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BATC Recap: adidas Grand Prix

June 12, 2010, 11:01pm

By Tom Kloos

If David Torrence’s season opener at 1500m is an indication of things to come, it will be an exciting season indeed. David out-performed pre-race expectations, finishing seventh place in a new PR of 3:35.81 at the adidas Grand Prix, taking nearly three seconds off of his previous best. The race was won in 3:33.29 by Nicholas Kemboi of Kenya, and the top American finisher was Leonel Manzano in 3:33.92.

David settled into the middle of the pack from the start of the race, which was off to a quick pace. “I wasn’t getting splits. I was just racing.” A gap opened up midway through the race, separating David from the leaders. With the pace already fast, and somewhat cautious with a sore hamstring, David waited until the last 600 meters to start giving chase, but managed to close with a final lap of 55 seconds to move up to seventh.

Bay Area Track Club teammate Shannon Rowbury finished fourth in the women’s 1500, describing her race as “strong in the finish, but I didn’t have much pop.” Shannon’s time of 4:04.00 was just behind top-finishing American Jenny Berringer in 4:03.63. The winner was Nancy Jebet Langat of Kenya in 4:01.60. Shannon’s season opener last year was slightly faster, but in a race which she says she “totally died in the end. So my finish (at the adidas Grand Prix) was an improvement.”

Shannon and David now head to North Carolina to train with coach John Cook, before lacing up next in Iowa for the USATF Outdoor Championships beginning June 23.

Tags: BATC, Bay Area Track Club, Shannon Rowbury, David Torrence, adidas Grand Prix
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on June 12, 2010, 11:08pm

BATC Preview: Men's 1500m at the adidas Grand Prix

June 11, 2010, 8:38pm

By Tom Kloos

Late Spring in New York City, and Central Park is swarming with joggers, forming a continuum of bodies moving counter-clockwise around the park’s interior. There will be no such joggers running counter-clockwise at Icahn Stadium for the 1500 event of the adidas Grand Prix – IAAF Diamond League meet. The start list is a who’s-who of men’s milers, featuring top Americans and Olympians representing four different countries.

Someone might innocently presume that BATC’s David Torrence would be intimidated by the high-caliber field, heading to the starting line with the second-slowest seed time of the group (3:38.39). That someone would be mistaken. “It’s a whole new season for me,” says David reflecting on the level of competition, “I am a whole new runner.”

Tomorrow will be David’s first 1500 in 2010, and his performances in other events thus far (800, 1600 relay, and road mile) in the year are demonstrative that he is indeed a new runner. With the pace set to go 3:32, David is determined to come away with a whole new PR. “…more than just be dragged along, I want to compete with the best…I have no expectation, and no limitations.”

Sunday morning in Central Park, when the number of New York joggers hits its peak, David might be moving among them at an easy recovery pace. Some New Yorker may get to enjoy going a few miles with one of America's finest young middle distance athletes, but they would be wise not to try and challenge David’s kick. The same holds true of any number of the other milers at the adidas Grand Prix!

Tags: BATC, Bay Area Track Club, David Torrence, adidas Grand Prix
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on June 11, 2010, 9:00pm

BATC Preview: Women's 1500m at the adidas Grand Prix

June 11, 2010, 8:33pm

By Tom Kloos

Shannon Rowbury’s last visit to the streets of New York was inspiring, as she capped a fantastic 2009 season with a win at the Fifth Avenue Mile. Returning to the city of big lights, Shannon will be making her 1500 meter debut of the 2010 season at the inaugural adidas Grand Prix – IAAF Diamond League meet this Saturday, June 12. Winning again in the city of big lights will not be a stroll, as the starting list is the best Shannon has faced since the IAAF World Championships final last summer in Berlin.

While Shannon captured the USATF crown in 2009, and was the highest American finisher at the World Championships, three U.S. women breached the 4:00 barrier in 2009, a mark Shannon is still after. All three of these women will be on the starting line at Icahn Stadium: Anna Pierce (Willard), Jenny Barringer, and Christin Wurth-Thomas.

When Shannon described the coming event as “a loaded race,” she inferred more than just her domestic rivals. Gelete Burka (Ethiopia) has the fastest PR in the field, and the second fastest time of 2010. Burka was tripped in the final lap of the World Championship in Berlin, a misfortune Shannon capitalized on en route to her bronze medal finish. The fastest time in the field from 2010, 4:01.63, belongs to Nancy Langat (Kenya), who also has a PR of 4:00.

Shannon’s training since last September’s Fifth Avenue Mile has done more than just build her fitness: “I know I am strong from all my 5k work. All the different energy systems are ready to go.” It has also built her confidence.

And while Usain Bolt has scratched from the meet and will not be scratching records later in the clubs of New York City, Shannon is looking forward to celebrating a successful Diamond League debut with BATC teammate David Torrence and training partner Treniere Moser before heading down to North Carolina for her final stretch of preparation for the USA Track & Field Championships beginning June 23.

Tags: BATC, Bay Area Track Club, Shannon Rowbury, adidas Grand Prix
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on June 11, 2010, 8:59pm

BATC Preview: USATF High Performance Meet at Occidental College

May 20, 2010, 1:17pm

On Saturday, May 22, four Bay Area Track Club athletes will toe the line at the USATF High Performance Meet at Occidental College. Set just outside of Los Angeles in Eagle Rock, California, the meet is gearing up to be one of the highlights of the spring track season. Middle distance events, the 800m and 1500m, will be the focus of the meet with heats consisting of Olympians, National Champions, All-Americans, and other world-class runners.

On the men's side, the BATC's David Torrence is entered in the 800m, and Garrett Heath and Bolota Asmerom are entered 1500m. Torrence will go up against US 800m Olympian Christian Smith as well as a slew of other top-notch middle distance athletes. Fresh off of an 800m personal best at the May 1 Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford, Torrence has an opportunity to establish himself as a one of the best middle distance competitors in the country.

In the 1500m, Heath and Asmerom will have the chance to test themselves against some world-class athletes. Olympians Ian Dobson and Leo Manzano are entered, as well as a gang of Oregon Track Club members and other professional runners. The race is shaping up to be one of the best 1500m heats of the year.

On the women's side, Olympian and BATC member Shannon Rowbury will toe the line in the 800m. She faces an extremely competitive field consisting of Olympians Jenny Barringer, Erin Donahue, and Anna Pierce, as well as professionals Treniere Clement Moser, Geena Gall, Morgan Uceny, and Alice Schmidt. Expect to see some fast times out of this heat of women.

Check here for live results on the day of the meet. The order of events is as follows:

6:45PM Men 800 Meter Run
7:15PM Women 800 Meter Run
7:45PM Men 1500 Meter Run
8:15PM Women 1500 Meter Run

Tags: BATC, bay area track club, david torrence, bolota asmerom, garrett heath, shannon rowbury, usatf high performance meet, occidental college
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on May 20, 2010, 1:20pm

BATC Preview: Heath, Torrence to Compete at US 1 Mile Road Championships

May 11, 2010, 5:53pm

On Thursday, May 13, the BATC's Garrett Heath and David Torrence will toe the line in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the 2010 USA 1 Mile Road Championships. The field this year is very competitive, with Olympian Lopez Lomong entered as well as a number of other professional runners.

Torrence won the event last year by over 2.5 seconds in a time of 3:59.3 with a furious closing kick that separated him from the rest of the field. Fresh off a recent personal best in the 800m, Torrence has shown he is in great shape and ready to compete on Thursday.

Similarly, Heath is coming off of a great showing at the World Indoor Track Championships where he finished 7th in the final of the 1500m. He is poised to be extremely competitive in this field of elite runners.

Check out the USATF site featuring the race for more information. The event is hosted Medtronic Twin Cities.

Tags: BATC, Garrett Heath, David Torrence
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on May 11, 2010, 6:28pm

BATC Members Aim For Sub-4 Miles

May 7, 2010, 5:03pm

On May 7 at 9:15pm, three BATC athletes will compete at the Heart and Sole Elite Mile in Santa Rosa, CA. They will attempt the first sub-4 minute mile ever seen in Santa Rosa and the fastest mile ever in Sonoma County.

Following the conclusion of the Santa Rosa High School Invitational, team members Bolota Asmerom, Tim Bayley, and Francis Gadayan will aim to run personal bests under the lights of the night meet. Rabbiting the race will be their BATC teammate David Torrence, who is leading the field through the first half mile in what he tentatively expects to be 1:56.00.

With cash prizes on the line, this should be an exciting and potentially historic event. The men's field is headlined by the BATC athletes as well as other Bay Area competitors. Sean Brosnan (Mizuno), Michael Hendry (Ragged Mountain Running Club), Jacob Petralia (Asics Aggies), and Austin Ramos (Adidas Transports) are just some of the entered elites.

An elite women's mile will take place at 9:00pm, prior to the men's event.

For more information on the event and a list of entered athletes, direct your browser to http://www.heartnsolesantarosa.com/elitemile.html.

Tags: BATC, bolota asmerom, tim bayley, francis gadayan, david torrence
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on May 7, 2010, 5:12pm

BATC Race Recap: Payton Jordan 2010

May 4, 2010, 5:20pm

The Bay Area Track Club sent six athletes into action at Sunday's Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. Leading the way for the club was Shannon Rowbury, who used savvy tactics and a devastating kick to win the women's 5000 meters. On the men's side, David Torrence finished 2nd in the 800 meters, narrowly missing the win by a mere .09 of a second.

The news of Rowbury's 5000 meter victory would have been shocking to anyone who saw the first half of the race and decided to head home early. Shalane Flanagan ran to a huge early lead, hot on the heels of a pacesetter and well under American record pace, a record that she set herself in 2009. Quickly a chase pack formed, with Rowbury working alongside Amy Yoder Begley to chip away at Flanagan's advantage. Not until the final 800 meters did it seem like their efforts were producing any results. At that point Flanagan began to tire from the relentless early pace, and Rowbury began to wind up her fabled finishing kick. She really let loose with 400 meters to go and instantly gaped Yoder Begley. On the final turn she passed Flanagan and cruised home to victory in a new personal best time of 15:00.51.

Watch Rowbury's race and check out a post-race interview with her.

Torrence left the meet also possessing a new personal best. His time of 1:46.83 for 800m knocked more than an entire second off his previous record. Showing the strength of a miler, Torrence threaded through the pack on the final lap, swinging wide into lane three on the homestretch to pass all but one of his competitors. Torrence and Rowbury recently returned from a high altitude training camp in Mexico under the guidance of their coach, John Cook.

Watch video of Torrence's race and his post-race interview.

Also running well in the men's 800m were Tim Bayley, who ran 1:49.84, and Francis Gadayan, who ran 1:54.17. In the men's 5000 meters, Bolota Asmerom looked poised to run for the win when he ran out of gas on the last lap. He hung on for a solid 13:42.65. In the women's 5000 meters, Clara Horowitz-Peterson ran a strong 16:36.94.

Hear Bolota's thoughts and see how his race unfolded.

Full results from the meet can be viewed here.

Tags: bay area track club, BATC, shannon rowbury, david torrence, bolota asmerom, tim bayley, francis gadayan, clara horowitz peterson, payton jordan
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on May 6, 2010, 6:53pm

BATC Race Recap: Rotterdam Marathon

April 15, 2010, 12:59pm

Bay Area Track Club member, Madga Lewy-Boulet, ran a huge personal best time to finish second in the Fortis Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday. Her time, 2:26:22, was nearly a four minute improvement from her previous best set at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials. It also makes her the fourth fastest American woman of all time in the marathon.

Lewy-Boulet ran a sensible early pace, content to let the leaders go and run her own race. The strategy paid off in the final miles as she closed quickly on the eventual winner, Aberu Kebede of Ethiopia. Kebede hung on to win by a mere :57 seconds, with Lewy-Boulet second, and Xialin Zhu, of China, finishing third in 2:29:42. In what is usually a rare feat in marathons, Lewy-Boulet negative-split the race with an opening half of 1:13:55 and a closing half of 1:12:25.

A happy second-place finisher

Ahead of her on the American all-time list are 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor (2:19:36), 1984 Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit-Samuelson (2:21:21), and 2008 ING New York City Marathon third place finisher Kara Goucher (2:25:53). Lewy-Boulet has, in effect, catapulted herself into the upper echelon among the superstars in American women's marathoning. What's more, as a 36-year-old, Lewy-Boulet is still improving at the distance. Rotterdam represented her eleventh marathon, and with the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials looming in 2012, Lewy-Boulet is arriving just in time to position herself for another shot at a US Olympic Team.

More interesting analysis of Lewy-Boulet's performance can be read on Chanman's Blog and in LetsRun.com's weekly update.

Tags: Magda Lewy Boulet, Rotterdam Marathon, BATC
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on June 22, 2010, 9:44pm

BATC Race Preview: Fortis Rotterdam Marathon

April 9, 2010, 6:05pm

Magda Lewy-Boulet, of the Bay Area Track Club, will put the finishing touches on a fine spring racing season this Sunday at the Fortis Rotterdam Marathon. Two weeks ago she placed 20th at the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Rotterdam's flat, fast course will give Lewy-Boulet the perfect opportunity to lower her personal best in the marathon, which currently stands at 2:30:19.

Lewy-Boulet has a straightforward goal going into the race. "Timewise, I want to run a personal best," she said. "This is a fast course and it looks like the weather will be good, so I’ll be shooting for a sub-2:30."

Last year, Rotterdam's fast course helped Kenyan training partners Duncan Kibet and James Kwambai both run 2:04:27, with Kibet leaning ahead for the win. The performances were the 2nd and 3rd fastest men's marathon times in history.

The women's field should help Lewy-Boulet reach her goals. "The women’s field is solid, though not as crazy as the men’s field. There is a Chinese woman who’s run 2:23, and is looking to PR, then 4 or 5 other women in the 2:28 range. There should be plenty of people to race, which always helps push me in the later miles."

The World Cross Country Championships provided a perfect tune up for the marathon. "The race went about as well as I could have hoped, and it’s always nice to have your last race going into a marathon be a good one," Lewy-Boulet said. "It gives me a lot of confidence in my fitness." After the race, Lewy-Boulet spent time visiting relatives in Poland before heading off to Rotterdam.

Highlights of the Fortis Rotterdam Marathon can be found at http://www.fortismarathonrotterdam.co.uk/. TV coverage will be shown on Universal Sports at 9:00 AM Sunday, as well as on the website www.universalsports.com.

Tags: Magda Lewy Boulet, BATC, Bay Area Track Club, Rotterdam Marathon
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on April 9, 2010, 6:06pm

Lewy-Boulet Finishes 20th as Americans Nab Bronze at World XC

March 29, 2010, 9:39pm

Bay Area Track Club co-founder Magda Lewy-Boulet ran to an outstanding 20th place finish at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships on Sunday in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Lewy-Boulet was also the 3rd American women to cross the line, helping the team win a coveted bronze medal. The medal was the first for any American team since the women's team won bronze at the 2003 championships.

The race was dominated from the gun by the Kenyan team, who agressively pushed the pace. Top American finisher Shalane Flanagan held on to the leaders until the final lap of the course, when the surges of eventual silver medalist, Linet Masai of Kenya, left Flanagan fighting to stay in the top 10. Masai led into the home stretch where she was outkicked for the win by her teammate, Emily Chebet.

Magda en route to her 20th place finish

Flanagan hung on for 12th place overall, closely followed by Molly Huddle (19th), Lewy-Boulet (20th), Amy Hastings (25th), Renee Metivier Baillie (38th), and Emily Brown (41st). Many experts consider the IAAF World Cross Country Championships to be the most competitive distance running event in the world, which makes the American's team bronze medal all the more impressive.

Lewy-Boulet will stay in Europe for the next two weeks to prepare for the Rotterdam Marathon on April 11th. She hopes to use the notoriously flat, fast course in Rotterdam to improve her 2:30:19 personal best in the marathon.

Tags: BATC, Magda Lewy Boulet, IAAF World Cross Country Championships
Read more | Comments (0) | Updated on March 29, 2010, 9:39pm

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