Running USA wire 84, October 12, 2009

Lewy Boulet wins Women's 2009 USA Running Circuit Grand Prix crown

BOSTON - (October 12, 2009) - Molly Huddle (Providence, R.I.) ran 32 minutes, 7 seconds to defend her title Monday at the USA Women's 10K Championship in Boston. The national championship was hosted by the 33rd Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women and was the Women's 2009 USA Running Circuit finale.

Clear skies and temperatures in the low 50s on a Columbus Day tradition met a field of more than 7,000 women that included an international field as well as the top U.S. women.

Genoveva Kigen of Kenya jumped to an early lead, passing the first mile in 4:52 for a five-second lead over Huddle (left, PhotoRun), Katie McGregor (St. Louis Park, Minn.), Rebecca Donaghue (State College, Pa.) and Teyba Naser of Ethiopia.

After the Boston University turn at about two and a half miles, Huddle, 25, took charge of the chase pack and began to close on Kigen. At four miles, Huddle drew even with Kigen and the pair ran shoulder-to-shoulder across the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge. After passing the fifth mile in 25:55, Huddle and Kigen remained side-by-side until the final turn on Charles Street when Huddle used a final burst to sprint to a five second win, a road personal record and her third U.S. title of the year (also 7 mile and 10 mile).

Donaghue ran a personal best 32:29 to finish national runner-up as Sara Hall (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) and Renee Metivier-Baillie (Boulder, Colo.) took third and fourth respectively, with both timed in 32:44. McGregor rounded out the top-five U.S., running 32:46.

After the final race of ten on the Women's 2009 USA Running Circuit (USARC), 2008 Olympian Magdalena Lewy Boulet (Oakland, Calif.) was crowned the women's USARC Grand Prix champion with 59 points. Three-time USARC champion Colleen De Reuck (Boulder, Colo.) finished second with 54 points and Huddle finished third (50 points). The USARC, a USA Track & Field road series featuring USA Championships from 5K to the marathon, attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The 2009 USARC has ten events each for men and women.

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USARC race (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1), with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6000, $4000, and $2500) for the top three men and women point scorers overall. The USARC points at the USA Marathon Championships will be doubled.

The mission of the USA Running Circuit is to showcase, support and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USARC and its races have awarded more $8.2 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.

33rd Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women: USA Women's Championship
Boston, MA, Monday, October 12, 2009

1) Molly Huddle (RI), 32:07, $11,050
2) Genoveva Kigen (KEN), 32:12, $2400
3) Rebecca Donaghue (PA), 32:29, $6250
4) Sara Hall (CA), 32:44, $3250
5) Renee Metivier-Baillie (AZ), 32:44, $2700
6) Katie McGregor (MN), 32:46, $2450
7) Teyba Naser (ETH), 33:05
8) Aziza Aliyu (ETH), 33:21
9) Korei Omata (JPN), 33:25
10) Amy Rudolph (RI), 33:26, $1850
11) Samia Akbar (VA), 33:27, $1400
12) Jennifer Donovan (MA), 33:29, $1200
13) Marisa Ryan (MA), 33:37, $1100
14) Amy Mortimer (KS), 33:43, $1000
15) Jill Swope (GA), 33:44

MASTERS (40+)
1) Patty Murray, 44, CO, 36:26, $975
2) Joan Samuelson, 52, ME, 36:31, $725
3) Magdalena Visser, 41, CA, 36:45, $575

Complete results at: www.tuftshealthplan.com/tufts10k

Tarpy, Kosgei half-marathon champions; more than 10,000 participants at 16th edition

HARTFORD, Conn. - (October 10, 2009) - The ING Hartford Marathon stepped off its 16th edition with more than 10,000 participants in the marathon, half-marathon and 5K races on Saturday morning. Recognized as a Regional Championship by Road Runner's Club of America, the event celebrated its first year as the "Greenest Road Race in America" and enjoyed a strong follow-up year to its inaugural New England's Finest Elite Program from 2008.

For a second straight year, Patrick Moulton of Providence, RI, won the marathon, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 22 seconds. Moulton, 27, was once again recognized within the New England's Finest Elite Program, which doubled his prize money to $6000. Kenyan Titus Mutinda, 44, of Lowell, MA was runner-up in 2:29:14.

In the women's race, Jeannette Seckinger, 27, of Somerville, MA, took first place in 2:46:33, a personal record, and also pocketed $6000, while Diona Fulton, 29, of Somerville, MA ran 2:51:12 to finish second.

The top three runners in the men's and women's marathons were awarded in the New England's Finest Elite Program.

In the men's half-marathon, Brown University student Patrick Tarpy, 27, of Providence, RI, took first place in 1:04:43. With a time of 1:06:14, Ethiopian Derese Deniboba of High Falls, NY, was second and his fellow Westchester Running Club member and Kenyan Harbert Dkuti, also of High Falls, NY, took third (1:07:55).

In the women's 13.1 mile race, Kenyan Salome Kosgei, 29, of High Falls, NY, won in 1:16:31. Following closely in second place was Alemtsehay Misganaw of Ethiopia in 1:16:39 with Gabriela Trana of Costa Rica third (1:19:23).

In the 5K, High Falls, NY, runner Joseph Ekuom and Michelle Sarney of West Bridgewater, MA won in 15:25 and 17:56 respectively.

The Hartford Marathon Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 to create and manage fitness events to benefit the local community. Located in Glastonbury, Connecticut, the Hartford Marathon Foundation organizes more than 25 annual athletic events, including the ING Hartford Marathon.

16th ING Hartford Marathon
Hartford, CT, Saturday, October 10, 2009

MEN
1) Patrick Moulton (USA / NH), 2:25:22, $6000
2) Titus Mutinda, 44, KEN, 2:29:14, $4500
3) Evan Graves (USA / ME), 2:32:23, $1750

WOMEN
1) Jeannette Seckinger (USA / MA), 2:46:33, $6000
2) Diona Fulton (USA / MA), 2:51:12, $3500
3) Tara Cardi, 40, RI, 2:53:31, $2750
4) Mary-Lynn Currier, 45, CT, 2:55:31, $1250

Half-Marathon
MEN
1) Patrick Tarpy (RI), 1:04:43, $2000
2) Derese Deniboba (ETH), 1:06:14, $750
3) Harbert Okuti (KEN), 1:07:55, $500
4) Curtis Wheeler (USA / ME), 1:08:43, $500

WOMEN
1) Salome Kosgei (KEN), 1:16:31, $1000
2) Alemtsehay Misganaw (ETH), 1:16:39, $750
3) Gabriela Trana (CRC), 1:19:23, $500
4) Cheryl Anderson (USA / CT), 1:20:44, $1000
5) Jennifer Campbell (USA / NH), 1:23:24, $500

Deeper results at: www.INGhartfordmarathon.com

Grand Prize winner will receive a 2010 Toyota Prius

Toyota and NYRR are teaming up for the "Pick the Champions" sweepstakes for the ING New York City Marathon 2009. Contest participants are asked to visit www.pickthechampions.com or Toyota's Engines of Change booth at the ING New York City Marathon Health and Fitness Expo and select the winners for the men's and women's professional field in the 40th running of the world's most famous road race set for Sunday, November 1.

The Grand Prize winner will receive a 2010 Toyota Prius. Additional prizes will be provided by ASICS and Timex. Voting is open now and closes on race day - Sunday, November 1 - at 8:00am with the winners being announced on Monday, November 2.

Participants to experience track finish at 2010 May event

EUGENE, Ore. - The Eugene Marathon and Half Marathon has announced that the 2010 event on Sunday, May 2 will culminate in a finish experience running fans cannot miss. Finally runners and walkers will feel the rush of entering historic Hayward Field through the arches of Powell Plaza and finish down the home stretch - where so many record breaking races have been decided.

"It has been a goal of ours since the initial planning in 2005 to finish on Hayward Field" said Richard Maher, Eugene Marathon Race Director. "We feel this is going to make it an even more momentous experience for the participants."

This will be the first time that a major road race has finished on the country's most recognizable track and field facility since the early 1980s. Hayward Field has been host to four Olympic Trials, six USA Track & Field Championships, nine NCAA Championships and an IAAF Diamond League event, the Prefontaine Classic.

As in years past, the marathon and half-marathon will take runners and walkers through Eugene and Springfield, along city streets and several parks. The 2009 Eugene Marathon had a record year, attracting over 6,300 runners and walkers from 46 states and 8 countries. It received the Destination Award from Travel Lane County, for recognition of its ability to draw runners and walkers to Eugene and Springfield. The Eugene Marathon turned into one of the country's fastest growing destination marathons, with over 30% of all registrants from out-of-state.

The Health and Fitness Expo will again be at the Hilton Eugene and Conference Center on Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1.

Proceeds from this event will benefit over 50 local charities, teams and partners.

2010 event sponsors include: Krusteaz, Nike, The Sports Authority, Wells Fargo, Pepsi, Gatorade, Earth2O, Nesquik, Clif, Gorilla Capital, Kool 99.1, KVAL, Register Guard, Market of Choice, Canterbury Naturals, Subway, Eugene Running Company, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Beppe and Gianni's.

For more information including registration, go to: www.eugenemarathon.com