Here’s a couple headlines to catch you up on the latest happenings of the track and field world as you sip your coffee. If there’s any story that you think should make the next edition of TLC, then shoot me message. You can reach me at: chris@citiusmag.com or tweet at me @ChrisChavez.

Sandi Morris Recalls Being On Lockdown During Las Vegas Shooting via SI

Track and field and cross country isn’t very important in the grand scheme of things when we look at the news going on around the world and especially in our own country. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families of the horrific shooting that took place in Las Vegas in the early hours of Monday morning. A lot of us woke up to the news and saw some of the videos on social media. It only occurred to me after Sandi Morris’ tweet that a couple pole vaulters were in Vegas for vacation. In a Twitter video, Morris recalls being on lockdown at the Blue Man Group show across the street from where the suspect opened fire and killed more than 50 people.

IAAF released its shortlist for the 2017 World Athlete of the Year

Usain Bolt, who has won this award six times, did not make the cut but that’s obvious. He won bronze individually for the 100 meters and then hobbled off the track in his final race at the world championships. The big and glaring omission on the men’s side is that Justin Gatlin, who won gold in that same 100 meter final didn’t make the cut. There’s an aspect of fan voting to this where I’m sure that Gatlin probably would not have won the popular vote but I think he should’ve received a shortlist spot.

Kenenisa Bekele Still Wants To Break The Marathon World Record via LetsRun

“I definitely will break it before my retirement. For all the skeptics, I will show them with my hard work,” Bekele said. “I want to seize my future. And I don’t want anyone to get into my way of proving myself.”

The quotes by Bekele are interesting if you followed along with some of the things that were said by his agent after the race. Bekele is already arguably the greatest of all-time on the track and I think he really wants the marathon world record to make the case for himself on the roads. The marathon isn’t for everyone and it seems to me like he’s got more blemishes on his record than real big successes. I was looking at the list of the 23 marathon performances that have broken Haile Gebrselassie’s 2007 marathon world record in the 10 years since and Bekele’s 2:03:03 from Berlin 2016 is the only time that he’s done it. Maybe that’s the fastest he’ll ever go. He’s 35 so assuming that he’ll set the world record next fall would put him at 36 years old. That’s older than when Gebrselassie set his world record. On that of all the people that have run under 2:04:26, Eliud Kipchoge, Wilson Kipsang, Dennis Kimetto and Emmanuel Mutai are the only names that appear twice. Someone like Patrick Makau was a one-hit wonder so maybe Bekele has had his moment already and that’s OK. We shouldn’t pressure greatness.

Emma Coburn Is A World Champion, Olympic Medalist – and Now A Race Director via Runner’s World

Followed along the Instagram stories from this weekend’s Elk Run 5K in Emma Coburn’s hometown. Erin Strout was on-hand to provide this fun story from Crested Butte, which sits at almost 9,000-feet.

Wild Video Of Jacob Ingebritsen Competing In One Of The Steepest Races In The World

This looked like it hurt a lot.