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Flanagan, Ritzenhein Dominate at USA Cross Country Championships in San Diego
Fernandez, Hasay Junior champions; Wade, Hawkins Masters champions
From Jim Estes, USATF

SAN DIEGO - (February 16, 2008) - 2004 Olympic team members Shalane Flanagan (Pittsboro, N.C) and Dathan Ritzenhein (Eugene, Ore.) each scored convincing victories at the USA Cross Country Championships at Mission Bay Park in San Diego on Saturday.

Flanagan, fresh off a stint of altitude training in Mexico, cruised to a 70-second victory over runner-up Renee Metivier (Boulder, Colo.) over the eight-kilometer distance, running 25 minutes, 26 seconds under picture perfect conditions, with temperatures in the mid-60s.

Flanagan, 26, took matters into her own hands early, daring any of the runners in the field to go with her.

Following Metivier and earning spots on Team USA for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland were Emily Brown (Minneapolis, Minn.), who ran 26:37, followed a second later by teammate Katie McGregor (St. Louis Park, Minn.).

"I think that training at altitude agrees with me. I'm excited to start the season with a win. This course played to my strength. I was within myself, but I stayed aggressive the entire race. I needed to practice that mental toughness for Beijing today. The thought of Beijing is constantly on my mind," said Flanagan.

Recent Notre Dame graduate Molly Huddle (Elmira, N.Y.) finished fifth in 26:52, while world cross country team veteran Blake Russell (Marina, Calif.) nabbed the final team position, running 26:54.

In the men's twelve-kilometer race, Ritzenhein, Jorge Torres (Boulder, Colo.) and U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men's Marathon champion Ryan Hall (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) pulled away from the chase pack early and ran together. As the trio entered lap three, Ritzenhein, 25, asserted himself over the duo, and opened up a thirteen-second lead over Torres at the end of that lap.

By the end of lap three, Torres had a twelve-second lead over Hall, with Josh Rohatinsky (Beaverton, Ore.) closing on the duo.

Ritzenhein, the runner-up to Hall at last November's Olympic Marathon Trials, eventually opened up a 26-second gap over Torres, crossing the line in 35:03, with his former University of Colorado teammate finishing in 35:29.

Rohatinsky finished in third, running 35:41, with Ed Moran (Williamsburg, Va.) fourth in 35:43. Hall faded to fifth, 7 seconds back of Moran.

James Carney (Boulder, Colo.) finished sixth in 35:56, while the Oregon Track Club Elite duo of Max King and Ryan Bak (Eugene, Ore.) finished seventh and eighth, in 35:57, and 35:59. Jorge's twin brother Edwardo Torres (Boulder, Colo.) earned the final men's position, running 36:01.

"I really didn't expect to pull away by this much today. When I noticed a bit of a hesitation from the field, I decided to go ahead and go. This field was incredible, with a lot of guys who have been national champions, All-Americans, and Olympians," Ritzenhein recounted.

California prep stars ruled the day in the two Junior races, as defending champion Jordan Hasay (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) and German Fernandez (Riverbank, Calif.) held off collegiate competitors Alexandra Gits (Edina, Minn.) from Stanford University and Ryan Sheridan (Melville, N.Y.) from Iona.

Hasay was pressed for most of the race by Gits, before opening up a lead on the final lap to win her second straight USA Junior cross country title, running 20:32 for the six-kilometer distance. Gits finished in the runner-up position, running 20:45.

Georgia high schooler Emily Reese (Dunwoody, Georgia) placed third, in 21:26, followed by a trio of college freshmen, led by Notre Dame's Marissa Treece (South Bend, Ind.) in fourth, running 21:33, followed by Duke University's Emily Schwitzer (Durham, N.C.) in 21:34, and the University of Washington's Lauren Saylor (Clovis, Calif.) garnering the final Junior team position, running 21:36 for sixth.

Fernandez, the third place finisher in last fall's Foot Locker National Championships, used a strong finishing kick over the last 400 meters to hold off the challenge of Iona College freshman Ryan Sheridan in the Junior men's eight kilometer contest, running 24:18, with Sheridan second in 24:19.

University of Virginia freshman Emil Heineking (Chardon, Ohio) finished third in 24:34. Bobby Moldovan (Fort Wayne, Ind.) was fourth in 24:38, while Kevin Williams (Lakewood, Colo.) finished fifth in 24:39. Benjamin Johnson of Albuquerque garnered the final spot, crossing the line in 24:41.

Sean Wade (Houston, Texas) dominated the Masters men's eight-kilometer race, crossing the line in 25:15. In the women's 40 and over race, Jody Hawkins (Frisco, Texas) emerged victorious, running 29:06. Pete Magill (South Pasadena, Calif.) and Kathryn Martin (Northport, N.Y.), the USATF masters runners of the year, won the age-graded titles.

The 2008 USA Cross Country Championships will be televised in association with the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships on Sunday, February 24 from 5:00-7:00pm on ESPN2.

USA Cross Country Championships
World Championship Team Qualifier - Edinburgh, Scotland
San Diego, CA, Saturday, February 16, 2008

MEN - 12K
1) Dathan Ritzenhein (OR), 35:03, $1200
2) Jorge Torres (CO), 35:29, $800
3) Josh Rohatinsky (OR), 35:41, $500
4) Ed Moran (VA), 35:43, $400
5) Ryan Hall (CA), 35:50, $300
6) James Carney (CO), 35:56, $200
7) Max King (OR), 35:57
8) Ryan Bak (OR), 35:59
9) Edwardo Torres (CO), 36:01
10) Scott Bauhs (CA), 36:16

WOMEN - 8K
1) Shalane Flanagan (NC), 25:26, $1200
2) Renee Metivier (CO), 26:36, $800
3) Emily Brown (MN), 26:37, $500
4) Katie McGregor (MN), 26:38, $400
5) Molly Huddle (NY), 26:52, $300
6) Blake Russell (CA), 26:54, $200
7) Katherine Newberry (VA), 27:07
8) Amy Hastings (AZ), 27:12
9) Julia Lucas (CA), 27:13
10) Sara Slattery (CA), 27:19

In addition, a total of $12,000 in stipends for Team USA members will be awarded based on the rank order of finish at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Deeper results at: USATF.org/events/2008/USAXCChampionships

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Lidiya Grigoryeva to Defend Boston Marathon Title Against Top Professional Field
Including 2006 Boston champion Rita Jeptoo, two-time runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka and new talent

BOSTON - (February 13, 2008) - In its 23rd year as the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, John Hancock Financial has announced their team of top women contenders for the 112th running of the race on Monday, April 21. Defending Boston champion Lidiya Grigoryeva is set to compete against 2006 winner Rita Jeptoo, two-time runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka and a new generation of international talent.

The blend of athletes with experience on the course and those new to the challenges of the hilly Hopkinton to Boston route should lead to a highly competitive race. Collectively, the group has won 18 international marathons in the past three years and the top nine contenders have less than a three-minute differential in their personal best times. In addition, the athletes will be vying for a top Boston showing to secure a position on their country's Olympic teams.

"Winning Boston last year is my proudest accomplishment," said Grigoryeva of Russia. "The weather was terrible, but I was very happy to have won."

Grigoryeva is a two-time Olympian at 10,000 meters and hopes to compete in the marathon at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She also earned a course record win at the 2006 Los Angeles Marathon and won the 2005 Paris Marathon.

John Hancock also announced they have signed 2006 Boston champion Rita Jeptoo of Kenya, who returns to challenge for another title. Jeptoo said, "The Boston field is always one of the top ones, and this being an Olympic year means that all the top women in the major marathons need to perform well to be selected for their Olympic teams." Jeptoo is also a past Milan Marathon and Stockholm Marathon winner.

Two-time runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka, the national record holder of Latvia, has much to prove at this year's race. Although she has bested both Grigoryeva and Jeptoo during her two New York City wins, she finished behind Grigoryeva last year at Boston and in 2006 finished second to Jeptoo by 10 seconds, the closest 1-2 women's finish in Boston history. A three-time Olympian Prokopcuka holds additional national records on the road and track and was the second place finisher in the inaugural World Marathon Majors Series.

Challenging the trio are talented newcomers Askale Tafa Magarsa and Dire Tune, both of Ethiopia. Magarsa, only 23-years-old, is the champion of the 2007 Paris and Dubai Marathons and the 2006 Milan Marathon. With a personal best of 2 hours, 23 minutes, 23 seconds, she will be a strong contender, as will Tune, a 22-year-old, who is a two-time winner and course record holder of the Chevron Houston Marathon (2007-08) and champion of the 2006 Hong Kong Marathon.

Also debuting on the Boston course are Ukrainian national record holder Tetyana Kuzina-Hladyr, who in 2006 won in Rome and placed second in New York City, and 2007 Amsterdam Marathon winner and half-marathon standout Magdaline Chemjor of Kenya.

Additional competition will come from returnees Alevtina Biktimirova of Russia, the winner of the 2007 Honolulu Marathon; Italian Olympian Bruna Genovese, a past winner of the Tokyo Women's Marathon and 21-year-old Robe Tola Guta of Ethiopia, the 2006 Hamburg Marathon Champion and course record holder.

These top athletes will join the complete John Hancock professional team, which will be announced in March. For more race information, visit: BostonMarathon.org

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"Spirit of the Marathon" Encore Presentation Thursday, February 21

Due to popular demand, "Spirit of the Marathon" will be shown in select movie theaters nationwide a second night on Thursday, February 21. More than a sports event, "Spirit of the Marathon" follows six runners' journeys including 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor as they prepare for and ultimately face the challenge of the 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.

The poignant and acclaimed documentary will be shown at more than 200 AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc., Goodrich Quality Theaters, Marcus Theatres and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters through NCM's Digital Broadcast Network.

Tickets for the Encore presentation are available at presenting theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of presenting theater locations, please visit the website (theaters are subject to change).

Runners and non-runners alike will enjoy a "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette that includes interviews with the director and producers, dramatic race footage, as well as a Q&A session with Olympians and Team Running USA teammates Deena Kastor and Ryan Hall in a 2008 Olympics preview.

"Spirit of the Marathon" is the collaborative effort of three-time Academy Award winner Mark Jonathan Harris, Telly Award winner and marathon runner Jon Dunham and producer / marathoner Gwendolen Twist.

MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Leggett, Spirit of the Marathon (Land of the Gods LLC), (213) 625-1801 or mleggett@calico1880.com

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2008 XTERRA Trail Run Series
50 races, 15 states, 8 countries, lots of dirt

HONOLULU - (February 13, 2008) - XTERRA is at it again in 2008, offering athletes the chance to prove they have what it takes to run their way to the top with more than 50 trail runs of varying distances across the country and around the world.

The U.S. XTERRA Trail Run Series is broken down into 10 regions - Southern and Northern California, Oregon, Utah, Philadelphia, Chicago, Georgia, Chesapeake Bay, Tennessee and New England.

Each region will host 3-to-7 races during the course of the year and the top 10 finishers in each age group division at each race earn points. The top points scorers at the end of the year are crowned regional champions and earn free entry into the XTERRA Trail Running National Championship on September 27.

Race distances range from 5-23 kilometers, providing a wide-range of challenges for athletes eager to prove their dominance in the world of trail running.

New in '08 is the "Xduro", an endurance trail run with a physical challenge parallel to that of a road marathon but with Mother Nature along for the ride. Some Xduro's will be off-road half-marathons, some may be 18K or even 23K, but one thing is certain - each one will serve up a buffet of obstacles the road just doesn't offer like navigating through dirt pathways, dodging boulders, leaping over roots, clambering up hills that make your calves cry and skating down valleys that allow runners to survey some of the most scenic vistas in the world.

"XTERRA is thrilled with the growth of its Trail Running Series launched two years ago, and we think the longer distance focus will push it to whole new extreme in terms of participation and challenge," said Janet Clark, President of TEAM Unlimited / XTERRA. "XTERRA Trail Runs give runners an opportunity to explore some wildly natural environments and challenge themselves on diverse and unique terrains from roots and rocks, to stream crossings and mud sloshing."

More than a dozen Xduro runs across the U.S. and several more around the globe will ready runners for the ultimate Hawaiian experience - the XTERRA Trail Running World Championship at Kualoa Ranch on the island of Oahu on December 7 (just one week before the Honolulu Marathon).

It is not required that an athlete qualify to run in either the National or World Championship races, however, those who do will receive special recognition and privileges come race day. To qualify, racers simply need to finish any Xduro 18-23K race in less than three hours.

Along the way XTERRA Trail Runs will give back to the community by involving not-for-profits as beneficiaries at the events.

For the 2008 schedule, to learn more or to register, visit: XTERRAtrailrun.com

Contact: Emily McIlvaine, (808) 792-2611 or emily@xterraplanet.com

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232
Ryan@RunningUSA.org | www.RunningUSA.org