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!

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.