The fun run will start at 6:30pm at Tuckerman Park parking lot, a small space on the N side of Goldenstein between Morning Sun Drive and Gardner Park Dr (7979 Goldenstein Lane). Try to carpool if possible but you may find some overflow parking in the local neighborhoods.
Traditional low-key, high-snow, suffer-fest! What’s not to love? Read more
By David Summerfield
I have to start with Dakotah Lindwurm, who I wrote about after her surprising 3rd place finish at the February Olympics qualifying race in Florida. I had a great picture of her utter disbelief at the finish line, when she realized she was going to Paris! A relative unknown, she became the USA’s least known qualifier, but exuded such genuine amazement and thrill at getting onto the Paris Olympics team.
Dakotah knowing she’s on her way to Paris via teamusa.com.
A few words summed up her elation and determination to make us all proud. She wrote three words on her left hand: “Strong, fast, and last.” That needs interpretation! To her, this meant “I am strong,” “I am fast,” and “My speed will last.” I read that her coach had her push a sled on an uphill course, where she acknowledged her body felt like it was parallel to the ground—and she could barely walk the next day. Over time, it made her incredibly strong. Knowing the Olympic marathon course had been judged to be among the most difficult/challenging of all the Olympics, her coach knew she needed strength.
I listened to a podcast after the race, with Runner’s World’s Sarah Lorge Butler (from Aug. 11). It had to do with Dakotah recounting what it was like in the middle of the race. She stayed up with the lead pack, and at one point found herself in the actual lead, which was not her intention! But she definitely ran her own race—staying as even-paced as possible. One issue I had forgotten about while racing in Europe was that the course only had kilometer markers—no mileage markers. And of course her “pace” was using mileage numbers. So, around the mid-race area, a young boy ran onto the course to run along beside her, yelling “Go Dakotah”. She said it was so inspiring—and she put a call out to find this boy, an obvious American, about 10 years old. It lifted her spirits and after the race she put out the call to find him. But that’s when, her boyfriend (named Montana) found her and gave her an engagement ring, and she said “yes”—so finding the 10-year old boy was put on hold!
Dakotah ended up being the 1st American across the finish line, in 12th place. Someone is in definite heaven. When asked why she attended the opening ceremony on the USA river boat on the Seine river, she said that even though most of the long distance runners opted out, trying to reserve their energy (the marathon was 3 weeks away) – she was there with her family, in an airbnb and wanted to “rub elbows” with the more famous Americans and she did mention she wanted to indulge in as many croissants as possible.
Dakotah finishing 12th in Paris. Photo via Kevin Morris @kevmofoto, Citrus Magazine.
And this brings us to the 1500 meter race, which had been billed as a match-up of Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr—who both openly taunted each other leading up to the race. Jakob took the lead early in the race and kept himself in the lead—looking like he was daring everyone else to catch him. This race is usually run more conservatively, with the all-out sprint during the last straightaway. Unfortunately for Jakob, he just plain ran out of steam, and faded in the last 20-30 meters, allowing Josh Kerr to secure the silver medal and while no one saw it coming, an unheralded American, Cole Hocker, snuck up behind everyone, and captured the gold! That’s a race worth looking at! I don’t think Americans are accustomed to winning Olympic gold in these races—the Ethiopians or Kenyans have always scooped up the Olympic medals for these races. So, with Cole in 1st place (3:27:65 – Olympic record), Josh Kerr in 2nd (3:27:79 – British record), then America Yared Nuguse was 3rd (3:27:80 – personal best). A crowded 1-2-3, all within 15/100ths of a second apart. Ingebrigsten was 4th (3:28:24), which was only 59/100ths of a second off 1st place.
Final 10 seconds of Paris 1500m final – see the order of runners….Jakob still in 1st, Kerr in 2nd and closing, Cole sneaking up behind, and Nuguse a distant 4th, who will pass Jakob in a few seconds! Photo via nbcolympics.com/videos/
Then, right after the Paris Olympics, the next big international track meet was held in Lausanne, Switzerland. What? I know that place. Here comes David tooting his horn once again! I was a student at the University of Lausanne (1978-1981) and they had just completed building a world class track right next to Lake Geneva (Lac Leman in French). The public was invited to run on the track – with the latest in artificial, spongy brightly colored surface. We all felt like world class runners. European universities don’t pay for/sponsor athletic teams – that’s for the local clubs to do. But….Switzerland did have an “all-comers” yearly track meet for all Swiss university runners. I entered the 10,000 meter race which was one of the early meets ever held on this track. As I remember it, there were something like a dozen runners. I took 1st place in (around) 34:04 as my memory tells me. It was a “non-event” – no publicity, no mention in any publication—just great memories. We students had organized our own “club”—we ran together twice a week – usually about 2-3 of us. Pretty low-key, right?
Anyway, back to the just invented Ingebrigsten/Hocker rivalry…since Cole had run down Jakob the week before, it was time for Jakob to get his “revenge,” something the press loves to tout. So, Jakob had his “redemption” and beat Cole in Lausanne. This time he ran a 3:27:83 (to Cole’s 3:29) to rack-up points in what’s called the “Diamond League” after the Olympics. Each weekend, track types travel around Europe to get points, and then the “final” is in Brussels in September. The next week in Selisia, Poland, Jakob did set a new world record in the 3000 meter – a “non-Olympian” distance, but he did break Daniel Komen’s WR set in 1996 – the longest standing running record. Jakob ran a 7:17.55, 3 seconds faster than Daniel.
So, that’s about it for my Olympics wrap-up. I trust many of you were able to follow your favorite events. Now, back to training for the Colter Run, and all that the Bozeman area has to offer—non-Olympic type!
The Gallatin Gateway School Foundation is having a fun run on Aug. 24 in Gallatin Gateway. It’s the 10th anniversary the Gateway Gallop with 5k and 1 mile options for all pace-levels. For more info visit https://www.gallatingatewayschool.com/About-Us/Support-Organizations/Gallatin-Gateway-School-Foundation/index.html or email carlykundert@gmail.com
The Bobcat Trail Challenge is a unique trail race, taking place on the challenging 5km XC Ski Race Loop at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center. Compete in 20k, 10k, or 5k runs or as a 2 or 4-person team in the 20k Relay!
Register and more info: https://runsignup.com/Race/MT/Bozeman/BobcatTrailChallengeatCrosscut
By David Summerfield
A few months ago, I featured the Norwegian Ingebrigtsen Trio setting all sorts of records. In particular, the 2-mile outdoor record, which fell to Jakob Ingebrigtsen (7:54.10) in Paris. Little did I know that lurking behind the whole time was a Scottish runner named Josh Kerr. He wears the Great Britain running singlet (which reminded me that Scotland is still firmly part of the British Empire!). Anyway, Josh became known last year by winning the World Athletics Championship 1500m race in Budapest, Hungary, and ended Jakob’s winning streak. Thus was born (at least to the track fans) the rivalry of these two “middle distance” phenomenons. This article is not very complex – it is solely based on these 2 runners, and is being written only because of a picture I found of Josh arriving at the finish line with Jakob right beside him, but less than 6 inches behind! And that was the moment Josh chose to play his hand, as you’ll see: he takes the energy and time to point his finger at Jakob at that last second when he knew he’d beaten him, and thus can put in full display his bravado, or ego, or triumphant arrogance to all the flashing cameras!
Josh beats Jakob and lets everyone know it! via olympics.com
In 2021, Jakob won the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympics, and Josh came in 3rd. A similar scenario happened several times over the next few years. Then along came 2023, and Josh showed he could beat Jakob. Here we are in 2024, and the rivalry keeps ramping up. Just to spice things up, Jakob told the press that in their upcoming races, he could beat Josh with his eyes closed. Oh…that’s just what the press wants, right?
Then along came 2024, and the press couldn’t wait to add fuel to the fire between Jakob and Josh. On Feb 11th, Josh’s 1st race of the year, he set a world record for the indoor two mile at the famed Millrose Games in New York (8:00:67). It was great fun watching the video of the race – he contented himself to run behind the USA Grant Fisher, until the final lap and a half (these guys were flying – it’s a 200 meter track!). Then Josh just exploded past Grant – the 1st mile was in a “slow” 4:03, and this 2nd mile was a 3:57! In the following interview, Josh said he took the subway to the Armory (built long ago in Manhattan) and almost lost his way. This track has become a legend for track fans, since the seats are so close to the actual track – I understand the screaming is intense.
Happy Josh! via flotrack.org/articles/Josh-kerr-shatters-2-mile-world-indoor-record-at-millrose
An interesting part of Josh’s life is how he got to the University of New Mexico. He had already established several British Junior records as a teenager, and was wanting to take it to the next level. He had trouble finding a school that would “hire” him – until he secured a full athletic scholarship in Albuquerque. He ran 3 years with the UNM team – securing NCAA records along the way. Then he opted out of his senior year to join the Brooks Beasts track team, and just kept getting better. Meanwhile, Jakob did run a world record outdoor 2-mile in 2023 (7:54:10) at the Diamond Meet in Paris, May 9th – so these 2 runners are definitely on a par – fitness-wise. The big anticipation is now taking place for the Paris Olympics, where they will meet head-to-head in the 1500m (the mile “equivalent”).
Jakob’s newest WR in the 2-mile via watchathletics.com
In Josh’s build-up to the Olympics, he did run a new British record in the 1500m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, OR on May 25th – 3:45:34 (and who was 26/100ths of a second behind him? Jakob Ingebrigtsen of course). Making sure the public was fully riled up for this event, they called this race the “Mile Race of the Century”. Eeeegads.
Just for your Olympic viewing pleasure, the Round 1 of the 1500m is on Aug. 2 at 11:05 am. The men’s final 1500m is on Aug. 6 at 8:50 pm. See you there???
Each year, Big Sky Wind Drinkers present 3-4 scholarships to promising young athletes in the Gallatin Valley. Big congrats to this year’s winners: Emma Konen (Twin Bridges High), Nomi Friedman (Bozeman High), Hannah Giese (Belgrade High) and Kimball Smith (Park High). Big thanks to our scholarship committee, Kristin Harbuck, Patrick Hatfield, Mark Genito and Ethan Brown.
Each student has given us permission to publish their personal essay below – enjoy!
Nomi Friedman – Bozeman High
As my alarm goes off and I shift my eyes from side to side I can feel a deep, throbbing pain inside my head. It’s four in the morning and I’m huddled inside my sleeping bag, the only thing below me is a damp tarp and the only thing above is the stars still in the sky. I take a deep breath in hopes of halting the welling tears from pouring out. ‘Nomi. Do not be such a baby,’ I chide myself. I kick out my legs, feeling my muscles twinge as they make contact with the cold part of my sleeping bag that’s been denied any body heat. I slowly sit up, gulping in frigid air. Today is day 3 of the Headwaters Relay, a 220 mile running relay through the Gravelly Mountains. In the days prior I had logged 18 miles all at paces faster than I’d run so far that summer. My legs hurt to touch, my arches are home to two incredibly tender blisters, and my mental fortitude is being tested like never before.
I pull myself from my sleeping bag and put on my shoes so I can walk a couple hundred feet to go to the bathroom. I squat down in time to hear a crack in the branch I had placed my foot on. My foot falls to the ground and my entire body follows suit. Tears well, my head pounds, and it takes absolutely everything in me to keep my eyes open. ‘Nomi, you’re okay. You got this. Get up,’ the internal voice instructs me. I place my palms on the cold dirt and push myself back up, go to the bathroom, and head back to camp.
We fold up the tarp, shovel cinnamon apple oatmeal into our mouths, and pile into the truck, heading to the start of my leg. As we rumble down the road I can just barely see the sun poking up from behind the hillside. I watch the light trace its way through the clouds and a smile creeps across my face. I try to put into perspective what I’m doing. I get to wake up next to my best friends, run all day through the mountains, and be lulled to sleep by the hush of a quiet wind. I have a body that is strong and a mind that’s even stronger and here I am doing what I love.
That day I ran ten and a half miles and finished the relay with my team. That weekend showed me how strong I could be in the face of both an extreme mental and physical challenge. It pushed me deep into the pain cave, secluded me to just my thoughts, and allowed me to see how truly capable I am.
To me, that’s what running is all about. No other activity pushes you to your absolute limit while still allowing you to do what you love the most. Running has given me my favorite sport, my best friends, and an unbridled appreciation for being alive. I know when I show up to practice I will be greeted by the smiles of my teammates, a witty joke from Coach Casey, and just a couple anxious butterflies as I start to warm up for hard intervals.
So, when asked what running means to me, I believe it’s not the times, the races, or the splits, but rather the community, the grit, and the smiles that are direct results of the time we spend pushing ourselves to be stronger. I will forever cherish the memories I’ve made during my career as a Hawk, and I will never stop pursuing the joy I get from going out on a run.
Kimball Smith – Park High
Running holds a special place in my heart, far beyond just putting one foot in front of the other. To me, running is a way of life, a journey filled with challenges, pushing yourlimits, triumphs, self-discovery, and connecting with a community. It all began as a littlechild; in my family we have a tradition called the Smith Family Marathon. Every year since I was two years old my dad has run an independent self-supported marathon from out thefront door of our house. Our job as kids was to cheer for him as loud as we could along theway. We always had a finish line across our driveway and made him a finishers metal. AsI’ve grown older and began to run alongside him, I’ve noticed how much commitment thistradition has required for my dad. Over the years the family marathon has evolved toinclude most of the family for some distance of the run. One memory I have was when mydad and I drove 26.2 miles up a dusty dirt road in the farm hills above our ranch and ranback to the cabin. At the end of the run, I asked him why he does it. He said, “the reasoncontinue to do this tradition is to show you kids that you can do hard things.” This struckme as he is nearing 50 years old. My dad has always led by his example and has inspiredme to do hard things.
What Running Means to Me
It was the day of the time trial. I warmed up with the rest of the girls’ team, and found that I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I might be. After all, I was just a freshman. No one expected anything from me, there was no pressure to perform well. I lined up, closer to the back of the pack, at the makeshift start line. Our coach gave us the “Go!” command, and we took off. Instantly I felt like I could go faster, so I squeezed through the group in front of me and found myself directly behind a couple of seniors who were in the front. I knew I could run faster than this, but I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to pass the upperclassmen. After a few seconds, I decided to pass them and ended up finishing the time trial in first place. I was shocked! At most, I had been hoping to run in the sixth or seventh varsity position at the first meet, but here I was leading the team!
By the middle of winter freshman year, I was putting in more mileage than I thought possible, and I was loving it. Then I lost it all. I suffered a severe partial tear in my right calf due to overuse. For weeks I could barely walk, let alone run, and by the time track season rolled around (almost 3 months later) I still was unable to run. Running was something that I had always taken for granted, until it was suddenly stripped away. My mental health began to suffer severely, and I realized that running had been a form of therapy as much as it was a sport. Running was an escape, it gave me freedom. It also allowed me to push the limits of my determination and perseverance as I strove to recover in time to race at the last few meets of the season. I held a new appreciation for every run and every step in my recovery.
Over the next two years, I lost sight of running as a form of freedom. I became blinded by my goals and the pressure that I felt from everyone around me. It came from my parents, my coaches, my teammates, my teachers. But most of all, it came from myself. I was expected to continue leading the team and PRing in races, and so I did, until at the end of my junior year I earned All-State Honors at the AA State Cross Country Meet. Of course, I was thrilled. But at the same time I knew I couldn’t race another season the same way I had the last three years. I was mentally exhausted, and each race caused an immense amount of anxiety that I would let people down. For a while, I stopped running entirely. I didn’t attend winter training or participate in the next track season. I was scared to run again. Running had changed from something that lessened my anxiety and had become the main source of my anxiety. I missed the freedom that running had once brought, but I was afraid that if I started running again it would no longer bring the same freedom that it once had.
Finally, during the summer before my senior year, I decided that I didn’t want to give up on running. It had been one of the biggest parts of my life for seven years, and I didn’t want to lose it forever. I started running again, with the sole goal of developing a lifelong love for it. I went on countless trail runs, and decided to return for a final cross country season. Although I didn’t race much due to injury, I will never regret that I came back to running. I am learning to appreciate running without any pressure to PR or to set ambitious goals. To me, running is a way to escape, to find new adventures, and to discover more about myself. To me, running is freedom.
Growing up on a small ranch as the youngest of five siblings, I was constantly running. I loved the feeling of the wind against my face as I chased my brothers through the fields or as I played with the cow dogs and pigs. As I got older this love continued as sports engulfed my life, every day I was running down the basketball court or around the track, it was something that I found a passion for and put all of my efforts into until everything changed. Junior year at the State Track meet, I charged down the final stretch as the anchor of the 4x400m relay, pushing my body to its limits. As I was fighting to get a breath of air into my lungs, darkness encroached on my vision, but I willed my legs to carry me forward until I collapsed across the finish line. This episode wasn’t an isolated incident; it was just the climax of a struggle that began months earlier.
It all started in November, during basketball practice, when I noticed a disturbing feeling when doing basic conditioning, a feeling as if I breathing through a straw. Hoping for a quick fix of an inhaler, I sought help from a local doctor, only to leave with a note banning me from exercise and no answers. As a three-sport All-State athlete with hopes of competing at the college level, this was dream-crushing news. I sought help from many other doctors around the state who were also unable to give me a diagnosis and waved it off as long-term COVID-19. After returning to sports, the mental toll of being unable to compete at my full potential weighed heavily on me, but I refused to surrender to these negative thoughts that wanted me to give up on my dreams. Determined to find answers, I embarked on a journey that led me to The National Jewish Hospital in Denver, Colorado.
There, amidst rigorous physically and mentally demanding testing, I received a diagnosis that explained my problem: Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (EILO), a rare condition that makes breathing nine to sixteen times more challenging during exertion, taking precious energy and oxygen from my lungs, muscles, and brain. After my diagnosis, while still at National Jewish, I began the meticulous process of relearning how to breathe efficiently while maintaining high levels of activity.
As I approach my Senior year of track, I am filled with gratitude for EILO. Despite the setbacks caused by EILO, I’ve embraced the challenge and signed to run collegiate track and play basketball at Montana Tech. My perspective on running has undergone a profound transformation. What was once perceived as punishment or a dreaded chore has become a source of profound appreciation. EILO has taught me not to take anything for granted, especially the simple act of breathing. Through adversity, I’ve discovered resilience and a deeper connection to my faith.
Running, to me, embodies freedom—a liberation from the burdens that weigh me down. With each stride, I feel the weight of my worries lift, leaving me empowered and invigorated. I am reminded of the verse from Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” My journey with EILO has strengthened my faith and reaffirmed my belief that I run not just by my own strength, but by the grace and faithfulness of God. I know that every time I step into my blocks, with the power of God in me, nothing can stop me, not even EILO.
While Stacy and I have been living in France these past five weeks, I just realized the August 2024 Paris Olympics are just a few hours away from where we’ve living. And here’s some interesting info I found about what will happen this coming July.
The theme is “Olympics for Everyone” and includes a wild marathon course said to be the hardest one so far. I need to look up the Rome 1960 Olympics, which was mostly on cobblestone streets and had to negotiate the “Nine Hills” of Rome. But for the Paris Olympics, they start on the Ile-de-la-Cité, go past Notre Dame, then the Louvre, and wind through town/over the many bridges over the Seine river, and head down to Versailles and back. Interestingly, the Louvre had been the palace for the many kings, and then the royal household moved to Versailles (rumor has it the hunting was much better there than along the Seine River). A bit of history, Abebe Bikila (Ethiopia) won the Rome marathon running barefoot in 2:15:16, which was then a world record, and is still a barefoot marathon WR. Oh, this race started the world record holders coming from Africa. And they have dominated ever since. Rome was the 1st to start and finish outside the Olympic stadium, and the same is true for the Paris Olympic marathon.
Abebe Bikila winning in Rome, 1960, barefoot centralmente.com
The women’s marathon race is the very last race of these Olympics, and the three USA runners who qualified have quite the story. The current rule is that each country gets three entrants, but there is also a qualifying standard as well. A rather unknown, Dakotah Lindwurm had only a 15 seconds cushion before not making the team. The look on her face as she finished in 2:25:31 says it all – she was SO excited – it’s great to see such overflowing emotion on her face. It was not showboating. It was pure elation.
Dakotah Lindwurm squealing with delight fox9.com
Here are a few of the gems I got from perusing the online interviews with her, after she got on the Olympic team. It was so obviously a dream come true, and her honesty is so welcomed. After the race, she was in a restaurant and spied her idols at a table (Fiona O’Keefe and Emily Sisson, who had come in 1st and 2nd), and told herself to just go up and say “hi.” As she got near, they both jumped up and started screaming at her; she was the talk of the town, and it hadn’t yet sunk in I guess. She grew up in St Francis, Minnesota, and of course was a decent hockey player in high school. She wasn’t that good, but realized she kept beating all the other girls while running in gym class. She had tried to run on the JV team, but kept coming in last, and said that motivated her since she didn’t like to fail at anything. Then she discovered she was pretty good at running, but realized she wasn’t good enough to get a scholarship or anything. She went to Northern State University (South Dakota) a Division II school, and was a “walk-on” with the cross-country team as a sophomore. Then she realized she preferred running with the guys since they went faster – instead of like the girls who would often sneak out and hide behind the bleachers to avoid certain workouts. Her rise to be an Olympian had become a dream, and she really kept pushing herself. One account was about her coach (she finally had a coach with the Minnesota Elite Runners, Chris Lundstrum) asking how she was feeling with her 120 mile/week workouts. This was in preparation for the Orlando Olympic Trials marathon. She said she kept feeling stronger and wanted more miles. So he agreed to crank it up to 135 mile weeks, and that suited her fine. So, while working away out of the limelight, she came into the Trials unheralded. Between now and the August 11 Olympic race, she’s planning on doing her 3rd Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth on June 22, which she has won twice and she loves to support them, even though the race of her life will only be 50 days later. She says she’s not
worried, a good race before an important race has always worked for her. Here’s to the trio Fionna, Emily and Dakotah!
Fiona O’Keefe, Emily Sisson, and Dakota Lindwurm ready to go runblogrun.com
By David Summerfield
I just can’t not keep talking about those three Ingebrigtsen brothers. Looks like they haven’t stopped running yet. That TV series they were featured in several years ago (Team Ingebrigtsen?) well, here’s the next version. I didn’t realize that the past series was just documenting their preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. So, of course, they’re doing the same now for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Jakob (the youngest) set another world record since I last looked, the indoor 1500 meter, in 3:30:60. He still holds the WR for the 2km (4:43.13) and the outdoor 2 mile (7:54:10). And I found out there are 4 other siblings: Kristoffer, Martin, Ingrid, and William.
Here they are in Düsseldorf, Germany showing how to block the lanes! via worldathletics.org
In reading about these amazing Norwegians, I couldn’t help but smile about Jakob getting married recently to his longtime girlfriend, and to celebrate, he went for the WR Beer Mile record. I’d forgotten about the event. I highlighted it many years ago, and here it came back into the spotlight.
Beer mile regulations: at least one 12oz bottle of beer per lap, minimum of 5% ABV, and off you go. So, Jakob took off as part of his bachelor party. What amazed me was this story was written up by his “other” elder brother Kristoffer (how many are there??). Anyway, Jakob ran a 5:22, far off the official record of 4:28. And it was a party on the track. Other family members did the same beer run. Their choice of beer included Corona and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. The WR holder (Canadian Corey Bellemore) gave away his secret – you’ve got to get rid of the burps in the 1st 100 meters of each lap after downing the beer, but not “deep” burps – those lead to puking. So, there’s a worthy challenge, oh BSWD’ers.
Start of a Beer mile runningmagazine.ca
To finish off this article of world records, the next article online showed how an AI robot also ran a WR. What? You’ve got to look it up to believe it. A Chinese start-up created a robot called H-1, who can “run” 3.3 meters/second. His (its) specks: height – 5’11”, weight – 104 pounds. So, it is a lightweight, but my height. My calculation is it can run a 440 yard track in 2 minutes (8:00 minute mile). If you watch the video of this guy/metal thing running, it does sorta give me this weird feeling. It can also dance, walk up and down stairs, and luckily for now – it really looks like a hightech robot – nothing close to being human….yet. With that – happy running, and just think you have a training partner just waiting to challenge you on the track 🙂
Just think, you might meet one of these Unitree robots as you walk down the street someday. therobotreporrt.com
The Norwegians Have Arrived!
By David Summerfield
In scouring the internet for interesting world records, I landed on Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s 2-mile world record (last year). This Norwegian has amassed so many world records, starting early as a 15-year-old, and getting faster each year. The Ingebrigtsen family boasts three fast brothers: Jakob, Filip and Henrik, all coached by their father Gjert.
Here’s Jakob winning the 5000 meter race final in Eugene, OR in 2022 (13:09) via wikipedia.
Jakob was the 1st 16-year-old to run a sub-4:00 mile (3:58), and he lowered that each year. His two older brothers (Filip at 24 and Henrik at 26) were in the same meet, and ran a 3:56 and 3:53, respectively. What caught my attention most was his 7:54.10 2-mile time last year in Paris. That’s averaging a 3:57 mile back-to-back. He beat the 25-year old record set by Daniel Komen (7:58) in 1997. His other amazing achievements include the mile at the Prefortaine Classic in Eugene, OR, where he ran a 3:43:73. The world record of 3:43:13 still stands (held by Hicham El Guerrouj). Enough stats for now. Of interest (to me) is that Norway has a TV reality series called “Team Engebrigtsen”, which ran for 5 seasons. In it the three middle-distance runners shared the trials and tribulations of their lives as runners.
While Norwegians are more known for their winter sports heroics, now they can add an amazing trio of brothers who all run faster times than any other group. Of course I am interested in knowing the specifics of how the three were coached at such early ages.
I grew up being inspired by another Norwegian, Ole Einar Bjørndalen, who has won more Olympic gold medals (8) than any other Winter Olympian (13 total medals). He’s a biathlete, carrying an eight-pound rifle on his back, skiing three 3.3km loops, and Ole prefers the standing shot. He has five shots at a target (penalized an additional 150 meter loop for every missed shot) and shoving back on his skis to repeat the process over and over. Somehow he has managed to keep his throbbing heartbeat from making him miss the mark more than any other athlete. Any of you readers who know how to skate ski should understand. Just carrying the rifle is enough of a distraction. So, I’ll just finish with a picture of Ole Bjørndalen doing the impossible. (Oh, and he just turned 50, and he is the same height as me, and we both ski on Madshus skis, and of course I wear the signature Bjørndalen jacket).
Ole Einar Bjørndalen in competition via delfi.ee.
Oh, and he has now retired, but I discovered that promising Norwegian athletes (like other nordic countries) attend “sports schools” – in their teens – so they train year round and that explains in a small way why Americans (and me specifically) can never enter their world of super-athlete-dom.
Hmmm, his skis look just like mine….the comparison ends there! Via sportyzive.cz.
