Jepchirchir suspended after EPO positive
Peres Jepchirchir, Olympic and world marathon champion, has been provisionally suspended after an EPO finding from a sample taken before her Sydney win. Jonathan Gault calls it one of the biggest busts ever if it holds.
The week's biggest
Jepchirchir provisionally suspended after EPO finding before Sydney win
Peres Jepchirchir is provisionally suspended after an out-of-competition sample collected in Kenya before her Sydney Marathon win returned an adverse finding for EPO, the AIU says. Jonathan Gault calls it one of the biggest doping busts ever if the suspension is upheld.
These people steal moments, money, and careers.
Races and results
Geerts and Steyaert run 124 laps, 516.7 miles, for backyard record
Belgians Merijn Geerts and Ivo Steyaert each ran 124 laps, 516.7 miles, at the Big Dog's Backyard Ultra World Team Championships to set a new backyard ultra record, their third together, iRunFar says. They passed Phil Gore's previous all-time best of 119 yards when they hit 120 yards and 500 miles, per Keith Dunn. The United States won the team title with 1,120 yards.
Chepkirui wins Valencia half in 63:51, Abdalla debuts 59:10
Sheila Chepkirui won the Valencia Half Marathon in 63:51, one second up on Diana Wanza, the two becoming the sixth and seventh women ever under 64 minutes. In the men's race Yaseen Abdalla ran 59:10 for eighth in his first official half, more than five minutes under the Sudanese national record. He lives and trains in the US and represents Sudan internationally.
A US citizen running faster than the US record but not a US record
Shoes and fuel
iRunFar puts the Hoka Rocket X Trail between road and trail
iRunFar's review says the Hoka Rocket X Trail succeeds by occupying what it calls the increasingly popular middle ground between road racing shoes and traditional trail racers. The review post gives no price or weight.
How they train
Holmer: carbs have a ceiling, 120 and 150 grams look the same
Brady Holmer pulled three studies together and found a ceiling on carb fueling: 100 grams an hour beat 60, but 120 and 150 did not separate. After a four hour ride, time trial power fell 9.3% against fresh on 60 grams and 6.4% on 100, about nine watts. Zach Bitter asked which experts are actually writing guidelines at 150 grams an hour.
Which experts are drawing up guidlines in the 150g/hr range?
Frequently asked questions
What happened to Peres Jepchirchir?
Peres Jepchirchir is provisionally suspended after an out-of-competition sample collected in Kenya before her Sydney Marathon win returned an adverse finding for EPO (a performance-enhancing hormone). A provisional suspension means the case is not yet decided and the finding has not been confirmed.
What is a backyard ultra?
A backyard ultra is an ultramarathon race format where runners complete laps of a fixed distance, typically in someone's backyard or local area, and continue until they cannot complete the next lap within a time cutoff.
How much carbohydrate should I consume while running or cycling?
Research shows that consuming 100 grams of carbohydrates per hour improves performance compared to 60 grams, but consuming 120 or 150 grams per hour does not show additional benefit beyond 100 grams.
What makes the Hoka Rocket X Trail different?
The Hoka Rocket X Trail is designed to occupy the middle ground between road racing shoes and traditional trail racing shoes, combining features of both types.