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USA California is Sponsored by Nike
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| Wire 77, Aug 22, 2002 | |
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In this Edition of the Running USA Wire
Copyright © 2002 Running Running USA All Rights Reserved Upcoming Events
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26th Crim 10 Mile Attracts Top International Field FLINT, Mich. - (August 21, 2002) - For the 26th running of the Crim 10 Mile on Saturday, August 24, another top international field including four-time defending champion Catherine Ndereba and the 2001 men's runner-up Shadrack Hoff is expected. Ndereba - the world record holder in the marathon (2:18:47) - has won the Crim 10 five times including the last four editions. The 30-year-old Kenyan should be challenged by her countrywomen Hellen Kimaiyo (1997 Crim champion) and Gladys Asiba (who finished third last year) and Morocco's Asmae Leghzaoui who has already set two world road records this year at 8K (24:28 at Crazy 8's) and 10K (30:29 at the New York Mini). For the men, South Africa's Shadrack Hoff - the 2001 Rock 'n' Rock Half-Marathon winner - faces a tough field which includes Kenyans Gabriel Muchiri, Simon Wangai, Gilbert Koech, John Kagwe (1997-98 New York City Marathon winner), Peter Chebet and Christopher Cheboiboch and Moroccan Mohammed Ar Ar. Michigan residents Clint Verran and Kyle Baker are the top Americans in the field. The Masters competition (40 years and older) also should be exciting as Andrew Masai of Kenya returns to defend his title for a possible three-peat. His main competition will be 1999 Crim masters winner Simon Karori (Kenya), Eddy Hellebuyck (Albuquerque, NM), Steve Spence (Shippensburg, PA) and Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia). For the masters women, five-time Crim masters champion and evergreen Tatiana Pozdniakova (Ukraine), new master Elena Paramonova (Russia), Monica Joyce (Pinckney, MI) and Cindy Keeler (Clermont, FL) are the top entrants. The overall prize purse is $42,750 with $28,400 Open ($5000 to the winner), $5200 Masters, $3400 Michigan resident and $5750 Wheeler. COURSE RECORDS The Crim 10 Mile Road Race has been recognized by Runner's World as one of the top 100 U.S. road races and by RRCA's Footnotes Magazine as one of the "20 Great Races Across the Nation" in 2002. As a member of USATF and Running USA Founding Member, the Crim is a professionally organized and sanctioned race that is celebrating its 26th run. Second only to the Race for the Cure in Detroit, the Crim is the largest road race festival in Michigan, with running and walking events in 4 distances: 10 Mile, 8K, 5K and 1 Mile. The Teddy Bear Trot for children attracts over 1,000 kids each year. In USA Track & Field road record book, the Crim 10 Mile is noted for its 23 U.S. single age records (14 women's and 9 men's) and four U.S. age group records: Cathy O'Brien (51:47, open), Laurie Binder (56:05, 40-44), Barbara Filutze (59:14, 45-49) and S. Rae Baymiller (1:02:01, 50-54) and a Masters All-Comers (John Cambell, 47:55). The Crim was started by and named for the former state House Speaker Bobby Crim in 1977. It began as a find-raising event for Michigan Special Olympics; today there are six charities involved with Crim; Area XIII Special Olympics, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of greater Flint, Fair Winds Girl Scout Council, Shelter of Flint, Genesee County Literacy Coalition and the Crim Youth Development Program. The name of this event changed from the Crim Road Race to the Crim Festival of Races in 1992. Total participation in the 2001 Crim was 14,227, and the 25th running of the Crim 10 Mile produced a record number 6,789 participants (the third largest 10 mile in the United States). Crim participants in 2001 represented 48 states and 11 countries. For more information on the Crim Festival of Races and its weekend activities, call (810) 235-3396 or visit the race website at: http://www.crim.org Return to top Return to main page Contacts: Patricia Kelly, Marketing Director/Detroit Free Press 313-222-5987 (office); tkelly@dnps.com (e-mail) Int'l Race Course Announced for 25th Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon DETROIT, Mich. - (August 19, 2002) - The Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon will again be run across international borders. The announcement was made by Heath Meriwether, Publisher of the Detroit Free Press. The Marathon - scheduled to be run on Sunday, October 6, 2002 - is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The official racecourse for the 26.2-mile event was also released today. The course incorporates both the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, allowing participants to cross borders for the twenty-third time in the race's twenty-five year history. As announced earlier, the race will finish inside Ford Field, new home for the Detroit Lions. "This is not only a historic event in the life of this marathon but also for the two countries and for the cities of Detroit and Windsor." said Meriwether, "After the events of September 11th, having this racecourse cross our international borders with Canada, not once but twice during the event, is symbolic of both countries' commitment to free and open borders and the economic and cultural partnership between the cities of Detroit and Windsor." Last year's marathon was originally scheduled to run this course but was changed to an all Detroit course due to border security concerns following the September 11th terrorist attacks. "The city of Detroit is happy to be a part of the 25th Annual Free Press Marathon. We celebrate our friendship with Canada - and open borders - even in times like this." Said Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. "The return of the Marathon to its international roots, using both the Bridge and Tunnel between Detroit and Windsor, is a sign to the world that nothing can lessen the warm friendship between our two cities and nations," said Mayor Michael D. Hurst of Windsor. "The City of Windsor welcomes the quick return of the Marathon to its cross border traditions and we're confident in yet another enjoyable and successful run." "The Michigan INS office is proud to open its arms in support of the 25th Anniversary Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon. INS stands committed to border security, community partnership, health and safety and traffic management," stated Carol Jenifer, District Director for U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services. Race organizers have been working for several months with community and civic leaders and various government organizations to plan this year's international racecourse. "The process of making this race international once again has been a tremendous joint effort between the two countries. Those in leadership positions in the cities of Detroit and Windsor and other organizations involved, such as the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the U.S. and Canadian offices of Immigration and Naturalization Services and Customs, really turned this into reality," said marathon race director Patricia Ball. "It took an extraordinary effort on everyone's part to make this happen again in 2002." Race organizers expect this international course, along with the finish inside the soon-to-be opened Ford Field, will attract thousands of runners from all over the United States and Canada to participate in the 25th anniversary running of the event. This marathon will be one of only three road races that will cross U.S. and Canadian borders in 2002. The other two races will utilize the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan and the Freedom Bridge in Niagara Falls, New York. "The U.S. and Canada, through the cities and communities of Detroit and Windsor have enjoyed an international partnership for years, not only for this marathon but also in trade, commerce and tourism." Said Gary Burkart, Vice President/National Advertising for Flagstar Bank, title sponsor. "This course is meant to not only showcase the two countries' beautiful riverfronts but also encourage citizens in both communities to take advantage of what the other city has to offer in shopping, restaurants and entertainment options." The Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon, presented by Greektown Casino is an annual 26.2-mile road race, certified each year by the USA Track & Field. The Marathon is owned by the Detroit Free Press. Flagstar Bank is the title sponsor and has been affiliated with the race since 1998. The race is a sanctioned qualifying race for entry into the Boston Marathon. The 2002 event marks the Marathon's 25th anniversary and is expected to attract over 5,000 participants. The Marathon features five race divisions: marathon (26.2 miles), Wright & Filippis Wheelchair Competition (26.2 miles), Competitive Race Walking (26.2 miles), Reebok Team Relays (2-person and 5-person teams) and a Compuware 5k Fun Run and Fitness Walk (3.2 miles). Prize money is awarded in each of these divisions (with the exception of the 5K run) and totals over $28,000. In conjunction with the Marathon, both the Whole Foods Market Health & Fitness Expo, on Friday and Saturday, October 4 - 5, 2002 and the annual Pasta Dinner, on Saturday evening, October 5, 2002 will be held at Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit. For more information, contact Patricia Kelly at 313-222-5987; e-mail at tkelly@dnps.com or visit our website at www.freep.com/marathon. 25th annual Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon, presented by Greektown Casino: An Extraordinary Experience for the Ordinary Person.
2002 USA Fall National Cross Country Championships to Answer: Who's the #1 Club? The essence of sport is great competition, and nothing spurs competition like a heated rivalry. Whether it's Ali vs. Frazier, Celtics vs. Lakers, McEnroe vs. Borg, 49ers vs. Cowboys, USA vs. Russia, or Giants vs. Dodgers, great rivalries inevitably lead to great and memorable competitions. The organizers of this year's USA Fall National Cross Country Championships in Rocklin, Calif., are hoping to create and foster such rivalries, when the top club teams in the United States convene on December 14, for what the organizers have billed "the Showdown at Rocklin." At stake are the bragging rights of geographic regions--Indiana vs. Boston vs. Wisconsin vs. California. Which region can boast the fastest cross country runners? The idea, says marketing director Joe Fabris, himself a former sub-four minute miler, is to reach beyond team rivalries and expand the competition into geographic rivalries. "We want a situation where all the best teams and individuals in the United States will feel there's something even greater at stake--local bragging rights," said Fabris. "There's always lots of talk about which region of the United States produces the best distance runners. Let's find out." Added meet director Joe Rubio, a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier in the marathon, "Competition between individuals and teams is always what draws interest to a sport. When I was a runner, my parents didn't know anything about what a fast time was in the events I was running, but they sure knew what it meant if I won a league championship or finished third and qualified for the state meet. It's the focus on good competition--because in cross country times really don't mean much--that we're trying to promote." Greg Harger, coach of the Indian Invaders says, "What Joe (Rubio) and Joe (Fabris) are jumping on in hitting this theme is exactly what our sport needs to grow to another level of existence." To be sure, all the best teams from throughout the United States will be in Rocklin, including last year's champions the Indiana Invaders (women) and Hanson's Running Shop (men) from Michigan. There will also be traditional powers such as the Central Massachusetts Striders, the Nike Farm Team of Palo Alto, Track West of Southern California, Club Northwest from the Pacific Northwest, Wisconsin Runners and the host Reebok Aggies from Northern California. Peter Gilmore of the Nike Farm Team, who was the 7th place finisher in last year's individual competition, thinks promoting geographic rivalries is a great idea. "I love racing against the Wisconsin Runners, the Atlanta track club, and all the New England teams. Nobody on these teams is getting paid by Nike, everyone's either working full time or barely scraping by on part-time work, trying to break through. We're hungry for success. I'm not putting in all this hard work to go out there and get beat. At the same time I know those guys on the Hanson team are thinking the exact same thing about us, so we've got ourselves a rivalry. Throw in a few of the other competitive clubs and this race starts getting real interesting." Adds Harger of the Indiana Invaders, "We know that this year will be one step more competitive than last year because there are several men's teams that really care who wins. On the women's side of the contest we expect that mentality to emerge this year from the women's race beyond just the Farm Team. We do not intend to go to this championship with anything less than our best effort and we are training today with the goal to win both races." Last year, Gilmore's Farm Team squad was edged out for the team title by Hanson's on a fifth-man tiebreaker, after the two teams wound up with the same point total. "Losing to Hanson's on a tiebreaker last year was brutal," said Gilmore. "I thought we ran a solid race, but that goes to show how tough the competition was. The Nike Farm Team and and Hanson's get a lot of the attention, but there are so many other clubs that are really getting it together. " Do the meet organizers really expect to answer the
age-old question--which region in the U.S. produces the top runners? "We
should have a pretty clear idea, at least for the year 2002," said
Rubio. "Hopefully it will become the kind of controversial question
that people are gonna want to discuss, and settle out on a cross country
course, year after year after year." |
| Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services USATF Road Running Information Center 5522 Camino Cerralvo Santa Barbara, CA 93111 (805) 696-6232, fax (805) 696-6252 |
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