Is it the steeplechase or a marathon? (Photo courtesy of Randy Wehner Photography)
When we look back on the California International Marathon of 2012, what will first spring to mind is the Atmospheric River.
Over my decades of running, I have experienced some pretty intense weather. My one run at Boston was in the infamous nor’easter of 2007.
I ran most of the stormy 2001 CIM before crapping out and slinking away in my wife’s car at mile 17.
Tesfaye Alemayehu on his way to victory in 47:34. (SRN photo.)
There was a time in the not too distant past, where 60-minutes for a ten mile run was the demarcation line between serious and non-serious runners. The local Buffalo Stampede 10 mile race would produce a bushel of sub-60 minute finishes, and the Stockton’s California 10 wouldn’t even give you a shirt unless you broke 60-minutes.
While local races still usually deliver a few speedy times, the crowd is pretty thin when you get under six minutes per mile.
As I’ve written before, a little prize money goes a long way. Now, with this year’s $15,000 prize purse and PAUSATF grand prix status, the Sactown 10 delivers as a serious, competitive race.
You are probably by now aware that the Olympic Marathon trials were held in Houston this past Saturday.
During your long run this morning, you may have asked your running buddies something like, “I wonder how that woman from our club did? I think her name is Susan. Or maybe it’s Suzanne. I’m not quite sure but, you know, she’s has kind of brown hair and is kind of skinny? You know who I’m talking about?”
No. I don’t know, but I did look through the results and tried to pick out as many locals as I could find and collected their results here.
Austin Weaver on his way to the win at Sunday's Buffalo Stampede. (SRN Photo)
Since the dawn of time*, runners have gathered on the 1st Sunday after Labor Day to run the Buffalo Stampede. The race has grown and shrunk again over the years but it remains a “must do race” for the Sacramento running community.
Many locals think of it as the kick-off race for the build up to the California International Marathon, and the weather for this year’s event could hardly have been more perfect.
Several years ago, the Buffalo Chips added a second, non-competitive race for slower runners–now known as the Parrott Migration.
