Author Archives: TJ

Rewind: New York City Half Marathon in Photos

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This weekend marks a kind of unofficial kickoff of the spring running season, as it’s the first weekend that some really big races take place, like Atlanta’s Publix Marathon & Half Marathon, Virginia Beach’s Shamrock Marathon & Half, and of course the New York City Half Marathon, which expects some 15,000 runners for this Sunday’s race.

I ran the race back in 2010, and brought my iPhone along with me to take pictures of the course, the spectators, Central Park and everything I could to capture the sights you see when you’re running the race. Here’s a look back at what it was like, for all of you guys who are about to run it this weekend:

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Friday reads: Foot form, nipple chafing and why miles?

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This week’s roundup of stories and articles from the around the web is a bit of a grab bag, but that’s just sometimes what you get with my eclectic reading tastes.

Especially interesting to me this week was a story on foot form and whether it can cause running injuries in the New York Times, plus some invaluable tips for men to prevent the issue we always face with any run that’s longer than four or five miles. You know what I’m talking about.

Here’s this week’s must-reads:

  • Does Foot Form Explain Running Injuries?: From the NYTimes, another look at heel-striking, which causes so many injuries among runners.
  • How to Prevent Nipple Chafing: From Runner’s World’s Ask Jenny column, 8 tips on how to prevent looking like you “got shot” at the end of a race or long run.
  • Secrets of the Treadmill: Though the weather’s been unseasonably warm across the south, much of the country is still seeing plenty of winter weather, making the “dreaded” treadmill a necessity for now. Here’s tips on how to improve your workout on it, from Running Times.
  • Race Day Secrets from a Pro: From ESPN.com, a video interview with Runner’s World expert Jen Van Allen on how to stay hydrated and properly fueled on your half marathon race day.
  • Why Are Courses Marked in Miles?: Answer to a great question, considering so many popular race distances are measured in kilometers.
  • Grey’s Anatomy Stars Run Half Marathon for Charity: Yes, I know. Forgive me for linking to Star Magazine. But this is still a pretty cool one, right? Kim Raver, Chandra Wilson and Justin Chambers laced up for last weekend’s Rock & Roll Pasadena Half Marathon. Did any of you guys spot them at the race?

Runner’s World gets in the game

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In yet another sign of how popular the half marathon race distance has become, Runner’s World magazine announced plans for its very own race this October, the all-new Runner’s World Half Marathon and Running Festival, set for October 19 – 21 in its own hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The race will feature a 10K, 5K and a run for kids on Saturday, followed by the centerpiece of the running festival, the half marathon, on Sunday morning at 8:30 AM. Though details for the race are still being worked out, the course for the 13.1-mile race is set to take runners from the “beautifully refurbished steel mills of Bethlehem Steel through the historic neighborhoods of this Pennsylvania city,” according to the news release.

Get the full story and sign up for the race here, or follow the race on Twitter.

Read more about the race in this story from the Lehigh Valley Morning Call newspaper.

Boston Marathon to get its own beer?

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You read that right — the Boston Beer Company, the maker of Samuel Adams beer, is teaming up with the Boston Marathon to introduce a special commemorative craft beer just for the running of this year’s race, scheduled for Monday, April 16.

The beer company and the 116-year-old race actually have something of a history. Jim Koch, the founder and CEO of Boston Beer Company first began selling the brew that would later become known simply as “Sam Adams” back in 1985 on Patriot’s Day, the state holiday in Massachusetts that also happens to be the day the Boston Marathon is run each year.

Read the full story on the new Boston Marathon beer at CNBC’s website.

Quote for the Day

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“If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don’t spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it.”

Those are words from Priscilla Welch, the winner of the 1987 New York City Marathon and 6th-place finisher in the 1984 women’s Olympic marathon in Los Angeles, who didn’t take up running competitively until she was in her mid thirties.

Not only that: Before she meet her husband at age 35, Welch had been a pack-a-day smoker and “self-proclaimed partier” who took up running as a way to pass the time when she and her husband were stationed in Norway for the British military in the early 1980s.

Read more about Priscilla Welch — also known sometimes to her fellow competitors as “Cilla the Killa” — in this Running Times profile from 2008.

(Hat tip: 13.1 Marathon Series for the inspiration.)

Want to run a Wine Country Half Marathon?

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The past few years have seen the rise of the destination race in a big way, whether it’s to places like Hawaii for the Kauai Marathon & Half Marathon or to South Africa for the Big Five Marathon & Half Marathon, which takes runners through the wilds of the African savannah.

Closer to home, one of the most popular racing trends has been the many marathon and half marathon races that run through the California and Oregon wine country. Many of these sell out quickly each year, which is no surprise of course given the scenery you get to run through mile after mile.


Here’s a list of the wine country races scheduled for 2012:

Race to Robie Creek Registration Opens Today

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If you’re interested in running the April 2012 Race to Robie Creek Half Marathon — which organizers bill as “the toughest half marathon in the Northwest” — you’ll need to make sure you try to get into the race today. This race famously sells out in minutes each year, so check out the event website and Active.com for more info on signing up.

Registration for the race opens at 12:00 PM Mountain Time (that’s 2:00 PM Eastern Time) — don’t be late!

Race to Robie Creek official website: www.robiecreek.com

Plus more race info on the main site: Race to Robie Creek Half Marathon

Update: Registration for the race has now filled up, but the organizers are opening up a “second chance” registration tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM Mountain Time. From the race website:
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New Half Marathon (& Discount) for Wausau, WI

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The Rapid Running series of marathon, half marathon and cycling events arrives for the first time in 2012 in Wausau, Wisconsin, with an all-new race set for the end of summer here in this central Wisconsin city on the banks of Lake Wausau and the Wisconsin River.

Set for a late August run as school is getting back into session, the Rapid Running Wausau Half Marathon is the sixth of seven planned events in the Rapid Running series for 2012, which starts with the half marathon at the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania in May and concludes with a new half marathon in Sheboygan, Wis., in October.

For today only, runners who register for the Wausau Half Marathon (or any of the other marathon and half marathon races in the series) can save 44% off the registration fee when you use this Active.com promo code: AMERICA44.

Find out more about the race at the Rapid Running Wausau Half Marathon on the main site.