Sacramento Running News

It’s unseasonably cold outside and you’re looking for motivation to go for a run.

You could bust out that Sweatin’ to the Oldies DVD. Or, you could entertain yourself by watching cats run on a treadmill.

Suit yourself!

Celebrating Hornets

There was wind and there was unseasonably cool temperatures. There were cramps and pulled muscles, and there was the occasional jackrabbit bolting across the track and mid-field. When the all-weather track dust had settled, both the Sac State Men and the Sac State Women had clinched Big Sky Conference outdoor titles.

The Hornet women earned their fourth consecutive team title, with a commanding 236 points. Montana finished second with 133 while Eastern Washington was third at 79.

While the women have been there before, this was the first time the men got to enjoy wearing the outdoor title. The men scored 204.5 points, ahead of  Northern Arizona who finished with 167.

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Kortnee Burton and Rochelle Kanuho of Northern Arizona battle for 2nd halfway through the women's 10,000 meters.

There has already been plenty of action at Hornet Stadium this week and results are being posted live here.

As of this evening, the Hornets women are in first place over Montana and the Hornets men are in second behind Northern Arizona.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Big Sky Conference Championships and I look forward to seeing you there!

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Last weekend, at the 2011 Payton Jordan Invitational, the Hornets’ Lea Wallace ran the second fastest collegiate 1500 meters of the season in 4:11.31.

You can go watch Wallace as she runs the 800 and 1500 meters at this weekend’s Big Sky Conference Championships. (You really should.)

In the meantime, you can check out this Flowtrack Workout Wednesday video of one of Wallace’s last training sessions before Payton Jordan, and see a little of Hornets’ coach Scott Abbott, too!

Watch more videos on Flotrack

This week, CSUS will be hosting the Big Sky Conference track and field championships at Hornet Stadium.

Events are already underway, and the Hornets’ Sam Schur has already won the decathlon! Schur is the first Sac State athlete to win this event!

The main body of the meet begins tomorrow and runs through Saturday. This is a great chance to support the local team and check out some of the fastest collegiate runners in the country.

The Hornets women go into the meet with a three-championship streak, so they are clearly the team to beat.

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If, perhaps, you forgot to register for the World Masters Track and Field Championships and are still interested (and have a few bucks lying around), you may be in luck!

The Sacramento Local Organizing Committee is reporting that late entries are being accepted, but not for very long. There is a $50 late penalty until May 6th, when it goes up to $100–until a “a to-be-determined date in mid-May.”

Better hurry up! That registration isn’t going to get filled out by itself.

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It must be spring! Not only am I sneezing every 30-seconds, it seems as though we were overwhelmed with races and tasty results to report on.

In track and field, Stanford was host to the 2011 Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, where the Hornets’ Lea Wallace turned out the 2nd fastest Division I 1500 of the year. Wallace, in her first 1500 of the season, ran 4:11.31. The only collegiate athlete ahead of her is Jordan Hasay (Oregon), who ran 4:10.28 in the same race this weekend. Letsrun.com has an excellent write-up about the event.

Up in Oregon on Sunday, Sacramento’s Jenny Hitchings ran a PR 2:46:10 in the Eugene Marathon–just 11 seconds shy of the Women’s Olympic Trials Marathon qualifying time. Hitchings was 5th woman overall, and 2nd masters behind Bend’s Kami “The Machine” Semick.

Speaking of close calls, at the Quicksilver 50K in San Jose, Jen Pfeifer, of El Dorado (former of Folsom), was reportedly in the lead until the final mile of the race where she went off course and picked up several extra minutes. While lost, Pfeifer was passed by a more attentive Adona Ramos, of San Jose. Ramos took the win with only about 15-seconds to spare.

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Three thousand plus runners and walkers braved fierce winds along the river this morning at the Parkway Half Marathon and 5K.

Jeff Gardina, of Santa Clara, pulled off the half marathon win in a smoking 1:15:49. Chris Pollack, of Sacramento, and Jason Harne, of Folsom, earned 2nd and 3rd with 1:17:54 and 1:18:45.

The top woman was Kelly Wisnicky, of Fair Oaks, in 1:30:16. Rounding out the top three women were Jennifer Kent, of Sacramento, and Marrie Chen, of Davis, in 1:31:53 and 1:32:20.

In the 5K, the first in was Alex Diehl, of Lodi, in 16:25. The top woman, and 3rd overall, was Kimberly Williams, of Berkeley, in 18:26.

Rounding out the top women of the 5K were Sarah Carvill, of Santa Cruz, and Julia Christian, of Sacramento, in 23:12 and 25:08. The 2nd and 3rd men were Curt Casazza, of Cameron Park, and Kyle MacLachlan, of Eldorado Hills, in 18:13 and 21:44.

Did I mention that Kimberly Williams was third overall?

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If you are planning to run on the American River Parkway this Saturday, you should probably avoid the area within six-miles of William Pond. The Parkway Half Marathon will be starting there at 7:15, and the Parkway is otherwise “closed” in this area until noon.

Remember that the Parkway Half is actually two out-and-back races, with walkers going upstream from William Pond and the runners going downstream.

Plan accordingly!

The Minimus Road in garish blue and yellow. (Go Bears?)

Until now, I couldn’t imagine finding a running shoe that I ever felt was worth writing home about. I always enjoy getting new running shoes, but for me shoes are by nature a utilitarian purchase, something not typically freighted with emotion.

But, there is something different about these particular running shoes.

Dear Mom and Dad,

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