Running USA wire 82, October 3, 2012

Running USA wire 82, October 3, 2012
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In this edition:
B.A.A. Half Marathon Draws Elite Runners to Boston
Deep Fields Gathering for USA Men's & Women's 10 Mile Championships
California's Fastest Half Marathon Returns to San Jose
Allstate Life Insurance Atlanta 13.1 Marathon Set for Sunday, October 7

UPCOMING EVENTS

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

20th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, Kavarna, BUL, Oct 6
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
B.A.A. Half Marathon, Boston, MA, October 7
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half-Marathon, National Harbor, MD, Oct 7
Allstate Life Insurance Atlanta 13.1 Marathon, GA, October 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
ING Hartford Marathon, Hartford, CT, October 13
Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival, MD, October 13
Mount Desert Island Marathon, Bar Harbor, ME, October 14
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon & Half, CAN, October 14
Wild Life Marathon, Concord, MI, October 14






B.A.A. Half Marathon Draws Elite Runners to Boston

B.A.A. Distance Medley to conclude with 12th B.A.A. Half Marathon on Sunday, October 7; $100,000 for grand prix champions


BOSTON - (October 1, 2012) - The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced that a field of world class runners will compete in the 12th B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, on Sunday, October 7. The race will start and finish in Boston's Franklin Park. A partial list of elite athlete entrants is listed below.



This year, the B.A.A. Half Marathon marks the third and final leg of the inaugural B.A.A. Distance Medley, a three-race series which combines the B.A.A. 5K in April, the B.A.A. 10K in June, and the B.A.A. Half Marathon to crown a male and female series champion. Scoring for the B.A.A. Distance Medley is based on cumulative gun time across all three races. The male and female competitors with the fastest total time at the end of the series will be crowned the champions and will win $100,000.



"In this, the B.A.A.'s 125th anniversary year, we are pleased to have been able to mark this milestone by offering a unique series which promotes the City of Boston and the sport of running," said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. "In addition to the overall men's and women's champions, the B.A.A. Distance Medley includes more than 1,400 participants who will have completed all three races."



Among the B.A.A. Distance Medley entrants to compete at the B.A.A. Half Marathon are 2011 B.A.A. Half Marathon champion Ali Abdosh, of Ethiopia; 14-time NCAA All-American Sam Chelanga, of Kenya; 2012 BolderBOULDER 10K and Bellin Run (Green Bay, WI) champion Allan Kiprono, of Kenya; and 2012 B.A.A. 5K third place finisher Lani Rutto, of Kenya.



After the B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. 10K, Abdosh and Chelanga are tied atop the B.A.A. Distance Medley leader board with a cumulative time of 42:21. Kiprono and Rutto trail the leaders by four and five seconds, respectively. Although Abdosh defeated Chelanga in last year's B.A.A. Half Marathon, Chelanga's personal best of 1:01:19 is the fastest in the B.A.A. Distance Medley field. Kiprono will look to replicate his strong performance in the 2010 B.A.A. Half Marathon, where he set a personal best of 1:02:21. Rutto, who has run well this year, will make his half marathon debut. With four men separated by only five seconds, and $100,000 at stake, the B.A.A. Distance Medley likely will be decided in the half marathon's final miles.



On the women's side, B.A.A. Distance Medley leaders include 2012 Olympian Kim Smith, of New Zealand and B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. 10K runner-up Aheza Kiros, of Ethiopia.

Smith enters the B.A.A. Half Marathon with a cumulative time of 47:02, which gives her a 16-second lead over Kiros on the B.A.A. Distance Medley leader board. Smith's personal best of 1:07:11 makes her nearly two minutes faster than her competition.



Kiros, however, has consistently run well this year, placing second at the B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. 10K. After setting personal bests at 10K (31:57) and the marathon (Dubai; 2:33:21) this year, Kiros may be ready for another breakout performance.



Joining the contenders for the B.A.A. Distance Medley title will be several strong international and American runners. Ireland's Alistair Cragg, a 2012 Olympian at 5000 meters, will be among the leaders. Following an eighth place finish at the Falmouth Road Race, where he beat Chelanga and Rutto, Uganda's Harbert Okuti will look to make a statement. Kenyan Serem Onesmus will seek to carry his momentum after setting a personal best in winning the Fleet Feet 15K Run in Buffalo. Massachusetts native Nate Jenkins will compete along with American compatriots Mike Popejoy (Indiana) and Colin Leak (New York).



B.A.A. Running Club member Caroline Bjune (Massachusetts) will also compete among a highly talented women's field. She will have to contend with Kenyan Hellen Jemutai who holds a personal best of 1:11:27, set in March. Rounding out the women's field is Chemtai Rionotukei, of Kenya, who placed sixth at the 2012 B.A.A. 10K.



The 12th B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, begins at 8:30 a.m. in Boston's Franklin Park, as athletes compete for a prize purse of over $38,000. The 13.1-mile, rolling course is an out-and-back route that runs along the Emerald Necklace park system. A portion of the entry fees is directed towards the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, a non-profit organization working to restore, preserve, maintain and promote this historic park system.



Visit BAA.org for more information including B.A.A. Distance Medley standings.



Deep Fields Gathering for USA Men's & Women's 10 Mile Championships

Trafeh, Bawcom to defend national titles; Medtronic TC 10 Mile features $10,000 women vs. men Equalizer Bonus


MINNEAPOLIS - (October 2, 2012) - A remarkably deep men's field and a women's contingent powered by three Olympians will race for the USA Men's & Women's 10 Mile Championships at Sunday's Medtronic TC 10 Mile.



Defending men's champion Mo Trafeh of Duarte, Calif. returns to the streets of Minneapolis as does two-time Medtronic TC 10 Mile champion Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, Ariz., who holds the event record of 46 minutes, 35 seconds set in 2009. Also expected to contend are former 10,000 meter U.S. record holder Chris Solinsky of Portland, Ore, who is competing in his first USA road racing championship, Ben True of Portland, Maine, last year's USA 10 Mile runner-up and the recently crowned USA 5K champ, and local favorite Andrew Carlson of St. Paul, a member of Team USA Minnesota who finished sixth at the Olympic Marathon Trials in January.



Contenders for the women's title include three members of the USA's London Olympics squad: Kara Goucher of Portland, Ore, a Duluth native who holds the Medtronic TC 10 Mile women's course record (53:16); Janet Bawcom of Rome, Ga., the defending Medtronic TC 10 Mile women's champ, and Julie Culley, Annandale, N.J., last year's runner-up. Also expected to contend are Molly Pritz, the runner-up at last month's USA 20K Championship and Meghan Peyton of Team USA Minnesota, who finished sixth in the 2011 race.



In addition to a pair of $12,000 USA champions' prizes, the race will feature a $10,000 Equalizer Bonus for the first USA champion - male or female - to cross the finish line at the State Capitol grounds. The women will leave the downtown Minneapolis start line ahead of the men. The size of the head-start will be announced at the Athlete News Conference on Friday, October 5.



A field of 8,500 runners will compete in the Medtronic TC 10 Mile which gets underway at 7:03am Sunday. The race is held in conjunction with the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon which starts at 8:00am.



Find the complete men's and women's professional athlete fields at: www.tcmevents.org



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. For more information, visit www.tcmevents.org, www.facebook.com/TwinCitiesInMotion and follow us on Twitter @tcmarathon.





California's Fastest Half Marathon Returns to San Jose

Loaded elite fields highlight 7th Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon, 2012 features addition of sold-out 5-mile 'Mini-Marathon'; Matt Nathanson to headline post-race concert at the Plaza De Cesar Chavez


SAN JOSE, Calif. - (October 3, 2012) - A race renowned for its fast course and personal records once again welcomes a stellar elite field leading more than 14,000 entrants at 7th Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon on Sunday, October 7, 2012. Known as California's fastest half marathon, the event is home to both of the current California state half-marathon records: 1:00:22, set by Kenya's Duncan Kibet in 2006, and 1:09:17, established by Silvia Skortsova of Russia in 2006.



"The Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon has become a Bay Area running tradition," said Roger Craig, race founder and 3-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers. "This year is our largest event ever, which is truly a testament to how the community supports this great event. I'm to see so many participants out celebrating a healthy and active lifestyle and I'm excited world-class athletes are return San Jose on the first weekend in October."



Recovering from an impressive fourth place finish at the Olympic Marathon in London, three-time defending champion Meb Keflezighi will not return to the starting line this year. But Keflezighi's teammate at the Mammoth Track Club, Scott Bauhs, from nearby Danville, Calif., headlines this elite field this year as he prepares to make his marathon debut alongside Keflezighi at the ING New York City Marathon next month.



An eight-time NCAA Division II All-American at Chico State, Bauhs burst onto the professional running scene in San Jose with a first place finish at the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot just five days after winning the DII national cross country title in 2008. He owns the fastest half-marathon PR in the field at 61:30, which he ran in Houston this past January, the second fastest time run by an American this year.



Bauhs can expect challenges from Simon Bairu of Canada, a two-time NCAA cross country champion while at the University of Wisconsin with a PR of 1:02:08; Aleksey Sokolov of Russia, who represented his country at the 2008 Summer Olympics, is two-time champion of the Dublin Marathon and Russian marathon record holder; Sergio Reyes of Palmdale, Calif., who represented Team USA in the marathon at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea last year and recently won the Heritage Oaks Bank 10K; and Josphat Boit, a four-time All-American at the University of Arkansas who won Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathons in New Orleans and St. Louis last year, and just last week became a U.S. citizen.



Like Bauhs, both Bairu and Reyes are training for the New York City Marathon in November. The men's field also includes 2010 USATF Trail Runner of the Year Mario Mendoza and Giliat Ghebray, an NCAA All American from University of California, Berkley who set his half-marathon PR of 1:03:38 in San Jose last year.



"My training has been going well and I have been using some local cross country races to keep me feeling sharp and ready for Rock 'n' Roll San Jose," said Ghebray, who lives in Oakland. "I really loved the crowd support during this event, as the spectators helped me stay on track as I ran alone for a good majority of the second half. This year I know I am ready to put forth a good effort and looking forward to toeing the line."



Sunday's entrants heading the women's field include Eri Okubo of Japan, who finished fourth at this year's Tokyo Marathon in a personal best of 2:26:08; Natalie Sokolova of Russia, winner of the Rock 'n' Roll Montreal Half Marathon in September; and Clara Horowitz Peterson, a five-time NCAA All-American at Duke University who trains locally with the Bay Area Track Club.



The flat, fast course starts at W. Santa Clara St. and Almaden Blvd. and finishes at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose. Live bands will play along every mile of the 13.1-mile course, along with local cheerleaders, to motivate and keep runners rocking the entire way.



Participants and their friends and family will celebrate their accomplishment at the finish line festival with a performance by Bay Area resident Matt Nathanson, known for his platinum selling smash hit "Come on Get Higher." Nathanson recently released a new hit single "Modern Love" in June and will perform on the stage at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez immediately following the race.



For the first time in 2012, the event will include a 5-mile "Mini-Marathon" which has sold-out with more than 2,500 participants. However half-marathon race registration is available at the Health & Fitness Expo on Friday, October 5, from 1:00pm to 6:00pm and Saturday, October 6, from 9:00am to 5:00pm. The free expo is open to the public and will showcase the latest in running products, services and free samples from fitness experts as all registered runners pick up their race number, t-shirt and timing tag.



The 7th Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon takes place on Sunday, October 7. The wheelchair invitational begins at 7:55am, followed by the half-marathon start at 8:00am. For more information, visit RunRocknRoll.Competitor.com/San-Jose or follow @RunRocknRoll on Twitter.





Allstate Life Insurance Atlanta 13.1 Marathon Set for Sunday, October 7

Half-marathon and Karhu 5K events to take place in Town Brookhaven; festivities include Karhu "Beat the Bear" competition plus Allstate and Give Your Sole Shoe Donation Program


ATLANTA - (October 2, 2012) - US Road Sports & Entertainment Group (USRS), owners and operators of the ING Miami Marathon, Publix Georgia Marathon, Chicago Half Marathon, New Jersey Marathon and the Allstate Life Insurance 13.1 Marathon® Series, are set to host the Allstate Life Insurance Atlanta 13.1 Marathon® and Karhu 5K. The events will take place in Town Brookhaven, 4330 Peachtree Rd, NE, Atlanta, GA on Sunday, October 7, beginning at 7:00am ET.



The course encompasses Town Brookhaven in Atlanta's Brookhaven community, situated on Peachtree Road, north of Lenox Square Mall and Phipps Plaza, and borders the historic Oglethorpe University. The Allstate Life Insurance Atlanta 13.1 Marathon® is also walker friendly. The course will remain open for three hours and 30 minutes (16 minute / mile pace).



The event promotes health and wellness and partners with several charity organizations that have runners for a cause. Participants of all skill levels have the opportunity to improve their physical and mental health and accomplish life-altering goals while having fun. The event is family-oriented and includes a kid-friendly 5K course.



Festivities will begin with Trasi Wyatt who is scheduled to sing the national anthem. Also taking part in the event will be elite runners Reuben Mwei, who placed first in the 2012 Publix Georgia Half Marathon and second in last year's Allstate Life Insurance Atlanta 13.1 Marathon®; Lyubov Denisova; and Justyna Mudy, who took third at the 2012 Publix Georgia Half Marathon.



Karhu 5K Challenges Runners to Beat the Bear
The word Karhu mean's 'bear' in Finnish, and the official shoe sponsor of the Allstate Life Insurance Atlanta 13.1 Marathon® invites runners to come out and try to "Beat the Karhu Bear". The first 10 runners who "Beat the Karhu Bear" during the 5K and cross the finish line before the bear, will be presented with a coupon good for a FREE pair of Karhu running shoes of their choice. Others who finish ahead of the Karhu Bear will receive a free Karhu t-shirt.



Allstate Life Insurance and Give Your Sole Collect Shoes for the Gateway Center
Series sponsor Allstate Life Insurance and non-profit organization Give Your Sole have partnered to collect moderately used athletic shoes from Atlanta 13.1® Marathon race participants and spectators to benefit the Gateway Center, a local organization serving Atlanta's homeless population. Shoe donations can be made at participating Allstate agencies, during packet pick-up and at the Allstate Life Insurance zone at the Finish Line Festival following the race.



Online registration is open until Oct. 3 and walk-ups will be accepted on Oct. 5 and 6. More information can be found at: www.131marathon.com/Atlanta/



Remaining 2012 Allstate Life Insurance 13.1 Marathon® Series races include - Dallas on October 27: features a dramatic downtown start amongst the "all hat and all cattle" iconic Big D skyline; and Fort Lauderdale on November 11: offers an amazing sunrise on a scenic and friendly course with a start near Port Everglades and the Broward Convention Center. Go to www.131marathon.com for more information including registration.







Contact Information


Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director, ryan@runningusa.org, (805) 966-7747




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