Competitors Gear up for the Second Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team Selection Race
Posted Tuesday, 21 June, 2005
Contacts
Nancy Hobbs (USATF MUT Chair, Executive Director of AATRA): (719) 573-4133 trlrunner@aol.com
Richard Bolt (Men’s USATF LDR Mountain Rep): (603) 494-6947 rbolt@emersonecologics.com
Dave Dunham (Northfield Mountain Race Director): (978)857-2605 (cell) dave.dunham@comcast.net
Northfield Mountain located near the Vermont/Massachusetts border is the site of the second Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team selection race on Saturday, June 25. The top U.S. male finisher and the top U.S. female finishers will be named to the team at the Northfield Mountain Race. These athletes will join Timothy Parr, 23, Gunnison, CO and Laura Haefeli, 37, Del Norte, CO on the 10-member open squad of six men and four women (junior squad includes three junior men and two junior women) slated to compete in the 21st World Mountain Running Trophy race on September 25 in Wellington, New Zealand.
Parr and Haefeli, both members of the 2004 Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team, were named to the 2005 team based on their finish at the Gore-Tex U.S.A National 10km Trail Championships in Vail, CO on June 4. Parr was the second U.S. male finisher and Haefeli was the top U.S. female finisher and third overall. Matt Carpenter, 40, Manitou Springs, CO also earned a spot on the team with his victory in Vail, but has declined his spot due to his commitment to run the Leadville Trail 100 in August.
The course at Northfield features a slightly-more-than 5 kilometer loop, which will be negotiated twice for women and three times for men. The course was modified from past years to mimic the multiple loop format of the World Trophy race, thus giving U.S. athletes a chance to test themselves over similar terrain and distance as the trophy race.
The first kilometer is on wide trails providing ample opportunity to pass while the second kilometer is almost entirely on single-track trail with one stream crossing and many up and down sections. The footing in the second kilometer is a mixture of rocks, roots, and leaves and could be muddy if there is rain. The third kilometer is predominately downhill on wide trails with excellent footing. The trail stays wide as runners climb again from three to 3.5 kilometers. The final 1.6 kilometers are entirely downhill with a mixture of wide trails and a 300m stretch of narrow single-track.
Last year’s race featured more than 127 finishers from seven states. Joshua Ferenc held off 2003 champion Paul Low (CMS/Polar) to take home the victory in a course record 49:18 on the 12.3 Kilometer course. Kelli Lusk (CMS/Polar) took the women’s victory for the second straight year, winning the race by four minutes over Jenn Brooks-Lassen (Team Gloucester) in 1:03:04.
Confirmed entrants in this year’s event include runners from nine states and the Czech Republic. Six of the top thirteen from last year have entered as of June 19.
Top Men
Eric Blake – (Plattsburgh, NY) Central MA. Striders
Blake is the men's and women's cross country coach at Plattsburgh (NY) State University. Blake took second place at the 2005 Mt Washington road race and was third in the 2004 U.S.A Mountain Championships at Mt. Washington and fifth at the same championships in Vail in 2003. He was 28th in the 2004 World Mountain Trophy in Sauze D'Oulx, Italy. He was 33rd in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and the ninth American at the 2004 ING New York City Marathon. Blake won the 2003 Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 2:21:24. In Lyman Memorial High School in Lebanon, Connecticut, he was the 1996 state open cross-country champion.
Richard Bolt – (Nashua, NH) Central MA. Striders
Richard is a three time top 10 finisher at U.S. National Snowshoe Championships. He finished tenth at the 2005 Mt Washington Road race. In 2003 he was the 8th place finisher at the U.S. National Snowshoe Championships – Salt Lake City, UT and the Western Mass Athletic Club (WMAC) snowshoe series overall winner. Richard was ran in the 2002 World Mountain Running Championships – Innsbruck, AUT – 91st place. 2003 Mt. Washington Road Race – Pinkham Notch, NH – 4th place. Member of the 1999 and 2002 Teva U.S. Mountain running team. Team leader for the 2003 – present Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. USATF NE mountain chair. PR’s include 1 mile – 4:19, 5k – 14:49, and 10k – 31:06. Other accomplishments include 1992, 1994 & 1998 U.S. Olympic Trials in Cross Country Skiing. 1997 World Duathlon Championship Team. 1987 New York State High School Cross Country State Champion
Eldon Burkinshaw (Londonderry, NH) Gate City Striders.
Currently leads the USATF NE Mountain running circuit with 33 finishes over the last ten years. He was the top finisher in 2004 in the 65-69 age group and runner-up in 2003 in the 60-69 age group at Northfield. He was the top 60+ finisher in the 2004 USATF NE Mountain circuit. He currently holds three of the top five times at the Ascutney mountain race among his many accomplishments.
Galen Burrell (Boulder, CO) La Sportiva/GoLite
Burrell was the 2004 Pikes Peak Marathon champion, Spring Desert Ultra champion and second-place finisher at the Imogene Pass Run. He finished ninth at the recent USATF 10km Trail Championships in Vail.
Buzz Burrell (Boulder, CO) La Sportiva/GoLite
Burrell has finished the Pikes Peak Marathon 11 times. In 2005 he set a record at the Torres Del Paine Circuit in Patagonia. He co-founded the Boulder trail runners and manages the La Sportiva Go Lite running team. Burrell finished first in the 50+ age group at the 2005 Mt Washington road race.
Dave Dunham (Bradford, MA) Central MA. Striders.
Dunham leads the USATF NE Mountain running circuit with 3083.47 points over the last ten years. Dunham founded the circuit in 1996 and currently leads the 40+ age group for the 2005 mountain circuit with 356.36 points. Dunham was a member of the U.S. Mountain running team from 1992 –2000. In 1993 he won a silver medal at the World Mountain Running Trophy. He has finished 15 times in the top 10 at Mt Washington and was the USATF Mountain runner of the year 2000. Injuries and illness have curtailed his racing, however he supports the sport by directing multiple trail/mountain/Ultra/Snowshoe races in New England including the Northfield race. Dunham is currently in the process of writing a history of the Mount Washington road race. He finished 5th in the 40+ age group at the 2005 Mt Washington road race.
Paul Grant (Carver, MA) Cambridge Sports Union.
Currently in fifth place with 28 finishes in the USATF NE Mountain circuit for the last ten years. He finished seventh at Northfield in the 55-59 age group in 2004 and is in sixth place in the 2005 circuit in the 50+ age group.
Simon Gutierrez (Alamosa, CO) Team Teva, SportHill, and 180s
Gutierrez is a three-time Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team member and was the first American at last year’s World Trophy where he finished 17th overall. At his first Pikes Peak Ascent in 2003 he was victorious. Gutierrez is a six-time winner of the La Luz Mountain Race and three-time Mt Washington Hill Climb champion. He is a three-time U.S.A world cross-country team member and a 1983 High School cross-country All American.
Paul Low (Amherst, MA) Central MA. Striders and 180s
Low was USATF Mountain runner of the year in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Low was a member of the Teva U.S. Mountain running team in 1999, 2000, and 2002-2004. He finished second at the 2004 Mt Washington road race, and as top American was named National Champion. Low won the 2003 North American Snowshoe Championships and the Nike ACG Northfield Mountain Regional Qualifier. Low was the second U.S. finisher at the 2004 World Mountain championships finishing in 19th place. He placed second at the 2004 Northfield race and was first in 2003. Low finished third at this year’s Mt Washington race and leads the USATF NE mountain circuit.
Peter Maksimow (Springfield, MA) Central MA. Striders.
Maksimow finished 7th at the 2005 Mt Washington road race. He was the 5th CMS finisher on a team which set a new open team record. In 2003 he won the Mt. Baldy Run-to-the-Top, in San Bernadino, CA. In 2004 he finished 9th at the USATF 10K Trail Championships and 9th at the Teva Vail HillClimb. In 2005 he placed 3rd at Northfield. He recently finished 3rd at the Mt. Wachusett race and is currently in third place in the USATF NE mountain running circuit.
Eric Morse (Berlin, VT) Central MA. Striders.
Morse has been a member of several U.S. Mountain Running Teams and finished 2nd at the 2003 Northfield Mountain. He won the USATF New England Mountain Running Series for the sixth time in 2003. Morse has finished in the top five at Mt Washington nine times including three-second place finishes. He has also been named Vermont Runner of the Year 10 times. Morse currently holds the course records at circuit races Pack Monadnock, Wachusett Mountain, Mt Ascutney and additionally holds the course record at Whiteface Mountain (NY), Prospect Mountain (NY) and Wolverine Peak (AK). He also has PR’s of sub-four for the mile and sub-1:05 for the ½ marathon. Recently Morse finished second overall at Mt Ascutney, setting a new 40+ age group record. He also finished 6th overall at the 2005 Mt Washington Road race.
Ben Nephew (Foxboro, MA) Central MA. Striders.
Nephew was the runner-up at the USATF trail marathon championships in 2004. He placed fifth at Northfield in 2003 and was 15th at the Mt Washington road race in 2004 with a sub-1:10 effort. Nephew is one of the best trail runners in the Northeast and known for his reckless disregard for danger when descending.
Chad Newton (Pisgah Forest, NC) CLF
Newton was the national champion at the USATF trail marathon championships in 2004. He has run 2:21 for a road marathon. He finished 8th at the 2005 Mt Washington Road race.
Bill Raitter (Estes Park, CO)
Raitter finished 8th at the USATF trail championships. He was second American at the World Mountain Running Trophy in 2003 and lists the following trail race victories in 2004 - Peterson Ridge rumble 17 miles (course record) Sisters Oregon, Great Escape 1/2 marathon in Littleton, CO , Medicine Bow 1/2 marathon Laramie Wyoming (course record). Also in 2004, he was third at the U.S.A National 10Km Trail Champs, ninth at Mt. Washington, and 11th at the Vail Hill Climb.
Rob Smith (Charlestown, MA) Central MA. Striders
Smith recently finished third at the Pack Monadnock 10 mile mountain race. He is currently in fourth place in the USATF NE mountain circuit with 257.42 points. Smith finished 13th at Northfield in 2004.
Richard Stockdale (Mason, NH) Moose Milers & Marathoners
Stockdale has not missed a USATF circuit race from 2000 – 2004 and has run the four races this year. He leads the “streakers” with 25 races in a row. He also ranks seventh in all time points with 1971.67. He finished third in the 50-55 age group in the 2004 Northfield race and was the top 50-59 finisher in 2003. He also has four of the top seven times at Mt Ascutney.
Kevin Tilton (Conway, NH) Central MA. Striders
Tilton won the Mt Kearsarge race earlier this year and trails only Paul Low in the USATF NE mountain circuit. He finished 10th at Mt Washington in 2004, and 11th in the weather shortened 2002 version. He ran a four- minute personal best at Mt Washington this year, placing 5th in 1:03:42. He is currently in second place in the USATF NE Mountain running circuit.
Daniel Verrington (Bradford, MA) Central MA. Striders
Verrington has finished in the top ten seven times at Mt Washington, and was a member of the U.S. Mountain team 1997-2002. He was the USATF 50K National champion for masters (40+) in 2004, and the open 50K champion in 2002. Verrington was the first USATF NE Mountain running champion when he took the victory in New Ipswich NH in 2000. He currently leads the master’s category in the USATF NE road running grand prix. Verrington has also represented the U.S. in the 100 Km World Cup, finishing 2nd American in 2002.
Top Women
Julie Bryan - (Jackson Hole, WY)
Bryan was a member of the 2001 and 2002 mountain running team and an alternate on the 2003 team. She is a versatile mountain runner with numerous victories on her home turf in Jackson Hole and also wins in Colorado to include the Barr Trail Mountain Race.
Lisa Goldsmith - (Nederland, CO) La Sportiva/GoLite
A past member of the U.S. Mountain Running Team, Goldsmith finished sixth at the 2005 USATF trail championships. She recently won the Haleakala Run to the Sun and the Mt. Evans Hill Climb.
Christine Lundy - (Sausalito, CA)
Lundy finished second at the 2005 USATF trail championships. She finished 23rd at the ’04 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon with a time of 2:41:55. She placed 14th at the New Haven 20K in 2004 in a time of 1:13:31. She was a three time All-American at Univ. of Penn. Her personal bests include: 16:28 5k, 34:47 10k, and 2:41:55 marathon.
Kelli Lusk (Amherst, MA) Central MA. Striders
Lusk is a two-time winner of the Barr Trail Mountain Race ('02, '03). She was the 2004 USATF New England Mountain Running Series Champion. A seasoned snowshoe racer, Lusk was the 2003 U.S. National Snowshoe Racing Champion. In addition to her mountain and trail finishes, Lusk qualified for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
Page Four/Northfield Mountain Race
Emer O’Donoghue - (Lexington, MA) Somerville Road Runners
O’Donoghue has run the last 22 USATF NE mountain circuit races, this is the second longest active streak.
Anna Pichrtova - (Czech Republic) La Sportiva/GoLite
Pichrtova won four consecutive Mt Washington races (2001 – 2004) and lost a close battle this year despite running the third fastest time ever. She competed in the 2004 Olympic Marathon and finished second at the World Mountain Running Trophy. Pichrtova recently won the Gore-Tex USA National 10K trail championships.
In addition to the selection component of the race, Northfield is hosting the USATF NE Mountain running championships for the third time and is part of the USATF NE mountain running circuit which includes six races in New England and offers prizes to those who complete the circuit. La Sportiva is the presenting sponsor and the race is hosted by the Central Massachusetts Striders (www.cmsrun.org).
Following Northfield there will be two more team selection races with Devil’s Trail in Merrimac, WI hosting the next event on July 16 and Cranmore, NH hosting the final selection race on August 7. With Carpenter declining his spot, two at-large positions for the men’s team will be up for consideration since each of the next two races will name the top U.S. finisher to the team of six. The third women’s team member will be selected at Devil’s Trail with the the final at-large spot to be selected based on finish position in the selection races and will also consider past mountain race experience as well as trail, mountain, cross country, road, and track times.
For additional information visit the websites listed below:
US 10km Trail Running Championships www.tevamountaingames.com and www.vailrec.com
Northfield Mountain Race www.USATFne.org
Teva Devil’s Race www.trailrun.wors.org
Mt. Cranmore www.whitemountainmilers.com
LaSportiva/GoLite www.sportiva.com/via/viarun.php
World Mountain Running Association www.wmra.info
USA Track & Field www.USATF.org
World Mountain Trophy 2005 www.mountainrunning.org.nz/
All American Trail Running Association www.trailrunner.com
Teva – team title sponsor www.teva.com
SportHill Clothing – team sponsor www.sporthill.com
180s – team sponsor www.180s.com
Ground - team sponsor www.groundwear.com
All American Trail Running Association www.trailrunner.com
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