2011 SCA Road Running Championships & Grand Prix Series Update: 02-22-2011

• 02-27 Brea 8K! Save $10! Online Registration Closes 2-23 11:59 pm. REGISTER NOW!: Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the amazing Brea 8K Classic! Bigger, better, with a new post-race feast for runners! The most delicious finish line feast in the OC has been expanded for this celebration! First time ever at the Brea 8K: Chip Timing!!
• LA Kings Tickets for the Top USATF Runners at the Brea 8K! The top male and female USATF finishers at the Brea 8K will win TWO tickets each to the exciting March 17 game between the LA Kings and St. Louis Blues. The LA Kings will be featuring USATF at the March 17 game, and everyone attending this game will have the opportunity to meet 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist Stacy Dragila and her husband Ian Waltz, 2008 Olympic Competitor. These two USATF members are generously giving their time to help support USA Track&Field in Southern California!
• 2011 Honda LA Marathon Presented by K-Swiss Headed for Second Straight Sellout! Time is running out for runners who want to participate in the 2011 Honda LA Marathon presented by K-Swiss. For the second straight year, registration for the March 20 race is on pace for a sellout well before race day. Already, nearly 20,000 runners have registered for the 2011 race which is set to take place on Sunday, March 20.
• Redondo Beach 5 km Grand Prix Results: Thanks so much to the runners who emailed their results for Redondo Beach 5 km. We have the final results at the Grand Prix website. Medal awards have been delayed while we added additional runners. We also have video interviews with Humberto Sanchez and Tania Fischer, plus photos from the Redondo Beach 5K! 

1) Brea 8K Online Registration Closes 2-23 11:59 pm. REGISTER NOW!:

Online registration for the 20th Anniversary of the Brea 8K Classic closes in less than 48 hours! Price increases from $30 to $35 on race day. USATF member discount is ONLY available with online registration!   USATF members save a total of $10 by registering online before Wednesday, 2/23, at 11:59 pm! USATF $5 discount offer expires on Wednesday night at 11:59 pm!.

2) 2011 Honda LA Marathon Presented by K-Swiss Headed for Second Straight Sellout!

"Last year’s race sold out for the first time in many years," said LA MARATHON LLC chief operating officer Nick Curl. "And given the numbers we’e seeing now, and the increased pace of registrations, we’re letting the running public know it’s time to sign up now to secure your place in the 2011 marathon."

Last year’s race featured a record 26,054 registrants and registration was closed on March 12, nine days before the event. "We may be ahead of that schedule this year, so it’s important to sign up now in order to avoid being shut out," Curl said.

See you at the starting line!

Wayne Joness

Chair, Southern California USATF Open Athletics LDR
runner@joness.com

Creating Champion Race Walkers on Your Team

Dear Coaches of Middle and Long Distance Runners,

I will be conducting a race walk clinic on Saturday, April 9th 2011 at: Monterey Vista School, 901 E. Graves Ave., Monterey Park 91755. The clinic will begin approximately at 9:00 A.M. until 10:30 A.M. Those who plan on attending need just to give an estimate on how many athletes you will bring. You may do so by E-Mailing me at: budlaurie@aol.com or by calling me at: 626-643-2952. There is NO COST for this clinic. All athletes and coaches arriving before 9:00 A.M. will receive a free NIKE DRI FIT shirt.
        
Race walkers and coaches at this clinic will experience the following:

• A very helpful film on How to Walk like a Champion.
• All athletes will be given pencils and notebooks to write down all key techniques.
• All athletes will be given visuals to take home emphasizing the seven techniques that will build speed and efficiency.
• Athletes afterwards will work with peer age race walkers to evaluate and if necessary correct technique. Beginners should feel comfortable at this clinic. Intermediate and advanced walkers should  equally enjoy a comfortable atmosphere.
• Athletes will be given a general work-out plan to take with them to help improve their race walking each week.
• NOTE: Because race walking requires complete focus we asked that all race walkers come prepared and ready to learn. All athletes will be given an opportunity to meet and ask questions to those athletes who have competed and placed at the National Level. We want all of our athletes to experience national success. 

I will be available at almost all of the Southern California USATF sponsored events this track season. I will be happy to assist any athlete, parent or coach in helping each athlete succeed in this unique event.

Sincerely yours,

Chuck Hurley/Teacher-Coach
USATF Youth Race Walking Chair
http://www.scausatf.org/racewalking/index.htm

World Masters Athletics Championships in Sacramento Needs Officials.

This summer's World Masters Athletics Championships in Sacramento needs officials. Please consider applying for the 80 officials positions remaining to be filled. To apply: http://wma2011.com/en/officials.htm

Please remember the deadline to apply is March 1st.

Craig Cooper
Vice Chairman Certification
USATF Southern California Association

2011 Road Running Championships and Grand Prix Series Update 02-13-2011

Members of Club Ed Running (left) and members of The Janes (right) at the Redondo Beach 2011 5K.

• Redondo Beach 5 km Results and Grand Prix Results Online! The 2011 Road Running Grand Prix kicked off with some strong competition! Club Ed Running versus The Janes! Club Ed Running members Humberto Sanchez (M-35 16:25) and John Megeff (M-47 16:40) won the mens open and masters division, while The Janes champion Tania Fischer (F-44 17:44) won both the open and masters womens division! While Club Ed Running takes the win in the club division, with 4231 points to the 4166 scored by The Janes, The Janes took four of the top five finishing positions! Breaking this complete sweep was second place finisher Alison Atkinson (F-44 17:57), of Club Ed Running! Rounding out the team competition was Cal Coast Track Club, placing 3rd with 3934 points.
• Complete USATF 5 km Results Available now! If you did not get a chance to pick up your medal last Sunday, official USATF Association Championship medals will be sent out next week!
• Next race! The 2011 Brea 8K: Classic Celebrate the 20th anniversary of this amazing 8 km! Bigger, better, with a new post-race feast for runners! The most delicious finish line feast in the OC has been expanded for this celebration! First time ever at the Brea 8K: Chip Timing!! Mail-in entries are due by February 18, 2011! If you won a FREE entry, get it in the mail ASAP!!
• USATF Southern California Members Win National USA Half Marathon National Titles in Houston Texas!: Mohamed Trafeh (Duarte) and Jen Rhines (Mammoth Lakes) win the national USA Half Marathon Championship titles on January 30, running 1:02:17 and 1:11:14 respectively! So Cal members may recall the Rhines ran in the Santa Monica 5000 Grand Prix race last year, and Trafer was the 2008 USATF Southern California 10 km Champion. Check out this video interview with Mo from 2008!
• USATF Southern California Members Dominate 2011 USA Cross Country Championships: Compex Racing and So Cal Track Club stormed the competition with commanding wins in San Diego on February 5, 2011. The top three finishers in the masters competition were Peter Magill (M-49 26:17), Gray Mavhera (M-41 26:38) and Christian Cushing-Murray (M-43 26:46). With 2 teams in the 40+ division, Compex Racing took both the 1st and 3rd place finishing positions. Also competing in the 40+ division were 4th place finishers Santa Barbara Athletic Association, and 6th place finishers, So Cal Track Club. In the 50+ division, So Cal Track Club took 1st place, and Team Runners High followed in 2nd place. In the womens masters competition, Tania Fischer (F-44 30:36) of The Janes won 3rd overall. Fischer raced on February 5th, one day before winning the Redondo Beach 5 km on February 6th! And included in the top-ten masters finishers was Rosalva Bonilla (F-48 33:05), with an 8th place finish.
• 2011 Road Running Grand Prix Awards Photos Needed!: We missed the opportunity to get photos of the 2011 Road Running Grand Prix awards ceremony on February 6! If you have some photos, please email Wayne Joness, and we can add these to the website, and perhaps print them in a future issue of California Track & Running News! Thanks!
• Thank You! And a general shout-out to everyone who helped with the Redondo Beach 5 km - Dale Campbell stepping into his news shoes as Masters LDR chair, Lily Zepeda for the video interviews, with help from Alex Breckenridge, Bert Whitson for forthcoming race photos, and Nicole Luque for scoring the Redondo Beach 5 km!
  See you at the starting line!
  
  Wayne Joness
  Chair, Southern California USATF Open Athletics LDR
  runner@joness.com

Great Free Beginning/Intermediate Level Track Clinic: Sunday, 2/20

Hi Folks:

There will be a great LA84Foundation Track and Field Clinic offered free this Sunday, February 20, at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys beginning at 9:00 am.

The focus of this clinic is working with beginning athletes in the sport of track and field. There will be beginning, intermediate and advanced sessions on Sprints, Hurdles, Long Distances, Long Jump, High Jump, and Shot Put, as well as others on coaching, understanding the biomechanics of track and field, and much more.

This clinic is perfect for both any new coaches to the sport of track and field and also for the head coach that wants to learn all areas of the sport.

The clinic is free for all coaches and interested adults who would like to attend. You can pre-register for the clinic at our web site... http://www.la84foundation.org.

You can also get additional information by calling Devin Elizondo at the LA84 Foundation (323-730-4618) or clinic director, Tim O’Rourke (626-253-0693).
Thanks,

Tim O'Rourke