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Lead Stories: Monday, December 1, 2008

Ayalew, Henehan Win 32nd Marine Corps Marathon

Posted October 29th, 2007 at 9:00 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons

It has been since the mid-1990s since Tamrat Ayalew ran a 2:12 marathon, the Hoffa International Marathon.

Now 33, Ayalew has slowed considerably over the years but he was fast enough Sunday to earn the Middendorf Trophy, the top prize for winning the 32nd Marine Corps Marathon. He crossed the finish line ahead of 21,226 starters and over 20,600 finishers in 2 hours, 22 minutes, 20 seconds, exactly two minutes ahead of his nearest competitor, two-time defending champion Ruben Garcia of Mexico City.

Ayalew has been racing the roads of America for the past two years as a member of the Foot Solutions Racing Team out of Atlanta as he seeks political asylum from his native Ethiopia. His ultimate goal is to become an American citizen; Sunday’s goal was to be triumphant in the nation’s fourth-largest 26.2-mile race.

“I didn’t do well last year,” said Alayew, who ended up eighth here last year and became only the second Ethiopian to capture Marine Corps. “I decided after that race that I wanted to win.”

Kristen Henehan of Silver Spring, Md., meanwhile, approached Marine Corps as more of a fun run. She did turn serious, however, with a half-mile remaining, pulling away from her nearest competitor and friend Lisa Thomas for a 2:51:14 in her marathon debut. Thomas, who said she was “very disappointed,” followed her across the line just 26 seconds later in a personal-best performance by more than three minutes.
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PRRO Circuit Takes Tough New Anti-Doping Stance

Posted October 26th, 2007 at 10:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Drugs In Sports

The independent organizers of the Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO) Circuit have adopted a toughened anti-doping stance.

Under the new policy the five PRRO Circuit events –which include the World’s Best 10-K in San Juan, Puerto Rico; the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, D.C.; the Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane, Wash.; the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Ga.; and the Utica Boilermaker 15-K in Utica, N.Y.– will no longer invite any athletes who have returned to competition after serving a doping suspension of at least two years.

This new new measure comes after two years of mandatory drug testing at all PRRO events which has been paid carried out by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and paid for by the individual events.
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American Odyssey Relay Planned for Spring 2009

Posted October 23rd, 2007 at 3:41 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Trail / Ultra

People Burning Fat Productions has announced its latest relay run, the American Odyssey Relay Run Adventure, which will occur in the Washington D.C. area. The approximately 200-mile course will traverse Civil War battlefields and other historic locations. The event kicks off in Gettysburg, Pa. before weaving through Maryland and finishing near the Mall in Washington, D.C.

“Like our other relays, the American Odyssey will be a first-class destination event that attracts visitors from around the country and the world,” said Eric Lerude, president of People Burning Fat Productions. “This is our most ambitious effort to date, with an extraordinarily scenic course that showcases many attractions and historical points of interest.”

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Cherry Blossom Ten Mile opens Spring running season in Washington, D.C.

Posted March 30th, 2007 at 1:40 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

credit union cherry blossom ten mile The two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival, which begins tomorrow in Washington, D.C., honors the anniversary of Japan gifting 3,000 cherry trees to the United States in 1912. These gorgeous flowering trees form the backdrop for another great Washington tradition which is part of the festival: the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile which will celebrate its 35th running on Sunday.

Race director Phil Stewart expects 10,000 runners to compete on the flat course which begins and ends in West Potomac Park near the FDR Memorial. Consistently one of the fastest 10 mile races in the world, the event has seen the men’s world record set in 1983 and again in 1995, and the women’s world record in 1976, ‘77, ‘79, ‘87, ‘95 and ‘98, according to the independent Association of Road Racing Statisticians. At last year’s race, the elite women were given a 10 minute head start, and Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia ran 52:11, the fastest ever 10 mile by a woman in an all-women’s race.
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