Sacramento Running News

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.

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Barbara Miller running strong (SRN photo)

On an uncharacteristically cool Memorial Day morning, several hundred runners and walkers lined up in Land Park for another running of the No Excuses 5K.

No Excuses is Sacramento’s original opportunity for fast young men to get their clocks cleaned by older, fast women and pre-teens in the age-graded results–a race within a race, so to speak.

In the age-graded results, winner Barbara Miller, 73, of Modesto continues to dominate by continuing to run pretty darn fast–age graded or not.

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Barbara Miller shows winning form at last month's Zoo Zoom. (SRN Photo)

Each Memorial Day, Land Park is abuzz with with runners for the popular, age-graded, No Excuses 5Km. There are the usual suspects up at the front of the pack (Styczynski, Schenck, Fadling, Myers, Cruz, etc.), but the real stars of this race are a few minutes back.

The age grading format gives those runners who are precocious or durable a chance to shine.

A couple of years ago, the official race shirt had a list of popular excuses on its back. One of those excuses was “I’m not Barbara Miller.”

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They're off! Runners start of the 10Km. (SRN photo)

Like the cherry blossoms around the duck pond, the Zoo Zoom is a sure sign of spring in Land Park.

Conditions were perfect today–sunny and warm–for a fast run in the park.

Kevin Pool and Stacey Worthen were the winners in the 5Km, in 15:02 and 18:45.

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