Strava TC Members Race Well at USA / Canada 5K Championships

As the fall season gets underway in earnest, big races are already popping up on the schedule.  On Sunday, September 20, the duo of Stephanie Dinius and Kaitlin Gregg Goodman represented the club well with a 12th and 13th place finish at the USATF Road 5K Championships, hosted by the CVS Downtown 5K in Providence, Rhode Island.  While Gregg Goodman kicked off her fall campaign with her narrow road best of 16:31 at CVS and Dinius has had a few races under her belt, including a 17th place at the Stratton Faxon New Haven 20K (USATF 20K Championships) over Labor Day weekend, both are scheduled to contest the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Miler (USATF 10 Mile Championships), the Tufts Health Plan 10K (USATF 10K Championships) and the .us 12K (USATF 12K Championships) before recycling and prepping for the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials next February.

North of the border on September 13, Justin Marpole-Bird enjoyed a return to national level racing after recovering from ankle surgery for much of the year.  Marpole-Bird earned a spot on the podium and new club best over 5K on the roads with a third place finish at the B&O Yorkville Run 5K, which hosted Canada's road 5K championship for the second year in a row. 

Also competing well in the middle distances was Ayla Granados, who took a quick sidetrip from fall prep training to run the Minnesota Mile (Duluth, MN), where she earned 4th place in 4:54.

On September 20, Elle Pishny won her first 50K trail race, taking fourth overall and first female at the Coastal 50K in Marin County.  Justus Meyer also raced well, earning runner-up honors.

In cross country, Matt Lenehan, Dale Taylor, and Nick Scalfone all recorded solid opening efforts at the PAUSATF Golden Gate Open XC on September 13th.  In a rare evening opportunity, Maggie Yount won and Sam Yount took 6th at the Southwest Sunset Cross Country Classic in Durango, Colorado (6700ft altitude).

Upcoming races this weekend include the San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon (and shorter) events, always a race our club enjoys supporting.  Links to results for the races above will be posted shortly in the results page.

Strava TC Members Climb Hills to Victory

On the last weekend in August, team members ascended to great heights to earn accolades in two states.  Maggie and Sam Yount again vanquished all foes in the mountains of Durango, Colorado, earning the wins at the Thirsty 13 half marathon event. 

Nick Scalfone took his second successful trip to the summit of Mammoth Mountain, earning King of the Mountain credentials in the latest edition of the Ezakimak (Kamikaze backwards) race in Mammoth Lakes, California. 

Results for these races (and all our results), available as they occur on the results page.

Large Pile of Individual Wins Highlight Recent Results

Strava TC success has continued late into the summer with several positive results over the last two weeks. 

Stephanie Dinius continued along the comeback trail after injury, earning 12th place overall (top 10 US) at the historic Falmouth Road Race on August 16.  Battling hot and humid weather and passing four athletes over the final kilometer of the 7 mile race, she next sets her sights on the Stratton Faxon New Haven 20K, which also serves as the USATF 20K Championships over labor day.

Stephanie Pancoast also enjoyed success in New England, again contesting the Cigna 5K in Manchester, New Hampshire on August 13.  A strong 2nd place just over 17 minutes provided yet another encouraging result as she heads towards the fall.

The same weekend, Heather Hunt again returned to the race course in Watkins Glen, NY, taking third and top 40+ at the Catharine Valley Half Marathon.  The previous weekend, Nick Scalfone, former winner of that same race, won the Forge the Gorges 7 Miler in the same region, while Kaitlin Gregg Goodman took a low key third at the Run 4 Kerri 4 Miler in Wakefield, RI.

Joining Heather at the longer distances were Kimberly O'Donnell and Ryan Neely, who contested the Skyline 50K in the East Bay on August 8.  Ryan took second, while Kimberly took the top spot on the women's side, setting a course record and club best for the distance in the process.

Middle distance runners Justin Marpole-Bird and Diane Heiser each emerged victorious at the One Mile Bang road mile in Los Gatos on August 8, with Marpole-Bird taking a second victory at the Giant Race 10K in San Francisco on August 23. Brooke Wells earned a steady second place finish in the half marathon at the Giant Race as well.

Newcomer Ayla Granados successfully took on the Santa Cruz Cross Country Challenge, the first race of the PAUSATF circuit, finishing first while running unattached as she awaits the end of her 90 day transition period.  Nick Scalfone bounced back for 13th place on the men's side in the same event.

For full results of these races, please check back soon to our results page.

Morimoto, Mocko Notch Wins Amongst Strong Team Performances at SF Marathon, San Rafael Sunset Crit 1K, and Wharf to Wharf

Three very different competitions provided a back drop for some great performances by Strava TC'ers over the weekend.

At the San Francisco Marathon / Half Marathon, Tania Morimoto and Chris Mocko took home top honors in the 2nd Half and the full marathon respectively.  Cack Wilhelm was close behind Morimoto for a runner-up finish in the half, while Matt Lenehan also earned 2nd place on the men's side of the 2nd half marathon.  Other top 10 finishes were by Dylan Peterson, 7th in the full, and Ben Mears, 8th in the half.  Nick Scalfone also placed in his age group.

The evening before, Annie Beck took to the streets of Marin County for a 1000m foot race hosted by the San Rafael Sunset Criterium bicycle competition.  Running a quick 2:46, she took second to half miler Lea Wallace of Sacramento.  Diane Heiser was also among the top finishers.

At Sunday's Wharf to Wharf, three team members competed, led by Courtney Heiner in 11th place.  In a very deep field, Reesey Byers took a step forward in fitness to break 30 and earn a top 25 spot, while Melinda DiNapoli also earned a jacket.

Please check our results page for links to race results.

Trail and Road Wins Highlight Weekend Results

Strava TC was in action both near and far, over hilll and dale last weekend.  Notching victories were Ryan Neely, as he won the La Sportiva Tabletop 27K trail race in Stinson Beach, CA, as well as resurgent Olympic Marathon Trials trainees Stephanie Dinius (Pond Meadow 5K, Weymouth, MA) and Brooke Wells (Palo Alto Double Road Race, Palo Alto, CA).  Wells also earned a 5K/ 3K double road race world best for her efforts along the Baylands course.  Dinius heads next to Cape Elizabeth, ME for the Beach to Beacon 10K. 

Also getting in solid work last weekend were Jake Shoemaker, who ran a personal best for fourth at the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon, Courtney Heiner, second at the July 16th Folsom Prison Trail Race Series, Sam Yount (pictured), who contested his first mountain race at the Kendall Mountain 12 Mile run in Silverton, Colorado, and Nick Scalfone, who also raced the La Sportiva as a training effort.

Watch out for team members this weekend at the Wharf to Wharf 6 miler in Santa Cruz, the San Francisco Half Marathon, as well as the San Rafael Sunset Road 1K criterium race.