Running USA wire 46, June 7, 2009
Kosgei Wins 38th NYRR New York Mini 10K
edit this articleBy: Jim Gerweck, Running USA wire
American and new mother Burla surprises as runner-up
NEW YORK - (June 7, 2009) - Last year, organizers of the NYRR New York Mini 10K turned their race into a tribute to U.S. Olympians, inviting the three-woman marathon squad of Deena Kastor, Magdalena Lewy Boulet and Blake Russell to headline the event. With the first two back this year (Russell is just resuming jogging after giving birth to son Quin two months ago), the odds seemed good an American might wind up in the winner's circle for the first time since Kastor won it in 2004. And indeed, on Sunday morning in Central Park, as Kenya's Rose Kosgei turned around at four miles to see if her half minute lead was still intact, the eventual winner must have been somewhat surprised to see an American giving chase, cutting the deficit in half between 3 and 5 miles.
The only thing was - it wasn't Kastor, Lewy Boulet or Amy Rudolph, another U.S. Olympian entered in the race. Instead, it was Serena Burla of Ellisville, Mo. - just five months removed from delivering her own firstborn, son Boyd - who was running, if not the race of her life, at least the race of her motherhood so far.
Though Kosgei, 27, slowed in the second half, she went unchallenged to the finish line in 32 minutes, 43 seconds - the exact same time by last year's Mini champion Hilda Kibet. Burla, 26, ran an impressive race to set a 10K personal record in 33:04 as the surprise runner-up. Both Kosgei and Burla earned $10,000 (the latter's includes $5000 in U.S. prize money).
Burla had also pulled off a "who's she" performance early last year when she took third at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, but her hopes of an Olympic team spot disappeared when she found out she was pregnant soon after. "It wasn't planned, but it's the greatest gift I've ever gotten," she said. Burla skipped the Olympic Marathon Trials in April, then shuffled through the track trials 10,000 meters 12 weeks into her pregnancy before shutting things down.
She's obviously turned things back on in a hurry, using a crash course of training to hop back into the racing fray as if she hasn't missed a beat since Houston.
"My coach is a genius," she said. "He got me hammering harder than I thought possible so soon after coming back, but he has confidence in me and I believe in myself and my training. I want to prove that you can have children and be an elite runner."
She approached the 38th Mini, the longest running all-women's race in the world, with the same nothing-to-lose attitude that had served her well at Houston. "My coach told me, 'Don't be afraid, no one knows who you are - if you bonk, you bonk. Anyone can have a great day or a bad one.'"
As it turned out, Burla's day was one of the former, and sends her toward the upcoming outdoor track nationals 10,000 in Eugene ith a greatly enhanced confidence. "We're just kind of taking it one at a time," she said of her current racing and training, but her excitement at her performance here obviously shows she is looking at a World Championships team slot with increased possibility.
Meanwhile Kastor, who had been in town all week as part of the National Running Day festivities on Wednesday, played it safe with a pain in the same foot she had broken 5K into the marathon at the Beijing Olympics, opting to run a more moderate 7 minute mile pace in the company of New York Road Runners CEO Mary Wittenberg. "I don't want to do anything stupid that might jeopardize the rest of my season," which may well culminate with another run to the finish line at Tavern on the Green, this time in the ING New York City Marathon in November.
Nearly 6,000 women, a significant increase over the past several years, signed up to run the race under some of the best conditions (clear sunny skies and low humidity) the Mini has enjoyed in several years.
"I'm inspired by all these women, of all ages and abilities, getting out there and running," said Burla. A few more races like today, and she'll doubtless be inspiring them as well.
38th NYRR New York Mini 10K
New York, NY, Sunday, June 7, 2009
1) Rose Kosgei (KEN), 32:43, $10,000
2) Serena Burla (USA / MO), 33:04, $10,000
3) Hirut Mandefro (ETH), 33:13, $3500
4) Catherine Ndereba (KEN), 33:21, $2500
5) René Kalmer (RSA), 33:29, $1500
6) Magdalena Lewy Boulet (USA / CA), 33:32, $2500
7) Buzunesh Deba (ETH), 33:32
8) Kelly Jaske (USA / OR), 33:39, $1250
9) Yuri Kano (JPN), 33:43
10) Stephanie Rothstein (USA / OR), 33:48, $750
12) Amy Rudolph (USA / RI), 33:59, $500
Complete results at: www.NYRR.org
Corrigan Sports Launches Oakland Running Festival
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First marathon to take place in city in more than 25 years; registration open for March 2010 inaugural event
OAKLAND, Calif. - (June 3, 2009) - Corrigan Sports Enterprises (CSE) has announced the creation of the Oakland Running Festival to take place March 26-28, 2010 through the streets of Oakland, Calif. The inaugural event will feature a marathon, half-marathon, four-person team relay, 5K, kids' fun run and health and fitness expo.
This will be the first marathon in Oakland since 1984 and the course will encompass many of the city's wonderful sites including Jack London Square, Lake Merritt, Rockridge, Montclair and City Hall.
"We are thrilled to bring a first-class running event back to Oakland," stated Lee Corrigan, president of Corrigan Sports. "Northern California is a vibrant area and we think that runners from all over the country are going to love what Oakland has to offer."
The Oakland Running Festival will be CSE's fourth venture into the running world as they currently own and operate the Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival, The CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Frederick Running Festival and the University of Maryland Heart Center Baltimore 10-Miler. All three events have sold out in recent years and are known for their post-race "celebration villages."
Through its running events, Corrigan Sports has generated nearly 100 million dollars in local revenue and eight million towards local charities.
Registration is available online at www.OaklandMarathon.com or contact Corrigan Sports at (443) 600-5941.
Competitor Group Announces Dallas Event
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Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon set for March 14, 2010
DALLAS - (June 3, 2009) - Competitor Group, organizers of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, and the Dallas White Rock Marathon have announced a multi-year partnership agreement to host an annual spring half-marathon. The Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon is set for Sunday, March 14, 2010 and is expected to draw between 12,000 and 15,000 runners.
"From 5Ks to marathons, Dallas is a city that loves to race and run," said Mayor Tom Leppert, who joined U.S. 50K record holder Josh Cox in making the announcement on National Running Day. "The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon is clearly a premier, national event. We are certain the thousands of runners who participate next year will discover why Dallas is such a great place to run."
Dallas joins the existing Rock 'n' Roll markets of Arizona, Nashville, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, Virginia Beach, San Jose, San Antonio and Las Vegas. The half-marathon will be the tenth event in the national series of musically themed marathons and half-marathons, which include live bands, cheerleaders and themed water stations at each mile along the course.
"This partnership enables the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series to continue rolling out additional events in key markets," said Peter Englehart, CEO of the Competitor Group. "The Dallas White Rock Marathon shares our commitment to providing runners with an outstanding experience, which was an important consideration when we began forming this multi-year agreement. The March timing for a stand alone half marathon works perfectly with our national event schedule."
Registration for the Dallas event is open on the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series website http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/dallas. The first 500 runners to register online will receive a special entry fee of $50. The half-marathon registration fee is $85 through November 30.
"Dallas welcomes the opportunity to host the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon," said Phillip Jones, President and CEO, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Over the years, Dallas has built an impressive resume as a host city of marquee sporting events including another world-class race, the Dallas White Rock Marathon. The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon will introduce visitors from around the world to Dallas' amazing accommodations, 13 entertainment districts and distinct dining as well as the largest urban arts district in the nation and the best shopping in the Southwest."
Race weekend will begin at the Dallas Convention Center with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo where all participants must go to pick up their race packets. The expo will also feature more than one hundred running and fitness retailers, exhibits and interactive clinics.
"For 40 runnings, the Dallas White Rock Marathon has been an exciting tradition for the city of Dallas. The Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon is another opportunity to encourage health and fitness in our community," said Marcus Grunewald, executive race director for the Dallas White Rock Marathon. "We're also thrilled that Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, which is the primary beneficiary of the Dallas White Rock Marathon, will benefit from the Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon as well."
The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC) will remain the primary beneficiary of the half marathon. The partnership with the Competitor Group continues to provide support for TSRHC to continue providing the highest quality medical care to Texas children.
"Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children has been the primary beneficiary of the Dallas White Rock Marathon for 12 years," said Bob Walker, executive vice president and administrator of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. "It is great to be able to integrate the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon into the Dallas running community, offering one more way to keep the community healthy and fit and ultimately benefiting the patients at the hospital."
The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon revolutionized the running industry in 1998 when it combined entertainment with running. Live bands playing music at every mile along the course are interspersed with themed water stations and high school cheerleading squads providing motivation to the finish line. With charity partners raising over $200 million at the events to-date, the Rock 'n' Roll series has become one the most successful charity fundraising events in the world.
Keeping with the rock 'n' roll theme, Dallas runners will be treated to a post-race concert after the event. All participants and volunteers receive free entry to the concert with their race number. Past acts at other Rock 'n' Roll series events include SEAL, INXS, Journey, Chris Isaak, Goo Goo Dolls and the B-52s.
For more information, visit: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com
GO! St. Louis ® Youth and Family Summer Track Meet Series Starts June 10
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Program introduces students to track & field events; encourages parents to get involved in family fitness
ST.LOUIS - (June 1, 2009) - In an on-going effort to create programs and events that inspire the St. Louis region to get fit, GO! St. Louis invites area children and their family members to attend the second annual GO! St. Louis Youth & Family Track Meet Series.
The track series is a non-competitive six-week program for students who have completed K-8 grades and their family members. The summer program introduces participants each week to a different track & field event, such as: sprint, middle distance, field and relay events. The program starts on Wednesday, June 10 at Parkway North High School (12860 Fee Fee Road). The program cost is $15 for the complete six-week series, but participants may register at any point during the series. All registrants will receive a special event shirt and refreshments.
Parents and family members are encouraged to sign-up and participate in the events or family members may choose to walk the track as their children participate.
The track series is scheduled for June 10, 17, 24 and July 1, 8, 15. Registration begins at 5:30pm and the event starts at 6:00pm. Participants may register online at www.GOstlouis.org or sign-up on individual event evenings at Parkway North High School.
GO! St. Louis, a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization, encourages individuals and families in the region to adopt a healthy lifestyle by getting fit, staying active, and eating a nutritional diet year round. The organization accomplishes this through school based programming, outreach to senior/retirement centers, community collaborations and the creation of new and unique fitness opportunities. Call (314) 727-0800 or visit www.GOstlouis.org for more information.