<p><strong><br />The Stand &ndash; How One Gesture Shook the World</strong>, the latest athletics film from Tom Ratcliffe, passionately details one of history's most iconic and enduring sporting moments: the 200m medal podium protest by US sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. And on many levels, its retelling, more than five decades later, couldn&rsquo;t be more timely.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As one of the seminal moments in sports history, the image is a familiar one. But the broader story behind it was not. That&rsquo;s a hole in the record that Ratcliffe and co-director Becky Paige wanted to fill.</p>
<p>You certainly know the scene. With a massive global platform that only an Olympic Games can provide, Smith and Carlos, the freshly-minted gold and bronze medallists, chose to use their victory stand moment of glory to protest the racial inequality that was ripping their country apart by pointing their black-gloved hands towards the sky. It was a protest the likes of which had never been witnessed on an international sporting stage - not before, and not since.</p>
<p>Just hours after their medal-winning performances - Smith broke the world record with a stunning 19.83 run - the pair walked solemnly towards the medal podium, each carrying a shoe behind their back, with just black socks covering their feet. As the national anthem began to play, each athlete bowed his head and raised a single black-gloved fist, Smith his right, Carlos his left. At just 24 and 23, respectively, Smith and Carlos became the subjects of the indelible image of a salute that would come to symbolise an era, inspire every generation since and one that would define, in times both bad and good, the rest of their lives.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/32T27gHO5EQ" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Their gesture was certainly a brave, defiant stand against institutionalised racism, segregation, and social injustice in the US. But as we come to learn, it also held a broader meaning, one of &ldquo;freedom and justice for all&rdquo;, as Smith points out, and, as Carlos says, for &ldquo;respect and pride&rdquo;. That&rsquo;s thanks largely to Ratcliffe's attempt to capture the inspiration, motivation and the spirit of their historic protest.</p>
<p>There were serious consequences.</p>
<p>While recognised as heroes now, Smith and Carlos paid a steep price for their stand. Both were immediately expelled from the Olympic village and sent home where, instead of a hero's welcome, they were vilified and met with death threats. Ostracised from their sport, their careers on the track were over two years later and decades of personal and professional struggles followed. The film retraces the journey that led to that moment, and the ones that followed - which still reverberate loudly today.</p>
<p>The film begins with a description of the conditions in the US that led to the civil rights struggle in the early 1960s, a look at the movement for justice and how it specifically came to involve African-American athletes through the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) and the involvement of the Harvard University Rowing Team, an especially interesting and lesser known backdrop to the story, before it introduces us to Mexico City on 2 October 1968 when hundreds of student demonstrators were killed by the Mexican military during a peaceful protest that later became known as the Tlatelolco massacre.</p>
<p>"You could still see the blood," Smith recalled. "So we knew we were moving into a very dangerous situation."</p>
<p>Then comes the dramatic build-up to the race itself, and a vivid retelling of the short hours leading to the podium ceremony.</p>
<p>When Ratcliffe completed the critically acclaimed <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/fica-film-festival-san-sebastian-2019-bannist" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Bannister, the Everest on the Track</em></a></strong></span>, which was released in 2016, he and Paige began looking for another project with historical significance. With the 50th anniversary of the Mexico City Games approaching, the 200m medal stand protest became an obvious choice.</p>
<p>"As we looked around we found a lot on Tommie, John, the protest," Ratcliffe said, "but felt that there was nothing particularly well done and none that dug into the origin and meaning of their actions on the podium. Most assume that John&rsquo;s and Tommie&rsquo;s protest was about 'Black Power', but this was neither their intention nor the meaning of their raised fists. So as we learned more, this really intrigued us."</p>
<p>There is no narration. Instead, the story is told through intimate portraits by those who lived through those moments, athletes mostly from Smith and Carlos's generation, but others as well: Ralph Boston, the 1960 Olympic long jump champion and world record holder; Mel Pender, a career military officer, Vietnam War veteran and member of the gold medal-winning 4x100m relay team in Mexico City; Patty Van Wolvelaere, a hurdler on the 1968 US team; rowing team members Paul Hoffman and Cleve Livingston; Harry Edwards, the sociologist who founded the Olympic Project for Human Rights; and of course Smith and Carlos, ultimately the OPHR's most visible supporters.</p>
<p><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/8ac22630-26c3-4631-886a-84060a5fd7b4.png" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p>But as a film about athletes, it&rsquo;s not all about the political moment.</p>
<p>Ratcliffe is absorbed in the sport of track and field athletics like few others. He was a professional runner, athlete representative, writer and pundit. That shows in the dramatic and informative way he builds up to the 200m showdown itself, one of the finest Olympic sprint races ever, showcasing Smith and Carlos as the exceptional athletes that they were.</p>
<p>That's important for two reasons: it's why the protagonists are in Mexico City in the first place, and as New York Times journalist Selena Roberts points out, they had to land on the podium. Without that, there would be no stand. A minor groin injury that struck Smith in the morning's semi-final showed that a medal was anything but a foregone conclusion.</p>
<p>The same drama builds towards the moment they took the victory podium. We&rsquo;re introduced to Australian Peter Norman, the silver medallist, who joined the pair in protest. We follow along as Smith and Carlos planned their next move and how the gesture was more than the 'Black power' salute it came to represent.</p>
<p>For Carlos, his podium moment was nothing short of emancipatory. Among the thoughts that raced through his mind on the victory stand, he said, is that "they can never ever put shackles on John Carlos again. I'm a free man."</p>
<p>But that doesn&rsquo;t mean the struggle is over, as vividly illustrated by the most recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests that began in the US in late May and soon spread to other parts of the world.</p>
<p>The film doesn&rsquo;t include that. Hoping for a release in time for the 50th anniversary of the Mexico City Games, production was wrapped up 2018, but it does make mention of football player Colin Kaepernick who began kneeling during the national anthem to protest policy brutality and ongoing institutionalised racism.</p>
<p>"These athletes today, who are protesting against injustice stand on the shoulders of giants," Edwards says. "Their message is critical."</p>
<p>Powerful and electric, &lsquo;The Stand&rsquo; boldly and clearly delivers the message that the "Olympic rings should tie the world together, not tear it apart.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Critically, it transcends sport like the gesture did at the time. Given current worldwide events, its release could not be better timed.</p>
<p>"I felt responsibility to stand up for humanity,&rdquo; Smith says. "That I can be some kind of positive force for change. I didn't know how to say it, I just felt it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The Stand delivers that message with inspiring authority.</p>
<p><strong>Bob Ramsak for World Athletics<br /><br /></strong></p>
<h3>The Stand: How One Gesture Shook the World</h3>
<p>Running time: 69 minutes<br />Release date: 4 August 2020</p>
<p><strong>Where to watch<br /></strong>Digital: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu, FandangoNOW<br />Cable: iNdemand, Bell, DirecTV, Dish, Telus, Vubiquity&nbsp;</p>

The Stand – How One Gesture Shook the World, the latest athletics film from Tom Ratcliffe, passionately details one of the most iconic and enduring sporting moments: the 200m medal podium protest by Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. And on many levels, its retelling, more than five decades later, couldn’t be more timely. 


The Stand – How One Gesture Shook the World, the latest athletics film from Tom Ratcliffe, passionately details one of history's most iconic and enduring sporting moments: the 200m medal podium protest by US sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. And on many levels, its retelling, more than five decades later, couldn’t be more timely. 
As one of the seminal moments in sports history, the image is a familiar one. But the broader story behind it was not. That’s a hole in the record that Ratcliffe and co-director Becky Paige wanted to fill.
You certainly know the scene. With a massive global platform that only an Olympic Games can provide, Smith and Carlos, the freshly-minted gold and bronze medallists, chose to use their victory stand moment of glory to protest the racial inequality that was ripping their country apart by pointing their black-gloved hands towards the sky. It was a protest the likes of which had never been witnessed on an international sporting stage - not before, and not since.
Just hours after their medal-winning performances - Smith broke the world record with a stunning 19.83 run - the pair walked solemnly towards the medal podium, each carrying a shoe behind their back, with just black socks covering their feet. As the national anthem began to play, each athlete bowed his head and raised a single black-gloved fist, Smith his right, Carlos his left. At just 24 and 23, respectively, Smith and Carlos became the subjects of the indelible image of a salute that would come to symbolise an era, inspire every generation since and one that would define, in times both bad and good, the rest of their lives.

Their gesture was certainly a brave, defiant stand against institutionalised racism, segregation, and social injustice in the US. But as we come to learn, it also held a broader meaning, one of “freedom and justice for all”, as Smith points out, and, as Carlos says, for “respect and pride”. That’s thanks largely to Ratcliffe's attempt to capture the inspiration, motivation and the spirit of their historic protest.
There were serious consequences.
While recognised as heroes now, Smith and Carlos paid a steep price for their stand. Both were immediately expelled from the Olympic village and sent home where, instead of a hero's welcome, they were vilified and met with death threats. Ostracised from their sport, their careers on the track were over two years later and decades of personal and professional struggles followed. The film retraces the journey that led to that moment, and the ones that followed - which still reverberate loudly today.
The film begins with a description of the conditions in the US that led to the civil rights struggle in the early 1960s, a look at the movement for justice and how it specifically came to involve African-American athletes through the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) and the involvement of the Harvard University Rowing Team, an especially interesting and lesser known backdrop to the story, before it introduces us to Mexico City on 2 October 1968 when hundreds of student demonstrators were killed by the Mexican military during a peaceful protest that later became known as the Tlatelolco massacre.
"You could still see the blood," Smith recalled. "So we knew we were moving into a very dangerous situation."
Then comes the dramatic build-up to the race itself, and a vivid retelling of the short hours leading to the podium ceremony.
When Ratcliffe completed the critically acclaimed Bannister, the Everest on the Track, which was released in 2016, he and Paige began looking for another project with historical significance. With the 50th anniversary of the Mexico City Games approaching, the 200m medal stand protest became an obvious choice.
"As we looked around we found a lot on Tommie, John, the protest," Ratcliffe said, "but felt that there was nothing particularly well done and none that dug into the origin and meaning of their actions on the podium. Most assume that John’s and Tommie’s protest was about 'Black Power', but this was neither their intention nor the meaning of their raised fists. So as we learned more, this really intrigued us."
There is no narration. Instead, the story is told through intimate portraits by those who lived through those moments, athletes mostly from Smith and Carlos's generation, but others as well: Ralph Boston, the 1960 Olympic long jump champion and world record holder; Mel Pender, a career military officer, Vietnam War veteran and member of the gold medal-winning 4x100m relay team in Mexico City; Patty Van Wolvelaere, a hurdler on the 1968 US team; rowing team members Paul Hoffman and Cleve Livingston; Harry Edwards, the sociologist who founded the Olympic Project for Human Rights; and of course Smith and Carlos, ultimately the OPHR's most visible supporters.

But as a film about athletes, it’s not all about the political moment.
Ratcliffe is absorbed in the sport of track and field athletics like few others. He was a professional runner, athlete representative, writer and pundit. That shows in the dramatic and informative way he builds up to the 200m showdown itself, one of the finest Olympic sprint races ever, showcasing Smith and Carlos as the exceptional athletes that they were.
That's important for two reasons: it's why the protagonists are in Mexico City in the first place, and as New York Times journalist Selena Roberts points out, they had to land on the podium. Without that, there would be no stand. A minor groin injury that struck Smith in the morning's semi-final showed that a medal was anything but a foregone conclusion.
The same drama builds towards the moment they took the victory podium. We’re introduced to Australian Peter Norman, the silver medallist, who joined the pair in protest. We follow along as Smith and Carlos planned their next move and how the gesture was more than the 'Black power' salute it came to represent.
For Carlos, his podium moment was nothing short of emancipatory. Among the thoughts that raced through his mind on the victory stand, he said, is that "they can never ever put shackles on John Carlos again. I'm a free man."
But that doesn’t mean the struggle is over, as vividly illustrated by the most recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests that began in the US in late May and soon spread to other parts of the world.
The film doesn’t include that. Hoping for a release in time for the 50th anniversary of the Mexico City Games, production was wrapped up 2018, but it does make mention of football player Colin Kaepernick who began kneeling during the national anthem to protest policy brutality and ongoing institutionalised racism.
"These athletes today, who are protesting against injustice stand on the shoulders of giants," Edwards says. "Their message is critical."
Powerful and electric, ‘The Stand’ boldly and clearly delivers the message that the "Olympic rings should tie the world together, not tear it apart.”
Critically, it transcends sport like the gesture did at the time. Given current worldwide events, its release could not be better timed.
"I felt responsibility to stand up for humanity,” Smith says. "That I can be some kind of positive force for change. I didn't know how to say it, I just felt it.”
The Stand delivers that message with inspiring authority.
Bob Ramsak for World AthleticsThe Stand: How One Gesture Shook the World
Running time: 69 minutesRelease date: 4 August 2020
Where to watchDigital: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu, FandangoNOWCable: iNdemand, Bell, DirecTV, Dish, Telus, Vubiquity 

Review The Stand How One Gesture Shook the World

Review - The Stand: How One Gesture Shook the World

<p><br />The Dutch marathon record-holder Abdi Nageeye has a huge passion for music. From rap to rock and house to blues, Nageeye has an eclectic taste straddling many different styles. Here the Kenyan-based Dutch athlete and training partner to Eliud Kipchoge offers World Athletics his five tunes to play during lockdown.</p>
<p><strong>Song to chill to...</strong><br />Bruno Mars &ndash; <em>The Lazy Song</em></p>
<p>Normally our lives are so busy but what the lockdown has given us is the chance to spend precious time with the family or our flat-mates. Many of us have never been inside for so long, and although it is a difficult situation we have to accept it, relax and sing. A great song to chill to is <em>The Lazy Song</em> - it has a nice beat and gives you the feeling of &lsquo;hey, I want to stay inside, watch a movie and chill&rsquo;!</p>
<p><strong>Song to work-out to...</strong><br />Mark Ronson &ndash; <em>Uptown Funk</em></p>
<p>Many of us are exercising in the home at the moment to videos, on the static bike or treadmill. I love listening to Uptown Funk, it gives me wings and so much energy &ndash; it is the perfect workout tune. I used to train with music but now I train in a group of 20 or 30 athletes I no longer do so. I miss music during workouts.</p>
<p><strong>Song to play in the background...</strong><br />BB King - <em>The Thrill is Gone</em></p>
<p>A blues classic with very relaxing guitar. Sometimes when I&rsquo;m doing jobs around the home I don&rsquo;t want to listen to music too intently, I just want to hear the guitar and the buzz of the saxophone in the background. This music is very relaxing and allows me to be fully focused on what I&rsquo;m doing at that moment.</p>
<p><strong>Song to cook to...</strong><br />The Eagles - <em>Hotel California </em></p>
<p>When you are cooking you don&rsquo;t want the music to steal too much of your attention but then again sometimes you still require some energy and not be too relaxed! I like Hotel California. It is one of my favourite songs. I love the beat, which allows me to focus nicely on cooking.</p>
<p><strong>Song to smile to...</strong><br />K&rsquo;naan - <em>Wavin&rsquo; Flag</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;This song make me feel like I&rsquo;m re-born. If you are in a bad mood or if I&rsquo;m feeling sad this song offers hope, it can lift you out of your gloom and make you feel free again. K&rsquo;naan&rsquo;s song makes me feel like dancing and to wave a flag outside. In short, it makes me smile.<br /><br /></p>
<p><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/2Dc8EnDCzm7EHKEti6pFVr" width="500" height="380" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Steve Landells for World Athletics</strong></p>

The Dutch marathon record-holder Abdi Nageeye has a huge passion for music. From rap to rock and house to blues, Nageeye has an eclectic taste straddling many different styles. Here the Kenyan-based Dutch athlete and training partner to Eliud Kipchoge offers World Athletics his five tunes to play during lockdown.

Abdi Nageeye lockdown playlist music

Abdi Nageeye's lockdown playlist

<p><br />Yesterday marked World Book Day. One man who has ramped up his reading action in recent months is USA&rsquo;s world 4x400m champion Nathan Strother.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been doing a lot of reading,&rdquo; he says of life in lockdown. With a few videogame marathons thrown into the mix, of course.</p>
<p>Even in normal times, the 2019 World Indoor Tour winner is an avid reader who rarely leaves for practice without a paperback in his pocket. He takes us through some of the most treasured volumes in his library.</p>
<h3>The book I&rsquo;m reading now&hellip;</h3>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81ogO8EhtbL.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062675477/from-the-outside/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">From the Outside</span></em></strong></a> by Ray Allen</p>
<p>"Ray Allen is my favorite basketball player ever and I met him in the airport while traveling to a meet last year."</p>
<h3>The most inspiring book&hellip;</h3>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51FlU0XCSML._SX330_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://destiny.tdjakes.com/"><em><strong>Destiny</strong></em></a></span> by T.D. Jakes</p>
<p>This is a book about stepping into your destiny and figuring out the reason you were born into life.</p>
<h3>The book I would recommend (to athletes)&hellip;</h3>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/419Ly4tRxVL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/593110/the-champions-mind-by-jim-afremow-phd/"><em><strong>The Champion's Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive</strong></em></a></span> by Jim Afremow</p>
<p>"Mental fortitude in sports is so important and this book gives many examples of other Olympic Gold Medal-winning athletes&rsquo; take on their mental health while competing."</p>
<h3>The book I would Recommend (to anyone)&hellip;</h3>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41PN13KdexL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://angiethomas.com/the-hate-u-give"><em><strong>The Hate U Give</strong></em></a></span> by Angie Thomas</p>
<p>"The movie for the book was really good and the book goes more in-depth. It makes it such a compelling story."</p>
<h3>The book from childhood I enjoyed the most&hellip;</h3>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dF7IPwieL._SX344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.jkrowling.com/writing/"><em><strong>The whole Harry Potter series</strong></em></a></span> by J.K. Rowling</p>
<p>"I&rsquo;ve read every book no less than four times each. Growing up I would stay up past my bedtime to read them. I would use a flashlight and pull the covers over my head and fake asleep when I would hear my mom come up the stairs."</p>
<h3>Book I would take if I were stranded on a desert island&hellip;</h3>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51UwQdMs-nL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /></p>
<p><a href="https://stephenking.com/library/novel/outsider_the.html"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>The Outsider</strong></span></em></a> by Stephen King</p>
<p>"I haven&rsquo;t gotten the chance to sit and actually read it yet, but the plot description hooked me while I was in the bookstore."</p>
<p><strong>Thomas Byrne for World Athletics</strong></p>

Yesterday marked World Book Day. One man who has ramped up his reading action in recent months is USA’s world 4x400m champion Nathan Strother.


Yesterday marked World Book Day. One man who has ramped up his reading action in recent months is USA’s world 4x400m champion Nathan Strother.
“I’ve been doing a lot of reading,” he says of life in lockdown. With a few videogame marathons thrown into the mix, of course.
Even in normal times, the 2019 World Indoor Tour winner is an avid reader who rarely leaves for practice without a paperback in his pocket. He takes us through some of the most treasured volumes in his library.The book I’m reading now…

From the Outside by Ray Allen
"Ray Allen is my favorite basketball player ever and I met him in the airport while traveling to a meet last year."The most inspiring book…

Destiny by T.D. Jakes
This is a book about stepping into your destiny and figuring out the reason you were born into life.The book I would recommend (to athletes)…

The Champion's Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive by Jim Afremow
"Mental fortitude in sports is so important and this book gives many examples of other Olympic Gold Medal-winning athletes’ take on their mental health while competing."The book I would Recommend (to anyone)…

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
"The movie for the book was really good and the book goes more in-depth. It makes it such a compelling story."The book from childhood I enjoyed the most…

The whole Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
"I’ve read every book no less than four times each. Growing up I would stay up past my bedtime to read them. I would use a flashlight and pull the covers over my head and fake asleep when I would hear my mom come up the stairs."Book I would take if I were stranded on a desert island…

The Outsider by Stephen King
"I haven’t gotten the chance to sit and actually read it yet, but the plot description hooked me while I was in the bookstore."
Thomas Byrne for World Athletics

Nathan Strother Lockdown Reading List

Nathan Strother’s lockdown reading list

<p><br />Training alone because of government restrictions following the Covid-19 outbreak, life is currently far from the norm for the world&rsquo;s leading marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge.</p>
<p>Running solo from his home in Eldoret every day, he fills up the rest of his time by overseeing his three children&rsquo;s schoolwork, watching old Formula One and Moto GP races with the family and feeding his other passion for reading books.</p>
<p>Here the world marathon record-holder offers a peek into his reading activity during the coronavirus pandemic.</p>
<h3>What I&rsquo;m reading at the moment...</h3>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://books.google.si/books/content?id=FTiGDwAAQBAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;img=1&amp;zoom=1&amp;imgtk=AFLRE71TLnIgVk5vTtEtOVRw7ZWhpqWq3kTwaL_2RdPYkXHEbmgA3aikRLV_9gf2VRb5kL7RWU3mDzevxfYz7gvCcha3lajti-2D7V2IKdR1YO4mCKoYtQBpDLFc_4Y8zknmULt02UJD" alt="book" align="right" /><a href="https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/malcolm-gladwell/talking-to-strangers/9780316478526/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>Talking to Strangers</em></strong></span></a> by Malcolm Gladwell</p>
<p>&ldquo;It is a moving story which poses many questions not least in one chapter, What Happens When The Stranger is a Terrorist? He also asks why we are so bad at understanding people we have never met before. He says we often can&rsquo;t tell when a stranger lies to us and meeting a stranger face to face doesn&rsquo;t help our understanding of this. It is a good book.&rdquo;</p>
<h3>The last book I finished...</h3>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://books.google.si/books/content?id=zYlZDwAAQBAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;img=1&amp;zoom=1&amp;imgtk=AFLRE739aOHGF_GU0uzWP23F7TaSVt3ak3qoLhcw2ei6QvpdeXG_laiGwYE76LI2Trtz9Z5Q7gMPLTWwUe3yhtQn1r8SmDqX9ne65D5w9ufxV3BH9EqGJQGlE3x-ooIlriTzuPlGE5EQ" alt="book" align="right" /><a href="https://simonsinek.com/product/the-infinite-game/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>The Infinite Game</em></strong></span></a> by Simon Sinek</p>
<p>&ldquo;This is another good book, which talks about both finite and infinite games. Some of which are finite with fixed rules and end objectives and other infinite games such as business, politics etc with no exact rules and an infinite amount of time. The infinite games is less about competing but more about thinking.&rdquo;</p>
<h3>My go to book...</h3>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSPxMPUzwH-0cUd154h-lKCz0iTWlATwk9xPGfd6pBBK6FeXGCi" alt="book" align="right" /><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/291680/who-moved-my-cheese-by-spencer-johnson/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>Who Moved My Cheese </em></strong></span></a>by Spencer Johnson</p>
<p>&ldquo;I have read this book many times and it very appropriate during the Covid-19 pandemic. We are currently enduring hard times in the world. We are in lockdown and the world needs to change. We need to accept the lockdown and abide by the guidelines by accepting social distancing and the regular use of hand sanitisers etc. This book is all about embracing and accepting change.</p>
<h3>A book to inspire...</h3>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81uIjVjQtkL.jpg" alt="book" align="right" /><a href="https://www.thesecret.tv/products/the-magic-book/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>The Magic</em></strong></span></a> by Rhonda Byrne</p>
<p>&ldquo;The premise of the <em>The Magic</em> is to say thank you. There is magic throughout all 250 pages but the real magic in the book is it teaches you the importance of gratitude.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Steve Landells for World Athletics</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Training alone because of government restrictions following the Covid-19 outbreak, life is currently far from the norm for the world’s leading marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge.

Eliud Kipchoge lockdown reading list

Eliud Kipchoge’s lockdown reading list

<p><br />Olympic high jump silver medallist Mirela Demireva shares some of her favourite tracks.</p>
<p><br />"I never listen to music during my training. For a high-jumper, rhythm is very important in my training and it is an individual matter and I can only find that inside. I can&rsquo;t listen to music and my body simultaneously. For the same reason, I don&rsquo;t prepare music for a competition. I don&rsquo;t need it to boost my mood or motivation, so I only usually listen to music at home, in the evenings, and when I do I don&rsquo;t do anything else &ndash; just sit back and listen.</p>
<p>I don&rsquo;t have any favourite artist or genre, if a song is done well, categories don&rsquo;t matter to me and I never like imposing limitations.</p>
<h3>Mirela Demireva's chill-out playlist</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/7dUgp0tS4CDHfHtJp7j0Ah" width="500" height="380" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>

Olympic high jump silver medallist Mirela Demireva shares some of her favourite tracks.

Chill out playlist Mirela Demireva

The chill-out playlist - Mirela Demireva

<p><br />We caught up with US marathon runner Sara Hall and asked her to share her training playlist with the world.</p>
<p><br />&ldquo;I listen to music for about half of my hard workouts,&rdquo; says Hall. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m addicted to this one album by Lindsey Stirling, her 2012 album. She has an electric violin and that kind of music really puts me in a flow state. All her stuff is good.</p>
<p>&ldquo;My favourite kind of music is techno or electronic. During easy runs I like to listen to worship music. It helps me enter more of a worship state when I&rsquo;m out there running.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Before races I like to listen to the same stuff I do in training. It puts me in that mode of: &lsquo;It&rsquo;s go time. Do what you do all the time&rsquo;.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The Lindsey Stirling album below is upbeat but it&rsquo;s not crazy metal, it&rsquo;s like flow-state music.&rdquo;</p>
<h3>Sara Hall&rsquo;s marathon training playlist</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/1sFA2y6cjOeC3LiCnajNgG" width="500" height="380" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>

Tracks that US distance runner Sara Hall trains to.


We caught up with US marathon runner Sara Hall and asked her to share her training playlist with the world.
“I listen to music for about half of my hard workouts,” says Hall. “I’m addicted to this one album by Lindsey Stirling, her 2012 album. She has an electric violin and that kind of music really puts me in a flow state. All her stuff is good.
“My favourite kind of music is techno or electronic. During easy runs I like to listen to worship music. It helps me enter more of a worship state when I’m out there running.
“Before races I like to listen to the same stuff I do in training. It puts me in that mode of: ‘It’s go time. Do what you do all the time’.
“The Lindsey Stirling album below is upbeat but it’s not crazy metal, it’s like flow-state music.”Sara Hall’s marathon training playlist


Sara Hall USA marathon music running playlist

The marathon training playlist - Sara Hall

<p><br />It may be a niche genre, but athletics movies tend to perform pretty well during awards season.</p>
<p>No such films have made it among the nominees at this year&rsquo;s Academy Awards, but here are some of the most successful athletics-related flicks of all time.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Chariots of Fire</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/odtqtlhsv4E" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Not just the best athletics movie ever made, but one of the greatest films, period. This 1981 film tells the story of two British athletes at the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew.</p>
<p><strong>Awards:</strong> it cleaned up at the 54th Academy Awards, winning the gongs for best picture, best original screenplay, best costume design and best original score. It also scooped awards at the Grammys, Golden Globes, Baftas and Cannes Film Festival.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Forrest Gump</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bLvqoHBptjg" width="500" height="240" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Although not strictly a film solely about athletics, running is a key theme in this 1994 film. The eponymous character, played by Tom Hanks, is a slow-witted but kind-hearted man who witnesses and unwittingly influences several defining historical events in the 20th century United States. A talented runner, Forrest embarks on a relentless three-year run across the USA which attracts the attention of the national press. In one memorable scene, Forrest is swarmed by a pack of journalists who all ask him why he is doing it. He replies: &ldquo;I just felt like running&rdquo;.</p>
<p><strong>Awards:</strong> it dominated the 67th Academy Awards, picking up six Oscars, including best picture. It also won three Golden Globes, a Bafta, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Children of Heaven</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1XkC9it8OPs" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This 1997 Iranian family drama focuses on a brother and sister and their adventures over a lost pair of shoes. After Ali loses his Zahra&rsquo;s pair of shoes, he goes on a series of adventures in order to find them. When he can't, he tries a new way to &lsquo;win&rsquo; a new pair: a local 4km race.</p>
<p><strong>Awards:</strong> the film won four accolades at the 1997 Montreal World Film Festival, as well as numerous other awards at various other international ceremonies. It was also nominated for best foreign language film at the 1999 Academy Awards.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Marathon Man</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/swMqaf9TiTA" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This 1976 suspense thriller stars Dustin Hoffmann as grad student and running obsessive Thomas 'Babe' Levy, who is pursued by Nazi war criminal Dr Christian Szell over a briefcase of missing diamonds. A particularly sadistic dentistry scene provides one of the more memorable moments of the film, which neatly draws upon Levy&rsquo;s memories of the heroic feats of two-time Olympic marathon champion Abeba Bikila to help him escape from the bad guys.</p>
<p><strong>Awards:</strong> Laurence Olivier won the best actor in a supporting role award at the 1977 Golden Globes. Olivier was also nominated in the same category at the Academy Awards that same year.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Icarus</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qXoRdSTrR-4" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This 2017 US documentary originally set out to be an exploration of doping in amateur cycling, but filmmaker Bryan Fogel happened upon a major international doping scandal after meeting with Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of the Russian anti-doping laboratory.</p>
<p><strong>Awards:</strong> the film won best documentary feature at the 90th Academy Awards. It also won the 2017 Critics Choice Documentary Award as well as the award for best documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Bhaag Milkha Bhaag</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0nR9JS2WsNg" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This 2013 Indian biographical sports drama, which translates to &lsquo;Run Milkha Run&rsquo;, is based on the life of legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh. Known as &lsquo;The Flying Sikh&rsquo;, the sprinter was the first Indian athlete to win an individual athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, taking the 440 yards title in 1958. He became a national sporting icon after finishing fourth in the 400m at the 1960 Olympic Games, which is where the film starts.</p>
<p><strong>Awards:</strong> the film won dozens of domestic honours, including National Film Awards, IIFA Awards, Star Guild Awards and Screen Awards.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/79IUKC9gS-8" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>In its first 25 years, only 10 people have finished The Barkley Marathons. Based on a historic prison escape, this cult-like race tempts people from around the world to test their limits of physical and mental endurance in this documentary that contemplates the value of pain.</p>
<p><strong>Awards:</strong> the film scooped prizes for best documentary at the 2014 Austin Film Festival and the 2015 Kansas City FilmFest.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Unbroken</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XrjJbl7kRrI" width="500" height="240" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Produced and directed by Angelina Jolie, this 2014 US war film is based on the 2010 non-fiction book by Laura Hillenbrand. It tells the tale of army officer Louis Zamperini, who survived in a raft for 47 days after his bomber crash-landed in the ocean during the Second World War, before being captured by the Japanese and being sent to a series of prisoner of war camps.</p>
<p><strong>Awards:</strong> the film scooped a Screen Actors Guild Award along with numerous other honours from various international ceremonies.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>The Terry Fox Story</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GlfoLDX1Sns" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The true story about Terry Fox, the cancer amputee hero who decided to run across Canada on only one leg to raise money for cancer research.</p>
<p><strong>Awards:</strong> the film bagged six gongs at the 1984 Genie Awards and two honours at the 1983 CableACE Awards.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Saint Ralph</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rj-DDQQ0Vp8" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This 2004 film is the unlikely story of Ralph Walker, a ninth grader who outran everyone's expectations except his own in his bold quest of trying to win the 1954 Boston Marathon.</p>
<p><strong>Awards:</strong> it picked up two awards from the Directors Guild of Canada in 2005 along with a few other international honours.</p>

It may be a niche genre, but athletics movies tend to perform pretty well during awards season.


It may be a niche genre, but athletics movies tend to perform pretty well during awards season.
No such films have made it among the nominees at this year’s Academy Awards, but here are some of the most successful athletics-related flicks of all time.
 Chariots of Fire

Not just the best athletics movie ever made, but one of the greatest films, period. This 1981 film tells the story of two British athletes at the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew.
Awards: it cleaned up at the 54th Academy Awards, winning the gongs for best picture, best original screenplay, best costume design and best original score. It also scooped awards at the Grammys, Golden Globes, Baftas and Cannes Film Festival.
 Forrest Gump

Although not strictly a film solely about athletics, running is a key theme in this 1994 film. The eponymous character, played by Tom Hanks, is a slow-witted but kind-hearted man who witnesses and unwittingly influences several defining historical events in the 20th century United States. A talented runner, Forrest embarks on a relentless three-year run across the USA which attracts the attention of the national press. In one memorable scene, Forrest is swarmed by a pack of journalists who all ask him why he is doing it. He replies: “I just felt like running”.
Awards: it dominated the 67th Academy Awards, picking up six Oscars, including best picture. It also won three Golden Globes, a Bafta, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
 Children of Heaven

This 1997 Iranian family drama focuses on a brother and sister and their adventures over a lost pair of shoes. After Ali loses his Zahra’s pair of shoes, he goes on a series of adventures in order to find them. When he can't, he tries a new way to ‘win’ a new pair: a local 4km race.
Awards: the film won four accolades at the 1997 Montreal World Film Festival, as well as numerous other awards at various other international ceremonies. It was also nominated for best foreign language film at the 1999 Academy Awards.
 Marathon Man

This 1976 suspense thriller stars Dustin Hoffmann as grad student and running obsessive Thomas 'Babe' Levy, who is pursued by Nazi war criminal Dr Christian Szell over a briefcase of missing diamonds. A particularly sadistic dentistry scene provides one of the more memorable moments of the film, which neatly draws upon Levy’s memories of the heroic feats of two-time Olympic marathon champion Abeba Bikila to help him escape from the bad guys.
Awards: Laurence Olivier won the best actor in a supporting role award at the 1977 Golden Globes. Olivier was also nominated in the same category at the Academy Awards that same year.
 Icarus

This 2017 US documentary originally set out to be an exploration of doping in amateur cycling, but filmmaker Bryan Fogel happened upon a major international doping scandal after meeting with Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of the Russian anti-doping laboratory.
Awards: the film won best documentary feature at the 90th Academy Awards. It also won the 2017 Critics Choice Documentary Award as well as the award for best documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.
 Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

This 2013 Indian biographical sports drama, which translates to ‘Run Milkha Run’, is based on the life of legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh. Known as ‘The Flying Sikh’, the sprinter was the first Indian athlete to win an individual athletics gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, taking the 440 yards title in 1958. He became a national sporting icon after finishing fourth in the 400m at the 1960 Olympic Games, which is where the film starts.
Awards: the film won dozens of domestic honours, including National Film Awards, IIFA Awards, Star Guild Awards and Screen Awards.
 The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young

In its first 25 years, only 10 people have finished The Barkley Marathons. Based on a historic prison escape, this cult-like race tempts people from around the world to test their limits of physical and mental endurance in this documentary that contemplates the value of pain.
Awards: the film scooped prizes for best documentary at the 2014 Austin Film Festival and the 2015 Kansas City FilmFest.
 Unbroken

Produced and directed by Angelina Jolie, this 2014 US war film is based on the 2010 non-fiction book by Laura Hillenbrand. It tells the tale of army officer Louis Zamperini, who survived in a raft for 47 days after his bomber crash-landed in the ocean during the Second World War, before being captured by the Japanese and being sent to a series of prisoner of war camps.
Awards: the film scooped a Screen Actors Guild Award along with numerous other honours from various international ceremonies.
 The Terry Fox Story

The true story about Terry Fox, the cancer amputee hero who decided to run across Canada on only one leg to raise money for cancer research.
Awards: the film bagged six gongs at the 1984 Genie Awards and two honours at the 1983 CableACE Awards.
 Saint Ralph

This 2004 film is the unlikely story of Ralph Walker, a ninth grader who outran everyone's expectations except his own in his bold quest of trying to win the 1954 Boston Marathon.
Awards: it picked up two awards from the Directors Guild of Canada in 2005 along with a few other international honours.

Track field movies awards

Ten of the most successful athletics movies of all time

<p><br />The 24th edition of the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships will take place on 29 March in Gdynia, a city of 246,000 residents on Poland&rsquo;s Baltic coast.</p>
<p>Once again, runners of all abilities will be able to join the elites and take part in a mass participation half marathon, which will set off in waves just minutes after the elites. With 25,000 runners having already signed up and with multiple youth runs and relays for children taking place the day before, the weekend should be a true festival of fitness.</p>
<p>Gdynia is city of music, film and theatre that is replete with various clubs, cafes and restaurants, but on the last weekend of March it will be all about sport as the world&rsquo;s top half marathoners take to the streets. Whether you&rsquo;re thinking of travelling to take part or simply to witness the world&rsquo;s best in action, it&rsquo;s a trip well worth making. Here are some of the key things you need to know.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>How to get there</h3>
<p>Gdynia is located 20km to the north of Gdansk&rsquo;s Lech Walesa airport, which is by far the best option for international travellers, with the local train service taking just 30 minutes from the airport to reach the centre of Gdynia. If flying to Warsaw, you can take a three-hour train to Gdynia.</p>
<h3><br />The race</h3>
<p>The half marathon will begin in the centre of the city, on Skwer Kosciuszki, then head northwest before making an about turn on Janka Wisniewskiego. After 9km it will pass nearby the start point again &ndash; a great place for spectators to follow the race &ndash; and then head south to loop around the impressive Gdynia Arena and Stadion Miejski w Gdyni. After 18km it again passes within a couple of blocks of the start before heading east. The final kilometre will be run alongside the shore on Bulwar Nadmorski before finishing at the beach, just 500 metres from the start.</p>
<p>The elite women will set off at midday, with the elite men to follow at 12:45pm and the mass race waves from 12:50pm.<br /><br /></p>
<div id="5cc8bc2db72e130cccef05d9" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/c0139bcb-6abd-4267-b554-aa66a062badd.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
The Gdynia Half Marathon</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><br />Where to stay</h3>
<p>Given its compact size, you can&rsquo;t go too far wrong once you&rsquo;re in central Gdynia, with Kamienna Gora or Srodmiesce ideal areas given the proximity to the half marathon start/finish. With the massive influx of visitors on the weekend of the championships it&rsquo;s no surprise many of the hotels are already sold out, but there&rsquo;s still a variety of options available in central locations for 350-450 PLN per double room (&euro;80-&euro;105/$90-$115).</p>
<h3><br />What to see</h3>
<p>Gdynia is one of the youngest cities in Poland, but the so-called nautical capital has a lot going for it. While it is most popular in the summer, a leisurely stroll along the seafront promenade or on the main beach is a great way to spend an hour at any time of year. For a brilliant view of the city take the train or walk to the top of Kamienna Gora (stone mountain) where you&rsquo;ll see a huge cross, well-kept gardens and enjoy a stunning view, particularly at sunrise or sunset. If that sounds like too much work, then relax at the Gdynia Film Centre, a three-screen cinema studio at the foot of Kamienna Gora with an art gallery, bookshop and cafe on site. Kids and adults will both enjoy the Gdynia Aquarium, while it&rsquo;s also worth checking out Kosciuszki Square, a thriving hub of activity in the evenings. History buffs should take in The Marine Station, built in 1933, which is one of Gdynia&rsquo;s most significant historical buildings and houses the Emigration Museum.<br /><br /></p>
<div id="5e28b9ccac9edf0a9c64065b" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/7179c103-4870-4f72-a803-b4b8326d3407.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
A tourist in Gdynia</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><br />What to eat</h3>
<p>There is no shortage of tourist hotspots in the centre of Gdynia where English menus are usually available, but for a more genuine Polish experience it&rsquo;s worth venturing where the locals do. The Green Way Wegetarianski Bar Mleczny is hugely popular for all kinds of vegetarian food and offers great curries and cheap breakfasts for as little as 4 PLN (&euro;1/$1). Another popular venue with locals is Cyganeria Kawiarnia, which is in the centre of the city and has been open since 1946. It has a traditional interior that made it popular with writers, poets and musicians over the years, and offers local specialities like a variety of fish dishes or pork knuckle. No trip to Poland would be complete without trying pierogi (Polish dumplings) and one restaurant renowned for them is Bar Mleczny Sloneczny, where you can also try nalesniki (Polish pancakes) or various types of zupa (soup). A great place to restock before or after the race is the Hala Targowa, a popular market where you can buy all sorts of food and drink, along with gifts for those at home.</p>
<h3><br />Where to get your caffeine fix</h3>
<p>Runners love coffee, providing as it does that essential pick-me-up before a big effort, and Gdynia has a variety of great places to get your fix. For a quirky coffee experience check out Bialy Kot Kocia Kawiarnia (The White Cat Cafe) where the coffee is great, the prices are low and you can hang out with a variety of, well, cats. If you&rsquo;re near the beach, check out Contrast Cafe, so-called because it serves coffee, cake and light meals during the day but turns into a beachside bar every night. Post-race, reward yourself with an ice cream (and some more coffee) at Cafe Klaps, which is one of the trendiest spots in town with a cinema-themed interior.<br /><br /></p>
<div id="5e28ba60ac9edf0a9c64065d" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/59d30541-2a1c-4300-98b4-87a7360da404.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Gdynia Pier</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><br />Where to run</h3>
<p>There&rsquo;s a good chance that if you&rsquo;re travelling to Gdynia to run the half marathon, you won&rsquo;t be logging a whole heap of miles in the days before, but either way the city has some great spots to get a few runs in. For a picturesque 8km run around Gdynia, start at the wooden pier in Orlowo and run to the Kepa Redlowska nature reserve, a route that takes you near the Orlowo cliffs with stunning views of Gdansk bay and the beautiful beach of Gdynia. The journey back down from the cliffs will take you past the Polanka Redlowska glade, which leads you back to the seaside boulevard.</p>
<h3><br />Where to raise a toast</h3>
<p>There are few better ways to celebrate a race than by raising a glass with fellow runners, and Gdynia has plenty of thriving nightlife spots at which to share stories. Most of the nightlife is concentrated around the seaside area at Al. Jana Pawla and Skwer Kosciuszki. A popular backstreet bar with multiple taps and a hipster vibe is Morze Piwa, while AleBrowar is a start-up brewery with 13 different taps. The Docker&rsquo;s Inn is a British-style pub with a variety of draft beers, while Donegal is a popular Irish pub with live music and a selection of well-known international beers along with some local craft beers. For a quieter option, try Srodmiescie where the menu offers a variety of burgers and a well-stocked bar with multiple craft beers. Cheers! Or as they say in Poland, Na Zdrowie!</p>

The 24th edition of the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships will take place on 29 March in Gdynia, a city of 246,000 residents on Poland’s Baltic coast. 

Gdynia World Half Poland athletics tourism

City guide - Gdynia

<p><br />Plato once said that music gives a soul to the universe, and for a large proportion of the world&rsquo;s best athletes it&rsquo;s an essential part of their routine.</p>
<p>Whether it&rsquo;s to psyche themselves up for a race, to calm their nerves at a crucial moment or to help them through the daily grind of training, it can be a powerful aid.</p>
<p>But what songs stoke the fires for the fastest, fittest athletes on earth? We caught up with world 200m champion Noah Lyles and asked him to share his pre-race playlist with the world.</p>
<p>"This is my go-to playlist when I&rsquo;m running at a Diamond League or major championships," says Lyles. "I created this playlist in this specific order, with each song put in for a different part of my warm-up. The first song sets up the whole thing and then from <em>Praise On The Inside</em> to <em>Never Let Me Down</em>, those are really good songs I like to listen to when I&rsquo;m stretching and doing active drills. Then by the time I get to <em>Ima Boss</em> to <em>New God Flow</em> I&rsquo;m doing drills.</p>
<p>"Sometimes I&rsquo;ll get to <em>Don&rsquo;t Like</em> but usually <em>New God Flow</em> will be the last song I hear before going into the call room &ndash; it&rsquo;s the song that takes me over the edge. I only make a playlist for races, I don&rsquo;t use these songs for training because I don&rsquo;t want to wear them out."</p>
<h3>Noah Lyles' pre-race playlist</h3>
<p><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/65XnRIh31CDUEraLdUZK6h" width="500" height="380" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>

Songs that fire up the world 200m champion


Plato once said that music gives a soul to the universe, and for a large proportion of the world’s best athletes it’s an essential part of their routine.
Whether it’s to psyche themselves up for a race, to calm their nerves at a crucial moment or to help them through the daily grind of training, it can be a powerful aid.
But what songs stoke the fires for the fastest, fittest athletes on earth? We caught up with world 200m champion Noah Lyles and asked him to share his pre-race playlist with the world.
"This is my go-to playlist when I’m running at a Diamond League or major championships," says Lyles. "I created this playlist in this specific order, with each song put in for a different part of my warm-up. The first song sets up the whole thing and then from Praise On The Inside to Never Let Me Down, those are really good songs I like to listen to when I’m stretching and doing active drills. Then by the time I get to Ima Boss to New God Flow I’m doing drills.
"Sometimes I’ll get to Don’t Like but usually New God Flow will be the last song I hear before going into the call room – it’s the song that takes me over the edge. I only make a playlist for races, I don’t use these songs for training because I don’t want to wear them out."Noah Lyles' pre-race playlist


Playlist athletics sprinting Noah Lyles USA

The pre-race playlist - Noah Lyles

<p>Books about running fall into two broad categories &ndash; celebration, and aspiration.</p>
<p>The deeds of those who have made their name on the track, or the road, are recalled by the participants, or honoured by observers. Meanwhile those wishing to partake of this magical realm are offered all manner of advice as they prepare to tie up their laces and get underway.</p>
<p>So here goes with the first, unscientific, sample of what is out there for those wishing to follow, or to participate in the great sport of track and field.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BIZwj6WFL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />Emil Zatopek won 10,000m gold and 5000m silver at the 1948 London Games and returned to the Olympic arena four years later in Helsinki where he won the 10,000m, the 5000m and &ndash; even though he had never run the distance before &ndash; the marathon; an achievement never likely to be matched.</p>
<p>His life forms the basis of Rick Broadbent&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/endurance-9781472920225/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Endurance: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Emil Zatopek</span></em></strong></a> (Bloomsbury, 2016). Our hero&rsquo;s athletic virtues were startling enough &ndash; by the time of his last race in 1958 the Czechoslovakian soldier had 18 world records to his credit, not to mention an additional three European titles.</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 153px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2B0VVbe6QL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />But it is the political context in which he was obliged to compete, painstakingly described in Broadbent&rsquo;s intelligent, ambitious and wide-ranging account, which deepens one&rsquo;s regard for a figure whose quirky, seemingly unquenchable spirit was recognised and appreciated around the world.</p>
<p>The following year another outstanding account of Zatopek&rsquo;s life came out, from Richard Askwith, entitled <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1109422/today-we-die-a-little/9780224100359.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Zatopek &ndash; Today We Die A Little</span></em></strong></a> (Yellow Jersey Press, 2017). A beautifully controlled and imaginatively realised read.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 150px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41FbKCBca%2BL.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />When Meb Keflezighi &ndash; the first person in history to win both the Boston and New York City marathons as well as an Olympic marathon medal, having taken silver at the 2004 Athens Games &ndash; ran his final marathon in New York City on 5 November 2017, it marked the end of an extraordinary distance-running career.</p>
<p>Two years on he has written a book which reflects on each and every one of those marathon runs, and how they have challenged and changed him. It is entitled, fittingly enough, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a title="26 Marathons" href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/592247/26-marathons-by-meb-keflezighi-with-scott-douglas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>26 Marathons</strong></em></a></span> (Rodale Books, 2019).</p>
<p>&ldquo;Meb&rsquo;s 26 Marathons is like opening a treasure chest full of inspiring stories... It is pure gold!&rdquo; said Shalane Flanagan, a home winner in the women&rsquo;s race on the day Meb ran his last one.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 152px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41RHivLfFnL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />Can you run away from grief, and fear? Can you run towards acceptance, and peace of mind? These are the primal questions posed in <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/537830/running-home-by-katie-arnold/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Running Home: A Memoir</strong></em></a></span> (Random House, 2019) by Katie Arnold, an established writer about extreme athletics.</p>
<p>Following the sudden death of her father through cancer, and the anxiety that gripped her a year later when she feared she was also dying, Arnold found that her solace came in running. Running and running, out in the wilds.</p>
<p>She then turned seriously to ultra-distance trail running as an outlet for grief and a space for self-reflection.&nbsp; She also investigates the science that appears to back her instinct that this is a healing process.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 160px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51UQHO08THL._SX310_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />On the theme of ultra-running, acclaimed author Adharanand Finn, who has previously produced the hugely popular titles <em>Running with the Kenyans</em> and <em>The Way of the Runner</em>, has this year issued a despatch from another part of the athletics parish.</p>
<p>The <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://pegasusbooks.com/books/rise-of-the-ultrarunners-cl-9781643131351-hardcover" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Rise of the Ultra Runners</strong></em></a></span> (Pegasus Books, 2019) looks at an area of running that has moved into the mainstream in recent years and become popular around the world.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 123px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/512GG5MIwvL._SX405_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />On the theme of anxiety, Kelly Holmes, Britain&rsquo;s 2004 Olympic 800m and 1500m champion, has been brave and open about the occasional struggles she has had during, and after, her running career.</p>
<p>Her latest book, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.kylebooks.co.uk/titles/kelly-holmes/running-life/9780857836533/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Running Life</strong></em></a></span> (Kyle Books, 2018) is an inspirational, practical guide for improving physical and mental health. Holmes draws upon her own experiences of dealing with depression and the heart-breaking injuries that helped deny her for many years the rewards her talents merited.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 151px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/515E1dP0pvL.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />Coach Denise Sauriol has competed in more than 100 marathons, and is apparently known as The Marathon Whisperer. In her book <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://isbndb.com/book/9781642373264" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Me, You and 26.2</strong></em></a></span> (BlogintoBook.com, 2018) she offers her own accumulated experience, interspersed with first-hand accounts from novice marathon runners &ndash; all intended to persuade and support the virgin marathon runner.</p>
<p>Sauriol&rsquo;s personal journey was traumatically interrupted by an accident while out training which left her with several broken vertebrae, and caused her to re-think her attitude once she was, thankfully, able to return to running.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 161px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BxUQVcHeL._SX308_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />The marathon, as one might expect, is the subject of many books that are published on the broad subject of running. But you will go some to find better advice than that offered by the late, and lamented, Sunday Times athletics correspondent, Cliff Temple, who also coached athletes to Olympic level.</p>
<p><em><strong><a href="http://isbndb.com/book/9780091743314" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Marathon, Cross Country and Road Running</span></a></strong></em> (Stanley Paul, 1990) is still available, and a classic &ndash; not least because of Cliff&rsquo;s ability to be funny and instructive at the same time. Opening a page at random &ndash; and it is page 147: &ldquo;The recurring rule of thumb for getting fitter is: Hard work plus rest equals success. Hard work, plus hard work, minus rest, equals injury.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Cliff sets out tables as a guide to starters on the marathon trail. He advises a year of training. But he knows what runners, and people, are like, so he also provides a six-month version. Even if you never run a marathon, you&rsquo;ll enjoy reading this.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 149px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nupEIQrsL._SX333_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />In <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a title="Running Past Fifty" href="https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/9781510736306/running-past-fifty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Running Past Fifty</strong></em></a></span>, (Skyhorse Publishing 2018) lifelong runner Gail Waesche Kislevitz provides helpful tips and motivation from thirty-six runners aged fifty or older.</p>
<p>Kislevitz also interviews many ordinary senior runners, and some of the nation&rsquo;s greatest senior runners. The latter including the late Ed Whitlock, who, at 85, set an age-division world record of 3:56 in the marathon; Bill Rodgers, winner of four Boston Marathons and four New York City Marathons; George Hirsch, chairman of New York Road Runners; Olympian and author Jeff Galloway; world record holder Sid Howard; and runner and women&rsquo;s pioneer runner and advocate Kathrine Switzer.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 156px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51NF4KBP4KL._SX301_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />We&rsquo;re skipping back in time a bit here, but this famous athlete, in a revised version of his 50-year-old autobiography, references a letter he received from a contemporary &ndash; that is, 70-year-old &ndash; man from Lancashire.</p>
<p>The correspondent related how he had been inspired to start running by watching a cinema newsreel screening of what he describes as &ldquo;that wonderful race&rdquo;. That race was the one in which Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile with his time of 3:59.4 at Iffley Road, Oxford.</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 153px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51mRigc5OyL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />And Bannister&rsquo;s original book, written as elegantly as one might expect, has been updated and reincarnated as <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/the-first-four-minutes/9780750935302/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>The First Four Minutes</strong></em></a></span> (Sutton Publishing, 2004) and, three years before his death, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/twin-tracks" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Twin Tracks</strong></em></a></span> (Robson Press, 2015).</p>
<p>He recalls the moment when he made history. &ldquo;The last few seconds seemed never-ending. The faint line of the finishing tape stood ahead as a haven of peace, after the struggle&hellip; I leapt at the tape like a man taking his last spring to save himself from the chasm that threatens to engulf him.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img style="width: 100px; height: 134px; margin-left: 20px; align: right;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/20b51c5c-cbc0-424f-a912-337ba9deaecf.jpg" alt="book" align="right" />While we&rsquo;re in classics mode, there is another, still available book edited by the late, highly esteemed former Sunday Times journalist Norman Harris that is a box of delights. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://isbndb.com/book/9781852250096" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Running &ndash; the Power and Glory</strong></em></a></span> (Partridge Press, 1986).</p>
<p>The selected pieces within take one through the history of athletics in irresistible fashion, starting with an account of how the great runners of their time, Walter G George of England and Scotland&rsquo;s William J Cummings, had met in 1886 at Lillie Bridge Stadium in London in what was the latest in a sequence of challenges over a mile. The description is taken from Kings of Distance, written by journalist and novelist Peter Lovesey. George wins, after effectively running the Scot into the ground.</p>
<p>Amid first-hand reports of great races, featuring Peter Snell, Ron Hill, Roger Bannister, Vladimir Kuts and Jack Lovelock, there is another account from Lovesey, forensically examining the performance at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics of another fabled athlete &ndash; Emil Zatopek.</p>

Books about running fall into two broad categories – celebration, and aspiration.

Athletics books library Zatopek Bannister Keflezighi

A dozen books to kick-start your athletics library

<p>Nanjing will be the centre of the athletics universe in March when the World Athletics Indoor Championships come to town, and those who make the trip to this culturally rich and bustling Chinese city won&rsquo;t be disappointed.</p>
<p>The capital of the Jiangsu province, it has a rich heritage, lying on the lower stretches of the Yangtze River. But while it boasts no shortage of ancient relics, it has very much advanced to the 21st Century, with a population today of more than eight million and a skyline of soaring skyscrapers.</p>
<p>This will be the first time in its 18 editions that the World Indoors take place in China and with the hosts having medal hopes across a range events, there should be a raucous atmosphere in the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium for the three-day event, which begins on 13 March.</p>
<p>But what should athletics fans see and do, eat and drink, on their visit to Nanjing? We&rsquo;ve got you covered.</p>
<h3>Getting to the venue</h3>
<p>The 13,000-seater arena is located in the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre, a huge facility covering over 400,000 square metres which is located in Hexi New City.</p>
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Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s accessible by public transport, and Nanjing has a hugely efficient, rapidly expanding metro system that runs from the centre of the city out to the suburbs. A stored value transport card is available for a deposit of 25 yuan (&euro;3) with a minimum top-up of 50 yuan (&euro;6). This can be used on buses, the metro and in taxis.</p>
<h3>Where to stay</h3>
<p>If you want to be close to the competition venue, there are a handful of good options within walking distance. One such place is the Jumeirah Nanjing Hotel which is 2km to the southwest of the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, with double rooms costing approximately &euro;100-&euro;120 (US $110-$130) per night. Most hotels in Nanjing are geared towards domestic tourists, so it&rsquo;s worth having a translation app at the ready if you don&rsquo;t speak the language or else check with the hotel before if you fear something will get lost in translation. The most popular areas for tourists to stay in are Gu Lou, Xuan Wu and in the commercial centre, Xinjiekou. For those on a tight budget, there are a horde of options in chain budget hotels which usually cost less than 200 yuan (&euro;25/$28) per night.</p>
<h3>What to see</h3>
<p>Nanjing was the capital of 10 Chinese dynasties, including the Ming dynasty from 1368 to 1421. About one third of the Ming City Wall still stands today and visitors can stroll along this 600-year-old structure by accessing it at one of three former gates: Zhonghuamen, Taicheng or Shitoucheng. The first two charge a small admission fee with the latter free.</p>
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Ming Dynasty City Wall in Nanjing</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Other popular sites include Sun Yatsen&rsquo;s Mausoleum on Zijin Mountain, the Presidential Palace, Ming Emperor Tomb and the Memorial Hall of Victims in Nanjing Massacre. The Qixia Temple is also popular, while also worth visiting is the Xuanwu Lake Park, which was the largest imperial lake garden in China&rsquo;s history. In an area that&rsquo;s famous for historical landscapes, mountains and waters, it&rsquo;s worth taking a trip to Purple Mountain and Xuanwu Lake to take in the splendid scenery.</p>
<h3>Where to run</h3>
<p>If you&rsquo;re sufficiently motivated after watching the world&rsquo;s best athletes strut their stuff indoors, it&rsquo;s worth venturing into Nanjing&rsquo;s great outdoors to follow their lead. The city has plenty of great places to walk or run. A lap of the complex at the Nanjing Olympic Stadium, which stands alongside the competition venue, totals about 3km and is free from the traffic and congestion you&rsquo;ll encounter elsewhere.</p>
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Xuanwu Lake, Nanjing</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Purple Mountain is a hugely popular site for runners and walkers to the east of the city and along with being a lush green oasis away from the noise, it contains more than 200 heritage sites. Another good option is to do a loop around Xuanwu Lake, which is 9.2km in total, or to run along the path parallel to the Ming City Wall. For a small fee you can also enjoy a run along the top of the wall. Although the surface is cobbled, it&rsquo;s not too bumpy and in October this year more than 3,000 participants took part in the Nanjing Qinhuai City Wall Marathon. What better way to take several steps back in time?</p>
<h3>What to eat</h3>
<p>Nanjing is said to be the original home to Peking duck, which the Ming Dynasty brought north while moving the capital to Beijing in 1421. Xushang Xunfu is one of the few restaurants that carry the traditional Nanjing roast duck. Yanshuiya is a city speciality: it&rsquo;s duck cooked in brine which is then hung to dry for three days and served as chops, with the Plum Garden Restaurant in Jinling Hotel a good option to get the authentic thing for about 200 yuan (&euro;25/$28).</p>
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Street food in Nanjing</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Don&rsquo;t be afraid to sample the street food scene, with the Confucius Temple area and Shiziqiao Food Street the best areas to do so. There you can try local classics like steamed buns stuffed with pork, sesame pancakes and duck blood soup with fried tofu and vermicelli.</p>
<h3>Where to grab a drink</h3>
<p>China is, of course, a tea drinker&rsquo;s paradise, though whatever your preference is with hot drinks you won&rsquo;t have trouble finding your fix in Nanjing. For a great tea or coffee between sessions of athletics, Victoria Bay Cafe in Xinjiekou is worth a visit, as is the nearby Fish Tank Cafe. Skyways Bakery and Sculpting in Time Cafe are other great options that have an assortment of hot drinks and snacks with a laid-back vibe.</p>
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Xinjiekou, downtown Nanjing</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you&rsquo;re still wide awake after the athletics and looking to keep your buzz going, Nanjing has some great options to party the night away. There is a big cluster of bars and clubs around Shanghai Road and 1912 (54 North Taipang Road), an entertainment complex with revamped villas. American-owned Jimmy&rsquo;s on Shigu Road and Australian Blue Sky are popular sports bars that draw an expat crowd. Zuo Bar in the 1912 complex is well known for its cocktails while Sancho Panza is renowned for live music.</p>

Nanjing will be the centre of the athletics universe in March when the World Athletics Indoor Championships come to town, and those who make the trip to this culturally rich and bustling Chinese city won’t be disappointed. 

Nanjing China city guide tourism World Indoor Championships 2020

City guide - Nanjing

<p>Athletics takes place all over the world. But there are some places in the world &ndash; and in particular, some stadiums &ndash; that are steeped in historic track and field deeds, unique to that space, creating a uniquely rewarding experience for visiting followers of the sport.</p>
<p>All around the globe, athletics has its own cathedrals, places such as the Berlin Olympiastadion, the Letzigrund in Zurich, the Shanghai and Bird&rsquo;s Nest stadiums in China, and Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon &ndash; the latter currently in the midst of having aisles, nave and steeple completely rebuilt.</p>
<p>In such arenas, you focus on the inside lines of the track at the finish line. It&rsquo;s like staring at the Wembley Stadium goalposts. Here, right here, is where runners have felt the surging emotions of victory in world, European or Olympic competition. Or, a little later, the gutting drag of defeat.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Olympiastadion, Berlin</h3>
<p>There is no more monumental an example of one of these athletics cathedrals than Berlin. Built to host the 1936 Olympics, it will forever be associated with the memory of Jesse Owens, the black US sprinter and jumper whose achievement of winning four gold medals defied the vision of the Games by the German Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, as a showpiece for the Nazi Party&rsquo;s racist ideology.</p>
<p>Those memories and images have since been overlaid with other vivid events.</p>
<p>There are huge footballing reverberations &ndash; this stadium hosted FIFA World Cup matches in 1974 and 2006, including the 2006 final (as you look out across the infield, try and guess exactly where France&rsquo;s Zinedine Zidane was goaded into butting Italy&rsquo;s Marco Materazzi before being sent off&hellip;).</p>
<p>In 2009 it hosted one of the most memorable World Athletics Championships, where Jamaica&rsquo;s Usain Bolt, at the high point of a dizzying career, set the current world 100m and 200m records of 9.58 seconds and 19.19 respectively.<br /><br /></p>
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Usain Bolt of Jamaica on his way to setting the quickest 200m time in history in the Berlin Olympic Stadium during the IAAF World Championships in 2009</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Last year&rsquo;s European Championships were another landmark event, as 18-year-old Armand Duplantis won the pole vault gold for Sweden with a vault of 6.05m, and Norway&rsquo;s 17-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen took the 1500m and 5000m titles.</p>
<p>With its giant bowl of an arena set 12 metres below ground level, the stadium was renovated, but not rebuilt, in 2004. So while the interior looks and feels like something out of the modern day, a step outside takes you back more than 80 years. All the monumental features of the original, put together according to Hitler&rsquo;s personal wishes, have been retained.</p>
<p>Such is the richness of this sporting arena&rsquo;s history that you can go on conducted tours even when no competition is taking place. So you can arrive at the stadium between the twin towers of the Olympic Gate &ndash; both still inscribed with the Olympic rings, but with one no longer sporting its original Swastika.<br /><br /></p>
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Berlin's Olympiastadion</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Next to this entrance is the Podbielski Oak &ndash; named after politician Viktor von Podbielski, one of the original planners of the Olympic Games originally destined for Berlin for 1916. The oak was for Germany what the olive was for the hosts of the first modern Games in Greece, and winners at the 1936 Games received an oak wreath and seedlings.</p>
<p>You can take in the Bell Tower, reconstructed in 1962 after the initial version was set alight by invading Red Army forces in 1945. You can take in the monumental sculptures of men and horses on the stadium&rsquo;s perimeter.</p>
<p>There are pictures taken during the Games of winner&rsquo;s names being inscribed in the vast panels either side of the opening to the stadium at the Marathon Gate end by a craftsman working on a gantry. Nowadays you have to peer up to where he was. The Olympische Sieger lists are complete; set in stone.<br /><br /></p>
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<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/ee9eaf7f-d265-49f9-83f0-030c480d414b.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Berlin's Olympiastadion from the Olympic park</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>From there you can gaze past the cauldron which housed the Olympic flame, poised high on the rim of the stadium. At that moment on 1 August 1936, where you are standing was a global epicentre of interest.</p>
<p>You can also get to where the 1936 podium was, right where Jesse Owens stood, and look across to the specially-built box where Hitler sat.</p>
<p>In later years, the story was told &ndash; and not always discouraged by Owens himself &ndash; of how Hitler had snubbed him by refusing to shake his hand after his victories, his form of congratulation for German winners.</p>
<p>This was not so. Hitler had indeed shaken hands with all the German victors on the first day of competition, and with the three medal winners in the 10,000m, who were all from Finland, his future allies in the Second World War.</p>
<p>But Olympic officials then insisted he acknowledge publicly either all winners or none. Hitler chose the latter course.</p>
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<p><img style="width: 36px; height: 30px; margin-right: 10px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/81c4a7bc-0343-49bf-bb66-3655e1b9b038.png" alt="route" align="left" /><strong>Getting to the Olympiastadion</strong></p>
<p>Olympiastadion is located in the west of Berlin, almost seven kilometres from the western end of the Kurf&uuml;rstendamm, and 10 kilometres from the Brandenburg Gate and Berlin&rsquo;s main railway station, Hauptbahnhof. It is part of the Olympic Park, which includes other sports facilities.</p>
<p>The stadium can be easily reached by metro (U-Bahn). Take either line U2 or U12, which both can be boarded at several points in the city centre. Get off at stop Olympia-Stadion. It takes about 25 minutes to reach the stadium from Potsdamer Platz, and about 15 minutes from Zoologische Garten.</p>
<p>Alternatively, you can get to the stadium by commuter rail (S-Bahn). Take either line S5 or S75 to station Olympiastadion. Both lines link the stadium with Berlin&rsquo;s major railway stations in the centre, as well with station Spandau in the west.</p>
</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Letzigrund Stadium, Zurich</h3>
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Zurich's Letzigrund Stadium</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Zurich&rsquo;s Letzigrund Stadium, whose Weltkasse meeting has formed one of the two Diamond League finals since 2010, will become the sole venue for the 2020 and 2021 finals.</p>
<p>Such is its depth of quality that the Weltkasse is known by some as the &lsquo;Two-Hour Olympics&rsquo;. And by others as &lsquo;The Three-Hour Olympics&rsquo;. Anyway, you get the picture.</p>
<p>By the time the stadium originally constructed in 1925 was re-built in 2007, it had established a huge sequence of spectacular performances. And while only one world record has been set there since &ndash; Yelena Isinbayeva&rsquo;s pole vault clearance of 5.06m in 2009 became the 25th on the list &ndash; the level of entertainment has been maintained at the same giddy level.<br /><br /></p>
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The new Letzigrund stadium, Z&uuml;rich, Switzerland</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The new stadium fills roughly the same footprint as the old. You can still hear the drumming of palms on the advertising boards, offering encouragement or approval, even if it lacks some of the deafening levels the old acoustics enabled. You can still get a beer or a meal at the little corner caf&eacute; across the road, or sausages and mustard at the numerous stalls set up around.</p>
<p>This is where Armin Hary of Germany set the 100m world record of 10.00 in 1960, and where Britain&rsquo;s Sebastian Coe broke the 1500m and mile world records in 1979 and 1981 respectively, running 3:32.1 and 3:48.53.<br /><br /></p>
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Haile Gebrselassie's 12:41.86 World record at Letzigrund - 13 August 1997</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>And where, in 1997, three world records were set on a single night as Haile Gebrselassie ran the 5000m in 12:41.86, Kenya&rsquo;s Wilson Boit Kipketer set a time of 7:59.08 in the 3000m steeplechase, and Wilson Kipketer of Denmark ran an 800m time of 1:41.24.</p>
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<p><img style="width: 36px; height: 30px; margin-right: 10px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/81c4a7bc-0343-49bf-bb66-3655e1b9b038.png" alt="route" align="left" /><strong>Getting to the Letzigrund</strong></p>
<p>Letzigrund is located toward the west of the city of Z&uuml;rich, about 2.5 kilometres from Z&uuml;rich&rsquo;s city centre and 500 metres more from the main railway station.</p>
<p>The stadium can be reached from the city centre with tram 2. Take the tram from Paradeplatz in the direction of Farbhof. Get off at stop Letzigrund. Trams run very regularly and the journey takes just over 10 minutes.</p>
<p>From the main railway station (Hauptbahnhoff) you can take tram 3 toward Albisrieden or tram 14 toward Triemli. Get off at stop Stauffacher, and change to a tram 2. You can also take tram 3 to Albisriederplatz and walk 5 to 10 minutes from there to the stadium.</p>
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<h3>Hayward Field, Eugene</h3>
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Hayward Field, the venue of the 2015 IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene</div>
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<p>If you&rsquo;re looking for an iconic athletics stadium to visit in the United States, you need look no further than Hayward Field, on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene &ndash; although you will need to wait until next year.</p>
<p>Originally constructed in 1919, and later named after track coach Bill Hayward, who died in 1947, the stadium is one of only five class-1 certified tracks in the United States, and is in the process of being completely rebuilt in time to host the World Athletics Championships in 2021.</p>
<p>The arena has hosted numerous US Championships and Olympic trials since 1972, as well as the annual Prefontaine Classic as part of the Diamond League programme.<br /><br /></p>
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Hayward Field in Eugene</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>For many, the mention of Hayward Field conjures the image of the University of Oregon&rsquo;s late lamented Steve Prefontaine, the man who brought a new freshness, and huge talent, to distance running before missing out on a 5000m medal by one place at the 1972 Olympics and, tragically, dying in a car accident in 1975.</p>
<p>Those connected with Hayward Field have said the new incarnation will be &ldquo;the finest track and field facility in the world&rdquo;. The iconic East Grandkstand is now a historical memory, but the new stadium, we are assured, will be a cross between the Beijing Bird&rsquo;s Nest and the Los Angeles Rose Bowl.<br /><br /></p>
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A rendering of the new Hayward Field</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The design includes a nine-story tower topped by an observation deck that will provide a panoramic view of the area and is named the Bowerman Tower in honour of former Oregon coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We need a facility that will be built for the future,&rdquo; University of Oregon president Michael Schill said. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s what this is.&rdquo;</p>
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<p><img style="width: 36px; height: 30px; margin-right: 10px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/81c4a7bc-0343-49bf-bb66-3655e1b9b038.png" alt="route" align="left" /><strong>Getting to Hayward Field</strong></p>
<p>Hayward Field is a 30-minute drive from Eugene Airport. From Eugene bus station, take an eight-minute bus ride on the EMX-EUG and get off at &lsquo;Emx Agate Station&rsquo; stop.</p>
<p>Be sure to explore the surrounding &lsquo;Track Town&rsquo; area, too. You&rsquo;ll find shops, bars, restaurants and even barbershops with a track and field theme, many with fascinating memorabilia on display. The Wild Duck Caf&eacute; and Track Town Pizza are both worth a visit.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Shanghai Stadium</h3>
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Shanghai Stadium</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Since the Shanghai Stadium began hosting Diamond League meetings in 2010, there have been a succession of performances of similar stature to the skyscrapers that are increasingly populating the Pudong skyline in a city of more than 20 million people through which the huge, wide Huangpu River runs.</p>
<p>The second hosting of the Diamond League saw one of the athletics highlights of that year as home athlete Liu Xiang, the 2007 world and 2004 Olympic 110m hurdles champion, held off the challenge of USA&rsquo;s David Oliver to earn one of the last and most satisfying wins of his career.<br /><br /></p>
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Liu Xiang ends David Oliver's win streak in Shanghai</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The building highlights the city&rsquo;s rapid development as a tourist location, which was signalled by the 2010 hosting of the World Expo, drawing more than 73 million visitors. Usain Bolt came that year too &ndash; but an early morning flight meant he couldn&rsquo;t drop in at the expo.</p>
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<p><img style="width: 36px; height: 30px; margin-right: 10px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/81c4a7bc-0343-49bf-bb66-3655e1b9b038.png" alt="route" align="left" /><strong>Getting to the Shanghai Stadium</strong></p>
<p>To reach the 56,000-capacity stadium, which was built in 1997 with a distinctive, saddle-shaped roof, take Shanghai Metro Line 4 to the Shanghai Stadium station. But be careful not to go to the next stop, which will instead deposit you at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium.</p>
<p>One ideal way of making sure you see all the action at the stadium is to book in at the hotel that is actually a part of it &ndash; the Regal Shanghai East Asia Hotel. Advantage: a very quick transition from hotel room to trackside seat. Disadvantage: a strange sense that you are existing in a dream, where one second you are in a hotel room and the next in a major international sporting venue.</p>
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Athletics takes place all over the world. But there are some places in the world – and in particular, some stadiums – that are steeped in historic track and field deeds, creating a uniquely rewarding experience for visiting followers of the sport.