Team USA Senior Men upset Kenya for World Cross Country Silver

Ben True (photo:Mike Scott/Milesplit)

The snow covered course had been trampled all day by the Juniors and Senior Womens races, but the Senior Men's event would be the last chance for an American medal on the uneven grounds of Bydgoszcz, Poland, where the 40th IAAF World Cross Country Championships would take place.

The US Men would field a strong team, but one that would see Dathan Ritzenhein opt out due to his running of the NYC Half and both Matt Tegenkamp and Luke Puskedra having to bow out to injury. What could also be considered is Galen Rupp not participating due to his barnstorming indoor season.

The goal at this point had to be to get on the medal stand, but some breakout performances by multiple team members led to even more.

Ben True, hot off his USATF 15k Championship, would run the race of his life, and would finish a very strong sixth overall. He would also be the first non-African to cross the line. Chris Derrick would back up his strong win at the USA Cross Country Championships with a tenth place finish; one that would certainly fulfill his pre-race goal.

Beyond these two, things got interesting. Elliott Heath would finish 30th overall and hung there most of the race, but somehow, Team USA kept moving up the rungs each lap. They were fifth with three laps to go, then fourth with two laps to go, then third with one lap to go.

How did this happen?

Derrick, Mack, Vail, Strang, True, Heath
(photo:IAAF)

"Steady Eddies" Ryan Vail and Bobby Mack were slowing working their way through the pack and would finish 17th and 19th, respectively, to push Team USA past Kenya to second on the medal stand. A Silver medal; over Kenya!

Even James Strang, who was called in very recently, to replace the injured Tegenkamp, would run a very strong 37th, and finish ahead of Canada's Cam Levins, to complete an all-around American fireworks show.

Ethiopia would take the win with 38 points, to USA's 52 and Kenya's 54.

Full results are here

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Film Major: "The Real Maine" debuts tonight for free online

Erik van Ingen's new film, "The Real Maine" debuts tonight (Monday, May 21, 2012) at 6pm Eastern at TheRealMaineMovie.com I was lucky enough to see the film in advance and I can guarantee that if you're a fan of distance running, you'll love the concept, the personalities and the delivery. You'll walk away from your computer wanting more. Hopefully van Ingen will release some more outtakes, as it's fun getting to know the guys.

It's been an exciting year for the cast of characters. Chris Derrick hit the Olympic A Standard in the 5000 and 10,000. Erik van Ingen, Kyle Merber and Riley Masters hit the Olympic Trials A Standard in the 1500. Mark Feigen also PR'd in the 1500 this week, and will be running in the NCAA East Regional this weekend (with Merber and van Ingen. Derrick and Masters will be running in the NCAA West Regional).

Get to know them better tonight and check the links below for a little more background on the film.

Check out 5 Questions with Erik van Ingen (from last week) here

Check out the excellent 10 Questions with that Flotrack did to give you an overview of the characters.

"The Real Maine" is on Twitter @RealMaineMovie

"The Real Maine" on Facebook as well

Finally, "The Real Maine" is on Vimeo with some extra footage

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Thanks to our sponsor, Adharanand Finn's new book "Running with the Kenyans" for sponsoring the blog this week. Read my review of it here. If you're interested in sponsoring writing about running (and other great sites like TrackFocus, Track Superfan, Paul Merca and the House of Run podcast) in the future, check out The Relay Network. You can also support the site by buying something on Amazon.com through this link

5 Questions with Erik van Ingen

Erik van Ingen en route to an All
American finish at NCAA Indoors
(photo:TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Today we have 5 Questions with an All American miler and filmmaker. Last summer, he shot a film that included some of the biggest names in the NCAA running scene and will soon release it to the public (look below for how to see "The Real Maine").

Erik van Ingen has had an excellent collegiate career as a Binghamton Bearcat and he'll be continuing that this spring with NCAA's coming up and then on this summer at the Olympic Trials. He most recently won the UVA Challenge 1500 in a PR (and Olympic Trials A Standard time) of 3:38.06. He also is the filmmaker for "The Real Maine." Follow him on Twitter @vanIngenErik and check out his Vimeo page, which is full of clips from "The Real Maine"

1. Writing About Running: Where did the idea for the film come about and what's your relationship with the group of guys that is involved (Kyle Merber, Mark Feigen, Chris Derrick and Riley Masters)?

Erik van Ingen: The idea for the film started during the summer of 2010. I read John L. Parker's "Once a Runner". In the novel the protagonist, Quentin Cassidy, retreats to a cabin in the country in the pursuit of excellence. I thought that would be a cool idea to create a variation of. Just being out in the middle of nowhere with some good friends where the only thing that matters is getting faster. Something real simple, back to the basics. Late that summer I talked to Kyle (Merber) about it. Kyle, Chris (Derrick), and I are counselors at 5 Star Running Camp and have been for a few years. Kyle was instantly on board. From there school started, homework piled up, and we became consumed by our lives back at school. Late the following spring Kyle approached me about the trip (which I had nearly forgotten about) and we began planning. We talked of places to go, Kyle and I had both spent time in Maine and figured it would be a good place to train. I had met Riley through a teammate of mine at Binghamton who went to high school with Riley. so we had a bit of an America East connection going on there. Feigen was brought along by Kyle. The two of them are very close friends at Columbia and after Mark (Feigen) ran a breakthrough outdoor season the decision to bring him along was easy. As for Chris, he couldn't make it for the longest time. After awhile he finally caved and was able to come up for a week and get in some runs and laughs with the crew.

Check out The Real Maine website

2. Writing About Running: You mention that the film is inspired by the classic novel, "Once a Runner." How did that book affect you and do you think "The Real Maine" captures that idea of "moving out into a cabin the woods" to train intensely?

Erik van Ingen: The novel deals with a college athlete on the verge of making it big. The struggle and exploration of self throughout the narrative is something that I can closely relate with.

3. Writing About Running: You've had an excellent career at Binghamton, that most recently included a diving win at the America East 800 conference championships. What are some of your most proud moments as a collegian?

Erik van Ingen: Proud moments as a collegian. One would have to be our team taking third in the DMR at Penn this year. We finally put together a team that we had dreamed of for five years. Maybe not with the guys that started the vision back in 2008, but as a program we thought this was something that could happen. Running at a school like Binghamton gives you a bit of an edge in races like these. It's easy to get fired up when you have a chip on your shoulder. It's just amazing to stick it to teams that are statistically better than us and to share that with three other guys with the same vision is unreal.

4. Writing About Running: Putting together a film like this takes a lot of time and a lot of help. Can you speak to the man hours and what kind of work it took to get the film completed?

Erik van Ingen: The film was difficult for me. I'm still a student, so my level of experience going into this was not adequate. I wish I knew the things about narrative arc or the punctuation of visuals that I do now, back when I started. I feel like I'm a different filmmaker than I was at the start of this project. The biggest issue was sitting down at the computer after the summer and figuring out what to make of all this? what direction to go in? I had a little over 100 hours of footage to work with. It was great having so many options, but at the same time it's very time consuming and overwhelming. I had been putting in about 25-30 hours a week from September until the end of April. Between that, my training, and the rest of my curriculum (this project only counted for 4 credits) I was pretty busy. My social life consisted of messing around with the guys at practice and talking to my girlfriend on the phone at night. I'm fortunate enough to love what I study, so even though the project was very stressful and demanding, I wouldn't have changed a thing.

5. Writing About Running: The film's release date is May 21, 2012. How will track fans be able to see it/purchase it?

Erik van Ingen: Fans will be able to see it for free on www.therealmainemovie.com starting on May 21, 6pm, tune in and enjoy.

Check out the trailer for "The Real Maine" below:

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Thanks to our sponsor, Adharanand Finn's new book "Running with the Kenyans" for sponsoring the blog this week. Read my review of it here. If you're interested in sponsoring writing about running (and other great sites like TrackFocus, Track Superfan, Paul Merca and the House of Run podcast) in the future, check out The Relay Network. You can also support the site by buying something on Amazon.com through this link

5 Questions with the Hub of Distance Running, Derek Rubis

Derek Rubis in action

We have a special 5 Questions with today with one of the sport's biggest fans, Derek Rubis. There's a Facebook group to help get Derek to the Olympic Trials this June in Eugene and a fundraising site to help make this a reality. It's almost to the target amount. Click here to contribute and track the progress.

Derek Rubis is the self-proclaimed "hub of distance running" and that title cannot be challenged by anyone. He holds the belt. His youthful exuberance and fandom is well appreciated by many of the sport's biggest stars. He's not only a huge fan of distance running, he's the king of Faceholing. He is also up over 79,000 tweets at time of publishing. Is anyone in the world over 100k? I'm not sure, but Derek may get there in a month. In this interview, he's got some NCAA predictions, as well as a list of folks he'd like to meet in Eugene this summer. If you start running well, maybe he'll Facehole you; a true mark of distinction in the running world.

5 Questions with Derek Rubis

1. Writing About Running: Where does your unbridled passion for the sport come from?

Derek Rubis: I started this sport because my doctor said that I could not do contact sports in high school. So I started Cross Country and Track then. It is a sport that not a lot of people can do, not even the sprinters.

The Art of Faceholing

2. Writing About Running: Where did you come up with the idea of your now famous "faceholing?"

Derek Rubis: I saw some people on Facebook with this thing called FACE in HOLE. I thought I would give it a try and now I am addicted to it.

3. Writing About Running: What is something about the sport that you would change if you were in charge?

Derek Rubis: I would show more distance events (on television) and show the whole event, not just the first and last 2 laps (and show less of the sprinting events).

4. Writing About Running: What are your predictions for the Mile, 3000 and 5000 at NCAA Indoors this weekend?

Derek Rubis: 
Top 3 in the Mile: Miles Batty, Andy Bayer and a darkhorse, Eric Harasyn
Top 3 in the 3K: Diego Estrada, Chris Derrick, Andy Bayer
Top 3 in the 5K: Diego Estrada, Lawi Lalang, Chris Derrick

Help Derek meet his heroes!

5. Writing About Running: What 5 athletes are you most looking forward to meeting in person at the trials in Eugene this June and why?

Derek Rubis: 
1. Trey Hardee because he is one athlete, outside of distance running, that inspires me to my best in my runs, workouts and races.
2. Fam, one of my Steeplechase Gods, need we say more?
3. Billy Nelson, another one of my Steeplechase Gods, cause he is short like me and still able to do the Steeplechase better than I can.
4. Nick Symmonds, the king of mid-distance running, cause he is just that damn good!
5. Jesse Williams because he is the greatest field athlete in my mind.

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Thanks again to our sponsor, RaceSplitter, for sponsoring the blog this week. If you're interested in sponsoring writing about running (and other great sites like TrackFocus, Track Superfan, Paul Merca and the House of Run podcast) in the future, check out The Relay Network.

Battle Royale: 2011 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships are Monday

Tomorrow is the 2011 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, which are held in Terre Haute, Indiana (home course for Indiana State). The event will be broadcast at noon eastern on NCAA.com and will once again, be packed with many exciting individual and team battles.

Here's a few that stand out:

Men's Individual Contenders
-Arizona's Lawi Lalang has not lost this year. He truly hasn't been challenged. He is a freshman though, so it may not be as easy to win this one as some people think. Expect some competition from the guys below.
-Iona's Lenny Korir was fourth last year. He was four seconds behind Oregon's Luke Puskedra. He should challenge Lalang and won't be afraid to inject some speed in the pace, if it dawdles.
-Puskedra has been top five twice and has run well all year. Expect top ten at the absolute worst. Like Korir, Puskedra is not afraid to push it, if needed.
-NC State's Ryan Hill has had an excellent season and has only lost to one person. That man is Lawi Lalang. Hill finished second to Lalang at Griak and at Wisconsin, before winning ACC's and the Southeast Regional. Hill can kick with the best of them and should go top five (Disclaimer: he was my top pick in my fantasy draft. 5th overall).
-Stanford's Chris Derrick has always been consistent. Similar to Puskedra, he's seasoned and ready to go. This year, an individual title is on his mind and expect him to lay it all out there.
-BYU's Miles Batty is great over every distance. Coach Ed Eyestone has him raring to go, and like Hill, he can kick from far out.
-NAU's Diego Estrada runs excellent with a chip on his shoulder. He'll look to throw down one more good one in a field of strong competitors tomorrow and will be the dark horse of the group.

Can the Cowboys make it three in a row?

-The big enigma is Oklahoma State's German Fernandez. He's run excellent all year and a conference  title should give him the confidence to go for it. He may be conservative with a team title on the line, but you never know what's coming, which makes him intriguing.

Men's Team Contenders
-Oklahoma State has won two in a row and is primed for a third win. Fernandez has run strong all season. Colby Lowe has been excellent as usual. Tom Farrell will lead the rest of the group to a potential three peat.

-Wisconsin has looked effortless all season. Will their pack finish far enough towards the front to give the Cowboys a run for their money? Mo Ahmed will lead the way with Maverick Darling, Ryan Collins, Reed Connor and Elliot Krause all needing a strong race for the Badgers to have an honest chance.

Women's Individual Contenders

-Villanova's Sheila Reid is the favorite to repeat here, as she has looked untouchable once again this year. She may get some competition from Oregon's Jordan Hasay and North Carolina's Kendra Schaaf, but she'll be hard to beat down that last straightaway.

Who will leave smiling tomorrow?

-Hasay has beaten Reid before and can beat her again. Will she have it today? When she's on, she's one of the best. It'll likely come down to that last 500.
-Schaaf has been here before and she looks the most ready this year to make a run at the title. Unlike previous years, Schaaf has been hanging with the pack and running reverse splits from the first 3k to the second 3k, consistently. Expect her to make a move mid-race as being in a kicker's duel with Reid and Hasay won't be in her best interest (Disclaimer: she was my top pick in my fantasy draft. 3rd overall).

Women's Team Contenders
-Florida State has been dominant all year with a minimal spread. Expect Karen Harvey's women to improve on their runner-up finish last year.
-Villanova will have the benefit of getting the low stick from Reid and from the always excellent coaching from Gina Procaccio. Expect them to make Florida State work hard to take the title belt from them.
-Georgetown may be the hottest women's team right now. Have they been racing too hard? Emily Infeld will lead the Hoyas to a podium finish at minimum.

As with Cross Country, expect the unexpected. It should be a wild ride. Stars will emerge and some will buckle under pressure. Let's hope for some great weather and some honest races!

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