But if you must run and you want to aim for something special, you might focus your sights on the Ukrop’s 10K race in Richmond, scheduled for Saturday, March 27, 2010. Thousands of people of all skill levels turn out for this annual event and post-race party in Monroe Park. USA Today has named the Ukrop’s 10K one of the best running races in the country. There’s also a “First Market Mile Kids Run” for youngsters ages 5 through 12, so you can make this a family event.You can find more information about the race and get a registration form at http://www.sportsbackers.org/events/10k/10k.htm

That’s the title of Mark Remy’s December 29 article posted on Runner’s World. For anyone who’s feeling guilty about not being able to brave the snow and ice to get in a ‘mandatory’ daily run, Remy offers some reasons for taking a bit of time off from training to stop and smell the roses (or in his case, read newspapers and go sightseeing). You can check out his commentary at http://dailyviews.runnersworld.com/2009/12/i-took-a-vacation-from-running.html.

By Mike Antonio


A new App for the I-Phone has been created by local resident Mike Antonio. In his words, “Our second Stat-Star app that lets parents record stats for their child's little league games. Stat-Star Basketball enables you to keep track of baskets, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, and game score, that you can then email to anyone on your contacts list.”

Visit www.stat-star.com or search the iTunes store for Stat-Star Basketball.

from: www.richmondmarathon.com

Basweti Claims 2nd Straight SunTrust Richmond Marathon Title;
First-Time Marathon Runner Takes Women’s Title

Richmond, VA - Jynocel Basweti, 22, of Kenya took first place at the 2009 SunTrust Richmond Marathon for the second consecutive year with a time of 2:18:28, beating his 2008 finish time by four minutes. Also, twenty-nine year old Salome Kogsei surprised spectators with her first-place finish in the female division with a time of 2:40:51. The SunTrust Richmond Marathon was Kogsei’s first full marathon, which she decided to enter at the last minute.

In the second year of the McDonald’s Half Marathon, two new course records were set. Nicholas Kurgat, 30, of Kenya won the men’s division in 1:06:02. Ethiopian Alemtsehay Misganaw, 29, claimed first place for the second year in a row in the women’s division, finishing in 1:16:34, a two minute improvement from last year’s time.

Elkanah Kibet, 23, of Kenya won the men’s division of the HCA Virginia 8k (22:47), while Teyba Naser, 23, of Ethiopia won the women’s division (26:31).

An all-time record of 15,723 runners participated in this weekend’s events. The 26.2-mile SunTrust Richmond Marathon and the 13.1-mile McDonald’s Half Marathon both drew a record-breaking number of entries – 5,188 and 5,572 respectively. The HCA Virginia 8k had a total of 4,564 runners, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch Kid’s Run on Friday evening drew in 399 participants.

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If you’ve always wanted to run a half marathon but didn’t know how to start a good training program, the task may seem daunting. The key to successful training program is to break it down into manageable steps. Here are some tips to get you started on the right foot (no pun intended!):

• If you are new to running, get the OK from your physician first.
• It’s also important to start off with the right shoe. Find a running store that is staffed with runners to help fit you with the proper running shoe.
• A good motivator is to set a goal of completing a small race. Start with a local 5k. Once you feel comfortable running a 5k, move up to a 10k.
• As a beginner, your training should be gradual and consistent to avoid injuries.

When you feel ready to tackle a half marathon, there are many helpful training programs online to suit your schedule and fitness level.

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