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The Father of Faith for All (2017-008)
The Father of Faith for All
February 19, 2017 by Steve Brandon
1. The Question (verse 9)
2. The Answer (verse 10)
3. The Purpose (verse 11)
One of the things that I love about the Bible is that it tells a story. It tells us about his ways and his dealings with the sons of men. In particular, the Bible tells the story of how God redeems his people. Whether that's the Jews who were enslaved in Egypt. Or whether it's Israel who were exiled to Babylon. Or whether it is us today, who were in bondage to our sin.
The Bible tells the story of redemption. It tells the story of how we, who are in trouble, can be brought back to God.
Central to that story is a man called Abraham. God called him from Ur of the Chaldeans, which is modern day Iraq. And God called him to travel some 1,000 miles by land to the promised land of Israel. And when God called him, here's what he said:
"Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.
I will make of you a great nation,
And I will bless you and make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and him who dishonors you I will curse,
and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
And Abraham went. And he came into that land. And indeed, he became the father of a great nation. He became the father of the Jews, a people that has continued until this day. Long gone are the "the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites" (Deuteronomy 7:1). But the Jewish people have endured until today, because God has stayed true to his promise to make of Abraham "a great nation" (Genesis 12:2).
And the Jews have never forgotten that it all started with Abraham. He is the father of their nation. He is the one to whom many of them look.
And the story of the Old Testament is the story of how God has been faithful to the nation of Israel, often redeeming them from their troubles. But what is often missed is the role that Abraham has in the life of other nations. When God called Abraham, he said, "... in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3).
Right there is the seed of the gospel--that through Abraham, the blessing that God was going to give to this nation of the Jews would spread to all the nations of the earth. And of course, this came about through Jesus Christ who was a Jew from the seed of Abraham. Christ's sacrifice upon the cross was not just for the Jews, but for all who would believe on him.
In fact, the promise of the book of Revelation is that there will be representatives from every tribe and language and people and nation, around the throne giving praise and honor to Jesus Christ who ransomed them with his blood to be the people of God! And the role that Abraham would play in the redemption of those around the world was made clear to Abraham, himself. For, when he received the covenant of circumcision, God said to him, "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations" (Genesis 17:4). Indeed, it was at that moment that God changed his name from Abram to Abraham. "Abram" means "exalted father." "Abraham" means "father of a multitude."
And as we come to our text today, we are going to see this very thing spelled out for us by the apostle Paul. That Abraham isn't merely the father of the Jews, but he is the father of all who have faith. My message this morning is entitled, "The Father of Faith for All." It comes from Romans 4 and verses 9 through 12. Let's read the text together.
Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Our text this morning begins with ...
1. A Question (verse 9)
Paul asks, ...
Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.
And this question takes us back to our message last week, when we looked at verses 1-8. Now, if you remember, I entitled my message, "Counted Righteous," because that's what those verses talk about. They speak of the reality of what God does with our faith.
When we believe in God, he looks down upon us, and credits our faith as righteousness. In other words, our faith goes up to God, and his righteousness comes down, credited to our account. And so, even though we aren't righteous in and of ourselves. God considers us to be righteous because of our faith in him! This seems to good to be true! But this is what God does.
The case in point is Abraham. Look at verse 3.
For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness."
That's a quote from Genesis 15:6 that proves Paul's point. God told Abraham to go outside at night and look up at the stars and try to number them. And God said, "So shall your offspring be" (Genesis 15:5). And Abraham believed God. And God counted it to him as righteousness.
And what is true of Abraham is true of the gospel. When we believe in Christ, and all that he has done for us on the cross. God looks at our faith and credits it to our account as righteousness. It is by grace through faith that we are saved!
Paul continued with an illustration of what it means to be counted righteous in verses 4 and 5. He picks the illustration of a worker.
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
In other words, this is how the gospel comes. It comes by grace! It doesn't come by works! The worker doesn't receive his wages as a gift. He receives his wages as what is due to him.
But God's righteousness doesn't work like this. God grants us righteousness by faith as a gift. This is the gospel. As Paul said in Romans 3:24, "[We are] justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." And so, after bringing up Abraham, and after giving an illustration of grace, Paul mentions David and the blessing that he received when God didn't count his sins against him. This comes in verses 7 and 8 (which quote from Psalm 32:1-2).
"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord
will not count his sin."
And last week we reflected upon these words. How freeing (Psalm 32:4) it is when your sins, which laid heavy upon your shoulders, are taken away. How life-giving (Psalm 32:3) it is when your sins, which stain your soul, are covered over to make clean! How blessed (Psalm 32:1-2) you are when your sins, which come with the penalty of death,are not counted against you!
And church family, I press upon you the importance of experiencing forgiveness of sins! It takes a burden from your back! It can restore your vitality! It will bring you everlasting joy! That is the blessings of believing in Christ! Never underestimate the blessing it is to believe in Jesus.
And then the question comes (in verse 9). What about this blessing?
The question comes up because David, if you remember, was a circumcised, covenant member of the people of God. So, is this blessing only for the Jews? Is this blessing only for those in the covenant community? Then, in verse 10 we have ...
And in his answer, Paul focuses upon Abraham.
How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised?
In other words, when Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness, was Abraham circumcised? Well, let's review a bit of Abrahamic history. God called him in Genesis 12, saying, "Go ... To the land I will show you. ... In you all the families of the earth will be blessed" (12:1-3)
In Genesis 15, we see Abraham's faith. "Abraham believed the LORD and he counted it to him as righteousness" (15:6).
In Genesis 17, we see the covenant of circumcision that God made with Abraham. "This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised" (17:10).
So, again, the question in verse 10, ...
If you look on the overhead, you see that he was counted righteous in Genesis 15. You see that he was circumcised in Genesis 17. Paul answers the question with these words, ...
... It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
And when you chase down a few things, you see that circumcision came quite a bit later, like more than a decade later. For, in Genesis 16, we see Ishmael born. In Genesis 17:25, we see Ishmael circumcised at age 13 on the same day as his father.
So, the answer to the question is this: Faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness before he was circumcised. More than 13 years before he was circumcised!
Here's the thing: this timing was not an accident! Look at verse 11. My third point this morning:
3. The Purpose (verses 11-12)
He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,
In other words, circumcision was a sign of the righteousness that he he already possessed. By faith he obtained righteousness in Genesis 15. He was given the covenant of circumcision in chapter 17, more than a decade later. And here's the big lesson: righteousness doesn't come through circumcision!
And it's right here that people so often get it backwards. People often think that righteousness comes through religious acts.
You can see this is the pagan world. Where people bring sacrifices to offer up to their gods to bring some blessing in their life. Where people are giving money to their holy men for some problem they are facing in their life. Where high importance is placed upon the burial ritual to insure that their spirits would be released from their bodies.
You can see it in the church as well. Whether it's going to church or giving to church. Whether it's offering up some specific prayers or lighting some certain candles. Whether it's being dipped in water or eating some bread and drinking some juice.
We easily think that it's something that we do that brings us righteousness. But Paul would bring us back to Abraham. "Look," he says, "Abraham wasn't counted righteous through some religious ritual! Abraham was counted righteous through faith!" The religious ritual of circumcision came later! It came afterwards. It came with a purpose. But it's purpose wasn't for obtaining righteousness.
And what was true in Abraham has a higher purpose for all of us. But, did you notice the purpose of why God did it this way? It comes right there in the middle of the verse:
... The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,
Paul is talking about the Gentiles. He is talking about those who have grown up without the law. He is talking about those who don't have any religious heritage.
And he brings them back to Abraham. He says, "You can look to him. He was believed God before circumcision. He was counted righteous before circumcision. And you, who haven't been circumcised, who haven't lived under the law, you too can be counted righteous in the same way that Abraham was. He is your spiritual father."
For all intents and purposes, Abraham came to faith as a Gentile! The father of our faith was a Gentile!
To the Jews in Rome (and for the Jews all over Paul's world), this was shocking! The Jews prided themselves as being children of Abraham! And as children of Abraham, they were recipients of the blessings of Abraham. They despised the Gentiles! They considered them as outsiders! And Paul comes here and says that Abraham was a Gentile before he became a Jew!
Now, this might not seem like such a big deal to us. But for the early church, it was a big deal. Because they were battling the issue of the inclusion of the Gentiles into the church. You simply need to read the book of Acts to see the battle that the early church faced. The first battle was over the inclusion of the Gentiles into the church at all!
Perhaps you remember how it took divine intervention to change Peter's perspective! He was up on the rooftop praying. He saw a vision of a sheet coming down upon the earth with "all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air" (Acts 10:12). And a voice came to him: "Rise Peter, kill and eat" (Acts 10:13). And Peter refused! Because he was a follower of the law, and had never eaten such unclean animals before! But a voice came a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common" (Acts 10:15). The vision repeated itself three times, with Peter refusing to eat each time.
Soon afterwards, there was a knock on the door. Cornelius, a god-fearing Gentile, had sent some of his servants to request of Peter that he would come to Joppa and speak with Cornelius, his family, and his friends (Acts 10:24). And Peter went and preached the gospel to them. And they believed! And the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them all!
And when he returned, he told the story to the church in Jerusalem. And the leaders of the church "fell silent," (Acts 11:18). Perhaps with a bit of reluctance that Gentiles were believing in their Messiah! But, they did accept it, saying, ...
Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.
Soon afterwards, the questions came about how to include the Gentiles into the church. The battle of circumcision was front and center in the entire controversy. Some Jews were saying that the Gentiles could be included, if only they would first be circumcised. But Peter and Paul and Barnabas won the day by insisting that, "We (Jews) believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will" (Acts 15:11). Thereby saying that the Gentiles don't need to be circumcised to be a part of the church.
And this is Paul's argument here in Romans 4. That Abraham is the father of faith for the uncircumcised, every bit as much as he is the father of faith for the circumcised. But, the Jews can also look to Abraham. Look at verse 12, ...
and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
And thus, I trust you can see the reasoning for the title of my message this morning: "The Father of Faith for All." Abraham is the father of faith for the uncircumcised. Abraham is the father of faith for the circumcised. Abraham is "The Father of Faith for All." Both Jews and Gentiles can claim Abraham as their father in the faith.
It's at this point that Paul brings the religious ritual into proper perspective. For the Jew, circumcision was to be accompanied by faith. Look at the first half of verse 11.
He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.
In other words, circumcision was an affirmation of Abraham's faith. It was a seal of God's delight in Abraham, as one who believed in the promises of God. Circumcision was not a means to justification. Circumcision was a sign of faith.
Paul nowhere told the Jews to abandon their circumcision. But, he always turned people back to faith. In Galatians 5:6, Paul gives a good perspective. He writes ...
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Circumcision doesn't count for anything! It's not going to make you righteous before God! Nor does uncircumcision count for anything either! But, what counts for anything is faith! That's the only path to righteousness. It's not your own righteousness, but the righteousness that God credits to your account by faith. This is the same emphasis of verse 12.
It's not the mere outward religious observance. It's the faith that makes the difference. In all religious activity, it is faith that makes a difference!
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
There is an application to evangelism here. John Piper writes, "Paul is passionate about reaching every people group in the world with the gospel and showing that they can be children of Abraham and heirs of the promise by faith in Jesus Christ alone apart from Jewish ritual - or American culture" (Piper). So should we be passionate about sharing the gospel with all peoples. Abraham is the father of faith for all, and we should share the gospel with all!
This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on February 19, 2017 by Steve Brandon.


Each day, more than 4,000 DJJ employees divided among our 26 facilities and 97 community services offices throughout the state, work diligently to effect justice as well as redirect and shape the young lives in the agency's care. DJJ employees are the key factor in helping the youth not only take responsibility for their criminal conduct but also in guiding them to become productive members of society. Because our primary responsibility involves public safety, working for DJJ is an exciting and challenging opportunity. We strive to create and sustain an agency culture that values accountability, integrity, safety, superior performance, ongoing personal growth, intellectual curiosity, innovation, teamwork and leadership.
We seek dedicated, energetic candidates for a variety of positions, including correctional and parole officers, legal services, teachers and librarians, peace officers, health care professionals, including nurses and dentists; food service workers, administrative assistants and more.
While we expect the youth in our care to be accountable for their actions and to strive for excellence, the same goes for DJJ staff – from executives to individual caseworkers. DJJ staff members are expected to be efficient, creative and responsible for the work that they do. Innovation is crucial to our success today and tomorrow. DJJ staff constantly seek to refine existing programs and to cultivate new, innovative and effective ones that encourage youthful offenders to become successful members of society, and, by doing so, DJJ becomes a leader in criminal justice nationwide.
As a State of Georgia employer, we also offer our employees dental, vision and medical insurance; sick and annual leave; Retirement plan and a military incentive for our armed forces.


Huge congratulations to Emyvale TidyTowns group from County Monaghan who are the overall winners in the Waters and Communities TidyTowns special award 2017. This is the first year of this award and judging by the number of applications, 59 in total, it will be a regular feature in the TidyTowns calendar.
The Waters and Communities award recognises communities who are taking positive steps to raise awareness and appreciation of their local rivers, lakes, streams, canals and coastal areas. The award is sponsored by Inland Fisheries Ireland, who are responsible for managing the inland fisheries and sea angling sectors; Waterways Ireland, who are responsible for the management of inland navigable waterways; and the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office who promote public participation in the protection and management of our natural waters.
Emyvale TidyTowns group were chosen as winners for their efforts at Emy Lough and river where they have been busy recruiting volunteers and working with Monaghan County Council to clean up litter and dumping. 'Raising awareness' is the motto of Emyvale TidyTowns and in collaboration with Emy and District Anglers together they are successfully running a number of local awareness projects, such as: a Citizen Science project monitoring water quality in Emy Lough; a water bottle and silt traps awareness project; and a wildflower survey of Emy Lough.
This year they upcycled timber pallets to make new bee, bat and bird boxes. Some members of the TidyTowns group are also involved with the River Blackwater Catchment Trust and sit on the Steering Committee of the 'Our Water Our Community' initiative headed up by Dundalk IT.
Awareness raising by the community group of their local water body (eg. clean up, development of amenity area(s), biodiversity information such as signage, information leaflets, habitat surveys, bird boxes, outdoor classrooms, developing of safe access, control of invasive species, instream measures, promotion of angling etc).
Involvement by the wider community in the project (eg. schools, landowners or other groups).
Engagement with the Local Authority, Local Development Company or any public agencies in developing the project.
Long term environmental benefits of the project to the local community.
Additional information and future plans.
Midlands & West Baltrasna Boreen Biodiversity Group, Co. Westmeath.
North West & West Culdaff River Community Angling Group, Co. Donegal.
South East Cheekpoint & Faithleg Development Group, Co. Waterford.
Midwest & South West Castletownroche TidyTowns Committee, Co. Cork.
Midlands & east Dodder Action Group, Dublin.
North West & West Emyvale TidyTowns, Co. Monaghan.
South East The Friends of St. Johns River, Co. Waterford.
Midwest & South West Glounthaune TidyTowns, Co. Cork.
"Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer" Teresa Guillemets.


text:
Enlisted Biographies
Pfc. Village Center, Alex
Platoon Scout, Company D, 511 PIR
Citations: Purple Heart (2x OLC), Combat Infantryman Badge, Presidential Unit Citation, World War II Victory Medal, Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Badge, Philippine Liberation Medal with service star, the American Defense Medal, and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three Battle Stars and one Arrowhead
Alex Village Center grew up on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
It is not known where he was born or his tribe. He apparently aspired to be a paratrooper, and succeeded in that area, and he was assigned to D Company after his training. He was affectionately known as The Chief.
Cpl. William R. Walter recounted a humorous episode involving another Indian from F Company, and Village Center being involved in a race. Apparently, The Chief's feet were not in too good shape at the time, and he declined to race. After some good natured chiding by Walter and Sgt. Donald J. Hyatt, Village Center said, "Alright, I won't win the race, but I'll beat the Sioux." Apparently, he took off like a streak, and beat the other Indian by a good distance.
Chauncy Poole, contributed some information and provided some letters which give just a few glimpses of his life:
"While we were on the Sea Pike on the way to New Guinea, all Airborne Troopers received a letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, advising them that they were soldiers of the United States embarking to distant places to fight the enemy. The outcome, the letter went on to state, said that the outcome would affect their freedom and those they loved. You, the soldiers, the President stated, are a God-fearing, proud and courageous people, who have throughout history, put its freedom under God before all other purposes. The letter ended saying that the hope, confidence and gratitude and prayers of your families, your fellow-citizens and your President go with you on this voyage.
"The Chief received a second letter with the Presidential stamp. As me, Sgt. Donald J. Hyatt, Locke, and Zertuche gathered around him on deck, the opened his letter. Couched in officialdom, it said that Pfc Alex Village Center could go home; his brothers having been killed in Europe. The Chief slowly shook his head as he read the letter, and said, "You are my Brothers now."
"We called him Chief out of respect and admiration and he knew it. One could call it a term of endearment.
"After his military service The Chief returned to Little Eagle, South Dakota. In one of his letters, he made comments such as "Met Pfc. William L. Dubes in town; he sure looks good in civies". He wrote to me in Kamaishi and apparently did not fit in well after his return to the Reservation. He once said to me, "Beware of Civilian life."
"The next letter I received said, 'I am going back into the Service where I can be somebody, because here, I'm just another Indian.' (He WAS somebody to us, but didn't know it.)
"The last letter I received, he said, "I'm going to Korea and when I get back, I will see you and look at that job offer on my way to see my sister in Canada."
"With three Purple Hearts and accounting for more of the enemy than most, he did not come home from that God Damn Korea."
Story compiled from various sources by Jane Carrico
Submitted to Winds Aloft May 2011
2nd Platoon, D Company, 511 PIR on New Guinea. Pfc. Alex Village Center is in middle of front row, 5th from the left or right (Photo by Pfc. Norman Zadoorian via Jane Carrico)
Pfc. Alex Village Center is on the far right (photo by Pfc. Norman Zadoorian via Jane Carrico)
If you would like to learn more about Alex's exploits within and the history of the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment in World War II, please consider purchasing a copy of the book WHEN ANGEL'S FALL: FROM TOCCOA TO TOKYO, THE 511TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT IN WORLD WAR II, available in the regimental online store, on Amazon or wherever military history books are sold.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How can pass table name in cursor as parameter? I have a procedure with cursor querying an external table. How can I pass the table name in select?
procedure ImpInsData(fileN varchar2,Tname VARCHAR2)
as
begin
   IXRBI.EXternalChange ( fileN,Tname);
   declare
      cursor cur_extenal is select * from Tname WHERE A IN ('1','2');
   begin
      FOR rec IN cur_extenal LOOP
         vId :=sys_guid();
         vRowStatus:=rec.A;
         vTag:=rec.C;
       end loop
   end;
end;

Tname is a parameter specifying a table name.
How can I rewrite it?

A: procedure ImpInsData(fileN varchar2)
as
CURSOR cur_extenal IS
(
select * from Tname WHERE A IN ('1','2')
);
begin
open cur_extenal

FETCH cur_extenal into rec
      FOR rec IN cur_extenal LOOP
         vId :=sys_guid();
         vRowStatus:=rec.A;
         vTag:=rec.C;
exit when cur_extenal%notfound;
       end loop;
close cur_extenal;
   end;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
V.E.3
Kenneth L. Cameron, PhD, MPH, ATAC
Haley A. Bookbinder, MEd, ATC
Brett D. Owens, MD
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a non-profit association that regulates athletes of more than 1,200 institutions, conferences, organizations, and individuals that organize athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Athletic programs of more than 1,100 member schools that compete are divided into three levels or divisions.1 Nearly a half-million student-athletes participate in NCAA sports that offer national championships annually, and this number continues to grow. During the 2018-2019 academic year, the number of teams competing in NCAA championship sponsored sports reached an all-time high of 19,750. However, only about 6% of high school athletes will participate in NCAA intercollegiate sports.2
While there are numerous benefits associated with participating in collegiate athletics, there is also an increased risk of injury associated with participating in many types of sports. These injuries primarily affect the musculoskeletal system, in general, and the lower and upper extremities specifically. Though awareness of risk of injury associated with participating in collegiate athletics is growing, there is little known about the long-term impact of injuries sustained while participating in collegiate athletics. Recent injury data from the NCAA Injury Surveillance System, as well as reports for specific joint injuries sustained by NCAA athletes and emerging data on the potential long-term impact of these injuries on health related quality of life, is presented.
For over 30 years, the NCAA and the Datalys Center (since 2009) has been engaged in active injury surveillance within the unique population of college athletes. Collaborative efforts between the NCAA and the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) have yielded rich injury surveillance data used to inform important rule changes to protect player safety.3 In a 2007 special issue of The Journal of Athletic Training, data from the NCAA injury surveillance system from the 1988-89 academic year through the 2003-2004 academic year were reviewed for 15 collegiate sports.4 With permission from the publisher, data from this study is included in this site. To read the full article, click here.
The 15 sports examined included five fall sports (men's football, women's field hockey, men's soccer, women's soccer, and women's volleyball), six winter sports (men's basketball, women's basketball, women's gymnastics, men's gymnastics, men's ice hockey, and men's wrestling), and five spring sports (men's baseball, men's football, women's softball, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse). Data for men's spring football were only included in the analysis of practice injuries. These data provided an overall summary of the NCAA data from the years 1988-1989 through 2003-2004, made recommendations for injury prevention initiatives, and provided insight into the burden of musculoskeletal injury experienced by collegiate athletes. Some of these data are highlighted in this section. More recently, a series of papers on the first decade of web-based injury surveillance in high school and collegiate athletes have been published.5,6,7,8,9,10,11 These data are also briefly integrated here, as appropriate, as they provide further insight into the incidence and burden of musculoskeletal injuries in collegiate athletes. Overall, musculoskeletal injuries to the upper and lower extremity account for approximately 80% of all injuries among NCAA athletes; however, injury patterns vary slightly by sport. The CDC, which estimates 2.6 million children ages 0 through 19 years are treated in emergency departments each year for sports and recreation related injuries12, provides tips on how to prevent sports-related injuries in their Protect the Ones You Love Initiative. Other professional societies and associations such as the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) At Your Own Risk and Stop Sports Injuries, and the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Position Statements also provide recommendations for injury prevention.
Overall, incidence rates for the 15 sports examined range from a high of 35.9 per 1,000 game athlete-exposures for men's football to a low of 1.9 for men's practice basketball. Among men, the highest injury rates were observed in football, wrestling, soccer, and ice hockey. Among women, the highest injury rates were experienced in soccer, gymnastics, ice hockey, and field hockey. (Reference Table 5E.3.2 PDF CSV)
bmus_4e_g5e.3.1.png
When data for all 15 sports are combined, injury rates are significantly higher in games (13.8 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures) when compared to practice (4.0 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures). Pre-season practice injury rates were significantly higher when compared to in-season or post-season training sessions. (Reference Table 5E.3.1 PDF CSV) Combined injury rates for all 15 NCAA sports studied remained relatively stable over time. No significant changes were observed in injury rates during games or practices over the 16-year study period. (Reference Table 5E.3.7 PDF CSV)
The majority of injuries resulted from contact with another player, regardless of whether or not injuries were sustained in practices or games. (Reference Table 5E.3.4 PDF CSV)
The majority of injuries documented during the study period affected the musculoskeletal system, with 72% of all injuries in games and 75% of all injuries in practices affecting the extremities. Regardless of whether injuries occurred in practices or games, over half of all injuries reported across the 15 sports examined during the study period were to the lower extremity. (Reference Table 5E.3.5 PDF CSV)
The NCAA injury surveillance system has also been used to examine the incidence and injury patterns of specific injuries among collegiate athletes.13,14These studies have primarily focused on those injuries that likely have the greatest burden in terms of time loss from sport, the need for surgical intervention, and the potential for long-term impact on health. Specifically, joint injuries have been a primary concern as it is well documented that these injuries can lead to chronic instability and increase the risk of osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease.
Acute traumatic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in the knee often lead to chronic pain and instability, and generally require surgical repair to restore function and stability. There is also substantial evidence to suggest that acute traumatic knee joint injuries such as ACL tears significantly increase the risk for post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Several studies have focused on the rate of ACL injuries among collegiate athletes.4,11,15,16,17 estimated that approximately 2,000 athletes participating in 15 different men's and women's NCAA sports sustain an ACL tear annually. The average annual rate of ACL injury during the 16-year study period examined was 0.15 per 1,000 athlete-exposures. Arendt and Dick16 first reported that there were disparities in ACL injury incidence rates between males and females participating in the NCAA gender matched sports of soccer and basketball. This observation was confirmed in a follow-up study that examined data from 1990 through 2002.15 The authors reported that the rate of ACL injuries was 3 times higher in female soccer players (0.33) when compared to male soccer players (0.11). Similarly, they reported that the rate of ACL injuries was 3.6 times higher in female basketball players (0.29) when compared to males (0.08). Regardless of sport, the rates in females were significantly higher when compared to males. They also reported that ACL injury rates declined significantly in male soccer players during the study period but remained constant among female soccer players. (Reference Table 5E.3.6 PDF CSV)
Despite the decreases in ACL injury rates observed by Agel et al15 in male soccer players, Hootman et al4 reported that ACL injury rates among males and females combined, participating in 15 different NCAA sports, significantly increased during the 16-year study period. On average, they reported a 1.3% annual increase in the rate of ACL injury over time (P=0.02). (Reference Table 5E.3.7 PDF CSV)
Dragoo et al13 compared ACL injury rates between NCAA football players participating on artificial turf and those participating on natural grass. They reported that the rate of ACL injury on artificial surfaces was significantly higher (1.39 times higher) than the injury rate on grass surfaces. A more recent study reports the injury rate on artificial turf 1.63 times higher than on grass surfaces.18 They also noted that non-contact injuries occurred more frequently on artificial turf surfaces (44%) than on natural grass (36%).
Ankle sprains are also common among NCAA athletes and they frequently lead to chronic pain, instability, and functional limitations. Hootman et al4 estimated that approximately 11,000 athletes participating in 15 different men's and women's NCAA sports sustain an ankle sprain annually. The average annual rate of ankle sprain injury during the 16-year study period examined was 0.86 per 1,000 athlete-exposures. They also examined the annual injury rates for ankle sprains among males and females participating in these sports combined between 1988 and 2004. They reported that injury rates remained constant during the 16-year study period. On average, there was a non-significant 0.1% (P=0.68) annual decrease in the rate of ankle sprains during the study period. (Reference Table 5E.3.6 PDF CSV)
Shoulder injuries, especially those that result in instability, also impact a significant number of NCAA athletes and can lead to chronic pain, recurrent instability, and functional limitations. Recurrent shoulder instability has also been associated with the increased risk of osteoarthritis in the shoulder. Surgical reconstruction is common following shoulder instability in young athletes. Owens et al14 examined the injury rates and patterns for shoulder instability among NCAA athletes over the 16-year period from 1988 through 2004 in the same 15 sports described previously. The overall injury rate for shoulder instability during the study period was 0.12 per 1,000 athlete-exposures. On average, this is comparable to just under 2,000 shoulder instability events experienced annually in NCAA athletes. Injury rates for shoulder instability were significantly higher in games when compared to practice. Overall, NCAA athletes were 3.5 (95% CI: 3.29-3.73) times more likely to experience shoulder instability events in games when compared to practices. Just over half (53%) of the shoulder instability events documented during the study period were first time instability events, with the remaining injuries being recurrent instability events (47%). Most shoulder instability events were due to contact with another athlete (68%) and other contact (20%). Nearly half (45%) of all shoulder instability events experienced by NCAA athletes during the study period resulted at least 10 days of lost playing time, with the remainder returning to play within 10 days of injury.
1. Division I is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned NCAA in the United States. Division I schools include the major collegiate athletic powers, with larger budgets, more elaborate facilities, and more athletic scholarships than Divisions II and III, as well as many smaller schools committed to the highest level of intercollegiate competition. Division II is an intermediate-level division of competition in the NCAA. It offers an alternative to both the highly competitive, and highly expensive, level of intercollegiate sports offered in NCAA Division I and to the no athletic scholarship environment offered in Division III. Division III consists of colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletically related financial aid to their student-athletes.
2. NCAA: Estimated probability of competing in college athletics. http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/estimated-probability-competing-college-athletics Accessed October 8, 2019.
3. Hootman JM. Celebrating 25 years of making sports safer. J Athl Train 2007;42(2):170.
4. a. b. c. d. Hootman JM, Dick R, Agel J. Epidemiology of collegiate injuries for 15 sports: summary and recommendations for injury prevention initiatives. J Athl Train. Apr-Jun 2007;42(2):311-319.
5. Wasserman EB, Register-Mihalik JK, Sauers EL, et al. The first decade of web-based sports injury surveillance: Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in US high school girls' softball (2005-2006 through 2013-2014) and national collegiate athletic association women's softball (2004-2005 through 2013-2014). J Athl Train. 2019;54(2):212-225.
6. Wasserman EB, Register-Mihalik JK, Sauers EL, et al. The first decade of web-based sports injury surveillance: Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in US high school boys' baseball (2005-2006 through 2013-2014) and national collegiate athletic association men's baseball (2004-2005 through 2013-2014). J Athl Train. 2019;54(2):198-211.
7. Kerr ZY, Gregory AJ, Wosmek J, et al. The first decade of web-based sports injury surveillance: Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in US high school girls' volleyball (2005-2006 through 2013-2014) and national collegiate athletic association women's volleyball (2004-2005 through 2013-2014). J Athl Train. 2018;53(10):926-937.
8. Kerr ZY, Putukian M, Chang CJ, et al. The first decade of web-based sports injury surveillance: Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in US high school boys' soccer (2005-2006 through 2013-2014) and national collegiate athletic association men's soccer (2004-2005 through 2013-2014). J Athl Train. 2018;53(9):893-905.
9. DiStefano LJ, Dann CL, Chang CJ, et al. The first decade of web-based sports injury surveillance: Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in US high school girls' soccer (2005-2006 through 2013-2014) and national collegiate athletic association women's soccer (2004-2005 through 2013-2014). J Athl Train. 2018;53(9):880-892.
10. Clifton DR, Hertel J, Onate JA, et al. The first decade of web-based sports injury surveillance: Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in US high school girls' basketball (2005-2006 through 2013-2014) and national collegiate athletic association women's basketball (2004-2005 through 2013-2014). J Athl Train. 2018;53(11):1037-1048.
11. a. b. Clifton DR, Onate JA, Hertel J, et al. The first decade of web-based sports injury surveillance: Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in US high school boys' basketball (2005-2006 through 2013-2014) and national collegiate athletic association men's basketball (2004-2005 through 2013-2014). J Athl Train. 2018;53(11):1025-1036.
12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Protect the ones you love: child injuries are preventable. Sports safety. https://www.cdc.gov/safechild/sports_injuries/index.html Accessed August 26, 2019.
13. a. b. Dragoo JL, Braun HJ, Durham JL, Chen MR, Harris AH. Incidence and risk factors for injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament in National Collegiate Athletic Association football: data from the 2004-2005 through 2008-2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System. Am J Sports Med. May 2012;40(5):990-995.
14. a. b. Owens BD, Agel J, Mountcastle SB, Cameron KL, Nelson BJ. Incidence of glenohumeral instability in collegiate athletics. Am J Sports Med. Sep 2009;37(9):1750-1754.
15. a. b. c. Agel J, Arendt EA, Bershadsky B. Anterior cruciate ligament injury in national collegiate athletic association basketball and soccer: a 13-year review. Am J Sports Med. 2005;33(4):524-530.
16. a. b. Arendt E, Dick R. Knee injury patterns among men and women in collegiate basketball and soccer. NCAA data and review of literature. Am J Sports Med. 1995;23(6):694-701.
17. Arendt EA, Agel J, Dick R. Anterior cruciate ligament injury patterns among collegiate men and women. J Athl Train. 1999;34(2):86-92.
18. Loughran GJ, Vulpis CT, Murphy JP. Incidence of knee injuries on artificial turf versus natural grass in national collegiate athletic association American football: 2004-2005 through 2013-2014 seasons. Am J Sports Med. 2019 May;47(6):1294-1301. doi: 10.1177/0363546519833925. Epub 2019 Apr 17.
‹ Scholastic Athletics up Long-Term Impacts ›
Download all Graphs (zip): V_graphs.zip
Download all tables (ZIP of CSV files): V_tables.zip


text:
Spartathlon
Qualifying FAQ
Crew FAQ
Mountain Base Team
British Team
British Awards
Resources, Reports & Media
What have the Spartans ever done for us?
By Paul Ali
2018 British Spartathlon Team T-Shirts & Hoodies
July 8th, 2018	Paul Ali
Hello everyone, we hope all the runners are training hard and crew/supporters are getting excited about Spartathlon.
In addition to the team kit supplied thanks to the wonderful generosity of our sponsors Ultramarathon Running Store, Oyster Wealth and Peak Pinole we are offering some casual T-Shirts and Hoodies for sale through the Teespring fulfilment site (i.e. we design the T-Shirts/Hoodies and they fulfil all sales/printing and postage).
Please note that these are being sold at cost price for a limited period and are available to anyone who wishes to purchase one (i.e. they are for public sale to anyone).
Links are as follows:
2018 British Sparta T-Shirt Womens
2018 British Sparta T-Shirt Mens
2018 British Sparta Hoody
Please note that each 'base product' (i.e. Mens/Womens T-Shirt) is a different make which accounts for a minor difference in price.
British Spartathlon Team Update (June 2018)
May 31st, 2018	Paul Ali
Hey everyone, it's been a little while since we wrote our last team post and we have various news we wanted to update you on.
We have had a few changes to the team with drop-outs and withdrawals meaning a few lucky people on the waiting list have now been offered places.
We can now welcome James Ellis, Carl Howells, Martin Bacon and Simon Prytherch to the 2018 team although we are sorry to see that Marco, Jez & Roz were not able to take up their places.
As at the 31/5/18 The 2018 British Team is now comprised of 24 runners as follows; Stephen Walker, Ian Thomas, Cat Simpson, Matthew Blackburn, John Melbourne, John Stocker, Nathan Flear, Alastair Higgins, Cameron Humphries, Dan Masters, John Volanthen, Russell Tullet, Paul Ali, Matthew Brand, Laurence Chownsmith, Peter Summers, Steve Gordon, Stuart Shipley, Stuart Wilkie, James Ellis, Carl Howells, Martin Bacon & Simon Prytherch. Fabio Rizzo Calcio is also a member of the British Team although he is noted as an Italian entrant. (Yes, we could do with some more female entrants next year).
With payments now due then we are not expecting many (if any) changes from this point so we are sorry to those people who are still on the waiting list.
We would like to thank all of our sponsors who have kindly agreed to support the British Spartathlon Team through financial support or provision of services. The 2018 Sponsors are as follows:
The Ultramarathon Running Store, a specialist ultra running store have been a long-time supporter of the British Spartathlon Team.
We are once again pleased to welcome Oyster Wealth, who offer financial advice and services as a team sponsor.
We are pleased to welcome a new sponsor, Peak Pinole who supply energy bars for ultra athletes.
Endure Communications (formerly It's All About the Story) are once again providing press services to the team.
Race Drone have once again agreed to sponsor the team through the supply of GPS tracking devices during the race.
We would also like to thank Mark Burnell for developing our new kit designs. Mark has done an excellent job in helping design our kits over the past few years and his work is one of the key reasons our team look well turned out on race weekend.
Now the really exciting news! We are pleased to unveil the 2018 Team Kit design as follows. We have once again followed the usual format of a white technical top for the runners and a red technical top for crew and once again includes the "Lion Logo" the team's adopted motif.
2018 Runners Top Design
2018 Crew Top Design
2018 Buff Design
Hopefully, we have once again 'freshened' the kit design but retained some familiarity and consistency with previous years which was our aim.
We have raised sufficient funds through the kind donation of our sponsors to provide some kit to each of the runners (including runners tops, crew tops and buffs) although there will be an option to purchase additional items if you wish and we will be emailing the runners directly in the next week or so to organise this.
In addition, we will also be organising a British Spartathlon Team banner which we can use each year as part of our team photo shoot and perhaps even use at the end of the race as a point where British Runners and crews can congregate. We would like to thank Rob Pinnington, Ian & Gil Thomas and John Volanthen for agreeing to make a financial contribution towards this item.
British Team Banner Design
If you would like to follow the progress of the British Spartathlon runners then please feel free to join our Facebook Group here or you can follow us on twitter here
Paul, David, James, Rob & Darren.
An Evening with the British Spartathlon Team
February 14th, 2018	Paul Ali
(Write up by David Bone)
Anyone who has ever been involved with Spartathlon knows that it consumes you. You race, crew or "follow the dots" and you want more.
In a matter of days after finishing his first Spartathlon in 2017 Darren Strachan knew that he just wanted to get as many of the awesome British Spartathlon Team (BST) back together to recreate the beautiful nights shared in the Greek Glyfada hotel rooftop bars, where the post-race celebrations take place.
This seed of an idea became the triumphant BST event hosted in London's Institute of Light venue.
One of the first to respond to Darren's idea on the BST FaceBook page was Barney (Spender). Barney had made the 2014 film 'The Road to Sparta' (which epically captures the fortunes of our very own Rob Pinnington and Mark Woolley – alongside Greek runner Angela Terzi and ultra-legend Dean Karnazes). Barney saw this as a perfect opportunity to show the film for the first time in the UK and also he and partner Roddy wanted to waive all fees so that we could start the idea of raising funds for Mimi Anderson and the "Free to Run" charity.
Roddy, James & Barney pictured.
There followed several beautiful communication threads where we entertained the idea of getting Dan Lawson back from India early, for our very own ultra podcast legend James Elson to front a Q&A panel and the whole BST community looking at seeing who we could invite from the list of the earliest BST runners and winners. In addition, it seemed appropriate that this could be the first time in the BST history that a proper hand-over of the trophies could be done from former to current holders. Lawrence Eccles became an amazing supporter of this and he also added two additional trophies into the mix.
Rob Pinnington & James Adams pictured
So on Friday 2nd Feb 2018 the great and the beautiful from the BST community began to gather in East London. Darren and I were particularly nervous because only we knew that a decent amount needed to be spent behind the bar to cover the costs of the night and without a guarantee of (Paul) Beechey/(Paul "Rowli" Rowlison/Dunc (Cornish) being there we didn't know if it was only going to be a gathering of 'mindful drinkers'. Thankfully there was a great early turn-out and folk got stuck into the welcome Mythos and early 'pinole balls' provided by one of the BST sponsors Alex Littaye from "Peak Pinole". VIP guests also gathered from around the world but the stand-out was friend and Spartathlon 2017 finisher Dennis Gamroth who had just landed from the US with his wife Sharon.
David Bone pictured.
After much merriment in the bar and the viewing of the film it was over to our friend Andy Nuttall (from The Ultra Mag) to compere a Q&A session with the legendary Dan Lawson, Mimi Anderson and James Zarei. For those that don't know (and there were probably many of us on the night too) James was a winner of Spartathlon in 1994 and 1995 as well as holding 4 of our top 10 fastest BST finishes. Reading the BST FaceBook page it appears that many of us were captivated by James and his many pearls of wisdom, not least the advice that we should all "ditch the watch" and appreciate running for the simple pleasure that it can bring us all. I know that there is a strong feeling amongst the BST community that we would love to support getting James back into ultra-running.
The Q&A session was one of the real highlights of the event with many sharing that they were inspired by both the stories of Dan's epic successes and general healthy approach to running and Mimi who made many of us shed a tear sharing her recent brilliant race across America and her battle to just 'get back running'. Everyone in the BST wishes Mimi all the very best.
After plenty of comical mis-timings (come on this was the first time we had done most of this!) we got the following up to receive their much-deserved trophies and deliver a few words:
Final Brit Finisher 2017 – Richard Pomeroy
Finish after most DNFs – Laurence Chownsmith
First British Lady – Sarah Burns Morwood
First British Finisher – Nathan Flear.
Nathan Flear pictured.
Another special moment came when Ian Thomas beautifully shared what a pleasure it was for him to have the opportunity to hand over the Michael Callaghan Trophy to the well-deserved Welsh Wizard Nathan Flear. There's no doubt that this trophy will get harder to win in the coming years. Nathan said, "The trophy was first presented to Spartathlon winner Patrick Macke in 1985 so I feel very honoured to look after it for the next year or so"
Congratulation to all the winners.
With no time to lose it was back to the bar for some the remainder of the tasty Greek food and the final hour of raucous banter. Throughout the evening we had also been hosting a silent auction – raising for "Free to Run" charity. Ever present in supporting this was our own BST Angel Doctor Dora Papadopoulou. Dora had put together a basket full of the most delicious Greek based foods and oils and so there was plenty of cheeky banter trying to get a decent bid with this one. In addition, the ever generous and long-time BST supporter Keith Godden (Ultramarathon Running Store) offered two pairs of Hoka Shoes and James Elson (Centurion Running) entry in to any of their 2018 events. When Andy (Nuttall) wasn't helping out with the organising he also chipped in with a donation of a year's subscription to his Ultra magazine. With our dear friend (and 2017 Sparta finisher) Vassos (Alexander) being unable to attend he also kindly donated several copies of his new book "Running up that Hill". A huge thank you to everyone who put in bids.
We are still in negotiation on who is the actual winner/new owner of Robbie Britton's kindly donated mug with "First to Corinth Suckers, and Paid the Price". We are still adding up the total, but we have raised in excess of £700. So, another success to the night.
We have sent out a feedback request to those who bought tickets via EventBrite and we will share this on BST FaceBook page soon. You can also see plenty of on-going conversation about hosting the next annual trophy giving event in 2019. See you all there.
(Many thanks to Darren & David for kindly organising the above event which was well received by everyone, Paul).
Spartathlon Qualifying Process
January 20th, 2018	Paul Ali
How to qualify for Spartathlon?
So you want to run Spartathlon? Great, welcome!
On the opening day of the entry system for the 2018 Spartathlon , this article will explain the qualification and entry process. Unless you already have a qualifier then it's pretty much too late for an entry this year (the Flitch Way 100k at the end of January being the last race I'm aware of before the close of entries) but hopefully this information will be useful for prospective entrants planning to run this event in the future.
Please note this information has been sourced from the official terms of participation which can be found here. This is the official 'source' and what is written below is our interpretation of these rules.
To run Spartathlon you need to have 'qualified' by meeting one of the minimum standards of entry in a previous race. I will refer to this as a 'ballot qualifier' going forward.
In addition, runners who have achieved a performance at least 20% better than the ones required (i.e. 20% better than the ballot qualifier) are considered qualified and are thus automatically admitted. I will refer to this as an 'auto qualifier'.
Qualification needs to be achieved in 2016, 2017 or up to 24th Feb 2018 for the 2018 race.
As an example. If you finish a 100km race in 10hrs (men) then you are qualified and will be eligible for the ballot. However, if you can finish the 100km race in under 8 hours (men) then you are qualified and will be automatically admitted.
As this article is geared towards UK entrants, I have focussed on some of the more common qualification standards that are likely to apply but would suggest you refer to the full list of standards in the official terms of participation which also includes some race specific entries.
Please note this article refers to 2018 standards and these may change in the future.
Typical Qualifying Standards
Finish a 100-km race within 10:00 hours (men) or 10:30 hours (women)
To achieve a ballot qualifier you need to complete the 100km (62.5m) race within the following time limit:
Men = 10hrs (9.36m/m pace)
Women = 10.30 hrs (10.05m/m pace)
For an auto-qualifier you need to be able to finish the race as follows:
Men = 8 hours (7.41m/m pace)
Women = 8 hours 24 mins (8.04m/m pace)
In the UK we have the SVP 100km in August and if you really want to have a chance of participating in Spartathlon this year and don't have a qualifier then the Flitch Way 100km is run before the end of January.
Cover a 120 km (men) or 110 km distance (women) in a 12-hour race
To achieve a ballot qualifier, once again you need to be able to complete the following:
Men = 75 miles (9.36m/m pace) for 12 hours
Women = 68.75 miles (10.28m/m pace) for 12 hours
For an auto-qualifier, you need to have achieved:
Men = 90 miles (8.00m/m pace) for 12 hours.
Women's = 82.5 miles (8.44m/m pace) for 12 hours.
Compared to the 100km qualifier this is a little more challenging as you have to meet the same pace for a longer time period but with 12 hour races typically taking place on a track this makes it a possible alternative as a track race offers easy access, support and good running conditions.
In the UK we have the Crawley 6/12/24 hour race in April (Track event), the Ellis Brigham Trailblaster 12 in June (Trail), Monster Ambit 12 in June (Trail).
Finish a 100-mile race in 21:00 hours (men) or 22:00 hours (women).
To achieve a ballot qualifier, once again you need to be able to achieve the following:
Men = 21 hour finish (12.56m/m pace for the 100 mile distance)
Women = 22 hours (13.12m/m pace for the 100 mile distance)
If you are looking for an auto-qualifier then you need to achieve the following:
Men = 16.48 hour finish (10.05 m/m pace for the 100 mile distance)
Women = 17.36 hour finish (10.34 m/m pace for the 100 mile distance)
I would estimate an 'average' finishing time for a 100 mile race to be 24 hours based on when the peak number of runners finish so 3 hours quicker is definitely achievable for a lot of people. However, I would remind people that 21 hours is around the cut off point for 100 miles in Spartathlon so whilst your qualifying finish may place you mid-pack (a guess and I've not looked at data to calculate this) you might be towards the back at Spartathlon.
This is a common qualifying time based on the number of 100 mile races we have in the UK but be sure to select one where the terrain, environment, conditions and rules (buddy runners allowed?) may enable more running (i.e. Arc of Attrition not recommended).
In the UK we have the Centurion 100 mile events (Thames Path, South Downs, North Downs and Autumn 100), Robin Hood 100, Cotswold Way Century, West Country 100 miler as examples amongst others.
Cover at least 180 km (men) or 170 km (women) in a 24-hour race.
To achieve a ballot qualifier, you need to be able to achieve the following:
Men = 180km/112.5 miles (12.48m/m pace in 24 hours)
Women = 170km/106.25 miles (13.33m/m pace in 24 hours)
For an auto-qualifier the standard is as follows:
Men = 216km/135 miles (10.40m/m pace for 24 hours)
Women = 204km/127.5m (11.17m/m pace for 24 hours)
We have an abundance of 24 hour races in the UK with events such as the Thunder Run, Endure 24, Hope 24 amongst others aswell as track events such as Crawley and the Self-Transcendence 24 hour.
One slight 'quirk' to consider is that most of the lapped trail 24 hours (such as Endure, Thunder Run) allow competitors to start their final lap before the end of the 24 hour period. Therefore, it is possible to run a final lap (these trail races are typically 5-6 mile loops) and cover a bit more distance in a 24 hour race. I am not saying this is 'fair' but merely pointing out how these results are calculated and reported as '24 hour' races.
Finish a non-stop 200-220 km race within 29:00 hours (men) or 30:00 hours (women).
To achieve a ballot qualifier, once again you need to be able to average complete the 200-220km (125m-137.5m) distance as follows:
Men = 29 hours (between 12.39 – 13.55m/m pace (depending on the race distance)
Women = 30 hours (between 13.05m/m – 14.24m/m (depending on the race distance)
To achieve an auto qualifier, once again you need to be able to average complete the 200-220km (125m-137.5m) distance as follows:
Men = 23.12 hours (between 10.07 – 11.08m/m pace depending on the race distance)
Women = 24 hours (between 10.28 – 11.31m/m pace depending on the race distance).
In the UK, the Liverpool Leeds Canal Race is 130m (208km) and a good option here.
Finish a longer than 220 km non-stop race within 36:00 hours (men) or 37:00 hours (women).
To achieve a ballot qualifier, once again you need to be able to complete (assuming a) 220km (137.5m) distance as follows:
Men = in 36 hours (15.43 m/m pace)
Women = 37 hours (16.09 m/m pace)
To achieve an auto qualifier, once again you need to be able to complete (assuming a) 220km (137.5m) distance as follows:
Men = 28.48 hours (12.34 m/m pace)
Women = 29.36 hours (12.55 m/m pace).
With a 220km + distance then several races in the UK fall into this category but events like the T184, Thames Ring, Lon Las, Viking Way (and others) are not suited to this due to the distance being well beyond the 220km and other elements such as limited support, terrain and self-navigational elements.
The Grand Union Canal Race and Kennet & Avon Canal Race are your most likely options. However the GUCR has its own specific criteria (see below). The KACR is 145m in length 232km and close to the minimum distance needed for this criteria and a good option here.
Finish Grand Union Canal Race within 34:00 hours (men) or 35:00 hours (women).
This criteria for this race specifically was changed a couple of years ago. (It could have been considered a 'soft qualifier' in the past).
To achieve a ballot qualifier, once again you need to be able finish the race as follows:
Men = 34 hours (14.04 m/m pace)
Women – 35 hours (14.29 m/m pace).
To achieve an auto qualifier, once again you need to be able to complete the distance as follows:
Men = 27.12 hours (11.39m/m pace)
Women = 28.00 hours (11.35m/m pace)
As mentioned above the Kennet & Avon Canal Race is a better option at present with a more forgiving cut off although these may be aligned in the future.
Cover a distance of at least 280 km (men) or 260 km (women) in a 48-hour race.
I've added this here but not aware of any 48 hour races in the UK so you may have to look abroad for races within this criteria.
Qualifier Achieved – What's Next?
Once you have the qualifier than you will need to submit your application through the Spartathlon website.
This is run around the same time each year and for 2018 opens on the 20th January and closes on the 25th February 2018. There is no advantage in entering this early.
The race is limited to 390 participants (with a very small number of discretionary places) and the ballot draw takes place in March.
From a UK perspective, we are limited to 25 entrants and demand for these places generally exceeds the number of places available (in 2017, I recall we had around 40-50 applications).
In view of the above the likelihood of achieving a place is as follows:
Auto qualifier places granted
Ballot selection places granted
UK will receive (up to) 25 places and Spartathlon race will allocate 390 places in total
If we exceed the UK cap or race entry limit then people are placed on a waiting list.
Therefore, we could have scenarios where 390 places are allocated but less than 25 UK names are selected drawn or 25 UK are selected before we reach the 390 race cap and UK entrants are then added to the waiting list as we have reached our country cap. This is a consequence of wishing to take part in a popular race.
If the UK entered more than 25 entrants who all have auto-qualifiers then 25 would be drawn by lot and others placed on the waiting list.
Statistically, you probably still have a better chance of running Spartathlon than the London Marathon ballot though!
If you are desperate to achieve a place in Spartathlon then the best option is to try and achieve an auto-qualifier. If you enter by way of a ballot qualifier then it's down to the luck the draw.
Based on a quick look at previous British entrants, I would assess between 33-50% of entrants have had an auto-qualifier so essentially ballot entries could potentially be fighting for a dozen available places for the UK.
With the rise of social media, blogging and the efforts of the British Spartathlon Team publicising and promoting the event, the demand will continue to grow each year as more and more UK ultra-runners seek to participate in this event.
The British Spartathlon Team
The British Spartathlon Team represents the UK runners. If you are a British national and have completed all of the above entry criteria and are fortunate to be selected then you essentially are a member of the team.
The purpose of the team is to bring together and represent the British runners and provide advice, information and support for this fantastic event.
To be absolutely clear, the British Spartathlon Team has no influence over the selection and draw process… our job starts when the entrants have already been selected.
I hope you found this article useful (and hopefully my maths is correct for the pace breakdowns shown above). In addition, I have provided examples of races that fit into each criteria but this is not an exhaustive list and there are other races that may apply.
If you have any further questions then feel free to raise these on the British Spartathlon Team Facebook group.
Spartathletes on Tour
November 27th, 2017	Paul Ali
The British Spartathlon Team were delighted to be asked to visit the children of Orchard Meadow Primary school and give a presentation on the Legend of Pheidippides and the Spartathlon race to accompany the classes current studies on ancient history.
This was tentatively arranged before this years Spartathlon event with myself (Paul Ali) and Paul Beechey agreeing to visit the school. As Paul Beechey was participating in this years race, the classes also excitedly followed Paul's tracker during the race and started to prepare lots of questions in advance of our visit.
Running 153 miles non-stop in the heat may be hard but keeping a class of 10 year olds interested and engaged in a talk may be considered equally challenging!
You can find a copy of the presentation here (or click on the image below).
The children were very well prepared with lots of questions and we had a great afternoon engaging with them and teaching them a little history about the Spartathlon race and answering their questions. The British Spartathlon team also donated a small handful of buffs to the school.
Following our visit, the children also organised a wall display which you can see in the photo below. Perhaps a future Spartathlete will come from Orchard Meadow Primary school one day? Thank you to the school, teachers and children for a great interactive afternoon.
An Evening with the British Spartathlon Team – Reminder
Finally, hopefully most of you reading will be aware that Darren Strachan and David Bone are organising a get together for Spartathlon runners, supporters, friends and family in February next year. This event will include a screening of the Road to Sparta amongst other entertainment and tickets are available here.
2017 BASEM Spartathlon Reports
With thanks to Dora Papadopoulou for putting together a superb article on the performance of the 2017 Spartathlon team for inclusion in the British Association of Sport & Medicine magazine which can be found here
July 17th, 2017	Paul Ali
Runners Information
Your Name: James Ellis
Occupation: Journalist/PR and PT/Nutrition Therapist
Home Town: Leeds
Runners Questions
What is your running background?
Good(ish) at school where I had to run cross country to get into the football team (it was a small school, so it was a kind of bribe to make us run). Then I did bugger all for about 20 years. I'm the proverbial middle aged bloke who re-discovered fitness into his 40s, did a three-mile-a-day challenge every day for a year, then read Ultramarathon Man/Born To Run/Eat and Run (delete as appropriate) and got into ultra running.
When did you start running Ultra marathons and why?
Three pals David Bone, Darren Strachan and Jamie Holmes – all also running Spartathlon this year – convinced me to run the Brighton Marathon one week, the London Marathon the next… and run Brighton to London in the middle of the week. It was self-organised (read badly) but we did the 56 or so miles in about 12 hours, had a laugh on the way and talked about what else we could do. Someone mentioned Spartathlon and we decided to go straight for it. Two years later, I was lining up in Athens for my first tilt (2015).
What are your key personal running achievements to date?
Those who have not yet done it won't get this until 7pm on September 30, 2017…. There is no greater race in the world than Spartathlon. Finishing two years running is the absolute best thing I've done and can only be beaten by doing the triple.
What was your hardest race experience?
Any really. Like most people, I battle with the demon on one shoulder telling me to stop, that this sport is crazy. Overall though, 2015, my first Spartathlon finish now looks like a complete fluke. I'd done the miles, but had bad shoes, no blister strategy, nutrition went up the spout and I got the most massive blisters after it chucking it down for most of the night. I hobbled in, death marching the last 50 miles, and despite a 35,35 finish, just had to do it again. I felt I'd cheated myself and the race.
What events do you have planned for 2017 up to Spartathlon?
World 24 Hour Champs, KACR.
What does a typical training week look like?
In the two months before I do 5 x 10 miles in the week with a big run, anything from 20-40 at weekends. I also teach Insanity Live, so two to three classes a week and the odd weights session if I can get it in.
Which one tip would you pass onto people running an Ultra marathon for the first time?
Lap up the support of your fellow runners. With the odd exception, it's an amazing community.
Can you tell us one interesting fact about yourself?
I've shadow boxed with Muhammad Ali.
Spartathlon Questions
Have you taken part in Spartathlon before?
Twice – 2015 and 2016.
How did you get on?
35.35 and 35.05
What tip would you pass on to those taking part for the first time?
Don't be scared by the 'fast' pace to Corinth. Much of that is run in the morning when it's a bit cooler so you can gain time there, then slow down for the second marathon. As long as you get to the checkpoint with 30 or so to spare (and I've seen it done with less), you can start to pick up time pretty quickly: up to five to 10 minutes per checkpoint if you're running at even a trot.
What are you looking forward to at the Spartathlon race?
Kissing the feet for the third time, hopefully with my three running pals David, Darren and Jamie.
What are you not looking forward to?
There are bits that are a bit grubby but other than that, there's nothing to grumble about. Arriving in Sparta is the best race finish ever, so I just try and focus on that.
How will you prepare specifically for the Spartathlon race?
Heat training – sauna and black bin bags!
Will you be bringing any support crew to the race?
I will have the blonde bombshells with me. My wife Laura and her mate Nicky Robbins.
Sarah Morwood
June 17th, 2017	Paul Ali
Name: Sarah Morwood
Job: Doctor
I started running around 10 years ago when I was a size 18 with the aim of losing weight whilst avoiding dieting. Pottered around for a few years and then in 2012 upped my game to take on a marathon In 2013 I signed up for Bolton Ironman, and also tried my first ultra (Jurassic Coast Challenge). I won my age category at the Ironman, qualifying for Kona and won the JCC. This is when I found that this body was made for distance not speed!
By the end of 2013 I'd done my first 100 miler (Cotswold Way 100) and fallen madly in love with long distance running. In 2014, revelling in my new-found skill, I entered races left right and centre. By the end of the year (among a whole host of shorter races from half marathon up to 100km) I'd done 4 x 100 mile races including the UTMB (won 3 of the 100 milers, and 11th overall at the UTMB despite no previous mountain experience) and my 100 mile time had gone from 20 to 17 hours. I was selected to run for GB in the 2015 World Trail Championships where I came in first British female. At the end of 2015 I'd dropped my 100 mile time to 16 hour 13mins, and I tried my first 24 hour race, 24hr De Ploeren, where I clocked 216km, giving me an automatic Spartathlon qualification, and lining me up for a place in the 2016 GB 24hour squad.
Then in January 2016 everything went wrong. I was knocked off my road bike by a dangerous driver, and smashed my right knee to pieces. Cue 3x operations to fix the bone, 2.5months non-weight bearing, loss of over 90% of muscle in my right leg and a LONG long period of sadness, fear, frustration and rehab, rehab, rehab.
It's taken me a year to get back to ultramarathon distance, and I now run with constant right knee pain, but ultramarathon runners are nothing if not stubborn. I can run, so I will run! All the way to Sparta.
Jay MacDonald
Your Name: Jay MacDonald
Occupation: Digital Product Manager
Home Town: Abbots Langley
I ran London Marathon in 2008, 2009 & 2010 but with absolutely nothing in between … It was probably in 2010 when I started to get into running a bit more seriously. I preferred football to running but was a bit unreliable for team sports so started to run a bit more and got addicted. Even now I'm still getting PBs at all distances every year so there's still plenty to aim for and keep my running passion high!
When did you first start running Ultra marathons and why?
I only ever wanted to do the MdS after seeing a documentary on TV and was accepted into the 2011 race. I had only completed 3 marathons at that point (very slowly) and no ultras so in November 2010 I completed the XNRG Druids Ultra which I absolutely loved although I struggled badly!
When or where (at which events) are we most likely to see you?
A personal favourite is the Country to Capital in January which is a cracking event to kick off the year. Centurion events are great and I love a marathon or two! I'm not fussy really but I prefer warm weather
What are your personal key running achievements to date?
67 official marathons/ultras including MdS 2011, 5 x 100 mile races, GUCR 2014 … Getting sub 3 at London last month (2:58) was something I had wanted for ages – Trying to juggle training for 100 mile races alongside a crack at sub 3 hour marathon has been a challenge but to a certain extent they have complimented each other well!
GUCR 2014 – mentally more than physically but it was the fear of the unknown of going further than 100 miles.
EDIT – Also, I just DNF'd the Florida Keys 100 miler in mid-May at 62 miles … the humidity there was like nothing I've ever ran in before and the cramps were so bad I made the (now regrettable) decision to drop
Ultras – Monster Ambit 24 hour (June), Essex 100 or KACR (July), August TBC and a nice local 12 hours at St Albans Stampede (September)
What is your typical race strategy for an ultra?
Start slow, walk hills and make the most of the bits where I feel good – not forgetting to eat at the aid stations
Hmmmm, it can range from 10 miles to 70 miles … I'm well aware this needs to be increased before Spartathlon though! Lifestyle, family and the fact I don't want to get injured tends to keep my mileage in check. I live a mile away from the Grand Union Canal so love a long weekend run ending at a canal side pub!
What one tip would you pass onto people running an Ultra marathon for the first time?
It's not as hard as you think – if you like your own company and can channel your thoughts into positive ones then you can finish an ultra!
I had a son in March called Toby and he is so unbelievably happy – He never fails to make me smile!
Have you taken part in the Spartathlon before?
After being unsuccessful in the last three ballots, I'm finally looking forward to tackling this race, being part of the team, the distance, the mountain, the finish line and of course the post-race celebrations … My wife and friends are particularly looking forward to me running it so I stop talking about it all the time!
But most of all it has to be the last few miles of the race and especially the finish
What are you not looking forward to during the Spartathlon race?
1. I know how much it's going to hurt … 153 miles will hurt no matter who you are!
2. Being away from my wife and baby Toby
Long training runs in the heat of the UK summer, increased mileage including some back to backs, mix in some hills and walking sessions.
I have my good mate Andy Hannon coming to support who has experience of being at ultras and has experienced my 'ultramoods' at GUCR a few years back. He was also in Florida in mid-May for the DNF at the Keys 100 so he will be a vital part of my race.
Marcel McKinley
Your Name: Marcel
Occupation: Zookeeper
Home Town: I live in Watford, but my nationality is Hungarian.
Website/Blog: https://monkeymarcel.wordpress.com/
I have been running since high school. I finished my first marathon in 2009 and my first ultra just a couple of years later.
My first ultra was a low key 50km race in Lovell Canyon, Nevada. It was a day after a marathon. Basically just wanted to see if I could pull off two back to back races.
Transgrancanaria. My favourite race.
My first silver buckle in the Western States 100 mile race from last year; my first sub-24-hour finish in Transgrancanaria last year; finishing my second Magredi Mountail Trail 100 mile race in 34 hours and enjoying most of it even though it had rained for about 26-28 hours; finishing my first Saprtathlon last year.
Hahaha! Too many to choose from… I do experience extreme highs and extreme lows in longer races and if I don't eat enough and/or I'm sleepy, I can be a drama queen.
4 marathons in the spring, Transgrancanaria – this time 84km distance, GUCR, Lavaredo Ultra Trail, UTMB, Karsruhe Marathon in Germany 2 weeks before the Spartathlon and Berlin Marathon 5 days before the Spartathlon.
I haven't figured it out, yet. Races can be so different, I mean I wouldn't have the same strategy for a mountainous 100km race and a flat 100 miler.
I run 6 days a week. That includes one or two longer runs, one or two pace/tempo runs and the rest are just easy runs.
If you feel dead at the halfway point, you're pretty much doomed. You don't have to feel fresh, but it makes a huge difference if you feel OK.
I don't think it's interesting, but people normally comment on how cool they think it is to be a zookeeper.
Yes, managed to – just – finish in last year's event.
The scenery and the people.
Trying not to think about the whole distance because it IS a long way.
Trying to spend as much time as I can in a sauna. Also doing some cross training exercises and trying to improve my flexibility.
This time, I will. Rusty and Zoe will help me to get to Sparta. They'd better have a clean sock ready to shove in my mouth when I start complaining.
British Spartathlon Team News – August 2019 August 17, 2019
British Spartathlon Team Training Day July 10, 2019
British Spartathlon Team News June 20, 2019
Website Updates January 12, 2019
Good Luck! September 27, 2018
Press Release: Sep 2018 September 19, 2018
Runner, Lizzy Hawker Book Release July 13, 2018
2018 British Spartathlon Team T-Shirts & Hoodies July 8, 2018
British Spartathlon Team Update (June 2018) May 31, 2018
British Spartathlon Team Update (March 2018) March 20, 2018


text:
Broadcasters are World Cup losers owing to piracy trend in Africa
By AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE,
Libreville, Gabon, Jun 27 – Blaise has a beer in his hand, he's in front of a TV screen showing the World Cup, and the smile on his face suggests life doesn't get much better than this.
But Canal Plus may disagree – it owns the broadcasting rights in Gabon to the match being illegally shown in the bar in Libreville, the capital.
"I've got a Canal Plus box, but I got hooked up to BeIN Sports for the World Cup – it costs less!" says Blaise.
BeIN has no rights to broadcast World Cup matches in the western central African state.
But that is overlooked by a host of private firms, unconnected to the Qatar-based pay-TV group, which will happily link up punters to the BeIN feed in exchange for a sum.
Blaise shrugs off any legal or moral qualms about broadcasting piracy, a common phenomenon across Africa. "It's their problem, not mine."
AFP contacted BeIN, but it did not respond.
BeIN's direct competitor, Canal Plus, says piracy costs it between 15 and 20 percent of its turnover, according to Mamadou Mbengue, the head of the channel in Gabon.
"Canal Plus has a virtual monopoly on sports broadcasting rights in all of French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, but some companies are committing industrial piracy. They get a free ride, while we paid for the rights," he said.
"It worries us because it impacts our business. There is a risk of the same thing happening which occurred in the Maghreb – in the long term, we have to pack our bags."
The station pulled out of the Maghreb region years ago, with BeIN now the only authorised World Cup broadcaster in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt.
'Do something'
Bizarrely, Canal Plus is back in Algeria – but illegally so. Viewers are able to quite easily buy set-top boxes, which break through the channel's encryption.
"It's piracy," says a hawker at a large market in Algiers. He said the devices are sold everywhere legally for between 100 and 150 euros ($115 and $175).
The practice is widespread across the region, particularly in the Moroccan city of Casablanca known as "the Mecca of pirated material".
In four of the five African countries that made it through to the tournament – Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco and Tunisia – public television channels have bought the rights to broadcast the national team's matches.
In Senegal, the National Council of Audiovisual Regulation threatened penalties against any illegal transmission of games, coming after a row between two broadcasters over the rights that ended with both being able to show matches.
"The costs of broadcasting rights for sports events are often too high for our organisations, this partly explains the piracy," said Gregoire Ndjaka, director of the African Broadcasting Union.
He has received between 10 and 15 calls a day since the start of the World Cup: "They come from Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast… they all ask me to do something so that local actors respect the arrangements and stop hacking."
Beatrice Damiba, president of the Pan-African NGO Convergence, which fights against piracy, said it works to inform people that it's theft.
"It's not only football that is hacked, there is also music, cinema, and that concerns all of Africa," she said.
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text:
335 F. 2d 764 - United States v. Martell
335 F2d 764 United States v. Martell
UNITED STATES of America, Appellee,
William Joseph MARTELL, Appellant.
United States Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit.
Decided August 10, 1964.
James J. Booker and Lafayette Williams, court-assigned counsel, Winston-Salem, N. C., for appellant.
Roy G. Hall, Jr., Asst. U. S. Atty. (William H. Murdock, U. S. Atty., on brief), for appellee.
Before SOBELOFF, Chief Judge, BOREMAN, Circuit Judge, and CRAVEN, District Judge.
SOBELOFF, Chief Judge.
Upon his plea of guilty to a charge of kidnapping, William Joseph Martell was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 40 years. This appeal challenges the jurisdiction of the District Court on the ground that the indictment did not satisfy the requirements of Rule 7(c) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.1
The indictment charged that:
"On or about July 28, 1963, WILLIAM JOSEPH MARTELL, by force and violence, with the use of a pistol, and without the consent of Paul Vincent Sheehan, did, in the commission of the offense of the theft of an automobile belonging to the said Paul Vincent Sheehan, unlawfully seize, confine, kidnap, abduct and carry away Paul Vincent Sheehan from Auburn, in the State of New York, to near Mount Pleasant, in the State and Middle District of North Carolina, and did fail to release the said Paul Vincent Sheehan, within twenty-four hours after he had been unlawfully seized, confined, kidnaped, abducted and carried away, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1201 (a) (b)."2
Recognizing that an indictment need not use the exact words of the statute, Martell argues, however, that this particular indictment departed from the language of the kidnapping statute in so many ways that it should be struck down. Specifically, he points out the indictment did not charge that he "knowingly" committed the offense, or that the victim was "transport[ed] in interstate commerce," or that the victim was "held for ransom or reward or otherwise."
An indictment must use either the terms of the statute "or words of similar import." Finn v. United States, 256 F.2d 304, 306 (4th Cir. 1958). The absence of the word "knowingly" is not fatal, for the facts recited in the indictment necessarily imply knowledge. Wheatley v. United States, 159 F.2d 599 (4th Cir. 1946); Finn v. United States, supra. The same principle applies to the failure of the indictment to allege transportation in interstate commerce. It charges that Martell carried the victim "from Auburn, in the State of New York, to near Mount Pleasant, in the State * * * of North Carolina." Plainly these words charge an interstate transportation.
Nor would the inclusion of the words "held for ransom or reward or otherwise" have added anything to the sufficiency of the indictment. Clinton v. United States, 260 F.2d 824 (5th Cir. 1958). While it did not use the word "held," it charged that Martell seized and confined the victim and "did fail to release" him. The Supreme Court has recently declared that the statute is violated regardless of the ultimate purpose of the kidnapper. United States v. Healy, 376 U.S. 75, 84 S.Ct. 553, 11 L.Ed.2d 527 (1964). See also Gooch v. United States, 297 U.S. 124, 56 S.Ct. 395, 80 L.Ed. 522 (1936). This being so, use of the statutory language, "ransom or reward or otherwise," was not necessary.3
While we perceive no reason why the draughtsman could not have followed the statutory language more closely, we cannot say that the deviations make the indictment defective. Hagner v. United States, 285 U.S. 427, 52 S.Ct. 417, 76 L.Ed. 861 (1932). The indictment uses words of similar import to the statutory terms, Finn v. United States, supra, and satisfies the requirement of Rule 7 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure by embodying a "statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged."
The appellant further contends that the imprisonment for 40 years is unduly harsh and amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Where the sentence is within the limit set by the statute, we are barred, except in the most exceptional circumstances, from any inquiry we might otherwise be inclined to make. Tincher v. United States, 11 F.2d 18 (4th Cir. 1926); Carpenter v. United States, 280 F. 598, 601 (4th Cir. 1922).
United States v. Wiley, 278 F.2d 500 (7th Cir. 1960), is an example of exceptional circumstances. There the Circuit Court, in reducing the sentence, predicated its action, not on the severity of the sentence, but on the fact, disclosed by the District Court in sentencing Wiley, that a harsher sentence was imposed only because he had pleaded not guilty and stood trial, while his co-defendants, who were more deeply involved but had pleaded guilty, were dealt with more leniently. The instant case presents no such exceptional circumstance.
More than once the Supreme Court has disclaimed the power to reduce sentences on appeal. In Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, 305, 52 S.Ct. 180, 182, 76 L.Ed. 306 (1932), the Court said "[u]nder the circumstances, so far as disclosed, it is true that the imposition of the full penalty of fine and imprisonment upon each count seems unduly severe; but there may have been other facts and circumstances before the trial court properly influencing the extent of the punishment. In any event, the matter was one for that court, with whose judgment there is no warrant for interference on our part." (Emphasis added). And, as recently as 1958, the Court in Gore v. United States, 357 U.S. 386, 393, 78 S. Ct. 1280, 1285, 2 L.Ed.2d 1405 (1958), said: "Whatever views may be entertained regarding severity of punishment, whether one believes in its efficacy or its futility, * * * these are peculiarly questions of legislative policy. Equally so are the much mooted problems relating to the power of the judiciary to review sentences. * * * This Court has no such power." (Emphasis added).
While the foregoing expressions particularly emphasize the Supreme Court's lack of power to revise sentences, the language is not restricted to that court alone, but applies literally and in spirit to the courts of appeals as well. Lower appellate courts, for their part, have consistently disavowed such power. See, e. g., Martin v. United States, 317 F.2d 753 (9th Cir. 1963); Egan v. United States, 268 F.2d 820 (8th Cir. 1959); Hess v. United States, 254 F.2d 578 (8th Cir. 1958); United States v. Rosenberg, 195 F.2d 583, 603 (2d Cir. 1952); Hemans v. United States, 163 F.2d 228 (6th Cir. 1947); Scala v. United States, 54 F.2d 608, 611 (7th Cir. 1931). Cf. Yates v. United States, 356 U.S. 363, 78 S.Ct. 766, 2 L.Ed.2d 837 (1958). The case of Gurera v. United States, 40 F.2d 338, 340-341 (8th Cir. 1930), summarizes the present rule in the federal courts: "If there is one rule in the federal criminal practice which is firmly established, it is that the appellate court has no control over a sentence which is within the limits allowed by a statute." (Emphasis added).
Appellate review of sentences, however, is not a new concept.4 Indeed, from 1879 until 1891, when appellate jurisdiction was transferred from the federal circuit courts to the circuit courts of appeals, the old circuit courts had and exercised express statutory authority to reduce legal but excessive sentences.5 A number of states6 and the military,7 as well as England,8 Canada,9 India10 and Pakistan11 allow appeals from sentences. The United States stands alone in allowing a single judge to set the minimum sentence according to his own dictate.12
The sentencing process inevitably reflects to a greater or lesser degree the individual judge's philosophy of criminal law. It may be argued that just as appellate judges are expected to fashion a composite view in other fields of law, they should have power to develop a more uniform approach to the sentencing problem, and that a sentence should be subject to review to the same extent as other exercises of legal discretion, to make correction in the occasional instances of clear abuse. In Congress strong efforts are afoot to grant federal courts of appeals the power to modify sentences in addition to their existing power to review the record for errors of law.13 But, however persuasive we may consider the arguments in favor of such legislation, it is not our province to anticipate the Congress.
Rule 7(c), Fed.R.Crim.P.:
"The indictment or the information shall be a plain, concise and definite written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. * * *"
18 U.S.C.A. § 1201(a) (b) reads as follows:
"(a) Whoever knowingly transports in interstate or foreign commerce, any person who has been unlawfully seized, confined, inveigled, decoyed, kidnaped, abducted, or carried away and held for ransom or reward or otherwise, except, in the case of a minor, by a parent thereof, shall be punished * * * (2) by imprisonment for any term of years or for life, if the death penalty is not imposed.
"(b) The failure to release the victim within twenty-four hours after he shall have been unlawfully seized, confined, inveigled, decoyed, kidnaped, abducted, or carried away shall create a rebuttable presumption that such person has been transported in interstate or foreign commerce."
The Supreme Court in Gooch v. United States, 297 U.S. 124, 56 S.Ct. 395, 80 L. Ed. 522 (1936), cited and quoted the Senate and House Judiciary Committee Reports as authoritative interpretations of the words "or otherwise" as used in the Act. The Senate Judiciary Committee Report stated that "[t]he object of the addition of the word `otherwise' is to extend the jurisdiction of this act to persons who have been kidnaped and held, not only for reward, but forany other reason." (Emphasis added). S.Rep. 534, 73d Cong., 2d Sess., March 22, 1934.
The House Judiciary Committee's Report gives an equally broad interpretation of the phrase "or otherwise":
"This bill, as amended, proposes three changes in the act known as the `Federal Kidnaping Act.' First, it is proposed to add the words `or otherwise, except, in the case of a minor, by a parent thereof.' This will extend Federal jurisdiction under the act to persons who have been kidnaped and held, not only for reward, but for any other reason, except that a kidnaping by a parent of his child is specifically exempted * * *." (Emphasis added). H.Rep. 1457, 73d Cong., 2d Sess., May 3, 1934.
Appellate Review of Sentences (A Symposium at the Judicial Conference of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Manchester, Vermont). 32 F.R.D. 249 (1963); Hall, "Reduction of Criminal Sentences on Appeal," 37 Col.L.Rev. 521, 762 (1937); Note, "Appellate Review of Primary Decisions: A Connecticut Case Study," 69 Yale L.J. 1453 (1960)
20 Stat. 354
State v. Killiam, 91 Ariz. 140, 370 P.2d 287 (1962); Brown v. State, 34 Ark. 232 (1879); State v. Tirella, 22 Conn. Sup. 25, 158 A.2d 602 (1959); Hawaii Rev.Laws §§ 212-14 (1955); State v. Constanzo, 76 Idaho 19, 276 P.2d 959 (1954); State v. Marcus, 240 Iowa 116, 34 N.W.2d 179 (1948); Mass.Ann.Laws, ch. 278, §§ 28 A-D (1956); Satterfield v. State, 172 Neb. 275, 109 N.W.2d 415 (1961); State v. Johnson, 67 N.J.Super. 414, 170 A.2d 830 (1961); People v. Greer, 3 A.D.2d 980, 162 N.Y.S.2d 504 (1957); Ratcliff v. State, Okl.Cr., 289 P.2d 152 (1955); Commonwealth v. Elliot, 371 Pa. 70, 89 A.2d 782 (1952)
10 U.S.C.A. § 866(c) gives military boards of review the power to modify sentences on appeal. See Fowler v. Wilkinson, 353 U.S. 583, 77 S.Ct. 1035, 1 L. Ed.2d 1054 (1957); United States v. Bigger, 2 U.S.C.M.A. 297, 8 C.M.R. 97 (1953)
7 Edw. VII, c. 23 (1907). Vanderbilt, "Work of England's Court of Criminal Appeal," 12 Wash.L.Rev. 52 (1937)
Canadian Criminal Code §§ 583, 584
Indian Code of Criminal Procedure §§ 417, 418
Pakistan Code of Criminal Procedure §§ 417, 418
George, "An Unsolved Problem: Comparative Sentencing Techniques," 45 A. B.A. Journal 250, 251 (1959)
A bill by Senator Hruska, S. 823, is under consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee