Tag Archives: USA Track & Field

Race Plan: Fred Kurz 10 Miler

My training plan calls for a 15k race this week.  The closest I can find is the Fred Kurz Memorial 10 mile race hosted by my running club – the MDRA.

The race is only $5 for members and $8 for everyone else.  Membership does have its rewards! When I sent in my registration I didn’t realize this was a handicapped race.  Slow runners will start first and then we will all finish about the same time.

Here are the times I submitted (late):

Human Race 8k  2009 – 33:03  (6:38)
Giving Thanks 5k – 20:01  (6:26)
USATF-MN 10k XC – 43:09  (6:56)

The official entry says they will use the “”world-renowned” Lanin Guessimetric Method (implemented by Rick Recker)”. My research showed no handicap method with that name – so I’m guess it is a super special formula of guessing. We shall see.

My last and only 10 mile run was a DINO Trail race in Indianapolis.  My time for that was 1:19:11 (7:55) so hopefully I can beat that!  My current 15K PR is 1:03:24 (6:48) which would be right where I want to run on Saturday.   Based on that my goal will be to run 1:08 for 10 miles.  Based on the 2008 results this would place me pretty high overall (8th) and win my 10 year age group.

The Fred Kurz race will be an out and back along the Luce Line Trail (DNR) starting in Wayzata, MN.  The site says it is hard packed clay. However, there is currently construction on this segment of the Luce Line and all the site say is a “modified course” so that should be interesting.

Who is Fred Kurz?

From the race website:

Fred Kurz was a charter member of the Minnesota Distance Running Association. A resident of St. Paul, he attended Murray High School and the University of Chicago. He was killed in a bicycle-automobile accident in 1963. This race in his memory is the oldest continuously held running event in Minnesota.

[tags] Fred Kurz, 10 Mile, Wayzata [/tags]

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USATF-MN Team/Championship Schedule

The 2009 USATF-MN Team Circuit and Championship Race Schedule was voted on awhile back.  Here is the schedule:

I recognize at least two races are missing from the schedule which is good! Last year I ran the 5000m championship on the track and that wasn’t very exciting. The Earth Day Half Marathon was also on last year’s circuit.  It was the weekend before Boston last year and I imagine that is why it got left out of the schedule this year. It is a little odd that there isn’t a half-marathon on the schedule at all though.

Here is an interview with USATF Minnesota Long Distance Running Competition Chairman Ed Whetham from Down the Backstretch about the 2009 circuit.

[tags] USATF-MN, USATF, Championship [/tags]

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Headphones Are Safe Again

Brandes radio headphones, circa 1920
Image via Wikipedia

In case you missed it, the USATF is now permitting runners to wear headphones again.  Yes the USATF recently changed the rules again for its sanctioned and insured events (official release).

The sudden change of course throws a curveball to the many races that disqualified runners for wearing headphones.  I’ve heard at least one story of a streaker whose streak was officially broken because they were DQ’ed after completing a race wearing headphones.  Will they continue enforcing the ban as is their right? Should they reinstated runners who were DQ’ed after reviewing marathon pictures? I doubt they will reinstate runners but should they continue enforcing their previous bans?

The USATF has decided to leave the decision about headphones up to the individual race directors, except in the case of USATF Championship races, where those competing for awards can’t wear portable audio devices.

I personally am not a fan of wearing headphones while racing and have had an occasional problem when trying to pass someone who was wearing them.  It is one thing to train with headphones, but to me racing is a more pure component of running and it is easier to enjoy the event and surroundings without them.

This quote from The Final Sprint sums it up well:

“The difficulty in enforcement was part of the reasoning,” said USATF Rules Committee chairman John Blackburn through a news release. “However, several good-sized races have demonstrated that they were able to enforce the rule. There were strong opinions on all sides of this discussion, both understanding the issues related to athlete safety, race organization, difficulty of enforcement. This resolution appeared to be the best position for USATF overall.”

Many race organizers thought the genesis of the ban was due to safety concerns; runners may be listening to music which is so loud that they cannot respond to instructions should an emergency arise. Indeed, the issue had been couched that way by many who supported the ban, who also argued that plugged-in runners were discourteous to their fellow athletes, running in their own world and blocking race courses.

While the rule modification will certainly provide race organizers with much-needed breathing room, it will do little to quell the debate amongst runners themselves. Many serious recreational runners don’t want to line up next to headphone wearers, afraid that their competitive efforts may be impeded. The new language of the rule may prompt some event organizers to offer headphone-free starting corrals to mollify those concerns.

What is your opinion on wearing headphones during a race?

HT Run to Win

HT The Final Sprint

[tags] USATF, headphones [/tags]

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Twin Cities Running Jackpot

The Twin Cities Marathon organization has been given 13 years worth of USATF Championships.

At the recent USATF Annual Convention the race organization was awarded championships in 6 different events, including a first ever 1 mile championship.

Here is the complete list provided by The Final Sprint:

  • USA Road Mile Championships (Men & Women): 2009 – 2012
  • USA Women’s Marathon Championship: 2009
  • USA Men’s 10 Mile Championship: 2009
  • USA Men’s Marathon Championship: 2010
  • USA Women’s 10 Mile Championship: 2010
  • USA Masters Marathon Championships (Men & Women): 09-15

This is great news both for the organization but also for the Twin Cities in general and our strong running communtiy. This will continue to bring in high quality competitors, sponsorship dollars, and a lot of added fun to the events.

You can read the official press release from Twin Cities Marathon here (pdf)

[tags] Twin Cities, Marathon, USATF, Championships [/tags]

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