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Lead Stories: Thursday, August 28, 2008

Koerner ends winless streak; earns top honors at Western States 100mi Endurance Run

Posted June 25th, 2007 at 8:00 PM by Jessica Galvano

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Running & Training, Cross Training

Sixth time’s a charm. For Hal Koerner, a sixth attempt at the Western States Endurance Run brought a long sought after victory. A five-year streak without title ended for Koerner Saturday night as he crossed a finish lined with spectators. At 9:12 p.m., Koerner received a winner’s welcome from a host of camera flashes and a freshly star-studded sky.

Although he finished third in 2004 and ninth in 2003, Koerner has returned to the renowned 100-miler each year with an eye for first. In his previous races, Koerner had remained with the pack, matching their steady pace rather than setting his own. Saturday, however, the Oregon ultrarunner ran almost every mile without the company of his fellow competitors.
His 2007 strategy: run alone, take the lead and keep it.

Read the rest at our partner site: TrailFit.com

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Kimball retains title at Western States Endurance Run

Posted June 25th, 2007 at 6:44 PM by Jessica Galvano

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Running & Training, Cross Training

Nikki Kimball, first place women’s finisher in the 2004 and 2006 Western States Endurance Run, approached the start of this year’s 100-miler with hopes of a third title. Despite her previous successes in California’s notoriously challenging ultramarathon, Kimball was not convinced of certain victory.

Like many of her peers, the Montana runner regards the Western States 100 as one of the most prestigious ultradistance events. As expected, this year’s female field boasted established athletes from across the United States and around the world. With fierce competitors all eager to be the first across a very distant finish line, not even Kimball’s years of experience could calm her pre-race nerves.

Read the rest of this race recap at our partner site: TrailFit.com

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Stunning victory for Shvetsov at Comrades Marathon

Posted June 17th, 2007 at 4:32 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Size doesn’t matter, at least not in the Comrades [Marathon].

Tall, strongly-muscled, long-striding Russian Leonid Shvetsov, 38, finally disproved the belief that big men can’t win the “down” Comrades when he shattered Bruce Fordyce’s venerable 21-year-old record in the ultramarathon between Pietermaritzburg and Durban by more than three minutes in what second placer Grigoriy Murzin described as the greatest ultradistance performance of all time over 89.3 km (55.5 mi.).

Shvetsov, who placed 13th in the 2004 Olympic Marathon and is 1.85m (6′ 4″) tall and weighs around 72 kg (158 lbs), finished in 5:20:49 to win by nine minutes, 31 seconds –-the biggest winning margin since Fordyce beat Mark Page by 10:46 in 1988. Shvetsov, who took the lead for good with more than 33 km to run, said afterwards that he felt the record could go soon after he ran through halfway of the 89.3 km distance. At halfway in Drummond he was still almost two minutes behind leader Petros Sosibo, who would eventually fade to 48th place.

Read the rest at our partner site: TrailFit.com

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