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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: The 2024 Paris Olympics

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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

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.

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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Watch Why You’re Trying To Break Records

By David Summerfield

I keep scanning the news to see who else has broken world records. Records fall every month. It’s a constant. So now (instead of feeling frustrated that I’m not on a record list) I’m looking into why people all over the world are specifically doing everything possible to get that “World Record,” or simply to get a substantial recognition from others.

Let’s start out with David Goggins, because he has accomplished so many incredible physical feats. Besides being the only human to be a retired Navy Seal and completed SEAL training, and the Army Ranger School, and the Air Force Tactical Air Controller training (get my drift?) but he also holds the World Record for the most pull-ups (4030) in 17 minutes. Bet you can’t do that! And he says he “broke” his arms in the process. Of course he has his own website so you can see all his achievements: davidgoggins.com/athletic-achievements and he’s not shy about tooting his own horn. That’s fine, but it does show he wants publicity and to be seen and recognized. All right, there’s nothing wrong about that. But it sorta smacks of something that makes me uncomfortable. One could say I’m just jealous and wish I could do all the things he has done. Well, you’re wrong.

I have to admit that David’s accomplishments are definitely aimed at motivating others to tackle life head-on, and to be tough in every sense of the word. He stresses that personally he has overcome all kinds of obstacles, and is quite proud of his physique, which is all part of his image (you too can look like me) just knuckle down and push yourself through all adversity. And that is his livelihood. OK. There you have it. Some records are for personal gain, and others are for helping others, pure and simple. I try to reserve judgment, though you could probably intuit where I really stand on all this.

Here’s the “Toughest Man Alive”. Enough said. via turbomind.com

At this point in my life, I want to find the real intent behind all these strivings for breaking records. Is the cause a good one? Let’s see. First off is Kate Jayden, a 35-year old from Derbyshire, England. She is a classic person out to make a difference, raising money ($50,000) for a charity. And she specifically set out to earn a Guinness World Record, needing to beat the current record of 95 consecutive daily marathons. She got to 100, and found out someone had already done that, so she kept going. She ended up with 106 daily marathons, and then found out there were two other Scottish ladies from Aberdeen who did the exact same number (106). So she shares the record with them. The other two (Fay Cunningham and Emma Petrie) raised $46,000 for several charities. While going after the world record, Kate did the same as Fay and Emma, all three just kept running another marathon everyday, hoping to surpass the other. Fay and Emma felt their effort was more substantial since they ran outside for every marathon, while Kate occasionally used an indoor treadmill. But they all got the nod from Guinness to be world record holders!

Via runnersworld.com/news/a40868973/guinness

Here’s Kate Jayden, a bundle of enthusiasm. The Rnners World author was Stephanie Hoppe, published Aug 11, 2022. This picture shows her holding the “baton” in a relay race called the Queen’s Relay in the Commonwealth Games.

Kate Jayden worked full-time during those 106 days, completing her 6+ hour runs after work. Somehow, those ladies weren’t doing it all for fame, but to accomplish something substantial. Fay and Emma both lost a parent “too soon” and wanted to help others “do it while you can”. Kate felt something wrong in a knee during the 46th marathon, but ran/walked the other 60 anyway. She got an MRI afterwards and found out she had a fractured knee needing surgery. Of course, she said she might have to switch to biking or rowing, but she’ll be back!

Fay Cunningham and Emma Petrie on their 106 quest. Via canadianrunning.com Article written by Marley Dickinson on June 2022.

Fay (35) and Emma (25) are both physical therapists and are dedicated to helping others lead healthy, active lives. Their purpose in taking up the marathon challenge was to raise money and awareness for 2 charities. Both ladies lost parents, one to Lou Gherig’s disease linked to ALS, which claimed Fay’s father’s life and Emma’s mother died of cancer (the charity was Macmillan charity for cancer support). “We both know that life is short and the ability to run or walk doesn’t stay with you forever… My father was fit and active and he inspired us to tackle this challenge,” Fay said.

A little trivia: the 106 marathons covered 2,777 miles, which just happens to be the distance from Scotland to Istanbul, and they each went through seven pairs of running shoes. So these runners are accomplishing a rather arduous task, all on their own dime. There was no “profit” involved, they weren’t running to earn a living, as is true for David Goggins. Anyway, here’s a story about the 4th person to take a stab at the same Guinness record:

Jacky Hunt-Broesma joining the crowded field of record-breakers via runnersworld.com – article written by Cindy Kuzma, published April 29th, 2022.

Jacky’s story is certainly as compelling as the other three. At 26 years old, a tumor in her left leg led to an amputation. Not being an athlete of any kind, she had many decisions to make while recovering. She found out the standard running blade cost over $10,000 and wasn’t covered by insurance. Her husband was an ultrarunner, so why not? After figuring out how to take care of their two grade-school children, she started running, many of the miles were around the school in Gilbert, Arizona, where she could put up a table with refreshments. The 5K led to a 10K, then a 1⁄2 marathon, and on she went. Learning about the current world record of 95 consecutive marathons got her going. She did use a treadmill when the stump couldn’t fit comfortably into the socket – too much jarring. So the treadmill was more comfortable for running. Her story is very compelling, you should look her up. And like the other three, she has raised nearly $200,000 for Amputee Running Blades, a nonprofit which supplies blades to those in need. And yes, she too thought by 104 consecutive days, she should have garnered the Guinness record, not knowing that Kate, Fay and Emma went on to #106! Of course Jacky has the record for running 104 on only one leg, plus one blade 🙂

I’ll finish off with a little inspiration coming from Kate Jayden: “My heart has always longed for a kinder world and country that welcomes people from all walks of life, especially those facing adversity. In the current climate with a hostile environment being created for asylum seekers and those fleeing war, it’s only the fact we happened to

be born here that we have such privilege.” –K

I wish you all well in developing your own motives for doing what you do!

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.

The Mature Runner: Get Inspired To Do Something Epic

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This article will hopefully send you into the New Year with some ideas to do something epic. Something unique. Something doable, and something you’ve never dreamed of doing. Here is my current inspiration: her name is Jane Dotchin. She’s an 82 years old (maybe 83 by now) British lady who just followed her passion, no matter what the odds. Here’s her story.

Jane Dotchin with her pals on the yearly trek to Inverness, Scotland positive-info.com.

The Daily Record headline read “Pensioner rides pony 600 miles to Scotland every year with beloved dog in saddlebag”. What? I had to open it up, and read a very British rendition of the adventures of one Jane Dotchin. The pictures show her Jack Russell Terrier Dinky as seen stuffed in a saddlebag (Dinky has deformed front legs and can only walk on grassy surfaces). Jane is riding atop her 13-year old “poney” Diamond (who we’re told is an Irish cob mare). She has developed quite a following, having done her long 7-week ride for over 50 straight years.

Here are some specifics to whet the appetite we all have for a truly epic adventure of our own making. She lives in Hexham, Northumberland and rides up and back to Inverness in Scotland, over 300 miles away. She has a patch over her right eye, which doesn’t bother her much, since she knows the route by heart. She doesn’t take maps, and if there’s stormy weather, she’ll just switch her route to avoid the higher passes. She carries an old cell phone, which is rarely turned on – she keeps it to phone ahead when she’s nearing some acquaintances so she can stop by for a chat. She normally sleeps in a tent (which is tied onto Diamond) and Dinky cuddles up to keep her warm inside at night. This year she took off on August 31st (my birthday – so we’re related in an odd way, right?) and will travel throughout September and October. Her mainstay (which she purchases along the way) is nothing but porridge (the British word for oatmeal), oatcakes (look it up), and cheese -all of which she shares with Dinky. Diamond has the luxury of spending the night on a long tether to graze on grass to her heart’s content.

Her main complaint has nothing to do with the rigors of a long trek, but rather negotiating the unbelievable amount of trash along the route. Sometimes when Diamond can’t avoid stepping on pizza boxes or other trash (“single use barbeques”), Diamond will spook and quickly leave the path. I loved one picture which shows how Jane likes to mount her pony – she likes to have a park bench near where she gets off, so it’s easier to get back on that way.

Park the horse near a picnic bench! azviral.net.

A good source of information came from Bhupinder Singh, writing in the India Times (Dec. 20th, 2021). The public has taken notice of her rigorous adventures, and the British Horse Society awarded her the “Exceptional Achievement Award” a few years ago. As one can imagine, she called this attention totally uncalled for 🙂 She’s definitely my type of adventurer. She’s doing it for the sheer joy of being on the road where she’s calling all the shots everyday…and just being outside for long periods of time. Isn’t that why a lot of us love to do looooong treks – the longer the better? Ask our 100-mile weirdos in the BSWD club…Megan DeHaan, Franklin Coles, Ed Anacker, and I’m embarrassed to say I’m forgetting all the others that do that kind of stuff. I fall apart going out that far, so I’m happy just going on long walks. But, I’ve never gone out for over 9 hours, so the goad here is to go out for 7 weeks! I’d say my main inspiration has to do with the simplicity of Dotchin’s plan. Just get out there, and not be worried about how far you go everyday, in other words – forget about TIME, my big bugaboo! Evidently, riding atop an Irish cob horse has something to do with it. These horses are the national breed of Ireland. They are extremely friendly, gentle, and independent – they have a knack for figuring out problems on their own. They’re perfect for taking trail rides (or road rides) and they’ve learned how to take care of themselves. Dotchin says she averages between 15 – 20 per day, but I guess it makes no difference how far she goes each day. And her joy is finding friends she’s made on her treks to stay with along the way.

Out on the road, and close-up of Dinky and Jane indiatimes.com.

I also found out she has written a book about her adventures, but I could only find it on “Abebooks.com”. It has 94 pages and is entitled “Journey Through Britain On A Pack Poney 1985-1987”. If it would help, the cover does show the Foreword is written by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall! So, you’ll be in great company if you purchase this book, and it just might be the convincer to go plan your own adventure. 2024 could be the year you graduate from your “same ‘ole same ‘ole” workouts, and go do something out of the ordinary!

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