Runner's Tribe

All the finely tuned periodization, workouts crafted with laser focus, strides until you see stars...that hard work gets torpedoed if you're not recovering properly. It doesn't matter how talented you are - neglect this stuff, and you can kiss...

The energetic buzz in Chamonix's narrow streets echoed the historic moment during the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB). Thousands flocked to witness the conclusion of the punishing 106-mile race, renowned for its toughness and competitiveness. UTMB, spanning three international borders and encircling Europe's highest peak, is globally acknowledged as one of the most demanding ultra-marathons, characterized by both a festive ambiance and a staggering elevation gain surpassing Mount Everest.

Inaugurating the London International Cross Country event at Parliament Hill was more than just a spectacle. The organizers, led by Eamonn Martin, aimed to fill the void left by the dearly missed Great Edinburgh XC. Their vision goes beyond, harboring ambitions to host the European Championships at this iconic venue.

In a breathtaking display of athletic ability, Yves Nimubona became the first Rwandan male to win the Energyvision CrossCup Hannut on Sunday (21), and Edinah Jebitok won her third Gold-level race of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour.

Reigning world champion Josh Kerr is already seeing a victorious moment on the track at the Stade de France, with just 200 days to go before the highly anticipated Olympic men's 1500m final in Paris on August 6. Kerr, who won the gold in Budapest last year by defeating his fierce competitor Jakob Ingebrigtsen, is sure he can repeat his performance on the biggest Olympic platform.

On a night featuring the world’s best athletes at the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne, few are set to harness the crowd like Australia’s own sprint king Rohan Browning, with the fan-favourite locked and loaded to take on Japan’s fiercest sprinters as his Olympic campaign continues.

Someone recently had the temerity to suggest that this column lives too often in the past. We could respond that there’s a lot more history in the past than there is in the present. And who knows the future anyway? But fair comment we replied and since then have tried to avoid the past as much as possible.

Brian Morgan is one of those endurance athletes who just kept on keeping on. His career is impressive and though some of his best performances were swamped by the rapid improvement in Australian distance running from the mid 1970s onwards, they are revered by Newcastle locals who raced during that era. Brian’s name crops up everywhere in the NSW and Australian distance racing scenes, across all disciplines: track, road, cross country, mountain running, fun runs and club association events.

OPPs are the glue that holds everything together as the mature distance runner faces the inevitable setbacks that will occur. They are the bedrock for determination, for it is all too easy to give in or give up.

Shawn Barber, the Canadian pole vault record holder and 2015 world champion, passed away at 29 due to medical complications. Barber, known for his exceptional talent, died at his home in Kingwood, Texas. Despite health issues, he remained a kind-hearted person who put others ahead of himself, according to his agent, Paul Doyle.