Joe Gough of West Waterford AC sets new World Masters Record

At an indoor 800m race in Abbotstown, Dublin on Thursday evening, Joe Gough (M65) of West Waterford AC set a new masters indoor world record! Finishing in a time of 2m 16.65s, Joe broke the previous over 65 indoor world record of 2m 16.80s which was set by Earl Fee of Canada way back in 1994.

BBC Sporting Witness...Mike Powell's World Record Long Jump of 8.95 metres

Competition : IAAF World Championships in Tokyo in 1991. Bob Beamon's long jump record of 8.90 metres which was set at altitude in the thinner air at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico has stood for 23 years. In the final of the long jump at the 1991 World Championships, Mike Powell and Carl Lewis of the USA go head to head to decide who wins the World title. It would turn out to be a clash that required a new World record to determine the winner.

The BBC recently had an interview with Mike Powell about the 8.95 metre long jump world record which still stands to this day. You can listen to it HERE

Some video clips...

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Pt4

Britain's Mo Farah breaks 2 mile record in Birmingham

Mo Farah of Britain broke the 2 mile world record with a time of 8m 03.4s at an indoor track in Birmingham on Saturday 21st Feb 2015. The previous record of 8m 04.34 was set by Kenenisa Bekele.

This was the first world record for the double Olympic champion. In a post race interview with BBC Sport, Farah said...."This means a lot to me. I love representing my country, giving something back to all the people. Unbelievable. Definitely, it's about setting myself a goal and knowing what I want out of the year. It's two different things going for a world record or going for a championship. I shouldn't get carried away, it's only two miles indoors, but at the same time it would be nice to be able to do what I can do for 10k, if I can go close or break it."

Earlier in the week, there was a public row conducted on Twitter between Farah and Great Britain team-mate Andy Vernon. After the race, Vernon tweeted.... "Everything aside that was a cracking run @Mo-Farah. Congratulations on the new WR."

Genzebe Dibaba from Ethiopia runs new indoor 1500m world record

At the IAAF Indoor 1500m race in Karlsruhe, Germany over the weekend, Genzebe Dibaba from Ethiopia set a new world record by running 3m 55.17s. This was a huge three seconds faster than the old record of 3m 58.28s set by Yelena Soboleva of Russia back in 2006.

Here are the top 10 indoor times...
1  3:55.17  Genzebe Dibaba     ETH  Karlsruhe       01.02.2014
2  3:58.28  Yelena Soboleva    RUS  Moskva          18.02.2006
3  3:58.40  Abebe Arigawi      SWE  Stockholm       21.02.2013
4  3:59.75  Gelete Burka       ETH  Valencia        09.03.2008
5  3:59.79  Maryam Yusuf Jamal BRN  Valencia        09.03.2008
6  3:59.98  Regina Jacobs      USA  Boston          01.02.2003
7  4:00.13  Genzebe Dibaba     ETH  Karlsruhe       12.02.2012
8  4:00.2+  Mary Slaney        USA  Houston         16.02.1980
9  4:00.27+ Doina Melinte      ROU  East Rutherford 09.02.1990
10 4:00.72  Natalya Gorelova   RUS  Moskva          27.02.2003

The splits below show even splits for the new world record in italics compared to what Dibaba actually ran. As you can see, she was about 4 seconds behind at 800m/1000m before putting in a very fast second half.
200m    31    31 / 400m    1:02     1:03 / 600m    1:35     1:34 / 800m    2:09    2:05 / 1000m    2:41    2:37 / 1200m    3:10    3:08 / 1400m    3:40     3:39 / Finish    3:55     3:55

Video in German...

Former 5000m record holder Chris Chataway dies age 82

Back on the 6th of May 1954, Roger Bannister ran the first ever sub 4 minute mile. On the day, his two pacemakers were Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway. Last Sunday the 19th of January, Chris Chataway passed away aged 82.

Although he will possibly be best remembered for playing a part in breaking the 4 minute barrier, he had a short but successful athletics career of his own. Bannister's coach at the time Franz Stampfl also coached Chataway who went on to become the 4th man to break the 4 minute barrier in 1955. On the 13th of October 1954, Chataway set a new world record for the 5,000m when he ran 13:51.6. In the European Championships in 1954 in Switzerland, he won silver.

Even though he retired from international athletics back in 1956, he continued to be involved in the  athletics and running with his club. As recently as 2006, he ran the Great North Run Half-Marathon in Newcastle in 1:38:50 aged 75.

The BBC have an article on the late Chris Chataway here...http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/athletics/25801188

Australian couple complete 366 marathons in 366 days

This is a story doing the rounds of the mainstream media at the moment. An Australian couple in their 60s have just completed a record breaking 366 marathons in 366 days. The previous record of 365 days was held by a Belgian couple.

Janette Murray-Wakelin, 64, and Alan Murray, 68, started their marathon streak on the 1st of Jan 2013 and their final one was on the 1st of Jan 2014. Their 15,000 km plus journey took them right around Australia as they raised money for charity.

An unusual aspect to their record was that it was done completely on a vegan diet. Looking at the media photos, they seem to have been running in Vibram Five Finger shoes as well!

This was a typical day...
Up at 4:00am
10 bananas, a grapefruit, and a date smoothie each for breakfast
8:00am: Make room for another 10 bananas each
9:00am: Large green smoothies to help wash the bananas down
At 30km, stop for a fruit salad
Three oranges each at the 37km mark
Finish marathon around 4:00pm
Veggie juice, avocado and a huge vegetable salad for dinner

The BBC have an interview on their news website HERE

The website for the record attempt can be seen HERE

Jo Fearon completes 12 moarathons in 12 days and raises €12k+ for charity

On the 13th of December, Jo Fearon of Eagle AC started out on her first of twelve marathons on a treadmill in Mahers Sport in Cork City.

On day 10, Jo's accumulated time was 39 hours 03 minutes and 21 seconds. As everything was recorded and witnessed, that should be a new Guinness World Record for the fastest time on a treadmill for running 10 marathons in 10 days.

Yesterday on Christmas Eve, Jo finished the 12th and final marathon in the fastest time yet of 3:51.

In fact, every day her times for the marathon have been remarkably consistent...

3:53, 3:55, 3:55, 3:55, 3:55, 3:55, 3:53, 3:57, 3:55, 3:53, 3:55, 3:51

The main aim of the 12 marathons in 12 days was of course to raise funds for the neo-natal ward at Cork CUH. Between online donations and passers by, Jo has raised an amazing €12,169. If anyone would like to top it up, you can find the online donation page HERE

Nearly there...Finish of the 12th marathon in 12 days and 314.4 miles covered

Gerard Down of Eagle AC with Jo Fearon. Ger turned up on day one to help out and ended up staying for all twelve

Photos by Joe Murphy of Eagle AC

Wilson Kipsang sets new world record for Marathon in Berlin

Wilson Kipsang of Kenya won this years Berlin Marathon in a time of 2:03:23 setting a new world record for the event.

Fellow Kenyans Eliud Kipchoge (2:04:05) and Geoffrey Kipsang (2:06:26) finished second and third respectively.

Kipsang finishing the marathon with some idiot running onto the course...


In a post race interview, Kipsang said..."I'm very happy that I have won and broken the world record. I was really inspired by Paul Tergat when he broke the world record here 10 years ago and I'm very happy that I was in a position to break the record on the same course."

Marathon record over the last 30 years...
2:08:05    Steve Jones     United Kingdom    Oct 21, 1984    Chicago Marathon
2:07:12    Carlos Lopes     Portugal    Apr 20, 1985    Rotterdam Marathon
2:06:50    Belayneh Dinsamo     Ethiopia    Apr 17, 1988    Rotterdam Marathon
2:06:05    Ronaldo da Costa     Brazil    Sept 20, 1998    Berlin Marathon
2:05:42    Khalid Khannouchi     Morocco    Oct 24, 1999    Chicago Marathon
2:05:38    Khalid Khannouchi     United States Apr 14, 2002    London Marathon
2:04:55    Paul Tergat     Kenya    Sept 28, 2003    Berlin Marathon
2:04:26    Haile Gebrselassie     Ethiopia    Sept 30, 2007    Berlin Marathon
2:03:59    Haile Gebrselassie     Ethiopia    Sept 28, 2008    Berlin Marathon
2:03:38    Patrick Makau     Kenya    Sept 25, 2011    Berlin Marathon
2:03:23    Wilson Kipsang     Kenya    Sept 29, 2013    Berlin Marathon 

Wilson Kipsang finishing with an intruder on the course

Woman in US sets a new indoor Marathon record of 2:57

In Minnesota in the US recently, Nichole Porath set a new world record for a Marathon indoors. Running 150 laps of a 282 metre indoor track, she covered the 16.2 miles in a time of 2h 57m 34s. This was the first time any woman has actually run a sub 3 hour Marathon indoors. In fact, she was almost six minutes faster than then first male runner in the race. The previous record was 3h 08m 53s which was set in 2012 by Melissa Gilette in Indiana, USA.

The course wasn't without it's problems though. Between the runners reversing direction every 30 minutes and having to run four very tight corners per lap, blisters were a real problem.

As many of you will note however, the time of 2:57 is still a long, long way short of Paula Radcliffe's outdoor Marathon record of 2:15. The reason?.....Nichole Porath probably sums it up best when she said..."I must take the time for a brief aside to mention that I know this is an obsure world record, and I in NO way think that I am a world class runner. I am just merely the fastest crazy woman to run an indoor marathon!"

There you go, a fast crazy woman........but you just know it's only a matter of time before the record is broken again.

Perath's best time outdoors is 2:44 which she did in the US Olympic trial in January of 2012.

Japanese man sets new 100m record...

Kenichi Ito from Japan recently set a new record for the 100m by 'running' on all fours! Taking 17.47 seconds, it was a new Guinness World record. Apparently, his style is based on the African Patas monkey and it has taken him nine years to perfect his technique.


Why anyone would want to 'run' on all fours is another question? Only in Japan ;o)

New attempt on Malin to Mizen record...

On the 22nd of September, Mimi Anderson from the UK will attempt to set a new record by running from Malin Head in Donegal to Mizen Head in Cork in less than four days. The current record was set by Sharon Gayter back in March 2012 when she ran from Malin to Mizen in 4 days 1 hour 39 minutes and 55 seconds. Over a year of planning and preparation has gone into this new attempt. As she is going for a Guinness World Record, there will be an official starter and finisher and the crew will have to keep a detailed log book, get witness signatures along the way and of course lots of photos and videos.

Mimi Anderson has the current record for the fastest time by a female for running from John O’Groats to Lands End in the UK  (840 miles in 12 days, 15 hours, 46 minutes). She is also the record holder for the furthest distance covered on a treadmill in 7 days by a female (403.81 miles).

Mimi will start from Malin Head in Donegal right on the point at 6am on Saturday, the 22nd of September and the plan is to finish under 4 days later at Mizen Head in West Cork - at the lighthouse. The route is: Malin Head, Carndonagh, Malin, Derry, Bready, Strabane, Ardstraw, Drumquin, Enniskillen, Swanlinbar, Ballinamore, Cloone, Longford, Outskirts of Athlone, Cloghan, Borrisokane, Nenagh, Drumbaun, Hollycross, Charleville Banteer Macroom Kealkill, Bantry, Toormore, Goleen, Finish at Mizen Head.

US runner Larry Macon sets new annual Marathon record...

San Antonio attorney Larry Macon broke his own Guinness world marathon record for the third time when he completed the New Year's Eve Marathon last Saturday. The competition marks his 113th marathon of 2011, breaking his own mark set last year. Heading into Saturday's race, Macon, who turned 67 that day, had amassed almost 3,000 miles running in 2011, gone through a dozen pairs of shoes and logged roughly 200,000 miles in flying. He now has run 823 marathons during his lifetime.

"When your weekend itinerary usually involves running two—sometimes three—marathons, there's always a plane to catch or a long drive ahead to get to the next starting line. If I have time, I'll shower at the hotel," says the five-hour marathoner. "But usually life isn't that good. So I'll change at a stoplight. I've gotten good at it. I haven't been arrested for indecent exposure yet."

His first Guinness world Marathon record was back in 2008 when Macon ran 105 races of 26.2 miles or more in a year. (The previous record was 100). Macon says the achievement is a reflection of his logistical skills rather than his athleticism. The Yale graduate, who earned his law degree at the University of Texas, started running in 1992 and tried his first marathon on a dare in 1996. "After that, I knew what was coming," says his wife, Jane. "Larry never does anything casually." In 2006, he ran 79 marathons/ultras; in 2007, he did 93. "I've always been driven," Macon says. "I used to work most weekends. My co-workers say that my running is the best thing that happened to them. Now they don't have 400 e-mails waiting for them on a Monday morning."

In a typical year, Macon would spend approx $8,000 on race registration fees. His personal best time is 4:15 which was set back in 2008.

Lizzy Hawker from England sets new 24 hour world record...

More news from the crazy world of Ultra running........A new world record was set in the Commonwealth Ultra Distance Championships in Llandudno, Wales on Saturday the 24th of September. Lizzy Hawker from England broke the world best 24 hour performance by a woman on the road by covering 246.408 kms (just over 153 miles). That distance was 3.423 kms further than the 18 year old record of  243.657 kms set by Sigrid Lomsky of Germany.

What was also remarkable about the performance was that not only was she the first woman but she also finished ahead of all of the men in the race. In fact, the first man finished 3 kms behind. It is often said that while men are obviously faster and stronger over short distances than women, the difference between the genders begins to diminish over the very long distance events.
The 35-year-old Hawker, who had won the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc race only 4 weeks earlier in August, also broke the long standing British and Commonwealth 100 mile record on her way to victory. Helped along with a diet of banana bread, a combination of jam and cheese sandwiches and melon, she never faltered after taking the lead and held a two lap lead by the end (Course was 1 km loop).

“I really didn’t know what to expect because it was my first race over the distance on the road,” said Hawker, who used to work as a scientist at the south pole with the British Antarctic Expedition.
“I didn’t have any huge expectations going into the race. It was just a case of staying fully focussed and blocking out the pain. “It did hurt – a lot – but I’m really pleased to have won and taken the world record. It was also great to demonstrate just what women athlete’s can achieve by beating all the men.”

The full results of the race can be seen at http://www.cmudc2011.org/news/11/09/lizzy-hawker-smashes-the-world-24-hour-record

Lizzy Hawker has her own blog at http://www.lizzyhawker.blogspot.com

Runner sets new world record by running 408 miles in a week...

This story is a few months old but I only just heard about it when someone kindly sent the link on to me.

Last June in San Diego in the USA, Mike Sheey set a new world record by running 408.04 miles in one week. The previous record was set by England’s Bernie Hollywood in 2008 with 350.2 miles.

The last day of the record breaking run was spent taking part in the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon.

This is an extract from a local online newspaper....
Sheehy is a U.S. Military Academy graduate and now works for a health care company. He started his record attempt at noon May 30, running 37.7 miles the first day.

The next four days he ran three times daily: from 6 to 11 a.m.; noon to 5 p.m.; and 6 to 8 p.m. He ran a marathon the first two workouts and logged about 11 miles in the evening.

After receiving a framed certificate from Guinness, Sheehy plopped down in a chair beneath a tent, kept bending over to stretch his legs and said: “I am ecstatic to be done. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be done. My body is trashed. Absolutely trashed.”

 The full article can be seen HERE