by Larry Eder
Meb Keflezighi, 2011 RNR San Diego, photo by PhotoRun.net
Bud Winter trained fighter pilots in World War 2 how to relax on their long flights over Europe. Using his practical knowledge about coaching his experiences with training pilots, Winter developed some of the greatest sprinters of all times. While the ghost of Bud Winter probably walks around the track at State, wondering what happened to the legacy he built, it is ironic that that the fastest half marathon course in California is in San Jose, California.
This year, the race has Deena Kastor, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon and 2004 silver medalist and 2009 ING NYCM victor, Meb Keflezighi running. It will also be a place where many will qualify for the 2012 Olympic Trials with a half marathon distance under the Olympic Trials qualification time.
Watch here to see how the field fares…….
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Dan Cruz, 619-925-7671
U.S Olympic Marathon Medalists Ready to Rock the streets of San Jose
· American Half Marathon Record Holder Deena Kastor headlines California’s Fastest Half Marathon
· Two-time defending champion Meb Keflezighi returns to defend title in preparation for New York
· Large group of American distance runners aim to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials
San
Jose, CA – Sept. 29, 2011 – The streets of San Jose will be alive with
music and the excitement created by running fans watching two of
America’s premier distance runners during Sunday’s Dodge Rock ‘n’ Roll
San Jose Half Marathon. American record-holder and 2004 Olympic bronze
medalist Deena Kastor headlines the elite field, running her first
half-marathon since giving birth to her daughter, Piper, earlier this
year.
“The
Dodge Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon has really been my focus
since coming back from maternity leave,” said Kastor, who trains with
the Mammoth Track Club in California. “I am looking for my fitness to
peak in January for the Olympic Trials, but this is a big stepping stone
to get into longer marathon training. The Half marathon distance is my
favorite distance to race and I am particularly excited race in San
Jose. My Mammoth Track Club teammates Meb and Jen Rhines have both run
well in San Jose, so I look forward to following in their footsteps.”
Kastor,
38, is a two-time Rock ‘n’ Roll champion winning the inaugural Rock ‘n’
Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon in 2001 and the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’
Roll Arizona in 2010. She made U.S. half-marathon history in 2005 in
Philadelphia when she shattered Joan Benoit Samuelson’s long-standing
U.S. record by 41 seconds with a time of 1 hour, 7 minutes and 53
seconds. The three-time Olympian later bettered her time at Berlin in
2006 (1:07:34), and the record has stood since.
“Right
after the birth of Piper, people told me how fit I looked and the
reality was that I had lost a lot of muscle and fitness, so I was merely
skinny,” Kastor said of her maternity leave. “It has been fun to slowly
climb back and feel my body adapt to the training. I’m not where I want
to be, but I’m a much better athlete than I was 6 months ago.”
Kastor recently finished 2nd
at the Great Cow Harbor 10k in 33:20. After her Olympic bronze medal,
she became the first American woman to ever run a marathon under 2:20
when she won the 2006 Flora London Marathon in 2:19:36. In 2002, the
Arkansas graduate set a then 5K world road record of 14:54 at the
Carlsbad 5000.
“The
Olympic Marathon Trials will be the most competitive trials we have
ever seen on both men’s and women’s side, so I have to be on top of my
game come January,” added Kastor. “Since I didn’t run for a majority of
my pregnancy, I have had to be patient with my fitness returning. I look
forward to testing my fitness in San Jose and possibly competing in
another Rock n Roll half marathon before the end of the year. There are
so many great cities in this series and I’m looking forward to racing
another half again to measure my progress before Houston.”
She
will be challenged by a strong local field with several women looking
to run under the Olympic Trials qualifying standard of 1:15:00 or
better. Heading the group is Bay Area Track Club member Clara Peterson, a
five-time collegiate all-American at Duke where she placed second in
the 10k at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor National Championships. Peterson, 27,
ran her half-marathon PR this year at the Giants Race in San Francisco.
Also in the field is University of California-Berkeley graduate Brooke
Wells, who was the youngest qualifier for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon
Trials at the age of 22.
Leading
the men’s field is 36-year-old Meb Keflezighi has won an impressive 20
USA road, track and cross country titles during his illustrious career.
Keflezighi, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen upon his graduation
from UCLA in 1998, finished second in the marathon at the 2004 Olympics,
becoming the first U.S. medalist in the event since Frank Shorter won
gold in 1972 and silver in 1976. After his performance this Sunday, Meb
plans to run the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 6 and the U.S.
Olympic marathon trials Jan. 14 in Houston.
Keflezighi
will be joined by fellow American Sergio Reyes, who won the 2010 USATF
National Marathon Championship at the Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota.
A two-time NAIA and NCCAA All-American in cross country and the 2002
NAIA champion at Cedarville University in Ohio, Reyes ran personal best
marks in the 5,000m (13:52.39), 10,000m (28:29.70), 10 miles (48:32) and
marathon (2:14:02) in 2010. In September he represented the Team USA at
the IAAF World Championships Marathon in Daegu, Korea, finishing 45th overall.
A
sub-four minute miler, UC Berkley graduate Bolota Asmerom returns to
race in San Jose where he set his half marathon personal best in 2006.
Asmerom, a three-year letter winner in track for Cal, owns a track PR
over 5,000m of 13:15. While still in college, his duel citizenship
allowed him to represent Eritrea in the 5,000m at the 2000 and 2004
Olympic Games.
Potential
challengers include Hansons-Brooks Distance Project teammates Drew
Polley and Robert Scribner. Polley finished second to Keflezighi at the
Dodge Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon in June. Scribner recently
won the Bayshore 1/2 Marathon in a personal best 1:04:52, which
qualified him for the 2012 Olympic Trials.
The
Dodge Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon is also home to both of the
current California state half-marathon records: 1:00:22 Duncan Kibet
(KEN), 2006, and 1:09:17 Silvia Skortsova (RUS), 2006.
Event
weekend will kick off with a Health & Fitness Expo at the San Jose
Convention Center. Race registration is available at the Expo on Friday,
Sept. 30, from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm and Saturday, October 1, from 9:00am
to 5:00pm. The free Expo is open to the public and will showcase the
latest in running products, services and free samples as all registered
runners pick up their race number.
California’s
fastest half marathon starts at 8:00 am on Sunday, October 2. The race
route begins at W Santa Clara St and Almaden Blvd and will come to an
exciting and scenic finish at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San
Jose. Live bands will play along every mile of the 13.1-mile course,
along with local cheerleaders, to motivate and keep runners rocking the
entire way.
Participants,
their friends and family will celebrate their accomplishment at the
finish line festival with a performance by Big Head Todd and the
Monsters, who will rock the stage at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez
immediately following the race.
For more information, visit Competitor.com.
