| Watch over 50 IAAF Events Live and On-Demand at WCSN.com |
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - (June 11, 2008) - The nation's top mountain runners will gather in Gorham, N.H. on Saturday, June 21 to compete at the 48th annual Mount Washington Road Race in the hopes of making the Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. The top four U.S. male finishers and the top U.S. female finisher who are current USATF members will be named to the team.
The 10-member Senior squad of six men (four to score) and four women (three to score) and the seven-member Junior squad of four men (three to score) and three women (two to score) is slated to compete in the 24th World Mountain Running Trophy race on Sunday, September 14 in Sierre Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
This year's Trophy races are uphill events (as opposed to odd-numbered years when the events are held on up / down courses) with the Senior men running 12K, and the Senior women and Junior men running 8.5K and the Junior women running 4.5K.
Mount Washington is also site of the 2008 USA Mountain Running Championships - the third time in five years. In 2004, Paul Low and Erica Larson won national titles and in 2006, Eric Blake and Nicole Hunt were the national champions. Of the four, only Blake is entered in this year's race. Low is not running due to injury, Hunt is pregnant with her first child and Larson is not slated to compete.
With some newcomers on the scene and some returning favorites, this year's event is shaping up to be one of the most competitive selection races in recent memory.
With four team slots up for grabs, the men's field is stacked as 13 former mountain team members are competing including Dan Verrington (8 teams), Dave Dunham (7), Simon Gutierrez (6), Eric Morse (5) and Eric Blake (3). Two-time team members include Rickey Gates (2007 USATF Mountain Runner of the Year, winning both the USA Mountain Running Championships and USA 10K Trail Championships last year and recently winning the Larabar 10K as part of the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO), Shiloh Mielke, Kevin Tilton and Richard Bolt, while Andy Ames, Steve Peterson, Payton Batliner (top U.S. finisher at the 2007 World Trophy and second at the Larabar 10K) and Craig Fram have each represented team USA once.
In addition, other top male contenders at Mount Washington should be: Joseph Gray, 24, Lakewood, WA, a collegiate steeplechaser (University of Oklahoma), who finished third just 1/100th of a second behind Batliner at the Larabar 10K and like Batliner has focused his pre-season training on running uphill. Michael Sayenko, 23, Bellevue, WA, boasts PRs of 14:08 for 5K, 29:07 for 10K and 4:07 for the mile certainly has the leg speed to pose a threat to the field. Sayenko was this year's youngest finisher at the Olympic Marathon Trials where he finished 29th last November. Coloradoans John Tribbia, 26, Boulder and Bill Fanselow, 41, Golden will also compete along with Jason Bryant, 35, Elkin, NC and Michael Wardian, 34, Arlington, VA, who is known for his ultrarunning accomplishments having won the 2008 USA 50K and 100K Road Champs, and recently finished second at the USA Trail Marathon Championships.
On the women's side, three-time team member, individual bronze medalist and team gold medalist Laura Haefeli will battle with two-time team gold medalist Christine Lundy who has also been on three mountain teams.
Challenging these outstanding team members will be Brandy Erholtz, 30, Bailey, CO who represented the USA at last year's NACAC Mountain Running Championships (on the team with Lundy and Lisa Goldsmith), and recently finished third at the Larabar 10K. Competition will also come from 26-year-old Camille Herron, 26, Lafayette, IN, a 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials finisher who is currently training in Alamosa with Gutierrez. Other contenders include Amy Nedeau, 33, Belchertown, MA, winner of the 2008 Northfield Mountain 10K, BAA team member Kasie Enman, 28, Huntington, VT; Alison Bryant, 29, Elkin, NC; Keri Nelson, 27, Grand Junction, CO and former Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team member Kelli Lusk, 38, Manitou Springs, CO. Multi-time Mount Washington winner Anna Pichrtova, Czech Republic, has withdrawn due to injury leaving the field wide open for a new champion.
The race course is a 7.6 mile unbroken-ascent to the 6,288-foot summit of Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States. Making the challenge even more severe is the always unpredictable Mt. Washington weather, famous for its outrageous wind and layers of fog and cloud.
First prize in the race is $1000, with a bonus of $5000 for a course record. New England Runner magazine offers a $2000 bonus to any male or female master who sets a new masters course record. For a complete list of entrants visit: MountWashingtonRoadRace.com and click on "Lottery Results."
Course Records: Men's Open - Jonathan Wyatt, New Zealand, 2004, 56:41; Women's Open - Magdalena Thorsell, Sweden, 1998, 1:10:09; Men's masters - Matt Carpenter, Manitou Springs, CO, 2005, 1:02:12; Women's masters - Joan Benoit Samuelson, Freeport, ME, 1997, 1:16:03
The Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team selection process includes just two events this year with the final event in Vail, CO on July 20 with the Berry Picker Trail Race - approximately 6.5 miles of climbing from 8,200 feet to 10,200 feet - where the top U.S. man and the two U.S. women will receive automatic berths. One Junior man will also earn a spot at the Berry Picker.
The remaining members of the squad, (one male, one female), will be selected by the 24-member Mountain Ultra Trail Council with input from the team staff. Details posted at www.usmrt.com. For Junior team consideration, interested athletes should contact David Dunham, dave.dunham@comcast.net..
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.
Know someone else who's interested in running and triathlon?
