Posted: August 30, 2007

Athletics (RRW): Media Race Turns Spotlight On Reporters

From David Monti © 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com OSAKA (30-Aug) -- The media got their turn on the track at Nagai Stadium this afternoon for the ceremonial 800m media race at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics. Fifty-eight reporters, editors, photographers, producers and other members of the press corps covering these championships filled out the field in seven different heats. Olympic gold medalist Steve Ovett of Great Britain acted as the official starter and handed out the awards when the heats were over. Stadium announcer and IAAF Council Vice-President Bob Hersh emceed the awards ceremony. Competitors names and times were flashed on the stadium scoreboard, and there was also live video of the race on the big screens at both ends of the track. The suspense of who would be fastest was instantly broken when Iceland's Arngrimsson Sigurbjorn won the first heat in 2:01.20, in what will be that tiny nation's only victory at these championships; they have no athletes entered in any other events. Nobody would come within 12 seconds of Sigurbjorn. The fastest RRW subscriber was Mark Butler, the statician for the BBC. He won heat six in a swift 2:20.56, running down Jens Priedemuth of Germany in the final meters (see photo). Betsy Lazzeri, a production assistant for NBC Sports, won the women's race in 2:43.65. Running in street clothes, Lazzeri had come to the track only to cheer for your editor, but decided to put on a number and run the race. Your editor ran 2:43.77, finishing sixth in heat 4 and 38th overall. The real middle and long distance action continues in Nagai Stadium tonight with the first rounds of the men's 800m and 5000m. Bernard Lagat, who won last night's dramatic 1500m final, will running in heat 1. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest