Monday, November 2, 2009

SCA Cross Country Open 11/1

SCA Cross Country Open
November 1, 2009
Kenneth Hahn Park
Results


2009 SCA Cross Country Open 8K


2009 SCA Cross Country 6K

Sunday, November 1, 2009

It’s a Party at the 25th Annual Long Beach Marathon/Run Forrest Run 5K!

LONG BEACH, CA—The 2009 Southern California Road Running Grand Prix recharged on Sunday, October 11, with the Run Forrest Run 5K, part of the massive running spectacle that was the 25th annual International City Bank Long Beach Marathon. The festive atmosphere on Shoreline Drive energized Southern California Association members, and with a nearly flat course, many runners set new personal records at the 5K race.

For the first time ever, both the full and half marathon events sold out, with the Run Forrest Run 5K also bringing in one of its largest fields of runners. The starting line for the 5K resembled a class reunion for many USATF runners who participated in earlier Grand Prix events. It had been several months since the last Grand Prix race, the Semana Nautica 15K on July 4th, and SCA runners showed the results of their summer training.

Luis Guevara, 15:09, of International City Racing

Crossing the finish line first was USATF member Luis Guevara, with a time of 15:09. Luis ran as a member of the International City Racing Track Club. This recently formed group, coached by Jason Bruton, has proven itself to be a dominant force, and Sunday was no exception. Luis’s ICR teammate Eli Rodriguez won the marathon event on Sunday. In May, Rodriguez also won the OC Marathon, taking the title of the 2009 Southern California Association Marathon Champion. And fellow ICR runner Jimmy Grabow won the half marathon, making a perfect sweep for International City Racing in all three events. In addition to his victory Sunday, Grabow was also the first SCA runner to cross the finish line in the elite Coaster 5K race this March!

Cambria D’Amico of the Janes, 17:20

In the women’s division, Cambria D’Amico handily won with a time of 17:20. D’Amico runs as a member of the Janes Elite Racing Team, a USATF elite development club. While the 5K was D’Amico’s first Grand Prix event, the Janes turned in an outstanding team performance in the 2009 Grand Prix, posting the highest single score by a team at the Brentwood 10K in June. D’Amico has been strong all year, also winning the Conquer the Bridge 5 mile Road Race held in San Pedro on Labor Day.

In the team competition, Track Club LA edged out Elite Health Track Club. This was a rematch for the two teams, who also traveled to Goleta in July to run in the Semana Nautica 15K. While Track Club LA is a large group of Westside Los Angeles runners, Elite Health Track Club is a smaller, close-knit group of determined runners coached by Wayne Douglas. Douglas has really encouraged his runners to participate in the Road Running Grand Prix, and as a result Elite Health Track Club is the only group to claim one hundred percent participation, with every one of Wayne’s runners showing up in at least one Grand Prix race!

With the age-graded scores calculated and posted online at www.scagrandprix.org, one thing is very clear: the race for the first place overall finisher in the women’s division is going to be very close. Rosalva Bonilla has consistently placed high in every race this year, scoring in the 800s except when fighting a cold at the Semana Nautica 15K. But close behind Bonilla has been Lydia Salinas. After her 798 score at the Semana Nautica 15K, Salinas was determined to break 800, and she easily did at the Run Forrest Run 5K, posting a score of 877! For the first time ever, Salinas has taken the lead in Grand Prix scoring by the narrow margin of 22 points, 3269 (Salinas) to 3247 (Bonilla). Bonilla did not post a time for the Run Forrest Run 5K, since she was on the marathon course, running the Long Beach Marathon in 3:06:56, and finishing first in her age group!



A Snail’s Pace Running Club also had a strong showing at the Run Forrest Run 5K, with Dale Campbell (M-56) turning in a spectacular 16:29 time, for an age-graded score of 941. Dale’s score is the highest of the 113 runners participating in the 2009 Grand Prix. Sue Zihlmann (F-45) ran 18:35, only one week after her 2:53:22 finish at the St. George Marathon. Club liaison Bob Morris indicated there would be more participation by ASPRC at 2010 USATF events, so Southern California runners are officially on notice to watch out for great performances by this motivated running club!

With the 5K race behind them, runners relaxed and enjoyed the best finishing line feast ever, with lunch provided by Bubba Gump Shrimp, the title sponsor of the Run Forrest Run 5K. Runners were offered a selection of box lunches, including smoked salmon and shrimp! While the half and full marathon runners dined on traditional bagels and orange slices, every 5K runner felt like an elite athlete on Sunday morning, with the first class treatment offered by race organizers International City Racing. And in celebration of the silver anniversary of the International City Bank Long Beach Marathon, more than 25,000 cupcakes were distributed on Sunday!

The next race on the schedule is the Santa Barbara Half Marathon, on November 7. This race is also the 2009 Southern California Association Half Marathon Championship event, and turnout should be strong. The Grand Prix Series concludes with the Dana Point Turkey Trot 10K, the 2009 Southern California USATF 10K Road Championship race, on Thanksgiving Day, November 26.

For more information, please visit:
Road Championship Series: www.scaroadchampionship.org

For current Grand Prix Point Standings, please visit:
www.scagrandprix.org

CONTACT:
Wayne Joness
Chair, Open Athletics Long Distance Running Committee
Southern California Association/ USA Track & Field
Cell (310) 600-5332 Email: runner@joness.com

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

SCA Road Running Championships Series - Santa Barbara News-Press Half-Marathon on 11/7

Photo: Santa Barbara News-Press

The 2009 Southern California USATF Half Marathon Championships will be held on Saturday, November 7, in conjunction with 33rd annual Santa Barbara News-Press Half-Marathon.

The Santa Barbara News-Press Half-Marathon offers a course that is both scenic and challenging to members of the Southern California Association. Much of the race is on Shoreline Drive, first running west up the coast past Shoreline Park, then turning around for a long stretch that heads back down the beach past the start/finish line. The course continues past Stearns Wharf, Cabrillo Pavilion, the Bird Refuge, with a bike path out-and-back turnaround, heading back to the finish line. Conditions should be perfect for a beautiful Saturday morning run. The Half-Marathon starts at 8:00 am, with average early morning Santa Barbara temperatures in the mid-fifties. Runners World magazine readers will recognize the Santa Barbara News-Press Half-Marathon as one of their prestigious “Half Marathon of the Month” selections.

As the Southern California USATF Half Marathon Championships race, the overall men's and women's winners receive a handsome USATF Championship plaque. Gold, silver, and bronze USATF championship medals will also be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in 26 men's and women's 5-year age groups.

Photo: Santa Barbara News-Press

For runners in the 2009 Southern California USATF Road Running Grand Prix the Half-Marathon is the sixth race in the seven race series. Runners must complete four of the seven races to be eligible for end-of-year prize money and awards. Many runners will be competing in the Half-Marathon to complete the four race minimum requirement, or to better their overall score in the inaugural year of this series. Age-graded scores from the half-marathon will be posted at www.scagrandprix.org The Grand Prix scoring also has a team component, with a minimum of five runners required for team scoring.

Online registration closes midnight, November 1! USATF discount only available with online registration!

Photo: Santa Barbara News-Press

The current registration fee for the Half-Marathon is $55. There is a $5 discount for Southern California USATF members who register online by midnight, November 1. Runners simply need to indicate they are USATF members, and enter their 2009 membership number when registering online. A $5 discount is automatically applied. Online registration closes after November 1, and the price increases to $65. After November 1, runners must register in person, either at the Santa Barbara Running Store, 110 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101, on November 5 and 6, or on race day, November 7, between 6:30 am and 7:45 am. There is no USATF discount available after November 1!

TO REGISTER ON-LINE:
http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1725965

USATF Southern California Road Racing Grand Prix Information
For more information on the 2009 Southern California Association USATF Road Running Grand Prix Series and to see the current Grand Prix rankings, please visit: www.scagrandprix.org

To receive regularly updated news about the 2009 Road Running Grand Prix series, we invite you to send an email to: roadrunning-subscribe@scausatf.org

USATF Contact:
Wayne Joness
Chair, Open Athletics Road Running Committee
Southern California Association/ USA Track & Field
Cell (310) 600-5332 Email: runner@joness.com

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