Drew Hunter is Hunting Records
Virginia High School phenom, Drew Hunter, just beat his two-week old national indoor high school mile record today, running 3:57.81 at the Millrose Games
How low can he go?
More info at Flotrack.
Super Sunday Run proves fun for everyone
By Ellen Moore
The seventh annual Super Sunday Run started with live music, footballs tossed around and a pair of kids’ races to set the tone for a fun, festive day.
More than 2,500 runners participated in the event, organized by the Sacramento Running Association (SRA) and presented by California Family Fitness. At the end of the event, participants celebrated with a tailgate party featuring free food and beer, yard games, a portable video game truck featuring Madden 2015 and a bounce house for the kids, before the Denver Broncos-Carolina Panthers showdown.
In between, athletes of all shapes, sizes and affiliations covered the 10k and 5k courses before descending on Sacramento State University’s Hornet Stadium for the end zone finish.
Chico’s Nicholas Spector and Rocklin’s Melissa Penwell captured 10k titles and Davis’ Chris Tyson and Oakland’s Tori Tyler took home 5k honors on a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning.
USATF Club Cross Country Nationals Were Muddy Fun, and Super, Duper Fast!
Garrett Heath wins! (Photo courtesy of Erik Aguilar at www.painani.org)
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park was the site of the this year’s USATF 2015 National Club Cross Country Championships, and it was action packed!
More than 1,700 of the nation’s best adult cross country runners converged on the park for several intensely competitive races on a hilly course, that wound through the park and finished on the broad track above the polo field.
Although the day was dry, recent rains left mud and standing water throughout the course. I’ve run several cross country races over the years, but I’ve never seen anything like the quality and quantity of runners out there on Saturday.
Barno, Abrha Surge to Victory at CIM
To the winners go the non-alcoholic beers. L-R Dereje Abera Ali, Julius Keter, Elisha Barno (Photo credit Alex Chiu)
By Ellen Moore
Kenya’s Elisha Barno made his move after the 20-mile mark, surging ahead of the lead pack at “The Wall” to win the 33rd annual California International Marathon in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 51 seconds on Sunday.
Serkalem Abrha of Ethiopia used a similar strategy, pushing ahead of the lead group and running alone for the last six miles to win the women’s race in 2:31:29.
Much of the drama happened behind the leaders, however, as the chase for the U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying mark played out in the women’s race.
More Race Mishaps
We’ve all been asked, “How long was that half marathon?”
If you were running in Bangkok recently, the answer might be 17 miles.
It’s probably because they had the Jogging Association (of Thailand) putting on a running event.
New Running Shoe Stores in Folsom
Are you still running in those?
I can’t tell you how many new runners I’ve sent to Fleet Feet over the years to help them get into some decent, appropriate running shoes.
Now folks in Folsom will have access to two (2!) legit running shoe stores.
The Sacramento Bee has the details.
(Hat tip to K.Y.)
Blerched
Saturday afternoon, I noticed my friend Jaymee had posted on Instagram a photo and results from her 5K run at the Beat the Blerch. What struck me most was that her finish time was an eye-popping 14:35.
Now Jaymee is a fantastic athlete and wonderful person, but I’d bet the house that she didn’t run 14:35 for the 5K.
Why am I so sure? Well, probably because the women’s American Record for the 5K is 14:45 and held by Molly Huddle.
I laughed and joked with her a bit but then started hearing murmuring about all the distances being short. A couple of people reported the marathon to be a mile or more short, and the half marathon clocking in at less than 13 miles.
Local Masters Win at Humboldt Half Marathon
Chris Knorzer is the Masters Men’s Champion (SRN photo)
On a lonely stretch of the Avenue of the Giants, in Humboldt County, hundreds of Northern California’s fastest runners met up for the Humboldt Redwoods Half Marathon, a PAUSATF grand prix event and the PAUSATF Half Marathon Championship.
For a half marathon run through the scenic but empty redwood forest, the times are typically remarkably fast, and this year was no exception.
Largely running alone, San Luis Obispo’s Sean Davidson, 23, outran the field with a 1:05:21 performance.
Running Fast at the 7th Annual Willow Hills XC Open
Ashley Carroll powers to the win at the Willow Hills XC Open (SRN photo)
Did you run cross country in high school and now miss the sport? Or did you never run cross country but wonder what it would be like?
Even if the rosy glow of youth is long behind you, you can still get in on the fun at some fast, local races. Prices are low, so don’t expect bands or swag bags, just good times and fierce competition.
Folsom was the place for the 5th Annual Willow Hill Cross Country Open, this past Saturday. This race is ably hosted by the Buffalo Chips Running Club and is part of the PAUSATF Cross Country Grand Prix, so top runners throughout Northern California were out in force and winning times on the hilly 5 Km were fast.
The women’s race was first to run, and the Impalas’ Ashley Carroll, 32, ran away from SRA’s Lea Wallace, 26, in the last mile to win in a time of 18:09. Wallace finished second in 18:19. Ibet Allan, 38, running for West Valley Track Club, was third with an 18:40 finish.
Run Free: The True Story of Caballo Blanco at the Crest on September 21
Micah True (AKA Caballo Blanco)
Run Free: The True Story of Caballo Blanco, a feature-length documentary about ultra-running legend Micah True, will screen at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento on Monday, September 21 at 7 p.m. This one-night-only event is sponsored by the Buffalo Chips Running Club.
Micah True, better known as Caballo Blanco – the White Horse – was the focal character of Christopher McDougall’s 2009 best-selling book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen about the Tarahumara Indians of northern Mexico. Also known as the Rarámuri, or Running People, they are some of the best long-distance runners in the world.
Caballo Blanco was an enigmatic visionary who lived and ran with the Tarahumara after moving to remote Copper Canyon in the 1990s, and who created the fifty-mile Copper Canyon Ultra-Marathon to honor their running traditions and aid in their sustainability.