Cuellar and Mielke Victorious at Final Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team Selection Race
Posted Tuesday, 17 July, 2007
Marin County, CA ---- Competitors at yesterday’s inaugural Mt. Tam Trophy Race marveled at the coastline views of Stinson Beach before heading up the infamous Dipsea Trail for an approximately seven mile race.
The event was the third and final selection race for the Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team and it was the first time the west coast has hosted a selection race in the twenty-plus year history of the U.S. team competing at the World Mountain Running Trophy Event. The race featured runners from the Bay Area as well as athletes from as far away as the east coast, like Dave Dunham, 43, from Bradford, MA. Dunham had taken a mid-afternoon flight from Boston’s Logan Airport the day before the race after winning the Mt. Ascutney 3.8 mile hill climb in Windsor, Vermont earlier that morning.
“It was everything I'd hoped for, (it) brought back memories of the “good old days” and at the same time I got to see my friends from around the country. An added bonus was that I got to watch an excellent battle in the women's race,” said Dave Dunham who finished in ninth place just in front of the lead women, and witnessed the duel for the top women’s slot throughout the race.
The duel included Rachael Cuellar, 25, Albuquerque, NM, who was first to the steep 12-plus rung ladder obstacle at .8 miles into the race, just ahead of Sarah Gall, 28, Cedar Falls, IA. Cuellar kept the lead to the aid station at the Pan Toll Ranger Station at two miles into the race. Gall dropped back and Laura Haefeli, 29, Del Norte, CO, emerged as another front runner to chase Cuellar up and down the course to the finish line.
Cuellar was first to the line in 59:45 and with her win earned a spot on her second consecutive Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. Cuellar finished 10th among the world’s best women mountain runners at last year’s World Trophy competition and with her teammates won the gold medal.
After the race Haefeli, who finished just five seconds behind Cuellar, said, “I started my training a bit late this year and know that I really need to work on my climbing.”
A very solid performance was also turned in by Abby Larson, 28, Salt Lake City, UT, who finished in third with a time of 1:00:38. Larson had finished fifth in the recent USA 10km Trail Championships in Steamboat Springs, just one place behind Cuellar and two places behind Haefeli.
Contact: Nancy Hobbs (Manager, Teva US Mountain Running Team): (719) 573-4133 trlrunner@aol.com
Sixth place female finisherKelli Lusk, 37, Belchertown, MA, herself a former member of the mountain team, said, “That was such a fun course! I didn't run very well, but enjoyed the run (outside of the random bug bites!). I thought it was a great test of climbing, descending, and technical (terrain).”
For the men, Shiloh Mielke, 27, Weaverville, NC., led from the start and was first to the two-mile aid station. He emerged on the final climb in first place, just eight seconds ahead of Bill Fanselow, 40, Golden, CO who shadowed Mielke throughout . Mielke was timed in 52:01 while Fanselow ran 52:09. Rounding out the top three was John Tribbia, 25, Boulder, CO, in 52:34.
Following the event, Fanselow remarked, “What an awesome race for everyone! Everybody had high praise for the course, and the organization of it all.”
Mielke, like Cuellar, makes his second consecutive Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team.
The race start was located within two miles of Stinson Beach, at the intersection of Steep Ravine and Dipsea trails. The nearly seven mile route boasted an elevation change of 2600 feet and was run entirely on trail, much of which was single track with some technical downhills. The first ½ mile was rolling terrain, followed by a 1000 foot ascent up Steep Ravine Trail including a short ladder climb before the first mile. More climbing followed and within a mile from the Pan Toll Station, there was a one mile out-and-back section on the Ben Johnson Trail which afforded runners the opportunity to gauge their competition. After the 1100 foot descent into Muir Woods, the race climbed back out to Cardiac Hill and returned down Dipsea Trail to the finish.
The top three men and women shared the $500 prize purse which was donated by Irene Herman Insurance and Real Estate Services and the American Trail Running Association. The funds were distributed evenly between the men and women with $150 to first place, $75 to the second place, and $25 to third place. Cutting edge trail shoes and other prizes were provided by La Sportiva, Accelerade, 180s, and Tec Labs.
The Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team will compete in the 23rdWorld Mountain Running Trophy in Saillon, Ovronnaz, Switzerland, on September 15, 2007. This year’s Trophy races are up/down events (as opposed to even-numbered years when the events are held on uphill courses) with the senior men running three loops of the 4.050 kilometer course for a distance of just over 12km, the senior women and junior men running two loops of the 4.050 course for a distance slightly over 8km, while the junior women run one loop of the course at 4.050km. Donations to the team are welcome and are used to offset travel expenses to the World Trophy.
The women’s team includes four athletes with the top three finishers scoring for the team. Six athletes will represent the men’s team with the top four finishers scoring. The junior men’s team includes a maximum of four with top three scoring while the junior women’s team is a maximum of three with the top two scoring. Team manager Nancy Hobbs, Colorado Springs, CO, teamleader Richard Bolt, Portland, Oregon, team manager for the juniors Dave Dunham, Bradford, MA, and women’s team manager Ellen Miller, Vail, CO will accompany the team to Switzerland.
Cuellar and Mielke will join team members who earned berths from the first selection race, the USA Mountain Running Championships on June 24 in North Conway, NH, Rickey Gates, 26, Boulder, CO, Paul Low, 33, Belchertown, MA, and Anita Ortiz, 43, Eagle, CO. From the second selection race, the USA Trail Championships on June 30 in Steamboat Springs, CO, Simon Gutierrez, 41, Alamosa, CO, and Christine Lundy, 36, Sausalito, CA, received automatic berths.
The remaining members of the open squad, (two males, one female), will be selected by theMountain Ultra Trail Council with input from the team staff based on results at the selection races, past World Trophy events, national and international racing experience including mountain, road, cross country, and track. The junior squad (must be at least 16 years of age in the year of competition and not yet 20) which is selected based on running resumes, will, like the open team, be announced by August 1.
Top Male Finishers:
1. Shiloh Mielke, 27,Weaverville, NC, :52:01 $150 spot on the Teva US Mountain Running Team
2. Bill Fanselow, 40, Golden, CO, :52:09 $ 75
3. John Tribbia, 25, Boulder, CO, :52:34 $ 25
4. Galen Burrell, 28, San Francisco, CA, :53:33
5. Mark McManus, 33, Mill Valley, CA, :53:38
Women:
1. Rachael Cuellar, 25, Albuquerque, NM, :59:45 $150 spot on the Teva US Mountain Running Team
2. Laura Haefeli, 39, Del Norte, CO, :59:51 $ 75
3. Abigail Larson, 28, Salt Lake City, UT, 1:00:38 $ 25
4. Brandy Erholtz, 29, Bailey, CO, 1:01:28
5. SarahGall, 28, Cedar Falls, IA, 1:02:59
For additional information visit the websites listed below:
USAMountain Running Championships www.whitemountainmilers.com
USA Trail Championships www.runningseries.com
Mt. TamTrophy Race www.tamtrailrace.com/info
World Mountain Running Association www.wmra.info
USA Track & Field www.usatf.org
World Mountain Trophy 2007 www.coursedes2bains.org/presentation-wt07-fr.html
American Trail Running Association www.trailrunner.com
Teva www.teva.com
SportHill Clothing www.sporthill.com
180s performance gear www.180s.com
FuelBelt, Inc. www.fuelbelt.com
Fleet Feet Sports – Boulder www.fleetfeetboulder.com
Windermere Real Estate Teton Valley www.juliebryan.mywindermere.com
Youth Runner (Junior Team Partner) www.youthrunner.com
DeFeet (team product sponsor) www.defeet.com
Ecolips (team product sponsor) www.ecolips.com
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