Running USA wire 50, June 13, 2012

Running USA advances the growth and success of the running industry in America.


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In this edition:
2012 U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Team to Run 2013 Boston Marathon
Goucher, Abdirahman Highlight Field Set for USA Half Marathon Championships
GNC, Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. Announce Inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile
Deneke, Kleppin Win Garden of the Gods 10 Mile

UPCOMING EVENTS

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

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
Sports 4 Emilie's 5K Run for Women Only, Ottawa, CAN, June 23
Summerfest Rock 'n' Sole Run, Milwaukee, WI, June 23
Undy 5000, Denver, CO, June 23
Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, WA, June 23
Inaugural NY Giants Run of Champions 5K, NY, NY, June 24
Packard Summer Scamper 5K & 10K, Palo Alto, CA, June 24
Stadium Stampede, Denver, CO, June 24
Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K, CAN, June 24






2012 U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Team to Run 2013 Boston Marathon


Team USA Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila and Kara Goucher commit to 117th edition


BOSTON - (June 13, 2012) - John Hancock Financial, Principal Sponsor of the Boston Marathon, has recruited elite American marathoners Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila and Kara Goucher to run the 117th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, 2013. All three women will represent the U.S. in the Olympic Marathon this summer and the 2013 Boston Marathon will be their first post-Olympic Marathon.



For Ms. Flanagan, who grew up in Marblehead, Mass., this will mark her Boston debut.



"I watched the Boston Marathon religiously growing up and always dreamed about running from Hopkinton to Boston, racing down Boylston Street to the finish," said Flanagan. "I finally get the chance to fulfill this dream next April. I can't wait to give Boston everything I have. I know the love and support will be overwhelming and-in typical Boston style-loud. I'm thrilled to become part of this rich Patriots' Day tradition."



Flanagan, 30, won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials this past January in an event record of 2 hours, 25 minutes, 38 seconds. She holds U.S. records in the indoor 3000m and 5000m and in the outdoor 10,000m. The indoor records were set in Boston, while the 10,000m record was earned during her bronze medal performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.



Ms. Davila returns to Boston after finishing runner-up in 2011 in a U.S. course record of 2:22:38.



"I'm honored and excited to be invited back to Boston as part of the John Hancock elite team," said Davila. "After coming so close to the 'W' in 2011, I've been anxious and excited about returning to Boston and taking another crack at it."



Davila, 28, is now the third fastest American marathoner of all-time, following Deena Kastor and Joan Benoit Samuelson. She recently placed second at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, where she qualified for her first Olympic team.



"I no longer consider myself a beginner at the marathon; I've competed in a number of major races, and have slowly become more comfortable with a wide variety of racing tactics," said Davila. "The experience from the 2011 Boston Marathon was a big turning point. I now believe I have the tools and the ability to compete and contend for the title at a major marathon. To have that confidence along with a team of coaches that really know how to prepare athletes for the Boston Marathon should pay huge dividends come spring 2013."



Ms. Goucher, 33, returns to Boston for the third time after making her second Olympic Team with a third place finish at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. At Boston in 2009, she shared the lead until the final meters and finished third.



"The city of Boston captured my heart when I ran my first Boston Marathon in 2009," said Goucher. "The support for the Marathon in Boston is incredible. I didn't meet my goal of winning in 2009, but the entire city embraced me for trying."

In 2011, shortly after giving birth to her son, Colt, Goucher finished fifth at Boston in a personal best 2:24:52, becoming the fourth fastest American marathoner of all-time.

"The Boston Marathon is an historical gem," said Goucher. "To be a part of this history excites me and drives me to train harder. I absolutely love the city of Boston and its Marathon. They have embraced me as one of their own. This will be my third trip to Boston and I will use my past experiences to help me get it right this time. I'm hoping that the third time will be the charm."



Flanagan, Davila and Goucher are the first professional athletes announced as part of the John Hancock international team for the 2013 Boston Marathon. The Company has been principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon for 27 years.



"Shalane, Desiree, and Kara have competed against the most talented women in the world with amazing results," said Rob Friedman, head of Sponsorship and Event Marketing at John Hancock. "The Olympics and the 2013 Boston Marathon should be no different. As individuals these women are fierce competitors, and as a team they prove themselves relentless. With Desiree and Kara previously making the podium in Boston and Shalane winning the Trials, they are sure to provide the millions of Boston Marathon fans with a race to remember."



"Thanks to John Hancock Financial, which assembles the elite athlete field for us, next year's Boston Marathon will have a decidedly American feel to it," said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. "All of us at the B.A.A. and in Boston will be watching the Olympic Marathon this summer, and we're anxious to see how the Americans fare in London. We wish them luck, and we are already eagerly anticipating the heightened exposure and attention these women will receive as members of Team USA, and the added interest they will bring to the 2013 Boston Marathon next spring."



To view video of "Three Women. One Goal. 2013 Boston Marathon", go to: http://youtu.be/ohP0r9Gbmw4



For more information,visit: www.bostonmarathon.org





Goucher, Abdirahman Highlight Field Set for USA Half Marathon Championships

National titles, World Championship spots at stake; $82,000 prize purse with $12,000 for each national champion in Minnesota


DULUTH, Minn. - (June 11, 2012) - A pair of multi-Olympians - Kara Goucher and Abdi Abdirahman - bound for the 2012 Olympic Games in London head the list of athletes set to race in Saturday's USA Half Marathon Championships in Duluth. The men's national championship goes off at 6:15am and the women's title tilt at 6:25am.



Along with the coveted national titles, there is a U.S. prize purse of $82,000 with $12,000 for each national champion. Also at stake, USA Track & Field has announced that two women and two men finishing in the top five in this year's national championships will be eligible to represent Team USA in the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Kavarna, Bulgaria on Saturday, October 6.



Duluth native Goucher, 33, has a personal best half-marathon time of 1 hour, 6 minutes, 57 seconds and Abdirahman, 35, has a half-marathon PB of 1:00:29, both from 2007. The duo earned spots on the 2012 Team USA Olympic Marathon squad by placing in the top three at the Olympic Marathon Trials Jan. 14 in Houston. Both placed third - Goucher in 2:26:06, while Abdirahman in 2:09:47, his fastest marathon since a 2006 personal record of 2:08:56.



The USA Half Marathon Championships field with PRs also includes:


MEN
Nick Arciniaga (1:03:22), Andrew Carlson (1:02:21), Matt Gabrielson (1:03:44), Brett Gotcher (1:02:29), Jimmy Grabow (1:03:37), Jason Hartmann (1:03:07), Josh Moen (1:02:53), Stephan Shay (1:02:26) and Patrick Smyth (1:02:01)


WOMEN
Michelle Frey (1:12:46), Clara Grandt (1:13:13), Melissa Johnson-White (1:12:40), Maegan Krifchin (1:11:04), Dot McMahan (1:12:57), Kathy Newberry (1:13:07), Stephanie Pezzullo (1:13:14), Lindsey Scherf (1:11:45), Wendy Thomas (1:13:46) and Heidi Westover (1:11:35)



Duluth's history of hosting national championship road racing events includes the 2003 and 2004 USA Women's Half Marathon Championships. The 2003 race was won by Colleen De Reuck in a course record 1 hour, 10 minutes - a mark that remains the fastest women's time on the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon course.



The city also hosted the 1987, 1990 and 1994 USA Women's Marathon Championships as part of Grandma's Marathon, which is currently the country's 13th largest marathon.



Visit grandmasmarathon.com for more information.




GNC, Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. Announce Inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile

$25,000 prize purse with $4000 to each Open race champion; part of Bring Back the Mile national campaign


PITTSBURGH, Pa. - (June 6, 2012) - GNC Holdings, Inc., the nation's largest specialty retailer of health, wellness and sports nutrition products, is partnering with Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. to host the inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile. The event is expected to be the third largest competitive, one-mile road race in the U.S., where world class milers will compete for a $25,000 prize purse with both the male and female winners taking home $4000 each.



"For years, GNC has been the leader in providing the fuel for runners to achieve their goals, and we believe it's time that we bring the quickly emerging world of one-mile road races to Pittsburgh, our home town. To make that happen, we are proud to sponsor the inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile and launch it in a way that we expect will immediately make it one of the nation's largest," stated Jeff Hennion, EVP - Chief Marketing Officer & eCommerce at GNC. "The event will provide a racing venue for a wide spectrum of athletes ranging from highly competitive milers to those running in their first professional race. Whether you run competitively at a world class level or simply run around the block, this race is for you."



The event will take place on Friday, August 17 at 7:00pm on Liberty Avenue, from 17th Street in the Strip District to 6th Street, Downtown. Six one-mile heats will be held offering various opportunities, such as raising money and giving corporations the chance to participate in a corporate wellness challenge. The heats include:



One for Fun - Recreational mile for ages 5-100 years old
Giving Back - Participants register and raise money for a participating charity.
It's All Business - Participants register and participate with their corporate teammates.
Winning.....at 40-plus - Masters mile participants for competitors 40 years of age and older
Unstoppable - Ages 13-39 years old; open to competitive milers - male and female (6-minute mile or under).
Experts - Qualified participants 18 years of age and older (male 4:17 mile and under and female 5:00-minute mile or faster)


The announcement is part of the Bring Back the Mile campaign, www.bringbackthemile.com, a national movement to return the mile race to prominence in the American sports and cultural landscape.



"Competitive mile road races are increasing in popularity, and we are pleased that Pittsburgh will be a part of this trend with the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile," stated Patrice Matamoros, race director of the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. "The mile run is a great entry race for people who are interested in the sport of running. With the competitive heats, we are sure to see some of those high-speed, crowd-pleasing chases as well."



To register or for more information, go to: www.LibertyMile.org





Deneke, Kleppin Win Garden of the Gods 10 Mile

Runners faced windy conditions at 36th edition

By Ron Ilgen



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - (June 10, 2012) - A difficult, hilly course proved even tougher with a 20-mile per hour headwind for the first half of the 36th running of the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run on Sunday morning.



Teklu Deneke, formerly of Ethiopia, won the men's overall title in 54 minutes, well off last year's winning pace of 51:55.



"They were running pretty fast for the conditions out there," said the legendary Bart Yasso, the Chief Running Officer at Runner's World Magazine and a celebrity host of the event.



Everyone at Sunday morning's awards ceremony took comfort in that, including the men's winner.



"The course was very, very tough," said Deneke, who has called Flagstaff, Ariz. home since 2011. He ran as a professional marathoner in Europe and Asia before moving to the United States in 2010. "With the wind against your chest, the first five miles were really tough."



Deneke, 32, surprised most of his competitors, who did not know of his competitive background.



Despite the head wind for the first five miles and a cool start temperature of 57 degrees, he set a good pace and runner-up Benard Langat (29, Santa Fe, N.M., 54:14) did not want to try to keep up. The top area finisher was Ryan Hafer (26, Colorado Springs, 54:25) who placed third.



Defending champion Mario Macias, 30, of Alamosa finished fourth in 54:41. Macias placed second in 2010 in 50:59 in better racing conditions. Fifth place went to Jared Abuya (35, Colorado Springs, 55:11), who set a 35-39 age group event record, besting the mark of 57:33 set by Glen P. Mays by of Manitou Springs in 2007.



For the women, Lauren Kleppin, 23, of Fort Collins, finished first, clocking 1 hour, 3 minutes, 3 seconds, a solid 5:31 ahead of the runner-up.



"My plan was to just take it out really easy and controlled. I knew it was a hilly course - I wasn't sure how hilly - and I'm glad I did," Kleppin said. "It was also really windy, but it definitely worked really well and I felt good through the whole thing."



Kleppin, a Western State College alumnus, earned a career total of nine NCAA Division II All-American honors in track & field and cross country while at Western State. She was also one of the most decorated long distance runners ever to run in Division II, and recorded the fastest ever women's 10,000-meter run in Division II at 32 minutes, 49 seconds.



Although Kepplin was the most decorated female runner galloping through the picturesque Garden of the Gods, there were many other astounding women at the race.

Second place Kelly Ramirez, 26, of Fort Collins, finished in 1:08:34. And she did it while training only 35 miles a week with little speed work. She said the people around her helped to push her.



"I made some friends and tried to hold on," Ramirez said.



Rachel Cuellar, 30, of Albuquerque, an expecting mother 15 weeks into her pregnancy, finished fourth among the women in 1:10:41. She has continued training and didn't want to miss the Garden of the Gods race.



Cuellar said she has been maintaining about 40 miles per week, but refrains from doing any hard workouts to protect her baby. She said she has more energy as she enters her second trimester and plans to run a few more races throughout her pregnancy. She also knows she'll have to slow down.



Joyce McKelvey, 67, of Black Forest, the women's 65-to-69 age division winner, said she simply enjoys the environment the race offers.



"There's a lot more women running," McKelvey said in regards to the development of women's running.



There were 665 women that ran the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run this year - a 237 female increase from 1991.



The Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Running series, which also includes the Summer Roundup 12K Trail Run July 9, and the Pikes Peak Ascent or Marathon August 18 and 19.



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





Contact Information


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




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