Running USA wire 71, September 6, 2010

Lewy Boulet takes USA Running Circuit lead

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - (September 6, 2010) - Sean Quigley (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Magdalena Lewy Boulet (Oakland, Calif.) took the men's and women's titles Monday at the USA 20K Championships hosted again by the Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race. Quigley, 25, ran 59 minutes, 21 seconds to win by eight seconds over Mo Trafeh (Duarte, Calif.), while Boulet, 37, cruised home in 1:07:41 for a 45 second win over Stephanie Rothstein (Flagstaff, Ariz.).

At the 33rd race edition, warm, sunny skies met more than 2,300 runners as a pack of 15 men led the field through a relaxed opening mile of 4:52. The lead pack included defending champion Brett Gotcher (Flagstaff, Ariz.), Ben Bruce (Eugene, Ore.), James Carney (Flagstaff, Ariz.), Patrick Smyth (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), Justin Young (Superior, Colo.) plus Quigley.

As the pace steadily picked up, the main pack remained largely intact with various contenders taking a turn at the lead. By seven miles, Young had taken charge of the lead pack as it was reduced to Carney, Smyth, Quigley and Trafeh.

Young made several surges, gaining as much as five meters on his rivals only to have the gap closed each time. As the pack raced down the final hill on the course past ten miles, Trafeh, the 2010 USA 15K champion, made his bid for another national title. Opening a 15 meter lead, the race looked to be his but Carney and Quigley fought their way back, catching Trafeh.

At 11 miles, the race looked to be Carney's as he opened a five meter lead but a half mile later Quigley made his move and steadily pulled away to take his first USA title. Trafeh held on for second, running 59:29, as Carney took third in 59:33. Young held on for third in 59:45 while Smyth rounded out the top-five in 59:54.

In the women's race, 2008 Olympian Lewy Boulet (left, PhotoRun) took charge of the lead pack early with a group of six that included Rothstein, Amy Hastings (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), Tera Moody (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Clara Grandt (West Union, W.V.) and Nan Kennard (Broomfield, Colo.).

After seven miles, Lewy Boulet steadily pulled away from the field, capturing her first U.S. title of 2010 (and second overall). Rothstein finished 45 seconds later to take the runner-up spot in 1:08:26, while newcomer Kennard took third in 1:08:38. Grandt and Moody took fourth and fifth in 1:09:02 and 1:09:38 respectively.

The USA 20K Championships was the eighth stop for men and the sixth for women on the 2010 USA Running Circuit (USARC) and paid $40,000 in U.S. prize money with Quigley and Lewy Boulet each taking home $8000 each as national champions.

The USARC, a USA Track & Field road series, features USA Championships from one mile to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The circuit features ten events each for men and women. Antonio Vega (Minneapolis, Minn.) leads the men's standings with 44 points, while Lewy Boulet's win gives her the women's lead with 31 points.

Highlights of the USA 20K Championships are available in cooperation with RunnerSpace.com at: www.USARunningCircuit.com

33rd Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race: USA 20K Championships
New Haven, CT, Monday, September 6, 2010

MEN
1) Sean Quigley (PA), 59:21, $8000
2) Mo Trafeh (CA), 59:29, $4500
3) James Carney (AZ), 59:33, $2500
4) Justin Young (CO), 59:45, $1500
5) Patrick Smyth (CA) 59:54, $1000
6) Ben Bruce (OR), 59:59, $700
7) Brett Gotcher (AZ), 1:00:21, $600
8) Jason Hartmann (OR), 1:00:44, $500
9) Mike Sayenko (WA), 1:01:00, $400
10) Patrick Rizzo (CO), 1:01:18, $300

WOMEN
1) Magdalena Lewy Boulet (CA), 1:07:41, $8000
2) Stephanie Rothstein (AZ), 1:08:26, $4500
3) Nan Kennard (CO), 1:08:38, $2500
4) Clara Grandt (WV), 1:09:02, $1500
5) Tera Moody (CO), 1:09:38, $1000
6) Loretta Kilmer (NY), 1:09:43, $700
7) Amy Hastings (CA), 1:09:52, $600
8) Kristen Fryburg-Zaitz (CO), 1:09:56, $500
9) Colleen De Reuck, 46, CO, 1:10:23, $400
10) Heidi Westover (NH), 1:10:49, $300

Complete results and more at: www.newhavenroadrace.org

Eritrea's Gashazghi, Austria's Mayr world champions; Team USA women 4th

KAMNIK, Slovenia - (September 5, 2010) - At Sunday's 26th World Mountain Running Championships in Kamnik, Slovenia, the U.S. men tallied 71 points to take the silver medal with their best team finish to-date, while the Team USA women placed fourth.

The U.S. has sent a men's team to these championships (until 2009 known as the World Mountain Running Trophy) since 1990. In the past three uphill years (the course alternates between uphill terrain in even-numbered years and up/down terrain in odd-numbered years), the team has scored 102 points in 2004 to place eighth, 113 points in 2006 to place fifth and 76 points in 2008 to take the bronze medal.

"The bronze medal was so exciting because it was our first medal," said five-time team member Rickey Gates (2006-10) who finished in 52nd position in 1 hour, 4 minutes, 3 seconds. "The silver is exciting and shows that we're stepping it up. Americans are seeing that mountain running is a 'real' sport and internationally, people will consider USA a threat from here on out and this is really exciting for our program."

The men's race was held over a 12 kilometer course with more than 4,200 feet of vertical gain. The route started in a wide, grassy meadow and quickly merged into a paved and level roadway for the next kilometer. The terrain changed to a gravel road and started to climb. For the next 10.5 kilometers, the course varied from steep, rocky terrain through both forest and wide open spaces. There was one descent of 300' on this mostly uphill course.

Eritrea simply dominated the men's race with the world champion and runner-up - Samson Gashazghi (56:25) and Teklay Weldemariam (56:28) and overall, placed five men in the top nine to handily defend their team title with 13 points.

Max King who finished in 16th (1:00:50) as the second Team USA scoring team member behind Joe Gray who was 10th in 59:27, said, "This (course) makes road running look like a walk in the park. Today I tried to just maintain on the steep parts. I had a 10 meter lead on the field in the first kilometer, then I started to get caught which I knew would happen. I figured I'd go out fast on the road section because I wanted to have some space once the terrain got steeper.

"It was a pretty good race for me. I feel like my hill running was a lot stronger than three months ago. When we turned the last corner (about 50 meters from the finish) I thought, 'I got him' (referring to the Italian runner and former world champion Marco De Gasperi)." King stayed with De Gasperi stride-for-stride then passed him with 10 meters to go. "That was about as good as I could have raced today."

USA was the first women's team to finish all four athletes over the 8.5 kilometer course, but in spite of this solid finish for the team, the women were a bit disappointed in their fourth place.

"It wasn't the result I was looking for, for myself or the team. Individually, each of us had a top-ten potential so I really thought the gold medal was a realistic goal for us," said second scoring member for the U.S. team Brandy Erholtz, who finished in 15th position (53:57).

Added top U.S. scorer Kristin Price who finished in 12th (53:19), "I want our team to be medal winners, and now I have more of a desire to come back to the World Championships."

When asked to compare the course at the USA 10K Trail Championships, that Price won in 2009, to the Worlds course she said, "They wouldn't compare. This course was much more brutal, the climbs were longer, steeper and just more intense."

The total elevation gain was 1,035 meters for the woman and included some rocky and technical single track trail, as well as open meadows, dirt paths and even a few descents.

Austria's Andrea Mayr won the women's world title in 49:30, while Italy defended its team title with a score of 17, followed by Switzerland with 21 points, and Russia with 36 points. Team USA scored 44 to take fourth.

In the Junior women's 4.5K, Hannah Valenzuela and Laura Beresford finished in 18th and 41st positions respectively to give the U.S. Junior women a 13th place finish among the 17 teams. Valenzuela was timed in 27:31, Beresford in 30:06, and Hannah Jumper in 36:27.

Yasmine Can of Turkey won the Junior women's race in 24:04, and Turkey who finished one-two in the competition won the team competition.

The U.S. Junior men all finished within one and a half minutes of one another led by Chase Caulkins who finished in 27th place in 51:09 over the 8.5K course that boasted 1,035 meters of vertical gain. Cody Wells finished in 32nd position (51:37), Chris York was timed in 51:57 for 37th position and Paul Petersen ran 52:40 for 41st position. The Junior men placed 9th out of 19 teams.

Yossief Andemichael of Eritrea won the Junior men's race in 42:30 and Turkey the team title with 20 points.

Next year's World Mountain Running Championships will be held on an up/down loop course in Albania on September 11.

26th World Mountain Running Championships
Kamnik, SLO, Sunday, September 5, 2010

MEN - 12K
1) Samson Gashazghi (ERI), 56:25, Gold
2) Teklay Weldemariam (ERI), 56:28, Silver
3) Geoffrey Kusuro (UGA), 56:57, Bronze
4) Petro Mamu Shaku (ERI), 57:00
5) Stephan Kiprotich (UGA), 57:16
U.S.
10) Joe Gray (USA / WA), 59:27
16) Max King (USA / OR), 1:00:50
18) Tommy Manning (USA / CO), 1:01:09
27) Eric Blake (USA / CT), 1:02:04
52) Rickey Gates (USA / CO), 1:04:03
59) Chris Lundstrom (USA / MN), 1:04:34

TEAM
1) Eritrea, 13 points
2) USA, 71
3) Italy, 77
24 scoring teams

WOMEN - 8.5K
1) Andrea Mayr (AUT), 49:30, Gold
2) Valentina Belotti (ITA), 50:08, Silver
3) Martina Straehl (SUI), 50:42, Bronze
4) Svetlana Semova (RUS), 51:02
5) Mateja Kosovelj (SLO), 51:24
U.S.
12) Kristin Price (USA / NC), 53:19
15) Brandy Erholtz (USA / CO), 53:57
17) Nicole Hunt (USA / MT), 54:08
21) Megan Lund (USA / CO), 54:44

TEAM
1) Italy, 17 points
2) Switzerland, 21
3) Russia, 36
4) USA, 44
13 scoring teams

Full results and more at: www.wmrc2010-kamnik.si

Runners - 18,000 strong - storm the Virginia Beach oceanfront at Labor Day weekend tradition

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - (September 5, 2010) - Hurricane Earl was a no show this weekend in Virginia Beach, but Kenya's Yusuf Songoka and Japan's Madoka Ogi made their presences felt in a big way on Sunday morning, winning the 10th Dodge Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon presented by SunTrust in 1 hour, 2 minutes, 46 seconds and 1:14:17, respectively.

Songoka, who posted three podium finishes here from 2005 through 2007, out-sprinted countryman Patrick Ivuti and Ethiopia's Tesfaye Sendeku in the final half mile of the famous Virginia Beach Boardwalk to claim his first Rock 'n' Roll victory.

"I feel at home here," said the 31-year-old Sangoka. "Six years running the race-fourth, third, second-to win is a privilege and a good preparation for my fall marathon."

Songoka, Ivuti and Sendeku battled relentlessly for 13.1-miles, separating themselves early on in the race from the rest of the field. Passing the 10K mark in 29:15, the two Kenyans exchanged surges, trying to drop their Ethiopian rival, who began to massage his right hamstring, which affected him the rest of the way.

"My hamstring began bothering me at 10K," said Sendeku, who briefly held the lead in the second mile.

Songoka, who ran his personal best of 2:08:52 in winning the Hanover Marathon in Germany earlier this year, will take another stab at the 26.2-mile distance on October 10 in Seoul, South Korea. Ivuti plans to run the Eindhoven Marathon in the Netherlands the same day. Sendeku will race next at the ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon on September 19.

Ogi, 26, won the women's race in convincing fashion, separating herself at halfway to claim victory by well over a minute in front of New Zealand's Fiona Docherty, who ran 1:15:39. Docherty, a former world class triathlete turned world class runner, posted her second straight Rock 'n' Roll runner-up finish. She placed second at Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon last month.

"I felt if I could attack the second half I would have the chance to win it," Ogi said after the race. This was the sixth year that Japan has sent professional runners from their various national corporate championships to Virginia Beach. While the Japanese women had posted third place finishes on two previous occasions, never before had a Japanese runner won the race.

The women's began race began 15 minutes before the men, with reigning Olympic Marathon champion Constantina Dita leading the charge with a 5:36 first mile. The leaders passed 5K in 17:30, opening a 24-second gap on the chase pack. After hitting the 10K mark in 35:15, Ogi pushed the pace, posting the fastest 5K split of the day (16:43), to open up a large gap that propelled her to victory. The 40-year-old Dita, who was not in top form for the race, held on for a fourth place in 1:17:20.

With Hurricane Earl passing through the area two days before the event, the start line temperature of 67F degrees with 64-percent percent humidity proved to be the best weather conditions in the race's ten-year history. More than 18,000 athletes took advantage of the ideal conditions, enjoying the blue skies and a beachside party that followed the race. Pat Benatar and REO Speedwagon headlined Sunday evening's post-race concert, capping the Labor Day Weekend tradition.

John Crews from Raleigh, NC finished as the top American in the race, coming through the finish line in 1:06:23 and 9th overall, while the top U.S. woman and 8th overall was Renee High of Virginia Beach, who finished in 1:18:05.

The 11th Dodge Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach will take place on Sunday, September 4, 2011.

10th Dodge Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon
Virginia Beach, VA, Sunday, September 5, 2010

MEN
1) Yusuf Songoka (KEN), 1:02:46, $2500
2) Patrick Ivuti (KEN), 1:02:51, $1500
3) Tesfaye Sendeku (ETH), 1:03:09, $1000
4) Takayuki Matsumiya (JPN), 1:03:57, $750
5) Kiprotich Kirui (KEN), 1:04:31, $500

MASTERS Men (40+)
1) David Meyer, 45, VA, 1:14:40, $500
2) John Piggott, 45, VA, 1:15:56, $250

WOMEN
1) Madoka Ogi (JPN), 1:14:17, $2500
2) Fiona Docherty (NZL), 1:15:39, $1500
3) Lyubov Denisova (RUS), 1:16:45 $1000
4) Constantina Dita, 40, ROU, 1:17:20, $1250*
5) Jane Kibii (KEN), 1:17:54, $500
*Includes top Masters prize

MASTERS Women (40+)
1) Dita, see above
2) Ramilya Burangulova, 49, RUS, 1:19:07, $250

Full results, photos, videos and more at: http://virginia-beach.competitor.com

More than 1,500 participants from 46 states experience Willamette Valley

CARLTON, Ore. - (September 5, 2010) - Running through Oregon's scenic wine country on Sunday morning suited Stephen Pifer of Eugene, OR just fine in his 13.1 mile debut. Pifer, 26, ran neck-and-neck with Michael Wisniewski of Corvallis, OR for twelve miles before pulling away and winning the inaugural Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon in 1 hour, 7 minutes, 16 seconds with Wisniewski 15 seconds back. For the women, Carrie Heineck, 28, a late entry from Portland and mother of a five-month-old baby, won the overall title in 1:22:18, defeating runner-up Sarah Hallas of Petaluma, CA (1:24:50). Greg Reindl from Denver, CO (1:08:45) and Rebecca Mishler of nearby Newberg (1:25:23) finished third overall in the men's and women's field respectively.

Conditions were ideal for more than 1,500 runners from 46 different states who traversed the scenic point-to-point course and were enticed by the attractions of Yamhill County in the Willamette Valley, one of the premiere Pinot Noir producing regions in the world.

Pifer, a sub-4 minute miler from the University of Colorado, summed up the enthusiasm generated by the participants, "I really enjoyed the course and it was awesome being part of this cool event. But I need a new car to fit all the prizes in the trunk."

Pifer and Heineck both took home $500 checks from West Coast Bank, a double magnum of wine from Ken Wright Cellars, a Ball Watch and the Winer's trophy, a beautiful etched wine decanter.

The Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon is the fourth event in the Wine Country Half Marathon series. One of the trademarks of the Wine Country events is the post-race Wine & Music Festival, where two dozen wineries from the local wine appellations poured for the runners, and their family and friends, while listening to live music and watching the awards ceremony, in which top three places in each age group receive wine bottles.

Hotels throughout Yamhill County were filled for event weekend and local wineries and other businesses were thrilled with the influx of tourism over the weekend. The town of Carlton hosted the post-race celebration and embraced this new event.

"We thought the enthusiasm and participation on everyone's part was fabulous. It was a very healthy event for the town, and we look forward to many more," said Ken Wright, of Ken Wright Cellars, sponsor of the Wine & Music Festival. The Oregon Sports Authority worked with area business and community leaders to bring the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon to Yamhill County.

Produced by Destination Races of Sonoma, California, the Wine Country Half Marathon series includes the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon in May, the upcoming Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon on October 30, and the flagship Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon, held in mid-July each year. For more information, go to: www.destinationraces.com

Inaugural Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon
Carlton, OR, Sunday, September 5, 2010

MEN
1) Stephen Pifer (OR), 1:07:16, $500 + Ball Watch + double magnum of wine
2) Michael Wisniewski (OR), 1:07:31, $300 + magnum of wine
3) Greg Reindl (CO), 1:08:45, $200 + magnum of wine

WOMEN
1) Carrie Heineck (OR), 1:22:18, $500 + Ball Watch + double magnum of wine
2) Sarah Hallas (CA), 1:24:50, $300 + magnum of wine
3) Rebecca Mishler (OR), 1:25:23, $200 + magnum of wine

Complete results and more race info at: www.run4oregonwine.com