Olympics
Gabe Grunewald
Gabe Grunewald Will Train For U.S. Team During Cancer Treatment
There aren’t enough words to describe the bravery, eloquence, dedication and inspiration behind elite runner Gabe Grunewald’s recent IAAF blog post about continuing competition during her chemotherapy treatment. You might remember her as the runner who got disqualified, then re-instated, at the indoor championships in 2014. In it, the runner re-tells how a rare cancer she fought in 2009 had returned last year, this time in her liver. While other elites were preparing to go to Rio, Grunewald was preparing to fight for her life.
“My husband Justin, an internal medicine resident physician, gave me a hug on a Sunday morning in early August and noticed that something felt weird about my abdomen. I agreed. I had felt some tingling and fullness in that area over the last month or so, but nothing painful or too out of the ordinary. Long story short, a trip to the ER later that same day showed what we had both feared: there was a large tumour in my liver.”
After undergoing surgery to remove the tumor, Grunewald spent a lot of fall 2016 recovering, antsy to get back to training for the next track season. And she did get ready and competed in the 1,500 meters this past weekend at the Payton Jordan Invitational…
…even after finding out in March at her post-op appointment that the cancer was still in her liver.
“We’re not sure if it is all new cancer or if some was left behind from the surgery. It doesn’t really matter. There are small tumours, too many for a surgery. I need treatment.”
Grunewald goes on to share that she will be visiting doctors in New York to discuss treatment options…but the part that sends chills down your arms and tears to your eyes is when she says, “I am planning to race through the month of May regardless of whether or not I’ve started treatment, with the goal of running the qualifying standard for USA Championships in the 1,500 meters.”
Her cancer has no cure and limited treatment options, but Grunewald says, “Cancer can stop you from doing a lot of things, I’m well aware of that. But I’m more interested in what cancer can’t stop me from doing. Here’s to finding out.”
We are rooting for great times and successes in all of the hard races ahead of you, Gabe! You’ve got this.
-Women’s Running
Eliud Kipchoge Runs 2:00:25 Marathon
Eliud Kipchoge Runs 2:00:25 at Nike’s Breaking2 Event
American Record Breaks in 10,000m
Molly Huddle took advantage of Almaz Ayana’s world record pace to set an American 10,000m record, but it was a bittersweet moment as she finished sixth. 
Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana destroyed a 23-year-old world record, crossing the finish line in 29:17.45 for a a gold medal in the women’s 10,000 meters.
Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot won the silver medal in 29:32.53, and defending Olympic champion Tiruesh Dibaba finished in 29:42.56 to claim the bronze medal.
The world record of 29:31.78 was previous held by Wang Junxia of China, who admitted to being a part of a state-sponsored Chinese doping regime. The Chinese record was not just broken but shattered to a million little pieces thanks to 14:46 and 14:31 splits at 5,000 meters. (To put the blistering pace into perspective, the American record for 5,000 meters by Molly Huddle is 14:42.64 and only 3 American women have ever run faster than 14:46.)
After running 30:13.17 for 6th place, Molly Huddle walked through the media room at the Olympic Stadium without a shiny medal of any hue around her neck, despite the fact that the time would have earned her medal at every previous Olympics and gold at 6 of 7 of them. Instead, she held the consolation prize of the American record. That’s the case for now at least. Read the rest of this entry »
Almaz Ayana Breaks 10,000m World Record
IN JUST HER 2ND 10,000 meters EVER!!!!
Ayana into the record books with a world record of 29:17.46
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