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Here is the official finisher’s medal from the 2010 Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, Alabama.  You won’t find too much bling more colorful than Rocket City’s out on the marathon trail.

2010 Rocket City Marathon Winners and Results List

View More Marathon Medals from Across the United States

Here is the 2010 St. Jude (Children’s Hospital) Memphis Marathon medal.  Some fine bling indeed and one of the larger finisher medals from the 2010 racing circuit.

[Event Website]

Here is a sneak peak of the 2010 Flying Monkey Marathon poster that was leaked online earlier this week.

The popular cult-like marathon takes place this Sunday, November 21st, 2010.  The up-and-down course is located in Nashville’s Harpeth Hills.

The event filled up in just 32 minutes this year and is limited to approximately 275 runners.

Many veteran Monkey runners claim the marathon is one of the 10 most difficult marathons in the United States.

Check out the Flying Monkey Marathon Website for more details.

Ethiopian Gebre Gebrmariam won the 2010 ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 7, 2010 with a time of 2:0814.  He beat Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai, by over a minute, as Mutai finished in 2:09:18.

Kenyan Edna Kiplagat was the fastest woman winning with a time of 2:28:20, barely edging out American Shalane Flanagan by just 20 seconds (2:28:40).

Elite Men’s 2010 NYC Marathon Results

1. Gebre Gebrmariam (Ethiopia) – 2:08:14
2. Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) – 2:09:18
3. Moses Kigen Kipkosgei (Kenya) – 2:10:39
4. Abderrahim Goumri (Morocco) – 2:10:51
5. James Kwambai (Kenya) – 2:11:31
6. Meb Keflezighi (USA) – 2:11:38
7. Marilson Gomes Dos Santos (Brazil) – 2:11:51
8. Dathan Ritzenhein (USA) – 2:12:33
9. Abel Kirui (Kenya) – 2:13:01
10. Abderrahime Bouramdane (Morroco) – 2:14:07

Elite Women’s 2010 NYC Marathon Results

1. Edna Kiplagat (Kenya) – 2:28:20
2. Shalane Flanagan (USA) – 2:28:40
3. Mary Keitany (Kenya) – 2:29:01
4. Inga Abitova (Russia) – 2:29:17
5. Kim Smith (USA) – 2:29:28
6. Christelle Daunay (France) – 2:29:29
7. Ludmila Petrova (Russia) – 2:29:41
8. Caroline Rotich (Kenya) – 2:29:46
9. Madai Perez (Mexico) – 2:29:53
10. Buzunesh Deba (USA) – 2:29:55

View Results of All 2010 ING New York City Marathon Finishers

Congrats to Subway’s Jared Fogle, Chilean miner Edison Pena, and everyone else who also ran the 2010 NYC Marathon

The finisher’s medal from the inaugural Tennessee Ragnar Relay from Chattanooga to Nashville (195 miles).

Here is a look at the Top 10 Male Marathon Times of all-time.  

All ten of the top ten have happened since 2008.  Berlin and Rotterdam are for sure the two fastest places to run a marathon according to these elite marathoners.

The top 6 fastest times ever recorded have now taken place in Berlin.

The Top 10 Male Marathon Times of All-Time

UPDATED: October 3, 2013

Related: The Top 10 Fastest Female Marathon Times of All-Time

Newton Terra Momentus (Momentum) Off Road Trainer

Finally, after nearly two-months of waiting and delays, I received Newton’s new and first off-road trainer, the Netwon Terra Momentus (Momentum) on my doorstep earlier today.

In full disclosure, I’ve been running in Newton Running Shoes for nearly a year and love them.  Since switching from the Asics Nimbus to the Newton Distance I’ve had no major injuries and less soreness/pain from long runs.

Newton is different from other shoe companies in that they put a lot of resources, research, and technology towards creating a shoe that patterns that of a natural or barefoot runner.

Newton’s rubber lugs on the forefoot of the sole of  the shoe trains you to land on the forefoot or sweet spot of your foot, as opposed to landing on your heel which can cause serious injuries if done over and over.

The shoes have worked great for me. There is a learning curve with them, and Newton advises to start over with short distance runs and gradually add mileage as your feet and body adjusts to running in Newtons.

As I’ve finished several marathons in the past year, I’ve started to eye more trail marathons and ultras for the upcoming year.  I knew the Newton Distance, although great for road racing, was not ideal for dusty, technical trails and nasty roots.

So Does the Newton Momentus Live Up to the Hype?

I opened the Momentus box today and told myself I would wait until I had a good trail to try them out on.  Two hours later I had them laced up for a quick 2-mile test on the pavement.

I could tell just holding the shoes, right out of the box, that they would fit like a glove.  They actually almost felt like a glove just holding them.  They fit more snug than a regular Newton running shoe for sure.

The shoes feel more stable than your normal Newton. The lugs are smaller and placed a bit further back on the sole. The lugs also have added traction on them, as opposed to the smooth lugs on the Distance.  The Momentus is very stable on the foot and feels a bit like the Asics Nimbus without being as bulky or heavy.

Once I took off on my run, I almost didn’t notice the shoes again until I took them off. They felt great, my foot seemed to naturally fit the shoe, and the lacing system did a good job of conforming the shoe to my foot even more.

I felt like I was able to focus more on my running form in the Momentus.  I was able to hold my form well and land on my forefoot with ease (I didn’t have a chance to over think it).

I ran the Bartlett Park Ultra 50K back in September in the Newton Distance and it performed pretty good.  I noticed two things that day that caused problems on the trail: 1. Stability/support and 2. Lugs were perhaps a bit too big and caused a couple of my trips and face-plants.

Those two things are the most modified on the Momentus.  The lugs are rounded, not as big, and further back on the shoe as I mentioned earlier.  And the stability of the shoe is kinda freaky similar to what I loved about the Asics Nimbus a couple of years back.

The insole of the shoe is thicker than your typical Newton and the outer sole is a thicker rubber as well, especially in the heel.

Some how Newton was able to make those modifications while keeping the shoe light.  The shoe only weighs 11.2 ounces (which is light for a trail running shoe).

The colors are bright and loud (Forest+Lime).  But that is a Newton trademark that makes them easy to spot at 5K’s, marathons, and ultras.

My Newton bias aside, they appear to have put together a great trail running shoe in the Momentus while adding comfort and stability to their forefoot technology.

As I’ve seen in road marathons over the past year, I expect to see more and more bright Newtons off-road and putting down miles on dusty trails.

RATINGS

• Comfort: A+
• Lightness: A-
• Durability: (TBD)
• Stability: A
• Cost: B- ($139)

– Joshua Holmes

Newton Terra Momentus Website

2010 Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathon Finisher's Medal

Here is the official finisher’s medal for the 2010 Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathon that took place in Winchester, Tennessee on October 2, 2010.

2010 was the first year for the marathon, but as you can see, the bling for this inaugural race was top notch.

The race was won by Josh Hite in a time of 3:00:30.  Rebecca Murray took second place with Chris Estes taking the bronze (More Results).

Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathon Website

View More Marathon Bling

Here is the beautiful finisher’s medal from the 2010 Mardi Gras Marathon in historic New Orleans, Louisiana.

The course for the race is one of the most beautiful, flat, and enjoyable in the United States.

The 2011 Rock n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon and Half Marathon is on February 13, 2011 (event website).

The Top 10 Female Marathon Times of all-time.  

Women seem to run fastest at London, Chicago, Berlin, and Dubai.

No one has come close to Paula Radcliffe’s 2:15:25 that she set in London back in 2003..

Related: The Top 10 Fastest Male Marathon Times of All-Time