Athletics Weekly Vote

Hottest Halloween ever as London hits 75F!

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The Rumble In The Jungle 40th Anniversary

1974 – 2014

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British Athletics

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25th Great South Run

Kenyan James Rungaru, 21, was the winner in 46:31 with Ugandan Abraham Kiplimo second in 46:38. Another Kenyan Joel Kimutai took third in 47:21.

The women’s race saw Britain’s Gemma Steel overtaken at the finish as Ethiopia’s World Championship 10000 metres bronze medallist Belaynesh Oijira won in 52:40 to 52:42. Kenya’s Doris Changeywo took third in 54:18. Steel took a minute off her PB.

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Ennis-Hill Resumes Training

Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill has returned to training after a nearly two-year break. She missed most of 2013 with injury and all of 2014 after the birth of her first child.

After being ranked number one in the world, Katarina Johnson-Thompson was forced to miss the Commonwealth Games and European Championships. She has also just started training again after a three month break with a foot injury. There is nothing like a rivalry for pushing athletes to great things.

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Pavey Targets Fifth Olympics

After winning the first gold medal of her career in the European Championship 10000 metres, ten days after winning Commonwealth Games 5000 metres bronze, Jo Pavey, 41, has cancelled plans to retire and is aiming at her fifth Olympics in Rio 2016.

It all started for Jo when she became 1988 English Schools U/15 1500 metres champion, setting an U/15 British record of 4:27.9. It was broken in 1990, but stood as the English Schools Championship record until 2003 when Emily Pidgeon did 4:27.70. Shockingly Jo was injured for most of the next ten years. Maybe it was that lost decade that drove her to keep going.

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Ali Health Scare Reveals Family Fued

After Muhammad Ali was unable to attend the premiere of the documentary film, I Am Ali, his brother told a London newspaper that he was in extremely poor health and could barely speak. He also said that there was a bitter family fued going on. Two of Ali’s daughter’s responded by saying don’t be worried about his health. The Sun newspaper had a headline saying that Ali could be dead in days.

The boxing immortal has suffered from Parkinson’s disease since 1984. No sports figure has been more universally loved.

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World’s First Black Professional Footballer

A statue of Arthur Wharton has been unveiled at St George’s Park National Football Centre.

Born in the Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1865, Wharton was goalkeeper for Darlington, Preston North End, Rotherham and Sheffield United.

A prolific runner, he became the first man in England to run 100 yards in 10 seconds at the 1886 AAA Championships, becoming the first black AAA’s champion. It stood as the Championship record for 37 years. Although George Patching ran 9.8 in 1912, he was a South African competing as a guest. It was not until 1923 that Eric Liddell ran 9.7, finally breaking Wharton’s record, followed by Harold Abrahams  9.9 in 1924, the year he became Olympic champion in Paris!

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World Record-Holder 1500 Metres, Mile And 2000 Metres – Still

(click to enlarge)

1500 metres 3:26.00 (1998)

mile 3:43.13 (1999)

2000 Metres 4:44.79 (1999)

 

Estonia v England

Tallinn, Estonia.

A. Le Coq Stadium

Euro 2016 Qualifier

Estonia 0-1 England

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