Running USA wire 45, May 28, 2012

Running USA wire 45, May 28, 2012
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In this edition:
Kiprono, Daska Win 34th Dick's Sporting Goods BolderBOULDER 10K
Olympians Keflezighi, Hall and Flanagan Headline Rock 'n' Roll San Diego
Top U.S. Field Expected at 34th Freihofer's Run for Women 5K
Dallas White Rock Marathon Rebrands as Dallas Marathon

UPCOMING EVENTS

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

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
Virginia Wine Country Half-Marathon, Leesburg, VA, 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 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2, CA, June 3
4th National Running Day, nationwide, June 6
Fremont 5K & Briefcase Relay, Seattle, WA, June 8
Lederhosenlauf 5K, St. Paul, MN, June 9
DeCelle Memorial Lake Tahoe Relay, Lake Tahoe, NV, June 9
Garden of the Gods 10 Mile, Manitou Springs, CO, June 10
Dirty Half, Bend, OR, June 10
USA Half Marathon Trail Championship
Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back, Logan, UT, June 15









Kiprono, Daska Win 34th Dick's Sporting Goods BolderBOULDER 10K

Ethiopia again sweeps International Team Challenge titles; Team USA women second led by Cherobon-Bawcom and Kastor; Braun top American man

By Mike Sandrock, Running USA wire



BOULDER, Colo. - (May 28, 2012) - When Deena Kastor crossed the finish line in third place at Monday's 34th Dick's Sporting Goods BolderBOULDER 10K, she took a few steps and a couple of deep breaths, then turned and hugged teammate Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, who had finished a few seconds and one place ahead.



"Excuse me," Kastor said to fans waiting to talk to the popular three-time Bolder Boulder champ, "I am waiting for Magda."



That would be Magdalena Lewy-Boulet, the third member of Team USA. Standing hip-to-hip at the 50-yard line finish in Folsom Field on the University of Colorado campus, Cherobon-Bawcom and Kastor anxiously peered down the football field finishing chute, watching the runners coming in, counting the places and waiting for Lewy-Boulet.



On a beautiful Boulder day - 67 degrees, clear skies and a slight breeze, Ethiopia, led by a wire-to-wire win by Mamitu Daska in 33 minutes, 7 seconds - her third Bolder victory - dominated the 15th International Team Challenge race, with 1-5-6 finish. When Kenya's third runner, Evelyn Lagat, finished in 16th, Lewy-Boulet was just entering the Folsom Field end zone. However, despite what she described as a "rough race", Lewy-Boulet ended up 20th, high enough to propel Team USA into second and a share of the $33,333 team purse.



"Deena was my idol when I was in college," said Cherobon-Bawcom, 33, who is poised to make a strong bid for an Olympic 10,000 meter spot in next month's Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Like Kastor and Lewy-Boulet, Cherobon-Bawcom will race the 10,000 at the Trials; she has the "A" qualifier; has been tearing up the roads this year, and has the support of her husband, Jay, and her coach, the legendary Jack Daniels.



Cherobon-Bawcom ran a smart race on Monday, keying off of Kastor. The two let Daska go through an opening mile of 5:04, coming through in 5:11. A surge by Japan's Kayoko Fukushi strung out the chase pack a mile later. Buoyed by shouts of "Go USA!", Kastor, 39, moved into second, joined at 4½ miles by Cherobon-Bawcom. The two ran shoulder-to-shoulder until mile 5, when Cherobon-Bawcom pulled away from Kastor, and the dynamic duo clocked 33:24 and 33:29 respectively.



"It is an honor to compete in Boulder for Team USA on Memorial Day," said Kastor, the 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist. "I am not a sit-and-kick runner; I like it to burn; and it did."



The men's race was a slow burn, with young Kenyan and part-time Boulder resident Allan Kiprono content to feel out the field in the early going. But he quickly went off the front in the second mile, running in unchallenged for his third big win of the year, along with the Cherry Blossom 10 miler and the Lilac Bloomsday 12K.



"Dieter (Hogen) told me it was my day today," explained Kiprono, 21, who along with his Hogen-coached Kimbia teammates is spending three months training in Boulder. "I am happy to break the Ethiopian streak [of men's individual champions]."



A 2-3-5 finish gave Ethiopia men their sixth consecutive team title, followed by Kenya, Mexico (two teams from Mexico actually showed up to race), and then the U.S., paced by Aaron Braun also in fourth (30:12), just 17 seconds behind Kiprono.



"I learned a lot from last year," said Braun, 10th in his 2010 Bolder debut and 12th in 2011, when he ran aggressively in going out with the Kenyans and Ethiopians. "Today was a good test of my patience."



Kiprono's winning time of 29:55 was the second slowest in race history, which did not matter to him at all. "I won and beat the Ethiopians," he said, in explaining what mattered to him this Memorial Day, not long after the moving flyover and Bolder Boulder tribute to the nation's military in the middle of the football field among 50,000 cheering fans and finishers.



34th Dick's Sporting Goods BolderBOULDER 10K: 15th International Team Challenge
Boulder, CO, Monday, May 28, 2012



MEN
1) Allan Kiprono (KEN), 29:55, $3250
2) Tadese Tola (ETH), 30:04, $2000
3) Birhanu Gedefa (ETH), 30:08, $1500
4) Aaron Braun (USA / AZ), 30:12, $2250*
5) Demessew Tsega (ETH), 30:35, $800
6) Kenyon Neuman (Team Colorado), 30:37, $1400*
7) John Korir (KEN), 30:43, $600
8) Alejandro Suarez (MEX), 30:46, $500
9) Leon Lopez Constantino (PER), 30:48, $400
10) Juan Carlos Romero (MEX), 30:52, $300


OTHER U.S.
13) Chris Barnicle (USA / NM), 31:14
16) Jeremy Freed (Team Colorado), 31:34
17) Patrick Rizzo (Team Colorado), 31:40
19) Scott Smith (USA / AZ), 32:05
*includes U.S. Olympic training funds



MEN'S TEAM
1) Ethiopia, 10 points, $15,000
2) Kenya, 22, $10,000
3) Mexico, 33, $7000
4) USA, 36, $13,500*
5) Team Colorado, 39, $13,500*
6) Peru, 41
7) Australia/Oceania, 56
8) Canada, 69
9) Guatemala, 72
*includes U.S. Olympic training funds

WOMEN
1) Mamitu Daska (ETH), 33:07, $4000
2) Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (USA / GA), 33:24, $6250*
3) Deena Kastor (USA / CA), 33:29, $4500*
4) Kayoko Fukushi (JPN), 33:33, $1500
5) Ashu Kasim (ETH), 34:04, $800
6) Alemitu Abera (ETH), 34:18, $700
7) Marisol Romero (MEX), 34:26, $600
8) Genoveva Kigen (KEN), 34:44, $500
9) Adrianna Nelson (Team Colorado), 34:56, $800*
10) Benita Willis (AUS), 34:59, $300


OTHER U.S.
20) Magdalena Lewy-Boulet (USA / CA), 36:07
21) Wendy Thomas (Team Colorado), 36:15
Sara Slattery (hamstring), DNF
*includes U.S. Olympic training funds



WOMEN'S TEAM
1) Ethiopia, 12 points, $15,000
2) USA, 24, $33,333*
3) Kenya, 35, $7000
4) Peru, 47, $6000
5) Mexico, 47, $4000
6) Japan, 50
7) Australia, 52
8) Canada, 63
9) Columbia, 67
10) Great Britain, 68
Team Colorado, DNF
*includes U.S. Olympic training funds



For complete results including the citizens' races and more, go to: www.bolderboulder.com






Olympians Keflezighi, Hall and Flanagan Headline Rock 'n' Roll San Diego

London 2012 Team USA trio and Kim Smith in half-marathon; Sunday, June 3 marks 15th running of original Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego; Donavon Frankenreiter finish line concert at SeaWorld


SAN DIEGO - (May 28, 2012) - Famous for lining race routes with live bands and cheerleaders, the original Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & ½ Marathon will celebrate its 15th birthday on Sunday, June 3, 2012. The 2012 event will feature half of the six-member U.S. Olympic Marathon team to the same event less than two months before the London Games, securing the men's 1-2 finishers at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials - Meb Keflezighi and Ryan Hall, respectively - and the women's Olympic Marathon Trials winner Shalane Flanagan for Sunday's Half-Marathon.



"Once they qualified for the Olympic team, I knew they would be focusing on London," said Matt Turnbull, elite athlete recruiter who expects two a highly competitive races Sunday even though the big prize ahead is London. "We identified a couple of the runners who I knew would fit our race. It was good timing. The half-marathon is good timing for their full marathon and San Diego fits in that category. Of course, these guys have London in mind, but knowing their personalities, they don't like to get beat."



The Eritrean-born Keflezighi, 37, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1998, is the defending half-marathon champion, outdueling 4-time London Marathon champion Martin Lel of Kenyan, who finished second in London this year, to win his first race in his adopted hometown.



"Winning the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Half-Marathon was a turning point for me last year," Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist, said. "I enjoyed running my home course, where I knew every inch of the way, with family, friends and fans cheering me on. This will like be my last race leading up to the Olympic Games. This will be a fun race for me."



Hall, the first American to break the one-hour barrier on a record standard half-marathon course and the U.S. record-holder at 59 minutes, 43 seconds set in 2007, also is anxiously looking forward to the competition.



"Being a native California boy, I am stoked to have the opportunity to race in my backyard at this year's San Diego Half-Marathon," Hall, 29, said. "Having lived and trained in San Diego before, I'm excited to finally race there having seen the race in years past. This year's race fits perfectly with my preparations for this summer's Olympic Games. It will serve as my all-important, last race before the Games. I'm looking at this opportunity as one last chance to learn and tweak my training accordingly before running in what I consider to be the biggest race of my life."



Keflezighi and Hall waged a stirring battle at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Houston in January. Hall, the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials winner, led most of the route this time before the wind and leg fatigue slowed his pace and enabled Keflezighi to take control. Keflezighi earned his third Olympic berth with a personal record of 2:09:08. That race came only 60 days after he set a then PR of 2:09:13 in finishing sixth at the ING New York City Marathon. At 36, he was the oldest man to win the Olympic Trials and the first man to win the Olympic Trials and the New York City Marathon (2009).



Hall, the runner-up to Keflezighi at the Trials in 2:09:30, has run the fastest marathon ever by an American, 2:04:58 at Boston in 2011. Since Boston is a downhill and point-to-point course and is not recognized for record consideration, his legal PR is 2:06:17 at London in 2008. Unfortunately for Hall, the London Marathon course is not being used for the Olympic Marathon.



Even though Hall hasn't raced in San Diego, the surroundings will be familiar to him because he does much of his training here.



"But he'll be going against the hometown favorite (Keflezighi)," Turnbull said. "For Meb, last year's race was special. He won't want to be beaten this time, either."



The women's half-marathon, meanwhile, should boil down to a clash between Flanagan and Kim Smith, the New Zealand Olympian and owner of the fastest women's half-marathon in the United States, 1:07:11, last year at Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia.



"I'm excited to run in the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Half-Marathon," Flanagan, 30, said. "It's a wonderful place to go and run. The climate will be just right and I'm really looking forward to it. This will be my fourth Rock 'n' Roll event, having done Philadelphia, San Antonio and Miami most recently. The race fits in perfectly to my schedule as I continue to prepare for the Olympic Marathon."



Flanagan set an Olympic Trials record of 2:25:38 in only her second marathon, bettering the previous mark by 2:47. Her winning time was a PR by nearly three minutes. Sometimes, though, Flanagan can be her own worst enemy.



"My strength as a runner is also my greatest weakness," she said. "Sometimes I am just too stubborn and aggressive."



Against a veteran like Smith, she'll have to be very aggressive.



The event will kick-off with the wheelchair invitational beginning at 6:10am on Sunday, June 3, followed by the Marathon, ½ Marathon and 2-Person Half Marathon Relay at 6:15am. Further information about Rock 'n' Roll San Diego is available online at: Competitor.com



About Rock 'n' Roll San Diego
A Competitor Group event, the 15th Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & ½ Marathon To Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® will run through sunny San Diego on Sunday, June 3, 2012. The race will draw approximately 30,000 participants, with live bands and cheerleaders interspersed along each mile of the scenic course. A two-day Health and Fitness Expo at the San Diego Convention Center will kick off race weekend, featuring more than one hundred fitness retailers, exhibits and interactive clinics. Event weekend concludes with a finish line festival and post-race concert headlined by Donavon Frankenreiter.



For more information about Rock 'n' Roll San Diego, go to Competitor.com or follow @RunRocknRoll on Twitter.






Top U.S. Field Expected at 34th Freihofer's Run for Women 5K

Rebecca Donahue, Tera Moody and Esther Erb and local star Nicole Blood headline; $23,000 prize purse with $10,000 for race champion


ALBANY, N.Y. - (May 28, 2012) - Since the Freihofer's Run for Women 5K opened itself up to international competition in 2005, U.S. runners have found themselves hard-pressed to come anywhere near the winners' podium, much less the Top 10 at the internationally acclaimed race. This trend appears to be changing, however, as American women have begun inching their way up the rankings again. Last year, crowds were delighted to see three U.S. women make the Top 10, which included the 4th and 5th place spots.



Could the 34th edition - set for Saturday, June 2 - see the return of a U.S. woman to the podium for the first time since 2004 when it was a USA Championship? Organizers of the world class event certainly hope so, especially with the way many of them are faring in top competitions these days.



Among the returning professional U.S. athletes are Rebecca Donahue, local star Nicole Blood, Tera Moody and Esther Erb.



Donahue, 36, of State College, PA, last raced here in 2010 and was the #1 U.S. finisher (9th overall), posting a time of 15:50 - the fastest U.S. time since 2004. Donahue competed in the US Olympic Marathon Trials (her first ever marathon) earlier this year, placing a very respectable 17th out of 150 of the fastest women in the country.



Donahue will be joined on the start line by Nicole Blood, last year's 5th American and 16th place overall. A hometown hero from Saratoga Springs, Blood, 24, continues her rise through the U.S. running ranks posting a 5th place finish at the Shamrock Shuffle 8K in Chicago earlier this year. Blood is a nine-time All-American and a three-time Academic All-American at the University of Oregon, and holds the school record for the indoor 5K (15:51.59).



Rounding out the returning big guns are Tera Moody, 31, of Boulder, CO, and Esther Erb, 26, of Blowing Rock, NC. Moody continues to prove herself one of the toughest American runners around. She placed 2nd at the 2011 Rock `n Roll San Antonio Half Marathon and 5th at the 2011 USA Half Marathon Championships, all while battling injury. Erb, 25, is fresh off of her 1st place finish at this year's Broad Street 10 Miler in Philadelphia. Last year, she placed 15th at Freihofer's Run edging out Blood in the process.



"I'm excited with the depth and quality of the US field this year," said Freihofer's Run for Women Elite Athlete Recruiter John Tope. "Each year, the U.S. field seems to get stronger and this year is no exception. We have a great mixture of up and coming and experienced Americans, who should make it very interesting for the rest of the field come race day."



Among the new faces at the Freihofer's Run this year is Michelle Frey, 30, who is posting some excellent numbers in 2012. Her results include 3rd place at the More Fitness Half Marathon (1:16:52) and 22nd place at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.



Lindsey Scherf, 25, finished runner-up at Saturday's USA 25K Championships and 6th at the Bloomsday Run 12K last week in a field of 53,000 and against arguably the top runners in the world. She also ran to 4th place at the USA 15K Championships and 3rd at the Cooper Bridge Run 10K.



Meanwhile, Laura Thweatt, 23, has also recorded some impressive results in 2012, including 5th at the USATF National Cross-Country Championship and 10th at the Great Scottish Cross Country Race. She has also been consistently lowering her 5000m PR on the track this spring, which bodes well for a strong performance.



"I'm very impressed with how well American women are doing right now against international competition," added Freihofer's Run for Women Event Director George Regan. "As always, having a local star back like Nicole Blood is great. You know she's going to be coming back to better her performance from last year. It wouldn't surprise me at all if she were in the Top 10."



Tope echoes these sentiments: "The U.S. field is coming here to go for it," he remarked. "You look at some of the numbers these women are posting right now and you can't help but be impressed. They're excited about putting it all out there against some of the top runners in the world," he said.



For more information or to register for the 2012 Freihofer's Run for Women, Freihofer's Community Walk, Freihofer's Kids' Run, Freihofer's Junior 3K and the CapitalCare / CDPHP Health & Fitness Expo, visit: www.freihofersrun.com






Dallas White Rock Marathon Rebrands as Dallas Marathon

New name, new logo unveiled at City Hall press conference


DALLAS - (May 23, 2012) - At a press conference Wednesday, the Dallas White Rock Marathon board of trustees announced a major rebrand of the city's oldest and largest annual marathon, removing "White Rock" from the race's name and introducing a new, contemporized logo identity. Since 1971, the Dallas White Rock Marathon has been a mainstay for the running community, growing from just a few hundred runners to a field upwards of 25,000 in 2011 and expanding to include a half marathon, relay race and the Mayor's Race 5K.



The transition to the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon comes on the heels of race organizers' March announcement that the start and finish lines for the December 9, 2012, marathon, half-marathon and marathon relays are moving to Downtown Dallas. While White Rock Lake has been and will continue to be a key element of the marathon route, the move reflects an effort to better embody the race's evolution to a world class running event in line with some of the world's best-known races.



"The new name is indicative of our renewed partnership with the City of Dallas, and consistent with our goal to attract more participants," said Kevin Snyder, chairman of the Dallas Marathon board of trustees. "As one of the oldest, largest and best-organized running events in Dallas, we share a mutual desire with the city to highlight Dallas' spectacular assets to a growing field of visiting and local runners each year."



The Dallas Marathon name is more consistent with naming conventions of other top city races around the world and is expected to be more recognizable to out-of-town participants, who may not be familiar with White Rock Lake. Total participant registration in the race has increased nearly 25 percent in the previous two years, and will be capped at 25,000 runners in 2012.



"With the renaissance under way downtown, we're excited about the opportunity to showcase all Dallas has to offer to both local and visiting participants and visitors," said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. "This race is a major contributor to the city's economy, filling room nights and restaurants during a time that is otherwise quiet for meetings and conventions."



Participants in the 43rd running of the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon will cross the iconic Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge as the sun rises over downtown, and travel past Dallas' newest urban greenspace, Klyde Warren Park. The full marathon course will continue east to loop White Rock Lake, with all events ending Downtown near the Dallas Convention Center. Complete course details will be announced later this summer.



Snyder and City Manager Mary Suhm also unveiled a new logo during Wednesday's City Hall press conference, designed by award-winning graphic identity firm RBMM of Dallas.

"Our new name and logo represent evolution and modernization of this event," said Dallas Marathon executive director Marcus Grunewald. "This race truly has grown into a citywide effort - from working with DART, Dallas Police, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, Dallas City Hall and the mayor, to our 3,000-plus volunteers - we ensure that our race positively impacts the Dallas community and provides a world-class experience to runners and spectators."



The MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, Half Marathon, 5-Person Relay, and SMU Cox Corporate Relay Challenge Presented by Behringer Harvard are Sunday, December 9, 2012. The Mayor's Race 5K is Saturday, December 8, 2012.



Registration opens June 1 and is expected to sell out. Visit DallasMarathon.com for more information.



About the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon
The MetroPCS Dallas Marathon is a flat and fast race, featuring a scenic course that highlights the best areas of Dallas including the landmark Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava. The race is Texas' oldest running marathon and serves as a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon. Race activities occur the second weekend of each December and include a two-day Health & Fitness Expo, the Mayor's Race 5K, and the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, Half Marathon, 5-Person Relay, and SMU Cox Corporate Relay Challenge Presented by Behringer Harvard. The Dallas Marathon is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; the primary beneficiary of proceeds from race weekend is Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.



For more information, visit: DallasMarathon.com







Contact Information


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




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