An Unknown Runs to the Podium at the New York City Marathon

One more reason running is such a great sport. [View this email in your browser]( Presented by Living the Underdog Runner's Dream About mile 17 in last weekend's New York City Marathon, the 12 runners still in the men's lead pack spread out across 1st Avenue and everyone started to notice something unusual. Among the bibs plastered with elite runners' names was one bearing only #443. A mile later when a group of five runners pulled away and #443 was still among them, reporters scrambled to find out who this was. A number search quickly turned up his name, Girma Bekele Gebre, but there wasn't any bio for him in the press kit. He wasn't even listed among the elite field, meaning he had started on the other side of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge that morning and merged with the elites at mile 8. Gebre held on to claim third with a huge PR of 2:08:38. His previous best had been a 2:13:46 at Pittsburgh last May. He walked home $65,000 richer, and whole lot more famous. He's lived in New York, run—and won—a number of local races, but nothing suggested he would take five minutes off his best time today. Except maybe the fact that he went home to Ethiopia last spring after his brother died, and has been training with some of the world's best runners since. It turns out that Gebre applied for the elite field but was turned down. "We recruit our pro field. It’s an invitational," says Chris Weiller, Senior Vice President of Public Relations, Broadcast, and Professional Athletes for the New York Road Runners. "We look to have 65 to 80 athletes at max; that’s the most we can really accommodate for all the services we provide, particularly the water bottle situation." Fortunately, however, New York doesn't isolate the elite field like the Boston Marathon decided to do last spring, starting the first wave of amateurs two minutes after the professionals. In New York, the pros, the [sub-elites]( and 12,000 runners in the first wave all start with the same gun, thus all are eligible for the podium and prize purse. That someone can train their butt off in anonymity on the far side of the world and then show up and surprise everyone is one of the best characteristics of our sport. "Road racing is by nature egalitarian," I wrote [reacting to the Boston rule change,]( "Unlike other sports where you make it or you don’t—where you’re good enough to play or you sit on the couch and watch—every road race is a continuum from first to last. We all have the same opportunity to determine our place in that continuum, and we take joy in our progress along it." Gebre's story—the unknown emerging as a champion—affirms this egalitarian nature and inspires underdogs everywhere to train, improve and take their place on a start line to challenge the favorites. In a world where everything feels increasingly scripted, it's a breath of fresh air, and makes me proud to be a runner. —Jonathan Beverly, Editor If you find this newsletter valuable, please forward to friends and suggest they [subscribe]( to get it every week—Thank you! [Boston Marathon Rules Kill the Underdog Story]( Boston Marathon 2019's new rules mean we may never see an unknown runner race into history, and that’s a shame for the sport. Jonathan Beverly [Top Americans Lean on Mantras to Get Through Marathons]( Sara Hall and Jared Ward both focus on: "Run the mile you're in." Amby Burfoot Redefine your rest day. Maximize your training and make your recovery work for you with the NormaTec PULSE 2.0 Series. Invented by an M.D., Ph.D. and perfected by professional athletes, the NormaTec PULSE 2.0 Recovery System is the go-to equipment for the world’s best. NormaTec’s patented compression massage gives you fresh legs faster, helps you warm up pre-workout, and optimizes your recovery post-training and competition. [RECOVER NOW]( [What You Look Like After Finishing the New York City Marathon]( We camped out just past the 2019 New York City Marathon finish line to capture the emotions of running 26.2 Jonathan Beverly / Danny Weiss [86-year-old Marathoner Ginette Bedard Shares Her Training]( Masters champion Ginette Bedard, who will compete in her 17th consecutive New York City Marathon this Sunday, runs two hours every day. Stephanie Hoppe G E A R [Yes, Those Nike Shoes Are (Too?) Fast, But Should We Ban Them?]( Before we ban super shoes, we should also be considering if they could reduce injuries. 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