Running USA wire 45-06-13

Issue 45-06-13 June 2, 2013




Upcoming Events
National Running Day, nationwide, June 5
XTERRA Moab Trail Run, Moab, UT, June 7
Ragnar Relay Chicago, Chicago, IL, June 7
The Grapes of Rock Half Marathon, Sonoma County, CA, June 8
Sole Sisters 5K, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, CAN, June 8
49th DeCelle Memorial Lake Tahoe Relay, Lake Tahoe, CA, June 8
XTERRA Richmond Trail Run, Richmond, VA, June 8
ORC Race Into Summer 5K, Orlando, FL, June 8
Run Amuck, Quantico, VA, June 8
Lederhosenlauf 5K. St. Paul, MN, June 8
DeCelle Memorial Lake Tahoe Relay, Lake Tahoe, CA, June 8
Rock n Stroll 5K, Denver, CO, June 8
NYRR New York Mini 10K, New York, NY, June 8
VPI K9K, Denver, CO, June 9
Strides for Epilepsy 5K, Denver, CO, June 9
Falmouth Flag Day 5K, Falmouth, MA, June 9
Garden of the Gods 10 Mile, Manitou Springs, CO, June 9
Find the full Running USA events calendar here.




Rock 'n' Roll San Diego's New Courses Bring Fast Times, Fun Vibes
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (June 2, 2013) - Runners from around the world took over the streets of America's finest city to enjoy live bands and unmatched fanfare along the new race courses at the 16th Rock 'n' Roll San Diego

Marathon & ½ Marathon to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on Sunday morning. The race not only welcomed a world-class elite field and television celebrities, but the men's half marathon winner, Bernard Koech of Kenya, ran the fastest half-marathon time ever run in America and the fastest in the world this year to win with a time of 58 minutes, 41 seconds.


Koech also set a pending U.S. all-comers record for 10 miles with an official split time of 44:47, breaking
Haile Gebrselassie's mark of 44:53 from the 2006 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon. Koech's winning time will not be officially recognized as a record because of the course's elevation drop, but the 10 mile mark is record standard.

Employing a fast-from-the-start strategy with a 4:25 opening mile, the 25-year-old Kenyan broke away from
Eliud Kipchoge and Stephen Kibet just after mile 5. Koech won the half-marathon, breaking the tape at the finish line outside Petco Park in an incredible 58 minutes, 41 seconds - the fastest time run in the word this year, the fastest half marathon ever run on American soil and the third-fastest time in history.



"I was expecting it to be a fast race," said Koech, who also won the EDP Half Marathon (59:54) in March and leads the Half Marathon Grand Prix Series. "I am in great shape, and after 10K I realized I was going to run a fast time."



Read the rest of the story on RunningUSA.org

Chebet Claims Second Victory in Record Field at 35th Freihofer's Run for Women


ALBANY, NY (June 1, 2013) - At the 35th running of the Freihofer's Run for Women, held on the streets of downtown Albany, Kenya's Emily Chebet proved that there's a lot to be said for course knowledge. Against world-class competition, Chebet, 27, prevailed in a time of 15 minutes, 26 seconds, defeating two of her compatriots, Esther Chemtai (15:32) and Isabella Ochichi

(15:35). For her victory, Chebet earned a prize of $10,000. Chemtai and Ochichi earned $5,000 and $3,000 respectively.


In 2010 Chebet had set the Freihofer's course record of 15:12 - an exceptional time on the rolling Albany course. That time, plus the Kenyan's victory in this year's World Cross- Country Championships in Poland, were all that was necessary to indicate that she would be the woman to beat in this year's Freihofer's race.



Temperatures in the mid-80s (approaching 30 degrees Celsius) did not deter a record field of 5,045 starters. However, it did prompt Chebet to opt for a tactical strategy rather than an all-out assault on her own course mark. From the gun, she settled in behind Chemtai and Ochichi, allowing them to control the pace and entertain thoughts of claiming the victory. A first kilometer of 3:09 and an opening mile of 5:05 gave evidence of a testing pace - all the more so given the burgeoning heat - but also signified that this outcome would be determined as much by tactics as by raw speed.
Read the rest of the story on RunningUSA.org




Mergerssa, Pelluzzo Win Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon


LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. (June 1, 2013) - On a warm Saturday in Loudoun County, Gunmessa Megerssa and Stephanie Pezzullo bested the field of nearly 3,000 runners to win the third edition of the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon, presented by Subaru and Visit Loudoun. Produced by Destination Races, this sold out half marathon featured a scenic 13.1-mile course that offered views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, historic farms and rolling vineyards, followed by a post-race Wine & Music Festival at Doukenie Winery.

Megerssa of Washington DC and Pezzullo of Charlotte, North Carolina, each took home $500, a Riedel decanter trophy plus wine certificates. Megerssa finished with a time of 1 hour,

12 minutes, 26 seconds, defeating 2nd place finisher Ryan Hagen of Sterling, Va. (1:13:10) and 3rd place finisher Andrew Allstadt of Madison, Wis. (1:14:54). Hagen, a miler, who recently competed for Virginia Tech, was running the half marathon distance for the first time. "It was fun, I enjoyed the course and the competition, said Hagen." Genmessa, Andrew and I ran together for the first couple of miles, but after that I knew I was up against a very experienced half marathoner."


Pezzullo finished with a time of 1:21:56 defeating runner-up Natalie Hall of Blacksburg, VA (1:24:59) and 3rd place finisher Brenda Schrank of Winchester, Va. (1:28:56). Second place finishers took home $300 plus a gift certificate to a Loudoun County Winery and third place received $200 and a gift certificate to a Loudoun County Winery.



Read the rest of the story at RunningUSA.org



Oakley New York Mini 10K Field Features World-Class Women

NEW YORK - A core group of American women will line up for the Oakley New York Mini 10K, going head-to-head with some of the world's best international competitors on Saturday, June 8. The Americans will be led by 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon team member
Desiree Davila and eight-time NCAA champion
Neely Spence-Gracey, while the international field includes 2010 and 2011 Mini champion Linet Masai of Kenya, three-time Olympian Kim Smith of New Zealand, 2013 NYC Half runner-up Diane Nukuri-Johnson of Burundi, and 2011 ING New York City Marathon runner-up Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.


"We are lucky to have such a fantastic field of powerful and inspiring women from the U.S. and around the world in the race this year," said Wittenberg. "The Mini has always represented the strides our female athletes have made-not only in running, but in every sport-and the challenges they have overcome to be who they are today. These women share individual stories of triumph and personal achievement that make them easily relatable to the 'everyday' runner. It's special to be able to cross paths in such a unique way."



Read the rest of the story at RunningUSA.org




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In case you missed it on RunningUSA.org







Celebrate National Running Day on Wednesday, June 5


NEW YORK - For the fifth consecutive year, runners will use
National Running Day to get inspired and motivated, and to celebrate the reasons and people that make running a special part of their lives. This could include joining a group run, trying a new route, having a night out with running buddies, signing up for a fall race, or committing to a training plan.


"National Running Day is a wonderful way to bring people together to promote running and its many benefits. Running USA and its members encourage everybody to invite a friend or group to run on June 5 to celebrate the essence of running," said
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA's media director.


There is great camaraderie and goodwill among runners. "Running unites people and often whole cities and towns," said
Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. "This year, runners told us they wanted to use National Running Day as a way to show support for the victims of the Boston bombings, so we've made special ribbons and bibs for events across the country. Runners can also donate to The One Fund Boston through the National Running Day website."


Visit runningday.org to:


* Make a bold "I RUN..." statement and post it for all to see
* Find or set up a group run to take place on Wednesday, June 5
* Download "Boston Strong" bibs
* Donate to The One Fund Boston
* Discover ways to celebrate the running holiday


Visit runningday.org and join its Facebook page at facebook.com/runningday for all the latest news and activities.


Read the rest of the story at RunningUSA.org








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