CTRN AMJ11-_LORES

Includes the Runner’s Schedule Calendar!

April–June 2011

CaliforniaTrack &RunningNews

VOLUME 37 NUMBER 2 $3.95

USA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

David Kloz

RUNNING NETWORK’S SPRING SHOE REVIEW TRACK SPIKE REVIEW

ERIK OLSON (Novato, Stanford University) ran an impressive 24:48 to claim the national junior men’s cross country title in Mission Bay, San Diego on Feb. 5.

More inside on page 12.

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CaliforniaTrack &RunningNews Volume 37, Number 2 April–June 2011 Group Publisher Larry Eder Group & Coordinating Editor Christine Johnson, CTRNeditorial@gmail.com Contributing Editors Cregg Weinmann Apparel, Footwear Reviews Dave Shrock Community Colleges Mark Winitz Northern California Kees & Sandy Tuinzing Calendar Photographers Victor Sailer/www.PhotoRun.net Rich Cruse/Honda LA Marathon Clay Shaw of Sports/35 Photography Spencer Allen/Sports Image Wire Brooks PR Invitational David Kloz, Bert Whitson Lars Sorensen, Alex Themistocleous

From the Publisher met Ammar Moussa at the adidas Grand Prix in June 2010. Ammar, then a junior at Arcadia HS, had already won the CIF 2-mile title. (This was the day before the first adidas Jim Ryun mile. The goal of the program is to help find the next great boy and girl American miler. They couldn’t have picked a better field. Lukas Verzbicas ran 4:04 that day!)

Ammar told me that his goals for his senior year (2010-11) were to “run well in cross country and defend his title at two miles and run some fast times.” Well, let’s see how well he’s done so far.

In Nov. 2010, Moussa won the individual cross country title for division six (the largest division in California), winning on the 5000m course in 14:47, in weather that was alternately cold and rainy.

He then lead his team to the boys’ team title at the 2010 Nike NXN, leading for much of the race.

The following weekend, Ammar defended his Junior Olympic cross country title. By any standards, I think, Ammar accomplished his goal of running well in cross country!

On Feb. 27, 2011, Moussa lined up for the 2-mile at the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle, Washington. This first-year event, with races over 60 meters, 60m hurdles, 400 meters, 800 meters, mile and 2-miles, gave us seven #1 times of the year and seven #2 times! The girls’ 2-mile saw the top ten times in the U.S. in one race!

Moussa ran from the front, never more than a few inches from the lead. The 307-meter track held a good crowd on this crisp and cool February afternoon as ten of the top male U.S. high school twomilers duked it out over the entire distance. Ammar won in 9:00.39, the #2 time in the country, the year’s best time as of that day. The pictures on page 13 say it all—that smile was well-earned.

I

Rich Cruse/Honda LA Marathon

Regards,

Association Consultants John Mansoor Pacific Lawrence Watson Central Wayne Joness Southern Mike Rouse San Diego/Imperial

Larry Eder

In Late Breaking News … Congrats to Mammoth TC’s Amy Hastings, who ran a brilliant race in her first marathon, the Honda LA Marathon, on Mar. 20 on the rain-drenched roads of L.A. She took 2nd in 2:27:03, less than thirty seconds back from winner Buzunesh Deba. Nice job, Amy!

Proofreader Red Ink Editorial Services, Madison, WI Pre-Press/Printer W. D. Hoard & Sons Co., Fort Atkinson, WI

Hastings, followed by Buzunesh Deba and Mare Dibaba. Just behind them is race winner and challenge winner Markos Geneti. Hastings finished 2nd with Deba taking the win and Dibaba finishing 3rd.

Website Chuck Bartlett

ADVERTISING Publisher Larry Eder, Shooting Star Media, Inc. phone: 608.239.3785 fax: 920.563.7298 caltrackads@gmail.com Publisher’s Representative Running Network LLC 920.563.5551, ext. 112 Special Projects Manager Adam Johnson-Eder 608.957.2159; atflistings@gmail.com Advertising Production Manager Alex Larsen

Counsel Philip J. Bradbury Melli Law, S.C. Madison, WI

CaliforniaTrack &RunningNews

Publisher recommends, as with all fitness and health issues, you consult with your physician before instituting any changes in your fitness program.

Publisher’s Information

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California Track & Running News (ISDN #1098-6472), incorporating Pacific Athlete, is the official publication for the USA Track & Field associations in California and Northern Nevada. It is produced, published, and owned by Shooting Star Media, Inc., P.O. Box 67, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538.

Christine Johnson, President; Larry Eder, Vice President.

All ad materials and insertion orders should be sent to Shooting Star Media, Inc., at the above address.

Publisher assumes no liability for matter printed.

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California Track & Running News welcomes your suggestions, comments, and questions. Direct them to: Christine Johnson, Group Editor Shooting Star Media, Inc./CTRN 608.239.3787 CTRNeditorial@gmail.com

Address Changes/Missing Issues Third class mail is not forwarded! Please inform your local USATF association about address changes, duplicate mailings, or missing issues. See page 5 for how to contact your association for help.

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april–june 2011 • ct&rn

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W E K N OW B EC AU S E WE RUN.

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FIND YOUR STRONG

Contents

Cal Track & Running News April–June 2011

KINVARA 2

David Kloz

2011 USA XC CHAMPS ACTION: In the junior women’s race, Californian MOLLY GRABIL (#453) finished 2nd, ahead of KATIE FLOOD (#441, Iowa, University of Washington), who finished 3rd. AISLING CUFFE (#421, New York) was first.

See story in the XC Section of this issue.

The Basics 3 13 16

From the Publisher The Runner’s Schedule Calendar Running Network’s 2011 Spring Shoe Review

AWARD WINNING STRONG The totally revolutionary Kinvara gives you a minimalist, light weight everyday training shoe with incredible responsiveness and cushioning. So get going.

Your strong is waiting.

Departments 6 12 32 37

Regional USATF Association News Cross Country Long Distance Running Race Walking FLEET FEET SPORTS ENCINO

California Track & Running News is a magazine for members of the California and N. Nevada associations of USA Track & Field. Contact your region regarding changes of address and missing issues.

16545 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91436 (818) 986-8686 fleetfeetencino.com

Central California Association: lawrencewatsonus@yahoo.com Pacific Association: 916.983.4715 or heikemansoor@aol.com San Diego/Imperial Association: 619.275.6542 or sdi_trackandfield@sbcglobal.net Southern California: 562.941.2621 or info@scausatf.org

april–june 2011 • ct&rn

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USATF Regional News President’s Message FROM IRENE HERMAN Iherman49@yahoo.com

WMA, WMA, We’ve Paved the Way! All entries should be in shortly, as the deadline is April 24th. It’s been 20 years since the U.S. has hosted this event. So, Pacific, this is a special occasion. During the weeks of July 6–17, events from the 60 meters to the marathon and field events will be contested. What never fails to amaze me are the 80–100-year-old agegroup competitors. No one is ever too old to compete as an athlete. Please check our link regarding the games and become a spectator.

What about the select few who have the natural talent to represent the U.S. in national and international competition during their competitive years? It’s difficult to work full-time and train full-time. U.S. athletes are still underfunded. The Pacific Association isn’t rich and we don’t have a philanthropist; however, after 8 years in discussion, we’ve finally formed a board of trustees for the Pacific Association Foundation. We hope to merge the athlete grants/scholarships to be under the operation of the PA Foundation. Probably in the next news article, the members of the board of trustees will be introduced to you.

The LDR awards banquet was hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Team at the U.S. Coast

PA/USATF LDR Banquet Honorees

BY MARK WINITZ

Pacific Association/USATF conducted its 15th Annual Pacific Association/USATF Long Distance Running Awards Banquet, recognizing dozens of PA/USATF athletes and club teams for their road running, cross country, and mountain/ultra/trail performances in 2010, plus the outstanding volunteers who support these activities. The banquet was organized and hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Running Club and held on Jan. 29 at the Coast Guard facility on Coast Guard Island on the Oakland Estuary.

Andy Chan, who coached 2008 Olympic 1500m runner Shannon Rowbury as a high school athlete at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory (San Francisco), gave an insightful 6 ct&rn • april–june 2011

Guard Island in Oakland at the end of January.

It was a delightful event with race entry giveaways and raffle prizes. Most of all, it was a celebration of the top runners of our association.

Next year, the goal is to have all teams represented at the awards banquet. The rotation is open to host the 2012 banquet. The idea is to have different clubs host in their local area.

The first Physically Challenged (PC) competition is at the Zippy 5K on May 8. The second event will be at the Marin Memorial 10K on May 30. We’ll report on these events in the next issue of CTRN. Please spread the news on our PC circuit. We want to market to those who are physically challenged and especially to post-war veterans that we have a competitive circuit. PC athletes must submit their eligibility to George Rehmet. (The application is at www.pausatf.org.) Other races on the PC circuit are San Rafael 1-Mile, the Humboldt Half Marathon, and the Clarksburg Half Marathon.

A person/organization that’s worth mentioning at this time is Dave Rhody and RhodyCo Productions. RhodyCo (started in 1984) has sponsored our Across the Bay 12K by Emerald Nuts (which was the Houlihan’s to Houlihan’s 12K for over 20 years) in our PA circuit. He’s an avid supporter of long distance running and a competitor since before 1984.

An unfortunate fatal incident occurred at the Kaiser Half Marathon after a runner crossed the finish line in February. There is still an ongoing investigation. This is all very traumatic for everyone, RhodyCo, and Pamakids. The race promoters and owners could use some notes of

support. Please write to the Pamakids (a Pacific Association club and an RRCA club) that donates over $100,000 to charity each year from this race or to dave@rhodyco.com.

The Pacific Association is the successful bidder to host the summer workshop for USATF, August 19–21. This is a mid year gathering of administrators from 57 associations at the Marriott Hotel in San Mateo. USATF puts on this workshop to educate the associations on appropriate administrative skills such as what a treasurer does, parliamentary procedures, how to conduct a meeting, and common issues and successes of all associations. Don’t you wonder how we learn or know the things we know without going to school for it? By participating in national and local committees, reading the operating procedures, learning about the governance and business experience, we learn what it takes to be an association board member.

Thanks to the San Mateo Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Angelina Preza and her gracious hospitality, we landed the workshop against the east coast bidder, the Atlanta, Georgia association. Our association will transport the administrators and volunteers to Pier 39 and downtown San Francisco on the Saturday Night in the City.

Next time I report to you will be when the WMA Games are about to start. I hope the storms of winter have passed through and we’re on to spring.

Keep training! By the way, I’m running for President for another term, 2011–13. Hope you don’t mind. s

At the LDR Awards Banquet: Irene Herman (r), Maggie Fillmore (center) and XC Runner of the Year (at 62) JoAnne Rowland. All are members of the winning super-senior Impala Racing Team.

presentation about Rowbury’s high school athletic training and accomplishments, her path to Duke University, and becoming a professional athlete, and the excitement of the spring and summer of 2008 where he was right in the middle of the Olympic Trials and Olympics action. Chan, 38, has served as the head cross country and track & field coach at Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep since 1998 and currently is the president of Pamakid Runners Club.

Here’s a short wrap-up of the major PA/USATF awards for 2010:

ROAD RACING Runners of the Year Clara Peterson, Sergio Reyes Best Road Performances Kate O’Neill, 33:44, Marin Memorial Day 10K; Scott Bauhs, 13:47, Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 5K Best Age-Graded Road Performances Linda Somers Smith, 48, 57:09, NorCal 10-Mile (96.97% age-graded); Scott Bauhs, 24, 13:47, Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 5K (93.59%)

Continued on page 8.

Welcome to Track Central USA home of the Drake Relays presented by ASICS.

Lolo Jones 2010 World Indoor Champion 2010 U.S. Outdoors Champion asics.com

Association News continued from page 6 CROSS COUNTRY Runners of the Year Jo Anne Rowland, Austin Ramos Volunteer of the Year Les Ong (PA/USATF Cross Country Grand Prix scorer) MOUNTAIN/ULTRA/TRAIL Runners of the Year Diana Fitzpatrick; Chikara Omine Volunteer of the Year Rob Byrne (Race Director, Ohlone Wilderness 50K)

Athletes of the Year: Masters LDR/Female Linda Somers Smith Masters LDR/Age Division: W45–49 Linda Somers Smith; W70–75 Barbara Miller MUT Ultra Masters Scott Dunlap Men’s LDR/Scott Hamilton Memorial Award Tom Knight (USATF Road Measurer/Certifier) Race Walking/Henry Laskau Junior Athlete Award Nicolette Sorensen 2010 Officials Hall of Fame Inductee Bob Podkaminer

Club of the Year Tamalpa Runners

In addition, recognition was given to the following PA/USATF members who received national USATF awards for 2010:

LDR News FROM CYNCI CALVIN

Thank You’s from Our 2010 PA/USATF Cross Country Travel Grant Awardees Phillip Reid and Nicole Campbell ran at the 2011 USA Winter Cross Country Nationals held at Mission Bay, San Diego on Feb. 5. See complete coverage elsewhere in this issue.

I very much appreciate the Pacific Association’s generosity in helping me to compete against this nation’s best. I always feel proud to represent our Association, as well as the ASICS Aggies Running Club. The race itself wasn’t my best performance, but I got a really good picture of what it takes to make it on the next level. I had an amazing trip and look forward to representing the Pacific Association again at another national-caliber event. Thank you.

—Phillip Reid, San Luis Obispo 28th, 37:57 __________________________ The cool San Diego afternoon breeze rustled through my hair in the moments leading up to the USA Cross Country Nationals race in Mission Bay Park. This race determines Team USA for the World Cross Country Championships and it attracts recent Olympians and elite runners, including Shalane Flanagan, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, and Kara Goucher.

I went out at my usual quick-starting speed and found myself just behind the lead pack.

Wary of overexerting myself with the excitement of this elite field, I settled into a rhythm and let the group pull away. Soon after, my friend Kris Paaso pulled up beside me. I felt a sigh of relief, knowing that having a smart racer like her by my side, I was on the right track.

Before the end of the first of four 2-km loops, my breathing was already labored. I let 8 ct&rn • april–june 2011

Many thanks to Ken Burgess and the Coast Guard Running Club for organizing this superb banquet. The Coast Guard Running myself slow, silencing my ego as Kris pulled away, and settling into a pace that was strenuous yet sustainable.

With the start of the second loop, questions of whether I could maintain the pace came into my mind. Then, with a smile, the worries were overridden when I heard my sister cheering for her “Little Munchkin.”

The completion of the first half brought a mentality shift. I felt confident I could hold the pace and began contemplating when I should try to speed up. Not too long after, I heard a coach call out to his athlete, “Look ahead and pass the woman in yellow!” It dawned on me that I wanted to move forward and indeed wanted to pass the ladies in front of me. So I rode that wave, allowing his encouraging words to provide strength as if they were directed toward me.

I started closing the gap on the woman in front of me. I put in a short acceleration to seal the deal and prevent her from having any inkling that she could respond. My sights moved to the next woman, who was in a yellow jersey. With fatiguing legs it [took] some work to catch up to her. The internal voice came again, reminding me that I wanted to move ahead and pass the women in front of me. I put on another surge and moved ahead confidently.

With the last lap underway, no one was in striking distance. Coming around the U-turn curve through the muddy grass I decided on a new tactic. With no one near to draw energy from, I internalized, focused on the level of pain I was in, and told myself I could endure more.

The intensity was building. Spectators were yelling with such passion it seemed as though they believed the volume of their voices was directly related to the speed of the athletes. I pushed harder and with each step the pain intensified, my oxygen-deprived lungs were gasping, and my

Club was established to organize the network of runners within the Coast Guard. The club endeavors to raise the awareness of Coast Guard athletes and their accomplishments and to promote an active and healthy lifestyle through running.

Catering for the event was sponsored by the East Bay Spouses Association. Part of banquet registration costs were donated to the Layette program, scholarships, and other charitable programs administered by the Spouses.

For a complete list of 2010 PA/USATF individual and team champions, visit www.pausatf.org. s

stomach churned. With each step, the finish line was getting closer.

My familiarity with pain as I neared the end of a hard race was accompanied by a feeling of relief and happiness as I saw the finish line ahead. So I ran faster, embracing the pain and allowing this phase to ride out its life to the fullest. I sprinted through the finish in 39th place (out of 66 women) with a time of 30:53 for the nearly 8-km course. My 2-km splits were 7:18, 7:44, 7:49, 7:37 (30:30 8-km) and 22 seconds for the last 110 meters.

I am grateful to have been given the spark and encouragement to run this race from the PA/USATF. Without their recommendation to run, I wouldn’t have taken myself out of my comfort zone and entered this race. In the aftermath, I can see that this, too, is like many other races. Just like other races, the more you put in (including rest, recovery, and smart training), the more you get out. Being on the same course at the same time as these great athletes, I was able to see and feel their accomplishments.

I return inspired, reconfirming that success doesn’t just float into one’s life. Success comes from desire and continuous action. With these two ingredients, you have the keys to the majestic world that only your imagination has seen.

—Nicole Campbell, Sunnyvale 39th, 30:53

Alex Themistocleous

Volunteer of the Year Tom Bernhard (PA/USATF Road Grand Prix scorer)

Southern California Open Athletics News FROM WAYNE JONESS OPEN ATHLETICS ROAD RUNNING CHAIR

Jim Bush Invitational Track Meet Scheduled for June 4!

The 2011 Jim Bush Invitational Track Meet will be held on Sat., June 4 at the fabled Mount San Antonio College track facility in Walnut.

This meet is open to any USATF member 16 years or older for males and 14 years or older for females.

The popular Jim Bush meet also serves as the Southern California Association and West Region Track & Field Championships and celebrates the extraordinary coaching career of Jim

Bush. Jim’s success as a Southern California high school, junior college, and university coach is without peer. Fullerton High School, Kern County, Bakersfield College, Occidental College, UCLA, the U.S. Track Coaches Association, and USA Track & Field have all inducted Jim into their halls of fame. Jim has coached 118 NCAA medalists and 30 Olympians. He has been a coach for three USA teams in international competition.

Registration and event information is available at www.scausatf.org. s

Central California President’s Message FROM LAWRENCE WATSON lawrencewatsonus @yahoo.com Thank you, USATF Central California association members. Our grassroots turnaround plan is yielding excellent returns. The marketing for the Run for the Dream 2011 Indoor Meet in Fresno was impressive, hosting a record number of athletes. We have the Run for the Dream Series in Lemoore, Mini Meets Series in Bakersfield, the MUT series, and the LDR series, just to name a few of the new 2011 season activities in Central California. Our plan to work with group like CSI–CTSA (high school

starters) will only improve the quality of officiating in Central California.

Clubs, sanctions, officials, and individual membership are increasing in the association.

We have a long way to go for final success, so let’s enjoy the journey as we develop the sport.

Central California, keep on working our plan “invite one a day”™: 1) Invite one person each day to join USATF. 2) Invite a coach to join a club or form one.

3) Invite an official to be certified.

4) Invite a meet director to sanction their meet.

5) Invite someone to volunteer.

I invite you to implement these strategies and tactics, and success will be ours.

Central California USATF Meets & Clinics 2011 Complete information at www.central-california.usatf.org 4/2

USATF Youth All-Comers

April

Mini Meets, Bakersfield Porterville All-Comers

June–July

6/18–19 6/24 6/25–26

Run for the Dream Series Central CA/USATF 2011 T&F Qualifier Top 2 advance to Nationals.

No qualifier needed to enter regional meet.

Regional Multi-Events*, Livermore Bakersfield Tulare Union HS Top eight advance to regional qualifier.

July 8 July 9–10

Regional 2011 T&F Qualifier Delta College, Stockton Edison HS, Stockton Top three advance to Nationals

December

Level 1 Coaching School, Clovis West HS

On Your Marks!

BY MARK PETERSON CA TRACK STARTERS’ ASSOC., CENTRAL SECTION UNIT PRESIDENT Go to any sporting event and it’s easy to spot the officials enforcing the rules of the game.

The iconic white-and-black striped shirt in football, basketball, and wrestling, the blue shirt in baseball and softball, and the yellowand-black striped shirt in soccer are worn by the individuals whom coaches, athletes, spectators look to for fair play. It takes several officials to conduct a track & field meet, but the ones who stand out the most are the men and women in the red blazers (or some variation in color thereof ). These are the starters of the running events.

It’s ironic that the starter’s uniform stands out among the other track & field officials, for if the starters are doing their job correctly they should go unnoticed, a feat that’s even more difficult with the firing of a gun. After all, the focus should be on the athletes who have trained hard for their event and are “laying it on the line.” A false start recalling the athletes to the line is certain to be followed by a gasp from the crowd. However, it’s the starter’s responsibility to ensure a fair start so that no athlete gains an unfair advantage.

The California Track Starters’ Association was founded “to support Track & Field within the spirit of the rules of fair and equitable competition by recruiting, training and certifying members to properly officiate high school Track & Field meets.” Although high school is emphasized, many of our members are USATF-certified and start races at the collegiate and USATF levels. CTSA members are specifically trained in starting races, but its members are required to annually review all current track & field rules making specific note of rule changes from the previous year as part of the Continued on page 11.

april–june 2011 • ct&rn

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Association News continued from page 9

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CTSA attempts to relieve some of that responsibility through the education and training of its members in the rules of track & field and with liability insurance through official membership in the National Federation of State High School Associations. Oftentimes, a CTSA starter may be the only “official” at a track & field competition during the regular season to call on for rule interpretation. Using a CTSA starter for weekly and invitational meets also trains athletes to learn and listen to the standard starting commands inherent with beginning a race and strictly applied in post-season competition. A fair start not only includes the time at which the gun is fired, but also includes providing every athlete with the proper training and opportunity so that no athlete is disqualified in post-season competition due to a lack of proper instruction throughout the season.

CSU-CTSA will continue to play a larger role in southern San Joaquin Valley track & field meets as it grows in membership and coaches learn the benefits of using CSU-CTSA members. Please contact me at mark@kefacapital.com if you’re interested in becoming a member of CSU-CTSA or are a track & field coach or athletic director at any level and would like more information about the benefits of using a CTSA starter. s

San Diego–Imperial San Diego Hosted the 2011 USA Cross Country Championships at Mission Bay on Feb. 5

Top local finisher was Laura Stuart of Encinitas (F45), who ran 32:21. See page 12 in this issue for our coverage.

Complete results are on the web at www.usatf.org.

David Kloz

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annual training requirement—a task that may seem daunting given the subtle differences between high school, collegiate, and USATF rules.

The Central Section Unit of CTSA was formed partially in response to the California Interscholastic Federation’s choice of Veterans Memorial Stadium at Buchanan High School in Clovis as the venue for the state track & field championships. However, the establishment of this organization in the southern San Joaquin Valley was necessary for the good of the athletes and the sport. There are few sports that offer such an array of athletic ability (sprinter vs. distance runner vs. jumper vs. thrower) to so many, with men and women competing under similar conditions and showcasing each individual’s talent while competing as a team. Yet oftentimes at the high school level, the coaches are left to conduct meets with relatively few trained officials. Coaches sometimes bear a significant portion of responsibility for running the meet, which takes time away from their primary responsibility—being able to coach their athletes. These meets would be impossible to pull off without the support of volunteers plucked from among the athletes’ parents, school personnel, and the track & field community.

10 c t & r n • a p r i l – j u n e 2 0 1 1

Cross Country San DiegoImperial Association

BY MORGAN SJOGREN

USA Cross Country Championships Feb. 5; Mission Bay, San Diego In the sport of cross country, runners race each other from point A to point B in a variety of terrain and elements. Often this conjures up images of runners plowing through mud, slop, and cold weather. However the sunshine, green grass, and ocean view presented to athletes in San Diego during the 2008 USATF National Cross Country Championships were idyllic enough that San Diego had the honor of hosting the event for a second time this year.

On Feb. 5, 2011 the best distance runners in the country once again convened at Mission Bay, in the event organized by Paul Greer and Thom Hunt, to test their mettle over the deceptively challenging 2K loop course.

Designed by Hunt (San Diego USATF chair), the European-style criterium course tests the runner’s strength with a combination of uneven grass, sharp turns, and several short but steep rolling hills, all of which make it difficult for runners to maintain rhythm and speed. The warmer weather also created the perfect simulation for athletes placing in the top six in each race who qualify to race at the World Cross Country Championships in Punto Umbria, Spain on March 20.

The women’s masters race started off the spectator-friendly event where fans were able to watch and cheer on the runners at multiple points each lap. Masters women competed over a distance of 8 kilometers and were led by Olympian Colleen De Reuck (Colorado) from the gun. De Reuck is still competitive among the ranks of U.S. open runners so her lead came as no surprise, and neither did her finish time of 28:47. Joanna Zeiger (Colorado), an Olympic triathlete, finished second in 30:21, followed in third place by Californian Tania Fischer of The Janes Elite Racing in 30:36. Californians placing in the top-10 included Laura Stuart (Encinitas) in sixth, Rosalva Bonilla (Big Bear) eighth, and Linda Vigil (Carlsbad) tenth.

Cross Country continues on page 29.

David Kloz

David Kloz

LEFT Joanna Zeiger (#102) and Tania Fischer (R) finished 2nd and 3rd behind De Reuck in the masters women’s race. Carmen Ayala-Troncoso (#133, F51) finished 4th overall master, 1st in her age division. RIGHT Compex Racing swept the top three spots in the masters men’s race: Peter Magill (#242, 1st), Gray Mahvera (right, 2nd), and Christian Cushing-Murray (#202, 3rd).

Perhaps the most deeply competitive field of the day was the masters men’s 8K race, featuring the Compex Racing Team (Southern California), the 2010 USATF Club Cross Country national champions. The battle among the deep talent on this team alone made for an exciting race. Team Compex delivered, taking the field out at a fast clip and ultimately sweeping the top three positions. Peter Magill made a decisive surge on the last lap to pull away from the field in 26:17, leaving Gray Mahvera and Christian Cushing-Murray to battle each other for the podium in fine times of 26:38 and 26:46, respectively. Other notable finishes for Californians included Danny Martinez (Alhambra) in eighth place and Tony Torres (Compex) in tenth.

2010 Footlocker national champion Aisling Cuffe (New York) headlined the 6K junior women’s race. Cuffe runs with a dominating presence in all of her races, and this race proved no different as she crossed the finish line first in 21:13 with no one else in sight.

Californian Molly Grabil finished second in 21:39. The performances of both young women are especially impressive because they were contested over the distance typically run by collegiate women in cross country. Katie Flood (Iowa), who races for the University of Washington, placed third in 21:43. Five of the top-10 women hail from California: Sierra

12 c t & r n • a p r i l – j u n e 2 0 1 1

David Kloz

David Kloz

Cross Country continued from page 12

David Kloz

Vega (Santa Ana) finished fifth, Hannah Valenzuela (Apple Valley) was sixth, and high school freshman Emma Abrahamson, age 14 (Carlsbad) took the tenth spot on a podium dominated by high school seniors and college freshmen.

The junior boys also competed over a more college-oriented 8K distance. Californian Dustin Faye (Blue Jay) of UCLA got the race off to an honest start by taking the pace out hard for the first lap. Ultimately the other runners bridged the gap, with Californian Erik Olson (Novato) of Stanford running an impressive 24:48 for the national title. Maxwell Straneva (New York) of Syracuse University ran 24:57 for a close second in the smallest finish margin of the day. Perhaps most impressive, high school senior Craig Lutz (Texas) finished hot on their heels in 25:06. Californians in the top-10 included Justin Vihauer (Visalia, fourth) and Matthew McElroy (Huntington Beach, ninth).

The masters’ and juniors’ races whetted

TOP LEFT Shalane Flanagan (#643) took control of the race early. Molly Huddle (#623) finished 2nd.

TOP RIGHT Just past 6K, Brent Vaughn (#807) gapped the field, holding on for the win and his first national title. Edward Moran (#760) was 3rd, Max King (#766) was 7th, and Bobby Mack (#765) was 12th. BOTTOM Lisa Koll finished 3rd and California’s Magdalena Lewy-Boulet (#669) was 4th. the crowd’s appetite for the women’s and men’s open races featuring many of the top professional runners in the U.S. Shalane Flanagan (Oregon), the Olympic Bronze medalist in Beijing, headlined the women’s field racing the 8K course. However, many looked forward to an exciting duel between Flanagan and Molly Huddle (Rhode Island), who last summer broke Flanagan’s American record at 5000 meters. Flanagan’s Oregon Project training partner Lisa Koll also figured to be a contender for the overall title.

Experience proved to be Flanagan’s asset as she created a conscious and calculated gap over Huddle, revealing a confidence and knowledge of the course derived from her 2008 cross country national title on the same course. Huddle ran solo in second place for much of the race until Koll steadily moved up to race her for the Silver medal. Flanagan gave her fans the performance many expect from a runner of her caliber, winning in 25:47. Huddle showcased the abilities that earned her an American record when she mustered a late-race surge to take second place over Koll in 26:31. Koll finished third in 26:41. As in the day’s earlier races, Californians were a strong presence in the top 10. Olympic marathoners Magdalena LewyBoulet (Oakland) and Blake Russell (Pacific Grove) placed fourth and fifth, respectively, to qualify for the U.S. team heading to the World Cross Country Championships. Kim Conley (Sacramento) finished eighth in this high-caliber field.

The men’s 12K race, the longest of the day, would be a true test of strength and endurance.

Like the women’s race, the contenders were not only the best distance runners in the U.S., but also factors on the world stage. The heavy favorite, Matt Tegenkamp, has placed as high

as fourth at the World Track & Field Championships. Unlike the women’s race, no large gaps were formed early on between the leaders and the main pack, and nobody seemed to be pressing the pace. Although the field remained close during the early miles, just past 6 kilometers Brent Vaughn (Colorado) made a decisive surge and gapped the field by about 10 seconds. Nine runners were left in his wake to battle for the other places in the top six and qualify for the U.S. world cross country team.

Vaughn proved his move was no fluke and, although the field made up some ground, he held on for the win, finishing in 35:46 to capture his first national title. Andrew Bumbalough was second across the line in 35:52, with Edward Moran (Virgina) right on his heels in 35:54.

At the end of the day, the runners who competed at the 2011 USA Cross Country Nationals didn’t seem disappointed with the lack of mud or snow, but rather expressed genuine enjoyment of the sunshine, organization, and competition that brought the race to San Diego again. Special thanks to Paul Greer and Thom Hunt of San Diego USATF for hosting the meet, as well as to the many volunteers and spectators who made this event possible. This event truly showcased not only the talent of U.S. distance running, but also the fan support necessary to keep growing it to the next level.

While football fans braved the cold to watch the 2011 Super Bowl the next day, the U.S. Cross Country Nationals proved to be a day at the beach! s Photos and complete results can be found at www.caltrack.org and www.usatf.org.

Cross Country continues on page 30. april–june 2011 • ct&rn

29

Southern California

BY WAYNE JONESS

SCA Continues Domination of Masters XC Competition at USA XC Champs Feb. 5; Mission Bay, San Diego At the 2011 USA Cross Country Championships, members of Compex Racing proved their December 2010 victory in the men’s 40–49 division at the 2010 Club Cross Country Nationals in Raleigh, North Carolina was no fluke.

Compex Racing took the top three finishing positions, led by team captain Peter Magill (M49) 26:17, Gray Mavhera (M41) 26:38, and Christian Cushing-Murray (M43) 26:46.

Fielding two teams in San Diego, Compex Racing also took home both the first-place and third-place finishes in team scoring as well.

After their 2009 second-place finish to the Atlanta Track Club, Compex became more focused and disciplined.

Peter Magill explained their plan for San Diego: “Our strategy as a team is always the

same. Always. We try to go out at a pace that’s a little more comfortable than we figure we can handle for the day, stay there for the first half of the race, and then hammer the second half. We wait for the runners on other teams to make race mistakes, usually involving going out too fast, and then we pick them off. It’s all about proper race preparation, patience during the early going, and confidence that it’ll all turn out well in the end. My clubs Members of Compex Racing at the 2011 USA XC Champs have won 13 masters national (l–r): Christian Cushing-Murray (M43, 26:46), Peter Magill championships over the past (M49, 26:17), and Gray Mahvera (M41, 26:38). eight years using that strategy.”

With Magill and many of his teammates turning 50 this year, Compex In the women’s masters competition, Racing plans to raise the bar for the 50–59 Tania Fischer (F44, 30:36) of The Janes won competition, as well, with plans to bring home third overall. Fischer raced here one day before more titles as top representatives of the winning the Redondo Beach 5K on Feb. 6!

Southern California Association.

Included in the top-10 masters finishers was Also competing in the 40+ division at San Rosalva Bonilla (F48, 33:05), with an eighthDiego were fourth-place finishers Santa place finish. In the women’s team competition, Barbara Athletic Association and sixth-place Track West took fourth place overall. finishers So Cal Track Club. In the 50+ division, So Cal Track Club took first place and Team Runners High followed in second place.

Visit www.usatf.org for complete results.

Pacific Association

BY MARK WINITZ

Bay Area Cross Challenge Jan. 16; San Francisco

Spencer Allen/Sports Image Wire

On a brisk, windy morning in Golden Gate Park, top-ranked and recreational runners turned out by the hundreds to support and compete at the inaugural Bay Area Cross Challenge, presented by the Bay Area Track Club (BATC) and New York Road Runners.

By all counts, the first annual event, which is organized by the BATC and its corps of elite athletes, was an unqualified success.

The BATC orchestrated their first race with the primary goal of making cross country a mainstream sport in the U.S. by exposing a large untapped demographic of casual runners, fans, and spectators of all ages to elite level competition in a festival-like atmosphere. An important secondary goal is to fill a huge calendar gap in U.S. harrier competition. Unlike Europeans, who participate in a series of cross country races at the beginning of each year, the U.S. cross country circuit ends in November. This leaves U.S. junior, emerging elite, and elite athletes no real opportunities on the turf to prepare for national and world cross country championship 30 c t & r n • a p r i l – j u n e 2 0 1 1

Courtesy of Compex Racing

Cross Country continued from page 29

Spencer Allen/Sports Image Wire

races which take place in February and March.

Consequently, a committed group of top Americans grabbed the opportunity. And in true cross country style, they represented a crowdpleasing mix of middle and long distance runners, steeplechasers, and marathoners. A brand new, spectator-friendly 2K loop course was designed for the event that starts and finishes on Golden Gate Park’s dirt horse track at the Polo Fields and tours trails through the surrounding meadows.

In the women’s 6K race, U.S. 5000m record holder Molly Huddle (Rhode Island) displayed fitness that would lead to a runner-up finish three weeks later at the USA Cross Country Championships (see separate coverage in this issue).

“I wanted to go out hard and make it hurt to callous myself for the future,” said Huddle.

“Usually I can’t push that hard when I’m alone, so I tried to stay just a few seconds ahead of everyone.”

In fact, Huddle led wire-to-wire, registering a winning time of 19:19 over five-time U.S. World Cross Country team member Renee Metivier-Baillie (Colorado) and 2008 Olympic marathoner Magdalena Lewy-Boulet (Oakland) who ran 19:31 and 19:32, respectively. Lewy-Boulet said the race was “her first hard workout” of the season as she prepares for the London Marathon in April.

“The timing of this event was great,” Huddle said. “And it was nice that it was 6K and a little faster than [the women’s 8K] we’ll be running at USA Nationals. I’ve never been to San Francisco before, and I liked the course—rolling for good momentum.”

Rounding out the top five were ZAP Fitness standout Alissa McKaig (North Carolina) in 19:33 and Princeton standout Reilly Kiernan (NY) in 19:49. Three weeks later, Huddle, Lewy-Boulet, and McKaig subsequently placed 2nd, 4th, and 6th respectively at the USA Cross Country Championships and qualified for the U.S. national team bound for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain.

Kris Paaso (Menlo Park), 40, was the top master, placing 18th in 21:34.

In the men’s 8K race, former UC-Berkeley standout and 3:54 miler David Torrence (Berkeley) led at 2K. Jon Pierce (Mammoth Lakes), a 2008 U.S. World Cross Country team member, quickly took over and led a chase pack of five through 4K. By 6K it became a threeman battle, with former Cal Poly-SLO standout and current steeplechase specialist Ben Bruce (Oregon) in the lead accompanied by three-time World Cross Country team member and steepler Max King (Oregon) plus Kenya’s 13:30 5K runner Kevin Chelimo.

“I like to be up and around the front, but not necessarily in the lead,” Bruce said. “I have a tendency to tune out and let the race get away from me if I’m further back. There were a lot of

little moves being made, and it was windy on the [Polo Fields] oval.”

The threesome proceeded to, most likely, one of the closest cross country finishes ever.

Crossing the finish line virtually interlinked, all three men were given the same finishing time of 23:12 by the timing system. Three USATF finish line judges and a finish line camera were called upon to determine the final finish order.

Bruce was awarded the victory, with Chelimo 2nd, and King 3rd. Pierce finished 4th in 23:49 and 2010 PA/USATF Cross Country Champion Phil Reid (San Luis Obispo) finished 5th in 23:55. Jim Howard, 56, was the first master in 30:07.

“I was training in Flagstaff [AZ, at altitude] for the last four weeks and came here very strong,” said Bruce, who competes for the Oregon Track Club. “My speed isn’t 100 percent yet, so when I went for that extra gear approaching the finish it wasn’t there for a second, but it was there enough.”

Huddle and Bruce earned $2,000 for their victories, with the remaining six finishers in each race earning $1,000, $750, $300, $200, $150, and $100.

University of San Francisco sophomore Alice Baker, 19, won the junior women’s 4K race in 14:18 and Nolan Tonkyn, 16, of Albany (CA) High School won the junior men’s 6K in 20:42

It took a finish line camera and 3 judges to sort out the finish. Bruce (center) got the victory, Chelimo (R) was 2nd, and King was 3rd.

The Corporate Challenge division was won by Santa Cruz Endurance. There was no traditional club team scoring.

“We really wanted to set up a great atmosphere for this event, said U.S. middle distance star Shannon Rowbury, a BATC Board member who coordinated volunteers on race day, among other duties. “This race happened because of the community. We had a very limited budget, but so many people volunteered their time and resources. I think this was a pretty respectable cross country event. I can’t wait to see where it goes next year.”

Said BATC co-founder Magdalena LewyBoulet: “People worked really hard to make this happen. It was a very intimate, but very strong, field. We couldn’t have done it without the support of the New York Runners and our other sponsors and supporters.”

The BATC was formed in the fall of 2009 to provide support for Olympic athletes and emerging elites, and to promote running and lifelong fitness within the community. The BATC is working to become an epicenter of healthy living in the San Francisco Bay Area, providing valuable resources to the spectrum of youth and adults pursuing an active lifestyle. s april–june 2011 • ct&rn

31

LDR News Pacific Association

BY MARK WINITZ

2011 USA Half Marathon Championships Jan. 29; Houston

Victor Sailer/www.PhotoRun.net

This year’s USA Half Marathon Championships presented by Aramco Services Company spurred significant interest for top athletes and running pundits who are looking ahead to the 2011 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. The championship was run on a new 8mile loop course on which both the men’s and women’s Trials will be conducted next January to give competitors a glimpse of what they can expect. Along the way, contenders discovered that Californians will be strong candidates for the U.S. Olympic marathon squad that will compete in London.

Mohammed Trafeh (Duarte) and Jen Rhines (Mammoth Lakes) outran some of America’s top distance runners to earn the men’s and women’s half marathon titles. Trafeh defeated American half marathon record holder Ryan Hall to win the second USA road championship title of his career in 1:02:17. Patrick Smyth (Mammoth Lakes) finished third, completing a sweep of the top three men’s places by Golden Staters. Rhines ran 1:11:14 to win her first road championship since 2005 and score a new PR at the distance.

“I wanted to use the race as a preview for

32 c t & r n • a p r i l – j u n e 2 0 1 1

next year’s Olympic Marathon Trials and to test my fitness for [April’s] London Marathon,” Trafeh said. “I came into the race not feeling as fit as I’d like, so my plan was to just stay with the leaders and hopefully find enough within myself late in the race to contend for a win.”

That’s just what Trafeh, who is making his marathon debut at London, did.

Colorado’s Brent Vaughn led a large group of men through the early stages. After completing a 5-mile out-and-back section, Hall took the lead and pushed the pace a bit. A lead pack of five proceeded onto the 8-mile loop that will serve as the main portion of the Olympic Trials course. At about mile 6, Hall veered to grab a water bottle at an aid station and Smyth took the opportunity to surge into the lead, running the 7th mile in 4:39. The break was quickly covered by Trafeh, Hall, and Team USA Minnesota’s Jason Lehmkuhle as Arizona’s Fasil Bizuneh fell off, and then eventually rejoined, the pack.

“I became intent on keeping the pace honest to whittle the group down a bit more,” said Smyth, who moved to Mammoth Lakes last August to join the Mammoth Track Club and was also preparing for London.

With about a mile remaining, Hall and Trafeh broke away from Smyth and headed for the finish. Hall had a slight lead with 400 meters to go, but Trafeh found a final gear with just 200 meters remaining.

“People were screaming and cheering us both on, and all I could think about was how far I’ve come, and how badly I needed to win, if nothing else just for myself,” Trafeh related. “I needed to prove to myself that I was on an elite

level and that I could contend with the best in the world and win. I dug as deep as I could, gritted my teeth, and opened my stride.”

Trafeh’s effort was enough to top Hall’s 1:02:20 second-place effort by 3 seconds.

Smyth grabbed third in 1:02:32.

“I would like to come back to Houston next year and place first, second, or third in the Marathon Trials and represent the U.S. in the Olympics,” Trafeh said. “I came from very humble beginnings [in Morocco]. Now, living in the greatest country in the world, I have the opportunity to represent my country and fulfill my dreams.”

Hall, the Olympic Marathon Trials defending champion and second fastest American ever at the distance (2:06:17), was gracious in defeat.

“I was happy for Mo,” said Hall, who recently moved from California to Arizona with his wife Sara. “It was a great race for him and he has proven he is a contender to get an Olympic spot. I was also happy with my first race of the year. I loved the course and I love racing in Houston. The fans are great and will be out in full force for the Trials. It is going to be very exciting.”

In the women’s race, Rhines, a three-time Olympian (2000: 10,000m; 2004: marathon, 34th; 2008: 5000m, 14th), demonstrated that at age 36 she is still going strong. Rhines used a tactical approach as Lindsey Scherf (San Francisco) opened a big lead on the chase pack and passed the first mile in 5:20. Scherf is a former Harvard and University of Oregon competitor with 15:42 5000m credentials who recently moved to the Bay Area. By 8 miles, a lead pack was headed by Rhines plus Nan Kennard (Colorado) and Serena Burla (Missouri), who each took turns at the front.

“Tactically, the race went as I thought it would,” Rhines said. “With many athletes gearing towards spring marathons and a course that has three 180º turns, I thought we would be maintaining a steady pace rather than running super aggressive from the start. My plan was to surge somewhere around the 10- to 11-mile mark and I was able to execute that well.”

Indeed, Rhines’ patience paid off as she separated herself from her competitors and extended her lead over the final miles. Rhines’ 1:11:14 winning effort bettered her 8-year-old personal record by 45 seconds. Burla finished second in 1:11:38 and Kennard third in 1:12:03. Scherf ’s seventh-place finish in 1:13:40 and Amy Hastings’ (Mammoth Lakes) 1:14:07 effort for eighth were both under the women’s 1:15:00 standard for the Olympic Marathon Trials. s Full results at www.usatf.org

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Southern California

BY WAYNE JONESS

Local Heroes Dominate the Redondo Beach Super Bowl 5K Championships Fresh off their win as the 2010 Road Running Grand Prix champions, members of the South Bay–based Club Ed Running showed they have no intention of relinquishing their newly won title! Finishing first in the men’s open association championship 5K division with a time of 16:25 was Club Ed member Humberto Sanchez (M35), followed a few seconds later by fellow Club Ed runner Jon Megeff (M47) running 16:40.

Tania Fischer (F44) of The Janes Elite Racing was the first woman to cross the finish line, taking home both the open and masters 5K association championship titles with a time of 17:44. Fischer’s victory was made more impressive by the fact that she had raced the day before at the 2011 National Cross Country competi-

tion in San Diego, taking third place in the masters division.

Club competition was the theme of the day, with Club Ed Running bringing 18 USATF members to the starting line, followed by a 14-member turnout by Cal Coast Track Club, and 7 members of The Janes Elite Racing. Juan Morales (M31) represented Cal Coast Track Club well, finishing in third place with a time of 17:09. In the women’s division, members of The Janes claimed four of the five top finishing positions, with Alison Atkinson (F44), also of Club Ed Running, breaking the sweep with the second-place finish in a time of 17:57.

For the second year in a row, the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce graciously allowed Southern California/USATF use of the event stage to present the 2010 Road Running Grand Prix awards, where $2,000 in prize money was distributed to the top 10 finishers.

With the first 2011 race under their belt, members of the Southern California Association readied for the next race in the 2011 series, the Brea 8K, held on Feb. 27, in Brea, the heart of Orange County! More on that one in the next issue! s

2011 SCA/USATF Road Running Grand Prix Schedule Remaining Events Details at www.scausatf.org 5/29 7/4 8/28 10/2 10/9 11/24

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april–june 2011 • ct&rn

33

LDR continued from page 33 San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers Turns 100! ’91 Breakers Race Was Among Best Ever

BY MARK WINITZ On May 19, 1991, one of the most remarkable and enduring races in Bay to Breakers history took place. A slew of athletes set times that the world had never seen before for the 12K race distance— and seldom sees today. Plus, a couple of prominent American athletes—including one star native Californian—turned in marks that 20 years later remain at the very top of U.S. performance lists.

The Association of Road Racing Statisticians ranks ’91 B to B as the fastest edition of the event (in terms of finishing times among top performers) for men, and the second fastest for women, since 1983 when the Breakers course distance was officially changed to 12K. For these reasons, on the 100th anniversary of California’s oldest and, perhaps, most prominent road race, the staff at California Track & Running News has selected the 1991 Bay to Breakers as the most memorable edition of the race in the last quarter-century.

34 c t & r n • a p r i l – j u n e 2 0 1 1

It was an ideal 57º, windless morning. On the starting line ahead of an estimated 100,000 participants were no less than a dozen past or future Olympians (six men and six women) eager to test their fitness in the important year prior to the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. Among them was 38-year-old Francie Larrieu-Smith whose competitive career over 4 decades included five Olympic Games, 35 U.S. records, and 13 world bests at distances ranging from 1000 to 10,000 meters.

Larrieu-Smith’s impressive company in the women’s field included Olympic marathon medalists Joan (Benoit) Samuelson and Lorraine Moller, plus Nancy Ditz and Cathy O’Brien. Two of them were previous Breakers’ champions: Ditz (’84) and Samuelson (’85).

A pair of speedy Kenyan training partners, however, took the field out fast: Susan Sirma and Delillah Asiago covered the first, flat mile in 4:47. A more conservative, but still torrid, Larrieu-Smith came through about 10 seconds slower.

Although Larrieu-Smith had grown up on the San Francisco peninsula—where she gained prominence as a youngster and teenager competing for the pioneering San Jose Cindergals— this was only her second or third B to B. Her first was 25 years earlier when, as a precocious up-and-comer at 13 years old, she ran a special “mini” B to B for kids that covered part of the course.

After cresting Heartbreak Hill (3 miles), Sirma pulled away from Asiago and proceeded to a 38:27 victory. Her time eclipsed Grete Waitz’s 1986 course record of 38:45, and broke the previous 12K world best of 38:34 set by Ingrid Kristiansen in 1985. Larrieu-Smith, running strongly on the gently sloping downhills through Golden Gate Park, caught Asiago with a little less than 1.5 miles to go, and beat her by one second. Larrieu-Smith’s time of 38:38 was also under Waitz’s old course record. And today (according to the Association of Road Race Statisticians), it’s still the fastest time ever recorded by an American on a dedicated 12K course and ranks 14th on the all-time world performance list. (Note: Deena Kastor holds the official U.S. women’s 12K record of 38:24, which she set en route to a second-place finish at the 2002 Berlin Half Marathon.)

With a covey of talented athletes in the men’s field, the outcome was hard to predict.

Top contenders included Norway’s 10,000m specialist John Halvorsen, Australia’s marathon standout Steve Moneghetti, talented Mexicans Martin Pitayo and German Silva—plus Pennsylvania’s Steve Spence, one of America’s top road racers who was making significant inroads at the marathon distance.

As in the women’s race, after Heartbreak Hill sorted out the pack, a Kenyan was in the lead. It was Thomas Osano. Halvorsen chased Osano, followed by a pack composed of Spence, Moneghetti, Pitayo, and Silva.

Halvorsen took the lead at 5 miles, which Osano easily covered before surging ahead for an amazingly fast 33:55 victory. It was the fastest verifiable 12K the world had seen to date. The top five men—including Spence in fifth place—all went under the previous B to B course record of 34:32 set the previous year by four-time Breakers’ winner Arturo Barrios.

Today, Spence’s time of 34:19 is shared with Jon Sinclair at the top of the ARRS U.S. men’s all-time 12K performances list. Spence also holds the official U.S. men’s 12K record of 34:26, which he set on Lilac Bloomsday’s USATF-certified loop course in 1989. (The Breakers’ course is a USATF-certified point-topoint course. For U.S. records to be ratified on point-to-point courses, strict wind gauge measurements—that are not always submitted—are required demonstrating that wind was not an aiding factor during the race.)

A half-dozen athletes who competed at the memorable 1991 Bay to Breakers race made it to the Olympic Games the following year. Steve Spence’s Breakers’ debut was soon followed by a third-place finish at the ’91 World Championships marathon and 12th-place finish in the ’92 Olympic Games marathon—U.S. performances in international marathon championship competition that America had not seen since Frank Shorter’s Gold medal at the ’76 Olympic Games. After her remarkable ’91 Breakers race Francie Larrieu-Smith competed in her fifth and final Olympic Games in ’92, where she carried the U.S. flag in the opening ceremonies and placed 12th in the marathon.

She was subsequently inducted into the USA Track & Field and National Distance Running halls of fame.

Even today, the legacy of the 1991 edition of Bay to Breakers remains strong. On the Breaker’s top U.S. performances list since 1980, two American men from that race occupy spots in the top 10 and three U.S. women are among the top 15. (See lists at www.caltrack.com.)

1991 Bay to Breakers Results Courtesy of Running Stats MEN: 1. Thomas Osano (KEN) 33:55, 2. John Halvorsen (NOR) 34:04, 3. German Silva (MEX) 34:17, 4. Martin Pitayo (MEX) 34:17, 5. Steve Spence (PA) 34:19, 6. Steve Moneghetti (AUS) 34:37, 7. Jon Sinclair (CO) 34:57, 8.

Brian Sheriff (ZIM) 35:02, 9. Danny Grimes (CA) 35:24, 10. Bill Donakowski 35:54.

WOMEN: 1. Susan Sirma (KEN) 38:27, 2. Francie Larrieu-Smith (TX) 38:38, 3. Delillah Asiago (KEN) 38:39, 4. Cathy O’Brien (NH) 39:31, 5. Wilma Van Onna (HOL) 39:43, 6. Joan Samuelson (ME) 40:00, 7. Lorraine Moller (NZL) 40:26, 8. Nancy Ditz (CA) 40:34, 9. Maria Lopez (MEX) 41:19, 10. Rosa Gutierrez (CA) 41:20.

Turn to page 38 for our Q&As with Francie Larrieu-Smith and Steve Spence!

Track & Field Spikes

by Cregg Weinmann

T

he 2011 track season is upon us. As in other pre-Olympic years, there are some new products being rolled out to serve the annual championships, as well as the anticipation of what will be coming out for the 2012 London Olympic Games. The usual players have new and updated products; only Reebok stands pat. adidas and Mizuno have minor updates, while ASICS, Brooks, New Balance, Puma, and Saucony present new offerings for athletes at all levels. Here we review 8 of the best, most representative shoes, and highlight 8 more to give a well-rounded overview of what’s available.

adidas adizero Avanti 1 $110

ASICS Prima Diva Sprint 2 $100

The Avanti is a name familiar to athletes from a generation ago when it was the adidas entry-level offering found in abundance on tracks across the U.S. The 2011 offering is designed for high-end performance and is now the pinnacle of adidas distance spikes. The airmesh upper lines up the foot over the spike plate to maximize traction, and the green colorway suggests Oregon’s influence in the track & field world. The effective, 6-spike distance plate has been proven over several seasons. This update is largely the same as the original adizero Avanti, with minor adjustments to the upper to center the foot over the full-length EVA, which offers a touch of cushion. The mesh upper and perforations in the midsole and spike plate allow for water to drain quickly. The overall result is a quality product that delivers performance.

The Prima Diva Sprint emerges in Round 2 with a major renovation and ugraded features. Developed in cooperation with Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones, it’s designed to be ASICS’ best women’s sprint spike. The Diva 2 trades up from the Turbo Phantom spike plate to the same plate as the Japan Lite-ning, ASICS’ top-of-the-line sprint shoe—which is to say, from a stiff, 7-spike plate to the nimble 6-spike plate. It also saves some weight while better accommodating the female foot for which the shoe is intended. The zippered shroud both improves aerodynamics and snugs the fit for improved performance. A thin, full-length layer of EVA adds its measure of comfort to the shoe.

UPDATED Sizes: unisex 4–13,14,15 Weight: 5.9 oz. (w/spikes, men’s 11) Spikes: 6, replaceable Upper: mesh, synthetic overlays Innersole: sheet EVA Midsole: full-length CM-EVA Outersole: full-length thermoplastic spike plate Recommended for: 1500–10,000 meters, steeplechase; synthetic surfaces

UPDATED Sizes: women’s 5–11,12 Weight: 6.4 oz. (w/spikes, women’s 8) Spikes: 6, replaceable Upper: mesh, synthetic leather shroud Innersole: sheet EVA Midsole: full-length EVA Outersole: full-length thermoplastic spike plate Recommended for: 100–400 meters, hurdles; synthetic surfaces

Brooks PR MD $60

Mizuno Geo-Silencer 3 $110

The PR series replaces the entry-level spikes that Brooks has offered for the past decade.

Here each component has been upgraded which explains the price nudge of $5. The PR MD features a new 6-spike, Pebax plate with a sharkskin TPU outersole, each providing performance-enhancing grip. A thin, full-length layer of EVA is capped by a slightly built-up heel pad for protection in the jumping events or when fatigue causes a less-than-efficient footstrike on the track. The improvement in its entry range—which also includes a PR Sprint and PR LD—boosts Brooks track & field to a new level, and is well worth the price.

The Geo-Silencer has been Mizuno’s top middle distance shoe for almost 5 years. The Geo Silencer 3 is a color-up from last season’s Silencer 2, which debuted an update to the upper that has been maintained in version 3. The spike plate is 3⁄4-length nylon with a PUimpregnated polyester laminate. It creates a hard-toothed, grippy heel that’s been proven in numerous Mizuno spikes from past seasons. Six spike wells and three permanent pins provide the forefoot traction, and this season features newly shaped spikes with fluted ridges to improve the response on synthetic rubber tracks. The synthetic leather upper snugs the foot nicely with traditional lacing and internal webbing and features a hook-and-loop strap at the top of the laces for extra security.

NEW Sizes: men’s 5–13,14,15; women 6–12 Weight: 5.7 oz. (w/spikes, men’s 11); 4.7 oz. (w/spikes, women’s 8) Spikes: 6, replaceable Upper: mesh, synthetic overlays Innersole: sheet EVA Midsole: full-length sheet EVA Outersole: combination Pebax spike plate, thermoplastic sharkskin (heel) Recommended for: 400–1500 meters, hurdles; synthetic surfaces

UPDATED Sizes: unisex 5–13 Weight: 6.6 oz. (w/spikes, men’s 11) Spikes: 6, replaceable; 3, permanent Upper: synthetic leather Innersole: sheet EVA Midsole: full-length CM-EVA Outersole: full-length thermoplastic spike plate Recommended for: 400–1500 meters, hurdles; synthetic surfaces

april–june 2011 • ct&rn

35

Track & Field Spikes

(continued)

New Balance MD800 $100

Nike Zoom Superfly R3 $120

The introduction of the MD800 rounds out the top-end track offerings for New Balance, where the middle distances had been a bit overlooked until it added some top-flight competitors, including Maggie Vessey. The MD800 is built on a new full-length spike plate of Pebax nylon and carbon fiber that’s light, strong, and responsive. The midsole is molded ActEVA Lite that provides better cushioning than expected for a middle-distance shoe. In fact, the midsole makes it suitable for events from 800 meters on up to 5000 meters. The seamless upper is fully lined with lightweight synthetic suede for sockless use. The exterior has HF-welded overlays in the forefoot and a tough woven mesh that combine to supply good support to the racing foot.

The Superfly was once the epitome of sprinting technology and it continues to heavily influence the industry because it works. The spike plate is the same power sprint platform Nike developed around a decade ago molded from Pebax nylon for its light weight, responsive feel, and durability. The midsole is a wedge of Phylon for just enough cushioning. The upper is where the real changes can be seen. Fuse technology—HFwelded supports across the entire upper that create a web of ultra light support—and a hook-and-loop lock-down strap over the metatarsals make the upper equally supportive with considerably less bulk. The result is a responsive sprint spike that manages both power and speed.

NEW Sizes: men 4–13,14; women 5–10,11 Weight: 5.7 oz. (w/spikes, men’s 11); 4.6 oz. (w/spikes, women’s 8) Spikes: 6, replaceable Upper: mesh, welded synthetic overlays, full synthetic suede lining Innersole: sheet EVA Midsole: full-length molded ActEVA Lite (EVA) Outersole: full-length Pebax spike plate, carbon fiber insert Recommended for: 800–5000 meters & up, hurdles; synthetic surfaces

UPDATED Sizes: unisex 5.5–13,14 Weight: 7.3 oz. (w/spikes, men’s 11) Spikes: 8, replaceable Upper: mesh, welded synthetic overlays Innersole: sheet EVA Midsole: full-length Phylon (EVA) Outersole: full-length Pebax spike plate Recommended for: 100–400 meters, hurdles; synthetic surfaces

Puma SLX Zone $110

Saucony Showdown $100

The SLX Zone is a new relative to the wellestablished Harambi.

It shares the same upper pattern—though here it’s a new open mesh—and the same midsole: a nice, cushy layer that softens the effects of synthetic tracks. The outersole shows divergence from its sibling, as the plate provides a weight savings by eliminating much of the thermoplastic and using only three small sharkskin patches that cover about 30% of the outersole.

The perimeter of the forefoot features 4 spike wells that encircle a forefoot of polyester-backed TPU embossed with dozens of tiny, plussign–shaped lugs for additional grip. The combination of light weight, cushioning, great flexibility, and effective traction make the SLX Zone a good distance spike choice.

The Showdown is both a new shoe and a new category for Saucony track & field. Developed in collaboration with Olympian Wallace Spearman, the Showdown is Saucony’s first high-end sprint spike. The upper is a minimesh enclosed in a zippered shroud, which offers a supportive fit and provides some “speedy” aesthetics. The midsole and outersole combine Saucony’s Flexion plate, a TPU device that aids touchdown and propulsion, with a Pebax spike plate that offers light weight and durability. Here it’s configured for power sprinting with a brawny 10-spike arrangement of Christmas tree elements to maximize traction. This is a quality addition to the well-rounded Saucony track lineup.

NEW Sizes: unisex 5.5–12,13,14 Weight: 5.0 oz. (w/spikes, men’s 11) Spikes: 4, replaceable Upper: mesh, synthetic suede overlays Innersole: sheet EVA Midsole: full-length CM-EVA Outersole: polyester-backed thermoplastic perimeter (forefoot), sharkskin (center forefoot, heel) Recommended for: 1500 meters & up, steeplechase; synthetic surfaces

To more Spring spikes, visit www.caltrack.com FORsee MORE SPRING 2011 SPIKE PREVIEWS, SEE NEXT PAGE. 36 c t & r n • a p r i l – j u n e 2 0 1 1

NEW Sizes: men 7–13,14; women 5–11,12 Weight: 9.0 oz. (w/spikes, men’s 11); 7.4 oz. (w/spikes, women’s 8) Spikes: 10, replaceable Upper: mesh, zippered synthetic leather shroud Innersole: sheet EVA Midsole: Flexion Plate TPU Outersole: full-length Pebax spike plate Recommended for: 100–400 meters, hurdles; synthetic surfaces

Race Walking 2011 PA/USATF Racewalk Schedule

Pacific Association FROM ART KLEIN PA RACE WALK CHAIR Race Walkers Wow Crowd at All Comers Meet Each year, the Los Gatos Athletic Association hosts a series of eight All Comers Meets (each Saturday in Jan. and Feb.) inspiring adults and youth to set new goals for the upcoming track & field season. These performances at the various track distances are used by the athletes and their respective coaches as a “test of fitness.”

Rarely do the spectators see optimum accomplishments. The atmosphere is generally lowkey as most athletes gradually show slight improvements as the weeks pass.

This was not the case with the race walkers at the first event contested on Jan. 8, the 1Mile/3000m combined race walk. With high anticipation, the walkers toed the line ready to use this race as a springboard for both upcoming major indoor meets, as well as challenging outdoor championships. The scene was set for greatness with race walk judges at the ready to ensure a fair competition within the rules.

The walkers didn’t disappoint. Tyler Sorensen (age 16) raced around the track pressing the pace as the sole 3000m participant.

Likewise, on the other side of the track, the milers dashed at the sound of the gun, powerfully pushing the limits of their abilities. As the clock ticked on, it was evident that PRs could be set and even records broken if the intensity could be maintained.

As they crossed the finish line to great cheers from family and friends, four out of six of

Lars Sorensen

4 PRs were posted at the LGAA All Comers on Jan. 8 by (L-R) Diana Rossman, Nicolette Sorensen, Alex Price, and Tyler Sorensen.

4/3 6/12 6/19 7/6–17 8/13 8/21 9/11 10/9 11/6

Bay Area Senior Games/CA Championships 5K, Stanford (Monitored race; technique clinic prior) PA Grand Prix 000m Championship, San Mateo PA Grand Prix One-Mile Championship, Santa Cruz, Hosted by Santa Cruz TC Host World Masters T&F Championships, Sacramento, (7/7: W/M 5000m; 7/8: M 5000m; 7/12: W/M 10K; 7/16: W/M 20K) PA Grand Prix & West Region 3000m Championship, Reno, Hosted by PRO, Silver State Striders Marin Race Walkers Memorial Fun Days, San Rafael PA Grand Prix 20K Championship, Oakland, Hosted by Marin Race Walkers PA Grand Prix 10K Championships, Sacramento, Hosted by Sierra Race Walkers Marin Race Walkers 1-Hour Postal, San Rafael

OTHER EVENTS 8/26–27 Portland to Coast Relay Walk (Go, Beware-A-Sierras!)

the walkers learned that they had set personal records. Tyler also learned that his time of 12:03.2 was now the new national high school record!

3000m Race Walk Tyler Sorensen, 16 – 12:03.2 (PR!) 1-Mile Race Walk Alex Price, 27 – 7:33.9 (PR!); Nicolette Sorensen, 15 – 7:39.0 (PR!); Lila Haba, 15 – 8:34.2; Diana Rossman, 44 – 9:27.8 (PR!); Jason Gomez, 10 – 9:57.9.

RW Judges: Charlie Sheppard (N) Chief, Laura Cribbins (N), and Art Klein (N)

Texas Junior Elite Racewalk Camp 2010

BY LILA HABA (15 Years Old) Every year during Christmas vacation, a group of elite junior race walkers converge on a small town known as Pharr, Texas and home of the South Texas Walking Club. This is my second year at camp, so I know what to expect: to see my friends and work very hard. My instructors were U.S. Olympian Tim Seaman and his wife, Rachel Seaman, current Canadian national champion. Here’s my brief snapshot at camp.

Camp Day 1: We woke up at 6 a.m. because someone had accidently set off a house alarm trying to get in, so we spent the morning groggy, had some breakfast, and then left to work out. For the first day, Coach Tim had us stretch and separated us into groups. My group was supposed to do 10 km. We used a different park than last year and the loop at the park we used this year was 2.5 km. It felt weird (but in a good way) having people in my time range to walk and practice with. After our workout, we drove back to the house, had some lunch (amazing food) and everyone hit the hay. It was the only day that everyone legitimately slept and the house was quiet for two hours. The girls woke everyone up and we met up with Tim and Rachel and went out for afternoon run, varied distances for everyone. We finished the run and headed back to Coach Jaime’s house for dinner (again, amazing) and then tried to figure out the

shower schedule, which was the hardest part of the day.

Camp Day 2: This time we only woke up at 7 in the morning (no one set off the alarm this time) and were slightly more awake than the day before when we set off to the park to do our morning race-walking workout. We did 2 km more than the day before and felt sore even before we had started. Our day was basically the same as the day before except that there were no quarrels over the shower schedule, and instead of taking naps we spent our time watching Law & Order, and we watched a movie after dinner instead of going straight to sleep.

The rest of camp passed by extremely quickly with our new routine except with some detours to Wal-mart to pick up some chocolate (some of us had run low), the New Year’s Eve party, and an attempt at temporarily dying streaks of our hair purple with Kool-Aid (it didn’t work). It seemed like no time before we were all panicking about the mile and the 5K competition that we had to do. Some of the campers managed to set a personal best time, and one of them was even sick in the previous days. After the competition, it was sad to see some of our friends leave right after the race and the next day (setting off alarms if they left early in the morning). The day I was scheduled to leave, all but five campers had left. Coach Jaime had us do a workout early in the morning, but instead of being in the park, we were walking on the road. Whenever we reached an intersection, Coach Jaime would park in front of the other cars and would wave a giant neon orange flag to get the other cars to stop. By then, we weren’t race walking as much as sprinting across the road in embarrassment.

All in all, it was an eventful and helpful week in which I was able to walk with people who were close to my time range, and make friends with race walkers whom I didn’t already know. It’s a week I look forward to every year. s april–june 2011 • ct&rn

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LDR continued from page 34 CTRN’s Mark Winitz recently talked with Francie Larrieu-Smith and Steve Spence about the 1991 Bay to Breakers race. Larrieu-Smith, now 58, serves as the head men’s and women’s cross country and track & field coach at Southwestern University in Texas. Steve Spence, 49, is the head men’s and women’s cross country coach and assistant track & field coach at Pennsylvania’s Shippensburg University.

AVAILABLE AT:

Fleet Feet Davis & Front Runners AND ONLINE AT: RoadRunnerSports.com

38 c t & r n • a p r i l – j u n e 2 0 1 1

Francie Larrieu-Smith CTRN: Francie, you ran ’91 Breakers only 4 weeks after you competed at the World Cup marathon in London where you placed second running your all-time PR of 2:27:35. Two weeks before the World Cup, you broke Mary Slaney’s 11-year-old U.S. 10,000 meter record on the track with a 31:28.92. Including Breakers, that was quite a string of performances.

L-S: You’re right. And I did it [Breakers] against my coach’s [Robert Vaughan’s] wishes because we were preparing for the ’91 World Track & Field Championships in Japan. But it did me in.

I was toast after that. Although the World Cup marathon in London was my all-time PR, my recovery wasn’t that tough, so I insisted on going to Bay to Breakers. It was a great race, and my last great race that year.

I’m really honored to be on top of the U.S. women’s performance list from recent years at Bay to Breakers.

Steve Spence CTRN: How did the race shape up for you at ’91 Breakers?

SS: I remember that I was really conservative on the [series of ] uphills to the top [of Heartbreak Hill], and then ran really hard off the hills. I was in a pack that was really attacking the hills and I’d drop back behind the group. Then I’d work through the hills at the tops. I was able to conserve a little energy going up and then be right back on them once we got to the top. Once we got to the very top of Heartbreak, the pack had dwindled quite a bit. I remember running fast through the slight downhill sections of Golden Gate Park and pulling away from the guys that I was with, catching people, and working my way up to my eventual fifth place.

CTRN: You had never competed in Bay to Breakers before. Why did you decide to run it?

SS: It was a good opportunity to do something I’d never done before, which was exciting. I saw the times that had been previously run on the course and I thought that, with my level of fitness at the time, I had a good chance of placing high and, possibly, winning. I ended up running well and beating some of the extremely fast times that had previously won it.

CTRN: You had run Breakers before ’91, right?

L-S: I actually ran it in my first year of running as a 13-year-old youngster, probably in 1966.

There were probably 100 people on the starting line. They had arranged for little girls to run a 1.5-mile section of the course. I actually led the race, but I was led to believe that we were supposed to go all the way up the hill to the Cliff House. A youngster came flying by me and I had no idea the finish line was only 100 meters away. (Editor’s Note: At that time, the full B to B course was approximately 7.8 miles and ran from the Ferry Building to the base of the hill at the Cliff House.) I think I might have run Breakers one more time before ’91. I love that race, but I only ran it two or three times.

CTRN: What are your recollections about the unique aspects of Breakers?

SS: Of course, the immensity of the field. I remember doing some strides, looking back at all the runners lined up, and not being able to see the back of the pack which, basically, went all the way back to the bay. It was a little overwhelming. I don’t think there’s another race where you can see a line of runners that deep.

That race was a really long time ago, but I remember that it was really a lot of fun and I felt really good about my effort.

CTRN: What are some of your specific recollections about ’91 Breakers?

L-S: I remember Joan Samuelson explained to me before the race that I definitely would want a Palace Guard [escort] during the race. (Editor’s Note: The Palace Guard is a cadre of swift male runners who run with the fastest women to prevent them from being jostled by the pack.) So, I had a Palace Guard. I remember all the people [“bandits”] ahead of the starting line who just start pouring in from the sidelines. I loved running in the City. It’s so breathtakingly beautiful.

You kind of forget that when you’re away for so long.

I always considered myself a really good downhill runner, and was also good on slight upgrades. So that was to my advantage on the Breakers’ course. And I remember people commenting about how stiff I looked when I was warming down after the race.

CTRN: Steve, 1991 was a great year for you.

You went on to compete at the World Championships marathon and ran very, very well. And later that year, you competed on the U.S. Ekiden Relay team.

SS: Yes, ’91 started and ended well with a lot of good races in between. Early in the year, I won the Jacksonville River Run, and then the 10,000m at the Penn Relays, which was a good tune-up for Bay to Breakers. After Breakers, I took a break. Then I went to Maine for the summer to get ready for the World Championships. And Breakers had set me up well to get ready for those championships because my speed was obviously pretty good at that point. I just needed to establish some more endurance.

I had no idea that I have the fastest [U.S. men’s 12K] time there. It’s quite an honor with all those great names. s

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