Johnny Mathis Invite Yields Five Wins, Including US Age Group Record for Paaso

Cox Stadium at San Francisco State provided a beautiful backdrop for some early season middle distance racing for the team, during the annual Johnny Mathis Invitational.

Kris Paaso started the proceedings with a gun to wire season opener in the mixed masters mile, running 5:02.23 to best the previous US women's 45-49 age group record by five seconds.  If health and form cooperate, she plans to contest both the indoor USAs and Olympic Trials middle distance masters exhibitions this year.  Read Ken Stone's write-up about her race here.

Following Kris, Annie Beck and Ayla Granados traded leads early, before Beck pulled away for a victory in the 1500m, followed by Granados in second, Courtney Heiner in 5th, and Lauren Schultz in 8th (PR).  The same quartet returned for the 800, where Beck paced Granados to a runaway win, again followed by Heiner and Schultz, notching her second PR of the day. Kate Bettinger enjoyed a competitive debut in the 1500m, earning 7th place in Heat 3.

On the men's side, Justin Marpole-Bird led the charge to the line in a tactical men's 1500m, his first race over that distance since 2014.  Benedikt Bünz earned 3rd after briefly taking the lead with 650 to go, and Jesus Romo was 6th.  All three came back in the 800 as Marpole-Bird paced runaway winner Marco Bertolotti to a solid opening time of 1:52, with Bünz across next and Romo in 6th once more.

Results

Turkey Trots Prove a Happy Hunting Ground in Five States

Strava TC athletes enjoyed Thanksgiving success from coast to coast, turkey trotting to good times and several victories in five states.

Before the sun was up in the Bay Area, Marco Bertolotti and Kaitlin Gregg Goodman notched victories in two five mile races.  Bertolotti took home his second road race victory in three weeks, winning the Port Washington (New York) Turkey Trot, while Gregg Goodman earned a pie and more for her course record effort at the Newport, Rhode Island Pie Run.

In the midwest, Elle Pishny and Justus Meyer took on all comers in the Sprint Turkey Trot 5K in Overland Park, Kansas, with Pishny earning the win and Meyer taking home a top 10 spot in ninth.  Meanwhile, in Durango, Colorado, Maggie Yount won the Durango Turkey Trot 5 miler, running close to 29 minutes at 7000 feet altitude.  Sam Yount also competed well, earning 5th in the same event.

Down in southern California, Annie Beck graced the roads for the first time this fall, putting together a solid sub-17 effort to win her hometown Dana Point Turkey Trot 5K.  Closer to San Diego, Matt Lenehan also won the Encinitas Turkey Trot.

On home turf in the Bay Area, the team had several strong results on the roads during Thanksgiving morning.  The 11th Annual Applied Materials Turkey Trot again featured strong fields with several national class and international athletes on the start list and PAUSATF points on the line in that division of the competition.  Strava TC's performances were led by matching 10th place performances by Justin Marpole-Bird (14:07, club best) and Ayla Granados (16:13).  Both marks represented significant personal bests over the 5K distance.  Also competing well for the men were Matt Jablonski with a personal road best of 14:47, as well as top 50 performances by Billy Mateker, Ben Mears, and Scott Himmelberger.  Just behind them was Brent Varga in 51st.  For the women, Kris Paaso easily took home masters honors in the elite division with a strong 17:15 run and Lauren Schultz finished only a few seconds off her road PR in her third race in 11 days.  Melinda DiNapoli was a strong top 5 finisher in the open 5K, easily winning the masters division.

Finally, up the peninsula, April Montgomery enjoyed a return to competition after nearly a year, winning the Gobble Wobble 5K in Burlingame.

Results links to come.

Women Earn Sixth Straight PAUSATF Cross Country Championship

The Pacific Association USATF Cross Country Championship again ushered in the sharp end of the fall season, pitting Northern California's top clubs against each other, mixed in with some strong individuals.  This year, the meet also served as the USATF West Region Championship.

For the sixth straight year, the women's team emerged victorious, with five athletes in the top 11.  Ayla Granados steadily outstripped the field over the final two miles, holding off Impala Teresa McWalters over the final half mile to take the top spot.  Granados, who finished second in 2014, continued a great tradition as the sixth different individual winner for the team since we began competition in 2007 (Katy Trotter, 2007; Stephanie Pancoast, 2010; Catha Mullen, 2011; Stephanie Dinius, 2013; Kirsty Legg, 2014).  Pancoast had another solid day this year in 7th, with Kris Paaso in 8th (with her fifth top 10 finish at this event), and Legg holding on for 9th.  Elle Pishny tuned up for an upcoming CIM attempt with an 11th place finish to close the door on the scoring, with Lauren Schultz (27th) and the now Catha Groot racing on limited training for 34th in the raw scoring. 

On the men's side, the team contended with a tough 10K+ course that always hosts one of the deepest and most competitive association championships in the country. With a tight spread, the men secured their fourth straight top 5 finish, with official scoring yet to come later in the week. Debutant Matt Jablonski led the group in 13th place amongst a very seasoned group of competitors up front, with Matt Lenehan coming on strong late for 19th. Jesus Romo has begun to round into form with a measured 22nd, while Ben Mears (26th) and Billy Mateker (29th) wrapped up the scoring for the team.  Dale Taylor survived a fall product launch at work to finish 52nd with Justus Meyer dropping down from his preferred distances to take 59th.  

Many more results from previous weeks will be posted soon on the results page, and official team scores, Turkey Trot results, and more will be up in the coming few days.

Individual results from the PAUSATF XC Championships are available here.

Wins at Bronco XC Invite and Baltimore Running Festival Half Lead Weekend Results

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Kris Paaso finished 15th in 20:52 at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational

Several Strava TC athletes opened their cross country seasons on Saturday at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational with solid results.  For the second year in a row, Justin Marpole-Bird outlasted the field in the Invitational section, leading the final 5K and outsprinting UTSA's Dusan Makevic for the win.  Billy Mateker also enjoyed an personal best for an 8K cross country course, finishing in 75th overall. 

Lauren Schultz also had a solid start to the fall, kicking well for 4th place in the Open women's section and earning her own personal best over 6K.  In the women's Invitational section, Ayla Granados persevered for 11th place, despite a mid-race side stitch that caused her to slow greatly for several hundred yards.  Kris Paaso, earned 15th place in 20:52, nearly matching her personal best from last year's USATF Club Cross with her first race of the 2015 campaign.

In Baltimore, Maryland native Matt Jablonski took full hometown advantage, winning the Baltimore Running Festival Half Marathon in a controlled effort and his first attempt at the distance.

Last Monday, Kaitlin Gregg Goodman contested the Tufts Health Plan 10K for women, her third US Championship race in one month. Unfortunately, she did not finish due to illness, but will be back in action at the EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler on October 25.

On the Road Again....

Team members continued a busy schedule of road races over end of September / early October.

At the Rock 'n' Roll San Jose 5K, Kirsty Legg-Howell and Ayla Granados took 2nd and 3rd to Olympic Deena Kastor in their first serious road efforts of the fall, along with Billy Mateker, who posted a solid opener for 2nd place in the men's column.  The following day, Matt Jablonski debuted for the team with a decisive victory over 10K, matched by Kris Paaso on the women's side.  Jake Shoemaker and Matt Lenehan competed in the half marathon, with Shoemaker posting a 69 minute effort to lead the charge.

On September 26, Courtney Heiner opened her fall account with a win at the Break Free 5K in Folsom, while the night before, Justus Meyer (10K), and Diane Heiser (5K) celebrated wins at the Palo Alto Moonlight Run.

Across the pond, Ben Mears finished the Berlin Marathon in 2:28 for 121nd place.

Starting October off for the team, Kaitlin Gregg Goodman and Stephanie Dinius contested the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Miler, which also served as the USATF 10 Mile Championships.  Gregg Goodman posted a personal best of 55:28 to earn another top 15 US Championships finish, while Dinius posted a debut sub 57 minute effort after a missing a few days training the week prior.

Follow our results page for all the latest action with these and other races throughout the year!