Simon Gutierrez wins World Masters Running Champs in Czech Republic

September 6, 2008

Dolni Morava, Czech Republic ---- At today’s World Masters Mountain Running Championships is Dolni Morava, Czech Republic, Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team member Simon Gutierrez, 42, Alamosa, CO, won his third straight title. His time of 50:10 over the 11.3 kilometer mostly uphill course bested the second place finisher Gilles Convert of France by 38 seconds.

“I am very pleased to have won my third straight World Masters’ title. Today’s margin of victory was the biggest (of the three)....a good tune up for world’s in eight days,” wrote Gutierrez by e-mail following his victory.

“Traveling to the race venue, (the ski resort of Doni Morava), from Prague was a 4.5 hour drive and proved to be as big a challenge as defending my world title. It is hard to read road signs when you have absolutely no idea what the words mean. I arrived at 4.30 p.m., the evening prior, a bi t weary but happy to have found my English friends in a very nice hotel across the hall from my room.

“The course went by my hotel at the 5.5 km mark so I went for my second run of the day (pre race day) and looked at the first 5.5 kilometers of the course. It was very picturesque and scaled the side of the valley on the way to the ski mountain. This is where the real mountain running began.

“(on race day) I took the lead immediately and lead start to finish. We had three good, steep climbs, while the rest of the course was gradual climbs on forested paths. The total climb was about 800 meters and much to my dismay also had some downhill sections (about 180 meters total) which I jogged (the course went from a low point of 608 meters to a high point of 1254 meters).

“My legs feel fine and I consider myself lucky, as I got picked for doping control which meant I was one of the very few that got a ride down the mountain. For sure I did not want to run=2 0down with worlds (the World Mountain Running Trophy on September 14 in Sierre Crans Montana, Switzerland) only in a week’s time.”

Thanks to Simon for his post event report.

Additionally, Mark Nesfeder represented the USA in the 50-54 age group where he posted a time of 1:20:53 to finish 76^th in his age group. Anna Pichrtova, Czech Republic, was the overall women’s winner timed in 55:50.

A total of 1,868 runners participated in this, the 8^th Annual World Mountain Running Championships. There were 1,373 runners in the 11.3 kilometer race (runners up to 54 years of age) and 495 runners in the 9.9 kilometer race (runners from 55 year of age to 80).

Complete results at:

www.wmmr2008.sportsoft.cz/absresults.aspx?r=1&lng=en

Kitbuehel

Well so far Kitbuehel has been amazing. The food is great, there are meat shops everywhere and a wide selection of shops around town. I got a chance to run the course a few days ago so I knew it would be a tough one. The bad thing about the run up was I had to come back down because I had missed the last gondola so that totally wiped out the legs, but I guess it happens to every mountain runner at some time or another. So the race, it went as expected, Wyatt took it out and two other guys and I went with him, but as we started to climb steep they fell back quickly. I tried to stay with Wyatt as I really would have run by myself had I not and ended up crashin and burnin hahaha yeah I died pretty bad. But I never expected really to beat him by going out with him but I just didnt expect him to run so damn fast in the hot conditions. It was warm the entire race even at the top. The prize giving ceremony lasted about 3 hours so that was super fun, not. Wyatt and I took about a million pics and Im sure his hand was pretty tired because he must have signed every bib number in the building. Overall, the race was good prep for worlds, but the weather and the run up and down the mountain maybe hurt me a bit as far as time goes. UP next a little traveling around euro before headin to crans.

Mountain Team Members compete at Challenge Stellina

Susa, Italy --- At today’s 20^th annual Challenge Stellina Race the USA contingent of Joe Gray, Simon Gutierrez, and Rickey Gates fared well finishing fourth, seventh, and ninth respectively.

According to the jet-lagged Gutierrez who arrived in Italy on Thursday just shortly after winning the Pikes Peak Ascent on August 16, “The race went overall pretty good. There was additional entry of three top road racing Kenyans who are based in Italy which added some flavor to the early pacing. Through the first half of the 15.4 km race Rickey, Joe, and I worked together in fourth, fifth, and sixth position. One Kenyan came back, and we were joined by Robert Krupichka of the Czech Republic. No sight of Jonathan Wyatt or the two other Kenyans. At the finish and as expected Wyatt won hands down in 1.17.59. Second place went to a Kenya runner in 1.20.50, third place was Krupichka running 1.20.06. Joe Gray, team USA, in fourth with a time of 1.21.10. I was seventh in 1.22.20, and ninth was Rickey Gates running 1.23.24 (4min better than last year when he finished in fifth and not quite up to top speed today).

“Overall, a good showing for our team and a good solid international tune up for USA for the trophy in three weeks. Joe will be a top-10 threat. Just landing here I was a bit fatigued by Sunday race day, but I still ran better than 2004 when I was 17^th in the World and training dictates I am fitter than 2006. Rickey has made the wise decision to ease up on the bike tour and do some specific running for the next three weeks...he will be ready for a top 10-15.”

Next up for Gutierrez is the La Sportiva Mountain Cup series finale race in Vail, CO, on Sunday, August 31. Joining Gutierrez at the roughly 6 mile uphill La Sportiva Vail Trophy Race will be Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team members Brandy Erholtz and Laura Haefeli. Former team members also expected to compete include Lisa Goldsmith (’97 and ’06), Andy Ames (’04), Shiloh Mielke (’06, ’07), and Payton Batliner (’07).

The Challenge Stellina Race starts in the town of Susa at an elevation of 500 meters and continues across the streets of the town until it reaches Urbiano at 2.3 km. Here the asphalted road ends. From Urbiano starts the uphill mule track that first reaches Madonna dell'Ecova (710 m asl) then Borgata Braida (870 m asl) and Nicoletto (1094 m asl); from here, leaving the old mule track, the race goes to Chiamberlando through a steep path leading near Cippo Ricordo (1375 m asl). The race continues on a dirt road, on an apparently flat ground going slightly downhill and it goes first through frazione Sollietto (a small hamlet 1300 m asl) and then through "case Fago inferiori e superiori" (a small hamlet 1280 m slm). It then starts a demanding uphill mule track which reaches Servel (1618 m asl) and then from Servel begins a short, steep descent until an altitude of 1562 metres asl. From there starts the most demanding and difficult part of the race. First there is an uphill path reaching Grange Sevine (1762 m asl) and then starts a very demanding uphill grassy slope which reaches alpe Arcella (2000 m asl). Apart form the last 250 meters before the arrival to Costa Rossa (1960 m asl), which are on a grassy downhill slope, the final part of the race is mostly on a dirt road. The total length of the race is of 15.420 m with a difference in height of 1.500 m.

For additional details and results from Stellina, please visit: www.atleticasusa.it/en_default.asp

Teva U.S. Team in Norway!

Well Rickey and I finally met up in Norway for the race this past weekend. The hotel was amazing the spa, the food, the scenery, wow! The race, I only I have one word to say about it, brutal. Rocky, muddy, and a relentless climb that never seemed to end. The race had some big time climbers in it including Rickey, Jon Wyatt, Jon Tvedt and another Norwegian climber Ouestein Sylta I think is how you spell it. From the gun Wyatt took it out, as the course was a bit cleaner and not so rocky at the bottom. A pack of Rickey, Tvedt, two other Norwegians, and I ran together for a bit then Tvedt made a move and I followed him. It was a good idea but once we got to the rocks I experienced first hand how great the guy is on rugged courses. He and I were a few minutes behind Wyatt at the begginning of the rocks I would say and Tvedt actually caught and passed Wyatt before making it out of the rocky area. Of course, Wyatt with the better speed passed him once the course got a bit smoother near the peak to miss the record by just a few seconds and also missing the chance at a huge bonus check. I ended up fourth right behind Sylta as I fell quite a bit behind him and Tvedt during the rocks, thanks to my poor choice for racing shoes that day. Rickey had a strong finish to pass a few guys and finish up just behind me for fourth. The great part about the race was we got the pleasure to walk all the way down a 20 plus percent grade for a few hours, great huh. After that walk I really started to appreciate the fact that at Mt. Washington we at least get a lift down. But, it was nice, took a few nice pics. Well we are off to Italy now, and hopefully meeting up with Simon. Hopefully the USA team can win the challenge next weekend! Until next time.........

Current and former team members race at Pikes Peask Ascent

At today's Pikes Peak Ascent (an all uphill climb of more than 7,800 feet in 13+ miles), Simon Gutierrez, 42, Alamosa (Teva athlete and team member) was victorious in just over 2:18. He beat former Teva US Mountain Running Team Member Tim Parr (2004) by about one minute. Third place was 2007 team member Payton Batliner. Newcomer to the team this year Zach Freudenberg raced in third for the first portion of the race and fell to 11th place by the summit.

For the women, first-time Teva US Mountain Running Team member Brandy Erholtz, 30, won by nearly 10 minutes (timed in 2:41) over two-time ('97 and '06) team member Lisa Goldsmith who raced to a 2:51. Fourth place was five-time team member Anita Ortiz in just under 2:54 followed three minutes later by 2000 team member Cindy O'Neill.

The weather was "epic," according to multi-time finisher Doug Laufer (who runs under the moniker Rufus T. Firefly), "It was so cold and wet. I had trouble getting my gloves off and switch to a dry pair at A-Frame (3 miles from the summit) Now I'm going home to rest and get ready for tomorrow." Laufer does the double -- the Ascent on Saturday and the round trip Marathon on Sunday.

Former Teva US Mountain Running Team member Kevin Tilton made a good showing to the A-Frame running just out of the top ten (in fact he was in eighth place just below Barr Camp -- the halfway point in terms of mileage) , but turned around and got...as he said after the race, "A good 20 mile run. It was just cold up there." Tilton raced in a singlet and shorts and when he reached A-Frame the altitude was giving him a little trouble, but more so the weather.

In fact, more than 1/2 of the field was turned around by 10:30a.m. if they didn't reach the A-Frame. When Ortiz reached the A-frame officials wanted her to turn back, but she pressed on. "After I finished my teeth were chattering for about an hour!" said Ortiz, "It was so cold." James Kahkoska, 48, a Colorado Springs local talked about the weather and although he had his PR on the mountain today (roughly 2:51), he said an official had to help him take his gloves off at the finish line so he could change into warm and dry clothes before he took the shuttle back to Manitou.

Vans and buses transport the runners off the mountain, but weather conditions made wait times longer for the athletes. Snow plows were on the mountain shoveling in front of vans -- some of which got stuck going uphill. The toll road was closed to tourists for much of the day.

Tomorrow is the full marathon, providing the weather doesn't turn much worse.

A good day today for our team members - past and present!

results soon at www.pikespeakmarathon.com

Bodoe, Norway

Greeting from Bodoe, Norway. This is the first of my stops in Europe. So far so good. Fish is pretty popular up here so I have had a fair share of the great assortments of sea food in Norway and also cheeses. The cheeses here are pretty amazing, I could easily gain like 30 pounds here if I was not a runner. However, that would be expensive. Norway is very very expensive I have come to find out. The American dollar is about 5 Norwegian kroner. You would think that bringing US dollars to Norway would offer you some sort of benefit, but oh no. The prices for many products are almost twice the price here in Norway as they would cost in America. For examply, a gatorade, a small one at that like 14 oz is about 18 kroner. Do the math, that would be over 3 bucks for a small swig of gatorade. In America this same bottle would cost maybe 1.50. Training has been pretty good and looking forward to running a very tough race in Loen, Norway where I will meet up with US team member Rickey Gates who is also traveling around Europe, except he is on a bike, braver than I must say lol. Bodoe has some pretty good trails for running and mountains surrounding the landscape at almost every degree you turn your head. The Ocean is pretty close and many small Islands can be seen right off the coast. Well thats it for now, after the Skaala race, off to Italy for me!

Team 2008

Congratulations to 2008 Teva US Mountain Running team members -newcomers and veterans. We're looking forward to great events at the World Trophy in Switzerland. Train smart and stay focused on a top finish at Worlds.