NYC 2011: Can Gebremariam hold off the Mutais?

Gebre Gebremariam, feeling the flow

Gebre Gebremariam put on a show last year in New York and made a mockery of the competition, and the Marathon in general, with a big win on "doubled 10k training." In his debut, on arguably the most challenging Marathon Major course, Gebremariam was flawless. The 2010 runner up was Kenya's Emmanuel Mutai, who is considered one of the favorites again this year. Mutai also will have the weight of making the Kenyan Olympic team on his shoulders, something that will be a very tight competition within the competition.

Since NYC 2010, Gebremariam has seen some challenges and the Marathon has seen some changes. Multiple 2:03's have been turned in, and Kenya has taken to the forefront, dominating the 2011 World Championship Marathon and leaving Gebremariam's Ethiopian countrymen in their wake.

The biggest question about the 2011 NYC Marathon has got to be, will the Kenyans go out at a breakneck pace on the challenging NYC course? If they do, will Gebremariam and his countryman, Tsegaye Kebede, go with them? Can someone run in the 2:05 range on the NYC course? And can Meb Keflezighi run under 2:10 in a pair of Skechers?

Geoffrey Mutai will likely lead the Kenyan charge with former Galen Rupp American 10k Record Attempt-pacer, Matthew Kisorio, making his Marathon debut after a strong 2011 track season in tow. Expect both Mutai's to set the pace with Kisorio right on their shoulder, with Kebede and Gebremariam right in the pack. It's going to be quite the show, and luckily, we can watch it on Universal Sports, UniversalSports.com (for free) and the Marathon Mobile App starting at 9am eastern.

Finally, on the American front, Meb Keflezighi is taking a big risk running NYC so close to the 2012 Marathon Trials, but as a return champion, who is likely getting a very nice appearance fee, can you blame him? This will be his first Marathon as a member of Team Skechers, and it will be interesting to see what he's got in the tank. He ran great at the San Jose Half and I don't think he'll fall out of the top seven. It's hard not to get excited about the debuts from Bobby Curtis and Ed Moran as well. Both have been great 10k runners and will look to make the Olympic Team in that event, but both should battle for top ten finishes tomorrow, as they likely will run more within themselves than some of the pack upfront, and will pick off stragglers as long as they respect the Marathon!

Keitany hopes to raise the roof in Manhattan

On the Women's side, last year's bronze medalist, Mary Keitany, looks to be the cream of the crop. Keitany finished behind Edna Kiplagat and a strong finishing Shalane Flanagan, in her debut, then went on to win the 2011 London Marathon in a very fast 2:19:19. 2011 Boston Marathon winner, Caroline Kilel, is a proven hill runner and could emerge if the late hills of Central Park slow Keitany. Also, Kim Smith could do something special as long as she doesn't try to run away from the field early, like she did in Boston. The three will likely run together and then make a go of it in the last 10k.

On the American front, the most exciting debut is certainly Lauren Fleshman. Fleshman is a runner's runner and is easy to pull for. She's been battling some injuries, but appears to be a perfect fit for the stage of New York. Let's hope she wakes up feeling good and can run the race competitively.

Also in the field is the ageless Jen Rhines. Rhines can do it all and I would expect nothing less than a top ten finish from her. She's strong, consistent and well trained for a course like New York. USATF 25k Champion Molly Pritz rounds out the showcased debutantes, and should be capable of something in the 2:30-2:32 range.

Official writing about running Predictions:

Men
1. G. Mutai
2. Kebede
3. Gebremariam

Top American: Keflezighi (6th)

Women
1. Kilel
2. Keitany
3. K. Smith

Top American: Jen Rhines (8th)

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road Rage: Dathan Ritzenhein leads the NYRR Dash to the Finish Line field

Ritz will look to break the tape Saturday
(TrackAndFieldPhoto.net)

It's been quite a while since Dathan Ritzenhein has raced. He'll officially end his racing hiatus Saturday at the New York Road Runners Dash to the Finish Line 5k. The course is being dubbed by NYRR as "flat and fast" and should fill a good void for those that want to be a part of the weekend, but not run the full 26.2. It's a similar effort to what the Boston Athletic Association has done with the BAA 5k, the day before the Boston Marathon.

Ritz will have his hands full with former Olympians, Lopez Lomong (1500) and Matt Tegenkamp (5000), but the darkhorse of the competition is 2011 USA Running Circuit Champion, Ben True. True has been very consistent all year and should not be overlooked!

On the Women's side, Deena Kastor is the featured competitor, but the heavy favorite is Oregon Track Club's Sally Kipyego. Kipyego has been on fire this year and has the hardware (from Daegu) to prove it. Also toeing the line is American 5000 record holder, Molly Huddle, who is coming back from injury, as well as the always consistent, Magdalena Lewy-Boulet. Aside from the fight between Huddle and Kipyego upfront (if Huddle is healthy and fit), the B-story will be the competition between Kastor and Lewy-Boulet, as both will be competing in the Olympic Trials Marathon in January. Kastor is the US Marathon record holder (2:19:36) and Lewy-Boulet has the third fastest time going into the trials (2:26:22). Between these two, Shalane Flanagan, Kara Goucher, Desi Davila and Amy Hastings, it will be an exciting race for the three spots to London.

Official writing about running Predictions:

Men
1. True
2. Teg
3. Ritz
4. Lomong

Women
1. Kipyego
2. Huddle
3. Lewy-Boulet
4. Kastor

Update: According to Spiked Up, Psyched Up, here's the rest of the field. Out of the rest, I like Aaron Braun, Scott Bauhs and Ben Bruce on the Men's side for top possible top five finish and Amy Hastings, Lisa Uhl (nee Koll) and Angela Bizzarri on the Women's side.

Men
Chris Thompson (GBR)
Andrew Bumbalough
Evan Jager
Brandon Bethke
Aaron Braun
Scott Bauhs
Brian Olinger
Ben Bruce
Harbert Okuti (UGA)
Brett Gotcher
Christian Hesch
Bobby Hartnett

Women
Lisa (Koll) Uhl
Amy Hastings
Liz Maloy
Angela Bizzarri
Sara Hall
Julie Culley
Frances Koons
Meghan ArmstrongPeyton
Caroline LeFrak
Ashley Higginson
Nicole Schappert
Stephanie Rothstein
Maggie Infeld
Lesley Higgins
Renee Tomlin
Cheryl Anderson

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road Rage: There's a new baller in town; Janet Cherobon-Bawcom is her name

Janet Cherobon-Bawcom will eat your bagels
(courtesy Facebook)

It looks like there may be a shake up in the predicted top three finishers at the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon in January. Why is that? There's a newcomer on the US scene that is staking her claim on that podium. Her name is Janet Cherobon-Bawcom. Today, Cherobon-Bawcom annihilated the field at the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women by almost 30 seconds for the win in 32:47. The race served as the USATF Women's 10k Championship. The win also locked in the overall title for the Women's 2011 USA Running Circuit. Oh yeah, she won the BAA Half Marathon yesterday (by over 2:30 in 1:11:58). This all comes just 8 days after winning the USATF 10 mile Championship as well.

The biggest question on American distance running fans minds right now is "Who is Janet Cherobon-Bawcom?" and "Is she eligible to compete for an Olympic spot?" Well... the answer to the latter question seems to be yes, per the New York Road Runners' David Monti and her sponsor, MarathonGuide.com. Per the IAAF, her marathon PR is 2:37:27 from 2008 (in Albany, GA), but judging by her recent success, and her USATF 20k win in September, mid to high 2:20's seems more predictive of her current fitness. As who who is Janet Cherobon-Bawcom? She's from Kenya, has lived in the United States for years and got her citizenship this year. She currently lives and trains in Rome, GA and is finishing up a degree at Jacksonville State in 2012. Here's a link to her post-race interview today with Kevin Ullman from Runnerspace.

What does this mean for the Olympic Marathon Trials in January. If Cherobon-Bawcom can indeed run, it throws another big name in the mix with the three favorites; Shalane Flanagan, Kara Goucher and Desi Davila, along with Deena Kastor, Stephanie Rothstein and Amy Hastings and Magdalena Lewy-Boulet. Here's the list of all the qualifiers.

Congrats to Janet on her recent success and be on the lookout for her on January 14, 2012 in Houston!

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road Rage: Ryan Hall is ready to #OwnChicago, but can he Stop Mosop?

Can Ryan Hall stop Moses Mosop?

Ryan Hall will have his hands full this weekend, but he couldn't be happier. The self-imposed pressure that seemed more evident a year ago, seems to be gone. He ran Boston in 2:04:58 and in turn considers himself a 2:04 marathoner. He is. No one seems to question his coaching decision anymore as well. And even though he took some heat when signing on for Chicago, his two biggest competitors at the trials will have tougher hills to climb (pun intended), than he does. The projected runner-up, Dathan Ritzenhein, hasn't raced in year and continues to battle injury, while Meb Keflezighi will be suiting up a month from now in New York. Judging by his interview with Flotrack, Hall is feeling pretty confident about his chances making the team and competing in London. Another thing Hall touched on during the Flotrack interview was Let's Run's offer to donate $5000 to his Steps Foundation if he goes under 2:05. Although he'd love to break that magical 2:05 mark, I am sure he'd be happy enough breaking Khalid Khannouchi's American Record of 2:05:38, a former World Record, that was set April 14, 2002 at the London Marathon.

Ryan Hall, sex symbol?
(copyright ESPN The Magazine)

Hall will have his hands full with one of the men that beat him on his incredible run last year in Boston; the Renato Canova-coached, Moses Mosop. Boston was Mosop's debut (2:03:06) and he looked equally, if not better, during the 30k World Record that he ran on the track in Eugene this Summer. Doug Binder and Jim McDannald (of Track Focus) watched in awe as Mosop got faster and faster the entire race and dropped a 63-second 400 on lap 45 (of 75). If Hall can follow Mosop, and the weather agrees, the American record should be in jeopardy, but beating Mosop will take a career effort (and some luck).

Also of note on the Men's side is a strong contingent of Ethiopians, led by Bazu Worku and Bekana Daba, as well as an equally strong group of Kenyans (Evans Cheruyiot, Wesley Korir, Bernard Kipyego, Joshua Chelanga). Brazil's Marilson Dos Santos and Japan's Atsushi Sato round out the contenders. On the Women's side, the favorite will be Russia's Liliya Shobukhova, with three others coming in with PR's under 2:25.

Full elite startlist is available here.

Of local note, Raleigh and The Athlete Foot Racing's Joe Moore will be taking aim at the 2:19:00 Olympic Trials standard. Good luck Joe!

Watch the Chicago Marathon live Sunday at NBCChicago.com from you computer or your smartphone (I like this trend).

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road Rage: Ben True seals 2011 USA Running Circuit victory in Minneapolis

True wins in Providence

It's been quite a 2011 for Ben True. In 2010, True left Oregon Track Club Elite and headed back east, closer to home, to train with Tim Broe's new group, In The Arena. It has proved to be an excellent move, with True finishing second today at the USATF 10-Mile Championship in Minneapolis, MN, and more importantly, securing the overall 2011 Mens's USA Running Circuit Championship.

In 2011, True qualified for the USA World Cross Country team, was runner-up at the Gate River Run (15k Championship), won the BAA 5k, ran a 10,000 PR of 28:16 on the track (qualifying him for 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials and 2012 Track Trials), ran a 5,000 PR of 13:24, won the USATF 10k Road Championship at Peachtree, won the USATF 5k Road Championship in Providence and capped it off by securing the 2011 USA Running Circuit Championship today with the runner-up finish in the 10-Mile Championship to Mo Trafeh.

True ran a smart race, staying with his main competition, Aaron Braun, and then kicked when he needed to. For his efforts, True will pick up $20,000; $12,500 for the USA Running Circuit Championship and an additional $7,500 for his runner-up finish today. 

True's win also brings more attention to Tim Broe's "In the Arena" team. Broe spoke with Let's Run in June 2010 about the formation of the group (iTunes link here). True's success this year should bring even more talent into an already expanding group of talented male runners. They've got a nice, well-kept blog as well!

On the Women's side, Janet Cherobon-Bawcom ran away from the field early, and didn't see anyone else until about mile nine, when Mo Trafeh passed her to earn the $10,000 equalizer bonus. Cherobon-Bawcom's win makes her the front runner for the 2011 USA Running Circuit Championship, with the Women's finale in 8 days. New York New Jersey Track Club's Julie Culley ran a strong race for second, and former North Carolina Tar Heel, Blake Russell, rounded out the podium with a strong run in 54:44.

The Women's Championship will wrap up next Monday (October 10) in Boston with the 10k Championship, hosted by the Tuft's Health Plan 10k for Women. As usual, Runnerspace will provide live coverage.

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road Rage: David Torrence takes on the big boys at the 5th Avenue Mile

Road Warrior, David Torrence

David Torrence is as close to the king of the road mile as you're gonna get. The three-time consecutive USATF Road Mile Champ will have his hands full this weekend at the season ending Fifth Avenue Mile in New York, NY. Torrence rose to cult fame with his now famous downhill sub-4 attempt thread on LetsRun.com that he took video of (see video below).

Just last weekend, Torrence won the Front Street Mile in Maui, in a course record of 3:57, but didn't have to face Bernard Lagat and the boys. He will Saturday at 1:05pm eastern. Along with Lagat, there's a huge field that will fight for the win down on one of Manhattan's biggest streets. Joining the fun on the American side is new pro, AJ Acosta, Steepler/Jack of All Distances, Ben Bruce, Saucony's Garrett Heath, 32-year old Sub-4 man, Christian Hesch, the sometimes mustachioed Will Leer, New Balance's Craig Miller, Nike's Kyle Miller, former Buckeye Jeff See, US 800 champ Nick Symmonds and the resurging Fam, Anthony Famiglietti. Defending champ, Amine Laalou, leads the international competition, with Australia's Jeff Riseley throwing his hat in the ring.

Let's get physical

Morgan Uceny will be the favorite on the Women's side, as she looks to be the first #1 World ranked American Woman in the 1500 in many, many years. The Women's race will go off at 12:50pm and also includes Brooks' Gabrielle Anderson, Road Mile Champ, Sara Hall, multiple time US 1500 Champ, Shannon Rowbury, 2011 World Champ Jenny Simpson and 800 meter specialists, Alysia Montano and Maggie Vessey. World Championship Silver Medalist, Hannah England, leads the international challengers. Somewhere in the middle is OTC's Sally Kipyego, who took Silver for Kenya at 10,000 in Daegu. She, along with a large field of other international competitors, will make for an exciting race.

New York Road Runners TV will show highlights at 8pm. Full race schedules are available here.

Experience Torrence's 3:46 Downhill Road Mile:



Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road Rage: Anthony Famiglietti is back for the USATF Road 5k Champs in Providence

Have you seen this man?

It's been a while since Anthony Famiglietti has competed. What better place to return than one where he has won before? Fam won the 2008 USATF Road 5k Championships and will start his drive towards qualifying for a third consecutive Olympic team with another run through the streets of Providence, RI tomorrow, in search of another National Championship at the CVS Caremark Downtown 5k. He's written a blog post about his return as well.

Fam's recently been training in Davidson, NC (right outside of Charlotte) and recently returned to the roads with a tune-up win at the Sunset 5k in Salisbury. Fam also attended Appalachian State for two years (before transferring to Tennessee) and leads a charge of runners with NC ties at Providence. USATF 8k Champion, Bobby Mack, will be among the favorites as he continues to have a breakout season. My friend, Sandy Roberts, will be making his USA Running Circuit debut. Both Mack and Roberts run for The Athlete's Foot Racing, out of Raleigh, NC (my team). Also out of Raleigh is Duke Law student, Lauren Bonds. Bonds has had a great past few years and will be representing Adidas Raleigh TC. All will be skipping out on the Mag Mile tomorrow (NC USATF Road Mile Championship in which Mack is a multiple time winner). Finaly, Stephanie "Pezz" Pezzullo, trained in Charlotte for a while, before relocating to Flagstaff, AZ.

Robert Cheseret, who is Bernard Lagat's brother, will be defending on the Men's side, as he kicked down Ben Bruce last year in the final steps to take the National Championship. An excellent field will challenge for the win, as many have traveled to Providence for the shot at the $30,000 purse. Aaron Braun and Ben True will be favorites, along with Fam, Mack and Cheseret, as Braun is currently 1st in the overall USA Running Circuit standings with True a close second.

Conquering one barrier at a time
(TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Sara Hall will look to improve on her second place performance from 2010 on the Women's side, and has a Fam connection as well, as she's spent some time with him working on her steeplechase technique. She'll likely choose that event to try to qualify for the 2012 London team. Hall is currently ranked fifth in the USA Running Circuit standings and could make a big jump with a win in Providence. An injured Molly Huddle won't be defending her title, but Hall will get plenty of competition from the likes of Julie Culley, Emily Brown, Pezz, Bonds and a strong field from all over. If the Runnerspace race coverage team team remains the same, Chris Nickinson will have the call on the Women's side.

Runnerspace will be streaming the race live tomorrow at 11:05am eastern and more information and interviews are available at http://www.runnerspace.com/USA-5km

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road Rage: The Black Cactus is back! Abdi Abdirahman wins USATF 20k Championship

Abdi after winning 2008 Olympic Trials 10,000
(TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Abdi Abdirahman aka "The Black Cactus" won his first National Championship in over two years today (last was 2009 10k at Peachtree) in breaking away from a strong field, with a 4:36 fifth mile at the Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race in New Haven, CT. For his USATF 20k National Championship, Abdirahman will take home the $8000 first place prize. His winning time was 1:00:13.

Finishing second, in 1:00:34 was Team USA Minnesota's Jason Lehmkuhle. Finalizing the podium was Boulder, CO's Fernando Cabada in 1:00:58.

On the Women's side, new American citizen (via Kenya), Janet Cherobon-Bawcom, took the title in 1:08:30 over Clara Grandt, who finished in a near personal best of 1:09:06. USA Running Circuit veteran, Katie McGregor, was third in 1:09:56.

Here are the results, courtesy of Runnerspace. Kevin Ullman and Chris Nickinson did an excellent job covering the race this morning with no finish line mishaps!

Next up will be the 5k National Championships in Providence, RI on September 18th.

For more on the USA Running Circuit, check out: http://USARunningCircuit.com

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road Rage: Ryan Hall channels Meb and will run Chicago this fall

All about the Benjamins?

In surprising news, Ryan Hall announced today that he will run the Chicago Marathon this October, which falls just three months before the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon in Houston. Hall has a nice contracts with Asics, Nissan and many other companies, so it's not quite the cash grab that Meb Keflezighi's fall marathon is. Although, you can't blame Meb. Keflezighi lost his Nike sponsorship and didn't get to run an "appearance fee" spring marathon (as he was shunned by the John Hancock staff at Boston during negotiations). As Meb enters the twilight of his career, with a silver medal already in hand (from Athens '04), taking the money at the NYC Marathon will carry him and his family further than a slot on the Olympic team (not that he won't make it). But Hall hasn't reached the same Olympic glory that Meb has, so why would he risk not making the team?

In my opinion, there are two reasons Hall will be doing this: money, as it's always about the money, and lack of competition at the trials. In the back of his mind, it looks as though Hall is confident enough that he can recover quickly to go against the best in the United States three months later. And worst case scenario, he could probably qualify for the 10k in the summer, behind Galen Rupp and Chris Solinsky, if the marathon didn't pan out.

So looking at the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon today (July 28, 2011), here are:

The Favorites:

1. Ryan Hall - favorite after his 2:04:58 at Boston
2. Dathan Ritzenhein - top US placer at Beijing, but often hurt and hasn't competed in a long time
3. Meb Keflezighi - will be coming off the NYC Marathon (November 6), getting older

The Contenders

1. Brett Gotcher - ran 2:10 in January 2010, which will be 2 years from the date of the trials
2. Jason Hartmann - ran 2:11 at Chicago 2010
3. Nick Arciniaga - ran 2:11 on Houston course in 2011
4. Jason Lehmkuhle - ran 2:12 at Boston in 2010 (8+ minutes slower than Hall in 2011)

The Mystery

1. Galen Rupp - will he or won't he? If he does, he's a shoe in for top three after his strong showing at the NYC Half 

Here is the list of all the 2012 Olympic Trials Qualifers

Looking at this, you can see why Hall feels pretty comfortable in his decision, considering his chances. Arciniaga looks to be the best possible outsider that could break in, with his strong run at Houston last year. It's a good bet that either Meb or Ritz won't show up healthy. The only other wild card is Galen Rupp. In my opinion, if he runs, he's in. Will he? Who knows. If he qualifies in the marathon, he could still qualify in the 10,000 and forego his marathon spot for 2012. We'll find out Sunday, January 14, 2012.

Also, you can check out my reviews of Meb's book here and Ryan Hall's book here

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road Rage: Ryan Hall leads strong field at Peachtree

America #1!

This July 4th, Ryan Hall will make his return to the USA Running Circuit at one of the largest races in the United States, the Peachtree Road Race. Peachtree serves as the USATF Men's 10k National Championship and always attracts an excellent field. This year is no different. Lining up with Hall will be defending 10k road champ, Ed Moran, recent USATF 8k Champion Bobby Mack, recent track 10,000 bronze medalist Scotty Bauhs, and the always enigmatic Black Cactus (aka Abdi Abdirahman). Also fighting for the win will be the always strong group of James Carney, Fernando Cabada, Patrick Smyth, Ben True, Aaron Braun, USA Running Circuit vet Josh Moen and many others looking to take aim at the 15-deep prize money.

Peachtree always brings in a strong international field as well. Leading that group will be a trio of Kenyans, including the favorite, Sammy Kitwara, former Galen Rupp pacer, Matthew Kisorio and cross country specialist Joseph Ebuya. Expect them to push the pace and string out the Americans.

Runnerspace will be broadcasting the race live, starting at 7:30am eastern (on July 4). Go here for pre-race interviews and to view the live stream

Update: Sammy Kitwara takes the overall win in 28:05 over Matthew Kisorio. Here's the video replay of the race and below are the top 15 results for the Americans (click their names for their Runnerspace post-race interview):

1. Ben True 28:28 
2. Ed Moran 28:29 
3. Abdi Abdirahman 28:35 
4. Brian Olinger 28:35 
5. Christo Landry 28:52 
6. Patrick Smyth 29:06 
7. Scotty Bauhs 29:15 
8. Ian Burrell 29:16 
9. Ryan Hall 29:16 
10. Aaron Braun 29:17 
11. Josh Moen 29:20 
12. Justin Young 29:26 
13. James Carney 29:36 
14. Bobby Mack 29:43 
15. Lex Williams 29:54

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook

Road Rage: Raleigh's Bobby Mack brings home the USATF 8k National Championship

Photo courtesy USATF

It's not too often you can say your "teammate" has won a national championship, but that's exactly what happened today. Raleigh resident and top dog of The Athlete's Foot Racing Team, Bobby Mack, took down many of the top pros, including New Balance's James Carney, Nike's Jason Hartmann and 
Adidas McMillan Elite's Nick Arciniaga, Aaron Braun, Jordan Horn and Scott Smith, to win the USATF 8k National Championship (in Carmel, IN) in a blazing time of 23:05. For his efforts, Mack was rewarded $5000 for first place and hopefully has gotten one step closer to a shoe deal. Here's the USATF press release on Mack's win and here's the video of him breaking the tape. Here's the full race video and here's Mack's post-race interview.

Mack ran 28:11 at the Payton Jordan Invitational 10,000 this spring at Stanford and just ran 4:00.6 in the mile last week. He'll head to Eugene, OR in a few weeks for the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships 10,000 and then, according to his pre-race interview, will run the 10k road championship on July 4 in Atlanta (at the Peachtree).

Congrats Bobby! Go see him at The Athlete's Foot in Cameron Village in Raleigh for some "professional" help.

Follow writing about running on Twitter and Facebook