Habari za Wiki - 23 June, 2020
London Marathon is still on for now...
When Great North Run was cancelled, there were speculations that London Marathon is next. But, at least for now, the London Marathon is still set for 4 October and will go on as a planned according to event director Hugh Brasher is reassuring all runners.
It’s hard to see how this is going to happen, tens of thousands of runners packed into starting corrals and a million spectators lining the streets. Just doesn’t sound real. We expect some announcements on what adjustments are going to be made to accommodate our new reality. But either way, we’re excited that the Kipchoge Bekele showdown might still be on!
Eliud Kipchoge is on a mission to feed the needy during this Covid 19 pandemic
Eliud Kipchoge is really a busy man. As he tries to maintain his training ahead of London Marathon in October, he is also busy traversing Kenya’s Great Rift Valley donating and supplying food to families which have been financially hit hard during this Coronavirus pandemic. In these past weeks he supplied food to about 100 families.
Vivian Cheruiyot eyes Tokyo marathon gold medal
Vivian Cheriyot at the 2019 London Marathon
Vivian Cheruiyot, or the pocket rocket, has never received the appreciation many feel she deserves. On the track she won four world championships titles, 2 each in 5000 and 10,000m and a 5000m Olympic gold medal. Vivian is now a road runner, who in 2018 won the London Marathon in 2:18:31. Her eyes are on the Tokyo 2021 marathon gold medal. Given her record, no one should rule her out as a gold medal contender in Tokyo.
Steeplechase prince Kipruto training for Diamond league and CT
Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto has returned to training in preparation for the Diamond League and Continental Tour series. The track and field session is expected to commence in August, so it’s past time to get ready! Continental Tour starts on 11 August in Turku, Finland while Diamond League starts on 14 August in Monaco. It is more likely Conseslus will compete in 3000m race in Diamond League as steeplechase will not feature in the Diamond League and was dropped to be part of the Continental Tour.
It’s a tragedy that steeplechase has been cut from top level World Athletics contests. It’s always a thrilling race to watch.
Six weeks, six challenges, six athletes, it is time to get Fitter with Friends
Race organisers and competition planners are getting more innovative each day. The body governing Athletics, World Athletics, has come up with a 6 week global campaign to keep runners motivated and continue with healthy routines. The campaign starts from 25 June to the end of July. Each week a top athlete from each of the six continents (Antarctica not included, natch) will issue fitness challenges to you and a group of friends. To take part simply sign up for the challenge on World Athletics' website.
Even without competitions, there’s a slew of crazy doping news.
Coleman, you should have been at your house during your one hour testing window!
American sprinter Christian Coleman has been suspended for two years. Yes, you read right. The 100m World Champion may not be at the Olympic Games next year. He should have been banned before for 3 whereabouts failures (meaning he missed 3 tests). But got out on a technicality.
So you’d think he’d be razor sharp on never messing up again, right? Nope. He did it again. Coleman blames it on doping control officer (DCO) for not calling him when they arrived at his home, he was only 5 minutes away for Christmas shopping. As part of the whereabouts requirement, an athlete is required to provide a location where he/she will be for one hour each day of the year to be available for testing. And Coleman chose that one hour to go to the shop. And DCOs aren’t supposed to call, as that would tip an athlete off and give them time to tamper with the test. So there goes the excuse too...
A 12 year ban, that is an athletics career done.
Ethiopian marathoner Etaferahu Temesgen Wodaj has been handed a 12 year ban for violation of two World Athletics anti-doping rules. The first is use prohibited substances – Testosterone and EPO and the second is tampering with the doping control process. The first 4 years are for substances violation while the other 8 years are for the tampering. Her ban is effective 20 November 2019 and all results from 20 October 2019 have been disqualified.
Olympian and Sudanese Refugee Guor Mading Maker 'Marial' revisits his tragic and inspirational Story
Marial grew up in South Sudan and back in 2012 had hit the Olympic qualifying standard, but had a problem. South Sudan only gained its independence in 2011 did not yet have a National Olympic Committee, so Marial could not represent them at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The International Olympic Committee told Marial he could compete representing Sudan. That was quite the insult as Guor Mading Maker fled the Sudanese civil war which resulted in South Sudan becoming an independent country. He chose to sit out rather than represent Sudan.
You'll note that the headline here we refer to him as an Olympian, so hopefully you guessed the story has a happy ending. The IOC revised their decision and Marial was able to compete under the Olympic flag. The team at Let's Run caught up with him to share his story.
Former athletics boss faces 4 year jail term
Lamine Diack was the most powerful man in athletics. He was the President of IAAF (now World Athletics) for 16 years from 1999 until 2015 before being succeeded by Seb Coe. His departure hasn’t been smooth at all. The Senegalese is marred with allegations of corruption and money-laundering charges as well as doping cover ups. Prosecutors are asking for a four-year jail term for ex-athletics boss. However Diack’s lawyer Diack's lawyer Simon Ndiaye says Diack is being used as a scapegoat to clean up the reputation of World Athletics.
From Us At Enda
For the first time ever the Enda team celebrated Juneteenth. It’s one of the oldest known celebrations honoring the end of slavery in the US.
If you are American and have never celebrated this day, we think it’s worth asking: why? If your country ever colonized another country, do you celebrate the end of that oppression? If not, why not? Clearly everyone should celebrate these steps of progress. And we should also see the need to keep working for justice.
Here is our full blog post reflecting on the day.
From the Enda Community
We always fun to see your initial reactions to receiving new Lapatets! Here are two from Instagram this week:
“Got my new Enda Lapatet running shoes yesterday! So comfy and well made!” - @denece_c
“they’re my most comfortable sneakers I’ll order from dem again” - @kallmekwabena
