Running USA wire 89, October 29, 2012

Running USA wire 89, October 29, 2012
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In this edition:
Windy Marine Corps Marathon Yields Wins for Maiyo, Guangul
Cabada, Akor win Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Halloween Half Marathon
Kenny Moore to Be Honored with George Hirsch Journalism Award
Record Prize Purse Announced for 2013 Chevron Houston Marathon Race Weekend

UPCOMING EVENTS

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



Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, Savannah, GA, November 3
XTERRA Battle at Big Creek Trail Run, Roswell, GA, November 3
Run Around the Rock, Stone Mountain, GA, November 3
ING New York City Marathon, New York, NY, November 4
World Run Day, November 4
XTERRA Wild Horse Trail Run, Tampa, FL, November 4
Santa Clarita Marathon, Santa Clarita, CA, November 4
Election Day 5K, St. Paul, MN, November 6
Norfolk Freedom Marathon Weekend, Norfolk, VA, November 9
Disney Wine and Dine Half-Marathon, Lake Buena Vista, FL, Novermber 10
Catalina Eco Marathon, Avalon, CA, November 10
35th Anthem Richmond Marathon, Richmond, VA, November 10
McDonald's Half Marathon & HCA 8K, Richmond, VA, November 10
Founder's Day 10K & 5K, Celebration, FL, November 10
XTERRA Oak Mountain Trail Run, Pelham, AL, November 10
Veterans Day 5K, St. Paul, MN, November 11
Gateway Bank Outer Banks Marathon & Half-Marathon, Outer Banks, NC, November 11
Veterans Day 5K, San Diego, CA, November 10
Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, San Antonio, TX, Nov 11
Race for Fetal Hope, Denver, CO, November 11
XTERRA Tanasi Trail Run, Ocoee, TN, November 12


Windy Marine Corps Marathon Yields Wins for Maiyo, Guangul

Army's World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) makes another statement at the 37th Marine Corps Marathon; Record 23,454 finishers participate

by Steve Nearman, Running USA wire



WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 28) - One week after the Army's World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) made a statement at the Army Ten-Miler, its team made another statement in the nation's capital at the 37th Marine Corps Marathon, filling three of the top seven spots in the nation's fourth-largest 26.2-mile race, which achieved record participation levels.



Led by Army Specialist Augustus Maiyo, who was a close second at the Army Ten-Miler seven days ago, WCAP bolted from the start as a team and scored first, second and seventh in the Marines' annual showcase event.



"I actually wanted to win as a team," said the 29-year-old Kenyan-turned-American after struggling through the last miles of his debut marathon. "I thought I'd run 2:15. When I hit 20 miles, I thought 'Oh man,' I was thinking of stopping."



Women's champion Hirut Guangul, 20, of Ethiopia, said she never considered quitting, despite running with pain in her lower left leg from the beginning of the race. She waited until 19 miles to take control and pull out a five-minute victory in 2:42:03.



"I didn't feel tired," Guangul insisted through an interpreter. "At Mile No. 17, I decided to go. The pace was not very hard. I took a check inside myself and then I bolted."



The major talk heading into Marine Corps weekend was not the elite athletes - there is no prize money - but instead it was about Hurricane Sandy, which dominated the race's weather forecast as it threatened the Eastern Seaboard. Sandy did not arrive in time to do much more than blow wind in the faces of a record 23,454 finishers and at times at their backs. Temperatures remained in the 50s all day, creating decent dry racing conditions.



WCAP took advantage. Immediately from the boom of the 105mm Howitzer that starts the race, Maiyo and and his teammates - Specialist Robert Cheseret, Specialist Kyle Heath, Capt. Kenneth Foster and Specialist Joseph Chirlee - ran together like a college cross country squad, as if they were back home in Colorado Springs on a training run.



Through the streets of Arlington, the WCAPers ran in front. Over the Key Bridge into Georgetown, together they strode, passing 10 miles in 51:54 and finally dropping Foster.



"By mile 10, I just wanted to sit back and enjoy the pace, run my own race," said Foster, sporting a 2:19:49 personal best from Cal International Marathon last December. He may have been gone but he was not done.



With Maiyo pushing the pace, Heath and Chirlee fell from the pack in flat, lonely East Potomac Park before the half marathon mark, leaving Maiyo and Cheseret to cross the halfway point in 1:07:44. That's just over 2:15 pace, which was Maiyo's hopeful goal.



Cheseret stuck to Maiyo like glue along the National Mall headed toward the Capitol until just before Mile 18, when Cheseret started seeing a growing deficit akin to what Congress sees every day. By Mile 21 on the long 14th Street Bridge back to Virginia, Maiyo was so far ahead that Cheseret could no longer see him. He was visibly struggling and slowing but hanging on.



"After Mile 18, I did not feel terrible," Maiyo said. "The 23rd mile, I felt terrible. I was thinking 'Why am I doing this?' If somebody would have passed me, I'd let them go right by me." With a lead so large, only a complete meltdown would cost him victory. He recorded the second-fastest winning time in the past 15 years.



Cheseret, the younger brother of legendary two-time Olympic medalist Bernard Lagat, was struggling as well. At 23 miles, Foster had worked himself back into the race and passed Cheseret into second, where he ended in 2:22:39. "The plan going into the race was to get all the Army guys out there," Foster said. "We wanted to work together."



Ethiopian Birhanu Tadesse, who also had hoped to run 2:15, passed Cheseret into third, concluding in 2:23:03, followed by Charles Ballew of Washington (2:23:42) and Jhovany Hernandez Juarez of Mexico (2:24:00). Cheseret slugged home in seventh in 2:27:53. 2008 Marine Corps champ Andrew Dumm of Falls Church, Va., was ninth in 2:30:56, his brother Brian a place in front.



Chirlee and Heath paid the ultimate price of the early pace, finishing in 2:33:33 and 2:41:19, respectively.



Mexico's Ruben Garcia-Gomez, the winner here in 2005 and 2006, came back as a 41-year-old and took the masters competition in 2:32:39.



Guangul, who trains in Silver Spring, was racing her third marathon in 21 days, which could explain why she came into Marine Corps a little beat up. She finished second at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in a personal best 2:34:02 on Sunday, Oct. 7, then placed second again in the Des Moines (Iowa) Marathon in 2:35:49 on Sunday, Oct. 21. She was a last-minute replacement entry for defending champion Tezata Dangersa.



Guangul tracked Erin Richard stride for stride through nearly 19 miles, when Guangul moved ahead and created an impressive lead. Guangul's training partner Wayinshet Hailu stayed tight with them from the start but began to slightly fade back by the half-marathon, which the elite women covered in 1:20:15. That was exactly where Richard needed to be to run the 2:40 personal best she was envisioning.



Richard - a Rochester Hills, Mich., resident who is a member of the elite Hansons-Brooks Distance Project - who turned out to be one of the most disappointed of runners. After the race, Richard said she should have stayed a little calmer during the first half.



"I gave up the lead at 19 miles and never got it back," said the 27-year-old Richard, who competed in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials and ran a personal best 2:44:30 last year at the Chevron Houston Marathon. "It was pretty tough. I was training for a 2:40 and the win and I blew it on both accounts."



She held second place until a little over a mile to go, when Hailu passed her for the second position on the podium. "She passed me right before 25 miles and she said 'Come with me' but I just couldn't," Richard said. Perry Shoemaker, a 41-year-old from Vienna, Va., finished fourth behind her in 2:52:25 and was the top female master. She also was top master's woman at the Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon last month.



The marathon's accompanying MCM10K race was shut down in progress when a suspicious item was spotted on the sidelines around the four-mile mark of the 10K course. Once the item was removed, the 10K race, which attracted a sold-out 10,000 participants, returned to racing.



Glenn Collins of Novi, Mich., and Susanna Sullivan of Falls Church topped their respective fields in 46:34 and 47:31. The times were recorded as gun time, or running time, from when the race started in front of the Smithsonian Building on the Mall.



For full race results, visit http://www.marinemarathon.com/



37th Marine Corps Marathon

Washington, D.C., October 28, 2012



MEN

1) Augustus Maiyo, USA/CO, 2:20:20

2) Kenneth Foster, USA/CO, 2:22:39

3) Birhanu Tadesse, ETH, 2:23:03

4) Charles Ballew, USA/DC, 2:23:42

5) Jhovany Hernandez Juarez, MEX, 2:24:00

6) Patrick Fernandez, USA/VA, 2:25:29

7) Robert Cheseret, USA/CO, 2:27:52

8) Brian Dumm, USA/CO, 2:29:57

9) Andrew Dumm, USA/VA, 2:30:56

10) Justin Turner, USA/VA, 2:31:08



MASTER'S MEN

1) Ruben Garcia Gomez, 41, MEX, 2:32:39

2) Finlay Walls, UK, 43, 2:37:01

3) Conrad Orloff, 42, USA/MD, 2:40:0



WOMEN

1) Hirut Guangul, ETH, 2:42:03

2) Wayinshet Hailu, ETH, 2:47:04

3) Erin Richard, Rochester Hills, MI, 2:48:11

4) Perry Shoemaker, USA/VA, 2:52:25

5) Kara Walters, USA/MD, 2:52:36

6) Elissa Ballas, APO AE, 2:55:50

7) Emma Bohman, USA/AK, 2:58:04

8) Brenda Schrank, USA/VA, 2:59:06

9) Nicole Solana, USA/FL, 2:59:41

10) Sara Day, USA/NC, 2:59:49



MASTER'S WOMEN

1) Perry Shoemaker, 41, USA/VA, 2:52:25

2) Brenda Schrank, USA/VA, 2:59:06

3) Joanne Normand, CAN, 3:08:22







Cabada, Akor win Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Halloween Half Marathon

Actor Will Ferrell finishes in 2:03:49; Peter Magill, 51, runs 1:10:19 to finish fourth overall and set U.S. single age group record; Thousands of runners in costume take over streets of downtown Los Angeles

by Dan Cruz, Competitor Group



LOS ANGELES - (October 28, 2012) - Fernando Cabada arrived in California on Saturday from his altitude training base in Boulder, Colorado, so forgive him if he was a little excited to take advantage of the oxygen-rich air at the 3rd Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon benefiting the ASPCA on Sunday morning.



Blazing through the first mile unchallenged in a fast 4 minutes and 43 seconds, Cabada added to his lead with every stride on his way to winning the third annual event in 1 hour, 4 minutes and 56 seconds. Cabada, who has gradually been ramping up his training after taking some time off following his 2:11:53, seventh-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in January, was pleased with his effort.



"I was just trying to run 5-minute pace so I don't know," Cabada said of his quick start. "I think this is the first time I came down from altitude 24 hours beforehand and I felt easy out there. I haven't run that fast all year, so to come through [10K] under 30:30, I haven't ran that fast since last year. I felt great."



Passing the 5K mark at L.A. Memorial Colosseum in 14:58, Cabada - a native of Fresno, California - was already 49 seconds up on eventual second-place finisher Tommy Greenless (1:07:57). The America 25K record-holder continued to stretch out his lead, passing 10K in 30:24 and 10 miles in 49:25. Covering the last 5K in a comfortable 15:31, Cabada threw his hands up as he crossed the finish line, visibly excited with the ease of his dominating victory.



"Coach [Brad Hudson] said to win as easy as possible but I also wanted to try and run marathon pace at least," said Cabada, who is leaning toward racing a marathon early in 2013. "I was 1:04:59 or something, so I was dead-on. It was good. I'm still coming back into training and I'm only going to get stronger. I want to get to a point where in the marathon I'll lead the whole damn thing and break 2:11. I don't want to rely on anybody else. I just want to prepare myself if I have to run alone and obviously if I get to draft off a group it will be even better."



Rounding out the men's top three was 2010 Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon champion, Jacques Sallberg of Pasadena, in 1:09:45. Thirty-four seconds behind Sallberg in fourth place with a time of 1:10:19 was 51-year-old Peter Magill of Pasadena. Magill, a 5K/10K specialist who was running his first half-marathon, is a dominant Masters performer multiple distances, and owns multiple age-group records and championships as an over-40 year old. He added to that collection by setting the U.S. single age group best for 51-year-olds here. The record was previously held by Norm Green (1:10:33).



In the women's race, crowd favorite and American marathon and half-marathon record holder Deena Kastor led through the 9-mile mark before Mary Akor, who won last Sunday's Des Moines Marathon in a course record 2:35:01, took the lead on an uphill section of the course to pull away and win by 32 seconds in a personal best 1:14:19.

"It was really tough," the 36-year-old Akor said of her effort. "It's nice. I'm tired."



Kastor, 39, won this event last year in 1:11:48. After finishing sixth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in January, Kastor set her sights on trying to make the Olympic team in the 10,000 meters, but developed a back injury that forced her to miss the U.S. Olympic Trials in June. Sunday's half marathon was her first race - road, track, or otherwise - since this past spring.



Coming through 5K in 17:17, the women's lead pack consisted of Kastor, Akor and Lauren Kleppin, who would hang on to finish third in 1:15:49. The trio stayed together through 10K before Kastor began to string things out over the third 5K segment of the race. Akor seemed content to shadow the American record-holder until she began to slow on the course's biggest uphill just past mile 9.



"I'm just going to follow her, I'm not going to lead," Akor said of her sitting strategy on Sunday morning. "At 9 to 10 miles I picked up the pace on the hills and that's when I dropped her. Last year I didn't know the course so I pushed it real hard. This year I was decided that I wasn't going to push it, I was going to let her lead and take the pace. That's what happens."



A handful of celebrities were on hand to take part in the Halloween-themed festivities, including a mustached Will Ferrell, who finished in 2:03:50. Bachelor star Dr. Andy Baldwin finished the half marathon in 1:35:30, while ESPN SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett and Olympic gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson participated in the accompanying 3.5-mile "Mini" marathon.



"I've run 17 marathons and 19 half-marathons, and today this was the most fun I've ever had doing a run," said Scott "Movie" Mantz of Access Hollywood. "I dressed up as Captain Kirk, and to mix Star Trek and running, my two favorite things on Halloween, it was so much fun. I think every runner had a great time out there today."



2012 Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half-Marathon

Los Angeles, CA, Sunday, October 28, 2012



Men

1) Fernando Cabada, 30, Boulder, CO, 1:04:56, $1,000

2) Tommy Greenless, 30, Walnut Creek, CA, 1:07:57, $500

3) Jacques Sallberg, 38, Pasadena, CA, 1:09:45, $250



Women

1) Mary Akor, 36, Hawthorne, CA, 1:14:19, $1000

2) Deena Kastor, 39, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 1:14:51,$500

3) Lauren Kleppin, 23, Big Bear Lake, CA, 1:15:49, $250



For complete results, photos and more, visit Competitor.com


Kenny Moore to Be Honored with George Hirsch Journalism Award
Two-time Olympian and six-time San Francisco Bay to Breakers 12K champion has significantly contributed to the world of running through journalism and film



NEW YORK - (October 24, 2012) - For a career that has spanned a quarter of a century covering athletics for Sports Illustrated, as well as the authorship of several books on the sport, Kenny Moore has been named the 2012 recipient of the George Hirsch Journalism Award, presented by New York Road Runners, it was announced by NYRR president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

Moore will be honored at a news conference on Friday, November 2, during ING New York City Marathon race week. He will receive an award designed by Tiffany & Co., an official sponsor of the ING New York City Marathon.

The George Hirsch Journalism Award recognizes excellence in the reporting, writing, and broadcasting of the sport of long-distance running. Any journalist or broadcaster who has regularly demonstrated excellence in magazine, newspaper, radio, TV and website coverage of the sport is eligible to be honored.

Moore is preceded by 2011 honoree Amby Burfoot, editor-at-large of Runner's World magazine and author of The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life. Longtime track and field journalist Dick Patrick was the inaugural honoree in 2010.

The award is named for George Hirsch, the founding publisher and president of The Runner magazine from 1978 to 1986, and the worldwide publisher of Runner's World from 1987 to 2003. Today, Hirsch is the chairman of the board of directors of New York Road Runners.

"Knowing what George Hirsch has done to serve our sport, this award has made me humble almost, but not quite, beyond words," said Moore. "It's hugely gratifying to know my writing has struck readers as useful. In fact, it's been nothing but a privilege and joy to be able to follow champions from Abdi Bile to Joan Samuelson home from their triumphs, and make known the vividness of their character. Looking back, I realize each one has left me the better, the more faithful, [and] the more exuberant in pursuing all things good and Olympian."

Moore, 68, began his journalism career with Sports Illustrated while completing his Masters degree in creative writing at the University of Oregon. His widely respected journalism career is matched by his competitive running record: Moore is a two-time Olympian in the marathon (he finished 14th in the 1968 Mexico City Games and fourth in the 1972 Munich Games), a former holder of the U.S. record in the marathon, the 1967 National AAU cross country champion, the 1971 National AAU marathon champion, 1972 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials co-champion with Frank Shorter and a six-time winner of San Francisco's Bay to Breakers 12K road race.

Moore currently lives in Eugene, Ore.
Moore began his journalism career in 1971 as a contract writer for Sports Illustrated. He was promoted to senior writer in 1980. After ending his 25-year career with Sports Illustrated, Moore began a two-year project, co-writing and producing Without Limits, the well-known biographical film about Steve Prefontaine and Bill Bowerman. A few years later, he began to work on the first biography of Bowerman, a legendary coach at the University of Oregon and a co-founder of Nike Inc. In 2006, Moore completed his book, Bowerman and the Men of Oregon. His contributions have already earned him induction into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame and the George Sheehan Award.

"Kenny Moore has devoted his career to showing the world what the most influential competitors and coaches of all time have done for the sport of running," Wittenberg said. "His meaningful achievements not only reflect the special spirit of a distance runner, but also that of George Hirsch. We are honored to present him with this award for his countless contributions to our sport."

For more information on the New York Road Runners and ING New York City Marathon race week, visit: nyrr.org





Record Prize Purse Announced for 2013 Chevron Houston Marathon Race Weekend

A total of $264,500 in prize money will be awarded on race weekend



HOUSTON - (October 26, 2012) - The Houston Marathon Committee announced on Friday that the 2013 Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon will award the largest prize purse in the event's history. A total of $264,500 in prize money will be awarded on race weekend, including a $40,000 first place payout for both the men's and women's champions at the 2013 Chevron Houston Marathon.



In addition, there will be a $50,000 bonus should the world record fall in the men's half-marathon. The current world record of 58:23 was set by Zersenay Tadese in 2010, while the current course record for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon of 59:22 was set by Feyisa Lilesa in 2011. There's also a course record bonus of $15,000 for the marathon and $7,500 for the half-marathon.



Along with a significant increase over last year's total purse, this year will feature the addition of American prize money in the marathon, supported by MarathonGuide.com. Both the Houston Marathon Committee and MarathonGuide.com are excited to announce this new opportunity to support and promote American distance running.



"Elite performances at our races over the last six years, including Ryan Hall's American Record, have been a boon to the popularity of our event and have broadened its appeal beyond the traditional running community," stated Brant Kotch, President of the HMC Board of Directors. "We are thankful of the support for our elite program that Chevron and Aramco have displayed, and we are excited to welcome MarathonGuide.com on board with its contribution of funds earmarked for American elites."



There will be guaranteed prize money to the first four male and female American finishers, including $5,000 to the top Americans. All athletes are eligible to win money in more than one category.



"MarathonGuide.com has a history of supporting American athletes and marathons," said John Elliott, MarathonGuide.com Founder and President. "We are proud to have this opportunity to work with the Chevron Houston Marathon to enhance the prize purse and encourage more American athletes to compete in what is one of the best and fastest marathons in the USA."



Marathon prize money (Equal for men and women)

1 - $40,000

2 - $20,000

3 - $10,000

4 - $6,000

5 - $4,000

6 - $3,000

7 - $2,000



Course record bonus - $15,000



*Masters (40+)

1 - $1,500

2 - $1,000

3 - $500



American Marathon prize money (Equal for men and women)

1 - $5,000

2 - $2,500

3 - $1,000

4 - $500



Half Marathon prize money (Equal for men and women)

1 - $15,000

2 - $10,000

3 - $5,000

4 - $2,500

5 - $1,000



Course Record bonus - $7,500



*Masters (40+)

1 - $1,000



Men's Half Marathon

World Record bonus - $50,000



For more information on the 2013 Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco Houston Half Marathon, please visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com







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