5 (more) Questions with the Gate River Run Elite Athlete Coordinator, Richard Fannin

Richard Fannin will be everywhere this weekend

Today we have five more with more questions with the man behind the elite fields at this weekend's Gate River Run 15k National Championship. Here's the first set of 5 Questions with Mr. Fannin (from 2012) and the 2013 edition is below! Follow the race this Saturday on Runnerspace.

5 (more) Questions with Richard Fannin

1. Writing About Running: The Gate River Run 15k kicks off the road racing season each year. Everyone is excited for a new beginning. How does that energy translate to your event?

Richard Fannin: Yes, it seems that after a long track season, and the big fall marathons, everyone is ready to rest and re-group over the holidays. Many of these runners train in cold winter locations and are excited about an early season fitness test in balmy Florida. There is usually a little element of mystery, as many runners haven't raced in a few months and this is often their first race of the year. The slate is clean on the USA Running Circuit - and it is open season !

2. Writing About Running: American distance running icon, Todd Williams, set the American Record here in 1995 with a scintillating 42:22. How has that record stood for 18 years?

Todd Williams in Adidas' "Runners, Yeah we're different" ad

Richard Fannin: Todd Williams' American (and course) record was the result of a great runner having one of those perfect days where it all clicked. The course was a little different that year, with a long downhill ramp coming off the Hart Bridge. But that was such a great performance, I think it would still be the American Record on the current course, just maybe 15-20 seconds slower.

3. Writing About Running: You fly a great deal of athletes in, put them up in a nice hotel, feed them and host a post-race party. What else is it that makes this weekend such a "can't miss" on the USA Running Circuit?

Richard Fannin: We really do try to pay attention to every last little detail for the runners, and we have assembled a great group of volunteers here from JTC Running that get it done! My belief is that the less they have to worry about logistics, and the more relaxed they are, the better they can perform on race day. And as mentioned earlier, Jacksonville in early March typically has lows in the fifties and highs in the seventies - and tons of sunshine - that makes this race an easy sell after often long cruel winters in Minneapolis, Mammoth, Flagstaff, Boulder, etc.

4. Writing About Running: You are very plugged in to the sport. What changes could be made, in your opinion, to move the sport forward?

Richard Fannin: I think the advent of the big teams and training groups is the best thing that has happened to US distance running in 20 years. It has allowed many more elites to forego the professional world for a few years and focus solely on their sport. The team competition we created five years ago was designed to really reward and encourage those teams that are making it happen. A lot of runners come here and - although they might not finish in Top 10, end up going home with some nice prize money. The team competition is something we hope will catch on around the USATF circuit. I know the 8k championships is having a team competition this year.

5. Writing About Running: What's new for the 2013 edition of the Gate River Run?

Richard Fannin: We have several new things we are excited about this year. The first is that The Equalizer bonus is going to be 6 minutes 35 seconds .. based on our new formula of using the exact split the prior 3 years, averaged to the second, which we think will make for a very close race.

Craig Virgin on multiple Track & Field News covers

As referenced earlier, the team race is not new, but this year is the largest and most robust it has ever been; with teams from Hansons Brooks, Asics Aggies, Adidas Boulder Running Company (ADP), Boulder Track Club, ASTF, New Balance Silicon Valley, Nike Team Run LA, Sacramento Elite, Team USA Minnesota, Team USA Arizona, and Zap Fitness.

We are excited about our guest speaker for Friday night, Craig Virgin. Between breaking Steve Prefontaine's high school record, winning an NCAA title, winning two World Cross Country Championships, and appearing in three Olympic Games, he has quite a resume and quite an inspirational story to tell.

And as always, we are excited about the parties we throw for the runners on Saturday night. After a couple of nervous days and a big race, it is fun to blow off steam and celebrate with the runners. The elite distance running crowd in the US is really a pretty small fraternity, and most of the runners know each other well and are good friends. We try to position our race as a fun, spring break "family" reunion weekend; where hey, there also happens to be an awesome 15k race!

Have a request or recommendation for who next 5 Questions with should be with? Email writingaboutrunning@gmail.com

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Hobby Jogging: 9/18/11 - Raleigh, NC - The Magnificent Mile

With the last three weeks of my training being 24.5 miles, 17.5 miles and 16.5 miles, I wasn't expecting much today at The Magnificent Mile. The past eight months in general have been a drag due to severe shin splints. When will it end? Hopefully soon. Anyways, enough with the sob stories. The Mag Mile is a great race and as much as I knew today would not be a PR day, or anything close to it for that matter, I still wanted to hop in. How often do you get a chance to run a mile road race?

The Mag Mile also serves as the USATF State Road Mile Championship and is the first race of the Second Empire Grand-Prix Fall series. Maybe my shins will heal miraculously and I'll be ready to run strong the rest of the series. Hey, stranger things have happened!

Warming up the "kick"

Got in a good two mile jog of the course (forwards and in reverse) with John Simons beforehand and did some hard strides. I was as ready as I was gonna be. After announcing what seemed like half the field, we were off. The legs were moving, just not that fast. I got out good, but spent the entire race reeling people in. When I circled the capital and hit the halfway mark in 2:35-6, I thought the A-goal of 5:10 was within reason, but when I hit the 3/4 of the way marker in 3:58, I figured that was likely out of the picture. My legs just weren't ready to run that pace. I kicked home the last 400 as best as I could and saved one more sprint in the last 50 yards, to pass a local high schooler, to finish in 5:16, 4 seconds faster than my B-goal of 5:20.

What can I take from the race? Reassurance that it takes consistent training to perform and a good rust busting performance. Nothing exciting, but a good way to go through the motions of a pre-race warmup and all the things that come with that. Hopefully that'll help in the near future!

Charlie's Angels 2, Full Throttle

My friends and teammates faired great and it was fun to watch. John was a bit up on me in 5:03 (1 second off my 5:02 from 2009), Joe had a big breakthrough in 5:38 (20 seconds faster than he ran in '09) and Erin came in an impressive sixth overall in the Women's race in 5:23. All star blogger, Shelby Van Pelt, ran a strong 6:00 as well (although I know she wanted that 5:59). Performance of the day went to my friend from Winston, Molly Nunn, who ran 5:19 for fourth, one day after winning the Run for Green Half Marathon in Davidson, NC, as she prepares for the Wineglass Marathon (and an attempt at the Olympic Trials Qualifying Standard of 2:46:00).

After the races, we all got together and did a nice three mile cool down through Raleigh. The shins felt better here. Hopefully a sign of what's to come! Until then, it's run when I can, soccer on Tuesday and hopefully get to Winston early enough tomorrow to register for the Boston Marathon!

Also, congrats go out to The Athlete's Foot Racing's Joe Moore, who won in 4:20 and to TAF-ers on the road, Bobby Mack (14:03) and Sandy Roberts (14:13), who finished sixth and eleventh respectively at the USATF Road 5k National Championships in Providence, RI.

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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

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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

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Hobby Jogging: 8/27/11 - Laurel Springs, NC - Continental Divide Trail Race

This past week marked year number two of my now  annual training trip to Boone, NC. Last year I did most of my runs with my buddy from Charlotte, Scott Williams, who was living in Boone for grad school. This year, my friend from Greenville, Tyler Pake, who just started a blog, came along for the ride. The trip was awesome. After spending the last year battling hamstring issues (and the last 6 months with shin issues), it felt great to get in some real training (after lots of small mileage weeks and biking). We got into town Monday and hit Moses Cone Park for the first run. An easy 6.5 miler and then dinner at Black Cat Burrito got the week off to a good start. The next morning was a nice solo 5 miler at none other than Price Lake. That afternoon, the goal was to tackle Fire Tower.

Good single track at Price Lake

Well, Fire Tower didn't happen, as we missed the turn at the Cone Manor and ended up on the Watkin Road loop. We got down to Bass Lake with 6.25 miles done and decided to regroup and try again in the AM. That night, we hit up Boone Saloon for the famous Taco Tuesday. $1.25 Tacos and $4.50 pitchers had the place packed wall to wall. Had a good, cheap dinner and a pitcher before retreating back to my favorite hotel in Boone, the Super 8 (cheap, clean, indoor pool, fridge, free wifi, nice employees, free breakfast). 

Wednesday morning we tackled the beast; Fire Tower. For those unfamiliar, Fire Tower is a well known run in Blowing Rock that starts at the bottom of Bass Lake and ends at the top of Flat Top Tower, aka Fire Tower. The run climbs 1000 feet in just 5 miles. The first 2 miles were bad up to Cone Manor, but after going under the Blue Ridge Parkway, it gets difficult. I can happily say that I never stopped to walk; something I can't say about my race Saturday. Once we hit the switchbacks after the field, it was tough. But getting to the top and climbing to the top of the tower was pretty cool. You'll see "PWP '11" scratched into the backside of the lowest level of the tower if you ever make the journey!

Trail Race? More like rock climb

That afternoon, our legs were fried, so an easy 30 minutes at State Farm Fields was all we could handle. We got off on the trails and hit one trail that was called something to the effect of "staircase to heaven." We got halfway up and turned around. The legs were done on hills for the day. Luckily, an awesome dinner outside at the Coyote Kitchen helped us recover for an easy track workout in the morning.

Thursday morning was that easy track workout at "The Rock," App's Football Stadium. Just an easy 4x800 with a lap jog at 5:50 pace or so, then a 200 in 33 and a 400 in 73 where I had to stop dead in my tracks for a passing student. The ASU Jogging class watched us and hoped that we weren't the 8am class and that they'd have to match our workout, albeit a short one.

Thursday afternoon was an easy 4 mile cutdown and some strides at Bass Lake to get the workout out of my legs. Tyler made the trek back to up Cone Manor to get some cool photos. We got some barbecue takeout at Bandana's that night to watch the Panther's game. Friday morning would mark checkout and our last run in Boone. We headed down the mountain to hit Mulberry Creek Road. This is where things got a little weird. The run was just an easy 4 miler that felt great, as we dropped about 1000 feet from the 3500 feet altitude we'd been running at all week. The fun started when we got back to the car and had one of the locals decide to tell us we were on his property. We were parked in a church parking lot.

Continental Divide Trail Race Elevation Change

"I've been putting up with you and your dogs for four years. Yall've been scaring my livestock and if the bull I just paid $1000 for trips and breaks his neck, I'm coming up the road to take it outta ya." He assumed we ran for Zap Fitness, which is located right up the road. The funny thing is, we ran the opposite direction of his farm, and although the roads are gravel, they are public roads. Luckily, no shotguns were pulled and we were on our way. Good thing, as there was no cell phone coverage within miles!

Make it stop

So the plan all week was to go run the Continental Divide Trail Race in Laurel Springs if I made it through without breaking anything. The legs were sore, despite my free massage during the earthquake and I was tired, but the body was holding up. So it was on to Jefferson to stay at Scott's house for the night while he competed across the country at Hood to Coast. And this was the USATF National and State 10k Trail Championship. I'd earned "Hobby Jogger All American" once before (name on USATF website), maybe I could do it again.

To say this race was hard does not do it justice. To say it was brutal is being a little nice. My friend Molly Nunn said is was fun. I guess it was in spots, but overall, not fun (or my idea of fun)! We had to hike up a huge hill just to register. From that point, we knew it was going to be rough. The race started at the top of a mountain and the first 3/4 mile was straight downhill. Breakneck downhill. Back side of the hill at McAlpine Park downhill, but for 3/4 of a mile. What comes down must go up and it did. I walked for the first time before the first mile. Should someone who's had recurring shin and hamstring problems attempt this race, probably not, but most runners, like myself, are sick. This pushed my limits. I almost quit here, but soldiered on.

At about 1.5 miles in, I fell flat on my face. Cut my leg pretty good and scraped my knee, but popped back up, didn't get passed and carried on. At 2 miles we started climbing, and climbing and climbing. Lots of walking here. As I got back to the meadow, I saw Molly getting ready for her race and a casually cursed her. Thank god the third leg was coming up. This is where I started feeling good. Not much walking here and I passed three people. Was the nightmare over yet? Not by a long shot. Navigated the switchbacks until 5 miles or so when the straight up "climb" started. This is where I asked myself "what the heck am I doing here?" Except I didn't use heck. This was crawling on your hands and knees and "walking with your quads clutched" territory. Oh yeah, the wind was blowing hard enough to push you down. I truly felt I may fall off the side of the mountain. These were not good times. After a 15 minute final mile, we see a slow grass uphill. Thank you! Now I'm hoping to turn the corner, then get a good kick into the finish. Well I turned the corner and there was the finish. No room to kick. I crossed the line in 44th in 58:24, for a 10k. Ouch.

Happy Times post race

Very thankful it was over at this point. I didn't feel overly tired, as it was hard to get in a rhythm. I felt more defeated and mad. This wasn't trail running. It was more like mountain navigating. Oh well, great week of training and I did break an hour, my initial goal. Luckily, I've had a week of training since that race and what a feeling. Even though Boone is only 3500 feet above sea level, I've been feeling the effects of coming down with great runs all week.

I'll look forward to the trip again next year and will look forward to possibly another week ending race. Maybe the Maggie Valley Moonlight Race. The Continental Divide Trail Race gave me all I could handle! But who am I kidding, I'll probably be back.

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Appreciating Alan Webb

Webb in his winning days (TrackAndFieldPhoto)

We haven't heard a lot about Alan Webb lately, but it's hard to get too deep into a conversation without his name coming up. While Webb recently confirming that he's moved back to Virginia and will be coached by UVA's Jason Vigilante, he has yet to run a race this summer. There have been grumblings about some injuries ever since leaving Alberto Salazar and the Oregon Project, but hopefully we'll see him later in the summer, after Daegu, and at minimum, at the 5th Avenue Mile (where he ran 3:53.72 at the end of 2010).

With the London Olympics just a year away, any true US Distance fan is likely hopeful that Webb can get sharp and compete for a spot on the team, as like Tiger Woods in Golf, Track is better when Alan Webb is competing at a high level. His tenacity and passion make him exciting to watch every time he's in the field, and when he's on, he is extremely tough to beat. His 2007 1500 time would right with Silas Kiplagat as the world leader this year and his 800 that same year would be just .01 behind Nick Symmonds.

That in mind, I've compiled six classic Webb races below that show the talent he has and the promise that could still be there if he can get healthy and fit again. The races are in chronological order and, of course, start with his High School American Record of 3:53.43 at the 2001 Prefontaine Classic. Next up is his epic battle with Dathan Ritzenhein at the Cardinal Invitational 10k in 2006, where they traded the lead most of the race, before Webb won in a kick. Next up is the first of four races from his magical summer of 2007. The first is his win over Bernard Lagat at USA's, where he pulls another gear out with 50 to go. His joy after the race is exhilarating. Next is his first Golden League win in Paris. He outkicks Mehdi Baala in the last 100 and quiets the French crowd in the process. Next is his strange, but amazing American Mile Record of 3:46.91 in Brasschaat, Belgium. And finally is his outkicking of Gary Reed in Heusden to PR in the 800 with an electric 1:43.84 (in similar fashion to his win over Lagat at USA's).

Without further adieu, here are six classic Alan Webb races:

Where it all began: Webb's 3:53.43 at the 2001 Pre Classic (5/25/01)


Battle with Ritz to run 27:34 for 10k at the 2006 Cardinal Invite (4/30/06)


Pulling away from Lagat  to win the 2007 USATF 1500 (6/24/07)

3:30.54 1500 PR and first Golden League win in Paris (7/6/07)


American record of 3:46.91 in Brasschaat, Belgium (7/21/07)


1:43.84 800 PR at Heusden (7/28/07)


Also, check out  "Sub 4:00: Alan Webb and the Quest for the Fastest Mile" by "Running with the Buffaloes" author (and UNC MBA grad), Chris Lear on Amazon.com

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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

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The Run Down: 2011 USATF Track Championships recap

Victory! (courtesy TrackAndFieldPhoto)

What a weekend it was in Eugene. Lots of seasoned vets stepped up and reclaimed their spots on Team USA, while some new blood also joined the fray to don their first USA jerseys in Daegu (if standards are met). There was some pushing, some shoving, some complaining and some tears. It all made for great drama on Runnerspace, Universal Sports, ESPN2 and NBC (did I get them all?)

800
In the 800, Nick Symmonds (somewhat) surprised me in his reclamation of the crown as the United States' best half-miler. He looked great and didn't hang too far in the back before blasting the field in the final 200. KD just followed him down the homestretch for an excellent second and newcomer Charles Jock, my darkhorse pick, came through in 50-point and hung on for a nice 1:44.67 PR and bronze medal, earning him his first World's ticket. On the flipside of the coin, Robby Andrews bombed. He let the field get too far away and just couldn't get into it. He's got to be a little tired after the NCAA season and he'll have plenty more chances.

The women's race went pretty close to form, aside from my darkhorse pick, UNC Alum Alice Schmidt, completing a strong comeback over the past few years with a third place finish in 1:59.21. Alysia Montano looked great leading wire to wire and the newly sveldt looking (am I right?) Maggie Vessey executed a near-perfect race plan to finish second. The only surprise was Phoebe Wright not placing. When she knew it wasn't going to happen, she kind of stuttered and took a Christian Smith-esque dive. Like Andrews, she'll have plenty more chances to run for Team USA.

1500

Winner, winner (courtesy TrackAndFieldPhoto)

Wow, the men's 1500 had more drama than an episode of Jersey Shore! Tons of pushing and shoving throughout and then, my darkhorse, Will Leer, runs a 51-point final 400 only to finish fifth! This race was wild to watch as I thought at one point AJ Acosta was going to just tackle Lopez Lomong after repeated pushes to the back. It didn't even thin out that much when everyone was running 52 second pace on the final quarter. This will only foreshadow the drama that will ensue next summer with a trip to London on the line. Matt Centrowitz surprised all with his ability to pull away from a tired Bernard Lagat down the homestretch, with Mighty Mouse Leo Manzano powering home for third. Then it got weird. The naked eye would say Leer came through for fourth, but the photo finish showed it was favorite Andrew Wheating in fourth with the lean. This lean was huge, considering immediately after the race, Lagat gave up his spot on the 1500 team (to Wheating) to concentrate on the 5000. Now they'll just have to chase the standards.

The women's side was wild as well, with Christin Wurth-Thomas killing it from the gun, only to get passed in the last 100 by first time champ, Morgan Uceny, then Jenny Simpson, then getting nipped at the tape by former champ, Shannon Rowbury. It was sad seeing her fall to her knees when she realized she didn't make the squad, but she made the race, and people will remember that.

3000 Steeplechase
Dear Billy Nelson, I'm sorry I didn't pick you higher. I should have. I absolutely love watching you race. One average race, that I saw live, shouldn't have made me pick you out of the top three. Dan Huling looked to have it in the bag before the hard charging Nelson won his first national title. Big congrats to that and the new sponsorship with New Balance. Kyle Alcorn held off the hard charging Josh McAdams for the third spot and continues to look good in championship races.

Turns out Emma Coburn wasn't done yet with her season as she held off last year's NCAA champion, Bridget Franek, to win the national title (to compliment her NCAA title). The saddest story of the day was Virginia's Stephanie Garcia going from third with 150 to go to face first in the steeple pit. As a former invited walk-on, I love stories like Garcia's. For every hundred 27:46 8k runners like myself (as a freshman in college), there is someone like Garcia or Dan Lincoln who just turns into a monster and does amazing things. Being that Garcia is in college, I don't think we've seen the last of her! Expect things to get exciting next year though, as Anna Pierce and Jenny Simpson may entertain the steeple with an Olympic berth at stake (Pierce failed to qualify in the 1500 and easily would have qualified in the steeple).

5000
Chris Solinsky mentioned after the race that he told Matt Tegenkamp that "it would be nice if the pace was honest." Now whether they had planned Tegenkamp to try and take the sting out of the already raced Bernard Lagat and Galen Rupp's legs was further planned out, we'll never know, but the pace was indeed that. After a slow start, I tweeted that it was going to take a sub 4:00 final mile to win. That it did as they closed in 3:58, with Lagat pouring past Solinsky in the homestretch and 10k winner Galen Rupp finishing a strong third.

On the women's side, as predicted, Molly Huddle ran away with it. What was unpredicted (by me at least), was Amy Hastings strong second place finish. She looked great as did third place finisher, Angela Bizzarri. A minor note here, Nike was the sponsor of the women's 5000, and they were shut out on the podium, with Huddle representing Saucony and Hastings and Bizzarri repping Brooks.

10,000
The men's race was a glorified 1000 meter race with a 9k tempo warmup. I'm not going to lie, when Bobby Mack took the lead with 1200 to go, I was yelling at my laptop. I knew he'd likely be outkicked by Galen Rupp and Matt Tegenkamp, but if you put yourself in the mix, you've got a shot. In no surprise to anyone, Galen Rupped dominated the last 800 in a scorching 1:52 to take his third consecutive 10k title with Teg taking a strong second in his second 10k ever. The big surprise here was the resurgence of Scotty Bauhs, kicking hard past Tim Nelson and Bobby Curtis for the final spot on the podium

Shalane Flanagan left nothing for the kickers by taking it out hard and only getting faster, negative splitting a 30:59.7. She's on top of her game and a medal in Daegu is definitely going to be her goal. After that, Kara Goucher showed her continued improvement post-labor, with an excellent 31:16. Finally, the ageless Jen Rhines finished a strong third in front of Desi Davila for another world's trip. Her coach and husband, Terrence Mahon, had to be happy with her success and the rest of Mammoth TC's success this weekend.

An MVP Performance (courtesy TrackAndFieldPhoto)

MVP's of the meet
Men's side - Bernard Lagat and Galen Rupp
Both scored two worlds berths and looking great doing so. Lagat gets bonus points for making Andrew Wheating's (and Nike's) day by giving him his slot in the 1500.

Women's side - Shalane Flanagan
Her domination of the 10k put her head and shoulders above the rest of the American women and she'll be a force in Daegu

Newcomers of the meet
Men's side - Matt Centrowitz
An NCAA title and a national title within a few weeks is incredible. Pulling away from Bernard Lagat, amazing. Opting for two #1 signs instead of the throat slash, much classier! Good job Matt.

Women's side - Emma Coburn
She looked great in the steeple and showed how much Mark Wetmore knows in the event, having her and Billy Nelson win titles. Many years for Coburn to improve as well. Let's hope she stays with it!

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Prediction Time: 2011 USATF Men's and Women's 800 picks

Schmidt & Vessey (Courtesy TrackAndFieldPhoto)

With all the madness at the finish of both the men's and women's 1500's yesterday, you have to think there will be more of the same today in the 8's. With at least five guys on the men's side with a legitimate chance of making the team and five sub 2:00 women's competitors, expect elbows, pushing and shoving and possibly some terse words post-finish.

Men's 800

1. Robby Andrews

Is Robby Andrews the new Nick Symmonds? It sure seems so as his lay back early and kick hard late style has won him multiple championships, including the 2011 NCAA title in a PR of 1:44.71. He has proved he can kick off a hard open (Charles Jock went out in 49.8 at NCAA's), and should be able to power past the nation's finest this afternoon.

2. Khadevis Robinson

KD is back! After a win in Rome and a great showing at the Prefontaine Classic, KD looks primed and ready for a podium finish. He had been employing the new sit and kick from 300 out tactic of late, and it's been working. Hopefully he'll stick with this and earn another Team USA singlet.

3. Nick Symmonds

Picking Symmonds third on what is essentially his home track seems a little treasonous, but Symmonds hasn't looked quite the same lately. Would it surprise me if he won? Absolutely not. But would it surprise me if he finished sixth? Not really. We'll see which Symmonds shows up at 2:27 pacific!

Darkhorse: Charles Jock

The newest American 800 star is Charles Jock. After nearly winning the NCAA title after going out in 49.8 and PR-ing in 1:44.75, Jock will be ready for the pros today. Expect him to take it out hard and force the kickers to come and get him.

Women's 800

1. Alysia Montano (nee Johnson)

Montano is the class of the American 800 women's field. She should take it out hard and then kick when necessary to secure another national championship.

2. Phoebe Wright

Wright hasn't kicked into full gear yet this year, but she'll be ready today. She's always on her game in championship finals and should finish on the podium with a standard effort.

3. Maggie Vessey

Vessey is unpredictable, but usually performs well in Eugene and will likely want to join her boyfriend in Daegu (if all goes to plan on that end). Her kick is top notch and she has shown of late that she doesn't have to hang way back like she used to. 

Darkhorse: Alice Schmidt

Here we go again, another Tar Heel! Schmidt has had quite the resurgence this year and has looked effortless in her return to the top. Running unattached, but still in Nike gear, hopefully a strong finish will get Schmidt full sponsorship through the London Olympics.

Watch the action unfold from 5-6pm eastern on NBC. Live results are here.

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Prediction Time: 2011 USATF Men's and Women's 1500 picks

Christin Wurth-Thomas, always sticking her nose in it

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll see I noticed two things this morning. The first thing was that every athlete in the Men's 1500 is sponsored by Nike. Whether it be through their club (Oregon Track Club), their school (Oregon, Arkansas, Virginia Tech) or just through a standard Nike sponsorship, there will be a lot of Zoom Victories on the track at 2:51 pacific today. The second thing was that Arkansas' Dorian Ulrey was advanced to the final after someone "impeded his progress" in the semi's with about 200 to go. Take a look a the "game tape" and see what you think. It looked to me that he just didn't shift gears when everyone else did and got tripped up. Either way, he'll be trying to make his second consecutive world team.

All footnotes aside, this final is going to be a scorcher. Whether someone takes it from the gun or they run sub 1:50 for the second 800 off a slow pace, it's going to be a grinder with as many as seven competitors vying for a podium spot (and a ticket to Daegu). The women's race will be just as tough as there are at least six capable women of stepping up and placing top three. So without further adieu, here are the official writing about running 1500 picks:

Men's 1500
1. Andrew Wheating
This is a toss up between Wheating and Lagat, but I think Wheating is pumped up and will take it. He has raced less and will be kicking home in front of the Hayward faithful. Then again, I picked Solinsky to win the 5000, so choose with caution.

2. Bernard Lagat
The ageless wonder will work only as hard as he has to, then will turn on the jets somewhere between 200 and 100 to go. Someone will have to push him down for Kip not to make the team.

Who wants it more?

3. Leo Manzano
I know Leo's had an off year so far, but he's done too many things in the past and looked great in the semi's. I think he'll pull through. I also wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't feeling it early and went DFL!

Darkhorse: Will Leer
Leer has been waiting his turn since he surprised in the trials in 2008 with a fourth place finish, passing Alan Webb at the line. He's been training in Ann Arbor with Olympic Silver Medalist Nick Willis and looked great in the semis. He's going to have his hands full with David Torrence, Lopez Lomong and Matt Centrowitz all performing at a high level as well, but it seems like this is a great chance for Leer to get on a World team, as he looks to be in peak shape.

Women's 1500
1. Jenny Simpson
After taking the indoor titles in the mile and the 2-mile, Jenny "B" Simpson looks to add an outdoor title to her 2011 mantle. She'll have some strong competition up front, but I believe will prevail with her strength and kick.

2. Morgan Uceny
Uceny has gotten better and better every year and I believe now is her time. She could contend for the win or she could contend for third, but she'll be up there mixing it up no matter what.

3. Christin Wurth-Thomas
As I mentioned the other day on Twitter, "the American runner most resembling Steve Prefontaine over the past 5 years is without a doubt, Christin Wurth-Thomas." There is no question about this. While she not be head and shoulders better than her American counterparts, she will make it an honest race. It's an absolute joy watching her put it on the line and I believe she'll do that, get out-kicked for the win, but make the team. If not, she'll leave blood on the track trying.

Darkhorse: Brie Felnagle
If you haven't noticed yet, I like picking Darkhorses with ties to where I live (Raleigh or NC in general) and former Tar Heels. Felnagle is the latter and has really been coming on this year. She especially showed some fight in the prelims, running her second best 1500 ever in 4:09.95 and holding off Georgetown's Emily Infeld for the auto-qualifier. She'll have her hands full with Shannon Rowbury, Anna Pierce and Katie Follett vying for that last spot as well!

Should be a great afternoon of racing! NBC will have the live broadcast from 5-6pm. The final predictions we'll do will be the 800, and they'll be up tonight or tomorrow morning.

Want to see how I fared? Check out the Nationals Recap

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Prediction Time: 2011 USATF Men's and Women's Steeplechase picks

Photo courtesy TrackAndFieldPhoto

The Men's 3000 Steeplechase goes off tomorrow at 3:01 pacific and the usual suspects should be competing for the top three spots. Missing from the field will be fan favorite, Anthony Famiglietti, aka Fam, and Steve Slattery, who has run a few good races this year, but DNF'd the prelims.

The Women's Steeple goes off at 1:45 pacific on Sunday and is also lacking two of it's biggest stars, Anna Pierce and Jenny "B" Simpson. They'll both be in the 1500 final, which I'll post predictions for next. 

Men's 3000 Steeplechase

1. Dan Huling

Huling's been the class of the American field in the steeplechase for the past few years, boasting a nice 8:13.29 PR last summer in Europe. Huling should run away from the field in the last 600 without much trouble. 

2. Ben Bruce

A jack of all trades, Bruce has competed at an All American level from the roads to cross country to the steeple. He looked great in the prelims and should be right on Huling's heels, as he can handle the rounds.

3. Kyle Alcorn

I want to pick Billy Nelson here after his great performance, obtaining the A-standard at Stanford (and gained Nelson sponsorship with New Balance), but Alcorn has looked better lately. Expect he and Nelson to duke it out over the last few laps though, as they always seem to do!

Darkhorse: Josh McAdams

McAdams seems to peak at the right time and although not really a darkhorse, he's been overshadowed lately. Like Jen Rhines, he'll sneak on the podium if anyone falters. Not sure where Donn Cabral is, but he'll be the darkhorse at the trials next year.

Women's 3000 Steeplechase

1. Bridget Franek

Franek looked great the other night in the prelims and should be ready for her first US championship after winning NCAA's last year and struggling through the US championships (after the long college season). She looks to be peaking at the right time and will likely take it out and dare anyone to hang with her.

Photo courtesy TrackAndFieldPhoto

2. Lisa Aguilera

Aguilera has been at it for a while and looks to be fit and ready to don another Team USA singlet. She'll run with Franek (and possibly lead some) as long as possible and will finish on the podium.

3. Emma Coburn

The collegiate champion looked a little tired in the prelims, and with good reason. The college season is arduous and no one would blame Coburn for being a little zapped for energy. I still think she sneaks on the podium, as she just glides over the barriers and should be able to hang with the leaders long enough to separate from the pack.

Darkhorse: Sara Hall

Hall has found a new event this year in the steeple, already turning in an A-standard. The question will be, can she handle coming back from the prelim? She didn't have the energy to muster a kick in the prelims to get an auto qualifier, but may surprise in the final as I know she wants to get to Daegu!

Want to see how I fared? Check out the Nationals Recap

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Prediction Time: 2011 USATF Men's and Women's 10,000 picks

Photo courtesy TrackAndFieldPhoto.net

Tomorrow marks the start of the 2011 USATF Track and Field Championships and the first finals run will be the women's 10,000 at 7:15 pacific, followed by the men's. Below are the official writing about running picks for the event. Feel free to agree, disagree or make a case for someone else! Runnerspace will be broadcasting the event live.

Men's 10,000
1. Galen Rupp
Although it was a pretty big disappointment not getting to see Rupp run in front of his alma mater at Distance Night in Eugene (during the Prefontaine Classic), by all accounts, Rupp is ready to roll and I believe roll he will. With Chris Solinsky battling back from hamstring injury, I think Rupp will pounce.

2. Chris Solinsky
Solinsky's American Record in the 10,000 last year at Stanford was even more exciting than Dathan Ritzenhein's American Record in the 5,000 the year before. It was one of the best executed races I have ever seen and set him up for an excellent season where he broke 13 in the 5,000 three times and competed with the best in the world doing it. That in mind, he didn't look quite right at Distance Night in Eugene, pulling up after 3000 meters or so with a troublesome hamstring. I've got Solinsky at second here... if he runs. Still not sure if he's playing a game of chicken with Rupp, but at this point, Rupp's coach, Alberto Salazar has stated that Rupp will run the 10,000 and may pull out of the 5,000 if he qualifies here. Keep an eye on the status of entries here. (Solinsky didn't run)

3. Matt Tegenkamp
Teg's only run the 10k once, but turned in an excellent time of 27:28. Although his teammate Tim Nelson has more experience in the 10k and Bobby Curtis has run faster this year in 27:24, I believe Teg will run a smart race and push the last 800 for a spot on the Daegu team. Still, Teg could end up scratching and saving up for the 5000. If that happens, I'll give the nod to Curtis for the third spot.

Darkhorse: Bobby Mack
How can I not pick Raleigh's Bobby Mack here? Mack has been running excellent of late, running a huge PR at Payton Jordan of 28:11, then going on to run 4 flat in the mile and then taking home the road 8k championship over the always consistent Aaron Braun.

Women's 10,000
1. Shalane Flanagan
Shalane's the runaway favorite here after her incredible year so far. A 5 second miss at the American Record at Distance Night in Eugene should propel her to a big win. Expect her to run with the pack and go when she needs to as she'll probably double back in the 5000.

Photo courtesy TrackAndFieldPhoto.net

2. Kara Goucher
Goucher is looking better and better lately after giving birth to her first child earlier this year. This will be a big test, as she has yet to run the event on the track this year in which she took the bronze at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka. Don't expect a blazing time, but expect her to finish second.

3. Desi Davila
Although Jen Rhines has run 20+ seconds faster here than Davila, it's hard not to pick her after seeing her fight back and fight back and fight back to finish a strong second at the 2011 Boston Marathon.

Darkhorse: Jen Rhines
While not really a darkhorse, the always consistent Jen Rhines will podium if any of the above three slip up; you can count on that! With Amy Yoder-Begley coming back from injury, there aren't really any others that will challenge, with Lisa Koll out due to injury as well. Don't be surprised if Rhines makes her umpteenth USA team!

Stay tuned for more picks as we'll do the 5000 next!

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Prediction Time: 2011 USATF Track Championships (coming soon)

I'll be posting predictions for the 800, 1500, Steeple, 5000 and 10,000 in the next day or so for USA's, just waiting to see who's going to declare for what. I'm looking at you, Galen, Solinsky, Tegenkamp, Wheating... If you have any inside information, please let me know!

In the meantime, feel free to check out the schedule here and the the status of entries here.

Should be a great weekend of racing to get our Daegu team together!

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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.

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