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Lead Stories: Friday, May 16, 2008

Brian Sell Wins Third USA 25km Championship

Posted May 10th, 2008 at 1:45 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Road Racing

Brian Sell (Rochester Hills, Mich.) successfully defended his men’s national title running 1:15:08 while Paige Higgins (Littleton, Colo.) won her first USA road title in 1:30:49, Saturday at the USA 25 km Championships in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Sunny skies and ideal conditions of 42 degrees and calm winds met athletes for the 15th running of the championships with the Fifth Third River Bank Run as Sell and 2006 champion and 25 km American Record holder Fernando Cabada (Boulder, Colo.) led a lead pack of 11 men including open division contenders Wellay Weldegiyorgis (ETH) and Rueben Chebii (KEN) through the first mile in 4:58.
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Dathan Ritzenehin:
Homeward Bound: New Beginnings and Role Reversals
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #5)

Posted May 6th, 2008 at 4:30 PM by Dathan Ritzenhein

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Elite Athlete Blogs, Dathan Ritzenhein

Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Dathan Ritzenhein! Check back every other Tuesday for Ritz’s latest entry at http://dathanritzenhein.thefinalsprint.com/ as he prepares to represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics!

Sunday night, a night of great races [at the Peyton Jordan Cardinal Invitational], made me want to be out there racing. Even though I was at home, already in my pajamas, I wanted to be there racing. Watching Brent Vaughn grit his teeth down the homestretch, and Shalane [Flanagan]’s American Record was also exciting. I would check the computer intermittently to catch an update of the races. Stanford is such a great place to go if you want great weather and fast times. No other place or meet has the predictability and guarantee that Stanford can offer.

It is always one of the hardest things to do; watching races when you are sitting at home, but I just have to keep my head down and work hard know that I will be ready for August 24th.
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Grand Rapids Marathon Registration Opens Tomorrow Evening at Running Documentary Premier

Posted January 23rd, 2008 at 10:00 AM by Allyson Rosen

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Motivation, Movies

Marathon enthusiasts across the country will have a chance tomorrow night to watch a special one-night, “big-screen” viewing of a documentary that embraces their beloved sport. “Spirit of the Marathon” is the collaborative effort of three-time Academy Award winner Mark Jonathan Harris, Telly Award winner and marathon runner Jon Dunham, and producer/marathoner Gwendolen Twist. Four years in the making, “Spirit of the Marathon” is the first ever non-fiction feature film to capture the drama and essence of the famed 26.2 mile running event.

In addition, and to the further delight of Michigan’s running community, race organizers for the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon have decided to kick off registration for this event in conjunction with the “Spirit of the Marathon” premier. A special booth will be set-up at Celebration Cinema North, the local Grand Rapids, MI theater offering the one-night showing, beginning at 6pm tomorrow evening, January 24. They will also be offering $5.00 off registration and free popcorn to those planning on running the October 19 event.
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TFS News Briefs: 11/11/07

Posted November 11th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Cross Country, Track & Field, TFS News Briefs

Rupp, Ducks Win NCAA West Regional X-C Championships
The #1-ranked Oregon Ducks won the 2007 NCAA West Regional Cross-Country Championships on the strength of Galen Rupp’s 1st-place 29:35:45 finish in Eugene, Oregon. The Ducks scored 47 points to 2nd-place Stanford’s 76 points. The Oregon women’s team finished 2nd with 72 points to Stanford’s 1st place 33 points. Stanford’s Teresa McWalters won the 6K race in 19:57:30, eight seconds ahead of Oregon’s Nicole Blood. Read more at: [GoDucks.com]

Michigan Ties 4th-Ranked UW Badgers In Great Lakes Regional X-C Championships
Led by Junior Lex Williams, the #23rd-ranked Michigan Wolverines men’s cross-country team tied the 4th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in the Great Lakes Regional Cross-Country Championships on Saturday, November 10th, 2007. Both teams scored 68 points. The women’s team finished 2nd to Michigan State, scoring 63 to the Spartans’ 60 points.Read more at: [MGoBlue.com]

Scottish 1st Minister: 2014 Games “Best in History”
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond pledged to make the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, “the greatest sporting event our country has ever seen… It’s up to us all now to keep building the buzz to make sure we put on an electrifying Games and to make sure that we make the most of this wonderful opportunity.” Read more at: [ic Wales, United Kingdom]
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New ‘Chasing Glory’ Pre-Marathon Trials Video

Posted September 20th, 2007 at 5:07 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

As part of the New York Road Runners’ unprecedented promotional and media build-up to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon race on Saturday, November 3, “Chasing Glory,” a seven-week series of web videos offering exclusive athlete and coach interviews and insight will premiere today on the NYRR website, it was announced by NYRR president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

Leading Olympic Trials contenders Dathan Ritzenhein, Abdi Abdirahman, Alan Culpepper, Meb Keflezighi, Brian Sell, and Ryan Hall, along with top coaches Brad Hudson, Keith and Kevin Hanson, and Terrence Mahon will be among those featured in the weekly videos. Other segments will highlight behind-the-scenes footage of the challenging Olympic Trials course in Central Park, facts and figures about the race, and a glimpse of how the USA’s runners compare with those of the rest of the world.

The five- to seven-minute videos will be launched every Tuesday and Thursday from September 17 to October 26. The videos are produced by videographer Matt Taylor, whose other credits include “Chasing Kimbia” and “Chasing Tradition.” The videos will be supplemented by three text-based commentaries each week, written in conjunction with television analyst Toni Reavis.
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Stanford #1 In 2007 Pre-Season Women’s Cross Country Rankings

Posted September 11th, 2007 at 7:34 PM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Cross Country

Two-time defending NCAA champion Stanford opens the 2007 cross country season ranked first in the country among Division I women’s teams, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced today.

Stanford received nine of the 13 first-place votes in the initial poll. Michigan is ranked second. Third-ranked Colorado received the remaining four first-place votes.

Rounding out the top 10 are No. 4 Arkansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Arizona State, Minnesota, Providence and Michigan State.

The second 10 consists of Virginia, Florida State, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina State, Princeton, Duke, Colorado State, Washington and Virginia Tech.
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Chasing the Coast: The 25th Annual Bayshore Marathon

Posted June 1st, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Alexandra Haller

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The 25th annual Traverse City State Bank Bayshore Marathon took place over Memorial Day weekend, May 26th, in picturesque Traverse City, MI. This year’s race was held in near perfect weather conditions. The skies were clear and expansive. The morning was a cool, runner-friendly 45 degrees and the winds were still.

Although this race isn’t very well known, it grows in popularity every year. According to their website, there were nearly 4,000 people registered for all three races, which include the full marathon, the half marathon and the 10K.

There are many reasons I would recommend that you run the Bayshore Marathon, not the least of which is the scenery. Traverse City is a town for water lovers, those who appreciate the beauty of a golden sunrise over a sparkling beach.
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WEEK 3 XC Rankings: Few Changes as Most Teams Rest For Next Weekend

Posted October 10th, 2006 at 3:05 PM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Cross Country

There were very few changes in the Week 3 Cross Country Rankings because most teams took the weekend off. They did so in an attempt to better prepare themselves for next Saturday’s Pre-Nationals at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, IN.

On the men’s side, there were literally no changes. Wisconsin remained #1 with Arkansas maintaining the subsequent rank.

There were a few changes for the women, although Stanford stayed at the top for a third straight week. The most notable changes was Iowa dropping from 8th to 11th.

Colorado (2) and Michigan (3) switched spots from last week’s rankings. Arkansas, North Carolina State, BYU, Princeton, UC Santa Barbara, Wisconsin and Providence filled the 4-7 spots.

For complete rankings, go to theofficial USTFCCCA Division I site.

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WEEK 2 XC Rankings: Oregon & NC St Men, Princeton Women on the Rise

Posted October 3rd, 2006 at 11:00 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Cross Country

The Wisconsin men and Stanford women retained their #1 rankings according to the the Week 2 USTFCCCA polls.

The new poll demonstrated some notable changes following this past weekend’s cross country action:

• The Oregon men rose from 17th to 6th and the Arkansas women moved up four spots on the heels of their big wins at the Bill Dellinger Invitational.
• The Michigan women claimed the #2 spot and the men of NC State jumped to 13th after their victories at the Notre Dame Invitational. NC State had been left off of the Men’s D-I Top 30 in Week 1.
• The Princeton women climbed to 7th as a result of their showing at the Paul Short Invitational.
• The Texas men took a big hit, falling from 6th to 23rd.

For complete rankings, go the to official USTFCCCA Division I site.
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