Running USA wire 24-03-13

Issue 24-03-13 March 20, 2013


Upcoming Events
Atlanta Women's 5K, Atlanta, GA, March 23
Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half-Marathon, Dallas, TX, March 23
Big Sur's Mud Run, Seaside, CA, March 23
The Tyler Azalea 10K, Tyler, TX, March 23
XTERRA Fort Steilacoom Trail Run, Lakewood, WA, March 23
Zimmerman Kiser Sutcliffe Winter Park Road Race 10K and 2 mile, Winter Park, FL, March 23
XTERRA Black Canyon Trail Run, Rock Springs, AZ, March 24
The Arizona Distance Classic Half-Marathon & 5K, Tucson, AZ, March 24
XTERRA Trout Creek Trail Runs, Tampa, FL, March 24
IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Bydgoszcz, Poland, March 24
XTERRA Black Mountain Trail Run, Rancho Penasquito, CA, March 24
Oakland Running Festival, Oakland, CA, March 24
NC Half-Marathon and 5K, Charlotte, NC, March 24
For more upcoming events for 2013, visit the Running USA Website event calendar.




CEO Susan Weeks Announces Retirement from Running USA

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - (March 20, 2013) - Running USA, the national industry non-profit organization, has announced that Susan Weeks has decided to retire as its CEO effective May 31, 2013. Weeks, a resident of Colorado Springs, was hired in March 2008.
"We've just concluded our tenth annual industry conference, the most well-received such event to date. In the wake of its success, as well as the continuing growth and stability of this great organization, many of the goals I set when I became CEO of Running USA have been achieved. With a secure infrastructure in place, the time is right to announce my retirement," said Susan Weeks, Running USA CEO. "I will cherish my time with Running USA."

During her five-year tenure, the Running USA budget doubled in size, its popular annual conference set attendance and sponsor records and its membership sits at an all-time high.

"Since taking the helm as CEO 5 years ago, Susan has helped make Running USA an industry leader and an example to non-profits everywhere. Her service to Running USA is greatly appreciated and I will miss Susan's leadership and mentorship. We look forward to the organization's future with our new CEO," said Kevin Callahan, Running USA President.

Find the rest of the story at RunningUSA.org

Competitor Group Announces Inaugural Half Marathon Grand Prix
SAN DIEGO - (March 20, 2013) - Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI), the leading international operator of world class endurance events, has announced the creation of a new Half Marathon Grand Prix. With points based scoring for place and time, age group and professional competitions are the first of its kind in the running industry, showcasing what has become the dominant and fastest growing distance in the sport of road racing.
The Half Marathon Grand Prix will include all of the 30 half-marathons CGI organizes as part of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series and the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race which takes place this Sunday, March 24. The professional division will compete over a two-year calendar for a grand prix championship prize purse of $240,000 and began with the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon in January 2013.

"Over the past decade the half-marathon has become a special event in running for both professional and age group athletes alike. As an industry leader behind the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon concept, this new Half Marathon Grand Prix is a monumental step forward for everyone involved in the sport of road racing," said Tracy Sundlun, SVP of CGI. "With this global program our objective is to continue to grow the visibility and popularity of road running by showcasing the world's best athletes at the world's most popular distance."

Read the rest of the story at RunningUSA.org
Three Olympians Among Field for USA Women's 10 Mile Championship


WASHINGTON, D.C. - Race Director Phil Stewart announced that U.S. Olympians
Janet Cherebon-Bawcom,
Jen Rhines and Colleen De Reuck will be competing in the upcoming USA Women's 10 Mile Championship, presented by America's Credit Unions, which is being held in conjunction with the
2013 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, April 7.
On the men's side, last year's winner, Allan Kiprono will return to defend his title, and will face 2012 runner-up Lani Kiplagat. With nearly four weeks to go until race day, both the men's and women's fields are sure to see notable additions; the complete roster of elite runners will be announced on Wednesday, April 3.

"I'm pleased to have both course recordholders entered in this year's race," said Stewart. "Colleen De Reuck set the still-standing women's course record of 51:16 back in 1998, when she was competing for the Republic of South Africa, and Allan Kiprono set the men's course record just last year in a time of 45:15, which was the fastest 10-mile time of the year and the fifth fastest all-time."

Stewart continued: "And I'm thrilled to see how the field is shaping up for the USA Women's 10 Mile Championship, presented by America's Credit Unions. The American women will be racing for both open and U.S. Championship prize money, with $14,400 specifically earmarked to be paid to the top 10 American women."

Read the rest of the story at RunningUSA.org

B.A.A. Renews Financial Commitment to Boston Marathon® Host Communities
BOSTON - The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced its renewed financial commitment to the eight host cities and towns of the historic Boston Marathon® course. The B.A.A. has pledged its financial support over a three-year term from 2013 through 2015, with contributions increasing annually.
The total contribution in 2013 of $858,000 reflects an increase from last year of nearly seven percent. Over the next three years, the B.A.A. will make a $2.7 million contribution to the eight cities and towns and the Commonwealth. The B.A.A.'s financial support of the host communities of the Boston Marathon reflects its appreciation for successful cooperation with the Marathon communities in hosting the world's most prestigious marathon.

Through the strong support of John Hancock Financial Services, principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon since 1986, the B.A.A. has made financial contributions to the marathon's host communities.
Read the rest of the story at RunningUSA.org





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In case you missed it on RunningUSA.org







Kipsang, Rotich Claim NYC Half Titles Over Competitive Fields


NEW YORK - When the New York Road Runners, after four years of dealing with heat, humidity and the occasional thunderstorm, moved the date of the NYC Half from late summer to March, they did so in the hope of finding cooler temperatures more conducive to fast times.
This year, that hope was overdelivered, as runners were greeted with sub-freezing temperatures as some 14,500 of them gathered in the pre-dawn in Central Park before the start of the Sunday, March 17 race.

"It was definitely hard to get warm the first part of the race," said Kenya's Wilson Kipsang, the 2012 Olympic marathon bronze medalist and the pre-race favorite. "When I saw how slow we were at 10k I hoped we could push a bit more the second half."

Kipsang, appearing almost effortless in what had to be a confidence-building tuneup for his Virgin London Marathon title defense next month, continued to pull away, crossing the finish line on Water and Wall Streets in 1:01:02. Ritzenhein, meanwhile, had been caught in the Battery Park Underpass by Italian Daniele Meucci, who eventually took second by four seconds in a personal best 1:01:06.

If the men's race proved to be a gradual war of attrition the women's contest featured much more back and forth action. New Zealand's Kim Smith, bidding to improve on her second place from last year, was typically aggressive from the gun, opening with a 5:11 mile with only 2011 champ Caroline Rotich and Colombia's Yolanda Caballero for company. Smith, bothered by the cold which precipitated a quadriceps cramp that would eventually cause her to drop out before halfway, began to fade, leaving Rotich alone in front.

Find the full report at RunningUSA.org





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