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The finisher’s wood medal from the 2010 Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee. The race takes place in November and is one of the most challenging marathons in North America.

RELATED: Ben Schneider Wins 2010 Flying Monkey Marathon (Results)

Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon Website

Alabama native Daniel Ellis won the 2010 Rocket City Marathon on Saturday.  The 27-year old ran the course in a time of 2:24:37.  Ellis barely edged out Kameron Ulmer who finished just 13 seconds behind with at time of 2:24:50.  Scott Wietecha claimed third crossing the line at 2:27:08.

Candace Jacobs, of Huntsville, Alabama, won her hometown marathon as she was the first woman to finish at 2:54:21.  Second place was 37-year old Gina Krabbendam in 3:02:25.  Lisa Tolley took third with a time of 3:02:54.

2010 Rocket City Finisher’s Medal

Place Overall No Name              Age City      State    Time
                ********** MALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
    1     1 Daniel Ellis               27 Birmingham   AL 2:24:37
    2     2 Kameron Ulmer              23 Boise        ID 2:24:50
    3     3 Scott Wietecha             29 Goodlettsvil TN 2:27:08
    4     4 David Riddle               29 Cincinnati   OH 2:28:14
    5     5 Michael Deren              23 Johnson City TN 2:29:40
               ********** FEMALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
    1    27 Candace Jacobs             30 Huntsville   AL 2:54:21
    2    42 Gina Krabbendam            37 Lookout Mtn  TN 3:02:25
    3    45 Lisa Tolley                43 Seneca       SC 3:02:54
    4    50 Kathy Wolski               44 Knoxville    TN 3:05:01
    5    56 Isabelle Ledroit           44 Montreal, Qc    3:06:54

Dink and Suzanne Taylor put on a great race.  The shirt, medal, and finisher’s hat were all top notice. The pasta dinner was solid and Sarah Reinertsen, the guest speaker, told her inspirational story of being the first above-the-knee amputee to finish an Ironman.

View Complete 33rd Annual Rocket City Marathon Results

Rocket City Marathon Website

Elvis Presley isn’t dead.  At least he wasn’t on Sunday at the Zappos Rock N’ Roll Marathon when Claudio Palma, who was dressed up as Elvis for the race, saved a fellow marathoner’s life, post race, by performing CPR and resuscitating a woman who had passed out.

Palma tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal he was dressed as the King after Sunday’s Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon when he performed CPR and resuscitated another runner at the Burger Bar at Mandalay Place.

The 36-year-old was clad in a jumpsuit, sideburns and scarf for the race and may have looked like Presley, but in real life, he’s an anesthesiologist.

I guess it is no surprise that ‘The King’ was at a Burger Bar when his superstar powers called upon to resuscitate the woman.

It should also be noted that Palma, in full Elvis regalia, also got married during the marathon at a ‘run-thru’ chapel on the Vegas strip during the race.

Just another day at the office for ‘The King.’

RELATED: Josh Cox Wins 2010 Rock N’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon

Here is a photo of a young Lance Armstrong in high school at Plano East High School during a cross country meet.

Armstrong has run three marathons (NY twice, Boston once) during his first retirement from cycling.  His marathon PR is 2:46:43.  He has also competed in several triathlons as well during his athletic career.

I am not sure if Lance was a high school cross country champ but with his drive and genetic disposition it’s a pretty safe assumption.

And on yeah, this young lad, in the photo above, has won cycling’s prestigious Tour de France seven times.

With this post I broach a topic I’ve avoided ever since I started this blog: me.

So this is new. But it is not an enduring change. It is an exception, and I’ll soon shut up about the boring topic and return to my policy of staying quiet about the ever-indulgent “me.”

So, what brought this on? Why did I think anyone in the whole round world would want to read about what you will find below?

I had a pretty good year.

As a racer, that is. Maybe a remarkable year. My annual racing report summarizes it. I decided I’d put it up for whatever informational, instructional or inspirational value it may hold, and maybe it holds none. But if you are a racer also you may find it interesting. Or maybe not. Anyway, here it comes.

Beat it if you can.

Read the full story by Dallas Smith by clicking HERE (Race Results and State Records)

It's important to take some time for "relaxing" runs in between racing, or even as part of your training.

Racing, Racing, Racing!
It is so easy to get caught up in the world of time, racing, pace, speed, racing, mileage, racing … did I mention racing?

In all seriousness, I am guilty of being a “race addict” myself and ran well over 20 races in 2010. There is the initial goal-setting that keeps you training, the camaraderie that goes a long with training, having a common goal to share with others, keeping yourself accountable, the excitement leading up to the race with packet pick-up, pre-race night jitters and then the high of the race itself.

It can be kind of a “let down” for the race to be over, especially if it is a big one!

Just a Piece of the Running Puzzle
Everyone has their own experience in their running growth and development, and it’s important to remember that racing is just one part of the running picture. Racing puts quite a demand on one’s physical, mental and emotional energy. It can also open opportunities for injury and burn-out.

A Heavy Load
I had a heavy training and racing load in September and October 2010 (well, heavy for me but light compared to some). In September I ran my first 25k (Norris Dam Hard Trail Race) with a finish time of 2:41:39. I also ran the Blue Ridge Relay and was runner #2, with some of the hardest legs to run and the most mileage of the 208 miles. I had a few other small races  at the beginning of October that I used as training, then ran my first marathon, the Spinx RunFest Marathon, in Greenville on October 30 with a finish time of 3:32:10.

Relax and Enjoy
I also ran a half marathon three weeks after the Spinx Marathon (Secret City Half: finish time of 1:39:16) and it was during that race that I realized I needed to just take it easy. So I went “back to the basics” so to speak and decided to not worry about racing or training at least until January. I have been running, but I’ve added a lot of leisurely, relaxing runs into the mix and have, on occasion not even worn my Garmin. Crazy, I know!

Taking some time to just relax and enjoy running without the training or racing part of it has brought me back to reality in a way with regard to running. I love racing and training just as much as the next person, and can’t wait to get started again in a few weeks. But getting back to the basics and “keeping it real” is a good exercise that might remind you it’s not always about racing and training. When you get to the core of it, it’s about running.

Marathon wild child Leah Thorvilson was the female winner at the 2010 St. Jude Marathon on Sunday in Memphis with a time of 2:40:20.

Second place female went to Firaya Sultanova-Zhda 2:52:09 and third to Muliye Gurmu in 2:54:05.

Thorvilson, who is an elite female marathoner, has already qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials. She holds several records including the course record at the Tupelo Marathon, a race she has won several times.

She currently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The overall and male winner was Peter Kemboi of Kenya with a time of 2:26:29. In a bang, bang, bang finish Peter edged out Dereje Hailegiorgis 2:26:30 and Ronald Kurui 2:26:35.

The Half Marathon overall winner was Josh McAdams with a time of 1:08:01.  He also won the St. Jude half in 2008.

The first female to finish the Half Marathon was Rachel Best with a time of 1:28:36.

Complete St. Jude Marathon and Half Marathon Results

Money raised from the marathon benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.

Check Out the 2010 St. Jude Marathon Finisher’s Medal

[photo: Facebook]

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]

The Atlanta Marathon will return next year in 2011 after taking a hiatus this year due to several factors.

In 2010, the ATC made the decision to remove the Atlanta Marathon from Thanksgiving Day, where it had been a part of the Atlanta Half Marathon festivities, in order to find a date that would allow for the course time limit to be extended from five to six and a half hours.

The marathon, a favorite of many locals and veteran marathon runners, will take place on October 30, 2011.

The 2011 version will feature a new course which has some enthusiastic and others a bit disappointed.

The Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay will start and finish at Atlantic Station and features a new, loop course entirely within the City of Atlanta that takes participants on a tour of the city going past well-known sites and neighborhoods such as Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Institute of Technology, CNN Center, Philips Arena, Georgia Aquarium, Turner Field, The King Center, Grant Park, Virginia-Highlands, Piedmont Park, Buckhead and along stretches of the famous Peachtree Road.  The official course for the Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay will be released in early 2011.

Registration until the end of 2010 is just $55 and can be done online at AtlantaTrackClub.org.  The registration fee will incrementally increase and be $125 on the day of the race.

Read More Here

Ben Schneider pulled off the Monkey-3-peat by winning the 2010 Flying Monkey Marathon for the third consecutive year with a time of 2:38:27.  Schneider holds the course record of 2:36:25, set in 2008.  He has now won the race in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

‘Marathonjunkie’ Chuck Engle came in a distant 2nd at 2:54:43 with Josh Hite on his heels, and in Engle’s dust, with a time of 2:55:40.

Engle won the 2007 Flying Monkey by setting a then record of 2:45:35.  It was the second consecutive third place finish for Hite on Sunday.

Traci Falbo was the fastest female with at time of 3:21:20.  Catie Caldwell came in a close second at 3:23:50 with Meredith Smith claiming third place honors with a time of 3:26:52.

The marathon is considered one of the toughest in the United States with over 3,500 feet of climbs.

The Flying Monkey Marathon (website) is located within Percy Warner Park in the Harpeth Hills on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee.

2010 Flying Monkey Marathon Official Poster

Flying Monkey Marathon Photos

Read the full story