Run to Win

Traditionally, a runner that false starts a race is allowed to remain in the field if he is the first one to do so, although any subsequent false starts mean that the runner will be disqualified.

That first false start is charged to the field.

Starting on January 1^st, 2010, that will no longer be the case.

The IAAF approved the rule change 97 votes to 55, citing the success that a similar rule change has had in the NCAA for eliminating sprinters who try to game the system with a slight early lead with no repercussions.

The change in the rules should give runners plenty of time to get used to the change before the 2011 World Championships in South Korea.

Doug Logan voted against the change on behalf of the USATF.

(More Info: USATF – Photo Source: elisasizzle)

About a month ago, the United States challenged Jamaica to a Dual-Meet Series where the two sprinting powerhouses could face off against one another in team competition.

Jamaica accepted the challenge a few weeks later.

Former world-record holder Asafa Powell is not very impressed with the arrangement, however.

“I don’t really see the importance of it. There are many Grand Prix and Golden League meets out there that we are going to be competing in against each other, so it doesn’t make any sense to me,” Powell said.

Frankly, I think that Powell is missing the point.
(Click here to continue reading…)

It has been less than a month since USATF CEO Doug Logan challenged the JAAA to a dual meet series pitting the two nations best sprinters, jumpers and hurdlers against one another in team competition.

The meets have been scheduled, and will happen in May and June of 2010. That will give the USATF and the JAAA 13 months to put the event together, sign the athletes to commit, and arrange media sponsorship.

“We look forward to taking on our American friends in head-to-head competition in 2010,” said JAAA President Howard Aris. “We are confident that this kind of team competition, featuring the most exciting events in athletics, will prove captivating to fans around the world.”

The meet on US soil will probably be in the Southeast, so if I can’t manage to make my way down I really hope that it is broadcasted on a television station that I’ll have access to or is streamed over the web so that I can watch it live.

This is bound to be a pretty exciting meet and it will be interesting to see how the nations do in heads up team competition.

(More Info: Doug Logan’s Letter – USATF)

Now this has to be one of the coolest things I’ve heard about in the past couple of years.

Doug Logan, the USATF CEO, hand delivered a proposal to the Jamaican NACAC Representative Teddy McCook.

The proposal calls for a pair of dual meets between the two countries, one on US soil and one on Jamaican soil.

Rather than racing for medals, the meets would be scored by team and would include these events: (Click here to continue reading…)

Would you have been able to run 3200 meters (almost 2 miles) in 11:58.9 when you were 10 years old? I certainly couldn’t have, especially inside.

In Louisiana, the state championship meets allow anybody from the school to compete, and some of the schools go from elementary right up through high school in one building with one principal. As such, we get to meet Gabrielle Jennings, who won the D2 state meet:

She runs 2½ miles per day most days and does interval work every other week, and is very obviously enjoying her running immensely. It must be exciting to beat girls that are 3-8 years older than her.

Update: Here’s the video of her race, where she comes from as far back as 5^th place to win (Hat tip for the update » Running is Funny):

Jenn Stuczynski set the American Indoor Pole Vault Record at the Boston Indoor Games last night at 15′ 9.75″ and then attempted to set a new world record. Here is the result of each of her jump from the video I shot at the meet:

(Click here to continue reading…)

Tomorrow evening is the Boston Indoor Games, a great event put on down at the Reggie Lewis Center every year. If you are planning on being there, then keep an eye out for me as I’ll be there with both my still and my video camera!

The Games will not be televised live, but will be on ESPN on Sunday from 4:00-6:00. If you haven’t made your picks yet, you have until 4:55 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday to choose who you think is going to score in tomorrow’s meet.

I am very excited about the meet. When making my picks, I saw that Kevin Sullivan is racing in the mile, so I had to make that pick despite thinking that he probably isn’t going to be able to beat Alan Webb.

Kara Goucher should put in a good 3000m as she gets herself into shape for the Boston Marathon, her goal race for 2009 and which has not been won by an American (man or woman) since 1985.

I’m also looking forward to watching Shalane Flanagan in the 5k and Galen Rupp in the 3k.

I also noticed today that the USATF Indoor Championships are also in Boston this year, so I am going to have to see if I can arrange my schedule to let me get down there again at the end of the month.

See you there!

It’s that time of year again! The Visa Championship Series starts tonight with the Millrose Games and continues next week with the Boston Indoor Games. I can’t get to New York today, but will be in Boston next week.

The Millrose games will be televised live on ESPN2 tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. It will also be televised tomorrow on NBC, January 31 from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. ET. If you’d like to play along with Fantasy Track, then you have until 5:40 p.m. tonight to make your picks.

Here are the details on how that works:

How it works

Fans create their ultimate track and field team each week by going to www.visachampionshipseries.com and selecting the athletes they believe will compete well at that week’s meet.

Each Visa Championship Series meet is “virtually” scored, with 10 points going to the first-place athlete in each event, 8 points to the second-place athlete, 6 points to the third-place athlete and so on down to sixth place. The selected athletes score points for your team.

During the 2008 indoor season, after the conclusion of the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Jim Dunaway’s team from Austin, Texas, had scored the most points during the Indoor Visa Championship Series. He won a grand prize trip for two to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field, courtesy of Visa. David Donley won the overall second-place prize, a $250 Visa Gift Card and Nike gift bag, including but not limited to a Nike/USATF spike bag, jacket, t-shirt and cap. Anthony DeSain won the third-place prize, a $100 Visa gift card and Nike gift bag.

2009 Indoor Pick-N-Win Fantasy Game

Grand Prize: One Grand Prize winner will be awarded a $2,000 Visa Gift Card and a Nike gift bag, including but not limited to, a Nike/USATF bag, jacket, t-shirt and cap. Approximate Retail Value: $2,100.

Second Place Prize: One Second Place Prize winner will be awarded a $250.00 Visa Gift Card and a Nike gift bag, including but not limited to, a Nike/USATF spike bag, jacket, t-shirt and cap. Approximate Retail Value: $350.

Third Place Prize: One Third Place Prize winner will be awarded a $100.00 Visa Gift Card and a Nike gift bag, including but not limited to, a Nike/USATF spike bag, jacket, t-shirt and cap. Approximate Retail Value: $200.

Three Weekly Prizes: Each game week, a Nike gift bag containing a Nike/USATF spike bag, jacket, t-shirt and cap, valued at $100, will be awarded. Weekly Prize winners will be determined by the top score achieved during the appropriate week from among all eligible entries (excluding the Grand Prize winners) received by the online deadline.

Pick-N-Win Fantasy Game New Features

• Invite a Friend: From the Pick-N-Win website, players have the ability to email a friend the Fantasy Game link and invite them to participate.
• News Page: Athlete scratches and additions to start lists will be updated on the news page.
• Facebook: From the Pick-N-Win site, players can click on the Facebook link and go to the USATF Facebook page to discuss strategies with other players and interact with their competition.

You can find all these items at
http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/VisaChampionshipSeries/play/

Fantasy Game timeline:

• The game kicks off with the historic 102nd Millrose Games (Jan. 30) and continues through the Reebok Boston Indoor Games (Feb. 7), Tyson Invitational (Feb. 13), and the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships (Feb. 28-Mar. 1).
• The first deadline for players to make their final 102nd Millrose Games picks is Friday, Jan. 30th at 5:40 p.m. ET. The game will conclude on Feb. 28 at 11:55 a.m. ET.