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Olympic Trials Dreams Realized at Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon
Ramirez, Ackerly overall winners; race record 1,757 finishers
By Mark Winitz

NAPA, Calif. - (March 2, 2008) - Aided by ideal, clear and mild running conditions, Juan Ramirez, 39, of Santa Ana, Calif., and Maureen Ackerly, 38, of Richmond, Va., registered victories Sunday at the 30th Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon. The two overall winners led a charge of 2,300 registrants (a race sellout) and 1,757 finishers in the largest turnout ever for the race.

Ackerly won an intriguing women's contest in which the top four females earned qualifying times for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon on April 20th in Boston. Her winning time of 2 hours, 44 minutes and 25 seconds was the third fastest ever recorded by a woman on the fast, point-to-point course. Ramirez cruised to the men's victory in 2:32:12.

Half a dozen women came to Napa hoping for a time under 2:47:00, the Olympic Marathon Trials "B" standard set by USA Track & Field for a spot on the starting line at the Trials race. The prestigious Trials race, in which about 125 elite U.S. female marathoners will compete, will select the three women who will make this year's U.S. Olympic team in the marathon event.

Breezy tailwinds assisted a lead pack of five women over the scenic Silverado Trail road course through Napa Valley, which included an official pacesetter, Caroline Annis of San Francisco. Annis, who previously qualified for the marathon trials at last December's California International Marathon, led the tight group though 18 miles at a pace just under six minutes and twenty seconds per mile - on track for a 2:46:00 finish.

"Caroline Annis was a metronome, we all fell in behind her," said Ackerly. "She ran the tangents perfectly and every mile split was right on. All the girls were really supportive of each other."

Said Shaluinn Fullove (Palo Alto, Calif.) who was also in the lead group: "The wind just kept coming up at the right time. Right when you wanted to slow down, it just lifted you up."

After Annis intentionally dropped out of the race at 18 miles, as planned, the four lead women charged to the finish line as they gradually spread out. Ackerly pulled away from Claudia Becque (Chicago, Ill.) with about a mile remaining in the 26.2-mile race to secure the victory. Becque followed her through the finish line at Vintage High School in Napa in 2:44:52 with Fullove third in 2:46:04. Two-time Napa Valley Marathon winner Mary Coordt (Elk Grove, Calif.) was fourth in 2:46:30, as she qualified for her third Olympic Marathon Trials.

All four women ran personal record times as they head to the Trials race in Boston.

Although Ackerly has completed six marathons and won several of them, the Napa Valley Marathon is her most significant victory by far. Ackerly credited her husband, Ben Ackerly, a former decathlete, who provided her with the training guidance to improve and reach her goals.

"It's a dream come true; it really is," said Ackerly about her Trials qualifying performance. "I never would have believed that I could do this, but my husband did."

With only seven weeks to go before the Trials, these women are simply happy to be headed towards the starting line in Boston.

"I have no delusions about qualifying for the Olympic team," Ackerly said, "but what a great T-shirt to have."

In the men's race, Ramirez and Michael Arnstein, 31, of New York City, jettisoned to an immediately lead, and, by mutual agreement, shared leading chores. On a short uphill grade in mile 19, Ramirez was able to gain a slight lead on Arnstein and lengthened it to almost a two-minute gap by the finish.

"I was shooting for something close to my personal record (2:30:41), but I haven't run a marathon in about 14 months so I was a little unsure about how I was going to feel," Ramirez said. "But, overall, I was glad about my 2:32 [win]. It was pretty close to my goal."

Arnstein was runner-up in 2:34:07.

James Beyer, 40, of Dayton, Ohio, finished third overall in 2:36:38 and captured the men's masters (40 and older) victory, while Lisa Miller, 42, of Pacific Grove, Calif. won the women's masters title in 3:18:02.

The winners - Ramirez and Ackerly - also took home titles as 2008 Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) national marathon champions. In addition, both won five cases of premium wine donated by the Napa Valley Silverado Trail Wineries Association. Each winner also carried home a specially produced, etched bottle of Napa Valley wine.

Among veteran competitors, standout Helen Klein, 85, of Rancho Cordova, Calif. ran the fastest women's 85 to 89 year-old age group marathon ever with her time of 5:36:18 at Napa which eclipsed her previous world best of 5:48:59 that she set last December.

Additional outstanding performances were registered by course record holder Dick Beardsley, 51, of Austin, Texas in 2:49:09; Larry Lichnovsky, 60, of Arlington, Texas in 3:05:59 and Dr. Janet Cain, 56, of Sonoma, Calif. in 3:31:57.

1984 Olympic Games marathon gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, 50, the featured guest at this year's Napa Valley Marathon, ran 20 miles of the race on a training run in preparation for her final U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials race next month.

All proceeds from the Napa Valley Marathon (a non-profit organization) are donated to local charities in the Napa Valley.

30th Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon
Napa, CA, Sunday, March 2, 2008

MEN
1) Juan Ramirez (CA), 2:32:12
2) Michael Arnstein (NY), 2:34:07
3) James Beyer, 40, OH, 2:36:38
4) Ryan Gall (CA), 2:38:58
5) Christopher Ratliff (CA), 2:39:46

MASTERS MEN (40+)
1) Beyer (see above)

WOMEN
1) Maureen Ackerly (VA), 2:44:25
2) Claudia Becque (IL), 2:44:52
3) Shaluinn Fullove (CA), 2:46:04
4) Mary Coordt (CA), 2:46:30
5) Dina Rosenthal (CA), 2:51:25

MASTERS WOMEN (40+)
1) Lisa Miller, 42, CA, 3:18:02

Complete results at: NapaValleyMarathon.org

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Morgan Leads Team USA Senior Men to Gold at NACAC Cross Country Championships
Senior women, Junior men and Junior women take silvers
By Mike Scott, Special to USATF

ORLANDO, Fla. - (March 1, 2008) - Thomas Morgan (Blowing Rock, N.C.) and Josh Simpson (Morgantown, W.V.) finished 1-2 in the Senior men's 8-kilometer race to lead Team USA to the team title at the fourth annual North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Cross Country Championships at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida on Saturday.

U.S. squads took team silver medals in the Senior women, Junior men and Junior women competitions at the event, which featured 61 athletes representing six national federations.

Running in the day's final event, the Team USA Senior men were locked in a virtual dead heat with Team Canada for much of the race's first three laps before they surged away from their counterparts as they entered the final loop.

With a kilometer to go, Morgan and Simpson took the lead from Canada's Rob Watson, the early leader. Behind them, Team USA's Ben Bruce (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) and Travis Laird (Valley Center, Calif.) moved up through the field.

Morgan and Simpson powered away to win gold and silver in 22:42 and 22:48 respectively, with both finishing well under the previous course record of 23:10. Bruce and Laird placed fifth and sixth respectively to seal gold for Team USA, giving them a 14 to 22 margin over Team Canada.

Former Stanford University standout Kathleen Trotter (Palo Alto, Calif.) claimed bronze in the Senior women's 6K race to lead Team USA to the silver medal in the team competition. Team USA fell one point short of the gold medalists Canada, 25 to 24, while Puerto Rico claimed bronze with 47 points.

Trotter (19:35) finished third behind Olympian Carmen Douma-Hussar (Canada) and World Championships steeple finalist Korene Hinds (Jamaica), timed in 19:24 and 19:33 respectively. Trotter led a 3-4-5 USA finish that included Serena Ramsey-Burla (Columbia, Mo.) and Erin Dromgoole (Brighton, Mass.). Ramsey-Burla and Dromgoole crossed the line in 19:36 and 19:37, respectively. Tera Moody (Boulder, Colo.) rounded out the scorers for Team USA, placing 13th in 20:42.

Emily Reese won silver in the Junior women's 4K race to lead her squad to silver behind Team Canada, finishing in 13:15. Canada scored 13 to Team USA's 29, while Puerto Rico placed third with 49 points.

The Harvard-bound Reese finished second to Canada's University of Washington-bound Kendra Schaff who struck gold in 13:03. Emilie Amaro (Cooper City, Fla.) finished 7th in 13:35, while Katja Goldring (Beverly Hills, Calif.) finished 9th in 14:06 and Jacqueline Taylor (Petaluma, Calif.) finished 11th in 14:27.

Ryan Sheridan (Melville, N.Y.) and Brendan Gregg (Davis, Calif.) won silver and bronze in the Junior men's 6K competition, with Kevin Williams (Lakewood, Colo.) finishing just behind in fifth but Team USA failed to score when teammate Benjamin Johnson (Albuquerque, N.M.) was unable to start due to injury.

Canada's Aleksandr Kuternin won gold in 17:21, with Sheridan second in 17:23, Brendan third in 17:32 and Williams fifth in 17:51.

For complete results, go to: www.usatf.org/events/2008/NACACXCChampionships/results/sm.asp

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Bend, Oregon to Host XTERRA Trail Running National Championships in 2008 & 2009

Bend, Oregon, which was recently voted "America's Best Trail Running Town" by the editors of Outside Magazine, has been named the host destination for the 2008 and 2009 XTERRA Trail Running National Championships. The 2008 event is set for Saturday, September 27.

The XTERRA Trail Running National Championship's main event is an Xduro (21K / 13.1 mile) off-road half-marathon, but the day-long running celebration will also feature races of 10K and 5K distances, a kids K, charity walk, festival / expo center for participants and spectators and live entertainment.

While the race field will include competitors who have qualified for Nationals at other events, participation in all races - including the XTERRA Trail Running National Championship, is open to the general public.

"The U.S. Trail Run Series is the fastest-growing segment of XTERRA, with more than 50 races in 15 states on the calendar for 2008," said Tom Kiely, CEO of TEAM Unlimited, owner of XTERRA. "The Trail Running National Championship is the culmination of that series, and we think Bend is the ultimate adventure destination for our biggest race of the year."

The Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau, in partnership with the Oregon Sports Authority, were the natural choice to host Nationals due to its variety of terrain, mild fall climate, running-friendly trails and the enthusiasm, interest and support of the local community.

"Bend has received national and international recognition as a trail running mecca," said Doug LaPlaca, President and CEO of the Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau. "The next logical step for us is to identify and pursue opportunities to convert that recognition into increased tourism revenue, and the XTERRA Trail Running National Championship is a perfect fit."

In the coming months, race organizers and the Bend VCB will work with local public and private groups including the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bend Metro Parks & Recreation, and private landowners and developers to identify a race venue and begin any necessary permit / approval processes.

"When we launched our Central Oregon Chapter in October, this was exactly the type of event we had in mind for the region," said Drew Mahalic, CEO of the Oregon Sports Authority. "Bend's reputation as an outdoor recreation destination will be a huge asset as we plan this event, and look to secure other, similar events of national prominence in the future."

Visit: XTERRAplanet.com and for more information on Bend, call 1-800-949-6086 or go to: VisitBend.com

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Disney's Expedition Everest Challenge presented by Champion to Provide Unique Test of Skills and Thrills

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.- (February 25, 2008) - Runners looking to test themselves beyond just physical endurance will find a unique test of skills - and thrills - in the inaugural Disney's Expedition Everest Challenge presented by Champion in September.

Disney's Expedition Everest Challenge is the first urban adventure race among Disney's Endurance Series, offering a rare combination of physical and mental challenges that will require competitors to be quick on their feet - literally and figuratively. The nighttime event, which debuts Saturday, September 27 at Disney's Animal Kingdom, will begin with a 5K run through the theme park, then transition to a fun obstacle course and finish with a scavenger hunt that will require a "passport", creating the ultimate test of physical stamina as well as intellectual endurance along with a traditional dose of Disney magic.

"Disney's Expedition Everest Challenge presented by Champion was created to offer runners a new experience, combining the best elements of some of our other endurance series races - running through a theme park and maneuvering through obstacles with a partner - and adding a scavenger hunt as an exciting new element at the end of the event," said Kathleen Duran, Area Sports manager for Disney's Wide World of Sports. "Creating the Expedition Everest Challenge presented by Champion adds another dimension to our Endurance Series, which continues to offer competitors of all ages and skill levels unforgettable endurance experiences."

Participants can compete in various divisions - men's individual, women's individual, men's team, women's team and co-ed team - and can register now for the event online at DisneyEverestChallenge.com. The registration fee is $195 for team entry and $100 for individuals. Each participant receives a one-day ticket to Disney's Animal Kingdom or Epcot, a Champion performance apparel shirt, a finisher medal, as well as admission to the exclusive Expedition Everest Challenge post-event party hosted by Champion.

Disney's Expedition Everest Challenge presented by Champion is part of Champion's new "How to Play Weekend" at Disney, which includes Disney's Mixed/Co-Ed Fall Festival adult slowpitch softball tournament Sept. 28-30.

Disney's Endurance Series gives recreational athletes of all ages and abilities the chance to walk, jog, run and swim their way "around the world." From running marathons to road races and triathlons, participating athletes from across the country and around the world compete to stay in shape, achieve personal-best times and often to raise charitable donations.

Popular Endurance Series events include the Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon (January), Disney's Race for the Taste 10K (October) and The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror 13K (October). For more information, visit: DisneyEnduranceSeries.com

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