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Honda LA Marathon presented by Asics – Marathon Championships

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Justin Patananan, 2:31:16 Open Marathon Champion

The 26th Honda LA Marathon presented by Asics hosted the 2012 USATF Southern California Association Marathon Championshipson March 18. The weather report forecasted a reprise of the previous year’s edition as a bitter wind and a torrential downpour greeted runners at the Expo a day ahead of the race. Fortunately, the inclement weather receded in the early morning on race day to give way to near perfect conditions. Almost 23,000 participants ran the stadium to sea course. The scenic trek started at Dodger Stadium and passed many iconic landmarks along the way through Chinatown, Downtown, Hollywood, and Brentwood before finishing at the ocean shores of Santa Monica.

2008 US Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier Justin Patananan (31) took the men’s Open Marathon Championship in 2:31:16. The Nike Team Run LA member used the race as a tune up for this year’s Boston Marathon where he hopes to improve on his 2:20 personal best time. Timur Crone(25) (2:45:13) was second and Alexander Garabedian (20) of the Santa Monica Track Club was third in 2:56:02. 
Sara Raschiator, 2:50:04, Women’s Open Champion
 Brooks ID athlete Sara Raschiatore (31) was the women’s Open Marathon Champion with a time of 2:50:04. She PR’ed by almost two minutes even though it was her first time running the hilly stadium to sea course.  Formerly a 3000m specialist now with 5 marathons under her belt, Raschiatore says she owes her improved time to the mental adjustments that come with experience. “I think I may be finally learning how to run the marathon. This was the first marathon that I actually ran my own race.” Ginna Ladd(36) of Track Club LA came in second place with a personal best time of 3:02:49. Kate Freeman (30) was third in 3:04:26.
Nicholas Bowden, 2:38:19
 Nicholas Bowden (40) of Track Club LA was the men’s Masters Marathon Champion while making his marathon debut. Interestingly enough, he almost didn’t make it to the starting line. “I was so sick during the week before the race that I told a friend that I couldn’t envision a scenario where I would be running.” After deciding the night before to go for it, Bowdenwent out and clocked a 2:38:19. “Going into the race with diminished expectations prevented me from making the classic beginner mistake of running too fast in the first half. However, the nature of the distance and the hilly course made the last 6 miles feel like a war of attrition.” Rit Tun (40) of Track Club LA was second in 2:59:31 and Miguel Magana came in third in 3:03:15.
Ingrid Walters, 3:07:34
 The women’s Masters Marathon Champion was Ingrid Walters(40) of The Janes Elite Racing.  Running in her 4th Honda LA Marathon, but for the first time on the stadium to sea course Walterscrossed the tape in 3:07:34. She credits the combination of hill training in the Santa Monica Mountains and short distance training with her Janes teammates, many of whom are 5K and 10K specialists, with helping her achieve a personal best by 10 minutes. After attacking the hills in the first half, Walters recovered on the downhills and flats between miles 14 and 20. The recovery time “gave me the energy to blast through the final 5 miles.” Elanor Keare (43) (3:20:21) and Romney Resney (43) (3:27:55), both of the Cal Coast Track Club were second and third, respectively.
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Both long and short distance runners will have their next opportunities to score points in the USATF Southern California Association Grand Prix at the Magic Shoe 5K in Newport Beach and Pasadena Marathon/Half Marathon on May 19th and 20th, respectively.

USATF Southern California Runners Continue Domination of Brea 8K Classic

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Brea 8K Classic, Sunday February 26, 2012, Brea CA
By Wayne Joness
Members of USATF Southern California cannot get enough of the irresistible one-two punch of the Brea 8K Classic, which combines the unique road racing distance of 8 kilometers with a finish line food feast which alone is worth the price of race registration. And for the third year in a row, USATF members turned out in record numbers to set new course records, competing in the largest field of registered Brea 8K runners in the history of the 21 year-old event.
Carlos Carballo (M29) of adidas Legacy Run Racing won convincingly in 24:32, a good twenty seconds ahead of second place finisher and masters champion Christian Cushing-Murray (M44) of Cal Coast Track Club who raced 24:57. The Brea 8K course was slightly changed for 2012, and recertified by USATF. Runners may debate how the 2012 course compares to the original, but Carballo’s time is seven seconds faster than the previous record set by Brian Livingston in 2010. Rounding out the open finishers were John Gardiner (M39) from A Snail’s Pace Running Club with 25:57 and Miguel Batista (M15) 26:18 of the Equalizers Track Club
In the women’s division Erika Aklufi (F35) of The Janes Elite Racing won with a time of 28:26. In a parallel of the men’s finish, Aklufi was also followed by a top masters competitor, Nathalie Higley (F42) of Club Ed Running, finishing in 28:38. 2nd and 3rd place in the open division went to Leilani Rios (F32) from A Snail’s Pace Running Club running 29:50, and Nichole Slykhouse (F22) also of Cal Coast Track Club finishing in 30:00 flat.
USATF Southern California is home to some of the best masters athletes in the United States, so it was no surprise to see Cushing-Murray joined by fellow Cal Coast Track Club runners Ken Ernst (M50) 26:17 and Matt Ebiner (M50) 26:33, giving Cal Coast Track Club a sweep of the men’s masters. In a replay of the Redondo Beach 2012 10 km Championships results, Higley was followed across the finish line by Tania Fischer, 29:16, also of the Janes, with Higley’s teammate from Club Ed Running Alison Atkinson taking 3rd place with 30:39.
In the youth competition, the Equalizers Track Club and the So Cal Roadrunners continue to use the Brea 8K to showcase some of the most promising runners in Southern California. While only 62 Equalizers competed in the large field of 3,000 runners, two thirds of the Equalizers finished in the top 10% of all runners. 

Local coverage of the Brea 8K, including USATF.

2012 USATF Southern California 10K Championships – Redondo Beach Superbowl Sunday 10K

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February 5, 2012
Contributing Members of USATF Southern California
Unseasonably warm and sunny weather as well as majestic views of the Pacific Ocean greeted the nearly 3500 runners who came out to Redondo Beach for what was billed as “Southern California’s greatest Super Bowl Celebration!”  The 34th annual Redondo Beach Super Bowl Sunday 10K, known as being one of the more challenging road courses in Southern California, rewards those who take a patient and strategic approach to the race.  It is also the 2012 USATF Southern California 10 km Championships race.
Fresh off the 2012 US Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, Mary Akor (F35) took home the women’s Open 10K Championship with a time of 34:16. Placing 11th overall, she dominated the women’s open field and beat her nearest competitor, Erika Aklufi (F35) 35:56, of The Janes Elite Racing, by more than 90 seconds. Akor has qualified for several Olympic Trials, and is now a member of the local addidas Legacy Run Racing team, which includes 2012 US Olympic Marathon Trials competitors Jimmy Grabow and Charlie Serrano. The bronze medal for women’s open was presented to Kim Ramirez (F29) running 38:34, joining The Janes Elite Racing team member Erika Aklufi for a podium finish.
Luis Ibarra (M31) of Nike Team Run LA, coming off an impressive win in LA King’s 5K, took the men’s Open 10K Championship. Ibarra notched his second consecutive Grand Prix victory in the men’s open division with a time of 30:59. Following Ibarra was Cal Coast Track Club standout runner Gabriel Hernandez (M32) running 32:10. Local hero Humberto Sanchez (M36) of Club Ed Runningwas the third place men’s open finisher in 34:41.
In the masters division, Redondo Beach resident Nathalie Higley (F42) and 2011 USATF Southern California Grand Prix Champion Tania Fischer (F45) contested the Masters 10K Championship to the finish line.  It was Higley who had a little extra at the end, edging Fischer by a second to cross the tape at 35:58, to Fischer’s 35:59. Higley is no stranger to the Grand Prix circuit, having won the 2010 Masters 10K Championship as well as the 2011 Masters Half Marathon Championship. With 9 races remaining in the 2012 Southern California Association Grand Prix, Fischer of The Janes Elite Racing and Higley of Club Ed Running can look forward to renewing their acquaintance soon.  Alison Atkinson (F45) took 3rd place with a time of 37:53, also representing Club Ed Running.
Ken Ernst (M50) of the Compex Racing team improved on his second place finish in the LA King’s 5K to take the men’s Masters 10K Championship.  Ernst, who had hoped to give himself a 50thbirthday present by breaking 33 minutes in the 10K, realized early on that he would have trouble maintaining the rhythm necessary for such a time on the hilly course. Instead, he sat on a pack of runners which included 2011 Masters 10K Champion Nicholas Bowden (M40), 33:52. Making his move with a little over a mile to go, Ernst pulled away on the final uphill and cruised to his first masters win at a 2012 Grand Prix Championship race with a time of 33:24. Ernst, who is currently at the top of the Grand Prix standings, will look to further cement his position at the Brea 8K in late February. Jon Megeff (M48) finished 34:11 for third place, adding more points to the building Club Ed Running total.
In the team competition 2011 Southern California Grand Prix winner Club Ed Running, with 4302 age-graded points scored at Redondo Beach, decisively beat out The Janes Elite Racing, 4089 points, and Cal Coast Track Club, 4060 points. Club Ed have carried last year’s success over into 2012. The Southern California clubs will send their long distance specialists to the next 2012 Championships race, the Honda LA Marathon, in mid-March.