ISN’T IT TIME YOU HAD YOUR NAME PUBLISHED? If you are a Masters runner and a member of USATF, the national Long Distance Running committee would like to recognize your dedication to the sport of road racing. Dedication, not outstanding talent and ability. Those guys get all the recognition they need. It’s you, the guys in the trenches who are at the races weekend after weekend. If you get lucky you might hit an age division award, but for the most part you are pitting yourself against yourself, or that pesky guy or gal who is always one step ahead of you or is breathing down your neck. That’s the fun part of this sport anyway, but wouldn’t it be nice to see your name listed as a Gold Medal performer? That’s what the committee thinks too, and for 2008 they have created an award just for you, the middle and back-of –the pack runner. Christened the Phidippides Awards, it will be bestowed on those runners who accumulate points for the races that are run on certified courses and whose results have been published in print, or on line. Scoring websites, like CompuScore or Best Racing qualify. |
Points are assigned by the length of the race with 25 kilometers to marathon having the highest point value of four. Five kilometers to five miles are valued at one point. Ten kilometers to 15K are worth two points and 10 miles to a half marathon are three points.
While that may sound low, the points needed for that Gold medal award are correspondingly low. For a runner who is forty to fifty-nine, the minimum is 20 points. In the sixty to seventy-nine year range only 16 points will make Gold, and those eighty and above need only eight points.
Checking out the USATF-NJ website’s New Balance Grand Prix scores shows Charlie Slaughter of Parsippany in the lead with six races in his score card. They would give him twelve points and it is only mid-April. Since he is in the first group between 40 and 59, all he needs is eight more points to earn his gold medal.
While Slaughter is always a contender in his M50 age group, Robert McGill of Budd Lake is not likely to nudge out the aces in his 45 to 49 age group. But McGill is a shoe-in for the Phidippides Award. McGill, who loves to race, needs only six more points and that is just counting his New Jersey grand prix races.
Those who can’t quite make their quota will still qualify for a Silver or a Bronze medal. All this is on-line at www.nationalmastersnews.com. Just fill out the application and submit once you have accumulated the required number of points. It would not be surprising to see many New Jersey runners able to send in their reports by mid season and to be among the first in the nation to be listed in the National Masters News.
OPEN WOMEN CHAMPIONSHIP WON BY RUNNING COMPANY
Last Sunday’s Run for Rachel 5K in Livingston, the Open women’s USATF-NJ championship was won by Heather Gardiner of Franklin Lakes in 18:49. Gardiner’s Running Company teammate Catherine Satzke of Fair Haven was second in 18:53. Jennifer Huesman also of Fair Haven finished 7th to capture first place in 57:23.
The Raritan Valley Road Runners beat out the Morris County Striders by a mere eleven points. Mary Christian and Diane Ross, both of Flanders, and Karyn Layton of Rockaway were the scoring members of the team.
Layton could be given the “true grit” award. Only seconds after the start of the race, Layton had her heel clipped due to the crush of runners. She crashed to the pavement, bloodying both elbows and knees. A Good Samaritan swept her back on her feet and she completed the race before seeking medical attention.
WOODS AND LAKES, SPARTA 5K AND CLINTON 15K UP NEXT
Next Saturday is the age restricted Woods and Lakes Runs in Mountain Lakes. Both the 5K and 10K ban anyone under the age of thirty. It’s a fun race that combines trails, woods, mud and sand, as well as some macadam. Race applications are hard to come by, but you can call 973-334-4964. Both races start at 10:00 a.m.
Also on Saturday is the Main Street 5K Festival in Sparta that starts at 9:30 a.m. No sand and mud with the Main Street run as it is very competitive and part of the New Balance Grand Prix series. The race was won last year by Andy Latincsics of Newton in 16:14, with Steven Ryan of Netcong right on his heels in 16:15. Twelve year old Anna Kerkendall of Washington won the women’s side in 22:18.
CLINTON
The Open men and women will be going to Clinton for the Country Run 15K (www.countryrun.us/) next Sunday to compete for the championship title.
After three races now run on the women’s side, the Running Company team is in the lead with two races won out of three. Road Runners Sport is in second with Morris County Striders and Raritan Valley tied for third. The Clinton race will be only the third time the Open men have competed so there is no clear leader in that division.
Originally published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey on Sunday, April 20, 2008
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2008
