Posted: June 2, 2005

Athletics: Competitive Field Set for USA 10K Trail Championship

VAIL - (June 1, 2005) - The world-renowned ski resort community of Vail, Colorado is kicking off the spring trail running season with the Gore-Tex USA 10K Trail Running Championship on Saturday, June 4. The event is part of the Teva Mountain Games, an annual four-day festival which includes kayaking, paddling, rock climbing, inner tubing, mountain biking, outdoor films, rock concerts and the inaugural Everest Awards.

Components of the race include the national championship, the second North American Central American Caribbean (NACAC) Mountain Running Championships which pits team from the NACAC member countries in a cross-country scoring (with up to four team members and the top two finishers scoring) and selection for three members of the Teva USA Mountain Running Team - the top two U.S. men and the top U.S. woman finisher.

Defending USA 10K Trail champions and members of the 2004 Teva USA Mountain Running Team Simon Gutierrez, 39, Alamosa, CO and Laura Haefeli, 37, Del Norte, CO headline the competition. Returning to the event after missing last year's race due to injury will be local Vail Valley favorite and two-time USATF Mountain Runner of the Year (2002-03) Anita Ortiz, 40, Eagle.

Joining Haefeli and Ortiz on the U.S. team competing in the NACAC Championships will be Lisa Isom, 33, Vail and Erica Larson, 33, Los Alamos, NM. These four women represented the bronze medal winning team at the 2004 World Mountain Running Trophy.

On the men's side, the U.S. team competing in the NACAC Championships will include Gutierrez, Josiah Middaugh, 26, Vail; Eric Blake, 26, Plattsburgh, NY and Andy Ames, 42, Boulder, CO. All but Middaugh are past Teva USA Mountain Running Team Members.

Athletes vying for national championship honors as well as a spot on the mountain team include Katie Blackett, 28, Boulder, third-place finisher at last year's national 10K trail championship as well as Danelle Ballengee, 31, Dillon; Bill Raitter, 29, Estes Park; Jon Severy, 22, Aspen, CO and Bernie Boettcher, 41, Silt.

Boettcher and Ames will also be dueling for a masters victory in the National Championship and will face tough competition from Idaho Falls, Idaho masters runner Tom Borschel, 47 who was the 45-49 champion at the 2004 Masters World Mountain Running Championships.

Building on the international flavor of the NACAC component two-time World Mountain Running Trophy champion Melissa Moon, New Zealand, and last year's World Trophy runner up and 2005 Boulder Bolder citizen's champion (34:30) Anna Pichrtova, Czech Republic are both slated to compete.

The breathtaking single-track trail course starts and finishes in Vail Village and includes more than 3,000 feet of elevation change on Vail Mountain.

"We're looking forward to hosting another competitive race this year and we're delighted to have such a diverse participant base including some very talented foreign athletes," says race director Mike Ortiz.

The total prize purse of $5000 goes four deep per gender: $1000 for first, $750 for second, $500 for third and $250 for fourth.

For more information on the USA 10K Trail Running Championship, visit: TevaMountainGames.com or USATF.org.

Source: Nancy Hobbs, Chair, Mountain/Ultra/Trail Running Council

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.