USATF 10k Trail Championships - Steamboat, Colorado

It took incredible climbing skills to win this year’s USA Trail Championships and no one exhibited more prowess on the hills than Jonathan Severy, 26, Aspen, CO, who raced to victory over the grueling 13.2 km course in just under one hour (59:51) besting second-place finisher Clint Wells, 33, Superior, CO, by nearly one minute. “Clint took the race out and led up the first climb (a 500+ foot ascent with more than 20% vertical gain which the open men had to run three times). He’s one of the smartest runners I know and I knew he’d be the one to watch. I passed him after the first descent (about ½ mile into the race), and kept the lead,” said Severy. Severy spends much of the year in Winooski, VT, where he just finished his first year in medical school at the University of Vermont. “At medical school I don’t have much time so I go out and run one hour as hard as I can. There are hills around my apartment, but nothing like the mountains in Colorado. I really liked the hill (on this course). I just figured I would go one pace no matter what and today that pace was faster than everyone else,” said Severy who seemed as excited about his upcoming wedding to Natalie Florence (whom he met while an undergraduate at CU Boulder) in two weeks as he was about his win. “I’m getting hitched and going to Spain!" Wells, who finished second in last weekend’s USA Mountain Running Championships – the all-uphill Mount Washington Road Race – said the course today was easier than Mount Washington, but, “I just didn’t have the power up the hill.”

Rounding out the top five were Matthew Russell, 25, Boulder, CO, timed in 1:02:24, Jason Delaney, 28, Golden, CO, in 1:02:53, and Jared Scott, 25, Flagstaff, AZ, in 1:03:35. Andy Ames, 45, Boulder, CO finished in seventh place to win the masters division in 1:04:36. “I felt OK and just tried to keep it going. I tried to get any lead I could going up and I felt if I could hold off Bernie (Boettcher) the first lap (there were three laps of 4.4 km each) I could do it again. He’s a great downhill runner so it wasn’t a given,” said Ames who held off Boettcher, 45, Silt, CO, for the master’s crown. “I definitely struggled on the ups,” said Boettcher, who is known to carry a small digital camera when he races, “and I really cruised the downs. I loved the course – it was a real trail challenge. It was probably the hardest trail race I’ve ever done. The World Masters (Keswick, England 2005) might have been a bit tougher – the descents were steeper.” Ames added, “Right now I can’t think of a harder one.”

Another master’s runner led the women’s race from start to finish. 40-year-old Laura Haefeli, Del Norte, CO, showed no signs of fatigue from her record-setting master’s performance at Mount Washington last weekend. Haefeli finished in 45:16 over the two-loop 8.8 km women’s course. Of the course Haefeli responded, “Crazy! It was Great. The hill was pretty severe. Even in Europe I’ve never run anything that steep for that long. I was thinking on my run, ‘I need to be the Bernie Boettcher of the downhill.’ Then if I could just be ½ of that, it would be great. I was ahead on the uphill – he (Boettcher) came blowing by me on the first downhill.” “I’m pleased with my time and finish,” said Haefeli, who hopes to include the World Mountain Running Trophy in her plans this September. “I’m planning to race the Berry Picker (a Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team selection race) next month in the hopes of making the team.” Haefeli is the only woman to win an individual medal at the World Trophy. Last year in Ovronnaz, Switzerland she finished in bronze medal position to lead the U.S. women to their second consecutive gold medal team finish.

In second place, Megan Kimmel, 28, Silverton, CO, posted a time of 45:54. “I haven’t done a race like this since high school,” said Kimmel, “I thought it was great. The uphills were definitely brutal. Living at elevation (9300 feet) is definitely an advantage. I look forward to racing more of these shorter and faster courses.” Kimmel also plans to race the Berry Picker as do third and fourth place finishers Brandy Erholtz, 30, Bailey, CO, and Rachael Cuellar, 26, Albuquerque, NM who ran times of 46:41 and 46:55 respectively. Erholtz already earned her spot on the 2008 team with her win at Mount Washington (which was a team selection race) and plans to use the Berry Picker as a tune-up for Switzerland which is again hosting the World Trophy, and Cuellar was on the 2006 and 2007 gold medal teams. About the course, Cuellar said, “It was pretty intense. It makes me realize I have to do a lot more uphill running before the selection race.”

In fifth place, newcomer to the trail scene Gina Lucrezi, 25, Colorado Springs, CO, was pleased with her finish in 48:28. Lucrezi recently finished her Masters Degree in Sport Management at East Stoudsburg University and moved from her home state of Pennsylvania to Colorado in January. First for the junior men was Paul Petersen, 16, Broomfiled, CO, who poasted a 44:34 finish time over the same two-loop course as the women. Kerry Sheader, 18, Grand Junction, CO, was second in 50:54, and Taylor Fletcher, 18, Steamboat Springs, rounded out the top three.

This was the second year in a row, the renowned ski town of Steamboat Springs, CO hosted the USA Trail Championships presented this year by SmartWool and Vasque. The course moved from the ski resort to Howelsen Hill and boasted an 11 percent average grade starting at 6,705 feet elevation and topping out at 7,230 feet. The route included single track, wide dirt paths, switchbacks and plenty of ascending and descending. It was the fifth installment of this trail championship event with Vail, CO, hosting in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Through the support of race sponsors, $5000 was awarded to the top finishers. The prize money breakdown was: $900 for first, $700 for second, $400 for third, $200 for fourth, $150 for fifth, $100 for sixth, and $50 for seventh. In to prize money, the top finisher in each age group received a pair of Vasque trail running shoes. In addition, each competitor received a Merino wool performance shirt from SmartWool.

********** USATF MALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
1- Jonathan Severy, 26, Aspen, 59:51
2- Clint Wells, 33, Superior, 1:00:48
3 – Matthew Russell, 25, Boulder, 1:02:24
4- Jason Delaney, 28, Golden, 1:02:53
5- Jared Scott, 25, Flagstaff, AZ, 1:03:12
6 – Drew Casselberry, Incline Village, NV, 1:03:35
7 – Andy Ames, 45, Boulder, 1:04:36
8- Bernie Boettcher, 45, Silt, 1:05:13
9- Rickey Gates, 27, Boulder, CO, 1:05:37
10 – Ryan Padilla, 30, Boulder, 1:05:39

********** USATF FEMALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
1- Laura Haefeli, 40, 45:16
2 – Megan Kimmel, 28, Silverton, 45:54
3 – Brandy Erholtz, 30, Bailey, 46:41
4- Rachel Cuellar, 26, Albuquerque, 46:55
5 – Gina Lucrezi, 25, Colorado Springs, 48:28
6 – Shannon Platero-Roach, Gallup, NM, 48:33
7- Jeanne Hennessy, 30, Eagle, CO, 48:36
8 – Stacey Chamberlain, 37, Boulder, 48:59
9 – Mary Houchin, 30, Henderson, NV, 49:10
10 – Michele Suszek, 26, Westminster 49:57

Complete results are at:
http://www.runningseries.com/index.php

Read the Running Times story at:
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=13684

Mt. Washington Road Race - Results

The 48th Mt. Washington Road Race (MWRR) and 2008 US Mountain Running Championship took place this morning in Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire under clear, sunny skies and ideal cool temperatures. The challenging 7.6 mile course up the auto road climbed 4200' to the summit where low winds and 45 degree tempertures were excellent - by Mt. Washington standards. Mt. Washington is home to the highest recorded straight line wind speeds in the United States - 231 mph.

This year marked the 3rd time that the MWRR has been the US Mountain Running Championship (2004, 2006) and this was by far the most competitive field ever assembled. In past years, men with time under 70 minutes would be rewarded with a top 10 or top 15 finish. This year a record 32 men finished under 70 minutes! Also this year a record 6 women finished in under 80 minutes including first time MWRR runner Brandy Erholtz who won the women's race in a time of 1:11:08.

The men's race featured a close battle nearly all the way to the top between 2006 MWRR winner Eric Blake, 2007 US Mountain Team member Clint Wells and 2007 US Mountain AND Trail Champion Rickey Gates. Once again it was Eric Blake who won the race in a time of 1:00:39.

Today was a great day for Northwest runners Joseph Gray (Lakewood, WA) and Mike Sayenko (Bellevue, WA) who both ran the race for the first time and finished 4th (1:01:31) and 8th (1:05:04) respectively. Joseph's time, while only good enough for 4th place, would have won the race in many past years. The top Oregon finisher was 1999 and 2002 US Mountain Running Team member Richard Bolt who finished 42nd in 1:12:10. As another indication of how good the 2008 field was and how much mountain running has matured, Richard's 2003 time of 1:06:58 (4th place) would have only earned him 21st place in the 2008 race!

The 2008 MWRR was also a selection race for the Teva US Mountain Running Team. The top 4 men (Eric Blake, Clint Wells, Rickey Gates & Joseph Gray) and the top woman (Brandy Erholtz) earned automatic selection to the team that will compete in the World Mountain Running Trophy races in Switzerland this coming September.

Top 5 Men:

1. Eric Blake (New Britain, CT) - 1:00:39

2. Clint Wells (Superior, CO) - 1:00:50

3. Rickey Gates (Boulder, CO) - 1:01:12

4. Joseph Gray (Lakewood, WA) - 1:01:31

5. Simon Gutierrez (Alamosa, CO) - 1:01:34

Top 5 Women:

1. Brandy Erholtz (Baily, CO) - 1:11:08

2. Kasie Enman (Huntington, VT) - 1:13:26

3. Laura Haefeli (Del Norte, CO) - 1:13:34

4. Carly Graytock (Cambridge, MA) - 1:15:41

5. Alison Bryant (Elkin, NC) - 1:15:54

Complete results can be found at:

http://mountwashingtonroadrace.com/results.shtml

Photos can be seen at:

Mt. Washington Photos

Mt. Hood Scramble

The 2008 edition of the Mt. Hood Scramble was everything it promised and more. More miles, more river crossings, more snow, more blood and more filth. Due to large amounts of snow on the upper sections of the original course, the 2008 course started by going downstream along the White River before turning back up to and past the parking lot and start/finish area. With a winning time of over 1 hour (no official results or race times were available at the time of this posting), most runners thought the course was long (or just really slow - or both). Despite the challenging course, the weather was perfect - cool, clear, calm with perfect views of Mt. Hood.

Here are the results as transcribed from Kevin Foreman's award ceremony (apologies in advance for any spelling massacres):
Top 3 Men Overall:
1st - Alex McGlandrey
2nd - Joe Remitz
3rd - Torrey Lindbo (pictured below)

Top 3 Women Overall:
1st - Mandy Giblen
2nd - Angela Lindbo
3rd - Heather Elizabeth Davis

Top Masters:
Men - Dean Giblen (pictured above)
Women - Dee Holzman

Age Group Awards:

Female 15 - 19 - Rebecca Lyon

Male 15 - 19 - Mike Dee

Female 20 - 24 - Emily Ferguson

Male 20 - 24 - Dan Straight

Female 25 - 29 - Audra Henderson

Male 25 - 29 - Brett Mclain

Female 30 - 34 - Barbara ???

Male 30 - 34 - Pat Fair

Female 35 - 39 - Cassie Vanderhassen

Male 35 - 39 - Pat Cassidy

Female 40 - 44 - ????

Male 40 - 44 - Mike Tyler

Female 45 - 49 - Jen W.

Male 45 - 49 - Rick Eglar

Female 50 - 54 - ???

Male 50 - 54 - Gaiter Hoffman

Female 55 - 59 - ???

Male 55 - 59 - Mark Moshan

Male 60+ Robert Andrews

Race Photos are available at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardABolt/MtHoodScramble

When available, complete & official results can be found at http://xdogevents.com/scheduleandresults.html

Mt. Washington Road Race - USA Mountain Championship Preview

The nation’s top mountain runners will gather in Gorham, NH on Saturday, June 21 to race the 48^th annual Mount Washington Road Race in the hopes of making the Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. The top four U.S. male finishers and the top U.S. female finisher will be named to the team (must be current USATF members). The 10-member US Team open squad of six men (four to score) and four women (three to score) and the seven-member junior squad of four junior men (three to score) and three junior women (two to score) is slated to compete in the 24^th World Mountain Running Trophy race on September 14 in Sierre, Crans- Montana, Switzerland.

In addition to hosting the first team selection race, Mount Washington is site of the 2008 USA Mountain Running Championships – the third time in five years. Top Northwest runners scheduled to compete in the championship are Richard Bolt, 37 (Portland, OR) who was a member of the 1999 and 2002 US Mountain Running Teams. Joseph Gray, 24 (Lakewood, WA) a collegiate steeplechaser (University of OK) has focused his pre-season training on running uphill. Michael Sayenko, 23 (Bellevue, WA) boasts PRs of 14:08 for 5 km, 29:07 for 10 km and 4:07 for the mile certainly has the leg speed to pose a threat to the field. Sayenko was this year’s youngest finisher at the Olympic Marathon Trials where he finished 29^th.

More information about the Mt. Washington Road Race can be found at: http://mountwashingtonroadrace.com/

Granite Man Mountain Race

The inaugural La Sportiva / USATF Oregon Mountain Running Series kicked off with the Granite Man Mountain Run. This 10 mile challenge climbed to the summit of Colling's Mountain and back down to the shore of Applegate Lake just a few miles from the California border. Now in it's second year, the Granite Man race attracted twice as many runners to the 2008 edition of the race, including ultra running superstar Scott Jurek (pictured left) - a former winner of the Western States 100 Mile Race.

The race started at lake level and immediately climbed over 1500' in the first 1.5 miles. Eventual winner Erik Skaggs elected to be first on the trail in the interval start format, followed by eventual women's winner Jenn Shelton, Scott Jurek and Richard Bolt. Erik was never challenged for the lead - only seen briefly when he doubled-back near mile 1, thinking he'd taken a wrong turn (he hadn't). Erik set a new course record by 9 minutes, finishing in 1:14:04. Portland runner Richard Bolt (1:16:50) quickly passed Jenn and Scott settling into 2nd place for the duration of the race. Local runners John Leuthold (1:19:02), Ian Torrance (1:20:06) and Todd Ragsdale (1:21:53) were also among the early starters and jockeyed for position before finishing 3rd, 4th and 5th respectively. Scott Jurek came down from Seattle, WA and enjoyed the sunny weather finishing 6th in 1:22:47.

On the Women's side, Jenn Shelton blazed around the course in a winning time of 1:28:47. Jenn finished 10 minutes ahead of second place woman Laura Raber (1:39:40) and 2007 race winner Sarah Hyman (1:40:00). Complete results can be found at: http://roguemultisport.com/

Race director Chuck Neely will be presenting his next challenging trail running race on July 12 with the Clackamas River Run-off in Estacada, Oregon. The next stop for the La Sportiva / USATF Oregon Mountain Running Series will be back in southern Oregon on August 2nd for the 31st running of the Mt. Ashland Hillclimb Run.

Top Female Finishers
Place Name City Bib No Age Age Group Place Time
1 Jenn Shelton Ashland OR 63 24 ***** F 20-24 1:28:47
2 Laura Raber Eagle Point OR 5 30 ***** F 30-34 1:39:40
3 Sarah Hyman Jacksonville OR 1 39 ***** F 35-39 1:40:00
4 Brandy Watton Fort Jones CA 50 34 1 F 30-34 1:46:26
5 Kirsten Baggett Tallahassee FL 3 41 1 F 40-44 1:52:03
6 Vanessa Connolly Grants Pass OR 48 33 2 F 30-34 1:57:04
7 Heather Armstrong Ashland OR 7 34 3 F 30-34 1:57:30
8 Erika Hanselman Green Corvallis OR 41 36 1 F 35-39 2:01:26
9 Aysha Staha Medford OR 82 30 4 F 30-34 2:02:07
10 Kim Handloser Medford OR 78 44 2 F 40-44 2:05:02

Top Male Finishers
Place Name City Bib No Age Age Group Place Time
1 Erik Skaggs Ashland OR 62 25 ***** M 25-29 1:14:04
2 Richard Bolt Portland OR 88 37 ***** M 35-39 1:16:50
3 John Leuthold Phoenix OR 80 40 ***** M 40-44 1:19:02
4 Ian Torrence Ashland OR 9 35 1 M 35-39 1:20:06
5 Todd Ragsdale Talent OR 72 39 2 M 35-39 1:21:53
6 Scott Jurek Seattle WA 11 34 1 M 30-34 1:22:47
7 Adam Seibert Medford OR 85 38 3 M 35-39 1:25:30
8 Eric Poole Ashland OR 79 39 4 M 35-39 1:25:36
9 Aaron Reed Ashland OR 46 25 1 M 25-29 1:26:15
10 Aaron Brian Ashland OR 61 36 5 M 35-39 1:32:17

Race photos are available at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardABolt/GraniteManMountainRace

*****UPDATE*******
Granite Man race winner Erik Skaggs also won the 2007 Quad Dipsea where he missed the course record by 38 seconds. Story at:
http://www.marinij.com/dipsea/ci_7550271
******************

Teva Mountain Games 10k Trail Race

Vail, CO --- Coloradoans Rickey Gates, 27, Aspen, and Laura Haefeli, 40, Del Norte, were victorious at today’s 10km Trail Race, one of the final events of the seventh annual Teva Mountain Games. Gates and Haefeli were members of the 2007 Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team and both hope for a top finish at the USA Mountain Running Championships to be held on June 21 in Gorham, NH at the Mount Washington Road Race which would earn them berths on the 2008 mountain team.

With $5,000 in prize money at stake, the event attracted top mountain runners to the start line including, on the men’s side, top U.S. finisher at last year’s World Mountain Running Trophy event, Payton Batliner (pictured left), 24, (Boulder, CO) – who like Haefeli and Gates is preparing to race at Mount Washington – and multi-time mountain team member Simon Gutierrez, Alamosa, now a masters athlete, who is still giving the younger competitors a run for the money. Add to the mix a race day entrant – Kenyan Meshack Kirwa, 33, and Joseph Gray, 24, Oklahoma City, OK, a former collegiate steeplechaser who is hoping to earn a spot on his first Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team this year.

For the women, Haefeli, individual bronze medalist and team gold medalist from the 2007 World Mountain Running Trophy, was the pre-race favorite. At last year’s event Haefeli placed second. Third place finisher from last year and U.S. team member at last year’s NACAC Mountain Racing Team Brandy Erholtz, 33, Bailey, CO, was also slated to race. Erholtz, like Gray, hopes to make her first Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team this year.

Complete results at www.tevamountaingames.com