Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i AW - Athletics Weekly Magazine

MARCH 2023 In my experience, athletics has a very good way of stopping you from getting ahead of yourself. How many of us, for example, have finished a training session thinking that - at last - we’ve cracked it, only to turn up for the next one and those same legs which had been turning over so smoothly now feel more akin to a broken deckchair? Where running had seemed so effortless, now all of a sudden it takes every ounce of energy just to keep going in a straight line? I had just that very experience (for the umpteenth time) recently. I had had one of those sessions where everything clicks. I could feel I was running well and some nice comments from the training group confirmed my suspicions.…

DIGEST OPINION A little under a year ago, sitting in the bowels of the newly-renovated Alexander Stadium, I asked Keely Hodgkinson a question as she spoke to assembled media the day before the Birmingham Diamond League. Hodgkinson possesses all the attributes required to be a sporting superstar: a staggering level of talent, an unyielding determination and an infectious, captivating personality. She is not there yet - the breakout leap from athletics domination to mainstream recognition is one that few manage - but everything is in place for Keely to follow the likes of Jess, Mo and Dina in becoming the sport's next one-name sensation in Britain. “Is your mum still coming round to do your washing and cook meals for you?” I asked Hodgkinson, light-heartedly. She laughed, having a few weeks…

MASTERS ATHLETES I have been interested in running for much of my longish life: not just doing it but watching it and soaking up its rich traditions. Yet I was almost 60 before I discovered Ed Whitlock. I had never heard of Olga Kotelko, either, at that point; or of Earl Fee; or of a host of other giants of early 21st century track and field – multiple world record-holders and champions – whose golden athletic years coincided with my own period of greatest interest in the sport. Why not? Because I wasn’t watching. Year after year, athletes such as Charles Allie, Guido Müller, Nicole Alexis, Angela Copson, Gene Dykes, Caroline Powell, Clare Elms, Tommy Hughes, Yoko Nakono and Mariko Yugeta would push back the boundaries of human possibility. And…

"THE UK SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE THAT WE INVEST IN SEVERAL MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WE PUT ON THE BIGGEST EVENTS, BUT THERE’S NOTHING IN BETWEEN Britain has become a world leader in hosting major championships. Indeed, by the time Birmingham stages the European Athletics Championships in 2026, it is scheduled to be the sixth global, continental or Commonwealth event staged in less than 10 years on these shores. The nation has also hosted one or two Diamond League events per year since the world’s top one-day series was established. However, when it comes to the next level down, it’s arguably a different story. The World Athletics Continental Tour (WACT) is a notch below the Diamond League and was established in 2020. Discounting the first year, which was heavily impacted by…

PERFORMANCE TRAINING I once coached a 33-year-old runner who ran a 2:48:39 marathon off the back of 130km/80 miles per week. Soon after she ran that time, which missed the then qualifying time for the US Olympic Marathon Trials by 39 seconds, she joined a sponsored group with a coach, who said she could run mid-2:30s. Having coached her in person for two years, I was sceptical she could do that. To run a marathon that fast, she would have needed to be able to run 5km in 16:00-16:15 and, at that time, her PB was 18:08. Often, runners’ performances plateau not because of what they do, but because of what they don’t do. And one of the things that many runners don’t do is to work on their basic speed.…

PUMA Puma.com FOREVERRUN NITRO £140.00 This new model really could be a game changer. Incorporating several new design features to help stability and control pronation, it also provides excellent cushioning thanks to a dual density Nitro foam midsole. That midsole is made up of two densities of Puma’s nitrogen-injected foam. A softer core sits with a slightly firmer and more supportive outer rim, which allows the foot to sink into the core and help keep it stable. A combination of features then make up the new runguide system. A bevelled heel, segmented crash pad and external heel clip all combine to add stability, but it doesn’t stop there. A broader footprint in the heel and forefoot, along with an outsole that wraps around the lateral side of the shoe, add…

1 In which event did Keely Hodgkinson set a world indoor best in February? 2 Which two athletes will be leading the British charge at this April's London Marathon? 3 Budapest will host the 2023 World Athletics Championships but how many Hungarian athletes took part at the 2022 edition in Eugene? 4 Which event will kick off the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest on the August 19? 5 Who was quoted by AW saying this in January: “You feel that you’re part of something really special and that is great. But then there is that stark comparison when you come home and you have nothing. And that is difficult for athletes.” 6 What height did Morgan Lake clear in the high jump to set a British record in February?…

DIGEST PICTURE THIS The European Indoor Championships ended on a dramatic note as the final event of the programme in Istanbul, the men’s 60m hurdles, produced some thrills - and one massive spill. Enrique Llopis had been in contention as he approached the fifth and final hurdle but he clipped it and crashed to the floor. The Spaniard was knocked out cold and needed emergency treatment, with medical staff rushing to his aid and covering him with a white tent as he received attention. Thankfully, as Llopis was being taken out of the Ataköy Arena on a stretcher, a doctor gave the thumbs up that all was okay.…

DIGEST KATHARINE MERRY I've decided to give it a name. “Mondo syndrome” is, I think, an appropriate term for when the truly special performances which are coming at us with extraordinary regularity are being treated almost as everyday occurrences. I think we have to be really careful in normalising the sensational things that this current generation of athletes are doing. In recent weeks we have seen Ryan Crouser breaking the shot put world record yet again and Mondo Duplantis doing likewise with the pole vault. The outside reaction doesn’t always match the achievement, though. “Oh, it's a world record again. Yeah, great.” What the majority of people don’t understand is just how much of a privilege it is to be in a position to even attempt a world record, let alone…

The World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 will be the largest sporting event in the history of Hungary, attended by 2000 athletes from over 200 countries and watched by more than one billion people. It’s an event not to be missed so why not enjoy the action live and from the comfort of the CADENCE CLUB, the event's exclusive Hospitality offering? For both CADENCE CLUB and CADENCE CLUB Finish Line packages, guests can expect nothing short of the best when it comes to food, wine, entertainment, hospitality and, most importantly, seating location. The CADENCE CLUB offers a relaxed and comfortable hospitality experience, with an all-inclusive menu and a wide selection of beverages. This stylish hospitality space is a great place to entertain family and friends or your business guests ahead of…

GOING FLAT OUT A combination of the soaring temperatures and the brutal course pushed competitors to their very limits at Mount Panorama. In the February issue of AW, two-time medallist Tim Hutchings outlined his understandable concerns around holding the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, during the height of an Australian summer. While it is of course a global championships and the word of cross country does need to be spread far and wide, the worry was that the athletes who chose to compete would suffer badly in the hot conditions and that the only publicity surrounding the event would end up being only of the negative variety. As it turned out, the going was indeed brutal for the athletes but a well thought out and very testing course around…

PERFORMANCE COACHING ADVICE Developing knowledge never stops You’re freshly qualified and your official coaching journey has begun. The reality is that unless you have studied the events you intend to coach analytically and with clarity for many years and/or have a sports science degree, you will be starting with limited knowledge. I have come to realise that, no matter your starting point, you either won’t know as much as you thought you did, or you will be startled by the complexity that soon becomes apparent. So, put your ego aside. You may have been an athlete, for example, but does that qualify you to coach? Just because you had success following a way of training does not mean that it will work for the athletes you will be leading. Also, in…

OVERSEAS AUSTRALIA WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Bathurst, February 18 Men: 1 J Kiplimo (UGA) 29:17; 2 B Aregawi (ETH) 29:26; 3 J Cheptegei UGA 29:37; 4 G Kamworor KEN 29:37; 5 K Kandie KEN 29:57; 6 D Simiyu KEN 30:01; 7 S Sawe KEN 30:04; 8 R Kwizéra BDI 30:06; 9 H Amare (ETH) 30:10; 10 M Tuemay (ETH) 30:11; 76 ZAK MAHAMED 34:05 TEAM: 1 KEN 22; 2 ETH 33; 3 UGA 37 U20: 1 l Kipkirui KEN 24:29; 2 R Kipkorir KEN 24:30; 3 B Diribi (ETH) 24:31; 18 EDWARD BIRD 26:10; 26 JACOB DEACON 26:44; 28 LUKE BIRDSEYE 26:52; 48 SAM MILLS 28:46 TEAM: 1 KEN 22; 2 ETH 23; 3 USA 81; 4 RSA 115; 5 GBR 120 Women: 1 B Chebet KEN 33:48; 2 T…

Dedicated follower of passion It is with great sadness that I will have to cancel my father’s subscription to AW. He had been a subscriber for at least 70 years. Clifford Roffey was born in Christchurch in 1932. He did his national service as a young man and upon his discharge in 1953 he was described as a “good cross-country runner”. This statement recognised an aptitude within him for what was to become a lifelong passion for running and athletics. Dad’s running career continued after the army. He worked in London and was training when Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile on May 6, 1954. Over his lifetime he entered many races, including marathons, and a magazine article he kept reports that he ran a marathon aged 51. He was…

DIGEST BRITISH TEAMS "I think you need to see the bigger picture but I also understand it's not just about making up the numbers.” Eilidh Doyle, winner of 17 major championships medals across her career, was summing up - rather nicely - the debate sparked by the news that UK Athletics is adopting “a sharper edge” when it comes to selection policy and take smaller teams to this year’s World Championships in Budapest and the 2024 Paris Olympics. It is a sink-or-swim formula that worked impressively for UKA chief executive Jack Buckner in his previous post in charge of British Swimming, with Adam Peaty and Duncan Scott leading a gold rush at their sport's most successful-ever Games in Tokyo as part of a ring-fenced group of elite talents who are based…

MY GREATEST RACE PAULA DUNN After lagging behind her contemporaries at youth level, the two-time Commonwealth medallist finally hit her stride in a sprinting race that proved she had found her feet among the elite It’s really easy to get fixated and think that, if you haven't succeeded at under-18s or under-20s, it's not going to happen. People develop at different rates. Puberty kicks in differently for both male and females. You shouldn’t get despondent if you don't have this magnificent junior career. Because we know being an outstanding junior doesn't mean you're going to be an outstanding senior. It took me a while to get used to training. And it took me a while to get my mindset that this is what I wanted to do. A positive back then…

ISTANBUL 2023 REVIEW Many of the continent’s best athletes are still catching their breath. The 37th edition of the European Indoor Athletics Championships proved to be a hectic, dizzying and history-making affair as records tumbled and medals were won. As with all of the best indoor championships, a huge amount was squeezed into a tight space which made for thrills and spills of the most intense variety. Yes, there were predictable moments. No fewer than nine athletes successfully defended titles and there was little surprise in the likes of Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Femke Bol, Laura Muir and Keely Hodgkinson striking gold once again, for example, but even some of the expected champions added another dimension. Nafi Thiam’s pentathlon world record was a moment to savour, while Karsten Warholm’s “stupid” scorching opening 200m…

MIND POWER MARCO AIRALE All Marco Airale needs to see is a flash. A glimpse of something he can work with. As far as he is concerned, if an athlete can do something once, then they can do it again. And again. He just needs to show them how. The Italian splits coaches into one of two categories - artists and scientists. The man who is now guiding the careers of a number of Great Britain’s top sprinting talents firmly classes himself as the latter. He needs facts and evidence. He argues that his athletes do, too. His training group, which is based in the Italian city of Padova that lies around 25 miles west of Venice, now includes a high-profile quintet of athletes at very different stages of their careers.…

IND POWER DR JOSEPHINE PERRY Dr Josephine Perry is a chartered psychologist who works with people in sports, business and on stage. She helps them overcome barriers to release that extra one per cent and achieve their goals. There’s no secret around the importance of mindset and psychology in sports and the increasing value being placed on individuals, like Dr Perry, who are helping athletes unlock their potential. We caught up with her to discuss all things sports psychology, how to make changes and who or what stands in the way of success. Facing choppy waters to discover the power of the mind I used to be a triathlete and I went to Ironman in Melbourne in 2013. I was standing on the beach in front of the most enormous and…

PERFORMANCE NEWS TACKLING SYMPTOMS OF POOR MENTAL HEALTH Previous studies have indicated that athletes are particularly susceptible to mental health problems. A recent paper published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise has helped shine a light on some of the symptoms of poor mental health in athletes and how it can be alleviated. Experts at Staffordshire University and Manchester Metropolitan University surveyed 410 competitors, 84 of whom were runners. Forty-one per cent were described as “recreational” but they included all levels up to international. They found that greater irrational beliefs were directly correlated to lower self-confidence, which in turn led to anxiety in competition and depression. It is claimed to be the first study to examine such beliefs alongside self-confidence and mental health. Phrases such as “if I lose, I’m a…

PERFORMANCE With the big spring marathons approaching, what extra things outside of running can I be doing in the final few weeks of training to prepare? The key factor here is about your taper to recover from the training and allow all of your body’s stores, like glycogen, to come back up again. It’s also crucial to keep your mobility and stretching going all the way up to the marathon. I think swimming is brilliant for an active recovery. Just being in the pool and doing strokes helps to develop flexibility around the knees, lower back and shoulders. Stretching is great to do and just going for walks also helps. The body doesn’t tend to like that fairly sharp reduction in training so just keep yourself mobile. Also get lots…

FIXTURES MARCH 17 • Battersea Park 5km Under the Lights fridaynightunderthelights5k.co.uk • Jerusalem Marathon jerusalem-marathon.com MARCH 18 • English Schools Athletics Association Cross Country Championships Wollaton Park, Nottingham esaa.org.uk MARCH 19 • Rome Marathon runromethemarathon.com • OPAP Limassol Marathon GSO limassolmarathon.com • United Airlines NYC Half Marathon nyrr.org • Seoul Marathon seoul-marathon.com • Zurich Marato Barcelona zurichmaratobarcelona.es • South American Marathon Championships Korou zurichmaratobarcelona.es MARCH 25 • SIAB Cross Country International Sefton Park, Liverpool esaa.org.uk • Brisbane Track Classic athletics.com.au • MVP Velocity Test Kingston world-track.org • Dudinska 50 Dudince worldathletics.org MARCH 26 • BTR Liverpool Liverpool Skyline 10-Miler and Half Marathon btrliverpool.com MARCH 26 - APRIL 1 • World Masters Indoor Championships world-masters-athletics.com MARCH 30 - APRIL 2 • Australian Championships Queensland athletics.com.au APRIL 1 • Prague Half Marathon…

Samuele Ceccarelli has seemingly come from nowhere this winter to beat fellow Italian and Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs to the European indoor 60m title. Ceccarelli’s PBs for 100m and 200m are a modest 10.45 and 21.60 and he has improved his 60m best this year from 6.72 to 6.47. The 23-year-old says he only started taking athletics seriously aged 16, though, after previously focusing on karate. He has also taken his law studies more seriously than his sprint training up until now. Talent runs in the family, though. His grandfather Gastone Gianinti was a goalkeeper for Foggia in Serie A in the 1970s. If you have a potential Dip Finish story, email: jason.henderson@athleticsweekly.com…