Track & Field Hits the Roads

Posted by Gabriel Rodriguez Oct 5, 2006

Debrecen, Hungary, is host to the 1st IAAF World Road Running Championships this weekend on Sunday, October 8th. Formerly known as the World Half Marathon Championships that debuted in 1992, the IAAF switched to a format of alternating race distances throughout the world with the 2006 version covering 20 kilometers.

Kenya has dominated this event on the men's side, with individuals winning nine of the past fourteen titles and the team capturing eight gold medals. The women's individual title has been dominated by running icons over the years, as both Tegla Loroupe of Kenya and Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain both have three titles to their credit, but Romania has dominated the team competition, including winning this event in 2005.

I will be providing an in-depth, post-race, analysis in covering this exciting assembly of running talent throughout the world. Watch for Ethiopia and Romania to defend their titles in hopes of winning some of the total $245,000 prize purse.