USA MEN'S 8-K CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE REVIVED FOR 2011
By David Monti
(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission
After
a two-year hiatus, the USA Men's 8-K Championship will be revived for
2011, USA Track & Field announced yesterday. The championship will
be held for the first time since 2008 in Carmel, Ind., on Saturday,
June 11, part of a larger and new race festival called the Carmel
Marathon Championship Weekend. A total prize money purse of $20,000
will be on offer, and the race will be part of the 2011 USA Road
Circuit.
"Having a championship in our back yard gives USATF an
opportunity to connect with our local community," said USATF CEO Doug
Logan in a statement, referring to the 15 mile (24 km) distance between
USATF's Indianapolis headquarters and Carmel. "With the growth of long
distance running as a social movement and the array of events offered
in Carmel, this country's top distance runners will have the chance to
be center stage on a day that will celebrate the best our sport has to
offer."
But the date for the championship may be problematic for
athletes and coaches. The race date is just two weeks before the USA
Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., where the best
American distance runners must compete in order to be selected for the
national team for the 2011 IAAF World Championships in athletics (top-3
finishers in each event with the relevant global time standard make the
team). While some coaches may see the 8-K as a good tune-up
opportunity for the national track championships, others may view it as
a risky outing which may depress performance at the national track meet.
The
event most recently had been held in the early spring. From 2002
through 2005, then from 2007 through 2008, the championship was held in
New York City and hosted by the New York Road Runners (the championship
had not been held since 1993 before the Road Runners resurrected it).
The event was timed to capitalize on the fitness of athletes who had
pointed for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships held in the
same, late-March timeframe. Top athletes supported the championship in
large numbers (typically over 40 entrants). Every winner in that
series was, or became, an Olympian (Tim Broe, 2002; Meb Keflezighi,
2003 and 2004; Jorge Torres, 2005 and 2008; and Anthony Famiglietti,
2007). The NYRR discontinued the championship after 2008 to shift
their support to the USA Marathon Championship for men in 2009, and
women in 2010.
Here is a list of the top-5 finishers from the
most recent USA Men's 8-K Championship races. The championship has
been held 14 times since 1986.
2002 (New York City/Central Park):
1. Tim Broe, 24, ADID, MI 22:26
2. Dan Browne, 26, NIKE, OR 22:29
3. Anthony Famiglietti, 23, ADIDAS, TN 22:30
4. Abdi Abdirahman, 25, NIKE, AZ 22:42
5. Matt Downin, 25, NEWB, NH 22:53
2003 (New York City/Central Park):
1. Meb Keflezighi, 27, Mammoth Lakes, CA 22:27.3
2. Chad Johnson, 26, Portland, OR 22:38.7
3. Abdi Abdirahman, 26, Tucson, AZ 22:41.4
4. Tim Broe, 25, Ann Arbor, MI 22:46.3
5. Dave Davis, 24, Portland, OR 22:48.5
2004 (New York City/Central Park):
1. Meb Keflezighi, 28, CA (Nike) 22:15.5
2. Anthony Famiglietti, 25, TN (adidas) 22:25.3
3. Bolota Asmerom, 25, CA (Nike) 22:28.3
4. Ryan Kirkpatrick, 25, CO (U.S. Army) 22:31.4
5. Chad Johnson, 27, OR (Nike) 22:32.5
2005 (New York City/Randall's Island):
1. Jorge Torres, 24, CO (Reebok) 22:46.8
2. Abdi Abdirahman, 28, AZ (Nike) 22:55.5
3. Anthony Famiglietti, 26, NY (adidas) 23:01.2
4. Ryan Shay, 25, MI (Nike) 23:04.2
5. Max King, 25, OR (Team XO) 23:06.1
2006 (not held)
2007 (New York City/Central Park):
1. Anthony Famiglietti, 28, New York, NY, adidas, 22:34.4
2. Abdi Abdirahman, 30, Tucson, AZ, Nike 22:40.1
3. Bolota Asmerom, 28, Oakland, CA, Nike 22:47.9
4. Dan Browne, 31, Portland, OR, Nike 22:51.9
5. Ed Moran, 25, Williamsburg, VA, Nike 22:53.1
2008 (New York City/Central Park):
1. Jorge Torres, 27, Boulder, CO, Reebok 22:41.2
2. Andrew Carlson, 25, Bloomington, MN, adidas 22:41.9
3. Jason Hartmann, 26, Eugene, OR, Nike 22:47.7
4. James Carney, 29, Boulder, CO, New Balance 22:52.5
5. Fasil Bizuneh, 27, Flagstaff, AZ, New Balance 23:02.1
2009 (not held)
2010 (not scheduled)
ENDS