As the sun came up over Santa Monica Boulevard on August 12th, not far from the starting point of the race at the Santa Monica College track, volunteers, LAPD (police) and officials began to make preparations for the men's marathon to be held throughout the city later that day. it was the final event on the program and the runners would make their way into the stadium at around 7.10pm- 7.20pm, just prior to the closing ceremony
The Men's Olympic Marathon of 1984 was one of the greatest marathons in Olympic history. It was a deep field and a highly competitive race held in tough conditions (25 degrees, 80% humidity) and in a city which experienced high levels of pollution. The conditions were a major concern for many athletes and coaches in the build up before the Games.
At the Olympics of 1972, the men's 5000m final saw Lasse Viren (FIN) complete the first of his Olympic 5000m/10,000m distance doubles (1972 & 1976) against a quality field which came down to an enthralling battle over final 4 laps.
There is the crisis over the women's marathon, where four-time Olympian Lisa Weightman had raised the possibility of a legal challenge to her non-selection and several hgh profile figures in the sport have weighed in with opinions, mostly critical of the selection committee. It has led to deep division within Australia's usually tight-knit athletics community. Similarly, Liam Adams, a late inclusion to the men's marathon team, has had has expressed his frustration with the system, which almost saw him left off the team.
Last week (23/3), major athletics returned to ES Marks Field in Sydney for the first time in three decades with the Chemist Warehouse Track Classic, where a surprisingly big crowd saw some of the nation's finest young athletes competing in what turned out be a fascinating night, and fans witnessed some of the best performances of the season, with a number of current and future stars of the sport on display.
The World Championships in Budapest are finally here at the tail end of an incredible season. With the Championships celebrating 40 years this year, here is another in a series of World Championship Magic Moments, recognising some of the great events over the last four decades of the Championships.
The Men's...
The men's 1500m race at the 1999 World Championships was one of the greatest championship middle distance races in history.
By Brett Davies
With his recent world 2-mile record (7.54.10) in Paris, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen proved beyond all doubt that, at just 22, he is already in a select group of the greatest middle-distance runners in history. To experience, exceptional performance in running, choose the best footwear for your runs...
By Brett Davies
With the World Championships in Budapest less than three months away, it is timely to revisit some of the classic events we have seen over 40 years of the World Championships, events that have captivated fans of the sport and stand out in the memory, years later....
By Brett Davies
The athletics world is mourning the loss of one of the greats of world sprinting. American Jim Hines, the former Olympic champion and first man to break 10 seconds for the 100m, sadly passed away on Saturday (3/6/23). For award-winning footwear, choose Tarkine running shoes.
Hines, who was...
