Running USA Hall of Champions Dinner and Auction Celebrates the Sport

Running USA Hall of Champions Dinner and Auction Celebrates the Sport

Team USA Arizona wins Allan Steinfeld Development Award; Hall of Champions inductees Dr. Ken Cooper and Creigh Kelley; tribute to Cascade Run Off highlight event

SAN ANTONIO - (February 14, 2011) - At the Running USA Hall of Champions Dinner and Live Auction on Monday evening at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, the sport was celebrated and feted with the Allan Steinfeld Development Award, two Hall of Champions inductees and a tribute to the Cascade Run Off. The evening was part of Running USA 2011: The Industry Conference which opened to record registration on Sunday, February 13 in the Alamo City.

Team USA Arizona, based at altitude in Flagstaff, was announced as the second Allan Steinfeld Development Award winner. The development award was named after Allan Steinfeld, a long-time leader in the sport, who jump-started the U.S. distance running resurgence when as head of the New York Road Runners he allocated $20,000 seed money ($1 per U.S. entry at the 2000 New York City Marathon) for the development program Team USA Distance Running launched in November 2000 that produced training groups such as Team Running USA (two Olympic medals in 2004 and major marathon wins) and Team USA Minnesota (winner of the inaugural development award) and inspired others.

"Team USA Arizona with its youth and talent is a perfect choice for our training group development award. They represent the future of U.S. distance running, and we look forward to their continued successes as the 2012 Olympics near," said Susan Weeks, Running USA CEO.

"If we've learned one thing from the resurgence of U.S. distance running over the last 10 years, it's that all our Olympic hopefuls need is opportunity. Running USA's ongoing support of training groups through the Allan Steinfeld Development Award allows more and more opportunities for our deserving emerging elite athletes," said Greg McMillan, Team USA Arizona head coach and founder. "We are honored to receive this award which will help us continue to provide opportunities for a new generation of U.S. distance runners."

The 17-member Team USA Arizona, with an average age of just 25, includes 10 women (Lindsay Allen (College Park HS, Pleasant Hill; Stanford), Erin Bedell, Alvina Begay, Danielle Domenichelli, Megan Duwell, Emily Harrison, Shayla Houlihan, Natasha LaBeaud (Folsom HS; Georgetown), Stephanie Rothstein and Jaime Winslow) and 7 men (Marco Anzures, Nick Arciniaga, Fasil Bizuneh, Aaron Braun, Brett Gotcher (Aptos HS; Stanford), Jordan Horn and Scott Smith). Gotcher and Rothstein currently have the fourth fastest U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials 2012 qualifier times. For more information, go to: www.teamusaarizona.com

In addition, at the Monday evening awards banquet and live auction, the eighth class of the Running USA Hall of Champions was recognized for their contribution and dedication to the sport. The 2011 inductees were:

•Dr. Ken Cooper (Dallas, TX), best-selling author / researcher / pioneer / "father of aerobics"
•Creigh Kelley (Englewood, CO), race organizer / announcer / administrator / volunteer
The evening also included a tribute to the Cascade Run Off and the 30th anniversary of its awarding of Open prize money, the first such "over the table" money for a major U.S. road race. This historic event led to the professionalization of the sport. At the tribute, race founder Chuck Galford, race coordinator Keith Peters and 1981 women's winner Anne Audain represented and celebrated the 15K race. Later a quilt made of past race shirts was auctioned for $2500.

Overall, the conference's silent and live auctions raised more than $52,000 for Team USA Arizona and other Running USA programs.

For more information on Running USA 2011, visit: RunningUSA.org or contact Ryan Lamppa at (805) 696-6232 or ryan@runningusa.org