Valencia Ground Zero for World Records?

 Dubai
London
Chicago
Oslo
Eugene
Amsterdam

More and more, top runners have chosen Spain's Valencia as THE venue to challenge their talents against the Clock!
Marathons, Half Marathons, other Road races, and the Track!
Fast times every time!

Letesenbet Gidey and Joshua Cheptegai kept the trend alive in a pair of races!
Gidey led the way by cutting 4:53 off Tirunesh Dibaba's 12 year old WR, her 14:06.62 moving Women ever closer to running in the 13's!
Hitting the 3K in 8:31.85, she averaged 67's the rest of the way!

She also gets Ethiopia's National Record, and the Age 22 Record!
On a pair of Combined Events lists, Gidey is solid!
Her 14:06.62 and 10K of 30:21.23 adds to 44:27.85, ranking 8th A-T World!
In the 3K-5K-10K C-E, her 8:20.27, 14:06.62, and 30:21.23 adds to 52:48.12, ranking her 6th A-T World!

Cheptegai's contribution was to chop 6.53 off Ken Bekele's 2005 WR, crossing the finish line in a rounded 26:11.00!
And he ran negative splits--13:07.73 and 13:03.27!
How long before a Man runs in the 25's??
He also gets Uganda's National Record, and the Age 23 Record!
Bekele was the same age in 2005!!
His 12:35.36 and 26:11.00 adds to 38:46.36, moving him about 8 seconds ahead of Bekele!!
Nicholas Kemboi took Silver with 27:12.48!

Who's traveling next to Valencia??

Sifan Hassan chose the Hengelo meet as her venue of choice to run a fast 10000!!
Her 29:36.67 is her SEVENTH National Record as a Netherlands citizen!
OUTdoors, she holds NR's in the 1000, 1500, Mile, 3000, 5000, 10000, and the Half Marathon!
Her C-E totals for the 3000, 5000, and 10000 (8:18.49, 14:22.39, and 29:36.67) is 52:17.55, ranking her 2nd A-T World!
Her 5K and 10K adds to 43:59.06, ranking her 4th A-T World!
She smashed Hengelo's Meet Record by over one minute!!

Second was Tsehasy (sp?) Gemacher's 30:57.73.
Third was Sarah Chelangat's 31:46.36, Uganda's National Record!

London's Marathon, pushed to September because of the Pandemic, saw some good results, but not as solid as the Springtime version normally produces!
Tola Shure outsprinted Vincent Torotich, his 2:05:41 beating Torotich's 2:05:42!!
Favored (??) Eliud Kipchoge had "one of those days", ending 8th in a still respectable 2:06:49!

As expected, new WR holder Brigid Kosgei took the Women's race in a good 2:18:58/
But the real drama came from Sara Hall!
Back in 6th or so late in the race, she passed fading runner after fading runner, finally pulling a brilliant sprint down the final straightaway, taking 2nd in a PR of 2:22:01!
She's 6th A-T US--and my list includes times from Boston!!

Molly Seidel took minutes off her best, her 2:25:13 giving her 6th place, and making her 13th A-T US!!

Did Yelena Lashmanova Walk a 50K World Record of 3:50:42 in Russia?
Yes, she did!
BUT--according to the eTN, the mark will probably NOT be ratified, due to Russia's banned status!!
Again, this blog and blogger recognizes and accepts ALL Russian marks for Records and List purposes, choosing to respect CLEAN Russians as I do ALL clean athletes--of whatever Nation!
Innocent until PROVEN guilty!
Second was Margarita Nikiforova in 3:59:46!
The Men's race saw Demently Cheparov Walk the 31.1 mile distance in a World Leading 3:45:20!

This is a Distances dominated post, so in keeping with that theme, here's some other important results!
Poland was the site of the World Half Marathon Championships!
Peres Jepchirchir's 65:16 set a World Record for a Women Only race!!
It also ranks her 10th A-T World!
But it was a competitive finish!

Second went to Melaf Kejeta in 65:18.
She gets Germany's NR, and ranks 11th A-T World!
Jelenanzerf Yehisalaw (sp?) was 3rd in 65:19.
She ranks 12th A-T World!
Z Yimer's 65:34 in 4th ranks her 17th A-T World!
Yeshanah Ababel did not PR with her 65:41 in 5th!
Neither did Joyciline Jepkosgei's 65:58 in 6th!

The Men's Winner was Jacob Kiplimo, time of 58:49!
This ranks him 17th A-T World!
Kibiwott Kandie (Which name comes first?  I've seen it written both ways!!  LOL) was 2nd in 58:54.

Two High Schoolers make my A-T lists in the 5000!
In separate races, Charlotte Bednar's 16:25.90 ranks her 22nd A-T HS!
Brooke Rauber's 16:28.34 ranks her 24th A-T HS!!

As my steady readers (Do I have any??) know, Cross Country gets short-shrift on this blog!
Main reason is this is a Results oriented blog, so official times in track or road races are a MUST!
XC times may be accurate, but the varied terrain of the different courses makes comparing times a very iffy determinant!

That said, here's some interesting results--
At the SEC Preview, Frosh WALKER Taylor Ewert took 1st with a good 16:53.7!
She led an Arkansas SWEEP!!

In the Oklahoma State Invite, Luis Grijalva won it in 23:30.2.
Conner Mantz was close behind in 23:31.4.
The Women's race went to Whittni Orton's 20:27.8.
Taylor Roe took second in 20:38.4.

To end this post, I'm sad to report that the Hammer Throw of 264-10 by Rudy Winkler (See earlier post!) has been ruled illegal, as the field was downhill!!
His PR reverts to 264-9!

More soon!