Running USA wire 79, September 23, 2012

Running USA wire 79, September 23, 2012
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In this edition:
Centrowitz, Martinez Cap Year with Fifth Avenue Mile Titles
Runners, Bikers Take Over the Streets of Mile High City
King Five-Peats as XTERRA Trail Run National Champion
All-Star Celebrities Will Sweat It Out at 2012 ING New York City Marathon

UPCOMING EVENTS

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



Lake Tahoe Marathon Weekend, Lake Tahoe, CA, September 28-30
Inaugural Tower of Terror 10 Mile, Orlando, FL, September 29
10th Akron Marathon, Akron, OH, September 29
University High School Spirit Run, Carmel, IN, September 29
Catalina Island Conservancy Half-Marathon, Avalon, CA, September 29
35th Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race 10K, PA, Sept 30
Cartersville 10K, Cartersville, GA, October 6
XTERRA Marathon of Trail Races, Colorado Springs, CO, October 6
Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend, Minneapolis, MN, Oct 6-7
USA 10 Mile Championships & USA Masters Marathon Championships
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half-Marathon, National Harbor, MD, Oct 7
35th Bank of America Chicago Marathon, IL, October 7
World Marathon Major
Pikes Peak Road Ascent, Cascade, CO, October 7
Tyler Rose Marathon, Half-Marathon & 5K, Tyler, TX, October 7
Long Beach ICB Marathon, Long Beach, CA, October 7
Portland Marathon & Half-Marathon, Portland, OR, October 7
Rock 'n' Roll San Jose 1/2 Marathon, San Jose, CA, October 7
Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women, Boston, MA, October 8
USA Women's 10K Championship / USARC Finale


Centrowitz, Martinez Cap Year with Fifth Avenue Mile Titles

At 32th edition, more than 5,400 finishers in age group heats race the iconic distance down the famed thoroughfare

By Jim Gerweck, Running USA wire



NEW YORK - (September 22, 2012) - For years, Bernard Lagat has dominated Mile races on the indoor track of New York City, his eight consecutive Wanamaker Mile titles at the Millrose Games allowing him to appropriate the "Chairman of the Boards" title from Eamonn Coghlan.



Lagat's string was broken this winter by a young upstart, Matthew Centrowitz, and on Saturday on the Big Apple's famed Fifth Avenue, the 22-year-old Centrowitz bested Lagat, 15 years his senior, again, defeating the defending champion with a well-timed and unanswerable kick in the last 50 yards of the race, after Lagat seemed to have made the winning move with 100 to go.



"I love coming to New York," said Centrowitz, who parents both grew up in the area. "I came here twice this year and I'm 2-0. I'd like to come to New York a lot more in the future."



Centrowitz, who finished fourth in the London Olympic 1500 meters this summer, became only the second man to win both Wanamaker and Fifth Avenue, the bookends of the racing season, in the same year. Spain's Isaac Viciosa was the first man to turn the trick, 15 years ago.



The men's pack went through fairly even 60-second quarter mile splits, and just after the ¾ mark David Torrence, who won the Falmouth Mile in August, made a strong move to the front to try and take the victory with a long finishing drive. Just past the 1500m mark, Lagat made his move, perhaps a bit farther out than he would have desired.



"I knew that someone, either Leo or Matt, was going to come," said Lagat, who moved up to the 5000m in London and finished fourth. "I wanted to give my best and run hard that last 100 because if I left it to 20 meters like normal I thought I might not have a good shot at it. I started pushing at 100 to go because I knew these two gentlemen would be in pursuit, and that's what happened. You take a risk that you might not be able to respond if someone catches you. With 50 meters to go, a great miler just passed me."



"Being my first road mile, I didn't really feel comfortable the whole way," said Centrowitz, who had lurked in Lagat's slipstream for most of the race. "There is no doubt about it, I was definitely keying off Bernard. Early on, I tried sitting off his shoulder a little bit. I knew that late in the race someone was going to make a strong push. They weren't going to leave it to inside the last 100. It ended up being Bernard and I just went when I felt like it was right."



Centrowitz, the 2011 World 1500m bronze medalist, crossed the line in 3 minutes, 52.4 seconds, lowering his PR from the 3:53.92 set at Millrose, his half-second margin enough to allow him to spread his arms in victory as he hit the tape. Centrowitz' London teammate, 1500m silver medalist Leo Manzano, was third in 3:53.1.



Youth was also served in the women's pro race that preceded the men, as 25-year-old Brenda Martinez, whose 4:26.76 PR, set in winning Falmouth, made her the world leader in the distance. After 20 blocks of racing down Fifth Avenue, she still held that distinction, albeit with a new PR of 4:24.2, good for a 0.7 margin over Anna Pierce (4:24.9, also a PR). Her win here, coming on the heels of a victory in last week's Great North City Games road Mile in England, have gave her a great sense of confidence in not playing her cards until the finish is in sight.



"My coaches have taught me that for the 1500m or the mile to just be patient, never take the lead and kind of let everyone else do the work," she said. "I feel like I matured a lot this year and learned to be patient and to just get into a rhythm, be comfortable and when it is time to go be ready."



Today, that point came with the race was in its final eighth. "I wanted to wait until 200 meters to go," said Martinez, who was last when she debuted here in 2010 and placed ninth here last year. "I felt very good so around that time is when I started to drop my head, pump my arms and kick for my life.



"That win in Newcastle was really good for me," she continued. "I came in confident. When it comes to courses, hills, wind, that doesn't really matter. Everyone was still running hard. I just tried to have fun in the race and I did that today."



At the 32nd edition, overall, 14 men broke 4 minutes and 10 women bettered 4:30 for the Mile. While two professional races were the highlight of the day, they certainly were not the limit of Mile racing on Fifth Avenue today. Beginning some four hours before the pros, Open runners competed in a dozen age group heats, some of which approached 1,000 in size. Before the day was done more than 5,400 men and women raced, ran or jogged the 80 blocks south from the Metropolitan Museum, proving that when it comes to the roads in New York City, the marathon may be king, but the Mile is not far behind.



32nd NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile
New York, NY, Saturday, September 22, 2012



MEN
1) Matthew Centrowitz (USA / OR), 3:52.4, $5000
2) Bernard Lagat (USA / AZ), 3:52.9, $3500
3) Leo Manzano (USA / TX), 3:53.1, $2500
4) Craig Huffer (AUS), 3:53.5, $1500
5) Ryan Gregson (AUS), 3:53.7, $1000
6) David Torrence (USA / CA), 3:53.8, $750
7) Craig Miller (USA / WI), 3:54.2, $500
8) Elliott Heath (USA / CA), 3:54.3, $250
9) Garrett Heath (USA / CA), 3:54.4
10) Jordan McNamara (USA / OR), 3:56.5
11) AJ Acosta (USA / OR), 3:57.7
12) Haron Lagat (KEN), 3:58.4, $1000*
13) Donn Cabral (USA / CT), 3:59.1
14) Cam Levins (CAN), 3:59.1
15) Liam Boylan-Pett (USA / DC), 4:04.8
*halfway leader prime bonus



WOMEN
1) Brenda Martinez (USA / CA), 4:24.2, $5000
2) Anna Pierce (USA / CA), 4:24.9, $3500
3) Hannah England (GBR), 4:26.0, $2500
4) Gabriele Anderson (USA / MN), 4:26.5, $1500
5) Shannon Rowbury (USA / CA), 4:27.0, $1000
6) Heather Kampf (USA / MN), 4:27.8, $750
7) Julia Bleasdale (GBR), 4:28.8, $1500*
8) Chelsea Reilly (USA / CA), 4:29.0, $250
9) Eilish McColgan (GBR), 4:29.7
10) Jenny Simpson (USA / CO), 4:29.9
*includes $1000 halfway leader prime



Complete race results and more at: nyrr.org





Runners, Bikers Take Over the Streets of Mile High City

Kogo, Nasukawa win Sports Authority Rock 'n' Roll Denver Marathon; Lemoncello, Aoyama half-marathon champions; third edition attracts local sports celebrities including Denver Nuggets Star Corey Brewer and Rockies Manager Jim Tracy; event benefited Prostate Cancer Foundation; Trevor Hall finish line headliner

By Amana Miyamae, Competitor Group



DENVER - (September 22, 2012) - The third Sports Authority Rock 'n' Roll Denver Marathon & ½ Marathon benefiting the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Denver Bike Tour transformed the streets of the Mile High City on Saturday morning. Participants started their race this morning in the summer and finished in the fall, thanks to the Autumn Equinox. Andrew Lemoncello of Scotland was first across the finish line in Civic Center Park, covering the 13.1 mile course in 1 hour, 6 minutes, 12 seconds, while Rui Aoyama of Japan was crowned the women's half-marathon champion in 1:14:35.



"I'm just happy to have done well, especially since this is my first race at altitude," said Lemoncello, 29, who returned to racing for the first time today since suffering a severe hamstring injury in 2011. "I was putting in some surges early on to see how the competition would respond. I put everything I had into the last hill and luckily I had enough of a break to feed off that and keep the lead. I love Denver - I'm still trying to persuade my wife to move here, it's really lovely."



Lemoncello and half-marathon runner-up Kenyon Neuman (1:06:28), split off from a pack of eight runners around mile 5. At mile 11, Lemoncello broke away and held the lead to the finish.



In the women's 13.1 mile race, Nuta Olaru, 42, originally from Romania and now a U.S. citizen, placed second for the third year in a row with her 1:15:00. Moeno Nakamura was the third female finisher, clocking 1:16:01.



"The women's race was strong," said Olaru. "When I started, I pushed hard the first 8 miles, but after that (Rui Aoyama) caught me and it was too late. I wanted to run faster, but it's ok. It's two weeks before I compete in the TriCities Marathon and then the U.S. Masters Championships so I feel ready for that."



Abraham Kogo of Kenya, 32, captured the marathon in 2:27:58 and Mizuho Nasukawa of Japan, also 32, finished unchallenged among the women in 2:37:05, a new State record. Local Matt Dewald, who took third place in 2:33:44, lead the opening miles with a one minute lead in front of the lead pack. At mile 16, Kogo caught Dewald, and made a decisive move to secure first place, which he maintained to the finish line.



Dave Scudamore, the 1997 USA Marathon champion, 42, finished runner-up in 2:32:58. Last year's winner, Chris Siemers helped pace the women's marathon third place finisher Paige Higgins (2:52:29) earlier in the race. Siemers, who last year broke the Colorado state marathon record here, ultimately fell back to fourth place, finishing in 2:36:10.



In addition to the notable line up of elite runners, the rest of the participants enjoyed live entertainment and the sounds of local bands playing every mile. The scenic race toured Denver's beautiful city parks and landmarks before an exciting finish line festival in Civic Center Park. Colorado crowd favorite Trevor Hall energized the post-race celebration as runners and fans gathered at the band stage in Civic Center Park.



Among the crowd of participants was a sea of runners who wore blue and raised more than $50,000 for the fight against prostate cancer through Athletes for a Cure, the fundraising and awareness program of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.



For the first time, bicyclists of all skill levels took part in an unprecedented ride at the Rock 'n' Roll Denver Bike Tour including Denver Nuggets guard Corey Brewer. The inaugural event welcomed 750 cyclists along 24 miles of the marathon course prior to the start of the race, giving participants a unique opportunity to ride closed streets and enjoy the Rock 'n' Roll experience on two wheels. A two-person relay distance was also offered during the race.



3rd Sports Authority Rock 'n' Roll Denver Marathon
Denver, CO, Saturday, September 22, 2012



MEN
1) Abraham Kogo, 32, Kenya, 2:27:58, $1000
2) Dave Scudamore, 42, Denver, CO, 2:32:58, $500
3) Matt Dewald, 29, Denver, CO, 2:33:44, $250



WOMEN
1) Mizuho Nasukawa, 32, Japan, 2:37:05*, $1000
2) Nicole Chyr, 34, Englewood, CO, 2:51:24, $500
3) Paige Higgins, 30, Littleton, CO, 2:52:29, $250
*State record (previous record, 2:41:05, Masako Chiba (JPN), Nike ACG Boulder Backroads, 09/26/04)



3rd Sports Authority Rock 'n' Roll Denver 1/2 Marathon
MEN
1) Andrew Lemoncello, 29, Great Britain, 1:06:12, $1000
2) Kenyon Neuman, 25, Boulder, CO, 1:06:28, $500
3) Josh Eberly, 31, Gunnison, CO, 1:07:30, $250



WOMEN
1) Rui Aoyama, 23, Japan, 1:14:35, $1000
2) Nuta Olaru, 42, Romania, 1:15:00, $500
3) Moeno Nakamura, 22, Japan, 1:16:01, $250



Deeper results, photos and more at: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/Denver





King Five-Peats as XTERRA Trail Run National Champion

U.S. Olympian Anderson wins women's XTERRA national crown at Snowbasin Resort in Utah

By Dayton Morinaga, XTERRA



OGDEN, Utah - (September 23, 2012) - Max King from Oregon continued his amazing streak of XTERRA Trail Run Championships with another amazing weekend as he won the 2012 XTERRA Trail Run title for the fifth consecutive year on Sunday at the Snowbasin Resort near Ogden, Utah. The XTERRA Trail Run National Championship 21K has been staged five times, and King, 32, has won each one in convincing fashion.



"It means a lot," he said. "I love coming back. This is actually one of the best courses for a trail run I've ever seen. It's a beautiful course and XTERRA keeps putting on a great race. It's a phenomenal event."



King's latest victory is all the remarkable when considering his weekend itinerary. During a 24-hour period, he completed 71 kilometers of trail running in two different states, traveled more than 1,000 flight miles, and won two national events.



On Saturday, he won the USA 50K Trail Championship in his hometown of Bend, Oregon. He got on a flight shortly after that race and arrived in Ogden after midnight on Sunday morning.



"I didn't get much sleep," he said. "It was tough for me to get here. But I got a couple of hours of sleep and got here ready to race."



Perhaps familiarity with such a hectic schedule helped - he also won those same two races on back-to-back days last year.



"It felt just like last year," he said. "This morning on my warm-up it was tough, but once I got going and got my legs under me, it was alright."



King took the lead for good midway through the 21K course. He finished with a time of 1 hour, 22 minutes, 12 seconds, which was 1 minute, 36 seconds faster than the runner-up J. Marshall Thomson.



King said he knew Thomson was a good uphill runner, so he tried to push the pace before they hit the steep climb on the course called "Sardine Peak".



BJ Christenson of Salt Lake City, Utah, placed third with a time of 1:24:29. It was the second consecutive year that he placed third at this event.



Nick Mosey of California took fourth (1:24:41), followed by Will Christian (1:25:08) of Virginia.



In the women's division, Lindsey Anderson was the hometown hero. She placed 14th overall and was the top female with a time of 1:33:23. Anderson was a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team for the steeplechase, and this was her first trail run.



"I've practiced on trails before, but this is my first race," she said. "My coach told me to try this race and it was great."



Anderson, 27, resides in Ogden and is regarded as one of the top distance runners in the history of the track program at Weber State University, which is located in Ogden. She is currently an assistant coach at Weber State.



A lead pack women ran together for the first half of the race, then Anderson and Kerri Lyons took the lead up the climb to Sardine Peak. Anderson eventually broke away for the win and finished more than a minute ahead of Lyons (1:34:27).



"It was just a lot of fun," said Anderson, who took most of the last year off from training due to the birth of her daughter. "I would encourage anybody to do this."



Amber Moran from North Carolina took third in 1:38:53, followed by Megan Kimmel of Colorado in 1:40:09.



The top five men and top five women received cash prizes, including $1000 each to champions King and Anderson. Each age-group champion received a free entry to the 2012 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship, which is scheduled for December 2 at Kualoa Ranch in Hawaii.



5th XTERRA Trail Running National Championship
Ogden, UT, Sunday, September 23, 2012



MEN
1) Max King (OR), 1:22:12, $1000
2) J. Marshall Thomson (CO), 1:23:48, $600
3) BJ Christenson (UT), 1:24:29, $400
4) Nick Mosey (CA), 1:24:41, $300
5) Will Christian (VA), 1:25:08, $200



WOMEN
1) Lindsey Anderson (UT), 1:33:23, $1000
2) Kerri Lyons (UT), 1:34:27, $600
3) Amber Moran (NC), 1:38:53, $400
4) Megan Kimmel (CO), 1:40:09, $300
5) Jamie Pilkington (UT), 1:41:20, $200



Full results including age group champions and more at: www.xterraplanet.com/xduro/nationals.html





All-Star Celebrities Will Sweat It Out at 2012 ING New York City Marathon

Global maternal health advocate / founder of Every Mother Counts Christy Turlington Burns, chef Richard Blais, restaurateur Joe Bastianich and Boardwalk Empire's Paul Sparks will run for second consecutive year; television talent Jean Chatzky, Tanya Marchiol and Anna Kooiman also join field for November 4 race


NEW YORK - (September 20, 2012) - Familiar faces will be running through the five boroughs in the world's most popular marathon this year. Founder of Every Mother Counts Christy Turlington Burns, celebrity chef Richard Blais, restaurateur Joe Bastianich and Boardwalk Empire's Paul Sparks have decided to take on the challenge of the ING New York City Marathon for the second consecutive year. Joining these Marathon veterans on race day, Sunday, November 4, will be television talent Jean Chatzky (NBC's Today Show), television personality Tanya Marchiol (HGTV), and news correspondent Anna Kooiman (FOX News Channel), it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.



Previously announced celebrities adding sparkle to the field include U.S. Army veteran and Dancing with the Stars winner J.R. Martinez, who's running on behalf of Timex GPS, and former New York Rangers hockey player Nick Kypreos, now a sports analyst on Canada's Sportsnet.



"We have quite a celebrity contingent this year," exclaimed Wittenberg. "We always look forward to having our celebrity runners shine at the ING New York City Marathon. These stars help to spread very important messages to their fans: living a healthy lifestyle, giving back to the community, and demonstrating the determination to achieve something great. They add a wonderful sense of excitement, inspiration, and buzz to the field of runners."



The celebrity participants have traded their broadcast scripts for running logs, sporting equipment for sneakers, and Hollywood backdrops for the streets of New York City, but on November 4, they'll all come together to support one of more than 200 charities that are involved with the ING New York City Marathon. In 2011, the official charity program raised a record-breaking $34 million toward many different causes. This year, the race aims to raise the bar even higher, to a total of more than $35 million.



"Each year, hundreds of thousands of women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, but 90 percent of these deaths can be prevented if more people become aware of the challenges and solutions," said Turlington Burns. "By running the ING New York City Marathon, EMC hopes to engage more supporters by illustrating one of the biggest barriers - distance. A marathon - 26.2 miles - is the average distance a woman living in a rural part of many countries must travel to access emergency obstetric care. We are running the ING New York City Marathon again so other women don't have to walk. We believe that together, we can make pregnancy and childbirth safe for all moms."



The full list of celebrity participants in alpha order:



Stephanie Abrams, on-camera meteorologist, The Weather Channel
Joe Bastianich, restaurateur, judge on Master Chef
Richard Blais, chef/TV personality, Life After Top Chef (Alliance for a Healthier Generation)
Jennifer Carpenter, actress, Dexter (Every Mother Counts)
Jean Chatzky, best-selling author and financial editor, NBC (Alliance for a Healthier Generation)
Dave Douglas, jazz composer / musician / label owner (Ovarian Cancer National Alliance)
Andrew Firestone, The Bachelor Season 3 (Team Grassroot Soccer)
Anna Kooiman, News Correspondent, FOX News Channel (Folds of Honor)
Nick Kypreos, former NY Rangers player, hockey analyst on Canada's Sportsnet
Tanya Marchiol, television talent (HGTV)
J.R. Martinez, U.S. Army veteran, winner of Dancing with the Stars (NYRR Youth Programs)
Sarah Reinertsen, American challenged athlete, first female leg-amputee to complete Ironman® World Championship, CBS Amazing Race star (Challenged Athletes Foundation)
Brian Sears, actor in Broadway's Book of Mormon (Broadway Impact)
Nick Spangler, winner of Amazing Race Season 2, actor in Broadway's Book of Mormon (Broadway Impact)
Paul Sparks, actor, Boardwalk Empire (JDRF)
Greg T, radio personality, Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, Z100 (Rosie's Theater Kids)
Christy Turlington Burns, Global Maternal Health Advocate / Founder of Every Mother Counts (Every Mother Counts)
Edwin van der Sar, former Manchester United soccer goalkeeper (Laureus Sport For Good Foundation)
Patrick Wilson, actor, Insidious, Young Adult, Little Children (Michael J. Fox Foundation)
Justin Young, contestant, Amazing Race Season 19 (Team Grassroot Soccer)


Visit INGnycmarathon.org for more information on the 43rd edition.





Contact Information


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