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Here are the medals for the San Francisco Marathon and the First Half Half Marathon that was held on July 29, 2012 in San Francisco, California.

The San Francisco Marathon has a full marathon and 2 half marathons on race day. The First Half runs the first half of the marathon course and includes the Golden Gate Bridge. The Second Half runs the second half of the course and does not go over the bridge. If you run San Francisco, you have to run the bridge!

Here is another view of the medal with the colorful ribbon:

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[Medals submitted by RIF #140 Dennis Arriaga – follow him on Twitter @dennarr and Margaret Whitehead – follow Margaret on Twitter @margaret_leigh]

Here is the medal for the Sogonapmit Marathon that was held on July 28, 2012 in American Fork, Utah.

This is one wild marathon. You start at 3:20 am and run to the start of the Timpanogos Half Marathon, which starts at 6 am. The challenge is to make it there before the half marathoners start and to try and stay in front of them as you all race down to the finish.

It’s a very cool  spinner medal that also glows in the dark! I also love how the details on each side are the opposite of each other. Nice continuity in the design.

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[Medal submitted by RIF #150 Jason Howard. Follow Jason on Twitter @Jasonrunsutah]

This is the medal for the Media Maraton de Bogota that was held on July 29, 2012 in Bogota, Colombia.

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[Medal submitted by Jorge Angel. Follow on on Twitter @777jaah]

Here is the medal for the Kanawha Trace 50K that took place on July 28, 2012 in Ona, West Virginia.

A very solid medal for a difficult trail race!

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[medal photo submitted by RIF #22 Wade Anderson. Follow him on Twitter @WadeAnderson50]

There was a bit of controversy at Karl Meltzer’s Speedgoat 50K that took place on July 28, 2012 in Snowbird Resort, Utah.

Elite ultramarathoner Kilian Jornet was caught cutting several switchbacks during the race. He was warned at mile 20 to stop but continued to do randomly throughout the race.

Naturally, Rickey Gates, who was in second place witnessing Jornet’s Zorro-like snipping of the course, was none too happy.

I Run Far’s Bryon Powell interviewed Karl (RD) after the race to get the official word on what he decided to do about Kilian cutting multiple switchbacks on the course. (Video above, transcript below)

Here is what Karl had to say about his decision:

“Today was an incredibly tough spot. We had a great competitive field at the race this year. It was panning out exactly how it was supposed to pan out. Kilian Jornet and Ricky Gates were in the front, chasing the leaders up front. Rickey beat Kilian to the top, and that was great; everything was running out great. What happened though, along the route, I was descending into Mineral Basin myself, Kilian was in the lead briefly, and he cut a switchback. That was the first time we saw it happen. Ok, one little thing, no big deal. He continued on the course and he continued to cut switchbacks randomly throughout the route. There were a lot of visuals from our volunteers that saw it. So now I’m thinking, “Well, what do I do now? Do I disqualify him? Do I just let it ride?” Every other runner, not exactly every other runner, Ricky Gates who was right behind him was a little ticked off. He wasn’t liking it very much. So Ricky followed the route; he stayed on course. For Ricky, it was a closed course. As they headed into Mineral Basin, I don’t know how many switchbacks Kilian cut. I couldn’t see. But as he left Larry’s Hole he cut a few more. He was told at mile 20 that he was not supposed to cut switchbacks. Then he did it again descending Little Cloud Bowl into the finish line. So now here I am in this tough position to say, “How do I monitor this? What do I do? Do I disqualify Kilian Jornet? Do I just let it ride?”

So what I did… Kilian ended up crossing the finish line first in 5:14, which is ridiculously fast. Rickey Gates was 5:18 and change. I told Kilian when he initially crossed the line, “Hey, I may have to disqualify you because of cutting the course.” Kilian is a very gracious athlete and he said, “Yes, it’s ok. I understand. It’s ok.” I was pretty psyched about that. He was really gracious. He’s a great kid, because I’m old. At the same time, I waited a little while to decide what the final decision would be. I talked to 10 to 20 people. I got their insight and input. The most important input I got was probably was something that Pikes Peak did years ago when a few Europeans came over and they cut corners. I don’t know if they technically won the race, but they cut the corners. They didn’t disqualify them, but what they did do is they didn’t pay them the prize money. I said, “You know what? That’s probably a reasonably fair thing to do.”

To be honest with you, I hated to do this. I hate to be in this position. Some people will think I’m a bad guy for the decision that I made, but honestly, I think it was kind of the right decision. I couldn’t say “DQ. You’re out. Done. See ya next year maybe? Maybe not.” I really want this race to continue as a Skyrunning race. I want it to continue. I made the ultimate decision of going with what Pikes Peak did, and we paid Rickey Gates as the winner. Rickey also beat Kilian to the top, so he gets $1,000 bonus. He was also under the record. So Ricky gets $4,000, and, unfortunately, Kilian doesn’t get any money. I still gave Kilian Jornet the win, because as a Skyrunning Series program, I really want to keep that. I don’t want to diss him out on that whole thing. That’s kind of how they race in Europe and in all the other races, so I let that ride.

Kilian, again, was a very gracious athlete. He’s a really cool guy. Rickey felt good about it. A lot of the other spectators that know what my decision was, they thought that was good. Ultimately, the bottom line is that Rickey Gates will get the course record, technically the course record, because he followed the course. Again, it’s such a hard decision to make. Kilian was very gracious about it. So it is what it is.”

So Rickey Gates gets the course record and the prize money, but Kilian Jornet wins the 2012 Speedgoat 50K.

I’m glad I wasn’t in Karl’s shoes to make that call on Kilian and Rickey, but he seemed to do all he could to make a fair decision.

If it had been me? If Rickey has all the winning prize money and the course record then he should have been given the win as well. It’s easy to Monday Quarterback though!!!

[source: IRunFar]

It’s time to vote for your favorite April 2012 race medal! We had some really fun ones submitted in April and we picked 15 for you to to choose from. It was hard but I’ve already picked mine!

The medal chosen as the Best Race Medal for April 2012 will be included in the contest for the Best Race Medal of 2012 at the end of the year. Oh, by the way…the March 2012 Best Race Medal vote is still open if you didn’t get a chance to vote and the Rock ‘N’ Roll New Orleans medal is in the lead.

Previous Best Race Medal winners:
January – Inaugural Louisiana Marathon Medal 2012 
February – Surf City Marathon Medal 2012

Ready to vote for the best April 2012 race medal? Choose your favorite:

*updated to add Big Sur…oops!*

Thanks for voting!

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Here is a look at where everyone is running this weekend. We had 16 responses this week. Good luck to everyone and Run It Fast!

P.S. This is Lisa…again….and I had to go with the old style…again… for today’s post. Hopefully, we’ll be back with the new way next week! Have a great weekend!

Juan Escallon:  @runitfast Bogota half marathon. The biggest running event in Columbia

Michelle Mitchell:  @runitfast 30-35k training run in the hills! Might even see some moo cows!

Michael Miller:  @runitfast i’ll be running the seafair torchlight 8k in sunny seattle, wa.

Jason Howard:  @runitfast doing Sogonapmit marathon in American Fork UT.  Race starts @ finish line of Timpanogos half & runs to the start and back #3:20AM

Dennis Arriaga:  @runitfast Running the San Francisco Marathon – First Half on Sunday. http://t.co/x3YQnQP2  RIF#140

Jennifer Cook:  @runitfast Running at Crane’s Roost Altamonte Springs, FL…mile loop x 3 with a friend…weekly Saturday morning run and chat!

Denise Garrigan:  @runitfast doing about 14 miles tomorrow starting in fazakley preparing 4 the marathon in October I must be mad doing it !

Greg Stanford:  @runitfast gulf coast sea wall sunrise run!

Lisa Gonzales:  @runitfast Running 16 miles Sat and 14 on Sun. Can’t decide if I should run trails or roads. ET Full Moon 51K in one week! #runnerproblems

Sarah:  @runitfast Gonna run like a “Brazen Racing Bad Bass” at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley, CA this weekend! #neverstoprunning

E. Smith:  @runitfast Saturday early AM, 6 miles through Downtown/Riverside, in Jacksonville, FL. #runjax

Nikki Elise Gibson:  @runitfast cross border challenge from Scotland to England!

Kelsey Stevens:  @runitfast I’ll be running the Color Run in MA! wicked excited

Sid Wegener:  @runitfast Mikayla’s Heavenly Hugs 5K http://t.co/Pgbmboqd

Jorge Angel:  @runitfast Runnnig the Bogota (Colombia) Half Marathon!!! Only IAAF Gold Label half in latam. @mediamaratonbog

Curt Metzger:  @runitfast Trinity 5000 in The Town of the Cow. #runchat

The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon has become one of the most popular marathons in the country. It’s a cult like event full of some of the best and most interesting runners from across the United States.

Last year the event sold out in 4 minutes!

So this year, naturally, the process to garner entry into the race has been changed to enable a more equal chance to all hoping to run the marathon. Instead of it being a speed push/refresh (your browser) contest to see who gets in to the event.

Monkey Trent (RD) sent over these instructions on how registation for the 2012 race will happen:

PAY ATTENTION: Registration for 2012 will involve a weighted lottery. Registrants will be directed to the registration website, below. The registration website will be open for one week. That is, you will have one week to put your name in the hat. After this weeklong period closes, we will use a weighted lottery to select those who will have the misfortune of running the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon this Fall. If selected to run your credit card will be charged $80, and we will notify you of your poor luck. If you are not selected to run, you can thank your lucky stars.

Approximately 300 runners will be selected by the lottery to run the marathon.

Please note: there will be an option to make a $180 donation to the Friends of Warner Parks, which will allow you to bypass the lottery and get right in. This option will be available to the first 20 registrants who take this offer, on a first come, first served basis.

Registration for the lottery should open on August 1, 2012 at 8AM Central Daylight Time. Registration for the lottery will close on August 8, 2012 at 8am. The lottery to be held a short time later.

When registration opens, you can Click Here to access online registration. Until then, there is really no point in trying.

Oh, and all the usual stuff applies. That is, please bring an ID with you to packet pickup. It is reasonable to bring your confirmation email. We will not be offering refunds if you do not start, do not finish, do not have fun or do not PR. Or really for any other reason. You may not transfer your registration. To repeat, no refunds, no transfers. Since registration is capped, yours may keep out another runner. Therefore, we ask that you show up ready to run on race morning. If you cannot make it, please try again next year. Regardless, we will offer you a good run.

Good luck to all who attempt to register. I’m hoping for equally good (or is it bad?) luck so that I can see you there.

The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon will take place on November 18, 2012 at 8:00am CST just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

Jonathan Harrison RIF #65

This week’s RIF Club Member Profile is Jonathan Harrison #65. After reading Jonathan’s answers to our questions, I’ve come to the conclusion that RIFers just like to have fun! But honestly, it’s awesome to see everyone take their running seriously but not take themselves too seriously.

Check out what Jonathan had to say about running, the funniest thing he saw before a run, and his family:

INFO
Name:   Jonathan Harrison
RIF #:  65
Twitter:  @jdharrison37
Facebook:  jonathan harrison

STATS
Years Running:  1.79
Favorite Race Distance:  Marathon
Favorite PR:  2012 Boston Marathon
Favorite Race:  2011 St. Jude Marathon (Memphis)
Favorite Bling:  2012 Boston Marathon & 2012 Jackson Jackass 50k (tie)

Next Race:  Marathon for Memories (September)
What Makes You FEEL Fast?:  Passing other runners in a race while pushing my boys in their double-stroller while they yell “Pass another one daddy!”

FUN RUNNING QUESTIONS

Who inspires your running and why?  Many people inspire my running.  Leah, my wife, inspires me daily with her amazing dedication to being the best runner she can be.  My running friends inspire me, especially when they run faster or farther than they ever have before.  People who “don’t have an athletic bone in their body” but still get out there and run anyway.

Probably the most inspiring moment I’ve experienced though was somewhere between miles 14 and 18 during the 2012 Boston Marathon.  It was blazing hot, I was feeling nauseous, I was starting up ANOTHER hill and started to complain in my mind about how terrible I felt while wondering if I could keep my pace.  At that moment I saw a guy in a wheelchair who only had 1 leg pushing himself up that hill…backwards.  I still recall that scene when I’m really struggling during a tough training run or in a race.

What is the strangest/funniest thing you’ve ever seen while running?  I actually have a picture of it.  It happened a few hours before the start of the 2012 Boston Marathon.  Not only was it strange and funny, but it was also…bizarre. LOL! (see picture)

With RIF #40 Scott Stader…striking a pose!

What’s the most beautiful place that you’ve run? Beside Leah (RIF #64). Behind her isn’t too bad either. 😉

What is the thing you splurge on after a race?  To be completely honest, a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.  I know there are much healthier things I could choose, but I love it!  Although I don’t feel as guilty as I use to since they came out with so many great Greek Frozen Yogurt flavors.  Hmmm….I all of sudden feel the urge to go buy a pint right now.

What running moment are you most proud of?  When my wife & I finished our first marathon together hand-in-hand.  A close second would be getting 2nd in my age group in a 5k on Father’s Day weekend while pushing my boys.

 ***

It’s very cool to see how much Jonathan loves running and how he shares that with his sons and Leah. He has the best of both worlds: fun and great running partners! I think a lot of us start out on a lonely road when we take up running. No one else can run for us but it sure is nicer when we have someone to share it with. My sister just started running a few months ago and I’m hoping I can convince her to do a race with me. She’s been to a few of my races so she knows how much fun they are and she said she would think about it but “no marathons”. I think I might be able to talk her into a 5K or 10K, maybe even a half marathon. I’m crossing my fingers. Hopefully you have friends and/or family to run with too. If not, maybe you can encourage one or more of them to start!

Thanks for sharing your memories and running with us, Jonathan. Good luck at Marathon for Memories and don’t forget to have fun and Run It Fast!

If you’d like to join Run It Fast – The Club or would like more information about it, please click this link:

Run It Fast – The Club (JOIN TODAY)

[All photos submitted by Jonathan Harrison]

Who you gonna call?

I know we aren’t supposed to compare ourselves to other runners but I do. I mean, come on, who wouldn’t want to run as fast as Shalane or Meb (or the rest of our awesome Olympic marathoners)? That would be awesome, right?

However, I think if I found a genie in a bottle and he only let me have one wish, I would have to wish for an iron stomach!

Oh, how I would love the ability to eat…anything…before or during a run without having to worry about whether I’m going to lose it while running. One way or the other. I’ve read stories about Dean Karnazes ordering pizza or Chinese food and eating it on the run and I think “How does he do that?”. Not that I WANT to eat pizza during a run but it sure would be nice to have a bagel with peanut butter before a long run or be able to take gels during the run and not wonder what it’s going to do.

Is that too much to ask of my stomach? Apparently, it is. Sigh.

Last week, I went out for a 12 mile run and I was miserable. I barely made it to the bathroom…twice …during that one run. I ended up calling it at 10. It doesn’t happen with every run and I try to be consistent with what I eat before a run (also the night before) so it’s frustrating that sometimes my stomach behaves and sometimes it doesn’t. Really frustrating.

My solution to this “problem” is to not eat before I run. This system works pretty well for me for runs up to 10 miles. On runs longer than 10 miles, I sometimes bonk in the last mile or two. I’d only done that up to 13 miles before though. This week, I ran a 14 miler before work and decided I didn’t want to take the chance of my stomach going wonky so I didn’t eat anything before it. I took 2 gels with me but ended up not using them and just drank water. And I had a fabulous run! The best part was that I didn’t bonk and even negative split the run. Woo!

That 14 miler made me wonder if other runners were doing long runs without taking in carbs. So, of course, I went to the source and asked on Twitter: “What’s the longest run you’ll do w/out eating before/during or using a sports drink/gels?”

I received 35 responses and this is what they had to say:

dadspoint: 16-20 miles depending on the heat and humidity

KRona217: upto 10 miles without eating or sports drink

misfitstray: 25km in training

AaronNorman: I usually don’t eat unless running more than 18-20 miles. Glycogen stores should be enough to get most runners 16-18 miles.

iRunAlaska: I’ve gone as far as 18 in training with no drink or fuel. Not particularly fun, seeing if I could.

nmwied: never eat b4 unless a race, 2hr is when I start 2 add in gels otherwise just h2o under 2hr

IndyGirl87: 60-80 minutes depending on weather conditions

gingermarauder: 10 miles

bebita_3718: I run six miles on an empty stomach…. if I’m going farther than that, I eat a something small. No more than 200 calories.

spaceneedl: 10 miles.

akrunnerdude: 10 miles for racing, 14-16 in training.

kashmoney0689: umm I’d say I’ve done 7 miles and then I had to eat something and hydrate … That was during my half in Feb.

lizsassymolassy: BUT, I haven’t gone over 7mi at a time yet…could change habits during runs once I hit longer runs!

lizsassymolassy: I always have toast w/ pb and half of a 5 hr energy for runs over 3 miles, 30mins before. Just H2O during.

davidtraxler: What’s the longest run …..drink/gels? In a Race: 10 miles, In training: 15miles.

mikew30: yesterday I ate quite a big lunch, then ran an hour or so after. Ran for 96mins, and didn’t need the food I’d taken with me.

mikew30: I eat all the time before, so hard to say. during I’d say HM / 2 hours is the most I’d run without having more carbs.

supersubfigo: 13-14 miles

DiminutiveRunr: 8 miles for me!  🙂

innerphoenix: Anything beyond 6 I feel the need for something.

mogle1128: for me, 5-6 miles tops….

hollybluecreek: 10 would be the max.

marathonarturo: I’ve completed a few  half marathons without any support b4 or during.

wesleyroelke: 10k.

DMott3: I’m alright until start getting into double digits

shesoffrunning: Anything > 8 miles.

HeidiRuns: after 6 I start wanting nutrition.

TattooedRunnr: Probably about 12 miles for me.

KristyH5: I did 14 like this on Sunday and the last 2 miles were really tough.

KristyH5: I can make it 10-12 miles. After that I fade.

desertendurance: I NEVER eat b4 (really weak stomach)…then I go 6 before I start taking in nutrition – About 100ish cals/hr #notMANYcals

GPescatore: 12 Miles

_martyn_fisher: No more than 10 miles. But I’d often have gels/food prior to a 5 miler. So anything between 5 & 10 miles can go either way.

runlikeawarrior: Eating before: 3-4 miles; Gels: longer than 10 miles (generally training for half or full so also training nutrition)

bmlueb: 8 miles for me with nothing not even water. I’ve done 13 but it didn’t feel the best.

Thanks for the responses! It’s very cool to see what every one is doing. It makes me wonder how far I could go without eating or drinking carbs. I wouldn’t do this for a marathon but it might be fun to try on an 18 or 20 miler.

Mark (@mogle1128) also shared this link with me from Runner’s World about running carb-depleted. Check it out:

Running on “E” By Alex Hutchinson

After reading the article, I’m wondering if the 14 miler went so well because my body is becoming more efficient at burning stored carbs? A girl can hope!

So what do you think? Do you run carb-depleted already? Would you? Do you have an iron stomach I would be jealous of? Let us know!

[photo supplied by me]