Friday, April 1, 2011

XTERRA Lake Las Vegas Trail Runs Preview

There’s still a week left to join the fun and register to run in the XTERRA Lake Las Vegas Trail Runs.

The race is scheduled for April 9 at Lake Las Vegas, Henderson, Nev., and online registration is available at http://www.xterraplanet.com/xduro/lakelasvegas.html. There are three courses to choose from (21 kilometers, 10 kilometers or 5 kilometers), and runners of all ages and skill levels are eligible to participate.

Runners from 16 states and four countries have already registered, including several elite contenders in the 21K championship course.

In the men’s division, Colorado runners Andy Ames and Marty Wacker, Pennsylvania’s Richard Burgunder and Japan’s Fujio Miyachi are some of the runners to watch.

Burgunder has fared well in XTERRA Trail Runs on the East Coast, and will be entering the Las Vegas race for the first time. “I haven't heard too much about the course’s terrain, but am anxiously looking forward to a new adventure,” he said. “I expect that the weather will definitely play a role in the race for North Eastern athletes. We've had a very harsh winter, and it's currently snowing and in the low 30's here in Pittsburgh right now. It's going to be quite a change going from cold, wet weather, to a dry and hot climate.”

In the women’s division, Rachel Cieslewicz of Utah is returning to Las Vegas to defend the title she won last year. Cheryl Castle of Colorado is expected to be one of the other female contenders, and several others will likely enter in the days leading up to the race.

The fastest male and female runners in the 21K course will each receive a round-trip to Hawaii, courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines (2010 winners Rachel Cieslewicz and Jordan Bryden pictured above show their flight certificates). The trip will come in the form of frequent flier miles, and the winners will be encouraged to use it to compete in the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship at Kualoa Ranch, Hawaii, in December.

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