Runnersweb.com Athletics: This Week in Running for Week Ending February 14th

From The Analytical Distance Runner, the newsletter for the Association of Road Racing Statisticians with a focus on races, 3000m and longer, including road, track, and cross-country events. The ARRS has a website at ARRS.net.

From Ken Young - kenyoung@wildblue.net

10 Years Ago- Ambesse Tolossa Wolde (ETH) won the 27th edition of the Tokyo International Men's (JPN) Marathon over Japan's Toshinari Takaoka, 2:08:58 to 2:09:31. Sammy Korir (KEN) was 3rd at 2:10:07. The following year, this elite men-only race went popular and has become the 6th largest marathon in the world with 35,293 finishers last year.

20 Years Ago- Jenni Spangler, Linda Somers, and Anne-Marie Lauck made the USA Olympic marathon team at the USA Olympic Trials for Women (SC/USA). Spangler ran 2:29:54 with Somers at 2:30:06 and Lauck at 2:31:18. At the Olympics, their order was reversed with Lauck finishing 11th (2:31:30, Somers finishing 31st (2:36:58), and Spangler was a dnf.

30 Years Ago- Brian Sheriff (ZIM) won the San Blas (PUR) Half Marathon with a 1:04:04 to 1:04:51 win over Michael Musyoki (KEN). Gidamis Shahanga (TX/TAN) was 3rd at 1:04:57. The women's winner is unknown to ADR.

40 Years Ago- Anthony Simmons won the English World Crosscountry Trials (ENG) 11K by a 35 second margin over Bernard Ford. Michael Tagg, Grenville Tuck, and Julian Goater rounded out the top five.

50 Years Ago- Robert Scharf (USA) won the 9th edition of the Cherry Tree (NY/USA) Marathon with a 2:31:41.5. Paul Hoffman (USA) was 2nd at 2:32:28 while John J Kelley (CT/USA) was 3rd at 2:38:25. Tom Laris (NY/USA) was 7th (2:42:10), Ted Corbitt (NY/USA) was 20th (3:04:23), and Hal Higdon (USA) was a dnf.

60 Years Ago- Kurao Hiroshima (JPN) won the 4th edition of the Beppu Mainichi (JPN) Marathon in 2:26:24.

70 Years Ago- Shinzo Koga (JPN) won the inaugural edition of the Mainichi (Osaka JPN) Marathon with a 2:44:57. This race is now known as the Biwa-ko Mainichi Marathon.