Gebrselassie Breaks World Marathon Record Again

Ethiopia's marathon runner Haile Gebrselassie and Germany's Irina Mikitenko pose for the media after the 35th Berlin Marathon. Gebrselassie clocked 2:03.59

Note by KC: Wow! Running a full marathon in 2 hrs 3 min 59 sec! This is really an incredible feat. For most runners, we could only complete half the distance after two hours. I read that he did not run in the Beijing 2008 Olympic for fear that the polluted air may affect his asthma problem. And for the Berlin marathon, he suffered calf injury before the race. Yet with all these obstacles, he made it!

Why does a champion run faster than us? The reason is very simple (this is what I read): the champion puts in more effort (in the training) than us !!

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Runners gather to start in front of Brandenburg gate during the 35th Berlin marathon.

BERLIN (AFP) — Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie was delighted to put his recent calf injury behind him to break his own world record on Sunday at the Berlin Marathon for the second consecutive year in the German capital.

The 35-year-old brushed off a calf injury he suffered in training two weeks ago to come home in a time of 2hrs 03min 59sec.

He took nearly half a minute off his own previous world record of 2hrs 04mins 26sec set here twelve months ago to fulfill his own confident pre-race prediction of setting a new best mark.

This was the sixth time the world record has been broken in Berlin on the traditionally flat course.
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Haile Gebrselassie crosses the finish line to set a new world record at the 35th Berlin marathon.

"I am so, so happy, everything was perfect, the weather was perfect, the spectators were perfect, everything - I am so happy" said the Ethiopian.

"Two weeks ago I had a bit of a problem with my calf muscle, but I took a week off.

"It gave me a few worries coming here, but I forgot about it as the race wore on.
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A Japanese runner quenching her thirst during the race

"I knew before I came here I could do something special, if you look from the beginning, everyone in Berlin seems to come and watch the race, it's a wonderful feeling."

The twice Olympic 5000m champion has plenty of reasons to be happy.
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A runner stretches at a Berlin Wall memorial before the start of the 35th Berlin marathon

As well as breaking the 26th world record of his career he will receive 50,000 euros (73,000 US dollars) for winning on top of his estimated 250,000 euros (365,000 US dollars) fee for racing here.

It was his sixth victory in his ninth marathon and this was the 35th Berlin marathon.

Kenya's James Kwambai finished second in a time of 2hrs 5mins 36secs and his compatriot Charles Kamathi was third in 2hrs 7mins 48 secs.
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Irina Mikitenko of Germany reacts crossing the finish line in the women's race at the 2008 Berlin marathon. Mikitenko clocked in an unofficial time of 2:19:19.

Germany's Irina Mikitenko, who won the London Marathon earlier this year, won the women's race in a time of 2hrs 19mins 18secs which was a personal best and the fastest time in the world this year.
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Germany's Irina Mikitenko waves during the winning ceremony for the 35th Berlin Marathon.

Extracted from AFP

Posted by KC

Very Gold Coast

My running buddies Ironman Ong, Cheok and Uncle Hooi and I arrived in wet and cold Gold Coast on 5 July 2008 for the 30th Anniversary of the Gold Coast Marathon which is the biggest road race in Australia.
x Ching Tai

Thank goodness that the rain cleared up on the day of the race on 6.7.2008 and with just the correct amount of chill in the air and plenty of sunshine, we were able to run comfortably with the rest of the 20,000+ runners (and walkers) of various running categories.

x Ironman Wong

The crowd support was tremendous and the atmosphere was friendly yet euphoric and this really spurred me on to run faster and to keep hanging in there despite my legs cramping in the final 2 km of the race. Naturally the beautiful sights of Gold Coast with its pristine coast line were huge inspirations too not to mention the helpful and friendly locals who came out to volunteer and support this annual race!!
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Uncle Hooi

We had a really good time running the race and met up with other pacesetters friends later to wine and dine and celebrate friendship and to toast to future runs!!
xChing Tai, Wong, American runner Michelle, Hooi, and Cheok – shows the various costumes donned by runners for the marathon. Many runners donned costumes for charitable causes.

By Hoo Ching Tai

Posted by KC

Reflections of the Sundown Marathon

Compiled by Running Wombat

Below are extracts of a maiden marathoner, a seasoned marathoner and a marathoner cum ultramathoner of the race that took place in Singapore on 31 May starting at 8.30 pm for the ultramarathoner and 12 midnight for the full marathoner. The full marathon runners would run 1 loop of the course (42km) whilst the ultramarathoners would complete 2 loops of the course (84km).
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Christina the Maiden Marathoner

“Indeed running a marathon is an experience of a lifetime! Training for one takes much will-power and grit. The lack of logical thinking and rationale helps! Especially when one choses to run her first marathon all night and on a difficult route. Many thanks to my friends and family for their support. And my marathon buddy for her unceasing encouragement and tips, not to mention her weathering heavy rains to capture my triumphant final 100m to the finish line!

I was all excited right up to the start of the race, well actually, until the 28km when the signs of cramping reared its ugly head. After that, it was a combination of will-power and constant walk-breaks and massage to finish. The last hour was miserable - squelching in the rain! 600m from the finish line, I flew off the wet pavement and sprawled on the road. It was sunrise when I crossed the finish line! Some runners insisted the route was 45km.
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Christina

Surprisingly, I did not feel the lack of sleep or the fatigue (was I overdosed on Powergel??). The post-race aches began on the bus ride from the race. Would I do it again? YEEESSSS!!”

Sonny the Seasoned Marathoner

“The terrains along the Sundown Marathon Route was not my idea of a good Marathon Route. Runners had to run/walk across a Pedestrian Overhead Bridge, run across narrow Canals/Longkangs Pedestrian Bridges, along some dark alleys, (Auntie Teresa stumpled and was assisted by fellow runners before she fell flat on her face), on sandy patches, passed BBQ Pits which were emitting pillow of smokes and stenched with the sizzling meats, directed by Road Marshall to run on concrete/Monier bricks Pedestrian Walkways (runners were not allowed to run on roads except when crossing them), Traffic Police stopping Runners to give the right of way to Motorists, coming into the Finish line, runners again had to run across a narrow "hump" bridge, insufficient Distance Markers along the Route. I am sure the Route of this Sundown Marathon will not be sanctioned by the International Marathon Federation (IMF) Body.
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Sonny Ng

An Ultra Runner Kenny Choe (Pacesetters) completed his run in a time of 10 hours 59 mins. and needed a massage for his sore body; the Massage Tent was already closed. Kenny was also given the wrong Finisher Pack upon completion. His pack had a 42.195km Finisher T-shirt and without the Ultra Finisher Towel (large). However, the Organiser had been contacted and agreed for a change.


Ching Tai the Ultramarathoner

“I had prepared hard for SunDown ultramarathon, I had trained for 65km and 50km in 2 weeks. However, I injured my knee during my 2nd week of training in 50km run (3 weeks to Sun Down race) and this really worried me and I almost planned to forego this race. However, upon consultation with the Sports & Orthopedic Doctor who gave me the green light, I decided to continue with my training and preparations.
. Ching Tai

My initial plan was to aim for sub 11 hours to complete the race. But after getting my knee injury, I decided not to aim for anything but rather just to complete the race safely within the time limit.

This run was the toughest race I have ever faced (even tougher than Comrades Ultramarathon in South Africa which I participated a few years ago) The route was tough where we had to run through a staircase, residential areas and traffic lights.

The support provided was also poor, especially for the 2nd loop of ultra runner, the road traffic controller was no where to be seen, the water in the few stations were finished and the run officials had left leaving insufficient markers for directions which led to many runners running to wrong way!!!

At 35km of the race, my legs were so sore and almost going to cramp, it was only through my strong determination that I managed to last myself till 52km. After that, I walked the rest of the course to complete the race. My timing was around 13hours 25mins but nonetheless I am happy that I managed to complete it. I would like to salute for those runners who have completed this ultramarathon, it was indeed a very tough race.”

Compiled by Running Wombat
Posted by KC

Sundown Marathon

Written by Running Wombat
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Photos are extracted from Adidas Sundown Marathon, Singapore website

Singapore’s inaugural night race on 31 May 2008 offered both ultramarathon and marathon categories. The race started at 8.30pm for the ultramarathon and 12 midnight for the full marathon.

The race attracted more than 4,800 runners from around the Asian region despite the “unearthly” starting time at midnight. The full marathon runners would run 1 loop of the course whilst the ultramarathoners would complete 2 loops of the course.

With a comprehensive website and superb organization, the race (full marathon) went off with a bang on the dot at midnight starting from Changi. Runners would run down Changi Coastal Road that lead to East Coast Park for some 22 km of flat terrain running.
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Running near to Changi airport with planes that were taking off from the runway certainly woke many runners up with the roar of the engines. East Coast Park brought many runners relief that they were not the only “crazy” people up in the middle of the night as runners were cheered on by campers and night dwellers with multi coloured lights strung along the way. As promised, this stretch was flat and fast.

The next half of the marathon would be challenging to the runner. Not only were the runners running along quiet housing section with different terrains but runners would also be battling the natural urge of sleepiness at this time of the night (around 2 am), and the lack of sight in many areas due to poor lighting.
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Suburbs of Singapore are now connected by the “Park Connector Network” where there is now a network of linear open spaces that link up major parks and nature sites i.e. lanes are specially made for runners/cyclists/skateborders/walkers, etc. to connect from one suburb/park to the other. This will mean crossing on special constructed connectors and overhead bridges over highways in order to link one suburb/park to another. This also means that runners were running up and down several of these connectors/overhead bridges.

Bemused residents nonetheless cheered and applauded (albeit quietly) the runners on despite it being way past midnight. Drinks were dished out in the dark by helpful volunteers who were all outfitted with florescent tubes as were runners for safety purposes.

This was an interesting run: night running has its advantages - the obvious one being the heat factor that was not present but also has its limitations as there was no scenery to be admired and posed some dangers as sight was severely limited in many parts of the course.
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This is not a fast course as evidenced by the winning times for the marathon men (2 hours 40 mins) and women (3 hours 13 mins) but if you cannot sleep and are thinking of what to do on a Saturday night then this is the race for you!!

Reported by the Running Wombat (She ran in the full marathon category)

Posted by KC

The Aspiring Marathon Runner

Written by MMR

Last last long run of 32 km on Saturday 10 November 2007: I was kinda hoping for rain this morning as my lazy bone streak was mounting its ugly head – 32 km Woh! Who would not be protesting even just thinking about it? But nope, the skies were cloudy but not a single drop of rain fell from the skies so off I went to the gardens.

The "Power" of group support – my regular friends and kakis were all running that morning so that was enough to kick start the long run. After a while, my kakis of different pace either started to overtake me or fall behind but I know that they were never too far away. I readily gulped my sports drink and snack at the appropriate intervals which gave me much needed energy.
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The gardens were quite quiet today – perhaps the threat of the impending rains had put some of the regulars off. I have planned to chalk up about 30 km (if I could!) as a final preparation for the Singapore marathon on 2 December.

After the 20 km mark, I was feeling good and this was a boost as I recalled some 8 weeks before that it was at this stage that I was beginning to feel fatigued and questioned my sanity as to what the heck I was doing.

Several kilometers later, I met a group of German tourists who seemed amused that I was (by this time) running alone and at a time when many had left (around 11 am) the gardens. They gave me the thumbs up and this further boosted my morale as my body was beginning to feel the heat, both from the sun and from the many miles of running.
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At around 34 km, another couple who regularly exercise also gave me the thumbs up and asked me how long I had been running that morning. I finally finished the run at around 35.5 km with the thought that I could still go on and I was still feeling good and strong. This has brought me much confidence that I can and will complete the Singapore marathon.

P.S. Tuesday 13th November 2007 With only 18 days to SIM, I am cautious with food and physical well-being. Whenever I see someone coughing, I literally run away as I am very worried to catch their germs… :-) But cautious as I am, me being the klutz that I am tripped on my own trousers when the tip of my (right) high heeled shoe caught the inside of my left pants and BANG! I fell down the stairs. Thankfully I suffered only a sharp hard knock on the knees that delivered a sharp acute pain and a little sprained ankle. Lesson of the day- ONLY wear running shoes and throw away the high heels!!

Written by MMR

Note by KC: Glad to hear that you clocked in 35.5km for your final long run. That was very impressive for a maiden record. You did the right thing to stop at 35.5km even though you can go further. Otherwise, you are running a few marathons (even in your training runs) before your maiden marathon. BRAVO to our aspiring marathon runner MMR!
. I hope the fall did not cause much hurt to you. Not only that you have to be cautious on food, you have to be conscious of the environment, sleep early, (much like a purist), you also have to walk slower a bit. After all the training runs, we could be feeling very light and walk swiftly. Be careful of the glass panel (with non-glare type) and don't walk right into it… just like what I did last time. And they said I was looking at leng lui … :-)

As to the gender of the writer, MMR has given the clue. Found it?
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The Super Ultra-marathon Runner

Note by KC: Have you ever tried doing calculation while running a 10km or 20km race? This is my personal experience: I am not able to compute other than straight forward arithmetic. I believe that with the non-stop jerking while running, it may affect the brainpower.

Another reason could be due to too much blood is channeled to the limbs leaving much less blood in the head necessary to do the computation. Anyway, I am not able to answer the question whether running is harmful to our brains. I will keep that in mind when I attain the (bmw) 7 Series one day.

On 28 April 2007, while standing precariously at the peak of Klang Gate Ridge, I asked Tan Ay Peng (a Pacesetters runner) this question: “How many full marathons have you run within a year?” He pondered for a while amid his rest, and then he said “20”!

I was impressed. For most runners, we probably do one in Kuala Lumpur International Marathon in March; another one in Singapore International Marathon in December – that was exactly what I did for the past few years. At times, I run another one in mid-year.

Below is an extract of email from Tan Ay Peng, a super ultra-marathoner, publish with consent. In December 2005, he did four full marathons and one ultra-marathon. Wow! This is an amazing feat!

Hi KC,

Thank you for your time and thank you for Tey Eng Tiong’s interest in my running records.

I wish to apologize for a mistake in providing the information on marathon running to you off-hand. Upon Tey's kind enquiry, I made a "stock-take" and realize that the 20 times of marathon running was in the period of 15 months – not 12 months – which was from March 2005 to June 2006. In the 20 run-counts, I take Singapore Mc Ritchie Ultramarathon as two, a 30km Great Eastern as one.
Tan Ay Peng standing at one of the peaks of Klang Gate Ridge. Photo was taken on 28 April 2007.

The details are as follow:

Month / Year (Count)

03/05 (1) Malaysia KL marathon;
06/05 (2) Thai Lanshaga Nakhon marathon;
07/05 (3) Malaysia Melaka marathon;
08/05 (4) Thai Songkla marathon;
10/05 (5) China Beijing marathon;
11/05 (6) Thai Bangkok marathon;
12/05 (7) Singapore Std Chart marathon;
12/05 (8) Brunei marathon;
12/05 (9) Thai Hadyai marathon;
12/05 (10) Thai ChiangMai marathon;
12/05 (11,12) Singapore Mc Ritchie Ultra marathon (95km);
01/06 (13) Thai ChomBeng University marathon;
01/06 (14) Malaysia Grt Eastern 30K;
01/06 (15) Thai Isan KonKen University marathon;
02/06 (16) Thai Rajchaphat University marathon;
02/06 (17) Thai Kumpangseng Airport marathon;
02/06 (18) Philipine Manila Pasig river marathon;
03/06 (19) Malaysia KL marathon;
03/06 (20) China Xiamen marathon;

The Integrity of the Marathon

Note by KC: The next posting is on Monday evening, 5 December. Running a marathon is something very "kaw" (as in coffee kaw, meaning potent). This is another "kaw" article on marathon before we plunge into the coming Singapore marathon on 4 December 2005.

This interesting article below was forwarded to me by Peck Yah, a Pacesetters Club member who will be running in Singapore full marathon. She ran the New York Marathon in November 2004 with Pai Choo, another Pacesetters Club member.

I remembered both were invited to give a special briefing at Bukit Aman volleyball court during the Pacesetters breakfast session in February 2005. I was most impressed to know that not everyone can run the New York Marathon; their applications were balloted and picked! Another interesting point was that the hotel fee was a whopping RM 1,000 per night and they spent five nights there.
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This article is about dishonest runners who cheat when running a marathon by getting around the course without having to run the full 26.2 miles (equivalent of 42 km).

I once thought that it is very difficult to cheat with the computerized Champion Chip timing method. Looks like the race officers have to consider reinforcing with the manual system – runners are garlanded with ribbons around their necks as certification for passing by specific milestones.

We, the marathoners, must up hold the dignity and live up to the name. I like this part written by the author: that marathon has become an ultimate test of human endurance that society recognizes it as an incredible feat and that achievement is only attainable by a very small percentage of the human race.

Read on ...

Special Editorial
by Rick Nealis, Race Director, Marine Corps Marathon


The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) is The People's Marathon and this event historically showcases the Marine Corps organization skills, promotes community goodwill and highlights the need for a healthy lifestyle.

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On October 30, 2005 the community goodwill that is the running community was tarnished as some participants in the MCM, about 325 runners were removed from the database as potential finishers. These cheaters were discovered through systematic research utilizing the Champion Chip timing mats and analyzing the data of runners pace time.

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On a much more serious level that has come to light is the assistance provided by the organizers of Jean's Marines, who were a 2005 Marine Corps Marathon charity partner. The founder and coach of Jean's Marines assisted runners to circumvent a portion of the course thereby not completing the requisite 26.2-mile course. This organization will be banned from being a partner in 2006 for their lack of professionalism and unethical conduct.

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Another charity partner, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training, is being investigated for potential improprieties by one of their coaches on race day. The facts on that inquiry are still being researched.

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Overall, charity organizations are great for the sport. They bring new blood into our running ranks, they bring color and lots of human-interest stories and they bring funding for causes that are pursuing a better tomorrow. All of this is outstanding and should be commended.

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The reality is that our sport, the marathon, is for the people: runners, walkers, joggers, athletes, and competitors. The stories of human interest are generated from the people. The successes and glory are accomplished by the people.

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For the sport it's about distance 26.2 miles...plain and simple. For the training it is about moral and physical courage and dedication. For the rules and regulations, it is about running the distance, staying on course, and receiving no assistance from outside sources.

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For the reward it is a dream come true. A finisher's medal is a visual display of your achievement. Self-satisfaction that weeks, months, and even years of hard training have paid off with the fruits of victory.

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The marathon distance has become one of those ultimate challenges in life that society has recognized as an incredible feat. A very, very, small percentage of the human race will ever say they have achieved this plateau of being a "marathon finisher".

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The human element of runner, walker, competitor, organizer and coach will come and go, and the record books are filled with their great accomplishments for all of us to witness and remember.

But it will always be the sport – the Marathon – that we protect and defend. For without the integrity of our sport, our labor/training is fruitless, our rewards and recognitions are successless, our dreams are meaningless.

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Cheating at any level, even by those back in the pack, is not a "victim-less crime" as some might have you believe. We all suffer in some form or fashion. It shouldn't be our focus to zero in on the winners of awards but to focus on the entire field. Any cancer, and in our case any cheaters, need to be removed from our finishers files.

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I, for one, say "enough." Runners, event organizers, sponsors, media outlets and businesses involved with the sport must stand up and be counted. The almighty dollar cannot be what drives us in our quest. Product sales, entry fees, sponsorship dollars and charity pledges can't be the path to justify our actions.

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Core values of integrity and honesty are a must. We respect all involved in our sport whenever they are giving 100% effort. Competition is good and makes us better. We strive harder to accomplish more. And in the end, if we are courteous, and do to others what we want done to us, then compassion and fairness and truthfulness and good sportsmanship will be our anchor, keeping us fixed on achieving our daily goals.

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The Marine Corps motto is Semper Fidelis, "Always Faithful". The Marine Corps Marathon believes in the meaning of those two simple but oh so powerful words. We must always, always be faithful to our selves, to our fellow competitors, and to our sport. For whenever we sacrifice anyone of those pillars, then the integrity of what we believe in will crumble. And in the end we will be no better off then if we didn't even try.

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Quarter Marathon ?!

Well, we are all set to challenge the Singapore International Marathon this Sunday, 4 December. Just in case that you are new in this sport and are not aware of the distance in running a marathon – it is 42 km. To be exact, it is 42.195 km! It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to run that far in a single race.

I need to clarify the situation just in case a few of the readers may think that a marathon is 10km in distance. I have a rude awakening experience when I conversed with a few of my office colleagues recently; they thought that the distance for a marathon is only 5km!

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With that bad experience, nowadays, when I talk to non-runners, I always say, "Yeah, I am running marathon, and the distance is 42km ... you know?" To add impact to the conversation and to bring home the point, I would always highlight the equivalent of distance in relation to a location where the friends are familiar with. In admiration, they would say, "Wah! You Superman, how come you can run that far?" That would really make my day.

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In 2003, we participated in a 10km run in Klang, Selangor. I was shock to see the banner hanging high up at the starting line that read: KLANG QUARTER MARATHON 2003. That was really "spoiling the market". Imagine some runners would drop the word "quarter" conveniently, and said they have run a marathon in Klang.

I was trying to analyze why the organizer would promote the run by quoting that attention-grabbing phrase – Quarter Marathon. On the positive note, I think the organizer was using the prestigious word "marathon" to entice or attract more runners to participate. After all, Quarter Marathon – the equivalent distance of about 10km – sounded better than a mere 10km race.

On the other hand, it was possible that the organizing committee was working through lunch in the midst of a serious brainstorming session on the logistical nightmare of staging the event. Each member would have been dished out a quarter chickens because with full stomach, it affected clarity in thinking. Obviously, they wanted more chickens and it sparked a brilliant idea that Quarter Marathon would soon lead to Full Marathon.

Let us hope that in future, the word “marathon” is only used to refer to Half or Full marathon – according to standard procedure and usage. Nevertheless, it is always welcome to refer to something tougher like ULTRA-MARATHON, which is in fashion nowadays. We hope that our organizers, with the creative minds, do not proudly call the 7km race the Bolehland One-Sixth Marathon.

By KC..... :-)

A Class of Their Own

Few marathons are in a class of their own. Months ago, a runner friend forwarded to me an interesting short description of the Le Marathon des Chateaux du Medoc. That marathon was held on September 11, 2004 in France. And after reading the passage, we were really excited and one of the friends said, “Shall we plan to run the marathon there within three years?”

Routed through 59 vineyards in the fabled villages of the Medoc region, this event appeals to the true connoisseur of fine runs. Where else do they ask you at the aid stations, "red or white wine, Madame?"

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Thankfully, there is plain water if you so choose.

The course reads more like a wine list than a race course: Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Lynch-Bages, Pichon Lonqueville, Beychevelles among others. Accommodations are always a problem since the 8,000 runners overwhelm the small villages directly north of Bordeaux. We limit the number of guests on this trip to insure the quality of our services.

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A six night package includes accommodations for six nights in Bordeaux. Invitations are included to the pre-race "Milles Pate Party", and the next day recovery walk which is more a 9km wine tasting tour by foot. Our Exclusive Gala Banquet will be hosted by Chateau Giscours (a third growth classification) commencing with a wine tasting followed by a gastronomic celebration featuring typical Bordelais fare in an exceptional setting at the property.

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This trip appeals to those as interested in stimulating their palate as well as their hamstrings. Chateaux visits with wine tasting are scheduled in Pauillac, St. Julien, Margaux, St. Emilion and Cognac.

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This celebration of wine and running is a blend of comedic exercise unique to the French. Where else could you be passed by a bunch of grapes, a cork and Cirano de Bergerac in a staggering sprint to the finish?

I am thinking: training is important in any endeavor. Embarking on the marathon journey, we run, run and run. To participate in this France marathon nested in the vineyards, does it mean that we should start training on drinking wine? Otherwise, our legs would be wobbling after a few glasses of wine down our throat at the third water station.

I am also thinking: Pacesetters Club will be organizing a 30km long run on Sunday 13 November. Do you think the committee members on duty at the water station, after reading this posting, would offer: “red or white wine, Sir?”

Well, what do you think? … KC :-))