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The Mature Runner: Runners Who Made Us Proud

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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 Mature Runner: Fierce Competition Yields World Records

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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???

The Mature Runner

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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

Mature Runner

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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.

Henrik, Jakob, and Filip hamming it up in Berlin, 2018 via nzz.ch.

Here’s Jakob as a 16-year old running the 3:58 mile via vg.no.

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.

The Mature Runner

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This Is Why We (BSWD’ers) Are Not Setting World Records!

By David Summerfield

Some of you might remember a runner who set World Records many years ago. At the time he was called the greatest marathoner of all time: Kinenisa Bekele. An Ethiopian, he started winning every race he entered. He became the folk hero of a generation of runners back in the early 2000’s. Eliud Kipchoge followed in his footsteps and became his replacement. If you go back far enough, you’ll remember Haile Gebrselassie, who set the standard for both of those runners. To better Haile’s world records was an amazing achievement. Kenenisa Bekele is in the news again, not for the open marathon world record, but for setting a world record for men over 40 – they are called “Master” runners. Get this: Kenenisa Bekele ran a 2:04:19 as a 41 year-old (in Valencia, Spain – this December – he came in 4th, imagine that!).

Mo Farah, Kenenisa Bekele, and Haile Gebrselassie in a tight pack! Via athleticsweekly.com

I just realized that these three runners I’ve admired over the past 25 years have some other interesting statistics. For example, their weight and height are so similar:

Haile Gebrselassie: 5’5” 119 pounds Ethiopia born 1973 marathon record: 2:03:59 (2008)

Kenenisa Bekele 5’5” 123 pounds Ethiopia born 1982 marathon record: 2:01:41 (2 seconds behind Eliud Kipchoge’s WR

Eliud Kipchoge: 5’6” 115 pounds Kenya born 1984 Marathon record: 2:01:09

Kelvin Kiptum: 5’11” 143 pounds Kenya born 1999 Marathon record: 2:00:35 – current world record

So, from that picture above, I had to look up Mo Farah’s stats, and this guy is 5’9” and 143 pounds and is 40 years old. He’s also setting world records. So, he’s an anomaly for sure. But his story is just as riveting as the others: he was born in what is now Somaliland, and was “trafficked” into England, where he was treated as a slave when he was 12. He eventually gained his freedom (in present day England), and his real running talents were recognized. He rose quickly to national prominence, gaining citizenship and then appointed the Commander of the Order of the British Empire. And he currently holds most of the British distance records.

What do we learn from these stats? The obvious: the swift runners have to be small people (around 5’5”) and not weigh too much (119 pounds average). I guess that’s not all: you need to have grown up in either Kenya or Ethiopia (or Somaliland for Mo) and run something like a 10km to school every morning and evening, in your grade-school years. And barefoot. And eat a very simple diet (no sugars and lots of grains). And for Mo, a strong dose of hardship was also his essential ingredient in becoming a world class runner. As for Kelvin Kiptum, well, he breaks all my rules for running fast … we’re the same height and weight. So there.

I must give credit to Eliud Kipchoge as I have in a previous article. He did run the 1st ever marathon distance in under 2 hours (1:59:40.2) so we know it is humanly possible. For certain humans, at least. Well, specifically one human on the planet so far. Anyway, this wasn’t an “official” race, since a whole army of elite runners were waiting in line, ready to jump in the loop to take their turn as robotic rabbits. Remember the truck that drove in front of the pack, shooting back laser beams on the ground, and driving at the exact sub-2 hour finish pace? Sheesh. Anyway, his achievement is good enough for now, and he does hold the unaided marathon world record in 2:01:09. He’s also the youngest of the lot! So, there you have it. Kenenisa Bekele earned a world record for being over 40 and running a 2:04:19. And he had to settle for 4th place. I still shake my head in disbelief. Haile Gebrselassie’s world record (2008) was a ho hum 2:03:59 (and 20 seconds later along comes Kenenisa).

To finish off this article, I can’t help but reveal a huge fact about Kenenisa’s achievement. From many different sources, it turns out he comes off as a rather shy person, not flamboyant or soaking in the admiration of “his” public. He is much more little known, even though he holds (held) just as many world records as the rest of the gang. They’ve all mastered the art of running fast on all types of surfaces (grassy x-country courses, asphalt, spongey tracks, cobblestones, etc.). But look at the faces of the others as they finish a race, and their arms go up in triumph, they love giving interviews, they relish the attention. Kenenisa doesn’t do that. Kipchoge, Gebrselassie, and Mo are good at self-promoting. That’s why I admire Kenenisa all the more.

With that, dear Wind Drinkers, I wish you all the very best of accomplishments for 2024. May the race gods and goddesses treat you well. And if you prefer the anonymity of self-effacing running achievements which go unnoticed, may those important accomplishments fill you with all the self-esteem and pride you deserve.

Kelvin Kiptum made it look easy. Via world-track.org

Oh dear, while finishing up this article, I got chastised. I totally forgot Kelvin Kiptum. This October in Chicago, the “upstart” Kelvin, born in 1999, as a 24 year old, jumped into the fray, and came up with this USA soil WR. 2:00:35. Sigh. And he’s the tallest of them all, wow.

Mature Runner: Two New Marathon World Records

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By David Summerfield

The Winddrinker Newsletter must let you all know about last month’s amazing development in the marathon. I keep thinking marathon world records are going to be harder and harder to break. Not any more! Here’s the simple story of 2 very talented runners who made their mark on history.

Jubilant Assefa! via capitalethiopia.com

First there’s Tigist Assefa, an Ethiopian who won last year’s Berlin Marathon (2:15:37) and came back with a 2:11:53 this year. The narrative of how it happened was breathtaking. She went out on WR pace, and pulled a dozen runners with her. Her splits were all on-pace, and realizing there were no more runners around her, she blitzed across the finish line, knowing the last few kilometers she would easily break the record. She basically never slowed down, and had negative splits. The 2nd place runner (Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui) was 6 minutes back! Oh what a way to break a world record. One article focused on her shoes (which has become slightly controversial). They are Adidas, and were not publicly for sale yet (yes, an advertising gimmick). They are called the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 and are purported to be 40% lighter than any other racing flat. And of course they have a “first of its kind” forefoot rocker which is lab-tested to promote forward momentum and increase running efficiency. Don’t they all claim that? Wasn’t that Nike’s Vaporfly model? Anyway, Tigist said after the race that they were incredibly comfortable. I guess we all need to go get a pair now…. I must apologize that I couldn’t find a compelling story for Tigist. I still think the men get better coverage/interviews. Now let’s move on to the new men’s WR in Chicago. And surprise, it wasn’t Eliud Kipchoge. He did run a 2:01:39 in Berlin (in front of Tigist), and 9 men runners all got under 2:05 – yikes. That was a “fast” race. But Eliud’s world record of 2:01:09 was not broken, even though he has won 5 Berlin Marathons in a row now.

The big news happened at the Chicago Marathon – where Kelvin Kiptum ran a 2:00:35 – getting oh so close to that magic sub-2 hour mark. Both Kelvin and Tigist ran their world record marathons on their 3rd ever marathon. Kelvin in one calendar year ran a 2:01:53 in Valencia, Spain and then a 2:01:25 in London. His 1st marathon (2:01:53) is the fastest “debut” marathon for any runner.

New WR for Kiptum! via bignewsnetwork.com

Kiptum’s story is really remarkable. The best article was written by Celestine Karoney – the BBC Sport Africa-Nairobi reporter, published October 20th, 2023. Symbolically, as he got ready for his 1st local race in Kenya, he had to borrow a pair of running shoes. He couldn’t afford a pair of his own. That was just 5 years ago! Today, he sports a Nike pair of what are now called “super shoes”. Being interviewed at the finish line, Kiptum admitted “My life has now changed”. I love the fact that he was inspired to start running because of his cousin who was a pacemaker for my hero Haile Gebrselassie. And, according to tradition, Kiptum grew up herding his families’ animals, barefoot, of course. And he didn’t go the normal route for beginning Kenyan runners – by training on the track. He had absolutely no money, and couldn’t afford the shoes. His father wanted him to study to be an electrician, but gradually saw a very motivated youngster. And he’s only 23 years old (Eliud is 38!). Kiptum’s coach wants him to slow down a bit, since this intense running will wear out his body in just a few years. Kiptum is clearly fearless, restless, impatient. He wants to be the one to break the 2 hour barrier, and next year is the Olympics in Paris. He desperately wants to make the Kenyan team, and will be competing alongside Eliud. I read that Kiptum went 4 years without a significant win, but kept pushing. His father did end up supporting his efforts, and said after the WR run, “I praise him as an obedient son who has stayed true to his upbringing.”

The Whole Kiptum’s Family bbc.co.uk

Kelvin’s father is on the left, holding his grandson. Next to Kelvin is his coach Gervais Hakizimana.

This makes me all the more focused on the Paris Olympic Marathon now. Won’t you watch it with me next summer??

You Must Know Who Courtney Dauwalter Is

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“You are fine…everything is fine…Keep moving!” These are Courtney Dauwalter’s mantras as she navigates all the challenges of long mountain races. She is so refreshing, simple and almost naive! She also says it works great, and I don’t think she was joking! Here’s a familiar photo which shows her undaunted enthusiasm!

Beer and Tailwind …a winning combination? Via runninginsight.com

I have to make sure every reader of this newsletter knows about Courntey, if you don’t already. She is such a positive development in the long distance running community. She’s unaffected by all her success and this encourages me to get back in shape to “go long” once more. I’m basing much of this article written by Brian Meltzer, who I too often mistake for Karl “Speedgoat” Meltzer. Brian is the founding editor of Trail Runner Magazine and “invented” the Speedgoat HOKA trail running shoe, which was named after him. He’s also known foe his amazing string of winning 100-mile races; he’s won at least one a year for over 20 years, and for your information, wearing my own Speedgoat HOKAs does not make me 100-mile material!

Courtney smiling as she runs the 240 mile Moab race via gearjunkie.com

Back to Courtney: what first caught my eye was her winning Western States 100 (going 77 minutes faster than the record, she ran a 15:29:34) and Hardrock 100 (setting a new record there as well) three weeks apart from each other. After that, she signed up for the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc on September 2-3. And that she won, setting a women’s course record as well. At 38 years old, she’s broken just about everyone’s records wherever she goes. I can’t help but be impressed with her Western States 100 record; her time would have beaten all the overall winners (meaning men) going back 20 years.

Courtney thanking the crowd at the UTMB via scmp.com

So, how does she do this – a question asked by mane others as well? She has no coach and just does what she “feels like” every morning she wakes up. I love that. Heck, that’s exactly what I do too (okay, I’ll stop trying to compare myself with her). She’s been living in Leadville, CO near where I spent 20 years running up 14-ers. Living above 10,000 feet can’t hurt it seems. She almost brags about her diet, eating stuff I thrive on too (ooops, stop it David): pastries, pizza, beer, jelly beans, Mike ‘n Ike’s, Snickers, gummy bears, nachos, pancakes. And along came Tailwind, the drink Megan DeHaan championed for the Ridge Run. I tried drinking it, and it just tasted awful. But Courtney swears by it. Maybe I’ll try it again.

The best part about Courtney is her simple lifestyle and simple joy shown in all interviews. She keeps saying that she just loves running, and keeps figuring out ways to make it happen. When she crosses a finish line, she’s thinking “Wow, I really finished this” “boy that was fun” and goes around thanking all the support crews. I mean, that’s exactly what I do whenever I finish a race.

What Courtney drinks at aid stations! via pinterest.com

A list of Courtney’s accomplishments, via Wikipedia.

Yes, Courtney uses poles in the tricky parts of the UTMB! Via runandtravel.pl

I can’t help but include our own Nikki Kimball’s accomplishments as she won three Western States 100 (2004, 2006, 2007) and won the UTMB in 2007 as well. She was undefeated in seven years of competition. And she held the BRR record for many years, constantly encouraging Kristina Trygstad-Saari to beat her record (which did eventually happen!).

And speaking of former BRR winners, there’s Jim Walmsley who won BRR several years ago, had some foot soreness and wore a pair of HOKA’s at the last minute. Then his UTMB attempt; he came in fourth last year, and true to his dedication to winning, he moved to Arêche-Beaufort, France, near the start of the UTMB in Chamonix, so he could train to his heart’s content. I did read he ran into some problems with his Visa – you can’t stay longer than 90 days without being asked to leave. I believe he had to solve some issues so he could continue training this year! Anyway, he did win this year, and established a new record (19:37:43) – way to go Jim 🙂

I can’t stop this article without mentioning that there is a new USA mile record by Yared Nuguse, who ran a 3:43:97 to erase Alan Webb’s 3:46:91 set in 2007. That record stood for 16 years! The new record happened at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field, Oregon. The current world record is still held by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco (3:43:13). So Americans are now only 0.84 seconds away from mile glory.

Nuguse is on the left, winner Ingebrigtsen (Norway) is on the right and won in 3:43:73. Via runnersworld.com/news/a45172962/yared-nuguse-breaks-mile-american-record

Thoughts On Technology-Aided World Records

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The Mature Runner

By David Summerfield

I’m no longer trying to set world records. So now I can fully pontificate on those who achieve world records in a surprising way. It’s called “Wavelight.” Remember reading about the various marathon world record stunts which used laser-produced glowing red squares moving ahead of runners cast by a vehicle moving at exactly world-record pace? All you have to do is follow the red square, and you’ll end up in the Emerald City….errr, the finish line! Well, this latest invention installs LED lights set-up on a track oval every meter, with the lights turning on at the prescribed pace to achieve whatever you need! It could be for interval training on a track, or for elite world record attempts. They say the audience loves it – they can see if the lead pack or front-runner is going to set a WR. Here’s a little history of this newest innovation using the latest technology to the aid of runners.

Just Follow the Moving Lights! via reddit.com

I have to speak out on this recent development. The “Wavelight” system became official in 2020 when the World Athletics granted its approval for use in track meets. There has been an uproar, since world records are being set on such tracks – offering an obvious unfair advantage not available in previous world record attempts. A little history – Robotronix Europe and Sport Technologies developed the system, though it had been used before on tracks not worrying about international rules. Originally it was banned by the World Athletics (rule 144.3) – considering it “pacing by any kind of technical device”. Then in 2020, the WA added a new “rule 144.4” which allowed the moving lights around the track, because it was not considered assistance to pacing. Why? Because it was not an aid to runners but a “new service” for the spectators. (?) Wow. Suddenly the moving lights weren’t seen as an assistance “of any significance to the athletes”. It appears the track world was needing spectators, thus this was a financial decision! Oh, the purity of running just got smeared. Will all local tracks start saving up their funds to purchase a “spectator-enhancing” gimmick to spur on ticket sales? I hope not. It’s pretty hard to imagine the MSU’s athletic department requesting extra $$ in next year’s budget to install the Wavelight system. Okay, I might buy a ticket to one of their track meets just to see it in action…but on 2nd thought, I think not!

Wavelight during a track meet. Via trackandfieldnews.com

As an NCAA Div III track coach back in the ‘80’s, I attended a track and field workshop (I think in Kansas City) where Sebastian Coe (who held the WR in the 800 meter) was speaking, along with his dad and coach Peter Coe. Their British accents made their presentation all that much more riveting. Their topic revealed how Sebastian was able to establish the WR due to his dad’s grueling workouts based on uphill “fartleks”. I paid rapt attention, and included their advice with my distance runners. So I was crestfallen when I found out the president of the World Athletics Council was none other than Sebastian Coe. The organization started out as a governing body (IAAF – International Amateur Athletics Federation) for amateur running events in 1912. Being an amateur organization (receiving no money for running), and trying to keep the sport from being a way to earn money, used to be so important. Runners were banned from competing if the IAAF discovered money had changed hands.

Coe winning an 800 meter race. via historyofsports.org.

His WR 1:41.73 stood for 16 years. That race was held June 10th, at 11pm in Florence, Italy.

At a press conference 2 years ago, Coe concluded this new lighting technology was a useful information tool to help spectators better understand and appreciate the efforts of the athletes. GRRRR. I might be overreacting here. How about the invention of the stopwatch mounted on a regular ‘ole wristwatch? Aren’t they “technology” too? Just one more technological aid, I guess. And Timex watches have never been banned! My Timex definitely “aided” me in running faster, by knowing my exact splits so I could compare my progress toward setting a new PR on a run. Heck, I used it yesterday to establish a new PR on a 2 mile course up here in the Cathedral Mountain Ranch (3 miles past Nye, Montana). Of course it won’t be found in any published record book…but still deeply meaningful to me! That device on my left wrist spurred me on to dig deeper than before, and I reveled in the triumph when I got home. So, now there’s a 29:29.34 record to memorialize the effort: Dry Lake Trail to CMR Trail, to Elk Park Trail –

turnaround at the very top (highest point in CMR), and retrace back to the front door of 8 Dry Lake Trail.

You see, I wouldn’t be trying to break personal records if there were spectators around. That would be embarrassing. Running is not a spectator sport, or at least shouldn’t be … or….wait a minute, I’d love to watch an Olympic T&F meet! I’m glued to the screen anytime an elite marathon is on. So, I’m guilty. And knowing exactly (to the split second) where the about-to-be-broken WR pace is….again, I’m guilty. It would thrill me no end. So I’ve just debunked the whole premise of this article! Free reign to the latest technology! Bring it on! Where’s the limit? I suppose World Athletics might be checking elite runners to see if they’ve implanted some silicon chip in their bodies to overcome pain? Sigh. Just putting that in print almost guarantees it’ll happen some day. But not on my watch.

PS: Well, I just checked the internet, and this is already being done – all the tests on animals have perfected the procedure, and I’m sure human guinea pigs were used as well. What’s to keep well-meaning scientists (entrepreneurs…) from developing a clientele of willing innovators to hook humans up with chips in the brain, to turn-off the pain centers? My daily dose of Ibuprofin is so tame!

Brain Chip! Why not get hooked up to AI – why not be superhuman?? Via istockphoto.com

Two Types of Able-Bodied Runners Make The News

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The Mature Runner

By David Summerfield

The following two stories have to do with runners depicted as “disabled” or “challenged” in one way or another. Ha! These runners are hardly; their training makes them head-and-shoulders above us more normal runners.

First, there’s Makenna Myler, an Asics sponsored runner, who has been paving the way for women to keep running all through their pregnancies. I will relay the facts as I have found them, and let you make your own conclusions! I found the article at “yahoo!life,” written by Korin Miller. The title caught my eye: “Don’t be afraid to challenge reality.” Makenna ran a 5:17 mile while 9 months pregnant (a few weeks before her due date). Here is the picture that came with the article.

Nine months pregnant, no problem – photo courtesy of Makenna Myler herself.

As a professional runner, Makenna ran the 10,000 meters at the 2020 Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR, and came in 14th. Her PR is 32:03 at that distance. She also has a 4:42.40 mile to her credit (as well as a 15:31 5km PR). She decided in 2020 to run a mile within a week of her due date. It turns out she loves running timed miles on the track to celebrate important events – like running a mile on her wedding day (she would become a “Myler” – her husband’s last name – so it seemed appropriate!). She had the blessing of her obstetrician, and kept training right up until the delivery. She had a bet with her husband, who said she couldn’t run a sub-8 minute mile under those conditions. So, she ran a 5:25 on a $100 bet. Then, three years later, and being 3 weeks before the due date (this time it was February 21st – and due on March 15th), she ran a 5:17 mile! I found a Runner’s World interview written on March 13th, by Kells McPhillips (and taken from an NPR interview) with these quotes from Makenna: “It’s kind of funny. The weight almost just catches up to you in a sense. Like, all of a sudden, it hits your body that, like, you’re carrying this much weight. You need to slow down, even though you can kind of start out at a similar cadence.”

She added that while her midsection wasn’t shaking too much, her hips, quads, and lower back had to work overtime to propel her from one step to the next. She knew from her first timed mile (the 5:25 in 2020 before her first birth) she would get a lot of criticism for doing this; being irresponsible, endangering the life of a newborn, etc.

“There’s so many people who think I’m an absolute idiot,” she said. “And this time around, it’s just been quite a laugh with what people have to say. The comments are just absolutely ridiculous. The best is, ‘if men could run while pregnant, they would be running a four-minute mile, so this isn’t impressive.’”

And this leads me into one more story for April where an elite marathon runner saw a handicapped runner fumble trying to get a drink at the 10km table and helped him hydrate, and then ran with him 28 more kilometers, to make sure he had the water he needed. The report I read stated that Jacqueline Nyetipei Kiplimo ran beside the unknown Chinese runner for 28km, and left him with 5km to go. She raced ahead trying to catch the front pack, which she did! The Chinese runner was listed as an elite runner, but in the “disabled” category.

Jacqueline Nyetipei Kiplimo races alongside a Chinese runner and helps him along the course. (Photo from Skeptics.StackExchange.com)

Doing a little research, I found out that the Kenyan runner (Kiplimo) actually did finish this race in 2nd place, earning $6,000. The winner took home $15,000. They were 68 seconds apart at the finish (winner Chepkemoi, also a Kenyan, came in at 2:36:54). This all took place at the International Zheng-Kai Marathon in China on March 28th, 2010. There was some controversy with the veracity of the news article, but apparently it was thoroughly researched and everything checked out fine.

According to the story, Kiplimo came upon the “disabled” Chinese runner at a water stop and noticed he was having trouble handling the water cup. So, Kiplimo helped him out, and they ran side-by-side until the 38km mark, at which Kiplimo put on the afterburners, and caught back-up to the women’s front pack, almost pulling off the win. Of course there’s a lot of online comments about this incident, but the picture above is all I need.

These two articles inspired me to not take anyone’s (especially my) apparent difficulties in running as normal and then do something about it, like change the reality one is looking at. I would never call myself a “disabled” runner, though I often feel like one. Looking at the Chinese runner holding down somewhere around a 2:40 marathon pace, he certainly wasn’t laboring under any reality that said he shouldn’t be there in an “elite” category.

Hmmm, that gives me an idea; why not create my own category; I’m in the “Over 75 Beartooth Foothills Super Category.” So what if the vast majority of those I pass on the trails are all deer? Yes, they look a bit askance at me, and often scatter as I approach, but mainly they just stand there and stare. They must know they’re witnessing a miracle happening, right in front of their eyes!

These are my spectator deer, witnessing the miracle of my accomplishments!

Ladakh Frozen Lake Half Marathon

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The Mature Runner

By David Summerfield

Looks like I can’t help myself (again) – here’s yet another world record that just happened Feb. 20, 2023. This one shows to what extent others will go to make it into the ‘ole Guinness Book of World Records. Get this: this Feb. 20, 75 people showed up to run the inaugural “highest elevation half marathon on a frozen lake,” full well knowing they were assured by the Guinness people they’d make it into their record books. And they did take all the necessary steps to assure they’d make it. Evidently, the Everest Marathon is the “highest” marathon on the planet (starting out at 17,572’ and going down to 11,647’ at the Namche Bazaar). And their Everest Half Marathon starts at 14,419’ (at Dingboche) and also ends at the Namche Bazaar – 11,647’. So the Ladakh Frozen Lake Half had to figure something else out. To make sure their category would stand the test of time, this 1⁄2 marathon was completely run on a frozen lake at 13,862’, so, there’s the challenge. Yes, the Everest Half started out higher, but went down over 2,000’ lower than in Ladakh. You have to go find another frozen lake higher than 13,862’ if you want to get a record in the Guinness Book. But, I’m not really trying to tear down the accomplishment of a noble event. It does sound amazing, and sure, I’d like to do it someday … maybe. The “package” is similar to the Antarctic Marathon ($21,000 fee for a week-long expedition) and this one includes a mandatory 6-day stay at altitude to prevent elevation sickness. And the total package is 8-nights, 9 days at an advertised cost of Rs46,500, or $563.00. Everyone is required to wear “safety gear” (grippers for the ice). They say the average winter temperature is -22 Fahrenheit. Seems doable!

Frozen Pangong Tso Lake – bangla.latestly.com.

This event is held in the Union Territory of Ladakh, an area at the border of China and India. The lake (Pangong Tso) is salt water, and does freeze over in the winter. This event was started this year to help raise awareness about the area, to bring in much needed tourist dollars, and to help the local inhabitants have something fun and interesting to do in the middle of winter, which is obviously pretty harsh. The half-marathon started in Lukung and ended at Maan village. The organizers dubbed the race “The Last Run,” hoping to remind people that climate change is happening, and they are wanting to save the Himalayas.

So, can we do something of this sort for raising awareness in Montana about climate change? For this wintertime, it does seem like a stretch to discuss climate change (meaning the warming of the climate, the melting of the glaciers, rising sea levels). As I write, I’m overlooking the Beartooth Mountains above Nye, with a low of -27 last night as snow fell and flew around for a typical February 3-day storm. Most of us have already forgotten about last month’s record high temperatures, no precipitation, etc. So, all that’s happening is watching Mother Nature’s way of making up for lost time. But the scientist’s predictions keep getting proven every year – the glaciers are disappearing, the Antarctic ice is splitting up, and it does appear that the climate is changing. Hosting this far-flung frozen lake 1⁄2 marathon I’m sure was mainly spurred on by the tourist dollars will improve the financial condition of the area. They say it is also for promoting sustainable winter tourism. It did help to have the presence of the world press taking pictures, spreading the word about something unique to do – it’s exotic and something new for those with ready cash. Sigh. I know the Ridge Run in Bozeman helps the local economy, and it gives us all something quasi-exotic to do each summer. In Ladakh, climate change would ultimately keep the lake from freezing, so they might be right, it could become the “Last Run.” I can’t foresee the “Last Bridger Ridge Run”coming any time soon. I guess the way that could happen would be to have such devastating forest fires, that the event would be postponed indefinitely until Montana would stop having forest fires. That’s just something to think about 🙂

Stuti Bakshi wins and gets a world record timesofindia.com.

While writing this, the results just came in from the Ladakh 1⁄2 marathon held yesterday. It was won by a 30 year-old woman, Stuti Bakshi. She was the only woman from Gujarat in the event, which had 100 participants. And, being the 1st woman to cross the finish line, obviously she has a world record1 Out of the 100 participants, nine were women; four were from Ladakh, and the rest were from other parts of India. It was reported that she finished in 4 hours (sounds a little suspicious – maybe all finishers ended up with a “4 hour” finish time). Stuti reported strong headwinds, and then equally strong tailwinds. Pictures show a rather glare, smooth, shiny ice surface, but she said it was very uneven, never flat, and very hard to run on. Also, all the entrants did a “training run on Sunday, just to test out their equipment so they could make adjustments. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a ‘trial” Ridge Run the day before, just to make sure all your equipment (food, water, clothing, shoes) were ready to go, so you wouldn’t have to get up so early on race day?

And while we’re talking about “frozen lake” Marathons, googling it revealed there are such events all over the world. They don’t get any Guinness recognition, since they aren’t that high in elevation, but look into the Balkai Ice Marathon, in Eastern Siberia. They claim it is on the largest and deepest lake on the planet (larger than all the Great Lakes put together). This is a full marathon, and would be a good reason to enter Russia, right? The cost is only $875.00, with an elevation of 1440’. I guess the cold is the only challenge at this one. And you better enter right away, the race date is February 27th … oh, this newsletter doesn’t come out until March 1. Well, keep it in mind for next year 🙂 I’m not sure of the allure of running on a frozen lake, unless it’s just the novelty of it all, which means you’ve run out of interesting things to do (pun intended). With that, I hope you all can find fun adventures for March right here in Montana!

Lake Baikol Ice Marathon on a clear day! dailymail.co.uk.

Lake Baikol Ice Marathon, close-up of runners. rbth.com.