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Lead Stories: Friday, August 29, 2008

Olympic Marathon Trials ‘08:
Elite Athlete Profile:
ELVA DRYER

Posted April 12th, 2008 at 6:10 AM by thefinalsprint.com

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

A two-time U.S. Olympian, Elva Dryer has developed her athleticism since high school with patience and hard work. She first began to train seriously at Western State College in Colorado, refining her skills for a promising career on and off the track. She was a 16-time NCAA Division II All-American and a seven-time national champion at Western State.

After graduating in 1996, Dryer continued to race and train. She posted respectable indoor times in the mile, 3,000m, and 5,000m events before extending her skills to the roads, cross country and outdoor track. In 1998, Dryer produced several strong international performances, placing eighth at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships 4K and ninth in the mile at the Goodwill Games with a PR of 4:31.12.
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2008 Previews & Predictions: Women’s Marathon

Posted January 24th, 2008 at 12:30 PM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

The marathon promises to be one of the marquee events in women’s track and field in 2008. Among the highlights will be an epic showdown in London, a thrilling U.S. Olympic Trials, and Paula Radcliffe’s last chance at Olympic glory in Beijing. These and a few other huge races should provide many memorable moments and will define many careers. I will again try to make predictions based on as much hearsay, personal bias, and circumstantial data as I can gather.

The first big event on the 2008 women’s marathon calendar is the Flora London Marathon, which will be held on April 13. This race feature’s several of the world’s top female marathoners including World Record holder Radcliffe, World Marathon Majors Champ Gete Wami, Dubai Marathon champ Berhane Adere, Svetlana Zakharova, Constantina Tomescu-Dita, and Benita Johnson.
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USA Half-Marathon Titles
Up for Grabs in Houston

Posted January 13th, 2008 at 8:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

With deep fields but no clear favorites, Sunday’s USA Half-Marathon Championships hosted by the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon look to be wide open races. Most athletes are only in the base phase of their training cycles, either recovering from, or in the early stages of preparing for, important marathons. Expectations amongst the top entrants are modest, despite the $12,000 winner’s purse.

“I was in the same boat last year at this time,” said defending women’s champion Elva Dryer in a telephone interview last night from Houston. Prior to last year’s championship, Dryer was just restarting her training after running the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in October.

This year, she’s had even less recovery time after placing sixth at the ING New York City Marathon last November. However, Houston offers her a good chance to see where her training stands for April’s USA Olympic Team Trials - Women’s Marathon in Boston. A two-time Olympian at 10,000m, Dryer has an excellent shot of qualifying for her first Olympic marathon.
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Looking Back On The 2007 New York City Marathon

Posted November 30th, 2007 at 6:30 PM by J. R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The Champions
At the 38th ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 4, Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain led wire-to-wire in the women’s race and pulled away from Gete Wami of Ethiopia, 2:23:09 vs. 2:23:32, while Martin Lel of Kenya kicked ahead in the final mile to win the men’s division over Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco, 2:09:04 vs. 2:09:16. Both champions notched their second ING New York City Marathon titles, and Lel became the first man in history to win both the Flora London Marathon and ING New York City Marathon in the same year.
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NYC MARATHON ‘07: Radcliffe Wins Second NYC Title; Wami Earns World Marathon Majors $500k

Posted November 4th, 2007 at 12:08 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

After taking a hiatus from racing to have a child, World Marathon Record Holder Paula Radcliffe quited the doubters and made a loud and impressive statement this morning in her first 26.2 mile race since giving birth.

Britain’s Radcliffe dominated one of the most talented fields of female marathon runners ever assembled to win the 2007 ING New York City Marathon; her second NYC title.

The marathon became a two-person race after about the second mile, when Radcliffe and Wami made strong moves and opened a lead on Prokopcuka, Grigoryeva and Ndereba. After increasing their lead by over a minute, Radcliffe and Wami never looked back. Radcliffe assumed the lead, but was then followed by Wami throughout the remainder of the race.

Over the Williamsburg Bridge and through the roaring crowds of First Avenue, Radcliffe refused to make a move and allowed Wami to remain just over her shoulder. At various points during the last two or three miles Wami seemed too close to comfort. Despite Radcliffe’s constant efforts to lose her, Wami never trailed by more than 3 or 4 feet and even took the lead for about 2-3 seconds on the 26th mile.

As the pair entered the park, Wami gained what would be a very short-lived lead of 2-3 feet. Radcliffe came flying back a few seconds later with an intense, final surge that officially shut the door on Wami’s hopes of winning the race.

Radcliffe finished the race in a near-course record of 2:23:09. Wami, showing basically no signs of fatigue from her victory at the Berlin Marathon last month, finished second (2:32:32) and defending champion Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia came in third (2:26:13)

Despite being unable to overtake Radcliffe, Wami has a lot to celebrate: She held onto her lead in the World Marathon Majors series to win the $500,000 prize purse.

America’s Elva Dryer came in sixth; finishing in a time of 2:35:15.

Event Coverage Sponsored By:
Camelbak - the originator and leader in hands-free hydration.

To learn more Camelbak Elixir, their effective, easy-to-use and portable electrolyte beverage, as well as Camelbak’s running specific hydration systems, please visit www.camelbak.com.

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NYC MARATHON ‘07: Women Complete 15k; Radcliffe and Wami Dominate Field

Posted November 4th, 2007 at 10:30 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

Radcliffe and Wami continue to lead the women’s field at course-record-setting pace and they fly by the 15k mark.

Their overall time is 50:12 which translates into a 5:23/mile pace. Having made their moves so early, Radcliffe and Wami have managed to run in the lead at a pretty consistent pace that ranges from 5:16-5:21.

However, they have still been able to increase their lead; now ahead of Prokopcuka, Ndereba and Grigoryeva by 1:28.

American Elva Dryer has begun to catch up to that second pack of leaders and now trails Radcliffe and Wami by a little over 2 minutes.

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NYC MARATHON 2007:
Elite Athlete Profile:
ELVA DRYER

Posted November 4th, 2007 at 7:00 AM by thefinalsprint.com

Section: News & Results, Marathons

One of America’s top distance runners, Elva Dryer ran her first marathon in 2006 and finished 12th in the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon (2:31:48). She made the 2000 U.S. Olympic team at 5000 meters.

In 2003, she finished second in the 10,000 meters at the USA Outdoor Championships; another runner-up finish the next year—at the Olympic Trials—earned her a spot on her second Olympic team, and she was the top American in the 10,000 at the 2004 Games, finishing 19th. Dryer won four NCAA Division II titles at 3,000 for Western State College (CO).

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Sunday’s Weather Forecast for New York City Marathon

Posted November 3rd, 2007 at 6:28 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Conditions: Mostly Sunny
High: 59°F
Precipitation: 0%
Wind: WNW 15 mph
Max. Humidity: 54%
UV Index: 3 Moderate
Sunrise: 6:29 AM ET
Avg. High: 58°F
Record High: 78°F (1975)

While these aren’t ideal conditions for a marathon (which would be 47-49°F, overcast, no wind, slight drizzle) they are certainly more than adequate for a good race tomorrow.

To see the complete forecast for tomorrow’s race: [The Weather Channel]

Event Coverage Sponsored By:
Camelbak - the originator and leader in hands-free hydration.

To learn more Camelbak Elixir, their effective, easy-to-use and portable electrolyte beverage, as well as Camelbak’s running specific hydration systems, please visit www.camelbak.com.

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ING New York City Marathon: Women’s Preview

Posted November 1st, 2007 at 1:00 PM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The women’s race at the 2007 ING New York Marathon can best be described as a clash of the titans. Arguably the strongest women’s field ever assembled for this race, this contest should not be short on drama, especially with the inaugural World Marathon Majors Championship still in doubt.

The battle for the first World Marathon Majors title has been narrowed to two runners, Latvia’s Jelena Prokopcuka and Ethiopia’s Gete Wami. Prokopcuka is looking to win her third straight New York Marathon, but only boasts a 2:22.56 PB (Osaka WC, 2003). Wami, on the other hand, has a PB of 2:21:34 and has won the Berlin Marathon twice. Wami has defied conventional marathon wisdom by even attempting this race; her most recent victory at Berlin came only five weeks before New York. Can she maintain her peak to become the World Marathon Majors champion or will Jelena Prokopcuka’s Big Apple dominance be too much to overcome?

Complicating matters for Prokopcuka and Wami will be the world’s two fastest women’s marathoners- Britain’s Paula Radcliffe and Kenya’s Catherine Ndereba.
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Podcast 95: ELVA DRYER on the 2007 ING NYC Marathon

Posted October 19th, 2007 at 2:05 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years BR Sportswear is closing out their line of high -quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

Episode 95 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my interview with ELVA DRYER; an emerging force in the half and full marathon and one of the top Americans set to compete in the November 4th ING New York City Marathon.

The 2007 U.S. half marathon champion followed up her third place finish at last week’s Tuft’s Health Plan 10K with a win at the Denver Half-Marathon on Sunday.

In the interview, Elva talks about her very successful 2007 season, training for and the competition at the NYC Marathon, choosing NYC over Chicago, and why she enjoys the current, “cut and dry” Olympic marathon qualifying system.

Download the podcast to hear Elva discuss these topics, as well as, why not having pacesetters “makes for a better race” for both the athletes and the spectators, the current debate over performance enhancing drugs, running in both the Olympic marathon and track & field trials, the men she believes have the best shot of making the Olympic marathon team, and much more!

Listen In
[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)

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Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Elva Dryer
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 12.6 MB | Length: 18:21 MIN

Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!

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