| Running USA wire 54, July 10, 2004 |
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In this Edition Wire 54, July 10, 2004 (click)
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State of the Sport Part II: the American Runner Today's typical American runner comes in all sizes, is just as likely to be female as male, uses the Internet 16 hours a week and probably lives in a household with above average income and education. The 2003 runner totals below provided by American Sports Data, Inc [ASD] and National Sporting Goods Association [NSGA] are similar to their 2002 totals and have not changed dramatically since 1998. The growth of the sport has been more evident in retail sales and race participant totals which are summarized in Tables 3 and 4. In 2003, 32.6% more running and jogging shoes were purchased compared to 1993 and during the same time period road race participants increased by 60%. As Tables 1 and 2 illustrate, demographics for the sport haven't changed significantly between 1998 and 2003 but more participants have been running for at least 10 years and the average age has crept up by a year or two. Table 1: Runner/Jogger Data from ASD Superstudy of Sports Participation
Table 2: Runner/Jogger Numbers from NSGA Sports Participation (1)
One important change since 1998 is the expansion of the Internet. Of all sports that NSGA tracked in 2003, the running/jogging group had the highest percentage of Internet use (80.9%) and ASD reported that 90.5% of runner households had Internet access in 2003 for a total of 32.7 million. Table 3: Running/Jogging Retail Customers from NSGA's Sporting Goods Market (2)
As mentioned in "Part I: the Running Industry", 2003 was the fifth consecutive year of growth for jogging and running shoe sales. Table 3 above includes highlights from the extensive data provided by the "Sporting Goods Market 2004" (NSGA-2). Note that the stats included in the demographic section of the table describe the users of the shoes, not the purchasers. There is a clear trend towards a 50/50 gender split and 2003 age group distribution is surprisingly similar to 1993. The 2003 U.S. percents from the Census Bureau are provided in brackets as a reference. In 2003, 53.6% of running shoe customers had college degrees compared to the national percent of 33% and the number of high income runners or runner "wannabes" was a hefty 44.8% compared to 26.8% for the U.S. as a whole. Table 4: U.S. Road Race Participation Numbers from USATF RRIC
Both tables 1 and 4 document a slight increase in the percent of masters runners. The most significant trend for race participants has been the increase of females from 28% in 1993 to 52% in 2003, paralleling a similar trend in retail sales. Even when the untimed women-centered charity runs are not considered, female participation in running events is still 47.5%. The high percentage of adults 25 and over is another characteristic of both racers and shoe users. The millions of shoes being purchased for youth under 18, however, are not being seen in high numbers at road races. Even though the USATF RRIC figures do not include untimed kids runs, the number of young race day participants is substantially below the potential market. Races may also be able to tap into the large frequent runner group who are 18 to 24 (see Table 1). Sources NSGA = National Sporting Goods Association. (1)=NSGA Sports Participation Series I for 1998 and 2003. (2)=NSGA Sporting Goods Market 2004, expanded disk version. To obtain information on any of the NSGA products and services email info@nsga.org, phone (847) 296-6742 or go to www.nsga.org. USATF RRIC = USA Track & Field Road Running Information Center, 385 Oak View Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. For questions concerning demographic material contact Linda.Honikman@usatf.org or phone (805) 696-6232. |
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Meb Keflezighi: Champion of Champions
Records broken in 2004 Olympic Trials 10,000
meter final
By Basil Honikman, Running USA wire
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - (July 9, 2004) - A large, enthusiastic crowd at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials: Track and Field witnessed the all-time best performance in the history of the USA Championships and the Olympic Trials 10,000 meter races.
Meb Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. not only ran away from the best runners in America, he also broke the 25-year-old, USA Championships (Craig Virgin, 27:39.4, 1979) and the 24-year-old Olympic Trials records (also Virgin, 27:45.61, 1980). After a brisk 65 second opening lap in cool and breezy conditions, the pace fell off to 70 seconds for the next lap. Realizing the drop in pace, 2003 USA marathon champion Ryan Shay, Keflezighi's Team Running USA teammate, surged to the front and kept them 'honest' with a 64 second lap.
At 2 kilometers, a lead pack of 2000 Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, Shay, 5000 meter record holder Bob Kennedy, Meb and Dan Browne began to separate themselves from the rest of the field. The pace remained fast with 64 and 65 second laps as the field strung out. At 3000 meters, Shay began to fade and then two laps later Kennedy, who came in to the race with an Achilles injury, was forced to drop out.
At 5000 meters the time was 13:43 and the trio - Meb, Abdirahman and Browne were 11 seconds ahead of Mike Donnelley in 4th, 17 seconds ahead of Shay and 25 seconds ahead of the next group.
A lap later, Browne was 3 seconds behind Meb and Abdi and losing ground. The 64 to 65 second per lap pace was unrelenting. During a 64 second 17th lap, Meb opened a 3 second advantage over Abdi and the race was over. Meb ran the last 3200 meters (about 2 miles) unchallenged. Without any help his pace dropped to 67 - 68 seconds per lap and with an exultant wave of triumph he crossed the finish line in 27:36, 11 seconds ahead of Abdi, with Browne a solid third.
After his victory, Meb commented, "It was a cool night for the race. In 2000, it was good. This year, it was better. My strategy is to get it down to as few people as you can. You're seeing a different Meb now. Four years older and more mature."
Last February, Meb and Browne won spots on the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team. So the question now is: Will they run both events? At the Athens Games next month, the Marathon will take place 9 days after the 10,000.
Meb is coached by Olympic distance and former UCLA head track and field coach Bob Larsen. After the race, Larsen, who with Joe Vigil now guides the Team Running USA athletes, said, "We'll consider doubling. During the next days we'll try to determine just how fast he could run a 10,000. Tonight he was strong but had to run the last third of the race alone. It would be nice to see how well he could do against the best 10,000 meter runners in the world." It is understood that Dan Browne is also considering running both Olympic distances.
Meb now holds the U.S. 10,000 meter record (27:13.98) and the next fastest time (27:20.15) as well. He won the 2000 Olympic Trial 10,000 meters in 28:03 so the 2004 performance represents an improvement of almost half a minute.
Two of the pre-race favorites, Bob Kennedy and Dathan Ritzenhein started with injuries. Both had achieved the Olympic qualifying standard (27:49) in previous races. They needed to compete in the Trials in order to be added to the team in the event that any of the first three finishers either opted to run only the marathon or failed to achieve the standard. Should Browne and/or Keflezighi choose to run only the Olympic Marathon the next fastest Trials participants with qualifying times will be added to the team.
Women's 5000 meters Semi-Final
Marla Runyan won the first women's 5000 heat in 15:36 followed by Shalane
Flanagan and Carrie Tollefson (Team USA Minnesota). Team Running USA athletes
Jen Rhines and Amy Rudolph finished an easy first and second in the second
semi, and qualified for the final on Monday evening.
Men's U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000
Final
Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex
Sacramento, CA, Friday, July 9, 2004
1) Meb Keflezighi, Nike/Team Running USA, 27:36.49,
Olympic Trials Record
2) Abdi Abdirahman, Nike/Team Running USA, 27:55.00
3) Daniel Browne, Nike, 28:07.47
4) Mike Donnelly, Nike, 28:18.97
5) Chris Graff, Farm Team, 28:27.93
6) James Carney, Team USA Monterey Bay, 28:31.82
7) Matthew Downin, New Balance/Team Running USA, 28:33.96
8) Chad Pearson, unattached, 28:38.44
9) Adam Tenforde, Farm Team, 28:46.34
10) Ryan Shay, Nike/Team Running USA, 28:49.95
For complete results and more Trials information,
go to: www.usatf.org
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For more information:
Shawn M. Platt, (312) 904-7240; shawn.platt@abnamro.com
LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon Registration at Record
Pace
Marathon Scheduled to hit 40,000 Participant Cap
by Early-August
CHICAGO - (July 7, 2004) - Registration for the 2004 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is well on its way to its 40,000 participant limit. The number of registered marathon participants has already topped 25,000. These numbers are soaring more rapidly than ever before. This year's closing date is anticipated to occur in late-July or early-August. Last year's registration for the Marathon closed at the end of August due to the cap, and this year's registration has moved even faster to this point.
"Registration for the 2004 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is filling up in record time," says Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "Based on the participants we have registered thus far, we anticipate registration closing as early as the end of July."
Just ten years ago, the marathon's registration reached a high of only 10,000 participants. "Now the Marathon reaches its cap of 40,000 two months before the horn goes off," added Pinkowski. The increase in registration is due greatly in part to the growing national trend of running, as well as the beautiful, diverse 26.2-mile course the city of Chicago has to offer.
Registration for this year's race is available at the Chicago Marathon's official Web site, www.chicagomarathon.com. Registration is open to all runners who can complete the course in six hours or less. Registration is $80 ($90 for International participants) and can be completed either online or by standard mail. Registration is also available through various charity organizations associated with the marathon. In addition to registration, many of the Marathon's charities offer training programs and/or incentives to help you raise money for local, national and international charities. Charity information can also be found on the event's Web site or calling 1 (888) 243-3344 (U.S. or Canada) or (312) 904-9800.
The 2004 marathon will host former world record holder and four-time LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon winner, Khalid Khannouchi, as well as last year's Marathon winner, Evans Rutto. This year's elite athletes will be competing for the highest marathon prize purse ever, $550,000. The top male and female athletes will receive $125,000, the largest first place prize in the sport.
The 2004 race will again include competitive and preferred start positions for those runners who have completed previous marathons or half-marathons within a certain time limit. The marathon accepts a total of 2,500 competitive start positions and 6,500 preferred start positions. This year's competitive start qualifying times are 3:15:00 or faster in a full marathon and 1:30:00 or faster in a half-marathon. The preferred start qualifying times are 3:45:00 or faster in a full marathon and 1:45:00 or faster in a half marathon. The qualifying times must be based on a marathon or half-marathon since January 1, 2002.
2004 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon
The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon takes place Sunday, October 10 at 8
a.m. The race both starts and finishes in Chicago's Grant Park. CBS 2
CHICAGO, official broadcast partner of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon,
and ESPN 1000, official radio partner, will broadcast live coverage of
the 40,000 participants and 1 million spectators anticipated to crowd
the streets on raceday.
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org