CTRN-JUS-2011_LORES

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Includes the Runner’s Schedule Calendar!

CaliforniaTrack &RunningNews

Aug–Sept 2011

VOLUME 37 NUMBER 3 $3.95

REVIEWS OF 8 MIINIMALIST SHOES ASSOCIATION LDR CHAMPS & UPDATES EARLY SEASON T&F

PRImages by Kathy Camet Photography

SARA HALL (#52) ran a PB and EMMA COBURN notched the Olympic “A” Standard in the 3K steeplechase at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford University on May 1.

More Track & Field on page 19.

www.caltrack.com

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From the Publisher O

n May 15, I was at the AAF Library in Los Angeles for a memorial for one of the giants on which this sport’s infrastructure was built, Tom Sturak, who had died on April 29th, 2011. Tom was married to women’s running pioneer Jacqueline Hansen, who cared for him over the past decade as he slipped into a very difficult physical and mental decline. Her profound love and respect for the man she shared her life with for thirty-something years was striking and the memorial was a tremendous testimony to not only Tom, but to Tom and Jackie’s love for each other.

Sturak was a high school and college track athlete, setting 6 school records at San Diego State and winning 2 conference titles. He ran for the San Diego Track Club and SoCal Striders. Running was a huge part of his life, but it was his ability to affect people that made him stand out. His best high school friend, Walt Fisher, quoted from their yearbook. Coaches from Jim Bush to Lazlo Tabori spoke of his kindness and support.

Athletes Willie Banks and Tom & Ruth Wysocki remembered their dealings with him. 1972 Olympic bronze medalist and ’83 NYC Marathon winner Rod Dixon also drove up to pay his respects. Remembrances from 40+ people drew a picture of a man who was key to the development of modern sports marketing, from the companies that hired the athletes, to the managers and agents who represented them. Sturak and his buddy Pat Peterson spent more than 15 summers in Europe and Asia at track meets, representing athletes.

The memorial service was emceed by Tom’s longtime friend John Gregorio, who worked with Tom at both Nike and Reebok. His stories of Tom, along with the tributes from coaches, friends, and athletes were touching. Bill Scobey (“Mad Dog” in his running days), who could have been Tom’s twin, and John Anderson and Bob Deines, offered touching tributes to a man who had affected their lives. Anderson, who wrote for rock music magazines for decades, hasn’t missed a day of running in something like 42 years, I believe, and Deines (4th in the 1968 Olympic Trials marathon) went on to became an ultra marathon legend.

Among those who couldn’t be there in person but sent messages was Mark Bossardet, who was hired by Sturak at Reebok. Mark noted: “Tom and I did not get off to the best start, but Tom told me that I would go far.” Jackie confided that “Tom loved Boz; he liked his New York attitude.”

Another was Pat Devaney, a man who, like Sturak, gave many people their start in the business. Pat wrote this about his friend: “It should be known to all that a part of Tom’s legacy was his behind-the-scenes involvement in launching two of the world’s top athletic footwear brands. Tom gave many a young athlete the opportunity to compete at national and international levels that greatly influenced their development as athletes and individuals. Tom was an integral part of the fiber that helped shape and define the sport of track & field

in the ’80s and ’90s.”

It was an emotional day for me and I found it hard to get out what I really wanted to say. After a few false starts, I noted about Tom something my father has told me over and over: “What is truly important in life is who you love and who loves you. Friendships and love are the key.”

You will be missed, Tom, and you will continue to be loved.

Larry Eder

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

Let Us Hear From You!

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.

Publisher assumes no responsibility or liability for content of paid advertising and reserves the right to reject paid advertising. Publisher expects that all claims by advertisers can be substantiated and that all guarantees will be honored. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Publisher.

Copyright © 2011 by Shooting Star Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be repro duced in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher. California Track & Running News is solely owned

by Shooting Star Media, Inc.

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 7 for how to contact your association for help.

Member of:

6 ct&rn • august–september 2011

CaliforniaTrack &RunningNews Volume 37, Number 3 August–September 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 PRImages by Kathy Camet Photography Rich Cruse/Honda LA Marathon MarathonFoto.com David Kloz, Pedro Santoni Wayne Joness, Dave Waco Association Consultants John Mansoor Pacific Lawrence Watson Central Wayne Joness Southern Mike Rouse San Diego/Imperial Proofreader Red Ink Editorial Services, Madison, WI Pre-Press/Printer W. D. Hoard & Sons Co., Fort Atkinson, WI 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 atflistings@gmail.com Advertising Production Manager Alex Larsen Counsel Philip J. Bradbury Melli Law, S.C. Madison, WI w w w. c a l t r a c k . c o m

e R_ g 2s4 1127716/ 40CJt 76/ o62300p228 30 112211M 5P24 A 22: NTt 28

Contents

Cal Track & Running News AUG–SEPT 2011

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Emerald Across the Bay 12K Action: VERITY BREEN (44, Burlingame) garned 6th place female and women’s masters crown in 45:30. See story in the LDR Section of this issue.

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Dave Waco Photo

The Basics 6 9 22

From the Publisher The Runner’s Schedule Calendar Reviews: Minimalist Shoes

Departments 8 11 19 29

Regional USATF Association News Long Distance Running Track & Field Race Walking

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.

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

august–september 2011 • ct&rn

7

CTRN JA11 pp1to40_sept/oct 2008 7/18/11 2:07 PM Page 8

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

Summertime and The Livin’ Is Easy ... Not! By the time you receive this issue, the Pacific Association will have just completed the World Masters Association in Sacramento. Those master-, national-, association-, and internationally certified officials have gone home to relax in a cool, air-conditioned living room or in the cool Bay Area. Events occurred early morning to midday and then again in the early evening into the night. Let’s give a big applause for all the volunteer officials and volunteers of WMA! Make sure to express your gratitude to the officials in the events, whether it be track & field, LDR, racewalk, etc. We all need officials to ensure safety, fair competition, and fair play.

Congratulations to the athletes who were

awarded an Elite Training Grant of $1,000: Nkosinza Balumbu, Olympic A Trials standard in the triple jump; Amy Happanen, Olympic A standard in the hammer throw; Stephan Shay, Olympic Trials A standard in the half marathon LDR; Cory White, IAAF A and Olympic A Trials standard in the javelin; and Rubin Williams, IAAF B standard in the 200m.

Athletes who were awarded $500 are: Sara Ackerman, training to qualify in the discus; Anne Bersagel, training to qualify in the 10,000m and marathon; Rachael Booth, Olympic B standard marathon; Lindsay Nelson, training to qualify in the marathon; and Stephanie Pancoast, Olympic Trials B in the 3K steeplechase.

The best promoters of the elite training grant were the coaches. We hope that next year there will be more applicants. The grants range up to $1,000. Please take advantage of this training assistance resource. Besides the executive board (Dave Shrock, PhD, vice president; Maura Kent, secretary; Lloyd Stephenson; past PA president George Kleeman; and myself), we

Physically Challenged Division Debuts at Zippy’s 5K

PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED & WHEELCHAIR ATHLETIC DIVISIONS INFORMATION FOR LONG DISTANCE RACING

BY GEORGE REHMET

participating athletes were happy to see that there’s a division for them now and are hopeful that this division will be made permanent in the PA/USATF Grand Prix and implemented in other running races. The participating athletes later discussed how it will take time to grow the PC division as potential PC athletes need to be made aware of this division.

These athletes also belong to the Challenged Athletes Foundation that has publicized this series.

Courtesy of Zippy’s 5K

Zippy’s 5K had the distinct honor of hosting the first physically challenged division for long distance racing.

(Surprisingly in California, PC divisions are commonplace in triathlons, a much younger sport than running.) PC runners are athletes who are amputees and use prosthetics. The athletes have the challenge of balancing themselves while in continual motion. Like other runners, these athletes are susceptible to injuries but they have the additional possibility of mechanical failure with their prosthetic.

Geoff Turner of Pamakid Runners was the winner of this division. The athletes were pleased with the race’s support and that other runners gave them space. More importantly, the

Inaugural winner Geoff Turner is in the yellow jersey.

had an elite athlete evaluator in Shannon Rowbury, our PA 2008 Olympic and world Bronze medalist in the 1500m, Al Hernandez, men’s open T&F chair; and Fred Baer, women’s T&F chair, participate in the decision-making process.

The PA Foundation has formed its board of trustees, so there will be scholarships and more grants available for athletes in the near future. The board members are Dennis Boyle, retired superintendent of the Anderson Union HS District and master official; Toby Stevenson, board president; assistant coach at Stanford for pole vault and multi event athletes and motivational speaker; George Kleeman, past president PA, multi-talented administrator of the PA, master and technical official and “Mr. Rulebook;” Stephen Crow, PhD, CFO/treasurer of the Foundation, a tax and financial professor at CSUS and a master official; and Dolton Simmons, board secretary, a scientist and youth official chair and a national official. You see, we have talented and experienced people on the board with track & field, LDR, officials, and most of all, caring for the needs of elite and emerging elite athletes. Be on the lookout for news in the fall. Once the bylaws and filings are approved, the Foundation will be alive and kicking.

Cross your fingers! Our 2013 National XC bid proposal is in the cross country council’s hands. I hope to report the results of our bid in the next magazine. The Pacific Association’s local organizing committee is Tim Wason, race director and volunteer chair; Fred Baer, hospitality chair; Dick Connors, officials coordinator; and myself as the local organizing chair. Our proposal is to host the event at Golden Gate Park beginning at Speedway Meadows and ending at the south end of the Polo Fields. Hotels are going to be at Fisherman’s Wharf.

We have just completed three of the five Physically Challenged circuit races. The first three were the Zippy 5K, Marin 10K, and the San Rafael Mile. The two that remain are the Humboldt and Clarksburg Half Marathons.

Please spread the word and check out the information on our website under Road Racing.

We have a new board to serve you. Each term is two years. President: Irene Herman (2nd term); Vice President: Dave Shrock (2nd term); and Treasurer: Fred Baer (1st term). [At CTRN’s deadline, the position of Secretary was still being contested between Nadine Davis, current executive board youth secretary, and Lloyd Stevenson, past PA Treasurer.] There is a two-term limit.

See you at the cross country races and the roads in the fall!

Association News continues on page 27.

8 ct&rn • august–september 2011

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CaliforniaTrack &RunningNews presents the

August–September 2011

Runner’s Schedule Calendar YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO RUNNING, WALKING, TRAIL & MULTI-SPORTS IN CALIFORNIA containing events through December 2011!

25,000 Copies Distributed!

MarathonFoto.com

Carmel's Big Sur 5K (May 1) hosted the Pacific Association/USATF 5K Championship and Road Grand Prix event. On a sunny, calm-to-moderately windy morning, JAMESON MORA (27, Arroyo Grande) and RACHEL BOOTH (30, Dublin) picked up overall victories, heading 803 5K finishers as about 4,000 marathoners tackled the challenging companion Big Sur International Marathon.

Check inside for information on: • Event Listings • LDR and Track & Field Updates • Reviews of 8 Minimalist Shoes

You can also find this calendar at www.caltrack.com.

CTRN JA11 pp1to40_sept/oct 2008 7/18/11 2:07 PM Page 10

Calendar

July 2, SAT Los Gatos: Skyland Mountain Run 10K Run, 5K Run-Walk, 1K Kids Run (14th), www.skylandchurch.com/skylandrun_2010 Graeagle: Graeagle 5K/10K Run, Walk, Stride, 9am $20, $25 race day w/t-s, medals to all. Kids _ M Free (no t-s). S/F Graeagle Real Estate (49 miles no. of Truckee, Hwy 89); at, scenic, road & trail in beautiful Mohawk Valley. Ideal vacation spot, swimming, restaurants, golf, cycling,etc. Sky High Events, 4967 Santa Rita Rd, 94820-0963; 510/223-5778; Online TheSchedule.com July 3, SUN Graeagle: Graeagle Triathlon (.5mS-15mB-5kR), SuperKidz Tri, 8am $40, $50-Teams, $45/$55 race day w/t-s and medals for all. SuperKidz 7:45am (5-12 yrs) $15. Mill Pond next to Greagle General Store; S-warm water lake, B-loop at, R-road run mostly at, mild hills. Great for teams! Sky High Events, 4967 Santa Rita Rd, 94820-0963; 510/223-5778; Online TheSchedule.com July 10, SUN Castro Valley: Eden Medical Center’s Run to the Lake 5K & 10K, 2,000 Runners/Walkers+ Kids Fun Run, BeneďŹ ts: Eden Medical Center Trauma Center July 17, SUN Seattle, WA: SEE JANE RUN WOMEN’S HALF MARATHON and 5K, Take a big group of women, add chocolate, champagne, massages, laughter, tears and lots of fun‌it feels like a girls’ night out, right? But it’s not. It’s the See Jane Run Half Marathon and 5K Race Series! Grab your mother, sister, daughter, girlfriends and join the celebration. WWW.seejanerun.com/t-See-Jane-RunSEATTLE-Half-Marathon-and-5K.aspx Santa Cruz: DIP and DASH and Dash, Also 8/14 and 9-18. Go to www.ďŹ nishlineproduction.com for more information.

July 24, SUN San Francisco: ALCATRAZ ‘ESCAPE FROM THE ROCK’ TRIATHLON™ - 31st annual. $250- Individual, $360-Relay, w/t-s.

Prices go up 4/1. 1.5 mile swim, 2.25 mile run1, 12 mile bike, 14 mile run2. Enjoy the course in and along Lake Berryessa as you’re surrounded by Napa Valley’s beauty. Enviro-Sports, PO Box 1040, Stinson Beach, CA 94970; info@envirosports.com; www.envirosports.com; 415/868-1829.

Santa Cruz to Capitola: Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile (39th), 8:30am 40 bands along the point to point course. Limit 15,000 people, cash prizes. www.wharftowharf; kirby@wharftowaharf.com

July 31, SUN San Francisco: San Francisco Marathon, The San Francisco Marathon is a loop course. The race starts and ďŹ nishes on the Embarcadero. The Full Marathon runs through Fisherman's Wharf, the Marina, across the Golden Gate Bridge (and back!), through the Presidio and into Golden Gate Park. After a tour of Golden Gate Park, you'll run down the famous Haight Street and through the Mission, Potrero and Mission Bay Districts. After a pass behind AT&T Park your almost home - just run under the Bay Bridge and up to the Finish Line. The course is USATF certiďŹ ed and is a Boston Marathon qualifying race. For more info go to www.thesfmarathon.com Incline Village: LAKE TAHOE SHARKFEST SWIM™ - Inaugural.

Adult $65, Juniors (17 & Under) $35, w/t-s. Prices go up 4/1.

1.2m swim. Lake Tahoe offers both comfortable water and air temperatures this time of year, making it a perfect swim venue.

Enviro-Sports, PO Box 1040, Stinson Beach, CA 94970; info@envirosports.com; www.sharkfestswim.com; 415/8681829.

August 6, SAT Oakland: Bay Area 10K, Join other Bay Area runners and joggers for a fun and competitive 10K run around the beautiful Lake Merritt in Oakland. This event was developed to inspire healthier lifestyles and encourage awareness of environmental issues.

Please wear green to increase appreciation for our natural environment. http://www.CoastRun.com August 7, SUN Cupertino: Silicon Valley Open Water Swim 2M, 1M version 1.0, 8am $50. The Silicon Valley Open Water Swim will be held at Stevens Creek Reservoir, a rare opportunity for swimmers, triathletes and anyone the chance to swim (legally) in one of California's premier and most scenic reservoirs. The venue is ideal for competition, while combining a pristine California spring day and sparkling clean water. Participants will range from energetic kids to highly trained world–class caliber swimmers.

This open water swim will be a great kick – off to a summer ďŹ lled with special events and a perfect warm up for triathletes & swimmers to get out of the pool and enjoy some clean open water swimming & great competition.Online www.theschedule.com; www.bigwaveproductions.com August 11, THURS South Lake Tahoe: THIN AIR DISTANCE FESTIVAL, www.thinairdistancefestival.com August 14, SUN Santa Cruz: DIP & DASH & Dash, www.ďŹ nishlineproduction.com

Donner Summit: Wild West half Marathon, 10K Wilderness Run, 9am $25, $30 race day with t-shirt and medal. Out and back course on fairly level streets, ďŹ re roads trails, and single track trails, rolling, no major hills! MagniďŹ cent high Sierra scenery. Four aid stations on course. Online reg. at www.theschedule.com San Mateo: EMEF 5K Fun Run/Walk, 9am $25 through race day.

This Family Fun Run is all about ďŹ tness, fun and supporting a great scholarship foundation. A scenic 5K loop around the park and marina, this event should be quick and comfortable for all ages.

Kids welcome. T-shirts and medals to all ďŹ nishers, snacks for everyone. 100% of proceeds go to foundation. Online www.thescheule.com; www.cleanomilleref.com August 20, SAT Hayward: 10K On the Bay, Run or walk along the Bay Trail and enjoy breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay-Estuary.

Participate in a 10K or 5K run/walk. Proceeds from this event help maintain and enhance the educational programs, exhibits, and facilities of the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center. www.10konthebay.org August 21, SUN San Mateo: Bay Vista 5K, 10K & Kid’s fun runs, are on the Bay Trails along the San Francisco Bay in San Mateo County starting at the scenic Coyote Point Park in San Mateo. To register and for more information, please visit www.moshanproductions.com and click on the Bay Vista Run tab.

August 27, SAT Calabasas: BullDog 50K and 25K, The challenging and popular Bulldog runs consist of two races - the 25K Trail Run and the 50K Trail Ultra Run, which are conducted simultaneously. Come join us and run in the beautiful scenic Santa Monica Mountains recreational area beginning at our base camp in Malibu Creek State Park, Malibu California. The challenging course offers inspirational vistas of untamed terrain and sweeping ocean views as it weaves through the mountains on single track and ďŹ re roads. www.trailrunevents.com San Francisco: The Giant Race, www.thegiantrace.com El Sobrante: DU-TOES Duathlon/Triathlon/4 Mile Run/Walk (Du4mR-22mB-2mR/Tri-4mR-22mB-4mKayak and 4m fun run), 8:00 am USAT Sanctioned – Duathlon $60-Indiv/$90-Team / Triathlon $60-Indiv/$110-Team / 4mile $30.00 w/t-s, After 8/20/11 add $10.00 w/t-s till gone, Awards – Plaques 5-deep 5yr age grp in Du/Tri / Medals 3-deep in 4mile, Plus Special Awards to Masters – 10 Year grp 40 – 70+, 500 San Pablo Dam Rd, Orinda, CA, 94563, More info www.wolfpackevents.com, Online www.active.com, 510-459-0854. The runs are on trails, Bike

Race Listings continue on page 25.

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10 c t & r n • a u g u s t — s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1

CTRN JA11 pp1to40_sept/oct 2008 7/18/11 2:07 PM Page 11

LDR News Pacific Association LDR

BY MARK WINITZ

NorCal John Frank Memorial 10-Miler PA/USATF 10-Mile Championship Redding; March 5 This PA/USATF 10-Mile Championship yielded a number of fine times, but a couple of athletes in their 50s recorded performances that had their younger cohorts drooling with envy.

Or perhaps, with anticipation of gaining racing wisdom with maturity.

Sacramento’s Iain Mickle, 50, turned in a sparkling 55:57 on this rolling, out-and-back course on Redding’s Sacramento River Trail for 16th place overall among 250 finishers. His first-ever 90+ age-graded score (90%) and his fastest 10 miles since college earned him the masters men’s title.

Christine Kennedy, 56, of Los Gatos, ran remarkably well here for the third year in a row.

The Irish women’s marathon recordholder’s 1:03:54 finish (96% age-graded) earned sixth place among women.

Mario Mendoza, 25, of Bend, OR, and Jane Kibii, 25, of Auburn by-way-of-Kenya, took home the overall victories in 51:53 and 57:15, respectively.

The men’s race quickly became a two-man

affair at the front as Jesse Regnier (Lafayette) broke open a sluggishly moving pack with a move just after one mile—a gap that Mendoza bridged by mile two.

“My goals for the race were very simple. I wanted to win the race,” said Mendoza. “I knew I was the only open [ASICS] Aggie out there and wanted to get the win for my teammates.”

Mendoza did exactly that in his first PA/USATF Grand Prix road race since completing his collegiate running career in 2009 at St. Mary’s College (Moraga) where he ran 4:00.23 for 1500m and 14:48.26 for 5000m. Regnier, who was also competing in his first PA/USATF G.P. road race since graduating from U MassAmherst in ’09, and Mendoza matched strides while progressively upping the tempo until mile 9 where Mendoza made a move.

“I looked back with about a half-mile to go and thought [Regnier] was done,” said Mendoza. “But he was very tough and closed back on me. I had to kick at the end to gap him, which made the race really fun.”

Regnier finished two seconds behind Mendoza in 51:55. Tim Tollefson (age 25, Roseville) was third at 52:24. The times were well off the men’s course record (48:50, 2009, Sergio Reyes) and all-time race record (48:29, 1982, Ric Sayre). The Chico Track Club, led

by Tollefson, placed first in PA/USATF Open Men’s team competition.

With 32:23 10K and 1:12:26 half marathon credentials, Kibii, running for the first time at NorCal 10, had the wherewithal—but not the competition—to threaten the women’s

Iain Mickle (#25) and Valerie Young (#104) earned PA/USATF masters’ titles in Redding at the NorCal John Frank Memorial 10-Miler.

course record (55:59, 2004, Magdalena Lewy Boulet). Competing in her first PA/USATF G.P. event, the Kenyan who trains in the foothills of Auburn for part of each year made the race no contest, breaking the finish tape more than three minutes in front of her closest rival. Kibii’s 57:15 winning effort was the third-fastest female time during the 41 years that the event has been held. Linda Somers Smith’s phenomenal 57:09 at age 48 in 2010 is the secondfastest time.

Madeline Kramer (23, Berkeley) surprised herself with a 1:00:19 runner-up performance.

She had planned on running a 1:02 or 1:03.

“Coming into the race, I thought that the hills were going to be a lot worse than they were,” said Kramer about the course where a series of ups and downs predominate between three and six miles.

“Once I finished the first hill without a lot of pain, I decided to keep a strong pace. With two miles left, I felt good enough to get a 60 and picked it up a bit. I guess I exceeded my race strategy because I felt too good to run conservatively.”

Kramer’s performance paced the Impala Racing Team to the PA/USATF Open Women’s team title.

Valerie Young (44, Novato) finished third in 1:01:55 and captured the female masters crown.

“I haven’t run this distance in over six years, so I knew I had to be conservative in the beginning,” Young said. “At three miles, I found myself running alone. It wasn’t until seven miles that I started to gain on some people, and passed several men with some faster splits of 6:05 and 6:00. Overall, I was pleased with my race.”

PA/USATF division titlists in the older ranks were: Super Seniors (60–69): John Yamagata, 1:06:10 and Betty Thomas, 1:22:19; Veterans (70+): Hans Schmid, 1:12:35 and Marge Dunlap, 1:34:50.

Dave Waco

Emerald Across the Bay 12K PA/USATF 12K Championship San Francisco; March 20 Coming into the Emerald Across the Bay 12K, ASICS Aggies club members Phillip Reid, Sergio Reyes, and Heather Gibson knew what to expect. Between them, they had garnered four victories and seven top-three finishes in the last four years at this Pacific Association USA Track & Field Championship event.

Kenya’s Jane Kibii, making her debut at the race, didn’t know what to expect from the Sausalito-to-San Francisco course that goes over august–september 2011 • ct&rn

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CTRN JA11 pp1to40_sept/oct 2008 7/18/11 2:07 PM Page 12

PRImages by Kathy Camet Photography

LDR continued from page 11 places behind Reid. “I think we needed to have a little more recovery time.”

Tommy Greenless, Lenin Zapata, and Jonathan Cardenas also hung in the lead fivepack over the bridge, through Crissy Field, and along the scenic bayside Marina Green.

“My goal was to get into the top three,” said Greenless, who placed in that spot in 2009. “I hadn’t raced for quite a while, so I didn’t know how my body would react. I just wanted to tuck behind, get a good rhythm, and get used to racing again.”

With about 11⁄2 miles remaining of the 12K/7.46-mile distance, Reid injected a surge that strung out the group and proceeded to his third win in the last four years, finishing in 37:36. Reyes (Los Osos) followed in PA/USATF 12K titlist Phillip Reid (#13) in the men’s lead pack 37:49 for the runner-up at the Across the Bay 12K. spot. Greenless (Walnut the Golden Gate Bridge. Yet she handily went Creek) was third in 37:59. home with the women’s overall victory. Gibson “I just went with how I felt today,” Reid improved to garner the women’s runner-up said after the race. “Basically, [Reyes] and I came position for the first time as Reid and Reyes here to represent the Aggies, and it worked out duplicated the 1–2 men’s places they scored in well.”

2009. 2,027 runners finished the race as light The Aggies took home the PA/USATF rain arrived about midway through the event. open men’s team title.

Crosswinds on the bridge and slick asphalt in Four-time Across the Bay 12K overall spots slowed times. champion Chris Schille (age 44, San Jose) won Given the conditions, the lead pack of a tightly contested dual with Jaime Heilpern, about five men chose to be cautious. That was 41, for the men’s masters crown. Schille’s 41:43 after Reid, following a lead pace by Reyes, took beat Heilpern by 13 seconds. a brief shot at Bill Donakowski’s men’s race “Jaime nearly dropped me at least half a record of 35:48 set in 1987. In 2010, Reyes, the dozen times,” Schille said about the back-anddefending men’s champion, missed that mark by forth affair. “It was his first time racing at Across only three seconds while recording the second- the Bay, and he faded as we approached the final fastest time by a male at this race. The race hill [with about a quarter-mile remaining]. But record attempt was abandoned soon after the I knew how close we were to the finish and was first mile, however, when reality hit home. able to power up and down the hill.”

“Going over the bridge, we were too slow In the women’s race, Jane Kibii for record pace, so it set itself up as a tactical (Kenya/Auburn) made it no contest, speeding race” said Reid (San Luis Obispo), who, along away from the gun for her second consecutive with Reyes, are the only two men besides PA/USATF championship victory in 2011. Her Donakowski who have run under 36 minutes in winning time of 42:33 was over a minute ahead the race’s 28-year history. “The conditions of her closest competitor. weren’t ideal with the wind, and nobody really “It was a good race for me,” said Kibii. wanted to lead.”

“The second mile [climb up to the bridge] was “We both had really strong races a week [challenging]. It’s a difficult course and a nice ago in Jacksonville [Florida],” added Reyes, race. I like it.” referring to the Gate River Run/USA 15K Heather Gibson (Campbell) came into Championships where he placed 18th, four the race determined to improve upon four third12 c t & r n • a u g u s t – s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1

place finishes here in the prior four years and to shake off some rust as she prepared for track season and an Olympic Trials qualifying run at 10,000m, an event in which her PR is 33:32.

“When the gun went off, I was cold, and the wind felt like it was blowing hard against us all in the first mile,” Gibson said. “My race strategy was to run my own race, run each mile fast, and not to let the conditions slow me down. At six miles, I lost sight of Kibii, but I knew there was another woman only seconds behind. And I could tell my pace was slipping with the wind up against us again.”

Gibson held on well for second place and crossed the finish line at San Francisco’s Aquatic Park in 43:51—with a substantial 24-second cushion over third-placer Emily Kroshus of Boston. New Balance Silicon Valley secured the PA/USATF open women’s team title.

Verity Breen (44, Burlingame) garnered sixth-place female and the women’s masters crown in 45:30. The 2003 Australian marathon champion and 2009 50K road champion was pointing towards the Boston Marathon a month later, where she finished in 2:57:51.

Christine Kennedy, 56, was thwarted from a new U.S. age-group record for the second year in a row. Under less-than-ideal weather conditions the prolific Kennedy finished in 47:52, a full two minutes under the official record of 49:53 set by Barbara Miller at the 1995 Bay to Breakers 12K. At last year’s Across the Bay 12K, Kennedy recorded a time of 46:58, under the record by almost three minutes.

Yet Kennedy’s times on the roller coaster Marin County to San Francisco course won’t eclipse Miller’s 12K record because the course exceeds USATF’s start/finish separation and net elevation drop requirements for record eligibility.

Additional age group PA/USATF champions at the Across the Bay 12K were: Seniors (50–59): Iain Mickle, 42:39 and Christine Kennedy, 47:52; Super Seniors (60–69): John Yamaguta, 50:27 and Jo Anne Rowland, 59:19; Veterans (70+): Joe Hurtado, 57:53 and Marge Dunlap, 1:14:08.

Dave Rhody created this event as the Houlihan’s to Houlihan’s race in 1984. It turned out that Dave had a natural instinct for event productions as the first Houlihan’s to Houlihan’s was a great success with nearly 2,000 runners.

That success continues today as the Emerald Across the Bay 12K. Since the race’s inception, it has benefited Edgewood Center for Children and Families, a nonprofit that helps children overcome severe challenges like abuse, neglect, mental illness, and family crisis.

New Balance Excelsior Zippy 5K PA/USATF 5K Championship San Francisco; April 24 The keyhole-shaped Zippy 5K course in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park often makes or

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breaks performances over its final mile. An initial gradual descent down straight JFK Drive for the first mile turns into a moderately rolling loop for mile 2 around Stow Lake. Then runners re-trace their steps up JFK Drive over a moderate but predominantly uphill final mile to the finish. It’s a perfect layout for runners who pace their race correctly and have something left for a kick. For others, that last uphill, however moderate, seems like … well … a long haul.

Carl Dargitz (23, San Luis Obispo) and YiOu Wang (26, Mill Valley) both paced themselves intelligently and went home with PA/USATF championship titles on an overcast, occasionally drizzly Easter Sunday morning.

The ASICS Aggies-clad Dargitz, as a newcomer to the PA/USATF circuit, certainly caught the attention of his competitive cohorts after putting them at bay on his first attempt on this technically challenging course. The Biomedical Engineering major at Cal Poly-SLO who completed his collegiate track and cross country eligibility last year under track & field director/head coach Mark Conover was part of a lead men’s pack through a good portion of the first two miles. But the pace wasn’t blazing, around 4:55 at one mile and 9:52 at two.

“I was pretty happy that the guys went out a little slow and no one wanted to take the lead,” said Dargitz, who ran a PR of 14:07.89 for 5000m nine days before at the Mt. SAC Relays. “I didn’t want to go out too hard because I didn’t know the course that well.”

Right after two miles, where the course briefly dips downhill, Jonathan Charlesworth (West Valley TC) took the lead with Dargitz, Gus Gibbs (River City Rebels), and men’s defending champion Chris Chavez (Transports adidas) on his heels. But Charlesworth’s lead was short lived.

“I saw the [finish line timing] tent with about a half-mile to go,” Dargitz said, “so I made a move and opened a gap. I felt pretty good. The last mile must have been pretty quick.”

The surge propelled Dargitz to a 14:53 victory and a $250 slice of the $2,900 PA/USATF prize purse.

Dargitz wasn’t the only one with a strong finishing kick.

“I estimate that I ran the last mile in 4:37,” said Charlesworth, who finished third in 14:56.

“But with about 300 meters left, [Chris] Chavez, who must have run the last mile in 4:28 or something like that, came out of nowhere and flew by me.”

Chavez finished in second place at 14:54.

“But I think one of the big stories of the day is Dargitz,” Charlesworth added. “He ran an honest, even slow, pace for the first two miles and then really picked it up with about a mile to go. He must have run the last mile in 4:30 or so for the win.”

The Aggies’ Mike Livingston (46, Folsom) convincingly topped the men’s masters division with a superb 15:50 while topping the

performances on the day with a 90.25% agegraded score.

Wang approached the course slightly differently on her way to a strong women’s victory, her first on the 2011 PA/USATF Grand Prix tour after finishing atop the open women’s shortdistance circuit last year. She took the women’s lead after mile one and never looked back.

“I didn’t take any splits because it’s kind of a rolling course,” she said. “It’s definitely a runby-feel kind of course. I chose to start out easy because there’s a tendency to go out too fast on this course, especially when you’re running in a big group of guys. I really started pushing [around the lake] and then kept it steady coming in.”

Wang finished in 16:59, improving remarkably on her 17:47, fifth-place performance here last year. Maggie Conley finished a distant second in 17:20. Alicia Freese nipped Jennifer DeRego for third, as both were timed in 17:37.

“Today was a surprise,” summarized Wang who set her 5K road PR of 16:41 last November at the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot. “I really haven’t been training for the 5K since I just had a big block of marathon training and then took a couple of weeks off after that race. [Editor’s Note: Wang placed second at the March 6 Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon in 2:46:45, a PR.] Today was just a test of fitness.”

Magdalena Visser (42, San Francisco) topped female masters in 18:08.

Other PA/USATF divisional champions were: Seniors (50–59): Iain Mickle, 16:34 and Karen Steele, 19:46: Super Seniors (60–69): Arturo Rodriguez, 19:02 and Donna Chan, 22:29; Veterans (70-plus): Joe Hurtado, 22:53 and Jeanie Kayser-Jones, 29:56.

Geoff Turner (46, San Francisco) and Deborah Bevilacqua (42, Alameda) topped PA/USATF’s newly-created Physically Challenged division in 27:10 and 29:46, respectively. There were 396 total finishers in the race.

Big Sur 5K & Big Sur International Marathon PA/USATF 5K Championship Carmel; May 1 For the second weekend in a row, Pacific Association/USATF competitors flocked to an association 5K championship/road grand prix event—many for a test of fitness rather than for fast times. At first glance, the records for the hybrid road/cross country 5K course at Big Sur seem modest: Both records were set in 2010 (14:40, Sergio Reyes; 16:49, Clara Peterson).

But first glances can be deceiving. It’s a hilly course that features a dirt path over the majority of mile 2 along Monastery Beach with majestic views of the Pacific Ocean, rocky formations, and Point Lobos State Reserve.

On a sunny, calm-to-moderately windy

morning, Jameson Mora (27, Arroyo Grande) and Rachel Booth (30, Dublin) picked up overall victories, heading 803 5K finishers as about 4,000 marathoners tackled the challenging companion Big Sur International Marathon.

Mora pinned down his first PA/USATF Championship win since graduating from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in 2007 where he was a track and cross country teammate of 2009 Big Sur 5K men’s champion Phil Reid. (Reid was absent from Big Sur this year, opting to compete at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational that evening. See coverage elsewhere in this issue.)

Mora posted a personal best of 14:14 (5000m) while competing for the Mustangs.

“My goal was to win and I did,” Mora candidly commented about his Big Sur race. “I didn’t really care about time. I just wanted to compete. I think I’m at my best when I’m racing the other runners, not the clock.”

Although it was Mora’s debut at the Big Sur 5K, he had previewed the variable terrain course the day before.

“My plan was to run with the leaders regardless of how fast or slow the race went out and not take the lead until the final kick,” Mora continued. “I knew it was going to be tough for me to beat Jon [Jonathan Cardenas]. Just a few weeks ago he was pretty far ahead of me at Across the Bay 12K.” So Mora latched onto the heels of early coleaders Cardenas and Gus Gibbs who shared front-running chores for the majority of the race.

“At Zippy [5K] I didn’t do any of the work,” said Gibbs about the previous weekend’s PA/USATF 5K where he placed fourth. “I sat in with a bunch of guys and let them break the wind for me. This week it was my turn to do some of the work.”

The three-pack exited the trail following mile 2 and encountered a slight headwind on Highway 1 as they headed back towards the start/finish area. At that point, Alan Jackson bridged up to the group. With a half-mile remaining, the race was still up for grabs as Mora sat back and let the others break the wind.

Finally, with about 500 meters remaining, Mora made a big move.

“When I saw [Mora] go, I thought ‘it’s now or never, I have to go with him,’ ” said Cardenas, who was also competing at his first Big Sur 5K—and hoping for a performance he could take home and talk about. “I literally grew up at this event. My parents (Eduardo Cardenas and Rossy Tibaduiza-Cardenas) and uncles (three-time Colombian Olympian Domingo Tibaduiza and Miguel Tibaduiza) used to run it.”

Mora, however, had the most left. He was fueled by the prospect of his first child (his wife was due to give birth three weeks later) and his cousin Bobbie’s strawberry pie, he said. In fact, Mora forged a sizable gap and broke the finish tape in 15:14. Cardenas was runner-up in

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LDR continued from page 13 15:27. Jackson (3rd, 15:29) and Gibbs (4th, 15:30) followed.

Jackson led his River City Rebels squad to the PA/USATF open men’s team title. 50-yearold Iain Mickle scored fifth man for the Rebels.

Mickle’s time of 17:01 gave him the individual PA/USATF masters men’s title.

“My time was 25 seconds slower than my Zippy 5K time, but that’s how this course is,” said Mickle, who was planning a peak for the 5000m and 10,000m at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Sacramento in July.

“I tried to go out hard and stay with my teammate, Chris Knorzer. I just followed him and tried to keep the turnover going.”

Knorzer finished second master, eight seconds behind Mickle.

In contrast, there was little suspense in the women’s race. New Balance Silicon Valley’s Rachel Booth raced virtually unchallenged, and recorded the victory in 17:27. Nicole Hagobian (nee Kulikov, second, 17:54) and Linn Schulte-Sasse (third, 18:13) followed.

“I’ve been doing a lot of 5Ks trying to work on speed a little bit,” Booth said. “5Ks are hard for me. I’d rather be doing the longer stuff.”

Booth ran a PR of 16:24 for 5000m on the track at the Mt. SAC Relays a couple of weekends before Big Sur. She qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials with a 2:43:06 at last year’s ING New York City Marathon.

Runner-up Hagobian won both the 2001 Big Sur 5K (17:39) and Zippy 5K (17:21) PA/USATF championships. “I was hoping for a faster time, but I knew it wasn’t going to be super fast,” she said.

2006 and 2009 Big Sur International Marathon women’s champion and ultramarathoner Mary Coordt, 41, moved way down in distance, placed fourth in 18:21, and captured the women’s masters crown.

“I’m really more in half marathon shape right now. But I love the Big Sur event, so I figured I’d get a good start for the World Masters Athletic Championships where I hope to run 17:30,” Coordt commented.

Additional PA/USATF divisional champions at the race: Seniors (50–59): Mickle (see above) and Karen Steele, 20:25; Super Seniors (60–69): Arturo Rodriguez, 19:56 and Donna Chan, 22:49; Veterans (70-plus): Hans

SCA LDR Report

BY WAYNE JONESS, SCA LDR Chair Brea 8K Classic Brea; Feb. 27 The Brea 8K Classic truly earned the name “classic” in 2011, celebrating 20 years of top

Schmid, 21:30 and Dina Kovash, 43:58.

Big Sur International Marathon Big Sur’s picturesque-but-rugged marathon course was temporarily re-routed this year. On March 16, a large section of Highway 1, midway on the point-to-point Big Sur-to-Carmel course, slid into the Pacific Ocean. So race organizers created an out-and-back course that finishes at Carmel Crossroads, the traditional finish line.

The modified, USATF-certified course eliminated Hurricane Point (the event’s steepest climb and descent) and scenic Bixby Bridge— but also added a brief tour of Pt. Lobos State Reserve. It also increased approximately 1,700 feet of climbing to about 2,400 feet—making an already challenging course even more challenging.

Jesus Campos, 26, of King City, was the men’s winner in 2:31:54. Ohio resident Beth Woodward, 35, secured the women’s title in 3:05:05.

Campos’ conservative early pace paid dividends, particularly since this year runners had to navigate the particularly hilly area through the Carmel Highlands twice—going out at about mile 3 and around mile 21 on the way back.

Campos—who competed in track & field at Fresno State University—didn’t catch co-leaders Hermann Achmueller of Italy (second, 2:34:17) and 2011 NorCal 10-Mile champion Mario Mendoza (fourth, 2:40:01) until 24 miles.

Campos exerted control over the final two miles as Mendoza faded to a walk and yielded third place to New Jersey’s David Welch (2:38:11).

“I never thought I’d catch them [Achmueller and Mendoza],” Campos told the Monterey County Herald. “Then I got them and just took off. I still had a good kick.”

Achmueller, 40, also went home with the masters men’s win only two weeks after turning in a 2:24:39 at the Boston Marathon.

Woodward also ran the Boston Marathon before leading the women at Big Sur, as part of the Boston 2 Big Sur Challenge, a promotion introduced by the BSIM last year.

Mexico’s Lorenza Jimenez, 42, was the top female master finisher in 3:13:32 for sixth place overall.

competition in the rare distance of 8K road racing. A record-breaking crowd of more than 3,200 runners came out to celebrate the big day and more than attendance records fell. Cheryl Smith (30) of Nike Team Run LA, smashed the previous course record by 23 seconds, running 27:47! Smith is the two-time USATF Southern California marathon champion, winning backto-back titles in 2009 and 2010. Whom did she have to beat to set a new course record? USATF Southern California athlete advisor Kelly Flathers, who set the previous record of 28:10 in 2007. august–september 2011 • ct&rn

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LDR continued from page 15

Brea 8K team competition winners The Janes Elite Racing (l–r): Tania Fischer, Emily Mitchell, Sarah Montez, Adrienne Schumm, Kirsten Leetch, and Jenna Dee. Below: LA Marathon open winner Daniel Rojas and masters’ winner Rich Gust of Club Ed Running.

In the men’s division, a relaxed Daniel Rojas (28) led the way, finishing in a strong 24:44. Rojas also represented Nike Team Run LA. Like many of the USATF runners at Brea on Sunday, Rojas was using the 8K as a final tune-up run for a crack at the SCA/USATF Marathon Championships race, the 2011 Honda LA Marathon presented by K-Swiss.

Asked how he felt after finishing the race, Rojas replied, “Great! I think I’m ready for the LA Marathon. My legs feel strong and I could have probably run a few seconds faster if I wanted to.” Rojas was then surprised to learn that he was just five seconds off the course record set the previous year by 2010 SCA//USATF 10K champion Brian Livingston!

The masters division was won by seemingly unstoppable Christian Cushing-Murray (43), who was third overall with a time of 26:29. As a member of mighty masters collective Compex Racing, “Cush” has proven his diverse abilities, recently winning national cross country titles, as well as the 2010 Southern California 1-Mile masters championship title.

And the women’s masters division title went to The Janes Elite Racing’s Kirsten Leetch (45) with a time of 29:20. In fact, Leetch was just 4 seconds behind teammate Sarah Montez (25), who was second overall with a time of 29:16.

While it was a close call in the club competition, the strength of The Janes won the day, with 4,198 Grand Prix points compared to Club Ed Running’s 4,189. Third place went to Cal Coast Track Club (3,997), helmed by

coach Bill Sumner. Sumner has really motivated his runners to get involved in the Road Running Grand Prix, and Cal Coast has a solid record of competition along with Club Ed Running and The Janes. Other USATF clubs running at Brea included So Cal Road Runners, A Snail’s Pace Running Club, and the always-triumphant Equalizers Track Club.

As in 2010, the Equalizers showcased the new talent being developed in our association. The age-graded scores of the Equalizers totaled 4,138, placing them in the top rankings with the seasoned veteran runners of The Janes and Club Ed Running.

In the youth division, first-place awards went to Alexandra Gushue (F11, 32:14), for runners 11-and-younger, and Sydney Tullai (F12, 30:57), for runners 12–13. Both are members of the Equalizers, and Gushue is the 2010 Youth Road Running Grand Prix champion. In the boys division 11-and-younger, Stuart Kendall (M11) won with a time of 30:45, and the 12–13 award went to Phillip Rocha (M12). Kendall is also a member of the Equalizers, and Rocha runs with the So Cal Road Runners.

er? Apparently the answer is course-breaking finishing times and new personal bests. As more than 23,000 runners took to the streets of Los Angeles for the 2011 Honda LA Marathon Presented by K-Swiss, the skies above unleashed a torrent of rain—nearly 1⁄4 of the LA’s annual rainfall—in just a few hours.

While Southern California runners may enjoy sunny, idyllic running conditions yearround, our runners proved they have the mettle and mental stamina to hang tough when they need to. And no one proved this more than SCA/USATF 2011 marathon champion Amy Hastings (27), finishing second overall with a time of 2:27:03. Hastings fell well behind the leaders at one point, only to surge back and take charge as the runners came through the Brentwood area. Hastings recounted hearing her coach tell her, “You love the rain!” as the downpour increased. And that became her mantra, “I love the rain! I love the rain!” That focus pulled her through the final miles, giving her the third-fastest women’s debut marathon time in U.S. history.

Asked about his race strategy at the prerace expo, Daniel Rojas (28) said his goal was to run 2:20, then quickly amended his remarks with the usual “But I haven’t been training as much as I hoped.” Nevertheless, Rojas dailed in a precise 2:20:12 in his debut marathon, making him the ninth finisher overall and the first SCA/USATF runner. With his first marathon behind him, Rojas is now aiming for a sub-2:19 finish in a fall marathon to secure a spot in the Olympic Trials.

As a member of the SCA/USATF Grand Prix–leading Club Ed Running, Rich Gust (51) seems to be the perpetual “number 2 finisher” in race after race. But Gust took second

Honda LA Marathon Los Angeles; March 20 We’ve all heard that strength comes through adversity, but what comes through 26.2 miles of pelting rain, wind, and unseasonable weath-

7/4 8/28 10/2 10/9 11/24

Semana Nautica 15K, Grand Prix Scoring Only USATF SCA Road Mile Championships, Association 1-Mile Championships Lexus Santa Monica Classic 10,000m, Grand Prix Scoring Only International City Bank Long Beach Half Marathon, Association Half Marathon Championships Dana Point Turkey Trot 10K, Association 10K Championship

16 c t & r n • a u g u s t – s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1

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2011 SCA/USATF Road Grand Prix Schedule Details at www.scausatf.org

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place to no one with his 2:50:42 finish, winning the men’s 2011 marathon masters title. When Gust passed the USATF support station at mile 23, he looked like he was hammering home another top 5K finish with a strong, confident stride.

The women’s masters division title went to Susanne Eng (43), running 3:08:11. Eng runs with Track Club LA, a group based on the west side of Los Angeles. Many westside LA runners shared the same “secret weapon,” the hometown familiarity of running the final three miles down San Vicente Boulevard to the finish line near the Santa Monica pier. Though the climb up San Vicente from the Veterans Hospital was tough, many runners reported a renewed sense of determination as they headed toward the ocean, picking up the pace in the final three miles. Despite the tough conditions, runners on average finished the 2011 LA Marathon 10 minutes faster than in 2010!

The youth division was lead by Patsy Hurley (F16) running a PB of 3:35:37. Her Equalizers teammate Ryan Thong (M10) also stayed strong, finishing in 5:05:45.

The team competition went to Rich Gust and his fellow runners in Club Ed Running, posting 3,822 points, followed by the Susanne Eng–led Track Club LA with 3,597 points, and Team Runners High in third place, with 3,381 points. Gilbert Salazar (M38) was the top scorer for Team Runners High, running 2:34:06, and Salazar was also the fifth American across the finish line.

With three races in the nine-race series finished, Club Ed Running leads the overall scoring, followed by Cal Coast Track Club and The Janes Elite Racing.

BEST MARKS Californians Prominent in Major Events

BY MARK WINITZ Aided by perfect weather and a generous tailwind, Californian Ryan Hall became the fastest American in history with his fourthplace finish of 2:04:53 at the Boston Marathon on April 18. Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya ran the fastest marathon in history winning in a spectacular 2:03:02. (Due to the elevation drop and point-to-point measurements of the Boston course, the performances are not eligible for records.) Hall’s time was the fastest ever by an American on Boston’s course for the second year in a row, and 3:43 faster than his time in last year’s race, in which he also finished fourth.

Hall led the men’s front pack for much of the first 181⁄2 miles, occasionally drifting back and forth until, in the Newton Hills, serious moves began that broke up the pack. The race for the line was on.

“I couldn’t believe it. I was running 2:04 pace and I couldn’t even see the leaders,” said Hall, who’s training in the San Francisco Bay Area again with his wife, Sara. “For some reason, I have breakthroughs in races where everybody else breaks through as well. One of these days, I’ll break through when everybody else is having an off day.”

Additional top performances by Californians and Pacific Association/USATF athletes in the Boston Marathon: Fred Zalokar (Reno, 1st M50–54, 2:34:46), Christine Kennedy (Los Gatos, 1st F55–59, 2:56:17), Katherine Belers (Santa Cruz, 1st F75–79, 4:59:07), Judith Taksa Webb (Woodside, 2nd F65–69, 4:03:32), Shirley Fee (Santa Rosa, 2nd F70–74, 4:33:02), Luanne Park (Redding, 3rd F50–54, 3:12:21). For full details of the 2011 Boston Marathon, go to www.baa.org In an astonishingly deep women’s field at the 31st running of the Virgin London Marathon (April 25), 2008 U.S. Olympic marathoner Magdalena Lewy Boulet (Oakland) hit the half in 1:12:27. At that point, she was 1 minute, 50 seconds behind a lead pack of ten women. But she was on pace to improve on her PR of 2:26:22 set at last year’s Rotterdam Marathon that makes her the fifth-fastest American woman of all time. In London, Lewy Boulet was unable to hold her pace and finished in 2:31:22 for 23rd place.

In early- and mid-year World and USA championships on the roads and turf, Golden Staters were prominent: At the IAAF World Cross Country Championships (March 19, Punta Umbria, Spain) Magdalena Lewy Boulet and Blake Russell (Pacific Grove) helped the U.S. women earn their second con-

secutive team bronze medal. Lewy Boulet and Russell finished 18th and 19th, respectively.

Shalane Flanagan (OR) anchored the team by taking the individual bronze medal in the senior women’s 8K. “For a marathoner, this was a true test of my hurdling skills,” Lewy Boulet quipped after the race. “We ran a 2K loop four times and each loop had nine logs across the field that we had to jump over.”

Said Russell, who shared a spot with Lewy Boulet on the 2008 U.S. Oly marathon team: “It was the first time I’ve put on a USA jersey since Beijing, and it felt great to be back competing at a high level again. It was a thrill to be there to experience Shalane’s personal bronze medal and to walk away with another USA team bronze medal.”

At the Gate River Run 15K (March 12, Jacksonville, FL), both Mo Trafeh (Duarte) and Jen Rhines (Mammoth Lakes) won their second USA championship titles of 2011.

Rhines ran 49:31 for the women’s title and Trafeh hit the finish line in 42:58. Trafeh and Rhines were also the respective men’s and women’s champions at the USA Half Marathon Championships last January.

San Francisco’s Devon Crosby-Helms won the women’s national title at the USA 100K Championships (hosted by the Mad City 100K in Madison, Wisconsin on April 9) in 7:46:34. Nine days later, Crosby-Helms tackled the Grand Canyon’s Rim-to-Rim-toRim, nearly 42 miles with 11,000 feet of elevation gain. It’s not a race but, along with Krissy Moehl (Seattle), Crosby-Helms recorded the women’s Fastest Known Time (FKT) of 9:12:29, establishing a new standard.

On the opposite rim … uhmm … pole, David Torrence (Oakland) and Sara Hall (Big Bear Lake) turned in hot times at the third USA 1-Mile Road Championships (May 12, Minneapolis). In earning his third consecutive title, Torrence ran a course record 3:58.4 after Hall turned in a women’s course record of 4:30.8. Hall, who was prolific on the track this past spring (see “Early Outdoor Season Summary” on page 19), took command of the race in the final 400 meters, opening a lead of just over five seconds by the time she hit the tape.

“Winning the U.S. 1-Mile Road Championships was a very memorable moment,” Hall said. “The crowd was incredible along the whole course, despite the rain and cold. They really pushed me to breaking the record with the atmosphere they created.

“The race was a great moment to celebrate the new season after the changes we made this year,” Hall added, referring to her move away from Mammoth Lakes with husband Ryan to an altitude training camp in Flagstaff and a sealevel base at Stanford University.

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LDR continued from page 17 In fact, Ryan Hall—attempting a broad change of racing distance after his Boston Marathon performance—took the early pace in the men’s race, passing the first 400m in 61 seconds. But in a replay of the previous two years, Torrence waited until the course made a slight curve with 200m remaining to make his move, and pulled away for another convincing win.

“Depending on how the race went out, I was going to either make a hard, long move, or sit in the pack until the last 200 or 300 meters,” Torrence said. “Since Ryan was in the race, I figured he would try to use his marathon strength to go out hard and hold on. Since that pace was maintained by several surges from the field, I stayed tucked in, and just kicked hard the last 300 meters for the win.”

Why does Torrence, a 3:54 miler who broke Don Bowden’s school record while at Cal-Berkeley with a 3:58.62, run a mile on the roads?

“The road mile breaks up the monotony of running on a track for eight months straight.” Torrence commented. “Milers rarely get opportunities to do cross country or road races, so having this Road Mile championship really gives us an extra opportunity to get off the Mondo and hit the streets for once.”

Olympic marathon Silver medalist Meb Keflezighi (Mammoth Lakes) has announced that he plans to run this year’s ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 6, then rally back 69 days later and compete in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston next Jan. 14. The two-time Olympian registered back-to-back second-place finishes at the Athens Olympics and the ING New York City Marathon in 2004. Those races were 70 days apart.

Keflezighi and Magdalena Lewy Boulet were the top Californians at the historic 100th running of Zazzle Bay to Breakers 12K (San Francisco, May 15). Keflezighi finished 7th among men in 35:34, one place behind Colorado’s Jason Hartmann who was the first American. Ridouane Harroufi won in a time of 34:26, making him the first Moroccan male to ever win the race and the first non-Kenyan male to win in 20 years.

“Bay to Breakers has been on my list to do for a long time,” said Keflezighi, “and this year being the centennial anniversary I couldn’t pass it up. I was coming back from an injury that occurred two days before the NYC Half Marathon (March 20), so it was good to be back to competition. B2B was an awesome experience and the hospitality was great. I would love to come back fit and conquer the course. It was a blast to be in San Francisco for the first time.”

Lewy Boulet’s sixth-place finish in 41:26 improved her performance from last year by one place and 13 seconds as she was the first U.S. female finisher. Kenya’s Lineth Chepkurui successfully defended her woman’s title with a time of 39:12. The last time Americans won

here? For men: 1986, Ed Eyestone, 34:33; for women: 1993, Lynn Jennings, 39:14.

In Breakers’ unique “human centipede” competition—13 runners tethered together plus floaters who can “float” in and out as substitutes—LinkedIn (a team composed of locally talented men from various running clubs and affiliations) set a new men’s ’pede record, completing the 12K course in 37:02. LinkedIn successfully defended its men’s ’pede title by defeating the ASICS Aggies club team (second, 37:55) for the second year in a row. The Aggies men’s ’pede has an impressive record of 25 wins and only 7 losses since men’s centipede competition began in 1979, and held the previous men’s ’pede record of 37:40.

After this year’s slithering ’pede win, the Aggies’ women have a win-loss record of 21–4 (women’s ’pedes started competing in 1987).

Their time of 49:06 didn’t threaten their own women’s ’pede record of 47:36 set in 1990.

1996 U.S. Olympic marathoner Linda Somers Smith (Arroyo Grande) competed on the Aggies’ winning female centipede a week after turning 50 years old. It was the fourth time she competed on the Aggies ’pede.

“I didn’t start competing on the ’pede until I had no burning desire to continue racing as a competitive runner anymore,” Somers Smith said. “Although I don’t consider myself a competitive runner [now], I’m a runner who still performs well. The social aspect of running is now more important to me. Since I’ve been running for so long, I need the motivation, and the club dynamic keeps me motivated. The centipede is a perfect mix of running hard while celebrating the social atmosphere.”

Despite the competitively turned-down tone of Somers Smith’s statement, don’t be surprised if the seven-time U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and two-time U.S. marathon champion threatens some W50–54 age-group records in the coming months. She holds five U.S. W45–49 age group records at distances ranging from 5K (16:14) to the marathon (2:38:49).

Team USA’s men’s marathon squad for the 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (Daegu, Korea, Aug. 27–Sept. 4) will include Fountain Valley High School and Cal State Fullerton grad Nick Arciniaga and Sergio Reyes (Los Osos). Arciniaga, who trains in Flagstaff, locked up his place on the squad by running 2:11:30 for second place at the Chevron Houston Marathon last January.

Reyes won the 2010 USA Men’s Marathon Championship last October at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in 2:14:02, punching his ticket to Daegu.

Both Reyes and Arciniaga also plan to compete at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials next January in Houston. After making his debut at the 26.2-mile distance in 2006 by running a surprising 2:16:58 at the Chicago Marathon, Arciniaga placed 17th at the 2008

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U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

“I was ignorant to the rest of the field [at the Trials],” Arciniaga told USATF’s Katie Landry in a May, 2011 press release that profiled him. “I thought if I had my best day I could make the team, and I really went into it over my head.”

Arciniaga is now looking forward to the 2012 Olympic Team Trials for the marathon with a better understanding and appreciation for the event and the athletes he will be competing against.

“This time I know the competition, and I know myself. If things pan out right, I can make the team if I have my day, but I know where I belong, and that is in the top five or six guys,” Arciniaga said.

In closing, please take a moment to say “thanks” to two Californians who were giants in the running community. Running was in Dr. Peter Wood’s blood, and it was his own blood that led him to discover that runners had higher levels of “good” cholesterol, possibly lowering their risk of heart disease. Wood, PhD, DSc, an emeritus professor of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine and an early expert in deciphering the effects of diet, exercise, and weight on human health, died March 3 in Palo Alto of bile duct cancer.

He was 81. His research influenced current guidelines encouraging people to engage in regular physical activity, maintain a normal weight, and follow a low-fat diet to lessen their risk for heart disease. Described by colleagues as courteous and gracious, Wood was able to unite his two key interests in life: running and understanding how fats are transported through the blood. In 1979, Wood cofounded and became the first president of the Fifty-Plus Runners Association (now known as the Lifelong Fitness Alliance). He also ran throughout the Stanford University campus with an informal group of runners known as the Angell Field Ancients.

Tom Sturak—a dedicated track & field pioneer and enthusiast for over sixty years, runner, editor, teacher, sports journalist, consultant, and athlete agent—died from Alzheimer’s disease on April 29. He was 79. Sturak was a charter member of the San Diego Track Club, ran for the Los Angeles Track Club, and ultimately was one of the founding members of the Southern California Striders. He was director of running promotions for Nike from 1980 to 1983 and traveled extensively on the international running circuit, developing personal and profound relationships with many worldclass athletes. He was their devoted advocate and supporter; their struggles and triumphs became his. From 1983 until his retirement, he continued his work with and for athletes through Reebok, and as an independent sports agent. He was married to women’s running pioneer Jacqueline Hansen.

Next time.

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Track & Field Early/Mid Outdoors Season Summary

BY MARK WINITZ

Stanford University Invitational Stanford; March 25–26 David Torrence (Oakland) “doubled” by winning the top sections of the men’s 800m in 1:50.47 and 1500m in 3:42.74. Jen Rhines (Mammoth Lakes) notched a 15:32.70 while placing second in the women’s 5000m to University of Colorado’s Jessica Pixler (15:25.58). Two-time World Indoors 3000m runner Sara Hall (now training at Stanford again with husband Ryan) dropped her steeplechase best to 9:50.68 in her third attempt at the distance. Reigning Olympic discus Gold medalist Stephanie Brown-Trafton (Galt) opened her 2011 campaign with a winning 56.96m/186-10 toss.

Mt. San Antonio College Relays Walnut; April 14–16 This venerable event recorded its usual score of outstanding performances. In the sprints, Carmelita Jeter (Gardena) won the women’s 100m dash in 10.99—the fastest time in the world in the young season as of that date. Twotime USA outdoor champion Ginnie “Powell” Crawford (Culver City) secured a win in the women’s elite 100m hurdles in 12.86.

In the men’s invitational 800m, UCIrvine’s Charles Jock (San Diego) recorded a 2011 collegiate leading 1:45.19. Maggie Vessey (Soquel) won the women’s invitational 800m in 2:02.51. U.S. 10,000m record holder Shalane Flanagan (OR) stepped down in distance and won the elite women’s 1500m event in 4:11.67.

U.S. 5000m record holder Molly Huddle defeated a deep field in the elite women’s 5000m with a 15:10.63. Santa Rosa native Sara Hall was 6th in 15:27.71. Jordan Hasay’s (Arroyo Grande/Univ. of Oregon) 11th-place finish in 15:40.29 gave her a PR and was the fastest time by a Duck woman in 23 years, and the fourth-fastest in U of O history. Former UC Davis standout Kim Conley (West Sacramento) was 13th in 15:40.29. Twenty-two

PRImages by Kathy Camet Photography

Here’s a recap of early and mid season outdoors action at major meets on tracks in the region, of course with an emphasis on Golden Staters.

Look for later season wrap-ups (including the USA Outdoor Championships) in our September–October issue. In the meantime, check out our website (www.caltrack.com) for updates.

At the Payton Jordan Invitational, Alice Schmidt (#691) won the women’s 1500m. Jordan Hasay (#460) set a PR. women broke 16:00 in the race. In an equally Wisconsin and then Arizona State University competitive men’s elite 5000, Californians where he was the 2009 Pac-10 champion at Scott Bauhs (fifth, 13:30.18) and Bolota 5000m. He now lives and trains in Michigan Asmerom (eighth, 13:31.93) ran well as Aaron under coach Ron Warhurst. Stanford Braun (AZ) emerged the winner in 13:27.01.

University senior Elliott Heath blazed a final 2010 USA outdoor javelin champion 400m of 55.5 seconds as he emerged from sevSean Furey (San Diego) won his specialty event enth place, nearly chasing down Bethke, and with a 2011 U.S.-leading throw of placed second in 13:26.14. His time ranks 81.62m/267-9 and a new PR. 2008 Olympian fourth in Stanford history. and two-time World indoors finalist Jesse “I wasn’t really feeling in a groove today, Williams (Modesto native now living in and was just fighting to stay in the pack,” Oregon) tied his lifetime outdoor best in the Heath said. “So I just decided to stay there and high jump, clearing 2.34m/7-8 to grab the out- conserve as much energy as I could. I thought door world lead. with about 120 meters to go that I could get [Bethke], but he put in another little surge with Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational 40 meters to go.”

Stanford University; May 1 Diego Estrada, a junior at Northern Ideal evening running conditions prevailed as Arizona University who attended Alisal High some of the world’s top distance runners con- School in Salinas, finished fourth in a superb verged at Cobb Track and Angell Field. A host 13:26.94. of fine athletes turned out with their hopes, Phillip Reid (San Luis Obispo) won secdreams, and aspirations set on London and tion 2 of the men’s 5000m in 13:39.67, the 2011 IAAF World Championships in improving his PR by 18 seconds.

“This was definitely a big race for me,” Daegu. This prestigious meet just happened to coincide with the first day that athletes Reid said. “My plan was to just come out here, could record 2012 Olympic Games qualifying look straight ahead, don’t worry about anything times for track distances at 5000m and short- else or who’s in the race, and just race it. It’s er. (The 10,000m qualifying window opened important for me to come out and represent the ASICS Aggies and the Pacific Association right on Jan. 1.)

The top section of the men’s 5000m went here on our home turf in Palo Alto.”

In the Kim McDonald women’s 10,000m, out at a conservative pace, playing into the hands of native Californian and longtime surfer 2009 Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey 5K champion Sally Kipyego Brandon Bethke, who won in 13:25.82. Trot Bethke attended El Toro High School (Lake Continues on page 24.

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2011 Honda LA Marathon Race Report: ing a flooded street in Brentwood, like the other 23,542 finishers. He just ran away from everyone, including defending champion Wesley Korir, who finished 3rd.

Just how amazing was Markus Geneti? He went by the elite women, around 1 hour, 34 minutes into the race, even with the elite women’s 17 minute, 3 second lead. This is part of the $100k LA Marathon race challenge, which is given to the male or female elite runner who actually crosses the finish line first. Each year, the handicap for the elite women is a bit different. Just before 20 miles, Genuti flew by the women. His countrywoman, Buzunesh Deba, charged past Amy Hastings into the lead. Hasting followed her, and charged back into the lead, just as she had for the previous 20 miles.

Deba, Mara Dibaba and Hastings did battle over 26.2 miles. Hastings, training with Terrance Mahon and the Mammoth TC, hit the halfway point in 1:14 and duked it out with Deba, who, in her ninth marathon, ran her personal best of 2:26:34. Deba finally broke away from Hastings just before 23 miles. Hastings did not give up. She held on to run 2:27:03 and become a real possible challenger for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 11 months.

Marathons are about preparation. Marathons are about focus. The Honda LA Marathon, as presented by K-SWISS, has elevated the game: a more runner-friendly course and amazing digital communication with the runners as they prepared. Constant positive affirmation, like a digital coach, was given to the marathoners as they prepared for the race.

Even with all that Mother Nature could throw at it, the field persevered, because, as all 23,543 finishers understood, the pursuit of the marathon, the goal of finishing the 2011 Honda LA marathon is bigger than any one of the individual runners. When all those fiery spirits come together, there is strength and power in numbers!

See you at the 2012 Honda LA Marathon, presented by K-SWISS!

—By Larry Eder

Kristin Burns Studio/LA Marathon

©2011 Rich Cruse/LA Marathon

The author Charles Dickens opens A Tale of Two Cities like this: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

That line could have described the challenges Mother Nature threw at the 23,543 finishers of the Honda LA Marathon, presented by K-SWISS. While the race started under threatening clouds, those clouds did open, but the nearly 25,000 starters braved, at times, torrential rains, tough winds and a challenging course throughout the city of Los Angeles, for the duration of the race. Yet, with all of those challenges, nearly 97% of the starters finished the 2011 Honda LA Marathon.

Rod Dixon, 1983 winner of the NYC Marathon, fourtime Olympian and Olympic medalist, is director of coaching & training for the Honda LA Marathon. Dixon noted, “What a day, what a weekend. Certainly one for the record books!”

Rod was rightly proud of the high finishing rate of his training club, the LA Road Runners (sponsored by the race’s official footwear and apparel sponsor, K-SWISS). The LA Road Runners were a microcosm of what happened in the 2011 Honda LA Marathon. There were many, many success stories. Rod noted, for his club, “We had eight runners under 3 hours. Fourteen runners qualified for Boston (the previous best was two), and it looks like 96–98% finished and 58% set personal bests!

Why did so many marathoners not only finish (97%), but 58% ran personal bests? Part of the story is the success of training groups, and the fact that the more one prepares for a situation, the better one’s chance of success.

Many of the marathoners were running for causes. For many marathoners, this makes the actual running of the race an even bigger thing, as they are running for someone or something else.

Rod Dixon says it best: “The LA Roadrunners trained and prepared for the LA Marathon, with a great team of pace leader-coaches. For whatever race day presented, we prepared the best that we could. Based on that confidence, the Roadrunners accepted the weather and adjusted their goals and tackled the adverse conditions like true champions.”

23,543 stories at the 2011 Honda LA Marathon, where the weather, the course and the runners’ focus and training all overcame their personal challenges. Markus Geneti, an elite Ethiopian runner known for his racing over 1500 meters and 3000 meters, debuted at LA. Geneti took charge before 10 miles, and just did not stop, running a 4:26 mile en route to his 2:06:35 marathon finish. Geneti faced the rain, includ-

Kristin Burns Studio/LA Marathon

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kswiss.com/running

GO IN THE DARK You have the power to outrun light. The all-new California is reective from heel to toe. Run brighter and fearless. You my friend, are gonzo.

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REVIEWS

MINIMALIST SHOES Summer 2011 by Cregg Weinmann

The benefit of running in minimal shoes is the improved strength provided by intermittent stress. However, the smaller the difference between the heel height and the forefoot height (referred to as the heel-to-forefoot drop), the more stress is placed on the kinetic chain—the muscles and tendons from the feet to the hips and related structures beyond. This requires a gradual adaptation that varies from one person to another. Using a minimalist shoe will affect your running in a positive way when used in moderation. Here we have taken a look at eight models that provide an overview of multiple solutions from across the running shoe industry. Keep in mind that these are more training aids than training shoes in the traditional sense, so use the web resources provided by the various brands (as well as searching out other online resources) and adapt them to your own running.

adidas ClimaCool Ride On the shelf, the ClimaCool Ride creates buzz as it comes in about a couple dozen color combinations and features a compelling look, but it’s much more than just a pretty shoe. Its light weight and low profile merge well with the foot to maximize the foot’s natural motion. The upper is airmesh with minimal welded overlays, providing just enough structure to wrap your foot while allowing it to move much as it wants to. The midsole is a laterally zig-zagged ribbon of molded EVA that provides good cushioning while allowing the foot a good level of freedom. And using rubber only on the zig-zagging areas of the outersole saves about 10–15% on the weight of the rubber. The low profile and flexibility require a bit of getting used to, but the shoe will hold up to a good level of wear.

Altra Instinct (m) Altra Intuition (w)

“Snug like a slipper, plus it’s nice and light. Comfortable and feels good while I run.

Works well for faster-paced running.”

Altra is a new brand that approaches minimalism by reducing materials and shaping the mid/outersoles and upper to the foot. The midsole is a thin layer for just enough cushioning when combined with the Strobel board and innersole, and it’s equal height in both the heel and the forefoot, i.e., no pitch or heel-to-forefoot drop. The shape of the heel mimics the shape of an actual heel not just inside the shoes but outside as well, where it has rounded edges that prevent the levered touchdown response that you get with a more traditional squared-off heel. The airmesh upper is snug in the heel with a noticeably wider forefoot for toe splay. The different lasting of the men’s and women’s versions ensures a better fit for a wider variety of feet. As with all zero-drop shoes, an adaptation period is recommended and Altra has outlined its recommendations with more specificity than most on its website, http://altrarunning.com/transition

$90 Sizes: men 4–13,14,15; women 5–12 Weight: (men’s 11) 9.5 oz.; (women’s 8) 8.6 oz. Heel/Forefoot Drop: 5 mm

“I love the shape; they fit my foot great! Nice responsive ride—perfect amount of cushion for a ‘level shoe’ without a big heel.” $100 Sizes: men 6–13,14,15; women 6–11 Weight: (men’s 11) 10.1 oz.; (women’s 8) 9.1 oz. Heel/Forefoot Drop: 0 mm

ASICS Blur 33 The 33 Series, named for the 33 joints in the foot, is ASICS’ foray into minimalism, though it has already had a number of minimalist shoes in its competition collection. The Blur is the first in a series that offers more flexibility and road feel than its traditional training shoes. The upper is a minimesh over a wide open mesh liner. Suede overlays provide a secure fit. The interior features PHP with its memory foam comfort.

The midsole features near-traditional heel-to-toe offsets, but vertical siping and flex grooves provide pronounced flexibility. The multiple layers of cushioning—the Solyte midsole, EVA Strobel board, and Ortholite innersole—provide a plush feel to the shoe. The outersole of segmented rubber allows a good measure of flexion and traction.

“These shoes feel snug and light. Surprisingly nice feel. They are also really flexible and move well with the foot.” $85 Sizes: men 6.5–13,14; women 5–12 Weight: (men’s 11) 11.0 oz.; (women’s 8) 8.7 oz. Heel/Forefoot Drop: 10 mm

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Merrell Trail Glove (m) Merrell Pace Glove (w) Merrell’s approach with the Trail Glove (and the women-specific Pace Glove) is a dramatic departure from its usual trail shoe offerings.

Working with Vibram, a longtime partner, Merrell has developed a new outersole that’s durable and provides good traction in a much thinner piece of rubber. It’s designed to protect the foot without adding needless weight in the process. The midsole is a very thin layer of molded EVA that mimics the contours of the foot and provides a bit of protection without changing the zero drop from heel to forefoot. Merrell has launched a website for questions about its shoes and natural running form: www.merrell.com/US/en/Barefoot “Soft, breathable mesh upper makes it light and friction free. They hugged my foot supportively and running was a light touch, with a decent measure of protection.” $110 Trail Glove (m)/$100 Pace Glove (w) Sizes: men 7–12,13,14,15; women 5–12 Weight: (men’s 11) 7.9 oz.; (women’s 8) 5.4 oz. Heel/Forefoot Drop: 0 mm

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MINIMALIST SHOES Summer 2011 continued

New Balance Minimus Trail MT10/WT10

The Minimus Trail represents the most versatile of the three Minimus shoes New Balance has introduced. (The others are geared for roads and training.)

The upper is a stretch mesh with a sueded lining in the heel; it nicely hugs the foot while allowing the toes to spread. The midsole is a low-profile design with 4 millimeters of drop from heel Minimalist to toe, offering some cushioning while encouraging a flatter, midfoot contact with the ground. The 1 SU M M E R 201 durable Vibram rubber outersole is great for traction and has a good feel for both the roads and trails. New Balance has information on transitioning to this shoe at www.newbalance.com/performance/running/good-form-running Its more moderate appoach and thorough transitioning plan earned the Minimus Trail MT10/WT10 our new award for Best Shoe in the Minimalist category.

BEST SHOE

Nike Free 3.0 v2 While the Nike Free 3.0 was the spark for the minimalist movement when it was introduced in 2007, it was a bit ahead of the curve and so not fully understood or appreciated at the time. The 3.0 v2 added some new touches while in a holding pattern in the marketplace. The midsole and outersole remain the same—an ultra-flexible matrix of deep grooves in Phylite (a blend of EVA and rubber), with a few pieces of carbon rubber at the heel and the toe. The upper features the changes, including switching to a closed mesh with welded overlays to eliminate seams, adding suede on the medial metatarsal, eyestay, and heel, and the inclusion of a very thin thermoplastic toe cap. The result is a close-fitting, lightweight shoe with a small heel-to-forefoot drop, with the real benefits coming from the ultra-flexible sole. Nike’s original suggested use of the Free, now nearly lost in the mists of time, was as a training aid: gradually increasing use until it was a part of a regular routine of several days each week. That’s still their advice with the 3.0 v2.

“Good toe room, but hugs my foot well. Nice and low to the ground without eliminating all of the cushioning.”

“Fast and nimble. Really allows my foot to get a workout because of the flexibility.”

$100 Sizes: men 7–13; women 5–11 Weight: (men’s 11) 8.4 oz.; (women’s 8) 6.9 oz.

Heel/Forefoot Drop: 4 mm

$85 Sizes: men 6.5–13,14; women 5–12 Weight: (men’s 11) 7.4 oz.; (women’s 8) 6.0 oz.

Heel/Forefoot Drop: 4 mm

Saucony Hattori

With the Hattori, Saucony’s approach is to maximize the minimal, and it’s the lightest shoe presented here. The upper features a thin layer of lycra-like mesh, bolstered in the midfoot and heel by synthetic suede and secured by heel and midfoot straps with hookand-loop closures. The forefoot is supported by ultra-thin, welded thermoplastic film, so the stretch is moderated. The midsole is a blend of EVA and rubber that Saucony calls EVA+. The outersole is largely exposed EVA+ which does a credible job, but it’s really the rubber pods at the heel, first metatarsal, and big toe that handle the wear. The contact of the sole is full-length, with no heel-to-forefoot drop, which is addressed in a video on the Hattori page (navigate there from www.saucony.com).

“So light and flexible, it’s like not wearing anything.” $80 Sizes: men 7–13,14; women 5–12 Weight: (men’s 11) 4.7 oz.; (women’s 8) 4.1 oz. Heel/Forefoot Drop: 0 mm

Vibram Bikila LS Vibram’s Five Finger (VFF), while not the original minimalist shoe, has certainly been a catalyst for the category. As a training aid, it strengthens the foot and improves proprioception. The LS is the counterpart to the original Bikila which featured a hook-and-loop strap to secure the shoe. The LS uses laces to better accommodate narrow feet or those with a high instep. The upper is the same synthetic stretch material so it still fits very closely, making sizing critical as it runs up to two U.S. sizes smaller. The midsole consists of thin layers of EVA strategically placed to offer a bit of cushioning, but just a bit.

The outersole is composed of dozens of rubber pods contoured to the foot for traction and protection. The zero drop of the sole and the adjustment to the pocket-like compartments of this foot-glove may require a little longer transition to regular use than some other options. Vibram answers many questions at www.vibramfivefingers.com/faq/barefoot_running_faq.htm “Great feel for the trail, road, or ground. Just enough protection to save your bare foot.” $100 Sizes: men 7–13 (Euro 40–47); women 6–10 (Euro 36–42) Weight: (men’s 11) 6.2 oz.; (women’s 8) 5.5 oz. Heel/Forefoot Drop: 0 mm

CREGG WEINMANN is footwear and running products reviewer for Running Network LLC. He can be reached via e-mail at shuz2run@lightspeed.net.

Copyright © 2011 by Running Network LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be stored, copied, or reprinted without prior written permission of Running Network LLC. Reprinted here with permission.

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Track & Field continued from page 19

At the Payton Jordan Invitational, Billy Nelson (#472) came up big in the steeple.

(Kenya/Oregon) and U.S. 10,000m recordholder Shalane Flanagan dueled for the win over the final six laps. Kipyego claimed a narrow victory in a 2011 world-leading time of 30:38.25.

Flanagan was second in 30:39.57. Jen Rhines (eighth, 31:43, Mammoth Lakes) was top Californian, narrowly notching the Olympic “A” standard of 31:45.

“My goal was to get the Olympic standard today. It’s always tougher than you think. You’d think I should be able to cruise a 31:30,” said Rhines, who owns a 31:17 best. “But I’m just happy to get the standard and move on to the next thing.”

In the men’s steeplechase, 2008 U.S. Olympian Billy Nelson (Bakersfield native/Taft Union HS ’02) used a wicked kick over the final 300 meters to capture the victory in 8:22.44. In doing so, Nelson overcame obscurity during the last two years and was the only athlete in the event to obtain the Olympic “A” standard of 8:23.10. 2005 Big West Conference steeple champion (while at Cal Poly-SLO) Ben Bruce was third in 8:26.90.

Former Stanford All-American Sara Hall came into the meet with a world-leading 9:50.68 in the women’s steeple. She improved her PR to 9:48.85 here while placing second to Colorado’s Emma Coburn (9:40.51) who scored a new world-leading time and the 11th fastest mark ever by an American.

In section 1 of the women’s 5000m, 2008 U.S. Olympian Alice Schmidt (Chula Vista) was third in 4:09.85 behind Katie Follett (first, 4:08.95) and Malinda Elmore (second, 4:09.71). Jordan Hasay (Arroyo Grande/Univ. of Oregon) placed fifth in a personal best of 4:10.28.

Prince Mumba (Zambia/Santa Monica) topped section 1 of the men’s 800m in 1:46.96.

In field action, former Stanford standout and Woodland High School grad Jillian

Camarena-Williams won the women’s shot put in 18.91m/62-00.50. Last February, at the 2011 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Camarena-Williams’ throw of 9.87m/65-2.25 broke the 24-year-old previous indoor American record set by Ramona Pagel in 1987.

USATF High Performance Meet Occidental College; May 21 UCLA’s Cory Primm (Thousand Oaks) took advantage of a break between the Pac-10 Championships and the NCAA first round, rolling to a stunning 1:44.71 in the 800m. It made him #4 on the all-time collegiate list, behind only Jim Ryun, Julius Achon, and Mark Everett. Primm also nabbed the “A” standard for the World Championships and Olympic Games. David Torrence placed third in 1:45.43, notching the Olympic “A” standard.

Alice Schmidt (Chula Vista) and Maggie Vessey (Soquel) picked up Daegu “A” qualifiers in the women’s 800m with Schmidt winning in a national-leading 1:59.48 and Vessey second at 1:59.56.

PA/USATF Outdoor Championships College of San Mateo; May 29 On a slightly windy, but clear and radiant day at the College of San Mateo track with majestic views of San Francisco Bay, PA/USATF athletes tested their mettle against their peers. For some, it was a culmination of a short outdoor season; for others, the meet served as an important bridge to U.S. and international meets on the horizon.

The strongest event of the day, the women’s discus throw, featured three of the world’s top ten throwers in the 2011 outdoors campaign to date. 2008 Olympic Gold medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton (Galt) registered a winning throw of 62.49m/205-00. Suzy

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Powell-Roos (Modesto), the American recordholder (67.67m/222-00) and three-time Olympian, was the runner-up at 59.80m/19602. Illinois native Gia Lewis-Smallwood, the newest member of the all-time U.S. top ten, was third with a best toss of 58.95/193.05.

Former Stanford All-American Summer Pierson, also headed to U.S. Outdoors, was fourth in 55.83m/183-02.

“Technically, I’m a lot better than I was last year,” Brown Trafton said about her mid season form. “I’ve kind of matured. I’m in my 30s now. Next year for sure: 68 meters, 69 meters. I know I’ve got it in me.”

The always-affable athlete was surprisingly introspective.

“Now that I’m getting older, I feel a lot of stuff creeping up on me a lot sooner than it used to: feet, hip, and back problems,” she admitted. “It’s halfway through the season, and I’m kind of feeling creaky already; however, I intend to make the World Championships team and bring home a World Championships medal.”

Brown Trafton might take a lesson from Powell-Roos, 35, who sat out last year with torn ligaments in her right ankle, but who is now focused on Worlds and the 2012 Oly Games.

“It went okay today, just trying to manage all those technical cues that you’re trying to bring together in competition,” PowellRoos commented. “This was a great opportunity to do that. I certainly hope to make the World Championships team. We’ll see how the summer shakes out and let the sticks fall where they may. ” Two-time Olympian Kristin Heaston (Pleasant Hill) was first in the women’s shot put, but her 17.33m/56-10.25 missed the “A” standard for the U.S. Outdoor champs by a mere one inch. Another two-time Olympian, Kim Kreiner (Fresno) won the women’s javelin throw in 48.97m/160-08, falling short of the U.S. “A” standard. Kreiner achieved the “B” standard earlier in the season.

A number of masters athletes used the San Mateo meet to tune for the 2011 World Masters Athletics Championships in Sacramento. One of them was Joy Upshaw (50, Lafayette). Last February, at the USA Masters Indoor Championships, Upshaw added to her record cabinet by setting a W50 200m World and U.S. record of 26.24. Upshaw didn’t set any records at the PA/USATF Outdoor Championships where she competed in the 100m, 200m, and long jump. Instead, she worked on technical aspects of her events.

“This was a good meet to test different, little things and get ready for the masters world meet,” Upshaw said. “It wasn’t really about seeing where my times are because I’m not really working on that right now.”

For more updates on Track & Field action around the world, visit www.caltrack.com.

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Race Listings continued from page 10 around Bears and then 2nd run is on trail, if you are doing Kayak-in the San Pablo Dam reservoir $3.50 Launch Fee. Weather is normally 70-80 degrees.

Orinda: DU-TOES 4-Mile Road/Trail Run-Walk, 8am $30 w/t-s till 8/20, $35 w/t-s after 8/20 and race day w/t-s till gone w/5yr age groups, Awards 3-deep and Plaques to Overall Men/Women Winner.

500 San Pablo Dam Rd, Orinda, CA; Run trail on Old San Pablo Dam Road and continues onto some trail, Check out the pictures on www.wolfpackevents.com, Online www.active.com, 510-459-0854.

September 11, SUN Seattle: SEATTLE ‘ESCAPE FROM THE ROCK’ TRIATHLON™ 14th annual. Adult $70, Juniors (17 & Under) $40, Relay (per person) $40, w/t-s. Prices go up 7/15. 0.5 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 14 mile run. Mercer Island sets the stage for this beautiful course.

We shut down the I-90 express lanes just to give athletes the unique chance to bike across the floating bridge. Enviro-Sports, PO Box 1040, Stinson Beach, CA 94970; info@envirosports.com; www.envirosports.com; 415/868-1829.

September 24, SAT Pleasanton: See Jane Run Women’s Triathlon, It’s a race. It’s a milestone. It’s a moment of triumph. AND it’s got camaraderie and firl fun written all over it. Beginners encouraged so grab your mother, sister, daughter, girlfriends and join the celebration. The start, finish and transitions areas are in the very charming Shadow Cliffs Regional Park. The 400yds swim portion happens in the main lake with temperatures around 70 degrees. Then it’s off to bike 11 miles in the beautiful surroundings areas of Pleasanton, and wrapping up the race with a 3 mile run. Cross the finish line and celebrate with your friends and family.

September 26, MON Mountain View: Trailblazer 5K, 10K &3M scenic walk, 8:30am $25, $30 after 9/25. Flat and scenic 10K USATF certified race from Microsoft Campus, up Stevens Creek Trail, around Shoreline Park, and back. Includes event t-shirt and all activities. 5K/10K USATF certified Races & 5K Trail Walk benefit Friends of Stevens Creek Trail. Mostly on Stevens Creek Trail and around Shoreline Park. Free age-appropriate kids races follow adult events. Free refreshments & drawings for participants. Online www.theschedule.com October 1, SAT Napa: TRI, GIRL, TRI – ALL WOMEN’S SPRINT TRIATHLON™ 8th annual. $85-Individual, $135-Relay Team, w/t-s. Prices go up 6/1. 0.5m swim, 11m bike, 3.1m run. This all-women's triathlon has fast become a favorite for first-timers as well as seasoned triathletes looking for a fun, supportive atmosphere! Enviro-Sports, PO Box 1040, Stinson Beach, CA 94970; info@envirosports.com; www.envirosports.com; 415/868-1829.

El Sobrante: Fall Showdown 5K, 10K, 1/2 Marathon, 8am Half Marathon $40/$45 after 9/21, 10K $35/$40, 5K $30/$35. All of the runs will be on what is called the Old San Pablo Dam road that used to take horses, mules, and later automobiles from El Sobrante to Orinda, a stagecoach route. It runs parallel with the entire Watershed area known as the San Pablo Reservoir. Pictures of each race may be viewed on the website www.wolfpackevents.com October 2, SUN San Francisco: Glide Floss Bridge to Bridge with KFOG, KNBR & The BONE Radio Stations, 6,000 Runners/Walkers • 34th Annual, Benefits: Northern California Special Olympics San Diego: SAN DIEGO SHARKFEST SWIM™ - 3rd annual. Adult $65, Juniors (17 & Under) $35, Active Military $45; w/t-s. Prices go up 8/1. 1m swim. The swim will start at the 5th Avenue Landing behind the San Diego Convention Center and finish at the Tidelands Park beach at the foot of the Coronado Bridge on the Coronado side. Enviro-Sports, PO Box 1040, Stinson Beach, CA 94970; info@envirosports.com; www.sharkfestswim.com; 415/868-1829.

Austin, TX: See Jane Run Women’s Half Marathon and 5K, WWW.seejanerun.com/t-See-Jane-Run-AUSTIN-Half-Marathonand-5K.aspx October 15, SAT Fort Bragg: Noyo River Run, Online www.theschedule.com

October 16, SUN Weott: Humboldt Redwoods Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K, Spectacular courses in Humboldt redwoods State park. Run along the beautiful and famous Avenue of the Giants which is home to the world’s tallest trees. All courses are paved, shades, and fast.

The marathon is certified and sanctioned Boston Marathon qualifier. The half marathon is the USA Track & Field Pacific Association’s championship in all divisions. $3,000 in prize money awarded to USAT&F Pacific residents in the half marathon. $100 in prize money for 1st man and women in the marathon, and medals for all finishers. Unique, locally crafted commemorative awards in all races. All participants receive a long sleeve t-shirt which features original artwork. Trees inspire strength! www.redwoodsmarathon.org Gualala: Gualala Run 5K&10K and 5K Fun Walks (7th), 9am $30, $35 race day. 10K, run is an out and back course which follows the Gualala River along a redwood shaded, paved road for 1.6 miles then a firm, gravel road leads runners into a majestic redwood forest to the turn around point. Course is predominately flat with some gentle hills. A benefit for Action Network Family Resource Centers in Gualala and Point Arena, CA. Medal three deep in men and women's age divisions. Scenic Country Road and Trail Runs.

See www.actionnetwork.info. Online www.theschedule.com.

October 22, SAT Morgan Hill: Morgan Hill Marathon and Half Marathon, Come experience the Morgan Hill events and Expo. The beautiful course begins at the Morgan Hill Centennial Center. It will wind through the local scenic hills. After a few miles you will find yourself passing Uvas Reservoir. As you gradually make your way uphill, you will make a right turn and pass Chesbro Reservoir. Another turn takes you downhill through Willow Springs Road and then proceed across Morgan Hill down Saint Teresa/Hale Ave. The last few miles are fast and flat, primarily downhill. After turning right on Main Street you will go left on DeWitt and worked your way back to the Centennial Center. This is a Boston qualifier! www.mhmarathon.com

doesn't get any better than this wide, jeep road twisting through the towering red rocks of Death Valley's Titus Canyon. EnviroSports, PO Box 1040, Stinson Beach, CA 94970; info@envirosports.com; www.envirosports.com; 415/868-1829.

December 10, SAT Angel Island: HARK THE HERALD ANGELS 12K & 25K™ - 24th annual. $50-12K/25K, $55 after 11/26. w/t-s. You'll fall in love with San Francisco all over again as you follow this hilly loop-trail circumnavigating Angel Island with panoramic vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, Alcatraz Island, the East Bay and Marin County. Enviro-Sports, PO Box 1040, Stinson Beach, CA 94970; info@envirosports.com; www.envirosports.com; 415/868-1829.

December 17, SAT Orinda: Dam Jingle Bell Dash 5K, 10k, Kids 100yd Dash, 9am 10K $35/$40after 12/14, 5K $30/$45. San Pablo Reservoir. Come join us for this festive Christmas Season Event. We'll have a 5K and 10K for the Runners/Walkers and a FREE 100 yrd Kids Dash to Santa. We're going to don our Santa Hats and tie those Bells to our shoes and Jingle All the Way (we'll supply the Bells, you bring your Hat). A great way to start the Season with a really FUN Event.

Go to www.wolfpackevents.com for more information.

December 18, SUN San Francisco: Christmas Relays 4x4.46 (38th), 9am $72, $96 after 12/16. TEAM CAPTAINS: Must register entire team during registration or login with user account and select TEAM ROSTER MANAGEMENT from your athlete home page to update teams. Must be 4 person team men or women. LIMIT TEAM NAME TO 20 CHARACTERS. PA/USATF Grand Prix event. Marc Lund, 1433 Norman Dr., Sunnyvale 94087; (downloadable form & info) www.westvalleytc.org; Tony Fong 510/205-8074. Start/Finish in Parking lot at North end of Lake Merced in San Francisco.

Registration is on west side of parking lot. Online www.theschedule.com.

October 29, SAT Napa: NAPA WINE COUNTRY MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & 10K™ - 21st annual. $70-Mar, $45-Half, $40-10K. Entry fees go up $10 after 8/29; w/t-s. Babbling streams will be your soundtrack as you challenge yourself on the lush single-track trail within Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. Enviro-Sports, PO Box 1040, Stinson Beach, CA 94970; info@envirosports.com; www.envirosports.com; 415/868-1829.

November 5, SAT Stinson Beach: STINSON BEACH MARATHON, 25K & 7 MILE™ 23rd annual. $70-Mar, $50-Half, $40-10K. Entry fees go up $10 after 10/22; w/t-s. As you run this course, you will drink in the fresh smell of the towering redwoods and oaks that surround you.

Your summit will be rewarded with panoramic vistas as you begin your descent back into Stinson Beach. Enviro-Sports, PO Box 1040, Stinson Beach, CA 94970; info@envirosports.com; www.envirosports.com; 415/868-1829.

November 13, SUN Calistoga: NAPA VALLEY SILVERADO HALF MARATHON™ Inaugural. $85; $95 after 9/5; $105 after 10/17 w/t-s. The entire route is surrounded by vineyards and wineries with great vistas of the surrounding mountain ranges including Mt. Saint Helena and the picturesque Palisades. Enviro-Sports, PO Box 1040, Stinson Beach, CA 94970; info@envirosports.com; www.envirosports.com; 415/868-1829.

November 19, SAT South San Francisco: Thanksgiving Fun Run, www.ssf.net November 27, SUN San Francisco: RUN WILD For A Child 5K & 10K, Golden Gate Park, 6000 Runners/Walkers, 27th Annual, Benefits: SF Firefighters Toy Program, http://rhodyco.com/ December 3, SAT Death Valley: DEATH VALLEY TRAIL MARATHON & 30K™ - 23rd annual. $110-Mar/30K, $120 after 8/11; w/t-s. Trail running

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Association News continued from page 8

President’s Message FROM LAWRENCE WATSON lawrencewatsonus @yahoo.com The 2011 track & field season is in full swing.

The five-series mini meets in Bakersfield, the Run for the Dream series in Hanford and Lemoore all provided great developmental opportunities for our athletes. I have had many parents and stakeholders call, e-mail, and personally contact me at meets to tell me: “I’m glad we have these meets.”

We’re looking forward to excellent association and regional meets. Central California athletes are looking to make an impressive impact at the 2011 Junior Olympics!

We are in need officials, so please e-mail me if you’re interested in getting certified. The

San Diego–Imperial San Diego Update 2011 FROM MORGAN SJOGREN

Carlsbad 5000 Carlsbad; April 3 The 26th running of the Carlsbad 5000 took place on a picture-perfect morning without a cloud in sight. With ideal conditions, the roughly 10,000 runners who took to the starting line knew that they would have no external excuses for a bad day. While logistically the event must be separated into division races due to the high volume of runners, it also adds to the excitement of the all-day festival, and allows runners in every category to shine.

The masters men took to the streets first, in what was one of the most stacked events of the day. Californian Christian CushingMurray (Compex Racing), hot off his runaway win at the USATF masters cross country nationals in February, took victory again in 15:04. Scott Winnier (FL) did not let CushingMurray get away easily this time, and stalked him to the bitter end, running 15:05. Chad Newton (NC) showcased the depth of the event by finishing third in a close 15:10.

Close finishes and national class talent also headlined in the women’s masters division.

Another Californian, Tania Fischer (The Janes Elite) outleaned Kathleen Jobes (PA) for the

December 2011 USATF Level 1 Coaching School is a great way to learn from the best coaches. Please check our website for updates.

The new year brings the need for new staff to run the association.

A mailing about our annual meeting will be going out shortly. Those who are interested in holding office (president and any other office), please contact me via e-mail at lawrencewatsonus@yahoo.com Please visit our website for the list of offices.

Lastly, there are so many people that I must thank for their help in turning around the Central California association. Without facilities, there can be no track & field meets, so I’d like to send special thank yous to Alan Collatz and the staff at CSU Bakersfield and Tony Rodriquez and the staff at Tulare Western HS. The Central California Association of USATF could not have made the impact we’ve made in the past two seasons without your help. Thank you.

Central California USATF Meets & Clinics 2011 Complete information at www.central-california.usatf.org 7/8–10

Regional 2011 T&F Qualifier Top three advance to Nationals 7/8 Delta College, Stockton 7/9–10 Edison HS, Stockton 7/14 Run for the Dream Series, Hanford HS, 120 Grangeville St. 7/21 Run for the Dream Series, Lemoore HS, 101 E. Bush St. 8/17 Alyssa Samansky Track Challenge, Clovis West HS, coachpalavicini@yahoo.com 5:30pm Wednesday 12/10–11 USATF Level 1 Coaching School, Clovis West HS, coachpalavicini@yahoo.com

win. Both women earned a time of 17:24.

Carmen Ayala Troncoso (TX), a masters marathon phenom, finished third in 17:42.

In the men’s 30–39 race, some of California’s most talented and experienced runners toed the line. Sean Zanderson looked to gain another Carlsbad title (he won in 2010), while several other Carlsbad 5000 veterans hunted him for the win. Ultimately, Roosevelt Cook (Cal Coast Track Club) won in 14:44.

Paul Wellman looks to be having a strong season; he finished second in 14:53. Although it was not Zanderson’s day to top the podium, he still finished a strong third in 15:04.

As the day heated up, so did the races, and the runners in the 29-and-under race (the largest of the day) were eager to test their speed on the world’s fastest 5K course. Up front in the men’s race a strong pack of young runners stayed together through 21⁄2 miles, leaving spectators wondering who would win and when they would make their move. On the course’s final hairpin turn, Californian Sergio Gonzalez (Team BSK/Running Center/Flexr) made a decisive surge ahead of the lead pack showing the speed and strength he has gained racing both the marathon and the mile. While Gonzalez’ lead left nobody guessing the winner, the race for second and third became an exciting toss-up. With less than 400 meters to go, David Edwards (Team BSK/Running Center/Flexr) sprinted from fourth into second, a performance expressing his talents as a middle-distance runner (he ran a 4:05 mile the night before!), and Jeff Jackson finished third, making the podium a Californian affair. The top-three times were 14:36, 14:44, and 14:49, respectively.

Unlike the men’s race, the women’s leader

David Kloz

Central California

Competition was intense at the Carlsbad 5000. separated herself from the gun. Anna Vandestelt-Frank of Bakersfield took advantage of her early lead to win in 17:04. Jenna Munguia (Prado Racing) finished second in the strung-out race with a time of 17:14, with Nicole Campbell third in 17:38. Impressively, Californians comprised the entire top-10 of this women’s race displaying the depth of talent that the area is home to.

While most people came to run their own personal races, the excitement also stirred up the crowd’s appetite to watch the world class man’s and women’s elite races. Eleven men toed the line but one, Eluid Kipchoge (Kenya), held aspirations above the rest—to break the world record of 13:00 held on this course by Sammy Kipketer of Kenya (2000). The rabbit took the Continued on page 28.

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Association News continued from page 27 men out precisely at the requested pace and with good conditions, the record seemed possible.

Along with Kipchoge and the rabbit (who decided to help out an extra half-mile), Dejen Gebremeskel (Ethiopia) sat quietly between the pair. Even after the rabbit pulled off the course, Gebremeskel allotted pace duties to Kipchoge, who was visibly unhappy with this arrangement, and motioned with his hands for Gebremeskel to help out. Sadly, neither Kipchoge’s pleas nor the world record worked out in his favor, and Gebremeskel used his saved energy for the win in 13:11 with Kipchoge behind in 13:14.

American Bobby Curtis led the chase pack to finish third in 13:48.

The women’s race ran according to a similar script, with an Ethiopian and Kenyan far out front pushing for the win. Pauline Korikwiang (Kenya) and Aheza Kiros (Ethiopia) gave the crowd another cliffhanger, as neither woman seemed to pull ahead or show signs of weakness. In fact they waited until the home stretch of the course to duke it out in an all-out sprint that would win one woman the race and leave the other breathless. Ethiopia succeeded again, and Kiros won in 15:13 over Korikwiang’s 15:14. While Americans ran far behind the winners in both elite races, Olympian and Californian Jen Rhines brought home a third-place finish in 15:37.

David Kloz

Poway Cinco de Mayo Trail Run Lake Poway; May 14 The Poway Cinco de Mayo Trail Run, held at Lake Poway, is one of the hidden jewels in the world of trail racing. The course is breathtaking, literally, with switchbacks set against a background of wildflowers and Lake Poway, and leaves runners with spectacular views of Sergio Gonzalez took the victory at the Poway Cinco de Mayo Trail Run.

their surroundings. The event features a 10K, which includes a long, steep descent to the top of the Poway Dam, as well as a 5K. Despite the rugged and treacherous route, the race atmosphere is the friendliest a runner can come across, with plenty of food, fiesta music, and race organizers who go the extra mile for participants.

While anyone who signs up and completes this race has won the battle against their own mind and pain threshold, a few brave souls also battled to win the race. The action got off to a fierce start and with Nazario Romero (adidas/Movin’ Shoes) and Sergio Gonzalez (Team BSK/Running Center/Flexr) toeing the line, the winner looked to be a toss-up. While the two have a racing history against each other, most recently with Romero outrunning Gonzalez for second place at this year’s La Jolla Half Marathon, Gonzalez held the advantage of winning this race two times before. Romero took the pace out hard in 5:12, not knowing what lay ahead. Ultimately Gonzalez’s strength and course knowledge paid off with a victory.

After the race Romero, a very experienced runner, stated that “This is the hardest cross country race I have ever run!” Third place went to Derlys Ayala.

The women’s 10K looked to be a Team Continues on page 30.

CTRN Remembers Grete Waitz Grete Waitz, a quiet, introspective Norwegian and an icon in distance running, passed away on April 19 after a long bout with cancer. The nine-time New York City Marathon champion and four-time world record holder in the marathon was 57.

The legendary Waitz won her first New York City Marathon in 1978, establishing a world best time of 2:32:30, and her ninth in 1988. She also set ten world records in the 3000, 8000, 10,000 and 15,000 meters, 10 miles, and marathon. She ran competitively for more than two decades—until 1990 when she retired. Waitz still holds the Norwegian records at 1500 and 3000 meters.

Grete was inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, located in Utica, New York in July 2000 along with Clarence DeMar, Steve Prefontaine, and Alberto Salazar. Runner’s World magazine named Waitz and Sebastian Coe, the British middle-distance champion, the male and female “Runners of the Quarter Century” in 1991, the year the publication celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Worldwide, the humble athlete inspired many thousands of her admirers and devotees to take up the sport of running.

“My belief is that without women like Grete Waitz, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Jacqueline Hansen, Nina Kusick, and many others, the sport would not have embraced women as it has,” said California Track & Running News publisher Larry Eder.

Waitz was particularly revered in California, to which she traveled periodically to train and compete. After her first NYC Marathon win in 1978, Runner’s World founder and then-publisher Bob Anderson invited Waitz and members of her family to California for the publication’s National Running Week and to compete in the Runner’s World Midnight Run through the streets of Los Altos on New Year’s Eve. That evening, Grete ran a 5-mile/8K world best of 25:28, a feat she improved upon by 7 seconds at the same race in January 1981.

Grete placed second to Joan Benoit at the inaugural women’s marathon 28 c t & r n • a u g u s t – s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1

at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984, a race that helped establish a lifelong friendship between the two competitors. In 1986, Waitz (and Ed Eyestone) won Bay to Breakers, a year in which the race set a Guinness World record for being the world’s largest footrace, with 78,769 registered runners.

“The Bay to Breakers is a very special race,” Waitz told the San Francisco Examiner. “I was impressed that all these people went the whole distance wearing all these funny outfits and carrying things. And people were actually smiling a mile from the finish. That they could run so far and still be in such a good mood was a surprise to me.”

Waitz competed on California’s tracks, too. In 1985, at the Bruce Jenner Classic at San Jose City College, she lined up in a memorable 3000m race that included three-time U.S. Olympian Lynn Jennings and five-time U.S. Olympian Francie Larrieu.

Before her death, Grete established a foundation to improve the quality of life of cancer patients called the Active Against Cancer Foundation.

Specifically, the foundation seeks to: (1) establish and fund training and recreational centers in cancer treatment hospitals; (2) fund a PET/CT scanner for the Oslo University Hospital; (3) motivate people to be physically active to prevent diseases. Donations to this foundation in Grete’s name can be made by going to www.mycharity.ie/charity/aktiv_against_cancer The adidas Grand Prix and New York Road Runners joined together to honor Waitz on June 11—the date of two major running events in New York City. NYRR dedicated the 40th running of the NYRR New York Mini 10K to Waitz, who shares the race record of five wins with Tegla Loroupe. The adidas Grand Prix renamed their women’s 1500m event the Grete Waitz 1500 Meters.

California Track & Running News encourages appropriate organizations and events in California to establish similar remembrances in honor of this running legend who shed golden light upon the Golden State whenever she graced our soil, roads, and tracks. —By Mark Winitz

CTRN JA11 pp1to40_sept/oct 2008 7/18/11 2:08 PM Page 24

Race Walking 2011 PA/USATF Racewalk Schedule

FROM ART KLEIN PA RACE WALK CHAIR Adult Walkers Learn a Lesson From Youth & Juniors A few years ago the Pacific Association decided to include youth and junior walkers in all its Grand Prix race walks. At first, the race directors offered the customary 1500m and 3000m to entice these walkers to use the races to help them improve for their like Junior Olympic distances. As the ranks grew steadily, the PA developed into a powerhouse with these athletes finishing year after year in the top 8 in all represented ages and distances. A few in this group also worked with their coaches and challenged the longer distances walking 5000m to the halfmarathon, preparing for the day when they would compete in Junior and Senior National Championships and the Olympic Trials.

At the first two PA Grand Prix races (1 Hour and 5000m) the younger walkers (especially Caitlin Palacio and Lila Haba) showed poise, confidence and ability by going head-tohead with the older, seasoned walkers and beating many handily. Building on her 1 Hour win, Haba (age 15) powered her way through the Penn Relays on April 30, walking a fine 28:23.05 to qualify for Junior Nationals. Then Haba, Palacio, and Jade Corral traveled to the National 15K on May 15 where they performed in this joint Open and Masters Championship with outstanding times of 1:31:09, 1:33:31, and 1:48:04, respectively.

Meanwhile, Jason Gomez, age 10, primed for his 3rd place finish at the PA Open 5000m Championship by walking a preparatory 5000m at the 1 Hour and running distances from 1500m to the half-marathon in other races.

Hard work and persistence must coincide with a proper training plan with high expectation for success. These young athletes have shown us their willingness to reach outside of their comfort zone and challenge artificial limits placed on them based on age. It’s never too late to set a new goal to walk a longer distance than you have ever done before. Go ahead, train for a 20, 30 , 40 or 50K walk. You’re only as old as you believe yourself to be.

PA/USATF 1-Hour Championships San Rafael; March 20 Race Conditions: Cloudy with light rain most of the race, about 60˚, on an all-weather, 400m track.

7/6–17 8/ 13 8/21 9/11 10/9 11/6

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 ChampionshipO, 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!)

Individual Results, by Distance Name (Age, Team) Meters, Age-Graded %, PL by A-G% WOMEN 1. Lila Haba (15, SCTC) 9,876.4, 70.76%, 7 2. Diana Rossman-Gomez (44, SCTC) 9,397.7, 68.58%, 11 3. Karen Stoyanowski (56, Sierra, 9,120.6, 74.62%, 6 4. Paula Mendell (61, Sierra) 9,097.7, 78.96%, 2 5. Nicolle Goldman (52, Sierra) 8,397.1, 65.53%, 15 6. Doris Cassels (71, Marin) 8,137.4, 80.80%, 1 7. Ann Lee (62, Marin) 8,078.6, 70.43%, 8 8. Melissa Woodburn (58, Marin) 8,007.2, 66.47%, 13 9. Phyllis Abbate (70, Marin) 7,732.6, 75.22%, 4 10. Susan Porth (62, Marin) 7,702.0, 66.89%, 12 11. Helen Storrs (44, Sierra) 7,313.9, 52.67%, 18 12. Linda Burnett (73, Marin) 6,563.9, 66.00%, 14 MEN 1. Kevin Killingsworth (55, Marin) 10,204.2, 74.86%, 5 2. Alex Price (29, PRO) 10,111.9, 62.72%, 16 3. Joe Berendt (55, Sierra) 9,454.7, 69.17%, 10 4. Art Klein (57, SCTC) 9,305.5, 69.27%, 9 5. Ed Lane (74, Marin) 8,536.1, 76.73%, 3 6. Wally Stewart (65, Marin) 7,669.9, 61.46%, 17 Note: 2 Athletes not listed: 1 DQ’d, 1 raced only first half-hour.

Team Results Team, Average Top 3 A-G%, Points MRW, 77.58%, 10 (1st, 3rd, and 4th) SRW, 74.25%, 8 (2nd, 6th, and 10th) SCTC, 69.54%, 7 (7th, 9th, and 11th)

Team Results Team, Average Top 3 A-G%, Pts Marin, 72.57%, 10 SCTC, 70.77%, 8 Sierra, 70.40%, 7 Judges: Jon Price (chief judge), Beth Price, Helen Storrs, Sandy Backer, Liesbeth Matthieu Team Name Abbreviations: LSI = LSI Spring; Marin = Marin Race Walkers; Oak Hill = Oak Hill Racing; PRO = Pacific Racewalkers Organization; SCTC = Santa Cruz Track Club; Sierra = Sierra Race Walkers

Trevor Barron nearing the finish (and an American Junior Record) at the 15K National Champs.

Pedro Santoni

PA Race Walking Report

Records* Set at the 15K National Championship

Judges: Ajay Padgaonkar (chief judge), Becky Klein, and Liesbeth Matthieu

PA/USATF 5000m Championships San Mateo; May 29 Race Conditions: Mostly sunny, slight breeze, about 60˚, on an all-weather, 400m track.

Individual Results, by Time Name, Age/Sex, Team, Time, Graded %, place by A-G% MEN 1. Alex Price (29, PRO) 27:19.07, 65.80%, 13 2. Kevin Killingsworth (55, Marin) 27:50.40, 76.89%, 2 3. Jason Gomez (10, Oak Hill) 29:02.07, 75.98%, 3 4. Joseph Berendt (55, Sierra) 30:46.46, 69.56%, 9 5. Art Klein (58, SCTC) 30:57.34, 71.08%, 6 6. Walter Stewart (65, Marin) 35:01.66, 67.46%, 10 7. Ed Lane (74, Marin) 35:56.71, 73.36%, 4 WOMEN 1. Caitlin Palacio (13, LSI) 29:31.27, 72.56%, 5 2. Lila Haba (15, SCTC) 29:31.73, 70.37%, 8 3. Diana Rossman (44, SCTC) 29:56.85, 70.84%, 7 4. Karen Stoyanowski (56, Sierra) 30:22.28, 77.88%, 1 5. Jade Corral, 15, LSI) 33:31.16, 62.00%, 15 6. Dawn Calvert (52, unattached) 34:13.04, 66.43%, 12 7. Nicolle Goldman (52, Sierra) 35:38.87, 63.77%, 14 8. Melissa Woodburn (58, Marin) 35:56.97, 67.22%, 11 2 DQ's overall (1 man, 1 woman; not listed in results)

American Junior Record, Men: Trevor Barron, 1:03:37 Former record: Tyler Sorensen, 1:12:57, 5/17/2009, set on the same course.

American Junior Record, Women: Lila Haba, 1:31:09 Former record: Kate Dickinson, 1:34:46, 6/13/2004 American Masters Record, Women 60–64: Marianne Martino, 1:33:38 Former record: Joyce Decker, 1:35:04, 9/25/1994 Masters Age Bests: Men 39, Tim Seaman, 1:09:15 Former record: Dave McGovern, 1:10:41 6/13/2004 Men 83, Bill Moremen, 1:54:20 no prior record Women 67, Jolene Steigerwalt, 1:44:06 Former record: Ruth Leff, 1:44:57, 10/16/1994 Women 71, Louise Walters, 1:40:39 Former record: Shirley Capps, 1:54:45, 5/27/2007, set on the same course. *Pending certification at the next USATF National Convention.

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Race Walking continued from page 29 SCA Race Walk Roundup FROM PEDRO SANTONI SCA RW CHAIR The 15K National Masters’ Championship, held on May 15 at Riverside’s Fairmount Park and hosted by the Inland Empire Racewalkers, highlighted the May–June calendar for racewalkers in Southern California. 48 walkers toed the line, the second largest turnout in race history (only one less than last year), and they benefitted from cool temperatures and overcast skies. Although light rain did occasionally sprinkle the course, the drizzle didn’t turn the pavement into a slippery track, much to the athletes’ delight.

Spectators witnessed several outstanding performances that morning, but the most impressive belonged to the winner of the men’s race, Trevor Barron. The 18-year-old resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, shaved more than nine minutes off the American junior 15K racewalk record of 1:12:57, set two years ago in the same course by Tyler Sorensen. Trevor crossed the finish line in 1:03:37 and in so doing also broke the Fairmount Park course record of 1:03:52, set by his coach, Tim Seaman. Trevor and Tim walked together for the first two loops, after which the pupil put on a burst that left the teacher behind; he maintained an impressive, steady pace through the race, as evidenced by his 5K splits of 21:49, 20:33 (for a 10K mark of 42:20), and 21:32.

Trevor was not the only athlete to break a record on this cool Sunday morning. Lila Haba, a 16-year-old resident of Saratoga, California who competes for the Santa Cruz Track Club, set a new American junior 15K record for women. Her time of 1:31:09 bested Kate Dickinson’s 1:34:46, set in June 2004. In addition, Marianne Martino, a Littleton, Colorado resident and a member of the High Altitude Racewalking Team, walked a 1:33:38 to establish an American masters 15K record for women 60–64. In so doing, she shaved nearly 2 minutes off the former record, set by Joyce Decker in September 1994. Three Southern California residents also came up with masters’ age best marks for 15K: 39-year-old Tim Seaman’s 1:09:15 bested Dave McGovern’s old record of 1:10:41

Pedro Santoni

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Lauren Forgues (#156, Maine) and Rachel Seaman (#155, Canada) at the 15K National Champs (June 2004), 83-year-old Bill Moremen’s 1:54:20 set a new mark for future competitors to take aim at, and on the women’s side, 67year-old Jolene Steigerwalt’s 1:44:06 bested Ruth Leff’s 1994 standard by 51 seconds.

Finally, 71-year-old Nipomo, California resident Louise Walters’ 1:40:39 shattered Shirley Capps’ mark of 1:54:45, set in 2007 on the same Fairmount Park course.

Onlookers at the 15K also enjoyed a hardfought duel between Canada’s Rachel Seaman and Maine’s Lauren Forgues. On her first visit to the Riverside course, Rachel followed up a five-week training and racing stint in Europe with an impressive 1:14:02 (alas, her time does not appear in the official results because USATF prohibits including non-U.S. citizens in the results of USATF championship events).

Rachel’s main goal in this race, which she used to prepare for the Canadian national championship later this June, was to help Lauren go under 1:15. After starting off in what Lauren characterized as a “conservative pace,” both women picked up the tempo in the middle portion of the race and Lauren finished in 1:14:14, a time that she was “really, really happy” with.

Lauren plans to return to Maine in order to finetune her training for the upcoming USATF national championships, which will be held in Eugene late in June.

Association News continued from page 28 BSK/Running Center/Flexr sweep with three of their top long distance runners tackling the course. Unfortunately, Johanna Bonfiglio took a tumble while leading the race on a steep descent, and Nina Miller and Alisa Rogers took over the lead with a 1–2 punch. Carol Montgomery finished third.

On a rare appearance off the track, David Edwards won the men’s 5K, with Team 30 c t & r n • a u g u s t – s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 1

BSK/Running Center/Flexr teammates behind him. On the women’s side, Jessica Brothers (Team BSK/Running Center/Flexr) showed her cross country skill and strength to win. Johanna Bonfiglio regained composure after her fall to come back strong and finish second in the 5K, bloody knees and all! Nina Miller also had an impressive morning to finish third, with only a short break after winning the 10K.

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