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Lead Stories: Sunday, November 23, 2008

Star-Studded Meet At Stanford Tomorrow Night

Posted May 4th, 2008 at 11:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Just 18 miles north of this San Jose suburb, one of the most important meets for distance runners held in the United States will take place at Stanford University. Packed with talent, the Peyton Jordan Cardinal Invitational turns the running industry on its head: top stars actually pay entry fees to compete and there are no appearance fees or cash prizes.

So what’s the draw? Perfect weather for achieving all-important Olympic Games qualifying times. When the sun sets at this time of year in Palo Alto, the winds calm down and the temperature drops, becoming comfortably cool. There is already very low humidity.

The key races are the top sections of the men’s and women’s 5000m and 10,000m, led by double world champion Bernard Lagat. Although he won the world titles last summer at both the 1500m and the 5000m, he doesn’t have an Olympic Games “A” standard time in the longer distance: 13:21.50. Working with other coaches, managers and the New York Road Runners, the men’s 5-K will be set-up by pacemaker Christian Hesch for a 13:10 to 13:20 finish time.
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Top Talent Headed to Thursday’s Manchester
Road Race

Posted November 22nd, 2007 at 10:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

America’s most venerated Thanksgiving Day running race, the Manchester Road Race, will celebrate its 71st edition on Thursday in Manchester, Conn., with some top talent at the front.

In the men’s race, last year’s champion Ian Dobson, the former Stanford star, will try to become the first American to defend his title at Manchester since steeplechaser John Gregorek won two in a row in 1988 and ‘89. In cold and rainy conditions last year, Dobson prevailed by just one second over Canadian Simon Bairu.

Dobson’s key competition will likely come from a pair of Ethiopian Olympians, Dagne Alemu and Girma Tola. Alemu has won three consecutive races since winning the York White Rose Run on Nov. 11; Tola won the Baltimore Half-Marathon on Oct. 13 and the Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country on Oct. 28. Also in the mix will be 2002 Manchester champion, Andrew Letherby of Australia; New Zealand Olympian Michael Aish; Canadians Reid Coolsaet and Dylan Wykes; Irishman Martin Fagan; steeplechasers Dan Huling and Brian Olinger; and milers Rob Myers and Grant Robison.
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Dobson and Bairu to Return to Manchester Road Race

Posted October 26th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results

The top two finishers from last year’s Manchester Road Race will compete there again this Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22. Ian Dobson and Simon Bairu have both entered the 71st Manchester Road Race, race officials announced last week.

Dobson, a nine-time All-American at Stanford University, won last year’s race in 21:39. He finished one second ahead of Bairu, a Canadian citizen who starred at the University of Wisconsin. Bairu was the NCAA cross country champion in both 2004 and 2005.
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