Ryan Hall's Blog, page 321

5 Ways to Jump-Start Your Training Before 2016

Whether your 2015 races went well or not, it’s time to start thinking ahead to new objectives. But before you become too giddy about how fast you’re going to run in 2016, implement some of these strategies to avoid common mistakes, and jump-start your training in the new year.

1. Review your year, and set new (and appropriate) goals

Before you set goals for the year ahead, make sure you’re doing it right. “They need to look into the past before they create this plan for the future,” says Bobby McGee, a longtime running coach and performance adviser for USA Triathlon.

To review your year, you have to first know what you did. That’s why the best athletes keep logs, whether it’s an old-fashioned journal or one of the many apps available for mobile devices.

Look over your past year’s log and ask yourself, “Did I do the things to set myself up for success?” says Steve Magness, author of “The Science of Running.” Be brutally honest with your assessments. Where did you fall short? Where did you excel? Did you achieve what you set out to?

Only after answering those questions should you start setting “challenging but realistic” goals, explains Trent Stellingwerff, head of innovation and research for the Canadian Sport Institute.

Stellingwerff makes his athletes create two sets of goals: the ones they could achieve if all the stars align, and then the realistic ones that they hit about 80 percent of the time. He also has them focus on process goals, not results. If you set a goal to win a certain race, but an Olympian shows up, then you may not meet your goal despite doing everything right. Instead, focus on the steps you can take and what you can control. These are what he calls SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.

The post 5 Ways to Jump-Start Your Training Before 2016 appeared first on Competitor.com.

View more on Ryan Hall's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 17, 2015 12:15

Shoe Of The Week: Nike Free RN Distance

The Nike Free RN Distance has more cushioning than previous shoes in the Free line, but it is still extremely flexible. Photo: John David Becker

When Nike released the original Free line of shoes 10 years ago, it kicked off the minimalist revolution in footwear for its unprecedented flexibility and barefoot feel. While the Free 5.0 was instantly popular and became the mainstay of the line, Nike soon offered versions that featured both less and more cushioning. The new Free RN Distance, which debuts in mid-November, shares similarities to the erstwhile Free 7.0 and Free Everyday. Like its predecessors, it’s a very lightweight shoe with a snug, sock-like fit, amazing flexibility and smooth ride. The flexibility is made possible by the hexagonal-siping pattern in the rubber outsole, which allows the shoe to bend and move exactly how your foot moves. (That’s a good thing if you have strong feet and lower legs and don’t need any added stability or support.) What’s new about this shoe is the copious amount of well-balanced, moderately soft midsole cushioning and some added structure that comes from the Flywire arch support system. It’s not quite a maximalist shoe, but it kinda feels like it.

Despite the thicker amount of foam and rubber under foot, the Free RN Distance offers unparalleled agility for an everyday training shoe. Our wear-testers found it best for short to medium-length runs, long intervals, fartleks, shorter tempo runs and races up to 10K. (One tester raved about it as a go-to shoe for treadmill running.) As with other Free models, we found it took some adjustment time—and considerable lower leg and foot strength—to be able to run longer than an hour in this shoe. But the extra cushioning allows it to run long better than other Free models.

This is the shoe for you if … you’re looking for a very well cushioned neutral shoe that offers supreme flexibility and a natural ride.

Price: $120

Approximate weights: 7.8 oz. (men’s size 9); 6.6 oz. (women’s size 7)

Heel-Toe Offset: 4mm; 20mm (heel), 16mm (forefoot)

The post Shoe Of The Week: Nike Free RN Distance appeared first on Competitor.com.

View more on Ryan Hall's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 17, 2015 08:00

Report: Kenyan Marathoners Accused of Paying Bribes To Lessen Doping Bans

Kenyan marathoners train in their home country. Photo: PhotoRun

Kenyan coach Paul Simbolei told The Associated Press on Sunday he recently informed police that three marathon runners from his country paid bribes to Athletics Kenya—the national track federation and governing body—in exchange for reduced doping bans.

Simbolei, who is based in the high altitude hotbed of Iten, claims that AK officials threatened to expose the aforementioned athletes as cheaters if they did not surrender a portion of their race winnings to them. The three runners remain unnamed as Simbolei has reportedly been keeping a low profile since going to authorities with the information, citing concerns for his safety.

That report follows the news that the IAAF Ethics Commission is investigating allegations from Kenyan prosecutors that David Okeyo, vice president of Athletics Kenya, along with two other officials, embezzled roughly three quarters of a million dollars in sponsorship money from the organization.

These most recent claims are in addition to the ongoing criticisms of Kenya’s virtually non-existent anti-doping program which came to light following a documentary by German television station ARD, which showed, in part, how easy it is for Kenyan athletes to secure performance-enhancing drugs.

Last week, Russia was suspended from international competition by the IAAF following the results of a WADA investigation into a widespread and state-sponsored doping program in that country. Dick Pound, who headed the investigation, acknowledged problems in Kenya at the press conference revealing the findings of the Russian probe.

“It seems pretty clear from both the ARD program and subsequent developments that Kenya has a real problem,” Pound said. “It has been very slow to acknowledge there is a problem. There is apparently some investigation going on as we speak. If they don’t do a good job then someone else will do a job for them.”

The post Report: Kenyan Marathoners Accused of Paying Bribes To Lessen Doping Bans appeared first on Competitor.com.

View more on Ryan Hall's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 16, 2015 18:37

Photos: The Inaugural Franklin Mountains Trail Run 50K

The inaugural Franklin Mountains Trail Run races took place on Nov. 14 at Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso, Texas, near the U.S.-Mexico border. The 50K course stayed at high elevation (ranging between 5,200 and 7,700 feet) varying between desert trail and ascending North Franklin Peak. The run benefited Team RWB. The event also included a half marathon, 10K and 5K races. (Results were not available as of Monday.)

All photos by Myke Hermsmeyer. See more of his work on his website or follow him on Instagram.

Photo Gallery

1 of {count}

Back to Start

View Larger Image

The 2015 Franklin Mountain 50K had 6,500 feet of climbing. In 2016 the course elevation will increase to at least 7,500 feet to meet U.S. Skyrunning standards.

View Larger Image

High desert running atop North Franklin Mountain.

View Larger Image

Jeff Ball from Dallas cruising up North Franklin Peak.

View Larger Image

Ultra legend Gordy Ainsleigh suffered a concussion at the Javalina Jundred two weeks before the Franklin Mountain 50K. On doctors orders he opted to race but with a helmet he spray painted purple the night before.

View Larger Image

Locals came out in force for the Franklin Mountain 50K.

View Larger Image

Second-place finisher Jacob Philips from Austin wiped after the tough 50K.

View Larger Image

Tracie Akerhielm flying off the top of North Franklin Mountain.

View Larger Image

Franklin Mountain 50K winner Zach Szablewski pausing mid-race on top of North Franklin Mountain to thank race volunteer and ‪Team RWB‬ member Santiago Morales for his service in the military. Team RWB, whose mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity, was the race's beneficiary.

View Larger Image

Franklin Mountain 50K runner Beatriz Mendez from Chihuahua, Mexico in good spirits down the finishing stretch.

View Larger Image

Zach Szablewski topping out on Franklin Mountain.

View Larger Image

Looking up toward the Franklins, the largest sustained mountain range in Texas.

View Larger Image

Alisha Little-Edmiston flying along the desert singletrack below the Franklins.

View Larger Image

Trail Racing Over Texas race organizers Rob and Rachel Goyen worked hard to bring the Franklin Mountain Trail Races to El Paso.

View Larger Image

With a lenient 15-hour cutoff racers have plenty of time to finish the 50K well into the night above the lights of El Paso.

View Larger Image

The race drew a strong crowd of local racers, with most participants from El Paso or just across the border in the neighboring city of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

View Larger Image

View from 7,700 feet atop North Franklin Mountain.

View Larger Image

Flying off of Franklin.

View Larger Image

Juarez Running Team had a lot of members racing the Franklin Mountain 50K.

View Larger Image

A fan getting a pat on the back from Gordy at the finish line of the Franklin Mountain 50K.

View Larger Image

Suffering up North Franklin.

View Larger Image

Cruising lower desert singletrack.

View Larger Image

The awards.

View Larger Image

The Franklin Mountain 50K offers a wide variety of terrain.

View Larger Image

Franklin Mountain 50K winner Zach Szablewski crossing the finish line in just under 5 hours. Next year the race will be tougher, adding even more vert to meet US Skyrunning standards.

View Larger Image

A glance at the desert singletrack

View Larger Image

Eric Gilbertson running high above the cliffs of Franklin Mountain State Park.

View Larger Image

Tracie Akerhielm nearing the top of North Franklin.

View Larger Image

It's all good in El Paso!

View Larger Image

Having fun on tough terrain.

View Larger Image

The remote Mundy's Gap aid station near Franklin Peak requires water to be hauled in prior to the race in several loads by 10 volunteers.

View Larger Image

Pretty much everything around the trails will hurt you, making running in sandals an impressive feat.

View Larger Image

Drop bags and aid stations had to be four-wheeled into remote locations.

View Larger Image

Third-place finisher Jeff Ball running over Texas.

Related Galleries

Photos: 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and 1/2

Photos: Sights and Scenery From Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas

Photos: Brooks Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas 5K

Photos: 2015 Moab Trail Marathon

More Galleries

The post Photos: The Inaugural Franklin Mountains Trail Run 50K appeared first on Competitor.com.

View more on Ryan Hall's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 16, 2015 14:42

Oops: Half Marathon Turns into a 16.7-Mile Run

OK, we’ve all run a race and thought a course might be a little long. Perhaps your time was slower than you thought or maybe your watch said the course was 13.5 miles instead of a true half marathon distance. Well, a half marathon in Bangkok this past weekend has set a new precedent for epic race mistakes.

Instead of a 13.1-mile run through Thailand’s capital, the Standard Chartered Bangkok Half Marathon on Sunday accidentally extended its annual half-marathon to almost 17 miles. The Jogging Association of Thailand, which organizes the race, admitted the error on Monday with an apology.

Race directors said the course was mis-marked, and an inadvertent U-turn at the wrong place added 1.8 miles per lap and about 3.7 extra miles for the two-lap course.

“The association apologizes for the mistake,” Songrakm Kraison, the jogging association’s vice-president said in news reports. “It will not happen again in the future.”

More: The Guardian

The post Oops: Half Marathon Turns into a 16.7-Mile Run appeared first on Competitor.com.

View more on Ryan Hall's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 16, 2015 12:14

Photos: 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and 1/2

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and 1/2 lived up to its billing as a fun, festive, #StripAtNight race. More than 30,000 runners participated on Sunday night under the dazzling lights of Las Vegas Boulevard. That included several elites who braved strong wind gusts to grab big victories in front of big crowds.

All photos taken by PhotoRun.net

Photo Gallery

1 of {count}

Back to Start

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Kid Rock performed before the race.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Near the volcano at the Mirage.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Craig Lutz, who finished third in the half marathon.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Andrew Lemoncello

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Meb Keflezighi paced the 1:45 group.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Paul Katam, who finished second in the half marathon.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Jennifer Bergman won the women's half marathon.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Jeffrey Eggleston won the half marathon for the second straight year, in a time of 1:04:40.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Williana Rojas won the women's marathon in 3:08:18.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Bergman won the women's half marathon in 1:15:22.

View Larger Image

2015 Las Vegas Rock n Roll Marathon

Lemoncello won the men's marathon in 2:21:47.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Lemoncello celebrating.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

Bergman celebrating.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

The half marathon medal.

View Larger Image

2015 Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas

The marathon medal.

Related Galleries

Photos: The Inaugural Franklin Mountains Trail Run 50K

Photos: Sights and Scenery From Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas

Photos: Brooks Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas 5K

Photos: 2015 Moab Trail Marathon

More Galleries

The post Photos: 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and 1/2 appeared first on Competitor.com.

View more on Ryan Hall's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 16, 2015 01:03

Photos: Sights and Scenery From Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas

Photo Gallery

1 of {count}

Back to Start

View Larger Image

View Larger Image

Related Galleries

Photos: The Inaugural Franklin Mountains Trail Run 50K

Photos: 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and 1/2

Photos: Brooks Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas 5K

Photos: 2015 Moab Trail Marathon

More Galleries

The post Photos: Sights and Scenery From Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas appeared first on Competitor.com.

View more on Ryan Hall's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 15, 2015 23:24

‘I Thought the Wind Was Going to Win’ — Runners Persevere at Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas

Down the closing three-mile stretch of Sunday night’s GEICO Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon, Jeffrey Eggleston and Paul Katam ran side by side. Or one just a stride in front of the other. By themselves, alone.

Actually, they did have one companion. Nature’s howling wind.

“It was me, the other athlete and the wind,” said Eggleston, 31, who lives in Boulder, Colo. “It was a battle between the three of us, and I thought the wind was going to win.”

Eggleston wound up holding off Katam and a wind that gusted up to 43 mph, winning in 1 hour, 4 minutes, 40 seconds. Katam took second in 1:04:48.

In the women’s half marathon, former University of Arizona All-American Jennifer Bergman won in 1:15:22. Olivia Mickle of Beaverton, Ore., finished second in 1:15:51.

In the GEICO Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Andrew Lemoncello, a 2008 Great Britain Olympian in the steeplechase, took first in 2:21:47. Tommy ‘Rivers’ Puzey of Flagstaff, Ariz., finished second in 2:34:36.

Williana Rojas of Venezuela won the women’s marathon in 3:08:18. Jen Annett of Canada took second in 3:08:54.

Including the 10K, a total of 30,819 runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes toured The Strip, and the subject everyone talked about was the weather. The sun shined at the start, rain doused the runners for a bit, but no one could dodge the biting breeze. The wind tossed cones, cups, cardboards and bark from palm trees scurrying across the course.

“I was dying at the end,” said Eggleston, who needed bobby pins to keep his long hair from flapping in his face. “The wind affected everyone.”

“I’ve never run in wind like that,” said Bergman.

“It felt like running into a wall,” added Rojas via a translator.

In the men’s half marathon, a pack of 10 runners dwindled to three by Mile 7. By Mile 10, it was a two-man show, Eggleston and Katam.

“I tried a half dozen times to throw surges at him,” said Eggleston, who defended his half marathon title. “I’d sprint for 30 seconds, a minute, but I couldn’t get rid of him.”

With half a mile remaining before the finish in front of The Mirage casino, Eggleston took off one more time. Katam couldn’t respond.

“I didn’t want to leave it to a sprint,” said Eggleston.

With a personal best of 2:10:52 in the marathon, clocked last year in Australia, Eggleston is the fourth fastest American qualifier for the Feb. 13 Olympic Trials marathon in Los Angeles. More than 140 American men have qualified for the Trials.

Of the February race and his chances of finishing in the top three and heading to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics, he said, “Oh, my. I respect the race. I respect the competition. But I believe everything’s possible.”

Bergman, the women’s half marathon winner, didn’t decide to enter the race until Thursday when she learned she’d have free housing.

“I like last-minute plans,” said Bergman, 24. “You have no time to stress.”

Before committing to the race, she was planning to run a 12-mile tempo workout.

“This is more fun,” she said.

Bergman took the lead with about three miles to go and never surrendered it.

Maybe no one was better steeled for the stiff wind than Lemoncello, the men’s marathon winner. Lemoncello grew up in St. Andrews, Scotland, hard by the North Sea.

“It’s a windy place, but nothing like this,” said Lemoncello, who grew up running on one of golf’s most famous tracks, The Old Course.

Puzey, the men’s marathon runner-up, trains in tranquil Flagstaff, Ariz., and admitted the Vegas sensory overload taxed him.

“You run (in Flagstaff), you kind of do it for the solace,” he said. “You come to a place like this, I felt I was on the verge of a panic attack.

Rojas, 32, the women’s marathon winner, was tackling the 26.2-mile distance for just the second time.

“It was way too cold for me,” said Rojas, who lives in Panama. “I come from the tropics.”

But she loved Vegas, which she was visiting for the first time.

“Oh, beautiful,” she said via a translator. “The music. Everyone applauds. My heart was pounding. It made me run faster. Quite an incentive.”

Vegas by the numbers

— The races attracted runners from all 50 states and 64 countries.

— Wedding bells were in the air. At the three-mile mark, 45 couples quickly exchanged vows before darting back on The Strip. Another 144 couples renewed their vows.

— Twenty women from Chile, sponsored by Brooks, ran Sunday. They were dressed as devils, replete in red devil horns, black capes, some toting pitch forks. It’s the fifth year they’ve run Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas. The first year, only two runners made the trip. By Year 2, with larger numbers, they dressed as Playboy bunnies. Year 3, they dressed as fairies. Last year’s costume was an ode to Minnie Mouse.

— There were too many runners dressed as Elvis to count, but none were faster than Ian Sharman. Sharman finished eighth in 2:50:13. He holds the world record for fastest marathon dressed in an Elvis costume, 2:42:52. Said the 35-year-old Sharman. “If you’re gonna run as Elvis, you’ve gotta run Vegas.”

The post ‘I Thought the Wind Was Going to Win’ — Runners Persevere at Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas appeared first on Competitor.com.

View more on Ryan Hall's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 15, 2015 23:10

Huddle, Chelanga Win 12K National Championships

Sam Chelanga edges Tyler Pennel on Sunday morning in the .US 12K National Road Racing Championships in Alexandria, Va. Photo: Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly

On a chilly and windless fall morning in Alexandria, Va., the 2015 USATF Running Circuit came to a close with victories for Molly Huddle and Sam Chelanga at the third edition of the .US 12K National Road Racing Championships. Huddle won for the third consecutive time, running away from the field early, while Chelanga won by a fraction of a second in tight sprint finish over Tyler Pennel. Both winners collected $20,000 in prize money plus Running Circuit bonuses.

HUDDLE OUT FOR A SUNDAY RUN

Huddle, 31, who had already collected six national titles this year, moved immediately to the front from start, hitting the one-mile mark in a brisk 5:10. A large chase pack formed a few meters behind her, including Mattie Suver, Sara Hall, Alisha Williams, Kim Conley, Alexi Pappas, Liz Costello and Brianne Nelson.

As Huddle left Old Town adjacent to the Potomac River and began the out-and-back leg of the course on the George Washington Parkway, the rest of the field fell quickly behind. Huddle’s lead was 13 seconds at the two-mile (10:19) and 18 seconds at 5K (16:05).

“I was hoping to go for a good time, but I was a little bit too tired,” Huddle told reporters of her early move to break open the race. “But, I knew if I kept pressing I’d build too big of a gap for them to catch me, hopefully.”

Huddle’s lead was never in jeopardy. She strode confidently along the parkway, the quiet of the morning only broken by an occasional cheer from a fan and the honking of Canadian geese.

“This is like a Sunday run for her,” commented a photographer on the lead vehicle, Nelson Eng.

Coming back into Old Town, Huddle went through 10K in 32:19, and breezed to the finish line adjacent to Founders Park in 38:36, her slowest winning time here. Nonetheless, she won by a healthy 26 seconds, taking her 21st career national title plus $20,000 in prize money and another $20,000 for winning the overall USATF Running Circuit points title.

“We do a good amount of work on the roads; I feel at home there,” said Huddle as she analyzed her performance today. “The mentality of just kind of grinding away is something I’m used to in practice.”

Behind Huddle, there was an exciting battle for the next two spots on the podium. Four women –Hall, Williams, Conley and Nelson– were together at the 10K mark (32:46). Coming down the long finish stretch on North Union Street, Hall and Williams got in front of the other women, then Hall unleashed a strong sprint to clinch second in 39:02. The snap in her legs was surprising considering that she had run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon just five weeks ago.

“Off marathon training I felt better as the race went on,” Hall told Race Results Weekly. “The first mile was the hardest part of the race for me. I’m really happy about it.”

Williams took third (39:05), Conley fourth (39:11) and Nelson fifth (39:17).

The win capped an amazing year for Huddle. Since opening her competitive year with a victory at the United Airlines NYC Half last March, the Saucony-sponsored athlete has emerged as the most dominant American woman in distance running, from 5000m through the half-marathon. In 10 starts this year Huddle has been victorious eight times.

She was undefeated on U.S. soil, won six national titles from 5K to 20K, set American records at 5K (14:50) and the half-marathon (68:31/women-only), and set personal bests at five different distances. Her only hiccup was her heart-breaking fourth place finish at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing where, in a rare moment of inattention, she was passed by teammate Emily Infeld at the line, losing the bronze medal in the 10,000m by 9/100ths of a second.

But on the roads, she was virtually unbeatable. According to the independent Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS)—which uses a rigorous points system to rank athletes based on head-to-head competition—Huddle is ranked #7 in the world and is the only woman not born in either Ethiopia or Kenya to be ranked in the top-18 in the world.

“I think the last two years I’ve been getting ready for an early spring half-marathon that helped me kind of carry some strength through the year,” Huddle said. “We just tweak a few workouts throughout the year for that, and it seems to last most of the year, that strength. I always try to fit a road season in, sometimes before the track, sometimes after. I always say it’s my most enjoyable time of the year.”

CHELANGA WINS SPRINTS FOR VICTORY

Chelanga, who became a USA citizen just last summer, came into today’s race third in the USATF Running Circuit standings after strong showings in the USA 20K, 5K and 10-mile championships this fall where he finished second, fourth and first, respectively. Training with champion athletes Bernard Lagat and Stephen Sambu under coach James Li in Tucson, Ariz., Chelanga was comfortable with the easy early pace (14:52 through 5K) knowing that it might lead to a sprint finish at the end.

“We went out slow today,” Chelanga told reporters. “You knew halfway through that this was going to be like a kick at the end. And even like when we crossed the 10K, and there were like five guys and I was like, whoa!”

Just as in the USA 10-Mile Championships last month, Chelanga found himself against 2014 USA marathon champion Tyler Pennel in the final surge to the line. Pennel had broken four minutes for the mile earlier this year, while Chelanga’s best is only 4:03. Nonetheless, the former NCAA star for Liberty University found a little more foot speed than Pennel, beating the Zap Fitness athlete by a step at the line. Both men were timed in 34:25.

“That was hard,” Chelanga told reporters immediately after the race. “Actually, I was thinking, ‘just give everything.’

Shadrack Kipchirchir (34:37), Jim Spisak (34:37) and last year’s champion Brian Shrader (34:39) rounded out the top-five positions. Jared Ward, who won the USA marathon, 20K and 25K titles earlier this year, finished sixth and clinched the overall circuit points title and the $20,000 grand prix check. Aaron Braun, who won the inaugural edition of this event in 2013, finished tenth.

While Huddle will take a well-deserved break (she’s been racing consistently since last March), Chelanga is in the early stages of marathon training. He’ll make his debut at the distance at the USA Olympic Trails Marathon in Los Angeles on February 13, with hopes of making his first Olympic team. Pennel will also be there.

“We’re marathoners now,” Chelanga said of he and Pennel.

The post Huddle, Chelanga Win 12K National Championships appeared first on Competitor.com.

View more on Ryan Hall's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on November 15, 2015 07:48