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TIPS TO KNOW E N IF YOU ARE GE Y E A RUNNER R HOWOFF OR A JOGGER I A GE T N.Y.C IS THAT TRUE U M INED MARATHON OR WRONG? A R T RD Y.C LEADER MARRY RUNNERS A . H HIS N E RUN WITTENBERG HIGH R L FO REDIB TELLS US HOW FIVE RUNNERS C IN HAPPY SHE IS TELLS US
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THEY TRIED CORRUPTION THEY CAME OUT FROM NOWHERE
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NEW YORKS FINEST MARATHON NEWS THEY KNEW AND THEY FAILED TO
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LAST PAGE GRAPHICS SPECIAL
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22TH
THE WOW!
NEW YORKS FINEST MARATHON NEWS

A friend has been claiming she ran a particular marathon, but theres no record of her registering or nishing. Seriously? No way.
THE WOW!
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EVERYBODY CAN MAKE IT

A marathon is the most unifying of sporting events. The city that shows up to cheer on thousands of runners doesnt really know or care much about who wins; there are no sides to root for or against. Those who stand on the sidelines as they have done in Boston since 1897 come to celebrate runners from around the world. The country or neighborhood of origin of the competitors matters far less than their stamina. On Monday, the weather for the 117th running of the Boston Marathon was cloudy and a little chilly just the way runners like it. Three hours after the winners had broken the tape, there were still many runners on the course, and hundreds of spectators on the sidewalk, when an explosion rocked the nish-line area on Boylston Street, across from the main viewing stand. For a brief second, the ags of scores of nations were bent downward by the blast. A few marathoners were knocked over by the force of the explosion. Some runners, locked in their trance, kept going until they realized something horric had just happened. When they turned back, they said they heard the screams and wails, saw the column of rising smoke, and then the blood and limbs of victims. There was broken glass and agony everywhere. Fifteen seconds after the rst one, there was another explosion a few blocks away. It was clear this was not a random event but another concerted effort to kill and maim innocent Americans, just because they had gathered in a vulnerable spot on a day when no ones mind was on terror. The police conrmed that bombs were responsible for the mayhem; three more unexploded devices were found elsewhere around the city. At least three people died one of whom was 8 years old and dozens more were injured, some severely. It could be a while before ofcials determine which malevolent ideology was behind this attack. President Obama vowed to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice, praising Boston as a tough and resilient town that will take care of itself and will be taken care of by the country. The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight, he said. The simple joy of a 26.2-mile run was shattered on Monday. But the marathon will be back next year, no matter how much security is required, and the crowds should yell twice as loudly. No act of terrorism is strong enough to shatter a tradition that belongs to American history. A recent Boston Globe editorial called on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder not to seek the death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man accused of carrying out the bombing at the Boston Marathon. The editors said the lengthy death-penalty process would put the spotlight on the defendant to the detriment of the victims: Years of proceedings, and their potential culmination in a death sentence, would also give Tsarnaev what he and his brother apparently sought: publicity and notoriety. Much better to let Tsarnaev slip into obscurity in a federal prison cell, the Globe wrote. In response to the possible use of the death penalty as a bargaining chip, the editorial stated, Such a strategy raises worries about fairness under any circumstances, since it puts enormous pressure on defendants to give up their right to a trial. Finally, the editorial cited a recent poll nding 57% of Boston residents in favor of life without parole for Tsarnaev if he is convicted. Read the full editorial below. In the raw days after the Marathon bombing in April, Mayor Tom Menino spoke for many Bostonians when he raised the prospect of executing those who were responsible.Though normally a death penalty opponent, Menino said that the barbarity of the attackers, who killed four people and maimed dozens, might sway him. Now, as surviving suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev faces trial, that question looms for federal prosecutors, who are in the midst of a lengthy process to decide by Oct. 31 whether to seek the 19-year-olds death by lethal injection. Its certainly understandable why many friends, family, and supporters of the victims hope prosecutors will seek the ultimate vengeance against the man they believe masterminded the bombing along with his older brother, Tamerlan. Still, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. should decide against it. The death penalty is a deeply contentious issue, and individual viewpoints often spring from strongly held ethical and religious beliefs. To many, executions are never justied. Yet even ardent supporters of capital punishment should recognize that in this case, it would be a mistake for Holder to pursue the death penalty against Tsarnaev. In addition to the extra cost of capital prosecutions - cases can exceed $10 million death penalty cases drag on for years, through numerous appeals. Such lengthy proceedings would ensure that the Marathon bombing case lingers in the spotlight, compounding the sense of injury to victims. Many people would feel compelled to defend Tsarnaev on the basis of his youth, lack of past offenses, and being under the inuence of his older brother - all factors that would mitigate against a death sentence. Years of proceedings, and their potential culmination in a death sentence, would also give Tsarnaev what he and his brother apparently sought: publicity and notoriety. Much better to let Tsarnaev slip into obscurity in a federal prison cell, and stay there. Its possible that prosecutors are keeping the death penalty on the table primarily to use as leverage against Tsarnaev, hoping that he will agree to plead guilty, skip a trial, and accept life imprisonment in order to save his life. Such a strategy raises worries about fairness under any circumstances, since it puts enormous pressure on defendants to give up their right to a trial. In this case, its also unnecessary. The evidence against Tsarnaev is overwhelming, and prosecutors should have nothing to fear from bringing the case to trial. Julio Sauce, 41, from Ecuador, typies the multinational, working-class membership of the West Side Runners Club. He came in 84th at the New York City Marathon. Salsa music reverberated in the living room, and men in polyester blazers twirled women in hip-hugging pants. Their children darted around them as Ethiopians in running gear watched politely from the couch. Above the music emerged bits of accented English, the teams lingua franca. The walls were covered in running memorabilia from the 1970s, when the teams membership was mostly afuent white men, through its evolution into one of New York Citys most competitive and most diverse working-class teams. A crudely carved wood plaque on the wall read in Spanish, In gratitude for the support youve given Colombian athletes, conferred on Mr. Bill in 2006 by Carlos Grisales, a former Olympian and a team member. The dining table was loaded with food prepared by runners and their families: Ethiopian injera bread and ery wat stew accompanied by Mexican tamales and Ecuadorean ceviche. Staab had made a salad. As the night went on, the food table ceded its popularity to a garbage bin full of Coronas and ice. As the kitchens of Manhattan slowly shut down. A 41-year-old father, he had nished the marathon in 2 hours 38 minutes, placing 84th out of a record 50,266 nishers. He was the rst Brooklyn resident across the line. His teammate Felipe Vergara, a 49-year-old construction worker from Mexico whose training had been hampered by a back injury, was celebrating a 2:47 nish, which was good for 205th over all. Two of the teams top runners, the Ethiopians Buzunesh Deba and Tigist Tufa, were unable to make it to the party from the home they share with Debas husband and coach, Worku Beyi, in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx. Deba and Tufa had dominated for much of the womens race, taking off together for a huge early lead, only to be overtaken by Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya in the nal miles. One of their Ethiopian teammates, Abu Kebede Diriba, quietly heaped a plate with food. its pullout bed with a teammate since August. The walls were covered in running memorabilia from the 1970s, when the teams membership was mostly afuent white men, through its evolution into one of New York Citys most competitive nd most diverse working-class teams. Such a strategy raises worries about fairness under any circumstances, since it puts enormous pressure on defendants. BE PROUD BE FIT
EDITORIAL
INFAMOUS RUNNERS
T E N DOERV S AME N DE THAT IAN
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ROBERTO MADRAZO - THE MOST DRESSED
A politician involved in scandal? As difcult as it may be to believe, these things happen. After a humiliating defeat in Mexicos presidential election in 2006, Roberto Madrazo rebounded by winning the over-55 category at the Berlin Marathon with a time of 2:41:12. But it wasnt just the fact that he had little background in running that made his incredible time, it was the fact that he was pictured jogging across the nish line while wearing a wind breaker, a hat, and skin-tight running pants far too much clothing for a person who had just run 26.2 miles barely breaking a sweat. Post-race splits showed that he covered a nine-mile section in 21 minutes just outside two-minute-mile pace.
KIP LITTON - THE MOST CHUTZPAH

BE CRAZY
One of the epic cheaters of all times. The headline says it all - Alleged Serial Marathon Cheater Kip Litton suspected of creating ctitious road race events in Wyoming and other locations That is one way to get into Americas most prestigious marathon. According to those who follow Kip Litton, simply getting in wasnt enough. They point to this pair of pictures as evidence. Both were taken during the Boston Marathon. Kip has apparently shed a couple of germents during the race... which is not that unusual. What is very unusual is that he changed hats as well.
MARTIN FRANKLIN - THE ESCAPED ONE
At the 2001 NY Marathon, Franklin nished 19th overall and fth for US Men, which entitled him to $4,750 in prize money. Website Letsrun.com identied Franklin as a cheat, and launched a crusade to not only have him disqualied but also thrown in jail. While he escaped arrest, he was forced to return the prize money.
DANE PETERSON - THE BIGGEST LOSER
ROSIE RUIZ - THE MOST (IN)FAMOUS
When Rosie Ruiz was the rst woman home at the 1980 Boston Marathon, it appeared a new star had emerged as she had broken the course record with 2:31:56. But in the aftermath of the race, her rise from obscurity seemed too good to be true. The other top nishers did not recall seeing her at all in the race, but the most damning evidence came from two witnesses who saw Ruiz burst out of a crowd of spectators just half a mile from the nish. Days later she was disqualied and her gold medal was passed on to the rightful winner,french canadian Jacqueline Gareau.
ANTHONY GASKELL - THE OLDEST
JUST BE
MOTSOENENG BROTHERS - THE BEST
The Comrades Marathon is known for being one of the toughest races in the world. A 56-mile run between the South African cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg, it is the worlds oldest ultramarathon. At the 1999 edition of the race, twin brothers Sergio and Fika Motsoeneng almost pulled off the perfect racing deception by exchanging places with each other at half way during a toilet stop, eventually nishing ninth overall. But their plan was exposed when it was noticed in the post-race footage that the brothers wore their watches on different wrists. Sergio Motsoeneng is still running to this day, although he is currently serving a two-month suspension after testing positive for nandrolone.
At last years London Marathon, 69-year-old Anthony Gaskell nished rst in his age category and was due to receive a plaque to mark the achievement. But keen observers looked in to his splits after the race and saw that he had covered the second 20km section in around 41 minutes far faster than the world record for the distance. When confronted, Gaskell revealed that he took a short-cut to the nish line after picking up an injury and was completely unaware that a fuss was being made over his nishing time. I havebeen called a cheat and disqualied from a race I never claimed to have won, he said. I simply walked through a short cut to the end of the course where my belongings were waiting for me. I didnt bother to check the website for the nal standings because I knew I had dropped out.
After being voted off The Biggest Loser, Dane Patterson was shown in his epilogue nishing an Arizona marathon with his wife at an astonishing 3 hours and 53 minutes. Or at least thats what NBC producers wanted people to believe. In reality, an exhausted Patterson got in a news van for three miles at mile 17 to ensure hed nish in six hours, as per the shows request. Unlike the others on this list, Patterson did say he subsequently went back and ran the missing 3 miles.
ROB SLOAN - THE MOST IM NOT A CHEATER
THE MONTREAL BIKER - THE MOST STUPID
The city of Montreal has bike stations all over the city. Pedestrians can rent a bike in one location and return it elsewhere. One runner decided to take advantage of this bike-sharing program in the middle of the 2011 Montreal Marathon, reportedly to get a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon. He was caught red-handed in a photograph, and subsequently banned from the race for 3 years.
Kielder course-cutter is latest in long line of road-running cheats. A runner who crossed the line third in a marathon last weekend was subsequently disqualied for jumping the course. Rob Sloan, a new member of Sunderland Harriers, was quoed in the press denying accusations of cheating at the Salomon Kielder Marathon, yet he later admitted to not having completed the course. He added: My prize will get forwarded to me, but he has stolen my glory and my moment !on the podium! Sloan, who had legitimately won the Salomon Kielder 10km in 38:10 the day before, told the Sunderland Echo in an article published Monday: I categorically deny this accusation. I ran the whole race. I have been in touchwith the organisers saying I have proof that I ran the complete course. I was wearing my Garmin and that covers every stride I ran. However, organisers later released a statement conrming the disqualication and saying that Sloan had apparently made the decision to withdraw from the race at approximately 20 miles due to the intense fatigue of the required excercice that he has done.
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The problem is: Im fairly certain she didnt actually run it, certainly not the whole thing. She has since claimed a time, a time that doesnt show up on the race results.
MIL A SH E SLO ORTC UT C G, A TEM PTIN N BE K G CHEA OF THE E TERS , SEE PIC RO WHY S
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THE WOW!
THE WOW!

In 2000, shortly before turning forty, Litton ran his rst race, a ve-kilometre event in Flint, half an hour from his home. His average pace was seven and a half minutes per mile.

His time in Jacksonville, 3:19:57, qualied him for the Boston Marathon, the following April, where he covered the course in 3:25:06a 7:50-per-mile pace.
Not every race was as well documented as Missoulas, but We found images of him at the end of a course, only twice at the wherever professional race photographers had been present he beginning, and never in between. And there was the chip-gun difhunted for shots of Litton among other runners. ferential: Litton started two to ve minutes behind the leaders.
ROBERT JOHNSON, CO-FOUNDER LETSRUN.COM, OFFERS KIP LITTON $2000 FOR A SUB 3:30 MARATHON KIP LITTON IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE CHEATED DURING THE 2010 BOSTON MARATHON
In July, 2010, Kyle Strode, a forty-six year-old chemistry professor from Helena, Montana, ran the Missoula Marathon. Completing the 26.2-mile distance in two hours and forty-seven minutes, he placed fourth out of thirteen hundred and twenty-two nishers, and won the masters division, for entrants forty and older. Strode is among the most accomplished masters marathoners in Montana, with a personal best of two hours and thirty-two minutes. When he toes a starting line in his home state, he knows who is among the class of the eld, and hes particularly aware of other masters competitors. The Missoula course, which is mostly at, passes through rangeland and forest, crosses two rivers, and in its nal miles offers a tour of the citys tree-lined neighborhoods. Early in the race, Strode broke ahead of his usual rivals, and never saw them again. The second masters runner to cross the nish line, Mike Telling, from Dillon, Montana, trailed Strode by nearly four minutes. At the awards ceremony, however, they learned that Telling had actually placed third. The ofcial runner-up was Kip Litton, age forty-eight, of Clarkston, Michigan. Litton, who had been at the back of the pack when the race started, began his run two minutes after the gun was red. He had apparently made up for lost time. Since the early nineties, technology has made it possible to clock runners with precision and to track them at measured intervals, yielding point-to-point split times. Runners attach to their shoelace or racing bib a transponder tag that marks how much time has elapsed when a checkpoint is reached. Often, sensor-equipped checkpoint mats span the running lanes. USA Track & Field, the governing body for major running competitions, mandates that gun, rather than chip, times determine the ofcial results in sanctioned races. But, as a practical matter, this rule generally applies solely to lite lead runners. In a eld of thousands, it might take an entrant several minutes just to reach the starting line, so it seems only fair that the diligent middle- or back-of-the-packers order of nish is adjusted to reect the chip time. In Missoula, the marathons organizers made this allowance. Strode didnt have to teach that summer, and so he had time to scrutinize the race results. Because Litton came from out of state, he hadnt been on Strodes radar, and Litton hadnt stuck around to claim his award. Strode learned from Telling that he hadnt paid Litton any mind as he passed him in the homestretch, and that he had no memory of being passed by Litton earlier in the race. A wealth of online data about competitive running makes post-race analyses relatively easy. Several days after the marathon, Strode visited a Web site that displayed photographs of runners along the Missoula route. Most participants appeared in several shots, each of which indicated, down to the second, when it was snapped. Strode noticed something curious: although Litton had posted a half-marathon split time, and there were four images of him taken at or near the nish line, Strode couldnt locate him anywhere in the preceding twenty-six miles. In the Missoula photographs, Litton wore sunglasses and a black baseball cap, so Strode had only a general sense of what he looked like: white, clean-shaven, and about ve feet ten, with an athletic build but not the classic lean and loose-limbed runners physique. Athlinks, a popular online database for endurance races, sharpened the picture somewhat: in 2000, shortly before turning forty, Litton ran his rst race, a ve-kilomeytre event in Flint, half an hour from his home. His average pace was seven and a half minutes per mile: a good novice result.
3000$
LITTONS MYSTERIOUS CAP CHANGE

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IS KIP LITTON A MARATHON FRAUD?

LITTONS MARATHON TOUR FRAUD
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A MICHIGAN DENTISTS IMPROBABLE TRANSFORMATION
ANOTHER ROSIE RUIZ? LITTON ALONE HAS FAILED TO REGISTER SPLIT TIMES AT BOSTON MARATHON.
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2010 MISSOULA MARATHON DQED

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2010 DEADWOOD MICKELSON TRAIL MARATHON DQED
2010 VERMONT MARATHON SPTED 2010 HEALTHCARE ROCHESTER MARATHON SPTED 2011 MARSHALL UNIVERSITY MARATHON DQED
2010 BOSTON MARATHON SPTED 2010 DELAWARE MARATHON DQED
00:06:34
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CITY OF TREES MARATHON BOISE, IDAHO APRIL 10, 2009 DISQUALIFIED ST LOUIS MARATHON NO SPLITS AT 6MI & 20.6MI
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PINE HILLS 5K 12/04, SANDY SPRINGS HALF 11/20 WEST WYOMING 7/3 FICTITIOUS EVENTS
FICTITIOUS EVENTS CREATED UNDER SAME HOST AS K.L.
2010 CHARLOTTE MARATHON SPTED
02:42:44
MULTIPLE CASES OF CHEATING DURING MICHIGAN RUNNING RACES DISQUALIFIED
FICTITIOUS EVENTS CREATED UNDER SAME HOST AS K.L.
THE
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NEW MEXICO MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & 5K RUN ALBUQUERQUE NM SEPTEMBER 6, 2009 SUSPECTED
KIP LITTONS PERFORMANCE AT BOSTONS MARATHON 2010 DECEMBER 11, 2010

FT. ABOVE SEA LEVEL 85 90 65 70 8 8 0 0 0 0 0 00 00
CHIP TIME - 2:55:20 CLOCK TIME - 3:00:24 DIFFERENCE - 5:04

END
While Strode had been immersed in what hed assumed was his own private Kip Litton obsession, the ofcial timer at Missoula had been contacted by his counterpart at the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, in Deadwood, South Dakota, where Litton had turned up the previous month. Photographs taken in Deadwood showed him crossing the starting line fth from last and nishing in 2:55:50, putting him rst in his age group and in third place over all.The fourth-place nisher protested: hed been running third at the halfway mark and said that no one had passed him after that, an assertion bolstered by the fact that most of the remaining course was a trail only six feet wide. Litton had registered a half-marathon split, and the Deadwood timer was skeptical of the protest against himI was trying to prove Litton was legit, he told mebut he changed his mind after determining that Litton had, improbably, run the second half eleven minutes faster than the rst. In addition, he found photographs of Litton only at the start and the end of the course. Deadwood disqualied Litton, and Straughan followed suit in Missoula. Strode, who in a later Web post described his mind-set as sucked in, fascinated and pissed off, broadened his investigation. He sent an e-mail to Richard Rodriguez, who on the Web site of the West Wyoming Marathon was identied as its race director; Litton had a listed winning time there of 2:56:12. Im writing to ask about the winner of your marathon a few weeks ago, Kip Litton, Strode wrote. He was recently disqualied from the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon for cheating (not running the whole course). . . . I dont know the guyI just hate cheating in running. I wonder whether he may have had a legitimate performance at your race or whether he may also have cheated in Wyoming.Two days later, Strode received a response: Wow, thats quite a scenario! It would have been very unlikely for the same thing to have happened at our race, as there were only 30 participants and the lead 2 runners ran almost the entire race together. I have not received any complaints. I will keep my ears open though. If there is an update, send it my way. Take care, Richard.Strode began to wonder if his suspicions were misplaced, but he kept investigating. At the Providence Marathon, in Rhode Island, where Litton had nished rst in his age group, photographs showed him wearing shoes and shorts at the end of the course that were different from those he was wearing at the beginning. (A costume change at Deadwood had involved shoes, a hat, and a T-shirt.) In the Delaware Marathon, Litton had nished rst in his age group. After being prompted by Strode, the races director, Wayne Kursh, found that, among the nishers, Litton alone had failed to register split times. On an out-and-back portion of the course, Kursh had taken photographs of the top runners at the turnaround pointbut Litton was not among them. He also failed to nd images of Litton elsewhere on the course. Kursh had a blog, and on August 6, 2010, he posted a blind item about Litton titled Another Rosie Ruiz?a reference to the infamous famous scammer who was briey heralded as the winner of the womens division of the 1980 Boston Marathon.
10 k in 12:08 (6,46/mi)
10k to 13.1 Mi 44:30 (6.27/mi)
13.1 Mi to 20 Mi 42:40 (6.71/mi)
20.1 Mi to 26.2 Mi 46:02 (7.25/mi)
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THE WOW!
THE WOW!
YES, RUNNING CAN MAKE YOU HIGH. BUT H0W?

The runners high: Every athlete has heard of it, most seem to believe in it and many say they have experienced it. But for years scientists have reserved judgment because no rigorous test conrmed its existence. Yes, some people reported that they felt so good when they exercised that it was as if they had taken mood-altering drugs. But was that feeling real or just a delusion? And even if it was real, what was the feeling supposed to be, and what caused it? Some who said they had experienced a runners high said it was uncommon. They might feel relaxed or at peace after exercising, but only occasionally did they feel euphoric. Was the calmness itself a runners high?Often, those who said they experienced an intense euphoria reported that it came after an endurance event. My friend Marian Westley said her runners high came at the end of a marathon, and it was paired with such volatile emotions that the sight of a puppy had the power to make her weep. Others said they experienced a high when pushing themselves almost to the point of collapse in a short, intense effort, such as running a five-kilometer race. Leading endorphin researchers not associated with the study said they accepted its ndings. Impressive, said Dr. Solomon Snyder, a neuroscience professor at Johns Hopkins and a discoverer of endorphins in the 1970s.I like it, said Huda Akil, a professor of neurosciences at the University of Michigan. This is the rst time someone took this head on. It wasnt that the idea was not the right idea. It was that the evidence was not there. For athletes, the study offers a sort of vindication that runners high is not just a New Agey excuse for their claims of feeling good after a hard workout. For athletes and nonathletes alike, the results are opening a new chapter in exercise science. They show that it is possible to dene and measure the runners high and that it should be possible to gure out what brings it on. They even offer hope for those who do not enjoy exercise but do it anyway. These exercisers might learn techniques to elicit a feeling that makes working out positively addictive.The lead researcher for the new study, Dr. Henning Boecker of the University of Bonn, said he got the idea of testing the endorphin hypothesis when he realized that methods he and others were using to study pain were directly applicable.
IS IT REALLY TRUE?
A publicized effect of endorphins is the so-called runners high, which is said to occur when people exercise so strenuously that their bodies reach the threshold of endorphin release.
Endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts of moderate to high intensity, corresponding to prolonged physical stress.
The presence of endorphins would presumably mitigate pain sensation by negatively regulating pain-carrying signals from nociceptive neurons in the spinal cord.
Notably, such analgesic effects of endorphins could potentially increase the likelihood of injury, as pain sensation could be more easily ignored.
Experiencing a runners high has also been known to cause feelings of euphoria. Although it is called a runners high, the effect can occur anytime that people engage in sport.
SIX STEPS TO GET A RUNNERS HIGH

START OUT SLOW
But then there are those like my friend Annie Hiniker, who says that when she nishes a 5-k race, the last thing she feels is euphoric. I feel like I want to throw up, she said. The runners-high hypothesis proposed that there were real biochemical effects of exercise on the brain. Chemicals were released that could change an athletes mood, and those chemicals were endorphins, the brains naturally occurring opiates. Running was not the only way to get the feeling; it could also occur with most intense or endurance exercise.The problem with the hypothesis was that it was not feasible to do a spinal tap before and after someone exercised to look for a ood of endorphins in the brain. Researchers could detect endorphins in peoples blood after a run, but those endorphins were part of the bodys stress response and could not travel from the blood to the brain. They were not responsible for elevating ones mood. So for more than 30 years, the runners high remained an unproved hypothesis. But now medical technology has caught up with exercise lore. Researchers in Germany, using advances in neuroscience, report in the current issue of the journal Cerebral Cortex that the folk belief is true: Running does elicit a ood of endorphins in the brain. The endorphins are associated with mood changes, and the more endorphins a runners body pumps out, the greater the effect. Running does elicit a ood of endorphins in the whole body like drugs.
MY FRIEND MARIAN WESTLEY SAID HER RUNNERS HIGH CAME AT THE END OF A MARATHON, AND IT WAS PAIRED WITH SUCH VOLATILE EMOTIONS THAT THE SIGHT OF A PUPPY HAD THE POWER TO MAKE HER HAPPY HIGH WEEP.
The idea was to use PET scans combined with recently available chemicals that reveal endorphins in the brain, to compare runners brains before and after a long run. If the scans showed that endorphins were being produced and were attaching themselves to areas of the brain involved with mood, that would be direct evidence for the endorphin hypothesis. And if the runners, who were not told what the study was looking for, also reported mood changes whose intensity correlated with the amount of endorphins produced, that would be another clincher for the argument. Dr. Boecker and colleagues recruited 10 distance runners and told them they were studying opioid receptors inthe brain. But the runners did not realize that the investigators were studying the release of endorphins and the runners high. The athletes had a PET scan before and after a two-hour run. They also took a standard psychological test that indicated their mood before and after running.The data showed that, indeed, endorphins were produced during running and were attaching themselves to areas of the brain associated with emotions, in particular the limbic and prefrontal areas. The limbic and prefrontal areas, Dr. Boecker said, are activated when people are involved in romantic love affairs or, he said, when you hear music that gives you a chill of euphoria, like Rachmaninoffs Piano Concerto No. 3 or some stuff smoked in your grannys backyard.
The greater the euphoria the runners reported, the more endorphins in their brain.Some people have these really extreme experiences with very long or intensive training, said Dr. Boecker, a casual runner and cyclist, who said he feels completely relaxed and his head is clearer after a run. That was also what happened to the study subjects, he said: You could really see the difference after two hours of running. You could see it in their faces. In a follow-up study, Dr. Boecker is investigating if running affects pain perception. There are studies that showed enhanced pain tolerance in runners, he said. You have to give higher pain stimuli before they say, O.K., this hurts.And, he said, there are stories of runners who had stress fractures, even heart attacks, and kept on running.Dr. Boecker and his colleagues have recruited 20 marathon runners and a similar number of nonathletes and are studying the perception of pain after a run, and whether there are related changes in brain scans. He is also having the sub-jects walk to see whether the effects, if any, are because of the intensity of the exercise.
A publicized, putative effect of endorphins is the socalled runners high, which is said to occur when people exercise so strenuously that their bodies reach the threshold of endorphin release. Endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts of moderate to high intensity, corresponding to prolonged physical stress. This also corresponds with the time that the muscles use up their stored glycogen. The presence of endorphins would presumably mitigate pain sensation by negatively regulating pain-carrying signals from nociceptive neurons in the spinal cord. Notably, such analgesic effects of endorphins could potentially increase the likelihood of injury, as pain sensation could be more easily ignored. Experiencing a runners high has also been known to cause feelings of euphoria. Although it is called a runners high, the effect can occur anytime that people engage in any strenuous exercise or activity, not just running. A runners high has been suggested to have evolutionary roots based on the theory that it helped with the survival of early humans. Current African tribes make use of a runners high when they are conducting persistence hunting. This is a method in which tribesman hunt an animal and track it for miles, eventually killing it due to its greatly increased vulnerability because it became completely physically exhausted. In 2008, researchers in Germany reported on the mechanisms that cause a runners high to occur. Using PET scans, combined with recently available chemicals that reveal endorphins in the brain, they were able to compare runners brains before and after a run.
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can contribute to a runners high; candidates include epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.[medical citation needed. This will help you regain your breath and your legs but your body will keep on doing those biological things. Plan on keeping your slow pace for 20-30 more minutes. A publicized, putative effect of endorphins is the so called runners high, which is said to occur when people exercise so strenuously that their bodies reach the threshold of endorphin release. Endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts of moderate to high intensity, corresponding to prolonged physical stress. This also corresponds with the time that the muscles use up their stored glycogen. The presence of endorphins would presumably mitigate pain sensation by negatively regulating pain-carrying signals from nociceptive neu-
DEAL WITH IT
SLOW YOUR PACE
KEEP UP THE PACE
The nonathletes can help investigators assess whether untrained people experience the same effects. Maybe one reason some people love intense exercise and others do not is that some respond with a runners high or changed pain perception. Annie might question that. She loves to run, but wonders why. But her husband tells her that the look on her face when shes running is just blissful. So maybe even she gets a runners high. A publicized, putative effect of endorphins is the so-called runners high, which is said to occur when people exercise so strenuously that their bodies reach the threshold of endorphin release. Endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts of moderate to high intensity, corresponding to prolonged physical stress.This also corresponds with the time that the muscles use up their stored glycogen. The presence of endorphins would presumably mitigate pain sensation by negatively regulating pastrenuous exercise or activity, not just running. Whatever sport you choose, another piece of good news is that you dont have to push your limits to reap a reward. Dr. Boecker and his colleagues have recruited 20 marathon runners and a similar number of nonathletes and are studying the perception of pain after a run, which is said to occur when people exercise so strenuously that their bodies reach the threshold of endorphin release. Endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts of moderate to high intensity. Maybe thats why people write something stupid there.
Previous research on the role of endorphins, in producing a runners high, included trying to understand the mechanisms at work; that data seemed to demonstrate that the high comes from completing a physical challenge rather than as a result of exertion.Studies in the early 1980s cast doubt on the relationship between endorphins and the runners high for several reasons: When an endorphin (-opioid) receptor antagonist was infused (e.g., naloxone) or ingested (naltrexone), the same changes in mood state occurred as when the person exercised with no blocker. A 2003 study found that a runners high might be caused by anandamide, an endocannabinoid. The authors suggest that the body produces anandamide to deal with prolonged stress and pain from strenuous exercise, similar to the original theory involving endorphins. However, this study did not report the cognitive effects of a runners high; which seems to suggest that anandamide release may not be signicantly related to runners high. The authors of a 2012 study argued implicitly that endocannabinoids are, most likely, the causative agent in a runners high, while also arguing this to be a result of the evolutionary advantage endocannabinoids provide to endurance-based cursorial species. This largely refers to quadruped mammals, but also to biped hominids, such as humans. The study shows that both humans and dogs show signicantly increased endocannabinoidsignaling following high intensity running, but not low-intensity walking. The study does not, however, ever address the potential contribution of endorphins to a runners high. However, in other research that has focused on the bloodbrain barrier, it has been shown that endorphin molecules are too large to pass freely, very unlikely to be the cause of the runners high feeling of intense euphoria, like if you were high on real drugs. It has been suggested that apart from endorphins, other neurotransmitters
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rons in the spinal cord. Notably, such analgesic effects of endorphins could potentially increase the likelihood of injury, as pain sensation could be more easily ignored. Experiencing a runners high has also been known to cause feelings of euphoria. Although it is called a runners high, the effect can occur anytime that people engage in any strenuous exercise or activity, not just running. A runners high has been suggested to have evolutionary roots based on the theory that it helped with the survival of early humans. Current African tribes make use of a runners high when they are conducting persistence hunting. This is a method in which tribesman hunt an animal and track it for miles, eventually killing it due to its greatly increased vulnerability because Wit became completely physically exhausted. In 2008, researchers in Germany reported on the mechanisms that cause a runners high to occur. Using PET scans, combined with recently available chemicals that reveal endorphins in the brain, they were able to compare runners brains before and after a run. Previous research on the role of endorphins, in producing a runners high, included trying to understand the mechanisms at work; that data seemed to demonstrate that the high comes from completing a physical challenge rather than as a result of exertion. Studies in the early 1980s cast doubt on the relationship between endorphins and the runners high. When youre running a marathon, whether its in New York City, Washington, or Chicago, you need every trick in the book to get through not only months of
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When youre running a marathon, whether its in New York City, Washington, or Chicago, you need every trick in the book to get through not only months of grueling training, but the grand nale as well: 26.2 miles of road that you cross step by agonizing step.Through the blood, sweat, and tears, many runners report that their favorite trick and part of the reason they wake morning after morning to pound the pavement is what is referred to as runners high. Psychologically, runners may experience euphoria, a feeling of being invincible, a reduced state of discomfort or pain, and even a loss in sense of time while running, says Jesse Pittsley, PhD, president of the American Society for Exercise Physiologists. Where does runners high come from, and what makes athletes push themselves 26.2 miles? Do you need to run to feel that sense of euphoria, or can you nd those positive emotions through other types of exercise, too? Experts explain the theories behind the high, the physical and psychological benets of running, and the feeling of accomplishment. Another theory that is tossed around in attempting to dene runners high relates to body temperature. Some people think it just might be the elevation in body temperature that is associated with these longer- duration activities, and it may be through the hypothalamus, which is closely linked to temperature regulation mechanisms, says Bryant. The theory is that the increase in body temperature might in some way indirectly affect mood.
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grueling training, but the grand nale as well: 26.2 miles of road that you cross step by agonizing step. Through the blood, sweat, and tears, many runners report that their favorite trick and part of the reason they wake morning after morning to pound the pavement is what is referred to as runners high. Psychologically, runners may experience euphoria, a feeling of being invincible, a reduced state of discomfort or pain, and even a loss in sense of time while running, says Jesse Pittsley, PhD, president of the American Society for Exercise Physiologists. Where does runners high come from, and what makes athletes push themselves 26.2 miles?This largely refers to quadruped mammals, but also to biped hominids, such as humans. The study shows that both humans and dogs show signicantly increased endocannanoidsignaling following high intensity running, but not low-intensity walking. For many people, the thought of running 26.2 miles is simply out of the question. Through the blood, sweat, and tears, many runners report that their favorite trick and part of the reason they wake morning after morning they run through the blood, sweat, and tears.
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While runners high might be more short-term, its wellknown that regular exercise also offers long-term benets, on both the mind and the body. On average, you tend to see people who are runners and habitual exercisers having better moods, suffering from less and less anxiety, and more general feelings of well-being, says Bryant. For people who are physically active on a regular basis, they have active relaxation - kind of by moving the body and focusing on the sensation of moving your body and getting into the rhythmic activity and motion, it produces this relaxation response, and that I think contributes signicantly to the feelings of psychological well-being. While marathon running can take its toll on the body, it does offer signicant benets as well. Clearly, there are many health benets of running at this level, says Rick Hall, MS, a registered dietitian and advisory board member of the Arizona Governors Council on Health, Physical Fitness, and Sports. A smart marathon runner has put in many hours of training for many weeks or months, before the event, and the health benets of sustained aerobic exercise are well documented: improved circulation, reduced body fat, lowered blood cholesterol, and better self-esteem. For many people, the thought of running 26.2 miles is simply out of the question. Does that mean theyll never get to experience the euphoric feeling of runners high? Not necessarily.The research suggests that a wide variety of activities can produce this effect, says Bryant. Whether its swimming, cycling, or rowing, the key to the high is repetition. What these sports have in common is that they are things you can perform in a repetitive rhythmic fashion, and that seems to produce the same effect, says Bryant. So thats why A smart marathon runner has put in many hours of training for many weeks or months, before the event and the health benets of sustained aerobic exercise are well documented.
THE WOW!
THE WOW!
After the 2012 cancellation, Mutai returned to become the rst repeat winner in 15 years. Under windy conditions, his 2:08:24 was more than 3 minutes slower than in 2011.
Mutai broke away around mile 22 to win by almost a minute over Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede, who had nished third two years earlier.
Jeptoo spotted Buzunesh Deba, an Ethiopian runner who has lived in the Bronx since 2009, 3 and a half minutes at the half marathon mark, but came back to pass her in the 24th mile.
TOP RANKING GRAPHIC
The 2013 ING New York City Marathon was run November 3, 2013. The race proved to be the clincher for the 2013 World Marathon Majors titles for both men and women.
Duplicating their London Marathon wins from April 2013, Kenyans Geoffrey Mutai and Priscah Jeptoo each won $500,000 for their season wide efforts.
THE TOP NATIONS THE 10KINGS OF THE MARATHON OF THE MARATHON

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That makes it more manageable mentally. To concentrate on every mile would be like paying attention to the odometer throughout a ve-hour drive. Play games. To take my mind off the big task ahead, I sing songs in my head, says Jean Arthur, a 3:21 marathoner and president of the Montgomery County Road Runners Club in Maryland.
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how to up your effort as you become tired. Combine this with the half-marathon mentioned in Tip 2, doing one with four weeks to go, and the other with three weeks to go. Your local race calendar will probably dictate the order in which youll run them. But if you have a choice, do the long run four weeks out (for more recovery time) and the half-marathon three weeks before your race. Mimic the course. If at all possible, start doing runs on the same topography as the marathon. For example, go up and down lots of hills if youre running New York City, and get used to several hours of pancake atness if youre running a course like Chicago. (A at course might seem less challenging, but its lack of variation means youll be using the same muscles the whole race. You need to prepare for this.) If you live in a at area and are preparing for a hilly marathon, do several runs on a treadmill, and alter the incline throughout. If you dont have access to a treadmill, run on stairways or stadium steps. (Hey, drastic times call for drastic measures.) Drink on the run. Practice during your remaining long and semilong runs with the sports drink and energy gels you intend to refuel with during the race, advises Suzanne Girard Eberle, M.S., R.D., a former elite runner and author of Endurance Sports Nutrition. Serious-minded racers and those with nicky stomachs should be using the sports drink that will be available on the race course. And remember that sports drinks do triple duty when compared with water by providing uid, carbohydrates, and electrolytes, the most important being sodium. Find out how often your marathon will have aid stations, and practice drinking at that rate. If you dont run with uids, place bottles along your training route. Dress the part. Please dont run the marathon in a cotton T-shirt, even if its for a wonderful charity, implores Rodgers. Youll run so much easier in real running clothes, such as those made of Coolmax or nylon, than in a suffocating T-shirt. Once youve picked your marathon outt, make sure it doesnt irritate your skin. I normally race in my marathon clothes before the race to feel if theyre comfortable, says Sara Wells, the 2003 U.S. National Marathon Champion. Also wear the getup on at least one semilong run. Dont get greedy. Training for a marathon isnt like cramming for a test. That is, doing more miles than youre used to in the last few weeks will hurtnot helpyour race. Even if youre feeling great, dont up the ante and increase your training, cautions Rodgers. This is the time when many runners have been at it for two months or more and are becoming used to a certain level of training. Draw strength from the hard work youve put in. Wells advises, Have condence in what youve been doing. From here on out, youre just maintaining your tness. And get plenty of sleep. Taper. Do no more than 40 percent of your peak weekly mileage, with most of that coming early in the week. Except for your dress rehearsal run (see Tip 11), keep your runs easy. You should feel like youre storing up energy, both physically and mentally says Rodgers. If youve done speedwork as part of your buildup, follow an easy run later in the week with some quick 100-meter pickups to remind yourself of how fast and t you are. On the day before the race, stick with your pre-long-run routinea day off if thats what you usually do, a two- or three-mile jog if youre a daily runner. Run a dress rehearsal. Four or ve days before the marathon, do a two- or three-mile marathon-pace run in your marathon outt and shoes. Picture yourself on the course running strong and relaxed. Besides boosting your condence, this run will provide one last little bit of conditioning and will help you lock in to race pace on marathon day. Run like a clock. If possible, run at the same time of day as the start of your marathon. This way, your bodys rhythmsinclud-
If youre running a marathon this year and youre worried about the task ahead, relax. Were here to advise you on what to do a month out, a week away, even the day of. Shoe tips? Check. Hydration strategy? Its here. Taper advice? Got it. And for those of you not running 26.2 this year, our humble (yet informed) opinion is that you will be soon. So keep these tips where you can nd them they arent just essential; theyre timeless. Look down. Select the shoesand the socksyoull wear in the marathon. The shoes should be relatively lightweight but provide good support, and the socks should be the type you wear in other races. If the shoes arent your regular training shoes, wear them on at least one 10-mile run at marathon pace. This test run will determine whether youre likely to develop blisters or get sore feetbefore its too late. If the shoes bother you on this run, get yourself another pair. Do a half-marathon. About a month out is a good time to test your tness, says four-time Boston and New York City Marathon champ Bill Rodgers. Also, a good race can provide a powerful mental lift, and it will give you a little rest period in the few days before and after as you taper and recover from it. Aim to run the half-marathon slightly faster than your marathon goal pace. If you cant nd a tune-up race, recruit friends to accompany you on a long run, with the last several miles faster than marathon pace. Add speed to your longest long run. Four weeks out is when I do my longest run, says 2:13 marathoner Keith Dowling. Ill run up to 26 miles, with this twist: I do my usual easy longrun pace for most of it, but with eight miles left, Ill work down to six-minute pace and drop the pace every two miles to nish at ve-minute pace. Translated into mortal terms: With eight miles to go, begin running one minute per mile slower than your marathon goal pace.Then speed up every two miles to run the last couple of miles at goal pace or slightly faster. This run will teach you
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Dont try anything radical this week. Stick to your plan and what youve practiced during your buildup. For example, if you havent done regular speedwork, now isnt the time to start just because someone told you it will keep your legs fresh while youre tapering. At this point, also ignore any cant-miss diet tricks from friends. So much of those last few days is mental, says Wells. Feel comfortable with what youre doing rather than trying something new and worrying how it will affect you.
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Then, as you become dehydrated, less oxygen and fuel is delivered to working muscles, and you run slower. Go hard late. No matter how much youre raring to go, keep things under Hanscom checks her early splits to make sure, no mat- control until well past the halfway mark. Then you can start racter how good she feels, that shes starting conservatively. In ing. If you feel relatively good at 18 miles, thats the time to get the rst 10 miles, I look around at the surroundings, the fans aggressive, says Dowling. Youre down to eight miles to go, so along the way, and enjoy the changing scenery, adds Wells. if youre still fresh, you can approach it mentally like a shorter race. Its an incredible boost to pass people in the last six miles. Think laps, not miles.
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Thats good for me in two ways: First, it occupies my mind, and second, I love the point at which I can tell myself Ive done more than 50 percent, because at that point, I gure I cant If youre running the race with a training partner, make it a quit.Drink early, drink often. Take sports drink at the rst aid stagroup session: Share your goals with each other for mutual rein- tion and every one after. forcement. Line up loose. Fifteen minutes before the start, begin some gentle stretching. Concentrate on the muscles of the back side of your bodyyour calves, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Remember, your goal is to start the race comfortably, not to audition for a yoga video, so go easy. Try to keep stretching after youve been herded to the start area. Jog in place as well, to keep your heart rate slightly elevated. Start slow. Run the rst two to three miles 10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than goal pace. This preserves precious glycogen stores for later in the race so you can nish strong. When CatherTaking in carbohydrates and uid early will help postpone ine Ndereba set a world record at the 2001 Chicago Marathon, she eased into things by running the rst 5-K at just over 5:40-per-mile or prevent serious dehydration or carbohydrate depletion later, pace, and went on to average just under 5:20 per mile for the race. so youll be a lot more likely to maintain your pace. During proRelax. Because the pace feels so easy, I get antsy in the early longed exercise, our thirst mechanism doesnt keep up with our miles, says Heather Hanscom, a 2:31 marathoner who was sixth actual needs, says Girard Eberle. at this years Olympic MarathonTrials. But I make myself stick to my game plan and dont get carried away. I know that to run well later, I need to feel really relaxed the rst third.
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Theres a hill in the 25th mile, and Id say to myself, Okay, get up that hill, and then run strong to the nish. Chill out. Reduce the outside stresses in your life as much as possible the last week. This is not a good time to get married or divorced, Rodgers jokes. Try to have work projects under control, politely decline invitations to late nights out, and so on. Most of all, stay off your feetsave museum tours and shopping sprees for after the marathon, and dont spend four hours the day before the marathon checking out the latest energy gel avors at the race expo. Before the Trials, says Wells, I went to my brothers house and just basically hung out. Carbo-load, dont fat-load. During the last three days, concentrate on eating carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pasta, potatoes, bread, fruit and fruit juice, low-fat milk and yogurt, low-fat treats, and sports drinks, says Suzanne Girard Eberle. Its the carbs, after all, not fat or protein, that will fuel you on race day. Girard Eberle says whats important is increasing the percentage of your calories that come from carbs, not simply eating more of everything. (Bummer, we know.) Since youll be tapering and expending fewer calories, she says, you dont have to consume a great deal more food than usual. Rather, make sure your food choices are carbohydrate-rich, not full of fatfor example, spaghetti with red sauce, instead of Alfredo sauce, or a bagel versus a croissant. Go with what you know. Even if Olympic Marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor appears on your front porch dispensing advice.
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Warm up. But just a little. Even the best marathoners in the world do only a little jogging beforehand, because they want to preserve their glycogen stores and keep their core body temperature down. If youre a faster runner with a goal pace signicantly quicker than your training pace, do no more than 10 minutes of light jogging, nishing 15 minutes before the start. Precede and follow your jog with stretching. If youll be running the marathon at about your training pace, skip the jog. Walk around a bit in the half hour before the start, and stretch (see Tip 19). Collect yourself. An hour before the start, nd a quiet place, and spend ve minutes reviewing your race plan and motivation. Remind yourself of why youre there, says Rodgers. Take condence in the months of effort behind you. An exciting and satisfying day is just ahead of you!
I pick a song and try to sing it from start to nish. Usually I dont know all the words, so I sing it and I try to gure out what the artist is saying. Arthur also becomes an on-the-run mathematician. I calculate exactly what percentage of the race I have done, she says.
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ing the all-important bathroom routinewill be in sync with marathon needs come race day. The more times you can do this, the better, but shoot for at least the last three days before the race. Set two goals. Review your training and set one goal for a good race day, and another as a backup plan in case its hot or windy or youre just not feeling great, Rodgers recommends. So many things can go wrong in a marathon that you need that secondary goal to stay motivated if things arent perfect, which they seldom are. Your primary goal is the one youve been working toward during your buildup: a personal best, qualifying for Boston, breaking ve hours, whatever. Your secondary goal should keep you motivated at the 22-mile mark on a bad day: nishing in the top 50 percent, slowing only 10 minutes over the second half, or just reaching the darn nish line. See success. On several nights before going to bed, or rst thing in the morning, visualize yourself crossing the nish line as the clock shows a new personal best. Before this years Olympic Marathon Trials, where Wells placed seventh, she replayed positive mental images before falling asleep at night. I knew the course we would be running, and Id see myself out on it running well, she says.
Eat breakfast. Two to three hours before the start, eat a Instead of obsessing about each of the 26 miles, I look at carbohydrate-rich breakfast, even if that means getting up at an each three-mile segment as a lap, ungodly hour and going back to bed, says Girard Eberle. The reason: As you slept, your brain was active and using the glycogen (stored carbohydrate) from your liver. Breakfast restocks those stores, so youll be less likely to run out of fuel. Aim for a few hundred calories, such as a bagel and banana or toast and a sports bar. At the minimum, says Girard Eberle, consume a sports recovery drink, or a bland, well-tolerated liquid food such as Ensure or Boost.
THE WOW!
MICAH TRUE THEEL TRUE STORY OF CABALLO BLANCO NOV. 10, 1953MAR. 27, 2012
SHOCKING!
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AMERICAN ULTRARUNNER FROM COLORADO
Micah True went off alone on a Tuesday morning to run through the rugged trails of the Gila Wilderness, and now it was already Saturday and he had not been seen again. The search for him, once hopeful, was turning desperate. Weather stoked the fear. The missing man was wearing only shorts, a T-shirt and running shoes. It was late March. Daytimes were warm, but the cold scythed through the spruce forest in the depth of night, the temperatures cutting into the 20s. For three days, rescue teams had fanned out for 50 yards on each side of the marked trails. Riders on horseback ventured through the gnarly brush, pushing past the felled branches of pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine. An airplane and a helicopter circled in the sky, their pilots squinting above the ridges, woodlands, river canyons and meadows. Were in the middle of nowhere, and this guy could be anywhere, Tom Bemis, the rescue coordinator appointed by the state police, said gloomily. He was sitting in a command center, marking lines on a map that covered 200,000 acres. Some 150 trained volunteers were at his disposal, and dozens of others were there too, arrived from all over the country, eager and anxious, asking to enlist in the search.
MICAH TRUE, BORN MICHAEL HICKMAN, TOOK HIS NEW NAME FROM THE BIBLE AND A BELOVED COMPANION, TRUE DOG.
Coming out of the woodwork, Bemis said wryly. Not only did Micah True have loyal friends, but he also had a devoted following. At age 58, he was a mythic gure, known by the nickname Caballo Blanco, or White Horse. He was a famous ultrarunner, competing in races two, three or four times as long as marathons. The day he vanished, he said he was going on a 12-mile jaunt, for him as routine as a lap around a high school track. But Trues mythic renown owed less to his ability to run than to his capacity to inspire. He was a free spirit who survived on cornmeal, beans and wild dreams, aloof to the allure of money and possessions. He lived in the remote Copper Canyons of northern Mexico to be near the reclusive Tarahumara Indians, reputed to be the greatest natural runners in the world. His story was exuberantly molded into legend in the 2009 best-seller Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Caballo Blanco, however private and self-effacing, was suddenly delivered to the world as a prophet, the lone wanderer of the High Sierras. To many, he represented the road not taken, a purer path, away from career, away from capitalism, away from the clock. McDougall, himself a runner, was one of the dozens who had hurried to southwestern New Mexico to join the search, as had the actor Peter Sarsgaard, who was about to direct a movie based on the book. In just a few days, the Gila Wilderness had become a lodestone to a whos who of ultramarathoners, athletes with loose limbs, lanky bodies and now a shared sense of dread.
children. His father was a Marine gunnery sergeant who later became a deputy sheriff and an insurance salesman. EThe elder Hickmans were conservative Roman Catholics, but Mikes devotions were to the counterculture of the late 60s and early 70s. His blond hair hung past his shoulders. Marijuana uted through his head. So did mysticism. His reading appetites ranged from Hemingway to French philosophy. He wandered the country, just to make things happen, he recalled later. His looks were fetching. One friend described him as a lean Greek god in beachcomber garb. Hickman lived for 10 months in a cave in Hawaii, shaking papayas from trees on Maui and running along island trails. He fell in love with a rich girl, he said, whose eyes sparkled blue like the sky. When she dumped him, it scuffed his heart. To keep himself in pocket money, Hickman often chose unusual labor for a peaceable soul: prizeghting. A middleweight, he called himself the Gypsy Cowboy. His record in the ring, according to boxrec.com, was 9-11. He was knocked out nine times, although some of those defeats were dives taken for an easy payday, he said. Whoever the opponent, he tried to restrain his sts, inicting only the physical damage to get the job done, no more. Neill Woelk, a former sportswriter, remembers seeing him his name now Micah True in 1982, winning a ght on an undercard in Denvers Rainbow Theater. The boxer was nearing 30 at the time. He didnt look anything like a ghter, but he might be one of the best pure athletes I ever saw, Woelk said, adding, He didnt have arms; he had cables.
get lost in the wild, allowing only curiosity to steer his feet, bushwhacking his way through dense terrain. Geronimo, the Apache warrior, had used the Gila as a refuge, and he was one of Trues boyhood heroes. But the runner knew the geography here too well to get hopelessly turned around, and besides, he had left behind his beloved sidekick Guadajuko, a stray he had rescued from a Mexican river. At times, True retreated from humans, even from civilization itself. But he would never abandon his dog.
TRUE CUT THE LONG BLOND HAIR THAT HELPED EARN THE NICKNAME CABALLO BLANCO BUT CONTINUED TO RUN, OFTEN WITH A STRAY DOG.
MICAH TRUE HAD BECOME obsessed with the Tarahumara. What did they know about running that others did not? Were they some sort of superhumans? Tarahumara was the Spanish name. They called themselves the Rarmuri, loosely translated as the running people. They had retreated into the massive canyons of the Sierra Madre centuries ago to escape the conquistadors. Generation after generation, they traversed the mountains and ravines along tight footpaths. Freakish endurance was required to cover the immense distances. Some chasms in the land were deeper than the Grand Canyon. To better understand these people, True readjusted the rhythms of his life in 1994, alternating between Boulder and the Copper Canyons, still a furniture mover for half the year but a student of the Rarmuri for the rest. He built a tiny home at the bottom of a canyon in the town of Batopilas, carrying rocks from the river valley to use as a foundation and erecting walls with cement and adobe. The man called horse, as he sometimes referred to himself in written musings, was rapturous with the adventure. He described getting lost in his new surroundings, scaling a rock-faced mountain, water bottle in his teeth, buzzards overhead, crawling on his belly like a reptile while pulling himself upward by grasping at plants. The canyons were stupendous, with alpine forests in the high altitudes and subtropical jungle on the valley oor. He was careful not to intrude on the Rarmuri. Relationships developed over time. The impoverished tribe believed in krima, their word for sharing what they could spare. They sometimes left him tortillas and pinole, a porridge of crushed corn and water. He reciprocated in kind. Like the Rarmuri, True now ran in sandals, delighting in the simple act of self-propulsion, bounding along the undulating trails like a Neolithic hunter. He called it moving meditation. His motto was run free, and he did.
TRUE ORGANIZED HIS FIRST ULTRAMARATHON IN THE COPPER CANYON IN 2003. BY THIS YEAR, THE RACE HAD GROWN TO MORE THAN 500 RUNNERS
Ray Molina understood Trues penchants and habits. Theres a good chance hes nowhere near a trail, Molina said. He and his two friends looked elsewhere, climbing a ridge toward the Gila high country. The ascent was time-consuming, very steep in parts, the footing unreliable. Hours later, all they had for their efforts was frustration. They wanted to avoid the beaten path but kept nding the tracks of other searchers and even met up with a few, including two on horseback and another pair with dogs. Studying his map, Molina was intrigued by a squiggly blue line indicating a stream called Little Creek. He was in the sway of two hunches. One was that an injured man might head for water. The other was that this meandering creek emptied out of the canyon only a mile or so from the lodge whereTrue had been staying. His friend might have used this stream as a shortcut.
IN MARCH 2010, TRUE RAN THE COPPER CANYON ULTRA MARATHON IN MEXICO.
By then, True had moved to Boulder, Colo., at the base of the eastern slope of the Rockies. The city listed hard to the left. Sometimes with sarcasm, sometimes with affection, it was referred to as the Peoples Republic of Boulder. At the same time, it was becoming the nations high-altitude capital for high-endurance training. To earn a living, the prizeghter was now a self-employed furniture mover, hauling peoples belongings in a rattletrap pickup. He lived without electricity in a spare one-room cabin off Magnolia Road. He shared an outhouse. Running had become his overwhelming passion, maybe even his addiction. He was a mountain runner, a different breed from folks who showed up by the thousands to run a breezy 10K. He preferred races with fewer people and wide-open terrain, less concerned with his times than the surrounding scenery. He would get up early to run, then do a moving job, then run again. He was logging about 170 miles a week. Dan Bowers was a frequent companion. He recalled, After wed run, wed eat a big meal, enough to bust a rib, and then Micah would look at me and say, You want to do another 10? Trues pattern was to remain in Boulder for six months, then, with winter coming, head south to the Guatemalan highTO KEEP HIMSELF IN POCKET lands, running the lush trails around Lake Atitln. Villagers MONEY, TRUE STILL MICHAEL grew used to the sight of the loping gringo. He was a 6-footer HICKMAN OFTEN CHOSE UNUSUwith a long mane and big teeth. Children surrounded him when he stopped to buy bananas and tortillas. They named him El CaAL LABOR FOR A PEACEABLE SOUL: ballo Blanco. PRIZEFIGHTING. The White Horse was winning ultraraces in those days, Were thinking he could be lying out there hurt, unable like the 50-miler between Cheyenne and Laramie on the back to get help, said the ultrarunner Luis Escobar, who had driven roads of Wyoming. He was serious about competition, interestall night from California. ed in re-engineering his body to get more out of his lungs and Several of these athletes were impatient with the author- legs, pushing the boundaries of stamina. ities methodical search. The main footpaths had been scoured, TARAHUMARA RUNNERS BECAME PART but they wanted to venture onto the smaller elk trails and into OF TRUES COPPER CANYON ULTRA the pockets and crannies of the cliffs. Bemis, the rescue coordinator, was mildly annoyed: MARATHON. SOME OF THEM COMPETThis is a wilderness, not a walk in the park, and some of them ED IN THEIR TRADITIONAL CLOTHING, might get lost. Then well be looking for them, too. INCLUDING WOMEN IN SKIRTS. Among the most restless was Ray Molina, who led mountain bike tours through the Copper Canyons and was one Injuries began to slow him as he closed in on 40, but he of Trues closest friends. eventually viewed these annoyances as a liberation. He started Random Ray, some people called him. A nonstop talk- to care less about piling on the megamileage and more about er, he was also a pack rat, collecting old bicycles, antique toys, nding challenging trails. Running was an exploration, inside manikins and bleached bones. Skeletal remains jounced about and out, endorphins feeding his cerebral bliss. in his car. He did still run the occasional race. In 1993, he entered Molina, 44, had not learned of the disappearance until Fri- one of his favorites, the Leadville Trail 100, a punishing 100-mile day. He rushed to the Gila in his beat-up 1979 Mercedes with two push through the icy streams and boulder-clogged slopes of the friends, Jessica Haines and Dean Bannon. They were agreeable Rockies. The very up-and-down of it was a killer, the altitude as to joining the organized search. But by 10 on Saturday morning, high as 12,600 feet. Runners generally needed 18 to 30 hours to they were among a handful yet to be assigned to a team. nish. The hell with this, Molina concluded. He and his friends That year, a promoter brought along a handful of peaslightened their backpacks of unnecessary gear and went off ants from Chihuahua, Mexico. They were short. Some looked on their own, simply walking a short distance down the access like grandfathers. They wore blousy shirts and loincloths to the road, crossing the Gila River and scurrying into the nearest ar- starting line, and on their feet were sandals they themselves royo. This strategy, while not entirely random, was hardly well had just made from old tires shed from the Leadville dump. conceived. They were assisted only by a folded-up map and their When the race began, these odd interlopers immediown instincts and whims. They rambled and they ran and they ately fell to the rear and stayed there for 40 miles. Then they climbed. They called out, Caballo! started steadily moving up, passing others, barely winded THE NAME MICAH TRUE was a confection, the rst part by the arduous climbs. The rst two of them nished about plucked from the Bible, the second an homage to True Dog, a an hour ahead of anyone else. The winner was 55 years old beloved mutt. Michael Randall Hickman was his given name, These were the Tarahumara. Trues disappearance might have and he was raised in Northern California, the second of four been something to shrug off at rst. He sometimes liked to
IN MARCH 2010, TRUE RAN THE COPPER CANYON ULTRA MARATHON IN MEXICO.
Has anyone been down that creek? Molina kept asking. The horsemen had ridden through the canyon a little ways but stopped. They knew the area well and warned Molina that the passage got pretty rough. Go ahead, try it, one joked. Well come looking for you tomorrow. It was already late afternoon, and Molina wondered if it was wise to chance this hike so close to dark. But he, Jessica Haines and Dean Bannon enjoyed egging each other on. Molina had known Bannon since the third grade. Unsettled between them were decades of debate about who was gutsier.
TRUE AND MARIA WALTON WERE A COUPLE FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. HIS FRIENDS GENERALLY AGREED THAT WALTON WAS AN INFUSION OF LOVE.
The creek was ankle deep in some spots, knee high in others, and about as wide as an automobile. They walked slowly because it was hard to do otherwise. The banks were narrow. The three would move over land on one side until they met an impassable thicket or an overhang from the steep canyon wall. Then they would look for the best spot to leap across the water. They repeated this zigzag enough times to realize they may as well slosh through the creek itself. The bed was gravel and sand, but there were submerged rocks everywhere. It would have been easy to turn an ankle. Haines, 33, works in the engine room of a ferry in Alaska. However dour the purpose of this trek, she was pleased to be in a place of such extraordinary beauty. The millenniums had intricately sculptured the canyon, and the clear stream that ran through it moved in a musical trickle. She could hear a gentle whoosh above as breezes traipsed through the treetops. Haines was the rst to spot a footprint, its outline in the mud beside the creek. They had been told True was wearing shoes with a pattern of triangles on the tread. But this print was faint and partly washed away. They paused. They had already slogged through Little Creek for 45 minutes, and the sun was getting low. If they went much farther, they could be stuck for the night. Still, they persisted, and 10 minutes later they found more footprints, and a few minutes after that, more again. These were better dened, and triangles were part of the design. They compared the length with their own shoes, measuring with a stick. True wore a size 11. These were about the right size. They were trotting, and each began nding more tracksThey shouted back and forth. Heres one, and heres another! Soon they were seeing so many they no longer bothered to call out.
Running was essential to the human experience, he had decided. Most people undervalued its importance. Running was not merely a sound cardiovascular choice in a tness craze; it was an ancient art, part of mankinds genetic imprint. Humans had survived across geological time because they could chase animals until the prey dropped from exhaustion. The Rarmuri, then, did not possess any locomotive secrets. They simply retained the genetic cellular memory most human beings had forgotten. Every one of us used to be a long-distance runner, True said. But the Rarmuri were themselves unhinging from their ancestral past. Many of the running people no longer ran; they lived in towns and wore bluejeans and cowboy hats. Modernity now ooded into the canyons. Mining companies sent huge trucks down new roads. Marijuana thrived in the soil, and rival drug cartels were in a merciless war within the ravines. True wanted to help the Rarmuri preserve their running heritage. In 2003, he organized a 29-mile race that was intended to be a festive celebration of local culture, a gathering of the Rarmuri from the caves and ranchos of the mother mountains. To advertise it, True ran from canyon to canyon, handing out iers and spouting enthusiasm. He hoped for a large turnout, but come race day only seven runners showed up. True nished fth, ahead of two thirsty Rarmuri who allowed themselves to be diverted by a spectator with beer. The event wasnt all he had wanted, but it was a start. It became an annual ultramarathon race, and in 2006, True had an exciting brainstorm. He would entice American ultrarunners to the Rarmuris home turf. Highest on his wish list was Scott Jurek, the greatest of them all.
TRUE SPENT ABOUT HALF THE YEAR IN MEXICO AND BUILT A HOUSE IN BATOPILAS. HE CARRIED ROCKS FROM THE RIVER VALLEY USE AS A FOUNDATION.
Caballo Blanco gave each of his visitors the nickname of a spirit-animal the deer, the bear, the young wolf, the snow hawk and the race was held on a glorious Sunday. Crowds congregated in the town of Urique, where the race started and ended. Avid spectators risked their pesos with wagers. First to nish was Arnulfo Quimare, the swiftest of the Rarmuri, and then came Jurek, six minutes behind. Though unused to defeat, the American acknowledged the winner with a gracious bow. The race is vividly described in Born to Run. McDougall, the author, not only witnessed it but also ran in it. He had his own abiding interest in the Rarmuri and he had previously met the curious American called Caballo Blanco who lived among them. Earlier, McDougall had an idea to write a book about four ultrarunners. But his time in the Copper Canyons pushed him toward an entirely different project. Here was a hidden tribe of superathletes who had mastered the secret of happiness and lived as benignly as bodhisattvas. Here was an American dwelling among them, a mysterious loner with a fake name. This was the stuff of a mind-blowing book. AT ONE POINT, the canyon around Little Creek gets even narrower, and at the same time becomes straighter. Molina, Haines and Bannon had been in the stream for 90 minutes when they saw something ahead that was blood red, a color out of harmony amid the shadings of greens and browns. Do you see that? Molina asked. He rushed ahead while Haines hesitated. She thought it could be a dead animal, and in Alaska she had been taught to be cautious when coming upon fresh kill. Molina was not so heedful. He soon recognized that the patch of red was a shirt with limbs on either side. A surge of emotions pulsed through him. His rst thought was that his old friend was alive if hurt. But once nearer the body he knew instantly it was a corpse. True was lying face up, his eyes glossy, his jaw open. Flies were busy. The others also forced themselves to look. Trues body was reclining on an outcropping of small rocks and boulders. His legs were in 10 inches of water, and his arms were against his chest, the right one down, the left one up. One of his shoes was off, and nearby was a plastic water bottle, two-thirds empty. It appeared that True had taken a bad tumble at some point. There were abrasions on his legs and the backs of his arms. The middle nger of his left hand was bent and purplish. It looked to be broken.Oh, man, Molina said softly, and he realized he was weeping. The task now was to get the word out, but they had no radio. Nor did they know exactly where they were. They had no GPS device. They discussed what to do. Perhaps someone should stay with the body while the others went back. But that seemed too spooky to contemplate further: out there, in the dark, alone with the body. Mountain lions were mentioned. No, they decided, they would all go. Yet other images crept into their minds. Molina wondered if they should place rocks on the body to keep animals from dragging it off either that or cover it up with reeds and branches. But they decided this too was unwise. They shouldnt contaminate the scene. The medical examiner would want things untouched. So they turned back toward where they had entered the canyon.And this time they ran as fast as they could.
He spent hours online tending to his messages, either at the Boulder public library or in the municipal building in his home town of Urique, Mexico.
THE TARAHUMARA MAKE THEIR SANDALS OF OLD TIRES AND LEATHER LACES. THE CLOTH IS TO STANCH BLEEDING RUN.
Within months of the books publication, two Facebook friends became love interests. One was Kati Bell, a runner who worked in corporate marketing. I told him: Youre a celebrity now. You can make money out of this, Bell said. That was an intriguing notion, though not for his own sake but for the Rarmuri. The Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon was beginning to fulll his grand vision. The number of participants was multiplying. There were cash prizes for the winners, and every nisher received 500 pounds of corn. True was not only reviving the running culture but also feeding the hungry. The race needed infusions of cash to sustain itself, and he agreed to a small number of personal appearances, Bell said, although he was appalled when she suggested they hold dinners and charge $100 a head.Let people donate whatever they want, he insisted. True proved to be an amiable and amusing speaker. He needed no notes to tell his stories, although a few beers helped. He was shaving his head now, a look that made his face all the more striking, the large ears and lips, the protruding chin, the deep crows feet at the corners of his eyes. Audiences were reliably friendly, won over well before he uttered word one. True would smile at them even in midjeremiad. Long after were gone, long after greed blows everything up, the Rarmuri are still going to be subsisting, he said. They know how to survive, they know how to endure. A nonprot group, Norawas de Rarmuri, was set up to handle donations. Every dollar would benet the Rarmuri, as True demanded. But were others willing to demonstrate the same selessness? True was certain of his own integrity but deeply suspicious of everyone elses. What was McDougall doing with the prots from the book, True wanted to know. And what about Ted McDonald, Barefoot Ted, another memorable character from Born to Run? He had started a company that made minimalist sandals modeled after the huaraches worn by the Rarmuri. Running is not supposed to be about getting people to buy stuff, True wrote in an e-mail to friends. Running should be free, man, and the Rarmuri are being used to sell lots of stuff. What do they get out of it?
S TERLING NOREN, A FILMMAKER FROM SEATTLE, SHOT A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT TRUE AND SPENT THREE WEEKS WITH HIM THIS YEAR..
BAREFOOT TED OFTEN FOUND TRUE IRRITATING.

Barefoot Ted often found True irritating. I give back every year to the Copper Canyon, but Caballo equated any business with evil, he said. He did great things down there, but you ended up loving him and not quite liking him. I told McDougall, youve brought into being a new Frankenstein. True could indeed be prickly and sharp-elbowed as well as warmhearted. His mantra for running was: easy, light and smooth. But off the trails he was an easily frazzled man living a newly frazzling life. The whole notoriety thing, as he called it, was useful for raising funds, but he was afraid of looking like a sellout at the same time. To him, honesty was everything. He worried: Am I pretending to be something Im not? Am I unfairly beneting from someone elses book? But he continued with the public speaking gigs, usually at running stores. Scott Leese, another of Trues cyberpals, was an executive coach in California who specialized in the rapid transformation of people. He too was smitten with the Caballo Blanco portrayed in the book and wanted him to reach a wider audience. Last year, Leese became his reticent friends agent, though Micah hated that word because it really screamed establishment. Leeses new client was often a headache. He despised anything corporate. He refused to consider endorsements. But nally, last summer, he agreed to attend an event hosted by Saucony, the shoe company, going on a trail run with some of its retailers and speaking at a dinner in Utah. Then, in the fall, True consented to a trip to Sweden, Demark and Britain. In England, he spoke in small theaters or halls in London, York, Chester, Bristol and Birmingham. Admission cost 10 pounds, about $16. All the while, the runner found reasons to bellyache. Very high maintenance, Leese said. But when the trip ended, True regarded it as a success. The whole notoriety thing, as he called it, was useful for raising funds, but he was afraid of looking like a sellout at the same time. To him, honesty was everything. He worried: Am I pretending to be something Im not?
SOME OF THE TARAHUMARA, WHO CALL THEMSELVES RARMURI, ARRIVING FOR THIS YEARS COPPER CANYON ULTRA MARATHON.
Organizing such a thing was difcult for a man living without a phone or electricity. True journeyed to the town of Creel, where there was a computer to borrow and a dial-up connection. He reached out through cyberspace. As it turned out, Jurek was a metaphysical soul mate, another man who considered running a cherished legacy from primitive times. To him, racing the legendary Rarmuri in their own canyons sounded awesome. Getting there, on the other hand, was no simple matter. Once across the border, it involved a relay of bus rides the vehicles hugging the road through narrow switchbacks and True was not much help with logistical advice. Seven Americans showed up, uncertain what to expect, and although they found the landscape breathtaking, the course itself was a brutal and twisting 47 miles of forbidding climbs and frightening descents of his running habits.
BORN TO RUN BEGINS with McDougall, its author, going to Mexicos Copper Canyons, which he calls a kind of shorebound Bermuda Triangle known for swallowing the mists and desperadoes who stray inside. He hopes to nd the phantom Caballo Blanco, who seems to be a ghost among ghosts. For a while, some of Trues friends in Boulder were particularly fond of quoting that passage. He had been a well-known xture in the city for 25 years. Now, when he would stop in at the Trident Cafe or the Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery, they would genially feign surprise, shocked by the presence of the phantom. Becoming the central character in a best-selling book is a monumental life-changer, especially if it happens unwittingly to a man who made a sacrament of living simply. A thousand conicting feelings eddied in his head. True told people the book contained exaggerations and inaccuracies. For one, the Tarahumara lived no such idyllic life. Then he retreated from those criticisms, praising and thanking McDougall; then he alleged more aws. The book was attering, surely. But that itself was a source of unease. True did not see himself as anywhere near so eccentric and amazing. He oftentimes felt two forces were in a tug of war for his identity: Was he the person inside his own skin or the person inside the pages of Born to Run? Much of the books signicance rested in its assertion that cushioned running shoes were a hazard to the human foot. But what made Born to Run a superb read was the story line in Mexico. Many readers wanted to meet the celebrated Caballo Blanco, and they seemed to expect a guru or a shaman or afleet-footed saint. I feel like I always have to live up to the expectations of the book, True complained.But fame was enjoyable as well. True may never have wanted the world to beat a path to his door, but now he encouraged people to follow him on Facebook, the network that he used to hate because of his privacy attempts.
THE WOW!
12
THE WOW!
13
LOST IN THE WILD AN AUTOPSY

MIKA TRUE WENT MISSING IN THE WILDERNESS NEW MEXICO
Gi Dw la Clif Na elling f tion al s
WE GILLAST FORK RIVER
Gi Cenla Visi ter tors
GILA
WILD
ERNE
SS New Mex
SEAR
LITTL 2m iles E CRE EK
CH AR
EA
EAS GILA T FOLK RIVER
ico
Wh was ere M fou icah nd Wi Lo lderne ss (Trudge es stay ing )
REVEALED THAT SHAY SUFFERED FROM HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY, A CONDITION SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS ATHLETES HEART, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY COMMON IN RUNNERS.
WALTON MADE SURE THAT TRUES DOG GUADAJUKO WAS ABLE TO SAY FAREWELL. SHE TOOK GUADAJUKO TO THE BODY AND TOLD HIM GOOD BYE.
As of Saturday the operation had produced little more than a size 13 footprint with a running-sole tread not far from the road, unmistakably Trues. That afternoon, on a hunch, Ray Molina, a longtime friend who lived in New Mexico, followed an arcing route south from the lodge. Most of the search had concentrated on areas to the north, but Molina had run these very trails with True and knew of an area that hadnt yet been investigated. From the trail he bushwhacked down to a stream that ran lazily back toward the lodge. There, after a short while, he saw his friend. True reclined on his back against the stream bank, looking peaceful, still clutching his water bottle, his legs partly submersed in the water. Molina knew before he reached him that True was dead.
RAY MOLINA, A FRIEND OF TRUE, FOUND HIS BODY A MILE OFF THE MAIN TRAIL ON LITTLE CREEK. HE WAS LYING PEACEFULLY ON HIS BACK.
A week after True had been found, and news of his demise had spread over the internet, a group of runners, fans, and family gathered in Boulder for a gathering in his honor. Like a lot of folks, Id never met True personally, but Id found his story inspiring and I wanted to know more about the man behind the myth. While I admired Trues anti-establishment attitude and run free mantra, I was particularly intrigued by the descriptions of running in the Copper Canyons. It was in those deep, dry furrows that hed uncovered a secret technique, developed over centuries by the Rarmuri, the local Running People (a.k.a. the Tarahumara), a natural form that allowed him to log endless injury-free miles with near-effortless grace. The race True founded in 2006, the 50-mile Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon, and the thrust of the book that made him famous, appeared to be a living testament to this discovery. In Boulder, about 200 people assembled in a park at the southwest edge of town for a trail run and korima, a Rarmuri term meaning circle of friendship, to share stories about True. It was a diverse group, ranging from spritely coeds whod never met Caballo Blanco but loved the book, to locals whod known him for years. I immediately recognized Scott Jurek, the champion ultrarunner whod also featured prominently in Born to Run, and a few others who belonged to Boulders tribe of elite long-haul runners. We headed out in groups on a ve-mile run that seemed longer, then gathered on the grass for the eulogies. Though the mood was somber, many whod known True seemed bemused that his story had acquired such a large and devoted following. Wed see him out at breakfast and tease him, Mike Sandrock, a friend from Boulder, told me as we trotted up the trail on Flagstaff Mountain. Hey, its Caballo Blanco! But to us, he was just Micah. Years before True attained quasi-mystical status as the star of the book, he was a self-styled bohemian endurance athlete dividing his low-budget days between Boulder and the Mexican canyons. Born Michael Randall Hickman, in California, True had spent most of his adult life cobbling together a living, rst as an amateur kickboxer, and later as a journeyman furniture mover and distance runner. Hed taken the name Micah True during his boxing daysMicah from the Old Testament prophet, and True from True Dog, a mongrel companion from years back. Many of the stories painted a portrait of True as a lovable selfless goofand a notorious penny-pincher who considered things like emergency-room visits a frivolous expense.
One time, recounted a local chiropractor and friend of Trues, the runner had shown up at his ofce after hed crashed on his bike and horribly dislocated his shoulder. I had to lie him down on a table, stand on his chest, and yank the arm back into place while he asked if I knew how expensive ambulance rides were!. Trues frugality carried well into the nal chapter of his life as he became a reluctant celebrity, garnering speaking engagements as far away as London and attracting sponsorship dollars from shoe companies like Saucony, and even as brands like The North Face attempted to buy the Copper Canyon race (True refused). He loved to talk to people, but I dont think he ever got comfortable with his fame, says Maria Walton. He was just so low key. When people would meet him, hed say, Yeah, I run. He was a very private person. He always called himself the lone dreamer. He would say, I just want to be known as someone who is genuine and real. Nothing more. Though he had long been a recluse and iconoclast, the last few years of his life, while confounding, also appeared to be the most complete. Since McDougalls book, True had acquired the two most important attachments in his life: Walton, La Mariposathe butterywho had read the book and brashly emailed him to ask if he would help her train for an ultra; and the Ghost Dog, Guadajuko, his loyal, irrepressible running buddy. The Ultra Marathon hed created in Urique had grown to attract 500 international competitors in March 2012, the largest number yet, including former Olympian German Silva (who came in 3rd, behind Daniel Orlek, from the Czech Repulic (2nd), and Miguel Lara, from Urique, Mexico, who won). Many people were stunned by the news of Trues death; in the weeks prior, hed been running regularly and appeared to epitomize good health. The autopsy released on May 8 listed Trues cause of death as idiopathic cardiomyopathy: the latter term describing a broad spectrum of disease that causes the heart muscle to grow larger than normal and eventually fail; and the former meaning unclassied. In other words, pathologists were able to determine a specic reason that he dieda fatal arrhythmia brought on by an enlarged heartbut not a general one: what caused the problem in the rst place.
WhenTrue hadnt returned by the next morning, the lodge owners, old friends of the runners, notied authorities. Within 24 hours, one of the largest search-and-rescue operations in state history was underway. By Friday, Walton had arrived at the Gila Visitor Center, the staging area for the search, as had many of Trues friends, including Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run, and actor Peter Sarsgaard, who is developing a lm based on the book.
He would often think of that amazing guy in the book, Caballo Blanco, who seemed to live without limits and go wherever life led him. When it was time to leave the military, he e-mailed True, asking permission to run in the ultramarathon. You dont need permission, just come, True wrote back Puetz (pronounced Pits) had met Donato at the 2010 race. To them, Mas Locos felt like a brotherhood. And now there they were, scrambling up the trail to safeguard Caballos body. They were wearing only running gear, but Molina and his friends had given them eece jackets, a nylon cover, two ashlights, a cigarette lighter and a couple of granola bars. Puetz and Donato hit the water. They wanted to move quickly through the creek but were also afraid of overshooting the corpse in the waning light. Then they nally saw him, lying peacefully on his back, like a man who had stopped to relax. They built a re on the bank across the creek, using pine cones for kindling. Despite the ames, the chill insinuated itself through the drifting night air. Later, they shared a granola bar and slid under the cover, sitting with their backs to True and the creek and the canyon wall behind it. They preferred to face the steep forest slope. If a bear or a mountain lion came darting out of the darkness, it would most likely come through those trees. They gured to take turns all night, one man feeding the re while the other slept. But then, near midnight, they heard whistles, and there was Ray Molina with several others. They had brought warm blankets and food. In the morning, the corpse was put in a body bag, then maneuvered onto a light metal frame. It was carried through the dense, snaggy brush of the forest until the woods intersected a trail. Three pack animals were there waiting, and one of them immediately caught Puetzs eye. It was a light-shaded palomino with a cream-colored mane. Are you kidding me? he said. They sent a white horse. THE 2012 COPPER CANYON Ultra Marathon, held March 4, was the biggest yet. More than 350 Rarmuri ran the tortuous course. Some were as old as 70, some barely in their teens. Many women ran in their traditional long skirts, the bright material swinging back and forth. About 100 other Mexicans competed, as well as 80 foreigners. Three runners broke the course record. The winner was a Rarmuri. A runner from the Czech Republic came in second. In the days before, True was on a pendulum of mood swings, happy with being the host and anxious about the responsibility. Was there enough water? What about medical support? The Rarmuri were arriving 20 and 30 at a time in cattle trucks. They needed food and places to sleep. But not all the arrangements fell on Trues shoulders anymore. In many ways, the event was outpacing him. Public ofcials considered the race a signature municipal event that merited their co-management. Politicians made the welcoming speeches. Goldcorp, the big mining company, had been enlisted by the municipality of Urique as a sponsor.
True thought things had also taken an amusing karmic twist. McDougall, not him, was going to be the movies main character, and after reading a draft of the script, the books author, in an e-mail to True, called it ridiculous and said his high expectations for the movie had plummeted. True took satisfaction in that. Now McDougall would nd out how it felt to be dened by someone else. In an e-mail sent to Sarsgaard on March 26, he wrote, As we know, I would have much liked to at least proofread, fact-check, and/or co-write what McDougall said about him in the book. Soooooo....... It is hard to feel toooo sorry for him. True spent much of that night writing messages, but he was up early the next day. Dean Bruemmer made him blueberry pancakes. True said he was going on a 12-mile run but leaving Guadajuko behind. The dog had sore paws from their jaunt the day before. Caballo Blanco left the lodge at about 10 a.m. He was seen along State Highway 15. The sun was a hot yellow beam when he entered the wilderness.
ENCASED IN A BODY BAG AND DRAPED OVER A MULE, TRUES CORPSE WAS HAULED TO THE MAIN TRAILHEAD.
True boiled it down to having fun. Remembered as a legend and an inspiration among runners, True, nicknamed Caballo Blanco, was known for his big smile and infectious love of running. He had been involved in ultra-marathons for years, but it wasnt until he became friends with the indigenous Tarahumara of Mexico that the direction of his life came into sharp focus. The Tarahumara are known for their extreme running prowess. True spent much of the year living among the Tarahumara, or Raramuri, as they are also known. It was in the canyons where he got rid of his running shoes, put on a pair of sandals and learned to run the way the Tarahumara do easy, light and smooth. Trues body was discovered March 31 along a stream in the Gila Wilderness north of Silver City, N.M. The search for him began days earlier after he failed to return from his run. Chemical tests showed that True was mildly dehydrated and had caffeine in his system. He also had some abrasions on his elbows, forearms, knees and shins.Friends theorized that he stopped at the stream to wash up after taking a tumble on the rugged terrain.Trues girlfriend, Maria Walton of Gilbert, Ariz., said True had no major health concerns. His only health issue was that he was hypoglycemic, and with no proper nutrition he would get dizzy or feel lightheaded. Not anything life endangering, Walton said.You know, at 6-2, 180 pounds, 31- to 32-inch waist, for a 58 year old man, thats pretty t. A disciplined eater, True would occasionally splurge and drink two beers when he wasnt running, Walton said. When friends would ask him if he had a vice, he would answer: Vanilla ice cream, that Walton said came from a small market near where he died. True founded the 50-mile-plus Copper Canyon race in Mexico and directed it for the last several years to highlight the Tarahumaras culture and their love for running. This year had marked a record turnout for the event, which sends participants, many wearing only sandals made of discarded tires, plunging into deep canyons and across mountains and rivers.To his friends, True was healthy.
Nor ma
LITTLE CREEK CUTS THROUGH THE GILA WILDERNESS. FRIENDS ULTIMATELY DECIDED TO SEARCH THE AREA ON THEIR OWN..
Trues frugality carried well into the nal chapter of his life as he became a reluctant celebrity, garnering speaking engagements as far away as London and attracting sponsorship dollars from shoe companies like Saucony, and even as brands like The North Face attempted to buy the Copper Canyon race (True refused). He loved to talk to people, but I dont think he ever got comfortable with his fame, says Maria Walton. He was just so low key. When people would meet him, hed say, Yeah, I run. He was a very private person. He always called himself the lone dreamer. He would say, I just want to be known as someone who is genuine and real. Nothing more. Though he had long been a recluse and iconoclast, the last few years of his life, while confounding, also appeared to be the most complete. Since McDougalls book, True had acquired the two most important attachments in his life: Walton, La Mariposathe butterywho had read the book and brashly emailed him to ask if he would help her train for an ultra; and the Ghost Dog, Guadajuko, his loyal, irrepressible running buddy. The Ultra Marathon hed created in Urique had grown to attract 500 international competitors in March 2012, the largest number yet, including former Olympian German Silva (who came in 3rd, behind Daniel Orlek, from the Czech Repulic (2nd), and Miguel Lara, from Urique, Mexico, who won). Many people were stunned by the news of Trues death; in the weeks prior, hed been running regularly and appeared to epitomize good health. The autopsy released on May 8 listed TRUE WAS A CENTRAL FIGURE IN THE Trues cause of death as idiopathic cardiomyopathy: the latter BEST-SELLING BOOK BORN TO RUN, term describing a broad spectrum of disease that causes the AND MANY READERS WANTED TO heart muscle to grow larger than normal and eventually fail; and MEET THE CELEBRATED. the former meaning unclassied. In other words, pathologists They stood together for a few moments, awash in mel- were able to determine a specic reason that he dieda fatal ancholy. Two of the ultrarunners volunteered to go to the creek arrhythmia brought on by an enlarged heartbut not a general and watch over the body. One was Simon Donato, 35, a geol- one: what caused the problem in the rst place. ogist from Calgary, Alberta. The other was Tim Puetz, 33, who Years before True attained quasi-mystical status as the had been a captain in the Army infantry in Afghanistan. Never star of the book, he was a self-styled bohemian endurance athleave a comrade behind, dead or alive, he was thinking. What if lete dividing his low-budget days between Boulder and the Mexthe body washed down the creek? This required eyes on. ican canyons. Born Michael Randall Hickman, in California, True Cardiomyopathy isnt uncommon; its estimated that had spent most of his adult life cobbling together a living, rst as 1 in 500 people may have some form of the condition, though an amateur kickboxer, and later as a journeyman furniture mover its rarely lethal in otherwise healthy adults. There isnt much and distance runner. Hed taken the name Micah True during his consensus about the extent of the risks, either, though one 2004 boxing daysMicah from the Old Testament prophet, and True study found that about six in 100,000 middle age men each year from True Dog, a mongrel companion from years back. die suddenly during exercise from heart problems. But such inWed see him out at breakfast and tease him, Mike cidents can be sensational and scary, like the 2007 death of elite Sandrock, a friend from Boulder, told me as we trotted up the marathon runner Ryan Shay, who collapsed ve miles into the trail on Flagstaff Mountain. Hey, its Caballo Blanco! But to us, Olympic Trials and couldnt be revived. An autopsy revealed that he was just Micah. True attained quasi-mystical status as the Shay suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition star of the book, nding an inner peace and enjoying the scensometimes referred to as athletes heart, which is particularly ery at the same time. So,True Dog, a mongrel companion from common in runners. years back.
MICAH TRUES CORPSE, encased in a body bag and draped over a brown mule, was taken through the forest and out to the main trailhead in midafternoon on Sunday, April 1. Maria Walton ran up a slope to meet it, calling out, I love you, and kissing the end of the bundle that appeared to be the feet. Just then, a heavy wind began to blow. Dirt spun in the air. A hearse had been parked in an adjacent lot since morning, and the driver, dressed in a coat and tie, looked away to shield his eyes. The mule was slowly led to the vehicle, and the body bag was lifted through the open door at the rear. Walton insisted that Guadajuko be permitted a farewell, cradling the dog in her arms and taking him over. Were going to see Daddy, your best buddy, she said, sobbing. Ray Molina, haggard and exhausted, hugged Walton and then leaned against his old Mercedes and talked about nding the corpse. Micah was bloodied up, so I think he took a tumble and then a hypothermic night did him in, he said. Mike Barragree, an investigator for the state medical examiners ofce, had gone with the team that reclaimed the body. He speculated that some sort of cardiac event was the likely cause of death, and that turned out to be correct: idiopathic cardiomyopathy, a heart ailment. The search and recovery mission was nally over. The remembrances had already begun. The evening before, Walton and Scott Leese and many of the Mas Locos hung out at a campground that also had a few small cottages. The moon was a half-circle. The stars were abundant. Someone had thought to buy beer. For them, this was a requiem for a dead friend. They ate tortillas and eggs and canned stew, heating the food on an old white stove and subduing their sorrow with laughter. They each had a favorite Caballo Blanco story to tell, or two or three. THE GILA WILDERNESS RANGES IN The past ooded into the present. ELEVATION FROM ABOUT 4,800 Above all, their friend wanted to be authentic, they said, FEET TO NEARLY 11,000 FEET. and no one could doubt that he had been. This was no small IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1924. thing. His death was terribly sad, and yet there was also perAt times, True wished it were again just him running fection about it. Micah True died while running through a magthrough the mountains with a handful of the Rarmuri. But most- nicent wilderness, and then many of his closest friends came ly he was elated. These were tough times; a drought was in its together to search for him, stepping through the same alluring second year, and the runners in the ultramarathon were reward- canyons and forests and streams, again and again calling out ed with a voucher for 110 pounds of corn for every 10 miles they his name. completed. The race was the best of Trues good deeds. He deTRUES FRIENDS FINALLY FOUND HIS scribed himself in the third person, all at once modest and granBODY AT THE CREEK; IT APPEARED HE diose: Caballo Blanco is no hero. Not a great anything. Just a HAD TAKEN A BAD TUMBLE ON A RUN. A Horse of a little different color dancing to the beat of a peaceRESCUE TEAM ESCORTED HIS BODY. ful drum and wanting to help make a little difference in some lives. The day after the race, he contentedly sat at a table by the A 12-mile run for Micah True was like an easy cruise. municipal building handing out the valuable vouchers. The line The ultra-marathon runner was used to tackling more than four stretched so long it took two hours to nish the paperwork. He times that distance over much more grueling terrain and under and his charity gave away $40,000 in food. the hot Mexican sun. Micah True died from heart disease while On March 6, True left the canyons in his 25-year-old Nis- on a routine 12-mile run in late March in the mountains of southsan truck, driving with his dog, Guadajuko, and his girlfriend, western New Mexico. Micah True died from heart disease while Maria Walton, 50. They had been a couple for about two years. on a routine 12-mile run in late March in the mountains of southShe too had found him on Facebook. western New Mexico. A divorce with three grown children, Walton was the His body became conditioned with many miles under his general manager of a large restaurant in Phoenix. She was as belt, years of training and a diet with few vices aside from the reliably even-tempered as True was mercurial. The Mas Locos occasional beer or scoop of vanilla ice cream. generally agreed: Maria was an infusion of love and serenity into Because he was in such superb shape, his death during Caballos life. He called her by the spirit name La Mariposa, the a routine run through the Gila Wilderness of southwestern New buttery. Mexico in late March surprised his friends and fans. Its been more than ve weeks since his body was recovTOM BEMIS WAS APPOINTED TO COORered. Medical examiners have done their autopsy and released DINATE THE SEARCH FOR TRUE.WERE the results, but friends are still left guessing whether genetics IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, AND THIS or something else is to blame for stopping the man known as GUY COULD BE ANYWHERE, HE SAID. Caballo Blanco in his tracks. True spent two weeks in Phoenix, then drove east with It doesnt t with him going on a two-hour run. It wasnt the dog to the Gila Wilderness in southwestern New Mexico, exceptionally hot. By a lot of ultra-marathoners standards, it one of his favorite retreats. His friends Dean and Jane Bruem- was pretty simple, said Scott Jurek, one of the top ultra-runmer own a small lodge there. He sometimes stayed with them, ners in the world who knew True and helped search for him. I although other times he camped out. Either way, in the mornings doubt he was running that hard. I think it was just a matter of he used their wireless Internet connection. He remained com- timing.An autopsy report released Tuesday by the Ofce of the pulsive about reading his e-mail. Medical Investigator showed the 58-year-old runner had cardioLife was going good for Micah; actually, life was going myopathy, a disease that results in the heart becoming enlarged. great, Jane Bruemmer said. She had been unsure how well he While medical examiners couldnt point to the cause of was handling his sudden starburst of fame. He didnt seek it the heart disease, they said Trues left ventricle, the chamber of or need it, but he was using it now to fund his favorite cause, the heart that pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body, she said. He had an agent. She found that so astonishing she had become thick and was dilated. That can result in an irregular needed to repeat it with more inection: Micah True had an heartbeat during exertion. agent! For athletes who spend a lot of time on the trail, Jurek Born to Run was being made into a movie. The busi- said its not unusual for them to have larger left ventricles. He ness deal did not involve True, and for a while he thought: Here suggested that many ultra-marathoners developed the trait over it comes again. The lm will bring as much upheaval into my years of conditioning their bodies to travel such vast distances. life as the book. Sarsgaard the director and co-author of the A sport considered insane by some, ultra-runners will script had warned him that no one watches a two-hour mov- argue that the human body was made for running. Its what huie about himself and comes away thinking, thats me up there. mans used to do to survive in the wild. But more than that, they he was as reliably even-tempered as True was mercurial. The say, its about listening to their bodies, nding an inner peace Mas Locos generally agreed: and enjoying the scenery at the same time.
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This is a guy who could set out with a little bag of ground corn, a bottle of water in his hand and be gone all day. The day before he died, he did a six-hour run, said Chris McDougall, a friend and author of Born to Run. The book chronicles Trues efforts to develop the Copper Canyon race and draw international attention to the Tarahumara way of life. For Trues friends, no ngers can be pointed at ultra-running. They also dismiss the thought that True ran his body too hard. True tried to set an example of healthy living knowing that death and disease due to poor eating habits and little exercise have become such major issues, Jurek said. Thats something Micah stressed and lived every day, and he showed people that running is fun, Jurek said. Tapping into old ways of living and breathing on this planet and just being immersed in the beauty of the world around you thats really what he was about.
WALTON MADE SURE THAT TRUES DOG GUADAJUKO WAS ABLE TO SAY FAREWELL. SHE TOOK GUADAJUKO TO THE BODY AND TOLD HIM GOOD BYE.
Around 10 a.m. on March 27, a Tuesday, Micah True, a.k.a. Caballo Blancothe White Horsefounder of the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon and star of the bestselling book Born to Run, set out for a 12-mile jog in New Mexicos Gila Wilderness. True ran there often, laying over in southern New Mexico on his regular trips between Mexicos Copper Canyon, where he spent his winters, and Boulder, Colo., his hometown for more than three decades. Not only did a stop at the Gila conveniently break up the drive, it provided access to a 500,000-acre mountain oasis veined by cool streams and etched with hundreds of miles of backcountry trailsa long-distance runners paradise. A couple of days earlier, True, 58, had checked in to the Gila Wilderness Lodge, a favorite haunt thanks to its budget rooms and luxurious hot springs. This was his second trip to the Gila in as many weeks. He had come through earlier on his way back from Mexico, with his girlfriend of three years, Maria Walton, and his spry, white-haired cattle dog-heeler mix, Guadajuko. In early April, he was due at a memorial in California for his mother, who had recently died. After he had dropped Walton back at her home near Phoenix, he had just enough time to log a few more runs in the Gilas blissful solitude before embarking on the long trip to California. This is a guy who could set out with a little bag of ground corn, a bottle of water in his hand and be gone all day.
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course, his time still was 36 seconds faster than the ofcial record of 2:03:38 recorded by fellow countryman Patrick Makau in Berlin this autumn. Geoffrey, 30, comes from the Koibatek region of Kenya, which lies between Eldoret and Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley province. He is the oldest of nine children and is thus far the only sibling to succeed in athletics. Yet running is in my blood, he says. Back in 1992, according to The Nation newspaper, nineyear-old Geoffrey paid an entrance fee of about 65 cents to watch the Barcelona Olympic Games with neighborhood friends on a black and white television set. He began competitive running in primary school at the age of 12. I used to train daily and in a short period of time, I could not do without running every day, he recalls. He was unable to go on to secondary school because his family couldnt afford to send him. When I nished primary school, my father had lost his job at Rivatex (a textile company in Eldoret) when it closed down, Geoffrey remembers. With no other options for income, Geoffrey turned to running.
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plechase eventbut after he had qualied for the 2002 World Junior Championships, the Kenyan Federation withdrew his nomination because he lacked a birth certicate. A few months later, Geoffrey injured his Achilles tendon. I decided to stop running completely and went to look for a job, he recalls. At 21, it seemed he had reached the end of his promising running career. At that point in his life, he settled for a profession cutting down trees for electricity companies. But his talent was not to be denied. I missed running, so I ran every morning before going to work, the marathoner remembers. And ironically, it was yet another setback that got him back on track: he lost his job at the age of 23 and suddenly had the time to begin training seriously again. What Geoffrey needed now was some good luck. He began to nd it after joining an athletic club in Eldoretwhere he remains a member to this dayand then nishing sixth in the 2006 Kilimanjaro Half Marathon in Tanzania. The turning point of his career was when Dutch manager Gerard van de Veen noticed him at the 2007 Eldoret Marathon. Van de Veen watched him nish second thereand offered to nd races for Geoffrey in Europe. It was a Despite the fact he competes on the international stage, Geoffrey continues to run in local races at his home.
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Nine years ago, an injured and dispirited Geoffrey Mutai made the heartbreaking decision to quit running. Today he is on top of the world as the fastest marathoner of all timeand his incredible story of the intervening years is proving an inspiration to runners everywhere. The Kenyan athlete won this years Boston Marathon in April with a stunning time of two hours, three minutes and two seconds. Although his performance is not recognized as an ofcial world record because of the unique set-up of the Boston
Despite the fact he competes on the international stage, Geoffrey continues to run in local races at home. I believe in participating in local races since they have made meand now give me good build-up for international races, he explained after winning a half marathon in Kenya. I did not enter the race very much to win but to inspire young athletes to aim higher when they see top runners competing alongside them. I urge my fellow established runners here to do the same. Surprisingly, Geoffrey is self-coached. I have a training program that is unique and caters for many distances, he says. That is why I prefer to train on my own without any coach since it is easier for me to adjust for the race Im running next. However, just because he doesnt have a coach does not mean Geoffrey trains alone. Instead, he is a permanent member of a group of other world-class runners, including William Kipsang, the ABN AMRO Rotterdam Marathon winner in 2008; Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, winner in Frankfurt 2008 and Boston 2010; and David Barmasai, who won Dubai in 2011. Geoffreys training camp in Kapngetuny, approximately 50 kilometers from Eldoret, is close to Robert Kiprono Cheruiyots and David Barmasais camps. When the outstanding athlete is training for a marathon with his compatriots, he is logging incredible mileage. Manager Gerard van de Veen says Geoffrey runs up to 240 kilometers (149 miles) a week. Though primarily a marathoner, Geoffrey also has achieved rst-class performances in cross country and in the 10,000m on the track. Last year, he nished second in the Kenyan Championships 10,000m race. He ran an impressive 27:27.59 at altitudeapproximately 1,700m above sea level in Nairobi, which is denitely a signicant factor in affecting performance. A few weeks later at the African Championships, he placed third.After improving his half-marathon PR to 59:38 with a victory at the New Delhi Half Marathon in November 2010, he ran an outstanding cross-country season last winter, winning the national championships and nishing fth at the World Cross-Country Championships at Punta Umbria, Spain. The cross-country training seems to have helped get him into shape to tackle Bostons tough hills. Geoffreys amazing feat in Boston is not recognized as a world record for a number of reasons. Boston is a point-to-point course; it exceeds the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) maximum-allowed elevation drop; and this year there was also a signicant tailwind that aided the runners. Nonetheless, due to its challenging late-race hills, the Boston Marathon is far from easy. If Geoffrey Mutai can run 2:03:02 there, he might be capable of that same or even a better mark on a fast and at course like the BMW Berlin Marathon. It may only be a matter of time before Geoffrey, or another capable runner, improves upon Patrick Makaus record.
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Record breaking has become a habit for Geoffrey Mutai, and organisers of the Ottawa 10km - an IAAF Silver Label race - are hoping that he is in form when he lines up in the Canadian capital, May 25th. The Kenyan superstar set course records in winning both the Boston and New York marathons in 2011 and then went on to win the 2012 Berlin Marathon in a personal best of 2:04:15 the fourth fastest time in history. Though renowned for his marathon victories, the 31 year old is also a very competent 10km runner. Indeed, he set a brilliant course record of 27:19 at the 2011 Boston 10km - the 9th fastest time ever run. Mutais primary focus this spring will, of course, be the Virgin London Marathon, April 21st. But he can always be counted upon to deliver an extraordinary performance even though he will have just ve weeks to recover before Ottawa. This is the man who recorded historys fastest marathon - 2:03:02 on the point to point Boston course, which is not eligible for world record purposes - and he wont be going into the race blindly either. A year ago he won the Ottawa 10km in 27:47 with almost a minute to spare. Assisted by Charles Kimeli, his favourite pacemaker, he reckons he can challenge both the course record of 27:24 set by Ethiopias Deriba Merga in 2009 and, possibly, Leonard Komons world record of 26:44. The course in Ottawa is not bad so I think a world record is, maybe, possible, Mutai declares. But for a 10 km race its very important that weather conditions are good. I will need an athlete who can run a stable speed as pacemaker. I prefer a pacemaker from my own training group who knows me and I know him. You never can plan a world record. A world record comes or doesnt come. And, of course its important how quickly I recover from the marathon. Mutai trains with a large group in Kapngtuny about 50 kilometers from the town of Eldoret and believes he can run some very fast times this season. My training and preparation for the London marathon is going well, Mutai says, I can follow the program I want to do very well. Im not training alone. In my camp we have around fty athletes among them Dennis Kimetto (5th fastest marathoner of all time), Franklin Chepkwony (2:06:11 marathon best), Wilfred Kirwa Kigen. Sometimes Wilson Kipsang (2012 Olympic bronze medalist) is training together with our group, especially with long runs. I dont think my training is really different from other athletes. The good thing is that we have a strong group and that makes me also stronger. Mutai is the eldest of nine children born into poverty. As an elementary school student his father lost his job at a local textile factory and his parents were unable to afford his school fees.
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I believe in participating in local races since they have made meand now give me good build-up for international races, he explained after winning a half marathon in Kenya. I did not enter the race very much to win but to inspire young athletes to aim higher when they see top runners competing alongside them. I urge my fellow established runners here to do the same. Surprisingly, Geoffrey is self-coached. I have a training program that is unique and caters for many distances, he says. That is why I prefer to train on my own without any coach since it is easier for me to adjust for the race Im running next. However, just because he doesnt have a coach does not mean Geoffrey trains alone. Instead, he is a permanent member of a group of other world-class runners, including William Kipsang, the ABN AMRO Rotterdam Marathon winner in 2008; Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, winner in Frankfurt 2008 and Boston 2010; and David Barmasai, who won Dubai in 2011. Geoffreys training camp in Kapngetuny, approximately 50 kilometers from Eldoret, is close to Robert Kiprono Cheruiyots and David Barmasais camps. When the outstanding athlete is training for a marathon with his compatriots, he is logging incredible mileage. Manager Gerard van de Veen says Geoffrey runs up to 240 kilometers (149 miles) a week. Nine years ago, an injured and dispirited Geoffrey Mutai made the heartbreaking decision to quit running. Today he is on top of the world as the fastest marathoner of all timeand his incredible story of the intervening years is proving an inspiration to runners everywhere. The Kenyan athlete won this years Boston Marathon in April with a stunning time of two hours, three minutes and two seconds. Although his performance is not recognized as an ofcial world record because of the unique set-up of the Boston course, his time still was 36 seconds faster than the ofcial record of 2:03:38 recorded by fellow countryman Patrick Makau in Berlin this autumn. Geoffrey, 30, comes from the Koibatek region of Kenya, which lies between Eldoret and Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley province. He is the oldest of nine children and is thus far the only sibling to succeed in athletics. Yet running is in my blood, he says. Back in 1992, according to The Nation newspaper, nine-year-old Geoffrey paid an entrance fee of about 65 cents to watch the Barcelona Olympic Games with neighborhood friends on a black and white television set. He began competitive running in primary school at the age of 12. I used to train daily and in a short period of time, I could not do without running every day, he recalls. He was unable to go on to secondary school because his family couldnt afford to send him. When I nished primary school, my father had lost his job at Rivatex (a textile company in Eldoret) when it closed down, Geoffrey remembers. With no other options for income, Geoffrey turned to running. When he was 18, he moved up to the 3,000-meter steeplechase eventbut after he had qualied for the 2002 World Junior Championships, the Kenyan Federation withdrew his nomination because he lacked a birth certicate. A few months later, Geoffrey injured his Achilles tendon. I decided to stop running completely and went to look for a job, he recalls. At 21, it seemed he had reached the end of his promising running career. At that point in his life, he settled for a profession cutting down trees for electricity companies. But his talent was not to be denied. I missed running, so I ran every morning before going to work, the marathoner remembers. And ironically, it was yet another setback that got him back on track: he lost his job at the age of 23 and suddenly had the time to begin training seriously again. What Geoffrey needed now was some good luck. He began to nd it after joining an athletic club in Eldoretwhere he remains a member to this dayand then nishing sixth in the 2006 Kilimanjaro Half Marathon in Tanzania. The turning point of his career was when Dutch manager Gerard van de Veen noticed him at the 2007 Eldoret Marathon. Van de Veen watched him nish second thereand offered to nd races for Geoffrey in Europe. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he grasped gratefully. In March of 2008, Geoffrey went on to win the Monte Carlo Marathon, clocking 2:12:40. That same year, he improved his personal best by almost ve minutes, winning the Eindhoven Marathon in October with a new course record of 2:07:50. A year later, he returned to Eindhoven and won yet again, improving his best time to 2:07:01. Patrick Makau and Geoffrey Mutai ran a head-to-head duel in the 2010 Berlin Marathon while braving constant rain and chilly temperatures. Geoffrey rst drew international attention with a 59:43 victory over a strong eld at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in the United Arab Emirates. Then, in the spring of 2010, he went on to surprise the marathon world by running 2:04:55 in Rotterdam. In that race, the talented marathoner nished secondseven seconds behind fellow Kenyan Patrick Makau. When they dueled again in the pouring rain at the Berlin Marathon that same year, the margin between the two was even closer, but Patrick Makau prevailed again, running 2:05:08. Geoffrey came in two seconds later. The two Kenyan athletes were the dominant marathon runners of 2010. In the world-best lists for the year following the races in Rotterdam and Berlin, they had four of the top ve marks (Patrick Makau rst and fourth; and Geoffrey Mutai second and fth).
GEOFFREY 2:04:15 (BERLIN) MUTAI Wednesday

HIS RECORD
TWO TIMES VICTORIOUS

His education, thus, came to an abrupt end. He found employment in various jobs while taking up competitive distance running. At one point he worked as a lumberjack for the Kenya Power and Lighting Company. In that time I had an injury so I couldnt train, he remembers. But I needed money so I had to take that job. The job was only for two years and it was not dangerous for me. When I was free of my injury I started training again and in 2007 I nished in second position in the KassFm marathon in Eldoret, Kenya. There I met my manager Gerard van de Veen from The Netherlands. I signed a contract with him and from that moment I knew that I now had the chance to make my career outside Kenya. In the year 2008 I won the Monaco marathon and the Eindhoven marathon in Holland where I ran a course record. Success on the roads has led to nancial prosperity and he hasnt forgotten his roots nor his responsibility to others. In a country where the Gross National Income per capita is just $780, he is wealthy. When you earn good money your family expects something from your side, he reveals. I support my family, my parents, my cousins nancially, like helping them to build a house or by paying school fees for the children. I feel it is my responsibility and duty to help them so that they can have a good education to reach something in future.
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Mutai appears unconcerned with the amount of time he will have to recover from the Virgin London Marathon saying he tends to recover very quickly. After London he will return to the home he shares with his wife and two children and slowly prepare for the Ottawa 10km. So, what does he remember about his rst Ottawa experience? I have good memories of Ottawa, Mutai responds. There were a lot of people watching the race who were supporting me. That is stimulating a lot when you want to go for an ultimate result. If the conditions are right and Mutai recovers well from his marathon, a fast time can be expected on the at, fast Ottawa course. How fast depends upon Mutais frame of mind. It is certain that organisers can depend on the Kenyan to deliver a world-class performance. Unlike many other major marathons, New York doesnt enlist the assistance of pacemakers to produce fast times. Competition is the name of the game on the undulating point-to-point course, a setup that plays to Mutais preferences and suits his reactive racing style well. When I run up and down hills, I enjoy it more than on a at course, Mutai admiteed.
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So far, its been a good year for our camp and management since Kipsang and Kimetto have gone out there and ran unbelievable times and won so convincingly. We have trained together for three months and I believe Im also in the kind of shape they are in so it motivates me to go and give my best, Mutai, who won the New York race the last time it was held in 2011 in a course record of 2:05:05, said at their camp in Kapngetuny, deep in the Kenyan Rift Valley. Mutai, 32, is no stranger to the sub-2:04 territory, having pounded the clock to return the scarcely believable 2:03:02 at the 2011 Boston Marathon that due to course elevation drop considerations, was not eligible to be a world record. However, he is focused more on emulating his training partners in delivering victory to give his management team, Volare Sport, their fourth World Marathon Majors (WMM) victory of the year as opposed to chasing the timer. Kimetto (2:06:50) also won the February Tokyo Marathon that was included in the WMM roster this season to give Volare athletes three out of six races of the elite circuit. First, breaking the New York course record in 2011 was very hard. There are no pacemakers there meaning it all depends on how you go as an individual. Secondly, the course is very hilly and sometimes the weather is so devastating like last year when we got there but they had to cancel the race so, I cannot guarantee that I will deliver a quick time. If the conditions allow, then I will aim to run as fast as I can but the most important thing is to listen to your body and push it carefully, he explained. Speaking while sat outside the modest camp they share with Kipsang and Kimetto among other athletes, Mutai hailed the meteoric rise of the latter who was a peasant farmer only three years ago. When I saw Dennis win, I felt so happy since his victory was for us all. I assisted him to start his career and sponsored him to local races since if he did well there, then it meant he had the capability to run well abroad. I then introduced him to my manager (Gerard Van Der Veen) who organised races for him abroad and having seen what he did in Chicago, then Im condent he will bring the world record in future, he stressed as he pointed to the tiny adjacent rooms Kipsang and Kimetto lodge in when in camp. Here, we encourage young athletes to race clean since there is no drug that can make you perform better other than the terrain you see around here. It is all about training harder and harder in these hills and valleys that are in places like here or Iten, staying focused and when you make it, avoiding the kind of lifestyle that will nish your strength. The secret is simple, train, train and train more. In New York that was cancelled last year due to super storm Sandy, Mutai will go head to head against the obdurate challenge of Ugandas Stephen Kiprotich, the Olympics and world champion who has made it his mission to supplant the favoured Kenyans off their perch. Among others in the mens elite eld are compatriots Wesley Korir, the 2012 Boston titleholder and the legislator for Cherangany constituency in the Kenyan parliament as well as last years Paris winner, Stephen Biwott.
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The 32-year-old from Kenya returns to the Big Apple this weekend as the reigning ING New York City champion, having run an eye-popping 2:05:06 here in 2011. In that race, Mutai hit the halfway mark in a swift 1:03:17 before dropping a previously unheard of 1:01:49 split for his nal 13.1 miles to put away the eld in quick fashion. He didnt just break Tesfaye Jifars 10-year-old course record of 2:07:43 that day he obliterated it.So how is he feeling heading into this years race? I feel OK, Mutai said at Fridays pre-race press conference. Ive come prepared. To compare my shape from year to year is not so easy. While it might not be easy, its hard to believe that Mutai wont be on his A game come Sunday morning. Despite dropping out of the London Marathon in April due to a hamstring injury, Mutai has had a solid 2013 racing campaign. He broke 59 minutes for the rst time at the RAK Half Marathon in February, running 58:58 to nish third, and had back-to-back sub-28 minute 10K efforts on the roads this past June. His own race results aside, his two main training partners Wilson Kipsang and Dennis Kimetto have lit up the roads this fall, which gives Mutai the condence that hes ready to compete with anyone in the world. Kipsang ran 2:03:23 to break the marathon world record at Berlin in September while Kimmetto shattered the Chicago Marathon course record by 53 seconds with a 2:03:45 clocking last month. Everyone is in good shape, Mutai said of his training group, which is based outside of Eldoret, Kenya. We are the same. We are training together. When Kimetto got his personal best, I was feeling like it was me. For me, Im feeling comfortable more comfortable than the last time I was here. A deep eld of past champions and course record holders, as well as winners and course-record holders from other major marathons such as London, Boston, Chicago and the Olympic Games, will try to make it anything but comfortable for Mutai on Sunday morning. Looking to take Mutais title from him will be reigning Olympic and world champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda, who is making his New York City Marathon debut, along with Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede, who has wins in Paris, Fukuoka (twice), London (twice) and Chicago as well as a 2:04:38 personal best to his credit. Kenyan Stanley Biwott is just getting his feet wet in the marathon, has a 2:05:12 clocking to his credit, and ran 59:36 to win the Rock n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon in Philadelphia. In short: it wont be a stroll through Central Park for Mutai. Unlike many other major marathons, New York doesnt enlist the assistance of pacemakers to produce fast times. Competition is the name of the game on the undulating pointto-point course, a setup that plays to Mutais preferences and suits his reactive racing style well. When I run up and down hills, I enjoy it more than on a at course, Mutai admiteed. The rst half is not easy and here we dont have pacemakers. In the rst half you need to go with the group, the next half marathon I can do myself. The incredibly soft-spoken Mutai, who also has major marathon wins at Berlin (2:04:15 in 2012) and Boston (2:03:02 in 2012) under his belt, said he isnt fazed by the pressure his past performances have brought unto him. Despite his high winning percentage, and recording previously unheard of times on two of the more technical marathon courses in the world, Mutai chooses to simply focus on himself. The pressure is always going to be there, Mutai explained. I am looking forward to running my race. I cannot change the pressure. All I can do is run my race. His two training partners, world record holder, Wilson Kipsang and Dennis Kimetto have already ran to history by winning the Berlin and Chicago races in sub-2:04 within the last month. Kipsang set the scorching 2:03:23* world record in Germany whilst Kimetto obliterated the Chicago course standard with a scintillating 2:03:45 a fortnight ago in only his third race over the ultimate distance.
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An intriguing, but ultimately unsuccessful world record attempt has seen Geoffrey Mutai win the 2012 Berlin Marathon in 2:04:15. In one of the more amazing (or peculiar) nishes in a marathon, Mutai and Dennis Kimetto passed through the Brandenburg Gate locked together, but a sprint never came. Either both were too shattered from chasing the world record, or theyd agreed on a nishing order (they are training partners, Mutai the senior man), but the nal 2.2km were incredibly slow relative to what went before and the record, which seemed on at 35km, fell away and was ultimately missed by a fairy large margin. In the aftermath of the race, theres been a good deal of discussion about the nish. As mentioned, Mutai and Kimetto hit the Brandenburg Gate locked together, Mutai slightly ahead, as they had been for pretty much 42km. Over the nal 200m, that did not change, and there seemed to be no attempt to change that from Kimetto, and no attempt from Mutai to seal the win with any kind of sprint. A few commentators have remarked at their surprise at the lack of a sprint, and I must confess it was an anti-climactic nish for a head-to-head race, leading me to side with those saying it was pre-planned. If that is the case, it would continue a theme started in the London Olympic Games where athletes were getting into trouble as much for NOT wanting to win as for cheating in order to win. We often talk about doping undermining our chance to watch a genuine race, and one can argue that this is the same, and a shame for the integrity of the concept of a race. Then again, these athletes are professionals, and given the hierarchy that would see Mutai above Kimetto as training partners, perhaps they are entitled to share the pie as they see t. Feel free to voice your thoughts in the discussion below. Here are some thoughts from our friends at Letsrun.com Patrick Makaus world record therefore survived its rst really big challenge, and it illustrates once again just how challenging the world record is, because Mutai had it in his sights, and perhaps hindsight will show that a small error in pacing after 30km, when he surged aggressively for a 14:18 ve-kilometer split, cost him over the nal 5km, where the pace dropped signicantly. The story is best told by the graph below, which is full of detail, but hopefully tells of how Mutai controlled the race from the start, and managed to wind the pace up progressively so that each ve kilometer segment was faster than the one before. Until the nal 5km segment, that is, where you can see the cost of the surge as the pace dropped. Up to that point, it was a remarkable illustration of negative pacing, and is the kind of thing you might occasionally see in a tactical track race, let alone a world record lasting over two hours. Briey, the graph compares Mutais 2012 race to that of Patrick Makau, the man who set the record one year ago. It shows, from top to bottom: The ve kilometer segments for both athletes, with Makaus in red and Mutais in blue. The difference between the ve-kilometer splits in purple. Positive means Mutai was slower, negative means he was faster than Makau for the comparable split from 2011. The blue line and red line show the race splits for Mutai andMakau respectively. The text on the graphs shows the cumulative time difference between the two men as Mutais race unfolded. Firstly, the AVERAGE pace needed to run the world record is 2:55.8. That translates to a 14:39/5km. Notice how Mutai did not hit that pace until the second half of the race. In fact, he was actually quite a lot slower than the overall average, with his splits for the rst 10km projecting a time outside 2:05. So the rst half was conservative 62:12. Interestingly, Ive since received some feedback that the pace car that drives the route with the elite athletes displaying the kilometer splits was responsible for this conservative start, because it froze with a kilometer time of 2:50 within the rst few kilometers of the race. Mutai, assuming he was basing his pace on that information, would have consciously held back for fear of maintaining that kind of pace, and the consequence of that is that he went through the half about 35 seconds slower than had been requested. Once Mutai realized that the pace was too slow (he needed a 61:25 second half), he pressed on, and the second began in a sensationally aggressive fashion, and was fast, at least until the end.
His second half ended up being 62:05, so on paper, an even race, but of course its skewed by the very fast surge and the very slow nish. Speaking of the nish, at 35km, the world record was denitely on. Makaus comparable time may have been 14 seconds faster, but Makau nished fairly slowly last year too 14:59 for the last 5km. Had Mutai maintained even a 14:40 pace from 35km onwards, the record was his. However, he slowed signicantly. The nal 2.2km were run at 3:09/km. The result was that a virtual gap of 8 seconds at 40km became 36 seconds by the nish line. Mutai was absolutely spent over the nal 2.2km, and this is probably the outcome of the 14:18 surge. Until the nal 7km, the slope of that line is just incredible yes, the start was conservative, but it was ramped up as the race developed, culminating with Mutais big surge between 30 and 35km, when the pace-setters dropped out. There, a 2:43 and a 2:52 kilometer put him right back in the frame for that record. Its easy to see in hindsight, but that was too fast a slightly more conservative pace would still have kept that line heading in the right direction, and Mutai MAY have had more in the tank from 35 to 40km, and certainly a sub-2:04 would have been achieved. These things are never precise, of course, but given how beautifully controlled the pace was, that surge was just too big. And to emphasize the precision, were talking 2 to 3 seconds per kilometer here! Those are the margins. Look at the cumulative time gaps between Mutai and Makau the conservative start for Mutai meant that from the gun, Makau was ahead in their virtual race. It was 22 seconds after 5km, and the gap got larger and larger, so that by 20km, Makau would have been about 200m ahead, with a margin of 33 seconds. But Mutais race, as mentioned above, was based on getting quicker and quicker, and so he began to erode that margin. 21 seconds at 25km, then it got larger again thats because Makau used the 25-30km segment last year to surge and break Gebsrselassies challenge.
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The virtual gap grew to 34 seconds at 30km, but Mutai had his own surge still to use.That happened from 30km to 35km, and suddenly, the record was back on because the difference was now down to only 14 seconds. With 2.2km to go, Mutai had Makau in his virtual sights. But then, as pointed out above, Mutai blew and the record fell away. Ultimately, Mutais performance today showed just how difcult it will be to get this record. There is still a margin for error in terms of pacing, but its now tiny. Today, the start was probably a touch slow, but the big difference came after 35km, when the pace told. Similarly, for Makau last year, his big surge probably meant that the nal time was not quite optimal there is a margin for error. But in the heat of a marathon, its small enough that surges and decisions that are slightly fast are costly. This is why its so premature to talk about a sub-2 hour marathon, or even a sub-2:02. Those performances require perfection the small margin of error for a 2:03 is almost non-existent for a 2:02. Weather-wise, it has to be perfect (the sunshine may have added time to Mutais performance today, for example, just slightly warm by the nish), pace-setting must be perfect, the athlete probably requires some company, and of course their condition must be absolutely perfect on the day. Mutai, and Berlin, were not quite 100% today.
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THESE FIVE SHOES WILL MAKE YOU RUN

AL R T U NE O O TO T TO T O RT NO N D AN PPO SU T S A F ORS L COESIGN D OT O F RE D I M PTU GE CA AVERAN THAN H S U PL GUE N TO COLLAR AND
TLE LITORE M ION U C SH
RUNNING
TIPS TO RUN LIKE A PRO
Athletic shoe is a generic name for the footwear primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but in recent years has come to be used for casual everyday activities.
They are also known as trainers (British English), sandshoes, gym boots or joggers (Australian English) and Geordie English in the UK, running shoes, runners or gutties (Canadian English).
The presence of endorphins would presumably mitigate pain sensation by negatively regulating pain-carrying signals from nociceptive neurons in the spinal cord.
The British English term trainer derives from training shoe. There is evidence that this usage of trainer originated as a genericised tradename for a make of training shoe made by Gola.
Plimsolls (British English) are indoor athletic shoes, and are also called sneakers in American English and daps in Welsh English. The modern athletic shoe began with the plimsolls.
A D L N R O N W NNA 4 S E R E RAVE UY V N N A U R THE T B R T E ED BES M C H A T FE NTHE F E

IT AB E R MO X E FL EEK SLS IGN E D LINES
OL H OF AW LOT GER SWAG
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7.3 OF YO MM BAL TO TH UR FO L E GR OT OU ND
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TO OFFS -TOE E AND FLEX T IBILI TY
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02
Saucony Mirage
Offering a touch of stability for runners who need it, the Mirage joins the Kinvara and Virrata in a lightweight collection Saucony has dubbed its Natural Series. The shoe saw signicant improvements from the previous version, starting with grooves extending much deeper into the forefoot midsole, resulting in great improved exibility.
LE D ADELOPS S A T ENV THA HE FOOT T ANBLE TA GN S U J AD ESI D D N A B
VES OO ING R G ND TE EX EEPER D
R TTE A L F FORM PLAT RANGE AVE THAN SO F SH T O CONT E OUR
Y ILIT RS B STA UNNE ENTS RR FO PROVEM IM KN IT UP TED PE WOR R K
PROFILE: 81.2 FOREFOOT: 68 STABILITY: 85 WEIGHT: 69.6 HEEL: 84.5 STIFFNESS: 35.9 PRICE: 110$
7.3 OF YO MM BAL TO TH UR FO L E GR OT OU ND
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Nike Flyknit Lunar+

Unequivocally, the best shoe Ive ever worn, says one runner, a sentiment echoed by many other testers. What makes the Flyknit Lunar1 worthy of such praise? Well, it all starts, most obviously, with the knitted upper. Time and again, testers told us that this seamless, onepiece construction method works, that the shoe is soft and molds to the contours.
E NIK NG I N N RU ALITY QU
S LD MO E TH TS FEE PR O YO TECT UF R THE OM ROAD
E IEC P E N ON TRUCTIO S CON RK WO ULT PLURA GEL SH NIMB US
PROFILE: 83 FOREFOOT: 88 STABILITY: 35 WEIGHT: 63.6 HEEL: 84.5 STIFFNESS: 37 PRICE: 100$
NOT EVENY L UG
R E T T M A L F ATFOR GE PL VERAN A THAN
6M OF YO M BALL TO TH UR FO E GR OT OU ND
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Brooks PureConnect
This little brother to the ultra-plush Gel-Nimbus measures up in nearly every way. It sits almost as high off the ground, boastingplenty of foam underfoot to protect you from the road. Thecushioning is good, but not overboard, says Melissa Congleton, of East Lansing, Michigan, who admits to being an extreme heel-striker.
ILTLD U B E MI H ATOR T R O F PRON OVER
CE N A L BA TURES EA IDE F F O DR N A
KS OO D R B DAR STAN N RU
OR E F EL D MA EME HE EXTR IKER STR UP G IN TH RADE E MI FO DSOLE AM
R HE S T LIG RIAL TE MA SLIPPERY NO
PROFILE: 56 FOREFOOT: 90 STABILITY: 85 WEIGHT: 95 HEEL: 89 STIFFNESS: 50 PRICE: 130$
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SU BT TWE LE STR AKS ON GE R
LIG HT CU WEIGHT SH ION E
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Altra The Torin

Dont mess it up! Thats generally the plea of runners who have fallen in love with a particular shoe. Kinvara faithful, rejoice. The fourth version of this lightweight, cushioned trainer remain mostly unchanged, though subtle tweaks make this already solid shoe evenstronger. First, the shoe gets an upgrade in midsole foam; lighter and higher-quality material results in slightly softer cushioning.
Brooks Ravenna4
The Ravenna 4 proves that you dont need an oversized, ugly, and expensive shoe in order to get excellent stability. At just 11.1 ounces, the fourth edition of the Ravenna delivers an excellent balance of cushioning and pronation control, at a wallet-friendly pricethough it will cost you $10 more than last years model. While the midsole and outsole are said to remain unchanged, testing at the RW Shoe Lab revealed that the forefoot is noticeably more exible in this update. The shoes upper saw subtle tweaks to improve midfoot wrap and adapter. The t of the Ravenna 4 is very similar to the Brooks Adrenaline, says Nicholas Stanko, of East Lansing. This is partly because the band that wraps the midfoot has some added elasticity.
99 PROFILE: 91.2 HEEL : 84.5 FOREFOOT: 96.3 STIFFNESS: 95.9 STABILITY : 66.9 PRICE: 110$
Percentile Rankings
WEIGHT:
EP KE ET FE YOUR E F SA
H HIG ITY AL QU ERIAL MAT
TH FOUR ON SI VER ADED GR UP
PROFILE: 93 FOREFOOT: 90 STABILITY: 40 WEIGHT: 77 HEEL: 66.4 STIFFNESS: 40 PRICE: 140$
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MARRY WITTENBERG TELLS US HOW HAPPY SHE IS

GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO CONGRATULATE AND THANK TODAY. WE HAD A SIMPLY AMAZING WEEK AND WEEKEND AND DAY YESTERDAY. FROM THE BEGINNING OUR MEASURE OF SUCCESS WAS GOING TO BE SMILING FACES ON THE STREETS AND AT THE FINISH LINE, AND WE SAW AN ABUNDANCE, I WOULD SAY, IN BOTH CASES, MORE THAN WEVE EVER SEEN BEFORE. STREETS WERE AS WITH THE MENS RACE THROUGH THE FIRST AVENUE, THE STREETS WERE ABSOLUTELY PACKED IN BROOKLYN AND QUEENS, AND THE REPORTS WEVE GOTTEN, PETER WAS WITH ME AND KEPT GOING ON INTO HARLEM AND THE BRONX, JUST INCREDIBLE CITY SUPPORT. AND LOOKING AT THE FACES OF OUR NEIGHBORS OF NEW YORK AND PEOPLE HAVING A LOT OF FUN MEANT EVERYTHING. EARLY IN THE MILES,THAT WAS A CLUE IT WAS GOING TO BE AN INCREDIBLE DAY.AND TO HAVE SUCH GREAT RACES UP FRONT AND TO HAVE OUR FINISH LINE HONORED BY HAVING THESE AMAZING ATHLETES CROSS FIRST WAS THE BEGINNING OF AN INCREDIBLE RACING DAY FOR A RECORD NUMBER OF FINISHERS. SO I WANT TO WELCOME TATYANA, WINNING THE WOMENS RACE, MARCEL, THE MENS WHEELCHAIR RACE, PRISCAH, THE WOMENS RUNNING RACE, AND GEOFFREY. THEY LED THE WAY FOR, AS I SAID, MORE HAPPY FACES THAN WEVE EVER SEEN, OVER 50,000 FINISHERS. I WOULD SAY THAT, AS YOU KNOW, WHAT REALLY. IT IS ALL THESE STORIES THAT MAKE THIS SO EXTRAORDINARY. AND THERE WERE SO MANY MOMENTS ILL REMEMBER FOREVER. IN ADDITION TO THE GREAT RACES. IM LOOKING UP AND SEEING
Marry Wittenberg is the President and Chief Executive Ofcer of New York Road Runners (NYRR). Here you can nd his related twitter account used during the marathon period and the days after. Enjoy! 3 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns7:26 AM Finish straight away ready. #ingnycm http://instagram.com/p/gP8M3HKOpl/
run_mjay Can't WAIT to see this sign! liv4christ @nyrrmaryruns hey mary can it be watched on tv!?!( what channel?? Kataddo @liv4christ usually NBC or the yes network liv4christ @kataddo thankkkkk you so much im on it mforys13 abc and espn2 catmorrin Welcome sight, always emotional & huge relief :-)
INTERVIEW+TRANSCRIPTION
Mary Wittenberg (ne Robertson) is the President and Chief Executive Ofcer of New York Road Runners (NYRR).
As leader of the organization, Wittenberg oversees the ING New York City Marathon and several other races.
Under Wittenbergs leadership, the NYRR has helped develop new initiatives such as the World Marathon Majors Series.
A former competitive runner, Wittenberg won the 1987 Marine Corps Marathon.
Wittenberg was born in Buffalo, New York, and raised in a large and athletic Irish Catholic family.
WHO?
MARY ROBERTSON 17 JULY 1962 AGE 52 BUFFALO, NY, US FORMER LAWYER
WHAT?
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS DRAW OVER 300,000 YEARLY PARTICIPANTS.
WHERE?
NYRR CONDUCTS MORE THAN 100 EVENTS IN THE U.S. EACH YEAR, INCLUDING RACES, CLASSES, CLINICS, AND LECTURES.
3 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns 11:43 PM Full of appreciation. For so many&so much. As team nalizes prep from Verrazano 2 CPark. To a great marathon day 4 All. #ingnycm 3 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns12:03 PM Mutai & Meb pushing the pace. Crowds are great! #ingnycm http://instagram.com/p/gQbygIKOjX/
3 nov. 13. @peterslaufblog12:04 PM RT@nyrrmaryruns: Mutai & Meb pushing the pace. Crowds are great! #ingnycm h ttp://Instagram.com/p/gQbygIKOjX/
3 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns12:23 PM Ny & world champ Edna Kiplagat cheers Staten Island PS 22 chorus ! #ingnycm http://instagram.com/p/gQbdM3qOi7/ 3 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns12:29 PM Big lump in throat. We have never seen crowds like these. #nystrong #bostonstrong #ingnycm http://instagram.com/p/gQeoEgKOoY/
Momsgonnarun The crowds were amazing! Better than I could have ever imagined.
3 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns12:19 PM Love our New Yorkers crowds loud & strong #ingnycm http://instagram.com/p/gQdiVwqOmN/
eshmanyer So cool Mary. Love the videos. Brings back memories. stephanieabrams Crowds carried me through! They were the real stars!!
3 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns12:52 PM Goodbye Brooklyn . Hello queens! #ingnycm http://instagram.com/p/gQhWoBqOtV/ 4 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns12:27 PM last nisher across line. heartfelt thanks to NYC & everyone who supported today. Huge congrats 2 every nisher-each a winner 4 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns12:27 PM RT@WSJ:Joy Johnson, 86, dies after nishing her 25th NY http://on.wsj.com/HujuaH So sad & so inspired. Joy 4ever part of our marathon family 6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns06:03 AM catching up w/congrats & thx to SO many. This pic worth 1000 words. Many thx to @runmeb & miketcassidy http://instagram.com/p/gXuW5nKOp3/
MEMBER KEFLEZIGHI FINISH WITH OUR TOP STATEN ISLAND RUNNER, AND SOMEONE WHO REPRESENTS THE BEST OF NEW YORK, MIKE CASSIDY, WAS A MOMENT TO REMEMBER. WELCOMING OUR MILLIONTH FINISHER, JULISSA SARABIA, WHO WAS SO EXCITED, AND STARTED RUNNING, AND IT HELPED HER LOSE WEIGHT AND FEELS REALLY GOOD ABOUT HER FITNESS. SHE WAS JUST ECSTATIC. SHE LIVES IN QUEENS, ORIGINALLY FROM MIAMI. THAT WAS JUST A MOMENT TO REMEMBER. JUST TALKING TO JEN CORREA FROM STATEN ISLAND, MANY OF YOU HEARD THAT STORY, SHE LOST EVERYTHING AND SAID, I WASNT PREPARED FOR HOW INCREDIBLE THOSE FANS ARE AND HOW MUCH. SHE JUST SAID IT WAS A MOMENT OF A LIFETIME. SO THOSE STORIES GO ON AND ON, AND WE ALL THAT WERE OUT THERE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF HAVING PERSONALLY SEEN AND HEARD MANY OF THEM. AND THOSE ARE THE STORIES THAT MAKE ME CONCLUDE THAT I THINK WE MAY HAVE SEEN OUR BEST WEEK AND DAY EVER. TO DATE, OF COURSE. I JUST WANT TO TAKE THE MOMENT. WERE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THATS WHY WERE HERE TODAY. I AM SO FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH AN INCREDIBLE TEAM. OUR TEAM AT NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF NEW YORK, WITH NEW YORK STATE, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACROSS THIS EVENT.THE CITY AGENCIES ARE EXTRAORDINARY. WE WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO SOME OF WHOM HAVE WORKED ON THIS EVENT LONGER THAN ANYONE ON OUR STAFF. ITS INCRE DIBLE TEAM EFFORT THATS REQUIRED.I THINK WE NEED TO FIND A WAY THAT THE VOLUNTEERS WILL WEAR A MEDAL.
6 nov. 13. @KimConley6:07 AM Solid long run in Central Park to cap off an amazing week in NYC. Thanks @nyrr_pro @d9monti @nyrrmaryruns for a great experience!
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:07 AM @KimConley Kim! Ease back in. Lots in front of you. Thx for running Ny
6 nov. 13. @miketcassidy6:07 AM Thank you and congrats to @nyrrmaryruns @nyrr_pro @d9monti @ JaneMonti1 @KBruning and the @nyrr team for hosting the best @nycmarathon yet!
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:07 AM @GunRunnersMovie @d9monti @Shoe4Africa @nyrr believing is easy - hes done all the work!
6 nov. 13. @GunRunnersMovie6:07 AM Thank you @d9monti @nyrrmaryruns @Shoe4Africa for believing in #juliusarile #breakthroughperformance @nyrr
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:07 AM @jeffrobbins congrats and ease on in. We want to help Run for Life!
6 nov. 13. @Jeffrobbins6:07 AM Only 2 days off after running m 1st #INGNYCM for @ccteamchallenge I really think Ill run tomorrow. Still got the high! @nyrrmaryruns
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:07 AM @DirtyOldSneaker beautiful! Congrats!

6 nov. 13. @Jeffrobbins6:07 AM Hey @nyrrmaryruns did you see my #photo essay of the 2013 @INGNYCMarathon #INGNYCM http://bit.ly/NYCM13
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:07 AM Jim of the poncho plan in action it was like watching my son play soccer. #commitment #ingnycm 6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:07 AM @arunwithaview thx and congrats to you. We are so appreciative of all our city agency support and every volunteer!
6 nov. 13. @arunwithaview6:07 AM Meant to do this sooner: thank you @nyrrmaryruns, entire @nyrr staff, volunteers, city/state/fed workers, etc. for an amazing #INGNYCM!
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:07 AM @BethanyNic really nice of you. Thx and congrats
6 nov. 13. @BethanyNic6:07 AM @BartYasso @nyrrmaryruns @nyrr @nycmarathon I could not agree more, it was an amazing weekend. Thank you!
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:07 AM @cyncider thx so much. Every cheer adds to the roar of support for our runners. Thx!
6 nov. 13. @cyncider6:07 AM @nyrrmaryruns I was out on the course all day cheering & running with @ACSRunnersNYC. Sunday was simply brillant in every way. Congrats!
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:07 AM @runhers city wide team! Thx

6 nov. 13. @cyncider6:07 AM Congrats to @nyrrmaryruns and team! @nycmarathon: A world-record number of nishers on November 3, 2013: 50,304! #nycmarathon
THE WOW!
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THE WOW!
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INTERVIEW+TRANSCRIPTION
Under Wittenbergs leadership, the NYRR has helped develop new initiatives.
The World Marathon Majors Series and several community programs introduced running to underprivileged children.
An article in the New York Times stated that Wittenberg has transformed the New York City Marathon.
NYRR also provides nancial support for the USA Distance Project, which is composed of training groups.
She was the oldest of seven children, and played softball, baseball and basketballsports that her father coached.
THEY DESERVE TO DO IT. OUR TEAM AT NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS, THIS IS A DAY THAT HAS A LOT TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT, AND THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SHOULD BE STANDING ESPECIALLY TALL AND BE CONGRATULATED. IN THIS ROOM, ITS ALWAYS RISKY. WE HAVE 160 PEOPLE. SO ITS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE FULL TIME AND THE 700 PART TIMERS THAT I WANT TO THANK, BUT I DO WANT TO CALL OUT A COUPLE. WE HANDLED 50,000 PEOPLE YESTERDAY, HAD EVERYTHING WE NEEDED FOR THEM, AND IVE NEVER SEEN THE OPERATION GO SO WELL. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE PETER CIACCIA, WHO HEADS OUR EVENT TEAM.HES THE TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF THIS RACE. PETER IS ONE OF THOSE GUYS WHERE, IF SOMETHING WENT WRONG, EVERYBODY WOULD KNOW ABOUT IT, AND LUCKILY YOU DONT BECAUSE HIS TEAM DO I THINK ARE THE BEST AT WHAT THEY DO. THEY DO AN INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE JOB. SO I WANT TO CONGRATULATE PETER AND HIS TEAM.HES RESPONSIBLE FOR A LOT MORE THAN LOGISTICS. HES A HUGE PART OF THE VISION OF THIS EVENT AND WHAT WE DO YEAR ROUND IN EVENTS AT NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS. I WANT TO THANK BOB LAUFER AND DOREEN FOR THEIR EFFORTS INRECRUITING AMAZING PRO ATHLETE FIELDS IN THE WHEELCHAIR DIVISION AND CONSTANTLY HELPING US ELEVATE THE GAME THERE. DAVID AND SAM ARE JUST UNBELIEVABLE WITH PRO ATHLETES AND RECRUITING AND NURTURING OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM AND HELPING ENSURE THAT WERE ALWAYS CONNECTING OUR BEST EFFORTS IN THE WORLD WITH WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT AND BRINGING PEOPLE HERE WHO WILL GIVE US GREAT RACES AND REPRESENT THE BEST OF OUR SPORT. I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE THEM AS WELL. I FINALLY WANT TO JUST THANK EACH OF THE AREA HEADS THAT HAVE DEEP TEAMS BELOW THEM. RONNIE TUCKER ON COMMUNICATIONS, CHRIS WITH HIS TEAM, DOES AN AMAZING JOB ON THE PR TEAM. MIKE, WE HAD 145,000 PEOPLE USE THE TCS APP YESTERDAY, AND IT WORKED REALLY, REALLY WELL.AND THE LIST GOES ON. TO THE ENTIRE TEAM, ITS REALLY HATS OFF TO ALL OF THEM TODAY. BUT ITS A CITY THAT SHOULD BE PROUD OF ITSELF TODAY.THATS WHAT MAKES IT THE RACE AND ATHLETES THAT I HOPE ARE FLYING HIGH BASED ON THEIR SUCCESS FROM THE FRONT OF THE PACK TO THE BACK OF THE PACK. THANK YOU.
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:07 AM @arunwithaview congrats 2 u. Join u in appreciation of every city, state & fed support & all New Yorkers who make it the marathon
6 nov. 13. @arunwithaview8:27 AM Meant to do this sooner: thank you @nyrrmaryruns, entire @nyrr staff, volunteers, city/state/fed workers, etc. for an amazing #INGNYCM!
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns9:37 AM @Bart - always honored to host you. We are happy when we see that many smiles lining the course and at the nish line!
6 nov. 13. @bartyasso6:50 AM Mary @nyrrmaryruns I have two words for you, your entire staff @nyrr and the thousands volunteers, BE PROUD @nycmarathon Sunday was epic.
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns9:00 AM @bartyasso so sorry I missed you at the nish!

6 nov. 13. @bartyasso10:00 AM @nyrrmaryruns I was so slow on Sunday I think your were having dinner when I arrived at the nish line.
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns8:00 AM @oiselle_sally @CTurlington congrats u 2! We were honored to host you!! Way to run & support!
6 nov. 13. @oiselle_sally7:56 AM @nyrrmaryruns @CTurlington like a BOSS, you put on a 5-star race Mary. Thank you!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS...

Congratulations to all the winners. It must be an amazing feeling today. A lot of just being there as a spectator yesterday, a lot of people were talking about Boston, and I wanted to see from a runners point of view if there was ever some sort of concern with security. It seemed like it was amazing yesterday and went off without a hitch, but did that ever cross your mind? Was it ever a concern? But I was having a feeling that Im strong enough and I trained well. So I must ght and leave them. So they are going to win, but near the nishing line, I keep up with them. But I have to ght the wind until the last minute.
MARY WITTENBERG Did either of you do anything else? We keep them pretty busy. Youre sort of on through Monday night if you do the race. Did you do the Today show?
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns5:44 AM @chrisweiller @nycmarathon @ithacacollege @nyrr well have to nd a Canisius grad to even out that shot...
6 nov. 13. @chrisweiller4:44 AM Go Bombers! A post @nycmarathon moment w/ fellow @ithacacollege grad Steve Mayer & @NYRR CEO @nyrrmaryruns pic.twitter.com/ r13rdTJsRf
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:45 AM @bartyasso never! Had our youth benet then back to the nish. No dinner necessary when our runners fuel us!
6 nov. 13. @bartyasso6:51 AM @fairtradediva I had a rough day I was out there over 6 hours. Last I heard the lm will be out in January @saucony @runnersworld
I ran in Boston, and then I headed over to London six days later, and then I ran Chicago a couple of weeks ago. There was no concern for security, especially here in New York. I mean, they stepped up the game, and the security was everywhere. But from an athlete, there wasnt a concern. New York was really just about a good closure, and especially after everything that happened this year. So I think people were excited to come out. I dont think that people were worried.It turned out to be a fabulous day yesterday.
TATYANA McFADDEN
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:55 AM @bartyasso I thought so too re the crowds. Good for u. Way harder to hang in there on a tough day.
6 nov. 13. @bartyasso6:55 AM @nyrrmaryruns The crowds were massive and the vibe was just amazing.
I wanted to both of you ask the question, how much did the wind bother you yesterday? I experienced it myself as I ran also. It bothered me a lot.
MARCEL HUG I think for me the wind was also a very big factor. We were a pack of ve athletes. We changed the lead so we could have a good drafting. And I think it would be very difcult to go away for one athlete. So an athlete tried to go away, just the other athletes work together and catch them. So it was very difcult with the wind, also with the wind from the side with the wheels, they moved a little bit.So it was really difcult. Finally, the time for us, 1:40, is really slow. I think its because of the wind. Priscah, for your race, it was a very different competition. Youre three minutes behind at halfway. Usually, in a race, youre worried about how to beat the competitors that are right next to you. In this case, you had to worry about a competitor that was far in the distance. How did your mind handle that competition?
TATYANA McFADDEN I was on it, but I didnt do it. Just ate a lot of candy because I missed Halloween. I tried to be as good as possible, then candy, candy, candy.
MARY WITTENBERG We have something in common. What kind of candy did you eat?
TATYANA McFADDEN Sour XTremes to M&Ms and all sorts. That was a good celebration for me.
MARY WITTENBERG
Did you get that as a gift?
PRISCAH JEPTOO After a certain point, I decided that I must go and catch her because there is not much left and they are very fast. So I was really prepared mentally for this race, and also I have trained well. When I was coming, I was coming for the win.
TATYANA McFADDEN My family brought it because I was so sad I missed Halloween because I love to sit and watch scary movies and eat as much candy as I can.
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns8:55 AM @rxgrl629 @NewRoRunners thx to u all for cheering. Hope to see you next year!
6 nov. 13. @rxgrl6299:20 AM @nyrrmaryruns Had a great time being a spectator and hope to be healthy to run next year. #INGNYCM @NewRoRunners pic.twitter.com/JIyb5pdvdY
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:03 AM @runmeb Meb - you have become one of us in NYC & at NYRR. Our honor. I shared with all the vols how you couldnt stop with all their support.
6 nov. 13. @runmeb6:57 AM @nyrrmaryruns thank you Mary for your leadership!
GEOFFREY MUTAI First of all, for me, or for us as an athlete, it was the toughest win for me yesterday. Of course, I try even to lead or to push it, I tried to continue in the front, but no one was coming. Everyone was waiting me to lead. When I go back, everyone is waiting. So it was all the wind, it was facing me because no one was allowing each other to come to lead. So the wind was tough. I tried to go, but after your step, you lose your step again. It was tough.Actually, Ive never won a race as tough as this.
Also a question to Priscah. Was it a little bit of a revenge for 2011 when Mary Keitany lead by so far. I think at Second Avenue, she was completely out of sight of the two Ethiopians, and now you caught two Ethiopians before the nish.
Priscah, with your win, you also took the World Marathon Majors crown. Notably, your last two races, a big win in London and a big win in New York. Was it special to win here rather than winning the title with a third or fourth place? But you won it with a big win. Can you tell us how those two victories plus your World Marathon Major title means to you?
PRISCAH JEPTOO I think it was a great achievement for me because I ran past the two Ethiopians because I was testing myself. Also, from 35 to the nishing line, I know myself that I am strong and Im moving because the way Im training myself. I trained to run the last part well.
PRISCAH JEPTOO To win a World Major title, it means a lot to me because its a great achievement also, and also it gives me encouragement also to train well. And also ensures that I can also run the fastest race and improve my time in the future.
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:44 AM @MomsGottaRun Jen! Was so good to talk to you Monday. Congrats again.you became an inspiring force for our team & city!
6 nov. 13. @runmeb6:33 AM Is there any other opportunity for runners to get their medals engraved? @nyrrmaryruns @nyrr #INGNCYM
Afterwards the athletes were all talking together about it. Geoffrey was talking about how you feel the wind on the bridge, and then for the wheelers, its just to another level. Tatyana or Marcel, I dont know if you want to comment on the wind from your perspective.
MARY WITTENBERG
Geoffrey and Priscah, its been about 24 hours since you won. What have you done, and how have you celebrated?
GEOFFREY MUTAI I think I have not yet. Im still so happy, and I know I will go out and celebrate. Im still xing my pain. After pain, I know I will. TATYANA McFADDEN Well, for me, the wind, headwind was actually an advantage for me, being a little bit bigger and stronger. So I really tried to hit that rst climb as hard as I could. I ended up dropping the entire pack. But the wind did have a factor, especially on the rst bridge, because it kept shaking our front wheel, and at one point it just picked up our entire chair and shifted it over, which can affect your time, it can affect your stroke. So you have to go a little bit slower just to keep your chair straight and steady as its moving back and forth on the bridge. But for me, I try to use that as a huge advantage and use the power that I have to run in the wind. I dropped the pack because of it.
MARY WITTENBERG That was a real highlight. In fact, Ill take a quick moment. So we had Priscah winning the World Marathon Majors title. That, I think, added a lot of drama to both races having the titles come down to yesterday. And we also wanted to celebrate Tatyanas winning the grand slam. So as a little bit of surprise, Tatyana, we wanted actually to share a special gift with you. Would you like to read the inscription, Mr. Walker? You should present it. That would be very nice.
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:22 AM @weskorir Wesley. U inspire. Love your commitment to your community. Thx for running with us!
6 nov. 13. @runmeb6:25 AM Back to parliament soon,thanks to @nyrr @nyrrmaryruns @d9monti and all the volunteers that made my rst @INGNYCMarathon fun, you guys rock!
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:32 AM @dkherrick congrats! & thx!

6 nov. 13. @dkherrik6:25 AM Thank you @nyrr_pro,@d9monti,jane, @nyrrmaryruns & @nyrr volunteers for an amazing experience &the honor of running the pro eld #grateful
6 nov. 13. @nyrrmaryruns6:32 AM @JonMarcMcD congrats jonmarc!

6 nov. 13. @dkherrik6:25 AM A huge shout out to @nyrrmaryruns and @nyrr for a awless #ingnycm marathon. It was an incredible experience
PRISCAH JEPTOO For me, I can see it was a tough race of all the marathons that Ive run because those two ladies took off fast, and after crossing 30 kilometers, I started thinking I have to move because theyre about to reach close to the nish line, but then we are not together.
MARY WITTENBERG A note of appreciation to all the athletes. Last night we had a youth benet supporting our youth programs, where we had lots of people come out for a night of champions celebrating our champions, all the runners, and raising money for our youth programs, and it really was extraordinary to have these guys there. All the runners were and all the people that were there just really were so excited about all of you. I just want to say thank you because that made a difference to us and our efforts with our youth programs. Priscah, you were asked how youve been celebrating, I dont know if there was anything in addition to the youth benet and four of us were at the New York Stock Exchange. Did you do anything to celebrate?
BOB LAUFER We didnt get it inscribed. We didnt want to jinx her in any way. But it will say our good friends at Tiffany obviously helped us quickly to choose and present today this award. It will say, quote, Grand slam, achievement in wheelchair racing presented to Tatyana McFadden by New York Road Runners ING New York City Marathon 2013. Thats what it will look like when it comes back.
TATYANA McFADDEN
Thank you. Thats beautiful.
Geoffrey, are you looking ahead to the World Marathon Majors title next year? Is that one of your goals?
PRISCAH JEPTOO I went to the event that we did yesterday, and I am very happy. Thats a date I will not forget for the rest of my life.
GEOFFREY MUTAI Actually, for me, I look forward in my career, but you know in my mind, I dont struggle to win the major. Its the only thing I will look forward to. I will achieve many.
SO, ARE YOU A RUNNER?

WHAT MAKES US RUN PROVE THAT YOU CAN RUN FROM 5K TO 42K
BETT DOCTER CAL OR A L THE AT H MAB I S N 202-4 UMB O! 56-11 ER 11
REALLY?
A JOGGER A RUNNER
JOGS.
WAVY!
RUNS
A JOGGER
GRIMACES
A RUNNER
RELISHES.
The late Dr. George Sheehan, beloved Runners World columnist and arguably the rst running booms premier philosopher, once wrote that the difference between a runner and a jogger was a signature on a race application. (For the youngsters out there, there was a time be fore online registration when you actually lled out a paper application, signed it, attached a check, and mailed it it Quaint, I know.) As succinct as Dr. Sheehans denition was, it made the point. If you were motivated enough to train for and participate inan organized running event, then you were a runner. Anyone willing to risk public failure in order to be a part of the running community, no matter what his or her pace per mile might be--was a runner. Period. Kind of hard for anyone to argue with that logic. But a few months ago, an ad ran in this magazine that drew a very hard line between runners and joggers. I immediately heard from tons of readers who were upset by the distinction. To me, however, such denitions are meaningless, since those of us who call ourselves runners already know why we call ourselves runners. Your reasons may be different from mine, but heres why I know I am a runner: For some, running is often associated with hard-labour. While these people gamely push aside such feelings and look to the physical benets of running, the exercise gradually becomes a chore for them. These martyrs will still declare themselves publicly as runners but, deep inside, they would really rather jog it out intermittently than to slog it out monotonously. A runner, on the other hand, associates running with freedom and fun, so much so that he looks forward to hitting the pavement, not only before each outing, but as soon as he gets his breath back after it. It is this psychiatric mis-wiring which warps the mind of a runner into treating the exercise, not as an arduous, lung-busted run that it really is, but as a leisurelmind-clearing jog that it certainly isnt.
I AM A RUNNER BECAUSE MY RUNS HAVE NAMES. I DO TEMPO RUNS AND THRESHOLD RUNS AND FARTLEK RUNS. I DO LONG, SLOW RUNS AND TRACK WORKOUTS. MY RUNS ARE DEFINED, EVEN IF MY ABS ARE NOT. I AM A RUNNER BECAUSE MY SHOES ARE TRAINING EQUIPMENT, NOT A FASHION STATEMENT. THE BEST SHOE FOR ME IS THE ONE THAT MAKES ME A BETTER RUNNER. I PREFER THE SHOE THAT GOES WITH MY RUNNING MECHANICS, NOT MY RUNNING OUTFIT. I AM A RUNNER BECAUSE I DONT HAVE RUNNING OUTFITS. I HAVE TECHNICAL SHIRTS AND SHORTS AND SOCKS. I HAVE APPAREL THAT ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE OF RUNNING BY ALLOWING ME TO RUN COMFORTABLY. I CAN SAY COOLMAX AND GORE-TEX IN THE SAME SENTENCE AND KNOW WHICH DOES WHAT. I AM A RUNNER BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT EFFORT FEELS LIKE, AND I EMBRACE IT. I KNOW WHEN IM PUSHING THE LIMITS OF MY COMFORT AND WHY IM DOING IT. I KNOW THAT HEAVY BREATHING AND AN ACCELERATED HEART RATE THINGS I ONCE AVOIDED, ARE NECESSARY IF I WANT TO BE A BETTER RUNNER. I AM A RUNNER BECAUSE I VALUE AND RESPECT MY BODY. IT WILL WHISPER TO ME WHEN IVE DONE TOO MUCH. AND IF I CHOOSE TO LISTEN TO THAT WHISPER, MY BODY WONT HAVE TO SCREAM IN PAIN LATER ON. I AM A RUNNER BECAUSE I AM WILLING TO LAY IT ALL ON THE LINE. I KNOW THAT EVERY FINISH LINE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO LIFT MY SPIRITS TO NEW HIGHS OR DEVASTATE ME,YET I LINE UP ANYWAY. I AM A RUNNER BECAUSE I KNOW THAT DESPITE MY BEST EFFORTS, I WILL ALWAYS WANT MORE FROM MYSELF. I WILL ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW MY LIMITS SO THAT I CAN EXCEED THEM. I AM A RUNNER BECAUSE I RUN. NOT BECAUSE I RUN FAST. NOT BECAUSE I RUN FAR. I AM A RUNNER BECAUSE I SAY I AM. AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME IM NOT.
U U O Y O O Y D SH WI RE ? E W TER T I F
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THE ING N MAR YC ATHO N

HIS TECH SKIL NICAL LS

HOW TO LEARN RUNNING

RICES THE P OOD THE G

CHEAP SHOES THAT WILL MAKE YOU RUN LIKE A PRO

OOSE IT L E H NDAL IN 1980 D , S S SCA

ALL RUNNERS MADE MISTAKES

HOW TO AVOID THEM

HOW TO PROGRESS BETTER

THEY TRIED TO CHEAT! 20

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22TH

NEW YORKS FINEST MARATHON NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22TH

EVERYBODY CAN MAKE IT

LV INVO NDAL? SCA SE

KIP LITTON - THE MOST CHUTZPAH

MARTIN FRANKLIN - THE ESCAPED ONE

DANE PETERSON - THE BIGGEST LOSER

ROSIE RUIZ - THE MOST (IN)FAMOUS

ANTHONY GASKELL - THE OLDEST

MOTSOENENG BROTHERS - THE BEST

ROB SLOAN - THE MOST IM NOT A CHEATER

THE MONTREAL BIKER - THE MOST STUPID

THEY TRIED TO CHEAT AND FAILED

LIT IP IS ON TO N E IE R U WAS EXP IZ

CHEA OSED A TER IN 19 S A 80 A DR A TO M

NEW YORKS FINEST MARATHON NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22TH

NEW YORKS FINEST MARATHON NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22TH

LITTONS MYSTERIOUS CAP CHANGE

IS KIP LITTON A MARATHON FRAUD?

A MICHIGAN DENTISTS IMPROBABLE TRANSFORMATION

2010 MISSOULA MARATHON DQED

2010 DEADWOOD MICKELSON TRAIL MARATHON DQED

2010 BOSTON MARATHON SPTED 2010 DELAWARE MARATHON DQED

FICTITIOUS EVENTS CREATED UNDER SAME HOST AS K.L.

2010 CHARLOTTE MARATHON SPTED

MULTIPLE CASES OF CHEATING DURING MICHIGAN RUNNING RACES DISQUALIFIED

FICTITIOUS EVENTS CREATED UNDER SAME HOST AS K.L.

KIP LITTONS PERFORMANCE AT BOSTONS MARATHON 2010 DECEMBER 11, 2010

CHIP TIME - 2:55:20 CLOCK TIME - 3:00:24 DIFFERENCE - 5:04

10k to 13.1 Mi 44:30 (6.27/mi)

13.1 Mi to 20 Mi 42:40 (6.71/mi)

20.1 Mi to 26.2 Mi 46:02 (7.25/mi)

NEW YORKS FINEST MARATHON NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22TH

NEW YORKS FINEST MARATHON NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22TH

YES, RUNNING CAN MAKE YOU HIGH. BUT H0W?

SIX STEPS TO GET A RUNNERS HIGH

SLOW YOUR PACE

KEEP UP THE PACE

LET YOUR SPEED FIND YOU

NEW YORKS FINEST MARATHON NEWS

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NEW YORKS FINEST MARATHON NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22TH

TOP RANKING GRAPHIC

THE TOP NATIONS THE 10KINGS OF THE MARATHON OF THE MARATHON

ETH IOP 1W I INA NE

NEW YORKS FINEST MARATHON NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22TH

NEW YORKS FINEST MARATHON NEWS