Running-The Show

Here is this week's installment of "Running-The Show" a weekly video compilation of races around the world as found on Youtube and produced by Athletics Now. The first race is a Japenese Eikiden relay race held in Hiroshima. What is fascinating about this race is that the teams are made up of a mix of junior high, high school, and elite (even Olympic caliber)runners who hand off the baton to each other over the seven stages. Eikinden races are quite popular and competitive in Japan. Maybe the fans in Japan are more interested in the distance runners due to races like this that mix up athletes of different ages. The race ended with a 2008 Olympian dueling it up with the Japanese 10000 record holder. How cool must it be for the junior high and high school teammates!

The second race shown is another Japanese Eikiden, this one for women, held in Kyoto. The Japanese female runners can really motor! The next race is the De Sao Sebastio in Rio on a very tough and hilly 10K course. The video then moves to Europe and the Lotto Crosscup, 6k cross-country races, in Belgium followed by the International 1/2 Marathon in Santa Pola, Spain. Then it is to Mexico and the International Marathon in Culiacan. The video returns to the USA for the Houston 1/2 Marathon where the winner Feyisa Lilesa beat Ryan Hall's course record and 3rd place American Scott Bauhs and 2nd place Ethiopian Tilahun Regessa (who as a 19 year old won the 2009 Falmouth Road Race and the 2010 Zayed Half Marathon in Abu Dhabi and its $300,000 first prize prize purse). Shalane Flanagan's course record also went down on the women's side as Ethiopian Belaynesh Oljira triumphed over it and 2011 Boston Marathon Champion Caroline Kilel (you know the runner who outsprinted Desiree Davila last year in a fantastic finish! Finally there are recaps of two different races in Barcelona, Spain.