© Copyright – 2021 – Athletics Illustrated

“Doh!”
– Homer Simpson.

Sunday’s Brighton Marathon was apparently 568-metres longer than the standard 42.195-kilometres or 26.2-miles. Social media pitchfork-wielding runners took to social media. It didn’t help that the weather was warm for the marathon distance. Most finishers, however, were complimentary of the event.

Organisers apologised to runners for the extra length.

They wrote on Facebook, “We would like to apologise to our marathon participants that the course today has measured 568m too long.

“We are wholly disappointed that this has affected our runners & hope that it hasn’t marred the experience, at what has been a fantastic comeback event after 18 months.”

Kudos, for owning it.

Results are available here>>

Great North Run

British runner, Marc Scott, won the Great North Run race in the time of one hour, one minute, and 22 seconds on Sunday. The 27-year-old Tokyo Olympian bettered Kenyan, Ed Cheserek, by nine seconds. American, Galen Rupp, clocked a 61:51 finish time to take third in the race that runs through Newcastle and Gateshead, UK.

Scott’s lifetime best came in August this summer in Larne, UK, where he clocked a 60:35 performance. During the Tokyo Olympics he competed in the 5000m and 10,000m events, however, he did not medal. Scott does have one national record of 13:20 for the road 5K.

Top Results men

1. Marc Scott (GBR) – 1:01:22
2. Ed Cheserek (KEN) – 1:01:31
3. Galen Rupp (USA) – 1:01:51
4. Jake Smith (GBR) – 1:01:54
5. Emile Cairess (GBR) – 1:01:57
6. Bashir Badi (BEL) – 1:02:08
7. Benjamin de Haan (NED) – 1:02:39
8. Stewart McSweyn (AUS) – 1:02:52
9. Soufiane Bouchikhi (BEL) – 1:03:49
10. Calum Johnson (GBR) – 1:04:36

Kenyan, Hellen Obiri, took the women’s race in the time of 67:42. Six seconds ahead of Scottish athlete Eilish McColgan. Finishing in third was, Charlotte Purdue, from England. They recorded times of 67:48 and 68:49, respectively.

Obiri and McColgan both competed in the Tokyo Olympics. Obiri earned a silver medal in the 5000m event, clocking a 14:38.36, and was fourth in the 10,000m race in 30:24.27.

McColgan competed in both events, acquitted herself well, however, she did not medal. Sunday’s half-marathon was her first in her potential step up to the marathon distance. She is following in her mother’s (Liz McColgan) footsteps, who also ran internationally for Scotland and Great Britain.

Obiri is a two-time Olympic medallist and three-time World Championships medallist.

Purdue was left off the GB team going to Tokyo in the marathon event. She will want to prove to British Athletics that they erred. She took a step in the right direction in this race with her finish time that was just 67 seconds behind winner Obiri.

Purdue had the second-fastest time within the qualification window, which was 2:25:38. Purdue is the fourth-fastest British marathon runner all-time. Tokyo bronze medallist Molly Seidel of the US, entered the race barely faster than Purdue with a best of 2:25:13.

Apparently, BA staff had said during an appeal that Purdue was only training 30-minutes at a time, however, her coach, Nic Bideau, notified BA one week in advance of selection that she was back running more than 80-miles (130-plus kms) per week.

“I did everything that they asked me to do including six weeks of rehab, which I wouldn’t have normally done.”

Undoubtedly she is taking on a fall marathon this year.

Top Results women

1. Hellen Obiri (KEN) – 1:07:42
2. Eilish Mcolgan (GBR) – 1:07:48
3. Charlotte Purdue (GBR) – 1:08:49
4. Sharon Lokedi (KEN) – 1:09:53
5. Dominique Scott (RSA) – 1:10:42
6. Charlotte Arter (GBR) – 1:11:11
7. Molly Seidel (USA) – 1:11:55
8. Verity Ockeden (GBR) – 1:12:56
9. Natasha Cockram (GBR) – 1:12:59
10. Clara Evans (GBR) – 1:13:22

Your shoes are too thick

Within an hour, post-race, at Sunday’s Vienna City Marathon, Ethiopia’s Derara Hurisa was disqualified for running in shoes that are thicker than the 40mm height limit that was set by World Athletics on January 31, 2021. It is the first known disqualification due to shoes being thicker than the allowable amount. He clocked a 2:09:22 finish time.

Kenya’s Leonard Langat, who finished three seconds behind Hurisa, was declared the winner as a result.

Vibian Chepkirui won the women’s race in the time of 2:24:29.

The shoe in question is the Adidas Adizero Prime X. They are 10mm thicker than the allowable 40mm.

Hurisa does not get to keep the valuable (especially to an Ethiopian) prize of 10,000 Euros.

The 40mm limit, sets a standard to make sure that there is a level playing field for all participants.

Full results are available here>>

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