PROFILE--Ellen Wallop has been running for 42 years

Post-race, 2017

(11-18) Ellen Wallop grew up in a family that gathered to watch sports whether it was the Yankees or college football. Her grandfather held the mile record at the University of Delaware in 1908 and encouraged her interest in sports.  As a child she had a heart murmur and was not allowed to participate in strenuous activity but overcame that to run 12 marathons and complete an Ironman. In 1996 she was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer that has made a nasty return. Despite that she  starts every day by rejoicing, "I'm still here." 

When did you start running, and why? May, 1976. I was doing a lot of skiing and thought I could build up my leg muscles by running in the off-season.  Because of all the years of being told I had a bad heart I was very, very cautious when I started. I never pushed myself so I never had a bad run! Every run was a good run.

Did you have an early inspiration or person who motivated you?  Grete Waitz, Joan Benoit, Nina Kuscsik. These women were very inspiring to me as they paved the road for other women runners. I remember watching Joan

PROFILE--Distance legend Bernard Lagat to make marathon debut Sunday

U.S running legend Bernard Lagat, now 43, is running his first marathon Sunday in New York City. He says he's hoping to eclipse the American masters record for the distance, the 2:12:20 Meb Keflezighi ran in 2016 at the broiling hot U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles.

The Kenyan-born Lagat has competed in five Olympics, including the last three as a U.S. citizen. On the track, he has personal bests of 3:47:28 in the mile and 12:53:60 in the 5000. On July 4, he won the U.S. 10K road title at the Peachtree Classic in Atlanta.

Friday morning in New York, Lagat made the following key observations about his marathon preparations and goals: 

*** "I ran a couple of half marathons in the 1:02s earlier in the year, so I think I should be able to go through the half fairly comfortably in 65-66, and then finish strong. I like the atmosphere surrounding the marathon, and it's good to have new challenges."

*** "During the training, I sometimes wondered if I was out of my mind. After my first 30K long run, I thought, 'How can anyone go another eight miles?' After my first 20, I was out for a day and a half to recover.  Twenty-two was crazy. But my last 24 finished with a 5:24 final mile, at altitude in Flagstaff, so I believe I am well prepared."

*** "I wasn't a high mileage guy in my 5K training, and I'm not now. I never hit an 80-mile week. But I did lots of hard stuff like 15 milers in the morning followed by 75 minutes of biking or water-jogging in the afternoon. I spent a lot of time on my training, nine weeks in Flagstaff, and I feel very strong now."

*** "My goals are simple. I want to be 'in' the race mentally, I want to find a solid pack to run with, and I'd like to run 2:12 to break Meb's record."

Lagat won the Peachtree 10K on July 4.

*** "I've gotten so much great advice from my friends. Meb told me: 'Don't think old. Think confident and run strong.' Eliud Kipchoge told me: 'Don't worry about the Wall. Block it and all other outside thoughts from your mind. Run tough. Don't let a gap develop between you and your pack. Don't worry about the distance, or you might not fully commit to the race. Your goal must be total commitment."

Here's an Olympic Channel video about Bernard Lagat and his marathon preparation.

PROFILE--"Dr. Frank" Adipietro has a been running for 38 years

(11-18) Born and raised in Brooklyn, "Dr. Frank" (as he is widely known) grew up in a family where sports and athletics were not part of every day life. Putting on 50 pounds during medical school, he knew he had to get in shape. The motivation came from his dad, who challenged him to run a 5K. He is now a 15+-year streaker at the New York City Marathon and has a total of 48 lifetime marathons. Dr. Frank, 61, resides on Shelter Island where he is an Interventional Pain Management specialist Anesthesiologist in Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport NY. He commutes to work by boat, his Grady White 23-foot outboard, every day, weather permitting.

Started running? Why? October 1980. I came late to running, not starting till my freshman year of Medical School to train for a race with my dad. Initially we ran just a few 5Ks. I was quite out of shape at the time and 40-50 lbs overweight.

Did you have an early inspiration or person who motivated you? That would be my father. He got me started when he challenged me to run the 1981 New York City Marathon. I was out of shape at the time and he was starting to catch “Marathon Fever” thanks to Rodgers & Shorter. So a thank you to them as well for getting us started in our running careers.  

Later in life I met another inspiring person, my wife Mary Ellen. While I was dating her, she started to run

PROFILE--Nina Kuscsik is still going strong at 79

In 1972, Kuscsik achieved the Boston-
New York City (above) "double."

(10-18) Nina Kuscsik, a noted pioneer of women’s running, won the 1972 New York City Marathon in 3:08, just seven months after being the first official female to win the Boston Marathon. She ran the inaugural NYC Marathon in 1970 but dropped out at mile 15 with gastro issues. She started again in 1971 and placed second to Beth Bonner, both women breaking three hours (Bonner in 2:55:22 and Kuscsik in 2:56:04). She went on to win the New York City Marathon in '72 and '73, and to compete in more than 80 marathons in her lifetime. Here Kuscsik, now 79, recalls some of the highlights of her long running career. 

Why and when did you start running? Growing up in Brooklyn with three siblings, we were always outside playing in the street. I was a tomboy and loved to roller skate and ride my bike. When I was 15 Roger Bannister ran his historic sub-4-minute mile and I wanted to see

PROFILE--Jan Holmquist has been running for 37 years

Her passion for running doesn’t begin to tell the full story of World and American record holder Jan Holmquist.  Still working full time at age 74 (Assistant to the President at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), her goal as an older runner is to spread the word about positive aging through running and staying active. “I pinch myself every morning that I can run and compete and be part of the most amazing running community,” says Holmquist, who lives in Burlington MA.

Started running? Why?  I started in October 1982 when I was 38. I was at a scouting event with my son and a father dared me to run a mile in under 10 minutes (we were at an outdoor track).  I accomplished the feat and was hooked. For the next 10 years I ran nearly every day in the neighborhood where I lived, but had never entered a race until the day my post-college daughter called me. Phone rings, I pick up: “Mom, do you want to run a race with me?” We ran a local 5-mile race in Boston and

RESEARCH--Impressive New Study Offers Best Evidence Yet For High-Fitness Lifestyle

As fitness increases, mortality risk decreases.
The benefit does not appear to "bottom out"
at any point. More fitness is better.

An impressive new study from the Cleveland Clinic provides the best evidence yet for a high-fitness lifestyle. It is considered more authoritative than other similar studies linking exercise and reduced mortality because it is based on actual treadmill-testing data and not questionnaires that ask, "How much do you exercise?

The study is also unique for its focus on older subjects, including those at the extreme high end of cardiovascular fitness (termed “elites”). Researchers concluded that there is no upper limit to the benefits of fitness, and that high-level fitness is particularly beneficial to those 70 and older.

The study is open-access, meaning you can read it free here:

Below, LifetimeRunning.net briefly summarizes several of the key points.

*** The study looked at 122,000 patients who had a treadmill stress test at the Cleveland Clinic. They were divided into five fitness groups based on their treadmill results: low, average, above average, high, and elite (above the 97.6th percentile). Subjects were followed for the next 8.4 years, with 13,637 deaths during that time.

*** Subjects in the highest (“elite”) fitness quintile had an 80 percent lower risk of mortality than those in the lowest fitness quintile.

*** Elite subjects had a 23 percent lower mortality risk than even those in the high-fit group.

*** “Importantly, there was no upper limit of benefit of increased aerobic fitness.”

*** “There was no evidence to suggest relative harm associated with extreme levels of fitness.”

*** “Achieving and maintaining very high levels of aerobic fitness may be particularly important in patients older than 70 and those with hypertension.”

PROFILE--Bruce Fordyce has won the Comrades Marathon an incredible 9 times

Bruce Fordyce, 62, is the most well-known runner in South Africa, having won that country's internationally famous Comrades Marathon (54 miles) eight years in a row and nine times overall. During that period, Fordyce could not compete internationally, due to South Africa's apartheid policies--which he actively campaigned against. Eventually, running and track and field were among the first sports to welcome participation by black South Africans.  

Career/profession? I have had a number of careers including being a full time runner for about a decade. But I was first an archaeologist specializing in early man and Bushman ( San ) rock art. I lectured and was a research officer at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, for a few years. I was then a writer for a few publications, a motivational speaker, and for 7 years I was CEO of a sports development program for disadvantaged sports people. Most recently I am CEO