| Running USA wire 97, December 16, 2004 |
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In this Edition Wire 97, December 16, 2004(click)
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Return to top / Return to main page Kastor, Keflezighi Cap Stellar
Team Running USA Year SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - (December 16, 2004) - Team Running USA athletes - led by the dynamic duo of Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi - produced a memorable year. In 2004, the country's most decorated training group won two Olympic Marathon medals, placed five members on the U.S. Olympic team, set two Olympic Trials records, won seven national titles and earned another USA Running Circuit Grand Prix crown. "The achievements of this special group of athletes are a testament to their dedication and drive to be the best in the world. At the recent Athens Olympics, Meb and Deena and their coaches, Bob Larsen and Joe Vigil, put American distance running back on the Olympic podium, the sport's pinnacle, after a long drought," said Basil Honikman, Running USA Executive Director. "In addition, the support of Nike, the New York
Road Runners, the Atlanta Track Club and individual donors has been
instrumental in Team Running USA's success since its inception in 2001,
and we look forward to continued success." Below is the 2004 Team Running USA performance summary. OLYMPIC MARATHON BRONZE AND
SILVER MEDALS - DEENA & MEB Over the challenging point-to-point course, Kastor, the U.S. marathon record holder and the 4th fastest woman in the field, patiently worked her way thru the field; at 25K she was 11th, at 30K 8th and at 35K 6th. Two hours, 23 minutes and 25 seconds into the race, she decisively passed Elfenesh Alemu of Ethiopia to move into third. As Kastor neared the finish line, she had a look of disbelief and then, the Arkansas grad broke out into tears of joy. Her finishing time was 2:27:20 (second half in 1:11:40). Kastor's bronze medal was the first U.S. medal in the Olympic Marathon since Joan Benoit's 1984 gold medal at the inaugural women's Olympic Marathon in Los Angeles. In addition, Kastor's hardware was the first Olympic distance medal for the U.S. since Lynn Jennings' 1992 bronze medal in the 10,000 meters in Barcelona. The next Sunday evening August 29, Meb Keflezighi showed the world and his country his mettle with a stirring silver medal performance at the men's Olympic Marathon. With a final race surge, Italian Stefano Baldini won the gold medal in 2:10:55 to Keflezighi's 2:11:29, while Brazil's Vanderlei de Lima, a near upset winner, earned the bronze in 2:12:11. Keflezighi, also the U.S. 10,000m record holder, battled Baldini over the final miles. Over the challenging course and under warm conditions, Baldini and Keflezighi ran big negative splits (1:07:38/1:03:17 and 1:07:40/1:03:49 respectively). The UCLA grad was the first U.S. male to win an Olympic Marathon medal since Frank Shorter's 1976 silver medal in Montreal (Shorter also won the 1972 gold medal in Munich). In addition, with Kastor and Keflezighi's medals, it was the first time that the U.S. won medals in both marathons at the same Olympics. Keflezighi also gave Team USA its 25th medal of the Athens Olympics - the most successful Olympics for U.S. track & field since 1992. TWO U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS RECORDS THREE USA CHAMPIONS, 7 NATIONAL
TITLES FIVE U.S. OLYMPIC TRACK TEAM
MEMBERS BOLDER BOULDER U.S. MEN'S
TEAM WIN ING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON
RUNNER-UP USA RUNNING CIRCUIT GRAND
PRIX CHAMPION About Team Running USA Since 2001, Team Running USA athletes have earned Olympic and World Championship medals, set one world road record, eight national records and numerous personal records, won 38 national titles in three disciplines: the roads (24), outdoor track (7)/indoor track (1), cross country (5) and mountain (1) and added to world and U.S. all-time lists. Sponsored by Nike and supported by grants from the New York Road Runners and Atlanta Track Club, the program's athletes utilize the resources at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista for sea level training and Mammoth Lakes for high/low altitude training throughout the year. Renowned coaches Joe Vigil and Bob Larsen coordinate this elite group. For more information on Team Running USA, contact Ryan Lamppa at (805) 696-6232 or ryan@runningusa.org To join the Team Running USA Support Crew CLICK HERE. Return to top / Return to main page Contact: Steven Karpas, (713) 957-3453; skarpas@hphoustonmarathon.com Technology Gives Runners, Spectators New View of 2005 HP Houston Marathon HOUSTON - (Dec. 13, 2004) - Text messaging, streaming video and instant web access to race results will set the pace through interactive technology features for participants and fans alike at the 2005 HP Houston Marathon Jan. 16. Friends and family of participating runners again can use the HP Athlete Tracking System for the 2005 HP Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon and the Houston Press 5K. The system will deliver updates on runners' progress through text message/email alerts to personal computers, cellular phones, personal digital assistants or hand-held computers. Runners can register friends and family members on the event website - www.hphoustonmarathon.com - to receive updates each time a runner crosses a specified checkpoint along the course. After the race, runners can compare their performance to the field using HP Graphic Results, an added enhancement this year. Runners can log on to the event website to review results and split times, and compare results through dynamic graphics and course displays. "This is a new way for participants to measure their race against other runners and get instant access to results," said Michael Gnoinski, technology committee chairman of the HP Houston Marathon. "We piloted the technology last year and received more than 80,000 page views during the week following the race. It's an innovative way for runners to review their race." Also new this year is streaming video of the finish line. A link to a live video feed will be available on the HP Athlete Tracking page of the marathon website throughout the race. This feature will allow out-of-town friends and family to now "see" their runner cross the finish line. In addition, the event website will offer real-time commentary on how the elite men's and women's races are unfolding in both the marathon and half-marathon. Race updates will be posted every 15 minutes to allow fans to follow the race. "Technology, and the benefits it provides to both our participants and the fans of our race, is an important part of the HP Houston Marathon experience," said race director Brant Kotch. "We believe these interactive race features are key elements of what makes our event special." Technology also benefits the event's "Run for a Reason" program. Runners can us the online donation capability - first debuted last year on the event website - to help solicit support. Donations are up 30 percent this year compared to this time in 2003. The HP Houston Marathon, a Running USA Founding Member, is the nation's premier winter marathon, annually attracting participants from all 50 U.S. states and nearly 20 foreign countries. In 2004, more than 18,000 runners took part in four marathon weekend events (marathon, half-marathon, 5K and children's run). This year, the Aramco Houston Half Marathon hosts the USA Men's Championship and a top American field is expected. 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. For more information or to register, visit www.hphoustonmarathon.com. Return to top / Return to main page CONTACT: Patti Finke, RRCA Coaching Committee Chairperson
RRCA Coaching Certification Program February 17-18, 2005 The RRCA announces a coaching seminar February 17 & 18 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in conjunction with the Myrtle Beach Marathon. It will be held at the Yachtsman Resort Hotel both days. The certification is designed for coaching adult endurance runners for road running. Day One will be The Basis of Training. The curriculum will include the Fundamentals of Coaching, Rules of Training, Physiology, Psychology, Injury prevention and Nutrition. Day Two will be devoted to the Techniques of Training. It will cover developing training plans, cycles, progressions, speed work and other related topics. Group exercises will teach how to apply the topics covered. The certification will be taught by Janet Hamilton and Mike Broderick, RRCA certified coaches. Hamilton, an exercise physiologist with a specialty in biomechanics, teaches exercise physiology at the college level as well as coaching runners. Hamilton is the author of Running Strong, a book on injury prevention. Broderick is an ASEP instructor, the coach in charge of the advanced marathon training for the Montgomery County Road Runners and a lawyer. Cost for the two-day certification class is $200. You must register for the certification class at least a week prior to attending or before it is filled, (limited to 30). For additional information and to register visit: www.rrca.org/coaching Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director (805) 696-6232, fax (805)
967-5958 |