Olympians Highlight Field Set for USA Half Marathon Championships
Olympians Highlight Field Set for USA Half Marathon Championships
Posted Tuesday, 12 June, 2012
(Duluth, Minn.) A pair of Olympians bound for the 2012 Summer Games in London head the list of athletes set to race in Saturday’s USA Half Marathon Championships.
Kara Goucher and Abdi Abdirahman will among those competing for national titles and a share of an $82,000 prize purse, including first place awards of $12,000.
Also at stake, USA Track & Field has announced that two women and two men finishing in the top five in this year’s championships will be eligible to represent Team USA in the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Kavarna, Bulgaria on October 6.
Goucher has a personal best half-marathon time of 1:06:57 (2007) and Abdirahman 1:00:29 (2007). Both earned spots on the 2012 Team USA marathon squad by placing in the top three at the Olympic Marathon Trials Jan. 14 in Houston. Both placed third – Goucher in 2 hours, 26 minutes, 6 seconds and Abdirahman in 2:09:47, his fastest marathon since a 2006 personal best of 2:08:56.
For a complete list of those in the USA Half Marathon Championships field, click here: http://bit.ly/KWnn8A
Duluth’s history of hosting national championship road racing events includes the 2003 and 2004 USA Women’s Half Marathon Championships. The 2003 race was won by Colleen De Reuck in a course record one hour, ten minutes – a mark that remains the fastest women’s time on the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon course.
The city also hosted the 1987, 1990 and 1994 USA Women’s Marathon Championships as part of Grandma’s Marathon, which is currently the country’s 13th largest marathon.
Grandma’s Marathon
Defending champions Christopher Kipyego and Yihunlish Delelecha are returning to Duluth with hopes of claiming back-to-back victories in the 36th Grandma’s Marathon, also scheduled for Saturday. Kipyego, 38, of Kenya, and Delelecha, 30, of Ethiopia, set personal bests on the Grandma’s course a year ago – Kipyego (2:12:17) and Delelecha (2:30:39). Both will wear bib number one as defending champions.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
6:15 a.m. - USA Men's Half Marathon Championship
6:25 a.m. - USA Women's Half Marathon Championship
6:45 a.m. - Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon
7:45 a.m. - Grandma’s Marathon (Wheelchair Start 7:40 a.m.)
