Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Updated info on 2009 USMRT Qualifying Races
July 26 - Colorado Springs, CO - Western Qualifier Race
More details here
Monday, December 15, 2008
Mountain Team members compete at National Club XC Championships
Other past and present mountain team members and staff competing included Nicole Hunt, Eric Blake, Lisa Goldsmith, Andy Ames and Nancy Hobbs.
Complete results are available here:
http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/USATFClubXCChampionships/schedule.asp
Photos are here:
http://miscottrunningphoto.shutterfly.com/4932
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Team USA Announced for the NACAC Mountain Running Championships
The U.S. hosted the NACAC event in 2004 and 2005, Mexico hosted in 2006 and 2008, and Canada hosted in 2007. Team USA won men’s and women’s gold medals the first two years, but didn’t compete in 2006. In 2007 Team USA was again victorious in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Last year Team Mexico won the men’s competition with Team USA finishing second and Team Canada finishing third. The U.S. women were victorious followed by Mexico and Canada.
“We are looking forward to the NACAC competition returning to the U.S. this June. The course at Cranmore will test the speed and strength of the athletes and with Team USA comprised of experienced international competitors, we’re sure to be in the hunt for gold medals,” said USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Running Council Chairperson and USA Team manager Nancy Hobbs.
“The White Mountain Milers are really excited to have Cranmore host the NACAC Mountain Running Champs this year. The local running community always gets involved with mountain races at Cranmore and Mt. Washington and this year they are looking forward to hosting athletes from Canada and Central America as well,” added Mt. Cranmore Hillclimb race director Paul Kirsch.
The men’s team includes Eric Blake, Rickey Gates, Joseph Gray, and Simon Gutierrez. The women’s team includes Kasie Enman, Brandy Erholtz, Laura Haefeli, and Megan Kimmel. The team was selected based on their finish at the World Mountain Running Trophy in 2008. If an athlete declined their spot, members of the 2008 US Team at NACAC were offered spots. Bios of the 2009 team follow.
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. (The former world record was 2:23:58.) He was 28th in the 2004 World Mountain Trophy in Sauze D'Oulx, Italy, 23rd in the 2005 World Trophy in Wellington, New Zealand, and 11th at the Trophy in Bursa, Turkey in 2006. He was 33rd in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. In Lyman Memorial High School in Lebanon, Connecticut, he was the 1996 state open cross-country champion. He is a member of the Boston Athletic Association and is the Assistant Men’s Cross-Country and Track and Field Coach at Central Connecticut State University.
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. He won the Run the Register Stair Climb in Denver, CO, in February 2008 (47 floors, 1,014 steps). His 10km PR is 31:43 recorded at the Bolder Boulder in May 2008. He competed in college one year while at Lewis and Clark in Portland, OR, and is a graduate of the University of Colorado/Boulder where he studied Sociology and Photography. Gates once won America’s Uphill (held annually in March) on Aspen Mountain racing in a clown suit. He was born and raised in the Roaring Fork Valley and is a 1999 graduate of Aspen High School. In 1998 Gates finished fourth in the 3A State Cross Country Championships running 16:48.
Joseph Gray, 24, Lakewood, WA, started his 2008 mountain running season in Vail, CO, on June 7 with a third-place sprint-to-the finish at the LaraBar 10km, Rickey Gates was the first-place finisher at the event. Gray 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 – 16th 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, 42, 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 25th 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. At age 17 Gutierrez set the still standing road 10km record of 29.45. He works at the San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center as an outpatient manual/orthopedic physical therapist and works closely with the Adams State men's and women's cross country and track teams.
Kasie Enman, 29, Huntington, VT, was the top U.S. women’s finisher at the NACAC Mountain Championships in 2008. She is a member of the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) and was the USATF New England Runner of the month for April 2008. At the 2008 Mount Washington Road Race, she was runner-up and was also a member of the open championship team. Enman ran a PR of 2:37:14 to finish 11th at the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials. She won the 2007 Loon Mountain and Ascutney Mountain races in New England, setting a course record of 35:07 at Ascutney. In 2006, she was the U.S. Snowshoe National Champion. She twice represented the U.S. at Ras Nah Eireann International X-Country race in Ireland, placing third in 2005. She was a NCAA Division III All-American in cross country and is presently an elementary school teacher and High School x-country and track coach.
Brandy Erholtz, 31, Bailey, CO, is the 2008 USATF Mountain Runner of the Year in only her second year as a “mountain runner.” She finished third at the LaraBar 10km and was the USA National Mountain Running Champion 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 11th place. Erholtz is employed as a schoolteacher.
Laura Haefeli, 40, 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 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 44th 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 Kimmel, 28, Silverton, CO, is a newcomer on the national mountain running circuit. She finished second at the USA 8 km Trail Champs in Steamboat Springs and won the Berry Picker to earn a spot on her first Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. She was the second U.S. women’s finisher in 33rd place at the World Mountain Trophy. Kimmel ran cross country at Cherry Creek High School for four years. She is a past winner of the Kendall Mountain Race and top finisher in the Imogene Pass Run. She participates in Nordic ski racing in the winter. Kimmel lives and trains at elevations above 8,000 feet and is a massage therapist practicing her trade in Silverton and Ouray, CO.
For additional information on the USA Mountain Running Program visit www.usmrt.com, www.trailrunner.com, and www.usatf.org.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
USATF Annual Meeting - Reno, NV
During the meetings, the following USATF Mountain, Ultra or Trail Running Championships for 2009 were confirmed or approved:
March 1 – USA 50km Road Championships – Long Island, NY
June 28 – USA Mountain Running Championships – North Conway, NH *also the NACAC Mountain Running Championships and a mountain team selection race
July 18 – USA 100 Mile Trail Championships – Tahoe, NV
July 25 – USA 50 Mile Trail Championships – Crystal Mountain, WA
August 22 – USA 100km Trail Championships – Willamette Pass, OR
August 29 – USA 10km Trail Championships Laurel Ridge Camp and Conference Center, NC
October 3 – USA 50 Mile Road Championships – Boalsburg, PA
November 7 – USA Marathon Trail Championships – Ashland, OR
USATF Mountain, Ultra and Trail Running Championships for 2010:
March TBA – USA 50km Road Championships – Long Island, NY
July 31 – USA 50 Mile Trail Championships – Crystal Mountain, WA
November 6 – USA Marathon Trail Championships – Ashland, OR
Team Staff Announced for the Teva US Mountain Team - Dave Dunham, Manager of Junior Team; Ellen Miller - Manager of Women's Team; Richard Bolt - Team Leader
Team Staff Announced for 100km Team - Lin Gentling, team leader; Mike Spinnler, Assistant team leader; Lion Caldwell, Team Doctor
** The Selection Window for the 2009 USA National 100km Team will be extended to two years (as opposed to 18 months) for 2009 only.
The complete minutes from the MUT meetings at the USATF Annual Meeting will be published on this blog in the next week or so.
Report by:
Richard Bolt
MUT Coordinator
USATF Oregon
Monday, December 1, 2008
Congrats to Alex Dunne for winning the CA State XC Champs!
Presented by Farmers Insurance
November 29, 2008 Woodward Park 5K Course, Fresno CA Weather:
Robert Rush-Sports Consultant rushruner@aol.com
RESULTS ON: RecordTiming.com, norcalstst.com & directathletics.com
Division 1 Girls Individual Results
Place No. Sec Name Yr School D1girls
===== ==== === =================== == ========== =======
1 1817 SS Alex Dunne SR San Clemen 17:27
2 1529 SS Teeny Adams JR Esperanza 17:41
3 1098 SDS Alli Billmeyer SO Torrey Pin 17:46
4 1097 SDS Megan Morgan JR Torrey Pin 17:47
5 39 CCS Justine Fedronic SR Carlmont 17:50
6 1062 SDS Molly Grabill SO Rancho Ber 17:52
7 1309 SJS Maria Malone SR Folsom 17:55
8 1506 SS Alaina Alvarez SO Dana Hills 18:01
9 38 CCS Jessie Petersen SO Carlmont 18:01
10 1521 SS Gianna Velasquez JR El Toro 18:06
http://www.dyestatcal.com//?pg=dyestatcal2008-XCountry-Road-To-State-08-State-Meet-Results-D1-Girls
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
USA Track & Field Announces MUT Runners of the Year
The Mountain/Ultra/Trail running (MUT) council of long distance running has named the 2008 USATF Mountain Runners of the year, Ultra Runners of the Year, and Contributor of the Year. The following individuals will be recognized at the USATF National Convention in
Mountain men open: Joseph Gray, 24,
Mountain men master: Simon Gutierrez, 42, Alamosa, CO. Simon (pictured above - right) is a now a three-time winner of this award. He is also a two-time winner of the open mountain runner of the year award. Like Gray, Gutierrez started out the mountain season in Vail finishing fifth overall and first master in the LaraBar 10km. He was the USA Mountain Running National Master Champion setting a masters’ course record and finishing in fifth place just behind Gray. He won the La Sportiva Berry Picker in July, 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
Mountain women open: Brandy Erholtz, 30, Bailey, CO, in only her second year as a “mountain runner,” finished third at the LaraBar 10km and was the USA National Mountain Running Champion where she made her first Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. She finished third at both the
Mountain women master: Laura Haefeli, 40, Del Norte, CO, was the 2004 and 2005 open mountain runner of the year and has earned masters’ recognition this year. She won the LaraBar 10km and the
Ultra men open: Michael Wardian, 34,
Page Two/Runners of the Year 2008
Ultra men master: Roy Pirrung, 60,
Ultra women open: Susannah Beck, 40,
Ultra women master: Beverly Anderson-Abbs, 44, Red Bluff, CA, is a repeat winner in this category. Anderson-Abbs won the USA National Masters 100 Mile Trail Championship title and was victorious at the
Contributor of the Year - Scott McCoubrey: McCoubrey works tirelessly promoting trail, mountain, and ultra running. He is the race director of the USA National 50 Mile Trail Championships which has grown in participation each year. He also directs the Cougar Mountain Trail Racing Series which raises money to maintain the local park where the events are held. McCoubrey also puts on the Mountain to Sound Greenway Multi-Sport Race which promotes green space preservation. Through the Seattle Running Club and the Seattle Running Company, McCoubrey leads free weekly trail runs. Trail runners with previous or current ties to the Seattle Running Company include Ian Torrance, Phil Kochic, Krissy Moehl, Hal Korner, Brian Morrison, Greg Crowther, and Uli Stidl. McCoubrey has played a roll in the success of these and many, many other trail runners.
Others garnering votes in the Contributor of the Year category for 2008 include Running Timesmagazine, Trail Runner magazine, Teva, and the Vail Recreation District.
In order to be considered for the USATF Mountain and Ultra running awards an athlete must show top results in U.S. competitions for 2008 (November 1, 2007 through October 31, 2008) to include mountain races (these may be on paved/gravel surfaces as long as there is significant elevation loss or gain) and trail races of varying lengths, as well as road races for the ultra category (distances beyond the marathon). International results are also considered. The nominee must be an ambassador for the sport. Nominee must be a USATF member for 2008, and to be considered for the masters’ category athlete must be a minimum of 40 years of age.
For a list of past winners in the other categories, please visit www.usatf.org.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Team athletes Joe Gray and Lisa Goldsmith compete in Xterra Trail Running National Championships
BEND, OR - Several hundred athletes from 21 states gathered at the upscale Old Mill District in Bend today for the fourth annual XTERRA Trail Running National Championship on an incredibly beautiful, crisp and clear morning along the Deschutes River. Outside Magazine called this the best trail running town in America, and some of the fastest runners from around the state of Oregon and across the nation came to put its reputation to the test.
Ultimately the king of XTERRA trail running turned out to be none-other than Bend’s very own Max King. The local favorite set the standard high turning out close to five-minute miles for a winning 21km course time of 1:08:01. After just winning a six-day 125 mile race through the Rockies earlier this month and coming in second at the 2008 Northwest Mountain Running Championships last weekend, King was able to use his hometown advantage to edge out steeplechase star Ben Bruce, 26, of Eugene, Oregon by just over a minute. Ryan Bak, 27, also from Eugene and King’s teammate on the 2008 USA World Cross Country Team, took third in 1:09:41.
“When I spoke to Ryan, he said he was just coming to do the race for fun. Both he and Ben entered the race at the last minute, but I knew they would be tough competition” King said. Being from Bend, King was familiar with the course and was able to run part of the upper track last night giving him a good feel for the twists and turns. “I love to run a course with tight curves. It might be because of my low center of gravity” he joked. It was a close race for the first section, but at mile 3 Max took the lead and never looked back. When talking to Bruce and Bak, they said that as primarily track racers, “The course was more technical than they were used to. Max was able to take the sharp turns and really open up his lead.” “It’s a great course and nice to show all these runners from out of town what we have here in Bend and how you can go from this really cool downtown-type setting to forested single track in just miles,” said King. “Today was beautiful in Bend, the trails weren’t dusty, just perfect. Bend is really a great place for XTERRA to be, and I think that showed today.”
Overall Top 5 Men
Max King, 28 (Bend, OR) 1:08:01
Ben Bruce, 26 (Eugene, OR) 1:09:04
Ryan Bak, 27 (Eugene, OR) 1:09:41
Joseph Gray, 24 (Lakewood, WA) 1:13:53
Rich Skorczewski, 31 (Portland, OR) 1:15:01
In the women’s race it was marathon specialist Susannah Beck, 40, who took home the women’s top prize with her time of 1:23:07. This Eugene native “duked it out” for first place with Bend local Kami Semick, 42, who finished just 19 seconds later. These two ultra trail runners battled each other just six weeks ago at the USATF 50 Mile Trail Championship in Crystal Mountain, Washington where Beck and Semick also took the first and second place respectively.
This morning, it was an all out tug of war as Beck took the lead from the start giving way to Semick at mile six, and then regaining the lead at mile ten to take the women’s title. 2008 Northwest Mountain Running Championships Lisa Nye, 40, of Bend, who was under the weather and only made it to the race by her children’s urging, came in an impressive third at 1:25:11. Runners for the championship 21km distance ranged in age from 16 to 84.
John Keston, the race’s most senior participant from Sunriver, Oregon, is originally from England and honored the event by singing a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem at the awards ceremony. “I have only been racing competitively since I was 55” said Keston after completing the event in just 2:19:16.
After a 50+ event XTERRA Trail Run Series, 22 regional champions went head to head at this morning’s race to see how they stacked up against the competition. Usually behind the scenes instead of the starting line, Philly Series race director Don Morrison said, “This was a great, fast race. The rolling hills were beautiful but not too technical. Everyone had a great time.”
Overall Top 5 Women
Susannah Beck, 40 (Eugene, OR) 1:23:07
Kami Semick, 42 (Bend, OR) 1:23:26
Lisa Nye, 40 (Bend, OR) 1:25:11
Katie Caba, 37 (Bend, OR) 1:25:18
Lisa Goldsmith, 44 (Colo Springs, CO) 1:27:52
Complete results can be found at:
http://www.xterraplanet.com/xduro/nationals.html
Photos can be found at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardABolt/
An article from the Bend Bulletin can be found at:
http://www.bendbulletin.com/
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Shorts
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Looking for Mountain/Ultra Runners of the Year Nominations
Contact: Nancy Hobbs, Chair, USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Running Council
(719) 573-4133 or trlrunner@aol.com
For Release: September 24, 2008
Nominations open for 2008
USATF Mountain Runners of the Year – Open and Masters
USATF Ultra Runners of the Year – Open and Masters
USATF Mountain/Ultra/Trail Contributor of the Year
The Mountain/Ultra/Trail running (MUT) council of long distance running will select the 2008 USATF Mountain Runners of the year and Ultra Runners of the Year based on nominations received from interested athletes, coaches, and administrators involved in the sport. The following is the selection criteria for the 2008 USATF Mountain and Ultra Runners of the Year:
1) Nominated athlete must show top results in US mountain/trail competitions for 2008 (November 1, 2007 through October 31, 2008) - this will include mountain races (these may be on paved/gravel surfaces as long as there is significant elevation loss or gain) and trail races of varying lengths below the ultra distance. USATF ultra runners of the year results on trail and ultra road courses above the marathon distance in both national and international competition.
2) The nomination window includes the period: Nov 1, 2007 through Oct 31, 2008.
3) Show top results in international competitions for 2008
4) Be an ambassador for the sport - athlete promotes and supports mountain running
5) Be a USATF member for 2008 - athlete MUST have a current USATF membership
6) To be considered for the masters category, athlete must be a minimum of 40 years of age.
To nominate an athlete, send BY NOVEMBER 10, 2008, the following information to trlrunner@aol.com and dave.dunham@comcast.net .
Nominated athlete's name, age or birth date (if you know it), athlete contact information, brief bio, reason for nomination in 2008.
Nominations received by November 10 will be considered in the selection process. After all nominations are compiled, the MUT council will vote (by November 20) for the mountain runner and ultra runners of the year from nominations received. The USATF Mountain and Ultra Runners of the Year will be honored at the annual convention in Reno, NV, on Saturday, December 6. Should you have any questions about the procedure, please contact: Dave Dunham at dave.dunham@comcast.net
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Sleepless in Seattle
I'm very happy we won a medal, it was the greatest team accomplishment I have ever experienced, and on top of that Simon, the veteran of the team was able to cherish a well deserved medal after many years competing at the world trophy, so that was the icing on the cake for me. The trip was amazing as well, and the party for the race, also very fun. Kinda surprised it was so good and people were actually having a good time. I dont think I have ever seen a party for a race that was that much fun, the europeans know how to have a good time after races!
Coming into worlds I knew we had a shot at a medal and I had my eyes set on the gold, as any of the guys on the team can tell you I wanted that more than anything. All summer with Rickey running strong, Simon too running strong and dominating the world masters champs, and the rest of the guys back in the US running great I had no doubts that we were ready to do big things. I was really impressed with how strong the guys ran at worlds this year, and I gotta give a big THANK YOU to the guys, we got that Bronze and we wouldn't have been able to if guys had given up so I just wanted all of you to know I appreciate ya. Otherwise, we all would have went home with no hardware hahaha.
The bittersweet moment for me I guess was finding out we didn't win the gold. I know greedy me huh, but I know we were good and we could have won the gold. We had three rookies including Zac, Matt, and I so I know in the years to come we will give the Italians a run for their money, so look for it in two years.
As of now, I have enjoyed telling all my friends about the team and how we won Bronze this year, its good to have so much support from friends and family. I just got done racing up at the Northwest Mountain Champs and it was a good experience as well. Got a good win, a very slim one, came down to the last 200 meters really. Saw Richard out there showing some of the locals what mountain running is really about, good work Rich. The night before I made the mistake of camping out in an unmarked zone, needless to say it was windy, rainy, and cold as hell, so I shivered all night only to wake up in race conditions that were the same as the night. Next, looking forward to racing in Bend this weekend, again I will have to race Max King again, it came down to the wire this last weekend, and I pulled it off, but this next race could be even closer and more competitive now that we both know each others strengths! Should be great times nevertheless. Thank you to all of our sponsors for the USA mountain running team this year, we looked real pretty at worlds! Thanks to all the staff for being well organized and supportive, things really went smooth and thats important in big races. I wish the rest of the team good runnin this fall as we all are preparing for are different races, stay healthy, take care, adios, ha det, chao, come te vaya bien, until next time!
Post-WMRT Thoughts from Simon Gutierrez
had when a race timing official peeked his head out of the
timing trailer at the finish line, and gave us the thumbs up
and said
" US men, bronze medal"
A degree of disbelief ? Wanting to believe but not
wanting to get too excited for fear of the possibility of an
error? But then again, as we finished the team was greeted by Ricky and Joe,
they had been looking out for the team finishes and were saying....WE DID IT !
What an amazing feeling, after 4-5 years of believing that
the US men could medal. Years of being inspired by the
success of our women's team.
For a solid year, my personal goal was to get back into the
top 10-15 at the World Trophy, but as I told my team mates the
night prior, I would gladly take 20-25th and 6th USA runner
if we could get a team medal!!
The whole week prior to the race, the buzz around town was
that the US men were very strong.
Ricky and Joe had been racing quite well in Europe all
summer....Our 4th -7th-9th place finishes in the Memorial
Partigiana Stellina race 3 weeks prior gave me a good
indication of what we were capable amongst the world's
best mountain runners. I knew Eric would be every bit as
good as his 11th place finish 2 years ago....Matt and Zac
had solid times from Mt Washington, faster than what Ricky
and I had run 2 years ago...
The evening prior, we had our mens team meeting and my
message to the guy's was clear...Each and every one of
us are capable of top 10-15-20 finishes. We just need to go
out and run and hope that at least 4 of us have great
runs....
As it turned out, Ricky did a super job leading the team and Joe ran incredible, Eric and
myself ( we wanted to be with Ricky and Joe, up front) ran
as hard as we could , fighting personal disappointment, but
not giving up for the sake of the team. Matt and Zac ran
very well and having it been their first world trophy, very
impressive...they will surely improve in year's to come.
My thoughts this week....
Where do we go from here...
It is a wonderful thing to have
a men's team that is so strong that on any given day we can
have a different lead runner and that each of us are capable
of high finishes at some of the worlds most competitive
mountain races..that our national championships are so
competitive that picking a winner prior to race day will
prove to be more and more difficult in the year's to
come.
As Eric blogged earlier, in 2004, I firmly believed that
we could medal in the near future....
It is now 2008 and I believe some of my teammates have the potential, in year's to come, of an individual medal, and most important of all..
..The Italian team is NOT unbeatable !
My initial reaction, when it was totally official that we
had the BRONZE ! Wow, I can retire happily now : ) but I
won't .................................
The USA's Mountain Team women/men/juniors continue to excel. We have some incredible athletes, old and experienced, young and upcoming. It will be great fun to be a continued part of USA Mountain running.....
Simon
Monday, September 22, 2008
Athlete Spotlight interview with Joe Gray
http://www.usmrt.com/spotlight.html
Joe Gray wins NW Mountain Running Championship
Starting and finishing at Timberline Lodge, the 6 mile "up/down" course featured 2000' of climb and descent on pave road, dirt road, ski slope, rough single-track, the PCT and just a touch of snow at the top of the course. The weather conditions during the race (starting at high-noon) saw frequent rain showers, temperatures ranging from the high 40's at the bottom of the course to the low 40's and wind at the top of the course which was 1000' above the tree-line. Presented by END Outdoor, the NW Mountain Running Championship offered $6000 in prize money and attracted the fastest men's field of any trail race held in 2008. The official results have yet to be posted, but here are the top 10 female and male finishers:
Women’s Top Ten
Lisa Nye, Bend OR, 39 years old, 50:45 ($800 + $250 top of the hill)
Katie Caba, Bend OR, 37 years old, 51:33 ($400)
Jennifer Sventek, Bend OR, 37 years old, 54:18 ($200)
Carla McHattie, Portland OR, 24 years old, 56:24
Amanda Phillips, Portland OR, 29 years old, 56:45
Julie Leasure, Portland OR, 37 years old, 58:17
Ahna Jura, Bend OR, 34 years old, 58:35
Audra Herndon, Boring OR, 25 years old, 58:57
Kelly Kruell, Portland OR, 48 years old, 59:37 (first place masters, $300)
Joanna Harper, Portland OR, 51 years old, 1:00:03
Men’s Top Ten
Joseph Gray, Lakewood WA, 24 years old, 39:23 ($800 + $250 top of the hill)
Maxwell King, Bend OR, 28 years old, 39:25 ($400)
Erik Skaggs, Ashland OR, 26 years old, 41:35 ($200)
Richard Bolt, Portland OR, 38 years old, 42:58
John Howell, Portland OR, 34 years old, 44:00
Anthony Rinck, Hillsboro OR, 32 years old, 45:40
Kyle Skaggs, Ashland OR, 23 years old, 45:48
Ian Torrence, Ashland OR, 35 years old, 46:20
Aaron Coe, Portland OR, 25 years old, 46:23
Joe Gambles, Boulder CO, 26 years old, 46:45
Dean Giblin, Portland, OR 43 years old, 49:12 (first place masters, $300)
Pictures of the race can be found at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardABolt/
When available, official results will be posted at:
http://www.xdogevents.com/scheduleandresults.html
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
WMRT 2008 Pictures!
Peter Hartley,Richard Bolt and nancy Hobbs' pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/tevausmrt/Wmrt2008#
Dave Dunham's Pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/doubledmtnman/2008WorldTrophy#
Eric Blake's thoughts on this year's Trophy Race
A year later in New Zealand we finished 6th. Again we were close but couldn’t get the medal. Then 2006 rolled around and the team travelled to Bursa, Turkey. I had my best trophy race I could have hoped for but going to the awards ceremony I was just a spectator as our team finished 5th. But something special happened ….we had the privilege to watch the USA Women’s team accept their gold medals for winning the team title. 2007 came and went without a men’s team medal so as the 2008 mountain season began the goal of a first men’s team medal was still there.
As the 2008 WMRT took off, five teammates and I took off from the town of Sierra and ended the race at Crans-Montana. The course had all different terrain that included paved roads, dirt roads, and muddy single-track trails. It also had steep short climbs, steep long climbs, stairs, down hills and what makes any Trophy race great, loud and crazy fans lined the course. The USA team got a good start and I got out well too. After the first climb Rick Gates and Joe Gray passed me and both looked strong. I was suffering a little bit but then my spirits were boosted when Zac Freudenberg and Simon, A.K.A. “El Capitan”, passed me as I knew the USA Team was in a good position. I made a commitment to stick with them as we entered some of the muddy single-track trail. With about two miles left my rough patches were over and I started to move back up. As in countless other races Simon and I teamed up knowing that the team was running well. As I crossed the line I was first disappointed with my individual finish but happy to see Ricky and Joe already in the finish area. When Matt Byrne and Zac finished we were the first team to have all six runners finish. When the results of the USA Team bronze medal were announced any negative thoughts of my individual race were erased. Now that the men’s team has won a medal I’m pretty sure the team will be headed back for more.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Stats from the World Champs
Junior boys - Tim Smith's 5th place is the best ever placing, beating Andrew Benford's 12th place from 2006. Levi Grandt's 13th place is the 3rd best and Jon Steven's 31st place is the 7th best.
The team 4th place is the best ever, topping the 8th place finish in 2006.
Junior girls - Alex Dunne's (in picture above) bronze medal is the first ever individual medal for a junior girl, this tops Anna Lieb's 4th place finish in 2007.
Men - Rickey Gates 12th = 10th best, Joe Gray's 16th = 14th best, Eric Blake's 23rd = 20th best, Simon Gutierrez 25th = tie for 24th best. Matt Byrne 34th is the best ever 5th man for a US team and Zach Freudenberg 36th = best ever finish for a 6th man.
US 5th and 6th man beat every other countries 5th and 6th man. So I'd say they were the deepest team in the field.
Team bronze medal tops the 5th place finish in 2006.
Women - Brandy Erholtz 11th place ties for the 7th best ever individual performance.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Dave Dunham's report from the WMRT
http://ddmountainrunr.blogspot.com/2008/09/world-championship-results.html
World Mountain Running Trophy - Race Day
The weather has been consistent during our stay in Switzerland and race day would be no different as fog, some drizzle, and temps in the 40s were the order of the day.
A long day of racing kicked off with the open race at 8 am. Team leader Richard Bolt (Portland, OR) lead the charge over the same course the men would compete on. Bolt (no relation to the 100m specialist) finished in 3rd place covering the course in 6628. Nancy Hobbs the Manager of the Teva US mountain running team and serves as the treasurer for WMRA finished in 6th and 2nd in her age group in 8938. The overall winner was Pascal Bertrandin 6318.
The World champs kicked off with simeltaneous starts. The junior boys (in Venthone) and the junior girls (in Montana village) began their respective races at 1030 am. The girls would cover 4.2 km (2.6 miles) with 1,100 feet of climb and the boys would cover 8.3 km (5.1 miles) with 2,420 feet of climb. The girls (2 runners score) took 10th with Alex Dunne leading the way with a third place finish in 2333 and Yasmine White taking 38th in 2752 in the field of of 47 runners representing 19 countries. The race winner was Laura Park from England in 2234. The team title was taken by England with 8 points.
On the boys side three runners score in the field of 75 runners representin 25 countries. Tim Smith was the top US finisher taking 5th place in a time of 4302 and was closely followed by Levi Grandt who placed 13th in 4400. Jonny Stevens took 31st in 4539 and Paul Petersen took 50th in 4731. The team took 4th with 49 points. Turkey was the leading team with 13 points and the race winner was Sindre Buraas of Norway in 4212.
The women were the next to start (at 11 am) running the same course as the boys. The team (3 score) took 8th with 82 points in the field of 97 women representing 32 countries. Brandy Erholtz was the top US finisher taking 11th in 4740. Megan Kimmel was next placing 33rd in 5003, followed by Rachael Cueller was 38th in 5037, and Laura Haefeli was 44th in 5132. The winner was Andrea Mayr in 4357. The team title was taken by Norway with 24 points.
The final race of the day (1115) was the mens race, with 161 runners from 37 countries toeing the line with four runners scoring. The US team had its best performance yet scoring a Bronze medal. The team was lead by Rickey Gates finishing 12th in 5717 followed closely by Joe Gray in 16th in 5753 and Eric Blake 23rd in 5822. The final scoring member was Simon Gutierrez in 25th in 5834. Also running excellent races were Matt Byrne in 34th in 5911 and Zac Freudenberg in 36th in 5915. Team USA had the fastest sixth man among all of the countries. The overall champion was Jonathon Wyatt of New Zealand in 5503. The top teams were Italy 43 points, Switzerland 59 points, and the US with 76 points.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
World Mountain Running Trophy - Saturday
Richard Bolt, Team Leader
World Mountain Running Trophy - Saturday
Richard Bolt, Team Leader
jr. women course preview
Other than previewing the course, the highlight of Friday would have to be dinner. There are buffet-style meals provided for all the athletes. In addition to the food being excellent (yesterday there was salmon), the meals are a great chance to see all the other athletes. It's amazing to look at a roomful of teams all with there matching team jackets on! Yesterday night we saw teams from Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Hungary, Turkey, Uganda, Australia, Whales, and Poland. I'm looking forward to seeing all the teams marching today at the opening ceremonies.
-Yasmine
Friday, September 12, 2008
More from Nancy Hobbs about their trip
More later,
nancy in sierre and crans montana
World Mountain Running Trophy - Friday
Richard Bolt Team Leader Teva US Mountain Running
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Greetings From Switzerland
Greetings,
I have arrived in Sierre, the start point for Sunday`"s 24th annual World Mountain Trophy Race. The weather here is lovely. No wind the past two days, sunny skies and a bit humid. I took a great run this morning near the Rhone as we are in the Rhone Valley. To get to the river, I had to run about 15 minutes from my hotel. I ran on some trails once I got to the river and passed between some vineyards which are all over the valley, and also an apple orchard. I saw two other people on the trail walking their dogs. The entire run I could hear the river rushing downstream with sediment from the upper glaciers. When I took a drive with the race director yesterday we went to Crans Montana -- these are actually two small villages that abut one another and is also the location of the finish line for the races on Sunday. Our athletes^- The Teva US Mountain Running Team members -- are all staying in Montana just moments from the funicular which is the best way from sierre to get up the mountain -- unless you are running?? There are also buses that go up the mountain roads -- all paved with views that are outstanding. In fact, on a clear day one can see 100 kilometer view of 40000 meter peaks including Mont Blanc. there are two golf courses - that i saw - in Crans. a large golf tourney was just held last week. The village that is hosting the race (finish line) is about 4,5000 residents. in Winter that number grows to 45,000. Big skiing area for sure.
The weather on Sunday may be cooler which would be appreciated by the athletes. Several of our team members have arrived with the rest arriving today. We will have our first team meeting tonight after dinner in Crans Montana. Two of our staff were delayed with flights yesterday. Ellen Miller arrived 12 hours later than expected and Dave Dunham was rescheduled for a departure on Wed to arrive today.
More updates as we move through the week.
Best,
Nance
World Mountain Running Trophy - Thursday
Richard Bolt
Monday, September 8, 2008
Story on Junior Team Member Paul Petersen
http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/news/2008/sep/07/h-ome-l-ife-flat-out-fast-on-land-thats-far-from/