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In this edition:
Professional Fields Set for USA 1 Mile Road Championships
Hesch, Marley Win Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon
Sold-Out Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Ups the Ante for 26.2 Mile Winners
Hospital Hill Run Goes Even More Green
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Medtronic TC 1 Mile, Minneapolis, MN, May 12
USA Men's & Women's Championships
Ragnar Relay New York, Woodstock-NYC, NY, May 13
UAE Healthy Kidney 10K, NY, NY, May 14
AJC Peachtree Jr., Atlanta, GA, May 14
Fifth Third River Bank 25K, Grand Rapids, MI, May 14
USA Men's & Women's Championships
USA 15K Trail Championships, Spokane, WA, May 14
Marine Corps Historic Half, Fredericksburg, MD, May 15
Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, PA, May 15
Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, Cleveland, OH, May 15
Cellcom Green Bay Marathon, Green Bay, WI, May 15
Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon, Denver, CO, May 15
100th Zazzle Bay to Breakers 12K, San Francisco, CA, May 15
Ragnar Relay New England, New Haven-Boston, MA, May 20
Inaugural Acworth Get Fit 5K, Acworth, GA, May 21
Fargo Marathon & Half-Marathon, Fargo, ND, May 21
Cottonwood Classic, Denver, CO, May 21
Run to Home Base 9K, Boston, MA, May 21
AirLife 5K / 10K, Denver, CO, May 22
Great Kilted Run 5K, Seattle, WA, May 22
Professional Fields Set for USA 1 Mile Road Championships
Men's defending champion David Torrence faces top challengers including Ryan Hall; women's national championship race a toss-up
ST. PAUL, Minn. - (May 10, 2011) - Talented men's and women's fields will race to become the country's champion road miler at the USA 1 Mile Road Championships held in conjunction with Thursday's 7th Medtronic TC 1 Mile in downtown Minneapolis. Aspiring Olympic athletes will race for $22,500 in prize money with $4000 to each national champion plus a pair of $10,000 time bonuses.
In the men's race, a pack of hungry contenders - including an unlikely challenger - seek to dethrone two-time USA champion David Torrence of Oakland, California, the only athlete to break the four-minute barrier on the Nicollet Mall course. In women's competition, thanks to a late scratch by defending champion Anna Pierce, a new USA Champion will emerge from a talented field eager for glory at the sport's signature distance.
The Medtronic TC 1 Mile, which features an evening of races for runners of all ages and abilities, hosts the USA 1 Mile Road Championship for the third-straight year. Racing kicks off at 6:50pm on Thursday, May 12, culminating with the USA Championships races at 7:53pm (women) and 8:03pm (men).
Two-time men's national champion Torrence, 25, has established a special bond with the Medtronic TC 1 Mile course. After a surprise first USA road title on it in 2009 - a sub-four-minute win that launched his professional running career - Torrence returned in 2010 to confirm his position as one of the country's top milers. The savvy racer is the favorite for a third-straight title and another shot at the $10,000 bonus reserved for a sub-4:00 champion.
Torrence will face a field of challengers eager to topple the defending champion and advance their own careers. 2010 USA 1 Mile third-place finisher Jordan Horn of Flagstaff, Arizona returns to improve upon his 4:05.7 clocking a year ago. Craig Miller of Madison, Wisconsin, who finished third at April's Boston Athletic Association Mile, held in conjunction with the Boston Marathon, should also vie for the U.S. title.
But the most intriguing race entrant is undoubtedly Ryan Hall of Mammoth Lakes, California. Only 24-days removed from running the fastest marathon ever by an American, Hall, who hasn't raced the mile distance since 2006, will attempt to trade strides with race-sharpened mile specialists. Hall has miling success in his background, however as he ran the 1500-meter equivalent of a four-flat mile as a high school senior. Whether he can find that ability after such a long layoff from the event - and so soon after his all-time best 2:04:58, 4th-place finish at the Boston Marathon on April 18 - is a captivating question.
If there's a favorite in the women's field, it's probably Ryan Hall's wife Sara Hall. The runner-up at the 2009 USA 1 Mile Road Championship held at the TC 1 Mile, Hall, 28, is fresh off a road mile win last month at the Grand Blue Mile held in conjunction with the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. In the race, Hall out-ran four women who are slated to compete in the USA Championships, including last year's USA 1 Mile 4th-place finisher Amy Mortimer, the Grand Blue Mile champ in 2010.
Morgan Uceny, who trains in Mammoth Lakes, California where the Halls live, can't be excluded from the favorite's list, however, despite racing in only her first Medtronic TC 1 Mile. Uceny comes to Minnesota after ripping through a winter racing season in which the 2010 USA 1500m Indoor champion established new indoor personal bests at 800m and 1500m. If there's a big pack approaching the finish line, Uceny's half-mile speed - she's run 1:58.67 for 800-meters - could be a difference-maker.
In the deep pack of contenders are five Minnesota-affiliated runners who could make a national class mark in their home state. Team USA Minnesota runners Gabriele Anderson, Meghan Peyton (nee Armstrong), Jamie Cheever and Heather Kampf (nee Dorniden) are entered in their home state race. Joining them is Burnsville High School alumnus Laura Januszewski. Last year, Kampf finished 6th in the race.
The women's field will also race for a $10,000 bonus if the national champion runs under 4:32.
Visit www.tcmevents.org for more information.
Hesch, Marley Win Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon
Race record 2,401 finishers at 5th edition in beautiful Santa Ynez Valley
SOLVANG, Calif. - (May 7, 2011) - Late entries Christian Hesch and Tiffanie Marley led a strong elite field of runners at the 5th Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon on Saturday morning. Hesch from Hollywood, CA set the pace from the start and cruised to victory in a time of 1 hour, 6 minutes, 53 seconds, defeating runner-up Bryant Jensen from Ogden, UT by seven seconds with Mark Batres of Rowland Heights, CA third.
In the women's race, Marley of Lake Hughes, CA held off 2008 race winner and Masters ace Susan Loken, 47, from Phoenix, AZ in 1:22:23 to 1:22:47. Both Hesch and Marley had won their only other previous Wine Country Half Marathon (Healdsburg), and this time the race champions took home a 3L bottle of wine, a Ball Watch and $500 cash. Second place finishers received $300 in cash and magnum of wine and third place took home $200 and a magnum of wine. The top three in each age group also won a bottle of wine.
Hesch, 32, had planned to run a one-mile race in Northern California on Saturday but changed his mind on Friday and decided to run the half-marathon instead. "I didn't know how competitive I would be given the strength of the field," said Hesch. "But it turned out to be a perfect day and a great race for me. I'm looking forward to running Napa-to-Sonoma in July."
Marley, 28, also a short distance specialist, was running in only her second half-marathon. "The race was thoroughly enjoyable. These (Destination Races) are the best courses to run," said Marley. She benefitted from her recent training program and the cool mid-fifty degree temperatures on race morning.
The scenic course runs from downtown Santa Ynez, through Los Olivos, then into Ballard Canyon before finishing in historic Solvang on Copenhagen Drive. Post-race, an event record 2,401 finishers were treated to a Wine & Music Festival.
5th Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon
Santa Ynez-Los Olivos-Solvang, CA, Saturday, May 7, 2011
MEN
1) Christian Hesch (CA), 1:06:53, $500 plus 3L bottle of wine and a Ball Watch
2) Bryant Jensen (UT), 1:07:00, $300 plus magnum of wine
3) Mark Batres (CA), 1:08:43, $200 plus magnum of wine
WOMEN
1) Tiffanie Marley (CA), 1:22:23, $500 plus 3L bottle of wine and a Ball Watch
2) Susan Loken, 47, (AZ), 1:22:47, $300 plus magnum of wine
3) Lindsey Mottus (CA), 1:24:27, $200 plus magnum of wine
Complete results and more at: www.runsantaynez.com
Sold-Out Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Ups the Ante for 26.2 Mile Winners
Increased prize money for the male and female winners offered at 34th edition
CLEVELAND - (May 9, 2011) - After selling out both the full marathon and half-marathon at the upcoming 34th Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon on Sunday, May 15, the race directors have announced that they will make the stakes even higher for the winners of the full marathon by offering an extra $3000 each to the male and female winner if they finish under a certain time.
"The excitement surrounding this weekend's events is already soaring," said Executive Director of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Jack Staph. "We wanted to give the fans at the finish line a little added suspense to make the 'Cleveland Experience' even more entertaining for participants and fans alike."
If the winner of the men's marathon can break 2 hours, 20 minutes for his finishing time, and the women's marathon winner can break 2:40, they both will claim an additional $3000 on top of the standard $1000 for claiming the lowest finishing time. The course records for the event are 2:10:29 for the men, set in 2000, and 2:30:15 for the women, set in 1998.
"This 300% increase in the winners' purses should make for an interesting finish line on Sunday," said Staph. "Our revised course is very flat and fast, so the times should be low for all runners, not just the elites."
The new finish line for the 34th edition is located between the Cleveland Browns Stadium and Great Lakes Science Center in the heart of the North Coast Harbor. There will be a 26.3-mile finish line rock party with live bands, a beer garden, food vendors and an official gear store set up near the finish area. The finish line is free and open to the public. Those traveling into downtown should give themselves extra time and expect to encounter closed roads and detours, due to the marathon's course throughout the city.
Sunday's event includes a 10K, half-marathon and full marathon. The 5K and Kids' Run take place Saturday at the Browns Stadium. The first winners will cross the finish line on Sunday around 7:40am. They will likely be the professional international runners competing in the 10K. The half-marathon winners will finish around 8:00am and the marathon winners will cross the line around 9:20am.
Currently, registration for the 2011 event is up 25 percent from the same time last year. Race organizers are expecting another year of record registration, with more than 19,000 runners and walkers expected - up from 15,600 in 2010. The full marathon and half-marathon have both sold out, but there are still spots available for Sunday's 10K and Saturday's 5K, which finishes on the field at Browns Stadium.
The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon offers the following opportunities for people to participate in the event: full marathon, half marathon, 10K, full marathon walking division, half marathon walking division, 10K walking division, 5K (run or walk) and Kids' Run. The races take place May 14-15, 2011.
There are also opportunities for non-profit organizations to raise funds through their participation in the race through Cleveland Marathon Charities, for which information can be found on the marathon's website.
To register for any of the events, or learn more, visit: www.clevelandmarathon.com
Hospital Hill Run Goes Even More Green
38th edition partners with city and other local businesses to promote environmentally-conscious event
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - (May 10, 2011) - Hospital Hill Run has always been environmentally-conscience, but through innovative new partnerships the 2011 event - set for Saturday, June 4 - will be the "greenest" race in Kansas City's history.
Hospital Hill Run Race Director Beth Salinger was looking to take the event's "'green racing" initiative to the next level. The Run had been recycling all plastic and reusing signage for years, but they were ready to make the 38th edition one of the most environmentally-friendly in the nation.
Salinger started researching to see if Kansas City had a Chief Environmental Officer and how others might be able to get involved with her cause.
"What I found was that Kansas City is so far ahead of other metro areas when it comes to city involvement in environmental efforts," Salinger said. "Once I met with Kansas City's Chief Environmental Officer, Dennis Murphey, we were really able to make strides in our efforts to make Hospital Hill Run even more environmentally-conscious."
For the first time ever, the City of Kansas City, Missouri is partnering with a local race helping them to "go green." The City is donating vehicles for race week, and all will be hybrid or electric. In correspondence with the City's "no idling policy" all Hospital Hill Run vehicles will also refrain from idling the week of the race.
"The City of Kansas City welcomes the opportunity to partner with Hospital Hill Run to align the 2011 event with the city's goal to achieve a triple-bottom line approach of simultaneously promoting the environmental, social, and economic vitality of our community. We hope to help make the 2011 Hospital Hill Run a nationally-recognized premier green running event," Dennis Murphey said.
Hospital Hill Run is also partnering with Greenability Magazine to print the Race Weekend Magazine.
"By working with Greenability, the Hospital Hill Run organizers have made a huge commitment to making its magazine as green as possible," said Julie Koppen, Greenability Publisher and Founder. "According to Green America's Better Paper Project, more publications are using at least a percentage of recycled paper content. But the Hospital Hill Run magazine takes an even larger green step by reducing its environmental footprint by decreasing or eliminating use of coal-fired electricity, petroleum-based inks, virgin paper, chlorine for whitening and petroleum in transportation (by printing in Missouri)."
Race weekend and race day GREEN volunteers will be able to be easily spotted in green shirts and are directing trash traffic making sure the trash cans, recycling bins and compost bins are filled properly and not cross-contaminated.
"When people think of going green, they primarily think of recycling. They forget all about the 'reduce' and 'reuse' which are also really important components of being environmentally-friendly," Salinger added. "Through our partnerships with the City and Greenability, we're really going to be able to practice what we preach."
About Hospital Hill Run
Hospital Hill Run is the oldest road race in Kansas City and the one of the oldest half-marathons in the United States. First held in 1974 with a field of 99 athletes, Hospital Hill Run has grown in size and stature in the ensuing years, recently being named one of the top races in the country by Runner's World magazine. Past competitors include such running legends as Olympic gold medalists Frank Shorter and Billy Mills and running legends Bill Rodgers and Jim Ryun, as well as over 100,000 ordinary Kansas and Missouri citizens running for the challenge, fun and fitness. In 2010, Hospital Hill Run hosted its largest field ever, when over 7,400 athletes took to the Kansas City streets. The 2011 Hospital Hill Run will take place on Saturday, June 4 at Crown Center.
For more information or to register, visit: www.hospitalhillrun.com
Contact Information
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director, ryan@runningusa.org, (805) 696-6232
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