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Lead Stories: Friday, August 29, 2008

Torres, Flanagan Victorious at Central Park Challenge

Posted March 15th, 2008 at 12:50 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Road Racing

At the inaugural Central Park Challenge here today, which incorporated the U.S. Men’s 8-K Championship, Jorge Torres (Pictured) and Shalane Flanagan won their respective races convincingly. But the paths taken to their titles were completely different.

In the men’s race, all eyes were on U.S. mile record holder, Alan Webb, running in only his fourth professional road race and his first race of 2008. Webb was on the lead with Christian Hesch at the first mile (4:36), and was right behind Andrew Carlson at the two mile mark (9:05). Carlson began to push the pace in the third mile (13:37), but Webb and Christian Hesch surged through the 5-K mark (14:10) where primes were awarded for the top-3 men (Webb was first with Hesch just behind).
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Jorge Torres Edges Andrew Carlson for USA Men’s 8K Championship

Posted March 15th, 2008 at 11:30 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results

Building on a strong, second-place performance at the USA Cross Country Championship, Jorge Torres outlasted Andrew Carlson to win today’s USA 8K Championship in Central Park.

Torres earned the 8K national title with a time of 22:41.2, finishing 0.7 seconds ahead of Team USA Minnesota’s Andrew Carlson (22:41.9). Jason Hartmann (22:48), James Carney (22:52.5), and Fasil Bizuneh (23:02.1) completed the top five.

Alan Webb (23:31.3) finished a disappointing 16th in what was only his fourth professional road race and 2008 racing debut. However, David Monti reports that Webb was sick on Thursday night, probably the result of food poisoning. He and his coach, Scott Raczko, considered scratching him from the race, but Alan decided to start. There is little doubt that it affected his performance today.
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Overcast Skies, Chance of Rain for U.S. 8k Champs in NYC

Posted March 15th, 2008 at 8:00 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results

Weather.com is forecasting cloudy skies, temperatures around 43 degrees Fahrenheit, and 15mph winds for this morning’s 9am start time of the Central Park Challenge in New York City.

Hosted by the New York Road Runners (NYRR’s), the event includes the U.S. Men’s 8k Championship and a separate Invitational Women’s Race.

The top entrants in the men’s national championship are Alan Webb, who will be making his season debut, Jorge Torres, James Carney, Andrew Carlson, and Fasil Bizuneh. Shalane Flanagan comes in as the favorite for the women’s contest, but will face challenges from notables such as Team USA Minnesota’s Katie McGregor and Carrie Tollefson.

A total prize purse of $70,000 will be on the line, with $10,000 going to each race winner.

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Podcast 36: Interview with Olympic steeplechaser Anthony Famiglietti

Posted April 8th, 2007 at 5:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Episode 36 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my interview with Olympic steeplechaser Anthony “Fam” Famiglietti; one of the most exciting, unique, and passionate runners in the world.

On March 18th, Fam continued his momentum from 2006, a year when he was able to new PR’s in both the 1,500 and 10,000 meter, with an impressive win at the USA Men’s 8k Championships.

Download the podcast to hear Fam discuss the 8k champs, training with Dr. Jack Daniels at the Center for High Altitude Training, his “colorful” reputation, goals for 2007 and beyond, the incredibly motivating “Run Like Hell” DVD, and much more!

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

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Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Anthony Famiglietti
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 14.7 MB
Length: 00:21:30

Check out every episode of TFS’s Podcast in iTunes!

Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!

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Famiglietti wins U.S. 8-K title

Posted March 19th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results

Steeplechaser Anthony Famiglietti won today’s U.S. Men’s 8-K Championship in Central Park, his first victory at this event.

The 28 year-old New Yorker covered the three-loop criterium course in 22:35, six seconds ahead of second place Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, Ariz. Bolota Asmerom of Oakland was third in 22:48.

Famiglietti, an Olympian, won $11,000 including a $1000 prime for being one of the top-3 athletes at the 5-K mark.
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Weather Forces Postponement of U.S. 8-K

Posted March 17th, 2007 at 1:05 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

A late winter storm which dumped several inches of wet snow here last night forced the postponement of the U.S. Men’s 8-K Championship until tomorrow morning.

Event organizers, the New York Road Runners, had no choice but to move the race until tomorrow because of the snow and ice which covered the course in Central Park.

Race director and NYRR president and CEO, Mary Wittenberg, decided with her event team to use a different course tomorrow, confining the race the the “lower loop” of the park which is approximately 2.7 km.
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Abdi, Torres, Famiglietti Headling US 8k Champs

Posted March 15th, 2007 at 4:00 PM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results

The 2005 USA 8K and 2006 USA 10,000 meter champion Jorge Torres from Boulder, Colo. leads the field for the USA Men’s 8K Championship in New York City’s Central Park on Saturday, March 17.

Torres, 26, who ran 22 minutes, 47 seconds to win the U.S. title two years ago, will face formidable competition including 2004 Olympians Abdi Abdirahman and Anthony Famiglietti and rising stars Max King, Matt Gabrielson, Fernando Cabada, Ed Moran and Rod Koborsi. Olympians Dathan Ritzenhein and Adam Goucher recently withdrew from the race because of injury and illness respectively.
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Injury forces Ritzenhein out of U.S. 8-K Championship

Posted March 12th, 2007 at 11:37 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

A foot injury has forced Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein to withdraw from the U.S. 8-K Championship set for Saturday in New York City, race organizers said today.

“While we are crushed to lose Dathan from our 8-K field, we support his decision to withdraw,” said Mary Wittenberg, President and CEO of the New York Road Runners, which is hosting the event.

In a statement issued today, Wittenberg added: “Clearly the right thing to do is to rest a minor injury today before it becomes major so that he is back on the field as soon as possible in this year when the stakes are so high. I expect great things from Dathan this year, and the fans in New York will be glad to know we expect him back here again before the Olympic Marathon Trials on November 3.”
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Goucher withdraws from 8-K Championship with illness

Posted March 7th, 2007 at 4:14 PM by Jamal Walker

Section: News & Results, Cross Country

Adam Goucher, who had hoped to challenge his coach’s national 8-K record at the U.S. 8-K Championship in New York City in ten days time, has been forced to withdraw from the race due to illness.

“He’s got pneumonia and he’s been sick for over ten days,” said Goucher’s coach, Alberto Salazar, in an e-mail message sent to race organizers, the New York Road Runners. “He’s under orders of no running for five days. Obviously the 8-K race is out of question at this point.”

Both Goucher, and his wife Kara, were stricken. Kara was forced to miss the U.S. Indoor Championships late last month where she was a contender to win the 3000m.
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Dusen hopes to score one for working man at US 8k Champs

Posted February 27th, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results

Karl Dusen isn’t much different from the other former Ivy League students who flock here, degrees in hand, to land a job in New York’s giant financial sector.

After earning his economics degree from Columbia in 2005, he found a job as a financial analyst with A.I.G.’s Global Investment Group. Dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and blue patterned tie while lunching in a midtown restaurant today with a few reporters, he certainly looked as if he was ready to take over Wall Street.

But beneath that dark suit beats the heart of an athlete who is still trying to discover how good he really might be. In 2005 he broke the Columbia University record for 10,000m at the Cardinal invitational, clocking 29:00.45, still his personal best. A journeyman’s time or a sign that he has the potential to go faster?

“I’m still running because I’m continuing to get better,” said Dusen over a plate of cannelloni with a sweet red sauce. He added: “Leaving college I didn’t feel I maxed out my potential.”
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