Month: April 2022

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First Edition of Rarau Everesting

First Edition of Rarau Everesting

The first edition of Rarau Everesting takes place on 30 April. 130 runners will attempt between 1 and 10 climbs on the summit of Rarau.

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The idea behind the Everesting concept couldn’t be simpler: run up a hill until you reach 8,848m – the height of Mount Everest.

The reality is a relentless endurance battle that will push you to your physical and mental limits.

Achieve a level difference equal to Mount Everest and you’ll become a member of the RARE Everesting 8,848+ Elite Club.

For your Everesting attempt to be approved, you must:

  • Accumulate +8,848 m level difference;
    Follow the marked route to the summit of Rarau;
  • Descend the marked route from the summit of Rarau (same)
  • No sleep – you must complete the challenge in one period;
  • Breaks (eating, drinking, recharging) are included in your time;
  • You must reach the summit each time;
  • You must get down safely and return to base camp;
  • Time limit 30h max;

Everyone who makes at least 1 ascent will receive the FINISHER medal

Between 2 and up to 9 climbs, you will receive an engraving on the FINISHER medal with your name, time, and total accumulated elevation in the competition.

For 10 climbs you will receive the above + the special RARAU Everesting 8.848+ Elite Club trophy.

For the first edition of Rarau Everesting 130 participants are registered.

Leave a comment on how many athletes will climb 10 peaks of Rarau in less than 30 hours?

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UTMB roller-coaster

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.

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New World Record at 100 km 06:05:41 by Alexandr Sorokin

New World Record at 100 km 06:05:41 by Alexandr Sorokin

Alexandr Sorokin set a new world record for the 100km distance at Centurion Running in the UK.
Robert Hajnal

Alexandr Sorokin from Lithuania sets a new world record for the 100km distance.

He ran this distance in 06:05:41 in the Centurion running event. The old record was 6:09:14 and belonged to Nao Kazami.

About a year ago in CarbonX, Jim Walmsley missed this record by less than 10 seconds.

Alexandr Sorokin is also the world record holder for the 24-hour run, running 309.4 kilometres at the end of August 2021.

Romania’s record holder for the 100 kilometres belongs to Iulian Filipov. 

He ran the 100-kilometer distance in 06:41. Like Sorokin, Iulian also holds the national 24-hour running record with a distance of 277.47km.

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On our blog

UTMB roller-coaster

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.

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Boston Marathon results: Updated list of 2022 winners from all eight divisions

Boston Marathon results: Updated list of 2022 winners from all eight divisions

Robert Hajnal

Robert Hajnal

The 126th Boston Marathon will took place on April 18. Last year’s event was pushed from April to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the 2020 iteration of the competition was held virtually.

Last year’s champions were Benson Kipruto (men’s open), Diana Kipyokei (women’s open), Marcel Hug (men’s wheelchair) and Manuela Schar (women’s wheelchair), Zachary Stinson (men’s handcycles), Wendy Larsen (women’s handcycles), Chaz Davis (men’s para athletics) and Misato Michishita (women’s para athletics).

On the same subject

Boston Marathon results 2022

Men’s Wheelchair

FinishRacer (Country)Time
1Daniel Romanchuk (USA)1:26:58
2Aaron Pike (USA)1:32:49
3Johnboy Smith (United Kingdom)1:32:55
4Kota Hokinoue (Japan)1:34:06
5Patrick Monahan (Ireland)1:34:38

Women’s Wheelchair

FinishRacer (Country)Time
1Manuela Schär (Switzerland)1:41:08
2Susannah Scaroni (USA)1:46:20
3Madison De Rozario (Australia)1:52:48
4Yen Hoang (USA)1:55:27
5Jenna Fesemyer (USA)1:55:59

Men’s Handcycles

FinishRacer (Country)Time
1Alfredo Delossantos (USA)1:08:40
2Dustin Baker (USA)1:15:52
3Steve Chapman (USA)1:21:33
4Edmund Pires (USA)1:24:34
5John Masson (USA)1:26:50

Women’s Handcycles

FinishRacer (Country)Time
1Wendy Larsen (USA)1:35:10
2Devann Murphy (USA)1:48:23
3Dianne Leigh Sumner (USA)2:03:43
4Corey Petersen (USA)2:12:42
5Jessica Hayton (USA)2:20:32

Professional Men

FinishRunner (Country)Time
1Evans Chebet (Kenya)2:06:51
2Lawrence Cherono (Kenya)2:07:21
3Benson Kipruto (Kenya)2:07:27
4Gabriel Geay (Tanzania)2:07:53
5Eric Kiptanui (Kenya)2:08:47

Professional Women

FinishRunner (Country)Time
1Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya)2:21:02
2Ababel Yeshaneh (Ethiopia)2:21:06
3Mary Ngugi (Kenya)2:21:32
4Edna Kiplagat (Kenya)2:21:40
5Monicah Ngigi (Kenya)2:22:13

Para Athletics – Men

Note: These are the top five finishers from all para athletics categories. 

FinishRunner (Country)Time
1Michael Roeger (Australia)2:25:42
2Marko Cheseto Lemtukei (USA)2:37:01
3Chaz Davis (USA)2:45:45
4Ary Carlos Santos (Brazil)2:46:37
5Andrew Thorsen (USA)2:49:46

Para Athletics – Women

FinishRunner (Country)Time
1Lisa Thompson (USA)3:47:25
2Liz Willis (USA)3:56:31
3Melissa Stockwell (USA)3:58:36
4Jennifer Herring (USA)4:04:29
5Jennifer Byers (USA)4:28:03

Click here to see complete results from the 2022 Boston Marathon.

ABOUT THE B.A.A. AND THE BOSTON MARATHON

THE B.A.A. HAS ORGANIZED THE BOSTON MARATHON SINCE THE EVENT’S INCEPTION IN 1897

The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s most prestigious road racing events. The B.A.A. continues to manage this American classic, which has been sponsored by John Hancock Financial since 1986. The Boston Marathon has distinguished itself as the pinnacle event within the sport of road racing by virtue of its traditions, longevity, and method of gaining entry into the race (via qualification).

THE MODERN ERA OF THE BOSTON MARATHON

When Guy Morse took the reins of the B.A.A. in 1985, he was given a rotary phone and an empty office in the old Boston Garden. The days of the B.A.A. Games at the Boston Garden and the B.A.A. clubhouse were long gone, but the organization held onto its marquee event, the Boston Marathon, and the B.A.A. Running Club as the only two visible pieces of its illustrious past.

As race director, Morse and the B.A.A.’s Board of Governors attracted a principal sponsor for the Boston Marathon in John Hancock Financial and, with John Hancock’s assistance, instituted a prize money structure to help bring the world’s fastest runners to Boston. The change not only brought faster runners to Boston; it brought more runners to Boston. Since 1986, the men’s and women’s open division course records have improved a combined eight times and the field size has grown from 4,904 entrants to 30,000 in recent years. The Boston Marathon also attracts approximately 500,000 spectators each year, making it New England’s most widely viewed sporting event.

For the 100th running of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 1996, the B.A.A. worked for years ahead of time in cooperation with the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon course to appropriately commemorate the milestone. Through a one-time exception to field size constraints, a record 38,708 runners were given entry into the Centennial Boston Marathon. This single-time field size stood for seven years as the largest in marathon history.

Ten years later, the Boston Marathon partnered with the London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City marathons to collectively launch the Abbott World Marathon Majors. This series links the world’s most prestigious marathons and offers a $1 million prize purse to be split equally among the top male and female marathoners in the world each year. In 2013, the Tokyo Marathon joined as the sixth event in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series.

The progressive actions of the B.A.A. throughout the years have been reflective of the vision of the B.A.A. Board of Governors. Since the B.A.A.’s inception in 1887, the Board of Governors have voluntarily led the organization through good times and bad.

Through its dedicated leadership, the B.A.A. has demonstrated its commitment to and support of the Greater Boston area, especially the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon route. In 2013, the B.A.A. renewed its financial commitment to the towns of Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, and Brookline, the cities of Newton and Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, pledging a total of $2.7 million over a three-year term, with contributions increasing annually.

OFFICIAL CHARITY PROGRAM FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON

The runners of the selected charities of the B.A.A.’s Charity Program for the Boston Marathon raise more than $15 million annually and serve areas of need within Greater Boston. The funds and positive impact are important to the success of the B.A.A.’s mission, and the B.A.A. is proud to support these charities and their fundraising endeavors. With special regard to the field of Boston Marathon qualifiers, the B.A.A. has integrated its charity program into the race in an effort which recognizes the running community in and around the Boston Marathon, and the year-round philanthropic endeavors of the Boston Athletic Association. The Charity Program for the Boston Marathon began in 1989 when the American Liver Foundation became the first charity to receive official entries into the Boston Marathon. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute came aboard in 1990, and since then the program has grown to support at least 30 charities each year.

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UTMB roller-coaster

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.

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Iulian Filipov: “Sport is in a symbiosis with family life.”

Iulian Filipov Morfelden-Walldorf

Iulian Filipov: “Sport is in a symbiosis with family life.”

Andrei Ivănescu

Andrei Ivănescu

Iulian Filipov proves that often the only limit is the one we set for ourselves: you can have a family, a nice career, not have been a competitive athlete and still run the 7th best 24h performance in the world.

 


Iulian Filipov is a specialist in oral and maxillofacial surgery. He originally wanted to become a policeman, but in his last year of high school he decided to pursue medicine. Now, amidst attending national and international conferences in the field in which he excels, he has also stepped into the sports spotlight after breaking the national 100km road record.


Find out from TRA’s interview about how he got to practice this sport at a competitive level and, more importantly, how he managed to break a record, making history for Romania.

Iulian Filipov Record National 24h

FROM HOBBY TO PERFORMANCE

I’d like to start directly with a clickbait: Iulian, how long have you been running and what are your best performances? Just so we know what we’re talking about right off the bat.

I started running in February 2018, but it was all about relaxing, short runs of up to 8-10km, without any performance goals in mind.

Of the results achieved so far, my PBs are as follows: marathon – 2:37:35, 100 km – 6:41:07, 24h – 277.475 km. 

Iulian Filipov, record national 24h

In the early fall of 2020 I believe you officially made your debut in performance sports, specifically the ultramarathon, flat niche. How did you feel during the race when you realised you were about to break the Romanian records for 100km and 6h?

Indeed, I realised that I have considerably better times in flat running than in trail running and set myself the goal of running 100km in under 7h, and my first competition was in Morfleden (Germany), where I ran 100km in 6:59:04 on a 400m track. Based on my training times, I knew I could run under 7:37h (which was the best 100km time in Romania), but my goal was to run under 7h, and I wasn’t convinced I could. 


After 6h I realised that I could achieve the desired time. Unfortunately there were no split times at 6h, neither in Germany (where I had run 88.4 km) nor in the Netherlands (where at 6h I had 90.74 km).

100KM NATIONAL RECORD

You seem to have an innate appetite for endurance. First your career as a doctor, which we know requires exceptional effort, hard work and focus, and now (very) long distance running. Where does all this inner drive come from, and what fuels it next?

 Indeed, determination and strength of concentration are attributes common to both running and operating room endurance. That’s not to say they are any kind of role model. The truth is that most of the time I’m really lazy. But if I have strong motivation, I generally succeed in achieving what I set out to do, and I hope to confirm this in the future.


7th fastest time in history over 24h. The first Romanian in history to finish 100km under 7h, and in September came the next fantastic result: 100km in 6:41h. From reliable sources, I heard he even got a cold. What records do you still want to break?

My best time at 100km seems to have come when I was least expecting it because of a cold. I coughed quite a lot in the first 60 km, after that I felt really good and as the atmosphere on the Winschoten course was great and the course was very fast, it resulted in a very good time. I want to run over 160 km in a 12h race, over 290 km in a 24h race and under 2:30h in a marathon. Knowing me, the last goal seems the hardest to reach.

"

Iulian Filipov was number 1 at the 100 km Ultramarathon in Morfelden-Walldorf, Germany. The athlete from Brasov won the competition in 6 hours, 59 minutes and 4 seconds. Filipov managed to break the national record for 6 hours running and is also the national 100 km record holder. The exceptional performance is all the more valuable as the man from Brasov has only been running for two years.

Sursa: aimx.ro

Iulian Filipov record 100km

After so many incredible figures, let’s not talk about the training figures. I’d still like to ask you, as between athletes… how’s your recovery? Any tips and tricks, for those who have little time but don’t neglect this aspect?

In training I try to have one or two long runs of 40-60 km per week and a minimum of one interval workout, and I try to keep the volume as close to 180 km per week as possible. Sleep and nutrition are the most important controllable variables influencing recovery, especially when limited time doesn’t allow you to introduce other procedures that facilitate recovery.

On nutrition I can honestly and openly say that in the fight against sweets I am a glutton and an absolute loser, no matter how much effort I put into wanting to tip the scales towards a better BMI (Body Mass Index). As for sleep, I try to squeeze in 15-20 minutes of power nap between appointments in the second half of the day after hospital work.

Clearly, you can’t do it all alone. The saying “It takes a village to raise a child.” I think it can also be applied to athletes: you need to have people close to you who support, understand and, above all, appreciate you. How important was and is the support of those close to you on the road to performance?

The reality is that when you have the understanding of those close to you (or, why not, tolerance at other times) your sporting activity is symbiotic with your family and professional life. That’s not to say it’s easy to cram time for loved ones, profession, sport and recovery into 24 hours. It is a perfectible exercise whose drive lies in everyone’s desire to place themselves at a certain level, be it social, professional or sporting. And if the energy put into it finds a favourable contextual framework, I believe it can be done.

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ISTRIA 100miles by UTMB®

ISTRIA 100mile 2022

ISTRIA 100mileS by UTMB®

Are you ready for a 170-kilometer adventure in Istria, Croatia? We’ve put together a series of photos from the 100-mile route around the Croatian peninsula. The route goes from sea level to 1400meters, through villages paved with cubic stone, vineyards and olive trees hundreds of years old, picturesque hills.

• Live update

The Winner!
Am ajuns la Finish #1! (18:26h) Mulțumesc tuturor pentru suport & susținere!
Hajnal Robert
Hajnal Robert Istria 100 de mile
Alexandra & Vlad, the media team in Bucharest thanks you!
Suntem aproape de final! Ultimul CP pentru Robert a fost la BUJE (155,4km) și apoi ne vedem direct la finish cu #1! Mai mult de 60 minute are avans față de locul 2, Roberto Mastrotto. Hai, Robert! Have a good pace!
Alexandra Hașegan
Alexandra HașeganMedia
Favoritul #1 pe locul #1 cu doar 20km până la finish. Hai Robert!
Robert se simte mai bine deși a fost nevoit să mai vomite o dată. A solicitat pâine în următorul punct de la LIVADE. Din păcate nu avem pâine și nici în checkpoint nu găsim așa ceva. Sperăm să-l „păcălim” cu niște grisine. Cântecul păsărelelor și dimineața ne oferă optimism pentru următoarea porțiune din traseu. Se pare că Robert nu este singurul cu probleme la stomac, MASTROTTO având și el dificultăți similare.
Maria Taban
Maria TabanLogodnică & Chief of Crewing Team
În CP Buzet a stat 5min20, dar nu se simțea prea bine, i-a fost rău până aici. Sperăm să își revină, are un avans considerabil față de locul 2.
Maria Taban
Maria TabanLogodnică & Chief of Crewing Team
CP Buzet (km 100). Robert ajunge primul, urmat de Roberto Matrotto (IT) după mai mult de 34 minute.
PS. Robert nu a vrut să-și schimbe încălțămintea. A zis că preferă să rămână în noul model Altra Mont Blanc pentru că se simte bine în ei, renunțând astfel la schimbarea cu modelul Olympus.
Maria Taban
Maria TabanLogodnică & Chief of Crewing Team
Robert a avut și primul moment mai dificil din cursă. Între M.DRAGA și POKLON a rămas fără apă și i s-a făcut greață. Astfel la ieșirea din CP POKLON a decis să înlocuiască un flask de isotonic cu unul de apă. Dacă până acum a avut câte un flask de iso, apă și carbo.. acum a luat două de apă și unul de carbo. Urmează două CP fără suport. Ne mai vedem cu Robert abia peste aproape 5 ore.
Maria Taban
Maria TabanLogodnică & Chief of Crewing Team
Robert a intrat primul în CP POKLON (km 52). Nu a petrecut prea mult timp nici aici, doar 2 minute si 40 de secunde i-au fost suficiente echipei sale de suport pentru a-l pregăti de luptă. Între timp s-a oprit și ploaia. Robert are 14 minute avans față de ocupantul locului secund - Sange Sherpa. Hai Robert!
Vlad Jegan
Vlad JeganMedia
Supa caldă pregătită de echipa de suport (Maria & Paul) e acum în mâinile lui Robert. Așteptăm mai multe informații, stay tuned!
Alexandra Hașegan
Alexandra HașeganMedia
O noapte ploioasă îi animă pe concurenții #Istria100miles. Robert este așteptat în punctul de control - Poklon (km 52) în aproximativ 20 de minute (23:22, ora României). Acolo va fi întâmpinat cu o supă caldă pregătită de echipa de suport, dar și cu „merindele” pentru următoarea porțiune din traseu.
La km 35 Robert este în timpii lui optimiști..deci puțin mai rapid decât era programat. Probabil stă aproape de Sherpa. Urmează cea mai dificilă urcare din cursă, cu peste 1400m diferență de nivel în 16,6 km. Între timp a început și ploaia...
Maria Taban
Maria TabanLogodnică & Chief of Crewing Team
Robert a intrat în CP la km 35 aproape umăr la umăr cu urmăritorul său Sange Sherpa. Cam atât a petrecut Robert în acest punct.
Robert intră primul în CP MOŠĆENIČKA DRAGA urmat de SANGE SHERPA. Stați aproape, urmează info & foto 🙂
Vlad Jegan
Vlad JeganMedia
Robert Hajnal la Istria 100mile 2022
Robert ajunge în Plomin - practic până aici a fost încălzirea 🙂
Robert a ajuns al doilea în checkpointul Plomin cu doar două minute în spatele lui Sange Sherpa #4
Vlad Jegan
Vlad JeganMedia
Plomin Luka checkpoint - primii concurenți urmează să sosească
Echipa de suport este în așteptarea lui Robert la Plomin Luka - km 15,6
3, 2, 1 ..Start cursă! Vremea pare perfectă pentru alergat!
Vlad Jegan
Vlad JeganMedia
ISTRIA 100mile 2022
Start race
Robert Hajnal ISTRIA100mile 2022
#1 la câteva minute înainte de start
Zile
Ore
Minute

Antrenează-te cu Robert!

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How a running coach improved my training process

Why to have a running coach - Diversity Skimo

How a running coach improved my training process

Starting with December 2021, I chose a coach to work with for a more efficient process. How did I get to him? What benefits did a coach brings me? What is and is not a coach? Why you should do this step?
Robert Hajnal

Robert Hajnal
Altra - Sponsor Hajnal Robert
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Uglow - Sponsor Hajnal Robert
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The first memory I have of myself is running in the schoolyard.

The first running competition I took part in was 10 years ago, in the Retezat mountains. It was 28 kilometers with 2200 positive level differences.

It was painful, but I was caught up in this sport of suffering even though I told myself I would never do it again. Since then I have started and finished more than 50 running competitions on different distances and on different surfaces.

Some of them did really well, especially those in my “niche” of ultramarathons on the 100 kilometers on the mountain.

All this 10 year span period I structured my training plan on my own, I chose my races and I had a continuous desire to improve my process. Both, to train and to train.

I think a change is welcome for a while, especially since I’ve been running for 10 years.

Starting in December 2021, I chose a coach to work with for a more efficient process. How did I get to him? What benefits did a coach bring me? What is and is not a coach? Why you should do this step,  I will detail in this article.

I wouldn’t have taken that step in 100 years because too often I was saying to myself, “No one else will know what’s best for me,” especially since I’ve been doing this for so long.

What I was really saying was that I was not prepared for such a commitment and I would not want to disappoint anyone in my training and competition process. It sounds familiar? That it is my right to choose when to run and to suffer or to take a day off.

Spoiler alert! Even though I now have a coach, I still have this right and I have more days off than I would have given myself.

Enjoying myself in an easy long run near Tășuleasa Social with Cristian Bilegan

How did I decide to have a running coach and where did I choose him?

I was in Bucharest on Mihai’s massage table. To my left, on another massage table, Florin, a triathlete talks about his today’s cycling workout. Cadence, watts, pulse, everything seemed very, very accurate. I asked him who was his coach and he told me that he had a training plan from Training Peaks that he was following.

When we met, one of the first conversations I had with Maria, about running,  was about a coach. If I have one or not. I told her that I am my own coach and that I prefer to make my own training plans, and without lack of modesty I told her that if I took a few podiums I was good at it.

He confirmed to me that I am good at this (ego boost), but that I should still have someone to guide and motivate me.

Besides, she told me I should just run and not bother with other things like my own training plan. And she said that it’s very easy to be biassed when it comes to your training plan. It’s easier to make the right plan for others, but it’s harder to make your own plan and follow it exactly. Smart girl, from the start.

This discussion was a recurring one, especially on the days when I used to say “today I will have a  soft day because I don’t feel ready for an intense workout” and these days have been more and more frequent lately.

The year 2021 was a year full of competitions for me but a year that could have been better in training. After MIUT, where I took 5th place, I told myself that I had to take another step forward, to fight for a place on the podium (top 3) at every ultramarathon I start.

Listening to Maria’s advice, and remembering the discussion with Florin, I told myself that for the next competition, I will take a training plan that I will follow with holiness from TrainingPeaks.

After about two hours of scrolling through training plans, I find a plan that suits my needs. “16-week training plan with 18-20 hours of training for 100-mile competitions on the mountain”

It sounded very appropriate for what I needed.

In addition, I liked  how the “demo” week looked like. It was very well structured and shared the same the principles after I train and considered healthy to have. Enough volume, enough intensity, enough recovery. Not not too many  not too few of each.

The plan was not perfect.

It was a 16-week training plan and there were only 12 weeks until Transgrancanaria. I bought the plan and gave an email to the coach who made the training plan to ask him how can I adjust the plan Transgrancanaria how It should be adapted, to cut the first weeks, cut the weeks of volume, and what to cut, how much to cut? I wouldn’t have thought that maybe I should add something,

The coach responds to my email congratulating me on 2nd place at UTMB and told me that he knows me and that he could restructure my plan, but at the same time, if I am interested, we can start a collaboration in which he will supervise my training process. In addition, he can give me a 50% discount for the first month.

We made a call after MIUT and I was caught.

Long treadmill training in winter. Actually an Uptempo that gave me confidence that I could run a marathon in less than 2h30min
The first long run of the year in preparation for Transgrancanaria.
The longest run of the year before Transgrancanaria. A run that I would not have done so early in the year, but whose benefits I felt at Transgrancanaria managing to have a strong finish
Between Transgrancanaria and Istria I had another 6-hour run, I preferred to climb 6 times in Postavaru, on cross-country skis keeping the specifics of the training. Even though it wasn't running, it was a busy day.

What benefits did a running coach bring?

Testing. Consistency. Diversity. Volume. Focus. Recovery. Attention to detail. Progress.

The biggest plus I have felt since I have a coach is that I can share with someone the successes, the difficult moments, a race plan, and a nutrition plan. I have someone on this journey looking in the same direction, with the same vision.

Testing. After a week of lightly running recovery after MIUT and setting goals for 2022, the plan began with flat running, treadmill tests, and a strength test. Because it was the end of the season, and because I had eaten a lot of pastel del nata in Madeira, orange cakes, and egg sandwiches, I felt heavy and out of shape from the beginning. I was not discouraged knowing that if I keep working hard it is very difficult to go lower than that. I said it to myself.

Consistency. I did more work than I would have done if I trained alone. I went out of the house more often even if I didn’t feel like it, which is a bonus from the start.

I have done all of that not because someone was following me but because once I took that step, I had to stick to the process. If I have done the same thing as before, I would have had the same results. Even Andrei Ivănescu was surprised to see me at the gym, in the evening after a running workout.

Diversity. I ran on the track, on the trail, on the treadmill, on the road. I did cross-country skiing. I used the weight vest, I cycled on the trainer, and I went to the gym. During all these 4 months I did all the job without feeling that I was losing the fun that winter offers me, without feeling that I was training too much or that I will be injured.

Volume. Not only did I train more, it was more fun, but I also ran longer this time of the year than I would have done with my own schedule.

Focus. Each training had its precise purpose and the Vertix2 watch confirmed to me that the training goal had been achieved.

Recovery. Often the coach informed me that I had to recover that day or not too pedal or run hard or too much. I remember running downhill at the first weight lifted west and the coach told me not to do that anymore. Or when I had an indoor cycling session on the trainer, I made it too intense and the coach told me to make it softer and pull when needed.

Attention to detail. After the TGC I was put in the practical situation, to write down what went well, what worked, what didn’t work, and what steps we should take to improve the pre-race process. For Istria, I have taken these aspects into account and I hope for an improved result.

Progress. From the first test to the last test a few days ago, progress has not stopped. Both in speed, and strength, and in my perception of effort. As long as we have progress in process or result I am delighted and “better” can be more often.

What does a running coach is and what a running coach is not?

A coach will not take you out of the house, but if you are a person who feels motivated when supervised then this service may be for you. I know that many people feel the need for a coach to be more motivated, productive, and communicative about training and goals.

A coach will not argue with you because you did not run, but he understands your reason.

A coach will adapt your training plan to your needs and unforeseen moments.

A coach understands the “struggles” you go through, he will motivate you to overcome them.

Under no circumstances should a coach punish you. He is with you, he shares this process with you. A coach sees the potential that you have and the negative passes are transient.

A coach (re)gives you confidence.

After 16 weeks of training, a few days before the start of the race, I thank Maria for sticking to the idea of having a coach and motivating me to take this step.

A few days before a hundred miles I find myself fitter, more motivated, and more prepared than ever to make a successful run.

And it’s good because I’ve never been alone in this, but now I have another person with me to share this journey with.

 

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UTMB roller-coaster

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.

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Women in the marathon- Unbroken record 37 years

Women in the marathon- Unbroken record 37 years

alexandrahasegan

alexandrahasegan
Surely a list of the best times of the women in the marathon race would not have been what you expect from this article. The research was not easy, that's for sure. The history documenting women's participation in running events is a complex one, although much shorter than that of men.

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Bandit Runner, since 1896

Let’s go back in time for a bit, to 1896, when the Olympic Games were “revived”. Women were once again excluded from the running events. Since nothing can stop them from getting what they want, a woman named Melpomene entered the Olympic Marathon. Although the race organizers rejected her registration, she ran out of the competition (bandit runner, as they say), finishing at about 4:30h. Nearly a century has passed until the next woman officially runs the Olympic Marathon.

Proba olimpica de maraton, masculin

 

The first woman officially timed in a marathon race

Violet Piercy of Great Britain was the first female participant to be officially timed in a marathon event, with a time of 3:40:22 at the Polytechnic Marathon in 1926. Although the rule imposed by the Women’s Amateur Athletic Association (WAAA) was that no women’s race should exceed 800m, Violet Percy happily broke the rules that year. Because of this and the lack of competition, the record stood for no more, no less than 37 years.

Violet Percy, the first UK athlete to be timed in the marathon event

It wasn’t until 1963 in Culver City that the first record-breaking time was recorded: 3:37h at the Western Hemisphere Marathon in California by US athlete Merry Lepper.

Merry Lepper finishes marathon in 3:37h

The first female finisher at Boston Marathon

In 1966, Roberta Gibb hid behind a bush at the start of the Boston Marathon and managed to finish the race in an unofficial time of 3:21:25. She was the first known woman to complete the race.

Roberta Gibb finishes Boston Marathon

Probably one of the most famous stories in the marathon world dates back to 1967 when Katherine Switzer tried and succeeded in officially entering the Boston Marathon. Her coach, though unconvinced when she told him her plans, promised to take her to Boston himself if she proved she could run the distance. Unsurprisingly, Switzer ran the marathon + extra 5 miles in training.

The athlete entered the race as K.V. Switzer (personal preference) and her entry was approved, as they couldn’t know her gender. After about 2 miles, the press cars, led by the race organizer, appeared behind her. The photo speaks for itself and the full story, told by the athlete herself, can be read right here. 

Katherine Switzer, first woman in the marathon, Boston

I wouldn’t want to distort the words through translation, the event was more than touching and inspiring, so I’ll get straight to the happy ending: Katherine finished the race and thus became the first female finisher at the Boston Marathon, officially.

Bigger and bigger changes

  • On 31 August 1971, Adrienne Beames of Australia became the first woman to run a marathon under three hours, breaking this barrier with a time of 2:46:30.
  • In 1972, women were allowed to officially compete in the Boston Marathon for the first time.
  • On 28 October 1973, the first women’s marathon was held in Waldniel, West Germany. The success of that race was built on the following October when Dr. Ernst Ban Aaken, a West German and a strong supporter of women’s running, sponsored the first Waldniel International Women’s Marathon Championship. Forty women from seven countries competed in the event.
  • In 1981, the decision was made to include women in the Olympic marathon event, big day! Better late than never, right?

Two reasons were often cited for this exclusion, which took longer than it should have:

Firstly, some experts argued that women’s health would be affected by long-distance running. This theory has been proven false not only by medical studies but also by the success of women marathoners in the 1970s.

Second, the Olympic Charter stipulated that to be included in the Games, a women’s sport had to be widely practiced in at least 25 countries on at least two continents (for men’s events, the requirement was 50 countries on three continents). The women’s marathon, Olympic organizers argue, simply wasn’t popular enough to be included.

 

To be continued. 

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UTMB roller-coaster

The emotions and experience of TrailRunning Academy athlete Valentin Bălănescu during the 170 km of the UTMB.