Posted: July 20, 2005

Athletics: USATF Long Distance Running Notes - July 16-17, 2005

Mary Akor named to World Championships marathon team

Mary Akor of Gardena, Calif., has been named to the U.S. marathon squad for the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Athletics to be held in Helsinki, Finland. Akor was named as a replacement for Kelly Keane, who had withdrew from the team last week.

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Akor moved to the U.S. in 1993 and became a U.S. citizen in February, 2003. After graduating from John Muir High School, she went on to complete a degree in Social Work at California State University Dominguez Hills. Akor recently finished fourth at Grandma's Marathon in a personal best of 2:37:19.

She placed 17th in the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials and has scored marathon victories at the 2005 Big Sur International Marathon and 2004 adidas Vancouver International Marathon.

The IAAF World Championships in Athletics will be held August 6-14. For more information visit USATF.org.

Registration open for USATF Club Co-Ed 10 km Team Challenge

Registration is open for Disney's Race for the Taste 10K, to be held October 9, 2005 in Orlando, Fla. Held in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the EPCOT® International Food and Wine Festival, USATF club athletes have the opportunity to compete for a minimum of $14,000 in prize money as a part of the USATF Club Co-Ed 10 km Team Challenge.

The USATF Club Co-Ed 10 km Team Challenge will consist of both Open and Masters divisions for USATF registered teams. For more information on registering your club through your local association, as well as a prize-money breakdown, visit www.usatf.org.

All athletes entering as part of a team for the USATF Club Co-Ed 10 km Team Challenge must be 2005 members of the USATF and affiliated with that club as part of their USATF membership. Each team will consist of a maximum of five (5) athletes, and must be made up to a maximum of three men and a minimum of two women. For scoring purposes, three athletes will score, one of which must be a female. Team finish order will be based on the lowest combined team time.

For more information on Disney's Race for the Taste 10K, visit USATF.org.

USATF Elite Development Club of the Week - Shore AC

The recently crowned USATF National Club Track & Field men's team champions, Shore Athletic Club is one of New Jersey's, and America's most diverse and inclusive organizations, dedicated to all the specialties within the great sport of track and field.

Shore AC is truly a club for all athletes and all seasons fielding "varsity" and local men's and women's teams, which compete in every event within the sport, and on every level, from youth to juniors to "open" to masters. The club covers all disciplines as well - every event on the track, road racing, cross country, race walking and long distance running.

The club is dedicated to the vision of track and field as a lifetime sport. Shore AC members have been Olympians, world Champions and national champions.

For more info visit ShoreAC.org.

Long Distance Running Calendar

Upcoming Association Grand Prix Events

2005 USATF Georgia Association LDR Grand Prix Series
usatfgeorgia.org

2005 USATF Pacific Association Road Race Grand Prix Schedule
/www.pausatf.org

2005 USATF New Jersey Grand Prix Schedule
www.usatfnj.org

2005 USATF Oregon Grand Prix Schedule
www.usatf-oregon.org

Upcoming USARC Events 
September 5, 2005 - USA 20 km Championships, New Haven, CT
September 11, 2005 - USA 5 km Championships, Providence, R.I. 
October 2, 2005 - USA Marathon Championships Minneapolis, MN
October 10, 2005 - USA Women's 10 km Championship Boston, MA 
November 5, 2005 - USA Men's 10 km Championship Mobile, AL 

Upcoming USA Masters Championships 
August 7, 2005 - USA Masters 8 km Championships, Honolulu, HI
September 25, 2005 - USA Masters 10 km Championships, Paso Robles, CA 
October 2, 2005 - USA Masters Marathon Championships Minneapolis, MN 

Upcoming Mountain/Ultra/Trail Events 
July 30, 2005 - USA 50 Mile Trail Championships Crystal, Mountain, WA 
August 27, 2005 - USA 50 km Trail Championships, San Francisco, CA 
October 15, 2005 - USA 50 Mile Championships, Boalsburg, PA 

Upcoming USATF Association Championships
September 18, 2005 - USATF Inland Northwest Assoc. 5 km Championships, Medical Lake, WA
October 2, 2005 - USATF New England Association 5 Mile Championship Boston, MA
October 8, 2005 - USATF Alaska Association Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, Anchorage, AK
October 23, 2005 - USATF New Jersey Association 5 km Cross Country Championships Holmdel, NJ
October 30, 2005 - 2005 USATF New England Association Marathon Championship, Falmouth, MA
October 30, 2005 - USATF New Jersey Association 8 km Cross Country Championships, Readington, NJ
November 6, 2005 - USATF North Carolina Association Junior Olympic XC Championships, Pleasant Garden, NC
November 12, 2005 - USATF Inland Northwest Assoc. Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, Spokane, WA
November 19, 2005 - USATF New England Association Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, Smithfield, RI
November 20, 2005 - USATF Region 2 Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, Holmdel, NJ
December 10, 2005 USATF Georgia Association 10 Mile Championship, Dalton, GA

For more information on USATF Long Distance Running events and news visit USATF.org.