Randall, Nichols qualify for US Mountain Running Team

On July 21st the U.S. Mountain Running Championships was held at the Cranmore Mountain in North Conway, NH. The 26th Cranmore Hill Climb presented by Delta Dental race doubled as the NACAC (North American Central American Caribbean Championships), which explained why the there were a bunch of Canadians and Mexicans milling around before the race.

Team Colorado had three representatives (four if you include cheerleader Peter Maksimow): Glenn Randall, Axel Nichols, and Tommy "One Man Wolf Pack" Manning. Of the three, Randall (4th) and Nichols (6th) went on to place in the top 6 and qualify for the U.S. Mountain Running Team that will compete  at the 29th World Mountain Running Championships on September 8 in Krynica-Zdrój, Poland.

Team Colorado poses for a pic                                              photo: Joe Viger

Randall was holding on to 2nd position with one lap remaining, of the three lap, 12k course, however, was passed by newcomer to the mountain running scene and eventual 2nd place finisher, Zach Ornelas. Then there was that sneaking Max King that surged in there for the 3rd spot. That King is a punchy one, using his steeplechasing skills and silver mullet (literally) to get him to the line. Local Colorado Springs runner, Ryan "Afro" Hafer placed 5th just ahead of our golden boy, Axel Nichols (6th), who held off speedster Andy Wacker (that is not a nickname!) of Boulder, CO. Manning took a digger on a steep downhill section of the course which put him out of contention for a top 6 finish. Manning stayed in the race to place 20th in 1:04:42.

Randall leading Joe Gray on a steep downhill section                          photo: Joe Viger

                                        Axel, with the wind in his hair                                                      photo: Joe Viger

One Man Wolf Pack finishes wounded                                               photo: Joe Viger

Unfortunately, Team Colorado was not able to field a full team so the National Mountain Running Champions title was awarded to the Central Mass Striders. Next year, CMS, next year!!!

On the women's side, Morgan Arritola and Stevie Kremer had a hard fought battle to finish 1-2, respectively, with Magdalena Lewy-Boulet finishing 3rd and Megan Kimmel 4th to make the U.S. Mountain Running Team. Since Morgan Arritola declined her spot on the U.S. Team, 5th place finisher, Christine Lundy, will round out the 4-woman team.

Men's Results (12k)

1. Joe Gray - 56:23
2. Zachary Ornelas - 56:28
3. Max King - 56:45
4. Glenn Randall - 57:58
5. Ryan Hafer - 58:11
6. Axel Nichols - 58:17
7. Andy Wacker - 58:44
8. Alex Varner - 58:56
9. David Laney - 59:30
10. Victor Manuel Mercado Mirands - 1:01:06
20. Tommy Manning - 1:04:42

Women's Results (8k)

1. Morgan Arritola - 42:31
2. Stevie Kremer - 42:50
3. Magdalena Lewy-Boulet - 44:52
4. Megan Kimmel - 45:01
5. Christine Lundy - 45:33
6. Megan Lizotte - 46:03
7. Juliane Masciana - 47:17
8. Rachel Viele - 47:32
9. Amber Reece-Young - 47:50
10. Laura Haefeli - 48:19
11. Michele Yates - 49:01

Level Renner article and videos

Yep, that hurt                                                                      photo: Joe Viger

More to come...

Axel Nichols Wins the Barr Trail Mountain Race

Axel is victorious at the 2013 Barr Trail Mountain Race.

Axel showing some legs               photo: PikesPeakSports.us

The finish up Hydro Street.

Axel talks with Peter Maksimow about the race (and shares a beer)!

PikesPeakSports.us interview

2013 Colorado Springs FREE Cross Country Camp

Team Colorado's Mark Misch, head men's Cross Country and co-head men's and women's Track & Field coach at University of Colorado @ Colorado Springs, will be hosting the 2013 Colorado Springs FREE Cross Country Camp.

Interested in attending? Contact Mark Misch at mischrunning@yahoo.com or www.cospxccamp.webstarts.com for more information.

What: 2013 Colorado Springs Free Cross Country Camp 

When: July 29th-August 2nd from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Why: Because it's FREE!!!

See you there!

Team Colorado Creates Fireworks...which are still illegal in Colorado Springs, FYI

There were some fireworks this week as Team Colorado ran some fast races at home, abroad and that place right across the pond from Russia.

Mount Marathon - Seward, AK

Team Colorado's Rickey Gates broke the 32-year-old record in the Mount Marathon race in Seward, Alaska, however, finished second to Eric Strabel, who won in a time of 42:55. Gates also bested the long-standing previous record with his 43:04 considering he slide Pete Rose-style and dislocated his shoulder. 

The race consists of 3.5 miles up and back down Mount Marathon with 3,022 vertical feet of elevation gain and the same amount of elevation loss.

On the way up...that's a real town in the background!                                 photo: Erik Hill

This is the easy part                                                  photo: Ira Edwards

Oh Shit!!!                                                                photo: Erik Hill

Rickey taking flight                         photo: Nicholas Zweifel

Here is what he looked like shortly after the slide.

And he still has his batting gloves on...nice!                photo: Ira Edwards

We don't have photographic evidence of the slide, so this will have to do.

Sliding headfirst is the safest way to get to the next base, I think, and the fastest. You don't lose your momentum, and there's one more important reason I slide headfirst, it gets my picture in the paper.

-Pete Rose

Way to get to second base, Rickey!

-Pete Maksimow

To show the extremeness of Mount Marathon, take a look at this video by Robert Arnold.

Gates didn't want to show up his mother, who placed 2nd in the 1969 Mount Marathon, so he settled for 2nd place.

Alaskan television aired a clip about Rickey's Pete Rose impression. Check out 2:05 into the news cast on the KTVA Alaska news reel. 

Sliding headfirst gets you mentioned on the news stations.

Article
Results


IAU Trail World Championships, North Wales

Justin Ricks represented the USA (and Team Colorado, by the way...'Merica!) at the IAU Trail World Championships in North Wales finishing the 75 km in a time of 6:43:24 to place 28th place overall and 4th among the USA men. Team USA consisted of David Riddle, Brian Rusiecki, Ben Newphew, Justin Ricks and Dave James (welcome back to Inov-8, Dave).

The host town was Llanrwst and the race took place in Gwydyr Forest Park, along with a few other really difficult-to-pronounce places.

Justin said, "It was a really long day. I started off feeling great and ran in the top ten for the first twenty miles. I even felt as if though I was running very conservative and was going to gain places towards the end of the race but by the third lap the temperatures started to affect me. It was happy that even through difficult times I was able to finish and I was very proud to wear a team USA jersey."

'merica...you know the rest

Site
Results



Vail Hill Climb - Vail, CO

Simon "Gute" Gutierrez shows that racing has no age limits as he wins the Vail Hill Climb in Vail, CO in a time of 51:34.

Mark Misch placed a solid 9th overall in a time 56:22 and 2nd in the Master's category behind Gute. 

Way to go Masters! 

Gute with the women's overall winner, Ashlee Nelson     photo: Amy Perez

Also, special congrats goes out to Amy Perez for her 15 minute PR at the Hill Climb. We hear Kim Dobson is coaching you!

Results


Summer Trail Roundup 12K - Colorado Springs, CO

Neil "Big McD" McDonagh and Tommy "One Man Wolf Pack" Manning ran the second leg of  the Triple Crown of Running , the Summer Roundup Trail Run 12k and picked up some checks in doing so. 

Big McD (571) and Wacker (683) taking it out fast               photo: Brandon Stapanowich

Big McD rocked the mullet (mullet meaning the course) and finished 2nd overall in a time of 45:20 behind CU grad Andy Wacker (not an alias!). Manning placed 3rd overall with a 46:16.

Big McD, Manning and Wacker (L toR) posing for a Glamor Shot       photo: Pete Rose

One ManWolf Pack               photo: Brandon Stapanowich

Big McD     photo: Brandon Stapanowich

Results
PikesPeakSports.us

Of Miles and Marathons

We had some extremely different races run this past weekend by Team Coloradans. One, a downhill road mile. The other, a marathon on the flanks of the famous Mont Blanc on the Chamonix, France side. Regardless, some competitive races were run and there were no casualties.

Bristol Mile

First up was the Bristol Mile in Colorado Springs, CO. This inaugural downhill mile (it was cancelled in 2012 due to the bad air quality caused by the Waldo Canyon Fire) was held on Cheyenne Blvd with a gradual descent of approximately 84 feet over one mile. Neil "Big McD" McDonagh ran a smart race and moved up to finish in 4th place overall in the Elite Men's race, clocking a 4:05.2, setting the new Team Colorado Mile Record!

Big McD gettin' it done with a 4:05.2   photo: PikePeakSports.us

Simon "Gute" Gutierrez ran the 21 and Over Men's Race with some heelies on his feet and placed 3rd overall and first in the 46-50 age group with a time of 4:35.2, winning a coveted Bristol Mile Growler (beer included).

We caught an interview with Gute before the race. He showed us his heelies!

Gute shouldn't have worn those heelies. Here is what he said post-race.

(correction: the shoes were the Hoka Bondi Speed--sorry for any confusion!)

What we can say is that Gute probably has the fastest mile ever run in pair of Hokas!

The race victory went to a Sudanese emigree named Dey Dey...yep, that is it: Dey. Dey. He ran 3:53.7. You can't argue with that!

Men's Elite Race

21 & Over Men's Race

Bristol Mile Results

Mont Blanc Marathon

Out in Chamonix, France, Team Colorado's Alex "Axel" Nichols took on the strong European in the Mont Blanc Marathon. Representing Team Inov-8 (and the USA, of course) Axel battled the likes of Killian Jornet, Marco DeGasperi, Luis Alberto Hernando, and other great athletes with ø's in their name, to finish 7th overall with a time of 3:48:54.

Coloradan Stevie Kremer took the women's top honor running 4:03:16

Starting in the streets of Chamonix...Axel is in his zen phase                 photo: Nadine Davies

I would try to explain the course, but I think they do it brilliantly on their website:

TRAIL is semi autonomy. Distance of 42.195 km coupled with an elevation gain of 2511m, a 1490m vertical drop of. Open to Hope from the category.

I am sure that description was written after the author ran the race.

Axel shows his uphill face...better than a poker face!      photo: Nadine Davies

Axel showing off his snow-run-off-jumping-skills             Photo: Matthew Brown

Axel finishing through the small streets of Chamonix, France                 photo: Nadine Davies

Axel's kickin' it, Mont Blanc style                                         photo: Matthew Brown

Mont Blanc Results

Best of luck to Justin Ricks as he prepares to represent the Team Colorado (and the USA) at the IAU World Trail Championships in Wales. Justin, don't get suck in any bogs!

Special thanks to John Steinbeck for the idea to the title post...our story is much less depressing, though!

Congratulations to friend of Team Colorado, Whittier College graduate and new National Champion (Mexico-Steeplechase), Luis Ibarra. Feliz Cupleaños! Corre por la pista muy rápido mi amigo y saltar obstáculos como un caballo. Órale vato!