04/06/2008 : Lineth Chepkurui wins Cherry Blossom 10
Team New Balance's Lineth Chepkurui stormed to victory at the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington, DC, easily defeating a stellar field that included former world and Olympic marathon medalist Catherine Nderaba. Chepkurui won in a time of 54.21, with Team New Balance's Lidia Simon close behind in third place.
Click here for full results.
04/06/2008 : Bizuneh takes third at US 10K Championship
Team New Balance's Fasil Bizuneh finished third in the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond, Virginia, which served as the national 10K road championship. Bizuneh ran 29:02 to place third behind two Olympians, Abdi Abdirahman (the winner in 28:34) and Dan Browne (28:38).
04/04/2008 : McAdams opens outdoor season with win at Stanford Invitational
2007 US Champion, Josh McAdams, opened the 2008 outdoor season in style with a win at the Stanford Invitational. McAdams cruised to an easy victory in the 3000m Steeplechase, winning in a time of 8:40.34. McAdams led a strong Team New Balance showing at the meet, as Maureen McCandless finished 2nd in the 5000m with a time of 15:47.76, while Ann Gaffigan finished third in the 3000m Steeple with a 10:15.41 clocking.
Click here to watch McAdams race to victory.
03/19/2008 : Olympic Push for Team New Balance's Stellingwerff
Runnersworld.com article and picture follows Stellingwerff's rise to the top of the running world.
03/17/2008 : Carney, Bizuneh finish 4th, 5th at US 8K Championships
Team New Balance's James Carney continued his stellar year with a 4th place finish at the US 8k Championships in New York City. Carney, who won the US Half Marathon Championship in January and will compete for the US at the World Cross Country Championships later this month, ran a time of 22.53. Teammate Fail Bizuneh finished right behind in 5th in a time of 23.03.
Click here to watch a video of the race.
03/03/2008 : Douma-Hussar wins North America/Central America Cross Country Championships
Racing at the Disney Complex in Orlando, Florida, Carmen Douma-Hussar stormed to victory at the 2008 NACAC Cross Country Championships. The 2004 World Indoor 1500m silver medalist won the 6k race in a time of 19.24, defeating Korine Hinds of Jamaica by 9 seconds. Kathleen Trotter of the US finished 3rd in a time of 19.35 with New Balance Boston athlete Erin Dromgoole, also of the US, one second back in 5th place.
Click here for a Runners World article and picture of Carmen.
03/01/2008 : Roisin McGettigan Interview on Runtrackireland
World Championships finalist Roisin McGettigan looks back on a stellar 2007 campaign and her goals for 2008.
Click here for more info.
02/28/2008 : Team New Balance's Stephen Haas blogs on flocasts.com
Indiana native Stephen Haas blogs about his preparations for this summer's Olympic trials on flocasts.com
Click here to read his blog.
02/21/2008 : Baddeley wins big in Australia
2007 World Championships finalist Andy Baddeley showed that his preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games are right on track with a win at the Melbourne Grand Prix. The 2008 New Balance Games mile champion raced to another victory, taking the 1500m in a time of 3:38.24. Kenya's Bernard Kiptum finished 2 nd in a time of 3:39.41.
Click here to read a Times of London article about the victory.
02/18/2008 : Meadows wins 800m in IAAF Birmingham Grand Prix
Team New Balance's Jenny Meadows continued her build up to the World Indoor Champs with a convincing win in the 2008 Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham, England. Racing against an international field, Meadows established herself as a potential world medalist with a winning time of 2:00.74.
Click here for more info.
02/18/2008 : Lloyd runs 2nd fastest 400m time in the world
Team New Balance's Chris Lloyd ran the second fastest 400m time in the world as he took 2nd place at the Norwich Union Grand Prix. Wearing the SDS 1005 spikes, Lloyd ran a time of 46.02, finishing behind Canadian Tyler Christopher's world leading time of 45.80.
02/18/2008 : Blincoe wins New Zealand's Mayoral Mile
TNB's Adrian Blincoe picked up a big win at the Mayoral Mile in Wanganui, New Zealand. An assistant coach at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, the Ardmore, PA resident won in a time of 3:57.65. David Campbell of Ireland was 2nd in 3:58.19. Blincoe will now return to the US to prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games.
For more on Blincoe's plans click here.
02/10/2008 : Stllingwerff runs world qualifying mark
Running at the Karlsruhe Grand Prix, Hilary Stellingwerff ran a 1500m time of 4:10.32, bettering the qualifying standard for the upcoming world indoor championships.
For more on Hilary, check out her website here.
02/09/2008 : Dunn wins Olympic Team Trials - 50k Race Walk
Philip Dunn took top honors at the US 50k walk Olympic Trails, taking the spoils in a time of 4:12.55. Dunn must now better the Olympic B standard of 4:07.00 to compete in Beijing. Dunn faced a similar scenario in 2004, before achieving the required standard and competing in the Athens Games. Dunn will aim to achieve the qualifying mark in May at the world race walking championships in Russia.
01/31/2008 : Podcast with TNB's James Carney, the 2008 USA Half Marathon Champion
Listen to the podcast here.
01/31/2008 : TNB's Josh McAdams just misses sub-4 at Univ. Washington Invite
National Steeplechase Champion narrowly missed the 4 minute barrier at the UW invite.
See the race here.
01/28/2008 : Baddeley leads four Team New Balance Athletes to World Qualifying Marks
One week after winning the New Balance Game Mile, and 24 hours after meeting the advanced concepts, running and apparel groups in Lawrence, Andy Baddeley continued his great season with a world indoor championships qualifying performance at the Boston Indoor Games. Running the unfamiliar 3,000m events, Baddeley raced to a third place finish and a 10 second personal record with a time of 7:45.10. In a repeat of the NB Games finish, Adrian Blincoe finished right behind Baddeley, also qualifying for the world indoor championships with a time of 7:48.94.
On the women's side, Megan Metcalfe and Roisin McGettigan both produced world qualifying times in the 3,000m and mile respectively. Metcalfe ran a new personal record of 8:52.85, while McGettigan finished third in the mile with a time of 4:33.96. The world indoor championships will take place in Valencia, Spain in March.
01/28/2008 : Team New Balance legend Jearl Miles Clark breaks masters 400m record
Five-time Olympian and two-time Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist Jearl Miles-Clark returned to competition after the birth of her first child with a stellar performance at the Penn State National Invitational. Miles-Clark ran the 400 meters in a time of 57:09, a performance that bettered the previous American Masters record of 57:40 by Lesia Batiste in 2003. Her time just fell short of the listed world record of 56.82 by Holland's Tily Verhoef-Jacobs in 1997.
01/28/2008 : Runners World Brief Chat with TNB's Megan Metcalfe
TNB's Megan Metcalfe talks to Runners World about the upcoming season.
Click here to read the interview.
01/28/2008 : Meadows, Wootton take wins at international meet in Glasgow
Team New Balance youngsters Jenny Meadows and Katrina Wootton raced to victories at the Norwich Union International meet in Glasgow. Meadows won the 800m in a time of 2:02.89, while Wootton won the 3,000m in a personal record time of 9:03.87. Both athletes bettered the world qualifying time for the upcoming world indoor championships.
01/21/2008 : TNB's Baddeley, Blincoe take first and second at New Balance Games' mile
Showcasing the new 2008 Team New Balance uniforms, Andy Baddeley and Adrian Blincoe dominated an international field at the 2008 New Balance Games' Mile in NYC. Baddeley, who finished ninth in Osaka at the World Championship in August and is a potential Olympic medalist, passed Blincoe on the last lap to win in a time of 3:59.29 to Blincoe's 3:59.98. Team New Balance almost completed a 1-2-3 sweep, but U.S. Steeplechase Champion Josh McAdams lost out in the final steps to Ryan McKenzie of Nike and Canada. TNB's Megan Metcalfe almost made it a perfect day for Team New Balance in the women's mile, but had to be content with a second place finish behind Liliya Shobukova of Russia. Metcalfe ran 4:32.28 to Shobukova's 4:31.90.
Video of the men's race can be found at www.armorytrack.com.
01/21/2008 : New Balance Games Mile Winner Andy Baddeley keeps running despite heart condition
With a two-inch implant to correct a heart condition, Andy Baddeley looks to the Olympic Games.
Click here to read the Times of London article.
01/21/2008 : New York Road Runners Interview with Carmen Douma-Hussar
Click here to read the interview.
01/07/2008 : Douma-Hussar starts 2008 with win and record at NYR Midnight Run
Team New Balance athlete Carmen Douma-Hussar started 2008 in style with a win at the 2008 NYC Midnight Run. Leading a field of 5,000 runners at the stroke of midnight, Douma-Hussar scorched a course record around the hilly 4 mile Central Park loop. Her time of 20:54 was an improvement over the old course record of 21:16, set by U.S. Olympian Amy Rudolph in 2004. Douma-Hussar, who won the Firth Avenue Mile in NYC in September 2007, will now turn her attention to this month's New Balance Games Mile at the New Balance Track and Field Center in New York City.
01/07/2008 : Team NB Athletes prepare for NB Games in NYC
A number of Team NB athletes will compete in the NB Games at the NB Track and Field Center in New York City on January 19. For the men's team, Andy Baddeley, a finalist in the World Championships with a 3:51 mile, and Josh McAdams, the 2007 U.S. Steeplechase champion will compete. For the women, Carmen Douma-Hussar, 2006 NB Games Champion, and Hilary Stellingwerff will represent Team NB. Best of luck to the Team NB athletes at this year's games!
05/28/2007 : Edna Kiplagat continues winning month, takes Bolder Boulder 10k victory
Team New Balance's Edna Kiplagat showed again that she is the top road racer on the US circuit, taking the Bolder Boulder 10k title in a time of 33.42. Kiplagat finished 17 seconds ahead of the second place finisher, Ethiopian Amane Gobena, with Elva Dryer of the US taking 3rd in 34.01. The Bolder Boulder win capped off a great month for Kiplagat, who has also recorded victories at the Lilac Bloomsday 12k and Bay to Breakers 12k.
05/24/2007 : Blincoe talks to mensracing.com
TNB's Adrian Blincoe talks to mensracing.com about the upcoming track season
http://www.mensracing.com/athletes/interviews/2007/blincoe052407.html
05/22/2007 : Khannouchi talks to mensracing.com
Marathon legend Khalid Khannouchi talks to mensracing.com about the 2007 US Olympic Trials
http://www.mensracing.com/athletes/interviews/2007/khalid052207.html
05/21/2007 : Edna Kiplagat wins again, takes Bay to Breakers title
Team New Balance runner Edna Kiplagat continued her hot streak with a win at the 2007 Bay to Breakers road race in San Francisco. Kiplagat won in a time of 38.55, and also took the "equalizer" challenge, as the men's and women's start times were staggered based on the course records. Kiplagat was the first to finish, with the top male runner, John Korir, coming in third overall.
05/13/2007 : Megan Metclafe takes Kip Keino Mile title
Megan Metcalfe won the inaugural running of the Kip Keino Mile in Ithaca . NY, outkicking Nike's Natalie Hughes to win in a time of 4;38.63. Hughes was 2nd in 4:40.07 while Melissa Cook rounded out an excellent day for Team New Balance by taking 3rd in a time of 4:44.76. Watch the race at the following link:
http://www.letsrun.com/2007/keinomile05137.php
05/07/2007 : Edna Kiplagat wins at Lilac Bloomsday
Team New Balance runner Edna Kiplagat surged at the 6 mile mark to break away from Ethiopian Teyba Erkesso and the rest of the women's field, including Olympic Marathon silver medalist Catherine Ndereba, to win her first Lilac Bloomsday title in a time of 38.52. Kathy Butler ran a strong race to finish 5th in a time of 40.07. In the men's race, John Yuda almost made it a Team New Balance double, but came up one second short and had to settle for 2nd place behind John Korir.
04/29/2007 : Team New Balance acheive Olympic A standards at Stanford Invitational.
Team New Balance had an excellent day at the 2007 Stanford Invitational. Adrian Blincoe led the way with a victory over 5000m, taking the race in a time 13:27.23. Josh McAdams and James Carney also has standout performances, McAdams taking 2nd in the steeplechase in a time of 8:23.69 and Carney taking 7th in the 10,000m in a time of 27:43,64. Both were big personal records and, more importantly, bettered the world and Olympic A standards for their events. Other top performances were put in by Simon Ndirangu (3rd in the 10,000m with 27:38.56), Stephen Hass (a pr of 13:38.51 in the 5000m) and Melissa Cook (a pr of 32:31.85 in the 10,000m).
04/16/2007 : Team New Balance take 3rd, 4th, 6th at Boston
Despite the terrible conditions, Team New Balance had a strong showing at the 111th Boston Marathon. Stephen Kiogora led the way in 3rd, achieving another podium finish after his 2nd place finish in the 2006 New York City Marathon. 38 year old James Koskei produced a remarkable run to finish 4th, with 2006 Boston runner-up Ben Maiyo came home in 6th. A recap of their race and preparation can be found at chasingkibia.com
04/02/2007 : Ndirangu wins Carlsbad 5k
Running his first race in the US, TNB's Samuel Ndirangu won the prestigious Carlsbad 5k in a time of 13.28. Ndirangu will join his teammate, Richard Kiplagat in Texas for the Dallas 8k this weekend
03/31/2007 : Kiplagat wins at Copper River Bridge Run
TNB's Richard Kiplagat stormed to victory at the 2007 Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston, SC, winning in a time of 28.35 for the 10k distance. He finished 7 seconds clear of the runner-up, Stephen Koech. Kiplagat was an Academic All-American at Iona College before joining Team New Balance in 2006. This upcoming weekend he is scheduled to run the Dallas 8k in Texas
03/30/2007 : McAdams wins at Stanford Invitational
TNB's Josh McAdams showed he is in great shape by taking the steeplechase victory at the 2007 Stanford Invitational. Running his first steeple of the year, the Utah native won on a time of 8:30.39, with Soloman Kandie second in 8:32.03. McAdams, the 2006 NCAA Steeplechase champion, will be looking to make the US team for this summer's world championships, which will take place in Osaka in August.
03/27/2007 : Chasingkimbia.com begins Auction of Education
Chasingkimbia.com, the blogumentary that follows a group of TNB athletes as they prepare for Boston and Rotterdam, will be auctioning off a pair of special RC 205 racing shoes over the next week. As of March 30, the highest bid is a staggering $611.00.
03/26/2007 : Khannouchi on course for London
With his win in the 2007 Incheon Half Marathon in Korea, Khalid Khannouchi showed that he is ready for a great performance at the 2007 London Marathon. The current US Marathon record holder with a time of 2:05.38, finished 4th in 2006, and broke the world record when winning the event in 2002.
03/25/2007 : TNB's Spence leads US team at World Cross Country Championships
Michael Spence, running in his first major international competition, finished 55th to lead the US squad at the to an 11th place finish in Mombassa, Kenya. Spence ran a time of 39.32 on the 12k course
03/18/2007 : Laban Kipkemboi runs PR, finishes 3rd at Dong A King Marathon
At the Dong-A Marathon in Seoul, South Korea, Laban Kipkemboi placed third in a new personal best of 2:08:38. Korean great Lee Bong Ju, who was second in the 1996 Olympic Marathon and first at the 2001 Boston Marathon, won in 2:08:04. Kenyan Abel Kirui was second in Seoul in 2:08:29.
03/18/2007 : McGettigan wins Ras na hEireann road race.
Roisin McGettigan showed her preparations for the upcoming track season are going well with a win at the 2006 Ras na hEireann road race in Somerville, MA. The Irish steeplechase record holder took the title with a time of 16.57, well ahead of the 2nd place finisher
03/17/2007 : Baddeley wins Mayoral Mile in New Zealand
Running in windy conditions, Andy Baddeley showed he is in great shape with a win at the 2007 Mayoral Mile in Wanganui, New Zealand. Baddeley took the title, and a $10,000 first prize, with a time of 3:58.81
03/03/2007 : Dowin talks to mensracing.com
TNB's Matt Downin talks with mensracing.com about his plans for 2007 http://www.mensracing.com/athletes/interviews/2007/mattdownin030307.htm
02/26/2007 : Okari opens up with win at World's Best 10k
Gilbert Okari outkicked Cosmos Kimutai for the victory at the World's Best 10K in Puerto Rico. His time of 28:08 gave him a one-second advantage over Kimutai's 28:09. John Yuda also had a good race, finishing 5th in 28.38
01/15/2007 : Strong New Balance presence at New Balance Games
Team New Balance will be represented by a strong contingent of runners at the 2007 New Balance Games Invitational Miles on January 20th. Leading the way on the women's side will be Carmen Douma-Hussar, the 2005 champion who finished a close 2nd in 2006. She will be joined by Hilary Stellingwerff, who ran a breakthrough time of 4:05.86 for 1500m in 2006, former NCAA 5000m Megan Metcalfe, Irish Steeplechase record holder Roisin McGettigan and new TNB members, Katrina Wootton of Great Britain, and Villanova grad Marina Muncan.
On the men's side, And Baddeley returns hoping to go one better than his 2nd place finish at this event in 2006. He will be joined by Villanova grad and 3.35 1500m runner, Adrian Blincoe, and the 2006 NCAA Steeplechase Champion Josh McAdams.
01/14/2007 : Bizuneh runs 1:02.20, takes 2nd at US Half Marathon Champs.
Fasil Bizuneh continued his great run of form with another outstanding performance at the 2007 US Half Marathon Championships in Houston. Bizunh ran a new personal best time of 1:02.20, finishing 2nd behind Ryan Hall's new American record time of 59.46 and ahead of Meb Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic Bronze Medalist.
01/11/2007 : Khannouchi to run London
Khalid Khannouchi, the two-time world record holder in the marathon, will return to the London Marathon in April. Khannouchi, who won this event in 2002 in a world record time of 2:05.38, finished 4th in 2006 running a time of 2:07.04, a remarkable performance in his first marathon since 2004.
01/07/2007 : Spiker, Bizuneh support New Balance at OC Half Marathon and 5k
Josh Spiker and Fasil Bizuneh ran strong races at the New Balance sponsored OC Half Marathon and 5k. Spiker took 3rd at the 13.1 distance, running 1:07.15 behind Kenyans Hillary Kimaiyo and Richard Kimeli. Bizuneh had an easy time in the 5k, winning by over 2 minutes in a time of 14.07.
12/09/2006 : Downin takes US Cross Country title
Team New Balance's Matt Downin went back to his cross country roots in December and proved he is one of the most versatile US runners by taking his first US cross country title. Running at the 2006 US Cross Country Club National Championships, Downin strode to victory in a time of 30.13 on the 10k course. Know mostly for his road and marathon exploits over the last few years, the New Hampshire native and former national high school cross country champion showed that he is still one of the top cross country runners in the nation.
11/05/2006 : Bizuneh wins in Dallas
Fasil Bizuneh pulled off an outstanding victory at the 2006 Dallas Half Marathon. The 26 year old American from Bristol, TN, passed Kenyan Wilson Orare to win in a time of 1:02.59. The Team New Balance athlete took 3 minutes of his personal best time with the win.
11/05/2006 : Kiogora takes 2nd at NYC Marathon
Unheralded Stephen Kiogora almost gave Team New Balance it's first ever New York City Marathon victory in 2006 with his 2nd place finish in 2:10.06. Kiogora beat a field that included the world record holder Paul Tergat, Olympic Champion Stephano Baldini and Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi, but was unable to overhaul Brazilian Gomes dos Santos. After giving dos Santos a 30 second lead, Kiogora and Tergat almost caught the tiring Brazilian, losing by a meager 8 seconds. Kiogora's 2nd place was still the best ever finish in New York by a Team New Balance athlete.
09/10/2006 : Peterson, Lindsay win Boston Race for the Cure
New Team New Balance athletes Clara Peterson and Bryan Lindsay took their track talents to the road with wins at the 2006 Boston Race for the Cure. Along with teammates Desiraye Osborn and Josh McAdams, Peterson and Lindsay showcased their talents while supporting the Race for the Cure series. Peterson, the NCAA 10,000m runner-up in 2006, took the victory ahead of All-American Osborn, while McAdams, the 2006 NCAA steeplechase champions, has to be content with a 2nd place finish behind his teammate.
07/01/2006 : McAdams, Horowitz, Kiplagat join Team New Balance
2006 NCAA Steeplechase Champion Josh McAdams, and NCAA All-Americans Clara Horowitz and Richard Kiplagat, headline the list of new athletes to join Team New Balance. McAdams capped a his career at BYU by taking the NCAA title at the recent championships in Sacramento. Howoritz, the 2003 US junior cross country champion, finished her Duke career by taking 2nd over 10,000m at the NCAA Championships. She was also second indoors over 5000m. Kiplagat, a 3.57 miler, was 3rd at the recent NCAA Championships over 5000m., 2nd over 5000m indoors and 2nd at the 2005 NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Also joining Team New Balance are All-Americans Desiraye Osborn and Stephen Haas. Osborn was 4th at the NCAA Championships while running for Wichita State. Haas, an all-American at Indiana University, has run 7:51 for 3000m and 13:40 for 5000m.
06/24/2006 : Baddeley runs fast 800m
Team New Balance's Andy Baddeley showed great speed at the British Milers Club meet in Solihull, England, taking the 800m in a time of 1:46.62. The British international and 1500m specialist will now be looking to reduce his 3:36 1500 pr and challenge at the European Championships in Gothenburg in August.
06/11/2006 : Cummins, Metcalfe, Blincoe take big wins at Victoria Track Classic
Diane Cummins, Megan Metcalfe and Adrian Blincoes all produced outstanding performances to win at the Victoria Track Classic in Victoria, BC. Running on her hometown track, Cummins ran an outstanding time of 1:59.73 to take the 800m title, defeating Aneta Lemiesz of Poland. Megan Metcalfe continued her great form over 1500m, winning in a time of 4:17.04.
1500m specialist Blincoe moved up in distance to race the 5000m, and ran a personal record of 13:39.33 to take the victory. Blincoe used a strong last lap to outdistance Jason Hartman and Dan Browne of the US.
Results can be found at http://www.trackclassic.com/results_results.htm
06/10/2006 : Douma-Hussar wins Cambridge Mile
Carmen Douma-Hussar opened her track season with a win at the Cambridge Mile in Cambridge, Ontario. Running in her home town, Douma-Hussar beat an international field, winning in a time of 4.37. Canada's Courtney Babcock was second with Team New Balance's Roisin McGettigan in 3rd.
Results can be found at www.cambridgeclassicmile.com/
06/10/2006 : Butler takes Bellin 10k victory
Kathy Butler beat a strong field to win the Bellin Classic in Greenbay, WI. on Saturday. Butler broke away early in the race and cruised to an easy victory, winning the 10k race in a time of 32.28. US International and defending champion finished well behind in a time of 34.36.
In the men's race, John Yuda was narrowly beaten, finishing only 2 seconds behind the winner. Yuda ran a time of 29.03 for the 10k distance.
05/21/2006 : Okari dominates Bay to Breakers 12k
Gilbert Okari showed superiority again, winning the famous Bay to Breakers 12 k race in San Francisco. That was his fifth triumph in a row on the US road race circuit this season. Clocking 34:20 minutes for the distance the defending champion not only won the race but additionally caught the fastest woman. In this challenge the men had a handicap of 4:40 minutes. About 500 meters from the finish line Okari passed Tatyana Hladyr of Ukraine.
Following Okari were teammate Lewis Nyariki, who took 3rd place. About 62,000 runners participated, making this one of the biggest race sin the world.
04/28/2006 : Khannouchi runs 2:07.04 in London Marathon
Khalid Khannouchi had a big return to the marathon scene this weekend, running an exceptional time of 2:07.04 and finishing 4th in the London Marathon. After an injury plagued last three years, little was expected of Khalid going into the race, but he again showed that he is a force to be reckoned with. Despite his lack of race sharpness, Khalid was with the leading group until the 24th mile, and finished only 25 seconds behind the winner, Felix Limo of Kenya. Olympic Champion Stefano Baldini finished one place behind Khalid in 5th, World Champion Jaouad Gharib finished 7th, pre-race favorite Haile Gebreselassie finished 9th and TNB's Evans Rutto, slowed by a virus, finished 10th.
Healthy gain and with a marathon behind him, Khalid will now look to regain the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon title. Khalid has won four Chicago titles (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002), breaking the world record in 1999. Khalid's time also put him top of the US list for 2006, and sets him up as favorite for the US Olympic Trails in 2007
04/28/2006 : Okari wins Vancouver Sun Run 10k
New Balance Canada was hoping a Team New Balance runner could win the 50,000 strong Vancouver Sun Run. They didn't have to worry as the top road racer in the world, Gilbert Okari, was ready to race and won the event in a time of 28.25. Showing his dominance, Gilbert won the race by nearly a minute, as the 2nd place finisher ran 29.23. This was Gilbert's third major road race victory in 2006, as he recently won the Cherry Blossom 10M in Washington DC, and the Crescent City Classic in New Orleans. In 2005, Gilbert won virtually every major US road race, including the Peachtree 10k, Falmouth, Beach to Beacon, Bay to Breakers and Utica Boilermaker 15k. He will next target the New Balance sponsored Lilac Bloomsday 12k and the Bolder Boulder 10k.
04/18/2006 : Maiyo Takes 2nd at Boston Marathon
Despite running a time that would have won nine out of the last ten Boston Marathon's, Team New Balance's Ben Maiyo had to settle for 2nd place at the 110th Boston marathon on Monday. Wearing the RC 205's, Ben set an almost suicidal pace over the early miles, passing the halfway mark in 1:02.55, but the early pace took its toll on the Newton Hills. After leading the field for over 20 miles, Ben was powerless against the surge of the 2003 Boston champion Robert Cheruiyot, who went on to win in a course record time of 2:07.14. Ben ran 2:08.21, one of the fastest times ever at Boston, while Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi was third in 2:09.56.
Ben has become the "nearly man" of major marathon racing, with three 2nd place finishes over the last 18 months. He was 2nd at both the 2005 LA Marathon and the 2005 Chicago Marathon before his 2nd place finish in Boston. Ben will look to move up one spot this fall at either the Chicago Marathon or New York Marathon, Congratulations to Ben on a great performance.
04/05/2006 : Kelly on road to recover
After a number of frustrating, injury plagues years, TNB's Keith Kelly returned to competition last weekend at the Stanford Invitational, running 28:44.33 for the 10,000m distance. Kelly's time bettered the European championship qualifying mark of 28.50.00.
An Irishrunner.com article on Keith and his race can be found by clicking here.
