Tag: Cross Country

Frankfurt to Franklin Park

Oct. 28 Articles, Racing no comments

Level Legion was out in force once again, with renners going at it from as nearby as Franklin Park in Boston to the Marine Corps Marathon down in DC, and then even all the way over in Frankfurt, Germany.

Starting locally, there was the Mayor’s Cup XC races at Franklin Park. This featured quite a few races, including a couple of kids races. The main event however was the men’s and women’s championship races. These drew runners from all over and the competition was fierce. Details to come, lots on this one.

Mayors Cup Mason

From the men’s 8k at Franklin Park, courtesy of Scott Mason Photo.

At Marine Corps, there were plenty of locals there. Perhaps we’ll hear from some of them on the experience. The winners were Girma Bedada (2:21:32) and Kelly Calway (2:42:16).

Over in Germany, local speedster Chris Barnicle made his marathon debut at the Frankfurt Marathon. Chris ran 2:21:58 (both netto and brutto, whatever that means). Not a bad debut, right? Chris came in 34th in the deep field, which included seven going under 2:10 and twenty-seven going under 2:20. Vincent Kipruto won it in 2:06:15 and most likely had to lean at the tape because Mark Kiptoo was right on his heels (2:06:16). Again, both times netto and brutto, in case you were wondering.

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And before we get comments here pointing out the obvious, I do know what netto and brutoo mean. They just sounded like fun words to use here.

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Welcome Back, Mayor’s Cup

Oct. 25 Articles no comments

Screen Shot 2013-10-25 at 10.58.20 AMSunday, October 27 at 10 a.m.

Cost: $25.

Cross country is back at Franklin Park, baby! The world was a dark and scary place without the Mayor’s Cup last year, but we can rest easy knowing that it has returned for 2013. The 2013 USATF-NE XC Grand Prix is almost done, but you still have two chances to line up with your teammates and battle it out on some softer surfaces. Details on this Sunday’s race are below:

RACE TIMES

6 to 10-year-old and under boys and girls race:   10:00 a.m.
11 to 12-year-old boys and girls race:   10:15 a.m.
13 to 14-year-old boys and girls race:   10:30 a.m.
Women’s 5K Championship Race:   10:50 a.m.
Men’s 8K Championship Race:   11:15 a.m.
Franklin Park 5K*:   12:00 p.m.

*Entrants should be capable of running 5K under 45 minutes. Minimum age for participation in the Franklin Park 5K Open Cross Country Race is 15-years old

ENTRY FEE

Youth Races  –  $10.00 (day of event)
Adult Races  –  $25.00 (day of event)

You can find all the info you need right here on the BAA website.

2013 USATFNE XC Grand Prix Schedule, Scoring, and Rules

Schedule

Date

Event

Location

24-Aug

Thomas Chamberas 6k

Carlisle MA

8-Sep

WMDP XC Festival 5k/8k

Stanley Park, Westfield MA

13-Oct

Wayland XC Festival 5k

Wayland MA High School

27-Oct

Mayor’s Cup 5k/8k

Franklin Park

10-Nov

USATF-NE XC Champs 6k/10k

Franklin Park

Prizes

The series offers cash prizes for top athletes in both the open and masters categories in addition to team cash prizes.

Rules

The 2013 USATF-NE Grand Prix consists of 5 events, cumulative scoring.

  • Must have 2013 USATF membership.

  • Must run at least 3 races to score in series.

  • Must run USATFNE XC Championship race to score in series.

  • Higher place at NE Champs is the tiebreaker

  • Mayor’s Cup Championship for open runners

  • Mayor’s Cup 5K for aged 40+ runners

  • Traditional team cross country scoring system

See usatfne.org xc GP Series page for complete rules and results.

http://www.usatfne.org/cross/nexcgrandprix/2013-xcgp.pdf

 

If you would like to promote your race or race series with us, contact kevbalance[at]levelrenner[dot]com.

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Coach On Saturday, Race On Sunday

Oct. 18 Articles, Interviews, Racing, Training no comments

Steph Reilly is all too familiar with Franklin Park. The PC grad (class of 2001) ran her share of big races there back in her days competing as a Friar. Now, she coaches the Bulldogs of Bryant University. In running around from point to point at the New England’s last weekend, it was hard to not notice all of the competitive post-collegiate runners that were also coaching in some role with teams competing that day. Just to name a few besides Steph:

Eric Ashe – UMass Boston
Katie Matthews – Boston University
Tim Ritchie – Boston College
Eric Blake – Central Connecticut State University
Sam Alexander – CCSU

Those are just the ones that were seen, there were most likely others. It was cool to see so many runners who are typically the subjects of post-race interviews at local road races out there coaching the next generation.

As far as Steph and what she’s doing with her program at Bryant, we had a few questions for her:

Where does New England’s fall on your schedule in terms of importance and focus? It seems a lot of other schools don’t place much importance on it anymore.

New England’s has always been and will remain an important race for us. It is a great regional tradition and we are proud to be a part of it. Although our focus is on our conference Championships, this race comes right in the middle of the season where it gives my athletes the chance to test themselves on a fair course.

How big of a boost is it to see Eimear finish 2nd (highest ever for a Bulldog)? What has her progression been like from frosh to senior seasons?

That was a huge boost for Eimear. I am not surprised though. I always knew she had that kind of ability in her. Eimear has had her fair share of ups and downs when it comes to running. From frosh year to now, she has made significant improvement. As a frosh she came in with injuries, and had lost all belief in her own ability, and that year was a rough one. There was a lot we had to figure out and make right, and piece by piece things started to come together. I was confident in her talent and ability. She has learned so much from her experiences over the last three years that now she is in such a great place with understanding her running. We have made adjustments to her training and each time she has come back stronger.

Next up is the CCSU mini meet, right? Why go to a mini meet so late in the season?

Yes, we do the mini meet eight days before the NEC meet. Think of it like a track race – your goal is a 5000m at the end of a season, and more than likely the week before you will jump in a 1500m to fire the engine, and do a faster race. The same kind of logic applies for this: a 5000m/3000m XC the week before their 8000m/5000m championships. It won’t beat them up, but at the same time it will give them a really good workout.

What exactly is this Bulldog workout that you floated out there to the team?

Haha – The Bulldog Workout is a workout we have been doing every XC season for the last 5 years or so. It is our signature workout, and we typically do it right around the middle of the season after New England’s. It is the men’s little piece of tradition and they look forward to it each year. It involves a combination of track and XC terrain intervals. The details – you might have to ask them.

How confident are you about the conference championships?

I am very confident, and very excited for the conference championships. If you look at our season of racing and training from the summer to now, it has been very consistent. Consistency leads to confidence for us all, and that’s what we take into a meet like the conference championships. The one bad workout or that one bad race you had at some point throughout the season does not define the season. The NEC championship will be a great opportunity to showcase the work we have put in.

Reilly Kozlosky Lone Gull

Reilly charges to the finish at Lone Gull, courtesy of Krissy Kozlosky.

Steph had a successful day of coaching on Saturday, then the next day she was competing herself at the Wayland XC Festival (part of the USATF-NE XC Circuit). Although she didn’t win, Steph still ran an 18:14 for the 5k and finished second. We also had a few questions for the Olympian about how she did and what she’s been up to:

You ran the Wayland XC Festival…and lost! What gives?

Cross country has never been my forte for a number of reasons. I am a lot better on the track and the roads. Wayland XC was something for fun, although as you know, runners sometimes have a quirky idea of fun! The only reason I went is because my 7 year old son Marcus ran in the kids 3k race. As a parent, it is a lot of fun watching your kids compete and to try new things. [Note: Marcus came in 46th in the 10 & Under race, running 15:15 for 3k. Not bad for a seven year old. Salazar may be getting a room ready for him in Oregon.]

When last we spoke (at Lone Gull) you were a little uncertain about the near future as far as target races went. Any updates?

Honestly, still no updates and have made no plans. I am enjoying time with family, going to soccer games, movies, and lots of other good stuff. As always, I love working at Bryant and continuing to build our teams. It is an exciting time working with our current students and also Alumni who are getting more connected with our program. Those things keep me very busy, but in the next month I will map out a plan for running goals in 2014.

Reilly Kozlosky Lone Gull II

Another shot from the final stretch at Lone Gull, courtesy of Krissy Kozlosky.

Were you planning on running at Wayland? Or did you get all amped up for it while watching the college kids run around Franklin Park?

I had no plans to do XC or even Wayland for that matter. Until we noticed the kids races, and thought Marcus would have fun doing it. He loved it, and I enjoyed watching him. In regards to Franklin Park, I always get pumped up watching my Bryant teams race, and they are a big reason why I am still running competitively. They motivate and inspire me daily.

Would you give any thought to really going for it in somethign like the BAA Distance Medley (try to give Kim Smith a run for her money), or does your schedule not leave room for it?

Yes I think I would be interested in doing something like the BAA medley. I think the timing of it would be fine. I would do it as a personal challenge more than anything. I am not at that level to be competitive for top prizes in the medley event. But that is not a deterrent for me. I do something because I want to, and because I enjoy the challenge it offers.

Will you be doing said Bulldog workout with the team?

I didn’t do the workout with them. Much more enjoyable watching them do it.

With only one event to go (the City of Manchester Marathon), Steph has locked up the road racing grand prix title. After her race on Sunday, she also has some cross country points. Not a bad year for the coach.

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CCSU Men Win Their First Ever NEICAAA XC Title

Oct. 12 Articles, Interviews, Racing no comments

The Central Connecticut State University men’s cross country team placed three in the top eleven and surprised a few people today. They edged Northeastern by a score of 54-79. The team is coached by a couple of dominant runners on the New England scene: Eric Blake and Sam Alexander. Blake is a force nationally on the mountain scene while Alexander was the subject of a recent Level Dossier (Sept/Oct 2013 issue).

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Rich Peters Runs a 24:05, Leads BU to 4th Place Finish

Oct. 12 Articles, Interviews, Racing no comments

Rich Peters ran a solid race, especially for a rust-buster. The Boston University junior looked pretty good in finishing second at the NEICAAA XC Championships. Afterwards, he ran back to campus with grad assistant coach Katie Matthews. Matthews, who competes for Saucony, will be running the BAA Half Marathon tomorrow and wanted a sneak peak at the course.

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Eimear Black Leads Bryant Women With A 2nd Place Finish at NEICAAA XC Championships

Oct. 12 Articles, Interviews, Racing no comments

Eimear Black, a senior harrier for Bryant University, led the Bulldogs with her 17:27 5k performance. That was good enough for second overall, not too far back of winner Rosa Moriello of Boston University.

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Another Weekend Wrap Up

Oct. 07 Articles, Racing 1 comment

The Pros: The US Marathon Championships were held at the Twin Cities Marathon and Tim Ritchie ran the race that we’ve been expecting. That’s not meant to downplay it at all since running a 2:14 in your second attempt at the distance is absolutely spectacular. Summing it up best, Matt Pelletier said, “I think we all knew it was coming.” Indeed, Matt, indeed. What Tim has shown in race results at other distances over the last year or so has not-so-subtley hinted at something like this. The end result was another top ten finish for the BAA stud (6th, to be exact). The men’s race was won by Nick Arciniaga (2:13:11) and the women’s race by Annie Bersagel (2:30:53).

Tim now sits at 5th place overall in the season standings with only one event left (the .US Road Racing National Championship). Over the course of the season, Tim has earned nearly $11,000. That seems like a petty sum for someone who has five top ten finishes in championship races. Just think of how much money the Braves are paying Dan Uggla right now to sit at home during the playoffs. Runners really are underpaid.

The Kids: College kids, that is. A big race this past weekend for the kids was the Paul Short Invitational (hosted by Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA). Dartmouth senior Abbey D’Agostino won her second race in as many attempts this season in repeating at this prestigious event. Abbey ran a 19:44 and easily outpaced the runner up (Samantha Ginther of Indiana, 20:10). Dartmouth scored second place finishes for the both the women’s and men’s teams on the backs of strong races by D’Agostino and then senior Will Geoghegan’s third place effort in the men’s race.

Said Dartmouth coach Mark Coogan of his team’s efforts: “This past weekend was good, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the women ran. I think we handled the heat and ran very well as a group helping each other out during the race. That is best the women have done as a team in a long long time.”

Luckily the Dartmouth squads had their chance to do their thing before the remaining races were called due to the weather. The excessive heat was a bit much for both the runners and the medical staff. How hot was it? Excellent question. Couldn’t find it in a quick web search, but we’ll go out on a limb and say it was hot to very hot.

Ridiculous weather aside, Abbey continues to steamroll along, winning by almost a minute in her first meet and then nearly 30 seconds in this latest race. “I think we all knew it was coming,” said Matty P once again, and it was still oddly appropriate. Anyway, too bad Abbey and the rest of Dartmouth’s top seven won’t be competing at the New England Championships at Franklin Park this weekend.

The Other Guys: One race that caught our attention from the weekend was the Grace Race in Chelmsford, MA. This was a small race, with only 75 people finishing. Think about that: seventy-five people. In that tiny field two runners went under 25:00 for five miles, and another two broke 26:00, and fifth place was still under 27:00. Glarius Rop and his training partner Amos Sang tore it up. Those were the two aforementioned gentlemen who went under 24 minutes. Glarius (24:37) edged Amos (24:44). The rest of the field was running for third.

Lindsay Willard easily won the women’s race with her 29:12 effort. That was fast enough to break into the top ten overall.

Newbould Kozloski Nahant

Newbould cruises along at Nahant, courtesy of Krissy Kozloski.

Brandon Newbould made the trip to Chelmsford, lured by the cash prizes even though his legs still had some Nahant 30k residue lingering in them. Brandon didn’t expect to see such a deep field waiting for him there on the starting line. According to Brandon, Glarius and Amos took it out with a 4:30 uphill opening mile. Perhaps Glarius is really motivated by his loss at the Level Renner 10k back in August and really wants to exact his revenge on poor unsuspecting runners, or perphaps he’s really just that good. Either way, “I think we all knew it was coming,” said Matty P. We’d be annoyed that Matt keeps giving us the same line, but damn it, it’s just so appropriate for everything we’re discussing here. Well said, Matt.

Anyway, Newbould had to settle for only a 4th place finish after running a 25:34. Not bad a for a guy still getting over a 30k and focused on a quickly approaching fall marathon.

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Triumphant Homecoming & An Inspirational Finish

Sep. 29 Articles, Interviews, Racing 1 comment

Andy Powell returned to Massachusetts with a few Ducks in tow for some cross country action. The former Oliver Ames standout and Stanford stud is now an associate head coach with the University of Oregon. Andy helped lead the Ducks to their first ever competition at Franklin Park in Boston, the Coast to Coast Battle in Beantown. The “O” men won their race handily. Oregon was paced by two true freshmen, overall placing six in the top nine (and their seventh runner was 18th). Cheserek and Leingang finished 1-2 (both running 24:11) and Ryan Pickering was just three seconds back of them in fourth place (24:14). Here’s a quick interview we did with Andy after he was all done coaching and spending time with kids from his old school:

During the women’s race, we were in position to see all the finishers. Amongst them was one woman who showed a tremendous amount of heart, guts, courage…whatever you want to call it, she gutted it out and found a way to make it across the line. It would’ve been easy to just accept the help and call it a day but she brushed off the help and crawled across the line. We give a tip of the cap to an effort like that.

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Westphal Leads BC at the Battle

Sep. 28 Articles, Interviews, Racing no comments

Liv Westphal led the host Boston College women’s cross country team to a fourth place finish at the Coast to Coast Battle in Beantown. Liv, a junior, finished 3rd overall (running 17:00 for 5k) and was only 9 seconds back of the winner. The first two runners hailed from Providence College so it was a strong showing by the east coast women on the day. And although BC finished in 4th place as a team, their total time was equal to what 3rd place Cornell had accumulated, so it was close.

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BC Invite: Gallagher

Sep. 27 Articles, Interviews, Racing no comments

The Boston College women’s cross country team hosted some of the top programs in the country today at Franklin Park in Boston, MA. Dubbed the Coast to Coast Battle in Beantown, there was quite a bit of buzz about it. Wesley Gallagher, a sophomore on the Northeastern squad, placed 11th overall and was the third east coaster. Wesley ran a 24:23 for the 8k cross country race  and was just eleven seconds behind winner Edward Cheserek of Oregon.

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