02/09 Said it before, I'll say it again, the best marathon performance of 2011 was Mary Keitany's NYC run - why? Because she was the first woman who said, "Planet Paula? I want to join her!" And she tried. She had everything to win by running with the leaders and pushing the last 5km, but instead she did not try to win, she tried to do a Grete Waitz only has done, set a WR in NYC [When Alison Roe did it the course was short].
So cold in NYC, I keep remembering how much I do not like the winter! I was talking to Joseph Nzau who has moved to Santa Fe now - does anyone have a spare carburetor for a Volvo 240 GL 90's model because he needs one. Speaking of which I heard from Douglas Wakiihuri that he too is on the move and now a permanent resident in the US.The new NYRR web site is now up and it is a massive improvement on the old one.
02/08 I went to Sanct Ambroes for the first time in a long time yesterday, a nice Euro cafe on Madison at 78th, there was a time when I was going there every other week, then for a long time, never. When Roger Fed. is in town that is where you can find him, sometimes anyway...Today's question is how long is this wall?
You could say this is the man who changed championship racing, who inspired Geoffrey Mutai, who gave marathon running a dose of runner's heroin. Sammy Wanjiru was more than loved, and the way he ran was off this planet. His troubles began before his publicized troubles and event he family today is embroiled in issues. However he will always be remembered for a glorious day in Beijing when he ran the world off its feet.
Central Park is way too crowded, OMG it was like picadilly circus on free ice day tonight... traffic a la mucho. So glad I don't run there so much anymore... no room. can't blame the peeps, but it is time to build double decker parks in Manhattan! Plus all these guys in matching lycra tights, with aerodynamic helmets whizzing round on carbon fiber frames...
Yesterday I got rid of my amazing plant. This plant was the biz, I could go to Kenya for two months and come back and it would be healthy and strong. It was my only plant and kept on growing despite me trying to cut it back.
In my time I have even killed cactus's so I was amazed that this plant has lasted years... but I always felt guilty about leaving it un-watered.
So I took it out and lucky my South American neighbor came out and as I carried it to the road adopted the plant. A few years ago I had my own upper east side lawn, albeit it was only one foot squared. It was a square of turf and I put mini cocktail sticks in there to annoy the worms and give it that United Nations feel... sadly that died, somehow.
Great link from Jody Cleveland to catch up on the running news, like Dubai, Osaka etc - [link]
02/07 We have already talked of both men on today's wall.. this was the race that Martin Lel lost concentration, and Felix limo spurted quickly away. Lel turned the tables the following year... and maybe was hungrier because of this loss. If Felix stops running tomorrow then this would be the moment of his fame and with recent runs of 2:10 plus it appears his days are over in the fast edge of the distance running. Trained by Patrick Sang he has a career with many back injury problems stemming from the lower back. He made a quick entrance to road running after debuting with a 27:04 10,000m and deciding that time was too slow to make an impact on the running world, so then he went to the roads and made history:
Felix Limo on the VLM wall of fame.
2010 Tour de France Winner Found Guilty of Doping - no surprises with that headline.Patrick Makau was beaten in a Spanish half marathon, that's good news as it means he's probably in hard marathon training for London.Meanwhile Granny Obama over in Kenya had a car crash... the 91-year old was a passenger in a car that flipped.Running continues to be Poppingly popular, we read... "Registration for the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon has officially closed as 45,000 participants signed up in record time. After opening registration last Wednesday, the race reached its participant capacity in six days, 25 days earlier than last year."
02/06 The Wall of Fame continues...
Martin Kiptolo Lel, a massive name in marathon running gets a great picture on the Wall.
In the running world Meseret Defar, Olympic champion 2004 is back in form winning in the Boston indoor 3000m in 8:33
Kenyan Harun Njoroge won the 61st Beppu-Oita Marathon on Sunday in 2:09:38... Another Japanese based Kenyan. Claudio Berardelli's athlete Matthew Kisorio won at the 66th annual Kagawa-Marugame Half Marathon, 60:02, a long way from his PR of 58-mins.
Meanwhile Catherine Ndereba, 39, makes clear that she wants to be on the Olympic team for Kenya in an article obviously Not written by a runner (spot the mistakes) and also the quote "Jogged to 13th place" in a recent Kenya Prisons cross-country... nobody, nobody jogs to a 13th place in Kenya - you die, anyway, the article is here
Also a great new find - The Spotted Pig on West 11th St, the confusing part of town. The eggs are great there, the ambiance very nice and relaxed - that is a nice area of town. Very English-y. In fact that was the only bad part, our loud English neighbors trying to tell everyone that they are 'foreigners' - hardly the rarity in NYC my friends...
Speaking of foreign my celebrity pilot flew me to a charity meet in York, Pennsylvania on Friday.
Anthony Edwards, known as Goose when you talk flying, successfully got us there & back! Woowee, we only got cut off my a Jet once near Newark... Goose was looking for his machine guns till he remembered we were just in a civilian plane...
02/03 One of the great things about Shoe4Africa is the genuine goodwill we create! I just received a picture, with a Shoe4Africa stamp in the corner from a man who wants to introduce Shoe4Africa into Slovakia and is non the less than Bostan Buc who has the national record for the steeplechase of 8:16!
just a little note about Abel Kirui who is working with Shoe4Africa-- this man has been pre-selected for the most exclusive team on the planet, to run for Kenya in the 2012 Olympics-- he is also an ambassador for the Shoe4Africa Hal & Stacey Kelly Feeding program and we are now working to get something working in March before Abel goes to the Virgin London Marathon...
We are proud to announce that school #3 is going to be built... The Shoe4Africa Moses Kiptanui public primary! We are extremely proud to be working with an outstanding gentleman such as Moses who has been with Shoe4Africa every step of the way supporting us with his presence at every event. Moses - thank you! PS: If you don't know Moses was the first man to break 8-minutes for the steeplechase, held the world record at events from the 3000m to the 5000m (4), was world champion three times and is considered by many to be the greatest ever steeplechase runner... he also coached the reigning world champion, and world record holder.
02/02/12
That Evans Rutto was not in the Olympic Games of 2004 is a travesty and totally against the Olympic spirit of the best in the world should be competing. As you can see he won London before the Olympics, he won Chicago after the Olympics - he had two of the four fastest times of the year for 2004 sharing the other two with Felix Limo, another man who was somehow missing from the Olympics 2004 despite winning Rotterdam before the Olympics and Berlin after!
One must remember that year on that hot hilly Boston course, like Athens, we all thought Timothy Cherigat, the victor might do well in Athens... again he did not go.
Demarchier - restaurant on 86th ST. I went here once with Joy, today with Tony who is my celebrity pilot... I am going up in the world having my own pilot, called Goose! he he. Anyway we have Filet of Sole, green salad a couple of Stellas and the chocolate mousse for myself and he had a better option with a lot of T's... nice place, we were the only men!Talking with my Irish running buddies - Not a single one of them believe the incredulous story Martin Fagan is putting out, "I got caught 24hr hours of taking EPO for the first time." A very, very sad lowering of the Irish flag after Cathal Lombard. All likelihood is Martin has been using EPO for quite some time and coming clean with the whole story would be better... My Irish buddy was telling me the whole of the Irish running circuit had him pinned in 2009, the same story about Cathal - someone gave the police a tip off... I hear the pity-me strains coming out again. I hope he does something to lift the shame from Irish Athletics. Great that he was caught, one down so many more to go.
02/01 She ran the world off its legs... There are defining marathon runners. The ones that go and don't wait. Like Sammy in 2008, and Paula in 2003... Like Margaret Okayo who pushed like a steam train and despite wind assisted years, better fields, still remains the Course record holder at Boston and NYC (like Geoffrey Mutai). I think the only woman I have seen grapple NYC like Margaret was in this year's race with Mary Keitany. Margaret, now quickly forgotten by many, remains a legend and surely it is good to see her on the VLM wall of fame.
The title of Mighty Mo' might go to Mo Farah after London '12 but at the moment the Mo' of the sport is Mo' Ok - the K'O of running.
Went to finally see the BIKE NYC offices, so nice! Then I went to the New offices of the NYRR - OMG, how come everyone has a nice office except me?
01/30 Just back from Miami. I think this is the fifth year I have been there in a row in January, I usually go down there for a week. I was with the amazing Team Lifeline runners; a group of most inspiring people who raised $1.5-Million dollars for Chai Lifeline. Check them out. I ran the half marathon with a group of them. Not sure what my finishing time was but it was a couple of hours running with very inspiring people. Again I feel blessed to be living an interesting life and interacting with these people.Odd that we had the USATF Open and have not had the Millrose Games; seems odd that the USATF held an event when Millrose moved, for very good reason, up to the Armory... anyway that event is still coming and looks like it is going to be energy packed... and that was one thing Madison Sq Garden could not provide of late - an excited crowd, and ticket sales.Wall of fame today is Tegla! Little Tegla, a jewel of a character and a gem in the running world
And below?
Here's the scarf (second from the right) the Louis Vuitton folks made believe was an Original... about four years before they brought out "their" scarf -- see the (full) saga further below.
Superbowl next week - for sure the Giants are going to win. I may have only been an American for a few months but I do know that Boston always plays second fiddle to NYC.Eldoret Half Marathon - why even write 'surprise win for Kipyego' - this race always have surprise winners. For sure an unknown blew away the London 2011 course record holder, and also James Kwambai one of the fastest ever marathoners... that is Eldo-running! Happens every year. Edwin won in 62:30 - remember it is a lot harder to run in Eldo than in Europe! Myself I once ran a half in the Armed Forces Championships (obviously as a guest)... in fact it was the first time I got my picture in the African press - a full picture with a description that I was struggling to the finish; actually I was ecstatic as at the time it was a great PR, and #19 place... as I say, tough to run in Kenya. BTW, Emmanuel Mutai ran a respectable 62:55 to finish 8th... he should he in great form for London in April.
01/29 In Miami at the Eden Roc, the windows are so dirty it looks they have not ever been cleaned, the heater in the room is stuck on only blowing out cold air, what more can I gripe about? I come to Miami every year, I think I am on a five year streak! Last night I had dinner with Fred Lebow's sister and brother in law. Sarah was reminiscing about Fred's days - "He just wanted an even playing field. He wanted everyone running. He did not have any ego, he lived for running and the idea to get everyone running..." Well he certainly did a great job. I only met him a few times but he was always Mr. Run.
Mo Farah starts his season with a flying win in Glasgow 1500m beating Augustine Choge, a resident of Iten and a 1500m specialist. It was a stadium record, 3:39!
01/27 Dubai marathon results... Lucy Kabuu, 2:19, is the best Kenyan, male & female. (Lydia Cheromei ran a PR 2:21 for #6! so deep was the field [link] Lots of fast Ethiopians getting there faster... plus a WR debut. A good note for the Kenyans is that the training partner of Abel Kirui snagged a great debut 2:04:56 - Jonathan Maiyo!
First the British... Now Louis Vuitton! The company that has a history of complaining of others ripping off its designs has done nothing less than scrape the barrel of all barrels.
For the absolutely outragous price of over 700-English pounds (over a $1,000 dollars) they have taken a traditional Maasai scarf (shuka), put their label on it and called it an original design. Anyone, anyone who has been to the Masai Mara will have seen this scarf - I have one that I bought for $5 a few years ago. Shame on LV for exploiting people who live on less than one dollar a day.
Here's a pic of the Maasai jumping up and down with glee on hearing about LV
The original examples seen everywhere since the 1920's in Kenya
Flying to Miami today! Had some more great meetings yesterday - MOVING FORWARD.PS the shoe4africa newsletter is now out - check out the web site to read what we have been up to!01/26
I called Joyce when I saw this, she had not seen the wall but a friend had called her before me. She lives in Eldoret now, and also have a farm some 15km West of Eldoret where she often goes to relax. She found it highly amusing to think of herself painted on a wall... I am surprised they did not have her at the Wall Opening considering she probably is the athlete who lives within the shortest walking distance to the wall.
Drug news we hear a British Sprinter gets a 4-year ban and the Russian winner of Tokyo has been caught with a blood doping masking agent and is now DQ'd.Went down-down town today, to the West Village -- arranged to meet for a coffee to talk to a prospective hospital-helper, when I got to the place it was a basic coffee shop O'reans (spck?) with no seating at all! oops, luckily we found a nice place round the bend...
Lunch was the Turkish place up town in the 80's on third where I feel far more like I know the area. I met Tony, we had the same food we always have there - Grilled Shrimp, Effes, and a vegetable platter - good stuff.
We read Paula will run in Austria on April 15th for the half - the start of her campaign! Good luck!
01/25
Virgin London Marathon wall of fame.
[link] The military xc champs; this was the second toughest race in Kenya after the Nationals, but these days with the Police recruiting like crazy it has become a lesser event. Good to see "Sunflower" still running good in #5, she won the first ever Shoe4Africa Signature race in Iten... and the winner of this race, Sharon Cherop, was second at that event - now Sharon is getting ready for the London Marathon where she will fight for one of the three marathon spots, or indeed the reserve slot.The world's most prolific, & extremely press worthy, marathon runner Paula Radcliffe is putting ITEN, KENYA, and the High Altitude Training Centre on the map! LINK
01/24 We still have ten spots left for the NYC Half if you wish to run on our team this March.
A stunning picture from a project that for me is just fantastic! So simple - we go to Kibera, take some talented people [Siamanda & Ajuma], bring some fabulous free make up kits to give away [thanks IMAN cosmetics], and have a fun, fun day. This is Shoe4Africa.. would would have guessed we'd be int eh biz of giving out make up and lovin' it.
At the biggest XC in Kenya for January Wilson Kiprop, the World Half Champ, did the unthinkable, he unseated Geoffrey Mutai. For sure Kiprop will also have a great season... but note that the women's winner was the Shoe4Africa winner, Joyce Chepkirui (on the IAAF they listed her as Jepkirui but that is not so). Again, watch this one for 2012, I think she can make the Olympic 2012 team.
Talking Olympics, talking simple... Once upon a time a young, young boy lived in the hut to the right of this picture with his mother. He never knew of running, he only knew the farm and school. He had to leave as his mother was so poor and his father was missing. He began to run. After circumcision he moved into the hut, the smaller one, to the left of this picture, where he grew up till he left to go to Japan... to become the runner we knew as Sammy Wanjiru.
Sammy Wanjiru, his upbringing, humble, his legacy, greatness - A Shoe4Africa Ambassador from 2007
Bid on a great cause - help Mo Farah's Foundation.... learn more here [link]
01/23
A great day in the history of Shoe4Africa - the opening ceremony of our second school, at Janeth Jepkosgei's former primary school.
And another great shot from Kenya, from Tom Bedford's album:
The stunning women's top four seeds for the Virgin London Marathon - Edna Kiplagat, Florence Kiplagat (no relation), Mary Keitany the defending champ, and Priscah Jeptoo -- although priscah is a dark horse against these 'names' I do not think she will allow all three to beat her... this could well be the Kenyan Olympic team.
On Saturday I went up to the Armory in NYC to watch the New Balance Games. We were sitting watching and with each race guessing who would win as I did not know any of the athletes competing, most of the time we guessed right too. It was so cold going there I tried to eat as many cookies & desserts as I could to get some body fat for the way home! Freezing. Earlier that morning I went on my first run in the 'cold snow' and ran opposite the Manhattan Half in Central Park - amazing that thousands, albeit just two, turned up!
On Sunday I went to Chez Lucienne to meet my friend Duncan who is coming out with a book later this summer - watch out for "Run Simple" - should be a cracker and a dose of exactly what the running world needs...
just heard... 37th place... aged 50 in the USA Olympic trials was Linda Somers Smith! Wow. Great running.
01/20
Over in Kenya today the Virgin London Marathon announces its men's field. many consider the London Marathon harder to win than the Olympic's.
This wall has all the Kenyan champs of London... painted from one side to the other... we'll of course have a pic of each, each day, like an advent calendar.
It will be a good day in Iten when the Virgin London team will hold a press conference plus a kids race... we saw local school kids out practicing before I left. With residents like Wilson Kipsang, Mary Keitany, Edna Kiplagat, Florence Kiplagat in Iten it seems the perfect place for a launch.
Back in NYC... I was cycling yesterday morning, 21-F, and freezing - I mean, I mean... back to work. Good part is I am going through the mail opening up checks (cheques) with payments, albeit for S4A, not me, but it is great opening up an envelope and boom, a check for $5,000 from someone I don't even know!
In the afternoon I was looking through all the IMAN photos, hundreds of them... should have a great slide show!
01/19
Fashion model AJUMA in Kibera.
In the deathly cold back to NYC life! Lunch at the irrepressibly good Girasole, their special with cheesecake & coffee to follow (my first cheese cake of the year), in fact the only thing missing was a bagel!
Very odd still to be here again. I feel like I have one leg in each continent. Next week we hear it is the Year of the Dragon, a lucky year for the Chinese...
As we were talking about earlier, will Geoffrey Mutai do well in the XC build up this year... the answer is yes! He crushed the field at the Police Champs in Kenya; crushed. Sad to hear his manager, and a friend, had a bad incident at a hotel in Kenya...I was dropping off shoes to a young Kenyan runner who is coached by a friend of mine, the coach lives next door to one of Mary Keitany's houses, the other day - watch out for this guy in a couple of years as he is just out of high school - Cornelius Kangogo... On that theme it is the 21st edition of the race that Moses Tanui started and is currently run by Rosa Associate - The Discovery this Sunday, over in Eldoret.Talking Kenya - nice article on Paula, who is fitting in to Kenya, training hard and getting the results, stepping up to be on Planet Paula again. [article]01/18 Back to NYC and they tell me this is warm? So grey too - little color? Africa is vibrant."IAAF article saying not much on the Kenyan Olympic selection. Meanwhile everyone in Kenya is waiting for London.
We also have Martin Lel making an early season start in Dubai; the first time for him to run this race... he's feeling in better shape than when he clinched the #2 spot at London last year in 2:05
01/17
Double World Champion Abel Kirui, and to date the 10th fastest man at the marathon distance, picks up a sack of soccer boots for the 'Little Joy' academy; a school he has recently taken over.
Flying back to the USA... I will probably go for a jog in Central Park and see the barefoot brigade like last time - always so ironic; I come from the running center of Kenya, where you do not see a single barefoot athlete, or even a pair of vibrams. Yes you see athletes in very, very old dilapidated shoes, worn out, worn through... but every time I come back to NYC I see these barefoot people! If you learn anything from the Kenyans... then wear running shoes. Don't even get me started about the running form of the BF-brigade compared to the Kenyans...
Chatting with Wilson Kipsang; watch out for this man in London; he and Mary Keitany are my #1 picks.
01/16 An afternoon with one of my fave friends in Kenya, Claudio Berardelli. And on the way to visit him the car beeped in front and it was long-time-no-see Bob Keino! Viktor Rothlin, Pepe, Sante etc are at Claudio's and then Janeth Jepkosgei came with Eunice Sum, the new 800m runner. Great news is that the attendance at our new school is soaring!
Now I am packing to come back to the USA and talking to the marathon ace Wilson Kipsang who popped a 2:03 last October - let's see what he'll do in London.
01/15 On Friday all the London Marathon team will be in Iten for the London press conference. Abel Kirui is saying that he is going to ask to be taken to space by Virgin Air if he wins the race this year. I told him people die going to space, now he is having seconds thoughts. There will be a kids race from the arches that go from one side of town to the other (2km). It looks like it is going to be quite an event.yesterday Moses Kiptanui, Laban Kipkemboi, and I went to the Marakwet Hills... we took Moses' off road landcruiser after I had traveled over land over miles of potholes and craters. I mean my car is off road but the ones we went over... yikes! I went past the spot where Richard Chelimo crashed Ismael Kirui's world champs Mercedes at the time when Ismael was winning a new one...
We were going to scout land for the Shoe4Africa Moses Kiptanui Primary School. Right now sitting in the sun nearly to leave Kenya. Paula is in the garden warming up for her long run, just had breakfast with Reid & Paul from Canada, Mo is the garden looking at his cellphone, running by Linet Masai with an entourage of men running by her side. I have noticed there are a lot more casual runners in Iten right now, a lot more Kenyans who look like fitness runners, also running one by one.
Jjust checked the weather in NYC... yikes it is way below freezing.
01/12/12 Typical Kenya day - Morning went to check on one of our students, pay school fees for Sharon Jebet, drove to Eldoret to meet Multi World Champion Moses Kiptanui, then lunch meeting Koila, a former 800m runner and discussing certain issues, then the afternoon with double world champion Abel Kirui.
Abel with the kids from the school he is developing, just outside of Eldoret.
01/11/12 Was sitting on the edge of the Rift Valley with Jack Waitz and Paula this afternoon.. so peaceful. Most of the British team are now in Iten, and Norwegians with Jack too. Afterwards I went to meet the head of the police and then lo & behold bumped into Daniel Rono, a 2:06 runner, in a most obscure place... In the morning I was in Eldoret doing school business and went for lunch with Claudio, one of the world's very best coaches... as usual he was getting his pick up truck cleaned and polished.33 Entrepreneurship ideas and their peeps... [link]
01/10/12 With Luke Kipkosgei today, in the late 90's Luke was one of the world's best 5000m runners. We went to his rural home in a very remote area... right now he is training for a marathon, his debut.
Speaking marathons the London Marathon crew are coming in ten days to hold a kids race and a press conference... officially announcing the men's field.
Dubai is the next big race and the talk in Iten is how Lydia Cheromei & Lucy kabuu will do; whether they can go faster than 2:22... we hear that the Swedish/Kenyan Isabellah is also hoping to improve on her 2:23 there... The training partner of Abel Kirui, Jonathan (I've forgotten his name) is trying the marathon and Abel thinks he'll be in the top few spots... he was #2 in the Great North Run.
01/09/12 Today I ran with Paula for an hour. It was a beautiful run. I came back and who did I bump into? Jack Waitz who is staying in town! Small world. Then it was off to a place in the middle of nowhere. I felt like I was a rally driver on the dirt roads into the bush, the car bumping and bouncing over huge ruts and holes in the road. I was going to a school where we are sponsoring a girl. Tomorrow I must post a picture from the girl's house.
01/08/12 Back in Iten, Kenya - pulled in and who did I meet? Mo & Paula; two of Britain's finest athletes! Iten really has come the center of athletics especially for foreigners. When I first came here there were very few athletes, Brother Colm was the big name in town and the only resident foreigner involved in running. How the floodgates opened. Now it is the united nations... and of course Brother Colm is still at the fore - I mean no coach has accumulated the stable of talent he has; right now his big name is the 800m star and record holder Rudisha.
This afternoon I am off to see Abel Kirui, double world champion, at the marathon distance. Kirui has bought some prime land to start an education center; nice of him to wish to improve the standard of education here.
A strong win for Emily Chebet here in Kenya. [Report on the IAAF] We are a big fan of Emily as she won a Shoe4Africa event here back in 2006 in Western Kenya.
01/06/12 Disappointing to see Justin Gatlin back in competition after his lifetime ban - what kind of message does that send? I feel sorry for all the athletes that never got on the podium because of people like him, Dwain Chambers etc... let's not talk about the $$
Doing some legal issues here in Kenya, to do with a car logbook... what a pain, what a pain. A different set of rules in Kenya.
I hear good news - 3,000 jackets donated by the London Marathon will soon be in Nairobi! I will be doing the distribution to the communities when I return in March. Funny March seems just around the corner, and here I am still in Kenya. Tomorrow I have to drive from Nairobi to Eldoret, stopping to stay hi to Nick near Nakuru... Just now I have ten minutes whilst I am waiting for a man from Holland to arrive - his dream is to give every poor Kenyan a cow, a smart idea!
Other news? A race tomorrow in Kisii, a cross country - it will be interesting to see if Geoffrey Mutai will follow his plan from 2011 and start with the local cross-country races for build up before Boston.
In the Kenyan press - news that the WR might go in the men's marathon before the London Olympics [link] Personally I do not think so, also I think by Mosop running in Rotterdam he is ruining his chances of Olympic selection. I don't think Makau's time is the best that could be run, but IF the record falls it will be after the Olympics, that is my two cents.
01/05/12 At the school opening we gave out laptops... really needed in rural Kenya so when the kids graduate they know basic skills, and the good thing about laptops is you can charge them for the day use, instead of relying on power. Thanks to the people who donated these laptops to the Shoe4Africa School.
Meeting with the Chair of the Moi Referral Board today... steps getting closer to ground breaking.
01/04/12
Stunning shot of Joyce Chepkirui, the current course record holder of Kenya's premier women's only 5km. Image: Shoe4Africa/Mike Kobal
01/03/12
The grandmother of Sammy Wanjiru - Rebbeca
Just back from a visit to Sammy Wanjiru's Mom. And we visited the place where Sammy was born and grew up, his grandmother is still there and she says she can run.. like Sammy!
The Baby Faced Assassin is back in her winning ways, in the Olympic year. Perhaps the greatest ever woman to run track -- Tirunesh Dibaba. [link]
12/31 In Kibera yesterday and took some pics of a women's group [PHOTOS]... these ladies also ran the Shoe4Africa run back in 2008.
Congrats to the London Marathon Champion Mary Keitany, married today!
World Champion Mo Farah in Iten.
I am sure he'll be getting knighted soon, like Coe & Ovett, so get ready for Sir Mo Fire. Tomorrow is the year of the London Olympics...
Happy New Year from Kenya - 2011 has been a tremendous year, lots of highlights, and I can only hope that 2012 will be just as good.
12/30 The Kenyan Angle for the Olympics - Kenyan men. So the idea of Olympic selection, on paper to an outside looked like - Geoffrey Mutai, easily the best bet, followed by Wilson Kipsang, then... Patrick Makau, Abel Kirui, or Moses Mosop? With Abel winning the Worlds' he was semi given a spot, Moses was not in top shape but dominated Chicago, and Makau got a world record but was only third at London behind two names not even mentioned - Emmanuel Mutai & Martin Lel.
Well in London, semi fit Martin proved he is still a contender and still faster than Makau - he has long since said he doesn't time trial he goes for the biggest races - London/NYC... And Mutai #2, after NYC, will always be #2 choice although he ran a superb London; once again you are only as good as your last race.
Well there is another name, one that is bouncing around in Kenya, and who many think should be in the "three" - little known Wilson Chebet. He is appearing to be the strong contender from the runners' vote.
However one can safely assume that the Kenyan selection will come from two races - Boston/London. If Chebet runs Rotterdam and even manages a 2:03 it will be highly unlikely he will make it onto the team.
Thus we can say - Chebet Vs G. Mutai at Boston, and Lel vs E. Mutai, W. Kipsang, P. Makau at London? This is going to be one selection race(s) to watch!
Good luck to Martin Lel in Brazil tomorrow - here at the Shoe4Africa Janeth School opening.
12/29
Joyce Chepkirui breaks the course record at the Shoe4Africa 5k
In Nairobi working on the next school and the hospital, working on looking at contractors etc.
Can't believe that 2011 is soon to a close, time flies so fast. The goals for Shoe4Africa are starting to take shape - thank you ever so much to all who have helped, when we were sorting through the boxes of shoes, tying shoes together, making matches to is wonderful to think of the goodness of the caring soles who thought about it... how your running shoe can go and help someone - I received an email from a school teacher this morning who brought 20-girls to the race; now they are all running as they know getting the shoes was an incentive to try something new - nameless people around the world giving the gift of opportunity.
12/28 Went to see Robert Cheruiyot yesterday and we found him walking by the road with Martin Lel just as I missed the turn off to his road. Martin is on his way to run San Silvestre in Brazil... Robert pointed out he's won that race three times. Maybe this will be Martin's first win?In Kibera I was following the photographer and taking my own shots for the IMAN project
I stuffed the poster up on the roof as that is where they dry their shoes... soon after we saw a flying mattress - same story but then a huge gust of wind passed through and lifted the mattress way up into the sky and off into the wind.
12/27
Is it coincidence? When you are approaching by the road you see this signpost telling you about the school... notice it is 800-meters (Janeth's distance) away from the road.
12/26
Kenya's got talent? Six year old Kossy Kibet (#746), daughter to World 5000m Silver Medalist Sylvia Kibet, runs a stunning 32-minutes with three weeks training on a (90%) off road hilly course at 2400-meters altitude! Mom, #74, and sister Hilda Kibet, #75, run their slowest 5k's of the year...
The Shoe4Africa Kibera Make-Over IMAN project was a huge success. Thanks to Caroline and the ladies, and Siamanda and Ajuma for coming and making up the ladies!
So much has been going on! That is why I have been away from the Internet. We have AMAZING pictures coming from Mike Kobal - he is currently flying back to NYC. Highlights of the last few days?
The top twelve ladies - 1.Joyce Chepkirui 16:17.07, 2.Caroline Jepkoech 16:41.4, 3.Hyvin Kiyeng 16:47.02, 4.Winnie Jepkemoi 16:47.2, 5.Hellah Kiprop 16:54.5, 6.Edith Chelimo 16:58.5, 7.Diana Chepkemoi 17:01.3, 8.Florence Chepsoi 17:06.3, 9.Cynthia Kosgei 17:12.9, 10.Valentine Jepngetich 17:13.8, 11.Beatrice Chepchumba 17:15.2, 12.Josephine Chepkoech 17:17.0 -- Joyce had just returned from Australia where she won a 10,000m... watch out for this one in 2012!
12/17 First day in Nairobi - there is a runner's wedding this weekend, but those things take all day and I have so much to do. It seems like half of Iten is going. Meanwhile I am in Nairobi - just spoke with Robert Cheruiyot, injury free and training hard.
I spent all day searching for an apartment! Finally got one. Coincidence of coincidences it was the very last one we looked at but right next door to Pieter & Lornah's where I used to stay - small world.
The weather is like a summer in the West, so nice to be out of the cold... All is the same in Kenya, little changes - went to Java Adams this morning and saw familiar faces. The dollar has plunged from 107 ksh to 81 per dollar but sadly the food prices have remained high leaving many people living on a slim cusp of subsistence. Sad,
12/15 In London, soon to be in the air again, and a big shout out to British Airways; the best way to get to Kenya! I do not look forward to the flying part but they make the ride so much better. I have been to London so many times over the past few years, but only once in the last ten have I actually got outside of the airport! Heathrow is like a city to me, certainly big enough too.Join our Shoe4Africa Team to gain entry to the most coveted races on the NYRR calendar. Register with the team now for guaranteed entry to the NYC Half on March 18 or the ING New York City Marathon on November 4 without any hassle. You'll fundraise to benefit people in Africa who were born with talent but no opportunity. People who believe just seeing a doctor, let alone treatment, is a blessing. Whilst I remind myself about trying to build a children's public hospital I think of these words... 80% of East African kids who die do so without ever seeing a Doctor in their life. 2/3rds of those deaths are either treatable or preventable... You can do something about this... you can be the changemaker by signing up with our team. Please email me for details at tobytanser@aol.com One in eight kids are dying before ever seeing a fifth birthday... the greatest change in American healthcare came from access to healthcare - let's give East African kids their first ever Kids Public hospital. The year is 2011, it about one-hundred years too late!!
12/14 So, a few years later, after he was a fighter pilot on the big screen, Anthony Edwards gets his pilot's license yesterday; congrats!
I went to Solo, off Madison Ave, in the Sony Atrium for lunch. Super nice & I had a side order of French Fries that were tasty & salty...Sunday Bada died - sad to hear, he was just 42. He was a regular competitor on the circuit for the 400m during the nineties. He was working for the Nigerian Federation when he collapsed and died shortly afterwards.As new York turns deathly cold, I was on the Rez coaching the Flyers last night and I felt it, it is that time of the year for me to zip over to Kenya.
What a year, so many highlights...
12/13 Another bagel injury! I went to the dentist (a new thing for me) and after I was eating a bagel, then boom because of the anesthetic, did not realize I was chewing on my lip - wow, I looked like I had gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson. So now I have a bubber-lip!Thank you to Mason Haupt who facilitated the donation of twelve lap tops for Janeth Jepkosgei's school, and today is her birthday! So of course I was on my bike and Mason tells me he has ordered a car service to take them back. So we are on 7th & 56th, and I live way up in the 130's, East Side, in Harlem. And in a true test of what is faster
we both set off. I beat him by about five to ten minutes. The guy was startled, "I thought I would be waiting for you about an hour..."
Olympic Gold Steepler, and his chums
The London Marathon announces a fantastic women's field - look at the top ten names, and there are more!
Basically London has captured the 'Kenyan' Olympic selection race. In a country where nothing is nailed down you are only as good as your last race hence the inclusion of the big guns here. If I was Lydia Cheromei I would be going to London too, even if I had to pay my way... IF I wanted to make the team, because you can be assured that the Kenyan Selectors will be looking at these results and choosing the day after. It is a risk for Edna too - already pre-selected if she has a terrible race she might find herself out if three others run with fab races. Priscah is a new name in there, straight from a win in Paris & World Champs experience she should be on the up & up... then there are others like Sharon Cherop who'll be in Boston with Caroline Kilel... Anyway London has done it again. You'll see they have a men's field to match too when they announce it... Again, my men's winner for London is Wilson Kipsang... and I can tell you his wife is going to run the Shoe$Africa 5km in two weeks time!
I was making the trek to Brooklyn today and the N&R trains were not running, the platform was a mess, so I decided to jump on the first train to anywhere just to get out of the crowded station... luckily I found an alternative route on that train... I also found an old Doctor friend of mine who commutes each day from the Hamptons to work mornings... "it is worth it, in my back yard I have a Lake..." Hm, Lake & the sticks versus living in Manhattan? I know which one I would take, or am taking.Speaking of places I got an invite to Israel! I will be over there in the New Year. thanks to my good friend Shmuel.
12/12 Nicholas Chelimo from Ngong, beats Patrick Ivuti by just three secs, 2:14:55 to win the Honolulu Marathon yesterday... Jimmy Muindi was 2:24 in #6, a multi-winner and a man who has been running as long as running has been around... Girma Woyniset won the ladies in 2:31.. not a fast course this one...
In Europe the XC Champs were held.. a dilute event spurned from Europe's declining attendance at the World XC Champs. It seems more European teams wish to field a team for this event, rather than the world's, and sadly that is why the World's has now become a BI-annual event. Europe's best male athletes, in my humble opinion, were not competing... Paula or Mo Farah. Paula was winning a 10km in Monaco after returning from Iten, Kenya...
It is Jamhuri Day over in Kenya; celebrating the day of independence, like July 4th for Americans.
[pic by mike kobal] The lady center, with the blue visor, won the first ever Shoe4Africa Manhattan 5km. She ran great too, 17-minutes. Her name is Laurel Wassner, and interestingly enough she is the third of three running sisters, and the oldest, Bec, used to run when I used to run! Those were the days...
I went to the NY Flyers Holidays party on Saturday night and it was great to reconnect with a lot of Flyers who I have not seen in a while; such a friendly club.Thanks to Price, again, as Shoe4Africa had a whole color page in the FORBES LIFE magazine! It is always surreal to see the charity in those 'big' places...
Talking of which soon off to Kenya, I was measuring my suitcases - I bought them from Bagman and I got the biggest I could get... all the way home, well back to my bike which was parked about 15-minutes walk away people kept on commenting, "Those are so big! Goodness what big suitcases. I did not know you could get that size." I was super worried that maybe I would not be able to get them on the plane... they appear to ok though if my cm to inches math is correct - it never was my strong point in school.
I was over in Brooklyn on Saturday, I had a meeting in Williamsburg with a T shirt company - watch this space as we soon will launch the E-store to buy T shirts.. and more too.On Friday I went to lunch at the Cornell Club on 44th St. I was seriously thinking about going to college so I could be a member, well Dick Traum, the founder of the Achilles, told me he could make me a member though without the study part.. anyway, after the meal the waiter brought a plate of cookies for us to eat with our coffee. On the top was a gingerbread man, and one leg was snapped off, "That's Dick!" said the waiter... Those who know Dick know he is famous for his sense of humor. 12/09
Masami & The Middleweight legend, Michael Olajide... both looking sharp
Kibera Slums - in ten days we will be hosting the Shoe4Africa Make-Up Make-Over project with IMAN Cosmetics! Can't wait, it should be great, then we have an event with the Chege Orphans, then we go to Eldoret to look around the sister hospital, site visit etc, then we do the Feeding program, plant some trees & start a new school, then we have to fix the women's race, poster Iten, set up registration etc, then we have to open the Shoe4Africa Janeth Jepkosgei Sschool... then comes the race - it is a whirlwind and should be great!Hot off the tails of a successful event the 2012 Shoe4Africa NYC 5km will be on December 2nd, same locale etc... entries will open in March!Nice stories continue... CPTC's Stuart Alexander who came to support our race, his first in over three years also made a donation today! And talking faces from the past - I met Sir Alec today, apparently he has a 12-yr old, missed that part... he looked just the same!
12/08
A car for $16.4 million?? Gosh, what you could do with that money...change the lives of so so many, or buy a tin box on rubber wheels [link]It is a wrap, I have finally loaded the last few pictures of the Shoe4Africa 5km - I think there must be 200 pictures at the www.facebook.com/shoe4africa page if you click on the photos tab. woowee - I had to make two albums, the FB limit is 200 pics and there were 216
The head of the IAAF in the soup? Diack? Are you sure... After Primo? [link] What does "severely reprimanded" mean?Rotterdam Marathon gets New Balance as a sponsor... Other Dutch news Philip Langat won the 15km in Holland this weekend - 42:33, World Marathon Champ Abel Kirui was back in 8th place in 44-minutes... his counterpart Edna Kiplagat, who is preparing for a stab at Gold next year in London was 2nd in 49:41 - someway behind the winner 48:15 Abebech of Ethiopia... Hilda Kibet was third in 49:46... ahead of her boyfriend Hugo. reminding me of a conversation overheard when Hugo was telling his Dutch friends in Iten that if his girlfriend ever would run faster than him he would retire... I think she has been running faster than him for a while, but it just goes to show. The conversation he started when he had sen Sylvia Kibet run by... Anyway, that is fast running by Langat - he passed 10k in 28:34Over in NYC: I hate the rain-- I cycled back from the Achilles with a huge suitcase strapped to my back, to take to Africa. In the slippery traffic it was crazy bad. cars kept on not seeing my extra width and crashing their wing mirrors. the good part was I had some big cardboard IMAN stiff-card posters and they fitted nicely into the suitcase and wrapped up they got home safe. Tomorrow I have a repeat journey.THE NYC Half - we have 19-spots left!
Go to facebook.com/Shoe4Africa to see all the pictures from this year's event.
12/07 On facebook I have already uploaded 120-pics, more coming on the SHOE4AFRICA page...
I am getting sentimental in my old age. As a younger nipper I was mostly interested in the sharp end of the field. Who won, who ran the fastest... I think the journey of life shows you certain things and I have been very fortunate to have seen far in my life - it is the same with money, as a kid all I wanted was to be a millionaire, as I get older all I want to do is to give it away. Again it is a sequence of what I have seen and what I have felt. My favorite race picture is below, it really embodies the pure love of what running does to you; it is a blind Achilles runner and his guide. talk about a picture says a thousand words... I think of the courage of these Achilles athletes to go and face the world, and not only to face the world, challenge the world... and they completely humble me.
When the Hope & Possibility 5-miler lost its status as a qualifier I happened to be at a boxing match in midtown when I bumped into another Achilles blind runner at the table of an Israeli fighter. When he heard the news he sighed, "Out of all the communities of runners in NYC it is the Achilles that need that little pick-me-up..." and seeing this man run, with his smile, reminds me of the trials and traumas life throws at us... and why every morning when my eyelids flutter I feel eternally grateful.
Great news on the IAAF that it is official Mara Yamauchi has joined Paula Radcliffe on the Olympic team! Two of my fave British athletes and of course Mara is a S4A ambassador and I can not say enough good things about Paula, but as I have been ranting on about her for years on this web page you'll probably know I am a big fan!And we read; Armory Foundation president Dr. Norb Sander announced today that Bernard Lagat, owner of a record eight Wanamaker Mile titles, will compete in the 5,000-meter event during the February 11, 2012 Millrose Games at the Armory New Balance Track & Field Center. So buy your tickets, it will be a full day of fun packed supreme indoor athletics!Once again proving Train Hard Win Easy, the man who won in Singapore... "It is not easy to win. I trained very hard for this race."
An inspiring runner, our first amputee runner at the Shoe4Africa 5km. It is inspiring stories that make my day these days...
Take for example at the race, all my volunteers who came out. They were manned by Jo Ann Mannino - she came early, worked all day long helping us us, had worked also in the week... she goes home and what does she do? Goes online and makes a contribution for Shoe4Africa!
Thanks also to all the volunteers from FIT who came up to work on a Sunday morning - Miriam, Rafael, Izzy, Andre & Some, and of course the force of Kerri Ann McTiernan who pulled the team together and also came with new stopwatches for the mile markers.
Did you read about the world's most expensive car crash? Eight Ferrari's, One Lamborghini, three Mercedes & two toyotas crashing in Japan? At least I guess these were not the work cars for poor drivers... Singapore results--1. Charles Mwai Kanyao, Kenya 2:14:33.75
2. Luka Kipkemoi Chelimo, Kenya 2:14:38.75
3. John Kelai, Kenya 2:15:45.65 - John's our S4A ambassador from Turkana... 1. Irene Jerotich Kosgei, Kenya 2:36:42.39
2. Roman Gebregessesse, Ethiopia 2:37:30.74
3. Magadelene Mukunzi, Kenya 2:38:06.50... I met Magadelene the last time I was in Iten, she was training with another Magdalene, otherwise known as the jamjar.Went to the New Mexican place for beers on 82nd ST... nice, we hear the food is really good, between Lex & third - so go check it out if you like good Mexican.
12/06 To be revisted as it was amazing and I am still in shock... Thank you so much to all the amazing runners, the amazing race organizers, the amazing volunteers... of course I will make a page on the Shoe4Africa web site detailing the day.. till then...
More news to come on the race and congrats to the speedy overall winners, Jason and Laurel!
12/02 10 a.m., sold out of race entries for the inaugural Shoe4Africa 5km!
Another only in Kenya Story...
She went to the commonwealth games to run the 800m, at the next games she could not make the team for the 800m.. so she randomly tried the 10,000m.. which she ended up winning gold... she found there were not many 10,000m races for women, so she entered a marathon... Paris, which she won, she liked marathons so she won a few more, including Boston! Salina Kosgei.Work, work work it is 8:34pm and I have been working all day long and the end is not near. A lesson for budding people doing charity work; when your charity does well your work load increases! Right now it is dawn to dusk!
12/01 World AIDS day -
Times are good for Shoe4Africa - I saw we have $1.2 million dollars in the bank! Wow. It is going to happen, breaking ground soon.
Other news--today I met Cynthia & Tamika at the IMAN offices when I was picking up Make Up. Classy, beautiful stuff, really nice packaging too. As I picked up some hardboard posters I walked them across to drop them at the achilles office where they were celebrating a full page story in the Post or the other one; great story & picture about the Kids program. CLICK-here. Joe had printed up some staff T shirts and the Q was am I a medium or a large - I asked for a large and they were, "no way, you are a medium" but looks are deceptive, after the fit on...
Tony was downtown campaigning about the frakking in Delaware, so I met him for lunch at an Italian place called Pitta or something, just north of Houston on Sixth Avenue - very authentic, could not pronounce a thing on the menu, could not guess what I ate, apart from the chocolate mousse desert. Very nice place though, if you are down that way.If you have 22-minutes and are bored at work... watch this very moving little documentary (you have to read the titles at the end) about how a lady in Kibera, Tabitha, and Salim Mohamed started a medical clinic, also starting the musician K'naan. [Watch]
11/30 Announcing our Hal & Stacey Kelly Feeding Program - Dec 21st, in Kenya, with our 'VIP' world championships 2011 medalist Sally Kipyego! It will be a very busy December for Shoe4Africa; so much good stuff going on!
All goes great with the race - if you have not signed up yet, please do so - call 212.828.1906 for ALL details!! Number pick up will on the day. Great feedback on the 10 am start and I must say I did that to suit myself as I hate running races at the crack of dawn. One of my fave races was the Stockholm Midnight 10k that was run at 10 PM through 'Gamlastan' Old Town. Those were the days.In the racing world we hear' Kenyan John Komen ran 2:07:13 to break the race record of Marathon de La Rochelle Serge Vigot on Sunday, while Ethiopian Ture Chatu won the women’s race in 2:36:04' -- John will probably be the 100th fastest Kenyan of the year...I am planning on writing an E book this winter. I am working on some other writing things, but in the meantime I like the idea of writing an E book - Amby Burfoot suggested it to me when we met at the Marathon earlier this month.I think I am going to run the Jingle Bell Jog; I wanted to do the Voices run this weekend, but I figure I should be at my race by at least an hour prior to the event and I think it is cutting it too close to run, finish, change, get up to 105th ST in a few minutes... better I just miss it.11/29
The man in the red jacket is the first coach of Vivian Cheruiyot, the multi world champion. This was a small development race out in the sticks. I was trying to think of some words of wisdom... trying at leastMeanwhile back in NYC - a few days to go before the first ever, ever Shoe4Africa 5km in Manhattan - is 105th ST Riverside called Harlem? It would be fitting... anyway we still have entries and thanks to three big sponsors who have MORE than made this into a financial success: Bank of America, Barclays and Morgan Stanley!!I went to pick up my passport today. Went through security and they confiscated my bagels of all things!!11/28 On this very day, just last year, I reached the summit of Kilimanjaro, having run from the coast of Africa.
The run was a long one, a journey of solitude and miles. I ran alone apart from the last stage up the mountain when my friend Simon Mtuy guided me, thanks Simon!
Imagine running and seeing this in the distance and knowing you have to keep running, and up it!
Today I am off downtown to pick up my passport as, surprise, surprise, I am back to Kenya very shortly!Big thanks to Stacey Kelly for keeping our Feeding Program alive! This year we will work with Sally Kipyego in her area... I hear she just won a thanksgiving race... speaking of which I remember when I won a T-day race and the prize was a Turkey. My friend was very happy as I did not want the Turkey. However when I collected my prize (it was a NYRR race) it was actually a ten dollar voucher to Food Emporium - ho ho hum... speaking of which...
