Foster, McGlone Take Desert Classic Duathlon In Arizona
On the day the Canadian hockey team took the gold in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Canadian Samantha McGlone took an early season victory for herself at the 2010 Desert Classic Duathlon in Phoenix, Ariz. The Tucson resident earned the victory over a star-packed women’s field including two-time Ironman World Champion Michellie Jones (AUS), Canada’s Angela Naeth, Switzerland’s Renata Bucher, Great Britain’s Leanda Cave and the United States’ Linsey Corbin.
McGlone’s win came thanks to a steady effort across all three legs of the race. McGlone headed off of the first run leg and onto the bike in sixth position and slowly worked her way to front of the field. By the time she reached the finish line at 1:36:00 she had overtaken all of the women ahead of her. Now 40-years-old, Jones proved that she can still compete with the best, coming in second at 1:37:00. Third went to Canada’s Angela Naeth at 1:37:09. Naeth was forced to sit out much of 2009 due to a series of injuries, and she looks to be starting 2010 strong with a podium finish against a tough field.
While the men’s race was not as star packed as the women’s, it did provide for an exciting day with the top four finishing within three minutes of each other. American Chris Foster took the win thanks to a blazing start on the run. Foster posted a 16:51 time for the first 3.5 mile run of the race, which is good enough for an average pace of 4:49 minutes/mile. From there he never looked back and crossed the tape in first with a time of 1:23:57. American Ben Hoffman used a strong bike leg to finish second at 1:25:52. American Matthew Sheeks finished third at 1:26:02.
Desert Classic Duathlon
Phoenix, Ariz. – February 28, 2010
3.5-mile run, 21-mile bike, 2.7-mile run
Men
1. Chris Foster (USA) 1:23:57
2. Ben Hoffman (USA) 1:25:52
3. Matthew Sheeks (USA) 1:26:02
4. Ryan Giuliano (USA) 1:26:29
5. Chris Ganter (USA) 1:29:49
Women
1. Samantha McGlone (CAN) 1:36:00
2. Michellie Jones (AUS) 1:37:00
3. Angela Naeth (CAN) 1:37:09
4. Leanda Cave (GBR) 1:37:28
5. Lisa Ribe s(USA) 1:38:41
Houston To Host 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials
The site of some of the most historic American half-marathon performances and host of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the women’s marathon, Houston will host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s and Women’s Marathon, USA Track & Field and the United States Olympic Committee announced Monday.
The 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials will be held in Houston January 14, 2012, a day prior to the 40th anniversary of the Chevron Houston Marathon. The races will determine the three men and three women who will represent the United States in the marathon at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
USA Track & Field’s site selection committee, comprised of USATF committee chairs, elite athletes and staff, tapped Houston to host both races. Boston and New York had each bid to host one Olympic Trials race. The USATF Board of Directors approved the decision at its weekend meeting in Albuquerque, N.M. and the USOC has green-lighted the award.
“As we expected, all three bids were remarkable, and all three bids had qualities that made each unique,” USATF CEO Doug Logan. “Ultimately, we feel that hosting the Olympic Trials at Houston will afford our athletes the best opportunity to succeed in London. What was most striking about Houston’s bid was their ability to integrate the Olympic Trials into their weekend of racing in a way that benefitted all parties, but first and foremost, the athletes.”
Utilizing a public-private partnership, with the support of the city of Houston and the Harris County Sports Commission, Houston will invest $1.7 million to host both races. Those funds will go toward event logistics, athlete support, travel and prize money.
The timing of the race offered by Houston also was appealing to the site selection committee. With the London Olympic Games being held in early August, rather than the later dates of recent Games, having the Trials far enough out to allow for proper recovery and preparation for London, yet close enough to be relevant to the Games, was a high priority.
“We are very proud to be chosen as the Olympic Trials host city for the one of the marquee track and field events of the Olympic Games,” said Houston Marathon race director Brant Kotch. “Through our involvement with the U.S. Half Marathon Championships, we have developed a strong partnership with USATF, and we are looking forward to having the eyes of the running world focused on Houston in January 2012.”
History of success
Houston, and specifically the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, has been the site of several notable American performances in recent years. In 2007, Ryan Hall became the first American to break 1 hour for the half marathon, running 59:43 to break an American record that had stood since 1985. In 2009, Meb Keflezighi began his phenomenal 2009 campaign with a win at the half marathon in 1:01:25. It was the first accomplishment of a year for Meb that included four U.S. titles and a historic win at the ING New York City Marathon.
On January 17 of this year, Shalane Flanagan won the Aramco Houston Half in 1:09:41 to smash the course record take the U.S. national title in her career debut at the distance. In the Houston Marathon the same day, Stanford graduate Brett Gotcher placed seventh in 2:10:35 to post the fourth-fastest American marathon debut in history, behind Hall, Alberto Salazar and Alan Culpepper.
Houston has hosted the USA Men’s Half Marathon Championship since 2005 and the women’s Championship since 2007, and the race has been a supporter of the USA Distance Project, dedicated to sustaining the long-term development of elite USA distance athletes, enabling them to compete successfully in domestic and international competitions and major championship events.
“I am really excited to know that Houston will be hosting the 2012 Olympic Trials,” 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan said. “The race organizers know how to make elite athletes feel at home and to set the stage for us to compete at our highest levels. I think the timing of the race is perfect, and I have no doubt that Houston will put on an outstanding event.”
“Houston is a special place for me,” said Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the marathon. “Thanks to a great performance there in 2009, I had maybe the best year of my career. I even went back in 2010 to support the race at their expo. I am looking forward to going back and competing in 2012.”
Both the men’s and women’s races will be held on a criterium course in Houston, with final format of the start and other logistics to be determined by the site selection committee in conjunction with race organizers.
New Ironman Pro Membership Rules Affect Prize Money, Kona Slots At IM Malaysia
The first Ironman to be subject to the new Ironman Pro Membership rules left a few pros walking away without a paycheck or a slot to October’s Ironman World Championship.
Racing as a professional in an Ironman or Ironman 70.3 race now means that athletes must be a part of the Ironman Pro Membership program. On top of a $750 annual membership fee, athletes are now subject to new rules in all Ironman branded events.
The new regulations state that athletes must finish within 8% of the winning time in order to walk away with any prize money. In addition, no prize money will be redistributed making the professional prize purse more of a maximum payout possibility, as opposed to a true gage of how much money will be given out.
For example, the prize purse for Ironman Malaysia is $50,000. Because of the new rules, only $39,500 was handed out after Saturday’s race.
Hillary Biscay commented on her lack of prize money or Kona slot on her blog.
American Hillary Biscay was one of the athletes left with no prize money and no chance at a roll down slot to Kona.
She commented on the outcome on her blog: “New WTC rules say that I am not eligible for the third-place $4000 USD prize money: after 10 hours and 10 minutes of hard racing, my time falls 2 minutes outside of 8% of the winning time. According to the new “8% rule,” finishing 8.3% off of the winning time means I don’t get paid. Unfortunately, this money does not get redistributed to Belinda, Edith, or the four men who finished within the prize money cutoff. It ‘disappears.’”
Here’s a comparison of what athletes would have received under the old rules, and what was handed out under the new rules.
Prize Purse Allocation
Under Old Rules
Men
1. Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL) 8:22:31 $10,000
2. Hiroyuki Nishiuchi (JPN) 8:50:52 $6,000
3. Romaine Guillaume (FRA) 8:54:38 $4,000
4. Justin Granger (AUS) 9:01:08 $3,500
5. Andres Venhorst (NED) 9:12:03 $2,000
Women
1. Belinda Granger (AUS) 9:23:33 $10,000
2. Edith Niederfriniger (ITA) 9:35:02 $6,000
3. Hillary Biscay (USA) 10:10:59 $4,000
4. Ariane Monteceli (BRA ) 10:15:17 $3,500
5. Jocelyn Wong (USA) 10:20:32 $2,000
Under New Rules – Within 8% Of Winner’s Time
Men
1. Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL) 8:22:31 $10,000
2. Hiroyuki Nishiuchi (JPN) 8:50:52 $6,000
3. Romaine Guillaume (FRA) 8:54:38 $4,000
4. Justin Granger (AUS) 9:01:08 $3,500
5. Andres Venhorst (NED) 9:12:03 $0
Women
1. Belinda Granger (AUS) 9:23:33 $10,000
2. Edith Niederfriniger (ITA) 9:35:02 $6,000
3. Hillary Biscay (USA) 10:10:59 $0
4. Ariane Monteceli (BRA) 10:15:17 $0
5. Jocelyn Wong (USA) 10:20:32 $0
Kona Slot Allocation Eligibility
Under Old Rules
Men
1. Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL) 8:22:31
2. Hiroyuki Nishiuchi (JPN) 8:50:52
All athletes subject to a receive a roll down slot if either of the top two didn’t take their slot.
Women
1. Belinda Granger (AUS) 9:23:33
2. Edith Niederfriniger (ITA) 9:35:02
All athletes subject to a receive a roll down slot if either of the top two didn’t take their slot.
Under New Rules – Within 5% Of Winner’s Time
Men
1. Marino Vanhoenacker
2. Not Given Out
No athletes eligible for roll down slots.
Women
1. Belinda Granger
2. Edith Niederfriniger
No athletes eligible for roll down slots.
To see the complete list of rules click here.
Lagat And Metivier Baillie Win USA 3000m Titles
Rowbury and Rupp settle for second.
Written By: David Monti
(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
ALBUQUERQUE (28-Feb) — Using completely different strategies to deal with the high altitude and their toughest competitors, Bernard Lagat and Renee Metivier Baillie won the 3000m titles at the USA Indoor Championships here last night in front of a sellout crowd of nearly 3000.
Lagat decided to make it a slow race –painfully slow– to force his rivals to challenge his kick. The two-time Olympic medallist jumped on the front of the race immediately, then slowed it way down, hitting the first kilometer in about three minutes.
“That’s marathon pace,” commented USA Olympic Marathon Trials winner Ryan Hall who was amongst the spectators.
Although the pace remained middling, Adam State College’s Aaron Braun opened things up a bit in the second half, giving Lagat, and his primary chasers Galen Rupp and Chris Solinsky, a chance to position themselves for the final sprint. Lagat didn’t wait too long, pushing hard before the bell, and leaving Rupp and Solinsky to chase. He put the race out of reach within seconds.
“I didn’t know how I was going to feel with altitude,” said Lagat. “But you know what? I didn’t feel any effect after five laps, and I’m like, OK, then. I’m just going to have fun. I’m just going to protect my position.”
Lagat got to the finish line on the brick-red synthetic track in 8:12.60, while Rupp beat Solinsky through the final turn to take second. Rupp was satisfied he had made the team, and said he had saved something for the IAAF World Indoor Championships next month.
“I made the team; that’s the top goal,” said Rupp. “It’s not about doing anything special here. I’ll save that for a couple of weeks from now over in Doha.”
Solinsky was clearly disappointed, especially given that he had spent most of the last six weeks training here.
“To be honest, I feel fine coming out of the race,” said the former University of Wisconsin star. “I just didn’t have that next gear in my legs. I didn’t know why.”
Metivier Baillie, who lives and trains in Boulder, Colo., which is at an almost identical altitude to Albuquerque, decided to get away from the field early, far away. As the rest of the women stayed together, Metivier Baillie was leading by ten seconds with seven laps to go in the 15 lap contest, a lead she ultimately built to 14 seconds with four laps to go.
“I could tell that just everyone was putting on the brakes and I was like, screw it,” said Metivier Baillie. “I’m going to go.”
Shannon Rowbury, the 2009 world 1500m bronze medallist, mounted a chase with Sara Hall, and the pair began to bring the gap down. They were within eight seconds with two laps to go, and at the bell they were just four seconds down.
“I was just trying to run to qualify and so I just kept focusing on my race,” said Hall. “And once I could see us gaining, I went for it in the last 200.”
Coming out of the last turn, Rowbury and Hall were right on Metivier Baillie’s heels, but she held them off in the final scramble for the line to win by just 2/100ths of a second over Hall in 9:14.90. Rowbury, who has the fastest sprint, had to settle for third.
“I wasn’t exactly sure how I would react to the altitude, and maybe was a little over cautious as a result,” said Rowbury who lives and trains in San Francisco with the Bay Area Track Club. “If I had the kick that I normally do, I knew it would be possible, but I just didn’t quite get it.”
For Metivier Baillie, an accomplished cross country runner, the victory was particularly sweet. She had never won a national title before.
“I don’t always get to use it, but I have a turbo which lasts about 70 meters,” she said. “You have to be confident in yourself to the end, whether you win or lose.”
Although she won the race, Metivier Baillie told reporters that she does not plan to race at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha in two weeks. She had previously qualified for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Poland at the end of March, and coach Jay Johnson had been working on her strength and endurance for that event (she also does not have the 9:03.00 qualifying standard). That would open the next spot to Rowbury who has the standard, or fourth place Desiree Davila, a marathoner, who ran 9:00.73 at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games earlier this month. Hall, who also qualified for the World Cross team, said she would give up that team spot to focus on World Indoor.
Vanhoenacker, Granger Dominate Bike Leg To Take Ironman Malaysia
Belgium’s Marino Vanhoenacker and Australia’s Belinda Granger turned in fast times on the bike and survived the heat on the run to take the first Ironman victories of 2010.
The day started with defending champion Luke McKenzie of Australia leading the men out of the water with a time of 49:28. Following him were Japan’s Hiroyuki Nishiuchi, France’s Romain Guillaume and Vanhoenacker. McKenzie went to work on the bike keeping a fast pace through the first 45 km. It did not turn out to be McKenzie’s day as he fell back through the pack and eventually dropped out of the race due to stomach issues. Through his Twitter McKenzie said “Sorry guys I’m out! Pretty gutted! Upset stomach on the bike. Nothing staying down!”
With McKenzie out of the race, Vanhoenacker faced little competition and posted a blazing bike time of 4:21:01. Heading onto the run with a massive lead over Guillame and Nishiuchi, Vanhoenacker’s biggest battle would be avoiding the stomach problems that plagued him in the heat of Kona. He managed to keep a steady pace throughout the entire 26.2 miles posting a 3:06:44 marathon and crossing the finish line in first at 8:22:31. Nearly a half hour later, Nisiuchi came to the finish with a time of 8:50:52 for second. While Guillaume looked to be the only athlete within striking distance of Vanhoenacker heading onto the run, he struggled in the heat and had to settle for third at 8:54:38.
American Hillary Biscay and Granger were the first women out of the water at just after 55 minutes into the race. Granger quickly went to work and ended up riding most of the bike leg by on her own up front. Once on the run, it was a matter of not blowing up in the hot and humid conditions. Granger managed a marathon time of 3:31:09, giving her an overall time of 9:23:33 and the overall win. The win is Granger’s third in a row at Ironman Malaysia. While Italy’s Edith Niederfriniger was the only runner to take time out Granger’s lead, it would not be nearly enough as Neiderfriniger came into the finish in second at 9:35:02. Despite mechanical problems on the bike, Biscay earned a podium position thanks to a time of 10:10:59.
Ironman Malaysia
Langkawi, Malaysia – Feb. 27, 2010
2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run
Men
1. Marino Vanhoenacker (BEL) 8:22:31
2. Hiroyuki Nishiuchi (JPN) 8:50:52
3. Romaine Guillaume (FRA) 8:54:38
4. Justin Granger (AUS) 9:01:08
5. Andres Venhorst (NED) 9:12:03
Women
1. Belinda Granger (AUS) 9:23:33
2. Edith Niederfriniger (ITA) 9:35:02
3. Hillary Biscay (USA) 10:10:59
4. Ariane Monteceli (BRA ) 10:15:17
5. Jocelyn Wong (USA) 10:20:32
Click here to see complete results.
Lieto On Armstrong’s Kona Potential: “I Think He Has The Ability To Go Top-Five”
Ironman World Championship runner-up Chris Lieto talked with VeloNews’ Neal Rogers about the twitter time trial, training as a cyclist and exactly how fast he thinks Armstrong can finish at the Ironman World Championships.
Lieto at a recent team camp. Photo: Kurt Hoy
Those who follow Lance Armstrong’s Twitter updates may have noticed his first-ever “Twitter time trial” last week against Ironman triathlete Chris Lieto, held along Kona’s Queen K Highway — the windy stretch of coastal road that serves as the bike leg of the Hawaii Ironman world championships.
The impromptu competition between the two stars of endurance sports started as a tweet from Armstrong to Lieto on the afternoon of February 16, when the seven-time Tour champ wrote, “Just passed @chrislieto going the other way. He was hammerin. Hey Chris, a little TT showdown on the Queen K tomorrow? You, me, and whoever.”
One of the strongest cyclists in triathlon, Lieto promptly replied, “@lancearmstrong see u on the Queen-K! Will have to be after 8am cause I have to swim first. Flying out mid day. Give me a call.”
Later that day Armstrong issued a notice to his near 2.5 million Twitter followers: “Queen K Hwy TT Challenge. Tomorrow 9:30am. Start – Waikeloa Beach Dr to Kukio Nui Dr. 14 miles. Full gas. Take it easy on me @chrislieto.”
The event, which ended up being closer to 11 miles, drew a few dozen spectators and participants.
A video posted online quoted Armstrong saying Lieto had ridden 15 seconds slower than he had; Lieto later posted his time as 18:44; just nine seconds slower than Armstrong. Either way, it was an impressive ride for the triathlete, considering Armstrong has been one of the strongest cyclists against the clock of the past decade. And as Armstrong said, “Who knows, maybe we’ll be having a showdown out here [on the Queen K Highway] in a couple years, with the swim in the front and the run at the end.”
The biggest star of the new Trek/K-Swiss triathlon team, Lieto, who turns 38 this year, is famous for using his bike strength to begin the marathon run with a large advantage. That tactic has never taken him to victory on the sport’s biggest stage, but he’s won three Ironman-distance races, holding the bike-course record at Ironman Canada. He finished ninth in Kona in 2006 and sixth in 2007 (the top American), and last year Lieto posted the fastest bike split — 4:37:33, for an average of 24.22mph — before Australian Craig Alexander finally reeled him in at mile 22 of the run. Lieto finished second, 2:35 behind Alexander, a result that forced those who have questioned Lieto’s bike-heavy strategy to think again.
The Bay Area resident has also done his fair share of bike racing with the amateur team California Giant Berry Farms, playing the role of unknown wildcard at the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, in 2006 and 2007, and at the Tour of Utah, in 2006 and 2008. At the 2006 Utah race Lieto made it into the day’s breakaway on the final stage, finishing fourth on the climb to Snowbird Resort, just nine seconds behind climbing sensation Phil Zajicek; he finished the race 11th overall, 5:32 behind overall winner Scott Moninger. At Mt. Hood in 2007 Lieto put in a strong performance, finishing fifth on the pivotal 18.5-mile time trial, ahead of two-time national time-trial champion Chris Baldwin. Lieto finished that race seventh overall, 3:08 behind overall winner Nathan O’Neill.
VeloNews managing editor Neal Rogers caught Lieto by phone to ask about how the recent “Twitter time trial” came about, how it felt to be less than 10 seconds slower than a rider who has stood on the Tour de France podium eight times and how Armstrong might fare against today’s Ironman men’s field.
VeloNews: So is there a Trek connection with Armstrong?
Chris Lieto: Yeah, I’ve known Lance a few years, through Trek, we’ve done some wind-tunnel stuff. He invited me out to his house last fall for the Mellow Johnny’s Classic, the mountain-bike race. I did that, and I hung out with him there. I knew he was in Hawaii and I connected with him. I saw him out riding one day, we rode a few times together, and then we passed each other one day — he saw me riding down a hill, and he was riding up — and he twittered right after that. We were planning on doing a good ride together, and then he twittered that. He emailed me, we had an arrival time, he was going first, and I was leaving behind him. We met at 9:30. He opened it up to anyone else that wanted to do the time trial. They just had to leave after us, and it was on the honor system, no cheating, you started your own clock at the start and at the finish. I think he was surprised by how much response he got, and how much banter there was, with the tri community getting in on it. It was pretty funny.
VN: What was the distance?
CL: I’d have to look at my computer. I think it ended up being 11 miles. I don’t remember exactly. The average speed was about 56kph, or about 35mph. We had a tailwind.
VN: And this was part of the Ironman triathlon course?
CL: Yep, it’s part of the Ironman course, probably from mile 85 to 95, or so, somewhere in there.
VN: Armstrong tweeted that you were only 15 seconds behind him.
CL: Yeah, I was actually nine seconds off. He quoted me at 15 seconds in a video that was shot right after we finished. But after I downloaded my computer, my time was a little bit quicker.
VN: That’s pretty fast — Armstrong won a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics in the time trial, has won several Tour de France time trials, and was third at the Tour last year. Did you expect to be there? Are you pleased with that?
CL: Yeah, obviously I’m pleased to be that close to the best cyclist in the world. It’s great. I didn’t know what it was going to be like, or how I would perform. I didn’t think I would be that close. It was my first hard effort of the year, doing something like that. I haven’t done any max efforts yet, so it was a new experience for the year, to get going again. We’d both had hard weeks of training. The day before I think he rode five hours, I rode five hours, a lot of climbing, intervals, so it was just an unknown. But it was good to just hit it out. It helped with the tailwind, it made it a little bit easier to stay within striking range, or minimize the time gap. I think if it was a headwind maybe it would have been a little different. I think it also shows the bike quality of our new Trek Speed Concept. It equaled it out. We were on the same bike, in similar positions, on similar size frames.
VN: Was there one rider that brought more aerodynamic equipment — wheels, helmet, skinsuit, anything?
CL: No, it’s funny, we talked beforehand, I said okay, no aero helmets, because I didn’t bring mine and he had his. He said okay, and then he showed up and he was in his skinsuit, and I was in my regular jersey and bibs. And I was like “What’s up with the skinsuit?” and then he looked at my wheels and said that I had race wheels on. They’re four-year-old aluminum training wheels, but they have bladed spokes. But I had a 24-count spoke count wheel, and he had a 32-spoke count wheel. He had a skinsuit and I had a jersey and bibs, I had an aluminum rim with less spokes than he had, so it all balanced out.
VN: I’m pretty familiar with Armstrong’s race schedule, and where he should be with his fitness at this time of year. You said that was your first hard effort of the year; what’s your first race of 2010, and where did this sort of effort fit into your training?
CL: My first race of the year is March 15th. His first race was, what, last month? I’m a few months behind the cycling community. My first big race isn’t until June, and then Hawaii in October. I break my year into two halves. There are two half-Ironmans that I will be focusing on, but I haven’t confirmed which ones yet. For me my main focus is October. For Lance it’s the Tour de France in July. I try to get a first half of the season peak in June, and then I take a few weeks off and rebuild and start my focus for October. The big build will be for Kona.
Lieto in his roadie kit.
VN: We’ve seen you race at national-level road races in the past, but not really last year. Will you do that again in 2010? Where are you with your side career as an amateur cyclist?
CL: I’m not really doing anything with the side career. I’m still with the (California Giant Berry Farms) team, I am still part of it. Last year was the first year I didn’t do any stage races, the year before I did Tour of Utah. Last year with my training schedule and my racing schedule, it didn’t fit in. I did a few small local road races. This year will probably be the same. I doubt I’ll show up to any stage races. I think the lead up for me is more specific, what I need to do leading up to a triathlon.
VN: So what’s changed? How has the lead up changed compared to years when you were racing stage races? Does that mean you need to work more on the run, and less on the bike?
CL: It’s the whole balance. Training for triathlon you have to balance all three sports. So going to do a stage race, like say the Tour of Utah, I may prepare differently on my bike leg leading up to it so I can be fit enough on the bike to maintain and to be part of that race. I’m also taking that five- or six-day block and just riding. In the past I would do little runs after the stage was over, just a short run to keep the legs moving. But you take a weeklong block to do a stage race and you’re not getting in the swimming and running. So you have to sacrifice those, and you have to figure out what is the grand effect, and how you manage recovery to make sure you’re still on plan for the ultimate race in your triathlon schedule.
VN: So out in Kona with Lance, training on the Queen K, you must have chatted with him about him returning to triathlon. What kinds of conversations have you had with him about it?
CL: We have chatted a little bit about it. Nothing is definite or set. It’s known that he has an interest in racing triathlon again. He’s made statements that he’ll come and race in the sport of triathlon at some point, in the next year or two, when he’s done with the Tour. I think we may see him at some Ironman events, or half-Ironman events, or something like that.
VN: From what you’ve seen in Armstrong’s comeback, and his rides on the Queen K, what sort of performance do you think he’s capable of in the Hawaii Ironman?
CL: Oh, I mean he’s one of the greatest athletes in the world. Looking at where he is now, after taking the time off, he has the ability to compete in any sport. He has the biking background, I think he has shown he can run and do marathons. He swam in high school, and he did triathlons early on, so he has the ability and the skill sets to do it. I think he’ll be competitive. I think it will be good for the sport.
VN: So what sort of performance is he capable of? I’m looking for a time. Can he go under nine hours?
CL: Oh yeah, he’ll go under nine, for sure. There’s no reason he couldn’t. It’s all about the engine. He’s a very smart guy, so he gets the part about balance, and nutrition … there’s so much more to a triathlon than pure raw power and speed. You’ve got to be patient, and you’ve got to be calculating in your nutrition plan and how you get the fluids in you, and as far as dosing your effort. He’ll know that if he does a 112-mile bike, he’ll need to be reserved to do the marathon. He’s not going to go and kill the bike leg. In the race we did on the Queen K, it was 18km, 10-11 miles, it was short, it’s different, it’s raw power, a different approach. He knows what he’s doing. I think he’ll go sub-nine. I think he’ll be in the mix a little bit. He’ll create some stir. He’ll get some people worried, stressed out about where he is. I think he even has the ability to get top-five.
VN: I would think your position as the strongest cyclist in triathlon, and as someone who can race against pros at national-level stage races, is of great interest to VeloNews.com readers, many of whom are probably stronger cyclists than runners.
CL: It’s all based on the balance of how you go at your race. For me, my strength is my cycling, so I use that to my advantage. I may not run as fast as I could if I just ran a marathon. I could probably go out and run a pretty fast one-off marathon. But trying to put it in after riding 112 miles by yourself, at the front, is much different than riding 112 miles in a group, or not riding at all and just running a fresh marathon. My running is good, it’s just not as good as the guy who won this year. But my cycling is that much better than his. It’s just finding that balance in your dose of effort.
VN: Does that mean, being the strong cyclist you are, and having gotten closer and closer to winning by using the bike as your strength, that you work even harder on the bike, to get out front even more, or do you have to work on the run more? Will you train one more or less than you did last year?
CL: It’s all about balancing the three. I don’t look at it as I need to ride more and get faster on the bike for that extra minute. I have to make sure the bike is as strong, if not stronger, than last year. And I also need to focus on the run, and make sure that it’s better than it was last year. I can’t neglect the cycling aspect and just focus on my running. I focus a lot on my biking and I focus a lot on my running. It seems like my biking is still going well, and it showed well last week with Lance. I think it also shows the cycling community the credibility of the sport of triathlon. It’s not just a bunch of guys out there that can’t make it as cyclists that are out there doing triathlon. There are a lot of guys out there that are really good on a bike. There are a handful of professional triathletes that could compete in the pro ranks on the bike, but they don’t, because we balance all three. And I think it shows with my TT ride against Lance. I won’t go out and beat him, but I’m not that far off.
VN: You might go out and beat him. Nine seconds is not a lot in 11 miles; that’s less than a second a mile. We all know the fallibility of the transitive properties in bike racing results — otherwise known as the virtual race resumé — but who knows, maybe you’re capable of going top-15 in a ProTour time trial.
CL: That would be pretty crazy.
World Record Holder Headlines Half Marathon In New Orleans
Inaugural race features strong fields.
Written By: Sean McKeon
The Inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon and Half Marathon, taking place February 28th in New Orleans, has attracted some of the world’s top distance runners. The men’s half marathon will feature a battle between Kenyan world record holder Sammy Wanjiru and fellow Kenyan Martin Lel, a three-time London Marathon champion. In the women’s race, Ethiopian legend Berhane Adere will square off against New Zealand record holder Kim Smith.
Let’s take a closer look at the runners to watch and what to expect in Sunday’s big half marathon.
2008 Olympic Champion Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya will race the half marathon in New Orleans. Photo: PhotoRun.net
Men’s Half Marathon:
The clear favorite in New Orleans will be Kenyan world record holder Sammy Wanjiru. In 2008 he captured his first Olympic gold medal, battling the Beijing heat to an Olympic marathon record of 2:06:32. He followed up his Olympic victory by setting course records in 2009 at the London (2:05:10, PR) and Chicago (2:05:41) marathons. Wanjiru set the standing half-marathon world record of 58:33 in 2007 in the City-Pier-City Loop in The Hague, The Netherlands. Looking to take down the world record holder is fellow Kenyan Martin Lel. Considered one of the greatest road racers of all time, Lel’s resume includes three London Marathon titles, two New York City Marathon titles, and additional podium finishes at London and Boston. Although his half-marathon PR of 59:56 is well shy of Wanjiru’s record, he undoubtedly presents a serious threat to Wanjiru in New Orleans.
The strongest challenge to a Kenyan 1-2 finish will come from a young runner from Ireland. Irish Olympian Martin Fagan, a product of Providence College, has a personal best of 1:00:57 and is known as a runner willing to take a chance with a fast pace. Considering that the Kenyans are approaching this race as a tune-up for later marathons, Fagan has a legitimate shot at hanging around deep into the race. However, Fagan will have two other serious Kenyan threats to deal with in the Big Easy.
Also in the mix on the men’s side will be former Oregon Duck, and 13:36 5000m runner Shadrack Biwott of Kenya. Biwott will make his half-marathon debut in New Orleans. Also in the hunt will be 2007 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon champion McDonald Ondara of Kenya. Ondara set his personal best of 1:01:11 in route to his win in San Jose.
Kiwi star Kim Smith will race for the win in New Orleans. Photo: PhotoRun.net
Women’s Half Marathon:
Berhane Adere of Ethiopia has had a long and illustrious career, including world records on the track and marathon wins on the road. Adere won her first of two Chicago Marathon titles in a still personal best 2:20:42. Her half-marathon personal best of 1:08:17 was set in 2001 at the world championships. Although she had top-five finishes at both Chicago and London in 2009, she had a poor showing earlier this year with a 14th-place finish at the Zayed Half Marathon (1:12:50). Adere certainly hopes to show better form in New Orleans.
Adere will have to battle with New Zealand record holder Kim Smith. Smith, another Providence alum, holds the Kiwi records for 3000m (8:35.31), 5000m (14:39.98i), 10,000m (30:35.54) and the half-marathon (1:09:35). With top-10 finishes in the 10,000m at the 2008 Olympics and 2009 World Championships, Smith is used to pushing the pace with the Africans. Her personal best for the half marathon came in the 2009 world half marathon championships, where she placed a strong seventh.
Ehiopian Azalech Maresha will toe the line with confidence, having set a personal best of 2:32:12 at the Mumbai Marathon in January. American marathon champion Ilsa Paulson has a personal best of 2:31:49 for the marathon. Paulson will look to improve upon her time of 1:17:04 from the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon this January.
RunNow.com will have coverage all week, including live coverage on race day, from New Orleans.
[sig:SeanMcKeon]
Tucson To Host 2011-12 USAT National Duathlon Festival
Tucson has quickly become established as one of the top triathlon training grounds in the United States and was recently named the Best Place To Live by Triathlete Magazine. While the weather, terrain and location are ideal for training, the lack of bodies of water means that the area hosts very few triathlons. Today, USA Triathlon announced that Tucson will play host to the USAT National Duathlon Festival in 2011 and 2012. With the presence of duathlon, Tucson may have found its place in the multisport racing community.
Tucson is considered the nation's top winter triathlon training city. Photo: Nils Nilsen
The 2011 and 2012 USAT National Duathlon Festival will consist of three duathlons in the Oro Valley (an area north of Tucson) – the Age Group National Championship, a sprint-distance citizen’s race and the off-road Championship.
“The selection of Tucson/Oro Valley to host the 2011 and 2012 USA Triathlon National Duathlon Festival provides the perfect opportunity to prove to world-class athletes and trainers how our community lives up to the title of ‘America’s Winter Training Capital,’” said Vince Trinidad, director of the Tucson Sports division for the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau.
2011-12 USAT National Duathlon Festival Race Distances (run, bike, run)*
Age Group National Championship – 5k, 40k, 5k
Citizen’s Race (sprint distance) – 2.5k, 20k, 2.5k
Off-Road Championship – 3k, 15k, 3k
*Distances are subject to change.
The 2010 event is slated for April 24-25 in Richmond, Va.
Click here to see the complete press release from USAT.
Sahara Marathon Won In Record Time
Written By: Pat Butcher
The tenth anniversary Sahara Marathon was won this morning, Monday, by Jon Salvador of Spain, in a record time of 2.42.40.
Salvador, 43, from the Basque city of Bilbao has run the half-marathon three times here in the past, winning twice, and finishing third. He only decided 10 days ago to return to the event. “I had stopped training for the event, but my local town hall decided to send me ten days ago. I paced one of my colleagues, Teresa Pulido in the Amsterdam Marathon last October, and surprised myself by running 2.32, so I decided to run the full marathon here this time.
“It was very hot at the start, and there were some good Algerians in there, and they went off really fast. But, having run the ‘half’ before, which is the second half of the marathon course, I knew it was more difficult, so I saved myself, and it paid off”.
There was also a record entry of over 800 runners from 28 countries, for the 10th anniversary of this extraordinary event. The race is run through the deserts of western Algeria, between three refugee camps, housing up to 200,000 Saharawi people, exiled from their Western Sahara home since 1975.
Formerly Spanish Sahara, the territory was occupied by Morocco and Mauretania, when the Spanish withdrew on the death of General Franco. A freedom movement by the Frente Polisario drove out the Mauretanians, who eventually went on to recognise the state of Western Sahara. But despite a United Nations resolution in their favour, the Moroccans remain in control of much of the Western Sahara, while an attempt to mount a referendum on the future is in abeyance.
“There are many Basques here,” said Salvador, “around 85 of us. We really understand the suffering that the Saharawi people are going through. Yes, the competition is important, but it’s also important to tell the problems that the people here are having. The two things go together”.
ends
ends
The event is one of the most extraordinary on the planet, being run through the desert between three of the refugee camps in south-western Algeria, which house up to 200,000 Saharawi, refugees, from what was once the Spanish Sahara, but which was occupied by the Moroccans and Mauretanians on the death of General Franco in 1975.
The Mauretanians quickly withdrew
Julie Dibens, Michael Raelert Address The Kona Question
Written by: Liz Hichens
Every year two professionals win the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, Florida and earn coveted slots to the following year’s Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. And it seems every year we are left wondering if they will take the slots. Former Ironman 70.3 World Champions like Craig Alexander and Samantha McGlone have made the jump up to the Ironman distance in Kona in strong fashion. Will Julie Dibens and Michael Raelert make their Ironman debut in October?
Dibens led by herself for most of the race. Photo: Clarke Rodgers
They both addressed that topic last night at the Trek/K-Swiss Triathlon Team press conference. Neither athlete would 100% confirm whether or not we’ll see them racing in Hawaii in October, but Dibens sounds pretty confident that she will be racing against her good friend Chrissie Wellington.
Here’s what the two had to say –
Julie Dibens:
“I have until June to decide. I am racing next month in Abu Dhabi and I’m going to use that as a test to see how I feel in the longer distance. Unless I don’t enjoy it or if I have a terrible day out there, I will be in Kona. It should be fun.”
“I have no idea how I would do in Kona. But I’m excited to at least start thinking about it. If you asked me last year about Kona, I wouldn’t have even addressed it. Doing Olympic distance, Xterra, and 70.3 distance races is what I’ve been doing for the last 10 years. I’m excited to do something new. I’m excited to try to push Chrissie (Wellington) for at least one or two miles.”
Raelert smashed the course record in Clearwater. Photo: Clarke Rodgers
Michael Raelert:
“I have my own plan. I want to do Ironman quite good. So, should my first Ironman race be Kona? In June I will have to make the decision if I go this year, or maybe next year. It depends on how I feel on the bike. I feel ready on the run and the swim. I will get through my first few races and see if I am ready for 180km bike ride. If not this year, then definitely next year. My goal when I go to Kona will not just be to finish; I want to be like my brother. I want to go to Kona and hopefully make podium on my first attempt. “
