Prefontaine Classic Press Conference: Interview with Bernard Lagat

Bernard Lagat kicks for the win at the
2011 USA 5000 Championships
(photo: TrackAndFieldPhoto)

The press conference for the 38th Prefontaine Classic was today at the Valley River Inn in Eugene. I was lucky enough to spend five plus minutes with one of the legends of our sport, Bernard "Kip" Lagat.

I asked him about three things:

1. His relationship with Augustine Choge (in reference to Choge's praise of him in his 5 Questions with feature)

"He is always there: when you're doing track workouts, when you need a guy to help you in a time trial or to run tempo. He's a nice guy. Down to earth and so disciplined."

2. How he and Coach Li select people for their training group

"It is the hardest process to get in. We have a unique way of training."

3. How he has helped mentor the younger Kenyans, in reference to the Kenyan 10,000 Trials tonight

"I remember Asbel Kiprop used to be so shy until I gave him a few tips. Silas Kiplagat and Asbel come for advice. I share with the American runners and the Kenyans."

Lagat also had a great line when meet director Tom Jordan asked him if he still enjoys running the 1500 and Mile (as he'll run the Bowerman Mile tomorrow):  "They’re always fun, because they’re not as slow as the 5000 meters"

Listen to my full interview by clicking here to download the mp3

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Thanks to our sponsor, Adharanand Finn's new book "Running with the Kenyans" for sponsoring the blog this week. Read my review of it here. If you're interested in sponsoring writing about running (and other great sites like TrackFocus, Track Superfan, Paul Merca, RunNova and the House of Run podcast) in the future, check out The Relay Network. You can also support the site by buying something on Amazon.com through this link

5 Questions with the Hub of Distance Running, Derek Rubis

Derek Rubis in action

We have a special 5 Questions with today with one of the sport's biggest fans, Derek Rubis. There's a Facebook group to help get Derek to the Olympic Trials this June in Eugene and a fundraising site to help make this a reality. It's almost to the target amount. Click here to contribute and track the progress.

Derek Rubis is the self-proclaimed "hub of distance running" and that title cannot be challenged by anyone. He holds the belt. His youthful exuberance and fandom is well appreciated by many of the sport's biggest stars. He's not only a huge fan of distance running, he's the king of Faceholing. He is also up over 79,000 tweets at time of publishing. Is anyone in the world over 100k? I'm not sure, but Derek may get there in a month. In this interview, he's got some NCAA predictions, as well as a list of folks he'd like to meet in Eugene this summer. If you start running well, maybe he'll Facehole you; a true mark of distinction in the running world.

5 Questions with Derek Rubis

1. Writing About Running: Where does your unbridled passion for the sport come from?

Derek Rubis: I started this sport because my doctor said that I could not do contact sports in high school. So I started Cross Country and Track then. It is a sport that not a lot of people can do, not even the sprinters.

The Art of Faceholing

2. Writing About Running: Where did you come up with the idea of your now famous "faceholing?"

Derek Rubis: I saw some people on Facebook with this thing called FACE in HOLE. I thought I would give it a try and now I am addicted to it.

3. Writing About Running: What is something about the sport that you would change if you were in charge?

Derek Rubis: I would show more distance events (on television) and show the whole event, not just the first and last 2 laps (and show less of the sprinting events).

4. Writing About Running: What are your predictions for the Mile, 3000 and 5000 at NCAA Indoors this weekend?

Derek Rubis: 
Top 3 in the Mile: Miles Batty, Andy Bayer and a darkhorse, Eric Harasyn
Top 3 in the 3K: Diego Estrada, Chris Derrick, Andy Bayer
Top 3 in the 5K: Diego Estrada, Lawi Lalang, Chris Derrick

Help Derek meet his heroes!

5. Writing About Running: What 5 athletes are you most looking forward to meeting in person at the trials in Eugene this June and why?

Derek Rubis: 
1. Trey Hardee because he is one athlete, outside of distance running, that inspires me to my best in my runs, workouts and races.
2. Fam, one of my Steeplechase Gods, need we say more?
3. Billy Nelson, another one of my Steeplechase Gods, cause he is short like me and still able to do the Steeplechase better than I can.
4. Nick Symmonds, the king of mid-distance running, cause he is just that damn good!
5. Jesse Williams because he is the greatest field athlete in my mind.

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Thanks again to our sponsor, RaceSplitter, for sponsoring the blog this week. If you're interested in sponsoring writing about running (and other great sites like TrackFocus, Track Superfan, Paul Merca and the House of Run podcast) in the future, check out The Relay Network.

The Run Down: Top 10 Moments in American Distance Running this weekend

Sara Hall gets her first Cross Country title in a lean

What a great weekend it was in track and field. There was a ton of hype leading up to it with the Cross Country Championships and multiple indoor meets. It's hard to only have a top 10, as I am sure I missed some big performances, but here's a few highlights.

10. Kim Conley outkicks Lisa Uhl to run 8:57.62 at the Husky Classic

9. Oregon's Trevor Dunbar and Parker Stinson run big 5000 PR's (13:36 and 13:39, respectively)

8. Jenny Simpson outkicks Shannon Rowbury to win the Wanamaker Metric Mile in 4:07.27

7. Sally Kipyego leads Washington's Katie Flood to a pair of 4:28's (and World leaders)

6. Ryan Hill outkicks Diego Estrada to run one of fastest collegiate 3000's ever (and fastest ever by an American collegian)

5. Bobby Mack kicks from 800 out to win second national title in a year (and first cross title)

4. Matt Centrowitz wins the Wanamaker Mile and leads Miles Batty to a new Collegiate Record

3. Sara Hall outkicks Molly Huddle for first national title at the USA Cross Country Championships

2. Galen Rupp essentially solos the American 2 Mile Record in Fayetteville, Arkansas

1. Bernard Lagat gets American Indoor 5000 Record and leads Lawi Lalang to the Collegiate Record and Edward Cheserek to the High School Record in the process

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Web Runner: Some Thanksgiving week articles worth a read

Turkey Trot Clip Art is always good

It's been an exciting week in the running world, and judging by the increased traffic to the site, there are some bored people out there. Sitting around at work, waiting to go home for the Thanksgiving holiday or waiting for NFL games to get cranked up?

Personally, there will be no turkey trotting for me this year, but I will get to run by the North Fork Reservoir in Black Mountain, NC, where the Hunger Games was recently filmed.

Whethere you're running or not tomorrow, here are a few articles I've tweeted out over the past few days, with a few more new ones, for good measure. If there's a good running story, please email it to me or tweet it at me! I'll be adding stuff all week long...

• Coach Jason Vigilante has left the University of Virginia. Former Cavalier, Ryan Collins, who transferred to Wisconsin (and won the NCAA team title Monday), has a very poignant quote, possibly about the situation. "I was planning on staying but then a bunch of different stuff happened, and I was able to graduate," Collins told a Madison reporter. "I just kind of needed a new place, new environment (and) some new experiences." While nothing has been set straight yet, the situation is extremely intriguing, as Vig currenly coaches Alan Webb, as well as Robby Andrews, and UVA is in the process of getting a brand new track facility. (Richmond Time-Dispatch link / Let's Run thread)

• UPDATE: Per Track and Field News, via Webb's agent, Ray Flynn, "Vigilante will likely continue to coach Webb." (link)

• Alan Webb talking about his training and future. Says he's ready to compete and is fascinated with longer distances, but has no immediate plans to move up, as he's not 30 yet. Says Bernard Lagat is his template (of sorts) and that he was inspired this summer by Jenny Simpson's and Matt Centrowitz's performances at Worlds. Nothing on the Vig situation though (Running Maryland link). Webb will also be the Nike Running athlete at NXN Southeast this Saturday in Cary, NC.

• Kenya won the 2011 International Chiba Ekiden. The Athlete's Foot Cameron Village's Bobby Mack led Team USA to a 5th place finish with a 28:55 10k split. (Full results and splits)

• Oh yeah, the NCAA Cross Country Championships were Monday. The Wisconsin Men and the Georgetown Women took the team titles, while Arizona's Lawi Lalang and Villanova's Sheila Reid took the individual crowns (Men's Race Video / Women's Race Video / Mens' Individual Results / Men's Team Results / Women's Individual Results / Women's Team Results). Meanwhile, I took third in the men, fifth in the women, and fourth overall in our fantasy challenge.

• House of Run recapped said NCAA Championships as well as the rest of the week in running. (link)

• Dathan Ritzenhein continues his Olympic build up tomorrow at the very popular Silicon Valley Turkey Trot. (Silicon Valley Mercury News link)

• Sadly, doctors had to amputate the frostbitten feet of Marko Cheseto, the All-American runner from the University of Alaska Anchorage, who suffered severe frostbite during a two-day disappearance earlier this month. (Anchorage Daily News link)

• Toni Reavis thinks distance racing has hit the wall. Outside Magazine's Peter Vigneron thinks otherwise. Both make some salient points and Reavis in particular takes The Competitor Group to task for running a race series that's anything but competitive. I couldn't agree more. (Reavis link / Vigneron link)

• Have you seen "Marathon Boy" yet on HBO? My review is all spoilers (link)

• Tim Jeffreys is following the McMillan Elite team as they train for the Olympic Trials Marathon. He is posting a documentary series of videos on Vimeo. The second episode just dropped. (Jeffreys' Vimeo page)

I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving! Happy Turkey Trotting!

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