Lukas Verzbicas may be leaving competitive running because of his citizenship status. Photo:PhotoRun.net

Written by: David Monti
(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

The surprise announcement earlier this week by Lukas Verzbicas to abandon his NCAA running career at the University of Oregon after just two months and pursue triathlon full-time could have partially been driven by his citizenship status.

Although he has lived half of his 18 years in the United States in the Chicago area, Verzbicas is not an American citizen and still carries a Lithuanian passport.  For competing in high school athletics championships in the United States –which Verzbicas dominated over the last three seasons– his citizenship status was not an impediment.  Yet, under USA Track & Field (USATF) and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) rules, Verzbicas is not eligible to compete in USA athletics championships, nor is he eligible to represent the United States in international athletics competitions.  Rule 5 of chapter 1 of the IAAF International Competitions rulebook states that “Members (nations or territories) shall be represented only by athletes who are Citizens of the Country (or Territory) which the affiliated Member represents.”

More from Competitor.com: Verzbicas Leaving Oregon Cross Country Team

However, the International Triathlon Union, the global governing body for triathlon, does not require citizenship for an athlete to represent a country in international competition, including world championships and Olympic Games.

“From an International Triathlon Union standpoint, an athlete is eligible to represent a National Federation (NF) provided he or she has never competed for another NF in the past in the sport of triathlon,” explained John Martin, the communications and media relations manager of USA Triathlon in an e-mail to Race Results Weekly.  “Lukas Verzbicas has never competed in an ITU event or triathlon event for another nation, so he is eligible to represent the United States.”

Photo Gallery: Verzbicas Wins adidas Jim Ryun Mile in 3:59.71

Had Verzbicas remained in athletics, he could have competed for his native Lithuania.  However, had he done so, he would have to wait an additional two years to compete for the USA if he was later awarded USA citizenship.  In triathlon, Verzbicas is already eligible to compete for the United States, giving him a clear path to the 2012 Olympics should he qualify for the team.

Verzbicas, who won the International Triathlon Union Junior World Championships last summer in Beijing, competed for Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Hills, Ill., until graduating in June of this year.  As a harrier, he won the Foot Locker national high school cross country championships in 2009 and 2010, and set USA high school track records at two miles (8:29.46) and 5000m indoors (14:06.78).  Verzbicas won the mile, two-mile and 5000m titles at the 2011 New Balance Indoor Nationals high school meet last March.  To cap his high school career, he broke four minutes for the mile last June, becoming on the fifth high school athlete in America to accomplish that feat.

To advance his triathlon training, Verzbicas will move to Colorado Springs, join the Elite Triathlon Academy, and take up residence at the U.S. Olympic Training Center there.  USA Triathlon said that Verzbicas would enroll as a student-athlete at the University of Colorado/Colorado Springs in January, 2012.

Mark Allison of England ran across the United States in 100 days. Photo: BBC

He ran in honor of his father and brother.

He did it in 100 days.

Yesterday, Mark Allison from County Durham, England finished his 3,100-mile run across the United States. At the start of May, he began his journey in Huntington Beach, California and ended it at Coney Island, New York at 2 a.m. yesterday.

His incredible run helped him raise £55,000 for St Benedict’s Hospice and The Children’s Foundation. He completed the journey in memory of his father Terry, who died of cancer in 1988, and his brother David, who died from a brain haemorrhage in 1998.

The last day was “tough”, according to Allison.

Before he became a charity runner, Allison was a self-described obese person “who loved bacon sandwiches, football and pies.”

During his run across the United States, he lost 31 kilograms (over 68 pounds).

On day 99 of his run, Allison wrote: “I’m writing this one while having my breakfast in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. My feet are in a right state and I’m very tired and anxious.”

For More: BBC

Per IOC rules, interested Olympic committees must submit candidate cities no later than September 1. There are currently five U.S. cities that are listed as potential bidders: New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Minneapolis and Tulsa, Oklahoma. So we’re asking our Competitor.com audience, where would YOU host the Olympic Games in the United States?

Michael Aish, a two-time Olympian for New Zealand who competed at the 2000 Games in the 10,000 meters and 2004 Games in the 5,000 meters, will now represent the United States in international competition, it was announced on Thursday.

Aish, who competed collegiately for Western State College in Gunnison, Colo, is married to U.S. distance runner Nicole Aish. His transfer has been confirmed on the International Association of Athletics Federations website, and will take effect in July 0f 2011.

For More: Newstalk ZB

Written by: Nancy Hobbs for RunningUSA.org

At Sunday’s 26th World Mountain Running Championships in Kamnik, Slovenia, the U.S. men tallied 71 points to take the silver medal with their best team finish to-date, while the Team USA women placed fourth.

The U.S. has sent a men’s team to these championships (until 2009 it was known as the World Mountain Running Trophy) since 1990. In the past three uphill years (the course alternates between uphill terrain in even-numbered years and up/down terrain in odd-numbered years), the team has scored 102 points in 2004 to place eighth, 113 points in 2006 to place fifth and 76 points in 2008 to take the bronze medal.

“The bronze medal was so exciting because it was our first medal,” said five-time team member Rickey Gates (2006-10) who finished in 52nd position in 1 hour, 4 minutes, 3 seconds. “The silver is exciting and shows that we’re stepping it up. Americans are seeing that mountain running is a ‘real’ sport and internationally, people will consider USA a threat from here on out and this is really exciting for our program.”

The men’s race was held over a 12-kilometer course with more than 4,200 feet of vertical gain. The route started in a wide, grassy meadow and quickly merged into a paved and level roadway for the next kilometer. The terrain changed to a gravel road and started to climb. For the next 10.5 kilometers, the course varied from steep, rocky terrain through both forest and wide open spaces. There was one descent of 300′ on this mostly uphill course.

Eritrea simply dominated the men’s race with the world champion and runner-up - Samson Gashazghi (56:25) and Teklay Weldemariam (56:28) and overall, placed five men in the top nine to handily defend their team title with 13 points.

Max King who finished in 16th (1:00:50) as the second Team USA scoring team member behind Joe Gray who was 10th in 59:27, said, “This (course) makes road running look like a walk in the park. Today I tried to just maintain on the steep parts. I had a 10 meter lead on the field in the first kilometer, then I started to get caught, which I knew would happen. I figured I’d go out fast on the road section because I wanted to have some space once the terrain got steeper.

“It was a pretty good race for me. I feel like my hill running was a lot stronger than three months ago. When we turned the last corner (about 50 meters from the finish) I thought, ‘I got him’ (referring to the Italian runner and former world champion Marco De Gasperi).” King stayed with De Gasperi stride-for-stride then passed him with 10 meters to go. “That was about as good as I could have raced today.”

USA was the first women’s team to finish all four athletes over the 8.5 kilometer course, but in spite of this solid finish for the team, the women were a bit disappointed in their fourth place.

“It wasn’t the result I was looking for, for myself or the team. Individually, each of us had a top-ten potential so I really thought the gold medal was a realistic goal for us,” said second scoring member for the U.S. team Brandy Erholtz, who finished in 15th position (53:57).

Added top U.S. scorer Kristin Price who finished in 12th (53:19), “I want our team to be medal winners, and now I have more of a desire to come back to the World Championships.”

When asked to compare the course at the USA 10K Trail Championships, that Price won in 2009, to the Worlds course she said, “They wouldn’t compare. This course was much more brutal, the climbs were longer, steeper and just more intense.”

The total elevation gain was 1,035 meters for the woman and included some rocky and technical single track trail, as well as open meadows, dirt paths and even a few descents.

Austria’s Andrea Mayr won the women’s world title in 49:30, while Italy defended its team title with a score of 17, followed by Switzerland with 21 points, and Russia with 36 points. Team USA scored 44 to take fourth.

Next year’s World Mountain Running Championships will be held on an up/down loop course in Albania on September 11.

26th World Mountain Running Championships
Kamnik, SLO, Sunday, September 5, 2010

MEN – 12K
1) Samson Gashazghi (ERI), 56:25, Gold
2) Teklay Weldemariam (ERI), 56:28, Silver
3) Geoffrey Kusuro (UGA), 56:57, Bronze
4) Petro Mamu Shaku (ERI), 57:00
5) Stephan Kiprotich (UGA), 57:16

U.S. Results
10) Joe Gray (USA / WA), 59:27
16) Max King (USA / OR), 1:00:50
18) Tommy Manning (USA / CO), 1:01:09
27) Eric Blake (USA / CT), 1:02:04
52) Rickey Gates (USA / CO), 1:04:03
59) Chris Lundstrom (USA / MN), 1:04:34

TEAM
1) Eritrea, 13 points
2) USA, 71
3) Italy, 77
24 scoring teams

WOMEN – 8.5K
1) Andrea Mayr (AUT), 49:30, Gold
2) Valentina Belotti (ITA), 50:08, Silver
3) Martina Straehl (SUI), 50:42, Bronze
4) Svetlana Semova (RUS), 51:02
5) Mateja Kosovelj (SLO), 51:24

U.S. Results
12) Kristin Price (USA / NC), 53:19
15) Brandy Erholtz (USA / CO), 53:57
17) Nicole Hunt (USA / MT), 54:08
21) Megan Lund (USA / CO), 54:44

TEAM
1) Italy, 17 points
2) Switzerland, 21
3) Russia, 36
4) USA, 44
13 scoring teams

Full results and more at: www.wmrc2010-kamnik.si

The 2010 Gate River Run in Jacksonville, Florida played host to the US 15K Championships for the 17th year. In the men’s race it was Mohamed Trafeh who took the men’s title, winning in 42:57. The women’s race was won by former runner-up Katie McGregor who clocked in at 49:50.

Full race recap courtesy of the USATF:

Mohamed Trafeh (Duarte, Calif.)took control from the gun to win his first ever U.S. title, running 42 minutes, 57 seconds Saturday at the USA 15 km Championships in Jacksonville, Florida. After finishing as runner-up the previous two years, Katie McGregor (Saint Louis Park, Minn.)easilytook the Women’s title in 49:50.

With this year’s race once again featuring the Equalizer Bonus, the elite women’s race started five minutes before the rest of the field. At the start, clear, cool conditions met more than 13,000 runners as McGregor and two-time champion Jen Rhines (Mammoth, Calif.), 2006 champion Blake Russell (Monterey, Calif.), 2008 Olympian Magdalena Lewy Boulet (Oakland, Calif.) and 2004 Olympian Colleen De Reuck (Boulder, Colo.) led more than 45 of the top U.S. women through the opening miles.

By five miles, McGregor and Rhines had pulled away from the field and were in a two woman race for the championship. Approaching six miles, McGregor made her move and began to pull away from Rhines.

As she made her way up the famous Hart Bridge, McGregor steadily extended her lead and cruised to the finish 36 seconds ahead of Rhines. Boulet held on to take third in 50:38 as De Reuck took fourth in 50:50 and Rebecca Donaghue (State College, Pa.) finished fifth in 51:12.

In the men’s race, Trafeh jumped to an early lead, building a 10 second lead by the time he passed the first mile in 4:22. As his lead grew with each mile, Trafeh had only McGregor to chase for the Equalizer Bonus.

Shortly after passing 10 km in 28:19, Trafeh passed the lead women to cruise to a 54 second win over Tim Nelson (Corvallis, Ore.). 2010 USA Half Marathon champion Antonio Vega (Minneapolis, Minn.) took third in 43:55 while his Team USA Minnesota teammate Jason Lehmkuhle (Minneapolis, Minn.) finished fourth in 43:59. Sean Quigley (Braintree, Mass.) rounded out the top-five in 44:05.

2010 marked the 17th year that the championships have been hosted by the Gate River Run and featured a total prize purse of $58,000, with Trafeh and McGregor each earning $12,000 for their championship titles.

Trafeh also earned the Equalizer Bonus of $5,000 for being the first male or female to cross the finish line. The 5 minute “head start” was based on the time differential of the U.S. 15 km records: 42:22 for the men (Todd Williams, 1995) and 47:15 for the women (Deena Drossin, 2003), both set on the Gate River Run course.

For More: USATF.org

Written by: Sean McKeon

The opening day of the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Doha, Qatar was a positive one for the American distance contingent. Here are some of the highlights in the distances on day one:

Women’s 800m Heats

American Anna Pierce won the first qualifying heat in a not-so-taxing time of 2:03.05. Pierce, in the process, defeated the world leader Yevgeniya Zinurova of Russia, setting herself up as the favorite going into the final. Britain’s Jenny Meadows ran the fastest time of the day with her 2:00.39 win in heat two. European champion Mariya Savinova of Russia easy advanced behind Meadows, and will be joined by American Alysia Johnson, a time qualifier, in the final.

Men’s 800m Heats

This was probably the most disappointing event from an American standpoint. Nick Symmonds, the US champion and former world finalist, was disqualified from his heat for stepping out of his lane. Symmonds was a dark horse for a medal in Doha and finished second in his heat before learning of his violation. The other American, Duane Solomon, had a poor race but advanced to the semifinals on time. As expected, favorites Ismail Ahmed Ismail and Abubaker Kaki of Sudan both won their heats and advanced to the next round.

Women’s 3000m Heats

Four-time defending world champion Meseret Defar led the qualifiers in the fast second heat, clocking in at 8:48.23. The second heat put 10 of the 11 finishers across the line before the winner of heat one. However, only four time qualifiers go to the final, and among the four was American marathon specialist Desiree Davila, who set a personal best of 8:51.08 to advance. In heat one, Sentayehu Ejigu won in a fairly pedestrian 9:00.34. Also qualifying for the final were medal favorites Vivian Cheruiyot and Sylvia Kibet of Kenya. American Sara Hall finished in 7th in the slower first heat and failed to qualify to the final.

Men’s 1500m Heats

There were few surprises in the men’s 1500m, with all of the pre-race contenders moving on to the final. Defending champion Deresse Mekonnen of Ethiopia led wire-to-wire in his heat, winning in 3:39.66. The fastest heat of the afternoon was the final heat, won by Moroccan medal favorite Abdalaati Iquider in 3:37.14. American Garrett Heath benefited from being in the final heat, taking a time qualifying spot with his 3:39.25 third-place finish. Fellow American Will Leer failed to qualify in the much slower second heat, clocking in at 3:42.16.

Women’s 1500m Heats

American women posted personal bests in both heats of the 1500m. In heat one, won by gold-medal favorite Gelete Burka of Ethiopia in 4:12.08, American Sarah Bowman grabbed the third automatic qualifying spot in a new indoor personal best of 4:12.91. The second heat featured the other Ethiopian favorite, Kalkidan Gezahegne, Spaniard Natalia Rodriguez, and American Erin Donohue. Gezahegne fell early in the race but rebounded to come back and win in the fastest time of the day, 4:08.91. Rodriguez finished as the runner-up and Donohue ran an indoor personal best 4:10.12 to qualify for the final on time.

Men’s 3000m Heats

Former world 3000m champion Bernard Lagat of the US took home the win in the second heat. Lagat did all he needed to do to easily move on, winning in 7:59.99. Lagat was followed closely by defending champion Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia (8:00.29). Fellow American Galen Rupp had a tougher time, but came in less than a second behind Lagat in 5th to secure a time qualifier in 8:00.90. The first, and faster, of the two heats was won by Keyan favorite Augustine Choge in 7:43.80, more than 16 seconds faster than Lagat’s heat one winning time. Other key qualifiers to the final were European record holder Sergio Sanchez of Spain and Sammy Mutahi of Kenya.

For More: IAAF.org

[sig:SeanMcKeon]

Ryan Lamppa of Running USA took the time to break down the top US distance running moments of 2009. A diverse group of athletes from ultra distance runners to steeplechasers made the fifth annual list. See if your favorite runners made the list, and who had the #1 moment in US distance running for 2009!

Competitor.com blogger Dathan Ritzenhein made the list three times. Photo: PhotoRun.net

#10
Semick, U.S. Women Strike Gold at World Cup 100K

#9
Ritzenhein, Rupp 6th and 8th at Worlds

#8
Shalane Shatters U.S. 5000m Indoor Record

#7
Barringer 5th at Worlds, Sets U.S. Steeple Record

#6
Hall, Goucher Third at Boston

#5
Rupp’s Triple Leads Oregon to NCAA Indoor Team Title

#4
Ritzenhein Smashes U.S. 5000m Record at Zürich

#3
Lagat’s 5000m Silver Medal at World Championships

#2
Ritzenhein Earns Bronze Medal at World Half-Marathon Championships

#1
Keflezighi Does It! Wins 40th New York City Marathon

For the full article, including descriptions of each winner and a list of honorable mentions, check out Ryan Lamppa’s full article at: Running USA Wire

Sam Chelanga wins the NCAA Championship in course record time. Photo: PhotoRun.net

Huge surprises occurred in the men’s women’s team races and in the women’s individual race.

Written by: Sean McKeon

It was a picture-perfect day Monday in Terre Haute, Ind. for the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships. What was not so perfect was the picture painted by race previews, my own included, as to how the races would play out. Each race saw its fair share of unanticipated drama, along with fantastic competition, proving the wisdom of the old adage, “That’s why they run the races”.

The men’s race was all about the dominance of Liberty’s Sam Chelanga. Chelanga was expecting a long battle with Stanford’s Chris Derrick, but instead had only the course record to challenge him. Although he held back over the first 1k, Chelanga quickly established a lead that grew by the second. The young Kenyan held a sizeable advantage over Derrick, Northern Arizona’s David McNeil and Barnabas Kirui of Mississippi through 5k, passing the mark in 14:09, and leading by nearly 30 seconds. Chelanga continued to pull away from the field and cruised to the victory in a new course record time of 28:41. It was sweet for Chelanga, as he shattered by 22 seconds the mark set last year by Galen Rupp, when Chelanga settled for second. McNeil was able to hold off Derrick and nab an impressive second place with Derrick taking the final podium spot in third.

In the team battle, the story line was supposed to be Stanford versus Oklahoma State, but that was not what the day delivered. Oklahoma State ran a dominating race, placing three in the top 15 and running away with the championship. Stanford seemed to simply fold under the pressure, leaving the podium spots open for some slight surprises. The Oregon men ran an impressive race to take the runner-up trophy, having been led by Sophomore Luke Puskedra’s 21st-place finish. Rounding out the podium was Alabama, led by Tyson David in 22nd place. Stanford, after coming into the meet the strong favorites, finished an astounding 227 points behind Oklahoma State, in 10th place.

Angela Bizzarri kicking to her NCAA title. Photo: PhotoRun.net

The women’s race was set to be the defining collegiate moment for 2008 Olympian Jenny Barringer of Colorado, but a complete collapse, both literally and figuratively, would leave her without a collegiate cross country title on her resume. Barringer set the strong early pace, passing 1k in just over 3:00, but trailed closely by Florida State’s Susan Kuijken. Just after 2k Barringer visibly dropped her shoulders, looking as though she had been punched in the gut, and immediately fell back from Kuijken. Later, cameras caught Barringer falling to the ground, looking as though she may not finish. But just as suddenly she sprang back and finished the race with the surrounding women, finishing in a devastating XX place.

Kuijken held a strong lead through 4k but began to fade due to the early pace set by Barringer. She found herself with Angela Bizzarri of Illinois and Kendra Schaff of Washinton to fight for the national title in the closing kilometer. Kuijken hoped to avenge her runner-up placing from 2008, but a fantastic final 400m by Bizzarri helped the Illinois senior earn her first NCAA cross country title. Kuijken had little remaining in the final stretch and found herself crossing the line in third, as the sophomore Schaff took the runner-up title.

As for what happened to Barringer, it is hard to say. It was a very bizarre sight to say the least. In a post-race interview Barringer said, “I didn’t feel so good about halfway in to it and every time I tried to push it I had to stop.” She still seemed disoriented after the race and it only leaves us to wonder what could have been.

On the team side it was the Villanova Wildcats that took home the national championship, upending the defending champion, and #1 ranked, Washington Huskies. The Wildcats were led by 6th-place finisher Amanda Marino and 13th-place finisher Sheila Reid. Florida Sate snuck in for the runner-up position, led by Kuijken’s third-place effort. The Huskies settled for a disappointing third-place finish, after coming into the meet the overwhelming favorites. Although Schaff ran well to finish second the always consistent Huskies had an off day, much like the Cardinal men, leaving them with plenty of questions to be answered.

Usain Bolt and Sanya Richards at the World Athletics Gala. Photo: PhotoRun.net

Monte-Carlo – During the celebrations of the World Athletics Gala hosted by International Athletic Foundation (IAF) Honorary President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and IAF & IAAF President Lamine Diack in the Salle des Etoiles of the Sporting Club d’Eté, Monte Carlo, on Sunday 22 November, 23-year-old Jamaican Usain Bolt and USA’s 24-year-old Sanya Richards were crowned as the Male and Female World Athletes of the Year 2009.

Bolt, who again captivated the attention of the sporting world with his World 100m and 200m gold medals, earned the honour for the second consecutive year.

“It’s been an amazing season, but also a trying season,” said Bolt, who broke his own World records with stunning 9.58 and 19.19 performances at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. “To be named athlete of the year is such a great honour, it shows that all the work we put in pays off.”

Like Bolt in the shorter sprints, Richards dominated the women’s 400m, producing seven of the year’s 10 fastest performances and finally won her first World title.

“I was asked if this feeling would be the same as being World champion and it really is,” said Richards, who had previously been named World Athlete of the Year in 2006. “Considering the other athletes I was up against this year, I know this must have been a really tough decision.”

2009 World Athletics Gala Awards

Male World Athlete of the Year
Usain Bolt (JAM)

Female World Athlete of the Year
Sanya Richards (USA)

Coach of the Year
Clyde Hart (USA)

Inaugural IAAF World Journalist Award
Gustav Schwenk (GER)

Source: IAAF.org

Meb Keflezighi winning the 2009 NYC Marathon. Photo: PhotoRun.net

The ING New York City Marathon 2009 men’s champion, Meb Keflezighi, the first American men’s winner of the race since Alberto Salazar in 1982, will have a special ride in next week’s 83rd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

Keflezighi will ride aboard the Stature of Liberty float alongside Miss America 2009, Katie Stam. The parade will be broadcast nationally on NBC from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon in each local time zone across the country.

Keflezighi ran a brilliant strategic race in New York, pulling away from four-time Boston Marathon Champion Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya in the final two miles to win in a personal-best time of 2:09:15. The win gave Keflezighi the USA marathon championship and his fourth national title of 2009.

He earned a total prize-money payday of $200,000, including $130,000 for the overall win, $30,000 for running sub-2:09:30, and an additional $40,000 for the U.S. title. He also finished atop the USA Running Series rankings for 2009, earning an additional $6,000.

Other celebrities scheduled to appear in the parade are singers Carly Simon and Gloria Gaynor along with marching bands and the parade’s trademark giant helium character balloons, which this year include Snoopy and Kermit the Frog.

Keflezighi’s ride in the parade is just one of many honors he has enjoyed since breaking the 27-year American men’s drought in the ING New York City Marathon. He was also a guest on Late Night with David Letterman, reading the Top 10 list, and was feted by city officials in his hometown of San Diego.

For more information on Meb Keflezighi and USA Track & Field, visit: www.usatf.org.

Source: USATF, News & Notes, Volume 9, Number 57

Established in 1981, the Jesse Owens Award is USA Track & Field’s highest accolade, presented annually to the outstanding U.S. male and female track and field performers. This year’s awards will be presented on Saturday, December 5 at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Indianapolis, Ind. The event is held in conjunction with USA Track & Field’s 2009 Annual Meeting.

Jesse Owens became one of the most iconic figures in sports history when he won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, while conducting himself at all times with grace and dignity. Owens, who with his remarkable performances forever destroyed Adolf Hitler’s notions of Aryan supremacy, was remembered fondly at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin at the Olympic Stadium where he became an international star.

All Team USA athletes who competed in the championships proudly wore the letters “JO” on their competition singlets to pay homage to Owens, and they also wore 1936-inspired throwback apparel provided by Nike.  Additionally, a USA Track & Field initiative brought Owens’ granddaughter Marlene Dortch and family members of 1936 German Olympic long jump silver medalist Luz Long together to present the medals to the men’s long jumpers in Berlin, an event won by American Dwight Phillips.

“All of us at USA Track & Field congratulate Tyson and Sanya on winning the Jesse Owens Award, particularly in a year when the legacy of Jesse Owens was at the forefront of all our minds,” said USATF CEO Doug Logan. “Like this award’s namesake, Sanya and Tyson in 2009 conducted themselves like champions in both victory and defeat. Although still young, they already rank among this country’s all-time great track athletes, and we look forward to watching them for years to come.”

Gay never better than in 2009

Tyson Gay after his 2009 win in Rome. Photo: PhotoRun.net

Although he suffered from a nagging groin injury that hampered him during the majority of the 2009 outdoor season, Tyson Gay put on an amazing display of sprinting that will not soon be forgotten.

A triple gold medalist at the 2007 World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan, Gay suffered a hamstring injury at the 2008 Olympic Trials that kept him from performing at his best at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Gay leaped back on to the world stage in a major way in 2009 by posting the then third-fastest time ever in the men’s 200 meters with his win at the May 30 Reebok Invitational in New York in 19.58 seconds.

Also last summer, Gay equaled or improved upon his American 100-meter record a remarkable three times within a three-month time frame. Gay equaled his American record of 9.77 seconds with his July 10 win at the Golden Gala in Rome, running the identical time he first posted at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.

In capturing the silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Gay lowered his AR to 9.71 seconds before lowering it again to 9.69 seconds with his commanding win in Shanghai on September 20. In 2009, Gay posted the second, third and fourth-fastest 100m times in the world that season, and he is currently tied with Jamaica’s Usain Bolt for the second-fastest time ever recorded in the men’s 100 meters of 9.69 seconds. He also owns the third-fastest 100m time ever of 9.71. Gay’s 200m time of 19.58 from the 2009 Reebok Grand Prix ranks as the fifth-fastest in history.

“After competing in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, I better understand what Jesse Owens accomplished and where and how he did it,” said Gay. “I learned that he is not only a hero for Americans like me, but he is a guy that is still respected by people around the world for the way he acted on and off the track. This is why I am honored that the media and track fans chose me for this award and look forward to accepting it in Indianapolis next month.”

Richards wins world title

Sanya Richards after her 2009 world championship. Photo: PhotoRun.net

2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Sanya Richards entered the 2009 campaign as the #1 world ranked women’s 400m runner by Track & Field News over the last four years. Recognized worldwide as the dominant force in her event, Richards had yet to capture the elusive individual Olympic or World Outdoor Championships title needed to fill a nagging hole in her glittering resume.

The 2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist, Richards was even with Russia’s Antonina Krivoshapka with 200 meters to go in 400m final at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin. After leaving Krivoshapka behind, Richards still had to hold off a strong challenge from Jamaica’s Shericka Williams down the final stretch.

Richards broke away from Williams with 70 meters to go and ran by her lonesome the rest of the way to victory, crossing the finish line in the third-fastest time in the world this season of 49.00 seconds. With her victory, Richards joined Jearl Miles (2003, Stuttgart) as the only Americans ever to win the women’s 400 meters at a World Outdoor Championships.

Richards, who ran the anchor leg on Team USA’s gold medal winning 4x400m relay team (3:17.83, World leader), finished the season with the four fastest women’s 400m times in the world this year, and her world-leading time of 48.83 seconds from her win in Brussels, Belgium, earned her a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot for the third time in her career. Richards’ performance in Brussels equaled the second-best time ever by an American first posted by National Track & Field Hall of Famer Valerie Brisco-Hooks in winning the gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“To be named the recipient of the Jesse Owens Award, having earned my first world title in the very same stadium where he became a legend, is an honor,” said Richards. “His history-making accomplishments inspire me to continue to work hard at making my mark on the sport of track and field.”

About the Jesse Owens Award

2009 Jesse Owens Award winners were selected in balloting of members of the U.S. track and field media, and for the first time ever a fan vote was held on the USATF website that comprised 10% of the total vote. Other finalists for the men’s Jesse Owens Award were Christian Cantwell, Kerron Clement, Trey Hardee, Bernard Lagat, LaShawn Merritt and Dwight Phillips. Women’s finalists included Jenny Barringer, Allyson Felix, Carmelita Jeter and Brittney Reese.

The permanent commemorative Jesse Owens Award is maintained at USATF National Headquarters, and a replica is provided to each of the winners. Previous winners are Edwin Moses (1981), Carl Lewis (1982 and 1991), Mary Decker (1983), Joan Benoit (1984), Willie Banks (1985), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1986 and 1987), Florence Griffith Joyner (1988), Roger Kingdom (1989), Lynn Jennings (1990), Kevin Young (1992), Gail Devers (1993, 1996), Michael Johnson (1994, 1995, 1996), Allen Johnson (1997), Marion Jones (1997, 1998), John Godina (1998, 2001), Inger Miller (1999), Maurice Greene (1999), Stacy Dragila (2000 and 2001), Angelo Taylor (2000), Khalid Khannouchi (2002), Deena Kastor (2003), Tom Pappas (2003), Justin Gatlin (2004 and 2005), Joanna Hayes (2004), Allyson Felix (2005 and 2007); Sanya Richards (2006, 2009), Jeremy Wariner (2006), Tyson Gay (2007, 2009), Bryan Clay (2008) and Stephanie Brown Trafton (2008).

For full biographies of Tyson Gay and Sanya Richards, visit the Athlete Bios section of www.usatf.org.

Samuelson on her way to another age-group record in New York. Photo: PhotoRun.net

The 52-year old missed her American record by one second.

Joan Benoit Samuelson continued to set records at the age of 52, as she completed the ING New York City Marathon in a 50-plus record 2:49:09. The 1984 Olympic champion ran the race to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her historic gold medal in Los Angeles.

Samuelson set the American record for 50-plus at the 2008 Olympic trials in Boston, as she crossed the line in 2:49:08.

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The US track and field delegation with call the city of Birmingham, England their home prior the 2012 London Olympic Games. The site was picked because of its distance from the host city and ease of travel between the two. US team members will train for the six weeks leading up to the Games at the camp in Birmingham.

Birmingham will allow the athletes access to London via train and bus and allow the athletes to stay away from spectacle prior to the beginning of the Games. In total 155 athletes, coaches and support staff will be at the base camp.

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