th, 2008 at 4:18 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius won his appeal to be eligible to compete in the Olympics using the carbon-fiber prosthetics that have gained him the nickname “Blade Runner.'’

The Court of Arbitration for Sport today overturned a ban on the 21-year-old South African runner by the International Association of Athletics Federations, which said studies found the prosthetic blades gave him an unfair advantage.

“The panel was not persuaded that there was sufficient evidence of any metabolic advantage,'’ the Lausanne, Switzerland-based court said in a ruling on its Web site.

Pistorius needs to shave 1.01 seconds from his best time to reach the Olympic qualifying standard for the 400-meter sprint to compete in the race at the Beijing Games in August. The Associated Press said he may be picked as an alternate for the South African team even if he doesn’t meet the qualifying mark.
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Sara Hall: Music
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #9)

Posted May 16th, 2008 at 3:00 PM by Sara Hall

Section: News & Results, Motivation, Music, Track & Field, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Sara Hall

Welcome to the official blog of U.S. middle-distance runner Sara Hall. Sara’s list of running accolades include being a former NCAA All- American at Stanford, the 2006 USA 5K road champion, and the 2006 champion at the Continental Fifth Avenue Mile. Check back every other Friday for her latest entry at http://sarahall.thefinalsprint.com/

I often joke that I was born in the wrong body when it comes to music. For someone who loves music so much and whose brain is so musically-oriented, I can not carry a tune for the life of me! I have an incredible capacity for song lyrics, from childhood on, that I’ve heard more than a few times. I wish there was a TV show that was “Name that Disney Tune” because I would clean up!

Although music impacts me greatly, my own musical career didn’t last long. I tried taking up piano for two years while in junior high, but soccer, basketball and track took over, and I never could find time to practice. When I forgot my song in the middle of a piano recital, my parents and I decided it was time to call it quits. Besides that, though I have ambitions of learning the guitar one day, my music-making consists of singing in the car (poor Ryan!).
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What To Watch: Running & Track Events on TV, Webcast

Posted May 16th, 2008 at 11:00 AM by Jesse Squire

Section: What To Watch

Here are the running and track & field events coming your way on TV and/or through online webcasts. All times EDT. If I’ve missed anything, put it in the comments section. Check your local listings and enjoy!

Adidias Track Classic
ESPN, 4-6 p.m. Sunday (live!)
The first major U.S. professional invitational of the year will take place in Carson, CA. The highlight event of the day will be the women’s 100 meters, where seven of the world’s top ten are slated to compete.
Meet website

NJCAA Track & Field Championships
Flocasts.org, time TBA
Flotrack’s Chase Wade will be covering the junior college national championships at South Plains College, Levelland, TX from May 15-17, 2008.
Meet website

Bay to Breakers
KRON, 7:30-10 a.m. (PDT) Sunday
Local TV coverage of both the professional and less-than-professional sides of the world’s largest 12k race. Flotrack may also have some coverage.

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London Marathon Signs with Virgin Group

Posted May 16th, 2008 at 9:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Margarine and skimmed milk are out and airplanes and financial services are in, at least at the London Marathon.

Beginning in 2010 Virgin Group, the diversified conglomerate founded by Sir Richard Branson, will be the title sponsor of the London Marathon, led by their Virgin Money financial services division.

“I’m delighted that Virgin will be sponsoring the London Marathon,” Branson said through a media release. It’s an epic and inspirational event and raises a fantastic amount of money for great causes. It’s the single biggest fundraising day on the planet and we want to make it even bigger, our aim is to help runners smash the £1/4 billion in five years.”
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Great Line-Ups for Sunday’s adidas Track Classic

Posted May 15th, 2008 at 9:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Organizers have secured great line-ups for Sunday’s adidas Track Classic at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., and that includes the middle and long distance events.

The men’s 1500m is shaping up to the the top event, led by double world champion and two-time Olympic medalist, Bernard Lagat. Commonwealth Games medalists Nick Willis of Australia and Nate Brannen of Canada are also in the field, along with perennial Canadia star Kevin Sullivan and former NCAA ace Lopez Lomong. Nick Symmonds will be moving up from his usual specialty, the 800m, while 5000m man Adam Goucher will be moving down for a speed workout.
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Nike Press Release: NTN to Become Nike Cross Nationals (NXN), Include Individuals

Posted May 14th, 2008 at 4:26 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Cross Country, High School

Nike today announced that its Nike Team Nationals (NTN) team cross-country championship will expand this year to include individuals, becoming Nike Cross Nationals (NXN). The Nike Team Nationals event, which began in 2004, featured the 22 best teams of each gender selected via a series of regional qualifying events. This year, the top 22 teams will be joined by the 90 fastest individuals from non-qualifying teams. Nike Cross Nationals is the only national cross-country championship for both teams and individuals.

“Nike Cross Nationals is going to be the ultimate competition for high school cross country,” said Ken Dice, vice president of the Nike USA Brand. “It’s true cross country, and a true national championship. We’re inviting the best runners in the country, whether they compete individually or as part of a team. Nike Cross Nationals is going to take cross country to a whole new level of competition for these elite athletes.”

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97th ING Bay to Breakers Returns on Sunday in San Francisco

Posted May 14th, 2008 at 12:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Road Racing

Part parade, part fashion show, and part road race, the 97th ING Bay to Breakers returns to the streets of San Francisco on Sunday, and organizers expect some 70,000 runners and walkers (about half of them unregistered) to take part.

Up front, the race is serious business. Elite athlete coordinator Josh Muxen has assembled a strong field to chase a $74,000 prize money purse, including a special $25,000 ING Battle to the Breakers bonus which will be awarded to the first athlete to cross the finish line. That could be a man or it could be a woman; women are given a four minute and 40 second headstart based on the difference between the male (33:42) and female (38:22) course records.

In addition, there is a $5000 bonus for the first man and first woman to reach the top of Hayes Street Hill, a beast of a climb which begins at the two mile mark on Franklin Street, rises 201 feet, and covers a distance of 0.69 miles. Athletes can pocket the bonus as long as they also finish in the top-20.
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USATF Foundation Makes Grants To Win With Integrity, Mark Springer Programs

Posted May 14th, 2008 at 9:00 AM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results

The USA Track & Field Foundation announced today that it has made $20,000 grants to two of USATF’s most successful programs, Win With Integrity and the Mark Springer Youth Travel Grant program.

“The Win With Integrity and The Mark Springer Youth Travel Grant Program support the development youth programs in the United States, on and off the track,” said USATF Foundation board member Bob Betz. “Instilling strong core values in our athletes and all young people is a priority for all of us.”
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Chris Derrick: Perseverance
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #1)

Posted May 13th, 2008 at 2:22 PM by Chris Derrick

Section: News & Results, Elite Athlete Blogs, High School, Chris Derrick

Welcome to the official blog of Chris Derrick; the 2007 Gatorade High School Cross Country Runner of the Year and 5k record holder! Make sure to bookmark chrisderrick.thefinalsprint.com and check back every other Tuesday for Chris’ latest entries as he completes his senior year of high school running and begins his NCAA career at Stanford!

I’d like to begin my blogging experience by sharing one of the most epic runs I’ve ever had, and one that encapsulates my team as well. First a little background. Like most distance runners, we at Neuqua Valley are pretty weird. One of our more minor quirks is our belief in the Interval Gods*. The Interval Gods hate us. They have cursed us and given us crappy weather at all of our meets and interval workouts this track season. What’s more they are trying to kill us: right after we left the NTN meet in Portland there were mudslides and now, just weeks after we left Arcadia, it is threatened by wild fires.

Fortunately we’ve managed to stay (for now) one step ahead of them. We only got a break from the interval Gods wrath at the Aracadia Invite. Arcadia doesn’t really count as we are fairly certain the Interval Gods live there. We tried to appease them by feeding some squirrels in a local park and it was going swimmingly until Danny Pawola offered them extra-sour-rye bread, which they hated. I’ll let that little tidbit set the scene for our tale…
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Bekele to Attempt 10,000m Record at Prefontaine Classic

Posted May 13th, 2008 at 1:30 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

He’s already owns the two fastest 10,000m times in history, but reigning world and Olympic 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele hopes he can go even faster at next month’s Prefontaine Classic meeting in Eugene, Ore. It would be his first outdoor appearance in the United States.

“The record (26:17.53) is not easy,” said Bekele’s Dutch manager, Jos Hermens, through a media release. “But this is an absolutely serious attempt. His training is going well, and he is 100% ‘go’ for the record.”

The 10,000m race will be held in the morning at 9:30 on June 8, well before the regular meet begins at 12:30. Organizers feel the weather will be good at that time for a record attempt.
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