Registration open for Caumsett Park 50k

The Caumsett Park 50k will once again serve are the 2010 USA 50 km Road Championships. The women's course record is held by Bend, Oregon's Kami Semick (3:29:20). The men's course record of 2:55:05 was set last year by Michael Wardian. The race will be SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 2010 at 8:30 AM in Llyod Neck, Long Island, New York. For more information about the race and to register online go to: http://www.glirc.org/index.php

2009 Trail Runner Trophy Series Winners Announced

A press release from our friends at Trail Runner magazine:

The Sixth Annual Trail Runner Trophy Series, presented by GORE-TEX, awarded points to 27,140 runners for participating in 113* trail races throughout the U.S. and Canada. You can read about the male and female winners of each category in the February/March issue Trail Runner magazine.

Winners in the Non-Marathon Division (races less than 26 miles) are 51-year-old Brenda Gutmann, 51, Borden, Indiana, and 42-year-old Phil Oreste, of Mill Valley, California. Winners of the Marathon-and-Longer Division (races 26 miles and longer) are 45-year-old Sue Lucas of Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada, and 44-year-old Glen Redpath of New York, New York.

Many participants traveled great distances by car and air in an attempt to snag this year’s new prize, the Trail Fiend Award, which goes to the man and woman who run the most Trophy Series races. The female winner was Brenda Gutmann, who ran 17 races, and 38-year-old Brian McKinney of Woodland, California, who ran an amazing 24 races. Both receive complimentary spots at the all-inclusive Get Your Running Legs On Trail Running Week at Nipika Mountain Lodge in British Columbia, Canada in May 2010. (Registration for the camp is available at www.nipika.com).

Winners of the random prize drawing are 32-year-old Kim Maxwell, 32, of Rainelle West Virginia, and Nathan Echols, 42 of Long Valley, New Jersey. These winners plus the top-three placers in the Marathon-and-Longer Division and age-group winners in the Non-Marathon Division (listed below) will each receive a prize package containing gifts from Trophy Series sponsors Injinji, Julbo, Pro-Tec Athletics, Nuun, Zombie Runner, Kahtoola, Amphipod, Moeben, GoMotion, Wicked Fast Nutrition and Trigger Point Therapy.

All participants can find their ranking, points total and other Trophy Series information on Trail Runne’s website, www.trailrunnermag.com.

Non-Marathon Division

10-19 Age Group
Andy O’Grady, 19, Littleton, Colorado, 100 points
Codie Barron, 19, Chelsea, Michigan, 85.1 points

20-29 Age Group
Dennis Flanagan, Breckenridge, Colorado, 182.5 points
Caitlin Smith, Oakland, California, 114.8 points

30-39 Age Group
CJ Hitz, 36, Findlay, Ohio, 501 points
Joan Matthews, 31, Owen Sound, Ontario, 262.9 points

40-49 Age Group
Phil Oreste, 42, Mill Valley, California, 574.6 points
Carla Stoner, 47, West Des Moines, Iowa, 417 points

50 and Over Age Group
George Aitkin, 57, Cambridge, Ontario, 155 points
Brenda Gutmann, 51, Borden, Indiana, 547.2 points

Marathon and Longer Division

Top-Three Male
Glen Redpath, 44, New York, New York, 1209.6 points
Patrick McGlade, 20, Richmond, Virginia, 1054 points
Zach Gingerich, 29, Aurora, Illinois, 800 points

Top-Three Female
Sue Lucas, 45, Dauphin, Manitoba, 1321.6 points
Iris Cooper, 50, Toronto, Ontario, 948 points
Jenny Chow, 45, Long Valley, New Jersey, 900 points

(*123 races originally signed up for the Trophy Series, but we were only able to collect results from 113, so only these were counted in the final results. For a list of which races submitted results, click here). Trail Runner magazine is an official publication partner of USA Track & Field

Things to do in Georgia when you need to get dirty

It's true, there is such a thing as trail running in Georgia. Here is a note from Tim at Dirty Spokes Productions:

Wanted to touch base to see if The Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team would be interested in any of our 2010 events... we put on the following events and would love to have your crew join us (if you are out this way):

XTERRA Georgia Trail Running Race Series (6 Races), XTERRA Alabama Trail Running Race Series (3 Races), XTERRA North Carolina Trail Running Race Series (TBA), Dirty Spokes Trail Running Race Series (6 Races), Dirty Spokes Off Road Duathlon Series (4 Races), Georgia State Trail Running Championships (1 Race), Dirty Spokes 40K Trail Running Ekiden (Team Relay), Dirty Spokes 12-6 Hour Mountain Bike Race... Let me know if we can do anything for you and your crew!

Please check us out on the web: www.dirtyspokes.com
Thanks,
Tim Schroer

The next time your travels take you to Georgia I hope you will check out his races.

Bend wins bids to host 2 USATF Trail Champs

The following is a press release from Visit Bend (The Visitors Bureau of Bend, Oregon). I plan to run in both races and am slated to be the USATF Championship Liaison for the 50k race.

BEND WINS BID TO HOST USA TRACK & FIELD’S 2010 50K TRAIL RUNNING AND HALF MARATHON TRAIL RUNNING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Combined, these two events are expected to draw more than 500 racers to Bend from out of the area

(BEND, Ore.)—On the heels of the successful completion of the 2009 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships, Bend has been awarded two additional national championship events for 2010 by USA Track & Field, the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. Both the Half Marathon and 50k Trail Running National Championships will be contested in Bend in 2010, joining a list of premiere national championship events that includes the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships, USA Cycling Elite, Junior & U23 Road National Championships, and the XTERRA Trail Running National Championships.

The Half Marathon Trail National Championship will take place in Summer 2010. Event organizers will work with the USFS to identify a location that can accommodate the championships. The 50k Trail Running National Championship is currently scheduled for September 2010. Dave Thomason from Superfit Productions and FootZone will serve as race director for both events.

“Bend is quickly gaining a much deserved reputation as a venue for major national championship competitions, due in large part to the support of local businesses and the enthusiasm of the entire community,” said Doug LaPlaca, president and CEO of Visit Bend, which managed the bid process. “Both of the USATF national championships fall outside of our high tourism season, and therefore will provide local businesses with a solid economic boost at a typically slower time of year.”

Bend has been recognized by the editors of Outside magazine as America’s Top Trail Running Town, an honor that helped attract the attention of XTERRA and USATF officials. Bend is also home to a number of elite endurance trail runners, including World 100k Champion Kami Semick (pictured above), Trail Marathon National Champion Max King, Jeff Browning and Sean Meissner.

About Visit Bend:
Visit Bend is a non-membership, non-profit economic development organization dedicated to promoting tourism on behalf of the City of Bend. For more information or to order a complimentary Official Visitor Guide to Bend, contact Visit Bend at 800-949-6086 or visit www.visitbend.com.

About USA Track & Field:
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. USATF is a volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization with a staff of professional program administrators at the National Office in Indianapolis. www.usatf.org.

Contact:
Doug LaPlaca, Visit Bend, 541-382-8048, doug@visitbend.com
Justin Yax, DVA Advertising/PR, 541-389-2411, justin@dvaadv.com

2010 Mountain Running Wall Calendar

Our mountain running friends in Slovenia have published a 2010 mountain running wall calendar designed by World Champion Jonathan Wyatt (NZL). Slovenia is home to the famous Smarna Gora mountain race which will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2010. Also, the 2010 World Mountain Running Championships will take place on September 5 in Kamnik, Slovenia.

Mountain Running Survey

Here is an interesting survey for mountain (trail) runners. Note that Teva, the title sponsor for the US Mountain Running Team from 2002 to 2009 will not be sponsoring the team in 2010 and is pulling out of the running shoe market. In light of that recent news, this survey is outdated but interesting to anyone looking for sponsors or looking to be a sponsor of mountain / trial running.

I am an assistant professor in the Department of Recreation and Sport Management. I request your participation in a study that deals with your participation in trail running. There are no direct benefits or compensation to you for participating in the study. Your cooperation is extremely important and is greatly appreciated. The questionnaire asks you about your perceptions toward trail running and the sponsors of the 2009 (and prior) US Mountain Running Teams. The results of this study are expected to yield insight to effectively evaluating sponsorship of non-elite sporting events.

Please complete this questionnaire, which should take about 10-15 minutes. There are no known physical or psychological risks associated with completing this survey; however some questions may be considered sensitive. As such, your assistance is entirely voluntary and you may withdraw from completing the survey at any time. You may be assured of complete confidentiality. Individual responses will not be reported. The published results will not refer to any individual and all discussions will be based on group data.

For questions about your rights as a research participant contact the IRB at 850-644-8673. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact the individual at the addresses below. Thank you for your assistance with this research.

The link is: http://www.survey.coe.fsu.edu/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=7l3M5p2

Yu Kyoum Kim, Ph. D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Sport and Recreation Management

The Florida State University

Tully Gym 1034

Tallahassee, FL 32306

(850) 644 – 7174

FAX: 850-644-0975

Oregon's Max King wins the XTERRA Trail Running World Champs (again)

Max King (Bend, OR) jetted from the USA Track & Field Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, IN directly to sunny Hawaii to defend is XTERRA World Trail Running Championship. Jet-lag didn't seem to be an issue as Max took home the title at the $2000 cash prize for first place. Max held off USATF Mountain Runner of the Year Joe Gray (Lakewood, WA) and last years runner-up Ben Bruce (Eugene, OR) to win the race by almost 3 minutes. Other top notables in the men's field were top Mt. Washington finisher John Tribbia (Boulder, CO) and former US Mountain Running Team member (and top master) Andy Ames (Boulder, CO). On the ladies side, Fiona Docherty (Boulder, CO) took top honors and finished 8th overall followed by Cynthia Anderson (Kailua, HI) and Heather Fuhr (Encinitas, CA). You can find complete race results here.

Max King pictured above after winning the USA Trail Marathon Championships in Ashland, OR on November 7, 2009.

Uli Steidl Wins North Face Endurance Challenge

German native and former World Junior Mountain Running Champion Uli Steidl (Shoreline, WA) held off a stable of elite trail runners including USATF Ultra Runner of the Year Michael Wardian (Arlington, VA) to win the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile race. The top woman finishing 13th overall was Caitlin Smith (Oakland, CA).

Tim Monaco (Bend, OR) and Jaime Vanacore (Petaluma, CA) won the 50k race. Sam Volkman (San Francisco, CA) and Allie Bigelow (Martinez, CA) won the half marathon race. Jared Fischer (Gilbert, CA) and Jenny Wong (Oakland, CA) won the 10k race.

You can find complete results here.

Staff Named for 2010 U.S. Mountain Running Team

The 2010 U.S. Mountain Running Team will travel to Kamnik, Slovenia, to compete in the 26th World Mountain Running Championships on September 5. A seasoned staff that collectively has more than 30 years experience in team management will accompany the team at next year’s events.

“We are pleased to announce our team staff that will be on hand to help our team members reach their goals and perform to the best of their abilities in Slovenia this September. For the first time our national team will receive financial support from our national governing body. We will work with Jim Estes and the National Office staff to develop additional funding sources with the goal of fully funding our U.S. National Team in 2010,”
said USATF’s Mountain Ultra Trail Running Council Chairperson Nancy Hobbs.

Richard Bolt, Portland, OR, has been named Team Leader for the eighth consecutive year. Prior to 2003 Bolt was an athlete member of the team in 1999 and 2002. He was the third U.S. finisher at the 1999 World Trophy and at the 1999 Challenge Stellina Race in Susa, Italy. Bolt has been a top finisher in the USATF New England mountain running circuit from 1996 through 2005 as well a regular top ten finisher at the prestigious Mt. Washington Hill Climb. Bolt also competed in the 1992, 1994, and 1998 U.S. Olympic Trials and was an All-American Nordic skier. Bolt is a former member of USATF’s New England Board of Governors, and now represents Mountain Ultra Trail on the USATF Oregon long distance running committee and just received the 2008 USATF Scott Hamilton Award from the Men’s Long Distance Running Committee for his volunteer service. Bolt serves as the men’s mountain rep to the USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Council. “I'm very excited about joining the team staff again in 2010. With USATF at the core of the new team funding structure, we are poised to build on the medal-winning performances of the past several years,” said Bolt. Email: richard dot bolt at usmrt dot com

Paul Kirsch, Madison, NH, has been named Team Manager of the Junior Team taking over the reins from Dave Dunham who has worked with the team the past four years. Kirsch was named the 2009 USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Running Contributor of the Year. He was the race director for NACAC/USA Mountain Running Championships where one of his duties was to coordinate housing and transportation for elite athletes (more than 30 in total from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico). Kirsch serves as the USATF-NE Mountain Ultra Trail Chairperson. He provides website design and maintenance for the US Mountain Running Team website & blog (usmrt.com). “I am really pleased to be managing the junior teams in 2010. Dave Dunham has done a tremendous job in recruiting athletes and providing them support the past few years. I look forward to taking up where Dave left off so we can continue the great success the junior athletes have experienced,” said Kirsch. Email: pkirsch at roadrunner dot com

Ellen Miller, Vail, CO, will be the women’s manager for the fifth year. She is an accomplished athlete and coach with an extensive background in high altitude mountaineering. Miller has successfully summitted Mt. Everest two times. She was named Colorado Sportswoman of the Year 2002. She competed on the Fila Skyrunning Team and qualified for events in Europe and Tibet and also competed internationally as a professional adventure racer. She was the 2005 USATF Masters Marathon Trail Running Champion, is a Level 2 USATF Coach, and founded the “Mountain Divas,” a women’s sports program in Vail which she presently directs. “I am very excited and honored to be working with the U.S. Women's Mountain Running Team for the fifth consecutive year. During the past few years, our women's team has proven that we belong on the podium at the World Championships. As our qualifying races continue to attract the top female mountain runners in the USA, I have high hopes that our team will once again be World Champions,” said Miller. Email alpineellen at gmail dot com

The Mount Washington Road Race in Gorham, NH, boasting nearly 5,000 feet of elevation gain over 7.6 miles, will host the selection race for the 2010 team on June 19. The event will serve as the 2010 USA Mountain Running Championships. For results from the 2009 World Mountain Running Championships, information on the 2010 mountain running selection race, and to follow the progress of our mountain running program visit the websites listed below:

US Mountain Running Team - www.usmrt.com
World Mountain Running Association - www.wmra.info
USA Track & Field - www.usatf.org
USA Mountain Running Championships - www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com
American Trail Running Association - www.trailrunner.com

2010 USA National Championships announced for Mountain, Ultra & Trail Running

The USA Track & Field's Mountain, Ultra & Trail Running Sport Council awarded 2010 National Championships to the following races:

3/7/2010 - USA 50km Road Champs - Caumsett, Long Island, NY
4/7/2010 - USA 100km Road Champs - Madison, WI
6/12/2010 - USA 1/2 Marathon Trail Champs - Bend, OR
6/19/2010 - USA Mountain Champs - Gorham, NH
7/31/2010 - USA 100M Trail Champs - Burning River, OH
7/31/2010 - USA 50M Trail Champs - White River, WA
7/31/2010 - USA 15km Trail Champs - Spokane, WA
8/25/2010 - USA 10km Trail Champs - Laurel Springs, NC
9/25/2010 - USA 50km Trail Champs - Bend, OR
10/16/2010 - USA 50M Road Champs - State College/Boalsburg, PA
11/6/2010 - USA Marathon Trail Champs - Ashland, OR

New for 2010 there will be a USATF Trail Championship Grand Prix series made up of the four sub-ultra races: 10k, Half-Marathon, 15k and Marathon. Stay tuned for info on awards and how the series scoring will work.

Wild Idaho Fifty Mile/Fifty Kilometer Endurance Run

Our neighbor to the East has a challenging 50 mile / 50k trail race on tap for August 7, 2010. You can find more information on the Wild Idaho Endurance Run website including race maps, photos and a race discussion group. Mark you calendar - it's only a 9 hour drive from Portland!

Race Director
Ben Blessing
843-476-3714
benblessing@hotmail.com

USA Trail Marathon Championships - Photos

Photos of the USA Trail Marathon Championships & Lithia Loop Trail Marathon have now been posted at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardABolt/

You can also find the official championship results on the USATF website at:
http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/USAMarathonTrailChampionships/results.asp

Pictured - Todd Ragsdale (as the "The Fat Author") and newly minted Trail Marathon Champion Max King.

USA Trail Marathon Championships - Results

The 2nd Annual Lithia Loop Trail Marathon and USA Trail Marathon Championships took place this past Saturday in Ashland. The big story was Max King taking the victory only one week after running a 2:19:11 at the ING New York City Marathon. See the following links for more info:

Post race story by the Rogue Valley Runners:
http://roguevalleyrunners.blogspot.com/2009/11/2009-lithia-loop-trail-marathon-wrap-up.html

Race results and comments by the Rogue Valley Runners:
http://roguevalleyrunners.blogspot.com/2009/11/2009-lithia-loop-trail-marathon-results.html

News article from the Mail Tribune:
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091108/SPORTS/911080350

The official race results:
http://onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php?race_id=12828.

Links to race photos and complete USATF results coming soon.

Southern Oregon hosts 2009 USA Track & Field Trail Marathon Championships

PRESS RELEASE:

Runners can expect much more than the standard marathon “bonk” at this year’s USA Track & Field Trail Marathon Championships. Runners will face an initial eight-mile, 3,200-foot ascent through the steep Siskiyou Mountains that shadow the southern Oregon town of Ashland. The trails and fire roads do flatten out for twelve miles in the middle of the race but maintaining pace may become difficult at the oxygen deprived 5,000 foot level. The final six miles and 3,000 feet of descent will test even the strongest of quads as runners descend on technical single track to the race’s finish at Ashland’s town center, Lithia Park.

Championship prize monies totaling $6000 will be awarded to the top five USA Track & Field male and female finishers as well as the top three USA Track & Field male and female masters finishers.

Last year’s Lithia Loop Trail Marathon winner, Jeff Caba (Bend, OR), is returning to defend his title. Sporting a 2:31:12 at this year’s Twin Cities Marathon, Caba will defend his title against his fellow training partner Andy Martin (Bend, OR). Martin ran a 2:25:46 at Twin Cities, and is no stranger to the trails as his team placed second at this year’s six-day Gore-Tex Trans-Rockies Race.

Chasing these gentlemen will be Thomas Brooks (Eugene, OR) who placed third in the steeple at the 2007 USA Track & Field Championships with a time of 8:27.34. Aaron Saft (Fletcher, NC) who won the 2007 USAT&F Trail Marathon Championships in 2:30:53. Phil Kochik (Seattle, WA) who won the 2004 USAT&F 50 Mile Trail Championships. Mark Godale (Aurora, OH) who sports personal records of 2:30 in the marathon, 3:17 in the 50 kilometer and 7:08 in the 100 kilometer distance.

In the women’s race, the two race favorites are Devon Crosby-Helms (Sausalito, CA) and Krissy Moehl (Seattle, WA). Crosby-Helms brings with her a time of 2:49:50 at the 2008 California International Marathon and a 2:53:20 at this year’s Boston Marathon. She also has wins at the 2008 Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run and this year’s Vermont 50 Mile Run. Moehl hopes to cap a stellar year which includes a victory in France’s 103-mile Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and her runner-up position at the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run.

Also heating up is the competition for the men’s master’s title. Dan Verrington (Bradford, MA) ran a 3:25:22 at this year’s USAT&F 50 Kilometer Championships. Verrington will be chased by his fellow club mate (Central Mass Striders) Dave Dunham (Bradford, MA) who finished runner-up in the 2001 JFK 50 Mile and 2001 USAT&F 50 Mile Trail Championships. Greg McMillan (Flagstaff, AZ), of McMillan Elite, will vie for the title as well, as he sports a personal record of 2:31:58 in the marathon.

Race Directors:
Hal Koerner & Ian Torrence
Rogue Valley Runners
(541) 201-0014
2009 USA Track & Field Trail Marathon Championships
Lithia Loop Trail Marathon
Ashland, Oregon
November 7, 2009

Trail phenom Max King runs 2:19:11 at NYC Marathon

2008 & 2009 Xterra Trail Running National Champion Max King (Bend, OR) finished 18th at the ING New York City Marathon in a time of 2:19:11. Max (pictured) has entered next weekends USA Trail Marathon Championships (Lithia Loop Trail Marathon) in Ashland. Nice job Max - good luck next weekend.

Also finishing well at the NYC Marathon was Mike Sayenko (Bellevue, WA) - 14th - 2:16:38. Mike finished 8th at the 2008 USA Mountain Running Championship at Mt. Washington.

Lithia Loop Marathon Update - USA Trail Marathon Championship

From The Rogue Valley Runners:

Hello Runners,

We are gaining steam as we head into the homestretch for the 2nd annual Lithia Loop Trail Marathon.

USATF Championships
We are very excited to announce that we are the 2009/2010 USATF Marathon Trail Championships. Championship prize monies totaling $6000 will be awarded to the top 5 male and female finishers as well as the top 3 male and female masters finishers. Money and medals will be awarded to those current USATF members. Registration is available at www.usatf.org and will be available at registration on Friday. Please bring cash or check.

Guest Speaker
Rogue Valley Runners is proud to present coach Greg McMillian, www.mcmillanrunning.com , as our guest speaker. A runner, exercise scientist, USATF-certified coach and senior writer for Running Times who has the unique ability to combine the science of endurance performance with the art of real-world coaching. His latest accomplishments include;

o Fourteen Top 10 Finishes in US National Championships
o Nine US National Teams
o Seven Top 5 Finishes in US National Championships
o One National Champion - Brett Gotcher

as well as

Coached athletes in the 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Trials
Coached athletes in the 2001, 2003 and 2005 World Track and Field Championships
Coached athlete in the 2003 Pan American Games
Coached 2002 National Marathon Champion - Jill Gaitenby
Coach of 2005 Houston Marathon Champion - Kelly Keane
Coach of 2005 Marine Corps Marathon Runner Up - Carl Rundell

His pre-race lecture will be at 5:30 on Friday at Rogue Valley Runners.

Post-Race
If you were here last year you remember the great soup and burritos. Russ and Renee are back this year and will
warm you up after your time on the trails with their great post race feed.

In addition, Chozu, www.chozugardens.com, will be your post-race VIP party headquarters.

We will have one more update next week guaranteeing wonderful weather for your marathon.

Sincerely,
Hal Koerner (pictured above)
Ian Torrence

Donald Gallogly wins spot on the 2010 La Sportiva Mountain Running Team

After becoming the top master in the 2009 La Sportiva / USATF-Oregon Mountain Running Series, Donald Gallogly (Corvallis, OR) has earned a spot on the 2010 La Sportiva Mountain Running Team. Don completed 4 of the 5 races in the series and finished 2nd overall behind Ian Torrence (Ashland, OR). Congrats Don!!


Every USATF member who scored in the 2009 series won a free pair of trail running shoes from La Sportiva. Gift certificates were mailed out this week to:

Name	Age Group	Sex	City	TOTAL
Ian Torrence	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Ashland, OR	349.12
DON GALLOGLY	40 - 49	M	Corvallis, OR	314.64
Erik Skaggs	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Ashland, OR	296.40
Jenn Shelton	0 - 39 (Open)	F	Ashland, OR	154.89
Chuck Whiteley	50 - 59	M	Medford, OR	119.69
Max King	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Bend, OR	100.00
Joe Gray	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Lakewood, WA	100.00
Hal Koerner	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Ashland, OR	90.11
Richard Bolt	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Portland, OR	90.00
Susanna Beck	40 - 49	F	Eugene, OR	77.49
Bill Montgomery	40 - 49	M	Eugene, OR	72.60
Megan Arbogast	40 - 49	F	Corvallis, OR	72.27
Mike Davis	40 - 49	M	Talent, OR	67.64
Scott Abrams	50 - 59	M	La Pine, OR	67.42
Tyler Jones	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Bend, OR	60.62
Dusty Miller	60 - 69	M	Mt. Shasta, CA	54.50
Nick Campbell	40 - 49	M	Sunriver, OR	53.91

Congratulations to all the runners who participated. Hope to see you at the 2010 Oregon Mountain Running Series! Thanks to the generous support of La Sportiva and USATF-Oregon, the top man and woman at each race will win a free pair of trail shoes. There will also be $1500 is cash prizes distributed during the 2010 series - nice!

200 attend Birds of a Feather race for Erik Skaggs

Over 200 runners came to Lithia Park in downtown Ashland to support hometown hero and 100k Trail Running National Champion Erik Skaggs. Erik suffered acute renal failure after setting the course record at the Where's Waldo 100k at Willamette Pass, OR this past August. Read the full story and get Birds of a Feather race results at:
http://roguevalleyrunners.blogspot.com/

2009 Oregon Mountain Running Series Final Scoring

The second annual La Sportiva / USATF-Oregon Mountain Running Series is complete and the final scoring compiled. Ashland's Ian Torrence (pictured) leads the points total thanks to his speedy legs and attendance at 4 of the 5 races. Taking the masters title was new USATF member Donald Gallogly (Corvallis, OR) who was the only other runner to also complete 4 races. Just to review, the series races were:

May 2 - Larison Rock Hillclimb (Oakridge)
June 6 - Graniteman Mountain Run (Jacksonville)
August 1 - Mt. Ashland Hillclimb (Ashland)
August 16 - Great Northwest Mountain Run (Mt. Hood)
September 5 - Sunrise to Summit (Mt. Bachelor)

Thanks to the generosity of our title sponsor La Sportiva, every USATF member who scored points in the series (listed below) will get a FREE pair of trail running shoes! For collecting the highest points total, Ian Torrance will also receive a mystery prize from my swag bag. Congrats also to our other age group / gender winners Jenn Shelton (Open Female), Chuck Whiteley (50-59 Male), Susanna Beck (Masters Female) and Dusty Miller (60-69 Male).

Name	Age Group	Sex	City	TOTAL
Ian Torrence	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Ashland, OR	349.12
DON GALLOGLY	40 - 49	M	Corvallis, OR	314.64
Erik Skaggs	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Ashland, OR	296.40
Jenn Shelton	0 - 39 (Open)	F	Ashland, OR	154.89
Chuck Whiteley	50 - 59	M	Medford, OR	119.69
Max King	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Bend, OR	100.00
Joe Gray	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Lakewood, WA	100.00
Hal Koerner	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Ashland, OR	90.11
Richard Bolt	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Portland, OR	90.00
Susanna Beck	40 - 49	F	Eugene, OR	77.49
Bill Montgomery	40 - 49	M	Eugene, OR	72.60
Megan Arbogast	40 - 49	F	Corvallis, OR	72.27
Mike Davis	40 - 49	M	Talent, OR	67.64
Scott Abrams	50 - 59	M	La Pine, OR	67.42
Tyler Jones	0 - 39 (Open)	M	Bend, OR	60.62
Dusty Miller	60 - 69	M	Mt. Shasta, CA	54.50
Nick Campbell	40 - 49	M	Sunriver, OR	53.91

Did you miss all the racing action? You can still check out race photos by clicking the following links:

Larison Rock Hillclimb (Oakridge)
Graniteman Mountain Run (Jacksonville)
Mt. Ashland Hillclimb (Ashland)
Great Northwest Mountain Run (Mt. Hood)
Sunrise to Summit (Mt. Bachelor) - ooops, I wasn't there.

Stay tuned for information about next years series. Most races in the series should be back next year. In addition, we're working to bring a selection race for the US Mountain Running Team to Oregon with the goal of having prize money and making it part of the 2010 Oregon Mountain Running Series.

Thanks to all the hard work of the race directors for putting these unique and scenic races together. Also thank you to all the runners without whom we'd be sitting around watching grass grow......or something.

2009 Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Course Maps

The Rogue Valley Runners have announced the availability of course maps for the Lithia Loop Trail Marathon which will be the 2009 USATF Trail Marathon National Championships. Check out the race application, course map and course profile on the RVR blog at: http://roguevalleyrunners.blogspot.com/2009/09/2009-lithia-loop-trail-marathon.html

2009 Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team Wins Silver and Bronze in Italy

Account by Dave Dunham with edits and additional quotes by Nancy Hobbs

Madesimo, Italy--- The 25th running of the World Mountain Running Championships were held under clear and crisp blue skies with temperatures in the upper 50s for the start of the competition. The venue was in the winter ski village of Madesimo, Italy, located three hours by bus from Milan. The course was lined with fans not only from the host country, but with worldwide fans. The sound of ringing cowbells and pulsating air horns filled the air. A total of thirty-five countries were represented in the four races.

The junior women started the day with a single lap of the 4.3 km course. The runners were tested with steep climbs and some rocky sections on the descents. The terrain was a mixture of grass, packed dirt trail, and grassy sections with some rocks and roots to keep the athletes focused on their footing. In order to run well the athletes would have to be strong climbers, fearless descenders and able to transition between the various grades.

Megan Morgan, 17, Del Mar, CA, was the first U.S. athlete of the day to cross the finish line, earning a silver medal – the best individual junior finish following last year’s bronze medal by Californian Alex Dunne. Turkey’s Can Yasemin won the gold medal with a time of 22:18 with Morgan just 17 seconds in arrears. Angelica Mach of Poland was the bronze medalist in 22:56. Robyn Arnold, 16, Redlands, CA, rounded out the U.S. scoring taking 23rd in 25:39. Alex Dent, 17, Scott Dep ot, WV, was unable to finish after taking a spill on a road crossing approximately two miles into the race. In all 42 juniors (at least 16 in the year of competition and not yet 20) completed the course. Turkey captured the team title with five points (the top two finishers on the team count in the scoring). Romania placed second with 13 points and Poland finished in bronze-medal position with 20 points. The next three teams were all separated by just one point. Team USA finished in seventh position with 25 points. A total of 14 full teams competed in the junior women’s division. This was the second best finish for the junior girls trailing only the 2007 team which finished second.

Following the race, Robyn Arnold said, “I started out maybe a little bit too fast, dropped places, but was happy with my result. I learned a lot and hope to apply what I learned this year to next year if I make the team.”

Megan Morgan was beaming when she accepted her award at the post-race flower ceremony immediately following her finish, “We got our medals and then when we left the podium they took them back from us. I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t see my medal again, and then I then realized we’d get them back at the awards ceremony in the evening.” Morgan told her Mom, who accompanied her to Italy, that the race was one of the best she’d ever done.

The junior men were up next, with two circuits and 8.6 km’s to complete. The teams from Turkey and Italy had a close battle with Italian Xavier Chevier taking a decisive victory, crossing the line in 38:26 nearly a minute up on his closest challenger. Turkish team mates Mzaffer Bayram and Alper Demir, took second and third respectively in 39:22 and 39:32. Nineteen seconds later Brandon Lord, 17, Hixson, TN, crossed the line after running a controlled and very20regulated race starting in ninth position and moving to eighth after the first loop and picked off other competitors to move up in the standings. Lord bettered Tim Smith’s fifth place from 2008 and is now the all-time top placing junior man. This is all the more impressive as this was Brandon’s first mountain race. Dan Nafziger, 18, Harrisonburg, VA, and Brian Rooney, 19, Arlington, VA, were the next two U.S. finishers closing out the team scoring in 39th and 41st places respectively. They finished 12 seconds apart in 44:11 and 44:23. Tim Smith, 19, Roanoke, VA, took 55th place in 46:10 in the field of 68 finishers. Turkey was the top team with 14 points (three runners score) with Italy a mere two points back. Great Britain took home the bronze with 52 points. The U.S. team finished 8th among the 17 countries. The 8th place finish ties the second best (2006) all-time.
Nafziger, although not pleased with his finish felt that he learned so much from the experience, “I thought my cross country training would be enough, but it wasn’t. There were Italians and others walking on some of the steeper sections and then cruising the really fast sections of the course. I was pushing my climbs and didn’t have enough at the top of the hills to take advantage of the descents like I wanted to. I hope to come back next year and really train more specifically for the event.”
The senior women were the third to compete over two loops of the course which featured 1,800’ of climb and descent. Average grades on the climb were 20% and 10% on the descent. The U.S. women ran packed tightly together passing through the first lap with the four athletes each in the top 20. That grouping would not cha nge by the finish with all four crossing within 48 seconds. Elisa Desco (43:39), Valentina Belotti (44:04), and Maria Grazia Roberti (44:23) all used their “home field advantage” to lead Italy to a total domination of the team scoring (three runners score) with a perfect score of 6 points. Brandy Erholtz, 32, Bailey, CO, led the way for the USA finishing tenth in 45:23. Christine Lundy, 39, Sausalito, CA, (45:41) 13th, Megan Kimmel, 29, Silverton, CO, (45:46) 15th, and Megan Lund, 25, Basalt, CO, (46:11) 17th were able to grab the bronze medal with 38 points. They finished 16 points behind the silver medal squad from Great Britain. The third place finish trails only the two gold medal finishes of 2006 & 2007. In all there were 69 finishers representing 14 countries.

The final race of the day was the senior men’s three grueling circuits of the course, all between 5,000’ and 6 ,300.’ The African teams moved to the front in the early going. Geoffrey Kusoro of Uganda forged a 54 second lead by the end, crossing the line in 54:51. Azerya Teklag Weldemariam of Eritrea placed 2nd in 55:45. The final medal was taken by James Kibet (Uganda) in 55:54. The U.S. team was led by former junior team member (12th place 2006) Andrew Benford, 21, Roanoke, VA. He moved into the top 15 and passed teammate Joe Gray, 25, Lakewood, WA, with approximately a mile to go. Benford placed 13th in 58:09 with Gray finishing 16th in 58:43. The final four team members all finished in a tight pack in places 42, 46, 47, and 48, with only 12 seconds separating them. Matt Byrne, 34, Scranton, PA, and Zac Freudenberg, 31, St. Louis, MO, were the scoring members in 1:01:26 and 1:01:34 in a field that featured 138 finishers. Rickey Gates, 28, Boulder, CO, and Tim Parr, 27, Gunnison, CO, crossed seconds later in 1:01:36 and 1:01:38. The team competition was won by Eritrea with 24 points with Italy second with 39 points and Turkey rounding out the medals with 75 pints. USA finished in sixth with 117 points.

Team manager Nancy Hobbs, Colorado Springs, CO, team leader Richard Bolt, Portland, Oregon, team manager for the juniors Dave Dunham, Bradford, MA, and women’s team manager Ellen Miller, Vail, CO, accompanied the team to Italy.

At the USATF annual convention in Reno, NV, on December 6, the Mountain Ultra Trail Running (MUT) Council chose two races from which automatic qualifiers to the U.S. team will be selected. The USA Mountain Running Championships were hosted at Mt. Cranmore (11km) on June 28 in North Conway, NH. The top three U.S. men – Gray, Freudenberg, and Byrne – and the top U.S. woman finisher – Lundy – earned automatic berths on the team.

The Cheyenne Canon Mountain Race in Colorado Springs, CO, was the site of the second and final selection race on July 26 (approximately 8km for women and juniors and 12km for men) where the top two U.S. men – Parr and Benford – and the top two U.S. women – Kimmel and Lund – earned automatic berths.
After the final selection race, the remaining members of the senior squad, (one male - Gates, one female - Erholtz), were chosen by the Mountain Ultra Trail Council with input from the team staff based on results at the selection races, past World Trophy events, national and international racing experience including mountain, road, cross country, and track.

The junior team members were selected based on their running resumes and required a letter of support from a coach, parent, or mentor. To see hour-by-hour coverage of the World Mountain Running Championships from team leader Richard Bolt, you can go to: http://twitter.com/usmrt. For a complete list of results visit www.wmrc2009.org.

&n bsp; Slovenia is slated to host the 26th World Mountain Running Championships in early September 2010 on an uphill only course. Selection races for the U.S. team will be determined at the USATF Annual Meeting in December 2009.

Sponsors of the 2009 Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team include title sponsor Teva, the official footwear of the team since 2002, SportHill is the official apparel sponsor providing team uniforms, OrthoLite Insoles, the world’s leading supplier of open cell foam insoles in the performance and footwear category is the official insole, Fleet Feet Sports Boulder, the official specialty running store, Windermere of Teton Valley, the official real estate company, Wicked Fast Sports Nutrition, the official dietary supplements for pre-exercise energy/endurance (Energ-Ease) and post-exercise recovery (Recover-Ease), and product sponsors ALCiS topical pain relief cream, ground bags and duffels, Tech 4o watches, KINeSYS performance sunscreen, CW-X conditioning tights, FuelBelt, Inc., hydratio n products, Costa Del Mar performance sunglasses, and Youth Runner magazine.

For additional information visit the websites listed below:

World Mountain Running Association www.wmra.info
World Mountain Running Championships www.wmrc2009.org
USA Track & Field www.usatf.org
American Trail Running Association www.trailrunner.com
USA Mountain Running Championships www.whitemountainmilers.com
Tech4o www.tech4o.com
Teva &nbs p; www.teva.com
SportHill Clothing www.sporthill.com
KINeSYS, Inc. www.kinesys.com
CW-X Conditioning Wear www .cw-x.com
ALCiS www.alcis.com
Costa Del Mar www.costadelmar.com
Windermere & nbsp; www.juliebryan.mywindermere.com
Fleet Feet Sports-Boulder www.fleetfeetboulder.com
Wicked Fast Sports Nutrition www.recover-ease.com
OrthoLite www.ortholitefoam.com
FuelBelt www.fuelbelt.com
groundÔ www.groundwear.com
Youth Runner &nbs p; www.youthrunner.com

Race Start / Finish Area

The start and finish are in the village of Motta at 1700 meters above
sea level. The 4.34k loop climbs to 1950 meters up a steep and mostly
grassy slope. Junior women race 1 lap, junior men and senior women do
2 laps (8.6k), senior men race 3 laps (13k and 825 meters of total
climb and descent).

Course Preview with Junior Woman's Team

Dave Dunham, Richard Bolt and Ellen
Miller ran the course with the junior woman's team. Steep from the
start followed by rolling hilly across ski slopes and meadows, grazing
cows, farmers houses, rugged high alpine views.

US Mountain Running Team in Motta

Motta is the location of the race start / finish. Currently foggy.
Most of the team walked or ran the entire course.

World Mountain Running Championships

Richard Bolt here in Campodolocino, Italy with the US Mountain Running
Team. Race is this Sunday. More photos to be posted here. Get updates
at Twitter/usmrt.com

Oregon trail runner Erik Skaggs in the hospital

[From the Rogue Valley Runners]

As you may already be aware, Erik Skaggs (pictured left with Jenn Shelton) is currently in Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, OR. Erik ran and won the Where’s Waldo 100 Kilometer Ultramarathon last Saturday in record time but began having medical difficulties later that day. After being treated with IVs in the emergency room earlier in the week, he was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday suffering from nausea and pain. His kidney function has not improved during the last few days.

Erik remains his usual good natured, positive self. He has been surrounded by many of his friends during his hospital stay. His brother Kyle arrives from out of town on Friday to be by his side. At last report, he was timing his splits as he walked around his hospital wing. Jenn, his girlfriend, has been supplementing moldy hospital food with treats from home.

Many friends throughout the ultrarunning community have already asked how they can help. One of Erik’s biggest concerns is the mounting medical bill. Erik does not have health insurance. He may be eligible for some assistance through his membership with USA Track & Field, but will no doubt require monies for the deductible and for the expected costs well above the coverage. An Ashland runner and friend of Erik’s has opened a bank account at Umpqua Bank in Ashland, Oregon to receive donations that will be used to help defray these medical expenses. You can contribute by sending a check to Umpqua Bank, 250 N. Pioneer Street, Ashland, OR 97520 made out to the “Erik Skaggs Medical Fund.” Any assistance that you could provide would be much appreciated by Erik. Please note that the Fund name should be on the outside of the envelope.

Updates on Erik’s medical condition will be posted to the blog at Rogue Valley Runners’ website, at http://roguevalleyrunners.blogspot.com/, as it becomes available.

US Mountain Running Team going to Italy

The 2009 Teva US Mountain Running Team will be traveling to Campodolocino, Italy next week for the 25th World Mountain Running Championships.

You can follow the team on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/usmrt or on the team blog at: http://usmrt.blogspot.com/.

Pictured are Simon Gutierrez and Rickey Gates.

Here are some highlights from the US Team at the 2008 World Champs:

Junior boys - Tim Smith's 5th place is the best ever placing, beating Andrew Benford's 12th place from 2006. Levi Grandt's 13th place is the 3rd best and Jon Steven's 31st place is the 7th best.

The team 4th place is the best ever, topping the 8th place finish in 2006.

Junior girls - Alex Dunne's bronze medal is the first ever individual medal for a junior girl, this tops Anna Lieb's 4th place finish in 2007.

Men - Rickey Gates 12th = 10th best, Joe Gray's 16th = 14th best, Eric Blake's 23rd = 20th best, Simon Gutierrez 25th = tie for 24th best. Matt Byrne 34th is the best ever 5th man for a US team and Zach Freudenberg 36th = best ever finish for a 6th man.

US 5th and 6th man beat every other countries 5th and 6th man. So I'd say they were the deepest team in the field.

Team bronze medal tops the 5th place finish in 2006.

Women - Brandy Erholtz 11th place ties for the 7th best ever individual performance.

2009 Where's Waldo / USATF 100k Trail National Championship Results

"It is not a beginner-level ultra and participation in the race should not be taken lightly". This is the disclaimer on the Where's Waldo 100k website and one which lingers in the minds of all runners that toe the chalk line in the darkness just before the 5:00 AM start. Only 88 of the 135 entered runners crossed the finish line - one loop, 62 miles and 11,000' of elevation (climb & descent) after leaving the Willamette Pass Ski Area lodge.

One runner not intimidated by the course was Where's Waldo newbie and eventual winner Erik Skaggs (Ashland, OR) - pictured above after his finish. Erik blazed the course in a record 9:11:05 - a full 55 minutes ahead of the old course record set in 2008 by Neil Olsen. Erik has been a top runner in Oregon for several years now winning many races in the La Sportiva / USATF-Oregon Mountain Running Series.

Rogue Valley Runner Neil Olsen (Central Point, OR) did finish the 2009 race in 4th overall and became the Masters 100k Trail National Champion with a time of 10:02:39, just barely ahead of his record time from the previous year.

The women's overall winner was Joelle Vaught (Boise, ID) who finished 9th overall in record time of 10:23:32. Beverly Anderson-Abbs (Red Bluff, CA) came off her 3rd place finish at the Western States 100 miler to take the women's Masters National Championship in 11th place overall (2nd woman) in a time of 11:01:59.

One of the other great stories of the race was the participation in the National Championship with 58 starters being USATF members and eligible to win medals. 20 runners won USATF medals either by finishing in the top 10 (men and women) or top three in their age group. A complete list of medal winner can be found here.

Complete results and split times are posted on the race website at:
Results: http://www.wpsp.org/ww100k/stats/2009/results.php
Splits: http://www.wpsp.org/ww100k/stats/2009/splits.php

Race photos can be seen at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardABolt/2009WhereSWaldo100kUSATF100kTrailChampionships#

First hand accounts and other race reports are at:

Rogue Valley Runners Blog

Yassine Diboun's blog - 7th place overall

Craig Thornley's blog - race director

2009 Great Northwest Mountain Run

The 2009 edition of the Great Northwest Mountain Run was an evolution of the 2008 race billed as the Northwest Mountain Running Championships which took place in September. Perhaps due in part to the change in date and name, the race this past weekend attracted a smaller and much less competitive field.

2009 Great Northwest Mountain Run:
35 finishers - no prize money - 1 finisher under 45 minutes

2008 Northwest Mountain Running Championships:
73 finishers - $6000 in prize money - 5 finishers under 45 minutes

In spite of the differences from last years race, all the runners seemed to have the usual great X-Dog fun. The 6 miles course was slightly shorter than last year but featured the same 1500' of climbing and descent. With perfectly clear sky's the views from the course were fantastic with the summit of Mt. Hood towering over the course.

The race was won in 44:06 by Zach Violett (Bend, OR) and cross country skier who finished 5th at the Mt. Ashland Hillclimb just 2 weeks ago. On the women's side Stephanie Howe (Bend, OR) won in 51:22 and finished 6th overall. Congrats to Zach and Stephanie for taking home free trail running shoes courtesy of La Sportiva.

Don Gallogly (pictured above) was the top masters man in 8th place with a time of 53:14. The top masters woman was Florencia Gascon-Amyx who finished 10th in 1:01:30.

For complete results visit: xdogevents.com

Race photos can be found at: http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardABolt/2009GreatNorthwestMountainRun#

The final race in the La Sportiva / USATF-Oregon Mountain Running Series will be the Sunrise to Summit near Bend, OR. This 3 mile lung burner will climb 2500' to the summit of Mt. Bachelor on September 5, 2009.

2009 Mt. Ashland Hillclimb Run - Results

Joe Gray (Lakewood, WA) came south to run in his first Mt. Ashland Hillclimb Run thinking that MAYBE he could break Rick Sayre's record from 1986. A stout record of 1:42:?? was set the same year Rick won the Los Angeles Marathon. Coming off his recent victory at the USA Mountain Running Championships Joe had a shot at the record but could he overcome the heat, smoke from forest fires and not knowing the course?

Finishing in the second fastest time ever run (1:47:29) Joe won the 2009 edition of the Mt. Ashland Hillclimb Run and has a much better idea of what it's going to take to break 1:42.

On the women's side cross country ski racer Stephanie Howe (Bend, OR) came off a recent injury to finish 12th overall and beat the 2nd woman Jenn Shelton by almost 12 minutes.

A story from the Medford Mail Tribune can be found here.

The Rogue Valley Runners will have a blog post about the race very soon at: http://roguevalleyrunners.blogspot.com/

Complete results can be found at: http://www.mtashlandrun.com/results.html

Race photos can be found at: http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardABolt/2009MtAshlandHillclimbRun#

Also look for photos from Andy Atkinson here.

Final US Mountain Team Selection Race

While no runners from the Pacific Northwest made the trip to Colorado Springs this past weekend, an impressive field of mountain runners assembled for the second and final selection race for the 2009 Teva US Mountain Running Team. Press Release below from race director Nancy Hobbs:

Cool Temperatures Make for Fast Times at Cheyenne Cañon Mountain Race

Former Mountain Running Team Members Earn Spots on this year’s World Team

Colorado Springs, CO ---- Late afternoon thunderstorms are typical in Colorado Springs, but overcast skies and drizzle in the morning are rare – especially in July. This morning was an exception with intermittent rain showers and cool temperatures greeting runners at 7:00 a.m. for the women’s start of the Cheyenne Cañon Mountain Race (Sunday, July 26), an 8 kilometer up/down loop course which would determine two of the four members of this year’s Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. It was still cool for the men’s race at 8:30 a.m. for the 12 kilometer course with another two team spots up for grabs.

The course, designed by eight-time Mountain Team member Paul Low, started at the Stratton Open Space Trailhead in North Cheyenne Cañon, connected with the Gold Camp Path, joined the Chutes and followed the east side of the reservoir back up Gold Camp Path for the first loop (women and junior men ran two loops, while open men ran three loops for approximately 12 km), then back down to the finish.

“A few weeks before the race some of the women contending for a spot on the team figured the winning time would be about 41 minutes (for the women). Today when the first woman was climbing the final lollipop loop toward the finish she was set to go under 40 minutes. The cool temperatures not only helped set a fast pace, but the moisture helped pack down the dirt and scree to make for a quicker running surface,” said Nancy Hobbs, Executive Director of the American Trail Running Association.

Laura Haefeli, 41, Del Norte, CO, led the group on a blistering pace from the start around the first lollipop loop. But at the top of the first climb it was flatlander Kasie Enman, 29, Huntington, VT, ahead of a group of Coloradoans to the high point of the course at just under 7,000 feet. The group in the chase were included eventual winner Megan Kimmel, 29, Silverton, Haefeli, Megan Lund, 24, Basalt, Brandy Erholtz, 31, Bailey, and Gina Lucrezi, 26, Colorado Springs. Enman excelled on the downhill and picked up some distance on the group, yet was caught by Kimmel and Lund on the second loop.

Kimmel took the opportunity to surge ahead and bested Lund by just five seconds to take the victory in 39:23. On the final lollipop loop, Haefeli charged past Enman to finish in third position in 29:52 with Enman clocking 40:02. Rounding out the top five was Erholtz in 40:19.

Kimmel’s win earned her a spot on her second consecutive Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team and will compete along with first-time team member Lund in Campodolcino, Italy, on Sunday, September 6 at the World Mountain Running Championships. The pair will join Christine Lundy, 38, Sausalito, CA, who won the USA Mountain Running Championships on June 28 in North Conway, NH, to make her fourth mountain team. The final member of the squad will be selected from the top finishers in today’s event.

On the men’s side local runner Ryan Hafer, 23, set a strong pace on the first kilometer while Tim Parr, 27, Gunnison, CO, sat comfortably in the chase pack and worked his way up to the lead with University of Richmond’s Andrew Benford, 21, Ravenswood, WV, going with him. “I felt great on the uphills,” said Benford, “Then Tim would pull away on the downhills. He was more aggressive on the downhills, especially on the last lap. I knew I was on the team when we topped out the last climb. Dan Petty (UR teammate) was there, along with my brother, telling me exactly where everyone was. The last downhill was sweet. I knew I was running my way onto the U.S. Team. It's a great feeling.”

Parr crossed the line in 47:13 to make his third U.S team (’04, ’05, ’09) while Benford makes his second U.S Team. Benford’s performance places him in the history books as the first U.S. runner to make a junior team (2006) and a senior team (2009). Albuquerque’s Kristopher Houghton, 28, finished third in 48:21 with local runner Alex Nichols, 24, in fourth with a time of 48:51, and 2007 mountain team member Payton Batliner, 25, Boulder, in fifth timed in 49:09.

Parr and Benford will join the top three runners from the USA Mountain Running Championships Joseph Gray, 25, Lakewood, WA, Zac Freudenberg, 31, St. Louis, MO, and Matt Byrne, 34, Scranton, PA, on the mountain team. The final member of the six-member squad will be announced on August 1.

With a tagline, “Once is not enough,” the 2009 Cheyenne Cañon Mountain Race presented by Walmart, was a first year event. Additional local support from ERA Shields brokers Marzolf/Blessing, Champion Health/Dr. Jeffrey Matthews, Bristol Brewing, Colorado Running Company, and Criterium Bike Shop. National sponsors joining the effort include SportHill and Teva.

There were 36 women finishers ranging in age from 18-64 and 46 men finishers ages 12 through 62. Every participant received a commemorative USA Mountain Running cowbell, a Teva music CD, post race refreshments, accurate results, and for those 21 and older – a beer certificate from Bristol Brewing.

Men's Race

1 Tim Parr , 47:13 $250

2 Andrew Benford , 47:48, $0

3 Kristopher Houghton, 48:21, $150

4 Alex Nichols, 48:51, $100

5 Payton Batlinger, 49:09, $50

Women's Race

1. Megan Kimmel, 39:23, $250

2. Megan Lund, 39:28, $200

3. Laura Haefeli, 39:52, $150

4. Kasie Enman, 40:02, $100

5. Brandy Erholtz, 40:19, $50

Top Juniors

Junior Men: Paul Petersen, Broomfield, 17, 39:57

Junior Women: Jessie Watkins, 19, Colorado Springs, 49:34

Not only is the event a fundraiser for the American Trail Running Association, but also served as a fundraiser for the Friends of North Cheyenne Cañon and Stratton Commons. Individuals may donate, as part of their registration, to any of these non-profit organizations. For additional information visit www.trailrunner.com.

Joe Gray makes SI's faces in the crowd

Proving that in the eyes of Sports Illustrated, mountain running is a second class sport, the winners of the 2009 USATF National Mountain Running Championships were relegated to "Faces in the Crowd". I guess some publicity is better than none at all.

Anyway, congratulations to our neighbor to the north Joe Gray (Lakewood, WA) and Chris Lundy (Sausaulito, CA) for making it into the July 27 edition of Sports Illustrated. Joe and Chris won their respective races at the Mt. Cranmore Hillclimb and qualified for the 2009 Teva US Mountain Running Team. Joe will be racing in Oregon on August 1 at the Mt. Ashland Hillclimb to take a shot at the course record.

Oregon's Matt Lonergan Finishes 21st at IAU World Trail Challenge

Matt Lonergan (Eugene, OR) finished 21st at the IAU World Trail Challenge in Serre Chevalier, France. You can find full results at:

http://www.iau-ultramarathon.org/mediacenter_detail.php?Id=173

Read Matt's personal account of the race on his blog at:

http://mattlonergan.blogspot.com/

Corbett Hillclimb - The mountain race the wasn't......

The 3rd race in the La Sportiva / USATF Oregon Mountain Running Series was canceled because the County canceled their permits less than a week before the race. The Almost Vertical Corbett Hillclimb was to go down and back up Corbett Hill Road - a 1.5 mile paved road with 600' of vertical. Here is what race director Harry Simonis had to say:

"Multnomah County has decided to not issue the final permit to hold the 'UP-Down' race on Corbett Hill this saturday. ODOT also made us change the course for the 10k run. We cannot use the Vista house observatory loop road. Monday Doug and I got the new course laid and spent most of the afternoon trying to convince people to issue the final permits to no avail. The new 10k course has a long drawn out hill that will be quite challenging to runners."

The 10k race started at 8:15 AM on July 4 from Corbett High School with a small field of mostly local runners. The race results will be posted at: http://www.usatf-oregon.org/

Race photos can be found at: http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardABolt/Corbett10kRoadRace#

The next race in the La Sportiva / USATF Oregon Mountain Running Series will be the Mt. Ashland Hillclimb on August 1st. Sign-up soon because the race is limited to 250 runners and already 150 have registered.