Sacramento Running News

This Saturday, in Balboa Park in San Diego, Roseville’s Karlie Garcia earned a 5th place finish at the Footlocker National Cross Country Championships with a 17:36 finish.

Garcia, who placed 15th at the nationals in San Diego in 2009, decisively won this year’s West Regional girls championship at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut on December 3rd in 17:46.

Coming in a bit back at the Nationals, but still quite respectably, was Vista Del Lago’s Clare Carroll in 27th position, at 18:18 on the hilly 5k course.

Complete results for the girls is here. The boys results are here.

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Looks like the American River College cross country team is wrapping up another good season!

They won the NorCal meet and are off to Fresno for tomorrow’s State Championship meet.

Read more about it in the Bee.

The Czech delegation for the World Masters Champs checks out Old Sacramento.

I took advantage of the beautiful weather today to enjoy a running commute to my office in downtown Sacramento.

As I passed through Old Sacramento on my way to downtown, I noticed it was overrun by a friendly army of foreign athletes here for the World Masters Athletics Championships.

As I ran by the Railroad Museum, I was flagged down by a gentleman by the name of Jaroslav Hovorka.

Jaroslav Hovorka, it turns out, is here from the Czech Republic to compete in the throwing pentathlon.

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Lea Wallace at the Big Sky Conference Championships

On Wednesday, we learned that Lea Wallace had won her heat in the NCAA 800 semi-finals.

Today, Wallace came in 6th place in the 2nd heat of the 1500. Fortunately, the 2nd heat was a lot faster than the 1st heat and she advanced on time.

Wallace’s 4:17.65 was the sixth fastest of the semi-finals.

Of Wallace racing in both the 800 and 1500, Hornet’s coach Scott Abbott says, “This is a very tough double and she is finding out how tough it is, but she is handling everything very well.”

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The World Masters Athletics Championships (AKA World Masters Track and Field Champs) are a little more than a month away and there is excitement in the air. It’s a little like you’re a kid waiting for Christmas, except maybe you’re hoping that Santa Claus is going to bring you that massive track meet you’ve always wanted!

(I suppose I should task the interns with rounding up some better metaphors.)

Most of the venues are pretty easy to figure out. One world-class track is pretty much the same as another. The critical question for most of the events is: What’s the weather going to be like? (It’ll be July in Sacramento so the odds are good it will be warm and sunny.)

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If, perhaps, you forgot to register for the World Masters Track and Field Championships and are still interested (and have a few bucks lying around), you may be in luck!

The Sacramento Local Organizing Committee is reporting that late entries are being accepted, but not for very long. There is a $50 late penalty until May 6th, when it goes up to $100–until a “a to-be-determined date in mid-May.”

Better hurry up! That registration isn’t going to get filled out by itself.

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The World Masters Athletics Championships (AKA World Masters Track & Field Championships) are coming to the good old USA this July, for the first time since 1995.

As exciting as that is, you should be thrilled to pieces to know that they will be held right here in River City! (Right here!)

I know what you’re saying: “But I’m only 37! I’m too young to be a masters athlete!”

Well, fortunately for you, you sprightly younger person, for purposes of the Masters Track & Field World Championships, a masters runner is anyone 35 or older!

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This coming July, Sacramento will be hosting the Masters World Athletics Championships (AKA Masters Track and Field World Championships).

If you had a chance to watch or run in last year’s Masters National Championships you know what a great event this should be.

While it may seem a bit early for me to be writing about a July event, registration closes on April 24. You can register online now, and event management says that more than 900 athletes had already registered as of March 23rd.

For track and field, a masters athlete is anyone over 35. There are events from the 100 meters to the marathon, plus the field events, and the venues will be centered around California State University Sacramento.

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One of many exciting starts

Folsom High School’s Willow Hills cross country course saw some heavy action at this weekend’s sectional championships.

There was laughter, there were tears. There were thrills and spills. There were zillions of volunteers.

Under perfect running conditions, Granite Bay Girls and Davis Senior Boys took the Division I titles.

It should be noted that Granite Bay has the seed of a dynasty in that their freshman Clare Carroll posted the fastest girl’s time of the day in 17:55.

Results and more on ESPNRISE.

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Several years ago, I ran in the Heritage Oaks Bank Paso Robles 10Km, which was at the time the US masters’ national championship. I was struggling after a season of trail ultras and barely kept it under 40-minutes.

In that same race, Eddy Hellebuyck was having the race of his life (as a masters runner) and set a new American Masters record for the road 10Km. Finishing in an astounding 29:05, Hellebuyck was so far ahead of the 2nd place runner, they had a separate lead motorcycle for him.

A short while later, I was not surprised to hear that Hellebuyck had failed a doping test for EPO. Disappointed, but not surprised.

The December Runners World has an excellent article by John Brant wherein Hellebuyck finally comes clean about the doping allegations and gives some insight into why he did it.

The story left me with an uneasy mix of feelings about this runner. He cheated and stole other runners’ prize money. He’s also coming clean without being compelled to do so. If confession truly is good for the soul, there are many other prominent athletes out there who would do well to follow his example.