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More Running News and runners' reflections;
some new, some old
Visit the Archives page for previous stories and features. Also, the Side Trips section has news added throughout the weeks.
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Cowtown reflections
By Danny Ogle
My first race ever was the Cowntown 10K in 1994. I had never run that far in my life. I loved the race and all the people. Everyone was having fun. I was hooked.
My best memory, though, was watching a man in his 60s, in a wheelchair, going backward, pushing with one foot crossing the finish line of the 10K.
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By Greg Takacs
Last year's Cowtown was my second road race and I ran the 10K. I was almost 200 pounds and still coming down from 240, and ran a 45:42 -- a 7:21/mile pace. This year I'm running the full marathon distance at 165 pounds, my 5th marathon in 5 months and I will be the official pacer for the 3:20 group, a 7:38/mile pace. In 7 weeks in Boston I hope to break the magical 3:00 barrier.
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By Anthony Cisneros
Having grown up back in the early 90’s and in the local running scene literally less than 5 minutes from the starting line, The Cowtown will always be special to me.
The one memory I'll never forget happens to be the one that remains most of a blur for me. I guess that’s why I hardly talk about it when the subject of marathoning comes up. In 1994, I was signed up to run the 10K. On race day morning, along with my parents, we all arrived at the Stockyards…it was a perfect morning for a run. While most of the old school crew that my parents hung out with were off doing their thing gearing up for the full marathon, I was off to the side taking everything in.
My emotions must have gotten the best of me that morning because before the start I changed my mind on a whim! I decided to try to run the full with my mom at her pace and finish it. I figured if I couldn’t make it, then I could just walk/run the rest of the way. I'd never run more than a 10K in my life at that point! I was going to try to do this while not being properly hydrated or fueled up! What was I thinking?!
Friends, I don't know if I was just plain young and dumb or just plain crazy or what but I made it! I remember making it to mile 12 with my mom and telling her that I couldn't run anymore. We stopped and talked about it for a few minutes and she encouraged that I could do it and to keep going on, but if I couldn't keep going then I could just wait for the sag wagon...thanks Mom! From that point on, the rest is kind of a blur. I can vaguely remember going up the Hulen bridge, running on White Settlement Rd. right past Angelo’s Barbecue and other various instances along the way. I also remember that it was very lonely those last 6 miles for some reason as well.
What I DO remember very clearly was how good it felt coming down that old finish line on Exchange Ave. and flying down the hill to the finish! I finished with a time of 4:44:??. Not bad for a 17-year-old who had never ran or trained for anything like that EVER!! I’m not that crazy this year though. I’ll stick to the Half. Good luck to ALL this year.
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By Charles Clines
Because I don't keep records of my runs, I'm not sure what my time was in 1998 at the Cowtown Marathon, but it probably was somewhere around four hours because that's about the times I was posting then. But the run will always be special. How often are you asked by your daughter's boyfriend if it's OK if he asks her to marry him?
My daughter, Karen, and my soon-to-be son-in-law had been dating for quite awhile and I actually had inspired him to begin running. He alreeady was quite an athlete because of his gymnastic training.
He had planned to join me for the last nine miles of the marathon and help push me to the finish. By then, of course, conversing with someone is not a high priority. He didn't immediately ask and when he did I was in that state that I usually was in during the last six miles of a marathon -- don't bother me and don't try to urge me to keep going or else I'll hurt you (if, of course, I had enough energy to do so). He asked me while not only was I in that state but my calves had begun cramping, which had never happened before in a marathon. When he asked, I would have agreed to almost anything just to end the conversation.
So, I guess I said OK because they did get married. After the race, though, I was undergoing a massage to try relieving the pain in my calves. It wasn't working. So, my son-in-law brought me a beer to help soothe the pain. Maybe it was then I gave my approval.
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By Michael Polansky
In 1979 my second marathon was the first Cowtown Marathon. The week of Cowtown was mild and sunny, but Friday evening that all changed. A cold front flew in and temps dropped into the teens and a sheet of ice blanketed the roads. You can see photos on my personal website www.polanskyrunning.com
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Keith Pierce wins at Austin;
Dallas man wins at Galveston
Keith Pierce, a three-time winner of the Cowtown Marathon and leader of the MetroPCS White Rock for 17 miles last December, won his second consecutive Austin Marathon on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011, with a 2:25:29. Pierce, former coach at Krum, lives in Cedar Park. Todd Bramlett of Stephenville was 10th with a 2:44:15. Desiree Flicker of Austin won the female race with a 2:50:35. Ingrid Schwendinger of Flower Mound finished fifth among the females with a 3:11:37 and right behind her was Tracy Gruman of Grapevine with a 3:12:13. Karolina Fucikova of Mansfield came in as the 23rd female with a 3:32:30. Theree were 4,786 finishers.
In the half marathon, Elizabeth Eder of Fort Worth, and a Trinity University distance runner, won the female division with a 1:21:56. Shelley Kaiser of Dallas placed 10th with a 1:29:36.
At the revived Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon on Feb. 20, Christopher Jackson of Dallas won the male title with a 2:46:37.7. It was the first Galveston marathon since 1990.
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Boston Marathon announces new qualifying times for 2012
BOSTON – The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced a change in its registration process for the Boston Marathon, allowing the fastest qualifiers to enter the earliest and with a rolling admission system while also offering all eligible runners an increased registration period. The changes in registration are a response by the B.A.A. to greater than ever demand by runners to gain entry into the Boston Marathon and culminate more than three months of analysis, including input from the running industry.
Rather than accepting runners who have met the qualifying standards on a first come, first served approach, a more systematic, performance-based process will be employed.
2012 Boston Marathon
For the 2012 Boston Marathon, registration will extend for two weeks,
beginning on Monday, September 12 and continuing until Friday, September 23. The qualifying times for the 2012 Boston Marathon will not change from recent past years since the standards had been previously announced and have been in effect since last September. However, the new registration process addresses the increased demand among qualified runners to participate in the Boston Marathon and will accommodate those who are the fastest qualifiers first.
Registration will occur on a "rolling admission" schedule until the maximum field size is reached, beginning with the fastest qualifiers. On the first day of registration for the 2012 Boston Marathon, those who are eligible for entry by having met the qualifying standards for their age and gender group by 20 minutes or more will be able to enter on the first day of registration (September 12). On the third day (September 14), registration will open for those who have met their qualifying standards by 10 minutes or more. On the fifth day (September 16), registration will open for those who have met their qualifying standards by five minutes or more. During this first week of registration, applicants will be notified as they are accepted and their qualifying performance verified.
If the field size is not reached after the first week and additional space remains, then registration will open to all qualifiers at the beginning of Week Two (September 19) and those who have met the qualifying standards by any amount of time will be able to apply for entry. The application process will remain open for the entire week, closing on September 23. At the conclusion of Week Two, those who are the fastest among the pool of applicants in their age and gender will be accepted. Accepted athletes
will be notified on September 28.
If space remains available after this two week process, registration will remain open to any qualifier on a first come, first served basis until the maximum field size is reached.
The field size for the 2012 Boston Marathon will not represent a significant increase from the most recent past years.
Registration Process for the 2012 Boston Marathon:
First Week Day 1 (Sept. 12) Qualifiers who have met their age/gender qualifying times by 20 minutes, 00 seconds or faster may apply
Day 3 (Sept. 14) 10 minutes, 00 seconds or faster Day 5 (Sept. 16) 5 minutes, 00 seconds or faster
Second Week
Day 8 (Sept. 19) Qualifiers who have met their
age/gender qualifying times by any amount of time, including qualifiers
who could have registered in Week One.
Day 12 (Sept. 23) Registration closes for qualified applicants
September 28 Qualifiers from entry during second week of registration are notified of their acceptance.
If the field is not filled at the conclusion of the two weeks, then
registration will remain open and qualifiers will be accepted on a first come, first served basis until the maximum field size is reached.
2013 Boston Marathon For the 2013 Boston Marathon, in addition to the new "rolling admission" process for registration which will be in effect for the 2012 Boston
Marathon, the B.A.A. will adjust the qualifying times by lowering them by five minutes from the times which have been in effect in recent past years.
The adjusted qualifying times will go into effect on September 24, 2011, and are as follows:
Age Group MEN WOMEN
18-34 3:05:00 3:35:00
35-39 3:10:00 3:40:00
40-44 3:15:00 3:45:00
45-49 3:25:00 3:55:00
50-54 3:30:00 4:00:00
55-59 3:40:00 4:10:00
60-64 3:55:00 4:25:00
65-69 4:10:00 4:40:00
70-74 4:25:00 4:55:00
75-79 4:40:00 5:10:00
80 and older 4:55:00 5:25:00
Registration for the 2013 Boston Marathon will begin on Monday, September 10, 2012.
"As the number of qualified runners has increased combined with greater demand to run the Boston Marathon, our new registration process enables those who qualify by the greatest amount of time to have the longest period to enter," said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. "Our new registration process takes into consideration the many comments we received from runners this past fall and winter, most of whom urged the B.A.A. to institute a system which recognizes athletic performance above all else."
Additionally, to recognize and to encourage longtime Boston Marathon entrants, the B.A.A. will allow those who have met the qualifying times and who have finished the last ten consecutive Boston Marathons to enter anytime during the registration period. Currently, there are approximately 500 runners who have run 10 or more consecutive Boston Marathons.
The B.A.A. last adjusted the qualifying times for the 2003 Boston Marathon, relaxing times for runners who were 55 years old and older. The last time the qualifying times were made more stringent was for the 1980 Boston Marathon.
The 2011 Boston Marathon reached its maximum field size of qualifiers faster than any previous year when qualifiers rushed to fill the race and the qualified field closed in eight hours, three minutes.
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Trafeh, Rhines Win USA Half Marathon Titles in Houston
U.S. runners preview 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon course;
$59,500 prize purse awarded
HOUSTON (Jan. 29, 2011) - Under overcast conditions in the Bayou City on Saturday morning, Mo Trafeh and Jen Rhines won USA Half Marathon titles in 1:02:17 and 1:11:14 respectively. The national championship presented by Aramco Services Company drew some of the best U.S. distance runners who competed on the same 8-mile loop course for the 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon to be hosted by Houston on January 14.
The men's race unfolded with a pack of eight men through 6 miles when last year's national runner-up Patrick Smyth injected a 4:39 mile surge that only U.S. half-marathon record holder Ryan Hall, Jason Lehmkuhle and Trafeh answered.
The four contenders ran together at 1:02 half-marathon pace until the 10th mile when Smyth surged again which dropped Lehmkuhle, and the title chase was now down to Smyth, Hall and Trafeh.
At 12 miles, Hall, a 2008 Olympian, threw down the fastest mile of the race with a 4:32 split that broke Smyth, but Trafeh, 25, from Duarte, Calif., who has a 1:00:39 half-marathon PR, stayed on Hall's shoulder until mile 13 when the 2010 USA 15K champion moved past Hall for his second national title overall with Hall three seconds back in 1:02:20.
"First, I'm happy to be back from injury. I stayed behind Ryan and was unsure if I would win, but with 200 meters left I sprinted and it worked out," Trafeh said post-race.
Hall called it a competitive race and a good prep for the upcoming Boston Marathon and added: "I'm where I want to be."
The women's national championship race was similar to the men's for the first 7 miles with a large pack of hopefuls, and like the men, the race really took off at the 58-minute mark when Rhines and Serena Burla pulled away from rising star Nan Kennard.
At mile 11, Rhines, 36, from Mammoth Lakes, Calif. produced the race's second fastest mile split (5:21) to build a 7-second lead over Burla, last year's national runner-up here. Over the final miles, Rhines, a three-time Olympian, extended her lead to eventually earn a 24-second victory over Burla, 1:11:14 to 1:11:38.
"I had a bad patch at 6 miles and later I got a bit antsy, but didn't want to take anything for granted with this field," said Rhines, who set a personal record and won her fourth USA title overall, first U.S. half-marathon crown and first national title since 2005.
Each national champion earned $15,000 with a total of $59,500 awarded to the top 10 finishers. The 2011 USA Half Marathon Championships marked Houston's seventh and fifth year to host the men's and women's national road championships respectively.
Also, from this event, there were six new 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials qualifiers - four men (Mike Chavez, Joe Driscoll, David Nightingale and Ryan Vail) and two women (Clara Grandt and Lindsey Scherf).
USA Men's and Women's Half Marathon Championships presented by Aramco Services Company
MEN
1) Mo Trafeh (CA), 1:02:17, $12,000
2) Ryan Hall (CA), 1:02:20, $6500
3) Patrick Smyth (CA), 1:02:32, $4000
4) Fasil Bizuneh (AZ), 1:02:47, $2000
5) Jason Lehmkuhle (MN), 1:02:49, $1500
6) Ryan Vail (OR), 1:02:51, $1250
7) Scott MacPherson (TX), 1:04:03, $1000
8) Jorge Torres (CO), 1:04:18, $750
9) Mike Sayenko (WA), 1:04:20, $500
10) Joseph Driscoll (NC), 1:04:23, $250
WOMEN
1) Jen Rhines (CA), 1:11:14, $12,000
2) Serena Burla (MO), 1:11:38, $6500
3) Nan Kennard (CO), 1:12:03, $4000
4) Katie McGregor (MN), 1:12:13, $2000
5) Tera Moody (CO), 1:12:30, $1500
6) Clara Grandt (MD), 1:13:13, $1250
7) Lindsey Scherf (CA), 1:13:40, $1000
8) Amy Hastings (CA), 1:14:07, $750
9) Magdalena Lewy Boulet (CA), 1:14:28, $500
10) Melissa White (MI), 1:14:50, $250
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