Running USA wire 47, June 3, 2012

Running USA wire 47, June 3, 2012
Running USA advances the growth and success of the running industry in America.


Partners: Active Network, Ashworth Awards, Competitor Group, Leslie Jordan, Inc. and MarathonFoto help make this wire possible.




In this edition:
Daska Defends Freihofer's Run for Women 5K Title
Olympians, Celebrities Headline 15th Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
Hospital Hill Run Smashes Records
Twin Cities In Motion Announces 2012 Scholarship Recipients

UPCOMING EVENTS

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

4th National Running Day, nationwide, June 6
Fremont 5K & Briefcase Relay, Seattle, WA, June 8
40th NYRR New York Mini 10K , New York, NY, June 9
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
Run Amuck, Quantico, VA, June 16
Mt. Washington Road Race, Gorham, NH, June 16
USA Mountain Running Championship
Braves Country Father's Day 4-Miler, Atlanta, GA, June 16
Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon, Duluth, MN, June 16
USA Championships
Set the Pace for Prostate Cancer, Denver, CO, June 16
Inaugural GO! St. Louis All-American 5K, St. Louis, MO, June 17
Fathers Day 5K Celebration of Active Generations, St. Paul, MN, June 17
Coda Coffee Estes Park Marathon, Estes Park, CO, June 17
U.S. Olympic Trials - Track & Field, Eugene, OR, June 21 - July 1
2012 London Olympic Games qualifier









Daska Defends Freihofer's Run for Women 5K Title

Gruca grabs Masters crown; 34th edition sees nearly 3,900 finishers

By Edward Parham



ALBANY, N.Y. - (June 2, 2012) - A wet and overcast morning did nothing to dampen the intensity of competition in the 34th Freihofer's Run for Women 5K, held on Saturday morning on the streets of Albany. Close to 5,000 women lined up on Madison Avenue, adjacent to the Empire State Plaza, in the heart of the New York state capital. Among them were some of the world's finest middle and long distance runners, including defending champion Mamitu Daska from Ethiopia, three-time race champion Benita Willis (Australia) and a host of others, all with their eyes on the first place prize of $10,000.



Despite the intentions of anybody else in the elite field, however, once the gun sounded, this race was all about the defending champion. Twelve months previously, she had been aggressive from the opening strides; this time around, she was even more so. As the field charged through the opening uphill 600 meters, Daska was immediately at the forefront, joined only by her compatriots Alemitu Abera and Ashu Kasim, plus Kenya's Genoveva Kigen, Jellilah Tinega and Gesabwa Risper. Nearing the one kilometer mark in Washington Park, that group was down to just Daska, Kigen and Abera, and, by one mile (5:00) the leader was in unquestioned control.



So early in the race, nothing could be set in stone; but, as the defending champ forged onward, the only indication that there might be some question in her mind came from the occasional backward glance over her shoulder.



Leaving the rolling pathways of the Park and turning onto Lake Avenue, Daska, 28, was in total control. Behind her, Kigen and Abera were forced to deal with the challenges of Kasim and Risper, not to mention an emergent phalanx of Americans, fronted by Michelle Frey, Laura Thweatt, Rebecca Donaghue and Lindsey Scherf. Willis was also in the mix; though, for once, she was not the sole Australian, being joined by her compatriot Lara Tamsett.



That battle was for the minor placings, however. At the forefront, Daska was all alone and unchallenged. As she passed two miles (10:01 - a second mile of 5:01), the question began to emerge: could she challenge the blazing fast course record of 15:12, set by Emily Chebet in 2010? On that occasion, Chebet had closed with a lightning fast final kilometer: 2:41. Chebet had also had late race company. Daska was flying solo.



Even so, with 1K remaining, the record was within her grasp. It's a long way home, however; and, with no one to challenge her, even a runner as dominant as Daska sometimes has to concede. Although she blasted the long downhill stretch to the finish line, her finishing time of 15:20, missed the course all-time best by eight seconds. That was hardly cause for disappointment; the re-crowned champion still held a massive 17 second margin over second placed Kasim (15:37), who prevailed in the battle for the minor placings over Abera (15:41).



"Even under these weather conditions, I enjoyed the race and I feel good about it," commented Daska. "I'm very happy to have won for the second year. I did feel confident, but the fans along the course made me even more confident, and that helped me to win. I was most fearful of the other two Ethiopians."



Kasim, who experienced some back pain immediately before the start, had hoped for a different result. "I thought I would catch her," she stated, "but I was a little tired." Among the American hopefuls, Frey fronted one of the finest domestic Freihofer's performances in some years. Her sixth place finish (16:03), led four Americans into the top 11. Last year there were three in 10.



The Masters race among competitors aged 40 and above was a true nail biter. Sheri Piers, 40, coached by Benita Willis and the first placed American overall at this year's Boston Marathon, held a marginal lead for much of the race, though she was shadowed all the way by 41-year-old Dorota Gruca from Poland, a 2008 Olympic marathoner. In the latter stages, however, Gruca's strength told the tale and she crossed the line 10 seconds up, 16:50 to 17:00. Third place went to last year's winner, Lisa Harvey, 42, from Canada (17:22).



"I'm happy I could win," exulted Gruca. "My training has been going very well. I ran a smart race and I was a little careful in the first mile. I'm used to this humidity; I'm training in New Mexico. The girl I ran with [Piers] did a great job."



"Every year at this race, I feel that I've witnessed something special in our city," enthused Race Director George Regan. "All these events have become so dear to the people of Albany, that it's now a part of our culture. Our elite athletes are welcomed so warmly, and they come back again and again. Our race field gets bigger every year and we do all that we came to make everybody know how special they are. And the competition simply gets better and better. This year, the rain made no difference at all. We had a fantastic race, and a fantastic day. It was a great day for Albany."



34th Freihofer's Run for Women 5K
Albany, NY, Saturday, June 2, 2012



OPEN
1) Mamitu Daska, Ethiopia, 15:20, $10,000
2) Ashu Kasim, Ethiopia, 15:37 $5000
3) Alemitu Abera, Ethiopia, 15:41, $3000
4) Gesabwa Risper, Kenya, 15:47, $2000
5) Genoveva Kigen, Kenya, 15:53, $1000
6) Michelle Frey, USA / MN, 16:03, $750
7) Jelliah Tinega, Kenya, 16:07, $500
8) Lara Tamsett, Australia, 16:14, $300
9) Laura Thweatt, USA / CO, 16:15, $250
10) Rebecca Donaghue, USA / PA, 16:17, $200



MASTERS (40 and older)
1) Dorota Gruca, 41, Poland, 16:50, $750
2) Sheri Piers, 40, ME, 17:00, $500
3) Lisa Harvey, 42, Canada, 17:22, $350
4) Kara Haas, 41, MA, 17:30, $200
5) Lori Kingsley, 46, NY, 18:18, $100



Results and more at: www.freihofersrun.com






Olympians, Celebrities Headline 15th Rock 'n' Roll Marathon

Machichim, Ivanova win marathon; Keflezighi, Smith take ½ marathon titles; post-race concert by Donavon Frankenreiter; celebrities and dignitaries highlight The Original Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series event in San Diego; more than 30,000 entrants

By Dan Cruz, Competitor Group



SAN DIEGO - (June 3, 2012) - The 15th Rock 'n' Roll San Diego event on Sunday morning was a star-studded success. Meb Keflezighi, winner of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, appears ready for the upcoming London Olympic Games. The 37-year-old ran smoothly and effortlessly on Sunday, winning the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego ½ Marathon in 1 hour, 3 minutes, 11 seconds, his second consecutive victory in his hometown. Ryan Hall, 29, the U.S. record-holder for the half-marathon at 59:43, struggled because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and finished a distant second in 1:05:39.



The women's half-marathon was won by New Zealand Olympian Kim Smith in 1:08:37, a time that would have placed her seventh among the men.



Nixon Machichim of Kenya broke away with a little over two miles remaining and won the men's Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon in 2:10:03. Russia's Alevtina Ivanova also made a late burst and won the women's marathon in 2:27:44. The men's and women's marathon champions each earned $25,000.



More than 30,000 entrants from all 50 states and 40 countries were greeted with ideal running weather on Sunday morning. The men's half-marathon was the keynote event, expected to be a tense duel between the two Olympians. But after about a mile, it was no contest. Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist, pulled away and the suffering Hall could not keep up.



"I wanted to go out early because I know how the race will be in London," Keflezighi said. "I tried to duplicate what it will be like there."



The San Diego course is similar to London in that it has several turns and downhills.

"This was not a do-or-die race, but I'm a competitor," Keflezighi said. "I'm not a guy who likes to sit back and waits to kick in the last mile."



There was no need for a closing kick this time, as Keflezighi kept widening his lead as the race progressed. As the confident Keflezighi crossed the finish line, he was greeted by a large contingent of family and friends, including his father and one of his brothers, who lifted him onto their shoulders. Also along the course, there were groups of people urging him on, shouting "Olympics, Olympics, Olympics."



"It's always good to be back in San Diego," said Keflezighi, who ran his first professional race here last year, after having grown up and matured in the Southern California city.



Keflezighi's coach, Bob Larsen, generally was satisfied with his protégé's performance. "He still has a lot of work to do," Larsen said. "But so far so good."



This was Keflezighi's final race before the Olympics. From now on, it will be a lot of training. Keflezighi said his longest week of training this year consisted of 90 miles. Now, he wants to step it up to 100.



Hall, meanwhile, will be concentrating on improving his condition.



"I believe it's going to get better before the Olympics," he said of his painful injury. "Running with Meb always is an honor. He has the heart of a champion. Meb always inspires me to get through these tough moments."



Hall admitted he made a mistake in this race. "It was too quick for me," he said. "I shouldn't have gone out that fast. The course beat me up. It wasn't my best day. I was hurting the last part of the course. It felt like my foot was glued to the ground. I felt like a one-legged horse."



"Now, I'll just have to train for the Olympics," he added.



In the women's half-marathon, Smith, 30, ran unchallenged, winning by nearly seven minutes over runner-up Ariana Hilborn of Scottsdale, Ariz. (1:15:32). Smith's time fell a little short of the 1:07:11 she set at Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia last year, the fastest female time ever run on American soil.



"This is a lot harder course than Philadelphia," she said. "But it was a good, hard run. It was good preparation for the Olympics. It's hard to push yourself when there are no other women around."



The men's marathon was a more competitive race, with about a half-dozen runners still in contention with just over two miles remaining. Then, Machichim took charge and won by 11 seconds over runner-up Desta Gebrehiwot of Ethiopia (2:10:14).



"I was ready to go," Machichim said. "I was expecting to run 2:09. But the last half of the course was hard. I don't like the hills, I like to run on a straight course."



Jeffrey Eggleston of Flagstaff, Ariz., was the top American, finishing eighth in 2:13:13.

Ivanova had not planned to run in San Diego, joining the women's marathon field only about two weeks ago. Her original plan was to run in Ottawa on May 27, but that race fell through when she couldn't obtain a Canadian visa (she has a U.S. visa). Meseret Legesse of Ethiopia finished second at 2:28:01, and Whitney Patton of San Marcos, Calif., was the top American, eighth at 2:49:50.



A translator said Ivanova, 37, ran well because she liked the cool conditions in San Diego on Sunday. "She said she was very happy because it is difficult for Russians to run in the heat," the translator said.



The half-marathon event featured several notable runners from reality TV moms to elected officials. Television personality Kate Gosselin finished the event with a time of 1:56:43. Dr. Andy Baldwin, an ING KiDS ROCK ambassador known for his appearance on ABC's 'The Bachelor' Season 10, ran the race in 1:31:25. Baldwin was participating with Team Fletcher, a group led by Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, who is running for Mayor of San Diego and ran 13.1-mile race in 1:43:51. Former NFL player Tim Dwight, who played four seasons with the San Diego Chargers, completed the half in 1:56:07. Former Raising Sextuplets star Jenny Masche completed the race with her new husband Levi, with a time of 2:31:42.



U.S. Congressman Duncan D. Hunter participated in the event with his wife Margret, crossing the finish line in 2:45:48. Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington participated in full costume with Competitor Magazine co-founder Bob Babbitt and the infamous contingent of Running Elvi.



Famous for lining race routes with live bands and cheerleaders, 102 athletes have completed all 15 Rock 'n' Roll Marathons in San Diego. The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon started as a simple idea-the idea of making running fun-and soon transformed San Diego into the birthplace of a global phenomenon by combining live music, elite competition, recreational running and charity fundraising into a grand entertainment event. Since the first Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in 1998, Team In Training participants have raised $171 million in San Diego to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's blood cancer research and patient services programs.



The 16th Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & Half Marathon to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is set for Sunday, June 2, 2013.



15th Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon: The Original
San Diego, CA, Sunday, June 3, 2012



MEN
1) Nixon Machichim, 29, Kenya, 2:10:03, $25,000
2) Desta Gebrehiwot, 23, Ethiopia, 2:10:14, $17,500
3) Tesfaye Sendeku, 28, Ethiopia, 2:11:18, $10,000
4) Weldon Kirui, 23, Kenya, 2:11:28, $7500
5) Patrick Ivuti, 33, Kenya, 2:11:39, $5000



WOMEN
1) Alevtina Ivanova, 37, Russia, 2:27:44, $25,000
2) Meseret Legesse, 24, Ethiopia, 2:28:01, $17,500
3) Woynishet Girma, 24, Ethiopia, 2:33:59, $10,000
4) Silvia Skvortsova, 37, Russia, 2:34:10, $7500
5) Lyudmila Biktasheva, 37, Russia, 2:34:18, $5000



3rd Rock 'n' Roll San Diego ½ Marathon
MEN
1) Meb Keflezighi, 37, USA / CA, 1:03:11
2) Ryan Hall, 29, USA / CA, 1:05:39
3) Cesar Lizano, 30, Costa Rica, 1:07:28



WOMEN
1) Kim Smith, 30, New Zealand, 1:08:37
2) Ariana Hilborn, 31, USA / AZ, 1:15:32
3) Lindsay Tollefson, USA / CA, 1:18:47



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





Hospital Hill Run Smashes Records
Event record of more than 8,000 runners at the 39th edition, Kansas City's oldest run

By Beth Salinger



KANSAS CITY, Mo. - (June 2, 2012) - A record Saturday field of more than 8,000 athletes witnessed an impressive display of speed and determination by winners Julius Koskei, of Kenya, who won the men's race in a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes, 37 seconds, while Fort Collin's Colorado Lauren Kleppin won the women's race in 1:15:18. The wonderful weather resulted in many fast times this year at the 39th running of the Hospital Hill Run presented by Price Chopper, Kansas City's oldest run.



Second in the Men's division was Kenyan Benson Cheruiyot in 1:05:18 and third was countryman Nixon Kiplagat (1:05:27). Runner-up in the women's Open division was Brianne Nelson of Colorado Springs, CO in 1:15:21, just 3 seconds behind Kleppin and third was local athlete Kimi Reed of Overland Park, KS with a time of 1:17:18.



In the Hospital Hill 10K run, Matthew Schneider of Norfolk, NE completed the course in a time of 33:22 and local runner Brianna Westervelt of Kansas City, MO clocked 41:33.



The UMKC School of Medicine 5K winners were York Thomas of Omaha, NE and Anna O'Brien from Easton, MO in 16:13 and 19:35 respectively.



In addition to the competition, there was also philanthropy. The Kansas City community also benefited again from this year's race, as more than 1,000 runners, walkers and volunteers helped to raise money for one of the twenty Hospital Hill Run charity partners. These participants rose more than $100,000 as part of their fundraising efforts.



For the fifth consecutive year the Hospital Hill Run broke records and the 2012 event became the largest one yet. As a long-standing Kansas City event, first held in 1974 with a field of 99 runners, the event has kept up with the changing running community by altering the run's distance, adding premium items, and electronic timing. However, the focus has always been on the athlete and their experience as well as promoting healthy lifestyles.



For complete results and more information, go to: www.hospitalhillrun.com





Twin Cities In Motion Announces 2012 Scholarship Recipients

$5000 scholarships awarded to one male and one female high school senior


ST. PAUL, Minn. - (May 31, 2012) - Twin Cities In Motion (TCM) has named Megan Kilbride of Lakeville South High School and Jensen Orlow of Holy Family Catholic High School as the 2012 recipients of the organization's college scholarships. The TCM College Scholarship is a one-time $5000 grant open to all high school seniors who participate in cross country or track and reside in the Twin Cities eleven-county metro area. Kilbride and Orlow were selected from a talented pool of applicants, based on academic performance shown through both grades and the strength of their curriculum; leadership at school or in a peer group; a commitment to community service or helping others and a dedication to maximizing running potential.



"Megan and Jensen exemplify the concept of the student-athlete through their passion for running, dedication to their community and academic success," said Virginia Brophy Achman, TCM's executive director. "They have such bright futures, and we are thrilled to be able to help support them through the next steps of their education."



Jensen Orlow (Jordan, Minn.) has received 13 varsity letters through his participation in cross country, Nordic skiing, and track & field at Holy Family. He was conference champion in 2011 in both the 1600 meter run and the 3200 meter run, and he was All-State last year in the 3200. Jensen, a three-time MVP of his cross -country team, was also All-State in that sport in 2010 and 2011. A two-sport captain, his leadership skills are evident on his team and in his church and community. Jensen is an avid volunteer and youth leader in his church, and he volunteered more than 400 hours of service to his community through four years of high school. In the fall, he will attend South Dakota State University, where he plans to run cross country and track and study electrical engineering.



Megan Kilbride (Lakeville, Minn.) is a three-sport captain, with 16 varsity letters through her years in cross country, Nordic skiing, and track & field. She is a three-time all-conference cross-country runner and was also named the Cougar Award recipient three times in recognition of how she represents the Lakeville South cross country program in competition as well as in the community and classroom. Megan was named a National Merit Commended Student last year and has received numerous academic awards for her achievements at Lakeville South. She also accumulated nearly 700 hours of volunteer work in high school, primarily as a youth soccer coach, American Cancer Society Relay for Life team captain and Dakota County Wetland Health Evaluation Program team member. In college, she plans to study biomedical engineering, biochemistry or neuroscience and continue running both cross country and track.



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 over $500,000 to related causes each year. Visit www.tcmevents.org for more information.







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