|
|
|
| Photo Galleries Blog Athlete Features News Links | About/Support Contact RSS |
[Content provided by Mike Dove.]
The Big Sur International Marathon Board of Directors is currently investigating ways that the BSIM, under their budget constraints, can continue to support elite and potential elite athletes. The BSIM has a great training environment already in place, on the California Central Coast, which supported the Big Sur Distance Project and the BSIM would like to continue supporting U.S. distance running.
The BSIM is currently getting the word out informally to see if any elite athletes, or athletes who think they have elite potential, would be interested in moving to and living in the Monterey, California area, based on the scenario provided below. Potential candidates would be post-collegiate males and females, ages 22-27, who have obtained or are reasonably close to obtaining the USATF qualifying standards.
Interested athletes should e-mail Mike Dove at mnjdove@aol.com with a running and employment resume, a current coach’s recommendation, contact information, and dates when they would be available to move to Monterey. The BSIM will collect this information until the end of October, and a decision about the future of the program will not be made until then.
Under the Big Sur International Marathon’s proposal, athletes would receive:
1. Opportunity to train with an elite level group of runners in a nearly-perfect-all-year training environment on the Monterey Peninsula of California.
2. Coaching by Mark Conover, current Coach at Cal Poly. Mark is an Olympian, a six-time Big West Cross Country Coach of the Year, and an NCAA Regional Cross Country Coach of the Year. Conover is based two hours south of Monterey, but would visit occasionally. Most coaching would be via e-mail and phone.
3. The Marathon organization would provide shoes, uniform, warm-ups, etc.
4. Free (in most routine cases) medical support team including doctors, dental hygienist, physical therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture.
5. Because of the marathon's relationship with the local university, California State University at Monterey Bay (CSUMB), athletes would pay for housing at approximately 40% less than the market rate on the Monterey Peninsula (where housing is expensive). Two-bedroom, one-bath unfurnished houses at CSUMB currently rent for $1,055 a month. This includes water, garbage, sewer, cable, and high speed internet. Gas and Electric is extra and typically runs from $35 to $100 a month depending on usage. In the past, three athletes have shared one house.
6. CSUMB would provide free access to the recreation center, weight room, and pool. Parking passes, which cost $53 per quarter, are required at the university for university lots.
7. Local runners and business people will provide assistance in helping athletes find full-time and part-time flexible professional employment.
8. Olympians Linda Somers Smith and Maria Trujillo, former elite runner Jay Marden, and former Chinese national team member and current cross country coach at CSUMB Yi Mao, will all provide advice/counseling, etc. via e-mail and in person.
9. If the BSIM acquires additional corporate sponsorship or financial support they would hope to provide a full service training center with additional housing money, travel assistance, and athlete stipends. The athletes would be involved in this decision. There is absolutely no guarantee that the BSIM will obtain additional support, but they would make efforts to do so.
Posted by Alison Wade at 2:58 p.m. | Tags: Elite Development | Comments (0)
Women:
1. Sara Hall (USA) 4:28.0
2. Kim Smith (NZL) 4:30.3
3. Erin Donahue (USA) 4:31.7)
Men:
1. Kevin Sullivan (CAN) 3:54.1
2. Nick Willis (NZL) 3:54.7
3. Matt Tegenkamp (USA) 3:54.8
Complete results | Kevin Sullivan and Sara Hall take Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile | Photos | Race video (includes sound, so you might want to turn it down if you're at work!)
Posted by Alison Wade at 1:37 p.m. | Tags: Race Results | Comments (0)
Bill Dellinger Invitational - Eugene, Oregon
Oregon men, Arkansas women win; Josh Rohatinsky and Kassi Andersen take individual titles
Results | Race story | Photos (University of Oregon) | More photos (TrackAndFieldPhoto.com) | Race recaps and quotes
Women's coverage: Arkansas runs past field, pulls off surprise win | Kassi Andersen wins, BYU second | Anita Campbell (15th) and Amy Lia (16th) lead UW to fourth | Jessica Gall 11th, Indiana seventh
Men's coverage: Josh Rohatinsky wins, BYU third | John Moore (third) leads Portland to a runner-up finish | Emmanuel Bor (sixth) leads Alabama to a fourth-place finish | Kyle Shackleton 11th, UCLA sixth
Notre Dame Invitational - South Bend, Indiana
NC State men, Michigan women win; Chris Solinsky and Erin Webster win individual titles
Results | Women's photos
Women's coverage: Erin Webster, Michigan win | Bona Jones (fourth) leads NC State to a runner-up finish | Danette Doetzel 14th, Providence third | Angela Bizzarri crushes freshman record as she and her Illinois team finish fifth | Megan Kaltenbach 13th, UNC ninth | Rachael Forish leads SMU with her eighth-place finish
Men's coverage: Chris Solinsky repeats as champion, Wisconsin eighth without many top runners | Bryce Ruiz (11th) leads NC State to a win | Martin Fagan seventh, Providence second | Top 20 trio guides Michigan to third | Led by Patrick Smyth (third), Notre Dame finishes fourth at home | Jason Bill (ninth) leads Illnois to an 11th place finish after pile-up
Paul Short Invitational - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Villanova men, Princeton women win; Bobby Curtis and Frances Koons are individual winners
Men's results | Women's results | JV, open, and high school results
Women's coverage: Led by Mia Swenson (fourth), Princeton earns one-point win over Wisconsin | Hanna Grinaker (fifth) leads Wisconsin to runner-up finish | Frances Koons wins individual title, Villanova finishes fourth | Felicia Guliford rolls her ankle and does not finish; Tennessee finishes eighth |
Men's coverage: Bobby Curtis, Villanova win | Sam Bair (eighth) leads Pitt to a runner-up finish | Norfolk State's David Kemboi finishes second
Posted by Alison Wade at 9:48 a.m. | Tags: Race Reports, Race Results | Comments (0)
[News release written and provided by the B.A.A.]
BOSTON, MA -- The B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund, will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 8, starting and finishing at Roberto Clemente Field in Boston's Fenway neighborhood. The sixth annual event will once again boast a deep international field of elite athletes.
Headlining the men's field is defending champion Celedonio Rodriguez (25; Alamosa, CO). A 14-time All-American at Adams State, Rodriguez is a relative newcomer to the road-racing scene. Inexperience didn't stop Rodriguez from seizing the lead early and holding on for an impressive victory in 2005, however. His 1:04:09 time put him 12 seconds ahead Samuel Ndereba, the runner-up.
Ndereba (29; Kenya), the younger brother of four-time Boston Marathon champion Catherine Ndereba and the owner of a 1:01:50 personal best, is also returning this year. Another returnee from last year's top-10 is Nate Jenkins (26; Lowell, MA), who placed ninth with a time of 1:07:32.
Adding further depth to the men's field are Peter Gilmore (29; San Mateo, CA) and Richard Kiplagat (25; Kenya). Gilmore has become a familiar face in Boston, placing 10th in the 2005 Boston Marathon and seventh this past April. Gilmore, who boasts a 1:04:32 half marathon personal best, will be making his first appearance at the B.A.A. Half Marathon as he prepares for the ING New York City Marathon on November 5.
Kiplagat, who graduated from Iona College with a degree in Finance this past spring, recently won his professional road racing debut at the CVS/pharmacy Downtown 5k. The B.A.A. Half Marathon will be his debut at the half marathon distance.
The top seed in the women's field is Marie (McMahon) Davenport (31; Ireland). In her only appearance at the B.A.A. Half Marathon in 2003, the 1996 Irish Olympian and 1997 graduate of Providence College set the still-standing course record of 1:10:57.
With Boston set to host the U.S. Olympic Team Trials -- Women's Marathon on April 20, 2008, the race is on to qualify for that event. Fifty women have already qualified, including two in the B.A.A. Half Marathon field. Kasie Enman (27; Huntington, VT) posted her qualifying time at Grandma's Marathon in June, running 2:44:06. Carly Graytock (28; Cambridge, MA) -- runner-up in the inaugural B.A.A. Half Marathon in 2001 -- ran 2:43:19 in the 2006 Boston Marathon to qualify. Kimberly Nolan (24; Watertown, MA) and Kara Ryczek (31; Waltham, MA), ninth and 10th in 2005 B.A.A. Half Marathon, will also be back.
Two other entries of note are Wayne Levy (41; Newton, MA) and Sarah Nixon (42; Medfield, MA), champions of the inaugural B.A.A. Half Marathon in 2001. Levy, a member of the Boston Athletic Association running club, has an overall, masters and team title at the B.A.A. Half Marathon on his resume. Nixon won the race in back-to-back years in 2001 and 2002.
The 4,500-runner field for the B.A.A. Half Marathon filled in record time this year, and the 2006 race could be the largest in the event's six-year history. That distinction currently belongs to the 2004 edition, which had 3,158 finishers. Additional information about the B.A.A. Half Marathon, as well as race-day results and recaps, can be found at www.baa.org.
Posted by Alison Wade at 5:17 p.m. | Tags: Press Releases, Event Previews | Comments (0)
The latest NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III cross country polls are now available.
Posted by Alison Wade at 8:03 a.m. | Tags: Rankings and Polls | Comments (0)
Greg McMillan of YouCanQualify.com has teamed up with the Houston Marathon Committee to launch the U.S. Athlete Development Project at the Chevron Houston Marathon, to be run Sunday, January 14, 2007. The goal of the program is to help as many U.S. distance runners as possible in their quest to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials to be held in Boston (women) and New York (men).
U.S. citizens who have run under 2:30 (men) or 3:00 (women) in the marathon in the past three years or under 1:12 (men) or 1:26 (women) in the half marathon, for those who are making their marathon debut, are eligible to participate. Participants will receive special access, treatment, financial incentives, and pacing, as well as assistance in identifying support for travel and lodging.
Last year, McMillan and YouCanQualify.com teamed up with the Freescale (now AT&T) Austin Marathon, an effort which resulted in an impressive 25 individuals qualifying for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. The AT&T Austin Marathon has since revised its route, making the course hillier and less suitable for those attempting to qualify for the Trials. Houston has a flat, fast course with an average temperature of 45 degrees at the start and 60 at the finish.
Posted by Alison Wade at 10:06 a.m. | Tags: Press Releases, Elite Development | Comments (0)
Sharon Robb of the Sun-Sentinel reports that Indiana graduates Sean and John Jefferson have moved to Eugene, Oregon to be a part of the new Nike-sponsored post-collegiate training group coached by Frank Gagliano.
Posted by Alison Wade at 9:41 a.m. | Tags: Running in the News, Elite Development | Comments (0)
[Press release provided by the World Marathon Majors, photo courtesy of WMM/Victah Sailer.]
BERLIN : Haile Gebrselassie, the most famous name in long distance running joins the head of the World Marathon Majors (WMM) leaderboard following his victory in the real,- Berlin Marathon in 2:05:56 on Sunday morning. The WMM - a union of the top five global marathons - is three races through the first year of its inaugural two year series, and multi-world record holder and Olympic and world titleist Gebrselassie joins Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot and Felix Limo, winners of the Boston Marathon and Flora London Marathon earlier this year. The Ethiopian star and the two Kenyans all have 25 points, going into the final two races this year, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on October 22, and the ING New York City Marathon on November 5.
Another famous Ethiopian, Gete Wami, won the Berlin women’s race. Wami, the world 10,000 metres champion from Seville ’97, and Olympic silver medalist from Sydney clocked 2:21:34, and dominated the women’s section in the German capital as easily as her compatriot had done in the men’s race. Wami too now has 25 points, and joins the Boston and London winners, Rita Jeptoo of Kenya and Deena Kastor of the USA at the top of the WMM leader board.
The IAAF World Championships in Osaka 2007 will also count towards the inaugural WMM titles, and the two leaders (one woman, one man) at the end of next year will win an extra US$500,000, in addition to their individual race purses. In Berlin, Gebrselassie and Wami won 50,000 euros each ($64,000), with Gebrselassie taking a bonus of 30,000 euros ($38,000) for breaking 2.06.30. His time makes him the fifth fastest man in history, with the equal seventh fastest time.
“My time was fine,” said Gebrselassie. The newly crowned real, BERLIN MARATHON champ. “Of course, you always try to run faster, but I know that I join the leader board and there will be other chances for records in future races.”
For a very long time, it looked as if Gebrselassie had launched a successful assault on his great rival Paul Tergat’s world record of 2:04:55, set in this same race in 2003. But the tiny Ethiopian’s challenge evaporated in the closing kilometres, and he eventually finished one minute and one second behind the Kenyan’s time, with 2:05:56. The race was run in bright sunshine throughout, with temperatures rising from 16C (59F) at the 9:00 a.m. start, to 20C (68F) at the finish.
Any chance of breaking the record was lost between 35 and 40k. Going into the last seven kilometres, Gebrselassie was 22 seconds up on Tergat’s time, but with two kilometres to go, he was 22 seconds down. It was impossible to recoup the deficit. In any case, he was suffering, and when he finished, lifted a left foot in some discomfort. “I knew at halfway that the record was within reach”, he said. “But after 35k, it became very difficult for me to push. The last 5k really hurt.”
His time was nonetheless a personal best for the 33 year old, beating the 2:06:20, set in similar circumstances in Amsterdam a year ago. In the Netherlands, he was also well up on Tergat’s record until the closing stages. Here in Berlin, there were two factors militating against Gebrselassie. Like Amsterdam, he was on his own for the last 14 kilometres, whereas Tergat was first headed until 41k, then chased right to line by Sammy Korir three years ago. Gebrselassie also had to cope with a fluctuating wind. Korir, incidentally dropped out this year at 26k.
Gebrselassie had resolutely refused pre-race to discuss any attempt on the world record, and he was equally downbeat afterwards. “It was OK, not bad. If I could break the world record, it would be fantastic, but this was fantastic too. The temperature was fine, but the wind was a bit of a problem, it was coming from different directions. But it was fantastic, I’m happy. It’s true there was no one to push me, but I will break the world record one day, I’m sure”. Contacted in Kenya by telephone, Tergat, who is due to run in New York said, “Going for the world record is not easy, it’s always tough. Absolutely, I congratulate Haile for a great run.”
Korir, 34, had been widely tipped to challenge the Ethiopian for victory, and the second fastest man in history, with his 2:04:56 behind Tergat in 2003, began well. He traded strides with Gebrselassie throughout the opening 15 kilometres, but then started to falter. He dropped back at 19 kilometres, had a brief rally shortly afterwards, but when Gebrselassie disappeared with the pacers, he succombed to a hamstring pull, and dropped out at 26 kilometres. The crunch began for Gebrselassie when his Kenyan pace-makers, Jason Mbote and James Kwambai dropped out at 25 and 28 kilometres respectively.
So, with two years to go until his predicted retirement following the Beijing Olympics, Gebreselassie remains on 21 world records broken, compared to the 23 by the immortal Paavo Nurmi, the "Flying Finn." But it was a measure of the conditions in Berlin that the runners-up finished way behind the Ethiopian star. His colleague, Gudisa Shentema was second in 2:10:43, with Kurao Umeki of Japan third in 2:13:43.
Terefe Yae, of Ethiopia, fourth place and Ahmed Ezzobayry, of France, also earn points in the World Marathon Majors Series with their finishes at Berlin.
Just like in the men’s race, the predicted Ethiopan-Kenyan duel in the women’s race evaporated at 19 kilometres, when Salina Kosgei dropped back, and left the field to Wami. The former 10,000 metres world champion from 1997, profited from the pace-making of Kenyan, Christopher Kandie, who had been instrumental in helping Paula Radcliffe to the world record of 2:15:25 in London 2003. Wami was never going to challenge that time, but the Ethiopian won as easily as her compatriot, finishing in 2:21:34, also breaking her personal best of 2:22:19, set in her winning debut in Amsterdam in 2002. It was again a measure of the adverse conditions that Wami briefly received medical attention, suffering with dehydration. Kosgei was second in 2:23:22, also a new personal best, bettering her 2:24:32, which was also a winning debut in Paris 2004. Third was Monica Drybulski of Poland, in 2:30:12.
“It was a wonderful race”, said Wami. “I've always wished to run and win in Berlin and from 30k onward I knew that I would win this race. The weather was good, the air was clear and the atmosphere was strong. I already know that I would like to be back here in a future year to try to set my personal best at this race.”
Ashi Gigi, of Ethiopia, and Marcia Narlock, of Brazil, who where fourth and fifth respectively at Berlin, are now on the leader board, as well.
WORLD MARATHON MAJORS POINTS STANDINGS
MEN:
1. | Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia | 25 points | BER |
2. | Gudisa Shentema | Ethiopia | 15 | BER |
3. | Kurao Umeki | Japan | 10 | BER |
4. | Terefe Yae | Ethiopia | 5 | BER |
5. | Ahmed Ezzobayry | France | 1 | BER |
WOMEN:
1. | Gete Wami | Ethiopia | 25 points | BER |
2. | Salina Kosgei | Kenya | 15 | BER |
3. | Monica Drybulska | Poland | 10 | BER |
4. | Asha Gigi | Ethiopia | 5 | BER |
5. | Marcia Narlock | Brazil | 1 | BER |
Posted by Alison Wade at 8:58 p.m. | Tags: Race Reports, Press Releases, Rankings and Polls | Comments (0)
NBC Sports and Media Zone will be providing a webcast of the 2006 real,- Berlin Marathon beginning at 3:00 a.m. EST on Sunday, September 24 for a fee of $5.99. For diurnal distance running fans, the webcast will also be available on demand within 24 hours of the conclusion of the race.
Posted by Alison Wade at 9:05 a.m. | Tags: Webcast | Comments (0)
Article from Eugene's Register-Guard. (Requires registration, which is free.)
Posted by Alison Wade at 12:24 p.m. | Tags: Running in the News | Comments (0)