West Coasters Excel at USA Mountain Running Championships in New England

North Conway, NH --- On a humid, overcast morning in the New England hamlet of North Conway, NH, Washingtonian Joseph Gray, 24, Lakewood, and Californian Christine Lundy, 38, Sausalito outpaced one of the deepest U.S. mountain running fields in recent memory to become the 2009 USA Mountain Running Champions today. The pair also led team USA to gold medal podium spots in the men’s and women’s division of the North American Central American Caribbean Mountain Running Championships.

The race featured two 5.5 kilometer loops and 2400 feet of vertical gain which included a mixture of steep climbing, single track terrain, super fast descents, and flat sections across open meadows. Spectators at the base of the mountain could watch the runners as they climbed in the distance and then cheered runners on as they passed the start/finish area for the second and final loop.

A former collegiate steeplechaser, Gray, in his third season mountain racing, was with a lead pack of seven within the first kilometer which included Simon Gutierrez, 43, Alamosa, CO, Zac Freudenberg, 30, St. Louis, MO, Eric Blake, 29, New Britain, CT, Matt Byrne, 34, Scranton, PA, and Shiloh Mielke, 29, Asheville, NC. The group stayed together up the first pitch, but at the top of the climb Gray took off. Freudenberg and Gutierrez were in second and third respectively, followed closely by Gates, Byrne, and Blake. Mielke didn’t stick with the group on the first downhill.

After the first loop it was Gray leading by about 40 seconds posting a 28 minute loop with Freudenberg in second, Gutierrez in third, “I was feeling confident, like I could hold third,” said Gutierrez in a post race interview, “Even going up the second climb I felt good. Then Rickey and Matt caught me about 1 kilometer into the second climb. They started pushing it. Joe was gone. I could see Rickey and Matt until the last 200 meters of the climb.

“After that I survived to get down. My legs were shot, Eric passed me and I caught up to him and we ran together for the last 2 kilometers. Shiloh blasted by us with about ½ mile to go,” said Gutierrez who in a sprint-to-the-finish with Blake fell down just a few feet from the line to settle for seventh.

Gray kept a solid, steady, and rather blistering pace to finish in 48:37 followed by Freudenberg in 49:48, Byrne in 49:57, Gates in 50:04, Meilke in 51:38, Blake in 51:50, and Gutierrez in 51:54. Aaron Saft, Kevin Tilton, and John Tribbia rounded out the top ten.

With his win, Gray made his second consecutive Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. Freudenberg and Byrne also were named to the team. All three were members of last year’s bronze-medal winning team at the World Mountain Running Championships in Switzerland.

Lundy, with her win, becomes a four-time Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team member earning the sole team spot at Cranmore for the women. Lundy was on her first U.S. mountain team in 2005 and is the only two-time team gold medalist as a member of both the 2006 and 2007 U.S. teams at Worlds. She raced to victory posting a time of 57:16, besting her nearest competitor, Brandy Erholtz, 31, Bailey, CO, by approximately 35 seconds, and was followed by Laura Haefeli, 41, Del Norte, CO, in 58:30. Kasie Enman, Gina Lucrezi, Megan Lund, Abby Larson, Amber Moran, Trish Steidl, and Christa Benton, rounded out the top 10.

Masters champion Laura Haefeli, when interviewed about her race said, “I felt good. I was psyched that we (team USA in the NACAC competition – Lundy, Haefeli, Enman, and Erholtz) were all running together. The start was fast. Brandy, Chris and Kasie were in front of me, but we were all really close. Abby was close behind. Abby passed me on one of the steeper sections and I was fifth to the top after the first climb. On the first downhill, I knew Abby was running really hard and I passed her on the rocky section. I figured if I could get enough distance on her on the downhill I could hold her off on the uphill. I was hoping that anyone behind me on the first loop wouldn’t catch me.

“I was gaining on Kasie, and I thought I was even gaining on Chris. It was definitely tougher on the second time around. I caught Kasie just before the steep climb and started to put some distance right after the climb and increased my lead. Once I crested the top, I was gone. I knew from the first lap I was running well on the downhill and didn’t think anyone would catch me on the downs. By the time I crested, I didn’t see Brandy or Chris. At the last part of the downhill I saw Brandy, but didn’t see Chris. I wanted to minimize the gap from second place.”

When asked about the competitive field Haefeli said, “I definitely felt I had to step up my game for this race. I felt that there were at least eight girls going for the team. In 2007 when I was third at Worlds, I felt that I couldn’t lose contact with the top runners…and I felt the same today.”

In the NACAC competition the top two runners for each country scored. Lundy and Erholtz scored for Team USA to earn the gold medal with Canada in silver medal position. On the men’s side, Gray and Gates scored for Team USA which included Blake and Gutierrez. Final results were not available at press time for the men’s NACAC competition.

The Cranmore Hill Climb included open runners as well as USATF members vying for national championship honors in their respective five year age groups starting at 40 years old for masters runners. USATF results will be posted at www.usatf.org.

“We were really excited to have such high caliber runners come to the Mount Washington Valley and the race was a great success. We had 250 registrants and nearly 40 finishers more than our previous high. I would say this is due to the national championships which attracted runners from 22 states. The White Mountain Milers are planning to submit a bid to host the Championships again in 2011,” said event director Paul Kirsch.

Prize money was distributed as follows (equal for men and women): $200 first place $150 second place; $100 third place; $50 first place master. The top NACAC teams each won $200.

Race sponsors included Inov-8, Cranmore Mountain Resort, USATF-New England, Hammer Nutrition, Julbo Eyewear, CW-X Conditioning Wear, Tech-4o sports watches, Fuel Belt, OrthoLite insoles, and the White Mountain Milers. Results will be posted at www.whitemountainmilers.com/cranmore.

The second and final Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team selection race will be held in Colorado Springs at the July 26 Cheyenne Canon Mountain Race presented by Walmart where the top two U.S. women and the top two U.S. men will earn a berth on this year’s team. For details visit www.trailrunner.com.

Cranmore Hill Climb offers Triple Mountain Challenge this Sunday

Paul Kirsch, Race Director, Cranmore Hill Climb, USATF-NE Mountain Ultra Trail Chairperson 603-367-8676 (h) 603-398-1852 (cell), pkirsch@roadrunner.com

Nancy Hobbs, USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Chairperson, 719-573-4133, trlrunner@aol.com

June 22, 2009 – For Immediate Release

Cranmore Hill Climb offers Triple Mountain Challenge this Sunday

Up for grabs: USA Mountain Running Championship Title, NACAC Mountain Championship Title, and team slots on the 2009 Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team

NORTH CONWAY, NH --- Top U.S. mountain runners will compete in New England this Sunday, June 28, at the Cranmore Hill Climb to earn the title of USA Mountain Champion. This is the second time the five-year-old Championships (held since 2003, but not in 2005) have come to North Conway; the first was in 2007 where Coloradoans Rickey Gates and Anita Ortiz were victorious.

Gates is in stellar form coming off a sub-one hour time to win this year’s Mount Washington Road Race on June 20. He will face challengers to include two-time mountain champ (on uphill years in ’06 and ‘08) Eric Blake who was runner-up to Gates at Mount Washington this year, and Joe Gray, third at Mount Washington and second at the Teva Mountain Games 10km on June 6 in Vail (where Gates finished third), top masters runner Simon Gutierrez, fifth at Mount Washington and fourth in Vail.

These four men will make up Team USA in this year’s North American Central American Caribbean (NACAC) Mountain Running Championships and will compete against athletes from Mexico and Canada for team honors. They will also vie for a spot on this year’s Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team which will compete in Campodolcino, Italy, September 6.

Matt Byrne, fourth at Mount Washington this year and a member of last year’s bronze medal winning squad at the World Mountain Championships (along with Gates, Gray, Gutierrez, and Zac Freudenberg) would like to earn a spot on his second mountain team. Freudenberg, Aaron Saft, Jason Bryant, Kevin Tilton, and Shiloh Mielke are all hoping for a top finish at Cranmore where the top three U.S. men a spot on this year’s squad.

The women’s field boasts as much depth as the men’s. Starting with the four women on Team USA in the NACAC competition which includes last year’s NACAC Mountain Champion Kasie Enman, 2007 USA Mountain Champion and last week’s runaway winner at Mount Washington Brandy Erholtz who was the top U.S. woman at Worlds last year, Christine Lundy, second in 2007 at Cranmore and the 2007 NACAC Mountain Champion as well as a member of the two-time gold medal winning women’s team at World’s (’06, ’07), and Laura Haefeli, individual bronze medalist at Worlds 2007 and a four-time USA Trail Running Champion.

Ready to challenge these veteran mountain runners and hoping to earn the sole spot on the mountain team for women at Cranmore will be Coloradoans Megan Lund and Gina Lucrezi, both 25 years old and having recently finished third and fifth respectively in the Teva 10km in Vai (Erholtz and Haefeli went one-two at Vail). Also in the hunt for a top finish, Trish Steidl, 32, Seattle, and North Carolinian Amber Moran, 30, Arden. Cranmore women’s champion in 2007, and a five-time mountain team member, Anita Ortiz has been training for ultra distance events this year and will be competing in her first 100 mile event at Western States this weekend.

“Paul Kirsch has done a great job with the event adding all of the components we requested this year and has created a course that will closely mirror the Worlds’ course in Italy. After hosting the USA Mountain Championships in 2007 Paul tweaked the course a bit and it will surely test the athletes’ strength, speed, and endurance,” said Nancy Hobbs, USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Running chairperson and manager of the Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. “Like everyone else, I’m excited to see so many of our top mountain runners compete at Cranmore this weekend and look forward to a super event.”

Race entries for Cranmore currently represent 22 states, along with Mexico and Canada. The course at Cranmore Mountain resort is an up/down two-lap route featuring approximately 2,400 feet of vertical gain over 11 kilometers.

Although the race features elite athletes, it is open to competitors of all ages who are looking for a challenging course. Finishers at past Cranmore Hill Climbs have included runners as young as seven and as old as 75. USATF will award medals to the top ten open competitors in both the men’s and women’s divisions, medals to the top three in masters’ age groups in five year increments starting at age 40, and prize money as follows (equal for men and women): $200 first place $150 second place; $100 third place; $50 first place master. There is also USATF team competition.

Race sponsors include Inov-8, Cranmore Mountain Resort, USATF-New England, Hammer Nutrition, Julbo Eyewear, CW-X Conditioning Wear, Tech-4o sports watches, Fuel Belt, OrthoLite insoles, and the White Mountain Milers. To learn more about the race or to register, visit www.whitemountainmilers.com/cranmore.

The second and final Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team selection race will be held in Colorado Springs at the July 26 Cheyenne Canon Mountain Race presented by Walmart where the top two U.S. women and the top two U.S. men will earn a berth on this year’s team.

Elite athlete bios for the Cranmore Hill Climb follow.

On the men's side:

Eric Blake, 29, New Britain, CT, is a four-time Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team member finishing third for the U.S. men last year in Switzerland. He represented the U.S. at the NACAC Mountain Running Championships in 2007 on the gold-medal squad. He won the USA National Mountain Running Championships in 2006 and 2008. On June 24, 2006 Blake set the treadmill marathon world record of 2:21:40 in Farmington, CT at Malibu Fitness.

Matthew Byrne, 34, Scranton, PA, was a member of the 2008 Mountain Running Team and finished sixth at the 2008 Mount Washington Road Race. Byrne has a strong road race resume. In the past two years he posted a 2:25:48 (Boston Marathon), 1:06:01 (Houston Half Marathon), and 2:21:50 (Steamtown Marathon). He is a two-time Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier (2004 & 2006). His 10 km track PR is 29:49, and his 5 km PR is 14:31. Byrne is a graduate of St. Joseph’s University where he earned his degree in Marketing. He is employed full time at the Philadelphia Runner.

Zac Freudenberg, 30, St. Louis, MO, was a member of the 2008 bronze medal winning Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. He finished seventh at the 2008 Mt. Washington Road Race. His 1500 m PR is 3:58, his 3000 m steeplechase PR is 9:12, his 5 km PR is 14:48 and his 10 km PR is 30:35. In 2008, his times include 24:30 (5 miles) and 2:24:46 (marathon). He ran 3:56:00 to finish third overall at the Pikes Peak Marathon in 2006, and ran the 2007 Jungfrau Marathon in 3:14:48 to finish eighth. He competed at Division III indoor and outdoor track and cross country for Beloit College and was a two-time national qualifier in cross country and once in track in the 3000 m steeplechase.

Rickey Gates, 28, Boulder, CO, made his third consecutive Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team in 2008 with his third place finish at Mount Washington. He was the first American at the World Mountain Running Trophy in Switzerland leading the men to a bronze-medal finish. Gates raced in Europe for most of the summer and fall garnering several wins and top finishes in Austria, Norway, Italy, and Slovenia. In 2007 he had back-to-back weekend wins at the USA Mountain Running Championships and the USA 10 km Trail Championships and was also named the 2007 USATF Mountain Runner of the Year. Gates once won America’s Uphill (held annually in March) on Aspen Mountain racing in a clown suit.

Joseph Gray, 24, Lakewood, WA, placed fourth at the USA Mountain Running Championships earning a spot on his first Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. He was the second U.S. finisher at the World Mountain Trophy – 16^th place – in Sierre Crans Montana, Switzerland, and a scoring member of the U.S. bronze medal team. He was the top U.S. finisher at Challenge Stellina in Susa, Italy, Kitzbuhelerhorn in Kitzbuehel, Austria, and Skaala Uphill Challenge in Loen, Norway. He also was the first finisher in the Canadian Mountain Running National Championship at Mt Seymour, Canada, and won the Northwest Mountain Running Championship, in Mt Hood, OR.

Simon Gutierrez, 43, Alamosa, CO, was the 2008 USA Mountain Running National Master Champion setting a masters’ course record at Mount Washington and finishing in fifth place just behind Gray. Gutierrez won the La Sportiva Berry Picker in July 2008, the second and final Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team selection race where he made his seventh consecutive team. He won the World Masters Mountain Running Championships in the Czech Republic (his third consecutive win) and was the fourth U.S. finisher at the World Mountain Trophy finishing in 25^th place. He is a three-time USATF masters’ mountain runner of the year and a two-time winner of the USATF open mountain runner of the year award. He is a three-time USA world cross country team member and a 1983 High School cross country All American. He is the 2008 USATF Club Cross Country Masters Champion and the 2009 USATF Masters Cross Country Champion. At age 17 Gutierrez set the still standing road 10km record of 29.45.

Shiloh Mielke 29, Asheville, NC is a two-time member of the Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team and multi-time winner of the 17.8 mile Shut In Ridge Trail Race in his hometown. His PRs include a 29:48 10 km and a 14:35 5 km. Mielke won the 1997 and 1998 NCHSSA Men’s Cross Country State Championships, the State Championships in the 2 mile in 1997, 1998, 1999 and the mile state championship in 1999.

Kevin Tilton, 27, Conway, NH is a two-time member of the Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team and has finished as high as fifth at Mount Washington. He is a multi-time winner of the Jackson 10km and White Mountain Milers Half Marathon. Tilton won the Cranmore Hill Climb the last time it was an uphill-only race. He finished in the top three in 2005 at Cranmore and was second in 2008.

Other elite runners on the men’s side include Justin Fyffe, (East Dummerston, VT), John Tribbia (Boulder, CO), Jesse Armijo (Albuquerque, NM), Kris Haughton (Albuquerque, NM), Juan Ortega (Albuquerque, NM), Tommy Manning, (Colorado Springs, CO), and Aaron Saft (Asheville, NC)

On the women's side:

Brandy Erholtz, 31, Bailey, CO, was the 2008 USATF Mountain Runner of the Year in only her second year as a “mountain runner” and recently won the Native Eyewear Spring Runoff 10km trail race at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO. She finished third at the LaraBar 10km and was the USA National Mountain Running Champion at Mt. Washington where she made her first Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. She finished third at both the USA 8km Trail Running Championships and the La Sportiva Berry Picker. Erholtz was the Pikes Peak Ascent champion and also posted wins at the final La Sportiva Mountain Cup Race in Vail and the Black Canyon Ascent setting a course record. She was the top U.S. finisher at the World Mountain Running Trophy finishing in 11^th place. Erholtz is employed as a schoolteacher.

Laura Haefeli, 41, Del Norte, CO, was the 2004 and 2005 USATF Mountain Runner of the Year and was the 2008 USATF Masters Mountain Runner of the Year. She won the LaraBar 10km and the USA 8km Trail Championships. She was the USA National Mountain Running Masters champion in 2008 at Mt. Washington, setting a masters course record and finishing in third place. She earned a spot on the Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team with her second-place finish at the La Sportiva Berry Picker. She finished in 44^th place at the World Mountain Running Trophy which was her fourth U.S. team appearance at a Trophy event (’04, ’05, ’07, and ‘08). Laura and her husband Tom are beekeepers and sell honey and wax. She is the mother of three young children and is also a high school cross country coach.

Megan Lund, 25, Basalt, CO is coming off a fourth place finish at the Native Eyewear Spring Runoff and also competed in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2008. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and holds personal bests of 2:41:59 (Marathon), 35:51 (10km), 17:26 (5km) and 5:22 in the mile. She graces the cover of Trail Runner magazine’s August 2009 issue.

Christine Lundy, 38, Sausalito, CA is a three-time member of the Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. She was on the two gold-medal squads at the World Mountain Running Trophy races in 2006 and 2007. Lundy was the second American at Cranmore in 2007 when it last served as a Mountain Team qualifying race. She went on to win the USA 10km Trail Championships in Steamboat Springs, CO, just a week later. Lundy has represented the U.S. in the Pan American games in the marathon, and is a two-time qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trails in 2004 and 2008. A graduate of the University Pennsylvania, Lundy is a member of the Impala Racing Team and is employed as a veterinarian.

Amber Moran, 31, Arden, NC is an accomplished trail, ultra, mountain and road runner who is a multi-time winner of the Shut-In Ridge 17.8 Mile Trail Race, finished 12^th in the USATF 10 Mile Road Championships, 5^th at the USATF 25kn Championships and holds personal bests of 17:15 in the 5km, 35:13 in the 10km. Amber works as a Public Health Nurse and is a volunteer coach for Girls On the Run.

Trish Steidl, 33, Seattle, WA is a an experienced marathon and ultra runner who is multi-time winner of the Seattle Marathon, a top-three finisher at the US 50 Mile Trail Championships, and barely missed qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials in 2004 and 2008. She is also the head cross country coach at Seattle University and rowed for the University of Washington winning three NCAA Division I National Championships between 1995 and 1999.

Other women competing at Cranmore include Gina Lucrezi (Colorado Springs, CO), 2006 U.S. Olympic Ski Team member Abby Larson (Salt Lake City, UT), Marie Elliot (Bennington, Ontario), and Sarah Burger (Montreal, Quebec).

For additional information on the USA Mountain Running Program visit www.usmrt.com, www.trailrunner.com, and www.usatf.org. For information on the World Champs visit www.wmra.info.

Native Eyewear Spring Runoff 10km

From Nancy Hobbs:

The Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO, signals the unofficial start of the competitive trail and mountain running season. The event gives the athletes a chance to assess their training and fitness.

At this year’s Native Eyewear Spring Runoff 10km there were no real surprises. Matt Carpenter, after posting a second place finish at the prior day’s ½ marathon on the roads, was back to assert himself as king of the trails. Carpenter owns too many mountain running records to list but…include both the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon, Leadville Trail 100, Lake City 50…you get the picture…the guy is tough. He used to live in Vail so he knows these mountain trails better than, well most if not all the other athletes who competed today. Starting out Matt settled into a comfortable fourth place position on the first climb – which was a gutbuster. At the top of the climb, Carpenter, 44, had taken the lead from uphill specialist Simon Gutierrez, 43, a fellow master’s competitor, and never give up the lead. At the start of the race Carpenter didn’t sound confident of a win, talking about some of the race day registrants who were, in his opinion, factors for a competitive race. Impressive for sure was Joe Gray, a flatlander, who arrived in Vail on Wednesday. Gray, in just his third mountain running season (he was a Steeplechaser in college), showed his mettle for this niche sport posting a third-place finish in the ½ marathon and finishing second to Carpenter. After the race Gray said he’d like to compete against Carpenter on a lower ie: way lower than Vail…mountain course.

On the women’s side, Megan Kimmel took to the first climb leading Brandy Erholtz, Laura Haefeli, Gina Lucrezi, and Megan Lund. Of the five, Lund was the only woman to have run the ½ marathon the day before. Less than one mile from the finish, Erholtz was leading the charge with Haefeli just 30 seconds back, followed by Lund and Kimmel. Lucrezi had faded to fifth, but looked to hold her spot to the finish. Kimmel out sprinted Lund for the bronze-medal position.

The top three women were all members of last year’s Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team and gave a strong showing for potential berths on this year’s team with the first selection race slated for June 28 in North Conway, NH. All of the top five save Kimmel will compete in North Conway with Kimmel opting to try for a spot on the team at the Colorado Springs selection race on July 26.

There were 12 former U.S. Mountain Running Team members competing. In addition to Erholtz, Haefeli, and Kimmel, Cindy O’Neill (2000), and Michelle Blessing (1995) also competed. On the men’s side eleventh place finisher Clint Wells joined the top five male finishers with the honor of represented the U.S. at World’s.

Top 5 Women Overall

1 Brandy ERHOLTZ , Bailey, :55:12.7

2 Laura HAEFELI, Del Norte, :55:28.2

3 Megan KIMMEL, Silverthorne, :56:25.8

4 Megan LUND, Basalt, :56:26.6

5 Gina LUCREZI, Colorado Springs, :58:06.1

Top 5 Men Overall

1 Matt Carpenter, Manitou Springs, :46:15.2

2 Joseph GRAY, Lakewood, WA, :46:39.7

3 Rickey Gates, Boulder, :47:10.9

4 Simon Gutierrez, Alamosa, :47:39.2

5 Payton BATLNER, Boulder, :48:14.0

The Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO, signals the unofficial start of the competitive trail and mountain running season. The event gives the athletes a chance to assess their training and fitness.

At this year’s Native Eyewear Spring Runoff 10km there were no real surprises. Matt Carpenter, after posting a second place finish at the prior day’s ½ marathon on the roads, was back to assert himself as king of the trails. Carpenter owns too many mountain running records to list but…include both the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon, Leadville Trail 100, Lake City 50…you get the picture…the guy is tough. He used to live in Vail so he knows these mountain trails better than, well most if not all the other athletes who competed today. Starting out Matt settled into a comfortable fourth place position on the first climb – which was a gutbuster. At the top of the climb, Carpenter, 44, had taken the lead from uphill specialist Simon Gutierrez, 43, a fellow master’s competitor, and never give up the lead. At the start of the race Carpenter didn’t sound confident of a win, talking about some of the race day registrants who were, in his opinion, factors for a competitive race. Impressive for sure was Joe Gray (LakeWood, WA), a flatlander, who arrived in Vail on Wednesday. Gray, in just his third mountain running season (he was a Steeplechaser in college), showed his mettle for this niche sport posting a third-place finish in the ½ marathon and finishing second to Carpenter. After the race Gray said he’d like to compete against Carpenter on a lower ie: way lower than Vail…mountain course.

On the women’s side, Megan Kimmel took to the first climb leading Brandy Erholtz, Laura Haefeli, Gina Lucrezi, and Megan Lund. Of the five, Lund was the only woman to have run the ½ marathon the day before. Less than one mile from the finish, Erholtz was leading the charge with Haefeli just 30 seconds back, followed by Lund and Kimmel. Lucrezi had faded to fifth, but looked to hold her spot to the finish. Kimmel out sprinted Lund for the bronze-medal position.

The top three women were all members of last year’s Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team and gave a strong showing for potential berths on this year’s team with the first selection race slated for June 28 in North Conway, NH. All of the top five save Kimmel will compete in North Conway with Kimmel opting to try for a spot on the team at the Colorado Springs selection race on July 26.

There were 12 former U.S. Mountain Running Team members competing. In addition to Erholtz, Haefeli, and Kimmel, Cindy O’Neill (2000), and Michelle Blessing (1995) also competed. On the men’s side eleventh place finisher Clint Wells joined the top five male finishers with the honor of represented the U.S. at World’s.

Top 5 Women Overall

1 Brandy ERHOLTZ , Bailey, :55:12.7

2 Laura HAEFELI, Del Norte, :55:28.2

3 Megan KIMMEL, Silverthorne, :56:25.8

4 Megan LUND, Basalt, :56:26.6

5 Gina LUCREZI, Colorado Springs, :58:06.1

Top 5 Men Overall

1 Matt Carpenter, Manitou Springs, :46:15.2

2 Joseph GRAY, Lakewood, WA, :46:39.7

3 Rickey Gates, Boulder, :47:10.9

4 Simon Gutierrez, Alamosa, :47:39.2

5 Payton BATLNER, Boulder, :48:14.0

Women's Coach Ellen Miller Reaches Lhotse Summit

Here is a note from Ellen Miller who is the women's coach for the Teva US Mountain Running Team.  Note her shout out to Russell Brice who was featured in the Discovery Channel's "Everest: Beyond the Limit".

Namaste from the Nepal Himalayas,

 

One does not reach the summit of one of the world's highest mountains without much encouragement and support from friends. I thank each one of you for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers, for the rituals, and for sending me your precious energy.

It was joyous for me to once again be climbing on Everest (up to Camp 3), and even more wonderful for me to have had the honor of climbing with Nima Tshering Sherpa for 5 days. 

I dedicated my climb to the memory of two of my climbing friends, Pemba Doma Sherpani and Christine Boskoff. Christine was the only other American female to have climbed Lhotse.

Thank you all very much for your messages. To answer your questions about the details:

 

Lhotse  (world's 4th highest mountain)

Summit reached, May 22 8:05 AM

climbed w/ Nima Tshering Sherpa 

Lhotse is 1000 ft. lower than Everest, but the summit day couloir climbing is more technical

I am indebted to Russell Brice for his superb logisitcs, and to Nima Tshering for leading the climb. Many thanks to George, Blondie and Larry for the communications and for the support, when I really needed it!

 

High Mountains of Gratitude to all of you!

Peace and Love,

Ellen 

Namche Bazaar 

5/28/09

American Trail Running Association Adds Member Benefit

The American Trail Running Association (ATRA) has partnered with Outdoor Recreation Insurance to offer a new member benefit – accident coverage for its members.

“We’re thrilled to lend support to ATRA and to the rapidly growing community of off-road runners. Trail and mountain runners face inherent risks that aren’t always obvious. Outdoor Recreation Insurance (ORI) provides affordable accident coverage that softens the landing when the trail suddenly takes a nasty turn,” says, ORI’s Tad Linn.

The personal trail running accident coverage is priced at $85 per year under the ATRA group policy. (Coverage includes additional mountain activities). ORI accident benefits are paid directly to the injured person. If an individual has health insurance, ORI’s cash accident benefits can be used to pay deductibles, co-insurance amounts and other flat-fee copayments. If an individual does not have health insurance, ORI coverage may still be purchased for the same price using the cash benefits to pay medical bills directly. All benefits are paid on a cost-incurred basis. When purchasing, the ATRA member will be asked to provide an ATRA member number, which is simply the individual’s primary 10-digit phone number.

Members may only purchase coverage through the link established on the ATRA website (www.trailrunner.com)

ORI is underwritten by Security National Life Insurance Company of Salt Lake City, Utah.

The press release provided by ATRA Executive Director Nancy Hobbs.

Registration Open for the 2009 Cheyenne Cañon Mountain Race

Colorado Springs, CO ---- With a tagline, “Once is not enough,” the 2009 Cheyenne Cañon Mountain Race presented by WalMart, is sure to be a challenging yet fun trail running event for novice to elite participants. Slated for Sunday, July 26, 2009, the event is open to all levels of competitors.

The course starts at the Stratton Open Space Trailhead in North Cheyenne Cañon, connects with the Gold Camp Path, joins up with the Chutes, follows the east side of the reservoir, back up Gold Camp Path for the loop (men run three loops, women and junior men two loops), then back down to the finish. The race is limited to 200 participants. There are two separate race starts with the women running an 8 kilometer course at 7:00 a.m. and the men racing 12 kilometers at 8:30 a.m. (junior men – ages 19 and under – will run the 8 kilometer route).

“Whether a runner is new to the trails, or a seasoned veteran, the course for the Cheyenne Cañon Mountain Race caters to every ability. We set a course that will be challenging, yet very runable. It offers great scenery and terrain that ranges from wide gravel paths to single-track terrain including both ascents, level spots, and descents. Being a loop course, the spectators can enjoy seeing their favorite runners more than once on the route,” says Nancy Hobbs, Executive Director of the American Trail Running Association and race director.

This first-year event is presented by WalMart with additional local support from ERA Shields brokers Marzolf/Blessing, Champion Health, Bristol Brewing, and Colorado Running Company. National sponsors joining the effort include SportHill and Teva. Registration is available at www.imathlete.com, in person at Colorado Running Company, 833 N. Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, or through the mail by downloading an entry form at www.trailrunner.com. The pre-race fee is $30 through May 31, $35 from June 1 – July 25 and $40 on race day – if space available.

The event serves as a selection race for the Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team with the top two men and the top two women (must be current USATF members and USA citizens) earning spots on this year’s team which will compete in Italy this September for Team USA. It is the final team selection race – the first being the USA Mountain Running Championships on June 28 in North Conway, NH where the top three men and top woman will be named to the team. A prize purse of $1500 will be awarded (distributed between the top five men and top five women – must be current USATF members and USA citizens) and age group awards will be presented in 10 year increments. There will be random prize drawings for all participants and volunteers.
Every participant will receive a commemorative USA Mountain Running cowbell, post race refreshments, accurate results, and for those 21 and older – a beer certificate from Bristol Brewing.

Not only is the event a fundraiser for the American Trail Running Association, but also serves as a fundrasier for the Friends of North Cheyenne Cañon and Stratton Commons. Individuals may donate, as part of their registration, to any of these non-profit organizations.
For more information on the event visit www.trailrunner.com.

Cranmore Hill Climb Course Maps and Photos

Course Profile, Maps and Photos have just been added for the Teva US Mountain Running Team Eastern qualifying race at Mt. Cranmore.

Select from the links below:

Interactive Map with Photos

Elevation Profile

Race Website