Delchamps Senior Bowl Charity Run 10K

U.S. Men's 10K National Championship

Mobile, AL - November 4, 2000

Strand - Leader of the Pack

By Hank Brown, Running USA Reporter

It was a pack mentality at the 13th annual Delchamps Senior Bowl Charity Run 10k Saturday.

A huge pack of American men looked almost like an army battalion storming in tight-knit unison through the otherwise cerebral streets of Mobile, AL. The quest - the U.S. Men's 10k National Championship and the finale of the USARC Grand Prix. Scott Strand from Birmingham, Al emerged as the leader of the pack in renegade fashion by outsprinting a large gang to the finish in 29:01.

It was Strand's inaugural national championship, and certainly a stunning upset over a deep and talented field of more heralded U.S. distance stars.

Strand came to the race on his own tab and wore the overly conspicuous bib number 1011, about 1000 higher than the seeded runners bunched around him throughout the race. "I talked to someone on the race committee a while back about coming to the race," said the 32-year old Strand. "But I guess the message never got to Victor (Knight, race director). So when I called back this week, I was told there was no more travel expenses available. It was really no big deal because I was just coming from Birmingham."

Temperatures of 66 degrees greeted the runners, as they took off surrounded by dense fog. The pack formed immediately on the opening mile with Chad Johnson (MI), Jim Jurcevich (MI), and Teddy Mitchell (CO) each taking brief duties as pacers. Mitchell had a shadow of a lead at the first mile split (4:36) as a squad of 25 runners swept past beautiful old Southern homes and low overhanging live oak trees. The only casualty was USARC points leader Shawn Found , who had already dropped well out of contention, and would later drop out of the race.

The second mile was just as intense with insignificant thinning of the lead pack. Mile 2 passed in 4:40 with Jurcevich, Johnson, and Rod Dehaven (WI) a step ahead of the rest. The 4:43 3rd mile was more of the same with Jimmy Hearld (KY) taking his turn as gang leader over about 15 other brethren.

The pack was so considerable that they had trouble maneuvering the small traffic islands placed in the middle of the residential streets. They seemingly breathed in accord and ran as one.

Strand explained the mentality of the pack. "It's a championship race with a lot at stake so nobody wanted to be the sacrificial lamb," said the former Auburn University steeplechase star. "It was an honest pace, so everyone was happy with just running in the pack. It became a race of attrition, you know. Whoever was left at the end had a chance to win."

"My strategy was to stay with the pack as long as possible. I was just trying to stay comfortable. If someone had gone out really hard it might have been a totally different outcome."

The pace slowed slightly on mile 4 to 4:47. Shortly after that Phillimon Hanneck (OR) made a move that broke up the tightness of the pack. About 9 or 10 quickly matched the move, but runners were fading from the back of the pack more frequently now. After the 5th mile (4:43), the lead began to shape with Hanneck, Dan Brown (CO), Scott Larsen (CO), Dehaven, Mike Mykytok (NJ), Andre Williams (VA), and the surprising Strand all looking like potential winners. At one point they were spread across the road shoulder to shoulder in tempo to the fast approaching finish.

Finally, Strand made his move and only Browne could match it. Browne would later admit that Strand surprised everyone, including himself.

"To be honest, Scott surprised me," said the 2000 US 15K National Champion. "I was trying to stay relaxed and evaluate the pack. There were lots of guys with good kicks. It was just Scott's day."

Browne couldn't match Strand's steeplechase speed and Strand sped away to the finish in 29:01and the coveted 10k title. Browne held off Hanneck for 2nd, both timed in 29:05. DeHaven was fourth in 29:08, but more importantly overtook Found for the USARC Grand Prix points title.

The women's race was a wire-to-wire victory for 2000 Olympian Elva Dryer (NM). She pulled away from a small pack just past mile 1 and cruised to victory in 32:53. Cheri Kenah (VA), in her first race since a late spring injury, was a distant second in 34:23.

"It was a solid race for me," said Dryer. "I wanted to get under 33:00. I never really knew how big a lead I had so I kept pushing it. There were a few times out there where I lost my focus so I had to get my head back into it."

Kenah was happy with her return to racing after a long layoff. "It's about what I expected. I have to start someplace. Elva's in great shape so I knew I was running for no better than 2nd. I had to work hard for 2nd place."

Strand learned earlier this year that he had a thyroid problem that slowed his metabolism and made him feel lethargic. "I had a terrible spring season.

I thought I was just getting old, " he laughed. "But I started taking some thyroid medication and I'm starting to feel like my old self again."

The rest of the pack better take notice of Scott Strand's old self!

Men 1. Scott Strand AL 29:01 2. Dan Browne CO 29:05 3. Phillimon Hanneck OR 29:05 4. Rod DeHaven WI 29:08 5. Mike Mykytok NJ 29:10 6. Scott Larson CO 29:12 7. Chad Johnson MI 29:13 8. Andre Williams VA 29:20 9. Charles Wallace CO 29:28 10. Clint Wells CO 29:32 11. Jimmy Hearld KY 29:38 12. Teddy Mitchell CO 29:41 13. Richie Brinker MI 29:45 14. Jim Jurcevich MI 29:45 15. John Sence OH 29:48

Women 1. Elva Dryer NM 32:53 2. Cheri Kenah VA 34:23 3. Carrie Tollefson PA 34:33 4. Gina Procaccio PA 34:58 5. Katie McGregor VA 35:41 6. Jill Tranter KY 36:27 7. Lori Usrey AL 37:00 8. Emily Nay MT 37:20 9. Petra Staskova NC 37:32

Men's USARC Final Standings after six races:

1) Rod DeHaven, 34, Madison, WI 39 $6000 2) Shawn Found, 29, Boulder, CO 33 $4000 3) Phillimon Hanneck, 29, Clackamas, OR 31 $2500 4) Dan Browne, 25, Lafayette, CO 27 Todd Reeser, 26, Canandaigua, NY 27 6) Peter DeLaCerda, 29, Alamosa, CO 22 Mark Coogan, 34, Madison, WI 22 8) Eddy Hellebuyck, 39, Albuquerque, NM 20 9) Scott Larson, 30, Boulder, CO 16 10) Scott Strand, 32, Birmingham, AL 15

The 2000 USA Running Circuit (USARC), the sixth edition for the men and fifth for the women, offered over $670,000 in prize money plus a $25,000 grand prix purse. Libbie Hickman repeated as Women's USARC Grand Prix champion.

The 2000 Circuit, a USA Track & Field road series, featured six events for men and women. Per race, the first ten U.S. runners earned points (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6000, $4000 and $2500) for the top three men and women point scorers overall.

The USARC mission is to support, develop and promote U.S. runners. Past USARC Grand Prix champions include Olympians Keith Brantly ('95), Mark Coogan ('96), Rod DeHaven ('98), Libbie Hickman ('99), Anne Marie Lauck ('96), Shelly Steely ('98) and Todd Williams ('99).

2000 Men's USA Road Champions
Dan Browne      44:26  Gate River Run 15K, Jacksonville, FL, March 4
Rod DeHaven   2:15:30  U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, Pittsburgh, PA, May 7
Shawn Found   1:17:45  Old Kent River Bank Run 25K, Grand Rapids, MI, May 13
Rod DeHaven   1:03:06  Parkersburg Half-Marathon, WV, August 19
Todd Reeser   1:00:00  New Haven 20K, New Haven, CT, September 4
Scott Strand    29:01  Delchamps Senior Bowl Charity Run 10K, Mobile, AL,

Thanks to: Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Coordinator, USATF Road Running Information Center.