2011 WOMEN’S LONG DISTANCE RUNNING COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT

2011 has been a year of preparation for the 2012 Olympic Team Trials – Women’s to be held in Houston, TX on January 14, 2012. The women’s and men’s committees and the National Office are hard at work with the Houston Marathon Committee to ensure that this historic event will be a success on all levels. In January 2011, the USA Half Marathon Championships was held as a “test” event for the Trials in 2012, allowing athletes to preview the Olympic Trials course and the Local Organizing Committee’s operating plans for ground transportation, hospitality and event logistics.

After the “test” event, Houston took the feedback from the athletes and modified the course, which will now start and finish in downtown Houston in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center, the hub of Houston Marathon race weekend activities. The men and women will complete a 2.2-mile inner loop through the heart of downtown Houston and then run the outer eight-mile loop three times to complete the 26.2-mile marathon.

Just announced in November, the U.S. Olympic Committee, NBC, USA Track & Field, and the Houston Marathon Committee will broadcast the U.S. Olympic Trials for the men’s and women’s marathon. NBC will broadcast two hours of same-day coverage from 3-5 p.m. ET. The comprehensive coverage will be the first time that both men’s and women’s Olympic Trials have been televised on the same day. Credit for this level of coverage goes to Houston and the Women’s and Men’s LDR planning committees for envisioning this event format.

In preparation for the Olympic Trials, to date, 66 women have met the “A” qualifying standard and 182 have met the “B” qualifying standard. Women’s performances to date are exceeding the 2008 Olympic Trials pool of “A” qualifiers, which had a grand total of 19. The deadline for qualifying for the trials is December 11, 2011, and we look forward to that number continuing to rise.

2011 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Our year was filled with an outstanding list of National Championships for women and generous prize money, totaling $262,000. We thank the USATF Associations, Race Directors, Event Organizers, Sponsors and most of all the athletes for their support of our programs.

USA Running Circuit Web Site

In 2011, USATF again partnered with RunnerSpace.com at www.USARunningCircuit.com to highlight USA championship road racing at its best! The website offers live coverage of championship racing, athlete interviews, fan contests and archives of championship coverage and results.

USARunningCircuit.com is another way USA Track & Field is better showcasing our events online. Webcasts of USARC races have shown that there is a large audience for more robust coverage of our championship races and top distance runners. USARunningCircuit.com will provide plenty of coverage for that audience while drawing in new fans to road racing, an activity that millions of Americans enjoy on a participatory level.

2011 Championship Results

Aramco Houston Half Marathon

Jennifer Rhines 1:11:14 Serena Burla 1:11:38 Nan Kennard 1:12:03

Gate River Run 15K

Jen Rhines 49:31 Nan Kennard 49:56 Megan Hogan 49:57

Medtronic TC 1 Mile Road Championship

Sara Hall 4:30.8 Heather Kampf 4:36.3 Gabriele Anderson 4:36.9

Fifth Third River Bank 25K

Molly Pritz 1:25:38 Dot McMahan 1:28:38 Jeanette Faber 1:28:48

Quad City Times Bix 7

Caroline Rotich 36:42 Jelliah Tinega 37:46 Diane Nukuri-Johnson 37:59

Medtronic TC 10 Mile

Janet Cherobon-Bawcom 54:15 Julie Culley 54:28 Blake Russell 54:44

Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race (20K)

Janet Cherobon-Bawcom 1:08:31 Clara Grandt 1:09:05 Katie McGregor 1:09:56

CVS/Caremark Downtown 5K

Julie Culley 15:39 15:47 Emily Brown 15:55

Tufts 10K

Janet Cherobon-Bawcom 32:47 Katie McGregor 33:15 Kim Conley 33:34

Grand Prix Circuit Title

The 2011 Grand Prix winner was awarded to Janet Cherobon-Bawcom. With wins at the USA 20 km, 10 mile and 10 km, Cherobon-Bawcom was able to take the top spot in the USA Running Circuit standings for the year. By winning the Grand Prix bonus, Cherobon-Bawcom added an additional $12,500 to her winnings.

WORLD PERFORMANCES

Our women continue to compete around the world.

World Marathon Championship – Daegu, Korea

Our USA Women’s Team came in 6th place overall.

Tera Moody #17 2:32:04 Kathy Newberry #30 2:37:28 Alisa McKaig #32 2:38:23 Colleen DeReuck #38 2:44:35 Zoila Gomez #40 2:46:44

Chiba Ekiden (as of 11/01/11)

Janet Cherbon-Bawcom Emilv Brown Alisha Williams Wendy Thomas (Alternate)

We are looking forward to the USA International competition at the Chiba Ekiden in Japan on November 23 and the Club Nationals Cross-Country Championships on December 10 in Seattle, Washington.

ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

2011 Women’s LDR Athletic Development Program Report for the Championship races.

Applications were low this year for the 25k (Fifth Third River Run) and the 1 Mile (Medtronic TC 1 Mile). The travel stipend was increased to $200.00 for the following races: Medtronic TC 1 Mile, Medtronic TC 10 Mile and Fifth Third River Run 25k.

US Half Marathon Championships - Aramco Houston Half Marathon

Caitlin Chrisman, NC- 27th Overall 1.19.06 Kayte Tranel, NE- 28th overall 1.20.05 Kaci Lickteig, NE- 32nd overall 1.21.45

US 25K Championships - Fifth Third River Run

Caitlin Chrisman, NC- 13th overall 1.35.04

US 1 Mile Championships - Medtronic TC 1 Mile

Chantelle Dron, CO-15th overall 5.13.09

US 10 Mile Championships - Medtronic TC 10 Mile

Rebecca Mishler, ID - 29th overall 59.56 Megan Zavorka, WY- 37th overall 1.01.42

US 10K Championships - Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women

Megan Duwell, AZ- 21st overall 35.47 Kaitlin Gregg, CA- 20th overall 35.39 Lois Ricadi, WA- 37th overall 37.23 Samantha Howard, PA- 26th overall 36.12

Contact Linda Barnhart, Women’s LDR ADP Coordinator, for 2012 event participation. [email protected]

We thank the staff of USATF for their continued hard work and support of our program and our athletes. Jim Estes, liaison to the athletes and race organizations, with his expertise and knowledge of our sport, is instrumental in the success of our program.

I want to thank my Committee for their support and hard work in providing the best opportunities for our athletes. Their enthusiasm and commitment to the sport is appreciated by the athletes.

Respectfully submitted,

Virginia Brophy Achman Chair, Women’s Long Distance Running