Running USA wire 41, May 13, 2012

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In this edition:
Meucci Masters UAE Healthy Kidney 10K
Bawcom Smashes U.S. Record as USA 25K Champion
Autumn Ray Wins Inaugural Thelma & Louise Half Marathon
Medtronic TC 1 Mile Features Olympic Hopefuls

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Medtronic TC 1 Mile, Minneapolis, MN, May 17
USA Men's & Women's Championship
Twilight 5K, Denver, CO, May 17
5th Geist Half-Marathon by St. Vincent, Indianapolis, IN, May 19
Joplin Memorial Run, Joplin, MO, May 19
Fargo Marathon, Fargo, ND, May 19
TC Kids Marathon XC Fun Runs, Minneapolis, MN, May 19
Colfax 5K, Denver, CO, May 19
Cottonwood Classic 5K, Denver, CO, May 19
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Run, Colorado Springs, CO, May 19
35th Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Weekend, OH, May 19-20
Cellcom Green Bay Marathon & Half, Green Bay, WI, May 19-20
5th Marine Corps Historic Half, Fredericksburg, VA, May 20
Divas Half-Marathon, North Myrtle Beach, SC, May 20
AirLife Memorial 5K & 10K, Denver, CO, May 20
Eye-Q California Classic Half-Marathon, Fresno, CA, May 20
101st Zazzle Bay to Breakers 12K, San Francisco, CA, May 20
Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Portland 1/2 Marathon, OR, May 20



Meucci Masters UAE Healthy Kidney 10K

Curtis top American in third; race record 7,918 finishers at 8th edition in Central Park

By NYRR



NEW YORK - (May 12, 2012) - At the start of the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K on Saturday morning, the buzz was all about the 2012 U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon team of Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman, who would be competing in the same race for the first and probably only time between January's U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston and the London Games this August. But at the finish, it was an Italian champion, an Iona College standout from Kenya and a U.S. Olympic hopeful who stole the spotlight and the podium.



At the 8th edition, Tesfaye Girma, 29, of Ethiopia and the local West Side Runners team, took an early lead that grew to as much as 10 seconds and lasted until the five-mile mark, where he was finally caught by Daniele Meucci, 26, of Pisa, Italy, and Leonard Korir, 25, of Kenya and New Rochelle, NY, who then battled for the lead throughout the final mile. They were neck-and-neck with a half-mile to go...and with a quarter mile...and then Meucci produced an explosive kick in the final stretch to take the victory in 28 minutes, 28 seconds, with Korir just 2 seconds behind in second place.



The race's first Italian champion, who earned $25,000 for the win and will represent Italy in the 10,000 meters in London, described his first time in New York City as "wonderful," noting that he is in good shape but not yet at his peak, with more work still to be done.



It was just the beginning of a big day for Korir. First, the All-American and two-time NCAA Division I champion graduated into the ranks of professional runners with a strong debut in Central Park. Then, after accepting his second-place award, he headed over to the Jacob Javits Convention Center to walk in the graduation ceremony with his Iona College classmates, where he'll be awarded a degree in political science.



"I think I'm having a good day today," Korir said with a smile before announcing his hopes to continue running professionally.



Bobby Curtis, 27, of Ardmore, PA, took the final podium spot with a finish worthy of his track credentials. He ran in a large pack behind Girma until the group descended Cat Hill along the East Drive, where he fell back to fifth and appeared to be slipping from contention. A cramp hindered him for about a minute, but the 2008 NCAA 10,000 meter champion from Villanova rallied, moved into fourth place with 800 meters to go, and then surged ahead of Girma to cross the line in 28:37, a road personal record. He will train at altitude in Mammoth Lakes, CA, for four weeks before heading to the Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR, where he will hope to qualify in the 10,000 meters.



The marquee trio of Keflezighi, Hall and Abdirahman, who will represent the United States in the marathon at the London Games, spent much of the race in the lead pack before it began to string out in the third and fourth miles. Abdirahman was the first of the group across the line; his time of 28:56 was good for fifth place. Keflezighi was seventh in 29:08, while Hall took 15th in 30:15.



While none of them made the podium, the powerhouse trio was in good spirits following the race, happy to have accepted an invitation from NYRR to run in a city that they love and that loves them right back.



"New York is just so special - I don't know if I would have come otherwise, to be honest. You just cannot say no to New York Road Runners when they invite you to a race," said Abdirahman at a post-race media conference, joking that he would run in another race next week if NYRR had one.



From the back of the crowd, NYRR president and CEO Mary Wittenberg shouted, "We do!"



Abdirahman, Keflezighi, and Hall all agreed that they are focused on London and eager to begin serious training in the hopes of a top showing on August 12.



Said Hall, "It wasn't a great run for me today, but it's fun to be out with these guys and take in New York. I have a lot of special memories of Central Park." Hall set the current Olympic Marathon Trials record of 2:09:02 in 2007 to qualify for his first Olympic team, the 2008 Beijing Games, on a course that was run almost entirely in Central Park.

"I'm very pleased with today," Keflezighi said. "You've got to start somewhere. [The Olympic Marathon] is three months from today, and that's my goal."



Abdirahman agreed. "We all have one goal: to be fit when August 12 comes. Hopefully we'll be at the closing ceremony with the three of us at the podium together. That would be a dream come true so, hey, you've got to dream!"



Locally-based Ethiopian Bekelech Bedada won the lower key women's race in 34:54.



The UAE Healthy Kidney 10K, in its eighth running this year, is sponsored by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and benefits the National Kidney Foundation. There was a race record 7,918 finishers from more than 11,000 entrants.



8th UAE Healthy Kidney 10K
New York, NY, Saturday, May 12, 2012



MEN
1) Daniele Meucci (ITA), 28:28, $25,000
2) Leonard Korir (KEN), 28:30, $12,500
3) Bobby Curtis (USA / PA), 28:37, $8000
4) Tesfaye Girma (ETH), 28:38, $5000
5) Abdi Abdirahman (USA / AZ), 28:56, $2500
6) Ben St. Lawrence (AUS), 28:59, $1250
7) Meb Keflezighi (USA / CA), 29:08, $750
8) Gilbert Kengabi Okari (KEN), 29:15, $500
9) Mengsti Tabor Nebsi (ETH), 29:23, $200
10) Henry Kiplagat Rutto (KEN), 29:31, $100



Complete results, photos and more at: www.nyrr.org






Bawcom Smashes U.S. Record as USA 25K Champion

Chirlee wins men's U.S. road title at 35th Fifth Third River Bank Run

By Jim Estes, USATF



GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - (May 12, 2012) - Janet Bawcom (Rome, Ga.) ran a pending U.S. Record of 1 hour, 24 minutes, 36 seconds in winning the women's crown Saturday at the USA 25K Championships. The old mark - 1:24:43 - was set here in 1986 by running legend Joan Benoit Samuelson. For the men, Joseph Chirlee (Colorado Springs, Colo.) captured the USA title in 1:15:10. This year marked the 19th year that the national championships were hosted by the Fifth Third River Bank Run in Grand Rapids.



Overcast skies and cool temperatures provided the stage for the 35th race edition, as the U.S. championships field once again faced a strong international contingent.



A 4:51 opening mile saw Chirlee, Brett Gotcher (Flagstaff, Ariz.), Ryan Bak (Bend, Ore.) and Christo Landry (Ann Arbor, Mich.) leading a large pack that included Robert Letting of Kenya and Derege Tadesse of Ethiopia.



After running 5:00 for the second mile, the leaders increased the tempo to 4:40 pace to break up the pack. At five miles, Letting and Chirlee opened a small gap on Gotcher, Landry and Tadesse. By 10 miles, the pair held a lead of more than 30 seconds over the chase pack.



The remaining miles saw Letting and Chirlee running together but Letting made his move as they reached downtown, opening a lead that would take him to the finish line in 1:14:54, 16-seconds ahead of Chirlee, 32, who still had plenty to celebrate with his first ever U.S. title. Landry ran 1:15:47 to finish third overall and as the national runner-up.



The women's race also saw a strong start with Bawcom and Lindsey Scherf (Fayetteville, N.C.) quickly establishing themselves as the main contenders for the women's crown. After passing the first mile in about 5:20, the pair dueled for much of the race with Scherf setting the pace.



Scherf tried several times to break away but Bawcom, 33, always maintained contact and like Letting, made her move in the final miles as she charged to the finish for her fifth USA title and first U.S. record. Scherf finished a strong second in 1:25:12.



The USA 25K Championships were the fourth stop on the 2012 USA Running Circuit (USARC) and offered more than $30,000 in prize money with the Chirlee and Bawcom earning $7000 each as national champions. The 2012 USARC, a USA Track & Field road series, features USA Championships from one mile to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The circuit features nine events for men and ten for women.



For more information on the 2012 USA 25K Championships, visit: www.usatf.org



Video highlights
Video highlights of the USA 25K Championships are available in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com at: www.USARunningCircuit.com



35th Fifth Third River Bank 25K: USA Men's & Women's Championships
Grand Rapids, MI, Saturday, May 12, 2012



MEN
1) Robert Letting (KEN), 1:14:54, $5000
2) Joseph Chirlee (CO), 1:15:10, $8500
3) Christo Landry (MI), 1:15:47, $4000
4) Brett Gotcher (AZ), 1:16:14, $1500
5) Zac Hine (CO), 1:16:39, $1000
6) Ryan Bak (OR), 1:16:57, $800
7) Craig Leon (OR), 1:17:23, $600
8) Jesse Cherry (NC), 1:18:06, $500
9) Josh Eberly (CO), 1:18:09, $400
10) Daniel Tapia (CA), 1:18:36, $200
11) Jesse Armijo (NM), 1:19:17, $100



WOMEN
1) Janet Bawcom (GA), 1:24:36*, $12,000
2) Lindsey Scherf (NC), 1:25:12, $4500
3) Melissa Johnson-White (MI), 1:26:22, $2500
4) Dot McMahan (MI), 1:26:29, $1000
5) Allie Kieffer (AZ), 1:26:29, $800
6) Alvina Begay (AZ), 1:27:07, $600
7) Jeannette Faber (OR), 1:27:16, $500
8) Wendy Thomas (CO), 1:27:46, $400
9) Kristen Fryburg-Zaitz (CO), 1:28:30, $200
10) Emily Harrision (AZ), 1:29:16, $100


*U.S. record (previous record, 1:24:43, Joan Benoit Samuelson (ME), Old Kent River Bank Run, MI, May 10, 1986)



Deeper race results at: www.53riverbankrun.com






Autumn Ray Wins Inaugural Thelma & Louise Half Marathon

More than 350 participants at new themed-event to benefit local women's shelter and girls' running program

By Faye Geiger



MOAB, Utah - (May 12, 2012) - Spectacular weather, gorgeous scenery and spirited celebration of the film Thelma & Louise made a memorable experience for the runners who completed the inaugural Thelma & Louise Half Marathon on Saturday morning. Autumn Ray, 32, from Tucson, Arizona won the themed-13.1 mile road race by more than 8 minutes in 1 hour, 25 minutes and 10 seconds.



"It was an incredible day," said race director Ranna Bieschke, for whom the Thelma & Louise Half Marathon is the culmination of years of dreaming and preparation. Bieschke has been managing Moab Half Marathon's three annual races since 2002, and said that seeing the Thelma & Louise Half Marathon come to life was "even better than I imagined. Everything came together so beautifully."



More than 350 women and girls toed the start line, which was located near where the final scene of the 1991 Oscar-winning movie Thelma & Louise was filmed. Classic red rock scenery accompanied the runners as they descended to the finish at a western-themed venue, the Bar-M Chuckwagon. Runners got into the spirit of the movie by wearing race bibs personalized with their chosen alter ego "Thelma" or "Louise". The tribute was furthered with cameos by characters from the movie, including the Rastafarian road biker, the lascivious trucker and Thelma and Louise themselves, who escorted runners down the race course in the lead car, a 1967 convertible.



As with Moab's other events - Canyonlands Half Marathon, The Other Half and Winter Sun 10K - the Thelma & Louise Half Marathon was executed with the objectives of promoting healthy life choices and supporting worthy causes with an emphasis on green initiatives. Chief beneficiaries are Girls on the Run and Seekhaven Family Crisis and Resource Center. The former is a program for 8-12-year-old girls that combines training for a 5K run with life-changing, confidence building lessons; Seekhaven provides shelter and resources to families in crisis and victims of violence in Moab.



Inaugural Thelma & Louise Half Marathon
Moab, UT, Saturday, May 12, 2012

1) Autumn Ray (AZ), 1:25:10
2) Megan Taylor (TX), 1:34:44
3) Jessica Walker (UT), 1:36:20



For complete results and more, go to: www.moabhalfmarathon.org






Medtronic TC 1 Mile Features Olympic Hopefuls

USA Championship on Nicollet Mall culminates evening of road racing


ST. PAUL, Minn. - (May 10, 2012) - A talented blend of familiar faces and emerging stars will race down Nicollet Mall on Thursday, May 17 at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile which again plays host to the USA 1 Mile Road Championships.



The Medtronic TC 1 Mile, organized by Twin Cities In Motion, features an evening of races for runners of all ages and abilities. Action kicks off at 6:50pm and culminates with the USA Championships races at 7:53pm (women) and 8:03pm (men). In all, more than 3,000 runners are expected to compete in this exciting 8th edition. The event has hosted the last three USA 1 Mile Road Championships.



A festive Nicollet Mall atmosphere - where Minneapolitans enjoying the downtown nightlife cheer runners along the route - makes the Medtronic TC 1 Mile a unique event on the Minnesota and national running calendar.



Headlining this year's championship fields are a pair of runners with Olympic aspirations: 2011 USA 1 Mile runners-up Heather Kampf and Aaron Braun.



Kampf, a Minneapolis resident, a former University of Minnesota superstar, and a member of the Twin Cities-based Team USA Minnesota, looks to use a home course advantage to become the first Minnesotan to win the USA 1 Mile title.



Team USA Arizona's Braun, a Flagstaff, Ariz. resident, is known for his wide range as a distance runner. The Adams State College (Colo.) graduate was the 2010 USA Club Cross Country Champion and has finished in the top-three at USA Championships a half-dozen times at distances ranging from the mile to 15-kilometers.



"We're pleased to have Heather and Aaron back at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile to chase the titles that eluded them last year," Twin Cities In Motion Executive Director Virginia Brophy Achman said. "I marvel at Aaron's abilities to compete successfully at so many distances and, in Heather's case, we'd love to see a Minnesota runner win a USA title in her home state."



The Medtronic TC 1 Mile is an important waypoint for athletes like Kampf and Braun who have aspirations of making the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team this year for the London Games. The pair and the rest of the national championship field will battle for a total of $22,500 in prize money, plus a pair of $10,000 course record bonuses.



The records for the event were both set last year when David Torrence won his third-straight Medtronic TC 1 Mile title in 3 minutes, 58.4 seconds and Sara Hall clocked 4:30.8 for her first Medtronic TC 1 Mile victory.



The Medtronic TC 1 Mile is also an important event for emerging-elite athletes hoping to develop their talent for future Olympic Games. In a partnership with USA Track & Field, which sanctions USA Championship races, Twin Cities In Motion has invited six developmental athletes to the event for the opportunity to race against top competition and advance their promising careers.



"We're proud of the resources we put into the developmental portion of the field," Brophy Achman said. "Tomorrow's Olympians will come from the today's developmental ranks, so being an important part of their rise is an investment we're pleased to make for our sport."



About Twin Cities In Motion (TCM)
Twin Cities In Motion (formerly Twin Cities Marathon, Inc.) is the non-profit organization that provides nationally recognized, high quality running events throughout the year, including the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. With a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through running, TCM and its charity partners contribute more than $500,000 to related causes each year.



Visit www.tcmevents.org for more information.







Contact Information


Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director, ryan@runningusa.org, (805) 696-6232




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