Battle by the Bay features clash of the masters titans
This Saturday, San Francisco will host the USATF National Cross Country Club Championships. Of special interest to me is the fight shaping up for male supremacy among some trackcentric distance dudes. In one corner is M40 repeat champion Brian Pope of Mississippi. In the other corner is M45 Pete Magill of Southern California. And in the third corner is M40 stud Tony Young of Washington state, slightly out of his 800/mile comfort zone. The race is 10K — 6.2 miles. Here are the entry lists. The event also is notable for awarding prize money to the top masters age-group teams. (The most is $250 per club — enough to pay for pizza and beer at the post-race party.)
Here’s how USATF reports the masters races in SF:
Top masters scheduled to compete
Many of the country’s top masters (athletes 40 years and older) squads will also do battle on the Golden Gate Park turf for age division championship titles over a 10-kilometer course.
Brian Pope of the Southern California Track Club aims for a three-peat in the 40-45 division while Tony Young of Club Northwest, one of America’s premier masters runners in the 1500 meters and mile, looks to dethrone the three-time defending champion.
Pete Magill of Team Runners High, a standout in the 40-44 category, moves up to the next age bracket to challenge teammate David Olds, along with former Olympic marathoner John Tuttle (Atlanta TC), and David O’Keefe (Genessee Valley Harriers), for top individual honors.
Magill leads Team Runners High in its defense of the 2005 masters title in the men’s 40-49 division while the Asics Aggies will counter with former national class runners Ivan Huff and Carmelo Rios. Also spicing up the field in that division is 1977 world junior cross country champion Thom Hunt (San Diego TC).
The women’s masters race is wide open, with Karen Steen of Seattle’s Club Northwest, Maria Trujilo and 1996 Olympic marathoner Linda Somers-Smith (Asics Aggies) vying for top individual honors. Steen is at the forefront of Club Northwest’s title defense in the women’s 40-49 age division, while Trujilo and Somers-Smith lead the Aggies. Defending individual masters champion Carmen Ayala-Troncoso (Rogue Running), is competing in the women’s open race.
One Response
NYC money is on Peter Magill and Runners High…good luck to ALL athletes….ENJOY the day!!
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