USATF Southern California

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USATF Masters 8 km Championships – $11,500 Prize Money and A Snail’s Pace Running Shops – Feb, 23, 2014, Brea CA

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The USA Track & Field National Masters 8 km Championships – Prize Money and Awards Increase to $11,500! Welcome to our new sponsor, A Snail’s Pace Running Shops!

 

A Snail’s Pace Running Shops are many things to many people: for some they are a local source for specialty running supplies, staffed by knowledgeable, helpful employees. For others A Snail’s Pace is a place to learn to run better and faster: ASPRS organize their own Running Academy, to inspire runners to discover their maximum potential. A Snail’s Pace is also a valuable supporter of USATF: they have stepped up to provide additional prizes to participants in the 2014 USATF USA Masters 8 km Championships, on February 23, 2014, in Brea CA.

Prizes for the top three finishers in five-year age-group divisions!

The first place finishers in five-year age divisions will receive a cash prize of $100, and a gold medal. Second place finishers will received a $50 Gift Certificate redeemable at A Snail’s Pace Running Shop and a silver medal, and third place finishers will receive a $25 Gift Certificate, also redeemable at A Snail’s Pace Running Shop and a bronze medal. Age-group divisions: 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, and 85-89.

Who can compete? How do I register?

To participate in the National Masters 8 km Championships, runners must be age 40 years or older on race day, Sunday, February 23, 2014. You must also be a current 2014 member of USA Track and Field, and you need to register for the Masters 8 km Championships through USATF.
Registration for the National 8km Championships is available only through the USATF national website for USATF members. Register NOW!

How do I join USATF? Do I need to be an elite athlete?

Anyone can join USA Track and Field, the governing body for Road Racing in the United States! Membership is $30 a year, and no special  abilities are required for membership. When you join USATF, you support road running across the United States. Every year thousands of
children participate in the Junior Olympics, organized by USATF. And  every year runners in Southern California use their USATF membership to enjoy discounts for race registration in some of the most popular  races in California through the Road Running Grand Prix. And all USATF members get a 10% discount off exclusive Nike USATF running gear available only from USATF. Join USATF today!
Do not miss this rare opportunity!

To be selected as the site of a national competition is a rare honor,  and the Brea 8K has earned it as a key part of the USATF Southern   California Road Running Grand Prix since 2010. If you are a masters   runner, this is your chance to race with some of the best runners in the nation. If you are not a masters runner, you can still register and   race the Brea 8K Classic! The masters competition starts at 7:30 am, the general Brea 8K Classic starts at 8:00 am.

USATF Masters 8K Championships Coming to Brea 8K!

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The USA Track and Field National Masters 8 km Championships come to the Brea 8K! Sunday, February 23, 2014, 7:30 am.

USATF Southern California is proud to announce that the Brea 8K has been selected as the site of the 2014 USATF National Masters 8 km Championships. Some of the best masters runners in the United States will travel to this beautiful, challenging USATF certified and sanctioned 8 km course to compete for the title of 2014 Masters 8 km Champion!

$10,000 in prize money package! Individual and Team Competition!

Runners will be competing for a prize money package totaling $10,000. In addition to overall prize money, cash awards will be offered for top age group competitors in five year age groups (40-44, 45-49, etc.). In addition there is age-graded prize money, plus prize money offered for the team competition as well! Prize money details.

Who can compete? How do I register?

To participate in the National Masters 8 km Championships, runners must be age 40 years or older on race day, Sunday, February 23, 2014. You must also be a current 2014 member of USA Track and Field, and you need to register for the Masters 8 km Championships through USATF. Registration for the National 8km Championships is available only through the USATF national website for USATF members. Register NOW!

How do I join USATF? Do I need to be an elite athlete?

Anyone can join USA Track and Field, the governing body for Road Racing in the United States! Membership is $30 a year, and no special abilities are required for membership. When you join USATF, you support road running across the United States. Every year thousands of children participate in the Junior Olympics, organized by USATF. And every year runners in Southern California use their USATF membership to enjoy discounts for race registration in some of the most popular races in California through the Road Running Grand Prix. And all USATF members get a 10% discount off exclusive Nike USATF running gear available only from USATF. Join USATF today!
Do not miss this rare opportunity!

To be selected as the site of a national competition is a rare honor, and the Brea 8K has earned it as a key part of the USATF Southern California Road Running Grand Prix since 2010. If you are a masters runner, this is your chance to race with some of the best runners in the nation. If you are not a masters runner, you can still register and race the Brea 8K Classic! The masters competition starts at 7:30 am, the general Brea 8K Classic starts at 8:00 am.

2013 Road Mile Championships “On Ramp” Tour

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  • July 30: Track Club LA – Santa Monica College – 6:30 pm

    Track Club LAThe 2013 On Ramp tour starts with Track Club LA, home to the original 2009 Road Running Grand Prix Champions. Coach Eric Barron is training members of this motivated Santa Monica team to run the legendary Cahn mile on Tuesday, August 20, before taking on the 2013 USATF Southern California 1 Mile Championships at Dockweiler Beach on Saturday August 24.

    Join members of this USATF running club Tuesday evenings at Santa Monica College, warm up around 6:00 pm, workout at 6:30 pm.

    Track Club LA Online– Contact coach Eric Barron email at [email protected] or phone 310-471-8988.
     

  • August 7: Run MDR (Marina Del Rey)– The Starting Line – 6:30 pm

    Run MDRFor runners looking for a friendly Wednesday evening run in the Marina del Rey area, there is no better place to meet than in front of The Starting Line (114-A W Washington Blvd, Marina del Rey, CA 90292) to join up with the RunMDR social running club. The Wednesday pm runs offer a variety of distances that wind around the beautiful canals of Venice, California.

    RunMDR is helmed by organizer Harry Mitterbauer and his team of volunteers. Lace up with Run MDR, now celebrating their 4th year of running in the beautiful Marina del Rey!

    Run MDR Online– Contact Harry Mitterbauer at [email protected] Starting Line phone: 310-827-3035

  • August 8: A Runner’s Circle – A Runner’s Circle – 6:00 pm

    ARC RunPerhaps no local evening runs brings out more participants than the super popular “A Runner’s Circle” Thursday evening fun run. Show up on Thursday night, and you will quickly understand why: well-trained pace leaders take runners on a variety of courses: 3 or 5 miles, flat or hills, run primarily on the soft and scenic trails of Griffith Park.

    Starting and finishing at the ARC store, there are always plenty of refreshments on hand, making this an ideal way to spend a Southern California evening. ARC is very active with USATF, not only as a running club, but also organizing the Bell-Jeff Cross Country Invitational, part of the 2013 Cross Country Grand Prix.

    A Runner’s Circle– Contact email: [email protected] or phone 323-661-8971.
     

  • August 14: Club Ed Running – Mira Costa High School- 6:30 pm

    Club Ed RunningClub Ed Running stormed the USATF Southern California Road Running Grand Prix, winning back-to-back club victories in 2010 Road Running Grand Prix and 2011 Road Running Grand Prix.

    In addition to the solid coaching skills of Ed Avol, Club Ed Running boasts some of the most talented masters runners in Southern California, winning several USATF Southern California titles. Wednesday nights offered a structured workout at the Mira Coasta High School, with a variety of alternatives runs on other days around Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Palos Verdes.

    Club Ed Running Online– Contact coach Ed Avol email at [email protected].
     

  • August 14: LA Running Club – Santa Monica High School – 6:30 pm

    LA Running ClubThe LA Running Club describes itself as the place where “friendship and fitness meet.” I will bet you have seen their runners training in Santa Monica, with their inspirational slogan: “Run in Feet, Dream in Miles.” Many of the participants are loyal LA Marathon runners, who use this Wednesday night track workout to work different muscles from their long marathon training runs.

    This group is coached by David Levine, a USATF certified coach and also co-author of the marathon training book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Marathon Training.

    LA Running Club Online– Contact LA Running Club at [email protected]

     

  • August 21: Top-to-Top – Top-to-Top – 6:30 pm

    Top-to-TopIn addition to being one of Santa Monica’s premier specialty running stores, Top-to-Top also hosts their own running club, beginning at 6:30 pm every Wednesday night in front of the Santa Monica store, with fun announcements and special guests, followed by your choice of runs (5k, 5 miles, 10k), after which they supply food and drink for all. And don’t forget about the raffle prizes!

    Santa Monica is home base for some of the fastest runners in Southern California, and if you are looking for a challenge on your Wednesday night run, Top-to-Top may be just the place for you. In addition to the casual runners looking to get their legs moving after the work day, you stand a chance of finding the right partner for a fast-paced tempo run as well.

    Top-to-Top Online– Contact email at [email protected] or phone (310)-829-7030.

Special thanks to USATF members Brian Panosian and Lily Zepeda for their help in meeting with running clubs and getting the word out on the 2013 Road Mile Championships!

LA84 Cross Country Coaches Clinics

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You will not want to miss the clinic which is absolutely free for all coaches who would like to attend. The June 22 clinic will feature this incredible line-up of championship high school coaches: http://www.la84.org/coaching-clinics/

  • Jim O’Brien: Arcadia High School: 2012 National High School Cross Country Champions.
  • Roger Evans: Simi Valley: Coach of two time National Individual Cross Country Champion, Sarah Baxter.
  • Doug Soles: Great Oak High School: 2012 California State Division 1 Girls Cross Country Champions.
  • Dr. Jeff Messer: formerly coach with six time Arizona State Cross Country Champions, Xavier College Prep.
  • Joe Snyder: Westlake High School: 2012 California State Division II Boys Cross Country Champions.

We will also offer a full slate on Beginning Level sessions at the same clinic, so you can bring all of your coaches and interested adults who would like to attend and there will be appropriate sessions for everyone.

Also, don’t forget the very special July 20 clinic which will feature Dr. Joe Vigil, Steve Chavez and Marco Ochoa.

June 22, 2013
High School Cross Country Coaches Clinic
Advanced “Champion Coaches Clinic” & Beginning Level Clinic
Mt. San Antonio College | Walnut, CA
More Details & Register »
July 20, 2013
High School Cross Country Coaches Clinic
Advanced Clinic Featuring Dr. Joe Vigil & Beginning Level Clinic
Mt. San Antonio College | Walnut, CA
More Details & Register »
August 18, 2013
Youth/Age Group Cross Country Coaches Clinic
Balboa Middle School | Ventura, CA
More Details & Register »
August 25, 2013
High School Cross Country Coaches Clinic
Beginning Level Clinic
LA84 Foundation | Los Angeles, CA
More Details & Register »

Tim O’Rourke

2012 SCA Mountain, Ultra, Trail Report

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This is the 2012 United States of America Track and Field (USATF) Southern California Association Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) Report from the 2012 Southern California Ultra Runners Grand Prix Series. The Series roster as of December, 2012, for the Southern California Ultra Runners Grand Prix Series was at 45 participants, with 9 runners registered as USA Track and Field members. Given California’s economic trends, USATF participation continues unpredictable for 2012 and 2013. We are hopeful that forwarding USATF emails and other USATF on-line news items will help increase the enthusiasm for belonging to the Southern California Ultra Runners Grand Prix Series and USA Track and Field for 2012 and 2013 as we continue to promote USA Track and Field and the benefits of membership.
The 2012 Southern California Grand Prix Ultra Series had 20 event dates and 23 event distances for 2012, including the USATF Southern California Association 50k Trail Championship at the High Desert 50k in December. For 2013, the High Desert 50k event will again represent USATF Southern California Association as the 50k Trail Championship.
For 2013, the Series will have 23 event dates and 28 event distances, including the 2013 Southern California USA Track and Field 50-mile Trail Championship. We have added five ultra events on the 2013 Series Calendar. The Series offers a unique variety of running courses and challenges. Events range from the trails on Catalina Island to the unpredictable High Desert. This includes all areas from the San Diego area to the west San Fernando Valley. And, if you like mountains and forests, our events include the Santa Monica Mountains, the Coastal Mountains of the Los Padres Forest, the San Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles Forest, the Cleveland Forest, and the San Bernardino Forest. All the additions will increase the popularity of the existing calendar.
For the second consecutive year, Race Directors Steve and Anny Harvey offer the Nanny Goat 24/12 Hour,….the Ultra Series’ only 24/12 Hour event. What makes this event uniquely special is that each “lap” is totally counted for each runner. Yes, each runner knows the place of every other runner, both in front AND behind them.
Here’s how Series points are tabulated…..Points are tabulated for each race using this formula: 100 mile, 100k, 50 mile, 50k: The winner’s time is divided by the individual’s time. Then that decimal is multiplied by the distance (in miles). In the 12/24 hour: the runner’s miles are divided by the winner’s miles (to establish a percentage). Then that is multiplied by the maximum possible points (100 in a 24 hour/ 50 in a 12 hour). If the winner runs less than 100 miles in a 24 hour or less than 50 miles in a 12 hour, that 2 distance will be used to calculate total points. The maximum point total for any 24 hour run is 100 points and 50 points for 12 hour runs.
For 2012, Ricardo Ornelas of San Dimas won the Series Overall Crown and the Mileage Crown with 305.4 points and 732.7 Series race miles. Former Series Champion and USATF member Jack Cheng of Temple City followed with 222.7 points. Tin Tse was the Men’s Mileage Runner-up with 485.7 Series race miles. Yen Darcy, USATF member, won both the Women’s Overall Crown, with 190.8 points, and the Women’s Mileage Crown, with 479.5 miles. Yen’s mileage total was third overall amongst men and women. The ageless woman-wonder Haw Ja Andrade, 71, USATF member of Cypress, California was the Women’s Mileage Runner-up with 160.0 Series race miles.
For the Complete Series Results and schedule go to http://socalultraseries.org. The following text is a wrap-up of the 2012 year-long Southern California Ultra Runners Grand Prix Series events. Please read and enjoy. AND PLEASE….JOIN USATF TODAY! You will support much needed programs while increasing your health insurance, if you get injured!! USATF Insurance covers emergency Helicopter lifts!
AGE GROUP CHAMPIONS
MEN Point total BEST 6 races Series Races Miles AGE
Ricardo Ornelas 305.4 16 732.7 30-39
Jack Cheng 222.7 5 342.5 30-39
Tin Tse 249.4 10 485.7 40-49
Larry Rich 200.7 8 389.0 50-59
Larry Ramaekers 149.5 5 224.0 60-69
Bill Dickey 52.6 3 112.0 70+
WOMEN Point total BEST 6 races Series Races MILES AGE
Yen Darcy 190.8 11 479.5 50-59
Nancy Tinker 32.4 2 62.0 60-69
Haw Ja Andrade 103.8 3 160.0 70-79

2012 USATF Southern California Road Running Champions

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Meet Your 2012 USATF Southern California Road Running Champions!

1 Mile Champions:

Open – Tanya Zeferjahn, San Clemente – 4:47:72 (F-28)
Open – Andrew Acosta, Los Angeles – 3:58:98 (M-24)

Masters – Genevieve Graff-Ermeling, Santa Monica – 5:09:50 (F-41)
Masters – Ray Knerr, Los Angeles – 4:37:69 (M-52)

5 km Champions:

Open – Tanya Zeferjahn, San Clemente – 16:52.9 (F-28)
Open – Luis Ibarra, Montebello – 14:30.6 (M-32)

Masters – Grace Padilla, Los Angeles – 18:13.7 (F-41)
Masters – David Olds, Los Angeles – 16:20.5 (M–51)

10 km Champions:

Open – Mary Akor, Hawthorne, 34:16 (F–35)
Open – Luis Ibarra, Montebello, 30:59 (M–31)

Masters – Nathalie Higley, Redondo Beach, 36:58 (F–42)
Masters – Ken Ernst, Mission Viejo, 33:24 (M–50)

Half Marathon Champions:

Open – Carlos Carballo (M-30) 1:07:25
Open – Holly Hobson-Gery (F-29) 1:29:02

Masters – Kevin Broady (M-51) 1:14:17
Masters – Caroline McAndrews (F-51) 1:40:30

Marathon Champions:

Open – Sara Raschiatore, Joshua Tree, 2:50:04 (F-31)
Open – Justin Patananan, Palmdale, 2:31:16 (M–31)

Masters – Ingrid Walters, Santa Monica, 3:07:34 (F-40)
Masters – Nicholas Bowden, Los Angeles, 2:38:19 (M–40)

Congratulations 2012 Road Running Grand Prix Champions!

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A record breaking 557 USATF Southern California runners posted scores in the 2012 Road Running Grand Prix series. Leading the way for the youth division are runners Ashling Carr (10) with 2590 points and returning 2011 champion Anthony Palazzo (15) with 2610 points. Youth runners were required to run 3 races for end-of-year awards, adults run five races.

Full 2012 Results.

Tania Fischer gets her third title as first place overall finisher, while Ken Ernst takes first place in the men’s division, each winning $500. Second place awards go to Jon Megeff and Erika Aklufi with a $250 prize. Third place: Rich Gust and Rosalva Bonilla winning $150. Fourth place: Gregory Keyes and Yayoi Liu winning $75, and fifth place kudos to Oliver Gallego and Linda Hodgson taking home $25.

“Most Valuable Runner” award (we just made that up) has to go to the indefatigable Thomas “Tom” Albright, 7th overall finisher, who ran no less than 10 (ten! yes! ten!) Grand Prix races this year, missing only the Semana Nautica 15 km. Tom ran the Magic Shoe 5K on Satuday, May 20, in 19:12, then ran the Pasadena Half Marathon on Sunday, May 21, in 1:36:11!

2012 was the year of the Cal Coast Track Club. It is hard to find the right superlative for Cal Coast; far from just beating the competition, they become something of a hurricane force, a road running Death Star. Cal Coast runners turned up in huge numbers at Grand Prix races, a sea of blue running singlets taking top prizes, age-group awards, and in the case of Peter Magill, setting a new American age-group record in the 5 km. 90 open/masters members of Cal Coast posted scores in the Grand Prix, with another 12 runners in the youth division, bringing the Cal Coast participation to 102 total! No wonder that five of the top ten finalists are Cal Coast runners! And Tom Albright – he’s a member of Cal Coast as well!


Youth Individual Division Road Running Grand Prix Champions:

Sub-Bantam – Sofia Gibson (F), Noah Lindo (M)
Bantam – Ashling Carr (F), Jackson Coney (M)
Midget – Chloe Arriaga (F), Daniel Bautista (M)
Youth – Hannah Hall (F), Colby Penn (M)
Intermediate- Maily Wong (F), Anthony Palazzo (M)

In the youth division, The Equalizers take their third title, but this year they faced competition from Junior Cal Coast, the youth division of the Cal Coast Track Club.

Thanks again to Nicole Luque for scoring the 2012 Road Running Grand Prix!

2011 Road Running Grand Prix Results
2010 Road Running Grand Prix Results
2009 Road Running Grand Prix Results

2012 SCA Road Running Grand Prix – Dino Dash 5 km and 10 km Results

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2012 SCA Road Running Grand Prix

2012 Dino Dash
Sunday – November 4, 2012

5 km Awards – Overall Open Winners

Open 1st: Roosevelt Cook, M-33, 15:10.0
Open 1st: Lilyana Morejon, F-23, 17:33.4
Open 2nd: Sydney Gidabuday, M-16, 15:17.1
Open 2nd: Leilani Rios, F-32, 17:54.1
Open 3rd: Sergio Olivarrias, M-22, 15:24.0
Open 3rd: Ashley Teran, F-26, 18:11.1

5 km Awards – Overall Masters Winners

Masters 1st: Christian Cushing-Murray, M-45, 15:34.8
Masters 1st: Nathalie Higley, F-42, 17:36.8
Masters 2nd: Jon Megeff, M-49, 16:30.2
Masters 2nd:Kirsten Leetch, F-46, 17:43.4
Masters 3rd: Dan Arsenault, M-49, 16:38.7
Masters 3rd: Kathleen Cushing-Murray, F-47, 19:37.0

5 km Awards – Youth Division 10 and Younger

1st: Jonathan Manara, M-9, 20:27.0
1st: Devin Ito, F-9, 19:44.9
2nd: Noah Lindo, M-8, 21:17.1
2nd: Ashling Carr, F-10, 20:21.3
3rd: Nicholas Allred, M-8, 21:30.4
3rd: Autumn Clarke, F-10, 20:31.0
4th: Noah Ta-Perez, M-9, 22:32.3
4th: Aleksandra Crampton, F-10, 21:00.1
5th: Anthony Kennen, M-10, 24:32.0
5th: Sofia Gibson, F-8, 21:54.9

5 km Awards – Youth Division 11 – 12

1st: Daniel Bautista, M-11, 19:05.2
1st: Hannah Hall, F-12, 19:06.8
2nd: David Crampton, M-12, 19:14.9
2nd: Chloe Arriaga, F-11, 19:13.8
3rd: Liem Nguyen, M-12, 20:07.3
3rd: Rocio Bartolo, F-12, 19:47.6
4th: David Garcia, M-12, 20:32.9
4th: Casey Hulme, F-12, 20:04.5
5th: Bryan Llopis, M-12, 20:44.6
5th: Raegan Peterson, F-12, 20:12.3

10 km Awards – Overall Open Winners

Open 1st: Robert Olivera, M-26, 31:14.7
Open 1st: Erika Aklufi, F-36, 36:13.0
Open 2nd: Juan Morales, M-32, 35:17.7
Open 2nd: Jenni Johnson, F-32, 37:45.7
Open 3rd: Dave Withers, M-38, 39:56.3
Open 3rd: Andrea Palacio, F-30, 38:13.3

10 km Awards – Overall Masters Winners

Masters 1st: John Gardiner, M-40, 32:41.3
Masters 1st: Ingrid Walters, F-40, 39:30.7
Masters 2nd: Juan Ramirez, M-41, 35:46.5
Masters 2nd:Diana Keyes, F-43, 54:50.2
Masters 3rd: Mark Steyvers, M-42, 34:50.0
Masters 3rd: Jennifer Lazio, F-44, 49:24.9

10 km Awards – Youth Division 11 – 12

1st: Gavin Hancock, M-12, 54:13.1
1st: Amber Spees, F-12, 51:12.4
2nd: Patrick Paragas, M-12, 55:06.1

2012 USATF Southern California Road Mile Championships

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Andrew (AJ) Acosta runs a sub-4:00 mile, finishing in 3:58!


The 3rd time proved to be the charm at the 2012 USATF Southern California Road Mile Championships when AJ Acosta (M-26) rocketed across the finish line in 3:58.98, delivering a blistering finish to the excitement and applause of runners and spectators who hoped to witness the phenomenon of a sub 4:00 mile. Second place finisher Jon Rankin (M-30) nearly missed the sub 4:00 mark, running 4:00.43. Despite the strong competition and record turnout in other divisions, Acosta was the only runner to set a new course record at the Championships, held on Sunday, August 26, at the El Toro Airfield. In fact, both Acosta and Rankin’s time would beat the previous open men’s course record of 4:01.24 run by Brandon Bethke (M-24) in 2011.

3rd place – Brosnan, 2nd place – Rankin, and winner AJ Acosta

Events kicked off at 7:00 am, start of the combined race walk competition, with Janelle Zamora (F-10) winning the 12 and younger division with a time of 10:47.76, and Patsy Hurley (F-17) winning the 13-18 bracket with a time of 7:59.70. This was one of several “three-peat” performances for Road Mile veterans, with Zamora and Hurley winning in 2010 and 2011 as well.
In the boy’s division Andrew Paez (M-12) walked 9:39.20. After a strong record as a youth competitor, Julia Townsend (F-19) took the open competition in a time of 8:29.49. The 40-54 men’s competition was won by Joseph Nierosku (M-50) with a time of 7:42.85, and Carol Alexander (F-52) won with a time of 9:18.52. The final division was for walkers 55+, with Rick Campbell (M-66) 8:58.44 and Donna Cunningham (F-65) 9:20.76 besting the sizeable field of age 55+ race walkers, the largest single division of race walkers at the 2012 Road Mile Championships.

For the youth runners, each USTAF youth age division competed in their own race, making for an hour of exciting youth competition. The sub-bantam division was won by Melina Gonzalez (F-7) 6:56.81 and Noah Lindo (M-8) 6:07.76. Bantam division winners were Brianna Valles (F-10) 5:46.81 and Coney Jackson (M-10) 5:35.24. Gonzalez and Valles were among a number of USATF members representing the McFarland Track Club who made the long trip to Irvine to compete and show the depth of talent in the Central California Association.

In the midget division first-place gold medals were awarded to: Chloe Arriaga (F-11) 5:22.17 and Raymon Ornelas (M-11) 5:13.10. In the youth division: Bianca Alonzo (F-14) 5:08.02 and Hugo Nova (M-13) running 4:43.36. Intermediate division: Laura Guidolin (F-15) 5:00.97 and Anthony Palazzo (M-15) 4:37.82. Wrapping up the hour of youth competition was the Young division, with top awards going to Sara Kebede (F-17) 5:25.03 and Michael Pincchini (M-17) 4:28.43.

Youth participation expanded in 2012, with The Equalizers posting 4342 points in the youth club competition, besting the South Orange County Wildcats with 4141 and the Chino Hills Flash with 3999.

The spectators were truly impressed with the outstanding performances of the youth athletes, so the adults, parents and coaches in the open competition had quite a high bar to meet. Leading the way for the general open competition was Vanessa Lordi (F-35) with a mile time of 5:23.73. Luis Palacios (M-32) squeezed out a victorious 4:30.95 mile, but only in the final 50 meters of the race was he able to pull around the remarkable Brian Duff (M-35) who finished just behind Palacios with a time of 4:32.23. Duff ran a few seconds slower than his 2011 finish of 4:30.46, but this year he was pushing his daughter Marly Duff in a baby stroller!

Luis Palacios edges out Brian (and Marly, in the stroller) Duff.

In the masters division Kathleen Cushing-Murray (F-47), of the famed Cushing-Murray running dynasty, took first place with a time of 5:35.03, and Bill McQuown (M-55) won in 5:22.35. Taking home the title of most “experienced” runner was Gunnar Linde (M-84) running a strong 8:01.09

As with previous years, when the elite USATF runners stationed themselves at the starting line the cloud cover cleared, and conditions on the course heated up. Runners at the Road Mile Championships stare down one solid mile of orange cones marking the way to the finishing line, punctuated every ¼ mile by electronic timing clocks.

The elite women started in one wave, hoping to best the overall open course record of Brenda Martinez (F-23), 4:38.43, set in 2011. First across the finish line was Tanya Zeferjahn (F-28) in 4:47.72 winning the women’s open division, with Genevieve Graff-Ermeling (F-41) running 5:09.50 for the women’s 40-49 win, and Debbie Lee (F-55) running 5:40.70 for the 50+ age-group title. Lee’s finish put her in the top slot for age-graded Grand Prix points in the women’s division on Sunday, scoring 937.

Tanya Zeferjahn (F-28) finishers in 4:47.72.

The men’s race was divided into two starts, with men 40 to 49, and 50+ racing as one group. Repeating their 1-2 top performance in their age division from 2011 was Ray Knerr (M-52) with a time of 4:37.69 and Rich Burns (M-57) in 4:42.53. Like Lee, Burns distinguished himself as the overall leader in age-graded Grand Prix points, scoring 951 points, contributing to the victory of the Cal Coast Track Club in club scoring at the Road Mile Championships. Jon Megeff (M-49) raced 4:40.38, right behind Knerr, taking the 40-49 division. Megeff’s excellent finished contributed to the scoring of his club, Club Ed Running, taking second place to the members of Cal Coast.

Masters: Ray Knerr (4:37), Jon Megeff (4:40) and Rich Burns (4:42).

The Road Mile Championships are starting to feel like a new Southern California institution, marking the end of summer, before runners embark on a season of fall cross country racing. Look for the Road Mile in 2013, when runners can again challenge themselves to run “their best mile” at the El Toro Airfield.




USA Olympic Track & Field Trials Coverage: Californians Uceny and Rowbury Make U.S. Olympic 1500m Squad

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Victor Sailer/www.PhotoRun.NET.





Morgan Uceny had nothing to prove in the women’s 1500m final at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. After all, in 2011, Uceny (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) was ranked #1 in the world in the 1500m and dominated the IAAF Diamond League circuit.

Read More at California Track & Running News, the official publication of USATF for California and Nevada