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Lead Stories: Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Gerry Lindgren: The Self-Proclaimed “Wimp” Who Revolutionized Running

Posted March 25th, 2008 at 1:34 PM by Stephanie Lowe

Section: News & Results, Motivation, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, College, High School

Despite protests of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, President George W. Bush recently stated that there will not be a boycott from the United States. According to CNN, Bush believes the Olympics “should be about the athletes and not necessarily about politics.”

Former U.S. Olympian Gerry Lindgren, 62, agrees. He thinks China will benefit from hosting the Games.

“I think they need to leave politics out of it,” he said. “China has made some great strides forward in the last few years.”

Lindgren recalls backlash of the 1980 U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics. He did not plan to compete in Moscow, but he knew how disappointed the U.S. team was to miss out on the Olympic experience. Lindgren said he was upset with former President Jimmy Carter’s decision and said the Olympics should have been “the only avenue in the world that wasn’t political.”
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Legends Mingle with Honolulu Marathoners at 5-K Run

Posted December 6th, 2007 at 5:57 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

About 400 runners lined up with several of the greatest-ever names in the sport of distance running at the annual Honolulu Marathon Legends 5-K this morning at Kapiolani Park, across the street from Waikiki Beach. Bright spirits overcame the grey and soggy conditions as the persistently rainy weather here continued.

The legends included Olympic gold medalist, Frank Shorter; the last American man to win the Boston Marathon, Greg Meyer; three-time ING New York City Marathon champion, Alberto Salazar; and former multiple world record holder, Jim Ryun (Pictured). Although the race is a fun run with no official results, Meyer was the first legend across the finish line in “19-something” by his own reckoning. Salazar said, “I just did an eight minute pace,” while Shorter was observed crossing the finish line in 24:21. Ryun jogged with his wife, Anne, and daughter, Catharine, finishing in 31:23.
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USATF Announces Site Selections for 2008
National Championships

Posted December 5th, 2007 at 3:00 PM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Cross Country, Track & Field, Trail / Ultra

The following site selections for upcoming USATF national championships were made at the 2007 Annual Meeting last week in Honolulu, Hawaii:

2008 National Club Track & Field Championships
- Olathe, KS

2008 National Club Cross Country Championships
- Spokane, WA

2008 USA 50km Road Championships - Long Island, NY

2008 USA 100km Road Championships - Madison, WI

2008 USA Mountain Championships - Gorham, NH

2008 USA Trail Marathon Championships - Deadwood, SD

2008 USA 10km Trail Championships - Steamboat Springs, CO

2008 USA 100M Trail Championships - Lake Tahoe, CA

2008 USA 50M Trail Championships - White River, WA

2008 USA 100km Trail Championships - Willamette Pass, OR

2008 USA 50M Road Championships - Boalsburg, PA

2009 USA Track & Field Masters Indoor Championships - Landover, MD

2009 USA Youth Track & Field Championships - Detroit, MI

2009 USATF National Junior Olympic Outdoor Track & Field Championships - Greensboro, N.C.

2009 USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships - Reno, NV

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Dathan Ritzenhein Named
Visa Humanitarian Athlete
of the Year

Posted November 27th, 2007 at 7:45 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Two-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein has been named Visa Humanitarian Athlete of the Year by USA Track & Field. Ritzenhein will be honored December 1 at the 2007 Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony held in conjunction with USA Track & Field’s 2007 Annual Meeting, November 28-December 2, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Ritzenhein, 24, of Eugene, Oregon, earlier this year won the Healthy Kidney 10K in New York on May 19 in 20 minutes 8 seconds, breaking the Central Park course record of 28:10 set by Kenyan Paul Koech in 1997. Following the race Ritzenhein donated his winner’s earnings of $7,500 to the race beneficiary, the National Kidney Foundation. “I made a pact with myself before the race that if I’m fortunate enough to pick up this course record the least I can do is give back the first place prize money seeing as how this is professional athletics, but it’s a race for charity,” said Ritzenhein.
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Eastler, Vaill win
Ron Zinn Awards

Posted November 24th, 2007 at 3:45 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results

USA Track & Field has announced that Kevin Eastler and Teresa Vaill are the winners of the 2007 Captain Ron Zinn Awards that honor the outstanding U.S. male and female race walkers of the year. Formal presentation of the awards will take place December 1 in ceremonies held in conjunction with USATF’s Annual Meeting at the Sheraton Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The annual awards commemorate the achievements of Captain Ronald Zinn, who lost his life in combat during the Vietnam War. Zinn was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. His sixth-place finish in the 20 km race walk is one of America’s all-time top international race walking performances.
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Indoor Visa Championship Series to Head West with
USA vs. The World at
“Run for the Dream”

Posted November 14th, 2007 at 5:05 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

The Visa Championship Series, USA Track & Field’s signature series of domestic track meets, will include an indoor stop in California for the first time next Martin Luther King Day (Monday, January 21) when USA vs. the World at Run for The Dream kicks off the 2008 Indoor Visa Championship Series.

The USA vs. The World event will feature top U.S. and international athletes competing in seven individual events each for men and women, plus the 4×400m relay, in a scored, team competition. Team USA athletes will take on a squad of International All-Stars in the first team-scored meet in Visa Championship Series history.

First held in 2006, Run for the Dream will take place at the Save Mart Center on the campus of Fresno State University. A new, 160-yard track is being built specifically for the facility and will make its international debut at Run for the Dream, a meet organized and directed by USATF’s 2003 Nike Coach of the Year and Fresno State head coach Bob Fraley.
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Vincente, Csomor Win XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run 10K in Maui, Hawaii

Posted October 29th, 2007 at 8:10 PM by Bart Moylan

Section: News & Results, Trail / Ultra

At the blast of a cannon, 355 trail runners from 14 different countries and 30 U.S. states took off for the XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run on Saturday. With a backdrop of bright blue skies and palm trees swaying in the balmy breeze, this trail run is the kickoff event for a weekend of XTERRA adventures.

Competitors chose from two off-road courses, a 10K or a 5K - each serving up a plateful of Mother Nature’s finest ingredients including loose gravel and lava rocks, soft sand and humid temperatures.

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Race Recap:
2006 Honolulu Marathon

Posted December 12th, 2006 at 10:00 PM by Jenna Sumara

Section: News & Results, Marathons

In a surprising turn of events, Ambesse Tolossa of Ethiopia managed to upset defending champion Jimmy Muindi to win the 2006 Honolulu Marathon on Sunday (Dec. 10); ending the10-year winning streak of the Kenyan runners. Tolosa’s came in at 2:13:42 and Muindi, who was seeking his sixth Honolulu victory, was almost a complete minute behind at 2:14:39.

Coming in third was Kenyan Eric Wainana at 2:16:08, Araya Haregot of Ethiopia was fourth in 2:16:59, followed closely by Eric Nzoiki of Kenya in 2:17:10.
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