Running USA wire 43, May 20, 2012

Running USA wire 43, May 20, 2012
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In this edition:
Miller, Kampf Capture USA 1 Mile Road Titles
Bak, Goucher Win Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Portland Half Marathon
Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Reaches Record 20,000 Participants
GO! St. Louis Adds New Summer Race: All-American 5K & Fun Run

UPCOMING EVENTS

Join Running USA today and have your event listed here, as well as on www.RunningUSA.org


MVP Health Care YAM Scram, Burlington, VT, May 26
5th Kents Run 5K, Valparaiso, IN, May 26
Toronto Women's Half Marathon & 5K, CAN, May 27
KeyBank Vermont City Marathon, Burlington, VT, May 27
Challenge Hearts & Minds 5K, St. Paul, MN, May 28
Dick's Sporting Goods BolderBOULDER 10K, Boulder, CO, May 28
Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay Run Adventure, NV-CA, June 1
Freihofer's Run for Women, Albany, NY, June 2
5th ZOOMA Annapolis Half-Marathon & 10K, MD, June 2
Hospital Hill Run - Half-Marathon, Kansas City, MO, June 2
Jodi's Race for Awareness, Denver, CO, June 2
Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, Deadwood, SD, June 3
Leaves of Hope 5K & 10K, Denver, CO, June 3
15th Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2, CA, June 3
National Running Day, nationwide, June 6
Fremont 5K & Briefcase Relay, Seattle, WA, June 8








Miller, Kampf Capture USA 1 Mile Road Titles

Medtronic TC 1 Mile hosts national championships; more than 2,500 participants at 8th edition under warm, windy conditions in Minnesota

By Charlie Mahler, Running USA wire



MINNEAPOLIS - (May 17, 2012) - Minnesota native Heather Kampf and former University of Wisconsin star Craig Miller won USA 1 Mile road titles at the 8th Medtronic TC 1 Mile in Minneapolis on Thursday evening. The two Olympic hopefuls won their first career USA titles with the victories and pocketed $4000 each for their efforts.



Kampf, 25, a Minneapolis resident and the runner-up in the event last year, clocked 4 minutes, 36.9 seconds to out-leg Alisha Williams of Denver, Colo., second at 4:39.6, and Detroit's Danielle Tauro, third with 4:40.0.



Miller, 24, who finished third at the men's race in 2011, ran 4:04.3, just three days after running a 3:37.13 personal best track 1500m race in Philadelphia. Last year's USA 1 Mile runner-up Aaron Braun of Flagstaff, Ariz. was second again at 4:05.1. Unheralded Scott Smith, a teammate of Braun's with the Team USA Arizona program, was third at 4:06.9.



The only foe the champions couldn't defeat on a warm Minnesota evening was a stiff southerly headwind which made for tactical racing, slowed times, and a pair of unclaimed $10,000 course record bonuses.



Kampf was content to nestle herself into a tight pack of contenders for the first half of the race, before setting herself up for what turned out to be a title-winning kick. Steeplechaser Mason Cathey provided the early pacesetting, giving way to Kellyn Johnson near the half-way mark, passed in 2:20.



Kampf moved to the front with more than 200-meters to go and powered away from the field for a comfortable victory.



"I feel like a road mile is a little bit to my advantage," commented Kampf, a former NCAA champion at 800-meters for the University of Minnesota. "If I can stay in the race, then have a good shot to kick at the end, my closing speed is a lot better than some milers."

Kampf also had the advantage of a supportive home crowd along the course.



"Doing this at home is so great, I just have to say 'thank you' to everyone out there," the Team USA Minnesota athlete added. "I feel like I heard my name more than anyone else's out there, and it's just the great support we have here in Minneapolis that helped me out through that."



Like Kampf, Miller also tucked himself in the pack, paced throughout by Braun, which passed the half-way stripe in only 2:07.



"I knew I didn't want to lead," Miller, a former Big Ten 1500m champion, explained. "It takes a lot more mental and physical energy to lead. Whoever was in the front, I'd try to hide behind."



Miller waited until the final 150 meters to launch a furious kick to the finish line.

"You see the finish line from maybe 200 meters out and your instinct is to just go then," Miller, a 3:56 miler on the track said. "So, I just wanted to be patient and wait until I knew I could finish strong."



More than 2,500 runners participated in the 8th Medtronic TC 1 Mile, including a record number of Corporate Team Challenge participants representing more than 40 organizations.



"It was an exciting night of racing, climaxing with our USA Championship waves," Twin Cities In Motion Executive Director Virginia Brophy Achman said. "I'm always amazed by the energy and enthusiasm of the Minnesota running community and pleased to see local companies support fitness and healthy lifestyles."



8th Medtronic TC 1 Mile: USA Men's & Women's Championship
Minneapolis, MN, Thursday, May 17, 2012



MEN
1) Craig Miller (WI), 4:04.3, $4000
2) Aaron Braun (AZ), 4:05.1, $2500
3) Scott Smith (AZ), 4:06.9, $1500
4) Kenyon Neuman (CO), 4:07.5, $800
5) Bobby Mack (NC), 4:07.8, $500
6) Benjamin Bruce (AZ), 4:08.8, $325
7) Edwin Sang (CO), 4:09.5, $150
8) Chris Rombough (MN), 4:10.0, $100
9) Jordan Horn (AZ), 4:10.8, $75
10) Darren Brown (TN), 4:11.9, $50



WOMEN
1) Heather Kampf (MN), 4:36.9, $4000
2) Alisha Williams (CO), 4:39.6, $2500
3) Danielle Tauro (MI), 4:40.0, $1250
4) Kellyn Johnson (AZ), 4:40.2, $800
5) Frances Koons (NJ), 4:40.5, $500
6) Meghan Peyton (MN), 4:41.1, $325
7) Laura Thweatt (CO), 4:42.0, $150
8) Tara Erdmann (CA), 4:42.9, $100
9) Mason Cathey (IN), 4:46.1, $75
10) Stephanie Pezzullo (NC), 4:47.3, $50



Full results and more at: www.tcmevents.org


Bak, Goucher Win Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Portland Half Marathon

Race attracts more than 11,000 finishers to become the largest inaugural half-marathon in U.S. this year

By Dan Cruz, Competitor Group



PORTLAND, Ore. - (May 20, 2012) - At the first ever Rock 'n' Roll Portland Half Marathon, it was an Oregon sweep Sunday as two in-state residents took home titles. Ryan Bak of Bend and U.S. marathon star and Olympian Kara Goucher, who trains locally with the Oregon Track Club, each prevailed in dramatically different fashions.



Beneath a steady Portland mist along the scenic Willamette River adjacent to Tom McCall Waterfront Park, runners from 49 states and 16 countries kicked off Portland's annual Rose Festival. The lead pack of 6 men, who all owned half-marathon personal bests within one minute, ran an opening mile of 4:57 through the downtown streets, before crossing the Hawthorne Bridge into east Portland.



Bak, Arizona's Tibor Vegh and Philemon Terer of Kenya separated themselves from the competition at mile six after the steady uphill climb past the swanky business district section located along Hawthorne Blvd. The three runners stayed together until they reached the scenic downtown views on Lloyd Blvd just before mile 12, when Bak, 30, made his move to take home the victory with a time of 1 hour, 5 minutes and 26 seconds.



"This was my third weekend in a row racing and it was great to have a decent pack of guys who were all competitive. When the three of us were together until mile 12, I was thinking this is really going be a race," said Bak, who finished fifth at last weekend's USA 25k Championships and will run Grandma's Marathon in Duluth on June 16th. "There was a lot happening with little surges here and there, and it was a great feeling to win with the sprint at the end in front of the spectators in my home state. This was my first Rock 'n' Roll event and it was a lot of fun and great to have it so close to home."



"The race was a lot of fun, but I picked up a stomach bug on Friday afternoon and considered not running; however, I couldn't pass up a chance to run in Portland. I had hoped to run faster and simulate marathon pace a little bit more, but sometimes things don't go according to plan," said Goucher, whose time was a far cry from her half-marathon personal best of 1:06:57. "The crowd kept me going all the way to the finish and it was awesome out there with all the people cheering. I moved out here seven years ago and Portland has really embraced me and my family, our son was born here, we love it here and it feels really good to get out and run here in my local community."



With her race goal dialed down to a 5:25 per mile pace, Goucher started off strong, executing her Coach Jerry Schumacher's plan to perfection after hitting the 2 mile mark with a split time of 10:50. However, the topography of Portland also proved to be a challenge, and with the up and down nature of the course taking its toll, Goucher was unable to complete another mile at her goal pace, clocking 34:14 at 10K but running within herself, with a solid form all the way through the finish line.



"I might have to rib (course designer) Alan Culpepper the next time I see him. Portland is a hilly town, so I didn't expect the course to be pancake flat, but I didn't expect it to be quite so hilly," added Goucher. "Sometimes it's about effort and it was a good hard effort and sometimes the clock doesn't really matter. It's just about getting out there and challenging yourself and today was certainly a challenge."



The first ever Rock 'n' Roll Portland Half Marathon is a signature event of the Portland Rose Festival. Participating in his first half-marathon, Rose Festival CEO Jeff Curtis completed the event in 2:08:17. Other notable runners included running legend Mary Decker Slaney, the only athlete ever to hold every American record from 800 meters to 10,000 meters, pacing her sister who was completing her first half-marathon finishing with a time of 2:17:26. Battle Ground, Washington resident Craig Blanchette, who holds 21 world records in elite wheelchair racing, won the wheelchair division with a time of 58:44.



With more than 11,000 finishers, the event has become the largest inaugural half-marathon in the United States to-date this year according to Running USA. The second Rock 'n' Roll Portland Half Marathon, a signature Rose Festival event, is set for Sunday, May 19, 2013.



Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Portland 1/2 Marathon
Portland, OR, Sunday, May 20, 2012



MEN
1) Ryan Bak, 30, Bend, OR, 1:05:26, $1500
2) Tibor Vegh, 28, Flagstaff, AZ, 1:05:34, $850
3) Philemon Terer, 27, Kenya, 1:06:05, $600
4) Sage Canaday, 26, Sheridan, OR, 1:06:16, $400
5) Craig Leon, 27, Eugene, OR, 1:07:49, $250



WOMEN
1) Kara Goucher, 33, Portland, OR, 1:13:05, $1500
2) Sheila Croft, 37, Redmond, WA, 1:16:51, $850
3) Hallie Jansen, 37, Portland, OR, 1:19:11, $600
4) Eva Vail, 27, Portland, OR, 1:21:34, $400
5) Renee Knapp, 31, Eugene, OR, 1:22:20, $250



For complete results, photos and more, go to: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/portland/event-details






Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Reaches Record 20,000 Participants

At 35th edition, Kogo, Akor win marathon, earn time bonus; three course records set; participation has increased nearly 300 percent since 2003; event record broken for third year in a row

By Leigh Greenfelder



CLEVELAND - (May 20, 2012) - The 2012 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon weekend opened Saturday with a winning performance by an Olympic gold medalist in the women's 5K and ended Sunday with a record turnout and a pair of fast times in the men's and women's marathon.



Under clear skies and temperatures in the mid-80s, the weekend saw participation in the 35th edition reach an all-time high of 20,008 runners. The total represents an increase of nearly 300 percent since Rite Aid became the title sponsor in 2003, when 5,200 participants took to the streets of Cleveland. Both the half and full marathon sold out for the second consecutive year and the third time in the marathon's 35-year history.



"Well, it was a little warmer than we would have liked it today, but the runners turned in some great times and the crowds were unbelievable," said Executive Race Director Jack Staph. "To have our men's and women's marathon winners run under 2:20 and 2:40, while setting records in the half and both 5K races is fantastic."



The record also included a 5K on Saturday that drew 1,315 runners, the We Run This City Program that had 750 school-aged participants from Cleveland Municipal School District, and another 500 children who participated in the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Red Nose Children's Run on Saturday on the field at the Cleveland Browns Stadium.



"I think the thousands of fans and participants over the course of the weekend really got to see the best Cleveland has to offer," said Staph. "This is a great city, a flat, fast course, and it seems more and more people are enjoying 'the Cleveland Experience' each and every year."



Abraham Kogo, a 31-year-old runner from Kenya, was the first to cross the marathon finish line in 2 hours, 19 minutes, 59 seconds. Kogo bided his time until mile 21 when he surged past the pack to grab a lead he wouldn't relinquish.



Peter Kemboi, also of Kenya, came in second in 2:23:29, followed by 30-year-old Matt Levassiur of Alamosa, Colo. at 2:24:07.



Among the women it was 35-year-old Mary Akor of Hawthorne, Calif. who took first in 2:39:49. Russian Venera Sarmosova, 32, finished second in 2:44:16. She was followed by Beth Woodward, 36, of Orrville, N.Y. in 2:55:19.



Both Kogo and Akor won $3000, while collecting an additional $3000 bonus for finishing under 2:20:00 and 2:40:00, respectively.



Twenty-four-year-old Andy Schweitzer of Beavercreek, Ohio finished first in the men's half-marathon, with his 1:10:39, while Michael Capriolo, 28, of Akron, took second in 1:12:08 with 30-year-old Charlie Ban of McLean, Va. third (1:13:13).



Christie Forster, a 23-year-old runner from Colorado Springs, Colo. led the women's half-marathon with a course record time of 1:19:47. Forster was followed by Heidi Greenwood, 27, of Cleveland, who crossed in 1:21:30, while Andrea Gravue, 27, took third (1:22:12).



Common with the 10K race, elite international runners dominated the top spots for the men's and women's events. Kenyan runners Julius Kibet and Everlyne Lagat won the men's and women's races, respectively, and each took home a $2000 purse. This was the second year in a row that Lagat won the women's race.



Kibet, 29, finished in 28:44, matching his time from his 2005 victory. He was followed by countryman Simon Ndirangu, 26, who clocked 29:00 and Ethiopian Alene Reta, 30, who ran 29:34.



Lagat, 31, won the women's 10K in 33:58. Esther Erb, 26, of Blowing Rock, N.C. was runner-up in 34:23 followed by 24-year-old Lilian Mariita of Kenya in third (34:37).



Another course record was set on Saturday in the 5K by Stephen Benesh, 32, of North Ridgeville, Ohio, who ran 16:08, breaking his own course record from his win the previous year by four seconds. In the women's race, 1984 Olympic Marathon gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson won with a course record time of 18:48, just three days after celebrating her 55th birthday. Benoit Samuelson was in town as a special guest as part of the 35th anniversary celebration.



The 2012 race featured 20 neighborhood parties, and numerous music stations and bands along the course. The finish line area, which featured live music, a beer garden and sponsor and charity booths, was overflowing with family and friends of runners enjoying the sights of the North Coast Harbor with the finish line situated just between the Great Lakes Science Center and Cleveland Browns Stadium.



Registration opened today for the 2013 race, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 19.



35th Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon
Cleveland, OH, Sunday, May 20, 2012



MEN
1) Abraham Kogo (KEN), 2:19:59, $6000
2) Peter Kemboi (KEN), 2:23:29, $1500
3) Matt Levassiur (USA / CO), 2:24:07, $1000



WOMEN
1) Mary Akor (USA / CA), 2:39:49, $6000
2) Venera Sarmosova (RUS), 2:44:16, $1500
3) Beth Woodward (USA / NY), 2:55:19, $100



35th Rite Aid Cleveland 10K
MEN
1) Julius Kibet (KEN), 28:44, $2000
2) Simon Ndirangu (KEN), 29:00, $1000
3) Alene Reta (ETH), 29:34, $500



WOMEN
1) Everlyne Lagat (KEN), 33:58, $2000
2) Esther Erb (USA / NC), 34:23, $1000
3) Lilian Mariita (KEN), 34:37, $500



Complete results at: www.clevelandmarathon.com





GO! St. Louis Adds New Summer Race: All-American 5K & Fun Run

More than 1,500 runners will start in Kirkwood and finish in Webster Groves


ST. LOUIS - (May 20, 2012) - GO! St. Louis, a local not-for-profit organization that specializes in providing fitness events and programs for the region on a year-round basis, has announced its newest event: GO! St. Louis All-American 5K & Fun Run, which is set for Sunday, June 17.



The first-time father's day race starts at the Kirkwood YMCA and finished in Webster Groves, MO and is open to participants of all ages and fitness levels.



Participants receive a great-looking finisher medal (5K only), t-shirt and post-race refreshments, including ice cream. Top finishers will compete for cash prizes, while age group winners receive an apple pie. Entry fees range from $10 - $30. To register or for more details, visit: gostlouis.org.



The GO! St. Louis All-American 5K & Fun Run is sponsored by SSM Health Care St. Louis, YMCA and Saint Louis Injury & Rehab.



Other GO! St. Louis signature events include the GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend in April and the GO! St. Louis Halloween 10K & Fun Run in October.





Contact Information


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




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