Ryan Hall's Blog, page 118
November 7, 2017
NYC Marathon recovery culture days
Photo credit: Stevenuccia
Get your Culture on with Free Days at New York’s Museums
As your muscles recover and the mercury plummets, this week is the perfect time to get your culture on with some easy strolling at museums. You know where to go for world-famous collections and touring exhibits; but did you know that New York City’s top museums have free days? Below are a few of our favorites.
The Museum of Modern Art is free for all visitors during UNIQLO Free Friday Nights, 4 to 8 p.m. The line for UNIQLO Free Friday tickets begins at the Museum’s 54 Street entrance, but to avoid long lines, visitors are strongly encouraged to arrive after 6 p.m. Your UNIQLO Free Friday Night ticket permits entry to all museum galleries and exhibitions. Among current exhibits: Club 57: Film, Performance, and Art in the East Village, 1978–1983; and Items: Is Fashion Modern?
Guggenheim offers pay-what-you-wish entry for all visitors every Saturday, from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. A line forms at 5:15 p.m., and the last ticket is issued at 7:15 p.m. Every Friday and Saturday through December 16, the museum will screen films from a series curated by Ai Weiwei and Wang Fen, “Turn It On: China on Film, 2000–2017.” The series features 20 works by more than a dozen filmmakers, rarely seen documentaries from contemporary China; it accompanies the exhibition Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World.
The Frick Collection is free every first Friday of the month (except January and September) from 6 to 9 p.m. Every Wednesday from 2 to 6 p.m. is pay-what-you-wish. Currently on exhibit: Fired by Passion: Masterpieces of Du Paquier Porcelain from the Sullivan Collection; Veronese in Murano: Two Venetian Renaissance Masterpieces Restored; and Murillo: The Self-Portraits.
New Museum is pay-what-you-wish every Thursday evening, 7 to 9 p.m. The museum celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, with an exhibit that reflects on the institution’s pursuit of groundbreaking art and ideas and its legacy of questioning the structures and functions of museums: Pursuing the Unpredictable: The New Museum 1977–2017.
Brooklyn Museum is free every first Saturday of the month (except September). Current exhibits include: Roots of “The Dinner Party”: History in the Making; Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt; and A Woman’s Afterlife: Gender Transformation in Ancient Egypt.
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November 6, 2017
26 Fast (and Awesome) Facts About American Meb Keflezighi
Photo Credit: Steven Pisano
One of the most impressive long-distance runners in American history retired from running marathons after Sunday’s 2017 New York City Marathon. Meb Keflezighi – we hardly knew ye!
From his interesting name to his origin story to his prolific marathon career, there is just so much to learn about the man whose bib would simply read “Meb” – like the Madonna, Prince or Sting of the running world.
26 Fast Facts About Retired Meb Keflezighi
We thought we’d share 26 interesting facts about the retired Meb Keflezighi – one fact for each of his 26 career competitive marathons.
Meb won four NCAA championships in the 5K indoor, 5K outdoor and the 10K outdoor.
Keflezighi became a naturalized United States citizen in 1998, which was the same year he graduated from UCLA.
This diminutive man is the only person in history to win an Olympic medal, and both the New York City Marathon and Boston Marathon.
After Sunday’s race, Meb has finished in the top-10 of the men’s competition eight different times – but he has finished in the top-11 nine times!
“Marathon Meb” has finished marathons under 2:10 nine different times in his career – which is more than one-third of his career marathons.
In 1987, Keflezighi’s family were refugees that escaped Eritrea, which was in an 30-year war with Ethiopia.
Meb was just 12 years old when he came to America (San Diego) as one of 10 children.
Just 15 minutes separate his fastest marathon time (2014 Boston Marathon) and his slowest marathon time (2013 New York City Marathon).
Keflezighi ‘s name is pronounced “KEFF-LEZ-GHEE.”
While Meb won the silver medal in the 2004 marathon at the Athens Olympics, he might be more known now for falling at the finish line of the 2016 Rio Olympics, when he did crowd-pleasing push-ups before getting up.
ESPN estimates Meb has worn 285 pairs of running shoes since he turned pro.
Meb started his competitive marathon running with the 2002 New York City Marathon, and he finished his career in the very same race 15 years later.
After running his first marathon (the 2002 New York City Marathon), Meb vowed he would never do it again. (He did it 25 more times.)
The silver-medal winner participated in four different Olympic games.
Meb goes through about 15 pairs of running shoes every year.
When Meb won the New York City Marathon in 2009, he was the first American to win that race in 27 years, when Alberto Salazar won it in 1982.
Before each race, Meb eats a fluffy baked bread called “Himbasha” that his mother sends special delivery to him, although a bagel works in a pinch, according to the New York Times.
After seeing a car for the first time at the age of 10, Meb thought it was a death machine.
Despite several major injuries, including a hip fracture, ruptured quads and a partially torn soleus, Meb has never gone under the knife for a surgery.
Ahead of the 2004 Athens Olympics, where Med would win a silver medal, he would run as much as 136 miles in a week.
Meb started to learn English when his father, Russom, would wake up his oldest children at 4:30am, so he could read words to them out of the dictionary.
Nine of Meb’s 11 siblings have earned college degrees, and four of them have gained advanced degrees.
While Meb has retired from professional marathon running, he will be running in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis in early May. That has been the nation’s largest half-marathon for the past 20 years.
After a disastrous 2007 U.S. Olympic marathon trials in which Meb limped to an eighth-place finish because of a pelvic stress fracture, he couldn’t join the 2008 U.S. team for the Beijing Olympics. That helped propel him to an amazing 2009 year, which is when he won the New York City Marathon.
The fastest mile Meb has ever run during the New York City Marathon was in 2005, when he ran Mile 16 in just 4:22. That’s 13.7 mph for one mile!
Meb’s first name is actually Mebrahtom.
Many of the facts used in this article were attributed to Wikipedia, ESPN and the New York Times.
The post 26 Fast (and Awesome) Facts About American Meb Keflezighi appeared first on Competitor.com.
8 Wonders of the World Marathon Majors, Including the NYC Marathon
The 2017 New York City Marathon was just run Sunday, Nov. 5, and Americans know it as one of the biggest long-distance running competitions in the country, with the Boston Marathon having a slightly greater profile. What’s interesting is that those two races are part of an even bigger circuit that involves the entire world! It’s the Abbott World Marathon Majors, with eight different marathon races that are occur over the course of four years.
Most people can likely name many of the tennis tournaments in a tennis grand slam, like Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and the PGA has four majors, which include the Masters at Augusta and the U.S. Open. All of the major team sports have their respective all-star games or Pro Bowls, but none of them offer the exclusivity of what the Abbott World Marathon Majors can offer to its participants who win a few of the races.
What Should We Know About the Abbott World Marathon Majors?
This competition was founded just over 10 years ago in 2006, and it involves six annual races from major cities across the world, a biennial race, and a quadrennial race. This means if someone is ever going to win all eight races, they’d have to do so over the course of at least a four-year period.
Abbott Laboratories became a sponsor for this circuit of races in 2015. It’s a worldwide health care company headquartered in Lake Bluff, Illinois, that creates branded generic drugs, medical devices, diagnostic essays and nutritional products.
The Abbott World Marathon Majors is currently in its 11th year, which means they are currently in the Series XI for the Men’s Series, the Women’s Series, the Men’s Wheelchair Series and the Women’s Wheelchair Series.
The scoring system awards points to runners who finish in the top five of any of the eight races, and then their four highest ranks over a two-year period were originally used. But they amended the scoring system in 2015 to just the two highest ranks during the scoring period.
The top male and femail marathon runners at the end of each cycle receiv an equal share of U.S. $1 Million.
The Amazing Races of the Abbott World Marathon Majors
Here are the eight amazing and exclusive races included in the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon – This is the third-most known marathon race in America, but it happens to be the fourth-largest marathon by number of finishers. It’s held in early October each year.
BMW Berlin Marathon – This German race takes place in late September, which also happens to be when Oktoberfest is happening!
Boston Marathon – Always held on Patriots Day in Boston in late April, this is considered the most famous marathon race in the world.
Virgin Money London Marathon – One of the five founding marathons for the World Marathon Majors, the London race also takes place in April.
Olympic Games – Obviously, these races only occur every four years, during leap years, and they are a part of a much bigger world competition in the summer.
TCS New York City Marathon – Held on the first Sunday in November, the only year this race wasn’t a part of the World Marathon Majors was 2012, when it was cancelled because of the Hurricane Sandy aftermath.
IAAF World Championships in Athletics – Held during odd-numbered years, this race is held in different cities every two years. The 2017 event will be held in London, with the 2019 race occurring in Qatar. In 2021, however, the World Championships come to Eugene, Oregon!
Tokyo Marathon – This race is only 11-year-old, and it usually takes place in late February. Six Kenyans and three Ethiopians are among the 11 different winners.
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Mebathon! Enjoying American Meb Keflezighi’s Final NYC Marathon
Photo Credit: J.D. Baskin
Meb Keflezighi is the last American male to win the New York City Marathon, accomplishing the feat back in 2009. The Eritrean-born marathon runner also won the Boston Marathon in 2014, and he won the Silver Medal at the 2004 Olympics. Imagine that – coming in second place in the event the Greeks invented!
But Keflezighi also announced he was retiring from marathon-running as a career at the age of 42, after running Sunday’s 2017 NYC Marathon.
Interestingly, he’s not giving up running altogether, just the marathons. He’s planning on running other races, like the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis on May 5. It’s the largest half-marathon in the United States – and it also happens to fall on his 43rd birthday!
The face of long-distance running in America is finally going to stop running 26.2 miles at a time. He started back in 2002 – in this very same race in the same city. He has now run 26 career marathons (26 is an interesting number!), and this is one last look at how Sunday’s race went for the superstar.
Meb Keflezighi’s Final NYC Marathon
Keflezighi finished 11th overall among the men’s competition, posting a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 29 seconds. Meb waved and blew kisses to the crowd as he approached the finish line. But he finally collapsed to the ground when he crossed the finished line to the excitement of all of the NYC Marathon fans and spectators. With so much buildup over this, his final competitive marathon, including interviews and appearances, Meb just had nothing left. He had given it his all, just like the 25 NYC Marathons before. He got up, with the help of his wife, Yordanos Asgedom, who brought him to his coach, Bob Larsen.
Meb Keflezighi falls face down on the ground after crossing the finish line on his last race as a pro at the NYRR… https://t.co/BurpQJys5U pic.twitter.com/70NDBgWWLs
— UPI Photos (@UPIPhotos) November 5, 2017
Meb’s final time was just under his average NYC Marathon time of 2:13:31 before this race, and it was his ninth-best finish of the 11 career NYC Marathon races he has run.
Keflezighi remarked later that he had been dealing with an upset stomach for a portion of the race, and he had vomited a few times from the 23rd mile on to the finish line.
But before the sickness and the fantastic finish, Meb had run a very strong race in a marathon he was not expected to compete with the best. After the pack started slow, Keflezighi got off to a great start, but once the lead pack got through 19 miles, the eventual winner, Geoffrey Kamworor, posted a 4:48 mile, and Meb fell back.
An incredible fact: #NewYorkCityMarathon #TCSNewYorkCityMarathon #ShalaneFlanagan #MebKeflezighi #BostonMarathon pic.twitter.com/oKM5H2cGq6
— Aishwarya Kumar (@kumaraishwarya) November 5, 2017
What does the future hold for Mebrahtom Keflezighi? Will he turn to coaching? Will he retreat to spend more time with his family, which he has indicated is his preference? Will we someday hear him as a color analyst for the Olympics and other major marathons across the country? There’s one thing for certain – more Meb can only be a good thing.
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Which 10 Celebrities Ran the 2017 NYC Marathon the Fastest?
Photo Credit: Rebecca Wilson
Some people are runners that become celebrities because they’ve won the New York City Marathon, like Shalane Flanagan and Meb Keflezighi, and some people are celebrities that just happen to run in the 2017 NYC Marathon!
Props to these famous people for giving it their all and trying their feet at long-distance running at such a peak level and on such a grand stage.
10 Celebrities That Ran In the 2017 NYC Marathon
We decided to check back on all these celebrity marathon runners to see how they performed in the 2017 NYC Marathon.
Daniel Humm – Celebrity Chef – 3:12:10
The 41-year-old co-owner of the 2017 World’s Best Restaurant, Eleven Madison Park in New York, Humm posted an excellent time for any runner, not just a celebrity one!
A post shared by Daniel Humm (@danielhumm) on Nov 6, 2017 at 6:24am PST
Kevin Hart – Actor & Comedian – 4:05:06
Amazingly, the 38-year-old rock star comedian said he got on a plane after the race to fly to Los Angeles so he could be at his son’s birthday party. Then he immediately flew to Atlanta for his final day of shooting on his new movie, “Night School.”
A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real) on Nov 5, 2017 at 6:41am PST
Tiki Barber – Former NFL Running Back & CBS Sports Radio Co-Host – 4:38:15
This former Pro Bowl “running back” got paid to rattle off three-yard runs most Sundays. But on Sunday, the 42-year-old went 26.2 miles!
#TCSNYMarathon advice from @TikiBarber “don’t be a hero at the beginning and don’t be a coward at the end” pic.twitter.com/PhUI2hqscg
— TCS NYC Marathon (@nycmarathon) November 3, 2017
Prince Royce – Singer & Songwriter – 4:39:30
The Dominican-American singer told “People Chica” that he just started running six months ago, preparing for his first marathon. At just 28 years old, we imagine we’ll see him again soon.
Yasir Salem – Competitive Eater & Ironman – 4:41:33
Not only did he eat up some pavement and a lot of the competition, he likely feasted not too long after Sunday’s marathon.
Karlie Kloss – Supermodel – 4:41:49
The former Victoria’s Secret Angel’s model ran her first marathon Sunday. The 25-year-old is also the founder of Kode With Klossy, which is an organization that empowers girls to learn to code and become tech leaders.
A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on Nov 5, 2017 at 1:16pm PST
Kathrine Switzer – First Woman to Run Boston Marathon in 1967 – 4:48:21
This 70-year-old superstar ran in her 40th marathon Sunday, with the 261 Fearless organization. That’s a global supportive social running network that empowers women to take control of their lives through running.
Sam Ryan – MLB Network Sportscaster – 4:49:51
A childhood victim of asthma, this 48-year-old sports journalist started running 5Ks when she was 30, then her first marathon after she turned 40. She beat her former personal best from last year’s NYC Marathon of 4:51 by over a minute.
A post shared by SamRyanSports (@samryansports) on Nov 3, 2017 at 10:50am PDT
Richard Blais – “Top Chef: All-Stars Winner” – 5:15:16
Blais is known for molecular gastronomy and his innovation in the kitchen, but he’s also quickly becoming famous for his marathon skills. This was his fifth New York City Marathon, and he said he has been running for just over 10 years.
Candice Huffine – Model & Fashion Designer – 5:43:03
This beautiful 33-year-old celebrated her sixth anniversary to movie-maker Matt Powers 25 days late, but they did while running through the five boroughs of NYC.
Celebrating 6 years the only new way we know how.
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Considering a Plant-Based Diet as Part of Your Recovery or Training?
Sample Some of Vegan’s Best in NYC
If you’re considering a plant-based diet—to improve your training, to avoid eating and harming animals, and to benefit the planet and your personal health—treat yourself to a few vegan meals this week in New York City.
Some elite athletes, such as ultramarathon runner Scott Jurek, have been singing the praises of veganism for years. Jurek, author of “Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to
Ultramarathon Greatness,” shares some mouth-watering plant-based recipes on his website and more in the book. But you won’t know how good vegan can be until you taste animal-free foods for yourself.
These days, with an explosion of vegan options in grocery stores, co-ops, health food shops and restaurants, you don’t have to sacrifice taste or variety to avoid animal products. So while you’re in the city, recovering from the marathon, what better time than now to check out some of the best vegan in the nation. Expand your food and fuel horizons and see what’s possible when creative chefs meet colorful, flavorful, nutrient-packed plants.
Blossom: With two Manhattan locations (Chelsea and Columbus), Blossom offers sit-down dining in small, intimae spaces. The fresh, organic ingredients (also certified Kosher) come from local farms and small distribution companies, and all dishes are completely animal-free. The offerings are paired carefully with an extensive wine list. Menu favorites: tofu BLT and seitan scallopini.
by Chloe: Playful, casual and fun, by Chloe offers a vegan menu featuring locally sourced ingredients. Customers order at the counter and delight in the restaurant’s colorful décor and eco-friendly packaging. By Chloe has a half-dozen locations in the city. Try the detox kale salad and house-made burgers—patties and condiments are all made from scratch, in-house, as are the amazing chocolate-chip cookies.
Dirt Candy: Want to take a deep dive into plant dining? Try it here, with two prix fixe options: The Vegetable Patch ($57, tip included) with about five courses of menu favorites; or the Vegetable Garden ($83, tip included) with nine or 10 courses from a seasonal menu. Starting in September, Dirt Candy stopped offering a la carte menu options at dinner, but you won’t be disappointed with the vegetable party offerings now. The dishes are all vegetarian; request vegan from your server. To whet your appetite: popcorn beets, jalapeno hush puppies, Korean fried broccoli and kale matzoh ball soup.
Avant Garden: At this upscale restaurant, Chef Tony Mongeluzzi works under the premise that vegetables can simply be vegetables—they don’t have to try to be fake chicken, for example. He combines various greens, veggies, fruits, grains, nuts, legumes, herbs and spices in delightfully creative and delectable ways. The dishes are also simply beautiful—a work of art on your plate with each course. Try the scorched cauliflower or roasted carrot dishes, and you’ll never look at those standard veggies in the same way again.
Dovetail: Located near the American Museum of Natural History and Central Park on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Dovetail offers vegan menus every night of the week. Monday is the vegetarian prix fixe menu, four courses for $68. Chef John Fraser’s award-winning contemporary American cuisine uses seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients. From the Monday menu: watermelon and radish, basil risotto and bittersweet chocolate soufflé.
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November 5, 2017
9 Interesting Numbers About NYC Marathon History
Photo Credit: WCK
The 2017 New York City Marathon ran for the 47th time Sunday, as over 50,000 long-distance runners set out to run through New York City’s five boroughs in just a few hours.
We thought it would be fun to look back at some of the more interesting numbers that surround this landmark event that now runs on the first Sunday of every November. It starts on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on Staten Island and finishes in Manhattan near the Tavern on the Green restaurant.
9 Interesting Numbers About NYC Marathon History
8 – Number of Times Meb Keflezighi Placed in the Top 10 Among Men’s Runners
Keflezighi is the last American male to win the race in 2009, and he noted that Sunday’s race would be his last run as a professional, marking the end of one of the best long distance runners the sport has ever seen. He finished Sunday’s race 11th, just missing adding to his NYC Marathon top-10 finishes. Keflezighi is a great American story in that his family were refugees from Eritrea, leaving his native country for America in 1987, when he was just 12 years old.
8 – Races That Are Part of the World Marathon Majors
While the New York City Marathon joins the Boston Marathon and the Chicago Marathon as the three biggest long-distance races in the United States, all three of those are also part of the eight World Marathon Majors. The other five include the Tokyo Marathon, London Marathon, Berlin Marathon, IAAF World Championships in Athletics (odd-numbered years) and the Olympic Games (every four years, in leap years).
10 – Years It Took For Shalane Flanagan’s 2008 Olympic Bronze Medal To Turn Silver
After finishing third in the 10,000-meter race in Beijing, China, during the 2008 Summer Olympics. But the runner that placed just ahead of her had her medal stripped in March of 2017, after retroactively failing a doping test on a sample taken from 2007. That meant Flanagan moved up and became a silver-medal winner. Then on Sunday, she became the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon in 40 years.
41.2 – Average Age of Registered NYC Marathon Runners in 2017
Runners don’t get old – they get better!
$255 – Entry Fee for U.S. Runners Who Are New York Road Runners (NYRR) Members
That entry fee is exactly $254 more expensive than the cost to run the first New York City Marathon back in 1970. Foreign runners must pay $358 to enter the race.
2011 – Three Fastest NYC Marathon Finish Times Ever Were Set This Year
What was in the Hudson River water that year? Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai was the male runner who set the course record of 2:05:06 that year.
9,200 – Percent More NYC Marathon Runners In 2017 Than In 1970
There were expected to be over 51,000 NYC Marathon runners in this year’s race, which dwarfs the initial number of entrants from back in 1970, when just 55 participants ran.
$100,000 — Amount of Prize Money For Winners of the Men’s and Women’s Races
Come in second place? That’s still a nice $60,000 check waiting for you!
$825,000 — 2017 NYC Marathon Prize Purse
While there are some potential time bonuses that can be paid to some participants, this is the guaranteed prize money for the entire 2017 NYC Marathon field.
We’re sure to learn more great facts about NYC Marathon history, especially as the 50th race comes up in a couple years.
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Meet the 2017 NYC Marathon Winners: Kamworor, Flanagan, Hug and Schär
Photo Credit: Randy Lemoine
For the 47th time, the New York City Marathon ran Sunday, November 5, and the 2017 NYC Marathon winners are an extraordinary bunch. From the Kenyan male, Geoffrey Kamworor, to female Portland native Shalane Flanagan, to the Swiss wheelchair race men’s and women’s winners, Marcel Hug and Manuela Schär, all four competitors beat all comers in one of the world’s toughest long-distance competitions.
Meet the NYC Marathon Winners: Men’s — Geoffrey Kamworor
Congratulations Geoffrey Kamworor and Wilson Kipsang for winning @nycmarathon – #MagicalKenya is proud of her sons #TCSNYCMarathon
— President of Kenya (@PresidentKE) November 5, 2017
Kamworor, a two-time world champion in the half-marathon, was the 14th Kenyan to win the men’s competition over the 48 years of this race. He finished with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes and 53 seconds.
Kamworor was raised in Kenya’s Rift Valley Province, in the village of Chepkorio. Just a few years ago, this young man won the Berlin Half Marathon with an incredible time of 1:00:38 – less than one minute from being under one hour.
On November 22 of 2017, Kamworor will turn just 25 years old – which means we have many more years of him to come.
Meet the NYC Marathon Winners: Women’s – Shalane Flanagan
This 37-year-old Portland, Oregon, native won the women’s side of the NYC Marathon with an awesome time of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 53 seconds. She became the first U.S. woman to win this race since 1977 – 40 years! Flanagan beat Kenyan runner Mary Keitany, who had own in each of the past three years.
Flanagan is now an Olympic silver medalist, after a runner was disqualified from a race in the 2008 Beijng Olympics, and now Flanagan is one of the very few American NYC Marathon winners.
Interestingly, Flanagan has announced that she would likely retire if she won Sunday’s race. She has lived in several parts of America, including Massachusetts, North Carolina and Oregon.
Meet the NYC Marathon Winners: Men’s Wheelchair – Marcel Hug
For the third time in five years, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug crossed the finish line first in his push-rim wheelchair Sunday. With a nickname like the “Silver Bullet,” it’s hard not to be impressed by the 31-year-old Paralympian athlete.
Hug was born with spina bifada, as he was raised on a farm with three brothers in Pfyn, Switzerland.
Ever since the 2012 New York City Marathon was canceled due to Hurricane Sandy, Hug has finished first in 2013, 2016 and now 2017. He finished with a time of 1 hour, 37 minutes and 17 seconds. Hug won last year’s race by just sixth-hundredths of a second!
Meet the NYC Marathon Winners: Women’s Wheelchair – Manuela Schär
Like her Swiss male counterpart, Schär went home as one of just four NYC Marathon winners Sunday. She was somehow able to hold off American Tatyana McFadden – a five-time winner! Schär finished second to McFadden for three consecutive years, before Schär could beat her Sunday by close to three minutes.
This was the first time that two competitors from the same country swept the two push-rim wheelchair races.
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5 Things To Know About Shalane Flanagan: First American Female NYC Marathon Winner in 40 Years
Photo Credit: Randy Lemoine
An American woman hasn’t won the New York City Marathon since Miki Gorman did it in 1977, until Sunday, when Oregon native Shalane Flanagan crossed the finish line first.
Kenyan runner Mary Keitany broke the tape first in the women’s NYC marathon for each of the past three years, but it was Flanagan won came out ahead Sunday after posting a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 53 seconds. She not only became the first U.S. female to win this race since 1977, but she also was the first American, male or female, to win the race since Meb Keflezighi won in 2009.
5 Things To Know About Shalane Flanagan: 2017 NYC Marathon Winner!
After such an amazing effort from Flanagan, we thought we’d share a handful of very interesting things about her for your trivial pursuit.
1. Flanagan Holds 3 Long-Distance Running Records
Flanagan holds the American record times in the 3000-meter (indoor) race, the 5000-meter (indoor) race and the 15K road race. She also won the bronze medal in the 10,000-meter race in Beijing, China, when she was 27 years old.
2. It Took 10 Years To Turn a Bronze Medal Into a Silver Medal!
Just a few months ago, Turkish runner Elvan Abeylegesse retroactively failed a doping test on a sample taken at the 2007 World Championships. That brought a two-year ban, and she had to relinquish her results from between 2007 to 2009, which included her silver medal win in the 10,000-meter race. That allowed Flanagan, who had won the bronze, to move up one spot on the podium to receive a silver medal instead, retroactively.
Elated to receive this news.heard this was possible 2 years ago. I still have never been contacted by @iaaforg or IOC about next step… https://t.co/IJNo6Xjyjy
— Shalane Flanagan (@ShalaneFlanagan) March 29, 2017
3. She’s Truly an “All-American” Woman
Flanagan was born in Boulder, Colorado, but she grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she participated in cross country, swimming, soccer and track. She would go on to attend college at the University of North Carolina, where she would win 2002 and 2003 national cross country titles. She would move to Portland, Oregon, in 2009, where she serves as an assistant cross country coach at Portland State University.
4. Flanagan Wrote a Best-Selling Cookbook For Athletes in 2016
Last year, Flanagan wrote the cookbook, “Run Fast. Eat Slow: Nourishing Recipes For Athletes,” which is available on Amazon. With 331 customer reviews – and an amazing five-star rating – it is the No. 1 best-selling book on Amazon under the “Running & Jogging” category.
5. This Could Be Flanagan’s Last March!
On Saturday, FLoTrack posted an interview with Flanagan where she said she thinks she’d retire if she won Sunday’s race. Now that she won, she’ll have to make that decision – but big endorsements are sure to come, which means the 36-year-old might get talked into running a little longer.
This was just Flanagan’s second appearance in the New York City Marathon, and she became the sixth U.S. women’s champion at this event, with the second-best time by a U.S. woman.
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2017 TCS New York City Marathon Winners
Photo credit: Randy Lemoine
Flanagan, an NYRR Team for Kids Ambassador and Olympic medalist, becomes first woman to win the race in 40 years, with second-fastest ever time by an American woman
Kamworor takes first major marathon title in men’s open division, while Hug and Schär complete Swiss sweep in wheelchair division
New York, November 5, 2017 – The USA’s Shalane Flanagan ended a 40-year drought for American women in the open division at the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 5, while Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor took the men’s title and Marcel Hug and Manuela Schär completed a Swiss sweep in the wheelchair division.
Flanagan, an NYRR Team for Kids Ambassador who finished as the runner-up at the 2010 New York City Marathon, seized the crown from Kenya’s Mary Keitany with a time of 2:26:53.
The 36-year-old became the first U.S. female runner to win the world’s largest marathon since Miki Gorman in 1977. With her first victory in just her second appearance at the New York City Marathon, she became the sixth U.S. women’s champion in the event and recorded the second-fastest time by a U.S. woman after Kara Goucher.
“I’ve dreamed of a moment like this since I was a little girl,” Flanagan said through tears after the race. “So this means a lot to me, to my family and hopefully inspires the next generation of American women to just be patient. These are the moments that we dream of as athletes, and this is going to feel good for a really long time.”
The 16-time national champion and Olympic silver medalist was visibly emotional as she approached the finish line.
Keitany, who finished with a time of 2:27:54, was chasing history of her own. The 35-year-old was attempting to join Grete Waitz as the only woman to win at least four New York Marathons in a row.
Ethiopia’s Mamitu Daska placed third with a time of 2:28:08.
Kamworor claimed his first major marathon victory when he held off compatriot Wilson Kipsang down the final turns in Central Park.
The 2015 New York City runner-up, Kamworor, 24, separated himself from the field with a 4:31 penultimate mile to finish in 2:10:53. Kipsang finished soon after in 2:10:56, while Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia took third in 2:11:32.
“2015 was my first time running the TCS New York City Marathon, and I found the course very exciting and very nice,” Kamworor said. “There are many people to cheer on, so it keeps a lot of motivation. So for me today, I knew that it’s really a nice course, and I knew that there’s enough support.
“For me, I knew that I had made a decisive move, and I was focusing on the finish line. But when I look at the camera, I saw someone was coming, which was Wilson, and I had to believe in myself because I was holding out for the finish. So I had to do my best to make sure that I won.”
Marathon legend and NYRR Team for Kids Ambassador Meb Kelfezighi, the only person to have won the New York City Marathon, Boston Marathon and an Olympic medal, finished 11th in the 26th and final marathon of his professional career.
“It was a beautiful victory lap, you could say, to be up at the front and mix it up with all the great runners that New York runners provide here and set the stage for us,” Kelfezighi said. “I gave it all that I had today. New York came out to support me, all the runners, 50,000 deep. I was honored to be here and to get this special medal, number 26.”
Earlier in the day, for the first time in five years, change has arrived atop the women’s professional wheelchair podium.
Switzerland’s Schär was the first person to cross the finish line, ending American Tatyana McFadden’s streak of four consecutive victories at the event. Schär’s time of 1:48:09 gave her a fourth major marathon victory this year; she already won in Boston, London, and Berlin.
“I actually had a different plan this morning,” Schär said. “I decided not to be more patient than I was in races before so I wouldn’t lose too much energy before the hills. Something pushed me, though, so I just tried to attack, and I attacked strong. So I think that was the key today.”
Schär had finished runner-up three years in New York before finally upending McFadden, who finished in 1:51:02.
“I really need a moment, because this is just too much right now. It’s just amazing, and I’m more happy because it’s the last race of the season and it’s New York. I mean, what would you want more? It’s been the perfect year.”
American Amanda McGrory, a seven-time Paralympic medalist who won two New York City Marathons previously, finished third in 1:53:11.
Last year’s men’s wheelchair race was decided by a whisker. Someone had to alert Marcel Hug after the race that he had won. On Sunday, the “Swiss Silver Bullet” took first with plenty of time to spare, finishing in 1:37:21 to claim his second consecutive victory and third in five years in New York. The victory marks his fourth major win of the year, having already won in Boston, Berlin, and Chicago.
“It’s amazing,” Hug said. “It was my last race this year, and to finish a season like that is just amazing.”
John Charles Smith of Great Britain finished in second with a time of 1:39:40 – 2:19 seconds behind Hug.
With the Swiss sweep, Schär and Hug represent the first time in the history of the wheelchair division that two people from the same country have been champions.
“I always wonder, when I cross the finish line, ‘Who won the men’s race?” Schär said. “To hear that it’s Marcel from Switzerland, it makes it sweeter.”
About the TCS New York City Marathon
The TCS New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners (NYRR) and the largest marathon in the world. Over 1,000,000 people have finished the race since its first running in 1970 with just 127 entrants and 55 finishers running four laps around Central Park. The race expanded to all five boroughs in 1976 and just celebrated its 40th year as a five-borough affair. Held annually on the first Sunday of November, the race features over 50,000 runners including the world’s top professional athletes and a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. Participants from approximately 125 countries tour the city, starting on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and running through the neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx before ending in Manhattan. The NYRR Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon covered 1.8 miles of the race course in Central Park, beginning near mile 24 and finishing at the famed TCS New York City Marathon finish line. More than one million spectators and thousands of volunteers line the city streets in support of the runners, while millions more watch the television broadcast in 175 countries and territories, including viewers in the New York area on WABC-TV, Channel 7, nationally on ESPN2, and via various international broadcast partners. The race is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which features the world’s top marathons—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York—and crowns the top professional male and female marathoners each year. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, is the premier partner of NYRR and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon. The 47th running of the TCS New York City Marathon is set for November 5, 2017. To learn more, visit www.tcsnycmarathon.org.
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