Running USA wire 77, September 20, 2009

2010 event introduced as ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon

PHILADELPHIA - (September 20, 2009) - The 32nd ING Philadelphia Distance Run, held Sunday morning on a clear sunny day, was highlighted by 26-year-old Ryan Hall's 1:01:52 victory and Kenya's Catherine Ndereba's remarkable seventh race crown in the women's race.

A very conservative tempo was set in the early miles of the men's race, hitting miles in the mid-4:40s throughout. The lead pack began to break up after 10K, leaving Hall of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. to battle Kenya's Ben Limo, Samuel Ndereba and Valentine Orare. Limo and Ndereba set much of the tempo over the second half of the race, continuing the consistent pace at 4:44-45 for each mile.

Hall (photo left, CGI) surged at mile 12 running a 4:27 split to break away from three Kenyans, taking the lead outright into the final straightaway. The 2008 U.S. Olympian looked smooth as he waved to the crowd across the finish line, taking his first half-marathon win of the year.

"It was tough competition but a beautiful course," said Hall, the U.S. half-marathon record holder (59:43). "Since I've been training for the marathon distance, it was hit or miss on my pace - but my legs felt great through the last mile, and overall, I thought it was a fantastic race."

Early on in the women's race it was a group of four women, including six-time winner Ndereba, Ethiopian Derartu Tulu and Kenyans Irene Limika and Neriah Asiba that assumed control of the race. Like the men, the women ran very consistent over the bulk of the race, hitting 10K in 33:05 and 15K in 49:48.

Ndereba and Limika pulled away from the other women around the 15K mark and continued to run together for the remainder of the race. Ndereba, 37, was able to gain a slight lead before the turn to the finish and held off Limika by a narrow three second margin, 1:09:43 to 1:09:46.

"It has been a 7-year gap since my last win in Philadelphia and after living here for 15 years, it is nice to win at home," said Ndereba, a two-time Olympic Marathon silver medalist.

2008 Beijing Olympic gold medalist Constantina Dita found herself out of the race early on. Dita finished a distant tenth, but is looking forward towards her next race, "I really felt it today, I've been doing a lot of interval training on the track, today's race shows me I still have a lot of work to do before my next marathon."

The historic road race, known for its running legacy that includes five World and three U.S. records, will continue the tradition in 2010 as the ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon and will take place on Sunday, September 19, 2010.

"We are thrilled to be making next year's run part of the Rock 'n' Roll series," said Mike Smith, CEO, ING US Legacy Annuity. "This change will broaden the appeal of the race and provide more people with the experience of this exciting race format, as well as offering our employees the ability to further spread the ING message."

32nd ING Philadelphia Distance Run
Philadelphia, PA, Sunday, September 20, 2009

MEN
1) Ryan Hall (USA / CA), 1:01:52, $4000
2) Samuel Ndereba (KEN), 1:01:56, $2000
3) Benjamin Limo (KEN), 1:02:01, $1500
4) Valentine Orare (KEN), 1:02:22, $1000
5) Mike Sayenko (USA / WA), 1:05:04, $1150
6) Josh Cox (USA / CA), 1:05:09, $300
7) Andrew Dumm (USA / VA), 1:05:41, $200
8) Lee Troop (AUS), 1:05:42
9) Joel Mwaura (KEN), 1:05:47
10) Mike McKeeman (USA / PA), 1:05:59, $100

WOMEN
1) Catherine Ndereba (KEN), 1:09:43, $3500
2) Irene Limika (KEN), 1:09:46, $2000
3) Neriah Asiba (KEN), 1:10:26, $1500
4) Derartu Tulu (ETH), 1:10:33, $1000
5) Hellen Kimutai (KEN), 1:10:43, $750
6) Evelyn Lagat (KEN), 1:12:25
7) Karolina Jarzynska (POL), 1:12:27
8) Kirsten Fryburg (USA / CO), 1:13:52, $500
9) Samia Akbar (USA / DC), 1:14:06, $400
10) Constantina Dita (ROU), 1:14:47

Complete results at: www.runphilly.com

Famiglietti, Lewy Boulet maintain USA Running Circuit leads

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - (September 20, 2009) - Matt Tegenkamp (Portland, Ore.) and Amy Yoder Begley (Portland, Ore.) won the respective men's and women's titles Sunday at the USA 5K Championship in Providence. Tegenkamp, 27, the reigning U.S. champion at 5000 meters on the track won his first U.S. road title in 13 minutes, 57 seconds, while Yoder Begley, 31, the 2009 USA 10,000 meter champion on the track and USA 15K champion, ran 15:27 to add the 5K road title to her collection of 2009 crowns.

As a field of more than 10,000 runners toured downtown Providence for the 20th CVS Caremark Downtown 5K, the lead men's pack passed the first mile in 4:30 with Ben Bruce (Eugene, Ore.) leading defending national champion Anthony Famiglietti (Knoxville, Tenn.), Tegenkamp, Bolota Asmerom (Oakland, Calif.), Jordan Horn (Flagstaff, Ariz.) and Ian Burrell (Flagstaff).

By two miles, the lead group had thinned to about ten men with Asmerom assuming the lead ahead of Famiglietti and Tegenkamp.

Making the final turn off Canal Street and up the only major hill on the course, Tegenkamp made his move around Famiglietti and Asmerom to kick to a one-second win over Asmerom. Famiglietti was timed in 13:59 for third as Horn and Burrell captured fourth and fifth (U.S.) in 13:59 and 14:01, respectively.

In the women's race, three-time Olympian Jen Rhines (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) led a deep field of women through the first mile in 4:54. As the lead women passed two miles in 9:50, the contenders were narrowed down to Yoder Begley, Rhines, Rebecca Donaghue (State College, Pa.) and Sara Hall (Mammoth Lakes).

With about 800 meters to go, Yoder Begley made her move, but Donaghue and Rhines held on until Yoder Begley had last push at three miles to pull clear for the title. Donaghue held off Rhines by one second for the national runner-up position, running 15:30. Hall took fourth in 15:33 and Katie McGregor (St. Louis Park, Minn.) finished fifth U.S. in 15:50.

The USA 5K Championship was the eighth stop on the 2009 USA Running Circuit (USARC) and paid $30,000 in U.S. prize money with Tegenkamp and Yoder Begley taking home $5000 each as national champions plus $3000 as overall race winners.

The 2009 USARC, a USA Track & Field road series featuring USA Championships from one mile to the marathon, attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The 2009 USARC has ten events each for men and women. Magdalena Lewy Boulet (Oakland, Calif.) currently leads the women's standings with 59 points, while Famiglietti tops the men with 49 points. For more USARC information, go to: USATF.org

20th CVS Caremark Downtown 5K: USA Championship
Providence, RI, Sunday, September 20, 2009

MEN
1) Matt Tegenkamp (OR), 13:57, $8000
2) Bolota Asmerom (CA), 13:58, $5000
3) Anthony Famiglietti (TN), 13:59, $3000
4) Jordan Horn (AZ), 13:59, $1500
5) Andrew Lemoncello (GBR), 14:00
6) Ian Burrell (AZ), 14:01, $1000
7) Bado Worku Merdessa (ETH), 14:05
8) Stu Eagon (WI), 14:07, $900
9) Aucencio Martinez (CO), 14:09, $700
10) Phillip Reid (CA), 14:10, $500
11) Ben Bruce (OR), 14:12, $300
12) Mohamed Trafeh (CA), 14:14, $100

WOMEN
1) Amy Yoder Begley (OR), 15:27, $8000
2) Rebecca Donaghue (PA), 15:30, $5000
3) Jen Rhines (CA), 15:31, $3000
4) Sara Hall (CA), 15:33, $1500
5) Mary Cullen (IRL), 15:48
6) Katie McGregor (MN), 15:50, $1000
7) Molly Huddle (RI), 15:52, $900
8) Renee Metivier-Baillie (CO), 16:02, $700
9) Amy Mortimer (RI), 16:05, $500
10) Salome Kosgei (KEN), 16:10
11) Amy Hastings (CA), 16:11, $300
12) Lindsay Allen (AZ), 16:23, $100

Full race results at: www.cvsdowntown5k.com

USA Men's Championship field will compete for $25,000 prize purse October 4

MINNEAPOLIS - (September 17, 2009) - Three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman will return to defend his 2007 USA Men's 10 Mile title that he picked up at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile (there was no USA Men's 10 Mile Championship in 2008). Challenging Abdirahman will be 2009 USA 15K champion and fellow U.S. Olympian Anthony Famiglietti (left, PhotoRun), 30, who is looking to take home $10,000 as national champion on Sunday, October 4.

Abdirahman, 32, owns the Medtronic TC 10 Mile course record from his 2007 race, (set on a temporary course) when he finished in a quick 47:34. "Abdi" and "Fam" face tough competition from recent USA 20K Championship runner-up Mohamed Trafeh and Team USA Minnesota favorites Jason Lehmkuhle and Patrick Smyth.

"We are pleased to host the USA Men's 10 Mile Championship again this year, especially with the talented field coming in from all over the country," said executive director of Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. Virginia Brophy Achman. "This will be a tough competition with a very deep men's field, many who've competed in this event before, some who will move on to compete for the USA Men's Marathon Championship in New York later this year."

2008 Medtronic TC 10 Mile champion Josh Glaab returns to defend his race title and to compete in the national championship as well. The overall national championship purse is $25,000.

Early USA Men's 10 Mile Championship Top Ten Seeding List (PRs related to 10 mile or closest distance)
ATHLETE / Age / Residence / PR
Anthony Famiglietti, 30, Knoxville, TN, 27:37, 10,000m (track)
Abdi Abdirahman, 32, Tucson, AZ, 27:16, 10,000m (track)
Mohamed Trafeh, 24, Flagstaff, AZ, 59:51, 20K
Jason Lehmkuhle, 32, Minneapolis, MN, 47:78, 10 mile
Patrick Smyth, 23, Minneapolis, MN, 28:25, 10K
Mike Sayenko, 25, Bellevue, WA, 29:07, 10,000m (track)
Morgan Thomas, 28, Bowling Rock, NC, 22:36, 8K
Ian Burrell, 24, Flagstaff, AZ, 28:42, 10K
Josh Moen, 27, St. Louis Park, MN, 28:26, 10K
Jordan Horn, 24, Flagstaff, AZ, 29:02, 10K

The USA Men's 10 Mile Championship is a USA Track & Field national championship event that starts with the open Medtronic TC 10 Mile field at 7:05am, Sunday, October 4. Also known as "The Shortcut to the Capitol" the race starts near the HHH Metrodome, and follows the last seven miles of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon route before finishing in front of the State Capitol.

About Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend
The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America® recognized as one of the top marathons and great road races and registration is currently underway, and the tradition continues October 2-4. The three-day weekend celebration of fitness includes the inaugural TC 10K, a 5K run / walk, children's fun runs, pasta dinner, health and fitness expo and Medtronic TC 10 Mile, in addition to the marathon. Medtronic is the title sponsor of marathon race weekend events. Visit mtcmarathon.org for more information.

Free application synchronized with the ChampionChip timing device

COLUMBUS, Ohio - (September 17, 2009) - For the first time in a running or walking event, a participant's progress can be automatically tweeted at various splits along the course of the 30th Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon on Sunday, October 18.

The application is called "Tweet My Time" and has been developed for the Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon by Huber+Co. Interactive, the event's website design firm.

"This is the first time that participants will be able to automatically tweet out their times to their followers without taking their mind off their race," said Scott Weaver, Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon Race Director. "We're a long-standing racing tradition, and as a result, we're always looking for ways to offer participants more value and excitement. We are thrilled that our partners at Huber+Co. developed this application in time for the 30th anniversary event.

The program works through synchronizing with the ChampionChip timing device that each registered athlete will wear on Race Day to record his or her time. Many races have an automatic text mechanism that sends text updates to people who register for them, but those come at a price - either to the participant or to the event. Tweet My Time is a free application.

Tweet My Time will automatically post an update to participants' Twitter status at five different checkpoints along the full marathon course - the start, 10K, half-marathon, 20K and finish. Additionally, the updates will include the athlete's progress and estimated finish time; participants also have the option to post selective Twitter updates to FaceBook.

In order to participate in this free service, registered participants in the Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon can simply register at TweetMyTime.com or at columbusmarathon.com and their registration will be verified (this may take up to 48 hours). The program will then kick in as soon as they cross the start line on Race Day, Sunday, October 18.

The 30th Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon is on pace to sell out at 15,000 total participants in the full, the ½ marathon and the 5K events. The Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon, a member of Running USA, was one of the 25 largest marathons in the United States in 2008. For more information or to register, visit: www.columbusmarathon.com