Thomas Drops Field At US Marathon Champs Before Succumbing To Stomach Pains; Finishes 6th

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 06, 2013




Thomas Drops Field At US Marathon Champs Before Succumbing To Stomach Pains; Finishes 6th


(Colorado Springs, CO) - Wendy Thomas (adidas/BRC) set out as a woman on a mission and never looked back. Establishing a solid 5:40 per mile pace on a cool still morning at the US Marathon Championships hosted by Twin Cities In Motion's Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota, Thomas and Atalelech Asfaw separated from the field by the 10k mark establishing a commanding lead through the half-marathon in 1:14:17.


Thomas then pulled away from Asfaw over the next four miles until she began to experience stomach cramping and gastrointestinal problems. Those problems began to lead to dehydration and very soon after eventual champion Annie Bergsal wrested the lead, Thomas passed out near the 25-mile mark, hitting the pavement. Upon being revived by a volunteer, Thomas got to her feet and managed 6th-place in a disappointing time of 2:36:00.


While Thomas' mark is a 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier it was not the time she was hoping for in her second attempt at the distance. Thomas, who debuted at the 2012 US Olympic Trials with a 12th-place 2:34:25, will seek another marathon in next few months to make up for the loss.
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Tapia Takes 7th San Jose Half Marathon


(Colorado Springs, CO) - As preparation for the Amsterdam Marathon, Daniel Tapia (Mizuno/SRA) raced in the San Jose Half Marathon on Sunday. Tapia, who represented Team USA at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in the marathon where he finished 27th, finished 7th in 1:07:09.
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Foster Wins Hot Chocolate 15k


(Colorado Springs, CO) - With the cancellation of the Woodrow Wilson 10-miler in Washington, D.C. due to the government shutdown, Christie Foster (adidas/BRC) changed plans and ended up with a win at the Hot Chocolate 15k in Denver, CO. Foster, who actually finished second overall for both male and female competitors, finished with a time of 56:33.
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ABOUT AMERICAN DISTANCE PROJECT
The American Distance Project is a non-profit organization whose primary goal is the development of American distance runners to be internationally competitive. The ADP is located on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, taking advantage of incredible training resources in and around Colorado Springs and Woodland Park. The ADP is coached by Renato Canova and Scott Simmons. For more information, visit www.AmericanDistanceProject.com

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Contact:
Scott Simmons
www.AmericanDistanceProject.com