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USA California is Sponsored by Nike
and supported by grants from The New York City Marathon and USA Track & Field |
| Wire 85, Sept. 8, 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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NINE FORMER CHAMPIONS RETURNING TO OLANDER PARK USA 24-HOUR
CHAMPIONSHIP SYLVANIA, Ohio - (September 6, 2002) - Nine former champions, including the defending female and male champions (Sue Ellen Trapp and Rudy Afanador), are returning to Olander Park for the USA 24-Hour Run National Championship, which starts at noon, Saturday, September 14. As of September 4, ultrarunners from 25 states and Canada are entered. Of this total, 21% are female and 66% of all runners predict they will complete 100+ miles. This is the 14th annual Olander Park 24-Hour Race and the 10th consecutive year it has hosted the USA National Championship on behalf of USA Track & Field. The 1998 field of 166 ultrarunners was the largest 24-hour race field ever in the world. Olander Park is also the home of numerous U.S. ultra road records. In 1993, Kevin Setnes of Eagle, WI, set the American road record of 160.4 miles in 24 hours at Olander Park. That same year, Sue Ellen Trapp from Ft. Myers, FL, set the American women's record (road and overall) of 145.3 miles at Olander Park. That still stands and Trapp, now 56, has won this USA National Championship 7 times and has 6 wins in 7 tries at Olander Park. Trapp has been on several USA national ultradistance teams, and in her 23-year career has set four open women's ultradistance world records. Other returning USA 24-hour champions include Rudy Afanador from Long Island (151+ miles in 2001); John Geesler, St. Johnsville, NY (147+ miles in 1995 and 157+ miles in 2000); Tom Possert, Cincinnati (142+ miles in 1992); Roy Pirrung, Sheboygan, WI, (148+ and 145+ miles, 1988 and 1991); Sue Ellen Trapp, Fort Myers, FL (136+ miles in 1991; 126+ in 1994; 137+ in 1996; 133+ in 1999; 126+ in 2001); Bonnie Busch, Bettendorf, IA (132+ miles in 1995). The USA 24-Hour Run National Championship was first held in Atlanta in 1988, then moved to Queens, New York in 1989; Portland, Oregon in 1990 and 1991 and Sacramento in 1992. Only in Portland was it run on a track. Prize money was never awarded until this event came to Olander Park in 1993, where it has remained for the past decade. The top 5 American men and women earn prize money here, with $500 going to the overall champions. In addition, Milcor and the Broadway (NY) Ultra Society are each offering $1,000 to any male or female who sets a world record for total distance. The Alley Pond Striders, Queens, NY, are offering a $200 bonus to any American man or woman who sets an American record for total distance. The Toledo Road Runners Club will award $100 to the runner who traveled the longest distance (from Toledo) and runs at least 100 miles. Runners are fed and drinks are furnished throughout the 24 hours, although they many bring their own special foods, drinks and crews. Massage therapists stay on site, as does Sports Care from ProMedica. Ultrarunners consider Olander Park an ideal course because of the scenery and unique computerized scoring system. Over 35 American records (open and age-group) have been set at Olander Park since 1993. In 1997 Canadian Andy Jones set the 100-mile world road record of 12:05:43 at Olander Park. Yiannis Kouros, 46, of Athens, Greece, set the American All-Comers record of 167.4 miles at Olander Park in 1999. Mark Godale, 32, of Aurora, OH, set the current American road record of 162.5 miles in finishing second to Kouros in that race. Kouros has announced his intention to return to Olander Park this year. Both Kouros and Godale will be aiming for 180.4 miles, which is Kouros' current world road record distance. Sue Ellen Trapp, the Florida dentist, had major knee surgery in 2000 but is looking forward to again winning here. Five years ago she set the still-standing women's 48-hour world record (234+ miles) in France. She looks for stiff competition from Jody Lynn Reicher, Sandy Powell, Beth Simpson, Bonnie Busch, Jamie Huneycutt and Ann Heaslett. Anyone may enter this national championship, including racewalkers and walkers. Lights are put up around the 1.0910-mile course. The average distance covered in 2001 was 78.3 miles and four women were among the top 20 overall finishers. The Toledo Road Runners Club is the host for this national championship and provides over 100 volunteers. Olander Park staff keeps the course and facilities in excellent shape through the weekend and many nearby residents in the neighborhood lend a hand. About 20 area untrarunners generally enter this event. One area favorite is John Nichols, 36, of Waterville, 13th in 1997 with 120 miles. Nichols set a course record while winning a June 100-mile race in Ohio. The 2002 Olander Park USATF 24-Hour National Championship will be webcast live on the Internet on race day. The live coverage host is the American Ultrarunning Association (AUA) (www.americanultra.org). Pre-race updates will also be posted on the AUA website. Contact: Tom Falvey, Race Director, (419) 885-7399; falvey@prodigy.net
Contacts: Catherine Rogan - (713) 752-1900; crogan@hillandknowlton.com / Steven Karpas - (713) 957-3453; skarpas@houstonmarathon.com Prize money returns to the hp houston marathon HOUSTON - (September 6, 2002) - The hp houston marathon
will once again be a payday for its top finishers, with prize money making
a return appearance at the 2003 edition of the event. The addition of
an $18,000-prize purse provides further incentive for the area's elite
runners. "Rewarding this amount of prize money is consistent with our number-one objective of making this the best community event in the country," said Kotch. "Our races are open to all runners, but unlike in years past when we offered prize money, we won't be recruiting world-class athletes. Local and regional runners comprise the majority of our marathon and half-marathon fields, and we don't envision that changing by awarding prize money." The 2003 race is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 19 - the marathon's 31st consecutive running. The hp houston marathon and the ep 13.1 miler will begin at 7 a.m., with the course closing at 1 p.m. Both races, and the companion four-mile fun run, the 24 hour fitness 4 miler, will start and finish at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The routes will follow the new courses used last year. The hp houston marathon, a Running USA Founding Member, is the nation's premier winter marathon, annually attracting participants from across the U.S. and several foreign countries. In 2002, nearly 15,000 runners took part in four marathon weekend events (marathon, half-marathon, four-mile run and children's run). The hp houston marathon offers the only closed marathon course in Texas and is ranked among the top five in the nation by the Ultimate Guide to Marathons for fastest course, organization and crowd support. More than 5,000 volunteers organize the race, which is Houston's largest single-day sporting event. Further information is available at www.hphoustonmarathon.com or by calling (713) 957-3453.
Contacts: Dave Dunham Nancy Hobbs USATF
Mountain Ultra Trail Running Council USATF MUT (978) 373-9118 (719) 573-4405
Record Number of Nations to Compete in the 2002 WMRA World Trophy Forty nations including newcomers Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Ecuador and Syria are scheduled to compete in the 18th annual WMRA World Mountain Running Trophy events to be held in Innsbruck, Austria later this month. Trophy events begin Friday morning, September 13 with the WMRA Congress meeting followed by an opening ceremony in the evening. On Saturday, September 14 the races begin with the junior women's 3.3K, followed by the junior men and senior women who each run a 9.2K. The open race and senior men's 11.7K will be run on Sunday, September 15 followed by an evening closing ceremony and party. Uphill courses are run in even-numbered years while up/down courses are run in odd-numbered years. Italy was the dominant team in the last uphill trophy event in 2000 in Bergen, Germany winning the senior men, junior men and junior women's competition and placing second in the senior women's category. Expected to challenge Italian team this year will be the host country along with New Zealand, Germany, France and the Czech Republic. The U.S. senior men have finished among the top ten teams in each of their trips to the world trophy since 1994 except 1995 and 2001 where they finished 15th and 18th respectively. The senior women have inched up from 18th place in their first year of competition in 1995 to top ten finishes since 1999. This year a top-five finish is within reach for both the U.S. men and women. With the support of title sponsor Teva, this year marks the first time the US will field a full team in both senior and junior competition. The senior squad includes ten athletes and two alternates (seven men and five women), while the junior squad (athletes who are not yet 20 in the year of competition) includes three men and three women. Members of the 2002 Teva US Mountain Running Team are making final preparations for their trip to Austria. Although most athletes will arrive just days before the event, Paul Low, Amherst, MA has spent the last few weeks in England. According to Low, "I've used my time in the UK to get into the right mindset and to have better access to steep hills without having to go to altitude." Low represented the U.S. in Susa, Italy at the famed Challenge Stellina 15K on August 25 where he finished a very strong 19th place overall. Anita Ortiz, Eagle, CO and Julie Bryan, Jackson Hole, WY will have a few extra days to familiarize themselves with the course since the pair will arrive in Innsbruck on September 9. The two became "fast" friends at the Mount Washington Hill Climb, one of three team selection races this year. Bryan was the second US finisher on the 2001 US team. Bryan says, "When Anita asked me about the race in Italy last year and how it felt, I told her it was the most incredible experience of my life. I am so happy to be traveling with Anita because of the intensity of her energy and our like focus on doing the best we can for the team. I think our team has a chance for a top-five finish." Closer to home, junior team member Trevor Hanlin, Grants
Pass, Ore. has changed his training to incorporate more power and strength
work along with more speed work. "I do many up hill segments for
speed work, I have run in some uphill races, and I attended the Steens
Mountain Running Camp earlier this summer. My long runs have been extended
to cover the longer distance more efficiently." Junior team member Nikki Hodgson, Grass Valley, CA has found that her training hasn't changed drastically. "The major difference is that whereas I used to avoid hills on my recovery runs, I now run nothing but hills." Asked about her greatest strength for this race Hodgson says, "For this race it's difficult for me to pinpoint my greatest strength, but I know my greatest strength as a runner lies in my determination. I train hard, I race hard and I don't give up easily." Regarding competition, Hodgson continues, "I always look forward to the thrill of competition and the simple joy of running, but for this race I am humbled by the opportunity to represent my country. This competition holds a lot of firsts for me, so I'm really just looking forward to the experience of it all. I think it's going to be an amazing trip and of course I'm excited to run hard and give it everything I've got." Matt Winter, Billings, MT provides his insight as a member of the junior squad, "Being part of the first junior team for the U.S.A. is awesome. It means I get to be one of the people who goes out and sets the precedent for future junior teams, but for the same reason it's a bit intimidating. Either way I'll go out there and give it my all. My advice to those who want to be on the junior team in the future: hit the hills, never give up and run like the wind, for even the mountain must surrender to the wind eventually." Results and stories from the trophy events will be posted to the USATF site during the weekend of competition. 2002 Teva US Mountain Running Team OPEN MEN OPEN WOMEN JUNIOR WOMEN JUNIOR MEN MANAGERS Related Web Sites www.tlv.at/worldtrophy2002
- World Mountain Running Trophy 2002 |
| 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 |