Contact: Nancy Hobbs, (719) 573-4133, American Trail Running Association trlrunner@aol.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2009
Cool Temperatures Make for Fast Times at Cheyenne Cañon Mountain Race
Former Mountain Running Team Members Earn Spots on this year’s World Team
Colorado Springs, CO
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Late afternoon thunderstorms are
typical in Colorado Springs, but overcast skies and drizzle in the morning are
rare – especially in July. This morning was an exception with intermittent rain
showers and cool temperatures greeting runners at 7:00 a.m. for the women’s
start of the Cheyenne
Cañon Mountain
Race (Sunday, July 26), an 8 kilometer up/down loop course which would determine
two of the four members of this year’s Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team. It was
still cool for the men’s race at 8:30 a.m. for the 12 kilometer course with
another two team spots up for grabs.
The course, designed by
eight-time Mountain Team member Paul
Low, started at the Stratton Open Space Trailhead in North Cheyenne
Cañon,
connected with the Gold Camp Path, joined the Chutes and followed the east side
of the reservoir back up Gold Camp Path for the first loop (women and junior men
ran two loops, while open men ran three loops for approximately 12 km), then
back down to the finish.
“A few weeks before the race some of the women contending for a spot on
the team figured the winning time would be about 41 minutes (for the women).
Today when the first woman was climbing the final lollipop loop toward the
finish she was set to go under 40 minutes. The cool temperatures not only helped
set a fast pace, but the moisture helped pack down the dirt and scree to make
for a quicker running surface,” said Nancy Hobbs, Executive Director of the
American Trail Running Association.
Laura Haefeli, 41, Del Norte,
CO, led the group on a blistering pace from the start around the first lollipop
loop. But at the top of the first climb it was flatlander
Kasie Enman, 29, Huntington, VT,
ahead of a group of Coloradoans to the high point of the course at just under
7,000 feet. The group in the chase were included eventual winner
Megan Kimmel, 29, Silverton, Haefeli,
Megan Lund, 24, Basalt,
Brandy Erholtz, 31, Bailey, and
Gina Lucrezi, 26, Colorado Springs.
Enman excelled on the downhill and picked up some distance on the group, yet was
caught by Kimmel and Lund on the second loop.
Kimmel took the
opportunity to surge ahead and bested Lund by just five seconds to take the
victory in 39:23. On the final lollipop loop, Haefeli charged past Enman to
finish in third position in 29:52 with Enman clocking 40:02. Rounding out the
top five was Erholtz in 40:19.
Kimmel’s win earned
her a spot on her second consecutive Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team and will
compete along with first-time team member Lund in Campodolcino, Italy, on
Sunday, September 6 at the World Mountain Running Championships. The pair will
join Christine Lundy, 38, Sausalito,
CA, who won the USA Mountain Running Championships on June 28 in North Conway,
NH, to make her fourth mountain team. The final member of the squad will be
selected from the top finishers in today’s event.
On the men’s side
local runner Ryan Hafer, 23, set a
strong pace on the first kilometer while
Tim Parr, 27, Gunnison, CO, sat comfortably in the chase pack and worked his
way up to the lead with University of Richmond’s
Andrew Benford, 21, Ravenswood, WV,
going with him. “I felt great on the uphills,” said
Benford, “Then Tim would pull away on the downhills. He was more aggressive on
the downhills, especially on the last lap. I knew I was on the team when we
topped out the last climb.
Dan Petty (UR teammate) was there, along
with my brother, telling me exactly where everyone was. The last downhill was
sweet. I knew I was running my way onto the U.S. Team. It's a great feeling.”
Parr
crossed the line in 47:13 to make his third U.S team (’04, ’05, ’09) while
Benford makes his second U.S Team. Benford’s performance places him in the
history books as the first U.S. runner to make a junior team (2006) and a senior
team (2009). Albuquerque’s
Kristopher Houghton, 28, finished
third in 48:21 with local runner Alex
Nichols, 24, in fourth with a time of 48:51, and 2007 mountain team member
Payton Batliner, 25, Boulder, in
fifth timed in 49:09.
Parr and Benford will join the top
three runners from the USA Mountain Running Championships
Joseph
Gray, 25, Lakewood, WA,
Zac Freudenberg, 31, St. Louis, MO,
and Matt Byrne, 34, Scranton, PA, on
the mountain team. The final member
of the six-member squad will be announced on August 1.
With a tagline, “Once
is not enough,” the 2009 Cheyenne
Cañon
Mountain Race presented by Walmart, was a first
year event. Additional local support from
ERA Shields brokers Marzolf/Blessing,
Champion Health/Dr. Jeffrey Matthews,
Bristol Brewing,
Colorado Running Company, and
Criterium Bike Shop. National
sponsors joining the effort include
SportHill and Teva.
There were 36 women
finishers ranging in age from 18-64 and 46 men finishers ages 12 through 62.
Every participant received a
commemorative USA Mountain Running cowbell, a Teva music CD, post race
refreshments, accurate results, and for those 21 and older – a beer certificate
from Bristol Brewing.
Top Finishers
1 Tim Parr ,
47:13 $250
1. Megan Kimmel, 39:23, $250
2 Andrew Benford , 47:48, $0
2. Megan Lund, 39:28, $200
3 Kristopher Houghton, 48:21, $150
3. Laura Haefeli, 39:52, $150
4 Alex Nichols, 48:51, $100
4. Kasie Enman, 40:02, $100
5 Payton Batlinger, 49:09, $50
5. Brandy Erholtz, 40:19, $50
Junior Men: Paul Petersen,
Broomfield, 17, 39:57
Junior Women: Jessie Watkins, 19,
Colorado Springs, 49:34
Not only is the event
a fundraiser for the American Trail
Running Association, but also served as a
fundraiser for the Friends of North
Cheyenne
Cañon and Stratton Commons. Individuals may
donate, as part of their registration, to any of these non-profit organizations.
For additional information visit
www.trailrunner.com.
For information on
the U.S. Mountain Running Program and the World Mountain Running Association
visit the websites listed below:
USA Mountain Running Championships
www.whitemountainmilers.com
World Mountain Running Association
www.wmra.info
USA Track & Field
www.usatf.org
American Trail Running Association
www.trailrunner.com
ALCiS
www.ALCiS.com
Tech40
www.tech4O.com
Teva
www.teva.com
SportHill Clothing
www.sporthill.com
KINeSYS, Inc.
www.kinesys.com
CW-X Conditioning Wear
www.cw-x.com
Costa Del Mar
www.costadelmar.com
Windermere
www.juliebryan.mywindermere.com
Fleet Feet Sports-Boulder
www.fleetfeetboulder.com
Wicked Fast Sports Nutrition
www.recover-ease.com
OrthoLite
www.ortholitefoam.com
FuelBelt
www.fuelbelt.com
groundÔ
www.groundwear.com
Youth
Runner
www.youthrunner.com
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