2018 Tokyo Marathon Preview
Amy is aiming for a new marathon PR in Tokyo. Can she get the win too? Watch her race live at 7:00 p.m. EST
Details
Race Start Time: 7:10pm ET
Viewing: The Olympic Channel and online through NBC Sports Gold
Amy will try to make it back to back Abbott World Marathon Major victories for the United States and BTC today at the Tokyo Marathon. At the last major marathon, we were all witnesses to Shalane’s unforgettable, body chilling victory in New York City. Now three and a half months after the New York City Marathon, Amy looks to keep the United States and BTC atop the women’s marathon elite.
Although Amy ran her first marathon in 2011, she has really flourished over the past two years. In 2016, she won the US Olympic Trials and went on to finish 9th at the Rio Olympic Games. She followed up those performances with possibly the best performance of her career so far at the 2017 World Championships where she won the bronze medal and became the first American to medal in the marathon in 34 years.
Even with all of her recent success, Amy’s marathon PR of 2:27:03 is still from her 2011 debut in Los Angeles (she ran the same time in Chicago in 2014). Amy enters the race this weekend with the 10th fastest PR in the field, but her recent races and training have definitely proven she is capable of running much faster. With Tokyo being is an incredibly fast course, what Amy calls “more of a time trial course”, she hopes to re-write her personal record book. Amy is no stranger to running fast times in Japan. Just over a year ago, Amy set personal best in the half marathon of 68:27 at the Marugame Half Marathon. Combine the fast course and deep competition with one of her most consistent buildups and her love of Japan, and Amy is poised for a breakout performance.
For full race details, check out Letsrun.com’s in depth race preview.
For those of you who live in the United States, the Tokyo Marathon is one of the most viewer friendly marathons in the world. It will be broadcast live Saturday (2/24) starting at 7:00 p.m. EST on the Olympic Channel and online through NBC Sports Gold.
Road to Worlds
Six athletes take the track this weekend at the USATF Indoor Track Championships in hopes of representing team USA at the World Indoor Track Championships.
What could be more exciting than watching hours worth of curlers sweep the ice at the Pyeongchang Olympics? Seeing BTC sweep the USATF Indoor Track Championships this weekend! Our athletes agreed (somewhat reluctantly) to exchange their curling brooms for track spikes as they seek National titles and spots on the World Team travelling to the UK in March.
This Saturday and Sunday, BTC athletes will be chasing US titles and for the opportunity to represent team USA at the World Indoor Track Championships in Birmingham, UK (March 1-4). Although not all six athletes can be named US Champions, as they will be racing against each other, there is a possibility all six will be seen dawning the USA team kit in two weeks.
In the Women’s 3,000m, Shelby--fresh off running a 15 second PR and the second fastest 3k time in US history--looks to defend her 2017 title. Marielle, who also set a 14 second PR in the same meet as Shelby, looks to continue her hot start as one of the newest members of BTC. Both women enter with the two fastest seed times, but will have to face reigning World Champion Steeplechaser, Emma Coburn.
The Men’s 3,000m, Ryan and Woody square off against reigning US Champion, Paul Chelimo, and his training partner Shadrack Kipchirchir. Ryan is considered a 3,000m specialist, and looks to return to Worlds after winning the silver medal in 2016. Woody is seeking a strong encore performance after finishing second to Chelimo in 2017.
To close out the weekend, Colleen, Kate, and Shelby will race the 1500m. Colleen and Kate will be fresh and looking to replicate their 1-2 finish from the Millrose Games two weeks ago. Shelby, the reigning US Champion, will be doubling back after racing in the 3k the day before. This race is a sure can’t miss event.
Below is a list of race days and times. All events will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network and can be streamed online with an NBC Sports Gold subscription.
Saturday:
Women’s 3,000m -- 6:28pm ET
Men’s 3,000m -- 6:45pm ET
Sunday:
Women’s 1500 -- 5:42pm ET
Super Saturday Recap
BTC had a huge weekend of racing on the dirt and track led by victories from the Women's Squad in Tallahassee, New York and Boston. Read more for the full recap of all the BTC results from this weekend.
USATF Cross Country Championships -- Tallahassee, FL
The USATF XC Championships in Tallahassee kicked off a Super Saturday of performances for BTC. Emily Infeld, Courtney Frerichs, and Evan Jager all finished in the top 4, with Emily taking home her first USATF national title.
Emily and Courtney entertained pre-race dreams of holding hands across the line, but those were foiled by the stiff competition in Tallahassee. Emily would need both hands to break the tape. The early pace was controlled by our two BTC athletes and former NCAA XC champion, Molly Siedel. The pack was slowly whittled down to 5 by 7k, when Courtney and Emily Durgin started to come under pressure and lost contact. Those two settled into their own private battle, which Courtney would go on to win, duplicating her 4th place finish from last year’s event.
Meanwhile, Emily pressed on at the front, trading surges with Siedel as the pair broke away from the field. With a kilometer to go Emily threw in another big move. At first Siedel appeared able to respond, but up a steep hill with 500 meters to go she eked out a 10 meter advantage. As she crested the hill and sprinted towards the finish line her margin widened. Five years after running her last cross country race, she claimed the national title. She has been on a bit of a different training cycle while at altitude camp, “focusing more on speed but keeping my miles at the highest they have ever been.” Clearly the new training plan worked.
On the men’s side, Evan proved that some Ferrari’s are able to drive on grass. In his first cross country race since high school (more than 10 years ago), Evan was in contention for the win nearly the whole race. He was in the lead pack through about 9k. Even with 1000 meters to go he was still only three seconds back of the two leaders. Although unable to close the gap, Evan closed hard, relying on his strength he has built up through years of steeplechasing, to finish fourth in 29:31.
For more coverage on the USATF XC Championships follow these links:
NYRR Millrose Games -- New York, NY
It may have been freezing outside in New York, but a heat wave swept through the Armory on Saturday. Ryan and Woody got the meet started for BTC by running in the Dr. Sanders 3k. The early pace was fast but settled into a tactical affair once the rabbit dropped off. Ryan ran aggressively for the win, coming up a couple of gears short in the sprint and finished third place in 7:46.65. Woody, in his first race in nearly a year, ran conservatively near the back until one lap to go. Always confident in his finish (some teammates have dared to call him a Sandbagger), he swung way wide to move around nearly the whole field and finish fourth in 7:47.19. Both men are excited to get back to training after hitting the World Indoor Qualifying mark.
The best was still to come at Millrose in the form of the Women’s Wanamaker Mile. It was a day of firsts. It was Colleen’s first time running in the Armory and Kate’s first time wearing a BTC kit. The race was well bunched and tactical until 400 meters to go. With a lap remaining Colleen, perfectly positioned, took the lead and did not look back, although perhaps she should have. Having never broken tape before Colleen said she “just got so excited that I did the one thing I know I’m not supposed to do,” which is to celebrate early. Colleen threw up her arms in celebration which nearly allowed Kate to claim victory. In the end Colleen broke the tape in 4:30.05 with Kate finishing second in 4:30.08.
Colleen, Kate, Ryan, and Woody will all be at the USATF Indoor Championships in two weeks time looking for spots on the World Indoor team.
For more coverage on the Millrose Games follow these links:
Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invite -- Boston, MA
Not too far away from the Armory in New York City, Shelby and Marielle had a record day…literally. Both women ran a 3k with the goal of getting the World Indoor qualifying standard. They ran the majority of the race behind a pacer at 8:45 pace, well below the 8:50 Worlds standard. After the pacer stepped off, Shelby put the pressed on with the pace and pulled away from the field to claim victory in 8:36.01, setting a 15 second personal best and becoming the second fastest American 3k runner in history (only behind teammate Shalane Flanagan). Marielle, dawning the BTC kit for the first time, finished second in 8:40.20, and also set a massive second personal best by 14 seconds.
After making the World Indoor time standard look like a walk in the park, both women will head back up to altitude to prepare for USA Indoor Nationals in two weeks. While Shelby claims “defending my Indoor National titles from last year and make the Indoor World Championship team” are the main goals for the remainder of the season, she admits that “seeing my name at the top of the American [3k] record board would be amazing; and I hope to get another chance to possibly go for that this season.”
With most athletes competing for the first time in 2018, this weekend was hopefully only a sneak peek of what is to come from BTC the remainder of the year. The athletes will do their best to catch their breath before heading back into thin air and altitude camp in preparation for USA Indoor Championships, February 16-18 in Albuquerque.
Weekend Preview (February 3-4 2018)
"You don't drive your Ferrari on the grass"
- Jerry Schumacher
After spending a month training hard in the thin air of Colorado Springs, nine BTC athletes are ready to unleash their hard-won fitness this weekend at the US Cross Country Championships, 111th Millrose Games, and Bruce Lehane Invite (Boston University). For those competing indoors, the schedule is compressed this year, with both the US and World Championships taking place within the next five weeks. Several BTC athletes already have World Indoor standards, but a few need to pick them up this weekend. Read on for more!
US Cross Country Championships - Saturday, February 3rd (Tallahassee, FL)
Broadcast info: Live on USATF.tv. The senior women will run at 12:05 pm (ET) and the senior men will run at 12:55 pm (ET).
Every time the topic of Evan Jager running cross country has come up over the course of his pro career, Coach Jerry Schumacher’s response has been the same: “You don’t drive your Ferrari on the grass!”
That follows the logic of an old BTC jibe: Evan’s bouncy track stride is too elegant and temperamental for the country. So it came to pass that one of America’s best distance runners has not run a cross country race since the 2006 Foot Locker Midwest Regional over 11 years ago. That race did not go as planned, as Evan struggled in the mud and ended his high school cross country career on a sour note. Ever the competitor, Evan has yearned to avenge those memories and prove his doubting teammates wrong. He will get his chance this weekend in Tallahassee, Florida at the US Cross Country Championships. There will be no shortage of competition. Defending champion Leonard Korir leads a strong group from the American Distance Project. Portland bragging rights will be on the line with the Nike Oregon Project’s Galen Rupp, another Olympic medalist who seldom competes in Cross Country, entered as well. There was to be a BTC showdown in the race between Evan and Chris Derrick who, despite being three times the US Cross Country Champion, never beat Evan in their days as Illinois high school stars. Unfortunately, Chris is a late scratch with a nagging hamstring injury.
Even if Evan triumphs this weekend, CD’s absence and the relatively manicured course conditions may give his teammates an out to continue to disrespect his abilities over the country. Most will probably give him the nod, but it seems likely that at least Dan Huling will remain implacable. It’s a tough crowd.
On the women’s side, BTC will be represented by two more track medalists in Emily Infeld and Courtney Frerichs. Emily, like Evan, will be making a long awaited return to cross country. She has not competed in the discipline since 2013 when she finished 4th at the US Championships and 21st at Worlds in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Expect Emily to enter the race with her usual enthusiasm, especially as conditions in Tallahassee promise to be much better than the mud and ice of Poland. Courtney was 4th at last year’s US Championships and will be looking for a podium finish after making a big jump with her magical silver medal in the steeplechase at World’s last year.
Tallahassee will likely provide firmer and drier conditions than Emily's last XC race in Bydgoszcz in 2013.
Photo: Michael Scott
Millrose Games - Saturday, February 3rd (New York City, NY)
Broadcast info: NBC (4-6pm ET). Men’s 3,000m is at 4:52pm ET. Women’s Wanamaker Mile is at 5:27pm ET.
For 110 years running, the Millrose Games have been the premier meet of the US Indoor season and the mile has been its premier event. Bowerman will be represented by a pair of exceptional middle distance runners in this edition of the Women’s Wanamaker Mile. Kate Grace, who finished second last year, will be looking to climb one step higher on the podium in her BTC debut. After months of doing long aerobic sessions with the distance runners, she’s no doubt excited to get back to her comfort zone on the track. Colleen Quigley ran 4:24 in the mile last winter, but did not run at Millrose. Known more as a steeplechase specialist, she’s eager to prove her chops in a high profile mile race.
Ryan Hill has been can’t-miss-TV at Millrose. The past three years Ryan has two wins and a second place, with each race being decided by 0.16 seconds or less. Ryan will line up in the 3,000m against a field that features 4 other competitors from last summer’s World Championships (the UK’s Andrew Butchart, Jamaica’s Kemoy Campbell, the US’s Shadrack Kipchirchir, and Canada’s Justyn Knight). Woody Kincaid, will run the 3,000m as well, in his first race in nearly a year. Woody’s 2017 was ended prematurely by a stress fracture after a fantastic 13:12 5,000m PR and a second place finish at the US Indoor two mile championships. Like any runner after a long layoff, he’s been anxious to get back to the fun of racing. He will be looking for the World Indoor standard of 7:52.0.
In 2017, Kate finished runner-up in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games by running a personal best of 4:22.93.
Bruce Lehane Invite - Saturday, February 3rd (Boston, MA)
Broadcast info: Flotrack.org. Women’s 3,000m at 4:25pm ET.
The final BTC event of the weekend is slightly lower key affair in Boston. Shelby Houlihan and Marielle Hall are there with one simple mission: the World Indoor standard of 8:50. Very few women in the US have achieved that time in the qualifying window (Shalane Flanagan is one, but will not be competing at US Indoors), and with the US Championships at altitude, the list of women who run under 8:50 this weekend will shape the list of contenders of the US team. Marielle will be racing in the BTC kit for the first time and we are very excited to see her in action!
Marielle and Shelby have their sights set on the 3000m world indoor qualifier of 8:50.00.
Photo: Kevin Morris
2017 Highlight Video
2017 was a great year for the BTC on all levels. Last week we had our year end banquet to highlight performances from our Youth, Elite, Pro and Masters groups from the year and look forward to whats ahead. Our club continues to be focused on fostering competitive running opportunities to runners of all levels. Check out the linked video to see some highlights from 2017!
2017 BTC Highlights
Once again, all parts of the club contributed to taking the Bowerman Track Club to new heights this year. This week was the Bowerman Track Club year end banquet where we highlight performances from the past year and look forward to what's ahead in the coming year. In 2017, the BTC youth program once again had a record number of entrants and sent a club record number of individuals and and teams to the Junior Olympic National Championships in Florida. Additionally, the Masters program posted a solid 3rd place finish at the XC National championships, the Elite program posted a slew of marathon PRs at the California International Marathon and the Pro team brought home 3 medals from the World Championships. Our club continues to be focused on fostering competitive running opportunities to runners of all levels. Check out the video for more highlights!
A New Champion in New York
Shalane Flanagan wins the New York City Marathon in one of the greatest races in American marathon history. With a winning time of 2:26:53, she defeated an experienced field to capture her first World Marathon Major victory. Click for the full BTC Recap!
It’s not everyday that runners get to reap the rewards of the many long hours of training, rehab and fatigue. For marathoners especially, the chances to race and chase dreams are few and far between. “Trust the process”, the saying goes. For Shalane Flanagan, today was a day when the process, one that began as a little girl dreaming of winning on running’s biggest stage, culminated with one of the most incredible performances in the history of the New York City Marathon and American distance running.
This morning on the streets of New York, Shalane won the New York City Marathon in a time of 2 hours 26 minutes and 53 seconds. She became the first American woman to do so since Miki Gorman in 1977, 4 years before Shalane was born. For Shalane, this marked her first ever win in World Marathon Major—her best previous finish coming 7 years ago in her marathon debut on the same course as today. Despite her many attempts and outstanding performances since then, victory had remained out of her grasp.
Shalane's average mile pace per 5k. Shalane made her move at about 34k into the race.
Although today was not Shalane’s fastest marathon ever (2:21:14 – Berlin 2014), it was the best overall marathon performance of her career, in large part due to the competition she defeated. Today’s field included Mary Keitany, the runner-up, who came in as the 3-time defending champion of and the top ranked marathoner in 2017, and Edna Kiplagat, the #2 ranked marathoner of 2017 and the winner of the New York Marathon in 2010 when Shalane was runner-up. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment when a marathon is won or lost, but it was clear that when Shalane made her move between mile 21 and 22, she meant business. Once she picked up the pace, Shalane kept the pressure on all the way to the finish, averaging 5:08 per mile for the last 5 miles.
In the weeks leading up to the marathon, there was a growing murmur amongst BTC coaches and team members about how fit Shalane was. Every race build-up is different, but all BTC pros know the markers of killer fitness and when Shalane returned from Mammoth Lakes, CA in early October she put together a string of workouts that dropped the jaws of even her world class teammates. It’s rare that we see Shalane in anything other than fantastic shape, but following a stress fracture during her build-up to the Boston Marathon last spring, no one expected her to be in the “best shape of her life.” That forced break proved a blessing, allowing her to attack training with renewed energy. Mid-build up, she remarked to teammates that she, “didn’t realize how tired she’d been for 3 years.” She hardly looked tired today.
Even many of our youngest club members were up early to watch Shalane. What an inspiration it was!
Shalane’s performance comes on the heels of Amy Cragg’s bronze medal at the World Championships in August and the Chicago Marathon less than a month ago, where Chris Derrick was the second American (9th overall) in his marathon debut and Andrew Bumbalough finished 13th overall. For a group that started with professionals only competing on the track, the marathon crew is making a name for itself on the roads and significantly helping to raise the level of US marathon racing, leaving us to wonder if we will have to rebrand as BMC?
Shalane continues to impress and inspire all members of our club, and today has us all excited to get out and keep training. November 5th, 2017 will live forever in the history of BTC. For more information about the New York City Marathon and Shalane’s victory, check out some of the articles below.
Letsrun.com NYC Marathon Recap
Letsrun.com Shalane Victory Recap
Lincoln High's Achon Distance Classic
Sharing more than just a mutual color scheme of red and black, find out how the Lincoln High School Cross Country program is helping out a cause near and dear to the heart of Bowerman TC.
Bowerman TC finds mutual interest with Lincoln High XC Program
The Lincoln High School Cross Country team continues its annual tradition of racing for a cause this Saturday evening, Oct. 7th, on their home track under the lights.
Raising money for a cause near and dear to the heart of Bowerman Track Club, LHSXC members are encouraged to raise a minimum of $20, with the proceeds heading directly to the Achon Uganda Children's Fund (AUCF).
Bringing together the celebration of community and competition, a series of 2mi races will be held on Lincoln High's track, helping provide the AUCF with the funds to continue its important work of improved healthcare, education, and exposure to sport in Ugandan communities.
In its 4th year, the Achon Distance Classic hopes to match last year's impressive $15,000 raised for the AUCF. Featuring six races, across all genders, ages, and ability, all one needs to enter is the encouraged $20 entry fee, which guarantees you a free, unique T-shirt, and the thrill of whizzing along Lincoln's spotlit track in the autumn twilight.
Men's Races
2mi Junior Varsity 6:50PM
2mi Varsity 7:30PM
2mi Open 7:50PM
Women's Races
2mi Junior Varsity 6:30PM
2mi Varsity 7:10PM
2mi Open 7:50PM
If you are looking for a race that won't demand quite as much from you, or your athletes as we get towards the later stages of the Cross Country season, please consider joining the event.
The Achon Distance Classic starts this Saturday, Oct. 7th, approximately at 6pm and ends about 9pm. For more information call or email Coach Suzanne Parry.
Coach Suzanne Parry - 503-577-5759
For more information on the AUCF, visit http://achonugandachildren.org/
BOWERMAN MISSION The Bowerman Track Club is a community based track club spanning from the professional ranks to youth members. Catering to the competitive, we hope to spread the sport of running and all the good it does. Acknowledging the club's potential to effect change in local communities, Bowerman Track Club will seize the oppurtunity to serve the city of Portland through issue awareness, fundraising and project collaboration.
The Burnside Footbridge Project
The first of hopefully many Bowerman Track Club's community initiatives. Check out how Bowerman TC (and maybe you!) can get involved in the Burnside Footbridge project.
Bowerman TC gets involved with the Burnside Footbridge Project
The Portland Parks Foundation is seeking the support of the Portland community in raising funds to build a footbridge over West Burnside, providing a safe passage for runners and hikers on the Wildwood Trail in Forest Park.
Connecting 30 miles through Portland’s famed Forest Park, the Wildwood trail serves over 80,000 runners, hikers, and schoolchildren each year. However, a current section of the Wildwood trail crosses over West Burnside, forcing cars to stop unsafely for trail users crossing the road, creating a potentially dangerous situation.
With $2.3 million already raised, the Portland Parks Foundation seeks community support to fund an additional $150,000 for the project with an anonymous donor providing a 1:1 match, for a potential $300,000 campaign.
The Burnside Footbridge campaign runs from Sept. 20 to Oct. 23. To donate and for more information, visit www.oregonskitchentable.org/footbridge-over-burnside and help support this community initiative.
Members of the Bowerman Track Club, including Youth, Masters, Elite, and Professional athletes, utilize Forest Park and its numerous trails. In an attempt to represent Portland not only on the track and Olympic world stage, we ask for the community's support in this worthy project.
The Bowerman Track Club continually seeks out opportunities to support and engage in community initiatives that impact the city our club calls home. BTC professional athlete sums up the importance of the Burnside Footbridge project perfectly.
“The Burnside Footbridge will create a seamless flow over Burnside that will allow runners and walkers to enjoy Forest Park and it’s surroundings without having a busy street interrupt your exercise.
”
Designed by Ed Carpenter, a Pacific Northwest artist specializing in large-scale public installations, the Footbridge will mirror the natural elements
around it, both blending in and connecting to its surroundings.
First person perspective of the proposed footbridge design.
Not only an amazing spokesperson for Bowerman TC, professional athlete Amy Cragg has directly collaborated with the Portland Park's Foundation, detailing the impact the footbridge project will have on the trail and uniquely beautiful Portland environment.
Coming together as an organization, we hope to fundraise and spread the message of the project to improve the trail we all call home. For more information, check out the project's website. https://www.oregonskitchentable.org/crowdfunding/footbridge-over-burnside
BOWERMAN MISSION The Bowerman Track Club is a community based track club spanning from the professional ranks to youth members. Catering to the competitive, we hope to spread the sport of running and all the good it does. Acknowledging the club's potential to effect change in local communities, Bowerman Track Club will seize the opportunity to serve the city of Portland through issue awareness, fundraising and project collaboration.
Rubber to Pavement: BTC Transitions With The Seasons.
Bowerman Track Club finishes up its summer racing series, while others prepare for marathons and a Fall filled with mileage, base training, and Pumpkin Spice lattes.
Fifth Ave Fights and City Nights
Focusing on getting some speed back into their legs after the long grind of a World Championship year, Bowerman women Shelby Houlihan, Courtney Frerichs, Colleen Quigley, and Emily Infeld headed east this past weekend to close out their summer racing series at the Fifth Avenue Mile held in New York City. All moving down in distance, the event was a challenging but fun opportunity to end their seasons in style, flying past Central Park's trees in quick succession. Colleen led the way for Bowerman, taking 9th in a time of 4:20.6, followed by Shelby for 13th in 4:26.3, Emily for 17th in 4:30.3, and Courtney for 20th in 4:31.3. The crew was all smiles after the race, happy to have braved the challenge of a new event. Laughing Courtney said, "I set PB's at every split."
#MarathonManCamp
While the New York Squad finished up in the city, Chris Derrick and Andrew Bumbalough were off in the woods and mountains of Mammoth California (dubbed #MammothonMarathonManCamp on social media), getting themselves ready for the Chicago Marathon coming up on Oct. 8th. Hitting high mileage for several months and drinking in the natural setting of Mammoth, CD and Bumby are excited to finally be in the month out moments of the marathon. Having focused their training mainly on mileage and progressive long runs, Chris and Bumby have begun honing in their pace work now that September has arrived.
Now back in Portland, Bumby and Chris have rejoined the Bowerman boys still in the city to finish up their training and drink some finely brewed Portland Coffee that they have missed for so long. Andrew Bumbalough is excited to have another shot at the Marathon after his impressive debut in Tokyo of 2:13:58. Chris Derrick is looking forward to his own debut in Chicago where he said in confidence, "I just hope to not have a terrible last 10k." With his 10k prowess, I don't think anyone is worried.
Summer 3k Series
Free, family friendly 3k Series runs are just around the corner. No 3k on August 2nd due to the heat, but come join the fun all other Wednesdays in August at the Nike WHQ. Click the image for more info.