USA Team Invitational coming to Lake Sonoma

After a successful debut event at the 2015 North Face 50 Mile Championships this past December, the USA Team Invitational returns for its second edition at the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile race.

This ultra-trail invitational is an opportunity for trail running shoe brands to have their sponsored athletes compete in head-to-head competition for a team title.  At the North Face 50 the Nike Trail Team won the men’s title while Salomon Running took the women’s team title. Complete results for the 2015 USA Team Invitational.

USA Team Invitational 2016 Invitation Process

Elite entries are now being accepted for the 2016 USA Team Invitational held in conjunction with the Lake Sonoma 50. The initial sponsors targeted are those that have made a commitment to furthering the sport of ultrarunning by sponsoring athletes as well as races. Time is of the essence in confirming teams for the Invitational. Team entries should be made by March 15, 2016. If additional elite entry spots are available, the USATF Mountain, Ultra, Trail (MUT) council will extend invitations to additional sponsored teams.

Elite Team Composition

Each sponsor team will be capped at ten (10) entries. To obtain the full ten (10) entries, entries need be a combination of male and female athletes, with a minimum of three (3) of each gender. For example, a team could register five (5) men and five (5) women, or four (4) men and six (6) women, or simply three (3) men and three (3) women. Teams are not required, but are encouraged, to send a team of both genders. If a team chooses to send only one gender, then the entry will be capped at five (5).

Registration Process and Timing

Teams are asked to register their team members by contacting Kami Semick: [email protected], by March 15, 2016. Entries not received by March 15, will be offered to other teams.

Scoring

Cumulative time creates the overall ranking of the team, with the lowest cumulative time of the top three (3) men and top three (3) women winning for the male and female category. Teams with fewer than three (3) finishers will not be scored. Team members are encouraged, but not required to be current USATF members*. Team members can be US citizens or citizens of another country.

* USATF Membership fees are $30 annually. Memberships are on a calendar-year basis, and expire on December 31.

Drug Testing/Zero Tolerance Policy

In an effort to encourage drug-free/clean competition, the USA Ultra Team Invitational organizers (USATF MUT Council) requests athletes who compete in the competition familiarize themselves with USATF’s Zero Tolerance Policy statement as well as the policy of the Lake Sonoma 50:

The Lake Sonoma 50 has a zero-tolerance policy regarding the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Any athlete who has been determined to have violated anti-doping rules or policies, whether enforced by the IAAF, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), or any other national sports federation is ineligible for entry into the Lake Sonoma 50.

The Lake Sonoma 50 reserves the right to conduct pre- and post-competition testing for any and all performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) listed on the current WADA Prohibited List. Any athlete who refuses to submit to anti-doping controls, if selected for testing, shall be disqualified and subject to a lifetime ban from the Lake Sonoma 50.

Lake Sonoma 50 is also a 2016 IAU Trail World Championship Selection Race for Team USA. Lake Sonoma 50 is one of three selection races for Team USA at the 2016 IAU Trail World Championship. The first U.S. male and first U.S. female* from the race will earn a spot on the team.

*If the first US finisher declines his or her spot on the team, the next U.S. finisher will be auto selected provided his/her finish time is within 10% of the first U.S. finisher.

The IAU Trail World Championship is sanctioned by the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) under the patronage of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The 2016 event will be held on October 29, in Geres, Portugal at the Peneda-Geres National Park and will cover 85km over a profile of 4500 meters. Braga, an hour away from Oporto International Airport, will host the national teams. The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for this event is headed by ultrarunner Carlos Sa.

Full Team USA selection criteria can be found here: https://trailrunner.com/trail-news/world-iau-trail-championships-2016-team-usa-qualification-standards/

Questions?

Please contact Kami Semick, a member of the MUT Council and MUT Executive Committee:
[email protected] (tel. 541.350.2652) or Nancy Hobbs, Chairperson MUT Council and MUT Executive Committee: [email protected]

USATF Event Sanction Logo

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